Mystery of fatal 'staggering disease' unravelled: novel rustrela virus causes severe meningoencephalomyelitis in domestic cats

‘Staggering disease’ is a neurological disease entity considered a threat to European domestic cats (Felis catus) for almost five decades. However, its aetiology has remained obscure. Rustrela virus (RusV), a relative of rubella virus, has recently been shown to be associated with encephalitis in a broad range of mammalian hosts. Here, we report the detection of RusV RNA and antigen by metagenomic sequencing, RT-qPCR, in-situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in brain tissues of 27 out of 29 cats with non-suppurative meningoencephalomyelitis and clinical signs compatible with’staggering disease’ from Sweden, Austria, and Germany, but not in non-affected control cats. Screening of possible reservoir hosts in Sweden revealed RusV infection in wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus). Our work indicates that RusV is the long-sought cause of feline ‘staggering disease’. Given its reported broad host spectrum and considerable geographic range, RusV may be the aetiological agent of neuropathologies in further mammals, possibly even including humans

Practical guidelines for rigor and reproducibility in preclinical and clinical studies on cardioprotection

The potential for ischemic preconditioning to reduce infarct size was first recognized more than 30 years ago. Despite extension of the concept to ischemic postconditioning and remote ischemic conditioning and literally thousands of experimental studies in various species and models which identified a multitude of signaling steps, so far there is only a single and very recent study, which has unequivocally translated cardioprotection to improved clinical outcome as the primary endpoint in patients. Many potential reasons for this disappointing lack of clinical translation of cardioprotection have been proposed, including lack of rigor and reproducibility in preclinical studies, and poor design and conduct of clinical trials. There is, however, universal agreement that robust preclinical data are a mandatory prerequisite to initiate a meaningful clinical trial. In this context, it is disconcerting that the CAESAR consortium (Consortium for preclinicAl assESsment of cARdioprotective therapies) in a highly standardized multi-center approach of preclinical studies identified only ischemic preconditioning, but not nitrite or sildenafil, when given as adjunct to reperfusion, to reduce infarct size. However, ischemic preconditioning—due to its very nature—can only be used in elective interventions, and not in acute myocardial infarction. Therefore, better strategies to identify robust and reproducible strategies of cardioprotection, which can subsequently be tested in clinical trials must be developed. We refer to the recent guidelines for experimental models of myocardial ischemia and infarction, and aim to provide now practical guidelines to ensure rigor and reproducibility in preclinical and clinical studies on cardioprotection. In line with the above guideline, we define rigor as standardized state-of-the-art design, conduct and reporting of a study, which is then a prerequisite for reproducibility, i.e. replication of results by another laboratory when performing exactly the same experiment

Geschichte der Fridericiana. Stationen in der Geschichte der Universität Karlsruhe (TH) von der Gründung 1825 bis zum Jahr 2000

Die Geschichte der Universität Karlsruhe (TH) erfährt mit diesem Band ihre erste ausführliche Gesamtdarstellung. Der Autor Klaus-Peter Hoepke (gestorben 2004) beschreibt die Geschicke der 1825 als Polytechnische Schule eingerichteten Institution von den ersten Anfängen über die wegweisende Entwicklung zur Technischen Hochschule bis zur heutigen Universität Karlsruhe (TH). Als Historiker und Leiter des Universitätsarchivs hat er die Entwicklung der Fridericiana über drei Jahrzehnte begleitet und ihre Geschichte in intensiver Quellenarbeit erschlossen. Mit seinem postum veröffentlichten Buch wird jetzt die Summe dieser Arbeit vorgelegt. Die Universitätsgeschichte erscheint eingebettet in den jeweiligen politisch-historischen und ihren wissenschaftsgeschichtlichen Kontext. Auf diese Weise wird der Leser über strukturelle Entwicklungen ebenso informiert wie über herausragende Leistungen forschender und lehrender Persönlichkeiten der Hochschulgeschichte. In flüssigem Stil und immer verständlich erzählend werden nicht nur die markanten Wendepunkte der Universitätsgeschichte verdeutlicht, sondern zugleich die dabei wirksamen Ideen und Antriebe nachvollziehbar gemacht

Humangenetische Beratung in Deutschland: Entwicklung der Inanspruchnahme

Background!#!With the Act on Genetic Testing (GenDG), the German legislator has issued far-reaching regulations for human genetic services, including genetic counseling. This paper presents data on the use of human genetic counseling in the years before and after the entry into force of GenDG in order to provide an informed assessment of the possible effects of the law.!##!Materials and methods!#!Over a period of 13 years (2005 to 2017), the human genetic counseling services provided within the framework of the statutory health insurance and billable by EBM via the Kassenärztliche associations were recorded via a database query at the Central Institute of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (ZI-KBV) and via individual Kassenärztliche Vereinigungen Deutschlands. For the discussion of the observable development of using genetic counseling and possible future development, additional data on the referral behavior, the waiting times, processing time, and reasons for consultations were extracted from the GenBIn database.!##!Results and discussion!#!Demand for genetic counseling has steadily increased at an average rate of approximately 6% per year since 2009. This increase started well before the enactment of the GenDG and may be attributed to a multiplicity of factors. Change in demand for genetic counseling is characterized by increasing self-referrals and by increasing referrals by specialists other than obstetricians/gynecologists. Waiting times between 2011 and 2016/2017 have increased. While demand has been growing, the number of key service providers, the contracted medical specialists in human genetics, has remained almost constant. It is foreseeable that capacity limits will be reached if both trends continue

Geschichte der Fridericiana. Stationen in der Geschichte der Universität Karlsruhe (TH) von der Gründung 1825 bis zum Jahr 2000

Die Geschichte der Universität Karlsruhe (TH) erfährt mit diesem Band ihre erste ausführliche Gesamtdarstellung. Der Autor Klaus-Peter Hoepke (gestorben 2004) beschreibt die Geschicke der 1825 als Polytechnische Schule eingerichteten Institution von den ersten Anfängen über die wegweisende Entwicklung zur Technischen Hochschule bis zur heutigen Universität Karlsruhe (TH). Als Historiker und Leiter des Universitätsarchivs hat er die Entwicklung der Fridericiana über drei Jahrzehnte begleitet und ihre Geschichte in intensiver Quellenarbeit erschlossen. Mit seinem postum veröffentlichten Buch wird jetzt die Summe dieser Arbeit vorgelegt. Die Universitätsgeschichte erscheint eingebettet in den jeweiligen politisch-historischen und ihren wissenschaftsgeschichtlichen Kontext. Auf diese Weise wird der Leser über strukturelle Entwicklungen ebenso informiert wie über herausragende Leistungen forschender und lehrender Persönlichkeiten der Hochschulgeschichte. In flüssigem Stil und immer verständlich erzählend werden nicht nur die markanten Wendepunkte der Universitätsgeschichte verdeutlicht, sondern zugleich die dabei wirksamen Ideen und Antriebe nachvollziehbar gemacht