An Octree-Based Approach towards Efficient Variational Range Data Fusion

Volume-based reconstruction is usually expensive both in terms of memory consumption and runtime. Especially for sparse geometric structures, volumetric representations produce a huge computational overhead. We present an efficient way to fuse range data via a variational Octree-based minimization approach by taking the actual range data geometry into account. We transform the data into Octree-based truncated signed distance fields and show how the optimization can be conducted on the newly created structures. The main challenge is to uphold speed and a low memory footprint without sacrificing the solutions' accuracy during optimization. We explain how to dynamically adjust the optimizer's geometric structure via joining/splitting of Octree nodes and how to define the operators. We evaluate on various datasets and outline the suitability in terms of performance and geometric accuracy.Comment: BMVC 201

Immunohistochemical and Molecular Genetic Analysis of Canine Digital Mast Cell Tumours

Grading, immunohistochemistry and c-kit mutation status are criteria for assessing the prognosis and therapeutic options of canine cutaneous mast cell tumours (MCTs). As a subset, canine digital MCTs have rarely been explored in this context. Therefore, in this retrospective study, 68 paraffin-embedded canine digital MCTs were analysed, and histological grading was assessed according to Patnaik and Kiupel. The immunohistochemical markers KIT and Ki67 were used, as well as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for mutational screening in c-kit exons 8, 9, 11 and 14. Patnaik grading resulted in 22.1% grade I, 67.6% grade II and 10.3% grade III tumours. Some 86.8% of the digital MCTs were Kiupel low-grade. Aberrant KIT staining patterns II and III were found in 58.8%, and a count of more than 23 Ki67-positive cells in 52.3% of the cases. Both parameters were significantly associated with an internal tandem duplication (ITD) in c-kit exon 11 (12.7%). French Bulldogs, which tend to form well-differentiated cutaneous MCTs, had a higher proportion of digital high-grade MCTs and ITD in c-kit exon 11 compared with mongrels. Due to its retrospective nature, this study did not allow for an analysis of survival data. Nevertheless, it may contribute to the targeted characterisation of digital MCTs

Evaluating the Histologic Grade of Digital Squamous Cell Carcinomas in Dogs and Copy Number Variation of KIT Ligand - A Correlation Study

Dark-haired dogs are predisposed to the development of digital squamous cell carcinoma (DSCC). This may potentially suggest an underlying genetic predisposition not yet completely elucidated. Some authors have suggested a potential correlation between the number of copies KIT Ligand (KITLG) and the predisposition of dogs to DSCC, containing a higher number of copies in those affected by the neoplasm. In this study, the aim was to evaluate a potential correlation between the number of copies of the KITLG and the histological grade of malignancy in dogs with DSCC. For this, 72 paraffin-embedded DSCCs with paired whole blood samples of 70 different dogs were included and grouped according to their haircoat color as follow: Group 0/unknown haircoat color (n = 11); Group 1.a/black non-Schnauzers (n = 15); group 1.b/black Schnauzers (n = 33); group 1.c/black and tan dogs (n = 7); group 2/tan animals (n = 4). The DSCCs were histologically graded. Additionally, KITLG Copy Number Variation (CNV) was determined by ddPCR. A significant correlation was observed between KITLG copy number and the histological grade and score value. This finding may suggest a possible factor for the development of canine DSCC, thus potentially having an impact on personalized veterinary oncological strategies and breeding programs

miRCarta: a central repository for collecting miRNA candidates

The continuous increase of available biological data as consequence of modern high-throughput technologies poses new challenges for analysis techniques and database applications. Especially for miRNAs, one class of small non-coding RNAs, many algorithms have been developed to predict new candidates from next-generation sequencing data. While the amount of publications describing novel miRNA candidates keeps steadily increasing, the current gold standard database for miRNAs - miRBase - has not been updated since June 2014. As a result, publications describing new miRNA candidates in the last three to five years might have a substantial overlap of candidates without noticing. With miRCarta we implemented a database to collect novel miRNA candidates and augment the information provided by miRBase. In the first stage, miRCarta is thought to be a highly sensitive collection of potential miRNA candidates with a high degree of analysis functionality, annotations and details on each miRNA. We added—besides the full content of the miRBase—12,857 human miRNA precursors to miRCarta. Users can match their own predictions to the entries of miRCarta to reduce potential redundancies in their studies. miRCarta provides the most comprehensive collection of human miRNAs and miRNA candidates to form a basis for further refinement and validation studies. The database is freely accessible at https://mircarta.cs.uni-saarland.de/

miRPathDB 2.0: a novel release of the miRNA Pathway Dictionary Database

Since the initial release of miRPathDB, tremendous progress has been made in the field of microRNA (miRNA) research. New miRNA reference databases have emerged, a vast amount of new miRNA candidates has been discovered and the number of experimentally validated target genes has increased considerably. Hence, the demand for a major upgrade of miRPathDB, including extended analysis functionality and intuitive visualizations of query results has emerged. Here, we present the novel release 2.0 of the miRNA Pathway Dictionary Database (miRPathDB) that is freely accessible at https://mpd.bioinf.uni-sb.de/. miRPathDB 2.0 comes with a ten-fold increase of pre-processed data. In total, the updated database provides putative associations between 27 452 (candidate) miRNAs, 28 352 targets and 16 833 pathways for Homo sapiens, as well as interactions of 1978 miRNAs, 24 898 targets and 6511 functional categories for Mus musculus. Additionally, we analyzed publications citing miRPathDB to identify common use-cases and further extensions. Based on this evaluation, we added new functionality for interactive visualizations and down-stream analyses of bulk queries. In summary, the updated version of miRPathDB, with its new custom-tailored features, is one of the most comprehensive and advanced resources for miRNAs and their target pathways

In vitro metabolic fate of nine LSD-based new psychoactive substances and their analytical detectability in different urinary screening procedures

The market of new psychoactive substances (NPS) is characterized by a high turnover and thus provides several challenges for analytical toxicology. The analysis of urine samples often requires detailed knowledge about metabolism given that parent compounds either may be present only in small amounts or may not even be excreted. Hence, knowledge of the metabolism of NPS is a prerequisite for the development of reliable analytical methods. The main aim of this work was to elucidate for the first time the pooled human liver S9 fraction metabolism of the nine d-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) derivatives 1-acetyl-LSD (ALD-52), 1-propionyl-LSD (1P-LSD), 1-butyryl-LSD (1B-LSD), N6-ethyl-nor-LSD (ETH-LAD), 1-propionyl-N6-ethyl-nor-LSD (1P-ETH-LAD), N6-allyl-nor-LSD (AL-LAD), N-ethyl-N-cyclopropyl lysergamide (ECPLA), (2′S,4′S)-lysergic acid 2,4-dimethylazetidide (LSZ), and lysergic acid morpholide (LSM-775) by means of liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. Identification of the monooxygenase enzymes involved in the initial metabolic steps was performed using recombinant human enzymes and their contribution confirmed by inhibition experiments. Overall, N-dealkylation and hydroxylation, as well as combinations of these steps predominantly catalyzed by CYP1A2 and CYP3A4, were found. For ALD-52, 1P-LSD, and 1B-LSD, deacylation to LSD was observed. The obtained mass spectral data of all metabolites are essential for reliable analytical detection particularly in urinalysis and for differentiation of the LSD-like compounds as biotransformations also led to structurally identical metabolites. However, in urine of rats after the administration of expected recreational doses and using standard urine screening approaches, parent drugs or metabolites could not be detected

Large-scale validation of miRNAs by disease association, evolutionary conservation and pathway activity.

The validation of microRNAs (miRNAs) identified by next generation sequencing involves amplification-free and hybridization-based detection of transcripts as criteria for confirming valid miRNAs. Since respective validation is frequently not performed, miRNA repositories likely still contain a substantial fraction of false positive candidates while true miRNAs are not stored in the repositories yet. Especially if downstream analyses are performed with these candidates (e.g. target or pathway prediction), the results may be misleading. In the present study, we evaluated 558 mature miRNAs from miRBase and 1,709 miRNA candidates from next generation sequencing experiments by amplification-free hybridization and investigated their distributions in patients with various disease conditions. Notably, the most significant miRNAs in diseases are often not contained in the miRBase. However, these candidates are evolutionary highly conserved. From the expression patterns, target gene and pathway analyses and evolutionary conservation analyses, we were able to shed light on the complexity of miRNAs in humans. Our data also highlight that a more thorough validation of miRNAs identified by next generation sequencing is required. The results are available in miRCarta ( https://mircarta.cs.uni-saarland.de )

Old male mating advantage in Bicyclus anynana butterflies - sexual conflict or cooperation?

In holometabolic insects, senescence starts at sexual maturation and condition diminishes with age. Young virgin males should gain the highest mating success. Although sperm quality and quantity typically decreases with age, older males have been shown to have a higher mating success in a variety of insect taxa. Life-history theory predicts an increased aggressive and persistent courtship behaviour, due to a decrease of the residual reproductive value and thus, the opportunity for future reproduction. In the butterfly Bicyclus anynana, older males gain up to a 4x higher mating success despite a poorer condition, compared to younger males. As older males were found to court more often and for longer time bouts,suggesting a higher intrinsic motivation, there is evidence for the residual reproductive value hypothesis. On the other hand, an age-specific variation of male sex pheromones may provide females with information, being helpful to chose specific males. The latter could be males which have proven a high fitness in terms of survival, thus essentially reflecting a “good genes" hypothesis. This doctoral thesis investigated the reasons underlying old male mating advantage in B. anynana. The first study tested whether old male mating advantage prevails, even if females were unable to distinguish between older and younger males. The results were backed up by examining female rejection rates, male courtship frequency, courtship duration, time to copulation and mating duration. Older males had a significantly higher mating success compared to younger ones regardless of differences in pheromone blends or the females ability to smell. Older males courted more often and longer. The results support the residual reproductive value hypothesis. Study 2 investigated post-copulatory sexual selection in B. anynana. Females were double-mated, allowing for sperm competition and cryptic mate choice. Older males had a higher paternity success than younger ones, when the former were the last mating partner. The paternity success was balanced across age classes when older males were the first mating partner. Older males transferred larger spermatophores with higher numbers of eupyrene sperm than younger males. B. anynana does not exhibit cryptic mate choice and last-male precedence is the most probable fertilization pattern. The higher proportion of offspring sired by older males is due to significantly increased numbers of fertile sperm compared to younger males. The latter are clearly disadvantaged, as the higher sperm numbers provided by older males counteract the benefits of last-male precedence. Study 3 explored determinants of mating success in B. anynana. Successful males had longer wings, a heavier thorax, a lighter abdomen, a higher fat content, and higher phenoloxidase expression levels. Mating success seemed to be directly linked to proxies of flight performance. Successful males showed a better flight performance, in turn increasing mating success. As energy reserves are of crucial importance for flight manoeuvres, they may play a significant role in male mating success. Study 4 tested the effects of male age and mating number on spermatophore mass, sperm number, male oxidative status, and reproductive success by manipulating age and mating frequency in male B. anynana. Spermatophore mass and sperm numbers increased significantly with age, while antioxidant defences and oxidative damage declined. Female fecundity and egg-hatching success was highest when being mated with young virgin males. Antioxidant defences decreased with age, being a possible reason for the negatively affected reproductive success in females. Ejaculate quality diminished with age and mating number, despite larger spermatophores and higher sperm numbers being found in older males. Therefore, spermatophore size and sperm numbers can not be considered as reliable proxies of male condition. The final study proofed whether male sex pheromone comprise honest signals and which traits might be associated with increased pheromone titres. Pheromone titres were analysed among successful and unsuccessful males when being mated with either a control or a scent-blocked female. Both groups did not differ in pheromone levels. Successful males had significantly higher numbers of eupyrene sperm. No correlation between male pheromones and any investigated trait was found, suggesting that pheromone titres do not provide reliable information on male quality. Nothing indicates that male sex pheromones in B. anynana play a decisive role in female mate choice. Successful males generally have a better body condition, resulting in a more vigorous courtship behaviour and higher sperm numbers. Hence, variation in body condition rather than pheromone titres is more likely to determine male mating success. Mating decisions are primarily driven by male behaviour. The results suggest that old male mating advantage arises from sexual conflict.In holometabolen Insekten beginnt die Alterung mit der Geschlechtsreife und die Kondition sinkt mit dem Alter. Junge Männchen sollten daher den höchsten Paarungserfolg haben. Obwohl Spermienqualität und –quantität mit dem Alter abnehmen, wurde ein Paarungsvorteil alter Männchen in einer Vielzahl von Insektenarten gefunden. Die Theorie sagt voraus, dass mit steigendem Alter die aggressives Balzverhalten zunimmt, als Folge des sinkenden Reproduktionsrestwertes. In Bicyclus anynana erreichen alte Männchen einen 4x höheren Paarungserfolg als junge Männchen, trotz deutlich schlechterer Kondition. Alte Männchen balzen häufiger und länger, was eine höhere intrinsische Motivation vermuten lässt und die Residual-reproductive-value Hypothese stützt (Sexueller Konflikt). Andererseits zeigen die männlichen Sexualpheromone eine breite Variation über das Alter, was Weibchen ermöglicht spezifische Männchen auszuwählen, die durch ihr langes Überleben eine hohe Fitness signalisieren. Dieser Ansatz kommt einer „Gute-Gene“-Hypothese gleich (Kooperation). Die folgende Arbeit untersucht die zugrundeliegenden Ursachen des Paarungsvorteils älterer Männchen in B. anynana. Die erste Publikation unterucht ob der Paarungsvorteil bestehen bleibt, wenn Weibchen unfähig sind zwischen den Pheromonen der Männchen zu unterscheiden. Neben dem Paarungserfolg wurden die Zahl der Balzversuche, Zeit bis zur Verpaarung und Paarungsdauer untersucht. Alte Männchen hatten einen höheren Paarungserfolg und balzten häufiger und länger, unabhängig von der Behandlung. Diese Ergebnisse stützen die Residual-reproductive-value-Hypothese. Studie 2 untersuchte ob kryptische Partnerwahl in B. anynana existiert. Weibchen wurden doppelverpaart um Spermienkonkurrenz und krpytische Partnerwahl zu ermöglichen. Alte Männchen hatten einen höhere Vaterschaftserfolg wenn sie die letzten Paarungspartner waren. Der Erfolg war nur ausgeglichen wenn junge Männchen die letzten Partner waren. Alte Männchen übertragen eine größere Spermatophore und mehr eupyrene Spermien als junge. Es gab keine Hinweise auf kryptische Partnerwahl. Der Vaterschaftserfolg scheint durch die Größe der Spermatophore, die Anzahl der Spermien und last-male-precedence determiniert zu sein. Junge Männchen sind im Nachteil, da die größere Spermatophore der älteren M., die Vorteile der last-male-precedence auskontert. Studie 3 untersucht die Determinanten des Paarungserfolgs in B. anynana. Erfolgreiche Männchen haben einen größeren Thorax, kleineres Abdomen, längere Flügel, höhere Phenoloxidaseaktivität und einen höheren Fettgehalt als nicht erfolgreiche M. Paarungserfolg ist mit der Flugleistung korreliert. Erfolgreiche Männchen zeigen eine bessere Flugleistung, was den Paarungserfolg erhöht. Energiereserven haben eine enorme Bedeutung für die Flugleistung und somit für den Paarungserfolg. Studie 4 untersucht den Effekt von Alter und Vorverpaarung auf die Dynamik von Spermatophoren- und Spermienbildung, oxidativen Stress in Männchen und den Reproduktionserfolg in Weibchen. Spermatophorenmasse und Spermienzahlen steigen mit dem Alter , während der antioxidative Schutz und oxidativer Schaden sinkt. Fekundität und Schlupferfolg der Eier war am höchsten, wenn Weibchen sich mit jungen, virginen M. paarten. Ein Rückgang des Oxidativen Schutzes ist eine mögliche Ursache für den negativ beeinflussten Reproduktionserfolg. Ejakulatqualität und –quantität sinken mit dem Alter und Verpaarungshäufigkeit, trotz höherer Spermienzahlen und größerer Spermatophore, was sie zu keinen verlässlichen Anzeigern männlicher Kondition macht. Studie 5 testet ob männliche Sexualpheromone ehrliche Signale hinsichtlich männlicher Kondition darstellen und welche Life-History-Traits mit dem Pheromongehalt korreliert sind. Pheromonlevel, Spermatophorengröße und Spermienzahl wurden zwischen erfolgreichen und nicht-erfolgreichen M. untersucht. Unterschiede in den Pheromonen wurden keine gefunden, erfolgreiche M. übertragen deutlich mehr Spermien. Ferner wurden keine Korrelationen zwischen Pheromonleveln der Väter und Life-history traits der Mutter bzw. des Nachwuches gefunden, was nahelegt, dass die Pheromone keine verlässlichen Anzeiger männlicher Kondition sind. Pheromone scheinen keine besondere Rolle bei der Weibchenwahl zu spielen. Erfolgreiche Männchen haben im allgemeinen die bessere Kondition, was zu Vorteilen bei der Balz und der Spermienbildung führt. Daher wird der Paarungserfolg eher durch eine Variation der Kondition als durch Pheromone bestimmt. Paarungenentscheidungen werden hauptsächlich durch männliche Verhalten gefällt. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass der Paarungsvorteil älterer Männchen in B. anynana einem sexuellen Konflikt entspringt

International Stakeholdermanagement and commerzialisation of football

Die Masterarbeit beschäftigit sich mit dem Thema internationales Stakeholdermanagement und Kommerzialisierung im Fußballbusiness. Zunächst wird die Branche des professionellen Fußballs mit ihren verschiedenen Akteuren und Herausfordernungen erläutert. Im Anschluss werden die verschiedenen Internationalisierungsstrategien aufgezeigt. Nach der Definition der internen und externen Stakeholder werden die Besonderheiten derer aufgezeigt und eine Priorisierung vorgenommen Im Anschluss wird auf die Kommerzialisierung eingeganen. Dort werden verschiedene Finanzierungsformen genauer betrachtet. Die bis dahin errungen theoretischen und fachlichen Kentnisse dienen für die Darstellung des Praxisbeispiels „Eintracht Frankfurt“. Eine empirsche Untersuchung zum Thema rundet die vorleigende Arbeit ab. Ziel ist es Erfolgsfaktoren und Handlungsempfehlungen für ein erfolgreiches internationales Stakeholdermanagement im professionellen Fußballbusiness aufzuzeigen

Sozialarbeitende als Policy Entrepreneurs

Der Beitrag zeigt, dass Sozialarbeitende als Policy Entrepreneurs sozialpolitische Innovationen gestalten können. Zwei Praxisbeispiele aus der Schweiz verdeutlichen, dass sich theoretische Ansätze aus den Politikwissenschaften dafür eignen, politikunternehmerisches Handeln im Sozialbereich zu analysieren. Es kann festgehalten werden, dass für erfolgreiches Agenda-Setting und Einwirken auf die Politikformulierung nicht nur ein Problem vorhanden und definiert sein muss, sondern Policy Entrepreneurs – gewissermaßen in guter, schweizerischer Tradition – konsensorientiert, verhandlungsbereit, teamfähig, pragmatisch, kreativ, ehrgeizig und hartnäckig für ihre Vision eintreten sollten. Sie suchen nach Lösungen, bauen Koalitionen und verfügen über Gespür für das angemessene Timing. Dabei behalten sie stets die Rahmenbedingungen politischer Innovation im Blick