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Roots contribute a large fraction of CO2 efflux from soils, yet the extent to which global change factors affect root‐derived fluxes is poorly understood. We investigated how red maple (Acer rubrum) and red oak (Quercus rubra) root biomass and respiration respond to long‐term (15 years) soil warming, nitrogen addition, or their combination in a temperate forest. We found that ecosystem root respiration was decreased by 40% under both single‐factor treatments (nitrogen addition or warming) but not under their combination (heated × nitrogen). This response was driven by the reduction of mass‐specific root respiration under warming and a reduction in maple root biomass in both single‐factor treatments. Mass‐specific root respiration rates for both species acclimated to soil warming, resulting in a 43% reduction, but were not affected by N addition or the combined heated × N treatment. Notably, the addition of nitrogen to warmed soils alleviated thermal acclimation and returned mass‐specific respiration rates to control levels. Oak roots contributed disproportionately to ecosystem root respiration despite the decrease in respiration rates as their biomass was maintained or enhanced under warming and nitrogen addition. In contrast, maple root respiration rates were consistently higher than oak, and this difference became critical in the heated × nitrogen treatment, where maple root biomass increased, contributing significantly more CO2 relative to single‐factor treatments. Our findings highlight the importance of accounting for the root component of respiration when assessing soil carbon loss in response to global change and demonstrate that combining warming and N addition produces effects that cannot be predicted by studying these factors in isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early diagnosis is mandatory for the medical care of children and adolescents with pediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease (PIBD). International guidelines ('Porto criteria') of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition recommend medical diagnostic procedures in PIBD. Since 2004, German and Austrian pediatric gastroenterologists document diagnostic and treatment data in the patient registry CEDATA-GPGE on a voluntary basis. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze whether the registry CEDATA-GPGE reflects the Porto criteria and to what extent diagnostic measures of PIBD according to the Porto criteria are documented. Methods: Data of CEDATA-GPGE were analyzed for the period January 2014 to December 2018. Variables representing the Porto criteria for initial diagnostic were identified and categorized. The average of the number of measures documented in each category was calculated for the diagnoses CD, UC, and IBD-U. Differences between the diagnoses were tested by Chi-square test. Data on possible differences between data documented in the registry and diagnostic procedures that were actually performed were obtained via a sample survey. Results: There were 547 patients included in the analysis. The median age of patients with incident CD (n = 289) was 13.6 years (IQR: 11.2–15.2), of patients with UC (n = 212) 13.1 years (IQR: 10.4–14.8) and of patients with IBD-U (n = 46) 12.2 years (IQR: 8.6–14.7). The variables identified in the registry fully reflect the recommendations by the Porto criteria. Only the disease activity indices PUCAI and PCDAI were not directly provided by participants but calculated from obtained data. The category 'Case history' were documented for the largest part (78.0%), the category 'Imaging of the small bowel' were documented least frequently (39.1%). In patients with CD, the categories 'Imaging of the small bowel' (χ2 = 20.7, Cramer-V = 0.2, p < 0.001) and 'Puberty stage' (χ2 = 9.8, Cramer-V = 0.1, p < 0.05) were documented more often than in patients with UC and IBD-U. Conclusion: The registry fully reproduces the guideline's recommendations for the initial diagnosis of PIBD. The proportion of documented diagnostic examinations varied within the diagnostic categories and between the diagnoses. Despite technological innovations, time and personnel capacities at participating centers and study center are necessary to ensure reliable data entry and to enable researchers to derive important insights into guideline-based care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Situational Judgement Tests (SJT) are a cost-efficient method for the assessment of personal characteristics (e.g., empathy, professionalism, ethical thinking) in medical school admission. Recently, complex open-ended response format SJTs have become more feasible to conduct. However, research on their applicability to a German context is missing. This pilot study tests the acceptability, reliability, subgroup differences, and validity of an online SJT with open-ended response format developed in Canada (“Casper”).Methods: German medical school applicants and students from Hamburg were invited to take Casper in 2020 and 2021. The test consisted of 12 video- and text-based scenarios, each followed by three open-ended questions. Participants subsequently evaluated their test experience in an online survey. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, other admission criteria (Abitur, TMS, HAM-Nat, HAM-SJT) and study success (OSCE) was available in a central research database (stav). Results: The full sample consisted of 582 participants. Test-takers’ global perception of Casper was positive. Internal consistency was satisfactory in both years (=0.73; 0.82) while interrater agreement was moderate (ICC(1,2)=0.54). Participants who were female (=0.37) or did not have a migration background (=0.40) received higher scores. Casper scores correlated with HAM-SJT (=.18) but not with OSCE communication stations performance. The test was also related to Abitur grades (=-.15), the TMS (=.18), and HAM-Nat logical reasoning scores (=.23). Conclusion: This study provides positive evidence for the acceptability, internal consistency, and convergent validity of Casper. The selection and training of raters as well as the scenario content require further observation and adjustments to a German context to improve interrater reliability and predictive validity.

The control quality of thermostatic valves is influenced by design parameters of the valves as well as by design parameters of the overall system. Both of these influences should also be taken into account by the energetic evaluation of thermostatic control valves. The following article presents a closed analytical approach for calculating the room temperature control loop and the comparison of this model to measurements in a well-known test room. In a second chapter sensitivity analysis are carried out with the numerical model under steady state conditions for relevant parameters. The results of these investigations were compared to current normative specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background- Angiotensin II (ATII), a potent vasoconstrictor, causes hypertension, promotes infiltration of myelomonocytic cells into the vessel wall, and stimulates both vascular and inflammatory cell NADPH oxidases. The predominant source of reactive oxygen species, eg, vascular (endothelial, smooth muscle, adventitial) versus phagocytic NADPH oxidase, and the role of myelomonocytic cells in mediating arterial hypertension have not been defined yet. Methods and Results- Angiotensin II (1 mg · kg(-1) · d(-1) for 7 days) increased the number of both CD11b(+)Gr-1(low)F4/80(+) macrophages and CD11b(+)Gr-1(high)F4/80(-) neutrophils in mouse aorta (verified by flow cytometry). Selective ablation of lysozyme M-positive (LysM(+)) myelomonocytic cells by low-dose diphtheria toxin in mice with inducible expression of the diphtheria toxin receptor (LysM(iDTR) mice) reduced the number of monocytes in the circulation and limited ATII-induced infiltration of these cells into the vascular wall, whereas the number of neutrophils was not reduced. Depletion of LysM(+) cells attenuated ATII-induced blood pressure increase (measured by radiotelemetry) and vascular endothelial and smooth muscle dysfunction (assessed by aortic ring relaxation studies) and reduced vascular superoxide formation (measured by chemiluminescence, cytochrome c assay, and oxidative fluorescence microtopography) and the expression of NADPH oxidase subunits gp91(phox) and p67(phox) (assessed by Western blot and mRNA reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction). Adoptive transfer of wild-type CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) monocytes into depleted LysM(iDTR) mice reestablished ATII-induced vascular dysfunction, oxidative stress, and arterial hypertension, whereas transfer of CD11b(+)Gr-1(+) neutrophils or monocytes from gp91(phox) or ATII receptor type 1 knockout mice did not. Conclusions- Infiltrating monocytes with a proinflammatory phenotype and macrophages rather than neutrophils appear to be essential for ATII-induced vascular dysfunction and arterial hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The correlation between farm characteristics and the occurrence and importance of rodent pests on outdoor pig farms in Denmark was explored in an extensive questionnaire survey. Mice occurred on most farms but were only rarely considered a problem, as opposed to rats, which were controlled on more than half of the farms. A series of trapping studies showed a high small-mammal diversity in and around the pigsties. The presence of rats was positively correlated with farm size, the presence of straw stacks near the pigsties and the use of automatic feeders. Rats were considered a problem more often when open drinking basins were used or when feed was stored near the pigsties. The environment of the farm did not play an important role except to some extent the proximity of hedges. Recommendations for preventative rodent management include avoiding conditions indicated previously, frequent mucking out and movement of huts, keeping feed in rodent-proof containers, avoid spillage of fodder, and general cleanliness. Direct control methods include application of rodenticides with proper consideration for the risk of unintended poisoning of production animals, the use of traps, keeping dogs or cats, and possibly shooting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We describe a novel approach to infrared matrix-assisted laser desorption-ionization mass spectrometry using a tunable, picosecond pulse laser to selectively excite specific modes of a solid, thereby creating a high local density of vibrational quanta. The concept is based on recent results from our experiments employing a free-electron laser to explore ‘matrix-less’ mass spectrometry in which an infrared chromophore intrinsic to the sample, rather than an exogenous matrix, is excited by the laser. Examples from both environmental mass spectrometry and a proteomics-driven research project are presented, showing how the principle of selective vibrational excitation can be used to make possible novel and useful ion generation protocols. We conclude with an analysis of possible mechanisms for the phenomena of infrared desorption, ablation and ionization using very short laser pulses. Prospects for achieving similar results with more conventional laser sources are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

PURPOSE. The high-molecular weight glycosaminoglycanhyaluronate (HA), a component of the extracellular matrix, has been shownto play important roles in many biological processes including cell proliferation,migration and differentiation. In the present study, the effect of cytokineson production of hyaluronate (HA) by human tenon's capsule fibroblasts (HTF)was determined. METHODS. HTF (2[sup nd] passage) were seeded at a cell density of30 cells/mm[sup 2] and stimulated by six different cytokines (platelet-derivedgrowth factor (PDGF)-AA, PDGF-BB, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), epidermalgrowth factor (EGF), interleukin (IL)-1β and transforming growth factor(TGF)-β1). Controls were treated with aliquots of serum-free medium only.Concentrations of HA were determined using a radiometric assay based on thespecific binding of HA to HA binding proteins. RESULTS. The concentration of HA in conditioned medium of HTF was significantlyincreased only after stimulation with PDGF-AA [10 and 100ng/ml], IL-1β[1 and 10ng/ml] and TGF-β1 [5ng/ml]. CONCLUSIONS. Production of HA by HTF is regulated by PDGF-AA, IL-1βand TGF-β1 and is speculated to be involved in the wound healing reactionafter glaucoma filtration surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on a patient with Behçet disease who was treated with generalized myositis using cyclosporine. Medical profile of the patient; Treatment given to the patient; Effect of cyclosporine therapy on the patient.

Review: 69 refs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]