Family in Pictures (FiB 2015): the Study's Methodology Report

Die Studie "Familie in Bildern" wurde im Jahr 2015 am Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung (BiB) durchgeführt. Ziel der Studie ist es, die individuellen und kulturellen Familienleitbilder der Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer zu erfassen und detailliert zu beschreiben. Die Studie bedient sich eines Methoden-Mix bestehend aus drei Erhebungstechniken: (1) Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer wurden instruiert, eine Zeichnung einer "richtigen" Familie anzufertigen. (2) Mit jeder Teilnehmerin und jedem Teilnehmer wurde ein leitfadengestütztes personalisiertes Telefoninterview geführt, das der korrekten Interpretation dieser Zeichnung diente. (3) Jede Teilnehmerin und jeder Teilnehmer füllte einen standardisierten PAPI ("paper-and-pencil-interview")-Kurzfragebogen zu grundlegenden sozio-demografischen Merkmalen sowie zur aktuellen und früheren Familiensituation selbstadministriert aus. Grundgesamtheit ist die Wohnbevölkerung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland mit deutscher Staatsbürgerschaft im Alter von mindestens 16 Jahren. Mittels Quotensampling und Schneeballverfahren wurde eine Bruttostichprobe von 136 Personen generiert, die sich bereiterklärt haben, an der Studie teilzunehmen, und entsprechende Unterlagen zugeschickt bekommen haben. Am Ende dieser Feldphase konnten für eine Nettostichprobe von n=101 Personen alle Daten erfolgreich erhoben werden. Die Feldphase erstreckte sich von Februar bis Oktober 2015.The study "Family in Pictures" was conducted by the Federal Institute for Population Research (Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung - BiB) in 2015. It aims to capture and describe in detail the individual and cultural family-related cultural conceptions ("leitbilder") of the participants. The study uses a multi method approach comprising three techniques of data-collection: (1) The participants were asked to draw a picture of a "proper" family. (2) With every participant a personalised semi-structured telephone interview was conducted with the intention to interpret this drawing accurately. (3) Participants filled out a standardised short PAPI ("paper-and-pencil-interview") questionnaire concerning their basic socio-demographic characteristics as well as their current and past family situation. The target population of the survey is the resident population of the Federal Republic of Germany with German citizenship, at the age of 16 years or older. Based on quota sampling and snowball technique, a gross sample of 136 persons was generated, who had expressed interest in participating in the study and to whom according documents were sent. By the end of the fieldwork, between February and October 2015, data was successfully collected for a net sample of n=101 persons

Targeted removal of macrophage-secreted interleukin-1 receptor antagonist protects against lethal Candida albicans sepsis.

Invasive fungal infections are associated with high mortality rates, and the lack of efficient treatment options emphasizes an urgency to identify underlying disease mechanisms. We report that disseminated Candida albicans infection is facilitated by interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) secreted from macrophages in two temporally and spatially distinct waves. Splenic CD169+ macrophages release IL-1Ra into the bloodstream, impeding early neutrophil recruitment. IL-1Ra secreted by monocyte-derived tissue macrophages further impairs pathogen containment. Therapeutic IL-1Ra neutralization restored the functional competence of neutrophils, corrected maladapted hyper-inflammation, and eradicated the otherwise lethal infection. Conversely, augmentation of macrophage-secreted IL-1Ra by type I interferon severely aggravated disease mortality. Our study uncovers how a fundamental immunoregulatory mechanism mediates the high disease susceptibility to invasive candidiasis. Furthermore, interferon-stimulated IL-1Ra secretion may exacerbate fungal dissemination in human patients with secondary candidemia. Macrophage-secreted IL-1Ra should be considered as an additional biomarker and potential therapeutic target in severe systemic candidiasis

Familie in Bildern (FiB 2015): Methodenbericht zur Studie

Die Studie "Familie in Bildern" wurde im Jahr 2015 am Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung (BiB) durchgeführt. Ziel der Studie ist es, die individuellen und kulturellen Familienleitbilder der Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer zu erfassen und detailliert zu beschreiben. Die Studie bedient sich eines Methoden-Mix bestehend aus drei Erhebungstechniken: (1) Teilnehmerinnen und Teilnehmer wurden instruiert, eine Zeichnung einer "richtigen" Familie anzufertigen. (2) Mit jeder Teilnehmerin und jedem Teilnehmer wurde ein leitfadengestütztes personalisiertes Telefoninterview geführt, das der korrekten Interpretation dieser Zeichnung diente. (3) Jede Teilnehmerin und jeder Teilnehmer füllte einen standardisierten PAPI ("paper-and-pencil-interview")-Kurzfragebogen zu grundlegenden sozio-demografischen Merkmalen sowie zur aktuellen und früheren Familiensituation selbstadministriert aus. Grundgesamtheit ist die Wohnbevölkerung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland mit deutscher Staatsbürgerschaft im Alter von mindestens 16 Jahren. Mittels Quotensampling und Schneeballverfahren wurde eine Bruttostichprobe von 136 Personen generiert, die sich bereiterklärt haben, an der Studie teilzunehmen, und entsprechende Unterlagen zugeschickt bekommen haben. Am Ende dieser Feldphase konnten für eine Nettostichprobe von n=101 Personen alle Daten erfolgreich erhoben werden. Die Feldphase erstreckte sich von Februar bis Oktober 2015.The study "Family in Pictures" was conducted by the Federal Institute for Population Research (Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung - BiB) in 2015. It aims to capture and describe in detail the individual and cultural family-related cultural conceptions ("leitbilder") of the participants. The study uses a multi method approach comprising three techniques of data-collection: (1) The participants were asked to draw a picture of a “proper” family. (2) With every participant a personalised semi-structured telephone interview was conducted with the intention to interpret this drawing accurately. (3) Participants filled out a standardised short PAPI ("paper-and-pencil-interview") questionnaire concerning their basic socio-demographic characteristics as well as their current and past family situation. The target population of the survey is the resident population of the Federal Republic of Germany with German citizenship, at the age of 16 years or older. Based on quota sampling and snowball technique, a gross sample of 136 persons was generated, who had expressed interest in participating in the study and to whom according documents were sent. By the end of the fieldwork, between February and October 2015, data was successfully collected for a net sample of n=101 persons

Potential Relevance of α1-Adrenergic Receptor Autoantibodies in Refractory Hypertension

-AAB might have a mechanistic role and could represent a therapeutic target. in cardiomyocytes and induce mesentery artery segment contraction.-AAB in hypertensive patients, and the notion of immunity as a possible cause of hypertension

Human coronavirus EMC does not require the SARS-coronavirus receptor and maintains broad replicative capability in mammalian cell lines

A new human coronavirus (hCoV-EMC) has emerged very recently in the Middle East. The clinical presentation resembled that of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) as encountered during the epidemic in 2002/2003. In both cases, acute renal failure was observed in humans. HCoV-EMC is a member of the same virus genus as SARS-CoV but constitutes a sister species. Here we investigated whether it might utilize angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the SARS-CoV receptor. Knowledge of the receptor is highly critical because the restriction of the SARS receptor to deep compartments of the human respiratory tract limited the spread of SARS. In baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells, lentiviral transduction of human ACE2 (hACE2) conferred permissiveness and replication for SARS-CoV but not for hCoV-EMC. Monkey and human kidney cells (LLC-MK2, Vero, and 769-P) and swine kidney cells were permissive for both viruses, but only SARS-CoV infection could be blocked by anti-hACE2 antibody and could be neutralized by preincubation of virus with soluble ACE2. Our data show that ACE2 is neither necessary nor sufficient for hCoV-EMC replication. Moreover, hCoV-EMC, but not SARS-CoV, replicated in cell lines from Rousettus, Rhinolophus, Pipistrellus, Myotis, and Carollia bats, representing four major chiropteran families from both suborders. As human CoV normally cannot replicate in bat cells from different families, this suggests that hCoV-EMC might use a receptor molecule that is conserved in bats, pigs, and humans, implicating a low barrier against cross-host transmission

Affect and self-efficacy infuse the experience of ambivalent photographs

Ambivalent pictures offer several interpretations of different valence-e.g., some photographs by Claudia Otto document scenes which can be perceived as sad or happy, dangerous or sweet, and so on. We show that task experiences influence the experienced valence of these images. Previous work already documented that responses to images are task-dependent and self-created insights heighten pleasure. A resulting positive mood and high self-efficacy might broaden attention to positive valence. In contrast, low self-efficacy leads to the prediction of negative task experiences and strengthens the salience of a positive experience. In our study, participants rated the valence of ambivalent photographs to be more positive after positive feedback regarding the accomplishment of a precedent puzzle. We revealed a trend of positive feedback being more effective when it followed negative experiences. The experience of ambivalent images is strongly linked to mood and self-efficacy and both is influenced by taskexperiences in psycho-aesthetic studies

"Aha"ptics: Enjoying an Aesthetic Aha During Haptic Exploration

Perceptual insight, like recognizing hidden figures, increases the appreciation of visually perceived objects. We examined this Aesthetic Aha paradigm in the haptic domain. Participants were thinking aloud during haptic exploration of 11 visually nonaccessible panels. They explored them again evaluating them on liking, pleasingness, complexity, and interestingness. Afterwards they rated photographs of the panels on the same variables. Haptic pleasingness was predictable by the strength of insight (Aha!) during free exploration and the material feel. Liking was increased when complexity was high in addition. Pleasingness and interest were negatively related to each other but predicted liking in a combined model. Personality and explorative strategies were considered, for example, strength of insight was increased for ambiguity-tolerant people, and people with high need for closure explored more globally. Evaluations of haptic and visual explorations correlated significantly, and in both modalities, complexity correlated more strongly with interest than with liking. Our study transfers the Aesthetic Aha effect to the haptic domain and reveals slight differences in its hedonic quality with a potentially higher relevance of pleasingness. We suggest that revealing a (meaningful) structure during exploration-visually or haptically-can enhance positive affect and interest hereby benefits from an increased level of complexity

CD27 expression on Treg cells limits immune responses against tumors

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress immune responses and thus contribute to immune homeostasis. On the downside, Tregs also limit immune responses against tumors promoting the progression of cancer. Among the many mechanisms implied in Treg-mediated suppression, the inhibition of dendritic cells (DCs) has been shown to be central in peripheral tolerance induction as well as in cancers. We have shown previously that the maintenance of peripheral T cell tolerance critically depends on cognate interactions between Tregs and DCs and that the CTL priming by unsuppressed steady state DCs is mediated via CD70. Here, we have investigated whether the CD70/CD27 axis is also involved in Treg-mediated suppression of anti-tumor immunity. Using a mixed bone marrow chimeric mouse model in which we can deplete regulatory T cells in a temporally controlled fashion, we show that Treg-expressed CD27 prevents the breakdown of peripheral tolerance and limits anti-tumor immunity. Furthermore, ablation of Treg expressed CD27 acts synergistically with PD-1 checkpoint inhibition to improve CTL mediated immunity against a solid tumor. Our data thus identify Treg-expressed CD27 as a potential target in cancer immunotherapy. KEY MESSAGES : Treg expressed CD27 maintains steady state DC tolerogenic Treg expressed CD27 limits anti-tumor immunity Ablation of Treg expressed CD27 synergizes with PD-1 blockade to improve CTL mediated tumor control

Glutamine Metabolism Controls Stem Cell Fate Reversibility and Long-Term Maintenance in the Hair Follicle

Stem cells reside in specialized niches that are critical for their function. Upon activation, hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) exit their niche to generate the outer root sheath (ORS), but a subset of ORS progeny returns to the niche to resume an SC state. Mechanisms of this fate reversibility are unclear. We show that the ability of ORS cells to return to the SC state requires suppression of a metabolic switch from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation and glutamine metabolism that occurs during early HFSC lineage progression. HFSC fate reversibility and glutamine metabolism are regulated by the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 2 (mTORC2)-Akt signaling axis within the niche. Deletion of mTORC2 results in a failure to re-establish the HFSC niche, defective hair follicle regeneration, and compromised long-term maintenance of HFSCs. These findings highlight the importance of spatiotemporal control of SC metabolic states in organ homeostasis.Peer reviewe