The cueTable Cooperative Multi-Touch Interactive Tabletop: Implementation and User Feedback

Es wurde ein multi-touch interaktives Tabletop als Basistechnologie zur Exploration neuer Interaktionskonzepte für kooperative multi-touch Anwendungen entwickelt. In dieser Publikation stellen wir vor, wie ein kooperatives multi-touch interaktives Tabletop basierend auf günstiger Standard-Hardware mit geringem Realisierungsaufwand gebaut werden kann. Wir präsentieren eine Software-Anwendung, die wir dafür entwickelt haben. And wir berichten über Benutzerkommentare zum Tabletop und der Anwendung.We developed a multi-touch interactive tabletop as a base technology to explore new interaction concepts for cooperative multi-touch applications. In this paper we explain how to build a cooperative multi-touch interactive tabletop with standard and low-budget hardware and little implementation effort. We present a software application we developed. And we report on user feedback to the tabletop and the application

Bacteriocyte dynamics during development of a holometabolous insect, the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The carpenter ant <it>Camponotus floridanus </it>harbors obligate intracellular mutualistic bacteria (<it>Blochmannia floridanus</it>) in specialized cells, the bacteriocytes, intercalated in their midgut tissue. The diffuse distribution of bacteriocytes over the midgut tissue is in contrast to many other insects carrying endosymbionts in specialized tissues which are often connected to the midgut but form a distinct organ, the bacteriome. <it>C. floridanus </it>is a holometabolous insect which undergoes a complete metamorphosis. During pupal stages a complete restructuring of the inner organs including the digestive tract takes place. So far, nothing was known about maintenance of endosymbionts during this life stage of a holometabolous insect. It was shown previously that the number of <it>Blochmannia </it>increases strongly during metamorphosis. This implicates an important function of <it>Blochmannia </it>in this developmental phase during which the animals are metabolically very active but do not have access to external food resources. Previous experiments have shown a nutritional contribution of the bacteria to host metabolism by production of essential amino acids and urease-mediated nitrogen recycling. In adult hosts the symbiosis appears to degenerate with increasing age of the animals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We investigated the distribution and dynamics of endosymbiotic bacteria and bacteriocytes at different stages during development of the animals from larva to imago by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The number of bacteriocytes in relation to symbiont-free midgut cells varied strongly over different developmental stages. Especially during metamorphosis the relative number of bacteria-filled bacteriocytes increased strongly when the larval midgut epithelium is shed. During this developmental stage the midgut itself became a huge symbiotic organ consisting almost exclusively of cells harboring bacteria. In fact, during this phase some bacteria were also found in midgut cells other than bacteriocytes indicating a cell-invasive capacity of <it>Blochmannia</it>. In adult animals the number of bacteriocytes generally decreased.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>During the life cycle of the animals the distribution of bacteriocytes and of <it>Blochmannia </it>endosymbionts is remarkably dynamic. Our data show how the endosymbiont is retained within the midgut tissue during metamorphosis thereby ensuring the maintenance of the intracellular endosymbiosis despite a massive reorganization of the midgut tissue. The transformation of the entire midgut into a symbiotic organ during pupal stages underscores the important role of <it>Blochmannia </it>for its host in particular during metamorphosis.</p

Does Technical Match Performance in Professional Soccer Depend on the Positional Role or the Individuality of the Player?

The aim of the study was to examine the impact of the positional role and the individuality on the technical match performance in professional soccer players. From official match data of the Bundesliga season 2018/19, technical performance (short[30 m] passes, dribblings, ball possessions) of all players who played during the season were analyzed (normative data). Five playing positions (center back, full back, central midfielder, wide midfielder, forward) were distinguished. As the contextual factor tactical formation is known to influence match performance, this parameter was controlled for. Further, those players who played at minimum four games in at least two different playing positions were included in the study sample (n = 13). The technical match performance of the players was analyzed in relation to the normative data regarding the extent to which the players either adapted or maintained their performance when changing the playing position. When switching playing positions, positional role could explain 3-6% of the variance in short passes and ball possessions and 27-44% of the variance in dribblings, medium passes, and long passes. Moreover, we observed large interindividual differences in the extent to which a player changed, adapted, or maintained his performance. In detail, five players clearly adapted their technical performance when changing playing positions, while five players maintained their performance. Coaches can use these findings to better understand the technical match performance of single players and, further, to estimate the impact of a change in the positional role on the technical performance of the respective player

Chemical and Enzymatic Synthesis of Sialylated Glycoforms of Human Erythropoietin

Recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) is the main therapeutic glycoprotein for the treatment of anemia in cancer and kidney patients. The in‐vivo activity of EPO is carbohydrate‐dependent with the number of sialic acid residues regulating its circulatory half‐life. EPO carries three N‐glycans and thus obtaining pure glycoforms provides a major challenge. We have developed a robust and reproducible chemoenzymatic approach to glycoforms of EPO with and without sialic acids. EPO was assembled by sequential native chemical ligation of two peptide and three glycopeptide segments. The glycopeptides were obtained by pseudoproline‐assisted Lansbury aspartylation. Enzymatic introduction of the sialic acids was readily accomplished at the level of the glycopeptide segments but even more efficiently on the refolded glycoprotein. Biological recognition of the synthetic EPOs was shown by formation of 1:1 complexes with recombinant EPO receptor

Low-flow assessment of current ECMO/ECCO2R rotary blood pumps and the potential effect on hemocompatibility

Background Extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R) uses an extracorporeal circuit to directly remove carbon dioxide from the blood either in lieu of mechanical ventilation or in combination with it. While the potential benefits of the technology are leading to increasing use, there are very real risks associated with it. Several studies demonstrated major bleeding and clotting complications, often associated with hemolysis and poorer outcomes in patients receiving ECCO2R. A better understanding of the risks originating specifically from the rotary blood pump component of the circuit is urgently needed. Methods High-resolution computational fluid dynamics was used to calculate the hemodynamics and hemocompatibility of three current rotary blood pumps for various pump flow rates. Results The hydraulic efficiency dramatically decreases to 5–10% if operating at blood flow rates below 1 L/min, the pump internal flow recirculation rate increases 6–12-fold in these flow ranges, and adverse effects are increased due to multiple exposures to high shear stress. The deleterious consequences include a steep increase in hemolysis and destruction of platelets. Conclusions The role of blood pumps in contributing to adverse effects at the lower blood flow rates used during ECCO2R is shown here to be significant. Current rotary blood pumps should be used with caution if operated at blood flow rates below 2 L/min, because of significant and high recirculation, shear stress, and hemolysis. There is a clear and urgent need to design dedicated blood pumps which are optimized for blood flow rates in the range of 0.5–1.5 L/min

Pathogenic Fungi Regulate Immunity by Inducing Neutrophilic Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells

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