Gesetzgebungsziele im Internationalen Privatrecht: Eine theoretische und praktische Betrachtung

Der Autor untersucht die philosophischen und dogmatischen Fragen der Gesetzgebungsziele des Internationalen Privatrechts. Dabei beschäftigt er sich insbesondere mit dem Konzept der internationalprivatrechtlichen Gerechtigkeit. Auf dieser Basis entwirft er eine eigenständige Konzeption des Internationalen Privatrechts als Rechtsschaffungsrecht. Nachfolgend analysiert er ausgewählte Normen aus Rechtsvereinheitlichungsprojekten im Internationalen Privatrecht anhand dieser Kriterien und bewerte die Arbeit der Gesetzgeber

Zwei seltene Porlinge im Vergleich

In hyrkanischen nemoralen Laubmischwäldern am Kaspischen Meer wurden die in Mitteleuropa seltenen Porlinge Perenniporia fraxinea und Rigidoporus ulmarius nachgewiesen. Die Funde sind Anlass für eine vergleichende Studie der beiden oft verwechselten Arten

Zwei seltene Porlinge im Vergleich

In hyrkanischen nemoralen Laubmischwäldern am Kaspischen Meer wurden die in Mitteleuropa seltenen Porlinge Perenniporia fraxinea und Rigidoporus ulmarius nachgewiesen. Die Funde sind Anlass für eine vergleichende Studie der beiden oft verwechselten Arten

Tenascin-C protein is induced by transforming growth factor-beta1 but does not correlate with time to tumor progression in high-grade gliomas

BACKGROUND: Tenascin-C is an extracellular matrix protein known to correlate with prognosis in patients with glioblastoma, probably by stimulation of invasion and neoangiogenesis. Transforming Growth Factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) plays an important role in the biology of high-grade gliomas, partly by regulating invasion of these tumors into parenchyma. This study was designed to evaluate if TGF-beta1 induces the expression and deposition of Tenascin-C in the extracellular matrix of high-grade gliomas which may be pivotal for the invasion of these tumors into healthy parenchyma. METHODS: A series of 20 high-grade gliomas was stained immunohistochemically with Tenascin-C- and TGF-beta1- specific antibodies. Expression levels of both proteins were evaluated and correlated with each other, time to progression and molecular and morphological markers of invasion. A quantitative PCR assay was performed evaluating the induction of Tenascin-C mRNA by treatment with TGF-beta1 in vitro. RESULTS: Tenascin-C was expressed in 18 of 19 (95%) evaluable tumors, whereas 14 of 20 tumors (70%) expressed TGF-beta1 in a significant percentage of cells. Treatment with TGF-beta1 did induce the expression of Tenascin-C at the mRNA and protein level in vitro. The expression of Tenascin-C and TGF-beta1 did neighter statistically correlate with each other nor with time to progression. CONCLUSION: In our series, Tenascin-C and TGF-beta1 were expressed in the vast majority of high-grade gliomas. We could not detect a correlation of one of the proteins with time to progression. Nevertheless, we describe induction of Tenascin-C by TGF-beta1, possibly providing a mechanism for the invasion of high-grade gliomas into healthy parenchyma

Magnetic resonance-determined sodium removal from tissue stores in hemodialysis patients

We have previously reported that sodium is stored in skin and muscle. The amounts stored in hemodialysis (HD) patients are unknown. We determined whether (23)Na magnetic resonance imaging (sodium-MRI) allows assessment of tissue sodium and its removal in 24 HD patients and 27 age-matched healthy controls. We also studied 20 HD patients before and shortly after HD with a batch dialysis system with direct measurement of sodium in dialysate and ultrafiltrate. Age was associated with higher tissue sodium content in controls. This increase was paralleled by an age-dependent decrease of circulating levels of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C). Older (>60 years) HD patients showed increased sodium and water in skin and muscle and lower VEGF-C levels compared with age-matched controls. After HD, patients with low VEGF-C levels had significantly higher skin sodium content compared with patients with high VEGF-C levels (low VEGF-C: 2.3 ng/ml and skin sodium: 24.3 mmol/l; high VEGF-C: 4.1 ng/ml and skin sodium: 18.2 mmol/l). Thus, sodium-MRI quantitatively detects sodium stored in skin and muscle in humans and allows studying sodium storage reduction in ESRD patients. Age and VEGF-C-related local tissue-specific clearance mechanisms may determine the efficacy of tissue sodium removal with HD. Prospective trials on the relationship between tissue sodium content and hard end points could provide new insights into sodium homeostasis, and clarify whether increased sodium storage is a cardiovascular risk factor