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Rapid technological advances in automation, algorithms, robots, and artificial intelligence (AI) entail risks, such as the loss of jobs, biases, and security threats, which raises questions about responsibility for the damage incurred by such risks and the development of solutions to ameliorate them. Because media play a central role in the representation and perception of technological risks and responsibility, this study explores the news coverage of automation. While previous research has focused on specific technologies, this study conducts a comprehensive analysis of the debate on automation, algorithms, robotics, and AI, including tonality, risks, and responsibility. The longitudinal media content analysis of three decades of Austrian news reports revealed that overall, the coverage increased, and it was optimistic in tone. However, algorithms were more frequently associated with risks and less positivity than other automation areas. Robotics received the most positive and the least risk-related coverage. Moreover, industry stakeholders were at the center of the responsibility network in the media discourse.

This report, as the seventh in a series of Vocational Development Study monographs providing data for investigating the vocational development of 780 vocational and non-vocational ninth graders over a 10 year period, will prove useful for teachers, counselors, administrators, and other school personnel interested in the dropout problem at the secondary level. Of 11 significant discriminators among the 20 independent variables considered, statistical analysis identified "grade point average" and "absenteeism" as unique significant predictors of the tendency to drop out of the vocational curriculum. Only "absenteeism" was a unique significant predictor of the dropout status of those in the non-vocational curriculum. The non-vocational dropouts and the vocational retainers revealed similar characteristics on cognitive variables. In contrast, the vocational dropouts and the non-vocational retainers show similar characteristics on socio-affective variables. Since both cultural factors and a negative overt response to the school envrionment are related to dropout proneness, a coordinated community effort is needed to resolve this problem. Because the dropout predictability for the non-vocational sample was half that of the vocational sample, vocational dropouts should be identified and prevented earlier in their programs. Numerous tables present the data. (AG)

On May 4, 1970, the State of Pennsylvania entered upon a new era of school administration with the passage of Act 102. This act established the Intermediate Unit (IU), which provides consultative, advisory, or education program services to school districts, as the middle echelon of a three-echelon educational system (school district, intermediate unit, and State education department). The purpose of this study was to investigate what educational relationships are now present and should be developed between the intermediate units and area vocational technical schools (AVTS) in Pennsylvania. The directors of all 29 IUs in the State and 81 educators in supervisory positions in AVTSs were surveyed to find the relationship of the IUs to the AVTSs, specifically with respect to the provision of seven service areas required by law, and opinions as to the desirability of providing these services. The response rate was over 80 percent and the responses are tabulated and discussed. Two bibliographies, the questionnaires, the responses, and selected comments are included in the appendixes. (DS)

THREE HYPOTHESES CONCERNING THE INSERVICE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES OF TECHNICAL AND INDUSTRIAL TEACHERS AND SUPERVISORS IN PROFESSIONAL AND SUBJECT MATTER AREAS WERE TESTED--(1) TECHNICAL AND INDUSTRIAL TEACHERS DO PARTICIPATE IN INSERVICE EDUCATION, (2) INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES AND CHARACTERISTICS DO NOT INFLUENCE THE TEACHER'S OPINION OF SUCH EDUCATION, AND (3) TEACHERS AND SUPERVISORS BELIEVE THAT MORE SUBJECT MATTER INSERVICE EDUCATION IS NECESSARY. A LIST CONTAINING 22 PROFESSIONAL INSERVICE ACTIVITIES AND 22 SUBJECT MATTER ACTIVITIES WAS CHECKED BY 91 ADMINISTRATORS AND 285 TEACHERS AS TO THEIR PAST PARTICIPATION AND WILLINGNESS TO PARTICIPATE. SOME CONCLUSIONS WERE--(1) TEACHERS PARTICIPATED IN AS MUCH PROFESSIONAL AS SUBJECT MATTER INSERVICE EDUCATION, AND (2) EXPERIENCE AND PREPARATION HAD MORE EFFECT ON THEIR PREFERENCES IN PROFESSIONAL INSERVICE EDUCATION THAN IN SUBJECT MATTER INSERVICE EDUCATION. THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE--(1) INSERVICE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES IN BOTH PROFESSIONAL AND SUBJECT MATTER CATEGORIES SHOULD BE INCREASED, (2) TEACHERS SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN CHOOSING, PLANNING, AND EXECUTING THEIR INSERVICE EDUCATION ACTIVITIES, AND (3) PLANNERS OF INSERVICE EDUCATION SHOULD BE COGNIZANT OF THE PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF TEACHERS AND THEIR AFFECT ON THE PROGRAM. THE CHECKLIST AND STATISTICAL DATA ARE GIVEN IN THE APPENDIX. (EM)

Statements by the panelists (pp. 79-99) and transcript of the subsequent discussion with the audience (pp. 100-110) that was held at the symposion of the Institute for Public Finance and Tax Law on 23 October 2020., Heidelberg Working Paper Series on Public Finance and Tax Law, Bd. 16 (2021): Solid Financing of the EU

Background Although multiple studies have demonstrated a role for exosomes during virus infections, our understanding of the mechanisms by which exosome exchange regulates immune response during viral infections and affects viral pathogenesis is still in its infancy. In particular, very little is known for cytoplasmic single-stranded RNA viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV). We have used RVFV infection as a model for cytoplasmic single-stranded RNA viruses to address this gap in knowledge. RVFV is a highly pathogenic agent that causes RVF, a zoonotic disease for which no effective therapeutic or approved human vaccine exist. Results We show here that exosomes released from cells infected with RVFV (designated as EXi-RVFV) serve a protective role for the host and provide a mechanistic model for these effects. Our results show that treatment of both naïve immune cells (U937 monocytes) and naïve non-immune cells (HSAECs) with EXi-RVFV induces a strong RIG-I dependent activation of IFN-B. We also demonstrate that this strong anti-viral response leads to activation of autophagy in treated cells and correlates with resistance to subsequent viral infection. Since we have shown that viral RNA genome is associated with EXi-RVFV, RIG-I activation might be mediated by the presence of packaged viral RNA sequences. Conclusions Using RVFV infection as a model for cytoplasmic single-stranded RNA viruses, our results show a novel mechanism of host protection by exosomes released from infected cells (EXi) whereby the EXi activate RIG-I to induce IFN-dependent activation of autophagy in naïve recipient cells including monocytes. Because monocytes serve as reservoirs for RVFV replication, this EXi-RVFV-induced activation of autophagy in monocytes may work to slow down or halt viral dissemination in the infected organism. These findings offer novel mechanistic insights that may aid in future development of effective vaccines or therapeutics, and that may be applicable for a better molecular understanding of how exosome release regulates innate immune response to other cytoplasmic single-stranded RNA viruses.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:MRI-targeted prostate biopsy improves the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa) and reduces overdetection of clinically insignificant cancer. However,...

In a 32-year-old patient with chest pain, a large, complex coronary-venous fistula with additional feeders from the descending aorta was detected with computed tomography. Multimodality imaging, including multicolor 3-dimensional printing, allowed precise anatomic visualization of the origin, course and drainage site of the fistula. The patient was treated conservatively. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.), Graphical abstract, In a 32-year-old patient with chest pain, a large, complex coronary-venous fistula with additional feeders from the descending aorta was detected…

MRI-targeted prostate biopsy improves detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa). However, up to 70% of PCa lesions display intralesional tumor heterogeneity. Current target sampling strategies do not yet adequately account for this finding. This prospective study included 118 patients who underwent transperineal robotic assisted biopsy of the prostate. We identified a total of 58 PCa-positive PI-RADS lesions. We compared diagnostic accuracy of a target-saturation biopsy strategy to accuracy of single, two, or three randomly selected targeted biopsies and analysed potential clinical implications. Intralesional detection of clinically significant cancer (ISUP ≥ 2) was 78.3% for target-saturation biopsy and 39.1%, 52.2%, and 67.4% for one, two, and three targeted cores, respectively. Target-saturation biopsies led to a more accurate characterization of PCa in terms of Gleason score and reduced rates of missed cancer. Compared to one, two, and three targeted biopsies, target-saturation biopsies led to intensified staging procedures in 21.7%, 10.9, and 8.7% of patients, and ultimately to a potential change in therapy in 39.1%, 26.1%, and 10.9% of patients. This work presents the concept of robotic-assisted target saturation biopsy. This technique has the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy and thus individual staging procedures and treatment decisions.

Infinitesimal deformations are governed by partition Lie algebras. In characteristic $0$, these higher categorical structures are modelled by differential graded Lie algebras, but in characteristic $p$, they are more subtle. We give explicit models for partition Lie algebras over general coherent rings, both in the setting of spectral and derived algebraic geometry. For the spectral case, we refine operadic Koszul duality to a functor from operads to divided power operads, by taking refined linear duals of $\Sigma_n$-representations. The derived case requires a further refinement of Koszul duality to a more genuine setting., Comment: 96 pages, 1 figure. Added some details on the bar construction

Objective Mesenchymal stromal cells have important immunomodulatory and neuroprotective properties. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of mesenchymal stromal cell administration into a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuit, including a pediatric oxygenator, and to assess the immunomodulatory response of the circulating blood prime. Methods A bypass circuit with a pediatric oxygenator, including integral filter was primed with bank whole blood. Normal saline (control) or 120 × 106 mesenchymal stromal cells were injected into the venous reservoir after 80 minutes of perfusion. To assess oxygenator function, immune reaction, and cytokine/chemokine levels, the ex vivo circulation was maintained for 300 minutes after administration. Results There were no differences in flow rate, trans-oxygenator pressure gradient, blood oxygen, and carbon dioxide levels between control and cell delivery groups. No adhesion of mesenchymal stromal cells was observed on the filter mesh by scanning electron microscopy. Lymphocyte surface marker assay found no difference in the number of B cells, T cells, or natural killer cells between the 2 groups, indicating no immunogenicity of allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells under ex vivo CPB conditions. CPB significantly changed the level of interleukin (IL) 4, IL-6, IL-8, IP-10, macrophage colony stimulating factor, macrophage inflammatory protein-1β, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and IL-1α over time. IL-6 level was significantly increased after cell administration. Conclusions The administration of mesenchymal stromal cells does not interfere with oxygenator function. Allogeneic mesenchymal stromal cells show no immunogenicity, and increase plasma IL-6 level during ex vivo circulation. Further investigation is necessary to determine the effect of mesenchymal stromal cell delivery through CPB during pediatric cardiac surgery.

“Shanghuo” (“excessive internal heat”) is caused by exuberant endogenous fire, which does not have a comprehensive and systematic traditional Chinese medicine theory. In previous study, we had evaluated the therapeutic effect of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HLJDD) (granule) on patients with “Shanghuo”, however, the specific mechanism was not clear, which need further exploration. To explain its intervention mechanism, we select 57 patients with oral diseases caused by “Shanghuo” and 20 health volunteers to divide into oral disease group, HLJDD intervention group and healthy control group. Firstly, biochemical indicators before and after HLJDD intervention are detected, such as inflammatory factors, oxidative stress factors and energy metabolism factors. The results exhibit that HLJDD significantly decreases indicators succinic acid (p < 0.001); tumor necrosis factor-alpha, adenosine triphosphate, citric acid (p < 0.01); interleukin-8 (IL-8), 4-hydroxynonenal, pyruvic acid, lactate dehydrogenase (p < 0.05). The levels of glucocorticoid, adrenocorticotropic hormone (p < 0.01); lactic acid, IL-4, IL-10 (p < 0.05) significantly increase after HLJDD intervention. In addition, we adopt multi-omics analysis approach to investigate the potential biomarkers. Nontargeted metabolomics demonstrate that the levels of 7 differential metabolites approach that in the healthy control group after HLJDD intervention, which are correlated with histidine metabolism, beta-alanine metabolism and sphingolipid metabolism through metabolic pathway analysis. Targeted lipidomics results and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis show that 13 differential lipids are identified in the three groups mainly focuse on lysophosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylethanolamines. Finally, the network associations of those differential biomarkers reveal the regulation of adenosine triphosphate and tricarboxylic acid cycle play essential role in the therapeutic effect mechanism of HLJDD in “Shanghuo”. The study has laid the foundation for further revealing the mechanism and finding clinical biomarkers related to “Shanghuo”.

BACKGROUND: Manually performed diameter measurements on ECG-gated CT-angiography (CTA) represent the gold standard for diagnosis of thoracic aortic dilatation. However, they are time-consuming and show high inter-reader variability. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the accuracy of measurements of a deep learning-(DL)-algorithm in comparison to those of radiologists and evaluated measurement times (MT). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 405 ECG-gated CTA exams of 371 consecutive patients with suspected aortic dilatation between May 2010 and June 2019. The DL-algorithm prototype detected aortic landmarks (deep reinforcement learning) and segmented the lumen of the thoracic aorta (multi-layer convolutional neural network). It performed measurements according to AHA-guidelines and created visual outputs. Manual measurements were performed by radiologists using centerline technique. Human performance variability (HPV), MT and DL-performance were analyzed in a research setting using a linear mixed model based on 21 randomly selected, repeatedly measured cases. DL-algorithm results were then evaluated in a clinical setting using matched differences. If the differences were within 5 mm for all locations, the cases was regarded as coherent; if there was a discrepancy >5 mm at least at one location (incl. missing values), the case was completely reviewed. RESULTS: HPV ranged up to ±3.4 mm in repeated measurements under research conditions. In the clinical setting, 2,778/3,192 (87.0%) of DL-algorithm’s measurements were coherent. Mean differences of paired measurements between DL-algorithm and radiologists at aortic sinus and ascending aorta were −0.45±5.52 and −0.02±3.36 mm. Detailed analysis revealed that measurements at the aortic root were over-/underestimated due to a tilted measurement plane. In total, calculated time saved by DL-algorithm was 3:10 minutes/case. CONCLUSIONS: The DL-algorithm provided coherent results to radiologists at almost 90% of measurement locations, while the majority of discrepent cases were located at the aortic root. In summary, the DL-algorithm assisted radiologists in performing AHA-compliant measurements by saving 50% of time per case.

The coincidence of two rare diseases such as congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and neuroblastoma is exceptional. With an incidence of around 2–3:10,000 and 1:8000 for either disease occurring on its own, the chance of simultaneous presentation of both pathologies at birth is extremely low. Unfortunately, the underlying processes leading to congenital malformation and neonatal tumors are not yet thoroughly understood. There are several hypotheses revolving around the formation of CDH and neuroblastoma. The aim of our study was to put the respective hypotheses of disease formation as well as known factors in this process into perspective regarding their similarities and possible overlaps of congenital disease formation. We present the joint occurrence of these two rare diseases based on a patient presentation and immunochemical prognostic marker evaluation. The aim of this manuscript is to elucidate possible similarities in the pathogeneses of both disease entities. Discussed are the role of toxins, cell differentiation, the influence of retinoic acid and NMYC as well as of hypoxia. The detailed discussion reveals that some of the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms of both malformations have common aspects. Especially disturbances of the retinoic acid pathway and NMYC expression can influence and disrupt cell differentiation in either disease. Due to the rarity of both diseases, interdisciplinary efforts and multi-center studies are needed to investigate the reasons for congenital malformations and their interlinkage with neonatal tumor disease.