Comparison of the empirical bayes and the significance analysis of microarrays

Microarrays enable to measure the expression levels of tens of thousands of genes simultaneously. One important statistical question in such experiments is which of the several thousand genes are differentially expressed. Answering this question requires methods that can deal with multiple testing problems. One such approach is the control of the False Discovery Rate (FDR). Two recently developed methods for the identification of differentially expressed genes and the estimation of the FDR are the SAM (Significance Analysis of Microarrays) procedure and an empirical Bayes approach. In the two group case, both methods are based on a modified version of the standard t-statistic. However, it is also possible to use the Wilcoxon rank sum statistic. While there already exists a version of the empirical Bayes approach based on this rank statistic, we introduce in this paper a new version of SAM based on Wilcoxon rank sums. We furthermore compare these four procedures by applying them to simulated and real gene expression data. --Identification of differentially expressed genes,Gene expression,Multiple Testing,False Discovery Rate

Wood polymer composites and their contribution to cascading utilisation

Due to a shortage of resources and a growing competition of land use, sustainable and efficient resource utilisation becomes increasingly important. The application and multiple, cascading utilisation of renewable resources is aimed at to ensure an allocation and future availability of resources. Wood polymer composites (WPCs) are a group of innovative materials consisting of mainly renewable resources. By means of summarizing recent research, it is shown how WPC can potentially contribute to an enhanced cascading utilisation. For the production of WPC, waste materials and by-products from wood and agricultural industry, e.g. offcuts, sawdust, residues from board manufacturing, pulping sludge, can serve as a raw material. Furthermore, the cited literature presents the use of recycled polymers and biopolymers as a potential alternative for the polymer component of WPC. By using biodegradable polymers, a fully biodegradable composite can be formed. In addition to using recycled materials and potentially being biodegradable, it is pointed out that WPC furthermore offers the possibility of being recycled itself, therefore being considered as a “green composite”. Although the influence of contaminated waste streams and mixed filler and polymer types on the properties of WPC made with such recyclates is yet not fully understood and no collection systems exist for post-consumer WPC, in-house recycling on the production sites is identified as a promising option as it reduces production costs and enhances resource efficiency and cascading utilisation. On the basis of cited life cycle assessments, the eco friendliness of WPC is assessed resulting in the conclusion that WPC cannot compete with solid wood with respect to environmental impact but is an environmentally friendly alternative to neat plastics in several applications

Comparison of the Empirical Bayes and the Significance Analysis of Microarrays

Microarrays enable to measure the expression levels of tens of thousands of genes simultaneously. One important statistical question in such experiments is which of the several thousand genes are differentially expressed. Answering this question requires methods that can deal with multiple testing problems. One such approach is the control of the False Discovery Rate (FDR). Two recently developed methods for the identification of differentially expressed genes and the estimation of the FDR are the SAM (Significance Analysis of Microarrays) procedure and an empirical Bayes approach. In the two group case, both methods are based on a modified version of the standard t-statistic. However, it is also possible to use the Wilcoxon rank sum statistic. While there already exists a version of the empirical Bayes approach based on this rank statistic, we introduce in this paper a new version of SAM based on Wilcoxon rank sums. We furthermore compare these four procedures by applying them to simulated and real gene expression data

Improved resource efficiency and cascading utilisation of renewable materials

In light of various environmental problems and challenges concerning resource allocation, the utilisation of renewable resources is increasingly important for the efficient use of raw materials. Therefore, cascading utilisation (i.e., the multiple material utilisations of renewable resources prior to their conversion into energy) and approaches that aim to further increase resource efficiency (e.g., the utilisation of by-products) can be considered guiding principles. This paper therefore introduces the Special Volume “Improved Resource Efficiency and Cascading Utilisation of Renewable Materials”. Because both research aspects, resource efficiency and cascading utilisation, belong to several disciplines, the Special Volume adopts an interdisciplinary perspective and presents 16 articles, which can be divided into four subjects: Innovative Materials based on Renewable Resources and their Impact on Sustainability and Resource Efficiency, Quantitative Models for the Integrated Optimisation of Production and Distribution in Networks for Renewable Resources, Information Technology-based Collaboration in Value Generating Networks for Renewable Resources, and Consumer Behaviour towards Eco-friendly Products. The interdisciplinary perspective allows a comprehensive overview of current research on resource efficiency, which is supplemented with 15 book reviews showing the extent to which textbooks of selected disciplines already refer to resource efficiency. This introductory article highlights the relevance of the four subjects, presents summaries of all papers, and discusses future research directions. The overall contribution of the Special Volume is that it bridges the resource efficiency research of selected disciplines and that it presents several approaches for more environmentally sound production and consumption

Effect of treatments with 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxy-ethyleneurea (DMDHEU) on the tensile properties of wood

The thin-veneer strip technique was applied to investigate the modifying effects of 1,3-dimethylol-4,5-dihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) on the tensile strength of wood. Pinewood veneers treated with solutions of DMDHEU alone and in combination with magnesium chloride (MgCl2) as a catalyst showed considerable strength losses of up to 50% in zero-span and up to 70% in finite-span testing modes. The higher strength losses in the latter case are due to hemicellulose degradation, which cannot be assessed in zero-span testing. Strength loss observed after treatment with DMDHEU and MgCl2 was approximately as high as the sum of the strength losses determined after individual treatments with MgCl2 or DMDHEU. Micrographs of veneers after finite-span testing revealed that catalysed DMDHEU treatment changed the predominant failure mode from interfibre fracture (in controls) to intrafibre fracture. The mechanism of strength loss resulting from treatment with DMDHEU is discusse

Minimum income support systems as elements of crisis resilience in Europe: Final Report

Mindestsicherungssysteme dienen in den meisten entwickelten Wohlfahrtsstaaten als Sicherheitsnetz letzter Instanz. Dementsprechend spielen sie gerade in wirtschaftlichen Krisenzeiten eine besondere Rolle. Inwieweit Mindestsicherungssysteme in Zeiten der Krise beansprucht werden, hängt auch von der Ausprägung vorgelagerter Sozialschutzsysteme ab. Diese Studie untersucht die Bedeutung von Systemen der Mindestsicherung sowie vorgelagerter Systeme wie Arbeitslosenversicherung, Kurzarbeit und arbeitsrechtlichem Bestandsschutz für die Krisenfestigkeit in Europa. Im Kontext der Finanzkrise von 2008/2009 und der Corona-Krise wird die Fähigkeit sozialpolitischer Maßnahmen untersucht, Armut und Einkommens­verluste einzudämmen und gesellschaftliche Ausgrenzung zu vermeiden. Die Studie setzt dabei auf quantitative und qualitative Methoden, etwa multivariate Analysen, Mikrosimulationsmethoden sowie eingehende Fallstudien der Länder Dänemark, Frankreich, Irland, Polen und Spanien, die für unterschiedliche Typen von Wohlfahrtsstaaten stehen.The aim of this study is to analyse the role of social policies in different European welfare states regarding minimum income protection and active inclusion. The core focus lies on crisis resilience, i.e. the capacity of social policy arrangements to contain poverty and inequality and avoid exclusion before, during and after periods of economic shocks. To achieve this goal, the study expands its analytical focus to include other tiers of social protection, in particular upstream systems such as unemployment insurance, job retention and employment protection, as they play an additional and potentially prominent role in providing income and job protection in situations of crisis. A mixed-method approach is used that combines quantitative and qualitative research, such as descriptive and multivariate quantitative analyses, microsimulation methods and in-depth case studies. The study finds consistent differences in terms of crisis resilience across countries and welfare state types. In general, Nordic and Continental European welfare states with strong upstream systems and minimum income support (MIS) show better outcomes in core socio-economic outcomes such as poverty and exclusion risks. However, labour market integration shows some dualisms in Continental Europe. The study shows that MIS holds particular importance if there are gaps in upstream systems or cases of severe and lasting crises

Using Interleukin 6 and 8 in Blood and Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid to Predict Survival in Hematological Malignancy Patients With Suspected Pulmonary Mold Infection.

Background: Molds and other pathogens induce elevated levels of several cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8. The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of IL-6 and IL-8 as well as fungal biomarkers in blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) for overall survival in patients with underlying hematological malignancies and suspected mold infection. Methods: This cohort study included 106 prospectively enrolled adult cases undergoing bronchoscopy. Blood samples were collected within 24 h of BAL sampling and, in a subset of 62 patients, serial blood samples were collected up until 4 days after bronchoscopy. IL-6, IL-8, and other cytokines as well as galactomannan (GM) and β-D-glucan (BDG) were assayed in blood and BAL fluid and associations with overall mortality were assessed at the end of the study using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: Both blood IL-8 (AUC 0.731) and blood IL-6 (AUC 0.699) as well as BAL IL-6 (AUC 0.763) and BAL IL-8 (AUC 0.700) levels at the time of bronchoscopy were predictors of 30-day all-cause mortality. Increasing blood IL-6 levels between bronchoscopy and day four after bronchoscopy were significantly associated with higher 90-day mortality, with similar findings for increasing IL-8 levels. In ROC analysis the difference of blood IL-8 levels between 4 days after bronchoscopy and the day of bronchoscopy had an AUC of 0.829 (95%CI 0.71-0.95; p < 0.001) for predicting 90-day mortality. Conclusions: Elevated levels of IL-6 and IL-8 in blood or BAL fluid at the time of bronchoscopy, and rising levels in blood 4 days following bronchoscopy were predictive of mortality in these patients with underlying hematological malignancy who underwent bronchoscopy for suspected mold infection

Arbeitssituation und Belastungsempfinden im Kontext der Corona-Pandemie: Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Befragung von abhängig Beschäftigten im Februar 2021; Expertise

Der vorliegende Forschungsbericht stellt die Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Sonderbefragung von abhängig Beschäftigten im Februar vor. Eine der Auswirkungen der Corona-Pandemie ist, dass sich die Arbeitssituation für viele Beschäftigte spürbar verändert hat. Vor diesem Hintergrund ermittelt diese Forschungsreihe aktuelle Lagebilder der Arbeitssituation der abhängig Beschäftigten in den nächsten Monaten. Inhaltliche Schwerpunkte sind die Verbreitung von Homeoffice, die Veränderungen der Arbeitssituation durch die Corona-Arbeitsschutzverordnung, Corona-Testangebote im Arbeitskontext, das von den Beschäftigten empfundene Ansteckungsrisiko am Arbeitsplatz sowie ihr allgemeines Belastungsempfinden.One of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is that working conditions changed noticeably for many employees. Such changes are well documented for the period of the first wave during the pandemic, as scientifically-based surveys were initiated and implemented at short notice during the initial phase of the health crisis. However, over the course of 2020, these initiatives have mostly not been systematically continued or have been discontinued, leaving little robust data on the evolution of working conditions over the course of the ongoing second wave of the pandemic. Against this backdrop, this report provides an up-to-date picture of the working situation of dependent employees in February 2021. For this purpose, representative cross-sectional data were collected and analyzed. Results focus on the incidence of and experience with working from home, changes in working conditions due to the SARS-CoV-2 Occupational Health and Safety Ordinance, which came into force at the end of January 2021, the risk situation at the workplace as perceived by employees, and their general perception of stress

Vorstudie zur Finanzuntersuchung nach Artikel 59 des Gesetzes zur Regelung des Sozialen Entschädigungsrechts: Kurzexpertise

Zum 1. Januar 2024 wird in Deutschland das Sozialgesetzbuch Vierzehntes Buch - Soziale Entschädigung als weiteres Sozialgesetzbuch geschaffen. Es besteht die gesetzliche Pflicht, die Auswirkungen dieser Reform auf die Haushaltsausgaben und den Erfüllungsaufwand von Bund und Ländern in einer Finanzuntersuchung festzustellen. Im Sinne einer Machbarkeitsstudie prüft und bewertet diese Vorstudie die Möglichkeiten, um aussagekräftige Schätzungen zu den finanziellen Effekten des Übergangs vom alten auf das neue Recht der Sozialen Entschädigung zu erhalten. Sie umfasst Vorschläge für eine wissenschaftlich fundierte Methodik und beschreibt die für eine Umsetzung notwendigen Daten und deren Erfassung.On January 1, 2024, a new social code on social compensation law, - the so-called SGB XIV - will come into effect in Germany. It is a legal obligation to evaluate the financial effects of this reform concerning the responsible authorities at the Federal and States (Länder) levels. This pre-study assesses the possibilities to derive meaningful estimates of the direct changes in social benefits and administrative expenses caused by transition from old to new law. It contains suggestions for a scientifically grounded methodological approach, and describes how to obtain the data necessary to implement the required financial assessment