Should I Bug You? Identifying Domain Experts in Software Projects Using Code Complexity Metrics

In any sufficiently complex software system there are experts, having a deeper understanding of parts of the system than others. However, it is not always clear who these experts are and which particular parts of the system they can provide help with. We propose a framework to elicit the expertise of developers and recommend experts by analyzing complexity measures over time. Furthermore, teams can detect those parts of the software for which currently no, or only few experts exist and take preventive actions to keep the collective code knowledge and ownership high. We employed the developed approach at a medium-sized company. The results were evaluated with a survey, comparing the perceived and the computed expertise of developers. We show that aggregated code metrics can be used to identify experts for different software components. The identified experts were rated as acceptable candidates by developers in over 90% of all cases

Einfluss der Kryokonservierung auf die Immunantwort von Leukozyten

Die Messung von Zytokinen in Stimulationsexperimenten zur Bestimmung von Stärke und Umfang einer Immunreaktion werden in der Praxis häufig an kryokonserviertem Zellmaterial durchgeführt. Bisherige Untersuchungen zum Einfluss der Kryokonservierung auf die Zytokinexpression sind widersprüchlich. In den hier durchgeführten Experimenten wurden die Genexpression und/ oder Sekretion der Zytokine IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, GM-CSF, IFN-γ und TNF-α in frisch isolierten und kryokonservierten Immunzellen aus Blut (PBMC) eines gesunden Spenders bestimmt. Diese wurden mit den Immunsystem-aktivierenden Stoffen OKT-3 und Concanavalin A (Con A) stimuliert und für 4 bzw. 24 h kultiviert. Ein Vergleich der frisch-isolierten und kryokonservierten PBMC in Stimulationsexperimenten zeigt, (1) dass die Messung der Genexpression genauere Einblicke zu Beginn der einsetzenden Immunreaktion verschafft, als die Messung der ausgeschütteten Zytokine, (2) dass durch Einfrieren die Immunreaktion insbesondere zu diesem Zeitpunkt beeinflusst wird und (3) dass zu späteren Zeitpunkten die Konzentrationsbestimmung der Zytokine im Zellkulturüberstand das Mittel der Wahl ist.The measurement of cytokines in stimulation experiments with the aim to determine the strength and the complexitiy of an immune reaction is commonly carried out on cryopreserved cells. Previous studies, investigating the impact of cryopreservation on the cytokine expression, are inconsistent in their findings. Experiments conducted in this study determine the gene expression and/or secretion of IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-12, IL-13, GM-CSF, IFN-γ and TNF-α in freshly isolated and cryopreserved PBMC of a healthy donor. The cells were stimulated with the substances OKT-3 and Concanavalin A (Con A) and cultured for 4h and 24h. The comparison of freshly isolated and cryopreserved cells in stimulation experiments showed (1) that the measurement of the gene expression offers a more accurate insight into the immune-reaction at early timepoints than the measurement of the secreted cytokines; (2) that freezing of the cells affect the immune response at this early stage and (3) that at later points the measurement of secreted proteins is the method of choice

Struktur, Assemblierung und Stabilität von Typ-1-Pili

Type 1 pili are extracellular, supramolecular protein complexes required for the attachment of pathogenic E. coli strains to host cells. Hundreds to thousands of protein subunits are assembled within minutes in vivo and form filaments with unique kinetic stability against dissociation. Here, we review recent work on the structure, assembly mechanism and potential technical applications derived from this exciting biological syste

Human inflammatory bowel disease does not associate with Lawsonia intracellularis infection

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that bacterial infection of the intestinal mucosa may contribute to the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In pigs, an obligate intracellular bacterium, Lawsonia intracellularis (LI), was shown to cause proliferative enteropathy (PE) of which some forms display histological and clinical similarities to human IBD. Since LI-similar Desulfovibrio spp. may infect human cells, we hypothesized that LI might be associated with the development of human IBD. RESULTS: In human intestinal tissue samples, PCR using LLG, 50SL27, LSA and strictly LI-specific 16SII primers, yielded either no amplicons or products with weak homology to human genomic sequences. Sequencing of these amplicons revealed no specificity for LI. However, amplification of DNA with less specific 16SI primers resulted in products bearing homology to certain Streptococcus species. These 16SI-amplified products were present in healthy and diseased specimens, without obvious prevalence. CONCLUSION: LI is not associated with the pathogenesis of UC or CD. Whether an immunologic response to commensal bacteria such as streptococci may contribute to the chronic inflammatory condition in IBD, remained to be determined

Etablierung verschiedener Bead-basierter Multiplexmethoden mit einem Suspensions Array-System für molekulardiagnostische Zwecke

Die simultane Bestimmung mehrerer Analyten und die Erstellung komplexer Parameterprofi e erlangt immer größere Bedeutung in der heutigen Labordiagnostik. Die Bead-basierte Multiplexanalytik bietet hier eine flexible, schnelle und einfache Methode zur Erstellung individueller Analysen. Aufgrund der Vielzahl von Anwendungsmöglichkeiten, die diese moderne Nachweismethode im Bereich molekularbiologischer Fragestellungen bietet, ist die Etablierung der Beadbasierten Multiplexanalytik im Labor für Molekularbiologie und funktionelle Genomik der Technischen Hochschule Wildau von großem Nutzen. Zur Einarbeitung in das Testsystem wurden die Konzentrationen der Zytokine IL-2, IL-4, IFN-γ und TNF-α in Zellkulturüberständen mit kommerziellen Fertigsystemen gemessen und mit mRNA-Expressionsraten der gleichen Proben verglichen. Des Weiteren wurde ein Testsystem zum Nachweis von humanen Antikörpern der Klassen IgG und IgM sowie deren antigen-spezifischer Anteil in Zellkulturüberständen entwickelt. Außerdem konnte durch die erfolgreiche Detektion von DNA-gekoppelten Beads mittels markierter Oligonukleotidsequenz die Kopplung und die Anwendbarkeit der Methode auf Bindungsexperimente mit Nukleotidsequenzen gezeigt werdenThe simultaneous determination of multiple analytes and the generation of complex parameter profi les gains increasing importance in today’s laboratory diagnostics. The bead-based multiplex assay is offering a flexible, rapid and easy to handle method for the creation of individual analyses. Because of the multitude of applications this modern detection system offers, the establishment of the bead-based multiplex technique is of great benefit for the Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics of the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau. To familiarize with the testing system the concentrations of the cytokines IL-2, IL-4, IFN-γ and TNF-α in cell culture supernatant were analysed with commercially available assays and compared with mRNA expression ratios of the same samples. Furthermore a custom testing system was developed for the detection of human IgG and IgM antibodies and also antigen specific antibodies in cell culture supernatants. The assignability of the method to binding experiments with nucleotide sequences could be shown by the successful detection of DNA-modified beads by conjugated oligonucleotide

Biomimicry designs for passive optical solutions for nanoscale radiative cooling applications

Inspired by the mechanism of the wings of Morpho butterfly, here we propose biomimicry designs which have the potential to be used for radiative cooling purposes. We numerically analyzed the spontaneous emission at near-field and determined radiative heat flux at nano-scale in order to investigate the impact of geometric variations and material selection in these systems. Our findings suggest that these metasurfaces which support phononic surface waves, can be used to tailor radiative heat transfer at nano-scale in the atmospheric transparency window (8-13 mu m) within the infrared regime

Инженерно-геологическое районирование промплощадки Эльгинского горно-обогатительного комбината в Якутии по несущей способности грунтов

Проведение инженерно-геологического районирования важно для перспективного планирования строительства на изучаемой территории в будущем. Огромную роль при этом играют опасные геологические процессы, распространенные на данной территории. Достаточно полную и достоверную картину состояния изучаемой территории по степени благоприятности ее к дальнейшему освоению может дать только комплексный анализ. Именно оценка наличия опасных инженерно-геологических процессов, данные о скорости их развития и распространения в пространстве и времени, а также учет их возможного негативного влияния на строительство и дальнейшую эксплуатацию позволит предотвратить экономический и социальный ущерб.Carrying out engineering and geological zoning is important for the future planning of construction in the study area in the future. A huge role in this is played by the dangerous geological processes common in this territory. Only a comprehensive analysis can give a sufficiently complete and reliable picture of the state of the studied territory by the degree of its favorableness for further development. It is an assessment of the presence of dangerous engineering and geological processes, data on the speed of their development and spread in space and time, as well as taking into account their possible negative impact on construction and further operation, will prevent economic and social damage

Towards a 21st-century roadmap for biomedical research and drug discovery:consensus report and recommendations

Decades of costly failures in translating drug candidates from preclinical disease models to human therapeutic use warrant reconsideration of the priority placed on animal models in biomedical research. Following an international workshop attended by experts from academia, government institutions, research funding bodies, and the corporate and nongovernmental organisation (NGO) sectors, in this consensus report, we analyse, as case studies, five disease areas with major unmet needs for new treatments. In view of the scientifically driven transition towards a human pathway-based paradigm in toxicology, a similar paradigm shift appears to be justified in biomedical research. There is a pressing need for an approach that strategically implements advanced, human biology-based models and tools to understand disease pathways at multiple biological scales. We present recommendations to help achieve this