A simple optimized amplitude pupil mask for attempting to direct imaging of Proxima b with SPHERE/ZIMPOL at VLT

Proxima b is a terrestrial exoplanet orbiting in the habitable zone of our closest star Proxima Centauri. The separation between the planet and the star is about 40 mas and this is with current instruments only reachable with direct imaging, using a visual extreme AO system like SPHERE/ZIMPOL. Unfortunately, the planet falls under the first airy ring at 2$\lambda$/D in the I band, which degrades achievable contrast. We present the design, optical simulations and testing of an amplitude pupil mask for ZIMPOL that reshapes the PSF, increasing the contrast at $r = 2\lambda$/D about an order of magnitude. The simple mask can be inserted directly into the current setup of SPHERE.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, Poster presented at SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation 201

Monte Carlo analysis of an ODE Model of the Sea Urchin Endomesoderm Network

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gene Regulatory Networks (GRNs) control the differentiation, specification and function of cells at the genomic level. The levels of interactions within large GRNs are of enormous depth and complexity. Details about many GRNs are emerging, but in most cases it is unknown to what extent they control a given process, i.e. the grade of completeness is uncertain. This uncertainty stems from limited experimental data, which is the main bottleneck for creating detailed dynamical models of cellular processes. Parameter estimation for each node is often infeasible for very large GRNs. We propose a method, based on random parameter estimations through Monte-Carlo simulations to measure completeness grades of GRNs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We developed a heuristic to assess the completeness of large GRNs, using ODE simulations under different conditions and randomly sampled parameter sets to detect parameter-invariant effects of perturbations. To test this heuristic, we constructed the first ODE model of the whole sea urchin endomesoderm GRN, one of the best studied large GRNs. We find that nearly 48% of the parameter-invariant effects correspond with experimental data, which is 65% of the expected optimal agreement obtained from a submodel for which kinetic parameters were estimated and used for simulations. Randomized versions of the model reproduce only 23.5% of the experimental data.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The method described in this paper enables an evaluation of network topologies of GRNs without requiring any parameter values. The benefit of this method is exemplified in the first mathematical analysis of the complete Endomesoderm Network Model. The predictions we provide deliver candidate nodes in the network that are likely to be erroneous or miss unknown connections, which may need additional experiments to improve the network topology. This mathematical model can serve as a scaffold for detailed and more realistic models. We propose that our method can be used to assess a completeness grade of any GRN. This could be especially useful for GRNs involved in human diseases, where often the amount of connectivity is unknown and/or many genes/interactions are missing.</p

Inter-annual and inter-specific differences in the drift of fish eggs and yolksac larvae in the North Sea: A biophysical modeling approach

We employed 3-D biophysical modeling and dispersion kernel analysis to explore inter-annual and inter-specific differences in the drift trajectories of eggs and yolksac larvae of plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), sprat (Sprattus sprattus) and horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) in the North Sea. In this region, these four species exhibit peak spawning during the boreal winter, late winter/early spring, late spring/early summer, and mid-summer respectively, but utilize the same spawning locations (our simulations included Dogger Bank, Southern Bight and the German Bight). Inter-annual differences in the temperature history, and an increase in the area of dispersion and final distribution at the end of the yolksac phase were more pronounced (and related to the North Atlantic Oscillation) for winter- and early spring-spawners compared to late spring/summer spawners. The progeny of the latter experienced the largest (up to 10-fold) inter-annual differences in drift distances, although absolute drift distances were modest (~2 to 30 km) when compared to those of the former (~ 20 to 130 km). Our results highlight the complex interplay that exists between the specific life history strategies of the different species and the impacts of the variability in (climate-driven) physical factors during the earliest life stages of marine fish. Resumen: Diferencias interanuales e interespecíficas en la deriva de huevos y larvas lecitotróficas en el mar Norte: Aproximación a través un modelo biofísico. – En este trabajo utilizamos un modelo 3-D físico-biológico y un análisis de dispersión del núcleo para investigar las diferencias interespecíficas e interanuales en las trayectorias de la deriva de huevos y larvas lecitotróficas de la solla (Pleuronectes platessa), el bacalao Atlántico (Gadus morhua), el espadín (Sprattus sprattus) y el jurel (Trachurus trachurus) en el Mar del Norte. En esta región, las especies estudiadas muestran distintos picos de distintos desoves en el tiempo: invierno boreal, invierno tardío/primavera temprana, primavera tardía/verano temprano y mitad del verano, respectivamente, aunque comparten las mismas zonas de desove. Las simulaciones efectuadas corresponden a tres de estas zonas: Dogger Bank, Southern Bight y German Bight. Los resultados mostraron diferencias interanuales en la temperatura experimentada por las larvas, en el área de dispersión y en el patrón de distribución al final del estadio lecitotrófico, que fueron más evidentes en el bacalao Atlántico, en comparacion con el espadín. Así mismo, estos factores estuvieron correlacionados con la Oscilación del Atlántico Norte. La progenie del espadín, además, mostró la mayor variación interanual en la distancia de dispersión, siendo hasta 10 veces mayor, aunque la distancia absoluta alcanzada fue relativamente modesta (~2-30 km) en comparación con la observada para el bacalao Atlántico (~20-130 km). Nuestros resultados subrayan la compleja interacción que existe, durante los estadios tempranos del desarrollo de peces marinos, entre las estrategias ecológica

Auf dem Weg vom Teenager zum Twen

Regionalstatistische Informationssysteme sind aus dem Arbeitsalltag der statistischen Landesämter nicht mehr wegzudenken: Sie sind gleichrangig neben die klassischen Formen der Bereitstellung statistischer Informationen getreten. Die Vielzahl statistischer Ämter hat indessen auch zu einer Vielzahl verschiedener Lösungen gefunden. Welchen Weg die Informationssysteme bisher gingen, wo sie heute stehen und welchen Weg sie künftig einschlagen sollten – diese Fragen werden im Überblick untersucht. Am Beispiel der Landesdatenbank Nordrhein-Westfalen wird sodann das Leistungsvermögen eines relativ fortgeschrittenen statistischen Informationssystems dargestellt

Onset and maintenance of psychiatric disorders after serious accidents

The purpose of this study was to prospectively investigate the onset, course, and remission of psychiatric disorders in the first 6months after a serious accident for consecutive patients in a hospital emergency department. Participants were 58 patients aged 18-65 who were assessed shortly after attending a hospital emergency department and were followed up 6months afterwards. Patients were interviewed with regard to past and current psychiatric history using different instruments (e.g. SCID for DSM-IV). Prior to their accidents, 35% of all subjects had experienced one or more psychiatric disorders (lifetime prevalence). Shortly after the accident, the incidence of Acute Stress Disorder (7%), subsyndromal Acute Stress Disorder (12%), and adjustment disorder (1.5%) was increased as a reaction to the accident. At this time, 29% of all patients suffered from an acute psychiatric disorder. Six-months after the accident, 10% of the subjects met criteria for Major Depression, 6% for PTSD, 4% for subsyndromal PTSD, and 1.5% for Specific Phobia as newly developed disorders. The course of the psychiatric disorders shows that those patients who met criteria for any psychiatric diagnosis shortly after the accident ran a much higher risk for developing new or comorbid psychiatric disorders in the futur

Steuerausfälle - Defizite: Sind Steuererhöhungen unumgänglich?

Verminderte Steuereinnahmen und die defizitäre Lage der öffentlichen Haushalte haben eine Diskussion über Steuererhöhungen ausgelöst. Dass die vorgesehenen Maßnahmen ökonomisch sinnvoll und in der aktuellen Wirtschaftslage angemessen sind, bezweifelt Prof. Dr. Clemens Fuest, Universität zu Köln. Für ihn wäre es sinnvoller, einen langfristigen finanzpolitischen Kurswechsel in Richtung geringerer Staatsausgaben und sinkender Steuern einzuschlagen. Für Hans-Jürgen Müller-Seils, BDI, belasten die vorgeschlagenen Maßnahmen »in unvertretbarer Weise« betriebswirtschaftlich notwendige Unternehmensstrukturen. Auch Prof. Dr. Gerold Krause-Junk, Universität Hamburg, hält Steuererhöhungen in der jetzigen Phase für den falschen Weg: Zwar kann seiner Meinung nach »die Initialzündung nicht von zusätzlichen, kreditfinanzierten Staatsausgaben erwartet werden. Niemand wird die Zuversicht in einen Aufschwung mit der Auflegung staatlicher Ausgabenprogramme verbinden. Gleichwohl muss ein Anstoß kommen - aber woher? Steuersenkungen könnten es sein. Doch die Bundesregierung will die Steuern erhöhen!« Alfons Kühn, DIHT, plädiert in seinem Beitrag für konsequentes Sparen und Subventionsabbau, denn »so finden wir einen Ausweg aus den immer wiederkehrenden, wachstumsbremsenden Steuererhöhungsdiskussionen ... Konsolidierung darf nicht - wie in der Koalitionsvereinbarung vorgesehen - über die Einnahmeseite erfolgen; sie muss über die Ausgabenseite erreicht werden.«Steueraufkommen, Steuerpolitik, Öffentlicher Haushalt, Öffentliche Ausgaben, Finanzpolitik, Deutschland

A global view of gene expression in lithium and zinc treated sea urchin embryos: new components of gene regulatory networks

Novel territory-specific markers from the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus have been identified using screens for genes that are differentially expressed in lithium-treated embryos, which form an excess of endomesoderm, and in zinc-treated embryos, in which endomesoderm specification is blocked

Oral antibiotic bowel decontamination in open and laparoscopic sigmoid resections for diverticular disease

PURPOSE There is an ongoing debate on whether or not to use oral antibiotic bowel decontamination in colorectal surgery, despite the numerous different regimens in terms of antibiotic substances and duration of application. As we routinely use oral antibiotic bowel decontamination (selective decontamination of the digestive tract (SDD) regimen and SDD regimen plus vancomycin since 2016) in surgery for diverticular disease, our aim was to retrospectively analyze the perioperative outcome in two independent centers. METHODS Data from two centers with a routine use of oral antibiotic bowel decontamination for up to 20 years of experience were analyzed for the perioperative outcome of 384 patients undergoing surgery for diverticular disease. RESULTS Overall morbidity was 12.8%, overall mortality was 0.3%, the overall rate of anastomotic leakage (AL) was 1.0%, and surgical site infections (SSIs) were 5.5% and 7.8% of all infectious complications including urinary tract infections and pneumonia. No serious adverse events were related to use of oral antibiotic bowel decontamination. Most of the patients (93.8%) completed the perioperative regimen. Additional use of vancomycin to the SDD regimen did not show a further reduction of infectious complications, including SSI and AL. CONCLUSION Oral antibiotic decontamination appears to be safe and effective with low rates of AL and infectious complications in surgery for diverticular disease

Beurteilung bestehender Stahltragwerke : Empfehlungen zur Abschätzung der restnutzungsdauer

Assessment of existing steel structures: recommendations for estimation of remaining fatigue life. The growing importance of sustainability affects new markets for the construction industry; the rehabilitation and refurbishment of existing buildings and civil engineering works is getting more and more into the focus of construction activities. This also applies to bridges as well where the quality management comprising the full life of a bridge has a long tradition. For bridges in particular the enormous increase of freight-volume on roads and rails and the growing age of the bridges cause the question, whether the existing structures are still fit for use and whether or not they can be retrofitted and if so how that could be done. For decision making concerning measures for maintenance and refurbishment of a bridge or its substitution by a new bridge the value of the residual service life is very important. Therefore the bridge authorities have been cooperating for a long time to develop appropriate methods for determining the residual safety and service life of existing bridges. Also the International Technical-Scientific Organisations as the ECCS and fip as well as Standard Organisations as ISO and CEN have cared for an international exchange of views and the harmonisation of methods. For steel bridges in particular the Technical Committee 6 – Fatigue – of the ECCS has taken over the task to develop a technical guidance for the assessment of existing steel bridges on the grounds of national experiences and the present state of the art. This guidance has been prepared to serve as a basis for CEN/TC 250 – the CEN-Technical Committee responsible for the structural Eurocodes – for future further development of these Eurocodes to include the assessment and retrofitting of existing structures. The result of the development of ECCS-TC 6 is a technical- scientific report which has been published by the Commission of the EU (DG-Research – Joint Research Centre – JRC) in the frame of a cooperation agreement between the JRC and the ECCS. This report may be used as a technical recommendation as long as the revision of the Eurocodes has not been carried out. This contribution gives the main information from the JRC-ECCS report, that can be downloaded free of charge from the e-bookshop of the Commission