¿Videomalestar o círculo virtuoso? Una primera aproximación empírica a la exposición mediática y el compromiso político en España y Alemania

Las conclusiones de una serie de trabajos desarrollados en el área de la comunicación política durante la década de los noventa, han venido a cuestionar la respuesta que el malestar mediático ofrecía en relación con un asunto configurado como una constante en el debate académico; la relación entre la exposición a los medios de comunicación y el compromiso político. Mientras algunos autores adscritos a esta perspectiva clásica del videomalestar culpan a los medios de comunicación de haber “narcotizado” a los ciudadanos, los cuales son cada vez menos participativos políticamente y se interesan menos por los asuntos públicos, es decir, son en términos de Robert Putnam demócratas desafectos, otros analistas aseguran que la evidencia empírica apunta en la dirección contraria. Tomando como punto de referencia la discusión descrita, este artículo pretende aproximarse empíricamente de forma comparada a los casos español y alemán.The conclusions of a group of analysis developed o the political communication discipline during the nineties, have questioned the response offered by the Media Malasie to an issue configured as a constant in the academic debate; the relationship between mass media exposure and political engagement. While some authors ascribed to the classic viewpoint of videomalaise accuse the media of “narcotising” citizens, who are increasingly less participative, less interested in public affairs and, in the terms of Robert Putnam, disaffected democrats, some other observers state that the empirical evidence points out in the apposite direction. Taking the cited framework as a reference, this article tries to approximate empirically to the Spanish and German cases from a comparative perspective

Auswirkungen von Cannabiskonsum auf das endogene Cannabinoidsystem : Entwicklung einer LC-MS/MS-Analytik zur Messung von Endocannabinoiden im Serum

Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Untersuchung der Auswirkungen von Cannabiskonsum auf das endogene Cannabinoidsystem. Dazu wurde zunächst eine LC-MS/MS-Methode zur Bestimmung der endogenen Cannabinoide AEA, OEA und PEA in humanem Serum entwickelt. Die potentielle Eignung der entwickelten Methode wurde durch die Validierung sichergestellt. In einer anschließenden Studie wurde dann der Einfluss von Cannabiskonsum auf endogene Cannabinoidkonzentrationen sowie die Auswirkungen auf das periphere Cannabinoid-Rezeptorsystem untersucht. Dazu wurden die endogenen Cannabinoidkonzentrationen von AEA, OEA und PEA in humanem Serum mit Hilfe der neu entwickelten Meßmethode bestimmt und zudem die mRNA-Expression der beiden CB-Rezeptoren CB1 und CB2 weißer Blutzellen untersucht. Es gelang im Rahmen dieser Arbeit zum ersten Mal ein Verfahren zu entwickeln, dass sich im Vergleich zu bisher existierenden Methoden durch höhere Sensitivität auszeichnet und das durch optimierte Probenhandhabung und -aufbereitung valide Messergebnisse für Endocannabinoide im Serum gewährt. Unsere Studie zeigte einen signifikanten Anstieg aller drei untersuchten endogenen Liganden sowie eine Erhöhung der CB2-Rezeptor-mRNA-Expression bei Cannabiskonsumenten. Diese Ergebnisse lassen feststellen, dass der mehr als 20malige Konsum von Cannabis im Leben signifikante Veränderungen im endogenen Cannabinoidsystem, vor allem im so genannten "Immunocannabinoidsystem" bedingt. Der CB2-Rezeptor ist gegenüber dem CB1-Rezeptor vermehrt im Immunsystem zu finden und man geht heute davon aus, dass er beim primären Signalweg der endocannabinoidergen Immunmodulation eine wichtige Rolle spielt und somit in die Immunantwort des Körpers involviert ist. Bei allem Probanden der Studie handelte es sich um gesunde Personen, so dass die Frage der potentiellen Auswirkungen dieser signifikanten Veränderungen des endogenen Cannabinoidsystems nach mehrfachem Konsum exogener Cannabinoide zunächst offen bleibt. Aufgrund der neuromodulatorischen Eigenschaften endogener Cannabinoide könnte es sich auch hier um einen solchen Effekt handeln. Möglicherweise dienen die erhöhten Ligandenkonzentrationen dem Körper dazu, die durch dauerhaft erhöhte Zufuhr exogener Cannabinoide entstehende Rezeptor-vermittelte Toleranz temporär zu kompensieren und durch höhere Rezeptor-Gen-Transkription und Translationsaktivität dieses Defizit wieder auszugleichen. Vielleicht sind die Veränderungen aber auch Ausdruck einer anhaltenden Dysregulation des Systems verursacht durch vermehrten Cannabiskonsum, dessen Auswirkungen erst zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt klinisch sichtbar werden. Die genauen Funktionen des endogenen Cannabinoidsystems sind bis heute immer noch weitgehend ungeklärt und auch der Einfluss exogener Cannabinoide auf dieses scheinbar sehr sensitive System ist humanexperimentell kaum untersucht. Vor allem daher bietet die in dieser Arbeit entwickelte Methode zur Bestimmung endogener Cannabinoide im Serum eine geeignete Basis zur weiteren Aufklärung der Rolle des endogenen Cannabinoidsystems an physiologischen wie auch pathologischen Prozessen.Effects of cannabis consumption on the endogenous cannabinoid system : Development of a LC-MS/MS method to measure endogenous cannabinoids in serum The aim of this work was the investigation of the effects of cannabis consumption on the endogenous cannabinoid system. First, we developed a selective liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method for the identification and quantification of the endogenous cannabinoids Anandamide (AEA), Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) in human serum. In the following clinical trial we investigated the influence of cannabis consumption on the levels of the endogenous cannabinoids AEA, OEA and PEA as well as the effects on the peripheral cannabinoid receptor system. We measured the levels of AEA, OEA and PEA in human serum and we examined the relative expression of CB1 and CB2 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We established a sensitive and selective method for the quantitative analysis of AEA, PEA and OEA in human serum based on LC-ESI-MS-MS. We reached better detection limits than other previously described methods for AEA, OEA and PEA. Using tandem mass spectrometry we were also able to unambiguously identify each specific analyte and avoid erroneous determinations coming from contaminants that display the same retention times as the FAEs analyzed. Our study showed a significant increase of all three endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligands as well as an increase of the CB2 mRNA expression after cannabis use. These results demonstrate that consumption of cannabis more than 20 times lifetime already causes significant changes in the endogenous cannabinoid system, especially in the so called "immunocannabinoidsystem". The CB2 receptor expression in immune cells is higher than the CB1 expression. Although the function of cannabinoid receptors on immune cells is as yet unclear one could hypothesize that endocannabinoid signaling may play an important role in the immune system. All participants of the trial were healthy volunteers. Therefore the potential later effects of these significant changes within the endogenous cannabinoidsystem after cannabis consumption need further investigation. But because of the neuromodulatory properties of endogenous cannabinoids these results may be ascribed to the fact that subjects using marijuana were experiencing turnover of CB2 mRNA expression due to receptor desensitization mechanisms resulting in a rise in the intracellular level of receptor mRNA which might be triggered by the increased endogenous cannabinoid level. Or the results are the expression of a general deregulation of the endogenous cannabinoid system that further pathological effects will occur at a later point of time. The functions of the endogenous cannabinoid system are still unclear and also the effects of exogenous cannabinoids on this sensitive system are barely investigated especially in human studies. Therefore the developed new analytical method to measure endogenous cannabinoids in human serum is a great tool for further investigation of the potential role of the endogenous cannabinoid system for physiological and pathological processes

W 2.1.3 Bedarfserhebung mit Literaturrecherche und explorativen Interviews zur Konzeption und Durchführung modularer FDM-Zertifikatskurse für FDM-Verantwortliche, Forschende und Studierende

Um ein institutionalisiertes und nachhaltiges Forschungsdatenmanagement (FDM) in Brandenburg zu erreichen, ist es unabdingbar, strukturierte Schulungsangebote für Forschende und Studierende sowie Schulungs- und Weiterbildungsangebote für FDM-Verantwortliche an jeder Hochschule aufzubauen. Deshalb werden im Rahmen des Verbundprojekts „Institutionalisiertes und nachhaltiges Forschungsdatenmanagement in Brandenburg“ (IN-FDM-BB) modulare FDM-Zertifikatskurse für FDM-Verantwortliche, Forschende und Studierende aller acht am Projekt beteiligten staatlichen, forschenden Hochschulen konzipiert, die sowohl den Hochschulangehörigen sowie den Angehörigen der außeruniversitären Forschungseinrichtungen Brandenburgs offenstehen. Ein Zertifikatskurs „Forschungsdatenmanagement für Studierende“ wurde innerhalb des Projekts bereits konzipiert und durchgeführt. Um ein passgenaues Schulungsangebot für alle drei Zielgruppen entwickeln zu können, wurden auf Basis (1) einer Literaturrecherche zur Vermittlung von FDM-Kompetenzen im Hochschulkontext, (2) eines explorativen Gruppeninterviews im Rahmen eines gemeinsamen Online-Workshops inkl. Gruppendiskussionen mit FDM-Verantwortlichen der acht brandenburgischen Hochschulen, (3) einer Bedarfserhebung unter den Forschenden der Hochschulen und (4), ergänzend, durch Auswertung der Kursevaluationen des oben genannten Zertifikatskurses für Studierende entsprechende Bedarfe, Wünsche und Erfahrungen ermittelt. Diese fließen in die Konzipierung der Kurse ein, beziehungsweise ergänzen das bereits bestehende Konzept eines Zertifikatskurses für Studierende. Nach der Zusammenfassung und dem Ausblick folgt noch ein kurzer Exkurs zu dem projektspezifischen Wissensspeicher für FDM-Materialien.Finanziert durch das Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) und die Europäische Union (NextGenerationEU), sowie das Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur (MWFK) des Landes Brandenburg

Closely related Campylobacter jejuni strains from different sources reveal a generalist rather than a specialist lifestyle

Background: Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli are human intestinal pathogens of global importance. Zoonotic transmission from livestock animals or animal-derived food is the likely cause for most of these infections. However, little is known about their general and host-specific mechanisms of colonization, or virulence and pathogenicity factors. In certain hosts, Campylobacter species colonize persistently and do not cause disease, while they cause acute intestinal disease in humans. Results: Here, we investigate putative host-specificity using phenotypic characterization and genome-wide analysis of genetically closely related C. jejuni strains from different sources. A collection of 473 fresh Campylobacter isolates from Germany was assembled between 2006 and 2010 and characterized using MLST. A subset of closely related C. jejuni strains of the highly prevalent sequence type ST-21 was selected from different hosts and isolation sources. PCR typing of strain- variable genes provided evidence that some genes differed between these strains. Furthermore, phenotypic variation of these strains was tested using the following criteria: metabolic variation, protein expression patterns, and eukaryotic cell interaction. The results demonstrated remarkable phenotypic diversity within the ST-21 group, which however did not correlate with isolation source. Whole genome sequencing was performed for five ST-21 strains from chicken, human, bovine, and food sources, in order to gain insight into ST-21 genome diversity. The comparisons showed extensive genomic diversity, primarily due to recombination and gain of phage-related genes. By contrast, no genomic features associated with isolation source or host were identified. Conclusions: The genome information and phenotypic data obtained in vitro and in a chicken infection model provided little evidence of fixed adaptation to a specific host. Instead, the dominant C. jejuni ST-21 appeared to be characterized by phenotypic flexibility and high genetic microdiversity, revealing properties of a generalist. High genetic flexibility might allow generalist variants of C. jejuni to reversibly express diverse fitness factors in changing environments

The SINS/zC-SINF survey of z~2 galaxy kinematics: Outflow properties

Based on SINFONI Ha, [NII] and [SII] AO data of 30 z \sim 2 star-forming galaxies (SFGs) from the SINS and zcSINF surveys, we find a strong correlation of the Ha broad flux fraction with the star formation surface density of the galaxy, with an apparent threshold for strong outflows occurring at 1 Msun yr^-1 kpc^-2. Above this threshold, we find that SFGs with logm_\ast>10 have similar or perhaps greater wind mass loading factors (eta = Mdotout/SFR) and faster outflow velocities than lower mass SFGs. This trend suggests that the majority of outflowing gas at z \sim 2 may derive from high-mass SFGs, and that the z \sim 2 mass-metallicity relation is driven more by dilution of enriched gas in the galaxy gas reservoir than by the efficiency of outflows. The mass loading factor is also correlated with the SFR and inclination, such that more star-forming and face-on galaxies launch more powerful outflows. For galaxies that have evidence for strong outflows, we find that the broad emission is spatially extended to at least the half-light radius (\sim a few kpc). We propose that the observed threshold for strong outflows and the observed mass loading of these winds can be explained by a simple model wherein break-out of winds is governed by pressure balance in the disk. Using the ratio of the [SII] doublet in a broad and narrow component, we find that outflowing gas has a density of \sim10-100 cm^-3, significantly less than that of the star forming gas (600 cm^-3).Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, accepted by Ap

A human phospholipid phosphatase activated by a transmembrane control module

In voltage-sensitive phosphatases (VSPs), a transmembrane voltage sensor domain (VSD) controls an intracellular phosphoinositide phosphatase domain, thereby enabling immediate initiation of intracellular signals by membrane depolarization. The existence of such a mechanism in mammals has remained elusive, despite the presence of VSP-homologous proteins in mammalian cells, in particular in sperm precursor cells. Here we demonstrate activation of a human VSP (hVSP1/TPIP) by an intramolecular switch. By engineering a chimeric hVSP1 with enhanced plasma membrane targeting containing the VSD of a prototypic invertebrate VSP, we show that hVSP1 is a phosphoinositide-5-phosphatase whose predominant substrate is PI(4,5)P(2). In the chimera, enzymatic activity is controlled by membrane potential via hVSP1\u27s endogenous phosphoinositide binding motif. These findings suggest that the endogenous VSD of hVSP1 is a control module that initiates signaling through the phosphatase domain and indicate a role for VSP-mediated phosphoinositide signaling in mammals

Disease biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid of patients with first-onset psychosis

BACKGROUND: Psychosis is a severe mental condition that is characterized by a loss of contact with reality and is typically associated with hallucinations and delusional beliefs. There are numerous psychiatric conditions that present with psychotic symptoms, most importantly schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, and some forms of severe depression referred to as psychotic depression. The pathological mechanisms resulting in psychotic symptoms are not understood, nor is it understood whether the various psychotic illnesses are the result of similar biochemical disturbances. The identification of biological markers (so-called biomarkers) of psychosis is a fundamental step towards a better understanding of the pathogenesis of psychosis and holds the potential for more objective testing methods. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry was employed to profile proteins and peptides in a total of 179 cerebrospinal fluid samples (58 schizophrenia patients, 16 patients with depression, five patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, ten patients with Alzheimer disease, and 90 controls). Our results show a highly significant differential distribution of samples from healthy volunteers away from drug-naïve patients with first-onset paranoid schizophrenia. The key alterations were the up-regulation of a 40-amino acid VGF-derived peptide, the down-regulation of transthyretin at approximately 4 kDa, and a peptide cluster at approximately 6,800-7,300 Da (which is likely to be influenced by the doubly charged ions of the transthyretin protein cluster). These schizophrenia-specific protein/peptide changes were replicated in an independent sample set. Both experiments achieved a specificity of 95% and a sensitivity of 80% or 88% in the initial study and in a subsequent validation study, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the application of modern proteomics techniques, particularly mass spectrometric approaches, holds the potential to advance the understanding of the biochemical basis of psychiatric disorders and may in turn allow for the development of diagnostics and improved therapeutics. Further studies are required to validate the clinical effectiveness and disease specificity of the identified biomarkers