How to test 'real' campaign effects: linking survey data to content analytical data

Die Verfasser legen zunächst eine inhaltsanalytische Untersuchung des Wahlkampfs zur Bundestagswahl 1990 vor, die Auskunft über Thematik und Themenpräsentation im Wahlkampf gibt. Diese Ergebnisse werden in einem zweiten Schritt mit Umfragedaten aus dem entsprechenden Zeitraum verknüpft. Die Verbindung von Inhaltsanalyse und Umfragedaten erlaubt es, direkte Auswirkungen der Wahlkampfberichterstattung in den Medien auf die Wähler zu messen und zu analysieren. Hier steht die Frage nach den Auswirkungen der Fernsehberichterstattung auf die Einstellung der Wähler im Vordergrund des Interesses. Die Untersuchung zeigt, daß sich der Einfluß der Medienberichterstattung auf politische Einstellungen eher langsam und kumulativ vollzieht. (ICE

Pimecrolimus 1% cream for anogenital lichen sclerosus in childhood

BACKGROUND: Lichen sclerosus is a chronic inflammatory disease with a predilection of the anogenital region. Because of the potential side effects of repeated local application of potent glucocorticosteroids, equally-effective, safer therapeutic options are required, especially in the treatment of children. CASE PRESENTATIONS: We report on the efficacy of twice-daily application of pimecrolimus 1% cream in four prepubertal girls (range of age: 4 to 9 years) who suffered from anogenital lichen sclerosus. After three to four-month treatment, all patients had almost complete clinical remission including relief from itch, pain and inflammation. Only minor improvement was observed for the white sclerotic lesions. No significant side effects have been observed. CONCLUSIONS: Topical pimecrolimus appears to be an effective and safe treatment for children with anogenital lichen sclerosus. The clinical benefits observed in the four patient presented particularly include relief of pruritus, pain and inflammation. Vehicle-controlled studies on a larger number of patients are now warranted to substantiate our promising findings, and to investigate long-term efficacy and safety of topical pimecrolimus in anogenital lichen sclerosus

A global database for metacommunity ecology, integrating species, traits, environment and space

The use of functional information in the form of species traits plays an important role in explaining biodiversity patterns and responses to environmental changes. Although relationships between species composition, their traits, and the environment have been extensively studied on a case-by-case basis, results are variable, and it remains unclear how generalizable these relationships are across ecosystems, taxa and spatial scales. To address this gap, we collated 80 datasets from trait-based studies into a global database for metaCommunity Ecology: Species, Traits, Environment and Space; “CESTES”. Each dataset includes four matrices: species community abundances or presences/absences across multiple sites, species trait information, environmental variables and spatial coordinates of the sampling sites. The CESTES database is a live database: it will be maintained and expanded in the future as new datasets become available. By its harmonized structure, and the diversity of ecosystem types, taxonomic groups, and spatial scales it covers, the CESTES database provides an important opportunity for synthetic trait-based research in community ecology

Worldwide diversity of endophytic fungi and insects associated with dormant tree twigs

International trade in plants and climate change are two of the main factors causing damaging tree pests (i.e. fungi and insects) to spread into new areas. To mitigate these risks, a large-scale assessment of tree-associated fungi and insects is needed. We present records of endophytic fungi and insects in twigs of 17 angiosperm and gymnosperm genera, from 51 locations in 32 countries worldwide. Endophytic fungi were characterized by high-throughput sequencing of 352 samples from 145 tree species in 28 countries. Insects were reared from 227 samples of 109 tree species in 18 countries and sorted into taxonomic orders and feeding guilds. Herbivorous insects were grouped into morphospecies and were identified using molecular and morphological approaches. This dataset reveals the diversity of tree-associated taxa, as it contains 12,721 fungal Amplicon Sequence Variants and 208 herbivorous insect morphospecies, sampled across broad geographic and climatic gradients and for many tree species. This dataset will facilitate applied and fundamental studies on the distribution of fungal endophytes and insects in trees

Climate, host and geography shape insect and fungal communities of trees.

Non-native pests, climate change, and their interactions are likely to alter relationships between trees and tree-associated organisms with consequences for forest health. To understand and predict such changes, factors structuring tree-associated communities need to be determined. Here, we analysed the data consisting of records of insects and fungi collected from dormant twigs from 155 tree species at 51 botanical gardens or arboreta in 32 countries. Generalized dissimilarity models revealed similar relative importance of studied climatic, host-related and geographic factors on differences in tree-associated communities. Mean annual temperature, phylogenetic distance between hosts and geographic distance between locations were the major drivers of dissimilarities. The increasing importance of high temperatures on differences in studied communities indicate that climate change could affect tree-associated organisms directly and indirectly through host range shifts. Insect and fungal communities were more similar between closely related vs. distant hosts suggesting that host range shifts may facilitate the emergence of new pests. Moreover, dissimilarities among tree-associated communities increased with geographic distance indicating that human-mediated transport may serve as a pathway of the introductions of new pests. The results of this study highlight the need to limit the establishment of tree pests and increase the resilience of forest ecosystems to changes in climate

Climate, host and geography shape insect and fungal communities of trees

13 Pág.Non-native pests, climate change, and their interactions are likely to alter relationships between trees and tree-associated organisms with consequences for forest health. To understand and predict such changes, factors structuring tree-associated communities need to be determined. Here, we analysed the data consisting of records of insects and fungi collected from dormant twigs from 155 tree species at 51 botanical gardens or arboreta in 32 countries. Generalized dissimilarity models revealed similar relative importance of studied climatic, host-related and geographic factors on differences in tree-associated communities. Mean annual temperature, phylogenetic distance between hosts and geographic distance between locations were the major drivers of dissimilarities. The increasing importance of high temperatures on differences in studied communities indicate that climate change could affect tree-associated organisms directly and indirectly through host range shifts. Insect and fungal communities were more similar between closely related vs. distant hosts suggesting that host range shifts may facilitate the emergence of new pests. Moreover, dissimilarities among tree-associated communities increased with geographic distance indicating that human-mediated transport may serve as a pathway of the introductions of new pests. The results of this study highlight the need to limit the establishment of tree pests and increase the resilience of forest ecosystems to changes in climate.We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Swiss National Science Foundation (Project C15.0081) Grant 174644 and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment Grant 00.0418.PZ/P193-1077. This work was supported by COST Action “Global Warning” (FP1401). CABI is an international intergovernmental organisation, and R.E., M.K., H.L. and I.F. gratefully acknowledge the core financial support from our member countries (and lead agencies) including the United Kingdom (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office), China (Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs), Australia (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research), Canada (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada), Netherlands (Directorate General for International Cooperation), and Switzerland (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation). See https://www.cabi.org/aboutcabi/who-we-work-with/key-donors/ for full details. M.B. and M.K.H. were financially supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency (Project APVV-19-0116). H.B. would like to thank the botanist Jorge Capelo who helped with Myrtaceae identification and INIAV IP for supporting her contribution to this study. Contributions of M. de G. and B.P. were financed through Slovenian Research Agency (P4-0107) and by the Slovenian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food (Public Forestry Service). G.C, C.B.E. and A.F.M. were supported by OTKA 128008 research grant provided by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office. Contributions of K.A. and R.D. were supported by the Estonian Research Council grants PSG136 and PRG1615. M.J.J., C.L.M. and H.P.R. were financially supported by the 15. Juni Fonden (Grant 2017-N-123). P.B., B.G. and M.Ka. were financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland for the University of Agriculture in Krakow (SUB/040013-D019). C.N. was financially supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency (Grant APVV-15-0531). N.K. was partially supported by the Russian Science Foundation (grant № 22-16-00075) [species identification] and the basic project of Sukachev Institute of Forest SB RAS (№ FWES-2021-0011) [data analysis]. R.OH. was supported by funding from DAERA, and assistance from David Craig, AFBI. T.P. thanks the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) for funding noting that this publication does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of DFFE or its employees. In preparing the publication, materials of the bioresource scientific collection of the CSBG SB RAS “Collections of living plants indoors and outdoors” USU_440534 (Novosibirsk, Russia) were used. M.Z. was financially supported by Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (contract no. 451-03-47/2023-01/200197). We acknowledge the Genetic Diversity Centre (GDC) at ETH Zurich for providing computational infrastructure and acknowledge the contribution of McGill University and Génome Québec Innovation Center (Montréal, Quebec, Canada) for pair-end sequencing on Illumina MiSeq. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.Peer reviewe

Milde Infrarot-A-Hyperthermie. Grundlagen, Bestrahlungstechnik, biologische Effekte und therapeutische Anwendungen

Kurzwellige Infrarotstrahlung (nahes Infrarot, Infrarot A, IRA; Wellenlängen zwischen 760 und 1400 nm) wird erst in Höhe der hautnahen Kapillaren in Wärme umgewandelt, die dann mit dem strömenden Blut im Körper verteilt wird. Auf diese Weise kann der Körper schonend und effektiv überwärmt werden. Bei der Milden Infrarot-А-Hyperthermie werden Rektaltemperaturen von 38,5 °C nicht überschritten. Infolge des raschen Wärmeeintrages vergrößern sich der funktionelle Gefäßquerschnitt, die Muskelclearence und die Reagibilität der kleinen Gefäße. Letzteres konnte durch Fourier-Analyse vom peripheren Pulskurven und akraler Wiedererwärmung bestätigt werden. Nach seriellen Infrarot-А-Behaпdlungen traten anhaltende Besserungen ein. So war bei Hypertonie-Patienten im Stadium I und II der diastolische Blutdruck noch sechs Wochen nach Ende der Bestrahlungsserie normalisiert und bei Patientinnen mit systemischer Sklerodermie hielten klinische Besserung und relative Beschleunigung der akralen Wiedererwärmung monatelang an. Bedenkliche Nebenwirkungen wurden nicht beobachtet. Die Milde Infrarot-A-Hyperthermie ist eine aktuelle Version der klassischen Wärmetherapie, deren denkbare Indikationen von Erkrankungen des rheumatischen Formenkreises über Migräne bis zur vasomotorisch bedingten Impotentia coeundi reichen.Short-wave infrared radiation (near infrared, Infrared A, IRA; wavelengths between 760 and 1400 nm) becomes converted into heat just at the level of superficial capillaries, which is then distributed by flowing blood through out the human body. Hence, it is feasible to induce hyperthermia in a manner that is both smooth and efficient. In case of Mild Infrared A-Hyperthermia rectal temperatures do not exceed 38.5 °C. Because of the rapid rise of core temperature, the functional small blood vessel diameter and muscle clearance enlarge, and function and reactivity of small blood vessels improve. This was confirmed by Fourier analysis of peripheral pulse curves and acral skin rewarming. Following serial infrared irradiations, long-term effects occurred. For example, diastolic blood pressure remained normalised for another 6 weeks after the end of the irradiation serial, and in patients with systemic scleroderma clinical improvement and relative acceleration of acral skin rewarming remained noticeable for several months. Mild infrared A-hyperthermia is an update version of classical heat treatment. Its possible indications range from rheumatic diseases via migraine to vasomotoric impotentia coeundi.Peer Reviewe

Effects of a multiple mild infra-red-A induced hyperthermia on central and peripheral pulse waves in hypertensive patients

The paper reports on the effects of multiple whole-body infra-red-A irradiational (IRA) on 13 male patients knows to have stage I or stage II essential arterial hypertension (WHO definition). The peripheral blood pressure was decreased significantly by IRA exposures. The lowered diastolic blood pressure lasted into post-treatment time. This effect is regarded as a consequence of an improvement in peripheral heamodynamics. A measure of this improvement is the different shape of the blood pressure pulse waves. Calculation and comparison of the spectral components of the recorded pulse signals show that these components are useful for a prediction of the blood pressure lowering effect.Peer Reviewe

Marketing mit multimedialen Kommunikationstechnologien: Einsatzfelder und Entwicklungsperspektiven

Available from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, Duesternbrook Weg 120, D-24105 Kiel C 198653 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

The neural correlates of agrammatism: Evidence from aphasic and healthy speakers performing an overt picture description task

Functional brain imaging studies have improved our knowledge of the neural localization of language functions and the functional reorganization after a lesion. However, the neural correlates of agrammatic symptoms in aphasia remain largely unknown. The present fMRI study examined the neural correlates of morpho-syntactic encoding and agrammatic errors in continuous language production by combining three approaches. First, the neural mechanisms underlying natural morpho-syntactic processing in a picture description task were analyzed in 15 healthy speakers. Second, agrammatic-like speech behavior was induced in the same group of healthy speakers to study the underlying functional processes by limiting the utterance length. In a third approach, five agrammatic participants performed the picture description task to gain insights in the neural correlates of agrammatism and the functional reorganization of language processing after stroke. In all approaches, utterances were analyzed for syntactic completeness, complexity, and morphology. Event-related data analysis was conducted by defining every clause-like unit (CLU) as an event with its onset-time and duration. Agrammatic and correct CLUs were contrasted. Due to the small sample size as well as heterogeneous lesion sizes and sites with lesion foci in the insula lobe, inferior frontal, superior temporal and inferior parietal areas the activation patterns in the agrammatic speakers were analyzed on a single subject level. In the group of healthy speakers, posterior temporal and inferior parietal areas were associated with greater morpho-syntactic demands in complete and complex CLUs. The intentional manipulation of morpho-syntactic structures and the omission of function words were associated with additional inferior frontal activation. Overall, the results revealed that the investigation of the neural correlates of agrammatic language production can be reasonably conducted with an overt language production paradigm