Intergenerational Metabolomic Analysis of Mothers with a History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Their Offspring

Shared metabolomic patterns at delivery have been suggested to underlie the mother-to-child transmission of adverse metabolic health. This study aimed to investigate whether mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and their offspring show similar metabolomic patterns several years postpartum. Targeted metabolomics (including 137 metabolites) was performed in plasma samples obtained during an oral glucose tolerance test from 48 mothers with GDM and their offspring at a cross-sectional study visit 8 years after delivery. Partial Pearson’s correlations between the area under the curve (AUC) of maternal and offspring metabolites were calculated, yielding so-called Gaussian graphical models. Spearman’s correlations were applied to investigate correlations of body mass index (BMI), Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (ISI-M), dietary intake, and physical activity between generations, and correlations of metabolite AUCs with lifestyle variables. This study revealed that BMI, ISI-M, and the AUC of six metabolites (carnitine, taurine, proline, SM(-OH) C14:1, creatinine, and PC ae C34:3) were significantly correlated between mothers and offspring several years postpartum. Intergenerational metabolite correlations were independent of shared BMI, ISI-M, age, sex, and all other metabolites. Furthermore, creatinine was correlated with physical activity in mothers. This study suggests that there is long-term metabolic programming in the offspring of mothers with GDM and informs us about targets that could be addressed by future intervention studies.     

Glial development in the Drosophila CNS requires concomitant activation of glial and repression of neuronal differentiation genes

Two classes of glial cells are found in the embryonic Drosophila CNS, midline glial cells and lateral glial cells. Midline glial development is triggered by EGF-receptor signalling, whereas lateral glial development is controlled by the gcm gene. Subsequent glial cell differentiation depends partly on the pointed gene. Here we describe a novel component required for all CNS glia development. The tramtrack gene encodes two zinc-finger proteins, one of which, ttkp69, is expressed in all non-neuronal CNS cells. We show that ttkp69 is downstream of gcm and can repress neuronal differentiation. Double mutant analysis and coexpression experiments indicate that glial cell differentiation may depend on a dual process, requiring the activation of glial differentiation by pointed and the concomitant repression of neuronal development by tramtrack.     

MOBSY: Integration of vision and dialogue in service robots

Abstract. This contribution introduces MOBSY, a fully integrated, autonomous mobile service robot system. It acts as an automatic dialogue-based receptionist for visitors to our institute. MOBSY incorporates many techniques from different research areas into one working stand-alone system. The techniques involved range from computer vision over speech understanding to classical robotics. Along with the two main aspects of vision and speech, we also focus on the integration aspect, both on the methodological and on the technical level. We describe the task and the techniques involved. Finally, we discuss the experiences that we gained with MOBSY during a live performance at our institute.     

Combination calculi for uncertainty reasoning: representing uncertainty using distributions

There are many different methods for incorporating notions of uncertainty in evidential reasoning. A common component to these methods is the use of additional values, other than conditional probabilities, to assert current degrees of belief and certainties in propositions. Beginning with the viewpoint that these values can be associated with statistics of multiple opinions in an evidential reasoning system, we categorize the choices that are available in updating and tracking these multiple opinions. In this way, we develop a matrix of different uncertainty calculi, some of which are standard, and others are new. The main contribution is to formalize a framework under which different methods for reasoning with uncertainty can be evaluated. As examples, we see that both the “Kalman filtering” approach and the “Dempster–Shafer” approach to reasoning with uncertainty can be interpreted within this framework of representing uncertainty by the statistics of multiple opinions. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Determination of carbon black fillers in vulcanizates of natural rubber by metathesis degradation

A method for the determination of carbon black fillers in peroxide vulcanizates or sulfur vulcanizates of natural rubber (NR, cis-1,4-polyisoprene) by metathesis degradation with 1-octene was developed using the catalyst WCl₆? (C₂H₅)₃Al₂Cl₃. The carbon black was separated from the reaction mixture by centrifuging and determined by weighing. In this connection, investigations were also performed with the catalyst WCl₆? C₂H₅Al₂Cl₃ which was less suitable for filler determination. The rate of degradation of crosslinked NR with (E)-4-octene was measured. Metathesis reactions of 2-methyl-2-pentene (low-molecular-weight model compound of NR) with 7-tetradecene showed the importance of double bond shift for the degradation of NR.     

Prognose von 15 Zeitreihen der DGOR mit Neuronalen Netzen

In 1982, the working group “Forecasting Methods” of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Operations Research (DGOR) carried out a forecasting comparison between 12 various models which were applied to 15 time series. The results of this study can be considered as a good benchmark for further prediction techniques. This paper reports upon the prediction of these 15 time series by using a Neural Network which was developed by the Backpropagation algorithm. The four highest autocorrelated lag-variables were used as the input variables of the Neural Network. The results show that the Neural Network delivered worse predictions than the other methods including the naive prediction by forecasting non-stationary time series. Stationary time series could be predicted better than the naive prediction, but in comparison to the other techniques the results were only average. After regarding the problem of non-stationarity by using the Dickey-Fuller-Test, first differences were chosen as the input-variables of the Neural Network. In this case, there was a considerable improvement, but the best method (Box-Jenkins' ARIMA technique) could not be surpassed.     

Fine structure of the raphe nuclei of sheep and goats]

The medullary raphe system of sheep and goat can be divided in the solitary nuclei raphe magnus and pallidus besides the impaired Nucleus raphe paramedianus. The nucleus raphe magnus begins in the caudal end of the medulla oblongata running far to the pons. On the other hand you can follow the nucleus raphe pallidus and paramedianus only in distinct area near the obex. Different types of neurons are isolated and described in light- and electronmicroscopical investigations. All three nuclei are poor of synapses.     

Germicidin, an autoregulative germination inhibitor of Streptomyces viridochromogenes NRRL B-1551

During germination spores of Streptomyces viridochromogenes NRRL B-1551 excrete a compound, germicidin, which has an inhibitory effect on the germination of its own arthrospores at a concentration as low as 200 pM (40 pg/ml). At higher concentrations germicidin inhibits porcine Na+/K(+)-activated ATPase and retards the germination of the cress Lepidium sativum. Germicidin is the first known autoregulative inhibitor of spore germination in the genus Streptomyces and was isolated from the supernatant of germinated spores, but also from the supernatant of the submerged culture. Spectroscopic analysis and derivatization reactions revealed germicidin to be 6-(2-butyl)-3-ethyl-4-hydroxy-2-pyrone (C11H16O3). Crude isolates of germicidin from the supernatant of submerged culture, but not from the spores, contained a second, structurally very similar compound (C10H14O3), in which in contrast to germicidin a 2-propyl instead of the 2-butyl chain was bound to C-6 and which did not show any activity in the germination and ATPase assay. The germination assay was evaluated as a new screening model for specifically active compounds.     

A New Method for Comparing Orthonasal and Retronasal Olfaction.

Odors seem to be perceived differently when presented ortho- or retronasally. In this study, stimuli of controlled concentration and duration were applied in either the anterior nasal cavity or epipharynx by means of air-dilution olfactometry. Stimulus concentration was monitored in the olfactory cleft. In Experiment 1, odor thresholds to a food (chocolate) and a nonfood (lavender) odor were lower for orthonasal, compared with retronasal, stimulation. In Experiment 2, intensity ratings to suprathreshold odor concentrations were significantly higher for orthonasal than for retronasal stimulation with hydro- hydrogen sulfide, but not phenyl ethyl alcohol. Accordingly, amplitudes and latencies of olfactory event-related gen potentials to retronasal stimuli were found to be smaller and prolonged, respectively. This indicates differential processing of olfactory stimuli presented through the retronasal or orthonasal routes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Surface and Biocidal Properties of Gemini Cationic Surfactants Based on Propoxylated 1,6-Diaminohexane and Alkyl Bromides

Two new classes of gemini cationic surfactants—hexanediyl-1,6-bis[(isopropylol) alkylammonium] dibromide {in the abbreviation form: C_nC₆C_n[iPr-OH] and C_nC₆C_n[iPr-OH]₂; alkyl: C_nH_{2n + 1} with n = 9, 10, 12 and 14}—have been synthesized by interaction of alkyl bromides with N,N′-di-(isopropylol)-1,6-diaminohexane and N,N,N′,N′-tetra-(isopropylol)-1,6-diaminohexane. The surface tension, electrical conductivity, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques were used to investigate the aggregation properties of the gemini cationic surfactants in aqueous solution. The formation of critical aggregates at two concentrations in an aqueous solution from obtained gemini cationic surfactants were determined via the tensiometric method. Thus, these gemini cationic surfactants start to form aggregates at concentrations well below their critical micelle concentrations (CMC). The surface properties and the binding degree (β) of the opposite ion were tested against the length of the surfactant hydrocarbon chain and the number of the isopropylol groups in the head group. By applying the DLS technique, it was explored that how the number of isopropylol groups in gemini cationic surfactants with C₁₂H₂₅ chain affects the sizes of micelles at concentrations greater than CMC. It was discovered that the obtained gemini cationic surfactants have a biocidal character.