Friedrich-Alexander University Research Articles

Integration of the musculature in the course “functional anatomy of the locomotor system”—Preparing medical students for the dissection course

PurposeTo enhance the efficacy of the preclinical first-year course for medical and dental students ‘functional anatomy of the locomotor system’ (demo course) which serves as a preparation for the dissection course at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany. MethodsThe muscular system was integrated into the curriculum of the demo course. Moreover, the number of tutors was increased from around 5 to 15 for approximately 120 students. A detailed course agenda, which had been lacking hitherto, was developed for each course day. Extensive preparation and briefing of course tutors was introduced. Self-prepared questionnaires were applied to compare student attitudes towards the demo course before and after the restructuring process. Surveys were conducted at the end of the unchanged demo course, at the end of the dissection course in the following term (same students) and at the end of the restructured demo course. ResultsThe mark given for overall course quality improved from 3 (“satisfactory”) to 2 (“good”). The students felt significantly better prepared for the dissection course after the restructuring process, although they perceived the work load as more challenging in relation to the limited time available. They assessed the new course as better structured and stated that the muscular system had been important for the functional comprehension of the locomotor system. ConclusionsAccording to student opinion, the attempt to improve the demo course quality by providing a detailed course agenda and enhanced tutelage had been successful. As expected, the musculature is critical to functional understanding of the locomotor system.

Effects of balance training on post-sprained ankle joint instability.

Effects of balance training on post-sprained ankle joint instability.

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: Current Medical and Surgical Therapy

a Division of Gastroenterology and Endocrinology, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Germany, b Medical Clinic 1, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nurnberg, Erlangen, Germany, c Department of General, Visceraland Vascular Surgery, Charite – University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany, d Medical Department (Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases, Rheumatology), Charite – University Medicine Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Berlin, Germany, e Department of Internal Medicine IV (Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Infectious Diseases), Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany

Friedrich Georg Josef Meggendorfer (07.06.1880–12.02.1953)

Introduction The DGPPN, as a German psychiatric professional society, demands a new, systematic viewing of the biographies, motivations, participations and defense patterns of important representatives of the discipline during the National Socialistic period. Objectives/Aims A current evaluation of previously untapped sources makes it possible to assign an appropriate critical-historical position to Friedrich Meggendorfer’s role as NS-academic psychiatrist. Material and Methods Relevant archive materials as well as primary and secondary literature have been reviewed. Results Clinically and scientifically, Friedrich Meggendorfer worked under Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926), Max Nonne (1861-1959) and Ernst Rudin (1874-1952). Meggendorfer earned a good reputation in genetic research during his activity as psychiatrist in Hamburg under Wilhelm Weygandt (1870-1939). This was the decisive reason why he was called to the Chair in Psychiatry in Erlangen in 1934. At the same time, Meggendorfer was appointed Director of the Erlangen Psychiatric and Neurological Hospital as an adnexe to the Erlangen asylum for the mentally ill. Because he had joined the NSDAP on 01.05.1933, he was suspended from office on 19.11.1945 by the military government. Meggendorfer was rated as a 'hanger-on' by the denazification court on 20.09.1946. In the post-war period, Friedrich Meggendorfer was confronted with comparatively strict restrictions. His removal from the faculty of the Friedrich-Alexander University can primarily be considered due to the post-war Director of the Erlangen asylum, Werner Leibbrand (1896-1974) and his reorganization of the psychiatric clinics. Conclusion Meggendorfer‘s role as an NS-academic psychiatrist is most likely trapped in the professional understanding of his time.

Assessing the adherence behavior of glaucoma patients to topical eye drops.

PurposeThe goal of this study was to determine the adherence of glaucoma patients to their topical glaucoma medication. Furthermore, the relationships between the adherence behavior and the patients’ demographic data, clinical characteristics, and their knowledge about glaucoma were evaluated.MethodsThis was a prospective study of 123 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma who were given two standardized questionnaires. The first questionnaire at time point T1 comprised a knowledge assessment and the self-reported adherence measures Adherence to Refills and Medication Scale 2 (ARMS2), visual analogue scale for adherence (VAS-AD), and missed doses in the past 14 days. Two months later at time point T2, a second questionnaire reevaluated the adherence measures ARMS2, VAS-AD, and missed doses in the past 14 days.ResultsThere was a good correlation among all the three adherence measures at T1 and T2. The mean values of ARMS2 were in the lower range, with 3.38 at T1 and 2.8 at T2. The VAS-AD detected that 18.5% of patients always took their eye drops correctly, and 77.9% of patients reported not to have missed a single dose in the past 14 days. There was no significant correlation between the patients’ demographic data or knowledge about glaucoma and the adherence measures ARMS2 or VAS-AD. Among the clinical characteristics, only single-eye blindness showed a significant correlation with VAS-AD.ConclusionIn this study, no general relationships were found between medication adherence and the patients’ demographic data, clinical characteristics, or knowledge about glaucoma. It may be assumed that more individualized strategies are required to optimize adherence behavior.

The learning type makes the difference - the interrelation of Kolb's learning styles and psychological status of preclinical medical students at the University of Erlangen.

Theories on learning styles and types have been integral to discussions on the basics of teaching for nearly 40 years. The learning style typology of Kolb divides learners into four groups (Diverger, Assimilator, Converger and Accomodator), which differ both in terms of their learning behaviour as well as personality and preferences. We studied the sense of coherence and burnout symptoms in medical students of the preclinical semesters (1st to 4th semester) at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen within the context of the observed learning styles. A total of 530 students were interviewed in winter semester 2012/13 using standardized psychometric questionnaires. Our students showed a significant correlation between the respective learning styles and expression of a sense of coherence, as well as cognitive and emotional burnout symptoms. The learning styles of the students differed significantly within these same parameters. We also demonstrated that learning styles and types not only influence study performance, but that there are also relationships to sense of coherence and psychological ailments. A more forward-looking integration of the theory of learning types in the medical education curriculum could positively influence both the performance and psychological well-being of the students.

Characterisation of the tumor-suppressor gene gastrokine 2 in the human placenta

Characterisation of the tumor-suppressor gene gastrokine 2 in the human placenta

I.lect®, a pre‐graduate education model of implantology

In 2008, a consensus meeting of the Association for Dental Education in Europe stated that dental implant treatment represents a popular treatment alternative and, therefore, it should be an integral part of dental student pre-graduate education. In 2009, the Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen-Nuremberg implemented a voluntary, structured, education program for pre-graduate dental students, called 'i.lect'. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of the i.lect program. Concurrent to the dental curriculum, the i.lect program provides 200 hours in 3 years of theoretical and practical education on all aspects of modern dental implantology. We recruited dental students in the i.lect program and additionally students from 15 other universities that voluntarily participated in a single, 3-day implantology camp (R = 58). To demonstrate their knowledge on dental implant issues, both student groups completed a written examination that covered 'Basic information and materials of implantology', 'Implant planning' and 'Soft tissue management'. The students in the i.lect program achieved higher scores than students from the implantology camp on questions concerning 'basic implantology' and 'implant planning'. The results indicated that the structured i.lect undergraduate curriculum enhanced individual knowledge in the specific field of implantology. This program could have pilot character for use in other universities.

Monocytes rather than NK-cells contribute to antibody mediated protection from MCMV infection

Event Abstract Back to Event Monocytes rather than NK-cells contribute to antibody mediated protection from MCMV infection Anna Bootz1*, Thomas Winkler2 and Michael Mach1 1 Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander university Erlangen-Nürnberg,, Germany 2 Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Center for Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander university Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany Cytomegalovirus is a clinically important pathogen. Previously we could show using murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) that the adoptive transfer of immune serum into B- and T-cell deficient Rag-/- mice was highly effective against MCMV-induced morbidity and mortality. Antibodies can act either by direct neutralization of extracellular virus and/or by Fcγ receptor (FcγR)-mediated effector functions e.g. antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and/or complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). To analyze the contribution of the FcγRs we used animals lacking the FcRγ-chain (FcγRxRag-/-), which is the accessory chain of the activating murine IgG receptors FcγRI, FcγRIII and FcγRIV. Following serum therapy, FcγRxRag-/- mice developed high viral titers and showed a significantly shorter survival compared to the Rag-/- control mice indicating a substantial contribution of the Fcγ receptors in antibody protection. Animals lacking FcγRI, FcγRIII or FcγRIV individually were completely protected after immune serum therapy. Thus, NK cells which express only the FcγRIII seem not to participate significantly in antibody-mediated protection from MCMV. The depletion of NK cells in recipient mice confirmed this assumption. Mice lacking both, the FcγRIV and FcγRIII receptor developed high viral titers following serotherapy indicating redundant functions of the various FcγRs. Interestingly, adoptively transferred CD115+ monocytes from Rag-/- donors, bearing all activating Fc-receptors, into FcγRxRag-/- mice several days after immune serum treatment resulted in reduced viral titers in the recipient animals compared to the FcγRxRag-/- control mice. These results suggest an important role of monocytes in antibody mediated protection from MCMV infection. Keywords: Fc receptors, viral infection, NK cells, Monocytes, Antibodies, Viral Conference: 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI), Milan, Italy, 22 Aug - 27 Aug, 2013. Presentation Type: Abstract Topic: Adaptive Immunity Citation: Bootz A, Winkler T and Mach M (2013). Monocytes rather than NK-cells contribute to antibody mediated protection from MCMV infection. Front. Immunol. Conference Abstract: 15th International Congress of Immunology (ICI). doi: 10.3389/conf.fimmu.2013.02.00918 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 28 Jun 2013; Published Online: 22 Aug 2013. * Correspondence: Mrs. Anna Bootz, Institute for Clinical and Molecular Virology, Friedrich-Alexander university Erlangen-Nürnberg,, Erlangen, Germany, anna.bootz@viro.med.uni-erlangen.de Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Anna Bootz Thomas Winkler Michael Mach Google Anna Bootz Thomas Winkler Michael Mach Google Scholar Anna Bootz Thomas Winkler Michael Mach PubMed Anna Bootz Thomas Winkler Michael Mach Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Fragmentation genetics in the tropics

On the 23rd of February, some 50 Conservation Geneticists from around the global gathered for a half day symposium entitled ‘Fragmentation Genetics in the Tropics’ held at the Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen, Germany as part of the German Tropical Ecology Society annual meeting 2012. The overall aim of this symposium was to showcase the latest novel research applying molecular methods (landscape genetics, conservation genetics and phylogeography) to advance our understanding of genetic consequences of fragmentation in the tropics, particularly in the context of how population size and isolation influences population and species extinction. I provide a brief overview of the symposium and finish with a call for papers for a special issue of the sister journal Conservation Genetics, for which submission is now open.

Interview with Dirk Riehle

Prof. Dr. Dirk Riehle, M.B.A., is the Professor for Open Source Software at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. Before joining academia, Riehle led the Open Source Research Group at SAP Labs, LLC, in Palo Alto, California (Silicon Valley). Riehle founded the Wiki Symposium, a conference dedicated to wiki research and practice. He was also the lead architect of the first UML virtual machine. He is interested in open source software engineering and agile methods, complexity science and human collaboration, and software design. Prof. Riehle holds a Ph.D. in computer science from ETH Zürich and an M.B.A. from Stanford Business School. He welcomes email at dirk@riehle.org, blogs at http://dirkriehle.com, and tweets as @dirkriehle.

High-mobility group box 1 represents a potential marker of disease activity and novel therapeutic target in systemic lupus erythematosus

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein is a nuclear DNA-binding protein, which functions as an alarmin when released from cells. Recent studies implicate extracellular HMGB1 in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a prototypical autoimmune disease characterized by the formation of multiple autoantibodies, especially those directed against nucleosomes and double-stranded (ds)DNA. Elevated concentrations of HMGB1 are observed in sera as well as in skin lesions of patients with lupus. Of importance, serum HMGB1 and anti-HMGB1 autoantibody levels correlate with disease activity. In the blood of patients with SLE, HMGB1 is complexed with nucleosomes, at least partially. Moreover, HMGB1-nucleosome complexes from apoptotic cells activate antigen-presenting cells. Injection of HMGB1-nucleosome complexes into nonautoimmune mice results in the formation of autoantibodies against dsDNA and histones in a Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2-dependent manner. Additionally, HMGB1, as a part of DNA-anti-DNA immune complexes, can interact with receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) on the surface of plasmacytoid dendritic cells and B cells leading to TLR9-dependent interferon (IFN)α release and activation of autoreactive B cells, respectively. HMGB1 attached to neutrophil extracellular traps may contribute to IFNα production by facilitating the recognition of self-nucleic acids. Furthermore, HMGB1, complexed with DNA and pathogenic anti-DNA autoantibodies, activates its receptors, TLR2, TLR4 and RAGE, and may thereby be involved in anti-DNA autoantibody-induced kidney damage in lupus nephritis. Collectively, these findings suggest that HMGB1 is a potential marker of disease activity and, because of its probable involvement in the pathogenesis, a novel therapeutic target in SLE.

Histone de-acetylases and epigenetic regulation

Histone de-acetylases and epigenetic regulation

Preoperative evaluation and triage of women with suspicious adnexal masses using risk of malignancy index

To test the accuracy of risk of malignancy index (RMI) in preoperative prediction of malignancy and treatment of adnexal masses. A total of 302 women with ultrasound diagnosed adnexal masses, and serum measurement of cancer-associated antigen CA-125 levels, were studied. They all had surgical exploration between October 2001 and September 2005 at the Friedrich-Alexander University Women's Hospital, Erlangen, Germany. The RMI was based on menopausal status, ultrasound morphology of adnexal masses and absolute level of serum CA-125. A cut-off of 250 was chosen as the threshold for determining the type of surgical operations (laparotomy versus laparoscopy) and the skill of the surgeons (gynecological oncologist versus general gynecologist). The data obtained were analyzed for baseline characteristics using chi(2) test and analysis of variance (ANOVA). P < 0.05 were statistically significant. The various testing methods were evaluated for sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values. The best individual performance was found in RMI at a cut-off of 250 with a sensitivity of 88.2%, specificity of 74.3%, positive predictive value of 71.3% and negative predictive value of 90%. When RMI was used to triage patient treatment, 81.5% of patients who had laparoscopy had histological diagnosis of benign ovarian tumor and 7.5% had malignant tumor. In contrast, 74.4% of patients who had laparotomy had histological diagnosis of malignant ovarian tumor and 16% had benign tumor. Risk of malignant index is a reliable, cheap, readily available and cost-effective method of preoperative discrimination of benign from malignant adnexal masses. It is also helpful in triaging patients to different treatment groups.

Geschichte der Blasenekstrophiebehandlung in Deutschland

While repair of exstrophy has a long tradition in Germany, a comprehensive review of the medical history of exstrophy-epispadias repair and its frequent inconsistencies and setbacks in Germany has not previously been published. Numerous resources were used to collect the information described in this review. Older textbooks from the library of German Society of Urology (DGU) in Düsseldorf and from the School of Medicine Library at the Friedrich-Alexander University in Erlangen were used to collect information on the important steps in the treatment of bladder exstrophy and epispadias from the first report of it onward. A Medline search was done to collect appropriate information from after 1969. Schenck von Grafenberg was the first to describe exstrophy of the bladder, in his report published in 1597, while the term 'exstrophy' was first used by Chaussier in 1780. Isolated epispadias remained unknown and untreated until it was described by Morgagni in 1761. The initial attempts to treat this anomaly were restricted to controlling the incontinence. In 1869 Karl Thiersch described the etiology and anatomy of epispadias and reported on a case of epispadias reconstruction with a long-term follow-up of 11 years. As long ago as in 1897, Mickulicz enlarged a small exstrophic bladder by adding an ilial segment to make it possible to close the bladder. After the first really successful reconstruction of bladder exstrophy in 1942 by Young in the USA, various multiple-stage and single-stage reconstruction approaches emerged in Germany. From the start, urinary diversion was seen as an alternative to reconstruction in the treatment of bladder exstrophy. The first ureterosigmoidostomy was done in an exstrophy patient by Simon in Heidelberg in 1852, after which Maydl described a new technique based on transtrigonal sigmoidostomy for urinary diversion in 1894. There are now three approaches in current use in Germany for the management of bladder exstrophy-epispadias: reconstruction in various staged approaches, complete reconstruction in a single session, and the primary rectal reservoir (Mainz pouch II).

Elliptical Nonmechanical Corneal Trephination

To assess intraoperative complications and long-term outcome of elliptical excimer laser trephination for penetrating keratoplasties (EELPKs) performed at the Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen, between 1989 and 2002. This was a retrospective, longitudinal, single-center, clinical, interventional case series. Forty-two eyes (14 Fuchs dystrophy, 11 corneal ulcer, 7 aphakic/pseudophakic bullous keratopathy, 9 corneal scars, 1 keratotorus) after EELPK were observed. Trephination was performed with a 193-nm Meditec excimer laser along metal masks with 0-8 orientation teeth/notches. Horizontal/vertical graft diameters ranged from 7.0/6.0 to 8.0/7.0 mm, and 12 to 24 interrupted sutures were used. Simultaneously, 11 eyes (26.2%) underwent cataract surgery, 3 (7.1%) underwent intraocular lens (IOL) exchange, and 1 (2.4%) underwent secondary IOL implantation. The main outcome measures included intraoperative complications, immune reactions, and final astigmatism/visual acuity at the end of follow-up. During surgery, 4 (9.5%) recipients had iris bleedings, and 10 (23.8%) ring-shaped superficial corneal thermal donor damages were detected. One (2.4%) immunologic graft rejection was seen in Fuchs dystrophy, and 3 (7.1%) in corneal ulcers occurred during follow-up (4.7 +/- 3.2 years). At the end of follow-up, corrected visual acuity (0.1/0.4; P < 0.001) and keratometric astigmatism (2.3 D/4.7 D, P = 0.001) increased significantly. In EELPK, intraoperative disadvantages, such as the need for interrupted sutures and a tendency toward higher and more irregular astigmatism, may be expected. This study does not have the power to statistically confirm the tendency of EELPK toward a lower rate of immunologic graft rejections after normal-risk keratoplasty. However, EELPK may have advantages in deep or perforated elliptically shaped corneal ulcers (such as in acanthamoeba keratitis).

0820 産業・経済に関わる教育への新手法の試み : 第4報 230名を超える機械系学科の学生に行った特別講義「グローバル経済における産業・ビジネス・工学の進展と動向」と受講者に与えたインパクトの事例(S78-3 技術教育・工学教育(3),S78 技術教育・工学教育)

The current report shows an outline for the subject course, an approach employed for survey, and feedback of one of the Year 1999 course attendees, the second author, who is a doctoral degree candidate at Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, concerning the impact and influence of the subject course on her career thereafter.

FLUOROUS PHASE IN A CAGE

MOST CHEMISTS WOULD CONsider a 5-mL round-bottom 1 flask an appropriate vessel for a small-scale reaction. But for the researchers in Makoto Fujita's lab, that's about a million times too big. Fujita, a chemistry professor at the University of Tokyo, and his colleagues have been making nanoscale reaction chambers just 5 nm wide. Their latest invention—a tiny cage lined with 24 perfruorinated carbon chaim—offers a finery tuned environment for fluorous chemistry ( Science 2006,313 ,1273) There are many other examples of fluorous microenvironments, notes chemistry professor John A. Gladysz of Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen, Germany, in a commentary on the report. However, none of these assemblies features the elegant design elements and the degree of molecular control that characterize,, Fujita's complexes. Fujita's team designed an arrow- shaped molecule as their structure's basic building block. A bridging ligand forms the arrowhead, which attaches to a long fluorocarbon tail. In solution, 24 of...

Determination of lead, cadmium and mercury in blood for assessment of environmental exposure: A comparison between inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry

A biomonitoring method for the determination of Pb, Cd, and Hg at background levels in whole blood by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry is described. While this method was optimized for assessing Pb, Cd and Hg at environmental levels, it also proved suitable for assessing concentrations associated with occupational exposure. The method requires as little as 200 μl of blood that is diluted 1 + 49 for direct analysis in the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer. Method performance is compared to well-established AAS methods. Initial method validation was accomplished using National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Standard Reference Material 966, Toxic Metals in Bovine Blood. Method detection limits (3s) are 0.05 μg dl − 1 for Pb, 0.09 μg l − 1 for Cd; and 0.17 μg l − 1 for Hg. Repeatability ranged from 1.4% to 2.8% for Pb; 3% to 10% for Cd; and 2.6% to 8.8% for Hg. In contrast, AAS method detection limits were 1 μg dl − 1 , 0.54 μg l − 1 , and 0.6 μg l − 1 , for Pb, Cd, and Hg, respectively. Further performance assessments were conducted over a 2-year period via participation in four international External Quality Assessment Schemes (EQAS) operated specifically for toxic metals in blood. This includes schemes operated by (a) the New York State Department of Health's Wadsworth Center, Albany, NY, USA (b) L′Institut National de Santé Publique du Québec, Centre de Toxicologie du Québec, Canada, (c) Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen, Germany, and (d) the University of Surrey, Guildford, UK Trace Elements scheme. The EQAS data reflect analytical performance for blind samples analyzed independently by both inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and AAS methods.

Judging Nuremberg: The Laws, the Rallies, the Trials

The 60th anniversary of the trial against the major war criminals of World War II before the International Military Tribunal Trial (IMT) in Nuremberg was the subject matter of an international conference held in Nuremberg from Sunday, July 17 to Wednesday, July 20, 2005. The conference was presented by Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center, Institute on the Holocaust and the Law, Huntington, USA, in association with the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” – “Remembrance and Future” Fund, supported, amongst others, by the Higher Regional Court of Nuremberg, the Faculty of Law, Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen-Nuremberg and the German-American Lawyers’ Association.The pre-conference session was opened by the President of the Nuremberg Higher Regional Court, Dr. Stefan Franke, who welcomed the audience in “the room where world history was made”, the original setting of the IMT in courtroom 600 at the Nuremberg Palace of Justice. He was followed by Prof. Dr. Mathias Rohe (Dean of Law, Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen-Nuremberg), who, as a sign of remembrance, read out a list of those members of the University who were deprived of their doctorates during the Third Reich.