@article{Pandey2023, author = {Pandey, Yogesh}, title = {Enriched cell-free and cell-based native membrane derived vesicles (nMV) enabling rapid in-vitro electrophysiological analysis of the voltage-gated sodium channel 1.5.}, series = {Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes}, volume = {1865}, journal = {Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Biomembranes}, number = {5}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {1879-2642}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbamem.2023.184144}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Here, we demonstrate the utility of native membrane derived vesicles (nMVs) as tools for expeditious electrophysiological analysis of membrane proteins. We used a cell-free (CF) and a cell-based (CB) approach for preparing protein-enriched nMVs. We utilized the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) lysate-based cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) system to enrich ER-derived microsomes in the lysate with the primary human cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel 1.5 (hNaV1.5; SCN5A) in 3 h. Subsequently, CB-nMVs were isolated from fractions of nitrogen-cavitated CHO cells overexpressing the hNaV1.5. In an integrative approach, nMVs were micro-transplanted into Xenopus laevis oocytes. CB-nMVs expressed native lidocaine-sensitive hNaV1.5 currents within 24 h; CF-nMVs did not elicit any response. Both the CB- and CF-nMV preparations evoked single-channel activity on the planar lipid bilayer while retaining sensitivity to lidocaine application. Our findings suggest a high usability of the quick-synthesis CF-nMVs and maintenance-free CB-nMVs as ready-to-use tools for in-vitro analysis of electrogenic membrane proteins and large, voltage-gated ion channels.}, language = {en} } @article{GlowinskiAutenrieth2023, author = {Glowinski, Ingrid and Autenrieth, Marijke}, title = {Eigene Forschung im Labor, um naturwissenschaftliche Erkenntnisgewinnung kompetent unterrichten zu k{\"o}nnen?}, series = {PSI-Potsdam: Ergebnisbericht zu den Aktivit{\"a}ten im Rahmen der Qualit{\"a}tsoffensive Lehrerbildung (2019-2023) (Potsdamer Beitr{\"a}ge zur Lehrerbildung und Bildungsforschung ; 3)}, journal = {PSI-Potsdam: Ergebnisbericht zu den Aktivit{\"a}ten im Rahmen der Qualit{\"a}tsoffensive Lehrerbildung (2019-2023) (Potsdamer Beitr{\"a}ge zur Lehrerbildung und Bildungsforschung ; 3)}, number = {3}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, isbn = {978-3-86956-568-2}, issn = {2626-3556}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-61792}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-617922}, pages = {273 -- 293}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Im Rahmen des PSI-Projekts wurde eine Lehrveranstaltung konzipiert, die Lehramtsstudierenden einen vertieften Einblick sowohl in den Ablauf von Forschung als auch eine Bearbeitung einer eigenen experimentellen Forschungsaufgabe erm{\"o}glichen soll. Anlass waren die Ber{\"u}cksichtigung eines „Wissens {\"u}ber Erkenntnisgewinnung in der Disziplin" im Modell des „Erweiterten Fachwissens f{\"u}r den schulischen Kontext" (PSI) sowie Erkenntnisse empirischer Studien, die die Relevanz eigener Forschungserfahrung f{\"u}r das Unterrichten naturwissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisgewinnungsprozesse zeigen. Hier stellen wir eine neue Lehrveranstaltung (4 SWS) vor, die den angehenden Lehrkr{\"a}ften Forschungserfahrung erm{\"o}glicht (Seminar und Praktikum). Die Lehrveranstaltung vermittelt Einblicke in Forschung und die „Natur der Naturwissenschaften", erm{\"o}glicht das Durchf{\"u}hren eigener wissenschaftlicher und schulrelevanter Experimente und bietet eine angemessene Reflexion {\"u}ber die verschiedenen Kurselemente. Die Evaluationsergebnisse sind {\"u}berwiegend positiv, zeigen aber auch, dass f{\"u}r die Studierenden die wahrgenommene Schulrelevanz und die fachdidaktischen Aspekte ein wichtiges Kriterium f{\"u}r die positive Bewertung sind.}, language = {de} } @article{HermanussenSchefflerPulunganetal.2023, author = {Hermanussen, Michael and Scheffler, Christiane and Pulungan, Aman B. and Bandyopadhyay, Arup Ratan and Ghosh, Jyoti Ratan and {\"O}zdemir, Ay{\c{s}}eg{\"u}l and Koca {\"O}zer, Ba{\c{s}}ak and Musalek, Martin and Lebedeva, Lidia and Godina, Elena and Bogin, Barry and Tutkuviene, Janina and Budrytė, Milda and Gervickaite, Simona and Limony, Yehuda and Kirchengast, Sylvia and Buston, Peter and Groth, Detlef and R{\"o}sler, Antonia and Gasparatos, Nikolaos and Erofeev, Sergei and Novine, Masiar and Navazo, B{\´a}rbara and Dahinten, Silvia and Gomuła, Aleksandra and Nowak-Szczepańska, Natalia and Kozieł, Sławomir}, title = {Environment, social behavior, and growth}, series = {Human biology and public health}, volume = {1}, journal = {Human biology and public health}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, issn = {2748-9957}, doi = {10.52905/hbph2023.1.59}, pages = {14}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Twenty-four scientists met for the annual Auxological conference held at Krobielowice castle, Poland, to discuss the diverse influences of the environment and of social behavior on growth following last year's focus on growth and public health concerns (Hermanussen et al., 2022b). Growth and final body size exhibit marked plastic responses to ecological conditions. Among the shortest are the pygmoid people of Rampasasa, Flores, Indonesia, who still live under most secluded insular conditions. Genetics and nutrition are usually considered responsible for the poor growth in many parts of this world, but evidence is accumulating on the prominent impact of social embedding on child growth. Secular trends not only in the growth of height, but also in body proportions, accompany the secular changes in the social, economic and political conditions, with major influences on the emotional and educational circumstances under which the children grow up (Bogin, 2021). Aspects of developmental tempo and aspects of sports were discussed, and the impact of migration by the example of women from Bangladesh who grew up in the UK. Child growth was considered in particular from the point of view of strategic adjustments of individual size within the network of its social group. Theoretical considerations on network characteristics were presented and related to the evolutionary conservation of growth regulating hypothalamic neuropeptides that have been shown to link behavior and physical growth in the vertebrate species. New statistical approaches were presented for the evaluation of short term growth measurements that permit monitoring child growth at intervals of a few days and weeks.}, language = {en} } @article{GasparatosSchefflerHermanussen2023, author = {Gasparatos, Nikolaos and Scheffler, Christiane and Hermanussen, Michael}, title = {Assessing the applicability of changepoint analysis to analyse short-term growth}, series = {Human biology and public health}, volume = {1}, journal = {Human biology and public health}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, issn = {2748-9957}, doi = {10.52905/hbph2023.1.62}, pages = {15}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Background: Assessing short-term growth in humans is still fraught with difficulties. Especially when looking for small variations and increments, such as mini growth spurts, high precision instruments or frequent measurements are necessary. Daily measurements however require a lot of effort, both for anthropologists and for the subjects. Therefore, new sophisticated approaches are needed that reduce fluctuations and reveal underlying patterns. Objectives: Changepoints are abrupt variations in the properties of time series data. In the context of growth, such variations could be variation in mean height. By adjusting the variance and using different growth models, we assessed the ability of changepoint analysis to analyse short-term growth and detect mini growth spurts. Sample and Methods: We performed Bayesian changepoint analysis on simulated growth data using the bcp package in R. Simulated growth patterns included stasis, linear growth, catch-up growth, and mini growth spurts. Specificity and a normalised variant of the Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) were used to assess the algorithm's performance. Welch's t-test was used to compare differences of the mean. Results: First results show that changepoint analysis can detect mini growth spurts. However, the ability to detect mini growth spurts is highly dependent on measurement error. Data preparation, such as ranking and rotating time series data, showed negligible improvements. Missing data was an issue and may affect the prediction quality of the classification metrics. Conclusion: Changepoint analysis is a promising tool to analyse short-term growth. However, further optimisation and analysis of real growth data is needed to make broader generalisations.}, language = {en} } @article{GrothSchefflerHermanussen2023, author = {Groth, Detlef and Scheffler, Christiane and Hermanussen, Michael}, title = {Human growth data analysis and statistics - the 5th G{\"u}lpe International Student Summer School}, series = {Human biology and public health}, volume = {1}, journal = {Human biology and public health}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, issn = {2748-9957}, doi = {10.52905/hbph2023.1.70}, pages = {5}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The Summer School in G{\"u}lpe (Ecological Station of the University of Potsdam) offers an exceptional learning opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world problems. With the guidance of experienced human biologists, statisticians, and programmers, students have the unique chance to analyze their own data and gain valuable insights. This interdisciplinary setting not only bridges different research areas but also leads to highly valuable outputs. The progress of students within just a few days is truly remarkable, especially when they are motivated and receive immediate feedback on their questions, problems, and results. The Summer School covers a wide range of topics, with this year's focus mainly on two areas: understanding the impact of socioeconomic and physiological factors on human development and mastering statistical techniques for analyzing data such as changepoint analysis and the St. Nicolas House Analysis (SNHA) to visualize interacting variables. The latter technique, born out of the Summer School's emphasis on gaining comprehensive data insights and understanding major relationships, has proven to be a valuable tool for researchers in the field. The articles in this special issue demonstrate that the Summer School in G{\"u}lpe stands as a testament to the power of practical learning and collaboration. Students who attend not only gain hands-on experience but also benefit from the expertise of professionals and the opportunity to engage with peers from diverse disciplines.}, language = {en} } @article{RoeslerSchefflerHermanussen2023, author = {R{\"o}sler, Antonia and Scheffler, Christiane and Hermanussen, Michael}, title = {No evidence of growth impairment after forced migration in Polish school children after World War II}, series = {Human biology and public health}, volume = {1}, journal = {Human biology and public health}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, issn = {2748-9957}, doi = {10.52905/hbph2023.1.68}, pages = {8}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Background: Migration is omnipresent. It can come hand in hand with emotional stress which is known to influence the growth of children. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse whether type of migration (forced or voluntary) and the geographic direction had influenced the growth of Polish children after World War II. Sample and Methods: A sub dataset of 2,208 individuals between the ages of 2-20, created from data of the 2nd Polish Anthropological Survey carried out in 1966-1969, including anthropometrical data and social and demographic information based on questionnaire, was used to analyse migration effects. Results: No association could be found between the direction of migration and the height of the children. The confidence intervals of the means of all classified migration categories overlap significantly and the effect size of the influence of migration category on height is ds=.140, which is too low to see any effects, even if there were one. Conclusion: Neither forced nor voluntary migration in Poland after World War II led to a change in height in children of migrating families.}, language = {en} } @article{HermanussenScheffler2023, author = {Hermanussen, Michael and Scheffler, Christiane}, title = {Nutrition, size, and tempo}, series = {Human biology and public health}, volume = {2022}, journal = {Human biology and public health}, number = {3}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, issn = {2748-9957}, doi = {10.52905/hbph2022.3.37}, pages = {11}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Nutrition is a prerequisite, but not a regulator of growth. Growth is defined as increase in size over time. The understanding of growth includes an understanding of the binary concept of physical time and individual tempo. Excess food causes tempo acceleration. Food restriction delays tempo. Tempo reflects the pace of life. It is a dynamic physical response to a broad spectrum of social, economic, political, and emotional (SEPE) factors and can affect life expectancy. Variations in tempo create distortions of the z-score patterns of height and weight. Illness or intermediate food shortage lead to intermediate halts in development and create short dips in the z-score patterns. Children who develop throughout life at delayed pace usually run at lower z-scores for height and weight, and show a characteristic adolescent trough; children who develop throughout life at faster than average pace usually run at higher z-scores and show a characteristic adolescent peak in their z-score patterns. During adolescence, almost half of the height variance is due to tempo variation. There is not one tempo for the whole body. Different organ systems grow and mature at different pace.}, language = {en} } @article{SchefflerHermanussen2023, author = {Scheffler, Christiane and Hermanussen, Michael}, title = {What does stunting tell us?}, series = {Human biology and public health}, volume = {2022}, journal = {Human biology and public health}, number = {3}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, issn = {2748-9957}, doi = {10.52905/hbph2022.3.36}, pages = {1 -- 15}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Stunting is commonly linked with undernutrition. Yet, already after World War I, German pediatricians questioned this link and stated that no association exists between nutrition and height. Recent analyses within different populations of Low- and middle-income countries with high rates of stunted children failed to support the assumption that stunted children have a low BMI and skinfold sickness as signs of severe caloric deficiency. So, stunting is not a synonym of malnutrition. Parental education level has a positive influence on body height in stunted populations, e.g., in India and in Indonesia. Socially disadvantaged children tend to be shorter and lighter than children from affluent families. Humans are social mammals; they regulate growth similar to other social mammals. Also in humans, body height is strongly associated with the position within the social hierarchy, reflecting the personal and group-specific social, economic, political, and emotional environment. These non-nutritional impact factors on growth are summarized by the concept of SEPE (Social-Economic-Political-Emotional) factors. SEPE reflects on prestige, dominance-subordination, social identity, and ego motivation of individuals and social groups.}, language = {en} } @article{HakeBodenbergerGroth2023, author = {Hake, Tim and Bodenberger, Bernhard and Groth, Detlef}, title = {In Python available: St. Nicolas House Algorithm (SNHA) with bootstrap support for improved performance in dense networks}, series = {Human biology and public health}, volume = {1}, journal = {Human biology and public health}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam}, address = {Potsdam}, issn = {2748-9957}, doi = {10.52905/hbph2023.1.63}, pages = {16}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The St. Nicolas House Algorithm (SNHA) finds association chains of direct dependent variables in a data set. The dependency is based on the correlation coefficient, which is visualized as an undirected graph. The network prediction is improved by a bootstrap routine. It enables the computation of the empirical p-value, which is used to evaluate the significance of the predicted edges. Synthetic data generated with the Monte Carlo method were used to firstly compare the Python package with the original R package, and secondly to evaluate the predicted network using the sensitivity, specificity, balanced classification rate and the Matthew's correlation coefficient (MCC). The Python implementation yields the same results as the R package. Hence, the algorithm was correctly ported into Python. The SNHA scores high specificity values for all tested graphs. For graphs with high edge densities, the other evaluation metrics decrease due to lower sensitivity, which could be partially improved by using bootstrap,while for graphs with low edge densities the algorithm achieves high evaluation scores. The empirical p-values indicated that the predicted edges indeed are significant.}, language = {en} } @article{PetrichAjiDunsingetal.2023, author = {Petrich, Annett and Aji, Amit Koikkarah and Dunsing, Valentin and Chiantia, Salvatore}, title = {Benchmarking of novel green fluorescent proteins for the quantification of protein oligomerization in living cells}, series = {PLoS one}, volume = {18}, journal = {PLoS one}, number = {8}, publisher = {PLoS}, address = {San Fransisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0285486}, pages = {13}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Protein-protein-interactions play an important role in many cellular functions. Quantitative non-invasive techniques are applied in living cells to evaluate such interactions, thereby providing a broader understanding of complex biological processes. Fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy describes a group of quantitative microscopy approaches for the characterization of molecular interactions at single cell resolution. Through the obtained molecular brightness, it is possible to determine the oligomeric state of proteins. This is usually achieved by fusing fluorescent proteins (FPs) to the protein of interest. Recently, the number of novel green FPs has increased, with consequent improvements to the quality of fluctuation-based measurements. The photophysical behavior of FPs is influenced by multiple factors (including photobleaching, protonation-induced "blinking" and long-lived dark states). Assessing these factors is critical for selecting the appropriate fluorescent tag for live cell imaging applications. In this work, we focus on novel green FPs that are extensively used in live cell imaging. A systematic performance comparison of several green FPs in living cells under different pH conditions using Number \& Brightness (N \& B) analysis and scanning fluorescence correlation spectroscopy was performed. Our results show that the new FP Gamillus exhibits higher brightness at the cost of lower photostability and fluorescence probability (pf), especially at lower pH. mGreenLantern, on the other hand, thanks to a very high pf, is best suited for multimerization quantification at neutral pH. At lower pH, mEGFP remains apparently the best choice for multimerization investigation. These guidelines provide the information needed to plan quantitative fluorescence microscopy involving these FPs, both for general imaging or for protein-protein-interactions quantification via fluorescence fluctuation-based methods.}, language = {en} }