NFDI4BioDiversity - NFDI-Konsortium für Biodiversitäts-, Ökologische und Umweltdaten

NFDI4BioDiversity ist ein Konsortium innerhalb der Nationalen Forschungsdateninfrastruktur (NFDI) mit einem Schwerpunkt auf Services für die Biodiversitätsforschung und Ökologie. Unzählige Studien belegen den Rückgang der Biodiversität auf unserem Planeten. Drängende Fragen in diesem Zusammenhang sind unter anderem welche Auswirkungen der Rückgang der Biodiversität auf die betroffenen Ökosysteme hat und welche (anthropogenen) Einflüsse die Biodiversität reduzieren oder fördern. Um die komplexen Zusammenhänge zu verstehen und daraus Handlungsempfehlungen abzuleiten, werden vielfältige, qualitätsgesicherte und FAIRe[1] Daten benötigt. Diese umfassen das Vorkommen von Pflanzen, Tieren und Mikroorganismen, einschließlich ihrer genotypischen, phänotypischen und funktionalen Vielfalt, sowie deren Zusammenspiel in Populationen und Ökosystemen. In NFDI4BioDiversity haben sich 49 Partner aus Wissenschaft, Behörden und Bürgerwissenschaften zusammengeschlossen, um die Mobilisierung und Publikation vorhandener Daten voranzutreiben, effiziente Workflows zu entwickeln und Tools und Services zur Unterstützung von Analysen bereitzustellen. [1] FAIR: Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable, aus: Wilkinson, Mark D., et al. „The FAIR Guiding Principles for scientific data management and stewardship”, Scientific Data 3:160018 (March 2016), doi: 10.1038/sdata.2016.1

Responsible Human-Robot Interaction with Anthropomorphic Service Robots: State of the Art of an Interdisciplinary Research Challenge

Anthropomorphic service robots are on the rise. The more capable they become and the more regular they are applied in real-world settings, the more critical becomes the responsible design of human-robot interaction (HRI) with special attention to human dignity, transparency, privacy, and robot compliance. In this paper we review the interdisciplinary state of the art relevant for the responsible design of HRI. Furthermore, directions for future research on the responsible design of HRI with anthropomorphic service robots are suggested

Suspected Simple Appendicitis in Children: Should We Use a Nonoperative, Antibiotic-Free Approach? An Observational Study

Background: Simple appendicitis may be self-limiting or require antibiotic treatment or appendectomy. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of a nonoperative, antibiotic-free approach for suspected simple appendicitis in children. Methods: This single-center, retrospective study included patients (0–17 years old) who were hospitalized at the pediatric surgery department due to suspected appendicitis between 2011 and 2012. Data from patients who primarily underwent appendectomy were used as controls. The follow-up of nonoperatively managed patients was conducted in 2014. The main outcome of interest was appendicitis recurrence. Results: A total of 365 patients were included: 226 were treated conservatively and 139 underwent appendectomy. Fourteen (6.2% of 226) of the primarily nonoperatively treated patients required secondary appendectomy during follow-up, and histology confirmed simple, uncomplicated appendicitis in 10 (4.4% of 226) patients. Among a subset of 53 patients managed nonoperatively with available Alvarado and/or Pediatric Appendicitis Scores and sonographic appendix diameters in clinical reports, 29 met the criteria for a high probability of appendicitis. Three of these patients (10.3% of 29) underwent secondary appendectomy. No complications were reported during follow-up. Conclusions: A conservative, antibiotic-free approach may be considered for pediatric patients with suspected uncomplicated appendicitis in a hospital setting. Only between 6 and 10% of these patients required secondary appendectomy. Nevertheless, the cohort of patients treated nonoperatively was likely to have also included individuals with further abdominal conditions other than appendicitis. Active observation and clinical support during the disease course may help patients avoid unnecessary procedures and contribute to spontaneous resolution of appendicitis or other pediatric conditions as the cause of abdominal pain. However, further studies are needed to define validated diagnostic and management criteria

European COMPARative Effectiveness research on blended Depression treatment versus treatment-as-usual (E-COMPARED): study protocol for a randomized controlled, non-inferiority trial in eight European countries.

BACKGROUND: Effective, accessible, and affordable depression treatment is of high importance considering the large personal and economic burden of depression. Internet-based treatment is considered a promising clinical and cost-effective alternative to current routine depression treatment strategies such as face-to-face psychotherapy. However, it is not clear whether research findings translate to routine clinical practice such as primary or specialized mental health care. The E-COMPARED project aims to gain knowledge on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of blended depression treatment compared to treatment-as-usual in routine care. METHODS/DESIGN: E-COMPARED will employ a pragmatic, multinational, randomized controlled, non-inferiority trial in eight European countries. Adults diagnosed with major depressive disorder (MDD) will be recruited in primary care (Germany, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) or specialized mental health care (France, The Netherlands, and Switzerland). Regular care for depression is compared to "blended" service delivery combining mobile and Internet technologies with face-to-face treatment in one treatment protocol. Participants will be followed up at 3, 6, and 12 months after baseline to determine clinical improvements in symptoms of depression (primary outcome: Patient Health Questionnaire-9), remission of depression, and cost-effectiveness. Main analyses will be conducted on the pooled data from the eight countries (n = 1200 in total, 150 participants in each country). DISCUSSION: The E-COMPARED project will provide mental health care stakeholders with evidence-based information and recommendations on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of blended depression treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: France: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02542891 . Registered on 4 September 2015; Germany: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00006866 . Registered on 2 December 2014; The Netherlands: Netherlands Trials Register NTR4962 . Registered on 5 January 2015; Poland: ClinicalTrials.Gov NCT02389660 . Registered on 18 February 2015; Spain: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02361684 . Registered on 8 January 2015; Sweden: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02449447 . Registered on 30 March 2015; Switzerland: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02410616 . Registered on 2 April 2015; United Kingdom: ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN12388725 . Registered on 20 March 2015

Security that matters: critical infrastructure and objects of protection

Critical infrastructure protection is prominently concerned with objects that appear indispensable for the functioning of social and political life. However, the analysis of material objects in discussions of critical infrastructure protection has remained largely within the remit of managerial responses, which see matter as simply passive, a blank slate. In security studies, critical approaches have focused on social and cultural values, forms of life, technologies of risk or structures of neoliberal globalization. This article engages with the role of "things" or of materiality for theories of securitization. Drawing on the materialist feminism of Karen Barad, it shows how critical infrastructure in Europe neither is an empty receptacle of discourse nor has "essential" characteristics; rather, it emerges out of material-discursive practices. Understanding the securitization of critical infrastructure protection as a process of materialization allows for a reconceptualization of how security matters and its effects

Multiple Mating and Family Structure of the Western Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma californicum pluviale: Impact on Disease Resistance

Background Levels of genetic diversity can strongly influence the dynamics and evolutionary changes of natural populations. Survival and disease resistance have been linked to levels of genetic diversity in eusocial insects, yet these relationships remain untested in gregarious insects where disease transmission can be high and selection for resistance is likely to be strong. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we use 8 microsatellite loci to examine genetic variation in 12 families of western tent caterpillars, Malacosoma californicum pluviale from four different island populations to determine the relationship of genetic variability to survival and disease resistance. In addition these genetic markers were used to elucidate the population structure of western tent caterpillars. Multiple paternity was revealed by microsatellite markers, with the number of sires estimated to range from one to three per family (mean ± SE = 1.92±0.23). Observed heterozygosity (HO) of families was not associated to the resistance of families to a nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) (r = 0.161, F1,12 = 0.271, P = 0.614), a major cause of mortality in high-density populations, but was positively associated with larval survival (r = 0.635, F1,10 = 5.412, P = 0.048). Genetic differentiation among the families was high (FST = 0.269, P<0.0001), and families from the same island were as differentiated as were families from other islands. Conclusion/Significance We have been able to describe and characterize 8 microsatellite loci, which demonstrate patterns of variation within and between families of western tent caterpillars. We have discovered an association between larval survival and family-level heterozygosity that may be relevant to the population dynamics of this cyclic forest lepidopteran, and this will be the topic of future work

Publisher Correction: MEMOTE for standardized genome-scale metabolic model testing

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