DNA Bank Network – connecting biological collections and sequence databases by longterm DNA storage with online accession

In times of increasing numbers of methods and tools for the molecular identification of organisms, it is inevitable that researchers have to deal with an additional flood of samples: the extracted DNA of organisms which are in the researcher’s focus. Today, voucher specimens – the specimens from which DNA was extracted – have to be placed in adequate biological collections and organisms’ sequence data can officially be deposited in online databases such as Genbank, often a prerequisite for publication of results in peer-reviewed journals. DNA extracts do not underlie such rules, but adequate housing of DNA extracts, especially of rare or difficult to obtain species, will be a major task in the near future. The DNA Bank Network bridges the gap between natural history collections and molecular sequence databases by providing online references to analysed specimens and inferred molecular data. DNA samples are linked to their respective vouchers and inferred molecular data are stored in public sequence databases, facilitating taxonomic verification of molecularly analysed organisms. We provide the opportunity for long-term storage of DNA in the DNA Bank Network, giving other reseachers the opportunity to access DNA for further projects dealing with the same organisms. In this way, multiple sampling can be avoided and there is a direct link between the three main sources of information, i.e. the sampled organism, the DNA, and the sequence data. Here we present the functioning and layout of the DNA Bank Network, which currently connects DNA banks of four research museums in Germany: the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology (ZSM), the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem (BGBM), the German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures Braunschweig (DSMZ), and the Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig (ZMFK). Presently, the DNA Bank Network allows to access DNA samples of more than 35.000 DNA samples and 11.000 taxa

BPMN 2.0 Process Model Serialization Constraints

Correct and standard compliant serializations of BPMN process models are crucial for model exchange between tools, automatic application of academic verification approaches and executability on BPMN engines. The official standard document does not provide an extensive set of all constraints regarding the correctness of model serializations. This technical reports fills this gap by presenting a categorized list of generic, technology independent constraints stated by the standard. Furthermore it is analyzed which rules are already covered when the standardized XSD-based serialization format is used

Revealing the Voices of Resistance: A Q-Methodology Study on Platform Workers in the Gig Economy

While algorithmic management generates several benefits for platform companies, it emanates several issues for workers, which they perceive as threats triggering different forms of resistance behaviors. Although recent studies identify these issues and resistance behaviors, the perspective of the actual subject of resistance, i.e., the gig worker or group of gig workers with resistant behaviors, is yet not well understood. By adopting a Q-methodology mixed-method approach this study tries to identify resistance types of gig workers, explore their characteristics and similarities, and therefore give a voice to the subject of resistance. Based on 21 threats and 14 resistance behaviors, identified in a literature review, we develop a Q-set containing 35 statements, which will be used for data collection with the goal of revealing the richness of the resistance phenomenon in the context of work in the gig economy

Biocompatible Micron-Scale Silk Fibers Fabricated by Microfluidic Wet Spinning

For successful material deployment in tissue engineering, the material itself, its mechanical properties, and the microscopic geometry of the product are of particular interest. While silk is a widely applied protein-based tissue engineering material with strong mechanical properties, the size and shape of artificially spun silk fibers are limited by existing processes. This study adjusts a microfluidic spinneret to manufacture micron-sized wet-spun fibers with three different materials enabling diverse geometries for tissue engineering applications. The spinneret is direct laser written (DLW) inside a microfluidic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip using two-photon lithography, applying a novel surface treatment that enables a tight print-channel sealing. Alginate, polyacrylonitrile, and silk fibers with diameters down to 1 µm are spun, while the spinneret geometry controls the shape of the silk fiber, and the spinning process tailors the mechanical property. Cell-cultivation experiments affirm bio-compatibility and showcase an interplay between the cell-sized fibers and cells. The presented spinning process pushes the boundaries of fiber fabrication toward smaller diameters and more complex shapes with increased surface-to-volume ratio and will substantially contribute to future tailored tissue engineering materials for healthcare applications. © 2021 The Authors. Advanced Healthcare Materials published by Wiley-VCH Gmb