Spatio-temporal multi data stream analysis with applications in team sports

The amount of live data about individuals which can be collected is steadily growing. These days, humans can be equipped with physical devices or observed with cameras in order to capture information such as their positions, their health state, and the state of their environment. Fitness trackers and health applications which analyze the state and the behavior of an individual on the basis of the data that are captured for this individual are already widely used. However, humans rarely act alone but rather collaborate in teams in order to achieve a common objective. For instance, football players collaborate to win a match and firefighters collaborate to extinguish a forest fire. Analyzing the collaborative team behavior on the basis of data about the individuals which form the team is not only interesting but further poses several challenges on the system that performs the analyses. The focus of this thesis is to address these challenges. We define a data model and a system model in order to provide a theoretical basis for implementing a system that is suited to serve as a foundation for developing team collaboration analysis applications. Both models are novel with respect to the fact that they take the particularities of team collaboration analysis applications, such as the semantics of their input and output data, into account. Moreover, we establish a strong foundation for using the spatial and temporal information which play a central role in analyzing the collaborative behavior of a team. More precisely, we define basic spatial functions and relations and present an extensive stream time model which goes far beyond existing literature on stream time notions and comprises a novel simultaneousness concept. After establishing the theoretical basis, we present StreamTeam, our generic real-time data stream analysis infrastructure which is designed to be used as a foundation for developing team collaboration analysis applications. The data stream analysis system at the heart of StreamTeam is a prototype implementation of our models which further introduces novel approaches to assist domain experts without a profound software engineering background in developing their own analyses. Moreover, we present StreamTeam-Football, a real-time football analysis application which is implemented on top of StreamTeam. StreamTeam-Football is the first analysis application which performs complex team behavior analyses in a football match in real-time, visualizes the live analysis results in a user interface, and stores them persistently for offline activities

Patterns of Subject Mix in Higher Education Institutions: A First Empirical Analysis Using the AQUAMETH Database

Teaching and research are organised differently between subject domains: attempts to construct typologies of higher education institutions, however, often do not include quantitative indicators concerning subject mix which would allow systematic comparisons of large numbers of higher education institutions among different countries, as the availability of data for such indicators is limited. In this paper, we present an exploratory approach for the construction of such indicators. The database constructed in the AQUAMETH project, which includes also data disaggregated at the disciplinary level, is explored with the aim of understanding patterns of subject mix. For six European countries, an exploratory and descriptive analysis of staff composition divided in four large domains (medical sciences, engineering and technology, natural sciences and social sciences and humanities) is performed, which leads to a classification distinguishing between specialist and generalist institutions. Among the latter, a further distinction is made based on the presence or absence of a medical department. Preliminary exploration of this classification and its comparison with other indicators show the influence of long term dynamics on the subject mix of individual higher education institutions, but also underline disciplinary differences, for example regarding student to staff ratios, as well as national patterns, for example regarding the number of PhD degrees per 100 undergraduate students. Despite its many limitations, this exploratory approach allows defining a classification of higher education institutions that accounts for a large share of differences between the analysed higher education institution

Navigation Systems for Treatment Planning and Execution of Percutaneous Irreversible Electroporation

The application of navigational systems has the potential to improve percutaneous interventions. The accuracy of ablation probe placement can be increased and radiation doses reduced. Two different types of systems can be distinguished, tracking systems and robotic systems. This review gives an overview of navigation devices for clinical application and summarizes first findings in the implementation of navigation in percutaneous interventions using irreversible electroporation. Because of the high number of navigation systems, this review focuses on commercially available ones

Electrochemotherapy as a New Modality in Interventional Oncology: A Review

Electroporation is a well-known phenomenon that occurs at the cell membrane when cells are exposed to high-intensity electric pulses. Depending on electric pulse amplitude and number of pulses, applied electroporation can be reversible with membrane permeability recovery or irreversible. Reversible electroporation is used to introduce drugs or genetic material into the cell without affecting cell viability. Electrochemotherapy refers to a combined treatment: electroporation and drug injection to enhance its cytotoxic effect up to 1000-fold for bleomycin. Since several years, electrochemotherapy is gaining popularity as minimally invasive oncologic treatment. The adoption of electrochemotherapy procedure in interventional oncology poses several unsolved questions, since suitable tumor histology and size as well as therapeutic efficacy still needs to be deepen. Electrochemotherapy is usually applied in palliative settings for the treatment of patients with unresectable tumors to relieve pain and ameliorate quality of life. In most cases, it is used in the treatment of advanced stages of neoplasia when radical surgical treatment is not possible (eg, due to lesion location, size, and/or number). Further, electrochemotherapy allows treating tumor nodules in the proximity of important structures like vessels and nerves as the treatment does not involve tissue heating. Overall, the safety profile of electrochemotherapy is favorable. Most of the observed adverse events are local and transient, moderate local pain, erythema, edema, and muscle contractions during electroporation. The aim of this article is to review the recent published clinical experiences of electrochemotherapy use in deep-seated tumors with particular focus on liver cases. The principle of electrochemotherapy as well as the application to cutaneous metastases is briefly described. A short insight in the treatment of bone metastases, unresectable pancreas cancer, and soft tissue sarcoma will be given. Preclinical and clinical studies on treatment efficacy with electrochemotherapy of hepatic lesions and safety of the procedure adopted are discussed

Ferkelfütterung mit Einsatz der essentiellen Aminosäure Valin

In zwei vierwöchigen Fütterungsversuchen mit je 90 Absetzferkeln wurden der Einfluss unterschiedlicher Aminosäure-Versorgung und der Valin:Lysin Verhältnisse auf die Leistung und Gesundheit von Ferkeln getestet. Beide Versuche waren als Blockversuch mit drei Varianten und sechs Wiederholungen (insgesamt 18 Buchten mit je fünf Ferkeln) aufgebaut. In den beiden Versuchen wurden folgende Futtervarianten verglichen; Versuch 1: (i) 14,0 MJ VES, 180 g RP, 12,5 g Lysin, 8,6 g Valin; (ii) 14,0 MJ VES, 165 g RP, 11,5 g Lysin, 7,9 g Valin; (iii) 14,0 MJ VES, 165 g RP, 11,5 g Lysin, 8,5 g Valin. Versuche 2: (i) 14,0 MJ VES, 180 RP, 12,4 g Lysin, 8,6 g Valin; (ii) 14,0 MJ VES, 165 g RP, 12,4 g Lysin, 7,9 g Valin; (iii) 14,0 MJ VES, 165 g RP, 12,4 g Lysin, 8,6 g Valin. Im ersten Versuch führten die höheren Rohprotein- und Aminosäuregehalte zu einer signifikanten Verbesserung der Futterverwertung (1,43a, vs 1,53b und 1,51b kg/kg; P < 0,05). Durch die Anhebung der Aminosäure-Gehalte bei reduziertem Rohproteingehalt konnten in Versuch 2 die Leistungen trotz Reduktion der Rohproteine auf das Niveau des Standardfutters angehoben werden. Der Zusatz der essentiellen Aminosäure Valin zeigte in beiden Versuchen keine Wirkung auf die gemessenen Leistungs- und Gesundheitsparameter.Due studi che coinvolgevano 90 sui-netti, svezzati da appena quattro settimane, sono stati utilizzati per provare l’effetto di differenti apporti di aminoacidi e del rapporto valina-lisina sulle prestazioni e la salute dei suinetti. Le due prove erano organizzate in blocchi con tre trattamenti e sei ripetizioni, per un totale di 18 box a cinque suinetti.Le razioni confrontate erano nella prova 1: (i) 14,0 MJ DE, 180 g CP, 12,5 g lisina, 8,6 g valina; (ii) 14,0 MJ DE, 165 g CP, 11,5 g lisina, 7,9 g valina; (iii) 14,0 MJ DE, 165 g CP, 11,5 g lisina, 8,5 g valina. Prova 2: (i) 14,0 MJ DE, 180 CP, 12,4 g lisina, 8,6 g valina; (ii) 14,0 MJ DE, 165 g CP, 12,4 g lisina, 7,9 g valina; (iii) 14,0 MJ DE, 165 g CP, 12,4 g lisina, 8,6 g valina. Nella prima prova i valori più elevati di azoto totale (AD) e aminoacidi hanno notevolmente migliorato l’indice di alimentazione (1,43a, contro 1,53b e 1,51b kg/kg; P<0,05). Nella seconda prova un aumento del tenore in aminoacidi, parallelamente a una riduzione del tenore in materia azotata ha permesso di mantenere la presta-zione a livello della razione standard, nonostante il ridotto tenore in materia azotata. L’aggiunta dell’aminoacido essenziale valina non influenza i parametri di prestazione e di salute misurate in entrambe le prove.The goals of these trials were to investigate the effects of different dietary amino acid concentrations and valine:lysine ratios on piglet perform-ance and health. Two 4-week trials with 90 weaned piglets (3 treatments and 6 replicates) each were conducted. All diets contained 14 MJ DE: Trial 1: (i) 180 g CP, 12,5 g lysine, 8,6 g valine; (ii) 165 g CP, 11,5 g lysine, 7,9 g valine; (iii) 165 g CP, 11,5 g lysine, 8,5 g valine. Trial 2: (i) 180 CP, 12,4 g lysine, 8,6 g valine; (ii) 165 g CP, 12,4 g lysine, 7,9 g valine; (iii) 165 g CP, 12,4 g lysine, 8,6 g valine.In trial 1, the higher crude protein and amino acid concentrations led to a significant improvement in FCR (1,43a vs 1,53b and 1,51b kg/kg; P<0.05). Increas-ing the amino acid concentrations in the treatment with reduced CP concen-tration allowed performance to be maintained at the level of the standard diet in trial 2. The supplementation of the essential amino acid valine did not affect animal performance.Deux essais en blocs réunissant 90 porcelets (3 traitements, 6 répétitions) sevrés pendant quatre semaines ont servi à tester l`effet de différents apports en acides aminés et du rapport valine:lysine sur la performance et la santé des porcelets. Toutes les rations présentaient 14,0 MJ EDP. Elles contenaient, dans l`essai 1: (i) 180 g MA, 12,5 g lysine, 8,6 g valine; (ii) 165 g MA, 11,5 g lysine, 7,9 g valine; (iii) 165 g MA, 11,5 g lysine, 8,5 g valine. Dans l`essai 2: (i) 180 g MA, 12,4 g lysine, 8,6 g valine; (ii) 165 g MA, 12,4 g lysine, 7,9 g valine; (iii) 165 g MA, 12,4 g lysine, 8,6 g valine. Dans le premier essai, des teneurs supérieures en matière azotée totale (MA) et en acides aminés ont amélioré significativement l'indice de consommation (1,43a contre 1,53b et 1,51b kg/kg; P<0.05). Dans le second essai, une augmentation de la teneur en acides aminés parallèlement à une réduction de la teneur en matière azotée a permis de maintenir la performance au niveau de la ration standard malgré la teneur réduite en matière azotée. L`addition de l`acide aminé essentiel valine n`a pas influencé les paramètres de performance

The mannose 6-phosphate-binding sites of M6P/IGF2R determine its capacity to suppress matrix invasion by squamous cell carcinoma cells

The M6P (mannose 6-phosphate)/IGF2R (insulin-like growth factor II receptor) interacts with a variety of factors that impinge on tumour invasion and metastasis. It has been shown that expression of wild-type M6P/IGF2R reduces the tumorigenic and invasive properties of receptor-deficient SCC-VII squamous cell carcinoma cells. We have now used mutant forms of M6P/IGF2R to assess the relevance of the different ligand-binding sites of the receptor for its biological activities in this cellular system. The results of the present study demonstrate that M6P/IGF2R does not require a functional binding site for insulin-like growth factor II for inhibition of anchorage-independent growth and matrix invasion by SCC-VII cells. In contrast, the simultaneous mutation of both M6P-binding sites is sufficient to impair all cellular functions of the receptor tested. These findings highlight that the interaction between M6P/IGF2R and M6P-modified ligands is not only important for intracellular accumulation of lysosomal enzymes and formation of dense lysosomes, but is also crucial for the ability of the receptor to suppress SCC-VII growth and invasion. The present study also shows that some of the biological activities of M6P/IGF2R in SCC-VII cells strongly depend on a functional M6P-binding site within domain 3, thus providing further evidence for the non-redundant cellular functions of the individual carbohydrate-binding domains of the receptor

Hepatobiliary MRI: Signal intensity based assessment of liver function correlated to 13C-Methacetin breath test

Gadoxetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) is a paramagnetic MRI contrast agent with raising popularity and has been used for evaluation of imaging-based liver function in recent years. In order to verify whether liver function as determined by real-time breath analysis using the intravenous administration of C-13-methacetin can be estimated quantitatively from Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI using signal intensity (SI) values. 110 patients underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced 3-T MRI and, for the evaluation of liver function, a C-13-methacetin breath test (C-13-MBT). SI values from before (SIpre) and 20 min after (SIpost) contrast media injection were acquired by T1-weighted volume-interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) sequences with fat suppression. The relative enhancement (RE) between the plain and contrast-enhanced SI values was calculated and evaluated in a correlation analysis of C-13-MBT values to SIpost and RE to obtain a SI-based estimation of C-13-MBT values. The simple regression model showed a log-linear correlation of C-13-MBT values with SIpost and RE (p < 0.001). Stratified by 3 different categories of C-13-MBT readouts, there was a constant significant decrease in both SIpost (p <= 0.002) and RE (p <= 0.033) with increasing liver disease progression as assessed by the C-13-MBT. Liver function as determined using real-time C-13-methacetin breath analysis can be estimated quantitatively from GdEOB- DTPA-enhanced MRI using SI-based indices