Forests serve as key ecosystems for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. The achievement of ambitious biodiversity targets, such as the EU Biodiversity Strategy’s target of strictly protecting 10% of the EU’s land area, requires the systematic identification of key forest areas for protection. However, clear guidance on selecting such forests is lacking. In this study, we address this issue by developing fo...

Gender aspects must be part of pharmacology teaching. Pharmacology offers a wealth of examples that prove on the one hand that sex and gender aspects of drug therapy are clinically relevant and on the other hand show that there are still striking omissions in pharmacological research and drug approval. And we should not forget that drug therapy is more than just applied pharmacology and includes, for example doctor-patient com...

Ca 2+ currents ( I CaL ) carried by ventricular L-type Ca 2+ channels (LTCC) are altered in failing hearts, and increased LTCC activity is discussed as a cause of cardiomyopathy. We have shown that lack of the inhibitory G-protein isoform Gα i3 improves cardiac outcome and survival in a murine heart-failure model of cardiac β 1 -adrenoceptor (β 1 -AR) overexpression (β 1 -tg), while lack of the Gα i2 isoform was detrimental in...

We have shown that in murine cardiomyopathy caused by overexpression of the β 1 -adrenoceptor, Gα i2 -deficiency is detrimental. Given the growing evidence for isoform-specific Gα i -functions, we now examined the consequences of Gα i3 deficiency in the same heart-failure model. Mice overexpressing cardiac β 1 -adrenoceptors with (β 1 -tg) or without Gα i3 -expression (β 1 -tg/Gα i3 −/− ) were compared to C57BL/6 wildtypes and...

We tested for feasibility, acceptance, and “non-inferiority” of small-group teaching applying blended learning (i.e., the integration of face-to-face and online instruction) to problem-based learning (bPbL) compared to conventional PbL (cPbL). In a just pre-pandemic, randomised controlled trial, 317 students attended either bPbL or cPbL groups. The first meeting of the bPbL groups took place online via written internet chat, w...

Voltage-gated calcium channel (VGCC) subunits have been genetically associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The properties of the pore-forming VGCC subunit are modulated by auxiliary β-subunits, which exist in four isoforms (Ca V β 1-4 ). Our previous findings suggested that activation of L-type VGCCs is a common feature of Ca V β 2 subunit mutations found in ASD patients. In the current study, we functionally charact...

Although doctor-patient communication is essential for drug prescription, the literature reveals deficits in this area. An educational approach at the Cologne medical faculty aims at identifying and addressing those deficits in medical students. Fifth-year medical students first conducted a simulated prescription talk spontaneously. Subsequently, the conversation was discussed with peer students. A pharmacist moderated the dis...

Patients want more information and active participation in medical decisions. Information and active participation correlate with increased adherence. A conversation guide, combining patient-relevant drug information with steps of shared decision-making, was developed to support physicians in effective and efficient prescription talks. Six GP trainees in community-based primary care practices participated in a controlled pilot...