Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics Reveal Alcohol Dehydrogenase 1B as a Blood Biomarker Candidate to Monitor Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury

Acute liver injury (ALI) is a severe disorder resulting from excessive hepatocyte cell death, and frequently caused by acetaminophen intoxication. Clinical management of ALI progression is hampered by the dearth of blood biomarkers available. In this study, a bioinformatics workflow was developed to screen omics databases and identify potential biomarkers for hepatocyte cell death. Then, discovery proteomics was harnessed to select from among these candidates those that were specifically detected in the blood of acetaminophen-induced ALI patients. Among these candidates, the isoenzyme alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) was massively leaked into the blood. To evaluate ADH1B, we developed a targeted proteomics assay and quantified ADH1B in serum samples collected at different times from 17 patients admitted for acetaminophen-induced ALI. Serum ADH1B concentrations increased markedly during the acute phase of the disease, and dropped to undetectable levels during recovery. In contrast to alanine aminotransferase activity, the rapid drop in circulating ADH1B concentrations was followed by an improvement in the international normalized ratio (INR) within 10–48 h, and was associated with favorable outcomes. In conclusion, the combination of omics data exploration and proteomics revealed ADH1B as a new blood biomarker candidate that could be useful for the monitoring of acetaminophen-induced ALI.     

Influence of long-range dipolar interactions on the phase stability and hysteresis shapes of ferroelectric and antiferroelectric multilayers

Phase transition and field driven hysteresis evolution of a two-dimensional Ising grid consisting of ferroelectric–antiferroelectric multilayers that take into account the long range dipolar interactions were simulated by a Monte–Carlo method. Simulations were carried out for a 1 + 1 bilayer and a 5 + 5 superlattice. Phase stabilities of components comprising the structures with an electrostatic-like coupling term were also studied. An electrostatic-like coupling, in the absence of an applied field, can drive the ferroelectric layers toward 180° domains with very flat domain interfaces mainly due to the competition between this term and the dipole–dipole interaction. The antiferroelectric layers do not undergo an antiferroelectric-to-ferroelectric transition under the influence of an electrostatic-like coupling between layers as the ferroelectric layer splits into periodic domains at the expense of the domain wall energy. The long-range interactions become significant near the interfaces. For high periodicity structures with several interfaces, the interlayer long-range interactions substantially impact the configuration of the ferroelectric layers while the antiferroelectric layers remain quite stable unless these layers are near the Neel temperature. In systems investigated with several interfaces, the hysteresis loops do not exhibit a clear presence of antiferroelectricity that could be expected in the presence of anti-parallel dipoles, i.e., the switching takes place abruptly. Some recent experimental observations in ferroelectric–antiferroelectric multilayers are discussed where we conclude that the different electrical properties of bilayers and superlattices are not only due to strain effects alone but also due to long-range interactions. The latter manifests itself particularly in superlattices where layers are periodically exposed to each other at the interfaces.     

Spinal para-medullary conduction anesthesia in therapy with anticoagulant drugs]

Epidural and spinal blocks can lead to iatrogenic bleeding in the spinal canal. Incidence of this severe complication is considered low, but the risk of irreversible neurological defects for the patient requires increased attention by the anaesthetist. The perioperative risk is higher in patients under anticoagulant therapy. The different pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of practically relevant anticoagulants are discussed and recommendations for the performance of centroneuraxis blocks in patients under anticoagulant therapy are given.     

Influence of loading rate on the fracture toughness versus temperature curve

This paper presents recent experimental investigations on the influence of loading rate on the fracture toughness K_Ic for different structural steels. The loading rate in terms of increasing in stress intensity factor was changed from quasistatic up to dynamic conditions (

Full-size image (<1K)

). The results show significant differences in the amount of temperature shift between K_Ic -T curve obtained after static and dynamic loading for the materials investigated. Based on microscopic fracture criteria for cleavage fracture correlations were made between fracture toughness and yielding behaviour depending on temperature and strain rate. The experimental results were also compared with the predictions given by different models. The most promising results were achieved by a correlation between transition temperature shift in K_Ic caused by dynamic loading and strain rate sensitivity of steels.     

Patientenverfügung und Behandlungsvereinbarung als Instrumente der Vorausplanung in der forensischen Psychiatrie

Definition of the problem

In Germany as well as in many other countries, mentally ill criminals who are not guilty by reasons of insanity can be sentenced to psychiatric treatment in forensic clinics. In 2011, the German Constitutional Court substantially strengthened these patients’ right to self-determination in case of treatment refusal.

Arguments

In this context, we discuss the significance of instruments of advance healthcare planning. First, we describe the context of psychiatric treatment in forensic clinics and the changes the new German legal regulations brought about. A case study helps to illustrate the consequences of treatment refusal for both patient and healthcare personnel.

Conclusion

Eventually, we discuss if and how advance directives and joint crisis plans can be useful in forensic clinics and how additional measures can help to facilitate patient self-determination.

     

Growth and characterization of non-c-axis-oriented SrBi2Ta2O9 epitaxial thin films on Si(100) substrates with SrRuO3 bottom electrodes

Abstract

We have successfully grown non-c-axis-oriented epitaxial ferroelectric SrBi₂Ta₂O₉ (SBT) films with (116) and (103) orientations on Si(100) substrates using epitaxial (110)- and (111)-oriented SrRuO₃ (SRO) bottom electrodes, respectively. The SRO orientations have been induced by coating the Si(100) substrates with epitaxial YSZ(100) and MgO(111)/ YSZ(100) buffer layers, respectively. All films were sequentially grown by pulsed laser deposition. Specific in-plane orientations of the epitaxial SBT films were found, which are in turn determined by specific in-plane orientations of the epitaxial SRO bottom electrodes. These include a diagonal rectangle-on-cube epitaxy of SRO(110) on YSZ(100) and a triangle-on-triangle epitaxy of SRO(111) on MgO(111).     

Topotaxial Formation of Mg4Nb2O9 and MgNb2O6 Thin Films on MgO (001) Single Crystals by Vapor–Solid Reaction

Thin-film solid-state reactions in the system MgO–Nb₂O₅ are experimentally investigated. MgO (001) substrates are subjected to Nb-O vapor at different temperatures in high vacuum. Thin films containing the phases Mg₄Nb₂O₉ and MgNb₂O₆ are formed by a vapor–solid reaction between the Nb-O vapor and the substrate. The crystallographic orientations of these phases are studied by X-ray diffractometry including pole figure analysis. Mg₄Nb₂O₉ grows (11.4)-, (11.6)-, and (11.9)-oriented, whereas MgNb₂O₆ grows with a preferential (241) orientation. The crystallographic relationships and their origins are discussed.     

Kryptographie: Von der Geheimwissenschaft zur alltäglichen Nutzanwendung (VI) — Zweck und grundlegende Funktionsweise von Public-Key-Infrastrukturen

Zusammenfassung  Nachdem wir im letzten Artikel die Funktionen einer digitalen Signatur kennen gelernt und den Bedarf an kryptographischen Prüfsummen und Zertifikaten erl?utert haben, wollen wir diesmal auf die Infrastrukturen zur Verwaltung von Schlüsseln bzw. Zertifikaten eingehen: die so genannten Public-Key-Infrastrukturen (PKI). Prof. Dr. Norbert Pohlmann ist Gesch?ftsführender Direktor des Instituts für Internet-Sicherheit der Fachhochschule Gelsenkirchen. Malte Hesse ist Mitarbeiter am Institut für Internet-Sicherheit der Fachhochschule Gelsenkirchen.