The COMQUAD Component Container Architecture and Contract Negotiation

Component-based applications require runtime support to be able to guarantee non-functional properties. This report proposes an architecture for a real-time-capable, component-based runtime environment, which allows to separate non-functional and functional concerns in component-based software development. The architecture is presented with particular focus on three key issues: the conceptual architecture, an approach including implementation issues for splitting the runtime environment into a real-time-capable and a real-time-incapable part, and details of contract negotiation. The latter includes selecting component implementations for instantiantion based on their non-functional properties

The role of serine protease HtrA in acute ulcerative enterocolitis and extra-intestinal immune responses during Campylobacter jejuni infection of gnotobiotic IL-10 deficient mice

Campylobacter jejuni infections have a high prevalence worldwide and represent a significant socioeconomic burden. C. jejuni can cross the intestinal epithelial barrier as visualized in biopsies derived from human patients and animal models, however, the underlying molecular mechanisms and associated immunopathology are still not well understood. We have recently shown that the secreted serine protease HtrA (high temperature requirement A) plays a key role in C. jejuni cellular invasion and transmigration across polarized epithelial cells in vitro. In the present in vivo study we investigated the role of HtrA during C. jejuni infection of mice. We used the gnotobiotic IL-10−/− mouse model to study campylobacteriosis following peroral infection with the C. jejuni wild-type (WT) strain NCTC11168 and the isogenic, non-polar NCTC11168ΔhtrA deletion mutant. Six days post infection (p.i.) with either strain mice harbored comparable intestinal C. jejuni loads, whereas ulcerative enterocolitis was less pronounced in mice infected with the ΔhtrA mutant strain. Moreover, ΔhtrA mutant infected mice displayed lower apoptotic cell numbers in the large intestinal mucosa, less colonic accumulation of neutrophils, macrophages and monocytes, lower large intestinal nitric oxide, IFN-γ, and IL-6 as well as lower TNF-α and IL-6 serum concentrations as compared to WT strain infected mice at day 6 p.i. Notably, immunopathological responses were not restricted to the intestinal tract given that liver and kidneys exhibited mild histopathological changes 6 days p.i. with either C. jejuni strain. We also found that hepatic and renal nitric oxide levels or renal TNF-α concentrations were lower in the ΔhtrA mutant as compared to WT strain infected mice. In conclusion, we show here that the C. jejuni HtrA protein plays a pivotal role in inducing host cell apoptosis and immunopathology during murine campylobacteriosis in the gut in vivo

Untersuchungen zur Koi-Herpesvirus-Infektion

In einem interdisziplinären Forschungsprojekt wurden die Übertragungswege der Koi-Herpesvirus-Infektion (KHV) untersucht. Die Erkrankung verminderte das Speisekarpfenaufkommen in Sachsen um 40 % und verursachte dadurch bei den betroffenen Teichwirtschaften hohe wirtschaftliche Schäden. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Teichablaufwasser und Wildfische weniger an der Weiterverbreitung der Erkrankung beteiligt sind als bisher angenommen. Hauptinfektionsweg ist die Übertragung durch infizierte Karpfen. Die Weiterverbreitung erfolgt entweder durch Besatz latent erkrankter Fische oder durch Verschleppung kranker oder frisch getöteter Karpfen durch Wildtiere. Eine erfolgreiche Sanierung von Karpfenteichen durch Trockenlegung, Branntkalkapplikation und Besatz mit virusfreien Fischen ist möglich. Bei den bisher angewandten Branntkalkdosierungen von ca. 1 t/ha konnte eine Gefährdung adulter Amphibien, aber auch der in Karpfenteichen vorkommenden Amphibienlarven in situ bisher nicht festgestellt werden

CFH, C3 and ARMS2 Are Significant Risk Loci for Susceptibility but Not for Disease Progression of Geographic Atrophy Due to AMD

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a prevalent cause of blindness in Western societies. Variants in the genes encoding complement factor H (CFH), complement component 3 (C3) and age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) have repeatedly been shown to confer significant risks for AMD; however, their role in disease progression and thus their potential relevance for interventional therapeutic approaches remains unknown. Here, we analyzed association between variants in CFH, C3 and ARMS2 and disease progression of geographic atrophy (GA) due to AMD. A quantitative phenotype of disease progression was computed based on longitudinal observations by fundus autofluorescence imaging. In a subset of 99 cases with pure bilateral GA, variants in CFH (Y402H), C3 (R102G), and ARMS2 (A69S) are associated with disease (P = 1.6x10(-9), 3.2x10(-3), and P = 2.6x10(-12), respectively) when compared to 612 unrelated healthy control individuals. In cases, median progression rate of GA over a mean follow-up period of 3.0 years was 1.61 mm(2)/year with high concordance between fellow eyes. No association between the progression rate and any of the genetic risk variants at the three loci was observed (P>0.13). This study confirms that variants at CFH, C3, and ARMS2 confer significant risks for GA due to AMD. In contrast, our data indicate no association of these variants with disease progression which may have important implications for future treatment strategies. Other, as yet unknown susceptibilities may influence disease progression

Predicting September Arctic Sea Ice: A Multi-Model Seasonal Skill Comparison

Abstract This study quantifies the state-of-the-art in the rapidly growing field of seasonal Arctic sea ice prediction. A novel multi-model dataset of retrospective seasonal predictions of September Arctic sea ice is created and analyzed, consisting of community contributions from 17 statistical models and 17 dynamical models. Prediction skill is compared over the period 2001–2020 for predictions of Pan-Arctic sea ice extent (SIE), regional SIE, and local sea ice concentration (SIC) initialized on June 1, July 1, August 1, and September 1. This diverse set of statistical and dynamical models can individually predict linearly detrended Pan-Arctic SIE anomalies with skill, and a multi-model median prediction has correlation coefficients of 0.79, 0.86, 0.92, and 0.99 at these respective initialization times. Regional SIE predictions have similar skill to Pan-Arctic predictions in the Alaskan and Siberian regions, whereas regional skill is lower in the Canadian, Atlantic, and Central Arctic sectors. The skill of dynamical and statistical models is generally comparable for Pan-Arctic SIE, whereas dynamical models outperform their statistical counterparts for regional and local predictions. The prediction systems are found to provide the most value added relative to basic reference forecasts in the extreme SIE years of 1996, 2007, and 2012. SIE prediction errors do not show clear trends over time, suggesting that there has been minimal change in inherent sea ice predictability over the satellite era. Overall, this study demonstrates that there are bright prospects for skillful operational predictions of September sea ice at least three months in advance.</jats:p

Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Europe: The Past and the Future

Purpose Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a frequent, complex disorder in elderly of European ancestry. Risk profiles and treatment options have changed considerably over the years, which may have affected disease prevalence and outcome. We determined the prevalence of early and late AMD in Europe from 1990 to 2013 using the European Eye Epidemiology (E3) consortium, and made projections for the future. Design Meta-analysis of prevalence data. Participants A total of 42 080 individuals 40 years of age and older participating in 14 population-based cohorts from 10 countries in Europe. Methods AMD was diagnosed based on fundus photographs using the Rotterdam Classification. Prevalence of early and late AMD was calculated using random-effects meta-analysis stratified for age, birth cohort, gender, geographic region, and time period of the study. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was compared between late AMD subtypes; geographic atrophy (GA) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Main Outcome Measures Prevalence of early and late AMD, BCVA, and number of AMD cases. Results Prevalence of early AMD increased from 3.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1%–5.0%) in those aged 55–59 years to 17.6% (95%

Legislative Documents

Also, variously referred to as: House bills; House documents; House legislative documents; legislative documents; General Court documents

Ein modellbasierter Ansatz für adaptierbare und selbstadaptive Komponenten

Die komponentenbasierten Softwareentwicklung verspricht die vereinfachte Entwicklung von komplexen Anwendungen. Um die Wiederverwendbarkeit zu verbessern und die Flexibilität zu erhöhen, müssen Komponenten dazu möglichst an verschiedene Umgebungsbedingungen angepasst werden können, sowohl innerhalb einer als auch in unterschiedlichen Anwendungen. Diese Prozesse werden als Komponentenadaption bezeichnet. In dieser Arbeit wird ein neues Adaptionskonzept für Komponenten entwickelt. Die sogenannten Adaptierbare Komponenten verwenden ein hierarchisches Komponentenmodell und werden aus einer Menge von Subkomponenten zusammengesetzt. Die Kernidee zur Umsetzung der Adaptivität besteht darin, bestimmte Parameterwerte einer Adaptierbaren Komponente auf unterschiedliche interne Konfigurationen der Subkomponenten abzubilden. Zur Beschreibung der möglichen internen Konfigurationen von Adaptierbaren Komponenten werden vier verschiedene graphische Modellierungstechniken entwickelt, die alle auf der graphischen Notation von UML-Komponentendiagrammen basieren und diese erweitern. Eine sogenannte Parameterabbildung definiert die Zuordnung von Parameterwerten auf bestimmte Konfigurationen. Die Konzepte Adaptierbarer Komponenten setzen keine neue Komponentenplattform voraus, sondern werden durch eine Kombination von Modelltransformation und spezieller Laufzeitunterstützung auf existierende Komponentenplattformen abgebildet. Ein dazu entwickeltes generisches Verfahren definiert die Schritte zur Unterstützung einer neuen Komponentenplattform. Mit Hilfe von zwei Fallstudien wird gezeigt, dass sich die Modellierungskonzepte von Adaptierbaren Komponenten für komplexe Beispiele anwenden lassen. Mit EJB, JavaBeans und Microsoft COM wird die Modelltransformation und Laufzeitunterstützung anhand des generischen Verfahrens exemplarisch für populäre Komponentenplattformen demonstriert

Benevolent Leadership: Unveiling the Impact of Supervisor Gender on HR Practices and Employee Commitment

In this study, we examine the relationship between supervisor gender, the adoption of HR practices, and employee commitment. Based on leadership theories arguing that female supervisors are more focused on employee needs than male supervisors, we suggest that female supervisors are more likely to adopt HR practices that address employee needs. Using social exchange arguments, we predict that this in turn leads to higher affective commitment among employees. We test our theoretical predictions using three waves of the German Linked Personnel Panel (LPP). Our results indicate that female supervisors promote personnel development practices (DP) more than male supervisors, which has a positive impact on employees’ affective commitment to the organization. We find no statistically significant effect of a female supervisor on the provision of family-friendly work practices (FFWP). We discuss the implications of these findings and suggest avenues for future research