Bedrohungsperzeptionen und regionale Sicherheitskooperation in Südamerika am Fallbeispiel Cono Sur

"Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob eine gemeinsame Bedrohungsperzeption die regionale Sicherheitskooperation im Cono Sur fördert oder ob es Faktoren gibt, die eine solche Sicherheitsgemeinschaft behindern. Analysegrundlage ist die Theorie des strukturellen Realismus nach Kenneth Waltz. Auf Grund des analytischen Defizits im Hinblick auf regionale Sicherheitskooperationen und des erweiterten Sicherheitsbegriffs wird sie durch die Regional Security Complex Theory erweitert. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass die betroffenen Länder auf eine zwischenstaatliche Kooperation angewiesen sind, um der transnational organisierten Kriminalität erfolgreich entgegen zu wirken. Verträge wie das MERCOSUR-Abkommen fördern eine gemeinsame Bedrohungsperzeption und tragen erheblich zu einer regionalen Sicherheitskooperation im Bezug auf die transnationalen Gefahren im Cono Sur bei. Von einer gemeinsamen Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik kann allerdings weder inhaltlich, noch aus institutioneller Sicht gesprochen werden." (Autorenreferat

Postseismic viscoelastic-gravitational half space computations: problems and solutions

We consider the problem of surface deformation arising from a fault in a semi-infinite, elastic-gravitational, and/or viscoelastic-gravitational, plane-layered medium, subject to an extemally imposed gravitational acceleration g. Rundle [1981, 1982] presented a calculation in which self-gravitation, represented by terms proportional to G are neglected, and the extemally imposed acceleration due to gravity, g, is considered constant in the medium. Because of the recent strong interest in cornputations of this type, we examine the assumptions involved in these computations. We show that these assumptions are not likely to have serious consequences in the relatively near-field viscoelastic displacements, where the earth's curvature is neglected. We also show that the approximation described by Rundle [1981, 1982], which was technically not regular as z → ∞, can easily be regularized using a new approach without appreciable change in the resulting displacement field.Peer reviewe

S100B is increased in Parkinson’s disease and ablation protects against MPTP-induced toxicity through the RAGE and TNF-α pathway

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Workplace-Related Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy to Improve Life at Work in Individuals With Major Depressive Disorders: A Randomized Interventional Pilot Study

Individuals suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) often report workplace-related stress as the major cause of their disorder. Accordingly, workplace-related stress was established as a fifth psychosocial problem area of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (workplace-related Interpersonal Psychotherapy, W-IPT). The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of W-IPT on depressive symptoms and on workplace-related issues in individuals with MDD compared to a treatment-as-usual (TAU) condition.; A total of 27 individuals with MDD (mean age = 43 years, 48% males) were randomly assigned either to eight weekly group sessions of W-IPT or to the TAU condition. At baseline, 8 weeks later at the end of the intervention, and 20 weeks later at follow-up, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression was conducted. In addition, the participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Work Ability Index (WAI), the Return to Work Attitude (RTW-SE), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI).; Symptoms of depression in experts' ratings as well as in self-rated ratings decreased over time, but more so in the W-IPT condition compared to the TAU condition [experts rating: large effect size (; d; = 1.25) and self-assessment: large effect sizes (; d; = 0.94)]. The subjective ability to work (WAI) [medium effect size (; d; = 0.68)], self-efficacy to returning to work RTW-SE [medium effect size (; d; = 0.57)], and subjective symptoms of insomnia (ISI) [large effect size (; d; = 1.15)] increased over time, but again more so in the W-IPT condition compared to the TAU condition. The effects of the intervention remained stable from the end of the intervention to follow-up.; The pattern of results of this pilot study suggests that a newly established fifth IPT focus on workplace-related stress appeared to be particularly efficient in individuals with MDD due to work-related stress in reducing depressive symptoms and reducing sleep complaints as well as in improving occupational outcomes

Parents’ and children's views of wider genomic testing when used as part of newborn screening to identify cystic fibrosis

Newborn bloodspot screening (NBS) is currently undergoing a ‘revolution’ (Spiekerkoetter et al., 2023). The development of new therapies (Vockley et al., 2023) and the piloting of whole genome sequencing in healthy newborns (e.g. Newborn Genomes Programme, UK, BabySeq USA) are challenging NBS practice and policy, as well as the Wilson & Jungner criteria (Wilson & Jungner, 1968) that underpin them (Andermann et al., 2008; Rahimzadeh et al., 2022; Vears et al., 2023). The capacity to screen for large numbers of variants simultaneously and generate data with potential relevance across the life course, and for family members beyond the screened infant, has prompted widespread discussion of the benefits (e.g., early identification and treatment of screened conditions) and harms (e.g., identification of variants of unknown clinical significance) that such high throughput screening programmes bring (Bick et al., 2022; Remec et al., 2021; Spiekerkoetter et al., 2023; Tluczek et al., 2022)

Stakeholder views of the proposed introduction of next generation sequencing into the cystic fibrosis screening protocol in England

The project aimed to gather, analyze and compare views of stakeholders on the proposed UK cystic fibrosis (CF) screening protocol incorporating next generation sequencing (NGS). The study design was based on principles of Q-methodology with a willingness to pay exercise. Par-ticipants were recruited from 12 CF centers in the UK. Twenty-eight adults with experience of CF (parents of children with CF [n=21], parents of children with CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-related metabolic syndrome (CRMS)/CF Screen Positive – Inconclusive Diag-nosis (CFSPID), an uncertain outcome [n=3] and adults with CF [n=4]), and nine health profes-sionals involved in caring for children with CF. Parents and health professionals expressed a preference for a sensitive approach to NGS. This was influenced by the importance participants placed on not missing any children with CF via screening and the balance of harm between missing a case of CF compared to picking up more children with an uncertain outcome (CRMS/CFSPID). Given the preference for a sensitive approach, the need for adequate explana-tions about potential outcomes including uncertainty (CFSPID) at the time of screening was em-phasized. More research is needed to inform definitive guidelines for managing children with an uncertain outcome following CF screening

Mamu-A⁎01/Kb transgenic and MHC Class I knockout mice as a tool for HIV vaccine development

AbstractWe have developed a murine model expressing the rhesus macaque (RM) Mamu-A⁎01 MHC allele to characterize immune responses and vaccines based on antigens of importance to human disease processes. Towards that goal, transgenic (Tg) mice expressing chimeric RM (α1 and α2 Mamu-A⁎01 domains) and murine (α3, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic H-2Kb domains) MHC Class I molecules were derived by transgenesis of the H-2KbDb double MHC Class I knockout strain. After immunization of Mamu-A⁎01/Kb Tg mice with rVV-SIVGag–Pol, the mice generated CD8+ T-cell IFN-γ responses to several known Mamu-A⁎01 restricted epitopes from the SIV Gag and Pol antigen sequence. Fusion peptides of highly recognized CTL epitopes from SIV Pol and Gag and a strong T-help epitope were shown to be immunogenic and capable of limiting an rVV-SIVGag–Pol challenge. Mamu-A⁎01/Kb Tg mice provide a model system to study the Mamu-A⁎01 restricted T-cell response for various infectious diseases which are applicable to a study in RM

Stem Cell-Specific Mechanisms Ensure Genomic Fidelity within HSCs and upon Aging of HSCs

SummaryWhether aged hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) have impaired DNA damage repair is controversial. Using a combination of DNA mutation indicator assays, we observe a 2- to 3-fold increase in the number of DNA mutations in the hematopoietic system upon aging. Young and aged hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) do not show an increase in mutation upon irradiation-induced DNA damage repair, and young and aged HSPCs respond very similarly to DNA damage with respect to cell-cycle checkpoint activation and apoptosis. Both young and aged HSPCs show impaired activation of the DNA-damage-induced G1-S checkpoint. Induction of chronic DNA double-strand breaks by zinc-finger nucleases suggests that HSPCs undergo apoptosis rather than faulty repair. These data reveal a protective mechanism in both the young and aged hematopoietic system against accumulation of mutations in response to DNA damage

DNA methylation transcriptionally regulates the putative tumor cell growth suppressor ZNF677 in non-small cell lung cancers

In our study, we investigated the role of ZNF677 in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). By comparing ZNF677 expression in primary tumor (TU) and in the majority of cases also of corresponding non-malignant lung tissue (NL) samples from > 1,000 NSCLC patients, we found tumor-specific downregulation of ZNF677 expression (adjusted p-values < 0.001). We identified methylation as main mechanism for ZNF677 downregulation in NSCLC cells and we observed tumor-specific ZNF677 methylation in NSCLC patients (p < 0.0001). In the majority of TUs, ZNF677 methylation was associated with loss of ZNF677 expression. Moreover, ZNF677 overexpression in NSCLC cells was associated with reduced cell proliferation and cell migration. ZNF677 was identified to regulate expression of many genes mainly involved in growth hormone regulation and interferon signalling. Finally, patients with ZNF677 methylated TUs had a shorter overall survival compared to patients with ZNF677 not methylated TUs (p = 0.013). Overall, our results demonstrate that ZNF677 is trancriptionally regulated by methylation in NSCLCs, suggest that ZNF677 has tumor cell growth suppressing properties in NSCLCs and that ZNF677 methylation might serve as prognostic parameter in these patients