Search Results - (Author, Cooperation:D. Koller)

2014-05-03

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

0036-8075

1095-9203

Biology

Chemistry and Pharmacology

Computer Science

Medicine

Natural Sciences in General

Physics

Adaptive Immunity/genetics ; Alleles ; Alzheimer Disease/ethnology/genetics ; Autoimmune Diseases/ethnology/*genetics ; Autoimmunity/*genetics ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/*immunology ; Ethnic Groups/genetics ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease/ethnology/*genetics ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate/genetics ; Monocytes/*immunology ; Multiple Sclerosis/ethnology/genetics ; Neurodegenerative Diseases/ethnology/*genetics ; Parkinson Disease/ethnology/genetics ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Quantitative Trait Loci ; Rheumatic Fever/ethnology/genetics ; Transcriptome

article

2008

Evaluation ; Schuljahr 07 ; Gymnasium ; Schüler ; Unterrichtseinheit ; Unterrichtskonzeption ; Elektrizitätslehre ; Physikunterricht ; Spannung (Phys) ; Stromstärke ; Deutschland

Praxis der Naturwissenschaften - Physik in der Schule, Bd. 57 (2008) H. 6, S. 6-18, 0177-8374

1617-5689

German

2018-04-22

BMJ Publishing

2044-6055

Medicine

Open access, Epidemiology

1089-7623

AIP Digital Archive

Physics

Electrical Engineering, Measurement and Control Technology

We have measured the cooling capacity of a recently purchased RMC-Cryosystems Model LTS 4.5-025 closed-cycle He refrigerator over the range 4–35 K. We find that the nominal cooling capacity of 250 mW is only met or exceeded over a narrow temperature range around 4.3±0.5 K, and that above this range, there exists a considerable region of much lower cooling capacity, not exceeding ∼100 mW. We believe this behavior results from use of a fixed-aperture Joule–Thompson expansion valve, and might be alleviated if the J–T valve could be adjusted to compensate for changing flow within the 5–20 K temperature range. Present performance may severely limit or prevent effective use in applications where an irreducible heat inflow exists which is greater than ∼100 mW, yet substantially less than the quoted capacity at ∼4 K.

Electronic Resource

1089-7550

AIP Digital Archive

Physics

Supercurrent suppression by the injection of spin-polarized quasiparticle current from a ferromagnet into a superconductor is demonstrated in YBa2Cu3O7−δ/SrTiO3/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3−δ junctions at 77 K. Negative current gains as large as 35 have been observed. The magnitude of the effect depends on the net polarization of the injection current, film resistivities, barrier microstructure, and injection geometry. Fabrication of the junctions is discussed in terms of optimizing these parameters for maximum supercurrent suppression. © 1998 American Institute of Physics.

Electronic Resource

1089-7550

AIP Digital Archive

Physics

Magnetization and resistivity measurements are reported for a series of radiation damaged La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 pulsed laser deposited thin films. When plotted as a function of activation energy, trends in the electrical transport properties are similar to those exhibited in the magnetic properties. A sharp drop in both Tc and Tp in samples with activation energies greater than ∼110 meV suggests a "decoupling" of the magnetic and transport properties. The results suggest the magnetic order is no longer sufficient to delocalize the system of the extra disorder induced by the radiation damage.

Electronic Resource

1398-9995

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Lugosi E, Halmerbauer G, Frischer T, Koller DY. Urinary eosinophil protein X in relation to disease activity in childhood asthma.The clinical use of urinary eosinophil protein X ‘U-EPX’ measurements in monitoring inflammation in childhood asthma was investigated. U-EPX and pulmonary function were assessed in 80 children with bronchial asthma and 24 healthy, age-matched controls. In addition, 14 patients with asthma were re-examined after 1–2 months. U-EPX levels were increased in children with asthma compared with controls ‘median 68.4 vs 35.3 μg/mmol creatinine; P 〈 0·0001’. In addition, U-EPX levels were higher in symptomatic than in asymptomatic patients ‘median 123.5 vs 48·9 μg/mmol creatinine; P 〈 0·0001’ independent of treatment modalities ‘i.e., inhaled steroids or disodium cromoglycate’ or atopy ‘median 65.1 vs 86·0 μg/mmol creatinine’. Furthermore, U-EPX levels were significantly correlated with pulmonary function. During the follow-up period, changes in U-EPX values were significantly related to changes in pulmonary function. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that eosinophil activation can be measured in urine in childhood asthma. Concentrations of U-EPX are related to disease activity and pulmonary function, as shown in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, but are independent of atopy and treatment modalities. Measurement of U-EPX may be useful in assessing the inflammatory process and therefore in the management of childhood asthma.

Electronic Resource

1365-3040

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Biology

Abstract. Mature leaves of many plants re-orientate their laminae photonastically in response to non-directional light signals, and/or phototropically in response to directional light signals, by flexing of pulvini, most commonly subtending their bases. Physiological and structural specializations of the pulvinus enable it to flex, by rapidly undergoing differential and repeatedly reversible axial volume changes (expansion/contraction) in opposite sectors of its motor tissue. Light-driven leaf movements are adaptations that contribute to the efficiency of the photosynthetic apparatus in the leaf. The phototropic response maximizes the harvesting of photosynthetically radiant energy. The photonastic response to dark-to-light transitions increases the interception of light by unfolding the lamina. Another photonastic response modulates the interception of radiant energy by the lamina, allowing it to evade damage by light in excess of its photosynthetic capacity when the leaf is under stress. The same unidentified blue-absorbing pigment system appears to be involved in all these responses. Non-directional light signals are perceived in the pulvinus. Perception of directional light signals may be localized in other parts of the leaf in different plants: for example, the pulvinus in most leguminous species, and the lamina in malvaceous and at least one leguminous species. The perception of non-directional and directional light signals, their transduction to differential volume changes in the target cells, and their transmission between the two where the sites are separate, are discussed.

Electronic Resource

1399-3038

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

In this study, deliberate sting challenge was investigated as a method for estimating the severity of anaphylactic reactions in bee venom-sensitized subjects. Twenty-one patients with previous anaphylactic reactions to field bee sting were subjected to a deliberate sting challenge (n = 32). To document anaphylactic reactions, plasma histamine levels were measured before, and then 1 and 2 min after, bee sting challenge. Eleven patients were re-challenged after 3–5 weeks. On 18 occasions, sting challenges caused no systemic reactions, in seven cases reactions were mild, in five moderate and in two severe. In all children showing systemic reactions, significant increases of plasma histamine were measured after 2 min. The results correlated significantly with clinical scores but not with skin prick test or with specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against bee venom. In patients developing local reactions only, no increase of plasma histamine was detected. The relative amount of released histamine correlated significantly with the severity of clinical symptoms. Significant histamine release occured during the first 2 min after sting challenge in children with subsequent systemic reactions and the severity of these subsequent anaphylactic reactions correlated with plasma histamine concentrations. The measurement of plasma histamine levels in the first minutes after challenge test may therefore be used as an objective marker of a potential systemic reaction.

Electronic Resource

1365-2222

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Background Eosinophil activation is characteristic for allergic airways disease. However, eosinophilic airways inflammation has also been observed subsequent to ambient ozone exposure.Methods For a population sample of 877 children living at nine sites with different ozone exposure we measured urinary eosinophil protein X (U-EPX) as a marker of eosinophil activation. U-EPX was determined from a single spot urine sample during autumn 1997. Children were participants in a longitudinal study of ozone effects on lung function.Results The 5–95% percentiles of ozone exposure (30-day mean before test) were 11.8–51.5 p.p.b. (mean: 31.6 ppb). U-EPX was measured by radioimmunoassay and expressed as ratio to urinary creatinine (µg EPX/mmol creatinine). Log transformation was performed to achieve a normal distribution. LogU-EPX was associated with gender, a diagnosis of asthma and atopy (skin test sensitivity to any of seven aeroallergens). LogU-EPX increased with ozone exposure for all children. The medians of LogU-EPX according to the first–fourth quartiles of ozone exposure were: 1.82, 1.88, 1.95 and 2.03. For 172 non-asthmatic children who had spent the whole summer at their site corresponding figures were 1.57, 1.78, 2.07 and 2.13. In a multivariate model with logU-EPX being the dependent variable and adjusted for gender, site and atopy, ozone was found to be significant (estimate: 0.007 µg/mmol creatinine per ppb ozone; SE:0.02; P 〈 0.001).Conclusion Our observation supports the hypothesis that ozone in healthy children is associated with eosinophil inflammation, most likely in the airways.

Electronic Resource

1365-2222

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Increased sputum levels of eosinophil granule proteins have been reported despite normal eosinophil numbers in peripheral blood and in the lung in cystic fibrosis (CF). Mechanisms of eosinophil priming and activation are still unclear in CF.In the present study we investigated whether ion concentrations in the sputa of CF patients are related to eosinophil activity.We assessed concentrations of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP), eosinophil protein X (EPX), major basic protein (MBP) and ions (Na+, Cl−, Ca2+, Mg2+) in sputum samples of 29 children with CF as well as in 10 controls with bronchial asthma.Patients with CF demonstrated significantly higher levels of ECP, Na+, Cl− and Ca2+ levels than asthmatics (P 〈 0.04, P 〈 0.0001, P 〈 0.0001, P 〈 0.02). No differences were seen between concentrations of EPX and Mg2+ in the two groups. In CF, eosinophil granule proteins correlated significantly with Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations (ECP, P 〈 0.0001, r = 0.65, P 〈 0.0001, r = 0.66; MBP, P 〈 0.03, r = 0.41, P 〈 0.03, r = 0.42), furthermore inversely with Cl− concentrations (ECP, P 〈 0.0003, r = − 0.63; EPX, P 〈 0.02, r = − 0.45; MBP, P 〈 0.03, r = − 0.41) but not with Na+ levels. ECP, Na+ and Cl− were also correlated with lung function variables (FVC, P 〈 0.04, r = − 0.38, P 〈 0.02, r = 0.44, P 〈 0.03, r = 0.41; FEV1, P 〈 0.007, r = − 0.49, P 〈 0.006, r = 0.5, P 〈 0.008, r = 0.48; MEF50, P 〈 0.003, r = − 0.54, NS, P 〈 0.03, r = 0.42; MEF25, P 〈 0.039, r = − 0.4, P 〈 0.005, r = 0.51, P 〈 0.05, r = 0.37).Our results demonstrated a significant relationship of eosinophil degranulation and ions in CF, indicating that ion composition in CF sputa may be at least partly be responsible for high levels of eosinophil products despite low eosinophil numbers.

Electronic Resource

1365-2222

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Recently, increased serum levels of eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) in cystic fibrosis (CF) have been reported which were closely related to the levels in sputum. In the present study we investigated other eosinophil proteins such as eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) and eosinophil protein X (EPX) in sera of patients with CF and their relation to pulmonary function.〈section xml:id="abs1-2"〉〈title type="main"〉MethodsSerum samples from 42 patients with CF and from 25 healthy control subjects were measured for ECP, EPO and EPX. Lung function tests were performed by using whole body plethysmographic technique, and the results were correlated with the levels of eosinophil granule proteins.〈section xml:id="abs1-3"〉〈title type="main"〉ResultsSerum ECP (median: 20.9 μg/L), EPO (median: 30.3 μg/L) and EPX (median: 37.9 μg/L) levels were significantly increased in CF compared with healthy controls (3.5 μg/L, P 〈 0.0001, 5.6 μg/L, P 〈 0.0001 and 14.6 μg/L, P 〈 0.0001, respectively) whereas eosinophil counts were not different. There was a strong correlation between the levels of eosinophil proteins and variables of pulmonary function, like between ECP and forced vital capacity (r = − 0.764, P 〈 0.0001). In addition, ECP concentrations were significantly related to the levels of EPO and EPX, albeit, in some patients with low ECP levels, increased EPO and EPX concentrations were observed.〈section xml:id="abs1-4"〉〈title type="main"〉ConclusionThese results indicate that in patients with CF, ECP, EPO and EPX concentrations also were increased with a significant relationship between these three eosinophil proteins. Since eosinophil activity in patients with CF is strongly correlated with pulmonary function, the assessment of eosinophil granule proteins might be useful for clinical monitoring in CF.

Electronic Resource

1600-0536

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

A 69-year-old patient, with known mercury and adhesive plaster allergy, developed facial dermatitis within 24 h of contact with arnica (Arnica). Skin testing showed positive reactions to arnica and, among various other plants of the Compositae, also to Tagetes sp. hybr. (marigold). Cross-reactivity between Tagetes and arnica has not previously been described.

Electronic Resource

1398-9995

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Electronic Resource

1398-9995

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Electronic Resource

1398-9995

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and eosinophil protein X (EPX) are well established as markers of eosinophil activation. We analyzed ECP and EPX concentrations in nasal lavage fluids (NALF) of 378 neonates during their first 4 weeks of life. Inclusion criteria were a positive history of parental allergy and a positive skin prick test or specific IgE (RAST class ≥2) against at least one out of a panel of common aeroallergens in one or both parents. Twenty-four infants with no history of parental allergy were used as controls. A volume of 2 ml of 0.9% saline was instilled into each nostril and immediately recovered by a suction device. ECP and EPX were analyzed by radioimmunoassay. In 65 samples of three consecutive lavages, EPX was detected in nine samples (13.8%) in the control group, whereas it was detected in 197/360 samples (54.7%) in the study population. The corresponding figures for ECP were 17/65 (26.2%) in the control group and 173/365 (47.4%) in the study group. Both proteins showed a skewed distribution (median/5–95th percentiles for ECP: 0 µg/l [0–69.4] and EPX: 6.6 µg/l [0–73.2]). The differences between the control group and the study group were statistically significant, regardless of the allergic disease of the parents. In children of allergic parents, activation proteins of the eosinophil granulocyte are released on the nasal mucosal surface in about 50% of the studied population at the age of 4 weeks. This early onset of eosinophil activation in the nasal respiratory epithelium may reflect a genetic predisposition to allergy or early exposure to allergens.

Electronic Resource

1476-4687

Nature Archives 1869 - 2009

Biology

Chemistry and Pharmacology

Medicine

Natural Sciences in General

Physics

[Auszug] The experiments reported here are concerned with the normal flower formation of Petkus winter rye by application of gibberellic acid. This cereal is, under the growing conditions of our experiments, a cold-requiring plant. It has been found that, to be successful, treatment must occur at a ...

Electronic Resource

0899-8256

Elsevier Journal Backfiles on ScienceDirect 1907 - 2002

Mathematics

Economics

Electronic Resource

0375-9601

Elsevier Journal Backfiles on ScienceDirect 1907 - 2002

Physics

Electronic Resource

1398-9995

Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005

Medicine

Background: In epidemiologic studies, it may be difficult to identify children with bronchial asthma. Since this is the most common chronic respiratory disease in childhood, and its prevalence is still increasing, reliable methods for identification of asthmatic children are required. This study evaluates the use of urinary eosinophil protein X (U-EPX) in epidemiologic studies in identifying atopic and asthmatic children. Methods: U-EPX was measured in 877 Austrian schoolchildren. The skin prick test (SPT) was performed with eight common aeroallergens, and established questionnaires were used to assess respiratory symptoms. Results: Of our cohort, 2.8% reported physician-diagnosed asthma, 5.1% reported wheezing within the last 12 months, and 24.1% were found to be atopic. In children with physician-diagnosed asthma, as well as in atopic children (positive SPT), median U-EPX levels were significantly higher than in healthy subjects (142.8 and 89.6 vs 63.9 µg/mmol creatinine, P〈0.0001 and P〈0.0001, respectively). In addition, perennial sensitization to inhalant allergens resulted in higher U-EPX levels than did seasonal sensitization. The odds ratio for U-EPX levels over the 90th percentile was significantly elevated for asthma, for wheezing, for nocturnal cough, and for breathlessness at exercise, as well as for seasonal and perennial sensitization. Pulmonary function was negatively relatedto U-EPX levels. Conclusions: Measurement of U-EPX, which can be obtained easily, may be helpful in diagnosing both asthma and atopy in children. However, there is a great overlap between controls and symptomatics, a fact which reduces the sensitivity of U-EPX in determination of the prevalence of asthma in epidemiologic studies.

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