Einfluss von Alkoholabstinenz und sozialen Alkoholgewohnheiten auf die Schwankung des CDT und anderer einschlägiger Laborparameter innerhalb der Normgrenzen

In dieser Studie sollte untersucht werden, inwieweit gängige Laborparameter in der Alkoholdiagnostik (GOT, GPT, GGT, MCV und CDT), auch innerhalb der Normwertgrenzen Aussagen über den Alkoholkonsum im Rahmen des „sozialen Trinkverhaltens“ erlauben. Insgesamt 23 Proband/innen haben sich an der insgesamt viermonatigen Studie beteiligt, Diese war in vier Phasen von jeweils vier Wochen aufgeteilt. In der ersten Phase sollte das normale Trinkverhalten genau protokolliert werden. Diese Angaben ermöglichten eine Berechnung der Alkoholdosis pro Woche/kg Körpergewicht. Die untersuchten Laborparameter konnten dann in Korrelation zu diesen Alkoholmengen gesetzt werden. (Querschnittsdarstellung) Hier zeigte sich kein signifikanter Zusammenhang zwischen Konzentration bzw. Aktivität der Laborparameter und Höhe der eingenommenen Alkoholmenge. Die zweite Phase war eine komplette Alkoholabstinenzphase. Der erwartete Abfall der Laborparameter GOT, GPT, GGT und CDT konnte nicht nachgewiesen werden. Der Mittelwert des CDT lag knapp über 1%, also über dem Cut-off-Wert, der oft zur Bestätigung einer Alkoholabstinenz herangezogen wird. In Phase 3 und 4 wurden jeweils genau definierte Alkoholmengen eingenommen. In Phase 4 war dies die doppelte Menge im Vergleich zu Phase 3. Es waren aber immer nur geringe Alkoholmengen. Auch hier zeigte sich kein eindeutiger Anstieg der Laborparameter. Es konnte also weder eine Korrelation von Transaminasen, MCV und CDT zu den Alkoholmengen, die in den Trinkprotokollen angegeben waren, hergestellt werden, noch gerichtete Reaktionen der Parameter auf Änderungen des Trinkverhaltens aufgezeigt werden. Vor dem Hintergrund der hohen Anforderungen an die Aussagekraft der Veränderung der Laborparameter, die im Rahmen von Begutachtungen gestellt werden, kann man von der Höhe der Parameter und ihrer Entwicklung in der Längsschnittbeobachtung keine Rückschlüsse auf das Trinkverhalten ziehen. Am Ende von Phase 4 lag der Mittelwert des CDT-Wert mit 1,246% des Gesamt-transferrins deutlich über dem Cut-off-Wert. CDT-Werte im sogenannten Graubereich zwischen 1,0% und 1,7% lassen also nicht auf einen übermäßigen Alkoholkonsum schließen. Selbst nach einer Abstinenzphase lag der Mittelwert noch über 1%, sodass ein CDT-Wert im Graubereich auch nicht unbedingt darauf rückschließen lässt, dass eine Alkoholabstinenz nicht eingehalten wurde. Ein verkehrsmedizinisches Gutachten, das darlegen soll, dass kein übermäßiger Alkoholkonsum erfolgt ist, kann sich nicht allein auf einen CDT-Wert stützen. Wichtig ist die Verlaufsbeobachtung verschiedener Parameter über einen längeren Zeitraum

FTY720 Reduces Post-Ischemic Brain Lymphocyte Influx but Does Not Improve Outcome in Permanent Murine Cerebral Ischemia

BACKGROUND: The contribution of neuroinflammation and specifically brain lymphocyte invasion is increasingly recognised as a substantial pathophysiological mechanism after stroke. FTY720 is a potent treatment for primary neuroinflammatory diseases by inhibiting lymphocyte circulation and brain immigration. Previous studies using transient focal ischemia models showed a protective effect of FTY720 but did only partially characterize the involved pathways. We tested the neuroprotective properties of FTY720 in permanent and transient cortical ischemia and analyzed the underlying neuroimmunological mechanisms. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: FTY720 treatment resulted in substantial reduction of circulating lymphocytes while blood monocyte counts were significantly increased. The number of histologically and flow cytometrically analyzed brain invading T- and B lymphocytes was significantly reduced in FTY720 treated mice. However, despite testing a variety of treatment protocols, infarct volume and behavioural dysfunction were not reduced 7d after permanent occlusion of the distal middle cerebral artery (MCAO). Additionally, we did not measure a significant reduction in infarct volume at 24 h after 60 min filament-induced MCAO, and did not see differences in brain edema between PBS and FTY720 treatment. Analysis of brain cytokine expression revealed complex effects of FTY720 on postischemic neuroinflammation comprising a substantial reduction of delayed proinflammatory cytokine expression at 3d but an early increase of IL-1β and IFN-γ at 24 h after MCAO. Also, serum cytokine levels of IL-6 and TNF-α were increased in FTY720 treated animals compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: In the present study we were able to detect a reduction of lymphocyte brain invasion by FTY720 but could not achieve a significant reduction of infarct volumes and behavioural dysfunction. This lack of neuroprotection despite effective lymphopenia might be attributed to a divergent impact of FTY720 on cytokine expression and possible activation of innate immune cells after brain ischemia

An overview of the Amazonian Aerosol Characterization Experiment 2008 (AMAZE-08)

The Amazon Basin provides an excellent environment for studying the sources, transformations, and properties of natural aerosol particles and the resulting links between biological processes and climate. With this framework in mind, the Amazonian Aerosol Characterization Experiment (AMAZE-08), carried out from 7 February to 14 March 2008 during the wet season in the central Amazon Basin, sought to understand the formation, transformations, and cloud-forming properties of fine- and coarse-mode biogenic aerosol particles, especially as related to their effects on cloud activation and regional climate. Special foci included (1) the production mechanisms of secondary organic components at a pristine continental site, including the factors regulating their temporal variability, and (2) predicting and understanding the cloud-forming properties of biogenic particles at such a site. In this overview paper, the field site and the instrumentation employed during the campaign are introduced. Observations and findings are reported, including the large-scale context for the campaign, especially as provided by satellite observations. New findings presented include: (i) a particle number-diameter distribution from 10 nm to 10 Î1/4m that is representative of the pristine tropical rain forest and recommended for model use; (ii) the absence of substantial quantities of primary biological particles in the submicron mode as evidenced by mass spectral characterization; (iii) the large-scale production of secondary organic material; (iv) insights into the chemical and physical properties of the particles as revealed by thermodenuder-induced changes in the particle number-diameter distributions and mass spectra; and (v) comparisons of ground-based predictions and satellite-based observations of hydrometeor phase in clouds. A main finding of AMAZE-08 is the dominance of secondary organic material as particle components. The results presented here provide mechanistic insight and quantitative parameters that can serve to increase the accuracy of models of the formation, transformations, and cloud-forming properties of biogenic natural aerosol particles, especially as related to their effects on cloud activation and regional climate. © 2010 Author(s)

High-Resolution Melting Curve Analysis for Identification of Pasteurellaceae Species in Experimental Animal Facilities.

Pasteurellaceae are among the most prevalent bacterial pathogens isolated from mice housed in experimental animal facilities. Reliable detection and differentiation of Pasteurellaceae are essential for high-quality health monitoring. In this study, we combined a real-time PCR assay amplifying a variable region in the 16S rRNA sequence with high-resolution melting curve analysis (HRM) to identify and differentiate among the commonly isolated species Pasteurella pneumotropica biotypes "Jawetz" and "Heyl", Actinobacillus muris, and Haemophilus influenzaemurium. We used a set of six reference strains for assay development, with the melting profiles of these strains clearly distinguishable due to DNA sequence variations in the amplicon. For evaluation, we used real-time PCR/HRM to test 25 unknown Pasteurellaceae isolates obtained from an external diagnostic laboratory and found the results to be consistent with those of partial 16S rRNA sequencing. The real-time PCR/HRM method provides a sensitive, rapid, and closed-tube approach for Pasteurellaceae species identification for health monitoring of laboratory mice

Financial Ratios as Indicators of Economic Sustainability: A Quantitative Analysis for Swiss Dairy Farms

In agriculture, a rising number of sustainability assessments are available that also comprise financial ratios. In a literature review of farm management textbooks, taking account of the differences between European and North American practices and considering prevalent sustainability assessment approaches, we identified frequently used financial ratios. Five ratios relate to the indicator profitability and four to the indicator liquidity. Another eight financial indicators refer to the indicators financial efficiency, stability, solvency and repayment capacity. Based on more than 14,000 accountancies of dairy farms from the Swiss Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), we carried out a Spearman correlation analysis for normalised and harmonised financial ratios. The correlation analysis revealed mostly positive correlations. To assess the implementation of a quantitative economic sustainability assessment we compare an aggregated indicator compound of all 17 ratios with two selections of financial ratios–first, a compound European and, second, a compound North American economic sustainability indicator. The correlation between the complete and the reduced sets of indicators suggest that both aggregate economic indicators can be reasonably applied to estimate the economic sustainability for Swiss dairy farms

Overview of reference species and assignment of clinical isolates.

<p>^a Mean T_m and standard deviation (SD) were generated using T_m values from reference strains analyzed in quadruplicate by four real-time PCR/HRM experiments over a 1-year period.</p><p>^b Number of isolates assigned to the respective reference strain by real-time PCR/HRM.</p><p>Overview of reference species and assignment of clinical isolates.</p

High-resolution melting analysis of six <i>Pasteurellaceae</i> reference strains.

<p>Representative difference curves derived from the normalized data using the <i>Actinobacillus muris</i> (HMGU isolate) reference as the baseline.</p