Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
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Comparative CRISPRi screens reveal a human stem cell dependence on mRNA translation-coupled quality control
No full textAfter Life: The Legacy of Discontinued International Organizations in the Twentieth Century
No full textA cost-effective and scalable approach for DNA extraction from FFPE tissues
No full textGenomic profiling of cancer plays an increasingly vital role for diagnosis and therapy planning. In addition, research of novel diagnostic applications such as DNA methylation profiling requires large training and validation cohorts. Currently, most diagnostic cases processed in pathology departments are stored as formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded tissue blocks (FFPE). Consequently, there is a growing demand for high-throughput extraction of nucleic acids from FFPE tissue samples. While proprietary kits are available, they are expensive and offer little flexibility. Here, we present ht-HiTE, a high-throughput implementation of a recently published and highly efficient DNA extraction protocol. This approach enables manual and automated processing of 96-well plates with a liquid handler, offers two options for purification and utilizes off-the-shelf reagents. Finally, we show that NGS and DNA methylation microarray data obtained from DNA processed with ht-HiTE are of equivalent quality as compared to a manual, kit-based approach
Geography of Patent Law: An Institutional Model of Variation and Convergence of Judicial Beliefs
No full textLegal norms are inherently open to interpretation, often leading litigants to perceive inconsistency. We introduce the concept of judicial beliefs—institutionalized understandings of law—to examine how patent judges foster jurisdictional consistency. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with elite judges at Germany’s leading patent infringement courts, we identify career socialization, collegial deliberation, and judicial abrogation as key mechanisms of how judicial beliefs institutionalize. Because these mechanisms operate at different spatial scales, we propose a model of how judicial beliefs shape both legal variation between courts and convergence within the national jurisdiction. We extend this model to the European level, where the newly established Unified Patent Court seeks to harmonize jurisprudence across diverse national traditions. Our study underscores the crucial role of judicial beliefs in balancing legal variation and consistency, an essential condition for a robust and innovative European patent system
A novel approach to developing local flood vulnerability scenarios based on the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways framework: Sectoral risks and policy implications
No full textDeveloping locally tailored vulnerability scenarios is crucial for effective flood risk management, yet existing approaches often lack integration with long-term socioeconomic trajectories. To address this gap, the study introduces an innovative methodology that downscales global Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and integrates them with current vulnerability data to create future vulnerability scenarios for key sectors. This approach is applied to Hue City, Central Vietnam as a case study, focusing on health, agriculture, transport, and water, to illustrate its practical application. The findings indicate that under SSP1, characterized by sustainable growth, socio-economic policies focused on sustainability lead to substantial vulnerability reductions across all sectors. Health systems become more resilient, sustainable agricultural practices minimize economic losses, and improved infrastructure reduces transport disruptions and water contamination risks. SSP2 reflects a continuation of current socio-economic trends, resulting in moderate improvements; however, incremental policy changes and resource constraints leave persistent vulnerabilities. In contrast, SSP3, marked by fragmented and poorly managed growth, exacerbates flood risks, where weak healthcare systems, fragile agricultural practices, inadequate transport infrastructure, and minimal water contamination controls intensify flood-related impacts. This study demonstrates the importance of mainstreaming socioeconomic dynamics into flood risk management and offers a transferable framework for scenario-based planning in diverse regional contexts. Future research should aim to quantify vulnerability trajectories, thereby enhancing resilience planning and supporting data-driven decision-making in flood-prone areas
Wahre Träume und Traumpsychologie. Tradition und Innovation bei den mittelalterlichen hebräischen Enzyklopädisten
No full textPolicy implementation and recommendations to address the double burden of malnutrition in South Africa: expert assessment using the expanded Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI)
No full textBackground: South Africa faces a double burden of malnutrition (DBM), the coexistence and interaction of multiple forms of malnutrition (undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and overweight/obesity) within individuals and households and across the life course. A healthy food environment is necessary to reduce this DBM. The Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) can be used to evaluate the implementation of public nutrition and food environment policies in comparison with international best practices. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of implementation of healthy food environment policies in South Africa using an expanded DBM Food-EPI framework, benchmark policies against international best practices, develop priority policy recommendations, and compare implementation progress since the 2016 South African Food-EPI assessment.
Methods: From October 2023 to March 2024, a panel of 23 national experts from different tiers of government (Department of Health), academia, and civil society was invited to participate in the Food-EPI assessment. Through two workshops and online feedback, experts evaluated the implementation of food environment policies across 60 indicators, compared these policies to international best practices, and proposed and prioritized a list of policy actions based on perceived implementation gaps.
Results: Of the 23 invited experts, 13 participated in the benchmarking workshop in which about 70% of indicators were rated at very low to low levels of implementation. Overall, of the 48 original indicators, the mean level of implementation improved from 2016 to 2024. Of the 12 indicators that addressed the DBM, eight were rated at very low to low levels of implementation. The experts (original panel plus four additional participants) then proposed ten priority actions, mainly across the domains of Food Promotion, Food Prices, Funding, and Platforms for Interaction.
Conclusions: Application of the expanded Food-EPI in South Africa showed improvements for the original indicators compared with 2016 and highlights the need for additional policy efforts to improve public nutrition policy and address the DBM
Association of self-efficacy, risk attitudes, and time preferences with health-related quality of life and functioning after total hip or knee replacement – Results of the MobilE-TRA 2 cohort
No full textBackground: While total hip and knee replacement (THR/TKR) surgery are effective measures to restore functioning and reduce pain in patients with severe osteoarthritis (OA), long-term treatment effects vary among patients. Following behavioral economic theory, these differences may be partially attributed to the impact of personality traits on individual strategies to approach post-surgical challenges. This study explored the associations between self-efficacy, willingness to take risk regarding health (H-WTTR), and future orientation, and the 3-month course of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and OA-specific health status.
Methods: As part of the prospective and observational MobilE-TRA 2 cohort study, 147 patients aged 60 years and older were assessed by self-administered questionnaires before and three months after THR/TKR at a single German hospital. As indicators for the surgical outcome, HRQoL was assessed by the EuroQol Five-Dimensional Five-Level Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), including the visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS), and functioning was assessed by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) using the global score, function score, and pain score. All WOMAC scores were transformed into scales with 0 = worst health and 100 = best health. Self-efficacy was measured using the General Self-Efficacy Short Scale. H-WTTR and future orientation were assessed by single-item questions on 11-point Likert scales. The associations between these personality traits and the 3-month change in the outcome scores were analyzed using linear regression models for THR and TKR respectively.
Results: In THR patients a one-point-increase in self-efficacy was associated with improvements in EQ-5D-5L (β=0.0704; p=0.0099), WOMAC global (β=6.6337; p=0.0139), WOMAC function (β=8.2557; p=0.0046), and WOMAC pain (β=5.9994; p=0.0232). For TKR, only the association of self-efficacy with the EQ-VAS change-score was significant (β=5.8252; p=0.0482). Self-efficacy demonstrated weak positive, but not significant associations with all WOMAC scores and a negative association close to zero with the EQ-Index. H-WTTR and future orientation showed no significant associations to changes of the outcome scores.
Conclusions: Self-efficacy appears to be a prognostic factor for better THR/TKR outcomes after three months. If these findings can be confirmed in further research, strategies to improve self-efficacy should be considered in prehabilitation programs
Correction: Understanding non‑partner sexual violence perpetration in young Tanzanian men: a cross‑sectional study
No full textFollowing publication of the original article [https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23248-4], the authors reported an error found in Tables 1 and 2. In Table 1, the heading “Socio-demographic risk factors” is not part of the table heading and should be moved under the table heading as a sub-heading. In Table 2, the following notes were captured as footnotes
FAIRification of biomedical research data
No full textThe Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable guiding principles promote Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse of data to enhance data management and stewardship. In biomedicine, particular ethical, legal, and technical barriers complicate research data sharing. To help researchers overcome these challenges, we propose a framework of FAIRification from three dimensions - scientific, technical, and legal/ethical. We advocate for prospective FAIRification of study data, starting with a strong emphasis on planning for data-sharing from the beginning. Reflective questions throughout the process guide researchers to reflect on their situation. Researchers should assess resources and feasibility, secure technical and legal support, consider stakeholder needs, and devise an appropriate data sharing process. Given the sensitivity of biomedical data, confidentiality and security require careful attention. The data sharing strategy should be finalized before the study starts and documented in relevant study materials. Technical preparation for data sharing follows planning. Data should be well-documented with a data dictionary and metadata to facilitate reuse and provided in an accessible format. The data can be hosted on a repository to promote sharing and reuse. While a secure repository provides the technical foundation for data protection, effective administration is required to enforce data use agreements and licensing. We also discuss the importance of subsequent management upon data upload. Continued support for researchers and data maintenance are essential for effective reuse. Examples and resources to facilitate FAIRification are included to help researchers navigate challenges and ensure biomedical data are FAIR and reusable