Spatio-temporal research data infrastructure in the context of autonomous driving

In this paper, we present an implementation of a research data management system that features structured data storage for spatio-temporal experimental data (environmental perception and navigation in the framework of autonomous driving), including metadata management and interfaces for visualization and parallel processing. The demands of the research environment, the design of the system, the organization of the data storage, and computational hardware as well as structures and processes related to data collection, preparation, annotation, and storage are described in detail. We provide examples for the handling of datasets, explaining the required data preparation steps for data storage as well as benefits when using the data in the context of scientific tasks. © 2020 by the authors

Students' Knowledge in a Field of the Sexual Reproductive Healt at the Chosen Secondary School

Katedra pedagogikyPedagogická fakultaFaculty of Educatio

Agri-food chain relationships in Europe – empirical evidence and implications for sector competitiveness

The roles of business relationships in selected European agri-food chains are analysed. Using survey data from 1,442 farmers, food processors and retailers in two commodity sectors (meat and cereals) and across six different EU countries, we test the empirical relevance of several theory-based determinants influencing the choice of relationship type and the sustainability of inter-enterprise relationships. This is undertaken for the overall dataset and separately for different chain stages (farmer-processor versus the processor-retailer relationships), commodities and individual countries. Overall, we find that sector and enterprise-specific determinants seem to influence the choice of a certain relationship type while chain-internal, dyadic factors affect the sustainability of relationships. A logistic regression analysis reveals that the preference for a relationship type, while being highly chain-specific, depends on the long-term orientation and the strive for independence of an enterprise and the product-quality requirements within a corresponding market. As for the sustainability of the analysed relationships, structural equation modelling results suggest that its most important determinant is effective communication, with its two components, adequate communication frequency and high information quality, being equally important. The existence of personal bonds and an equal power distribution between buyers and suppliers are the second most important determinants, followed by the negative impact of key staff leaving. The analysis also reveals that the relative importance of these determinants differs significantly across the two considered chain stages and between the countries investigated. Agribusiness managers, seeking to improve their supplier or buyer relationships, need to consider the crucial role of effective communication and the positive contribution that the existence of personal bonds can make to the development and maintenance of sustainable interactions.business relationships, agri-food chains, competitiveness, Agribusiness,

Coastal upwelling velocities inferred from helium isotope disequilibrium

In the framework of SOPRAN, two of the main gloabal Eastern Boundary Current Upwelling Systems (EBUS) have been investigated, off the coasts of Mauritania in the northern Atlantic and of Peru in the southern Pacific. The upwelling in the EBUS is driven by alongshore winds causing an offshore transport of surface waters. The upwelled water typically exhibits high concentrations of climate relevant gases such as CO2, N2O and halogenated compounds. The oceanic upwelling velocities, however, are too small (in the order of 10-5 m/s) to be measured directly. Here we use oceanic measurements of the helium-3/helium-4 isotopic ratio as an indirect means to infer these velocities. The water that upwells into the oceanic mixed layer from below is typically enriched in the lighter isotope helium-3. This excess of helium-3 originates from venting of primordial helium through hydrothermal activity. Helium data have been collected on four cruises within the coastal upwelling regions off Mauritania and Peru. Near the coast, the helium derived upwelling velocities are in good agreement with the wind driven flow calculated from Ekman theory. At some locations in the open ocean, however, the helium method results in much higher vertical velocities compared to the wind derived Ekman divergence. This enhanced upwelling might be attributed to eddy activity. Both advective and turbulent (derived from microstructure measurements) fluxes of nutrients into the mixed layer are determined. In coastal upwelling regions, these fluxes play a key role in fostering ocean primary productivity

The Transcriptional and DNA Binding Activity of Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor α Is Inhibited by Ethanol Metabolism A NOVEL MECHANISM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ETHANOL-INDUCED FATTY LIVER

Fatty acids are ligands for the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha). Fatty acid levels are increased in liver during the metabolism of ethanol and might be expected to activate PPAR alpha. However, ethanol inhibited PPAR alpha activation of a reporter gene in H4IIEC3 hepatoma cells expressing alcohol-metabolizing enzymes but not in CV-1 cells, which lack these enzymes. Ethanol also reduced the ability of the PPAR alpha ligand WY14,643 to activate reporter constructs in the hepatoma cells or cultured rat hepatocytes. This effect of ethanol was abolished by the alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor 4-methylpyrazole and augmented by the aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor cyanamide, indicating that acetaldehyde was responsible for the action of ethanol. PPAR alpha/retinoid X receptor extracted from hepatoma cells exposed to ethanol or acetaldehyde bound poorly to an oligonucleotide containing peroxisome proliferator response elements. This effect was also blocked by 4-methylpyrazole and augmented by cyanamide. Furthermore, in vitro translated PPAR alpha exposed to acetaldehyde failed to bind DNA. Thus, ethanol metabolism blocks transcriptional activation by PPAR alpha, in part due to impairment of its ability to bind DNA. This effect of ethanol may promote the development of alcoholic fatty liver and other hepatic consequences of alcohol abuse

Cytokeratin positivity in paraffin-embedded malignant melanomas : comparative study of KL1, A4 and Lu5 antibodies

The unclear role of cytokeratin (CK) in the progression and diagnostics of malignant melanomas stimulated us to compare the reactivity of three antibodies directed to CK in 109 paraffin-embedded melanomas. By far the majority of melanomas did not express cytokeratin even at the<1% level, only vimentin. In about 6% of melanomas it was possible to find CK expression ranging between 3 and 40% of melanoma cells. There was a correlation between CK expression and pTstage. Cytokeratin-expressing tumours were found in the more advanced pT-stages. The independent prognostic values of none of the three CK antibodies investigated could be shown

Proposal of a new grading system for malignant fibrous histiocytomas

The proposed grading system for malignant fibrous histiocytomas (MFH) comprises 3 grades of malignancy. Analogous to other grading systems, the system includes the factors of mitotic rate and necrosis. In addition to these two factors, the concept of cellularity was included. The prognostic relevance of the grading systems published by Costa, Coindre, van Unnik, Pezzi and Tsujimoto as well as the grading system proposed by the present study was tested on 161 MFH. The results showed that all grading systems tested produced clearly significant differences (p<0.01) with regard to the survival estimated for patients with various grades of malignancy. These results revealed the superiority of systems that use 3 grades of malignancy over a 2-grade classification. The proposed grading system yielded a lower percentage of grade II tumours (37%) than the grading systems of Coindre (60%) and van Unnik (70%). In the multivariate analysis of all grading systems, the proposed grading system was the only one to show prognostic relevance (p<0.05)

The 5D Framework: A Clinical Primer for Fecal Microbiota Transplantation to Treat Clostridium difficile infection

Clostridium difficile infection is the most common health care–associated infection in the United States. Recently, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as an effective and safe therapy for recurrent C difficile infection; however, despite rapid adoption there is no standardized clinical approach. Given the rapid adoption of FMT, in part because of stool banks, there is a need for a practical primer for clinicians to safely perform FMT. Accordingly, we aim to provide a simple approach entitled the 5D FMT framework to guide physicians. The 5D FMT framework includes: decision (selecting appropriate patient for FMT), donor (selection and screening), discussion (risk, benefits, alternatives), delivery (selecting appropriate modality for FMT administration), and discharge (counseling at discharge and follow-up). We aim to help clinicians take a simple but evidence-based approach to FMT to optimize efficacy and safety. This primer navigates how to decide whether a patient with C difficile infection is appropriate for FMT and how to select and screen stool donors, identify the ideal delivery modality, and provide follow-up care after FMT