Einfluss von Bewässerung und Düngung auf die organische Bodensubstanz in extensiv genutzten Heuwiesen - Thermische Eigenschaften und Evolved Gasanalyse

Wiesen beherbergen etwa 40 % der in Deutschland geschützten Arten. Neben ihrer Funktion zur Erhaltung der Biodiversität dienen sie als Überschwemmungsflächen dem Hochwasserschutz und sorgen für eine Filterung des Grund- und Oberflächenwassers. Aufgrund dieser wichtigen Funktionen wurden in der Vergangenheit viele Untersuchungen gemacht, wie sich unterschiedliche landwirtschaftliche Bewirtschaftungsformen auf die Biodiversität von Wiesen auswirken. Um diese Prozesse besser zu verstehen ist es nötig, auch die unterirdisch ablaufenden biogeochemischen Prozesse zu berücksichtigen. Neben Bodenflora und –fauna spielen dabei auch abiotische Bodeneigenschaften wie z.B. Nährstoffgehalt und –verfügbarkeit oder Wasserhaltekapazität eine entscheidende Rolle. Der Nährstoff- und Wasserhaushalt eines Bodens hängt wiederum stark vom Gehalt und der Qualität der organische Bodensubstanz ab. Um die Kopplung von unterirdischen biogeochemischen Prozessen mit der oberirdischen Pflanzendiversität besser zu verstehen, haben wir in einem ersten Schritt die Auswirkung von Bewässerung und Düngung auf ausgewählte Eigenschaften der organischen Bodensubstanz mithilfe von Thermogravimetrie (TGA) gekoppelt mit Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) und Evolved Gasanalyse mit Massenspektrometrie (EGA-MS) untersucht. Hierzu wurden 12 extensiv genutzte Heuwiesen, die sogenannten „Wässerwiesen“, entlang der Queich bei Landau (Rheinland-Pfalz) beprobt. Diese Wiesen wurden seit dem Mittelalter traditionell nach einem festgelegten Bewässerungskalender zwei bis dreimal im Jahr für ein bis drei Tage durch Überflutung mit dem Wasser der Queich bewässert. Auf einigen dieser Wiesen wurde diese Form der Bewässerung seit den 50iger Jahren eingestellt. Dadurch ergab sich die einmalige Möglichkeit vergleichbare Wiesen mit und seit über 50 Jahren ohne Überflutungsbewässerung sowie mit und ohne anorganische Düngung zu untersuchen. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden die Ergebnisse dieser Studie vorgestellt und die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen thermischer Methoden zur Charakterisierung von organischer Bodensubstanz diskutiert

Glioma infiltration of the corpus callosum: early signs detected by DTI

The most frequent primary brain tumors, anaplastic astrocytomas (AA) and glioblastomas (GBM): tend to invasion of the surrounding brain. Histopathological studies found malignant cells in macroscopically unsuspicious brain parenchyma remote from the primary tumor, even affecting the contralateral hemisphere. In early stages, diffuse interneural infiltration with changes of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) is suspected. The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of DTI as a possible instrument of depicting evidence of tumor invasion into the corpus callosum (CC). Preoperatively, 31 patients with high-grade brain tumors (8 AA and 23 GBM) were examined by MRI at 3 T, applying a high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) sequence. ADC- and FA-values were analyzed in the tumor-associated area of the CC as identified by fiber tracking, and were compared to matched healthy controls. In (MR-)morphologically normal appearing CC the ADC values were elevated in the tumor patients (n = 22; 0.978 × 10(−3) mm²/s) compared to matched controls (0.917 × 10(−3) mm²/s, p < 0.05), and the corresponding relative FA was reduced (rFA: 88 %, p < 0.01). The effect was pronounced in case of affection of the CC visible on MRI (n = 9; 0.978 × 10(−3) mm²/s, p < 0.05; rFA: 72 %, p < 0.01). Changes in diffusivity and anisotropy in the CC can be interpreted as an indicator of tumor spread into the contralateral hemisphere not visible on conventional MRI

European Multicenter Study for the Evaluation of a Dual-Layer Flow-Diverting Stent for Treatment of Wide-Neck Intracranial Aneurysms: The European Flow-Redirection Intraluminal Device Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Endoluminal reconstruction with flow-diverting stents represents a widely accepted technique for the treatment of complex intracranial aneurysms. This European registry study analyzed the initial experience of 15 neurovascular centers with the Flow-Redirection Intraluminal Device (FRED) system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with intracranial aneurysms treated with the FRED between February 2012 and March 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Complications and adverse events, transient and permanent morbidity, mortality, and occlusion rates were evaluated. RESULTS: During the defined study period, 579 aneurysms in 531 patients (median age, 54 years;range, 13-86 years) were treated with the FRED. Seven percent of patients were treated in the acute phase (3 days) of aneurysm rupture. The median aneurysm size was 7.6 mm (range, 1-36.6 mm), and the median neck size 4.5 mm (range, 1-30 mm). Angiographic follow-up of >3 months was available for 516 (89.1%) aneurysms. There was progressive occlusion witnessed with time, with complete occlusion in 18 (20%) aneurysms followed for up to 90 14 days, 141 (82.5%) for 180 +/- 20 days, 116 (91.3%) for 1 year +/- 24 days, and 122 (95.3%) aneurysms followed for >1 year. Transient and permanent morbidity occurred in 3.2% and 0.8% of procedures, respectively. The overall mortality rate was 1.5%. CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective study in real-world patients demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the FRED for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. In most cases, treatment with a single FRED resulted in complete angiographic occlusion at 1 year

Conversion of daily pegvisomant to weekly pegvisomant combined with long-acting somatostatin analogs, in controlled acromegaly patients

The efficacy of combined treatment in active acromegaly with both long-acting somatostatin analogs (SRIF) and pegvisomant (PEG-V) has been well established. The aim was to describe the PEG-V dose reductions after the conversion from daily PEG-V to combination treatment. To clarify the individual beneficial and adverse effects, in two acromegaly patients, who only normalized their insulin like growth factor (IGF-I) levels with high-dose pegvisomant therapy. We present two cases of a 31 and 44 years old male with gigantism and acromegaly that were controlled subsequently by surgery, radiotherapy, SRIF analogs and daily PEG-V treatment. They were converted to combined treatment of monthly SSA and (twice) weekly PEG-V. High dose SSA treatment was added while the PEG-V dose was decreased during carful monitoring of the IGF-I. After switching from PEG-V monotherapy to SRIF analogs plus pegvisomant combination therapy IGF-I remained normal. However, the necessary PEG-V dose, to normalize IGF-I differed significantly between these two patients. One patient needed twice weekly 100 mg, the second needed 60 mg once weekly on top of their monthly lanreotide Autosolution injections of 120 mg. The weekly dose reduction was 80 and 150 mg. After the introducing of lanreotide, fasting glucose and glycosylated haemoglobin concentrations increased. Diabetic medication had to be introduced or increased. No changes in liver tests or in pituitary adenoma size were observed. In these two patients, PEG-V in combination with long-acting SRIF analogs was as effective as PEG-V monotherapy in normalizing IGF-I levels, although significant dose-reductions in PEG-V could be achieved. However, there seems to be a wide variation in the reduction of PEG-V dose, which can be obtained after conversion to combined treatment

The Replication in Vitro of the Gammaherpesvirus Bovine Herpesvirus 4 Is Restricted by Its DNA Synthesis Dependence on the S Phase of the Cell Cycle

Because several observations have suggested that replication of the gammaherpesvirus bovine herpesvirus 4 (BHV-4) is influenced by the physiological state of the host cell, a study was carried out to determine the relationship between BHV-4 infection and the cell cycle. The temporal expression of BHV-4 late (L) proteins in unsynchronized cell cultures was first investigated by flow cytometry. Interestingly, L protein expression occurred in a limited number of cells infected with a high multiplicity of infection, and a reciprocal correlation between the percentage of positive cells and the cell density at the time of infection was demonstrated. Moreover, the finding that a BHV-4 early-late protein was expressed in nearly all the cells suggested that a blockage in the viral replication cycle occurred in some infected cells at the stage of viral DNA synthesis or L protein expression. Because this blockage could be the consequence of the dependence of one or both of these events on the cell cycle, they were investigated after infection of synchronized cell cultures. The following findings were made. (i) Cell transition through the S phase quantitatively increased the rate of BHV-4 DNA replication. (ii) BHV-4 DNA synthesis could not be detected in cells arrested in G0. (iii) Synchronization of MDBK cells with Lovastatin before infection increased the percentage of cells expressing L proteins. (iv) In contrast, infection of cells arrested in G0 led to few positive cells. Taken together these results showed that BHV-4 DNA replication and consequently the expression of L proteins are dependent on the S phase of the cell cycle. This dependence could be of importance for several biological properties of BHV-4 infection in vitro and might have implications for the biology of the virus in vivo

Brainstem disconnection: two additional patients and expansion of the phenotype

Brainstem disconnection (BD) is a rare posterior fossa abnormality defined by the nearly complete absence of a brainstem segment with the rostral and caudal brainstem portions connected only by a thin cord of tissue. The outcome is poor and the majority of children die within the first 2 months of life without achieving developmental milestones. We report on the cases of two children with BD and a prolonged spontaneous survival. Neither patient required intubation or mechanical ventilation and each survived longer than 2 months (one child died at the age of 8 months, the other is alive at the age of 4.5 years). In addition, patient 1 is the only child with BD reported so far who achieved some developmental milestones. Although the long-term neurodevelopmental outcome of BD remains unfavorable, the expansion of the phenotypic spectrum may be important in terms of counseling