498 research outputs found
Current practice of surgery for benign goitre—an analysis of the prospective DGAV StuDoQ|Thyroid registry
No full textBackground: To evaluate the current indications, resection strategies and short-term outcomes of surgery for benign goitre in a country with endemic goitre. Methods: Data of patients who underwent surgery for benign goitre were retrieved from the prospective StuDoQ/Thyroid registry and retrospectively analysed regarding the patient’s demographics, indications for surgery, surgical procedures, histology, and perioperative outcomes. Results: In a 15-month period, 12,888 patients from 83 departments underwent thyroid resections for benign conditions. Main indications for surgery were exclusion of malignancy (68%), compression symptoms (20.7%) and hyperthyroidism (9.7%). Preoperative fine needle aspiration cytology was performed in only 12.2% of patients with the indication "exclusion of malignancy". Thyroidectomy (49.8%) or hemithyroidectomy (36.9%) were performed in 86.7% of patients. Minimally invasive or alternative surgical techniques were applied in only 2.2%. Intraoperative neuromonitoring was used in 98.4% of procedures, in 97.5% of patients at least one parathyroid gland was visualized, and in 15.3% of patients parathyroid tissue was autografted, respectively. The rates of unilateral and bilateral transient recurrent nerve palsy were 3.6% and 0.07% of nerves at risk, the rate of transitory hypoparathyroidism was 15.3%. The rates of postoperative bleeding and wound infections requiring reoperation were 1.4% and 0.07%, respectively. Conclusions: The indication "exclusion of malignancy" is made too liberally, and there is a strong attitude to perform complete thyroid resections. Postoperative hypoparathyroidism is the major complication after surgery for benign thyroid disease, thus requiring more awareness
Where Architecture Meets Biology: An Interview with Detlef Mertins
No full textI began doing research on Mies van der Rohe in the early nineties, after Fritz Neumeyer had published his book The Artless World, (1994). Neumeyer foregrounds Mies\u27 library, the books that Mies read. He was also the first to collect all the things that Mies himself wrote. One of the things that I found very surprising was that Mies was a reader of science, and especially of biology in the 1920s. He had a collection of about 40 books by the botanist Raoul Francé, the author of Der Sanze als Erfinder ( The Plant as Inventor, 1920). This was surprising, for I had always thought of modernism as an architecture of technology rather than an architecture that was imbued with organic aspirations and ethos. One thought of organic architecture more in terms of biomorphic form; in the German context, one thought of Hugo Häring, but not the straight-up-and-down, orthogonal architecture that Mies developed, or his expression of structure
Untersuchung möglicher Effekte von transgenem, insektenresistentem Mais (Bt-Mais) auf Nichtzielorganismen im Boden, sowie Analyse und Bewertung von Beifußpopulationen (Artemisia vulgaris L.) des Maiszünslers (Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn.) als Mittel zur Resistenzverzögerung
No full text1. Acute toxicity tests with the Bt-spray product MVP®II (active substance Cry11Ac) exhibited in Folsomia candida a LC50 of 12,48 mg/g Lufa 2.1 soil and 1,08 mg/g quartzous sand. Presumably this was an effect of seed treatment products. 2. Trypsin-resistant Cry1Ab (Monsanto, SLFA Neustadt) caused no effects on F. candida in acute toxicity tests (maximum concentration: 80 respectively 125 µg/g soil). 3. Trypsin-resistant Cry1Ab (Monsanto) caused no effect on F. candida in reproduction tests (maximum concentration: 80 µg/g soil). 4. Vital leave material from both, transgenic and non-transgenic corn (Nobilis and Novelis, Mon810) caused total inhibition of reproduction of F. candida. It was supposed that inhibitory substances of the leaves caused total inhibition of reproduction. 5. A greenhouse model system with the components soil-corn (Novelis/Nobilis)-F. candida was developed. It was demonstrated that seed treatment products could cover possible effects of Bt-corn. 6. Tests with washed seeds exhibited significant higher reproduction rates. The almost identical reproduction rates indicate the standardisation of the model test system. 7. Summing up the results obvious negative effect of Cry1Ab expressing corn on F. candida could be detected. 8. Investigations on abundances of collembola and mites in the soil of field experiment plots never indicated significant differences between isogenic untreated, isogenic insecticide treatment and transgenic plots. 9. The reduction of DMSO can be used to determine the microbial activity. For this purpose investigations of the soil from field experiment plots were carried out. There was no indication for a negative impact of Bt-corn on the microbial activity in the soil. 10. The ECB-population adapted to sagebrush was susceptible to all used Cry1Ab toxins. 11. The LC50 was 0,19 µg/ml culture medium for trypsin-resistant Cry1Ab (Monsanto) and 1,63 µg/ml culture medium for Syngenta-protoxin. The results did not differ significantly from the results with ECB-population adapted to corn.12. The effectiveness of the SLFA trypsin-resistant core protein was clearly reduced. This result highlights that Cry1Ab protein from different producers can differ in their effectiveness. 13. Mating experiments demonstrated that internal mating was significantly more successful than mating between ECB adapted to sagebrush and ECB adapted to corn (“hybrid mating”). 14. The living period of the adults did not differ significanty but hybrid mating exhibited a delayed first oviposition. 15. The low probability for a female to lure a male belonging to the other pheromone strain combined with the obtained results indicate that ECB-populations adapted to sagebrush will not be suitable to act as a reservoir for susceptibility alleles for delaying resistance
Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima an Deutschlands Ostseeküste : Kartierung, genetische und physiologische Charakterisierung und ihre Rolle als Kreuzungspartner für transgene Zuckerrüben
No full textB. vulgaris subsp. maritima (wild beet) has reached a high importance in the context of the deliberate release of genetically modified cultivated beets: as potential crossing partner it faciliates an uncontrollable outcrossing of genetically modified traits. In Germany, it occurs within a short distance to sugar beet fields in the region of the Baltic Sea. The aim of this study was to characterise these Baltic populations in detail. This way, baseline-data can be generated to measure possible ecological effects of transgenic sugar beets. It was shown * that the documented beets are really true wild beets and not escaped cultivated beets. A characteristic of cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), that occurs in cultivated and weed beets, could not be found in the investigated populations. * that B. vulgaris subsp. maritima has established during the last years at Germany's Baltic Sea coast. It still seems to spread out. In 1997 there have been 62 individuals at 5 locations, in 2001 there have been more than 560 individuals at 16 locations. * that increasing warmer winters could be the reason for this spread. At least since 1997, beginning of the investigation, there have been warmer winters in comparison to the last decades. * that one part of the Baltic populations bolts and flowers in the first year and it seems to be heterozygous for the gene B. This disagrees with the general acceptance, that northern European wild beets would flower in the second year and are homozygous recessive (bb) for the gene. Together with vegetation periods long enough, this could be a further reason for the spread of B. vulgaris subsp. maritima. * that the Baltic wild beets have a relatively low genetic diversity (18.28%) and a close relationships among themselves. Compared to further European populations in a dendrogram, they form their own, isolated cluster. With regard to a monitoring after deliberate release of transgenic cultivated beets, the mapping work should go on and regular investigations of the genetic diversity should carried out. That way natural variation could be noticed and a possible additional effect after deliberate release could early be detected. Via specific markers (i.e. CMS), geneflow from cultivated beet fields to wild beet habitats can be measured
Untersuchungen der genetischen Diversität von Maiszünsler-Populationen (Ostrinia nubilalis, Hbn.) und ihrer Suszeptibilität gegenüber dem Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-Toxin als Grundlage für ein Resistenzmanagement in Bt-Maiskulturen
No full textTransgenic maize cultivars expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin need management to avoid resistance development of the target pest species European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Huebner), the most important insect pest in corn. The European Corn Borer can reduce yields up to 20%. Due to the continuous expression of the Bt toxin during the vegetation period, a selection of resistant genotypes of the Europen Corn Borer is expected to be more likely than from conventional Bt sprays. Sustainability of transgenic plants use requires a solid understanding of the insect population for maintaining susceptible individuals The aim of this work was to establish methods to be able to forecast a possible development of resistance in an early stage. For this reason the baseline susceptibility of different ECB populations in Germany was measured. Tests were performed by treating first instar larvae with different Bt-toxin concentrations incorporated into the nutrition medium or applied onto the medium (surface treatment). LC50 values of the different German populations ranged from 0,12-0,41 µg/g diet and 1,55-2,42 µg/g diet for truncated Cry1Ab depending on the production of the toxin. For untruncated Cry1Ab the LC50 was between 0,82-1,15 µg/g diet. The surface treatment was carried out as comparison to the incorporation method. LC50 values ranged from 16,50-35,14 ng/cm2. No significant differences were detected for populations from different regions of Germany with both methods. Additional effort was spent into the methodology on how to detect susceptibility change through regular monitoring, including harmonization of different approaches in various research groups of EU countries. The second part of the study identifed geographical distinct ECB populations by help of molecular fingerprinting techniques such as AFLP and RAPD-PCR. Knowledge about the population structure is helpful for gene flow estimation, which is an essential information for resitance management. Based on dendograms fingerprint analysis, very small genetic differences were detected between populations. Although genetic distances were small, separation into distinct populations was possible by use of the AFLP method. These data suggest little genetic differentiation among populations, both in terms of susceptibility to Bt toxin and of the genetic background. Future monitoring can sufficiently be performed concentrating on a single ECB population representative for south western Germany
Untersuchung möglicher Effekte von transgenem, insektenresistentem Mais (Bt-Mais) auf Nichtzielorganismen im Boden, sowie Analyse und Bewertung von Beifußpopulationen (Artemisia vulgaris L.) des Maiszünslers (Ostrinia nubilalis Hbn.) als Mittel zur Resistenzverzögerung
No full text1. Acute toxicity tests with the Bt-spray product MVP®II (active substance Cry11Ac) exhibited in Folsomia candida a LC50 of 12,48 mg/g Lufa 2.1 soil and 1,08 mg/g quartzous sand. Presumably this was an effect of seed treatment products. 2. Trypsin-resistant Cry1Ab (Monsanto, SLFA Neustadt) caused no effects on F. candida in acute toxicity tests (maximum concentration: 80 respectively 125 µg/g soil). 3. Trypsin-resistant Cry1Ab (Monsanto) caused no effect on F. candida in reproduction tests (maximum concentration: 80 µg/g soil). 4. Vital leave material from both, transgenic and non-transgenic corn (Nobilis and Novelis, Mon810) caused total inhibition of reproduction of F. candida. It was supposed that inhibitory substances of the leaves caused total inhibition of reproduction. 5. A greenhouse model system with the components soil-corn (Novelis/Nobilis)-F. candida was developed. It was demonstrated that seed treatment products could cover possible effects of Bt-corn. 6. Tests with washed seeds exhibited significant higher reproduction rates. The almost identical reproduction rates indicate the standardisation of the model test system. 7. Summing up the results obvious negative effect of Cry1Ab expressing corn on F. candida could be detected. 8. Investigations on abundances of collembola and mites in the soil of field experiment plots never indicated significant differences between isogenic untreated, isogenic insecticide treatment and transgenic plots. 9. The reduction of DMSO can be used to determine the microbial activity. For this purpose investigations of the soil from field experiment plots were carried out. There was no indication for a negative impact of Bt-corn on the microbial activity in the soil. 10. The ECB-population adapted to sagebrush was susceptible to all used Cry1Ab toxins. 11. The LC50 was 0,19 µg/ml culture medium for trypsin-resistant Cry1Ab (Monsanto) and 1,63 µg/ml culture medium for Syngenta-protoxin. The results did not differ significantly from the results with ECB-population adapted to corn.12. The effectiveness of the SLFA trypsin-resistant core protein was clearly reduced. This result highlights that Cry1Ab protein from different producers can differ in their effectiveness. 13. Mating experiments demonstrated that internal mating was significantly more successful than mating between ECB adapted to sagebrush and ECB adapted to corn (“hybrid mating”). 14. The living period of the adults did not differ significanty but hybrid mating exhibited a delayed first oviposition. 15. The low probability for a female to lure a male belonging to the other pheromone strain combined with the obtained results indicate that ECB-populations adapted to sagebrush will not be suitable to act as a reservoir for susceptibility alleles for delaying resistance
Untersuchungen zu potentiellen ökologischen Effekten von gentechnisch vermittelter Nematodenresistenz auf pflanzengenetische Ressourcen am Beispiel der Zuckerrüben-Wildform (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima)
No full textHybridization within or across different species in the genus Beta has been widely used for breeding of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris). Interbreeding is easy with sea beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima). The genetic similarity of the sea beet provide a useful source of genetic characters, which could then be transferred to cultivated varieties. More complicated are inter-species crosses with Beta procumbens, but a nematode resistant gene was recently transferred with modern non-GMO as well as GMO breeding methods. However, new genes with a potential impact on fitness characters have entered the Beta vulgaris species gene pool, and natural gene flow and introgression from cultivated sugar beet to wild sea beet plants may have important consequences. Cultivated beet seed production areas are sometimes adjacent to sea beet populations. It is likely that new transgenic or non-transgenic cultivars of sugar beet may hybridize with wild beets in the seed-production areas (f.e. nothern Italy). In this study I used experiments to study the potential ecological role of genes mediating resistance to an important beet pest, the nematode (Heterodera schachtii). This nematode causes a root disease, which decreases sugar quality. The gene of interest (Hs1pro-1) is widespread in Beta procumbens but so far unknown in (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima). Theoretically, B. maritima should be susceptible to H. schachtii since interbreeding has not provided any source of resistance to cultivated beet. But the potential co-existence of this nematode species with wild B. maritima along seashores has not been studied systematically. Detecting H. schachtii in natural habitats of B. maritima is difficult to perform. I therefore measured the susceptibility of different B. maritima populations under controlled nematode infestation in the laboratory at soil conditions found in natural seashore habitats. These habitats are characterized by moderate to high salt levels in the soil solution. If the fitness of nematodes is negatively effected by high salt conditions, than nematode resistance genes are of minor importance for wild B. maritima seashore populations. Our first results show that B. maritima are susceptible to H. schachtii even under high salt conditions, but exhibit weaker symptoms than cultivated beet. These preliminary results suggest that nematode resistance genes may have a moderate impact on the fitness of B. maritima, if H. schachtii is widespread in natural habits
Untersuchungen der genetischen Diversität von Maiszünsler-Populationen (Ostrinia nubilalis, Hbn.) und ihrer Suszeptibilität gegenüber dem Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-Toxin als Grundlage für ein Resistenzmanagement in Bt-Maiskulturen
No full textTransgenic maize cultivars expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin need management to avoid resistance development of the target pest species European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis Huebner), the most important insect pest in corn. The European Corn Borer can reduce yields up to 20%. Due to the continuous expression of the Bt toxin during the vegetation period, a selection of resistant genotypes of the Europen Corn Borer is expected to be more likely than from conventional Bt sprays. Sustainability of transgenic plants use requires a solid understanding of the insect population for maintaining susceptible individuals The aim of this work was to establish methods to be able to forecast a possible development of resistance in an early stage. For this reason the baseline susceptibility of different ECB populations in Germany was measured. Tests were performed by treating first instar larvae with different Bt-toxin concentrations incorporated into the nutrition medium or applied onto the medium (surface treatment). LC50 values of the different German populations ranged from 0,12-0,41 µg/g diet and 1,55-2,42 µg/g diet for truncated Cry1Ab depending on the production of the toxin. For untruncated Cry1Ab the LC50 was between 0,82-1,15 µg/g diet. The surface treatment was carried out as comparison to the incorporation method. LC50 values ranged from 16,50-35,14 ng/cm2. No significant differences were detected for populations from different regions of Germany with both methods. Additional effort was spent into the methodology on how to detect susceptibility change through regular monitoring, including harmonization of different approaches in various research groups of EU countries. The second part of the study identifed geographical distinct ECB populations by help of molecular fingerprinting techniques such as AFLP and RAPD-PCR. Knowledge about the population structure is helpful for gene flow estimation, which is an essential information for resitance management. Based on dendograms fingerprint analysis, very small genetic differences were detected between populations. Although genetic distances were small, separation into distinct populations was possible by use of the AFLP method. These data suggest little genetic differentiation among populations, both in terms of susceptibility to Bt toxin and of the genetic background. Future monitoring can sufficiently be performed concentrating on a single ECB population representative for south western Germany
Untersuchungen zu potentiellen ökologischen Effekten von gentechnisch vermittelter Nematodenresistenz auf pflanzengenetische Ressourcen am Beispiel der Zuckerrüben-Wildform (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima)
No full textHybridization within or across different species in the genus Beta has been widely used for breeding of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris). Interbreeding is easy with sea beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima). The genetic similarity of the sea beet provide a useful source of genetic characters, which could then be transferred to cultivated varieties. More complicated are inter-species crosses with Beta procumbens, but a nematode resistant gene was recently transferred with modern non-GMO as well as GMO breeding methods. However, new genes with a potential impact on fitness characters have entered the Beta vulgaris species gene pool, and natural gene flow and introgression from cultivated sugar beet to wild sea beet plants may have important consequences. Cultivated beet seed production areas are sometimes adjacent to sea beet populations. It is likely that new transgenic or non-transgenic cultivars of sugar beet may hybridize with wild beets in the seed-production areas (f.e. nothern Italy). In this study I used experiments to study the potential ecological role of genes mediating resistance to an important beet pest, the nematode (Heterodera schachtii). This nematode causes a root disease, which decreases sugar quality. The gene of interest (Hs1pro-1) is widespread in Beta procumbens but so far unknown in (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima). Theoretically, B. maritima should be susceptible to H. schachtii since interbreeding has not provided any source of resistance to cultivated beet. But the potential co-existence of this nematode species with wild B. maritima along seashores has not been studied systematically. Detecting H. schachtii in natural habitats of B. maritima is difficult to perform. I therefore measured the susceptibility of different B. maritima populations under controlled nematode infestation in the laboratory at soil conditions found in natural seashore habitats. These habitats are characterized by moderate to high salt levels in the soil solution. If the fitness of nematodes is negatively effected by high salt conditions, than nematode resistance genes are of minor importance for wild B. maritima seashore populations. Our first results show that B. maritima are susceptible to H. schachtii even under high salt conditions, but exhibit weaker symptoms than cultivated beet. These preliminary results suggest that nematode resistance genes may have a moderate impact on the fitness of B. maritima, if H. schachtii is widespread in natural habits
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