Vorgeburtliche Selektion und Diskriminierung von Menschen mit Behinderungen :Eine medizinethische Analyse

Die ethischen Implikationen vorgeburtlicher Untersuchungen werden seit jeher kontrovers diskutiert. Ein gängiges Argument in diesen Debatten besagt, dass vorgeburtliche Untersuchungen eine Selektion bedeuten und Menschen mit Behinderungen diskriminieren. In dieser Arbeit wird untersucht, worin genau die Diskriminierung bestehen könnte. Der Diskriminierungsvorwurf tritt in ganz unterschiedlichen Varianten auf: Einige Autoren behaupten, dass mit vorgeburtlichen Untersuchungen das Lebensrecht von Menschen mit Behinderungen infrage gestellt werde, andere befürchten infolge der Untersuchungen sozioökonomische Benachteiligungen von behinderten Menschen, wieder andere betonen vor allem eine subjektiv empfundene Kränkung etc. Um den Diskriminierungsvorwurf in seiner Bedeutung für eine moralische Beurteilung vorgeburtlicher Untersuchungen genauer abschätzen zu können, soll diese Arbeit einen systematischen Überblick über die verschiedenen Argumentationen liefern

Characteristic Polynomials of Sample Covariance Matrices: The Non-Square Case

We consider the sample covariance matrices of large data matrices which have i.i.d. complex matrix entries and which are non-square in the sense that the difference between the number of rows and the number of columns tends to infinity. We show that the second-order correlation function of the characteristic polynomial of the sample covariance matrix is asymptotically given by the sine kernel in the bulk of the spectrum and by the Airy kernel at the edge of the spectrum. Similar results are given for real sample covariance matrices

Balancing scientific interests and the rights of participants in designing a recall by genotype study

Recall by genotype (RbG) studies aim to better understand the phenotypes that correspond to genetic variants of interest, by recruiting carriers of such variants for further phenotyping. RbG approaches pose major ethical and legal challenges related to the disclosure of possibly unwanted genetic information. The Cooperative Health Research in South Tyrol (CHRIS) study is a longitudinal cohort study based in South Tyrol, Italy. Demand has grown for CHRIS study participants to be enrolled in RbG studies, thus making the design of a suitable ethical framework a pressing need. We here report upon the design of a pilot RbG study conducted with CHRIS study participants. By reviewing the literature and by consulting relevant stakeholders (CHRIS participants, clinical geneticists, ethics board, GPs), we identified key ethical issues in RbG approaches (e.g. complexity of the context, communication of genetic results, measures to further protect participants). The design of the pilot was based on a feasibility assessment, the selection of a suitable test case within the ProtectMove Research Unit on reduced penetrance of hereditary movement disorders, and the development of appropriate recruitment and communication strategies. An empirical study was embedded in the pilot study with the aim of understanding participants’ views on RbG. Our experience with the pilot study in CHRIS allowed us to contribute to the development of best practices and policies for RbG studies by drawing recommendations: addressing the possibility of RbG in the original consent, implementing tailored communication strategies, engaging stakeholders, designing embedded empirical studies, and sharing research experiences and methodology

Whole-body vibration training induces hypertrophy of the human patellar tendon

I Brage finner du siste tekst-versjon av artikkelen, og den kan inneholde ubetydelige forskjeller fra forlagets pdf-versjon. Forlagets pdf-versjon finner du på onlinelibrary.wiley.com / In Brage you'll find the final text version of the article, and it may contain insignificant differences from the journal's pdf version. The definitive version is available at onlinelibrary.wiley.comAnimal studies suggest that regular exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) induces an anabolic response in bone and tendon. However, the effects of this type of intervention on human tendon properties and its influence on the muscle-tendon unit function have never been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of WBV training on the patellar tendon mechanical, material and morphological properties, the quadriceps muscle architecture and the knee extension torque–angle relationship. Fifty-five subjects were randomized into either a vibration, an active control, or an inactive control group. The active control subjects performed isometric squats on a vibration platform without vibration. Muscle and tendon properties were measured using ultrasonography and dynamometry. Vibration training induced an increase in proximal (6.3%) and mean (3.8%) tendon cross-sectional area, without any appreciable change in tendon stiffness and modulus or in muscle architectural parameters. Isometric torque at a knee angle of 90° increased in active controls (6.7%) only and the torque–angle relation remained globally unchanged in all groups. The present protocol did not appreciably alter knee extension torque production or the musculo-tendinous parameters underpinning this function. Nonetheless, this study shows for the first time that WBV elicits tendon hypertrophy in humans.Seksjon for fysisk prestasjonsevne / Department of Physical Performanc

Benchmarking energy consumption and latency for neuromorphic computing in condensed matter and particle physics

The massive use of artificial neural networks (ANNs), increasingly popular in many areas of scientific computing, rapidly increases the energy consumption of modern high-performance computing systems. An appealing and possibly more sustainable alternative is provided by novel neuromorphic paradigms, which directly implement ANNs in hardware. However, little is known about the actual benefits of running ANNs on neuromorphic hardware for use cases in scientific computing. Here we present a methodology for measuring the energy cost and compute time for inference tasks with ANNs on conventional hardware. In addition, we have designed an architecture for these tasks and estimate the same metrics based on a state-of-the-art analog in-memory computing (AIMC) platform, one of the key paradigms in neuromorphic computing. Both methodologies are compared for a use case in quantum many-body physics in two dimensional condensed matter systems and for anomaly detection at 40 MHz rates at the Large Hadron Collider in particle physics. We find that AIMC can achieve up to one order of magnitude shorter computation times than conventional hardware, at an energy cost that is up to three orders of magnitude smaller. This suggests great potential for faster and more sustainable scientific computing with neuromorphic hardware.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, submitted to APL Machine Learnin

Screening for breast cancer : medicalization, visualization and the embodied experience

Women’s perspectives on breast screening (mammography and breast awareness) were explored in interviews with midlife women sampled for diversity of background and health experience. Attending mammography screening was considered a social obligation despite women’s fears and experiences of discomfort. Women gave considerable legitimacy to mammography visualizations of the breast, and the expert interpretation of these. In comparison, women lacked confidence in breast awareness practices, directly comparing their sensory capabilities with those of the mammogram, although mammography screening did not substitute breast awareness in a straightforward way. The authors argue that reliance on visualizing technology may create a fragmented sense of the body, separating the at risk breast from embodied experience

An integrated marine data collection for the German Bight – Part 2: Tides, salinity, and waves (1996–2015)

Marine spatial planning requires reliable data for, e.g., the design of coastal structures, research, or sea level rise adaptation. This task is particularly ambiguous in the German Bight (North Sea, Europe) because a compromise must be found between economic interests and biodiversity since the environmental status is monitored closely by the European Union. For this reason, we have set up an open-access, integrated marine data collection for the period from 1996 to 2015. It provides bathymetry, surface sediments, tidal dynamics, salinity, and waves for the German Bight and is of interest to stakeholders in science, government, and the economy. This part of a two-part publication presents data from numerical hindcast simulations for sea surface elevation, depth-averaged current velocity, bottom shear stress, depth-averaged salinity, wave parameters, and wave spectra. As an improvement to existing data collections, our data represent the variability in the bathymetry by using annually updated model topographies. Moreover, we provide data at a high temporal and spatial resolution (Hagen et al., 2020b); i.e., numerical model results are gridded to 1000 m at 20 min intervals (https://doi.org/10.48437/02.2020.K2.7000.0004). Tidal characteristic values (Hagen et al., 2020a), such as tidal range or ebb current velocity, are computed based on numerical modeling results (https://doi.org/10.48437/02.2020.K2.7000.0003). Therefore, this integrated marine data collection supports the work of coastal stakeholders and scientists, which ranges from developing detailed coastal models to handling complex natural-habitat problems or designing coastal structures.</p

E2/E3-independent ubiquitin-like protein conjugation by Urm1 is directly coupled to cysteine persulfidation.

Post-translational modifications by ubiquitin-like proteins (UBLs) are essential for nearly all cellular processes. Ubiquitin-related modifier 1 (Urm1) is a unique UBL, which plays a key role in tRNA anticodon thiolation as a sulfur carrier protein (SCP) and is linked to the noncanonical E1 enzyme Uba4 (ubiquitin-like protein activator 4). While Urm1 has also been observed to conjugate to target proteins like other UBLs, the molecular mechanism of its attachment remains unknown. Here, we reconstitute the covalent attachment of thiocarboxylated Urm1 to various cellular target proteins in vitro, revealing that, unlike other known UBLs, this process is E2/E3-independent and requires oxidative stress. Furthermore, we present the crystal structures of the peroxiredoxin Ahp1 before and after the covalent attachment of Urm1. Surprisingly, we show that urmylation is accompanied by the transfer of sulfur to cysteine residues in the target proteins, also known as cysteine persulfidation. Our results illustrate the role of the Uba4-Urm1 system as a key evolutionary link between prokaryotic SCPs and the UBL modifications observed in modern eukaryotes