Das Puppeninterview zur Erfassung subjektiver Krankheitsannahmen krebskranker Kinder

Hintergrund Subjektive Krankheitsannahmen beinhalten Annahmen über Symptome, emotionale Reaktionen, Verlauf, Konsequenzen und Kontrollierbarkeit einer Erkrankung. Aktuelle Studien zeigen, dass subjektive Krankheitsannahmen mit der Krankheitsverarbeitung und dem psychischen Wohlbefinden assoziiert sind. Bisher gibt es kein Erhebungsinstrument zur Befragung von Kindern, sodass hier oftmals nur der Bericht der Eltern verfügbar ist. Ziel der Arbeit Das Ziel ist die Entwicklung und psychometrische Überprüfung eines Puppeninterviews zur altersgerechten Erfassung subjektiver Krankheitsannahmen für Kinder ab 4 Jahren. Beschreibung von Durchführungsempfehlungen mit Indikation und Kontraindikation. Methode Das Puppeninterview zur Erfassung subjektiver Krankheitsannahmen wurde auf Grundlage des „Illness Perception Questionnaire“ (IPQ-R) und des „Berkeley Puppet Interviews“ entwickelt und an zwei Stichproben (n = 11 und n = 64) überprüft. Ergebnisse Die Anwendbarkeit, Verständlichkeit und Nützlichkeit des Puppeninterviews wurde für die Akut- und Nachsorgephase gezeigt, wobei sich die Krankheitsannahmen je nach Krankheitsphase unterscheiden können. Es zeigten sich erwartungskonforme Interskalenkorrelationen im Puppeninterview (z. B. Chronizität – Konsequenzen für die Lebensführung: r = 0,690, p ≤ 0,05), hypothesenkonforme Ergebnisse zur Konstruktvalidität (z. B. Chronizität – internale Kontrolle r = −0,711, p ≤ 0,05) und zufriedenstellende interne Konsistenzen. Mitunter besprachen die Kinder mit den Puppen mögliche Bewältigungsstrategien, was zu einer Entlastung beitrug. Schlussfolgerung Die Einschätzungen der Eltern können zukünftig durch eine zuverlässige Erhebung von subjektiven Krankheitsannahmen bei Kindern ab 4 Jahren ergänzt werden, um medikamentöse und psychosoziale Interventionen gezielt anzupassen.Background Illness perceptions comprise assumptions about symptoms, timeline, consequences, controllability, and emotional responses of an illness. Recent evidence shows that illness perceptions are associated with coping and well-being. Until now, assessment is based on parental report only, since no instrument for the direct assessment of children is available. Objectives Development of a puppet interview for the age-appropriate assessment of illness perceptions in children up to the age of 4 years. Recommendations for the application (including indications and contraindications) and assessment of psychometric properties. Materials and methods The puppet interview was developed based on the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) and the Berkeley Puppet Interview and examined in two samples of patient–parent dyads (n = 11 und n = 64). Results The puppet interview is applicable (comprehensible, useful) in acute treatment and follow-up care. Illness perceptions may vary in different treatment phases. We saw confirming intercorrelation of scales (chronicity – consequences: r = 0.690, p ≤ 0.05) and adequate psychometric properties (construct validity: chronicity – internal control: r = −0.711, p ≤ 0.05, internal consistency). Some children even discussed potential coping strategies with the puppets. Conclusion Parental report can be complemented by a self-report measure of illness perceptions in affected children aged 4 years and older. This will allow for the further adaptation of medical and psychosocial treatment

Influence of CT Image Matrix Size and Kernel Type on the Assessment of HRCT in Patients with SSC-ILD

BACKGROUND Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a frequent complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc), and its early detection and treatment may prevent deterioration of lung function. Different vendors have recently made larger image matrices available as a post-processing option for computed tomography (CT), which could facilitate the diagnosis of SSc-ILD. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the effect of matrix size on lung image quality in patients with SSc by comparing a 1024-pixel matrix to a standard 512-pixel matrix and applying different reconstruction kernels. METHODS Lung scans of 50 patients (mean age 54 years, range 23-85 years) with SSc were reconstructed with these two different matrix sizes, after determining the most appropriate kernel in a first step. Four observers scored the images on a five-point Likert scale regarding image quality and detectability of clinically relevant findings. RESULTS Among the eight tested kernels, the Br59-kernel (sharp) reached the highest score (19.48 ± 3.99), although differences did not reach statistical significance. The 1024-pixel matrix scored higher than the 512-pixel matrix HRCT overall (p = 0.01) and in the subcategories sharpness (p < 0.01), depiction of bronchiole (p < 0.01) and overall image impression (p < 0.01), and lower for the detection of ground-glass opacities (GGO) (p = 0.04). No significant differences were found for detection of extent of reticulations/bronchiectasis/fibrosis (p = 0.50) and image noise (p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS Our results show that with the use of a sharp kernel, the 1024-pixel matrix HRCT, provides a slightly better subjective image quality in terms of assessing interstitial lung changes, whereby GGO are more visible on the 512-pixel matrix. However, it remains to be answered to what extent this is related to the improved representation of the smallest structures

Cellular reactions to long-term volatile organic compound (VOC) exposures

Investigations of cellular processes initiated by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are limited when modelling realistic long-term exposure scenarios at low concentrations. Exposure to indoor VOCs is associated with a range of adverse effects, but data on molecular changes at regulatory threshold limits are lacking. Activity analysis of VOC in vitro can be a valuable complement to inhalation toxicological evaluations. We developed an exposure platform that generates a stable VOC atmosphere and allows the exposure of cells for longer periods. Using formaldehyde as a model analyte, air-liquid interface cultured A549 lung epithelial cells were exposed to critical concentrations of 0.1 and 0.5 ppm for 3 days. Owing to the lack of known exposure biomarkers, we applied a genome-wide transcriptional analysis to investigate cellular responses at these sublethal concentrations. We demonstrate a minor overlap of differentially expressed transcripts for both treatment concentrations, which can be further analyzed for their use as exposure biomarkers. Moreover, distinct expression patterns emerge for 0.1 and 0.5 ppm formaldehyde exposure, which is reflected in significant enrichment of distinct biological processes. More specifically, metabolism of specific compound classes, lipid biosynthesis and lung-associated functions are affected by lower exposure levels and processes affecting proliferation and apoptosis dominate the higher exposure levels

Comparison of anti-oomycete activities of essential oils and fungicidal substances against the agent of potato late blight disease Phytophthora infestans

The Oomycete Phytophthora infestans causing late blight disease represents one of the major threats for potato crop. Particular attention is given to specific genotypes known to be either persistent or having recently emerged in the agroecosystems of northern Europe. To fight this disease, farmers in conventional agriculture still heavily rely on the use of synthetic pesticides. As a consequence, some populations appear with reduced sensitivity to commonly employed molecules. Given these environmental concerns, alternative methods of management are encouraged. In this context, plants secondary metabolites (PSM) such as essential oils (EOs) have become extensively studied and seem promising to develop sustainable and efficient biopesticides. This work aims at comparing the anti-oomycete potential of 5 essential oils (bergamot - Citrus bergamia, rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis, oregano - Origanum vulgare, clove - Syzygium aromoticum and Ceylan cinnamon - Cinnamomum zeylanicum) with 3 fungicidal active substances (including two organic molecules: mandipropamid, fluazinam and one mineral: copper sulfate) on 3 genotypes of P. infestans (EU-13, EU-36 and EU-37 that has been listed as less sensitive to fluazinam). EOs chemical compositions were determined by GC-MS. All products were tested according to an adjusted range of concentrations. The inhibition of the mycelium was evaluated on solid medium by contact for all substances and by fumigation for essential oils only. Then, fungistatic or fungicidal properties were assessed. On the other hand, the median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of each product in liquid medium was calculated in regard of spores’ germination. Inhibitory tests by contact on solid medium showed the best inhibition of the mycelium with clove and oregano EO. In liquid media, the smallest IC50 are associated with cinnamon which indicates its greatest activity against spore germination of all the three genotypes. Finally, mandipropamid showed by far the highest activity both on solid and in liquid media followed by fluazinam and copper sulfate although significant sensitivities were identified between EU-13, EU-36 and EU-37. In conclusion, the three isolates of P. infestans globally follow the same trends toward the inhibition of their mycelium caused by the essential oils, both by contact and fumigation. However, radically different levels of activities on spore germination have been quantified through the IC50. Further experiments must be carried out to evaluate not only essential oils phytotoxicity on potato leaves but also their biofungicidal properties of the formulated EOs on late blight disease.PHYTOI

Anti-oomycete activities of 5 essential oils against 3 genotypes of Phytophthora infestans the causing agent of late blight disease

The Oomycete Phytophthora infestans causing late blight disease represents one of the major threats for potato crop. Particular attention is given to specific genotypes known to be either persistent, resistant to some fungicides or for having recently emerged in the agroecosystems of northern Europe. To fight this disease, farmers still heavily rely on the use of synthetic pesticides in conventional agriculture. Given the actual environmental context, alternative management are encouraged. For this reason, plants secondary metabolites (PSM) such as essential oils (EOs) become widely studied and seem promising to develop innovative biopesticides. This study aims at screening the anti-oomycete potential of 5 essential oils on 3 genotypes of P. infestans (EU-13, EU-36 and EU-37): bergamot (Citrus bergamia), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), oregano (Origanum vulgare), clove (Syzygium aromoticum) and Ceylan cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum). EOs were characterized by GC-MS and have been tested according to a range of concentration. The inhibition of the mycelium was evaluated on solid medium both by fumigation and by contact. Fungistatic or fungicidal properties were then established. In addition, the median inhibitory concentration (IC50) of each oil in liquid medium was calculated in regard of spores’ germination. Inhibitory tests by contact in solid medium showed total inhibition with clove, oregano and cinnamon EOs from 0,5 µL/mL. An inhibition of up to 70% compared to control (non-treated) was obtained with both clove and oregano EOs. Conversely, higher inhibition is achieved by fumigation with bergamot and rosemary oils (which are monoterpenes-rich EOs with respectively limonene and camphor/α-pinene as major compounds) than with oregano, clove or cinnamon oils (mainly containing respectively carvacrol, eugenol and cinnamaldehyde). Lower vapor pressure prevented those from causing significant inhibition of the mycelium even at 1 µL/mL of air. In addition, bergamot and rosemary EOs have proven themselves fungistatic whereas the other three exhibited fungicidal properties. In liquid media, the smallest IC50 (from 0,08 to 0,013 mg/mL) were associated with cinnamon EO and did not vary significantly among the three genotypes. This indicates the greatest activity against spore germination. Hence, although the three isolates of P. infestans globally respond the same, all 5 EOs demonstrated distinct activities towards either the mycelium or the spores. Further experiments must be carried out to evaluate not only the phytotoxicity on potato plants but also the biofungicidal properties of the formulated EOs on late blight disease.PHYTOIL12. Responsible consumption and productio

The last hideout: Abundance patterns of the not-quite-yet extinct mayfly Prosopistoma pennigerum in the Albanian Vjosa River network

1. The mayfly Prosopistoma pennigerum (Müller, 1785) (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) once occurred in many European river networks. However, observations decreased in the last decades and the species can be considered largely extinct throughout Europe due to river alterations. 2. Only three extant populations are known from Cabriel (southern Spain), Volga (Russia) and Vjosa (Albania) rivers. 3. We recorded the species along a 150 km stretch in the Vjosa River in three sampling seasons (spring 2018, fall 2018 and fall 2019), counting up to 302 P. pennigerum per m2, the highest recorded abundance for the species to date. Moreover, we detected traces of environmental DNA in a newly designed targeted eDNA assay. 4. In our modelling approach we define the species’ niche in a theoretically available niche space given by the Vjosa River network and predict a high probability of presence (θ) in downstream located sections of this river. Expected abundances (λ) could be related to a set of environmental variables, importantly to higher discharge and increased sediment dynamics. 5. Simultaneous occurrence of larvae of different sizes at individual sites suggests an asynchronous life cycle, which may be advantageous to cope with the highly dynamic river hydrology. 6. The P. pennigerum population in the Vjosa is of key importance for the species’ global survival

Erfassung und Management invasiver Neophyten auf landwirtschaftlichen Nutzflächen zur Sicherung der Produktionsbedingungen

Die Ausbreitung invasiver Neophyten auf landwirtschaftlichen Nutzflächen nimmt zu und gefährdet in Einzelfällen bereits die Produktivität. Ziel des Projektes ist die Bereitstellung von Handlungsempfehlungen für eine effektive Kontrolle von invasiven Neophyten in der Landwirtschaft. Dazu sollen für 9, landwirtschaftlich relevante, invasive Neophyten, Methoden und Algorithmen zur Erfassung mittels Fernerkundung entwickelt und erprobt werden. Gleichzeitig werden integrierte Verfahren zur Regulierung erarbeitet, getestet und abschließend in Handlungsempfehlungen zusammengefasst, um diese Arten auf Ackerflächen und Grünland im Rahmen der landwirtschaftlichen Nutzung zu kontrollieren. In einem interaktiven Web-Portal werden Informationen zu den untersuchten Arten sowie die Projektergebnisse während der Projektlaufzeit (2016-2019) zusammengeführt und den potenziellen Nutzern (z. B. Beratern und Landwirten) zur Verfügung gestellt

Silica-magnesium-titanium Ziegler–Natta catalysts. Part II. Properties of the active sites and fragmentation behaviour

In this work, which follows Part I that is dedicated to the precatalyst, we investigate the electronic properties and the accessibility of the Ti active sites in a highly active silica-supported Ziegler–Natta catalyst for industrial polyethylene production, applying a multi-scale, multi-technique approach. Complementary electronic spectroscopies (i.e. Ti K-edge XANES, Ti L2,3-edge NEXAFS and DR UV–Vis-NIR) reveal the coexistence of several titanium phases, whose relative amount depends on the concentration of the alkyl aluminum activator. In addition to β-TiCl3-like clusters and monomeric Ti(IV) sites, which are already present in the precatalyst, isolated Ti(III) sites and α-TiCl3-like clusters are formed in the presence of the activator. Two families of alkylated Ti(III) sites characterized by a different electron density are detected by IR spectroscopy of adsorbed CO, and two types of Ti-acyl species are formed upon CO insertion into the Ti-alkyl bond, characterized by a different extent of η2-coordination. The whole set of data suggests that TiCl3 clusters are preferentially formed at the exterior of the catalyst particles, likely as a consequence of Ti(III) mobility in the presence of strong Lewis acids, in most cases hampering the spectroscopic detection of isolated Ti(III) sites. In contrast, only monomeric Ti(III) sites are formed at the interior of the catalyst particles, characterized by a high electron density evocative of the presence of electron donors in the close proximity (e.g. aluminum alkoxide by-products). These sites are less accessible because of diffusion limitations, and only become visible by surface-sensitive spectroscopic methods (such as Ti L2,3-edge TEY-NEXAFS) upon the fragmentation of the catalyst particles

Inflation and Dark Energy from spectroscopy at z > 2

The expansion of the Universe is understood to have accelerated during two epochs: in its very first moments during a period of Inflation and much more recently, at z < 1, when Dark Energy is hypothesized to drive cosmic acceleration. The undiscovered mechanisms behind these two epochs represent some of the most important open problems in fundamental physics. The large cosmological volume at 2 < z < 5, together with the ability to efficiently target high-$z$ galaxies with known techniques, enables large gains in the study of Inflation and Dark Energy. A future spectroscopic survey can test the Gaussianity of the initial conditions up to a factor of ~50 better than our current bounds, crossing the crucial theoretical threshold of $\sigma(f_{NL}^{\rm local})$ of order unity that separates single field and multi-field models. Simultaneously, it can measure the fraction of Dark Energy at the percent level up to $z = 5$, thus serving as an unprecedented test of the standard model and opening up a tremendous discovery space

Resection of thoracic malignancies infiltrating cardiac structures with use of cardiopulmonary bypass

Background: Only few reports exist on malignant thoracic neoplasms that require cardiopulmonary bypass during resection. We aimed to investigate the early and late clinical outcome of these patients. Methods: Patients with thoracic malignancies that underwent surgery between 2002 and 2014 were analyzed. All patients had cardiopulomonary bypass support during resection. Clinical and perioperative data was retrospectively reviewed for outcome and overall survival. Results: Fifteen patients (12 female, mean age of 55 ± 15 years, range 24 to 80 years) were identified. Eleven (8 female) were diagnosed with primary thoracic malignomas and four with metastases. Three patients died early postoperatively. Patients diagnosed with sarcoma had a significantly worse outcome than non-sarcoma patients (83.3 ± 15.2 % after 1 year, 31.3 ± 24.5 % after 5 years vs. 83.3 ± 15.2 % after 1 year, 0 ± 0 % after 5 years, p = 0.005). Conclusions: Malignancies with extension into cardiac structures or infiltration of great vessels can be resected with cardiopulmonary bypass support and tolerable risk. Carefully selected patients can undergo advanced operative procedures with an acceptable 1-year-survival, but only few patients achieved good long-term outcome