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Amtliche Bekanntmachungen, 55. Jahrgang, Nr. 85
No full textÄnderung und zugleich Neubekanntmachung der Ordnung für die Wahl zum Wahlgremium der zentralen Gleichstellungsbeauftragten und ihrer Stellvertreterinnen der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn vom 4. November 202
Factor graph-based ground truth trajectory estimation by fusing robotic total station and inertial measurements
Get PDFThe application of mobile mapping systems (MMS) has increased continuously in the last decades in fields like infrastructure or ecosystem monitoring. Equipped with multiple laser scanners and cameras, these systems can generate high-resolution 3D point clouds of the environment in a short time. In this process, the accuracy of the trajectory of the system is of central importance as it directly affects the accuracy of the resulting point cloud. However, since the trajectory estimation depends on sensor observations that are often affected by unknown systematic errors, the actual accuracy of the trajectory remains mainly unknown. To uncover the gap in the trajectory accuracy assessment, we present a method to create ground truth trajectories for mobile mapping systems by integrating millimeter-accurate total station measurements. We mount an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and two 360-degree prisms on a mobile platform, track them with two Robotic Total Stations (RTS) during motion, and fuse these prism measurements with the IMU readings using a factor graph-based trajectory estimation approach. To evaluate the quality of this ground truth trajectory, we record repeated measurements on a closed-loop rail track close to Bonn, Germany. The results show that the generated ground truth trajectory estimated with RTS and IMU data achieves a precision of around 1 mm in position and 0.05° in orientation. To show the potential of the method, we detect systematic deviations of an example MSS that uses Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK-GNSS) and IMU data for trajectory estimation. The results show that even under good GNSS conditions, the ground truth trajectory from our proposed approach has significantly better precision and less systematic errors than the trajectory based on RTK-GNSS and IMU data
Strong Association of Perceived Chronic Stress with Leadership Quality, Work–Privacy Conflict and Quantitative Work Demands : Results of the IMPROVE<em>job</em> Study
Get PDFThe health of primary care professionals is crucial for the health of populations. A lower number of general practitioners per 1000 patients correlates with higher patient mortality. Challenging work demands, work–privacy conflict, and poor leadership quality are associated with higher perceived chronic stress and/or burnout in physician populations. However, studies investigating the influence of all three factors in a single quantitative model are lacking. This study analysed the associations between the mentioned parameters and perceived chronic stress among general practice personnel based on baseline data of the cluster-randomized IMPROVEjob study. It comprised 60 German general practices with 366 participants (84 general practice leaders, 28 employed physicians, 254 practice assistants). Perceived chronic stress (TICS-SSCS), leadership quality (LMX-7, FIF), work–privacy conflict (COPSOQ), and quantitative and emotional work demands (COPSOQ) were measured with validated questionnaires. The factors associated with lower perceived chronic stress were identified using a multilevel regression model approach. The model showed a significant association with less work–privacy conflict (p β = 0.31), lower quantitative work demands (p β = 0.28), and good leadership quality (p β = −0.22). Especially transformational leadership with the dimension 'innovation of the leader' was associated with lower perceived chronic stress. The data support the importance of high-quality leadership as a protective factor for perceived chronic stress among general practice personnel, which needs to be considered in future leadership interventions in this setting
What Drives First-Semester Student Engagement in Large Lecture-Based Sociology Courses in Germany?
Get PDFResearch on the complex dimensions of engagement in large, lecture-based courses remains scarce. Lecture-based courses are often characterized by passive learning environments, raising concerns about their capacity to foster motivation. This study investigates how motivational factors shape multiple dimensions of engagement—cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and agentic—in introductory sociology courses. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with 434 first-year students enrolled at seven public universities in North Rhine–Westphalia, Germany. All participants had completed the Abitur at the Gymnasium and experienced hybrid learning during their final years of secondary education due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study formulated three hypotheses: (1) mastery (self-improvement) goals positively predict emotional, behavioral, and cognitive engagement (validated); (2) perceived autonomy support increases emotional engagement (validated); and (3) performance goals (motivation to outperform peers) have a stronger effect on emotional than cognitive engagement (rejected). Results indicate that performance goals neither enhance emotional engagement nor exert a stronger influence on emotional than on cognitive engagement, challenging common assumptions about the role of competitive motivation in large lecture settings. Additionally, despite low levels of agentic engagement—attributed to the structural constraints of large lecture-based learning environments—students' internal engagement was in line with other studies. These findings highlight the critical role of educational culture, particularly the emphasis on autonomy within the German school system, and the influence of learning spaces in shaping student engagement. We suggest that engagement is shaped by familiarity with hybrid formats that support autonomy, as well as by an academic culture in which active silent engagement is often the norm. In such contexts, mastery goals and autonomy-supportive backgrounds help foster more reactive dimensions of student engagement
Molekulargenetische Untersuchung der bipolaren Störung
Get PDFDie bipolare Störung (BD) gehört zu den affektiven Störungen und ist gekennzeichnet durch manische und depressive Episoden. Sie ist eine multifaktorielle Erkrankung, bei der genetische Faktoren eine wesentliche Rolle in der Krankheitsentstehung spielen. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, einen Beitrag zur Aufklärung der genetischen Ätiologie der BD zu leisten, mit Fokus auf microRNAs (miRNAs) und seltene genetische Varianten in mehrfach betroffenen Familien.
Im ersten Teil der Arbeit wurden die Einzel-SNP-Teststatistiken unserer genomweiten BD Assoziationsstudie (Mühleisen et al., 2014) genutzt um den Beitrag von miRNAs zur Entstehung der BD zu untersuchen. Kategorientests und Locus-basierte Analysen stellten eine signifikante Anreicherung von BD-SNPs in miRNA-Loci fest und identifizierten individuell signifikant assoziierte miRNAs. Als interessanteste Kandidaten wurden die miR-499, miR-708 und miR-1908 priorisiert, da sie ein miRNA-spezifisches Signal aufwiesen. Eine Analyse ihrer Zielgene, ergab eine signifikante Anreicherung in 18 relevanten biologischen Signalwegen, darunter Signalwege zur Bildung des zentralen Nervensystems. Zusammenfassend geben die Ergebnisse der hier präsentierten Studie Hinweise darauf, dass die priorisierten miRNAs eine Rolle bei der Krankheitsentstehung der BD spielen. Weiterführende Studien in der Literatur beziehen sich auf diese Resultate und helfen die genaue Funktion der priorisierten miRNAs und das durch sie regulierte Netzwerk weiter zu untersuchen.
Im zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit wurde die Rolle von häufigen und seltenen genetischen Varianten in zwei kubanischen, mehrfach betroffene Familien mit BD bei der Krankheitsentstehung untersucht. Zur Erfassung der kumulativen Effekte häufiger genetischer Varianten wurde ein polygener Risikoscore berechnet, der in Patienten mit BD im Vergleich zu Familienmitgliedern ohne oder mit einer anderen psychiatrischen Erkrankung nominal signifikant höher war. Mittels Exomsequenzierung wurden 15 Individuen mit einer Diagnose der BD auf sehr seltene genetische Varianten mit höherer Penetranz untersucht. Eine Priorisierung nach geschätzt funktionellem Effekt resultierte in 17 Kandidatenvarianten, die 13 hirnexprimierte Gene implizierten. Zu den interessantesten Befunden zählte eine seltene genetische missense Variante im Gen SERPING1, welches auch ein genomweit signifikanter Befund für die Schizophrenie (SCZ) ist und damit die Hypothese einer überlappenden genetischen Ätiologie zwischen BD und SCZ stärkt. Eine weiterführende Untersuchung der Kandidatenvarianten in dem unabhängigen BipEx- Datensatz sowie die Ergebnisse einer Kopplungsanalyse lieferte keine weitere Evidenz für eine Beteiligung dieser Kandidatenvarianten an der Entstehung der BD.
Zusammenfassend leistet die vorliegende Arbeit einen Beitrag zum besseren Verständnis der genetischen Ätiologie der BD, insbesondere im Hinblick auf die Rolle von miRNAs und sehr seltenen Varianten. Die Ergebnisse haben bereits eine Grundlage für weiterführende Forschungen geschaffen und trugen zur Weiterentwicklung des wissenschaftlichen Diskurses maßgeblich bei. Um die genetischen Ursachen umfassend aufzuklären, sind weitere Studien mit Fokus auf das gesamte allelische Spektrum unerlässlich. Zusammen bilden größere und detailliert phänotypisierte Kollektive, neue Methoden sowie funktionelle Untersuchungen eine wichtige Basis für die Aufklärung der Ätiologie der BD
Pathways to politics : a sequence analysis of political apathy and involvement
Get PDFUnderstanding inequality in political involvement is a core goal of political science. Previous research has examined specific life-course influences, but there is limited knowledge about the diverse trajectories young citizens follow to become politically engaged or apathetic. This study employs sequence analysis to identify prevailing trajectories of political involvement from adolescence to young adulthood in Germany and the United Kingdom. For a surprisingly large share, their political future of either apathy or involvement is already determined by age 17, or even as early as age 11. Only about 19% develop involvement between age 17 and 25 and only 24% between age 11 and 15. Studying predictors of individual trajectories points to strong parental influences, while personal experiences can foster later involvement for a sizeable sub-group. These results show an under-appreciated diversity of political socialisation trajectories and point to an urgent need to study the interaction of parental and personal factors shaping them
Post-Surgical Outcomes of Kidney-Sparing Surgery vs. Radical Nephroureterectomy for Upper-Tract Urothelial Cancer in a Propensity-Weighted Cohort
Get PDFObjectives: In localized upper-tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) represents the surgical gold standard, but kidney-sparing surgery (KSS) offers an alternative. The surgical perspective, including complications, remains understudied in this context. This study aimed to compare KSS and RNU, assess kidney function and survival, and identify the surgical risk factors. Methods: This retrospective analysis included UTUC patients undergoing KSS (n = 46) or RNU (n = 46) at a single center from 2016 to April 2024, matched by propensity scores. The primary endpoint was Clavien–Dindo complications. Other endpoints included Days Alive and Out of the Hospital within 30 days (DAOH30), changes in the eGFR, cancer-specific survival (CSS), and disease-free survival (DFS). A UTUC Surgery Risk Score was developed to identify the surgical risk factors for severe complications. Results: KSS was significantly associated with higher rates of Clavien–Dindo grades ≥ 3 (KSS: 14; RNU: 3). DAOH30 was significantly longer following RNU. The UTUC Surgery Risk Score, based on a non-endoscopic KSS approach, an ASA score ≥ 3, and preoperative creatinine > 0.9 mg/dL, was significantly associated with overall and severe complications and DAOH30 (both p p = 0.015). No significant differences were observed in the median CSS or DFS between the groups. Conclusions: KSS is associated with a higher rate of certain postoperative complications,but offers superior kidney function preservation, with comparable oncological outcomes to RNU. The novel UTUC Surgery Risk Score can aid in patient counseling and personalized decision-making prior to surgery
A Survey on Current Trends and Recent Advances in Text Anonymization
Get PDFThe proliferation of textual data containing sensitive personal information across various domains requires robust anonymization techniques to protect privacy and comply with regulations, while preserving data usability for diverse and crucial downstream tasks. This survey provides a comprehensive overview of current trends and recent advances in text anonymization techniques. We begin by discussing foundational approaches, primarily centered on Named Entity Recognition, before examining the transformative impact of Large Language Models, detailing their dual role as sophisticated anonymizers and potent de-anonymization threats. The survey further explores domain-specific challenges and tailored solutions in critical sectors such as healthcare, law, finance, and education. We investigate advanced methodologies incorporating formal privacy models and risk-aware frameworks, and address the specialized subfield of authorship anonymization. Additionally, we review evaluation frameworks, comprehensive metrics, benchmarks, and practical toolkits for real-world deployment of anonymization solutions. This review consolidates current knowledge, identifies emerging trends and persistent challenges, including the evolving privacy-utility trade-off, the need to address quasi-identifiers, and the implications of LLM capabilities, and aims to guide future research directions for both academics and practitioners in this field
Climate-relevant land cover composition and configuration trajectories in Europe
Get PDFLand use and land cover change (LULCC) can affect the climate system by altering biophysical surface characteristics. At the local scale, climate regulating functions are co-determined by land cover composition and configuration, i.e. the proportions and the spatial arrangement of land cover types. However, research on the relationship between LULCC and climate often focuses individually either on compositional or configurational aspects. As a result, there is a gap in our knowledge about the spatiotemporal distribution of land cover composition and configuration patterns influencing the local climate regulating functions. Here, we used a range of LULCC metrics between 1992 and 2015 and applied Self-Organizing Maps to characterize dominant land cover composition and configuration trajectories in Europe. We then tested the climate relevance of the five most dominant trajectories with a high-resolution regional climate model. Land cover composition and configuration simultaneously changed in more than 20% of the European landmass, with cropland transition to forest patches and bare soil representing the major trajectory. Climate model simulations predict a general increase in the topsoil temperature due to only changes in land cover composition and configuration. All trajectories showed increasing topsoil temperature variability during the crop growing season, with forest transition trajectories showing a greater increase. Our findings demonstrate the relevance of changes in both land cover composition and configuration for the local climate and warrant further empirical and model-based research with an explicit focus on quantifying the effects of simultaneous changes in both these LULCC dimensions
Silting t-Structures, ℙ-Objects, and Weyl Groupoids
Get PDFThe main topics of this thesis are triangulated categories with t-structures and weight structures, Koszul duality, and certain generalizations of spherical objects known as ℙ-objects. The secondary topic are Weyl groupoids, which are a certain aspect of the structure theory of Lie superalgebras. The thesis consists of four rather independent parts.
In the first part we introduce derived projective covers and relate them to the notion of enough derived projectives introduced by Genovese–Lowen–Van den Bergh. Our main result uses derived projective covers to provide an if-and-only-if criterion for a t-structure with finite-length heart to be a silting t-structure in the sense of Psaroudakis–Vitória. We also provide equivalent axioms for the ST pairs introduced by Adachi–Mizuno–Yang, and formulate the bijection between simple-minded collections and silting collections due to Koenig–Yang in terms of derived projective covers.
In the second part we show that the non-positive respectively positive dg algebras obtained from silting and simple-minded collections corresponding to orthogonal weight structures and t-structures are dg Koszul dual to each other. This can be seen as a first step towards a tentative Koszul duality of weight structures and t-structures.
In the third part we consider the constructible derived category of complex projective space ℙn, equipped with the middle-perverse t-structure. We show that the simple perverse sheaf corresponding to the open stratum is a ℙn-object in the sense of Huybrechts–Thomas, and that its associated ℙ-twist is the inverse Serre functor. Moreover, we classify the ℙ-like objects in the category of perverse sheaves on ℙn. This part is joint work with Alessio Cipriani.
In the fourth part we study Weyl groupoids of contragredient Lie superalgebras. We provide a convenient graphical formulation of the definitions of Cartan graphs and Weyl groupoids introduced by Heckenberger in the context of Nichols algebras, and apply this to Lie superalgebras following Heckenberger–Yamane. We explicitly describe the Weyl groupoids of sl(m|n), osp(2m+1|2n) and osp(2m|2n) in terms of partitions. Furthermore, we compare this notion of Weyl groupoid to other similar constructions, and in particular to the root groupoid recently introduced by Gorelik–Hinich–Serganova. This part is joint work with Jonas Nehme