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Klinisch verfügbare KI(künstliche Intelligenz)-basierte Lösungen dienen der Prozessoptimierung und der Objektivierung bildbasierter Quantifizierung für die kardiale Diagnostik. Damit eröffnet sich eine breitere Anwendung der heutigen Hochleistungsmedizin auch außerhalb von universitären Zentren. In dieser Übersichtsarbeit wird über die Praxisrelevanz sowie die Anwendung der KI in der Bildvorverarbeitung und -segmentierung, der Diagnostik, des Phenotypings für die klinische Entscheidungsunterstützung sowie über den heutigen Stand des Datenschutzes und der interdisziplinären Zusammenarbeit berichtet. Die Weiterentwicklung hochqualitativer KI-basierter Lösungen unter Berücksichtigung aktueller Datenschutzvorgaben erfordert eine multidisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit und den Aufbau geeigneter Forschungsinfrastrukturen. KI-Anwendungen in der diagnostischen kardialen Bildanalyse ohne klinische Daten der Patienten und die letztendlich entscheidende kardiologische Expertise erscheinen für eine valide Befundung und damit Therapieentscheidung bei kardiologischen Patienten nicht sinnvoll.

It is becoming increasingly important to develop simple and efficient models for the assessment of groundwater recharge to improve sustainable groundwater management strategies. Reliable data on environmental fluxes can be collected on-site and for corresponding periods, providing information on groundwater recharge only after measurement campaigns covering several years. However, the large amount of hydrological data necessary for some methods to estimate recharge is not always available. To address these issues, a specific model for the evaluation of vertical water fluxes in the critical zone was developed. The model is directly based on soil moisture sensor data in the critical zone and does not require modeling of meteorological processes, nor time series of precipitation, temperature, relative humidity, global radiation, or sunshine hours. Based on the numerical solution of the Richards equation and using Van Genuchten relationships for soil parameterization, percolation rates and subsequent groundwater recharge are derived from potential gradients and variations of volumetric soil moistures at different depths in the critical zone. Model results are evaluated with a detailed performance analysis with several mathematical error indices and graphical methods. The resulting fluxes have been validated with an independent stable isotope profile approach confirming the applicability of the model. The model can be applied to a soil moisture monitoring station with three monitoring sensors in the critical zone to derive daily time series of water fluxes.

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Im Anschluss an die Erwerbszeit gestaltet sich das Gesundheitsverhalten bei Menschen im Ruhestand unterschiedlich. Doch welche Möglichkeiten bestehen aus Sicht der Betroffenen, um gesundheitsrelevante Veränderungsabsichten leichter umzusetzen? Und wie können daraus neue Gewohnheiten etabliert werden? Methodik Im August 2020 erfolgte die Datenerhebung im Rahmen einer qualitativen Forschung durch Face-to-face-Interviews mit deduktiv ausgewählten Personen in der nachberuflichen Lebensphase. Das gewonnene Material wurde systematisch und regelgeleitet auf Basis der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring ausgewertet. Zur Orientierung diente ein Kodierleitfaden in Anlehnung an das HAPA-Modell (Health Action Process Approach model). Ergebnisse Die Aussagen der Befragten deuten auf eine starke Absichtsbildung als bedeutendsten Vorhersagewert für eine längerfristige Durchführung von gesundheitsfördernden Handlungen hin. Weitere Verstärker zeigen sich in der selbstbestimmten Schaffung neuer Gewohnheiten, der Visualisierung von Vorteilen, einem Barrierenmanagement, Erfolgserlebnissen, Ersatzbefriedigungen und individuellen Handlungsplänen, die auch Freude bereitende Aspekte beinhalten. Schlussfolgerung Unter Beachtung mehrerer beeinflussender Faktoren könnten die Erfolgsaussichten bei selbstgesteckten Gesundheitszielen wirksam erhöht werden. In Eigenregie oder gemeinschaftlich erstellte Konzepte würden dabei als Verstärker wirken. Zu diesem Zweck könnte ein niedrigschwelliges Seminarangebot unterstützend zur Verfügung gestellt und ggf. in Kooperation mit Ärzt*innen, Krankenhäusern oder Rehabilitationseinrichtungen forciert werden. Auch situative Einflüsse scheinen die Absichtsbildung zu beeinflussen und sollten daher in das HAPA-Modell (Health Action Process Approach model) integriert werden.

ZusammenfassungIn dieser Case-Control-Studie wurden kognitive Leistungen (WPPSI-IV) von Vorschulkindern mit rezeptiven und/oder expressiven Sprachdefiziten mit den Leistungen einer nach Alter, Geschlecht gematchten sprachunauffälligen Kontrollgruppe verglichen (N = 186).Insbesondere die sprachbezogenen Indizes sowie umgebungsbedingte Faktoren, wie mütterlicher Bildungshintergrund und Mehrsprachigkeit, werden in der Teilstichprobe der sprachbeeinträchtigten Kinder exploriert.Jeweils die Leistungen der beiden Gruppen im Sprachverständnis, Wortschatzerwerb, Allgemeinen Fähigkeitsindex und Gesamt-IQ unterscheiden sich signifikant mit kleinen bis mittleren Effekten voneinander.Signifikante Unterschiede der sprachbezogenen Indizes in Abhängigkeit des mütterlichen Bildungsniveaus und der Ein-/Mehrsprachigkeit der Kinder verweisen auf die hohe Bedeutung der häuslichen Umgebung für die Sprachentwicklung. Praktische Implikationen bezüglich des Einsatzes der WPPSI-IV bei sprachbeeinträchtigen Kindern werden erörtert.

To improve knowledge of hydrological and hydrogeological flow processes and their dependency on climate conditions it is becoming increasingly important to integrate sensors technology, independent observation methods, and new modeling techniques. Established isotope methods are usually regarded as a supplement and extension to classical hydrological investigation methods but are rarely included in soil water balance models. However, the combination could close knowledge gaps and thus lead to more precise and realistic predictions and therefore to better water management. Within the Wasserpfad project, a project of the Department of Civil Engineering at the TH Lübeck, soil moisture has been measured since May 2018. SMT100 soil moisture sensors from TRUEBNER GmbH are used at depths of 20, 40, 60, and 80 cm. Next to the station a 2m deep soil profile was taken in 2020, to estimate groundwater recharge using stable isotope equilibration methods and cryogenic extraction combined with soil water balance modeling. Vertical profiles of stable isotopes have been determined with a 10-cm resolution and measured with Tunable Diode Laser spectrometry. Percolation through the soil profile has been estimated based on the convolution of a seasonal input function using advection-dispersion transport models. Percolation rate estimate based on environmental isotope profiles results in 230 mm per year. Fitting of the advection-dispersion equation using a sinusoidal isotope input fitted to available time series provides an estimate of 255 mm per year. This difference is due to the dispersion effect on the isotope minima and maxima. The result of modeling the soil moisture data with a soil water balance model integrating the Richards equation for water transport and Penmen-Monteith based calculation of actual evaporation is used to verify the percolation rates. The analysis of soil moisture and isotope data by modeling provides a direct and efficient way to estimate the percolation rate. The combination of isotope methods with classical hydrological measuring techniques offers the possibility to verify results, to calibrate models, or to investigate the limits of isotope methods. Thus, flow processes can be predicted more reliably in the future.

Due to continuous changes in the meteorological conditions of Mediterranean regions, it is becoming increasingly important to improve knowledge of hydrological and hydrogeological recharge processes and their dependency on climate conditions to adapt the use of limited water resources. Within the IsoMed project (isotope hydrology in Mediterranean areas), soil profiles were sampled in November 2018 and February 2019, from various hydrogeological settings in Cyprus to estimate groundwater recharge using stable isotope equilibration methods combined with soil water balance modeling. A total of 11 soil profiles were taken from the Troodos massif (Galata and Platania) and the Mesaoria plain in Deftera, Nicosia. A vertical profile of stable isotopes has been determined with a 2 cm resolution and measured with Tunable Diode Laser spectrometry. Percolation through the soil profile has been estimated based on the convolution of a seasonal input function using advection-dispersion transport models. In Galata, groundwater percolation estimates range from 20-30 mm/y on clayey soil with natural vegetation to 100-120 mm/y at an irrigated terraced orchard. The results in Platania vary from 20-60 mm/y at steep hillslopes under natural vegetation and amount to 220-340 mm/y in the root zone at the irrigated site with olive trees in Deftera. The comparison of groundwater percolation rates based on stable isotope profiles with those derived from soil water balance modeling indicates a significant bias. While percolation rates correspond well to results obtained from a daily soil water balance model for irrigated fine-grained soils in the plain, recharge rates obtained from stable isotope profile methods on coarse-grained hillslopes tend to be much lower than expected. The observed bias suggests that stable isotope methods, regardless of water extraction or equilibration technique, mainly record the isotope signal of matrix flow. Thus, macro-pore and preferential flow components in coarse-grained soils may not be accounted for. Data collected from the same profiles in late autumn and spring suggest that macro-pore and preferential flow constitute a major component of percolation in coarse-grained shallow hillslope soils of Troodos indeed, without leaving measurable isotope traces in the soil water profile. Additional approaches need to be applied in conjunction with methods based on the evaluation of soil water isotope profiles to overcome this limitation.

SummaryNetrin-1 is a guidance cue that can trigger either attraction or repulsion effects on migrating axons of neurons, depending on the repertoire of receptors available on the growth cone. How a single chemotropic molecule can act in such contradictory ways has long been a puzzle at the molecular level. Here we present the crystal structure of netrin-1 in complex with the Deleted in Colorectal Cancer (DCC) receptor. We show that one netrin-1 molecule can simultaneously bind to two DCC molecules through a DCC-specific site and through a unique generic receptor binding site, where sulfate ions staple together positively charged patches on both DCC and netrin-1. Furthermore, we demonstrate that UNC5A can replace DCC on the generic receptor binding site to switch the response from attraction to repulsion. We propose that the modularity of binding allows for the association of other netrin receptors at the generic binding site, eliciting alternative turning responses.

Emodepside, a semi-synthetic derivative of PF1022A, belongs to a new class of anthelmintic drugs, the cyclooctadepsipeptides, and shows good efficacy against macrocyclic lactone-, levamisole- or benzimidazole-resistant nematode populations. Although putative receptors for emodepside have already been discovered, its mode of action is still not fully understood. The involvement of the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-receptor on the PF1022A mode of action has previously been postulated. Therefore, a possible role of the GABA-receptor, unc-49, in the mode of action of emodepside was investigated using two different Caenorhabditis elegans in vitro assays, a motility assay and a development assay. It was found that there is a clearly reduced sensitivity against emodepside of strains carrying a GABA-receptor, unc-49, loss of function mutation compared with N2 wild type C. elegans. To transfer these results from the model system to parasitic nematodes, the Toxocara canis unc-49B cDNA sequence was identified and used in a rescue experiment. The emodepside-susceptible phenotype could be fully rescued by injection of the T. canis unc-49B cDNA sequence. We believe that this is the first functional rescue of a C. elegans mutant strain with a gene from a clade III parasitic nematode. These findings, together with the earlier data on GABA-receptor binding of PF1022A, suggest that the GABA(A)-receptor UNC-49 is associated with the emodepside mode of action. However, the only partially resistant phenotype of the loss of function mutants indicates that other pathways play a more significant role.

Emodepside is a resistance-breaking anthelmintic of a new chemical class, the cyclooctadepsipeptides. A major determinant of its anthelmintic effect is the calcium-activated potassium channel SLO-1. SLO-1 belongs to a family of channels that are highly conserved across the animal phyla and regulate neurosecretion, hormone release, muscle contraction, and neuronal network excitability. To investigate the selective toxicity of emodepside, we performed transgenic experiments in which the nematode SLO-1 channel was swapped for a mammalian ortholog, human KCNMA1. Expression of either the human channel or Caenorhabditis elegans slo-1 from the native slo-1 promoter in a C. elegans slo-1 functional null mutant rescued behavioral deficits that otherwise resulted from loss of slo-1 signaling. However, worms expressing the human channel were 10- to 100-fold less sensitive to emodepside than those expressing the nematode channel. Strains expressing the human KCNMA1 channel were preferentially sensitive to the mammalian channel agonists NS1619 and rottlerin. In the C. elegans pharyngeal nervous system, slo-1 is expressed in neurons, not muscle, and cell-specific rescue experiments have previously shown that emodepside inhibits serotonin-stimulated feeding by interfering with SLO-1 signaling in the nervous system. Here we show that ectopic overexpression of slo-1 in pharyngeal muscle confers sensitivity of the muscle to emodepside, consistent with a direct interaction of emodepside with the channel. Taken together, these data predict an emodepside-selective pharmacophore harbored by SLO-1. This has implications for the development of this drug/target interface for the treatment of helminth infections.

Soziale Themen haben gute Chancen, in den Medien prasent zu sein. Viele Moglichkeiten werden allerdings verschenkt – und damit auch die Option, die Soziale Arbeit politisch und gesellschaftlich zu positionieren. Warum Offentlichkeitsarbeit notwendig ist und wie sie gelingen kann wird in diesem Beitrag skizziert. Dabei wird vor allem auf eine ihrer wichtigste Formen, die Pressearbeit, eingegangen.

Will man Elternarbeit in Einrichtungen implementieren, so benotigt man in der Regel die inhaltliche Unterstutzung von zumindest grundsatzlich gleich Gesonnenen und meist auch zusatzliche Ressourcen. Letztere mussen entweder zusatzlich gewahrt werden oder durch Umwandlung vorhandener Mittel anderer Bereiche entstehen. Soll dies erreicht werden, geht das nicht ohne auf die kommunale Jugendpolitik Einfluss zu nehmen. Dies wird nur moglich sein, wenn einerseits die notwendigen Kenntnisse uber die entsprechenden Strukturen und Handlungsmethoden vorhanden sind und andererseits Bundnispartner gefunden werden (vgl. Kruger 2010). Mit Kooperationspartnern, Netzwerkakteuren und Stakeholdern als Bundnispartner beschaftigt sich dieser Beitrag.

The G-Protein-coupled receptor Hc110-R of Haemonchus contortus and its orthologue in Caenorhabditis elegans, the latrophilin-like protein 1 (LAT-1), were shown to play a role in the mode of action of the new anthelmintic compound emodepside. C. elegans LAT-1 knockout mutants showed a decreased paralysing effect of emodepside on the pharyngeal muscle. In the present study, the LAT-1 orthologue in the canine hookworm Ancylostoma caninum was identified and named depsiphilin. To obtain more information about the regulation of this receptor and to facilitate phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses of parasitic nematode genes, the genomic structure of A. caninum depsiphilin was investigated. High consistency regarding the position of introns in comparison to C. elegans LAT-1 was observed, providing indication of the same origin of the genes. With a view to possible differences in efficacy of emodepside on different developmental stages, we analysed the transcript level of A. caninum depsiphilin in eggs, L1, L3, male and female adult worms using quantitative real-time PCR. Depsiphilin is transcribed in all five examined stages, but we found a significantly lower transcript level in third-stage larvae. A correlation between these findings and a reduced emodepside activity remains to be investigated.

We present a highly accurate gene-prediction system for eukaryotic genomes, called mGene. It combines in an unprecedented manner the flexibility of generalized hidden Markov models (gHMMs) with the predictive power of modern machine learning methods, such as Support Vector Machines (SVMs). Its excellent performance was proved in an objective competition based on the genome of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Considering the average of sensitivity and specificity, the developmental version of mGene exhibited the best prediction performance on nucleotide, exon, and transcript level for ab initio and multiple-genome gene-prediction tasks. The fully developed version shows superior performance in 10 out of 12 evaluation criteria compared with the other participating gene finders, including Fgenesh++ and Augustus. An in-depth analysis of mGene's genome-wide predictions revealed that ≈2200 predicted genes were not contained in the current genome annotation. Testing a subset of 57 of these genes by RT-PCR and sequencing, we confirmed expression for 24 (42%) of them. mGene missed 300 annotated genes, out of which 205 were unconfirmed. RT-PCR testing of 24 of these genes resulted in a success rate of merely 8%. These findings suggest that even the gene catalog of a well-studied organism such as C. elegans can be substantially improved by mGene's predictions. We also provide gene predictions for the four nematodes C. briggsae, C. brenneri, C. japonica, and C. remanei. Comparing the resulting proteomes among these organisms and to the known protein universe, we identified many species-specific gene inventions. In a quality assessment of several available annotations for these genomes, we find that mGene's predictions are most accurate.

„Ich will mich nicht in den Vordergrund drangen“ ist ein haufiges Argument, einen breiten Bogen um die Medien zu machen. Gerade Menschen, die in sozialen Berufen arbeiten, wollen oft lieber im Hintergrund agieren, sich und ihre Sache nicht „verkaufen“. PR und Offentlichkeitsarbeit sei Spielfeld groser Firmen mit einem professionellen Marketingapparat. Doch die Medien lassen sich auch fur Non-Profit-Institutionen instrumentalisieren. Durch gezielte Offentlichkeitsarbeit, die nicht mit Werbung zuverwechseln ist, konnen nicht nur mogliche Zielgruppen mob ilisiert und informiert, sondern auch politischer Druck ausgeubt werden.

Control of helminth infections is a major task in livestock production to prevent health constraints and economic losses. However, resistance to established anthelmintic substances already impedes effective anthelmintic treatment in many regions worldwide. Thus, there is an obvious need for sensitive and reliable methods to assess the resistance status of at least the most important nematode populations. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the beta-tubulin isotype 1 gene of various nematodes correlate with resistance to benzimidazoles (BZ), a major anthelmintic class. Here we describe the full-length beta-tubulin isotype 1 and 2 and alpha-tubulin coding sequences of the cattle nematode Ostertagia ostertagi. Additionally, the Cooperia oncophora alpha-tubulin coding sequence was identified. Phylogenetic maximum-likelihood analysis revealed that both isotype 1 and 2 are orthologs to the Caenorhabditis elegans ben-1 gene which is also associated with BZ resistance upon mutation. In contrast, a Trichuris trichiura cDNA, postulated to be beta-tubulin isotype 1 involved in BZ resistance in this human parasite, turned out to be closely related to C. elegans beta-tubulins tbb-4 and mec-7 and would therefore represent the first non-ben-1-like beta-tubulin to be under selection through treatment with BZs. A pyrosequencing assay was established to detect BZ resistance associated SNPs in beta-tubulin isotype 1 codons 167, 198 and 200 of C. oncophora and O. ostertagi. PCR-fragments representing either of the two alleles were combined in defined ratios to evaluate the pyrosequencing assay. The correlation between the given and the measured allele frequencies of the respective SNPs was very high. Subsequently laboratory isolates and field populations with known resistance status were analyzed. With the exception of codon 167 in Cooperia, increases of resistance associated alleles were detected for all codons in at least one of the phenotypically resistant population. Pyrosequencing provides a fast, inexpensive and sensitive alternative to conventional resistance detection methods.

Purpose Careful assessment of the aortic root is paramount to select an appropriate prosthesis for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Relevant information about the aortic root anatomy, such as the aortic annulus diameter, can be extracted from pre-interventional CT. In this work, we investigate a neural network-based approach for segmenting the aortic root as a basis for obtaining these parameters. Methods To support valve prosthesis selection, geometric measures of the aortic root are extracted from the patient’s CT scan using a cascade of convolutional neural networks (CNNs). First, the image is reduced to the aortic root, valve, and left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT); within that subimage, the aortic valve and ascending aorta are segmented; and finally, the region around the aortic annulus. From the segmented annulus region, we infer the annulus orientation using principal component analysis (PCA). The area-derived diameter of the annulus is approximated based on the segmentation of the aortic root and LVOT and the plane orientation resulting from the PCA. Results The cascade of CNNs was trained using 90 expert-annotated contrast-enhanced CT scans routinely acquired for TAVI planning. Segmentation of the aorta and valve within the region of interest achieved an F1 score of 0.94 on the test set of 36 patients. The area-derived diameter within the annulus region was determined with a mean error below 2 mm between the automatic measurement and the diameter derived from annotations. The calculated diameters and resulting errors are comparable to published results of alternative approaches. Conclusions The cascaded neural network approach enabled the assessment of the aortic root with a relatively small training set. The processing time amounts to 30 s per patient, facilitating time-efficient, reproducible measurements. An extended training data set, including different levels of calcification or special cases (e.g., pre-implanted valves), could further improve this method’s applicability and robustness., International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery, 17 (3), ISSN:1861-6410, ISSN:1861-6429