Rüstungskontrolle in der Nationalen Sicherheitsstrategie

Rüstungskontrolle ist ein integraler Bestandteil erfolgreicher Sicherheits- und Friedenspolitik. Sie hat entscheidenden Anteil an der Sicherheit Deutschlands und ist ein zentrales Instrument der regelgebundenen internationalen Ordnung. Die Nationale Sicherheitsstrategie muss dieser zentralen Bedeutung von Rüstungskontrolle Rechnung tragen, ihr Verhältnis zu Verteidigungsfähigkeit und Dialogbereitschaft klären und Handlungsoptionen aufzeigen. Trotz der tiefen Krise, in der sich Teile der Rüstungskontrolle aktuell befinden, kann die Bundesregierung in multilateralen Verhandlungsforen, in der NATO und im Verhältnis zwischen den USA und Russland proaktiv für die Rüstungskontrolle eintreten

In situ detection of cracks during laser powder bed fusion using acoustic emission monitoring

Despite rapid development of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and its monitoring techniques, there is still a lack of in situ crack detection methods, among which acoustic emission (AE) is one of the most sensitive. To elaborate on this topic, in situ AE monitoring was applied to L-PBF manufacturing of a high-strength Al92Mn6Ce2 (at. %) alloy and combined with subsequent X-ray computed tomography. By using a structure borne high-frequency sensor, even a simple threshold-based monitoring was able to detect AE activity associated with cracking, which occurred not only during L-PBF itself, but also after the build job was completed, i.e. in the cooling phase. AE data analysis revealed that crack-related signals can easily be separated from the background noise (e.g. inert gas circulation pump) through their specific shape of a waveform, as well as their energy, skewness and kurtosis. Thus, AE was verified to be a promising method for L-PBF monitoring, enabling to detect formation of cracks regardless of their spatial and temporal occurrence

Comparative expression profiling of E. coli and S. aureus inoculated primary mammary gland cells sampled from cows with different genetic predispositions for somatic cell score

BACKGROUND: During the past ten years many quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting mastitis incidence and mastitis related traits like somatic cell score (SCS) were identified in cattle. However, little is known about the molecular architecture of QTL affecting mastitis susceptibility and the underlying physiological mechanisms and genes causing mastitis susceptibility. Here, a genome-wide expression analysis was conducted to analyze molecular mechanisms of mastitis susceptibility that are affected by a specific QTL for SCS on Bos taurus autosome 18 (BTA18). Thereby, some first insights were sought into the genetically determined mechanisms of mammary gland epithelial cells influencing the course of infection. METHODS: Primary bovine mammary gland epithelial cells (pbMEC) were sampled from the udder parenchyma of cows selected for high and low mastitis susceptibility by applying a marker-assisted selection strategy considering QTL and molecular marker information of a confirmed QTL for SCS in the telomeric region of BTA18. The cells were cultured and subsequently inoculated with heat-inactivated mastitis pathogens Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. After 1, 6 and 24 h, the cells were harvested and analyzed using the microarray expression chip technology to identify differences in mRNA expression profiles attributed to genetic predisposition, inoculation and cell culture. RESULTS: Comparative analysis of co-expression profiles clearly showed a faster and stronger response after pathogen challenge in pbMEC from less susceptible animals that inherited the favorable QTL allele 'Q' than in pbMEC from more susceptible animals that inherited the unfavorable QTL allele 'q'. Furthermore, the results highlighted RELB as a functional and positional candidate gene and related non-canonical Nf-kappaB signaling as a functional mechanism affected by the QTL. However, in both groups, inoculation resulted in up-regulation of genes associated with the Ingenuity pathways 'dendritic cell maturation' and 'acute phase response signaling', whereas cell culture affected biological processes involved in 'cellular development'. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the complex expression profiling of pathogen challenged pbMEC sampled from cows inheriting alternative QTL alleles is suitable to study genetically determined molecular mechanisms of mastitis susceptibility in mammary epithelial cells in vitro and to highlight the most likely functional pathways and candidate genes underlying the QTL effect

The life of plant mitochondrial complex I

The mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase complex (complex I) of the respiratory chain has several remarkable features in plants: (i) particularly many of its subunits are encoded by the mitochondrial genome, (ii) its mitochondrial transcripts undergo extensive maturation processes (e.g. RNA editing, trans-splicing), (iii) its assembly follows unique routes, (iv) it includes an additional functional domain which contains carbonic anhydrases and (v) it is, indirectly, involved in photosynthesis. Comprising about 50 distinct protein subunits, complex I of plants is very large. However, an even larger number of proteins are required to synthesize these subunits and assemble the enzyme complex. This review aims to follow the complete "life cycle" of plant complex I from various molecular perspectives. We provide arguments that complex I represents an ideal model system for studying the interplay of respiration and photosynthesis, the cooperation of mitochondria and the nucleus during organelle biogenesis and the evolution of the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation system. © 2014 Elsevier B.V

High-Throughput miRNA and mRNA Sequencing of Paired Colorectal Normal, Tumor and Metastasis Tissues and Bioinformatic Modeling of miRNA-1 Therapeutic Applications

MiRNAs are discussed as diagnostic and therapeutic molecules. However, effective miRNA drug treatments with miRNAs are, so far, hampered by the complexity of the miRNA networks. To identify potential miRNA drugs in colorectal cancer, we profiled miRNA and mRNA expression in matching normal, tumor and metastasis tissues of eight patients by Illumina sequencing. We validated six miRNAs in a large tissue screen containing 16 additional tumor entities and identified miRNA-1, miRNA-129, miRNA-497 and miRNA-215 as constantly de-regulated within the majority of cancers. Of these, we investigated miRNA-1 as representative in a systems-biology simulation of cellular cancer models implemented in PyBioS and assessed the effects of depletion as well as overexpression in terms of miRNA-1 as a potential treatment option. In this system, miRNA-1 treatment reverted the disease phenotype with different effectiveness among the patients. Scoring the gene expression changes obtained through mRNA-Seq from the same patients we show that the combination of deep sequencing and systems biological modeling can help to identify patient-specific responses to miRNA treatments. We present this data as guideline for future pre-clinical assessments of new and personalized therapeutic options

Adaptation of aphid stylectomy for analyses of proteins and mRNAs in barley phloem sap

Sieve tubes are transport conduits not only for photoassimilates but also for macromolecules and other compounds that are involved in sieve tube maintenance and systemic signalling. In order to gain sufficient amounts of pure phloem exudates from barley plants for analyses of the protein and mRNA composition, a previously described stylectomy set-up was optimized. Aphids were placed in sealed cages, which, immediately after microcauterization of the stylets, were flooded with water-saturated silicon oil. The exuding phloem sap was collected with a capillary connected to a pump. Using up to 30 plants and 600 aphids (Rhopalosiphum padi) in parallel, an average of 10 μl of phloem sap could be obtained within 6 h of sampling. In first analyses of the macromolecular content, eight so far unknown phloem mRNAs were identified by cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism. Transcripts in barley phloem exudates are related to metabolism, signalling, and pathogen defence, for example coding for a protein kinase and a pathogen- and insect-responsive WIR1A (wheat-induced resistance 1A)-like protein. Further, one-dimensional gel electrophoresis and subsequent partial sequencing by mass spectrometry led to the identification of seven major proteins with putative functions in stress responses and transport of mRNAs, proteins, and sugars. Two of the discovered proteins probably represent isoforms of a new phloem-mobile sucrose transporter. Notably, two-dimensional electrophoresis confirmed that there are >250 phloem proteins awaiting identification in future studies

Are We Speaking the Same Language? Recommendations for a Definition and Categorization Framework for Plastic Debris

Embargo until 04 Jan 2020The accumulation of plastic litter in natural environments is a global issue. Concerns over potential negative impacts on the economy, wildlife, and human health provide strong incentives for improving the sustainable use of plastics. Despite the many voices raised on the issue, we lack a consensus on how to define and categorize plastic debris. This is evident for microplastics, where inconsistent size classes are used and where the materials to be included are under debate. While this is inherent in an emerging research field, an ambiguous terminology results in confusion and miscommunication that may compromise progress in research and mitigation measures. Therefore, we need to be explicit on what exactly we consider plastic debris. Thus, we critically discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a unified terminology, propose a definition and categorization framework, and highlight areas of uncertainty. Going beyond size classes, our framework includes physicochemical properties (polymer composition, solid state, solubility) as defining criteria and size, shape, color, and origin as classifiers for categorization. Acknowledging the rapid evolution of our knowledge on plastic pollution, our framework will promote consensus building within the scientific and regulatory community based on a solid scientific foundation.acceptedVersio

Prediagnostic Serum Vitamin D Levels and the Risk of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis in European Populations: A Nested Case-Control Study

Background: A low vitamin D status has been put forward as a potential risk factor for the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study investigated the association between prediagnostic circulating vitamin D concentrations and dietary intakes of vitamin D, and the risk of Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Methods: Among 359,728 participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort, individuals who developed CD or UC after enrollment were identified. Each case was matched with2 controls by center, gender, age, date of recruitment, and follow-up time. At cohort entry, blood samples were collected and dietary vitamin D intakes were obtained from validated food frequency questionnaires. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Conditional logistic regression was performed to determine the odds of CD and UC. Results: Seventy-two participants developed CD and 169 participants developed UC after a median follow-up of 4.7 and 4.1 years, respectively. Compared with the lowest quartile, no associations with the 3 higher quartiles of vitamin D concentrations were observed for CD (p trend = 0.34) or UC (p trend = 0.66). Similarly, no associations were detected when serum vitamin D levels were analyzed as a continuous variable. Dietary vitamin D intakes were not associated with CD (p trend = 0.39) or UC (p trend = 0.83). Conclusions: Vitamin D status was not associated with the development of CD or UC. This does not suggest a major role for vitamin D deficiency in the etiology of IBD, although larger studies are needed to confirm these findings

Tall height and obesity are associated with an increased risk of aggressive prostate cancer: results from the EPIC cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between body size and prostate cancer risk, and in particular risk by tumour characteristics, is not clear because most studies have not differentiated between high-grade or advanced stage tumours, but rather have assessed risk with a combined category of aggressive disease. We investigated the association of height and adiposity with incidence of and death from prostate cancer in 141,896 men in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. METHODS: Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). After an average of 13.9 years of follow-up, there were 7024 incident prostate cancers and 934 prostate cancer deaths. RESULTS: Height was not associated with total prostate cancer risk. Subgroup analyses showed heterogeneity in the association with height by tumour grade (P heterogeneity = 0.002), with a positive association with risk for high-grade but not low-intermediate-grade disease (HR for high-grade disease tallest versus shortest fifth of height, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.18-2.03). Greater height was also associated with a higher risk for prostate cancer death (HR = 1.43, 1.14-1.80). Body mass index (BMI) was significantly inversely associated with total prostate cancer, but there was evidence of heterogeneity by tumour grade (P heterogeneity = 0.01; HR = 0.89, 0.79-0.99 for low-intermediate grade and HR = 1.32, 1.01-1.72 for high-grade prostate cancer) and stage (P heterogeneity = 0.01; HR = 0.86, 0.75-0.99 for localised stage and HR = 1.11, 0.92-1.33 for advanced stage). BMI was positively associated with prostate cancer death (HR = 1.35, 1.09-1.68). The results for waist circumference were generally similar to those for BMI, but the associations were slightly stronger for high-grade (HR = 1.43, 1.07-1.92) and fatal prostate cancer (HR = 1.55, 1.23-1.96). CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this large prospective study show that men who are taller and who have greater adiposity have an elevated risk of high-grade prostate cancer and prostate cancer death