Malnutrition, poor food intake, and adverse healthcare outcomes in non-critically ill obese acute care hospital patients

Obesity, defined as a BMI\ua0≥\ua030\ua0kg/m, has demonstrated protective associations with mortality in some diseases. However, recent evidence demonstrates that poor nutritional status in critically ill obese patients confounds this relationship. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate if poor nutritional status, poor food intake and adverse health-related outcomes have a demonstrated association in non-critically ill obese acute care hospital patients.This is a secondary analysis of the Australasian Nutrition Care Day Survey dataset (N\ua0=\ua03122), a prospective cohort study conducted in hospitals from Australia and New Zealand in 2010. At baseline, hospital dietitians recorded participants' BMI, evaluated nutritional status using Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), and recorded 24-h\ua0food intake (as 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the offered food). Post-three months, participants' length of stay (LOS), readmissions, and in-hospital mortality data were collected. Bivariate and regression analyses were conducted to investigate if there were an association between BMI, nutritional status, poor food intake, and health-related outcomes.Of the 3122 participants, 2889 (93%) had eligible data. Obesity was prevalent in 26% of the cohort (n\ua0=\ua0750; 75% females; 61\ua0±\ua015 years; 37\ua0±\ua07\ua0kg/m). Fourteen percent (n\ua0=\ua0105) of the obese patients were malnourished. Over a quarter of the malnourished obese patients (N\ua0=\ua030/105, 28%) consumed ≤25% of the offered meals. Most malnourished obese patients (74/105, 70%) received standard diets without additional nutritional support. After controlling for confounders (age, disease type and severity), malnutrition and intake ≤25% of the offered meals independently trebled the odds of in-hospital mortality within 90 days of hospital admission in obese patients.Although malnourished obese experienced significantly adverse health-related outcomes they were least likely to receive additional nutritional support. This study demonstrates that BMI alone cannot be used as a surrogate measure for nutritional status and warrants routine nutritional screening for all hospital patients, and subsequent nutritional assessment and support for malnourished patients

Moderne Piraterie am Horn von Afrika

Diese Arbeit untersucht die Ursachen und Hintergründe für den rasanten Anstieg der Piraterie am Horn von Afrika. Dabei werden nicht nur die sozioökonomischen Faktoren in Betracht gezogen, sondern auch exogene Faktoren, wie der illegale Fischfang und die Giftmüllverklappung vor der Küste Somalias sowie Naturkatastrophen, wie Dürre und der Tsunami im Jahr 2004. Es wird weiters untersucht, wer die Akteure sind, und welche Mittel und Möglichkeiten ihnen zur Verfügung stehen. Die rechtliche Situation wird in diesem Zusammenhang ebenso durchleuchtet, wie die Maßnahmen, die hinsichtlich dieses Problems ergriffen wurden. Die Untersuchung umfasst dabei einerseits die allgemeine Rechtssprechung bezüglich Piraterie, andererseits die Rechtssprechung Kenias und der Seychellen. Diese zwei Länder wurden bezüglich bestehender Auslieferungsabkommen für eine genauere Analyse ausgewählt. Die untersuchten Maßnahmen umfassen nicht nur Marineoperationen, wie etwa die EU-Operation Atalanta, sondern auch nationale und regionale Bestrebungen im Kampf gegen die Piraterie. Die Rolle privater Sicherheitsfirmen wird dabei ebenso analysiert wie die Möglichkeiten zum Selbstschutz der Schiffe. Darüber hinaus werden die Folgen der modernen Piraterie an der Küste Somalias sowohl für die Wirtschaft, aber auch die Umwelt, die Nachbarländer und Somalia selbst erforscht. Eine statistische Analyse liefert dabei einen genauen Einblick in die Entwicklung dieser Problematik. Weiters wird der vieldiskutierte Zusammenhang zwischen Terrorismus und Piraterie genauer untersucht sowie die Lösungsansätze, die hinsichtlich der Piraterie am Horn von Afrika zur Debatte stehen

Biochemical and physiological investigations on the energy metabolism of ammonia oxidizing archaea

Seit der Entdeckung Ammoniak oxidierender Archaea (AOA) im Jahr 2005 wird ihr Beitrag zum globalen Stickstoffkreislauf diskutiert. Zur besseren Charakterisierung müssen jedoch mehr Erkenntnisse über ihren noch weitgehend unbekannten Energie und Kohlenstoffmetabolismus gewonnen werden. In dieser Arbeit wurde die archaeale Ammoniakoxidation untersucht, mit Fokus auf den zweiten Teilschritt und ein potenziell darin involviertes Enzym sowie mögliche (Zwischen-) Produkte. In Ammoniak oxidierenden Bakterien (AOB) wird im ersten Schritt dieses Prozesses mittels des Enzyms Ammoniummonooxigenase (AMO) Ammonium zu Hydroxylamin oxidiert und im zweiten Schritt wird dieses mittels der Hydroxylaminoxidoreduktase (HAO) weiter oxidiert zu Nitrit. In Archaea finden sich zwar AMO-Homologe, jedoch sind weder das Zwischenprodukt, noch das/die Enzym(e), die den zweiten Schritt katalysieren, bekannt. Das hier untersuchte Enzym ist ein Multicopperprotein der AOA, welches Homologie zu Nitritreduktasen (NirKs) aufweist. Aufgrund seiner starken Transkription unter aeroben Bedingungen und der Tatsache, dass Enzyme oftmals ihre Reaktion in beide Richtungen katalysieren können, wurde die Hypothese aufgestellt, dass dieses Enzym ein Zwischenprodukt der Ammoniakoxidation (möglicherweise NO) zu Nitrit oxidieren könnte. Neben biochemischen Experimenten mit diesem Protein wurden auch Versuche mit Rohextrakten und Kulturen von Ca. Nitrososphaera viennensis durchgeführt, um Hinweise auf mögliche Aktivitäten und Zwischenprodukte in der archaealen Ammoniakoxidation zu erhalten. Die in Escherichia coli heterolog exprimierte NirK zeigte keine Nitritreduktaseaktivität. In Gegenwart eines künstlichen Elektronenakzeptors wurde Hydroxylamin oxidiert, jedoch wurde unter keinen der getesteten Bedingungen nachweisbares Nitrit freigesetzt (partielle HAO-Aktivität). Die Ergebnisse bezüglich andersartiger Stickstoff-Produkte (NO, N2O) waren nicht eindeutig. Der berechnete KM Wert für diese Reaktion von 0,5–1,3 mM zeigte keine hohe Affinität des Enzyms für Hydroxylamin. Da die Reduktion des Elektronenakzeptors auch mit Kupfer(II)-chlorid-dihydrat Lösungen erfolgte, konnte die Enzymspezifität dieser Reaktion weder bestätigt noch ausgeschlossen werden. Es gab keine Anzeichen dafür, dass die NirK andere Stickstoff-Substrate (NO, HNO, NH4+) oxidiert. Da das untersuchte Enzym von einer Metagenom-Bibliothek (Contig 54d9) stammte und es für weitere Studien von Vorteil wäre, die NirK von Ca. N. viennensis zur Verfügung zu haben, wurde ihre Expression in E. coli angestrebt. Das Gen wurde in den Expressionsvektor pET28a ligiert, doch nach der Sequenzierung der Klone stellte sich heraus, dass die amplifizierte DNA von dem ebenfalls im Labor verfügbaren Schwesternstamm EN123 stammte. Zusätzlich wurde versucht, die NirK in verschiedenen Proteinfraktionen von Ca. N. viennensis nachzuweisen, um festzustellen ob die in Transkriptomstudien gefundene Expression auch im Proteom nachvollziehbar ist. Jedoch konnte keines der durch MALDI-TOF identifizierten Peptide der gesuchten Nitritreduktase zugeordnet werden. Um biochemische Experimente mit Rohextrakten durchführen zu können, musste aufgrund des langsamen Wachstums und der geringen Zelldichte von Ca. N. viennensis die Ausbeute an Zellen mittels Vergrößerung der Kultur auf mehrere Liter erhöht werden. Der Prozess der Ammoniumoxidation war im Zellextrakt nicht nachweisbar. HAO Aktivität wurde nur indirekt durch die Reduktion des Elektronenakzeptors festgestellt, jedoch abermals ohne die Bildung von Nitrit. Weiters wurden keine Hinweise auf NO Aktivität gefunden. Interessanterweise konnte sowohl im Zellextrakt als auch in der löslichen und unlöslichen Fraktion des Zellextrakts Nitritreduktaseaktivtät nachgewiesen werden. Dies ist ein Indiz für die Relevanz dieser Reaktion in dem Organismus. Ob diese Aktivität auf die NirK zurückzuführen ist, bleibt noch ungeklärt. Ein weiteres Experiment um Indizien für NO als mögliches Zwischenprodukt in der archaealen Ammoniumoxidation zu erhalten, war die Kultivierung von Ca. N. viennensis in Gegenwart eines spezifischen NO-Fängers (PTIO, Abkürzung für 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolineoxyl-1-oxyl-3-oxide). Nitrosospira multiformis (AOB) und E. coli Kulturen fungierten als Kontrollen. In vergleichbaren Konzentrationen wurde das Wachstum von Ca. N. viennensis am stärksten von PTIO inhibiert. Somit könnte NO ein wichtiges (Zwischen-) Produkt in der Ammoniumoxidation sein. Weiters deuten diese Ergebnisse darauf hin, dass der Mechanismus der Ammoniumoxidation oder zumindest der enzymatische Apparat der AOAs anders ist als der von AOB. In dieser Studie konnte die physiologisch relevante Aktivität des NirK Homologs nicht eindeutig bestimmt werden. In Zellextrakten wurde jedoch Nitritreduktaseaktivität nachgewiesen. Als mögliches (Zwischen-)Produkt wurden nur Hinweise auf NO gefunden. Aufgrund der Komplexität des Prozesses scheint es nicht einfach, die Ammoniumoxidation in vitro nachzuvollziehen. Komplexe Elektronentransferprozesse, eine Vielzahl von involvierten Enzymen und reaktive N-Spezies erschweren ihre Aufklärung. Weitere biochemische Verfahren müssen hinzugezogen werden, um diesen Mechanismus aufzuklären.Since the discovery of ammonia oxidizing archaea (AOA) in 2005, their contribution to the global nitrogen cycle is discussed. For better characterization, further understanding of their still largely unknown energy and carbon metabolism is required. In this study, the archaeal ammonia oxidation was investigated, focusing on an enzyme which is potentially involved in the second step as well as possible intermediates. In ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), ammonia oxidation is divided into two steps: first, ammonia (NH3) is oxidized to hydroxylamine (NH2OH, short HA) by the enzyme ammonia monooxigenase (AMO). In the second step, NH2OH is further oxidized to nitrite (NO2-) via the hydroxylamine oxidoreductase (HAO). Although AMO homologs are found in archaea, neither the intermediate, nor the enzyme(s) which catalyze the second step are known. The enzyme studied is a multicopper protein of the AOA, which shows homology to nitrite reductases (NirKs). Due to its high transcription under aerobic conditions and the fact that enzymes can often catalyze their reaction in both directions, it was hypothesized that this enzyme could oxidize an intermediate of ammonia oxidation (probably NO) to NO2-. Apart from biochemical experiments with this protein, also studies with cell extracts and cultures of Ca. Nitrososphaera viennensis (Ca. N. viennensis) were performed to obtain information about possible activities and intermediates in the archaeal ammonia oxidation. The NirK, which was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli), showed no nitrite reductase activity. In the presence of an artificial electron acceptor, it oxidized NH2OH. However, none of the conditions tested yielded detectable amounts of nitrite (partial HAO activity). The results concerning other types of produced nitrogen species (NO, N2O) were inconclusive. The calculated KM value for the reaction, ranging approximately between 0.5 and 1.3 mM, did not show high enzymatic affinity for NH2OH. Since the reduction of the electron acceptor also occurred with copper(II) chloride dihydrate solutions, the enzyme specificity of this reaction could neither be confirmed nor excluded. There was no indication that the NirK is able to oxidize other nitrogen substrates (NO, HNO, NH4+). As the examined enzyme was from a metagenomic library (contig 54d9), it would be beneficial if the NirK of Ca. N. viennensis was available for further studies as well. Therefore, the expression of its NirK in E. coli was attempted. The gene was ligated into the expression vector pET28a but after sequencing of the clones it turned out that the amplified DNA was obtained from EN123, a sister strain of Ca. N. viennensis which was also available in the laboratory. In addition, detection of the NirK in various protein fractions of Ca. N. viennensis was attempted to determine whether its expression as observed in transcriptomic studies can be reproduced in the proteome. However, none of the peptides could be assigned to the respective nitrite reductase. Due to the slow growth and low cell density of Ca. N. viennensis, it became necessary to increase the yield of cells by upscaling the culture to several liters to be able to perform biochemical experiments with crude cell extracts. Ammonium oxidation activity could not be demonstrated in the crude cell extract. HAO activity was only determined indirectly by the reduction of the electron acceptor but again without the formation of nitrite. Further, no evidence for NO activity was found. Interestingly, nitrite reductase activity was detected in the cell extract as well as in the soluble and insoluble fraction of the cell extract. This is an indication of the relevance of this reaction in the organism. Whether this activity is due to the NirK remains unclear. Another experiment to obtain evidence for NO as a possible intermediate in the archaeal ammonia oxidation was the cultivation of Ca. N. viennensis in the presence of a specific NO-scavenger (PTIO, short for 2-phenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolineoxyl-1-oxyl-3-oxide). Cultures of Nitrosospira multiformis (AOB) and E. coli served as controls. At comparable concentrations, the growth of Ca. N. viennensis was inhibited most by PTIO. Thus, NO could be an important intermediate of ammonia oxidation. Further, these results give indication for a different ammonium oxidation mechanism, or at least for a different enzymatic machinery of AOA compared to AOB. In this study, the physiologically relevant activity of the NirK homolog could not be clearly determined. However, nitrite reductase activity was detected in cell extracts. As a possible intermediate for ammonia oxidation, only evidence for NO was obtained. Due to the complexity of the process, it seems not easy to track the ammonium oxidation in vitro. Complex electron transfer processes, a variety of enzymes involved and reactive N-species complicate its elucidation. Other biochemical methods must be consulted to further resolve this mechanism

Development and History of Ponds in the Austrian Landscape

Carp farming has been practiced in Austria since the 12th century, with a peak in the 16th century. Today it is concentrated in north-western Lower Austria (NUTS 3 region*: Waldviertel) and southern and eastern Styria (NUTS 3 regions*: East Styria and South and West Styria). Ponds are important elements of the cultural landscape, but as the cultural landscape changes over the centuries, ponds disappear and reappear over time. Ponds play an important role in the landscape. They replace lost small water bodies, increase biodiversity and serve to retain and provide water in the landscape. With this in mind, it is worth looking back historically to explore the potential for restoring or revitalising old ponds. * https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nomenclature_of_Territorial_Units_for_Statistics&oldid=1168714259, 2023-08-0

Diagnostic argumentation in teacher education: Making the case for justification, disconfirmation, and transparency

Research on diagnosing in teacher education has primarily emphasized the accuracy of diagnostic judgments and has explained it in terms of factors such as diagnostic knowledge. However, approaches to scientific argumentation and information processing suggest differentiating between diagnostic judgment and diagnostic argumentation: When making accurate diagnostic judgments, the underlying reasoning can remain intuitive, whereas diagnostic argumentation requires controlled and explicable reasoning about a diagnostic problem to explain the reasoning in a comprehensible and persuasive manner. We suggest three facets of argumentation for conceptualizing diagnostic argumentation, which are yet to be addressed in teacher education research: justification of a diagnosis with evidence, disconfirmation of differential diagnoses, and transparency regarding the processes of evidence generation. Therefore, we explored whether preservice teachers’ diagnostic argumentation and diagnostic judgment might represent different diagnostic skills. We also explored whether justification, disconfirmation, and transparency should be considered distinct subskills of preservice teachers’ diagnostic argumentation. We reanalyzed data of 118 preservice teachers who learned about students’ learning difficulties with simulated cases. For each student case, the preservice teachers had to indicate a diagnostic judgment and provide a diagnostic argumentation. We found that preservice teachers’ diagnostic argumentation seldom involved all three facets, suggesting a need for more specific training. Moreover, the correlational results suggested that making accurate diagnostic judgments and formulating diagnostic argumentation may represent different diagnostic skills and that justification, disconfirmation, and transparency may be considered distinct subskills of diagnostic argumentation. The introduced concepts of justification, disconfirmation, and transparency may provide a starting point for developing standards in diagnostic argumentation in teacher education

Position controlled self-catalyzed growth of GaAs nanowires by molecular beam epitaxy

GaAs nanowires are grown by molecular beam epitaxy using a self-catalyzed, Ga-assisted growth technique. Position control is achieved by nano-patterning a SiO2 layer with arrays of holes with a hole diameter of 85 nm and a hole pitch varying between 200 nm and 2 \mum. Gallium droplets form preferentially at the etched holes acting as catalyst for the nanowire growth. The nanowires have hexagonal cross-sections with {110} side facets and crystallize predominantly in zincblende. The interdistance dependence of the nanowire growth rate indicates a change of the III/V ratio towards As-rich conditions for large hole distances inhibiting NW growth.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Support the Underground: Characteristics of Beyond-Mainstream Music Listeners

Music recommender systems have become an integral part of music streaming services such as Spotify and Last.fm to assist users navigating the extensive music collections offered by them. However, while music listeners interested in mainstream music are traditionally served well by music recommender systems, users interested in music beyond the mainstream (i.e., non-popular music) rarely receive relevant recommendations. In this paper, we study the characteristics of beyond-mainstream music and music listeners and analyze to what extent these characteristics impact the quality of music recommendations provided. Therefore, we create a novel dataset consisting of Last.fm listening histories of several thousand beyond-mainstream music listeners, which we enrich with additional metadata describing music tracks and music listeners. Our analysis of this dataset shows four subgroups within the group of beyond-mainstream music listeners that differ not only with respect to their preferred music but also with their demographic characteristics. Furthermore, we evaluate the quality of music recommendations that these subgroups are provided with four different recommendation algorithms where we find significant differences between the groups. Specifically, our results show a positive correlation between a subgroup's openness towards music listened to by members of other subgroups and recommendation accuracy. We believe that our findings provide valuable insights for developing improved user models and recommendation approaches to better serve beyond-mainstream music listeners.Comment: Accepted for publication in EPJ Data Science - link to published version will be adde