bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is Sexual-Orientation Discrimination a Form of Sex Discrimination?
Authors: Hill Daniel J.
Published: September 2020

InBostock v Clayton County(2020) Gorsuch J holds that direct discrimination because of sexual orientation is a form of direct discrimination because of sex. I argue that the same is true under the Equality Act 2010. I consider the arguments of (Finnis, in: Finnis (ed) Intention and identity: collected essays, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2011) and (Gardner in Oxf J Leg Stud 18(1):167–187, 1998) that “because of”, “on grounds of”, and similar phrases in UK discrimination legislation invoke the state of mind of the discriminator. I apply this point toBull and Bull v Hall and Preddy[2013] arguing that (i) the UK Supreme Court was wrong to find direct discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, while, (ii), nevertheless, under the Equality Act 2010, that case and similar cases actually involve direct discrimination because of sex, not because of sexual orientation. I conclude by considering some objections, precedents, and implications.
Creating Systems-Level Change to Better Support Expectant and Parenting Young People: A Case Study
Authors: Purington Amanda , Stupp Erica , Sebuharara Divine , Maley Brian , Henderson Sara Birnel , Powers Jane
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Expectant and parenting young people (young parents) require diverse services to support their health, educational success, and family functioning. Rarely can the needs of young parents be met by a single school or service provider. This case study examines how one large school district funded through the pathways to success initiative was able to facilitate systems change to increase young parents’ access to and use of supportive services.

Methods

Data sources include a needs and resources assessment, quarterly reports documenting grantee effort, sustainability plans, social network analysis, and capstone interviews. All data sources were systematically reviewed to identify the existing context prior to the start of the initiative, the changes that resulted from the initiative, and efforts that could potentially be maintained beyond the grant period.

Results

The community context prior to Pathways implementation was one of disconnected services and missed opportunities. The full-time program coordinator hired by the district focused on systems-level change and facilitated connections between organizations. This greater connectivity contributed to increased collaboration with the goal of producing lasting benefits for young parents.

Discussion

Promoting sustainable connections and collaboration at the systems level can help dismantle barriers to service access and benefit young parents.
Using Social Network Analysis to Strengthen Organizational Relationships to Better Serve Expectant and Parenting Young People
Authors: Purington Amanda , Stupp Erica , Welker Dora , Powers Jane , Banikya-Leaseburg Mousumi
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Expectant and parenting young people (young parents) need a range of supports but may have difficulty accessing existing resources. An optimally connected network of organizations can help young parents navigate access to available services. Community organizations participating in the Pathways to Success (Pathways) initiative sought to strengthen their network of support for young parents through social network analysis (SNA) undertaken within an action research framework.

Method

Evaluators and community partners utilized a survey and analysis tool to map and describe the local network of service providers offering resources to young parents. Respondents were asked to characterize their relationship with all other organizations in the network. Following survey analysis, all participants were invited to discuss and interpret the results and plan the next actions to improve the network on behalf of young parents.

Results

Scores described the diversity of organizations in the network, density of connections across the community, degree to which the network was centralized or decentralized, which organizations were central or outliers, frequency of contact, levels of collaboration, and levels of trust. Findings were interpreted with survey participants and used by Pathways staff for action planning to improve their network.

Discussion

SNA clarified complex relationships and set service providers on a path toward optimizing their network. The usefulness of SNA to impact and improve a network approach to supporting young parents is discussed, including lessons learned from this project.
Marker-assisted pyramiding of potato late blight resistance genes Rpi-rzc1 and Rpi-phu1 on di- and tetraploid levels
Authors: Stefańczyk Emil , Plich Jarosław , Janiszewska Marta , Smyda-Dajmund Paulina , Sobkowiak Sylwester , Śliwka Jadwiga
Published: September 2020

Late blight is a disease with the biggest economic impact on potato cultivation worldwide. Pyramiding of the resistance genes originating from potato wild relatives is a breeding strategy that has a potential to produce potato cultivars durably resistant to late blight. Growing such cultivars would allow limiting the intensive chemical control of the disease. The goal of this work was to transfer the late blight resistance gene Rpi-rzc1 from Solanum ruiz-ceballosii to the tetraploid level of cultivated potato and to pyramid it with the Rpi-phu1 gene. We obtained two diploid and, through 4x-2x cross, a tetraploid potato population segregating for the Rpi-rzc1 presence, as well as one diploid and one tetraploid population where both genes were introgressed. In total, 754 progeny clones were tested for resistance to late blight in detached leaflet assays. Pathogen isolates avirulent on plants with both genes and virulent on plants with the Rpi-phu1 were used. The selection was assisted by two PCR markers flanking the Rpi-rzc1 gene and a newly designed, highly specific intragenic marker indicating the Rpi-phu1 gene presence. We obtained 26 diploid and 49 tetraploid potato clones with pyramid of both genes that should enhance the durability and spectrum of their late blight resistance and that can be exploited in potato breeding. The specificity of the marker for the Rpi-phu1 gene and the precision of the Rpi-rzc1 mapping were improved in this work.
On robustness of camera identification algorithms
Authors: Bernacki Jarosław
Published: September 2020

In this paper we consider the problem of a privacy threat enabling tracing digital cameras by the analysis of pictures they produced. As thousands of images are processed at a mass scale, the threat may apply to most users of digital cameras. We consider a state-of-the-art algorithm for digital camera identification proposed in Lucas et al. (IEEE Trans Inf Forensics Secur 1(2):205–214, 2006) and discuss strategies that can be used to bypass it, in order to make information about the camera unavailable. It turns out that many natural strategies like Gaussian blur, adding artificial noise or removing pixels’ least significant bit from the image does not prevent the identification of a camera unless a huge loss of image details is suffered. On the other hand, we show a method to bypass the camera identification with a just marginally more complex, yet not intuitive, method namely cropping the image on the edges and resizing to the original size using Lanczos resampling.
Real-time Informatized caption enhancement based on speaker pronunciation time database
Authors: Choi Yong-Sik , Kang Jin-Gu , Joo Jong Wha J. , Jung Jin-Woo
Published: September 2020

IBM Watson is one of the representative tools for speech recognition system which can automatically generate not only speech-to-text information but also speaker ID and timing information, which is called as Informatized Caption. However, if there is some noise in the voice signal to the IBM Watson API, the recognition performance is significantly decreased. It can be easily found in movies with background music and special sound effects. This paper aims to improve the inaccuracy problem of current Informatized Captions in noisy environments. In this paper, a method of modifying incorrectly recognized words and a method of enhancing timing accuracy while updating database in real time are suggested based on the original caption and Informatized Caption information. Experimental results shows that the proposed method can give 81.09% timing accuracy for the case of 10 representative animation, horror and action movies.
Attacks on state-of-the-art face recognition using attentional adversarial attack generative network
Authors: Yang Lu , Song Qing , Wu Yingqi
Published: September 2020

With the broad use of face recognition, its weakness gradually emerges that it is able to be attacked. Therefore, it is very important to study how face recognition networks are subject to attacks. Generating adversarial examples is an effective attack method, which misleads the face recognition system through obfuscation attack (rejecting a genuine subject) or impersonation attack (matching to an impostor). In this paper, we introduce a novel GAN, Attentional Adversarial Attack Generative Network (A3GN), to generate adversarial examples that mislead the network to identify someone as the target person not misclassify inconspicuously. For capturing the geometric and context information of the target person, this work adds a conditional variational autoencoder and attention modules to learn the instance-level correspondences between faces. Unlike traditional two-player GAN, this work introduces a face recognition network as the third player to participate in the competition between generator and discriminator which allows the attacker to impersonate the target person better. The generated faces which are hard to arouse the notice of onlookers can evade recognition by state-of-the-art networks and most of them are recognized as the target person.
Image classification-based brain tumour tissue segmentation
Authors: Al-qazzaz Salma , Sun Xianfang , Yang Hong , Yang Yingxia , Xu Ronghua , Nokes Len , Yang Xin
Published: September 2020

Brain tumour tissue segmentation is essential for clinical decision making. While manual segmentation is time consuming, tedious, and subjective, it is very challenging to develop automatic segmentation methods. Deep learning with convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture has consistently outperformed previous methods on such challenging tasks. However, the local dependencies of pixel classes cannot be fully reflected in the CNN models. In contrast, hand-crafted features such as histogram-based texture features provide robust feature descriptors of local pixel dependencies. In this paper, a classification-based method for automatic brain tumour tissue segmentation is proposed using combined CNN-based and hand-crafted features. The CIFAR network is modified to extract CNN-based features, and histogram-based texture features are fused to compensate the limitation in the CIFAR network. These features together with the pixel intensities of the original MRI images are sent to a decision tree for classifying the MRI image voxels into different types of tumour tissues. The method is evaluated on the BraTS 2017 dataset. Experiments show that the proposed method produces promising segmentation results.
Cryosphere hazards in Ladakh: the 2014 Gya glacial lake outburst flood and its implications for risk assessment
Authors: Schmidt Susanne , Nüsser Marcus , Baghel Ravi , Dame Juliane
Published: September 2020

This article attempts to reconstruct the causes and consequences of the 2014 glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) event in Gya, Ladakh. We analyse the evolution of the Gya glacial lake using a high temporal and high spatial resolution remote sensing approach. In order to frame the case study in a larger picture, we produce a comprehensive inventory of glacial lakes for the entire Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh. Changes in the extent and number of glacial lakes have been detected for the years 1969, 1993, 2000/02 and 2018 in order to assess the potential risk of future GLOFs in the region. The remote sensing approach was supported by field surveys between 2014 and 2019. The case study of the Gya GLOF illustrates the problem of potentially hazardous lakes being overlooked in inventories. The broader analysis of the Ladakh region and in-depth analysis of one GLOF lead us to propose an integrated approach for detecting undocumented GLOFs. This article demonstrates the necessity for using multiple methods to ensure robustness of risk assessment. The improved understanding can lead to a more accurate evaluation of exposure to cryosphere hazards and identification of alternative mechanisms and spatial patterns of GLOFs in the Himalaya.
Regional landslide hazard assessment through integrating susceptibility index and rainfall process
Authors: Wang Zhiheng , Wang Dongchuan , Guo Qiaozhen , Wang Daikun
Published: September 2020

Due to the difference of the spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall and the complex diversity of the disaster-prone environment (topography, geological, fault, and lithology), it is difficult to assess the hazard of landslides at the regional scale quantitatively only considering rainfall condition. Based on detailed landslide inventory and rainfall data in the hilly area in Sichuan province, this study analyzed the effects of both rainfall process and environmental factors on the occurrence of landslides. Through analyzing environmental factors, a landslide susceptibility index (LSI) was calculated using multiple layer perceptron (MLP) model to reflect the regional landslide susceptibility. Further, the characteristics of rainfall process and landslides were examined quantitatively with statistical analysis. Finally, a probability model integrating LSI and rainfall process was constructed using logistical regression analysis to assess the landslide hazard. Validation showed satisfactory results, and the inclusion of LSI effectively improved the accuracy of the landslide hazard assessment: Compared with only considering the rainfall process factors, the accuracy of the landslide prediction model both considering the rainfall process and landslide susceptibility is improved by 3%. These results indicate that an integration of susceptibility index and rainfall process is essential in improving the timeliness and accuracy of regional landslide early warning.
An argument for egalitarian confirmation bias and against political diversity in academia
Authors: Peters Uwe
Published: September 2020

It has recently been suggested that politically motivated cognition leads progressive individuals (e.g., liberals) to form beliefs that underestimate real differences between social groups (e.g., in academic performance) and to process information selectively to support these beliefs and an egalitarian outlook. I contend that this tendency, which I shall call ‘egalitarian confirmation bias’, is often ‘Mandevillian’ in nature. That is, while it is epistemically problematic in one’s own cognition, it often has effects that significantly improve other people’s truth tracking, especially that of stigmatized individuals in academia. Due to its Mandevillian character, egalitarian confirmation bias isn’t only epistemically but also ethically beneficial, as it helps decrease social injustice. Moreover, since egalitarian confirmation bias has Mandevillian effects especially in academia, and since progressives are particularly likely to display the bias, there is an epistemic reason for maintaining (rather than counteracting) the often-noted political majority of progressives in academia. That is, while many researchers hold that diversity in academia is epistemically beneficial because it helps reduce bias, I argue that precisely because political diversity would help reduce egalitarian confirmation bias, it would in fact in one important sense be epistemically costly.
Influence of Interstitial Oxygen on the Tribology of Ti6Al4V
Authors: Kümmel Daniel , Schneider Johannes , Gumbsch Peter
Published: September 2020

Titanium alloys are used for their good mechanical and corrosion properties, but generally experience poor wear behavior. This can effectively be counteracted by a thermal oxidation treatment, reducing wear significantly. Employing a special sample preparation, we study the transition of tribological properties between thermally oxidized and bulk Ti6Al4V on a single sample. While oxygen signal intensity and hardness followed an exponential decay from the surface to bulk material, tribological results showed a step-like transition from low to high friction and wear with increasing distance from the surface. Low wear was associated with minor abrasive marks, whereas high wear showed as severe adhesive material transfer onto the steel counter body. Besides the mechanical property of hardness, also a change in fracture behavior by interstitial oxygen could influence the observed tribological behavior.
Guanosine modulates SUMO2/3-ylation in neurons and astrocytes via adenosine receptors
Authors: Zanella Camila A. , Tasca Carla I. , Henley Jeremy M. , Wilkinson Kevin A. , Cimarosti Helena I.
Published: September 2020

SUMOylation is a post-translational modification (PTM) whereby members of the Small Ubiquitin-like MOdifier (SUMO) family of proteins are conjugated to lysine residues in target proteins. SUMOylation has been implicated in a wide range of physiological and pathological processes, and much attention has been given to its role in neurodegenerative conditions. Due to its reported role in neuroprotection, pharmacological modulation of SUMOylation represents an attractive potential therapeutic strategy in a number of different brain disorders. However, very few compounds that target the SUMOylation pathway have been identified. Guanosine is an endogenous nucleoside with important neuromodulatory and neuroprotective effects. Experimental evidence has shown that guanosine can modulate different intracellular pathways, including PTMs. In the present study we examined whether guanosine alters global protein SUMOylation. Primary cortical neurons and astrocytes were treated with guanosine at 1, 10, 100, 300, or 500 μM at four time points, 1, 6, 24, or 48 h. We show that guanosine increases global SUMO2/3-ylation in neurons and astrocytes at 1 h at concentrations above 10 μM. The molecular mechanisms involved in this effect were evaluated in neurons. The guanosine-induced increase in global SUMO2/3-ylation was still observed in the presence of dipyridamole, which prevents guanosine internalization, demonstrating an extracellular guanosine-induced effect. Furthermore, the A1 adenosine receptor antagonist DPCPX abolished the guanosine-induced increase in SUMO2/3-ylation. The A2A adenosine receptor antagonist ZM241385 increased SUMOylation per se, but did not alter guanosine-induced SUMOylation, suggesting that guanosine may modulate SUMO2/3-ylation through an A1-A2A receptor interaction. Taken together, this is the first report to show guanosine as a SUMO2/3-ylation enhancer in astrocytes and neurons.
Improved lower bound on the dimension of the EU council’s voting rules
Authors: Kober Stefan , Weltge Stefan
Published: September 2020

Kurz and Napel (Optim Lett 10(6):1245–1256, 2015, 10.1007/s11590-015-0917-0) proved that the voting system of the EU council (based on the 2014 population data) cannot be represented as the intersection of six weighted games, i.e., its dimension is at least 7. This set a new record for real-world voting rules and the authors posed the exact determination as a challenge. Recently, Chen et al. (An upper bound on the dimension of the voting system of the European Union Council under the Lisbon rules, 2019, arXiv:1907.09711) showed that the dimension is at most 24. We provide the first improved lower bound and show that the dimension is at least 8.
Current Challenges and Opportunities in Microstructure-Related Properties of Advanced High-Strength Steels
Authors: Raabe Dierk , Sun Binhan , Kwiatkowski Da Silva Alisson , Gault Baptiste , Yen Hung-Wei , Sedighiani Karo , Thoudden Sukumar Prithiv , Souza Filho Isnaldi R. , Katnagallu Shyam , Jägle Eric , Kürnsteiner Philipp , Kusampudi Navyanth , Stephenson Leigh , Herbig Michael , Liebscher Christian H. , Springer Hauke , Zaefferer Stefan , Shah Vitesh , Wong Su-Leen , Baron Christian , Diehl Martin , Roters Franz , Ponge Dirk
Published: September 2020

This is a viewpoint paper on recent progress in the understanding of the microstructure–property relations of advanced high-strength steels (AHSS). These alloys constitute a class of high-strength, formable steels that are designed mainly as sheet products for the transportation sector. AHSS have often very complex and hierarchical microstructures consisting of ferrite, austenite, bainite, or martensite matrix or of duplex or even multiphase mixtures of these constituents, sometimes enriched with precipitates. This complexity makes it challenging to establish reliable and mechanism-based microstructure–property relationships. A number of excellent studies already exist about the different types of AHSS (such as dual-phase steels, complex phase steels, transformation-induced plasticity steels, twinning-induced plasticity steels, bainitic steels, quenching and partitioning steels, press hardening steels, etc.) and several overviews appeared in which their engineering features related to mechanical properties and forming were discussed. This article reviews recent progress in the understanding of microstructures and alloy design in this field, placing particular attention on the deformation and strain hardening mechanisms of Mn-containing steels that utilize complex dislocation substructures, nanoscale precipitation patterns, deformation-driven transformation, and twinning effects. Recent developments on microalloyed nanoprecipitation hardened and press hardening steels are also reviewed. Besides providing a critical discussion of their microstructures and properties, vital features such as their resistance to hydrogen embrittlement and damage formation are also evaluated. We also present latest progress in advanced characterization and modeling techniques applied to AHSS. Finally, emerging topics such as machine learning, through-process simulation, and additive manufacturing of AHSS are discussed. The aim of this viewpoint is to identify similarities in the deformation and damage mechanisms among these various types of advanced steels and to use these observations for their further development and maturation.
Characterization of Anchorless Human PrP With Q227X Stop Mutation Linked to Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker Syndrome In Vivo and In Vitro
Authors: Shen Pingping , Dang Johnny , Wang Zerui , Zhang Weiguanliu , Yuan Jue , Lang Yue , Ding Mingxuan , Mitchell Marcus , Kong Qingzhong , Feng Jiachun , Rozemuller Annemiek J. M. , Cui Li , Petersen Robert B. , Zou Wen-Quan
Published: September 2020

Alteration in cellular prion protein (PrPC) localization on the cell surface through mediation of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor has been reported to dramatically affect the formation and infectivity of its pathological isoform (PrPSc). A patient with Gerstmann-Sträussler-Scheinker (GSS) syndrome was previously found to have a nonsense heterozygous PrP-Q227X mutation resulting in an anchorless PrP. However, the allelic origin of this anchorless PrPSc and cellular trafficking of PrPQ227X remain to be determined. Here, we show that PrPSc in the brain of this GSS patient is mainly composed of the mutant but not wild-type PrP (PrPWt), suggesting pathological PrPQ227X is incapable of recruiting PrPWt in vivo. This mutant anchorless protein, however, is able to recruit PrPWt from humanized transgenic mouse brain but not from autopsied human brain homogenates to produce a protease-resistant PrPSc-like form in vitro by protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). To further investigate the characteristics of this mutation, constructs expressing human PrPQ227X or PrPWt were transfected into neuroblastoma cells (M17). Fractionation of the M17 cells demonstrated that most PrPWt is recovered in the cell lysate fraction, while most of the mutant PrPQ227X is recovered in the medium fraction, consistent with the results obtained by immunofluorescence microscopy. Two-dimensional gel-electrophoresis and Western blotting showed that cellular PrPQ227X spots clustered at molecular weights of 22–25 kDa with an isoelectric point (pI) of 3.5–5.5, whereas protein spots from the medium are at 18–26 kDa with a pI of 7–10. Our findings suggest that the role of GPI anchor in prion propagation between the anchorless mutant PrP and wild-type PrP relies on the cellular distribution of the protein.
“What’s Happened to the People?” Gentrification and Racial Segregation in Brooklyn
Authors: Chronopoulos Themis
Published: September 2020

This article explores the relationship between gentrification and racial segregation in Brooklyn, New York with an emphasis on Black Brooklyn. With more than 2.6 million residents, if Brooklyn was a city, it would be the fourth largest in the USA. Brooklyn is the home of approximately 788,000 Blacks with almost 692,000 of them living in an area that historian Harold X. Connolly has called Black Brooklyn. In recent decades, large portions of Brooklyn, including parts of Black Brooklyn have been gentrifying with sizable numbers of whites moving to traditionally Black neighborhoods. One would anticipate racial segregation to be declining in Brooklyn and especially in the areas that are gentrifying. However, this expectation of racial desegregation appears to be false. While there are declines in indices of racial segregation, these declines are frequently marginal, especially when the increase in the number of whites in Black neighborhoods is taken into consideration. At the same time, gentrification has contributed to the displacement or replacement of thousands of long-term African American residents from their homes. This persistence of racial segregation in a time of gentrification raises many questions about the two processes and the effects that they have on African Americans.
Data-based support for petroleum prospect evaluation
Authors: Mumtaz Summaya , Pene Irina , Latif Adnan , Giese Martin
Published: September 2020

We consider the challenging task of evaluating the commercial viability of hydrocarbon prospects based on limited information, and in limited time. We investigate purely data-driven approaches to predicting key reservoir parameters and obtain a negative result: the information that is typically available for prospect evaluation and is suitable for data-based methods, cannot be used for the required predictions. We can show however that the same information is sufficient to produce a limited list of potentially similar well-explored reservoirs (known as analogues) that can support the prospect evaluation work of human geoscientists. We base the proposal of analogues on similarity measures on the data available about prospects. Technically, the challenge is to define suitable similarity measures on categorical data like depositional environment or rock types. Existing data-based similarity measures for categorical data do not perform well, since they do not take geological domain knowledge into account. We propose two novel similarity measures that use domain knowledge in the form of hierarchies on categorical values. Comparative evaluation shows that the semantic-based similarity measures outperform the existing data-driven approaches and are effective in comparison to the human analogue selection.
Die Botschaft von LUCA — der letzte universelle gemeinsame Vorfahre
Authors: Nesterov-Müller Alexander , Popov Roman
Published: September 2020

The Standard genetic code is the only reliable information about the first living cell on Earth called the last universal common ancestor —LUCA. The central mystery of the genetic code is the assignment of the canonical amino acids to the codons — base triplets. Simple and uniform combinatorial rules indicate that the standard genetic code arose during the fusion of four primordial single base-pair codes.
Atlastine — wie defekte Netzwerke Neuropathien verursachen
Authors: Behrendt Laura , Kaether Christoph
Published: September 2020

The Atlastins (ATLs) mesh the tubular net that constitutes the peripheral parts of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the largest membranous organelle of the cell. ATLs form three way junctions, the knots of the ER network. Humans possess three ATLs, ATL1-3. Mutations in ATL1 and ATL3 can cause axonopathies in sensory or motor neurons, leading to hereditary spastic paraplegia or hereditary sensory and autonomous neuropathy. Here we discuss the knowns and unknows of ATL function in health and disease.
Wie Zellen kommunizieren: extra-zelluläre Vesikel als Signalübermittler
Authors: Witte Leonie , Christina Gross Julia
Published: September 2020

Development and homeostasis of multicellular organisms requires a constant exchange of information. Intercellular communication can be mediated by extracellular vesicles — tightly packed informational units that are secreted by virtually all cell types. Depending on their origin they carry distinct sets of proteins and RNAs and elicit diverse signalling responses in close and distant target cells. Despite their crucial role for health and disease, their biogenesis remains poorly understood.
Zyklische Dinukleotide als molekulare Entwicklungsbremse
Authors: Wörmann Mirka E. , Tschowri Natalia
Published: September 2020

Streptomyces are renowned producers of antibiotics and other medically useful molecules. They undergo a developmental life cycle involving progression from vegetative growth to the erection of reproductive aerial hyphae, which differentiate into chains of spores. The second messengers c-di-GMP and c-di-AMP control this complex morphological transition. Studies on signalling mechanisms in this bacterial model led to the discovery of a tetrameric c-di-GMP, a sigma factor as an unexpected type of c-di-GMP effectors and a new class of c-di-AMP phosphodiesterases.
Etablierung der PCR-basierten SARS-CoV-2-Testung im Hochdurchsatz
Authors: Klussmeier Anja , Behrens Geoffrey A. , Lange Vinzenz
Published: September 2020

Timely identification and isolation of affected individuals is one of the most important factors to control spreading of the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2. Consequently, it is crucial to maintain sufficient sample capacities in diagnostic laboratories. Here, we present a high-through-put approach for PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 testing. The implementation of sample pooling reduces costs and workload, especially in times with low population prevalence.
Hochdurchsatzanalyse zur Identifizierung von Virusinfektionen in ps-iPSCs
Authors: Hübscher Daniela , Streckfuss-Bömeke Katrin
Published: September 2020

The generation of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (ps-iPSCs) offers a broad range of applications including human disease modelling, drug screening, bioengineering, or cell therapy. Virus contamination-free cell lines generated under Good Manufacturing Practise (GMP) conditions are of outstanding importance. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility to use an automated high-throughput PCR-based method for detection of human pathogenic viruses, for instance HIV, in ps-iPSCs.
EXIT — Wirtszellaustritt intrazellulärer Pathogene
Authors: Bennink Sandra , Pradel Gabriele
Published: September 2020

Living inside of host cells offers major advantages for human pathogens, like nutrient accessibility or the escape from the host’s immune system. However, host cell exit is mandatory for further progression and propagation of the pathogen. Three pathways of tightly regulated host cell exit have been described, of which one or more are exploited by intracellular organisms. As this step is an optimal target for drug development, the investigation of exit mechanisms is of great interest.
Die chemische Sprache von Symbiosen sichtbar machen
Authors: Geier Benedikt , Liebeke Manuel
Published: September 2020

Small molecules — metabolites — provide the basis for chemical interactions between hosts and microbes. Especially in animal-microbe symbioses, the close physical interactions require a spatial organization of cells and their metabolites. Correlative mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and fluorescence microscopy provide powerful tools to address the technical challenge of linking metabolite production to symbiont and host cells in mixed communities and study spatial metabolomes of symbioses in situ.
Patientenantikörper als Informationsquelle
Authors: Falk Fabian , Zhou Zekun , Klinkusch Andreas , Weber Laura , Breitling Frank
Published: September 2020

Since decades antibodies are used for diagnosis e. g. by detecting patient antibodies that specifically bind to Influenza virus proteins. We predict these diagnostic questions will be parallelized to diagnose all known disease specific antibodies at once. These tests will ask in addition, which unknown antibodies patrol in a patient’s blood, and what exactly they bind to. Thereby, we expect to find antibody species that correlate to hitherto enigmatic diseases or have specialized functions.
Parallele positive pressure-Festphasen-extraktion — eine Übersicht
Authors: Thurow Kerstin , Bach Anna , Junginger Steffen
Published: September 2020

Solid phase extraction has become the most frequently used method in sample preparation. A significant advantage of solid phase extraction is the significantly lower solvent consumption, which has a positive effect both in terms of costs and environmentally relevant aspects. SPE-based sample preparation processes are characterized by a large number of different sub-processes. For the processing of large numbers of samples, in particular, the automation of this process is ideal in terms of throughput, minimizing processing times and reducing costs.
Android positioning: from stand-alone to cooperative approaches
Authors: Gioia Ciro , Borio Daniele
Published: September 2020

The request for continuous and accurate localization in most diverse environments is growing: a possible solution is the use of location information retrieved by smartphones. For Android devices, Global Navigation Satellite System-based positioning is one of the main localization source, but in some environments GNSS signals can be blocked or affected by multipath. In these circumstances, the navigation solution may experience severe degradation. The presence of multiple outliers and their exclusion can cause a significant reduction of the satellite geometry. A possible solution is the identification of blunders and the replacement of such measurements with observables provided by a nearby device. The merging of measurements from different devices is an open challenge that is addressed in this work. This paper analyzes three smartphone GNSS-based cooperative positioning approaches: Direct Measurement Sharing, where the aiding device provides its raw observations to the aided smartphone; Augmented Measurement Sharing, where clock parameters and their accuracy are shared along with the raw observables; Corrected Measurement Sharing CMS, where corrected observables are adopted. Specifically, measurements of the aiding device are at first corrected for the clock bias. The methods have been validated using static and kinematic real data: tests were performed using devices from three manufacturers with different versions of the Operating System (OS). From the tests, the effectiveness of the proposed methods is demonstrated and the benefits of the combined solutions with respect to the single device solutions are shown.
Negative Prognostic Implication of TERT Promoter Mutations in Human Papillomavirus–Negative Tonsillar Squamous Cell Carcinoma Under the New 8th AJCC Staging System
Authors: Kim Hyunchul , Kwon Mi Jung , Park Bumjung , Choi Hyo Geun , Nam Eun Sook , Cho Seong Jin , Min Kyueng-Whan , Kim Eun Soo , Hwang Hee Sung , Hong Mineui , Koo Taeryool , Kim Hyo Jung
Published: September 2020

Telomerase reverse transcriptase gene promoter (TERTp) mutation is a potential candidate for pathogenesis and therapeutic target of tonsillar squamous cell carcinomas (TSCCs) in association with human papillomavirus (HPV). Their clinical relevance has not been validated under the new 8th American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system. We analyzed real-time peptide nucleic acid–mediated PCR and sequencing methods (TERTp mutation) and real-time PCR-based assay (HPV) in 80 surgically resected TSCCs. The 8th edition staging system improved the stratification of the early and advanced stages and between T or N categories for overall survival over the 7th edition. TERTp mutation was found in 7.5%, and HPV in 80.0% of the patients. The majority (83.3%) of TERTp mutation cases were HPV-positive TSCCs. Applying the 8th edition staging system, TERTp mutation was an independent factor of poor prognosis for disease-free survival (DFS) in TSCC patients, supporting the clinical significance of TERTp mutation in tonsil cancer. TERTp mutations were also negatively correlated with overall survival and DFS in HPV-negative TSCCs. Conclusively, TERTp mutation provides negative prognostic impact on survival of surgically managed tonsil cancers staged with the AJCC 8th edition.
Differentiating Benign from Malignant Adrenocortical Tumors by a Single Morphological Parameter—a Clinicopathological Study on 837 Adrenocortical Neoplasias
Authors: Walz Martin K. , Metz Klaus A. , Theurer Sarah , Myland Cathrin , Alesina Pier F. , Schmid Kurt W.
Published: September 2020

The morphological differentiation between benign and malignant adrenocortical tumors is an ongoing problem in diagnostic pathology. In recent decades the complex scoring systems have been widely used to calculate the probability of malignancy in adrenocortical tumors on the basis of a variety of histomorphological parameters. We herewith present a substantially simplified method to diagnose adrenocortical carcinoma by a single histomorphological parameter on a consecutive series of more than 800 adrenocortical tumors. Between January 2000 and May 2019, altogether 2305 adrenalectomies for of all types of diseases were removed, approximately 98% by minimally invasive approaches. After exclusion of pheochromocytomas, adrenal ganglioneuromas, adrenal metastases, Cushing’s disease related specimens, and Conn’s adenomas, the present series finally consisted of 837 adrenocortical tumors. All tumors were analyzed by experienced pathologists of a single institution using standard histopathological methods (Hematoxylin-Eosin and Ki67 stained sections). Clinical and histopathologic data were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. Clinically, 385 patients had 420 functioning tumors (FT), and 417 had non-functioning adrenal tumors (NFT). The mean size of FT was 3.8 ± 1.4 cm (range 0.5–16 cm) and for NFT 4.5 ± 1.6 cm (range 1.5–18 cm). Histomorphologically, 32 adrenal tumors were classified as adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC; 3.8%). In all 32 cases (tumor size 9.1 ± 4.0 cm, range 3–18 cm), confluenting tumor necrosis could be demonstrated. The remaining 805 tumors (control group) completely lacked this highly reproducible single morphological feature. Ki67 levels above 10% were found in 31 of 32 ACCs and never in adrenocortical adenomas (ACA). With a mean follow-up of 8.2 years, 24 out of 32 patients primarily diagnosed as ACC developed distant metastases (75.0%), whereas all patients in the control group remained free of local or distant recurrence. We conclude that a single morphological parameter (confluenting tumor necrosis) is sufficient to predict a poor clinical course in adrenocortical tumors. The histomorphological diagnosis of this parameter is straightforward and highly reproducible.
A comparative risk assessment of dialysis care processes in the home and hospital care contexts
Authors: Chemweno Peter , Pintelon Liliane
Published: September 2020

Dialysis processes within the home care context is associated with risk factors which are not very prominent in the hospital context. This includes risk factors such as unanticipated device malfunction, or erroneous operation of the equipment, which exposes the patient to injury while undergoing dialysis. Importantly, the mentioned risk factors are further attributed to technical aspects such as sub-optimal equipment maintenance or following improper clinical procedures when administering care to the patient. Hence, it is important to follow a methodological approach to identify and assess hazards embedded within the dialysis treatment process, and on this basis, formulate effective strategies to mitigate their negative consequences on patient safety. This paper presents a comparative risk assessment for in-hospital versus in-home dialysis care. For the two cases, the risk assessment considers expertise of care givers involved in administering dialysis. The findings show that performing risk assessment for hospital environment, is more structured owing to expertise of clinicians and care givers responsible for administering dialysis. However, assessing risks for the home-care environment is more challenging owing to absence of domain knowledge, hence a survey approach to structure the risk assessment process is necessary. Moreover, risks in the home care context is influenced by logistical aspects, and lack of domain knowledge for maintaining dialysis equipment. Overall, insights from the comparative studies yields important learning points expected to improve dialysis care as more healthcare providers transfer care to the home environment.
Efficacy of Terminalia arjuna mature leaf powder and Phyllanthus emblica bark powder to reduce nitrate: N and total hardness in groundwater in karstified limestone aquifer
Authors: Wijeyaratne W. M. Dimuthu Nilmini , Shanthamareen M.
Published: September 2020

Groundwater is a vital resource in the northern region of Sri Lanka, as it is the only water resource used for domestic, agricultural and industrial activities in that area. However, due to excessive usage of synthetic fertilizer, the groundwater in this part of the country is highly contaminated with nitrates. In addition, due to the effect of underlain limestone aquifer, water hardness is also high. The present study aimed to study the effect of filtration through Terminalia arjuna mature leaf powder and Phyllanthus emblica bark powder on reducing nitrate concentration and hardness. The results indicated that 21.4% reduction of nitrate concentration can be achieved by filtration through Terminalia arjuna mature leaf powder and 9.3% reduction of total hardness by filtration through Phyllanthus emblica bark powder. Therefore, further research is recommended on testing the potential and side effects of using Terminalia arjuna mature leaf powder and Phyllanthus emblica bark powder as a combined home remedial treatment technique for treating nitrate contaminated hard water.
Arsenic removal using Prosopis spicigera L. wood (PsLw) carbon–iron oxide composite
Authors: DhanaRamalakshmi Ramasubbu , Murugan Mahalingam , Jeyabal Vincent
Published: September 2020

The present manuscript reports the removal of arsenic from aqueous solution using iron oxide composite of carbon derived from the plant material Prosopis spicigera L. wood which depletes the ground water of ponds, lakes and other water bodies. The adsorbent was characterised by Fourier Transform Infra Red spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscope for surface analysis; Brunauer–Emmett–Teller and methylene blue method for surface area determination and pHzpc for surface charge determination. Experimental conditions such as pH, contact time, adsorbate initial concentration and in the presence other ions are varied to study the batch adsorption equilibrium experiment. The adsorption process was tested with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm model and Langmuir isotherm was best suited. Sorption kinetics was analysed with pseudo-first- and second-order kinetics but adsorption follows second order kinetics. For an initial concentration of 60 mg/L of As(III) ions, adsorption capacity was found to be 83.84 mg/g at pH = 6.0. Thermodynamically the adsorption process is spontaneous, feasible and endothermic in nature. Adsorption involves pore diffusion, external mass transfer and complex formation. Column study was performed to apply this process for large scale treatment.
Application of Heating Type Micro-Assembly Device in Two-Photon Micromachining
Authors: Xia Jintao , Ding Afei , Wang Pan , Wang Hang , Gu Yinwei , Tao Weidong , Wang Gang
Published: September 2020

The development of micro-fabrication and micro-assembly technology is indispensable for the future manufacturing of miniaturized, functional, and integrated devices. This paper proposes a planar micro-assembly technology to make the assembly of micro-objects easier. Firstly, delicate three-dimensional (3D) structures were fabricated on glass and silicon slice substrates using femtosecond laser two-photon polymerization (2PP). Secondly, transparent fluorescent scintillation ceramic powder, referred to as fluorescent powder, was assembled using a laboratory-made 3D moving heating micro-operator into a microstructure on a glass substrate, and this device is used to assemble the graphene powder into the microstructure on the silicon slice substrate. The fluorescence spectra and Raman spectra characterizations of the fluorescent powder and graphene powder in the microstructure were carried out by using excitation light at 405 nm and 532 nm, respectively. According to the above results, it can be concluded that the powder properties of the fluorescent powder and graphene powder assembled into the microstructure were not changed. The experimental device could not only assemble many micron-sized powder materials into hollow microstructures of arbitrary shape but also joined microstructures with different materials and characteristics to form a complex hybrid microstructure system.
Structural condition assessment of reinforced-concrete bridges based on acoustic emission and strain measurements
Authors: Bayane Imane , Brühwiler Eugen
Published: September 2020

A reliable novel monitoring approach is developed to assess the structural condition of reinforced-concrete bridge elements. The approach is based on combining acoustic emission technique and strain gauge measurements, and it is illustrated by a case study of a composite steel–concrete viaduct in service since 1957. Monitoring was performed on its reinforced-concrete deck slab under traffic and environmental loading for one year. The monitoring setup and procedure are presented. The variation of acoustic emission signals is evaluated regarding strain and temperature measurements. Parametric study, pencil-break test, statistical analysis, crack classification and b-value analysis are performed to assess the structural condition. The acoustic emission activity of the reinforced-concrete slab is evaluated for 1 year under operational conditions. From the monitoring approach, it was possible to identify the nature of the cracking activity in the concrete slab as a function of traffic loading and temperature and to assess in time the condition of the slab-girder connection.