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Ammonia (NH3) is the major alkaline species in the atmosphere and plays an important role in aerosol formation, which affects local air quality and the radiation budget. NH3 in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) is difficult to detect, and only limited observations are available. We present two-dimensional trace gas measurements of NH3 obtained by the airborne infrared imaging limb sounder GLORIA (Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere) that was operated on board the research aircraft Geophysica within the Asian monsoon anticyclone during the StratoClim campaign (July 2017) and on board HALO (the High Altitude and LOng Range research aircraft) above the South Atlantic during the SouthTRAC campaign (September–November 2019). We compare these GLORIA measurements in the UTLS with results of the CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) reanalysis and forecast model to evaluate its performance. The GLORIA observations reveal large enhancements of NH3 of more than 1 ppbv in the Asian monsoon upper troposphere but no clear indication of NH3 in biomass burning plumes in the upper troposphere above the South Atlantic above the instrument's detection limit of around 20 pptv. In contrast, CAMS reanalysis and forecast simulation results indicate strong enhancements of NH3 in both measured scenarios. Comparisons of other retrieved pollution gases, such as peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), show the ability of CAMS models to generally reproduce the biomass burning plumes above the South Atlantic. However, NH3 concentrations are largely overestimated by the CAMS models within these plumes. We suggest that emission strengths used by CAMS models are of lower accuracy for biomass burning in comparison to agricultural sources in the Asian monsoon. Further, we suggest that loss processes of NH3 during transport to the upper troposphere may be underestimated for the biomass burning cases above the South Atlantic. Since NH3 is strongly undersampled, in particular at higher altitudes, we hope for regular vertically resolved measurements of NH3 from the proposed CAIRT (Changing-Atmosphere Infra-Red Tomography Explorer) mission to strengthen our understanding of this important trace gas in the atmosphere.

Abstract Background Social distancing strategies during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic have left families facing a variety of different constraints. Especially in this stressful time, children need a stable parental home to prevent developmental consequences. Additional risk factors such as maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) may affect mother’s psychosomatic health and children’s physical well-being in this period. Objective It was aimed to analyze the associations between maternal CM, mother’s mental health, and children’s physical complaints during the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic. Method Mothers of a well-documented birth cohort from a longitudinal study were included in this study. Psychosomatic health was assessed with the PHQ-D and children’s physical health with the GBB-KJ during the pandemic. N = 159 mothers completed the online survey. To describe the maternal CM, data from a longitudinal survey were used. Results The calculation of three mediation analyses demonstrate that maternal depression symptoms (c-path: β = 0.10, p = .02; c’-path: β = 0.07, p = .13), somatic symptoms (c-path: β = 0.10, p = .02; c’-path: β = 0.07, p = .13) and psychosomatic symptoms (c-path: β = 0.10, p = .02; c’-path: β = 0.06, p = .19) fully mediate the relationship between CM and children’s physical health complaints. Conclusions Maternal CM experiences seem to be one relevant risk factor during the pandemic and seem to influence the way in which parents deal with stressful situations and increase the risk for depressive symptoms. The present results highlight the importance to provide individually adjusted assistance to help the families to get through the pandemic.

Abstract Background Wearable technologies are currently clinically used to assess energy expenditure in a variety of populations, e.g., persons with multiple sclerosis or frail elderly. To date, going beyond physical activity, deriving sensorimotor capacity instead of energy expenditure, is still lacking proof of feasibility. Methods In this study, we read out sensors (accelerometer and gyroscope) of smartwatches in a sample of 90 persons with multiple sclerosis over the course of one day of everyday life in an inpatient setting. We derived a variety of different kinematic parameters, in addition to lab-based tests of sensorimotor performance, to examine their interrelation by principal component, cluster, and regression analyses. Results These analyses revealed three components of behavior and sensorimotor capacity, namely clinical characteristics with an emphasis on gait, gait-related physical activity, and upper-limb related physical activity. Further, we were able to derive four clusters with different behavioral/capacity patterns in these dimensions. In a last step, regression analyses revealed that three selected smartwatch derived kinematic parameters were able to partially predict sensorimotor capacity, e.g., grip strength and upper-limb tapping. Conclusions Our analyses revealed that physical activity can significantly differ between persons with comparable clinical characteristics and that assessments of physical activity solely relying on gait can be misleading. Further, we were able to extract parameters that partially go beyond physical activity, with the potential to be used to monitor the course of disease progression and rehabilitation, or to early identify persons at risk or a sub-clinical threshold of disease severity.

Abstract pH alterations are a hallmark of many pathologies including cancer and kidney disease. Here, we introduce [1,5-13C2]Z-OMPD as a hyperpolarized extracellular pH and perfusion sensor for MRI which allows to generate a multiparametric fingerprint of renal disease status and to detect local tumor acidification. Exceptional long T1 of two minutes at 1 T, high pH sensitivity of up to 1.9 ppm per pH unit and suitability of using the C1-label as internal frequency reference enables pH imaging in vivo of three pH compartments in healthy rat kidneys. Spectrally selective targeting of both 13C-resonances enables simultaneous imaging of perfusion and filtration in 3D and pH in 2D within one minute to quantify renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rates and renal pH in healthy and hydronephrotic kidneys with superior sensitivity compared to clinical routine methods. Imaging multiple biomarkers within a single session renders [1,5-13C2]Z-OMPD a promising new hyperpolarized agent for oncology and nephrology.

IntroductionRepetitive head impacts (RHI) from routine soccer (football) heading have been suggested to contribute to the long-term development of neurodegenerative disorders. However, scientific evidence concerning the actual risk of these RHI on brain health remains inconclusive. Moreover, female athletes—despite a presumably increased vulnerability toward the effects of RHI—are largely underrepresented in previous approaches. Therefore, our aim was to prospectively investigate the effects of heading on cognitive and sensorimotor performances, health perception, and concussion symptoms in semi-professional female soccer players.MethodsAn extensive test battery was used to assess cognitive and sensorimotor performances as well as health status (SF-36) and concussion symptoms (SCAT3) of a total of 27 female soccer players (22.2 ± 4.2 years) and 15 control subjects (23.2 ± 3.0 years) before and after one-and-a-half years. Throughout this period, soccer players’ heading exposure was determined using video analysis.ResultsSubgroup comparisons (control [n = 12], low exposure [n = 7], high exposure [n = 8]) showed no time-dependent differences in SF-36 or SCAT3 scores. Similarly, across most behavioral tests, soccer players’ performances evolved equally or more favorably as compared to the control subjects. However, there were significant effects pointing toward slightly negative consequences of heading on aspects of fine motor control (p = 0.001), which were confirmed by correlation and multiple regression analyses. The latter, further, yielded indications for a relationship between heading exposure and negative alterations in postural control (p = 0.002).DiscussionOur findings do not provide evidence for negative effects of soccer heading on female players’ health perception, concussion symptoms, and cognitive performances over the course of one-and-a-half years. However, we found subtle negative alterations in fine motor and postural control that could be attributed to heading exposure. Other factors, like the number of previous head injuries, were not linked to the observed changes. Given the reduction of our initial sample size due to player fluctuation, the results need to be interpreted with caution and validated in larger-scale studies. These should not only focus on cognitive outcomes but also consider sensorimotor changes as a result of RHI from soccer heading.

Abstract Laboratory tests and column tests were carried out in a waterwoks to investigate the removal of short- and long-chain PFAS using activated carbon filtration and ion exchange treatment. For all adsorbents, the sorption affinity of short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCA) was significantly lower than that of long-chain PFAS or short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSA). In the PFAS-polluted groundwater matrix, the short-chain PFCA PFBA and PFPeA could only be sufficiently removed with activated carbon over short run times of 6000 and 11,000 bed volumes (BV), respectively. Longer PFCA with a chain length of C6 or more were removed over longer run times. The removal of short-chain PFCA using ion exchange media could also only be achieved over relatively short run times of 5000 BV for PFBA, 10,000BV for PFPeA and 18,000 BV for PFHxA. These are sometimes significantly longer than those of activated carbon. Due to the higher material costs for ion exchange media, there are nevertheless no lower operating costs when the ion exchangers are used in single-use mode. However, ion exchangers can be regenerated and then reused which can result in economic advantages compared to activated carbon filtration. However, for the extensive regeneration, especially for the elution of the long-chain PFAS, the additional use of ethanol is needed in the process. In contrast, the short-chain PFBA and PFPeA can be extracted without organic solvent from a weakly basic ion exchanger.

Abstract Background The decline in everyday life physical activity reflects and contributes to the frailty syndrome. While especially self-reported frailty assessments have the advantage of reaching large groups at low costs, little is known about the relationship between the self-report and objective measured daily physical activity behavior. The main objective was to evaluate whether and to what extent a self-reported assessment of frailty is associated with daily physical activity patterns. Methods Daily activity data were obtained from 88 elderly participants (mean 80.6 ± 9.1 years) over up to 21 days. Acceleration data were collected via smartwatch. According to the results of a self-report frailty questionnaire, participants were retrospectively split up into three groups, F (frail, n = 43), P (pre-frail, n = 33), and R (robust, n = 12). Gait- and activity-related measures were derived from the built-in step detector and acceleration sensor and comprised, i.a., standard deviation of 5-s-mean amplitude deviation (MADstd), median MAD (MADmedian), and the 95th percentile of cadence (STEP95). Parameters were fed into a PCA and component scores were used to derive behavioral clusters. Results The PCA suggested two components, one describing gait and one upper limb activity. Mainly gait related parameters showed meaningful associations with the self-reported frailty score (STEP95: R2 = 0.25), while measures of upper limb activity had lower coefficients (MADmedian: R2 = 0.07). Cluster analysis revealed two clusters with low and relatively high activity in both dimensions (cluster 2 and 3). Interestingly, a third cluster (cluster 1) was characterized by high activity and low extent of ambulation. Comparisons between the clusters showed significant differences between activity, gait, age, sex, number of chronic diseases, health status, and walking aid. Particularly, cluster 1 contained a higher number of female participants, whose self-reports tended towards a low health status, the frequent use of a walking aid, and a higher score related to frailty questions. Conclusions The results demonstrate that subjective frailty assessments may be a simple first screening approach. However, especially older women using walking aids may classify themselves as frail despite still being active. Therefore, the results of self-reports may be particularly biased in older women.

As the number of smart connected devices increases day by day, a massive amount of tasks are generated by various types of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Intelligent edge computing is a promising enabler in next-generation wireless networks to execute these tasks on proximate edge servers instead of smart devices. Additionally, regarding the execution of tasks in edge servers, smart devices could provide a low-latency environment to the end users. Within this paper, an artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered fast task execution method in heterogeneous IoT applications is proposed to reduce decision latency by taking into account different system parameters such as the execution deadline of the task, battery level of devices, channel conditions between mobile devices and edge servers, and edge server capacity. In edge computing scenarios, the number of task requests, resource constraints of edge servers, mobility of connected devices, and energy consumption are the main performance considerations. In this paper, the AI-empowered fast task decision method is proposed to solve the multi-device edge computing task execution problem by formulating it as a multi-class classification problem. The extensive simulation results demonstrate that the proposed framework is extremely fast and precise in decision-making for offloading computation tasks compared to the conventional Lyapunov optimization-based algorithm results by ensuring the guaranteed quality of experience.

IntroductionVegetable oils rich in unsaturated fatty acids are assumed to be safe and even healthy for consumers though lipid compositions of foods vary naturally and are complex considering the wealth of minor compounds down to the trace level.MethodsThe developed comprehensive high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC×HPTLC) method including the on-surface metabolization (nanoGIT) and bioassay detection combined all steps on the same planar surface. The pancreatic lipolysis (intestinal phase) experiment and the subsequent analysis of the fatty acid composition including its effect-directed detection using a planar bioassay was performed without elaborate sample preparation or fractionation to ensure sample integrity. Thus, no sample part was lost, and the whole sample was studied on a single surface regarding all aspects. This made the methodology as well as technology miniaturized, lean, all-in-one, and very sustainable.Results and discussionTo prioritize important active compounds including their metabolism products in the complex oil samples, the nanoGIT method was used to examine the pancreatic lipolysis of nine different vegetable oils commonly used in the kitchen and food industry, e.g., canola oil, flaxseed oil, hemp oil, walnut oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil. The digested oils revealed antibacterial and genotoxic effects, which were assigned to fatty acids and oxidized species via high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (HRMS/MS). This finding reinforces the importance of adding powerful techniques to current analytical tools. The 10D hyphenated nanoGIT-HPTLC×HPTLC-Vis/FLD-bioassay-heart cut-RP-HPLC-DAD-HESI-HRMS/MS has the potential to detect any potential hazard due to digestion/metabolism, improving food safety and understanding on the impact of complex samples.

Objective: The insulin/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) pathway is emerging as a crucial component of prostate cancer progression. Therefore, we investigated the role of the novel insulin/IGF1 signaling modulator inceptor in prostate cancer. Methods: We analyzed the expression of inceptor in human samples of benign prostate epithelium and prostate cancer. Further, we performed signaling and functional assays using prostate cancer cell lines. Results: We found that inceptor was expressed in human benign and malignant prostate tissue and its expression positively correlated with various genes of interest, including genes involved in androgen signaling. In vitro, total levels of inceptor were increased upon androgen deprivation and correlated with high levels of androgen receptor in the nucleus. Inceptor overexpression was associated with increased cell migration, altered IGF1R trafficking and higher IGF1R activation. Conclusions: Our in vitro results showed that inceptor expression was associated with androgen status, increased migration, and IGF1R signaling. In human samples, inceptor expression was significantly correlated with markers of prostate cancer progression. Taken together, these data provide a basis for investigation of inceptor in the context of prostate cancer.

Abstract Invasive nonfunctioning (NF) pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) are non‐resectable neoplasms associated with frequent relapses and significant comorbidities. As the current therapies of NF‐PitNETs often fail, new therapeutic targets are needed. The observation that circulating angiopoietin‐2 (ANGPT2) is elevated in patients with NF‐PitNET and correlates with tumor aggressiveness prompted us to investigate the ANGPT2/TIE2 axis in NF‐PitNETs in the GH3 PitNET cell line, primary human NF‐PitNET cells, xenografts in zebrafish and mice, and in MENX rats, the only autochthonous NF‐PitNET model. We show that PitNET cells express a functional TIE2 receptor and secrete bioactive ANGPT2, which promotes, besides angiogenesis, tumor cell growth in an autocrine and paracrine fashion. ANGPT2 stimulation of TIE2 in tumor cells activates downstream cell proliferation signals, as previously demonstrated in endothelial cells (ECs). Tie2 gene deletion blunts PitNETs growth in xenograft models, and pharmacological inhibition of Angpt2/Tie2 signaling antagonizes PitNETs in primary cell cultures, tumor xenografts in mice, and in MENX rats. Thus, the ANGPT2/TIE2 axis provides an exploitable therapeutic target in NF‐PitNETs and possibly in other tumors expressing ANGPT2/TIE2. The ability of tumor cells to coopt angiogenic signals classically viewed as EC‐specific expands our view on the microenvironmental cues that are essential for tumor progression.

Abstract Background Frailty is accompanied by limitations of activities of daily living (ADL) and frequently associated with reduced quality of life, institutionalization, and higher health care costs. Despite the importance of ADL performance for the consequence of frailty, movement analyses based on kinematic markers during the performance of complex upper extremity-based manual ADL tasks in frail elderly is still pending. The main objective of this study was to evaluate if ADL task performance of two different tasks in frail elderlies can be assessed by an activity measurement based on an acceleration sensor integrated into a smartwatch, and further to what degree kinematic parameters would be task independent. Methods ADL data was obtained from twenty-seven elderly participants (mean age 81.6 ± 7.0 years) who performed two ADL tasks. Acceleration data of the dominant hand was collected using a smartwatch. Participants were split up in three groups, F (frail, n = 6), P (pre-frail, n = 13) and R (robust, n = 8) according to a frailty screening. A variety of kinematic measures were calculated from the vector product reflecting activity, agility, smoothness, energy, and intensity. Results Measures of agility, smoothness, and intensity revealed significant differences between the groups (effect sizes combined over tasks η2 p = 0.18 – 0.26). Smoothness was particularly affected by frailty in the tea making task, while activity, agility, a different smoothness parameter and two intensity measures were related to frailty in the gardening task. Four of nine parameters revealed good reliability over both tasks (r = 0.44 – 0.69). Multiple linear regression for the data combined across tasks showed that only the variability of the magnitude of acceleration peaks (agility) contributed to the prediction of the frailty score (R2 = 0.25). Conclusion The results demonstrate that ADL task performance can be assessed by smartwatch-based measures and further shows task-independent differences between the three levels of frailty. From the pattern of impaired and preserved performance parameters across the tested tasks, we concluded that in persons with frailty ADL performance was more impaired by physiological deficiencies, i.e., physical power and endurance, than by cognitive functioning or sensorimotor control.

BackgroundSARS-CoV-2 pandemic have posed great challenges for all families and children. Health risks and fears associated with SARS-CoV-2 negatively affect the parental mental health and perceived stress, which in turn influence parental coping and thereby impairs the mental health and well-being of their children. Additional risk factors within the parents, such as maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) experiences, may increase the risk of children to develop emotional problems during the pandemic.ObjectiveThe purpose of this longitudinal study is to determine whether preschool children of mothers with CM are at higher risk of developing emotional problems during the pandemic than preschool children of mothers without CM.Method74 mothers from a birth cohort examining pathways to resilience or vulnerability in the transgenerational transmission of CM, provided information on emotional problems of their children (aged 3–7 years) at two measurement time points (t1: May 2020, t2: March 2021) as part of an online “SARS-CoV-2 pandemic” survey. In addition, parents were asked for a retrospective assessment of their children's emotional problems before the pandemic at time t1. Children's emotional problems were assessed using the “emotional problems” scale of the German version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and linked to previously collected data on mothers' childhood maltreatment experiences, which were collected using the German short version of the Trauma in Childhood Questionnaire (CTQ).ResultsOur analyses showed that children's emotional problems increased significantly over the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic [F(1.86, 116.88) = 3.72, p = 0.030 η2 = 0.06] and were rated significantly higher in the group of children of mothers with CM, than in the group of mothers without CM [F(1, 63) = 126.06, p

For more than two years, young families have been confronted with a large number of restrictions and following burdens as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In fact, it became evident, that the current circumstances are particularly stressful for child's mental health. With regard to the child's mental health in times of a pandemic, additional factors within the family, such as maternal attachment representations as well as coping strategies and parental behavior, may play an important role. This study aims to investigate the interplay of maternal attachment representation, coping strategies, parental behavior and child's mental health during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In this longitudinal study, previously collected data regarding maternal attachment representation and newly attained data from the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic-assesment (lack of coping strategies, children's mental health and parental behavior) were combined and analyzed. The data were collected in an online survey since beginning of the pandemic, including N = 73 mothers. A path model was calculated in form of multiple linear regression. A path model could be confirmed, which indicates that insecure maternal attachment representation predicts lack of coping strategies during the pandemic [b = 5.55, 95%-CI = (4.51; 6.55), p = 0.001]. Furthermore, lack of coping strategies predicts harmful parental behavior during the pandemic [b = −0.77, 95%-CI = (−1.27; −0.21), p = 0.007], which in turn predicts children's mental health problems, namely behavioral problems [b = −0.08, 95%-CI = (−0.14; −0.01), p = 0.027]. Presence of short-time work and decrease in income since beginning of the pandemic were used as control variables. This means that since the pandemic mothers with insecure attachment representation have an increased risk of having only a few coping mechanisms available, leading to harmful parental behaviors and ultimately affecting the mental health of their children. In conclusion, the pandemic could potentially have a particularly negative influence on mothers with an insecure attachment type and therefore on their children. Therefore, tailored interventions for families should be offered that both focus on the different types of mental health problems in children and support parents in their coping skills.

Abstract Finger tapping tests have been shown feasible to assess motor performance in multiple sclerosis (MS) and were observed to be strongly associated with the estimated clinical severity of the disease. Therefore, tapping tests could be an adequate tool to assess disease status in MS. In this study we examined potential influencing factors on a maximum tapping task with the whole upper-limb for 10 s in 40 MS patients using linear mixed effects modelling. Patients were tested in three sessions with two trials per body-side per session over the course of 4–27 days of inpatient rehabilitation. Tested factors were the expanded disability scale (EDSS) score, laterality of MS, age, sex, hand dominance, time of day, session, trial (first or second), time between sessions, and the reported day form. A second model used these factors to examine the self-reported day form of patients. Linear mixed effects modelling indicated the tapping test to have a good inter-trial (proportional variance

Measurements of the pollution trace gases ethane (C2H6), ethyne (C2H2), formic acid (HCOOH), and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) were performed in the North Atlantic upper troposphere and lowermost stratosphere (UTLS) region with the airborne limb imager GLORIA (Gimballed Limb Observer for Radiance Imaging of the Atmosphere) with high spatial resolution down to cloud top. Observations were made during flights with the German research aircraft HALO (High Altitude and LOng Range Research Aircraft) in the frame of the WISE (Wave-driven ISentropic Exchange) campaign, which was carried out in autumn 2017 from Shannon (Ireland) and Oberpfaffenhofen (Germany). Enhanced volume mixing ratios (VMRs) of up to 2.2 ppbv C2H6, 0.2 ppbv C2H2, 0.9 ppbv HCOOH, and 0.4 ppbv PAN were detected during the flight on 13 September 2017 in the upper troposphere and around the tropopause above the British Isles. Elevated quantities of PAN were measured even in the lowermost stratosphere (locally up to 14 km), likely reflecting the fact that this molecule has the longest lifetime of the four species discussed herein. Backward trajectory calculations as well as global three-dimensional Chemical Lagrangian Model of the Stratosphere (CLaMS) simulations with artificial tracers of air mass origin have shown that the main sources of the observed pollutant species are forest fires in North America and anthropogenic pollution in South Asia and Southeast Asia uplifted and moved within the Asian monsoon anticyclone (AMA) circulation system. After release from the AMA, these species or their precursor substances are transported by strong tropospheric winds over large distances, depending on their particular atmospheric lifetime of up to months. Observations are compared to simulations with the atmospheric models EMAC (ECHAM5/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry) and CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service). These models are qualitatively able to reproduce the measured VMR enhancements but underestimate the absolute amount of the increase. Increasing the emissions in EMAC by a factor of 2 reduces the disagreement between simulated and measured results and illustrates the importance of the quality of emission databases used in chemical models.

Although the prognosis in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is generally good, protracted and incomplete courses of recovery can be a heavy burden. Animal studies suggest growth hormone (GH) treatment could stimulate myelin repair and thus accelerate functional recovery in acute polyneuropathy. We report on the first use of GH in GBS. Our objective was to monitor safety and tolerability as well as to evaluate the effect of an off-label GH therapy during recovery from GBS in 1 patient. A 28-year-old male with flaccid tetraparesis caused by pure motor GBS was treated off-label with GH (1 mg/day) for 10 weeks. Muscle strength was measured regularly before, during, and after the treatment over a total span of 330 days. Serum levels of IGF-I were assessed before, during, and after GH treatment. Changes in strength gain were used as the main parameter of efficacy. No side effects of GH treatment were observed. Serum IGF-I increased from 177 ng/mL at baseline to an average of 342 ng/mL (normal range 78–270 ng/mL) during treatment. Prior to GH administration, strength (R2 = 0.99, p < 0.01) was associated with time, representing the natural course of recovery. During GH treatment, the slope of strength gain increased (Glass’ ∆ = 1.08, p < 0.01). The association between alterations of strength gain and IGF-I serum levels reached trend level (R2 = 0.36, p = 0.09). In this single case, GH treatment seemed to be associated with faster muscular strength gain. Controlled studies are needed in order to establish GH as a potential therapeutic approach in motor GBS.

The biotransformation of some micropollutants has previously been observed to be positively associated with ammonia oxidation activities and the transcript abundance of the archaeal ammonia monooxygenase gene (amoA) in nitrifying activated sludge. Given the increasing interest in and potential importance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), we investigated the capabilities of an AOA pure culture, Nitrososphaera gargensis, to biotransform ten micropollutants belonging to three structurally similar groups (i.e., phenylureas, tertiary amides, and tertiary amines). N. gargensis was able to biotransform two of the tertiary amines, mianserin (MIA) and ranitidine (RAN), exhibiting similar compound specificity as two ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) strains that were tested for comparison. The same MIA and RAN biotransformation reactions were carried out by both the AOA and AOB strains. The major transformation product (TP) of MIA, α-oxo MIA was likely formed via a two-step oxidation reaction. The first hydroxylation step is typically catalyzed by monooxygenases. Three RAN TP candidates were identified from nontarget analysis. Their tentative structures and possible biotransformation pathways were proposed. The biotransformation of MIA and RAN only occurred when ammonia oxidation was active, suggesting cometabolic transformations. Consistently, a comparative proteomic analysis revealed no significant differential expression of any protein-encoding gene in N. gargensis grown on ammonium with MIA or RAN compared with standard cultivation on ammonium only. Taken together, this study provides first important insights regarding the roles played by AOA in micropollutant biotransformation.

BackgroundBehavioral and physiological (self-)regulation in early life is crucial for the understanding of childhood development and adjustment. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a main player in the regulative system and should therefore be modulated by the quality of interactive behavior of the caregiver. We experimentally investigated the ANS response of 18–36-month-old children in response to the quality of maternal behavior during a mother–child-interacting paradigm.MethodEighty mothers and their children came to our laboratory and took part in an experimental paradigm, consisting of three episodes: a resting phase (E1), a structured play phase (E2), and a free play situation (E3) between mothers and their child. Children’s and mother’s heart rate (HR), the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity via the pre-ejection period (PEP) and the left ventricular ejection time (LVET), and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity via the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were continuously measured by an electrocardiogram. Maternal sensitivity of interactive behavior was assessed by using the Emotional Availability (EA) Scales.ResultsChildren of mothers with insensitive behavior had a significantly lower RSA at baseline, showed a lack of RSA withdrawal during structured and free play, and had shorter LVET across all episodes compared to children of sensitive mothers.ConclusionOur findings depict the influence of low-quality maternal interaction on the child’s ANS regulation, in calm and more stressful play situations. The overall higher SNS mode with impaired PNS reactivity may negatively influence child’s ANS homoeostasis, which may result in a long-term impact on mental and physical wellbeing. Further, the maternal sensitivity may function as a buffer for the stress response of their child. These results could serve as a basis for the development of appropriate psychoeducational programs for mothers of low sensitivity in their interaction with the child.

BackgroundPersons with multiple sclerosis frequently report increased levels of fatigue and fatigability. However, behavioral surrogates that are strongly associated with self-reports are lacking, which limits research and treatment. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to derive distinct behavioral syndromes that are reflected by self-reports concerning fatigue and fatigability. MethodsWe collected actigraphic data of 30 persons with multiple sclerosis over a period of 1 week during an inpatient stay at a neurorehabilitation facility. Further, participants completed the German fatigue severity scale. A principal component analysis of actigraphic parameters was performed to extract the latent component levels of behaviors that reflect fatigue (quantity of activity) and fatigability (fragmentation of activity). The resulting components were used in a cluster analysis. ResultsAnalyses suggested 3 clusters, one with high activity (d=0.65-1.57) and low clinical disability levels (d=0.91-1.39), one with high levels of sedentary behavior (d=1.06-1.58), and one with strong activity fragmentation (d=1.39-1.94). The cluster with high levels of sedentary behavior further revealed strong differences from the other clusters concerning participants’ reported levels of fatigue (d=0.99-1.28). ConclusionsCluster analysis data proved to be feasible to meaningfully differentiate between different behavioral syndromes. Self-reports reflected the different behavioral syndromes strongly. Testing of additional domains (eg, volition or processing speed) and assessments during everyday life seem warranted to better understand the origins of reported fatigue symptomatology.

Abstract Background Health care employees in Germany and worldwide are exposed to a variety of stressors. However, most of the hospitals in Germany lack a systematic workplace health management. Thus, this study aims at the evaluation of the effects of a behavioural as well as organisational (´complex´) intervention on the mental health and well-being of hospital staff. Methods Mental health in the hospital workplace (SEElische GEsundheit am Arbeitsplatz KrankeNhaus – SEEGEN) is an unblinded, multi-centred cluster-randomised open trial with two groups (intervention group (IG) and waitlist control group (CG)). Study participants in the intervention clusters will receive the complex intervention; study participants in the waitlist control clusters will receive the complex intervention after the last follow-up measurement. The intervention consists of five behavioural and organisational intervention modules that are specifically tailored to hospital employees at different hierarchical and functional levels. Hospital staff may select one specific module according to their position and specific needs or interests. Towards the end of the intervention roundtable discussions with representatives from all professional groups will be held to facilitate organisational change. Primary outcome is the change in emotional and cognitive strain in the working environment, from baseline (T0) to 6 month-follow up (T1), between IG and CG. In addition, employees who do not participate in the modules are included in the trial by answering shorter questionnaires (cluster participants). Furthermore, using mixed methods, a process evaluation will identify uptake of the intervention, and mediators and moderators of the effect. Discussion There seems to be growing psychological strain on people working in the health care sector worldwide. This study will examine whether investing directly in the hospital staff and their interpersonal relationship may lead to measurable benefits in subjective well-being at the workplace and improved economic performance indicators of the hospital. In case of a positive outcome, health promotion strategies looking at behavioural as well as organisational components within the hospital may gain additional importance, especially in regard of the growing financial pressure within the health sector. Trial registration DRKS The SEEGEN study is registered at the German Clinical Trial Register (DRKS) under the DRKS-ID DRKS00017249. Registered 08 October 2019, URL. https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00017249.

Abstract Background Dementia of the Alzheimer’s type can impair the performance of activities of daily living and therefore severely impact independent living. Assistive technologies can support such patients when carrying out daily tasks. Methods In this crossover study, we used an augmented reality approach using a Microsoft HoloLens to support patients in a tea making task. During task execution, subjects received three-dimensional dynamic holograms of the sub-steps necessary to complete the task. Ten patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease were tested and post-hoc semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess usability. Results The patients committed errors when executing the task with and without holographic assistance. No differences in success rates or error frequencies were observed (psuccess = .250, perrors = .887). Patients revealed prolonged trial durations (Glass’ Δ = 1.475) when wearing the augmented reality headset. A model of multiple linear regression (R2 adjusted = .958) revealed an influence of the errors in the control condition and a moderation by the errors in the experimental condition. Patients with more severe problems in the natural performance of the task showed lower increases in trial durations when wearing the HoloLens. Conclusions We assume that the application was a secondary task requesting its own resources and impairing performance on its own. The regression suggests however that the given assistance was compensating these additional costs in patients with stronger needs of support. Interview data on usability revealed an overall positive feedback towards the application although the hardware was considered uncomfortable and too large. We conclude that the approach proved feasible and the acceptability was overall high, although advances in hardware and the patient-interface are necessary to assist patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in daily activities. Trial registration DRKS, DRKS00014870. Registered 11 June 2018 - Retrospectively registered, TrialID = DRKS00014870.

Introduction. Improved gait is one of the leading therapy goals in multiple sclerosis. A plethora of clinical timed trials and state-of-the-art technology-based approaches are available to assess gait performance. Objectives. To examine what aspects of gait react to inpatient rehabilitation in MS and which parameters should be best assessed. Design. In this longitudinal study, we examined the performance of 76 patients with MS to shed further light on factors influencing gait, associations between tests, and the reaction to inpatient rehabilitation during an average time span of 16 d. Setting. Private specialist clinic for inpatient neurorehabilitation. Main Outcome Measures. Clinical walk tests (timed 25-foot walk test at normal pace, maximum pace over 10 m or 6 min) and IMU-based measures of movement smoothness. Results. All gait parameters were strongly intercorrelated (all p

* Problem Statement: Soccer players expose themselves to repetitive head impacts (RHI) by purposefully heading the ball - an act that has been suggested to adversely affect brain structure and function and potentially contribute to the long-term development of neurodegenerative disorders. A deeper understanding of the head's kinematic response to these RHI is crucial to assess the actual risk resulting from routine soccer heading. To that aim, we investigated the influence of a comprehensive set of heading-related factors on the resulting linear and rotational acceleration of the head, as obtained by wearable sensors in a field study. * Methods: Across 26 matches, 19 semi-professional female soccer players (23.0±3.7 years) were equipped with wearable head impact sensors that registered peak linear acceleration (PLA) and peak rotational acceleration (PRA) of on-field head impact events. Actual headers were confirmed and further allocated to the following categories using video analyses: Scenario, Distance, Player Movement, Ball Reflection, Impact Location, Duel, Jump. Linear mixed models were used to assess the relationships between these factors and PLA as well as PRA. * Results: Average PLA and PRA of the head due to heading was 29.6 (±18.1) g and 6195.6 (±4448.1) rad/s², respectively. Analyses revealed a statistically significant influence of three factors on both PLA (R2=0.34) and PRA (R2=0.37). Next to subject-related factors (p<0.001; proportional variance: 12.6% [PLA] and 19.0% [PRA]), especially longer in-air distances of the ball prior to heading (p<0.001; proportional variance: 24.6% [PLA] and 19.2% [PRA]) as well as a greater extent of ball reflection due to a header (p<0.001; proportional variance: 9.2% [PLA] and 6.9% [PRA]) were significantly associated with increases in head impact kinematics. * Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that the ball's travelling distance and the extent of ball reflection due to a header directly affect the head's kinematic response to purposeful headers in female players. Along with these factors, future studies should focus on the direct assessment of inter-individual differences in heading technique and anthropometric variables to increase the current understanding of the potential risk resulting from RHI due to soccer heading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]