open_UMR

Aaron Beller

A background image with floating blue debris and more debris flowing helix-like in the background

Willkommen auf open_UMR!

Open_UMR ist ein digitales Repositorium: Ein fachübergreifendes Publikationsportal, das wissenschaftliche Textpublikationen, Ressourcen, Forschungsdaten und Software von Universitätsangehörigen der Philipps-Universität sammelt, verfügbar hält und im open access offen zugänglich macht. Im Sinne einer hohen Qualität sowie einer potentiellen Nachnutzbarkeit ist dieses Repositorium kuratiert.

Wählen Sie einen Bereich, um dessen Inhalt anzusehen.

Neuzugänge

Open Access
Psychobiological and Contextual Influences on Treatment Expectations
(open_UMR, 2026-09)
Basedow, Lukas Andreas
;
Elsenbruch, Sigrid
;
Schmidt, Katharina
;
Bingel, Ulrike
;
Aulenkamp, Jana
Background: Treatment expectations have a significant impact on health interventions and play a pivotal role in placebo and nocebo effects. In the current analysis, we investigated the influence of psycho-biological and contextual factors on treatment expectations in placebo- and nocebo-related intervention studies. Methods: Data from seven experimental and clinical studies was pooled (n = 173 participants with chronic pain, psoriasis or depression, n = 420 healthy participants). Treatment expectations as well as chronic stress, somatosensory amplification, trait depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed via self-report. As a measure of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis functioning, the cortisol awakening response (CAR) was calculated from saliva samples. Results: Patients in clinical studies reported higher improvement expectations (OR [95% CI] 5.27 [1.20, 23.2]) and side effect expectations (OR [95% CI] = 7.68 [2.16, 27.3]) compared to healthy participants in experimental settings. In the clinical samples, higher levels of stress were associated with higher levels of worsening expectations (OR [95%CI] = 1.88 [1.02, 3.44]). Additionally, previous experience with the intervention was associated with lower side effect expectations (OR [95% CI] = 0.28 [0.11, 0.70]), while somatosensory amplification was associated with higher side effect expectations (OR [95%CI] = 1.28 [1.04, 1.58]). The CAR was not associated with any treatment expectation. Conclusion: This large-scale analysis identified key correlates of treatment expectations while simultaneously finding no support for an association with the CAR. Clinical samples reported higher improvement and side effect expectations, suggesting that intervention relevance and meaning shape expectations and highlighting the importance of contextual factors in modulating expectations.
Open Access
Hirnstrukturelle Assoziationen suizidaler Phänotypen bei vorliegener Diagnose einer Major Depressive Disorder
(2026-04-16)
Scholl, Lea Julia
;
Nenadić, Igor
;
Eilsberger, Friederike
Unipolar depression is one of the most common mental illnesses worldwide and is associated with considerable individual and social burdens. Of particular relevance is suicidality, which includes suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts. Despite the established assumption that depression is a risk factor for suicidality, little is known about the aetiology and neurobiology of suicidality, which makes it difficult to predict future suicidal acts. Previous studies on the neurobiological and structural correlates of different levels of suicidality in depressive patients have revealed changes in various transmitter systems, associations with inflammatory processes and structural differences. These were most frequently reported in the areas of the prefrontal cortex, the insula, the basal ganglia, the thalamus and the temporal lobes. However, the state of research to date must be regarded as heterogeneous overall and provides partly contradictory results. Further research in this area is therefore necessary. The present study addresses this need and used voxel-based and surface-based morphometry as well as diffusion tensor imaging to investigate neurostructural correlates in depressive patients with different degrees of suicidality. Changes in grey matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness and white matter integrity indicated by fractional anisotropy (FA) were analyzed, particularly in the prefrontal cortex and adjacent areas and fiber tracts. The German version of the SBQ-R was used to determine suicidality and to classify suicidality levels. The analyses were divided into two approaches. In the dimensional approach, a linear regression was used to investigate the correlation of neurostructural correlates with increasing suicidality in n=236 depressive patients (GMV, cortical thickness) and n=200 depressive patients (FA). In addition, an analysis was conducted using a categorical approach, in which an ANOVA was used to compare the subgroups nSB (non-suicidal behavior), SI (suicidal ideation) and SA (suicide attempt) in n=96 depressive patients (GMV, cortical thickness) and n=81 depressive patients (FA). In the context of the dimensional approach, there were no significant correlations of GMV or cortical thickness with an increasing degree of suicidality. However, regarding the categorical approach, differences in GMV were observed in the group comparison SA>SI in areas of the temporal and parietal lobe as well as the thalamus of the left hemisphere. The described GMV difference in the temporal lobe could be assigned more closely to the fusiform gyrus and inferior temporal gyrus. Structural changes in these areas have hardly been investigated to date. Previous studies have mainly focused on functional correlations, but the results appear plausible in view of the assigned function of the affected brain regions and support the described changes in functional connectivity. The GMV difference found in the parietal lobe affected the supramarginal gyrus, the postcentral gyrus and the parietal operculum. Previous findings from imaging studies confirm functional and structural changes, thus supporting the involvement of these regions and suggesting that this could represent a neurobiological basis of suicidal behavior in depression. The findings described in thalamus fit into a series of inconsistent study results regarding volumetric, structural and functional changes, which, however, point to an overall involvement of the thalamus in suicidal behavior. No significant group differences in cortical thickness were observed. When investigating the FA, a negative correlation with an increasing degree of suicidal behavior was observed in different neural pathways. In the right hemisphere, significant effects were observed in the anterior thalamic radiatio (ATR), the corticospinal tract (CST), the superior longitudinal fasciculus (FLS) and the superior temporal fasciculus (FLST). Significant left hemispheric effects were found in the CST, FLS and FLST. There were also group differences regarding the FA of the right hemispheric ATR and the bilateral CST when comparing SA
Open Access
Viral Networking, Functional Morphing, and Resilient Edge Computing in Emergency Scenarios
(2026-08-25)
Sommer, Markus
;
Freisleben, Bernd
;
Koldehofe, Boris
As the 21st century progresses, urban infrastructure will come under ever-increasing stress, driven and intensified by societal, cultural, and ecological developments that began in the 20th century and have gained momentum over decades of often willful neglect by authorities. On the one hand, we have a continuing process of urbanisation across all societies, which concentrates more and more of the world's population in cities and metropolitan areas. In many cases, these human masses crowd into areas that were never designed to accommodate such a large population. As a result, in many of the world's largest cities, urban infrastructure operates at, or beyond, capacity, making it highly susceptible to disruptions. When capacity improvements are attempted, this work is often done haphazardly, leading to infrastructure becoming increasingly brittle. This leaves our urban infrastructure in a state in which even small shocks can trigger an irrecoverable death spiral leading to system collapse. On the other hand, the unabated march of climate change is taking us into a future where large-scale climate disasters become not only ever more likely, but unavoidable. When such an ecological disaster, be it storms, floods, or heatwaves, strikes an urban conglomeration that has already been stretched to its breaking point, catastrophe is almost inevitable. Therefore, if we are to survive and thrive in this ever bleaker future, we must transform our human environment to make it more resilient to the forces arrayed to destroy it. Naturally, any such attempt will require a broad, interdisciplinary approach. This thesis represents a small yet important contribution to this task, the hardening of urban communication infrastructure that enables populations to remain in contact even during disasters. In particular, three distinct yet interlocking approaches are examined: Viral Networking enables self-propagating reconfiguration of networking hardware to form resilient ad hoc networks for crisis communication. We present several approaches to apply this concept to varying network architectures and topologies, with work covering all layers of the protocol stack. Functional Morphing enables autonomous reconfiguration of hardware to acquire and expose new capabilities during times of crisis, which may not be useful/present during everyday operation. We present both an abstract model for functional morphing to enable the approach to a variety of use cases, as well as several case studies that demonstrate the concept's viability on real-world hardware. Resilient Edge Computing builds on the previous two technologies to enable resilient in-situ data processing without a global Internet uplink. We present the REC platform, which enables the distributed dispatch of computing jobs and the resilient preservation of data across the network.
Open Access
Lebensqualität, Erwartung und Zufriedenheit mit festsitzenden Implantatversorgungen sowie deren Zusammenhang mit dem klinischen Langzeiterfolg
(2026-07-13)
Ulmrich, Lard-Frederik
;
Winter, Julia
;
Mengel, Reiner
Background: The aim of this cohort study including patients with a history of periodontal disease and dental implants was to investigate oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL), patient expectations, and satisfaction with fixed implant- supported prosthetic restorations. In addition, the association between OHRQoL, clinical parameters, and peri-implant bone loss (BL) was analyzed. Materials and Methods: A total of 64 patients from the University Hospital of Giessen and Marburg (UKGM) in Marburg were included, in whom 213 implants were placed between 1990 and 2018 and subsequently restored with single crowns, fixed dental prostheses, or double-crown restorations. The patients were followed up over a period of 2 to 25 years at recall intervals of 3 to 6 months, during which clinical parameters were recorded. Peri-implant bone loss was quantified from baseline at predefined intervals using standardized radiographic images that were evaluated in a uniform manner. OHRQoL was assessed using the OHIP-G 14, while patient expectations and implant satisfaction were evaluated once in 2021 using a self-developed questionnaire. Participants were allocated to two groups: one with unimpaired OHRQoL (OHIP total score = 0, n= 32) and one with impaired OHRQoL (OHIP total score ≥ 1, n = 32). Group comparisons of clinical parameters and bone loss were performed using the Mann–Whitney U test; nominal variables were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test, and associations between OHRQoL and satisfaction were examined using Spearman’s rank correlation. Results: The OHRQoL scores of the study participants were comparable to those of the normative sample without removable dental prostheses and were even better among patients with more severe oral health impairment. Overall, the participants reported a high level of satisfaction with both the treatment and the outcome of implant therapy. The highest satisfaction was observed with regard to speech function, followed by masticatory function and overall satisfaction with the treatment. The lowest satisfaction was related to pain experienced during treatment, the cleanability of the implants, and the occurrence of peri-implant bleeding. The clinical parameters differed in part between the group with unimpaired OHRQoL (OHIP = 0) and the group with impaired OHRQoL (OHIP ≥ 1). The OHIP = 0-group initially exhibited lower probing depths, a higher plaque index at years 6, 15, and 20, a temporarily reduced mucosal width, and a higher gingival index at year 15. Bleeding on probing and soft-tissue recessions remained comparable between the two groups over the long term. From year 15 onward, bone loss was significantly greater in the OHIP = 0-group (p = 0.022 at 15 years; p = 0.012 at 20 years). The implant survival rate after 20 years was 85.7%, with no significant association between implant survival and OHIP group. The prevalence of peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis did not differ significantly between the groups. Conclusion: Implant-supported fixed dental prostheses were associated with high patient satisfaction, as well as an OHRQoL comparable to that of the general population and, in individuals with more severe oral health impairment, even better. After 20 years, the implant survival rate in patients with a history of periodontal disease was 85.7%, with neither implant survival nor peri-implant inflammation having a measurable impact on OHRQoL.
Open Access
Identification and Characterization of the Novel Stereocilia Protein TMEM145 and its Interaction Partners in Cochlear Outer Hair Cells
(2026-07-09)
Derstroff, Dennis
;
Oliver, Dominik
;
Jacob, Ralf
Background: The precision of the mammalian hearing strictly relies on the functionality of auditory sensory hair cells and its mechanoelectrical transduction of sound. Outer hair cells amplify cochlear vibrations, essentially lowering the auditory threshold. The mechanoelectrical transduction in OHCs is initiated by the deflection of the stereocilia hair bundle, mechanically coupled to the overlying tectorial membrane via the tectorial membrane attachment crowns and connected among each other via the horizontal top connectors. Both protein complexes are poorly understood and their composition incompletely characterized. All known components like tubby or stereocilin lack any transmembrane domain to interact, predicting the presence of at least one unknown transmembrane linker. Aim of the thesis: The objectives of this thesis are (A) to clarify the expression and localization of tubby and the closely related tubby-like protein 3 within the inner ear (Paper 1) and (B) to identify & characterize the missing tectorial membrane attachment crown and horizontal top connector transmembrane linker using imaging and biochemical assays (Paper 2). (Paper 1): We analysed and compared the cellular and subcellular localization of tubby and tubby-like protein 3 within the mouse inner ear. Using fluorescence-based microscopical methods together with confocal laser scanning microscopy, we found tubby displays a yet unknown localization to hair cell primary cilia, the kinocilia, in the cochlea of neonatal mice before it is prominently localized to outer hair cell stereocilia. Further, we localized the closely related tubby-like protein 3 to cochlear and vestibular kinocilia of neonatal hair cells. While absent in the mature vestibular system, tubby-like protein 3 localizes to microtubule-rich supporting cell phalangeal processes of the mature organ of Corti. These results show a complex spatio-temporal expression pattern of tubby and tubby-like protein 3, indicating unknown functions of the two proteins in the inner ear. (Paper 2): We identified the novel G-protein coupled receptor-related protein TMEM145 as the missing transmembrane linker within the tectorial membrane attachment crowns and horizontal top connectors. Two independent tmem145-deficient mouse models are suffering from an early on-set hearing loss caused by dysfunction of outer hair cell cochlear amplification. TMEM145 displays the identical cellular und sub-cellular localization and a similar spatio-temporal expression pattern compared with the known tectorial membrane attachment crown and horizontal top connector components tubby and stereocilin. The absence of TMEM145 causes subsequently the loss tubby and stereocilin while TMEM145 and tubby are absent in stereocilin-deficient mice. Using scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy techniques, additional consequences caused by the lack of TMEM145 were identified, in detail a loss of the stereocilia-tectorial membrane coupling and a compromised coherence of the outer hair cell stereocilia hair bundle. We identified tubby and stereocilin as direct interaction partners of TMEM145 using computational modelling and biochemical pull-down experiments. We further showed that tubby interacts with the c-terminus of TMEM145, while its N-terminus interacts with stereocilin. In heterologous expression systems, we clarified the membrane topology of TMEM145 and found a co-expression with tubby facilitates its plasma membrane abundance. To summarize, we identified TMEM145 as a transmembrane tectorial membrane attachment crowns and horizontal top connectors component connecting tubby and stereocilin, being essential for the outer hair cell stereocilia-tectorial membrane coupling, the hair bundle integrity and the overall outer hair cell function as cochlear amplifier.