Historical reflections on entomological research in Tyrol

Arthropoden fanden in Tirol schon früh in Wissenschaft und Lehre Berücksichtigung und bis heute eine kontinuierliche Schule. Die Entomo-Arachnologie wurde im Wesentlichen von der Leopold-Franzens-Universität und dem Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum in Innsbruck, den Klöstern und Gymnasien sowie vom Innsbrucker Entomologenverein und dem Naturwissenschaftlich-medizinischen Verein in Innsbruck getragen. Der folgende Streifzug durch die entomologische Vergangenheit von Tirol konzentriert sich auf die ältere Periode, während die rezenten Repräsentanten im Rückblick selektiv und weniger ausführlich erfasst sind. Wir folgen dabei der derzeit liberalen Auslegung der Entomologie als Synonym mit einer sensu latissimo Arthropodenkunde.Entomological research started in Tyrol in the years 1781-1784 with Johann Nepomuk von Laicharting – about one century after the foundation of the University of Innsbruck. Important activities were promoted by the University of Innsbruck (by Camill Heller, Karl Wilhelm Dalla Torre in the beginning and later by Heinz Janetschek and Konrad Thaler a.o.), by the “Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum” (e.g. Karl Burmann), but also by several monasteries, schools and local societies such as the “Innsbrucker Entomologenverein” and “Naturwissenschaftlich-medizinischer Verein in Innsbruck”. The following considerations on the past of Tyrolean entomology concentrate on the early period, while recent representatives are not given in extenso. Entomology here is used in a broad sense and includes all arthropods

Assessment of HIV-1 entry inhibitors by MLV/HIV-1 pseudotyped vectors

BACKGROUND: Murine leukemia virus (MLV) vector particles can be pseudotyped with a truncated variant of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope protein (Env) and selectively target gene transfer to human cells expressing both CD4 and an appropriate co-receptor. Vector transduction mimics the HIV-1 entry process and is therefore a safe tool to study HIV-1 entry. RESULTS: Using FLY cells, which express the MLV gag and pol genes, we generated stable producer cell lines that express the HIV-1 envelope gene and a retroviral vector genome encoding the green fluorescent protein (GFP). The BH10 or 89.6 P HIV-1 Env was expressed from a bicistronic vector which allowed the rapid selection of stable cell lines. A codon-usage-optimized synthetic env gene permitted high, Rev-independent Env expression. Vectors generated by these producer cells displayed different sensitivity to entry inhibitors. CONCLUSION: These data illustrate that MLV/HIV-1 vectors are a valuable screening system for entry inhibitors or neutralizing antisera generated by vaccines

Record of Coleosoma floridanum from Germany (Araneae: Theridiidae)

Coleosoma floridanum BANKS,1900, eine wahrscheinlich pantropische oder kosmopolitische Kugelspinne, wurde im Januar 1995 in einem Warmhaus für freifliegende exotische Schmetterlinge in Berlin-Britz („Schmetterlingslust“) vorgefunden (leg. BURGER). Die Art ist im Schrifttum gut charakterisiert, so von LEVI (1959, 1967) und von SAARISTO (1978)

Description of spatio-temporal gait parameters in elderly people and their association with history of falls: Results of the population-based cross-sectional KORA-Age study

Published version, also available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12877-015-0032-1Background: In this epidemiological study we described the characteristics of spatio-temporal gait parameters among a representative, population-based sample of 890 community-dwelling people aged 65 to 90 years. In addition, we investigated the associations between certain gait parameters and a history of falls in study participants. Methods: In descriptive analyses spatio-temporal gait parameters were assessed according to history of falls, frailty, multimorbidity, gender, multiple medication use, disability status, and age group. Logistic regression models were calculated to examine the association between gait velocity and stride length with a history of falls (at least one fall in the last 12 month). Data on gait were collected on an electronic walkway on which participants walked at their usual pace. Results: We found significant differences within gait parameters when stratifying by frailty, multimorbidity, disability and multiple medication use as well as age (cut point 75 years) and sex, with p Conclusion: Age, frailty, multimorbidity, disability, history of falls, sex, and multiple medication use show an association with different gait parameters measured during gait assessment on an electronic walkway in elderly people. Furthermore, stride length is a good indicator to differentiate fallers from non-fallers in older men from the general population

Innovative models for collaboration and student mobility in Europe

This report is based on new developments in higher education and international collaboration as collected by EADTU's Task Force and Peer Learning Activity on Virtual Mobility. The result is a report on three types of collaboration mobility: physical, blended and online. Main parameters for innovative education and mobility formats are defined as well as basic principles of international course and curriculum design. Examples illustrate the complete opportunity space between fully face to face and fully online collaboration. They relate to mobility within single courses, exchange mobility (classical Erasmus), networked programmes and mobility windows and joint programmes with embedded mobility. Mobility offers opportunities to institutions to strengthen their programmes and to students to enrich their study. They benefit from an international learning experience or following courses not provided by their own institution. The report shows concrete mobility schemes used in the membership (and beyond). It underpins policies for international networking and delivers tools to organise innovative education and mobility formats

The four-minute approach revisited : accelerating MRI-based multi-factorial age estimation

Objectives: This feasibility study aimed to investigate the reliability of multi-factorial age estimation based on MR data of the hand, wisdom teeth and the clavicles with reduced acquisition time. Methods: The raw MR data of 34 volunteers-acquired on a 3T system and using acquisition times (TA) of 3:46 min (hand), 5:29 min (clavicles) and 10:46 min (teeth)-were retrospectively undersampled applying the commercially available CAIPIRINHA technique. Automatic and radiological age estimation methods were applied to the original image data as well as undersampled data to investigate the reliability of age estimates with decreasing acquisition time. Reliability was investigated determining standard deviation (SSD) and mean (MSD) of signed differences, intra-class correlation (ICC) and by performing Bland-Altman analysis. Results: Automatic age estimation generally showed very high reliability (SSD < 0.90 years) even for very short acquisition times (SSD ≈ 0.20 years for a total TA of 4 min). Radiological age estimation provided highly reliable results for images of the hand (ICC ≥ 0.96) and the teeth (ICC ≥ 0.79) for short acquisition times (TA = 16 s for the hand, TA = 2:21 min for the teeth), imaging data of the clavicles allowed for moderate acceleration (TA = 1:25 min, ICC ≥ 0.71). Conclusions: The results demonstrate that reliable multi-factorial age estimation based on MRI of the hand, wisdom teeth and the clavicles can be performed using images acquired with a total acquisition time of 4 min

Cdc42 promotes transendothelial migration of cancer cells through β1 integrin.

Cancer cells interact with endothelial cells during the process of metastatic spreading. Here, we use a small interfering RNA screen targeting Rho GTPases in cancer cells to identify Cdc42 as a critical regulator of cancer cell-endothelial cell interactions and transendothelial migration. We find that Cdc42 regulates β1 integrin expression at the transcriptional level via the transcription factor serum response factor (SRF). β1 integrin is the main target for Cdc42-mediating interaction of cancer cells with endothelial cells and the underlying extracellular matrix, as exogenous β1 integrin expression was sufficient to rescue the Cdc42-silencing phenotype. We show that Cdc42 was required in vivo for cancer cell spreading and protrusion extension along blood vessels and retention in the lungs. Interestingly, transient Cdc42 depletion was sufficient to decrease experimental lung metastases, which suggests that its role in endothelial attachment is important for metastasis. By identifying β1 integrin as a transcriptional target of Cdc42, our results provide new insight into Cdc42 function

Transdisciplinary diagnostic framework for biodiversity decision-making assessment. D1.7

This deliverable describes the process of developing a transdisciplinary diagnostic framework for biodiversity decision-making carried out in Work Package 1 (WP1) of the EU funded research project PLANET4B. The aim of the process was to help researchers and practitioners in our project become more conscious of the theoretical approaches and languages that may condition the interventions we study and the policy and additional recommendations that we make to societal actors. The starting proposition for this work was that we as PLANET4B partners come from a wide range of different disciplines and practices. Therefore, we needed a shared learning process of our different theoretical and practical lenses and languages. This is necessary to increase our potential as a project to design for transformational change in Work Packages to follow. We report on our testing of Meadows’ (1999) leverage points framework (LPF) as a potential shared conceptual language for transformational change across the places, actors and theories that situate both placebased and sectoral case studies in the project. We report on the opportunities and limitations of the LPF in connecting to (i) theories of change used by research partners in their cases, as well as (ii) bridging conceptually to other “integrating analytical approaches” where PLANET4B has partner expertise; namely “intersectionality analysis”, “discourse analysis” and “reflexivity-contextualisation of interventions”. The report recognises that these integrating approaches are but a subset of possible systems analysis tools in transformative change research. The process of understanding and applying Meadows’ (1999) leverage points framework achieved some shared language and understanding across research disciplines. It helped us to compare assumptions about transformative change across our different case studies. As such, we think we achieved the “process objective” of this initial stage of PLANET4B of using a common framework to diagnose our case studies. However, case studies and experts on other integrating analytical approaches identified several limitations of the LPF. Limitations include the LPF itself being a particular theoretical systems analysis lens which in some cases could exclude practitioners through its unfamiliar concepts. Furthermore, the LPF was identified as being ‘structuralist’ or ‘mechanistic’ in the particular way we tested it in our case studies, not addressing concepts such as agency, power and decision-making. It was critiqued for not being specific to decisions about biodiversity and the related nature values.publishedVersio