Retinopathy of prematurity – update on screening, treatment, recent studies and long-term outcomes

Retinopathy of prematurity, short ROP, is still one of the leading causes of childhood blindness worldwide. The management of ROP, however, has changed tremendously during the last years. This article summarizes known risk factors for ROP, preventive measures and the updated version of the German recommendations for ROP-screening and treatment. A special focus is laid on new treatment options, in particular anti-VEGF treatment, as well as the post-operative and long-term follow-up after treatment. This article also emphasizes the need for joint data collection on an international level and presents the newly-developed initiative for a European wide data collection (EU-ROP) which will be introduced in 2021. All physicians treating ROP infants are welcome to join the EU-ROP initiative

SoyBase, the USDA-ARS soybean genetics and genomics database

SoyBase, the USDA-ARS soybean genetic database, is a comprehensive repository for professionally curated genetics, genomics and related data resources for soybean. SoyBase contains the most current genetic, physical and genomic sequence maps integrated with qualitative and quantitative traits. The quantitative trait loci (QTL) represent more than 18 years of QTL mapping of more than 90 unique traits. SoyBase also contains the well-annotated ‘Williams 82’ genomic sequence and associated data mining tools. The genetic and sequence views of the soybean chromosomes and the extensive data on traits and phenotypes are extensively interlinked. This allows entry to the database using almost any kind of available information, such as genetic map symbols, soybean gene names or phenotypic traits. SoyBase is the repository for controlled vocabularies for soybean growth, development and trait terms, which are also linked to the more general plant ontologies. SoyBase can be accessed at http://soybase.org

Overview of the Nordic Seas CARINA data and salinity measurements

Water column data of carbon and carbon relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from 188 previously non-publicly available cruises in the Arctic, Atlantic, and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged into a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). The data have been subject to rigorous quality control (QC) in order to ensure highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the parameters included were examined in order to quantify systematic biases in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Significant biases have been corrected for in the data products, i.e. the three merged files with measured, calculated and interpolated values for each of the three CARINA regions; the Arctic Mediterranean Seas (AMS), the Atlantic (ATL) and the Southern Ocean (SO). With the adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP (Key et al., 2004) and is suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation. The Arctic Mediterranean Seas include the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic Seas, and the quality control was carried out separately in these two areas. This contribution provides an overview of the CARINA data from the Nordic Seas and summarises the findings of the QC of the salinity data. One cruise had salinity data that were of questionable quality, and these have been removed from the data product. An evaluation of the consistency of the quality controlled salinity data suggests that they are consistent to at least ±0.005

Near Real Time Data Processing In ICOS RI

This paper describes the implementation of (near) real-time (NRT) data processing in the recently launched European environmental research infrastructure ICOS. NRT applications include handling of raw sensor data (including safe storage and quality control), processing and evaluation of greenhouse gas mixing ratios and exchange fluxes, and the provision of data to the RI’s user communities

Restriction of AID activity and somatic hypermutation by PARP-1

Affinity maturation of the humoral immune response depends on somatic hypermutation (SHM) of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes, which is initiated by targeted lesion introduction by activation-induced deaminase (AID), followed by error-prone DNA repair. Stringent regulation of this process is essential to prevent genetic instability, but no negative feedback control has been identified to date. Here we show that poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a key factor restricting AID activity during somatic hypermutation. Poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) chains formed at DNA breaks trigger AID-PAR association, thus preventing excessive DNA damage induction at sites of AID action. Accordingly, AID activity and somatic hypermutation at the Ig variable region is decreased by PARP-1 activity. In addition, PARP-1 regulates DNA lesion processing by affecting strand biased A:T mutagenesis. Our study establishes a novel function of the ancestral genome maintenance factor PARP-1 as a critical local feedback regulator of both AID activity and DNA repair during Ig gene diversification

Compton scattering on the nucleon at intermediate energies and polarizabilities in a microscopic model

A microscopic calculation of Compton scattering on the nucleon is presented which encompasses the lowest energies -- yielding nucleon polarizabilities -- and extends to energies of the order of 600 MeV. We have used the covariant "Dressed K-Matrix Model" obeying the symmetry properties which are appropriate in the different energy regimes. In particular, crossing symmetry, gauge invariance and unitarity are satisfied. The extent of violation of analyticity (causality) is used as an expansion parameter.Comment: 35 pages, 15 figures, using REVTeX. Modified version to be published in Phys. Rev. C, more extensive comparison with data for Compton scattering, all results unchange

Photon- and meson-induced reactions on the nucleon

In an unitary effective Lagrangian model we develop a unified description of both meson scattering and photon-induced reactions on the nucleon. Adding the photon to an already existing model for meson-nucleon scattering yields both Compton and meson photoproduction amplitudes. In a simultaneous fit to all available data involving the final states $\gamma N$, $\pi N$, $\pi\pi N$, $\eta N$ and $K \Lambda$ the parameters of the nucleon resonances are extracted.Comment: 57 pages, 14 figures, LaTex (uses Revtex and graphicx). Submitted to Phys. Rev. C. References updated, Fig. 14 change

The Self-Administered Witness Interview Tool (SAW-IT): Enhancing witness recall of workplace incidents

Given the often crucial role of witness evidence in Occupational Health and Safety investigation, statements should be obtained as soon as possible after an incident using best practice methods. The present research systematically tested the efficacy of a novel Self-Administered Witness Interview Tool (SAW-IT); an adapted version of the Self-Administered Interview (SAI©) designed to elicit comprehensive information from witnesses to industrial events. The present study also examined whether completing the SAW-IT mitigated the effect of schematic processing on witness recall. Results indicate that the SAW-IT elicited significantly more correct details, as well as more precise information than a traditional incident report form. Neither the traditional report from, nor the SAW-IT mitigated against biasing effects of contextual information about a worker’s safety history, confirming that witnesses should be shielded from extraneous post-event information prior to reporting. Importantly, these results demonstrate that the SAW-IT can enhance the quality of witness reports