Screening for infectious diseases

Introduction: Fetal brain injury is an essential cause of lifelong morbidity. Infection appears as a cause of brain damage. Apart from chorioamnionitis, screening for infectious diseases must be considered in pregnancies with a risk of congenital infection or cases with abnormal cerebral ultrasound findings. Discussion: Congenital infections include most of the major components of the TORCH complex: toxoplasmosis, rubella, cytomegalovirus, herpes, and varicella. Seronegative mothers can develop primary infection, which carries a risk of vertical transmission. The timing of the infection is a critical point, because fetal damage often depends on the gestational age at which acute maternal infection took place and occurs more likely in the first half of pregnancy. Antenatal ultrasound can detect brain abnormalities, like hydrocephalus, periventricular leukomalacia, calcifications or hemorrhage. Maternal serologic tests must be performed to look for an infectious etiology; the most frequent agents are the components of the TORCH complex. But additional serology must include parvovirus B19, HIV, and coxsackieviruse

Strategies of Political Communication within German Catholicism at the Beginning of the Weimar Republic

Der Beitrag fragt nach den Strategien politischer Kommunikation, die im deutschen Katholizismus nach der Niederlage im Ersten Weltkrieg und der Revolution von 1918/19 die Beteiligung an der politischen Neugestaltung auf revolutionärer Grundlage rechtfertigen konnten. Den Ausgangspunkt bildete dabei zunächst der Appell an den politischen Pragmatismus als „weltanschaulichen“ Grundbestand des Katholizismus, der in der allgegenwärtigen Verwendung des Begriffs vom „Boden der Tatsachen“ eine formelhafte Gestalt gewann und durch die Revolutions- und Bolschewismusfurcht im Katholizismus, aber auch durch Verweise auf die verfassungspolitischen Erfolge der Zentrumspartei in der Weimarer Nationalversammlung gestützt wurde. Grundsätzlicher ließ sich die Beteiligung an der politischen Neuordnung durch die fortgeführte Kritik des Kaiserreiches als kleindeutsch-protestantischer Machtstaat, vor allem aber durch die theologisch-psychologische Deutung von Krieg, Niederlage und Revolution als „seelische“ Krise einer durch individualistischen Liberalismus und materialistischen Kapitalismus seit dem 19. Jahrhundert in ihren Grundfesten erschütterten Gesellschaft rechtfertigen. Diese traditionell-apologetische katholische Kulturkritik führte intellektuelle Traditionen des Integralismus weiter und war mit der emanzipatorischen Traditionslinie der liberalen Demokratie schwer zu vereinbaren. Dennoch ermöglichte das in dieser Kulturkritik artikulierte Ganzheits- und Gemeinschaftsdenken nach 1918 mit all seinen Ambivalenzen eine kommunikative Integration im deutschen Katholizismus und damit auch eine „vernunftrepublikanische“ Öffnung gegenüber den neuen politischen Realitäten

Analysis of marine conflicts

The traffic conflict technique (TCT) is a powerful technique applied in road traffic safety assessment as a surrogate of the traditional accident data analysis. It has subdued the conceptual and implemental weaknesses of the accident statistics. Although this technique has been applied effectively in road traffic, it has not been practised well in marine traffic even though this traffic system has some distinct advantages in terms of having a monitoring system. This monitoring system can provide navigational information as well as other geometric information of the ships for a larger study area over a longer time period. However, for implementing the TCT in the marine traffic system, it should be examined critically to suit the complex nature of the traffic system. This paper examines the suitability of the TCT to be applied to marine traffic and proposes a framework for a follow up comprehensive conflict study

Pumilio binds para mRNA and requires nanos and brat to regulate sodium current in drosophila motoneurons

Homeostatic regulation of ionic currents is of paramount importance during periods of synaptic growth or remodeling. Our previous work has identified the translational repressor Pumilio (Pum) as a regulator of sodium current (INa) and excitability in Drosophila motoneurons. In this current study, we show that Pum is able to bind directly the mRNA encoding the Drosophila voltage-gated sodium channel paralytic (para). We identify a putative binding site for Pum in the 3' end of the para open reading frame (ORF). Characterization of the mechanism of action of Pum, using whole-cell patch clamp and real-time reverse transcription-PCR, reveals that the full-length protein is required for translational repression of para mRNA. Additionally, the cofactor Nanos is essential for Pum-dependent para repression, whereas the requirement for Brain Tumor (Brat) is cell type specific. Thus, Pum-dependent regulation of INa in motoneurons requires both Nanos and Brat, whereas regulation in other neuronal types seemingly requires only Nanos but not Brat. We also show that Pum is able to reduce the level of nanos mRNA and as such identify a potential negative-feedback mechanism to protect neurons from overactivity of Pum. Finally, we show coupling between INa (para) and IK (Shal) such that Pum-mediated change in para results in a compensatory change in Shal. The identification of para as a direct target of Pum represents the first ion channel to be translationally regulated by this repressor and the location of the binding motif is the first example in an ORF rather than in the canonical 3'-untranslated region of target transcripts

Detection of Ureaplasma urealyticum in Second-Trimester Amniotic Fluid by Polymerase Chain Reaction Correlates with Subsequent Preterm Labor and Delivery

Ureaplasma urealyticum is the microorganism most frequently isolated from the amniotic fluid of women in preterm labor. The relationship between intra-amniotic U. urealyticum in healthy second-trimester pregnant women and subsequent pregnancy outcome was investigated. Transabdominal amniotic fluid obtained from 254 asymptomatic women at 15-17 weeks' gestation were tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). U. urealyticum was identified in 29 subjects (11.4%). A subsequent preterm labor occurred in 17 U. urealyticum-positive women (58.6%), compared with 10 (4.4%) U. urealyticum-negative women (P<.0001). Preterm birth was documented in 7 (24.1%) U. urealyticum-positive women compared with only 1 U. urealyticum-negative woman (0.4%) (P<.0001). U. urealyticum-positive women also had a higher prevalence of preterm labor in a prior pregnancy (20.7%) than did the negative women (2.7%; P=.0008). PCR testing of second-trimester amniotic fluid for U. urealyticum can identify women at risk for subsequent preterm labor and deliver

Regional origin and decrease of pain in patients with depressive symptoms under treatment with venlafaxine

Objective: Patient's language, tradition, conventions, and customs may all determine integration into a society and are also part of the doctor-patient relationship that influences diagnostic and therapeutic outcome. Language barrier and sociocultural disparity of Eastern and Southern European patients may hamper recovery from pain and depression compared to Middle European patients in Switzerland. Methods: In a prospective naturalistic observational trial we investigated the influence of regional origin on treatment outcome in 420 pain sufferers with depressive symptoms from all over Switzerland who were treated with venlafaxine by 122 physicians in primary care. Physicians rated severity of depressive symptoms using the clinical global impression severity scale and pain intensity by means of visual analogue scales. We hypothesized that in Eastern and Southern European patients the magnitude of pain reduction under treatment with venlafaxine is less compared to Middle European patients. Results: Three months after study entry, Middle European patients were found to profit more from treatment with venlafaxine in terms of severity of depression and pain intensity than patients from Eastern Europe and Southern Europe. Conclusion: Regional origin may contribute to the magnitude of pain reduction in patients with depressive symptoms under treatment with venlafaxine. Our results provide a rational for care provider educational programs aimed at improving capacities in treating patients from different regional origin with psychosomatic complaints such as depression and comorbid pai

Charakteristika chronischer Schmerzpatienten mit depressiver Begleitsymptomatik in drei unterschiedlichen Behandlungssettings

Zusammenfassung : Hintergrund: : Über demographische und medizinische Charakteristika von chronischen Schmerzpatienten mit depressiven Symptomen in der Praxis ist bisher wenig bekannt. Methodik: : Die Charakteristika hinsichtlich regionaler Herkunft und Schmerz intensität zu Beginn einer antidepressiven Behandlung werden von 585 chronischen Schmerzpatienten mit depressiver Symptomatik aus 122 Arztpraxen der ganzen Schweiz (Innere Medizin, Allgemeinmedizin, Psychiatrie) beschrieben. Aufgrund der klinischen Erfahrungen im Schweizer Gesundheitssystem wurde vermutet, dass Internisten und Allgemeinpraktiker im Vergleich zu Psychiatern eher ältere und geringergradig depressive Patienten mit weniger intensiven chronischen Schmerzen behandeln, die vermehrt aus mitteleuropäischen Ländern stammen. Ergebnisse: : Tatsächlich behandelten Internisten (und Allgemeinpraktiker) gegenüber Psychiatern häufiger ältere Patienten aus Mitteleuropa mit leichteren depressiven Symptomen und geringerer Schmerzintensität sowie seltener Schmerzen im Kopfbereich. Weiter litten Patienten aus Ost- und Südeuropa gegenüber Mitteleuropäern unter intensiveren Gesamtschmerzen, und dies vor allem im Kopf-, Extremitäten-, Rücken- und Brustbereich, während Südeuropäer gegenüber Mitteleuropäern zusätzlich auch vermehrt unter Brustschmerzen litten. Schlussfolgerung: : Es handelt sich um eine vergleichsweise große Stichprobe, die praxisnah und aus allen Regionen der Schweiz niedergelassene, in Schmerzbehandlungen involvierte Internisten, Allgemeinpraktiker und Psychiater einbezieht und damit die Verhältnisse von Patienten mit körperlichen Schmerzen und einer depressiven Begleitsymptomatik hinsichtlich regionaler Herkunft und Schmerzintensität gut repräsentier

Smell or vision? The use of different sensory modalities in predator discrimination

ABSTRACT Theory predicts that animals should adjust their escape responses to the perceived predation risk. The information animals obtain about potential predation risk may differ qualitatively depending on the sensory modality by which a cue is perceived. For instance, olfactory cues may reveal better information about the presence or absence of threats, whereas visual information can reliably transmit the position and potential attack distance of a predator. While this suggests a differential use of information perceived through the two sensory channels, the relative importance of visual vs. olfactory cues when distinguishing between different predation threats is still poorly understood. Therefore, we exposed individuals of the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher to a standardized threat stimulus combined with either predator or non-predator cues presented either visually or chemically. We predicted that flight responses towards a threat stimulus are more pronounced if cues of dangerous rather than harmless heterospecifics are presented and that N. pulcher, being an aquatic species, relies more on olfaction when discriminating between dangerous and harmless heterospecifics. N. pulcher responded faster to the threat stimulus, reached a refuge faster and entered a refuge more likely when predator cues were perceived. Unexpectedly, the sensory modality used to perceive the cues did not affect the escape response or the duration of the recovery phase. This suggests that N. pulcher are able to discriminate heterospecific cues with similar acuity when using vision or olfaction. We discuss that this ability may be advantageous in aquatic environments where the visibility conditions strongly vary over time. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The ability to rapidly discriminate between dangerous predators and harmless heterospecifics is crucial for the survival of prey animals. In seasonally fluctuating environment, sensory conditions may change over the year and may make the use of multiple sensory modalities for heterospecific discrimination highly beneficial. Here we compared the efficacy of visual and olfactory senses in the discrimination ability of the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher. We presented individual fish with visual or olfactory cues of predators or harmless heterospecifics and recorded their flight response. When exposed to predator cues, individuals responded faster, reached a refuge faster and were more likely to enter the refuge. Unexpectedly, the olfactory and visual senses seemed to be equally efficient in this discrimination task, suggesting that seasonal variation of water conditions experienced by N. pulcher may necessitate the use of multiple sensory channels for the same task