The Influence of Architectural Styles on Security, Using the Example of a Certification Authority

Often, security is considered in an advanced stage of the implementation of a system, rather than integrating it into the system design. This leads to less secure systems, as the security mechanisms are only applied as an afterthought and therefore do not integrate well with the rest of the design. Also, several statistics about discovered vulnerabilities in existing systems suggest, that most of the vulnerabilities of a system are not caused by errors in the cryptographic primitives, but in other parts of the implementation. So integrating security concerns early in the design process seems a promising approach for increasing the security of the resulting system. This work evaluates how the choice of the architectural style affects the security of the resulting system. The evaluation is done on the example of an existing certification authority (CA). The requirements for the system are gathered and multiple designs according to different architectural styles are drafted and evaluated using a risk evaluation method. Then the evaluated designs are compared to find out whether there are significant differences.Comment: Study Thesi

Die Infragestellung von Gewissheiten – ein bildungshistorischer Blick. Zum Wandel der Fachlichkeit beim Übergang vom DDR-Heimatkundeunterricht zum Sachunterricht

Wie gehen Lehrkräfte mit Veränderungen oder auch mit der Infragestellung ihrer bisherigen Gewissheiten um? Am Beispiel des Wandels der Fachlichkeit beim Übergang vom DDR-Heimatkundeunterricht zum Sachunterricht der Jahre 1990/1991 gehen Christian Fischer und Sandra Tänzer dieser Frage nach. Die Ergebnisse ihrer bildungshistorischen Auseinandersetzung bieten dabei hilfreiche Hinweise auf Herausforderungen zukünftiger Reform- und Transformationsprozesse. (DIPF/Orig.)The article is about the change of subject-specificity which happened in the frame of transformation from GDR-“Heimatkundeunterricht” to “Sachunterricht” in 1990 (and afterwards) on the example of Thuringia. The question is discussed how teachers remember this pedagogical and didactical change. (DIPF/Orig.

Heimatkunde in der DDR. Didaktische Ansätze und Spannungsfelder. Eine fallorientierte Analyse ausgewählter Stundenkonzeptionen

Der Heimatkundeunterricht in der DDR sollte einen wesentlichen Beitrag zur politischen und naturkundlichen Erziehung der Kinder in den ersten vier Schuljahren leisten. Doch welche didaktischen Ansätze und welche Spannungsfelder waren im Heimatkundeunterricht angelegt? Diese Fragestellung bildet den Ausgangspunkt für die Untersuchung dreier ausgewählter Stundenkonzeptionen aus dem Heimatkundeunterricht der DDR. Die Untersuchung folgt dem Ansatz der historischen Fachunterrichtsforschung. Ein wichtiger Punkt ist dabei auch die Frage, welche Schlussfolgerungen sich aus der Analyse der historischen Stundenkonzeptionen für das aktuelle didaktische und pädagogische Denken ziehen lassen. (DIPF/Orig.

Reduced Sensitivity to Non-Fear-Related Stimulus Changes in Panic Disorder

Panic disorder (PD) is associated with increased body vigilance and reduced cognitive resources directed at non-fear-related stimuli, particularly in the absence of stimulus-rich environments. To date, only few studies have investigated whether this deficit in PD is reflected in reduced mismatch negativity (MMN), an event-related potential indexing preattentive sensitivity to unexpected stimulus changes. We tested 35 patients affected by PD and 42 matched healthy controls in an oddball paradigm, using frequency and duration deviant stimuli to measure auditory MMN. PD patients displayed reduced duration MMN amplitudes in comparison to healthy controls. No group differences were detected for duration MMN latency, as well as frequency MMN indices. Results support the notion of reduced larly with regard to the preattentive processing of sound duration deviants. Additionally, our findings are in line with clinical studies reporting divergent deficits in preattentive processing of frequency and duration deviants

P50, N100, and P200 Sensory Gating in Panic Disorder

Panic disorder (PD) has been linked to abnormalities in information processing. However, only little evidence has been published for sensory gating in PD. Sensory gating describes the brain’s ability to exclude stimuli of low relevance from higher level information processing, thereby sustaining efficient cognitive processing. Deficits in sensory gating have been associated with various psychiatric conditions, most prominently schizophrenia. In this case-control event-related potential study, we tested 32 patients with PD and 39 healthy controls in a double click paradigm. Both groups were compared with regard to pre-attentive (P50), early-attentive (N100), and late-attentive (P200) sensory gating indices. Contrary to a hypothesized deficit, PD patients and healthy controls showed no differences in P50, N100 and P200 values. These results suggest that sensory gating seems to be functional across the pre-attentive, early-attentive, and late-attentive time span in this clinical population. Given this consistency across auditory sensory gating indices, further research aiming to clarify information processing deficits in PD should focus on other neurophysiological markers to investigate information processing deficits in PD (eg, P300, error-related negativity or mismatch negativity).Peer Reviewe

"Design your Education". Zur Bedeutung einer hochschuldidaktischen Fortbildung für Lehrerbildner:innen für das Lehren und Lernen in einer Hochschullernwerkstatt

Im Zuge der Implementation des Hochschullernwerkstattansatzes in das Lehramtsstudium der Universität Erfurt zeigte sich, dass sowohl fachkulturelle Spezifika als auch individuelle Überzeugungen und Werthaltungen der Lehrerbildner:innen das hochschuldidaktische Handeln beeinflussen und zu Unterschieden in der Ausgestaltung der Lehre führen. Für eine empirisch fundierte Weiterentwicklung einer Didaktik der Lehrer:innenbildung sind deshalb neben curricularen Aspekten und Modellentwicklungen auch die Kompetenzen der Lehrerbildner:innen selbst in den Blick zu nehmen und zu fördern. Dieser Zielsetzung ist eine dreisemestrige Fortbildung verpflichtet, die in diesem Beitrag konzeptionell vorgestellt und auf der Grundlage von Daten aus der evaluativen Begleitforschung in ihrer Praktikabilität beurteilt wird. Ergänzend werden Einblicke in das Lernwerkstattseminar „Ästhetische Zugänge zur Demokratiebildung im Sachunterricht“ gegeben, das eine Lehrende innerhalb der Fortbildung weiterentwickelte. (DIPF/Orig.

Implementation einer Hochschullernwerkstatt. Zur Entwicklung des Lernwerkstatt-Konzepts an der Universität Erfurt

Der folgende Beitrag soll ausschnitthaft zeigen, wie derzeit an der Universität Erfurt eine Lernwerkstatt als hochschulpädagogische Innovation empirisch begründet implementiert wird. Vor der Folie einer systemtheoretischen Forschung im Stil von Grounded Theory wird insbesondere die Genese des viersäuligen pädagogischen Konzepts illustriert. Dieses wurde aus der Analyse von Gruppendiskussionen mit Studierenden, Dozierenden und Vertreterinnen sowie Vertretern der Lehrerinnen- und Lehrerbildungsadministration in Verbindung mit Theoriebezügen des Lernwerkstatt-Diskurses entwickelt. Lernwerkstatt wird in dieser Situierung als Interdependenzgefüge der vier Dimensionen erfahrungsorientiertes und situiertes Lernen, Materialität und Ästhetik konzeptualisiert. (DIPF/Orig.

miR-34a as hub of T cell regulation networks

Background: Micro(mi)RNAs are increasingly recognized as central regulators of immune cell function. While it has been predicted that miRNAs have multiple targets, the majority of these predictions still await experimental confirmation. Here, miR-34a, a well-known tumor suppressor, is analyzed for targeting genes involved in immune system processes of leucocytes. Methods: Using an in-silico approach, we combined miRNA target prediction with GeneTrail2, a web tool for Multi-omics enrichment analysis, to identify miR-34a target genes, which are involved in the immune system process subcategory of Gene Ontology. Results: Out of the 193 predicted target genes in this subcategory we experimentally tested 22 target genes and confirmed binding of miR-34a to 14 target genes including VAMP2, IKBKE, MYH9, MARCH8, KLRK1, CD11A, TRAFD1, CCR1, PYDC1, PRF1, PIK3R2, PIK3CD, AP1B1, and ADAM10 by dual luciferase assays. By transfecting Jurkat, primary CD4+ and CD8+ T cells with miR-34a, we demonstrated that ectopic expression of miR-34a leads to reduced levels of endogenous VAMP2 and CD11A, which are central to the analyzed subcategories. Functional downstream analysis of miR-34a over-expression in activated CD8+ T cells exhibits a distinct decrease of PRF1 secretion. Conclusions: By simultaneous targeting of 14 mRNAs miR-34a acts as major hub of T cell regulatory networks suggesting to utilize miR-34a as target of intervention towards a modulation of the immune responsiveness of T-cells in a broad tumor context

Performance of Epigenetic Markers SEPT9 and ALX4 in Plasma for Detection of Colorectal Precancerous Lesions

BACKGROUND: Screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) has shown to reduce cancer-related mortality, however, acceptance and compliance to current programmes are poor. Developing new, more acceptable non-invasive tests for the detection of cancerous and precancerous colorectal lesions would not only allow preselection of individuals for colonoscopy, but may also prevent cancer by removal of precancerous lesions. METHODS: Plasma from 128 individuals (cohort I - exploratory study: 73 cases / 55 controls) was used to test the performance of a single marker, SEPT9, using a real-time quantitative PCR assay. To validate performance of SEPT9, plasma of 76 individuals (cohort II - validation study: 54 cases / 22 controls) was assessed. Additionally, improvement of predictive capability considering SEPT9 and additionally ALX4 methylation was investigated within these patients. RESULTS: In both cohorts combined, methylation of SEPT9 was observed in 9% of controls (3/33), 29% of patients with colorectal precancerous lesions (27/94) and 73% of colorectal cancer patients (24/33). The presence of both SEPT9 and ALX4 markers was analysed in cohort II and was observed in 5% of controls (1/22) and 37% of patients with polyps (18/49). Interestingly, also 3/5 (60%) patients with colorectal cancer were tested positive by the two marker panel in plasma. CONCLUSIONS: While these data confirm the detection rate of SEPT9 as a biomarker for colorectal cancer, they also show that methylated DNA from advanced precancerous colorectal lesions can be detected using a panel of two DNA methylation markers, ALX4 and SEPT9. If confirmed in larger studies these data indicate that screening for colorectal precancerous lesions with a blood-based test may be as feasible as screening for invasive cancer

miR-34a: a new player in the regulation of T cell function by modulation of NF-κB signaling

NF-κB functions as modulator of T cell receptor-mediated signaling and transcriptional regulator of miR-34a. Our in silico analysis revealed that miR-34a impacts the NF-κB signalosome with miR-34a binding sites in 14 key members of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Functional analysis identified five target genes of miR-34a including PLCG1, CD3E, PIK3CB, TAB2, and NFΚBIA. Overexpression of miR-34a in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells led to a significant decrease of NFΚBIA as the most downstream cytoplasmic NF-κB member, a reduced cell surface abundance of TCRA and CD3E, and to a reduction of T cell killing capacity. Inhibition of miR-34a caused an increase of NFΚBIA, TCRA, and CD3E. Notably, activation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells entrails a gradual increase of miR-34a. Our results lend further support to a model with miR-34a as a central NF-κB regulator in T cells