Obesity Correlates with Chronic Inflammation of the Innate Immune System in Preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome during Pregnancy

HELLP syndrome is characterized by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and a low platelet count and poses an increased risk to the pregnant woman and the unborn child. Individual risk factors such as obesity may alter immunocompetence and influence the course of preeclampsia (PE) or HELLP syndrome. Blood samples were collected from 21 pregnant women (7 healthy, 6 with PE, and 8 with HELLP syndrome) and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) were subsequently isolated. Production of radical oxygen species (ROS), cell movement, and NETosis were assessed by live-cell imaging. Surface protein expression and oxidative burst were analyzed by flow cytometry. PE and HELLP patients had significantly higher BMI compared to the healthy control group. Depending on the expression of CD11b, CD62L, and CD66b on PMNs, a surface protein activation sum scale (SPASS) was calculated. PMNs from patients with high SPASS values showed prolonged and more targeted migration with delayed ROS production and NETosis. Obesity is associated with a chronic inflammatory state, which in combination with immunological triggers during pregnancy could modulate PMN functions. Pregnant women with higher BMI tend to have higher SPASS values, indicating activation of the innate immune system that could co-trigger PE or HELLP syndrome

Charge symmetry violation: a NNLO study of partonic observables

Charge and isospin symmetry violations to valence and sea distribution functions in the nucleon are evaluated (at low resolution scale) by means of a meson cloud model and light-cone quark wave functions. Their perturbative evolution are implemented at Next-to-next-to-leading order (NNLO) using an original evolution code in order to include the perturbatively generated strange - anti-strange asymmetry typical of the three loop evolution expansion. Charge symmetry violating QED effects are also added and the distributions, evolved at the experimental scale, are compared with available information. The role of non-perturbative effects is emphasized in the interpretation of the, so called, NuTeV anomaly and new experiments at very-high energy.Comment: revtex4, 7 pages, 3 figures; text improved, new comments and reference

Polarized Parton Distributiions and Light-Front Dynamics

We present a consistent calculation of the structure functions within a light-front constituent quark model of the nucleon. Relativistic effects and the relevance of the covariance constraints are analyzed for both polarized and unpolarized parton distributions. Various models, which differ in their gluonic structure at the hadronic scale, are investigated. The results of the full covariant calculation are compared with those of a non-relativistic approximation to show the structure and magnitude of the differences.Comment: 31 pages, 9 figures, major revisio

The role of natural science collections in the biomonitoring of environmental contaminants in apex predators in support of the EU's zero pollution ambition

The chemical industry is the leading sector in the EU in terms of added value. However, contaminants pose a major threat and significant costs to the environment and human health. While EU legislation and international conventions aim to reduce this threat, regulators struggle to assess and manage chemical risks, given the vast number of substances involved and the lack of data on exposure and hazards. The European Green Deal sets a 'zero pollution ambition for a toxic free environment' by 2050 and the EU Chemicals Strategy calls for increased monitoring of chemicals in the environment. Monitoring of contaminants in biota can, inter alia: provide regulators with early warning of bioaccumulation problems with chemicals of emerging concern; trigger risk assessment of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances; enable risk assessment of chemical mixtures in biota; enable risk assessment of mixtures; and enable assessment of the effectiveness of risk management measures and of chemicals regulations overall. A number of these purposes are to be addressed under the recently launched European Partnership for Risk Assessment of Chemicals (PARC). Apex predators are of particular value to biomonitoring. Securing sufficient data at European scale implies large-scale, long-term monitoring and a steady supply of large numbers of fresh apex predator tissue samples from across Europe. Natural science collections are very well-placed to supply these. Pan-European monitoring requires effective coordination among field organisations, collections and analytical laboratories for the flow of required specimens, processing and storage of specimens and tissue samples, contaminant analyses delivering pan-European data sets, and provision of specimen and population contextual data. Collections are well-placed to coordinate this. The COST Action European Raptor Biomonitoring Facility provides a well-developed model showing how this can work, integrating a European Raptor Biomonitoring Scheme, Specimen Bank and Sampling Programme. Simultaneously, the EU-funded LIFE APEX has demonstrated a range of regulatory applications using cutting-edge analytical techniques. PARC plans to make best use of such sampling and biomonitoring programmes. Collections are poised to play a critical role in supporting PARC objectives and thereby contribute to delivery of the EU's zero-pollution ambition.Non peer reviewe

Age differences in the anticipated acceptance of egoistic versus altruistic crash-control-algorithms in automated vehicles

This paper presents the results of an online questionnaire study (N = 97) which examined participants' anticipated acceptance of crash-control-algorithms (CCAs, i.e., algorithms aimed at effecting certain ethical accident outcomes). Concerning a self-sacrifice trolley dilemma, participants displayed a specific age-dependent pattern, in which both younger (18 -- 44 years) and older (65+ years) participants rated their acceptance for egoistic algorithms higher and for altruistic algorithms lower when compared to middle-aged participants (45 -- 64 years)

Oxyfuel-Technologie: Von der Grundlagenforschung zum Großkraftwerk mit CO2-Abscheidung

Das „CO2-freie“ Kraftwerk ist in den Medien ein viel strapaziertes Schlagwort. Dieser Beitrag zeigt, welche Anstrengungen derzeit unternommen werden, um das Hauptreaktionsprodukt der Braunkohlenverbrennung, das Kohlendioxid, nicht in die Atmosphäre abzugeben, sondern es für eine unterirdische Lagerung aufzubereiten, welche Strategien dabei verfolgt und Technologien bemüht werden müssen und dass „CO2-frei“ noch lange nicht CO2-frei ist. Erforschen, Beherrschen und Gestalten von Verbrennungsvorgängen mit reinem Sauerstoff, Nachempfinden mittels Simulation, Behandlung und Reinigung der dabei entstandenen Rauchgase und die Zusammenführung dieser Teilschritte zu einer stimmigen, effektiven Prozesskette sind Aufgaben, die es unter der Maßgabe der Sicherung eines bezahlbaren Strompreises zu lösen gilt.The ‘CO2-free’ power station is a frequently encountered keyword in the media. This paper highlights the efforts which are being undertaken at TU Dresden to avoid carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and, instead, to store it safely under ground. The handling of combustion with pure oxygen, simulation of the processes and cleaning of the exhaust gases are steps which need to be linked into a functional process chain for further evaluation. It is shown that this research is necessary in order to keep ‘CO2-free’ electricity affordable

Oxyfuel-Technologie: Von der Grundlagenforschung zum Großkraftwerk mit CO2-Abscheidung

Das „CO2-freie“ Kraftwerk ist in den Medien ein viel strapaziertes Schlagwort. Dieser Beitrag zeigt, welche Anstrengungen derzeit unternommen werden, um das Hauptreaktionsprodukt der Braunkohlenverbrennung, das Kohlendioxid, nicht in die Atmosphäre abzugeben, sondern es für eine unterirdische Lagerung aufzubereiten, welche Strategien dabei verfolgt und Technologien bemüht werden müssen und dass „CO2-frei“ noch lange nicht CO2-frei ist. Erforschen, Beherrschen und Gestalten von Verbrennungsvorgängen mit reinem Sauerstoff, Nachempfinden mittels Simulation, Behandlung und Reinigung der dabei entstandenen Rauchgase und die Zusammenführung dieser Teilschritte zu einer stimmigen, effektiven Prozesskette sind Aufgaben, die es unter der Maßgabe der Sicherung eines bezahlbaren Strompreises zu lösen gilt.The ‘CO2-free’ power station is a frequently encountered keyword in the media. This paper highlights the efforts which are being undertaken at TU Dresden to avoid carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and, instead, to store it safely under ground. The handling of combustion with pure oxygen, simulation of the processes and cleaning of the exhaust gases are steps which need to be linked into a functional process chain for further evaluation. It is shown that this research is necessary in order to keep ‘CO2-free’ electricity affordable