Wenn die Orientierung versagt – unterwegs mit Menschen mit Demenz

Im Projekt „Demenz in Bewegung“ wird die außerhäusliche Mobilität von Menschen mit Demenz erforscht. In Österreich leben an die 130.000 Personen mit Demenz, wobei sich beobachten lässt, dass sich sowohl die Personen mit Demenz, als auch ihre Zu- und Angehörigen aus dem gesellschaftlichen Leben und der außerhäuslichen Mobilität mit fortschreitender Krankheit zunehmend zurückziehen. Um diesem Phänomen entgegenzuwirken und allen Personen außerhäusliche Mobilität zu ermöglichen, werden die Mobilitätsbedürfnisse und -erfahrungen von Menschen mit Demenz untersucht. Die empirischen Forschungen werden im direkten Kontakt mit Menschenmit Demenz durchgeführt sodass sie ihre Erfahrungen, Wünsche und Bedürfnisse bei ihren Wegen im öffentlichen Verkehr direkt einbringen können. Nachdem in der wissenschaftlichen Literatur mehr auf die Ausgestaltung von Innenräumen eingegangen wird und Erkenntnisse zur Gestaltung des öffentlichen Freiraumes für Menschen mit Demenz weitgehend fehlen, liefert dieses Forschungsprojekt erste wissenschaftliche Grundlagen für den deutschsprachigen Raum. es nehmen 27 Personen mit Demenz an dem Forschungsprojekt teil. Der empirische Teil des Projekts selbst ist in drei Teilbereiche aufgeteilt: Narratives Interview, Begehungsstudie und einer Usability-Studie. Um die Ergebnisse der partizipativen Mobilitätsforschung für verschiedene verkehrsplanerische Berufsgruppen aufzuarbeiten, werden – in partizipativen Dialogen mit Stakeholdern – Handlungsempfehlungen erarbeitet und den jeweiligen Gruppen präsentiert

Organic Acid Excretion in Penicillium ochrochloron Increases with Ambient pH

Despite being of high biotechnological relevance, many aspects of organic acid excretion in filamentous fungi like the influence of ambient pH are still insufficiently understood. While the excretion of an individual organic acid may peak at a certain pH value, the few available studies investigating a broader range of organic acids indicate that total organic acid excretion rises with increasing external pH. We hypothesized that this phenomenon might be a general response of filamentous fungi to increased ambient pH. If this is the case, the observation should be widely independent of the organism, growth conditions, or experimental design and might therefore be a crucial key point in understanding the function and mechanisms of organic acid excretion in filamentous fungi. In this study we explored this hypothesis using ammonium-limited chemostat cultivations (pH 2–7), and ammonium or phosphate-limited bioreactor batch cultivations (pH 5 and 7). Two strains of Penicillium ochrochloron were investigated differing in the spectrum of excreted organic acids. Confirming our hypothesis, the main result demonstrated that organic acid excretion in P. ochrochloron was enhanced at high external pH levels compared to low pH levels independent of the tested strain, nutrient limitation, and cultivation method. We discuss these findings against the background of three hypotheses explaining organic acid excretion in filamentous fungi, i.e., overflow metabolism, charge balance, and aggressive acidification hypothesis

Creating a library, museum and citizen service centre for people with dementia. A project on participation and learning through transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary networking in Wiener Neustadt

Im partizipativen Gesundheitsforschungsprojekt "Eine Bibliothek für ALLE. Demenzfreundliche Bibliothek Wiener Neustadt" standen Menschen mit Demenz und betreuende Angehörige im Zentrum. Ziel war es, die Kompetenz der Mitarbeiter*innen in öffentlichen Einrichtungen (Bibliothek, Museum, Bürgerservice) im Umgang mit Menschen mit Vergesslichkeit zu erweitern und die Einrichtungen - im Sinne von Organisationslernen - demenzfreundlicher zu gestalten. Von Anfang an waren betroffene Menschen und ihre Angehörigen in das Projekt eingebunden wie auch soziale Einrichtungen und Selbsthilfegruppen. Erreicht wurde so nicht nur ein individueller Wissenszuwachs über Demenz und den Umgang mit Menschen mit Demenz, sondern die Themen wurden durch die Begegnung mit betroffenen Personen greifbar und erfahrbar. So konnte ein ressourcenorientiertes Bild geschaffen werden, das zur Entstigmatisierung von Menschen mit Demenz beiträgt. Auch für die beteiligten Betroffenen öffneten sich durch das Projekt (wieder) Türen mit neuen Handlungsmöglichkeiten für ihre soziale Teilhabe. Schließlich zeigte das Projekt auf: Es reicht nicht aus, Angebote für Menschen mit Demenz und deren Umfeld über die gewohnten Kanäle zu verbreiten. Vielmehr bedarf es der Vernetzung bzw. Zusammenarbeit mit Organisationen, die mit Menschen mit Demenz in Kontakt sind. (DIPF/Orig.)People with dementia and their caregivers are at the heart of the participatory health research project "A library for EVERYONE. Dementia-friendly Wiener Neustadt library". The goal was to increase the competence of employees of public institutions (library, museum, citizen service centre) in how to deal with people with memory issues and to make the institutions more dementia friendly - in the sense of organizational learning. From the start, people with dementia and their caregivers as well as social institutions and self-help groups were integrated into the project. Not only did individuals increase their knowledge of dementia and how to accommodate people with dementia but they also were able to better understand and experience the topics through encounters with individuals who are affected. This creates a perception of the disease that is oriented to human potential, which helps reduce the stigma of having dementia. For the participating individuals, the project (re)opened doors with new opportunities for social inclusion. The project ultimately demonstrated that it is not enough to communicate opportunities for people with dementia and their caregivers via the usual channels. Instead, it requires networking and cooperation with organizations that have contact with people with dementia. (DIPF/Orig.

Production and stabilization of cold pressed pumpkin seed oil

Hladno prešana ulja su ulja koja se dobivaju hladnim prešanjem biljnih sjemenki s pužnom prešom. U ovom radu istraživan je utjecaj procesnih parametara prešanja bučinih koštica na iskorištenje ulja Također, ispitivan je dodatak prirodnih antioksidanasa ekstrakta ružmarina (Oxy’Less CS, Oxy’Less Clear, Stabil Enhance OSR), ekstrakta zelenog čaja, ekstrakta nara u udjelima od 0,1% i 0,2% na oksidacijsku stabilnost hladno prešanog bučinog ulja. Oksidacijska stabilnost ulja, sa i bez dodanog antioksidansa, ispitivana je primjenom Schaal Oven testa. Rezultati testa prikazani su kao vrijednost peroksidnog broja (mmol O2/kg) nakon određenog vremena držanja uzorka pri temperaturi 63°C, odnosno tijekom četiri dana trajanja testa. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da temperatura zagrijavanja glave preše i frekvencija elektromotora utječu na iskorištenje hladno prešanog bučinog ulja. Veću antioksidacijsku aktivnost ima ekstrakt ružmarina Oxy’Less CS u odnosu na ekstrakt zelenog čaja i ekstrakt nara. Ispitivani prirodni antioksidansi dodani u udjelu 0,2% efikasnije štite ova ulja od oksidacije u odnosu na dodatak udjela 0,1%. Stabil Enhance OSR (0,1% i 0,2%) pruža bolju zaštitu od oksidacije nego Oxy´Less Clear (0,1% i 0,2%). Ekstrakt nara (0,1% i 0,2%) ne pokazuje zaštitu bučinog ulja od oksidacijskog kvarenja.Cold pressed oils refer to oils that are extracted by cold pressing plant seed with a screw press. This study researched the influence of process parameters pressing pumpkin seeds to yield oil. Also examined the effect of natural antioxidants rosemary extract (Oxy’Less CS, Oxy’Less Clear, Stabil Enhance OSR), green tea extract, pomegranate extract, in dosage of 0.1% and 0.2%, on the oxidative stability of cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil. The oxidative stability of oil, with and without added antioxidant, was evaluated using the Schaal Oven test conditions. The results are expressed as peroxide number value (mmol O2/kg) after keeping the sample for a certain period of time at temperature of 63°C, that is, within four days of the duration of the test. The research results show that the temperature of heating head presses and frequency of electric motors also affect the yield of cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil. Higher antioxidant activity has rosemary extract Oxy’Less CS as compared to green tea extract and pomegranate extract. Tested natural antioxidants added in dosage of 0.2% protect these oils from oxidation more effectively than dosage of 0.1%. Stabil Enhance OSR (0.1% and 0.2%) provides better protection against oxidation than Oxy\u27Less Clear (0.1% and 0.2%). Pomegranate extract (0.1% and 0.2%) does not show protection pumpkin seed oil from oxidative deterioration

Pembrolizumab-Induced Thyroiditis Shows PD-L1Expressing Histiocytes and Infiltrating T Cells in Thyroid Tissue - A Case Report

ContextImmune-related adverse events frequently take place after initiation of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) therapy. The thyroid gland is the endocrine organ most commonly affected by ICI therapy, the pathological mechanism is still poorly understood.Case DescriptionA 60-year old Upper Austrian male melanoma patient under pembrolizumab therapy received thyroidectomy because of a suspicious FDG avid thyroid nodule. Histopathology showed a pattern comparable with thyroiditis de Quervain. The inflammatory process consisted predominantly of T lymphocytes with a dominance of CD4+ T helper cells. In addition CD68+ histiocytes co-expressing PD-L1 were observed.ConclusionClusters of perifollicular histiocytes expressing PD-L1 were observed in this case of pembrolizumab induced thyroiditis - probably induced by the former ICI therapy. This finding might indicate the initial target for the breakdown of self tolerance. In context with other data the immunological process seems to be driven by CD3+ lymphocytes infiltrating the thyroid

Assessing Protein Immunogenicity with a Dendritic Cell Line-Derived Endolysosomal Degradome

Background: The growing number of novel candidate molecules for the treatment of allergic diseases imposed a dramatic increase in the demand for animal experiments to select immunogenic vaccines, a pre-requisite for efficacy. Because no in vitro methods to predict the immunogenicity of a protein are currently available, we developed an in vitro assay that exploits the link between a proteins immunogenicity and its susceptibility to endolysosomal proteolysis. Methodology: We compared protein composition and proteolytic activity of endolysosomal fractions isolated from murine bone marrow- and human blood- derived dendritic cells, and from the dendritic cell line JAWS II. Three groups of structurally related antigen variants differing in their ability to elicit immune responses in vivo (Bet v 1.0101 and Bet v 1.0401, RNases A and S, holo- and apo-HRP) were subjected to in vitro simulated endolysosomal degradation. Kinetics and patterns of generated proteolytic peptides were evaluated by gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Results: Antigens displaying weak capacity of T cell priming in vivo were highly susceptible to endolysosomal proteases in vitro. As proteolytic composition, activity, and specificity of endolysosomal fractions derived from human and murine dendritic cells were comparable, the JAWS II cell line could be used as a substitute for freshly isolated human or murine cells in in vitro degradation assays. Conclusions: Endolysosomal fractions prepared from the JAWS II cell line provide a reliable tool for in vitro estimation of protein immunogenicity. The rapid and simple assay described here is very useful to study the immunogenic properties of a protein, and can help to replace, reduce, and refine animal experiments in allergy research and vaccine development in general

The Basel-Gasfabrik research project: Addressing complex topics by an integrative approach

The late La Tène period site of Basel-Gasfabrik has been under investigation for more than a century. During that time, the unfortified settlement with its two cemeteries has yielded huge amounts of everyday and exceptional objects and features. Beginning in the mid-1970s, samples were systematically collected for scientific analyses during ongoing excavations, thus producing ideal preconditions for interdisciplinary research. In 2011-2014, the international research project “Approaching the living via the dead: human remains from the Late La Tène site Basel-Gasfabrik and their cultural-historical interpretations” addressed the multifarious ways in which the Iron Age community handled their deceased. The intense collaboration involved researchers from the Archäologische Bodenforschung Basel-Stadt and the universities of Basel (CH), Mainz and Freiburg i.Br. (D) and spanned eight disciplines: archaeology, archeoanthropology, archaeobotany, archaeozoology, geoarchaeology, biogeochemistry, molecular genetics and statistics. Research topics and theoretical frameworks were developed jointly as well as procedures to combine the disciplinary results in multistage processes in order to generate integrative syntheses of novel insights. The challenges and specific research potentials of the integrative approach may serve as a positive example for future interdisciplinary research project