Inhibition of photosynthesis by high temperature in oak (Quercus pubescens L.) leaves grown under natural conditions closely correlates with a reversible heat-dependent reduction of the activation state of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

Inhibition of the net photosynthetic CO2 assimilation rate (Pn) by high temperature was examined in oak (Quercus pubescens L.) leaves grown under natural conditions. Combined measurements of gas exchange and chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence were employed to differentiate between inhibition originating from heat effects on components of the thylakoid membranes and that resulting from effects on photosynthetic carbon metabolism. Regardless of whether temperature was increased rapidly or gradually, Pn decreased with increasing leaf temperature and was more than 90% reduced at 45 °C as compared to 25 °C. Inhibition of Pn by heat stress did not result from reduced stomatal conductance (gs), as heat-induced reduction of gs was accompanied by an increase of the intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci). Chl a fluorescence measurements revealed that between 25 and 45 °C heat-dependent alterations of thylakoid-associated processes contributed only marginally, if at all, to the inhibition of Pn by heat stress, with photosystem II being remarkably well protected against thermal inactivation. The activation state of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) decreased from about 90% at 25 °C to less than 30% at 45 °C. Heat stress did not affect Rubisco per se, since full activity could be restored by incubation with CO2 and Mg2+. Western-blot analysis of leaf extracts disclosed the presence of two Rubisco activase polypeptides, but heat stress did not alter the profile of the activase bands. Inhibition of Pn at high leaf temperature could be markedly reduced by artificially increasing Ci. A high Ci also stimulated photosynthetic electron transport and resulted in reduced non-photochemical fluorescence quenching. Recovery experiments showed that heat-dependent inhibition of Pn was largely, if not fully, reversible. The present results demonstrate that in Q. pubescens leaves the thylakoid membranes in general and photosynthetic electron transport in particular were well protected against heat-induced perturbations and that inhibition of Pn by high temperature closely correlated with a reversible heat-dependent reduction of the Rubisco activation state.

First generation versus second generation drug-eluting stents for the treatment of bifurcations: 5-year follow-up of the LEADERS all-comers randomized trial.

BACKGROUND Historically, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of bifurcation lesions was associated with worse procedural and clinical outcomes when compared with PCI of non-bifurcation lesions. Newer generation drug-eluting stents (DES) might improve long-term clinical outcomes after bifurcation PCI. METHODS AND RESULTS The LEADERS trial was a 10-center, assessor-blind, non-inferiority, all-comers trial, randomizing 1,707 patients to treatment with a biolimus A9(TM) -eluting stent (BES) with an abluminal biodegradable polymer or a sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) with a durable polymer (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00389220). Five-year clinical outcomes were compared between patients with and without bifurcation lesions and between BES and SES in the bifurcation lesion subgroup. There were 497 (29%) patients with at least 1 bifurcation lesion (BES = 258; SES = 239). At 5-year follow-up, the composite endpoint of cardiac death, myocardial infarction (MI) and clinically-indicated (CI) target vessel revascularization (TVR) was observed more frequently in the bifurcation group (26.6% vs. 22.4%, P = 0.049). Within the bifurcation lesion subgroup, no differences were observed in (cardiac) death or MI rates between BES and SES. However, CI target lesion revascularization (TLR) (10.1% vs. 15.9%, P = 0.0495), and CI TVR (12.0% vs. 19.2%, P = 0.023) rates were significantly lower in the BES group. Definite/probable stent thrombosis (ST) rate was numerically lower in the BES group (3.1% vs. 5.9%, P = 0.15). Very late (>1 year) definite/probable ST rates trended to be lower with BES (0.4% vs. 3.1%, P = 0.057). CONCLUSIONS In the treatment of bifurcation lesions, use of BES led to superior long-term efficacy compared with SES. Safety outcomes were comparable between BES and SES, with an observed trend toward a lower rate of very late definite/probable ST between 1 and 5 years with the BES. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes in children hospitalised with pandemic influenza A/H1N1/09 virus infection – a nationwide survey by the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Group of Switzerland

OBJECTIVE To describe all patients admitted to children's hospitals in Switzerland with a diagnosis of influenza A/H1N1/09 virus infection during the 2009 influenza pandemic, and to analyse their characteristics, predictors of complications, and outcome. METHODS All patients ≤18-years-old hospitalised in eleven children's hospitals in Switzerland between June 2009 and January 2010 with a positive influenza A/H1N1/09 reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from a nasopharyngeal specimen were included. RESULTS There were 326 PCR-confirmed patients of whom 189 (58%) were younger than 5 years of age, and 126 (38.7%) had one or more pre-existing medical condition. Fever (median 39.1 °C) was the most common sign (85.6% of all patients), while feeding problems (p = 0.003) and febrile seizures (p = 0.016) were significantly more frequent in children under 5 years. In 142 (43.6%) patients there was clinical suspicion of a concomitant bacterial infection, which was confirmed in 36 patients (11%). However, severe bacterial infection was observed in 4% of patients. One third (n = 108, 33.1%) of the patients were treated with oseltamivir, 64 (59.3%, or 20% overall) within 48 hours of onset of symptoms. Almost half of the patients (45.1%) received antibiotics for a median of 7 days. Twenty patients (6.1%) required intensive care, mostly for complicated pneumonia (50%) without an underlying medical condition. The median duration of hospitalisation was 2 days (range 0-39) for 304 patients. Two children (<15 months of age with underlying disease) died. CONCLUSIONS Although pandemic influenza A/H1N1/09 virus infection in children is mostly mild, it can be severe, regardless of past history or underlying disease.

The muscarinic antagonists scopolamine and atropine are competitive antagonists at 5-HT3 receptors

Scopolamine is a high affinity muscarinic antagonist that is used for the prevention of post-operative nausea and vomiting. 5-HT3 receptor antagonists are used for the same purpose and are structurally related to scopolamine. To examine whether 5-HT3 receptors are affected by scopolamine we examined the effects of this drug on the electrophysiological and ligand binding properties of 5-HT3A receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes and HEK293 cells, respectively. 5-HT3 receptor-responses were reversibly inhibited by scopolamine with an IC50 of 2.09 μM. Competitive antagonism was shown by Schild plot (pA2 = 5.02) and by competition with the 5-HT3 receptor antagonists [3H]granisetron (Ki = 6.76 µM) and G-FL (Ki = 4.90 µM). The related molecule, atropine, similarly inhibited 5-HT evoked responses in oocytes with an IC50 of 1.74 µM, and competed with G-FL with a Ki of 7.94 µM. The reverse experiment revealed that granisetron also competitively bound to muscarinic receptors (Ki = 6.5 µM). In behavioural studies scopolamine is used to block muscarinic receptors and induce a cognitive deficit, and centrally administered concentrations can exceed the IC50 values found here. It is therefore possible that 5-HT3 receptors are also inhibited. Studies that utilise higher concentrations of scopolamine should be mindful of these potential off-target effects.

Ms. Ff. Mus. 860 - Aus dem Jahrg. Sim Neues Lied : am Sonnt. Miscericord. Domini

von Telemann. [Text: Gottfried Simonis]

Na 1 Nachlass Max Horkheimer, 517 - Korrespondenzen mit Theodor W. Adorno (p. VI 5, 1 - 151)

50 Briefe zwischen Theodor W. Adorno, Gretel Adorno und Max Horkheimer; 1 Brief von Theodor W. Adorno an Friedel Kracauer, 13.05.1937; 6 Briefe von Herbert Marcuse an Theodor W. Adorno, 1967/1969; 2 Briefe von Theodor W. Adorno an Herbert Marcuse, Juni 1967; 1 Brief von Jacob Taubes an Theodor W. Adorno, 23.01.1967; 1 Brief von Theodor W. Adorno an Joachim Schickel, 16.01.1967; 1 Rechnung vom Druck und Verlagshaus Frankfurt am Main GmbH an Max Horkheimer, 11.09.1968; 1 Brief von Max Horkheimer an das Druck und Verlagshaus Frankfurt am Main GmbH, 16.10.1968; 1 Brief von Gershom Scholem an Herrn Paeschke, 07.03.1968; 1 Brief von dem Magistrat der Stadt Frankfurt a. M. an Max Horkheimer und Theodor W. Adorno, 08.02.1968; 1 Brief von Theodor W. Adorno an Josef Welter, 20.11.1969; 2 Briefe von Theodor W. Adorno an Heidi Schlümann, 1969; 1 Brief von Theodor W. Adorno an Frederick Pollock, 20.05.1964; 1 Brief von Hans Meis an Theodor W. Adorno, 29.04.1969;

Na 1 Nachlass Max Horkheimer, 682 - "Antisemitism among American Labor" (p. IX 146.2-4 - IX 146.5-23)

"Antisemitism and American Labor. A Research Project of the Institut of Social Research", Januar 1944 (revised June 1944); a) als Typoskript vervielfältigt, 14 Blatt; b) Typoskript, 14 Blatt; Institut of Social Research: "Project an Antisemitism and American Labor", Januar 1944; a) Typoskript, 18 Blatt; b) Typoskript, mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 17 Blatt, c) Teilstück, Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 1 Blatt; d) Teilstück, Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 1 Blatt; e) Teilstück, Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 5 Blatt; f) Teilstück, Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 4 Blatt; "Project on Antisemitism an American Labor", Dezember 1943; a) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 18 Blatt; b) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen von Theodor W. Adorno, 17 Blatt; c) Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 12 Blatt; Memoranden 1941-1949; Adorno, Theodor W. to Löwenthal, Leo: "Supplement to the Memorandum of 7/28/49 by Pollock, Friedrich re Labor Study", 18.09.1949. Typoskript, 6 Blatt; Adorno, Theodor W.: "Memorandum re: Antisemitism among American Labor, as edited by the Bureau of Applied Social Research", 19.07.1949. Typoskript, 8 Blatt; "Expenses for Project: Antisemitism among Labor, june 1, 1944- May 31,1945". Typoskript, 1 Blatt; Institut of Social Research: "Interim Memorandum on Progress of Project on Antisemitism within Labor", 04.09.1944. Typoskript, 11 Blatt; Institut of Social Research: "Re: Project on Labor and Antisemitism. Difficulties to be expected", 21.03.1944. Typoskript, 3 Blatt; "Re: Project on Labor and Antisemitism. Plants to be Contacted", 21.03.1944. Typoskript, 2 Blatt; "Some Remarks to Dr. Gelle's Report 'Der deutsche Progrom, a, 10. November 1938'", 11.03.1944. Typoskript, 12 Blatt; Adorno, Theodor W. ?: "Adress to ameeting of the Jewish Labor Committee, January 20th, 1944, los Angeles". Typoskript mit eigenhändigen Ergänzungen, 2 Blatt; Pollock, Friedrich: "Re: Sherman", 31.12.1943, 1 Blatt; "Memorandum re: Jewish Labor Committee", 23.12.1943. Typoskript mit handschriftlichen Korrekturen, 2 Blatt; "Tentative Budget for a Trial Survey on Antisemitism among American Labor", 23.12.1943. Typoskript, 1 Blatt; "Council for Democracy. Survey on Antisemitism. Hartford, Conn., late 1941". Typoskript, 4 Blatt; "Council for Democracy. Survey on Antisemitism. Terre Haute, Ind.". Typoskript, 2 Blatt; Horkheimer, Max: Eigenhändige Notizen zum Projekt, 3 Blatt; "Some heading lind", handschriftlichen Notizen, 1 Blatt; Institut of Social research: "Instructuins", Fragebogen, als Typoskript vervielfältigt, 3 Blatt; "Instructions for Interviews on Attitudes of Workers and White Collar Workers towards Jews". Als Typoskript vervielfältigt, 1 Blatt; Horkheimer, Max: 1 Briefentwurf an Friedrich Pollock, ohne Ort, ohne Datum, 1 Blatt; Pollock, Friedrich: 3 Briefe an Max Horkheimer, ohne Ort, 1943, 3 Blatt; Sherman, Charles B.: 1 Brief mit Unterschrift an Friedrich Pollock, New York, 23.12.1943; 3 Briefe von Friedrich Pollock, New York, 1943-1944, 5 Blatt;