Aussteigen aus dem Rechtsextremismus: Foto-Praxis, bildwissenschaftliche Analyse und Ausstellungsarbeit als Methoden individueller Reflexion und des wissenschaftlichen und (sozial)pädagogischen Kompetenzerwerbs

Der Beitrag zeigt die medienpädagogischen und bildwissenschaftlichen Dimensionen eines zeitlich und thematisch gestaffelten Projektes auf. Ausgangspunkt war das in den Jahren 2009/10 von der Organisation EXIT-Deutschland in Berlin mit Aussteigern/-innen aus der rechtsextremen Szene initiierte Fotoprojekt «Lebensbilder». Die im Rahmen biografisch orientierter, medien- und sozialpädagogischer Fallarbeit entstandenen Fotos wurden als Prozess individueller Bilderzeugung und als Mittel zur Reflexion der jeweiligen Lebenssituation der Aussteiger(innen) verstanden und eingesetzt. Eine Ausstellung schloss diese erste Phase des hier beschriebenen Projektes ab. Dem Wunsch folgend, die praktischen Erfahrungen aus der Arbeit mit Fotos wissenschaftlich überprüfen zu lassen, wurden in den Jahren 2011 und 2012 mit Studierenden am erziehungswissenschaftlichen Institut der TU Braunschweig die «Lebensbilder» zunächst einer wissenschaftlichen Bildanalyse unterzogen und anschliessend in einem gestalterisch-interpretativen Projekt durch die Studierenden zu einer Ausstellung weiterentwickelt

Discovery of Sexual Dimorphisms in Metabolic and Genetic Biomarkers

Metabolomic profiling and the integration of whole-genome genetic association data has proven to be a powerful tool to comprehensively explore gene regulatory networks and to investigate the effects of genetic variation at the molecular level. Serum metabolite concentrations allow a direct readout of biological processes, and association of specific metabolomic signatures with complex diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular and metabolic disorders has been shown. There are well-known correlations between sex and the incidence, prevalence, age of onset, symptoms, and severity of a disease, as well as the reaction to drugs. However, most of the studies published so far did not consider the role of sexual dimorphism and did not analyse their data stratified by gender. This study investigated sex-specific differences of serum metabolite concentrations and their underlying genetic determination. For discovery and replication we used more than 3,300 independent individuals from KORA F3 and F4 with metabolite measurements of 131 metabolites, including amino acids, phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins, acylcarnitines, and C6-sugars. A linear regression approach revealed significant concentration differences between males and females for 102 out of 131 metabolites (p-values<3.8 x 10(-4); Bonferroni-corrected threshold). Sex-specific genome-wide association studies (GWAS) showed genome-wide significant differences in beta-estimates for SNPs in the CPS1 locus (carbamoyl-phosphate synthase 1, significance level: p<3.8 x 10(-10); Bonferroni-corrected threshold) for glycine. We showed that the metabolite profiles of males and females are significantly different and, furthermore, that specific genetic variants in metabolism-related genes depict sexual dimorphism. Our study provides new important insights into sex-specific differences of cell regulatory processes and underscores that studies should consider sex-specific effects in design and interpretation

Free Breathing Real-Time Cardiac Cine Imaging With Improved Spatial Resolution at 3 T

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate free-breathing single-shot real-time cine imaging for functional cardiac imaging at 3 +/- with increased spatial resolution. Special emphasis of this study was placed on the influence of parallel imaging techniques. Materials and Methods: Gradient echo phantom images were acquired with GRAPPA and modified SENSE reconstruction using both integrated and separate reference scans as well as TGRAPPA and TSENSE. In vivo measurements were performed for GRAPPA reconstruction with an integrated and a separate reference scan, as well as TGRAPPA using balanced steady-state free precession protocols. Three clinical protocols, rtLRInt (T-res = 51.3 milliseconds; voxel, 2.5 x 5.0 x 10 mm(3)), rtMRSep (T-res = 48.8 milliseconds; voxel, 1.9 x 3.1 x 10 mm(3)), and rtHRSep ((Tres) = 48.3 milliseconds; voxel, 1.6 x 2.6 x 10 mm(3)), were investigated on 20 volunteers using GRAPPA reconstruction with internal as well as separate reference scans. End-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, ejection fraction, peak ejection rate, peak filling rate, and myocardial mass were evaluated for the left ventricle and compared with an electrocardiogram-triggered segmented readout cine protocol used as standard of reference. All studies were performed at 3 T. Results: Phantom and in vivo data demonstrate that the combination of GRAPPA reconstruction with a separate reference scan provides an optimal compromise of image quality as well as spatial and temporal resolution. Functional values (P values) for the standard of reference, rtLRInt, rtMRSep, and rtHRSep end-diastolic volume were 141 +/- 24 mL, 138 +/- 21 mL, 138 +/- 19 mL, and 128 +/- 33 mL, respectively (P = 0.7, 0.7, 0.4); end-systolic volume, 55 +/- 15 mL, 61 +/- 14 mL, 58 +/- 12 mL, and 55 +/- 20 mL, respectively (P = 0.23, 0.43, 0.62); ejection fraction, 61% +/- 5%, 57% +/- 5%, 58% +/- 4%, and 56% +/- 8%, respectively (P = 0.01, 0.11, 0.06); peak ejection rate, 481 +/- 73 mL/s, 425 +/- 62 mL/s, 434 +/- 67 mL/s, and 381 +/- 86 mL/s, respectively (P = 0.03, 0.04, 0.01); peak filling rate, 555 +/- 80 mL/s, 480 +/- 70 mL/s, 500 +/- 70 mL/s, and 438 +/- 108 mL/s, respectively (P = 0.007, 0.05, 0.004); and myocardial mass, 137 +/- 26 g, 141 T 25 g, 141 +/- 23 g, and 130 +/- 31 g, respectively (P = 0.62, 0.54, 0.99). Conclusions: Using a separate reference scan and high acceleration factors up to R = 6, single-shot real-time cardiac imaging offers adequate temporal and spatial resolution for accurate assessment of global left ventricular function in free breathing with short examination times

Free Breathing Real-Time Cardiac Cine Imaging With Improved Spatial Resolution at 3 T

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate free-breathing single-shot real-time cine imaging for functional cardiac imaging at 3 +/- with increased spatial resolution. Special emphasis of this study was placed on the influence of parallel imaging techniques. Materials and Methods: Gradient echo phantom images were acquired with GRAPPA and modified SENSE reconstruction using both integrated and separate reference scans as well as TGRAPPA and TSENSE. In vivo measurements were performed for GRAPPA reconstruction with an integrated and a separate reference scan, as well as TGRAPPA using balanced steady-state free precession protocols. Three clinical protocols, rtLRInt (T-res = 51.3 milliseconds; voxel, 2.5 x 5.0 x 10 mm(3)), rtMRSep (T-res = 48.8 milliseconds; voxel, 1.9 x 3.1 x 10 mm(3)), and rtHRSep ((Tres) = 48.3 milliseconds; voxel, 1.6 x 2.6 x 10 mm(3)), were investigated on 20 volunteers using GRAPPA reconstruction with internal as well as separate reference scans. End-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, ejection fraction, peak ejection rate, peak filling rate, and myocardial mass were evaluated for the left ventricle and compared with an electrocardiogram-triggered segmented readout cine protocol used as standard of reference. All studies were performed at 3 T. Results: Phantom and in vivo data demonstrate that the combination of GRAPPA reconstruction with a separate reference scan provides an optimal compromise of image quality as well as spatial and temporal resolution. Functional values (P values) for the standard of reference, rtLRInt, rtMRSep, and rtHRSep end-diastolic volume were 141 +/- 24 mL, 138 +/- 21 mL, 138 +/- 19 mL, and 128 +/- 33 mL, respectively (P = 0.7, 0.7, 0.4); end-systolic volume, 55 +/- 15 mL, 61 +/- 14 mL, 58 +/- 12 mL, and 55 +/- 20 mL, respectively (P = 0.23, 0.43, 0.62); ejection fraction, 61% +/- 5%, 57% +/- 5%, 58% +/- 4%, and 56% +/- 8%, respectively (P = 0.01, 0.11, 0.06); peak ejection rate, 481 +/- 73 mL/s, 425 +/- 62 mL/s, 434 +/- 67 mL/s, and 381 +/- 86 mL/s, respectively (P = 0.03, 0.04, 0.01); peak filling rate, 555 +/- 80 mL/s, 480 +/- 70 mL/s, 500 +/- 70 mL/s, and 438 +/- 108 mL/s, respectively (P = 0.007, 0.05, 0.004); and myocardial mass, 137 +/- 26 g, 141 T 25 g, 141 +/- 23 g, and 130 +/- 31 g, respectively (P = 0.62, 0.54, 0.99). Conclusions: Using a separate reference scan and high acceleration factors up to R = 6, single-shot real-time cardiac imaging offers adequate temporal and spatial resolution for accurate assessment of global left ventricular function in free breathing with short examination times

Discovery of Sexual Dimorphisms in Metabolic and Genetic Biomarkers

Metabolomic profiling and the integration of whole-genome genetic association data has proven to be a powerful tool to comprehensively explore gene regulatory networks and to investigate the effects of genetic variation at the molecular level. Serum metabolite concentrations allow a direct readout of biological processes, and association of specific metabolomic signatures with complex diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular and metabolic disorders has been shown. There are well-known correlations between sex and the incidence, prevalence, age of onset, symptoms, and severity of a disease, as well as the reaction to drugs. However, most of the studies published so far did not consider the role of sexual dimorphism and did not analyse their data stratified by gender. This study investigated sex-specific differences of serum metabolite concentrations and their underlying genetic determination. For discovery and replication we used more than 3,300 independent individuals from KORA F3 and F4 with metabolite measurements of 131 metabolites, including amino acids, phosphatidylcholines, sphingomyelins, acylcarnitines, and C6-sugars. A linear regression approach revealed significant concentration differences between males and females for 102 out of 131 metabolites (p-values<3.8 x 10(-4); Bonferroni-corrected threshold). Sex-specific genome-wide association studies (GWAS) showed genome-wide significant differences in beta-estimates for SNPs in the CPS1 locus (carbamoyl-phosphate synthase 1, significance level: p<3.8 x 10(-10); Bonferroni-corrected threshold) for glycine. We showed that the metabolite profiles of males and females are significantly different and, furthermore, that specific genetic variants in metabolism-related genes depict sexual dimorphism. Our study provides new important insights into sex-specific differences of cell regulatory processes and underscores that studies should consider sex-specific effects in design and interpretation

Effects of smoking and smoking cessation on human serum metabolite profile: results from the KORA cohort study

Background: Metabolomics helps to identify links between environmental exposures and intermediate biomarkers of disturbed pathways. We previously reported variations in phosphatidylcholines in male smokers compared with non-smokers in a cross-sectional pilot study with a small sample size, but knowledge of the reversibility of smoking effects on metabolite profiles is limited. Here, we extend our metabolomics study with a large prospective study including female smokers and quitters. Methods: Using targeted metabolomics approach, we quantified 140 metabolite concentrations for 1,241 fasting serum samples in the population-based Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) human cohort at two time points: baseline survey conducted between 1999 and 2001 and follow-up after seven years. Metabolite profiles were compared among groups of current smokers, former smokers and never smokers, and were further assessed for their reversibility after smoking cessation. Changes in metabolite concentrations from baseline to the follow-up were investigated in a longitudinal analysis comparing current smokers, never smokers and smoking quitters, who were current smokers at baseline but former smokers by the time of follow-up. In addition, we constructed protein-metabolite networks with smoking-related genes and metabolites. Results: We identified 21 smoking-related metabolites in the baseline investigation (18 in men and six in women, with three overlaps) enriched in amino acid and lipid pathways, which were significantly different between current smokers and never smokers. Moreover, 19 out of the 21 metabolites were found to be reversible in former smokers. In the follow-up study, 13 reversible metabolites in men were measured, of which 10 were confirmed to be reversible in male quitters. Protein-metabolite networks are proposed to explain the consistent reversibility of smoking effects on metabolites. Conclusions: We showed that smoking-related changes in human serum metabolites are reversible after smoking cessation, consistent with the known cardiovascular risk reduction. The metabolites identified may serve as potential biomarkers to evaluate the status of smoking cessation and characterize smoking-related diseases

Metabolite profiling reveals new insights into the regulation of serum urate in humans

Albrecht E, Waldenberger M, Krumsiek J, et al. Metabolite profiling reveals new insights into the regulation of serum urate in humans. Metabolomics. 2013;10(1):141-151.Serum urate, the final breakdown product of purine metabolism, is causally involved in the pathogenesis of gout, and implicated in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Serum urate levels highly differ between men and women; however the underlying biological processes in its regulation are still not completely understood and are assumed to result from a complex interplay between genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. In order to describe the metabolic vicinity of serum urate, we analyzed 355 metabolites in 1,764 individuals of the population-based KORA F4 study and constructed a metabolite network around serum urate using Gaussian Graphical Modeling in a hypothesis-free approach. We subsequently investigated the effect of sex and urate lowering medication on all 38 metabolites assigned to the network. Within the resulting network three main clusters could be detected around urate, including the well-known pathway of purine metabolism, as well as several dipeptides, a group of essential amino acids, and a group of steroids. Of the 38 assigned metabolites, 25 showed strong differences between sexes. Association with uricostatic medication intake was not only confined to purine metabolism but seen for seven metabolites within the network. Our findings highlight pathways that are important in the regulation of serum urate and suggest that dipeptides, amino acids, and steroid hormones are playing a role in its regulation. The findings might have an impact on the development of specific targets in the treatment and prevention of hyperuricemia

The economic burden of bronchiectasis - known and unknown:a systematic review

Abstract Background The increasing prevalence and recognition of bronchiectasis in clinical practice necessitates a better understanding of the economic disease burden to improve the management and achieve better clinical and economic outcomes. This study aimed to assess the economic burden of bronchiectasis based on a review of published literature. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted using MEDLINE, Embase, EconLit and Cochrane databases to identify publications (1 January 2001 to 31 December 2016) on the economic burden of bronchiectasis in adults. Results A total of 26 publications were identified that reported resource use and costs associated with management of bronchiectasis. Two US studies reported annual incremental costs of bronchiectasis versus matched controls of US$5681 and US$2319 per patient. Twenty-four studies reported on hospitalization rates or duration of hospitalization for patients with bronchiectasis. Mean annual hospitalization rates per patient, reported in six studies, ranged from 0.3–1.3, while mean annual age-adjusted hospitalization rates, reported in four studies, ranged from 1.8–25.7 per 100,000 population. The average duration of hospitalization, reported in 12 studies, ranged from 2 to 17 days. Eight publications reported management costs of bronchiectasis. Total annual management costs of €3515 and €4672 per patient were reported in two Spanish studies. Two US studies reported total costs of approximately US$26,000 in patients without exacerbations, increasing to US$36,00–37,000 in patients with exacerbations. Similarly, a Spanish study reported higher total annual costs for patients with > 2 exacerbations per year (€7520) compared with those without exacerbations (€3892). P. aeruginosa infection increased management costs by US$31,551 to US$56,499, as reported in two US studies, with hospitalization being the main cost driver. Conclusions The current literature suggests that the economic burden of bronchiectasis in society is significant. Hospitalization costs are the major driver behind these costs, especially in patients with frequent exacerbations. However, the true economic burden of bronchiectasis is likely to be underestimated because most studies were retrospective, used ICD-9-CM coding to identify patients, and often ignored outpatient burden and cost. We present a conceptual framework to facilitate a more comprehensive assessment of the true burden of bronchiectasis for individuals, healthcare systems and society

Body Fat Free Mass Is Associated with the Serum Metabolite Profile in a Population-Based Study

To characterise the influence of the fat free mass on the metabolite profile in serum samples from participants of the population-based KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg) S4 study. Analyses were based on metabolite profile from 965 participants of the S4 and 890 weight-stable subjects of its seven-year follow-up study (KORA F4). 190 different serum metabolites were quantified in a targeted approach including amino acids, acylcarnitines, phosphatidylcholines (PCs), sphingomyelins and hexose. Associations between metabolite concentrations and the fat free mass index (FFMI) were analysed using adjusted linear regression models. To draw conclusions on enzymatic reactions, intra-metabolite class ratios were explored. Pairwise relationships among metabolites were investigated and illustrated by means of Gaussian graphical models (GGMs). We found 339 significant associations between FFMI and various metabolites in KORA S4. Among the most prominent associations (p-values 4.75 × 10(-16)-8.95 × 10(-06)) with higher FFMI were increasing concentrations of the branched chained amino acids (BCAAs), ratios of BCAAs to glucogenic amino acids, and carnitine concentrations. For various PCs, a decrease in chain length or in saturation of the fatty acid moieties could be observed with increasing FFMI, as well as an overall shift from acyl-alkyl PCs to diacyl PCs. These findings were reproduced in KORA F4. The established GGMs supported the regression results and provided a comprehensive picture of the relationships between metabolites. In a sub-analysis, most of the discovered associations did not exist in obese subjects in contrast to non-obese subjects, possibly indicating derangements in skeletal muscle metabolism. A set of serum metabolites strongly associated with FFMI was identified and a network explaining the relationships among metabolites was established. These results offer a novel and more complete picture of the FFMI effects on serum metabolites in a data-driven network