Convergence rate of dimension reduction in Bose-Einstein condensates

In this paper, we study dimension reduction of the three-dimensional (3D) Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) modelling Bose-Einstein condensation under different limiting interaction and trapping frequencies parameter regimes. Convergence rates for the dimension reduction of 3D ground state and dynamics of the GPE in the case of disk-shaped condensation and cigar-shaped condensation are reported based on our asymptotic and numerical results. In addition, the parameter regimes in which the 3D GPE cannot be reduced to lower dimensions are identified.Comment: 27pages; 9 figure

Keratinocytes regulate the threshold of inflammation by inhibiting T cell effector functions

Whilst the importance of keratinocytes as a first-line defense has been widely investigated, little is known about their interactions with non-resident immune cells. In this study, the impact of human keratinocytes on T cell effector functions was analyzed in an antigen-specific in vitro model of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) to nickel sulfate. Keratinocytes partially inhibited T cell proliferation and cytokine production. This effect was dependent on the keratinocyte/T cell ratio and was partially reversible by increasing the number of autologous dendritic cells. The inhibition of T cell proliferation by keratinocytes was independent of the T cell subtype and antigen presentation by different professional antigen-presenting cells. Autologous and heterologous keratinocytes showed comparable effects, while the fixation of keratinocytes with paraformaldehyde abrogated the immunosuppressive effect. The separation of keratinocytes and T cells by a transwell chamber, as well as a cell-free keratinocyte supernatant, inhibited T cell effector functions to the same amount as directly co-cultured keratinocytes, thus proving that soluble factor/s account for the observed suppressive effects. In conclusion, keratinocytes critically control the threshold of inflammatory processes in the skin by inhibiting T cell proliferation and cytokine production

Cross-sectional, descriptive study of Chagas disease among citizens of Bolivian origin living in Munich, Germany

PURPOSE: Chagas disease (CD) has become a global health issue mainly due to migration. Germany lacks surveillance data and is home to a large Latin American immigrant population. Recognising that Bolivia is the country with the highest CD prevalence in Latin America, this cross-sectional, descriptive pilot study investigated CD and associated factors among citizens of Bolivian origin living in Munich, Germany. METHODS: Participants completed a questionnaire in order to collect socioeconomic and health-related data. In addition, serology was performed. In case of positive serological tests, PCR diagnostic and clinical staging together with disease management was initiated. Qualitative research was conducted to identify personal and community barriers as well as strategies to increase CD awareness among the population at risk. RESULTS: Between June 2013 and June 2014, 43 people from Bolivia (or descendants) were enrolled. A total of 9.3% (4/43), of whom two women were of childbearing age, tested seropositive (ELISA and IFAT), and one also by PCR. For 2/4 positive participants, clinical evaluation was performed and the indeterminate form of CD was diagnosed. Knowledge about CD symptoms and ways of transmission were completely absent among 55.8% (24/43, 2/4 with CD) and 30.2% (13/43, 1/4 with CD) of participants, respectively. A total of 27.9% (12/43, 0/4 with CD) of participants had donated blood prior to the study, whereas 62.8% (27/43, 3/4 with CD) were motivated to donate blood in the future. The qualitative research identified lack of knowledge as well as stigma and fears related to CD. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the small number of participants, the prevalence of CD as well as the potential risk of non-vectorial transmission was alarming. Campaigns adapted for Latin American migrants as well as control strategies should be developed and put in place in order to prevent non-vectorial transmission and actively detect cases of CD in Germany.This study was supported through the Clinical Leave Programme (TI 07.001, grant to MP) and the MD Programme (TI 07.003, grant to MP and MH) by the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF). The University of Munich (LMU) contributed through the programme ‘Lehre@LMU’ (grants to MP and CS), and Mundo Sano provided financial and human resources to plan the informational approach to reach the Bolivian community living in Munich and to design and perform the qualitative research.S

Spatial transcriptomics reveals altered lipid metabolism and inflammation-related gene expression of sebaceous glands in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis

Sebaceous glands drive acne, however, their role in other inflammatory skin diseases remains unclear. To shed light on their potential contribution to disease development, we investigated the spatial transcriptome of sebaceous glands in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis patients across lesional and non-lesional human skin samples. Both atopic dermatitis and psoriasis sebaceous glands expressed genes encoding key proteins for lipid metabolism and transport such as ALOX15B, APOC1, FABP7, FADS1/2, FASN, PPARG, and RARRES1. Also, inflammation-related SAA1 was identified as a common spatially variable gene. In atopic dermatitis, genes mainly related to lipid metabolism (e.g. ACAD8, FADS6, or EBP) as well as disease-specific genes, i.e., Th2 inflammation-related lipid-regulating HSD3B1 were differentially expressed. On the contrary, in psoriasis, more inflammation-related spatially variable genes (e.g. SERPINF1, FKBP5, IFIT1/3, DDX58) were identified. Other psoriasis-specific enriched pathways included lipid metabolism (e.g. ACOT4, S1PR3), keratinization (e.g. LCE5A, KRT5/7/16), neutrophil degranulation, and antimicrobial peptides (e.g. LTF, DEFB4A, S100A7-9). In conclusion, our results show that sebaceous glands contribute to skin homeostasis with a cell type-specific lipid metabolism, which is influenced by the inflammatory microenvironment. These findings further support that sebaceous glands are not bystanders in inflammatory skin diseases, but can actively and differentially modulate inflammation in a disease-specific manner

Association between skin disorders and depression in children and adolescents: A retrospective case-control study

International audienceBackground: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between skin disorders and depression in children and adolescents in Germany. Methods: This retrospective case-control study was based on data from the Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA). The present study included children and adolescents diagnosed for the first time with depression in 185 pediatric practices between January 2017 and December 2019 (index date) and matched controls without depression. Chronic skin conditions documented within 12 months prior to the index date (i.e. date of first depression diagnosis) were included in the analyses if their prevalence was at least 0.5% in the study population. Associations between nine different skin disorders and depression (dependent variable) were analyzed in a conditional logistic regression model. Results: This study included 7,061 cases with depression and 7,061 matched controls without depression (mean age 11.3 (SD: 3.8) years; 53.4% female). Three disorders were significantly associated with depression: atopic dermatitis/eczema (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.37-1.64), nail disorders (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.20-2.82), and hair loss (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.30-2.60). In sex-stratified regression analyses, atopic dermatitis/eczema (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.26-1.61) and hair loss (OR = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.37-3.03), were significantly associated with depression in females, since only atopic dermatitis/eczema was associated with depression (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.39-1.80) in males. However, strong non-significant association was additionally observed for nail disorders (OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.07-4.01), and pigmentation disorders (OR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.05-3.54) in females. Conclusions: Some skin disorders are positively associated with depression in children and adolescents. Further research is needed for better understanding of the underlying mechanisms and mediating factors

Comparison of four PCR methods for efficient detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in routine diagnostics

Due to increased migration, Chagas disease has become an international health problem. Reliable diagnosis of chronically infected people is crucial for prevention of non-vectorial transmission as well as treatment. This study compared four distinct PCR methods for detection of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA for the use in well-equipped routine diagnostic laboratories. DNA was extracted of T. cruzi-positive and negative patients' blood samples and cultured T. cruzi, T. rangeli as well as Leishmania spp. One conventional and two real-time PCR methods targeting a repetitive Sat-DNA sequence as well as one conventional PCR method targeting the variable region of the kDNA minicircle were compared for sensitivity, intra- and interassay precision, limit of detection, specificity and cross-reactivity. Considering the performance, costs and ease of use, an algorithm for PCR-diagnosis of patients with a positive serology for T. cruzi antibodies was developed.This research was supported by the German Center for InfectionResearch through the MD program (to MH, MP and PS). Overall,the project wasfinanced by the University of Munich (LMU).S

Cross-sectional, descriptive study of Chagas disease among citizens of Bolivian origin living in Munich, Germany

PURPOSE: Chagas disease (CD) has become a global health issue mainly due to migration. Germany lacks surveillance data and is home to a large Latin American immigrant population. Recognising that Bolivia is the country with the highest CD prevalence in Latin America, this cross-sectional, descriptive pilot study investigated CD and associated factors among citizens of Bolivian origin living in Munich, Germany. METHODS: Participants completed a questionnaire in order to collect socioeconomic and health-related data. In addition, serology was performed. In case of positive serological tests, PCR diagnostic and clinical staging together with disease management was initiated. Qualitative research was conducted to identify personal and community barriers as well as strategies to increase CD awareness among the population at risk. RESULTS: Between June 2013 and June 2014, 43 people from Bolivia (or descendants) were enrolled. A total of 9.3% (4/43), of whom two women were of childbearing age, tested seropositive (ELISA and IFAT), and one also by PCR. For 2/4 positive participants, clinical evaluation was performed and the indeterminate form of CD was diagnosed. Knowledge about CD symptoms and ways of transmission were completely absent among 55.8% (24/43, 2/4 with CD) and 30.2% (13/43, 1/4 with CD) of participants, respectively. A total of 27.9% (12/43, 0/4 with CD) of participants had donated blood prior to the study, whereas 62.8% (27/43, 3/4 with CD) were motivated to donate blood in the future. The qualitative research identified lack of knowledge as well as stigma and fears related to CD. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the small number of participants, the prevalence of CD as well as the potential risk of non-vectorial transmission was alarming. Campaigns adapted for Latin American migrants as well as control strategies should be developed and put in place in order to prevent non-vectorial transmission and actively detect cases of CD in Germany