Unternehmensnachfolge in Bayern: Gutachten im Auftrag des Bayerischen Staatsministeriums für Wirtschaft, Infrastruktur, Verkehr und Technologie

Die herausragende wirtschaftliche Position des Freistaates Bayern beruht u.a. auf einer hoch entwickelten Kultur der Selbstständigkeit. Um Kontinuität und Zukunftsfähigkeit der bayerischen Wirtschaft zu sichern, ist es erforderlich, die in den kommenden Jahren anstehenden Unternehmensübertragungen durch politische Maßnahmen zu flankieren, um zu vermeiden, dass die Nachfolge im Mittelstand zu einer krisenhaften Entwicklung in den betroffenen Unternehmen führt. Die Studie untersucht das Ausmaß der Unternehmensübertragungen in den kommenden Jahren in Bayern sowie die Chancen, die sich aus einer gut vorbereiteten und durchgeführten Unternehmensübertragung für Unternehmen ergeben. --

Presence of PCR artifacts in Sanger sequencing in Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue – experience in a collective of 990 advanced NSCLC

Background: Despite the rapid development of new molecular techniques such as Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), Sanger sequencing has been thus far the gold standard for mutation analysis. It is constantly used for daily routine diagnostics because it represents a quick and comprehensive available method for mutation analyses. Although Sanger sequencing is a good validated method, PCR artifacts may occur in formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) material. This constitutes a serious source of error. Aims: To assess the prevalence of typical and atypical EGFR mutations in exon 19 and 21 in a collective of 990 advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients, focusing especially on methodological issues and challenges concerning mutation analysis, particularly PCR artifacts. Material and Methods: We examined 990 NSCLC (FFPE material) by Sanger sequencing for exon 19 and 21 of the EGFR gene. Four cases dropped out because of insufficient DNA quality (n =986). Results: Beside 101 typical exon 19 and 21 mutations (99 cases, two double mutations) we found 45 additional cases with distinct peaks at atypical positions in exon 19 and 21 in our first analysis. This would have implied a mutation rate of 14.6 %. Only six of these putative atypical mutations (all exon 21 and none of the exon 19 mutations) could be validated by repeated mutation analysis. All other peaks were not reproducible, therefore considered as PCR artifacts and consequently as wild type. Altogether we found 105 cases (107 mutations, 10.6 % of cases) with typical/atypical mutations in exon 19 and 21 of the EGFR gene. Conclusion: In our opinion it is in general important to detect and report all mutations even at atypical sites to discover their possible clinical relevance. However, one must always be aware of the possibility, reasons and prevention of PCR artifacts in FFPE tissue. Therefore, prior to reporting mutations at uncommon sites these must be validated by repeated analyses

Phosphohistone 3 (PHH3) and lactate dehydrogenase 5 (LDH5) are expressed in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: possible clinical implications

Purpose: Proliferation and pre-malignancy are typical features of DCIS. The expression of PHH3 as a marker for proliferation and LDH 5 as an indicator for oxygen independent energy metabolism was investigated in order to assess their potential for an improved characterisation of these lesions. Methods: Archived tissue blocks and clinical records of 130 patients with DCIS. Immunohistochemistry for PHH3, LDH5, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human EGF receptor 2 (HER2). Silverstein nuclear grading. Chi Square test for all factors. Results: Percentage of positive patients was 69% for PHH3, 94% for LDH5, 76% for ER, 67% for PR, and 21% for HER2. Significant correlation was seen between PHH3 and LDH5 expression. No correlation could be found for any of the other comparisons. Conclusion: This is the first description of PHH3 and LDH5 in DCIS. The biological significance of PHH3 remains to be determined in a larger set of patients. LDH5 may be a useful diagnostic marker in the future. Positive HER2 receptors were considerably less frequent than previously reported

Lactate-Dehydrogenase 5 is overexpressed in non-small cell lung cancer and correlates with the expression of the transketolase-like protein 1

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Aims</p> <p>As one of the five Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoenzymes, LDH5 has the highest efficiency to catalyze pyruvate transformation to lactate. LDH5 overexpression in cancer cells induces an upregulated glycolytic metabolism and reduced dependence on the presence of oxygen. Here we analyzed LDH5 protein expression in a well characterized large cohort of primary lung cancers in correlation to clinico-pathological data and its possible impact on patient survival.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Primary lung cancers (n = 269) and non neoplastic lung tissue (n = 35) were tested for LDH5 expression by immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal LDH5 antibody (ab53010). The results of LDH5 expression were correlated to clinico-pathological data as well as to patient's survival. In addition, the results of the previously tested Transketolase like 1 protein (TKTL1) expression were correlated to LDH5 expression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>89.5% (n = 238) of NSCLC revealed LDH5 expression whereas LDH5 expression was not detected in non neoplastic lung tissues (n = 34) (p < 0.0001). LDH5 overexpression was associated with histological type (adenocarcinoma = 57%, squamous cell carcinoma = 45%, large cell carcinoma = 46%, p = 0.006). No significant correlation could be detected with regard to TNM-stage, grading or survival. A two sided correlation between the expression of TKTL1 and LDH5 could be shown (p = 0.002) within the overall cohort as well as for each grading and pN group. A significant correlation between LDH5 and TKTL1 within each histologic tumortype could not be revealed.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>LDH5 is overexpressed in NSCLC and could hence serve as an additional marker for malignancy. Furthermore, LDH5 correlates positively with the prognostic marker TKTL1. Our results confirm a close link between the two metabolic enzymes and indicate an alteration in the glucose metabolism in the process of malignant transformation.</p

Cancellations in Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay and the Neutrino Mass Matrix

In a degenerate scheme with mass m_0 a complete analysis of the allowed range of the effective electron neutrino Majorana mass is performed. Special attention is paid to effects of cancellations caused either by intrinsic CP parities of the eigenstates (CP invariance) or by complex mixing matrix elements (CP violation). We investigate all possibilities and give in each case constraints on the phases, the relative CP parities or the neutrino mass scale. A solar mixing angle \sin^2 2 \theta smaller than 0.7 jeopardizes the degenerate mass scheme. A key value of /m_0 is identified, which is independent on the solar solution and would rule out certain schemes. Also it would answer the question regarding the presence of CP violation. Even if a total neutrino mass scale and an effective mass is measured, the value of the phases or parities is not fixed, unless in some special cases. The resulting uncertainty in the other mass matrix elements is at least of the same order than the one stemming from nuclear matrix elements calculations.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures. Title, abstract and parts of the text change

Investigating human audio-visual object perception with a combination of hypothesis-generating and hypothesis-testing fMRI analysis tools

Primate multisensory object perception involves distributed brain regions. To investigate the network character of these regions of the human brain, we applied data-driven group spatial independent component analysis (ICA) to a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data set acquired during a passive audio-visual (AV) experiment with common object stimuli. We labeled three group-level independent component (IC) maps as auditory (A), visual (V), and AV, based on their spatial layouts and activation time courses. The overlap between these IC maps served as definition of a distributed network of multisensory candidate regions including superior temporal, ventral occipito-temporal, posterior parietal and prefrontal regions. During an independent second fMRI experiment, we explicitly tested their involvement in AV integration. Activations in nine out of these twelve regions met the max-criterion (A &lt; AV &gt; V) for multisensory integration. Comparison of this approach with a general linear model-based region-of-interest definition revealed its complementary value for multisensory neuroimaging. In conclusion, we estimated functional networks of uni- and multisensory functional connectivity from one dataset and validated their functional roles in an independent dataset. These findings demonstrate the particular value of ICA for multisensory neuroimaging research and using independent datasets to test hypotheses generated from a data-driven analysis

Wissenschaftsforschung Jahrbuch 1996/97

Seit längerer Zeit werden Konzepte entworfen, Instrumentarien entwickelt und Maßnahmen ergriffen, deren Ziel es ist, die Strukturen einer Wissenschaftslandschaft zu gestalten, in denen die Gewinnung wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse in universitären und außeruniversitärer Forschungsstätten mit der materiellen Potenz und Tatkraft innovativer Wirtschaft zusammengeführt werden kann. Untersuchungen über diesen grundlegenden Vorgang neuerer Wissenschaftsentwicklung sind ein wichtiges Anliegen von Wissenschaftsforschung. Die Gesellschaft für Wissenschaftsforschung hat sich dieser Fragestellungen angenommen und sie im Rahmen ihrer Jahrestagungen 1996 und 1997 unter dem Thema „Wissenschaft – Innovation – Unternehmertum“ analysiert und diskutiert. Dabei ist es gelungen, theoretische überlegungen mit historischen und aktuellen Fakten zu verbinden. Die Ergebnisse werden hiermit – in Fortführung der Publikationsreihe – als Jahrbuch 1996/97 der Gesellschaft für Wissenschaftsforschung dem interessierten Leser vorgestellt.Peer Reviewe

Recommendations for the implementation of distress screening programs in cancer centers: Report from the American Psychosocial Oncology Society (APOS), Association of Oncology Social Work (AOSW), and Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) joint task force

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/108593/1/cncr28750.pd