Suicidal behaviour in the social environment: Does exposure moderate the relationship between an individual's own suicidal ideation and behaviour?

Introduction: Suicidal behaviour still cannot be sufficiently predicted. Exposure to suicidal behaviour in the personal social environment is assumed to moderate the individual's transition from suicidal ideation to suicidal behaviour within the integrated motivational-volitional model of suicidal behaviour (IMV model). This study aimed to investigate this moderating effect in a German high-risk sample. Methods: We interviewed 308 psychiatric inpatients (53% female) aged 18 to 81 years (M = 36.9, SD = 14.30) admitted after attempted suicide (53%) or due to an acute suicidal crisis (47%) regarding exposure events in their social environment. Four types of exposure events were analysed using moderation analyses: familial suicides/suicide attempts and non-familial suicides/suicide attempts. Additionally, the numbers of reported exposure events were compared between patients with and without a recent suicide attempt as well as between patients with lifetime suicide attempts and lifetime suicidal ideation. Results: Neither moderating effects of exposure events on the relationship between lifetime suicidal ideation and recent suicidal behaviour nor group differences between suicidal ideators and suicide attempters regarding the exposure events were found. Conclusions: Exposure events might have differential and possibly protective effects on suicidal behaviour-depending on type and quality (intensity, personal relevance and recency) of event-and on the outcome (suicide vs. suicide attempt)

A Gene for Universal Congenital Alopecia Maps to Chromosome 8p21-22

SummaryComplete or partial congenital absence of hair (congenital alopecia) may occur either in isolation or with associated defects. The majority of families with isolated congenital alopecia has been reported to follow an autosomal-recessive mode of inheritance (MIM 203655). As yet, no gene has been linked to isolated congenital alopecia, nor has linkage been established to a specific region of the genome. In an attempt to map the gene for the autosomal recessive form of the disorder, we have performed genetic linkage analysis on a large inbred Pakistani family in which affected persons show complete absence of hair development (universal congenital alopecia). We have analyzed individuals of this family, using >175 microsatellite polymorphic markers of the human genome. A maximum LOD score of 7.90 at a recombination fraction of 0 has been obtained with locus D8S258. Haplotype analysis of recombination events localized the disease to a 15-cM region between marker loci D8S261 and D8S1771. We have thus mapped the gene for this hereditary form of isolated congenital alopecia to a locus on chromosome 8p21-22 (ALUNC [alopecia universalis congenitalis]). This will aid future identification of the responsible gene, which will be extremely useful for the understanding of the biochemistry of hair development

Towards a Generic Modeling Language for Contract-Based Design

Abstract-Component-based and model-driven engineering are key paradigms for handling the ever-increasing complexity of technical systems. Surprisingly few component models consider extra-functional properties as first class entities. Contract-based design is a promising paradigm, which has the potential to fill this shortage of methods for dealing with extra-functional properties. By defining the concept of using assumptions in order to determine the environment, and by using the concept of guarantees to state what a component provides to the environment, it enables the analyzability of components and compositions in advance and during system execution. With this work, we aim to create the base for a pragmatic model-driven method that provides reusable modeling concepts for contracts targeting arbitrary extra-functional properties. Furthermore, we expand the current state-of-the-art of contractbased design by introducing the concept of a finite state machine, where single states consist of several valid contracts. It is also assumed that these modeling language features will ease the use of contract-based design. Additionally, we demonstrate the applicability of the presented modeling concepts on an exemplary use case from the automotive domain

H3K4 dimethylation in hepatocellular carcinoma is rare compared with other hepatobiliary and gastrointestinal carcinomas and correlates with expression of the methylase Ash2 and the demethylase LSD1

Methylation of core histones regulates chromatin structure and gene expression. Recent studies have demonstrated that these methylation patterns have prognostic value for some tumors. Therefore, we investigated dimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 (H3K4diMe) and H3K4 methylating (Ash2 complex) and demethylating enzymes (LSD1) in carcinomas of the hepatic and gastrointestinal tract. High levels of H3K4diMe were rarely observed in 15.7% of hepatocellular carcinoma (8/51) unlike other carcinomas including, in ascending order, cholangiocellular carcinoma/adenocarcinoma of the extrahepatic biliary tract, gastric carcinoma, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and neuroendocrine carcinoma (P < .001). Ash2 was expressed in 84.4% of hepatocellular carcinomas (38/45) and correlated directly with H3K4diMe modification (correlation coefficient r = 0.53) and LSD1 expression (r = 0.35). In contrast to other carcinomas, 65.9% (29/44) of hepatocellular carcinomas analyzed showed no LSD1 expression (P < .001). Interestingly, hepatocellular carcinomas without LSD1 expression appeared to be frequently Ash2 and H3K4diMe weak or negative (P = .004). In summary, high H3K4diMe expression is rare in hepatocellular carcinoma compared with other carcinomas (negative predictive value 92.3%), which may aid in the differential diagnosis. Lack of H3K4diMe is possibly due to complex epigenetic regulation involving Ash2 and LSD1

In vivo intratumor angiogenic treatment effects during taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy of ovarian cancer

Abstract Background The aim of our study was to analyze the effect of taxane-based chemotherapy on tumor angiogenesis in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods Within a prospective phase II trial, 32 patients with stage IIIC and IV ovarian cancer were treated with either two or three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy prior to cytoreductive surgery. Carboplatin (AUC5) and docetaxel (75 mg/m2) were administered intravenously in a 3-weekly schedule. Changes in intratumor microvessel density (MVD) were assessed with immunohistochemistry by staining pre- and posttreatment surgical tumor specimens with panendothelial, neovascular and lymphatic vessel markers. Results Mean values of MVD defined by CD31, CD34, CD105 and D2-40 antibodies showed 12.3, 21.0, 2.7 and 3.1 vessels per high power field (HPF) before chemotherapy and increased after treatment to 15.3, 21.8, 4.8 and 3.6 per HPF, respectively. These changes were significant for CD31 (p = 0.04) and for CD105 (p = 0.02). Conclusion Taxane-based chemotherapy appears to promote tumor vascularization when administered every 3 weeks. A possible explanation is the secondary recovery of MVD in response to immediate cytotoxic and antiangiogenic effects of the chemotherapy. If confirmed prospectively, these findings favor shorter treatment intervals of taxane-based chemotherapy to counteract proangiogenic recovery.</p

Die deutsche Version der Interpersonal Hopelessness Scale (IHS)

$\bf Hintergrund:$ Angesichts des angenommenen Einflusses interpersonaler Hoffnungslosigkeit für die Entstehung aktiver Suizidgedanken, wie von der Interpersonalen Theorie Suizidalen Verhaltens [Joiner. Why people die by suicide. 2005] postuliert, zielt diese Studie darauf ab, erstmals eine deutsche Version der Interpersonalen Hoffnungslosigkeitsskala [IHS; Tucker et al. Psychiatry Res. 2018;259:427–32], die IHS-d, vorzustellen und psychometrisch zu überprüfen. $\textbf {Material und Methoden:}$ $\it N$ = 437 Teilnehmende (75.1% weiblich) zwischen 18 und 71 Jahren (M = 29.75, SD = 11.25) nahmen an einer querschnittlichen Online-Studie teil. Die Faktorstruktur der IHS-d wurde mittels konfirmatorischer Faktorenanalyse überprüft. Zusätzlich wurden Konstruktvalidität und Reliabilität evaluiert. $\bf Ergebnis:$ Es ergab sich eine signifikant bessere Datenpassung für ein 2-Faktor-Modell als für das 1-Faktor-Modell. Die identifizierten Subskalen (Interpersonale Hoffnungslosigkeit hinsichtlich perceived burdensomeness und hinsichtlich thwarted belongingness) erzielten hohe Faktorladungen $\geq$0.75; Inter-Item-Korrelationen, $\it r$ $\geq$ 0.60, Item-Skala-Korrelationen, $\it r$$_{it}$ $\geq$ 0.71 und interne Konsistenzen, $\it a$$_{PB}$ = 0.93; $\it a$$_{TB}$ = 0.92. $\bf Diskussion:$ Die postulierte einfaktorielle Struktur der englischen Version konnte für die IHS-d nicht reproduziert werden. Die beiden identifizierten Subskalen zeigten jedoch gute psychometrische Eigenschaften. $\bf Schlussfolgerung:$ Der Einsatz der IHS-d erweitert die Möglichkeiten der Messung des wichtigen Konstrukts Hoffnungslosigkeit und kann daher die Suizidrisikoabschätzung sinnvoll ergänzen.$\bf Background:$ Given the potential impact of interpersonal hopelessness on active suicide ideation as postulated by the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide [IPTS; Joiner, 2005], this study aimed to present and psychometrically evaluate the German version of the Interpersonal Hopelessness Scale [IHS; Tucker et al., 2018], the IHS-d. $\textbf {Material and Methods:}$ A cross-sectional online survey including the 10 IHS-d items with $\it N$ = 437 participants (75.1% female) between 18 and 71 years of age (M = 29.75, SD = 11.25) was conducted. The factorial structure was examined via a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Additionally, construct validity and reliability were evaluated. $\bf Results:$ The CFA indicated a two- rather than a one-factor solution. The two subscales (interpersonal hopelessness regarding perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness) reached high factor loadings $\geq$0.75; inter-item-correlations, $\it r$ $\geq$ 0.60, item-scale-correlations, $\it r$$_{it}$ $\geq$ 0.71 and internal consistencies $\it a$$_{PB}$ = 0.93; $\it a$$_{TB}$ = 0.92. $\bf Discussion:$ The IHS-d failed to reproduce the one-dimensionality of the English version but showed good psychometric properties for both identified subscales. Conclusions: The application of the IHS-d expands our understanding of the role of hopelessness in the development of suicidal ideation and thus could be considered to be integrated in suicide risk assessment

Response and long-term control of bone metastases after peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with (177)Lu-octreotate

Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is an efficient treatment for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP NETs), with outstanding overall response rates and survival. However, little is known about the particular efficacy regarding bone metastasis (BM)