Nutrition in Pancreatic Cancer: A Review

Background: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in both genders. More than 80% of patients suffer from significant weight loss at diagnosis and over time develop severe cachexia. Early nutritional support is therefore essential. Summary: This review evaluates the different nutritional therapies, such as enteral nutrition, parenteral nutrition and special nutritional supplements, on nutritional status, quality of life and survival. Key Message: Due to the high prevalence of malnutrition and the rapid development of anorexia-cachexia-syndrome, early nutritional intervention is crucial and supported by clinical data. Practical Implications: Enteral nutrition should be preferred over parenteral nutrition. Omega-3 fatty acids and L-carnitine are promising substances for the prevention of severe cachexia, but further randomized controlled trials are needed to establish generally accepted guidelines on nutrition in pancreatic cancer

Temperature and Tree Size Explain the Mean Time to Fall of Dead Standing Trees across Large Scales

Dead standing trees (DSTs) generally decompose slower than wood in contact with the forest floor. In many regions, DSTs are being created at an increasing rate due to accelerating tree mortality caused by climate change. Therefore, factors determining DST fall are crucial for predicting dead wood turnover time but remain poorly constrained. Here, we conduct a re-analysis of published DST fall data to provide standardized information on the mean time to fall (MTF) of DSTs across biomes. We used multiple linear regression to test covariates considered important for DST fall, while controlling for mortality and management effects. DSTs of species killed by fire, insects and other causes stood on average for 48, 13 and 19 years, but MTF calculations were sensitive to how tree size was accounted for. Species’ MTFs differed significantly between DSTs killed by fire and other causes, between coniferous and broadleaved plant functional types (PFTs) and between managed and unmanaged sites, but management did not explain MTFs when we distinguished by mortality cause. Mean annual temperature (MAT) negatively affected MTFs, whereas larger tree size or being coniferous caused DSTs to stand longer. The most important explanatory variables were MAT and tree size, with minor contributions of management and plant functional type depending on mortality cause. Our results provide a basis to improve the representation of dead wood decomposition in carbon cycle assessments

Study on Health of Older People in Germany (‘Gesundheit 65+’): Objectives, design and implementation

Background: The longitudinal population-based study Gesundheit 65+ aimed to close data gaps on health and well-being of older adults in Germany in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The target population comprised persons 65 years and older permanently residing in Germany and with sufficient German language skills. Proxy interviews were possible and consent from legal representatives was obtained as necessary in order to enable participation of physically or cognitively impaired persons. A two-stage sampling process, was used to draw 128 primary sample points (PSUs) and within these PSUs sex- and age-stratified random samples were drawn from population registries. A mixed-mode design was applied to contact the study population and for data collection. Data were collected between June 2021 and April 2023. Participants were surveyed a total of four times at intervals of four months. At month 12 participants were offered a home visit including a non-invasive examination. Data on all-cause mortality and information on neighborhood social and built environment as well as health insurance data will be linked to primarily collected data at the individual level. Discussion: Results will inform health politicians and other stakeholders in the care system on health and health care needs of older people in Germany

Korruption: ein ungerechtfertigter Eingriff in internationale Menschenrechte? Chancen und Grenzen einer opferbezogenen Korruptionsperspektive

<p><b>Daily carbohydrate (A) and sugar (B) intake by groups and subgroups.</b> Carbohydrate (A) and sugar intake (B) as illustrated in percent. The boxes cover the first quartile on the bottom and the third quartile on the top. Whiskers reach from the minimum to the maximum value excluding outliers (illustrated by dots). Shift-working group and shift-working nursing-staff subgroup cover identical cohorts. NG, non-shift-working group; SG, shift-working group; SN, shift-working nursing-staff subgroup; NO, non-shift-working office-staff subgroup; NN, non-shift-working nursing-staff subgroup *p<0.05.</p

Studie zur Gesundheit älterer Menschen in Deutschland (Gesundheit 65+): Zielsetzung, Konzeption und Durchführung

Hintergrund: Die bevölkerungsbezogene Längsschnittstudie Gesundheit 65+ hatte zum Ziel, Datenlücken zu Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden älterer Menschen in Deutschland während der COVID-19-Pandemie zu schließen. Methode: Die Grundgesamtheit umfasste Personen ab 65 Jahren mit ständigem Wohnsitz in Deutschland und ausreichenden Deutschkenntnissen. Um die Teilnahme körperlich/kognitiv eingeschränkter Personen zu ermöglichen, waren u. a. Befragung einer Stellvertreterin/eines Stellvertreters oder Einwilligung durch eine gesetzliche Vertretung erlaubt. Mithilfe eines zweistufigen Stichprobenverfahrens wurden 128 primäre Stichprobeneinheiten und innerhalb dieser geschlechts- und altersgeschichtete Einwohnermeldeamtsstichproben per Zufall gezogen. Die Kontaktierung und Datenerhebung erfolgten nach einem Mixed-Mode-Design. Die Datenerhebung fand zwischen Juni 2021 und April 2023 statt. Dabei wurden die Teilnehmenden im Abstand von jeweils vier Monaten insgesamt vier Mal befragt. Zwölf Monate nach der Basisbefragung erfolgte eine Untersuchung im Hausbesuch. Die Erhebungsdaten sind mit externen Daten zur Gesamtmortalität, Informationen über soziale und bauliche Merkmale des Wohnumfeldes und ambulanten Abrechnungsdaten der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung verknüpfbar. Schlussfolgerung: Die Studienergebnisse dienen der Gesundheitspolitikberatung und Information anderer Akteurinnen und Akteure im Versorgungssystem über die Gesundheit und den Versorgungsbedarf älterer Menschen in Deutschland

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles 2018 (MISEV2018):a position statement of the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles and update of the MISEV2014 guidelines

The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications describing physiological and pathological functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a collective term covering various subtypes of cell-released, membranous structures, called exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, apoptotic bodies, and many other names. However, specific issues arise when working with these entities, whose size and amount often make them difficult to obtain as relatively pure preparations, and to characterize properly. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) proposed Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (“MISEV”) guidelines for the field in 2014. We now update these “MISEV2014” guidelines based on evolution of the collective knowledge in the last four years. An important point to consider is that ascribing a specific function to EVs in general, or to subtypes of EVs, requires reporting of specific information beyond mere description of function in a crude, potentially contaminated, and heterogeneous preparation. For example, claims that exosomes are endowed with exquisite and specific activities remain difficult to support experimentally, given our still limited knowledge of their specific molecular machineries of biogenesis and release, as compared with other biophysically similar EVs. The MISEV2018 guidelines include tables and outlines of suggested protocols and steps to follow to document specific EV-associated functional activities. Finally, a checklist is provided with summaries of key points

Tocqueville’s Compass: On History, Race and Comparison in A Fortnight in the Wilds

Gärtner J. Tocqueville’s Compass: On History, Race and Comparison in A Fortnight in the Wilds. In: Rohland E, Epple A, Flüchter A, Kramer K, eds. Contact, Conquest and Colonization. How Practices of Comparing Shaped Empires and Colonialism Around the World. Routledge Studies in Cultural History. Vol 106. New York: Routledge; 2021: 268-288

Minimum carbon uptake controls the interannual variability of ecosystem productivity in tropical evergreen forests

Tropical evergreen forests contribute an important part to the interannual variability (IAV) of the global terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP). Due to its year-round growing-season, high minimum carbon uptake (GPPmin) and dry season greening-up, the key processes driving the GPP variability across seasonal to interannual scale are still in debate. Here, we analyzed the time-series of FLUXCOM GPP (1980–2013), sun-induced fluorescence (SIF; 2001–2013) and site-level GPP measurements in three tropical evergreen forests regions (i.e., Amazon, Africa, and Southeast Asia). We decomposed the annual accumulated GPP into the basic and recurrent GPP, which represent the accumulated minimum and seasonal vegetation productivity, respectively. Then we quantified the proportion of each component and estimated the contribution to the IAV of GPP. We find that the basic GPP overwhelmed the recurrent GPP with the averaging ratio of 4.2:1 across the global tropical regions, and dominated the IAV of annual total GPP in 83.7% of the tropical evergreen forest areas. The high contribution of the basic GPP resulted from the great sensitivity of GPPmin to rainfall changes among years. The decomposition of the basic and recurrent GPP sheds new light on the understanding of tropical GPP variability in responding to climate change at seasonal and annual scale. Our study highlights the critical role of the GPPmin in shaping temporal dynamics of the annual GPP in tropical forests and emphasizes the importance of managing tropical forest of the shifting periods between wet-dry seasons in global tropical regions