Aktuelle Aspekte in der Diagnostik und Therapie der obstruktiven Schlafapnoe

Zusammenfassung

In den letzten Jahren haben sich zahlreiche neue Entwicklungen im Bereich der Diagnostik und Therapie der obstruktiven Schlafapnoe (OSA) ergeben. Auf Basis einer aktuellen Literaturübersicht und den Erfahrungen der Autoren werden die wichtigsten Neuerungen praxisrelevant dargestellt.

Mit der dritten Auflage der „International Classification of Sleep Disorders" wurden die schlafbezogenen Atmungsstörungen neu klassifiziert. Dies betrifft die Einführung weiterer klinischer Kriterien für die Diagnosestellung und die Berücksichtigung der ambulanten Untersuchungsverfahren als Alternative zur Polysomnographie. Die (Weiter-)Entwicklung neuer Messverfahren (z. B. der peripheren arteriellen Tonometrie und der Pulswellenanalyse) hat darüber hinaus die diagnostischen Möglichkeiten erweitert. Die medikamenteninduzierte Schlafendoskopie ermöglicht eine Beurteilung des Ausmaßes und der Lokalisation der Atemwegsobstruktion unter Sedierung. In welchem Umfang sie zu einer Verbesserung der operativen Ergebnisse führt, wird noch diskutiert. Die Lageabhängigkeit der OSA erfährt zunehmend Beachtung und der Anteil an Patienten mit einem signifikanten Einfluss der Körperlage wird mit etwas über 50 % angegeben; mit dem „sleep position trainer" wurde ein neues therapeutisches Verfahren vorgestellt. Mit der Entwicklung der Hypoglossusstimulation („upper airway stimulation") hat sich das operative Spektrum in der Chirurgie der OSA substanziell erweitert. Für die bereits etablierten chirurgischen Verfahren sind methodisch hochwertige Arbeiten veröffentlicht worden, insbesondere für das bimaxilläre Advancement und die Tonsillektomie mit Uvulopalatopharyngoplastik. Diese Entwicklungen sind für das Management der Erkrankung von besonderer Relevanz.

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Optische Diagnoseverfahren zur Verbesserung der Tumorfrühdiagnostik im oberen Luft-Speise-Weg

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Optische Kohärenztomographie zur Früherkennung epithelialer Dysplasien und mikroinvasiver Karzinome im oberen Luft-Speise-Weg

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund

Bisheriger Goldstandard in der Diagnostik von Läsionen des oberen Aerodigestivtrakts (OADT) ist die Weißlichtuntersuchung, gefolgt von der invasiven Gewebebiopsie – dieses Verfahren ist zeitaufwendig und teuer. Die optische Kohärenztomographie (OCT) ist ein nichtinvasives Verfahren, das hochauflösende Schnittbilder oberflächlicher Gewebeschichten in Echtzeit liefert.

Ziel der Arbeit

Es wird eine aktuelle und verständliche Übersicht über die Rolle der OCT in der Frühdiagnostik und Differenzierung epithelialer Dysplasien und mikroinvasiver Karzinome des OADT gegeben.

Material und Methoden

Eine PubMed-Recherche nach „optical coherence tomography/larynx" und ähnlichen geeigneten Suchbegriffen erfolgte im August 2015.

Ergebnisse

Die OCT ermöglicht die Unterscheidung zwischen nichtmalignen, prämalignen und frühmalignen Läsionen im OADT mit einer hohen Sensitivität und Spezifität. Weitere, vielversprechende Einsatzgebiete sind die Führung von Biopsien, die Verlaufskontrolle von rezidivierenden Läsionen und die Festlegung von Tumorgrenzen. Eine ungenügende Evidenzlage sowie technische Limitation erschweren bisher den Einzug in die klinische Routine.

Diskussion

Sofern die angesprochenen Probleme erfolgreich gelöst werden können, erscheint die OCT das Potenzial zu haben, sowohl die Diagnostik als auch das Management von frühen Tumoren und Tumorvorstufen im OADT erheblich zu verbessern.

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Optische Diagnoseverfahren zur Tumorfrühdiagnostik im oberen Luft-Speise-Weg

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund

Optische Diagnoseverfahren können die Tumorfrühdiagnostik im oberen Luft-Speise-Weg erleichtern und verbessern, haben sich jedoch bisher in der klinischen Routine nicht durchsetzen können.

Ziel der Arbeit

Ziel war die Definition der Probleme, die den Routineeinsatz optischer Diagnoseverfahren bisher verhindern, sowie Aufführung und Erläuterung möglicher, zukunftsweisender Lösungsansätze zur Überwindung derselben.

Material und Methoden

Es erfolgte eine kombinierte Auswertung öffentlich zugänglicher Datenbanken (PubMed MEDLINE, Thompson Reuters Web of Science, SPIE. Digital Library; gesamter verfügbarer Zeitraum; Suchbegriffe: „oral cavity", „pharynx", „larnyx", „optical diagnosis", „optical biopsy", „optical coherence tomography", „confocal endomicroscopy", „fluorescence endoscopy", „narrow band imaging", „non-linear imaging", „fluorescence lifetime imaging") sowie persönlicher Erfahrungen.

Ergebnisse

Sowohl konzeptionelle als auch methodische Probleme können ausgemacht werden, und es werden anhand der gegenwärtig absehbaren Entwicklungen unterschiedliche Lösungsansätze diskutiert.

Diskussion

Optische Diagnoseverfahren haben das Potenzial, die Frühdiagnostik von Malignomen des oberen Luft-Speise-Wegs zu revolutionieren, wenn es gelingt, die verschiedenen in diesem Beitrag aufgeführten Hürden zu überwinden.

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Dank an die Gutachter 2015

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Nichtinvasive Bildgebung mittels Autofluoreszenzendoskopie

Zusammenfassung

Hintergrund

Die Autofluoreszenzendoskopie kann Malignome farblich von Normalgewebe abgrenzen. In der vorliegenden Studie soll der Stellenwert dieses nichtinvasiven bildgebenden Verfahrens bei der Früherfassung des Kehlkopfkarzinoms und dessen Vorstufen ermittelt werden.

Patienten und Methoden

In einer prospektiven Studie wurden 152 Patienten mit einer Kehlkopfveränderung untersucht, die sich einer Mikrolaryngoskopie unterzogen. Die Autofluoreszenzendoskopie erfolgte im Anschluss an die konventionelle Weißlichtendoskopie, unmittelbar bevor eine Exzisionsbiopsie zur histologischen Diagnosesicherung durchgeführt wurde.

Ergebnisse

Bei der Früherfassung des Kehlkopfkarzinoms und dessen Vorstufen zeigte die Autofluoreszenzendoskopie im Vergleich zur alleinigen Weißlichtendoskopie eine signifikant höhere Sensitivität (98 vs. 88 %) und Genauigkeit (97 vs. 90 %) bei vergleichbarer Spezifität (97 vs. 93 %).

Schlussfolgerungen

Die Autofluoreszenzendoskopie eignet sich als einfaches Screeningverfahren, mit dessen Hilfe verdächtige Läsionen rasch erkannt und deren horizontale Flächenausdehnung bestimmt werden können. Dadurch ermöglicht die Autofluoreszenzendoskopie eine gezielte Biopsieentnahme oder Tumorexzision und kann auch für die Nachsorge von Tumorpatienten eingesetzt werden.

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Registering prostate external beam radiotherapy with a boost from high-dose-rate brachytherapy: a comparative evaluation of deformable registration algorithms

Registering CTs for patients receiving external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) with a boost dose from high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR) can be challenging due to considerable image discrepancies (e.g. rectal fillin...

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5th International ACC Symposium: An Outlook to Current and Future Research on the Biology of Adrenocortical Carcinoma: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Applications

Abstract

Groundbreaking progress has been recently made in elucidating the signaling pathways that are altered in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), an endocrine malignancy that still has an unfavorable prognosis, and in understanding its genomic structure. These advances need now to be translated to create cellular and animal models more relevant to human disease in order to develop new and more effective diagnostic procedures and targeted therapies against this deadly malignancy.

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Coming up for air: exploring an intergenerational perspective on social work

From the late 1980s until now, scholars, educators and social workers have criticised the diminution of interest in the structural level of social problems. In this lament, former social work is beguiled, while critiques are targeted at the new generation of social workers. These critiques forewarn of important issues and problems, but at the same time they portray social work in a devolutionary way. It is argued that this one-sided debate conceals frictions between different generations of social workers. In reference to the work of Karl Mannheim, an intergenerational perspective is proposed that goes beyond nostalgic relishing of the past and calls on social work to actively engage with past remembrance and present evolutions.

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A functional approach for research on cognitive control: Analyzing cognitive control tasks and their effects in terms of operant conditioning.

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Fear expression and the return of fear following threat instruction with or without direct contingency experience.

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Early numerical competencies in 4- and 5-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder.

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Riding the waves: A functional-cognitive perspective on the relations among Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

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The meaning of the sperm donor for heterosexual couples: confirming the position of the father

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Altered intrinsic organisation of brain networks implicated in attentional processes in adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a resting state study of attention, default mode and salience network connectivity

Deficits in task-related attentional engagement in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been hypothesized to be due to altered interrelationships between attention, default mode and salience networks. We examined the intrinsic connectivity during rest within and between these networks. Six minutes resting state scans were obtained. Using a network-based approach, connectivity within and between the dorsal and ventral attention, the default mode and the salience networks was compared between the ADHD and control group. The ADHD group displayed hyperconnectivity between the two attention networks and within the default mode and ventral attention network. The salience network was hypoconnected to the dorsal attention network. There were trends towards hyperconnectivity within the dorsal attention network and between the salience and ventral attention network in ADHD. Connectivity within and between other networks was unrelated to ADHD. Our findings highlight the altered connectivity within and between attention networks, and between them and the salience network in ADHD. One hypothesis to be tested in future studies is that individuals with ADHD are affected by an imbalance between ventral and dorsal attention systems with the former playing a dominant role during task engagement making individuals with ADHD highly susceptible to distraction by salient task-irrelevant stimuli.

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Joint Task Switching

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Instruction-based approach-avoidance effects: changing stimulus evaluation via the mere instruction to approach or avoid stimuli

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Reconstructing the foundations of joined-up working: from organisational reform towards a joint engagement of child and family services

In a diversity of European countries, an ambitious pursuit of organisational reform is stressed in the field of social work policy and practice, which is rhetorically rooted in 'joined-up thinking'. Emerging criticism about joined-up working has been identified in the body of available research, particularly in terms of the construction and pursuit of joint goals. In this article, we discuss the empirical findings that were acquired during a recent qualitative research project in Belgium. The underlying assumptions of joined-up working in child and family services were examined in two disadvantaged quarters, bearing in mind the complexity of social work practices in dealing with families in poverty. The perspectives of parents in poverty situations and front-line social workers were explored by means of qualitative, in-depth interviews in combination with the vignette technique. In the research findings, functional and responsive approaches to joined-up working are discussed. We assert that functional approaches to joined-up working undermine responsive and particularly reflexive social work. In that vein, we argue that social workers should discuss the values and dilemmas at play in their responses to complexity at organisational and interorganisational levels. Such collective engagement can lead to reconstructing the foundations of joined-up working.

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Intraspecific variation in flowering phenology affects seed germinability in the forest herb Primula elatior

Background and aims - Phenological responses to environmental cues are known to be phylogenetically conserved across species, but the adaptive nature of phenological responses to the local environment within the populations of individual species needs further exploration. In temperate forests, the canopy green up timing is expected to act selectively upon the growth and flowering phenology of understorey plants. Methods - Here we quantified the variation in the flowering phenology of a forest herb growing in the understorey of early versus late leafing tree species and explored the effect of this variation on the germinability of its seeds. The flowering of individual plants was recorded in six populations at twelve time points in early spring. Germinability was tested in a lab germination experiment. The individual plants were visited again in a second growing season to quantify the variation in phenology between years. Key results - Variability between plants was found within populations rather than between populations or forest stands. Phenology was consistent across growing seasons with individuals flowering either early or late in both studied years (which was not simply due to differences in plant size). Early flowering individuals had a fitness advantage in the sense that they produced higher proportions of germinable seeds. Conclusions - We quantified phenological variation between the individuals of an understorey plant species relative to the canopy phenology and related this variation to fitness. While some interesting patterns emerged, fitness components other than seed germinability and the plant life stages following germination should be studied as well to understand the evolutionary significance of phenology in forest understorey plants.

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Electroencephalographic activity before and after cognitive effort in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Numerous studies have detected elevated electroencephalographic (EEG) theta/beta ratio (TBR) or theta power in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and therefore TBR has been suggested to be a promising biomarker of ADHD. At the same time, recent theoretical models have emphasized the heterogeneity of ADHD and the notion that cognitive deficits in ADHD are not fixed but fluctuate according to contextual and state factors. Surprisingly, so far the context- or state-dependency of EEG abnormalities in ADHD has hardly been addressed. Therefore, in the current study, 3 minutes eyes closed resting EEG before and after execution of 3 n-back tasks were compared between 21 children with ADHD and 22 typically developing children. No difference between groups was found for TBR or theta power (or other frequency bands), neither before nor after task execution, indicating that enhanced TBR or theta power is not to be considered universal for the disorder. Hence, cautiousness is warranted in using these indices for diagnostic purposes in ADHD. Across groups, posterior theta power, as well as central and posterior beta power was attenuated after task execution, which was interpreted as the children experiencing a more alert state after cognitive effort. Yet, this EEG modulation was similar in both groups, providing no support for a context-or state-dependency of EEG abnormalities in ADHD. However, in light of the absence of any group differences in EEG parameters, further research is warranted.

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Management of a Rare Lymphoepithelial Carcinoma of the Submandibular Gland in Elderly

Abstract

Lymphoepithelial carcinoma (LEC) of salivary glands is a rare malignant salivary gland tumour and demonstrates genetic and regional distribution. It commonly occurs in major salivary gland especially parotid gland. We report a case of LEC of submandibular gland occurring in a 70 year-old lady.

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Teflon Implants Versus Titanium Implants in Stapes Surgery

Abstract

Otosclerosis is the most common cause of bilateral gradually progressive conductive hearing loss with normal tympanic membrane and Eustachian tube. Otosclerosis surgical treatment is one of the most gratifying operations in Otorhinolaryngology. It is not only the surgical techniques but also the prosthesis which are evolving in the attempt of providing best hearing results. Teflon piston is the most commonly employed prosthesis in stapes surgery. Titanium pistons are relatively the new development in the evolution of stapes prosthesis. The aim of this review article is to know and compare the surgical technicalities and postoperative outcomes including hearing improvement after the use of Teflon and titanium stapes piston. The adverse reactions occurred during follow-up were taken into consideration. The data in this article are supported by a Medline search. The use of both the prosthesis gave good results in cases of otosclerosis. The placement of titanium soft clip design was found easier than the earlier àWengen design of clip piston.

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Above the Sphenoid in to Dermoid-Expanded Endoscopic Two Nostrils Four Hand Technique: A Case Report

Abstract

This rare case report presents the 2 nostrils 4 hands expanded endoscopic excision of the suprasellar dermoid through planum sphenoidale approach. This minimally invasive technique through the natural passage offers panaromic view of vital structures, complete excision of the lesion with reconstruction of the skull base defect at the same procedure.

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Primary Ewing’s Sarcoma of the Temporal Bone: A Rare Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Ewing's sarcoma is a malignant, round cell tumor arising from the bones and primarily affecting children and adolescent, accounting for 3 % of all childhood malignancies. Although the long bones and the trunk are typically affected, rare cases of it involving isolated bones throughout the body have been reported. Involvement of the skull bones is rare, constituting 1–6 % of the total Ewing's sarcoma cases but those affecting the cranial bones are rarer still, constituting only 1 %. We describe an 8 months old infant having Ewing sarcoma, of the petrous and mastoid parts of temporal bone along with the occipital bone, whose clinical presentation mimicked mastoiditis with facial nerve palsy. We discuss the clinical and therapeutic course of an extensive primary Ewing sarcoma of the temporal bone, which was treated without performing surgery and review this entity's literature in detail.

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Intraforaminal ozone therapy

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Valved or valveless ventriculoperitoneal shunting in the treatment of post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus: a population-based consecutive cohort study

Abstract

Background

Implant infection and obstruction are major complications for ventriculoperitoneal shunts in patients with post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus. In an effort to (1) reduce the incidence of these complications, (2) reduce the rate of shunt failure and (3) shorten the duration of neurosurgical hospitalisation, we have implemented valveless ventriculoperitoneal shunts at our department for adult patients with post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus and haemorrhagic cerebrospinal fluid at the time of shunt insertion.

Methods

All adult patients (>18 years old) treated for post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus with ventriculoperitoneal shunting at our institution from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2014 were included in this retrospective population-based consecutive cohort study. Data were collected by retrospectively reviewing medical records. We compared two different shunt modalities (valveless vs valve-regulated), analysing frequencies of complications, shunt survival and duration of neurosurgical hospitalisation.

Results

A total of 214 patients aged 22-86 (mean age, 60.5 ± 11.5 years) were included, comprising 137 valveless and 77 valve-regulated shunts. We found no difference in the rate of surgical shunt revision (p = 0.65) or differences in time interval from insertion to first surgical revision (p = 0.31) between the two shunt modalities. The duration of neurosurgical hospitalisation was shorter for patients receiving a valveless shunt (p = 0.004). Patients with valveless shunts had a lower rate of shunt infection (5.1 % vs 14.3 %, p = 0.02), but a higher rate of overdrainage (10.3 % vs 2.6 %, p = 0.04).

Conclusion

The use of a valveless shunting for patients with post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus results in shorter duration of neurosurgical hospitalisation and lower rate of shunt infection, although these advantages should be held up against the risk of overdrainage. We propose valveless shunting to be used as first-line shunting strategy in this patient category, with careful follow-up ensuring that these are substituted by a valve-bearing system if necessary.

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Editorial board

Publication date: 1 January 2016
Source:Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, Volume 24, Issue 1





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Organoids and the genetically encoded self-assembly of embryonic stem cells

Understanding the mechanisms of early embryonic patterning and the timely allocation of specific cells to embryonic regions and fates as well as their development into tissues and organs, is a fundamental problem in Developmental Biology. The classical explanation for this process had been built around the notion of positional information. Accordingly the programmed appearance of sources of Morphogens at localized positions within a field of cells directs their differentiation. Recently, the development of organs and tissues from unpatterned and initially identical stem cells (adult and embryonic) has challenged the need for positional information and even the integrity of the embryo, for pattern formation. Here we review the emerging area of organoid biology from the perspective of Developmental Biology. We argue that the events underlying the development of these systems are not purely linked to "self-organization," as often suggested, but rather to a process of genetically encoded self-assembly where genetic programs encode and control the emergence of biological structures.

Groups of cells (large circles) with no initial intrinsic pattern (A) may form a properly patterned tissue (C) through genetically encoded self-assembly (B). This requires Turing-like mechanisms to establish a localised source of signalling (pale blue cell) which, following stabilisation, serves as a reference for the patterning and subsequent assembly and growth of the tissue generating a fully organised structure (D).

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With or without rafts? Alternative views on cell membranes

The fundamental mechanisms of protein and lipid organization at the plasma membrane have continued to engage researchers for decades. Among proposed models, one idea has been particularly successful which assumes that sterol-dependent nanoscopic phases of different lipid chain order compartmentalize proteins, thereby modulating protein functionality. This model of membrane rafts has sustainably sparked the fields of membrane biophysics and biology, and shifted membrane lipids into the spotlight of research; by now, rafts have become an integral part of our terminology to describe a variety of cell biological processes. But is the evidence clear enough to continue supporting a theoretical concept which has resisted direct proof by observation for nearly twenty years? In this essay, we revisit findings that gave rise to and substantiated the raft hypothesis, discuss its impact on recent studies, and present alternative mechanisms to account for plasma membrane heterogeneity.

Nanoscopic membrane rafts are believed to mediate protein functionality, but up to now solid experimental evidence for their existence is missing. Here, we closely examine findings supporting the raft hypothesis, discuss its impact on recent studies, and present alternative mechanisms to account for plasma membrane heterogeneity.

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Innovation processes in family firms: the relevance of organizational flexibility

The current study attempts to broaden our understanding of the processes underlying successful innovation in family firms by studying not only research and development (R&D) but also organizational flexibility as drivers of innovation performance. Building on existing theoretical and empirical work, we formulate hypotheses on the relationship between family ownership and R&D and organizational flexibility, and on how this translates into successful innovation. Using a sample of 2,604 firms and 3,140 year-observations, we find that family firms engage less in R&D, but are more flexible in the way they organize, and that this organizational flexibility enables them to successfully develop new products and even outperform non-family owned businesses when it comes to process innovation. This research contributes to the family business field by disentangling R&D and organizational flexibility as processes underlying the relationship between family ownership and innovation performance. It illustrates how family firms' organizational flexibility can result in an innovation advantage, and thereby has important implications for practitioners.

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Gemeentelijk zakboekje bestuur 2016

Het Gemeentelijk Zakboekje Bestuur biedt op een praktische wijze een overzicht aan van de organisatie, werking en bevoegdheden van de lokale overheden in Vlaanderen en Brussel. Deze geactualiseerde editie licht ook de laatste ontwikkelingen toe zoals de inkanteling van de OCMW's, de afslanking van de provincies of de stap naar het nieuw Decreet Lokaal Bestuur. Bijzondere aandacht gaat uit naar de (juridische) achtergrond waarop een lokale bestuurder kan terugvallen en verder kan op bouwen. Het boekje bevat niet alleen de teksten van het Gemeentedecreet en de Nieuwe Gemeentewet maar ook artikelsgewijze verwijzingstabellen voor deze en andere lokale regelgeving. Vanuit de praktijk brengt dit zakboekje naast commentaren ook voorbeelden, schema's, tabellen en de noodzakelijke administratieve gegevens aan. Het Gemeentelijk Zakboekje Bestuur beoogt een onmisbare en veilige gids te zijn voor ieder die met de gemeente of een ander lokaal bestuur te maken heeft. Samen met het Gemeentelijk Zakboekje Databank - de volledige databank van Vlaamse en Brusselse lokale besturen - vormt het de ideale praktijkgids voor elke lokale mandataris en ambtenaar.

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Bronnengebruik in Vlaamse nieuwsmedia: een kwantitatieve en kwalitatieve analyse

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Geef me de ruimte!

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Editorial introduction

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Essays on market microstructure and liquidity

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Hoe 'ontgroeien'? Ideeën uit de degrowthbeweging

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Op zoek naar de bron: een onderzoek naar het journalistieke bronnengebruik bij buitenlandberichtgeving

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Property and environmental protection in Belgium

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Functional diversity of dissimilatory nitrate reducers in estuarine sediments

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'Comme les sauturelles sur un champ de maïs mûr': the Belgian unions and alien labour in hotels and restaurants in the 1930s

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Midwifery, kitchen physick, and the medicatrix: science and the female author in early modern England

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Vrouweninvloed in het literaire veld: de medewerking van vrouwen aan katholieke Vlaamse tijdschriften, weekbladen en kranten, 1900-1940

Kortom deze studie rondom Marie Belpaire leest als een gedetailleerd, fijnmazig verhaal van een sterke persoonlijkheid. Via Marie-Elisabeth Belpaire zoekt Geraldine Reymenants naar de mechanismen waardoor vrouwen hun literaire creaties nauwelijks kunnen gepubliceerd krijgen, laat staan er succes mee oogsten. Niet nodig vindt u? "Bij de feestelijkheden in 2005 naar aanleiding van 150 jaar DWB zou zij (Marie Belpaire) zelfs volledig over het hoofd worden gezien". Het boek is een wetenschappelijke studie. De onderzoeksresultaten en conclusies zijn daarin belangrijk en de lezer moet zich daar – terecht - aan aanpassen. Maar toch moet het mogelijk zijn dit nauwkeurig, intrigerend portret te omkaderen met meer dan alleen de éne foto op de kaft van het boek. Hoe graag had ik foto's bekeken waarop Marie Belpaire staat naast plaatjes waarop August Van Cauwelaert, August Vermeylen of Jules Persyn poseren… om slechts een paar namen te noemen. Het leesplezier zou verveelvoudigd worden.

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Gene Expressing and sRNA Sequencing Show That Gene Differentiation Associates with a Yellow Acer palmatum Mutant Leaf in Different Light Conditions

Acer palmatum Thunb., like other maples, is a widely ornamental-use small woody tree for leaf shapes and colors. Interestingly, we found a yellow-leaves mutant "Jingling Huangfeng" turned to green when grown in shade or low-density light condition. In order to study the potential mechanism, we performed high-throughput sequencing and obtained 1,082 DEGs in leaves grown in different light conditions that result in A. palmatum significant morphological and physiological changes. A total of 989 DEGs were annotated and clustered, of which many DEGs were found associating with the photosynthesis activity and pigment synthesis. The expression of CHS and FDR gene was higher while the expression of FLS gene was lower in full-sunlight condition; this may cause more colorful substance like chalcone and anthocyanin that were produced in full-light condition, thus turning the foliage to yellow. Moreover, this is the first available miRNA collection which contains 67 miRNAs of A. palmatum, including 46 conserved miRNAs and 21 novel miRNAs. To get better understanding of which pathways these miRNAs involved, 102 Unigenes were found to be potential targets of them. These results will provide valuable genetic resources for further study on the molecular mechanisms of Acer palmatum leaf coloration.

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The Role of Airway and Endobronchial Ultrasound in Perioperative Medicine

Recent years have witnessed an increased use of ultrasound in evaluation of the airway and the lower parts of the respiratory system. Ultrasound examination is fast and reliable and can be performed at the bedside and does not carry the risk of exposure to ionizing radiation. Apart from use in diagnostics it may also provide safe guidance for invasive and semi-invasive procedures. Ultrasound examination of the oral cavity structures, epiglottis, vocal cords, and subglottic space may help in the prediction of difficult intubation. Preoperative ultrasound may diagnose vocal cord palsy or deviation or stenosis of the trachea. Ultrasonography can also be used for confirmation of endotracheal tube, double-lumen tube, or laryngeal mask placement. This can be achieved by direct examination of the tube inside the trachea or by indirect methods evaluating lung movements. Postoperative airway ultrasound may reveal laryngeal pathology or subglottic oedema. Conventional ultrasound is a reliable real-time navigational tool for emergency cricothyrotomy or percutaneous dilational tracheostomy. Endobronchial ultrasound is a combination of bronchoscopy and ultrasonography and is used for preoperative examination of lung cancer and solitary pulmonary nodules. The method is also useful for real-time navigated biopsies of such pathological structures.

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Polyadenylation of RNA transcribed from mammalian SINEs by RNA polymerase III: Complex requirements for nucleotide sequences

Publication date: Available online 14 December 2015
Source:Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Gene Regulatory Mechanisms
Author(s): Olga R. Borodulina, Julia S. Golubchikova, Ilia G. Ustyantsev, Dmitri A. Kramerov
It is generally accepted that only transcripts synthesized by RNA polymerase II (e.g., mRNA) were subject to AAUAAA-dependent polyadenylation. However, we previously showed that RNA transcribed by RNA polymerase III (pol III) from mouse B2 SINE could be polyadenylated in an AAUAAA-dependent manner. Many species of mammalian SINEs end with the pol III transcriptional terminator (TTTTT) and contain hexamers AATAAA in their A-rich tail. Such SINEs were united into Class T⁺, whereas SINEs lacking the terminator and AATAAA sequences were classified as T⁻. Here we studied the structural features of SINE pol III transcripts that are necessary for their polyadenylation. Eight and six SINE families from classes T⁺ and T⁻, respectively, were analyzed. The replacement of AATAAA with AACAAA in T⁺ SINEs abolished the RNA polyadenylation. Interestingly, insertion of the polyadenylation signal (AATAAA) and pol III transcription terminator in T⁻ SINEs did not result in polyadenylation. The detailed analysis of three T⁺ SINEs (B2, DIP, and VES) revealed areas important for the polyadenylation of their pol III transcripts: the polyadenylation signal and terminator in A-rich tail, β region positioned immediately downstream of the box B of pol III promoter, and τ region located upstream of the tail. In DIP and VES (but not in B2), the τ region is a polypyrimidine motif which is also characteristic of many other T⁺ SINEs. Most likely, SINEs of different mammals acquired these structural features independently as a result of parallel evolution.



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Are meat and heme iron intake associated with pancreatic cancer? Results from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Cohort

Abstract

Several studies on pancreatic cancer have reported significant positive associations for intake of red meat but null associations for heme iron. We assessed total, red, white, and processed meat intake, meat cooking methods and doneness, and heme iron and mutagen intake in relation to pancreatic cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study cohort. 322,846 participants (187,265 men; 135,581 women) successfully completed and returned the food frequency questionnaire between 1995-1996. After a mean follow-up of 9.2 years (up to 10.17 years), 1,417 individuals (895 men, 522 women) developed exocrine pancreatic cancer. Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), and trends were calculated using the median value of each quantile. Models incorporated age as the time metric and were adjusted for smoking history, BMI, self-reported diabetes, and energy-adjusted saturated fat. Pancreatic cancer risk significantly increased with intake of total meat (Q5 vs. Q1 HR=1.20, 95% CI 1.02-1.42, p-trend=0.03), red meat (HR=1.22, 95% CI 1.01-1.48, p-trend=0.02), high-temperature cooked meat (HR=1.21, 95% CI 1.00-1.45, p-trend=0.02), grilled/barbequed meat (HR=1.24, 95% CI 1.03-1.50, p-trend=0.007), well/very well done meat (HR=1.32, 95% CI 1.10-1.58, p-trend = 0.005), and heme iron from red meat (Q4 vs. Q1 HR=1.21, 95% CI 1.01-1.45, p-trend=0.04). When stratified by sex, these associations remained significant in men but not women except for white meat intake in women (HR = 1.33, 95% CI 1.02-1.74, p-trend = 0.04). Additional studies should confirm our findings that consuming heme iron from red meat increases pancreatic cancer risk. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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Regeneration in the pituitary after cell-ablation injury: time-related aspects and molecular analysis

Endocrinology, Early Release.


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Multiple Beneficial Roles of Repressor of Estrogen Receptor Activity (REA) in Suppressing the Progression of Endometriosis

Endocrinology, Early Release.


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Intermittent Fasting Promotes Fat Loss with Lean Mass Retention, Increased Hypothalamic Norepinephrine Content, and Increased Neuropeptide Y Gene Expression in Diet-Induced Obese Male Mice

Endocrinology, Early Release.


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Aberrant TGFβ Signalling Contributes to Altered Trophoblast Differentiation in Preeclampsia

Endocrinology, Early Release.


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