Untersuchung von Isopren und dessen Oxidationsprodukten in und oberhalb eines Mischwaldbestandes

Zusammenfassung: Isopren ist der am häufigsten vorkommende biogene VOC (flüchtige organische Verbindung, Volatile Organic Compound), der überwiegend von Laubbäumen emittiert wird, und dessen Abbau in der Atmosphäre im Sommer wesentlich zur lokalen Ozonproduktion beitragen kann. Eine Abschätzung des auf den Isopren-Abbau zurückzuführenden Ozonbildungspotentials erfordert Kenntnis darüber, inwieweit das Isopren direkt im Quellgebiet (Wald) abgebaut wird. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist, anhand von gemessenen Mischungsverhältnissen (MV) von Isopren, das Verhältnis von dessen Oxidationsprodukten Methylvinylketon (MVK) und Methacrolein (MACR), MVK/MACR, durch photochemische Prozesse und meteorologischen Faktoren in einem Waldbestand zu erklären. Dadurch kann das MVK/MACR - Verhältnis als Indikator verwendet werden, in welchem Ausmaß das lokal emittierte Isopren bereits innerhalb des Waldbestandes abgebaut wird. Im Rahmen des ECHO-Projekts wurde ein 36 m hoher Messturm in einem Laubmischwaldbestand errichtet, an dem im Jahr 2002 und 2003 kontinuierlich Profil-Messungen von Isopren, MVK, MACR und 8 weiteren VOC durchgeführt wurden. Das tagsüber beobachtete mittlere Mischungsverhältnis (MV) von Isopren war im Sommer (Juni und Juli) 2002 mit ~ 200 ppt fast dreieinhalb mal geringer als im Sommer 2003 (Juli bis September) mit 710 ppt. Das mittlere tagsüber (10-18h) ermittelte MVK/MACR-Verhältnis war im Sommer 2002 zwischen 0.8 und 1 und im Sommer 2003 zwischen 1 und 1.2, und damit geringer als das Verhältnis von 1.4, das bei Laborexperimenten zur Isopren-Oxidation beobachtet wurde. Anhand von meteorologischen Daten wurde festgestellt, daß das MVK/MACR-Verhältnis von der Windrichtung abhängig ist. Das MVK/MACR-Verhältnis bei vorherrschender Westwind-Situation lag bei ~0.6 (Juli 2003) und variierte stärker als bei Ostwind-Situation, mit einem MVK/MACR von 1.5. Als Resultat photochemischer Prozesse ist ein MVK/MACR Verhältnis von 0.8 dann zu erwarten, wenn die Isopren-Oxidation unter NO-limitierten Bedingungen abläuft. Die am ECHO-Hauptturm knapp über dem Bestand gemessenen NO-Konzentrationen lagen im Sommer 2003 tagsüber z.T. unter 100 ppt und es konnte gezeigt werden, daß das MVK/MACR-Verhältnis bei solchen geringen NO-Konzentrationen der Isopren-Oxidation unter NO-limitierten Bedingungen entstammt. Der Anteil von Isopren mit 60-90% an der OH- Gesamt-Reaktivität der VOCs im Waldbestand unterstreicht die Bedeutung der Isopren-Oxidation für lokale Photochemie. Eine Modellierung der Ozon-Produktionsrate ausgehend von der gemessenen Spurengas-zusammensetzung ergab, daß eine Veränderung der NOx-Bedingungen größeren Einfluss auf die Ozonbildung hatte, als eine Veränderung der VOC - Reaktivität z.B. durch stärkere Isopren-Emission

Privacy Impact Assessments for Digital Repositories

Trustworthy data repositories ensure the security of their collections. We argue they should also ensure the security of researcher and human subject data. Here we demonstrate the use of a privacy impact assessment (PIA) to evaluate potential privacy risks to researchers using the ICPSR’s Open Badges Research Credential System as a case study. We present our workflow and discuss potential privacy risks and mitigations for those risks. [This paper is a conference pre-print presented at IDCC 2020 after lightweight peer review.]&nbsp

Effect of Season of Birth on Hippocampus Volume in a Transdiagnostic Sample of Patients With Depression and Schizophrenia.

Psychiatric disorders share an excess of seasonal birth in winter and spring, suggesting an increase of neurodevelopmental risks. Evidence suggests season of birth can serve as a proxy of harmful environmental factors. Given that prenatal exposure of these factors may trigger pathologic processes in the neurodevelopment, they may consequently lead to brain volume alterations. Here we tested the effects of season of birth on gray matter volume in a transdiagnostic sample of patients with schizophrenia and depression compared to healthy controls (n = 192). We found a significant effect of season of birth on gray matter volume with reduced right hippocampal volume in summer-born compared to winter-born patients with depression. In addition, the volume of the right hippocampus was reduced independent from season of birth in schizophrenia. Our results support the potential impact of season of birth on hippocampal volume in depression

Privacy Impact Assessments for Digital Repositories

This is a preprint of a paper under review at the International Journal of Digital Curation. A shorter version of this paper was presented at the International Digital Curation Conference (IDCC) 2020 in Dublin, and is available here: http://www.ijdc.net/article/view/692Trustworthy data repositories ensure the security of their collections. We argue they should also ensure the privacy of researcher and human subject data. We demonstrate the use of a privacy impact assessment (PIA) to evaluate potential privacy risks to researchers using the ICPSR’sResearcher Passport as a case study. We present our workflow and discuss potential privacy risks and mitigations for those risks.National Science Foundation grant number 1839868http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/163509/1/IDCC___IJDC_Open_Badges_paper_FULL_paper.pdfSEL

Early support with the program "PAT - Mit Eltern Lernen": effects in the first year of Kindergarten

Die RCT-Studie ZEPPELIN untersucht die Wirksamkeit des Programms "PAT – Mit Eltern lernen" rund um Zürich. 132 Familien mit psychosozialen Belastungen (z.B. Armut und Migration) wurden während der ersten drei Lebensjahre ihrer Kinder zu Hause unterstützt. Die 116 Familien der Kontrollgruppe erhielten neben den allgemeinen Angeboten der Gemeinden keine Intervention. Dieser Beitrag zeigt, dass die frühe Förderung auch zwei Jahre nach Programmende weiterwirkt. Im ersten Kindergartenjahr zeigten die Kinder mit PAT bessere Deutschkompetenzen, höhere Selbstregulation und weniger Verhaltensprobleme. Keine Effekte fanden sich dagegen hinsichtlich Intelligenz und Mathematikkompetenzen. Diese Ergebnisse sind angesichts des langfristigen Ziels, die Bildungschancen durch Massnahmen der frühen Bildung zu erhöhen, bedeutsam. (DIPF/Orig.)The RCT Study ZEPPELIN examines the effectiveness of the "PAT – Mit Eltern Lernen" program surrounding in the Zurich area. A total of 132 families with psychosocial burdens (e.g. poverty and migration) were supported at home during the first three years after the birth of their children. The 116 families in the control group did not receive any intervention apart from general services provided by Municipalities. This contribution shows that early support continues to have an impact two years after the end of the program. In the first year of kindergarten, children with PAT showed better German skills, higher self-regulation and fewer behavioral problems. In contrast, no effects were found with regard to intelligence and mathematical skills. These findings are relevant against the background of the long-term goal of increasing educational opportunities through early education measures. (DIPF/Orig.

Circulating soluble Fas levels and risk of ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND: Dysregulation of apoptosis, specifically overexpression of soluble Fas (sFas), has been proposed to play a role in the development of ovarian cancer. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate serum sFas as a potential biomarker of ovarian cancer risk. METHODS: The association between serum sFas levels and the risk of ovarian cancer was examined in a case-control study nested within three prospective cohorts in New York (USA), Umeå (Sweden), and Milan (Italy). Case subjects were 138 women with primary invasive epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosed between 2 months and 13.2 years after the initial blood donation. Control subjects were 263 women who were free of cancer, and matched the case on cohort, menopausal status, age, and enrollment date. Serum sFas levels were determined using a quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay. RESULTS: Serum sFas levels were similar in women subsequently diagnosed with ovarian cancer (median, 6.5 ng/mL; range, 4.4 – 10.2) and in controls (median, 6.8 ng/mL; range, 4.5 – 10.1). Statistically significant trends of increasing serum sFas with age were observed among cases (r = 0.39, p < 0.0001) and controls (r = 0.42, p < 0.0001). Compared to women in the lowest third, women in the highest third of serum sFas were not at increased risk of ovarian cancer after adjustment for potential confounders (odd ratio (OR), 0.87; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.42 – 1.82). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that serum sFas may not be a suitable marker for identification of women at increased risk of ovarian cancer

Pan-cancer Alterations of the MYC Oncogene and Its Proximal Network across the Cancer Genome Atlas

Although theMYConcogene has been implicated incancer, a systematic assessment of alterations ofMYC, related transcription factors, and co-regulatoryproteins, forming the proximal MYC network (PMN),across human cancers is lacking. Using computa-tional approaches, we define genomic and proteo-mic features associated with MYC and the PMNacross the 33 cancers of The Cancer Genome Atlas.Pan-cancer, 28% of all samples had at least one ofthe MYC paralogs amplified. In contrast, the MYCantagonists MGA and MNT were the most frequentlymutated or deleted members, proposing a roleas tumor suppressors.MYCalterations were mutu-ally exclusive withPIK3CA,PTEN,APC,orBRAFalterations, suggesting that MYC is a distinct onco-genic driver. Expression analysis revealed MYC-associated pathways in tumor subtypes, such asimmune response and growth factor signaling; chro-matin, translation, and DNA replication/repair wereconserved pan-cancer. This analysis reveals insightsinto MYC biology and is a reference for biomarkersand therapeutics for cancers with alterations ofMYC or the PMN

Long-term follow-up and treatment of congenital alveolar proteinosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Clinical presentation, diagnosis, management and outcome of molecularly defined congenital pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) due to mutations in the GM-CSF receptor are not well known.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 2 1/2 years old girl was diagnosed as having alveolar proteinosis. Whole lung lavages were performed with a new catheter balloon technique, feasible in small sized airways. Because of some interstitial inflammation in the lung biopsy and to further improve the condition, empirical therapy with systemic steroids and azathioprin, and inhaled and subcutaneous GMCSF, were used. Based on clinical measures, total protein and lipid recovered by whole lung lavages, all these treatments were without benefit. Conversely, severe respiratory viral infections and an invasive aspergillosis with aspergilloma formation occurred. Recently the novel homozygous stop mutation p.Ser25X of the GMCSF receptor alpha chain was identified in the patient. This mutation leads to a lack of functional GMCSF receptor and a reduced response to GMCSF stimulation of CD11b expression of mononuclear cells of the patient. Subsequently a very intense treatment with monthly lavages was initiated, resulting for the first time in complete resolution of partial respiratory insufficiency and a significant improvement of the overall somato-psychosocial condition of the child.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The long term management from early childhood into young adolescence of severe alveolar proteinosis due to GMCSF receptor deficiency requires a dedicated specialized team to perform technically demanding whole lung lavages and cope with complications.</p