Sicherheit. Anspruch - Versprechen - Utopie

Zusammenfassung: Im Rahmen des Artikels wird das Phänomen der Unsicherheit auf Basis der Plessnerschen anthropologischen Perspektive aufgezeigt und der Umgang mit diesem Phänomen fokussiert: expliziert werden der unsicherheitskompensierende, utopische Gehalt von Selbst- und Gemeinschaftsentwürfen sowie gesellschaftspolitische Techniken. Ausgehend von den Schein-Handlungssicherheiten erzeugenden Maßnahmen im Kontext der Sozialen Arbeit wird das Sicherheitsversprechen in dem gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhang zwischen Markt, Staat und Zukunftsprognosen machttheoretisch verortet. Weiterhin wird aufgezeigt, wie diese paradoxalen Verflechtungen: das anthropologische Bedürfnis, Verlangen nach bzw. Anspruch auf Sicherheit, das Versprechen dieser Sicherheit mittels politischer Maßnahmen sowie die faktische Nichteinlösbarkeit dieses Versprechens, die Utopie der Sicherheit, eine Sicherheitsspirale generiere

Statistical Communication Theory

Contains reports on four research projects

Late Triassic acidic volcanic clasts in different Neotethyan sedimentary mélanges: paleogeographic and geodynamic implication

U/Pb zircon dating and trace element geochemical analysis were performed on rhyolite clasts of different Middle Jurassic sedimentary mélanges from the Western Carpathian and Dinaric orogen. These igneous clast-bearing sedimentary successions were deposited on the westernmost passive margin of the Neotethys Ocean. During the latest Jurassic and Cretaceous, they became parts of different nappe stacks forming now the Inner Western Carpathians and some inselbergs within the Pannonian Basin. The Meliata nappe was stacked on the northern passive margin, while the Telekesoldal and Mónosbél nappes were part of the imbricated western - south-western margin. U/Pb dating of the 100m-sized blocks and redeposited smaller clasts and fine-grained sediments formed two age groups: 222.6±6.7 and 209.0±9 Ma. Trace element geochemistry suggested within plate continental volcanism as magma source. However, the measured ages are definitely younger than the classic, rift-related Anisian - Ladinian (238-242 Ma) magmatism, which was widespread along the western and south-western margin of the Neotethys Ocean (e.g. Dolomites, different Dinaridic units). On the other hand, similar, Late Triassic ages are reported from tuff intercalations from the Outer Dinarides and Western Carpathians, along with even more sparse effusive rocks of the Slovenian Trough. Trace element (incl. rare earth element) analysis showed positive correlation between the mélange clasts and the in situ Late Triassic rhyolites of the Slovenian Trough. This newly established link between the mélange nappes in NE Hungary and the in situ Late Triassic rhyolites in the Slovenian Trough make a good opportunity to reconsider both Middle Jurassic paleogeography, and later tectonic deformations, which led to the separation of the source area and the redeposited clasts

High prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies in two metropolitan emergency departments in Germany : a prospective screening analysis of 28,809 patients

Background and Aims: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies in Germany has been estimated to be in the range of 0.4–0.63%. Screening for HCV is recommended in patients with elevated ALT levels or significant risk factors for HCV transmission only. However, 15–30% of patients report no risk factors and ALT levels can be normal in up to 20–30% of patients with chronic HCV infection. The aim of this study was to assess the HCV seroprevalence in patients visiting two tertiary care emergency departments in Berlin and Frankfurt, respectively. Methods: Between May 2008 and March 2010, a total of 28,809 consecutive patients were screened for the presence of anti-HCV antibodies. Anti-HCV positive sera were subsequently tested for HCV-RNA. Results: The overall HCV seroprevalence was 2.6% (95% CI: 2.4–2.8; 2.4% in Berlin and 3.5% in Frankfurt). HCV-RNA was detectable in 68% of anti-HCV positive cases. Thus, the prevalence of chronic HCV infection in the overall study population was 1.6% (95% CI 1.5–1.8). The most commonly reported risk factor was former/current injection drug use (IDU; 31.2%) and those with IDU as the main risk factor were significantly younger than patients without IDU (p<0.001) and the male-to-female ratio was 72% (121 vs. 46 patients; p<0.001). Finally, 18.8% of contacted HCV-RNA positive patients had not been diagnosed previously. Conclusions: The HCV seroprevalence was more than four times higher compared to current estimates and almost one fifth of contacted HCV-RNA positive patients had not been diagnosed previously

Multi-omics assessment of dilated cardiomyopathy using non-negative matrix factorization

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a myocardial disease, is heterogeneous and often results in heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Unavailability of cardiac tissue has hindered the comprehensive exploration of gene regulatory networks and nodal players in DCM. In this study, we carried out integrated analysis of transcriptome and methylome data using nonnegative matrix factorization from a cohort of DCM patients to uncover underlying latent factors and covarying features between whole-transcriptome and epigenome omics datasets from tissue biopsies of living patients. DNA methylation data from Infinium HM450 and mRNA Illumina sequencing of n = 33 DCM and n = 24 control probands were filtered, analyzed and used as input for matrix factorization using R NMF package. Mann-Whitney U test showed 4 out of 5 latent factors are significantly different between DCM and control probands (P<0.05). Characterization of top 10% features driving each latent factor showed a significant enrichment of biological processes known to be involved in DCM pathogenesis, including immune response (P = 3.97E-21), nucleic acid binding (P = 1.42E-18), extracellular matrix (P = 9.23E-14) and myofibrillar structure (P = 8.46E-12). Correlation network analysis revealed interaction of important sarcomeric genes like Nebulin, Tropomyosin alpha-3 and ERC-protein 2 with CpG methylation of ATPase Phospholipid Transporting 11A0, Solute Carrier Family 12 Member 7 and Leucine Rich Repeat Containing 14B, all with significant P values associated with correlation coefficients >0.7. Using matrix factorization, multiomics data derived from human tissue samples can be integrated and novel interactions can be identified. Hypothesis generating nature of such analysis could help to better understand the pathophysiology of complex traits such as DCM

Triász és jura lejtőfáciesek jelentősége a Neotethys ÉNy-i végének geodinamikai értelmezésében = Importance of Triassic and Jurassic slope facies in the geodynamic reconstruction of the NW termination of the Neotethys

A program célja az észak-magyarországi triász és jura medence- és lejtőfáciesek szedimentológiai és rétegtani vizsgálata volt új fejlődéstörténeti szintézis kidolgozása érdekében, és azért, hogy lehetővé váljon a korreláció a Dinaridák és a Hellenidák hasonló korú és kifejlődésű képződményeivel. A kutatásokat a Bükkben, a darnói területen, a Mátrában mélyített fúrások anyagán és a Rudabányai-hegységben végeztük. Az összehasonlító elemzés érdekében terepi megfigyeléseket és vizsgálatokat végeztünk a Dinaridákban, a Hellenidákban, a Keleti- Alpokban és a Nyugati-Kárpátokban. A Neotethys akkréciós komplexumának részét képező bükki, továbbá a Mátra aljzatát alkotó és a Darnó környéki képződmények alapvető jellegei jól megfeleltethetők a Dinaridákban ismertekkel, és ennél fogva képződési körülményeik is levezethetőek a Dinaridákra a közelmúltban kidolgozott modellekből. A Rudabányai-hegységben megismert olisztosztrómák törmelékanyaga mutat ugyan összetételbeli eltéréseket a bükkiekhez és a mátraiakhoz képest, de fontos összekapcsoló bélyegeket is felismertünk. Az Északi Mészkőalpokban megfigyelt szubdukcióhoz köthető jelenségek szedimentológiai jellege és időbeli lefolyása jó korrelációt mutat a Bükkben megismerthez, de a medencékben felhalmozódott törmelékben lényeges eltérések vannak. Ez az akkréciós komplexum törmelékanyagának zömét szolgáltató felső, kontinentális lemez felépítésének különbségére vezethető vissza. Az eredmények alátámasztják a bükki, a mátrai-darnói és a rudabányai mezozoos összleteknek a Dinaridákhoz kapcsolódó eredeti helyzetét. | Study of sedimentological and stratigraphical characteristics of the Triassic and Jurassic basin and slope facies in North Hungary was the aim of the project. Elaboration of a new geodynamic synthesis and correlation with the coeval and genetically similar formations of the Dinarides and Hellenides were also in the focus of the project. The studies were performed in the Bükk Mts., in the Darnó area, on cores drilled in the Mátra Mts., and in the Rudabánya Hills. For comparative analyses field studies were carried out in the Dinarides, Hellenides, in the Eastern Alps and Western Carpathians. Basic characteristics of the relics of the Neotethys accretionary complexes occur in the Bükk, in the basement of the Mátra and also in the Darnó area show good correspondence with those in the Dinarides and therefore their genetic conditions can be derived from the recently elaborated genetic models for the Dinarides. Although differences were pointed out in the composition of olistostromes encountered in the Rudabánya Hills, and that in the Bükk and Mátra Mts., significant common features were also recognised. Sedimentological characteristics and timing of the subduction-related phenomena observed in the Northern Calcareous Alps can also be correlated with those in the Bükk, but there are substantial differences in the composition of the clasts. This can be explained by the differences in the upper continental plate, source of dominant part of the clasts of the accretionary complex. The results support the concept on the Dinaridic relationship of the Mesozoic complexes of the Bükk, Mátra-Darnó and Rudabánya Hills

Treatment of poor-risk myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia with a combination of 5-azacytidine and valproic acid

5-azacytidine (AZA) has become standard treatment for patients with higher-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Response rate is about 50% and response duration is limited. Histone deactylase (HDAC) inhibitors are attractive partners for epigenetic combination therapy. We treated 24 patients with AZA (100 mg/m2, 5 days) plus valproate (VPA; continuous dosing, trough serum level 80–110 μg/ml). According to WHO classification, 5 patients had MDS, 2 had MDS/MPD, and 17 had acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Seven patients (29%) had previously received intensive chemotherapy, and five had previous HDAC inhibitor treatment. The overall response rate was 37% in the entire cohort but significantly higher (57%) in previously untreated patients, especially those with MDS (64%). Seven (29%) patients achieved CR (29%) and two PR (8%), respectively. Hematological CR was accompanied by complete cytogenetic remission according to conventional cytogenetics in all evaluable cases. Some patients also showed complete remission according to FISH on bone marrow mononuclear cells and CD34+ peripheral blood cells, as well as by follow-up of somatic mitochondrial DNA mutations. Four additional patients achieved at least marrow remissions. Factors influencing response were AML (vs. MDS), marrow blast count, pretreatment, transfusion dependency, concomitant medication with hydroxyurea, and valproic acid (VPA) serum level. This trial is the first to assess the combination of AZA plus VPA without additional ATRA. A comparatively good CR rate, relatively short time to response, and the influence of VPA serum levels on response suggest that VPA provided substantial additional benefit. However, the importance of HDAC inhibitors in epigenetic combination therapy can only be proven by randomized trials

Hypochromic red cells as a prognostic indicator of survival among patients with systemic sclerosis screened for pulmonary hypertension

BACKGROUND: Patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) are frequently affected by iron deficiency, particularly those with pulmonary hypertension (PH). The first data indicate the prognostic importance of hypochromic red cells (% HRC) > 2% among patients with PH. Hence, the objective of our study was to investigate the prognostic value of % HRC in SSc patients screened for PH. METHODS: In this retrospective, single-center cohort study, SSc patients with a screening for PH were enrolled. Clinical characteristics and laboratory and pulmonary functional parameters associated with the prognosis of SSc were analyzed using uni- and multivariable analysis. RESULTS: From 280 SSc patients screened, 171 could be included in the analysis having available data of iron metabolism (81% female, 60 ± 13 years of age, 77% limited cutaneous SSc, 65 manifest PH, and 73 pulmonary fibrosis). The patients were followed for 2.4 ± 1.8 (median 2.4) years. HRC > 2% at baseline was significantly associated with worse survival in the uni- (p = 0.018) and multivariable (p = 0.031) analysis independent from the presence of PH or pulmonary parenchymal manifestations. The combination of HRC > 2% and low diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) ≤ 65% predicted was significantly associated with survival (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: This is the first study reporting that HRC > 2% is an independent prognostic predictor of mortality and can possibly be used as a biomarker among SSc patients. The combination of HRC > 2% and DLCO ≤ 65% predicted could serve in the risk stratification of SSc patients. Larger studies are required to confirm these findings

Marathon-Induced Cardiac Strain as Model for the Evaluation of Diagnostic microRNAs for Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: The current gold standard biomarker for myocardial infarction (MI), cardiac troponin (cTn), is recognized for its high sensitivity and organ specificity; however, it lacks diagnostic specificity. Numerous studies have introduced circulating microRNAs as potential biomarkers for MI. This study investigates the MI-specificity of these serum microRNAs by investigating myocardial stress/injury due to strenuous exercise. Methods: MicroRNA biomarkers were retrieved by compre hensive review of 109 publications on diagnostic serum microRNAs for MI. MicroRNA levels were first measured by next-generation sequencing in pooled sera from runners (n = 46) before and after conducting a full competitive marathon. Hereafter, reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) of 10 selected serum microRNAs in 210 marathon runners was performed (>10,000 qPCR measurements). Results: 27 potential diagnostic microRNA for MI were retrieved by the literature review. Eight microRNAs (miR-1-3p, miR-21-5p, miR-26a-5p, miR-122-5p, miR-133a-3p, miR-142-5p, miR-191-5p, miR-486-3p) showed positive correlations with cTnT in marathon runners, whereas two miRNAs (miR-134-5p and miR-499a-5p) showed no correlations. Upregulation of miR-133a-3p (p = 0.03) and miR-142-5p (p = 0.01) went along with elevated cTnT after marathon. Conclusion: Some MI-associated microRNAs (e.g., miR-133a-3p and miR-142-5p) have similar kinetics under strenuous exercise and MI as compared to cTnT, which suggests that their diagnostic specificity could be lim ited. In contrast, several MI-associated microRNAs (miR-26a-5p, miR-134-5p, miR-191-5p) showed different release behavior; hence, combining cTnT with these microRNAs within a multi-marker strategy may add diagnostic accuracy in MI