Performance analysis of automated evaluation of antinuclear antibody indirect immunofluorescent tests in a routine setting.

Purpose: Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) on the human epithelial cell-line HEp-2 (or derivatives) serves as the gold standard in antinuclear antibody (ANA) screening. IIF, and its evaluation, is a labor-intensive method, making ANA testing a major challenge for present clinical laboratories. Nowadays, several automated ANA pattern recognition systems are on the market.

Performance analysis of automated evaluation of Crithidia luciliae-based indirect immunofluorescence tests in a routine setting - strengths and weaknesses.

Background: Antibodies directed against dsDNA are a highly specific diagnostic marker for the presence of systemic lupus erythematosus and of particular importance in its diagnosis. To assess anti-dsDNA antibodies, the Crithidia luciliae-based indirect immunofluorescence test (CLIFT) is one of the assays considered to be the best choice. To overcome the drawback of subjective result interpretation that inheres indirect immunofluorescence assays in general, automated systems have been introduced into the market during the last years.

Effects of herbicide-treated host plants on the development of Mamestra brassicae L. caterpillars.

Herbicides are widely used pesticides that affect plants by changing their chemistry. In doing so, herbicides might also influence the quality of plants as food for herbivores. To study the effects of herbicides on host plant quality, 3 plant species (Plantago lanceolata L.

Characterization of field margins in intensified agro-ecosystems-why narrow margins should matter in terrestrial pesticide risk assessment and management.

Field margins are important seminatural habitats in agro-ecosystems, but they can be negatively affected by pesticide inputs via direct overspray and spray drift. In Germany, risk mitigation measures (like buffer zones) to reduce pesticide inputs in terrestrial noncrop habitats do not have to be put in place by farmers next to narrow field margins (<3 m width). Because data on structure, size, and width of field margins are scarce, we identified field margins in 2 German agricultural landscapes (Rhineland-Palatinate [RLP], Brandenburg [BB]; 4000 ha each) using digital orthophotos and geographical information systems.

Automated indirect immunofluorescence evaluation of antinuclear autoantibodies on HEp-2 cells.

Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) on human epithelial (HEp-2) cells is considered as the gold standard screening method for the detection of antinuclear autoantibodies (ANA). However, in terms of automation and standardization, it has not been able to keep pace with most other analytical techniques used in diagnostic laboratories. Although there are already some automation solutions for IIF incubation in the market, the automation of result evaluation is still in its infancy.

Age-related differences in performance and stimulus processing in dual task situation.

Competition for limited processing resources is most critical in dual-tasks which incorporate cognitive and motor demands. Performance is usually diminished with increasing age in such tasks. This decline is relevant for activities in real life like driving.

Preparatory processes and compensatory effort in older and younger participants in a driving-like dual task.

Objective: The nature of increased-age-related dual-task interference was examined during a driving-like dual task in the laboratory.

Background: Previous research revealed age-related deficits in dual tasks especially when cognitive and motor demands are involved. The specific contributions of sensory input, working memory demands, and/or coordination of motor responses to dual-task interference are not clear and should be clarified in the present study.

Annexin and survivin in locally advanced rectal cancer: indicators of resistance to preoperative chemoradiotherapy?

Background: The aim of preoperative chemoradiotherapy is improvement of local control in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Recent studies have shown that annexin and survivin are involved in the resistance capability of tumours. We sought to determine whether survivin, annexin A4 or annexin A5 expression predict resistance to preoperative chemoradiotherapy.

Aversive associative conditioning of prepulses in a startle inhibition paradigm.

Prepulse inhibition of startle (PPI) represents an automatic mechanism that reflects sensorimotor gating and early attention processes. PPI neither is the consequence of conscious behavioral modulation nor does it depend on learning and conditioning. However, pairing of weak tones and aversive startle stimuli during PPI testing may induce associative learning.

Cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress is not affected by alpha2-adrenoreceptor activation or inhibition.

Rationale: It has been postulated that cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress varies with tonic central sympathetic nervous system activity, but pharmacological evidence is missing.

Objective: To test whether modulation of central sympathetic nervous system activity by alpha2-adrenergic agonism and antagonism affects cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress.

Materials And Methods: On three five-stepped dose/concentration-response study days, 12 healthy male volunteers received intravenous infusions of dexmedetomidine (alpha2-agonist, target plasma concentrations: 0.