Automatic estimation of the readability of handwritten text

Publication in the conference proceedings of EUSIPCO, Lausanne, Switzerland, 200

Frauen und Männer im Verlauf der zweiten Lebenshälfte: eine Gesamtbetrachtung der empirischen Befunde

In wissenschaftlichen und politischen Diskursen über das Älterwerden wird immer wieder argumentiert, dass Frauen und Männer auf sehr unterschiedliche Weise alt werden und dass das Älterwerden für Frauen etwas anderes bedeutet als für Männer. Im vorliegenden Bericht wurde anhand der längsschnittlichen Daten des Deutschen Alterssurveys (DEAS) untersucht, ob tatsächlich Unterschiede in den Alternsverläufen zwischen Frauen und Männern für verschiedene Lebensbereiche beobachtbar sind. Dazu wurden die Alternsverläufe von Frauen und Männern über eine Altersspanne vom 40. bis zum 90. Lebensjahr analysiert. Die folgenden Lebensbereiche mit insgesamt neun Merkmalen wurden in den vorangegangenen Kapiteln betrachtet: Gesundheit (funktionale und subjektive Gesundheit), psychisches Wohlbefinden (Lebenszufriedenheit und depressive Symptome), soziale Isolation und Einsamkeitserleben, Übernahme von Sorgetätigkeiten (die Betreuung von Enkelkindern und die Pflege und Unterstützung kranker Personen) sowie ehrenamtliches Engagement. In diesem abschließenden Kapitel werden die Befunde aus den empirischen Kapiteln zusammengefasst, so dass eine Zusammenschau über das Älterwerden von Frauen und Männern in Deutschland resultiert. Alternsverläufe in den genannten fünf Lebensbereichen werden in diesem Bericht mit vier Fragestellungen untersucht: 1) Alternsverläufe: Wie verändern sich die betrachteten Lebensbereiche mit dem Älterwerden ? 2) Geschlechterunterschiede in Alternsverläufen: Unterscheiden sich die Alternsverläufe der Frauen und der Männer, und wenn ja, in welcher Weise ? 3) Alternsverläufe im sozialen Wandel: Verändern sich die Alternsverläufe im Wandel der Zeit? Unterscheiden sich also aufeinander folgende Geburtsjahrgänge in ihren Alternsverläufen? 4) Geschlechterunterschiede der Alternsverläufe im sozialen Wandel: Verändern sich die Unterschiede in den Alternsverläufen von Frauen und Männern im Wandel der Zeit (also über aufeinander folgende Geburtsjahrgänge)

Implication of the oep16-1 mutation in a flu-independent, singlet oxygen-regulated cell death pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana

Singlet oxygen is a prominent form of reactive oxygen species in higher plants. It is easily formed from molecular oxygen by triplet–triplet interchange with excited porphyrin species. Evidence has been obtained from studies on the flu mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana of a genetically determined cell death pathway that involves differential changes at the transcriptome level. Here we report on a different cell death pathway that can be deduced from the analysis of oep16 mutants of A. thaliana. Pure lines of four independent OEP16-deficient mutants with different cell death properties were isolated. Two of the mutants overproduced free protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) in the dark because of defects in import of NADPH:Pchlide oxidoreductase A (pPORA) and died after illumination. The other two mutants avoided excess Pchlide accumulation. Using pulse labeling and polysome profiling studies we show that translation is a major site of cell death regulation in flu and oep16 plants. flu plants respond to photooxidative stress triggered by singlet oxygen by reprogramming their translation toward synthesis of key enzymes involved in jasmonic acid synthesis and stress proteins. In contrast, those oep16 mutants that were prone to photooxidative damage were unable to respond in this way. Together, our results show that translation is differentially affected in the flu and oep16 mutants in response to singlet oxygen

The Outer Chloroplast Envelope Protein OEP16-1 for Plastid Import of NADPH:Protochlorophyllide Oxidoreductase A in Arabidopsis thaliana

The outer plastid envelope protein OEP16-1 was previously identified as an amino acid-selective channel protein and translocation pore for NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase A (PORA). Reverse genetic approaches used to dissect these mutually not exclusive functions of OEP16-1 in planta have led to descriptions of different phenotypes resulting from the presence of several mutant lines in the SALK_024018 seed stock. In addition to the T-DNA insertion in the AtOEP16-1 gene, lines were purified that contain two additional T-DNA insertions and as yet unidentified point mutations. In a first attempt to resolve the genetic basis of four different lines in the SALK_024018 seed stock, we used genetic transformation with the OEP16-1 cDNA and segregation analyses after crossing out presumed point mutations. We show that AtOEP16-1 is involved in PORA precursor import and by virtue of this activity confers photoprotection onto etiolated seedlings during greenin

Cutaneous lesions of the nose

Skin diseases on the nose are seen in a variety of medical disciplines. Dermatologists, otorhinolaryngologists, general practitioners and general plastic and dermatologic surgeons are regularly consulted regarding cutaneous lesions on the nose. This article is the second part of a review series dealing with cutaneous lesions on the head and face, which are frequently seen in daily practice by a dermatologic surgeon. In this review, we focus on those skin diseases on the nose where surgery or laser therapy is considered a possible treatment option or that can be surgically evaluated

Daily mood and out-of-home mobility in older adults. Does cognitive impairment matter?

This study explores the relationship between out-of-home behavior and daily mood of community-dwelling older adults with different levels of cognitive impairment across four consecutive weeks. The sample included 16 persons with early stage Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD), 30 persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 95 cognitively healthy persons (CH). Using a multi-method approach, GPS tracking and daily-diary data were combined on a day-to-day basis. AD and MCI adults showed lower mood than the CH group. Whereas stronger positive links between mood and out-of-home behavior were found for AD compared to the total sample on an aggregate level, predicting daily mood by person (i.e., cognition) and occasion-specific characteristics (i.e., mobility and weekday), using multilevel regression analysis revealed no corresponding effect. In conclusion, cognitive status in old age appears to impact on mobility and mood as such, rather than on the mood and out-of-home behavior connection

The Transmembrane Protease TMPRSS2 as a Therapeutic Target for COVID-19 Treatment

TMPRSS2 is a type II transmembrane protease with broad expression in epithelial cells of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract, the prostate, and other organs. Although the physiological role of TMPRSS2 remains largely elusive, several endogenous substrates have been identified. TMPRSS2 serves as a major cofactor in SARS-CoV-2 entry, and primes glycoproteins of other respiratory viruses as well. Consequently, inhibiting TMPRSS2 activity is a promising strategy to block viral infection. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of TMPRSS2 in the entry processes of different respiratory viruses. We then review the different classes of TMPRSS2 inhibitors and their clinical development, with a focus on COVID-19 treatment

News Media as Gatekeepers, Critics, and Initiators of Populist Communication: How Journalists in Ten Countries Deal with the Populist Challenge

In the wake of the recent successes of populist political actors and discussions about its causes in Europe, the contribution of the media has become an issue of public debate. We identify three roles—as gatekeepers, interpreters, and initiators—the media can assume in their coverage of populist actors, populist ideology, and populist communication. A comparative content analysis of nine thousand stories from fifty-nine news outlets in ten European countries shows that both media factors (e.g., tabloid orientation) and political factors (e.g., response of mainstream parties) influence the extent and nature of populism in the media. Although newspapers in most countries do not overrepresent populist actors and tend to evaluate them negatively, we still find abundant populist content in the news. Several media outlets like to present themselves as mouthpieces of the people while, at the same time, cover politicians and parties with antiinstitutional undertones