Search

Summary A reduction of physiological muscle atonia during rapid eye movement sleep is characteristic in patients with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, however, it can also be found in narcolepsy patients. We evaluated rapid eye movement sleep associated electromyographic activity to set cut‐off values of rapid eye movement sleep without atonia, differentiating rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder and narcolepsy patients from controls to enable more precise future diagnostic criteria for these disorders. We retrospectively analysed polysomnography recordings of 16 rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder patients, 15 narcolepsy patients, and 19 controls. The combination of phasic and tonic electromyographic activity was recorded in the mentalis and tibialis anterior muscles and analysed in 3 second miniepochs. The cut‐off value for a diagnosis of rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder was 17.07% (100% sensitivity, 94.7% specificity, area under the curve 0.997). For the diagnosis of narcolepsy, we yielded a cut‐off value of 8.4% (86.4% sensitivity, 68.4% specificity, area under the curve 0.850). Rapid eye movement sleep without atonia significantly (p = 0.046) increased in the second night half in rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder patients, while it remained moderately increased in the narcolepsy group. Polysomnographic evaluation proves significantly higher rates of rapid eye movement sleep without atonia in rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder than in narcolepsy patients, allowing differentiation from controls with high sensitivity and specificity. An increase throughout the night is characteristic for rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder, whereas a consistent elevation is typical in narcolepsy patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: We defined the value of a machine learning algorithm to distinguish between the EEG response to no light or any light stimulations, and between light stimulations with different brightnesses in awake volunteers with closed eyelids. This new method utilizing EEG analysis is visionary in the understanding of visual signal processing and will facilitate the deepening of our knowledge concerning anesthetic research. Methods: X-gradient boosting models were used to classify the cortical response to visual stimulation (no light vs. light stimulations and two lights with different brightnesses). For each of the two classifications, three scenarios were tested: training and prediction in all participants (all), training and prediction in one participant (individual), and training across all but one participant with prediction performed in the participant left out (one out). Results: Ninety-four Caucasian adults were included. The machine learning algorithm had a very high predictive value and accuracy in differentiating between no light and any light stimulations (AUCROCall: 0.96; accuracyall: 0.94; AUCROCindividual: 0.96 ± 0.05, accuracyindividual: 0.94 ± 0.05; AUCROConeout: 0.98 ± 0.04; accuracyoneout: 0.96 ± 0.04). The machine learning algorithm was highly predictive and accurate in distinguishing between light stimulations with different brightnesses (AUCROCall: 0.97; accuracyall: 0.91; AUCROCindividual: 0.98 ± 0.04, accuracyindividual: 0.96 ± 0.04; AUCROConeout: 0.96 ± 0.05; accuracyoneout: 0.93 ± 0.06). The predictive value and accuracy of both classification tasks was comparable between males and females. Conclusions: Machine learning algorithms could almost continuously and reliably differentiate between the cortical EEG responses to no light or light stimulations using visual evoked potentials in awake female and male volunteers with eyes closed. Our findings may open new possibilities for the use of visual evoked potentials in the clinical and intraoperative setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Numerous children present with early wheeze symptoms, yet solely a subgroup develops childhood asthma. Early identification of children at risk is key for clinical monitoring, timely patient‐tailored treatment, and preventing chronic, severe sequelae. For early prediction of childhood asthma, we aimed to define an integrated risk score combining established risk factors with genome‐wide molecular markers at birth, complemented by subsequent clinical symptoms/diagnoses (wheezing, atopic dermatitis, food allergy). Methods: Three longitudinal birth cohorts (PAULINA/PAULCHEN, n = 190 + 93 = 283, PASTURE, n = 1133) were used to predict childhood asthma (age 5–11) including epidemiological characteristics and molecular markers: genotype, DNA methylation and mRNA expression (RNASeq/NanoString). Apparent (ap) and optimism‐corrected (oc) performance (AUC/R2) was assessed leveraging evidence from independent studies (Naïve‐Bayes approach) combined with high‐dimensional logistic regression models (LASSO). Results: Asthma prediction with epidemiological characteristics at birth (maternal asthma, sex, farm environment) yielded an ocAUC = 0.65. Inclusion of molecular markers as predictors resulted in an improvement in apparent prediction performance, however, for optimism‐corrected performance only a moderate increase was observed (upto ocAUC = 0.68). The greatest discriminate power was reached by adding the first symptoms/diagnosis (up to ocAUC = 0.76; increase of 0.08, p =.002). Longitudinal analysis of selected mRNA expression in PASTURE (cord blood, 1, 4.5, 6 years) showed that expression at age six had the strongest association with asthma and correlation of genes getting larger over time (r =.59, p <.001, 4.5–6 years). Conclusion: Applying epidemiological predictors alone showed moderate predictive abilities. Molecular markers from birth modestly improved prediction. Allergic symptoms/diagnoses enhanced the power of prediction, which is important for clinical practice and for the design of future studies with molecular markers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve observations of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), the European Meteorological Network, EUMETNET, and the Aerosol, Clouds, and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure, ACTRIS, are currently working on building networks of microwave radiometers (MWRs). Elevation-scanning MWRs are well suited to obtain temperature profiles of the atmosphere, especially within the ABL. Understanding and assessing measurement uncertainties of state-of-the-art scanning MWRs is therefore crucial for accurate temperature profiling. In this paper, we discuss measurement uncertainties due to the instrument setup and originating from external sources, namely (1) horizontal inhomogeneities of the atmosphere, (2) pointing errors or a tilt of the instrument, (3) physical obstacles in the line of sight of the instrument, and (4) radio frequency interference (RFI). Horizontal inhomogeneities from observations at the Jülich Observatory for Cloud Evolution (JOYCE) are shown to have a small impact on retrieved temperature profiles (<|0.22K| in the 25th and 75th percentiles below 3000 m). Typical instrument tilts, that could be caused by uncertainties during the instrument setup, also have a very small impact on temperature profiles and are smaller than 0.1 K below 3000 m for up to 1 ∘ of tilt. Physical obstacles at ambient temperatures and in the line of sight and filling the complete beam of the MWR at the lowest elevation angle of 5.4 ∘ have to be at least 600 m away from the instrument in order to have an impact of less than 0.1 K on obtained temperature profiles. If the obstacle is 5 K warmer than its surroundings then the obstacle should be at least 2700 m away. Finally, we present an approach on how to detect RFI with an MWR with azimuth and elevation-scanning capabilities. In this study, we detect RFIs in a water vapor channel that does not influence temperature retrievals but would be relevant if the MWR were used to detect horizontal humidity inhomogeneities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, individuals can be overwhelmed by a huge number of documents being present in daily life. Capturing the necessary details is often a challenge. Therefore, it is rather important to summarize documents to obtain the main information quickly. There currently exist automatic approaches to this task, but their quality is often not properly assessed. State-of-the-art metrics rely on human-generated summaries as a reference for the evaluation. If no reference is given, the assessment will be challenging. Therefore, in the absence of human-generated reference summaries, we investigated an alternative approach to how machine-generated summaries can be evaluated. For this, we focus on the original text or document to retrieve a metric that allows a direct evaluation of automatically generated summaries. This approach is particularly helpful in cases where it is difficult or costly to find reference summaries. In this paper, we present a novel metric called Summary Score without Reference—SUSWIR—which is based on four factors already known in the text summarization community: Semantic Similarity, Redundancy, Relevance, and Bias Avoidance Analysis, overcoming drawbacks of common metrics. Therefore, we aim to close a gap in the current evaluation environment for machine-generated text summaries. The novel metric is introduced theoretically and tested on five datasets from their respective domains. The conducted experiments yielded noteworthy outcomes, employing the utilization of SUSWIR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article compares two methods of algorithmically processing bandlimited time-continuous signals in light of the general problem of finding "suitable" representations of analog information on digital hardware. Albeit abstract, we argue that this problem is fundamental in digital twinning, a signal-processing paradigm the upcoming 6G communication-technology standard relies on heavily. Using computable analysis, we formalize a general framework of machine-readable descriptions for representing analytic objects on Turing machines. Subsequently, we apply this framework to sampling and interpolation theory, providing a thoroughly formalized method for digitally processing the information carried by bandlimited analog signals. We investigate discrete-time descriptions, which form the implicit quasi-standard in digital signal processing, and establish continuous-time descriptions that take the signal's continuous-time behavior into account. Motivated by an exemplary application of digital twinning, we analyze a textbook model of digital communication systems accordingly. We show that technologically fundamental properties, such as a signal's (Banach-space) norm, can be computed from continuous-time, but not from discrete-time descriptions of the signal. Given the high trustworthiness requirements within 6G, e.g., employed software must satisfy assessment criteria in a provable manner, we conclude that the problem of "trustworthy" digital representations of analog information is indeed essential to near-future information technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve observations of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), Europe's network of meteorological and hydrological services EUMETNET as well as the European Research Infrastructure ACTRIS are currently working on building networks of microwave radiometers (MWRs). Elevation-scanning MWRs are well suited to obtain temperature profiles of the atmosphere, especially within the ABL. Understanding and assessing measurement uncertainties of scanning MWRs is therefore crucial for accurate temperature profiling. In this paper we discuss measurement uncertainties due to the instrument setup and originating from external sources, namely (1) horizontal inhomogeneities of the atmosphere, (2) pointing errors or a tilt of the instrument, (3) physical obstacles in line of sight of the instrument, and (4) radio frequency interference (RFI). Horizontal inhomogeneities from observations at the Jülich Observatory of Cloud Evolution (JOYCE) are shown to have a small impact on retrieved temperature profiles (< |0.22 K| in the 25th/75th percentiles below 3000 m). Typical instrument tilts, that could be caused by uncertainties during the instrument set-up, also have a very small impact on temperature profiles and are smaller than 0.1 K below 3000 m for up to 1° of tilt. Physical obstacles at ambient temperatures and in line of sight and filling the complete beam of the MWR at the lowest elevation angle of 5.4° have to be at least 600 m away from the instrument in order to have an impact of less than 0.1 K on obtained temperature profiles. If the obstacle is 5 K warmer than its surroundings then the obstacle should be at least 2700 m away. Finally, we present an approach on how to detect RFI with an MWR with azimuth and elevation scanning capabilities. In this study we detect RFIs in a water vapor channel that does not influence the temperature retrieval, but would be relevant if the MWR were used to detect horizontal humidity inhomogeneities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gruta da Lancinha has been receiving visitors in an unorganized manner for over 150 years, causing a series of environmental impacts that threaten this sensitive ecosystem. This work aimed to characterize the caverns' visitors, investigating their origin, motivation, previous experiences, and the way in which their visitation has taken place. An online and physical qualitative survey was applied by adapting "summit books", which are commonly used in mountaineering. Furthermore, the main environmental impacts caused by human visitation were registered and spatialized in GIS, revealing the relationship between both. Lastly, the lack of governmental support for the management of this important natural cavern was discussed, highlighting the urgent need for an environmental management plan for the Gruta da Lancinha Natural Monument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheep meet production systems require roughage feed of good nutritional quality. However, the production of sorghum or corn silage, besides expensive, also depends on large cultivable areas and favorable weather conditions. Thus, agro‐industrial residues have stood out as a feed alternative that contribute to the reduction of production costs and to the conservation of the environment. Fragments of the ruminal mucosa of 30 healthy lambs fed with agro‐industrial residues and slaughtered with a final weight of 36 kg were analyzed by light and scanning electron microscopy. We observed that the coproducts grape residue and wet brewery residue affected the shape, dimensions, and cytoarchitecture of the rumen epithelium in contrast to traditional sorghum silage. The rumen papillae of lambs fed grape waste were larger, and their epithelium was thinner when compared to the papillae of lambs fed wet brewery waste and sorghum silage. It can be assumed that the increased mucosal surface area of the rumen contributed to greater weight gain and reduced time to slaughter. The use of a greater variety of agro‐industrial residues as a substitute for traditional feedstuffs contributes to the increase in animal protein production in many countries, making the confinement of sheep more viable and sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a novel setup for treating sepsis using distributional reinforcement learning (RL). Sepsis is a life-threatening medical emergency. Its treatment is considered to be a challenging high-stakes decision-making problem, which has to procedurally account for risk. Treating sepsis by machine learning algorithms is difficult due to a couple of reasons: There is limited and error-afflicted initial data in a highly complex biological system combined with the need to make robust, transparent and safe decisions. We demonstrate a suitable method that combines data imputation by a kNN model using a custom distance with state representation by discretization using clustering, and that enables superhuman decision-making using speedy Q-learning in the framework of distributional RL. Compared to clinicians, the recovery rate is increased by more than 3% on the test data set. Our results illustrate how risk-aware RL agents can play a decisive role in critical situations such as the treatment of sepsis patients, a situation acerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Martineau 2020). In addition, we emphasize the tractability of the methodology and the learning behavior while addressing some criticisms of the previous work (Komorowski et al. 2018) on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze how the career-building process of sustainable entrepreneurs occurs from the perspective of sustainable careers and how the influential factors in their career decisions are related to the dimensions and characteristics of sustainable careers. Design/methodology/approach: This is a qualitative study carried out by analyzing three Brazilian entrepreneurs' life stories. Subsequently, the data were submitted to narrative analysis using the Atlas.ti software and then interpreted using sustainable career's dimensions and characteristics. Findings: The study corroborates the literature on entrepreneurship, sustainability, and careers, shedding new light on the career decision process of sustainable entrepreneurs from the assumptions of the sustainable career perspective. We identified the emergence of influential categories as a disorienting dilemma, the importance of agency and meaning dimensions and the career coherence with values, quality of life, and self-fulfillment. In addition, sustainable entrepreneurship appears to be in line with the ideals of decent work, allowing for individual well-being, matching life and career values, and long-term employability. Originality: The sustainable career perspective offers an innovative, dynamic, and systemic perspective to understanding the professional trajectories of sustainable entrepreneurs, considering their learning along their trajectory, crossing different social spaces, experiences, and creations, which allow them to improve the adaptability necessary for the sustainability of their careers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many previous studies claim to have developed machine learning models that diagnose COVID-19 from blood tests. However, we hypothesize that changes in the underlying distribution of the data, so called domain shifts, affect the predictive performance and reliability and are a reason for the failure of such machine learning models in clinical application. Domain shifts can be caused, e.g., by changes in the disease prevalence (spreading or tested population), by refined RT-PCR testing procedures (way of taking samples, laboratory procedures), or by virus mutations. Therefore, machine learning models for diagnosing COVID-19 or other diseases may not be reliable and degrade in performance over time. We investigate whether domain shifts are present in COVID-19 datasets and how they affect machine learning methods. We further set out to estimate the mortality risk based on routinely acquired blood tests in a hospital setting throughout pandemics and under domain shifts. We reveal domain shifts by evaluating the models on a large-scale dataset with different assessment strategies, such as temporal validation. We present the novel finding that domain shifts strongly affect machine learning models for COVID-19 diagnosis and deteriorate their predictive performance and credibility. Therefore, frequent re-training and re-assessment are indispensable for robust models enabling clinical utility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle ear implants (MEI) are for the medical rehabilitation of the hearing function in case of sound conduction hearing losses as well as cochlear hearing losses and their combinations. An objective tool to reach the best fitting of the external worn sound processors is essential for patients who do not want or cannot participate in the fitting process. In addition to Laser-Doppler-Vibrometry (LDV) measurement, the sound pressure was measured distant to the eardrum to attain additional information for comparison. Three groups of patients with different middle ear characteristics were examined. Because of the large spreading of measuring results even within a patient group with similar eardrum and middle ear conditions it is difficult to develop characteristic diagrams which represent the mean values of eardrum displacements with different sound processor adjustments being the base for normative data courses. The LDV measurements can be used as a tool for fitting sound processors by finding individual maximum eardrum velocities in the frequency range 125 Hz to 8 kHz. In comparison to acoustical measurements the optical measurements have advantages concerning lower variations of measurement values, higher spectral resolution, and robustness against disturbing acoustic noise, especially at low frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood wheeze represents a first symptom of asthma. Early identification of children at risk for wheeze related to 17q12- 21 variants and their underlying immunological mechanisms remain unknown. We aimed to assess the influence of 17q12- 21 variants and mRNA expression at birth on the development of wheeze. Methods: Children were classified as multitrigger/viral/no wheeze until six years of age. The PAULINA/PAULCHEN birth cohorts were genotyped (n = 216; GSA- chip). mRNA expression of 17q21 and innate/adaptive genes was measured (qRT- PCR) in cord blood mononuclear cells. Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and mediation analyses were performed. Genetic variation of 17q12-21 asthma- single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was summarized as the first principal component (PC1) and used to classify single SNP effects on gene expression as (locus)-dependent/independent eQTL SNPs. Results: Core region risk variants (IKZF3, ZPBP2, GSDMB, ORMDL3) were associated with multitrigger wheeze (OR: 3.05-5.43) and were locus- dependent eQTL SNPs with higher GSDMA, TLR2, TLR5, and lower TGFB1 expression. Increased risk of multitrigger wheeze with rs9303277 was in part mediated by TLR2 expression. Risk variants distal to the core region were mainly locus- independent eQTL SNPs with decreased CD209, CD86, TRAF6, RORA, and IL- 9 expression. Distinct immune signatures in cord blood were associated either with multitrigger wheeze (increased innate genes, e.g., TLR2, IPS1, LY75) or viral wheeze (decreased NF-κB genes, e.g., TNFAIP3 and TNIP2). Conclusion: Locus- dependent eQTL SNPs (core region) associated with increased inflammatory genes (primarily TLR2) at birth and subsequent multitrigger wheeze indicate that early priming and imbalance may be crucial for asthma pathophysiology. Locus- independent eQTL SNPs (mainly distal region, rs1007654) may be involved in the initiation of dendritic cell activation/maturation (TRAF6) and interaction with T cells (CD209, CD86). Identifying potential mechanistic pathways at birth may point to critical key points during early immune development predisposing to asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most childhood cancers occur sporadically and cannot be explained by an inherited mutation or an unhealthy lifestyle. However, risk factors might trigger the oncogenic transformation of cells. Among other regulatory signals, hypermethylation of RAD9A intron 2 is responsible for the increased expression of RAD9A protein, which may play a role in oncogenic transformation. Here, we analyzed the RAD9A intron 2 methylation in primary fibroblasts of 20 patients with primary cancer in childhood and second primary cancer (2N) later in life, 20 matched patients with only one primary cancer in childhood (1N) and 20 matched cancer-free controls (0N), using bisulfite pyrosequencing and deep bisulfite sequencing (DBS). Four 1N patients and one 2N patient displayed elevated mean methylation levels (≥10 %) of RAD9A. DBS revealed ≥2 % hypermethylated alleles of RAD9A, indicative for constitutive mosaic epimutations. Bone marrow samples of NHL and AML tumor patients (n=74), EBV (Epstein Barr Virus) lymphoblasts (n=6), tumor cell lines (n=5) and FaDu subclones (n=13) were analyzed to substantiate our findings. We find a broad spectrum of tumor entities with an aberrant methylation of RAD9A. We detected a significant difference in mean methylation of RAD9A for NHL versus AML patients (p ≤0.025). Molecular karyotyping of AML samples during therapy with hypermethylated RAD9A showed an evolving duplication of 1.8 kb on Chr16p13.3 including the PKD1 gene. Radiation, colony formation assays, cell proliferation, PCR and molecular karyotyping SNP-array experiments using generated FaDu subclones suggest that hypermethylation of RAD9A intron 2 is associated with genomic imbalances in regions with tumor-relevant genes and survival of the cells. In conclusion, this is the very first study of RAD9A intron 2 methylation in childhood cancer and Leukemia. RAD9A epimutations may have an impact on leukemia and tumorigenesis and can potentially serve as a biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sensitive and welcoming human variation practices are necessary in education. This study was designed to identify if students in the course recognize the contribution of the resources made available and organized through the Universal Design for Learning framework in their agency participation, permanence and engagement processes in a distance education course. The theoretical-methodological perspective was based on the Disability Studies and the data was collected from three techniques: Personal Diaries, Behavioral Mapping and Environmental Traces, with subsequent content analysis. The results showed that when a course plan is based on the DUA framework, many of the needs of students with disabilities are covered and the remaining barriers are common to most of the learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two polymorphic forms of 1-(4-methylpyridin-2-yl)thiourea (1) and the crystal and molecular structures of the 2-aminothiazoles N-(4-methylpyridin-2-yl)-4-(pyridin-2-yl)thiazol-2-amine (2) and N-(4-methylpyridin-2-yl)-4-(pyrazin-2-yl)thiazol-2-amine (3), derived from 1 and the respective α-bromoketone via the Hantzsch reaction, are described. Both polymorphic forms 1α (space group P21/c, Z = 4) and 1β (space group P21/n, Z = 8) crystallize in the monoclinic system but exhibit distinctly different intermolecular hydrogen bonding patterns. Compound 2 (orthorhombic, space group Pca21, Z = 8) forms polymeric N–H⋯N hydrogen-bonded zigzag tapes in the polar crystal structure, with a significant twisting between the thiazole and pyridine rings. In contrast, the crystal structure of 3 (monoclinic, space group P21/c, Z = 4) features nearly planar centrosymmetric N–H⋯N hydrogen-bonded dimers, which are laterally joined through long C–H⋯N contacts, affording a π⋯π stacked layered structure. Two polymorphs of 1-(4-methylpyridin-2-yl)thiourea and the crystal and molecular structures of two 2-aminothiazoles, derived from 1-(4-methylpyridin-2-yl)thiourea and α-bromoketones via Hantzsch reaction, are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near real-time surface current measurements from shore-based high-frequency (HF) radars have increasingly proved to be an essential observation for ocean data assimilation (DA) into operational forecasting systems. For the first time in Brazil, a high-resolution operational system was developed assimilating HF ocean currents data. The system comprises a well known ocean model, the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS), applied to the Southeastern Brazilian shelf and oceanic regions. The ROMS Restricted B-preconditioned Lanczos 4D-variational DA method is employed using real-time coastal radar, remote sensing, and in situ observations, and the DA solution is used as initial fields to produce hourly forecasts for the next two days. The performance of the system in providing accurate forecasts by using this source of initial condition (IC) was evaluated in an experiment in which multiple sources of IC were used. In situ and remote sensing data were used to assess the quality of predictions obtained in the forecasting experiments. The results indicate that the employed DA technique significantly reduced the misfit between model and assimilated observations, leading to improved forecast results. By using this IC, the system was capable to provide forecasts with errors reduced by up to 85%, 14%, and 12%, respectively for sea surface temperature, velocities, and heights, compared to forecasts based on global models. The system was also able to accurately predict the positioning and intensity of the Brazil Current flow and its spatiotemporal variability along the studied region. • An ocean forecasting system assimilating CODAR-derived data was developed. • It is a novelty in Brazilian forecasting systems and its impacts were investigated. • DA of CODAR-derived velocities enhanced the forecasts' initial conditions. • Forecasts presented error reductions for SST, SSH, and surface velocities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis and structural characterization of N-(6-methoxypyridin-3-yl)-4-(pyridin-2-yl)thiazol-2-amine mono-hydrobromide monohydrate (3) and N-(6-methoxypyridin-3-yl)-4-(pyrazin-2-yl)thiazol-2-amine mono-hydrobromide 0.35 methanol solvate (4) are reported. The crystal structures of 3 (monoclinic, space group P21/n, Z = 4) and 4 (monoclinic, space group, C2/c, Z = 8) feature N,4-diheteroaryl 2-aminothiazoles showing similar molecular conformations but different sites of protonation and thus distinctly different intermolecular hydrogen bonding patterns. In 3, Namine–H⋯Br−, N+pyridine–H⋯Owater, and Owater–H⋯Br− hydrogen bonds link protonated N-(6-methoxypyridin-3-yl)-4-(pyridin-2-yl)thiazol-2-amine and water molecules and bromide anions into a three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded network, whereas intermolecular N+methoxypyridine–H⋯Npyrazine hydrogen bonds result in hydrogen-bonded zigzag chains of protonated N-(6-methoxypyridin-3-yl)-4-(pyrazin-2-yl)thiazol-2-amine molecules in 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The endo-lysosomal two-pore channel (TPC2) has been established as an intracellular cation channel of significant physiological and pathophysiological relevance in recent years. For example, TPC2-/- mice show defects in cholesterol degradation, leading to hypercholesterinemia; TPC2 absence also results in mature-onset obesity, and a role in glucagon secretion and diabetes has been proposed. Infections with bacterial toxins or viruses e.g., cholera toxin or Ebola virus result in reduced infectivity rates in the absence of TPC2 or after pharmacological blockage, and TPC2-/- cancer cells lose their ability to migrate and metastasize efficiently. Finally, melanin production is affected by changes in hTPC2 activity, resulting in pigmentation defects and hair color variation. Here, we analyzed several publicly available genome variation data sets and identified multiple variations in the TPC2 protein in distinct human populations. Surprisingly, one variation, L564P, was found to be the predominant TPC2 isoform on a global scale. By applying endo-lysosomal patch-clamp electrophysiology, we found that L564P is a prerequisite for the previously described M484L gain-of-function effect that is associated with blond hair. Additionally, other gain-of-function variants with distinct geographical and ethnic distribution were discovered and functionally characterized. A meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies was performed, finding the polymorphisms to be associated with both distinct and overlapping traits. In sum, we present the first systematic analysis of variations in TPC2. We functionally characterized the most common variations and assessed their association with various disease traits. With TPC2 emerging as a novel drug target for the treatment of various diseases, this study provides valuable insights into ethnic and geographical distribution of TPC2 polymorphisms and their effects on channel activity. Author summary: The endo-lysosomal cation channel TPC2 is implicated in numerous human diseases ranging from metabolic disease, Parkinson's disease, cancer and pigmentation defects, to infectious diseases such as Ebola, Covid-19, and bacterial infections. Here, we present a functional analysis of several polymorphisms occurring in the human TPC2 protein in distinct populations. By evaluating several human genome databases, we identified a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms in TPC2. We electrophysiologically characterized the most common polymorphisms by applying the endo-lysosomal patch-clamp technique. We thereby identified several novel gain-of-function variants and found the TPC2 variation L564P to be a prerequisite for the previously described M484L gain-of-function effect associated with blond hair. In addition, publicly available genome-wide association study databases were assessed, and linked traits of the investigated TPC2 polymorphisms interrogated. Considering that different human populations have a different likelihood of carrying the identified gain-of-function variations, these findings appear highly relevant for further assessment of TPC2 as a pharmacological drug target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both solid particles and column diameter affect the gas holdup and flow regimes in slurry bubble columns, but investigations of the combined effects are not to be found. This study shows the simultaneous impacts on the overall gas holdup and flow regime transitions and determines the dominant effects in slurry bubble columns on the centi‐scale containing solid particle concentrations up to 20 vol %. Additional tomography measurements are presented to visualize the gas phase flow and the spatial gas phase distribution in the column. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The steady advances in technology employed in smartphones, coupled with the high availability and the ease access to these devices, increased the interest in applying it to analytical purposes. The main goal is to develop simple, fast, and low‐cost analytical methods, generating immediate results. Different analytical strategies using smartphones have been proposed to identify or determine different analytes in a wide range of matrices. Some of them use the smartphone to capture the images, to process them, and to provide the analytical results. Others use this device just for image acquisition. In this context, this review aimed to relate previous works that used smartphones to acquire images for analytical purposes, with a special focus on PhotoMetrix application, which is a tool for chemical analysis. This application allows the decomposition of digital images acquired by smartphone cameras and to process them within the same device, allowing in situ chemical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this paper, a framework for online robust adaptive radiation therapy (ART) is discussed and evaluated. The purpose of the presented approach to ART is to: (a) handle interfractional geometric variations following a probability distribution different from the a priori hypothesis, (b) address adaptation cost, and (c) address computational tractability. Methods: A novel framework for online robust ART using the concept of Bayesian inference and scenario reduction is introduced and evaluated in a series of simulated cases on a one‐dimensional phantom geometry. The initial robust plan is generated from a robust optimization problem based on either expected‐value or worst‐case optimization approach using the a priori hypothesis of the probability distribution governing the interfractional geometric variations. Throughout the course of treatment, the simulated interfractional variations are evaluated in terms of their likelihood with respect to the a priori hypothesis of their distribution and violation of user‐specified tolerance limits by the accumulated dose. If an adaptation is considered, the a posteriori distribution is computed from the actual variations using Bayesian inference. Then, the adapted plan is optimized to better suit the actual interfractional variations of the individual case. This adapted plan is used until the next adaptation is triggered. To address adaptation cost, the proposed framework provides an option for increased adaptation frequency. Computational tractability in robust planning and ART is addressed by an approximation algorithm to reduce the size of the optimization problem. Results: According to the simulations, the proposed framework may improve target coverage compared to the corresponding nonadaptive robust approach. In particular, Bayesian inference may be useful to individualize plans to the actual interfractional variations. Concerning adaptation cost, the results indicate that mathematical methods like Bayesian inference may have a greater impact on improving individual treatment quality than increased adaptation frequency. In addition, the simulations suggest that the concept of scenario reduction may be useful to address computational tractability in ART and robust planning in general. Conclusions: The simulations indicate that the adapted plans may improve target coverage and OAR protection at manageable adaptation and computational cost within the novel framework. In particular, adaptive strategies using Bayesian inference appear to perform best among all strategies. This proof‐of‐concept study provides insights into the mathematical aspects of robustness, tractability, and ART, which are a useful guide for further development of frameworks for online robust ART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S.Tm) infections of cultured cell lines have given rise to the ruffle model for epithelial cell invasion. According to this model, the Type-Three-Secretion-System-1 (TTSS-1) effectors SopB, SopE and SopE2 drive an explosive actin nucleation cascade, resulting in large lamellipodia- and filopodia-containing ruffles and cooperative S.Tm uptake. However, cell line experiments poorly recapitulate many of the cell and tissue features encountered in the host's gut mucosa. Here, we employed bacterial genetics and multiple imaging modalities to compare S.Tm invasion of cultured epithelial cell lines and the gut absorptive epithelium in vivo in mice. In contrast to the prevailing ruffle-model, we find that absorptive epithelial cell entry in the mouse gut occurs through "discreet-invasion". This distinct entry mode requires the conserved TTSS-1 effector SipA, involves modest elongation of local microvilli in the absence of expansive ruffles, and does not favor cooperative invasion. Discreet-invasion preferentially targets apicolateral hot spots at cell–cell junctions and shows strong dependence on local cell neighborhood. This proof-of-principle evidence challenges the current model for how S.Tm can enter gut absorptive epithelial cells in their intact in vivo context. Author summary: Bacterial pathogens can use secreted effector molecules to drive entry into host cells. Studies of the intestinal pathogen S.Tm have been central to uncover the mechanistic basis for the entry process. More than two decades of research have resulted in a detailed model for how S.Tm invades gut epithelial cells through effector triggering of large Rho-GTPase-dependent actin ruffles. However, the evidence for this model comes predominantly from studies in cultured cell lines. These experimental systems lack many of the architectural and signaling features of the intact gut epithelium. Our study surprisingly reveals that in the intact mouse gut, S.Tm invades absorptive epithelial cells through a process that does not require the Rho-GTPase-activating effectors and can proceed in the absence of the prototypical ruffling response. Instead, S.Tm exploits another effector, SipA, to sneak in through discreet entry structures close to cell–cell junctions. Our results challenge the current model for S.Tm epithelial cell entry and emphasizes the need of taking a physiological host cell context into account when studying bacterium–host cell interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing electrocardiographic (ECG) signals is crucial for evaluating heart function and diagnosing cardiac pathology. Traditional methods for detecting ECG changes often rely on offline analysis or subjective visual inspection, which may overlook subtle variations, particularly in the case of artifacts. In this theoretical, proof-of-concept study, we investigated the potential of five different machine learning algorithms [random forests (RFs), gradient boosting methods (GBMs), deep neural networks (DNNs), an ensemble learning technique, as well as logistic regression] to detect subtle changes in the morphology of synthetically generated ECG beats despite artifacts. Following the generation of a synthetic ECG beat using the standardized McSharry algorithm, the baseline ECG signal was modified by changing the amplitude of different ECG components by 0.01–0.06 mV. In addition, a Gaussian jitter of 0.1–0.3 mV was overlaid to simulate artifacts. Five different machine learning algorithms were then applied to detect differences between the modified ECG beats. The highest discriminatory potency, as assessed by the discriminatory accuracy, was achieved by RFs and GBMs (accuracy of up to 1.0), whereas the least accurate results were obtained by logistic regression (accuracy approximately 10% less). In a second step, a feature importance algorithm (Boruta) was used to discriminate which signal parts were responsible for difference detection. For all comparisons, only signal components that had been modified in advance were used for discretion, demonstrating that the RF model focused on the appropriate signal elements. Our findings highlight the potential of RFs and GBMs as valuable tools for detecting subtle ECG changes despite artifacts, with implications for enhancing clinical diagnosis and monitoring. Further studies are needed to validate our findings with clinical data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous lists number from 55 to 176 plant species as "Biblical Medicinal Plants." Modern studies attest that many names on these lists are no longer valid. This situation arose due to old mistranslations and/or mistakes in botanical identification. Many previously recognized Biblical plants are in no way related to the flora of the Bible lands. Accordingly, the list needs revision. Methods: We re-examine the list of possible medicinal plants in the Bible based on new studies in Hebrew Biblical philology and etymology, new studies on the Egyptian and Mesopotamian medicinal use of plants, on ethnobotany and on archaeobotany. Results: In our survey, we suggest reducing this list to 45 plant species. Our contribution comprises 20 "newly" suggested Biblical Medicinal Plants. Only five species are mentioned directly as medicinal plants in the Bible: Fig (Ficus carica), Nard (Nardostachys jatamansi), Hyssop (Origanum syriacum), balm of Gilead (Commiphora gileadensis) and Mandrake (Mandragora officinarum). No fewer than 18 medicinal plants are mentioned in old Jewish post-Biblical sources, in addition to those in the Bible. Most of these plants (15) are known also in Egypt and Mesopotamia while three are from Egypt only. Seven of our suggested species are not mentioned in the Bible or in the Jewish post-Biblical literature but were recorded as medicinal plants from Egypt, as well as from Mesopotamia. It is quite logical to assume that they can be included as Biblical Medicinal Plants. Conclusions: All our suggested Biblical Medicinal Plants are known as such in Ancient Egypt and/or Mesopotamia also. Examination of our list shows that all these plants have been in continuous medicinal use in the Middle East down the generations, as well as being used in the Holy Land today. Precisely in King Solomon's words, "That which has been is what will be, that which is done is what will be done. And there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper focuses on the design of a novel path following control concept for fixed-wing aircraft, which systematically incorporates the nonlinearities of the flight dynamics. By introducing an acceleration based inner loop control, feedforward acceleration demands of nonlinear 3D paths can be directly taken into account. Furthermore, the nonlinear effects of airspeed, orientation, and gravity are considered separately by implementing a cascaded design and feedback linearization. As a result, robust performance of the path following control is achieved even for wind speeds in the order of the aircraft's airspeed and path accelerations significantly higher than the gravitational acceleration. By further including direct lift control, a high-bandwidth vertical acceleration control is developed. Results of flight experiments show that the designed control concept is particularly beneficial in terms of the tracking performance for 3D paths, the incorporation of input constraints, the robustness against wind and turbulence effects, and the ease of implementation as well as the low computational complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: to analyze the perception of surgical patients of a university hospital about the educational actions developed during the perioperative period. Method: qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research, performed with eight patients from a General Surgery Unit. The statements were collected through semi-structured interviews from March to May of 2016. The data evaluation occurred from the analysis of thematic content. Results: three categories emerged: educational actions developed during the perioperative period in patients' perception; contributions of educational actions; and feelings showed by patients during the perioperative period. Conclusion: it is necessary to rethink the method of educational actions developed by the multiprofessional health team, as well as to enrich the nursing-patient communication process, in order to recognize the work developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Previous studies have shown an association between environmental exposure to heavy metals and hearing loss. However, the findings regarding the relationship between exposure to different metals and hearing loss development are inconsistent. To address this, we conducted a meta‐analysis to explore the link between common heavy metal exposures and hearing loss. This study examined the effects of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg) pollution on hearing loss at various levels, and systematically reviewed the literature on manganese (Mn), barium (Ba), arsenic (As), and hearing loss. Methods: We conducted systematic searches in five major databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus. In addition, we searched three Chinese digital libraries: CNKI, Wanfang Data, and Wipu. From an initial pool of 649 articles, we carefully screened and selected 15 articles for further analysis. The effect sizes from these selected studies were synthesized through a meta‐analysis to calculate the overall effect size. Results: Our findings showed that: (1) There was a significant association between Pb and Cd exposure and hearing loss; (2) There is a proportional relationship between the increase of metal index detected in blood and hearing loss; (3) In the PTA measurement of hearing loss at different frequencies, the 4 kHz high frequency range had a stronger correlation with hearing loss than the low frequency, with OR 1.44 (1.22, 1.71); and (4) There was a more significant correlation between Barium (Ba) levels in nails and hair than in urine. Conclusions: The study presented evidence of a significant association between human hearing loss and exposure to lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd). It not only revealed a positive correlation between blood heavy metal concentrations and the incidence of hearing loss but also highlighted that long‐term exposure indicators of heavy metals were more indicative of the correlation with hearing loss. Lastly, the study recommends utilizing high frequency 4 kHz for the effective assessment and diagnosis of hearing loss caused by exposure to heavy metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In emotion recognition from speech, huge amounts of training material are needed for the development of classification engines. As most current corpora do not supply enough material, a combination of different datasets is advisable. Unfortunately, data recording is done differently and various emotion elicitation and emotion annotation methods are used. Therefore, a combination of corpora is usually not possible without further effort. The manuscript’s aim is to answer the question which corpora are similar enough to jointly be used as training material. A corpus similarity measure based on PCA-ranked features is presented and similar datasets are identified. To evaluate our method we used nine well-known benchmark corpora and automatically identified a sub-set of six most similar datasets. To test that the identified most similar six datasets influence the classification performance, we conducted several cross-corpora emotion recognition experiments comparing our identified six most similar datasets with other combinations. Our most similar sub-set outperforms all other combinations of corpora, the combination of all nine datasets as well as feature normalization techniques. Also influencing side-effects on the recognition rate were excluded. Finally, the predictive power of our measure is shown: increasing similarity score, expressing decreasing similarity, result in decreasing recognition rates. Thus, our similarity measure answers the question which corpora should be included into joint training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron cryotomography is able to visualize macromolecular complexes in their cellular context, in a frozen-hydrated state, and in three dimensions. The method, however, is limited to relatively thin samples. Cryo-focused ion beam (FIB) milling is emerging as a powerful technique for sample thinning prior to cryotomography imaging. Previous cryo-FIB milling reports utilized custom-built non-standard equipment. Here we present a workflow and the required commercially available instrumentation to either implement the method de novo , or as an upgrade of pre-existing dual beam milling instruments. We introduce two alternative protocols and the respective sample holders for milling. The “bare grid holder” allows for milling on plain grids, having the advantage of enabling relatively shallow milling angles for wedge geometries. The “Autogrid holder” is designed for milling grids clamped into a mechanical support ring (Autogrid), resulting in increased stability for lamella geometries. We applied the workflow to prepare samples and record high-quality tomograms of diverse model organisms, including infected and uninfected HeLa cells, amoebae, yeast, multicellular cyanobacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli cells. The workflow will contribute to the dissemination of electron cryotomography of cryo-FIB milled samples in the biological sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterium–host interactions are important for diverse ecological settings including pathogenicity and symbiosis. Electron cryotomography is a powerful method for studying the macromolecular complexes that mediate such interactions in situ . The main limitation of electron cryotomography is its restriction to relatively thin samples such as individual bacterial cells. Cryo-focused ion beam milling was recently proposed as a solution to the thickness limitation. This approach allows the artifact-free thinning of biological specimens for subsequent imaging in the transmission electron microscope. By enabling near-native imaging of bacteria inside their eukaryotic host, this combination of techniques promotes the integration of data from structural biology and infection biology. Therefore, electron cryotomography associated with cryo-focused ion beam milling holds great potential for establishing multiscale models of cell–cell interactions from the atomic, to the cellular and to the intercellular scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies exist on the long-term effect of treatment of trauma-affected refugees. The purpose of this study was to estimate the long-term treatment effects of cognitive behavioural therapy and antidepressants (sertraline and mianserin) in trauma-affected refugees. Follow-ups were conducted 6 and 18 months after a randomised controlled clinical trial. The included patients were refugees with war-related traumatic experiences, PTSD and without psychotic disorders. We found a small improvement over time in PTSD, depression and anxiety symptoms and level of functioning, but the improvement was not associated with any specific treatment. Personality change after catastrophic experiences and life events influenced the symptom level at all follow-ups while depression at completion of treatment was associated with a steeper decline in symptom load at the follow-ups. In spite of the limited decline in symptom scores and treatment effects immediately after treatment, the condition of the treated trauma-affected refugees was significantly improved 6 and 18 months after treatment although the improvement was small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sumerian myth of Enki and Ninḫursaga, which conveys Enki's metaphorical nature as power behind the irrigation of the Mesopotamian marshlands, contains a passage that brings together plants, pains and deities. The raison d'être for the choice of these eight plants has so far escaped scholars. In analysing the evidence for the plants according to cuneiform literary and medical sources the present contribution offers a discussion of their nature and possible connection with the god Enki providing thus an explanation for their choice and shedding light on the storyteller's motivation for including the episode on plants in the myth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to the reality of global industrialisation, research on individual understandings of the human-nature relationship shows low acceptance of the concept of human Mastery over nature. In qualitative interviews (n = 25) we investigated how actors from river landscape management in Austria perceive this paradox. Results indicate that actors who in their professional life act in the sense of Mastery over nature often interpret their role as Stewardship. Other reasons were seen in discrepancies between (1) private and the professional life, (2) people's vision and reality, and (3) self-reflection and reflection through others. Also social desirability bias and insufficient wording of narratives can affect results significantly. We suggest further exploration of influencing drivers in such surveys and development of tools for group-based reflection of human-nature relationships within planning and governance processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increases in extreme weather events associated with climate change have the potential to put currently healthy forests at risk. One option to minimize this risk is the application of forest management measures aimed at generating species mixtures predicted to be more resilient to these threats. In order to apply such measures appropriately, forest managers need up-to-date, accurate and consistent forest maps at relatively fine spatial resolutions. Cost efficiency is a major factor when creating such maps. Taking European spruce ( Picea abies ) and Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris ) as an example, this paper describes an innovative approach for mapping two tree species using a combination of commercial very high resolution WorldView-2 (WV2) images and Landsat time series data. As a first step, this study used a supervised object-based classification of WV2 images covering relatively small test sites distributed across the region of interest. Using these classification maps as training data, wall-to-wall mapping of fractional coverages of spruce and pine was achieved using multi-temporal Landsat data and Random Forests (RF) regression. The method was applied for the entire state of Bavaria (Germany), which comprises a total forested area of approximately 26,000 km 2 . As applied here, this two-step approach yields consistent and accurate maps of fractional tree cover estimates with a spatial resolution of 1 ha. Independent validation of the fractional cover estimates using 3780 reference samples collected through visual interpretation of orthophotos produced root-mean-square errors (RMSE) of 11% (for spruce ) and 14% (for pine ) with almost no bias, and R 2 values of 0.74 and 0.79 for spruce and pine , respectively. The majority of the validation samples (75% ( spruce ) and 84% ( pine )) were modeled within the assumed uncertainty of ± 15% of the reference sample. Accuracies were significantly better compared to those achieved using a single-step classification of Landsat time series data at the pixel level (30 m), because the two-step approach better captures regional variation in the spectral signatures of target classes. Moreover, the increased number of available reference cells mitigates the impact of occasional errors in the reference data set. This two-step approach has great potential for cost-effective operational mapping of dominant forest types over large areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the effects of water absorption on the geometry of a paper sheet is important for inkjet printing applications, since internal moisture content differences may cause unacceptable out-of-plane deformations. The present work focuses on moisture-induced deformations due to a moisture content that is uniform over the thickness of the sheet. Large enough in-plane differences will cause the sheet to buckle, leading to a wavy pattern at the edges of the sheet. Two approaches are utilized to study this for levels of moisture content up to and including the threshold for buckling. An analytical approach, based on geometrically nonlinear plate theory (von Kármán theory), and a numerical one, using commercially available finite element software, are presented. As a first reference problem an isotropic circular plate, wetted uniformly at its center, is solved both analytically and numerically for the in-plane stress distribution, the buckling threshold, and the resulting buckling mode. Secondly, the same is done for an orthotropic rectangular plate, wetted at its edges. Here, in the analytical approach a Rayleigh–Ritz analysis is employed to approximate the buckling threshold. The latter is also calculated by numerical means. The results show that the methods provide results consistent with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium ‐ At ‐ Komplexe gelten als wichtige Zwischenstufen in Heck ‐ und Kreuzkupplungsreaktionen, haben sich aber bisher einer Charakterisierung auf molekularer Ebene weitgehend entzogen. Mithilfe der Elektrosprayionisierungs ‐ Massenspektrometrie, Messungen der elektrischen Leitfähigkeit und NMR ‐ Spektroskopie wird hier gezeigt, dass der elektronenarme Katalysator [L3Pd] (L=Tris[3,5 ‐ bis(trifluormethyl)phenyl]phosphan) bereitwillig mit Br− zum anionischen, nullwertigen At ‐ Komplex [L3PdBr]− reagiert. Elektronenreichere Pd ‐ Katalysatoren weisen dagegen eine geringere Tendenz zur Bildung von At ‐ Komplexen auf. Die Kombination von [L3Pd] mit LiI und einem Aryliodid ArI führt zur Entstehung des PdII ‐ At ‐ Komplexes [L2Pd(Ar)I2]−. At ‐ Anionen analysiert: Palladium ‐ At ‐ Komplexe werden als wichtige Zwischenstufen in Heck ‐ und Kreuzkupplungsreaktionen vorgeschlagen, sind aber bisher einer genauen Charakterisierung unzugänglich geblieben. Sie lassen sich durch Koordination mit einem elektronenarmen Phosphan stabilisieren, was ihre Analyse durch eine Kombination aus ESI ‐ Massenspektrometrie, Messungen der elektrischen Leitfähigkeit und Multikern ‐ NMR ‐ Spektroskopie ermöglicht. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palladium ate complexes are frequently invoked as important intermediates in Heck and cross-coupling reactions, but so far have largely eluded characterization at the molecular level. Here, we use electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry, electrical conductivity measurements, and NMR spectroscopy to show that the electron-poor catalyst [L3Pd] (L=tris[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]phosphine) readily reacts with Br− ions to afford the anionic, zero-valent ate complex [L3PdBr]−. In contrast, more-electron-rich Pd catalysts display lower tendencies toward the formation of ate complexes. Combining [L3Pd] with LiI and an aryl iodide substrate (ArI) results in the observation of the PdII ate complex [L2Pd(Ar)I2]−. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contractile injection systems mediate bacterial cell-cell interactions by a bacteriophage tail–like structure. In contrast to extracellular systems, the type 6 secretion system (T6SS) is defined by intracellular localization and attachment to the cytoplasmic membrane. Here we used cryo-focused ion beam milling, electron cryotomography, and functional assays to study a T6SS in Amoebophilus asiaticus. The in situ architecture revealed three modules, including a contractile sheath-tube, a baseplate, and an anchor. All modules showed conformational changes upon firing. Lateral baseplate interactions coordinated T6SSs in hexagonal arrays. The system mediated interactions with host membranes and may participate in phagosome escape. Evolutionary sequence analyses predicted that T6SSs are more widespread than previously thought. Our insights form the basis for understanding T6SS key concepts and exploring T6SS diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Image segmentation is a crucial stage at the very beginning of many geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA) workflows. While segmentation quality is generally deemed of great importance, selecting adequate tuning parameters for a segmentation algorithm can be tedious and subjective. Procedures to automatically choose parameters of a segmentation algorithm are meant to make the process objective and reproducible. One of those approaches, and perhaps themost frequently used unsupervised parameter optimization method in the context of GEOBIA is called the objective function, also known as Global Score. Unfortunately, the method exhibits a hitherto widely neglected, yet severe source of instability, which makes quality rankings inconsistent. We demonstrate the issue in detail and propose a modification of the Global Score to mitigate the problem. This hopefully serves as a starting point to spark further development of the popular approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To set up a framework combining robust treatment planning with adaptive re-optimization in order to maintain high treatment quality, to respond to interfractional geometric variations and to identify those patients who will benefit the most from an adaptive fractionation schedule. Methods The authors propose robust adaptive strategies based on stochastic minimax optimization for a series of simulated treatments on a one-dimensional patient phantom. The plan applied during the first fractions should be able to handle anticipated systematic and random errors. Information on the individual geometric variations is gathered at each fraction. At scheduled fractions, the impact of the measured errors on the delivered dose distribution is evaluated. For a patient having received a dose that does not satisfy specified plan quality criteria, the plan is re-optimized based on these individually measured errors. The re-optimized plan is then applied during subsequent fractions until a new scheduled adaptation becomes necessary. In this study, three different adaptive strategies are introduced and investigated. (a) In the first adaptive strategy, the measured systematic and random error scenarios and their assigned probabilities are updated to guide the robust re-optimization. (b) In the second strategy, the degree of conservativeness is adapted in response to the measured dose delivery errors. (c) In the third strategy, the uncertainty margins around the target are recalculated based on the measured errors. The simulated treatments are subjected to systematic and random errors that are either similar to the anticipated errors or unpredictably larger in order to critically evaluate the performance of these three adaptive strategies. Results According to the simulations, robustly optimized treatment plans provide sufficient treatment quality for those treatment error scenarios similar to the anticipated error scenarios. Moreover, combining robust planning with adaptation leads to improved organ-at-risk protection. In case of unpredictably larger treatment errors, the first strategy in combination with at most weekly adaptation performs best at notably improving treatment quality in terms of target coverage and organ-at-risk protection in comparison with a non-adaptive approach and the other adaptive strategies. Conclusion The authors present a framework that provides robust plan re-optimization or margin adaptation of a treatment plan in response to interfractional geometric errors throughout the fractionated treatment. According to the simulations, these robust adaptive treatment strategies are able to identify candidates for an adaptive treatment, thus giving the opportunity to provide individualized plans, and improve their treatment quality through adaptation. The simulated robust adaptive framework is a guide for further development of optimally controlled robust adaptive therapy models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimization-based stabilization of manifolds for nonlinear dynamical systems with constraints is investigated. Manifolds in the state or output space are considered for which the original system description can be transformed into a so-called transverse normal form. With this formulation, the motion of the system transverse and tangential to the manifold can be separately described. The transverse normal form is combined with a tailored model predictive control scheme to achieve the objectives of stabilizing the manifold, rendering it invariant, and imposing a desired motion on the manifold under due consideration of constraints. Furthermore, the stabilization of the manifold is prioritized over the movement on the manifold. Convergence of the model predictive control scheme is proven. The applicability of the proposed concept is demonstrated by an illustrative simulation example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decades, a large variety of robot motion planners emerged. However, manoeuvring in very narrow environments, e.g., for common parking scenarios, cannot be reliably handled with existing path planners at low computing costs. This is why, this paper presents a fast optimisation based path planner which specialises on narrow environments. In the proposed approach, the kinematic differential equations are discretised. For the resulting discrete path segments, a static optimisation problem is formulated to determine the path independently of the considered scenario. In each iteration step, the path length is also optimised to handle close distances to the obstacles as well as longer driving distances. Due to the local nature heuristic rules for driving direction changes are formulated which intend to imitate the behaviour of a human driver. The drawback of the local nature is the lack of global information to handle scenarios with obstacles blocking the path. To overcome this problem, a tree-based guidance for the local planner is introduced. The landmarks for the tree are implicitly created by the local planner allowing an efficient exploration of the free configuration space. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated utilising Monte-Carlo simulations and compared to state-of-the-art path planning algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his introduction to Ancient Mesopotamia, A. L. Oppenheim expressed his doubts about the feasibility to write a systematic account of Mesopotamian religion (, p. 172; cf. ). Indeed, if we understand religion as the sum of individual, conceptual and social concepts and take into account the nature and the state of preservation of the sources, it becomes evident that any description must remain incomplete. This is also the case when portraying the figure of the Ancient Mesopotamian healing goddess or goddesses. As a matter of fact, five deities were associated with the domain of healing and merged together into principally one goddess. Though they are all presented in the following discussion, emphasis is laid on the specific character of the healing goddess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘Portrait as Dialogue’ is a practice-based study of forms of individual representation. It is both, a series of art works and a collection of forms of human representation. The experiments draw attention to the fact that besides the Western tradition of ‘portrayal’ a rich potential of representational means exists – a potential which remains largely unperceived as such, and therefore unexplored. The art works propose a different view of ‘portrayal’ – in a very wide, as well as a very specific sense of the term – strategically by ‘looking’ at myself through the ‘eyes of the other.’ The role of the artist as the sole performer and the status of the researcher as an outside observer are overturned in this dialogue of representation. ‘Name Me,’ the detail described here, focuses on the designation and change of name among the Kelabit, an indigenous population in central Borneo. Their name system as well as the (formerly practiced) system of their neighbors, the Penan, is presented in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]