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Background Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is an effective treatment for allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (AR) with or without asthma. It is important to note that due to the complex interaction between patient, allergy triggers, symptomatology and vaccines used for AIT, some patients do not respond optimally to the treatment. Furthermore, there are no validated or generally accepted candidate biomarkers that are predictive of the clinical response to AIT. Clinical management of patients receiving AIT and efficacy in randomised controlled trials for drug development could be enhanced by predictive biomarkers. Method The EAACI taskforce reviewed all candidate biomarkers used in clinical trials of AR patients with/without asthma in a literature review. Biomarkers were grouped into seven domains: (i) IgE (total IgE, specific IgE and sIgE/Total IgE ratio), (ii) IgG-subclasses (sIgG1, sIgG4 including SIgE/IgG4 ratio), (iii) Serum inhibitory activity for IgE (IgE-FAB and IgE-BF), (iv) Basophil activation, (v) Cytokines and Chemokines, (vi) Cellular markers (T regulatory cells, B regulatory cells and dendritic cells) and (vii) In vivo biomarkers (including provocation tests?). Results All biomarkers were reviewed in the light of their potential advantages as well as their respective drawbacks. Unmet needs and specific recommendations on all seven domains were addressed. Conclusions It is recommended to explore the use of allergen-specific IgG4 as a biomarker for compliance. sIgE/tIgE and IgE-FAB are considered as potential surrogate candidate biomarkers. Cytokine/chemokines and cellular reponses provided insight into the mechanisms of AIT. More studies for confirmation and interpretation of the possible association with the clinical response to AIT are needed.

Aim NADPH oxidases are important sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Several Nox homologues are present together in the vascular system but whether they exhibit crosstalk at the activity level is unknown. To address this, vessel function of knockout mice for the cytosolic Nox organizer proteins p47phox, NoxO1 and a p47phox-NoxO1-double knockout were studied under normal condition and during streptozotocin-induced diabetes. Results In the mouse aorta, mRNA expression for NoxO1 was predominant in smooth muscle and endothelial cells, whereas p47phox was markedly expressed in adventitial cells comprising leukocytes and tissue resident macrophages. Knockout of either NoxO1 or p47phox resulted in lower basal blood pressure. Deletion of any of the two subunits also prevented diabetes-induced vascular dysfunction. mRNA expression analysis by MACE (Massive Analysis of cDNA ends) identified substantial gene expression differences between the mouse lines and in response to diabetes. Deletion of p47phox induced inflammatory activation with increased markers of myeloid cells and cytokine and chemokine induction. In contrast, deletion of NoxO1 resulted in an attenuated interferon gamma signature and reduced expression of genes related to antigen presentation. This aspect was also reflected by a reduced number of circulating lymphocytes in NoxO1-/- mice. Innovation and conclusion ROS production stimulated by NoxO1 and p47phox limit endothelium-dependent relaxation and maintain blood pressure in mice. However, NoxO1 and p47phox cannot substitute each other despite their similar effect on vascular function. Deletion of NoxO1 induced an anti-inflammatory phenotype, whereas p47phox deletion rather elicited a hyper-inflammatory response., Graphical abstract fx1

Introduction: Introduction: Both dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD) are important dementia syndromes that overlap in their clinical features and clinical course, neuropathological abnormalities, and also therapeutic approach. Nevertheless it is still unclear whether DLB and PDD are two different disorders that require differentiation or are one clinical entity within a spectrum of Lewy body disease. Currently these disorders are mainly distinguished on the basis of the relative timing of the onset of symptoms of dementia and parkinsonism. The present paper presents current concepts on the pathogenesis of both disorders and their possible overlap. Material and methods: Online databases in the field of DLB and PDD were searched for to find potentially eligible articles. Only most recent articles published after the year 2000 were chosen. Results: The clinical features of DLB and PDD are similar and include dementia with hallucinations and cognitive fluctuations, as well as parkinsonian signs. Also cognitive deficits are similar in PDD and in DLB, with predominance of executive dysfunction, visual-spatial deficits and memory impairment. Neuropathological changes in both disorders involve the presence of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites within brainstem, limbic and neocortex, as well as loss of midbrain dopamine cells, and loss of cholinergic neurons in the nuclei of ventral forebrain. Conclusions: Similarities in clinical manifestation, neuropsychological deficits and neuropathological abnormalities may suggest that both DLB and PDD are two different phenotypes of the same disorder. This review article presents current knowledge on similarities and differences between these two clinical entities and raises the question whether they require differentiation or not.

Die weltweite Ausbreitung des Coronavirus SARS-CoV���2 hat Gesundheits���, Wirtschafts- und Gesellschaftssysteme massiv in Mitleidenschaft gezogen. Obwohl mittlerweile effektive Impfstoffe zur Verf��gung stehen, ist es wahrscheinlich, dass der Erreger endemisch wird und uns noch ��ber Jahre begleitet. Um andere und sich selbst m��glichst effektiv vor einer SARS-CoV-2-Infektion zu sch��tzen, ist ein Verst��ndnis der ��bertragungswege von gr����ter Wichtigkeit. In dieser ��bersichtsarbeit erl��utern wir ��bertragungswege im Hinblick auf den Fremd- und Eigenschutz. Dar��ber hinaus gehen wir auf die Charakteristika der SARS-CoV-2-��bertragung auf Populationsebene ein. Diese Arbeit soll helfen, folgende Fragen anhand der verf��gbaren Literatur zu beantworten: Wann und wie lange ist eine infizierte Person kontagi��s (ansteckungsf��hig)? Wie wird das Virus ausgeschieden? Wie wird das Virus aufgenommen? Wie verbreitet sich das Virus in der Gesellschaft? Die Mensch-zu-Mensch-��bertragung von SARS-CoV���2 wird in starkem Ma��e durch die biologischen Erregereigenschaften, einschlie��lich der Infektions���, Replikations- und Ausscheidungskinetik, bestimmt. SARS-CoV���2 wird haupts��chlich ��ber humane Aerosole ��bertragen, die von infizierten Personen ausgeschieden werden, auch wenn Erkrankungssymptome (noch) nicht vorliegen. Hieraus resultiert ein relevanter Anteil pr��- bzw. asymptomatischer Transmissionen. In geschlossenen R��umen erfolgen ��bertragungen besonders effektiv. Die meisten infizierten Personen rufen eine geringe Zahl von Sekund��rf��llen hervor, w��hrend wenige F��lle (sog. Superspreader) zu vielen Folgeinfektionen f��hren ��� auf Populationsebene spricht man hier von einer �����berdispersion���. Die besonderen Merkmale von SARS-CoV���2 (asymptomatische Aerosol��bertragung und ��berdispersion) machen die Pandemie schwer kontrollierbar., The global spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV���2 has massively impacted health, economic, and social systems. Although effective vaccines are now available, it is likely that this pathogen will become endemic and stay with us for years. In order to most effectively protect others and oneself from SARS-CoV���2 infection, an understanding of how SARS-CoV���2 is transmitted is of utmost importance. In this review paper, we explain transmission routes with an eye towards protecting others and oneself. We also address characteristics of SARS-CoV���2 transmission in the community. This work will help to clarify the following questions based on the available literature: When and for how long is an infected person contagious? How is the virus excreted? How is the virus taken up? How does the virus spread in society? Human-to-human transmission of SARS-CoV���2 is strongly determined by pathogen molecular characteristics as well as the kinetics of replication, shedding, and infection. SARS-CoV���2 is transmitted primarily via human aerosols, which infected persons can excrete even if symptoms of the disease are not (yet) present. Most infected people cause only a few secondary cases, whereas a few cases (so-called super-spreaders) cause a high number of secondary infections ��� at the population level one speaks of a so-called ���overdispersion.��� These special characteristics of SARS-CoV���2 (asymptomatic aerosol transmission and overdispersion) make the pandemic difficult to control.

Die Epidemiologie als wissenschaftliche Disziplin ist prädestiniert dafür, Kernfragen der COVID-19-Pandemie zu bearbeiten. Hierzu werden klassische und neue Methoden eingesetzt, es stellen sich jedoch auch neue Herausforderungen. Der Beitrag bezieht sich auf die verschiedenen Phasen des bevölkerungsbezogenen Verlaufs der SARS-CoV-2-Infektion und COVID-19-Erkrankung. Basierend auf einer selektiven Literaturrecherche werden Beispielfragestellungen anhand von in Deutschland und international durchgeführten Studien vorgestellt und die jeweiligen epidemiologischen Ansätze diskutiert, aber auch Forschungslücken beschrieben. Wissenschaftliche Fragen, die mit epidemiologischen Daten und Forschungsansätzen zu beantworten sind, stellen sich in jeder Phase des Infektions- und Krankheitsgeschehens. Beschreibende Daten werden vielfach über (wiederholte) Querschnittsstudien generiert. Für analytische Fragestellungen etwa zur Identifikation von Risikogruppen hätten besonders in der frühen Phase der Pandemie Fallkontrollstudien wertvolle Ergebnisse liefern können, wurden aber selten durchgeführt. Daten der Krankenkassen kommt eine wichtige Funktion in der Analyse von Verläufen zu; das Potenzial dieser Datenquelle in Bezug auf Fragestellungen zur Impfung kann jedoch vermutlich kaum genutzt werden. Eine verbesserte Koordination der diversen Studien sowie eine stärker auf frei zugängliche Daten (Open Data) ausgerichtete Forschungsinfrastruktur können den Beitrag der Epidemiologie zur Kontrolle dieser und zukünftiger Pandemien weiter stärken. Epidemiology as a scientific discipline is predestined to address key problems in the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to do so, classic and new methods are used, and new challenges are emerging. This paper addresses the various phases of the population-based progression of SARS-CoV‑2 infection and COVID-19. Based on a selective literature search, sample questions from studies conducted in Germany and internationally are presented, their respective epidemiological approaches discussed, and research gaps described. Scientific questions to be answered with epidemiological data and research approaches arise in every phase of infection and disease. Descriptive data are often generated via (repeated) cross-sectional studies. For analytical questions, such as the identification of risk groups, case-control studies could have provided valuable results, especially in the early phase of the pandemic, but were rarely conducted. Data from health insurance companies have an important function in the analysis of the course of disease; however, the potential of this data source with regard to questions on vaccination can probably hardly be used. Improved coordination of the various studies and a more “open data” oriented research infrastructure can further strengthen the contribution of epidemiology to the control of the current and future pandemics.

Changes in the geopolitical situation in the world create risks and threats to the economy of the state as for its economic security. The paper considers possible risks caused by geopolitical confrontation between great powers and blocs of countries, economic preconditions for conflicts, struggle for resources and energy supply. It is shown that geopolitical challenges will have a significant impact on the economic component of the countries of the world for a sufficiently long time, especially for Ukraine, which, due to its small economy, can not play a significant role in the international arena.

Background Enhancers are non-coding DNA sequences, which when they are bound by specific proteins increase the level of gene transcription. Enhancers activate unique gene expression patterns within cells of different types or under different conditions. Enhancers are key contributors to gene regulation, and causative variants that affect quantitative traits in humans and mice have been located in enhancer regions. However, in the bovine genome, enhancers as well as other regulatory elements are not yet well defined. In this paper, we sought to improve the annotation of bovine enhancer regions by using publicly available mammalian enhancer information. To test if the identified putative bovine enhancer regions are enriched with functional variants that affect milk production traits, we performed genome-wide association studies using imputed whole-genome sequence data followed by meta-analysis and enrichment analysis. Results We produced a library of candidate bovine enhancer regions by using publicly available bovine ChIP-Seq enhancer data in combination with enhancer data that were identified based on sequence homology with human and mouse enhancer databases. We found that imputed whole-genome sequence variants associated with milk production traits in 16,581 dairy cattle were enriched with enhancer regions that were marked by bovine-liver H3K4me3 and H3K27ac histone modifications from both permutation tests and gene set enrichment analysis. Enhancer regions that were identified based on sequence homology with human and mouse enhancer regions were not as strongly enriched with trait-associated sequence variants as the bovine ChIP-Seq candidate enhancer regions. The bovine ChIP-Seq enriched enhancer regions were located near genes and quantitative trait loci that are associated with pregnancy, growth, disease resistance, meat quality and quantity, and milk quality and quantity traits in dairy and beef cattle. Conclusions Our results suggest that sequence variants within enhancer regions that are located in bovine non-coding genomic regions contribute to the variation in complex traits. The level of enrichment was higher in bovine-specific enhancer regions that were identified by detecting histone modifications H3K4me3 and H3K27ac in bovine liver tissues than in enhancer regions identified by sequence homology with human and mouse data. These results highlight the need to use bovine-specific experimental data for the identification of enhancer regions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12711-017-0331-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder and, because of some behavioral characteristics, individuals affected by the disease are known as silent angels. Girls with Rett syndrome perform stereotyped movements, they have learning difficulties, their reaction time is prolonged, and they seem alienated in the environment. These children require constant pediatric, neurological and orthopedic care. In the treatment of Rett syndrome physical therapy, music therapy, hydrotherapy, hippotherapy, behavioral methods, speech therapy and diet, are also used. In turn, psychological therapy of the syndrome is based on the sensory integration method, using two or more senses simultaneously. In 80% of cases, the syndrome is related to mutations of the MECP2 gene, located on chromosome X. The pathogenesis of Rett syndrome is caused by the occurrence of a non-functional MeCP2 protein, which is a transcription factor of many genes, i.e. Bdnf, mef2c, Sgk1, Uqcrc1. Abnormal expression of these genes reveals a characteristic disease phenotype. Clinical symptoms relate mainly to the nervous, respiratory, skeletal and gastrointestinal systems. Currently causal treatment is not possible. However, researchers are developing methods by which, perhaps in the near future, it will be possible to eliminate the mutations in the MECP2 gene, and this will give a chance to the patient for normal functioning. The paper presents the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease, genetic, clinical, pharmacological aspects and other forms of Rett syndrome treatment.

Objective: The psychological demands placed upon the emergency medical services, assures them of their place amongst High Responsibility Organizations. A high pressure to act and an irreversibility of situations are integral features of their workplaces. After the emergency services’ job profiles were restructured in Germany, the practical stage of paramedic training is now undertaken in these conditions. That is, they are trained by a supervising instructor whilst caring for critically ill patients. This paper aims to describe the requisite skills for such an instructor, formulate the associated competences as learning objectives, and develop a quality-measuring instrument for the description of training situations. Methods: The compilation of a competence catalogue was done via a two-step process: following a Delphi survey with an expert panel of practical trainers and trainees, a large cohort of parameters were validated in terms of their relevance. Those factors that formed scales together were identified. Results: After validating the results of the Delphi analysis, six scales (composed of 25 items in toto) were defined. They included the areas of "Training during times of action", "Training during periods of calm", "Background and practical relevance", "Character and personality traits", "Pedagogical competencies" and "Organizational behaviour". Conclusion: For the first time, a competency catalogue has been developed for instructors working in the emergency medical services from German-speaking countries. The catalogue focuses upon clinical training during the acute care of critically ill patients. The scales and items can be used for training-the-trainers, and also quality monitoring. Further research needs to focus on the application of the catalogue in clinical practice and evaluate the need for situational customization., Zielsetzung: Arbeitspsychologisch wird die Notfallmedizin zu den High Responsibility Organisationen gezählt. Hoher Handlungsdruck und Unumkehrbarkeit der Situation sind einige der Rahmenbedingungen dieses Arbeitsplatzes. Seit einer Neustrukturierung der Berufsbilder im Rettungsdienst, findet nun in dieser Umgebung der praktische Teil der Ausbildung zum Notfallsanitäter statt. Unter Anleitung eines Praxisanleiters erfolgt die Ausbildung während der Versorgung kritisch kranker Patienten. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, notwendige Kompetenzen eines Praxisanleiters zu beschreiben, um Kompetenzen als Lernziel zu formulieren und ein Qualitätsmessinstrument zur Beschreibung der Ausbildungssituation zu erarbeiten. Methodik: Die Erarbeitung des Kompetenzkataloges erfolgte über ein zweistufiges Verfahren: nach einer Delphi-Befragung mit Praxisanleitern und Auszubildenden wurden die Parameter innerhalb eines großen Kollektivs hinsichtlich der Relevanz validiert. Anschließend wurden Faktoren identifiziert, die zusammen Skalen bilden. Ergebnisse: Nach Validierung der Ergebnisse der Delphi-Analyse ergaben sich sechs Skalen mit insgesamt 25 Items. Sie umfassten die Bereiche „Anleitung im Einsatz“, „Anleitung in der Ruhezeit“, „Hintergrund und Praxisbezug“, „Persönlichkeit“, „Pädagogische Kompetenzen“ sowie „Organisatorisches Verhalten“. Schlussfolgerung: Erstmals wurde für den deutschsprachigen Raum ein Kompetenzkatalog für Ausbilder in der Notfallmedizin entwickelt, der als Voraussetzung auch die Anleitung am Notfallpatient beinhaltet. Die Skalen und Items können für die Ausbilderschulung und für das Qualitätsmonitoring verwendet werden. Weitere Arbeiten müssen sich mit der Anwendung des Kataloges in der Praxis beschäftigen und den Bedarf notwendiger Individualisierung überprüfen., GMS Journal for Medical Education; 36(1):Doc8

Hintergrund Die Studienlage zu Kautabak und Zigarettenrauch ist eindeutig und zeigt karzinogenes Potenzial. Über Schnupftabak ist hingegen wenig bekannt, v. a. auf zellulärer Ebene gibt es keine ausreichenden wissenschaftlichen Publikationen. Somit lässt sich die eventuell mutagene Wirkung von Schnupftabak nur schwer einschätzen. In Konsequenz stützt sich die WHO in ihrer Einstufung des Schnupftabaks als nicht karzinogen auf eine sehr eingeschränkte Datenlage. Ziel Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, Schnupftabak auf mögliche zyto- und genotoxische Effekte auf humane Lymphozyten und Nasenschleimhautzellen zu untersuchen um ggf. tumorinitiierende Effekte darzustellen. Material und Methoden Eingesetzt wurden eine Schnupftabaksorte ohne Menthol und eine Sorte mit Mentholzusatz. Die benötigten Nasenschleimhautzellen und Lymphozyten wurden von 10 Probanden gewonnen und eine Stunde lang mit einem Schnupftabak-DMSO-Gemisch (2000 µg/ml bis 0,01 µg/ml) inkubiert. Zur Analyse wurde der Trypanblau-Test, der Comet-Assay und der Mikrokerntest verwendet. Ergebnis Der Trypanblau-Test zeigte keinen Abfall der Vitalität. Beim Comet-Assay ergab sich bei Lymphozyten ein signifikanter Anstieg der DNA-Fragmentierung ab 100 µg/ml, bei Nasenschleimhautzellen ab 1000 µg/ml. Der Mikrokerntest wies keine signifikante Zunahme der Mikrokerne auf. Es konnte kein Unterschied zwischen den beiden Tabaksorten aufgezeigt werden. Diskussion Es zeigte sich eine Schädigung der Erbsubstanz im Comet-Assay, die möglicherweise reparabel ist. Irreparable DNA-Schäden im Sinne von Mikrokernen wurden nicht gefunden. Nach diesen Ergebnissen muss die Einstufung der WHO in Zweifel gezogen werden. Untersuchungen mit weiteren Endpunkten der Genotoxizität sind somit gerechtfertigt, um zu einer fundierten Beurteilung des Risikopotenzials von Schnupftabak zu gelangen. Background While an abundant number of studies concerning tobacco smoke and chewing tobacco show carcinogenic potential, there is little data on the consequences of snuff, especially on the cellular level. Therefore, the mutagenic effect of snuff is difficult to estimate and the WHO assessment of snuff being not carcinogenic is based on very limited data. Objectives This paper investigates the potential cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of snuff on human lymphocytes and nasal mucosa cells. Materials and methods Two types of snuff were used: one without menthol and one with a high degree of menthol. The necessary nasal mucosa cells and lymphocytes were collected from 10 subjects undergoing nasal obstruction surgery and incubated for one hour with a snuff–DMSO mixture (range 0.01–2000 µg/ml). Methods included the trypan blue test, the comet assay, and the micronucleus test. Results The trypan blue test showed no decrease in cell viability for either cell type. The comet assay revealed a significant increase in the Olive Tail Moment for lymphocytes starting at 100 µg/ml and at 1000 µg/ml for nasal mucosa cells. There was no significant increase in micronuclei according to the micronucleus test. No differences between these two types of tobacco were observed. Conclusion The present study demonstrated genotoxic damage, such as DNA strand breaks, which may be repaired, but no non-repairable elevated micronuclei. The present findings cast doubts on the WHO assessment that snuff is not carcinogenic. However, for a sound assessment of the risk potential of snuff, further research on various genotoxic endpoints in human cells is warranted. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Summary Breast cancer is significant health problem diagnosed mostly in women worldwide. Therefore, early detection of breast cancer is performed with the help of digital mammography, which can reduce mortality rate. This paper presents wrapper based feature selection approach for wavelet co-occurrence feature (WCF) using Genetic Fuzzy System (GFS) in mammogram classification problem. The performance of GFS algorithm is explained using mini-MIAS database. WCF features are obtained from detail wavelet coefficients at each level of decomposition of mammogram image. At first level of decomposition, 18 features are applied to GFS algorithm, which selects 5 features with an average classification success rate of 39.64%. Subsequently, at second level it selects 9 features from 36 features and the classification success rate is improved to 56.75%. For third level, 16 features are selected from 54 features and average success rate is improved to 64.98%. Lastly, at fourth level 72 features are applied to GFS, which selects 16 features and thereby increasing average success rate to 89.47%. Hence, GFS algorithm is the effective way of obtaining optimal set of feature in breast cancer diagnosis.

Ausgehend von einer Darstellung der (an TEI angelehnten) Entwicklung von MEI werden die Forschungsperspektiven des Einsatzes dieses für wissenschaftliche Zwecke geschaffenen Formats und speziell das Potential seines umfangreichen Header-Bereichs beschrieben. Am Beispiel der Rolle von Faksimiles in Editionen wird deutlich, wie dieses Format zu einer neuen Zusammenarbeit von Wissenschaft und Bibliotheken beitragen kann. Starting from the description of the development of MEI (which has to be seen in parallel with TEI) the paper deals with the perspectives of the usage of this format, which was designed for scholarly purposes and, in the library context, has high potentials especially in the header-section. The role of facsimiles in editions illustrates how this format might contribute to a new way of collaboration between the scholarly and the library world.

Der Aufsatz diskutiert Normdaten zu musikalischen Werken in der GND und erörtert Möglichkeiten ihrer (Nach-)Nutzung in bibliothekarischen und musikwissenschaftliche Kontexten. Herausforderungen sowohl des theoretischen Konzepts als der praktischen Umsetzung werden benannt und das Potenzial der in den Normdaten enthaltenen Informationen aufgezeigt., The paper discusses conceptual matters and implementation practices for authority information for musical works in the German authority file (GND). Options of re-use of the authority data in libraries as well as in musicological contexts are introduced. Challenges of theoretical concepts as well as practical realization are shown and potentials of information included in authority files are demonstrated.

The quantification of hemoglobin oxygen saturation (sO(2)) with multispectral optoacoustic (OA) (photoacoustic) tomography (MSOT) is a complex spectral unmixing problem, since the OA spectra of hemoglobin are modified with tissue depth due to depth (location) and wavelength dependencies of optical fluence in tissue. In a recent work, a method termed eigenspectra MSOT (eMSOT) was proposed for addressing the dependence of spectra on fluence and quantifying blood sO(2) in deep tissue. While eMSOT offers enhanced sO(2) quantification accuracy over conventional unmixing methods, its performance may be compromised by noise and image reconstruction artifacts. In this paper, we propose a novel Bayesian method to improve eMSOT performance in noisy environments. We introduce a spectral reliability map, i.e., a method that can estimate the level of noise superimposed onto the recorded OA spectra. Using this noise estimate, we formulate eMSOT as a Bayesian inverse problem where the inversion constraints are based on probabilistic graphical models. Results based on numerical simulations indicate that the proposed method offers improved accuracy and robustness under high noise levels due the adaptive nature of the Bayesian method.

This paper presents a short summary of the knowledge on marine biotoxins. As toxins are known for their acute effects, they have been classified here according to the effects they cause in acute human poisoning incidents. Toxins may thus be distinguished into those that affect the nervous system (paralytic and other neurotoxins), memory (amnesic poisons), and the digestive system (diarrhetic toxins). Furthermore, newly emerging toxins, such as ciguatoxins or shark toxins, and factors that lead to the introduction of toxins in new areas, are presented. Relevant suggestions for further reading are given., Dieser Beitrag stellt eine Kurzfassung der Kenntnisse über marine Biotoxine dar. Da die Toxine durch ihre akuten Wirkungen bekannt sind, wurden sie hier nach ihrer Wirkung beim Menschen im Vergiftungsfall eingeteilt. Man unterscheidet sie nach der Wirkung auf das Nervensystem (lähmende und andere Neurotoxine), das Gedächtnis (amnesische Toxine) und das Verdauungssystem (Durchfall auslösende Toxine). Weiterhin werden neu auftretende Toxine, wie z. B. Ciguatoxine oder Toxine in Haifischfleisch, und Faktoren, die zum Erscheinen von Toxinen in neuen Gebieten führen, aufgeführt sowie relevante Hinweise auf weiterführende Literatur gegeben.

Disturbed Eating Behavior and Eating Disorders are among the most common mental health problems and diseases in high-performance sports. In addition to the classic eating disorders that are classified in ICD-10 and DSM-5 other phenotypes of disturbed eating behavior play an important role in high-performance sport. Sports-specific disturbed eating behavior and eating disorders can be depicted in the concept of the Female Athlete Triad (energy availability, menstrual status and bone health). The phenotypesof specific disorders of eating behavior in sports are presented: Anorexia athletica, Exercise-bulimia, Adipositas athletica, muscular dysmorphia and orthorexia and co-morbid disorders are presented. Subsequently, frequencies and risk factors for the development of a disturbed eating behavior are presented, which vary depending on type of sport and gender. Finally, diagnostics and treatment of disturbed eating behavior in high-performance sports are highlighted. So far,there is no unified classification of disturbed eating behavior in high-performance sports. Until now there is a lack of long-term studies concerning the course of disturbed eating behavior and eating disorders among athletes. In addition, the variety of used research tools limit the validity and comparability of studies. Published statements and position papers on disturbed eating behavior and eating disorders in high-performance sports can be applied to the situation in Germany. However, further research is required in order to develop valid screening instruments and to improve treatment and care for athletes.

Imaged-based screening has been developing extremely quickly in the past 10 years. Academic institutes quickly realized that the discovery capacity of this technology was huge, allowing the automatic detection and quantification of complex cell phenotypes. Associated with chemical or genetic perturbations, high content screening is the method of choice for a deep system biology analysis. The evolution of high-content screening is mainly due to the recent progress in the development of fast and high quality automated imagers and of a plethora of new very bright fluorescent markers, so that almost any cellular element can be seen and imaged. In this paper we review and summarize the major steps in the development of an image-based screening project.

Partial differential equation (PDE) models are widely used in engineering and natural sciences to describe spatio-temporal processes. The parameters of the considered processes are often unknown and have to be estimated from experimental data. Due to partial observations and measurement noise, these parameter estimates are subject to uncertainty. This uncertainty can be assessed using profile likelihoods, a reliable but computationally intensive approach. In this paper, we present the integration based approach for the profile likelihood calculation developed by (Chen and Jennrich 2002 J. Comput. Graph. Stat. 11 714–32) and adapt it to inverse problems with PDE constraints. While existing methods for profile likelihood calculation in parameter estimation problems with PDE constraints rely on repeated optimization, the proposed approach exploits a dynamical system evolving along the likelihood profile. We derive the dynamical system for the unreduced estimation problem, prove convergence and study the properties of the integration based approach for the PDE case. To evaluate the proposed method, we compare it with state-of-the-art algorithms for a simple reaction-diffusion model for a cellular patterning process. We observe a good accuracy of the method as well as a significant speed up as compared to established methods. Integration based profile calculation facilitates rigorous uncertainty analysis for computationally demanding parameter estimation problems with PDE constraints.