Influence of Cytokines and Autologous Lymphokine-Activated Killer Cells on Leukemic Bone Marrow Cells and Colonies in AML

We have already shown that cytokine cocktails (IL-1 beta, IL-3, IL-6, SCF, GM-CSF) and/or lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells can reduce the amounts of clonal, CD34-positive mononuclear bone marrow cells (BM-MNC) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). In addition, the influence of those cocktails and/or LAK cells on the clonogenic potential of AML BM-MNC was investigated. BM colonies cultured in agar during different stages of the disease were immunophenotyped in situ: 17 patients at diagnosis, 14 patients in complete remission, 8 patients at relapse, 8 healthy donors. A significant reduction in leukemic cells and colonies positive for CD34 after in vitro culture of BM-MNC with cytokine cocktails was achieved with all samples obtained at diagnosis (n = 8, p < 0.01), in 6 of 8 cases in complete remission but only in 2 of 6 cases at relapse. Cytokine cocktails stimulated granulopoiesis as well as B and T lymphopoiesis. Colonies with leukemic phenotype could never be detected in healthy BM. A significant reduction in leukemic colonies was achieved by coculture of BM-MNC (uncultured or cytokine precultured) with autologous LAK cells in all 4 cases at diagnosis and in 1 case at relapse. An additive effect of in vitro cytokine preincubation of BM samples on the leukemia-reducing effect of LAK cells could be demonstrated in all samples studied (p <0.001; diagnosis: n = 10, relapse: n = 3, complete remission: n = 7). Patients had a better prognosis if CD34-positive colonies in AML could be reduced by cytokine incubation (p = 0.03) or coculture with autologous LAK cells in vitro (p = 0.04). Our data show that cytokines as well as LAK cells alone and in combination can reduce, however not eliminate clonogenic AML cells. Such mechanisms might be responsible for maintaining stable remissions in AML. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel

Gene rearrangements in bone marrow cells of patients with acute myelogenous leukemia

At diagnosis, clonal gene rearrangement probes {[}retinoic acid receptor (RAR)-alpha, major breakpoint cluster region (M-bcr), immunoglobulin (Ig)-JH, T cell receptor (TcR)-beta, myeloid lymphoid leukemia (MLL) or cytokine genes (GM-CSF, G-CSF, IL-3)] were detected in bone marrow samples from 71 of 153 patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) (46%): in 41 patients with primary AML (pAML) (58%) and in 30 patients with secondary AML (42%). In all cases with promyelocytic leukemia (AML-M3) RAR-alpha gene rearrangements were detected (n = 9). Gene rearrangements in the Ig-JH or the TcR-beta or GM-CSF or IL-3 or MLL gene were detected in 12, 10, 16 and 12% of the cases, respectively, whereas only few cases showed gene rearrangements in the M-bcr (6%) or G-CSF gene (3%). Survival of pAML patients with TcR-beta gene rearrangements was longer and survival of pAML patients with IL-3 or GM-CSF gene rearrangement was shorter than in patients without those rearrangements. No worse survival outcome was seen in patients with rearrangements in the MLL, Ig-JH or M-bcr gene. In remission of AML (CR), clonal gene rearrangements were detected in 23 of 48 cases (48%) if samples were taken once in CR, in 23 of 26 cases (88%) if samples were taken twice in CR and in 23 of 23 cases (100%) if samples were studied three times in CR. All cases with gene rearrangements at diagnosis showed the same kind of rearrangement at relapse of the disease (n = 12). Our data show that (1) populations with clonal gene rearrangements can be regularly detected at diagnosis, in CR and at relapse of AML. (2) Certain gene rearrangements that are detectable at diagnosis have a prognostic significance for the patients' outcome. Our results point out the significance of gene rearrangement analyses at diagnosis of AML in order to identify `poor risk' patients - independently of the karyotype. Moreover, the persistence of clonal cells in the further course of AML can be studied by gene rearrangement analysis. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel

Time-dependent photoionization of azulene: Optically induced anisotropy on the femtosecond scale

We measure the photoionization cross-section of vibrationally excited levels in the S2 state of azulene by femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy. At the wavelengths studied (349-265 nm in the pump) the transient signals exhibit two distinct and well-defined behaviours: (i) Short-term (on the order of a picosecond) polarization dependent transients and (ii) longer (10 ps - 1 ns) time-scale decays. This letter focuses on the short time transient. In contrast to an earlier study by Diau et al.22 [J. Chem. Phys. 110 (1999) 9785.] we unambiguously assign the fast initial decay signal to rotational dephasing of the initial alignment created by the pump transition.Comment: Chemical Physics Letters (2008

Ausgewählte Aspekte der Kultur und Geschichte des Haushalts

Im Bachelorstudium für das Lehramt sind im Fach Sachunterricht Projektseminare vorgesehen, die von zwei unterschiedlichen Disziplinen gemeinsam durchgeführt werden. Damit soll ein interdisziplinärer Zugriff, wie er für den Sachunterricht kennzeichnend ist, die Themen aus mehreren Perspektiven vermitteln. Dieses Seminar zur Kultur und Geschichte des Haushalts wurde von der Professur für Gesundheitsförderung und Verbraucherbildung sowie dem Historischen Institut gemeinsam entwickelt und durchgeführt. In dem Seminar wurde die geschichtliche Entwicklung des privaten Haushalts anhand verschiedener Themen betrachtet. Dies erfolgte parallel zu einer Einführung in die Methoden der Geschichtswissenschaft, die Nutzung von historischen Quellen und wissenschaftlicher Literatur. Ein wesentlicher Beitrag der Studierenden ist in diesem Seminar die Erstellung einer Projektarbeit. Die Themen hierzu haben die Studierenden selbst ausgewählt. Hieraus ist eine anregende Vielfalt von Arbeiten entstanden, die jeweils wichtige Aspekte zur Kultur und Geschichte des Haushalts behandeln

Региоселективный синтез и свойства ацетильных производных фенолгликозидов

Региоселективный синтез и свойства ацетильных производных фенолгликозидов. Работа посвящена выявлению реакционной способности при кислотном дезацетилировании с использованием HCl / EtOH в CHCl3, которая приводит к дезацетилированию на O-3, O-4 и O-6. Описанный реагент оказался общим и уникальным, и была получена серия 2-О-ацетиларилгликозидов. Вообще, частично ацетилированные арилгликозиды широко встречаются в природе. В частности, можно найти множество примеров 2-O-ацетиларилгликозидов.Regioselective synthesis and properties of acetyl derivatives of phenol glycosides. The thesis is devoted to the detection of reactivity during acid deacetylation using HCl / EtOH in CHCl3, which leads to deacetylation at O-3, O-4 and O-6. The described reagent proved to be general and unique and the series of 2-О-acetyl aryl glycosides were prepared. Generally, partially acetylated aryl glycosides are widely found in nature. Particularly, many examples of 2-O-acetyl aryl glycosides can be found

Über die Relevanz schulischer Einflussfaktoren auf Bildungskarrieren – Ein Vergleich zweier Fallstudien

Dieser Beitrag setzt sich mit Ungleichheit im österreichischen Bildungssystem auseinander und geht insbesondere der Frage nach der Relevanz schulischer Einflüsse auf das Gelingen von Bildungskarrieren nach. Ausgehend von einer Systematisierung bekannter schulischer Einflussfaktoren auf Bildungsverläufe werden mit Hilfe qualitativer empirischer Daten Laufbahnen von formal unterschiedlich erfolgreichen Personen rekonstruiert und miteinander verglichen, um die Zusammenhänge von Faktoren, welche Bildungsverläufe maßgeblich beeinflussen, zu verstehen. In den angeführten Beispielen zeigen sich Kumulationen von hinderlichen Einflüssen durch Versäumnisse auf schulischer Ebene, aber auch potenzielle Kompensationen von Bedingungen innerhalb und außerhalb des Bildungssystems, wodurch Risiken, aber auch Chancen durch das Handeln schulischer Akteure/ innen ersichtlich werden. (Autorenreferat)This article deals with inequalities in the Austrian educational system and focuses on the question how school-based factors of influence are relevant for the success of educational careers. On the basis of a systematization of known factors of influence, qualitative empirical data are used to reconstruct and compare educational careers with varying degrees of success in order to understand the interplay of factors of influence. The examples provided, they show accumulations of hindering factors due to failures at school level, but also potential compensations of conditions within and beyond the educational system. This indicates risks as well as chances linked to activities of school players. (author's abstract

Partizipatorische pädagogische Diagnostik

Lehrpersonen haben im Rahmen der pädagogischen Diagnostik neben der Analyse von Lernvoraussetzungen und Lehr-Lernprozessen den Auftrag, »Zuweisung zu Lerngruppen oder zu individuellen Förderungsprogrammen [zu] ermöglichen« (Ingenkamp &amp; Lissmann, 2008, S. 13). Den damit verbundenen Zuschreibungsprozessen, die einen »Ort der Macht« (Butler, 2009, S. 11) darstellen, wohnt ein identitätsstiftender und transformierender Charakter inne. Für SchülerInnen spielt pädagogische Diagnostik damit eine zentrale Rolle für ihr Selbstkonzept, ihre Bildungs- und infolge ihre Berufs- und Lebenschancen. Im Zentrum dieses Beitrags wird über ein Forschungsprojekt berichtet, das die Frage verfolgt, wie SchülerInnen erkennen und deutlich machen können, was sie brauchen, um zu werden, was sie werden können und wollen, und nicht durch das Zuschreiben oder Absprechen von Fähigkeiten beschränkt werden. Die konzipierte partizipatorische Diagnostik bietet ein Modell, mithilfe dessen Lehrpersonen alle SchülerInnen auf ihrer Entwicklung hin zu aktiven GestalterInnen ihrer Bildungsprozesse begleiten können, und dient auch dazu, vorhandene Barrieren, gesellschaftliche Normen und Normalitätsvorstellungen sowie wirkmächtige Diskurse und Machtverhältnisse sichtbar zu machen.Teachers play a significant role for their students’ educational careers. Besides analysis of conditions of learning and learning processes, the field of pedagogical diagnostics implies the allocation of students to groups of learners or to special support programs (Ingenkamp &amp; Lissmann, 2008). Consequently, pedagogical diagnostics are crucial for the students’ self-concept, their prospective educational opportunities and thus also for their career and life opportunities. Therefore, the fact that students’ knowledge concerning their abilities and needs are hardly used in the process of diagnostics needs to be changed. This paper deals with the question how students themselves can recognise and make clear what they are able to do and what they need in order to become what they want to become and not be restricted by others’ attributions of (non-)ability. The presented approach of emancipatory and dialogic diagnostics enables all students to actively design their educational processes. Moreover, it helps to make existing barriers, social norms and normative notions of reality as well as efficacious discourses and power structures visible in order to contribute to their reduction

Nueva demarcación del Corredor Biológico en el Caribe

La iniciativa del Corredor Biológico en el Caribe (CBC), creada en 2007 por acuerdo de los Ministerios de Medio Ambiente de Cuba, Haití y a República Dominicana, fue concebida como una alianza de cooperación ambiental dirigida a preservar la conectividad ecológica, la conservación de la biodiversidad de importancia regional, la reducción de la pobreza y la promoción de un desarrollo sostenible en el oriente de Cuba y el occidente de la Española. En 2014, al renovarse el acuerdo, se creó el sistema de gobernanza de la iniciativa y se ratifica la demarcación inicial del Corredor; pero se abre al mismo tiempo la posibilidad de que ésta sea revisada periódicamente con el fin de garantizar la integridad de los ecosistemas terrestres y marinos. En el 2016, se aprueba la incorporación de Puerto Rico como miembro pleno de la iniciativa, con lo cual se hizo indispensable rediseñar totalmente la demarcación del CBC, para incluir todos los ecosistemas, tanto terrestres como marinos, que resultan esenciales para preservar los valores más representativos de la biodiversidad caribeña en las islas que componen al CBC, así como la conectividad ecológica y la provisión de los servicios de los ecosistemas a escala regional. Para actualizar y ampliar la demarcación del CBC se incluyó su análisis y desarrollo como una salida clave del actual Proyecto de Fortalecimiento del CBC. El proyecto solo actúa en los tres países fundadores de la iniciativa, pero en los estudios de la nueva demarcación se decidió incluir a Puerto Rico y Jamaica. El presente documento presenta los resultados del estudio realizado por la Secretaría del CBC para proponer la nueva demarcación de la iniciativa del CBC

Dead or Alive? Long-term evolution of SN 2015bh (SNhunt275)

This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Oxford University Press via http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw2253Supernova (SN) 2015bh (or SNhunt275) was discovered in NGC 2770 on 2015 February with an absolute magnitude of M$_r$ ~ −13.4 mag, and was initially classified as an SN impostor. Here, we present the photometric and spectroscopic evolution of SN 2015bh from discovery to late phases (~1 yr after). In addition, we inspect archival images of the host galaxy up to ~21 yr before discovery, finding a burst ~1 yr before discovery, and further signatures of stellar instability until late 2014. Later on, the luminosity of the transient slowly increases, and a broad light-curve peak is reached after about three months. We propose that the transient discovered in early 2015 could be a core-collapse SN explosion. The pre-SN luminosity variability history, the long-lasting rise and faintness first light-curve peak suggests that the progenitor was a very massive, unstable and blue star, which exploded as a faint SN because of severe fallback of material. Later on, the object experiences a sudden brightening of 3 mag, which results from the interaction of the SN ejecta with circumstellar material formed through repeated past mass-loss events. Spectroscopic signatures of interaction are however visible at all epochs. A similar chain of events was previously proposed for the similar interacting SN 2009ip.European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme, Science and Technology Facilities Counci

Selección de objetos prioritarios para la conservación en el Corredor Biológico en el Caribe (CBC)

La selección de objetos prioritarios para la conservación y el monitoreo es un paso inicial fundamental para el desarrollo de la estrategia de conservación para el Corredor Biológico en el Caribe (CBC), especialmente si se tiene en consideración la elevada riqueza de la biodiversidad en su ámbito geográfico actual y potencial. Para poder desarrollar este proceso, se definió un conjunto de premisas conceptuales y criterios de selección que permitiese, de manera objetiva, realizar el proceso de selección de prioridades. El presente documento recoge la metodología de aplicación de los criterios y los resultados de su aplicación