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Traumatic brain injury is a global public health problem associated with chronic neurological complications and long-term disability. Biomarkers that map onto the underlying brain pathology driving these complications are urgently needed to identify individuals at risk for poor recovery and to inform design of clinical trials of neuroprotective therapies. Neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration are two endophenotypes potentially associated with increases in brain extracellular water content, but the nature of extracellular free water abnormalities after neurotrauma and its relationship to measures typically thought to reflect traumatic axonal injury are not well characterized. The objective of this study was to describe the relationship between a neuroimaging biomarker of extracellular free water content and the clinical features of a cohort with primarily complicated mild traumatic brain injury. We analyzed a cohort of 59 adult patients requiring hospitalization for non-penetrating traumatic brain injury of all severities as well as 36 healthy controls. Patients underwent brain MRI at two-weeks (n = 59) and six-months (n = 29) post-injury period, and controls underwent a single MRI. Of the participants with TBI, 50 underwent clinical neuropsychological assessment at two weeks and 28 at six months. For each subject, we derived a summary score representing deviations in whole brain white matter (1) extracellular free water volume fraction (VF) and (2) free water-corrected fractional anisotropy (fw-FA). The summary specific anomaly score (SAS) for VF was significantly higher in TBI patients at two-weeks and six-months post-injury relative to controls. SAS for VF exhibited moderate correlation with neuropsychological functioning, particularly on measures of executive function. These findings indicate abnormalities in whole brain white matter extracellular water fraction in patients with TBI and are an important step toward identifying and validating noninvasive biomarkers that map onto the pathology driving disability after TBI.

Medizinische Klinik, Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin 117(Suppl 2), 37-50 (2022). doi:10.1007/s00063-022-00918-4, Published by Springer, Heidelberg

1. Half of the funding in the EU MERLIN project – almost 10 million € - will be used to realise freshwater restoration measures across Europe. 2. Restoration measures will be implemented at sixteen case studies within the lifetime of MERLIN (2021–2025). 3. This deliverable comprises the implementation plans of all MERLIN case studies, describing the hands-on restoration activities that are to be implemented in MERLIN. 4. The implementation plans support the case study leads in their planning and implementation process, by detailing their goals, listing necessary work steps, planning budget and time, distributing tasks and considering optimisation potential. 5. Being aware of anticipated or potential risks is crucial in the implementation process. Strategies for mitigating these risks are developed to avoid delays or hinderances in restoration implementation. 6. Implementation planning is carried out on the basis of accomplished tasks, including: SWOT analysis, optimisation planning, self-assessment of the IUCN criteria for nature-based solutions, stakeholder screening, and monitoring of indicators for the European Green Deal goals. 7. The implementation planning process thus offers a basis for the participatory and transparent implementation of freshwater restoration measures.

The relationship between systemic inflammation and secondary injury in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is complex. We investigated associations between inflammatory markers and clinical confirmation of TBI diagnosis and prognosis. The prospective TRACK-TBI Pilot (Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in Traumatic Brain Injury Pilot) study enrolled TBI patients triaged to head computed tomography (CT) and received blood draw within 24 h of injury. Healthy controls (HCs) and orthopedic controls (OCs) were included. Thirty-one inflammatory markers were analyzed from plasma. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate discriminatory ability. AUC >0.7 was considered acceptable. Criteria included: TBI diagnosis (vs. OC/HC); moderate/severe vs. mild TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale; GCS); radiographic TBI (CT positive vs. CT negative); 3- and 6-month Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOSE) dichotomized to death/greater relative disability versus less relative disability (GOSE 1-4/5-8); and incomplete versus full recovery (GOSE

1. A SWOT analysis of the IUCN criteria for naturebased solutions to support European Green Deal goals yielded a broad spectrum of information on the MERLIN freshwater restoration case studies. 2. This information provides the necessary ingredients to draft an optimisation strategy for the MERLIN case studies on themes including multiple goals, society, restoration techniques, economy, policy and regulations. 3. This information offers a basis for peer-to-peer learning between the case studies and those in other regions. 4. The optimisation strategies provide new insights and broaden perspectives on restoration actions in individual case studies. 5. Identifying the potential for multiple Green Deal goal achievements will initiate broader dialogues with stakeholders and provide new incentives for restoration with multiple benefits for local people. 6. Capacity building on financial arrangements will create new opportunities for restoration actions. 7. Clear and agile policy arrangements are needed to enhance stakeholder participation in restoration actions. 8. The visioning, planning and evaluation of restoration actions are long-term activities that benefit from adaptive approaches and sound longterm monitoring programs on multiple aspects of biophysical and socio-ecological systems.

Premutation alleles with 55-200 CGG repeats in FMR1 can lead to fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). In this case study, we report uncontrolled gout in a 68-year-old male with FXTAS with multiple sites of involvement including a rare gouty tophus in the nasal region.

Master Thesis studying the cortical activation during perception and mental imagery of artworks and faces with varying degrees of beauty by the means of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

Background and objectivesThe objectives of this study were to develop and establish concurrent validity of a clinically relevant definition of poor cognitive outcome 1 year after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), to compare baseline characteristics across cognitive outcome groups, and to determine whether poor 1-year cognitive outcome can be predicted by routinely available baseline clinical variables.MethodsProspective cohort study included 656 participants ≥17 years of age presenting to level 1 trauma centers within 24 hours of mTBI (Glasgow Coma Scale score 13-15) and 156 demographically similar healthy controls enrolled in the Transforming Research and Clinical Knowledge in TBI (TRACK-TBI) study. Poor 1-year cognitive outcome was defined as cognitive impairment (below the ninth percentile of normative data on ≥2 cognitive tests), cognitive decline (change score [1-year score minus best 2-week or 6-month score] exceeding the 90% reliable change index on ≥2 cognitive tests), or both. Associations of poor 1-year cognitive outcome with 1-year neurobehavioral outcomes were performed to establish concurrent validity. Baseline characteristics were compared across cognitive outcome groups, and backward elimination logistic regression was used to build a prediction model.ResultsMean age of participants with mTBI was 40.2 years; 36.6% were female; 76.6% were White. Poor 1-year cognitive outcome was associated with worse 1-year functional outcome, more neurobehavioral symptoms, greater psychological distress, and lower satisfaction with life (all p < 0.05), establishing concurrent validity. At 1 year, 13.5% of participants with mTBI had a poor cognitive outcome vs 4.5% of controls (p = 0.003). In univariable analyses, poor 1-year cognitive outcome was associated with non-White race, lower education, lower income, lack of health insurance, hyperglycemia, preinjury depression, and greater injury severity (all p < 0.05). The final multivariable prediction model included education, health insurance, preinjury depression, hyperglycemia, and Rotterdam CT score ≥3 and achieved an area under the curve of 0.69 (95% CI 0.62-0.75) for the prediction of a poor 1-year cognitive outcome, with each variable associated with >2-fold increased odds of poor 1-year cognitive outcome.DiscussionPoor 1-year cognitive outcome is common, affecting 13.5% of patients with mTBI vs 4.5% of controls. These results highlight the need for better understanding of mechanisms underlying poor cognitive outcome after mTBI to inform interventions to optimize cognitive recovery.

Background Non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI) is a life-threatening condition occurring in patients with shock and is characterized by vasoconstriction of the mesenteric arteries leading to intestinal ischemia and multi-organ failure. Although minimal invasive local intra-arterial infusion of vasodilators into the mesenteric circulation has been suggested as a therapeutic option in NOMI, current knowledge is based on retrospective case series and it remains unclear which patients might benefit. Here, we prospectively analyzed predictors of response to intra-arterial therapy in patients with NOMI. Methods This is a prospective single-center observational study to analyze improvement of ischemia (indicated by reduction of blood lactate > 2 mmol/l from baseline after 24 h, primary endpoint) and 28-day mortality (key secondary endpoint) in patients with NOMI undergoing intra-arterial vasodilatory therapy. Predictors of response to therapy concerning primary and key secondary endpoint were identified using a) clinical parameters as well as b) data from 2D-perfusion angiography and c) experimental biomarkers of intestinal injury. Results A total of 42 patients were included into this study. At inclusion patients had severe shock, indicated by high doses of norepinephrine (NE) (median (interquartile range (IQR)) 0.37 (0.21–0.60) μg/kg/min), elevated lactate concentrations (9.2 (5.2–13) mmol/l) and multi-organ failure. Patients showed a continuous reduction of lactate following intra-arterial prostaglandin infusion (baseline: (9.2 (5.2–13) mmol/l vs. 24 h: 4.4 (2.5–9.1) mmol/l, p 2 mmol/l at 24 h following intervention. Initial higher lactate concentrations and lower NE doses at baseline were independent predictors of an improvement of ischemia. 28-day mortality was 59% in patients with a reduction of lactate > 2 mmol/l 24 h after inclusion, while it was 85% in all other patients (hazard ratio 0.409; 95% CI, 0.14–0.631, p = 0.005). Conclusions A reduction of lactate concentrations was observed following implementation of intra-arterial therapy, and lactate reduction was associated with better survival. Our findings concerning outcome predictors in NOMI patients undergoing intra-arterial prostaglandin therapy might help designing a randomized controlled trial to further investigate this therapeutic approach. Trial registration Retrospectively registered on January 22, 2020, at clinicaltrials.gov (REPERFUSE, NCT04235634), https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04235634?cond=NOMI&draw=2&rank=1.

Additional file 3: Figure 3. Biomarkers of intestinal ischemia. Violine plots showing analysis of L-FABP (A), i-FABP (B) and SM22 (C) in NOMI patients (n = 22) at inclusion compared to healthy controls (Ctrl) (n = 20). Median L-FABP concentrations were more than 10 times higher in NOMI patients compared to healthy controls (197 (179–206) ng/ml vs. 16 (10–18) ng/ml, p

Additional file 2: Figure 2. Angiographic parameters. Violine plots showing analysis of semi-quantitative NOMI score (A), peak density (PD-PV) (B) and time to peak (TTP-PV) (C) in the portal vein as well as area under the curve contrast intensity in the aorta (AU-Aorta) (E) in a subset (n = 40 for NOMI score, n = 30 for 2D-perfusion angiography-related parameters) of NOMI patients before (pre) and directly after (post) initial administration of intra-arterial prostaglandin bolus. Median (IQR) NOMI score decreased following initial prostaglandin administration (pre: 5 (4–7) points vs after: 2 (1–3) points, p

Additional file 4: Table 1. Demographic, clinical, angiographic and biochemical characteristics for non-surviving (n = 30) and surviving (n = 12) patients. 28-day mortality was the key secondary outcome. Values are presented as median (25% to 75% interquartile range) or if categorical as numbers and percentages. Peak density (PD), time to peak (TTP) and area under the curve (AUC) are in relation to the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) as reference.

BackgroundFragile X-associated tremor and ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder linked to the FMR1 premutation.ObjectivesFXTAS in women is far less common than in men, and this study represents the largest sample reported to date.MethodsA total of 53 female premutation carriers with FXTAS (meanage, 66.83 years; FXTAS stages 2-5) and 55 age-matched and demographic background-matched control participants (meanage, 61.94 years) underwent a comprehensive molecular, physiological, neuropsychological, and psychiatric assessment.ResultsThe large sample of female premutation carriers showed a wide range of variability of clinical signs and symptom progression. The imaging results showed a middle cerebellar peduncles sign in only 6 patients; another symptom included high-signal intensity in the splenium of the corpus callosum, and diffuse cerebral deep white matter changes (e.g., in the pons) are more common. The rate of psychiatric disorders, especially depression, is higher than in the general population. There is a clear impairment in executive functioning and fine motor skills in connection with a higher FXTAS stage.ConclusionsThe manifestation of FXTAS symptoms in female carriers can be diverse with a milder phenotype and a lower penetrance than those observed in male premutation carriers. The middle cerebellar peduncles sign is present in only a small percentage of the sample, and we propose that the imaging criteria for FXTAS in women need to be expanded.

Given significant genetic, molecular, and phenotypic overlaps, researchers have begun to investigate whether targeted treatments for Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) could also be beneficial for patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For example, low-dose sertraline, an SSRI, was used in two recent controlled trials in children with FXS and ASD. The first trial recruited 52 children with FXS, 32 of which were also diagnosed with ASD; the second trial recruited 58 children with non-syndromic ASD. One focus of the present study is to compare the response to sertraline between the FXS-associated ASD and non-syndromic ASD groups. Another focus is to compare baseline ASD-related characteristics between the groups and review these differences within the context of recent literature comparing these populations. Our comparison showed more severe ASD profiles in children with non-syndromic ASD vs. FXS-associated ASD. Regarding response to sertraline, the FXS-ASD group displayed significant improvements in language development, while the non-syndromic group did not show any significant improvements. One possible explanation for this differential response is the distinct anxiety profiles that are seen in these two groups. The heightened anxiety phenotype seen in those with FXS-ASD may have led to a greater relief of anxiety symptoms with sertraline compared to those with non-syndromic ASD; this, in turn, could have led to measurably greater developmental gains. Further research is required to solidify this connection between anxiety relief and developmental gains in these populations.

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a neurodegenerative disorder that usually begins in the early 60s and affects carriers of premutation expansion (55-200 CGG repeats) of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. Additional disorders can co-occur with FXTAS including Alzheimer's disease (AD). Here we discuss a case report of a male with 67 CGG repeats in FMR1 who had mild late-onset FXTAS symptoms followed by neurocognitive disorder symptoms consistent with AD. The patient has developed tremor and ataxia that are the two characteristic symptoms of FXTAS. In addition, he shows rapid cognitive decline, brain atrophy most substantial in the medial temporal lobe, and decreased metabolism in the brain regions that are the characteristic findings of AD. The purpose of this study is to describe a patient profile with both diseases and review the details of an overlap between these two diseases.

Supplemental_material for A Retrospective Analysis of Nonocclusive Mesenteric Ischemia in Medical and Surgical ICU Patients: Clinical Data on Demography, Clinical Signs, and Survival by Klaus Stahl, Markus Busch, Sabine K. Maschke, Andrea Schneider, Michael P. Manns, Jan Fuge, Olaf Wiesner, Bernhard C. Meyer, Marius M. Hoeper, Jan B. Hinrichs, and Sascha David in Journal of Intensive Care Medicine

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) affects individuals with 55-200 CGG repeats (premutation) in the 5'-untranslated region of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. FXTAS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with an action tremor, cerebellar ataxia memory and executive function deficits, autonomic dysfunction and neuropathy. Females with the fragile X premutation are often affected by fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI), and may have other medical conditions such as fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, and immune-mediated disorders like hypothyroidism. Here we present a case of a 54-year-old woman with tremor, ataxia, average memory skills, and executive function deficits who meets criteria for FXTAS. She also has anxiety, Major Depressive Disorder, fibromyalgia, chronic pain and was treated chronically with opioids and she overdosed on fentanyl leading to significant CNS dysfunction.

Mitochondrial dysfunction (MD) has been identified in lymphocytes, fibroblasts and brain samples from adults carrying a 55-200 CGG expansion in the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene (premutation; PM); however, limited data are available on the bioenergetics of pediatric carriers. Here we discuss a case report of three PM carriers: two monozygotic twins (aged 8 years) harboring an FMR1 allele with 150-180 CGG repeats, with no cognitive or intellectual issues but diagnosed with depression, mood instability and ADHD, and their mother (asymptomatic carrier with 78 CGG repeats). Fibroblasts and lymphocytes from the twins presented a generalized OXPHOS deficit, altered mitochondrial network, accumulation of depolarized mitochondria, and increased mitochondrial ROS production, outcomes distinct and more severe than the mother's ones, suggesting the involvement of modulatory effects mediated by CGG expansion, X-activation ratio, sex hormones and epigenetic factors (chronic inflammation, consequence of Lyme disease). The degree of the severity of MD appeared to segregate with the morbidity of the phenotype. The mitochondrial ROS-mediated HIF-1α stabilization was identified as a key player at contributing to the MD, pointing it as a novel target for future therapeutical intervention.

The increasing use of intellectual property as a means to shift profits to low-tax jurisdictions or jurisdictions with so-called `patent boxes' is a major challenge for the corporate tax base of medium- and high-tax countries. Extending a standard tax competition model for capital-enhancing technology, royalty payments, and profit shifting, this paper suggests a simple fix: It is always optimal to set a withholding tax on (intra-firm) royalty payments equal to the corporate tax rate and deny any deductibility of royalties. As the tax applies to the full payment, the problem of identifying the arm's-length component in a digital economy (OECD BEPS Action 1) does not apply. Most importantly, the denial of royalty deductions is the Pareto-efficient solution under coordination and the unilaterally optimal policy under competition for mobile capital. In the latter case, a weakened thin capitalization rule is a crucial part of the policy package in order to avoid negative investment effects. Our results question the ban of royalty taxes in double tax treaties and the EU Interest and Royalty Directive.

Several studies have demonstrated increased rates of anxiety and depressive disorders among female carriers of the fragile X premutation. However, the majority of these studies focused on mothers of children with fragile X syndrome, who experience higher rates of parenting stress that may contribute to the emergence of these disorders. The present study compared psychiatric symptom presentation (utilizing measures of current symptoms and lifetime DSM-IV Axis I disorders) in 24 female carriers without affected children (mean age = 32.1 years) to 26 non-carrier women from the community (mean age = 30.5 years). We also examined the association between CGG repeat size (adjusted for X activation ratio) and mRNA, with severity of psychiatric symptoms. Women with the premutation reported significantly elevated symptoms of anxiety, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive-compulsiveness, and somatization relative to controls during the past week. Carriers had significantly higher rates of lifetime social phobia (42.3%) compared to controls (12.5%); however, this comparison did not remain significant after multiple comparison adjustment. Rates of other psychiatric disorders were not significantly elevated relative to controls, though it should be noted that lifetime rates among controls were much higher than previously published population estimates. Although the sample is relatively small, the study of this unique cohort suggests the premutation confers risk for mood and anxiety disorders independent of the stress of parenting children with FXS. Screening for psychiatric disorders in women with the premutation, even before they become parents, is important and highly encouraged. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The PYRN General Assembly is hold every two years as part of a regional or international permafrost conference. It is the bi-annual meeting of all young permafrost researchers registered in the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN), which is an initiative of the International Permafrost Association (IPA). The Executive Committee is an international mix of permafrost young researchers with different research backgrounds. They came together at the European Conference on Permafrost 2014 in Évora, Portugal, and have been organizing the network since then. During the assembly the current PYRN Executive Committee presents its main achievements and major milestones during the last two year of governing (2014-2016) and gives insights into the structure of PYRN and how it operates. Furthermore the new PYRN Executive Committee (2016-2018) is introduced, that starts governing the network from the end of the 11th International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP2016) until the 2018 Regional Conference on Permafrost in Chamonix, France.

Freshwater ostracods (Crustacea, Ostracoda) are of interest in modern biological studies, while fossil records of ostracod valves enable us to reconstruct past lacustrine environments. The about 1mm long crustaceans carry a calcite carapace that is biomineralized from dissolved components in the ambient water, and completely envelopes their body. Ostracods inhabit almost all aquatic environments, even shallow freshwater ponds in the vast circumartic permafrost areas. In high-latitude areas, ostracod species diversity, their modern ecological demands, and instrumental records of environmental parameters are only scarcely documented. Such reference information is the key to quantitatively reconstruct past environments from fossil ostracod assemblages. This gap in ostracod data limits their use as biological indicators in the Arctic, where the effects of future climate warming are expected to be strongest. The objective of the study presented here was to extend the data set on arctic freshwater ostracods and environmental records by characterizing presentday habitat conditions, abundance and diversity of ostracod assemblages in periglacial freshwaters on Svalbard. The aims of this project were 1. to conduct an inventory of the abundance, diversity and ecological ranges of the freshwater ostracods living in polygon ponds in Adventdalen near Longyearbyen (78°11’11”N, 15°55’20”E), 2. to determine the present-day hydrochemical and sedimentary characteristics of ostracod habitats, and 3. to witness temporal variability in a polygon pond during the Arctic summer season 2013. The study site was located near the University Centre on Svalbard (UNIS)-run monitoring site for thermal contraction cracking in ice-wedge polygons on a river terrace in outer Adventdalen (Christiansen 2005). Permafrost on Svalbard is estimated to be of late Holocene age with temperatures of -5.2 to -5.6 °C in boreholes in the Adventdalen area (Christiansen et al. 2010). Ice-wedge polygons form in cold-climate environments under permafrost conditions and are the most common periglacial patterned ground features in the Arctic (Minke et al. 2007). Since the permafrost table efficiently blocks drainage pathways, surface depressions hold ponding water during summer, and freeze solid in winter. Those shallow periglacial surface freshwaters, called polygon ponds, are hotspots of biological activity in the otherwise hostile tundra. They provide diverse habitats to aquatic communities including freshwater ostracods. For this study, we choose an area with polygon ponds that are known to persist during the summer season. Our sampling scheme of 13 ponds in total comprised collecting freshwater ostracod individuals, pond water and sediment samples. One species, Tonnacypris glacialis (SARS, 1890), was found in only one of the sampled sites, the pond AD-01 (Fig. 1). Continuous water temperature records directly below the water surface in AD-01, and at the sediment surface in about 25cm water depth were collected between July 20 and September 25, 2013. We measured water and thaw depth in the pond centre and the thaw depth of the surrounding polygon rim. The last record at September 25, 2013 completed the observation season with the presence of 2-3cm lake ice. Preliminary results suggest the pond water is welloxygenated and dilute with slightly acidic pH. The hydrochemical fingerprint and sedimentary characteristics of inter- and intrapolygon ponds may allow a differentiation between the two subtypes for the first time, and are subject of ongoing work. Active-layer thickness was around 40-100 cmin polygon rims, we measured about 50-80 cm thaw depth under pond centres. A considerable increase in water surface area extend occurred in the monitored pond after a rain period. The records obtained from this and similar studies in the Siberian Arctic demonstrate that small and shallow periglacial surface waters are sensitive to local permafrost and climate variations. References Christiansen HH. 2005. Thermal regime of icewedge cracking in Adventdalen, Svalbard. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 16: 87-98. Christiansen HH, Etzelmüller B, Isaksen K, Juliussen H, Farbrot H, Humlum O, Johansson M, Ingeman-Nielsen T, Kristensen L, Hjort J, Holmlund P, Sannel ABK, Sigsgaard C, Åkerman HJ, Foged N, Blikra LH, Pernosky MA, Ødegård RS. 2010. The thermal state of permafrost in the Nordic Area during the International Polar Year 2007–2009. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 21: 156–181. Minke M, Donner N, Karpov N, de Klerk P, Joosten H. 2007. Distribution, diversity, development and dynamics of polygon mires: examples from Northeast Yakutia (NE Siberia). Peatlands International 1: 36-40.

An der Universität Bern wurden Befunde zum Mentalen Training systematisch ausgewertet. Basierend auf diesen Ergebnissen wurde zusammen mit dem Lehrverband Genie/Rettung ein spezifisches vorstellungsbezogenes Trainingsprogramm entwickelt. Die damit gemachten Erfahrungen sind durchwegs positiv.

The fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is caused by the premutation in FMR1 gene. Recent reports of environmental toxins appear to worsen the progression of FXTAS. Here we present a case of male adult with FXTAS and a long history of methadone use. The patient shows a faster progression in both symptoms of disease and MRI changes compared to what is typically seen in FXTAS. There has been no research regarding the role of narcotics in onset, progression, and severity of FXTAS symptoms. However, research has shown that narcotics can have a negative impact on several neurodegenerative diseases, and we hypothesize that in this particular case, methadone may have contributed to a faster progression of FXTAS as well as exacerbating white matter disease through RNA toxicity seen in premutation carriers.

The Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN, pyrn.arcticportal.org) is an international network fostering innovative collaboration, seeking to recruit, retain, and promote future generations of permafrost researchers. Established in 2005, in the framework of the 2nd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP II), PYRN is evolving and expanding its network, bringing together young and enthusiastic permafrost scientists from all around the world (Fig. 1) to exchange ideas and knowledge. We strongly benefit from our cooperation with the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) and our overarching organization, the International Permafrost Association (IPA), as well from partnerships with Climate and Cryosphere Project (CliC) and Polar Educators International (PEI). Currently about 1,200 members are involved in PYRN, including young researchers from natural and social science, engineering and humanities. By bringing together these different disciplines, PYRN fosters research on how the arctic, antarctic and mountain permafrost regions play a key role in the Earth’s system. It has long been acknowledged that early career scientists need to be included in future polar activities since they develop, direct, and realize ideas; they frame upcoming projects, and find answers to the rising questions in our scientific frame. In the framework of large organizational activities, like the 4th International Polar Year in 2007-2008 or ICARPIII, we are able to give PYRN members a voice. Over the past years, PYRN hosted workshops during regional and international permafrost conferences. It is increasingly present at such conferences with sessions and social network events. The latest activities have been arranged at the European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP4) in Évora/Portugal. Here, a workshop for around 100 early career permafrost scientists from 20 countries was jointly organized by PYRN, APECS, PAGE21 (Changing Permafrost in the Arctic and its Global Effects in the 21st Century), and ADAPT (Arctic Development and Adaptation to Permafrost in Transition) - kindly sponsored by the IPA, CliC, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), and the Bolin Centre for Climate Research. Besides break-out sessions of interest for young researchers developing their career in polar science, an activity in the form of a “World Café” was conducted to raise cutting edge research questions. Mentored by IASC and the IPA, the major goal of the activity was to elaborate on the future avenues of permafrost research from a young researchers' perspective. The outcome contributes directly to the IASC and IPA strategy through a “Permafrost Priority Sheet” for the ICARP III. During the current election period 2014-2016, PYRN celebrates its 10th year of existence. A number of important events where PYRN actively participate in the form of workshops and presentations will take place, including the EGU, AGU, the Regional Conference on Geography (Moscow), and ICOP 2016 (Potsdam). New goals have been set up for means to develop the PYRN network, e.g. through innovative outreach projects and website amelioration and revival.

We utilized a sample of 299 adult females aged between 19 and 86 years, carrying fragile X mental retardation (FMR1) alleles with small CCG expansions ranging from 50 to 141 repeats to analyse the relationships between psychological symptoms as assessed by the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and the size of the CGG repeat in the FMR1 gene. There were highly significant (negative) correlations between the size of the CGG repeat and a great majority of SCL-90-R subscale scores and all the global indices, suggesting that carriers of premutations in the mid-size CGG repeat range may be at greatest risk for the development of psychiatric disorder.

The Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) is an international organization hosted by the International Permafrost Association (IPA) and technically supported by Arctic Portal. The network provides a platform for innovative collaboration between young permafrost researchers and aspires to recruit, maintain and promote future generations of permafrost researchers. PYRN strives to apply its multi-disciplinary talents toward global awareness, knowledge and response to permafrost-related challenges in a changing global climate. Officially founded at the 2nd International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP II) in 2005, it will already celebrate its 10th birthday in the coming year. PYRN became increasingly popular after the International Polar Year that highlighted the importance of including young generations in polar research activities. Since then PYRN expanded constantly with more than 1000 permafrost young researchers from permafrost and non-permafrost countries today. PYRN built partnerships with large organizations such as the Climate and Cryosphere Project (CliC) and the International Permafrost Association (IPA). Under a joint Memorandum of Understanding, PYRN works closely together with the IPA and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) on a bi-polar and interdisciplinary perspective for a better understanding of cryospheric processes for society. PYRN is guided by an Executive Committee, consisting of 12 young researchers, but operates through its members that self-organize themselves. In the last years PYRN organized several workshops during regional and international conferences related to polar research and was active in education and outreach activities in schools and universities. To keep it members and partners updated the network regularly publishes a newsletter. The latest activities have been arranged at the European Conference on Permafrost (EUCOP4) in Portugal, to maintain an active, dynamic and growing early career scientific network on permafrost. Organized together with APECS, PAGE21, and ADAPT, this workshop was kindly sponsored by the IPA, CliC, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC) and the Bolin Centre for Climate Research. The workshop included around 100 early career permafrost scientists from 20 countries that gathered interdisciplinary knowledge about permafrost and its key role in the Earth System in thematic break-out sessions and workshops. In coordination with the ICARP III activities, a major goal of the workshop was to frame the future avenues of permafrost research from a young researcher’s perspective, contributing directly to IASC and the IPA strategy with Permafrost Priority Sheets for ICARP III. For the 11th International Conference on Permafrost 2016 (ICOP 2016) in Potsdam (Germany), PYRN has been involved in the conference planning from the very beginning to effectively integrate PYRN members in the process of organization as well as young researchers activities in the overall conference program (e.g. session co-chairs, workshop, PYRN awards, social program). On its way to Potsdam, you can approach PYRN on many upcoming conferences with permafrost-related topics. It will collect and trying to integrate ideas for a successful young researcher program during ICOP 2016 and is looking forward to discussions with its worldwide members. The Arctic Change conference 2014 in Canada will be the first stage on the road to ICOP 2016 in Germany.

BackgroundFragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), a neurodegenerative disorder caused by FMR1 gene premutations, typically associated with frontal-subcortical type cognitive impairments. High prevalence (~50%) of superimposed Alzheimer׳s pathology has been reported in FMR1 premutation carriers, and standardized neuropsychological tests have not yielded any robust discriminators between FXTAS and Alzheimer׳s disease (AD) dementia. The similarities/differences in memory processes between FXTAS and early AD remain underexplored.Methods32-channel event-related potentials (ERPs) were obtained from a semantic judgment task in which semantically congruous (50%) and incongruous pairs repeat pseudorandomly. The N400 and late positive component (LPC) of 25 FXTAS patients (M(age)=71.2, MMSE=26.6) were compared to a matched group of 25 patients with MCI or early AD (1 mild AD dementia, 24 amnestic MCI, of whom 18 later converted to AD; M(age)=73.4, MMSE=26.4), and 25 healthy elderly.ResultsBoth patient groups showed similar reductions in the N400 repetition effect and N400 congruity effect amplitudes, compared to controls, reflecting abnormal semantic priming and repetition priming. The MCI/AD group, however, had significantly smaller LPC word repetition effects and poorer learning and memory on the CVLT than FXTAS. The LPC and N400 repetition effects both correlated with verbal memory across all subjects, but only N400 correlated with memory in FXTAS.ConclusionFXTAS patients show relative sparing of the LPC repetition effect, and less disruption of explicit memory than prodromal/early AD. N400 abnormalities in FXTAS appear to account for much of their mild impairments in verbal learning and memory.

Ice-wedge polygons often accommodate small and shallow periglacial surface waters. They provide suitable habitats for freshwater ostracods (Crustacea, Ostracoda) in Arctic Siberian tundra landscapes, and are well known from Pleistocene and Holocene permafrost successions. Freshwater ostracods are sensitive to environmental conditions, and have been widely used as biological indicators for past and present environmental changes in temperate regions. In Arctic environments, habitat conditions of ice-wedge polygon ponds are barely constrained, and the abundance and diversity of ostracods is currently documented in scattered records with incomplete ecological characterizations. In order to further develop the ostracods potential as biological indicators from ice-wedge polygon tundra landscapes, the taxonomic and ecological range of ostracod assemblages and habitat conditions in polygon ponds in the Indigirka Lowland (north-east Siberia, Russia) were determined. Furthermore, we focused the seasonal variability of a selected pond site, its ostracod population, and the geochemical properties of ostracod valve calcite. Well-oxygenated and dilute ponds with slightly acidic pH hosted an abundant and diverse ostracod fauna. A total of 4849 identified ostracods from 8 species and 3 taxa represent the first record of the ostracod fauna in the Indigirka Lowland. Fabaeformiscandona krochini and Fabaeformiscandona groenlandica were documented for the first time in continental Siberia. Fabaeformiscandona sp. I and Fabaeformiscandona sp. II were newly found taxa holding a strong indicative potential for hydrochemical parameters. Repeated sampling of a typical low-center polygon pond revealed detailed insights in the population dynamics of Fabaeformiscandona pedata. Substrate properties, physical and hydrochemical conditions in the polygon ponds offered the ostracods largely homogeneous habitats. However, river flooding and differences in pond morphology resulted in variations in substrate, vegetation, hydrochemical and stable water isotope composition. Air temperature and precipitation were identified as the main external drivers of water temperatures, water levels, ion concentrations, and stable water isotope composition in polygon ponds on diurnal and seasonal scales. Freshwater ostracods inhabiting polygon ponds have the potential to store environmental information on a seasonal scale in their population structure and valve geochemistry. In particular, ostracod valve calcite recorded seasonal variations in stable oxygen isotopes of the ambient waters. This information needs to be interpreted carefully with regard to species-specific ecology, the pond´s water supply, and meteorological conditions. A better understanding of seasonal dynamics of ice-wedge polygons and their freshwater ostracod assemblages supports the paleoenvironmental interpretation of fossil records in response to climate change, and allows detecting changes in modern Arctic environments.

The testate amoebae (Protozoa: Testacealobosea and Testaceafilosea) are a group of free-living protozoans. In 2011, in course of the POLYGON project we investigated the population of testate amoebae in across six polygons in transects from the polygon rim towards the center. At each point, samples were taken from different soil horizons of the active layer. Furthermore, we studied testate amoebae communities in sediments of polygon ponds. In total, 126 samples were analyzed. The study aims at the analysis of environmental and spatial distribution patterns of testate amoebae in a polygonal tundra landscape. The study area was located in the floodplain and the adjacent thermokarst-affected lowland along the Berelekh River, a tributary of the Indigirka River, 28 km northwest of the settlement of Chokurdakh near the Kytalyk WWF (World Wildlife Fund) station (70° 83' 12.1'' N; 147° 48' 29.9'' E). The testate amoebae records obtained consist of 150 taxa at the species and intraspecific levels related to 25 genera. The number of taxa per sample varies from individual finds the permafrost table to 20 or more species and subspecies in the surface horizons. The following conclusions can be drawn: (1) Environmental parameters that affect testate amoeba communities in arctic polygon tundra vary within the studied polygon from the rim toward the center and/or with depth; (2) the most important controls on testacean species distribution are the moisture regime, which varied according to position within the studied polygon, and pH; (3) the number of species increases from the polygon rim toward the center where warmer and wetter conditions prevail in a seasonally deeper thawed active layer; (4) along the rim-to-center gradient soil-eurybiontics and xerophiles are replaced by sphagnophiles in surface samples, and soil-eurybiontic species are replaced by hygro-hydrophiles in lower Oi and Oe soil horizons; (5) using the ecological indication of testacean taxa, increasing soil moisture can be only observed for the Oi and Oe horizons; and (6) lowermost (and coldest) Bg horizons directly above the permafrost table lack testaceans. In comparison to the modern testate amoebae record described above, 212 taxa have been found in late Pleistocene and Holocene sediments of polygon origin at various sites of NE Siberia. Differences in the paleoclimatic setting and corresponding soil conditions are reflected by species diversity and ecological indication of testate amoebae taxa. At least temperature variations during the Quaternary past can be distinguished by the composition of fossil testate amoebae communities. The study was conducted under the auspices of the joint Russian–German project 'Polygons in tundra wetlands: State and dynamics under climate variability in polar regions' (RFBR grant no. 11-04-91332-NNIO-a, grant no. HE 3622-16-1). Financial support came also from the RFBR Project no. 11-04-01171-a 'Geography and ecology of soil-inhabiting testate amoebae'.

Environmental parameters of polygonal patterned ground were monitored near the Kytalyk Station (Indigirka-Lowland, 2011-2012) as well as near the fishing village Pokhodsk (Kolyma Delta, 2012-2013) in north-east Siberia. Both sites, located in a thermokarst depression (alas) and on a flood plain of a small river branch, respectively, are typical low-center polygons of about 20 m in diameter, enclosed by polygon walls and frost cracks. Sensors recorded ground temperature up to one meter depth and soil moisture conditions in the active layer down to the permafrost table. The air temperature was measured at 2 m height on the polygon rim. In polygon ponds, electrical conductivity, water level and water temperature were logged during field seasons from mid-July to the end of August. All data loggers measured every 30 minutes to record diurnal cycles. At both sites ground and air temperature records were collected for a complete year. Furthermore, soil moisture was recorded for a year at the Pokhodsk site, where the monitoring continues until 2015. The recorded air and water temperatures co-vary and show similar daily pattern during the monitored summer period, with a general cooling trend towards the end of the season. Both air and water temperatures seem to be related to water level changes and variations in electrical conductivity. Furthermore, a ground temperature differentiation in the active layer is present. Main peaks and dips follow air temperature patterns, even in the lowermost and coldest horizon of the active layer. Compared to the record from the enclosing polygon rim the temperature differentiation in the polygonal depression is more distinct in the lower horizon and shows a wider temperature range. Soil moisture sensors show mostly constant over time moisture contents in the active layer. Surface soil horizons were driest, interrupted by some short term events, which point to abruptly increasing surface moisture (rainfall) that were also registered as a weaker increase in moisture in the deeper sections. The lowest sensor, which was located close to the permafrost table, did not measure the highest soil water content. This was recorded by the second lowest sensor three centimeters higher and coincides with field observations. The records obtained from two sites in north-east Siberia demonstrate that environmental parameters of polygonal patterned ground are closely linked to local weather variations and climate conditions.

This paper considers optimal linear tax structures that are differentiated according to group membership. Groups can be heterogeneous with respect to both preferences and abilities. Contrary to most arguments in favour of tax privileges for certain groups, e.g. gender-based taxation, it is shown that consideration of the first moment of the relevant distributions (the average labour supply elasticity of the groups) is insufficient. We discuss the factors on which efficient differentiation would depend.

The Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) is an international organization fostering innovative collaboration, seeking to recruit, retain and promote future generations of permafrost researchers. PYRN was founded in November 2005 at the International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARP II) and is steadily growing, reaching around 1500 early career permafrost researchers and engineers, many of them from non-permafrost countries. It builds partnerships with large organizations such as the International Permafrost Association (IPA) and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS). The IPY 2007/2008 has emphasized the importance of including the young generation of polar researchers in its activities. PYRN and APECS are a direct legacy of the IPY. Under a joint Memorandum of Understanding, PYRN together with the IPA and APECS work closely together on a bi-polar perspective bringing together natural and social scientist, engineers and humanities for a better understanding of cryospheric processes for society and the elaborate representation of these processes in climate models. PYRN is guided by an Executive Committee but run through its members that organize themselves in an international Council, national communities, thematic groups and several groups of interest. Over the past years, PYRN hosted workshops during the regional and international permafrost conferences. It is increasingly present with sessions and social network events on large conferences like the European and American Geophysical Union (EGU, AGU). During the EUCOP4, PYRN will host a workshop to maintain an active, dynamic and growing early career scientific network on permafrost. Organized together with APECS, PAGE21, and ADAPT, this workshop is kindly sponsored by the IPA, the Climate and Cryosphere (CliC) project and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC). One major workshop focus is to elaborate the future avenues of permafrost research from a young researchers' perspective. One of the key outcomes will be a young researcher contribution to the IPA strategy for ICARP III issued as a “Permafrost Priority Sheet” summarizing the discussions from the forum. This document is envisioned to contribute to an assessment of research priorities from an early career researcher perspective. It will feed into the final ICARP III meeting in Japan 2015, together with contributions from other initiatives. The 11. International Conference on Permafrost in 2016 (Potsdam, Germany) will provide a forum for many young researchers getting involved in a plethora of activities. PYRN has been involved in the conference planning from the very beginning to effectively integrate PYRN members in the process of ICOP2016 organization as well as young researchers activities in the overall conference program (e.g. workshop, PYRN awards, social program). The conference logo has been found through an international competition organized by PYRN and will be presented in Evora.

ObjectiveTo investigate the nature of cognitive impairments and underlying brain mechanisms in older female fragile X premutation carriers with and without fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS).MethodsExtensive neuropsychological testing and cognitive event-related brain potentials (ERPs; particularly, the auditory P300) were examined in 84 female participants: 33 fragile X premutation carriers with FXTAS (mean age = 62.8 years), 25 premutation carriers without FXTAS (mean age = 55.4 years), and 26 normal healthy controls (mean age = 59.3 years).ResultsBoth premutation groups exhibited executive dysfunction on the Behavioral Dyscontrol Scale, with subtle impairments in inhibition and performance monitoring in female carriers without FXTAS, and more substantial deficits in FXTAS women. However, the female carrier group without FXTAS showed more pronounced deficiencies in working memory. Abnormal ERPs were recorded over the frontal lobes, where FXTAS patients showed both P300 amplitude reduction and latency prolongation, whereas only decreased frontal P300 amplitudes were found in carriers without FXTAS. These frontal P300 measures correlated with executive function and information processing speed.InterpretationThe neuropsychological testing and ERP results of the present study provide support for the hypothesis that executive dysfunction is the primary cognitive impairment among older female premutation carriers both with and without FXTAS, although these deficits are relatively mild compared to those in FXTAS males. These findings are consistent with a synergistic effect of the premutation and aging on cognitive impairment among older female fragile X premutation carriers, even in those without FXTAS symptoms.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability due to an expansion in the full mutation range (>200 CGG repeats) of the promoter region of the FMR1 gene leading to gene silencing. Lack of FMRP, a critical protein for dendritic spine formation and maturation, will cause FXS. Early environmental enrichment combined with pharmacological intervention has been proven to rescue dendritic spine abnormalities in the animal model of FXS. Here we report on 2 young children with FXS who were treated early with a combination of targeted treatment and intensive educational interventions leading to improvement in their cognition and behavior and a normal IQ.

Based on the premise that fairness is different from equity and that it is primarily used in in-formal contexts we present an economic approach to fairness. Discussing the results of behav-ioral economics reveals the experience that people do not accept a monetary offer even if that collides with the rationale that more money means higher utility. The economic aspects of fairness are discussed in two ways: first, Varian´s idea of envy-free allocations in a general-equilibrium context are exposed briefly, and second, we concentrate on the implications of fairness defined via producer and consumer rents. This in-depth exposition focuses on private as well as public goods and concludes with a comparative analysis of fairness in the private and public spheres.

From 2004 to 2006, in a model project carried out by four German health insurers, expectant mothers were offered self-testing of vaginal pH in order to prevent preterm delivery. They were given pH test gloves on request so that they could measure their vaginal pH twice a week from the 12(th) to the 32(nd) week of gestation. They were instructed to consult with a gynecologist after any positive result. All further diagnostic or therapeutic decisions were at the discretion of the treating gynecologist. We assessed the effectiveness of the screening intervention, using delivery before the 37th week of gestation as the primary endpoint.In this prospective, controlled trial, we collected data on deliveries from 2004 to 2006 that were covered by the four participating insurers in five German federal states. We compared the outcomes of pregnancy in women who did and did not request test gloves (intervention group, [IG], and control group, [CG]). The data were derived from claims data of the participating insurers, as well as from a nationwide quality assurance auditing program for obstetrics and perinatal care. Propensity score matching and multivariate adjustment were used to control for the expected self-selection bias.The study sample comprised 149 082 deliveries. 13% of the expectant mothers requested test gloves, about half of them up to the 16(th) week of gestation. As expected, women with an elevated risk of preterm birth requested test gloves more often. Delivery before the 37(th) week of gestation was slightly more common in the intervention group than in the control group (IG 7.97%, CG 7.52%, relative risk 1.06, 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.12). This result was of borderline statistical significance in the propensity score matched analysis, but it was not statistically significant in the multivariate model.This trial did not demonstrate the efficacy of self-testing of vaginal pH for the prevention of preterm delivery (37 weeks of gestation).

Post-docs signal their ability to do science and teaching to get a tenure giving universities the possibility of separating highly talented agents from the low talented ones. However separating that means signalling effort for the highly talented becomes even more important in a two-dimensional signalling case. This attracts notice to time constraints. Under weak conditions separating equilibria do not exist if time constraints are binding. The existing equilibria are more costly but without additional information compared to the one-dimensional case. Considering this, the efficiency of the current two-dimensional academic job market signalling can be improved by switching to a one-dimensional one.

The political blessings of federalism are the core of our discussion. These benefits are operationalized as the decrease in the number of outvoted in a federal system with majority voting as an important source of regime satisfaction. The approach originates from the work of Roland Pennock who developed a similar methodology exactly 50 years ago although he applied it to a slightly different topic. First, we show that decentralized decision-making is advantageous in the majority of logical cases since the expected value of the number of outvoted is lower compared to centralized decision-making. Comparing different cases, we conclude that the political force of the decentralization-theorem (Oates) is a sole and inverse function of the population size of the nation, implying that there is no structural effect of differing populations within regions. Next, the question is addressed how the gains from federalism react to variations in the number of regions: Measured as the difference of the shares of the sum of the highest number of outvoted to the national population between federalism and centralism, the gains of federalism are a direct function of the number of regions, in a 3-regions-case as well as in a generalized formal model. Therefore, a decrease of the population at the national level and an increase of the number of regions boost the gains of federalism representing a successful path to enhance regime satisfaction. The complementary question what happens to the gains of federalism when increasing the number of alternatives to vote for is more difficult to answer for set-ups with more than 2 alternatives. In our special case with 2 regions and 3 alternatives, the model shows that augmenting the number of alternatives exerts a negative effect on the gains of federalism if we use our first indicator - the share of the sum of the highest number of outvoted. If instead we employ the shares of the average number of outvoted, then there is still a slight increase in the gains of federalism. Using the last indicator, a case-related comparison of both effects shows that an increase in the number of regions has a stronger positive impact on the gains than letting the number of alternatives grow. Employing the other indicator of the share of the sum of the highest number of outvoted, then there is clearly a positive effect of the number of regions. But the effect of the number of alternatives is negative, implying that this last indicator underestimates the gains of federalism to a certain extent. Our integrative model explaining the gains of federalism reconfirms these interdependencies with the share of the sum of the highest numbers of outvoted: The first derivative is positive for more than 2 regions and the same holds for the size of the population at the national level in an unrestricted manner. Differentiating the number of alternatives, however, leads to a casuistic of 4 different domains separating positive and negative effects. Finally, we return to the opening question by analyzing the cumulative frequency distributions of the number of outvoted: Here, even if federalization is preferable as a whole, centralized decision-making is more advantageous for low numbers of outvoted, implying that the domain of decentralized decision-making seems to be connected to higher levels of the outvoted.

This paper compares student evaluation of teaching on the web site MeinProf.de to the standard evaluation procedures at German universities. While MeinProf offers the advantage of a broad, publicly available database, a number of theoretical and econometric problems emerge. Many of these problems are, however, pervasive in the student evaluation of teaching as a whole. We demonstrate that this seriously hampers empirical work on the relationship of teaching and research.

Education decisions determine a great part of future income. This paper argues that if education is financed by parents' current income a lump-sum tax reduces inequality if all parents have strict investment incentives. However, if some parents are indifferent there is a possible decrease in the wage gap via a contrary indirect tax effect which drops the returns of schooling. Under strict incentives social mobility is not affected, but it increases if skilled parents have weak incentives and decreases if unskilled parents are indifferent in their investment decision.

The (socio-)psychological concepts of individual aspiration for con- formity and consistency are integrated into the rational-choice frame- work. By using this integrative approach it is shown that after a shock the aspiration for conformity results in an equilibrium which deviates from the homo oeconomicus' behavior towards the consumption of the peer group, whereas the aspiration for consistency leads to the result that the equilibrium consumption is not reached at once. Combining these eÃÂîects a new consumption path is derived. After a shock the individual consumption converges step-by-step to the new equilibrium consumption.

Additional file 1. Supplemental Methods.

Additional file 1. Supplemental Methods.

As cultural institutions digitize their archives, they become more accessible and versatile. However, there are significant economic and environmental costs to maintaining large databases over time. Synthetic DNA is an emerging technology that can store data at high density, with almost no energy, for thousands of years. Yet, as technical advances bring DNA storage closer to everyday use, little has been done to understand how we will interact with the technology and accept it into society. We developed an integrated prospective design approach to investigate these challenges. This included participative workshops, narrative building and the design of three tangible DNA storage objects. User evaluations showed how summarized information within the object strengthens understanding and appreciation of the technology. We also gathered insights around material and societal perception. This work opens perspectives for the adoption of long-term sustainable preservation for cultural archives, and pushes prospective design methodologies into far-future contexts.