Cytoprotective and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of the Atrial Natriuretic Peptide during Ischemia/Reperfusion and Endotoxemia

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), which is unavoidable in liver transplantation, is a multifactorial process that can cause non-function or dysfunction of the graft. These complications are the major cause for retransplantation and mortality. An understanding of the mechanisms involved in IRI is essential for the design of therapeutic strategies to prevent IRI and thus improve the outcome of liver transplantation. In recent years, the Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) has been demonstrated to posses potential in protection against IRI. Nevertheless, many questions remain to be answered about signaling pathways involved in ANP-mediated effects and the processes responsible for its protective properties. The isolated perfused rat liver is a well-investigated model for examination of treatment-mediated effects during ischemia and reperfusion (IR) in the liver. Using this setting, Kiemer et al. demonstrated that ANP-preconditioning increases the activity of p38 MAPK in isolated perfused livers during IR. Functional consequences of an activation of p38 MAPK are widely unknown. This protein kinase has been shown to participate in the regulation of cytoskeletal structures in various cells. Thus, our field of interest was to find a causal connection between ANP-mediated effects and possible cytoskeletal changes during IR in this model. In respect of IRI in the liver, ANP was evidenced to exhibit protective effects also in vivo, but so far nothing is known about signaling pathways responsible for this action. Apototic cell death in the liver during IR is discussed controversial and ANP was demonstrated to mediate anti-apoptotic effects in the isolated perfuse rat liver. We therefore aimed to determine whether ANP mediates effects in the liver in vivo regarding apoptotic death during IR. ANP has not only been shown to have protective properties in IRI but also anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. In previous studies we were able to show that ANP prevents TNF-α production in murine macrophages and whole human blood after LPS-stimulation. Moreover, we ddemonstrated that ANP also inhibits TNF-α-induced aactivation of NF-κB in human endothelial cells and reduces LPS-induced TNF-α secretion in Kupffer cells (KC). With regard to inflammatory processes during LPS-induced endotoxemia TNF-α has been demonstrated to be one of the prototypic pro-inflammatory cytokines mediating many of the immunopathological features of this disease. During sepsis endogenous ANP is suggested to be a regulatory mediator, as the level of its precursor Pro-ANP in blood from septic patients has been demonstrated to be an important rognostic marker for the outcome of sepsis. Another topic discussed in this work is therefore the disease pattern of sepsis. This life-threatening disorder results from a harmful host response to infection and is the leading cause of death for patients in intensive care units. Despite intensive research on the mechanisms involved in the fatal outcome of this disease, few is known about potential therapies preventing death of patients suffering from sepsis. Based on the knowledge of ANP-mediated protective effects during deleterious processes in IRI and its anti-inflammatory properties we therefore aimed to answer the following questions: 1. Does pretreatment with ANP cause cytoskeletal changes in the liver during IR in the isolated perfused rat liver? Which cell type is affected? What are the underlying signaling mechanisms for these changes? 2. Is apoptosis of liver cells during liver transplantation influenced by ANP? Which anti-apoptotic pathway is involved? 3. Are anti-inflammatory properties of ANP able to maintain survival after LPS-induced septic shock? How does ANP influence inflammatory processes during endotoxaemia

Broken English According to Nonnative Speakers

The stigmatizing descriptor broken English is widely recognized and socially acceptable in the English-speaking world. It serves to emphasize the “otherness” of nonnative speakers and does not measure communicative ability (Lindemann/Moran 2017: 663). Existing linguistic research on the term tends to focus on its use by native speakers in reference to nonnative English. This paper contributes to research on broken English from a nonnative speaker perspective through a Critical Discourse Analysis of its use in language-biographical interviews with seven Korean immigrants in the United States. The aim is to ascertain its meaning and function as used by nonnative speakers mainly to describe their own English. Each participant has been living in the US and communicating in English for at least 25 years, yet almost all claim to speak broken English. The linguistic judgements and self-perceptions of these Korean immigrants are noticeably shaped by the pervasive standard ideology present in the US. They are also strongly influenced by how Asians in the US are seen (and thus treated) as perpetual foreigners and not authentic Americans, whether they are foreign-born or not (Lippi-Green 2012: 285). This analysis shows that the use of broken English in this data largely aligns with its use by native speakers. Broken English conclusively emerges as an ideologically encoded term, no matter the labeler. Nonnative speakers internalize standard language ideology in their applications of this descriptor to their own language, thus maintaining the imbalanced power structures which marginalize them. Keywords: nonnative English, Korean American, immigrant, language ideology and linguistic judgmentsAbstract The stigmatizing descriptor broken English is widely recognized and socially acceptable in the English-speaking world. It serves to emphasize the “otherness” of nonnative speakers and does not measure communicative ability (Lindemann/Moran 2017: 663). Existing linguistic research on the term tends to focus on its use by native speakers in reference to nonnative English. This paper contributes to research on broken English from a nonnative speaker perspective through a Critical Discourse Analysis of its use in language-biographical interviews with seven Korean immigrants in the United States. The aim is to ascertain its meaning and function as used by nonnative speakers mainly to describe their own English. Each participant has been living in the US and communicating in English for at least 25 years, yet almost all claim to speak broken English. The linguistic judgements and self-perceptions of these Korean immigrants are noticeably shaped by the pervasive standard ideology present in the US. They are also strongly influenced by how Asians in the US are seen (and thus treated) as perpetual foreigners and not authentic Americans, whether they are foreign-born or not (Lippi-Green 2012: 285). This analysis shows that the use of broken English in this data largely aligns with its use by native speakers. Broken English conclusively emerges as an ideologically encoded term, no matter the labeler. Nonnative speakers internalize standard language ideology in their applications of this descriptor to their own language, thus maintaining the imbalanced power structures which marginalize them. Keywords: nonnative English, Korean American, immigrant, language ideology and linguistic judgment

Cytoprotective and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of the Atrial Natriuretic Peptide during Ischemia/Reperfusion and Endotoxemia

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI), which is unavoidable in liver transplantation, is a multifactorial process that can cause non-function or dysfunction of the graft. These complications are the major cause for retransplantation and mortality. An understanding of the mechanisms involved in IRI is essential for the design of therapeutic strategies to prevent IRI and thus improve the outcome of liver transplantation. In recent years, the Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) has been demonstrated to posses potential in protection against IRI. Nevertheless, many questions remain to be answered about signaling pathways involved in ANP-mediated effects and the processes responsible for its protective properties. The isolated perfused rat liver is a well-investigated model for examination of treatment-mediated effects during ischemia and reperfusion (IR) in the liver. Using this setting, Kiemer et al. demonstrated that ANP-preconditioning increases the activity of p38 MAPK in isolated perfused livers during IR. Functional consequences of an activation of p38 MAPK are widely unknown. This protein kinase has been shown to participate in the regulation of cytoskeletal structures in various cells. Thus, our field of interest was to find a causal connection between ANP-mediated effects and possible cytoskeletal changes during IR in this model. In respect of IRI in the liver, ANP was evidenced to exhibit protective effects also in vivo, but so far nothing is known about signaling pathways responsible for this action. Apototic cell death in the liver during IR is discussed controversial and ANP was demonstrated to mediate anti-apoptotic effects in the isolated perfuse rat liver. We therefore aimed to determine whether ANP mediates effects in the liver in vivo regarding apoptotic death during IR. ANP has not only been shown to have protective properties in IRI but also anti-inflammatory effects in vitro. In previous studies we were able to show that ANP prevents TNF-α production in murine macrophages and whole human blood after LPS-stimulation. Moreover, we ddemonstrated that ANP also inhibits TNF-α-induced aactivation of NF-κB in human endothelial cells and reduces LPS-induced TNF-α secretion in Kupffer cells (KC). With regard to inflammatory processes during LPS-induced endotoxemia TNF-α has been demonstrated to be one of the prototypic pro-inflammatory cytokines mediating many of the immunopathological features of this disease. During sepsis endogenous ANP is suggested to be a regulatory mediator, as the level of its precursor Pro-ANP in blood from septic patients has been demonstrated to be an important rognostic marker for the outcome of sepsis. Another topic discussed in this work is therefore the disease pattern of sepsis. This life-threatening disorder results from a harmful host response to infection and is the leading cause of death for patients in intensive care units. Despite intensive research on the mechanisms involved in the fatal outcome of this disease, few is known about potential therapies preventing death of patients suffering from sepsis. Based on the knowledge of ANP-mediated protective effects during deleterious processes in IRI and its anti-inflammatory properties we therefore aimed to answer the following questions: 1. Does pretreatment with ANP cause cytoskeletal changes in the liver during IR in the isolated perfused rat liver? Which cell type is affected? What are the underlying signaling mechanisms for these changes? 2. Is apoptosis of liver cells during liver transplantation influenced by ANP? Which anti-apoptotic pathway is involved? 3. Are anti-inflammatory properties of ANP able to maintain survival after LPS-induced septic shock? How does ANP influence inflammatory processes during endotoxaemia

Atrial Natriuretic Peptide, a Regulator of Nuclear Factor-κB Activation in Vivo

Natriuretic peptides (NPs) comprise a family of vasoactive hormones that play important roles in the regulation of cardiovascular and renal homeostasis. Along this line, atrial NP (ANP) (international non-proprietary name: carperitide, HANP) is an approved drug for the treatment of acute heart failure. In recent years, evidence has been given that the NP system possesses a far broader biological spectrum than the regulation of blood pressure and volume homeostasis. In fact, a substantial amount of in vitro work indicates that ANP affects important inflammatory processes and signaling pathways. Quite surprisingly, however, no information exists on the in vivo antiinflammatory potential and signaling of ANP. We show here that pretreatment of lipopolysaccharide (Salmonella abortus equi, 2.5 mg/kg)-challenged mice with ANP (5μg/kg iv, 15 min) rapidly inhibits nuclear factor-κB activation via inhibition of phosphorylation and degradation of the IκB-α protein. ANP also reduces Akt activation upon lipopolysaccharide injection. In ANP-pretreated mice, the increase of TNF-α serum concentration is markedly prevented; most importantly, the survival of these animals improved. These findings demonstrate both in vitro and in vivo an antiinflammatory profile of ANP that deserves to be further investigated in a therapeutic perspective

KINEMATICS AND KINETICS OF SQUATS, DROP JUMPS AND IMITATION JUMPS OF SKI JUMPERS

The purpose of this study was to find objective factors in athleticism training which influence the performance of ski jumpers on the hill. Therefore, barbell squats, drop jumps and imitation jumps were measured in a laboratory environment for ten ski jumpers. Force and motion capture data was gathered and forces, velocities as well as an index for the knee valgus were calculated. The results show that especially for the imitation jumps there is a good correlation of the take-off velocity with the performance on the hill. What surprised more is that the more the athletes tended to a knee valgus during all measured movements, the worse the performance. Therefore, athleticism training should concentrate more on improving the knee stability

Exceptional circumstances:Changes in teachers’ work characteristics and well-being during COVID-19 lockdown

The COVID-19 pandemic extensively changed the work life of many employees. Teachers seemed particularly challenged, confronted with sudden remote teaching due to school closures. Drawing on the job demands–resources (JD-R) model, we investigated (a) changes in seven work characteristics (job demands: emotional demands, interpersonal conflict, workload; job resources: autonomy, social support, feedback, task variety) and three job-related well-being indicators (fatigue, psychosomatic complaints, job satisfaction), (b) how changes in work characteristics correlated with well-being, and (c) the impact of two individual difference factors (caretaking responsibilities, career stage). Data were collected in two waves (just prior to and a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic) across Germany from 207 teachers with an average work experience of 6 years (range: 1–36 years). Using latent change score (LCS) modeling, we found significant, small-to-medium-sized decreases over time for both job demands and resources as well as fatigue, with variability in the magnitude of changes. Decreases in job demands correlated with decreases in fatigue and psychosomatic complaints, whereas decreases in job resources correlated with decreases in job satisfaction. Teachers with caretaking responsibilities and more experienced teachers were more vulnerable to the crisis as they experienced a smaller or no decrease in job demands in concert with diminished job resources. These findings reveal the double-edged consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for teachers’ work life

Vermonters’ Opinions on Low-Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening

Introduction: Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death among men and women in Vermont and the United States. Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer—nearly 90% of lung cancer is due to smoking. Frequently, lung cancers do not present clinically until they are advanced stage and therefore prognosis is poor. However, if detected early lung cancers are more operable and patients have better outcomes. In December 2013 the US Preventive Services Task Force released new guidelines for lung cancer screening among current and former smokers ages 55 to 80. It is recommended that current and former (within 15 years of quitting) smokers of 30 pack years receive an annual low-dose CT scan. The objective of this project was to assess the level of knowledge and attitudes towards lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scanning among Vermonters in the Burlington area.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1205/thumbnail.jp

The relationship between ethnic classroom composition and Turkish-origin and German students’ reading performance and sense of belonging

Past research on ethnic composition effects on migrant and ethnic majority students’ performance has reported inconclusive results: Some studies have found no relationship between the proportion of migrant students in school and students’ performance, some revealed positive effects, whereas others showed negative effects of the proportion of migrant students. Most of the studies did not consider whether an increase in the proportion of migrant students in the classroom has different effects on migrant and ethnic majority students’ performance. For this reason, the present study (N = 9215) extends previous research by investigating the cross-level interaction effect of the proportion of Turkish-origin students in classrooms on Turkish-origin and German students’ reading performance with data based on the German National Assessment Study 2008/2009 in the school subject German. In addition, we examined the cross-level interaction effect of Turkish-origin students’ proportion on sense of belonging to school of Turkish-origin and German students, as sense of belonging has been shown to be an important predictor of well-being and integration. No cross-level interaction effect on performance emerged. Only a small negative main effect of the Turkish-origin students’ proportion on all students’ performance was found. As predicted, we showed a cross-level interaction on sense of belonging. Only Turkish-origin students’ sense of belonging was positively related to the proportion of Turkish-origin students: The more Turkish-origin students there were in a classroom, the higher Turkish-origin students’ sense of belonging. German students’ sense of belonging was not related to the ethnic classroom composition. Implications of the results in the educational context are discussed

Instrumente und Messgrößen der Publikumsforschung

Publikumsforschung erfährt aufgrund der immer stärkeren Zersplitterung der Rundfunklandschaft und der wachsenden Vielfalt des medialen Angebots eine zunehmende Bedeutung. Für die repräsentative Beschreibung der Rezipienten und die Ableitung konkreter zielentsprechender Handlungsempfehlungen ist es für die Interessengruppen der Publikumsforschung sinnvoll, die wesentlichen Kenngrößen und Erhebungsmethoden zu kennen und einzuschätzen. Diese Arbeit liefert einen Überblick über die wichtigsten qualitativen und quantitativen Instrumente, die im Rahmen der Publikumsforschung zum Einsatz kommen können. Darüber hinaus werden diese Instrumente und die mit ihrer Hilfe gewonnenen Messgrößen einer kritischen Bewertung unterzogen, deren Schwerpunkt auf der Einschätzung der Zweckmäßigkeit und Repräsentativität liegt