Tundra vegetation recovery on 30 year-old seeded and unseeded drilling mud sumps in the Mackenzie River Delta region, NWT

Oil and gas exploration conducted in the 1970s left behind a legacy of abandoned well sites in the Mackenzie Delta region of northern Canada, including several in the Kendall Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary and surrounding areas. Evidence of 30 year-old well sites is present in the form of drilling mud sumps, which are mounds of disturbed tundra that contain frozen drilling-wastes. One to two years after the wells were decommissioned some of the sites were seeded with non-native grass species and fertilized to test whether these treatments could accelerate vegetation recovery and prevent erosion. The main objective of this research was to examine the long-term impact of post-disturbance seeding treatments on the vegetation recovery of drilling mud sumps. Surveys of vegetation composition and environmental conditions at 12 sump sites (6 seeded and 6 unseeded) showed that, after over 30 years of recovery, seeded sumps in the Mackenzie Delta did not significantly differ from those left for natural recovery. However, seeded and previously introduced grasses Festuca rubra and Poa pratensis were found on both seeded and unseeded sumps. The undisturbed surrounding tundra seems to be resistant to invasion by these introduced grasses. However, these species could become invasive in the future, particularly in the context of warming in the North and increasing anthropogenic disturbance. The results of this study contribute valuable information on the long-term effects of revegetation treatments that is critical for making informed management decisions about the rehabilitation of industrial disturbances in the Arctic

Röntgendiffraktometrische Charakterisierung von Germanium-Nanokristalliten auf und in Siliziumkarbid

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wunden aufgewachsene und in ca. 100nm Tiefe von vergrabene Germanium-Nanokristallite charakterisiert, die mittels Molekular-Strahl-Epitaxie und Ionen-Implantation mit anschließender Temperaturbehandlung erzeugt wurden. Die Messungen wurden an einem Synchrotron der dritten Generation, der ESRF in Grenoble, mit coplanarer Röntgendiffraktomerie durchgeführt. Es wurde die gemittelte Nanokristallit-Größe und die Orientierung in normale und laterale Richtung bestimmt. Der Germanium-Gehalt in den Nanokristalliten wurde unter Ausnutzung der anomalen Dispersion von Germanium bestimmt. Die vergrabenen Nanokristallite sind zeitlich nicht stabil, eine Größenzunahme in alle Richtungen ist wahrscheinlich

Dual-Task Performance in Hearing-Impaired Older Adults—Study Protocol for a Cross-Sectional Mobile Brain/Body Imaging Study

Background: Hearing impairments are associated with reduced walking performance under Dual-task (DT) conditions. Little is known about the neural representation of DT performance while walking in this target group compared to healthy controls or younger adults. Therefore, utilizing the Mobile Brain/Body Imaging approach (MoBI), we aim at gaining deeper insights into the brain dynamics underlying the interaction of cognitive and motor processes during different DT conditions (visual and auditory) controlling for age and the potential performance decrements of older adults with hearing impairments. Methods: The cross-sectional study integrates a multifactorial mixed-measure design. Between-subject factors grouping the sample will be age (younger vs. older adults) and hearing impairment (mild vs. not hearing impaired). The within-subject factors will be the task complexity (single- vs. DT) and cognitive task modality (visual vs. auditory). Stimuli of the cognitive task will vary according to the stimulus modality (visual vs. auditory), presentation side (left vs. right), and presentation-response compatibility (ipsilateral vs. contralateral). Analyses of DT costs and underlying neuronal correlates focus either on gait or cognitive performance. Based on an a priori sample size calculation 96 (48 healthy and 48 mildly hearing impaired) community-dwelling older adults (50–70 years) and 48 younger adults (20–30 years) will be recruited. Gait parameters of speed and rhythm will be captured. EEG activity will be recorded using 64 active electrodes. Discussion: The study evaluates cognitive-motor interference (CMI) in groups of young and older adults as well as older adults with hearing impairment. The underlying processes of the interaction between motor and cognitive tasks will be identified at a behavioral and neurophysiological level comparing an auditory or a visual secondary task. We assume that performance differences are linked to different cognitive-motor processes, i.e., stimulus input, resource allocation, and movement execution. Moreover, for the different DT conditions (auditory vs. visual) we assume performance decrements within the auditory condition, especially for older, hearing-impaired adults. Findings will provide evidence of general mechanisms of CMI (ST vs. DT walking) as well as task-specific effects in dual-task performance while over ground walking.EC/H2020/952401/EU/TWINning the BRAIN with machine learning for neuro-muscular efficiency/TwinBrainDFG, 414044773, Open Access Publizieren 2021 - 2022 / Technische Universität Berli

Clonal karyotype evolution involving ring chromosome 1 with myelodysplastic syndrome subtype RAEB-t progressing into acute leukemia

s Karyotypic evolution is a well-known phenomenon in patients with malignant hernatological disorders during disease progression. We describe a 50-year-old male patient who had originally presented with pancytopenia in October 1992. The diagnosis of a myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) FAB subtype RAEB-t was established in April 1993 by histological bone marrow (BM) examination, and therapy with low-dose cytosine arabinoside was initiated. In a phase of partial hernatological remission, cytogenetic assessment in August 1993 revealed a ring chromosome 1 in 13 of 21 metaphases beside BM cells with normal karyotypes {[}46,XY,r(1)(p35q31)/46,XY]. One month later, the patient progressed to an acute myeloid leukemia (AML), subtype M4 with 40% BM blasts and cytogenetic examination showed clonal evolution by the appearance of additional numerical aberrations in addition to the ring chromosome{[}46,XY,r(1),+8,-21/45,XY,r(1),+8,-21,-22/46, XY]. Intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy was applied to induce remission in preparation for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from the patient's HLA-compatible son. After BMT, complete remission was clinically, hematologically and cytogenetically (normal male karyotype) confirmed. A complete hematopoietic chimerism was demonstrated. A relapse in January 1997 was successfully treated using donor lymphocyte infusion and donor peripheral blood stem cells (PB-SC) in combination with GM-CSF as immunostimulating agent in April 1997, and the patient's clinical condition remained stable as of January 2005. This is an interesting case of a patient with AML secondary to MDS. With the ring chromosome 1 we also describe a rare cytogenetic abnormality that predicted the poor prognosis of the patient, but the patient could be cured by adoptive immunotherapy and the application of donor's PB-SC. This case confirms the value of cytogenetic analysis in characterizing the malignant clone in hernatological neoplasias, the importance of controlling the quality of an induced remission and of the detection of a progress of the disease. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel

Brain-derived proteins in the CSF, do they correlate with brain pathology in CJD?

BACKGROUND: Brain derived proteins such as 14-3-3, neuron-specific enolase (NSE), S 100b, tau, phosphorylated tau and Aβ(1–42 )were found to be altered in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) patients. The pathogenic mechanisms leading to these abnormalities are not known, but a relation to rapid neuronal damage is assumed. No systematic analysis on brain-derived proteins in the CSF and neuropathological lesion profiles has been performed. METHODS: CSF protein levels of brain-derived proteins and the degree of spongiform changes, neuronal loss and gliosis in various brain areas were analyzed in 57 CJD patients. RESULTS: We observed three different patterns of CSF alteration associated with the degree of cortical and subcortical changes. NSE levels increased with lesion severity of subcortical areas. Tau and 14-3-3 levels increased with minor pathological changes, a negative correlation was observed with severity of cortical lesions. Levels of the physiological form of the prion protein (PrP(c)) and Aβ(1–42 )levels correlated negatively with cortical pathology, most clearly with temporal and occipital lesions. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the alteration of levels of brain-derived proteins in the CSF does not only reflect the degree of neuronal damage, but it is also modified by the localization on the brain pathology. Brain specific lesion patterns have to be considered when analyzing CSF neuronal proteins

PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCES AND PERCEPTIONS OF BENEFITS AND RISKS IN VACCINE AND INPATIENT HEALTHY VOLUNTEER CLINICAL TRIALS AT THE CENTER FOR IMMUNIZATION RESEARCH

Background: Vaccine clinical trials are essential to ensure that immunizations are both safe and effective. Human volunteers provide the backbone of such trials, and sufficient numbers are required to produce the necessary data when evaluating a vaccine. Nevertheless, there is much debate and concern over the ethics of trials, especially those involving healthy volunteers, as well as significant hurdles in achieving target recruitment. There is a need for more information on how participants feel when participating in such trials and potential avenues to increase recruitment. Methods: This dissertation utilized data from an interviewer-administered survey on participants of Phase 1 and 2 inpatient vaccine trials and human challenge studies (n=152), a self-administered electronic survey of participants in two Phase 2/3 COVID vaccine clinical trials (n=163), and in-depth interviews of guardians of pediatric COVID-19 vaccine trials (n=20) that all took place at the Johns Hopkins Center for Immunization Research in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. We analyzed descriptive statistics of the different studies and used Poisson regression with robust variance to examine risk factors for perception of any risk before and after participation. Results: For most healthy volunteer clinical trial participants, the primary motivator to join was personal benefit, either compensation or access to a vaccine. Early-phase inpatient healthy volunteer trials were found to be generally composed of participants who identified as male, Black or African American, were of lower income, and had completed high school, whereas the outpatient COVID-19 studies were mostly female, White or Caucasian, had a masters or doctoral level degree, and were of higher income. Participants tended to believe the study was riskier before participating than after. The great majority of participants were glad they participated. Nevertheless, some participants still do not ask questions before joining a study. Conclusions: Participants overwhelmingly reported being glad they joined the clinical trial they participated in, despite being different study phases and whether a vaccine was licensed or not. Considerations about personal benefits and improving understanding of clinical trials could be avenues to strengthen recruitment. Third party oversight of studies by IRBs continues to be imperative to ensure that studies are ethical and reasonable

Zum Problem der textlichen Herstellung von Begründungszusammenhängen

Im Mittelpunkt der vorliegenden Arbeit stehen das qualitative soziologische Interview und seine Auswertung. Hierzu werde ich die im Zusammenhang mit einem konkreten abgeschlossenen Forschungsprojekt geführten Interviews und deren Interpretation empirisch untersuchen. Die zentrale erkenntnistheoretische Basis besteht in der Vorstellung einer narrativen Konstruktion von Wahrheit sowie der Vorstellung von wissenschaftlicher Geltung im Allgemeinen und der Geltung dieser konkreten Auswertungen im Besonderen. ..

Synergistic Bacterial Stress Results from Exposure to Nano-Ag and Nano-TiO₂ Mixtures under Light in Environmental Media

Due to their widespread use and subsequent release, engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) will create complex mixtures and emergent systems in the natural environment where their chemical interactions may cause toxic stress to microorganisms. We previously showed that under dark conditions n-TiO₂ attenuated bacterial stress caused by low concentrations of n-Ag (<20 μg L^–1) due to Ag⁺ adsorption, yet, since both n-Ag and n-TiO₂ are photoactive, their photochemistries may play a key role in their interactions. In this work, we study the chemical interactions of n-Ag and n-TiO₂ mixtures in a natural aqueous medium under simulated solar irradiation to investigate photoinduced stress. Using ATP levels and cell membrane integrity as probes, we observe that n-Ag and n-TiO₂ together exert synergistic toxic stress in <i>Escherichia coli</i>. We find increased production of hydrogen peroxide by the n-Ag/n-TiO₂ mixture, revealing that the enhanced photocatalytic activity and production of ROS likely contribute to the stress response observed. Based on STEM-EDS evidence, we propose that a new composite Ag/TiO₂ nanomaterial forms under these conditions and explains the synergistic effects of the ENM mixture. Overall, this work reveals that environmental transformations of ENM mixtures under irradiation can enhance biological stress beyond that of individual components