Motorisches Lernen und kontralateraler Transfer

Eine wesentliche Dimension bei der Analyse von Bewegungen ist der Grad der Automation. Bewußt kontrollierte und automatisiert ablaufende Bewegungen können als Endpunkte eines Kontinuums verstanden werden, auf dem motorisches Lernen abgebildet werden kann. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, motorisches Lernen anhand der Parameter Reduktion der Durchführungszeit, Reduktion der Anzahl der Richtungswechsel im Geschwindigkeitsprofil (Automation) und der Entwicklung einer zeitlichen Invarianz (Entkoppelung der Durchführungszeit von der Bewegungsamplitude) an gesunden Probanden darzustellen. Zusätzlich wurde zur Kontrolle des motorischen Lernens der kontralaterale Transfer der Leistungen, also die Übertragung von Lerneffekten von einer Hand zur anderen, überprüft. Die Bewegungen der Probanden wurden während einer Trackingaufgabe an einem Graphiktablett aufgezeichnet und computergestützt analysiert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß sich die Reduktion der Durchführungszeit und der Anzahl der Richtungswechsel im Geschwindigkeitsprofil insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit Transfereffekten gut zur Beobachtung motorischen Lernens eignen. Die Entwicklung einer zeitlichen Invarianz konnte im Rahmen dieser Trackingaufgabe nicht bestätigt werden. Das Ausmaß der kontralateralen Transfereffekte steht in Zusammenhang mit der Komplexität der Aufgabe und der Transferrichtung. Durch die räumliche Komponente der Aufgabe konnte eine bevorzugte Transferrichtung von der rechten Hemisphäre auf die linke Hemisphäre dargestellt werden. Eine weitere Untersuchung an hirngeschädigte Patienten zeigte, daß die Differenzierung der durchaus unterschiedlichen Störungsmuster mit den oben beschriebenen Parametern verbessert werden kann und als Ausgangspunkt für ein systematisches Training geeignet ist

PWWP2A binds distinct chromatin moieties and interacts with an MTA1-specific core NuRD complex.

Chromatin structure and function is regulated by reader proteins recognizing histone modifications and/or histone variants. We recently identified that PWWP2A tightly binds to H2A.Z-containing nucleosomes and is involved in mitotic progression and cranial-facial development. Here, using in vitro assays, we show that distinct domains of PWWP2A mediate binding to free linker DNA as well as H3K36me3 nucleosomes. In vivo, PWWP2A strongly recognizes H2A.Z-containing regulatory regions and weakly binds H3K36me3-containing gene bodies. Further, PWWP2A binds to an MTA1-specific subcomplex of the NuRD complex (M1HR), which consists solely of MTA1, HDAC1, and RBBP4/7, and excludes CHD, GATAD2 and MBD proteins. Depletion of PWWP2A leads to an increase of acetylation levels on H3K27 as well as H2A.Z, presumably by impaired chromatin recruitment of M1HR. Thus, this study identifies PWWP2A as a complex chromatin-binding protein that serves to direct the deacetylase complex M1HR to H2A.Z-containing chromatin, thereby promoting changes in histone acetylation levels

Routine clinical cardiovascular magnetic resonance in paediatric and adult congenital heart disease: patients, protocols, questions asked and contributions made

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) has become routine clinical practice. However, existing CMR protocols focus predominantly on patients with ischemic heart disease, and information is limited on the types of patient with CHD who benefit from CMR investigation, and in what ways. Therefore the aim of this study was to answer the questions: What type of patients were studied by CMR in a centre specializing in paediatric and adult CHD management? What questions were asked, which protocols were used and were the questions successfully answered? To answer these questions, we conducted a cohort study of all 362 patients that received routine clinical CMR during 2007 at the Department of Paediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease at the Deutsches Herzzentrum München.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Underlying diagnosis was in 33% Fallot's tetralogy, 17% aortic coarctation, 8% Ebstein's disease, 6% Marfan's disease, 4% single ventricle with Fontan-like circulation, and 32% others. Median age was 26 years (7 days – 75 years). Ventricular volumes were assessed in 67% of the patients; flow in 74%; unknown anatomy only in 9%; specific individual morphology of known anatomy in 83%; myocardial fibrosis in 8%; stress-induced myocardial perfusion defects in 1%. Only in 3% of the cases the question could not be fully answered.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Contrary to common belief, routine CMR of patients with CHD was not requested to address global anatomical questions so much as to clarify specific questions of morphology and function of known anatomy. The CMR protocols used differed markedly from those widely used in patients with ischemic heart disease.</p

Chemical Composition, Starch Digestibility and Antioxidant Capacity of Tortilla Made with a Blend of Quality Protein Maize and Black Bean

Tortilla and beans are the basic components in the diet of people in the urban and rural areas of Mexico. Quality protein maize is suggested for tortilla preparation because it presents an increase in lysine and tryptophan levels. Beans contain important amounts of dietary fiber. The objective of this study was to prepare tortilla with bean and assesses the chemical composition, starch digestibility and antioxidant capacity using a quality protein maize variety. Tortilla with bean had higher protein, ash, dietary fiber and resistant starch content, and lower digestible starch than control tortilla. The hydrolysis rate (60 to 50%) and the predicted glycemic index (88 to 80) of tortilla decreased with the addition of bean in the blend. Extractable polyphenols and proanthocyanidins were higher in the tortilla with bean than control tortilla. This pattern produced higher antioxidant capacity of tortilla with bean (17.6 μmol Trolox eq/g) than control tortilla (7.8 μmol Trolox eq/g). The addition of bean to tortilla modified the starch digestibility and antioxidant characteristics of tortilla, obtaining a product with nutraceutical characteristics