Search

Draco has been developed as an automated visualization recommendation system formalizing design knowledge as logical constraints in ASP (Answer-Set Programming). With an increasing set of constraints and incorporated design knowledge, even visualization experts lose overview in Draco and struggle to retrace the automated recommendation decisions made by the system. Our paper proposes an Visual Analytics (VA) approach to visualize and analyze Draco's constraints. Our VA approach is supposed to enable visualization experts to accomplish identified tasks regarding the knowledge base and support them in better understanding Draco. We extend the existing data extraction strategy of Draco with a data processing architecture capable of extracting features of interest from the knowledge base. A revised version of the ASP grammar provides the basis for this data processing strategy. The resulting incorporated and shared features of the constraints are then visualized using a hypergraph structure inside the radial-arranged constraints of the elaborated visualization. The hierarchical categories of the constraints are indicated by arcs surrounding the constraints. Our approach is supposed to enable visualization experts to interactively explore the design rules' violations based on highlighting respective constraints or recommendations. A qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the prototype confirms the prototype's effectiveness and value in acquiring insights into Draco's recommendation process and design constraints., Comment: To be presented at VIS 2023

Actions in the real world have immediate sensory consequences. Mimicking these in digital environments is within reach, but technical constraints usually impose a certain latency (delay) between user actions and system responses. It is important to assess the impact of this latency on the users, ideally with measurement techniques that do not interfere with their digital experience. One such unobtrusive technique is electroencephalography (EEG), which can capture the users’ brain activity associated with motor responses and sensory events by extracting event-related potentials (ERPs) from the continuous EEG recording. Here we exploit the fact that the amplitude of sensory ERP components (specifically, N1 and P2) reflects the degree to which the sensory event was perceived as an expected consequence of an own action (self-generation effect). Participants (N=24) elicit auditory events in a virtual-reality (VR) setting by entering codes on virtual keypads to open doors. In a within-participant design, the delay between user input and sound presentation is manipulated across blocks. Occasionally, the virtual keypad is operated by a simulated robot instead, yielding a control condition with externally generated sounds. Results show that N1 (but not P2) amplitude is reduced for self-generated relative to externally generated sounds, and P2 (but not N1) amplitude is modulated by delay of sound presentation in a graded manner. This dissociation between N1 and P2 effects maps back to basic research on self-generation of sounds. We suggest P2 amplitude as a candidate read-out to assess the quality and immersiveness of digital environments with respect to system latency.

In the framework of this dissertation, selected biodegradable plastic compounds were investigated for their enzymatic degradability under marine conditions and their impacts on marine invertebrates. The tested compounds are issued from the Horizon 2020 project “Bio-Plastics Europe” and are based on common biodegradable polymers. In-vitro assays showed, that the enzymatic degradability of these compounds is impaired by low temperatures prevailing in the ocean. Additionally, almost no degradation was observed with exposure experiments in seawater and mud for six months, indicating no or only very slow degradation of biodegradable plastics in most marine environments. Feeding experiments with different marine invertebrates showed, that biodegradable microplastics are ingested in the same way as conventional microplastics. Once ingested, they might be exposed to digestive enzymes. Gastric fluids from the edible crab Cancer pagurus and the American lobster Homarus americanus were incubated with microplastics and the hydrolysis was measured, showing that both species can potentially hydrolyze one of the biodegradable plastics. Further analyses of the gastric fluid of the edible crab identified high activities of carboxylesterases, which are thought to be responsible for the hydrolysis of the biodegradable plastic. The implications following an ingestion of biodegradable microplastics were investigated using the rockpool shrimp Palaemon elegans. Acute feeding trials and also continuous feeding of microplastics did not induce oxidative stress in the shrimp. However, ingestion of one of the materials led to increased carboxylesterase activity in all experiments. Furthermore, the effects of substances that potentially leach out of biodegradable plastics were investigated with marine zooplankton. Leachates from one of the compounds induced high mortalities in the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis and in nauplii from the brine shrimp Artemia persimilis, indicating the presence of toxic additives.

The increasing use of patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures is forcing clinicians and health care systems to decide which to select and how to incorporate them into their records and clinical workflows. This overview addresses 3 topics related to these concerns. First, a literature review summarizes key psychometric and practical factors (such as reliability, responsiveness, computer adaptive testing, and interpretability) in choosing PROs for clinical practice. Second, 3 clinical decision support issues are highlighted: gathering PROs, electronic health record effect on providers, and incorporating PROs into clinical decision support design and implementation. Lastly, the salience of crosscutting domains as well as 9 key pragmatic decisions are reviewed. Crosscutting domains are those that are relevant across most medical and mental health conditions, such as the SPADE symptom pentad (sleep problems, pain, anxiety, depression, low energy/fatigue) and physical functioning. The 9 pragmatic decisions include (1) generic vs disease-specific scales; (2) single- vs multidomain scales; (3) universal scales vs user-choice selection; (4) number of domains to measure; (5) prioritization of domains when multiple domains are assessed; (6) action thresholds; (7) clinical purpose (screening vs monitoring); as well as the (8) frequency and (9) logistical aspects of PRO administration.

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Die transkutane Sonografie ist seit einigen Jahrzehnten ein fester Bestandteil der bildgebenden Diagnostik im Kopf-Hals-Bereich. Insbesondere in der Darstellung von Abszessen der Fossa tonsillaris ist die Sonografie eine schnelle, sichere und kostengünstige diagnostische Methode. Diese Arbeit soll einen Überblick über die derzeit publizierten Studien in Bezug auf die diagnostische Wertigkeit geben. Material und Methoden Systematische Literaturrecherche in folgenden Online-Datenbanken: PubMed und MEDLINE nach den Suchbegriffen transcutaneous ultrasound, tonsillar abscess, peritonsillar abscess, intratonsillar abscess, peritonsillar cellulitis und parapharyngeal abscess. Bewertung der wissenschaftlichen Relevanz der Arbeiten nach festgelegten Kriterien. Ergebnisse Die Publikationen wurden in Bezug auf die klinische Anwendung, die klinische Befunderhebung und die diagnostische Genauigkeit analysiert. Die Sensitivität und Spezifität werden je nach Studie und Patientenkollektiv zwischen 67 % und 100 % bzw. 50 % und 93 % angegeben. Schlussfolgerungen In Zusammenschau der aktuell publizierten Ergebnisse verspricht die transkutane Sonografie ein großes Potenzial, die Diagnostik des Peritonsillarabszesses zu verbessern, und ermöglicht eine gute Abgrenzbarkeit zur peritonsillären Zellulitis. Dies ist für das klinische Management von Patienten mit Abszessverdacht von entscheidender Bedeutung.

In dieser Arbeit wurde die Variationsflechttechnik für die Entwicklung einfacher und verzweigter Koronarstents verwendet. Ein Herstellungsverfahren für einfache und verzweigte Koronarstents wird vorgestellt, die entwickelten einfachen Koronarstents wurden getestet und die Ergebnisse nach ihren Prozessparametern für die praktische Verwendbarkeit des Implantierens bewertet.

In lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs), twist distortion of the nematic director costs much less energy than splay or bend distortion. This feature leads to novel mirror-symmetry breaking director configurations when the LCLCs are confined by interfaces or contain suspended particles. Spherical colloids in an aligned LCLC nematic phase, for example, induce chiral director perturbations (“twisted tails”). The asymmetry of rod-like particles in an aligned LCLC offer a richer set of possibilities due to their aspect ratio (α) and mean orientation angle (〈θ〉) between their long axis and the uniform far-field director. Here we report on the director configuration, equilibrium orientation, and angular diffusion of rod-like particles with planar anchoring suspended in an aligned LCLC. Video microscopy reveals, counterintuitively, that two-thirds of the rods have an angled equilibrium orientation (〈θ〉 ≠ 0) that decreases with increasing α, while only one-third of the rods are aligned (〈θ〉 = 0). Polarized optical video-microscopy and Landau–de Gennes numerical modeling demonstrate that the angled and aligned rods are accompanied by distinct chiral director configurations. Angled rods have a longitudinal mirror plane (LMP) parallel to their long axis and approximately parallel to the substrate walls. Aligned rods have a transverse and longitudinal mirror plane (TLMP), where the transverse mirror plane is perpendicular to the rod's long axis. Effectively, the small twist elastic constant of LCLCs promotes chiral director configurations that modify the natural tendency of rods to orient along the far-field director. Additional diffusion experiments confirm that rods are angularly confined with strength that depends on α.

This project deliverable describes the DyMoN Data Hub with its data processing model, software architecture and clients, and potential uses for situation-aware nudging. The content consists of the following parts: Nudge ontologies: ● Situation awareness and its role in nudging approaches; ● Rulesets translating the text representation of situation in nudges into data thresholds and conditional statements. Data processing model: ● Data processing model of the Data Hub defining the steps necessary to acquire and prepare data from its raw state to final information stored in the Data Hub; ● Data assessment matrix that identifies data availability and suitability according to information demand for the nudging repository, dashboard, and simulation model; ● Data acquisition requirements; ● Syntactic interoperability of data that identifies how to join different datasets to generate information. Software architecture: ● Technical specifications of the Data Hub with its data and nudge repositories, and its API that provides calculated data layers and nudges to the DyMoN API; ● Technical specification of the DyMoN API that provides data layers and nudges to external end-clients, such as the citizens’ app and dashboard. End-clients: ● Functional requirements of the citizens’ app in order to adopt DyMoN framework’s services; ● Design of the dashboard for city managers and citizens to monitor mobility-related data and assist in decision-making.

Against the background of the current healthcare and climate emergencies, surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is becoming a highly topical technique for identifying and fingerprinting molecules, e.g., within viruses, bacteria, drugs, and atmospheric aerosols. Crucial for SERS is the need for substrates with strong and reproducible enhancements of the Raman signal over large areas and with a low fabrication cost. Here, dense arrays of plasmonic nanohelices (≈100 nm in length), which are of interest for many advanced nanophotonics applications, are investigated, and they are shown to present excellent SERS properties. As an illustration, two new ways to probe near-field enhancement generated with circular polarization at chiral metasurfaces are presented, first using the Raman spectra of achiral molecules (crystal violet) and second using a single, element-specific, achiral molecular vibrational mode (i.e., a single Raman peak). The nanohelices can be fabricated over large areas at a low cost and they provide strong, robust and uniform Raman enhancement. It is anticipated that these advanced materials will find broad applications in surface enhanced Raman spectroscopies and material science.

Hintergrund: In den letzten Jahren wurde deutlich, dass die Krebsinzidenz stetig ansteigt. Jährlich erkranken in Österreich etwa 42.000 Menschen an einer onkologischen Erkrankung. Eine häufige Behandlungsmethode ist die Chemotherapie, die einige Nebenwirkungen mit sich bringt. Zu den Häufigsten gehören die Chemotherapie-induzierten Verdauungsstörungen, welche die Lebensqualität enorm einschränken. Ziel der Arbeit ist, anhand von wissenschaftlicher Literatur herauszufinden, wie pflegerische Maßnahmen die Lebensqualität von krebskranken Patient*innen, welche an einer Chemotherapie-induzierten Verdauungsstörung leiden beeinflussen. Methode: Es wurde von Dezember 2022 bis April 2023 eine Literaturrecherche nach Mayer (2019) in den Datenbanken MEDLINE® via Pubmed und CINAHL® with fulltext via Ebsco-Host durchgeführt. Es konnten zwölf relevante Studien identifiziert werden, welche anschließend kritisch beurteilt wurden. Ergebnisse: Krebspatient*innen welche sich einer Chemotherapie unterziehen leiden an einer Vielzahl von Nebenwirkungen, besonders Verdauungsprobleme. Die Anwendung von Aromapflege und psychologische Pflegeinterventionen lindern bewiesener Maßen einen Großteil dieser Symptome. Orale Supplementation und Ernährungsinterventionen zeigen sich nur teilweise unterstützend. Schlussfolgerungen: Onkologische Pflegepersonen sind eine wichtige Anlaufstelle für Patient*innen, die eine stationäre oder ambulante Chemotherapie erhalten. Aufgrund der Wichtigkeit einer adäquaten Symptombehandlung sollte im Umgang mit den zu erwartenden Symptomen der Krebsbehandlung eine individuelle Betreuung in den Pflegealltag integriert werden. Background: Recently, the incidence of cancer is steadily increasing. In Austria, approximately 42.000 people are annually diagnosed with cancer. A common treatment method is chemotherapy, which causes some side effects. Among the most common are chemotherapy-induced digestive disorders, which reduce the quality of life. Aim of the work was to identify how nursing measures influence the quality of life of cancer patients suffering from chemotherapy-induced indigestion, based on scientific literature. Method: To answer the research question a literature search according to Mayer (2019), lasting from December 2022 to April 2023, was carried out. Databases like MEDLINE® via Pubmed and CINAHL® with fulltext via Ebsco Host were used. Twelve relevant studies could be identified, which were subsequently critically appraised. Results: Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy suffer from a variety of side effects, especially digestive problems. The use of aroma care and psychological interventions have been shown to alleviate a large proportion of these symptoms. Oral supplementation and nutritional interventions were only partially supportive. Conclusion: Oncology nurses are an important point of contact for patients receiving stationary or ambulant chemotherapy. Due to the importance of adequate symptom management, individualized care should be integrated into the daily routine. The individual care of patients dealing with the expected symptoms of cancer treatment is an important aspect of therapy.

Set visualization facilitates the exploration and analysis of set-type data. However, how sets should be visualized when the data is uncertain is still an open research challenge. To address the problem of depicting uncertainty in set visualization, we ask (i) which aspects of set type data can be affected by uncertainty and (ii) which characteristics of uncertainty influence the visualization design. We answer these research questions by first developing a conceptual framework that brings together (i) the information that is primarily relevant in sets (i.e., set membership, set attributes, and element attributes) and (ii) different plausible categories of (un)certainty (i.e., certainty, undefined uncertainty as a binary fact, and defined uncertainty as quantifiable measure). Based on the conceptual framework, we systematically discuss visualization examples of integrating uncertainty in set visualizations. We draw on existing knowledge about general uncertainty visualization and fill gaps where set-specific aspects have not yet been considered sufficiently.

Objective To identify the appropriate treatment in the tonsillar region's infections, a distinction between tonsillitis with or without abscess formation is essential. Ultrasound proved to be a valuable method in identifying abscess formation in the head and neck region. However, no report described the assessment of the tonsil region. This study aims to determine the feasibility of transcervical ultrasound for abscess visualization in the palatal tonsillar region. Methods Retrospective analysis of 354 patients presenting with clinical suspicion of tonsillar abscess to a tertiary referral center and university hospital. All patients received a transcervical ultrasound to establish a primary diagnosis. The existence of an abscess was confirmed by puncture and incision, or final tonsillectomy. If no abscess could be delineated, non-abscessing tonsillitis was supposed, and conservative primary therapy and closed follow-up examinations were performed. Results After the first diagnostic ultrasound examination, in 257 cases (72.59%), the diagnosis of an abscess could be established, but in 97 cases (27.40%), due to missing abscess formation criteria, non-abscessing tonsillitis was documented. Overall, ultrasonography demonstrated an overall accuracy of 78.8% in this selected cohort. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV after the first ultrasound examination were calculated with 75.1%, 88.6%, 94.6%, and 57.3%, respectively. Conclusion The presented data confirm that an abscess formation due to tonsillitis can be detected by transcervical ultrasound, enabling prompt, adequate management. As transcervical ultrasound can be conducted fast and is not associated with radiation, it can be regarded as a first-line diagnostic tool in this condition.

Background For Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surgery either through resection or transplantation often provides the only chance for cure. Since hepatocarcinogenesis and postsurgical prognosis is not only dependent on cirrhosis but also on immune activation and exhaustion, many studies have investigated tumor infiltrating leukocyte (TIL) subsets. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims at describing the cell groups and their predictive power regarding overall (OS), disease free (DFS) and recurrence free survival (RFS). Material and methods A systematic search of the PubMed database was conducted (PROSPERO 172324). Data on CD3+, CD8+, Treg, B cells, macrophages, neutrophil and NK-cells were collected from Pubmed and related references up to December 2018. Overall (OS), disease-free (DFS) and recurrence free survival (RFS) in dependence of high vs. low infiltration rates were compared using a random effects meta-analysis. Results Altogether data from 3541 patients enrolled in 20 publications were included. Except for Tregs and Neutrophils, heterogeneity analysis was found to be moderate to high across the studies. High CD3+, CD8+, NK-cell infiltration predicted better survival (OS, DFS and RFS; p Discussion As with other solid tumors immune infiltration has a great influence on survival after resection. However, a considerable publication bias cannot be ruled out in mostly retrospective analyses. Nevertheless, in light of novel immune modulatory treatments this opens a new avenue towards effective and well-tolerated adjuvant treatment.

Fragestellung: Die optimale Behandlungsstrategie für Frakturen des posterioren Malleolus (PM) wird intensiv diskutiert. Das Ziel dieser systematischen Literaturrecherche war es, die Behandlungsergebnisse nach offener Reposition und interner Fixierung (ORIF) für PM-Frakturen mit entweder der [zum vollständigen Text gelangen Sie über die oben angegebene URL]

Analysis of spatial multivariate data, i.e., measurements at irregularly-spaced locations, is a challenging topic in visualization and statistics alike. Such data are inteGral to many domains, e.g., indicators of valuable minerals are measured for mine prospecting. Popular analysis methods, like PCA, often by design do not account for the spatial nature of the data. Thus they, together with their spatial variants, must be employed very carefully. Clearly, it is preferable to use methods that were specifically designed for such data, like spatial blind source separation (SBSS). However, SBSS requires two tuning parameters, which are themselves complex spatial objects. Setting these parameters involves navigating two large and interdependent parameter spaces, while also taking into account prior knowledge of the physical reality represented by the data. To support analysts in this process, we developed a visual analytics prototype. We evaluated it with experts in visualization, SBSS, and geochemistry. Our evaluations show that our interactive prototype allows to define complex and realistic parameter settings efficiently, which was so far impractical. Settings identified by a non-expert led to remarkable and surprising insights for a domain expert. Therefore, this paper presents important first steps to enable the use of a promising analysis method for spatial multivariate data. peerReviewed

Background PSMA-TO-1 (“Tumor-Optimized-1”) is a novel PSMA ligand with longer circulation time than PSMA-617. We compared the biodistribution in subcutaneous tumor-bearing mice of PSMA-TO-1, PSMA-617 and PSMA-11 when labeled with 68Ga and 177Lu, and the survival after treatment with 225Ac-PSMA-TO-1/-617 in a murine model of disseminated prostate cancer. We also report dosimetry data of 177Lu-PSMA-TO1/-617 in prostate cancer patients. Methods First, PET images of 68Ga-PSMA-TO-1/-617/-11 were acquired on consecutive days in three mice bearing subcutaneous C4-2 xenografts. Second, 50 subcutaneous tumor-bearing mice received either 30 MBq of 177Lu-PSMA-617 or 177Lu-PSMA-TO-1 and were sacrificed at 1, 4, 24, 48 and 168 h for ex vivo gamma counting and biodistribution. Third, mice bearing disseminated lesions via intracardiac inoculation were treated with either 40 kBq of 225Ac-PSMA-617, 225Ac-PSMA-TO-1, or remained untreated and followed for survival. Additionally, 3 metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients received 500 MBq of 177Lu-PSMA-TO-1 under compassionate use for dosimetry purposes. Planar images with an additional SPECT/CT acquisition were acquired for dosimetry calculations. Results Tumor uptake measured by PET imaging of 68Ga-labeled agents in mice was highest using PSMA-617, followed by PSMA-TO-1 and PSMA-11. 177Lu-PSMA tumor uptake measured by ex vivo gamma counting at subsequent time points tended to be greater for PSMA-TO-1 up to 1 week following treatment (p > 0.13 at all time points). This was, however, accompanied by increased kidney uptake and a 26-fold higher kidney dose of PSMA-TO-1 compared with PSMA-617 in mice. Mice treated with a single-cycle 225Ac-PSMA-TO-1 survived longer than those treated with 225Ac-PSMA-617 and untreated mice, respectively (17.8, 14.5 and 7.7 weeks, respectively; p 177Lu-PSMA-TO-1 in patients #01/#02/#03 were 2.5/2.4/3.0, 1.0/2.5/2.3, 0.14/0.11/0.10 and 0.42 ± 0.03/4.45 ± 0.07/1.8 ± 0.57, respectively. Conclusions PSMA-TO-1 tumor uptake tended to be greater than that of PSMA-617 in both preclinical and clinical settings. Mice treated with 225Ac-PSMA-TO-1 conferred a significant survival benefit compared to 225Ac-PSMA-617 despite the accompanying increased kidney uptake. In humans, PSMA-TO-1 dosimetry estimates suggest increased tumor absorbed doses; however, the kidneys, salivary glands and bone marrow are also exposed to higher radiation doses. Thus, additional preclinical studies are needed before further clinical use.

Fragestellung/Zielsetzung: Digitale Lehr-Lern-formate können interaktiven Austausch unter Lernenden fördern [ref:1]. Evaluationen von Studien- oder Ausbildungsgängen, die im Zuge der Pandemie auf digitale Lehre umstellten, weisen darauf hin, dass Kompetenzen im Bereich [zum vollständigen Text gelangen Sie über die oben angegebene URL]

BACKGROUND /Purpose: The present study aimed to assess whether SRT to the prostatic fossa should be initiated in a timely manner after detecting biochemical recurrence (BR) in patients with prostate cancer, when no correlate was identified with prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (PSMA-PET). MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective, multicenter analysis included 1222 patients referred for PSMA-PET after a radical prostatectomy due to BR. Exclusion criteria were: pathological lymph node metastases, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) persistence, distant or lymph node metastases, nodal irradiation, and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). This led to a cohort of 341 patients. Biochemical progression-free survival (BPFS) was the primary study endpoint. RESULTS The median follow-up was 28.0 months. The 3-year BPFS was 71.6% in PET-negative cases and 80.8% in locally PET-positive cases. This difference was significant in univariate (p=0.019), but not multivariate analyses (p=0.366, HR: 1.46, 95%CI: 0.64-3.32). The 3-year BPFS in PET-negative cases was significantly influenced by age (p=0.005), initial pT3/4 (p70 Gy (p=0.027) in univariate analyses. In multivariate analyses, only age (HR: 1.096, 95%CI: 1.023-1.175, p=0.009) and PSA-doubling time (HR: 0.339, 95%CI: 0.139-0.826, p=0.017) remained significant. CONCLUSION To our best knowledge, this study provided the largest SRT analysis in patients without ADT that were lymph node-negative on PSMA-PET. A multivariate analysis showed no significant difference in BPFS between locally PET-positive and PET-negative cases. These results supported the current EAU recommendation to initiate SRT in a timely manner after detecting BR in PET negative patients.

Paper presented at BD 2019 - Biographical Data in a Digital World

Purpose EAU guidelines recommend multiparametric MRI of the prostate (mpMRI) prior to biopsy to increase accuracy and reduce biopsies. Whether biopsy can be avoided in case of negative mpMRI remains unclear. Aim of this study is to evaluate predictors of overall prostate cancer (PCa) in negative mpMRI. Methods A total of 216 patients from 2018 to 2020 with suspicion of PCa and negative mpMRI (PI-RADS ≤ 2) were interviewed by telephone about outcome and further follow-up. Clinically significant PCa (csPCa) was defined as ISUP ≥ 2. Patients with vs. without biopsy and with vs. without PCa were compared. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate predictors of PCa occurrence in patients with negative mpMRI. Results 15.7% and 5.1% of patients with PI-RADS ≤ 2 on mpMRI showed PCa and csPCa, respectively. PCa patients had higher PSAD (0.14 vs. 0.09 ng/ml2; p = 0.001) and lower prostate volume (50.5 vs. 74.0 ml; p = 0.003). Patients without biopsy (25%) after MRI were older (69 vs. 65.5 years; p = 0.027), showed lower PSA (5.7 vs. 6.73 ng/ml; p = 0.033) and lower PSA density (0.09 vs. 0.1 ng/ml2; p = 0.027). Multivariate analysis revealed age (OR 1.09 [1.02–1.16]; p = 0.011), prostate volume (OR 0.982 [0.065; 0.997]; p = 0.027), total PSA level (OR 1.22 [1.01–1.47], p = 0.033), free PSA (OR 0.431 [0.177; 0.927]; p = 0.049) and no PI-RADS lesion vs PI-RADS 1–2 lesion (OR 0.38 [0.15–0.91], p = 0.032.) as predictive factors for the endpoint presence of PCa. Conclusions Biopsy for selected patient groups (higher age, prostate volume and free PSA as well as lower PSA-Density) with negative mpMRI can be avoided, if sufficient follow-up care is guaranteed. Detailed counseling regarding residual risk for undetected prostate cancer should be mandatory.

In social networks, individuals' decisions are strongly influenced by recommendations from their friends, acquaintances, and favorite renowned personalities. The popularity of online social networking platforms makes them the prime venues to advertise products and promote opinions. The Influence Maximization (IM) problem entails selecting a seed set of users that maximizes the influence spread, i.e., the expected number of users positively influenced by a stochastic diffusion process triggered by the seeds. Engineering and analyzing IM algorithms remains a difficult and demanding task due to the NP-hardness of the problem and the stochastic nature of the diffusion processes. Despite several heuristics being introduced, they often fail in providing enough information on how the network topology affects the diffusion process, precious insights that could help researchers improve their seed set selection. In this paper, we present VAIM, a visual analytics system that supports users in analyzing, evaluating, and comparing information diffusion processes determined by different IM algorithms. Furthermore, VAIM provides useful insights that the analyst can use to modify the seed set of an IM algorithm, so to improve its influence spread. We assess our system by: (i) a qualitative evaluation based on a guided experiment with two domain experts on two different data sets; (ii) a quantitative estimation of the value of the proposed visualization through the ICE-T methodology by Wall et al. (IEEE TVCG - 2018). The twofold assessment indicates that VAIM effectively supports our target users in the visual analysis of the performance of IM algorithms.

The progressive substitution of petroleum-based polymers, such as polyethylene, polyvinylchloride, or polyethylene terephtalate, by so-called bioplastics facilitated the development and production of many new materials. The continuously refined properties of bioplastic compounds and their blends enable various applications. With growing production and utilization of bioplastic products, these materials are increasingly discarded into the environment. Although many of these materials are labeled biodegradable, there is limited information about their degradability under environmental conditions. We tested the enzymatic degradability of five bioplastic compounds with the rapid pH-Stat titration assay at environmentally relevant seawater temperatures between 5 and 30°C and pH 8.2. These plastics, issued from the European Horizon 2020 Project ´Bioplastics Europe´, are based on polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), and poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV). Suspensions of microparticles (< 200 µm) were incubated with each of the three hydrolytic enzymes, protease, lipase, and esterase. A PLA-based compound blended with polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) showed the highest hydrolysis rate of 30 nmol·min-1 when incubated with lipase at 30°C. All other materials showed low hydrolysis rates of less than 10 nmol·min-1. Below 20°C, hydrolysis almost ceased. Plate clearing assays with the same enzymes at 37°C and pH 5 and pH 8, respectively, largely confirmed the results of the pH-Stat titration assays. Our findings indicate that there is a potential degradation of most of the materials with at least one of these hydrolytic enzymes. Nonetheless, the rate of enzymatic degradation under environmentally relevant conditions is low, which indicates only a marginal degradability of bioplastics in the marine environment.

The presented thesis discusses the numerical modeling of acoustic metamaterials for the design of lightweight components with improved vibroacoustic properties. Therefore, two different concepts of acoustic metamaterials are analyzed: Acoustic black holes and periodically distributed resonators. Numerical models form the basis to assess the performance and derive criteria for the design of future lightweight components. Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit der numerischen Modellierung von akustischen Metamaterialien für den Entwurf von Leichtbaukomponenten mit verbesserten vibroakustischen Eigenschaften. Dazu werden zwei unterschiedliche Konzepte von akustischen Metamaterialien analysiert: Akustische Schwarze Löcher und periodisch verteilte Resonatoren. Basierend auf numerischen Modellen werden die Konzepte bewertet und Kriterien für das Design zukünftiger Leichtbaukomponenten abgeleitet.

The recent wave of detections of interstellar aromatic molecules has sparked interest in the chemical behaviour of aromatic molecules under astrophysical conditions. In most cases, these detections have been made through chemically related molecules, called proxies, that implicitly indicate the presence of a parent molecule. In this study, we present the results of the theoretical evaluation of the hydrogenation reactions of different aromatic molecules (benzene, pyridine, pyrrole, furan, thiophene, silabenzene, and phosphorine). The viability of these reactions allows us to evaluate the resilience of these molecules to the most important reducing agent in the interstellar medium, the hydrogen atom (H). All significant reactions are exothermic and most of them present activation barriers, which are, in several cases, overcome by quantum tunnelling. Instanton reaction rate constants are provided between 50 and 500 K. For the most efficiently formed radicals, a second hydrogenation step has been studied. We propose that hydrogenated derivatives of furan and pyrrole, especially 2,3-dihydropyrrole, 2,5-dihydropyrrole, 2,3-dihydrofuran, and 2,5-dihydrofuran, are promising candidates for future interstellar detections.

Geometrical frustration, quantum entanglement and disorder may prevent long-range order of localized spins with strong exchange interactions, resulting in a novel state of matter. $\kappa$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$-Cu$_2$(CN)$_3$ is considered the best approximation of this elusive quantum-spin-liquid state, but its ground-state properties remain puzzling. Here we present a multi-frequency electron-spin resonance study down to millikelvin temperatures, revealing a rapid drop of the spin susceptibility at $T^*=6\,\mathrm{K}$. This opening of a spin gap, accompanied by structural modifications, suggests the enigmatic `$6\,\mathrm{K}$-anomaly' as the transition to a valence-bond-solid ground state. We identify an impurity contribution that becomes dominant when the intrinsic spins form singlets. Only probing the electrons directly manifests the pivotal role of defects for the low-energy properties of quantum-spin systems without magnetic order., Comment: 34 pages, 17 figures

The word ‘pattern’ frequently appears in the visualisation and visual analytics literature, but what do we mean when we talk about patterns? We propose a practicable definition of the concept of a pattern in a data distribution as a combination of multiple interrelated elements of two or more data components that can be represented and treated as a unified whole. Our theoretical model describes how patterns are made by relationships existing between data elements. Knowing the types of these relationships, it is possible to predict what kinds of patterns may exist. We demonstrate how our model underpins and refines the established fundamental principles of visualisation. The model also suggests a range of interactive analytical operations that can support visual analytics workflows where patterns, once discovered, are explicitly involved in further data analysis.

In the application domain of digital humanities network visualization is increasingly being used to conduct research as the main interests of the domain experts lie in exploring and analyzing relationships between entities and their changes over time. Visualizing the dynamics and different perspectives of such data is a non-trivial task but it enables researchers to explore connections between disparate entities and investigate historical narratives that emerge. In this paper we present Circular, an interactive exploration environment to visualize event-based networks and support research in digital humanities through visualization of historical subjects in space and time. Our radial design is the result of iterative collaboration with domain experts, and we discuss the process of collaborative development and exploration of public music festivities in Vienna as an example of immersive development methodology. We validate our approach by means of both domain and visualization expert interviews and show the potential of this approach in supporting the visual exploration of historical subjects. We discuss our design rationales, visual encodings, and interactions as to allow the reproducibility of this approach within a framework of transdisciplinary collaboration with digital humanities.

Background: The best treatment strategy for fractures to the posterior malleolus (PM) is still intensively debated. The aim of this systematic review was to compare the patient-rated outcome following open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for fractures of the PM to either closed reduction using AP screws (CRIF) or no treatment in bi- or trimalleolar ankle fractures. Methods: Systematic literature research (MEDLINE (PubMed), CINAHL, Scopus, Central and EMBASE) according to the PICOS and PRISMA guidelines. Eligible were studies comparing the outcome following ORIF to any other treatment strategy for fractures to the posterior malleolus in isolated bi- or trimalleolar ankle fractures. Results: Twelve studies were eligible for a qualitative analysis and 6 for a quantitative analysis. Overall, a considerable heterogeneity among the studies was observed. The most commonly used outcome score was the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot score (AOFAS). The final follow-up ranged from 12 to 160 months. Four studies compared ORIF to CRIF of the PM. The quantitative analysis revealed significantly better AOFAS scores for ORIF (90.9 vs 83.4 points; P 2 = 0%). Three studies compared ORIF to untreated PM fragment. The quantitative analysis again revealed superior AOFAS scores for ORIF (92.0 vs 82.5 points; P 2 = 99%). A similar trend was observed for the Ankle Fracture Scoring System and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Foot and Ankle Questionnaire scores as well as the quality of reduction. Conclusion: Despite a considerable heterogeneity, the data available point to a superior outcome following ORIF for fractures to the PM when compared to CRIF or no treatment.

The economy of a country can be modeled as a complex system in which several players buy and sell goods from each other. By analyzing the investment flows, it is possible to reconstruct the supply chain for the production of most goods, whose understanding is important to analysts and public officials interested in creating and evaluating strategies for informed and strategic decision making, for instance, adjusting tax policies. Those networks of players and investments, however, tend to be complex and very dense, which leads to over-plotted visualizations that obfuscate precious information such as the dependencies between productive sectors and regions. In this paper, we propose Hermes, a guidance-enriched Visual Analytics environment (named after the Greek God of Commerce) for the exploration of complex economic networks, to uncover supply chains, regions’ productivity, and sector-to-sector relationships. With practical knowledge regarding guidance, we designed and implemented a visual sub-graph querying approach to extract patterns from such complex investment graphs obtained from real-world data. We present a three-fold evaluation of the system: we perform a qualitative evaluation of our approach with three domain experts, a separate assessment of the proposed guidance features with an expert researcher in this field, and a case study of Hermes using a bank account network dataset to demonstrate the generalizability of our approach.

Background Non-resectability is common in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) due to local invasion or distant metastases. Then, biliary or gastroenteric bypasses or both are often established despite associated morbidity and mortality. The current study explores outcomes after palliative bypass surgery in patients with non-resectable PDAC. Methods From the prospectively maintained German StuDoQ|Pancreas registry, all patients with histopathologically confirmed PDAC who underwent non-resective pancreatic surgery between 2013 and 2018 were retrospectively identified, and the influence of the surgical procedure on morbidity and mortality was analyzed. Results Of 389 included patients, 127 (32.6%) underwent explorative surgery only, and a biliary, gastroenteric or double bypass was established in 92 (23.7%), 65 (16.7%) and 105 (27.0%). After exploration only, patients had a significantly shorter stay in the intensive care unit (mean 0.5 days [SD 1.7] vs. 1.9 [3.6], 2.0 [2.8] or 2.1 [2.8]; P Conclusions In patients with non-resectable PDAC, biliary, gastroenteric or double bypass surgery is associated with relevant morbidity and mortality. Although surgical palliation is indicated if interventional alternatives are inapplicable, or life expectancy is high, less invasive options should be considered.

This project deliverable provides insights from the analyses of user needs, collected through four transnational think tanks with end-user citizens, eleven in-depth interviews with city stakeholders and a workshop on the dashboard design involving five smart city stakeholders. Based on a co-creation approach for primary data collection, the analysis presented in this report provides a thorough understanding of the needs, aspirations and expectations of the user groups concerned by the nudging repository and the overall DyMoN framework. Specifically, the document presents an overview of the needs expressed by end-users (citizens), as well as smart city mobility stakeholders (mobility managers, urban planners and other practitioners in the public mobility sector) from Austria, Germany and Sweden. The document provides key insights from the analysis of the following three actions led by the DyMoN partners: 1) Four international think tanks (one with female – only participants) led by Ecollective. 2) Eleven individual interviews (with mobility managers, city representatives, urban planners) led by Sustainability InnoCenter. 3) A workshop on the smart city dashboard (with five smart city managers from Austria and Germany) led by Trafficon.

Granular synthetic hydrogels are useful bioinks for their compatibility with a variety of chemistries, affording printable, stimuli-responsive scaffolds with programmable structure and function. Additive manufacturing of microscale hydrogels, or microgels, allows for the fabrication of large cellularized constructs with percolating interstitial space, providing a platform for tissue engineering at length scales that are inaccessible by bulk encapsulation where transport of media and other biological factors are limited by scaffold density. Herein, synthetic microgels with varying degrees of degradability are prepared with diameters on the order of hundreds of microns by submerged electrospray and UV photopolymerization. Porous microgel scaffolds are assembled by particle jamming and extrusion printing, and semi-orthogonal chemical cues are utilized to tune the void fraction in printed scaffolds in a logic-gated manner. Scaffolds with different void fractions are easily cellularized post printing and microgels can be directly annealed into cell-laden structures. Finally, high-throughput direct encapsulation of cells within printable microgels is demonstrated, enabling large-scale 3D culture in a macroporous biomaterial. This approach provides unprecedented spatiotemporal control over the properties of printed microporous annealed particle scaffolds for 2.5D and 3D tissue culture.

Fragestellung: Die DGU-Leitlinie empfiehlt die Durchführung einer multiparametrischen MRT der Prostata (mpMRT) vor einer Biopsie. Hierdurch soll die Treffsicherheit der Biopsie erhöht und unnötige Biopsien vermieden werden. Es bleibt unklar in welchen Fällen nach negativer mpMRT [zum vollständigen Text gelangen Sie über die oben angegebene URL]

Although lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, the mechanisms how lung cancer cells evade the immune system remain incompletely understood. Here, we discovered IL-9-dependent signaling mechanisms that drive immune evasion in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We found increased IL-9 and IL-21 production by T cells in the tumoral region of the lung of patients with NSCLC, suggesting the presence of Th9 cells in the lung tumor microenvironment. Moreover, we noted IL-9 producing Tregs in NSCLC. IL-9 target cells in NSCLC consisted of IL-9R+ tumor cells and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. In two murine experimental models of NSCLC, andin vitro, IL-9 prevented cell death and controlled growth of lung adenocarcinoma cells. Targeted deletion of IL-9 resulted in successful lung tumor rejectionin vivoassociated with an induction of IL-21 and reduction of Treg cells. Finally, anti-IL-9 antibody immunotherapy resulted in suppression of tumor development even in established experimental NSCLC and was associated with reduced IL-10 production in the lung. In conclusion, our findings indicate that IL-9 drives immune escape of lung tumor cellsviaeffects on tumor cell survival and tumor infiltrating T cells. Thus, strategies blocking IL-9 emerge as a new approach for clinical therapy of lung cancer.

The pollution of the environment by plastics is a perpetual problem that poses a great challenge to mankind. A promising strategy to counteract the increasing pollution is the innovation and development of biodegradable materials. However, biodegradable plastics reach into the marine environment in the same way as conventional plastics and can also be ingested by marine organisms. There is a wide variety of different polymers that are used in biodegradable materials, such as polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS) or polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). Those compounds are known to be enzymatically degradable by several enzymes under certain conditions. Once ingested by marine organisms such as crustaceans, the highly active mixture of enzymes in their digestive tracts may break down compounds and facilitate degradation. In this study, the hydrolytic activity of gastric fluids from Cancer pagurus on different biodegradable and conventional plastics was evaluated with pH Stat titration. The enzymes capable of hydrolyzing biodegradable plastics were isolated from the gastric fluid and characterized using several analytical methods. Separated protein fractions with a high amount of lipolytic enzymes showed the highest potential on hydrolyzing biodegradable plastics.