Search

In intensively used agricultural landscapes, path margins are one of the few refuges and nurseries for wildlife. They provide e. g. food sources and overwintering opportunities for many insects, serve as migration corridors for animals, protect soil from erosion, increase its water-holding capacity, and increase soil organic carbon, contributing thus directly to biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. Path margins are often municipally owned but used and managed by agriculture. For a path margin to be functional, certain conditions must be fulfilled, such as the width, the botanical composition, and how it is managed through the seasons. Therefore, it must be managed under specific requirements. A multifunctional path margin can be achieved only through the commitment of all stakeholders (e.g., farmers, municipalities, conservationists, and civil society). In this study, we assessed the different stakeholders' perspectives in implementing an insect-friendly path margins project in the agricultural landscape on the left bank of the Rhine between the Eifel and the Rhine in the German Rhine-Sieg district developing and implementing a communication strategy. Three main activities were implemented: (1) A Q-Study build the basis for a (2 ) local stakeholder dialogue workshop and (3) the development of social media materials to communicate project activities.Part of the communication strategy was the Q-Method. This method allowed us to identify the different positions of stakeholders regarding municipal blooming path margins. Through a literature review, 65 statements on insect protection in path margins were pre-selected (first stage), and an additional expert survey was implemented to validate this pre-selection. After the validation of experts and the merging of similar statements, a set of 35 statements was identified as the Q-Sample (second stage), further this 35-statement set was used in a stakeholder survey to rank and sort according to the own stakeholder's views ( Q-Sort, third stage), data was analyzed using factor analysis (fourth stage). As a result, two main factors or perspectives were found: A) perspective on insect-friendly protection measures and, B) perspective on the maintenance and avoidance of negative effects. Finally, these different perspectives were presented and discussed in a stakeholder workshop contributing to the project's communication activities and setting the basis to discuss further project activities taking into account the identified perspectives from local stakeholders., Proceedings in Food System Dynamics, PROCEEDINGS IN SYSTEM DYNAMICS AND INNOVATION IN FOOD NETWORKS 2023

Objective: Neurological symptoms can present relevant co-morbidities in SARS-Cov-2 infection but potential underlying pathomechanistic patterns remain unclear. Interestingly, the presence of SARS-Cov-2 RNA and protein has been shown to in anatomically distinct areas of the brain but remains undetected [for full text, please go to the a.m. URL]

Background: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) caused by rupture of an intracranial aneurysm, is a life-threatening emergency that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Emerging evidence suggests involvement of the innate immune response in secondary brain injury, and a potential role of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) for SAH-associated neuroinflammation. In this study, we investigated the spatiotemporal patterns of NETs in SAH and the potential role of the RNase A (the bovine equivalent to human RNase 1) application on NET burden. Methods: A total number of n=81 male C57Bl/6 mice were operated utilizing a filament perforation model to induce SAH, and Sham operation was performed for the corresponding control groups. To confirm the bleeding and exclude stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage, the animals received MRI after 24h. Mice were treated with intravenous injection of RNase A (42 mu g/kg body weight) or saline solution for the control groups, respectively. Quadruple-immunofluorescence (IF) staining for cell nuclei (DAPI), F-actin (phalloidin), citrullinated H3, and neurons (NeuN) was analyzed by confocal imaging and used to quantify NET abundance in the subarachnoid space (SAS) and brain parenchyma. To quantify NETs in human SAH patients, cerebrospinal spinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples from day 1, 2, 7, and 14 after bleeding onset were analyzed for double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) via Sytox Green. Results: Neutrophil extracellular traps are released upon subarachnoid hemorrhage in the SAS on the ipsilateral bleeding site 24h after ictus. Over time, NETs showed progressive increase in the parenchyma on both ipsi- and contralateral site, peaking on day 14 in periventricular localization. In CSF and blood samples of patients with aneurysmal SAH, NETs also increased gradually over time with a peak on day 7. RNase application significantly reduced NET accumulation in basal, cortical, and periventricular areas. Conclusion: Neutrophil extracellular trap formation following SAH originates in the ipsilateral SAS of the bleeding site and spreads gradually over time to basal, cortical, and periventricular areas in the parenchyma within 14days. Intravenous RNase application abrogates NET burden significantly in the brain parenchyma, underpinning a potential role in modulation of the innate immune activation after SAH.

Objective: Previous research hypothesizes that eRNA is released upon tissue injury and subsequently activates inflammatory signaling. Previous data from our laboratory showed that eRNA is released into the subarchnoid space in an animal model of experimental SAH, and is associated with an activation[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], 71. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), 9. Joint Meeting mit der Japanischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie