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Kiel Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire (KGDQ): development and validation of a questionnaire for change-sensitive assessment of gender dysphoria
Get PDFWe developed and evaluated the Kiel Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire (KGDQ), a tool designed to assess distress due to gender incongruence in individuals aged 18 and above with sensitivity to change. The 31 items of the questionnaire were generated through semi-structured guideline interviews with trans* patients (n = 7) and experts (n = 5), which were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Additionally, modified items from other questionnaires and the item collection of a working group were considered. Subsequently, the questionnaire was completed online by gender-dysphoric participants (N = 219). A principal axis analysis revealed a conceptually plausible three-factor structure with the subscales Alienation, Gender Role Pressure, and Body Dysphoria. All subscales demonstrated at least good internal consistency with α ≥ 0.80. A correlational comparison of two testing periods indicated high test-retest reliability (r = 0.84). The convergent validity with the Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale-Gender Spectrum and the divergent validity with the PHQ-9 module of the Patient Health Questionnaire were only partially demonstrated, as the predetermined thresholds were slightly under (r 0.40). The assessment of known-groups validity showed expected mean differences. The results suggest that the KGDQ is a reliable and valid instrument for capturing various aspects of gender dysphoria over time
Drying and Storage Influence the Formation of Key Aromatic Constituents in Blue Fenugreek (Trigonella caerulea)
Get PDFThe dried herb of blue fenugreek is used as a spice in the alpine region for the preparation of traditional bread and cheese. After drying, the herb is stored for a period of six to twelve months. During this time, the herb is expected to undergo changes in the compositions of the major flavor- and odor-determining compounds. To identify eventual biochemical processes, we applied different growing (conventional and sterile) and drying (air- and freeze drying) conditions and subsequently conducted periodical analysis of key aroma constituents (α-keto acids and volatile compounds) by LC-MS and GC-MS. The amount of glyoxylic acid was drastically increased in the air-dried sample, while the freeze-dried sample showed significantly higher amounts of α-keto-glutaric acid and pyruvic acid, respectively. During storage, a decrease in sulfuric compounds and an increase in alkane aldehydes were observed when comparing conventional and sterile samples. However, this increase was even greater for monoterpenes (especially camphor and p-cymene), showing thrice as high amounts after storage. Interestingly, both compounds were only formed significantly during the storage under conventional conditions, indicating that their production is induced/caused by microbial organisms
Processing and Real-Time Monitoring Strategies of Aflatoxin Reduction in Pistachios: Innovative Nonthermal Methods, Advanced Biosensing Platforms, and AI-Based Predictive Approaches
Get PDFAflatoxin (AF) contamination in pistachios remains a critical food safety and trade challenge, given the potent carcinogenicity of AF-B1 and the nut's high susceptibility to Aspergillus infection throughout production and storage. Traditional decontamination methods such as roasting, irradiation, ozonation, and acid/alkaline treatments can reduce AF levels but often degrade sensory and nutritional quality, implying the need for more sustainable approaches. In recent years, innovative nonthermal interventions, including pulsed light, cold plasma, nanomaterial-based adsorbents, and bioactive coatings, have demonstrated significant potential to decrease fungal growth and AF accumulation while preserving product quality. Biosensing technologies such as electrochemical immunosensors, aptamer-based systems, and optical or imaging tools are advancing rapid, portable, and sensitive detection capabilities. Combining these experimental strategies with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models can increasingly be applied to integrate spectral, sensor, and imaging data for predicting fungal development and AF risk in real time. This review brings together progress in nonthermal reduction strategies, biosensing innovations, and data-driven approaches, presenting a comprehensive perspective on emerging tools that could transform pistachio safety management and strengthen compliance with global regulatory standards
Advance in Marine Geotechnical Engineering
Get PDFMarine geotechnical engineering is undergoing a rapid transformation driven by the increasing global demand for offshore energy, resilient coastal infrastructure, and sustainable seabed utilization. Traditionally focused on foundation design for offshore structures, the field now encompasses a wide range of challenges, including deep-sea mineral exploration, subsea cable routing, offshore wind turbine installations, and the assessment of submarine slope stability in response to climate change-induced events. Marine geotechnical engineering involves the application of geoscientific knowledge and innovative engineering approaches to investigate and characterize seafloor materials [Contribution 1, Contribution 10]. Despite ongoing progress, the mechanical behavior of seafloor soils—particularly in response to infrastructure development—remains insufficiently understood. Tools such as cone penetration testing with pore pressure measurement, piezocone testing, and advanced geophysical surveys have enhanced the resolution of site investigations [1,2]. Furthermore, coupled hydro-mechanical modeling techniques now allow for more accurate simulations of soil behavior under cyclic and dynamic loading, which is critical for offshore wind farms and seismic-prone marine environments [Contribution 5, Contribution 6, Contribution 13, [3–6]]. Given the increasing complexity and scale of offshore structures, such as wind farms, pipelines, and subsea foundations, addressing this knowledge gap is more critical than ever
Effects of stress and functional feeds on health and performance of Atlantic salmon
Get PDFThis thesis investigated whether microalgae-enriched functional feeds can improve the health and growth performance of Atlantic salmon reared in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and allow the fish to cope with stress more effectively. In the first trial, salmon smolts were fed diets supplemented with various microalgae for eight weeks in brackish water followed by two weeks in seawater. The results showed that feeding 8% Chlorella vulgaris can improve feed utilisation and modulate the immune response of Atlantic salmon. Transferring the salmon from brackish water to seawater induced an acute stress response and led to a greatly reduced immune gene-expression, but only limited effects of the dietary treatments were detected. The subsequent trials tested feeding different inclusion levels and administration methods of Chlorella vulgaris and Schizochytrium limacinum for eight weeks to post-smolts followed by an acute oxidative stress induced by peracetic acid (PAA) treatment. Feeding S. limacinum improved feed conversion and protein retention and modulated bacterial beta diversity of the digesta. PAA treatment induced a pronounced stress and immune response but feeding 14% C. vulgaris once per week attenuated the immune responses in the gill. A fourth trial involved artificially elevating plasma cortisol levels in post-smolt Atlantic salmon to model chronic stress and understand potential interactions when feeding chronically stressed fish a functional feed. Cortisol treatment reduced growth and the expression of antiviral genes in the heart, whereas feeding S. limacinum had only a minor effect on the physiological responses induced by cortisol. Overall, this work demonstrates that microalgae-enriched feeds have the potential to mitigate stress and promote health in RAS-reared Atlantic salmon, although the effectiveness depends on the type of stressor and the specific algal species used
Optimierung der Messdauer durch individuelle Bestimmung der Anzahl der zur Messung von durch Elektrostimulation des Nervus tibialis am Fußgelenk somatosensibel evozierten corticalen Potenzialen notwendigen Mittelungsschritte durch einen Algorithmus
Get PDFZiel dieser Pilotstudie war es zu untersuchen, ob durch einen Algorithmus die individuell erforderliche Anzahl von Mittelungsschritten zur Erhebung somatosensibel evozierter Potenziale (SEP) nach Stimulation des Nervus tibialis (tSEP) bestimmt werden kann. Eine Reduktion der Mittelungsanzahl würde die Messdauer verkürzen, das Feedback bei intraoperativen Veränderungen beschleunigen und so schnelleres Handeln ermöglichen, um neuronale Schäden zu vermeiden. Der entwickelte Algorithmus startete mit 200 Mittelungsschritten und reduzierte diese schrittweise, bis das gemessene Potenzial nicht mehr reproduzierbar war. Als reproduzierbar galten Potenziale mit einer Amplitudenabweichung von weniger als 20 % oder einer Latenzabweichung von maximal 0,5 ms zur Ausgangsmessung. Anschließend wurde die Mittelungsanzahl auf das vorherige Niveau plus 50 % festgelegt, um die minimal benötigte Mittelungszahl zu bestimmen. An der Studie nahmen 15 Patienten teil, die sich einer elektiven Wirbelsäulenoperation unterzogen. Die ethische Genehmigung lag vor. Bei 11 Patienten (73,3 %) konnte die Mittelungsanzahl bei der tSEP-Erhebung signifikant reduziert werden – im Durchschnitt auf 106 Mittelungsschritte. Die Zeit zur Messung sank dadurch von 48 Sekunden auf etwa 26 Sekunden. Zur Validierung wurden Daten der SEP nach Stimulation des Nervus medianus (mSEP) erneut ausgewertet. Auch hier war eine signifikante Reduktion möglich: im Mittel auf 56 Mittelungsschritte und eine Messzeit von 15 Sekunden. Der Algorithmus ermöglicht eine signifikante Zeitersparnis und könnte in zukünftige Monitoring-Geräte integriert werden, um patientenindividuell die optimale Mittelungsanzahl vor Beginn einer Operation festzulegen
Vergleichende morphologische und biochemische Charakterisierung der Effektorkompartimente zytotoxischer Lymphozyten
Get PDFZytotoxische T-Zellen eliminieren virusinfizierte oder transformierte Zellen durch den Einsatz von speziellen sekretorischen Vesikeln (sekretorische Lysosomen). Diese mobilisierbaren intrazellulären Strukturen enthalten spezielle Effektormediatoren, die zur Apoptose in der Zielzelle führen. Dafür werden sie nach Ausbildung eines speziellen Zell-Zellkontaktes, den man zytotoxische Synapse nennt, lokal in die Zielzelle entlassen bzw. auf der Zelloberfläche der zytotoxischen Zelle exponiert. Unsere Arbeitsgruppe konnte zeigen, dass es zwei biochemisch und morphologisch unterscheidbare Typen dieser intrazellulären Speicher- und Sekretionsstrukturen gibt. Einerseits die Fraktion 2-Vesikel, die den membranständigen Todesfaktor Fas-Ligand als zytotoxischen Faktor speichern, andererseits die sogenannten Fraktion 6-Granula, die vor allem lösliche Effektorproteine wie Granzyme, Perforin und die 9 kDa-Form des Granulysins speichern. Proteomanalysen unserer Arbeitsgruppe legten nahe, dass die unterschiedlichen Typen von Granula auch mit distinkten Zytoskelett-Proteinen assoziiert sind. Dies impliziert, dass die verschiedenen Organellen kontextabhängig mobilisiert werden können und sich deren Freisetzungsmechanismen unterscheiden. Zur Analyse, ob unterschiedliche T‑Zellsubpopulationen mit αβ T-Zellrezeptor (CD4+ oder CD8+) und γδ T-Zellrezeptor diese Effektorkompartimente in gleicher Weise enthalten, wurden deren intrazellulär gespeicherte Granula mittels Dichtegradientenzentrifugation angereichert und über verschiedene biochemische Verfahren analysiert. Die Analysen konnten die Hinweise aus Vorarbeiten bestätigen, dass mindestens zwei distinkte Speicher- und Sekretionsstrukturen sowohl in αβ als auch in γδ T‑Zellen existieren und diese sich in ihrem Proteom zelltypübergreifend sehr stark ähneln
Accelerometry-derived features of physical activity, sleep and circadian rhythm relate to non-motor symptoms in individuals with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder
Get PDFAccelerometry enables passive, continuous, high-frequency monitoring under free-living conditions. For individuals with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD), a potential prodromal phase of Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies, accelerometry has been primarily applied to aid diagnosis and to assess phenoconversion risk. To extend this knowledge, we cross-sectionally combined clinical assessments focusing on non-motor symptoms with accelerometry-derived features of physical activity (PA), sleep, and circadian rhythm of N = 68 individuals with iRBD (age: 69.48 ± 6.01 years, self-reported RBD symptom duration: 9.46 ± 6.21 years, 85 % male). Accelerometry-assessed PA was associated with more stable circadian rhythms. Additionally, higher PA and more stable circadian rhythms were linked to a lower burden of overall non-motor symptoms, depressive symptoms, and fatigue with small to moderate effect sizes. Furthermore, including accelerometry-derived features improved the prediction of individual clinical scores, particularly for cognitive performance. Our findings contribute to the growing body of evidence highlighting the complex interplay between PA, sleep, circadian rhythm, and non-motor symptoms in α-synucleinopathies. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to monitor changes in clinical outcomes and digital biomarkers over time to enhance our understanding of symptom progression and corresponding lifestyle changes in prodromal and manifest α-synucleinopathies
Heterochrony in orthodenticle expression is associated with ommatidial size variation between Drosophila species
Get PDFBackground The compound eyes of insects exhibit extensive variation in ommatidia number and size, which affects how they see and underlies adaptations in their vision to different environments and lifestyles. However, very little is known about the genetic and developmental bases of differences in eye size. We previously showed that the larger eyes of Drosophila mauritiana compared to D. simulans are generally caused by differences in ommatidia size rather than number. Furthermore, we identified an X-linked chromosomal region in D. mauritiana that results in larger eyes when introgressed into D. simulans. Results Here, we used a combination of fine-scale mapping and gene expression analysis to further investigate positional candidate genes on the X chromosome. We found earlier expression of orthodenticle (otd) during ommatidial maturation in D. mauritiana than in D. simulans, and we show that this gene is required for the correct organisation and size of ommatidia in D. melanogaster. We discovered that the activity of an otd eye enhancer is consistent with the difference in the expression of this gene between species, with the D. mauritiana enhancer sequence driving earlier expression than that of D. simulans. When otd expression is driven prematurely during D. melanogaster eye development, the ommatidia grow larger, supporting a possible role for the timing of otd expression in regulating ommatidial size. We also identified potential direct targets of Otd that are differentially expressed between D. mauritiana and D. simulans during ommatidial maturation. Conclusions Taken together, our results suggest that differential timing of otd expression may contribute to natural variation in ommatidia size between D. mauritiana and D. simulans, which provides new insights into the mechanisms underlying the regulation and evolution of compound eye size in insects
The drivers of adoption and impact of climate-smart agricultural practices on livestock farmers’ household welfare in Pakistan
Get PDFClimate change remains a major challenge for farmers who rely on nature-based livelihoods such as livestock, which is a crucial aspect of income generation and food security in developing countries. In this study, we examine the determinants of livestock farmers’ adoption of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices and the impact of adoption on food security and household income in Punjab, Pakistan. The two CSA practices include livestock management (housing modification, livestock diversification, reducing herd size, and incorporating trees into livestock farming) and health and feed management (animal healthcare measures, feeding practices, enhanced fodder, and manure incorporation). We employ data from 428 livestock farmers in five districts of Punjab, employing a multinomial endogenous switching regression model to address potential selection bias. The results reveal that factors affecting CSA practice adoption include livestock units, landholdings, perception of climate change, climate indicators, veterinary center access, farming experience, and perception of increasing animal diseases. We also demonstrate that livestock farmers who adopt combined CSA practices benefit more than those who do not adopt any or adopt an individual practice, in terms of food security and household income. The findings also reveal that farmers’ perception of climate change and veterinary center access promote the adoption of CSA practices