(Un)Certainly Positive: the Portrayal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in German Cancer Patient Magazines

Krebspatienten suchen häufig in Medien Informationen zu alternativen und komplementären Behandlungsmethoden (Complementary and Alternative Medicine - CAM). Die Medienberichterstattung darüber kann ihre Wahrnehmung und ihre Entscheidungen beeinflussen. Diese Studie analysiert die Berichterstattung über CAM in Zeitschriften, die sich explizit an Krebspatient(inn)en richten, und nutzt hierfür das Framing-Konzept. Die Arbeit entstand im Rahmen des Projekts Kompetenznetzwerk Komplementärmedizin in der Onkologie (KOKON), das von der Deutsche Krebshilfe finanziert wurde.Objective: Cancer patients frequently use media to search for information on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Media coverage may influence their perception and decision making. Against the background of the framing concept, we analyze the portrayal of CAM in magazines that specifically address cancer patients. Methods: We conducted a quantitative content analysis of four highly circulated German cancer patient magazines (Befund Krebs, K-Journal Mensch & Krebs, Krebsmagazin, Leben? Leben!) that were available from November 2012 to April 2013. Results: In the sample of 39 articles, 137 CAM treatments were portrayed. Results show that the portrayal of CAM focuses on nutritional and metabolic approaches, exercise therapies and psychological approaches. It primarily takes a scientific perspective. CAM is mostly described in curative contexts and in a predominantly positive light. Explicit recommendations are rarely given. Conclusion: Patient education and informed decision‐making may be advanced by increasing journalists’ and medical professionals’ awareness for media coverage on CAM. Providers of mediated health information need to pay attention to a balanced and reflected portrayal of CAM. For healthcare and counselling professionals, pro‐active communication on media information is essential. Health communication research should address the interaction between patients, media information and medical experts

Freshening rather than warming drives trematode transmission from periwinkles to mussels

In the Western Baltic Sea, climate change is happening at much faster rate than in most other seas and organisms are additionally exposed to a steep and variable salinity gradient. Climate change has previously been shown to affect parasite transmission in other marine ecosystems, yet little is known about potential effects of warming and desalination on parasite–host interactions. In laboratory experiments, we determined the combined effects of projected seawater warming and freshening on the emergence, activity, survival, and infectivity of cercariae (free-swimming infectious stage) of the trematode Himasthla elongata (Mehlis 1831), shed from its first intermediate host, the periwinkle Littorina littorea (Linnaeus 1758), in the Baltic Sea. We also assessed the susceptibility of the second intermediate host, the mussel Mytilus edulis Linnaeus, 1758, to cercarial infections. Generally, salinity was the main driver, particularly of cercarial activity, infectivity, and mussel susceptibility to infection. At the lowest salinity (13), cercariae were 50% less active compared to the highest salinity (19). Infection success and host susceptibility followed a similar pattern, with 47% and 43% less metacercariae (encysted stage) present at salinity 13 than at salinity 19, respectively. In contrast, effects of simulated warming were found only for cercarial survival, with cercarial longevity being higher at 19 than at 23 °C. No significant interactions between temperature and salinity were found. In contrast to the literature, the results suggest that a climate change-driven freshening (partly also warming) may lead to a general decline of marine trematodes, with possible beneficial effects for the involved hosts

Effects of first intermediate host density, host size and salinity on trematode infections in mussels of the south-western Baltic Sea

Trematode prevalence and abundance in hosts are known to be affected by biotic drivers as well as by abiotic drivers. In this study, we used the unique salinity gradient found in the south-western Baltic Sea to: (i) investigate patterns of trematode infections in the first intermediate host, the periwinkle Littorina littorea and in the downstream host, the mussel Mytilus edulis, along a regional salinity gradient (from 13 to 22) and (ii) evaluate the effects of first intermediate host (periwinkle) density, host size and salinity on trematode infections in mussels. Two species dominated the trematode community, Renicola roscovita and Himasthla elongata. Salinity, mussel size and density of infected periwinkles were significantly correlated with R. roscovita, and salinity and density correlated with H. elongata abundance. These results suggest that salinity, first intermediate host density and host size play an important role in determining infection levels in mussels, with salinity being the main major driver. Under expected global change scenarios, the predicted freshening of the Baltic Sea might lead to reduced trematode transmission, which may be further enhanced by a potential decrease in periwinkle density and mussel size

Perplexity – a new predictor of cognitive changes in spoken language? – results of the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on Adult Development and Aging (ILSE)

Abstract: In addition to memory loss, progressive deterioration of speech and language skills is among the main symptoms at the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) as well as in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Detailed interview analyses demonstrated early symptoms years before the onset of AD/MCI. Automatic speech processing could be a promising approach to identifying underlying mechanisms in larger studies or even support diagnostics. Perplexity as a measure of predictability of text could be a sensitive indicator of cognitive deterioration. Therefore, voice recordings from the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study on Adult Development and Aging were analyzed with regard to neuropsychological parameters in participants that develop MCI/AD or remain cognitively healthy. Preliminary results indicate that perplexity predicts severity of cognitive deficits and information processing speed obtained 10–12 years later in participants who developed MCI/AD in contrast to those who stayed healthy. Findings support the heuristic value of research on the diagnostic potential of automatic speech processing

Direct evidence for As as a Zn-site impurity in ZnO

Arsenic has been reported in the literature as one of the few p-type dopants in the technologically promising II-VI semiconductor ZnO. However, there is an ongoing debate whether the p-type character is due to As simply replacing O atoms or to the formation of more complicated defect complexes, possibly involving As on Zn sites. We have determined the lattice location of implanted As in ZnO by means of conversion electron emission channeling from radioactive $^{73}$As. In contrast to what one might expect from its nature as a group V element, we find that As does not occupy substitutional O sites but in its large majority substitutional Zn sites. Arsenic in ZnO (and probably also in GaN) is thus an interesting example for an impurity in a semiconductor where the major impurity lattice site is determined by atomic size and electronegativity rather than its position in the periodic system

A Snu114-GTP-Prp8 module forms a relay station for efficient splicing in yeast

The single G protein of the spliceosome, Snu114, has been proposed to facilitate splicing as a molecular motor or as a regulatory G protein. However, available structures of spliceosomal complexes show Snu114 in the same GTP-bound state, and presently no Snu114 GTPase-regulatory protein is known. We determined a crystal structure of Snu114 with a Snu114-binding region of the Prp8 protein, in which Snu114 again adopts the same GTP-bound conformation seen in spliceosomes. Snu114 and the Snu114-Prp8 complex co-purified with endogenous GTP. Snu114 exhibited weak, intrinsic GTPase activity that was abolished by the Prp8 Snu114-binding region. Exchange of GTP-contacting residues in Snu114, or of Prp8 residues lining the Snu114 GTP-binding pocket, led to temperature-sensitive yeast growth and affected the same set of splicing events in vivo. Consistent with dynamic Snu114-mediated protein interactions during splicing, our results suggest that the Snu114-GTP-Prp8 module serves as a relay station during spliceosome activation and disassembly, but that GTPase activity may be dispensable for splicing

Non-linear interaction modulates global extreme sea levels, coastal flood exposure, and impacts

We introduce a novel approach to statistically assess the non-linear interaction of tide and non-tidal residual in order to quantify its contribution to extreme sea levels and hence its role in modulating coastal protection levels, globally. We demonstrate that extreme sea levels are up to 30% (or 70 cm) higher if non-linear interactions are not accounted for (e.g., by independently adding astronomical and non-astronomical components, as is often done in impact case studies). These overestimates are similar to recent sea-level rise projections to 2100 at some locations. Furthermore, we further find evidence for changes in this non-linear interaction over time, which has the potential for counteracting the increasing flood risk associated with sea-level rise and tidal and/or meteorological changes alone. Finally, we show how accounting for non-linearity in coastal impact assessment modulates coastal exposure, reducing recent estimates of global coastal flood costs by ~16%, and population affected by ~8%

Detecting Bacteria on Wounds with Hyperspectral Imaging in Fluorescence Mode

Chronic non-healing wounds represent an increasing problem. In order to enable physicians and nurses to make evidence based decisions on wound treatment, the professional societies call for supporting tools to be offered to physicians. Oxygen supply, bacteria colonization and other parameters influence the healing process. So far, these parameters cannot be monitored in an objective and routinely manner. Existing methods like the microbiological analysis of wound swabs, mean a great deal of effort and partly a long delay. In this paper 42 fluorescence images from 42 patients with diabetic foot ulcer, recorded with a hyperspectral imaging system (TIVITA®), converted for fluorescence imaging, were analysed. Beside the fluorescence images, information about the bacterial colonization is available from microbiological analysis of wound swabs. After preprocessing, principal component analysis, PCA, is used for data analysis with a 405 nm excitation wavelength, the emission wavelength range 510 - 745 nm is used for analysis. After dividing the data into a training and a test dataset it could be shown, that bacteria are detectable in the wound area. A quantification in bacterial colonization counts (BCC) was not in the focus of the research in this study stage

Expression of SEC62 Oncogene in Benign, Malignant and Borderline Melanocytic Tumors—Unmasking the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?

SEC62 oncogene located at chromosomal region 3q26 encodes for a transmembrane protein of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is expressed at high levels in numerous human malignancies. SEC62 overexpression has been associated with worse prognosis and high risk for lymphatic and distant metastases in head and neck cancer, cervical cancer, hepatocellular cancer, and lung cancer. However, its role in the development and tumor biology of melanocytic lesions has not been investigated so far. An immunohistochemical study including 209 patients with melanocytic lesions (malignant melanoma (MM), n = 93; melanoma metastases (MET), n = 28; Spitz nevi (SN), n = 29; blue nevi (BN), n = 21; congenital nevi (CN), n = 38) was conducted and SEC62 expression was correlated with clinical data including patient survival and histopathological characteristics. SN showed the highest SEC62 expression levels followed by MET, MM, CN, and BN. High SEC62 expression correlated with a shorter overall and progression-free survival in MM patients. Additionally, high Sec62 levels correlated significantly with higher tumor size (T stage), the presence of tumor ulceration, and the presence of lymph node as well as distant metastases. Strikingly, SEC62 expression showed a strong correlation with Clark level. Taken together, these data demonstrate that SEC62 is a promising prognostic marker in MM and has the potential to predict biological behavior and clinical aggressiveness of melanocytic lesions