Goethe-Universit盲t 鈥� Press releases

Jan 17 2025

15:50

Seeking participants for new sports science study at 看片软件 Frankfurt聽

Suffering from (nocturnal) muscle cramps?

Whether after physical exertion, during work or sleep 鈥� muscle cramps often occur suddenly and have a significant impact on one's well-being. Although many people experience such cramps, there are still no reliable methods for their prevention. Several innovative approaches are being researched at 看片软件's Institute of Sports Science, which is urgently seeking test subjects for a study.

FRANKFURT. What is the best way of effectively reducing muscle cramps? This is the focus of a study led by Christoph Skutschik, research associate at the Department of Sports Medicine and Performance Physiology at 看片软件's Institute of Sports Science. The study researches the effectiveness of electrostimulation training carried out at home, comparing it to conventional approaches, in particular the intake of magnesium supplements. The neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) developed by Prof. Michael Behringer, who heads the research area, stimulates nerve and muscle fibers using electrical impulses. The technique is intended to prevent or reduce the occurrence of muscle cramps, the cause of which has not yet been fully clarified. Recent research results indicate that the main root is to be found in the nerve fibers.

The study lasts a total of 16 weeks, during which participants must be physically present in the laboratory four times: first to collect basic data on health and muscle cramps and for an introduction to the methodology; then for initial measurements and allocation to one of the test groups; subsequently and following four weeks of therapeutic use once again for measurement; and finally, after a further six weeks, to document the long-term effects.

The study is open to anyone between the age of 18 and 69 who regularly suffers from muscle cramps and is willing to participate over a period of 16 weeks in the home applications (magnesium intake or NMES therapy) and the four laboratory visits mentioned above. Prospective participants should not suffer from any serious health restrictions (injuries to the lower extremities within the past six months, neuro-psychiatric diseases such as multiple sclerosis, dementia or epilepsy, kidney disease, acute cardiovascular disease or pacemakers).

The study is intended to result in new and better ways of preventing muscle cramps, from which the participants themselves may already benefit. Participation is voluntary and can be terminated at any time without providing any reasons. The data will be pseudonymized and processed in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation.

Contact:
Christoph Skutschik
Research Associate|
Institute of Sports Science
看片软件 Frankfurt
Tel.: +49 (0)69 798 244 89
E-Mail: skutschik@sport.uni-frankfurt.de

Background information:
/118615181.pdf

Jan 10 2025

11:23

Social media platform no longer offers a meaningful environment for fact-based communication by academic, research and scientific institutions

看片软件 Frankfurt and numerous other German universities withdraw from 鈥淴鈥澛�

FRANKFURT. 看片软件 has joined more than 60 other German-speaking universities, science and research institutions, who, in response to developments on the social media platform, have together decided to discontinue their activities on X (formerly Twitter). To engage in meaningful communication, such institutions require an environment in which discourse takes place in a fact-oriented, transparent and democratic manner, with respect for diversity, freedom and openmindedness. The only way for them to contribute to such discourse is if the platform mechanisms allow it. This is no longer the case on X.

Since being taken over by Elon Musk, not only have X's reach and interaction rate seen a steady decline. The platform鈥檚 algorithm has also been manipulated to favor content that corresponds to its owner's worldview. X has evolved from a place of constructive exchange into a tool used for disinformation. Studies and observations document that the platform deliberately discriminates against democratic voices. Evidence of meddling in democratic processes in the USA gives rise to fears of similar developments in Europe. These and other changes make X鈥檚 continued use unacceptable for institutions committed to fact-based knowledge and democratic values.

Scientific, factual and fact-based communication does not have it easy on other social networks either; dealing with their mechanisms in a meaningful way poses a daily challenge for anyone involved in science communication. However, whereas on LinkedIn or Instagram, for example, they can counteract this with well-founded, fact-based content, at X, the owner鈥檚 corporate policy is aimed precisely at making such content invisible.

看片软件 recommends that all its faculties, affiliated institutes and facilities, as well as the researchers and scientists employed by the university check whether they still consider an account on X to be useful. The social media team of the Office of PR and Communication, part of the University鈥檚 Executive Office, will be happy to advise you both on this and/or in the search for alternatives. The university itself operates accounts on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube, and is examining whether a presence on other platforms such as Bluesky, Mastodon or Threads makes sense.

The universities involved in this coordinated exit will leave their X accounts in a 鈥渇rozen鈥� state 鈥� i.e. without active content, but still visible, also in order to prevent the misuse of their account names by third parties.

The universities know of many scientific and science-related organizations that are currently considering similar steps and would be pleased if others followed their example.

The following universities and institutions of higher learning are part of the joint campaign:

鈥� Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences

鈥� Anhalt University

鈥� Bauhaus-Universit盲t Weimar

鈥� Berliner Hochschule f眉r Technik (BHT)

鈥� Berlin University of the Arts

鈥� Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus 鈥� Senftenberg

鈥� Catholic University of Applied Sciences of North Rhine-Westphalia (katho)

鈥� Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development

鈥� Europa-Universit盲t Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)

鈥� Fachhochschule Dortmund

鈥� FernUniversit盲t in Hagen

鈥� Freie Universit盲t Berlin

鈥� Friedrich-Alexander-Universit盲t Erlangen-N眉rnberg

鈥� Furtwangen University

鈥� German Ornithologists鈥� Society

鈥� German Sport University Cologne

鈥� University of Music and Drama

鈥� HAWK Hochschule f眉r angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst Hildesheim/Holzminden/G枚ttingen

鈥� Heidelberg University

鈥� Heinrich Heine University D眉sseldorf

鈥� Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg

鈥� Hochschule Darmstadt

鈥� Hochschule der Bildenden K眉nste Saar

鈥� Hochschule f眉r Wirtschaft und Umwelt N眉rtingen-Geislingen (HfWU)

鈥� Hochschule M眉nchen

鈥� Hochschule Neubrandenburg

鈥� Hochschule Osnabr眉ck

鈥� Hochschule RheinMain

鈥� Hochschule Ruhr West

鈥� Humboldt-Universit盲t zu Berlin

鈥� Institut f眉r Vogelforschung "Vogelwarte Helgoland"

鈥� Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

鈥� Justus-Liebig-Gesellschaft

鈥� Justus Liebig University Giessen

鈥� Kiel University (CAU)

鈥� Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research

鈥� Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnem眉nde

鈥� Medical University Innsbruck

鈥� Munich School of Philosophy

鈥� Philipps-Universit盲t Marburg

鈥� Protestant University Wuppertal

鈥� RWTH Aachen University

鈥� Saarland University

鈥� Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola

鈥� Technische Universit盲t Braunschweig

鈥� Technical University of Darmstadt

鈥� TH K枚ln

鈥� Trier University

鈥� TUD Dresden University of Technology

鈥� Ulm University

鈥� University of Bamberg

鈥� University of Bayreuth

鈥� Universit盲t Duisburg-Essen

鈥� University of Erfurt

鈥� University of Greifswald

鈥� University of Innsbruck

鈥� University of M眉nster

鈥� University of Potsdam

鈥� University of Siegen

鈥� Universit盲t W眉rzburg

鈥� Universit盲t zu L眉beck

鈥� Wests盲chsische Hochschule Zwickau

The joint press release issued by all participating universities/institutions is available here in German: .

Dec 18 2024

16:41

Frankfurt-based medical practitioners program immune cells to be less sensitive against blood cancer cells聽

Research into new therapies: How the body's natural killer cells could fight leukemia

Every year, some 13,000 people in Germany are diagnosed with leukemia. Despite intensive chemotherapy, around one in two of them die. Therapies currently available have severe side effects and inhibit the formation of new healthy blood cells in particular. One alternative is therapy concepts that harness the immune system鈥檚 natural power. It is important to note, however, that tumor cells have mechanisms capable of slowing down the immune cells鈥� attack. Professor Evelyn Ullrich's team at Universitaetsmedizin Frankfurt has now succeeded in making leukemia-specific immune cells less sensitive to the influence of tumor cells, thereby significantly increasing their effectiveness.

FRANKFURT. Various forms of blood cancer exist 鈥� all of which are grouped together under the term leukemia. One common form of leukemia is acute myeloid leukemia (AML), characterized by a degradation of early blood cell precursors, i.e. stem cells and the precursor cells that develop from them. Despite treatment with intensive chemotherapy, only between 20-50 percent of patients survive the first five years after diagnosis and treatment. Further compounding the situation is the fact that these intensive therapies have a particularly damaging effect on the blood-forming stem cells, and are therefore associated with very severe side effects. That is why there is an urgent need for new therapeutic approaches.

One approach is immunotherapies, such as those researched by Evelyn Ullrich and her team at Universitaetsmedizin Frankfurt鈥檚 Clinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. 鈥淚mmunotherapies use the immune system鈥檚 natural power against malignant leukemia cells,鈥� explains the Professor of Cellular Immunology. As part of the process, the cancer cells are recognized by the immune system鈥檚 killer cells, such as T cells. A T cell, for instance, has a lock-shaped structure on its surface into which a corresponding structure on the cancer cell鈥檚 surface fits like a key. In technical terms, the lock of the T cell is referred to as an 鈥渁ntigen receptor鈥�, while the key is called an 鈥渁ntigen鈥�. If the 鈥渒ey鈥� is in the 鈥渓ock鈥�, i.e. if the antigen and receptor bind, the T cell kills the cancer cell. 鈥淭oday, we are able to tailor the antigen receptor in a manner that makes it aware of a specific tumor feature,鈥� the physician explains. To do this, T cells are purified from the patient's blood. Using genetic engineering techniques, a so-called chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is then inserted, which combines the properties of several proteins in a manner allowing the attack to be optimized on this specific tumor.

T cells equipped with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T-cells) are already being successfully applied in the treatment of leukemia. Another type of killer cell that is now also being used are the so-called natural killer cells (NK). Rather than recognizing malignant cells by certain antigens, they rely on other surface anomalies. If additionally enhanced with a chimeric antigen receptor, they are capable of fighting cancer cells in two ways. Another advantage of CAR-NK cells is that they have hardly caused any side effects in clinical studies to date.

Cancer cells, however, have various means at their disposal to evade such an immune cell attack, including their ability to simply switch off immune cells before an attack begins. For this, they rely on a 鈥渃heckpoint鈥�, consisting of a protein on the immune cell鈥檚 surface. This 鈥渋mmune checkpoint鈥� explicitly checks each individual cell that has bound to the antigen receptor to ensure that it is not one of the body's own cells. The latter give the checkpoint a corresponding response, whereupon the immune attack ceases. In a healthy body, this process ensures that immune cells do not inadvertently attack normal body cells, thereby causing major damage.

Since cancer cells are, at their origin, also the body's own cells, some of them are capable of communicating with the checkpoint and stopping the immune cells鈥� attack. Such an attack can also affect the CAR immune cells 鈥� posing a major problem for current immunotherapies. That is why immunotherapies are often combined with drugs that shield the immune cells鈥� checkpoints in such a manner that cancer cells can no longer access them.

Ullrich's team has now found another way to prevent the customized immune cells from being switched off. In laboratory experiments, doctoral students Tobias Bexte and Nawid Albinger succeeded in completely switching off an important immune checkpoint in NK cells that were specifically directed against AML cells. To that end they cut the corresponding gene using the CRISPR/Cas 鈥済ene scissors鈥� in a manner that prevents the checkpoint from forming. In so doing, the researchers successfully prevented the cancer cells from forcing immune tolerance in experiments with patient cells.

The CAR-NK cells without the immune checkpoint were better capable of killing cancer cells from AML patients than NK cells that either only carried the CAR receptor or lacked the immune checkpoint alone. 鈥淚t is particularly promising that our double-modified NK cells even worked against cancer cells whose molecular profile is often associated with increased resistance to therapy,鈥� explains Tobias Bexte, clinician scientist at 看片软件 Frankfurt. Mice to which the researchers transferred human AML cells survived significantly longer after having been administered these double-modified NK cells 鈥� even at significantly reduced drug doses. 鈥淔uture studies must now clarify whether the tailor-made immune cells also work in humans,鈥� Ullrich says in summarizing the next steps and goals of her research.

Publication: Tobias Bexte, Nawid Albinger, Ahmad Al Ajami, Philipp Wendel, Leon Buchinger, Alec Gessner, Jamal Alzubi, Vinzenz S盲rchen, Meike Vogler, Hadeer Mohamed Rasheed, Beate Anahita Jung, Sebastian Wolf, Raj Bhayadia, Thomas Oellerich, Jan-Henning Klusmann, Olaf Penack, Nina M枚ker, Toni Cathomen, Michael A. Rieger, Katharina Imkeller, Evelyn Ullrich: CRISPR/Cas9 editing of NKG2A improves the efficacy of primary CD33-directed chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cells. Nature Communication 15, 8439 (2024)

Images for download:
1. Cell analysis
The genetic changes in the CAR-NK cells can be checked in a so-called flow cytometer (FACS). Prof. Evelyn Ullrich, Tobias Bexte (from left). Photo: Peter Kiefer for 看片软件

2. Evelyn Ullrich
Professor Dr. Evelyn Ullrich, Universit盲tsmedizin Frankfurt. Photo: Peter Kiefer for 看片软件

Further information
Professor Evelyn Ullrich
Working Group Experimental Immunology and Cell Therapy
Clinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
Universit盲tsmedizin Frankfurt
Tel. +49 (0)69 6301 83000
evelyn@ullrichlab.de

Twitter/X: @goetheuni @Ullrich_Lab @UK_Frankfurt

Dec 16 2024

16:31

Science Minister Timon Gremmels and Digital Minister Kristina Sinemus attend ceremony marking the official start of 鈥淏aby Diamond鈥澛�

Hesse's first quantum computer commissioned at 看片软件聽

Hesse took a quantum leap today with the official commissioning of the federal state's first quantum computer, located at 看片软件 Frankfurt. The ceremonial start-up was attended by Science Minister Timon Gremmels and Digital Minister Prof. Dr. Kristina Sinemus. Known as 鈥淏aby Diamond", the quantum computer has five quantum bits and runs at room temperature. 看片软件 researchers and students will use it to investigate, among others, how it can perform special tasks in large supercomputers.

FRANKFURT. Although the heart of the 鈥淏aby Diamond" is barely larger than your regular stand-alone PC, it represents a completely new generation of computer: Hesse's first quantum computer was officially put into operation at 看片软件 today. Developed by XeedQ, 鈥淏aby Diamond" can be operated at 20掳C and is therefore very suitable for research 鈥� in contrast to other quantum computers, which have to be cooled with liquid helium to temperatures close to absolute zero. The first applications for 看片软件's new 鈥淏aby Diamond" optimization specialist include investment portfolios in the financial sector, schedules for nurses and problems in quantum chemistry. That being said, the supercomputer's primary use will be research: In addition to developing algorithms for the quantum computer, researchers and students will also be able to modify the generation of quantum bits. There are plans to grant access to users of the National High Performance Computing (NHR) alliance.

Prof. Enrico Schleiff, 看片软件 President, emphasizes: 鈥淏aby Diamond, which we are launching today, is located very close to the place where Otto Stern and Walther Gerlach 100 years ago conducted their famous experiment at 看片软件, thereby laying the foundation for this quantum computer's construction. Today we are witnessing 鈥� once again at 看片软件鈥� the beginning of Frankfurt's path to a quantum future. In addition to financing this step into a new era, 看片软件 is also taking on a pioneering role among German universities."

Timon Gremmels, Hessian Minister of Science and Research, Arts and Culture, says: 鈥淭he first functioning quantum computer at a Hessian university is truly a cause for celebration. 看片软件's competence and expertise in traditional high-performance computing is demonstrated by its impressive successes and good rankings among the most powerful and energy-efficient high-performance computers worldwide. This is supplemented and enriched by the new quantum computing technology. The interaction between traditional high-performance computers and quantum computers will definitely continue to play a decisive role in the future. We need the courage to try out new things, test new technologies in practice and integrate tried and tested methods. All of this is being done here on site 鈥� testimony to the fact that the state of Hesse is at the forefront of development."

Prof. Kristina Sinemus, Hessian Minister for Digitalization and Innovation, is convinced: 鈥淨uantum computing is a key technology of the future, offering enormous potential for value creation and innovation. In Hesse, we laid a strong foundation in recent years to actively shape this development 鈥� with an excellent ecosystem of cutting-edge research, artificial intelligence and applied quantum computing, which is also firmly anchored in our digital strategy. The launch of 'Baby Diamond' at 看片软件 Frankfurt is an impressive demonstration of how Hesse is helping to shape the digitalization of Europe."

Ulrich Schielein, 看片软件 Vice President and Chief Information Officer, adds: 鈥淭he exciting thing about Baby Diamond is that our researchers and students can control even small details of the microwave pulse shapes manipulating the quantum bits and their interactions. With 'Baby Diamond', we can give 看片软件 students the unique and currently the only opportunity in Germany to come into direct contact with a real quantum computer." Schielein adds that, in a few years' time, 看片软件's extensive practical experience coupled with its theoretical expertise could qualify it to apply for a 100-qubit class quantum computer, which would put the university into an academic pole position.

Prof. Thomas Lippert, Professor of Modular Supercomputing and Quantum Computing at 看片软件 Frankfurt and Head of the J眉lich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), says: 鈥淏eyond Frankfurt and Hesse, Baby Diamond is an anchor for cooperation with important partners: 看片软件 just joined the John von Neumann Institute at JSC and, with Baby Diamond, will become a partner of the J眉lich user infrastructure for quantum computing. In return, Baby Diamond users will gain access to further quantum computing systems."

Images for download:

Captions:

1 Celebrating Baby Diamond's commissioning: President Enrico Schleiff, quantum computer expert Thomas Lippert, Digital Minister Kristina Sinemus, Science Minister Timon Gremmels (from left). Photo: Uwe Dettmar for 看片软件 Frankfurt

2 and 3: The heart of the Baby Diamond quantum computer consists of a diamond, situated inside the black housing. The reddish-silver housing accommodates the laser. Photos: Uwe Dettmar for 看片软件 Frankfurt.

Further information
Prof. Dr. Dr. Thomas Lippert
Head of the Modular Supercomputing and Quantum Computing Working Group,
看片软件 Frankfurt
Head of the J眉lich Supercomputing Centre (JSC)
Tel. +49 (0)2461 61-6402
th.lippert@fz-juelich.de

Twitter/X: @goetheuni @hmwk_hessen @DigitalesHessen

Dec 16 2024

15:42

RMU project CEDITRAA on Africa and Asia research extended聽

How TikTok & Co are shaping cultural production

The CEDITRAA research project, short for 鈥淐ultural Entrepreneurship and Digital Transformation in Africa and Asia", has been investigating since 2021 how cultural productions in Africa and Asia are created and what role digital media have played in their global dissemination. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has now extended the project 鈥� led jointly by 看片软件 Frankfurt, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos, Nigeria 鈥� for three years, and included an expanded research question.

FRANKFURT. The CEDITRAA research project addresses nothing less than a new world order in cultural production. While US-American cultural production dominated the world in the 20th century, new players have emerged in recent decades as a result of digitalization: In Asia, South Korea's culture is gaining in importance, while in Africa, Nigerian film and music production has become one of the largest industries of its kind in the world. Since 2021, the joint project CEDITRAA, operated by the Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) partners 看片软件 Frankfurt and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, together with Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos, Nigeria, has been investigating cultural entrepreneurs and the opportunities that arise for them as a result of the digital transformation in cultural production. The project will now receive another three years of funding to the tune of almost 鈧�1.4 million; this follows an earlier 鈧�2.1 million in funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's (BMBF) Regional Studies funding line. The RMU joint project will start on January 1, 2025. In addition to 看片软件 and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, the strategic Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) alliance also includes TU Darmstadt.

As part of the second phase, the project's 18 scientists are changing their perspective: having previously focused on cultural production, they are now turning to its distribution. Their underlying assumption is that the new distribution channels themselves constitute a factor in media production and that the question of how to control channels and distribution networks will determine whether there will emerge a shift in emphasis away from the traditional cultural industries. While this shows that artists and cultural entrepreneurs alike are already taking advantage of the benefits of digital infrastructures 鈥� like portals or platforms 鈥� during media production, at the same time a lot depends on who owns and controls this infrastructure. The central questions asked by the researchers include: Do TikTok and portals like YouTube, Netflix or irokotv, Spotify and Boomplay shape cultural formats? And how do globally active online communities emerge in the process of music production that are simultaneously locally shaped and rooted?

The participating researchers come from different disciplines: In addition to ethnology and African studies, Korean studies, sinology, film studies and economics are also represented 鈥� making the joint project both interdisciplinary and international. In addition, CEDITRAA also uses the existing research infrastructures of the Frankfurt-based Centre for Interdisciplinary African Studies (ZIAF) and the Interdisciplinary Centre for East Asian Studies (IZO) as well as the Georg Forster Forum (GFF) at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.

When it comes to securing data and results, CEDITRAA benefits from the cooperation with the Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum, Europe's leading institution for digital research and education platforms in the film sector. At 看片软件, CEDITRAA will also cooperate with the new Center for Critical Computational Studies C3S (https://www.c3s-frankfurt.de), where digital methods of researching social transformation processes will be critically tested.

Images for download:

Captions:

Image 1
Nigerian film and music production is now one of the world's largest: Thanks to Netflix and film screenings, the comedy 鈥淐onfusion Na Wa" by Kenneth Gyang is also experiencing a renaissance in Germany. On the right, Nigerian actress and screenwriter Tunde Aladese ((c) Cinema Kpatakpata)

Image 2
Digitalization is giving rise to new players such as Korea in international cultural production: scene from the advertising campaign for the Korean Netflix series 鈥淪quid Game 2" ((c) Netflix)

Further information
Spokesperson:
Prof. Dr. Vinzenz Hediger
Institute for Theater, Film and Media Studies
看片软件 Frankfurt
hediger@tfm.uni-frankfurt.de

Co-Spokesperson:
Prof. Dr. Cornelia Storz
Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship in East Asia
Faculty of Economics and Business
看片软件 Frankfurt
storz@wiwi.uni-frankfurt.de

Co-Spokesperson:
Prof. Dr. Matthias Krings
Managing Director
Department of Anthropology and African Studies
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Tel: +49 (0)6131 39-26800, -22798 (Office)

看片软件

Press releases

看片软件 PR & Communication Department聽

Suffering from (nocturnal) muscle cramps?

看片软件 Frankfurt and numerous other German universities withdraw from 鈥淴鈥澛�

Research into new therapies: How the body's natural killer cells could fight leukemia

Hesse's first quantum computer commissioned at 看片软件聽

How TikTok & Co are shaping cultural production