Digitale Herausforderungen in der Freien Wohlfahrtspflege

Der Beitrag untersucht die Auswirkungen der Digi- talisierung auf die Organisationen der Wohlfahrts- pflege. Dabei werden Veränderungen bei den Zielgruppen (vulnerable Gruppen) und bei den An- gebotsstrukturen betrachtet sowie Herausforderun- gen an die Organisationen herausgearbeitet. Die Di- gitalisierung birgt Risiken, wie das Auftreten neuer Konkurrenten und Innovationsdruck, aber auch Chancen für Organisationen der freien Wohfahrts- pflege, die über die Entstehung neuer Geschäftsfel- der hinausgehen, wie die Verbesserung der Kommu- nikation mit den Stakeholdern

Integrated Process for the Enzymatic Production of Fatty Acid Sugar Esters Completely Based on Lignocellulosic Substrates

Lignocellulose can be converted sustainably to fuels, power and value-added chemicals like fatty acid esters. This study presents a concept for the first eco-friendly enzymatic synthesis of economically important fatty acid sugar esters based on lignocellulosic biomass. To achieve this, beech wood cellulose fiber hydrolysate was applied in three manners: as sugar component, as part of the deep eutectic solvent (DES) reaction system and as carbon source for the microbial production of the fatty acid component. These fatty acids were gained from single cell oil produced by the oleaginous yeast Cryptococcus curvatus cultivated with cellulose fiber hydrolysate as carbon source. Afterwards, an immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B was used as the biocatalyst in DES to esterify sugars with fatty acids. Properties of the DES were determined and synthesized sugar mono- and di-esters were identified and characterized using TLC, MS, and NMR. Using this approach, sugar esters were successfully synthesized which are 100% based on lignocellulosic biomass

An improved method for high-throughput quantification of autophagy in mammalian cells

Autophagy is a cellular homeostatic pathway with functions ranging from cytoplasmic protein turnover to immune defense. Therapeutic modulation of autophagy has been demonstrated to positively impact the outcome of autophagy-dysregulated diseases such as cancer or microbial infections. However, currently available agents lack specificity, and new candidates for drug development or potential cellular targets need to be identified. Here, we present an improved method to robustly detect changes in autophagy in a high-throughput manner on a single cell level, allowing effective screening. This method quantifies eGFP-LC3B positive vesicles to accurately monitor autophagy. We have significantly streamlined the protocol and optimized it for rapid quantification of large numbers of cells in little time, while retaining accuracy and sensitivity. Z scores up to 0.91 without a loss of sensitivity demonstrate the robustness and aptness of this approach. Three exemplary applications outline the value of our protocols and cell lines: (I) Examining autophagy modulating compounds on four different cell types. (II) Monitoring of autophagy upon infection with e.g. measles or influenza A virus. (III) CRISPR/Cas9 screening for autophagy modulating factors in T cells. In summary, we offer ready-to-use protocols to generate sensitive autophagy reporter cells and quantify autophagy in high-throughput assays

Reduction of the frequency of herbaceous roots as an effect of soil compaction induced by heavy grazing in rangelands of SW Spain

Rangelands in SW Spain constitute the most extensive ranching system on the Iberian Peninsula. During the last few decades, a significant increase in livestock numbers, along with a progressive substitution of cattle for sheep, have led to land degradation processes such as the reduction of grass cover and increased soil compaction in heavily grazed areas. Nevertheless, a better understanding of how soil compaction affects grass production is still needed. In this study, some of the effects of soil compaction due to heavy grazing are analysed, mainly the reduction of the frequency of herbaceous roots and its relationships with bulk density and soil penetration resistance. The study was carried out in 22 fenced areas grazed under different intensities (animal stocking rates: 0.19-15.76 AU ha−1). Undisturbed soil core and bulk samples were collected at 3 depth intervals in order to determine select soil properties (texture, organic matter content, and bulk density). Additionally, soil penetration resistance was quantified at 890 random points at different depths and soil moisture contents. Frequency of herbaceous roots was estimated for each soil horizon in 47 soil profiles and categorized into 4 classes: none, few, common and many. Results showed negative relationships between bulk density (> 10 cm depth) and the content of soil organic matter from 0 to 5 cm (r =−0.061, p < 0.05) and 5-10 m depth (r = −0.824, p < 0.005). Furthermore, a tendency for decreasing mean values of soil penetration resistance as the frequency of herbaceous roots increased was also observed. The values observed confirm that soil compaction provoked by an excessive number of animals reduced the quantity of herbaceous roots. The value of 2 MPa traditionally accepted as restrictive for root growth is discussed. Findings presented here could be of interest for policy makers and farm owners to guide decisions about optimum animal stocking rates

Common polymorphisms within the NR4A3 locus, encoding the orphan nuclear receptor Nor-1, are associated with enhanced β-cell function in non-diabetic subjects

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neuron-derived orphan receptor (Nor) 1, nuclear receptor (Nur) 77, and nuclear receptor-related protein (Nurr) 1 constitute the NR4A family of orphan nuclear receptors which were recently found to modulate hepatic glucose production, insulin signalling in adipocytes, and oxidative metabolism in skeletal muscle. In this study, we assessed whether common genetic variation within the <it>NR4A3 </it>locus, encoding Nor-1, contributes to the development of prediabetic phenotypes, such as glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, or β-cell dysfunction.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We genotyped 1495 non-diabetic subjects from Southern Germany for the five tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs7047636, rs1526267, rs2416879, rs12686676, and rs10819699 (minor allele frequencies ≥ 0.05) covering 100% of genetic variation within the <it>NR4A3 </it>locus (with D' = 1.0, r²≥ 0.9) and assessed their association with metabolic data derived from the fasting state, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (subgroup, N = 506). SNPs that revealed consistent associations with prediabetic phenotypes were subsequently genotyped in a second cohort (METSIM Study; Finland; N = 5265) for replication.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>All five SNPs were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p ≥ 0.7, all). The minor alleles of three SNPs, i.e., rs1526267, rs12686676, and rs10819699, consistently tended to associate with higher insulin release as derived from plasma insulin at 30 min(OGTT), AUC_C-peptide-to-AUC_Glucratio and the AUC_Ins30-to-AUC_Gluc30ratio with rs12686676 reaching the level of significance (p ≤ 0.03, all; additive model). The association of the SNP rs12686676 with insulin secretion was replicated in the METSIM cohort (p ≤ 0.03, additive model). There was no consistent association with glucose tolerance or insulin resistance in both study cohorts.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We conclude that common genetic variation within the <it>NR4A3 </it>locus determines insulin secretion. Thus, <it>NR4A3 </it>represents a novel candidate gene for β-cell function which was not covered by the SNP arrays of recent genome-wide association studies for type 2 diabetes mellitus.</p

HIV-1 Nef Employs Two Distinct Mechanisms to Modulate Lck Subcellular Localization and TCR Induced Actin Remodeling

The Nef protein acts as critical factor during HIV pathogenesis by increasing HIV replication in vivo via the modulation of host cell vesicle transport and signal transduction processes. Recent studies suggested that Nef alters formation and function of immunological synapses (IS), thereby modulating exogenous T-cell receptor (TCR) stimulation to balance between partial T cell activation required for HIV-1 spread and prevention of activation induced cell death. Alterations of IS function by Nef include interference with cell spreading and actin polymerization upon TCR engagement, a pronounced intracellular accumulation of the Src kinase Lck and its reduced IS recruitment. Here we use a combination of Nef mutagenesis and pharmacological inhibition to analyze the relative contribution of these effects to Nef mediated alterations of IS organization and function on TCR stimulatory surfaces. Inhibition of actin polymerization and IS recruitment of Lck were governed by identical Nef determinants and correlated well with Nef's association with Pak2 kinase activity. In contrast, Nef mediated Lck endosomal accumulation was separable from these effects, occurred independently of Pak2, required integrity of the microtubule rather than the actin filament system and thus represents a distinct Nef activity. Finally, reduction of TCR signal transmission by Nef was linked to altered actin remodeling and Lck IS recruitment but did not require endosomal Lck rerouting. Thus, Nef affects IS function via multiple independent mechanisms to optimize virus replication in the infected host

From party to pandemic – Frames and metaphors in the news coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Austria

Media framing facilitates people’s understanding of a threat and affects one’s emotional reaction. It therefore plays a vital role in both individual and societal responses to a public health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a combination of conceptual metaphor analysis and qualitative frame analysis, this article examines how three Austrian newspapers framed the initial national outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020. The results show that at that early stage, media coverage was primarily concerned with the national government’s political actions to contain the disease. Only a few articles framed the situation in terms of personal experiences and possible economic or social consequences. As has been the case in research reporting on other health crises, metaphors of war, journeys, and natural disasters were used to conceptualize the coronavirus pandemic. Yet, overall, the tone remained neutral, as the media framing was clearly aimed at passing on information and conveying a sense of urgency while at the same time trying to avoid scare tactics

Tverrprofesjonell in situ simulering på intensivavdelingen - erfaringer blant leger og sykepleiere

Bakgrunn: Det å handle korrekt og effektivt i krevende og uventede situasjoner, er ofte avgjørende for faglig forsvarlig pasientbehandling i intensivavdelinger. In situ simulering kan være en god pedagogisk metode for trening av situasjoner som krever høyt nivå av teamfungering. For at slik simulering skal gi et godt læringsutbytte må den være godt planlagt og organisert. Egenskaper ved læringsmiljøet vil være forhold som kan påvirke individuell og kollektiv læring på kort eller lang sikt. Hensikt: Hensikten med denne studien var å utforske hvilke erfaringer leger og sykepleiere har med tverrprofesjonell in situ simulering ved intensivavdelinger. Hovedfokuset var å utforske organisering av in situ simulering og egenskaper ved læringsmiljøet. Metode: Studien har et kvalitativt design. Data er samlet inn via tre fokusgruppeintervju med totalt tre leger og elleve sykepleiere. Datamaterialet er analysert inspirert av Malteruds modifiserte versjon av systematisk tekstkondensering. Resultat: To meningsbærende enheter ble identifisert. Den første meningsbærende enheten «Organisering av tverrprofesjonell in situ simulering ved intensivavdelinger» består av underkategoriene «In situ simulering er ulikt organisert for leger og sykepleiere» og «Egen og andres roller i teamtreningen». Den andre meningsbærende enheten «Egenskaper ved læringsmiljøet av betydning for læring ved tverrprofesjonell in situ simulering» består av underkategoriene «Sårbarhet i simuleringssituasjonen» og «Fasilitator og læringsmiljøet». Konklusjon: Studien viser at deltakerne har ulike erfaringer med tverrprofesjonell simulering ved intensivavdelinger i forhold til organiseringen og læringsmiljøet. Studien kan bidra til at leger og sykepleiere på intensivavdelinger blir mer bevisst på betydningen av å trene på teamarbeid sammen gjennom in situ simulering. Den kan skape økt forståelse for at både deltakere og fasilitator er av betydning for å skape et godt læringsmiljø under simulering. Studien kan være aktuell for ledere som har ansvar for kvalitetsforbedringsarbeid og pasientsikkerhet. Funnene kan ha overførbarhet til andre typer avdelinger som benytter in situ simulering som pedagogisk verktøy