On the Correlation between National and International Law

The volume contains the revised contributions of a comparative German-Russian law seminar that took place in Kaliningrad from 15 to 19 September 2019 within the framework of the university partnership between the Philipps University Marburg and the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University Kaliningrad. The topic is the relationship between national and international law. In addition to introductory, dogmatic and conceptual foundations, concrete analyses of the relevant case law are presented, namely that of the German Federal Constitutional Court, the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation, the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights, the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and the Court of the Eurasian Economic Union

Laparoskopische Lebendspender-Nephrektomie und Autotransplantation nach perivaskulär injiziertem Papaverin - Experimentelle Studie am Schwein

LAPAROSCOPIC LIVE DONOR NEPHRECTOMY AND AUTOTRANSPLANTATION AFTER PERIVASCULAR PAPAVERINE APPLICATION - EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN PIGS The aim of this study is to evaluate whether renal function and blood perfusion can be enhanced by periarterial application of papaverine during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy in pigs. The study is subdivided in two parts. In part one, intraoperative urine output and creatinine-clearance are measured to investigate the influence of perivascular papaverine on renal function during the laparoscopic procedure. In part two of the study, blood perfusion of both kidneys during laparoscopic left donor nephrectomy is determined using fluorescent-labeled microspheres to analyse the vasodilatative effect of papaverine. In a subgroup of animals the donor nephrectomy is followed by autotransplantation and initial renal function is measured for a period of 24 hours after papaverine administration and laparoscopic nephrectomy. Histopathological examination of random samples is performed to evaluate structural damage following nephrectomy and autotransplantation. This study is carried out to refer to the actual clinical situation. After perivascular administration of papaverine an increase of renal function during laparoscopic nephrectomy can be achieved. Compared to controls urine output and creatinine-clearance is significantly improved after local papaverine application. In part two of the study measurement of renal blood flow shows enhanced renal perfusion after application of the vasodilatator in the treatment group. After autotransplantation the papaverine group exhibits an improved initial renal function. Enhanced creatinine-clearance has to be varified by further experiments. Histopathological signs of tissue damages of various extend can be found in all samples. The results presented are interpreted as follows: local periarterial application of papaverine increases renal blood flow during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. Therefore renal function seems to be augmented. In controls decreased organ perfusion seems to lead to impaired renal function. In consequence the presented study demonstrates a significant better graft function in the treatment group. This method might have the potential to significantly improve graft quality after laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy in human patients.ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Im Rahmen einer in zwei Phasen gegliederten Studie zur linksseitigen laparoskopischen Spendernephrektomie wird der Einsatz des lokal applizierten Vasodilatators Papaverin auf die Nierenfunktion und die Nierendurchblutung von Hausschweinen überprüft. Dabei wird in der ersten Phase die Nierenfunktion mit Hilfe der Kreatinin-Clearance und der Urinausscheidungsrate bestimmt. Dadurch wird die Wirksamkeit von Papaverin auf die Funktion der laparoskopisch zu entnehmenden Niere geprüft. In der folgenden Phase wird über fluoreszente Mikrosphären der renale Blutfluss bestimmt, wobei damit der direkte vasodilatative Einfluss von Papaverin untersucht wird. Bei einer Subgruppe von Tieren wird an die Spendernephrektomie eine Autotransplantation angeschlossen. Dabei soll die Initialfunktion der Niere nach der laparoskopischen Nephrektomie unter Papaverineinfluss über einen Zeitraum von 24 Stunden bestimmt werden. Eine stichprobenartige histopathologische Untersuchung soll das Auftreten von Strukturschäden nach Nephrektomie und Autotransplantation überprüfen. Mit der Studie soll Bezug auf die derzeitige klinische Situation genommen werden. Nach perivaskulärer Anwendung von Papaverin kann eine Verbesserung der Nierenfunktion während der laparoskopischen Nierenentnahme erzielt werden. Im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe ist die Harnausscheidung und Kreatinin-Clearance nach lokaler Anwendung von Papaverin signifikant höher. Bei der Bestimmung des renalen Blutflusses in der zweiten Phase, kommt es nach der Applikation des Vasodilatators zu einer signifikanten Steigerung der Nierenperfusion in der Therapiegruppe. Nach der Autotransplantation ist bei den mit Papaverin behandelten Tieren eine verbesserte Initialfunktion der Niere festzustellen, wobei die tendenzielle Verbesserung der Kreatinin-Clearance mit Hilfe einer größeren Stichprobe zu verifizieren wäre. Histopathologische Zeichen von Strukturschädigungen lassen sich mit unterschiedlicher Ausprägung bei allen entnommenen Stichproben feststellen. Die präsentierten Ergebnisse werden dahingehend interpretiert, dass Papaverin bei lokaler periarterieller Applikation die Nierendurchblutung während der laparoskopischen Spendernephrektomie verbessert. Dadurch wird offenbar auch die Nierenfunktion während der Entnahme gesteigert. In der Kontrollgruppe führt die geringere Organdurchblutung augenscheinlich zu einer eingeschränkten Nierenfunktion. In Konsequenz dazu war in der vorliegenden Studie festzustellen, dass die Transplantatfunktion in der Therapiegruppe signifikant besser war. Somit scheint eine Methode gefunden zu sein, die potentiell auch beim Menschen zu einer signifikanten Steigerung der Transplantatqualität nach laparoskopischer Lebendspendernephrektomie führt

Der Digitale Campus – Unterstützung internationaler Studieninteressierter und Studierender neu gedacht

In den letzten Jahren entschieden sich erfreulich viele internationale Studierende für ein Studium in Deutschland. Jedoch stehen diese bereits vor einem Studienstart, aber auch während des Studiums vor einer Vielzahl an Herausforderungen. Mit dem Digitalen Campus wird ein Portal entwickelt, welches u. a. Online-Kursangebote verschiedener Hochschulen und weiterer Bildungsinstitutionen vernetzt, um internationale Studieninteressierte bzw. Studierende in der Orientierungs-, Bewerbungs- und Vorbereitungsphase für ein Studium in Deutschland zu unterstützen. Sowohl bei der Studienorientierung als auch bezüglich der Studienvorbereitung spielen MOOCs auf dem Digitalen Campus eine zentrale Roll

Distinct subpopulations of mechanosensory chordotonal organ neurons elicit grooming of the fruit fly antennae.

Diverse mechanosensory neurons detect different mechanical forces that can impact animal behavior. Yet our understanding of the anatomical and physiological diversity of these neurons and the behaviors that they influence is limited. We previously discovered that grooming of the Drosophila melanogaster antennae is elicited by an antennal mechanosensory chordotonal organ, the Johnston's organ (JO) (Hampel et al., 2015). Here, we describe anatomically and physiologically distinct JO mechanosensory neuron subpopulations that each elicit antennal grooming. We show that the subpopulations project to different, discrete zones in the brain and differ in their responses to mechanical stimulation of the antennae. Although activation of each subpopulation elicits antennal grooming, distinct subpopulations also elicit the additional behaviors of wing flapping or backward locomotion. Our results provide a comprehensive description of the diversity of mechanosensory neurons in the JO, and reveal that distinct JO subpopulations can elicit both common and distinct behavioral responses

Mobile Air Quality Studies (MAQS) - an international project

Due to an increasing awareness of the potential hazardousness of air pollutants, new laws, rules and guidelines have recently been implemented globally. In this respect, numerous studies have addressed traffic-related exposure to particulate matter using stationary technology so far. By contrast, only few studies used the advanced technology of mobile exposure analysis. The Mobile Air Quality Study (MAQS) addresses the issue of air pollutant exposure by combining advanced high-granularity spatial-temporal analysis with vehicle-mounted, person-mounted and roadside sensors. The MAQS-platform will be used by international collaborators in order 1) to assess air pollutant exposure in relation to road structure, 2) to assess air pollutant exposure in relation to traffic density, 3) to assess air pollutant exposure in relation to weather conditions, 4) to compare exposure within vehicles between front and back seat (children) positions, and 5) to evaluate "traffic zone"- exposure in relation to non-"traffic zone"-exposure. Primarily, the MAQS-platform will focus on particulate matter. With the establishment of advanced mobile analysis tools, it is planed to extend the analysis to other pollutants including including NO2, SO2, nanoparticles, and ozone

Translational value of choroid plexus imaging for tracking neuroinflammation in mice and humans

Neuroinflammation is a pathophysiological hallmark of multiple sclerosis and has a close mechanistic link to neurodegeneration. Although this link is potentially targetable, robust translatable models to reliably quantify and track neuroinflammation in both mice and humans are lacking. The choroid plexus (ChP) plays a pivotal role in regulating the trafficking of immune cells from the brain parenchyma into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and has recently attracted attention as a key structure in the initiation of inflammatory brain responses. In a translational framework, we here address the integrity and multidimensional characteristics of the ChP under inflammatory conditions and question whether ChP volumes could act as an interspecies marker of neuroinflammation that closely interrelates with functional impairment. Therefore, we explore ChP characteristics in neuroinflammation in patients with multiple sclerosis and in two experimental mouse models, cuprizone diet-related demyelination and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. We demonstrate that ChP enlargement—reconstructed from MRI—is highly associated with acute disease activity, both in the studied mouse models and in humans. A close dependency of ChP integrity and molecular signatures of neuroinflammation is shown in the performed transcriptomic analyses. Moreover, pharmacological modulation of the blood–CSF barrier with natalizumab prevents an increase of the ChP volume. ChP enlargement is strongly linked to emerging functional impairment as depicted in the mouse models and in multiple sclerosis patients. Our findings identify ChP characteristics as robust and translatable hallmarks of acute and ongoing neuroinflammatory activity in mice and humans that could serve as a promising interspecies marker for translational and reverse-translational approaches