Congenital cutaneous fibropapillomatosis in a warmblood foal

In this report, clinical and histological findings of a rare case of a large congenital fibropapilloma on the forehead of a warmblood foal are reported. Surgical excision was curative and no recurrence was observed after nine months. The foal did not present any other abnormalities. Morphologically, the lesion was classified as a fibro-epithelial type of skin hamartoma. The fibrous component has thus far only been reported in pigs. Although fibropapillomas are common in adult animals and are associated with papillomavirus infection, this association has not been demonstrated in foals and piglets. Additionally, there were no histopathological indications of papillomavirus infection in the present study, nor could PCR reveal the presence of papillomavirus DNA

Physiological and transcriptomic evidence for a close coupling between chloroplast ontogeny and cell cycle progression in the pennate diatom Seminavis robusta

Despite the growing interest in diatom genomics, detailed time series of gene expression in relation to key cellular processes are still lacking. Here, we investigated the relationships between the cell cycle and chloroplast development in the pennate diatom Seminavis robusta. This diatom possesses two chloroplasts with a well-orchestrated developmental cycle, common to many pennate diatoms. By assessing the effects of induced cell cycle arrest with microscopy and flow cytometry, we found that division and reorganization of the chloroplasts are initiated only after S-phase progression. Next, we quantified the expression of the S. robusta FtsZ homolog to address the division status of chloroplasts during synchronized growth and monitored microscopically their dynamics in relation to nuclear division and silicon deposition. We show that chloroplasts divide and relocate during the S/G2 phase, after which a girdle band is deposited to accommodate cell growth. Synchronized cultures of two genotypes were subsequently used for a cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism-based genome-wide transcript profiling, in which 917 reproducibly modulated transcripts were identified. We observed that genes involved in pigment biosynthesis and coding for light-harvesting proteins were up-regulated during G2/M phase and cell separation. Light and cell cycle progression were both found to affect fucoxanthin-chlorophyll a/c-binding protein expression and accumulation of fucoxanthin cell content. Because chloroplasts elongate at the stage of cytokinesis, cell cycle-modulated photosynthetic gene expression and synthesis of pigments in concert with cell division might balance chloroplast growth, which confirms that chloroplast biogenesis in S. robusta is tightly regulated

Health and frailty among older spousal caregivers:an observational cohort study in Belgium

Abstract Background Among older couples, spouses are first in line to provide care, and they are key elements in the home support of dependent older persons. In this context, ensuring the health of these older spousal caregivers should be an important issue for all of the providers who care for older adults. The aim of this study was to longitudinally assess the health of older spousal caregivers considering frailty, nutrition, cognition, physical performance and mood disorders. Methods In this longitudinal, observational cohort study, participants were assessed at home in Wallonia, Belgium. At baseline, 82 community-dwelling spouses of older patients with cognitive deficits or functional impairment were assessed; 78 caregivers were assessed at follow-up (16 months). The clinical instruments used included Frailty Phenotype (Fried), the Mini Nutritional Assessment-short form (MNA-SF), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), clock drawing test, medications, Zarit Burden Index (ZBI), and Caregiver Reaction Assessment (CRA). Biological assessments included plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), ultrasensitive C-reactive protein (CRP), cortisol, albumin and insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Results Among caregivers, 54% were women, and the mean age was 80 years. Among care-receivers, 83% had cognitive impairment. Caregivers were more likely to be in a pre-frail stage. In one-third of the caregivers, the frailty status worsened. Transitions were observed between each of the states, except from frail to robust. In contrast to frailty, items including nutrition, cognitive status, SPPB and mood assessments were stable over time, with approximately 70% of the caregivers not experiencing significant change at follow-up. Caregiver experiences assessed with the Zarit Burden Interview and CRA were relatively stable over 16 months. Conclusion Many caregivers of geriatric patients are spouses who are old themselves. A failure in the health of the caregiver may anticipate an undesired care breakdown. Caregiver health and its determinants should be explored in future longitudinal studies that cover a longer time period

Die Generierung sowie Charakterisierung eines CRISPR/Cas9-vermittelten Knockouts von SNAP29 in humanen Fibroblasten

Eine Loss-of-function-Mutation im SNAP29-Gen führt im Menschen zu dem seltenen, neurokutanen, autosomal-rezessiv vererbten CEDNIK (engl.: Cerebral Dysgenesis, Neuropathy, Ichthyosis, Keratoderma)-Syndrom. SNAP29 ist ein SNARE (Soluble NSF Attachment Protein [SNAP] Receptor)-Protein, das in Membranfusion, epidermale Differenzierung, primäre Zilienbildung und Autophagie involviert ist. Das Ziel meiner Dissertation war es, eine SNAP29-defiziente Zelllinie mit Hilfe der CRISPR/Cas9-Methode zu generieren und zu charakterisieren und somit die weitere Funktionsanalyse von SNAP29 zu ermöglichen

The strategy of soft governance in the educational system

Dieser Übersichtsbeitrag thematisiert die Bedeutung von sanfter Steuerung durch internationale Organisationen für Reformprozesse im Bildungsbereich aus politikwissenschaftlicher Perspektive. Am Beispiel der PISA-Studie der OECD wird gezeigt, dass internationale Organisationen auch ohne formelle Entscheidungskompetenzen Einfluss auf die nationale Schulpolitik ausüben können. Sie geben Impulse für Diskussionen über neue Themen, identifizieren Erfolg versprechende Reformprinzipien und setzen Standards für Evaluation, Qualität und Chancengerechtigkeit im Bildungswesen. Die Auswirkungen sanfter Steuerung sind jedoch länderspezifisch: Deutschland, die USA, Mexiko, Katar und China - hier exemplarisch betrachtet - stehen nicht nur für unterschiedliche schulpolitische Kontexte. Sie unterscheiden sich auch hinsichtlich ihres Umgangs mit PISA. (DIPF/Orig.)This article deals with the impact of soft governance through international organizations on reform processes in the field of education from a political science point of view. The PISA study shows that international organizations, even if they lack binding decision- making competences, can yield influence on the national education policy-making. International organizations facilitate discussions about upcoming issues, identify successful principles of reform, and set standards for evaluation, quality and equity in education. The impact of soft governance is, however, country dependent. By presenting the cases of Germany, USA, Mexico, Qatar, and China it will become evident that countries differ not only in terms of their educational policy context, but also in their conduct with PISA. (DIPF/Orig.

Une élite apolitique dans une économie politisée?

The denazification of German business leaders sheds light on post-war strategies of justification and self-interpretation. Although the occupation forces had well understood that entrepreneurs, owners as well as managers, were stakeholders of the Nazi regime, they generally favored a more flexible approach towards them. Entrepreneurs’ entanglement with the Nazis seemed more ambiguous, less ideologically grounded and less accessible for the formal criteria of the denazification procedure which focused on those who had held political offices or, as public servants, had ensured the relative efficiency of the Nazi state. Examples from the British and French zones of occupied Germany help to understand the imponderability of the procedures, which gave room for maneuver to the business leaders for their defense. The article analyses the difficulties of committees to understand the forms of economic cooperation with the Nazi regime and to assess their profitability, political relevance and impact on the Nazi war effort. Business leaders managed to profit from the lack of knowledge about decision-making structures and the character of their relations with the Nazi regime. They successfully claimed to have been subject to coercion in an unfree economy. At the same time, and somewhat inconsistently, they insisted on the fact that they had done business as usual, driven only by technical and business expertise represented as profoundly nonpolitical. The paper integrates the essence of business historians’ research from the last two decades in a broader reflection about the post-war liquidation of the Nazi society and the self-conception of German economic elites after 1945.Die Entnazifizierung deutscher Wirtschaftsführer wirft Licht auf Nachkriegsstrategien der Rechtfertigung und Selbstinterpretation. Obwohl die Besatzungskräfte verstanden hatten, dass Unternehmer, Firmeneigentümer ebenso wie Manager, Stakeholder des NS-Regimes waren, verfolgten sie generell einen flexibleren Ansatz ihnen gegenüber. Ihre Verstrickung mit den Nazis erschien zweideutiger, weniger ideologisch begründet und weniger zugänglich für die formalen Kriterien des Entnazifizierungsverfahrens, die sich an denjenigen orientierten, die politische Ämter innegehabt oder als Beamte die relative Effizienz des NS-Staates sichergestellt hatten. An Beispielen aus der britischen und französischen Zone des besetzten Deutschland werden die Unwägbarkeiten der Entnazifizierungsverfahren beleuchtet, die Wirtschaftsführern Handlungsspielraum für ihre Verteidigung eröffneten. Der Artikel analysiert die Schwierigkeiten der Entnazifizierungsausschüsse, die Formen der wirtschaftlichen Kooperation mit dem NS-Regime zu verstehen und deren Rentabilität, politische Relevanz und Auswirkungen auf die NS-Kriegsanstrengungen zu bewerten. Wirtschaftsführern gelang es, von dem Mangel an Wissen über Entscheidungsstrukturen und den Charakter ihrer Beziehungen zum NS-Regime zu profitieren. Sie behaupteten erfolgreich, in einer unfreien Wirtschaft unter Zwang gehandelt zu haben. Zugleich bestanden Sie darauf, auch wenn das nicht ganz widerspruchsfrei war, dass sie schlicht ihren Geschäften nachgegangen seien und Business as usual betrieben hätten, angetrieben von technischer und wirtschaftlicher Expertise, die als zutiefst unpolitisch dargestellt wurde. Das Papier integriert zentrale Ergebnisse der unternehmenshistorischen Forschung der letzten zwei Jahrzehnte in eine breitere Reflexion über die Abwicklung der nationalsozialistischen Gesellschaft und das Selbstverständnis der deutschen Wirtschaftselite nach 1945.La dénazification des chefs d’entreprise allemands éclaire les stratégies d’après-guerre de justification et d’auto-interprétation d’un groupe social important. Bien que les forces d’occupation aient compris que les entrepreneurs, qu’ils soient propriétaires ou managers, poursuivaient leurs propres intérêts en tant que « stakeholder » du régime nazi, elles ont généralement adopté une attitude plus souple à leur égard. Leur implication avec les nazis semblait plus ambiguë, moins idéologique et moins accessible aux critères formels du processus de dénazification, qui visaient ceux qui avaient occupé des fonctions politiques ou, en tant que fonctionnaires, assuraient la relative efficacité de l’État nazi. L’impondérabilité des procédures de dénazification, qui a permis aux chefs d’entreprise de se défendre, est examinée à l'aide d'exemples provenant des zones britannique et française de l’Allemagne occupée. L’article analyse les difficultés des comités de dénazification à comprendre les formes de coopération économique avec le régime nazi et à évaluer leur rentabilité, leur pertinence politique et leur impact sur l’effort de guerre nazi. Les chefs d’entreprise ont pu bénéficier du manque de connaissance des structures décisionnelles et de la nature de leurs relations avec le régime nazi. Ils ont prétendu, avec succès, avoir agi sous la contrainte dans une économie non libre. En même temps, ils ont insisté, non sans contradictions, sur le fait qu’ils ne s’occupaient de leurs affaires, du business as usual, en s’appuyant sur une expertise technique et économique présentée comme profondément apolitique. L’article intègre les résultats de la recherche sur l’histoire des entreprises des deux dernières décennies dans une réflexion plus large sur le développement d’après-guerre de la société nationale-socialiste et l’image de soi de l’élite économique allemande après 1945

Carbon black and titanium dioxide nanoparticles elicit distinct apoptotic pathways in bronchial epithelial cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Increasing environmental and occupational exposures to nanoparticles (NPs) warrant deeper insight into the toxicological mechanisms induced by these materials. The present study was designed to characterize the cell death induced by carbon black (CB) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) NPs in bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE14o- cell line and primary cells) and to investigate the implicated molecular pathways.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Detailed time course studies revealed that both CB (13 nm) and TiO₂(15 nm) NP exposed cells exhibit typical morphological (decreased cell size, membrane blebbing, peripheral chromatin condensation, apoptotic body formation) and biochemical (caspase activation and DNA fragmentation) features of apoptotic cell death. A decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, activation of Bax and release of cytochrome <it>c </it>from mitochondria were only observed in case of CB NPs whereas lipid peroxidation, lysosomal membrane destabilization and cathepsin B release were observed during the apoptotic process induced by TiO₂NPs. Furthermore, ROS production was observed after exposure to CB and TiO₂but hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) production was only involved in apoptosis induction by CB NPs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Both CB and TiO₂NPs induce apoptotic cell death in bronchial epithelial cells. CB NPs induce apoptosis by a ROS dependent mitochondrial pathway whereas TiO₂NPs induce cell death through lysosomal membrane destabilization and lipid peroxidation. Although the final outcome is similar (apoptosis), the molecular pathways activated by NPs differ depending upon the chemical nature of the NPs.</p

Performance Evaluation of Lighting and Daylighting Retrofits: Results from IEA SHC Task 50

AbstractThis article presents some results from a large monitoring campaign performed in 22 buildings around the world as part of International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 50 “Advanced lighting solutions for retrofitting buildings”. This article mainly addresses the work of Subtask D, which aims to demonstrate sound lighting retrofit solutions in a selection of representative, typical Case Studies. In order to evaluate the Case Studies, a monitoring protocol was developed to assess the overall lighting performance taking into consideration: 1) Energy use, 2) Retrofit costs, 3) Photometric assessment, and 4) User assessment. The monitoring was carried out from June 2014 to December 2015 in 22 non-residential buildings in ten countries. This article presents results from selected Case Studies, drawing conclusions regarding retrofit solutions as well as reflecting on methodological procedures for the measurements and data collection. Measured data as well as key conclusions from Subtask D will be summarized in an electronic web and portable sourcebook at the end of the IEA Task 50 (December 2015), which will be freely available through the Internet

Genome-wide analysis of the diatom cell cycle unveils a novel type of cyclins involved in environmental signaling

Genes controlling the cell cycle in two diatoms have been identified and functionally characterized, revealing environmental regulation of the cell cycle