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Abstract Chitosans are promising biopolymers for diverse applications, with material properties and bioactivities depending i.a. on their pattern of acetylation (PA). Commercial chitosans are typically produced by heterogeneous deacetylation of chitin, but whether this process yields chitosans with a random or block-wise PA has been debated for decades. Using a combination of recently developed in vitro assays and in silico modeling surprisingly revealed that both hypotheses are wrong; instead, we found a more regular PA in heterogeneously deacetylated chitosans, with acetylated units overrepresented at every third position in the polymer chain. Compared to random-PA chitosans produced by homogeneous deacetylation of chitin or chemical N-acetylation of polyglucosamine, this regular PA increases the elicitation activity in plants, and generates different product profiles and distributions after enzymatic and chemical cleavage. A regular PA may be beneficial for some applications but detrimental for others, stressing the relevance of the production process for product development.

Abstract Autophagy is relevant for diverse processes in eukaryotic cells, making its regulation of fundamental importance. The formation and maturation of autophagosomes require a complex choreography of numerous factors. The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) is implicated in the final step of autophagosomal maturation by sealing of the phagophore membrane. ESCRT-III components were shown to mediate membrane scission by forming filaments that interact with cellular membranes. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the recruitment of ESCRTs to non-endosomal membranes remain largely unknown. Here we focus on the ESCRT-associated protein ALG2-interacting protein X (ALIX) and identify Ca2+-dependent lipid binding protein 1 (CaLB1) as its interactor. Our findings demonstrate that CaLB1 interacts with AUTOPHAGY8 (ATG8) and PI(3)P, a phospholipid found in autophagosomal membranes. Moreover, CaLB1 and ALIX localize with ATG8 on autophagosomes upon salt treatment and assemble together into condensates. The depletion of CaLB1 impacts the maturation of salt-induced autophagosomes and leads to reduced delivery of autophagosomes to the vacuole. Here, we propose a crucial role of CaLB1 in augmenting phase separation of ALIX, facilitating the recruitment of ESCRT-III to the site of phagophore closure thereby ensuring efficient maturation of autophagosomes.

Emerging data suggest that air pollution is a persistent source of neuroinflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and neuropathology that contributes to central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Previous research using animal models has shown that exposure to diesel exhaust causes considerable disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), leading to marked neuroinflammation. However, the effects of biodiesel exhaust on cerebrovascular integrity and neuroinflammation have not been explored previously. Therefore, in this study, 8-week-old BALB/c mice were exposed to biodiesel exhaust (derived from canola biodiesel or tallow biodiesel) and compared with control mice that were exposed to air or mineral diesel exhaust. Consistently with previous findings, the integrity of the BBB was significantly disrupted by exposure to mineral diesel exhaust. Tallow and canola biodiesel exhaust exposure resulted in no BBB disruption. Moreover, both tallow and canola biodiesels significantly attenuated oxidative stress in the brain. The data collectively suggest that biodiesel exhaust may exert significantly less detrimental effects on brain function, compared to mineral diesel.

Abstract The human adrenal gland is a complex endocrine tissue. Studies on adrenal renewal have been limited to animal models or human foetuses. Enhancing our understanding of adult human adrenal homeostasis is crucial for gaining insights into the pathogenesis of adrenal diseases, such as adrenocortical tumours. Here, we present a comprehensive cellular genomics analysis of the adult human normal adrenal gland, combining single‐nuclei RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptome data to reconstruct adrenal gland homeostasis. As expected, we identified primary cells of the various zones of the adrenal cortex and medulla, but we also uncovered additional cell types. They constitute the adrenal microenvironment, including immune cells, mostly composed of a large population of M2 macrophages, and new cell populations, including different subpopulations of vascular‐endothelial cells and cortical‐neuroendocrine cells. Utilizing spatial transcriptome and pseudotime trajectory analysis, we support evidence of the centripetal dynamics of adrenocortical cell maintenance and the essential role played by Wnt/β‐catenin, sonic hedgehog, and fibroblast growth factor pathways in the adult adrenocortical homeostasis. Furthermore, we compared single‐nuclei transcriptional profiles obtained from six healthy adrenal glands and twelve adrenocortical adenomas. This analysis unveiled a notable heterogeneity in cell populations within the adenoma samples. In addition, we identified six distinct adenoma‐specific clusters, each with varying distributions based on steroid profiles and tumour mutational status. Overall, our results provide novel insights into adrenal homeostasis and molecular mechanisms potentially underlying early adrenocortical tumorigenesis and/or autonomous steroid secretion. Our cell atlas represents a powerful resource to investigate other adrenal‐related pathologies.

Abstract Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a specialized subgroup of T-cell lymphocytes that is crucial for maintaining immune homeostasis and preventing excessive immune responses. Depending on their differentiation route, Tregs can be subdivided into thymically derived Tregs (tTregs) and peripherally induced Tregs (pTregs), which originate from conventional T cells after extrathymic differentiation at peripheral sites. Although the regulatory attributes of tTregs and pTregs partially overlap, their modes of action, protein expression profiles, and functional stability exhibit specific characteristics unique to each subset. Over the last few years, our knowledge of Treg differentiation, maturation, plasticity, and correlations between their phenotypes and functions has increased. Genetic and functional studies in patients with numeric and functional Treg deficiencies have contributed to our mechanistic understanding of immune dysregulation and autoimmune pathologies. This review provides an overview of our current knowledge of Treg biology, discusses monogenetic Treg pathologies and explores the role of Tregs in various other autoimmune disorders. Additionally, we discuss novel approaches that explore Tregs as targets or agents of innovative treatment options.

Abstract The thorough characterization of chitosan-cleaving enzymes is crucial to unveil structure–function relationships of this promising class of biomolecules for both, enzymatic fingerprinting analyses and to use the enzymes as biotechnological tools to produce tailor-made chitosans for diverse applications. Analyzing polymeric substrates as well as oligomeric products has been established as an effective way to understand the actions of enzymes, but it currently requires separate, rather laborious methods to obtain the full picture. Here, we present ultra high performance size exclusion chromatography coupled to refractive index and mass spectrometry detection (UHPSEC-RI-MS) as a straightforward method for the semi-quantitative analysis of chitosan oligomers of up to ten monomers in length. Additionally, the method allows to determine the average molecular weight of the remaining polymers and its distribution. By sampling live from an ongoing enzymatic reaction, UHPSEC-RI-MS offers the unique opportunity to analyze polymers and oligomers simultaneously—i.e., to monitor the molecular weight reduction of the polymeric substrate over the course of the digestion, while at the same time analyzing the emerging oligomeric products in a semi-quantitative manner. In this way, a single simple analysis yields detailed insights into an enzyme’s action on a given substrate.

Abstract Estimation of mortality rates and mortality rate ratios (MRR) of diseased and non-diseased individuals is a core metric of disease impact used in chronic disease epidemiology. Estimation of mortality rates is often conducted through retrospective linkage of information from nationwide surveys such as the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and death registries. These surveys usually collect information on disease status during only one study visit. This infrequency leads to missing disease information (with right censored survival times) for deceased individuals who were disease-free at study participation, and a possibly biased estimation of the MRR because of possible undetected disease onset after study participation. This occurrence is called “misclassification of disease status at death (MicDaD)” and it is a potentially common source of bias in epidemiologic studies. In this study, we conducted a simulation analysis with a high and a low incidence setting to assess the extent of MicDaD-bias in the estimated mortality. For the simulated populations, MRR for diseased and non-diseased individuals with and without MicDaD were calculated and compared. Magnitude of MicDaD-bias depends on and is driven by the incidence of the chronic disease under consideration; our analysis revealed a noticeable shift towards underestimation for high incidences when MicDaD is present. Impact of MicDaD was smaller for lower incidence (but associated with greater uncertainty in the estimation of MRR in general). Further research can consider the amount of missing information and potential influencers such as duration and risk factors of the disease.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive malignancy with limited treatment options. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a promising drug target; PLK1 inhibitors (PLK1i) have been investigated in solid cancers and are more effective in TP53-mutated cases. We evaluated PLK1 expression in ACC samples and the efficacy of two PLK1i in ACC cell lines with different genetic backgrounds. PLK1 protein expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry in tissue samples and correlated with clinical data. The efficacy of rigosertib (RGS), targeting RAS/PI3K, CDKs and PLKs, and poloxin (Pol), specifically targeting the PLK1 polo-box domain, was tested in TP53-mutated NCI-H295R, MUC-1, and CU-ACC2 cells and in TP53 wild-type CU-ACC1. Effects on proliferation, apoptosis, and viability were determined. PLK1 immunostaining was stronger in TP53-mutated ACC samples vs wild-type (P = 0.0017). High PLK1 expression together with TP53 mutations correlated with shorter progression-free survival (P = 0.041). NCI-H295R showed a time- and dose-dependent reduction in proliferation with both PLK1i (P < 0.05 at 100 nM RGS and 30 μM Pol). In MUC-1, a less pronounced decrease was observed (P < 0.05 at 1000 nM RGS and 100 μM Pol). 100 nM RGS increased apoptosis in NCI-H295R (P < 0.001), with no effect on MUC-1. CU-ACC2 apoptosis was induced only at high concentrations (P < 0.05 at 3000 nM RGS and 100 μM Pol), while proliferation decreased at 1000 nM RGS and 30 μM Pol. CU-ACC1 proliferation reduced, and apoptosis increased, only at 100 μM Pol. TP53-mutated ACC cell lines demonstrated better response to PLK1i than wild-type CU-ACC1. These data suggest PLK1i may be a promising targeted treatment of a subset of ACC patients, pre-selected according to tumour genetic signature.

The use of gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can improve their cell performance, but tends to cause fouling. In order to allow long-term stable operation, the search for antifouling methods is necessary. Therefore, an antibacterial coating with ammonium compounds is investigated. Within the first 30 days of operation, the maximum measured power density of a GDE with antibacterial ionomer was 606 mW m−2. The GDE without an antifouling treatment could only reach a maximum of 284 mW m−2. Furthermore, there was an optimum in the loading amount with ionomer below 2.6 mg cm−2. Further investigations showed that additional aeration of the GDEs by a fan had a negative effect on their performance. Despite the higher performance, the antibacterial coating could not prevent biofilm growth at the surface of the GDE. The thickness of the biofilm was only reduced by 14–16%. However, the weight of the biofilm on the treated GDEs was 62–80% less than on a GDE without an antifouling treatment. Consequently, the coating cannot completely prevent fouling, but possibly leads to a lower density of the biofilm or prevents clogging of the pores inside the electrodes and improves their long-term stability.

An air-sea interaction field campaign was conducted in September of 2017 within the warm and cold eddy region of the western Northwest Pacific (WNP) (17.5˚-20.5˚N, 127.5˚E-133.5˚E). Both near-surface oceanic and atmospheric conditions in addition to ocean heat content (OHC) were examined to better understand the mechanisms governing high heat flux magnitudes responsible for rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones. Observations from this experiment indicate that the latent heat flux (LHF) under modest wind conditions reached 400 W m-2 within the vicinity of a warm eddy, with OHC higher than 100 kJ cm-2 of warm eddy region being 2~3 times as large as that of cold eddy region. These high OHC and a resultant high LHF in the warm eddy, comparable to the magnitude of LHF in the North Equatorial Current, may explain the mechanism of why tropical cyclones over a warm eddy in eddy-rich zones often rapidly intensify in the WNP. A month later typhoon Lan rapidly intensified into a super typhoon, while passing over the boundary region of warm and cold eddies during the observation period. Results from this study illustrate that both the wind-normalized LHF and the difference (Qs-Qa) between the specific humidity at air (Qa) and at the sea surface (Qs), closely correlate with OHC patterns, which suggests that the ocean looks likely to control the spatial pattern of LHF. Overall, both the ocean and weather conditions govern the pattern of specific humidity difference between the air-sea interface, with large OHC over the warm eddy controlling higher Qs and the pattern of Qa depending on the pattern of wind direction. Qa as a factor impacting LHF magnitude is strongly linked to wind direction in the experimental area, that is, the drier northwesterly flow and southeasterly moist wind, resulting in the enhanced contrast of specific humidity at cold eddy region.

Chitin deacetylases (CDAs) emerge as a valuable tool to produce chitosans with a nonrandom distribution of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and glucosamine (GlcN) units. We hypothesized before that CDAs tend to bind certain sequences within the substrate matching their subsite preferences for either GlcNAc or GlcN units. Thus, they deacetylate or N-acetylate their substrates at nonrandom positions. To understand the molecular basis of these preferences, we analyzed the binding site of a CDA from Pestalotiopsis sp. (PesCDA) using a detailed activity screening of a site-saturation mutagenesis library. In addition, molecular dynamics simulations were conducted to get an in-depth view of crucial interactions along the binding site. Besides elucidating the function of several amino acids, we were able to show that only 3 residues are responsible for the highly specific binding of PesCDA to oligomeric substrates. The preference to bind a GlcNAc unit at subsite -2 and -1 can mainly be attributed to N75 and H199, respectively. Whereas an exchange of N75 at subsite -2 eliminates enzyme activity, H199 can be substituted with tyrosine to increase the GlcN acceptance at subsite -1. This change in substrate preference not only increases enzyme activity on certain substrates and changes composition of oligomeric products but also significantly changes the pattern of acetylation (PA) when N-acetylating polyglucosamine. Consequently, we could clearly show how subsite preferences influence the PA of chitosans produced with CDAs.

Parathyroid carcinoma (PC) is an ultra‐rare malignancy with a high risk of recurrence after surgery. Tumour‐directed systemic treatments for PC are not established. We used whole‐genome and RNA sequencing in four patients with advanced PC to identify molecular alterations that could guide clinical management. In two cases, the genomic and transcriptomic profiles provided targets for experimental therapies that resulted in biochemical response and prolonged disease stabilization: (a) immune checkpoint inhibition with pembrolizumab based on high tumour mutational burden and a single‐base substitution signature associated with APOBEC (apolipoprotein B mRNA editing enzyme, catalytic polypeptide‐like) overactivation; (b) multi‐receptor tyrosine kinase inhibition with lenvatinib due to overexpression of FGFR1 (Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 1) and RET (Ret Proto‐Oncogene) and, (c) later in the course of the disease, PARP (Poly(ADP‐Ribose) Polymerase) inhibition with olaparib prompted by signs of defective homologous recombination DNA repair. In addition, our data provided new insights into the molecular landscape of PC with respect to the genome‐wide footprints of specific mutational processes and pathogenic germline alterations. These data underscore the potential of comprehensive molecular analyses to improve care for patients with ultra‐rare cancers based on insight into disease biology.

Background/Objectives: Recent studies provide the first indications of the impact of climate factors on human health, especially with individuals already grappling with internal and neurological conditions being particularly vulnerable. In the face of escalating climate change, our research delves into the specific influence of a spectrum of climatic factors and seasonal variations on the hospital admissions of patients receiving treatment for epileptic seizures at our clinic in Kaiserslautern. Methods: Our study encompassed data from 9366 epilepsy patients who were admitted to hospital due to epileptic seizures. We considered seven climate parameters that Germany’s National Meteorological Service made available. We employed the Kruskal–Wallis test to examine the correlation between the frequency of admittance to our hospital in the mentioned patient group and seasons. Furthermore, we used conditional Poisson regression and distributed lag linear models (DLMs) to scrutinize the coherence of the frequency of patient admittance and the investigated climate parameters. The mentioned parameters were also analyzed in a subgroup analysis regarding the gender and age of patients and the classification of seizures according to ILAE 2017. Results: Our results demonstrate that climatic factors, such as precipitation and air pressure, can increase the frequency of hospital admissions for seizures in patients with general-onset epilepsy. In contrast, patients with focal seizures are less prone to climatic changes. Consequently, admittance to the hospital for seizures is less affected by climatic factors in the latter patient group. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that climatic factors are possible trigger factors for the provocation of seizures, particularly in patients with generalized seizures. This was determined indirectly by analyzing the frequency of seizure-related emergency admissions and their relation to prevailing climate factors. Our study is consistent with other studies showing that climate factors, such as cerebral infarcts or cerebral hemorrhages, influence patients’ health.

Summary: The expression of pro-lymphangiogenic VEGF-C in primary tumors is associated with sentinel lymph node metastasis in most solid cancer types. However, the impact of VEGF-C on distant organ metastasis remains unclear. Perivascular tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a crucial role in guiding hematogenous spread of cancer cells by establishing metastatic pathways within the tumor microenvironment. This process supports breast cancer cell intravasation and metastatic dissemination. We show here that VEGF-C-expressing TAMs reduce the dissemination of mammary cancer cells to the lungs while concurrently increasing lymph node metastasis. These TAMs express podoplanin and interact with normalized tumor blood vessels expressing VEGFR3. Moreover, clinical data suggest inverse association between VEGF-C-expressing TAMs and breast cancer malignancy. Thus, our study elucidates the paradoxical role of VEGF-C-expressing TAMs in redirecting cancer cells to preferentially disseminate to lymph nodes rather than to lungs, partially achieved by normalizing tumor blood vessels and promoting lymphangiogenesis.

Abstract This article proposes a four-layered diagram that displays as an overview of the current field of historical time studies according to the following branches of investigation: 1) the metaphysics of natural time, 2) the metaphysics of historical time, 3) the regimes of historicity, and 4) historiographical regimes. By defining these fields and their connections, identifying essential concepts, revealing the questions they address, and sketching tendencies that have emerged since the 2000s, this article tackles historical temporality as a theoretical and historiographical subject. This framework, which portrays the state of the art in temporal studies, allows for the presentation and classification of the variety of contributions gathered in this special edition.

Impaired walking ability is one of the most important factors affecting broiler welfare. Routine monitoring of walking ability provides insights in the welfare status of a flock and assists farmers in taking remedial measures at an early stage. Several computer vision techniques have been developed for automated assessment of walking ability, providing an objective and biosecure alternative to the currently more subjective and time-consuming manual assessment of walking ability. However, these techniques mainly focus on assessment of averages at flock level using pixel movement. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential of optical flow algorithms to identify flock activity, distribution and walking ability in a commercial setting on levels close to individual monitoring. We used a combination of chicken segmentation and optical flow methods, where chicken contours were first detected and were then used to identify activity, spatial distribution, and gait score distribution (i.e. walking ability) of the flock via optical flow. This is a step towards focusing more on individual chickens in an image and its pixel representation. In addition, we predicted the gait score distribution of the flock, which is a more detailed assessment of broiler walking ability compared to average gait score of the flock, as slight changes in walking ability are more likely to be detected when using the distribution compared to the average score. We found a strong correlation between predicted and observed gait scores (R2 = 0.97), with separate gait scores all having R2 > 0.85. Thus, the algorithm used in this study is a first step to measure broiler walking ability automatically in a commercial setting on a levels close to individual monitoring. These validation results of the developed automatic monitoring of flock activity, distribution and gait score are promising, but further validation is required (e.g. for chickens at a younger age, with very low and very high gait scores).

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is the only established curative therapy for thalassemia. However, access to transplantation is constrained in limited-resource settings. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing of patients and potential donors is one relevant barrier to allo-HSCT. Here we report on the DKMS-BMST thalassemia program. The program runs thalassemia camps where buccal swab samples are obtained from patients and potential family donors and HLA-typed free of charge. Since 2018, within the scope of the program, 390 camps have been conducted in India and 10,216 samples have been collected and HLA-typed. We are aware of 220 transplantations in patients of the program and are confident that the program makes a small but significant contribution to the cure of patients with thalassemia in India.

Abstract We present a Reduced Order Model (ROM) which exploits recent developments in Physics Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) for solving inverse problems for the Navier–Stokes equations (NSE). In the proposed approach, the presence of simulated data for the fluid dynamics fields is assumed. A POD-Galerkin ROM is then constructed by applying POD on the snapshots matrices of the fluid fields and performing a Galerkin projection of the NSE (or the modified equations in case of turbulence modeling) onto the POD reduced basis. A POD-Galerkin PINN ROM is then derived by introducing deep neural networks which approximate the reduced outputs with the input being time and/or parameters of the model. The neural networks incorporate the physical equations (the POD-Galerkin reduced equations) into their structure as part of the loss function. Using this approach, the reduced model is able to approximate unknown parameters such as physical constants or the boundary conditions. A demonstration of the applicability of the proposed ROM is illustrated by three cases which are the steady flow around a backward step, the flow around a circular cylinder and the unsteady turbulent flow around a surface mounted cubic obstacle.

Summary: Background: Treatment with elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) improves multiple clinical outcomes in people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) with at least one F508del allele. This study evaluated the real-world impact of ETI on lung function, nutritional status, pulmonary exacerbation frequency, and sweat chloride concentrations in a large group of pwCF. Methods: This observational cohort study used data from the German CF Registry for pwCF who received ETI therapy and were followed up for a period of 12 months. Findings: The study included 2645 pwCF from 67 centres in Germany (mean age 28.0 ± 11.5 years). Over the first year after ETI was initiated, percent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (ppFEV1) increased by 11.3% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10.8–11.8, p

Abstract Purpose The present prospective study evaluates the association between new bone formation rate in the iliac onlay graft and sex steroid hormone serum levels. Methods A total of 15 partially or completely edentulous postmenopausal females and 9 males with less than 5 mm height of the remaining alveolar bone underwent iliac onlay grafting followed by dental implant placement using a two-stage approach. Sex hormone binding globulin and 17β-estradiol serum levels were investigated by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, while total testosterone level was analyzed using radioimmunoassay. At the time of implant placement, 12 weeks after grafting, bone biopsies were obtained and analyzed histomorphometrically. Statistical analysis was performed using linear mixed models. Results Grafting procedure was successfully performed in all patients. The mean new bone formation rate was 32.5% (116 samples). In men the mean new bone formation rate (38.1%) was significantly higher (p

The insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) promotes cell growth by overactivating the IGF system in an autocrine loop in adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs). The cytoskeleton protein filamin A (FLNA) acts as a repressor of IGF2 mitogenic signalling in ACC cells. The aims of this study were to test FLNA expression by immunohistochemistry in 119 ACCs and 26 adrenocortical adenomas (ACAs) and to evaluate its relationship with clinicopathological features and outcome in ACCs. We found that 71.4% of ACCs did not express FLNA, whereas FLNA absence was a rare event in ACAs (15.4%, p < 0.001 vs. ACCs). In addition, the expression of FLNA was associated with a less aggressive tumour behaviour in ACCs. Indeed, the subgroup of ACCs with high FLNA showed a lower ENSAT stage, Weiss score, and S-GRAS score compared to ACCs with low FLNA expression (p < 0.05). Moreover, patients with high FLNA had a longer overall survival than those with low FLNA (p < 0.05). In conclusion, our data suggest that FLNA may represent a “protective” factor in ACCs, and the integration of FLNA immunohistochemical expression in ACC tissues along with other clinical and molecular markers could be helpful to improve diagnostic accuracy and prognosis prediction in ACCs.

Reservoirs have been installed as long-term assets to guarantee water and energy security for decades, if not centuries. However, the effect of siltation undermines reservoirs' sustainability because it significantly reduces the reservoirs' original capacity. Extreme events such as typhoons, floods and droughts are posited to have extreme impacts on sediment inflow and deposition in reservoirs. The same holds true for ISMTs (implemented sediment management technologies), such as dredging, spilling and bypassing. However, the large-scale analysis of their effects on reservoir sedimentation progression, recovery and development was not feasible due to data scarcity and technological restrictions. The present paper closes this information gap by conducting a GRU (gated recurrent unit) neural network analysis of 1,224 Japanese reservoirs, for which the sedimentation, local precipitation, extreme events and ISMTs were monitored between 2000 and 2017. The network reveals the beneficial impacts of dredging, spilling and bypassing. The results also demonstrate the potential of smart management and improved monitoring for sedimentation threat abatement. Thus, foresighted engineering and dedicated governance action in flood and drought scenarios can significantly strengthen the sustainable behavior of key infrastructure elements such as reservoirs. HIGHLIGHTS Unique data set: 1,225 dams with 18 years of sediment record each.; Anti-sediment management notations.; Artificial neural networks with gated recurrent units as methodology.; Unique conclusions regarding the efficiency of sediment management methodology.; Generalized results represent multifaceted types of reservoirs.;

Abstract Chitins and chitosans are among the most widespread and versatile functional biopolymers, with interesting biological activities and superior material properties. While chitins are evolutionary ancient and present in many eukaryotes except for higher plants and mammals, the natural distribution of chitosans, i.e. extensively deacetylated derivatives of chitin, is more limited. Unequivocal evidence for its presence is only available for fungi where chitosans are produced from chitin by the action of chitin deacetylases. However, neither the structural details such as fraction and pattern of acetylation nor the physiological roles of natural chitosans are known at present. We hypothesise that the chitin deacetylases are generating chitins and chitosans with specific acetylation patterns and that these provide information for the interaction with specific chitin- and chitosan-binding proteins. These may be structural proteins involved in the assembly of the complex chitin- and chitosan-containing matrices such as fungal cell walls and insect cuticles, chitin- and chitosan-modifying and -degrading enzymes such as chitin deacetylases, chitinases, and chitosanases, but also chitin- and chitosan-recognising receptors of the innate immune systems of plants, animals, and humans. The acetylation pattern, thus, may constitute a kind of ‘ChitoCode’, and we are convinced that new in silico, in vitro, and in situ analytical tools as well as new synthetic methods of enzyme biotechnology and organic synthesis are currently offering an unprecedented opportunity to decipher this code. We anticipate a deeper understanding of the biology of chitin- and chitosan-containing matrices, including their synthesis, assembly, mineralisation, degradation, and perception. This in turn will improve chitin and chitosan biotechnology and the development of reliable chitin- and chitosan-based products and applications, e.g. in medicine and agriculture, food and feed sciences, as well as cosmetics and material sciences.

The Southern Ocean is a critical component of Earth's climate system, but its remoteness makes it challenging to develop a holistic understanding of its processes from the small scale to the large scale. As a result, our knowledge of this vast region remains largely incomplete. The Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE, austral summer 2016/2017) surveyed a large number of variables describing the state of the ocean and the atmosphere, the freshwater cycle, atmospheric chemistry, and ocean biogeochemistry and microbiology. This circumpolar cruise included visits to 12 remote islands, the marginal ice zone, and the Antarctic coast. Here, we use 111 of the observed variables to study the latitudinal gradients, seasonality, shorter-term variations, geographic setting of environmental processes, and interactions between them over the duration of 90 d. To reduce the dimensionality and complexity of the dataset and make the relations between variables interpretable we applied an unsupervised machine learning method, the sparse principal component analysis (sPCA), which describes environmental processes through 14 latent variables. To derive a robust statistical perspective on these processes and to estimate the uncertainty in the sPCA decomposition, we have developed a bootstrap approach. Our results provide a proof of concept that sPCA with uncertainty analysis is able to identify temporal patterns from diurnal to seasonal cycles, as well as geographical gradients and “hotspots” of interaction between environmental compartments. While confirming many well known processes, our analysis provides novel insights into the Southern Ocean water cycle (freshwater fluxes), trace gases (interplay between seasonality, sources, and sinks), and microbial communities (nutrient limitation and island mass effects at the largest scale ever reported). More specifically, we identify the important role of the oceanic circulations, frontal zones, and islands in shaping the nutrient availability that controls biological community composition and productivity; the fact that sea ice controls sea water salinity, dampens the wave field, and is associated with increased phytoplankton growth and net community productivity possibly due to iron fertilisation and reduced light limitation; and the clear regional patterns of aerosol characteristics that have emerged, stressing the role of the sea state, atmospheric chemical processing, and source processes near hotspots for the availability of cloud condensation nuclei and hence cloud formation. A set of key variables and their combinations, such as the difference between the air and sea surface temperature, atmospheric pressure, sea surface height, geostrophic currents, upper-ocean layer light intensity, surface wind speed and relative humidity played an important role in our analysis, highlighting the necessity for Earth system models to represent them adequately. In conclusion, our study highlights the use of sPCA to identify key ocean–atmosphere interactions across physical, chemical, and biological processes and their associated spatio-temporal scales. It thereby fills an important gap between simple correlation analyses and complex Earth system models. The sPCA processing code is available as open-access from the following link: https://renkulab.io/gitlab/ACE-ASAID/spca-decomposition (last access: 29 March 2021). As we show here, it can be used for an exploration of environmental data that is less prone to cognitive biases (and confirmation biases in particular) compared to traditional regression analysis that might be affected by the underlying research question.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to develop and validate a camera vision score that could detect macroscopic alterations of the hock, to identify errors and to assess possible factors that could influence the assessment. Two hundred hocks in the first (calibration) phase and 500 hocks in the second (validation) phase were collected at slaughter, visually assessed, placed back into the evisceration line and assessed by a camera system with 2 software systems. The size of the alteration in percent (%) measured by the camera system was evaluated (“camera score”, CS). Additionally, temperature, humidity, and light intensities were measured. In the calibration phase, threshold values of camera scores for respective macro scores were defined and performance measures evaluated. In the validation phase, the generated threshold values were validated, occurring errors, as well as possible impacts of climatic factors analyzed. The results showed that the generated thresholds predict the camera score values at which the respective macro score has the highest probability of appearance. Small hock burn lesions ≤0.5 cm have the highest probability at a camera score of ≥0.2 (original CS) or ≥0.1 (updated CS), and lesions >0.5 cm have the highest probability at a camera score of ≥0.7 (original CS) or ≥1.1 (updated CS). Large lesions (>0.5 cm) are more reliably identified by the system than small lesions. The risks of errors in assessing reference areas and lesions showed a correct identification of lesions to be the most probable result even if the reference area is not correctly identified. The probability of a correct identification of lesions by the camera system was slightly higher (not significant) with the updated software (risk = 0.66 [0.62–0.70]) than with the original software (risk = 0.63 [0.58–0.67]). Automatic assessment systems at slaughter could be adjusted to the presented threshold values to classify hock burn lesions. Software adaptations can improve the performance measures of diagnosis and reduce the probability of errors.

Gesunder Schlaf ist ein relevanter Faktor für die physische und psychische Entwicklung von Kindern. In bisherigen Studien wurde in der Regel eine pathogenetische Betrachtungsweise von gestörtem oder insuffizientem Schlaf fokussiert. Bevölkerungsbezogene Interventionen, die insgesamt noch selten sind und eher auf einem edukativen Ansatz basieren, scheinen wenig wirkungsvoll. Zur Entwicklung nachhaltiger und effektiver Interventionen der Gesundheitsförderung ist es bedeutsam, Einflussfaktoren zu kennen und diese gemeinsam mit den Adressat:innen zu erarbeiten. Partizipative Gesundheitsforschung mit Kindern ist nach wie vor selten und weist methodische und ethische Fragen auf. Als vielversprechender Ansatz wird Photovoice im Kontext qualitativer Forschung mit Kindern diskutiert. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden Ergebnisse einer Pilotstudie zu Einflussfaktoren auf gesunden Schlaf aus der Perspektive von Grundschulkindern dargestellt. Zudem wird die partizipative Erarbeitung der Ergebnisse in Bezug auf das methodische Vorgehen mit Photovoice reflektiert.

Battery cells are the main components of a battery system for electric vehicle batteries. Depending on the manufacturer, three different cell formats are used in the automotive sector (pouch, prismatic, and cylindrical). In the last 3 years, cylindrical cells have gained strong relevance and popularity among automotive manufacturers, mainly driven by innovative cell designs, such as the Tesla tabless design. This paper investigates 19 Li-ion cylindrical battery cells from four cell manufacturers in four formats (18650, 20700, 21700, and 4680). We aim to systematically capture the design features, such as tab design and quality parameters, such as manufacturing tolerances and generically describe cylindrical cells. We identified the basic designs and assigned example cells to them. In addition, we show a comprehensive definition of a tabless design considering the current and heat transport paths. Our findings show that the Tesla 4680 design is quasi-tabless. In addition, we found that 25% of the cathode and 30% of the anode are not notched, resulting in long electrical and thermal transport paths. Based on CT and post-mortem analyses, we show that jelly rolls can be approximated very well with the Archimedean spiral. Furthermore, we compare the gravimetric and volumetric energy density, the impedance, and the heating behavior at the surface and in the center of the jelly rolls. From the generic description, we present and discuss production processes focusing on format and design flexible manufacturing of jelly rolls.

The air-sea gas transfer velocity (K660) is typically assessed as a function of the 10-m neutral wind speed (U10n), but there remains substantial uncertainty in this relationship. Here K660 of CO2 derived with the eddy covariance (EC) technique from eight datasets (11 research cruises) are reevaluated with consistent consideration of solubility and Schmidt number and inclusion of the ocean cool skin effect. K660 shows an approximately linear dependence with the friction velocity (u*) in moderate winds, with an overall relative standard deviation (relative standard error) of about 20% (7%). The largest relative uncertainty in K660 occurs at low wind speeds, while the largest absolute uncertainty in K660 occurs at high wind speeds. There is an apparent regional variation in the steepness of the K660-u* relationships: North Atlantic ≥ Southern Ocean > other regions (Arctic, Tropics). Accounting for sea state helps to collapse some of this regional variability in K660 using the wave Reynolds number in very large seas and the mean squared slope of the waves in small to moderate seas. The grand average of EC-derived K660(−1.47 + 76.67u*+ 20.48u*2 or 0.36 + 1.203U10n+ 0.167U10n2) is similar at moderate to high winds to widely used dual tracer-based K660 parametrization, but consistently exceeds the dual tracer estimate in low winds, possibly in part due to the chemical enhancement in air-sea CO2 exchange. Combining the grand average of EC-derived K660 with the global distribution of wind speed yields a global average transfer velocity that is comparable with the global radiocarbon (14C) disequilibrium, but is ~20% higher than what is implied by dual tracer parametrizations. This analysis suggests that CO2 fluxes computed using a U10n2 dependence with zero intercept (e.g., dual tracer) are likely underestimated at relatively low wind speeds.

Footpad dermatitis (FPD) is an indicator of animal welfare in turkeys, giving evidence of the animals' physical integrity and providing information on husbandry management. Automated systems for assessing FPD at slaughter can present a useful tool for objective data collection. However, using automated systems requires that they reliably assess the incidence. In this study, the feet of turkeys were scored for FPD by both an automated camera system and a human observer, using a five-scale score. The observer reliability between both was calculated (Krippendorff's alpha). The results were not acceptable, with an agreement coefficient of 0.44 in the initial situation. Therefore, pictures of 3,000 feet scored by the automated system were evaluated systematically to detect deficiencies. The reference area (metatarsal footpad) was not detected correctly in 55.0% of the feet, and false detections of the alteration on the footpad (FPD) were found in 32.9% of the feet. In 41.3% of the feet, the foot was not presented straight to the camera. According to these results, the algorithm of the automated system was modified, aiming to improve color detection and the distinction of the metatarsal footpad from the background. Pictures of the feet, now scored by the modified algorithm, were evaluated again. Observer reliability could be improved (Krippendorff's alpha = 0.61). However, detection of the metatarsal footpad (50.9% incorrect detections) and alterations (27.0% incorrect detections) remained a problem. We found that the performance of the camera system was affected by the angle at which the foot was presented to the camera (skew/straight; p < 0.05). Furthermore, the laterality of the foot (left/right) was found to have a significant effect (p < 0.001). We propose that the latter depends on the slaughter process. This study also highlights a high variability in observer reliability of human observers. Depending on the respective target parameter, the reliability coefficient (Krippendorff's alpha) ranged from 0.21 to 0.82. This stresses the importance of finding an objective alternative. Therefore, it was concluded that the automated detection system could be appropriate to reliably assess FPD at the slaughterhouse. However, there is still room to improve the existing method, especially when using FPD as a welfare indicator.

Biodiesel, which can be made from a variety of natural oils, is currently promoted as a sustainable, healthier replacement for commercial mineral diesel despite little experimental data supporting this. The aim of our research was to investigate the health impacts of exposure to exhaust generated by the combustion of diesel and two different biodiesels. Male BALB/c mice (n = 24 per group) were exposed for 2 h/day for 8 days to diluted exhaust from a diesel engine running on ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) or Tallow or Canola biodiesel, with room air exposures used as control. A variety of respiratory-related end-point measurements were assessed, including lung function, responsiveness to methacholine, airway inflammation and cytokine response, and airway morphometry. Exposure to Tallow biodiesel exhaust resulted in the most significant health impacts compared to Air controls, including increased airway hyperresponsiveness and airway inflammation. In contrast, exposure to Canola biodiesel exhaust resulted in fewer negative health effects. Exposure to ULSD resulted in health impacts between those of the two biodiesels. The health effects of biodiesel exhaust exposure vary depending on the feedstock used to make the fuel.

Approximately 15–30% of all cases of the common cold are due to human coronavirus infections. More recently, the emergence of the more severe respiratory coronaviruses, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, have highlighted the increased pathogenic potential of emergent coronaviruses. Lastly, the current emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has demonstrated not only the potential for significant disease caused by emerging coronaviruses, but also the capacity of novel coronaviruses to promote pandemic spread. Largely driven by the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, significant research in coronavirus biology has led to advances in our understanding of these viruses. In this review, we evaluate the virology, emergence, and evolution of the four endemic coronaviruses associated with the common cold, their relationship to pandemic SARS-CoV-2, and discuss the potential for future emergent human coronaviruses.

In childhood, a multitude of causes lead to pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP), an excessive surfactant accumulation in the alveolar space, limiting gas exchange. Autoantibodies against granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) causing autoimmune PAP, the principal aetiology in adults, are rare. In this first case series on autoimmune PAP, we detail the presentation and management issues of four children. Whereas three children presented insidiously with progressive dyspnoea, one was acutely sick with suspected pneumonia. During management, one patient was hospitalised with coronavirus disease 2019, noninvasively ventilated, and recovered. All treatment modalities known from adults including whole-lung lavage, augmentation of GM-CSF by inhaled GM-CSF, removal of neutralising antibody by plasmapheresis and interruption of antibody production using rituximab were considered; however, not all options were available at all sites. Inhaled GM-CSF appeared to be a noninvasive and comfortable therapeutic approach. The management with best benefit-to-harm ratio in autoimmune PAP is unknown and specialised physicians must select the least invasive and most effective treatment. To collect this cohort in a rare condition became feasible as patients were submitted to an appropriate registry. To accelerate the authorisation of novel treatments for autoimmune PAP, competent authorities should grant an inclusion of adolescents into trials in adults.

Ecosystem services such as food provisioning, climate regulation, nutrient cycling, or recreation in open landscapes underpin human wellbeing. They are highly dependent on land use, land cover and utilization pattern as well as environmental factors like climate, topography and soil. In consequence, ecosystem services supply shows a high spatial variability. However, it is less clear if the perception of the importance of ecosystem services is similarly heterogeneous in space and amongst societal actors. The aim of this large-scale study was to explore whether land cover and climate gradients as well as socio-cultural factors influence the perceptions of ecosystem services of four groups of societal actors: citizens, farmers, foresters and nature managers. Spatially explicit survey data of 3018 respondents allowed to gain insight into the distribution of perceived importance of 21 ecosystem services in the federal state of Bavaria, Germany together with the respondents' socio-cultural characterisation (e.g. gender, education and hobbies in nature). Responses were analysed through descriptive statistics, redundancy analysis, and Generalized Linear Models. Results reveal that the perceived importance of many ecosystem services was consistently high across groups, although perception differed for some ecosystem services (e.g. production of energy plants and timber as well as recreation in urban green space). Compared to other actor groups, farmers attributed slightly lower importance to all ES except provisioning services. Socio-cultural factors better explained variability in perceived importance of ecosystem services than land cover and climate gradients. This might be either explained by the fact that the environmental gradients vary not strong enough in our case study or that they do not shape the perceptions of respondents. A limitation of the study is that the sample of respondents obtained is not representative for the population, but biased towards persons interested in the topics of the survey. Still the consensus indicated by the overall positive perception of ecosystem services among respondents highlights the integrative potential of ecosystem services when included in decision-making.

At sea, wind forcing is responsible for the formation and development of surface waves and represents an important source of near-surface turbulence. Therefore, processes related to near-surface turbulence and wave breaking, such as sea spray emission and air–sea gas exchange, are often parameterised with wind speed. Thus, shipborne wind speed measurements provide highly relevant observations. They can, however, be compromised by flow distortion due to the ship's structure and objects near the anemometer that modify the airflow, leading to a deflection of the apparent wind direction and positive or negative acceleration of the apparent wind speed. The resulting errors in the estimated true wind speed can be greatly magnified at low wind speeds. For some research ships, correction factors have been derived from computational fluid dynamic models or through direct comparison with wind speed measurements from buoys. These correction factors can, however, lose their validity due to changes in the structures near the anemometer and, thus, require frequent re-evaluation, which is costly in either computational power or ship time. Here, we evaluate if global atmospheric reanalysis data can be used to quantify the flow distortion bias in shipborne wind speed measurements. The method is tested on data from the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition onboard the R/V Akademik Tryoshnikov, which are compared to ERA-5 reanalysis wind speeds. We find that, depending on the relative wind direction, the relative wind speed and direction measurements are biased by −37 % to +22 % and -17∘ to +11∘ respectively. The resulting error in the true wind speed is +11.5 % on average but ranges from −4 % to +41 % (5th and 95th percentile). After applying the bias correction, the uncertainty in the true wind speed is reduced to ±5 % and depends mainly on the average accuracy of the ERA-5 data over the period of the experiment. The obvious drawback of this approach is the potential intrusion of model biases in the correction factors. We show that this problem can be somewhat mitigated when the error propagation in the true wind correction is accounted for and used to weight the observations. We discuss the potential caveats and limitations of this approach and conclude that it can be used to quantify flow distortion bias for ships that operate on a global scale. The method can also be valuable to verify computational fluid dynamic studies of airflow distortion on research vessels.

Stable water isotopologues (SWIs) are useful tracers of moist diabatic processes in the atmospheric water cycle. They provide a framework to analyse moist processes on a range of timescales from large-scale moisture transport to cloud formation, precipitation and small-scale turbulent mixing. Laser spectrometric measurements on research vessels produce high-resolution time series of the variability of the water vapour isotopic composition in the marine boundary layer. In this study, we present a 5-month continuous time series of such ship-based measurements of δ2H and δ18O from the Antarctic Circumnavigation Expedition (ACE) in the Atlantic and the Southern Ocean in the time period from November 2016 to April 2017. We analyse the drivers of meridional SWI variations in the marine boundary layer across diverse climate zones in the Atlantic and Southern Ocean using Lagrangian moisture source diagnostics and relate vertical SWI differences to near-surface wind speed and ocean surface state. The median values of δ18O, δ2H and deuterium excess during ACE decrease continuously from low to high latitudes. These meridional SWI distributions reflect climatic conditions at the measurement and moisture source locations, such as air temperature, specific humidity and relative humidity with respect to sea surface temperature. The SWI variability at a given latitude is highest in the extratropics and polar regions with decreasing values equatorwards. This meridional distribution of SWI variability is explained by the variability in moisture source locations and its associated environmental conditions as well as transport processes. The westward-located moisture sources of water vapour in the extratropics are highly variable in extent and latitude due to the frequent passage of cyclones and thus widen the range of encountered SWI values in the marine boundary layer. Moisture loss during transport further contributes to the high SWI variability in the extratropics. In the subtropics and tropics, persistent anticyclones lead to well-confined narrow easterly moisture source regions, which is reflected in the weak SWI variability in these regions. Thus, the expected range of SWI signals at a given latitude strongly depends on the large-scale circulation. Furthermore, the ACE SWI time series recorded at 8.0 and 13.5 m above the ocean surface provide estimates of vertical SWI gradients in the lowermost marine boundary layer. On average, the vertical gradients with height found during ACE are -0.1‰m-1 for δ18O, -0.5‰m-1 for δ2H and 0.3 ‰ m−1 for deuterium excess. Careful calibration and post-processing of the SWI data and a detailed uncertainty analysis provide a solid basis for the presented gradients. Using sea spray concentrations and sea state conditions, we show that the vertical SWI gradients are particularly large during high wind speed conditions with increased contribution of sea spray evaporation or during low wind speed conditions due to weak vertical turbulent mixing. Although further SWI measurements at a higher vertical resolution are required to validate these findings, the simultaneous SWI measurements at several heights during ACE show the potential of SWIs as tracers for vertical mixing and sea spray evaporation in the lowermost marine boundary layer.

Abstract Social interaction deficits are evident in many psychiatric conditions and specifically in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but hard to assess objectively. We present a digital tool to automatically quantify biomarkers of social interaction deficits: the simulated interaction task (SIT), which entails a standardized 7-min simulated dialog via video and the automated analysis of facial expressions, gaze behavior, and voice characteristics. In a study with 37 adults with ASD without intellectual disability and 43 healthy controls, we show the potential of the tool as a diagnostic instrument and for better description of ASD-associated social phenotypes. Using machine-learning tools, we detected individuals with ASD with an accuracy of 73%, sensitivity of 67%, and specificity of 79%, based on their facial expressions and vocal characteristics alone. Especially reduced social smiling and facial mimicry as well as a higher voice fundamental frequency and harmony-to-noise-ratio were characteristic for individuals with ASD. The time-effective and cost-effective computer-based analysis outperformed a majority vote and performed equal to clinical expert ratings.

Reservoirs are installed as long-term assets to guarantee water and energy security for decades, if not centuries. However, the effect of siltation undermines reservoirs’ sustainability because it significantly reduces the reservoirs’ original capacity. The present paper attempts to evaluate the global reservoir siltation problem with the optimism bias theorem introduced by Kahneman and Tversky and applied to infrastructural mega-projects by Flyvbjerg and Ansar using artificial neural networks (ANNs) algorithms for large Japanese reservoirs. Japan possesses suitable long-term data and a legal directive concerning the sediment capacity siltation duration, which serves as a valid guide to check whether, over the past 100 years, engineers, planners and managers were capable of judging the sediment input correctly. Various ANN models were established to emulate Japanese reservoir siltation behavior. The networks demonstrate that reservoirs in Japan suffer from optimism bias. In contrast to the law, the dead storage volume of an average dam is supposed to reach capacity after 52 years. This finding joins the overall observation that mega-projects generally and globally suffer from optimism bias. The emulations were subsequently screened for a presumed influence of governance actions, namely, indicating plus monitoring and the change in the market competition situation. While reservoir siltation appears to continue regardless of the level of competition in public procurement, monitoring directives appear to have a considerable impact on improved siltation management, which demonstrates that dedicated governance action can significantly strengthen the sustainable behavior of key infrastructure elements such as reservoirs.

Die öffentliche Bereitstellung von Forschungsdaten zur Nachnutzung im Sinne von Open Science ist Bestandteil des Lebenszyklus von Forschungsdaten und erlangt zunehmende Relevanz. Eine zitierbare Veröffentlichung dieser Daten zeugt von einer transparenten Forschung, belegt die Forschungsleistung eines Forschenden sowie der jeweiligen Einrichtung und macht Forschung reproduzierbar und damit überprüfbar. Forschungsförderer erwarten bereits bei der Antragstellung die Dokumentation und Planung eines umsichtigen und nachhaltigen Umgangs mit Forschungsdaten, bspw. in Form eines Datenmanagementplans, der unter anderem Angaben zu geplanten Lizenzen für Forschungsdaten, Rechten an Daten etc. enthält. Die Umsetzung des Datenmanagementplans ist ein kontinuierlicher Prozess im Laufe eines Projekts und nicht auf eine Datenveröffentlichung zum Projektende hin beschränkt. Der Umgang mit Forschungsdaten wird unter anderem in den Richtlinien Guter Wissenschaftlicher Praxis[1], den Open-Access-Policies von Hochschulen, Forschungsinstituten und Forschungsförderern sowie in den “Data Policies” von Zeitschriften adressiert. Repositorien bilden das technische Grundgerüst für das Forschungsdatenmanagement, da sie den gesamten Prozess von der Übernahme über die Qualitätskontrolle bis hin zur zitierfähigen Veröffentlichung unterstützen. Softwarelösungen für Repositorien sind für unterschiedliche Zwecke und Einsatzszenarien verfügbar. Zu den verbreitetsten zählen beispielsweise Fedora, DSpace, MyCoRe, Islandora, EPrints, Dataverse, Rosetta, Archivematica und Invenio. Die Bestimmung von Kriterien für die Auswahl eines Repositoriums ist nicht trivial und es müssen neben Aspekten der Wirtschaftlichkeit, Skalierbarkeit und Funktionalität noch weitere Kriterien wie die Dokumentation, Verbreitung, Entwicklungsperspektive sowie das Daten- und Lizenzmodell berücksichtigt werden. Der Aufwand für die Erarbeitung eines Kriterienkatalogs darf nicht unterschätzt werden. Im Folgenden bezeichnet Repositorium eine Softwarelösung, die - eingebettet in eine Organisationsstruktur und gegebenenfalls im Kontext weiterer Systeme - Forschungsdaten übernimmt, verwaltet und publiziert. Daraus ergeben sich zwangsläufig Abhängigkeiten zur betreibenden organisatorischen Einheit und der grundlegenden technischen Infrastruktur für den Betrieb der Software und die Speicherung der Daten. In diesem Artikel werden verschiedene Aspekte präsentiert, die für den Auswahlprozess potentiell relevant sind. [1] Siehe auch Kodex der DFG zur guten wissenschaftlichen Praxis: https://www.dfg.de/foerderung/grundlagen_rahmenbedingungen/gwp/

Using machine learning (ML) techniques in general and deep learning techniques in specific needs a certain amount of data often not available in large quantities in technical domains. The manual inspection of machine tool components and the manual end-of-line check of products are labor- intensive tasks in industrial applications that companies often want to automate. To automate classification processes and develop reliable and robust machine learning-based classification and wear prognostics models, one needs real-world datasets to train and test the models. The presented dataset consists of images of defects on ball screw drive spindles showing the progression of the defects on the spindle surface. The dataset is analysed via an initial object detection model available under: https://github.com/2Obe?tab=repositories. The reuse potential of the dataset lays in the development of failure detection and failure forecasting models for the purpose of condition monitoring and predictive maintenance. The dataset is available under https://doi.org/10.5445/IR/1000129520.

Datenrepositorien gehören inzwischen zum Kernangebot vieler Bibliotheken. In diesem Kontext sind kooperative Betriebsmodelle eine selten genutzte, aber sehr attraktive Möglichkeit. Durch die Arbeitsteilung und die Trennung von technischem Betrieb und inhaltlicher Betreuung kann so auch bei einer begrenzten Ressourcenlage ein angemessenes Ergebnis erlangt werden. Für Konzeption, Implementierung und Betrieb eines Repositoriums bedarf es qualifiziertes Fachpersonal sowohl auf technischer als auch auf bibliothekarischer bzw. kuratierender Seite. Angesichts des gegenwärtigen Fachkräftemangels sollte daher kritisch hinterfragt werden, ob jede Bibliothek „das Rad neu erfinden“ muss. Das Kommunikations-, Informations-, Medienzentrum (KIM) der Universität Konstanz hat sich deshalb für eine kooperative Umsetzung mit FIZ Karlsruhe – Leibniz-Institut für Informationsinfrastruktur (FIZ Karlsruhe) entschieden. So wurde das Datenrepositorium KonDATA der Universität Konstanz basierend auf dem von FIZ Karlsruhe betriebenen Dienst RADAR realisiert. Mit „RADAR Local“ stellt FIZ Karlsruhe eine anpassbare Repositoriums-Lösung bereit, die lokal an der Universität betrieben wird. Pflege und Wartung der Software werden dabei remote von Mitarbeiter*innen des Leibniz-Instituts erledigt. Dadurch ist vor Ort kein technisches Personal notwendig, sodass sich das KIM auf die bibliothekarischen Kernkompetenzen bei der Kuratierung der Daten fokussieren kann. Dieser Artikel beschreibt den Bedarf der Universität Konstanz, den Auswahlprozess bis zur geeigneten Lösung und wie das gewählte kooperative Betriebsmodell ausgestaltet und umgesetzt wurde. Anschließend werden das Betriebsmodell, seine Vor- und Nachteile sowie seine langfristigen Auswirkungen diskutiert.

Datenrepositorien gehören inzwischen zum Kernangebot vieler Bibliotheken. In diesem Kontext sind kooperative Betriebsmodelle eine selten genutzte, aber sehr attraktive Möglichkeit. Durch die Arbeitsteilung und die Trennung von technischem Betrieb und inhaltlicher Betreuung kann so auch bei einer begrenzten Ressourcenlage ein angemessenes Ergebnis erlangt werden. Für Konzeption, Implementierung und Betrieb eines Repositoriums bedarf es qualifiziertes Fachpersonal sowohl auf technischer als auch auf bibliothekarischer bzw. kuratierender Seite. Angesichts des gegenwärtigen Fachkräftemangels sollte daher kritisch hinterfragt werden, ob jede Bibliothek „das Rad neu erfinden“ muss. Das Kommunikations-, Informations-, Medienzentrum (KIM) der Universität Konstanz hat sich deshalb für eine kooperative Umsetzung mit FIZ Karlsruhe – Leibniz-Institut für Informationsinfrastruktur (FIZ Karlsruhe) entschieden. So wurde das Datenrepositorium KonDATA der Universität Konstanz basierend auf dem von FIZ Karlsruhe betriebenen Dienst RADAR realisiert. Mit „RADAR Local“ stellt FIZ Karlsruhe eine anpassbare Repositoriums-Lösung bereit, die lokal an der Universität betrieben wird. Pflege und Wartung der Software werden dabei remote von Mitarbeiter*innen des Leibniz-Instituts erledigt. Dadurch ist vor Ort kein technisches Personal notwendig, sodass sich das KIM auf die bibliothekarischen Kernkompetenzen bei der Kuratierung der Daten fokussieren kann. Dieser Artikel beschreibt den Bedarf der Universität Konstanz, den Auswahlprozess bis zur geeigneten Lösung und wie das gewählte kooperative Betriebsmodell ausgestaltet und umgesetzt wurde. Anschließend werden das Betriebsmodell, seine Vor- und Nachteile sowie seine langfristigen Auswirkungen diskutiert.

Reshaping the immune balance by adoptive transfer of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) has emerged as a promising strategy to combat undesired immune reactions, including in Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD), which is the most lethal non-relapse complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Currently however, little is known about the potentially inhibitory in vivo effects of conventional immunosuppressive drugs, which are routinely used to treat GvHD, on adoptively transferred Tregs. Here we demonstrate drug-specific effects of the conventional immunosuppressive drugs Cyclosporine A, Mycophenolate mofetil and methylprednisolone on adoptively transferred Tregs in a humanized NOD/SCID/IL2Rgamma-/- GvHD mouse model. The clinical course of GvHD and postmortem organ histology, including cellular organ infiltration, showed that co-administration of Cyclosporine A and Tregs is highly beneficial as it enhanced Treg accumulation at inflammatory sites like lung and liver. Similarly, co-administration of Mycophenolate mofetil and Tregs improved clinical signs of GvHD. In contrast, co-administration of methylprednisolone and Tregs resulted in reduced Treg recruitment to inflammatory sites and the fast deterioration of some animals. Consequently, when clinical trials investigating safety and efficacy of adjunctive Treg therapy in GvHD are designed, we suggest co-administering Cyclosporine A, whereas high doses of glucocorticosteroids should be avoided.

Microbial fuel cells are a promising technology for future wastewater treatment, as it allows cleaning and power generation simultaneously. The bottleneck of microbial fuel cells is often its cathodes because they determine the power output. Gas diffusion electrodes might overcome this bottleneck due to their low production costs and high oxygen reduction rates. However, biofilm formation on the gas diffusion electrodes reduces their performance over time. In this work, a new reactor design of the microbial fuel cell using rotating gas diffusion electrodes is presented. The biofilm growth on the electrode during operation was observed and its effect on the performance of the microbial fuel cell was examined. In addition, different antifouling strategies were investigated over a period of 80 days. It was found that already after 7 days of operation a complete biofilm had grown on an untreated gas diffusion electrode. However, this does not seem to affect the performance of the cells in the beginning. Differences in the performance of the reactors with and without an antifouling strategy only become apparent from day 15 onwards. The use of UV radiation and antibacterial membranes leads to the best results with maximum power densities of approx. 200 mW m−2 while the untreated microbial fuel cell only achieves a maximum power density of approx. 20 mW m−2.

For nine popular geometrical visual-illusion figures, a mathematical analysis is provided along with a characterization of the figures’ psychological effectiveness. Supported by graphical illustrations, for the L and the T, it is shown how mathematical singularities of these figures can be isolated, and the illusions annihilated. For the Poggendorff, the Hering, and the Zöllner figures, building on observations from Kennedy and Portal (1990), sighting the figures from specific vantage points at a shallow angle is proposed as a means to overcome these illusions. For the T, the Oppel–Kundt, the Müller–Lyer, and the Ebbinghaus figures, a new experiment demonstrated that observers were able to find a slant of the stimuli at which the illusory impressions vanished. Task demands on part of the beholders comprise discrimination and identification. The observed independence of response bias and sensitivity in psychometric functions can possibly be explained by the intrusion of identifying responses into discrimination tasks.

The seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were designed to lead the modern Anthropocene to a lifestyle that was demanded by the Brundtland commission. Their objective is a common good that does not exploit the planet’s environment and is thus long-term. Though virtually separated, contemporary research shows that the seventeen SDGs are in- tertwined. This is also the case for water and energy (SDG 6 and 7). The present research offers the first holistic indicator set that is designed to demonstrate the synergies and trade-offs between electrical energy gener- ation and necessary water supply. It is founded on the SDG principles, follows a mindset based on the security definition established by Grey and Sadoff and is designed around the various technical dependencies of electrical energy and water. The set endeavors to reflect the manifoldness by which electrical energy is dependent on water supply in a dynamic eco- logic, economic and social environment. As electrical energy and water interactions are identified for a regional level, the set is designed to be applicable on any administrative or basin area with moderate data avail- ability. Thereby, the set includes industrializing and non-industrialized countries. It is based on six main indicators and sixteen sub indicators and seen as conceptual design for further discussion before application. The present paper argues and presents how those indicators are formed, why they are need, how and why they should be applied and why it is necessary if not inevitable to design cross-SDG indicators in a holistic view.

The quantification of antibiotics (ABs) in sediments is an analytical challenge, but at the same time, it is indispensable to understand the fate of ABs in aquatic systems such as rivers. The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive method to determine 19 ABs classified as macrolides, sulfonamides, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, clindamycin and trimethoprim in river sediments, using a combination of pressurized liquid extraction and solid phase extraction with the separation and detection with liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Our results showed that the physical-chemical properties (e.g., log(Kow) value) of the analytes affected the extraction efficiency. Therefore, we propose to order ABs based on their log(Kow) values instead of traditional classification (macrolides, sulfonamides etc.) to select a suitable extraction solvent. ABs with log(Kow) values below zero (mainly fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines) were difficult to extract with all of the tested protocols compared to ABs with a log(Kow) larger than zero. After comparing different extraction protocols for ABs from solid and sediments, we concluded that recoveries in the range of 0.8 to 64.8% could be achieved for ABs with a log(Kow) value larger than zero using a mixture of acetonitrile and 50 mM phosphoric acid (50/50, v/v) in two extraction cycles at 100 °C.