Transfusion of Target Antigens to Pre-Immunized Recipients:A New Mechanism in Transfusion-Related Acute Lung Injury

Transfusion-related lung injury (TRALI) is a serious side effect of blood transfusion. Exclusion of antibody carriers from the donor pool has significantly decreased the number of cases, but TRALI remains the leading cause of transfusion-related morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. Here, we show that proteins released from donor cells during processing of blood components are capable of inducing a new type of reverse TRALI when transfused to preimmunized recipients. First, we show that soluble neutrophil surface protein CD177 in complex with proteinase 3 (sCD177/PR3) is not only present in human plasma but also in packed red blood cell (PRBC) supernatant. Filtration or storage enhances the concentration of sCD177/PR3 in PRBCs. Second, we show that sCD177/PR3 specifically binds to PECAM-1 on stimulated (but not on unstimulated) endothelial cells (ECs). Third, we provide evidence that the sCD177/PR3/PECAM-1 complex is functional. In the presence of monoclonal or human antibodies against CD177 or PR3, ECs produce reactive oxygen species and become apoptotic. Albumin flux through an EC monolayer increases significantly whenever antibodies and the cognate antigens are present. Finally, we describe a clinical case in which anti-CD177 present in a transfusion recipient precipitated TRALI after the transfusion of CD177-positive, but not CD177-negative, PRBCs. In conclusion, we introduce a new TRALI mechanism based on the specific binding of transfused, soluble antigens to activated ECs in preimmunized recipients. We suggest that further studies and clinical work-up of TRALI should also include antibody investigation of the recipient

Medienwandel und die propagandistische Dimension von Terrorismus

Das Heft beschäftigt sich mit den medialen Propagandastrategien des islamischen Terrorismus und Fundamentalismus. Die Beiträge untersuchen audiovisuelle Propagandaformaten des sog. Islamischen Staats (IS), der Einsatz medialer Techniken verschiedener Professionalitätsgrade, die rhetorischen Wirkungsmechanismen der multimodalen Propaganda-Kommunikate, und Möglichkeiten der angemessenen Wissenschaftskommunikation über das Thema Islamischer Terrorismus.The issue deals with the propaganda and media strategies used by Islamic terrorist organisations. Contributions investigate the audiovisual propaganda formats of the so-called Islamic State (IS), the use of media techniques of various degrees of professionality, the rhetorical mechanisms of multimodal propaganda communication, and how to explain scientific results about islamic terrorism to the general public

Einleitung

Überwachung und Kontrolle sind grundlegende gesellschaftliche Praktiken, die soziale Strukturen steuern und erhalten. Die kritische Auseinandersetzung mit Überwachung begann historisch mit dem Panopticon-Modell, das Foucault als zentrales Element der Disziplinargesellschaft diskutierte. Die Digitalisierung hat neue Überwachungsformen und -akteure hervorgebracht, die durch algorithmische Methoden und Konsumverhalten agieren und zunehmend Aufmerksamkeit erhalten, insbesondere im Kontext von Datenmissbrauch. Dieser Text untersucht den Zusammenhang von Mediennutzung und Überwachung, insbesondere wie Überwachung durch und in Medien dargestellt wird. Er beleuchtet historische und theoretische Perspektiven, besonders im Kontext von Datenerfassung und Konsum. Ein zentrales Thema ist die Darstellung von Überwachung in Filmen und Serien sowie die Analyse moderner Überwachungsformen durch Apps und soziale Medien. Die Ergebnisse bieten einen umfassenden Überblick über die modernen Herausforderungen der Überwachung und deren gesellschaftliche Implikationen.Surveillance and control are fundamental societal practices that steer and sustain social structures. Critical examination of surveillance began historically with the Panopticon model, which Foucault discussed as a central element of the disciplinary society. Digitalization has introduced new forms and actors of surveillance that operate through algorithmic methods and consumer behavior, gaining increasing attention, especially in the context of data misuse. This text explores the relationship between media usage and surveillance, particularly how surveillance is depicted through and within media. It examines historical and theoretical perspectives, especially in the context of data collection and consumption. A key focus is the portrayal of surveillance in films and TV series, as well as the analysis of modern surveillance forms through apps and social media. The findings provide a comprehensive overview of the modern challenges of surveillance and their societal implications

Expert Report on Immune Thrombocytopenia: Current Diagnostics and Treatment – Recommendations from an Expert Group from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland

no Abstrac

Einleitung

Der einleitende Artikel gibt einen Einblick in die sich wandelnde Landschaft der sozialen Medien und hebt deren anfängliches Versprechen hervor, demokratische Beteiligung und soziale Interaktion zu fördern. Dies steht im Kontrast zu den aktuellen Herausforderungen wie Hasskommentaren, Fake News und Manipulation. In den Fokus gerückt wird der Übergang vom passiven Medienkonsum zur aktiven Teilnahme und Autorschaft. Dabei werden die Herausforderungen und Chancen sozialer Netzwerke aus der Perspektive des Journalismus und der Wissensvermittlung beleuchtet um letztlich, die Komplexitäten der sozialen Medien in der heutigen Gesellschaft zu navigieren.The introductory article provides an insight into the evolving landscape of social media, highlighting its initial promise of fostering democratic engagement and social interaction. This contrasts with current challenges such as hate speech, fake news, and manipulation. The transition from passive media consumption to active participation and authorship is brought into focus. The challenges and opportunities of social networks are examined from the perspectives of journalism and knowledge dissemination to ultimately navigate the complexities of social media in today’s society

High-intensity mechanical therapy for loss of knee extension for worker's compensation and non-compensation patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Knee flexion contractures have been associated with increased pain and a reduced ability to perform activities of daily living. Contractures can be treated either surgically or conservatively, but these treatment options may not be as successful with worker's compensation patients. The purposes of retrospective review were to 1) determine the efficacy of using adjunctive high-intensity stretch (HIS) mechanical therapy to treat flexion contractures, and 2) compare the results between groups of worker's compensation and non-compensation patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty-six patients (19 women, 37 men, age = 51.5 ± 17.0 years) with flexion contractures were treated with HIS mechanical therapy as an adjunct to outpatient physical therapy. Mechanical therapy was only prescribed for those patients whose motion had reached a plateau when treated with physical therapy alone. Patients were asked to perform six, 10-minute bouts of end-range stretching per day with the ERMI Knee Extensionater^(r)(ERMI, Inc., Atlanta, GA). Passive knee extension was recorded during the postoperative visit that mechanical therapy was prescribed, 3 months after beginning mechanical therapy, and at the most recent follow-up. We used a mixed-model 2 × 3 ANOVA (group × time) to evaluate the change in passive knee extension between groups over time.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Regardless of group, the use of adjunctive HIS mechanical therapy resulted in passive knee extension deficits that significantly improved from 10.5° ± 5.2° at the initial visit to 2.6° ± 3.5° at the 3 month visit (p < 0.001). The degree of extension was maintained at the most recent follow-up (2.0° ± 2.9°), which was significantly greater than the initial visit (p < 0.001), but did not differ from the 3 month visit (p = 0.23). The gains in knee extension did not differ between worker's compensation and non-compensation patients (p = 0.56).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We conclude that the adjunctive use of HIS mechanical therapy is an effective treatment option for patients with knee flexion contractures, regardless of whether the patient is being treated as part of a worker's compensation claim or not.</p

Towards the clinical implementation of pharmacogenetics in bipolar disorder.

BackgroundBipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric illness defined by pathological alterations between the mood states of mania and depression, causing disability, imposing healthcare costs and elevating the risk of suicide. Although effective treatments for BD exist, variability in outcomes leads to a large number of treatment failures, typically followed by a trial and error process of medication switches that can take years. Pharmacogenetic testing (PGT), by tailoring drug choice to an individual, may personalize and expedite treatment so as to identify more rapidly medications well suited to individual BD patients.DiscussionA number of associations have been made in BD between medication response phenotypes and specific genetic markers. However, to date clinical adoption of PGT has been limited, often citing questions that must be answered before it can be widely utilized. These include: What are the requirements of supporting evidence? How large is a clinically relevant effect? What degree of specificity and sensitivity are required? Does a given marker influence decision making and have clinical utility? In many cases, the answers to these questions remain unknown, and ultimately, the question of whether PGT is valid and useful must be determined empirically. Towards this aim, we have reviewed the literature and selected drug-genotype associations with the strongest evidence for utility in BD.SummaryBased upon these findings, we propose a preliminary panel for use in PGT, and a method by which the results of a PGT panel can be integrated for clinical interpretation. Finally, we argue that based on the sufficiency of accumulated evidence, PGT implementation studies are now warranted. We propose and discuss the design for a randomized clinical trial to test the use of PGT in the treatment of BD