Eutrophication and mass production of Bluegreen Algae in the Baltic

Mass occurrences of the blue-green algae Aphanizomenon flos-aquae and Nodularia spumigena have been observed more often in the Baltic proper during the last few years. The present paper touches on some questions connected with the mass production of Cyanophyceae, such as the origin of the blue-green algae blooms, their limitation by nutrients, their nitrogen fixation and their role as nitrate suppliers. The agglomeration of blue-green algae is shown to be a biotic community, and some relations of these algae in the food web are examined. Some results of in sitt1 experiments and recent laboratory investigations are given

THEORETICAL MODEL VALIDATION OF MUSCLE FORCES DURING EXTREME MOVEMENTS

Introduction: The validation of the involved muscular forces for a computer model of the human body, which allows simulation of internal forces in patients, was achieved by inverse-dynamic analysis. Methods: Beginning with an extreme vertical jump, joint moments were extracted from high-speed film data and eventually subdivided into muscular forces. The muscle groups responsible for movements were determined by electromyography. A squat jump with both legs and maximum strength was filmed in the sagittal plane with a frequency of 200 Hz. Moments in the hip, knee and ankle joints were determined from the film data. Using surface electrodes of a Neuraxon Myosoft 2008 system and an amplifier system from Multichannel Systems, the muscle groups responsible for movements were electromyographically determined. The muscle insertions and muscle paths were extracted from MRI pictures of patients. Results: With this information joint moments can be subdivided into single muscle forces. Depending on the jump demands, the muscle groups responsible for movements can be divided and analyzed in six extensor groups. Conclusion: Inverse-dynamic muscle force analysis is a basis which can be expanded for the validation of complex movements under extreme internal loads in patients

Satellite detection of increased cyanobacteria blooms in the Baltic Sea: Natural fluctuation or ecosystem change?

Using data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on the NOAA series of satellites, an increase in the area covered by cyanobacteria blooms in the Baltic Sea was detected. The time series of satellite data covers a period of 12 years from 1982 to 1993. The total area covered by surface-floating cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) has increased in the 1990s, reaching over 62 000 km in 1992. From 1992, visible accumulations appeared for the first time in the Gulf of Riga and reappeared, in the western Gulf of Finland, after being absent from 1984. Conspicuous surface blooms were also present in the early 1980s, coincident with a period of sunny and calm summers. However, when the influence of variable sunshine duration is taken into account, the increase in 1991-1993 is still distinct, indicating significant changes in the Baltic environment. The causal factors for the increased cyanobacteria blooms are still not clear

Increased Expression of Cell-Cell Signaling Genes by Stimulated Mononuclear Leukocytes in Patients with Previous Atherothrombotic Stroke A Whole Genome Expression Profile Study

Background/Aims: Inflammation plays an important role in atherosclerosis and stroke. Acute infections are recognized as trigger factors for ischemic stroke. Methods: In this whole genome expression profile study of 15 patients and 15 control subjects, we tested the hypothesis that patients with a history of atherothrombotic stroke show enhanced transcription of inflammatory genes in circulating leukocytes. RNA from unstimulated or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was analyzed with Affymetrix U133A GeneChips using a pooling design. Expression of single genes and functional groups of genes was analyzed by global statistical tests. Results: A total of 10,197 probe sets showed positive calls. After correction for multiple testing no single probe set revealed significant differences either without or with LPS stimulation. However, significant global expression differences were found upon LPS stimulation for the group of genes that are involved in cell-cell signaling. Conclusion: LPS stimulation of PBMCs, a condition mimicking bacterial infection, induces differential expression of a group of cell-cell signaling genes in patients with previous atherothrombotic stroke. This finding can be caused by genetic differences between both groups, but acquired risk factors, medication and technical factors may also have contributed to the result. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Base

Breastfeeding and vitamin D supplementation reduce the risk of Kawasaki disease in a German population-based case-control study

BACKGROUND In Kawasaki disease (KD), a vasculitis of unknown etiology, the most serious complication is the development of coronary artery aneurysm (CAA). To date, the exact pathomechanism of KD is unknown. Both environmental and genetic factors seem to be associated with the development of the disease. METHODS Data on KD patients recruited from the population-based German Pediatric Surveillance Study during 2012-2014 were used to evaluate the impact of various factors from the perinatal and infancy period on the development of KD. The study design was a matched case-control study with respect to age, sex and place of residence (n~= 308 KD cases, n~= 326 controls). All KD patients were individually re-evaluated; all fulfilled the international diagnostic KD criteria. A standardized questionnaire was used to review breastfeeding practices, vitamin D supplementation and birth characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were performed to obtain odds ratios (OR) for various risk factors among the case-control pairs. Simple measures of association were used to assess the impact of these factors on the clinical course. RESULTS There was no difference in lengths of gestation, birth weight or parturition between KD patients and controls, but independently from each other vitamin D supplementation and breastfeeding were negatively associated with KD, even when adjusted for age, place of residence and sex. The duration of vitamin D was significantly shorter among children with KD than among children without KD (p~= 0.039, OR = 0.964, 95% CI: 0.931-0.998), as was the duration of breastfeeding (p~= 0.013, OR = 0.471, 95% CI: 0.260-0.853). Comparing KD patients with and without breastfeeding and/or vitamin D supplementation, there were no differences regarding developing CAA, being refractory to intravenous immunoglobulin treatment, age at onset of the disease and levels of inflammatory laboratory values. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate breastfeeding and vitamin D supplementation to have protective effects in association with KD in our study population; however, these seem not to influence the natural course of the disease. Although the overall effects were relatively small, they nevertheless underline the overall benefit of both interventions. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical Trial Registration: German clinical trial registration, http://apps.who.int/trialsearch/Trial2.aspx?TrialID=DRKS00010071 . Date of registration was 26. February 2016. The trial was registered retrospectively