Verena Mayer

Hypercalcemia caused by vitamin D3 analogs in psoriasis treatment.

4 Hazneci E, Karabulut AB, Ozturk C, et al. A comparative study of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities and nitrate levels in vitiligo patients. Int J Dermatol 2005; 44: 636–640. 5 AIKhateeb A, Fain PR, Thody A, et al. Epidemiology of vitiligo and associated autoimmune diseases in Caucasian probands and their husbands. Pigment Cell Res 2003; 16: 208–214. 6 Erf GF, Bersi TK, Wang X, et al. Herpesvirus connection in the expression of autoimmune vitiligo in Smyth line chickens. Pigment Cell Res 2001; 14: 40–46.

Analysis of NF-κB Nuclear Translocation in PMN-neutrophils of Major Trauma Patients in the Early Post-traumatic Period: A Pilot Study

BackgroundPost-traumatic inflammation is connected to polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN)-dysfunction characterized by reduced nuclear translocation of NF-κB during the post-traumatic period. However, the dynamic of NF-κB translocation in PMN of major trauma patients remains unclear. Hence, the aim of this pilot study was to analyze NF-κB in PMN from multiply injured patients immediately after trauma.Patients and MethodsBlood samples of major trauma patients (ISS > 16) were drawn on admission within 90 minutes after trauma and at 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 hours after trauma. Neutrophilic NF-κB-translocation was analyzed by EMSA and quantified by densitometry as (arbitrary units). In addition, PMN of healthy volunteers were analyzed either in their native state (–control) or after LPS stimulation (+control).ResultsTwelve patients (NISS: 34 ± 10 [mean ± SEM]) were enrolled. NF-κB translocation was significantly increased in trauma patients on admission and after 6 hours. Interestingly, a second activity peak was present after 24 hours. In patients who later died, NF-κB activity was significantly elevated initially, to be rapidly diminished after 6 hours, while it increased in the survivors group. After 24 hours NF-κB activity increased significantly in the survivors group, to become reduced in both groups at a later time.ConclusionsWithin this pilot study, the dynamic of NF-κB translocation in PMN of multiply injured patients immmediately after trauma was analyzed for the first time. Enabled by closely matched sequential blood sampling strictly standardized to the traumatic event, an essential biphasic increase of neutrophilic signal transduction could be investigated in the very early post-traumatic period, which preceded the downregulation of the innate immune system.

IMPLICIT THOUGHTS: QUINE, FREGE AND KANT ON ANALYTIC PROPOSITIONS

Quine criticised the semantic notion of analyticity that is often attributed to Frege and Kant for presupposing an essentialist theory of meaning. In what follows I trace back the notion from Quine via Carnap to Frege and Kant, and eventually examine Kant’s distinction between analytic and synthetic judgements in more detail. It turns out that the so called Frege-Kant-notion of analyticity can not be attributed to Kant. In contrast, Kant had a distinctly pragmatic notion of analytic judgements. According to him analytic propositions elucidate certain presuppositions of our conceptual scheme, thereby serving the anti-metaphysical project of transcendental philosophy.

Das Paradox des Regelfolgens in Kants Moralphilosophie

1 Das Paradox des Regelfolgens Regeln im Sinne von Handlungsvorschriften setzen ihre Anwendbarkeit schon begrifflich voraus. Alle Regeln regeln mögliches Verhalten, seien es Verkehrsregeln, juridische Gesetze, mathematische und logische Verfahren, und selbst „Bedeutungs-postulate“, die festlegen, wie ein Ausdruck verständlich zu verwenden ist. Regeln ohne irgendeinen möglichen Anwendungsspielraum sind sinnlos. Dabei werden durch Regeln nicht nur mögliche Anwendungen präsupponiert, sondern umgekehrt aus gegebenen Tatsachen oder Ereignissen Regelmäßigkeiten herausgelesen, die sich in der Regel ausdrücken. Die Regel bezeichnet in diesem Sinne das „Prinzip hinter den Tatsachen“, das sie diesen freilich in gewisser Weise erst andichtet. Zweck dieses Vorgehens ist nicht zuletzt, die mögliche Fortsetzung der Tatsachenreihe gleichzeitig zu bestimmen und zu begründen, jedenfalls aber eine gewisse Ordnung, Rechtfertigung und Voraussagbarkeit des Handelns zu gewährleisten. Regelanwendung verlangt deshalb eine komplexe geistige Kompetenz, die nicht nur Fähigkeiten der Abstraktion und Reflexion, sondern auch Können und Erfahrung voraussetzt.