Bedeutung selbst begrünter Brachstreifen für die Segetalflora von Sandäckern im Ökologischen Landbau

In a one-year study in Northern Germany, we analyzed the effects of unsown fallow strips and landscape heterogeneity on the segetal flora of organically managed sandy fields. Diversity of plants was higher in two/three-year-old fallow strips compared to reference sites tilled with winter rye. Concerning endangered species, this effect was more pronounced in fields that were in a small-scale than in a homogenous landscape, as the latter possibly featured less colonization potential

Prognostischer und prädiktiver Stellenwert von zirkulierenden Biomarkern bei neuroendokrinen Neoplasien verschiedenen Ursprungs

Die Prognoseabschätzung von neuroendokrinen Neoplasien (NEN) ist nur mit viel Erfahrung und unter Einbeziehung verschiedener Fachdisziplinen möglich. Derzeit sind Ki-67, der Proliferationsmarker im Tumorgewebe, bzw. die Mitosezahl die bedeutsamsten Marker, die Aussagen über die Prognose treffen können. Etablierte Tumormarker bei NEN sind Chromogranin A (CgA) und Serotonin insbesondere beim Karzinoidsyndrom. CgA kann sowohl im Gewebe, als auch im Serum oder Plasma bestimmt werden. Allerdings bleibt CgA auch nach langjährigem klinischem Einsatz in seiner prognostischen und prädiktiven Wertigkeit unbefriedigend. Zudem existieren unterschiedliche Messmethoden, aber kein standardisierter Assay. Eine optimale Standardisierung der CgA-Diagnostik sowie die Etablierung neuer Biomarker wird benötigt um die Einschätzung des Tumorverhaltens zu verbessern. Die Angiogenese spielt eine bedeutende Rolle bei NEN, wird aber durch etablierte prognostische Biomarker nicht abgebildet. Ziel dieser Arbeit soll die Untersuchung des Wachstumsfaktors “Placental Growth Factor“ (PlGF), sowie des Inhibitors “soluble Fms-related Tyrosinkinase-1“ (sFlt-1) als prognostischer und prädiktiver Biomarker bei Patienten mit NEN sein. Ferner soll der robusteste CgA-Assay identifiziert und mit der Wertigkeit von PlGF verglichen werden. Von Patienten mit histologisch gesicherten NEN erfolgten Blutentnahmen zur Bestim-mung von CgA, PlGF, sFlt-1 und Serotonin. Zur Messung der Biomarker wurden etablierte, in die Routinediagnostik von NEN (CgA, Serotonin) oder Präeklampsie (PLGF, sFlt-1) zugelassene Assays verwendet. Hierbei wurden zwei Patientenkollektive (Kollektiv I mit Einpunktmessungen, 132 Pati-enten, hiervon 49 Patienten Midgut-NEN, 28 Patienten Pankreas-NEN, Kollektiv II mit repetitiven Messungen, 19 Patienten) untersucht. Beim Kollektiv I erfolgte eine Korrelation von Biomarkern mit dem Tumorverlauf. Beim Patientenkollektiv II wurden Biomarker vor und nach einer Somatostatin-Analoga-Therapie (SSA) gemessen. Im Methodenvergleich wurde für CgA der KRYPTOR-Assay aufgrund stabiler Ergebnisse, einer automatisierten Handhabung, einer hohen Sensitivität und Effizienz als die beste Methode evaluiert. Nichtsdestotrotz wiesen 25% der Patienten mit fortgeschrittenen Tumoren einen normalen CgA-Wert auf. In der Gesamtkohorte waren sämtliche untersuchten Biomarker bei Patienten mit NEN erhöht. Der prognostische Wert konnte für CgA und PlGF bestätigt werden. In der multivariaten Datenanalyse zeigte PlGF einen Mehrwert gegenüber CgA bei der Einschätzung der Zeit bis zur Tumorprogression (TTP). CgA und Serotonin zeigten nach SSA-Einleitung einen Abfall in den dynamischen Messungen. Für CgA konnte diesbezüglich ein prädiktives Potential nachgewiesen werden. Zusammenfassend besitzt PlGF das Potential als prognostischer Tumormarker bei NEN, vor allem im fortgeschrittenen Krankheitsstadium genutzt zu werden bei Patienten, die keine CgA-Erhöhung aufweisen. Aufgrund möglicher Störfaktoren sollten weitere Untersuchungen erfolgen, um erhöhte PlGF-Werte richtig interpretieren zu können. Die klinische Relevanz von sFlt-1 bleibt ungewiss. Überdies bewährt sich CgA zum Monitoring des Verlaufs bei SSA-Therapie.Prognosis estimation of neuroendocrine neoplasia (NEN) remains a clinical challenge best addressed by multisicipinary expert teams. Currently, tissue based determination of the proliferation marker Ki-67 or the number of mitoses combined with morphological assessment of differentiation provide the best available prognostic information. Established tumor markers in NEN are chromogranin A (CgA) and serotonin especially in carcinoid syndrome. CgA can be detected not only in tissue, but also in serum or plasma. Despite CgA long-term clinical use, its prognostic and predictive value has remained a matter of debate with different measuring methods as additional confounders. Optimal standardization of CgA diagnostics and the development of new biomarkers are thus needed to improve the assessment of tumor behavior. Angiogenesis plays an important role in NEN, but is not reflected by established prognostic biomarkers. This work therefore investigated "Placental Growth Factor" (PlGF) and the inhibitor "soluble Fms-related tyrosine kinase-1" (sFlt-1) as prognostic and predictive biomarker in patients with NEN. Furthermore aimed to identify the most robust CgA assay and to compare the prognostic an predictive performace of CgA and PlGF. Circulating CgA, PlGF, sFlt-1 and serotonin were determined in established assays approved for routine diagnosis in NEN (CgA, Serotonin) or preeclampsia (PLGF, sFlt-1). Samples from 2 patient groups with histologically proven NEN were examined. In collective I single-point biomarker measurements with the course of the disease (132 patients, 49 patients midgut NEN, 28 patients pancreatic NEN), in collective II (19 patients), biomarkers were measured before and repeatedly after a somatostatin analogue (SSA) therapy. The KRYPTOR assay emerged as best method for CgA determinations due to stable results, automated handling, high sensitivity and efficiency. In the overall cohort, all biomarkers were elevated in patients with NEN. However, 25% of patients with advanced tumors had normal circulating CgA. Monovariate analysis identified CgA and PlGF as prognostic parameters with respect to time to disease progression (TTP). Multivariate data analysis confirmed PlGF but not CgA as an independent parameter for TTP. CgA and serotonin showed a drop in dynamic measurements after initiation of SSA. For CgA, a predictive potential could be demonstrated. In summary, PlGF emerged a promising prognostic tumor marker in NEN, especially in advanced stage disease and patients with normal CgA levels, encouraging further evaluation in NEN. The clinical relevance of sFlt-1 remains uncertain. In addition, CgA is also successful in monitoring the progress of SSA therapy

Meta-analysis of epigenome-wide associations between DNA methylation at birth and childhood cognitive skills

Cognitive skills are a strong predictor of a wide range of later life outcomes. Genetic and epigenetic associations across the genome explain some of the variation in general cognitive abilities in the general population and it is plausible that epigenetic associations might arise from prenatal environmental exposures and/or genetic variation early in life. We investigated the association between cord blood DNA methylation at birth and cognitive skills assessed in children from eight pregnancy cohorts within the Pregnancy And Childhood Epigenetics (PACE) Consortium across overall (total N = 2196), verbal (total N = 2206) and non-verbal cognitive scores (total N = 3300). The associations at single CpG sites were weak for all of the cognitive domains investigated. One region near DUSP22 on chromosome 6 was associated with non-verbal cognition in a model adjusted for maternal IQ. We conclude that there is little evidence to support the idea that variation in cord blood DNA methylation at single CpG sites is associated with cognitive skills and further studies are needed to confirm the association at DUSP22.Peer reviewe

Innovative Monitoring and Evaluation of Aging Infrastructure

The German highway network is facing new challenges in the near future. The structures have to deal with increasing traffic loads, climate change effects and new requirements regarding sustainability while they are getting older and budget cuts can be expected. To guarantee a reliable highway network, it will be vital to adapt and enhance innovative approaches. Current bridge management relies on the results of conventional bridge inspections and thus has certain limitations when it comes to insufficient load bearing capacity and other systematic weaknesses. Therefore, new approaches for real time condition assessment of critical road infrastructure elements are to be developed

Intelligent bridges – Adaptive systems for information and holistic evaluation in real time

The German highway network hast o face new challenges in the near future, e.g. increasing traffic density and loads, climate change effects and new quality requirements regarding sustainability. It is necessary to come up with foresighted concepts in the present to be prepared for these challenges. Therefore it is important to adapt and enhance innovative attempts, which take changing impacts into account. One goal of these efforts is the development of adaptive systems for the provision of information and a holistic evaluation in real time. The paper describes the recent research and developments on a system for information and holistic evaluation in real time, taking into account sensor networks, evaluation procedures and their implementation in existing maintenance and inspection strategies

Impulsivity, aggression, and suicide: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background The aim of the study was to crystallize the nature of relationships between impulsivity, aggression, and suicidality. We reviewed studies of adults with published, psychometric measures of impulsivity and aggression, and measures of suicidality. Methods Our primary data source was Web of Science (from inception to 31st December 2021). Quality of articles was assessed using a Joanna Briggs Appraisal Tool and publication bias using Trim and Fill. We synthesised results using random effects meta-analyses and explored moderation by measure of impulsivity, aggression, and suicidality, and population. Findings 77 studies were included in our analysis. We found weak positive relationships between impulsivity (r = 0·19 [95% CI: 0·15–0·22]), aggression (0·23 ([0·17, 0·29]), and impulsive aggression (0·16 [0·1, 0·22]) with suicidality. Heterogeneity was significant and only partially explained by moderators. Limitations included the lack of studies which assess impulsivity or aggression proximal to suicidality. Interpretation Given small effect sizes and significant heterogeneity, the study suggests that additional studies are needed in the field to analyze the relation between impulsivity and aggression with suicidality

Studying Children’s Growth in Self-Regulation using Changing Measures to Account for Heterotypic Continuity: A Bayesian Approach to Developmental Scaling

Manuscript accepted for publication in Developmental Scienc