To reduce cytotoxicity when testing the virucidal activity of chemical disinfectants and biocides: The "T-25 method" as an alternative to "large-volume-plating"

When testing the virucidal activity of biocides, the non-inactivated residual virus is titrated on cell cultures by the end point dilution method on 96-well tissue culture plates. However, residues of the biocide to be tested also come into contact with the cell cultures in varying concentrations and thus can lead to cytotoxic effects even at high levels of dilution. In the European standards for testing biocides, in particular disinfectants, methods such as Large-Volume-Plating (LVP) method and, in some guidelines, gel filtration procedures are described for reducing cytotoxic effects in the case of highly cytotoxic products, if the classical dilution method proves to be impractical. In order to enable the testing of highly cytotoxic biocides for their activity against viruses, an alternative method for reducing cytotoxicity is introduced, which is based on a procedure of isolating infectious viruses from cytotoxic patients' materials such as stool and can be applied when the other methods fail.

X-ray Fourier transform holography with beam shaping optical elements

Holography is a powerful method for achieving 3D images of objects. Extending this method to short wavelengths potentially offers significantly higher resolution than visible light holography. However, current X-ray holography setups employ nanoscale pinholes to form the reference wave. This approach is relatively inefficient and limited to very small sample size. Here, we propose a new setup for X-ray holography based on a binary diffractive optical element (DOE), which forms at the same time the object illumination and the reference wave. This optic is located separately from the sample plane, which permits investigation of larger sample areas. Using an extended test sample, we demonstrate a resolution of 90 nm (half-pitch) at an undulator beamline at BESSY II. The new holography setup can be directly transferred to free electron laser sources enabling time-resolved nanoscale imaging for ultra-fast processes.

Pathogen and heavy metal contamination in urban agroecosystems of northern Ghana: Influence of biochar application and wastewater irrigation

The benefit of biochar as a soil fertility enhancer is well known and has been broadly investigated. Equally, many tropical and subtropical countries use wastewater for irrigation in urban agriculture. To assess the related health risks, we determined pathogen and heavy metal fate associated with biochar application and wastewater irrigation in the urban agriculture of northern Ghana. Rice (Oryza L.) husk biochar (20 t ha^-1 ), N-P-K 15-15-15 fertilizer (212.5 kg ha^-1 ), and their combinations were evaluated in a field-based experiment. Untreated wastewater and tap water served as irrigation water. Red amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus L.) was used as a test crop and was grown in wet (WS) and dry (DS) cropping seasons. Irrigation water, soil, and vegetables were analyzed for heavy metals, Escherichia coli, fecal coliform, helminth eggs, and Salmonella spp. Unlike the pathogens, analyzed heavy metals from irrigation water and soil were below the FAO/WHO permissible standard for agricultural activities. Wastewater irrigation caused E. coli concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 0.6 (WS) and from 0.7 to 0.8 (DS) log₁₀ colony forming units per gram fresh weight (CFU g_FW ^-1 ) on vegetables and from 1.7 to 2.1 (WS) and from 0.6 to 1.0 (DS) log₁₀ CFU per gram dry weight (g_DW ^-1 ) in soil. Average log₁₀ CFU g_FW ^-1 rates of 6.19 and 3.44 fecal coliform were found on vegetables, whereas in soil, 4.26 and 4.58 log₁₀ CFU g_DW ^-1 were observed in WS and DS, respectively. Helminth egg populations were high in wastewater and were transferred to the crops and soil. Biochar did not affect bacteria contamination. Pathogen contamination on vegetables and in soil were directly linked to the irrigation water, with minimal or no difference observed from biochar application.

[Elective treatment of inguinal hernia in university surgery-an economic challenge]

INTRODUCTION

Elective and emergency inguinal hernia surgery is a central task for general and abdominal surgeons. As a standard procedure it is regarded as having a relatively low income in the German diagnosis-related groups (DRG) system. This can lead to an economic imbalance, especially in a cost-intensive environment of a university hospital. The aim of this analysis was to investigate the influence of clinical factors on costs and the contribution margin as well as the overall economic evaluation of elective inguinal hernia surgery at a university hospital.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

All patients undergoing elective inguinal hernia surgery at two locations of the Charité University Medicine Berlin in 2014 and 2015 were included in the analysis. The influence of clinical, patient and surgical factors on the economic outcome of the cases was evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 419 patients were included, mostly after a Lichtenstein operation (44.9%) and laparoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) surgery (53.9%). The greatest impact on the economic outcome was the occurrence of postoperative complications. Also, a patient clinical complexity level (PCCL) value of >1, more than 8 encoded secondary diagnoses and a duration of hospital stay of less than 2 days had a significantly negative impact on the contribution margin. Overall, elective inguinal hernia surgery led to a negative contribution margin of € 651 per case.

CONCLUSION

Elective inguinal hernia surgery in the environment of a university hospital has a high financial deficit; however, since a complete discontinuation of this treatment is not an alternative multifactorial approaches are required to improve the economic outcome.

P4746Worsening of renal function in atrial fibrillation patients with stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease treated with warfarin or rivaroxaban - evidence from the real-world CALLIPER study in the US claims

Background

Anticoagulation therapy with vitamin K antagonists (e.g. warfarin) has recently been shown to contribute to the accelerated vascular calcification and worsening of renal function. Therefore, it is compelling to investigate the impact of different oral anticoagulants (OACs) on kidney function in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients. Common co-morbidities in these patients are chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which might be presented at the OAC therapy initiation.

Purpose

The overall objective of the CALLIPER study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the reduced dose rivaroxaban (15 mg once daily) as compared to warfarin in NVAF patients with renal dysfunction in real-world setting. In particular, we evaluated the risk of worsening of renal function in NVAF patients with CKD stage 3 and 4 at baseline (1 year prior to the cohort entry). Additionally, a sub-group analysis of patients with T2DM was performed. We defined worsening of renal function as progression to CKD stage 5, kidney failure or need for dialysis.

Methods

Individual level data of warfarin- and rivaroxaban-naïve NVAF patients from the MarketScan database for the years 2012 through 2017 were used. Patients with moderate-to-severe CKD (stage 3 and 4) were included in the study cohort and were followed until progression to CKD 5, kidney failure or dialysis, OAC discontinuation/switch, insurance disenrollment or end of data availability. A comparative analysis evaluating the hazard ratios (HRs) with the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) under warfarin or rivaroxaban treatment was performed using Cox regression. A stabilized inverse probability of treatment weighting was used to adjust for imbalances in baseline patient characteristics.

Results

We identified 5,906 warfarin- and 1,466 rivaroxaban-naïve patients with NVAF and CKD stage 3 and 4, of which 60% were male, median (25–75% range) age=79 (71- 84) years, CHADS2 score=2.67 (2.00- 3.50), CHA2DS2-VASc score=4.43 (3.40–5.62), modified HAS-BLED score=3.00 (2.40 - 3.65). T2DM was present in more than 50% of patients (Table), namely, in 3,160 warfarin- and 746 rivaroxaban-users. Hazard ratios and 95% CI for worsening of renal function were evaluated at 0.53 (0.35; 0.78) in the main cohort and 0.50 (0.30; 0.83) in the T2DM sub-group, meaning that rivaroxaban was associated with a significant 47% and 50% risk reduction of this outcome in NVAF patients with CKD stage 3 and 4 with and without T2DM, respectively.

Conclusion

The reduced dose of rivaroxaban has appeared to lower significantly the risk of worsening of renal function versus warfarin in NVAF patients with CKD stage 3 and 4 present at the OAC therapy initiation. The conclusion holds true for the patients with the co-morbid T2DM. This evidence was generated by the CALLIPER study using one of the largest US administrative claims database.

Acknowledgement/Funding

CI Coleman has received research grants from Bayer AG

Model systems for regeneration: planarians

Planarians are a group of flatworms. Some planarian species have remarkable regenerative abilities, which involve abundant pluripotent adult stem cells. This makes these worms a powerful model system for understanding the molecular and evolutionary underpinnings of regeneration. By providing a succinct overview of planarian taxonomy, anatomy, available tools and the molecular orchestration of regeneration, this Primer aims to showcase both the unique assets and the questions that can be addressed with this model system.

Service use and perceptions of service effectiveness by parents of individuals with intellectual disabilities: comparing Jewish and Arab Israeli parental caregivers

BACKGROUND

The relationship between ethnicity, service use and perceptions of service effectiveness is inconclusive. This study examined differences in service use and perceptions of service effectiveness between Israeli Jewish (Jewish) and Israeli Arab (Arab) parental caregivers of individuals with intellectual disabilities and dual diagnosis of psychopathology.

METHODS

Parental caregivers (n = 186) of individuals with intellectual disabilities or dual diagnosis, aged 10 to 30 years, completed a self-report questionnaire.

RESULTS

Arab parental caregivers perceived health services to be more accessible than did Jewish caregivers, but there was no difference between the two groups in the use of the services. Overall, greater enabling factors and accessibility were associated with higher use of education and social services. No differences were found between the groups in their perceptions of service effectiveness.

CONCLUSION

Arab family caregivers use education and social services less than do their Jewish peers, possibly because they have fewer enabling resources. The finding that both groups reported similar use of health services may be explained by a shared perception that informal help may not be suitable for dealing with situations of psychopathology. The similar perceptions of service effectiveness may be explained by extensive services available in Israel, to the satisfaction of both groups, or by the fact that participants perceived these services as their only alternative, and therefore fear losing them.

Interlaboratory reproducibility of a test method following 4-field test methodology to evaluate the susceptibility of Clostridium difficile spores

BACKGROUND

Sporicidal surface disinfection is recommended to control transmission of Clostridium difficile in healthcare facilities. EN 17126 provides a method to determine the sporicidal activity in suspension and has been approved as a European standard. In addition, a sporicidal surface test has been proposed.

AIM

To determine the interlaboratory reproducibility of a test method for evaluating the susceptibility of a C. difficile spore preparation to a biocidal formulation following the 4-field test (EN 16615 methodology).

METHODS

Nine laboratories participated. C. difficile NCTC 13366 spores were used. Glutaraldehyde (1% and 6%; 15 min) and peracetic acid (PAA; 0.01% and 0.04%; 15 min) were used to determine the spores' susceptibility in suspension in triplicate.

FINDINGS

One-percent glutaraldehyde revealed a mean decimal log₁₀ reduction of 1.03 with variable results in the nine laboratories (0.37-1.49) and a reproducibility of 0.38. The effect of 6% glutaraldehyde was stronger (mean: 2.05; range: 0.96-4.29; reproducibility: 0.86). PAA revealed similar results. An exemplary biocidal formulation based on 5% PAA was used at 0.5% (non-effective concentration) and 4% (effective concentration) to determine the sporicidal efficacy (4-field test) under clean conditions in triplicate with a contact time of 15 min. When used at 0.5% it demonstrated an overall log₁₀ reduction of 2.68 (range: 2.35-3.57) and at 4% of 4.61 (range: 3.82-5.71). The residual contamination on the three primarily uncontaminated test fields was <50 cfu/25 cm² in one out of nine laboratories (0.5%) and in seven out of nine laboratories (4%).

CONCLUSION

The interlaboratory reproducibility seems to be robust.

Laparoscopic versus open hemihepatectomy-a cost analysis after propensity score matching

INTRODUCTION

Cost efficiency is important for hospitals in order to provide high-quality health care for all patients. As hemihepatectomies are increasingly being performed laparoscopically, the aims of this study were to evaluate the costs of laparoscopic hemihepatectomy and to compare them to conventional open techniques.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective analysis of clinical outcomes and financial calculations of all patients who underwent hemihepatectomy between January 2015 and December 2016 at the Department of Surgery, Campus Charité Mitte and Campus Charité Virchow-Klinikum, Berlin, Germany, being allocated to the DRG (diagnosis-related group) H01A (complex operations of the liver and pancreas with complex intensive care treatment) or H01B (operations of the liver and pancreas without complex intensive care treatment). To overcome selection bias, a 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed.

RESULTS

After PSM, a total of 64 patients were identified; 32 patients underwent laparoscopic hemihepatectomy (LH); and 32 patients received open hemihepatectomy (OH). After PSM, no significant differences were observed in clinical baseline characteristics. The duration of surgery was significantly longer for patients undergoing LH compared to OH (LH, 334 min, 186-655 min; OH, 274 min, 176-454 min; p = 0.005). Patients in the LH group had a significantly shortened median hospital stay of 5 d, when compared to OH (LH, 9.5 d, 3-35 d; OH, 14.5 d, 7-37d; p = 0.005). We observed a significant higher rate of postoperative complication in the OH group (p = 0.022). Cost analysis showed median overall costs of 17,369.85€ in the LH group and 16,103.64€ in the OH group (p = 0.390).

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that higher intraoperative costs of laparoscopic liver surgery, e.g., for surgical devices and due to longer operation times, are compensated by fewer postoperative complications and consecutive shorter length of stay when compared with OH.

The important role of marine debris networks to prevent and reduce ocean plastic pollution

Societal change is needed to prevent and reduce the growth in the amount of solid waste entering the sea. Marine debris networks cover a broad range of activities in order to protect our oceans. By following a common vision and a collective systematic approach they are capable of creating synergies between all relevant stakeholders that result in reducing the flow of waste into our oceans. Thus, they are key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. During the 6th International Marine Debris Conference in San Diego in 2018, different marine debris networks from different parts of the world presented their activities, achievements and challenges. This led to network representatives agreeing to collaborate as members of an International Waste Platform. This platform aims to harmonize objectives, share knowledge, join forces and help new networks to emerge.

Body size-dependent energy storage causes Kleiber's law scaling of the metabolic rate in planarians

Kleiber's law, or the 3/4 -power law scaling of the metabolic rate with body mass, is considered one of the few quantitative laws in biology, yet its physiological basis remains unknown. Here, we report Kleiber's law scaling in the planarian Schmidtea mediterranea. Its reversible and life history-independent changes in adult body mass over 3 orders of magnitude reveal that Kleiber's law does not emerge from the size-dependent decrease in cellular metabolic rate, but from a size-dependent increase in mass per cell. Through a combination of experiment and theoretical analysis of the organismal energy balance, we further show that the mass allometry is caused by body size dependent energy storage. Our results reveal the physiological origins of Kleiber's law in planarians and have general implications for understanding a fundamental scaling law in biology.

Committing to quantum resistance: a slow defence for Bitcoin against a fast quantum computing attack

Quantum computers are expected to have a dramatic impact on numerous fields due to their anticipated ability to solve classes of mathematical problems much more efficiently than their classical counterparts. This particularly applies to domains involving integer factorization and discrete logarithms, such as public key cryptography. In this paper, we consider the threats a quantum-capable adversary could impose on Bitcoin, which currently uses the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) to sign transactions. We then propose a simple but slow commit-delay-reveal protocol, which allows users to securely move their funds from old (non-quantum-resistant) outputs to those adhering to a quantum-resistant digital signature scheme. The transition protocol functions even if ECDSA has already been compromised. While our scheme requires modifications to the Bitcoin protocol, these can be implemented as a soft fork.

Critical Point in Self-Organized Tissue Growth

We present a theory of pattern formation in growing domains inspired by biological examples of tissue development. Gradients of signaling molecules regulate growth, while growth changes these graded chemical patterns by dilution and advection. We identify a critical point of this feedback dynamics, which is characterized by spatially homogeneous growth and proportional scaling of patterns with tissue length. We apply this theory to the biological model system of the developing wing of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and quantitatively identify signatures of the critical point.

Agronomic benefits of biochar as a soil amendment after its use as waste water filtration medium

In many water-scarce countries, waste water is used for irrigation which poses a health risk to farmers and consumers. At the same time, it delivers nutrients to the farming systems. In this study, we tested the hypotheses that biochar can be used as a filter medium for waste water treatment to reduce pathogen loads. At the same time, the biochar is becoming enriched with nutrients and therefore can act as a fertilizer for soil amendment. We used biochar as a filter medium for the filtration of raw waste water and compared the agronomic effects of this "filterchar" (FC) and the untreated biochar (BC) in a greenhouse pot trial on spring wheat biomass production on an acidic sandy soil from Niger. The biochar filter showed the same removal of pathogens as a common sand filter (1.4 log units on average). We did not observe a nutrient accumulation in FC compared to untreated BC. Instead, P, Mg and K were reduced during filtration while N content remained unchanged. Nevertheless, higher biomass (Triticum L. Spp.) production in BC (+72%) and FC (+37%) treatments (20 t ha^-1), compared with the unamended control, were found. There were no significant differences in aboveground biomass production between BC and FC. Soil available P content was increased by BC (+106%) and FC (+52%) application. Besides, mineral nitrogen content was reduced in BC treated soil and to a lesser extent when FC was used. This may be explained by reduced sorption affinity for mineral nitrogen compounds on FC surfaces. Although the nutrients provided by FC decreased, due to leaching in the filter, it still yielded higher biomass than the unamended control.

Can interpersonal contact help improve attitudes toward soldiers with intellectual disability? An Israeli study

BACKGROUND

It has been argued that interpersonal contact is the best intervention for reducing negative attitudes and discrimination toward individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). In Israel, the Equal in Uniform project makes it possible for individuals with ID to serve alongside soldiers without ID in ordinary military units in the Israeli Defense Forces. The project provided the opportunity to examine the effect of contact on the attitudes of soldiers without ID.

METHODS

Data analyses are based on data collected from 220 soldiers without ID via a self-administered questionnaire based on the Multidimensional Attitudes Scale. Of these, 138 were in contact with soldiers with ID as part of the project.

RESULTS

A mediation model showed that the impact of contact with a soldier with ID on withdrawal behaviour was mediated by cognitive attributions and negative affect. Contact was directly associated with prosocial behaviour.

DISCUSSION

Results support the importance of contact between soldiers with and without ID to bring about improved attitudes toward the former.

Effects of biochar, waste water irrigation and fertilization on soil properties in West African urban agriculture

In large areas of sub-Saharan Africa crop production must cope with low soil fertility. To increase soil fertility, the application of biochar (charred biomass) has been suggested. In urban areas, untreated waste water is widely used for irrigation because it is a nutrient-rich year-round water source. Uncertainty exists regarding the interactions between soil properties, biochar, waste water and fertilization over time. The aims of this study were to determine these interactions in two typical sandy, soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrient depleted soils under urban vegetable production in Tamale (Ghana) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) over two years. The addition of biochar at 2 kg m^-2 made from rice husks and corn cobs initially doubled SOC stocks but SOC losses of 35% occurred thereafter. Both biochar types had no effect on soil pH, phosphorous availability and effective cation exchange capacity (CEC) but rice husk biochar retained nitrogen (N). Irrigation with domestic waste water increased soil pH and exchangeable sodium over time. Inorganic fertilization alone acidified soils, increased available phosphorous and decreased base saturation. Organic fertilization increased SOC, N and CEC. The results from both locations demonstrate that the effects of biochar and waste water were less pronounced than reported elsewhere.

Principles of effective communication with patients who have intellectual disability among primary care physicians

OBJECTIVE

Examine physicians' implementation of effective communication principles with patients with intellectual disabilities (ID) and its predictors.

METHODS

Focus groups helped construct a quantitative questionnaire. The questionnaire (completed by 440 physicians) examined utilization of effective communication principles, attitudes toward individuals with ID, subjective knowledge and number of patients with ID.

RESULTS

Subjective knowledge of ID and more patients with ID increased utilization of effective communication principles. Provision of knowledge that allows patients to make their own medical decisions was predicted by more patients with ID, lower attitudes that treatment of this population group is not desirable, less negative affect and greater perception that treatment of this group is part of the physician's role. Effective preparation of patients with ID for treatment was predicted by higher perception of treatment of this group as part of the physician's role, lower perception of this field as undesirable and higher perception of these individuals as unable to make their own choice. Simplification of information was predicted by a greater perception of treatment of this group as part of the physician's role and more negative affect.

CONCLUSION

Greater familiarity may enhance care for these patients.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Increase exposure to patients with ID within training.

Antagonistic Self-Organizing Patterning Systems Control Maintenance and Regeneration of the Anteroposterior Axis in Planarians

Planarian flatworms maintain their body plan in the face of constant internal turnover and can regenerate from arbitrary tissue fragments. Both phenomena require self-maintaining and self-organizing patterning mechanisms, the molecular mechanisms of which remain poorly understood. We show that a morphogenic gradient of canonical Wnt signaling patterns gene expression along the planarian anteroposterior (A/P) axis. Our results demonstrate that gradient formation likely occurs autonomously in the tail and that an autoregulatory module of Wnt-mediated Wnt expression both shapes the gradient at steady state and governs its re-establishment during regeneration. Functional antagonism between the tail Wnt gradient and an unknown head patterning system further determines the spatial proportions of the planarian A/P axis and mediates mutually exclusive molecular fate choices during regeneration. Overall, our results suggest that the planarian A/P axis is patterned by self-organizing patterning systems deployed from either end that are functionally coupled by mutual antagonism.

Social workers' attributions towards individuals with dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and mental illness

BACKGROUND

The present study aimed to explore the applicability of the attribution model to social workers' attributions towards clients with dual diagnosis of intellectual disability and psychiatric illness. Specifically, the study examined the relations between social workers' attribution of responsibility, causality, stereotypes of dangerousness, their emotional reactions and behavioural reactions towards clients with dual diagnosis.

METHOD

Social workers (N = 279) completed questionnaires measuring attributions of responsibility, causation and dangerousness, and reported on their emotional and behavioural reactions to clients diagnosed with DD.

RESULTS

Most social workers reported high levels of helping behaviours. The strongest predictor of discriminatory behaviours was the stereotype of dangerousness. Social workers who reported feeling less anger and more pity towards clients with DD tended to report higher levels of helping behaviour. But contrary to attribution theory, fear and anger did not predict discriminatory behaviours.

CONCLUSION

The results are discussed in relation to the core values of social work and to professional identity.

Zur antimikrobiellen und viruziden Wirkung eines Hals- und Rachensprays auf der Basis von Hexamidin

Antiseptika zur Anwendung auf den Schleimhäuten des Rachenraums dienen nicht nur der Behandlung akuter Symptome bei mikrobiellen oder viralen Infektionen. Zunehmend ist die Anwendung von Antiseptika die einzige noch verbleibende Alternative, wenn auf die Verwendung von Antibiotika verzichtet werden soll oder muss. Dies gilt insbesondere für die Sanierung von MRSA-Trägern. Die Auswahl an geeigneten Wirkstoffen wie auch an verfügbaren Präparaten zur Anwendung auf Schleimhautoberflächen ist begrenzt, und viele von ihnen weisen nicht die erforderliche antimikrobielle oder viruzide Wirksamkeit auf.

Ziel der vorgestellten Untersuchung war daher die Überprüfung der antibakteriellen und viruziden Wirkung eines kommerziellen Präparats, basierend auf der Substanz Hexamidindiisetionat.

Die Ergebnisse haben gezeigt, dass die Substanz, in einer Dosierung von 1 mg /1 g Lösung und konfektioniert als Rachenspray, eine gute mikrobiostatische und levurostatische Wirksamkeit aufweist. Eine viruzide oder antivirale Wirkung konnte dagegen bei dieser Dosierung nicht gefunden werden.

Applicability domain: towards a more formal definition

In recent years the applicability domain (AD) of a prediction system has become an important concern in (Q)SAR modelling, especially in the context of human safety assessment. Today AD is an active research topic, and many methods have been designed to estimate the adequacy of a model and the confidence in its outcome for a given prediction task. Unfortunately, the wide spectrum of techniques developed for this purpose is based on various definitions of the concept of AD, often taking into account different types of information. This variety of methodologies confuses the end users and makes the comparison of the AD for different models almost impossible. In this article, we demonstrate that AD is not a monolithic concept and can be broken down into three well-defined sub-domains assessing confidence at the model, prediction and decision levels, respectively. By leveraging this separation of concerns we have an opportunity to clarify, formalize and extend the definition of AD. We propose a framework that captures this new vision with the aim to initiate a global effort to converge towards a common AD definition within the (Q)SAR community.

Self-organization in development, regeneration and organoids

Self-organization of cells is a fundamental design principle in biology, yet the inherent non-linearity of self-organizing systems often poses significant challenges in deciphering the underlying mechanisms. Here, we discuss recent progress in this respect, focusing on examples from development, regeneration and organoid differentiation. Together, these three paradigms emphasize the active material properties of tissues that result from the functional coupling between individual cells as active units. Further, we discuss the challenge of obtaining reproducible outcomes on the basis of self-organizing systems, which development and regeneration, but not the current organoid culture protocols, achieve.

Untersuchungen zur mikrobistatischen, viruziden und antiviralen Wirksamkeit eines antiseptischen Präparates basierend auf Amylmetacresol, 2,4-Dichlorbenzylalkohol und Levomenthol

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde die viruzide, antivirale und antimikrobielle Wirkung einer Wirkstoffmischung aus 2,4-Dichlorbenzylalkohol, Amylmetacresol und Levomenthol untersucht. Die Prüfung der viruziden Wirkung erfolgte entsprechend der Leitlinie der Deutschen Vereinigung zur Bekämpfung der Viruskrankeiten (DVV) mit Hilfe von Vaccinia-, Adeno- und Poliovirus. Zur Untersuchung der antiviralen Wirkung wurden Interferenztests mit Coronavirus auf PT-Zellen durchgeführt.

Zur Prüfung der bakteriostatischen und levurostatischen Wirkung dienten Agardiffusionstests mit Staphylococcus aureus sowie ein multiresistenter Stamm dieses Keims (MRSA), ferner Klebsiella pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes und Candida albicans .

Gegenüber Vacciniavirus konnte eine Wirkung gemessen werden, die mit einem Reduktionsfaktor von > 4 log-Stufen die Kriterien eines Desinfektionsmittels für Schleimhautoberflächen erfüllt und so eine umfassende Wirkung gegen andere behüllte Viren nahelegt. Gegenüber unbehüllten Viren erwies sich die Formulierung dagegen als nicht wirksam. Ebenso konnten keine antivirale und damit intrazelluläre Wirkung nachgewiesen werden.

Die unverdünnte Wirkstofflösung zeigte gegenüber allen geprüften Bakterienstämmen, insbesondere jedoch gegenüber S. aureus sowie gegenüber dem MRSA-Stamm eine deutliche Wirkung, vor allem jedoch gegenüber C. albicans.

Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass die Rezepturkomponenten der geprüften Wirkstoffmischung zur Erzielung einer antiseptischen Wirksamkeit in Dosierung wie im Mischungsverhältnis optimal eingestellt sind. Die gemessene Wirkung scheint rein topischer Natur zu sein. Die nicht nachweisbare antivirale Wirkung lässt das Eindringen der Wirkstoffe in Schleimhautzellen als unwahrscheinlich erscheinen.

Analysis of nucleophosmin-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (NPM-ALK)-reactive CD8(+) T cell responses in children with NPM-ALK(+) anaplastic large cell lymphoma

Cellular immune responses against the oncoantigen anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in patients with ALK-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) have been detected using peptide-based approaches in individuals preselected for human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-A*02:01. In this study, we aimed to evaluate nucleophosmin (NPM)-ALK-specific CD8(+) T cell responses in ALCL patients ensuring endogenous peptide processing of ALK antigens and avoiding HLA preselection. We also examined the HLA class I restriction of ALK-specific CD8(+) T cells. Autologous dendritic cells (DCs) transfected with in-vitro-transcribed RNA (IVT-RNA) encoding NPM-ALK were used as antigen-presenting cells for T cell stimulation. Responder T lymphocytes were tested in interferon-gamma enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assays with NPM-ALK-transfected autologous DCs as well as CV-1 in Origin with SV40 genes (COS-7) cells co-transfected with genes encoding the patients' HLA class I alleles and with NPM-ALK encoding cDNA to verify responses and define the HLA restrictions of specific T cell responses. NPM-ALK-specific CD8(+) T cell responses were detected in three of five ALK-positive ALCL patients tested between 1 and 13 years after diagnosis. The three patients had also maintained anti-ALK antibody responses. No reactivity was detected in samples from five healthy donors. The NPM-ALK-specific CD8(+) T cell responses were restricted by HLA-C-alleles (C*06:02 and C*12:02) in all three cases. This approach allowed for the detection of NPM-ALK-reactive T cells, irrespective of the individual HLA status, up to 9 years after ALCL diagnosis.

Zur antimikrobiellen und viruziden Wirksamkeit von Octenidin-Lutschtabletten

Die Verwendung von Octenidin in der Darreichungsform als Lutschtablette wurde erst 2004 patentiert. Das antivirale, viruzide und vor allem antimikrobielle Wirkungsspektrum der Substanz ist vergleichsweise breit und für die Substanz in Monopräparaten noch wenig untersucht. Die bislang vorliegenden Daten unterstreichen jedoch die vielfältigen Möglichkeiten der prophylaktischen und therapeutischen Anwendung der Substanz und legen die Applikation als flankierende Maßnahme z. B. bei der Dekolonisation Antibiotika-resistenter (MRSA) Carrier nahe.

Fluoreszenzoptische Bildgebung

ICG-gestützte fluoreszenzoptische Bildgebung (fluoreszenzoptisches Imaging, FOI) ist eine neuere Technologie zur Entzündungsdiagnostik. Mit der Darstellung von (Neo)Angiogenese, Hypervaskularisation, Hyperämie und veränderter Kapillarpermeabilität stützt sie sich auf frühe pathomorphologische Veränderungen in der Pathogenese einer Arthritis. Umfangreiche Validierungsstudien gegenüber Arthrosonografie einschließlich Power-Doppler-Sonografie und MRT zeigen eine hohe Sensitivität und Spezifität. Die Methode erweitert das diagnostische Armamentarium insbesondere bei der Früharthritisdiagnostik, der Differenzialdiagnostik, der Verlaufsbeurteilung und beim Therapiemonitoring entzündlich-rheumatischer Erkrankungen und in der Kinderrheumatologie und eröffnet zum Teil neue diagnostische Fenster. Als lichtoptisches, fluorophor-gestütztes, mikroangiografisches Verfahren verwendet FOI andere physikalische Grundlagen als die herkömmliche Bildgebung und tritt damit nicht als konkurrierende Methode auf, sondern ergänzt die konventionellen Techniken in einem bislang nicht abgedeckten, speziellen diagnostischen Bereich.

Why Cast Shadows are Expendable: Insensitivity of Human Observers and the Inherent Ambiguity of Cast Shadows in Pictorial Art

The kinds of visual cues artists choose to use or not use in their work can offer insight into perceptual processes. On the basis of the observed paucity of the use of cast shadow in pictorial art, we hypothesized that cast shadows might be relatively expendable as pictorial cues. In this study, we investigated two potential reasons for this expendability: first, viewers might be insensitive to much of the information that cast shadows provide; and, second, ambiguities about what is shadow and what is pigment can often be resolved only through motion—something that static media are ill-equipped to deal with. In experiment 1, we used a visual-search paradigm in which viewers had to determine if there were odd cast shadows in sets of 4, 8, 16, and 32 objects. In experiment 2, viewers had to discriminate between shadow/pigment ambiguities in both still and moving images. Our results demonstrate that viewers are neither particularly sensitive to static cast-shadow incongruities, nor are they able to disambiguate cast shadow from pigment without continuous motion information. Taken together, these results may help explain why cast shadows are relatively rare in static pictorial work.

Injuries in Swedish floorball: a cost analysis

The epidemiology of sport injuries is well documented. However, the costs are rarely discussed. Previous studies have presented such costs in specific sports or localization. No study has investigated the costs related to injuries in elite floorball. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate cost of injuries in Swedish elite floorball players. During 1 year, 346 floorball players were prospectively followed. All time-loss injures were recorded. The injured players were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their costs tied to the injury. Mean costs were calculated by multiplying the total resource use with the collected unit costs and dividing these total costs with the number of injuries as well as players. The results showed that the average cost per injury increased with the level of severity and ranged from 332 to 2358 Euros. The mild and moderate overuse injuries were costlier than the corresponding traumatic injuries. However, the severe traumatic injuries were associated with higher costs than overuse injuries. Knee injuries were the costliest. Our results indicate that there are costs to be saved, if floorball injuries can be avoided. They should be of interest to decision makers deciding whether to invest in preventive interventions.