Distributed regression modeling for selecting markers under data protection constraints

Data protection constraints frequently require a distributed analysis of data, i.e., individual-level data remains at many different sites, but analysis nevertheless has to be performed jointly. The corresponding aggregated data is often exchanged manually, requiring explicit permission before transfer, i.e., the number of data calls and the amount of data should be limited. Thus, only simple aggregated summary statistics are typically transferred with just a single call. This does not allow for more complex tasks such as variable selection. As an alternative, we propose a multivariable regression approach for identifying important markers by automatic variable selection based on aggregated data from different locations in iterative calls. To minimize the amount of transferred data and the number of calls, we also provide a heuristic variant of the approach. When performing a global data standardization, the proposed methods yields the same results as when pooling individual-level data. In a simulation study, the information loss introduced by a local standardization is seen to be minimal. In a typical scenario, the heuristic decreases the number of data calls from more than 10 to 3, rendering manual data releases feasible. To make our approach widely available for application, we provide an implementation on top of the DataSHIELD framework

As práticas agroecológicas no município de Paraíso do Sul, RS : o caso do Grupo Agroecológico Flor e Ser

A agroecologia é um tema relevante na sociedade atual, pois, é cada vez maior o número de enfermidades relacionadas à utilização de agrotóxicos. Torna-se necessário rever a questão da produção agrícola, para que seja um modelo sustentável tanto para quem vive no campo quanto na cidade. No esteio desse debate o grupo Flor e Ser Agroecológico do município de Paraíso do Sul no Rio Grande do Sul desenvolve no seu território a agroecologia onde todos participam ativamente de todas as decisões, e pensa a agroecologia como um modo de vida. O objetivo deste trabalho foi conhecer a realidade do território de ação do grupo Flor e Ser Agroecológico, com visitas às propriedades para conhecer como os membros do grupo trabalham e sua visão sobre a agroecologia. Outro momento de desenvolvimento do trabalho foi uma visita ao Feirão Colonial em Santa Maria cidade próxima de Paraíso do Sul que também compreende o território de ação do Grupo Flor e SER, nessa visita foi o momento de conhecer como o grupo comercializa seus produtos e como a CSA que foi desenvolvida para ampliar a área de territorialização. O desenvolvimento da pesquisa foi baseado em uma pesquisa bibliográfica como um suporte teórico ao tema trabalhado, é o embasamento necessário para compreender como a agroecologia é mais que uma forma de manejo da terra e sim um modo de vida sustentável. Esse trabalho mostrou que o grupo Flor e Ser Agroecológico faz a intervenção no território, tanto no município de Paraíso do Sul quanto no município de Santa Maria e está mudando a realidade desses lugares, ainda existem muitos desafios a serem superados, mas com certeza está gerando impactos positivos e desenvolvendo uma ideia de propriedade sustentável.Agroecology is a very relevant topic in today's society, since the number of diseases related to the use of agrochemicals is increasing. It is necessary to review the question of agricultural production, so that it becomes a sustainable model both for those who live in the countryside and in the city. In the wake of this debate, the group Flor e Ser Agroecológico from Paraíso do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, develops agroecology in its territory, where everyone actively participates in all decisions, and thinks of agroecology as a way of life. The objective of this work was to get to know the reality of the territory of action of the group Flor e Ser Agroecológico, with visits to the properties to learn how the members of the group work and their vision of agroecology. Another moment of the work's development was a visit to the Feirão Colonial in Santa Maria, a city close to Paraíso do Sul, which also comprises the territory of action of the Flor e Ser group. This visit was the moment to get to know how the group commercializes its products and the CSA that was developed to expand the territorialization area. The development of the research was based on a bibliographic research as a theoretical support to the theme worked, it is the necessary foundation to understand how agroecology is more than a form of land management but a sustainable way of life. This work showed that the group Flor e Ser Agroecológico is intervening in the territory, both in the municipality of Paraíso do Sul and in the municipality of Santa Maria and is changing the reality of these places, there are still many challenges to be overcome, but it is certainly generating positive impacts and developing an idea of sustainable property

Anisotropic Strain Induced Soliton Movement Changes Stacking Order and Bandstructure of Graphene Multilayers

The crystal structure of solid-state matter greatly affects its electronic properties. For example in multilayer graphene, precise knowledge of the lateral layer arrangement is crucial, since the most stable configurations, Bernal and rhombohedral stacking, exhibit very different electronic properties. Nevertheless, both stacking orders can coexist within one flake, separated by a strain soliton that can host topologically protected states. Clearly, accessing the transport properties of the two stackings and the soliton is of high interest. However, the stacking orders can transform into one another and therefore, the seemingly trivial question how reliable electrical contact can be made to either stacking order can a priori not be answered easily. Here, we show that manufacturing metal contacts to multilayer graphene can move solitons by several $\mu$m, unidirectionally enlarging Bernal domains due to arising mechanical strain. Furthermore, we also find that during dry transfer of multilayer graphene onto hexagonal Boron Nitride, such a transformation can happen. Using density functional theory modeling, we corroborate that anisotropic deformations of the multilayer graphene lattice decrease the rhombohedral stacking stability. Finally, we have devised systematics to avoid soliton movement, and how to reliably realize contacts to both stacking configurations

Internal consulting in people management: an experience carried in a federal university hospital

O objetivo deste relato é compartilhar uma experiência sobre a prática de Consultoria Interna em Gestão de Pessoas, realizada no Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, desde sua implantação até os desafios da implementação ao longo de mais de uma década. A função da consultoria é facilitar processos, desenvolver lideranças e equipes. O consultor interno realiza o diagnóstico das áreas clientes, assessora lideranças na tomada de decisões, divulga e implementa políticas e estratégias de Gestão de Pessoas. As análises e intervenções derivam da escuta de lideranças e equipes e dirigem-se à promoção do protagonismo dos sujeitos, convocando-os à análise do trabalho e à corresponsabilização pela construção de soluções. Métodos: trata-se de um relato de experiência sobre o trabalho de consultoria interna em gestão de pessoas de um hospital público e universitário. O relato é escrito a partir da síntese realizada por duas profissionais e pela chefia da equipe (autoras), considerando as experiências vivenciadas, a realização de entrevista com a coordenadora de Gestão de Pessoas e, ainda, a consulta aos relatórios anuais da Coordenadoria de Gestão de Pessoas da instituição. Análise da experiência e considerações finais: a experiência da consultoria permite uma maior aproximação com as áreas clientes e o incentivo à gestão participativa. Os feedbacks das áreas clientes indicam qualificação da comunicação e trocas mais efetivas com a Coordenadoria de Gestão de Pessoas, contribuindo para o alinhamento das Políticas de Gestão de Pessoas às necessidades das áreas e da Instituição.The objective of this report is to share an experience about the practice of Internal Consultancy in People Management, held at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, from its implantation to the challenges of implementation over a decade. The function of consulting is to facilitate processes, develop leadership and teams. The internal consultant conducts the diagnosis of the client areas, advises leaders in decision making, discloses and implements policies and strategies of People Management. The analyzes and interventions derive from listening to leaders and teams and are directed to the promotion of the protagonism of the subjects, stimulating them to make context and work analysis and the co-responsibility for the construction of solutions. Methods: This is an experience report about the internal consultancy work in people management carried at public and university hospital. The report is written based on the synthesis carried out by two professionals and team leader (authors), considering the experiences lived, an interview with the Coordinator of People Management, as well as the consultation of the annual reports of the Coordination of People Management of the institution. Analysis of the experience and final considerations: the experience of the consultancy allows an approximation with the client areas and the incentive to participatory management. Customer feedback indicates more qualified communication and more effective exchanges with the People Management Coordination, contributing to the alignment of People Management Policies with the needs of the areas and the Institution

Stellungnahme zum Klimaschutzaktionsplan im Entwurf von 09/2016: Ausschöpfung der Möglichkeiten der THG-Reduktion durch emissionsarme, effiziente Bioenergiebereitstellung

Der Klimaschutzaktionsplan stellt ein ambitioniertes Leitbild zur Erreichung der Klimaschutzziele von Paris dar. Er zeigt deutlich, dass diese Ziele nur durch Ausnutzung aller Optionen erreichbar sind. Gleichzeitig ist nach 20 Jahren intensiver Anstrengungen zur Dekarbonisierung des Energiesektors dieser immer noch der größte Klimagasemittent – und damit sind die Anstrengungen in diesem Bereich auch künftig von besonderer Bedeutung. Biomasse ist der derzeit am meisten genutzte erneuerbare Energieträger. Er wird zur Strom-, Wärme und Kraftstoffbereitstellung eingesetzt und sparte durch die Substitution fossiler Energieträger ca. 60 Mio. Tonnen CO2-Äquivalent im Jahr 2015 (AGEE Stat 2016, siehe angehängte Tabelle). Die Chancen einer umfassenden Klimagasreduktion werden jedoch im Klimaschutzaktionsprogramm nur unzureichend dargestellt. Diese Möglichkeiten der Klimagaseinsparung durch Bioenergie umfassen einerseits die energetische Nutzung bisher unerschlossener Biomassepotenziale sowie andererseits die effiziente, emissionsarme und integrierte Weiterentwicklung der gegenwärtigen Biomassenutzung. Beide Aspekte werden nachfolgend aufgezeigt

3. Safety Assessment of SIN LVs Harboring Chromatin Insulators in the Sensitive Cdkn2a-/- In Vivo Genotoxicity Assay Show Enhancer-Blocking Activity of Specific Insulator Sequences

Chromatin insulators (CI) have been proposed as safety features to increase the safety of self-inactivating (SIN) lentiviral vectors (LV) for gene therapy applications.By taking advantage of an in vivo genotoxicity assay based on the systemic injection of LVs in newborn tumor-prone Cdkn2a-/- mice we were able to measure vector-induced genotoxicity as an accelerated tumor onset that was proportional to the genotoxic potential of the tested LV. Importantly, we took advantage of integration sites (IS) analysis to qualitatively characterize CI that were shown by other in vitro and ex vivo studies to function as insulators. Recently we showed for the first time that a CAAT-box binding Nuclear factor 1 (CTF/NF1)-based CI, when cloned in the LTRs of a SIN.LV with a strong SFFV enhancer-promoter in internal position, significantly reduced the frequency of tumors harboring integrations activating Map3k8 oncogene accompanied by a marked skewing towards tumors harboring inactivating insertions targeting Pten.Here by using this stringent in vivo genotoxicity assay and IS analysis in tumors we expanded our studies towards other CI sequences whose function is regulated by the binding of the CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF), the best characterized insulator protein in vertebrates.Each CTCF-based insulating cassette was cloned in the LTRs of a LV construct containing the SFFV promoter in internal position (CTCF.SIN.LVs) and injected in Cdkn2a-/- mice. Interestingly, mice treated with some of the CTCF.SIN.LVs tested displayed an increased median survival time (ranging from 193.5 to 214 days) compared to mice treated with the uninsulated parental SIN.LV (186 days). Importantly, our preliminary IS analysis in tumors (881 IS) showed that two CTCF.SIN.LVs did not target Map3k8 oncogene while Pten was often disrupted by exonic insertions, an escape genotoxicity mechanism on which CI cannot act.These data confirm that the inclusion of two novel CTCF-based CIs of human origin completely abrogated the formation of tumors caused by enhancer-mediated activation of an oncogene in vivo.The ability of these two new insulator elements to block the crosstalk between powerful vector enhancers and cellular regulatory elements increase the safety of SIN LVs and justify their prompt adoption in future gene therapy applications

The Casimir Effect on the Light-Cone

The Casimir effect is investigated in light-cone quantization. It is shown that for spacelike separation of the walls enclosing the system the standard result for the pressure exerted on the walls is obtained. For walls separated in light-cone space direction no regularization of the quantum fluctuations exists which would yield a finite pressure. The origin of this failure and its implications for other vacuum properties are discussed by analyzing the Casimir effect as seen from a moving observer approaching the speed of light. The possibility for calculation of thermodynamic quantities in light-cone quantization via the Casimir effect is pointed out