Gamifying Sustainable Behavior at Work: Results from an Experiment with a Corporate Gamification App

Society’s increasing demand to protect the climate puts enormous pressure on companies of all sectors to reduce their CO2 footprint. Besides strategic investments in more sustainable value creation, it is also essential that employees adapt their mindset, motivation, and behavior. However, measures to engage employees to change their behavior are rare. In recent years, gamification has gained popularity as an effective approach to influencing human motivation and driving behavior change. This paper provides an overview of existing research on the use of gamification to engage sustainable behavior and empirical results from an experiment with a gamified app to promote sustainable behavior in a mid-sized company. Data is collected from users of the app and extended with information about their personality traits according to the HEXACO and NEP scales. The results indicate that gamification does indeed appear to be a suitable approach to support sustainable behavior at work

Soluble Guanylate Cyclase α1–Deficient Mice: A Novel Murine Model for Primary Open Angle Glaucoma

Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. The molecular signaling involved in the pathogenesis of POAG remains unknown. Here, we report that mice lacking the $α_1$ subunit of the nitric oxide receptor soluble guanylate cyclase represent a novel and translatable animal model of POAG, characterized by thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer and loss of optic nerve axons in the context of an open iridocorneal angle. The optic neuropathy associated with soluble guanylate cyclase $α_1$–deficiency was accompanied by modestly increased intraocular pressure and retinal vascular dysfunction. Moreover, data from a candidate gene association study suggests that a variant in the locus containing the genes encoding for the $α_1$ and $β_1$ subunits of soluble guanylate cyclase is associated with POAG in patients presenting with initial paracentral vision loss, a disease subtype thought to be associated with vascular dysregulation. These findings provide new insights into the pathogenesis and genetics of POAG and suggest new therapeutic strategies for POAG

Direct measurement of local oxygen concentration in the bone marrow of live animals

Characterizing how the microenvironment, or niche, regulates stem cell activity is central to understanding stem cell biology and to developing strategies for therapeutic manipulation of stem cells1. Low oxygen tension (hypoxia) is commonly thought to be a shared niche characteristic in maintaining quiescence in multiple stem cell types2–4. However, support for the existence of a hypoxic niche has largely come from indirect evidence such as proteomic analysis5, expression of HIF-1 and related genes6, and staining with surrogate hypoxic markers (e.g. pimonidazole)6–8. Here we perform direct in vivo measurements of local oxygen tension (pO2) in the bone marrow (BM) of live mice. Using two-photon phosphorescence lifetime microscopy (2PLM), we determined the absolute pO2 of the BM to be quite low (<32 mmHg) despite very high vascular density. We further uncovered heterogeneities in local pO2, with the lowest pO2 (~9.9 mmHg, or 1.3%) found in deeper peri-sinusoidal regions. The endosteal region, by contrast, is less hypoxic as it is perfused with small arteries that are often positive for the marker nestin. These pO2 values change dramatically after radiation and chemotherapy, pointing to the role of stress in altering the stem cell metabolic microenvironment

Kopfballspiel und Kopfverletzungen im Fußball—große Unterschiede und Präventionsmöglichkeiten

Heading and head injuries in football – The big differences and possible prevention Kopfverletzungen sind im Fußball wie auch in anderen Sportarten ein viel diskutiertes und wichtiges Thema in der Sportmedizin. Gerade in der letzten Zeit wurden viele wissenschaftliche Arbeiten über fußballspezifische Kopfverletzungen publiziert. Dabei ist auch immer mehr in den Fokus der Diskussion gerückt, inwieweit Kopfbälle Verletzungen des Gehirns verursachen können oder in den typischen Fußballsituationen zu Kopfverletzungen führen. In solchen Diskussionen werden diese beiden Thematiken oft miteinander vermischt oder sogar verwechselt, was zu Missverständnissen führen kann. Der Kopf ist mit ca. 7 % aller Verletzungen eine im Fußball regelmäßig betroffene Körperregion, jedoch deutlich seltener als Regionen der unteren Extremität. Ein typischer Verletzungsmechanismus ist der direkte Kontakt mit einem Gegen- oder Mitspieler, wenn eine Kollision, ein Kopf gegen Kopf- oder ein Kopf gegen Arm-Mechanismus entsteht. Diese Übersichtsarbeit dient zur Einordnung der aktuellen Literatur zu Kopfverletzungen und der Einflüsse des Kopfballspiels im Fußball, zeigt deren Unterscheidungsmerkmale auf und nennt mögliche und etablierte Präventionsmaßnahmen

Defining Clonal Color in Fluorescent Multi-Clonal Tracking

Clonal heterogeneity and selection underpin many biological processes including development and tumor progression. Combinatorial fluorescent protein expression in germline cells has proven its utility for tracking the formation and regeneration of different organ systems. Such cell populations encoded by combinatorial fluorescent proteins are also attractive tools for understanding clonal expansion and clonal competition in cancer. However, the assignment of clonal identity requires an analytical framework in which clonal markings can be parameterized and validated. Here we present a systematic and quantitative method for RGB analysis of fluorescent melanoma cancer clones. We then demonstrate refined clonal trackability of melanoma cells using this scheme

Timing return-to-competition: a prospective registration of 45 different types of severe injuries in Germany’s highest football league

Introduction Many professional football players sustain at least one severe injury over the course of their career. Because detailed epidemiological data on different severe injuries in professional football have been missing so far, this study describes the frequency and return-to-competition (RTC) periods of different types of severe football injuries. Material and methods This epidemiological investigation is a prospective standardised injury analysis based on national media longitudinal registration. Injuries were classified according to the consensus statement by Fuller et al. (2006). The analysis includes injuries sustained by players of the first German football league during the seasons 2014–2015 to 2017–2018. Level of evidence: II. Results Overall, 660 severe injuries were registered during the four seasons (mean 165 per season; 9.2 per season per team; incidence in 1000 h: 0.77). The body region most frequently affected by severe injury was the knee (30.0%; 49.5 injuries per season/SD 13.2) followed by the thigh (26.4%; 43.5 injuries/SD 4.2) and the ankle (16.7%; 27.5 injuries/SD 5.0). The distribution of injuries over the course of a season showed a trend for ACL ruptures to mainly occur at the beginning of a season (45.8%), overuse syndromes such as achillodynia (40.9%) and irritation of the knee (44.4%) during the winter months and severe muscle and ankle injuries at the end of a season. ACL ruptures showed the longest RTC durations (median 222 days). Conclusion This study presents detailed epidemiological data on severe injuries in professional football. The body region most frequently affected by severe injuries was the knee. Several types of severe injuries showed a seasonal injury pattern. The appropriate timing of RTC after an injury is one of the most important and complex decisions to be made. This study provides information on the typical time loss due to specific severe football injuries, which may serve as a guideline

Generative AI Models: Opportunities and Risks for Industry and Authorities

Generative AI models are capable of performing a wide range of tasks that traditionally require creativity and human understanding. They learn patterns from existing data during training and can subsequently generate new content such as texts, images, and music that follow these patterns. Due to their versatility and generally high-quality results, they, on the one hand, represent an opportunity for digitalization. On the other hand, the use of generative AI models introduces novel IT security risks that need to be considered for a comprehensive analysis of the threat landscape in relation to IT security. In response to this risk potential, companies or authorities using them should conduct an individual risk analysis before integrating generative AI into their workflows. The same applies to developers and operators, as many risks in the context of generative AI have to be taken into account at the time of development or can only be influenced by the operating company. Based on this, existing security measures can be adjusted, and additional measures can be taken.Comment: 33 pages, 3 figure

Increased rate of injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament in amateur soccer players after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the discontinuation of soccer activities at all levels of play. Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are still one of the most severe injuries in soccer. The aim of this investigation was to analyze the changes in the incidence and mechanism of ACL injuries in professional and amateur soccer before and after the lockdown period. Injury data were prospectively collected using the database ‘ACL registry in German soccer’. Between 2019 and 2021, 10 matches in professional, semi-professional, and amateur leagues before and after the lockdown were analyzed for the incidence and mechanism of ACL injuries. Data were collected using standardized and recently published study methods. Mean incidence of the 84 ACL injuries recorded during the study period was 0.083 injuries per 1000 h of exposure before and 0.079 injuries per 1000 h of exposure after the lockdown period (p = 0.699). In amateur soccer, the incidence of ACL injuries increased significantly from 0.058 injuries per 1000 h of exposure before to 0.128 injuries per 1000 h of exposure after the lockdown period (p = 0.026), in contrast to professional (p = 0.436) and semi-professional (p = 0.802) soccer. The predominant mechanisms of ACL injuries were non-contact injuries (pre-COVID: 59.1%; post-COVID: 57.7%) and indirect contact injuries (pre-COVID: 31.8%; post-COVID: 30.8%). The absence from training and match practice in German soccer during the COVID-19 lockdown led to a significantly increased ACL injury rate in amateur leagues, while in professional and semi-professional soccer no differences were reported. The mechanism of ACL injuries did not change after the lockdown period

IGF1R is a potential new therapeutic target for HGNET-BCOR brain tumor patients

(1) Background: The high-grade neuroepithelial tumor of the central nervous system with BCOR alteration (HGNET-BCOR) is a highly malignant tumor. Preclinical models and molecular targets are urgently required for this cancer. Previous data suggest a potential role of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling in HGNET-BCOR. (2) Methods: The primary HGNET-BCOR cells PhKh1 were characterized by western blot, copy number variation, and methylation analysis and by electron microscopy. The expression of IGF2 and IGF1R was assessed by qRT-PCR. The effect of chemotherapeutics and IGF1R inhibitors on PhKh1 proliferation was tested. The phosphorylation of IGF1R and downstream molecules was assessed by western blot. (3) Results: Phkh1 cells showed a DNA methylation profile compatible with the DNA methylation class “HGNET-BCOR” and morphologic features of cellular cannibalism. IGF2 and IGF1R were highly expressed by three HGNET-BCOR tumor samples and PhKh1 cells. PhKh1 cells were particularly sensitive to vincristine, vinblastine, actinomycin D (IC50 < 10 nM for all drugs), and ceritinib (IC50 = 310 nM). Ceritinib was able to abrogate the proliferation of PhKh1 cells and blocked the phosphorylation of IGF1R and AKT. (4) Conclusion: IGF1R is as an attractive target for the development of new therapy protocols for HGNET-BCOR patients, which may include ceritinib and vinblastine

Standardized Rehabilitation or Individual Approach?—A Retrospective Analysis of Early Rehabilitation Protocols after Isolated Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

(1) Background: Isolated posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tears represent a severe type of injury. In hospitals, PCL reconstruction (PCL-R) is less frequently performed than other types of knee surgery. It is unclear whether there is consensus among surgeons on how to perform rehabilitation after PCL-R or if there are different, more individual approaches in daily routines. (2) Methods: Rehabilitation protocols and their main criteria (the progression of weight bearing and range of motion, the use of knee braces, rehabilitation training, and sports-specific training) were retrospectively analyzed after PCL-R. (3) Results: Only 33 of 120 (27.5%) analyzed institutes use rehabilitation protocols after PCL-R. The applied protocols showed vast differences between the individual rehabilitation criteria, especially with regard to the progression of weight bearing and the range of motion. The only standardized recommendations were the obligatory use of knee braces and the general restriction of weight bearing and range of motion immediately post-surgery. Therefore, because of the lack of a consensus about a standardized rehabilitation protocol after PCL-R, no recommendation can be made on one particular protocol. (4) Conclusion: There is no acknowledged standardized rehabilitation protocol after PCL-R. In clinical practice, recommendations are influenced by, i.a., surgeons’ opinions and experience. The lack of scientific evidence on a particular standardized rehabilitation protocol after PCL-R suggests that rehabilitation protocols need to be tailored to the individual patient