Evaluation of Mobile Phones for Large Display Interaction

Large displays have become more and more common in the last few years. While interaction with these displays can be conducted using standard methods such as computer mouse and keyboard, this approach causes issues in multi-user environments, where the various conditions for providing multiple keyboards and mice, together with the facilities to employ them, cannot be met. To solve this problem, interaction using mobile phones was proposed by several authors. Previous solutions were specialized interaction metaphors only for certain applications. To gain more insight into general interaction patterns realizable with smart phones, we created a set of general test cases using a well-known taxonomy for interactions. These test cases were then evaluated in a user study, comparing smart phone usage against the traditional keyboard/mouse-combination. Results (time and user satisfaction) show strengths and weaknesses when using the new interaction with the smart phone. With further evaluations we draw conclusions on how to improve large display interaction using smart phones in general

A comparative analysis of the morphology of the cornea in domestic animals

Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, mittels Licht- und Rasterelektronenmikroskopie sowie immunhistochemischen Methoden, die Morphologie der Hornhaut im tierartlichen Vergleich an Hand unserer Haussäugetiere detailliert zu beschreiben. Für die Untersuchungen wurden die Hornhäute von 28 Schweinen, 11 Rindern, 2 Ziegen, 6 Pferden, 4 Hunden und 5 Katzen verwendet. Speziesspezifische Besonderheiten wurden bildlich dokumentiert und zur Verdeutlichung tabellarisch dargestellt. Die Hornhaut unserer Haussäugetiere baut sich aus dem Hornhautepithel, dem Stroma, der Descemetschen Membran und dem Hornhautendothel auf. Eine Bowmansche Membran konnte nicht dargestellt werden. Die Fleischfresser besitzen verglichen mit den Huftieren eine deutlich dünnere Hornhaut. Insbesondere das dreischichtige Epithel (Stratum basale, Stratum intermedium und Stratum superficiale) besteht bei den Fleischfressern aus einer kleineren Anzahl an Zelllagen. Die Cytokeratine 1, 2 und 3, als Bestandteile des Zytoskeletts, konnten immunhistochemisch bei allen untersuchten Tierarten, insbesondere im Stratum superficiale des Hornhautepithels, nachgewiesen werden. Das vom Zentrum aus an Höhe abnehmende Hornhautepithel lässt unter dem Rasterelektronenmikroskop auf der Oberfläche der polygonalen Epithelzellen feine Membranausstülpungen erkennen, die sich beim Fleischfresser in Form von kurzen Microvilli darstellen. Das Pferd, Rind und Schwein weisen längere Microplicae auf, die bei der Ziege einzelne ringförmige Kringel bilden. Eine beim Pferd und bei den Wiederkäuern auch epithelial zu findende Pigmentierung, lässt sich im Stroma tierartenübergreifend im Bereich des Limbus erkennen. Mit Ausnahme des anterioren Bereichs weisen die im Stroma liegenden Keratozyten einen geordneten, parallelen Verlauf auf. Tierartliche Unterschiede liegen in der Ausbildung der Descemetschen Membran vor. Das Pferd besitzt die dickste Descemetsche Membran, wohingegen das Schwein die am schwächsten ausgebildete Membran vorweist. Endothelial produziertes Kollagen Typ VIII bildet einen Bestandteil der hexagonalen Gitterstruktur der Descemetschen Membran, wodurch die Elastizität der Hornhaut möglicherweise mitbestimmt wird. Der Nachweis von Elastin ist hingegen im Hornhautgewebe negativ verlaufen. Das einschichtige Hornhautendothel besteht aus Zellen von hexagonaler Form. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Endothelzellen das Membranprotein AQP1 enthalten, das auch in den Keratozyten in tierartlicher Variation exprimiert wird. Hingegen kann das AQP5 ausschließlich im Hornhautepithel identifiziert werden. Durch APQ1 und APQ5 wird der für die Transparenz der Hornhaut wichtige relative Dehydratationszustand aufrecht erhalten. Mit Claudin-1 konnte im Hornhautepithel und -endothel ein tight junctions-bildendes Zellverbindungsprotein markiert werden. Mit Antikörpern gegen p63 sowie PCNA und PHH3 wurde untersucht, wie sich die Hornhaut erneuert. Die Ergebnisse machen deutlich, dass eine Zellerneuerung überwiegend epithelial stattfindet. Limbal befindet sich bei allen untersuchten Tierarten im Stratum basale ein Stammzellreservoir, das bei den Fleischfressern entlang des Hornhautepithels durch einzelne p63-positive Zellen ergänzt wird. Die mittels PCNA und PHH3 dargestellten mitotischen Zellen sind ebenfalls im Stratum basale lokalisiert.The goal of this study was to describe and compare the detailed morphology of the cornea in domestic animals using light and scanning electron microscopy as well as immunohistochemistry. Therefore corneas of 28 pigs, 11 cows, 2 goats, 6 horses, 4 dogs and 5 cats have been analyzed. Species-specific features have been illustrated and tabulated for clarification. The cornea of the domestic animals is composed of the corneal epithelium, the stroma, the Descemet´s membrane and the corneal endothelium. A Bowman´s layer was not detectable. The carnivores show the thinest cornea compared to the ungulate. In particular the three-layered epithelium (stratum basale, stratum intermedium and stratum superficiale) consists of a smaller number of cell deposits in carnivores. As a part of the cytoskeleton the cytokeratins 1, 2 and 3 could be demonstrated immunohistochemical in all probed species, especially in the stratum superficiale of the corneal epithelium. Decreasing from the center of the cornea, the corneal epithelium reveals by scanning electron microscopy surface projections on the polygonal epithelial cells which represent short microvilli in carnivores. In horse, cow and pig longer microplicae are visible creating ring-shaped crinkles in goats. An epithelial provided pigmentation in horse and ruminants is also recognizable in the limbal stroma in all species examined in that present study. Except of the anterior part the keratocytes are arranged regular and parallel within the stroma. There is a species-specific discrepancy in formation of the Descemet´s membrane. Exhibiting the thickest Descemet´s membrane in horse, the poorest membrane is developed in pig. The endothelial produced collagen VIII, shown as a component of the Descemet´s membrane´s hexagonal lattice, is potentially associated with cornea´s elasticity. However the detection of elastin in corneal tissue has been negative. The corneal monolayer endothelium consists of hexagonal-shaped cells. Furthermore corneal endothelium could be shown to contain AQP1 which is also present in keratocytes in a species-specific manner. In contrast AQP5 has been detected exclusively in the corneal epithelium. With the help of AQP1 and AQP5 the transparency giving state of relative stromal dehydration is sustainable. In the corneal epithelium and endothelium tight-junction-specific integral membrane protein claudin-1 was detectable. To investigate the corneal regeneration antibodies against p63 as well as against PCNA and PHH3 have been used. The results point out a predominant epithelial occurrence of cellular proliferation in the cornea. A stem cell compartment resides in the limbal stratum basale which is supplemented in carnivores by single p63-positive cells along the corneal epithelium. Mitotic cells labeled by PCNA and PHH3 are localized in the stratum basale as well

Cell-Type-Specific Differences in KDEL Receptor Clustering in Mammalian Cells

In eukaryotic cells, KDEL receptors (KDELRs) facilitate the retrieval of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) luminal proteins from the Golgi compartment back to the ER. Apart from the well-documented retention function, recent findings reveal that the cellular KDELRs have more complex roles, e.g. in cell signalling, protein secretion, cell adhesion and tumorigenesis. Furthermore, several studies suggest that a sub-population of KDELRs is located at the cell surface, where they could form and internalize KDELR/cargo clusters after K/HDEL-ligand binding. However, so far it has been unclear whether there are cell-type- or species-specific differences in KDELR clustering. By comparing ligand-induced KDELR clustering in different mouse and human cell lines via live cell imaging, we show that macrophage cell lines from both species do not develop any clusters. Using RT-qPCR experiments and numerical analysis, we address the role of KDELR expression as well as endocytosis and exocytosis rates on the receptor clustering at the plasma membrane and discuss how the efficiency of directed transport to preferred docking sites on the membrane influences the exponent of the power-law distribution of the cluster size.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 2 table

Effects of cold winters and roost site stability on population development of non-native Asian ring-necked parakeets (Alexandrinus manillensis) in temperate Central Europe – Results of a 16-year census

Asian ring-necked parakeets (Alexandrinus manillensis, formerly Psittacula krameri, hereafter RNP) first bred in Germany in 1969. Since then, RNP numbers increased in all three major German subpopulations (Rhineland, Rhine-Main, Rhine-Neckar) over the period 2003–2018. In the Rhine-Neckar region, the population increased to more than fivefold within only 15 years. Interestingly, there was no significant breeding range expansion of  RNP in the period 2010–2018. In 2018, the total number of RNP in Germany amounted to >16,200 birds. Differences in RNP censuses between years were evident. Surprisingly, cold winters (extreme value, −13.7 °C) and cold weather conditions in the breeding season (coldest month average, −1.36 °C) were not able to explain between-year variation. This finding suggests that in general winter mortality is low – with exceptions for winters 2008/2009 and 2009/2010, and a population-relevant loss of broods is low in our study population. Surprisingly, the social behaviour in terms of spatio-temporal stability of roost sites could well explain positive and negative population trends. Years of spatially stable and regularly used roost sites seem to correlate with increasing population sizes. In contrast, known shifts of RNP among different roost sites or the formations of new roost sites by split are related to population stagnation or a decrease in numbers. Climate change may lead to further range expansion as cities not suitable yet for RNP may become so in the near future.

The Novel Human Influenza A(H7N9) Virus Is Naturally Adapted to Efficient Growth in Human Lung Tissue

A novel influenza A virus (IAV) of the H7N9 subtype has been isolated from severely diseased patients with pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome and, apparently, from healthy poultry in March 2013 in Eastern China. We evaluated replication, tropism, and cytokine induction of the A/Anhui/1/2013 (H7N9) virus isolated from a fatal human infection and two low-pathogenic avian H7 subtype viruses in a human lung organ culture system mimicking infection of the lower respiratory tract. The A(H7N9) patient isolate replicated similarly well as a seasonal IAV in explanted human lung tissue, whereas avian H7 subtype viruses propagated poorly. Interestingly, the avian H7 strains provoked a strong antiviral type I interferon (IFN-I) response, whereas the A(H7N9) virus induced only low IFN levels. Nevertheless, all viruses analyzed were detected predominantly in type II pneumocytes, indicating that the A(H7N9) virus does not differ in its cellular tropism from other avian or human influenza viruses. Tissue culture-based studies suggested that the low induction of the IFN-β promoter correlated with an efficient suppression by the viral NS1 protein. These findings demonstrate that the zoonotic A(H7N9) virus is unusually well adapted to efficient propagation in human alveolar tissue, which most likely contributes to the severity of lower respiratory tract disease seen in many patients

Corticotropin-stimulated steroid profiles to predict shock development and mortality in sepsis: From the HYPRESS study

Rationale Steroid profiles in combination with a corticotropin stimulation test provide information about steroidogenesis and its functional reserves in critically ill patients. Objectives We investigated whether steroid profiles before and after corticotropin stimulation can predict the risk of in-hospital death in sepsis. Methods An exploratory data analysis of a double blind, randomized trial in sepsis (HYPRESS [HYdrocortisone for PRevention of Septic Shock]) was performed. The trial included adult patients with sepsis who were not in shock and were randomly assigned to placebo or hydrocortisone treatment. Corticotropin tests were performed in patients prior to randomization and in healthy subjects. Cortisol and precursors of glucocorticoids (17-OH-progesterone, 11-desoxycortisol) and mineralocorticoids (11-desoxycorticosterone, corticosterone) were analyzed using the multi-analyte stable isotope dilution method (LC–MS/MS). Measurement results from healthy subjects were used to determine reference ranges, and those from placebo patients to predict in-hospital mortality. Measurements and main results Corticotropin tests from 180 patients and 20 volunteers were included. Compared to healthy subjects, patients with sepsis had elevated levels of 11-desoxycorticosterone and 11-desoxycortisol, consistent with activation of both glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid pathways. After stimulation with corticotropin, the cortisol response was subnormal in 12% and the corticosterone response in 50% of sepsis patients. In placebo patients (n = 90), a corticotropin-stimulated cortisol-to-corticosterone ratio > 32.2 predicted in-hospital mortality (AUC 0.8 CI 0.70–0.88; sensitivity 83%; and specificity 78%). This ratio also predicted risk of shock development and 90-day mortality. Conclusions In this exploratory analysis, we found that in sepsis mineralocorticoid steroidogenesis was more frequently impaired than glucocorticoid steroidogenesis. The corticotropin-stimulated cortisol-to-corticosterone ratio predicts the risk of in-hospital death. Trial registration Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00670254. Registered 1 May 2008, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00670254

Complications and Short-Term Explantation Rate Following Artificial Urinary Sphincter Implantation: Results from a Large Middle European Multi-Institutional Case Series

Background/Aims/Objectives: To analyze perioperative complication and short-term explantation rates after perineal or penoscrotal single-cuff and double-cuff artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) implantation in a large middle European multi-institutional patient cohort. Methods: 467 male patients with stress urinary incontinence underwent implantation of a perineal single-cuff (n = 152), penoscrotal single-cuff (n = 99), or perinea! double-cuff (n = 216) AUS between 2010 and 2012. Postoperative complications and 6-month explantation rates were assessed. For statistical analysis, Fisher's exact test and Kruskal Wallis rank sum test, and a multiple logistic regression model were used (p < 0.05). Results: Compared to perineal single-cuff AUS, penoscrotal single-cuff implantation led to significantly increased short-term explantation rates (8.6% (perinea)) vs. 19.2% (penoscrotal), p = 0.019). The postoperative infection rate was significantly higher after double-cuff compared to single cuff implantation (6.0% (single-cuff) vs. 13.9% (double-cuff), p = 0.019). The short-term explantation rate after primary double-cuff placement was 6.5% (p = 0.543 vs. perineal single -cuff). In multivariate analysis, the penoscrotal approach (p = 0.004), intraoperative complications (p = 0.005), postoperative bleeding (p = 0.011), and perioperative infection (p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for short-term explantation. Conclusions: Providing data from a large contemporary multi-institutional patient cohortfrom high-volume and low-volume institutions, our results reflect the current standard of care in middle Europe. We indicate that the penoscrotal approach is an independent risk factor for increased short-term explantation rates. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Base

Recognition of microbial viability via TLR8 drives TFH cell differentiation and vaccine responses

Live attenuated vaccines are generally highly efficacious and often superior to inactivated vaccines, yet the underlying mechanisms of this remain largely unclear. Here we identify recognition of microbial viability as a potent stimulus for follicular helper T cell (TFH cell) differentiation and vaccine responses. Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) distinguished viable bacteria from dead bacteria through Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8)-dependent detection of bacterial RNA. In contrast to dead bacteria and other TLR ligands, live bacteria, bacterial RNA and synthetic TLR8 agonists induced a specific cytokine profile in human and porcine APCs, thereby promoting TFH cell differentiation. In domestic pigs, immunization with a live bacterial vaccine induced robust TFH cell and antibody responses, but immunization with its heat-killed counterpart did not. Finally, a hypermorphic TLR8 polymorphism was associated with protective immunity elicited by vaccination with bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in a human cohort. We have thus identified TLR8 as an important driver of TFH cell differentiation and a promising target for TFH cell–skewing vaccine adjuvants

Human alveolar progenitors generate dual lineage bronchioalveolar organoids

Mechanisms of epithelial renewal in the alveolar compartment remain incompletely understood. To this end, we aimed to characterize alveolar progenitors. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of the HTII-280+/EpCAM+ population from adult human lung revealed subclusters enriched for adult stem cell signature (ASCS) genes. We found that alveolar progenitors in organoid culture in vitro show phenotypic lineage plasticity as they can yield alveolar or bronchial cell-type progeny. The direction of the differentiation is dependent on the presence of the GSK-3β inhibitor, CHIR99021. By RNA-seq profiling of GSK-3β knockdown organoids we identified additional candidate target genes of the inhibitor, among others FOXM1 and EGF. This gives evidence of Wnt pathway independent regulatory mechanisms of alveolar specification. Following influenza A virus (IAV) infection organoids showed a similar response as lung tissue explants which confirms their suitability for studies of sequelae of pathogen-host interaction