Identifying human diamine sensors for death related putrescine and cadaverine molecules

Pungent chemical compounds originating from decaying tissue are strong drivers of animal behavior. Two of the best-characterized death smell components are putrescine (PUT) and cadaverine (CAD), foul-smelling molecules produced by decarboxylation of amino acids during decomposition. These volatile polyamines act as 'necromones', triggering avoidance or attractive responses, which are fundamental for the survival of a wide range of species. The few studies that have attempted to identify the cognate receptors for these molecules have suggested the involvement of the seven-helix trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs), localized in the olfactory epithelium. However, very little is known about the precise chemosensory receptors that sense these compounds in the majority of organisms and the molecular basis of their interactions. In this work, we have used computational strategies to characterize the binding between PUT and CAD with the TAAR6 and TAAR8 human receptors. Sequence analysis, homology modeling, docking and molecular dynamics studies suggest a tandem of negatively charged aspartates in the binding pocket of these receptors which are likely to be involved in the recognition of these small biogenic diamines

Development and validation of a computer program for measuring emotional awareness in German—The geLEAS (German electronic Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale)

Introduction Emotional awareness is the ability to identify, interpret, and verbalize the emotional responses of oneself and those of others. The Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS) is an objective performance inventory that accurately measures an individual's emotional awareness. LEAS assessments are typically scored manually and are therefore both time consuming and cognitively demanding. This study presents a German electronic scoring program for the LEAS (geLEAS), the first non-English computerized assessment approach of the LEAS. Methods Data were collected from a healthy German community sample ( N = 208). We developed a modern software for computerizing LEAS scoring, an open-source text-based emotion assessment tool called VETA (Verbal Emotion in Text Assessment). We investigated if the software would arrive at similar results as hand scoring in German and if emotional awareness would show similar associations to sociodemographic information and psychometric test results as in previous studies. Results The most frequently used scoring method of the geLEAS shows excellent internal consistency (α = 0.94) and high correlations with hand scoring ( r = 0.97, p < 0.001). Higher emotional awareness measured by the geLEAS is associated with female gender, older age, and higher academic achievement (all p < 0.001). Moreover, it is linked to the ability to identify emotions in facial expressions ( p < 0.001) and more accurate theory of mind functioning ( p < 0.001). Discussion An automated method for evaluating emotional awareness greatly expands the ability to study emotional awareness in clinical care and research. This study aims to advance the use of emotional awareness as a clinical and scientific parameter

ZSE-DUO – duale Lotsenstruktur im Zentrum für Seltene Erkrankungen

ZusammenfassungHintergrundPatienten mit unklarer Diagnose und Verdacht auf eine Seltene Erkrankung stellen unter anderem Ärzte vor besondere Herausforderungen.Ziel der Arbeit (Fragestellung)Das ZSE-DUO-Projekt will herausfinden, ob die gemeinsame Patientenbetreuung durch einen somatischen Arzt und einen Arzt für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie oder Arzt für psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie die diagnostische Trennschärfe verbessern und die Zeit bis zur Diagnosestellung verkürzen kann.Material und MethodenIn ZSE-DUO ist die Rekrutierung von über 1000 Patienten an elf nationalen Zentren für Seltene Erkrankungen in einer Kontroll- und einer Interventionsgruppe gelungen. Drei evaluierende Einrichtungen führen derzeit eine Auswertung durch.Ergebnisse und DiskussionDie Studie befindet sich derzeit in der Abschlussphase. Die Ergebnisse werden in weiteren Publikationen veröffentlicht.</jats:sec