Software Requirements and Prototype Development of a Web Application for Quality Assurance (QA) in Radiation Therapy - a QAlender

The implementation of a web based portal QA solution will lead to a high acceptance of the staff as the usage of commonly known standard software (e.g. web browser) allows intuitive handling. In the daily use a significant simplification of the workflow and Performance enhancement can be achieved by easy access to the check documents. As the data is now saved in a database it can easily be processed and long-term trends can be displayed. Therefore possible errors can be detected much easier and earlier. By the usage of time stamps and user authentication procedures and user responsibilities are comprehensibly documented. As the software is browser based, integration into an existing software Environment is not critical. As only technical QA data is processed, no further data security measures are necessary. A certification as a medical product is not required

Core-Shell Assisted Bimetallic Assembly of Pt and Ru Nanoparticles by DNA Hybridization

We have discovered that the current protocols to assemble Au nanoparticles based on DNA hybridization do not work well with the small metal nanoparticles (e.g. 5 nm Au, 3.6 nm Pt and 3.2 nm Ru particles). Further investigations revealed the presence of strong interaction between the oligonucleotide backbone and the surface of the small metal nanoparticles. The oligonucleotides in this case are recumbent on the particle surface and are therefore not optimally oriented for hybridization. The nonspecific adsorption of oligonucleotides on small metal nanoparticles must be overcome before DNA hybridization can be accepted as a general assembly method. Two methods have been suggested as possible solutions to this problem. One is based on the use of stabilizer molecules which compete with the oligonucleotides for adsorption on the metal nanoparticle surface. Unfortunately, the reported success of this approach in small Au nanoparticles (using K₂BSPP) and Au films (using 6-mercapto-1-hexanol) could not be extended to the assembly of Pt and Ru nanoparticles by DNA hybridization. The second approach is to simply use larger metal particles. Indeed most reports on the DNA hybridization induced assembly of Au nanoparticles have made use of relatively large particles (>10 nm), hinting at a weaker non-specific interaction between the oligonucleotides and large Au nanoparticles. However, most current methods of nanoparticle synthesis are optimized to produce metal nanoparticles only within a narrow size range. We find that core-shell nanoparticles formed by the seeded growth method may be used to artificially enlarge the size of the metal particles to reduce the nonspecific binding of oligonucleotides. We demonstrate herein a core-shell assisted growth method to assemble Pt and Ru nanoparticles by DNA hybridization. This method involves firstly synthesizing approximately 16 nm core-shell Ag-Pt and 21 nm core-shell Au-Ru nanoparticles from 9.6 nm Ag seeds and 17.2 nm Au seeds respectively by the seed-mediated growth method. The core-shell nanoparticles were then functionalized by complementary thiolated oligonucleotides followed by aging in 0.2 M PBS buffer for 6 hours. The DNA hybridization induced bimetallic assembly of Pt and Ru nanoparticles could then be carried out in 0.3 M PBS buffer for 10 hours.Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA

Modulation of HIV-1 replication in primary dendritic cells in contact with autologous CD4 T-lymphocytes

International audienc

Clinical spectrum of females with HCCS mutation: from no clinical signs to a neonatal lethal form of the microphthalmia with linear skin defects (MLS) syndrome

Background: Segmental Xp22.2 monosomy or a heterozygous HCCS mutation is associated with the microphthalmia with linear skin defects (MLS) or MIDAS (microphthalmia, dermal aplasia, and sclerocornea) syndrome, an X-linked disorder with male lethality. HCCS encodes the holocytochrome c-type synthase involved in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and programmed cell death. Methods: We characterized the X-chromosomal abnormality encompassing HCCS or an intragenic mutation in this gene in six new female patients with an MLS phenotype by cytogenetic analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization, sequencing, and quantitative real-time PCR. The X chromosome inactivation (XCI) pattern was determined and clinical data of the patients were reviewed. Results: Two terminal Xp deletions of ≥11.2 Mb, two submicroscopic copy number losses, one of ~850 kb and one of ≥3 Mb, all covering HCCS, 1 nonsense, and one mosaic 2-bp deletion in HCCS are reported. All females had a completely (>98:2) or slightly skewed (82:18) XCI pattern. The most consistent clinical features were microphthalmia/anophthalmia and sclerocornea/corneal opacity in all patients and congenital linear skin defects in 4/6. Additional manifestations included various ocular anomalies, cardiac defects, brain imaging abnormalities, microcephaly, postnatal growth retardation, and facial dysmorphism. However, no obvious clinical sign was observed in three female carriers who were relatives of one patient. Conclusion: Our findings showed a wide phenotypic spectrum ranging from asymptomatic females with an HCCS mutation to patients with a neonatal lethal MLS form. Somatic mosaicism and the different ability of embryonic cells to cope with an OXPHOS defect and/or enhanced cell death upon HCCS deficiency likely underlie the great variability in phenotypes

Kosten und Chancen der Migration

Die aktuelle Flüchtlingskrise stellt die Europäische Union vor eine enorme Herausforderung. Vor allem Deutschland erlebt zurzeit einen gewaltigen Zustrom von Menschen, die sich Sicherheit und eine wirtschaftliche Perspektive wünschen. Darunter befinden sich auch immer mehr Flüchtlinge: 2015 sind schätzungsweise eine Million Flüchtlinge nach Deutschland gekommen. Und der Flüchtlingsstrom hält nach wie vor an. Kann die Wirtschaft die Chancen der Zuwanderung nutzen? Was kostet die Integration? Diese Fragen diskutieren hier die Präsidenten der führenden Wirtschaftsforschungsinstitute sowie weitere Migrationsexperten

Literacy outcomes for Deaf and Hard of Hearing primary school children: A cohort comparison study

Purpose: This study compared the language and literacy of two cohorts of children with severe-profound hearing loss, recruited 10 years apart, to determine whether outcomes had improved in line with the introduction of newborn hearing screening and access to improved hearing aid technology. Method: Forty-two deaf children, aged 5 -7 years with a mean unaided loss of 102 DB, were assessed on language, reading and phonological skills. Their performance was compared to that of a similar group of 32 deaf children assessed 10 years earlier, and also a group of 40 hearing children of similar single word reading ability. Results: English vocabulary was significantly higher in the new cohort, although it was still below chronological age. Phonological awareness and reading ability had not significantly changed over time. In both cohorts English vocabulary predicted reading but phonological awareness was only a significant predictor for the new cohort. Conclusions: The current results show that vocabulary knowledge of children with severe-profound hearing loss has improved over time but there has not been a commensurate improvement in phonological skills or reading. They suggest that children with severe-profound hearing loss will require continued support to develop robust phonological coding skills to underpin reading

Buttons, Handles, and Keys: Advances in Continuous-Control Keyboard Instruments

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Buttons, Handles, and Keys: Advances in Continuous-Control Keyboard Instruments, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/COMJ_a_00297. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with MIT Press Journal's Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. © 2015, MIT Press Journal

21st Century Teenagers and Young Adults who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing: Outcomes and Possibilities

The purpose of this study was to document demographics, characteristics, and long-term outcomes of teenagers and young adults who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) and who all attended the Moog Center for Deaf Education for preschool and/or a portion of elementary school. Data were obtained via an online survey that was designed to assess educational, personal, and professional outcomes of individuals who were currently in high school and beyond. Survey questions were about the lives of these individuals after leaving the Moog Center. Participants included 108 individuals who were DHH, ranging from 15 to 32 years of age. Results indicate this group of individuals obtained high levels of achievement in terms of educational attainment, employment experience, social involvement, and communication competence, which demonstrates what is possible for individuals who are DHH

Effects of Frequency of Early Intervention on Spoken Language and Literacy Levels of Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in Preschool and Elementary School

Language delays associated with hearing loss during infancy may have a negative impact on academic development throughout childhood. Early intervention provided by the Moog Center for Deaf Education prior to 36 months of age was quantified, and associations with later outcomes were examined for 50 students who are DHH representing Moog Center alumni. The objective was to determine whether the amount of early intervention (referred to hereafter as dose of early intervention received at the Moog Center during the time children were 0-36 months of age) contributed uniquely to outcomes in preschool (4–6 years) and in elementary school (8–14 years). Analysis of language and reading outcomes concluded that greater doses of early intervention were beneficial, even when other contributing factors such as degree of hearing loss, nonverbal intelligence, and age at first intervention were taken into account. Those children with poor aided speech perception scores in preschool exhibited the most benefit from early intensive intervention. Average language scores were within the expected range in comparison with hearing peers in preschool and remained within expectation when assessed an average of four years later in elementary school. The intensity of early intervention provided at the Moog Center contributed significantly to long-term development of language and literacy over and above the benefits associated with the age at which intervention was delivered

Morphological adaptation for ectosymbiont maintenance and transmission during metamorphosis in Lagria beetles

The diversity and success of holometabolous insects is partly driven by metamorphosis, which allows for the exploitation of different niches and decouples growth and tissue differentiation from reproduction. Despite its benefits, metamorphosis comes with the cost of temporal vulnerability during pupation and challenges associated with tissue reorganizations. These rearrangements can also affect the presence, abundance, and localization of beneficial microbes in the host. However, how symbionts are maintained or translocated during metamorphosis and which adaptations are necessary from each partner during this process remains unknown for the vast majority of symbiotic systems. Here, we show that Lagria beetles circumvent the constraints of metamorphosis by maintaining defensive symbionts on the surface in specialized cuticular structures. The symbionts are present in both sexes throughout larval development and during the pupal phase, in line with a protective role during the beetle’s immature stages. By comparing symbiont titer and morphology of the cuticular structures between sexes using qPCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and micro-computed tomography, we found that the organs likely play an important role as a symbiont reservoir for transmission to female adults, since symbiont titers and structures are reduced in male pupae. Using symbiont-sized fluorescent beads, we demonstrate transfer from the region of the dorsal symbiont-housing organs to the opening of the reproductive tract of adult females, suggesting that symbiont relocation on the outer surface is possible, even without specialized symbiont adaptations or motility. Our results illustrate a strategy for holometabolous insects to cope with the challenge of symbiont maintenance during metamorphosis via an external route, circumventing problems associated with internal tissue reorganization. Thereby, Lagria beetles keep a tight relationship with their beneficial partners during growth and metamorphosis