Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg

About: Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg is a education organization based out in Halle, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Liquid crystal. The organization has 20232 authors who have published 38773 publications receiving 965004 citations. The organization is also known as: MLU & University of Wittenberg.

CzcD is a heavy metal ion transporter involved in regulation of heavy metal resistance in Ralstonia sp. strain CH34.

Abstract: The Czc system of Ralstonia sp. strain CH34 mediates resistance to cobalt, zinc, and cadmium through ion efflux catalyzed by the CzcCB2A cation-proton antiporter. The CzcD protein is involved in the regulation of the Czc system. It is a membrane-bound protein with at least four transmembrane α-helices and is a member of a subfamily of the cation diffusion facilitator (CDF) protein family, which occurs in all three domains of life. The deletion of czcD in a Ralstonia sp. led to partially constitutive expression of the Czc system due to an increased transcription of the structural czcCBA genes, both in the absence and presence of inducers. The czcD deletion could be fully complemented in trans by CzcD and two other CDF proteins from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ZRC1p and COT1p. All three proteins mediated a small but significant resistance to cobalt, zinc, and cadmium in Ralstonia, and this resistance was based on a reduced accumulation of the cations. Thus, CzcD appeared to repress the Czc system by an export of the inducing cations.

Criteria for Reporting the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions in healthcare: revised guideline (CReDECI 2)

Abstract: Many healthcare interventions are of complex nature, consisting of several interacting components. Complex interventions are often described inadequately. A reporting guideline for complex interventions was published in 2012 (Criteria for Reporting the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions in healthcare, CReDECI) and was recently checked for its practicability. The reporting guideline was developed following the recommendations of the EQUATOR network but excluding a formal consensus process. Therefore, a consensus process was initiated, to revise the reporting guideline. We used a three-phase consensus process consisting of (1) a web-based feedback survey on the published reporting guideline, (2) a face-to-face consensus conference, and (3) a final online review and feedback round to create the revised CReDECI. The consensus process was organized and conducted via the REFLECTION network. A total of 45 attendees from 16 European countries took part in the face-to-face consensus conference. The revised reporting guideline (CReDECI 2) comprises 13 items on three stages: development, feasibility and piloting, and evaluation of a complex intervention. Each item is illustrated by an explanation and an example. In contrast with most of the available reporting guidelines, CReDECI 2 does not focus on a specific study design, to reflect the use of different qualitative and quantitative designs and methods in the development and evaluation of complex interventions. CReDECI 2 is a formally consented reporting guideline aiming to improve the reporting quality of the development and evaluation stages of complex interventions in healthcare. Since the guideline does not focus on a specific study design, design-specific reporting guidelines may additionally be used.

Phase-rectified signal averaging detects quasi-periodicities in non-stationary data

Abstract: We present an efficient technique for the study of quasi-periodic oscillations in noisy, non-stationary signals, which allows the assessment of system dynamics despite phase resetting and noise. It is based on the definition of anchor points in the signal (in the simplest case increases or decreases of the signal) which are used to align (i.e., phase-rectify) the oscillatory fluctuations followed by an averaging of the surroundings of the anchor points. We give theoretical arguments for the advantage of the technique, termed phase-rectified signal averaging (PRSA), over conventional spectral analysis and show in a numerical test using surrogate heartbeat data that the threshold intensity for the detection of additional quasi-periodic components is approximately 75% lower with PRSA. With the use of different anchor point criteria PRSA is capable of separately analysing quasi-periodicities that occur during increasing or decreasing parts of the signal. We point to a variety of applications in the analysis of medical, biological, and geophysical data containing quasi-periodicities besides non-stationarities and 1 / f noise.