Regional air quality in Leipzig, Germany: detailed source apportionment of size-resolved aerosol particles and comparison with the year 2000.

A detailed source apportionment of size-resolved aerosol particles in the area of Leipzig, Germany, was performed. Sampling took place at four sites (traffic, traffic/residential, urban background, regional background) in parallel during summer 2013 and the winters 2013/14/15. Twenty-one samples were taken per season with a 5-stage Berner impactor and analysed for particulate mass, inorganic ions, organic and elemental carbon, water-soluble organic carbon, trace metals, and a wide range of organic species. The compositional data were used to estimate source contributions to particulate matter (PM) in quasi-ultrafine (up to 140 nm), accumulation mode, and coarse size ranges using Positive Matrix Factorisation (PMF) receptor modelling. Traffic (exhaust and general traffic emissions), coal combustion, biomass combustion, photochemistry, general secondary formation, cooking, fungal spores, urban dust, fresh sea/road salt, and aged sea salt were all found to contribute to different extents to observed PM concentrations. PMF derived estimates agreed reasonably with estimates from established macrotracer approaches. Quasi-ultrafine PM originated mainly from traffic (20-50%) and photochemistry (30-50%) in summer, while it was dominated by solid fuel (mainly biomass) combustion in winter (50-70%). Tentatively identified cooking aerosol contributed up to 36% on average at the residential site. For accumulation mode particles, two secondary sources typically contributed 40-90% to particle mass. In winter, biomass and coal combustion contributions were up to ca. 25% and 45%, respectively. Main sources of coarse particles were diverse and included nearly all PMF-resolved ones depending on season and air mass origin. For PM10, traffic (typically 20-40% at kerbside sites), secondary formation (30-60%), biomass combustion (10-15% in winter), and coal combustion (30-40% in winter with eastern air mass inflow) were the main quantified sources. At the residential site, contributions from biomass combustion derived up to 60% from local emissions. Coal combustion as a significant source was only present during eastern air mass inflow and showed very similar concentrations at all sites, indicating the importance of trans-boundary air pollution transport in the study area. Overall, nearly half of the PM10 mass was attributed to urban sources by a simple subtractive approach with highest reduction potentials of up to 80% for local (urban) mitigation measures in ultrafine and coarse particles. Local increments of elemental carbon have decreased by about 50% as compared to the year 2000, corroborating results from a former study on the positive effects of a low emission zone, implemented in Leipzig in 2011.

How to tackle the molecular species inventory for an industrialized nation-lessons from the first phase of the German Barcode of Life initiative GBOL (2012-2015).

Biodiversity loss is mainly driven by human activity. While concern grows over the fate of hot spots of biodiversity, contemporary species losses still prevail in industrialized nations. Therefore, strategies were formulated to halt or reverse the loss, driven by evidence for its value for ecosystem services. Maintenance of the latter through conservation depends on correctly identified species. To this aim, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the GBOL project, a consortium of natural history collections, botanic gardens, and universities working on a barcode reference database for the country's fauna and flora. Several noticeable findings could be useful for future campaigns: (i) validating taxon lists to serve as a taxonomic backbone is time-consuming, but without alternative; (ii) offering financial incentives to taxonomic experts, often citizen scientists, is indispensable; (iii) completion of the libraries for widespread species enables analyses of environmental samples, but the process may not hold pace with technological advancements; (iv) discoveries of new species are among the best stories for the media; (v) a commitment to common data standards and repositories is needed, as well as transboundary cooperation between nations; (vi) after validation, all data should be published online via the BOLD to make them searchable for external users and to allow cross-checking with data from other countries.

Eating disorders in men: current features and childhood factors.

BACKGROUND: Disturbed interactions with one's body and with other persons are two major features in eating disorders. This study was designed to assess current and childhood characteristics of eating-disordered men. METHODS: The authors interviewed 32 men with eating disorders (anorexia nervosa: N=9, bulimia nervosa: N=15, eating disorders not otherwise specified: N=8) and 43 control participants with no such history similar in age and educational status. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV was used to assess Axis I disorders and a self-designed interview to assess actual social and sexual characteristics and childhood body-focused and social behaviors including sexual and physical abuse. RESULTS: The two groups differed significantly with regard to clinical, sexual and social features, with a three times higher rate of psychiatric disorders, fewer sexual and social relationships in the index group than in the controls. Eating-disordered men differed significantly from controls on most measures of body-focused and social behaviors, displaying higher rates of thumb sucking, nail biting, auto-aggressive behavior, and nudity as a familial taboo during childhood, as well as less parental bodily caressing than did controls. The index group reported significantly poorer relationships to their parents, fewer friends and persons of trust, and more often had adjustment problems at school than did their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that disturbed interactions with one's body and with other persons in eating-disordered men are associated with a body-denying and distant family climate and an auto-aggressive, anxious and inhibited social behavior during childhood.

[Severe microcytic anemia with megaloblastic changes in the bone marrow. A hematological paradoxon?]. / Schwere mikrozytäre Anämie bei megaloblastären Veränderungen im Knochenmark : Ein hämatologisches Paradoxon?

We discuss the case of a 32 year-old male with severe microcytic anemia (hemoglobin 2,9 g/dl) and megaloblastic changes in the bone marrow. The patient reported of substantial dietary weight loss. The family history was positive for beta-thalassemia. Previous blood work showed iron deficiency with mild anemia. Further work-up verified beta-thalassemia minor and revealed severely decreased vitamin B12 levels with positive anti intrinsic-factor antibodies, pathognomonic for autoimmune pernicious anemia. The paradoxon therefore dissolved as a pernicious anemia with megaloblastic changes with microcytic erythrocytes due to beta-thalassemia.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in bulimia nervosa: preliminary results of a single-centre, randomised, double-blind, sham-controlled trial in female outpatients.

BACKGROUND: Bulimia nervosa (BN) is often associated with depressive symptoms and treatment with antidepressants has shown positive effects. A shared deficient serotonergic transmission was postulated for both syndromes. The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was argued to regulate eating behaviour and to be dysfunctional in eating disorders. METHODS: Fourteen women meeting DSM-IV criteria for BN were included in a randomised placebo-controlled double-blind trial. In order to exclude patients highly responsive to placebo, all patients were first submitted to a one-week sham treatment. Randomisation was followed by 3 weeks of active treatment or sham stimulation. As the main outcome criterion we defined the change in binges and purges. Secondary outcome variables were the decrease of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) over time. RESULTS: The average number of binges per day declined significantly between baseline and the end of treatment in the two groups. There was no significant difference between sham and active stimulation in terms of purge behaviour, BDI, HDRS and YBOCS over time. CONCLUSION: These preliminary results indicate that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the treatment of BN does not exert additional benefit over placebo. A larger number of patients might clarify a further role of rTMS in the treatment of BN.

DNA barcoding of crickets, katydids and grasshoppers (Orthoptera) from Central Europe with focus on Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

We present a DNA barcoding study on the insect order Orthoptera that was generated in collaboration between four barcoding projects in three countries, viz. Barcoding Fauna Bavarica (Germany), German Barcode of Life, Austrian Barcode of Life and Swiss Barcode of Life. Our data set includes 748 COI sequences from 127 of the 162 taxa (78.4%) recorded in the three countries involved. Ninety-three of these 122 species (76.2%, including all Ensifera) can be reliably identified using DNA barcodes. The remaining 26 caeliferan species (families Acrididae and Tetrigidae) form ten clusters that share barcodes among up to five species, in three cases even across different genera, and in six cases even sharing individual barcodes. We discuss incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization as most likely causes of this phenomenon, as the species concerned are phylogenetically young and hybridization has been previously observed. We also highlight the problem of nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes (numts), a known problem in the barcoding of orthopteran species, and the possibility of Wolbachia infections. Finally, we discuss the possible taxonomic implications of our barcoding results and point out future research directions.

The implications of intergenic polymorphism for major histocompatibility complex evolution.

A systematic survey of six intergenic regions flanking the human HLA-B locus in eight haplotypes reveals the regions to be up to 20 times more polymorphic than the reported average degree of human neutral polymorphism. Furthermore, the extent of polymorphism is directly related to the proximity to the HLA-B locus. Apparently linkage to HLA-B locus alleles, which are under balancing selection, maintains the neutral polymorphism of adjacent regions. For these linked polymorphisms to persist, recombination in the 200-kb interval from HLA-B to TNF must occur at a low frequency. The high degree of polymorphism found distal to HLA-B suggests that recombination is uncommon on both sides of the HLA-B locus. The least-squares estimate is 0.15% per megabase with an estimated range from 0.02 to 0.54%. These findings place strong restrictions on possible recombinational mechanisms for the generation of diversity at the HLA-B.

Bioactive and thermally compatible glass coating on zirconia dental implants.

The healing time of zirconia implants may be reduced by the use of bioactive glass coatings. Unfortunately, existing glasses are either bioactive like Bioglass 45S5 but thermally incompatible with the zirconia substrate, or they are thermally compatible but exhibit only a very low level of bioactivity. In this study, we hypothesized that a tailored substitution of alkaline earth metals and alkaline metals in 45S5 can lead to a glass composition that is both bioactive and thermally compatible with zirconia implants. A novel glass composition was analyzed using x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, dilatometry, differential scanning calorimetry, and heating microscopy to investigate its chemical, physical, and thermal properties. Bioactivity was tested in vitro using simulated body fluid (SBF). Smooth and microstructured glass coatings were applied using a tailored spray technique with subsequent thermal treatment. Coating adhesion was tested on implants that were inserted in bovine ribs. The cytocompatibility of the coating was analyzed using L929 mouse fibroblasts. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the novel glass was shown to be slightly lower (11.58 · 10(-6) K(-1)) than that of the zirconia (11.67 · 10(-6) K(-1)). After storage in SBF, the glass showed reaction layers almost identical to the bioactive glass gold standard, 45S5. A process window between 800 °C and 910 °C was found to result in densely sintered and amorphous coatings. Microstructured glass coatings on zirconia implants survived a minimum insertion torque of 60 Ncm in the in vitro experiment on bovine ribs. Proliferation and cytotoxicity of the glass coatings was comparable with the controls. The novel glass composition showed a strong adhesion to the zirconia substrate and a significant bioactive behavior in the SBF in vitro experiments. Therefore, it holds great potential to significantly reduce the healing time of zirconia dental implants.

Sequential therapy combining clofarabine and T-cell-replete HLA-haploidentical haematopoietic SCT is feasible and shows efficacy in the treatment of refractory or relapsed aggressive lymphoma.

Prognosis is poor for patients with biologically aggressive Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), refractory to chemotherapy or relapsed after autologous transplantation, especially when no disease control before allogeneic transplantation is achieved. In 16 patients (median age 53, median prior regimes 5) with relapsed or refractory non-remission NHL, we analysed retrospectively the efficacy of a sequential therapy comprising clofarabine re-induction followed by a reduced-intensity conditioning with fludarabine, CY and melphalan, and T-cell-replete HLA-haploidentical transplantation. High-dose CY was utilized post-transplantation. All patients engrafted. Early response (day +30) was achieved in 94%. Treatment-related grade III-IV toxicity occurred in 56%, most commonly transient elevation of transaminases (36%), while there was a low incidence of infections (19% CMV reactivation, 19% invasive fungal infection) and GVHD (GVHD: acute III-IV: 6%; mild chronic: 25%). One-year non-relapse mortality was 19%. After a median follow-up of 21 months, estimated 1- and 2-year PFS was 56 and 50%, respectively, with 11 patients (69%) still alive after 2 years. In summary, sequential therapy is feasible and effective and provides an acceptable toxicity profile in high-risk non-remission NHL. Presumably, cytotoxic reinduction with clofarabine provides enough remission time for the graft-versus lymphoma effect of HLA-haploidentical transplantation to kick in, even in lymphomas that are otherwise chemo-refractory.

Chronic repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation enhances c-fos in the parietal cortex and hippocampus.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a novel non-invasive method with anti-depressant properties. However, the mechanism of activation on the cellular level is unknown. Twelve hours after the last chronic rTMS treatment (14 days, once per day, 20 Hz, 10 s, 75% machine output, the transcription factor c-fos was markedly increased in neurons in layers I-IV and VI of the parietal cortex and in few scattered neurons in the hippocampus of Sprague-Dawley rats. The cortical activation was not blocked by the NMDA antagonist MK-801. The increase of c-fos was not paralleled by an increased glial response and activation of cortical growth factors. Thus, it is concluded that chronic rTMS differentially activates parietal cortical layers and this might be involved in mediating anti-depressant activity in other brain areas.

Hippocampal volume reduction in male schizophrenic patients.

Using magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, we examined volumetric measurements of total brain, hemispheres, lateral ventricles and the hippocampus/amygdala complex in male subjects (41 first-episode schizophrenics, 30 chronic schizophrenic patients and 32 healthy controls). We found significantly smaller total brain size in the chronic schizophrenic group, significantly larger lateral ventricles in both patient groups and hippocampal volume reduction bilaterally in first-episode patients (-13.2% left, -12.05% right) and chronic patients (-10.6% left, -10.5% right) compared to controls--irrespective of diagnostic subtype, family history for psychiatric diseases, psychopathology, duration of illness or age at onset.

Magnetic stimulation induces neuronal c-fos via tetrodotoxin-sensitive sodium channels in organotypic cortex brain slices of the rat.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a novel non-invasive method with antidepressant properties, where electromagnetic fields are applied via an electrode. The aim of the present study was to investigate in an in vitro model if magnetic stimulation may activate the transcription factor c-fos. Organotypic brain slices of the parietal cortex were cultured for 2 weeks and then treated with a magnetic stimulator. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect c-fos like immunoreactivity. We show that magnetic stimulation (1 Hz, 10 min, 75% machine output/magstim 200 rapid stimulator) transiently enhanced c-fos 3-6 h after stimulation. Co-localization experiments revealed that c-fos was expressed in neurons but not astroglia. The activation of c-fos by magnetic stimulation was inhibited by the sodium-channel blocker tetrodotoxin (TTX) (10 microM). It is concluded that magnetic stimulation induces neuronal c-fos via TTX-sensitive sodium channels in organotypic cortex slices.

ECT response after relapse during continuation repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. A case report.

Research on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) indicates that the treatment of non-psychotic depression is comparable to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in terms of short-term outcome. We report on a woman who exerted a recurrent moderate major depressive episode, 6 months after discontinuation of maintenance ECT. She responded to acute rTMS treatment which was followed by the rTMS maintenance-protocol. Within 2 months of continuation rTMS she relapsed suffering from a severe non psychotic depressive episode and had to be switched to a successful ECT. In this patient rTMS had a good clinical impact as an acute treatment strategy, but failed to prevent relapse as the continuation ECT previously did in the same patient.

Cavernous angioma of the cerebellopontine angle.

Cavernous angiomas are vascular malformations that are seldom found in the cerebellopontine angle or in the internal auditory canal. We report the case of a 51-year-old man suffering from a rapidly progressive hearing loss, tinnitus and minor unsteadiness. Neurootological examination showed a canal paresis of 91% on the right side. The subsequent neuroradiological examination with magnetic resonance imaging revealed a tumour of the cerebellopontine angle with intracanalicular extension. The observed intensities on T1-, T2- and gadolinium-enhanced sequences suggested the diagnosis of a vestibular schwannoma. Intraoperatively, a reddish tumour was found and histological examination revealed a cavernous angioma. Even though extensive diagnostic procedures were performed, the correct diagnosis could not be established preoperatively.

Second haematopoietic SCT using HLA-haploidentical donors in patients with relapse of acute leukaemia after a first allogeneic transplantation.

Haploidentical haematopoietic SCT (HSCT) using T-cell-replete grafts and post-transplant high-dose CY has found increasing acceptance. Our purpose was to evaluate the feasibility and outcome of this strategy as second HSCT incorporating donor change for acute leukaemia relapse after a first allogeneic transplantation. The courses of 20 consecutive adults (median age 37 years, 12 male) with AML (n=14), ALL (n=5) and acute bi-phenotypic leukaemia (n=1) were analysed retrospectively. Conditioning consisted of fludarabine, CY and either melphalan or TBI or tresosulfan+/-etoposide. Engraftment was achieved in 17 (85%), and a second remission was induced in 15 patients (75%) on day +30. The rate of grade II-IV acute GvHD was 35%, while chronic GvHD occurred in five patients. Most commonly observed grade III-IV toxicities were mucositis (30%), hyperbilirubinemia (20%), elevation of transaminases (20%) and creatinine (20%), while invasive fungal infection affected 30%. One-year non-relapse mortality (NRM) was 36%. At a median follow-up of 17 months, estimated 1-year OS was 45%, and 1-year relapse-free survival was 33%. This strategy was feasible and allowed for successful engraftment with a moderate rate of toxicity. Early outcome and NRM are at least comparable with results after a second HSCT from HLA-matched donors without donor change at HSCT2.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and amygdala-hippocampectomy.

OBJECTIVE: The case report suggests the indispensability of preoperative accurate psychiatric checkups especially in temporal resections. METHOD: A single case was reported. RESULTS: We report the case of a 20-year-old woman suffering for 12 years from primary generalized epilepsy, attributed to left-sided hippocampal sclerosis. Because seizures were resistant to drug therapy, she underwent amygdala-hippocampectomy at the age of 18. Furthermore, she had previously been victim of childhood sexual abuse. Two weeks after epilepsy surgery, she manifested symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). CONCLUSION: There is evidence that the amygdala-hippocampal region is both functionally and morphologically involved in the aetiology of PTSD. The removal of this marked neuroanatomical region and the resulting disconnection and asymmetry between right and left amygdala-hippocampal region might be seen as an evidence for this region aetiologically being involved in the patient's PTSD symptoms.

A single five-step desaturase is involved in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway to beta-carotene and torulene in Neurospora crassa.

Phytoene desaturase Al-1 from Neurospora crassa was expressed in Escherichia coli and an active enzyme was isolated which catalyzed the stepwise introduction of up to five double bonds into the substrate phytoene. The major reaction products were 3, 4-didehydrolycopene and lycopene. Several of the desaturation intermediates, zeta-carotene, neurosporene, and lycopene, were also accepted as a substrate by Al-1. In contrast to the structurally related bacterial enzymes, the cofactor involved in the dehydrogenation reaction was NAD for Al-1. In situ competition with a neurosporene- and lycopene-converting hydratase and cyclase indicated that these enzymes can divert intermediates of the desaturation sequence. Based on the in vitro and in vivo results, the organization of the phytoene desaturase from N. crassa was proposed as an assembly of identical protein units which are responsible for the multistep reaction. However, the spatial arrangement should be loose enough to allow an exchange of individual intermediates in both directions in and out of this complex. Since gamma-carotene is not accepted as a substrate by Al-1, the formation of torulene must proceed exclusively by the cyclization of 3,4-didehydrolycopene.