Zur Analyse rheinland-pfälzischer Exporte mittels Gravitationsmodell

Diese Studie untersucht die Anwendbarkeit des Gravitationsmodells zur Erklärung internationaler Handelsbeziehungen exemplarisch anhand der rheinland-pfälzischen Exporte. Es werden verschiedene Modellspezifikationen herangezogen. Diese unterscheiden sich sowohl durch ihre erklärenden Variablen (Grund- vs. erweiterte Modelle) als auch ihre Dimension (Querschnitts- vs. Panelmodelle). Die Ergebnisse bestätigen die Anwendbarkeit des Gravita-tionsmodells bei der Querschnittsschätzung. Im Rahmen der Panelanalyse kann dagegen lediglich eine eingeschränkte Anwendbarkeit aufgezeigt werden. -- This study examines the applicability of gravity models to explain international trade relations. For this reason the analysis occurs exemplary for the export of Rhine-Palatinate. Various specifications of the gravity model (basic vs. augmented models; cross section vs. panel data models) are compared. The results of this study confirm the applicability of the cross section gravity model, whereas the panel gravity model is just limited appropriate.

Sustained Calcium(II)-Release to Impart Bioactivity in Hybrid Glass Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

In this study, we integrated different calcium sources into sol-gel hybrid glass scaffolds with the aim of producing implants with long-lasting calcium release while maintaining mechanical strength of the implant. Calcium(II)-release was used to introduce bioactivity to the material and eventually support implant integration into a bone tissue defect. Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) derived silica sols were cross-linked with an ethoxysilylated 4-armed macromer, pentaerythritol ethoxylate and processed into macroporous scaffolds with defined pore structure by indirect rapid prototyping. Triethyl phosphate (TEP) was shown to function as silica sol solvent. In a first approach, we investigated the integration of 1 to 10% CaCl2 in order to test the hypothesis that small CaCl2 amounts can be physically entrapped and slowly released from hybrid glass scaffolds. With 5 and 10% CaCl2 we observed an extensive burst release, whereas slightly improved release profiles were found for lower Calcium(II) contents. In contrast, introduction of melt-derived bioactive 45S5 glass microparticles (BG-MP) into the hybrid glass scaffolds as another Calcium(II) source led to an approximately linear release of Calcium(II) in Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (TRIS) buffer over 12 weeks. pH increase caused by BG-MP could be controlled by their amount integrated into the scaffolds. Compression strength remained unchanged compared to scaffolds without BG-MP. In cell culture medium as well as in simulated body fluid, we observed a rapid formation of a carbonated hydroxyapatite layer on BG-MP containing scaffolds. However, this mineral layer consumed the released Calcium(II) ions and prevented an additional increase in Calcium(II) concentration in the cell culture medium. Cell culture studies on the different scaffolds with osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells as well as bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) did not show any advantages concerning osteogenic differentiation due to the integration of BG-MP into the scaffolds. Nonetheless, via the formation of a hydroxyapatite layer and the ability to control the pH increase, we speculate that implant integration in vivo and bone regeneration may benefit from this concept

Am. J. Hum. Genet.

Thrombocytopenia–absent radius (TAR) syndrome is characterized by hypomegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia and bilateral radial aplasia in the presence of both thumbs. Other frequent associations are congenital heart disease and a high incidence of cow’s milk intolerance. Evidence for autosomal recessive inheritance comes from families with several affected individuals born to unaffected parents, but several other observations argue for a more complex pattern of inheritance. In this study, we describe a common interstitial microdeletion of 200 kb on chromosome 1q21.1 in all 30 investigated patients with TAR syndrome, detected by microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization. Analysis of the parents revealed that this deletion occurred de novo in 25% of affected individuals. Intriguingly, inheritance of the deletion along the maternal line as well as the paternal line was observed. The absence of this deletion in a cohort of control individuals argues for a specific role played by the microdeletion in the pathogenesis of TAR syndrome. We hypothesize that TAR syndrome is associated with a deletion on chromosome 1q21.1 but that the phenotype develops only in the presence of an additional as-yet-unknown modifier (mTAR)

Immunoadsorption for Treatment of Patients with Suspected Alzheimer Dementia and Agonistic Autoantibodies against Alpha1a-Adrenoceptor—Rationale and Design of the IMAD Pilot Study

Background: agonistic autoantibodies (agAABs) against G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) have been linked to cardiovascular disease. In dementia patients, GPCR-agAABs against the α1- and ß2-adrenoceptors (α1AR- and ß2AR) were found at a prevalence of 50%. Elimination of agAABs by immunoadsorption (IA) was successfully applied in cardiovascular disease. The IMAD trial (Efficacy of immunoadsorption for treatment of persons with Alzheimer dementia and agonistic autoantibodies against alpha1A-adrenoceptor) investigates whether the removal of α1AR-AABs by a 5-day IA procedure has a positive effect (improvement or non-deterioration) on changes of hemodynamic, cognitive, vascular and metabolic parameters in patients with suspected Alzheimer’s clinical syndrome within a one-year follow-up period. Methods: the IMAD trial is designed as an exploratory monocentric interventional trial corresponding to a proof-of-concept phase-IIa study. If cognition capacity of eligible patients scores 19–26 in the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), patients are tested for the presence of agAABs by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based method, followed by a bioassay-based confirmation test, further screening and treatment with IA and intravenous immunoglobulin G (IgG) replacement. We aim to include 15 patients with IA/IgG and to complete follow-up data from at least 12 patients. The primary outcome parameter of the study is uncorrected mean cerebral perfusion measured in mL/min/100 gr of brain tissue determined by magnetic resonance imaging with arterial spin labeling after 12 months. Conclusion: IMAD is an important pilot study that will analyze whether the removal of α1AR-agAABs by immunoadsorption in α1AR-agAAB-positive patients with suspected Alzheimer’s clinical syndrome may slow the progression of dementia and/or may improve vascular functional parameters

The stigma of obesity in the general public and its implications for public health - a systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Up to this date, prevalence rates of obesity are still rising. Aside from co-morbid diseases, perceived discrimination and stigmatization leads to worsen outcomes in obese individuals. Higher stigmatizing attitudes towards obese individuals may also result in less support of preventive and interventive measures. In light of the immense burden of obesity on health care systems and also on the individuals' quality of life, accepted and subsidized preventive measures are needed. Policy support might be determined by views of the lay public on causes of obesity and resulting weight stigma. This study seeks to answer how representative samples of the lay public perceive people with obesity or overweight status (stigmatizing attitudes); what these samples attribute obesity to (causal attribution) and what types of interventions are supported by the lay public and which factors determine that support (prevention support).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic literature search was conducted. All studies of representative samples reporting results on (a) stigmatizing attitudes towards overweight and obese individuals, (b) causal beliefs and (c) prevention support were included.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Only 7 articles were found. One study reported prevalence rates of stigmatizing attitudes. About a quarter of the population in Germany displayed definite stigmatizing attitudes. Other studies reported causal attributions. While external influences on weight are considered as well, it seems that internal factors are rated to be of higher importance. Across the studies found, regulative prevention is supported by about half of the population, while childhood prevention has highest approval rates. Results on sociodemographic determinants differ substantially.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Further research on public attitudes toward and perception of overweight and obesity is urgently needed to depict the prevailing degree of stigmatization. Introducing a multidimensional concept of the etiology of obesity to the lay public might be a starting point in stigma reduction.</p

Toward large tubular helices based on the polymerization of tri(benzamide)s

Herein we present the synthesis and polycondensation of mono- and di-N-protected, bis-substituted tri(benzamide)s with the aim to create large, tubular helices. We synthesized 2,4-dimethoxy and 2,5-bis-TEGylated aminobenzoic acid derivatives as bent and linear monomers and introduced p-methoxybenzyl (PMB) amide protecting groups to the oligobenzamide backbone. An iterative coupling strategy allowed for sequence control, giving rise to oligomers consisting of one bent and two linear monomers. The resulting meta-para-para-linked aromatic trimers carried either one or two PMB-protecting groups. With high organosolubility and flexibility, this synthetic strategy generated suitable precursors for subsequent polycondensation reactions. After polymerization, treatment with acid triggered the cleavage of the N-protecting groups. We hypothesize that the hydrogen bonding pattern generated along the polyaramide backbone could lead to the formation of a helical polymer. A drastic change in hydrodynamic volume was observed by gel permeation chromatography and dissolution in a chiral solvent lead to the observation of a circular dichroism signal for this polymer. The results of the polycondensations of N-protected oligobenzamides are reported herein. The formation of macrocycles as well as polymers could also be observed, giving a highly interesting insight into the underlying mechanism of the polycondensation of flexible, oligobenzamide-based oligomer

Safety and clinical outcomes of rituximab therapy in patients with different autoimmune diseases: experience from a national registry (GRAID)

Introduction: Evidence from a number of open-label, uncontrolled studies has suggested that rituximab may benefit patients with autoimmune diseases who are refractory to standard-of-care. The objective of this study was to evaluate the safety and clinical outcomes of rituximab in several standard-of-care-refractory autoimmune diseases (within rheumatology, nephrology, dermatology and neurology) other than rheumatoid arthritis or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in a real-life clinical setting. Methods: Patients who received rituximab having shown an inadequate response to standard-of-care had their safety and clinical outcomes data retrospectively analysed as part of the German Registry of Autoimmune Diseases. The main outcome measures were safety and clinical response, as judged at the discretion of the investigators. Results: A total of 370 patients (299 patient-years) with various autoimmune diseases (23.0% with systemic lupus erythematosus, 15.7% antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated granulomatous vasculitides, 15.1% multiple sclerosis and 10.0% pemphigus) from 42 centres received a mean dose of 2,440 mg of rituximab over a median (range) of 194 (180 to 1,407) days. The overall rate of serious infections was 5.3 per 100 patient-years during rituximab therapy. Opportunistic infections were infrequent across the whole study population, and mostly occurred in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. There were 11 deaths (3.0% of patients) after rituximab treatment (mean 11.6 months after first infusion, range 0.8 to 31.3 months), with most of the deaths caused by infections. Overall (n = 293), 13.3% of patients showed no response, 45.1% showed a partial response and 41.6% showed a complete response. Responses were also reflected by reduced use of glucocorticoids and various immunosuppressives during rituximab therapy and follow-up compared with before rituximab. Rituximab generally had a positive effect on patient well-being (physician's visual analogue scale; mean improvement from baseline of 12.1 mm). Conclusions: Data from this registry indicate that rituximab is a commonly employed, well-tolerated therapy with potential beneficial effects in standard of care-refractory autoimmune diseases, and support the results from other open-label, uncontrolled studies

Bottom-up effects of plant diversity on multitrophic interactions in a biodiversity experiment

Biodiversity is rapidly declining1, and this may negatively affect ecosystem processes, including economically important ecosystem services. Previous studies have shown that biodiversity has positive effects on organisms and processes4 across trophic levels. However, only a few studies have so far incorporated an explicit food-web perspective. In an eight-year biodiversity experiment, we studied an unprecedented range of above- and below-ground organisms and multitrophic interactions. A multitrophic data set originating from a single long-term experiment allows mechanistic insights that would not be gained from meta-analysis of different experiments. Here we show that plant diversity effects dampen with increasing trophic level and degree of omnivory. This was true both for abundance and species richness of organisms. Furthermore, we present comprehensive above-ground/below-ground biodiversity food webs. Both above ground and below ground, herbivores responded more strongly to changes in plant diversity than did carnivores or omnivores. Density and richness of carnivorous taxa was independent of vegetation structure. Below-ground responses to plant diversity were consistently weaker than above-ground responses. Responses to increasing plant diversity were generally positive, but were negative for biological invasion, pathogen infestation and hyperparasitism. Our results suggest that plant diversity has strong bottom-up effects on multitrophic interaction networks, with particularly strong effects on lower trophic levels. Effects on higher trophic levels are indirectly mediated through bottom-up trophic cascades