["And she turns around and sees it fully …" Psychological consequences in children of survivors of the "Hamburg Firestorm" (1943) in a systematic evaluation].

Is there a transmission of traumatic war experiences through the generations? In an interdisciplinary research project at Hamburg University psychoanalysts and historians investigated the long-term psychological effects of World War II bombing attacks in the "Hamburg Firestorm" (Operation Gomorrha) in 1943. In the frame of this work the paper asks for the psychological consequences in the following generation Evaluation of 45 completely transcribed life-historical interviews (28 female and 17 male of an average age of 50.2 years) with descendants of contemporary witnesses (at the time of the firestorm between 3 and 27 years old) by systematic diagnostic assessment.

[Do the old fears return? : An investigation into the experience of the corona crisis among survivors of the Hamburg Firestorm (1943)].

Background: The generation of war children of the Second World War is currently in old age experiencing the lock-down caused by the coronavirus crisis.

Objective: How are the restrictions of the lock-down experienced against the background of the war experience?

Methods: A total of 120 witnesses of the Hamburg Firestorm (1943) were asked about their experiences of the corona pandemic by means of a questionnaire in May 2020 and December 2020. Findings from telephone conversations with several witnesses, who regularly participate in a discussion group, have also been taken into consideration for this study.

Computational design of trimeric influenza-neutralizing proteins targeting the hemagglutinin receptor binding site.

Many viral surface glycoproteins and cell surface receptors are homo-oligomers, and thus can potentially be targeted by geometrically matched homo-oligomers that engage all subunits simultaneously to attain high avidity and/or lock subunits together. The adaptive immune system cannot generally employ this strategy since the individual antibody binding sites are not arranged with appropriate geometry to simultaneously engage multiple sites in a single target homo-oligomer. We describe a general strategy for the computational design of homo-oligomeric protein assemblies with binding functionality precisely matched to homo-oligomeric target sites.

Rapid Diagnostic Assay for Intact Influenza Virus Using a High Affinity Hemagglutinin Binding Protein.

Influenza is a ubiquitous and recurring infection that results in approximately 500 000 deaths globally each year. Commercially available rapid diagnostic tests are based upon detection of the influenza nucleoprotein, which are limited in that they are unable to differentiate by species and require an additional viral lysis step. Sample preprocessing can be minimized or eliminated by targeting the intact influenza virus, thereby reducing assay complexity and leveraging the large number of hemagglutinin proteins on the surface of each virus.

Immobilizing affinity proteins to nitrocellulose: a toolbox for paper-based assay developers.

To enable enhanced paper-based diagnostics with improved detection capabilities, new methods are needed to immobilize affinity reagents to porous substrates, especially for capture molecules other than IgG. To this end, we have developed and characterized three novel methods for immobilizing protein-based affinity reagents to nitrocellulose membranes. We have demonstrated these methods using recombinant affinity proteins for the influenza surface protein hemagglutinin, leveraging the customizability of these recombinant "flu binders" for the design of features for immobilization.

Statistical method for determining and comparing limits of detection of bioassays.

The current bioassay development literature lacks the use of statistically robust methods for calculating the limit of detection of a given assay. Instead, researchers often employ simple methods that provide a rough estimate of the limit of detection, often without a measure of the confidence in the estimate. This scarcity of robust methods is likely due to a realistic preference for simple and accessible methods and to a lack of such methods that have reduced the concepts of limit of detection theory to practice for the specific application of bioassays.

The ribosomal protein Rpl22 controls ribosome composition by directly repressing expression of its own paralog, Rpl22l1.

Most yeast ribosomal protein genes are duplicated and their characterization has led to hypotheses regarding the existence of specialized ribosomes with different subunit composition or specifically-tailored functions. In yeast, ribosomal protein genes are generally duplicated and evidence has emerged that paralogs might have specific roles. Unlike yeast, most mammalian ribosomal proteins are thought to be encoded by a single gene copy, raising the possibility that heterogenous populations of ribosomes are unique to yeast.

IQcat: multiplexed protein quantification by isoelectric QconCAT.

Expression of isotopically labeled peptide standards as artificial concatamers (QconCATs) allows for the multiplex quantification of proteins in unlabeled samples by mass spectrometry. We have developed a generalizable QconCAT design strategy, which we term IQcat, wherein concatenated peptides are binned by pI to facilitate MS-sample enrichment by isoelectric focusing. Our method utilizes a rapid (∼2 weeks), inexpensive and scalable purification of arg/lys labeled IQcat standards in the Escherichia coli auxotroph AT713.

Proteomic analysis of the androgen receptor via MS-compatible purification of biotinylated protein on streptavidin resin.

The strength of the streptavidin/biotin interaction poses challenges for the recovery of biotinylated molecules from streptavidin resins. As an alternative to high-temperature elution in urea-containing buffers, we show that mono-biotinylated proteins can be released with relatively gentle heating in the presence of biotin and 2% SDS/Rapigest, avoiding protein carbamylation and minimizing streptavidin dissociation. We demonstrate the utility of this mild elution strategy in two studies of the human androgen receptor (AR).

The comparative efficacy and long-term effect of clozapine treatment on neuropsychological test performance.

Previous studies have suggested that clozapine may improve neuropsychological test performance. The current study was designed to examine the comparative efficacy and the long-term effect of clozapine (versus haloperidol), on neuropsychological test performance. Neuropsychological measures of executive/attention, visuospatial, and memory function were administered to schizophrenic patients at baseline, at the end of a 10-week double-blind study, and after 1 year of open clozapine treatment.

Neuropsychological impairments in deficit vs nondeficit forms of schizophrenia.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that functional impairments of the frontal and parietal lobes are related to the deficit symptoms of schizophrenia. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether neuropsychological measures of frontal and parietal lobe function differentiated deficit from nondeficit patients. Neuropsychological measures of temporal lobe function were used as contrast measures.

Irrational reactions to negative outcomes: evidence for two conceptual systems.

According to cognitive-experiential self-theory (CEST), individuals have 2 systems for processing information, a rational system and an experiential system. Research conducted under norm theory (NT) has provided impressive evidence of an if only (IO) effect associated with postoutcome processing of aversive events that are highly consistent with formulations in CEST. Two studies involving vignettes adapted from NT were conducted that tested 4 hypotheses and corollaries derived from CEST.

The effects of marijuana smoke on gas exchange in ovine pregnancy.

The effects of marijuana smoke on maternal respiratory rate and gas exchange were examined in nine chronically instrumented, late gestation ewes carrying singletons. The magnitude of exposure was randomly varied producing peak plasma levels of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9-THC) ranging from 0 to 161 ng/ml. delta-9-THC levels, respiratory rate and arterial blood gas tensions were monitored before and for two hours after inhalational exposure.

[Morphology of free immature germ cells in human testis, epididymis and ejaculate].

The distribution and fine structure of free immature germ cells and their degenerated forms in the human testis, epididymis, and ejaculate were investigated by means of semithin sections under the light microscope and by means of thin sections under the electron microscope. If spermatogenesis is normal, among the free immature germ cells, spermatids and spermatocytes I can be found in the testis. In cases of disorganized or very reduced germinal epithelium, in addition to all the normal cell forms of spermatogenesis, numerous morphologically altered and degenerated free immature germ cells are present.

From heroin to methadone-social role changes and reinforcement differentials in relation to outcome on methadone. Part II. The study of social role changes.

The life-styles of addicts who are Successful, Marginally Successful, and Failures in a methadone maintenance program are examined by in-depth interviews in five time periods-early family life, the preheroin period, late heroin, premethadone, and methadone maintenance. The hypothesis is confirmed that the more the methadone patient has managed to develop a new and more conventional set of peer group, familial, and occupational roles, the greater the likelihood of his success on methadone maintenance. The in-depth view of the groups over time suggests that the pattern of alternation of positive reinforcements and punishing situations may be associated with outcome.

From heroin to methadone--social role changes and reinforcement differentials in relation to outcome on methadone. Part I. The study of reinforcement differentials.

This study examines the relevance of reinforcements available to the addict in five critical stages of his career to his success on methadone maintenance. In-depth focused interviews were held with 30 addicts who had completed a program of methadone induction and who were characterized by social worker's evaluations as Successful, Marginally Adjusted, or Failures. The Successful group showed a higher initial negative reinforcement followed by higher positive reinforcement on methadone.