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AI-based and Model-driven Methods to Guide Citizens through Processes in the Public Sector
No full textDigitalization of processes in the public sector is a challenging endeavor for citizens: too long or ambiguous forms and unfamiliar terms make it challenging to participate in these processes. What is needed are methods to guide citizens with IT systems through processes in the public sector in a user-centric way. Within this paper, we investigate how to develop web systems that provide citizen-centered guidance in several dimensions: explanatory content, guided navigation, contextual process support, and form completion. Our solution integrates generative AI and model-driven engineering methods to develop web applications for the public sector. This has not only advantages for citizens, but we can also enhance the system maintenance of such systems with these methods. We present the main processes of how to realize such integrated approaches, provide some examples from practice, and discuss open challenges for the approaches
Archimedean classes in additive monoids
No full textSummand absorbing submodules are common in modules over (additively) idempotent semirings, for example, in tropical algebra. A submodule W of V is summand absorbing, if x + y is an element of W implies x is an element of W,y is an element of W for any x,y is an element of V. This paper proceeds the study of these submodules, and more generally of additive monoids, with emphasis on their archimedean classes and quotient structures
Warum "20 % von 50 %" 10 Prozent, aber auch 40 Prozent sein können
No full text„20 % von 50 %“ kann entweder als 40 % oder als 10 % interpretiert werden, da die Präposition „von“ je nach Sachsituation als Multiplikation oder Division gedeutet werden muss. Wir begründen beide Interpretationen, die wir mit „Multiplikations-von“ und „Divisions-von“ bezeichnen, mithilfe der Grundgleichung der Prozentrechnung und zeigen, dass eine Eindeutigkeit erst durch den Kontext entsteht. Auch in Visualisierungen wie Baumdiagrammen und Vierfeldertafeln können diese zwei verschiedenen möglichen Bedeutungen sichtbar gemacht werden
Impact of Hypothermic Temperature Control on Plasma and Soft Tissue Pharmacokinetics of Penicillin/Beta-Lactamase Inhibitor Combinations in Patients Resuscitated After Cardiac Arrest
Get PDFBackground and objectives: Penicillin/beta-lactamase inhibitors are often used to treat aspiration pneumonia in patients resuscitated after cardiac arrest (CA). The impact of hypothermic temperature control on the pharmacokinetics of amoxicillin/clavulanate (AMO/CLAV) and ampicillin/sulbactam (AMP/SULB) has not been studied. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of hypothermic temperature control on the plasma and soft tissue pharmacokinetics of AMO/CLAV and AMP/SULB, including pulmonary concentrations of AMP/SULB, in patients resuscitated after CA.
Methods: This prospective clinical study involved ten adult patients after CA receiving either AMO/CLAV 2 g/0.2 g or AMP/SULB 2 g/1 g intravenously every 8 h. Patients underwent hypothermic temperature control (33 ± 1 °C) for 24 h, followed by normothermia. Plasma, urine, muscle, and subcutaneous pharmacokinetics were measured and plasma protein-binding assessed for each subject. Microdialysis determined unbound drug concentrations in soft tissues. The pulmonary concentration of AMP/SULB was analyzed in the epithelial lining fluid.
Results: No significant differences in plasma pharmacokinetics or renal excretion of AMO/CLAV and AMP/SULB were observed between the two temperature conditions. Soft tissue concentrations showed no consistent trend. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic targets (time that the unbound plasma concentrations were above the minimal inhibitory concentration [MIC] for MIC up to 8 mg/L) were met but not for 16 mg/L. Pulmonary concentrations of AMP/SULB in the epithelial lining fluid showed no clear trend.
Conclusion: This study indicates that hypothermic temperature control does not significantly affect plasma concentrations, soft tissue concentrations, or renal excretion of AMO/CLAV and AMP/SULB in patients resuscitated after CA. However, pulmonary concentrations of AMP/SULB exhibited interindividual variability
Coupling metabolomics and exome sequencing reveals graded effects of rare damaging heterozygous variants on gene function and human traits.
Get PDFGenetic studies of the metabolome can uncover enzymatic and transport processes shaping human metabolism. Using rare variant aggregation testing based on whole-exome sequencing data to detect genes associated with levels of 1,294 plasma and 1,396 urine metabolites, we discovered 235 gene-metabolite associations, many previously unreported. Complementary approaches (genetic, computational (in silico gene knockouts in whole-body models of human metabolism) and one experimental proof of principle) provided orthogonal evidence that studies of rare, damaging variants in the heterozygous state permit inferences concordant with those from inborn errors of metabolism. Allelic series of functional variants in transporters responsible for transcellular sulfate reabsorption (SLC13A1, SLC26A1) exhibited graded effects on plasma sulfate and human height and pinpointed alleles associated with increased odds of diverse musculoskeletal traits and diseases in the population. This integrative approach can identify new players in incompletely characterized human metabolic reactions and reveal metabolic readouts informative of human traits and diseases
Der Einfluss von Vorhofflimmern auf die zelluläre Elektrophysiologie im Ventrikelmyokard
Get PDFVorhofflimmern (VHF) ist im Bereich der kardiovaskulären Erkrankungen eine der häufigsten Rhythmusstörungen und steht in Zusammenhang mit einer ventrikulären Dysfunktion des Herzens. Zum aktuellen Zeitpunkt ist VHF jedoch fast ausschließlich als Erkrankung des Vorhofs beschrieben. Der Einfluss von VHF auf die zelluläre Elektrophysiologie im Ventrikelmyokard stellt somit eine Forschungslücke dar und soll in dieser Arbeit untersucht werden.
Da bisher kein Modell existiert, das erlaubt den Einfluss von VHF auf den Ventrikel zu untersuchen, wurde ein Modell an humanen induzierten pluripotenten Stammzell-Kardiomyozyten (hIPSC-KM) etabliert, mit dem an ventrikulären Zellen in einer Langzeitkultur bis zu 7 Tage die elektrische Erregung äquivalent zu VHF simuliert werden kann. Nach der VHF-Simulation wurden mehrere Aspekte der elektromechanischen Kopplung an den Zellen untersucht. Mittels Epifluoreszenzmikroskopie wurde zunächst die Calcium (Ca2+) -Homöostase evaluiert. Sowohl in atrialen als auch in ventrikulären hIPSC-KM war die Amplitude der systolischen Ca2+-Transienten und auch die Ca2+-Beladung des Sarkoplasmatischen Retikulums nach der VHF-Simulation reduziert. Neben der Ca2+-Homöostase wurden mit der Patch Clamp Technik Effekte auf den späten Natrium-Strom und die Aktionspotentiale der Zellen gemessen. Die VHF-Simulation führte zur Erhöhung des späten Natrium-Stroms, der eine mögliche Ursache für die gemessene Verlängerung der Aktionspotentialdauer darstellt. Übereinstimmend mit den Effekten an den hIPSC-KM, wurde an ventrikulären Kardiomyozyten von Patienten mit VHF eine Verlängerung der Aktionspotentialdauer im Vergleich zu Zellen von Patienten ohne VHF detektiert. VHF ist, hinsichtlich der VHF-Last, bei den Patienten unterschiedlich stark ausgeprägt. Diesbezüglich wurde in der CASTLE-AF Studie ein Über- bzw. Unterschreiten des Schwellenwertes von 50% VHF-Last als entscheidend für das kardiovaskuläre Outcome beschrieben. In dem etablierten Kulturstimulationsmodell wurde ab einer VHF-Last >50% eine Verlängerung der Aktionspotentialdauer als elektrophysiologischer Hintergrund zu den klinischen Beobachtungen eruiert. Nachdem die Effekte von VHF auf die Elektrophysiologie der Ventrikelzellen evaluiert waren, sollten die zugrunde liegenden Mechanismen aufgedeckt werden. Eine Inhibition der CaMKII und Reduktion des oxidativen Stress wirkten sich hinsichtlich der Ca2+-Homöostase protektiv auf arrhythmisch stimulierte hIPSC-KM aus.
Diese Arbeit liefert erste Erkenntnisse dazu, wie arrhythmische Erregung bei VHF zur Beeinträchtigung der Elektromechanischen Kopplung im Ventrikel führt und könnte damit zum Teil die Entwicklung der ventrikulären Dysfunktion bei Patienten mit VHF erklären. Die Ergebnisse legen die Vermutung nahe, dass VHF auch der Grund für die Entstehung einer LVSD sein kann und nicht nur die Folge einer bestehenden Herzerkrankung. VHF sollte demnach nicht nur als Erkrankung des Vorhofs betrachtet werden
Digital Forensics Readiness for the Internet of Things
Get PDFThe Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming an integral part of daily life, transforming both personal and business practices. From a Digital Forensics (DF) perspective, IoT environments offer valuable evidence and diverse artifacts that can significantly assist in- vestigations. Therefore, DF must adapt to the unique characteristics of IoT environments. As IoT deployment increases, organizations must rethink their planning, development, and implementation of Information Technology (IT) security strategies. While the IoT opens new business opportunities, it also introduces various challenges related to cyber- attacks and their mitigation. In this regard, Forensics Readiness (FR) can help balance the cost of investigating future incidents by preparing for them. To research Internet of Things Forensics Readiness (IoT-FR) from a holistic perspective, it is essential to consider the human aspect (e.g., include investigators and non-experts), the process aspect (e.g., enable structured integration), and the technical aspect (e.g., consider IoT conditions). Thus, the threefold dissertation first explores how awareness and education can support DF within IoT environments, indicating a shift towards applying gamification elements and serious games. Secondly, this research work highlights the importance of processes that help to structure DF investigations in IoT to enable FR in the first place by extracting influencing factors and helping investigators in tool decision and application. Thirdly, the dissertation explores the IoTs unique technical circumstances that require novel and updated DF approaches and shows the potential of utilizing technological developments to support the technical investigation. The research progress in IoT-FR lays a robust foundation for integrating and realizing FR in IoT environments in the future. This enables, at the same time, the design of secure systems through new insights gained from sustainable and comprehensive Internet of Things Forensics (IoTF) investigations
Advancing Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging Sensors through Neural Network-Aided Analysis of Lateral Signal Modulation for Robust Surface Sensing
Get PDFThis work provides insight into the potential of camera-based surface plasmon resonance sensors when utilising the spatial sensor by modulating the sensor response through lateral modification of surface parameters or input illumination. These modifications have to be coupled with adequate signal processing. Modelling the sensor response using Fresnel formulae allows for accurate representation of the sensor surface state, increasing confidence in measured values. Alternatively, data-based modelling approaches can be utilised which eliminate the need for approximation of a physical model to observed data but are limited by the data they are trained on.
It has been explored how, especially, deep learning models that are specialised in image processing (CNNs) can be utilised for qualitative or quantitative assessment of analytes with the help of a receptor array on an SPR surface. Notably, this approach demonstrates strong generalization capabilities, performing effectively on unseen sensors used for the same task. Preliminary experiments indicate that performance enhancements are feasible when data from different points in time during binding or debinding are used during processing.
In conclusion, deep learning-assisted spatial SPR sensors hold immense potential for diverse applications, including online quality control, anomaly detection, and biofouling quantification. However, realizing this potential hinges on carefully designed experiments that yield high-quality data. Furthermore, incorporating orthogonal data sources is crucial for more precise determination of the surface state during calibration. Suitable surface-sensitive techniques include Raman spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and impedance spectroscopy. Coupling these methods can improve knowledge on the observed state during training. This information together with the presented methods can simplify sensor development and improve performance
Comparison of effectiveness of common targeting heuristics in repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment of depression
Get PDFBackground Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is an effective non-pharmacological, non-invasive intervention for depression. However, the optimal strategy for localising the DLPFC treatment site on the patient’s scalp is heavily disputed. Routine strategies were previously incrementally refined and compared in terms of anatomical accuracy, but little is known about their impact on clinical outcomes.
Objective To assess the impact of three common scalp-based heuristics for magnetic coil positioning on the treatment outcome of rTMS.
Methods This retrospective analysis of real-world clinical data involved patients suffering from a major depressive episode (n=94) who received a 4-week course of excitatory rTMS to the left DLPFC. The treatment target (ie, coil position) was either determined at an absolute distance anterior to the motor hotspot (‘6 cm rule’) or defined in reference to the EEG electrode position F3 using a traditional (‘Beam F3’) or optimised (‘Beam F3 Adjusted’) approach.
Findings There was no statistically significant difference between the ‘6 cm rule’ and the ‘Beam F3’ method nor between the ‘Beam F3’ and the ‘Beam F3 Adjusted’ method in head-to-head comparisons of averaged per cent change of scores on depression rating scales (all p>0.605) and response rate (all p>0.475).
Conclusions Enhancing targeting precision via scalp-based heuristics does not affect treatment outcomes.
Clinical implications There is no need for clinicians to switch from their familiar to an ‘advanced’ approach among these common targeting heuristics