PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) is ESA’s M3 mission designed to detect and characterise extrasolar planets and perform asteroseismic monitoring of a large number of stars. PLATO will detect small planets (down to <2REarth) around bright stars (<11 mag), including terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars. With the complement of radial velocity observations from the ground, planets will be characterised for their radius, mass, and age with high accuracy (5%, 10%, 10% for an Earth-Sun combination respectively). PLATO will provide us with a large-scale catalogue of well-characterised small planets up to intermediate orbital periods, relevant for a meaningful comparison to planet formation theories and to better understand planet evolution. It will make possible comparative exoplanetology to place our Solar System planets in a broader context. In parallel, PLATO will study (host) stars using asteroseismology, allowing us to determine the stellar properties with high accuracy, substantially enhancing our knowledge of stellar structure and evolution. The payload instrument consists of 26 cameras with 12cm aperture each. For at least four years, the mission will perform high-precision photometric measurements. Here we review the science objectives, present PLATO‘s target samples and fields, provide an overview of expected core science performance as well as a description of the instrument and the mission profile towards the end of the serial production of the flight cameras. PLATO is scheduled for a launch date end 2026. This overview therefore provides a summary of the mission to the community in preparation of the upcoming operational phases.

An animal’s response to climate warming is predominantly governed by its thermal tolerance. Seasonal temperature variation may indicate the boundaries of plasticity in insect thermal tolerance, which could predict the capacity to adapt to future climates. Here, we assess the changes in thermal breadth (the difference between the critical thermal maximum (CTmax) and critical thermal minimum (CTmin)) to estimate the thermal safety margin in Ischnura heterosticta and Xanthagrion erythroneurum damselflies across different seasons. For both species, CTmax and CTmin increased with monthly temperature, with a stronger increase of CTmin in summer. Overall, thermal breadth was broad in spring and autumn (around 41 degrees) but in summer we observed a large number of individuals with substantially narrower thermal breadth (down to 26–35 degrees). Our results establish considerable seasonal thermal plasticity in damselflies, which might provide a degree of resilience in future climates, yet during the most critical season (summer), heat spikes might push a substantial proportion of the population beyond their limits.

This study aimed to describe the diversity of ixodid tick species in rural forest areas of Yopal and Aguazul, Department of Casanare, Colombia, and to evaluate the presence of tick-borne Rickettsia sp., potentially impacting animal and human health. A cross-sectional study was conducted on questing ticks collected from forested farm areas that keep livestock and/or conduct agricultural activities. All ticks were subjected to DNA extraction and tested by PCR amplifying fragments of three rickettsial genes: gltA , htrA , and ompA . A total of 852 individual ticks (larvae, nymphs, and adults) and 15 additional larvae clusters were collected and identified as Amblyomma mixtum , Amblyomma cf . parvum , Amblyomma dissimile , Amblyomma spp., and Dermacentor spp. Rickettsia organisms were detected by PCR in 7.0% (16/230) of the individual larvae, 0.2% (1/488) of the nymphs, and 1.5% (2/134) of the adults. “ Candidatus Rickettsia colombianensi” and Rickettsia amblyommatis were detected in 1.52% (13/852) and 0.47% (4/852) of the ticks, respectively. In addition, a novel genotype, Rickettsia sp. genotype Yopal, phylogenetically closest to Rickettsia canadensis, was identified in two A. mixtum males. Several tick and Rickettsia species were found in the study areas, suggesting the need for an in-depth study of nonspecific acute tropical febrile illness in the Department of Casanare and across Colombia. Priority areas for future studies include investigating the molecular, clinical, and epidemiological features of the presentation of tick species and the possible participation of “ Ca . R. colombianensi,” R. amblyommatis , and “ Rickettsia sp. Yopal genotype of A. mixtum ” to understand their role in human rickettsiosis in the study region.

Microbial biofilms are important components in macrophyte decomposition, and their composition depends on the decomposition stage and host plant quality. Here, we investigated how macrophyte tissue quality (i.e., C:N:P stoichiometry and phenolic contents) influences epiphytic microbial biofilms during litter decomposition. Consecutive experiments were conducted to (1) modify the C:N:P stoichiometry and phenolic content of the freshwater macrophyte Elodea nuttallii by manipulating light and nutrient availability and (2) test how the modified tissue quality affected epiphytic microbial biofilm diversity and community composition before and during macrophyte decomposition. Our results showed that shading led to lower C:N ratios (28.6 to 12.6) and higher phenolic content (10.8 to 19.2 µg/mg dry weight). Simultaneously, shading affected the epiphytic bacterial and fungal community composition, and these shifts correlated with the macrophyte C:N ratio. While no effects of macrophyte tissue quality on decomposition rates were observed, the epiphytic bacterial community composition on the litter was significantly affected by light treatment, time, and their interaction. Bacterial community composition shifted from a high abundance of Comamonadaceae to a more diverse community over time. Overall bacterial diversity was lower on the litter grown in the shaded mesocosms. Fungal diversity and community composition during litter decomposition were not affected by litter quality. Overall, our results reveal a structuring role of macrophyte tissue quality on its associated microbial biofilm and uniquely show a continuation of light-driven changes in epiphytic bacterial community composition after exposure. We conclude that light-driven changes in C:N stoichiometry are a crucial factor in shaping epiphytic microbial communities during macrophyte decomposition.

A unique sink orientation (USO) is an orientation of the n -dimensional hypercube graph such that every non-empty face contains a unique sink. We consider the only known connected flip graph on USOs. This flip graph is based on the following theorem due to Schurr: given any n -dimensional USO and any one dimension  i∈[n], the set Eiof edges connecting vertices along dimension i can be decomposed into equivalence classes (so-called phases ), such that flipping the direction of any S⊆Eiyields another USO if and only if S is the union of some of these phases. In this paper we provide an algorithm to compute the phases of a given USO in O(n·3n)time, significantly improving upon the previously known O(n·4n)trivial algorithm. We also show that the phase containing a given edge can be flipped using only poly ( n ) space additional to the space required to store the USO. We contrast this by showing that given a boolean circuit of size poly ( n ) succinctly encoding an n -dimensional USO, it is PSPACE-complete to determine whether two given edges are in the same phase. Finally, we also prove some new results on the structure of phases.

We describe a new mechanism that triggers periodic orbits in smooth dynamical systems. To this end, we introduce the concept of hybrid bifurcations, which consists of a bifurcation without parameters and a classical bifurcation. Our main result classifies the hybrid bifurcation when a line of equilibria with an exchange point of normal stability vanishes. We showcase the efficacy of our approach by proving stable periodic coexistent solutions in an ecosystem of two competing predators with Holling’s type II functional response.

Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are linear, highly acidic polysaccharides that serve as essential extracellular matrix components. There has been increasing evidence that GAGs can release gadolinium ions from complexes of magnetic resonance imaging contrast agents. This unintended release of gadolinium might be an initial step leading to gadolinium deposition disease, as observed in some patients after intravenous injection of such contrast agents. However, the molecular details of the release remain poorly understood. In this work, we provide direct evidence for gadolinium binding by GAGs using synthetic model substance Fondaparinux (FPX), a heparin mimetic. We observed FPX–gadolinium complexes in mass spectrometry experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) and characterized the binding by EPR, isothermal titration calorimetry, and gas-phase infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Finally, we were able to follow the transchelation process on a molecular level by utilizing collision-induced dissociation experiments.

The drug efflux transporter P-glycoprotein, encoded by the ABCB1 gene, promotes acquired chemoresistance. We explored the presence and clinical relevance of circulating cell-free ABCB1 transcripts (cfABCB1tx) in ovarian cancer patients (173 longitudinal serum samples from 79 cancer patients) using digital droplet PCR. cfABCB1tx were readily detectable at primary diagnosis (median 354 mRNA copies/20 µl serum), paralleled FIGO-stage and predicted surgical outcome (p = 0.023, p=0.022, respectively). Increased cfABCB1tx levels at primary diagnosis indicated poor PFS (HR = 2.329, 95%CI:1.374–3.947, p = 0.0017) and OS (HR = 2.074, 95%CI:1.194–3.601, p = 0.0096). cfABCB1tx induction under platinum-based chemotherapy was an independent predictor for poor OS (HR = 2.597, 95%CI: 1.218–5.538, p = 0.013) and paralelled a micrometastatic phenotype, shaped by the presence of disseminated tumor cells in the bone marrow. A strong correlation was observed between cfABCB1tx and circulating transcripts of the metastasis-inducer MACC1, which is the transcriptional activator of ABCB1. Combined assessment of cfABCB1tx and circulating cell-free MACC1 transcripts (cfMACC1tx) resulted in an improved prognostic prediction, with the cfABCB1tx-high/cfMACC1tx-high phenotype bearing the highest risk for relapse and death. Conclusively, we provide proof of principle, that ABCB1 transcripts are readily traceable in the liquid-biopsy of ovarian cancer patients, advancing a new dimension for systemic monitoring of ABCB1/P-glycoprotein expression dynamics.

Background: Guided Internet-based interventions (IBIs) are typically found to be more effective than unguided ones, but the reasons behind this are not well understood. The therapist-client working alliance, crucial in face-to-face psychotherapy, is also increasingly recognized as an important factor in IBIs. This study examines trajectories of the working alliance and its relationship to therapeutic guidance through a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) on Selfapy, a 12-week IBI based on cognitive behavioral therapy for depressive disorders. The trial compared a therapist-guided version (with weekly calls) to an unguided version (n = 301, mean age 37 years, 83% female, mean BDI-II = 30.09).

Methods: Based on an intention-to-treat approach, this study investigates within- and between-group differences in the quality of the working alliance, assessed with the WAI-SR questionnaire at mid- and post-treatment via repeated measures ANOVA. Furthermore, correlations and mediation analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between the working alliance and outcomes, as well as adherence parameters.

Results: Findings indicate that the IBI was successful in fostering a robust working alliance in both intervention groups, with similar ratings at mid-treatment but significantly higher ratings in the guided group at post-treatment (Cohen’s d = -0.38). Post-treatment working alliance scores were positively linked to symptom reduction at post-treatment (guided: r = .25, unguided r = .15) and follow-up (guided: r = .25, unguided: r = .17). In the unguided group, the association was primarily driven by the subscale task. Serial mediation analysis indicated that the relationship between guidance and outcomes at follow-up was mediated by working alliance (b = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.14, 1.22) and a link between working alliance and adherence (b = 0.15; 95% CI: 0.04, 0.34).

Conclusions: Considering limitations like using a questionnaire developed for face-to-face therapy, findings support the importance of the working alliance in guided IBIs, while also providing new insights into its role and formation in unguided IBIs. The potential benefits of a strong working alliance, notably by improving adherence, may prove crucial for integrating guided as well as unguided IBIs into routine use, indicating the need for additional research in this context.

Clinical Trial Registration: https://tinyurl.com/2p9h5hnx, German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00017191.

Metallo-supramolecular polymers (MSPs) have emerged as a dynamic field in soft materials and nanomaterials over the past three decades. The unique interplay of ligands and metal ions plays a crucial role in defining their properties, such as binding strength and topology, making these systems distinct from their all-organic counterparts. Furthermore, the incorporation of metal centers introduces redox activity, unique photophysical properties, and electronic functionality. As a result, these systems can exhibit stimuli-responsive behavior, essential for applications in optoelectronics and biology. However, challenges remain in achieving precise control over self-assembly, morphology, and spatiotemporal responsiveness, as well as a clear rationale between coordination and self-assembly behavior. Our review, therefore, summarizes recent advances in ligand design, coordination modulation, and polymerization techniques, offering new strategies to rationally develop MSPs with tailored functionalities.

The brain extracellular matrix (ECM) regulates myelin repair and regeneration following a demyelinating event by interacting with neuronal progenitors and immune cells. Therefore, generation and characterization of decellularized human brain tissue (DHBT) in regions with distinct neuroregenerative capacities are essential to determine factors modulating the cellular regenerative behavior. We have established an effective decellularization protocol for the human neural stem cell (NSC)-rich subventricular zone (SVZ) as well as, frontal cortex (FC) and white matter (WM), and defined region-specific matrisomes with comparative proteomics. Subsequently, as proof-of-concept, survival and differentiation of NSCs and monocytes within the DHBT were investigated. The proteomic analysis of the DHBT confirmed the retention of matrisome proteins such as COL4A1, FBB, NCAN, ANXA2. Unique to the SVZ were LGI3 and C1QB, while annexins, S100A and TGM2 were found in FC; S100B was exclusive to the WM. NSCs cultured within WM and FC acquired an astrocytic phenotype, but both astrocytic and oligodendrocytic phenotypes were promoted by the SVZ DHBT. Moreover, imaging mass cytometry analysis indicated an anti-inflammatory phenotype differentiation of monocytes seeded on SVZ and WM. Thus, the established model is suitable for investigation of ECM properties and assessment of cell-matrix interactions.

Recent advancements in mucosal immunology have unveiled a complex network of intercellular connections within diverse tissues, shedding light on the unique properties of different cell types. Central to this intricate network is the cytokine IL-33, which has gained significant attention for its critical role in various diseases, from allergy to cancer, triggering type 2 immune responses, among others. Recent research has challenged the prior assumptions attributing IL-33 expression to epithelial cells, highlighting stromal cells as the predominant source in adipose tissue and the lungs. However, in the complex landscape of the intestine, where IL-33 plays a crucial role in mediating immune surveillance and tolerance and is implicated in many gut-related disorders, its primary source, regulation, and main characteristics need more exploration. This study identifies stromal cells as the primary IL-33-expressing cell type in the small intestine. By investigating their transcriptome and intrinsic signaling pathways, we have uncovered a possible role of IL-33+ stromal cells in maintaining the stem cell niche and their potential crosstalk with neurons relevant to the regulation of axonogenesis. Importantly, our experiments have demonstrated that vasoactive intestinal peptide stimulation of a primary intestinal stromal cell culture significantly amplifies IL-33 expression on mRNA and protein level. Therefore, our study represents a significant leap forward in understanding the plethora of interactions IL-33+ intestinal stromal cells maintain in the intestine, paving the way for future investigations into stromal-neuro crosstalk in the gut. These findings hold great promise for developing targeted therapeutic strategies aimed at harnessing the potential of IL-33 across a spectrum of diseases.

Arsenic immobilization in soils and sediments is primarily controlled by its sorption onto or incorporation into reactive soil minerals, such as iron (oxyhydr)oxides. However, coexisting ions (e.g., dissolved bicarbonate, phosphate, silica, and organic matter) can negatively impact the interaction of the toxic arsenate species with iron (oxy)hydroxides. Of special note is inorganic phosphate, which is a strong competitor for sorption sites due to its analogous chemical and structural nature to inorganic arsenate. Much of our understanding of this competing nature between phosphate and arsenate focuses on the impact on mineral sorption capacities and kinetics. However, we know very little about how coexisting phosphate will alter the stability and transformation pathways of arsenate-bearing Fe (oxyhydr)oxides. In particular, the long-term fate and behavior regarding arsenate immobilization are unknown under anoxic conditions. Here, we document, through mineral transformation reactions, the immobilization of both phosphate (P) and arsenate [As(V)] in secondary mineral products and characterize their changing compositions during the transformations. We did this while controlling the initial P/As(V) ratios. Our results document that, in the absence or at low P/As(V) ratios, the initial ferrihydrite rapidly transforms to green rust sulfate (GRSO4), which further transforms into magnetite after 180 days. Meanwhile, high P/As(V) ratios resulted in a mixture of GRSO4 and vivianite, with magnetite as a minor fraction. Invariably, the speciation and partitioning of As(V) were also affected by the P/As(V) ratio. A higher P/As(V) ratio also led to a faster partial reduction of mineral-bound As(V) to As(III). The most important finding is that the initial ferrihydrite-bound As(V) became structurally incorporated into magnetite [low P/As(V) ratio] or vivianite [high P/As(V) ratio] and was thus immobilized and not labile. Overall, our results highlight the influence of coexisting phosphate in controlling the toxicity and mobility in anoxic, Fe2+-rich subsurface settings, such as contaminated aquifers.

Objectives

This two-part study investigates the relationship between risk factors, injury patterns and survival rates in cats affected by high-rise syndrome (HRS). By identifying key prognostic and predictive factors, such as age, fall height and impact surface, we aim to enhance veterinarians’ ability to provide accurate prognoses and optimise patient management. In addition, this study seeks to address inconsistencies in the literature by re-evaluating the influence of these factors on injury severity and survival outcomes.

Methods

We analysed medical records and radiographs from 1125 cases of feline HRS treated at the Freie Universität Berlin’s small animal clinic between 2004 and 2013. All cases involved falls from a minimum height of 4 m. Data collected included sex, age, body weight, fall height, impact surface, injury details, prior treatment, time to veterinary presentation (>4 h or <4 h), radiographic findings and survival outcome.

Results

Among the 1125 HRS cases, circulatory shock was observed in 48.6%, craniocerebral injury in 2.8%, thoracic trauma in 58.3%, orofacial lesions in 51.1% and blunt abdominal trauma in 14.6%. Musculoskeletal injuries were common, with limb fractures occurring in 47.2% of cases and pelvic fractures in 11.1%. The overall survival rate was 87%, while 13.3% of cats died or were euthanased as a result of trauma severity or poor prognosis. Significant correlations were found between injury severity, age, impact surface and fall height.

Conclusions and relevance

This study includes the largest sample of HRS cases in cats to date, providing essential insights for veterinarians and pet owners regarding prognosis and treatment protocols. Although survival rates are high, euthanasia as a result of severe trauma and financial constraints remains a concern. The identified risk factors and injury patterns can help veterinarians provide more accurate and individualised prognoses, ultimately improving patient care and opening new avenues for future research, such as the importance of preventive measures at home and the role of treatment protocols for initial stabilisation before referral.

Objectives

High-rise syndrome (HRS) is one of the most common causes of trauma in cats; however, significant inconsistencies remain in the literature regarding the relationship between fall height and injury severity, as well as epidemiological patterns, including seasonal variations and architectural risk factors. Given these discrepancies, the aim of the present two-part study was to analyse a substantial population of cats to clarify these unresolved questions, providing a comprehensive assessment of injury patterns, survival rates and risk factors associated with feline high-rise falls.

Methods

This retrospective analysis included 1125 cases of cats treated for HRS at the Freie Universität Berlin’s small animal clinic between 2004 and 2013. Eligible cases involved cats falling from at least the second floor of new buildings or the first floor of older buildings. Collected data encompassed breed, sex, age, weight, timing of accident, prior treatment, fall height, impact surface and environmental factors. The first part of this study focuses on epidemiological patterns and risk factors, while the second will analyse injury severity correlations.

Results

European Shorthair cats accounted for 82% of cases, with an average age of 2.3 years and an average weight of 4.1 kg. Falls were evenly distributed between sexes. Seasonal peaks occurred in summer (77%) and most incidents took place at night (62.1%). The average fall height was in the range of 8–15 m, with the majority of cats landing on hard surfaces (74.2%). Repeat incidents (two separate falls) were documented in 1.4% of cases.

Conclusions and relevance

This study, with the largest sample of feline HRS cases, highlights the influence of seasonal, temporal and environmental factors on fall risks. The findings offer a critical basis for preventive strategies, including owner education, use of window barriers and prompt veterinary care, to mitigate the incidence and severity of HRS.

Rapid urbanization and climate change affect ecohydrology, biodiversity, and water quality in urban freshwaters. Aquatic nature-based solutions (aquaNBSs) are being widely implemented to address some of the ecological and hydrological challenges that threaten urban biodiversity and water security. However, there is still a lack of process-based evidence of ecohydrological interactions in urban aquaNBSs and their relationship to water quality and quantity issues at the ecosystem level. Through a novel, integrative multi-tracer approach using stable water isotopes, hydrochemistry, and environmental DNA we sought to disentangle the effects of urbanization and hydroclimate on ecohydrological dynamics in urban aquaNBSs and understand ecohydrological functioning and the future resilience of urban freshwaters. Stable isotopes and microbial data reflected a strong influence of urban water sources (i.e., treated effluent, urban surface runoff) across stream NBSs. The results show potential limitations of aquaNBS impacts on water quality and biodiversity in effluent-impacted streams, as microbial signatures are biased towards potentially pathogenic bacteria. Urban ponds appear to be more sensitive to hydroclimate perturbations, resulting in increased microbial turnover and lower microbial diversity than expected. Furthermore, assessment of macrophytes revealed low diversity and richness of aquatic plants in both urban streams and ponds, further challenging the effectiveness of NBSs in contributing to aquatic diversity. This also demonstrates the need to adequately consider aquatic organisms in planned restoration projects, particularly those implemented in urban ecosystems, in terms of habitat requirements. Our findings emphasize the utility of integrated tracer approaches to explore the interface between ecology and hydrology and provide insights into the ecohydrologic functioning of aquaNBSs and their potential limitations. We illustrate the benefit of coupling ecological and hydrological perspectives to support future NBS design and applications that consider the interactions between water and the ecosystem more effectively.

Background: It is necessary to harmonize and standardize data variables used in case report forms (CRFs) of clinical studies to facilitate the merging and sharing of the collected patient data across several clinical studies. This is particularly true for clinical studies that focus on infectious diseases. Public health may be highly dependent on the findings of such studies. Hence, there is an elevated urgency to generate meaningful, reliable insights, ideally based on a high sample number and quality data. The implementation of core data elements and the incorporation of interoperability standards can facilitate the creation of harmonized clinical data sets.

Objective: This study’s objective was to compare, harmonize, and standardize variables focused on diagnostic tests used as part of CRFs in 6 international clinical studies of infectious diseases in order to, ultimately, then make available the panstudy common data elements (CDEs) for ongoing and future studies to foster interoperability and comparability of collected data across trials.

Methods: We reviewed and compared the metadata that comprised the CRFs used for data collection in and across all 6 infectious disease studies under consideration in order to identify CDEs. We examined the availability of international semantic standard codes within the Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms, the National Cancer Institute Thesaurus, and the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes system for the unambiguous representation of diagnostic testing information that makes up the CDEs. We then proposed 2 data models that incorporate semantic and syntactic standards for the identified CDEs.

Results: Of 216 variables that were considered in the scope of the analysis, we identified 11 CDEs to describe diagnostic tests (in particular, serology and sequencing) for infectious diseases: viral lineage/clade; test date, type, performer, and manufacturer; target gene; quantitative and qualitative results; and specimen identifier, type, and collection date.

Conclusions: The identification of CDEs for infectious diseases is the first step in facilitating the exchange and possible merging of a subset of data across clinical studies (and with that, large research projects) for possible shared analysis to increase the power of findings. The path to harmonization and standardization of clinical study data in the interest of interoperability can be paved in 2 ways. First, a map to standard terminologies ensures that each data element’s (variable’s) definition is unambiguous and that it has a single, unique interpretation across studies. Second, the exchange of these data is assisted by “wrapping” them in a standard exchange format, such as Fast Health care Interoperability Resources or the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium’s Clinical Data Acquisition Standards Harmonization Model.

Over the past few decades, the tropospheric ozone precursor anthropogenic emissions – nitrogen oxides ( NOx) and reactive carbon (RC) from northern mid-/high-latitude regions (e.g., North America, Europe) – have been decreasing, and those from (sub-)tropical regions (e.g., South Asia , the Middle East ) have been increasing, leading to an equatorward emission redistribution. In this study, we quantify the contributions of various sources of NOxand RC emissions to tropospheric ozone using a source attribution technique during the 2000–2018 period in a global chemistry transport model. We tag the ozone molecules with the source of their NOxor RC precursor emission in two separate simulations: NOx-tagged and RC-tagged. These tags include various natural (biogenic, biomass burning, lightning NOxand RC from methane oxidation) and regional anthropogenic precursor emission sources and influx from the stratosphere. We simulate ∼336TgO3of tropospheric ozone burden (TOB) with an increasing trend of 0.91 TgO3yr-1(0.28 %yr-1), largely contributed (and trend driven) by anthropogenic NOxemissions and methane oxidation. The ozone production efficiency of regional anthropogenic NOxemissions increases when emissions decrease (e.g., Europe, North America) and decreases when emissions increase (e.g., South Asia, Middle East, international shipping). Tropical regions, despite lower emissions, contribute more to TOB compared to emissions from higher latitudes, consistent with previous work, predominantly due to large convection (combined with intense sunlight and larger reaction rates) at the tropics, thereby lifting O3and its precursor molecules into the free troposphere where ozone's lifetime is longer. We simulate a smaller relative contribution from tropical regions to the global mean surface ozone compared to their contribution to the TOB. The global population-weighted mean ozone is much larger compared to global mean surface ozone, mainly due to large anthropogenic emissions from densely populated regions – East Asia, South Asia and other tropical regions – and a substantial contribution from international ship NOxemissions. The increasing trends in anthropogenic precursor emissions from these regions are the main drivers of increasing global population-weighted mean ozone.

Background: Sharing data from clinical studies can accelerate scientific progress, improve transparency, and increase the potential for innovation and collaboration. However, privacy concerns remain a barrier to data sharing. Certain concerns, such as reidentification risk, can be addressed through the application of anonymization algorithms, whereby data are altered so that it is no longer reasonably related to a person. Yet, such alterations have the potential to influence the data set’s statistical properties, such that the privacy-utility trade-off must be considered. This has been studied in theory, but evidence based on real-world individual-level clinical data is rare, and anonymization has not broadly been adopted in clinical practice.

Objective: The goal of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of anonymization in the real world by comprehensively evaluating the privacy-utility trade-off of differently anonymized data using data and scientific results from the German Chronic Kidney Disease (GCKD) study.

Methods: The GCKD data set extracted for this study consists of 5217 records and 70 variables. A 2-step procedure was followed to determine which variables constituted reidentification risks. To capture a large portion of the risk-utility space, we decided on risk thresholds ranging from 0.02 to 1. The data were then transformed via generalization and suppression, and the anonymization process was varied using a generic and a use case–specific configuration. To assess the utility of the anonymized GCKD data, general-purpose metrics (ie, data granularity and entropy), as well as use case–specific metrics (ie, reproducibility), were applied. Reproducibility was assessed by measuring the overlap of the 95% CI lengths between anonymized and original results.

Results: Reproducibility measured by 95% CI overlap was higher than utility obtained from general-purpose metrics. For example, granularity varied between 68.2% and 87.6%, and entropy varied between 25.5% and 46.2%, whereas the average 95% CI overlap was above 90% for all risk thresholds applied. A nonoverlapping 95% CI was detected in 6 estimates across all analyses, but the overwhelming majority of estimates exhibited an overlap over 50%. The use case–specific configuration outperformed the generic one in terms of actual utility (ie, reproducibility) at the same level of privacy.

Conclusions: Our results illustrate the challenges that anonymization faces when aiming to support multiple likely and possibly competing uses, while use case–specific anonymization can provide greater utility. This aspect should be taken into account when evaluating the associated costs of anonymized data and attempting to maintain sufficiently high levels of privacy for anonymized data.

Hintergrund: Zum 1. Mai 2023 hat das Deutsche Zentrum für Psychische Gesundheit (DZPG – www.dzpg.org ) die Arbeit aufgenommen. Übergreifendes Ziel des DZPG ist die Optimierung von Forschungsbedingungen und die Schaffung von Infrastrukturen, um häufige psychische Störungen sowie psychisches Wohlbefinden besser zu verstehen, Interventionen und Prävention zu verbessern und versorgungsrelevante Ergebnisse schneller in die Praxis zu bringen. Die Youth-Mental-Health-Infrastruktur (YMH-INF), als eine von zwölf Infrastrukturen im DZPG, fokussiert Kinder, Jugendliche, ihre Familien und relevante Bezugspersonen in ihren Lebenswelten. Methode: Die partizipative Beteiligung aller relevanten Zielgruppen bei der Entwicklung der YMH-INF schlägt die Brücke zwischen Lebenswelt und Forschung (Translation-Rücktranslation). Es werden die Partizipationsniveaus „Interaktive Beratung“ und „Co-Entwicklung“ nach Sellars et al. (2021) umgesetzt und Möglichkeiten für eine volle „Partizipative Leitung“ geschaffen. Ergebnisse: Die Arbeit mit den partizipativen Räten und die konsequente Umsetzung der Partizipation tragen dazu bei, dass erzielte Ergebnisse gemeinsam getragen und disseminiert werden. Der Gewinn liegt in der dadurch erzielten hohen Akzeptanz. Diskussion und Schlussfolgerung: Der partizipative Ansatz erweist sich bislang als erfolgversprechende Basis, um darauf aufbauend mehr Evidenz in Schulen und Kindergärten/Kitas zu implementieren. Das Ziel der YMH-INF ist es, die Translation wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse schneller und nachhaltig in den Alltag von Kindern, Jugendlichen und ihren Familien zu bringen, um in den relevanten Lebenswelten ihre psychische Gesundheit zu verbessern. Kernfragen sind: Was schützt uns, macht und hält uns gesund? Was kann uns krank machen?