Gewaltprävention und Gewaltverminderung : Qualitätskriterien für Präventions- und Interventionsprogramme

Die Zunahme an Gewalttaten, insbesondere durch Kinder und Jugendliche, wird in der öffentlichen und pädagogischen Diskussion weithin beklagt. Zwar zeigen zeitvergleichende Analysen, dass von einer dramatischen Erhöhung der Gewalhandlungen keine Rede sein kann; eher ist die öffentliche Sensibilität für derartige Vorfälle gestiegen. Andererseits gibt es erschreckende Beispiele für besonders brutale Übergriffe, die im öffentlichen Bewusstsein naturgemäß dominieren. Eindeutig zugenommen haben in den letzten Jahren politisch motivierte Gewalttaten, insbesondere mit rechtsextremistischem Hintergrund. Doch unabhängig davon, ob und wo die Zahl der Gewalthandlungen angestiegen ist, beinhaltet jede einzelne Tat einen Angriff auf die Menschenwürde und die politische Kultur und ruft deshalb nach Gegenmaßnahmen

Metabolic fuels along the nephron: Pathways and intracellular mechanisms of interaction

Substrates in large numbers are removed from the blood by the kidney in linear relationship to their arterial concentrations [1, 2]. At normal arterial blood levels, the kidney utilizes significant amounts of free fatty acids, lactate, glutamine, 3-hydroxybutyrate, and citrate. Furthermore, the kidney removes substrates like pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate, glycerol, proline, and some other amino acids of low arterial concentrations. However, when blood levels of these substances increase, their renal uptake rates likewise increase [1, 2]. Metabolic fates of these substrates in the kidney are related intimately to major functions of the kidney including excretion of waste materials, reabsorption of life conserving substances and water, and other important endocrine and metabolic functions.When studied in vitro, the capacity of renal tissue to take up substrates was shown to be far in excess of the rates occurring under in vivo conditions [2]. This indicates that saturation is not reached in vivo due to suboptimal substrate concentrations. For lactate, pyruvate, glutamine, proline, fatty acids, and ketone bodies, normal arterial levels are below or around the half-maximal concentration kinetically determined in in vitro uptake studies [3–8]. However, even under this nonsaturating condition, the rates of substrate uptake in vivo exceed the quantities of fuel needed to meet the energy demands of the kidney as calculated from oxygen uptake [1, 9]. Table 1 summarizes the calculated oxygen uptake and ATP formation rates for some substrates. From the theoretical and the experimental data on substrate uptake rates and measurements of oxygen consumption [1, 2], it becomes clear that the kidney takes up more substrates than could be accounted for by oxidation.The term “incomplete oxidation” was introduced by Cohen [1] to explain this phenomenon. For example, 3-hydroxybutyrate taken up by the kidney is partially released as acetoacetate [8]. On the other hand, no net product release was found for other substrates taken up in excess. From recent in vitro studies, it was concluded that the kidney can utilize substrates by metabolic pathways that do not lead to their oxidation [2–7]. Thus, lactate, glycerol, glutamine, and other substrates are in part converted to glucose through the gluconeogenic pathway, whereas fatty acids which cannot be converted to glucose are recovered mainly as triacylglycerol [5, 10].Two major questions may be raised at this point: (1) What nephron cells are responsible for the substrate uptake rates observed? (2) What are the mechanisms regulating intracellular interactions of various substrates?This review will briefly summarize some recent findings on intercellular heterogeneity and intracellular regulatory mechanisms that may help explain the metabolic balances observed in vivo

Analyses of miRNA let-7 and its targets in canine neoplasias as model for human counterparts

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Role of miRNA Let-7 and Its Major Targets in Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is worldwide the sixth leading cause of cancer related death in men thus early detection and successful treatment are still of major interest. The commonly performed screening of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is controversially discussed, as in many patients the prostate-specific antigen levels are chronically elevated in the absence of cancer. Due to the unsatisfying efficiency of available prostate cancer screening markers and the current treatment outcome of the aggressive hormone refractory prostate cancer, the evaluation of novel molecular markers and targets is considered an issue of high importance. MicroRNAs are relatively stable in body fluids orchestrating simultaneously the expression of many genes. These molecules are currently discussed to bear a greater diagnostic potential than protein-coding genes, being additionally promising therapeutic drugs and/or targets. Herein we review the potential impact of the microRNA let-7 family on prostate cancer and show how deregulation of several of its target genes could influence the cellular equilibrium in the prostate gland, promoting cancer development as they do in a variety of other human malignant neoplasias

Effects of long-term multidisciplinary inpatient therapy on body composition of severely obese adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To describe the effects of long-term multidisciplinary inpatient therapy on body composition of severely obese adolescents. METHODS: A total of 728 extremely obese adolescents, including 249 boys (aged 15.25±1.56 years) and 479 girls (aged 15.34±1.59 years) received multidisciplinary therapy during a period of 3 to 9 months. The therapy consisted of reduced energy intake, dietetic education, physical exercises and psychological therapy. Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and physical capacity was assessed by the multistage cycle ergometer test. Type and duration of each activity were recorded using a daily controlled activity diary. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in body mass (27.84±12.49 kg for boys and 21.60±9.87 kg for girls), body mass index (9.19±3.88 kg/m² for boys and 7.72±3.98 kg/m² for girls) and fat mass. In addition, the percentage of fat free mass increased significantly (p < 0.05) in boys (from 58.8±6.41 to 69.98±7.43%) and in girls (from 51.86±4.96 to 60.04±5.65%). CONCLUSION: Long-term multidisciplinary approach allows significant reduction in severe obesity, preserving growth and percentage of fat free mass.OBJETIVO: Descrever os efeitos da terapia multidisciplinar de longo prazo sobre a composição corporal de adolescentes obesos severos internados. MÉTODOS: Um total de 728 adolescentes obesos extremos, incluindo 249 meninos (15,25±1,56 anos) e 479 meninas (15,34±1,59 anos), recebeu terapia multidisciplinar durante um período de 3 a 9 meses. A terapia consistiu de redução da ingestão energética, orientação dietética, exercícios físicos e terapia psicológica. A composição corporal foi analisada pela bioimpedância elétrica, e a aptidão física foi avaliada pelo teste em ciclo ergômetro multiestágios. O tipo e duração de cada atividade foram avaliados através de recordatório diário de atividade física. RESULTADOS: Foi verificada redução significante (p < 0,05) na massa corporal (27,84±12,49 kg para meninos e 21,60±9,87 kg para meninas), índice de massa corporal (9,19±3,88 kg/m² para meninos e 7,72±3,98 kg/m² para meninas) e da gordura corporal. Além disso, a porcentagem de massa magra aumentou significantemente (p < 0,05) nos meninos (de 58,8±6,41 para 69,98±7,43%) e nas meninas (de 51,86±4,96 para 60,04±5,65%). CONCLUSÃO: A terapia multidisciplinar de longo prazo permite reduzir acentuadamente a obesidade severa, preservando o crescimento e a porcentagem de massa magra.Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) Escola Paulista de Medicina Programa de Pós-Graduação em NutriçãoObesity Rehabilitation Centre INSULAUNIFESP Departamento de BiociênciasUNIFESP, EPM, Programa de Pós-Graduação em NutriçãoUNIFESP, Depto. de BiociênciasSciEL

An innovative algorithm to accurately solve the Euler equations for rotary wing flow

Due to the ability of Euler methods to treat rotational, nonisentropic flows and also to correctly transport on the rotation embedded in the flow field it is possible to correctly represent the inflow conditions on the blade in the stationary hovering flight of a helicopter, which are significantly influenced by the tip vortices (blade-vortex interaction) of all blades. It is shown that also the very complex starting procedure of a helicopter rotor can be very well described by a simple Euler method that is to say without a wake model. The algorithm based on the procedure is part of category upwind schemes, in which the difference formation orientates to the actual, local flow state that is to say to the typical distrubance expansion direction. Hence, the artificial dissipation required for the numerical stability is included in a natural way adapted to the real flow state over the break-up error of the difference equation and has not to be included from outside. This makes the procedure robust. An implicit solution algorithm is used, where the invertation of the coefficient matrix is carried out by means of a Point-Gauss-Seidel relaxation

Cereulide synthetase gene cluster from emetic Bacillus cereus: Structure and location on a mega virulence plasmid related to Bacillus anthracis toxin plasmid pXO1

BACKGROUND: Cereulide, a depsipeptide structurally related to valinomycin, is responsible for the emetic type of gastrointestinal disease caused by Bacillus cereus. Recently, it has been shown that this toxin is produced by a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS), but its exact genetic organization and biochemical synthesis is unknown. RESULTS: The complete sequence of the cereulide synthetase (ces) gene cluster, which encodes the enzymatic machinery required for the biosynthesis of cereulide, was dissected. The 24 kb ces gene cluster comprises 7 CDSs and includes, besides the typical NRPS genes like a phosphopantetheinyl transferase and two CDSs encoding enzyme modules for the activation and incorporation of monomers in the growing peptide chain, a CDS encoding a putative hydrolase in the upstream region and an ABC transporter in the downstream part. The enzyme modules responsible for incorporation of the hydroxyl acids showed an unusual structure while the modules responsible for the activation of the amino acids Ala and Val showed the typical domain organization of NRPS. The ces gene locus is flanked by genetic regions with high homology to virulence plasmids of B. cereus, Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus anthracis. PFGE and Southern hybridization showed that the ces genes are restricted to emetic B. cereus and indeed located on a 208 kb megaplasmid, which has high similarities to pXO1-like plasmids. CONCLUSION: The ces gene cluster that is located on a pXO1-like virulence plasmid represents, beside the insecticidal and the anthrax toxins, a third type of B. cereus group toxins encoded on megaplasmids. The ces genes are restricted to emetic toxin producers, but pXO1-like plasmids are also present in emetic-like strains. These data might indicate the presence of an ancient plasmid in B. cereus which has acquired different virulence genes over time. Due to the unusual structure of the hydroxyl acid incorporating enzyme modules of Ces, substantial biochemical efforts will be required to dissect the complete biochemical pathway of cereulide synthesis