University of Giessen

The scolopidial accessory organ is a relatively small and compact chordotonal organ consisting of mechanosensory scolopidial sensilla. The accessory organ is placed in the tibia next to the larger subgenual organ in several Orthoptera. In other orthopteroid insects, the accessory organ detects substrate vibrations in low frequency ranges. Among Tettigonioidea katydids or bush-crickets, the accessory organ has been described so far in only a few species. The peripheral nerve pattern for the two chordotonal organs usually includes two separate nerve branches for each sensory organ. Within the Phaneropterinae (leaf katydids or sickle-bearing bush-crickets), some differences occur as the accessory organ can share a single nerve branch with the subgenual organ. Here, the accessory organ in two phaneropterine species of the East African genus Gonatoxia , G. immaculata Karsch, 1889, and G. helleri Hemp, 2016, is investigated. The aim is to document the accessory organ and its nerve pattern for further tettigonioid species and to provide a first report for species from the Holochlorini. The accessory organ was present in both species in all leg pairs. The number of sensilla was 5–12. The sensillum numbers were slightly lower in G. helleri than in G. immaculata . The accessory organ has a nerve branch that is separate from the nerve branch for the posterior subgenual organ. This neuroanatomy, including the nerve pattern, is similar to most other tettigonioids. The findings support the occurrence of the accessory organ among the different subgroups of Phaneropterinae, and in Tettigonioidea at large, and raise the possibility of behaviorally relevant vibrational inputs.

Topographic organization, whereby neighboring cortical locations encode neighboring features in sensory or cognitive space, is a fundamental principle of brain function. Existing approaches for obtaining individual-specific topographic maps either require resource-intensive functional neuroimaging or, when relying on population atlases, lack precision for individual-level inference. Here, we introduce deepRetinotopy toolbox, a deep learning-based application for predicting the functional topographic organization of human visual cortex from cortical anatomy alone. DeepRetinotopy toolbox produces accurate retinotopic maps across diverse experimental conditions, imaging sites, and scanner types. We demonstrate how predicted maps can be utilized to automatically generate individual-specific visual area boundaries, overcoming common biases in manual annotations. Finally, we applied our method to 11,060 anatomical scans, which allowed us to quantify age-related changes in the functional organization of visual cortex predictable from anatomy alone, underscoring the method’s broad utility for scalable, anatomy-based functional brain mapping.

Background: Patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases (IRD) are susceptible to influenza infections and their complications. However, they may avoid vaccination for fear of exacerbating their IRD. This study evaluates the 2023/24 influenza vaccine in IRD patients, aiming to provide recommendations for this group in the upcoming season. Methods: In this prospective, longitudinal study, we assessed the self-reported impact of influenza vaccination on patients with IRD. Participants were recruited nationwide between October and December 2023 and completed an online questionnaire after vaccination as well as at three and six months of follow-up. Results: Among 633 patients, 87.5% were female, with a median age of 50.4 (18-84) years. Post-vaccination, 50% experienced injection site pain; 41% reported no side effects. IRD flares occurred in 5%, with 1% requiring changes to immunomodulation. Among 428 patients with follow-up, influenza infections were reported in 38 patients (8.9%), including 10 (2.3%) with reinfections. No severe cases requiring hospitalization were reported. Spondyloarthritis patients had higher susceptibility to influenza (p = 0.002), accounting for 55.3% of infections. IRD flare-ups in the 12 months before vaccination predicted infections (p = 0.002). Conclusions: The 2023/24 vaccine was well tolerated by IRD patients, with no impact on the course of the disease in 95% of cases. Only 9% of patients reported influenza infections, none of which were severe. In light of these findings, physicians are advised to recommend vaccination to eligible IRD patients prior to or in the respective season.

ABSTRACT Introduction Mechanism-of-action studies on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing have so far focused mainly on the presumed active component of bilateral stimulation (BLS). In this pilot study, a further potential working mechanism was examined for the first time, involving stimulation-induced changes in emotional valence. Methods Twenty-five patients with posttraumatic stress disorder and 25 healthy controls between 19 and 64 years of age underwent a simulated intervention based on components of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Each participant was presented with 18 individual script pairs, simulating different valence shifts (valence switch into neutral, valence switch into positive, no valence shift), whereas BLS vs. no BLS were applied. During the intervention, subjective and physiological emotional responses were measured. Results When valence shifted to positive or neutral, a significant change in treatment-relevant subjective and physiological effect measures was found compared to scripts without a valence shift. For stimulation type, no subjective, but significant physiological effects were observed: The controls showed a physiological de-arousal under BLS, indicated by a decreased skin conductance level, and the patients showed an accelerated heart rate and an increased M. zygomaticus activity. Significant interaction effects were observed: Under BLS, the arousal-reducing and valence-changing effects of negative to neutral switches increased. Interestingly, these BLS effects became conscious to the participants only when valence switches were applied. Discussion The findings provide new insights into the potential emotion-modulating physiological effects of BLS and its interplay with changes in emotional valence.

Despite being a niche market, cargo bikes have significant potential to revolutionize urban mobility. Nevertheless, their adoption for personal use remains limited, with usage patterns concentrated among highly educated urban men aged 30–45 in German-speaking countries. This study aimed to explore potential user groups for cargo bikes and respective mobility services by applying an explorative segmentation approach. The research focused on understanding potential cargo bike users’ socio-demographic, socio-economic, and socio-spatial characteristics, along with their current mobility behaviors and attitudes. Therefore, an original survey of 1,511 participants was conducted across Austria, capturing various variables: travel behavior, mobility preferences, attitudes, and perceived barriers to cargo bike usage. The methodological approach involved CHAID and TwoStep cluster analysis. It resulted in the identification of six clusters with moderate quality, of which three can be interpreted as potential cargo bike user groups: (1) cargo bike-affine urban dwellers, (2) bike-affine best agers, and (3) younger multimodal urban dwellers with neutral-to-positive attitudes, offering potential to prevent car dependency. These groups show favourable conditions based on current mobility behavior and attitudes for cargo bike uptake, each group in different stages of the Stage Model of Self-Regulated Behavioural Change [Bamberg, Journal of Environmental Psychology 34, 2013]. Following behavioral change theories, encouraging cargo bike use will require a multi-level strategy addressing the specific needs of each stage, combining general awareness campaigns with targeted interventions. This study enhances the understanding of user segmentation and supports effective promotion of sustainable mobility]. Following behavioral change theories, encouraging cargo bike use will require a multi-level strategy addressing the specific needs of each stage, combining general awareness campaigns with targeted interventions. This study enhances the understanding of user segmentation and supports effective promotion of sustainable mobility.

Background/Objectives: Emerging biofilms of uropathogenic bacteria, particularly P. aeruginosa, on medical devices such as urinary catheters, lead to complications in the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTI). Considering the spread of antibiotic resistance, the search for alternative efficient control options for biofilms is of great medical interest. Methods: Curcumin, 1-monolaurin, n-undecyl-α/β-l-fucopyranoside, and the fungal metabolite terrein were investigated for their influence on biofilm formation by P. aeruginosa on latex catheter pieces in artificial urine (AU), monitoring the number of colony-forming units per cm Latex-Catheter (CFU/cm Latex-Catheter). Results: Significant inhibition of P. aeruginosa biofilm formation [55.6% CFU reduction/cm2] was observed with the fungal metabolite terrein at 256 µg/mL AU. At a concentration of 512 µg/mL AU, terrein achieved almost complete inhibition of biofilm formation. n-undecyl-α/β-l-fucopyranoside inhibited biofilm formation [58.3% CFU reduction/cm2] by P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 at 512 µg/mL AU. Compared to that, it caused an increase in biofilm formation [87.0% CFU increase/cm2] by P. aeruginosa PA 01 at 256 µg/mL AU. This study is limited by the fact that no investigations into the possible cytotoxicity of the two active substances, terrein and n-undecyl-α/β-l-fucopyranoside, on healthy eukaryotic cells have been carried out. Conclusions: Natural substances may be a promising approach to prevent the formation of P. aeruginosa biofilms. For antibacterial applications, fungal metabolites, such as terrein, offer a novel approach to prevent biofilms in urological practice.

Ligand-bound carboxylic acids are considered a stabilized fraction of mineral-adsorbed carbon in soil. Carboxyl- 14 C labeled phenylalanine or salicylic acid were adsorbed onto goethite, kaolinite, or illite, and subsequently incubated in both loamy and sandy arable topsoil for three weeks. Contrary to our expectations, more mineral-adsorbed carboxyl-C was mineralized than remaining C in salicylic acid and phenylalanine irrespective of mineral type or soil due to competitive desorption followed by preferential mineralization. Factors that control the desorbability of organic molecules are more important for their stabilization in the soil than sorption strength. • Carboxyl- 14 C labeled acids were adsorbed onto minerals, then incubated in arable topsoil • More mineral-adsorbed carboxyl-C was mineralized than the compounds' remaining C • Competitive desorption likely overrides ligand-bound carboxyl C stability

ABSTRACTThe subgenual organ complex is an elaborate mechanosensory complex in the insect leg containing chordotonal organs. In stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea), it includes the subgenual organ and the distal organ. This study documents the neuroanatomy and functional morphology of the subgenual organ complex in the stick insect Bacillus rossius (Bacillidae: Bacillinae) by axonal tracing and micro‐computed tomography. It also considers the first report on the subgenual organ complex in stick insects that reported a relatively simple organization of the sensory organ and its nerves on the basis of histological sections. Our findings show the neuroanatomy and nerve pattern of the subgenual organ complex in B. rossius with a subgenual organ and a distal organ. The subgenual organ is placed in the hemolymph channel. The distal organ is also located in the hemolymph channel, and it has several attachment elements, linking it to the cuticle of the tibia, the tibial tracheae, and the subgenual organ. The connections to the tibia may form an input pathway for vibrations transmitted over the cuticle, whereas the position in the hemolymph channel and the connection to the subgenual organ indicate a mechanical activation by vibrations transmitted via the hemolymph. Overall, the axonal tracing preparations document neuroanatomical details for B. rossius and resolve the numbers of sensilla in the sensory organs, the length of the distal organ, and confirm a single nerve branch for the subgenual organ. The data provide support for a consistent organization of the subgenual organ complex within stick insects.

Recent reforms in chemistry education aim to shift the goals of learning from knowing chemistry facts toward using chemistry understandings to make sense of natural phenomena ( i.e. , doing science). Doing so requires that we attend to, and work to shift, how and why students engage in class activities. To accomplish this, we must understand how the structure and enactment of chemistry courses communicate useful ways of knowing and learning – that is, how our courses convey epistemic messages. This study contributes to the larger goal of understanding epistemic messaging in science classes by investigating epistemic messages embedded in introductory organic chemistry lectures on nucleophilic substitution reactions. Specifically, our analysis describes the epistemic operations communicated ( i.e. , how to engage with knowledge), and the values ascribed to these operations for achieving epistemic aims ( i.e. , why engage with this knowledge). Analysis of seven lectures revealed that instructors communicated various epistemic operations, with notable variation in types and frequency. Most prominent were operations related to evaluating properties of chemical structures and predicting the pathway or outcome of chemical reactions. In contrast, operations associated with explaining or controlling reactions appeared less often. Some messages also conveyed the value of epistemic operations, either emphasizing their relevance for assessment or for doing science. The findings suggest that epistemic messages in lectures can frame how one should engage with knowledge in organic chemistry and why, although, in many cases, this orientation may not yet be explicit enough to be consequential to students.

Spider venoms are primarily composed of small neurotoxic peptides. However, recent studies suggested a hitherto overlooked diversity of spider venom enzymes, although their functional space still remains largely unexplored. We tested 10 spider venoms for enzymatic activities covering six enzyme classes and found that all tested enzymatic activities can be detected in at least some of the venoms and that hyaluronidases exhibit particularly high enzymatic activities. With this, our study provides functional evidence for the proposed biological significance of enzymes in spider venoms, but more detailed investigations are required.