Novel Schizophrenia Risk Gene TCF4 Influences Verbal Learning and Memory Functioning in Schizophrenia Patients

Background: Recently, a role of the transcription factor 4 (TCF4) gene in schizophrenia has been reported in a large genome-wide association study. It has been hypothesized that TCF4 affects normal brain development and TCF4 has been related to different forms of neurodevelopmental disorders. Schizophrenia patients exhibit strong impairments of verbal declarative memory (VDM) functions. Thus, we hypothesized that the disease-associated C allele of the rs9960767 polymorphism of the TCF4 gene led to impaired VDM functioning in schizophrenia patients. Method: The TCF4 variant was genotyped in 401 schizophrenia patients. VDM functioning was measured using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Results: Carriers of the C allele were less impaired in recognition compared to those carrying the AA genotype (13.76 vs. 13.06; p = 0.049). Moreover, a trend toward higher scores in patients with the risk allele was found for delayed recall (10.24 vs. 9.41; p = 0.088). The TCF4 genotype did not influence intelligence or RAVLT immediate recall or total verbal learning. Conclusion: VDM function is influenced by the TCF4 gene in schizophrenia patients. However, the elevated risk for schizophrenia is not conferred by TCF4-mediated VDM impairment. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Base

Piccolo genotype modulates neural correlates of emotion processing but not executive functioning

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by affective symptoms and cognitive impairments, which have been associated with changes in limbic and prefrontal activity as well as with monoaminergic neurotransmission. A genome-wide association study implicated the polymorphism rs2522833 in the piccolo (PCLO) gene—involved in monoaminergic neurotransmission—as a risk factor for MDD. However, the role of the PCLO risk allele in emotion processing and executive function or its effect on their neural substrate has never been studied. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate PCLO risk allele carriers vs noncarriers during an emotional face processing task and a visuospatial planning task in 159 current MDD patients and healthy controls. In PCLO risk allele carriers, we found increased activity in the left amygdala during processing of angry and sad faces compared with noncarriers, independent of psychopathological status. During processing of fearful faces, the PCLO risk allele was associated with increased amygdala activation in MDD patients only. During the visuospatial planning task, we found no genotype effect on performance or on BOLD signal in our predefined areas as a function of increasing task load. The PCLO risk allele was found to be specifically associated with altered emotion processing, but not with executive dysfunction. Moreover, the PCLO risk allele appears to modulate amygdala function during fearful facial processing in MDD and may constitute a possible link between genotype and susceptibility for depression via altered processing of fearful stimuli. The current results may therefore aid in better understanding underlying neurobiological mechanisms in MDD

Measuring the Indirect Effects of Adverse Employer Behavior on Worker Productivity – A Field Experiment

We conduct a field experiment to study how worker productivity is affected if employers act adversely towards their co-workers. Our employees work for two shifts in a call centre. In our main treatment, we lay off some workers before the second shift. Compared to two control treatments, we find that the lay-off reduces the productivity of unaffected workers by 12%. We find suggestive evidence that this result is not driven by altered beliefs about the job or the management's competence, but caused by the workers' perception of unfair employer behaviour. The latter interpretation is confirmed in a prediction experiment with professional HR managers. Our results suggest that the price for adverse employer behaviour goes well beyond the potential tit for tat of directly affected workers

The spatiotemporal distribution of butterflies and moth in nutrient poor bogs of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

Abstract: All available collection data of butterflies and moth of bogs and swamps in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania from the literature of the past 100 years have been collected for the evaluation of spatiotemporal distribution. In addition, entomologists were interviewed. Furthermore the state-collection in the Müritzeum in Waren and the database of the State Office for the Environment, Nature Protection and Geology Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has been evaluated. All data have been systematized and visual-ized by means of a Geographical Information System. Distribution maps were created. In addition, the findings of the various species were counted for each of the years. It turned out that 7 taxa of the originally spectrum (24 tyrphobiontic / tyrphophilic species) are extinct in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania now. Important reasons for this are likely the degradation of peatlands and the large-scale changes in the regional water balance, caused of the complex drainage. Further 6 species have decreased drastically in their occurrence. It is possible that they will die out locally by further deterioration in regional water balance and by the effects of climate changes. 8 species were able to develop positively. They could increase and strengthen their population or expand their occurrence areas. On the one hand, this happens because of the success in wetland restoration, on the other hand fen species migrate into the ecosystem of bogs. 3 species have been able to establish relatively stable stocks for long periods at a low level.Zusammenfassung: Für die Auswertungen zur raum-zeitlichen Verbreitung von Schmetterlingen nährstoffarmer Moore in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern wurden alle verfügbaren Funddaten aus der Literatur der letzten 100 Jahre sowie von zahlreichen aktuell tätigen Entomologen zusammengetragen. Zudem ist die Landessammlung im Müritzeum in Waren und die Datenbank des Landesamtes für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Geologie Mecklenburg-Vorpommerns ausgewertet worden. Alle Daten sind systematisiert und mittels eines Geographischen Informationssystems visualisiert worden. Neben den so entstandenen Verbreitungskarten wurden die Fundortnachweise auf die Jahre bezogen ausgezählt. Es stellte sich heraus, dass sich von den 24 tyrphobionten bzw. tyrphophilen Arten 7 Taxa in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern nicht mehr nachweisen ließen. Wichtige Gründe dafür dürften im Torfabbau der Moore und in der großflächigen Veränderung des Landschaftswasserhaushaltes im Zuge der Komplexmelioration liegen. Weitere 6 Arten sind drastisch in ihren Vorkommen zurückgegangen. Es ist damit zu rechnen, dass diese mit den weiteren Verschlechterungen im Landschaftswasserhaushalt und im Zuge des Klimawandels lokal aussterben. 8 Arten konnten sich positiv entwickeln und ihre Vorkommensgebiete ausdehnen bzw. die Populationen stärken. Zum einen spielen dabei die Erfolge bei der Moor-renaturierung eine Rolle, zum anderen wandern offensichtlich Niedermoorarten in das Ökosystem von Hochmooren ein. 3 Arten haben auf niedrigem Niveau relativ konstante Bestände über lange Zeiträume etablieren können.DFG, SUB Göttingen, DGMTresearc

Drainage days - an independent risk factor for serious sternal wound infections after cardiac surgery : a case control study

Postoperative sternal wound infections are a potentially devastating complication following cardiac surgery. The aim of our study was to determine risk factors associated with patients' baseline characteristics and peri- and postoperative management for the development of surgical site infections (SSIs) after cardiac surgery involving sternotomy.; Since 2009 the University Hospital of Basel, a tertiary care center in Switzerland, has participated in the national SSI-surveillance program by conducting postdischarge surveillance. We conducted a nested case-control study involving 30 consecutive patients with an organ/space SSI after cardiac surgery and 60 control patients.; Receipt of antibiotics before operation (odds ratio [OR], 1.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-1.41; P = .032), decreased albumin levels (OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.76-0.99; P = .040, respectively), time on extracorporal circulation (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.00-1.03; P = .012), number of drainages (OR, 9.15; 95% CI, 2.01-41.76; P = .004), length of drain retention (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.10-1.90; P = .009), and resuscitation (OR, 7.30; 95% CI, 1.53-34.71; P = .012) were associated with SSIs. Incidence density drainage days-accounting for both number of drains and length of retention-were the only independent risk factor (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11; P = .018).; Retention of drainages in the operative site longer than 48 hours was the only independent risk factor for the development of organ/space sternal wound infections after cardiac surgery