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OBJECTIVE Temporary drainage of CSF with lumbar puncture or lumbar drainage has a high predictive value for identifying patients with suspected idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) who may benefit from ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion. However, it is unclear what differentiates responders from nonresponders. The authors hypothesized that nonresponders to temporary CSF drainage would have patterns of reduced regional gray matter volume (GMV) as compared with those of responders. The objective of the current investigation was to compare regional GMV between temporary CSF drainage responders and nonresponders. Machine learning using extracted GMV was then used to predict outcomes. METHODS This retrospective cohort study included 132 patients with iNPH who underwent temporary CSF drainage and structural MRI. Demographic and clinical variables were examined between groups. Voxel-based morphometry was used to calculate GMV across the brain. Group differences in regional GMV were assessed and correlated with change in results on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and gait velocity. A support vector machine (SVM) model that used extracted GMV values and was validated with leave-one-out cross-validation was used to predict clinical outcome. RESULTS There were 87 responders and 45 nonresponders. There were no group differences in terms of age, sex, baseline MoCA score, Evans index, presence of disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus, baseline total CSF volume, or baseline white matter T2-weighted hyperintensity volume (p > 0.05). Nonresponders demonstrated decreased GMV in the right supplementary motor area (SMA) and right posterior parietal cortex as compared with responders (p < 0.001, p < 0.05 with false discovery rate cluster correction). GMV in the posterior parietal cortex was associated with change in MoCA (r2 = 0.075, p < 0.05) and gait velocity (r2 = 0.076, p < 0.05). Response status was classified by the SVM with 75.8% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS Decreased GMV in the SMA and posterior parietal cortex may help identify patients with iNPH who are unlikely to benefit from temporary CSF drainage. These patients may have limited capacity for recovery due to atrophy in these regions that are known to be important for motor and cognitive integration. This study represents an important step toward improving patient selection and predicting clinical outcomes in the treatment of iNPH.

Background Artifacts from surrounding bony structures, especially from the petrous bones, regularly impair soft tissue computed tomography (CT) imaging of the middle and posterior fossa. This affects flat-panel CT in particular. Sinusoidal movement of the C‑arm during acquisition (i.e. craniocaudal tilting along with semicircular rotation) is supposed to reduce artifacts, thus enhancing soft tissue imaging quality. Methods In the work-up of ischemic stroke or subarachnoid hemorrhage 40 patients underwent multi-slice CT (MS-CT) and either plain circular (cFP-CT; n = 20) or sinusoidal (sFP-CT; n = 20) flat-panel CT within a short interval. Two independent readers analyzed MS-CT and FP-CT datasets for recognizability of eight different brain structures and three typical types of artifacts according to a predetermined score. Results Interrater reliability was moderate for cFP-CT (κ = 0.575) and good to very good for ratings of MS-CT and sFP-CT (κ = 0.651 to κ = 1). MS-CT was rated to be significantly better than cFP-CT and sFP-CT (p p Conclusion Compared to a standard circular protocol, sinusoidal C‑arm movement in cranial FP-CT can significantly reduce artifacts in the posterior fossa and, moreover, can improve visualization of most supratentorial and infratentorial anatomical structures.

Purpose Flat-detector computed tomography (FD-CT) is the standard for cochlear implant (CI) imaging. FD-CT systems differ in technical characteristics. Our aim was an evaluation of two different FD-CT generations with different protocols and hardware regarding image quality, radiation dose, and scan time. Methods Two temporal bone specimens (− / + CI = TB0/TB1) were scanned using three different scanners: two FD-CT systems with different scanning protocols (standard FD-CT: 20 s 70 kV, 20 s 109 kV; high-speed FD-CT [HS-FD-CT]: 7 s 109 kV, 9 s 109 kV, 14 s 72 kV) and MS-CT (5 s 120 kV). Acquired datasets were evaluated in consensus reading regarding qualitative and quantitative parameters: addressing CI- and cochlea-specific parameters, cochlea delineation, lamina spiralis ossea visibility, distinction of single CI electrodes, determination of intracochlear implant position, stapes delineation, and mastoidal septation were assessed. Addressing protocol-specific parameters, radiation dose (dose-length-product/DLP), and scan time were assessed. Results Two HS-FD-CT protocols (14 s/9 s) provide higher or equivalent diagnostic information regarding CI- and cochlea-specific parameters compared to both standard FD-CT protocols. The fastest HS-FD-CT protocol (7 s)—providing inferior diagnostic information compared to all other FD-CT protocols—still exceeds MS-CT. The highest DLP was recorded for the 14 s HS-FD-CT protocol (TB1 = 956 mGycm); the lowest DLPs were recorded for the 7 s HS-FD-CT protocol (TB0 = 188 mGycm) and for MS-CT (TB0 = 138 mGycm), respectively. HS-FD-CT allows a significant reduction of scan time compared to standard FD-CT. Conclusion High-speed FD-CT improves visualization of temporal bone anatomy and postoperative assessment of CIs by combining excellent image quality, fast scan time, and reasonable radiation exposure.

Student mobility, including obtaining degrees abroad, is one of the most effective means of internationalising education and establishing the common dominator of qualification for academics and professionals [1]. Copernicus Master in Digital Earth (CDE), coordinated by Paris-Lodron University Salzburg, has started in October 2019 together with Palacky University Olomouc and University of South Brittany. CDE is an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree programme, fully accredited by the Agency for Quality Assurance and Accreditation Austria1. The Master of Science is a unique role model to obtain a master’s degree in the upcoming field of EO*GI (Earth observation and Geoinformation) with the focus on the European Union’s Earth Observation programme Copernicus, which offers information services based on satellite EO and in-situ data. CDE is an interdisciplinary programme that aims at equipping the students with knowledge and skills from spatial sciences, and concepts from various geospatial disciplines [2], such as geography, surveying, environmental studies, cartography, computer science, applying a “Digital Earth” perspective [3].Every interested candidate in the MSc is encouraged to apply online, which allows handling ~300 candidates per call; careful, individual attention is given to each candidate and by carrying out a detailed assessment of all completed applications against selection guidelines, including evaluation of the quality and competencies of applicants and online interview of the potential candidates.The first year provides profound EO*GI application-oriented expertise based on relevant theories and methods. Alternative specialisation tracks are GeoData Science or Geovisualisation. A story map2 and dashboards3 provide further insights into origin of students, gender balance (34f:32m) or domain of previous degree and specialisation track (35:31).CDE is proud of a well-composed peer group from all over the world who demonstrate a high degree of commitment and motivation, a strong interest and background in the geospatial field. Outstanding and award-winning students4 have initiated start-ups or contributed to exceptional scientific developments in the domains of EO*GI and Digital Earth5. Peer-reviewed publications6 demonstrate the quality of research outcomes of Master theses, with one article to be published in Nature Geoscience. CDE continuity is envisioned from 2024/2025 onwards, to ensure sustainability, and international collaboration by extending the partnership, fostering student and staff mobility and blended learning activities. The consortium will submit a renewal project proposal within the 2023 Erasmus+ call.The project receives support from the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree: Copernicus Master in Digital Earth www.master-cde.eu.1 https://www.master-cde.eu/programme/accreditation/2 https://arcg.is/0Pev1H3https://www.master-cde.eu/programme/students/4https://www.master-cde.eu/programme/awards/5https://www.master-cde.eu/programme/start-ups-science6https://www.master-cde.eu/programme/scientific-publications/Nazarkulova, A., & Strobl, J. (2016) From central Asia to Europe: Erasmus mundus” gsmart” student mobility. International Journal of Geoinformatics, 12(4).Hofer, B., Castelyn, S., Aguilar-Morena, E., Missoni-Steinbacher, E.-M., Albrecht, F., Lemmens, R., Lang, S., Albrecht, J., Stelmaszczuk-Górska, M., Vancauwenberghe, G. and Monfort-Muriach, A. (2020) Complementing the European earth observation and geographic information body of knowledge with a business-oriented perspective. Transactions in GIS, 24, pp. 587–601.Lang, S., Tiede, D. and Riedler, B. (2021) Digital Earth observation. European Journal of Remote Sensing, 54(sup1), pp. 1-5.

Forest ecosystems are shaped by both abiotic and biotic disturbances. Unlike sudden disturbance agents, such as wind, avalanches and fire, bark beetle infestation progresses gradually. By the time infestation is observable by the human eye, trees are already in the final stages of infestation—the red- and grey-attack. In the relevant phase—the green-attack—biochemical and biophysical processes take place, which, however, are not or hardly visible. In this study, we applied a time series analysis based on semantically enriched Sentinel-2 data and spectral vegetation indices (SVIs) to detect early traces of bark beetle infestation in the Berchtesgaden National Park, Germany. Our approach used a stratified and hierarchical hybrid remote sensing image understanding system for pre-selecting candidate pixels, followed by the use of SVIs to confirm or refute the initial selection, heading towards a 'convergence of evidence approach’. Our results revealed that the near-infrared (NIR) and short-wave-infrared (SWIR) parts of the electromagnetic spectrum provided the best separability between pixels classified as healthy and early infested. Referring to vegetation indices, we found that those related to water stress have proven to be most sensitive. Compared to a SVI-only model that did not incorporate the concept of candidate pixels, our approach achieved distinctively higher producer’s accuracy (76% vs. 63%) and user’s accuracy (61% vs. 42%). The temporal accuracy of our method depends on the availability of satellite data and varies up to 3 weeks before or after the first ground-based detection in the field. Nonetheless, our method offers valuable early detection capabilities that can aid in implementing timely interventions to address bark beetle infestations in the early stage.

Hematopoiesis is regulated by the bone marrow (BM) stroma. However, cellular identities and functions of the different BM stromal elements in humans remain poorly defined. Based on single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq), we systematically characterized the human non-hematopoietic BM stromal compartment and we investigated stromal cell regulation principles based on the RNA velocity analysis using scVelo and studied the interactions between the human BM stromal cells and hematopoietic cells based on ligand-receptor (LR) expression using CellPhoneDB. scRNAseq led to the identification of six transcriptionally and functionally distinct stromal cell populations. Stromal cell differentiation hierarchy was recapitulated based on RNA velocity analysis and in vitro proliferation capacities and differentiation potentials. Potential key factors that might govern the transition from stem and progenitor cells to fate-committed cells were identified. In situ localization analysis demonstrated that different stromal cells were localized in different niches in the bone marrow. In silico cell-cell communication analysis further predicted that different stromal cell types might regulate hematopoiesis through distinct mechanisms. These findings provide the basis for a comprehensive understanding of the cellular complexity of the human BM microenvironment and the intricate stroma-hematopoiesis crosstalk mechanisms, thus refining our current view on human hematopoietic niche organization.

Not available.

By using Flat detector computed tomography (FD-CT), a one-stop-shop approach in the diagnostic workup of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) might be achieved. Although information on upstream vessels is warranted, dedicated FD-CT protocols which include the imaging of the cervical vasculature are still lacking. We aimed to prospectively evaluate the implementation of a new multimodal FD-CT protocol including cervical vessel imaging in AIS patients. In total, 16 patients were included in this study. Eight patients with AIS due to large vessel occlusion (LVO) prospectively received a fully multimodal FD-CT imaging, including non-enhanced flat detector computed tomography (NE-FDCT), dynamic perfusion flat detector computed tomography (FD-CTP) and flat detector computed tomography angiography (FD-CTA) including cervical imaging. For comparison of time metrics and image quality, eight AIS patients, which received multimodal CT imaging, were included retrospectively. Although image quality of NE-FDCT and FD-CTA was rated slightly lower than NE-CT and CTA, all FD-CT datasets were of diagnostic quality. Intracerebral hemorrhage exclusion and LVO detection was reliably possible. Median door-to-image time was comparable for the FD-CT group and the control group (CT:30 min, IQR27-58; FD-CT:44.5 min, IQR31-55, p = 0.491). Door-to-groin-puncture time (CT:79.5 min, IQR65-90; FD-CT:59.5 min, IQR51-67; p = 0.016) and image-to-groin-puncture time (CT:44 min, IQR30-50; FD-CT:14 min, IQR12-18; p

Background Predicting final stent position can be challenging when treating cerebral aneurysms. Third-Party software proved helpful in selecting proper stents in treatment planning. Recent angiographic systems provide basic stent simulation capabilities integrated in the post-processing software to simulate stent position. Goal of this analysis was to evaluate the simulation process and correlation with definite stent position. Materials and Methods Thirty-three datasets with fusiform (n = 10) and saccular (n = 23) aneurysms, treated with stent or flow-diverter, were processed. A “virtual stent” of the same (nominal) size was simulated and its position was compared to the treatment result. Simulated length was rated in five grades (too short, shorter, equal, longer, too long), with regard to side-branches, anchoring zone etc. Simulation quality (centerline recognition/adherence to vessel margins) was rated in three grades (no, minor or major corrections required). Results Simulation was successful in 32/33 cases (97%), with one abortive attempt (3%). In 27/33 simulations (82%), there was no need for centerline refinement. Minor corrections were necessary in four and major corrections in two cases. Simulated nominal length was rated “equal” in 14/33 (42%) cases and “shorter” or “longer” – but within acceptable range – in each 9/33 (27%) cases. Conclusion Basic stent simulation tools available with genuine angiographic workplace software can provide good simulation capabilities without need for third-party equipment. They can facilitate treatment planning and help to avoid shortage of devices. Yet, lack of calculation of foreshortening in large vessel diameters leaves the user to rely on their experience to account for device-specific properties.

This essay develops a new interpretation of Moses Mendelssohn’s ontological argument in the Morning Hours: Lectures on God’s Existence. At the beginning, Immanuel Kant’s famous criticism of the ontological proof of God’s existence in the Critique of Pure Reason is presented. Then I offer an in-depth analysis of Mendelssohn’s original ontological argument in the Morning Hours. It is shown that with Mendelssohn’s new proof of God, Kant’s objections are answered. Finally, it is explained why Mendelssohn does not succeed in completely refuting Kant’s objections.

Stefan Lang (Hg.), Von Zeiten und Zügen. Eisenbahngeschichte(n) im Landkreis Göppingen, Göppingen 2018. 356 S. mit 330 Abb. ISBN 978-3-87437-584-9. € 24,–

K.L. Reinhold’s interpretation of deduction plays a seminal role in the development of German Idealism. However, as yet Reinhold’s concept of deduction has not been sufficiently explained. The goals of this paper are (i) to analyze Reinhold’s notion of deduction in hisNeue Darstellung der Hauptmomente der Elementarphilosophie, (ii) to reconstruct his deduction of a priori forms of representation and (iii) to discuss his deduction critically. In doing so, I will present Reinhold’s objections against Immanuel Kant’s method in theCritique of Pure Reason.

Aim Microanatomical evaluation of cochlear implant (CI) patients to identify anatomical risk factors for a scalar translocation. Methods CI patients with both a regular scala tympani spiralization (group A) and a scalar translocation (group B) were identified via postoperative flat-detector computed tomography (FD-CT). Then, the corresponding preoperative multislice computed tomography (MS-CT) and postoperative FD-CT datasets were assessed: First, the cochleae were separated in 6 segments of 45° each. Next, quantitative (cochlea height, length, depth, cochlear duct diameter [CD] per segment; percentual tapering of the CD per segment named cochlear geometry index [CGI]) and qualitative (identifiability of the CI model; CI-integrity; intracochlear array position) parameters were evaluated and compared for both groups. Receiver-operating-characteristics (ROC) analysis was performed for the CGI. Results In total, 40 preoperative MS-CT and postoperative FD-CT datasets (nA = 20; nB = 20) were analysed. Model “CI 512” was successfully identified and CI-integrity has been confirmed in all cases. Quantitative analysis showed a significant difference of both the CD at 0° (CD A 0°= 2.06 ± 0.23 mm; CDB 0°= 2.19 ± 0.18 mm; p0°= 0.04) and the CGI of the first segment (CGIA 0° -45°= 18.87 ± 6.04%; CGIB 0°-45°= 28.89 ± 8.58%; p0°-45°= 0.0001). For all other 5 cochlear segments there was no significant difference of CD and CGI; there was no significant difference of external cochlea diameters. The area under the curve (AUC) of the CGI0-45° was 0.864 with 24.50° as the optimal cut-off value to discriminate patients with a scala tympani spiralization and a scalar translocation. CGI0-45° of > 24.50° allowed the correct identification of 85% of patients with a scalar translocation. Conclusion CI insertion trauma is associated with a significantly higher narrowing of the proximal basal cochlea turn (BCT). The CGI as percentual tapering of the BCT turned out as reliable, clinically applicable parameter for identification of patients with an increased risk for a scalar translocation.

Airway basal cells are crucial for regeneration of the human lung airway epithelium, and are thought to be important contributors to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and other lung disorders. In order to reveal how basal cells contribute to disease, and to discover novel therapeutic targets, these basal cells need to be further characterized. In this study, we optimized a flow cytometry-based cell sorting protocol for primary human airway basal cells dependent on cell size and Nerve-Growth Factor Receptor (NGFR) expression. The basal cell population was found to be molecularly and functionally heterogeneous in contrast to cultured basal cells. In addition, significant differences were found such as KRT14 expression exclusively existing in cultured cells. Also, colony-forming capacity was significantly increased in cultured cells showing a clonal enrichment in vitro. Next, by single cell RNA sequencing on primary basal cells from healthy donors and GOLD stage IV COPD patients, the gene expression revealed a continuum ranging from healthy basal cell signatures to diseased basal cell phenotypes. We identified several upregulated genes that may indicate COPD, such as stress response related genes GADD45B and AHSA1, along with genes involved in the response to hypoxia such as CITED2 and SOD1. Taken together, the presence of healthy basal cells in stage IV COPD demonstrates the potential for regeneration through the discovery of novel therapeutic targets. In addition, we show the importance of studying primary basal cells when investigating disease mechanisms as well as for developing future cell-based therapies in the human lung.

Andrea Hoffmann, Schnittmengen und Scheidelinien, Juden und Christen in Oberschwaben (Untersuchungen des Ludwig-Uhland-Instituts der Universität Tübingen, Bd. 110), Tübingen: Tübinger Vereinigung für Volkskunde 2011. 327 S. ISBN 978-3-932512-69-8. Brosch. € 22,–

Stephanie Armer, Friedenswahrung, Krisenmanagement und Konfessionalisierung. Religion und Politik im Spannungsfeld von Rat, Geistlichen und Gemeinde in der Reichsstadt Ulm 1554 – 1629 (Forschungen zur Geschichte der Stadt Ulm, Bd. 35), Stuttgart: Kohlhammer 2015. 500 S., 6 Abb. ISBN 978-3-17-029871-2. € 49,–

Within the constraints of operational work supporting humanitarian organizations in their response to the Covid‐19 pandemic, we conducted building extraction for Khartoum, Sudan We extracted approximately 1 2 million dwellings and buildings, using a Mask R‐CNN deep learning approach from a Pleiades very high‐resolution satellite image with 0 5 m pixel resolution Starting from an untrained network, we digitized a few hundred samples and iteratively increased the number of samples by validating initial classification results and adding them to the sample collection We were able to strike a balance between the need for timely information and the accuracy of the result by combining the output from three different models, each aiming at distinctive types of buildings, in a post‐processing workflow We obtained a recall of 0 78, precision of 0 77 and F1 score of 0 78, and were able to deliver first results in only 10 days after the initial request The procedure shows the great potential of convolutional neural network frameworks in combination with GIS routines for dwelling extraction even in an operational setting [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Transactions in GIS is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )

Background The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funds a network of university medicines (NUM) to support COVID-19 and pandemic research at national level. The “COVID-19 Data Exchange Platform” (CODEX) as part of NUM establishes a harmonised infrastructure that supports decentral but standardised provision as well as federated combination and research use of COVID-19 datasets. The broad consent (BC) of the Medical Informatics Initiative (MII) is agreed by all German federal states and forms the legal base for such data processing. All 34 participating university hospitals (NUM sites) work upon a harmonised infrastructural as well as legal basis for their data protection-compliant collection and transfer of their research dataset to the central CODEX platform. Each NUM site ensures that the exchanged consent information conforms to the already-balloted HL7® FHIR® consent profiles and the interoperability concept of the MII Task Force “Consent Implementation” (TFCI). The Independent Trusted Third-Party (TTP) of the University Medicine Greifswald successfully supports data protection-compliant data processing in various research projects since 2014 and provides the consent management solutions gICS®, which supports fully digital and paper-based consent management. Results A “TTP-FHIR Gateway” for the HL7® FHIR®-compliant exchange of consent information using gICS® throughout NUM-CODEX was implemented and provided to all NUM sites in June 2021 as a separate software component. The gateway relies on the gICS® application logic. All FHIR® functionalities comply with the already-balloted FHIR® consent profiles of the HL7® Working Group Consent Management. A pre-configured consent template for the BC is provided to all NUM sites, thereby simplifying the technical BC rollout and the corresponding implementation of the TFCI interoperability concept at the NUM sites. Conclusions This article proves that a HL7® FHIR®-compliant and interoperable nationwide exchange of consent information could be built using of the consent management software gICS® and the provided TTP-FHIR Gateway. The initial functional scope of the solution covers the requirements identified in the NUM-CODEX setting. The semantic correctness of these functionalities was validated by project-partners from the Ludwig-Maximilian University in Munich. The production rollout of the solution package to all NUM sites has started successfully.

Background and Purpose: The impact of platelets on hematoma enlargement (HE) of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is not yet sufficiently elucidated. Especially the role of reduced platelet counts on HE and clinical outcomes is still poorly understood. This study investigated the influence of thrombocytopenia on HE, functional outcome, and mortality in patients with ICH with or without prior antiplatelet therapy (APT). Methods: Individual participant data of multicenter cohort studies (multicenter RETRACE program [German-Wide Multicenter Analysis of Oral Anticoagulation-Associated Intracerebral Hemorrhage] and single-center UKER-ICH registry [Universitätsklinikum Erlangen Cohort of Patients With Spontaneous ICH]) were grouped into APT and non-APT ICH patients according to the platelet count, that is, with or without thrombocytopenia (cells 9 /L). Of all patients, 51.5% (1124 of 2183) were on vitamin K antagonist. Imbalances in baseline characteristics including proportions of vitamin K antagonist patients were addressed using propensity score matching. Outcome analyses included HE (>33%), as well as mortality and functional outcome, after 3 months using the modified Rankin Scale, dichotomized into favorable (modified Rankin Scale score, 0–3) and unfavorable (modified Rankin Scale score, 4–6). Results: Of overall 2252 ICH patients, 11.4% (52 of 458) under APT and 14.0% (242 of 1725) without APT presented with thrombocytopenia on admission. The proportion of patients with HE was not significantly different between patients with or without thrombocytopenia among APT and non-APT ICH patients after propensity score matching (HE: APT patients: 9 of 40 [22.5%] thrombocytopenia versus 27 of 115 [23.5%] nonthrombocytopenia, P =0.89; non-APT patients: 54 of 174 [31.0%] thrombocytopenia versus 106 of 356 [29.8%] nonthrombocytopenia, P =0.77). In both (APT and non-APT) propensity score matching cohorts, there were no significant differences regarding functional outcome. Mortality after 3 months did not differ among non-APT patients, whereas the mortality rate was significantly higher for APT patients with thrombocytopenia versus APT patients with normal platelet count (APT: 29 of 46 [63.0%] thrombocytopenia versus 58 of 140 [41.4%] nonthrombocytopenia, P =0.01; non-APT: 95 of 227 [41.9%] thrombocytopenia versus 178 of 455 [39.1%] nonthrombocytopenia, P =0.49). Conclusions: Our study implies that thrombocytopenia does not affect rates of HE and functional outcome among ICH patients, neither in patients with nor without APT. In light of increased mortality, the significance of platelet transfusions for ICH patients with thrombocytopenia and previous APT should be explored in future studies.

Amongst the many benefits of remote sensing techniques in disaster- or conflict-related applications, timeliness and objectivity may be the most critical assets. Recently, increasing sensor quality and data availability have shifted the attention more towards the information extraction process itself. With promising results obtained by deep learning (DL), the notion arises that DL is not agnostic to input errors or biases introduced, in particular in sample-scarce situations. The present work seeks to understand the influence of different sample quality aspects propagating through network layers in automated image analysis. In this paper, we broadly discuss the conceptualisation of such a sample database in an early stage of realisation: (1) inherited properties (quality parameters of the underlying image such as cloud cover, seasonality, etc.); (2) individual (i.e., per-sample) properties, including a. lineage and provenance, b. geometric properties (size, orientation, shape), c. spectral features (standardized colour code); (3) context-related properties (arrangement Several hundred samples collected from different camp settings were hand-selected and annotated with computed features in an initial stage. The supervised annotation routine is automated so that thousands of existing samples can be labelled with this extended feature set. This should better condition the subsequent DL tasks in a hybrid AI approach.

Satellite imagery is an important information source for research on remote sensing (RS)-based humanitarian applications. The selection of satellite imagery is one of the most important steps for such research. This paper firstly shows the selection of satellite imagery in past research from 2015 to 2021. It can be found that most research on land cover and land use (LCLU) change caused by conflicts or refugees/internally displaced persons (IDPs) chose medium spatial resolution (MSR) imagery. Most research on dwelling detection of refugee/IDP camps applied high or very high spatial resolution (HSR/VHSR) imagery. There is much research that applied multiple types of satellite imagery for humanitarian applications. Then, the paper presents general characteristics of commonly available optical satellite imagery. Next, with the development of sensors, this paper suggests that data fusion of SPOT-5 and Sentinel-2 may be helpful in LCLU change detection caused by refugees/IDPs or conflicts. Smallsat imagery may be promising for research on humanitarian applications that require a high temporal frequency of imagery.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by overlapping motor, neuropsychiatric, and cognitive symptoms. Worse performance in one domain is associated with worse performance in the other domains. Commonality analysis (CA) is a method of variance partitioning in multiple regression, used to separate the specific and common influence of collinear predictors. We apply, for the first time, CA to the functional connectome to investigate the unique and common neural connectivity underlying the interface of the symptom domains in 74 non‐demented PD subjects. Edges were modeled as a function of global motor, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric scores. CA was performed, yielding measures of the unique and common contribution of the symptom domains. Bootstrap confidence intervals were used to determine the precision of the estimates and to directly compare each commonality coefficient. The overall model identified a network with the caudate nucleus as a hub. Neuropsychiatric impairment accounted for connectivity in the caudate‐dorsal anterior cingulate and caudate‐right dorsolateral prefrontal‐right inferior parietal circuits, while caudate‐medial prefrontal connectivity reflected a unique effect of both neuropsychiatric and cognitive impairment. Caudate‐precuneus connectivity was explained by both unique and shared influence of neuropsychiatric and cognitive symptoms. Lastly, posterior cortical connectivity reflected an interplay of the unique and common effects of each symptom domain. We show that CA can determine the amount of variance in the connectome that is unique and shared amongst motor, neuropsychiatric, and cognitive symptoms in PD, thereby improving our ability to interpret the data while gaining novel insight into networks at the interface of these symptom domains.

Real estate valuation is typically based on hedonic regression models where the expected price of a property is explained in dependence of its attributes. However, investors in the housing market are equally interested in the distribution of real estate market values (including price variation), that is, determining the impact of attributes of a property on the entire conditional distribution. We therefore consider Bayesian structured additive distributional and quantile regression models for real estate valuation. In the first approach, each parameter of a potentially complex parametric response distribution is related to a structured additive predictor. In contrast, the second approach proceeds differently and models arbitrary quantiles of the response distribution directly and nonparametrically. Both models presented are based on a multilevel version of structured additive regression thereby utilizing the typical hierarchical structure of real estate data. We demonstrate the proposed methodology within a detailed case study based on more than 3 000 owner-occupied single family homes in Austria, discuss interpretation of the resulting effect estimates, and compare models based on their predictive ability.

SummaryHematopoiesis is regulated by the bone marrow (BM) stroma. However, cellular identities and functions of the different BM stromal elements in humans remain poorly defined. Based on single-cell RNA sequencing, we systematically characterized the BM stromal compartment which led to the identification of six transcriptionally and functionally distinct stromal cell populations. Stromal cell differentiation hierarchy was recapitulated based on RNA velocity analysis, in vitro proliferation capacities and differentiation potentials. Potential key factors that govern the transition from stem and progenitor cells to fate- committed cells were identified. In silico cell-cell communication prediction and in situ localization analyses demonstrated distinct hematopoietic stromal cell niches in specific BM locations, which used either the CXCL12 or SPP1 axis as the major hematopoiesis-regulating mechanism. These findings provide the basis for a comprehensive understanding of the cellular complexity of the human BM microenvironment and the intricate stroma- hematopoiesis crosstalk mechanisms, thus refining our current view on hematopoietic niche organization.

Cell-based therapies hold great promise in re-establishing organ function for many diseases, including untreatable lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). However, many hurdles still remain, in part due to our lack of knowledge about the disease-driving mechanisms that may affect the cellular niche and thereby possibly hinder the function of any transplanted cells by imposing the disease phenotype onto the newly generated progeny. Recent findings have demonstrated increased ciliation of lung cells from IPF patients, but how this affects ciliated cell function and the airway milieu is not well-known. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on primary ciliated (FOXJ1

Aiming at the convergence between Earth observation (EO) Big Data and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), this paper consists of two parts. In the previous Part 1, existing EO optical sensory image-derived Level 2/Analysis Ready Data (ARD) products and processes are critically compared, to overcome their lack of harmonization/ standardization/ interoperability and suitability in a new notion of Space Economy 4.0. In the present Part 2, original contributions comprise, at the Marr five levels of system understanding: (1) an innovative, but realistic EO optical sensory image-derived semantics-enriched ARD co-product pair requirements specification. First, in the pursuit of third-level semantic/ontological interoperability, a novel ARD symbolic (categorical and semantic) co-product, known as Scene Classification Map (SCM), adopts an augmented Cloud versus Not-Cloud taxonomy, whose Not-Cloud class legend complies with the standard fully-nested Land Cover Classification System’s Dichotomous Phase taxonomy proposed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Second, a novel ARD subsymbolic numerical co-product, specifically, a panchromatic or multi-spectral EO image whose dimensionless digital numbers are radiometrically calibrated into a physical unit of radiometric measure, ranging from top-of-atmosphere reflectance to surface reflectance and surface albedo values, in a five-stage radiometric correction sequence. (2) An original ARD process requirements specification. (3) An innovative ARD processing system design (architecture), where stepwi se SCM generation and stepwise SCM-conditional EO optical image radiometric correction are alternated in sequence. (4) An original modular hierarchical hybrid (combined deductive and inductive) computer vision subsystem design, provided with feedback loops, where software solutions at the Marr two shallowest levels of system understanding, specifically, algorithm and implementation, are selected from the scientific literature, to benefit from their technology readiness level as proof of feasibility, required in addition to proven suitability. To be implemented in operational mode at the space segment and/or midstream segment by both public and private EO big data providers, the proposed EO optical sensory image-derived semantics-enriched ARD product-pair and process reference standard is highlighted as linchpin for success of a new notion of Space Economy 4.0.

Philosophie und Theologie bemühen sich gleichermaßen um eine wissenschaftlich verantwortungsvolle Rede von Gott. Gegenwärtig gibt es zwei Tendenzen: Einerseits spielen in großen Teilen der analytisch geprägten Theologie die kritischen Standards von Kant kaum mehr eine Rolle; andererseits erachten weite Teile der Philosophie die Gottrede für überholt. Dies entlädt sich in Pathologien – kirchlich in der Zunahme von religiös-fundamentalistischen Kräften; wissenschaftlich im Erstarken von szientistischen Naturalismen und gesellschaftlich in kämpferisch-atheistischen Säkularismen. Der Band versucht, dem vorzubeugen, indem er den Bogen von Kant zu Fichte, Hölderlin, Schelling, Hegel, Jacobi, Schleiermacher, Nietzsche und Kierkegaard bis zu Habermas spannt. Mit Beiträgen von Ingolf U. Dalferth, Christian Danz, Jakob Deibl, Bernd Dörflinger, Edith Düsing, Georg Essen, Eckart Förster, Thomas Hanke, Stefan Lang, Matthias Lutz-Bachmann, Jürgen Stolzenberg und Klaus Viertbauer.

Die „Ephemeris“ des Ulmer Arztes Johann Franc (1649 – 1725). Reichsstädtisch-territoriale Netzwerke in der frühneuzeitlichen Arztpraxis, hg. von Hans-Joachim Winckelmann, Gudrun Litz, Kay Peter Jankrift, Heiner Fangerau (Kulturanamnesen Bd. 12). Stuttgart: Franz Steiner 2021. 202 S., 38 farb. Abb., 8 s/w Tab. ISBN 978-3-515-12606-9. Kart. € 42,–

BackgroundThe Federal Ministry of Research and Education funded the Network of University Medicine for establishing an infrastructure for pandemic research. This includes the development of a COVID-19 Data Exchange Platform (CODEX) that provides standardised and harmonised data sets for COVID-19 research. Nearly all university hospitals in Germany are part of the project and transmit medical data from the local data integration centres to the CODEX platform. The medical data on a person that has been collected at several sites is to be made available on the CODEX platform in a merged form. To enable this, a federated trusted third party (fTTP) will be established, which will allow the pseudonymised merging of the medical data. The fTTP implements privacy preserving record linkage based on Bloom filters and assigns pseudonyms to enable re-pseudonymisation during data transfer to the CODEX platform.ResultsThe fTTP was implemented conceptually and technically. For this purpose, the processes that are necessary for data delivery were modelled. The resulting communication relationships were identified and corresponding interfaces were specified. These were developed according to the specifications in FHIR and validated with the help of external partners. Existing tools such as the identity management system E-PIX® were further developed accordingly so that sites can generate Bloom filters based on person identifying information. An extension for the comparison of Bloom filters was implemented for the federated trust third party. The correct implementation was shown in the form of a demonstrator and the connection of two data integration centres.ConclusionsThis article describes how the fTTP was modelled and implemented. In a first expansion stage, the fTTP was exemplarily connected through two sites and its functionality was demonstrated. Further expansion stages, which are already planned, have been technically specified and will be implemented in the future in order to also handle cases in which the privacy preserving record linkage achieves ambiguous results. The first expansion stage of the fTTP is available in the University Medicine network and will be connected by all participating sites in the ongoing test phase.

Unter welchen Bedingungen studieren Geographiestudierende heute? Wie sollte geographische Hochschullehre erfolgen, damit sie nachhaltig ist? Diese zentralen Fragen rund um das Lehren und Lernen von Geographie werden von ca. 40 Fachpersonen im vorliegenden Sammelband diskutiert. In leicht verständlicher Sprache dargestellte Ideen und Konzepte helfen, Geographie zeitgemäß zu unterrichten.

This study was carried out to evaluate the diagnostic value of merging preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with postoperative flat-panel computed tomography (FD-CT) and compare it to standard postoperative FD-CT for assessment of cochlear implant (CI) insertion. The T2-weighted (T2w) constructive interference in steady state (CISS) data sets of preoperative 1.5 T and 3 T MRI scans of CI patients with both regular and adverse implant spiralization were co-registered with the corresponding postoperative FD-CT data sets using defined anatomic landmarks. These merged FD-CT/MRI volumes (CMV) were compared to the corresponding postoperative FD-CT MPRs in consensus reading with respect to qualitative, i.e. scala tympani spiralization, scala vestibuli spiralization, scalar translocation and quantitative, i.e. distance of the last electrode to the lateral cochlea wall (D1) distance of the 2nd/5th electrode to the basal cochlear wall (D2) and the transition point (TP) of the scalar translocation, parameters. In total 30 patients (n 1.5T MRI = 18 patients; n 3T MRI = 12 patients) were included in the analysis. In all cases both CMVs and FD-CT MPRs were generated. Qualitative analysis of intracochlear CI position with CMVs (both 1.5 T and 3 T) and FD-CT was equivalent: In 20 patients the CI showed a regular implant spiralization, in 10 cases a scalar translocation was identified with both CMVs and FD-CT. Quantitative analysis showed a high level of congruency between CMVs (both 1.5 T and 3T) and FD-CT for fusion accuracy (D1: mean FD-CT D1 = 1.30 ± 0.7 mm; mean CMV D1 = 1.27 ± 0.77 mm, correlation r = 0.94, p

The three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography (3D DSA) technique is the current standard and is based on both mask and fill runs to enable the subtraction technique. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based 3D angiography (3DA) was developed to reduce radiation dosage because only one contrast-enhanced run of the C‑arm system is required for reconstruction of DSA-like 3D volumes. The aim was the evaluation of this algorithm regarding its diagnostic information. 3D DSA datasets without pathologic findings were reconstructed both with subtraction technique and with the AI-based algorithm. Corresponding reconstructions were evaluated by 2 neuroradiologists with respect to image quality (IQ), visualization of major segments of the circle of Willis (ICA = C4-C7; OphA; ACA = A1-A2, MCA = M1-M2; VA = V4; BA; AICA; SUCA; PCA = P1-P2), identifiability of perforators (lenticulostriate/thalamoperforating arteries) and vessel diameters (ICA = C4; MCA = M1; BA; PCA = P1). In total 15 datasets were successfully reconstructed as 3D DSA and 3DA with diagnostic image quality. All major segments of the circle of Willis and perforators were comparably visualized with 3DA. Quantitative analysis of vessel diameters in 3D DSA and 3DA datasets was equivalent and did not show relevant differences (rICA = 0.901, p = 0.001; rM1 = 0.951, p = 0.001; rBA = 0.906, p = 0.001; rP1 = 0.991, p = 0.001). The use of 3DA demonstrated reliable visualization of cerebral vasculature with respect to quantitative and qualitative parameters. Therefore, 3DA is a promising method that might help to reduce patient radiation.

The improvement in computer vision, sensor quality, and remote sensing data availability makes satellite imagery increasingly useful for studying human settlements. Several challenges remain to be overcome for some types of settlements, particularly for internally displaced populations (IDPs) and refugee camps. Refugee-dwelling footprints and detailed information derived from satellite imagery are critical for a variety of applications, including humanitarian aid during disasters or conflicts. Nevertheless, extracting dwellings remains difficult due to their differing sizes, shapes, and location variations. In this study, we use U-Net and residual U-Net to deal with dwelling classification in a refugee camp in northern Cameroon, Africa. Specifically, two semantic segmentation networks are adapted and applied. A limited number of randomly divided sample patches is used to train and test the networks based on a single image of the WorldView-3 satellite. Our accuracy assessment was conducted using four different dwelling categories for classification purposes, using metrics such as Precision, Recall, F1, and Kappa coefficient. As a result, F1 ranges from 81% to over 99% and approximately 88.1% to 99.5% based on the U-Net and the residual U-Net, respectively.

Refugee-dwelling footprints derived from satellite imagery are beneficial for humanitarian operations. Recently, deep learning approaches have attracted much attention in this domain. However, most refugees are hosted by low- and middle-income countries where accurate label data are often unavailable. The Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) approach has been widely applied to this task for humanitarian operations over the last decade. However, the footprints were usually produced urgently, and thus, include delineation errors. Thus far, no research discusses whether these footprints generated by the OBIA approach (OBIA labels) can replace manually annotated labels (Manual labels) for this task. This research compares the performance of OBIA labels and Manual labels under multiple strategies by semantic segmentation. The results reveal that the OBIA labels can produce IoU values greater than 0.5, which can produce applicable results for humanitarian operations. Most falsely predicted pixels source from the boundary of the built-up structures, the occlusion of trees, and the structures with complicated ontology. In addition, we found that using a small number of Manual labels to fine-tune models initially trained with OBIA labels can outperform models trained with purely Manual labels. These findings show high values of the OBIA labels for deep-learning-based refugee-dwelling extraction tasks for future humanitarian operations.

Single-center comparison of postinterventional multislice computed tomography (MS-CT) and flat-detector computed tomography (FD-CT) in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and endovascularly treated cerebral aneurysms with a focus on detection of posttherapeutical complications. Patients with endovascularly treated aneurysmal SAH undergoing both MS-CT and FD-CT within 24 h after intervention were included. Datasets were compared regarding image quality (IQ) as well as qualitative (detection of SAH, intracerebral haemorrhage [ICH], intraventricular haemorrhage [IVH], external ventricular drain [EVD] position, acute obstructive hydrocephalus [AOH]) and quantitative (cella media distance [CMD], modified Graeb score [GS]) parameters. 410 patients with endovascularly treated aneurysmal SAH were included. IQ was equal between MS-CT and FD-CT. FD-CT allowed equal detection of SAH and ICH in comparison to MS-CT. FD-CT allowed excellent detection of IVH and delineation of EVD position with strong agreement to MS-CT findings. FD-CT allowed equal detection of AOH in comparison to MS-CT. There was no significant difference of CMD and GS between FD-CT and MS-CT. Postinterventional FD-CT yields equivalent diagnostic value in patients with endovascular treated SAH as MS-CT. Enabling reliable detection of SAH-associated complications within the angiosuite, FD-CT might be an efficient and safe imaging modality in these clinical emergencies.

To evaluate the 5-year real-world benefit-risk profile of fingolimod in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) in Germany.Post-Authorization Non-interventional German sAfety study of GilEnyA (PANGAEA) is a non-interventional real-world study to prospectively assess the effectiveness and safety of fingolimod in routine clinical practice in Germany. The follow-up period comprised 5 years. Patients were included if they had been diagnosed with RRMS and had been prescribed fingolimod as part of clinical routine. There were no exclusion criteria except the contraindications for fingolimod as defined in the European label. The effectiveness and safety analysis set comprised 4032 and 4067 RRMS patients, respectively.At the time of the 5-year follow-up of PANGAEA, 66.57% of patients still continued fingolimod therapy. Annualized relapse rates decreased from baseline 1.5 ± 1.15 to 0.42 ± 0.734 at year 1 and 0.21 ± 0.483 at year 5, and the disability status remained stable, as demonstrated by the Expanded Disability Status Scale mean change from baseline (0.1 ± 2.51), the decrease of the Multiple Sclerosis Severity Score from 5.1 ± 2.59 at baseline to 3.9 ± 2.31 at the 60-months follow-up, and the percentage of patients with 'no change' in the Clinical Global Impression scale at the 60-months follow-up (78.11%). Adverse events (AE) occurring in 75.04% of patients were in line with the known safety profile of fingolimod and were mostly non-serious AE (33.62%) and non-serious adverse drug reactions (50.59%; serious AE 4.98%; serious ADR 10.82%).PANGAEA demonstrated the sustained beneficial effectiveness and safety of fingolimod in the long-term real-world treatment of patients with RRMS.

The YPEL family genes are highly conserved across a diverse range of eukaryotic organisms and thus potentially involved in essential cellular processes. Ypel4, one of five YPEL family gene orthologs in mouse and human, is highly and specifically expressed in late terminal erythroid differentiation (TED). In this study, we investigated the role of Ypel4 in murine erythropoiesis, providing for the first time an in-depth description of a Ypel4-null phenotype in vivo. We demonstrated that the Ypel4-null mice displayed a secondary polycythemia with macro- and reticulocytosis. While lack of Ypel4 did not affect steady-state TED in the bone marrow or spleen, the anemia-recovering capacity of Ypel4-null cells was diminished. Furthermore, Ypel4-null red blood cells (RBC) were cleared from the circulation at an increased rate, demonstrating an intrinsic defect of RBCs. Scanning electron micrographs revealed an ovalocytic morphology of Ypel4-null RBCs and functional testing confirmed reduced deformability. Even though Band 3 protein levels were shown to be reduced in Ypel4-null RBC membranes, we could not find support for a physical interaction between YPEL4 and the Band 3 protein. In conclusion, our findings provide crucial insights into the role of Ypel4 in preserving normal red cell membrane integrity.

Michael Wettengel (Hg.), Schätze der Stadtgeschichte. Das Archiv der Stadt Ulm, Ulm 2015. 192 S., zahlr. meist farb. und ganzseitige Abb. ISBN 978-3-88294-468-6. € 19,90