Effects of trimester-specific and total gestational weight gain on children's anthropometrics

Background: Gestational weight gain (GWG) has been shown to be a risk factor for overweight in offspring. Aim of this study was to quantify the contributions of trimester-specific and total GWG on offspring's BMI and waist circumference (WC). This is of interest for the design of interventions targeted at women showing a high GWG in early pregnancy. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study data on GWG (total and by trimester, exposure), a number of potential confounders, and children's BMI z-scores and WC (outcomes) were analyzed using structural equation models to disentangle the trimester-specific direct effects of GWG and indirect effects mediated via total GWG. Results: 7313 mother child pairs with a children's mean age of 5.81 years were analyzed. Total effects (indirect + direct) of GWG (kg/week) on children's BMI z-score and WC (cm) were observed in all trimesters, most prominently in the second. The longitudinal effect of GWG is a composite of trimester-specific direct effects (on BMI: 0.105, 0.255, 0.002, on WC: 0.538, 1.64, 0.308) and total GWG (on BMI 0.608, on WC: 1.03) at the end of pregnancy. Conclusions: Both trimester-specific priming and total GWG explained offspring's anthropometrics. The results indicate, that reversal from additional weight gain attained early in pregnancy resulting in normal total GWG at the end of pregnancy might still contribute to a substantial reduction of offspring's BMI and WC

Levels of Structural Integration Mediate the Impact of Metacognition on Functioning in Non-affective Psychosis: Adding a Psychodynamic Perspective to the Metacognitive Approach

Synthetic metacognition is defined by integrative and contextualizing processes of discrete reflexive moments. These processes are supposed to be needed to meet intrapsychic as well as interpersonal challenges and to meaningfully include psychotic experience in a personal life narrative. A substantial body of evidence has linked this phenomenon to psychosocial functioning and treatment options were developed. The concept of synthetic metacognition, measured with the Metacognition Assessment Scale-Abbreviated (MAS-A), rises hope to bridge gaps between therapeutic orientations and shares valuable parallels to modern psychodynamic constructs, especially the 'levels of structural integration' of the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis (OPD-2). As theoretical distinctions remain, aim of this study was to compare the predictive value of both constructs with regard to psychosocial functioning of patients with non-affective psychoses, measured with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (MINI-ICF-APP). It was further explored if levels of structural integration (OPD-LSIA) would mediate the impact of metacognition (MAS-A) on function (MINI-ICF-APP). Expert ratings of synthetic metacognition (MAS-A), the OPD-2 'levels of structural integration' axis (OPD-LSIA), psychosocial functioning (MINI-ICF-APP) and assessments of general cognition and symptoms were applied to 100 individuals with non-affective psychoses. Whereas both, MAS-A and OPD-LSIA, significantly predicted MINI-ICF-APP beyond cognition and symptoms, OPD-LSIA explained a higher share of variance and mediated the impact of MAS-A on MINI-ICF-APP. Levels of structural integration, including the quality of internalized object representations and unconscious interpersonal schemas, might therefore be considered as valuable predictors of social functioning and as one therapeutic focus in patients with non-affective psychoses. Structural integration might go beyond and form the base of a person's actual reflexive and metacognitive capabilities. Psychotherapeutic procedures specific for psychoses may promote and challenge a patient's metacognitive capacities, but should equally take the need for maturing structural skills into account. Modern psychodynamic approaches to psychosis are shortly presented, providing concepts and techniques for the implicit regulation of interpersonal experience and aiming at structural integration in this patient group

Neutrinos: A Glimpse Beyond the Standard Model

After a review of the early history of neutrinos and their detection, we analyze the different types of models that extend the standard model to massive neutrinos. We emphasize the generic nature of maximal mixing between muon and tau neutrinos, given simple assumptions based on grand unification.Comment: Latex, 11 pages. Invited Talk at Neutrino-98, Takayama, Japan, June 1998, to appear in Proceedings. Uses article.st

Hot Spot Analyse der ökologischen Geflügelhaltung. Identifikation von Nachhaltigkeitsschwachstellen als potenzielle Vertrauensrisiken bei Verbrauchern

Vor dem Hintergrund zunehmender gesellschaftlicher Kritik an der landwirtschaftlichen Nutztierhaltung muss sich auch die ökologische Tierhaltung der Diskussion um das Wohlergehen der Nutztiere stellen. Da der Tierschutz häufig ein zentrales Kaufmotiv für viele Biokunden darstellt, wäre eine Enttäuschung in diesem Punkt für die Biobranche mit großem Schaden verbunden. Zudem repräsentiert die ökologische Tierhaltung mit ihrem Kreislaufgedanken und der Kopplung von Tierbesatz und Fläche eine besonders nachhaltige Form der Tierhaltung. Zur Identifikation von Nachhaltigkeitsschwachstellen als mögliche Vertrauensrisiken bei Verbrauchern wurde in dieser Arbeit eine Hot Spot Analyse für die ökologische Geflügelhaltung durchgeführt. Die Hot Spot Analyse hat zum Ziel, die Nachhaltigkeit eines Produktes entlang dessen gesamten Produktionsprozesses anhand einer Literaturrecherche zu untersuchen und zu bewerten. Hierzu wird das zu untersuchende Produkt in verschiedene Lebensphasen eingeteilt, welche dann anhand ökologischer und sozialer Kriterien untersucht und bewertet werden. Die Lebensphasen der ökologischen Geflügelhaltung wurden wie folgt festgelegt: Zucht, Haltung, Fütterung, Tiergesundheit, Transport und Schlachtung. Jede dieser Lebensphasen wurde anhand ökologischer und sozialer Kriterien sowie dem für die Biotierhaltung besonders wichtigen Kriterium Tierschutz untersucht. Die Geflügelhaltung wurde gewählt, da hier aufgrund der hohen Spezialisierung in der Zucht und der Haltung im Vergleich zu anderen Tierarten die meisten Herausforderungen und Probleme zu erwarten waren. Die Ergebnisse der Hot Spot Analyse zeigen bestehende Problembereiche insbesondere in den Lebensphasen Zucht sowie Transport und Schlachtung. In diesen Bereichen gelingt es der ökologischen Tierhaltung nur bedingt sich von den konventionellen Strukturen abzugrenzen. In der Zucht bringt vor allem der Einsatz der spezialisierten Herkünfte einige Probleme, wie die Tötung der männlichen Legehühner, die Abhängigkeit von wenigen Konzernen und den Verlust genetischer Vielfalt mit sich. Die Lebensphasen Transport und Schlachtung kennzeichnen sich häufig durch Defizite im Tierschutz und bei der Schlachtung vor allem auch im Arbeitsschutz. Auch in den anderen Lebensphasen Haltung, Fütterung und Tiergesundheit bestehen einige Herausforderungen und Schwachstellen. Beispielsweise kann sich die ökologische Tierhaltung trotz der höheren Haltungsstandards oftmals nicht von dem schlechten Gesundheitsniveau der konventionellen Tierhaltung abheben. Die in der ökologischen Geflügelhaltung gefundenen Hot Spots sind größtenteils auch auf die ökologische Rinder- und Schweinehaltung übertragbar, auch wenn sie hier in einigen Bereichen etwas anders verteilt sind. Im Hinblick auf mögliche Vertrauensrisiken wurden insbesondere die fehlenden Regelungen für Transport und Schlachtung im Ökolandbau als solche eingestuft. Hierzu trägt auch die Biozertifizierung eines Schlachthofes bei, welche leicht mit höheren Standards in Verbindung gebracht werden kann, sich jedoch lediglich auf eine getrennte Verarbeitung bezieht. Als weiterer Punkt für einen möglichen Vertrauensverlust bei Verbrauchern können die teils großen Tierbestände in der ökologischen Geflügelhaltung, Futterimporte über weite Strecken, das Töten der männlichen Legehühner als Eintagsküken und die im Vergleich zur konventionellen Tierhaltung nicht bessere Tiergesundheit betrachtet werden. Weitere Forschung ist erforderlich, um die Erwartungen der Gesellschaft speziell an die Biotierhaltung zu erfassen, um mögliche Erwartungslücken identifizieren zu können. Diese können als Ansatzpunkte für eine gezielte Kommunikation mit den Verbrauchern genutzt werden, um das Vertrauen der Bürger in die Biotierhaltung zu stärken. Ein Vertrauensmarketingkonzept für die Bio-Tierhaltung kann einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Weiterentwicklung und Gestaltung der Verbraucherkommunikation leisten und damit die Anerkennung der Bio-Tierhaltung in der Gesellschaft steigern

Blockade but not overexpression of the junctional adhesion molecule C influences virus-induced type 1 diabetes in mice

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta-cells in the pancreas. Recruitment of inflammatory cells is prerequisite to beta-cell-injury. The junctional adhesion molecule (JAM) family proteins JAM-B and JAM–C are involved in polarized leukocyte transendothelial migration and are expressed by vascular endothelial cells of peripheral tissue and high endothelial venules in lympoid organs. Blocking of JAM-C efficiently attenuated cerulean-induced pancreatitis, rheumatoid arthritis or inflammation induced by ischemia and reperfusion in mice. In order to investigate the influence of JAM-C on trafficking and transmigration of antigen-specific, autoaggressive T-cells, we used transgenic mice that express a protein of the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) as a target autoantigen in the β-cells of the islets of Langerhans under the rat insulin promoter (RIP). Such RIP-LCMV mice turn diabetic after infection with LCMV. We found that upon LCMV-infection JAM-C protein was upregulated around the islets in RIP-LCMV mice. JAM-C expression correlated with islet infiltration and functional beta-cell impairment. Blockade with a neutralizing anti-JAM-C antibody reduced the T1D incidence. However, JAM-C overexpression on endothelial cells did not accelerate diabetes in the RIP-LCMV model. In summary, our data suggest that JAM-C might be involved in the final steps of trafficking and transmigration of antigen-specific autoaggressive T-cells to the islets of Langerhans

Measuring Emotional Awareness in Patients With Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorders

The ability to mentalize (i.e., to form representations of mental states and processes of oneself and others) is often impaired in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Emotional awareness (EA) represents one aspect of affective mentalizing and can be assessed with the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS), but findings regarding individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders are inconsistent. The present study aimed at examining the usability and convergent validity of the LEAS in a sample of N = 130 stabilized outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders. An adequacy rating was added to the conventional LEAS rating to account for distortions of content due to, for example, delusional thinking. Scores of the patient group were compared with those of a matched healthy control sample. Correlation with symptom clusters, a self-report measure of EA, a measure of synthetic metacognition (MAS-A-G), and an expert rating capturing EA from the psychodynamic perspective of psychic structure (OPD-LSIA) were examined. Regarding self-related emotional awareness, patients did not score lower than controls neither in terms of conventional LEAS nor in terms of adequacy. Regarding other-related emotional awareness, however, patients showed a reduced level of adequacy compared to controls whereas no such difference was found for conventional LEAS scores. Higher conventional LEAS scores were associated with fewer negative symptoms, and higher structural integration of self-perceptions measured by the OPD-LSIA. Higher adequacy of responses correlated with fewer symptoms of disorganization as well as excitement, higher scores of self-reflection on the MAS-A-G as well as self- and object-perception and internal and external communication as measured by the subscales of the OPD-LSIA. Findings suggest that the LEAS might not be sensitive enough to detect differences between mildly symptomatic patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders and healthy controls. However, LEAS ratings are still suitable to track intraindividual changes in EA over time. Observing the adequacy of patients' responses when using the LEAS may be a promising way to increase diagnostical utility and to identify patterns of formal and content-related alterations of mentalizing in this patient group. Methodological indications for future studies are discussed

The marine natural product mimic MPM-1 is cytolytic and induces DAMP release from human cancer cell lines

Bioprospecting contributes to the discovery of new molecules with anticancer properties. Compounds with cytolytic activity and the ability to induce immunogenic cell death can be administered as intratumoral injections with the aim to activate anti-tumor immune responses by causing the release of tumor antigens as well as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) from dying cancer cells. In the present study, we report the cytolytic and DAMP-releasing efects of a new natural product mimic termed MPM-1 that was inspired by the marine Eusynstyelamides. We found that MPM-1 rapidly killed cancer cells in vitro by inducing a necrosis-like death, which was accompanied by lysosomal swelling and perturbation of autophagy in HSC-3 (human oral squamous cell carcinoma) cells. MPM-1 also induced release of the DAMPs adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) from Ramos (B-cell lymphoma) and HSC-3 cells, as well as cell surface expression of calreticulin in HSC-3 cells. This indicates that MPM-1 has the ability to induce immunogenic cell death, further suggesting that it may have potential as a novel anticancer compound