Prospects to measure the Higgs boson properties in ATLAS

As soon as a significant signal in one of the Higgs boson discovery channels is observed, it will be important to establish its nature. To do this, a precise measurements of its properties is important. In this article the prospects to measure the Higgs boson mass, width, spin and CP-quantum numbers, couplings to the known Standard Model particles and self-couplings by the ATLAS experiment are summarized.Comment: XXXXth Rencontres de Moriond, QCD and Hadronic interactions at high energ

Interaction of the adhesion GPCR CIRL with ionotropic pathways during mechanosensation

The sensation of mechanical signals is vital for all animals. For this task Drosophila larvae are equipped with chordotonal organs. These are specialized mechanosensory organs which are composed of multicellular subunits. In this study I show how metabotropic signaling by the adhesion GCPR CIRL interacts with part of the ionotropic pathways during mechanosensation in sensory neurons of the pentascolopidial chordotonal organ (lch5). CIRL modulates cAMP levels in sensory neurons and thereby shapes the receptor potential response to mechanical stimuli. Here, CIRL forms a functional interaction with the TRP channel NOMPC in which nompC is epistatic to Cirl. Furthermore, the evidence presented suggest the presence of another target of CIRL and the involvement of a further signaling pathway besides cAMP modulation. In the second part of the study, I describe a method to express the anion-selective channelrhodopsin GtACR1 in individual of the five neurons of the lch5. For this I used the MARCM approach which generates genetic mosaics during the development of the neurons of interest. Thereby a specific subset of cells deriving from a common precursor expresses the desired protein GtACR1

Actions of betacellulin in the gastrointestinal tract

This work employed a transgenic mouse model to investigate the functions and effects elicited by the peptide growth factor betacellulin (BTC), an EGFR ligand, on the physiology and pathology of the gastrointestinal tract. BTC, a 32-kDa glycosylated protein, was initially purified from a mouse pancreatic β-cell carcinoma cell line. In addition to the EGFR, BTC is also able to directly bind and activate the related ERBB4 receptor. BTC is expressed in a wide variety of tissues, particularly in the pancreatic β-cells, stomach, small intestine, lung, kidney and uterus. Three different transgenic mouse lines (L2, L4, and L5) overexpressing BTC under the control of a ubiquitous promoter were established by pronuclear DNA microinjection. Southern blot analysis revealed different integration sites for each line. RT-PCR, Northern and Western blot analysis revealed strong expression of the transgene in the lung, heart, brain and pancreas, with detectable levels in other tissues like stomach, intestine, muscle, bones, liver, thymus, spleen, kidneys, adrenal glands, ovaries, brain and eyes of transgenic mice. BTC-transgenic mice showed stunted growth and significantly reduced relative pancreas and carcass weights. In contrast, the absolute and relative weights of eyes, lung, stomach, intestine and spleen were significantly increased. BTC-transgenic mice exhibit a remarkable, age-dependent hyperplasia of the gastric epithelium. The lesions were characterized by a tumor-like hyperplasia of foveolar epithelium with large cystic formations and a severe depletion of the preexisting body of the mucosa, thus resembling some aspects of human gastric tumors found in patients with Ménétrier disease where TGFA, another ligand of the EGFR, plays an important role. BTC-transgenic animals showed hypoalbuminemia (due to protein loss across the mucosa) and an increase in the gastric pH (as a consequence of parietal cell depletion), while gastrin levels were not altered. The hyperplastic lesions originated exclusively in the lesser curvature of the stomach and were histologically detectable for the first time at the age of 4 weeks. Another important aspect of the gastric lesions was the pronounced infiltration with mononuclear cells. Gastric inflammation is regularly observed during infection with Helicobacter pylori in humans, which can lead to development of stomach cancer or Ménétrier disease. In conclusion, our study is the first to reveal an association between gastric hyperplastic lesions and overabundance of an EGFR ligand but TGFA. BTC-transgenic mice showed a significant reduction in the length of small and large intestine while the weight of theses tissues was significant increased. The villi were narrower and longer as compared with control littermates. No pathological alterations such as fibrosis, metaplastic or neoplastic lesions could be found in the intestinal mucosa of transgenic animals, but the cell proliferation index was increased. It was further demonstrated that the BTC effects in the intestine are EGFR-dependent and that BTC overproduction increases the multiplicity of intestinal adenomas in Apc+/Min mice. A distinct expression pattern of ERBB1 and ERBB4 could be responsible for the significantly reduced pancreas weight in BTC-transgenic mice: ERBB1 is expressed predominantly in the islets, while ERBB4 expression is nearly absent in the endocrine tissue but is high in the exocrine part. It can be postulated that the reduced exocrine pancreas is mediated by the ERBB4 receptor and not by the EGFR. This concept is supported by the maintenance of the pancreas weight reduction in BTC-transgenic mice in an EGFR-deficient background. To evaluate the functional consequence of BTC excess in the pancreatic tissue, we submitted transgenic mice to caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis. The serum markers indicative of pancreatitis were significant lower in the transgenic mice as compared to their control littermates, an indication for a weaker pancreatitis in this group. Further, BTC-transgenic animals developed less tissue inflammation, pancreatic edema and acinar necrosis. Interestingly, BTC-transgenic mice showed significantly higher levels of apoptosis during pancreatitis as compared to their littermates. Further studies will be necessary to investigate whether a shift in death response from necrosis to apoptosis is the mechanism resulting in a protection against caerulein-induced pancreatitis. If confirmed, this finding may have important therapeutic implications

Heat for the Masses: Thermal Ecology of the Western Tent Caterpillar

A unique feature of some gregarious, colonial insects is their ability to create external structures that alter environmental conditions for the entire (often family) group. A combination of physical alteration of local microhabitats and behavioral thermoregulation allows many of these animals to actively control their body temperatures, which allows them to regulate energy use and metabolism in variable thermal environments. Here I describe mechanisms of microhabitat modification and thermal regulation in the western tent caterpillar, Malacosoma californicum pluviale. Tent caterpillars build communal silk tents, whose temperatures can rise substantially above ambient air temperature. I experimentally manipulated colony sizes and examined effects on tent temperatures and on rates of larval development and mortality. I predicted that large colonies would construct warmer tents, allowing larvae to grow faster in cool spring conditions. I found that temperatures in tents of large colonies (100-150 individuals) were up to 22 °C higher than ambient air temperature, and on average 15 °C higher than the mean temperature of tent temperatures of smaller colonies (10 individuals). As a consequence, larvae from larger colonies reached the final instar 30% faster than those from smaller colonies, and only larvae from large colonies survived to pupation. I then tested three hypotheses regarding excess temperatures observed in for tents of larger caterpillar colonies: (1) The tent collects heat like a greenhouse, (2) aggregating caterpillars act biophysically as a larger organism, reducing heat loss and increasing insulation to trap heat, and (3) the caterpillars warm the tent with their own metabolic heat. Using infrared imaging, I recorded daytime body temperatures of caterpillars in naturally occurring colonies, alone or in groups, either on or off their tents. I found that grouped caterpillars located off their tent had slightly higher body temperatures than solitary ones (about 1-2 °C), a result that was replicated using operative temperature models, where no metabolic heat is generated. However, caterpillars grouped on their tent reached significantly higher temperatures than those off the tent (4-5 °C), suggesting that both a warm tent and behavioral thermal regulation by grouping contribute significantly to observed excesses in caterpillar habitat and body temperature. With the ability to both physically alter their local microhabitats and behaviorally thermoregulate, one might predict that this species may be less vulnerable to climate change than other temperate insects

Investigations on the Experimental Setup for Testing the Centric Tensile Strength According to ASTM C307 of Mineral-based Materials

Centric tensile tests often exhibit high standard deviations due to various factors, hence various test setups have been developed in the past. Based on the specifications in ASTM C307-18, the experimental setup was further developed to reduce the standard deviation resulting from the test setup itself and thus to obtain reliable, reproducible test results. Furthermore, it has been investigated, whether the test setup is suitable for materials of low strength. In the further developed experimental setup three mineral-based materials with tensile strengths in the range of 0.4 to 5.9 MPa were examined and compared to ASTM C307-18. For this purpose, the optical 3D-measurement system ARAMIS® and a positioning adapter designed for the specimen geometry were used to validate and verify the developed experimental setup and to ensure a consistent position of the specimen.  For the low strength mineral-based materials tensile strength tests could be implemented and recommendations for the test parameters test speed, preload and required number of specimens could be developed

3D structured illumination microscopy of mammalian embryos and spermatozoa

Background: Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy performed via 3D structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) is well established on flat, adherent cells. However, blastomeres of mammalian embryos are non-adherent, round and large. Scanning whole mount mammalian embryos with 3D-SIM is prone to failure due to the movement during scanning and the large distance to the cover glass. Results: Here we present a highly detailed protocol that allows performing 3D-SIM on blastomeres of mammalian embryos with an image quality comparable to scans in adherent cells. This protocol was successfully tested on mouse, rabbit and cattle embryos and on rabbit spermatozoa. Conclusions: Our protocol provides detailed instructions on embryo staining, blastomere isolation, blastomere attachment, embedding, correct oil predictions, scanning conditions, and oil correction choices after the first scan. Finally, the most common problems are documented and solutions are suggested. To our knowledge, this protocol presents for the first time a highly detailed and practical way to perform 3D-SIM on mammalian embryos and spermatozoa

3D structured illumination microscopy of mammalian embryos and spermatozoa

Background: Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy performed via 3D structured illumination microscopy (3D-SIM) is well established on flat, adherent cells. However, blastomeres of mammalian embryos are non-adherent, round and large. Scanning whole mount mammalian embryos with 3D-SIM is prone to failure due to the movement during scanning and the large distance to the cover glass. Results: Here we present a highly detailed protocol that allows performing 3D-SIM on blastomeres of mammalian embryos with an image quality comparable to scans in adherent cells. This protocol was successfully tested on mouse, rabbit and cattle embryos and on rabbit spermatozoa. Conclusions: Our protocol provides detailed instructions on embryo staining, blastomere isolation, blastomere attachment, embedding, correct oil predictions, scanning conditions, and oil correction choices after the first scan. Finally, the most common problems are documented and solutions are suggested. To our knowledge, this protocol presents for the first time a highly detailed and practical way to perform 3D-SIM on mammalian embryos and spermatozoa

Extrusionsresistenz simulierter Wurzelkanalfüllungen mit TotalFill BC Sealer in Abhängigkeit verschiedener endodontischer Spüllösungen – eine In-vitro-Studie

Einleitung: Das oberste Ziel einer Wurzelkanalbehandlung ist die Elimination oder zumindest eine weitgehende Reduktion von Mikroorganismen aus dem infizierten Wurzelkanalsystem. Dies wird durch die chemomechanische Aufbereitung und anschließende vollständige Obturation des Wurzelkanalsystems erreicht. Für eine suffiziente Obturation des Wurzelkanalsystems spielt die Haftfestigkeit des Sealers sowohl zum Wurzelkanal-dentin als auch zum Kernmaterial, meist Guttapercha, eine entscheidende Rolle, um so einen langfristigen und stabilen Verbund der Wurzelkanalfüllung zum Zahn zu erzielen. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war die Analyse der Extrusionskraft des TotalFill BC Sealers in Abhängigkeit von unterschiedlichen endodontischen Spüllösungen mittels eines Pull-out-Testverfahrens. Material und Methode: Zur Durchführung der vorliegenden Studie wurden 60 extrahierte humane Zähne mit geradem Wurzelkanalverlauf und rundem Kanalquerschnitt ausgewählt. Diese wurden dekapitiert, die Wurzelkanalanatomie mittels Röntgenkontrolle geprüft, der Gleitpfad präpariert und die Arbeitslänge auf 8 mm festgelegt. Nach maschineller Aufbereitung mit BioRaCe Feilen bis .02/#60, begleitet von Zwischenspülungen mit 1 ml Aqua dest. nach jedem Feilenwechsel, wurden die 60 Zähne randomisiert in 6 Gruppen (n=10) eingeteilt. Die Abschlussspülung (5 ml) der Zähne der unterschiedlichen Gruppen erfolgte mit unterschiedlichen endodontischen Spüllösungen (Aqua dest., CHX, Alkohol, NaOCl, Zitronensäure und EDTA). Nach Trocknung der Wurzelkanäle mit Papierspitzen wurden die Wurzelkanäle mit dem TotalFill BC Sealer und Spreadern obturiert und die Obturation röntgenologisch kontrolliert. Nach 14 Tagen folgten der Pull-out-Versuch mit einer Zwick-Universaltestmaschine 1120 und die sich daran anschließende statistische Auswertung (SPSS 23.0). Des Weiteren wurden die Spreader fraktographisch bezüglich ihres Frakturmodus analysiert. Ergebnisse: Im Rahmen der statistischen Auswertung zeigte Zitronensäure signifikant geringere Pullout-Werte verglichen mit allen anderen Spüllösungen. Aqua dest., Alkohol und NaOCl hatten signifikant höhere Pullout-Werte als EDTA, wobei nach Spülung mit EDTA allerdings signifikant höhere Haftwerte resultierten als nach Spülung mit Zitronensäure. Schlussfolgerung: Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass vor allem NaOCl als Spüllösung geeignet ist, da die Spülung mit dieser Lösung in den höchsten Haftwerten in dieser Studie resultierte. Somit kann NaOCl als endodontische Standardspüllösung ohne Einschränkung hinsichtlich des Haftverbunds von TotalFill BC Sealer zum Wurzelkanaldentin eingesetzt werden. CHX, Aqua dest. und Alkohol zeigten geringere Haftwerte, allerdings nicht signifikant niedrigere Werte als nach Spülung mit NaOCl. Somit sind auch CHX, Aqua dest. und Alkohol als Spüllösungen geeignet. Zitronensäure und EDTA sind aufgrund ihres negativen Effekts auf den Haftverbund eher ungeeignet

Beratung von milchviehhaltenden Betrieben auf der Basis von Verhaltens- und Erscheinungsparametern ihrer Milchkühe

In Liegeboxenlaufställen für Milchkühe kann es durch eine suboptimale Gestaltung der einzelnen Funktionsbereiche und ein nicht ordnungsgemäßes Management zu Beeinträchtigungen der Tiere kommen. Um die in vielen Milchviehbetrieben häufig noch ungenutzten Reserven in den Bereichen Haltung und Management zu mobilisieren, wurde von der Landwirtschaftskammer NRW eine Schwachstellenanalyse in Liegeboxenlaufställen („On-Farm Welfare Assessment“) entwickelt, die auf der objektiven und systematischen Erfassung tierbezogener Parameter basiert und eine standardisierte Bewertung der Haltungsbedingungen ermöglicht (vgl. PELZER et al. 2007). Das Ziel dieser Arbeit besteht darin, die vorliegende Schwachstellenanalyse im Sinne eines Expertensystems weiterzuentwickeln. Hierzu wurde in einer Felderhebung ein Datenpool aus 66 nordrhein-westfälischen Milchviehbetrieben angelegt. Dieser enthielt neben umfassenden bautechnischen und managementspezifischen Kriterien vor allem ausgewählte Verhaltens- (Laufverhalten, Abliegeverhalten, Aufenthaltsorte, Liegepositionen, Abkoten in der Liegebox) und Erscheinungsparameter (Verschmutzung und Verletzungen) der Tiere. Die einzelbetriebliche Schwachstellenanalyse sollte als dreistufiger Prozess durchgeführt werden (vgl. RÜTZ 2010). Im ersten Schritt erfolgte ein Vergleich der einzelbetrieblichen, tierbezogenen Untersuchungsergebnisse mit definierten Vergleichs- und Referenzwerten aus dem Expertensystem. Im zweiten Schritt wurden potentielle Risikofaktoren für die haltungsbedingten Beeinträchtigungen der Kühe ermittelt. Auf Grundlage des Datenpools konnten vor allem die negativen Auswirkungen einer suboptimalen Liegeboxengestaltung (unzureichende Boxen- und Nackenriegelabmessungen, ungünstige Seitenabtrennungen sowie schlechte Liegeflächenqualitäten) auf das Verhalten und die Verletzungshäufigkeiten der Kühe herausgestellt werden. Der dritte Schritt enthielt eine Korrektur der bemängelten Kriterien der Haltungsbedingungen im Sinne der Tiergerechtheit. Dabei konnte in einer stichprobenartigen Nachuntersuchung die erfolgreiche Umsetzung der Schwachstellen-analyse mit erheblichen Verbesserungen im Bereich der Tiergerechtheit festgestellt werden. Zur Evaluierung der Schwachstellenanalyse wurden die tierbezogenen Parameter hinsichtlich der Gütekriterien der Validität, Reliabilität sowie Praktikabilität überprüft. Zudem wurden zur Qualitätssicherung für einige der verwendeten Scores statistische Auswertungen zu deren Reliabilitäten durchgeführt. Abschließend erschienen die Kriterien der Abliegedauer, des Aufenthaltsortes, der Liegepositionen sowie der Verschmutzungen und Verletzungen der Kühe aufgrund ihrer hohen Aussagefähigkeiten sowie der guten Reliabilitäten besonders geeignet, um im Rahmen des Bewertungssystems haltungs- und managementbezogene Schwachstellen, vor allem im Liegebereich, aufzudecken.In free-stall barns for dairy cattle inadequate housing conditions can affect cows´ generic behaviour. To activate hidden reserves in husbandry and management, the Landwirtschafts-kammer NRW developed an “On-farm welfare assessment” based on animal-related parameters which makes a standardized assessment of husbandry system possible (PELZER et al. 2007). Stated aim of this study was therefore to develop the weak point analysis further to a knowledge-based system. To compile a database, 66 dairy cattle farms in Nordrhein-Westfalen were investigated. The database contained additional to constructional and technical aspects mainly animal-based criteria of cows´ behaviour (locomotion, lying down behaviour, location/activity, lying positions, eliminating in lying box) and habitus (cleanliness and skin lesions of cows). On-farm welfare assessment should be operated as three-step process (cp. RÜTZ 2010). The first step contained the comparison of the individual animal-based results with defined comparative and reference values. In second step, potential risk factors for the restrictions of cows caused by environmental conditions were investigated. In statistical evaluation of database the negative effects of poor cubicle design (small-sized cubicle and neck-rail dimensions, low lying comfort) on the cows´ behaviour and their rate of skin lesions were stated. The third step included a revision of criticized criteria of husbandry to achieve more animal welfare. In a random follow-up examination the successful implementing of weak point analysis with serious improvements with regard to animal welfare could be approved. To evaluate weak point analysis the selected animal-based parameters were investigated in view of their quality criteria of validity, reliability and feasibility. For quality assurance, repeatability of some of the scoring systems was controlled. Concluding, the animal-based indicators of lying down duration, location and lying positions as well as scoring systems of cleanliness and skin lesions of the cows offered high validity and satisfactory reliability. Therefore these indicators, included in on-farm welfare assessment, seemed to be very suitable to detect weak points in husbandry and management of free-stalls, especially in lying area