On the observation of phase transitions in collisions of elementary matter

We investigate the excitation function of directed flow, which can provide a clear signature of the creation of the QGP and demonstrate that the minimum of the directed flow does not correspond to the softest point of the EoS for isentropic expansion. A novel technique measuring the compactness is introduced to determine the QGP transition in relativistic-heavy ion collisions: The QGP transition will lead to higher compression and therefore to higher compactness of the source in coordinate space. This e ect can be observed by pion interferometry. We propose to measure the compactness of the source in the appropriate principal axis frame of the compactness tensor in coordinate space

Sorting pathways of mitochondrial inner membrane proteins

Two distinct pathways of sorting and assembly of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial inner membrane proteins are described. In the first pathway, precursor proteins that carry amino-terminal targeting signals are initially translocated via contact sites between both mitochondrial membranes into the mitochondrial matrix. They become proteolytically processed, interact with the 60-kDa heat-shock protein hsp60 in the matrix and are retranslocated to the inner membrane. The sorting of subunit 9 of Neurospora crassa Fo-ATPase has been studied as an example. Fo subunit 9 belongs to that class of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins which are evolutionarily derived from a prokaryotic ancestor according to the endosymbiont hypothesis. We suggest that after import into mitochondria, these proteins follow the ancestral sorting and assembly pathways established in prokäryotes (conservative sorting). On the other hand, ADP/ATP carrier was found not to require interaction with hsp60 for import and assembly. This agrees with previous findings that the ADP/ATP carrier possesses non-amino-terminal targeting signals and uses a different import receptor to other mitochondrial precursor proteins. It is proposed that the ADP/ATP carrier represents a class of mitochondrial inner membrane proteins which do not have a prokaryotic equivalent and thus appear to follow a non-conservative sorting pathway

Observing compact quark matter droplets in relativistic nuclear collisions

Compactness is introduced as a new method to search for the onset of the quark matter transition in relativistic heavy ion collisions. That transition supposedly leads to stronger compression and higher compactness of the source in coordinate space. That effect could be observed via pion interferometry. We propose to measure the compactness of the source in the appropriate principal axis frame of the compactness tensor in coordinate space

Hypoxia impairs agonist-induced integrin αIIbβ3 activation and platelet aggregation

Under ischemic conditions, tissues are exposed to hypoxia. Although human physiology, to a certain extent, can adapt to hypoxic conditions, the impact of low oxygen levels on platelet function is unresolved. Therefore, we explored how reduction of atmospheric oxygen levels to 1% might affect agonist-induced aggregation and static adhesion of isolated human platelets. We uncovered that isolated, washed human platelets exposed to hypoxic conditions show reduced thrombin receptor-activating peptide-6 (TRAP-6) and convulxin-induced aggregation. Of note, this hypoxia-triggered effect was not observed in platelet-rich plasma. Independent of the agonist used (TRAP-6, ADP), activation of the platelet fibrinogen receptor integrin αIIbβ3 (GPIIbIIIa, CD41/CD61) was strongly reduced at 1% and 8% oxygen. The difference in agonist-induced integrin αIIbβ3 activation was apparent within 5 minutes of stimulation. Following hypoxia, re-oxygenation resulted in the recovery of integrin αIIbβ3 activation. Importantly, platelet secretion was not impaired by hypoxia. Static adhesion experiments revealed decreased platelet deposition to fibrinogen coatings, but not to collagen or vitronectin coatings, indicating that specifically the function of the integrin subunit αIIb is impaired by exposure of platelets to reduced oxygen levels. Our results reveal an unexpected effect of oxygen deprivation on platelet aggregation mediated by the fibrinogen receptor integrin αIIbβ3

Beruflicher Erfolg und Lebenserwartung

Eine Untersuchung an Absolventen der US Military Academy Westpoint der Jahrgänge 1925 und 1950 zeigt eine deutliche positive Korrelation zwischen dem erreichten Rang, der als Maß für den beruflichen Erfolg in diesem Kollektiv benutzt wird, und der Lebenserwartung. Die Schätzung der Mortalitätsrate mit Hilfe von voll-parametrischen Modellen zeigt wie zur erwarten eine relativ gute Schätzung für das Weibull- und das Gompertz-Modell, wohingegen das Exponential-Modell zu stark vereinfacht ist und daher die tatsächliche Mortalitätsrate zunächst unter- und später deutlich überschätzt. Auch in den semi-parametrischen Modellen zeigt sich wie im Cox-Modell ein deutlicher Einfluss des erreichten Ranges auf die Mortalitätsrate. Das Mortalitätsrisiko der untersten Ranggruppe ist nach dem Ablauf von mindestens 20 Dienstjahren deutlich höher als das der obersten Ranggruppe und die mittlere Lebensdauer der höchsten Ranggruppe ist 4,4 Jahre länger als die der untersten Ranggruppe. Die Ergebnisse sind statistisch signifikant. Der positive Effekt beruflichen Erfolgs lässt sich zudem in allen Altersgruppen beobachten, er ist also auch noch lange nach dem Ende des Berufslebens wirksam. Die Körpergröße zeigte dagegen keinen statistisch signifikanten Einfluss auf die Lebenserwartung. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass neben den bekannten sozioökonomischen Einflüssen auf die Lebenserwartung psychosoziale Faktoren eine Rolle spielen. Bisher befasste sich die Sozialforschung vor allem mit den sozioökonomischen Auswirkungen unterschiedlichen Sozialstatus. Verschiedene Studien zeigen jedoch, dass sich die deutlichen Mortalitätsunterschiede in den unterschiedlichen Sozialenschichten nicht mit sozioökonomischen Faktoren und dem daraus resultierenden Risikoverhalten allein erklären lassen. Trotz weitreichender Errungenschaften in den Sozialsystemen und der medizinischen Versorgung aller Gesellschaftsschichten, ist der schichtspezifische Gradient in der Mortalität weiterhin sehr deutlich. Mit der zunehmenden Angleichung der sozioökonomischen Bedingungen in den einzelnen Sozialschichten, gewinnen daher die psychosozialen Faktoren immer stärker an Bedeutung. Da der Mensch einen großen Teil seines Lebens mit seiner Arbeit verbringt, verdient der Einfluss der mit dem Beruf verbundenen Kognitionen und Emotionen besondere Beachtung. Nach unseren Erkenntnissen, spielt der berufliche Erfolg eine wesentliche Rolle für die Lebenserwartung. Im Hinblick auf das Ziel einer möglichst gesunden Gesamtbevölkerung sollten daher weitere Forschungsanstrengungen auf diesem Gebiet unternommen werden und ggf. überprüft werden, inwieweit es möglich ist, beispielsweise durch die Schaffung persönlicher Erfolgserlebnisse positiven Einfluss auf die Gesundheit zu nehmen

Clinical observations and management of a severe equine herpesvirus type 1 outbreak with abortion and encephalomyelitis

Latent equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection is common in horse populations worldwide and estimated to reach a prevalence nearing 90% in some areas. The virus causes acute outbreaks of disease that are characterized by abortion and sporadic cases of myeloencephalopathy (EHM), both severe threats to equine facilities. Different strains vary in their abortigenic and neuropathogenic potential and the simultaneous occurrence of EHM and abortion is rare. In this report, we present clinical observations collected during an EHV-1 outbreak caused by a so-called "neuropathogenic" EHV-1 G(2254)/D(752) polymerase (Pol) variant, which has become more prevalent in recent years and is less frequently associated with abortions. In this outbreak with 61 clinically affected horses, 6/7 pregnant mares aborted and 8 horses developed EHM. Three abortions occurred after development of EHM symptoms. Virus detection was performed by nested PCR targeting gB from nasal swabs (11 positive), blood serum (6 positive) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (9 positive) of a total of 42 horses sampled. All 6 fetuses tested positive for EHV-1 by PCR and 4 by virus isolation. Paired serum neutralization test (SNT) on day 12 and 28 after the index case showed a significant (≥ 4-fold) increase in twelve horses (n = 42; 28.6%). This outbreak with abortions and EHM cases on a single equine facility provided a unique opportunity for the documentation of clinical disease progression as well as diagnostic procedures

Promises and pitfalls of deep neural networks in neuroimaging-based psychiatric research

By promising more accurate diagnostics and individual treatment recommendations, deep neural networks and in particular convolutional neural networks have advanced to a powerful tool in medical imaging. Here, we first give an introduction into methodological key concepts and resulting methodological promises including representation and transfer learning, as well as modelling domain-specific priors. After reviewing recent applications within neuroimaging-based psychiatric research, such as the diagnosis of psychiatric diseases, delineation of disease subtypes, normative modeling, and the development of neuroimaging biomarkers, we discuss current challenges. This includes for example the difficulty of training models on small, heterogeneous and biased data sets, the lack of validity of clinical labels, algorithmic bias, and the influence of confounding variables

Spatial Patterns of Recent Ukrainian Refugees in Germany: Administrative Dispersal and Existing Ethnic Networks

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many people have fled the war and left their home country. By the end of January 2023, more than one million Ukrainian refugees had been registered in Germany alone. In contrast to refugees from other countries of origin in Germany, Ukrainian citizens can choose their place of residence if they have either found private accommodation with family members or friends or do not claim state support. However, little information exists on where within Germany Ukrainian refugees have moved and why certain regions are potentially more attractive than others. There exists a substantial literature on the location choices of migrants in general, showing that the existing level of immigrant concentration is an important determinant, while economic factors have a smaller effect - if not in the initial location choice after immigration, then at least in later location decisions. Whereas these studies mainly focus on labour migrants, research on refugees' location choices is still scarce, because refugees are usually assigned to specific places of residence by the authorities in many European countries. In the context of forced migration, spatial patterns may therefore largely be related to administrative decisions. In this paper, we aim to answer the question of the settlement patterns of recently arrived refugees from Ukraine in Germany by using current data from the Central Register of Foreigners. These patterns are modelled on the NUTS-3 level and consider the proportion of previous Ukrainian migrants living within those regions as well as additional economic, demographic, and geographical factors. Spatial regression models show that, on the one hand, Ukrainian refugees indeed settle where the number of Ukrainians is already high. The empirical analyses also indicate a correlation between the spatial patterns of refugees in general and Ukrainian refugees, suggesting that dispersal policies may play a role in explaining settlement patterns. Furthermore, affordable housing and lower rents are important explanatory variables

Prothrombin complex concentrate in surgical patients: retrospective evaluation of vitamin K antagonist reversal and treatment of severe bleeding

Introduction Prothrombin complex concentrates are recommended for rapid reversal of vitamin K anticoagulants. As they normalize levels of vitamin K dependent clotting factors and re-establish hemostasis, they may also be used as adjunctive therapy in patients with major bleeding. The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the efficacy of prothrombin complex concentrates in the surgical setting. Methods The case notes of 50 patients requiring urgent oral anticoagulation reversal (n = 12) or with severe perioperative coagulopathic bleeding (n = 38) who received an infusion of prothrombin complex concentrate (Beriplex P/N(R) 500) at the surgical department of the University of Munich Hospital, Germany were retrospectively reviewed. Efficacy of prothrombin complex concentrate application was evaluated using the Quick test, reported as an international normalized ratio, hemodynamic measurements and requirement for blood products. Safety assessments included whole blood hemoglobin levels and specific parameters of organ dysfunction. Results Baseline characteristics were comparable, except that mean baseline international normalized ratio and hemoglobin levels were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in anticoagulation reversal than in bleeding patients. In anticoagulation reversal, the international normalized ratio was significantly reduced (from 2.8 +/- 0.2 at baseline to 1.5 +/- 0.1, P < 0.001) after one prothrombin complex concentrate infusion (median dose 1500 IU; lower quartile 1,000, upper quartile 2,000). No major bleeding was observed during surgery after prothrombin complex concentrate administration. Only one patient received platelets and red blood cell transfusion after prothrombin complex concentrate administration. In bleeding patients, infusion of prothrombin complex concentrate (median dose 2,000 IU; lower quartile 2,000, upper quartile 3,000) significantly reduced the INR from 1.7 +/- 0.1 at baseline to 1.4 +/- 0.1 (P < 0.001). This decrease was unrelated to fresh frozen plasma or vitamin K administration. Bleeding stopped after prothrombin complex concentrate administration in 4/11 (36%) patients with surgical bleeding and 26/ 27 (96%) patients with diffuse bleeding. Hemoglobin levels increased significantly from baseline in bleeding patients (P < 0.05) and mean arterial pressure stabilized (P < 0.05). No thrombotic events or changes in organ function were reported in any patient. Conclusions Prothrombin complex concentrate application effectively reduced international normalized ratios in anticoagulation reversal, allowing surgical procedures and interventions without major bleeding. In bleeding patients, the improvement in coagulation after prothrombin complex concentrate administration was judged to be clinically significant

An Investigation Of Cost-Benefit Dimensions Of 5G Networks For Agricultural Applications

The agricultural industry is facing unprecedented challenges in meeting the growing demand for food while minimizing its impact on the environment. To address these challenges, the industry is embracing technological advancements such as 5G networks to improve efficiency and productivity. However, the benefits of 5G technology must be weighed against the costs of implementing a suitable network. This paper presents cost-benefit dimensions that are needed to assess the economic feasibility of implementing 5G networks for several agricultural applications. The paper describes the costs of deploying and maintaining a 5G network and the benefits of several 5G-specific use cases, including precision agriculture, livestock monitoring, and swarm robotics. Using industry reports and case studies, the model quantifies the benefits of 5G networks, such as enabling new digital agricultural processes, increased productivity, and improved sustainability. It also considers the costs associated with equipment and infrastructure, as well as the challenges of deploying a network in rural areas. The results demonstrate that 5G networks can provide significant benefits to agricultural businesses and provide an overview about the cost factors. Both benefit and cost dimensions are analyzed for the 5G-specific agricultural use cases