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„Wie nehmen Eltern die Krampfanfälle ihrer Kinder wahr? – Eine Befragung der Eltern anfallskranker Kinder.“
Get PDFDie Erkrankung Epilepsie im Kindes- und Jugendalter beeinflusst nicht nur das Leben der jungen Heranwachsenden, sondern auch das Leben der gesamten Familie. Da insbesondere die Eltern eine wichtige Rolle im Umgang mit der Erkrankung einnehmen, kann daraus aber auch eine Belastungssituation für die Eltern resultieren. Inwiefern sich die emotionale Wahrnehmung und das Anfallsmanagement der Eltern im Verlauf der Erkrankung verändert, verdeutlichen die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit.
Es stellte sich heraus, dass Eltern unterschiedliche Wahrnehmungen zu verschiedenen Zeitpunkten des Krankheitsverlaufes präsentierten. Zunächst nahmen einige Eltern den ersten Anfall ihres Kindes gar nicht als Krampfanfall wahr. Weiterhin veränderten sich auch die durchlebten Emotionen während der Anfälle, sodass in einigen Fällen weniger Angst im Verlaufe der Krankheit verspürt wurde. In einigen Fällen blieben jedoch auch Ängste im Umgang mit der Erkrankung bestehen. Gedanken hinsichtlich der Beeinträchtigung durch die Zukunft waren omnipräsent, wurden im Krankheitsverlauf aber auch durch Gedanken bezüglich der optimalen Versorgung und Unterstützung des Kindes während eines Anfalls und im gesamten Krankheitserleben ergänzt. Mehrheitlich wurden im Verlauf der Erkrankung Entwicklungen hinsichtlich eines sicheren und routinierten Verhaltens beschrieben. Die teilnehmenden Eltern empfanden mehrheitlich, ruhiger im Umgang mit Krampfanfällen geworden zu sein, einige wenige jedoch auch panischer.
Diese unterschiedlichen Wahrnehmungen im Verlauf der Erkrankung betonen die Notwendigkeit einer individuellen und regelmäßigen Betreuung mit stetiger Anpassung der Unterstützungsmöglichkeiten für die betroffenen Kinder, aber insbesondere auch für ihre Eltern, die eine Schlüsselrolle in der Behandlung der Epilepsie einnehmen. Diese Unterstützung ist insbesondere wichtig, um psychosozialen Folgeerkrankungen von Betreuungspersonen, die an Epilepsie erkrankte Kinder und Jugendliche betreuen, vorzubeugen. Inwiefern diese Unterstützungsmöglichkeiten passend ausgewählt und zielgerichteter auf die individuellen Bedürfnisse der Eltern und ihrer kranken Kinder angepasst werden könnten, bleibt an dieser Stelle ungeklärt. Somit sollten in weiteren Forschungsvorhaben Hilfsmittel evaluiert werden, um die betroffenen Kinder und ihre Familien zu entlasten und ihre Lebensqualität, insbesondere im Alltag mit einer chronischen Erkrankung, zu verbessern sowie auch dem behandelnden Gesundheitspersonal einen Leitfaden an die Hand zu geben
Real-life dosing conditions in older adults and geriatric patients and the influence of commonly used beverages on the release behaviour of hard capsules in vitro and in vivo
Get PDFOrally administered medications are susceptible to different conditions, which can change the pharmacokinetics (PK), and directly influence the bioavailability of a drug. Because older adults are susceptible to drug adverse effects, changes in drug PK may be harmful to them, therefore, it is favourable to know how they take their medications in real life. The presented thesis combines theoretical and practical aspects of dosing conditions. First, by means of a questionnaire study, the real-life dosing conditions in older adults were investigated to identify the possible problems that can affect the safety and efficiency of orally administered medications from a biopharmaceutical perspective. The developed questionnaire was applied in Germany and Poland. Both study populations were similar regarding drug intake. Typical dosing conditions reported by older populations in Germany and Poland that were the most important for drug absorption were as follows: I. Drug intake was on average, with ~100 mL of fluid (in Germany, most often ~200 mL, in Poland ~50 mL). II. Non-carbonated water, tea, coffee, and carbonated water were commonly used for drug administration. III. Medications were mostly taken directly after meals; in Germany, also 30 minutes before breakfast. IV. Bread-based meals dominated breakfast and dinner. V. Solid dosage forms were preferred for their ease of use and swallowing.
Second, the data about the most common fluids co-administered with medications by older adults were used to investigate the influence of real-life fluids on the disintegration of gelatine and HPMC capsules in vitro and in vivo. For in vitro studies, the USP 2 apparatus and the biorelevant GastroDuo model were used. In a clinical study with 12 young, healthy volunteers and 6 study arms, the salivary tracer technique was used. In the clinical study, the gastric emptying of administered fluids was also investigated.
In vitro data demonstrated that co-administered fluids strongly affected capsules' behaviour. For gelatine capsules, temperature had the greatest influence. HPMC capsules were more consistent, however, black tea delayed their opening time and drug release in the USP 2 apparatus. In vivo, gelatine capsules were also highly affected by the temperature, with the fastest opening in warm water and significantly slower in cold water. However, warm black tea significantly delayed the opening time of gelatine capsules in comparison to warm water. HPMC capsules behaved consistently in all fluids, showing no effect of temperature or black tea ingredients. Overall, HPMC capsules were more robust under fasting conditions. Results also highlighted differences between in vitro models. USP 2 apparatus captured mainly temperature effects, while GastroDuo better reflected in vivo conditions by simulating gastric emptying, pH, volumes of media, secretion and pressure events and predicted well the behaviour of HPMC capsules in vivo.
No significant differences in gastric emptying of tested fluids were observed, which demonstrates that the indirectly detected capsule behaviour is the result of their properties and the influence of the co-administered fluid, not a matter of differences in gastric emptying.
Older adults in Poland and Germany interviewed within the presented thesis mostly administered their medications with non-carbonated water. However, the usage of black tea was also worth noting, since it was especially prevalent among the Polish population and in further studies it was demonstrated that it significantly delayed the opening time of gelatine capsules in vivo. The collected data gave an overview of capsules' behaviour in real-life fluids and demonstrated that dosing conditions are important. Investigating how patients take their medications is a way to ensure a more patient-centric approach in drug development
Developing new strategies for the gradual integration of sensory imagery scripts into mental training: a commentary on Krüger et al. (2022)
Get PDFOur comment emphasizes the multisensory guidance of mental training processes as pointed out by Krüger et al. 2022. Guided multisensory mental training can focus on different aspects of action performance and gradually increase the vividness of the mental construct. The authors previously described an interaction between neural representation, subjective experience, and training gain. To enrich the subjective experience of the mental process, the establishment and testing of different guided mental training procedures are discussed
App-Based Addiction Prevention at German Vocational Schools: Implementation and Reach for a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial
Get PDFThis article examines the implementation, participation rates, and potential determinants of participation in the digital addiction prevention program “ready4life.” A two-arm cluster-randomized trial recruited German vocational students via class-based strategies. Intervention group received 16 weeks of in-app coaching; the control group received health behavior information, with coaching offered after 12 months. Potential determinants of participation were analyzed based on class and individual characteristics. Out of 525 contacted schools, 35 participated, enrolling 376 classes. Implementation during the pandemic required flexible adjustments, with 49.7% of introductions conducted in person, 43.1% digitally via online streaming, and 7.2% received a video link via email. Despite challenges, 72.3% of the vocational students downloaded the app, and 46.7% gave informed consent. Participation rates were highest among (associate) professionals, vocational grammar school classes, classes introduced by females, younger individuals, members of the project team, and classes introduced face-to-face. Female gender, lower social competencies, lifetime cannabis use, higher problematic internet use, and higher perceived stress were associated with higher individual participation. The study highlights the importance of proactive outreach and personalized interventions for addiction prevention programs in vocational schools. While reached students aligned with the aims of the app, tailored recruitment strategies could enhance engagement among under-represented groups. The trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS): DRKS00022328; registration date 09.10.2020
Identification and transfer to stepped care of depressed and psychosocially stressed parents during peri- and postpartum—UPlusE: study protocol for cluster randomized trial of a screening intervention
Get PDFBackground
Perinatal depression affects 10–15% of mothers and approximately 5% of fathers. However, only a small number of affected individuals seek treatment. If left unrecognized and untreated, it can have negative long-term consequences for the family’s health, leading to subsequent high costs. Early treatment is crucial, yet there is a notable underdiagnosis and undertreatment. Affected individuals are often seen during this time, e.g. in paediatric practices, but not by specialists in mental health. Consequently, this study aims to increase detection and treatment rates of affected individuals by implementing a screening for depression and psychosocial stress in perinatal and postpartum parents within routine obstetric and paediatric care with subsequent advice and—if necessary—further referral to a mental health specialist.
Methods
UPlusE is a prospective, cluster-randomized controlled trial conducted in an outpatient setting. Obstetric and paediatric practices will be randomized into an intervention and control group (1:1 ratio). Practices and enrolling patients will be required to use specific smartphone apps (practice apps) for interaction. The screening will occur with the apps at each paediatric checkup up to the child’s age of 12 months, using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), KID-PROTEKT questionnaire, and the scale 1 (impaired bonding) of the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ-1). The goal is to screen 10,000 patients across Germany. Gynaecologists and paediatricians will receive certified training on peripartum depression. Participants in the intervention group with scores above cut-offs (EPDS ≥ 10, KID-PROTEKT ≥ 1, PBQ-1 ≥ 12) will receive counselling through their treating gynaecologists/paediatricians and will be provided with regional addresses for psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and “Frühe Hilfen” (early prevention) as well as family counselling centres, depending on symptom severity. At each screening, participants will be asked whether they sought support, where, and with whom (utilization). Utilization is the primary outcome.
Discussion
The screening is designed to reduce underdiagnosis to enable suitable support at an early stage (especially for those often overlooked, such as individuals with “high-functioning depression”) and hence to avoid manifestation of mental health problems in the whole family, especially infants who are exceptionally dependent on their parents and their well-being will benefit from this program.
Trial registration
German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00033385. Registered on 15 January 2024
Enigmatic fragment possibly marks the first pterosaur record from the Lower Toarcian of Grimmen, NE Germany
Get PDFPterosaurs are a well-known component of many Mesozoic fossil ecosystems worldwide. To date, marine and terrestrial faunal elements such as cephalopods, fish, marine reptiles, dinosaurs and insects have been discovered in the Lower Jurassic clay pit near Grimmen (Western Pomerania). A new fragmentary bone is thoroughly described herein and interpreted to represent the first evidence for the presence of pterosaurs in this locality
Late Holocene environmental variability derived from lacustrine sediments of large lowland lake Schweriner See, NE-Germany
Get PDFGlobal change is one of the major challenges our society faces in recent times and is becoming increasingly noticeable in all aspects of our lives. In the last ten years, reports about droughts in Europe increased, contrary to expected natural climate variations and are attributed as indicators of climate change. Droughts resulted in a severe decrease in water levels of lakes, rivers and reservoirs, posing socio-economic and environmental challenges. Climate scenarios by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) project increasing temperatures, more frequent, longer and/or more intense heat waves and warm spells, and an increase in aridity with short-term droughts in the upcoming decades for Western and Central Europe. Some areas – such as Northeast Germany – are already affected by negative water balances and the lowering of lake and groundwater levels. Additionally to possible challenges in water availability, excess nutrients and heavy metals from industrial emissions, agricultural fertilisers and land use changes lead to declining water quality. In the past century, extensive eutrophication and environmental pollution have become major water quality issues in many freshwater bodies.
Nonetheless, water and its availability in a sufficient quantity and quality are prerequisites for life and must be prioritised in future development. The European Union aims for a good status in all surface and groundwater bodies by 2027 regarding their ecological, chemical and quantitative status. However, a profound understanding of eutrophication, pollution sources, and water bodies' reference conditions – referring to pre-anthropogenic conditions – should be available for each system to apply integrated restoration strategies. Moreover, an in-depth understanding of long-term climate variability and its dynamics is indispensable to approach these climate change challenges and reliably predict water availability.
During the past decades, numerous paleoenvironmental studies have been carried out on Northern German sediment archives, using mainly lacustrine sediments to reconstruct hydroclimatic variability, often inferring lake-level variations as key indicators. However, most studies were carried out in areas affected by more maritime or continental climate. Studies from the transition zone are rare. Only few existing studies offer high-resolution records and/or robust chronologies, which limits the understanding of past environmental changes significantly. Besides, the Northern German lowlands have been anthropogenically affected since at least the Neolithic (~5.6 ka cal BP) and, in particular, forest composition and density have recently been shown to have at least partially an impact on lake-level variations. However, a reliable distinction between climatic impacts and anthropogenic interferences is widely missing, which is a problem because many studies were conducted on rather small lacustrine systems in which expected anthropogenic signals are higher, and single events may overprint the climatic signals. These biases lead to an incoherent picture of the past hydroclimatic variability in Northern Germany during the Holocene. To overcome this situation, it is inevitable to identify a suitable sedimentary archive from the transition zone – preferably a large lacustrine system in which natural (supra-)regional paleoenvironmental signals are expected to be not overprinted by single events. Moreover, it is necessary to establish robust chronologies and apply high-resolution methods to infer past environmental changes in a high temporal resolution. Taken together, this could contribute to an enhanced understanding of past environmental and climatic changes in Northern Germany.
This thesis consolidates the evidence for Schweriner See to act as a suitable sedimentary archive in Northern Germany for (supra-)regional climate reconstructions. Schweriner See is a large lowland lake in Northern Germany located within the transition zone from maritime to continental climate. In the first step, (paleo)lacustrine landforms, i.e. beach ridges, subaerial nearshore bar, and a silting-up sequence, are investigated along the north-eastern shoreline using a combined approach of sedimentology (e.g. grain size variations) and the relatively novel method of luminescence profiling offering relative age determinations to understand depositional processes and their chronological framework. Absolute age information is mainly inferred by OSL dating. Secondly, an important prerequisite to interpreting information obtained from lacustrine sediment archives is a thorough understanding of processes controlling sedimentation. Schweriner See is characterized by a complex morphometry, which influences in-lake processes, i.e. i) in-lake productivity, ii) carbonate precipitation and iii) wind- and wave-induced processes, resulting in a distinct spatial heterogeneity. This thesis shows that it is crucial first to understand sedimentary depositional processes and controlling mechanisms to i) select suitable coring location(s) and ii) reconstruct paleoenvironmental and hydroclimatic variations reliably.
Based on bathymetric considerations and inferred in-lake processes, two main coring locations were identified to infer i) the anthropogenic impacts and ii) hydroclimatic variations. Short sediment records from the shallow water areas (< 15 m water depth) cover the most recent environmental history of Schweriner See. A well-dated sedimentary record (210Pb/137Cs and 14C dating) links distinct sedimentary and geochemical changes with historical events. Schweriner See was extensively affected by lake-wide eutrophication and contamination, closely related to sewage and population dynamics within the catchment. The water quality only improved after the German Reunification in 1990 CE when sewage was precluded from Schweriner See. Contamination trends at Schweriner See showed similar trends to different archives along the southern Baltic Sea, implying a common regional driving mechanism, e.g. environmental legalisation.
A well-dated sediment record from the profundal zone (52 m water depth) allowed the reconstruction of large-scale atmospheric conditions during the past 3 ka cal BP by inferring winter temperature variability, the moisture source region and/or evaporative lake water enrichment, which resemble variations in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). The NAO greatly influences the Central European climate, affecting, for example, surface air temperature, precipitation or storm tracks. During 3-2.8 ka and 2.1-0.8 ka cal BP, predominantly positive NAO conditions are reconstructed, which are characterized by warmer winter temperatures, moisture conditions bringing isotopically enriched precipitation from the southern/central North Atlantic to Northern Central Europe and/or warmer temperatures that may result in a higher evaporative isotopic lake water enrichment as a result of northwards displaced westerlies. Conversely, during 2.8-2.1 ka and 0.8-0.1 ka cal BP, results correspond to predominantly negative NAO phases influenced by southwards displaced westerlies. Frequent atmospheric blocking allows for the intrusion of northerly or easterly winds, resulting in colder winter temperatures, isotopically depleted precipitation from the Northern Atlantic and Arctic region and/or a lower evaporative lake water enrichment. In addition to these long-term changes in atmospheric conditions, short-term hydroclimatic variations have been reconstructed, mainly reflecting lake-level variations in conjunction with precipitation variability, with the proxy signal being additionally amplified by wind speed and wave motion. Comparisons with other archives support these results.
So far, the paleoenvironmental reconstruction is limited to the Late Holocene, but initial dating results imply possible interferences until the Late Pleistocene. Therefore, future studies should focus on extending the profundal record from Schweriner See further back in time, providing a high-resolution record covering both the Holocene and possibly the Late Pleistocene.Der globale Wandel ist eine der größten Herausforderungen, dem sich unsere Gesellschaft aktuell stellen muss und der sich zunehmend in allen Bereichen unseres Lebens bemerkbar macht. In den letzten zehn Jahren häuften sich Berichte über Dürren in Europa, die gegenläufig zu erwartbaren natürlichen Klimaschwankungen sind und als Indikator für den Klimawandel gewertet werden. Dürren führten insbesondere zu starken Rückgängen der Wasserstände von Seen, Flüssen und Stauseen, was zu gravierenden sozioökonomischen und ökologischen Herausforderungen führte. Klimaszenarien des Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) prognostizierenfür die kommende Jahrzehnte steigende Temperaturen, häufigere, längere und/oder intensivere Hitzewellen und Wärmeperioden sowie eine Zunahme der Trockenheit mit kurzfristigen Dürren für West- und Mitteleuropa. Einige Gebiete – darunter Nordostdeutschland – sind bereits von einer negativen Wasserbilanz und sinkenden See- und Grundwasserspiegel betroffen. Neben den Herausforderungen der Wasserverfügbarkeit führen überschüssige Nährstoffe und Schwermetalle aus Industrieemissionen, landwirtschaftlichen Düngemitteln und eine veränderte Landnutzung zu einer zunehmenden Verschlechterung der Wasserqualität. Im vergangenen Jahrhundert haben sich Eutrophierung und Umweltverschmutzung in vielen Süßwasserkörpern zu einem großen Problem der Wasserqualität entwickelt.
Nichtsdestotrotz, Wasser und seine Verfügbarkeit in ausreichender Menge und Qualität ist eine Voraussetzung für jegliches Leben und sollten daher in zukünftigen Entwicklungen priorisiert sein. Die Europäische Union strebt einen guten Zustand in Bezug auf ihren ökologischen, chemischen und mengenmäßigen Zustand für alle Oberflächen- und Grundwasserkörper bis 2027 an. Um Sanierungsmaßnahmen durchführen zu können, sollte jedoch für jedes System ein umfassendes Verständnis der Eutrophierungs- und Verschmutzungsquellen sowie der Referenzbedingungen der Wasserkörper – bezogen auf die präanthropogenen Bedingungen – vorhanden sein. Darüber hinaus ist ein tiefgreifendes Verständnis der langfristigen Klimaschwankungen und ihrer Dynamik unerlässlich, um die Herausforderungen des Klimawandels zu bewältigen und die Verfügbarkeit von Wasser unter sich ändernden Umweltbedingungen zu gewährleisten.
In den letzten Jahrzehnten wurden zahlreiche Paläoumweltstudien in norddeutschen Sedimentarchiven durchgeführt, wobei hauptsächlich lakustrine Sedimente zur Rekonstruktion hydroklimatischer Schwankungen verwendet wurden. Dabei wurden oft Seespiegel-schwankungen als Indiz für hydroklimatische Veränderungen herangezogen. Die meisten Studien wurden jedoch in Gebieten durchgeführt, die von einem eher maritimen oder kontinentalen Klima geprägt sind. Studien aus dem Übergangsbereich sind selten. Außerdem haben nur wenige Untersuchungen hochaufgelöste Records und/oder zuverlässige Chronologien, was das Verständnis vergangener Umweltveränderungen erheblich einschränkt. Des Weiteren wurde das norddeutsche Tiefland mindestens seit dem Neolithikum (~5.6 ka cal BP) anthropogen beeinflusst und die Walddichte und -zusammensetzung wurde zuletzt zumindest teilweise als Einflussfaktor auf Seespiegelschwankungen diskutiert. Eine zuverlässige Unterscheidung zwischen klimatischen Einflüssen und anthropogenen Störungen fehlt jedoch weitgehend, was problematisch ist, da bisher eher kleine Seesystemen untersucht wurden, in denen die erwartbaren anthropogenen Signale höher sind, und Einzelereignisse das klimatische Signal überlagern können. Dieser Bias führt zu einem inkohärenten Bild der holozänen hydroklimatischen Variabilität Norddeutschlands. Um diese Problematik zu lösen, ist es essenziell, ein geeignetes Sedimentarchiv aus der Übergangszone zwischen maritimem und kontinentalem Klima zu identifizieren – idealerweise ein großes lakustrines System, in dem zu erwarten ist, dass natürliche (über-)regionale Paläoumweltsignale nicht durch einzelne Ereignisse überlagert werden. Darüber hinaus ist es unerlässlich, robuste Alters-Tiefen-Modelle zu erstellen und hochauflösende Methoden anzuwenden, um vergangene Umweltveränderungen in hoher zeitlicher Auflösung ableiten zu können. Nur dann kann ein besseres Verständnis der Paläoumwelt- und Paläoklimageschichte Norddeutschlands erlangt werden.
Der Schweriner See wurde als geeignetes Sedimentarchiv identifiziert. Er ist ein großer Tieflandsee in Norddeutschland, der in der Übergangszone vom maritimen zum kontinentalen Klima liegt. Im Folgenden wurden in einem ersten Schritt (paläo-)lakustrine Landformen, d.h. Strandrücken, subaeriale küstennahe Barren und eine Verlandungssequenz, entlang der nordöstlichen Uferlinie mit einem kombinierten Ansatz aus Sedimentologie (z.B. Korngrößenvariationen) und der relativ neuen Methode des Luminescence Profiling untersucht. Luminescence Profiling ermöglichte die relative Altersbestimmungen der Ablagerungsprozesse und deren chronologischen Einordnung. Absolute Alter wurden hauptsächlich durch OSL-Datierungen abgeleitet. Eine weitere wichtige Vorrausetzung für die Interpretation von lakustrinen Sedimenten ist ein tiefgreifendes Verständnis der Sedimentationsprozesse und ihren beeinflussenden Faktoren. Der Schweriner See ist durch eine komplexe Morphometrie gekennzeichnet, die maßgeblich die Prozesse im See beeinflusst, d.h. i) die seeinterne Produktivität, ii) die Karbonatausfällung und iii) wind- und welleninduzierte Prozesse, was zu einer ausgeprägten räumlichen Heterogenität führt. Im Folgenden zeigt diese Thesis, dass es entscheidend ist, zunächst die sedimentären Ablagerungsprozesse und Kontrollmechanismen zu verstehen, um dann i) geeignete Stellen für die Sedimentkernentnahme auszuwählen und um ii) Paläoumwelt- und hydroklimatische Veränderungen zuverlässig rekonstruieren zu können.
Auf der Grundlage bathymetrischen Karte und der Sedimentationsprozesse wurden zwei Lokationen für die Sedimentkernentnahme ausgewählt, um i) die anthropogenen Einflüsse und ii) hydroklimatische Schwankungen zu untersuchen. Kurze Sedimentkerne aus den Flachwasserbereichen (< 15 m Wassertiefe) decken die jüngste Umweltgeschichte des Schweriner Sees ab. Ein gut datierter Sedimentkern (210Pb/137Cs und 14C-Datierung) erlaubt die Zuordnung von sedimentären und geochemischen Veränderungen zu historischen Ereignissen. Des weiteres wird gezeigt, dass der Schweriner See stark von der Eutrophierung und z.T. Schwermetallverschmutzung, die eng mit der Abwasser- und Bevölkerungsdynamik im Einzugsgebiet zusammenhängt, betroffen war. Die Wasserqualität verbesserte sich erst nach der deutschen Wiedervereinigung im Jahr 1990, als die Abwässer nicht mehr in den Schweriner See eingeleitet wurden. Ähnliche Trends der Schwermetallverschmutzung zeigen verschiedene Archive entlang der südlichen Ostseeküste, was auf einen gemeinsamen (supra-)regionalen Mechanismus, z.B. Einführung von Umweltgesetzgebungen, schließen lässt.
Ein gut datierter Profundal-Sedimentkern (52 m Wassertiefe) ermöglicht die Rekonstruktion von großräumigen atmosphärischen Veränderungen der letzten 3 ka cal BP. Es wurden Schwankungen der Wintertemperatur, atmosphärischen Niederschlagsquellen und/oder der Verdunstungsanreicherung des Seewassers rekonstruiert. Diese Veränderungen entsprechen dem Muster der Nordatlantischen Oszillation, die einen erheblichen Einfluss auf das mitteleuropäische Klima hat. Zwischen 3-2,8 ka und 2,1-0,8 ka cal BP werden überwiegend positive NAO-Bedingungen widergespiegelt, die sich durch wärmere Wintertemperaturen und einen isotopisch angereicherten Niederschlag aus dem südlichen/zentralen Nordatlantik und/oder einer höheren isotopischen Anreicherung des Seewassers durch Verdunstung kennzeichnen. Das wird verursacht durch nordwärts verlagerte Westwinde. Im Gegensatz, zwischen 2,8-2,1 ka und 0,8-0,1 ka cal BP überwiegen negative NAO-Phasen, in denen die Westwinde nach Süden umgelenkt werden. Das führt zu häufigeren atmosphärischen Blockaden, die das Vordringen von Nord- und Ostwinden ermöglicht, was zu kälteren Wintertemperaturen, isotopisch abgereicherten Niederschlägen aus dem nördlichen Atlantik und der Arktis und/oder einer geringeren isotopischen Anreicherung des Seewasser durch Verdunstung entspricht. Zusätzlich zu diesen langfristigen atmosphärischen Veränderungen wurden kurzfristige hydroklimatische Schwankungen rekonstruiert, die hauptsächlich die Schwankungen des Seespiegels in Verbindung mit der Niederschlagsvariabilität widerspiegeln, wobei das Proxysignal zusätzlich durch Windgeschwindigkeit und Wellenbewegung verstärkt wird. Vergleiche mit anderen Archiven stützen die Interpretation dieser Ergebnisse.
Bisher ist die Paläoumweltrekonstruktion auf das späte Holozän beschränkt, aber erste Datierungsergebnisse deuten auf eine mögliche Rekonstruktion der supraregionalen klimatischen Veränderungen bis zum Spätpleistozän hin. Daher sollten sich künftige Studien darauf konzentrieren, das Alters-Tiefenmodell des Profundalkerns des Schweriner Sees zu erweitern, um hochaufgelöste Umweltrekonstruktionen bis in das Spätpleistozän zu ermöglichen
What Is the Impact of Multimodal Treatment in Patients with Leiomyosarcoma of Bone? A Multicenter Study of 35 Patients with an Ultra-Rare Tumor Entity
Get PDFPrimary leiomyosarcoma of bone (LMSoB) is extremely rare, comprising only <0.7% of primary malignant bone tumors, and is therefore considered an ultra-rare tumor entity. There is currently no consensus as to whether therapeutic strategies should be based on the biological characteristics of soft tissue leiomyosarcoma or on primary tumor localization in the bone. The use of perioperative chemotherapy and its effectiveness in this rare tumor entity remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the impact of different treatment approaches in a multicenter setting with a total of 35 patients included. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 74%. Patients with localized disease undergoing surgery had a significantly higher 5-year OS compared to patients who did not undergo surgical treatment (82% vs. 0%, p = 0.0015). Axial tumor localization was associated with worse event-free survival (EFS) probability (p < 0.001) and OS (p = 0.0082). A high proportion of our patients developed secondary metastases. Furthermore, the perioperative chemotherapy protocols applied to our patients were not associated with an improved EFS or OS. Therefore, the benefit of perioperative chemotherapy in LMSoB needs to be further investigated, and the choice of agents still needs to be clarified
Sperm storage organs change with female age and mating history in the Golden Silk spider Trichonephila clavipes (Araneae: Araneidae)
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Female sperm storage organs in arthropods are used as taxonomic characters since it is assumed that they do not change after maturation. However, in the Golden Silk spider, Trichonephila clavipes , the shape and sclerotization of the spermathecae change with a mating event. Moreover, mating in T. clavipes consists of several hundred copulations, but the male transfers all sperm during the first insertion of each pedipalp. Given this puzzling mating behaviour, we hypothesize that multiple copulations serve purposes other than sperm transfer and uptake, such as further altering the morphology of the storage site and/or transferring substances other than sperm. We compared virgin female T. clavipes with females after two copulations, one for each spermatheca, and after ad‐libitum mating. Each treatment consisted of two sub‐treatments in which the state of the sperm storage organs was inspected after a short (1–3 days) or a long (11 days) time interval after the female's final moult. The size of the spermathecae increased twofold in all mating treatments compared to virgin females. The thickness of the spermathecal wall increased significantly with time in all treatments similarly. The spermathecal epithelium, which releases secretion into the lumen of the spermathecae, seems most active in virgin females during the time when mating would normally occur and turns less active after mating and with age. The spermathecae contain secretion produced by the female before mating; and after mating, sperm and another secretion transferred by the male. The numerous sperm‐less matings in the ad‐libitum treatment resulted in male secretion in the copulatory ducts of the female genitalia, likely impeding sperm transfer by subsequent males. Out study shows that female genitalia can change considerably after having reached maturity and suggests that sperm‐less matings evolved in the context of sperm competition
Crystalline Structure and Optical Properties of Cobalt Nickel Oxide Thin Films Deposited with a Pulsed Hollow-Cathode Discharge in an Ar+O2 Gas Mixture
Get PDFCobalt nickel oxide films are deposited on Si(111) or fluorine-doped tin-oxide-coated (FTO) glass substrates employing a pulsed hollow-cathode discharge. The hollow cathode is operated with argon gas flowing through the nozzle and with O2 gas admitted to the vacuum chamber. Three different cathode compositions (Co20Ni80, Co50Ni50, and Co80Ni20) are investigated. Deposited and annealed thin films are characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared (Raman) spectroscopy, and ellipsometry. As-deposited films consist of a single mixed cobalt nickel oxide phase. Upon annealing at 600 °C, the mixed cobalt nickel oxide phase separates into two cystalline sub-phases which consist of cubic NiO and cubic Co3O4. Annealed films are investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry and the optical bandgaps are determined