Digitale Transformation, aber wie? - Von der Spielwiese zur Umsetzungsplanung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaiser, Thomas

Es besteht wohl kaum Anlass zur Annahme, dass die seit Jahrzehnten etablierten Markt- und Technologiestrukturen der Energiewirtschaft sich nicht in einem radikalen Ablöseprozess mit Gewinnern und Verlierern befinden. Aber Vorsicht - vordergründig bereits verloren erscheinende Geschäftsmodelle erfahren im Zuge der Digitalisierung einerseits noch intensiveren Wettbewerbsdruck, können aber andererseits von diesem "technologischen Jungbrunnen" profitieren, um verlorenes Terrain zurückzugewinnen. Im folgenden Kapitel wird ein Managementzyklus aufgezeigt, der in Anlehnung an die bereits erfolgreiche Implementierung digitaler R/Evolutionen anderer Branchen aufzeigt, wie die Geschäftsleitung systematisch kostenbewusst und zielorientiert die Digitalisierung umsetzen kann.

B-Zell-Lymphome der Haut - Pathogenese, Diagnostik und Therapie.

PubMed

Nicolay, Jan P; Wobser, Marion

2016-12-01

Primär kutane B-Zell-Lymphome (PCBCL) beschreiben reifzellige lymphoproliferative Erkrankungen der B-Zell-Reihe, die primär die Haut betreffen. Die Biologie und der klinische Verlauf der einzelnen PCBCL-Subtypen variieren untereinander stark und unterscheiden sich grundsätzlich von primär nodalen und systemischen B-Zell-Lymphomen. Primär kutane Marginalzonenlymphome (PCMZL) und primäre kutane follikuläre Keimzentrumslymphome (PCFCL) werden auf Grund ihres unkomplizierten Verlaufs und ihrer exzellenten Prognose zu den indolenten PCBCL gezählt. Demgegenüber stellen die diffus großzelligen B-Zell-Lymphome, hauptsächlich vom Beintyp (DLBCL, LT) die aggressiveren PCBCL-Varianten mit schlechterer Prognose dar. Für die Ausbreitungsdiagnostik und die Therapieentscheidung sind eine genaue histologische und immunhistochemische Klassifizierung sowie der Ausschluss einer systemischen Beteiligung in Abgrenzung zu nodalen oder systemischen Lymphomen notwendig. Die Diagnostik sollte dabei durch molekularbiologische Untersuchungen unterstützt werden. Therapeutisch stehen für die indolenten PCBCL primär operative und radioonkologische Maßnahmen im Vordergrund sowie eine Systemtherapie mit dem CD20-Antikörper Rituximab bei disseminiertem Befall. Die aggressiveren Varianten sollten in erster Linie mit Kombinationen aus Rituximab und Polychemotherapieschemata wie z. B. dem CHOP-Schema oder Modifikationen davon behandelt werden. Auf Grund der in allen seinen Einzelheiten noch nicht vollständig verstandenen Pathogenese und Biologie sowie des begrenzten Therapiespektrums der PCBCL besteht hier, speziell beim DLBCL, LT, noch erheblicher Forschungsbedarf. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sentinel-Lymphknoten-Biopsie des Melanoms mittels Indocyaningrün und "FOVIS"-System.

PubMed

Göppner, Daniela; Nekwasil, Stephan; Jellestad, Anne; Sachse, Alexander; Schönborn, Karl-Heinz; Gollnick, Harald

2017-02-01

Der Nachweis metastatischer Infiltrate im Sentinel-Lymphkoten (SLN) gilt als wesentlicher prognostischer Faktor des Melanoms. Alternativ zur Farbstoffmethode mit Patentblau zum Goldstandard der SLN-Biopsie (SLNB) mittels Radiokolloid wird die fluoreszenzoptische Darstellung mit Hilfe von Indocyaningrün (ICG) und Nahinfrarot (NIR)-Kamerasystem kommuniziert. Im Vergleich zur konventionellen Methode wurde die Wertigkeit des ICG-/NIR-Verfahrens in Abhängigkeit vom Body-Mass-Index (BMI) des Patienten und der Konzentration von ICG bezüglich der Visualisierung des Lymphabstroms und des SLNs untersucht. An zehn Patienten wurde die SLNB mittels Technetium-99m, Patentblau und ICG durchgeführt. Die Fluoreszenz-Darstellung von Lymphbahnen und SLN erfolgte in Echtzeit mittels der NIR-Kameratechnik "FOVIS". Je nach erzielter Bildqualität wurde ICG in einer Dosis von 0,25 mg bis 2,5 mg intrakutan appliziert. Neun der zehn SLN wurden fluoreszenzoptisch identifiziert (90 %), alle zehn radioaktiv (100 %), nur acht (80 %) mittels ICG-Grünfärbung bzw. Patenblau-Markierung. Transdermal wurde ein SLN dargestellt (10 %). In Korrelation zum BMI waren höhere ICG-Mengen, bis zu 2,5 mg intrakutan absolut, in der Darstellung der Lymphbahnen von Vorteil. Die SLN-Fluoreszenzmarkierung mit dem ICG/NIR-Kamera-System "FOVIS" stellt eine sichere Alternative zur Farbstoffmethode mit Patentblau ergänzend zur Radiokolloidmethode mit Technetium-99m dar. Weitere Studien zur optimalen Dosierung von ICG und transdermalen Bildgebung in Relation zum BMI sind notwendig. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Einsatz molekularer Methoden für Starterkulturen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehrmann, Matthias A.; Pavlovic, Melanie

Unter Starterkulturen versteht man Mikroorganismen (Bakterien, Hefen, Pilze), die pflanzlichen bzw. tierischen Rohstoffen zur gezielten Veränderung ihrer chemischen Zusammensetzung zugesetzt werden. Sie dienen im Wesentlichen der Aromabildung, der Strukturveränderung und der Konservierung der Lebensmittel und werden aufgrund spezieller, funktioneller Eigenschaften selektiert. Die Zugabe von Starterkulturen erfolgt in der Regel in relativ hohen Keimzahlen in Form von Rein- oder Mischkulturen. Die zum Einsatz kommenden Mikroorganismen sind ebenso zahlreich wie die daraus resultierenden Produkte und reichen von der Fermentation von Milchprodukten, Fleisch und Gemüse durch Milchsäurebakterien über die Essigsäureherstellung bis hin zum Einsatz von Hefen in der Brau- und Weinindustrie. Hieraus ergibt sich auch eine zunehmende Bedeutung schneller und zuverlässiger Methoden zur taxonomischen Identifizierung, aber auch zur Charakterisierung des genetischen Potenzials der jeweiligen Starterkulturen.

Re-Imagining "Bildung Zur Humanität": How I Developed the Dialogos Approach to Practical Philosophy through Action Inquiry Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helskog, Guro Hansen

2015-01-01

This paper presents an account of how I developed the Dialogos approach to practical philosophy through action inquiry research. The process of development is understood as a contribution to the reconstruction of the notion "Bildung zur Humanität" as an ideal in education. Core perspectives, traditions and purposes involved in the action…

Craniota, Wirbel- oder Schädeltiere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schultze, Hans-Peter

Zu den Craniota zählen alle Chordatiere, die eine dreiteilige Regionalisierung des Körpers in Kopf, Rumpf und Schwanz aufweisen. Der Kopf umfasst (1) das Neurocranium mit Gehirn und komplexen Sinnesorganen zur Wahrnehmung der Umgebung, (2) das Viscerocranium zur Nahrungsaufnahme und zur Ventilation der Kiemen bei den primär wasserlebenden Craniota und (3) das Dermatocranium (S. 38). Letzteres entsteht durch Verknöcherungen im Bindegewebe des Integuments, es dient dem Schutz des Kopfes und trägt im Mundbreich die Zähne. Zusammen bilden die drei Skelettstrukturen die funktionelle Einheit Schädel (Cranium). Außer der (somatischen) Rumpfmuskulatur und dem Axialskelett liegen im Rumpf Kreislauf-, Atmungs-, Verdauungs-, Exkretions- und Fortpflanzungsorgane. Der Schwanz, der Abschnitt hinter der Afteröffnung, die das Ende der Leibeshöhle markiert, dient mit Muskeln und Schwanzflosse der Fortbewegung.

The East-German Research Landscape in Transition. Part C. Research at East-German Universities

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-03-10

Software-Systemlosungen fUr Aufgaben der Qualit ~ tssicherung und Pr~zisionsmeBtechnik. Beratung zur automatisierten ProzeBsteuerung und rechnergestUtzten... Qualit ~ tssicherung Beratung zu Schnittstellenproblemen und zur Lichtzeichentechnik Beratung zu Auswahl und Einsatz von metrischen Bi...49 (351) 463-2786 with seventeen institutes. C45.wp-09 05 MAR 93 #4350 DEPARTMENT FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING. WATER- AND FOREST TECHNOLOGY Fakult~t fUr Bau

Safety and Suitability for Service Assessment Testing for Shoulder Launched Munitions

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-07

Registrierung und Auswertung von Waffen -und Detonationsknallen 31 Motor Case Burst Probability ARO Report 75-2, SMC-S-001 Def Stan 07-85 32...détonation Vorschriften und Richtlinien zur Registrierung und Auswertung von Waffen und Detonationsknallen and STANAG 4569 with references...l’exploitation des bruits d’armes et des bruits de détonation Vorschriften und Richtlinien zur Registrierung und Auswertung von Waffen und

Paediatric Virology as a new educational initiative: An interview with Nobelist Professor of Virology Harald zur Hausen.

PubMed

Mammas, Ioannis N; Spandidos, Demetrios A

2017-10-01

Born in Gelsenkirchen-Buer in Germany on March 11th, 1936, Professor Harald zur Hausen, Emeritus Professor of Virology at the University of Freiburg and 2008 Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer, believes that good knowledge of virological methods and diagnostic possibilities are an asset for all young paediatricians. Professor zur Hausen considers that the creation of an educational platform on Paediatric Virology is definitely very beneficial for young paediatricians, as this will greatly enhance their knowledge in the field of Virology. He very actively advocates the vaccination of boys for the eradication of HPV infection and emphasises that male HPV vaccination should be included into the current vaccination programmes. He would have certainly considered Dr George N. Papanicolaou (Kyme, Island of Euboea, Greece, 1883 - Miami, Florida, USA, 1962) as an excellent candidate for the Nobel Prize, stating that the contribution of Dr Papanicolaou did not find sufficient recognition in the past. In the context of the 3rd Workshop on Paediatric Virology, which will be held in Athens, Greece, on October 7th, 2017, Professor zur Hausen will give his plenary lecture on 'Paediatric Virology and Oncology: Virus persistence and the important first years of life'.

Paediatric Virology as a new educational initiative: An interview with Nobelist Professor of Virology Harald zur Hausen

PubMed Central

Mammas, Ioannis N.; Spandidos, Demetrios A.

2017-01-01

Born in Gelsenkirchen-Buer in Germany on March 11th, 1936, Professor Harald zur Hausen, Emeritus Professor of Virology at the University of Freiburg and 2008 Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of human papillomavirus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer, believes that good knowledge of virological methods and diagnostic possibilities are an asset for all young paediatricians. Professor zur Hausen considers that the creation of an educational platform on Paediatric Virology is definitely very beneficial for young paediatricians, as this will greatly enhance their knowledge in the field of Virology. He very actively advocates the vaccination of boys for the eradication of HPV infection and emphasises that male HPV vaccination should be included into the current vaccination programmes. He would have certainly considered Dr George N. Papanicolaou (Kyme, Island of Euboea, Greece, 1883 - Miami, Florida, USA, 1962) as an excellent candidate for the Nobel Prize, stating that the contribution of Dr Papanicolaou did not find sufficient recognition in the past. In the context of the 3rd Workshop on Paediatric Virology, which will be held in Athens, Greece, on October 7th, 2017, Professor zur Hausen will give his plenary lecture on ‘Paediatric Virology and Oncology: Virus persistence and the important first years of life’. PMID:29042913

Atmosphärisches Plasma in der Medizintechnik

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beer, Thomas; Knospe, Alexander; Buske, Christian

Bei der Fertigung komplexer Bauteile werden immer häufiger unterschiedlichste Materialien zur Erfüllung der Funktion kombiniert. Kunststoff, Metall, Glas oder Keramik müssen miteinander verbunden werden. Dies gilt für die unterschiedlichsten Industriebereiche; von der Halbleiter-/Elektronikindustrie [1, 2] über die Automobilindustrie [3, 4] bis hin zur Medizintechnik werden für Verklebungs- [5], Bedruckungs-, Lackier- [6] und Anspritzprozesse optimal vorbehandelte Oberflächen benötigt.

Konrad Adenauer’s Military Advisors

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-02-13

Ausgabe. Hans-Peter Schwarz and 45 Rudolf Morsey, Hg. Vol. 1, Briefe 1945-1947 hg. v. Hans Peter Mensing. Berlin: Siedler Verlag, 1983. Vol. 2, Briefe 1949...Dietrich, Rudolf Morsey and Hans-Peter Schwarz, ed. Quellen zur Geschichte des Parlarnentarismus und der politischen Partein. Bd. 3, Auftakt zur Ara...New York: Penguin, 1982. Steiner , Jirg. European Democracies. New York: Longman, 1986. Taylor, A.J.P. The Origens of the Second World War. 2d. ed. New

Kraft-Wärmekopplung und Blockheiz-Kraftwerke BHKW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zahoransky, Richard; Allelein, Hans-Josef; Bollin, Elmar; Oehler, Helmut; Schelling, Udo

Die thermischen Wirkungsgrade von Kraftwerken zur Stromerzeugung sind relativ gering. Beispielsweise erreichen moderne Kohlekraftwerke heute bis etwa 45 %, Gasturbinen maximal 40 % und Diesel-Motoren nicht über 50 %. Kombinations-Kraftwerke, Gas- und Dampfturbinen-Prozesse können an die 60 % thermischer Wirkungsgrad bei der Umwandlung der zugeführten Wärme in mechanische bzw. elektrische Energie erzielen. Ein ähnlich hoher Wert wird in Zukunft von den Brennstoffzellen erwartet. Der nicht in Arbeit umgewandelte Anteil der zugeführten Wärme fällt als Abwärme an und geht ungenutzt in die Umgebung. Ein Teil dieser Abwärme lässt sich durch entsprechende Installationen bei allen Kraftwerksprozessen zur Wassererwärmung oder zur Dampferzeugung für industrielle Zwecke nutzen. Für Heizzwecke genügt eine Temperatur der Abwärme von 60 %C bis 80 %C, während die Erzeugung von Industriedampf deutlich höhere Temperaturen voraussetzt.

Liquid Biopsy zur Überwachung von Melanompatienten.

PubMed

Gaiser, Maria Rita; von Bubnoff, Nikolas; Gebhardt, Christoffer; Utikal, Jochen Sven

2018-04-01

In den letzten sechs Jahren wurden verschiedene innovative systemische Therapien zur Behandlung des metastasierten malignen Melanoms (MM) entwickelt. Die konventionelle Chemotherapie wurde durch neuartige Primärtherapien abgelöst, darunter systemische Immuntherapien (Anti-CTLA4- und Anti-PD1-Antikörper; Zulassung von Anti-PDL1-Antikörpern erwartet) und Therapien, die gegen bestimmte Mutationen gerichtet sind (BRAF, NRAS und c-KIT). Daher stehen die behandelnden Ärzte neuen Herausforderungen gegenüber, beispielsweise der Stratifizierung von Patienten für geeignete Behandlungen und der Überwachung von Langzeit-Respondern auf Progression. Folglich werden zuverlässige Methoden zur Überwachung von Krankheitsprogression oder Behandlungsresistenz benötigt. Lokalisierte und fortgeschrittene Krebserkrankungen können zur Bildung zirkulierender Tumorzellen und Tumor-DNA (ctDNA) führen, die sich in Proben von peripherem Blut nachweisen und quantifizieren lassen (Liquid Biopsy). Im Fall von Melanompatienten können die Ergebnisse von Liquid Biopsy als neuartige prädiktive Biomarker bei therapeutischen Entscheidungen hilfreich sein, insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit mutationsbasierten zielgerichteten Therapien. Die Herausforderungen bei der Anwendung der Liquid Biopsy beinhalten strikte Kriterien für den Phänotyp der zirkulierenden MM-Zellen oder ihrer Fragmente und die Instabilität von ctDNA im Blut. In diesem Übersichtsartikel diskutieren wir die Beschränkungen der Liquid Biopsy hinsichtlich ihrer Anwendung in der Routinediagnostik. © 2018 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Anbindung des SISIS-SunRise-Bibliothekssystems an das zentrale Identitätsmanagement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebner, Ralf; Pretz, Edwin

Wir berichten über Konzepte und Implementierungen zur Datenprovisionierung aus den Personenverwaltungssystemen der Technischen Universität München (TUM) über das zentrale Metadirectory am Leibniz-Rechenzentrum (LRZ) in das SISIS-SunRise-Bibliothekssystem der Universitätsbibliothek der TUM (TUB). Es werden drei Implementierungsvarianten diskutiert, angefangen von der Generierung und Übertragung einfacher CSV-Dateien über ein OpenLDAP-basiertes Konzept als Backend für die SISIS-Datenbank bis zur endgültigen Implementierung mit dem OCLC IDM Connector.

Digitalisierung in der Energiewirtschaft - empirische Untersuchung und Wertschöpfungskette

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dell, Timo

Die Energiewirtschaft nutzt seit je her digitale Strukturen zur Umsetzung ihrer Prozesse. Durch den (neuen) verabschiedeten politischen Ordnungsrahmen - dem Gesetz zur Digitalisierung der Energiewende - und durch die rasante Fortentwicklung technologischer Strukturen ergeben sich jedoch die Wertschöpfungsstufen erweiternde, diversifizierende und innovative Möglichkeiten für Energieversorger (EVU) Geschäftsfelder auszubauen bzw. neue zu erschließen. Dabei ist die digitale (R)Evolution keine rein technische Umsetzung, sondern insbesondere auch eine unternehmensinterne, strategische und intern-kulturelle Herausforderung.

25 Jahre - Institut fuer Geodaesie, Teil 3: Aus dem Leben des Instituts (25 Years - Institute of Geodesy, Part 3: The Life of the Institute)

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-01-01

Kraftwerk Qinshan, VR China 0 1984 bis 1987 Studiumn des Markscheidewesens am Shandong Institute of Mining and Technology, VR China * 1984 bis 1993...die zur Wasserversorgung eines Kraftwerkes der ALCAN dienen sollte. Verbunden mit dem Tunnelprojekt war auch der Bau einer 80 km langen Hoch...spannungsleitung durch unverdorbene Wildnis vom Kraftwerk zur Aluminium-Schmelze in Ki- timat. Zu dieser Zeit war es das gr66Bte hydro-elektrische Projekt, das

Epigenetic Aspects of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

PubMed

Relle, Manfred; Foehr, Bernd; Schwarting, Andreas

2015-06-01

Autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune hepatitis, and inflammatory bowel disease have complex pathogeneses and the courses of events leading to these diseases are not well understood. The immune surveillance is a delicate balance between self and foreign as well as between tolerance and immune response. Exposure to certain environmental factors may impair this equilibrium, leading to autoimmune diseases, cancer, and the so-called "lifestyle diseases" such as atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke, and obesity, among others. These external stimuli may also alter the epigenetic status quo and may trigger autoimmune diseases such as SLE in genetically susceptible individuals. This review aims to highlight the role of epigenetic (dys-)regulation in the pathogenesis of SLE.

Einsteins Spuren in den Archiven der Wissenschaft: Physikgeschichte

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marx, Werner

2005-07-01

Die Erwähnungen und Zitierungen von Einsteins Arbeiten dokumentieren lediglich den quantifizierbaren Anteil von Einsteins Beitrag zur Physik. Gleichwohl belegen sie die außergewöhnliche Resonanz und Langzeitwirkung seiner Arbeiten. Die Häufigkeit der Zitierungen entspricht nicht der allgemeinen Einschätzung ihrer Bedeutung. Insbesondere die Pionierarbeiten werden inzwischen als bekannt vorausgesetzt und nicht mehr explizit zitiert. Interessanterweise ist seine nach 1945 meist zitierte Arbeit nicht eine der Pionierarbeiten zur Quantenphysik oder Relativitätstheorie, sondern jene aus dem Jahr 1935 zum berühmten Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Paradoxon.

Hinderniserkennung und -verfolgung mit einer PMD-kamera im automobil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schamm, Thomas; Vacek, Stefan; Natroshvilli, Koba; Marius Zöllner, J.; Dillmann, Rüdiger

Die Detektion von Hindernissen vor dem Automobil ist eine Hauptanforderung an moderne Fahrerassistenzsysteme (FAS). In dieser Arbeit wird ein System vorgestellt, das mit Hilfe einer PMDKamera (Photomischdetektor) Hindernisse auf der Fahrspur erkennt und deren relevante Parameter bestimmt. Durch die PMD-Kamera werden zunächst 3D-Tiefenbilder der Fahrzeugumwelt generiert. Nach einem initialen Filterprozess werden im Tiefenbild mit Hilfe eines Bereichswachstumsverfahrens Hindernisse gesucht. Zur Stabilisierung des Verfahrens und zur Parameterberechnung wird ein Kaiman Filter eingesetzt. Das Ergebnis ist eine Liste aller Hindernisse im Fahrbereich des Automobils.

Physik

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerthsen, Christian; Vogel, Helmut

Die siebzehnte Auflage des Gerthsen ist zugleich die sechste in der Bearbeitung Helmut Vogels. Der Autor bereichert das klassische Studien- und Nachschlagewerk mit einem neuen Kapitel zur nichtlinearen Dynamik (auch Chaos und Fraktale werden besprochen) sowie acht instruktiven Farbtafeln. Daneben gibt es wieder kleinere Ergänzungen und Korrekturen. Wo die Darstellung wegen der selbstauferlegten Beschränkung im Umfang nicht alle Themen behandeln kann, helfen die mehr als zahlreichen Übungsaufgaben, die im Band Vogel, Probleme aus der Physik, ISBN 3-540-51217-9, mit Beiheft nun auch zur 17. Auflage verwendbar, ausführlich besprochen werden.

Hardware-Abbildung eines videobasierten Verfahrens zur echtzeitfähigen Auswertung von Winkelhistogrammen auf eine modulare Coprozessor-Architektur

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flatt, H.; Tarnowsky, A.; Blume, H.; Pirsch, P.

2010-10-01

Dieser Beitrag behandelt die Abbildung eines videobasierten Verfahrens zur echtzeitfähigen Auswertung von Winkelhistogrammen auf eine modulare Coprozessor-Architektur. Die Architektur besteht aus mehreren dedizierten Recheneinheiten zur parallelen Verarbeitung rechenintensiver Bildverarbeitungsverfahren und ist mit einem RISC-Prozessor verbunden. Eine konfigurierbare Architekturerweiterung um eine Recheneinheit zur Auswertung von Winkelhistogrammen von Objekten ermöglicht in Verbindung mit dem RISC eine echtzeitfähige Klassifikation. Je nach Konfiguration sind für die Architekturerweiterung auf einem Xilinx Virtex-5-FPGA zwischen 3300 und 12 000 Lookup-Tables erforderlich. Bei einer Taktfrequenz von 100 MHz können unabhängig von der Bildauflösung pro Einzelbild in einem 25-Hz-Videodatenstrom bis zu 100 Objekte der Größe 256×256 Pixel analysiert werden. This paper presents the mapping of a video-based approach for real-time evaluation of angular histograms on a modular coprocessor architecture. The architecture comprises several dedicated processing elements for parallel processing of computation-intensive image processing tasks and is coupled with a RISC processor. A configurable architecture extension, especially a processing element for evaluating angular histograms of objects in conjunction with a RISC processor, provides a real-time classification. Depending on the configuration of the architecture extension, 3 300 to 12 000 look-up tables are required for a Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA implementation. Running at a clock frequency of 100 MHz and independently of the image resolution per frame, 100 objects of size 256×256 pixels are analyzed in a 25 Hz video stream by the architecture.

Ökophysik: Plaudereien über das Leben auf dem Land, im Wasser und in der Luft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nachtigall, W.

Prof. em. Dr. rer. nat. Werner Nachtigall, geb. 1934, war als Zoophysiologe und Biophysiker Leiter des Zoologischen Instituts der Universität des Saarlandes in Saarbrücken. In Forschung und Ausbildung hat er sich insbesondere mit Aspekten der Technischen Biologie und Bionik befasst und mit seinen Forschergruppen viele Basisdaten insbesondere zur Ökologie, Physiologie und Physik des Fliegens und Schwimmens aber auch zur Stabilität beispielsweise der Gräser erarbeitet. Lebewesen überraschen immer wieder durch ihre "Biodiversität", ihre hochspezifischen Ausgestaltungen und Anpassungen.

Cardiomyopathies in Noonan syndrome and the other RASopathies

PubMed Central

Gelb, Bruce D.; Roberts, Amy E.; Tartaglia, Marco

2015-01-01

Noonan syndrome and related disorders (Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines, Costello syndrome, cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome, Noonan syndrome with loose anagen hair, and other related traits) are autosomal dominant traits. Mutations causing these disorders alter proteins relevant for signaling through RAS. Thus, these traits are now collectively called the RASopathies. While the RASopathies have pleiomorphic features, this review will focus on the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy observed in varying percentages of all of these traits. In addition, inherited abnormalities in one pathway gene, RAF1, cause pediatric-onset dilated cardiomyopathy. The pathogeneses for the RASopathy-associated cardiomyopathies are being elucidated, principally using animal models, leading to genotype-specific insights into how signal transduction is perturbed. Based on those findings, small molecule therapies seem possible for RASopathy-associated cardiomyopathies. PMID:26380542

Current pathogenetic aspects of hepatic encephalopathy and noncirrhotic hyperammonemic encephalopathy.

PubMed

Cichoż-Lach, Halina; Michalak, Agata

2013-01-07

Hepatic encephalopathy is a medical phenomenon that is described as a neuropsychiatric manifestation of chronic or acute liver disease that is characterized by psychomotor, intellectual and cognitive abnormalities with emotional/affective and behavioral disturbances. This article focuses on the underlying mechanisms of the condition and the differences between hepatic encephalopathy and noncirrhotic hyperammonemic encephalopathy. Hepatic encephalopathy is a serious condition that can cause neurological death with brain edema and intracranial hypertension. It is assumed that approximately 60%-80% of patients with liver cirrhosis develop hepatic encephalopathy. This review explores the complex mechanisms that lead to hepatic encephalopathy. However, noncirrhotic hyperammonemic encephalopathy is not associated with hepatic diseases and has a completely different etiology. Noncirrhotic hyperammonemic encephalopathy is a severe occurrence that is connected with multiple pathogeneses.

Aspiration lung disorders in bovines: a case report and review.

PubMed

Shakespeare, Anthony S

2012-11-01

Lung aspiration disorders in bovines are invariably diagnosed as infectious aspiration pneumonias. There is a distinct differentiation between aspiration pneumonia and aspiration pneumonitis in humans that can be applied to bovines. The nature and quantity of the aspirate can result in differing pathogeneses which can require differing therapeutic approaches. Whilst blood gases were important in detecting and prognosticating lung problems, changes in barometric pressure with altitude have to be considered when interpreting partial pressures of oxygen. Anatomical differences in the lungs of bovines can explain why this species is more prone to certain pneumonic problems. Pulmonary physiotherapy is important in treating lung disorders in humans and should be considered as an adjunct therapy in bovine respiratory conditions. A case work-up was used to highlight some of the points discussed in this article.

Ein Konzept für den energieeffizienten Betrieb von Mobilfunknetzen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayer, N.; von Hugo, D.

2015-11-01

Der flächendeckende Betrieb mehrerer Mobilfunknetze unterschiedlicher Technologie in einem Land sorgt aufgrund der ständigen Bereithaltung von Übertragungskapazität für Dienste mit zunehmend höherem Datenvolumenbedarf für einen erheblichen Energieverbrauch. Das Forschungsförderungsprojekt ComGreen hat sich zur Aufgabe gesetzt, durch lastadaptiven Betrieb und intelligente dynamische Rekonfiguration des Funkzugangsnetzes zur Energieeinsparung beizutragen. Konzept, Herausforderungen, ausgewählte Ergebnisse von Simulationen und prototypischem Betrieb werden ebenso wie typische Erwartungswerte des künftigen Energieverbrauchs im Mobilfunkbereich vorgestellt. Sowohl Berechnungen als auch Messungen zeigen, dass durch kontext-basierte dynamische Rekonfiguration von zellularen Funknetzen Energieeinsparungen im Bereich von 25-40 % ermöglicht werden.

Identifikationsverfahren zur Analyse von EEG-Signalen bei Epilepsie mit Reaktions-Diffusions Netzwerken

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gollas, F.; Tetzlaff, R.

2007-06-01

Partielle Differentialgleichungen des Reaktions-Diffusions-Typs beschreiben Phänomene wie Musterbildung, nichtlineare Wellenausbreitung und deterministisches Chaos und werden oft zur Untersuchung komplexer Vorgänge auf den Gebieten der Biologie, Chemie und Physik herangezogen. Zellulare Nichtlineare Netzwerke (CNN) sind eine räumliche Anordnung vergleichsweise einfacher dynamischer Systeme, die eine lokale Kopplung untereinander aufweisen. Durch eine Diskretisierung der Ortsvariablen können Reaktions-Diffusions-Gleichungen häufig auf CNN mit nichtlinearen Gewichtsfunktionen abgebildet werden. Die resultierenden Reaktions-Diffusions-CNN (RD-CNN) weisen dann in ihrer Dynamik näherungsweise gleiches Verhalten wie die zugrunde gelegten Reaktions-Diffusions-Systeme auf. Werden RD-CNN zur Identifikation neuronaler Strukturen anhand von EEG-Signalen herangezogen, so besteht die Möglichkeit festzustellen, ob das gefundene Netzwerk lokale Aktivität aufweist. Die von Chua eingeführte Theorie der lokalen Aktivität Chua (1998); Dogaru und Chua (1998) liefert eine notwendige Bedingung für das Auftreten von emergentem Verhalten in zellularen Netzwerken. Änderungen in den Parametern bestimmter RD-CNN könnten auf bevorstehende epileptische Anfälle hinweisen. In diesem Beitrag steht die Identifikation neuronaler Strukturen anhand von EEG-Signalen durch Reaktions-Diffusions-Netzwerke im Vordergrund der dargestellten Untersuchungen. In der Ergebnisdiskussion wird insbesondere auch die Frage nach einer geeigneten Netzwerkstruktur mit minimaler Komplexität behandelt.

Zinc-Responsive Regulation of Alternative Ribosomal Protein Genes in Streptomyces coelicolor Involves Zur and σR▿ †

PubMed Central

Owen, Gillian A.; Pascoe, Ben; Kallifidas, Dimitris; Paget, Mark S. B.

2007-01-01

Streptomyces coelicolor contains paralogous versions of seven ribosomal proteins (S14, S18, L28, L31, L32, L33, and L36), which differ in their potential to bind structural zinc. The paralogues are termed C+ or C− on the basis of the presence or absence of putative cysteine ligands. Here, mutational studies suggest that the C− version of L31 can functionally replace its C+ paralogue only when expressed at an artificially elevated level. We show that the level of expression of four transcriptional units encoding C− proteins is elevated under conditions of zinc deprivation. Zur controls the expression of three transcriptional units (including rpmG2, rpmE2, rpmB2, rpsN2, rpmF2, and possibly rpsR2). Zur also controls the expression of the znuACB operon, which is predicted to encode a high-affinity zinc transport system. Surprisingly, the zinc-responsive control of the rpmG3-rpmJ2 operon is dictated by σR, a sigma factor that was previously shown to control the response to disulfide stress in S. coelicolor. The induction of σR activity during zinc limitation establishes an important link between thiol-disulfide metabolism and zinc homeostasis. PMID:17400736

Zinc-responsive regulation of alternative ribosomal protein genes in Streptomyces coelicolor involves zur and sigmaR.

PubMed

Owen, Gillian A; Pascoe, Ben; Kallifidas, Dimitris; Paget, Mark S B

2007-06-01

Streptomyces coelicolor contains paralogous versions of seven ribosomal proteins (S14, S18, L28, L31, L32, L33, and L36), which differ in their potential to bind structural zinc. The paralogues are termed C(+) or C(-) on the basis of the presence or absence of putative cysteine ligands. Here, mutational studies suggest that the C(-) version of L31 can functionally replace its C(+) paralogue only when expressed at an artificially elevated level. We show that the level of expression of four transcriptional units encoding C(-) proteins is elevated under conditions of zinc deprivation. Zur controls the expression of three transcriptional units (including rpmG2, rpmE2, rpmB2, rpsN2, rpmF2, and possibly rpsR2). Zur also controls the expression of the znuACB operon, which is predicted to encode a high-affinity zinc transport system. Surprisingly, the zinc-responsive control of the rpmG3-rpmJ2 operon is dictated by sigma(R), a sigma factor that was previously shown to control the response to disulfide stress in S. coelicolor. The induction of sigma(R) activity during zinc limitation establishes an important link between thiol-disulfide metabolism and zinc homeostasis.

Virtuelle Kraftwerke für Smart Markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dürr, Thomas; Heyne, Jean-Christoph

In den zurückliegenden Jahren haben insbesondere zwei Trends die Stromversorgung bestimmt: der starke Anstieg der dezentralen und der Ausbau der regenerativen Stromerzeugung, die vor allem in den Verteilnetzen stattfinden. Angesichts dieser Entwicklung gewinnen virtuelle Kraftwerke (VK) immer mehr an Bedeutung. In der frühen Phase waren VK insbesondere eine Möglichkeit, kleine dezentrale Erzeuger zu einer größeren Einheit zu bündeln und sie so marktfähig zu machen. Heute werden sie - überwacht und gesteuert über ein Dezentrales Energie-Management-System (DEMS) - gemeinsam mit Demand Response betrieben, also dem Reagieren eines Energieabnehmers auf Marktpreise. Das Demand Side Management soll zur Flexibilisierung der Industrie beitragen. Da der Ausbau der Übertragungsnetze nur schleppend vorankommt, kann die Nutzung von lastseitiger Flexibilität einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Versorgungssicherheit leisten. Im zweiten Teil des Beitrags geht es um die Entwicklung der Märkte. Großes Interesse besteht immer noch an der Regelenergie, zumal der Bedarf bis 2050 deutlich steigen wird. Die Spotmärkte Intraday und Day-Ahead wachsen kontinuierlich, deshalb werden sie für VK immer wichtiger. Am Ende gibt der Beitrag einen Ausblick auf die künftige Entwicklung, in der Regelenergie- und Spotmärkte noch eine Rolle spielen, aber andere Geschäftsmodelle wichtiger werden. Darüber hinaus geht es um langfristige Entwicklungen, die z. B. zusätzliche Serviceleistungen durch VK betreffen.

Molecular diagnosis of Salmonella typhi and its virulence in suspected typhoid blood samples through nested multiplex PCR.

PubMed

Prabagaran, Solai Ramatchandirane; Kalaiselvi, Vellingiri; Chandramouleeswaran, Naganathan; Deepthi, Krishnan Nair Geetha; Brahmadathan, Kootallur Narayanan; Mani, Mariappa

2017-08-01

A nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based diagnosis was developed for the detection of virulent Salmonella typhi in the blood specimens from patients suspected for typhoid fever. After the Widal test, two pairs of primers were used for the detection of flagellin gene (fliC) of S. typhi. Among them, those positive for fliC alone were subjected to identification of genes in Via B operon of Salmonella Pathogenesity Island (SPI-7) where four primer pairs were used to detect tviA and tviB genes. Among 250 blood samples tested, 115 were positive by fliC PCR; 22 of these were negative for tviA and tviB. Hence, the method described here can be used to diagnose the incidence of Vi-negative serovar typhi especially in endemic regions where the Vi vaccine is administered. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nitric oxide and mitochondria in metabolic syndrome

PubMed Central

Litvinova, Larisa; Atochin, Dmitriy N.; Fattakhov, Nikolai; Vasilenko, Mariia; Zatolokin, Pavel; Kirienkova, Elena

2015-01-01

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of metabolic disorders that collectively increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. Nitric oxide (NO) plays a crucial role in the pathogeneses of MS components and is involved in different mitochondrial signaling pathways that control respiration and apoptosis. The present review summarizes the recent information regarding the interrelations of mitochondria and NO in MS. Changes in the activities of different NO synthase isoforms lead to the formation of metabolic disorders and therefore are highlighted here. Reduced endothelial NOS activity and NO bioavailability, as the main factors underlying the endothelial dysfunction that occurs in MS, are discussed in this review in relation to mitochondrial dysfunction. We also focus on potential therapeutic strategies involving NO signaling pathways that can be used to treat patients with metabolic disorders associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. The article may help researchers develop new approaches for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of MS. PMID:25741283

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: Dental treatment considerations.

PubMed

Brooks, John K; Francis, Laurie A P

2006-04-01

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a chronic, relatively common autonomic disorder typically affecting younger females. It is distinguished by a dramatic increase in heart rate on the assumption of an upright posture from the supine position. The authors provide an overview of the demographics, clinical assessment, diagnostic features, differential diagnoses, pathogeneses and medical treatment of patients with POTS, with an emphasis on the clinical treatment of the dental patient affected by the syndrome. Patients frequently exhibit symptoms of lightheadedness, fatigue, palpitations and syncope. Patients with POTS may have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, mitral valve prolapse, chronic fatigue syndrome or, rarely, the Brugada syndrome. Despite widespread dissemination of information regarding POTS in the medical literature, scant information on it has appeared in dental publications. Dentists need to be familiar with the clinical features of POTS and be prepared to treat patients at risk of developing syncope.

Auf dem Weg zur digitalen Fakultät - moderne IT Infrastruktur am Beispiel des Physik-Departments der TU München

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Homolka, Josef

Der Geschäftsbetrieb einer Universität ist durch zunehmende Digitalisierung und Nutzung elektronischer Medien gekennzeichnet. Die Einführung immer leistungsfähigerer zentraler IT-Systeme führt zu einer komplexen Vielfalt heterogener Benutzer- und Administrationsschnittstellen. Zur Schaffung einer umfassenden benutzerfreundlichen und nahtlosen IT-Infrastruktur ist die Beteiligung aller organisatorischen Einheiten und Ebenen erforderlich. Am Physik-Departement der Technischen Universität München wurden unter Integration eigener Ressourcen mit zentralen Ressourcen, die im Rahmen des IntegraTUM Projektes entwickelt und bereitgestellt wurden, existierende Dienste weiterentwickelt und neue Angebote aufgebaut. Das System, bestehend aus den Komponenten Netzwerk, Arbeitsplatzrechner, Serverinfrastruktur, E-Mail-Service, WWWDienst, Datenhaltung und Software wurde für die Nutzerkreise Studenten und Mitarbeiter im Hinblick auf Anwenderfreundlichkeit und nahtlosen Zugriff optimiert.

Molecular and cellular characterisation of the zinc uptake (Znu) system of Nostoc punctiforme.

PubMed

Hudek, Lee; Pearson, Leanne A; Michalczyk, Agnes; Neilan, Brett A; Ackland, M Leigh

2013-11-01

Metal homoeostasis in cyanobacteria is based on uptake and export systems that are controlled by their own regulators. This study characterises the zinc uptake (Znu) system in Nostoc punctiforme. The system was found to comprise of three subunits in an ACB operon: a Zn(2+)-binding protein (ZnuA18), a transmembrane domain (ZnuB) and an ATPase (ZnuC). These proteins are encoded within the znu operon regulated by a zinc uptake transcription repressor (Zur). Interestingly, a second Zn(2+)-binding protein (ZnuA08) was also identified at a distal genomic location. Interactions between components of the ZnuACB system were investigated using knockouts of the individual genes. The znuA08(-), znuA18(-), znuB(-) and znuC(-) mutants displayed overall reduced znuACB transcript levels, suggesting that all system components are required for normal expression of znu genes. Zinc uptake assays in the Zn(2+)-binding protein mutant strains showed that the disruption of znuA18 had a greater negative effect on zinc uptake than disruption of znuA08. Complementation studies in Escherichia coli indicated that both znuA08 and znuA18 were able to restore zinc uptake in a znuA(-) mutant, with znuA18 permitting the highest zinc uptake rate. The N. punctiforme zur was also able to complement the E. coli zur(-) mutant. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resistivity Changes Due to Precipitation Effects in Fibre Reinforced Mg-Al-Zn-Mn Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiehn, J.; Kainer, K. U.; Vostrý, P.; Stulíková, I.

1997-05-01

The change of electrical properties of alumina short fibre reinforced Mg-Al-Zn-Mn alloy AZ91D during isochronal annealing up to 300 °C is discussed. The Saffil® fibres were incorporated into the magnesium alloy by direct squeeze casting. The fibre distribution is random planar parallel to the flat faces of the dc four-point resistivity specimens machined from the solution treated castings. A sharp drop of resistivity between 140 and 260 °C is explained by the formation of incoherent -phase particles. Some practical recommendations concerning the use of alumina short fibre reinforced AZ91 alloy are made on the basis of the results obtained. Es werden die Änderungen der elektrischen Eigenschaften der aluminiumoxid-kurzfaserverstärkten Mg-Al-Zn-Mn Legierung AZ91D während isochroner Wärmebehandlungen bis 300 °C diskutiert. Das direkte Preßgießverfahren diente zur Herstellung der Saffil®-Faser Magnesium Verbundwerkstoffe. Die Proben zur Widerstandsmessung nach der Vier-Punkt Methode wurden durch spanende Bearbeitung aus den lösungsgeglühten Preßgußstücken herausgearbeitet, so daß sie regellose Faserverteilung in den Ebenen parallel zu den flachen Probenseiten aufwiesen. Ein starker Abfall des elektrischen Widerstands im Temperaturbereich zwischen 140 und 260 °C wird durch die Bildung inkohärenter β-Phase erklärt. Auf Grundlage der Ergebnisse werden einige Empfehlungen zur Anwendung der kurzfaserverstärkten Legierung AZ91 gegeben.

[Assessment of parental stress using the "Eltern-Belastungs-Screening zur Kindeswohlgefährdung" (EBSK) - association with emotional and behavioral problems in children].

PubMed

Eichler, Anna K; Glaubitz, Katharina A; Hartmann, Luisa C; Spangler, Gottfried

2014-07-01

Parental stress is increased in clinical contexts (e.g., child psychiatry) and correlates with behavioral and emotional problems of children. In addition, parental stress can result in a biased parental perception of child's behavior and emotions. These interrelations were examined in a normal (N = 320) and a clinical (N = 75) sample. The "Eltern-Belastungs-Screening zur Kindeswohlgefährdung" (EBSK; Deegener, Spangler, Körner & Becker, 2009) was used for the assessment of parental stress. As expected, increased EBSK scores were overrepresented in the clinical sample. In both samples stressed parents reported having children with more behavioral and emotional problems. Children of stressed parents in turn reported significantly less problems than their parents did. The rating of independent third persons, e.g. teachers, was not available and should be added in future research. Restrictions in methodology and conclusions for practice are discussed.

Biokompatible Implantate und Neuentwicklungen in der Gynäkologie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobs, Volker R.; Kiechle, Marion

Für den Einsatz in der Gynäkologie stehen heute eine Vielzahl unterschiedlicher, biokompatibler Materialien und Implantate zur Verfügung. Auf eine Auswahl soll hier näher eingegangen werden, die die verschiedenen Materialien und Bauweisen repräsentieren. So sind Brustimplantate seit fast vier Jahrzehnten im Gebrauch für die Brustvergrösserung und den Brustwiederaufbau. Material, Bauweisen und medizinische Aspekte einschliesslich der kontroversen Diskussion um Silikon werden im folgenden erläutert. Neuere Entwicklungen von Verhütungstechniken für permanente Sterilisation wie den Filshie ClipTM für transabdominalen und den STOPTM für intraluminalen Verschluss der Eileiter oder die intrauterin plazierte Hormonspirale MirenaTM für zeitlich begrenzte Verhütung werden beschrieben. Eine neue Perspektive zur Verhinderung postoperativer intraabdominaler Adhäsionen stellt Spray-GelTM, ein Zweikomponenten Hydrogel aus Polyethylenglykol, dar.

Energy as a Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pell, Wolfgang

Energie wird zum Gebrauchsgegenstand, zur Commodity und rückt doch in den Blickpunkt der Aufmerksamkeit. Volkswirtschaftliche, politische, gesellschaftliche und betriebswirtschaftliche Ansprüche lassen Services rund um die Energieversorgung (Energy-related Services) entstehen. Convenience Services, die den Ansprüchen der Konsumenten gerecht werden, wie Visualisierung von (dezentraler) Energieerzeugung und -verbrauch auf Basis digitaler Smart Meter, die den analogen Ferraris-Zähler ersetzen, sowie optimierter Energieeinsatz halten in Haushalten als digitalisierten Standorten (Smart Sites) Einzug. Energieoptimierung auf Basis des Paradigmas "Verbrauch folgt Erzeugung" stellt Nachfrageflexibilität industrieller Prozesse (Demand Response) als Energie-Effizienz-Faktor in den Vordergrund und lässt Services wie ihre Vermarktung als Regelenergie zur Stabilisierung der Netzfrequenz entstehen. Ein Innovation Action Plan liefert einen Ausblick, wohin die Integration neuer Technologien, die Steigerung der Kundennähe und die Entwicklung neuer Geschäftsmodelle die Energiewirtschaft führen kann. Mit Eco-Home und Power-Pool werden zwei konkrete Beispiele für Energy as a Service vorgestellt.

Professionelles Learning Service Management an Hochschulen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baume, Matthias; Rathmayer, Sabine; Gergintchev, Ivan; Schulze, Elvira

Aufbauend auf den Großteils bereits geschaffenen eLearning Infrastrukturen für eine moderne Organisation stehen nahezu alle Hochschulen vor der Aufgabe, geeignete Lern- und Wissensmanagementkonzepte in Hinblick auf die Dienstgüte und den Anwenderbezug zu realisieren. Ein möglicher Lösungsansatz ist dabei die Entwicklung und Umsetzung eines Rahmenkonzeptes zur Verbesserung und Weiterentwicklung der Lehr-/Lernprozesse für Dozenten und Studenten am Beispiel bereits vorhandener und etablierter Service-Management-Konzepte. Übertragen auf die universitäre Organisation und Lehre, wäre ein derartiges Rahmenwerk zur Planung, Erbringung und Unterstützung von Lehr-/Lerndienstleistungen mit Einbezug der wichtigsten Lehr-/Lernprozesse ein dringend benötigter und fundamentaler Schritt hin zu einer schrittweisen Professionalisierung und Verbesserung der Hochschullehre. Der Beitrag erschließt eine Konzeptskizze für professionelles Learning Service Management an Hochschulen und gibt einen Ausblick auf die mögliche Vorgehensweise bei dessen Implementierung und Evaluierung.

Bildbasierte Navigation eines mobilen Roboters mittels omnidirektionaler und schwenkbarer Kamera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nierobisch, Thomas; Hoffmann, Frank; Krettek, Johannes; Bertram, Torsten

Dieser Beitrag präsentiert einen neuartigen Ansatz zur entkoppelten Regelung der Kamera-Blickrichtung und der Bewegung eines mobilen Roboters im Kontext der bildbasierten Navigation. Eine schwenkbare monokulare Kamera hält unabhängig von der Roboterbewegung die relevanten Merkmale für die Navigation im Sichtfeld. Die Entkopplung der Kamerablickrichtung von der eigentlichen Roboterbewegung wird durch die Projektion der Merkmale auf eine virtuelle Bildebene realisiert. In der virtuellen Bildebene hängt die Ausprägung der visuellen Merkmale für die bildbasierte Regelung nur von der Roboterposition ab und ist unabhängig gegenüber der tatsächlichen Blickrichtung der Kamera. Durch die Schwenkbarkeit der monokularen Kamera wird der Arbeitsbereich, über dem sich ein Referenzbild zur bildbasierten Regelung eignet, gegenüber einer statischen Kamera signifikant vergrößert. Dies ermöglicht die Navigation auch in texturarmen Umgebungen, die wenig verwertbare Textur- und Strukturmerkmale aufweisen.

Spirituelles Wohlbefinden und Coping bei Sklerodermie, Lupus erythematodes und malignem Melanom.

PubMed

Pilch, Michaela; Scharf, Sabina Nadine; Lukanz, Martin; Wutte, Nora Johanna; Fink-Puches, Regina; Glawischnig-Goschnik, Monika; Unterrainer, Human-Friedrich; Aberer, Elisabeth

2016-07-01

Religiös-spirituelles Wohlbefinden ist verbunden mit höherer Vitalität und verminderter Depressionsneigung. In unserer Studie untersuchten wir die Strategien zur Krankheitsbewältigung und die Rolle von Religiosität-Spiritualität (R-S) zur Verbesserung des subjektiven Wohlbefindens. 149 Patienten (107 Frauen), 44 mit systemischer Sklerodermie (SKL), 48 mit Lupus erythematodes (LE) und 57 mit malignem Melanom (MM), Stadium I-II, wurden mittels eines selbstentwickelten Fragebogens zum subjektiven Wohlbefinden, zu den mit der Erkrankung einhergehenden Umständen sowie mit dem Multidimensionalen Inventar (MI-RSB) zu R-S befragt. LE-Patienten sind zum Zeitpunkt der Diagnosestellung stärker belastet als SKL- und MM-Patienten. SKL- und LE-Patienten können erst nach Jahren die Erkrankung akzeptieren. Der Gesamtscore des religiös-spirituellen Befindens liegt bei LE-Patienten signifikant unter dem Wert der Normalbevölkerung. Fotosensitivität und Gelenksschmerzen sind bei LE-Patienten negativ assoziiert mit der Fähigkeit Vergeben zu können. SKL-Patienten mit Gesichtsveränderungen und Lungenbeteiligung zeigen höhere allgemeine Religiosität. MM-Patienten haben höhere Werte für transzendente Hoffnung. Vorträge über die Krankheit und psychologische Betreuung sind die wichtigsten Bedürfnisse von Patienten mit SKL, LE und MM an ihre Betreuer. Religiös-spirituelle Angebote zur Krankheitsverarbeitung scheinen derzeit eine untergeordnete Rolle zu spielen, könnten aber eine wichtige Ressource sein, der man in Zukunft mehr Aufmerksamkeit schenken sollte. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Monetary and Fiscal Policy Interactions in the Euro Area

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

Balassa - Samuelson -Effekt, Nr. 3/2002, erschienen in: Stefan Reitz (Hg.): Theoretische und wirtschaftspolitische Aspekte der internatio- nalen Integration...156, 2000, S. 646-660. Friihere Diskussionsbeitriige zur Finanzwissenschaft Josten, Stefan, Crime, Inequality, and Economic Growth. A Classical Argument

Design of the optical communication system for the asteroid impact mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heese, C.; Sodnik, Z.; Carnelli, I.

2017-09-01

The Asteroid Impact Mission (AIM) is part of the joint Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA) project of ESA, DLR, Observatoire de la Côte d'Ázur, NASA, and Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL).

Atmospheric Turbulence Research at DFVLR

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-07-01

DFVIR - ein mxteoroloisches Y system zur Untmrwxfszq der abm *iprisdcn Grenzschiidt. DWIR-Fbrschungsbericht FB 84-50, 150pp. English translatian: ESA... sytem Litton 72. " Temperature: Humidity - Two probes Rosemount 102 (fast and 0 ERC Lyman-alpha hygrometer slow). 0 Vaishla humicap relative humidity

Ueben-Pruefen. Zur Klaerung zweier zentraler Begriffe (Drilling-Testing. On the Clarifications of Two Central Concepts)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arendt, Manfred

1976-01-01

It is shown that drilling tends to become contaminated with elements of testing. The two activities are defined, and suggestions are given for designing drills free of testing. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Normung (Standardisierung)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostmann, Dirk

Normung ist aus dem täglichen Leben nicht wegzudenken. In allen Bereichen des Lebens begegnet man Normen, die Aktivitäten reichen von Festlegungen für Kindersitze im Auto über Implantate zum Gelenkersatz bis zu Schraubengrößen oder Verfahren zur Optimierung von Unternehmen.

Zur Problematik der Plansprachen (Issues Concerning Artificial World Languages)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayrhofer, Manfred

1972-01-01

The reasons for creating international auxiliary languages, such as Esperanto, are examined. The study of the synthesis of such languages is considered useful for linguistic theory. (Text is in German.) Available from Humanities Press, Inc., Atlantic Highlands, N.J. 07716. (TL)

SURFACTANT-ENHANCED EXTRACTION TECHNOLOGY EVALUATION VERSUCHSEININCHTUNG ZUR GRUNDWASSER-UND ALTLASTENSANIERUNG (VEGAS) FACILITY, STUTTGART, GERMANY

EPA Science Inventory

This innovative technology evaluation report (ITER) summarized the results of an evaluation of a surfactant-enhanced extraction technology. This evaluation was conducted under a bilateral agreement between the United States (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund ...

Worn is born: The role of the maxillo-mandibular relation in management of worn dentition.

PubMed

Li, Zhongjie; Yang, Zheng; Lan, Tingting; Zhao, Hanchi; Liu, Yang

2017-07-01

Worn dentition, often accompanied by occlusion changes such as reduced vertical dimension, poses a big challenge to both diagnosis and treatment. Current established causes fail to explain the observed tooth wearing patterns, and the treatments based on the documented pathogeneses are often unpredictable and require frequent maintenance. From the perspective of stomatognathic system, we postulate that the role of maxillo-mandibular relation is a crucial part in the tooth wear progression patterns, and should be well addressed in treatment planning. Incompatible occlusion with the inherent tendency of maxillo-mandibular relation has a profound effect on either wearing of natural teeth or failures of restorations. With the aid of cephalometrics and analysis of occlusion it is now possible to reduce this fallacy and achieve a harmony by re-designing the occlusion. According to our treated worn dentition cases, the restoring treatment guided by the tendency of maxillo-mandibular relation showed very promising results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Features of occlusal state in female Japanese patients with migraine: a case-controlled study.

PubMed

Takeuchi, Mifumi; Saruta, Juri; Kato, Momoko; Sugimoto, Masahiro; Kamata, Yohei; Shimizu, Tomoko; To, Masahiro; Kawata, Toshitsugu; Igarashi, Hisaka; Tsukinoki, Keiichi

2016-11-01

The prevalence rate of migraines is 8.4%; it is mostly diagnosed in women at 20s to 40s, and is known to cause major physical and mental disruption to daily life. This study was conducted on women aged between their 20s and 40s, in order to investigate the possible differences in the features of the occlusal state between a migraine and a non-migraine (control) group. Age-matched female patients with migraine (n = 60) diagnosed by headache specialists and healthy controls (n = 57) were enrolled. Dental casts were used to evaluate some features. The maxillary and mandibular dentition casts from the migraine group showed significantly characteristic findings in their Angle's classification, overjet, and deviation in the anterior tooth midline, compared to the control group. The results relating occlusal state to both tension-related headaches and migraines, which have different pathogeneses, suggest the possibility of dental intervention to improve the symptoms of primary headaches.

Churg-Strauss syndrome concomitant with chronic symmetrical dacryoadenitis suggesting Mikulicz's disease.

PubMed

Hanioka, Yusuke; Yamagami, Keiko; Yoshioka, Katsunobu; Nakamura, Tomomi; Kishida, Masatsugu; Nakamura, Tomoyuki; Yamaguchi, Toshimasa; Koshimo, Naomi; Inoue, Takeshi; Imanishi, Masahito

2012-01-01

A case of Churg-Strauss syndrome complicated by chronic symmetrical dacryoadenitis suggestive of Mikulicz's disease is herein presented. A 72-year-old Japanese man, who had been previously diagnosed with asthma, presented with weakness of the left leg and purpura on the lower extremities. A neurological examination showed multiple mononeuropathies and a laboratory examination revealed elevated eosinophil counts, IgE levels and the presence of Myeloperoxidase-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCAs). Churg-Strauss syndrome was diagnosed, although the patient also exhibited bilateral swelling of the lachrymal glands. Furthermore, elevated serum IgG4 levels, an infiltration of a relatively large number of IgG4-positive plasmacytes in the nasal mucosa and hypocomplementemia were also observed. These findings were consistent with a diagnosis of Mikulicz's disease (MD). Oral prednisolone (30 mg) was administered and the swelling of the lachrymal glands resolved. Churg-Strauss syndrome may be accompanied by Mikulicz's disease (an IgG4-related disease), and common pathogeneses between Churg-Strauss syndrome and IgG4-related disease may exist.

The Analytical Potential of Comparative Educational Research: Review of Two Historical Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tippelt, Rudolf

2017-01-01

In this review, Rudolf Tippelt focuses on two central comparative educational publications that compare the English and German education systems under specific historical perspectives: (1) Lenhart V, "Die erste Schrift zur vergleichenden Erziehungswissenschaft"/"The First Treatise in Comparative Education." Fredericus Augustus…

Visual Motion Perception and Visual Information Processing

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-12-31

tradi- tionally called the "span of apprehension" (Kulpe, 1904; Durable Storage Wundt , 1899). However, a partial-report procedure demon- strates...Gehrig. P. (1992). On the time course Wundt . W. (1899). Zur Kritik tachistoskopischer Versuche [A crit- of perceptual information that results from a

Kontinuierliche Wanddickenbestimmung und Visualisierung des linken Herzventrikels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dornheim, Lars; Hahn, Peter; Oeltze, Steffen; Preim, Bernhard; Tönnies, Klaus D.

Zur Bestimmung von Defekten in der Herztätigkeit kann die Veränderung der Wanddicke des linken Ventrikels in zeitlichen MRTAufnahmesequenzen gemessen werden. Derzeit werden für diese Bestimmung im allgemeinen nur die aufwändig manuell erstellte Segmentierungen der Endsystole und Enddiastole benutzt. Wir stellen ein bis auf die Startpunktinitialisierung automatisches Verfahren zur Bestimmung der Wanddicke des linken Ventrikels und ihrer Veränderung vor, das auf einer vollständigen Segmentierung der Herzwand in allen Zeitschritten durch ein dynamisches dreidimensionales Formmodell (Stabiles Feder-Masse-Modell) basiert. Dieses Modell nutzt bei der Segmentierung neben der Grauwertinformation eines Zeitschrittes auch die Segmentierungen der anderen Zeitschritte und ist so aufgebaut, dass die Wanddicken direkt gemessen und visualisiert werden können. Auf diese Weise werden die lokalen Wanddickenextrema über den gesamten Aufnahmezeitraum detektiert, auch wenn sie nicht in die Endsystole bzw. -diastole fallen. Das Verfahren wurde auf sechs 4D-Kardio-MRT-Datensätzen evaluiert und stellte sich als sehr robust bzgl. der einzig nötigen Interaktion heraus.

Modulare und durchgängige Produktmodelle als Erfolgsfaktor zur Bedienung einer Omni-Channel-Architektur - PLM 4.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golovatchev, Julius; Felsmann, Marcus

Mit der Transformation der Wertschöpfungsstrukturen von Utility 1.0 zu Utility 4.0 erfolgt offensichtlich auch eine Veränderung des Produkts. Vor dem Hintergrund disruptiver Technologien (IoT, Big Data, Cloud, Robotics etc.) und auch gesellschaftlicher Veränderungen entstehen ständig neue Geschäftsmodelle und Produkte, die über die reine Versorgungsdienstleistung (z. B. Strom) hinausgehen. Dabei muss der wertvolle Rohstoff Produktdaten für smarte Produkte durchgängiger und schneller nutzbar gemacht werden. Die modularen und durchgängigen Produktstrukturen leisten einen Beitrag zur Beherrschung von Komplexität und stellen somit einen wesentlichen Hebel für erfolgreiche Produktentwicklung und -management dar. In diesem Beitrag werden Ansätze beschrieben, wie es den vor der Herausforderung Utility 4.0 stehenden Unternehmen gelingen kann, Smart-Energy-Produkte so zu modellieren, dass sie die Interoperabilität der einzelnen Produktionsmodule sicherstellt und ein Ende-zu-Ende-Management ermöglicht.

Einstellung und Wissen von Lehramtsstudierenden zur Evolution - ein Vergleich zwischen Deutschland und der Türkei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graf, Dittmar; Soran, Haluk

Es wird eine Untersuchung vorgestellt, in der Wissen und Überzeugungen von Lehramtsstudierenden aller Fächer zum Thema Evolution an zwei Universitäten in Deutschland und der Türkei erhoben worden sind. Die Befragung wurde in Dortmund und in Ankara durchgeführt. Es stellte sich heraus, dass ausgeprägte Defizite im Verständnis der Evolutionsmechanismen herrschen. Viele Studierende, insbesondere aus der Türkei, sind nicht von der Faktizität der Evolution überzeugt. Dies gilt sowohl für Studierende mit Fach Biologie als auch für Studierende mit anderen Fächern. Näher untersucht worden sind die Faktoren, die die Überzeugungen zur Evolution beeinflussen können, was ja in Anbetracht der hohen Ablehnungsrate der Evolution von besonderem Interesse ist. Das Vertrauen in die Wissenschaft spielt hierbei eine besondere Rolle: Wer der Wissenschaft vertraut, ist auch eher von der Evolution überzeugt, als diejenigen, die skeptisch gegenüber der Wissenschaft sind.

Theoretische Konzepte der Physik

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longair, Malcolm S.; Simon, B.; Simon, H.

"Dies ist kein Lehrbuch der theoretischen Physik, auch kein Kompendium der Physikgeschichte ... , vielmehr eine recht anspruchsvolle Sammlung historischer Miniaturen zur Vergangenheit der theoretischen Physik - ihrer "Sternstunden", wenn man so will. Frei vom Zwang, etwas Erschöpfendes vorlegen zu müssen, gelingt dem Autor etwas Seltenes: einen "lebendigen" Zugang zum Ideengebäude der modernen Physik freizulegen, ... zu zeigen, wie Physik in praxi entsteht... Als Vehikel seiner Absichten dienen dem Autor geschichtliche Fallstudien, insgesamt sieben an der Zahl. Aus ihnen extrahiert er das seiner Meinung nach Lehrhafte, dabei bestrebt, mathematische Anachronismen womöglich zu vermeiden... Als Student hätte ich mir diese gescheiten Essays zum Werden unserer heutigen physikalischen Weltsicht gewünscht. Sie sind originell, didaktisch klug und genieren sich auch nicht, von der Faszination zu sprechen, die ... von der Physik ausgeht. Unnötig darauf hinzuweisen, das sie ein gründliches "konventionelles" Studium weder ersetzen wollen noch können, sie vermögen aber, dazu zu ermuntern." #Astronomische Nachrichten (zur englischen Ausgabe)#1

Active ribosomal genes, translational homeostasis and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and autism.

PubMed

Porokhovnik, Lev N; Passekov, Vladimir P; Gorbachevskaya, Nataliya L; Sorokin, Alexander B; Veiko, Nataliya N; Lyapunova, Nataliya A

2015-04-01

Infantile autism and schizophrenia are severe multifactorial disorders with a pronounced genetic predisposition. Their pathogeneses are often associated with oxidative stress in the brain. Previously, we established that a cell's resistance to oxidative stress depended on the copy number of transcriptionally active genes for rRNA (ribosomal genes) in the cell's genome. The feature is measured cytogenetically in cultured lymphocytes derived from patients. It varies from 120 up to 190 copies per diploid genome, with an arithmetic mean of 150±4 (SE) copies in a healthy population (n=239), being considerably lower, according to our previous results, in a sample of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (n=49), another multifactorial disease with a proven significant role of oxidative stress in its pathogenesis: from 115 to 165 copies, with a mean of 140±4 (SE). Conversely, a sample of schizophrenic patients (n=42) previously showed a higher value of copy number of active rRNA genes compared with a healthy population: from 145 to 190 copies, with a mean of 170±4. This fact is of special interest in the context of the well-known, but still unexplained phenomenon of the reduced comorbidity rate of schizophrenia and rheumatoid arthritis. The copy number of active ribosomal genes was estimated in a sample of autistic children (n=51). In contrast with the schizophrenic patients studied previously, we found that the values were significantly lower than those in the healthy population: from 125 to 160 copies, with a mean of 142±5. In this work, we suggest a mathematical model of the oxidative stress dynamics on the basis of Lotka-Volterra's approach to predator-prey interactions. In our model, the 'prey' represents reactive oxygen species, whereas the 'predator' simulates molecules of the antioxidant enzymes. The rate of biosynthesis of the latter is limited by the number of ribosomes available, which, in turn, is determined by the copy number of active rRNA genes. Analysis of the model showed the existence of a unique equilibrium point that makes biological sense. The reactive oxygen species level oscillatory approaches this equilibrium value, which inversely depends on the copy number of active rRNA genes. Our findings confirm the hypothesis of disturbance of the 'translational homeostasis' in the pathogeneses of autism and schizophrenia, and would help explain why oxidative stress markers are discovered in most autism studies, whereas similar reports related to schizophrenia are far less consistent.

Zur Rolle von Plansprachen im terminologiewissenschaftlichen Werk von Eugen Wuster (The Role of Planned Languages in Eugen Wuster's Work on Terminology Science).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanke, Detlev

1998-01-01

Discusses the relationship between planned languages and specialized technical languages, with particular reference to Esperanto, and analyzes its significance for several aspects of Eugen Wuster's (the founder of terminology science) work. (Author/VWL)

[Kombinierte Anwendung von Strahlentherapie und adjuvanter Therapie mit einem Mistelextrakt (Viscum album L.) zur Behandlung des oralen malignen Melanoms beim Hund: Eine retrospektive Studie].

PubMed

von Bodungen, Uta; Ruess, Katja; Reif, Marcus; Biegel, Ulrike

2017-01-01

Hintergrund: Orale maligne Melanome (OMM) des Hundes zeichnen sich durch schnelles Wachstum, lokale Invasion und hohe Metastasierungsraten aus. Extrakte auf Basis von Viscum album L. (VAE) werden zunehmend in der Krebstherapie sowohl in der Human- als auch in der Veterinärmedizin eingesetzt. Ziel unserer Studie war es zu untersuchen, inwieweit die adjuvante Therapie mit VAE eine therapeutische Option zur Behandlung von OMM ist. Besonderes Augenmerk galt dabei der Überlebenszeit und möglichen Nebenwirkungen. Tiere und Methoden: 26 Hunde mit OMM, die in einem der größten veterinäronkologischen Zentren der Schweiz allesamt eine Strahlentherapie erhielten (teilweise nach operativer Tumorresektion) wurden in die retrospektive Studie eingeschlossen: 18 Hunde wurden mit VAE behandelt (1 ml VAE (Iscador®) in ansteigenden Konzentrationen von 0,1 bis 20 mg/ml subkutan 3-mal pro Woche (VAE-Gruppe), 8 erhielten keine adjuvante Behandlung (Vergleichsgruppe). Wir verglichen die Größenentwicklung der OMM sowie die Überlebenszeit. Ergebnisse: Patienten mit Bestrahlung und adjuvanter VAE-Therapie zeigten mit 236 Tagen eine signifikant längere mediane Überlebenszeit im Vergleich zu Patienten mit Bestrahlung, aber ohne adjuvante VAE-Therapie (49 Tage; Log-Rank-Test: p = 0,0047). Die VAE-Therapie verlängerte die Überlebenszeit um mehr als zwei Drittel (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0,30, 95%-Konfidenzintervall (KI) 0,11-0,86; p = 0,024), während ein höheres Tumorstadium gemäß UICC (Union internationale contre le cancer) einen statistischen Trend zur Verdopplung des Sterberisikos zeigte (UICC-Stadium III/IV vs. I/II: HR = 2,12, 95%-KI 0,88-5,12; p = 0,095). Zwei Patienten zeigten milde Nebenwirkungen während der VAE-Behandlung. Einer der beiden zeigte 1 Tag lang ein selbstlimitiertes Fieber, bei dem anderen Patienten reduzierten wir die Dosis von einem konzentrierteren zu einem weniger konzentrierten VAE (Serie 0) aufgrund von Müdigkeit, die daraufhin verschwand. Schlussfolgerungen: VAE ist eine sichere, nebenwirkungsarme Behandlung und scheint sich positiv auf die Überlebenszeit von Hunden mit OMM auszuwirken. Somit ist dieser therapeutische Ansatz es wert, vermehrt bei der adjuvant zur Strahlentherapie eingesetzten Behandlung des OMM in Betracht gezogen zu werden. Die verglichenen Gruppen waren jedoch klein, divers und nicht konsistent hinsichtlich aller prognostischen Parameter. Eine prospektive Studie mit einer größeren Studienpopulation wäre daher von Interesse. © 2017 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Physik gestern und heute Spurensuche

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engels, Wolfgang; Heering, Peter

2005-01-01

Im Jahre 1927 erhielt Charles Thomson Rees Wilson für die von ihm entwickelte Methode zur Visualisierung der Spuren ionisierender Strahlung den Nobelpreis für Physik. Die nach ihm benannte Nebelkammer wurde in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts zu einem Standardinstrument für Untersuchungen subatomarer Prozesse.

Lifelong Learning: One Focus, Different Systems. Studien zur Erwachsenenbildung, Band 19.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harney, Klaus, Ed.; Heikkinen, Anja, Ed.; Rahn, Sylvia, Ed.; Schemmann, Michael, Ed.

These 17 articles on different subjects of the broader theme "lifelong learning" represent the latest results of the discussions of the Vocational Education and Culture Research Network. An introduction (Klaus Harney et al.) provides summaries of the contents. The articles are "The Global and International Discourse of Lifelong…

Special Course on Subsonic/Transonic Aerodynamic Interference for Aircraft

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-07-01

SHOCKS H = .83. CL = .40. COW .0005. A = 6.0 Fig. 25 Iteration history for transonic airfoil b) REDESIGNED WING design (M = .77) with weak shock Fig. 27...Finished Wing (King Cobra). RAE TN Aero. 2383, 1950. 10. Holstein , H.: Messungen zur Laminarhaltung der Grenzchicht an elnem Flugel. Lilenthal-Bericht

Germany’s Chosen Path: Domestic Security Institutions in the Berlin Republic 1990-97.

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-12-01

wird vom Neorealismusparadigma unterstotzt, hier dargestel It durch Kenneth Waltz. Das liberate Paradigma unterstUtzt die Perspektive der "Kultur von Zur... Paradigma folgen. Urn diesen aktuellen Weg in Richtung Realismus zu andern, mul$ Deutschland bestimmte Institutionen verandern oder abschaffen. In der

Ueber das Mannheimer Woerterbuch zur Verbvalenz (About the Mannheim Dictionary of Verb Valence)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schumacher, Helmut

1976-01-01

Describes the purpose, structure and application of this monolingual verb lexicon, which indicates the morphosyntactic environments of the most common German verbs. Mention is made of the forthcoming valence lexicon. The book is for teachers and textbook writers. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

A Computational Study of the Modification of Raindrop Size Distributions in Subcloud Downdrafts.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

Schumann (1939) and Findeisen (1939). It is characterized by a raindrop distribution consisting of many small droplets and a few large drops; all large...rain by means of sequential rain drop size distributions. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 88, 301-314. Findeisen , W., 1939: Zur Frage der

On the Buckling Force of Floating Ice Plates,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-01

the derivations in Kappus phenomena is beyond the scope of the present report. (1939) or Kerr (1972), using Lagrange coordinates and Therefore, in the...eq 36 and w,(x, 0) in eq 24, we obtain LITERATURE CITED Pee(0) = L- YB2 (42) Kappus , R. (1939) Zur Elastizitatstheorie endlicher Verschie- 28 bungen

Degradable Implantate: Entwicklungsbeispiele

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruffieux, Kurt; Wintermantel, Erich

Resorbierbare Implantate werden seit mehreren Jahrzehnten in der Implantologie eingesetzt. Bekannt wurden diese Biomaterialien mit dem Aufkommen von sich selbst auflösenden Nahtfäden auf der Basis von synthetisch hergestellten Polylactiden und Polyglycoliden in den 70er Jahren. In einem nächsten Schritt wurden Implantate wie Platten und Schrauben zur Gewebefixation aus den gleichen Biomaterialien hergestellt.

PubMed

Schützenberger, Anne; Hammer, Georg Philipp

2018-06-01

Sanuki T et al. Long-term Evaluation of Type 2 Thyroplasty with Titanium Bridges for Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2017; 157: 80–84 JAPANISCHE ÄRZTE FüR HALS-, NASEN- UND OHRENHEILKUNDE SOWIE KOPF- UND HALSCHIRURGIE BERICHTETEN üBER STIMMLICHE LANGZEITERGEBNISSE NACH DURCHFüHRUNG EINER THYROPLASTIK TYP 2 ZUR BEHANDLUNG DER SPASMODISCHEN DYSPHONIE VOM ADDUKTOR TYP.

Eine 200-μm-Kamera zur unvollständigen Himmelsdurchmusterung mit dem ISO-Satelliten.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgdorf, M.

The C200 camera designed for the wavelength range >160 μm is composed of the detector elements and their preamplifiers. The limiting sensitivity to be reached is estimated. In building the infrared satellite experiment ISOPHOT the detector arrays and selecting electronics are of key importance.

Zur Soziolinguistik in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Sociolinguistics in the Federal Republic of Germany)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jachnow, Helmut

1975-01-01

Traces the history of sociolinguistic studies in West Germany from the early nineteenth century with Humboldt and reports on the state and purposes of sociolinguistic studies in present-day Federal Republic of Germany. Available from Liber Laeromedel, Box 1205, S-22105 Lund, Sweden (Text is in German.) (TL)

Pragma- und textilinguistische Untersuchungsmethoden zur indirekten Rede im Englischen (Pragmatic and Text-Linguistic Research Methods on Indirect Discourse in English)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziegesar, Detlef von

1976-01-01

Examines the mechanisms involved in changing from direct to indirect discourse, taking as a starting point research findings in linguistic pragmatics, which involve the practical application of speech symbol use between speaker and hearer. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Investigations on Laminar Boundary-Layer Stability and Transition on Curved Boundaries

DTIC Science & Technology

1943-08-01

an konkaven Wanden. G’.ottineer Nachrichten . Neue Folgo, 2, Nr. 1. Ii. Tollmien, W.: The Production of Turbulence. T.M. No. 609, NACA, 1931. 12...Schlichting, H.: Zur Entstehung der Turbulenz bei der Plattenstromung. GBttinger Nachrichten , M.P.K., pp. 181-208, 19_, und Bd. l, 1935. 13, . Taylor, G. I

Impulse fur Bibliotheken (Impulses for Libraries). Publications of Essen University Library 19.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helal, Ahmed H., Ed.

This collection of 12 papers commemorates the retirement of Bernhard Adams. Adams had a 30-year career at the Bochum University Library (Germany) and advocated innovation and automation in libraries. The papers are: (1) "Gemeinsame Wegstrecken: Bernhard Adams zur Ehre" ("Common Milestones: In Honor of Bernhard Adams") (Harro…

Zur Wortbildung in wissenschaftlichen Texten (Word Formation in Scientific Texts)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogalla, Hanna; Rogalla, Willy

1976-01-01

Discusses a German frequency list of 1,500 to 2,000 scientific words, which is being developed, and the importance of learning word-building principles. Substantive and adjective suffixes are listed according to frequency, followed by remarks on copulative compounds, with examples and frequency ranking, and, finally, prefixes. (Text is in German.)…

Wege zur Festigung der Fachlexik (Ways of Building a Technical Vocabulary)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalmykowa, Elena

1974-01-01

Learning to read foreign technical texts requires (a) a minimum vocabulary and (b) effective drill. The following are suggested: translation, question-answer method, definition exercises, exercises to develop skill in the use of reference works, schematic presentations and tables, annotating and making reports and summaries. (Text is in German.)…

On the quantization of wave fields⋆

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenfeld, L.

2017-04-01

Originally published in German "Zur Quantelung der Wellenfelder" in Annalen der Physik 397, 113 (1930). Submitted for publication on March 18, 1930Translated by Donald Salisbury, Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Berlin and Austin College, Sherman, TX, USA and Kurt Sundermeyer, Max-Planck-Institut für Wissenschaftsgeschichte, Berlin. DSalisbury@austincollege.edu

Qualitätsmanagement in molekularbiologischen Laboratorien

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulze, Manuela

Jedes Laboratorium führt Untersuchungen nach bestem Wissen und Gewissen durch, und jeder Analytiker weiß von sich, dass er/sie gute Arbeit macht. Trotzdem können Analysen des gleichen Probenmaterials in verschiedenen Laboren zu unterschiedlichen Ergebnissen führen. Sofern es sich dabei nicht um Untersuchungen im Bereich der Nachweisgrenze und damit letztlich um statistisch bedingte Unterschiede oder Inhomogenitäten im Probenmaterial handelt, trägt dies nicht zur Vertrauenswürdigkeit von analytischen Untersuchungsergebnissen bei. Mit der zunehmenden Globalisierung der Märkte rückt die gegenseitige Anerkennung von analytischen Resultaten immer stärker in den Vordergrund. Die Vergleichbarkeit von Laborresultaten wird erleichtert, wenn sich die Laboratorien auf die gleichen Richtlinien zur Vorgehensweise und Handhabung ihrer Arbeiten verständigen. Im Bereich der Laboruntersuchungen von Lebensmitteln, Futtermitteln und Saatgut ist als derartige Rischt-Schnur die EN ISO/IEC 17025 [1] anerkannt. Diese Norm enthält alle Anforderungen, die Prüflaboratorien erfüllen müssen, wenn sie nachweisen wollen, dass sie ein Qualitätsmanagementsystem betreiben, technisch (meint: fachlich) kompetent und fähig sind, fachlich fundierte Ergebnisse zu erzielen.

Epigenetische Aspekte bei Karzinomen der Kopf-Hals-Region

PubMed Central

Schmezer, Peter; Plass, Christoph

2009-01-01

Zusammenfassung Plattenepithelkarzinome der Kopf-Hals-Region (HNSCC) zählen seit Jahren zu den weltweit häufigsten Krebsarten. Trotz vieler Bemühungen hat sich das 5-Jahres-Überleben bei Patienten mit HNSCC kaum verbessert. Um einen Fortschritt zu erzielen, ist es notwendig, die der Erkrankung zugrunde liegenden biologischen Prozesse besser zu verstehen. Neben den bekannten genetischen Veränderungen haben molekular-zytogenetische Untersuchungen bei HNSCC gezeigt, dass es weitere Veränderungen gibt, die mit Vermehrung und Verlust chromosomaler Bereiche einhergehen, für die jedoch die krankheitsverursachenden Gene bisher nicht identifiziert wurden. Darüberhinaus haben jüngste Forschungsergebnisse verdeutlicht, dass epigenetische Modifikationen wie die DNA Methylierung eine wichtige Rolle spielen. So konnte gezeigt werden, dass bei HNSCC eine Reihe von Genen (z.B. das Tumorsuppressorgen CDKN2A sowie DAPK1, MGMT, TIMP3, TCF21, und C/EBPα) hypermethylierte Bereiche in regulatorischen DNA Sequenzen aufweisen, wodurch ihre Expression verringert oder unterbunden wird. Die Hypermethylierung solcher Gene könnte als Biomarker zur Früherkennung von HNSCC genutzt werden und nicht zuletzt dadurch zur Verbesserung von Prävention und Therapieerfolg beitragen. PMID:18483718

Rosazea-Management: Update über allgemeine Maßnahmen und topische Therapieoptionen.

PubMed

Schaller, M; Schöfer, H; Homey, B; Hofmann, M; Gieler, U; Lehmann, P; Luger, T A; Ruzicka, T; Steinhoff, M

2016-12-01

Obwohl bislang für die Rosazea keine kurative Therapie besteht, können verschiedene Optionen zur Behandlung der Symptome und zur Vorbeugung von Exazerbationen empfohlen werden. Neben Selbsthilfemaßnahme wie der Vermeidung von Triggerfaktoren und einer geeigneten Hautpflege sollte das Rosazea-Management bei Patienten mit erythematöser und leichter bis schwerer papulopustulöser Rosazea die Anwendung topischer Präparate als First-Line-Therapie umfassen. Da Überlappungen der charakteristischen Rosazea-Symptome im klinischen Alltag die Regel sind, sollte die medikamentöse Therapie auf die individuellen Symptome zugeschnitten werden; auch eine Kombinationstherapie kann erforderlich sein. Zu den für die Behandlung der Hauptsymptome der Rosazea zugelassenen Wirkstoffen gehören Brimonidin gegen das Erythem sowie Ivermectin, Metronidazol oder Azelainsäure gegen entzündliche Läsionen. Ihre Wirksamkeit wurde in zahlreichen validen, gut kontrollierten Studien belegt. Darüber hinaus existieren verschiedene nicht zugelassene topische Behandlungsmöglichkeiten, deren Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit noch in größeren, kontrollierten Studien zu untersuchen ist. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Epidemiologie, Prävention und Früherkennung des Zervixkarzinoms

PubMed Central

Wentzensen, Nicolas

2016-01-01

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Persistierende Infektionen mit humanen Papillomviren sind die notwendige Ursache des Zervixkarzinoms. Die Entwicklung von HPV-basierten Präventionsverfahren, der HPV Impfung und der HPV-Testung, führt derzeit zu umfangreichen Veränderungen von Zervixkarzinom-Vorsorgeprogrammen. Eine Dekade nach Einführung der HPV-Imfpung in vielen Ländern werden bereits Reduktionen von HPV-Infektionen und Krebsvorstufen in jungen Frauen beobachtet. Der Fokus liegt jetzt auf der Integration von neuen Testverfahren im Screening von Populationen mit zunehmenden Impfraten. Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerung Ein erfolgreiches Zervixkarzinom-Vorsorgeprogramm besteht aus verschiedenen Komponenten, vom primären Screening über die Triage zur Kolposkopie mit Biopsie, um Frauen mit Kresbvorstufen zu identifizieren, die eine therapeutische Intervention benötigen. Im primären Screening wird eine kleine Gruppe von Frauen mit erhöhtem Risiko für eine Krebsvorstufe identifiziert, während die grosse Mehrheit kein erhöhtes Risiko hat. Je nach primärem Testverfahren werden in screen-positiven Frauen zusätzliche Triage-Tests durchgeführt, um zu entscheiden, wer zur Kolposkopie überwiesen werden sollte. Derzeit gibt es drei verschiedene Ansätze für das primäre Zervixkarzinomscreening: Die Zervix-Zytologie, die HPV-Testung, und die HPV-Zytologie Ko-Testung. Zahlreiche Triage-Tests für HPV-positive Frauen werden derzeit untersucht, darunter sind die Zytologie, HPV-Genotypisierung, p16/Ki-67 Zytologie, und diverse Methylierungstests. Die steigende Anzahl an Optionen für die Früherkennung des Zervixkarzinoms stellt eine Herausforderung für klinische Leitlinien dar. Die zunehmende Komplexität von Vorsorgeprogrammen kann zur Verunsicherung von Ärzten und von am Screening teilnehmenden Frauen führen. Die Präzisions-Prävention des Zervixkarzinoms ist eine neuer Ansatz, der umfangreiche Risikodaten basierend auf der individuellen Vorgeschichte und von Testergebnissen integriert und einheitliche, Risiko-basierte Managementempfehlungen gibt. PMID:28265177

Toward Evidence-Based Genetic Research on Lifelong Premature Ejaculation: A Critical Evaluation of Methodology

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Recently, four premature ejaculation (PE) subtypes have been distinguished on the basis of the duration of the intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT). These four PE subtypes have different etiologies and pathogeneses. Genetic research on PE should consider the existence of these PE subtypes and the accurate measurement of the IELT with a stopwatch. Currently, three methods of genetic research on PE have been used. They differ in the investigated population, tool of measurement, study design, and variables of PE. From animal and human research, it is derived that the central serotonergic system "modulates" ejaculation, whereas the ejaculation (reflex) itself is probably not under direct influence of the serotonergic system, but rather under the influence of other neurotransmitter systems in the spinal cord. For genetic research on PE, it is important to take into account that the (serotonergic) modulation of the IELT is variable among men and may even be absent. This means that serotonergic genetic polymorphisms may only be found in men with PE who respond with an ejaculation delay treatment with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. PMID:21344023

Prevalence and risk factors of gammaherpesvirus infection in domestic cats in Central Europe.

PubMed

Ertl, Reinhard; Korb, Melanie; Langbein-Detsch, Ines; Klein, Dieter

2015-09-17

Gammaherpesviruses (GHVs) are a large group of dsDNA viruses that can infect humans and several animal species. The two human GHVs, Epstein-Barr virus and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus are known for their oncogenic properties in individuals with immunodeficiency. Recently, the first feline GHV, Felis catus gammaherpesvirus 1 (FcaGHV1) was discovered and frequently found in domestic cats in Australia, Singapore and the USA. FcaGHV1 is more likely to be detected in cats co-infected with the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). The prevalence of FcaGHV1 in pet cats from Germany and Austria was 16.2 % (95 % CI = 12.38-20.02). The odds for GHV infection were greater for FIV positive (OR = 4.5), male (OR = 13.32) and older (OR = 2.36) cats. Furthermore, FcaGHV1 viral loads were significantly higher in FIV-infected cats compared to matched controls. GHV infections are common in domestic cats in Central Europe. The worldwide distribution of FcaGHV1 can be assumed. A potential role as a co-factor in FIV-induced pathogeneses is supported.

Non-scientific classification of Chinese herbal medicine as dietary supplement.

PubMed

Bao, Kexin

2017-03-01

This article focuses the category status of Chinese herbal medicine in the United States where it has been mistakenly classifified as a dietary supplement. According to Yellow Emperor Canon of Internal Medicine (Huang Di Nei Jing), clinical treatment in broad sense is to apply certain poisonous medicines to fight against pathogeneses, by which all medicines have certain toxicity and side effect. From ancient times to modern society, all, or at least most, practitioners have used herbal medicine to treat patients' medical conditions. The educational curriculums in Chinese medicine (CM) comprise the courses of herbal medicine (herbology) and herbal formulae. The objective of these courses is to teach students to use herbal medicine or formulae to treat disease as materia medica. In contrast, dietary supplements are preparations intended to provide nutrients that are missing or are not consumed in suffificient quantity in a person's diet. In contrast, Chinese herbs can be toxic, which have been proven through laboratory research. Both clinical practice and research have demonstrated that Chinese herbal medicine is a special type of natural materia medica, not a dietary supplement.

Neuroimmune mechanisms of cytokine-induced depression: current theories and novel treatment strategies.

PubMed

Loftis, Jennifer M; Huckans, Marilyn; Morasco, Benjamin J

2010-03-01

The relationships between immune and neural function are an increasingly important area of study for neuropsychiatric disorders, in particular depression. This is exemplified by the growing number of publications on cytokines and depression during the last 10 years, as compared to earlier decades. This review summarizes the current theories and novel treatment strategies for depression, with a focus on cytokine-induced depression. Neuroimmune mechanisms are now viewed as central to the development of depressive symptoms and emerging evidence is beginning to identify the neural circuits involved in cytokine-induced depression. The current diagnostic categories for depression, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, however, are not etiologically or biologically derived, and it has been proposed that "depression", likely reflects multiple pathogeneses leading to varying symptom constellations. As we move toward a better biological understanding of depression-related symptom constellations or syndromes, the term "depression" may prove inadequately broad, and an integration of interdisciplinary literatures will increase in importance. Future research should aim to characterize these depression-related symptom constellations or syndromes better with the goal of optimizing treatment strategies. Published by Elsevier Inc.

γ-Oryzanol recovers mouse hypoadiponectinemia induced by animal fat ingestion.

PubMed

Nagasaka, Reiko; Yamsaki, Tomoteru; Uchida, Asako; Ohara, Kazuyuki; Ushio, Hideki

2011-06-15

Adiponectin is an insulin-sensitizing adipocyte-derived adipokine. The decrease in plasma adiponectin level (hypoadiponectinemia) is involved in the development of insulin resistance and the resulting type 2 diabetes. Our previous studies have demonstrated that γ-oryzanol (ORZ) from rice bran suppressed NF-κB activation and increased adiponectin secretion from adipocyte. In this study, we have evaluated effects of oral administration of animal fat (beef tallow) and palmitate on mouse serum adiponectin level. Oral administrations of beef tallow and palmitate significantly suppressed serum adiponectin levels into around half of the initial level from 48 to 96 h after administration compared with the case of corn oil (P<0.05). Coadministration of ORZ successfully remedied mouse hypoadiponectinemia induced by ingestion of beef tallow and the relative adiponectin levels attained to 1.66±0.23 at 96 h after administration (mean value±s.e., P<0.05). Diverse physiological functions of ORZ in crop bran might be promising us to prevent chronic inflammations in the pathogeneses of the metabolic or insulin resistance syndromes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Genes, epigenetic regulation and environmental factors: which is the most relevant in developing autoimmune diseases?

PubMed

Costenbader, Karen H; Gay, Steffen; Alarcón-Riquelme, Marta E; Iaccarino, Luca; Doria, Andrea

2012-06-01

Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease, have complex pathogeneses and likely multifactorial etiologies. The current paradigm for understanding their development is that the disease is triggered in genetically-susceptible individuals by exposure to environmental factors. Some of these environmental factors have been specifically identified, while others are hypothesized and not yet proven, and it is likely that most have yet to be identified. One interesting hypothesis is that environmental effects on immune responses could be mediated by changes in epigenetic regulation. Major mechanisms of epigenetic gene regulation include DNA methylation and histone modification. In these cases, gene expression is modified without involving changes in DNA sequence. Epigenetics is a new and interesting research field in autoimmune diseases. We review the roles of genetic factors, epigenetic regulation and the most studied environmental risk factors such as cigarette smoke, crystalline silica, Epstein-Barr virus, and reproductive hormones in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microplane Model for Fracture Analysis of Concrete Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-05-01

Curves for Cot,- Proceadings, Intern. Sympositim cai Numevical crete io Tension," Mater ils ,tndI : Str ~tuiztres d.- Un R. /na~gr No I., an. o196.9...and 226. ivinsterwalder, K, , "Festigkeit und Verfor- mung van Bet an lniter- 7.oRsIannitgenl, Duo tsatho 8. Kr~ner, h. , Zur 2’lastischen Verformung

Learning, Adjustment and Stress Disorders: With Special Reference to Tsunami Affected Regions. Beitrage zur Padagogischen und Rehabilitationspsychologie. Volume 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Witruk, Evelin, Ed.; Riha, David, Ed.; Teichert, Alexandra, Ed.; Haase, Norman, Ed.; Stueck, Marcus, Ed.

2010-01-01

This book contains selected contributions from the international workshop Learning, "Adjustment and Stress Disorders--with special reference to Tsunami affected Regions" organised by Evelin Witruk and the team of Educational and Rehabilitative Psychology at the University of Leipzig in January 2006. The book contains new results and the…

An der Schwelle zur Zweisprachigkeit: Fremdsprachenunterricht fur Fortgeschrittene (On the Threshold of Bilingualism: Foreign Language Learning for Advanced Students).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kubler, Silvia, Ed.; Portmann, Paul R., Ed.

1994-01-01

This collection of articles on Bilingualism includes: "Fremdsprachenunterricht fur Fortgeschrittene: ein Uberblick" (Foreign Language Learning for Advanced Students: An Overview) (Paul R. Portmann); "Never Mind the Width, Feel the Quality: From Quantity to Quality in Language Teaching at Advanced Levels" (Mike Makosch); "Irren ist menschlich: Ein…

German-American Workshop on Adult Education with Target Groups = Deutsch-amerikanisches Doppelseminar zur Zielgruppenarbeit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerner, Claus, Ed.; Odenbrett, Glenn, Ed.

This collection includes eight papers (authored by Germans) on adult education programs in Cleveland, Ohio, and eight papers (authored by Americans) about adult education programs in the Federal Republic of Germany as well as German and English introductions to the collection. The following papers are included: "Neue Wege in der…

Kooperatives Lernen lernen? Zur Diskussion uber das Bildungswesen in Japan (Learning Cooperative Learning? On the Discussion of the Japanese Educational System).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schubert, Volker

1998-01-01

Suggests a reconsideration of the criticism of Japanese competition against the background of the Japanese educational system's highly developed learning culture. Considers some of the basic aspects of group-oriented communal learning in school, while also cautioning against a "monocausal" culturalism. (Author/CMK)

Das Smart Meter Gateway - Der kritische Erfolgsfaktor für die Digitalisierung der Energiewende

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abs, Paul-Vincent

Der kritische Erfolgsfaktor der Digitalisierung in der Energiewirtschaft liegt im bevorstehenden hohen Investitionsvolumen und der Beherrschung der neuen Technik. Ein Weg zur Kostenminimierung liegt im Zusammenschluss der einzelnen Akteure, um gemeinsame Skalenvorteile zu heben. Auch bieten neue Geschäftsmodelle die Möglichkeit, zusätzliche Erlöse zu generieren.

Über den Beitrag von Heinrich Bruns zur theoretischen geometrischen Optik - unter Berücksichtigung seines Briefwechsels mit Wissenschaftlern der Zeiss-Werke in Jena 1888 - 1893.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilgauds, H.-J.; Münzel, G.

Heinrich Bruns, director of the Leipzig University Observatory, was working on theoretical geometrical optics, and applied this to practical questions. His correspondence with opticians of the Zeiss Company in Jena gives evidence of their mutual regard and inspiration.

Tokamak und Stellarator - zwei Wege zur Fusionsenergie: Fusionsforschung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milch, Isabella

2006-07-01

Im Laufe der Fusionsforschung haben sich zwei Bautypen für ein zukünftiges Kraftwerk als besonders aussichtsreich erwiesen: Tokamak und Stellarator. Mit dem geplanten Tokamak-Experimentalreaktor ITER steht die internationale Fusionsforschung vor der Demonstration eines Energie liefernden Plasmas. Parallel soll die in Greifswald entstehende Forschungsanlage Wendelstein 7-X die Kraftwerkstauglichkeit des alternativen Bauprinzips der Stellaratoren zeigen.

A Framework and Strategies for Determining Reference Conditions for Streams with Legacy Sediments on Military Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

water where there is a sharp change in channel slope, such as a waterfall or lake, resulting from differential rates of erosion above and below the...Beitrage zur Lehre von der biologische Gewasserbeurteilung. International Review of Hydrobiology 2:126-52. ———. 1909. Oekologie der Saprobien. Uber

Reforms and Innovations in Estonian Education. Baltische Studien zur Erziehungs- und Sozialwissenschaft. Volume 16

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikk, Jaan, Ed.; Veisson, Marika, Ed.; Luik, Piret, Ed.

2008-01-01

This collection of papers provides a small overview of educational research in Estonia. The papers in the collection treat school reforms since the renewal of independence in 1991, new approaches to teacher training, the implementation of a child-centred approach in school, the achieving of educational aims and other actual topics in education.…

Die physikalischen Umweltwissenschaften und das Militär Zur Erforschung Grönlands im Kalten Krieg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heymann, Matthias

Die modernen Umweltwissenschaften stehen heute im Mittelpunkt von Forschungsförderung und öffentlicher Aufmerksamkeit. Im Zuge des seit den 1970er Jahren erwachten Interesses am globalen Wandel der Umwelt und den damit verknüpften Problemen, ist ihre Bedeutung rasch gestiegen. Viele Wurzeln der modernen Umweltwissenschaften liegen jedoch im Kalten Krieg.

Poverty, Education and Gender: Pedagogic Transformations in the Schools for the Poor ("Armenschulwesen") in Hamburg, 1788-1871

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Christine

2011-01-01

In the second half of the eighteenth century, an enlightened reformist spirit spread among Hamburg's bourgeois upper classes. This was exemplified by the activities of the "Gesellschaft zur Beforderung der Kunste und nutzlichen Gewerbe" ("Society for the Promotion of the Arts and Useful Trades") founded in 1765 as well as by a…

Wissensstrukturierung im Unterricht: Neuere Forschung zur Wissensreprasentation und ihre Anwendung in der Didaktik (Knowledge Structuring in Instruction: Recent Research on Knowledge Representation and Its Application in the Classroom).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Einsiedler, Wolfgang

1996-01-01

Asks whether theories of knowledge representation provide a basis for the development of theories of knowledge structuring in instruction. Discusses codes of knowledge, surface versus deep structures, semantic networks, and multiple memory systems. Reviews research on teaching, external representation of cognitive structures, hierarchical…

"Columns and Columnists": Zur Verwendung des "personenlichen Journalismus" im Unterricht (Columns and Columnists: On the Use of "Personal Journalism" in Teaching)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redling, Julius

1977-01-01

Discusses American journalism--specifically the syndicated columns. To show their usefulness for English teaching, Art Buchwald's "Unqualifications" is described and the text interpreted. It is suggested that for humorous aspects and language deviations be stressed; for Grades 11-13 irony, American technology and education. (Text is in…

Merkel cell carcinoma: is this a true carcinoma?

PubMed

Jankowski, Marek; Kopinski, Piotr; Schwartz, Robert; Czajkowski, Rafal

2014-11-01

Recent years have brought an enhanced understanding of Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) biology, especially with regard to the Merkel cell polyoma virus as a causative agent. Differences between Merkel cell polyomavirus-positive and Merkel cell polyomavirus-negative MCC in morphology; gene expression, miRNA profiles and prognosis have been reported. Origin of MCC is controversial. Presence of neurosecretory granules has suggested that these carcinomas originate from one of the neurocrest derivatives, most probably Merkel cells; the name Merkel cell carcinoma is now widely accepted. Expression of PGP 9.5, chromogranin A and several neuropeptides, initially regarded as specific markers for neural and neuroendocrine cells, has recently been shown in a subset of lymphomas. MCC commonly expresses terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase and PAX5. Their co-expression under physiologic circumstances is restricted to pro/pre-B cells and pre-B cells. These findings lead to the hypothesis by zur Hausen et al. that MCC originates from early B cells. This review was intended to critically appraise zur Hausen's hypothesis and discuss the possibility that MCC is a heterogenous entity with distinct subtypes. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Atopic Eczema and Stress among Single Parents and Families: An Empirical Study of 96 Mothers.

PubMed

Gieler, Uwe; Schoof, Stefanie; Gieler, Tanja; Scheewe, Sibylle; Schut, Christina; Kupfer, Jörg

2017-01-04

This study investigated the extent to which single mothers of children with atopic eczema experience disease-related stress. A total of 96 mothers were divided into 4 groups: mothers living with a partner, who had or did not have a child with atopic eczema, and single mothers, who had or did not have a child with atopic eczema. The following questionnaires were used to assess psychological burden: Short Stress Questionnaire (Kurzer Fragebogen zur Erfassung von Belastung; KFB), Satisfaction with Life Questionnaire (Fragebogen zur Lebenszufriedenheit; FLZ), General Depression Scale (Allgemeine Depressions-Skala; ADS), and the Questionnaire for Parents of Children with Atopic Eczema (Fragebogen für Eltern von Neurodermitis kranken Kindern; FEN). Single mothers had higher levels of helplessness and aggression due to their child's scratching behaviour than did mothers living with a partner and a child with atopic eczema. Single mothers of children with atopic eczema had the highest scores regarding experienced stress in the family and the lowest scores concerning general life satisfaction. Special care should be provided for single mothers with higher stress, in order to teach them how to deal with the scratching behaviour of their children.

Zur Frage der Textauswahl in einem Lesekurs fuer die Sozialwissenschaften (On the Question of the Choice of Textbooks in a Course in the Social Sciences)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apelt, Hans-Peter

1974-01-01

Passages from three selected samples of textbooks are used to show what requirements are made of textbooks in the social sciences. Some hints are given to the teacher for converting reading suggestions into instructional material. Short texts from Karl Marx are also suggested. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Artificial Turbulence for Imaging and Wave Propagation. Volume 3432

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-07-01

zunehmenden Maße Möglichkeiten gesucht, lokale Unscharfen in dem Objektbild eines Fernrohres oder einer Kamera , welche beispielsweise durch...Verwendung von Kameras oder Fernrohren zur Beobachtung von Objekten innerhalb der Erdatmosphäre oder durch diese hindurch treten lokale Unscharfen in dem...Trägerschicht aufgebracht sind. Die Einrichtung wird in den Strahlengang des betreffenden Beobachtungsgerätes, beispielsweise einer Kamera oder eines

Bildung und bildungstheoretische Ueberlegungen zur Grundung der Republik (Education and the Republic--Educational Theorists Reflections on the Foundation of the Republic).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hellekamps, Stephanie

1996-01-01

Draws on Wilhelm von Humboldt's typology of the active human being to debate the questions whether and how individuals can produce their social and political world. Discusses, with reference to Marie Condorcet and Immanuel Kant, procedures of the public that are necessary prerequisites for actions aimed at forming the world. (DSK)

Wolfgang Pauli

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enz, Charles P.

2000-11-01

Wolfgang Pauli gehört zu den bedeutendsten Physikern des 20. Jahrhunderts. Erst das von ihm entdeckte Ausschließungsprinzip erklärt den Aufbau des Periodensystems der Elemente. Darüber hinaus legte er den Grundstein für die Quantenfeldtheorie. Privat zeigte sich Pauli als bissiger und humorvoller Mensc gleichermaßen, und sein Hang zur Psychoanalyse lässt ihn überdies als interessante Persönlichkeit erscheinen.

Wirkstoffe, Medikamente und Mathematische Bildverarbeitung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bauer, Günter J.; Lorenz, Dirk A.; Maaß, Peter; Preckel, Hartwig; Trede, Dennis

Die Entwicklung neuer Medikamente ist langwierig und teuer. Der erste Schritt ist hierbei die Suche nach neuen Wirkstoffkandidaten, die für die Behandlung bislang schwer therapierbarer Krankheiten geeignet sind. Hierfür stehen der Pharma- und Biotechnologieindustrie riesige Substanzbibliotheken zur Verfügung. In diesen Bibliotheken werden die unterschiedlichsten Substanzen gesammelt, die entweder synthetisch hergestellt oder aus Pilzen, Bakterienkulturen und anderen Lebewesen gewonnen werden können.

Briefkasten oder Brieftaube? Zur Auswahl der Lexik in amerikanischen Deutschlehrwerken fuer die Grundstufe. ("Mailbox" or "Carrier Pigeon"? Selecting Vocabulary for American College-Level Elementary German Textbooks).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolton, Sibylle

A comparison of four college-level elementary German textbooks reveals significant differences in the numbers of vocabulary entries in each textbook. Further comparison of three of the textbooks with the basic German vocabulary lists provided in "Kontaktschwelle Deutsch als Fremdsprache" and in "Das Zertificat Deutsch als Fremdsprache" reveal in…

Zur Afuwertung der Kultur- und Landeskunde. Ein Literaturbericht (Toward an Evaluation of Culture Studies and Other Area Studies. A Survey of the Literature)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartig, Paul

1975-01-01

Eight recent monographs and collections on area and culture study in foreign language teaching are discussed and compared. The focus is on the various authors' definitions of the topic (culture, civilization, realia, etc.). Mentioned also is the function of area study in the course. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Bewehrte Betonbauteile unter Betriebsbedingungen: Forschungsbericht

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eligehausen, Rolf; Kordina, Karl; Schießl, Peter

2000-09-01

Vorwort. Teil I: Rißbreiten (Gert König) 1 Ein mechanisches Modell zur Erhöhung der Vorhersagegenauigkeit über die Rißbreiten unter Betriebsbedingungen (Gert König und Michael Fischer). 1.1 Einleitung und Zielsetzung. 1.2 Versuchsprogramm. 1.3 Meßtechnik. 1.4 Belastung und Versuchsdurchführung. 1.5 Literatur. 2 Rißbreiten und Verformungszunahme vorgespannter Bauteile unter wiederholter Last - und Zwangbeanspruchung (Gert König und Michael Fischer). 2.1 Einleitung und Zielsetzung. 2.2 Versuchsprogramm. 2.3 Auswertung. 2.4 Ausblick. 2.5 Literatur. 3 Rißverhalten von Beton bei plötzlicher Abkühlung (Viktor Mechtcherine und Harald S. Müller). 3.1 Einleitung. 3.2 Experimentelle Untersuchungen. 3.3 Formulierung eines Stoffgesetzes für thermisch beanspruchten Beton. 3.4 Riß entwicklung in einer Betonplatte unter Temperaturschock. 3.5 Zusammenfassung. 3.6 Literatur. 4 Stahlfaserbeton unter Betriebsbedingungen bei Dauerbeanspruchung (Bo Soon Kang, Bernd Schnütgen und Friedhelm Stangenberg). 4.1 Einleitung. 4.2 Wirkung von Stahlfasern im Beton. 4.3 Versuchsprogramm. 4.4 Untersuchungen zum Verbundverhalten. 4.5 Untersuchungen zum Verhalten unter Biegebeanspruchung. 4.6 Theoretische Untersuchungen. 4.7 Literatur. 5 Experimentelle Untersuchungen an Stahlbeton-Zugkörpern unter wiederholter Belastung zur Ermittlung des versteifenden Einflusses der Mitwirkung des Betons zwischen den Rissen (Petra Seibel und Gerhard Mehlhorn). 5.1 Einleitung. 5.2 Ansatz zur Bestimmung der Mitwirkung des Betons zwischen den Rissen nach Eurocode 2, Model Code 90 und Günther. 5.3 Experimentelle Untersuchungen. 5.4 Ergebnisse. 5.5 Zusammenfassung. 5.6 Literatur. 6 Riß- und Verformungsverhalten von vorgefertigten Spannbetonträgern unter Betriebsbedingungen bei besonderer Berücksichtigung des Betonalters (Monika Maske, Heinz Meichsner und Lothar Schubert). 6.1 Einleitung. 6.2 Beschreibung der Fertigteilträger. 6.3 Belastungsversuche. 6.4 Ergebnisse. 6.5 Zusammenfassung. 6.6 Literatur. Teil II: Verbundfragen (Rolf Eligehausen). 1 Ein mechanisches Modell zur Beschreibung des Verbundverhaltens zwischen Stahl und Beton (Gert König, Nguyen V. Tue und Wolfgang Kurz). 1.1 Einleitung. 1.2 Beschreibung der Kraftübertragung zwischen Stahl und Beton. 1.3 Vorstellung des Modells. 1.4 Materialgesetze für die Berechnung der Verformung des Fachwerks. 1.5 Vergleich zwischen Versuch und Modell. 1.6 Zusammenfassung und Ausblick. 1.7 Literatur. 2 Verbund unter nicht ruhender Beanspruchung (Rainer Koch und György L. Balázs). 2.1 Übersicht über die durchgeführten Versuche. 2.2 Versuchkörper und Materialien. 2.3 Versuchseinrichtungen. 2.4 Versuche und Ergebnisse. 2.5 Zusammenfassung und Ausblick. 2.6 Literatur. 3 Trag- und Verformungsverhalten von Stahlbetontragwerken unter Betriebsbelastung (Thomas M. Sippel und Rolf Eligehausen). 3.1 Einleitung. 3.2 Allgemeines. 3.3 Rechenmodell und Materialmodelle. 3.4 Vergleich zwischen Versuchen und Rechnung. 3.5 Parameterstudien. 3.6 Vereinfachtes Rechenmodell. 3.7 Zusammenfassung. 3.8 Literatur. 4 Verbundverhalten von Spanngliedern mit nachträglichem Verbund unter Betriebsbedingungen (Josef Hegger, Norbert Will und Heiner Cordes). 4.1 Einführung. 4.2 Verbundverhalten von Spanngliedern. 4.3 Zeitabhängige Effekte des Verbunds. 4.4 Versuche unter statischer Langzeitbeanspruchung. 4.5 Versuche unter dynamischer Langzeitbeanspruchung. 4.6 Bemessungsvorschlag für Verbundkennwerte. 4.7 Zusammenfassung. 4.8 Literatur. 5 Spannungsumlagerungen in gemischt bewehrten Querschnitten (Josef Hegger, Heiner Cordes und Matthias Rudlof). 5.1 Problemstellung und Zielsetzung. 5.2 Spannungsumlagerungen bei gemischter Bewehrung. 5.3 Versuche an zentrischen Zugkörpern. 5.4 Versuchsergebnisse. 5.5 Ermittlung und Vergleich von Verbundkennwerten. 5.6 Zusammenfassung. 5.7 Literatur. Teil III: Bauteile (Karl Kordina). 1 Einfluß von Längsbeanspruchungen auf den Neigungswinkel der Schubrisse (Marek Los und Ulrich Quast). 1.1 Einleitung. 1.2 Ungerissener Zustand. 1.3 Gerissener Zustand. 1.4 FEM-Berechnungen. 1.5 Zusammenfassung. 1.6 Literatur. 2 Auswirkungen des unterschiedlichen Verformungsverhaltens bei Beund Entlastung auf die Beanspruchungen im Gebrauchszustand (Jochen Keysberg). 2.1 Einleitung und Zielsetzung. 2.2 Modelle für die Momenten-Verkrümmungs-Beziehung. 2.3 Programm zur nichtlinearen Berechnung. 2.4 Einfluß von Lastwechseln auf nichtlineare Berechnungen. 2.5 Zusammenfassung. 2.6 Literatur. 3 3D-Analyse von Balken-Stützen-Verbindungen aus normal- und hochfestem Beton unter zyklischer Beanspruchung (Josko Ozbolt, Yijun Li und Rolf Eligehausen). 3.1 Einleitung. 3.2 Materialmodell und FE-Diskretisierung. 3.3 Numerische Analyse. 3.4 Schlußfolgerungen. 3.5 Zusammenfassung. 3.6 Literatur. 4 Der Einfluß von freien Schwingungen infolge dynamischer Belastung auf die Deterioration eines Bauwerks (Manfred Specht und Michael Kramp). 4.1 Veranlassung des Forschungsvorhabens. 4.2 Forschungsziele. 4.3 Versuchsträger, Versuchsdurchführung und Versuchsergebnisse. 4.4 Auswertung. 4.5 Ergebnisse für die Systemidentifikation von Stahlbetonkonstruktionen. 4.6 Literatur. 5 Lokale Schwind- und Temperaturgradienten in bewehrten, oberflächennahen Zonen von Betonkonstruktionen (Josef Eibl und Stephan Kranz). 5.1 Problemstellung. 5.2 Temperatur- und Feuchtefeldberechnung. 5.3 Numerisches Berechnungsmodell zur Spannungsanalyse im Beton. 5.4 Durchgeführte Versuche. 5.5 Rechnerische Untersuchungen. 5.6 Zusammenfassung. 5.7 Literatur. 6 Wassereindringverhalten von Flüssigkeiten beim Biegeriß (Gert König und Christian Brunsch). 6.1 Problemstellung. 6.2 Experimentelle Untersuchungen. 6.3 Entwicklung eines Modells zur rechnerischen Abschätzung des zeitlichen Eindringens einer Wassermenge in Biegerisse von Stahlbetonbauteilen. 6.4 Zusammenfassung und Diskussion der Versuchsreihe. 6.5 Literatur. 7 Dauerhaftigkeitsprobleme von offenen Becken (György Iványi, Wilhelm Buschmeyer und Udo Paas). 7.1 Einleitung. 7.2 Bestandsaufnahme. 7.3 Felduntersuchungen. 7.4 Laboruntersuchungen. 7.5 Berechnungen. 7.6 Entwurfs- und Ausführungskriterien. 7.7 Literatur. Teil IV: Korrosion und Ermüdung (Peter Schießl). 1 Ermüdungskorrosion von Spannstahl (Herbert Kupfer und Hans H. Müller). 1.1 Forschungsziel. 1.2 Korrosionsversuche an Spannstählen. 1.3 Methoden zur Erkennung von Anrissen. 2 Korrosionsermüdung von Stahl in Betonbauteilen (J. W. Weber, Peter Schießl und Jörg Moersch). 2.1 Allgemeines. 2.2 Wesentliche Einflüsse bei der Schwingungsrißkorrosion. 2.3 Ziel der Untersuchungen. 2.4 Prüfkörper und Betone. 2.5 Chloridbeaufschlagung. 2.6 Ergebnisse. 2.7 Zusammenfassung. 2.8 Literatur. 3 Untersuchungen zum Rißkorrosionsverhalten von Spannstählen unter Betriebsbedingungen (Jörg Moersch und Peter Schießl). 3.1 Einführung und Ziel. 3.2 Untersuchungsprogramm. 3.3 Ergebnisse. 3.4 Zusammenfassung der Ergebnisse. 3.5 Literatur. 4 Schwingfestigkeit von Stahlbeton bei Beanspruchung mit Meerwasser (Ulf Nürnberger und Willibald Beul). 4.1 Einführung. 4.2 Mechanismus. 4.3 Schwingfestigkeitsuntersuchungen. 4.4 Folgerungen. 4.5 Literatur. 5 Wasserstoffinduzierte Spannungsrißkorrosion von zugschwellbeanspruchten Spannstählen (Ulf Nürnberger und Willibald Beul). 5.1 Einführung. 5.2 Untersuchungen. 5.3 Folgerung. 5.4 Literatur. 6 Selbstheilung und Bewehrungskorrosion bei von schwach sauren Wässern durchströmten Trennrissen in bewehrtem Beton (Wieland Ramm und Michaela Biscoping). 6.1 Übersicht. 6.2 Einleitung. 6.3 Versuchsprogramm. 6.4 Versuchsergebnisse. 6.5 Zusammenfassung. 6.6 Literatur. 7 Untersuchungen zur Reibermüdung bei teilweise vorgespannten Bauteilen (Heiner Cordes, Josef Hegger und Jens U. Neuser). 7.1 Einleitung. 7.2 Stand der Forschung. 7.3 Versuchsaufbau und Versuchsdurchführung. 7.4 Versuchsergebnisse. 7.5 Zusammenfassung und Ausblick. 7.6 Literatur. Teil V: Junger Beton (Ferdinand S. Rostásy). 1 Ermittlung und Berechnung des Nullspannungstemperaturgradienten im jungen Beton (Rupert Springenschmid und Jean-Louis Bostvironnois). 1.1 Einleitung. 1.2 Der Nullspannungstemperaturgradient. 1.3 Ergebnisse und Schußfolgerungen. 1.4 Literatur. 2 Experimentelle Ermittlung der Verformungskennwerte von jungem Beton und der Zwangspannungen in situ (Markus Plannerer und Rupert Springenschmid). 2.1 Einleitung. 2.2 Versuche zur Ermittlung der Verformungskennwerte und der Zwangspannungen. 2.3 Laborergebnisse. 2.4 In-situ-Ergebnisse. 2.5 Zusammenfassung. 2.6 Literatur. 3 Werkstoffeigenschaften jungen Betons--Experimente und Modellierung (Ferdinand S. Rostásy und Alex-W. Gutsch). 3.1 Einleitung. 3.2 Versuche und Modellbildung. 3.3 Zusammenfassung. 3.4 Literatur.

Updates on the genetics and the clinical impacts on phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma in the new era.

PubMed

Pillai, Suja; Gopalan, Vinod; Smith, Robert A; Lam, Alfred K-Y

2016-04-01

Genetic mutations of phaeochromocytoma (PCC) and paraganglioma (PGL) are mainly classified into two major clusters. Cluster 1 mutations are involved with the pseudo hypoxic pathway and comprised of PHD2, VHL, SDHx, IDH, HIF2A, MDH2 and FH mutated PCC/PGL. Cluster 2 mutations are associated with abnormal activation of kinase signalling pathways and included mutations of RET, NF1, KIF1Bβ, MAX and TMEM127. In addition, VHL, SDHx (cluster 1 genes) and RET, NF1 (cluster 2 genes) germline mutations are involved in the neuronal precursor cell pathway in the pathogeneses of PCC/PGL. Also, GDNF, H-ras, K-ras, GNAS, CDKN2A (p16), p53, BAP1, BRCA1&2, ATRX and KMT2D mutations have roles in the development of PCC/PGLs. Overall, known genetic mutations account for the pathogenesis of approximately 60% of PCC/PGLs. Genetic mutations, pathological parameters and biochemical markers are used for better prediction of the outcome of patients with this group of tumours. Immunohistochemistry and gene sequencing can ensure a more effective detection, prediction of malignant potential and treatment of PCC/PCLs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advances in RNAi therapeutic delivery to leukocytes using lipid nanoparticles.

PubMed

Ramishetti, Srinivas; Landesman-Milo, Dalit; Peer, Dan

2016-11-01

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) therapeutics has advanced into clinical trials for liver diseases and solid tumors, but remain a challenge for manipulating leukocytes fate due to lack of specificity and safety issues. Leukocytes ingest pathogens and defend the body through a complex network. They are also involved in the pathogeneses of inflammation, viral infection, autoimmunity and cancers. Modulating gene expression in leukocytes using siRNAs holds great promise to treat leukocyte-mediated diseases. Leukocytes are notoriously hard to transduce with siRNAs and are spread throughout the body often located deep in tissues, therefore developing an efficient systemic delivery strategy is still a challenge. Here, we discuss recent advances in siRNA delivery to leukocyte subsets such as macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells and lymphocytes. We focus mainly on lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs) comprised of new generation of ionizable lipids and their ability to deliver siRNA to primary or malignant leukocytes in a targeted manner. Special emphasis is made on LNPs targeted to subsets of leukocytes and we detail a novel microfluidic mixing technology that could aid in changing the landscape of process development of LNPs from a lab tool to a potential novel therapeutic modality.

Catalytic Nanoceria Are Preferentially Retained in the Rat Retina and Are Not Cytotoxic after Intravitreal Injection

PubMed Central

Wong, Lily L.; Hirst, Suzanne M.; Pye, Quentin N.; Reilly, Christopher M.; Seal, Sudipta; McGinnis, James F.

2013-01-01

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nanoceria) possess catalytic and regenerative radical scavenging activities. The ability of nanoceria to maintain cellular redox balance makes them ideal candidates for treatment of retinal diseases whose development is tightly associated with oxidative damage. We have demonstrated that our stable water-dispersed nanoceria delay photoreceptor cell degeneration in rodent models and prevent pathological retinal neovascularization in vldlr mutant mice. The objectives of the current study were to determine the temporal and spatial distributions of nanoceria after a single intravitreal injection, and to determine if nanoceria had any toxic effects in healthy rat retinas. Using inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), we discovered that nanoceria were rapidly taken up by the retina and were preferentially retained in this tissue even after 120 days. We also did not observe any acute or long-term negative effects of nanoceria on retinal function or cytoarchitecture even after this long-term exposure. Because nanoceria are effective at low dosages, nontoxic and are retained in the retina for extended periods, we conclude that nanoceria are promising ophthalmic therapeutics for treating retinal diseases known to involve oxidative stress in their pathogeneses. PMID:23536794

Ein Kredit für Weihnachtsbaumkugeln

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tutsch, Sina

Eine Mathematikerin aus dem DFG-Forschungszentrum Matheon arbeitet an Methoden zur dreidimensionalen Visualisierung. Sie hat die Geschäftsidee, Weihnachtsbaumkugeln mit bewegten Hologrammen herzustellen, die sich individuell gestalten lassen, und plant eine Existenzgründung. Aus einem öffentlichen Förderprogramm erhält sie ein günstiges Darlehen in Höhe von 50 000 Euro. Für die Startphase ihres Unternehmens benötigt sie jedoch den vierfachen Betrag.

Acta Mechanica Sinica (Selected Articles),

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-12-05

done by an external force. In the 1930’s, Trefftz and Kappus [8 ] also applied this principle to derive the elastic buckling equation and stability...theorie der stabilitat des elastischen gleichgewichts, Zeit. fur Angew. Math. u Mech. B13 (1933), L... 160. 120 [8] Kappus , R., Zur elastizitats...strain relations and boundary condiiomns for the prebeckling fundamental path solution. As Kappus had done in 1939, a new variation 6* can be imposed m

Middle-Class Consensus, Social Capital and the Mechanics of Economic Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Michael, Social Capital and Regional Mobility, Nr. 4/2002. "* Schdfer, Wolf, EU-Erweiterung: Anmerkungen zum Balassa - Samuelson -Effekt, Nr. 3/2002...variations, while the argument of both the present paper and most of the previous literature on inequality and growth refers to long-run growth effects of...Diskussionsbeitriige zur Finanzwissenschaft " Josten, Stefan, Crime, Inequality, and Economic Growth. A Classical Argument for Distributional Equality

Europeanization of the Hospital Markets - Opportunities and Risks for German Hospitals (Europaeisierung des Krankenhausmarkets - Chancen und Risiken fuer deutsche Krankenhaeuser)

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-07-06

Information Services Institut (3M HIS Institut) hat u.a. mit der Entwicklung eines Werkzeugs zur Pflege und Weiterentwicklung des deutschen DRG-Systems ftir... Pflege (Krankenhauspflege) a. die Kosten wachsen schneller als allgerneine Inflation b. praktisch stabile Krankenversicherungsentnahme c. es existieren 9...Krankenkassen d. die Pflege ist von der Krankenversicherung voll (theoretisch) vergUltet e. Missverhlitnis zwischen Versicherungsentnuhrne und

Video: einige Bemerkungen zum medien-spezifischen Ort und zur didaktischen Basis (Video: Some Notes on Its Place among Teaching Media and on Its Theoretical Basis in FL Teaching)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauer, Hans-Ludwig

1976-01-01

Reports on the introduction of video recorders at various branches of the Goethe Institute. The characteristics of video are compared with those of films, tapes and printed matter. Video's advantage is that through it authentic, unprepared material can be presented, and it provides strong motivation. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Vapor Pressure of N,N’-Diisopropylcarbodiimide (DICDI)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-01

S) Brozena, Ann. (ECBC); Williams, Barry R. (Leidos, Inc.); and Tevault, David E. (JRAD, Inc.) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER CB Defense Technology Base...historical data are compared to the new correlation. 2. EXPERIMENTAL DETAILS The DICDI used in the present work was obtained from Sigma -Aldrich...26, 1960. 7. Bayer Corporation, Carbodiimides. U.K. Patent GB685,970, January 14, 1953 . 8. Seefelder, M.; Neubauer, G. Verfahren zur

Biokompatible Metalle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ha, Suk-Woo; Wintermantel, Erich

Metalle als Implantatwerkstoffe werden in der Medizin für zwei Hauptanwendungen eingesetzt: für Prothesen des totalen Gelenkersatzes wie beispielsweise Hüft-, Knie- und Schulterprothesen und für Fixationselemente zur Stabilisierung von Frakturen. Beispiele hierfür sind Osteosyntheseplatten, Marknägel, Schrauben, Drähte und Stents. Eine der ersten Anwendungen von Metallen im menschlichen Körper war die Fixation von Fragmenten eines gebrochenen Humerus (Oberarmknochen) mit einem Metalldraht durch zwei französische Physiker im Jahr 1775 [1]. Ausführliche Untersuchungen zur Verträglichkeit von Metallen im menschlichen Körper wurden bereits im frühen 19. Jahrhundert durchgeführt. Von den untersuchten Werkstoffen verursachten die edlen Metalle wie Gold, Silber und Platin aufgrund ihrer Korrosionsbeständigkeit und Körperverträglichkeit die geringsten Reizungen im menschlichen Körper. Die klinische Anwendung der Edelmetalle war jedoch wegen der geringen mechanischen Eigenschaften beschränkt. Andere Metalle wie Messing, Kupfer oder Eisen wiesen vergleichsweise höhere Festigkeitswerte auf, sie waren jedoch aufgrund der geringen Korrosionsbeständigkeit und Biokompatibilität nicht für den klinischen Einsatz geeignet. Ein weiteres Problem stellte die Gefahr der Infektion durch unsterile Instrumente und Implantate dar. Gegen Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts hielt die antiseptische Operationsmethode Einzug in die Kliniken, die z. B. erfolgreiche Operationen mit Silberdraht ermöglichte.

Ganzheitliche Digitalisierungsansätze im Stadtwerk: Von der Strategie bis zur Umsetzung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudenhausen, Roman; Hahn, Heike

Digitalisierung muss im Stadtwerk dazu führen, Kundenerwartungen, die heutzutage schon vielfach durch digitales Know-how und Erfahrungen geprägt sind, in einzigartiger Weise zu entsprechen - in Form digitaler Kundenkontaktpunkte, automatisierter Prozesse oder plattformbasierter Geschäftsmodelle. Eine große Rolle spielen dabei unternehmensweit nutzbare Informationen, die eine 360-Grad-Sicht auf den Kunden ermöglichen. Nur in dieser Kombination werden sich nachhaltig Wettbewerbsvorteile generieren lassen. Manch ein Kunde wird die Lust, einen Prozess zu Ende zu gehen, schon vor dem Abschluss verlieren, wenn er nicht unmittelbar und ohne die digitale Welt zu verlassen zum Ziel kommt. Eine nur "halb digitale Kundenerfahrung" wird weder zu Neugeschäft noch zur positiven emotionalen Bindung zwischen Kunden und Stadtwerk führen. Nicht zu unterschätzen sind zudem Erwartungen hinsichtlich zukünftiger Geschäftsmodelle, aus denen sich disruptive Bedrohungen für die herkömmlichen Strom- und Gasangebote ergeben werden. Erste innovative Ansätze finden sich bereits im Markt, die erahnen lassen, dass zurzeit viel diskutierte Technologien wie die Blockchain nicht mehr nur hypothetischer Natur sind. Die Auseinandersetzung mit der Digitalisierung erfolgt dabei sinnvollerweise in einem unternehmensweit abgestimmten Rahmen, der eine zielgerichtete und ganzheitliche Vorgehensweise ermöglicht.

Zinc Detoxification Is Required for Full Virulence and Modification of the Host Leaf Ionome by Xylella fastidiosa.

PubMed

Navarrete, Fernando; De La Fuente, Leonardo

2015-04-01

Zinc (Zn) is an essential element for all forms of life because it is a structural or catalytic cofactor of many proteins, but it can have toxic effects at high concentrations; thus, microorganisms must tightly regulate its levels. Here, we evaluated the role of Zn homeostasis proteins in the virulence of the xylem-limited bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, causal agent of Pierce's disease of grapevine, among other diseases. Two mutants of X. fastidiosa 'Temecula' affected in genes which regulate Zn homeostasis (zur) and Zn detoxification (czcD) were constructed. Both knockouts showed increased sensitivity to Zn at physiologically relevant concentrations and increased intracellular accumulation of this metal compared with the wild type. Increased Zn sensitivity was correlated with decreased growth in grapevine xylem sap, reduced twitching motility, and downregulation of exopolysaccharide biosynthetic genes. Tobacco plants inoculated with either knockout mutant showed reduced foliar symptoms and a much reduced (czcD) or absent (zur) modification of the leaf ionome (i.e., the mineral nutrient and trace element composition), as well as reduced bacterial populations. The results show that detoxification of Zn is crucial for the virulence of X. fastidiosa and verifies our previous findings that modification of the host leaf ionome correlates with bacterial virulence.

Hydraulische Optimierung des Reaktionsraumes um einen Infiltrationsbrunnen zur unterirdischen Enteisenung. Feldversuche und numerische Simulation zur Planung der optimalen Verfahrensergiebigkeit (Teil 1/2) Hydraulic optimization of the reaction zone around an injection well during subsurface iron removal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahrns, Johannes; Bartak, Rico; Grischek, Thomas; Pörschke, Richard

2017-11-01

In subsurface iron removal (SIR), oxygen-enriched water is injected into an aquifer to create a reaction zone. Aside from the hydraulic properties of the aquifer, groundwater quality often varies with depth so that in vertical wells the dissolved oxygen distribution (reaction zone) may not correspond to the dissolved iron concentration which may result in a lower efficiency coefficient. Therefore, measures to hydraulically optimize the formation of the reaction zone through a non-conventional injection were investigated. A high-resolution groundwater flow model was calibrated based on tracer and pump tests and used to plan the optimized injection for a SIR-pilot well with two screen segments. An optimized injection appears to be possible through the inactivation of well screen sections using packers. A doubling of the efficiency coefficient in comparison to a conventional injection was predicted when a packer, which remains evacuated inside the well while pumping, was used to seal 4/5 of the upper well screen length during injection. This scenario was used to plan the operating regime for a SIR field test, which is presented in Part 2.

ACUTE RETINAL ARTERIAL OCCLUSIVE DISORDERS

PubMed Central

Hayreh, Sohan Singh

2011-01-01

The initial section deals with basic sciences; among the various topics briefly discussed are the anatomical features of ophthalmic, central retinal and cilioretinal arteries which may play a role in acute retinal arterial ischemic disorders. Crucial information required in the management of central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) is the length of time the retina can survive following that. An experimental study shows that CRAO for 97 minutes produces no detectable permanent retinal damage but there is a progressive ischemic damage thereafter, and by 4 hours the retina has suffered irreversible damage. In the clinical section, I discuss at length various controversies on acute retinal arterial ischemic disorders. Classification of acute retinal arterial ischemic disorders These are of 4 types: CRAO, branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO), cotton wools spots and amaurosis fugax. Both CRAO and BRAO further comprise multiple clinical entities. Contrary to the universal belief, pathogenetically, clinically and for management, CRAO is not one clinical entity but 4 distinct clinical entities – non-arteritic CRAO, non-arteritic CRAO with cilioretinal artery sparing, arteritic CRAO associated with giant cell arteritis (GCA) and transient non-arteritic CRAO. Similarly, BRAO comprises permanent BRAO, transient BRAO and cilioretinal artery occlusion (CLRAO), and the latter further consists of 3 distinct clinical entities - non-arteritic CLRAO alone, non-arteritic CLRAO associated with central retinal vein occlusion and arteritic CLRAO associated with GCA. Understanding these classifications is essential to comprehend fully various aspects of these disorders. Central retinal artery occlusion The pathogeneses, clinical features and management of the various types of CRAO are discussed in detail. Contrary to the prevalent belief, spontaneous improvement in both visual acuity and visual fields does occur, mainly during the first 7 days. The incidence of spontaneous visual acuity improvement during the first 7 days differs significantly (p<0.001) among the 4 types of CRAO; among them, in eyes with initial visual acuity of counting finger or worse, visual acuity improved, remained stable or deteriorated in nonarteritic CRAO in 22%, 66% and 12% respectively; in nonarteritic CRAO with cilioretinal artery sparing in 67%, 33% and none respectively; and in transient nonarteritic CRAO in 82%, 18% and none respectively. Arteritic CRAO shows no change. Recent studies have shown that administration of local intra-arterial thrombolytic agent not only has no beneficial effect but also can be harmful. Prevalent multiple misconceptions on CRAO are discussed. Branch retinal artery occlusion Pathogeneses, clinical features and management of various types of BRAO are discussed at length. The natural history of visual acuity outcome shows a final visual acuity of 20/40 or better in 89% of permanent BRAO cases, 100% of transient BRAO and 100% of nonarteritic CLRAO alone. Cotton wools spots These are common, non-specific acute focal retinal ischemic lesions, seen in many retinopathies. Their pathogenesis and clinical features are discussed in detail. Amaurosis fugax Its pathogenesis, clinical features and management are described. PMID:21620994

European Research Program on Viscous Flows

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-11-01

hochviskoser Flassigkeiten. To be published in Acta Mechanica (1980) 8.36b K.O. Felsch Ein Beitrag zur Berechnung der Str ~ mung in einer Tesla- M...R. Schilling Berechnung der ausgebillten Str ~ mung in gekrummten Kanalen R. Simon mit rechteckigem Quersclnitt. Recent developments in theoretical an...package. co 12 REFERENCES No. Author Title, etc 1.4a S.G. Sundkvist V~rmek&llors inverkan pd str ~mning och temperatur i ventiler- ade lokaler (Numerisk

Determination of Parameters for Development of a Physiologically Based Model for the Toxicokinetics of C(+)P(+)-Soman

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-01

In conducting research utilizing recombinant DNA technology , the investigator(s) adhered to current guidelines promulgated by the National...zur Rtickstandanalyse), saponin (BDH, Poole, UK), aluminium sulfate.16 H2 0 (BDH Analar, Ž 98%), sodium bicarbonate (Lamens en Indemans, ’s...isopropanol). The mixture was extracted with 3 ml ethyl acetate. Gas chromatographic analysis of the soman stereoisomers in the ethyl acetate phase was

Kamera-basierte Erkennung von Geschwindigkeitsbeschränkungen auf deutschen Straen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nienhüser, Dennis; Ziegenmeyer, Marco; Gumpp, Thomas; Scholl, Kay-Ulrich; Zöllner, J. Marius; Dillmann, Rüdiger

An Fahrerassistenzsysteme im industriellen Einsatz werden hohe Anforderungen bezüglich Zuverlässigkeit und Robustheit gestellt. In dieser Arbeit wird die Kombination robuster Verfahren wie der Hough-Transformation und Support-Vektor-Maschinen zu einem Gesamtsystem zur Erkennung von Geschwindigkeitsbeschränkungen beschrieben. Es setzt eine Farbvideokamera als Sensorik ein. Die Evaluation auf Testdaten bestätigt durch die ermittelte hohe Korrektklassifikationsrate bei gleichzeitig geringer Zahl Fehlalarme die Zuverlässigkeit des Systems.

Das CARNOTsche Paradigma und seine erkenntnistheoretischen Implikationen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schöpf, Hans-Georg

Der vorliegende historisch-kritische Essay führt die Eigentümlichkeiten der klassischen phänomenologischen Thermodynamik auf das von CARNOT geschaffene Paradigma zurück und greift einige damit zusammenhängende Fragen auf.Translated AbstractCARNOT's Paradigm and its Epistemological ImplicationsThe present historic-critical essay traces the pecularities of classical phenomenological thermodynamics back to the paradigm, created by CARNOT, and takes up some questions to which this paradigm gives rise.

PubMed

Hey, Christiane

2018-04-01

Bock JM et al. Evaluation of the natural history of patients who aspirate. Laryngoscope 2017; 127: S1–S10 DIE KLINISCHE PROGRESSION DER ASPIRATION BIS ZU EVENTUELLEN PULMONALEN STöRUNGEN IST NICHT VOLLSTäNDIG VERSTANDEN. EMPFEHLUNGEN ZUR ERNäHRUNGSUMSTELLUNG, SCHWERE VON PENETRATION UND ASPIRATION GEMäß PAS SOWIE DIE ÄTIOLOGIE DER DYSPHAGIE BEEINFLUSSEN MöGLICHERWEISE DIE ZEITSPANNE BIS ZUM AUFTRETEN DES ERSTEN PULMONALEN EREIGNISSES SOWIE DAS GESAMTüBERLEBEN VON PATIENTEN MIT VFS-DOKUMENTIERTER, ASYMPTOMATISCHER PENETRATION UND ASPIRATION.

Untersuchungen zur Regeneration des Hinterendes bei Anaitides mucosa (Polychaeta, Phyllodocidae)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Röhrkasten, A.

1983-06-01

Caudal regeneration was investigated in decerebrate Anaitides mucosa and in brain-intact individuals. Both groups show an identical capacity to regenerate lost caudal segments. Furthermore there is no difference in males and females. Low temperature (5 °C) inhibits the regeneration of caudal segments, but it is necessary for normal oogenesis. Under conditions of high temperature (15 °C), caudal regeneration is very extensive. At the same time degeneration of most oocytes occurs.

Networking as a Seismograph for Social Development. A Contribution to the Function Expansion of Networks Using the Example of Health Promotion of the Socially Disadvantaged (Netzwerkbildung als Seismograph gesellschaftlicher Entwicklungen: Ein Beitrag zur Funktionserweiterung von Netzwerken am Beispiel der Gesundheitsfoerderung von sozial Benachteiligten)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

Miftelzu- wachs profitieren mochten. Je st5rker eine Landesvereinigung Modellprojekte akqui- rieren muss, urn die eigene Funktionsf5higkeit...Denn 5hnlich wie die Krankenkas- sen stehen andere Institutionen und Bereiche wie Sozialversicherungstrager, die Arzteschaft, Institutionen des Sports

The Concept of Comprehensive Security: A Distinctive Feature of a Shared Security Culture in Europe

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-01

Sicherheitsbegriff, ed. Bundesakademie für Sicherheitspolitik (Hamburg: Mittler, 2001), 18. 92. Emil Kirchner and James Sperling , “The New Security Threats in...im 21. Jahrhundert - Keine allein militärische Aufgabe. Rede von Heidi Wegener, MdB, am 23.03.2006 im Marshall Center. www.marshallcenter.org/site...Wenger (Zürich: Forschungsstelle für Sicherheitspolitik, 2005), 11 217. Kurt R. Spillmann, " Von der bewaffneten Neutralität zur kooperativen

Literaturunterricht als Erziehung zum "rationalen Handeln." Zur Theorie und Operationalisierung einer literaturdidaktischen Kategorie (The Teaching of Literature as "Education for Rational Behavior." On the Theory and Implementation of a Category in Teaching Literature)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bach, Gerhard

1975-01-01

Using Richard Wright's novel "Black Boy" as a model to work on, the author illustrates a 4-dimensional approach to the teaching of foreign literature: (1) scientific definition of the goals, (2) making a teaching plan, (3) defining methods, and (4) actual use on a teaching model. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Die nuklearen Anlagen von Hanford (1943-1987) Eine Fallstudie über die Schnittstellen von Physik, Biologie und die US-amerikanische Gesellschaft zur Zeit des Kalten Krieges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macuglia, Daniele

Die Geschichte des Kalten Krieges eröffnet viele Möglichkeiten, sich näher mit den Schnittstellen von Physik und Biologie während des 20. Jahrhunderts zu befassen. Nicht nur das Unglück in Tschernobyl aus dem Jahr 1986, auch das Beispiel der nuklearen Anlagen in Hanford in den Vereinigten Staaten zeigt die biologischen Folgen von nuklearer Physik.

Mikrospritzgießen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebert, Karl-Herbert; Ammer, Daniel; Hoffstetter, Marc; Wintermantel, Erich

Bei der Betrachtung von aktuellen Produktentwicklungen lässt sich durch alle Branchen hinweg ein deutlicher Trend zur Miniaturisierung und Funktionsintegration auf kleinstem Raum erkennen. Der Einsatz technischer Kunststoffe, die überwiegend im Thermoplast-Spritzgießverfahren verarbeitet werden, leistet dabei einen wichtigen Beitrag um diese Produktentwicklungen in marktfähige Artikel umsetzen zu können. Hierbei sind im Vergleich zum Standardspritzgießen einige Besonderheiten hinsichtlich des Formenbaus, der Anlagen- sowie Prozesstechnik und der Qualitätssicherung zu beachten.

Zur Funktion von Weiterbildung fur Frauen in den neuen Landern im Kontext des Transformationsprozesses (On the Function of Further Education for Women in the New Laender in the Context of the Process of Transformation).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schiersmann, Christiane; Ambos, Ingrid

1996-01-01

Focuses on motives leading women in the new German Laender to participate in further education and on gender-related barriers to further education. Shows that women accept the need for further education, hoping to improve their job situation but knowing that their efforts will have a limited effect on employment chances. (DSK)

Bewertung von Fahrzeuggeräuschen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genuit, Klaus; Schulte-Fortkamp, Brigitte; Fiebig, André; Haverkamp, Michael

Bei der Wahrnehmung und Beurteilung eines Automobils sind unzählige Merkmale und Eigenschaften von Bedeutung. Dabei können Merkmale objektiv-technisch beschrieben werden, wie Angaben zur Motorisierung, Höchstgeschwindigkeit, Drehmoment, zulässige Zuladung, Verbrauch usw. Daneben sind weitere Eigenschaften von Bedeutung, die sich einer einfachen objektiv-technischen Beschreibung entziehen. Hier sind Begriffe zu nennen, wie Sicherheit, allgemeine Qualitätsanmutung, Design, Ergonomie, Komfort, Haptik, Fahrdynamik, Zuverlässigkeit, die deutlich schwieriger objektiv erfassbar und beschreibbar sind (Abb. 4.1).

Behavioral Issues in the Use of Interactive Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-12-14

communication. American Psychologist, 1971, 26, 949-961. Codd , E. F . Seven steps to rendezvous with the casual user. IBM Research Report, RI 1333. 1974. Conrad...Approved for public releasel distribution unlimited. F LL(I j i’ This ~Research wavs spotdi pr yteEnierons~ao _ 1Repr o seionrin who Zur ichati emte...natural language ( Codd , 1974). Behavioral work has shown that non-programmers could learn to use a laboratory query language in about 3 hours (Thomas

[COPD und Klangtherapie: Pilotstudie zur Wirksamkeit einer Behandlung mit Körpertambura bei COPD-Patienten].

PubMed

Hartwig, Bernhard; Schmidt, Stefan; Hartwig, Isabella

2016-01-01

Hintergrund: Erkrankungen der Atemorgane treten mit steigendem Alter öfter auf, nehmen weltweit zu und sind häufige Ursachen für Morbidität und Mortalität. In dieser Pilotstudie wurde der Frage nachgegangen, ob eine einmalige 10-minütige Behandlung mit einer Körpertambura eine signifikante und effektive Verbesserung der Lungenfunktion von Patienten mit chronisch-obstruktiver Lungenerkrankung (COPD; GOLD-Stadium A oder B) erbringen kann. Patienten und Methoden: 54 Probanden konnten je zur Hälfte in eine Behandlungsgruppe (Körpertambura) und eine aktive Kontrollgruppe (Atemtherapie) randomisiert werden. Eine Bestimmung der Lungenfunktionsmessparameter «Einsekundenkapazität» (FEV1) und «inspiratorische Vitalkapazität» (IVC) zu den Zeitpunkten T1 (Baseline), T2 (direkt nach Behandlung) und als Follow-up etwa 3 Wochen nach T1 (T3). Ergebnisse: Die Behandlungsgruppe zeigte sich der Kontrollgruppe in beiden Werten signifikant überlegen. Die Zeit-×-Gruppe-Interaktion (Varianzanalyse) ergab p = 0,001 (FEV1) bzw. p = 0,04 (IVC). Die Behandlungsgruppe zeigte bei beiden Werten eine Verbesserung von klinischer Relevanz. Schlussfolgerung: Diese Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Klangbehandlung mittels einer Körpertambura - neben den schulmedizinischen, leitliniengerechten Therapien - eine zusätzliche, nebenwirkungsarme, aber durchaus klinisch wirksame Option für die Behandlung von COPD-Patienten darstellen kann, um deren Lebensqualität zu stabilisieren und zu verbessern. © 2016 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Prä- und perioperative Aspekte der Versorgung dermatochirurgischer Patienten.

PubMed

Müller, Cornelia S L; Hubner, Wakiko; Thieme-Ruffing, Sigrid; Pföhler, Claudia; Vogt, Thomas; Volk, Thomas; Gärtner, Barbara C; Bialas, Patric

2017-02-01

Die Dermatochirurgie nimmt hinsichtlich vieler Punkte eine Sonderstellung unter den operativen Fächern ein. Hierzu gehört in erster Linie die Tatsache, dass bis auf wenige Ausnahmen fast alle Eingriffe traditionell in Lokal- bzw. Regionalanästhesie und oft auch in räumlich-infrastruktureller Trennung von den großen Zentral-Operationssälen stattfinden können. Die peri- und postoperative Überwachung obliegt dabei dem dermatochirurgischen Operationsteam. Das sui generis kleinere OP-Team hat somit eine ganze Reihe perioperativer Notwendigkeiten zu beachten, um die sich in den "großen" chirurgischen Fächern eine Vielzahl verschiedener beteiligter Fachgruppen gemeinsam kümmern. Hierzu gehören neben Hygieneaspekten, Kenntnissen in der Überwachung der Patienten sowie dem Aspekt der surgical site infections auch Fragen zur postoperativen Schmerztherapie sowie detailliertes pharmakologisches Wissen über die zur Anwendung kommenden Lokalanästhetika und das Handling der damit assoziierten toxischen und allergischen Reaktionen. Eine interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit und Verantwortung für den Patienten ist notwendig und erfordert die Erarbeitung und Umsetzung qualitätsorientierter und evidenzbasierter Handlungsanweisungen, die im dermatochirurgischen OP-Setting meist weit über das eigentliche Fach hinausgehen. Ziel dieses Weiterbildungsartikels soll die komprimierte Darstellung der genannten fachübergreifenden Standpunkte bezüglich der wichtigsten perioperativen Aspekte sein. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Identification of novel pathogenic gene mutations in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia by whole-exome resequencing].

PubMed

Shiba, Norio

2015-12-01

A new class of gene mutations, identified in the pathogenesis of adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML), includes DNMT3A, IDH1/2, TET2 and EZH2. However, these mutations are rare in pediatric AML cases, indicating that pathogeneses differ between adult and pediatric forms of AML. Meanwhile, the recent development of massively parallel sequencing technologies has provided a new opportunity to discover genetic changes across entire genomes or proteincoding sequences. In order to reveal a complete registry of gene mutations, we performed whole exome resequencing of paired tumor-normal specimens from 19 pediatric AML cases using Illumina HiSeq 2000. In total, 80 somatic mutations or 4.2 mutations per sample were identified. Many of the recurrent mutations identified in this study involved previously reported targets in AML, such as FLT3, CEBPA, KIT, CBL, NRAS, WT1 and EZH2. On the other hand, several genes were newly identified in the current study, including BCORL1 and major cohesin components such as SMC3 and RAD21. Whole exome resequencing revealed a complex array of gene mutations in pediatric AML genomes. Our results indicate that a subset of pediatric AML represents a discrete entity that could be discriminated from its adult counterpart, in terms of the spectrum of gene mutations.

Pathological features of polyneuropathy in three dogs.

PubMed

Tsuboi, Masaya; Uchida, Kazuyuki; Ide, Tetsuya; Ogawa, Mizue; Inagaki, Takehiko; Tamura, Shinji; Saito, Miyoko; Chambers, James K; Nakayama, Hiroyuki

2013-01-01

Canine polyneuropathy is a neurological disorder characterized by a dysfunction of multiple peripheral nerves. The etiology of the disease is diverse; it may occur in cases of infectious, immune-mediated, or hereditary conditions or in association with endocrinopathy, neoplasm, or chemical intoxication. It is often difficult to determine the etiology through clinical symptoms. The aim of this study is to investigate pathological differences among three canine polyneuropathy cases with each presumably having a different etiology. Cases included a 13-month-old female border collie (Dog No.1), a 21-month-old male chihuahua (Dog No.2) and an 11-year-old male beagle (Dog No.3). Clinical examinations revealed hindlimb ataxia and sensory loss in Dog No.1, forelimb paralysis and vertebral pain in Dog No.2, and paddling-gait and hypothyroidism in Dog No.3. Histopathologically, axonal swelling and pale myelin were observed in Dog No.1. Giant axons mimicking giant axonal neuropathy were obvious in Dog No.2. Dog No.3 showed atrophic axons and severe interstitial edema. Distributions of peripheral nerve lesions coincided with respective clinical symptoms. According to their clinical and pathological features, Dogs No.1 and No.2 were suspected of hereditary polyneuropathy, while Dog No.3 seemed to have hypothyroidism-associated polyneuropathy. As each case demonstrated unique pathological features, different pathogeneses of peripheral nerve dysfunction were suggested.

[Study of corvitin efficiency in primary glaucoma].

PubMed

Mykheĭtseva, I M; Kashyntseva, L T; Artemov, O V; Khramenko, N I

2012-01-01

There were concluded our results of animal experimental investigation and clinical observation of the quercetin-containing preparation corvitin (C) in primary glaucoma treatment. On the model of disease it is shown for rabbit, that introduction of 0.5 ml 2 % C as factious instillation into the eye a basely decreased eye blood flow was increased twice, mionectic at glaucoma eye hydrodynamics was normalized : the outflow of liquid increased on 58 %, inflow - on 52 %, intraocular pressure went down on 14%. Intravenous inflowing of C brought down expressed of oxidative stress - M[see text]A in blood is decreased on 40 %, level of endothelial dysfunction marker NO is increased on 70 %. On the model of glaucoma for rats C, entered protractedly, showed the neuroprotective actions on the neurons of retina, promoting survivability of ganglion cells, that it is shown on histological preparations. Application C in the clinic of glaucoma (intravenously a 0.5 g of preparation in 100 ml of solution) improved for patients a blood supply in the eye on 25 %, and also rendered a positive antioxidant and metabolic effect. Noted positive influences of C concurrently to important pathogeneses factors such as regional eye blood supply, eye hydrodynamics, oxidative stress, metabolic changes, survival of retina neurons grounds to talk about new strategy of pathogenesis therapy of glaucoma.

Distinct First Trimester Cytokine Profiles for Gestational Hypertension and Preeclampsia.

PubMed

Tangerås, Line H; Austdal, Marie; Skråstad, Ragnhild B; Salvesen, Kjell Å; Austgulen, Rigmor; Bathen, Tone F; Iversen, Ann-Charlotte

2015-11-01

Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia involve dysregulated maternal inflammatory responses to pregnancy, but whether such responses differ between the disorders has not been determined. We aimed to investigate disease-specific early pregnancy serum cytokine profiles of women subsequently developing gestational hypertension or preeclampsia for new insight into the underlying pathogeneses and differences between the disorders. The study cohort consisted of 548 pregnant Norwegian women who were either multiparous with previous gestational hypertension or preeclampsia or were nulliparous. Maternal sera at gestational weeks 11(0)-13(6) were assayed for 27 cytokines, C-reactive protein, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, triglyceride, creatinine, calcium, uric acid, and placental growth factor. Compared with normotensive women, women with both hypertensive conditions presented an atherogenic lipid profile at early gestation, but only those later developing gestational hypertension had significantly higher serum levels of interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-12. Comparing the 2 hypertensive pregnancy disorders, women subsequently developing gestational hypertension had higher serum levels of IL-1β, IL-5, IL-7, IL-8, IL-13, basic fibroblast growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor than the women subsequently developing preeclampsia. This study identifies early pregnancy differences in serum cytokine profiles for gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Female-biased anorexia and anxiety in the Syrian hamster.

PubMed

Shannonhouse, John L; Fong, Li An; Clossen, Bryan L; Hairgrove, Ross E; York, Daniel C; Walker, Benjamin B; Hercules, Gregory W; Mertesdorf, Lauren M; Patel, Margi; Morgan, Caurnel

2014-06-22

Anorexia and anxiety cause significant mortality and disability with female biases and frequent comorbidity after puberty, but the scarcity of suitable animal models impedes understanding of their biological underpinnings. It is reported here that in adult or weanling Syrian hamsters, relative to social housing (SH), social separation (SS) induced anorexia characterized as hypophagia, weight loss, reduced adiposity, and hypermetabolism. Following anorexia, SS increased reluctance to feed, and thigmotaxis, in anxiogenic environments. Importantly, anorexia and anxiety were induced post-puberty with female biases. SS also reduced hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing factor mRNA and serum corticosteroid levels assessed by RT-PCR and RIA, respectively. Consistent with the view that sex differences in adrenal suppression contributed to female biases in anorexia and anxiety by disinhibiting neuroimmune activity, SS elevated hypothalamic interleukin-6 and toll-like receptor 4 mRNA levels. Although corticosteroids were highest during SH, they were within the physiological range and associated with juvenile-like growth of white adipose, bone, and skeletal muscle. These results suggest that hamsters exhibit plasticity in bioenergetic and emotional phenotypes across puberty without an increase in stress responsiveness. Thus, social separation of hamsters provides a model of sex differences in anorexia and anxiety during adulthood and their pathogeneses during adolescence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Efficiency of selection methods for increased ratio of pupal-larval to adult-larval weight gains in Tribolium.

PubMed

Campo, J L; Cobos, P

1994-01-12

Four lines of Tribolium castaneum were selected in each of three replicates for increased ratio of (pupal-larval) to (adult-larval) weight gains, using selection for increased (pupal-larval) weight gain (PL), selection for decreased (adult-larval) weight gain (AL), direct selection for the ratio (R) and linear selection index of larval, pupal and adult weights (I), respectively, for four generations. Linear index was calculated with economic weights of m(2) -m(3) , m(3) -m(1) and m(1) -m(2) , respectively, with m(1) , m(2) and m(3) being the means for larval, pupal and adult weights. Selection to increase the ratio is considered to be a method to maximize the mean response in (adult-larval) weight while controlling the response in (pupal-adult) weight, and as a form of antagonistic selection to increase the weight gain during a given age period relative to the gain at another age period. Larval, pupal and adult weights were measured at 14, 21 and 28 days after adult emergence, respectively. The selected proportion was 20 % in all lines. The response observed for the ratio differed significantly among lines (p < 0.01), with the I and AL lines having the greatest responses. Line R was less effective in improving the objective of selection, while line PL appeared to be inappropriate. The observed responses for the numerator and denominator weight gains were positive in line PL, and negative in the AL, R and I lines. All lines apart from line PL decreased the (adult-larval) weight, holding (pupal-adult) weight constant. Larval weight showed the greatest influence on the response for the objective of selection. The results for this greater than 1 ratio are compared with results of others for smaller than 1 ratios, in which indirect selection for increased numerator is the more efficient alternative to the selection index. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Effizienz Selektionsverfahren zur Verbesserung des Quotienten der Gewichtsentwicklung zwischen Puppe/Larve und Käfer/Larve bei Tribolium. In den jeweils drei Versuchsserien zur Erhöhung des Quotienten (Gewicht von Puppe-Larve/Gewicht von Käfer-Larve) wurden vier Versuchsreihen von Tribolium castaneum untersucht: die Versuchsreihe PL wurde gewählt um die Differenz (Puppengewicht-Larvengewicht) zu erhöhen, die Versuchsreihe AL wurde gewählt um die Differenz (Käfergewicht-Larvengewicht) zu reduzieren, die Versuchsreihe R wurde direkt für den Koeffizienten gewählt und die Auswahl der Versuchsreihe I erfolgte über einen linearen Index, errechnet aus dem Gewicht von Larven, Puppen und Käfern über vier Generationen. Der lineare Index wurde berechnet aus den Gewichten von (m(2) -m(3) ), (m(3) -m(1) ) bzw. (m(1) -m(2) ), wobei m(1) , m(2) und m(3) die Mittelwerte für das Gewicht von Larven, Puppen bzw. Käfern sind. Die Auswahl zur Erhöhung des Quotienten ist eine Methode zur Maximierung des Durchschnittsgewichtsverhältnisses Käfer/Larve, sowie eine antagonische Auswahlform zur Erhöhung der Gewichtszunahme während einer bestimmten Wachstumsperiode im Vergleich zur Gewichtszunahme während einer anderen Wachstumsperiode. Das Selektionsverhältnis belief sich auf 20%. Die beim Quotienten beobachtete Antwort wies bedeutende Unterschiede zwischen Versuchsreihen auf (p < 0.01), wobei die höchsten Antworten bei den Versuchsreihen I und AL beobachtet wurden. Versuchsreihe R war am wenigsten effektiv, während Versuchsreihe PL nicht geeignet schien, das Auswahlziel zu verbessern. Die bei Nenner und Zähler beobachteten Antworten waren positiv bei der Versuchsreihe PL und negativ bei den anderen drei Versuchsreihen. Die Ergebnisse für diesen Quotient größer als 1 wurden mit denen anderer Versuche für Quotienten kleiner als 1 verglichen, bei denen die Auswahl zur Erhöhung des Zählers die effizienteste Alternative zum Auswahlindex ist. RESUMEN: Eficiencia de métodos de selección para incrementar el cociente entre la ganancia en peso de pupa-peso de larva y la ganancia en peso de adulto-peso de larva en Tribolium Cuatro líneas de Tribolium castaneum fueron seleccionadas en cada una de tres repeticiones para incrementar el cociente (peso de pupa-peso de larva)/(peso de adulto-peso de larva); la línea PL fue seleccionada para aumentar la diferencia (peso de pupa-pesp de larva), la línea AL fue seleccionada para disminuir la diferencia (peso de adulto-peso de larva), fa línea R fue seleccionada directamente para el cociente, y la línea I fue seleccionada por medio de un índice lineal basado en los pesos de larva, pupa y adulto, durante cuatro generaciones. El índice lineal se calculó con pesos económicos de (m(2) -m(3) ), (m(3) -m(1) ), y (m(1) -m(2) ) respectivamentee, siendo m(1) , m(2) , y m(3) los valores medios para el peso de larva, pupa y adulto. La selección para aumentar el cociente indicado es un método para maximizar la respuesta en (peso de adulto-peso de larva) controlando al tiempo la respuesta en (peso de pupa-peso de adulto), y es una forma de selección antagónica para aumentar la ganancia de peso durante un periodo de edad en relación con la ganancia en peso durante otro periodo. La proporción de selección due el 20 %. La respuesta observada en el cociente difería significativamente entre lineas (p < 0.01), teniendo las líneas I y AL las mayores respuestas. La línea R fue menos efectiva, mientras que la línea PL parecía inapropiada para mejorar el objetiyo de selección. Las respuestas observadas en el denominador y en el numerador fueron positivas en la línea PL, y negativas en las otras tres líneas. Los resultados para este cociente mayor que 1 se comparan con los de otros experimentos para cocientes menores que 1, en los que la selección para incrementar el numerador es la alternativa más eficiente al índice de selección. 1994 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Implications of the Khrgian-Mazin Distribution Function for Water Clouds and Distribution Consistencies With Aerosols and Rain

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-06

Preprints 14th Radar Meteorology Conf. Tucson, Amer. Meteor. Soc. 413-418. Findeisen , W. (1932) Measurement of the size and number of cloud drops for the...study of coagulation in non-homogeneous clouds. Gerl. Beitr. z Geophys. 35:295-340. Findeisen , W. (1938) Die kolloid-meteorologischen vorgtnge bei...der nieder-schlagsbildung. Meteor. Z. 55:12 1-135. Findeisen , W. (1939) Zur Frage der Regentropfenbildung in reinen Wasserwolken. Meteor. Z. 56:365-368

Tissue Engineering in der Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bücheler, Markus; Bootz, Friedrich

Tissue Engineering ist eine Schlüsseltechnologie für den Gewebeersatz der Zukunft. Am Beispiel der Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Kopf- und Halschirurgie werden klinisch etablierte Gewebeersatzmethoden und aktuelle Entwicklungen des Tissue Engineering gegenübergestellt. Die Besonderheiten der zu ersetzenden Gewebe im Kopf- und Halsbereich erfordert vielfältige Ersatzverfahren. Im klinischen Alltag werden heute vor allem autogene Transplantate und Implantate für den Gewebeersatz verwendet [1]. In vitro hergestellte Gewebe werden abgesehen von Einzelanwendungen zur Zeit noch nicht am Patienten eingesetzt.

Funkmesstechnik

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaßmann, Wilfried

Ein Hauptgebiet der Funkmesstechnik ist durch den Begriff RADAR (radio detection and ranging gekennzeichnet. Bei diesem Verfahren werden impulsförmige elektromagnetische Wellen von einer Antenne ausgesendet und an Körpern oder Stoffverteilungen (Wolken) reflektiert. Die Sendeantenne wird auf Empfang umgeschaltet, und anhand des Echos sind Rückschlüsse auf die Lage und die Beschaffenheit der Körper oder der Stoffverteilungen möglich. Angewendet wird die Radartechnik bei der Kontrolle und der Sicherung des Land-, Wasser- und Flugverkehrs, in der Meteorologie zur Wetterprognose, in der Astrologie und im militärischen Bereich.

[Critical mass, explosive participation at the Max-Planck Institute about research of the living conditions of the scientific-technical world in Starnberg].

PubMed

Sonntag, Philipp

2014-01-01

Reviewers of the Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung der Lebensbedingungen der wissenschaftlich-technischen Welt (MPIL) did focus upon an abundance of vague reports of evaluative commissions, of benchmarking, of scientific modes. Thus it remained rather neglected, what staff actually had researched. An example: Progression and end of project AKR (Work-Consumption-Assessment) does display all kinds of related emotions at MPIL, and the sensitive guidance by Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker.

Abtasttheorem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaßmann, Wilfried

Das Abtasttheorem von Shannon ist von grundlegender Bedeutung für die Nachrichtentechnik, besonders aber für den Fall, dass ein Analogsignal in ein digital codiertes Signal überführt werden soll. Es legt fest, wie oft ein analoges Signal abgetastet werden muss, um es, digital codiert, wieder ″fehlerfrei″ in ein analoges Signal zurückwandeln zu können. Außerdem ist bezüglich der im Analogsignal enthaltenen Frequenzen eine bestimmte Bedingung zu erfüllen. Die Ableitung ist hier in verkürzter Form dargestellt.

Mathematisches Bewusstsein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaenders, Rainer; Kvasz, Ladislav

Wenn jemand sagt, dass ein Bus um 9 Uhr abfährt - weiß man es dann? Angenommen, man ist darüber unterrichtet, dass die Busse unter der Woche immer zur vollen Stunde abfahren - von 7 Uhr morgens bis 7 Uhr abends, weiß man es dann mit dem Wissen um diese allgemeine Regel besser, dass der Bus um 9 Uhr abfährt? Macht es einen Unterschied, ob man den Fahrplan erstellt, den Bus lenkt oder nur mitfährt, um sich dieser Tatsache bewusst zu sein?

Nichtkontinuierliche (zeitdiskrete) Signale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaßmann, Wilfried

Zeitdiskrete Signale werden häufig aus zeitkontinuierlichen Signalen durch Abtastung erzeugt. Dass beide Signale gleichwertig sind, zeigt das Abtasttheorem (Kap. 116) von Shannon, sofern die Bedingung nach (116.2), f_{ab}≈(2{,}2 {\\ldots} 4)\\cdot fg) eingehalten wird. Digitale Signale haben Vorteile: Einfache Speicherung, Weiterverarbeitung in Rechnern, wenig störanfällige Übertragung. Für die Bearbeitung dieser Signale dienen die im Kapitel dargestellten Hilfsmittel: Diskrete Fouriertransformation; Schnelle Fouriertransformation; z-Transformation: Darstellung, Sätze zur z-Transformation, Korrespondenzen zu Zeitfunktionen, Beispiele.

On the Situation in the Near East: Fleet Activities in the Indian Ocean: Summary from July 1980 to August 1982 (Zur Lage im Mittleren Osten: Flottenaktivataeten in Indischen Ozean: Ueberblick vom Juli 1980 bis August 1982).

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-05-16

KRIVAK and KOTLIN Classes, but now and then1Q KASHIN-Class destroyers were also employed. With the end of the Iranian-American hostage crisis in late...Beira and Port Louis. The cruiser and one KOTLIN destroyer entered Aden In May 1981, and then An late July the cruiser with one KRIVAK frigate redeployed

Development of a Gene Therapy Trial for Metastatic Prostate Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

Evidence that replication of the antitumor adenovirus ONYX -015 is not controlled by the p53 and p14(ARF) tumor suppressor genes. J Virol 2002; 76...12483–12490. 27 Rothmann T, Hengstermann A, Whitaker NJ, Scheffner M, zur Hausen H. Replication of ONYX -015, a potential anticancer adenovirus, is...export, rather than p53 inactivation, determines ONYX -015 tumor selectivity. Cancer Cell 2004; 6: 611–623. 29 O’Shea CC, Soria C, Bagus B, McCormick F

Introduction of a Diagnosis Related Groups’ Case Flat Rate System: Hopes and Fears (einfuerhrng eines drg-fallpauschalensystems - hoffnungen und aengste)

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-06-01

Anwendung und Pflege des neuen Systems dienen soil, wenn die entscheidenden Vorgaben bereits durch die Deckelung gegeben sind. Oder denkt man an den...Software und die da- mit verbundenen Lizenzgebuhren, sondern auch in der Folge um die Schulung der Mitarbeiter sowie die Pflege und Weiterentwicklung...sung an die medizinische Entwicklung" sowie von "Verfahren zur laufen- den Pflege des VergOtungssystems" gesprochen. Es mossen jedoch klare

Von Donuts und Zucker: Mit Neutronen biologische Makromoleküle erforschen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

May, Roland P.

2003-05-01

Für die Erforschung von Biomolekülen bieten Neutronen einzigartige Eigenschaften. Vor allem ihre unterschiedliche Wechselwirkung mit dem natürlichen Wasserstoff und seinem schweren Isotop Deuterium ermöglicht tiefe Einblicke in Struktur, Funktion und Dynamik von Proteinen, Nukleinsäuren und Biomembranen. Bei vielen Fragestellungen zur Strukturaufklärung gibt es kaum oder keine Alternative zum Neutron. Das Institut Laue-Langevin trägt Bahnbrechendes zum Erfolg der Neutronen-Methoden in der Biologie bei.

Grundlagen der Nachrichtenübertragung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaßmann, Wilfried

Die Nachrichtentechnik hat die Aufgabe, Nachrichten auszutauschen. Nachrichten sind z. B. Fragen, Beobachtungen und Befehle. Unter dem Begriff Nachrichtenübertragung wird hier die elektrische Nachrichtenübertragung verstanden, denn zur Übermittlung von Nachrichten werden Spannungen und Ströme sowie elektrische und magnetische Felder eingesetzt. Die Übertragung beginnt mit der Nachrichtenquelle, die die Nachrichten aussendet, und endet mit der Nachrichtensenke, die sie empfängt. Zwischen beiden liegt das elektrische Nachrichtenübertragungssystem, dessen Funktionseinheiten dargestellt sind und erläutert werden.

Zur Biosynthese von Phenylalanin und Tyrosin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lingens, F.; Keller, E.

1983-03-01

With the discovery of arogenic acid two new pathways for the biosynthesis of phenylalanine and tyrosine have been revealed. The occurrence of two, three, or four pathways for the biosynthesis of phenylalanine and tyrosine in microorganisms and plants may be a useful tool for taxonomic classifications. Investigations on enterobacteriaceae, pseudomonads, flavobacteria, streptomycetes, archaebacteria, and on Sphaerotilus, Trichococcus and Leptothrix species from bulking sludge are described. The possible role of arogenate in the evolution of the pathways for tyrosine and phenylalanine biosynthesis is discussed.

Ueber Bild und Rolle zum Sprachhandeln. Ueberlegungen und praktische Beispiele zur Arbeit mit Rollenspiel und Bildergeschichte im Deutschunterricht mit auslaendischen Studenten (On Picture and Role in Language-in-Action. Considerations and Practical Examples of Role-Playing and Picture Stories in Teaching German to Foreign Learners).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loeffler, Renate

1979-01-01

Describes work at an American college with students who are receiving an introduction to colloquial German. Role-playing and picture stories prove useful in learning, in both productive and receptive aspects. Describing a picture on three levels--factual, psychological and contemplative--is shown to be very useful. (IFS/WGA)

Models in Insurance: Paradigms, Puzzles, Communications and Revolutions.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

80.7] G. Buoro, G. Pavesi and G. Zucchiatti, "Osservazioni sul Sistema di Calcolo del Margine di Solvabiliti," 71-80. [80.8] J. Calcanis and A...Vegas, "Un Ensayo sobre la Concepci6n Sistema aplicada a la Empresa de Seguros," 443-462. [80.41] K. H. Wolff, "Zur numerischen Berechnung der... Teoria della Credibilit&," Giornale dell’ Istituto degli Attuari, 27, 219-231 (1964). (D51 N. De Pril, "The Efficiency of a Bonus-Malus System," AB, 10

Vergleich von rekombinanten Vaccinia- und DNA-Vektoren zur Tumorimmuntherapie im C57BL/6-Mausmodell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnen, Heiko

2002-10-01

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden Tumorimpfstoffe auf der Basis des Plasmid-Vektors pCI, modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) und MVA-infizierten dendritischen Zellen entwickelt und durch Sequenzierung, Western blotting und durchflußzytometrische Analyse überprüft. Die in vivo Wirksamkeit der Vakzinen wurde in verschiedenen Tumormodellen in C57BL/6 Mäusen verglichen. Die auf dem eukaryotischen Expressionsvektor pCI basierende DNA-Vakzinierung induzierte einen sehr wirksamen, antigenspezifischen und langfristigen Schutz vor Muzin, CEA oder beta-Galactosidase exprimierenden Tumoren. Eine MVA-Vakzinierung bietet in den in dieser Arbeit durchgeführten Tumormodellen keinen signifikanten Schutz vor Muzin oder beta-Galactosidase exprimierenden Tumoren. Sowohl humane, als auch murine in vitro generierte dendritische Zellen lassen sich mit MVA – im Vergleich zu anderen viralen Vektoren – sehr gut infizieren. Die Expressionsrate der eingefügten Gene ist aber gering im Vergleich zur Expression in permissiven Wirtszellen des Virus (embryonale Hühnerfibroblasten). Es konnte gezeigt werden, daß eine MVA-Infektion dendritischer Zellen ähnliche Auswirkungen auf den Reifezustand humaner und muriner dendritischer Zellen hat, wie eine Infektion mit replikationskompetenten Vakzinia-Stämmen, und außerdem die Hochregulation von CD40 während der terminalen Reifung von murinen dendritischen Zellen inhibiert wird. Die während der langfristigen in vitro Kultur auf CEF-Zellen entstandenen Deletionen im MVA Genom führten zu einer starken Attenuierung und dem Verlust einiger Gene, die immunmodulatorische Proteine kodieren, jedoch nicht zu einer Verminderung des zytopathischen Effekts in dendritischen Zellen. Die geringe Expressionsrate und die beobachtete Inhibition der Expression kostimulatorischer Moleküle auf dendritischen Zellen kann für eine wenig effektive Induktion einer Immunantwort in MVA vakzinierten Tieren durch cross priming oder die direkte Infektion antigenpräsentierender Zellen verantwortlich sein. Durch die Modifikation einer Methode zur intrazellulären IFN-gamma Färbung konnten in vakzinierten Mäusen tumorantigenspezifische CTL sensitiv und quantitativ detektiert werden. Die so bestimmte CTL-Frequenz, nicht jedoch die humorale Antwort, korrelierte mit der in vivo Wirksamkeit der verschiedenen Vakzinen: DNA vakzinierte Tiere entwickeln starke tumorantigenspezifische CTL-Antworten, wohingegen in MVA-vakzinierten Tieren überwiegend gegen virale Epitope gerichtete CD4 und CD8-T-Zellen detektiert wurden. Die Wirksamkeit der pCI-DNA-Vakzine spricht für die Weiterentwicklung in weiteren präklinischen Mausmodellen, beispielsweise unter Verwendung von MUC1 oder HLA-A2 transgenen Mäusen. Die Methoden zur Detektion Tumorantigen-spezifischer CTL in 96-Loch-Mikrotiterplatten können dabei zur systematischen Suche nach im Menschen immundominanten T-Zell-Epitopen im Muzin-Molekül genutzt werden. Der durchgeführte Vergleich der auf den Vektoren pCI und MVA basierenden Vakzinen und die Analyse neuerer Publikationen führen zu dem Ergebniss, daß vor allem DNA-Vakzinen in Zukunft eine wichtige Rolle bei der Entwicklung von aktiven Tumorimpfstoffen spielen werden. Rekombinante MVA-Viren, eventuell in Kombination mit DNA- oder anderen Vektoren, haben sich dagegen in zahlreichen Studien als wirksame Impfstoffe zur Kontrolle von durch Pathogene hervorgerufenen Infektionserkrankungen erwiesen. In this study, tumor vaccines based on the plasmid pCI, the attenuated vaccinia virus strain modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) and MVA-infected dendritic cells were constructed and characterized by sequencing, Western blot and flow cytometric analysis. The efficiency to induce tumor immunity in vivo was compared in several C57BL/6 mouse tumor models. Naked DNA Vaccination based on the eukaryotic expression vector pCI did induce very effective, antigen-specific and long-term protection against tumor cell lines expressing mucin, CEA or beta-Gal whereas MVA vaccination did not elicit protective immunity against Mucin or beta-Gal expressing tumors. MVA does infect human or murine in vitro generated dendritic cells very efficiently compared to other viral vectors, however expression levels of the inserted antigens in dendritic cells are significantly lower than in permissive host cells (chicken embryo fibroblasts). It could be shown that the effect of MVA infection on the maturation status of dendritic cells is similar to the effects described for dendritic cells infected with replication competent vaccinia strains. In addition it was shown that the upregulation of the important costimulatory molecule CD40 through LPS stimulation is strongly inhibited in MVA infected cells. During passage in tissue culture, MVA has accumulated a number of large deletions, including a number of immunomodulatory molecules and resulting in a strong attenuation. However the strong cytopathic effect on dendritic cells is maintained. The low level of expression and the effect on dendritic cell maturation may be responsible for the failure of MVA to induce tumor immunity through either cross presentation or direct infection of antigen presenting cells. To detect and quantify tumor-antigen-specific CTL a method based on intracellular IFN-gamma staining was modified and it could be shown that the cellular – but not the humoral – response does correlate with in vivo protection: DNA but not MVA vaccines do induce high levels of tumorantigen-specific CTL whereas MVA-vaccines do induce strong and long lasting CD4 and CD8-T-cell responses against vaccinia antigens. The excellent protection induced by pCI-DNA-vaccination in different tumor models does encourage us to further investigate the elicitation of tumor immunity in MUC1 or HLA-A2 transgenic mice. In mice transgenic for human MHC-I, the IFN-gamma staining protocol could be used to systematically screen for mucin T-cell epitopes that are relevant in humans.

[Gerog Fresenius and the species Aspergillus fumigatus].

PubMed

Schmidt, A

1998-01-01

The species Aspergillus fumigatus was first extensively described by G. Fresenius. J. B. Georg W. Fresenius was born in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, in 1808 and also died there in 1866. He studied medicine and finished his doctorate thesis (MD) in 1829. Afterwards he started his career as a physician and surgeon in Frankfurt/Main in the same year. In 1831 Fresenius became a university lecturer for botany at the "Senckenbergisches medicinisches Institut"; this institute specialized in botany. In this year Fresenius also became the director of the botanical gardens of Frankfurt/Main. Apart from his collaboration in the institute for agriculture he actively participated in the microscopical association of Frankfurt as well as the "Senckenbergische medicinische Gesellschaft". Almost over the whole period, Fresenius also worked as a physician taking care of miserable people. The outstanding publications of Fresenius are "Die Flora von Frankfurt" (Flora of Frankfurt) and "Beiträge zur Mykologie" (Contributions to Mycology). The monograph "Beiträge zur Mykologie" was published by Fresenius as a dedication for the centennial celebrations of the Senckenberg foundation ("Senckenbergische Stiftung"). It contains 132 pages and 13 excellent lithographic figures (Camera lucida). The third part of this monograph also contains the description of the species A. fumigatus. Fresenius was an engaged physician as well as an outstanding researcher and expert in natural sciences who described numerous new fungal species some of which are still accepted nowadays in accordance with the "International Code of Botanical Nomenclature".

Hydrological Dynamics In High Mountain Catchment Areas of Central Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Löffler, Jörg; Rößler, Ole

Large-scaled landscape structure is regarded as a mosaic of ecotopes where process dynamics of water and energy fluxes are analysed due to its effects on ecosystem functioning. The investigations have been carried out in the continental most Vågå/Oppland high mountains in central Norway since 1994 (LÖFFLER &WUNDRAM 1999, 2000, 2001). Additionally, comparable investigations started in 2000 dealing with the oceanic high mountain landscapes on same latitudes (LÖFFLER et al. 2001). The theoretical and methodological framework of the project is given by the Landscape-Ecological Complex Analysis (MOSIMANN 1984, 1985) and its variations due to technical and principle methodical challenges in this high mountain landscape (KÖHLER et al. 1994, LÖFFLER 1998). The aim of the project is to characterize high mountain ecosystem structure, functioning and dynamics within small catchment areas, that are chosen in two different altitudinal belts each in the eastern continental and the western oceanic region of central Norway. In the frame of this research project hydrological and meteorological measurements on ground water, percolation and soil moisture dynamics as well as on evaporation, air humidity and air-, surface- and soil-temperatures have been conducted. On the basis of large-scaled landscape-ecological mappings (LÖFFLER 1997) one basic meteorological station and several major data logger run stations have been installed in representative sites of each two catchment areas in the low and mid alpine belts of the investigation regions ( JUNGet al. 1997, LÖFFLER &WUNDRAM 1997). Moreover, spatial differentiations of groundwater level, soil moisture and temperature profiles have been investigated by means of hand held measurements at different times of the day, during different climatic situations and different seasons. Daily and annual air-, surface- and soil-temperature dynamics are demonstrated by means of thermoisopleth-diagrams for different types of ecotopes of the different altitudinal belts. The local differences of temperature dynamics are illustrated in a map as an example of the low alpine altitudinal belt showing a 4-dimensional characterization (in space and time) of high mountain ecosystem functioning. Hydrological aspects derived from those results are presented showing the large- scaled hydrological dynamics of high mountain catchment basins in central Norway. The results of the process analysis of hydrological dynamics in the central Norwegian high mountains are discussed within the frame of investigations on altitudinal changes of mountain ecosystem structure and functioning (LÖFFLER &WUNDRAM [in print]). The poster illustrates the theoretical and methodological conception, methods and techniques, examples from complex data material as well as general outcomes of the project (RÖßLER [in prep.]. JUNG, G., J. LÖFFLER &D. WUNDRAM (1997): Untersuchungen zur Struktur, Funktion und Dynamik mittelnorwegischer Hochgebirgsökosysteme. Forschungsansatz. Oldenburger Geoökologisches Kolloquium 3: 4-36. Oldenburg. KÖHLER, B., J. LÖFFLER &D. WUNDRAM (1994): Probleme der kleinräumigen Geoökovarianz im mittelnorwegischen Gebirge. Norsk geogr. Tidsskr. 48: 99- 111. LÖFFLER, J. (1997): Großmaßstäbige geoökologische Kartierungen in den Höhenstufen des mittelnorwegischen Gebirges. NORDEN 12: 205-228. Bremen. LÖFFLER, J. (1998): Geoökologische Untersuchungen zur Struktur mittelnorwegischer Hochgebirgsökosysteme. Oldenburger Geoökologische Studien 1. Oldenburg. LÖFFLER, J., O.-D. FINCH, J. NAUJOK &R. PAPE (2001): Möglichkeiten der Integration zoologischer Aspekte in die landschaftsökologische Untersuchung von Hochgebirgen. Methodendiskussion am Beispiel ökologischer Prozesssysteme und Biozönosen. Naturschutz u. Landschaftsplanung 33 (11): 351-357. LÖFFLER, J. &D. WUNDRAM (1997): Klimatische Phänomene in mittelnorwegischen Hochgebirgslandschaften und ihre ökosystemare Bedeutung. Oldenburger Geoökologisches Kolloquium 3: 37-86. Oldenburg. LÖFFLER, J. &D. WUNDRAM (1999): Kleinräumige Klimavarianz im mittelnorwegischen Hochgebirgsraum Vågå/Oppland. NORDEN 13: 267 -276. Bremen. LÖFFLER, J. &D. WUNDRAM (2000) : Temperature Dynamics of Ecotopes in small Catchment Areas. In: C. BEIERKUHNLEIN et al. (Hrsg.): Zukunft mitteleuropäischer Kulturlandschaft. Analyse - Planung - Management. Tagungsband mit Kurzfassungen der Beiträge zur 1. Jahrestagung der IALE- Region Deutschland: 76, Nürtingen. LÖFFLER, J. &D. WUNDRAM (2001): Räumliche und zeitliche Differenzierung des Temperaturhaushalts von Hochgebirgsökosystemen. NORDEN 14: 85 -102. Bremen. LÖFFLER, J. &D. WUNDRAM (in print): Geoökologische Untersuchungen zur Prozessdynamik mittelnorwegischer Hochgebirgsökosysteme. Oldenburger Geoökologische Studien 2. Oldenburg. MOSIMANN, T. (1984): Landschaftsökologische Komplexanalyse. Wiesbaden. MOSIMANN, T. (1985): Untersuchungen zur Funktion subarktischer und alpiner Geoökosysteme (Finnmark [Norwegen] und Schweizer Alpen). Physiogeographica 7. Basel. RÖßLER, O. (in prep.): Modelling the Water Balance of Central Norwegian High Mountain Ecosystems. University of Oldenburg.

Versuche zur Gewinnung von katalytischen Antikörpern zur Hydrolyse von Arylcarbamaten und Arylharnstoffen. (English Title: Attempts to produce catalytic antibodies for hydrolysis of arylcarbamates and arylureas)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werner, Deljana

2002-05-01

Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit gelang es, katalytische Antikörper zur Hydrolyse von Benzylphenylcarbamaten sowie zahlreiche monoklonale Antikörper gegen Haptene herzustellen. Es wurden verschiedene Hapten-Protein-Konjugate unter Verwendung unterschiedlicher Kopplungsmethoden hergestellt und charakterisiert. Zur Generierung der hydrolytisch aktiven Antikörper wurden Inzuchtmäuse mit KLH-Konjugaten von 4 Übergangszustandsanaloga (ÜZA) immunisiert. Mit Hilfe der Hybridomtechnik wurden verschiedene monoklonale Antikörper gegen diese ÜZA gewonnen. Dabei wurden sowohl verschiedene Immunisierungsschemata als auch verschiedene Inzuchtmausstämme und Fusionstechniken verwendet. Insgesamt wurden 32 monoklonale Antikörper gegen die verwendeten ÜZA selektiert. Diese Antikörper wurden in groen Mengen hergestellt und gereinigt. Zum Nachweis der Antikörper-vermittelten Katalyse wurden verschiedene Methoden entwickelt und eingesetzt, darunter immunologische Nachweismethoden mit Anti-Substrat- und Anti-Produkt-Antikörpern und eine photometrische Methode mit Dimethylaminozimtaldehyd. Der Nachweis der hydrolytischen Aktivität gelang mit Hilfe eines Enzymsensors, basierend auf immobilisierter Tyrosinase. Die Antikörper N1-BC1-D11, N1-FA7-C4, N1-FA7-D12 und R3-LG2-F9 hydrolysierten die Benzylphenylcarbamate POCc18, POCc19 und Substanz 27. Der Nachweis der hydrolytischen Aktivität dieser Antikörper gelang auch mit Hilfe der HPLC. Der katalytische Antikörper N1-BC1-D11 wurde kinetisch und thermodynamisch untersucht. Es wurde eine Michaelis-Menten-Kinetik mit Km von 210 µM, vmax von 3 mM/min und kcat von 222 min-1 beobachtet. Diese Werte korrelieren mit den Werten der wenigen bekannten Diphenylcarbamat-spaltenden Abzyme. Die Beschleunigungsrate des Antikörpers N1-BC1-D11 betrug 10. Das ÜZA Hei3 hemmte die hydrolytische Aktivität. Dies beweist, dass die Hydrolyse in der Antigenbindungsstelle stattfindet. Weiter wurde zwischen der Antikörperkonzentration und der Umsatzgeschwindigkeit eine lineare Abhängigkeit festgestellt. Die thermodynamische Gleichtgewichtsdissoziationskonstante KD des Abzyms von 2,6 nM zeugt von einer sehr guten Affinität zum ÜZA. Hydrolytisch aktiv waren nur Antikörper, die gegen das Übergangszustandsanalogon Hei3 hergestellt worden waren. Es wird vermutet, dass die Hydrolyse der Benzylphenylcarbamate über einen Additions-Eliminierungsmechanismus unter Ausbildung eines tetraedrischen Übergangszustandes verläuft, dessen analoge Verbindung Hei3 ist. Im Rahmen der Generierung von Nachweisantikörpern zur Detektion der Substratabnahme bei der Hydrolyse wurden Anti-Diuron-Antikörper hergestellt. Einer der Antikörper (B91-CG5) ist spezifisch für das Herbizid Diuron und hat einen IC50-Wert von 0,19 µg/l und eine untere Nachweisgrenze von 0,04 µg/l. Ein anderer Antikörper (B91-KF5) reagiert kreuz mit einer Palette ähnlicher Herbizide. Mit diesen Antikörpern wurde ein empfindlicher Labortest, der ein Monitoring von Diuron auf Grundlage des durch die Trinkwasserverordnung festgeschriebenen Wertes für Pflanzenschutzmittel von 0,1 µg/l erlaubt, aufgebaut. Der Effekt der Anti-Diuron-Antikörper auf die Diuron-inhibierte Photosynthese wurde in vitro und in vivo untersucht. Es wurde nachgewiesen, dass sowohl in isolierten Thylakoiden, als auch in intakten Algen eine Vorinkubation der Anti-Diuron-Antikörper mit Diuron zur Inaktivierung seiner Photosynthese-hemmenden Wirkung führt. Wurde der Elektronentransport in den isolierten Thylakoiden oder in Algen durch Diuron unterbrochen, so führte die Zugabe der Anti-Diuron-Antikörper zur Reaktivierung der Elektronenübertragung. Attempts to produce catalytic antibodies for hydrolysis of arylcarbamates and arylureas: The aim of the investigations was to produce antibodies which are able to cleave herbicides resistant to naturally occuring enzymes. Structurally similar carbamate and urea derivatives were chosen for the experiments. Phosphonate derivatives were synthesized that mimick possible transition state analogues in structure and charge. Mice were immunized with 4 different derivatives after conjugating them to carrier proteins. 32 hybridomas were established that produce monoclonal antibodies binding to these derivatives. The possible cleavage of substrates was determined by immunoassays with monoclonal antibodies against the substrate and the products and with a photometric method based on dimethylaminocinammonaldehyde. The measuring of cleavage products was succeeded by an amperometric method. The enzyme sensor was based on immobilized tyrosinase which oxidizes p-chlorophenol and phenol. The antibodies N1-BC1-D11, N1-FA7-C4, N1-FA7-D12 und R3-LG2-F9 hydrolysed the benzylphenylcarbamates POCc18, POCc19 und Substance 27. The hydrolytic activity of these antibodies was also succeeded with HPLC. The catalytic antibody N1-BC1-D11 was investigated kinetically and thermodynamically. A Michaelis-Menten-Kinetic was observed (at pH 8.0 exhibited a Km 210 µM, a vmax 3 mM/min and a kcat 222 min-1). These values are in the range of the values obtained for the antibody-catalysed hydrolysis of diphenylcarbamates. The rate enhancement of N1-BC1 was 10. The reaction was completely inhibited by stoichiometric quantities of the transition state analogue Hei3. This is consistent with the affinity of the abzyme to Hei3 of 2.6 nM, determined by BIAcore assay. Only antibodies generated against Hei3 showed hydrolytic activity. The hydrolysis of benzylphenylcarbamates presumably occurs via an addition-elimination-Mechanism involving a tetrahedral intermediate. In summary, this work presents the first example of antibody-catalysed hydrolysis of benzylphenylcarbamates. Monoclonal anti-diuron antibodies were generated that bind to the herbicide diuron with an extremely low equilibrium dissociation constant. A sensitive immunoassay with a low detection limit of 0.2 nM for diuron was established. This is the most sensitive immunological method for detection of diuron known so far. These antibodies were also used in vitro and in vivo to prevent diuron-dependent inhibition of photosynthesis or to restore photosynthesis after inhibition. In isolated thylakoids prepared from spinach leaves (Spinacia oleracea L.) the diuron-inhibited Hill reaction was reconstituted immediately following the addition of the monoclonal antibodies. In an in vivo approach the photosynthetic oxygen evolution of the cell wall deficient mutant (cw 15) of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Dangeard was monitored. The antibodies prevented the diuron-dependent inhibition of photosynthesis and restored photosynthesis after inhibition. Transgenic plants that synthesize and accumulate these antibodies or antibody fragments and are therefore diuron-resistant can be created.

Republication of: On the general relativity theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weyl, H.

2009-07-01

This English translation of the paper by H. Weyl, "Zur allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie", Physikalische Zeitschrift 24, 230-232 (1923), in which he formulated the geometrical foundations of a model of an expanding Universe, has been selected by the Editors of General Relativity and Gravitation for publication in the Golden Oldies series of the journal. The paper is accompanied by an editorial note written by Juergen Ehlers and by Weyl's brief biography compiled by Andrzej Krasiński from internet sources, with corrections provided by Weyl's son and grandson.

Netz ohne doppelten Boden: Internet-Sicherheit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fichtner, Johann

2002-07-01

Die Sicherheitslücken des heutigen Internets haben zwei Ursachen: sein ursprüngliches Design für rein militärische Zwecke sowie die gefährliche Sorglosigkeit der Entwickler und Betreiber von Internet-Komponenten. Dabei kann ein kleiner Kreis von Experten Angriffe auf die eigentlichen Netzknoten ausführen. Typische Hacker-Angriffe kommen von Endsystemen des Internets und richten sich auch gegen Endsysteme wie Firmen-Intranets oder einzelne PCs. Dagegen gibt es eine Reihe von Schutzmöglichkeiten. Es ist jedoch keine einfache Lösung zur Erhöhung der Internet-Sicherheit in Sicht.

Gelingende Integration? Anmerkungen zur Studie von D. Katzenbach u.a. uber den Hamburger Schulversuch "Integrative Grundschule" in ZfPad. 45 (1999), S. 567-590 (Successful Integration? Remarks on the Study by D. Katzenbach et al. on the Hamburg School Experiment "Integrative Elementary School" in ZfPad. 45 (1999), S. 567-590).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roeder, Peter Martin

1999-01-01

Critiques two normative premises that guide the researchers' interpretation of results from the Hamburg School Experiment, an empirical study that focused on mainstreaming elementary students diagnosed as needing special education: (1) integrating these children in normal classrooms is legitimated; and (2) social integration should not preclude…

Von den Flitterwochen zur distanzierten Partnerschaft. Deutsche Manager in internationalen M&A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuchs, Martina; Schalljo, Martin

2017-04-01

Cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) require considerable intercultural openness on the part of the managers involved. A recent wave of takeovers by private equity investors and foreign investors from emerging economies has challenged German executives. In cases of friendly takeovers, as described in this study, managers at first appear to extend a cosmopolitan welcome to the new owners. However, further analysis of structural hermeneutics reveals latent normative professional ethics of managers which lead to practices of distancing, in particular from young investors from China, India, and Russia.

Allgemeine Sprachfaehigkeit und Fremdsprachenerwerb. Zur Struktur von Leistungsdimensionen und linguistischer Kompetenz des Fremdsprachenlerners (General Language Ability and Foreign Language Acquisition. On the Structure of Performance Dimensions and the Linguistic Competence of the Foreign Language Learner). Diskussions beitraege aus dem Institute fuer Bildungsforschung, No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sang, Fritz; Vollmer, Helmut J.

This study investigates the theoretical plausibility and empirical validity of the assumption that all performance in a foreign language can be traced back to a single factor, the general language ability factor. The theoretical background of this hypothesis is reviewed in detail. The concept of a unitary linguistic competence, interpreted as an…

Schaltungsunterlagen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Döring, Peter

Beim Zeichnen von Schaltplänen werden alle zugehörigen Maschinen, Geräte, Schaltteile und Leitungen nicht maßstabsgetreu und der tatsächlichen Ausführung ähnlich gezeichnet, sondern durch genormte graphische Symbole dargestellt. Die Ausführungen in diesem Kapitel sollen dazu eine Hilfestellung geben. Behandelt werden folgende Themen: Wichtige VDE-Bestimmungen; Diagrammdarstellungen; Schaltzeichen nach DIN; Kennzeichnung von elektrischen Betriebsmitteln; Schaltungsunterlagen der Energietechnik; Schaltungsunterlagen der Elektronik; Schaltzeichen für Binäre Elemente; Entwurf von Schaltungen: Einzelplatinen, Gedruckte Schaltungen; Projektierung. Zahlreiche Tabellen und Abbildungen dienen zur Erläuterung.

Urbanisierung und Ökologische Stadtentwicklung. Zur Integration urbaner Biodiversität und Ökosystemleistungen in Deutschland und China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kümper-Schlake, Lennart

2016-06-01

Urbanisation processes increase land-use conflicts and ecosystem destruction globally. Especially in China, a country with an outstanding urbanization rate, city governments are challenged by environmental and health problems. Urban green spaces - subsequently defined as urban biodiversity and ecosystem services - can minimize numerous environmental risks and at the same time contribute to the citizens' well-being and quality of life. In this highly relevant field of nature conservation, geographical perspectives are required - in science, politics, policy, planning and practice.

Distal clavicular osteolysis: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Schwarzkopf, Ran; Ishak, Charbel; Elman, Michael; Gelber, Jonathan; Strauss, David N; Jazrawi, Laith M

2008-01-01

Acute distal clavicular osteolysis was first described in 1936. Since then, distal clavicular osteolysis (DCO) has been separated into traumatic and atraumatic pathogeneses. In 1982 the first series of male weight trainers who developed ADCO was reported. The association of weightlifting and ADCO is especially important considering how routine a component weights are to the male athlete's training. The pathogenesis of DCO has often been debated. The most widely accepted etiology involves a connection between microfractures of the subchondral bone and subsequent attempts at repair, which is consistent with repetitive microtrauma. Symptoms usually begin with an insidious aching pain in the AC region that is exacerbated by weight training. On examination, patients have point tenderness over the affected AC joint and pain with a cross-body adduction maneuver. Although DCO may seem like an easy and quick diagnosis, one must rule out other possibilities. Avoidance of provocative maneuvers, modification of weight training techniques, ice massage, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) constitute the basis of initial treatment. Much of the literature supports the same general indications for surgery. These include point tenderness of the AC joint, evident abnormal signs with AC joint scintigraphy and AC radiographs, lack of response to conservative treatment, and an unwillingness to give up or modify weight training or manual labor. Distal clavicle resection has provided good results. Distal clavicle osteolysis is a unique disease most likely due to an overuse phenomenon.

Cellular and Molecular Players in Adipose Tissue Inflammation in the Development of Obesity-induced Insulin Resistance

PubMed Central

Lee, Byung-Cheol; Lee, Jongsoon

2013-01-01

There is increasing evidence showing that inflammation is an important pathogenic mediator of the development of obesity-induced insulin resistance. It is now generally accepted that tissue-resident immune cells play a major role in the regulation of this obesity-induced inflammation. The roles that adipose tissue (AT)-resident immune cells play have been particularly extensively studied. AT contains most types of immune cells and obesity increases their numbers and activation levels, particularly in AT macrophages (ATMs). Other pro-inflammatory cells found in AT include neutrophils, Th1 CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, B cells, DCs, and mast cells. However, AT also contains anti-inflammatory cells that counter the pro-inflammatory immune cells that are responsible for the obesity-induced inflammation in this tissue. These anti-inflammatory cells include regulatory CD4 T cells (Tregs), Th2 CD4 T cells, and eosinophils. Hence, AT inflammation is shaped by the regulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory immune cell homeostasis, and obesity skews this balance towards a more pro-inflammatory status. Recent genetic studies revealed several molecules that participate in the development of obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance. In this review, the cellular and molecular players that participate in the regulation of obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance are discussed, with particular attention being placed on the roles of the cellular players in these pathogeneses. PMID:23707515

Serum metabolome profiles characterized by patients with hepatocellular carcinoma associated with hepatitis B and C.

PubMed

Saito, Takafumi; Sugimoto, Masahiro; Okumoto, Kazuo; Haga, Hiroaki; Katsumi, Tomohiro; Mizuno, Kei; Nishina, Taketo; Sato, Sonoko; Igarashi, Kaori; Maki, Hiroko; Tomita, Masaru; Ueno, Yoshiyuki; Soga, Tomoyoshi

2016-07-21

To clarify the characteristics of metabolite profiles in virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients using serum metabolome analysis. The serum levels of low-molecular-weight metabolites in 68 patients with HCC were quantified using capillary electrophoresis chromatography and mass spectrometry. Thirty and 38 of the patients suffered from hepatitis B virus-related HCC (HCC-B) and hepatitis C virus-related HCC (HCC-C), respectively. The main metabolites characteristic of HCC were those associated with glutathione metabolism, notably 13 γ-glutamyl peptides, which are by-products of glutathione induction. Two major profiles, i.e., concentration patterns, of metabolites were identified in HCC patients, and these were classified into two groups: an HCC-B group and an HCC-C group including some of the HCC-B cases. The receiver operating characteristic curve for the multiple logistic regression model discriminating HCC-B from HCC-C incorporating the concentrations of glutamic acid, methionine and γ-glutamyl-glycine-glycine showed a highly significant area under the curve value of 0.94 (95%CI: 0.89-1.0, P < 0.0001). The serum levels of γ-glutamyl peptides, as well as their concentration patterns, contribute to the development of potential biomarkers for virus-related HCC. The difference in metabolite profiles between HCC-B and HCC-C may reflect the respective metabolic reactions that underlie the different pathogeneses of these two types of HCC.

Physical Interactions and Expression Quantitative Traits Loci Identify Regulatory Connections for Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Associated SNPs

PubMed Central

Fadason, Tayaza; Ekblad, Cameron; Ingram, John R.; Schierding, William S.; O'Sullivan, Justin M.

2017-01-01

The mechanisms that underlie the association between obesity and type 2 diabetes are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the role of the 3D genome organization in the pathogeneses of obesity and type-2 diabetes. We interpreted the combined and differential impacts of 196 diabetes and 390 obesity associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by integrating data on the genes with which they physically interact (as captured by Hi-C) and the functional [i.e., expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL)] outcomes associated with these interactions. We identified 861 spatially regulated genes (e.g., AP3S2, ELP5, SVIP, IRS1, FADS2, WFS1, RBM6, HORMAD1, PYROXD2), which are enriched in tissues (e.g., adipose, skeletal muscle, pancreas) and biological processes and canonical pathways (e.g., lipid metabolism, leptin, and glucose-insulin signaling pathways) that are important for the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Our discovery-based approach also identifies enrichment for eQTL SNP-gene interactions in tissues that are not classically associated with diabetes or obesity. We propose that the combinatorial action of active obesity and diabetes spatial eQTL SNPs on their gene pairs within different tissues reduces the ability of these tissues to contribute to the maintenance of a healthy energy metabolism. PMID:29081791

[Cardiovascular disease in type 1 diabetes mellitus].

PubMed

Wajchenberg, Bernardo Léo; Rassi, Nelson; Feitosa, Alina Coutinho R; Lerário, Antonio Carlos; Betti, Roberto Tadeu Barcelos

2008-03-01

The association between type 1 diabetes and coronary heart disease has become very clear since the late 1970. It has been demonstrated that there is an important increased risk in morbidity and mortality caused by coronary artery disease in young adults with type 1 diabetes compared with the non diabetic population. The underlying pathogeneses is still poorly understood. While the role of glycemic control in the development of microvascular disease complication is well established its role in CVD in patients with DM1 remains unclear with epidemiologic studies reporting conflicting data. Recent findings from the DCCT/EDIC showed that prior intensive diabetes treatment during the DCCT was associated with less atherosclerosis, largely because of reduced level of HbA1c during the DCCT. The improvement of glycemic control itself appeared to be particularly effective in younger patients with shorter duration of the disease. Other analyses suggested the glycemia may have a stronger effect on CAD in patients without than in those with albuminúria. Other major determinants of coronary artery disease are the components of metabolic syndrome and the surrogate measure of insulin resistence: eGDR. It is proposed that patients with DM1 should have aggressive medical therapy, risk factor modification and careful monitoring not only of his blood sugar but also of the other processes involved in the atherosclerotic process, mostly the ones with family history of type 2 diabetes.

Amyloidosis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Glenner, G.G.; Osserman, E.F.

1986-01-01

The subjects covered in this Symposium range through almost every clinical medical specialty. From an average of one paper in each of the past three Symposiums, the explosive interest in cerebral amyloidosis has led to the presentation of 12 papers on this subject in the present volume. The genetically predisposed familial amyloidotic processes, such as the polyneuropathies and familial Mediterranean fever have also stimulated extensive and intriguing investigations which have revealed the striking effect of a single amino acid substitution in transforming a normal protein into a lethal ''amyloidogenic'' one. This Symposium clearly depicts the advances since the first amyloidmore » fibril protein was definitively identified and defined 14 years ago. Since all amyloid fibril proteins so far described are variants of normal proteins, attention to gene abnormalities now becomes a significant focus as well as the pathogenic sequences which lead in these cases to twisted BETA-pleated sheet (amyloid) fibril formation. Tentative concepts such as the ''amyloidogenic protein precursor of the fibril,'' ''proteolysis as one mechanism of fibril formation,'' ''Congo red birefringence as a marker for the twisted BETA-pleated sheet protein'' are now substantiated by recurring confirmation. Even a prophylactic treatment for one of the amyloidotic conditions, familial Mediterranean fever, is now available. Predictably, as the pathogeneses of the amyloid diseases are individually deciphered, highly specific and directed therapies will evolve to treat their devastated victims.« less

Ingested soluble CD14 from milk is transferred intact into the blood of newborn rats.

PubMed

Ward, Tonya L; Spencer, William J; Davis, Laura D R; Harrold, Joann; Mack, David R; Altosaar, Illimar

2014-02-01

Milk acts as an edible immune system that is transferred from mother to newborn. Soluble Cluster of Differentiation 14 (sCD14) is a protein found in significant quantities in human milk (~8-29 µg/ml). At a 10-fold lower concentration in the blood (~3 µg/ml), the most notable role of sCD14 is to sequester lipopolysaccharides of Gram-negative bacteria from immune cells. To explore the pharmacodynamics of this milk protein and its biological fate, the biodistribution of radiolabeled sCD14 ((14)C, (125)I) was monitored in 10-d-old rat pups. Up to 3.4 ± 2.2% of the radiolabeled sCD14 administered was observed, intact, in the pup blood for up to 8 h post-ingestion. Additionally, 30.3 ± 13.0% of the radiolabeled sCD14 administered was observed degraded in the stomach at 8 h post-ingestion. A reservoir of intact, administered sCD14 (3.2 ± 0.3%), however, remained in the stomach at 8 h post-ingestion. Intact sCD14 was observed in the small intestine at 5.5 ± 1.6% of the dose fed at 8 h post-ingestion. The presence of intact sCD14 in the blood and the gastrointestinal tract of newborns post-ingestion has implications in the development of allergies, obesity, and other inflammation-related pathogeneses later in life.

Deep brain stimulation of pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus: role in sleep modulation in advanced Parkinson disease patients: one-year follow-up.

PubMed

Peppe, Antonella; Pierantozzi, Mariangela; Baiamonte, Valentina; Moschella, Vincenzo; Caltagirone, Carlo; Stanzione, Paolo; Stefani, Alessandro

2012-12-01

Sleep disorders are frequent non-motor symptoms in Parkinson disease (PD), probably due to multifactorial pathogeneses including disease progression, dopaminergic drugs, or concomitant illness. In recent years, the pedunculopontine tegmental (PPTg) nucleus has been considered a surgical target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in advanced PD patients. As it is involved in controlling the sleep-wake cycle, we investigated the long-lasting effects of PPTg-DBS on the sleep of five PD patients implanted in both the PPTg and the subthalamic nucleus (STN) by rating two subjective clinical scales for sleep: the Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS), and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Sleep scales were administered a week before surgery (T0), three months after DBS (T1), and one year later (T2). In this study, STN-DBS was kept constantly in ON, and three different patterns of PPTg-DBS were investigated: STN-ON (PPTg switched off); PPTg-ON (PPTg stimulated 24 h/day); PPTg-cycle (PPTg stimulated only at night). In post-surgery follow-up, PD patients reported a marked improvement of sleep quality in all DBS conditions. In particular, stimulation of the PPTg nucleus produced not only a remarkable long-term improvement of nighttime sleep, but unlike STN-DBS, also produced significant amelioration of daytime sleepiness. Our study suggests that PPTg-DBS plays an important role in reorganizing regular sleep in PD patients.

Oral Supplementation with Cocoa Extract Reduces UVB-Induced Wrinkles in Hairless Mouse Skin.

PubMed

Kim, Jong-Eun; Song, Dasom; Kim, Junil; Choi, Jina; Kim, Jong Rhan; Yoon, Hyun-Sun; Bae, Jung-Soo; Han, Mira; Lee, Sein; Hong, Ji Sun; Song, Dayoung; Kim, Seong-Jin; Son, Myoung-Jin; Choi, Sang-Woon; Chung, Jin Ho; Kim, Tae-Aug; Lee, Ki Won

2016-05-01

Cacao beans contain various bioactive phytochemicals that could modify the pathogeneses of certain diseases. Here, we report that oral administration of cacao powder (CP) attenuates UVB-induced skin wrinkling by the regulation of genes involved in dermal matrix production and maintenance. Transcriptome analysis revealed that 788 genes are down- or upregulated in the CP supplemented group, compared with the UVB-irradiated mouse skin controls. Among the differentially expressed genes, cathepsin G and serpin B6c play important roles in UVB-induced skin wrinkle formation. Gene regulatory network analysis also identified several candidate regulators responsible for the protective effects of CP supplementation against UVB-induced skin damage. CP also elicited antiwrinkle effects via inhibition of UVB-induced matrix metalloproteinases-1 expression in both the human skin equivalent model and human dermal fibroblasts. Inhibition of UVB-induced activator protein-1 via CP supplementation is likely to affect the expression of matrix metalloproteinases-1. CP supplementation also downregulates the expression of cathepsin G in human dermal fibroblasts. 5-(3',4'-Dihydroxyphenyl)-γ-valerolactone, a major in vivo metabolite of CP, showed effects similar to CP supplementation. These results suggest that cacao extract may offer a protective effect against photoaging by inhibiting the breakdown of dermal matrix, which leads to an overall reduction in wrinkle formation. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The generation of diesel exhaust particle aerosols from a bulk source in an aerodynamic size range similar to atmospheric particles

PubMed Central

Cooney, Daniel J; Hickey, Anthony J

2008-01-01

The influence of diesel exhaust particles (DEP) on the lungs and heart is currently a topic of great interest in inhalation toxicology. Epidemiological data and animal studies have implicated airborne particulate matter and DEP in increased morbidity and mortality due to a number of cardiopulmonary diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, and lung cancer. The pathogeneses of these diseases are being studied using animal models and cell culture techniques. Real-time exposures to freshly combusted diesel fuel are complex and require significant infrastructure including engine operations, dilution air, and monitoring and control of gases. A method of generating DEP aerosols from a bulk source in an aerodynamic size range similar to atmospheric DEP would be a desirable and useful alternative. Metered dose inhaler technology was adopted to generate aerosols from suspensions of DEP in the propellant hydrofluoroalkane 134a. Inertial impaction data indicated that the particle size distributions of the generated aerosols were trimodal, with count median aerodynamic diameters less than 100 nm. Scanning electron microscopy of deposited particles showed tightly aggregated particles, as would be expected from an evaporative process. Chemical analysis indicated that there were no major changes in the mass proportion of 2 specific aromatic hydrocarbons (benzo[a]pyrene and benzo[k]fluoranthene) in the particles resulting from the aerosolization process. PMID:19337412

Genomics and epigenomics in rheumatic diseases: what do they provide in terms of diagnosis and disease management?

PubMed

Castro-Santos, Patricia; Díaz-Peña, Roberto

2017-09-01

Most rheumatic diseases are complex or multifactorial entities with pathogeneses that interact with both multiple genetic factors and a high number of diverse environmental factors. Knowledge of the human genome sequence and its diversity among populations has provided a crucial step forward in our understanding of genetic diseases, identifying many genetic loci or genes associated with diverse phenotypes. In general, susceptibility to autoimmunity is associated with multiple risk factors, but the mechanism of the environmental component influence is poorly understood. Studies in twins have demonstrated that genetics do not explain the totality of the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases. One method of modulating gene expression through environmental effects is via epigenetic modifications. These techniques open a new field for identifying useful new biomarkers and therapeutic targets. In this context, the development of "-omics" techniques is an opportunity to progress in our knowledge of complex diseases, impacting the discovery of new potential biomarkers suitable for their introduction into clinical practice. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in the fields of genomics and epigenomics in rheumatic diseases and their potential to be useful for the diagnosis, follow-up, and treatment of these diseases. The ultimate aim of genomic studies in any human disease is to understand its pathogenesis, thereby enabling the prediction of the evolution of the disease to establish new treatments and address the development of personalized therapies.

Kundenfokus: Startpunkt für die digitale Transformation bei Stadtwerken

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fett, Perry; Küller, Philipp

Big Data, Internet der Dinge, Mobile Computing und soziale Medien - die modernen Informationstechnologien durchdringen den Alltag der meisten Menschen und lösen hierdurch eine digitale Transformation aus. Im Unternehmenskontext manifestiert sich die Digitalisierung durch eine neue Qualität der wissensbasierten Entscheidungsunterstützung und der Automatisierung bzw. Autonomisierung der Geschäftsprozesse. Für Stadtwerke gilt es nun, die Chancen der Digitalisierung zu ihren Gunsten zu nutzen. Ein Startpunkt könnte hierbei sein, wie Stadtwerke zukünftig mit ihren Kunden interagieren. Ausgelöst durch die Liberalisierung der Märkte rückt der Kunde heute stärker in den Mittelpunkt - die Energiewirtschaft steht nun vor der Herausforderung, dem Wettbewerb einen Schritt voraus zu sein und dem Kunden ein absolut positives Kundenerlebnis (Customer Experience) sowohl als Maßnahme zur Kundenbindung als auch zum Kundenaufbau zu bieten. Das vorliegende Kapitel zeigt hierfür die Erfolgskriterien für die gelungene Etablierung des Kundenfokus im eigenen Unternehmen auf. Mit dem Customer-Focus-Cycle-Modell von Fujitsu, angelehnt an den Deming-Kreislauf, wird ein allgemeingültiger Ansatz für ein mögliches Vorgehen beim Aufbau des Kundenfokus vorgestellt. Die sechs Phasen werden dabei anhand praktischer Beispiele erläutert und geben zudem Hinweise zu Methoden und Tools. Aus dem vorgestellten "Werkzeugkasten" wird ferner die Customer-Journey-Methode im Detail erläutert. Weiter soll das präsentierte Reifegradmodell Unternehmen dabei unterstützen, den eigenen Status quo festzustellen und die persönlichen Ziele auf dem Weg zur kundenzentrierten Organisation festzulegen.

Kompressionstherapie bei Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum.

PubMed

Dissemond, Joachim; Assenheimer, Bernd; Bültemann, Anke; Gerber, Veronika; Gretener, Silvia; Kohler-von Siebenthal, Elisabeth; Koller, Sonja; Kröger, Knut; Kurz, Peter; Läuchli, Severin; Münter, Christian; Panfil, Eva-Maria; Probst, Sebastian; Protz, Kerstin; Riepe, Gunnar; Strohal, Robert; Traber, Jürg; Partsch, Hugo

2016-11-01

Wund-D.A.CH. ist der Dachverband deutschsprachiger Fachgesellschaften, die sich mit den Thematiken der Wundbehandlung beschäftigen. Experten verschiedener Fachgesellschaften aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz haben nun einen aktuellen Konsens der Kompressionstherapie für Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum erstellt. In Europa ist das Ulcus cruris venosum eine der häufigsten Ursachen für chronische Wunden. Neben der konservativen und interventionellen Wund- und Venentherapie, ist die Kompressionstherapie die Basis der Behandlungsstrategien. Die Kompressionstherapie kann heute mit sehr unterschiedlichen Materialien und Systemen durchgeführt werden. Während in der Entstauungsphase insbesondere Verbände mit Kurzzugbinden oder Mehrkomponentensysteme zur Anwendung kommen, sind es anschließend überwiegend Ulkus-Strumpfsysteme. Eine weitere, bislang wenig verbreitete Alternative sind adaptive Kompressionsbandagen. Insbesondere für die Rezidivprophylaxe werden medizinische Kompressionsstrümpfe empfohlen. Durch die Vielzahl der heute zur Verfügung stehenden Behandlungsoptionen, kann für nahezu alle Patienten ein Konzept entwickelt werden, dass sich an den individuellen Bedürfnissen und Fähigkeiten orientiert und daher auch akzeptiert und durchgeführt wird. Die Kompressionstherapie ist für die Behandlung von Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum essentiell. In den letzten Jahren sind viele verschiedene Therapieoptionen verfügbar, die in den deutschsprachigen Ländern unterschiedlich angewendet oder durchgeführt werden. Daher soll dieser Expertenkonsens dazu beitragen, konkrete Empfehlungen für die praktische Durchführung der Kompressionstherapie von Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum darzustellen. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Titanisierung von Implantatoberflächen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmermann, Hanngörg; Heinlein, Markus; Guldner, Norbert W.

Titan gilt seit Jahrzehnten als einer der wichtigsten Implantatwerkstoffe in der Medizin. Neben den guten mechanischen Eigenschaften (Leichtigkeit, hohe Festigkeit etc.), besitzen Titanimplantate vor allem eine hervorragende Körperverträglichkeit, so dass die Implantate optimal in den humanen Organismus integriert werden [1]. Ist jedoch aufgrund der Anforderungen an das Implantat eine hohe Flexibilität und/ oder Elastizität gefragt, so scheidet der Werkstoff Titan aufgrund seiner spröden und unflexiblen Materialeigenschaften aus. Die Folge ist der Einsatz von Implantatmaterialien, sowohl künstlichen als auch biologischen Ursprungs, welche nicht selten eine unzureichende Biokompatibilität aufweisen und somit zu Fremdköper- und immunologischen Reaktionen und Einkapselung des Implantates führen können. Die Erhöhung der Körperverträglichkeit, eine Adaption an das biologische Umfeld und eine hohe Biokompatibilität sind demzufolge die wichtigsten Eigenschaften bei der bedarfsgerechten Herstellung von Implantaten und Implantatoberflächen. Zur Gestaltung von innovativen, biokompatiblen Oberflächen stehen unterschiedliche technische Lösungsansätze zur Verfügung. Zum einen besteht die Möglichkeit, geeignete Oberflächeneigenschaften aus dem Grundmaterial selbst zu optimieren. Dies geschieht unter anderem durch Modifikation der Werkstoffoberflächen in Form von Texturierungen und Oberflächenrauhigkeiten. Zum anderen können die Oberflächeneigenschaften unabhängig von denen des Trägermaterials gestaltet werden. Durch Funktionalisierung der Oberflächen mit geeigneten Beschichtungen oder der Zugabe von Medikamenten (Drug Eluting) werden die Kunststoffimplantate dahingehend verändert, dass eine Steigerung der Körperakzeptanz erreicht wird. Die Titanbeschichtung von Implantatoberflächen kombiniert die positiven Materialeigenschaften von Titan und Polymer.

Molekulare Diagnostik von Hautinfektionen am Paraffinmaterial - Übersicht und interdisziplinärer Konsensus.

PubMed

Sunderkötter, Cord; Becker, Karsten; Kutzner, Heinz; Meyer, Thomas; Blödorn-Schlicht, Norbert; Reischl, Udo; Nenoff, Pietro; Geißdörfer, Walter; Gräser, Yvonne; Herrmann, Mathias; Kühn, Joachim; Bogdan, Christian

2018-02-01

Nukleinsäure-Amplifikations-Techniken (NAT), wie die PCR, sind hochsensitiv sowie selektiv und stellen in der mikrobiologischen Diagnostik wertvolle Ergänzungen zur kulturellen Anzucht und Serologie dar. Sie bergen aber gerade bei formalinfixiertem und in Paraffin eingebettetem Gewebe ein Risiko für sowohl falsch negative als auch falsch positive Resultate, welches nicht immer richtig eingeschätzt wird. Daher haben Vertreter der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Hygiene und Mikrobiologie (DGHM) und der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft (DDG) einen Konsensus in Form einer Übersichtsarbeit erarbeitet, wann eine NAT am Paraffinschnitt angezeigt und sinnvoll ist und welche Punkte dabei in der Präanalytik und Befundinterpretation beachtet werden müssen. Da bei Verdacht auf eine Infektion grundsätzlich Nativgewebe genutzt werden soll, ist die PCR am Paraffinschnitt ein Sonderfall, wenn beispielsweise bei erst nachträglichaufgekommenem Verdacht auf eine Infektion kein Nativmaterial zur Verfügung steht und nicht mehr gewonnen werden kann. Mögliche Indikationen sind der histologisch erhobene Verdacht auf eine Leishmaniose, eine Infektion durch Bartonellen oder Rickettsien, oder ein Ecthyma contagiosum. Nicht sinnvoll ist oder kritisch gesehen wird eine NAT am Paraffinschnitt zum Beispiel bei Infektionen mit Mykobakterien oder RNA-Viren. Die Konstellation für eine NAT aus Paraffingewebe sollte jeweils benannt werden, die erforderliche Prä-Analytik, die jeweiligen Grenzen des Verfahrens und die diagnostischen Alternativen bekannt sein. Der PCR-Befund sollte entsprechend kommentiert werden, um Fehleinschätzungen zu vermeiden. © 2018 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Eine selbstkonsistente Carleman Linearisierung zur Analyse von Oszillatoren

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Harry; Mathis, Wolfgang

2017-09-01

Die Analyse nichtlinearer dynamischer Schaltungen ist bis heute eine herausfordernde Aufgabe, da nur selten analytische Lösungen angegeben werden können. Daher wurden eine Vielzahl von Methoden entwickelt, um eine qualitative oder quantitative Näherung für die Lösungen der Netzwerkgleichung zu erhalten. Oftmals wird beispielsweise eine Kleinsignalanalyse mit Hilfe einer Taylorreihe in einem Arbeitspunkt durchgeführt, die nach den Gliedern erster Ordnung abgebrochen wird. Allerdings ist diese Linearisierung nur in der Nähe des stabilen Arbeitspunktes für hyperbolische Systeme gültig. Besonders für die Analyse des dynamischen Verhaltens von Oszillatoren treten jedoch nicht-hyperbolische Systeme auf, sodass diese Methode nicht angewendet werden kann Mathis (2000). Carleman hat gezeigt, dass nichtlineare Differentialgleichungen mit polynomiellen Nichtlinearitäten in ein unendliches System von linearen Differentialgleichungen transformiert werden können Carleman (1932). Wird das unendlichdimensionale Gleichungssystem für numerische Zwecke abgebrochen, kann bei Oszillatoren der Übergang in eine stationäre Schwingung (Grenzzyklus) nicht wiedergegeben werden. In diesem Beitrag wird eine selbstkonsistente Carleman Linearisierung zur Untersuchung von Oszillatoren vorgestellt, die auch dann anwendbar ist, wenn die Nichtlinearitäten keinen Polynomen entsprechen. Anstelle einer linearen Näherung um einen Arbeitspunkt, erfolgt mit Hilfe der Carleman Linearisierung eine Approximation auf einem vorgegebenen Gebiet. Da es jedoch mit der selbstkonsistenten Technik nicht möglich ist, das stationäre Verhalten von Oszillatoren zu beschreiben, wird die Berechnung einer Poincaré-Abbildung durchgeführt. Mit dieser ist eine anschließende Analyse des Oszillators möglich.

Farewell to Diversity? New State Zones of Health Care Service in China’s Far West

PubMed Central

Klotzbücher, Sascha; Lässig, Peter; Jiangmei, Qin; Dongsheng, Rui; Weigelin-Schwiedrzik, Susanne

2014-01-01

Using James Scott’s (2009) theoretical framework of the interaction between the state and peripheral people, we argue that the welfare state should be regarded as a pull-factor in the context of the state’s endeavours to project its power to distant peoples in assigned state zones. Our discussion is based on interviews in Xinyuan County in the Western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. Presenting current policies and alternative policy options discussed at the local level for providing primary health care in rural China, we argue that decisions made in the implementation process did not respond to the special health needs of mobile pastoralists in the high plains, but were part of the central state logic of homogenising settlement efforts and health care. Der theoretische Ansatz von James Scott zu Expansion von staatlicher Ordnung auf periphere Randgebiete wird auf den Aufbau von Wohlfahrts- und Gesundheitspolitik des modernen Staates angewendet und weiterentwickelt. Anhand mehrjähriger Feldstudien zwischen 2005 und 2009 zur Gesundheitsversorgungsstruktur im Kreis Xinyuan der Autonomen Uighurischen Region Xinjiang in der Volksrepublik China werden zuerst die nationalen Restrukturierungsmaßnahmen vorgestellt und Lösungen für eine bessere Versorgung der halbnomadisierenden kasachischen Hirtenfamilien diskutiert. Lokal entwickelte und an die nomadischen Lebensformen angepasste mobile Lösungen zur Gesundheitsfürsorge konnten nicht implementiert werden. Die Anstrengungen der staatlichen Akteure sind als Versuch zu sehen, bisher marginalisierte Gruppen aus den peripheren Gebirgsregionen und über die Integration in eine staatliche Gesundheitsversorgung in den Tälern anzusiedeln. PMID:25729121

Deutsches "Nationales Krebshilfe-Monitoring" 2015-2019 - Studienprotokoll und erste Ergebnisse.

PubMed

Schneider, Sven; Görig, Tatiana; Schilling, Laura; Breitbart, Eckhard W; Greinert, Rüdiger; Diehl, Katharina

2017-09-01

Das Projekt "Nationales Krebshilfe-Monitoring zur Solariennutzung" (National Cancer Aid Monitoring of Tanning Bed Use, NCAM) ist eine deutsche Großstudie mit dem Ziel, die wichtigsten Risikofaktoren für Hautkrebs zu beobachten: natürliches Sonnenlicht und künstliche UV-Strahlung. NCAM ist eine bundesweite Querschnittstudie mit zunächst vier Runden der Datenerfassung (sogenannten Wellen) zwischen 2015 und 2018. Jedes Jahr wird eine bundesweit repräsentative Stichprobe aus 3.000 Personen im Alter von 14 bis 45 Jahren befragt. Die Querschnittsbefragung wird durch eine Kohorte von n = 450 aktuellen Solariennutzern ergänzt. Die erste Welle im Jahr 2015 ergab eine Gesamtprävalenz der Solariennutzung von 29,5 %. Elf Prozent aller Teilnehmer hatten in den vergangenen zwölf Monaten ein Solarium genutzt. Zu den Determinanten der aktuellen Solariennutzung gehörten jüngeres Alter, weibliches Geschlecht und Vollzeit-/Teilzeitbeschäftigung. Die hauptsächlichen Beweggründe, die für die Nutzung eines Solariums genannt wurden, waren Entspannung und Attraktivitätssteigerung. NCAM ist weltweit die erste Studie zur Überwachung der Risikofaktoren für Hautkrebs in jährlichen Intervallen anhand einer großen, landesweit repräsentativen Stichprobe. Erste Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass Millionen Deutsche trotz Warnungen der WHO Solarien nutzen, und dass viele dieser Nutzer Jugendliche sind - trotz gesetzlicher Beschränkungen, die das Ziel haben, die Nutzung von Solarien durch Minderjährige zu verhindern. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparative genomics of bacterial zinc regulons: enhanced ion transport, pathogenesis, and rearrangement of ribosomal proteins.

PubMed

Panina, Ekaterina M; Mironov, Andrey A; Gelfand, Mikhail S

2003-08-19

Zinc is an important component of many proteins, but in large concentrations it is poisonous to the cell. Thus its transport is regulated by zinc repressors ZUR of proteobacteria and Gram-positive bacteria from the Bacillus group and AdcR of bacteria from the Streptococcus group. Comparative computational analysis allowed us to identify binding signals of ZUR repressors GAAATGTTATANTATAACATTTC for gamma-proteobacteria, GTAATGTAATAACATTAC for the Agrobacterium group, GATATGTTATAACATATC for the Rhododoccus group, TAAATCGTAATNATTACGATTTA for Gram-positive bacteria, and TTAACYRGTTAA of the streptococcal AdcR repressor. In addition to known transporters and their paralogs, zinc regulons were predicted to contain a candidate component of the ATP binding cassette, zinT (b1995 in Escherichia coli and yrpE in Bacillus subtilis). Candidate AdcR-binding sites were identified upstream of genes encoding pneumococcal histidine triad (PHT) proteins from a number of pathogenic streptococci. Protein functional analysis of this family suggests that PHT proteins are involved in the invasion process. Finally, repression by zinc was predicted for genes encoding a variety of paralogs of ribosomal proteins. The original copies of all these proteins contain zinc-ribbon motifs and thus likely bind zinc, whereas these motifs are destroyed in zinc-regulated paralogs. We suggest that the induction of these paralogs in conditions of zinc starvation leads to their incorporation in a fraction of ribosomes instead of the original ribosomal proteins; the latter are then degraded with subsequent release of some zinc for the utilization by other proteins. Thus we predict a mechanism for maintaining zinc availability for essential enzymes.

Gesammelte Werke / Collected Works

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarzschild, Karl; Voigt, Hans-Heinrich

Der bekannte Astronom Karl Schwarzschild (1873-1916) gilt als der Begründer der Astrophysik und als hervorragender Forscher mit einer erstaunlichen Bandbreite seiner Interessen. Arbeiten zur Himmelsmechanik, Elektrodynamik und Relativitätstheorie weisen ihn als vorzüglichen Mathematiker und Physiker auf der Höhe seiner Zeit aus. Untersuchungen zur Photographischen Photometrie, Optik und Spektroskopie zeigen den versierten Beobachter, der sein Meßinstrumentarium beherrscht, und schließlich arbeitete Schwarzschild als Astrophysiker an Sternatmosphären, Kometen, Struktur und Dynamik von Sternsystemen. Die in seinem kurzen Leben entstandene Fülle an wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten ist in drei Bänden der Gesamtausgabe gesammelt, ergänzt durch biographisches Material, Annotationen von Fachleuten und einen Essay des Nobelpreisträgers S. Chandrasekhar. The well-known astronomer Karl Schwarzschild (1873-1916) is regarded as the founder of astrophysics and as an exceptionally talented researcher whose interests spanned a remarkably broad spectrum. His work on celestial mechanics, electrodynamics, and relativity theory demonstrates his great abilities as a mathematician and physicist who significantly influenced the science of his times. His investigations of photographic photometry, optics, and spectroscopy display his strengths as an observer who knew his instruments. But above all Schwarzschild pursued questions of astrophysics, addressing in particular stellar atmospheres, comets, and the structure and dynamics of stellar systems. The host of scientific works that he authored in his short life is now collected in the form of this three-volume complete works; it is supplemented by biographical material, notes from some of todays experts, and an essay by the Nobel Laureate S. Chandrasekhar.

Grundlegende Steuerungsverfahren im heterogenen Logistiknetz mit Kanban

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickmann, Eva; Dickmann, Philipp; Lödding, Hermann; Möller, Niklas; Rücker, Thomas; Schneider, Herfried M.; Zäh, Michael F.

In vielen Unternehmen werden heterogene (verschiedene) Steuerungen in einem abgestimmten Konzept kombiniert. Je nach Anwendungsfall und Rahmenbedingungen werden Kombinationen allgemein bekannter Steuerungen oder Steuerungsvarianten gemischt eingesetzt, um eine optimale Steuerung für unterschiedliche Fälle zu erreichen. Hierbei stehen neben den bekannten und weit verbreiteten Methoden, wie Material Requirements Planning (MRP) oder Kanban, auch weniger bekannte oder neue Methoden zur Auswahl, wie die Produktionssteuerung mit dezentraler, bestandsorientierter Fertigungsregelung (DBF). Kanban ist ein simples und effizientes Steuerungskonzept, das in der klassischen Form für spezifische einfache Anwendungsfälle umsetzbar ist. Hochentwickelte Steuerungsalgorithmen können helfen, komplexe Abläufe optimal abzubilden. Mit einer grundlegenden Vereinfachung der Abläufe kann allerdings in vielen Fällen ein wesentlich stärkerer und umfassender Verbesserungseffekt erzielt werden. Die wesentliche Fragestellung sollte folglich lauten: Warum ist der Ablauf nicht mit einer einfachen Steuerung wie Kanban abzubilden? Um die Vorteile des Konzepts auch in untypischen Bereichen anwenden zu können, sind jedoch verschiedene Varianten oder Kanban-ähnliche Steuerungsmethoden entstanden. Darüber hinaus sind in der Praxis hybride Steuerungen im Einsatz, welche so kombiniert werden, dass die Zusammensetzung anspruchsvolle Eigenschaftsbilder noch exakt abbildet. In der Praxis basieren die Steuerungsentscheidungen nur zu einem kleinen Teil auf den eigentlichen Steuerungsalgorithmen, wie sie uns das MRP-System zur Verfügung stellt. Moderne Steuerungswelten" schließen alle relevanten Informationsquellen in eine heterogene Entscheidungsmatrix mit ein. Letztlich zählt nicht, ob die Entscheidung auf den Informationen aus dem MRP-System oder auf Softfacts basierend getroffen wurde, sondern nur, ob die Entscheidung erfolgreich war.

Mittelwert- und Arbeitstaktsynchrone Simulation von Dieselmotoren

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zahn, Sebastian

Getrieben durch die immer restriktiveren Anforderungen an das Emissions- und Verbrauchsverhalten moderner Verbrennungsmotoren steigt die Komplexität von Motormanagementsystemen mit jeder Modellgeneration an. Damit geht nicht nur eine Zunahme des Softwareumfangs von Steuergeräten sondern zugleich ein deutlicher Anstieg des Applikations-, Vermessungs- und Testaufwandes einher. Zur Effizienzsteigerung des Software- und Funktionsentwicklungsprozesses haben sich daher in der Automobilindustrie sowie in Forschungsinstituten verschiedene modell- und simulationsbasierte Methoden wie die Model-in-the-Loop (MiL) Simulation, die Software-in-the-Loop (SiL) Simulation, das Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP) sowie die Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) Simulation etabliert.

Visualisierung analoger Schaltungen durch 3-D Animation von transienten SPICE-Simulationen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Becker, J.; Manoli, Y.

2007-06-01

Für das Zeichnen analoger Schaltpläne wird oft versucht, die Potentialverteilung in der entsprechenden Schaltung auszunutzen, um eine Platzierung der Bauteile nach abfallendem Potential vorzunehmen. Mit Hilfe von Computerunterstützung gelingt es, eine verallgemeinerte dreidimensionale Platzierungsstrategie anzuwenden, die allein auf Grund der Potentialwerte einer Schaltung die automatische Generierung einer technisch exakten Potentialdarstellung erlaubt. Somit ist es möglich, die Ergebnisse von transienten SPICE-Simulationen in jedem Zeitschritt darzustellen und eine Animation des zeitlichen Verhaltens zu erzeugen. Die Umsetzung dieser Methode zur Einbettung in eine webbasierte Lern - und Arbeitsplattform wird im Folgenden erläutert.

Transition of the Combustion of Condensed Systems into an Explosion

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-02-06

tubes iwholly L 1 ed,’ with exrlnsives. Figure Cb de ,-cts the tube which w-.as used ty Gi’pson ar’J !Ma’L"ek for the study of the transition of ccrtUS...continuous optical recording c_’ the trocess of the tlii-sitiOTI CT’ crmsr.ion into aCetonatio.. it is schematically’ de -cicted on rg c The tube...r thlis zur-ose Zverev designed a special electronic amelifier. hIs amplifIer had a sc.*w resnonse, which made it rossible to use the ciezoelectric

Konzeption, Entwicklung und Evaluierung eines Messsystems zur sortenreinen Klassifikation von fluoreszenzcodierten Kunststoffen im Rahmen des Kunststoff-Recyclings(Conception, development and evaluation of a measuring system for the classification of fluorescence coded plastics within the framework of plastic recycling)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-13

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE 1 Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0 188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1...PRI CE CODE 19, SECURITY CLASSI FI CATI ON 20. LIM ITATION OF ABSTRACT OF ABSTRACT UNCLASSIFIED UL Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by...Trennung komplexer Kunststoffmixturen in Form von typi- schem Kunststoffmahlgut ("Flakes") und insbesondere dunkler bzw. schwarzer Kunst- stoffe beseitigt

Willkommen, Mr. Chance: Methodologische Betrachtungen zur Gute empirischer Forschung in der Padagogik, diskutiert vor allem an der neueren Untersuchung uber Gewalt von Heitmeyer u.a. (1995) = Welcome, Mr. Chance: Methodological Considerations Concerning the Quality of Empirical Research in Educational Science Based on a Recent Study on Violence Published by Heitmeyer et al. (1995).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wellenreuther, Martin

1997-01-01

Argues that the usefulness of strictly quantitative research is still questioned in educational studies, primarily due to deficiencies in methodological training. Uses a critique of a recent study by Heitmeyer et al. (1995) to illustrate the requirements of "good" empirical research. Considers the problems of hypothesis testing in field research.…

Aufbau des humanoiden Roboters BART III

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Resetov, Dimitri; Pietsch, Björn; Gerth, Wilfried

Der vorliegende Beitrag präsentiert den humanoiden Roboter BART III, der am Institut für Regelungstechnik als eine robuste und erweiterbare Plattform für weiterführende Grundlagenforschung zur zweibeinigen Fortbewegung entwickelt wurde. Im Gegensatz zu den bisher am IRT genutzten Robotern BARt-UH und LISA besitzt der neue Roboter einen beweglichen Oberkörper mit einem Bauchgelenk und Armen. BART III besitzt insgesamt 19 aktive Freiheitsgrade, 12 davon im Unterkörper. Ein weiteres Merkmal des Roboters ist die im gesamten Körper verteilte Ansteuerelektronik, die neben der lokalen Motorregelung diverse sicherheitsrelevante Funktionen übernimmt.

Contributions to the History of Astronomy, Vol. 5 (German Title: Beiträge zur Astronomiegeschichte, Band 5)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Wolfgang R.; Hamel, Jürgen

This book contains articles on 16th century horoscopes, on Athanasius Kircher's ``Organum Mathematicum'', on Gottfried Kirch's idea of an astronomical society, on a stellar photometer dating from 1786, on Bessel's review of Gauss' ``Theoria Motus'', on letters by F.X. von Zach, on the discovery of the minor planet Eros, as well as on the astronomers Christoph Scheiner, Johann Philipp von Wurzelbau, Georg Koch and Felix Linke. Short contributions and book reviews conclude this volume. Most papers are written in German. Main papers have English abstracts.

Sternbilder und ihre Mythen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fasching, Gerhard

Die Sternbilder und die damit verbundenen Mythen helfen, sich am Sternenhimmel zurechtzufinden und vermitteln die Vielfalt der Bilder der Mythologie und der Sternsagen. Sternkarten und alte Kupferstiche aus dem Bestand der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek zeigen, wie man sich in früheren Jahrhunderten den Sternenhimmel vorgestellt hat. Ausführliche Sachverzeichnisse mit über 3000 Suchbegriffen erleichtern den Zugang zu Stern- und Sternbildnamen und zur Mythologie. Die dritte, erweiterte Auflage gibt für die kommenden Jahrzehnte darüber Auskunft, wo und wann die Planeten aber auch Sternhaufen, Gasnebel und Galaxien am Himmel mühelos aufgefunden werden können.

Herausforderungen durch die deutsche Wiedervereinigung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stäglin, Reiner

Die Wiedervereinigung stellte auch die Statistik vor große Aufgaben. Die als Organ der staatlichen Planung staatsnah orientierte Statistik der DDR musste auf das zur Neutralität und wissenschaftlichen Unabhängigkeit verpflichtete System der Bundesrepublik umgestellt werden. Ebenso verlangten die Universitäten eine Neuorientierung. Die Deutsche Statistische Gesellschaft hat sich vor allem dreier Aufgaben mit großem Engagement, aber auch mit Bedachtsamkeit angenommen: Aufnahme und Integration der Statistiker aus den neuen Bundesländern in die Gesellschaft, Begleitung der Neuausrichtung des Faches Statistik an deren Hochschulen und Sicherung sowie Nutzung von Datenbeständen der ehemaligen DDR.

Grundlagen und Grundbegriffe der Messtechnik

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plaßmann, Wilfried

Es ist eine wesentliche Aufgabe der Messtechnik, technische Vorgänge quantitativ zu erfassen und anhand der gemessenen Größen Funktionsabläufe zu steuern. Als Beispiel sei ein Kraftwerk zur Energieerzeugung genannt, bei dem nur über die Messung von Temperaturen, Leistungen, Drücken und anderen Größen Aussagen über den momentanen Zustand möglich sind und bei Abweichungen vom Sollwert geeignete Eingriffe in das System erfolgen können. Damit eine eindeutige Kommunikation möglich wird, sind die in der Messtechnik verwendeten Begriffe, Messverfahren und Maßeinheiten in entsprechenden Normen oder Vorschriften festgelegt.

Automatisierung des Verfahrens nach Beyer & Schweiger (1969) zur Bestimmung von Durchlässigkeit und Porosität aus Kornverteilungskurven

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houben, Georg J.; Blümel, Martin

2017-11-01

Porosity is a fundamental parameter in hydrogeology. The empirical method of Beyer and Schweiger (1969) allows the calculation of hydraulic conductivity and both the total and effective porosity from granulometric data. However, due to its graphical nature with type curves, it is tedious to apply and prone to reading errors. In this work, the type curves were digitized and emulated by mathematical functions. The latter were implemented into a spreadsheet and a visual basic program, allowing the fast automated application of the method for any number of samples.

Imagineering the astronomical revolution - Essay review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jardine, Nicholas.

2006-11-01

Concerning following Books: (I) Transmitting knowledge - words, images, and instruments in early modern Europe. Kusukawa and Maclean (eds.), OUP, Oxford, 2006; (II) Widmung, Welterklärung und Wissenschaftslegitimierung: Titelbilder und ihre Funktionen in der wissenschaftlichen Revolution. Remmert, Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden, 2005; (III) The power of images in early modern science. Lefevre, Renn and Schoepflin (eds.), Birkhäuser, Basel, 2003; (IV) Immagini per conoscere - dal Rinascimento alla rivoluzione scientifica. Meroi and Pogliano (eds.), Olschki, Florenz, 2001; (V) Erkenntnis Erfindung Konstruktion - Studien zur Bildgeschichte von Naturwissenschaften und Technik vom 16. bis zum 19. Jahrhundert. Holländer (ed.), Mann, Berlin, 2000.

Transcriptional regulation by Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) in pathogenic bacteria.

PubMed

Troxell, Bryan; Hassan, Hosni M

2013-01-01

In the ancient anaerobic environment, ferrous iron (Fe(2+)) was one of the first metal cofactors. Oxygenation of the ancient world challenged bacteria to acquire the insoluble ferric iron (Fe(3+)) and later to defend against reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the Fenton chemistry. To acquire Fe(3+), bacteria produce low-molecular weight compounds, known as siderophores, which have extremely high affinity for Fe(3+). However, during infection the host restricts iron from pathogens by producing iron- and siderophore-chelating proteins, by exporting iron from intracellular pathogen-containing compartments, and by limiting absorption of dietary iron. Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) is a transcription factor which utilizes Fe(2+) as a corepressor and represses siderophore synthesis in pathogens. Fur, directly or indirectly, controls expression of enzymes that protect against ROS damage. Thus, the challenges of iron homeostasis and defense against ROS are addressed via Fur. Although the role of Fur as a repressor is well-documented, emerging evidence demonstrates that Fur can function as an activator. Fur activation can occur through three distinct mechanisms (1) indirectly via small RNAs, (2) binding at cis regulatory elements that enhance recruitment of the RNA polymerase holoenzyme (RNAP), and (3) functioning as an antirepressor by removing or blocking DNA binding of a repressor of transcription. In addition, Fur homologs control defense against peroxide stress (PerR) and control uptake of other metals such as zinc (Zur) and manganese (Mur) in pathogenic bacteria. Fur family members are important for virulence within bacterial pathogens since mutants of fur, perR, or zur exhibit reduced virulence within numerous animal and plant models of infection. This review focuses on the breadth of Fur regulation in pathogenic bacteria.

Transcriptional regulation by Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) in pathogenic bacteria

PubMed Central

Troxell, Bryan; Hassan, Hosni M.

2013-01-01

In the ancient anaerobic environment, ferrous iron (Fe2+) was one of the first metal cofactors. Oxygenation of the ancient world challenged bacteria to acquire the insoluble ferric iron (Fe3+) and later to defend against reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by the Fenton chemistry. To acquire Fe3+, bacteria produce low-molecular weight compounds, known as siderophores, which have extremely high affinity for Fe3+. However, during infection the host restricts iron from pathogens by producing iron- and siderophore-chelating proteins, by exporting iron from intracellular pathogen-containing compartments, and by limiting absorption of dietary iron. Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) is a transcription factor which utilizes Fe2+ as a corepressor and represses siderophore synthesis in pathogens. Fur, directly or indirectly, controls expression of enzymes that protect against ROS damage. Thus, the challenges of iron homeostasis and defense against ROS are addressed via Fur. Although the role of Fur as a repressor is well-documented, emerging evidence demonstrates that Fur can function as an activator. Fur activation can occur through three distinct mechanisms (1) indirectly via small RNAs, (2) binding at cis regulatory elements that enhance recruitment of the RNA polymerase holoenzyme (RNAP), and (3) functioning as an antirepressor by removing or blocking DNA binding of a repressor of transcription. In addition, Fur homologs control defense against peroxide stress (PerR) and control uptake of other metals such as zinc (Zur) and manganese (Mur) in pathogenic bacteria. Fur family members are important for virulence within bacterial pathogens since mutants of fur, perR, or zur exhibit reduced virulence within numerous animal and plant models of infection. This review focuses on the breadth of Fur regulation in pathogenic bacteria. PMID:24106689

Umgang mit Antithrombotika bei Operationen an der Haut vor und nach Publikation der entsprechenden S3-Leitlinie.

PubMed

Gaskins, Matthew; Dittmann, Martin; Eisert, Lisa; Werner, Ricardo Niklas; Dressler, Corinna; Löser, Christoph; Nast, Alexander

2018-03-01

Laut einer Befragung im Jahre 2012 war der Umgang mit Antithrombotika bei dermatochirurgischen Eingriffen in Deutschland sehr heterogen. 2014 wurde erstmals eine evidenzbasierte Leitlinie zu diesem Thema veröffentlicht. Es wurde eine anonyme Befragung derselben Stichprobe zum Umgang mit Antithrombotika sowie zu Kenntnissen der Leitlinie durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse wurden als relative Häufigkeiten berichtet und denen aus 2012 gegenübergestellt. 208 Antwortbögen wurden ausgewertet (Rücklaufquote: 36,6 %). Die große Mehrheit der Dermatologen erklärte, kleinere Eingriffe unter Fortführung der Therapie mit Phenprocoumon, niedrig dosierter Acetylsalicylsäure (≤ 100 mg) und Clopidogrel sowie mit direkten oralen Antikoagulanzien durchzuführen. Bei größeren Eingriffen war der Umgang hingegen weiterhin heterogen, insbesondere unter niedergelassenen Dermatologen. Der Anteil der Dermatologen, die Phenprocoumon, Acetylsalicylsäure und Clopidogrel leitlinienkonform verwendeten, hat sich insgesamt vergrößert. Führten 2012 beispielsweise 53,8 % der Klinikärzte bzw. 36,3 % der niedergelassenen Dermatologen eine große Exzision unter Fortführung der Therapie mit niedrig dosierter Acetylsalicylsäure durch, taten dies 2017 90,2 % bzw. 57,8 % (Phenprocoumon: 33,8 % bzw. 11,9 % auf 63,9 % bzw. 29,9 %; Clopidogrel: 36,9 % bzw. 23,2 % auf 63,9 % bzw. 30,6 %). Unter den Klinikärzten war ein hoher Anteil mit der Leitlinie vertraut und fand diese hilfreich. Eine Zunahme des leitlinienkonformen Verhaltens war bei allen Eingriffen zu verzeichnen. Bei größeren Eingriffen zeigte sich trotz deutlicher Verbesserung die Notwendigkeit verstärkter Anstrengungen zur Leitlinienumsetzung bzw. zur Identifizierung von Implementierungsbarrieren. © 2018 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Big Biology: Supersizing Science During the Emergence of the 21st Century

PubMed Central

Vermeulen, Niki

2017-01-01

Ist Biologie das jüngste Mitglied in der Familie von Big Science? Die vermehrte Zusammenarbeit in der biologischen Forschung wurde in der Folge des Human Genome Project zwar zum Gegenstand hitziger Diskussionen, aber Debatten und Reflexionen blieben meist im Polemischen verhaftet und zeigten eine begrenzte Wertschätzung für die Vielfalt und Erklärungskraft des Konzepts von Big Science. Zur gleichen Zeit haben Wissenschafts- und Technikforscher/innen in ihren Beschreibungen des Wandels der Forschungslandschaft die Verwendung des Begriffs Big Science gemieden. Dieser interdisziplinäre Artikel kombiniert eine begriffliche Analyse des Konzepts von Big Science mit unterschiedlichen Daten und Ideen aus einer Multimethodenuntersuchung mehrerer großer Forschungsprojekte in der Biologie. Ziel ist es, ein empirisch fundiertes, nuanciertes und analytisch nützliches Verständnis von Big Biology zu entwickeln und die normativen Debatten mit ihren einfachen Dichotomien und rhetorischen Positionen hinter sich zu lassen. Zwar kann das Konzept von Big Science als eine Mode in der Wissenschaftspolitik gesehen werden – inzwischen vielleicht sogar als ein altmodisches Konzept –, doch lautet meine innovative Argumentation, dass dessen analytische Verwendung unsere Aufmerksamkeit auf die Ausweitung der Zusammenarbeit in den Biowissenschaften lenkt. Die Analyse von Big Biology zeigt Unterschiede zu Big Physics und anderen Formen von Big Science, namentlich in den Mustern der Forschungsorganisation, der verwendeten Technologien und der gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhänge, in denen sie tätig ist. So können Reflexionen über Big Science, Big Biology und ihre Beziehungen zur Wissensproduktion die jüngsten Behauptungen über grundlegende Veränderungen in der Life Science-Forschung in einen historischen Kontext stellen. PMID:27215209

An analytic solution for periodic thermally-driven flows over an infinite slope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zardi, Dino; Serafin, Stefano

2013-04-01

The flow generated along an infinite slope in an unperturbed stably stratified atmosphere at rest by a time periodic surface temperature forcing is examined. Following Defant (1949), a set of equations is derived which extends Prandtl's (1942) theory to allow for nonstationary conditions. Uniform boundary conditions are conducive to an along-slope parallel flow, governed by a periodically reversing local imbalance between along-slope advection and slope-normal fluxes of momentum and heat. Solutions include both a transient part and a subsequent periodic regime. The former can only be expressed in an integral form, whereas the latter is a combination of exponential and sine or cosine functions of time and height normal to the slope. Key parameters are the quantity Nα = N sinα (where α is the slope angle, and N is the Brunt-Väisälä frequency of the unperturbed atmosphere) and the angular frequency of the driving surface temperature cycle, ?. Three different flow regimes may occur, namely subcritical (Nα < ?), critical (Nα = ?) and supercritical (Nα > ?). The properties of the solutions in each regime are examined and discussed. The relationship between the present solutions and the earlier time-dependent slope flow model by Defant (1949) is also discussed. References Defant, F., 1949: Zur Theorie der Hangwinde, nebst Bemerkungen zur Theorie der Berg- und Talwinde. [A theory of slope winds, along with remarks on the theory of mountain winds and valley winds]. Arch. Meteor. Geophys. Bioclimatol., Ser. A, 1, 421-450 (Theoretical and Applied Climatology). [English translation: Whiteman, C.D., and E. Dreiseitl, 1984: Alpine meteorology: Translations of classic contributions by A. Wagner, E. Ekhart and F. Defant. PNL-5141 / ASCOT-84-3. Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, Washington, 121 pp]. Prandtl, L., 1942: Strömungslehre [Flow Studies]. Vieweg und Sohn, Braunschweig, 382 pp.

Cysteine, histidine and glycine exhibit anti-inflammatory effects in human coronary arterial endothelial cells.

PubMed

Hasegawa, S; Ichiyama, T; Sonaka, I; Ohsaki, A; Okada, S; Wakiguchi, H; Kudo, K; Kittaka, S; Hara, M; Furukawa, S

2012-02-01

The activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) in vascular endothelial cells may be involved in vascular pathogeneses such as vasculitis or atherosclerosis. Recently, it has been reported that some amino acids exhibit anti-inflammatory effects. We investigated the inhibitory effects of a panel of amino acids on cytokine production or expression of adhesion molecules that are involved in inflammatory diseases in various cell types. The activation of NF-κB was determined in human coronary arterial endothelial cells (HCAECs) because NF-κB modulates the production of many cytokines and the expression of adhesion molecules. We examined the inhibitory effects of the amino acids cysteine, histidine and glycine on the induction of NF-κB activation, expression of CD62E (E-selectin) and the production of interleukin (IL)-6 in HCAECs stimulated with tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Cysteine, histidine and glycine significantly reduced NF-κB activation and inhibitor κBα (IκBα) degradation in HCAECs stimulated with TNF-α. Additionally, all the amino acids inhibited the expression of E-selectin and the production of IL-6 in HCAECs, and the effects of cysteine were the most significant. Our results show that glycine, histidine and cysteine can inhibit NF-κB activation, IκBα degradation, CD62E expression and IL-6 production in HCAECs, suggesting that these amino acids may exhibit anti-inflammatory effects during endothelial inflammation. © 2012 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Immunology © 2012 British Society for Immunology.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Migraine: Bystanders or Partners?

PubMed Central

Lu, Ching-Liang

2013-01-01

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and migraine are distinct clinical disorders. Apart from the characteristics of chronic and recurrent pain in nature, these pain-related disorders apparently share many similarities. For example, IBS is female predominant with community prevalence about 5-10%, whereas that of migraine is 1-3% also showing female predominance. They are often associated with many somatic and psychiatric comorbidities in terms of fibromyaglia, chronic fatigue syndrome, interstitial cystitis, insomnia and depression etc., even the IBS subjects may have coexisted migraine with an estimated odds ratio of 2.66. They similarly reduce the quality of life of victims leading to the social, medical and economic burdens. Their pathogeneses have been somewhat addressed in relation to biopsychosocial dysfunction, heredity, genetic polymorphism, central/visceral hypersensitivity, somatic/cutaneous allodynia, neurolimbic pain network, gonadal hormones and abuses etc. Both disorders are diagnosed according to the symptomatically based criteria. Multidisciplinary managements such as receptor target new drugs, melantonin, antispasmodics, and psychological drugs and measures, complementary and alternatives etc. are recommended to treat them although the used agents may not be necessarily the same. Finally, the prognosis of IBS is pretty good, whereas that of migraine is less fair since suicide attempt and stroke are at risk. In conclusion, both distinct chronic pain disorders to share many similarities among various aspects probably suggest that they may locate within the same spectrum of a pain-centered disorder such as central sensitization syndromes. The true pathogenesis to involve these disorders remains to be clarified in the future. PMID:23875096

Beneficial synergistic effects of microdose lithium with pyrroloquinoline quinone in an Alzheimer's disease mouse model.

PubMed

Zhao, Lei; Gong, Neng; Liu, Meng; Pan, Xiaoli; Sang, Shaoming; Sun, Xiaojing; Yu, Zhe; Fang, Qi; Zhao, Na; Fei, Guoqiang; Jin, Lirong; Zhong, Chunjiu; Xu, Tianle

2014-12-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complicated, neurodegenerative disorder involving multifactorial pathogeneses and still lacks effective clinical treatment. Recent studies show that lithium exerts disease-modifying effects against AD. However, the intolerant side effects at conventional effective dosage limit the clinical use of lithium in treating AD. To explore a novel AD treatment strategy with microdose lithium, we designed and synthesized a new chemical, tri-lithium pyrroloquinoline quinone (Li3PQQ), to study the synergistic effects of low-dose lithium and pyrroloquinoline quinone, a native compound with powerful antioxidation and mitochondrial amelioration. The results showed that Li3PQQ at a relative low dose (6 and 12 mg/kg) exhibited more powerful effects in restoring the impairment of learning and memory, facilitating hippocampal long-term potentiation, and reducing cerebral amyloid deposition and phosphorylated tau level in APP/PS1 transgenic mice than that of lithium chloride at both low and high dose (5 and 100 mg/kg). We further found that Li3PQQ inhibited the activity of glycogen synthase kinase-3 and increased the activity of β-amyloid-binding alcohol dehydrogenase, which might underlie the beneficial effects of Li3PQQ on APP/PS1 transgenic mice. Our study demonstrated the efficacy of a novel AD therapeutic strategy targeting at multiple disease-causing mechanisms through the synergistic effects of microdose lithium and pyrroloquinoline quinone. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Huanglian-Jie-Du-Tang Extract Ameliorates Depression-Like Behaviors through BDNF-TrkB-CREB Pathway in Rats with Chronic Unpredictable Stress

PubMed Central

Ye, Yi-Lu; Zhong, Kai; Liu, Dan-Dan; Xu, Jing; Pan, Bei-Bei; Yu, Yue-Ping

2017-01-01

Neuroinflammation is considered as one of the common pathogeneses of depression. Huanglian-Jie-Du-Tang (HJDT) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula. The present study investigates the antidepressant-like effect of HJDT and its possible mechanism in rats. Rats were given HJDT (2, 4, and 8 g/kg, intragastrically), paroxetine (1.8 mg/kg, intragastrically), or an equivalent volume of saline for 42 days. The depression-related behaviors, including sucrose preference test (SPT), open field test (OFT), novel objective recognition task (NORT), and forced swimming test (FST), were detected. 5-Hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and dopamine (DA) contents, microglial activation, proinflammatory cytokines, and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tropomyosin receptor kinases B (TrkB), and cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) expression were investigated. The results indicated HJDT (2 and 4 g/kg) dramatically ameliorated the depression-like behaviors. Also HJDT decreased the number of microglia and the proinflammatory cytokines in hippocampus. Western-blotting analysis displayed HJDT upregulated BDNF, TrkB, and pCREB/CREB expression in hippocampus. Particularly, pCREB DNA activity enhanced with HJDT treatment in hippocampus. But there was no difference in the 5-HT and DA contents with HJDT treatment. In conclusion, it was supposed that HJDT might be a potential Chinese medicine decoction for treating or alleviating complex symptoms of depression through BDNF-TrkB-CREB pathway. PMID:28694833

[Involuntary sterilization of men in the Third Reich using the example of the surgical clinic in Göttingen from 1934-1944].

PubMed

Hansson, N

2015-04-01

The German Law for Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring (Das Gesetz zur Verhütung erbkranken Nachwuchses) was enacted in 1933. It allowed forced sterilization of patients who had been diagnosed with certain so-called hereditary diseases. Drawing on patient files from the city of Göttingen, this article provides new research results about the practice of forced sterilization of men in the Third Reich. Results show that around 1000 men were sentenced to sterilization by the local hereditary health court (Erbgesundheitsgericht). In this article, some aspects of the operation and "refertilization" are reconstructed.

Alternative Antriebe für Automobile: Hybridsysteme, Brennstoffzellen, alternative Energieträger

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stan, Cornel

Über die Realisierungsmöglichkeiten zukünftiger Antriebskonzepte - von Hybridsystemen Elektro-/Verbrennungsmotor über Brennstoffzellen bis zu alternativen Energieträgern wie Wasserstoff oder Alkohol - werden fundierte Kriterien der Qualität eines Antriebs entscheiden. Leistungsdichte, Drehmomentverlauf, Beschleunigungscharakteristik, spezifischer Energieverbrauch sowie Emission chemischer Stoffe und Geräusche sind dafür wichtige Merkmale zur Qualitätsbeurteilung. Die Verfügbarkeit und die Speicherfähigkeit vorgesehener Energieträger, die technische Komplexität, Kosten, Sicherheit, Infrastruktur und Service werden die Randbedingungen für die Einführung realisierbarer Konzepte alternativer Antriebe für Automobile stellen.

Empirische Verfahren zur Ableitung verschiedener Porositätsarten aus Durchlässigkeitsbeiwert und Ungleichkörnigkeitszahl - ein Überblick

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuchs, Sven; Ziesche, Michael; Nillert, Peter

2017-06-01

This paper comprises a review of the 13 studies that have been proposed for the derivation of porosity, effective porosity and/or specific yield from grain size distributions (Lejbenson 1947; Istomina 1957; Beyer 1964; Hennig 1966; Golf 1966; Marotz 1968; Beyer und Schweiger 1969; Seiler 1973; Bureau of Reclamation 1984; Helmbold 1988; Beims und Luckner 1999; Balke et al. 2000; Helmbold 2002). Experimental design, limitations and application boundaries are discussed and methods are compared against each other. The quality of the predictive methods strongly depends on the experimental design and the sample type.

Personen- und Güterverkehr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flämig, Heike; Gertz, Carsten; Mühlhausen, Thorsten

Im Jahr 2010 war in Deutschland der Verkehrssektor für fast 20 % der energiebedingten Treibhausgase verantwortlich. Das Klima hat sich bereits so weit verändert, dass zur Sicherung der Funktion der Verkehrssysteme auch Anpassungsmaßnahmen notwendig sind. Diese Maßnahmen müssen durch verkehrsreduzierende bzw. -beeinflussende Maßnahmen ergänzt werden. Ausgehend von den Emissionen im Verkehrssektor und möglichen Minderungen schlägt das Kapitel den Bogen zu Optionen der Anpassung an den Klimawandel, die ausführlich und konkret dargestellt werden. Besonders betrachtet werden die mannigfaltigen Gefahren der Rückkopplung sowie die vielfältigen Wechselwirungen mit anderen Themengebieten und Sektoren.

Analyse der Literatur zu Klimawirkungen in Deutschland: ein Gesamtbild mit Lücken

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleischhauer, Mark; Greiving, Stefan; Lindner, Christian; Lückenkötter, Johannes; Schauser, Inke

Dieses Kapitel präsentiert Ergebnisse einer umfassenden Literaturauswertung zu relevanten Klimawirkungen für Deutschland, die im Rahmen des Projekts "Netzwerk Vulnerabilität" vorgenommen wurde. Es zeigt auf, dass ein aggregiertes Gesamtbild der Klimawirkungen für Deutschland als Grundlage für Folgenabschätzungen und Anpassungsplanungen noch nicht gezeichnet werden kann, da eine große Bandbreite an Ansätzen zur Bewertung von Vulnerabilitäten oder Klimawandelfolgen existiert und die gegenwärtig vorhandenen Klimawirkungs- und Vulnerabilitätsstudien von großer Heterogenität gekennzeichnet sind. Als erster Schritt wird deshalb eine Zusammenschau bereits vorhandener Ansätze geliefert.

[Leben im Eismeer - Tauchuntersuchungen zur Biologie arktischer Meerespflanzen und Meerestiere

PubMed

Lippert; Karsten; Wiencke

2000-01-01

Die Maske wird nochmals auf Dichtigkeit überprüft, der Knoten der Sicherungsleine mit zwei halben Schlägen fixiert, dann rutscht die Taucherin von der Eiskante in das kalte Wasser. Eine halbe Stunde vergeht, bevor ihr Kopf wieder aus dem Eisloch auftaucht und sie ein großes Sammelnetz nach oben reicht, gefüllt mit verschiedenen Arten von Makroalgen. Obwohl noch große Flächen des Kongsfjordes im arktischen Spitzbergen zugefroren sind und das Festland von einer dicken Schneedecke bedeckt ist, hat unter Wasser in den Algenwäldern bereits der Sommer und damit die Saison der Meeresbiologen begonnen.

Kommunikation mit Mitarbeitern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spychala, Anne; Fleischmann, Jürgen

Kommunikation ist der Austausch von Nachrichten und Informationen zwischen Mitarbeitern eines Unternehmens (O'Hair et al. 1997). Dieser Austausch kann persönlich, aber z.B. auch per Telefon, E-Mail oder durch Computersysteme erfolgen. In diesem Kapitel betrachten wir die persönliche Kommunikation zwischen Vorgesetzten und Mitarbeitern. Zur persönlichen Kommunikation mit Mitarbeitern zählen sowohl formelle Gespräche mit Mitarbeitern als auch eher informelle Gespräche zwischen Tür und Angel. Die Gespräche können dabei mit einzelnen Mitarbeitern (z.B. jährliches Mitarbeitergespräch) oder mit Gruppen von Mitarbeitern (z.B. regelmäßige Projekt- oder Teambesprechungen) stattfinden.

Zur chemie der marsoberfläche

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keil, Klaus; Clark, Benton C.; Baird, A.K.; Toulmin, Priestley; Rose, Harry J.

1978-01-01

Analyses of 13 samples of Martian surface materials with the Viking X-ray fluorescence spectrometers show SiO2 similar to that of terrestrial mafic rocks, whereas Fe2O3, Cl, and S are higher and Al2O3, K2O, Rb, Sr, Y, and Zr are lower. Low totals suggest presence of CO2, H2O, and Na2O. Duricrust fragments are higher in S than fines, but samples from both landing sites are surprisingly similar. We suggest that Martian surface materials are aeolian deposits of complex mixtures of weathering products of maficultramafic rocks, possibly consisting of iron-rich clays, sulfates, iron oxides, carbonates, and chlorides.

Segmentierung von Aortenaneurysmen in CTA-Bildern mit dem statistischen Verfahren der Active Appearance Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greiner, Katharina; Egger, Jan; Großkopf, Stefan; Kaftan, Jens N.; Dörner, Ralf; Freisleben, Bernd

In diesem Beitrag werden Active Appearance Models (AAMs) zur Segmentierung der äußeren Kontur von Aortenaneurysmen eingesetzt. Diese Aufgabe ist wegen des geringen Kontrastes zum umliegenden Gewebe und des Aufbaus der teils thrombotisierten oder kalzifizierten Gefäßwände im Bereich eines Aneurysmas so komplex, dass sie aufgrund der Vielgestalt der Kontur in CT-Angiographie-Bildern die Verwendung eines statistischen Modells für Form und eingeschlossene Textur rechtfertigt. Für die Evaluation des Verfahrens wurden verschiedene statistische Modelle aus Schichten von neun CTA-Datensätzen trainiert und die Segmentierung anhand von Leave-One-Out-Tests überprüft.

Integriertes Informationsmanagement am KIT Was bleibt? Was kommt?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labitzke, Sebastian; Nussbaumer, Martin; Hartenstein, Hannes; Juling, Wilfried

Der Beitrag beschreibt wesentliche seit dem Jahr 2005 an der Universität Karlsruhe bzw. am Karlsruher Institut für Technologie erzielte Ergebnisse in Bezug auf technische und organisatorische Integration für das Informationsmanagement. Insbesondere stehen die Portaldienste und das Identitätsmanagement im Fokus der technischen Innovation. Daneben werden zwei organisatorische Innovationen vorgestellt, die sich dediziert Fragestellungen zur IT-Governance und IT-Compliance widmen. Abschließend werden erzielte Schlüsselerfahrungen diskutiert, die im Zuge des Aufbaus eines integrierten Informationsmanagements gemacht wurden. Ausblickend wollen wir einen Bezug zu den allgegenwärtigen Problemstellungen und verbundenen Herausforderungen derartiger Vorhaben aufzeigen - Herausforderungen, die waren, sind und bleiben werden.

Organisationsaspekte in der Umsetzung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balck, Henning; Bungard, Walter; Hofmann, Karsten; Ganz, Walter; Schwenker, Burkhard; Hanßen, Dirk; Meindl, Rudolf; Schloske, Alexander; Thieme, Paul; Teufel, Peter

Strukturbrüche sind eine der Hauptursachen für die Schwierigkeiten vieler Unternehmen, ihre Organisationsform zu modernisieren und vor allem turbulenten Marktbedingungen anzupassen. Klassische Beispiele für Strukturbrüche finden sich in der Spaltung von Aufbau- und Ablauforganisation, der Spaltung von Produktion und Dienstleistung oder der Spaltung von Planung und Ausführung. Ein wirkungsvoller Ansatz zur Überwindung solcher Spaltungen ist eine Art Versöhnungsmuster: die Polare Organisation. Wesentliche Elemente dieser Organisationsform sind ihr Netzwerkcharakter, kooperatives Zusammenwirken, eine hohe Kommunikationsintensität und eine polare Koppelung der kommunizierenden Partner oder - in abstrahierter Form - die organisierte Balance erfolgskritischer Gegensätze, wie Kosten und Qualität.

Innenstädte im ländlichen Raum - Wirksame Maßnahmen zur Revitalisierung zentraler Einzelhandelslagen im ruralen Umfeld

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hilpert, Markus; Völkening, Niklas; Beck, Christin

2018-06-01

In contrast to the retail sector in metropolises and medium-sized towns, its counterpart in rural regions is far less examined and described in scientific geographic literature. As many rural communities face similar challenges (e. g. growing vacancy rates, insufficient accessibility and unresolved succession in businesses), this article expounds fundamental mechanisms for strengthening or at least stabilizing their attractiveness as environments for living and for economy. Next to "hard" facts, as for example accessibility and parking spaces, less tangible themes like quality of stay, multicontextuality or service as well as comprehensive concepts like city marketing or place branding take on greater significance.

Neuausrichtung und Konsolidierung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grohmann, Heinz

Mit der Wahl von Wolfgang Wetzel zum Vorsitzenden der Deutschen Statistischen Gesellschaft im Jahre 1972 begann eine 32jährige Ära, in der die praktische und die theoretische Statistik in einem ausgewogenen Verhältnis gepflegt wurden. Ein regelmäßiger vierjähriger Wechsel im Vorsitz stärkte die Gemeinschaft und die praktische wie die wissenschaftliche Arbeit gleichermaßen. Die jährlichen Hauptversammlungen behandelten gesellschaftlich aktuelle wie zukunftsorientierte Themen, und die Ausschüsse sowie weitere Veranstaltungen gaben Gelegenheit zur Förderung und Pflege einer Vielzahl von Arbeitsgebieten der Statistik. Darüber wird nicht nur in diesem Kapitel, sondern auch in den Teilen II und III des Bandes berichtet.

Zur Biologie des marinen Heterotardigraden Tetrakentron synaptae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kristensen, R. M.

1980-06-01

The life cycle of Tetrakentron synaptae Cuénot, 1892, a tardigrade closely associated with the sea cucumber Leptosynapta galliennei Herapath, was investigated in the littoral zone at Roscoff (France). Eggs and juveniles were found only in June and July, adults only from May to October. There are vagile males and stationary dwarf males. The dorsoventrally flattened body, an enlarged slimy epicuticle in females and dwarf males, the full set of claws also in juveniles, and the anus, which is in a dorsocaudal position, are indicative for an epizoic, sessile life. There is strong evidence that T. synaptae punctures the cells of L. galliennei and sucks out their content, which is indicative of parasitism.

On the contribution of Heinrich Bruns to theoretical geometrical optics. With consideration of his correspondence with scientists of the Zeiss Company in Jena 1888-1893. (German Title: Über den Beitrag von Heinrich Bruns zur theoretischen geometrischen Optik Unter Berücksichtigung seines Briefwechsels mit Wissenschaftlern der Zeiss-Werke in Jena 1888-1893)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilgauds, Hans-Joachim; Münzel, Gisela

This paper describes the works of Heinrich Bruns, director of the Leipzig University Observatory, on theoretical geometrical optics, which followed an outstanding tradition in Leipzig. Bruns and his pupils did not stop at theoretical considerations, but applied their findings to practical questions. Bruns' correspondence with opticians of the Zeiss Company in Jena, so far known only fragmentarily, gives impressive evidence of their friendly relationship characterized by mutual regard and stimulation.

Mikrobielle Kurzzeitteste zur Bestimmung der mutagenen Potenz chemischer Substanzen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gericke, Dietmar

1983-04-01

During the last 20 years it became much more interesting to test new chemicals as fast as possible for their carcinogenic potency. Therefore new test models were developed. Mutagenicity seems to be one sign for carcinogenicity. Therefore test systems using microorganisms were studied which are influenced by mutagenic substances. These systems are described, first of all the Ames-Test, using revertants of Salmonella typhimurium, secondly the Escherichia coli system deficient of DNA-polymerase A (DNA-Pol A-). The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was introduced some years ago and finally the Neurospora crassa system serves as an additional test to define exactly the localisation of mutations. The tests and their problems are discussed.

Ablation of the GNB3 gene in mice does not affect body weight, metabolism or blood pressure, but causes bradycardia

PubMed Central

Ye, Yuanchao; Sun, Zhizeng; Guo, Ang; Song, Long-sheng; Grobe, Justin L.; Chen, Songhai

2014-01-01

G protein β3 (Gβ3) is an isoform of heterotrimeric G protein β subunits involved in transducing G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. Polymorphisms in Gβ3 (GNB3) are associated with many human disorders (e.g. hypertension, diabetes and obesity) but the role of GNB3 in these pathogeneses remains unclear. Here, Gβ3-null mice (GNB3−/−) were characterized to determine how Gβ3 functions to regulate blood pressure, body weight and metabolism. We found Gβ3 expression restricted to limited types of tissues, including the retina, several regions of brain and heart ventricles. Gβ3-deficient mice were normal as judged by body weight gain by age or by feeding with high-fat diet (HFD); glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity; baseline blood pressure and angiotensin II infusion-induced hypertension. During tail-cuff blood pressure measurements, however, Gβ3-null mice had slower heart rates (~450 vs ~500 beats/min). This bradycardia was not observed in isolated and perfused Gβ3-null mouse hearts. Moreover, mouse hearts isolated from GNB3−/− and controls responded equivalently to muscarinic receptor- and β-adrenergic receptor-stimulated bradycardia and tachycardia, respectively. Since no difference was seen in isolated hearts, Gβ3 is unlikely to be involved directly in the GPCR signaling activity that controls heart pacemaker activity. These results demonstrate that although Gβ3 appears dispensable in mice for regulation of blood pressure, body weight and metabolic features associated with obesity and diabetes, Gβ3 may regulate heart rate. PMID:25093805

Molecular characterization of chronic-type adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma.

PubMed

Yoshida, Noriaki; Karube, Kennosuke; Utsunomiya, Atae; Tsukasaki, Kunihiro; Imaizumi, Yoshitaka; Taira, Naoya; Uike, Naokuni; Umino, Akira; Arita, Kotaro; Suguro, Miyuki; Tsuzuki, Shinobu; Kinoshita, Tomohiro; Ohshima, Koichi; Seto, Masao

2014-11-01

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL) is a human T-cell leukemia virus type-1-induced neoplasm with four clinical subtypes: acute, lymphoma, chronic, and smoldering. Although the chronic type is regarded as indolent ATL, about half of the cases progress to acute-type ATL. The molecular pathogenesis of acute transformation in chronic-type ATL is only partially understood. In an effort to determine the molecular pathogeneses of ATL, and especially the molecular mechanism of acute transformation, oligo-array comparative genomic hybridization and comprehensive gene expression profiling were applied to 27 and 35 cases of chronic and acute type ATL, respectively. The genomic profile of the chronic type was nearly identical to that of acute-type ATL, although more genomic alterations characteristic of acute-type ATL were observed. Among the genomic alterations frequently observed in acute-type ATL, the loss of CDKN2A, which is involved in cell-cycle deregulation, was especially characteristic of acute-type ATL compared with chronic-type ATL. Furthermore, we found that genomic alteration of CD58, which is implicated in escape from the immunosurveillance mechanism, is more frequently observed in acute-type ATL than in the chronic-type. Interestingly, the chronic-type cases with cell-cycle deregulation and disruption of immunosurveillance mechanism were associated with earlier progression to acute-type ATL. These findings suggested that cell-cycle deregulation and the immune escape mechanism play important roles in acute transformation of the chronic type and indicated that these alterations are good predictive markers for chronic-type ATL. ©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.

Autoimmune diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and the microbiome in schizophrenia: More than a gut feeling

PubMed Central

Severance, Emily G.; Yolken, Robert H.; Eaton, William W.

2014-01-01

Autoimmunity, gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and schizophrenia have been associated with one another for a long time. This paper reviews these connections and provides a context by which multiple risk factors for schizophrenia may be related. Epidemiological studies strongly link schizophrenia with autoimmune disorders including enteropathic celiac disease. Exposure to wheat gluten and bovine milk casein also contribute to non-celiac food sensitivities in susceptible individuals. Co-morbid GI inflammation accompanies humoral immunity to food antigens, occurs early during the course of schizophrenia and appears to be independent from antipsychotic-generated motility effects. This inflammation impacts endothelial barrier permeability and can precipitate translocation of gut bacteria into systemic circulation. Infection by the neurotropic gut pathogen, Toxoplasma gondii, will elicit an inflammatory GI environment. Such processes trigger innate immunity, including activation of complement C1q, which also functions at synapses in the brain. The emerging field of microbiome research lies at the center of these interactions with evidence that the abundance and diversity of resident gut microbiota contribute to digestion, inflammation, gut permeability and behavior. Dietary modifications of core bacterial compositions may explain inefficient gluten digestion and how immigrant status in certain situations is a risk factor for schizophrenia. Gut microbiome research in schizophrenia is in its infancy, but data in related fields suggest disease-associated altered phylogenetic compositions. In summary, this review surveys associative and experimental data linking autoimmunity, GI activity and schizophrenia, and proposes that understanding of disrupted biological pathways outside of the brain can lend valuable information regarding pathogeneses of complex, polygenic brain disorders. PMID:25034760

Cellular and molecular players in adipose tissue inflammation in the development of obesity-induced insulin resistance.

PubMed

Lee, Byung-Cheol; Lee, Jongsoon

2014-03-01

There is increasing evidence showing that inflammation is an important pathogenic mediator of the development of obesity-induced insulin resistance. It is now generally accepted that tissue-resident immune cells play a major role in the regulation of this obesity-induced inflammation. The roles that adipose tissue (AT)-resident immune cells play have been particularly extensively studied. AT contains most types of immune cells and obesity increases their numbers and activation levels, particularly in AT macrophages (ATMs). Other pro-inflammatory cells found in AT include neutrophils, Th1 CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, B cells, DCs, and mast cells. However, AT also contains anti-inflammatory cells that counter the pro-inflammatory immune cells that are responsible for the obesity-induced inflammation in this tissue. These anti-inflammatory cells include regulatory CD4 T cells (Tregs), Th2 CD4 T cells, and eosinophils. Hence, AT inflammation is shaped by the regulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory immune cell homeostasis, and obesity skews this balance towards a more pro-inflammatory status. Recent genetic studies revealed several molecules that participate in the development of obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance. In this review, the cellular and molecular players that participate in the regulation of obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance are discussed, with particular attention being placed on the roles of the cellular players in these pathogeneses. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Modulation of Adipose Tissue in Health and Disease. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Autoimmune diseases, gastrointestinal disorders and the microbiome in schizophrenia: more than a gut feeling.

PubMed

Severance, Emily G; Yolken, Robert H; Eaton, William W

2016-09-01

Autoimmunity, gastrointestinal (GI) disorders and schizophrenia have been associated with one another for a long time. This paper reviews these connections and provides a context by which multiple risk factors for schizophrenia may be related. Epidemiological studies strongly link schizophrenia with autoimmune disorders including enteropathic celiac disease. Exposure to wheat gluten and bovine milk casein also contribute to non-celiac food sensitivities in susceptible individuals. Co-morbid GI inflammation accompanies humoral immunity to food antigens, occurs early during the course of schizophrenia and appears to be independent from antipsychotic-generated motility effects. This inflammation impacts endothelial barrier permeability and can precipitate translocation of gut bacteria into systemic circulation. Infection by the neurotropic gut pathogen, Toxoplasma gondii, will elicit an inflammatory GI environment. Such processes trigger innate immunity, including activation of complement C1q, which also functions at synapses in the brain. The emerging field of microbiome research lies at the center of these interactions with evidence that the abundance and diversity of resident gut microbiota contribute to digestion, inflammation, gut permeability and behavior. Dietary modifications of core bacterial compositions may explain inefficient gluten digestion and how immigrant status in certain situations is a risk factor for schizophrenia. Gut microbiome research in schizophrenia is in its infancy, but data in related fields suggest disease-associated altered phylogenetic compositions. In summary, this review surveys associative and experimental data linking autoimmunity, GI activity and schizophrenia, and proposes that understanding of disrupted biological pathways outside of the brain can lend valuable information regarding pathogeneses of complex, polygenic brain disorders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Additive protection by LDR and FGF21 treatment against diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes model.

PubMed

Shao, Minglong; Yu, Lechu; Zhang, Fangfang; Lu, Xuemian; Li, Xiaokun; Cheng, Peng; Lin, Xiufei; He, Luqing; Jin, Shunzi; Tan, Yi; Yang, Hong; Zhang, Chi; Cai, Lu

2015-07-01

The onset of diabetic nephropathy (DN) is associated with both systemic and renal changes. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21 prevents diabetic complications mainly by improving systemic metabolism. In addition, low-dose radiation (LDR) protects mice from DN directly by preventing renal oxidative stress and inflammation. In the present study, we tried to define whether the combination of FGF21 and LDR could further prevent DN by blocking its systemic and renal pathogeneses. To this end, type 2 diabetes was induced by feeding a high-fat diet for 12 wk followed by a single dose injection of streptozotocin. Diabetic mice were exposed to 50 mGy LDR every other day for 4 wk with and without 1.5 mg/kg FGF21 daily for 8 wk. The changes in systemic parameters, including blood glucose levels, lipid profiles, and insulin resistance, as well as renal pathology, were examined. Diabetic mice exhibited renal dysfunction and pathological abnormalities, all of which were prevented significantly by LDR and/or FGF21; the best effects were observed in the group that received the combination treatment. Our studies revealed that the additive renal protection conferred by the combined treatment against diabetes-induced renal fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative damage was associated with the systemic improvement of hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance. These results suggest that the combination treatment with LDR and FGF21 prevented DN more efficiently than did either treatment alone. The mechanism behind these protective effects could be attributed to the suppression of both systemic and renal pathways. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

Additive protection by LDR and FGF21 treatment against diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes model

PubMed Central

Shao, Minglong; Yu, Lechu; Zhang, Fangfang; Lu, Xuemian; Li, Xiaokun; Cheng, Peng; Lin, Xiufei; He, Luqing; Jin, Shunzi; Tan, Yi; Yang, Hong; Cai, Lu

2015-01-01

The onset of diabetic nephropathy (DN) is associated with both systemic and renal changes. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-21 prevents diabetic complications mainly by improving systemic metabolism. In addition, low-dose radiation (LDR) protects mice from DN directly by preventing renal oxidative stress and inflammation. In the present study, we tried to define whether the combination of FGF21 and LDR could further prevent DN by blocking its systemic and renal pathogeneses. To this end, type 2 diabetes was induced by feeding a high-fat diet for 12 wk followed by a single dose injection of streptozotocin. Diabetic mice were exposed to 50 mGy LDR every other day for 4 wk with and without 1.5 mg/kg FGF21 daily for 8 wk. The changes in systemic parameters, including blood glucose levels, lipid profiles, and insulin resistance, as well as renal pathology, were examined. Diabetic mice exhibited renal dysfunction and pathological abnormalities, all of which were prevented significantly by LDR and/or FGF21; the best effects were observed in the group that received the combination treatment. Our studies revealed that the additive renal protection conferred by the combined treatment against diabetes-induced renal fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative damage was associated with the systemic improvement of hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance. These results suggest that the combination treatment with LDR and FGF21 prevented DN more efficiently than did either treatment alone. The mechanism behind these protective effects could be attributed to the suppression of both systemic and renal pathways. PMID:25968574

Association between findings on palmarodorsal radiographic images and detection of a fracture in the proximal sesamoid bones of forelimbs obtained from cadavers of racing Thoroughbreds.

PubMed

Anthenill, Lucy A; Stover, Susan M; Gardner, Ian A; Hill, Ashley E; Lee, Christina M; Anderson, Mark L; Barr, Bradd C; Read, Deryck H; Johnson, Bill J; Woods, Leslie W; Daft, Barbara M; Kinde, Hailu; Moore, Janet D; Farman, Cynthia A; Odani, Jenee S; Pesavento, Patricia A; Uzal, Francisco A; Case, James T; Ardans, Alex A

2006-05-01

To determine the distribution for limbs and bones in horses with fractures of the proximal sesamoid bones and relationships with findings on palmarodorsal radiographic images. Proximal sesamoid bones obtained from both forelimbs of cadavers of 328 racing Thoroughbreds. Osteophytes; large vascular channels; and fracture location, orientation, configuration, and margin distinctness were categorized by use of high-detail contact palmarodorsal radiographs. Distributions of findings were determined. Relationships between radiographic findings and fracture characteristics were examined by use of chi2 and logistic regression techniques. Fractures were detected in 136 (41.5%) horses. Biaxial fractures were evident in 109 (80%) horses with a fracture. Osteophytes and large vascular channels were evident in 266 (81%) and 325 (99%) horses, respectively. Medial bones typically had complete transverse or split transverse simple fractures, indistinct fracture margins, > 1 vascular channel that was > 1 mm in width, and osteophytes in abaxial wing and basilar middle or basilar abaxial locations. Lateral bones typically had an oblique fracture and distinct fracture margins. Odds of proximal sesamoid bone fracture were approximately 2 to 5 times higher in bones without radiographic evidence of osteophytes or large vascular channels, respectively. Biaxial fractures of proximal sesamoid bones were common in cadavers of racing Thoroughbreds. Differences between medial and lateral bones for characteristics associated with fracture may relate to differences in fracture pathogeneses for these bones. Osteophytes and vascular channels were common findings; however, fractures were less likely to occur in bones with these features.

Involvement of Alveolar Epithelial Cell Necroptosis in IPF Pathogenesis.

PubMed

Lee, Ji-Min; Yoshida, Masahiro; Kim, Mi-So; Lee, June-Hyuk; Baek, Ae-Rin; Jang, An Soo; Kim, Do Jin; Minagawa, Shunsuke; Chin, Su Sie; Park, Choon-Sik; Araya, Jun; Kuwano, Kazuyoshi; Park, Sung Woo

2018-02-14

Alveolar epithelial cell (AEC) injury leading to cell death is involved in the process of fibrosis development during idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Among regulated/programmed cell death, the excessive apoptosis of AECs has been widely implicated in IPF pathogenesis. Necroptosis is a type of regulated/programmed necrosis. A multiprotein complex composed of receptor-interacting protein kinase-1 and -3 (RIPK1/3) plays a key regulatory role in initiating necroptosis. Although necroptosis participates in disease pathogeneses through the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), its association with IPF progression remains elusive. In this study, we attempted to illuminate the involvement of RIPK3-regulated necroptosis in IPF pathogenesis. IPF lung tissues were used to detect necroptosis, and the role of RIPK3 was determined using cell culturing models of AECs. Lung fibrosis models of bleomycin (BLM) treatment were also used. RIPK3 expression levels were increased in IPF lungs and both apoptosis and necroptosis were detected mainly in AECs. Necrostatin-1 and RIPK3 knockdown experiments in AECs revealed the participation of necroptosis in BLM and hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death. BLM treatment induced RIPK3 expression in AECs and increased High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) levels in mouse lungs. The efficient attenuation of BLM-induced lung inflammation and fibrosis was determined in RIPK3 knockout mice and by necrostatin-1 with a concomitant reduction in HMGB1 and IL-1β. RIPK3-regulated necroptosis in AECs is involved in the mechanism of lung fibrosis development through the release of DAMPs as part of the pathogenic sequence of IPF.

AIDS-related lymphoma. Histopathology, immunophenotype, and association with Epstein-Barr virus as demonstrated by in situ nucleic acid hybridization.

PubMed Central

Hamilton-Dutoit, S. J.; Pallesen, G.; Franzmann, M. B.; Karkov, J.; Black, F.; Skinhøj, P.; Pedersen, C.

1991-01-01

To investigate the range of pathology shown by acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related lymphomas arising in an epidemiologically well-defined group of patients, all cases of lymphoma recognized in Danish human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals up to the end of 1988 were studied. Twenty-seven cases (26 high-grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma [NHL], 1 Hodgkin's disease) were found, to give a cumulative incidence rate of 8% among Danish AIDS patients. Morphologically most NHL patients were classified into two groups: 1) high-grade tumors with a predominant population of immunoblasts, either monomorphic or more often polymorphic with plasmacytic differentiation; 2) Burkitt-type. Of 26 NHLs, 22 had a B-cell paraffin-section immunophenotype and 4 were non-B, non-T. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA was demonstrated in tumor cells of 12 of 24 cases (50%) using in situ nucleic acid hybridization with a 35S-labeled probe in paraffin sections. Epstein-Barr virus DNA was found in 65% of group 1 and 20% of group 2 tumors. This study suggests the existence of two main groups of AIDS-related lymphoma with different pathogeneses. First there are immunoblast-rich lesions, which usually are associated with EBV and morphologically resemble lymphomas described in immunosuppressed organ-transplantation patients. Second there are Burkitt-type tumors in which EBV sequences are less common and that may be pathogenetically analogous to sporadic Burkitt's lymphoma. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 PMID:1846263

Lung Inflammatory Effects, Tumorigenesis, and Emphysema Development in a Long-Term Inhalation Study with Cigarette Mainstream Smoke in Mice

PubMed Central

Stabbert, Regina

2013-01-01

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, yet there is little mechanistic information available in the literature. To improve this, laboratory models for cigarette mainstream smoke (MS) inhalation–induced chronic disease development are needed. The current study investigated the effects of exposing male A/J mice to MS (6h/day, 5 days/week at 150 and 300mg total particulate matter per cubic meter) for 2.5, 5, 10, and 18 months in selected combinations with postinhalation periods of 0, 4, 8, and 13 months. Histopathological examination of step-serial sections of the lungs revealed nodular hyperplasia of the alveolar epithelium and bronchioloalveolar adenoma and adenocarcinoma. At 18 months, lung tumors were found to be enhanced concentration dependently (up to threefold beyond sham exposure), irrespective of whether MS inhalation had been performed for the complete study duration or was interrupted after 5 or 10 months and followed by postinhalation periods. Morphometric analysis revealed an increase in the extent of emphysematous changes after 5 months of MS inhalation, which did not significantly change over the following 13 months of study duration, irrespective of whether MS exposure was continued or not. These changes were found to be accompanied by a complex pattern of transient and sustained pulmonary inflammatory changes that may contribute to the observed pathogeneses. Data from this study suggest that the A/J mouse model holds considerable promise as a relevant model for investigating smoking-related emphysema and adenocarcinoma development. PMID:23104432

Key aromatic/hydrophobic amino acids controlling a cross-amyloid peptide interaction versus amyloid self-assembly.

PubMed

Bakou, Maria; Hille, Kathleen; Kracklauer, Michael; Spanopoulou, Anna; Frost, Christina V; Malideli, Eleni; Yan, Li-Mei; Caporale, Andrea; Zacharias, Martin; Kapurniotu, Aphrodite

2017-09-01

The interaction of the intrinsically disordered polypeptide islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), which is associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), with the Alzheimer's disease amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide modulates their self-assembly into amyloid fibrils and may link the pathogeneses of these two cell-degenerative diseases. However, the molecular determinants of this interaction remain elusive. Using a systematic alanine scan approach, fluorescence spectroscopy, and other biophysical methods, including heterocomplex pulldown assays, far-UV CD spectroscopy, the thioflavin T binding assay, transmission EM, and molecular dynamics simulations, here we identified single aromatic/hydrophobic residues within the amyloid core IAPP region as hot spots or key residues of its cross-interaction with Aβ40(42) peptide. Importantly, we also find that none of these residues in isolation plays a key role in IAPP self-assembly, whereas simultaneous substitution of four aromatic/hydrophobic residues with Ala dramatically impairs both IAPP self-assembly and hetero-assembly with Aβ40(42). Furthermore, our experiments yielded several novel IAPP analogs, whose sequences are highly similar to that of IAPP but have distinct amyloid self- or cross-interaction potentials. The identified similarities and major differences controlling IAPP cross-peptide interaction with Aβ40(42) versus its amyloid self-assembly offer a molecular basis for understanding the underlying mechanisms. We propose that these insights will aid in designing intervention strategies and novel IAPP analogs for the management of type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, or other diseases related to IAPP dysfunction or cross-amyloid interactions. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Structural alterations by five disease-causing mutations in the low-pH conformation of human dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (hLADH) analyzed by molecular dynamics - Implications in functional loss and modulation of reactive oxygen species generation by pathogenic hLADH forms.

PubMed

Ambrus, Attila; Mizsei, Reka; Adam-Vizi, Vera

2015-07-01

Human dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (hLADH) is a flavoenzyme component (E3) of the human alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (α-KGDHc) and few other dehydrogenase complexes. Pathogenic mutations of hLADH cause severe metabolic diseases (atypical forms of E3 deficiency) that often escalate to cardiological or neurological presentations and even premature death; the pathologies are generally accompanied by lactic acidosis. hLADH presents a distinct conformation under acidosis (pH 5.5-6.8) with lower physiological activity and the capacity of generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). It has been shown by our laboratory that selected pathogenic mutations, besides lowering the physiological activity of hLADH, significantly stimulate ROS generation by hLADH, especially at lower pH, which might play a role in the pathogenesis of E3-deficiency in respective cases. Previously, we generated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation the low-pH hLADH structure and analyzed the structural changes induced in this structure by eight of the pathogenic mutations of hLADH. In the absence of high resolution mutant structures these pieces of information are crucial for the mechanistic investigation of the molecular pathogeneses of the hLADH protein. In the present work we analyzed by molecular dynamics simulation the structural changes induced in the low-pH conformation of hLADH by five pathogenic mutations of hLADH; the structures of these disease-causing mutants of hLADH have never been examined before.

Thermally driven up-slope flows: state of the art and open questions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zardi, D.

2015-12-01

Thermally driven flows over simple slopes are a relevant research topic, not only per se, but also as a source of key concepts for understanding and modelling many other flows over more complex topographies. However, compared to down-slope, up-slope flows have received much less attention in the literature. Indeed, to investigate katabatic winds many extensive and well equipped field measurements were performed in recent years under various research projects, and a series of high-resolution numerical simulations were run. On the contrary, few field experiments have provided detailed datasets documenting the development of anabatic flows, and the analysis of numerical investigations still relies on Schumann's (1990) pioneering LES simulations. Also, analytic solutions - such as Prandtl's (1942) constant-K profiles - reproduce fairly well katabatic flows, but are definitely inadequate to accurately reproduce field data for up-slope flows (Defant 1949). In particular, some open questions still claim for further investigations, such as the conditions of instability of slope-parallel flow vs. vertical motions, and the related possible occurrence of flow separation, and the similarity analysis of slope-normal velocity profiles of temperature anomaly, wind intensity and turbulence related quantities. Here a review of the state of the art on the subject is proposed, along with some insights into possible future developments. ReferencesDefant, F., 1949: Zur Theorie der Hangwinde, nebst Bemerkungen zur Theorie der Berg- und Talwinde. [A theory of slope winds, along with remarks on the theory of mountain winds and valley winds]. Arch. Meteor. Geophys. Bioclimatol., Ser. A, 1, 421-450 (Theoretical and Applied Climatology). [English translation: Whiteman, C.D., and E. Dreiseitl, 1984: Alpine meteorology: Translations of classic contributions by A. Wagner, E. Ekhart and F. Defant. PNL-5141 / ASCOT-84-3. Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland, Washington, 121 pp]. Prandtl, L., 1942: Strömungslehre [Flow Studies]. Vieweg und Sohn, Braunschweig, 382 pp. Schumann, U., 1990: Large-eddy simulation of the up-slope boundary layer. Quart. J. Roy. Meteor. Soc., 116, 637-670.

Generating a Metal-responsive Transcriptional Regulator to Test What Confers Metal Sensing in Cells*

PubMed Central

Osman, Deenah; Piergentili, Cecilia; Chen, Junjun; Chakrabarti, Buddhapriya; Foster, Andrew W.; Lurie-Luke, Elena; Huggins, Thomas G.; Robinson, Nigel J.

2015-01-01

FrmR from Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium (a CsoR/RcnR-like transcriptional de-repressor) is shown to repress the frmRA operator-promoter, and repression is alleviated by formaldehyde but not manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, or Zn(II) within cells. In contrast, repression by a mutant FrmRE64H (which gains an RcnR metal ligand) is alleviated by cobalt and Zn(II). Unexpectedly, FrmR was found to already bind Co(II), Zn(II), and Cu(I), and moreover metals, as well as formaldehyde, trigger an allosteric response that weakens DNA affinity. However, the sensory metal sites of the cells' endogenous metal sensors (RcnR, ZntR, Zur, and CueR) are all tighter than FrmR for their cognate metals. Furthermore, the endogenous metal sensors are shown to out-compete FrmR. The metal-sensing FrmRE64H mutant has tighter metal affinities than FrmR by approximately 1 order of magnitude. Gain of cobalt sensing by FrmRE64H remains enigmatic because the cobalt affinity of FrmRE64H is substantially weaker than that of the endogenous cobalt sensor. Cobalt sensing requires glutathione, which may assist cobalt access, conferring a kinetic advantage. For Zn(II), the metal affinity of FrmRE64H approaches the metal affinities of cognate Zn(II) sensors. Counter-intuitively, the allosteric coupling free energy for Zn(II) is smaller in metal-sensing FrmRE64H compared with nonsensing FrmR. By determining the copies of FrmR and FrmRE64H tetramers per cell, then estimating promoter occupancy as a function of intracellular Zn(II) concentration, we show how a modest tightening of Zn(II) affinity, plus weakened DNA affinity of the apoprotein, conspires to make the relative properties of FrmRE64H (compared with ZntR and Zur) sufficient to sense Zn(II) inside cells. PMID:26109070

Turbulenzübergang in der Rohrströmung: Die Lösung eines alten Rätsels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckhardt, Bruno; Hof, Björn; Faisst, Holger

2006-09-01

Die Strömung von Flüssigkeiten und Gasen durch eine Röhre kann zwei Zustände annehmen. Einer ist laminar, also gleichmäßig geordnet, einer ist zeitlich-räumlich verwirbelt und turbulent. Mit dem Übergang zur Turbulenz nimmt der Strömungswiderstand drastisch zu. Vor etwa 120 Jahren beschrieb Osborne Reynolds bereits das Verhalten der Rohrströmung sehr genau. Er beobachtete, dass der Turbulenzübergang sehr empfindlich von äußeren Störungen abhängt, was bislang rätselhaft blieb. Dieses Rätsel konnte nun mit einer Kombination aus Computerstudien, Konzepten aus der nichtlinearen Dynamik und speziell entwickelten Experimenten gelöst werden.

Ultrastrukturelle Untersuchungen zur Morphologie und Genese der Spermien von Archaeogastropoda

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohnert, R.; Storch, V.

1983-03-01

The sperm cells of Patella coerulea (Patellacea), Monodonta turbinata, and Gibbula tumida (Trochacea) were investigated by means of transmission electron microscopy. They belong to the primitive type (sensu Franzén) and have more features in common with primitive Bivalvia sperms than with Neritacea. Their head contains an apical acrosome and a roundish nucleus followed by 4 or 5 mitochondria and a centriolar apparatus which consists of two centrioles, one of which bears a flagellum. The sperm cells of Monodonta and Gibbula are very similar to each other and differ mainly in size; Patella exhibits more differences (very small acrosome, subacrosomal space, variable number of spherical mitochondria (origin of spermic dimorphism ?). The development of the sperm cells shows no peculiarities.

Einführung in die Technische Chemie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behr, Arno; Agar, David W.; Jörissen, Jakob

Die "Technische Chemie" ist ein Lehrfach an Universitäten und Hochschulen. Nach dem die Studierenden der Chemie in den ersten Semestern ihres Studiums ausrei chen de theoretische Kenntnisse in Allgemeiner, Anorganischer, Organischer und Physikalischer Chemie erlangt haben, soll die Technische Chemie einen Blick auf die praktische Anwendung dieser Naturwissenschaft in unserer Wirtschaft lenken. Es gibt keine "biologische Industrie", "physikalische Industrie" oder "mathematische Industrie", wohl aber seit über 150 Jahren eine "chemische Industrie", die in dieser lan gen Zeit zahlreiche chemische Prozesse entwickelt und dazu vielfältige Methoden erarbeitet hat. Das Lehrfach Technische Chemie gibt einen Überblick über diese Pro zesse und Methoden und erleichtert dadurch den Schritt von der Universität zur be ruflichen Praxis.

Dürre, Waldbrände, gravitative Massenbewegungen und andere klimarelevante Naturgefahren

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glade, Thomas; Hoffmann, Peter; Thonicke, Kirsten

Klimarelevante Naturgefahren sind auf vielfältige Faktoren zurückzuführen, deren Zusammenwirken in der Gesamtheit betrachtet werden muss. Die vorbereitenden, auslösenden und kontrollierenden Faktoren werden in unterschiedlichster Weise vom Klimawandel beeinflusst. Die Autoren beschreiben beobachtete Trends und Projektionen zu Dürre, Waldbränden, gravitativen Massenbewegungen (Muren, Fels- und Bergstürze, Hangrutschungen) und Schneelawinen sowie das Zusammenspiel der unterschiedlichen Ursachen. Sie diskutieren darüber hinaus, welche der Veränderungen in der Häufigkeit oder Stärke von Naturgefahren tatsächlich ausschließlich dem Klimawandel zuzuschreiben sein könnten und welche Anteile hierbei der direkte menschliche Einfluss hat und konstatieren, dass eine eindeutige Trennung häufig nicht vollzogen werden kann.

Nebenwirkungen von TNF-alpha-Inhibitoren am Hautorgan.

PubMed

Lindhaus, Claudia; Tittelbach, Jörg; Elsner, Peter

2017-03-01

TNF-alpha-Inhibitoren werden seit Anfang der 1990er Jahre erfolgreich zur Behandlung diverser immunvermittelter entzündlicher Erkrankungen eingesetzt. Inzwischen gibt es eine umfangreiche Datenlage bezüglich ihrer Sicherheit. Nebenwirkungen sind bezogen auf die Häufigkeit der Anwendung selten und meist nicht schwerwiegend. Zu den Nebenwirkungen am Hautorgan zählen lokale injektionsassoziierte Reaktionen, Infektionen, immunvermittelte Reaktionen sowie Neoplasien. Die häufigsten schwerwiegenden Nebenwirkungen sind infektiöser Natur. Mykobakterielle Infektionen, aber auch non-mykobakterielle Erreger, Viren und Pilze können potenziell letale, systemische Infektionen auslösen. Im Folgenden wird eine Übersicht über das gegenwärtige Wissen bezüglich der Nebenwirkungen von TNFα-Inhibitoren am Hautorgan gegeben. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Akne.

PubMed

Degitz, Klaus; Ochsendorf, Falk

2017-07-01

Akne ist eine chronische Erkrankung mit hoher Prävalenz unter Jugendlichen. Pathogenetische Hauptfaktoren (und ihre klinischen Korrelate) sind gesteigerte Talgproduktion (Seborrhoe), follikuläre Hyperkeratose (Komedonen) und perifollikuläre Entzündungsvorgänge (Papulopusteln). Die Krankheit wird von endogenen (Androgene, IGF-1, neuroendokrine Faktoren) und exogenen (Propionibacterium acnes, Diät, mechanische Irritation, Inhaltsstoffe medizinischer oder kosmetischer Externa) Einflüssen moduliert. Akne geht mit zum Teil hoher Morbidität einher und kann bereits bei leichter Ausprägung eine erhebliche Verschlechterung der Lebensqualität bewirken. Zu Therapie stehen wirksame topische und systemische Behandlungsverfahren zur Verfügung. Eine optimale Behandlung erfordert eine stadiengerechtes Management und kontinuierliche ärztliche Begleitung der Patienten über den erforderlichen Behandlungszeitraum. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Musikalische Akustik

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Jürgen

Im weitesten Sinne umfasst die musikalische Akustik alle Themenbereiche, in denen Akustik und Musik in irgendeiner Form miteinander verbunden sind oder zumindest gleichzeitig eine Rolle spielen (Meyer 2004a). Im Mittelpunkt steht dabei die Akustik der Musikinstrumente und Gesangsstimmen, die sich mit der physikalischen Funktionsweise einschließlich der Einflussmöglichkeiten des Spielers auf die Tongestaltung und mit der Schallabstrahlung einschließlich der Klangeigenarten und der Richtungsabhängigkeit befasst (Meyer 2004b, Fletcher u. Rossing 1991). Sobald dabei klangästhetische Gesichtspunkte mit ins Spiel kommen, ist eine Einbeziehung psychoakustischer Aspekte unumgänglich. Erst auf dieser Grundlage ist eine qualitative Bewertung von Instrumenten möglich, die es den Instrumentenbauern erlaubt, anhand objektiver Kriterien bautechnische Veränderungen zur Verbesserung ihrer Instrumente vorzunehmen.

PVD-Beschichtungstechnologie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lake, Markus K.

Die PVD-Technologie umfasst eine Reihe von Beschichtungsverfahren zur Abscheidung von Metallen, Legierungen oder chemischen Verbindungen durch Zufuhr von thermischer Energie oder durch Teilchenbeschuss im Hochvakuum. PVDVerfahren gestatten u. a. die Beschichtung bei niedrigen Prozesstemperaturen, so dass thermisch sensible Substrate, z. B. wärmebehandelte Stähle oder ausgewählte Kunststoffe, beschichtet werden können. Insbesondere mit dem Magnetron Sputter Ion Plating-Verfahren (MSIP-Verfahren) und mit dem Arc Ion Plating-Verfahren (AIP-Verfahren) ist es möglich, thermisch vorbehandelte Werkstoffe zu beschichten, ohne den eingestellten Wärmebehandlungszustand (Härte, Spannungszustand) zu verändern. Ferner können endbearbeitete Bauteile mit der PVD-Technologie beschichtet werden, da die eingesetzten PVD-Verfahren die Ausgangsoberfläche konturgetreu abbilden, ohne dass eine Nachbearbeitung erforderlich wird.

Extrusion & Compoundierung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collin, Heinz; Schulze, Verena

Unter Extrusion wird das kontinuierliche Fördern von formbaren Massen verstanden. Dies können Kunststoffe, Teigwaren in der Lebensmittelindustrie oder auch keramische Massen sein. In der chemischen Industrie werden ebenfalls hochviskose (schwerfließende) Stoffe oder Pasten dosiert, gefördert und extrudiert. Früher waren vorzugsweise Kolbenstrangpressen im Einsatz, bis sich ab 1950 in steigendem Maße die Schneckenmaschinen durchgesetzt haben. Der weltweite Siegeszug der Kunststoffe ist zu einem erheblichen Teil auf die stetige technologische Weiterentwicklung im Bereich der Extrusionstechnik zurückzuführen. Der Markt der weltweit produzierten Maschinen für die Kunststoffverarbeitung erreichte im Jahr 2006 einen Wert von 20 Milliarden Euro und somit zählt dieser Bereich mittlerweile zu einem der großen Industriezweige [1].

Zeitspiel ist keine Alternative - Warum der Wandel zur Pflicht wird

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dieper, Stephan

"Wege entstehen dadurch, dass man sie geht." (Franz Kafka) Die Welt der Digitalisierung ist voll von Wegen, die jemand gegangen ist, bevor dort ein Weg war. Manche dieser Wege stellten sich als Sackgasse heraus, manche als Abkürzung und aus anderen wurden ganze Wegenetze und Städte. Die Energiewelt wird durch den digitalen Wandel nicht verschont bleiben. Durch die intelligenten Messsysteme und die zugehörigen, neuen Strukturen werden energiefremden Wettbewerbern Chancen zum Markteintritt eröffnet. EVUs müssen sich darauf einstellen, dass der permanente Wandel nicht mehr enden wird. Doch auch den EVUs eröffnen sich Optionen. Um erfolgreich zu sein, müssen sie lernen loszugehen, ohne das genaue Ziel zu kennen.

Atrial Fibrillation Genetic Risk and Ischemic Stroke Mechanisms.

PubMed

Lubitz, Steven A; Parsons, Owen E; Anderson, Christopher D; Benjamin, Emelia J; Malik, Rainer; Weng, Lu-Chen; Dichgans, Martin; Sudlow, Cathie L; Rothwell, Peter M; Rosand, Jonathan; Ellinor, Patrick T; Markus, Hugh S; Traylor, Matthew

2017-06-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a leading cause of cardioembolic stroke, but the relationship between AF and noncardioembolic stroke subtypes are unclear. Because AF may be unrecognized, and because AF has a substantial genetic basis, we assessed for predisposition to AF across ischemic stroke subtypes. We examined associations between AF genetic risk and Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment stroke subtypes in 2374 ambulatory individuals with ischemic stroke and 5175 without from the Wellcome Trust Case-Control Consortium 2 using logistic regression. We calculated AF genetic risk scores using single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with AF in a previous independent analysis across a range of preselected significance thresholds. There were 460 (19.4%) individuals with cardioembolic stroke, 498 (21.0%) with large vessel, 474 (20.0%) with small vessel, and 814 (32.3%) individuals with strokes of undetermined cause. Most AF genetic risk scores were associated with stroke, with the strongest association ( P =6×10 - 4 ) attributed to scores of 944 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (each associated with AF at P <1×10 - 3 in a previous analysis). Associations between AF genetic risk and stroke were enriched in the cardioembolic stroke subset (strongest P =1.2×10 - 9 , 944 single-nucleotide polymorphism score). In contrast, AF genetic risk was not significantly associated with noncardioembolic stroke subtypes. Comprehensive AF genetic risk scores were specific for cardioembolic stroke. Incomplete workups and subtype misclassification may have limited the power to detect associations with strokes of undetermined pathogenesis. Future studies are warranted to determine whether AF genetic risk is a useful biomarker to enhance clinical discrimination of stroke pathogeneses. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Assessing the genetic architecture of epithelial ovarian cancer histological subtypes.

PubMed

Cuellar-Partida, Gabriel; Lu, Yi; Dixon, Suzanne C; Fasching, Peter A; Hein, Alexander; Burghaus, Stefanie; Beckmann, Matthias W; Lambrechts, Diether; Van Nieuwenhuysen, Els; Vergote, Ignace; Vanderstichele, Adriaan; Doherty, Jennifer Anne; Rossing, Mary Anne; Chang-Claude, Jenny; Rudolph, Anja; Wang-Gohrke, Shan; Goodman, Marc T; Bogdanova, Natalia; Dörk, Thilo; Dürst, Matthias; Hillemanns, Peter; Runnebaum, Ingo B; Antonenkova, Natalia; Butzow, Ralf; Leminen, Arto; Nevanlinna, Heli; Pelttari, Liisa M; Edwards, Robert P; Kelley, Joseph L; Modugno, Francesmary; Moysich, Kirsten B; Ness, Roberta B; Cannioto, Rikki; Høgdall, Estrid; Høgdall, Claus; Jensen, Allan; Giles, Graham G; Bruinsma, Fiona; Kjaer, Susanne K; Hildebrandt, Michelle A T; Liang, Dong; Lu, Karen H; Wu, Xifeng; Bisogna, Maria; Dao, Fanny; Levine, Douglas A; Cramer, Daniel W; Terry, Kathryn L; Tworoger, Shelley S; Stampfer, Meir; Missmer, Stacey; Bjorge, Line; Salvesen, Helga B; Kopperud, Reidun K; Bischof, Katharina; Aben, Katja K H; Kiemeney, Lambertus A; Massuger, Leon F A G; Brooks-Wilson, Angela; Olson, Sara H; McGuire, Valerie; Rothstein, Joseph H; Sieh, Weiva; Whittemore, Alice S; Cook, Linda S; Le, Nhu D; Blake Gilks, C; Gronwald, Jacek; Jakubowska, Anna; Lubiński, Jan; Kluz, Tomasz; Song, Honglin; Tyrer, Jonathan P; Wentzensen, Nicolas; Brinton, Louise; Trabert, Britton; Lissowska, Jolanta; McLaughlin, John R; Narod, Steven A; Phelan, Catherine; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Ziogas, Argyrios; Eccles, Diana; Campbell, Ian; Gayther, Simon A; Gentry-Maharaj, Aleksandra; Menon, Usha; Ramus, Susan J; Wu, Anna H; Dansonka-Mieszkowska, Agnieszka; Kupryjanczyk, Jolanta; Timorek, Agnieszka; Szafron, Lukasz; Cunningham, Julie M; Fridley, Brooke L; Winham, Stacey J; Bandera, Elisa V; Poole, Elizabeth M; Morgan, Terry K; Goode, Ellen L; Schildkraut, Joellen M; Pearce, Celeste L; Berchuck, Andrew; Pharoah, Paul D P; Webb, Penelope M; Chenevix-Trench, Georgia; Risch, Harvey A; MacGregor, Stuart

2016-07-01

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is one of the deadliest common cancers. The five most common types of disease are high-grade and low-grade serous, endometrioid, mucinous and clear cell carcinoma. Each of these subtypes present distinct molecular pathogeneses and sensitivities to treatments. Recent studies show that certain genetic variants confer susceptibility to all subtypes while other variants are subtype-specific. Here, we perform an extensive analysis of the genetic architecture of EOC subtypes. To this end, we used data of 10,014 invasive EOC patients and 21,233 controls from the Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium genotyped in the iCOGS array (211,155 SNPs). We estimate the array heritability (attributable to variants tagged on arrays) of each subtype and their genetic correlations. We also look for genetic overlaps with factors such as obesity, smoking behaviors, diabetes, age at menarche and height. We estimated the array heritabilities of high-grade serous disease ([Formula: see text] = 8.8 ± 1.1 %), endometrioid ([Formula: see text] = 3.2 ± 1.6 %), clear cell ([Formula: see text] = 6.7 ± 3.3 %) and all EOC ([Formula: see text] = 5.6 ± 0.6 %). Known associated loci contributed approximately 40 % of the total array heritability for each subtype. The contribution of each chromosome to the total heritability was not proportional to chromosome size. Through bivariate and cross-trait LD score regression, we found evidence of shared genetic backgrounds between the three high-grade subtypes: serous, endometrioid and undifferentiated. Finally, we found significant genetic correlations of all EOC with diabetes and obesity using a polygenic prediction approach.

Endogenous DNA damage and testicular germ cell tumors

PubMed Central

Cook, Michael B.; Sigurdson, Alice J.; Jones, Irene M.; Thomas, Cynthia B.; Graubard, Barry I.; Korde, Larissa; Greene, Mark H.; McGlynn, Katherine A.

2008-01-01

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are comprised of two histologic groups, seminomas and nonseminomas. We postulated that the possible divergent pathogeneses of these histologies may be partially explained by variable levels of net endogenous DNA damage. To test our hypothesis, we conducted a case-case analysis of 51 seminoma and 61 nonseminoma patients using data and specimens from the Familial Testicular Cancer study and the U.S. Radiologic Technologists cohort. A lymphoblastoid cell line was cultured for each patient and the alkaline comet assay was used to determine four parameters: tail DNA, tail length, comet distributed moment (CDM) and Olive tail moment (OTM). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated using logistic regression. Values for tail length, tail DNA, CDM and OTM were modeled as categorical variables using the 50th and 75th percentiles of the seminoma group. Tail DNA was significantly associated with nonseminoma compared to seminoma (OR50th percentile=3.31, 95%CI: 1.00, 10.98; OR75th percentile=3.71, 95%CI: 1.04, 13.20; p for trend=0.039). OTM exhibited similar, albeit statistically non-significant, risk estimates (OR50th percentile=2.27, 95%CI: 0.75, 6.87; OR75th percentile=2.40, 95%CI: 0.75, 7.71; p for trend=0.12) whereas tail length and CDM showed no association. In conclusion, the results for tail DNA and OTM indicate that net endogenous levels are higher in patients who develop nonseminoma compared with seminoma. This may partly explain the more aggressive biology and younger age-of-onset of this histologic subgroup compared with the relatively less aggressive, later-onset seminoma. PMID:18657195

How predictive quantitative modelling of tissue organisation can inform liver disease pathogenesis.

PubMed

Drasdo, Dirk; Hoehme, Stefan; Hengstler, Jan G

2014-10-01

From the more than 100 liver diseases described, many of those with high incidence rates manifest themselves by histopathological changes, such as hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, fatty liver disease, fibrosis, and, in its later stages, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, primary biliary cirrhosis and other disorders. Studies of disease pathogeneses are largely based on integrating -omics data pooled from cells at different locations with spatial information from stained liver structures in animal models. Even though this has led to significant insights, the complexity of interactions as well as the involvement of processes at many different time and length scales constrains the possibility to condense disease processes in illustrations, schemes and tables. The combination of modern imaging modalities with image processing and analysis, and mathematical models opens up a promising new approach towards a quantitative understanding of pathologies and of disease processes. This strategy is discussed for two examples, ammonia metabolism after drug-induced acute liver damage, and the recovery of liver mass as well as architecture during the subsequent regeneration process. This interdisciplinary approach permits integration of biological mechanisms and models of processes contributing to disease progression at various scales into mathematical models. These can be used to perform in silico simulations to promote unravelling the relation between architecture and function as below illustrated for liver regeneration, and bridging from the in vitro situation and animal models to humans. In the near future novel mechanisms will usually not be directly elucidated by modelling. However, models will falsify hypotheses and guide towards the most informative experimental design. Copyright © 2014 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Region-specific ischemia, neovascularization and macular oedema in treatment-naïve proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

PubMed

Lange, Jason; Hadziahmetovic, Majda; Zhang, Jingfa; Li, Weiye

2018-02-07

Region-specific pathology in proliferative diabetic retinopathy enhances our understanding and management of this disease. To investigate non-perfusion, neovascularization and macular oedema. A cross-sectional, observational, non-randomized study. Consecutive 43 eyes of 27 treatment-naïve patients. Ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography for studying specific zones, that is, far-peripheral zone, mid-peripheral zone and central retina (cr), and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography for analysing thickness of macular layers. Non-perfusion index (NPI) and neovascularization index (NVI) in different zones, thickness of cr, retinal nerve fibre layer, ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner nuclear layer (INL) and outer plexiform layer in parafoveal regions. The NPI of far-periphery and NVI of mid-periphery were the highest by one-way analysis of variance testing. Ischemic retina defined as high NPI in far-periphery was significantly related to macular oedema via a binary classification approach (P < 0.05). The ischemic retina was correlated with a decreased thickness of both retinal nerve fibre and GCL (P < 0.05); macular oedema was correlated with increased INL thickness (P < 0.0001). The region-specific correlation of NPI of far-periphery and NVI of mid-periphery, but not with central retinal thickness, suggests different pathogeneses of neovascularization and macular oedema. Retinal nerve fibre layer and GCL, both biomarkers of diabetic retinal neuronopathy, are associated with retinal ischemia, but not with macular oedema, suggesting that diabetic microangiopathy and neuronopathy possess distinct pathogenic pathways. The strong correlation between macular oedema and INL indicates that intracellular oedema is a determining factor of diabetic macular oedema. © 2018 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

Classification of diabetic macular oedema using ultra-widefield angiography and implications for response to anti-VEGF therapy.

PubMed

Xue, Kanmin; Yang, Elizabeth; Chong, N Victor

2017-05-01

To characterise differential pathogeneses of diabetic macular oedema (DMO) using ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (UWFA) and evaluate responses to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy. Ninety-nine eyes (73 consecutive patients) with anti-VEGF naïve DMO underwent UWFA and optical coherence tomography, of which 60 with central retinal thickness (CRT) >400 μm received monthly intravitreal ranibizumab injections. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and CRT were measured at baseline and after three injections. After excluding tractional factors, DMO was categorised into three types based on UWFA: (A) microaneurysm driven (49%), (B) peripheral ischaemia (37%) and (C) neovascularisation (15%). While all three types showed similar mean CRT (p=0.257), types B and C were associated with more diffuse oedema, which extended beyond the 6.0 mm central macula (p=0.0034). Following anti-VEGF treatment, all three types showed improvement in CRT and BCVA, which reached statistical significance for types A and B. A positive correlation was found between the Peripheral Ischaemia Index and improvement in CRT (slope=2.09, R 2 =0.1169, p=0.0151) but not BCVA (slope=-0.00037, R 2 =0.001149, p=0.8152). UWFA facilitates the detection of peripheral ischaemia, which is associated with a significant proportion of DMO. While this group of DMO responded well to anti-VEGF therapy, it remains to be determined whether addressing the peripheral ischaemia may reduce recurrence. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Arterial Wall Imaging in Pediatric Stroke.

PubMed

Dlamini, Nomazulu; Yau, Ivanna; Muthusami, Prakash; Mikulis, David J; Elbers, Jorina; Slim, Mahmoud; Askalan, Rand; MacGregor, Daune; deVeber, Gabrielle; Shroff, Manohar; Moharir, Mahendranath

2018-04-01

Arteriopathy is common in childhood arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) and predicts stroke recurrence. Currently available vascular imaging techniques mainly image the arterial lumen rather than the vessel wall and have a limited ability to differentiate among common arteriopathies. We aimed to investigate the value of a magnetic resonance imaging-based technique, namely noninvasive arterial wall imaging (AWI), for distinguishing among arteriopathy subtypes in a consecutive cohort of children presenting with AIS. Children with confirmed AIS and magnetic resonance angiography underwent 3-Tesla AWI including T1-weighted 2-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery fast spin echo sequences pre- and post-gadolinium contrast. AWI characteristics, including wall enhancement, wall thickening, and luminal stenosis, were documented for all. Twenty-six children with AIS had AWI. Of these, 9 (35%) had AWI enhancement. AWI enhancement was associated with anterior circulation magnetic resonance angiography abnormality and cortical infarction in 8 of 9 (89%) children and normal magnetic resonance angiography with posterior circulation subcortical infarction in 1 (1 of 9; 11%) child. AWI enhancement was not seen in 17 (65%), 10 (59%) of whom had an abnormal magnetic resonance angiography. Distinct patterns of pre- and postcontrast signal abnormality were demonstrated in the vessel wall in the region of interest in children with transient cerebral arteriopathy, arterial dissection, primary central nervous system angiitis, dissecting aneurysm, and cardioembolic stroke. AWI is a noninvasive, high-resolution magnetic resonance AWI technique, which can be successfully used in children presenting with AIS. Patterns of AWI enhancement are recognizable and associated with specific AIS pathogeneses. Further studies are required to assess the additional diagnostic utility of AWI over routine vascular imaging techniques, in childhood AIS. © 2018 American Heart Association, Inc.

Subtypes of mild cognitive impairment among the elderly with major depressive disorder in remission.

PubMed

Yeh, Yi-Chun; Tsang, Hin-Yeung; Lin, Pao-Yen; Kuo, Yu-Ting; Yen, Cheng-Fang; Chen, Cheng-Chung; Liu, Gin-Chung; Chen, Cheng-Sheng

2011-11-01

Cognitive impairment in remitted late-life depression varies and might be associated with greater risk of dementia in some individuals. This study aimed to classify the subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in late-life major depressive disorder in remission and to examine their clinical correlates and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features. Elderly patients with major depressive disorder in remission and elderly comparisons were examined by a comprehensive battery of cognitive tasks. Proposed diagnostic criteria were used for MCI classification, and the degree of brain atrophy and white matter hyperintensity on MRI were evaluated. We found information-processing speed and memory were independent cognitive domains associated with late-life remitted major depressive disorder. Of the study cohort, 52.3% met the definition of MCI, including 28.5% with amnestic MCI (aMCI) and 23.8% with nonamnestic MCI (naMCI). A clinical correlate of aMCI was the late-onset of disorder (OR = 4.76; 95% CI = 1.57, 14.40) and of naMCI was a higher score on the Framingham stroke risk scale (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.12, 1.72). The odds ratio of highest quartile of ventricular atrophy for aMCI compared to the comparisons was 3.65 (95% CI = 1.22, 10.96). The central cognitive impairments among the elderly with major depressive disorder in remission were memory and information-processing speed, and over half of the subjects met the MCI diagnostic criteria. Different risk factors existed for the subtypes of aMCI and naMCI. Later-age onset of first episode and ventricular atrophy were associated with aMCI, whereas vascular risk factor were associated with naMCI. We suggest there were different pathogeneses between aMCI and naMCI in late-life major depressive disorder.

The characteristics of autonomic nervous system disorders in burning mouth syndrome and Parkinson disease.

PubMed

Koszewicz, Magdalena; Mendak, Magdalena; Konopka, Tomasz; Koziorowska-Gawron, Ewa; Budrewicz, Sławomir

2012-01-01

To conduct a clinical electrophysiologic evaluation of autonomic nervous system functions in patients with burning mouth syndrome and Parkinson disease and estimate the type and intensity of the autonomic dysfunction. The study involved 83 subjects-33 with burning mouth syndrome, 20 with Parkinson disease, and 30 controls. The BMS group included 27 women and 6 men (median age, 60.0 years), and the Parkinson disease group included 15 women and 5 men (median age, 66.5 years). In the control group, there were 20 women and 10 men (median age, 59.0 years). All patients were subjected to autonomic nervous system testing. In addition to the Low autonomic disorder questionnaire, heart rate variability (HRV), deep breathing (exhalation/inspiration [E/I] ratio), and sympathetic skin response (SSR) tests were performed in all cases. Parametric and nonparametric tests (ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Scheffe tests) were used in the statistical analysis. The mean values for HRV and E/I ratios were significantly lower in the burning mouth syndrome and Parkinson disease groups. Significant prolongation of SSR latency in the foot was revealed in both burning mouth syndrome and Parkinson disease patients, and lowering of the SSR amplitude occurred in only the Parkinson disease group. The autonomic questionnaire score was significantly higher in burning mouth syndrome and Parkinson disease patients than in the control subjects, with the Parkinson disease group having the highest scores. In patients with burning mouth syndrome, a significant impairment of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems was found but sympathetic/parasympathetic balance was preserved. The incidence and intensity of autonomic nervous system dysfunction was similar in patients with burning mouth syndrome and Parkinson disease, which may suggest some similarity in their pathogeneses.

Increased levels of urinary biomarkers of lipid peroxidation products among workers occupationally exposed to diesel engine exhaust.

PubMed

Bin, Ping; Shen, Meili; Li, Haibin; Sun, Xin; Niu, Yong; Meng, Tao; Yu, Tao; Zhang, Xiao; Dai, Yufei; Gao, Weimin; Gu, Guizhen; Yu, Shanfa; Zheng, Yuxin

2016-08-01

Diesel engine exhaust (DEE) was found to induce lipid peroxidation (LPO) in animal exposure studies. LPO is a class of oxidative stress and can be reflected by detecting the levels of its production, such as malondialdehyde (MDA) and 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), and etheno-DNA adducts including 1,N(6)-etheno-2'-deoxyadenosine (ɛdA) and 3,N(4)-etheno-2'-deoxycytidine (ɛdC). However, the impact of DEE exposure on LPO has not been explored in humans. In this study, we evaluated urinary MDA, 4-HNE, ɛdA, and ɛdC levels as biomarkers of LPO among 108 workers with exclusive exposure to DEE and 109 non-DEE-exposed workers. Results showed that increased levels of urinary MDA and ɛdA were observed in subjects occupationally exposed to DEE before and after age, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, and alcohol use were adjusted (all p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant relationship between the internal exposure dose (urinary ΣOH-PAHs) and MDA, 4-HNE, and ɛdA (all p < 0.001). Furthermore, significant increased relations between urinary etheno-DNA adduct and MDA, 4-HNE were observed (all p < 0.05). The findings of this study suggested that the level of LPO products (MDA and ɛdA) was increased in DEE-exposed workers, and urinary MDA and ɛdA might be feasible biomarkers for DEE exposure. LPO induced DNA damage might be involved and further motivated the genomic instability could be one of the pathogeneses of cancer induced by DEE-exposure. However, additional investigations should be performed to understand these observations.

p-Benzoquinone-induced aggregation and perturbation of structure and chaperone function of α-crystallin is a causative factor of cigarette smoke-related cataractogenesis.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Aritra; Choudhury, Aparajita; Chakraborty, Shruti; Ghosh, Arunava; Banerjee, Victor; Ganguly, Shinjini; Bhaduri, Gautam; Banerjee, Rajat; Das, Kalipada; Chatterjee, Indu B

2018-02-01

Cigarette smoking is a significant risk factor for cataract. However, the mechanism by which cigarette smoke (CS) causes cataract remains poorly understood. We had earlier shown that in CS-exposed guinea pig, p-benzoquinone (p-BQ) derived from CS in the lungs is carried by the circulatory system to distant organs and induces various smoke-related pathogeneses. Here, we observed that CS exposure caused accumulation of the p-BQ-protein adduct in the eye lens of guinea pigs. We also observed accumulation of the p-BQ-protein adduct in resected lens from human smokers with cataract. No such accumulation was observed in the lens of never smokers. p-BQ is a strong arylating agent that forms Michael adducts with serum albumin and haemoglobin resulting in alterations of structure and function. A major protein in the mammalian eye lens is αA-crystallin, which is a potent molecular chaperone. αA-crystallin plays a key role in maintaining the integrity and transparency of the lens. SDS-PAGE indicated that p-BQ induced aggregation of αA-crystallin. Various biophysical techniques including UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, FT-IR, bis-ANS titration suggested a perturbation of structure and chaperone function of αA-crystallin upon p-BQ modification. Our results indicate that p-BQ is a causative agent involved in the modification of αA-crystallin and pathogenesis of CS-induced cataract. Our findings would educate public about the impacts of smoking on eye health and help to discourage them from smoking. The study might also help scientists to develop new drugs for the intervention of CS-induced cataract at an early stage. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Leaflet area as a determinant of tricuspid regurgitation severity in patients with pulmonary hypertension.

PubMed

Afilalo, Jonathan; Grapsa, Julia; Nihoyannopoulos, Petros; Beaudoin, Jonathan; Gibbs, J Simon R; Channick, Richard N; Langleben, David; Rudski, Lawrence G; Hua, Lanqi; Handschumacher, Mark D; Picard, Michael H; Levine, Robert A

2015-05-01

Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is a risk factor for mortality in pulmonary hypertension (PH). TR severity varies among patients with comparable degrees of PH and right ventricular remodeling. The contribution of leaflet adaptation to the pathophysiology of TR has yet to be examined. We hypothesized that tricuspid leaflet area (TLA) is increased in PH, and that the adequacy of this increase relative to right ventricular remodeling determines TR severity. A prospective cohort of 255 patients with PH from pre and postcapillary pathogeneses was assembled from 2 centers. Patients underwent a 3-dimensional echocardiogram focused on the tricuspid apparatus. TLA was measured with the Omni 4D software package. Compared with normal controls, patients with PH had a 2-fold increase in right ventricular volumes, 62% increase in annular area, and 49% increase in TLA. Those with severe TR demonstrated inadequate increase in TLA relative to the closure area, such that the ratio of TLA:closure area <1.78 was highly predictive of severe TR (odds ratio, 68.7; 95% confidence interval, 16.2-292.7). The median vena contracta width was 8.5 mm in the group with small TLA and large closure area as opposed to 4.8 mm in the group with large TLA and large closure area. TLA plays a significant role in determining which patients with PH develop severe functional TR. The ratio of TLA:closure area, reflecting the balance between leaflet adaptation versus annular dilation and tethering forces, is an indicator of TR severity that may identify which patients stand to benefit from leaflet augmentation during tricuspid valve repair. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Evidence for Involvement of IL-9 and IL-22 in Cows' Milk Allergy in Infants.

PubMed

Barros, Karina V; Flor Silveira, Vera L; Laranjeira, Marisa S; Wandalsen, Neusa F; Passeti, Susana; de Oliveira, Roberta; Munekata, Regina V; Noakes, Paul S; Miles, Elizabeth A; Calder, Philip C

2017-09-21

Although allergic inflammation is characterized by a T helper (Th) 2-dominant immune response, the discovery of a role for new T cell subsets in inflammatory diseases has added an additional layer of complexity to the understanding of the pathogeneses of allergic diseases. We evaluated plasma cytokine profiles in infants with cows' milk allergy (CMA), who were being treated with an elimination diet. In a prospective, randomized and controlled study, infants (aged 8.4 ± 3.9 months) with CMA were treated with an elimination diet for 120 days, which replaced cows' milk with a hydrolysed soy protein formula ( n = 26) or a free amino acid formula ( n = 20). Blood samples were collected before treatment during active disease (T0) and after 120 days, when symptoms were absent (T1). Plasma cytokine concentrations were measured. Infants with CMA had higher plasma concentrations of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 and lower concentrations of IL-9, IL-17A and interferon-γ, compared with healthy breast-fed infants. At T0, there was a positive correlation between blood eosinophil numbers and plasma concentrations of IL-4, IL-9, IL-17A and IL-22. Treatment with a cows' milk elimination diet resulted in a decrease in plasma IL-4, IL-9, IL-13 and IL-22 and an increase in plasma IL-17A. We conclude that IL-4 and IL-13 are elevated in active CMA. The association of IL-9 and IL-22 with eosinophilia, and the decrease in these two cytokines with cows' milk elimination, suggests that they both play a role in the symptoms observed in CMA and may be important targets for future interventions.

Grüne Infrastruktur -. Konzepte und Strategien zur Förderung eines Bewusstseins für den Wert von Stadtgrün

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menke, Peter

2016-06-01

Due to climate change, but also because of the demographic change and financial constraints in many municipalities, the future of cities is a currently much-discussed topic. Conflicts over land-use are inevitable: As densification is an essential principle in growing cities, the pressure on open (green) spaces rises. Climate Change and water-management as well as mobility-issues and air-quality confront municipalities with new challenges, in terms of open space planning and greenery in the city. It is necessary to save the existing green in these days of budget-shortage and other priorities in communities. Municipalities have to raise new strategies to strengthen the awareness of the value of green in public and in the local business.

New insights into the biography of Gottfried Kirch. (German Title: Neue Erkenntnisse zur Biographie von Gottfried Kirch)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herbst, Klaus-Dieter

New biographical results of Gottfried Kirch, the most outstanding astronomer around 1700 in German lands, are outlined on the basis of newly found sources and the first-time inclusion of additional letters from his correspondence, which comprises 600 letters. Special attention is drwawn to his stay in Langgrün and Lobenstein in the Vogtland, in Leipzig, Coburg, Guben and Berlin. In addition, new details about his family are revealed, especially about the older children Gottlieb, Heilmann and Theodora, the offspring from his first marriage. A third section deals with the possibilities which are to be expected from a systematic evaluation of Kirch's correspondence. Only about 100 out of 600 letters have been used for historical publications until now.

Herausforderungen für künftige Lernumgebungen am Beispiel der Fakultät für Medizin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gergintchev, Ivan; Graf, Stephan

Nach der weit reichenden Etablierung von eLearning in den letzten Jahren stehen nahezu alle deutschen Hochschulen vor der Aufgabe, wettbewerbsfähige hochschulübergreifende Mechanismen sowie entsprechende organisatorische Rahmenbedingungen zu schaffen. Vor allem die Umsetzung von EBologna und die Unterstützung kooperativer Bildungsangebote verstärken diese Notwendigkeit. Motiviert durch die Veränderungen im Bereich der Hochschullehre und die Herausforderungen für künftige Lernumgebungen schlagen wir eine Integrationslösung im Sinne eines Learning Gateway vor, die zur webgestützten Abwicklung von kooperativen Bildungsangeboten in heterogen Lernumgebungen eingesetzt werden kann. Ihre Praxisanwendung verdeutlichen wir anschließend im komplexen Szenario der Medizin an der TUM. Die Evaluierung der Umsetzung belegt den deutlichen Mehrwert des Ansatzes.

Tourismus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matzarakis, Andreas; Lohmann, Martin

Für den Tourismus haben Klima und Wetter eine große Relevanz: als Treiber des Verhaltens wie auch als Angebotsfaktor. Wetter und Klima sind demnach sowohl Bestandteil des touristischen Angebotes als auch limitierende Faktoren des Tourismus und Steuergrößen für die touristische Nachfrage. Insofern liegt es nahe, dass dieser Sektor vom Klimawandel betroffen sein wird. Der Tourismus ist aber auch ein Faktor, der seinerseits erheblich auf das Klima und den Klimawandel zurückwirkt. Dabei ist der Klimawandel aber nur einer von vielen voneinander abhängig erscheinenden Einflussfaktoren, denen der Sektor "Tourismus" ausgesetzt ist. Das heißt, es handelt sich um ein komplexes Wirkungsgefüge. Das Kapitel widmet sich den Klimawandelfolgen im Tourismus und macht diese beispielhaft an den Regionen "Küsten" sowie "Mittel- und Hochgebirge" fest, um Anpassungsmöglichkeiten anzufügen.

Contributions to the History of Astronomy, Vol. 3. (German Title: Beiträge zur Astronomiegeschichte, Band 3)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Wolfgang R.; Hamel, Jürgen

The main papers of this issue deal with previously unknown details of the foundation of the astronomical observatories in Gotha and in Königsberg (with numerous original documents by F.W. Bessel), with the Mecklenburg ordnance survey (1853-1873, with previously unknown letters by C.F. Gauss), with the merits of the Leipzig astronomer G.A. Jahn, with the internationality of the Astronomische Gesellschaft, and with early, previously little noted works on the expansion of the Universe. The issue contains a description of the important collection of sundials in the Kassel museum, discussions about the Medieval ``Phantom Period'', about Goethe's description of the zodiacal light, as well as obituaries and book reviews. Most papers in German, one in English.

Magnetic order in the frustrated Ising-like chain compound Sr3NiIrO6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lefrançois, E.; Chapon, L. C.; Simonet, V.; Lejay, P.; Khalyavin, D.; Rayaprol, S.; Sampathkumaran, E. V.; Ballou, R.; Adroja, D. T.

2014-07-01

We have studied the field and temperature dependencies of the magnetization of single crystals of Sr3NiIrO6. These measurements evidence the presence of an easy axis of anisotropy and two anomalies in the magnetic susceptibility. Neutron powder diffraction realized on a polycrystalline sample reveals the emergence of magnetic reflections below 75 K with magnetic propagation vector k ˜ (0, 0, 1), undetected in previous neutron studies [T. N. Nguyen and H.-C. zur Loye, J. Solid State Chem. 117, 300 (1995), 10.1006/jssc.1995.1277]. The nature of the magnetic ground state, and the presence of two anomalies common to this family of material, are discussed on the basis of the results obtained by neutron diffraction, magnetization measurements, and symmetry arguments.

Viele Tests - viele Fehler?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabelow, Karsten

Bildgebende Verfahren haben sich in den letzten Jahren einen festen Platz in der Medizin erobert und die medizinische Forschung und Diagnostik revolutioniert. Sie ermöglichen Ärzten und Forschern einen Einblick in lebendes Gewebe. Mit der fortschreitenden technischen Entwicklung liefern die Verfahren immer höhere Auflösungen, schärfere Bilder und mehr Details. Bildgebende Verfahren sind ohne Mathematik undenkbar, von der Bildrekonstruktion aus den gemessenen Signalen, bis hin zur Auswertung der Bildinformation. Für die Analyse der großen Menge an Bilddatenpunkten (Voxel, volume element, im Gegensatz zum zweidimensionalen Pixel, picture element) werden häufig insbesondere Methoden der mathematischen Statistik benötigt. Zufällige Fehler in der Messung äußern sich als Bildrauschen, die Bilder wirken unscharf und gestört. Dadurch werden diagnostische Entscheidungen erschwert.

Gesellschaft, Lebensgemeinschaft, Ökosystem - Über die Kongruenz von politischen und ökologischen Theorien der Entwicklung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voigt, Annette

Im Jahr 1859 veröffentlichte Charles Darwin "On the Origin of Species“. Seine Evolutionstheorie ist das wohl spektakulärste Beispiel einer naturwissenschaftlichen Theorie großer gesellschaftlicher Relevanz. Ihre verschiedenen Facetten wurden in der Öffentlichkeit kontrovers diskutiert, unter anderem auch ihre Anwendung zur Erklärung von Zuständen und Prozessen menschlicher Gesellschaften. Zum Teil wurde die Seiensweise der Natur - scheinbar unabhängig von gesellschaftlichen Interessen - für die Erklärung und Legitimation gesellschaftlicher Zustände oder die Legitimation von politischen Ideologien herangezogen (Sozialdarwinismus). Denn Gesellschaft funktioniere ja so, wie Darwin die Natur erklärt habe: es herrsche z. B. Konkurrenzkampf, Auslese und Arbeitsteilung, Erfolg hätten diejenigen, die sich an die Bedingungen am Besten anpassten.

Effects of strains, strain crosses and environments on additive genetic and phenotypic variances in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Noor, R R; Barker, J S; Kinghorn, B P

1993-01-12

The stability of phenotypic, additive genetic and environmental variances of thorax length of Drosophila melanogaster in pure and synthetic strains was examined in two different environments. Two pure strains from different geographic locations (Melbourne and Townsville) were used, together with three synthetic populations formed from them. The existence of differences in thorax length between the Melbourne and Townsville populations, genotype by environment interaction, and heterosis in crosses between these populations indicate that they are genetically different. Thus geographic separation can cause differences in mean thorax length of flies from different populations. Both the difference in selection histories between the two localities and drift could lead to these differences. Up to the thirty fifth generation there was no evidence of any reduction in the difference between the Melbourne and Townsville populations, in either laboratory environment. The genetic differentiation of strains therefore may be maintained over many generations under new environmental conditions. The fluctuation over generations of heterosis of thorax length is possibly caused by the fluctuation of the rate of loss of favourable epistatic interaction in crossbred genotypes in combination with natural selection effects. V(p) was significantly higher in poor than in the good environment. This higher V(p) in the poor environment is most likly due to higher non additive genetic variance. V(p) was also significantly influenced by strain. In general, V(p) values of synthetic strains were higher than those of pure strains in both environments. Finally, the additive and environmental variances of thorax length were relatively stable across strains, generations and environments. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Wirkung von Herkünften, Kreuzungen und Umwelten auf additiv-genetische und phänotypische Varianzen in Drosophila melanogaster Die Stabilität phänotypischer, additiv-genetischer und umweltbedingter Varianzen der Thoraxlänge von Drosophila melanogaster in reinen und synthetischen Herkünften wurde in zwei verschiedenen Umwelten überprüft. Zwei reine Herkünfte von verschiedenen Gegenden (Melboune und Townsville) wurden zusammen mit drei zwischen ihnen gebildeten synthetischen Populationen untersucht. Unterschiede in Thoraxlänge zwischen Melbourne- und Townsvilleherkünften, Genotypumweltinteraktionen und Heterosis in Kreuzungen zwischen diesen Populationen zeigen, daß sie sich genetisch unterscheiden. Die geographische Trennung kann also Unterschiede in der mittleren Thoraxlänge zur Folge haben, wobei unterschiedliche Selektionsgeschichte in beiden Gegenden und Drift dies verursachen können. Bis zur 35. Generation gab es in keinem Labormilieu einen Hinweis auf eine Reduktion der Unterschiede zwischen den beiden Populationen. Die genetische Differenz der Herkünfte erhält sich daher auch unter neuen Umweltverhältnissen über viele Generationen. Die Schwankung in Heterosis für Thoraxlänge ist möglicherweise durch Schwankungen in der Verlustrate günstiger epistatischer Interaktionswirkungen in Kreuzungsgenotypen zusammen mit natürlichen Selektionswirkungen verursacht. V(p) war durch Umweltbedingungen signifikant beeinflußt und höher in schlechtem als in gutem Milieu. Der hohe Wert in schlechtem Milieu ist wahrscheinlich auf nicht-additiv-genetische Varianz zurückzuführen. V(p) wurde auch signifikant durch Herkunft beeinflußt und Werte in synthetischen Linien waren höher Linien in beiden Milieus. Additive und umweltbedingte Varianzen waren über Linie, Generationen und Umwelt relativ stabil. 1993 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

IQM-Reifegradmodell für die Bewertung und Verbesserung des Information Lifecycle Management Prozesses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baškarada, Saša; Gebauer, Marcus; Koronios, Andy; Gao, Jing

Heutige Organisationen produzieren und speichern mehr Informationen als je zuvor. Der resultierende Informationsüberfluss, zusammen mit einem Mangel an Qualitätssicherung für das Information Lifecycle Management, führt zu einem unsicheren Status der Informationsqualität in vielen Organisationen. Weiterhin hat sich herausgestellt, dass das Bewerten, Verbessern und Steuern der Informationsqualität ein offenkundig schwieriges Unterfangen ist. Dieses Kapitel stellt ein Modell zur Bewertung und Verbesserung der Information Quality Management Capability Maturity (IQM-Reifegrad) vor. Es wird ein Satz von Kriterien vorgestellt, der aus Literaturrecherche und Fallstudien abgeleitet wurde. Die Reifegradindikatoren werden validiert und in einem mehrstufigen Reifegradmodell durch eine Delphi-Studie gruppiert. Das abgeleitete IQM-Reifegradmodell hilft Organisationen ihre bestehenden Praktiken im IQM zu bewerten und potentielle Lücken und Verbesserungsstrategien zu ermitteln.

Zusammenarbeit aus Sicht eines outgesourcten Instandhalters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grüßer, Stefan; Loeven, Heinz-Wilhelm

Dauerhafter Unternehmenserfolg ist nur mit einer fortschrittlichen Instandhaltung zu erzielen. Durch den enormen Kostendruck infolge der Globalisierung und die Innovationssprünge auf der technischen Seite wird auch die Frage nach der modernen Organisationsform für die Instandhaltung gestellt. Eine Möglichkeit der Kostenoptimierung ist das Outsourcing von Instandhaltungsleistungen. Hierbei ist es unerlässlich, dass sich die Mitarbeiter zum Dienstleister entwickeln. In diesem Beitrag wird die Entwicklung der InfraServ Knapsack von einer internen Instandhaltungsabteilung hin zu einem Industriellen Dienstleister beschrieben und Aspekte der Zusammenarbeit mit externen Kunden aus der Sicht des outgesourcten Instandhalters geschildert. Es werden die wichtigen Entwicklungsschritte zur Dienstleistungsorientierung der früheren Eigeninstandhaltung aufgezeigt. Dieser Beitrag ist nicht als "Königsweg“ zu verstehen, er soll vielmehr anhand der Erfahrungen einer outgesourcten Eigeninstandhaltung Anregungen für die Entwicklung der eigenen Instandhaltungsorganisation liefern.

Die Digitalisierung der Energiewirtschaft: Potenziale und Herausforderungen der IKT-Branche für Utility 4.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aichele, Christian; Schönberger, Marius

Energieunternehmen haben auf dem Weg zur digitalen Transformation noch viele Herausforderungen zu bewältigen. Ein besonderer Schwerpunkt liegt derzeit auf der Modernisierung der IT-Systeme. Ausgangspunkt hierzu ist, dass sich bei den Endkonsumenten Mobile Applikationen, Smartphones, Tablet-PCs oder Smart TVs einer immensen Beliebtheit erfreuen. Durch diese Technologien wird die physische und virtuelle Welt in immer weiter zunehmendem Maße miteinander verknüpft. Mobile Applikation können einen wahren Hype hervorrufen und Verhaltensweisen auch nachhaltig verändern (ein Beispiel hierfür ist Pokémon Go, eine App die ein virtuelles Spiel mit der realen Umgebung kombiniert und die erstmalig auch eingefleischte Zocker aus der Anonymität ihrer häuslichen Umgebung hervorlocken konnte und für analoge Bewegung im Freien sorgte).

NAFLA - Ein Simulationswerkzeug zur analytischen Abschätzung von Schadstofffahnenlängen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar Yadav, Prabhas; Händel, Falk; Müller, Christian; Liedl, Rudolf; Dietrich, Peter

2013-03-01

Groundwater pollution with organic contaminants remains a world-wide problem. Before selection of any remediation technique, it is important to pre-assess contaminated sites with respect to their hazard. For this, several analytical and numerical approaches have been used and an initial assessment of contaminated sites the MS-Excel© tool "NAFLA" was developed. "NAFLA" allows a quick and straightforward calculation and comparison of some analytical approaches for the estimation of maximum plume length under steady-state conditions. These approaches differ from each other in source geometry, model domain orientation, and in the consideration of (bio)chemical reaction within the domain. In this communication, we provide details about the development of "NAFLA", its possible usage and information for users. The tool is especially designed for application in student education, by authorities and consultants.

G-spot augmentation with autologous fat transplantation.

PubMed

Herold, Christian; Motamedi, Melodi; Hartmann, Uwe; Allert, Sixtus

2015-01-01

Lipofilling for G-spot augmentation is appealing because long-term persistence of the fat is expected to be very good. We report the case of a 29-year-old patient who requested G-spot augmentation to enhance sexual sensation. Autologous fat (8 cc) that was harvested from the trochanteric area was injected. Although there are few published data acknowledging the presence of the G-spot, the patient was satisfied with the procedure and no side effects occurred. Nevertheless, evaluation with standard questionnaires, such as Fragebogen zur Lebenszufriedenheit (FLZ) and Kurzfragebogen für sexuelle Probleme (KFSP-F), did not indicate the positive effects on subjective well-being and sexual parameters of a surgical G-spot augmentation. Studies comprising a larger series of patients are required before substantiated recommendations regarding the benefits and risks of this procedure will be possible.

Reinraumtechnik für die Medizintechnik

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petek, Max; Jungbluth, Martin; Krampe, Erhard

Die Reinraumtechnik ist heute ein unverzichtbarer Bestandteil bei der Fertigung von Produkten der Life Sciences, den Bereichen Pharma, Lebensmittel, Kosmetik und Medizintechnik. In Anbetracht der langen Historie der Medizintechnik ist sie jedoch eine sehr junge Disziplin. Die Bedeutung von Keimen und die richtige Einschätzung ihrer Größe wurden zwar sehr früh bereits durch Paracelsus erkannt, jedoch wurden daraus noch keine speziellen oder kontinuierlich umgesetzten Hygienevorschriften abgeleitet. Die erste bekannte technische Umsetzung von Hygieneempfehlungen geht auf den Franzosen François Nicolas Appert zurück, der eine aseptische Abfüllmethode für Lebensmittel entwickelte und diese 1810 veröffentlichte [1]. Die erste dokumentierte medizinische Umsetzung stellten Hygienevorschriften für Ärzte dar, die Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis nach 1847 in der Wiener Klinik für Geburtshilfe einführte [2].

Smart Meter Rollout: Intelligente Messsysteme als Schnittstelle zum Kunden im Smart Grid und Smart Market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vortanz, Karsten; Zayer, Peter

Das Gesetz zur Digitalisierung der Energiewende ist verabschiedet. Ab 2017 sind moderne Messeinrichtungen (mME) und intelligente Messsysteme (iMSys) zu verbauen und zu betreiben. Der "deutsche Weg" für die Einführung von Smart Metern sieht einen stufenweisen Rollout sowie ein Höchstmaß an Informations- und Datensicherheit vor. Dabei spielen iMSys und mME eine wichtige Rolle bei der Neugestaltung der intelligenten Netze (Smart Grids) und des neuen Marktmodells (Smart Market). Dieser Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit den neuen Gesetzen, den Marktrollen und ihren Aufgaben, Datenschutz und Datensicherheit, dem iMSys als sichere Lösung, dem sicheren Betrieb von Smart Meter Gateways, Smart Grid - Smart Market, dem Zusammenspiel zwischen reguliertem Bereich und Markt, den Einsatzbereichen der iMSys sowie den Auswirkungen auf Prozesse und Systeme und gibt Handlungsempfehlungen.

Intelligente Messsysteme - Mehrwert für unterschiedliche Stufen der Wertschöpfung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deppe, Benjamin

Die Veränderung der Energiewirtschaft schreitet kontinuierlich voran - und wird mit Gesetz zur Digitalisierung der Energiewende nicht abgeschlossen sein. Vielmehr steigen die Innovationsgeschwindigkeit und die Erwartungshaltung der Kunden. Dieses Kapitel beschreibt, wie intelligente Messsysteme die Basis für neue Möglichkeiten schaffen und wie sich diese Veränderungen auf die Wertschöpfung auswirken. Der Fokus liegt dabei auf dem Wandel der einzelnen Wertschöpfungsstufen im Verlauf der Liberalisierung des Messwesens und dem seit dem 02.09.2016 verbindlichen Messstellenbetriebsgesetzes. Der Beitrag zeigt auf, wie sich bisher getrennte Wertschöpfungsstufen nunmehr direkt berühren und miteinander interagieren. Deutlich wird dadurch, wie Informationen zu Mehrwert führen können - aber auch, welche Fragen noch zu beantworten sind und welche Hürden es zu überwinden gilt.

Statistik in Naturwissenschaft und Technik

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilrich, Peter-Theodor

Mit dem Aufschwung von Naturwissenschaft und Technik zu Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts entstand die mathematische Statistik, angeregt aus der Geodäsie (wie die Methode der kleinsten Quadrate) und der Anthropologie (wie die statistische Analyse mehrdimensionaler Beobachtungen und ihrer stochastischen Abhängigkeiten). Im Gegensatz zu den Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften, in denen Daten vorwiegend aus Beobachtungsstudien gewonnen werden, stehen in den Naturwissenschaften Experimente im Vordergrund. Daher gehört die statistische Versuchsplanung zu den insbesondere in Naturwissenschaft und Technik angewendeten statistischen Methoden, aber auch die Extremwertstatistik und Lebensdaueranalysen sowie die Methoden der räumlichen Statistik (insbesondere in der Umweltforschung). Im 20. Jahrhundert wurden Stichprobenpläne und Regelkarten (Kontrollkarten) zur Prozessregelung als Hilfsmittel der statistischen Qualitätssicherung entwickelt. Diese Methodenbündel, mit denen sich der Ausschuss Statistik in Naturwissenschaft und Technik immer wieder befasst, werden im Folgenden vorgestellt.

Individuelle Templates für Rekonstruktionen des linken Herzventrikels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feder, Stefan; Falk, Volkmar; Gutberiet, Matthias; Bartz, Dirk

Bei krankhaften Vergrößerungen des linken Herzventrikels kann eine chirurgische Ventrikelrekonstruktion zur Verbesserung der Herzleistung beitragen. Die dabei erstellte Ventrikelgeometrie ist von entscheidender Bedeutung. Diese Studie befasst sich mit der computerbasierten Planung von individuellen Schablonen (Templates) für Ventrikelrekonstruktionen. Ziel ist es aus Cardio-CT-Daten, präoperativ, patientenindividuelle 3D-Modelle für Ventrikeltemplates zu erstellen. Hierfür wird aus CT-Daten der linksventrikuläre Blutpool segmentiert und daraus das Ventrikeltemplate modelliert. Dies geschieht anhand von zwei Kriterien: dem physiologischen Ventrikelfüllungsvolumen und der hämodynamisch günstigen ellipsoiden Form. Es konnten 20 3D-Templatemodelle mit einem durchschnittlichen Volumen von 144 ml erstellt werden. Die ellipsoide Form konnte durch manuelle Modellierung erreicht werden. Der Nachweis verbesserter Operationsergebnisse muss in nachfolgenden klinischen Studien erbracht werden.

Experimentelles FMCW-Radar zur hochfrequenten Charakterisierung von Windenergieanlagen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schubert, Karsten; Werner, Jens; Schwartau, Fabian

2017-09-01

During the increasing dissemination of renewable energy sources the potential and actual interference effects of wind turbine plants became obvious. Turbines reflect the signals of weather radar and other radar systems. In addition to the static radar echoes, in particular the Doppler echoes are to be mentioned as an undesirable impairment Keränen (2014). As a result, building permit is refused for numerous new wind turbines, as the potential interference can not be reliably predicted. As a contribution to the improvement of this predictability, measurements are planned which aim at the high-frequency characterisation of wind energy installations. In this paper, a cost-effective FMCW radar is presented, which is operated in the same frequency band (C-band) as the weather radars of the German weather service. Here, the focus is on the description of the hardware design including the considerations used for its dimensioning.

Implantate in der Augenheilkunde

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dresp, Joachim H.

Im Bereich der Augenheilkunde findet sich die weltweit am häufigsten ausgeführte chirurgische Massnahme, die operative Behandlung des Grauen Stars: die Katarakt. Bei der Katarakt handelt es sich um eine Eintrübung der natürlichen Augenlinse, die sich je nach Stadium der Erkrankung leicht opak, über milchig bis zu bräunlich präsentiert. Mit dieser Zunahme der Undurchlässigkeit für das sichtbare Licht geht eine Abnahme des Sehvermögens einher, die bis zur totalen Erblindung führen kann. Bedingt durch die sehr eingeschränkten chirurgischen Möglichkeiten in den Ländern der Dritten Welt ist die Katarakt die Erblindungsursache Nummer 1 in der Welt. Ganz im Gegensatz hierzu ist in den industrialisierten Ländern Europas, Amerikas und Asiens die Katarakt-OP die sicherste chirurgische Intervention. In der Augenheilkunde werden Implantate aller drei Aggregatszustände verwendet.

STF Optimierung von single-bit CT ΣΔ Modulatoren basierend auf skalierten Filterkoeffizienten

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widemann, C.; Zorn, C.; Brückner, T.; Ortmanns, M.; Mathis, W.

2012-09-01

Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit dem Signalübertragungsverhalten von single-bit continuous-time (CT) ΣΔ Modulatoren. Dabei liegt der Fokus der Untersuchung auf dem Peaking der Signaltransferfunktion (STF). Dieser Effekt kann die Performance und die Stabilität des Gesamtsystems negativ beeinflussen, da bei auftretendem STF-Peaking Signale außerhalb des Signalbands verstärkt werden. In dieser Arbeit wird ein neuer Ansatz zur Reduktion des Peakings vorgestellt, der auf der Optimierung der Systemdynamik basiert. Dabei werden die Filterkoeffizienten des Modulators systematisch angepasst. Anhand eines Beispielsystems wird gezeigt, dass der Ansatz genutzt werden kann, um das Übertragungsverhalten des Modulators abhängig vom Ausgangssystem zu verändern. So kann entweder die Systemsperformance verbessert werden, ohne Peaking in der STF zu erzeugen, oder das STF-Peaking reduziert werden, ohne die Systemperformance stark zu beeinflussen.

Erste Erkenntnisse zur Prospektion und Charakterisierung des Aquifers der Aroser Dolomiten, Schweiz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regli, Christian; Kleboth, Peter; Eichenberger, Urs; Schmassmann, Silvia; Nyfeler, Peter; Bolay, Stephan

2014-03-01

In urban areas of the Swiss Alps the use of geothermal energy from several hundred meters depth becomes increasingly important. For this mainly open systems have priority. This work presents the first insights in the prospection and characterisation of the so far unexplored, utilizable, and abundant Aquifer of the Arosa Dolomites. Besides the use of established methods and techniques, such as seismic measurements, an exploration drilling, borehole geophysical measurements, and pumping tests, the application of the KARSYS-approach for geological and conceptual hydrogeological 3D-modelling of the aquifer is illustrated. In addition, the development of a viewer for 3D-visualization of drillings is documented. The hydrogeological and metrological approaches allow a lithological facies differentiation of the Arosa Dolomites, and a differentiation of the fractured and karstified areas within the aquifer. The results represent the basis for advanced findings optimizing and risks minimising exploration and drilling planning, and for sustainable utilization planning.

Batch-Versuche zur Bestimmung der Sorption und Reaktionskinetik von fluoreszierenden Tracern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaitl, Tobias; Wohnlich, Stefan

2018-06-01

For many tracer experiments, prior determination of interaction between solid medium and used tracers is of major interest in order to achieve efficient, economic and successful field experiments. In the present study, three different types of batch experiments were performed with three fluorescent dyes (Na-Fluorescein, Amidorhodamin G and Tinopal CBS-X) and three different rock types (sandstone, claystone and limestone), to determine distribution coefficients and reaction kinetics. All three rock types were analysed for organic carbon content, specific surface area and mineralogical composition to identify the main sorption mechanisms. For all tracers, different sorption properties were found depending on the type of rock. The strongest sorption was observed for Tinopal CBS-X in contact with claystone. Only Na-Fluorescein showed sorption (albeit limited) in contact with the sandstones. The investigated limestones indicated a high sorption for the tracer Tinopal CBS-X. Regarding reaction kinetics, in most cases, thermodynamic equilibrium conditions were reached after two weeks.

Spritzgießen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bürkle, Erwin; Ammer, Daniel; Würtele, Martin

Kunststoffe zu spritzgießen ist eine der fortschrittlichsten Verarbeitungstechnologien. Durch Spritzgießen, ein Verfahren der Urformtechnik werden Formteile in der Regel mit komplexer Geometrie vollautomatisch hergestellt. Ausgehend vom Verfahrensablauf werden Thermoplaste, Duroplaste oder Kautschuk in einer Spritzgießmaschine aus dem Feststoffzustand heraus aufgeschmolzen, in einen formgebenden Hohlraum (Werkzeug) eingespritzt, dort verdichtet, abgekühlt oder zur Reaktion gebracht und dann als Formteil aus dem Werkzeug ausgeworfen. Etwa 60 % aller Kunststoffverarbeitungsmaschinen sind Spritzgießmaschinen (Abb. 26.1). Auf ihnen werden Formteile mit sehr niedrigen Massen im mg-Bereich bis hin zu großen Massen in zwei - z. T. sogar auch dreistelligen kg-Bereich hergestellt. Der Prozess des Spritzgießens nutzt in idealer Weise das besondere physikalische Verhalten der Kunststoffe. In einem verhältnismäßig einfachen Prozess werden durch Erwärmen des Kunststoffes und der nachfolgenden Formgebung im Schmelzezustand mit abschließender Abkühlung in einem formgebenden Werkzeug direkt gebrauchsfertige Formteile hergestellt [1, 31].

Classification of municipal occupations.

PubMed

Ilmarinen, J; Suurnäkki, T; Nygård, C H; Landau, K

1991-01-01

Eighty-eight job titles were analyzed with the "ergonomic job analysis procedure" [Arbeitswissenschaftliche Erhebungsverfahren zur Tätigkeits-analyse abbreviated (AET) in German]. The objective was to classify the wide range of municipal jobs into homogeneous groups according to job demand and to provide better possibilities to study the relationships between work and health among the aging municipal working population. Altogether 216 items were classified. First, a hierarchical cluster analysis was made, and a dendrogram of the analyzed job titles was drawn. Second, a profile analysis was done in which the single items were grouped into 39 sum items, and a graphic profile was drawn. Finally, the stress factors were listed and drawn in ranking order. The cluster analysis formed 13 groups. Groups exposed to the highest stress factor level were kitchen supervisors, dentists, and physicians. More than 10 stress factors (greater than 50% of the maximum) were found in nursing, administration, installation, transport, and technical supervision.

Hermann Hankel's "On the general theory of motion of fluids". An essay including an English translation of the complete Preisschrift from 1861

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Villone, Barbara; Rampf, Cornelius

2017-12-01

The present is a companion paper to "A contemporary look at Hermann Hankel's 1861 pioneering work on Lagrangian fluid dynamics" by Frisch, Grimberg and Villone [Eur. Phys. J. H 42, 537-556 (2017)]. Here we present the English translation of the 1861 prize manuscript from Göttingen University "Zur allgemeinen Theorie der Bewegung der Flüssigkeiten" (On the general theory of the motion of the fluids) of Hermann Hankel (1839-1873), which was originally submitted in Latin and then translated into German by the Author for publication. We also provide the English translation of two important reports on the manuscript, one written by Bernhard Riemann and the other by Wilhelm Eduard Weber during the assessment process for the prize. Finally, we give a short biography of Hermann Hankel with his complete bibliography.

Integrierter Ansatz zur Beurteilung eines Aufsuchungsantrages auf Schiefergas in Hessen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritsche, Johann-Gerhard; Brodsky, Jan; Heggemann, Heiner; Hoffmann, Michaela; Hottenrott, Martin; Kracht, Matthias; Reischmann, Thomas; Rosenberg, Fred; Schlösser-Kluger, Inga

2016-06-01

In the context of an application for a shale gas exploration license including hydraulic fracturing, the Geological Survey of Hessen (HLNUG) has grouped and ranked structural geological regions in terms of their shale gas potential and the function of overlying rocks as barriers. Tectonic and structural features as well as the type of reservoir have been examined. Rock units overlying the shale gas layers have been classified as hydrogeological units and divided into aquifers and hydraulic barriers. Possible effects on drinking water abstraction facilities, mineral springs and water for industrial use have also been estimated, followed by an analysis of competing requirements for land use. A potential for shale gas can only be identified in a region north of Kassel, covering about 16 % of the claim area. Approximately 65 % of this region is overlapped by protection areas for drinking water and mineral springs, nature reserves and many other areas of public interest.

Supply Chain Management (SCM) mit Kanban

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beer, Anja; Dickmann, Eva; Dickmann, Philipp; Gerth, Wolf-Michael; Graßy, Mario; Herron, Colin; Schmidt, Peter; Seidl, Florian; Wittmann, Claus-Eduard

Nach Schätzungen von Mercer Management Consulting und dem Fraunhofer Institut wird der Wertschöpfungsanteil in der Automobilindustrie von durchschnittlich 35 % im Jahr 2002 auf 23 % im Jahr 2015 sinken [Merc 04]. Der Trend, die Produktionstiefe oder allgemeiner, die Wertschöpfungstiefe, zu reduzieren, hat zur Folge, dass die Kaufteile den größeren Teil der Wertschöpfung einnehmen. Die Optimierungspotentiale und der Einfluss auf die Kosten wandern immer mehr zu den Lieferanten, vor allem bei größeren Unternehmen oder Konzernen. Lieferanten-Philosophien, die auf oberflächlichen Verbindungen zu Lieferanten aufbauen, um immer optimal und schnell den günstigsten Teilepreis zu erhalten, haben sich in vielen Sparten oder Produktbereichen, z. B. im Maschinenbau, im besten Fall als kurzfristig erfolgreich erwiesen. Kooperative und nachhaltige Strategien sind der erfolgversprechendere Weg, zumindest mittelbis langfristig. In der Realität wird sehr wenig in Supply Chain-Konzepte investiert und die Umsetzungen sind daher vielmals oberflächlich.

Veränderungsmanagement: Utility 4.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hofstetter, Norbert

Finden Sie das rechte Maß für Ihre energiewirtschaftlichen Veränderungsvorhaben in "Utility 4.0". Mal was Gutes für Ältere: "Alter Dachs schlägt jungen Hasen". Beim Veränderungsmanagement ist Erfahrung gefragt. Die Bausteine der Veränderung reichen von wie sie mit ihrer Veränderungsgeschichte überzeugen bis wie sie die emotionale Achterbahn der Gefühle auf der individuellen Veränderungskurve bewältigen und wie Veränderungsprojekte auf Gesamtunternehmensebene ablaufen bis zur Frage, wie sie Ihre Macht-/Fachpromotoren und Multiplikatoren in Stellung bringen. Möglicherweise haben Sie die Veränderung in Form eines Start-up-ähnlichen Organisational Slack schon in Ihrem Haus. Nur wissen Sie es noch nicht. Und last but not least: Beschäftigen sie sich mit dem Thema Komplexitätshandhabung. Seien Sie es sich selbst Wert. Seien sie aufmerksam zu sich und ihrer Gesundheit!

Black soils and/or sediments at the western border of the Nördlinger Ries (South Germany)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mailänder, S.; Eberle, J.; Blümel, W. D.

2009-04-01

In the framework of a geoarchaeological research project by the Institute of Geography, University of Stuttgart, in the year 2006 the construction of a kerosene pipeline trench was monitored at the western border of the impact crater "Nördlinger Ries" in South Germany (MAILÄNDER ET AL. 2008). Thereby black horizons were recognized at several places. They occured predominantly in depressions and were covered by holocene colluvial sediments, but rested on different bedrocks which include mud- and sandstones as well as lime. The most of these horizons seemed to be rich in humic material and clay. By means of various studies, which involve sedimentological, pedological, archaeobotanical and -zoological analysis as well as 14C-(AMS)-datings, the periods and circumstances of the development of these black horizons are explored. The poster presents the itemised research methods and their first results. Particularly micromorphological analysis and mollusc classifications turned out to be very valuable to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental conditions during their formation and subsequent modifications. First datings of bulk samples and charcoal pieces refer to the Atlantic period, but the measured ages distribute to a long time space from about cal BC 5200 to cal BC 4000. The outcomes of this investigation should facilitate a comparison with similar horizons which are recovered in several Central European sediment profiles, for example in the Amöneburger Becken near Marburg in Hessen (RITTWEGER 2000). Also their composition will be contrasted with samples from archaeological findings in the surrounding and the possibility of an anthropogenic influence on their development will be checked. References MAILÄNDER, S., W. D. BLÜMEL & J. EBERLE (2008): Paläoumweltbedingungen und anthropogene Landoberflächenveränderungen im Umfeld des frühkeltischen Fürstensitzes auf dem Ipf am Westrand des Nördlinger Rieses: Erste Geländebefunde und Auswertungen 2005/2006.- In: KRAUSSE, D. L. (Ed.) (2008): Frühe Zentralisierungs- und Urbanisierungsprozesse. Zur Genese und Entwicklung frühkeltischer Fürstensitze und ihres territorialen Umlandes. Kolloquium des DFG-Schwerpunktprogramms 1171 (Blaubeuren, 9.-11. Oktober 2006).- Forschungen und Berichte zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte in Baden-Württemberg 101.- Stuttgart: 281-298. RITTWEGER, H. (2000): The "Black Floodplain Soil" in the Amöneburger Becken, Germany: a lower Holocene marker horizon and indicator of an upper Atlantic to Subboreal dry period in Central Europe?.- Catena 41: 143-164.

Dioxin-ähnliche Wirkungen durch Grundwasser am Industriestandort Zeitz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schirmer, Kristin; Bopp, Stephanie; Russold, Sandra; Popp, Peter

Kurzfassung Im Rahmen der Etablierung des Standortes Zeitz (Sachsen-Anhalt) als Referenztestfeld zur Implementierung des Natural-Attenuation-Ansatzes, haben wir Grundwasser auf seine Fähigkeit untersucht, eine Dioxin-ähnliche Wirkung hervorzurufen. Die Dioxin-ähnliche Wirkung ist die Arylhydrocarbon Rezeptor-vermittelte Induktion des Proteinkomplexes Cytochrom CYP1A, welches als 7-Ethoxyresorufin-O-Deethylase (EROD) Enzymaktivität in einer Fischleberzelllinie gemessen wurde. Von 32 Probennahmestellen wiesen sieben eine signifikante EROD-Induktion auf, welche zu einem geringen Teil auf Polyzyklische Aromatische Kohlenwasserstoffe zurückzuführen war. Ein weiterer Teil der EROD-Induktion konnte den Substanzen Benzofuran, Indan und Inden zugesprochen werden, welche hier erstmalig als EROD-Induktoren identifiziert wurden. Alle Probennahmestellen mit signifikanter EROD-Induktion lagen im Anstrom bzw. westlich des früheren Standortes der Benzolanlage in Zeitz, was einen signifikanten Einfluss von Benzol vor allem auf den Transport und das Lösungsverhalten EROD-induzierender Grundwasserkontaminanten vermuten lässt. Insgesamt zeigen diese Untersuchungen, wie eine Kombination von chemischer und biologischer Analytik zu einer deutlich verbesserten Aussagekraft führt und somit zu einer nachhaltigen Überwachung der Qualität von Grundwasser beitragen kann. As part of setting up the test field Zeitz (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) as a reference site for the implementation of Natural Attenuation as a remediation option, we have investigated groundwater for its ability to cause a dioxin-like response. The dioxin-like response is the aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated induction of the protein complex cytochrome CYP1A, which was measured as 7-Ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) enzyme activity in a fish liver cell line. Out of 32 sampling locations, seven showed significant EROD induction, which could be explained, to a minor extent, by the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Another small portion of the EROD induction was attributed to the low molecular weight compounds, Benzofuran, Indane and Indene, which were shown for the first time to act as EROD inducers. All sampling locations showing significant EROD induction were located upstream or to the west of the former benzene production site in Zeitz. This indicates that benzene is likely to affect the transport and dissolution of EROD-inducing groundwater contaminants. In sum, this study shows how a combination of chemical and biological analysis can greatly augment knowledge about site characteristics and thus contribute to a sustainable monitoring of groundwater quality.

Effect of magnolol on cerebral injury and blood brain barrier dysfunction induced by ischemia-reperfusion in vivo and in vitro.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaoyan; Chen, Xiaoling; Zhu, Yuanjun; Wang, Kewei; Wang, Yinye

2017-08-01

Magnolol, a neolignan compound isolated from traditional Chinese medicine Magnolia officinalis, has a potentially therapeutic influence on ischemic stroke. Previous studies have demonstrated that cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) and blood-brain barrier (BBB) are involved in the pathogeneses of stroke. Therefore, in vivo and in vitro studies were designed to investigate the effects of magnolol on I-R-induced neural injury and BBB dysfunction. In cerebral I-R model of mice, cerebral infarct volumes, brain water content, and the exudation of Evans blue were significantly reduced by intravenous injection with magnolol at the doses of 1.4, 7.0, and 35.0 μg/kg. When primary cultured microglial cells were treated with 1 μg/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus increasing concentrations of magnolol, ranging from 0.01 to 10 μmol/L, magnolol could statistically inhibit LPS-induced NO release, TNF-α secretion, and expression of p65 subunit of NF-κB in the nucleus of microglial cells. In the media of brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs), oxygen and glucose deprivation-reperfusion (OGD-R) could remarkably lead to the elevation of TNF-α and IL-1β levels, while magnolol evidently reversed these effects. In BBB model in vitro, magnolol dose- and time-dependently declined BBB hyperpermeability induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD), OGD-R, and ephrin-A1 treatment. More importantly, magnolol could obviously inhibit phosphorylation of EphA2 (p-EphA2) not only in ephrin-A1-treated BMECs but also in cerebral I-R model of mice. In contrast to p-EphA2, magnolol significantly increased ZO-1 and occludin levels in BMECs subjected to OGD. Taken together, magnolol can protect neural damage from cerebral ischemia- and OGD-reperfusion, which may be associated with suppressing cerebral inflammation and improving BBB function.

The circling mutant Pcdh15roda is a new mouse model for hearing loss.

PubMed

Torres, Adriana Amorim; Rzadzinska, Agnieszka K; Ribeiro, Andrea Frozino; Silva, Daniel Almeida da Silva E; Guénet, Jean-Louis; Massironi, Sílvia Maria Gomes; Godard, Ana Lúcia Brunialti

2013-01-01

Mouse mutagenesis is a key tool for studying gene function and several mutant alleles have been described and constitute mouse models for human hereditary diseases. Genetic hearing loss represents over 50% of all hearing loss cases in children and, due to the heterogeneity of the disorder, there is still a demand for the isolation and characterization of new genes and alleles. Here we report phenotypic and molecular characterization of a new mouse model for hereditary hearing loss. The mutant rodador, isolated by Massironi and colleagues in 2006, presents an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by deafness and balance dysfunction associated with abnormal stereocilia in the inner ear. The mutation was mapped to mouse chromosome 10, and characterization of the gene Pcdh15 revealed an AT-to-GC transition in intron 23 of mutant animals. The alteration led to the switch of a dinucleotide ApA for ApG, creating a novel intronic acceptor splice site, which leads to incorporation of eight intronic bases into the processed mRNA and alteration of the downstream reading frame. In silico analysis indicated that the mutated protein is truncated and lacks two cadherin domains, and the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains. Real Time PCR analyses revealed a significantly reduced Pcdh15 mRNA level in the brain of mutant mice, which might be due to the mechanism of non-sense mediated decay. In man, mutations in the orthologue PCDH15 cause non-syndromic deafness and Usher Syndrome Type 1F, a genetic disorder characterized by hearing loss and retinitis pigmentosa. Rodador mouse constitutes a new model for studying deafness in these conditions and may help in the comprehension of the pathogeneses of the disease, as well as of the mechanisms involved in the morphogenesis and function of inner ear stereocilia. This is a new ENU-induced allele and the first isolated in a BALB/c background. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

High resolution magnetic resonance imaging in pathogenesis diagnosis of single lenticulostriate infarction with nonstenotic middle cerebral artery, a retrospective study.

PubMed

Sun, Li-Li; Li, Zhong-Hao; Tang, Wen-Xiong; Liu, Lei; Chang, Fei-Yan; Zhang, Xue-Bin; Ye, Wei-Jie; Lu, Shuo; Liu, Zun-Jing; Zhu, Xian-Jin

2018-04-25

It is usually difficult to identify stroke pathogenesis for single lenticulostriate infarction with nonstenotic middle cerebral artery (MCA). Our aim is to differentiate the two pathogeneses, non-branch atheromatous small vessel disease and branch atheromatous disease (BAD) by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI). Thirty-two single lenticulostriate infarction patients with nonstenotic MCA admitted to the China-Japan Friendship Hospital from December 2014 to August 2017 were enrolled for retrospective analysis. National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), modified Rankin Scale (mRS), atherosclerotic risk factors, imaging features, and the characteristic of MCA vessel wall in HR-MRI were evaluated. MCA plaques were detected in 15(46.9%) patients which implied BAD and 8 of 15 (53.3%) patients had plaques location in upper dorsal side of the vessel wall. Patients with HR-MRI identified plaques had a significantly larger infarction lesion length (1.95 ± 0.86 cm versus 1.38 ± 0.55 cm; P = 0.031) and larger lesion volume (2.95 ± 3.94 cm 3 versus 0.90 ± 0.94 cm 3 ; P = 0.027) than patients without plaques. Patients with HR-MRI identified plaques had a significant higher percentage of proximal lesions than patients without plaques (P = 0.055). However, according to the location of MCA plaques, there were no significant differences in terms of imaging features, NIHSS and mRS. We demonstrated high frequency of MCA atheromatous plaques visualized in single lenticulostriate infarction patients with nonstenotic MCA by using HR-MRI. Patients with HR-MRI identified plaque presented larger infarction lesions and more proximal lesions than patients without plaque, which were consistent with imaging features of BAD. HR-MRI is an important and effective tool for identifying stroke etiology in patients with nonstenotic MCA.

Mitochondrial superoxide and coenzyme Q in insulin-deficient rats: increased electron leak

PubMed Central

Herlein, Judith A.; Fink, Brian D.; Henry, Dorlyne M.; Yorek, Mark A.; Teesch, Lynn M.

2011-01-01

Mitochondrial superoxide is important in the pathogeneses of diabetes and its complications. However, there is uncertainty regarding the intrinsic propensity of mitochondria to generate this radical. Studies to date suggest that superoxide production by mitochondria of insulin-sensitive target tissues of insulin-deficient rodents is reduced or unchanged. Moreover, little is known of the role of the Coenzyme Q (CoQ), whose semiquinone form reacts with molecular oxygen to generate superoxide. We measured reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, respiratory parameters, and CoQ content in mitochondria from gastrocnemius muscle of control and streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. CoQ content did not differ between mitochondria isolated from vehicle- or STZ-treated animals. CoQ also was unaffected by weight loss in the absence of diabetes (induced by caloric restriction). Under state 4 or state 3 conditions, both respiration and ROS release were reduced in diabetic mitochondria fueled with succinate, glutamate plus malate, or with all three substrates (continuous TCA cycle). However, H2O2 and directly measured superoxide production were substantially increased in gastrocnemius mitochondria of diabetic rats when expressed per unit oxygen consumed. On the basis of substrate and inhibitor effects, the mechanism involved multiple electron transport sites. More limited results using heart mitochondria were similar. ROS per unit respiration was greater in muscle mitochondria from diabetic compared with control rats during state 3, as well as state 4, while the reduction in ROS per unit respiration on transition to state 3 was less for diabetic mitochondria. In summary, ROS production is, in fact, increased in mitochondria from insulin-deficient muscle when considered relative to electron transport. This is evident on multiple energy substrates and in different respiratory states. CoQ is not reduced in diabetic mitochondria or with weight loss due to food restriction. The implications of these findings are discussed. PMID:21940403

Renal Protective Effects of Low Molecular Weight of Inonotus obliquus Polysaccharide (LIOP) on HFD/STZ-Induced Nephropathy in Mice.

PubMed

Chou, Yen-Jung; Kan, Wei-Chih; Chang, Chieh-Min; Peng, Yi-Jen; Wang, Hsien-Yi; Yu, Wen-Chun; Cheng, Yu-Hsuan; Jhang, Yu-Rou; Liu, Hsia-Wei; Chuu, Jiunn-Jye

2016-09-13

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in diabetes mellitus. Oxidative stress, insulin resistance and pro-inflammatory cytokines have been shown to play an important role in pathogeneses of renal damage on type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Inonotus obliquus (IO) is a white rot fungus that belongs to the family Hymenochaetaceae; it has been used as an edible mushroom and exhibits many biological activities including anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-hyperglycemic properties. Especially the water-soluble Inonotus obliquus polysaccharides (IOPs) have been previously reported to significantly inhibit LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines in mice and protect from streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. In order to identify the nephroprotective effects of low molecular weight of IOP fraction (LIOP), from the fruiting bodies of Inonotus obliquus, high-fat diet (HFD) plus STZ-induced type 2-like diabetic nephropathy C57BL/6 mice were investigated in this study. Our data showed that eight weeks of administration of 10-100 kDa, LIOP (300 mg/kg) had progressively increased their sensitivity to glucose (less insulin tolerance), reduced triglyceride levels, elevated the HDL/LDL ratio and decreased urinary albumin/creatinine ratio(ACR) compared to the control group. By pathological and immunohistochemical examinations, it was indicated that LIOP can restore the integrity of the glomerular capsules and increase the numbers of glomerular mesangial cells, associated with decreased expression of TGF-β on renal cortex in mice. Consistently, three days of LIOP (100 μg/mL) incubation also provided protection against STZ + AGEs-induced glucotoxicity in renal tubular cells (LLC-PK1), while the levels of NF-κB and TGF-β expression significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Our findings demonstrate that LIOP treatment could ameliorate glucolipotoxicity-induced renal fibrosis, possibly partly via the inhibition of NF-κB/TGF-β1 signaling pathway in diabetic nephropathy mice.

Berberrubine attenuates mucosal lesions and inflammation in dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis in mice

PubMed Central

Huang, Yan-Feng; Qu, Chang; Xu, Lie-Qiang; Su, Zi-Ren; Zeng, Hui-Fang; Zheng, Lin; Yi, Tie-Gang; Li, Hui-Lin; Chen, Jian-Ping

2018-01-01

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic relapsing disease without satisfactory treatments, in which intestinal inflammation and disrupted intestinal epithelial barrier are two main pathogeneses triggering UC. Berberrubine (BB) is deemed as one of the major active metabolite of berberine (BBR), a naturally-occurring isoquinoline alkaloid with appreciable anti-UC effect. This study aimed to comparatively investigate the therapeutic effects of BB and BBR on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced mouse colitis model, and explore the potential underlying mechanism. Results revealed that BB (20 mg/kg) produced a comparable therapeutic effect as BBR (50 mg/kg) and positive control sulfasalazine (200 mg/kg) by significantly reducing the disease activity index (DAI) with prolonged colon length and increased bodyweight as compared with the DSS group. BB treatment was shown to significantly ameliorate the DSS-induced colonic pathological alternations and decreased histological scores. In addition, BB markedly attenuated colonic inflammation by alleviating inflammatory cell infiltration and inhibiting myeloperoxidase (MPO) and cytokines (TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-4 and IL-10) productions in DSS mice. Furthermore, BB treatment substantially upregulated the expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins (zonula occludens-1, zonula occludens-2, claudin-1, occludin) and mRNA expression of mucins (mucin-1 and mucin-2), and decreased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. In summary, BB exerted similar effect to its analogue BBR and positive control in attenuating DSS-induced UC with much lower dosage and similar mechanism. The protective effect observed may be intimately associated with maintaining the integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier and mitigating intestinal inflammation, which were mediated at least partially, via favorable modulation of TJ proteins and mucins and inhibition of inflammatory mediators productions in the colonic tissue. This is the first report to demonstrate that BB possesses pronounced anti-UC effect similar to BBR and sulfasalazine with much smaller dosage. BB might have the potential to be further developed into a promising therapeutic option in the treatment of UC. PMID:29538417

Proteomic profiling and post-translational modifications in human keratinocytes treated with Mucuna pruriens leaf extract.

PubMed

Cortelazzo, Alessio; Lampariello, Raffaella L; Sticozzi, Claudia; Guerranti, Roberto; Mirasole, Cristiana; Zolla, Lello; Sacchetti, Gianni; Hajek, Joussef; Valacchi, Giuseppe

2014-02-03

Mucuna pruriens (Mp) is a plant belonging to the Fabaceae family, with several medicinal properties among which its potential to treat diseases where reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the pathogeneses. The aim was to investigate the effects of Mp leaf methanolic extract (MPME) on human keratinocytes protein expression and its role in preventing proteins oxidation after oxidative stress (OS) exposure. The effects of MPME on HaCaT cells protein expression were evaluated treating cells with different concentrations of MPME, with glucose oxidase (GO, source of OS) and with MPME subsequently treated with GO. The protein patterns of treated HaCaT cells are analyzed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) and compared with that of untreated HaCaT. Immunoblotting was then used to evaluate the role of MPME in preventing the 4-hydroxynonenal protein adducts (4-HNE PAs) formation (marker of OS). Eighteen proteins, identified by mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-CID-MS/MS), were modulated distinctly by MPME in HaCaT. Overall, MPME counteract GO effect, reducing the GO-induced overexpression of several proteins involved in stress response (T-complex protein 1, Protein disulfide-isomerase A3, Protein DJ-1, and Stress-induced-phosphoprotein 1), in cell energy methabolism (Inorganic pyrophosphatase, Triosephosphate isomerase isoform 1, 2-phosphopyruvate-hydratase alpha-enolase, and Fructose-bisphosphate aldolase A isoform 1), in cytoskeletal organization (Cytokeratins 18, 9, 2, Cofilin-1, Annexin A2 and F-actin-capping protein subunit beta isoform 1) and in cell cycle progression (Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A-1 isoform B). In addition, MPME decreased the 4-HNE PAs levels, in particular on 2-phosphopyruvate-hydratase alpha-enolase and Cytokeratin 9. Our findings show that MPME might be helpful in the treatment of OS-related skin diseases by preventing protein post-translational modifications (4-HNE PAs). © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

[Exploration of microcosmic Chinese medicine used by western medicine].

PubMed

Zheng, Zhi-jing

2015-02-01

"Microcosmic syndrome", "treatment based on syndrome differentiation", and "combination of disease identification and syndrome differentiation" generally refer to a mode: following the syndrome if with no disease identified, following the disease if with no syndrome type differentiated. For example, Chinese medical treatment of hypertension, high blood lipids, increased transaminase, and so on candirectly use Chinese recipes, but no longer with syndrome differentiation. Clinical application of Chinese patent medicine can also obtain favorable clinical. Western doctors need not follow syndrome differentiation. The invention of artemisinin was screened from more than 40 000 kinds of compounds and herbs, but with no reference of any traditional Chinese medical theory. A lot of folk remedy and empirical recipes have obtained effective efficacy but unnecessarily with profound Chinese medical theories. Various evidences showed that disease can also be cured without syndrome differentiation. I held that it might be associated with the same mechanism of Chinese medicine and Western medicine. Any disease can be cured or alleviated by Chinese medicine is a result from its modern pharmacological effect, which is achieved by improving etiologies, and pathogeneses. I was inspired by whether we can directly use traditional Chinese medicine with modern pharmacological effects to treat symptomatic disease. So I raised an idea of microcosmic Chinese medicine used by Western medicine, i.e., we find and use Chinese herbs with relatively effective modern pharmacological effect to treat diseases targeting at patients' clinical symptoms and signs, as well as various positive laboratory results (collectively called as microscopic dialectical indicators). More Western doctors would use it to treat disease due to omission of complicated and mysterious syndrome differentiation. This will promote extensive application and expansion of Chi- nese medicine and pharmacy, enlarge the team of integrative medicine, improve Western doctors' interest in Chinese medicine and pharmacy, thus pushing the career of integrative medicine in a brand new development era.

Emerging differential roles of the pRb tumor suppressor in trichodysplasia spinulosa-associated polyomavirus and Merkel cell polyomavirus pathogeneses.

PubMed

Wu, Julie H; Simonette, Rebecca A; Nguyen, Harrison P; Doan, Hung Q; Rady, Peter L; Tyring, Stephen K

2016-03-01

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) and trichodysplasia spinulosa (TS) are two proliferative cutaneous diseases caused by the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) and trichodysplasia spinulosa-associated polyomavirus (TSPyV) respectively. Recently, studies have elucidated a key role of the small tumor (sT) antigen in the proliferative pathogenic mechanisms of MCPyV and likely TSPyV. While both sT antigens have demonstrated a capacity in regulating cellular pathways, it remains unknown whether MCPyV and TSPyV sT antigens contribute similarly or differentially to cell proliferation. The present study aims to explore the proliferative potential of MCPyV and TSPyV sT antigens by investigating their regulatory effects on the retinoblastoma protein (pRb) tumor suppressor. Inducible cell lines expressing MCPyV sT or TSPyV sT were created using a lentiviral packaging system. Cellular proteins were extracted and subjected to SDS-PAGE followed by Western blot detection and densitometric analysis. Expression of TSPyV sT markedly enhanced the phosphorylation of pRb in Western blot experiments. In contrast, expression of MCPyV sT did not alter pRb phosphorylation under the same experimental conditions. Densitometric analysis revealed that TSPyV sT antigen expression nearly doubled the ratio of phosphorylated to total pRb (P<0.001, Student's T-test), while MCPyV sT antigen expression did not cause significant change in pRb phosphorylation status. Given that hyperphosphorylation of pRb is associated with dysregulation of the cell cycle, S-phase induction, and increased cell proliferation, our findings support an important role of TSPyV-mediated pRb deactivation in the development of TS. The observation that the pRb tumor suppressor is inactivated by TSPyV sT but not MCPyV sT provides further insights into the distinct pathobiological mechanisms of MCC and TS. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sex-specific differences in mitochondria biogenesis, morphology, respiratory function, and ROS homeostasis in young mouse heart and brain.

PubMed

Khalifa, Abdel Rahman M; Abdel-Rahman, Engy A; Mahmoud, Ali M; Ali, Mohamed H; Noureldin, Maha; Saber, Saber H; Mohsen, Mahmoud; Ali, Sameh S

2017-03-01

Sex-specific differences in mitochondrial function and free radical homeostasis are reported in the context of aging but not well-established in pathogeneses occurring early in life. Here, we examine if sex disparity in mitochondria function, morphology, and redox status starts early and hence can be implicated in sexual dimorphism in cardiac as well as neurological disorders prevalent at young age. Although mitochondrial activity in the heart did not significantly vary between sexes, female brain exhibited enhanced respiration and higher reserve capacity. This was associated with lower H 2 O 2 production in female cardiac and brain tissues. Using transmission electron microscopy, we found that the number of female cardiac mitochondria is moderately greater (117 ± 3%, P  = 0.049, N  = 4) than male's, which increased significantly for cortical mitochondria (134 ± 4%, P  = 0.001, N  = 4). However, male's cardiac mitochondria exhibited fragmented, circular, and smaller mitochondria relative to female's mitochondria, while no morphologic sex-dependent differences were observed in cortical mitochondria. No sex differences were detected in Nox2 and Nox4 proteins or O 2 -consuming/H 2 O 2 -producing activities in brain homogenate or synaptosomes. However, a strong trend of increased EPR-detected NOX superoxide in male synaptosomes hinted at higher superoxide dismutase activity in female brains, which was confirmed by two independent protocols. We also provide direct evidence that respiring mitochondria generally produce an order-of-magnitude lower reactive oxygen species (ROS) proportions than currently estimated. Our results indicate that sex differences in mitochondrial biogenesis, bioenergetics, and morphology may start at young age and that sex-dependent SOD capacity may be responsible for differences in ROS homeostasis in heart and brain. © 2017 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society.

Multiple Low-Dose Radiation Prevents Type 2 Diabetes-Induced Renal Damage through Attenuation of Dyslipidemia and Insulin Resistance and Subsequent Renal Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

PubMed Central

Shao, Minglong; Lu, Xuemian; Cong, Weitao; Xing, Xiao; Tan, Yi; Li, Yunqian; Li, Xiaokun; Jin, Litai; Wang, Xiaojie; Dong, Juancong; Jin, Shunzi; Zhang, Chi; Cai, Lu

2014-01-01

Background Dyslipidemia and lipotoxicity-induced insulin resistance, inflammation and oxidative stress are the key pathogeneses of renal damage in type 2 diabetes. Increasing evidence shows that whole-body low dose radiation (LDR) plays a critical role in attenuating insulin resistance, inflammation and oxidative stress. Objective The aims of the present study were to investigate whether LDR can prevent type 2 diabetes-induced renal damage and the underlying mechanisms. Methods Mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD, 40% of calories from fat) for 12 weeks to induce obesity followed by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg) to develop a type 2 diabetic mouse model. The mice were exposed to LDR at different doses (25, 50 and 75 mGy) for 4 or 8 weeks along with HFD treatment. At each time-point, the kidney weight, renal function, blood glucose level and insulin resistance were examined. The pathological changes, renal lipid profiles, inflammation, oxidative stress and fibrosis were also measured. Results HFD/STZ-induced type 2 diabetic mice exhibited severe pathological changes in the kidney and renal dysfunction. Exposure of the mice to LDR for 4 weeks, especially at 50 and 75 mGy, significantly improved lipid profiles, insulin sensitivity and protein kinase B activation, meanwhile, attenuated inflammation and oxidative stress in the diabetic kidney. The LDR-induced anti-oxidative effect was associated with up-regulation of renal nuclear factor E2-related factor-2 (Nrf-2) expression and function. However, the above beneficial effects were weakened once LDR treatment was extended to 8 weeks. Conclusion These results suggest that LDR exposure significantly prevented type 2 diabetes-induced kidney injury characterized by renal dysfunction and pathological changes. The protective mechanisms of LDR are complicated but may be mainly attributed to the attenuation of dyslipidemia and the subsequent lipotoxicity-induced insulin resistance, inflammation and oxidative stress. PMID:24651118

Age-related accumulation of advanced glycation end-products-albumin, S100β, and the expressions of advanced glycation end product receptor differ in visceral and subcutaneous fat.

PubMed

Son, Kuk Hui; Son, Myeongjoo; Ahn, Hyosang; Oh, Seyeon; Yum, Yoonji; Choi, Chang Hu; Park, Kook Yang; Byun, Kyunghee

2016-08-19

Visceral fat induces more inflammation by activating macrophages than subcutaneous fat, and inflammation is an underlying feature of the pathogeneses of various diseases, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), S100β, and their receptors, the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), lead to macrophage activation. However, little information is available regarding the differential accumulations of AGE-albumin (serum albumin modified by AGEs), S100β, or expressions of RAGE in different adipocyte types in fat tissues. In this study, the authors investigated whether age-related AGE-albumin accumulations S100β level, and RAGE expressions differ in subcutaneous and visceral fat tissues. Subcutaneous and visceral fat were harvested from 3- and 28-week-old rats. Macrophage activation was confirmed by Iba1 staining, and AGE-albumin accumulations and RAGE expressions were assessed by confocal microscopy. S100β were analyzed by immunoblotting. It was found that activated macrophage infiltration, AGE-albumin accumulation, and S100β in visceral fat was significantly greater in 28-week-old rats than in 3-week-old rats, but similar in subcutaneous fat. The expression of RAGE in visceral fat was much greater in 28-week-old rats, but its expression in subcutaneous fat was similar in 3- and 28-week-old rats. Furthermore, inflammatory signal pathways (NFκB, TNF-α) and proliferation pathways (FAK) in visceral fat were more activated in 28-week-old rats. These results imply that age-related AGE-albumin accumulation, S100β, and RAGE expression are more prominent in visceral than in subcutaneous fat, suggesting that visceral fat is involved in the pathogenesis of inflammation-induced diseases in the elderly. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of biophysical indicators in the reconstruction of long-term late-spring - summer temperatures for the region of Western Hungary and Eastern Austria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiss, Andrea; Wilson, Rob; Holawe, Franz; Strömmer, Elisabeth; Bariska, István.

2010-05-01

We present an almost 500-year May-July temperature reconstruction based on 24 biophysical series. 19 are vine-related series from Kőszeg, Szombathely and Sopron in Western Hungary (11 series, from 1580s onwards), Vienna, Klosterneuburg, Perchtoldsdorf (7 series; at present from 1520s onwards) in Eastern Austria and Bratislava in Western Slovakia (1 series, from 1770s onwards). At present, the first, largest group is the vine related indicators, where dates of blossoming (1 series), beginning of grape ripening (3 series), dates of full ripening (2 series), beginning of grapevine harvest (8 series), starting dates of pressing out the juice (1 series: at present 1520s onwards), starting dates of tax-collection (after the pressed juice: 1 series) and wine quality indices (3 series: from 1580s onwards) are also included. The second main group of 4 indicators applied in the analysis are grain-harvest related indicators from Western Hungary, such as dates for estimation of harvesting-shares which are strongly dependant on the beginning of grain harvesting (at present 2 series: from 1640s onwards) and dates of grain tax collection (2 series: from 1560s onwards). A third group, still in development, is mainly related to more natural vegetation, and is strongly dependent on the full ripening of oak acorns: the starting dates of woodland pasture (at present 1 series: from 1770s onwards). The above-mentioned historical series correlate well, over the 18th-19th century period, with Vienna May-July measured temperature (Böhm, et. al. 2009). The complicated nature of these historical data is described (e.g. with respect to the normality of the data distribution), and we present methods to transform and composite the data into a homogenous, homoscedastic time-series that can be used for proxy based calibration. Finally, a preliminary May-July temperature reconstruction is derived using modified dendrochronological methods. (see Leijonhufvud et al. 2009) The Kőszeg, Szombathely, Sopron and Bratislava series and all presented analyses were developed within the framework of the EU project 'Millenium'. The Austrian series are partly based on published series (Pribram 1938, Lauscher 1985, Strömmer 2003) although in some cases modified and extended for this study, as well as newly developed data. The present work is a continuation of the 'Analysis of late spring-summer temperatures for Western Hungary based on vine, grain tithes and harvest records', presented at the annual congress of EGU in 2009 (Kiss and Wilson 2009). References Böhm, R., Jones, P.D., Hiebl, J., Frank, D., Brunetti, M., Maugeri and M. 2009: The early instrumental warm-bias: a solution for long central European temperature series 1760-2007. Climatic Change, doi: 10.1007/s10584-009-9649-4. Kiss, A. and Wilson, R. 2009: Analysis of late spring-summer temperatures for Western Hungary based on vine, grain tithes and harvest records. Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol 11, EGU2009-10945-1. Lauscher, F. 1985: Beiträge zur Wetterchronik seit dem Mittelalter. In: Sitzungsberichte, Abtheilung II, Mathematische, Physikalische und Technische Wissenschaften, Band 194, Heft 1-3. pp. 93-131. Leijonhufvud, L., Wilson, R., Möberg, A., Söderberg, J., Retső, D. and Söderlind, U. 2009: Five centuries of Stockholm winter/spring temperatures reconstructed from documentary evidence and instrumental observations. Climatic Change, doi: 10.1007/s10584-009-9650-y. Pribram, A. F. 1938: Materialien zur Geschichte der Preise und Löhne in Österreich. Band. I. Carl Ueberreuters Verlag, Wien. pp. 364-370. Strömmer, E. 2003: Klima-Geschichte. Methoden der Rekonstruction und historische Perspektive. Ostösterreich 1700 bis 1830. Forschungen und Beiträge zur Wiener Stadtgescichte 39. Franz Deuticke, Wien. pp. 59-71.

[A failed experiment - Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker, Jürgen Habermas and the Max-Planck Society].

PubMed

Leendertz, Ariane

2014-01-01

From 1970 to 1980 Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker headed the Max-Planck-lnstitut zur Erforschung der Lebensbedingungen der wissenschaftlich-technischen Welt (MPI for the study of the living conditions of the world of science and technology) in Starnberg, jointly with Jürgen Habermas since 1971. From the start, the Max Planck Society regarded the new institute as an experiment that might perhaps be aborted a few years later. This is exactly what happened. With the retirement of Weizsäcker, his section was closed and the whole institute was renamed. In 1981. Habermas resigned, and then the institute was closed. This paper focusses on some of the problem constellations within the institute that partly explain its development and eventual closure: its birth out of the idea of scientific policy advice, the debates within the Max Planck Society and the complex relationship between Weizsäcker and Jürgen Habermas.

Isotopenhydrologische Methoden (2H, 18O) zur Bestimmung der Grundwasserneubildung in Trockengebieten: Potenzial und Grenzen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beyer, Matthias; Gaj, Marcel; Königer, Paul; Tulimeveva Hamutoko, Josefina; Wanke, Heike; Wallner, Markus; Himmelsbach, Thomas

2018-03-01

The estimation of groundwater recharge in water-limited environments is challenging due to climatic conditions, the occurrence of deep unsaturated zones, and specialized vegetation. We critically examined two methods based on stable isotopes of soil water: (i) the interpretation of natural isotope depth-profiles and subsequent approximation of recharge using empirical relationships and (ii) the use of deuterium-enriched water (2H2O) as tracer. Numerous depth-profiles were measured directly in the field in semiarid Namibia using a novel in-situ technique. Additionally, 2H2O was injected into the soil and its displacement over a complete rainy season monitored. Estimated recharge ranges between 0 and 29 mm/y for three rainy seasons experiencing seasonal rainfall of 660 mm (2013/14), 313 mm (2014/15) and 535 mm (2015/16). The results of this study fortify the suitability of water stable isotope-based approaches for recharge estimation and highlight enormous potential for future studies of water vapor transport and ecohydrological processes.

Contributions to the History of Astronomy, Vol. 8 (German Title: Beiträge zur Astronomiegeschichte, Band 8)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Wolfgang R.; Hamel, Jürgen

The contributions span a time interval of more than 450 years. There are biographical investigations on Georg Joachim Rheticus, C.W.A. von Wahl and K.F. Heym, investigation on a reprint of a chapter of the principal work of Nicolaus Copernicus, on Christoph Scheiner and the "camera obscura", and, with respect to the history of timekeeping, on the "big Nuremberg clock". 19th century topics are: a contribution on the honorary doctorate of Joseph Fraunhofer, and on the construction of a lunar globe by Wilhelmine Witte, while the report on Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel and the cholera pandemia in Königsberg in the year 1831 gives a view into everyday life of scientists. 20th century topics are: the contributions on Bruno Thüring in Vienna and his relations with national socialism, as well as on Arthur Beer, Albert Einstein and the Warburg library. The book concludes by short communications, obituaries and book reviews.

Natural history and the formation of the human being: Kant on active forces.

PubMed

Waldow, Anik

2016-08-01

In his 1785-review of the Ideen zur Philosophie der Geschichte der Menschheit, Kant objects to Herder's conception of nature as being imbued with active forces. This attack is usually evaluated against the background of Kant's critical project and his epistemological concern to caution against the "metaphysical excess" of attributing immanent properties to matter. In this paper I explore a slightly different reading by investigating Kant's pre-critical account of creation and generation. The aim of this is to show that Kant's struggle with the forces of matter has a long history and revolves around one central problem: that of how to distinguish between the non-purposive forces of nature and the intentional powers of the mind. Given this history, the epistemic stricture that Kant's critical project imposes on him no longer appears to be the primary reason for his attack on Herder. It merely aggravates a problem that Kant has been battling with since his earliest writings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The transformation of regular circular motion into straight motion according to Nasir al din al-Tusi - a genious model for the conscious preservation of a defect of Ptolemy's lunar theory (German Title: Die Umwandlung gleichförmiger Kreisbewegung in geradlinige Bewegung nach Nasir al din al-Tusi - Ein geniales Modell zur bewußten Beibehaltung eines Mangels der Ptolemäischen Mondtheorie)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hein, Olaf; Mader, Rolf

Nasir al din al-Tusi (1201-1274) was one of the most important universal scholars of Islam. As a convinced Aristotelian, he rejected Ptolemy's modifications of the Aristotelian dogma of uniform circular motion. He created a theory of lunar motion which is only based on uniform circular motion, and which results in the same representation of lunar motion as conceived by Ptolemy. He successfully attempted to consciously preserve, and not to correct, an error of Ptolemy's theory (the doubling of the earth-moon distance in the syzygies as compared to the quadratures). We explain the Tusi mechanism and point out its philosophical consequences (the unwanted dissolution of the difference between the extra- and intralunar world).

Sternbilder und ihre Mythen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fasching, Gerhard

Die Sternbilder, die seit alters her die Menschen in ihren Bann gezogen haben, und die damit verbundenen Mythen werden in zweifacher Weise vorgestellt. Erstens ist es die Absicht, dem Leser zu helfen, sich am Sternenhimmel zurechtzufinden, und zweitens will es ihm die Vielfalt der Bilder vermitteln, die damit verbunden sind. Am Anfang des Buches stehen die prächtigen Erzählungen aus Ovids Metamorphosen. Dann ist vom Sternenhimmel im Jahreskreis die Rede, um den Leser anzuregen, diesen fast unendlichen Bilderreichtum sich selbst durch eigene Beobachtungen zu erschließen. Ein umfangreicher Abschnitt behandelt die einzelnen Sternbilder und das hierzu überlieferte Wissen. Sternkarten und alte Kupferstiche aus dem Bestand der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek zeigen, wie man sich in früheren Jahrhunderten den Sternenhimmel vorgestellt hat. Sternsagen und Mythen werden erzählt und auch das ptolemäische und das kopernikanische Weltsystem werden einander gegenübergestellt. Ausführliche Sachverzeichnisse mit über 3000 Suchbegriffen erleichtern den Zugang zu Stern- und Sternbildnamen und zur Mythologie.

[Forced sterilisation based on the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring. The role of the Heil- und Pflegeanstalt (State Hospital) Günzburg].

PubMed

Steger, F; Schmer, B; Strube, W; Becker, T

2012-03-01

From 1934 to 1945, 350,000-400,000 human beings were sterilised by force in the German Reich. Forced sterilisation was based on the Gesetz zur Verhütung erbkranken Nachwuchses (Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring). The Heil- und Pflegeanstalt (State Hospital) Günzburg was one of the institutions where compulsory sterilisation was practised. Data evaluation was based on patient documents and annual reports of the archives of today's district hospital at Günzburg. Patient records were analysed with respect to predefined criteria. The municipal archives of Günzburg provided further historical sources and data. Between 1934 and 1943, 366 patients were sterilised in the Heil- und Pflegeanstalt (State Hospital) Günzburg. Age, sex and diagnosis were found to be criteria relevant for selection of patients for sterilisation. The study was able to show the active involvement of the Heil- und Pflegeanstalt (State Hospital) Günzburg in the compulsory sterilisation programme.

Dynamische Motorvermessung mit verschiedenen Methoden und Modellen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schreiber, Alexander

Die stark zunehmenden gesetzlichen und wirtschaftlichen Vorgaben zur Senkung von Kraftstoffverbrauch und Abgasemissionen stellen große Anforderungen an die weitere Entwicklung von Benzin- und Dieselmotoren. Hierbei sind grundlegende Fortschritte durch Konstruktion und auslegungsbedingte Maßnahmen im Bereich der Einspritzung, Gemischaufbereitung, Aufladung, Brennverfahren und Abgasnachbehandlung zu erreichen. Ein wesentlicher Teil dieser Verbesserungen wird jedoch durch eine Zunahme von Variabilitäten erreicht wie z.B. verstellbaren Vor-, Haupt- und Nacheinspritzungen, variablem Raildruck, variablen Nockenwellensteuerwinkeln, Ventilhüben, Drall-/Tumbleklappen sowie verstellbaren Abgasturbinen, Abgasrückführströmen und Abgasnachbehandlungssystemen. Dadurch steigt die Zahl der Stellglieder (Aktoren) stark an. Hinzu kommen zusätzliche Sensoren wie z.B. für Luftzahl, NOx, Brennraumdruck, Abgastemperatur und Abgasdruck. Deshalb nimmt der Umfang der Steuerungs-, Regelungs- und Diagnosefunktionen in der Motorelektronik (ECU) stark zu. Bild 7-1 zeigt als Beispiel den Signalfluss für die gesteuerten und geregelten Größen eines Dieselmotors in einer beispielhaften Prüfstandsumgebung.

Planungsmodelle und Planungsmethoden. Anhaltspunkte zur Strukturierung und Gestaltung von Planungsprozessen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diller, Christian; Karic, Sarah; Oberding, Sarah

2017-06-01

The topic of this article ist the question, in which phases oft he political planning process planners apply their methodological set of tools. That for the results of a research-project are presented, which were gained by an examination of planning-cases in learned journals. Firstly it is argued, which model oft he planning-process is most suitable to reflect the regarded cases and how it is positioned to models oft he political process. Thereafter it is analyzed, which types of planning methods are applied in the several stages oft he planning process. The central findings: Although complex, many planning processes can be thouroughly pictured by a linear modell with predominantly simple feedback loops. Even in times of he communicative turn, concerning their set of tools, planners should pay attention to apply not only communicative methods but as well the classical analytical-rational methods. They are helpful especially for the understanding of the political process before and after the actual planning phase.

Ein Entscheidungsmodell zur Weitergabe persönlicher Daten im Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treiblmaier, Horst

In den vergangenen zwei Jahrzehnten wandelte sich das Internet von einer Spielwiese für technikbegeisterte Computerspezialisten zu einem vielseitig einsetzbaren weltweiten Netzwerk für Privatpersonen und Unternehmen. Maßgeblichen Anteil daran besaß die rasante Entwicklung des World Wide Web (WWW), das, durch die Möglichkeit multimediale Inhalte zu vermitteln, für einen großen Teil der Bevölkerung industrialisierter Länder zu einem wesentlichen Bestandteil des täglichen Lebens wurde. Dass diese Entwicklung noch lange nicht abgeschlossen ist, zeigt die derzeitige Diskussion zum Thema Web 2.0 bzw. 3.0. Waren es in den letzten Jahren die hohen Umsatzzuwächse im E-Commerce und multimedial gestaltete Webseiten in Kombination mit aufwändigen Applikationen, die für ständig steigende Nutzerzahlen im World Wide Web sorgten, so wird dieser Innovationsschub nunmehr durch eine Vielzahl von Anwendungen fortgesetzt, die sich durch die zunehmende Vernetzung der Nutzer untereinander auszeichnen.

Methodenvergleich zur Bestimmung der hydraulischen Durchlässigkeit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Storz, Katharina; Steger, Hagen; Wagner, Valentin; Bayer, Peter; Blum, Philipp

2017-06-01

Knowing the hydraulic conductivity (K) is a precondition for understanding groundwater flow processes in the subsurface. Numerous laboratory and field methods for the determination of hydraulic conductivity exist, which can lead to significantly different results. In order to quantify the variability of these various methods, the hydraulic conductivity was examined for an industrial silica sand (Dorsilit) using four different methods: (1) grain-size analysis, (2) Kozeny-Carman approach, (3) permeameter tests and (4) flow rate experiments in large-scale tank experiments. Due to the large volume of the artificially built aquifer, the tank experiment results are assumed to be the most representative. Hydraulic conductivity values derived from permeameter tests show only minor deviation, while results of the empirically evaluated grain-size analysis are about one magnitude higher and show great variances. The latter was confirmed by the analysis of several methods for the determination of K-values found in the literature, thus we generally question the suitability of grain-size analyses and strongly recommend the use of permeameter tests.

Investitionen aus den BRIC-Staaten. Grund zur Sorge für Unternehmen, Beschäftigte und Kommunen?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franz, Martin; Henn, Sebastian

2017-04-01

Investments from BRIC countries - Brazil, Russia, India and China - are playing an increasingly important role in Germany. However, both the public and the potentially affected labour force often adopt sceptical, and sometimes even hostile attitudes towards investors from these countries. This article shows that apart from a few exceptions investors from the BRIC countries are generally better than their reputation precedes. An important conclusion drawn in this paper is that investors should not be received with stereotypes. Rather, it is necessary to perform deeper investigations into their strategies and the specific investment goals in each case. This is all the more necessary to ensure that investments from BRIC countries do not conflict with the domestic firms' interests or of their personnel. In fact, they can assist to increase the competitiveness of German firms, and as such not only prove beneficial for the workforce but also for Germany as a business destination.

Numerische Szenariosimulationen zur Ausbreitung von hochmineralisiertem Wasser in oberflächennahen Süßwasseraquiferen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiegers, Carla Elisabeth; Schäfer, Dirk

2015-06-01

In areas where the geological subsurface is used for storage of gases or fracking, there is a risk of saline formation water entering protected aquifers. The impact of such potential leakage therefore needs to be evaluated at relevant sites to develop practical monitoring concepts. Three-dimensional numerical simulations and a sensitivity analysis are performed to determine the influence of aquifer parameters, ground water flow, aquifer morphology, leakage rate and NaCl-concentration of the intruding water on the propagation behaviour of saline water. Two example scenarios were simulated based on a realistic site-scale conceptual model, one with water from the lower Braunkohlensande, (NaCl = 7.61 g/l) the other with saline water from the Bunter sandstone formation (NaCl = 280.3 g/l). The simulations show that saltwater migrates along the bottom of the aquifer, and that groundwater flow can dominate the transport of chloride. In this case the spreading of denser water is not influenced by the aquifer's morphology.

Lateral groundwater inflows into alluvial aquifers of main alpine valleys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burger, Ulrich

2015-04-01

In alpine regions the topography is mainly characterised by deep incised valleys, mountain slopes and ridges. Usually the main valleys contain aquifers in alluvial soft rock. Lateral these aquifers are confined by mountainous hard rock slopes covered by heterogeneous sediments with different thickness. The slopes can be incised by lateral valleys. Numerical models for the main alluvial aquifers ask for lateral hydrogeological boundaries. Usually no flow boundaries or Constant head Boundaries are used, even if the lateral inflows to the main aquifers are rarely known. In this example a data set for a detailed investigated and monitored area is studied to give an answer on the location and the quantification of these lateral subsurface inflows. The study area is a typical main alpine valley with a thick alluvial aquifer (appr. 120m thick), lateral confined by granite, covered at the base of the steep slopes by quaternary sediments (Burger at al. 2012). The study consists of several steps 1.) Analytical calculation of the inflows on the base of investigated and monitored 2d profiles along fault zones (Perello et al 2013) which pinch out in the main valley 2.) Analytical models along typical W-dipping slopes with monitored slope springs 3.) Evaluating temperature and electrical conductivity profiles measured in approx. 30 groundwater wells in the alluvial aquifers and along the slopes to locate main lateral subsurface inflows 4.) Output of a regional model used for the hydrogeological back analyses of the excavation of a tunnel (Baietto et al. 2014) 5.) Output of a local numerical model calibrated with a monitoring dataset and results of a pumping test of big scale (450l/s for 10days) Results of these analyses are shown to locate and quantify the lateral groundwater inflows in the main alluvial aquifer. References Baietto A., Burger U., Perello P. (2014): Hydrogeological modelling applications in tunnel excavations: examples from tunnel excavations in granitic rocks; congress of IAEG, Engineering Geology for Society and Territory, Torino Burger U., San Nicoló L. Bösel D. und Perello P. (2012): Hydrogeologische Modelle - Hilfsmittel für die Planung am Beispiel des Brenner Basistunnel, Beiträge zur Beiträge zur COGeo 2011, Salzburg COGEO Perello P., Baietto A., Burger U., Skuk S. (2013): Excavation of the Aica-Mules pilot tunnel for the Brenner base tunnel: information gained on water inflows in tunnels in granitic massifs, Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, DOI 10.1007/s00603-013-0480-x

Factors determining growth and vertical distribution of planktonic algae in extremely acidic mining lakes (pH 2.7)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bissinger, Vera

2003-04-01

In this thesis, I investigated the factors influencing the growth and vertical distribution of planktonic algae in extremely acidic mining lakes (pH 2-3). In the focal study site, Lake 111 (pH 2.7; Lusatia, Germany), the chrysophyte, Ochromonas sp., dominates in the upper water strata and the chlorophyte, Chlamydomonas sp., in the deeper strata, forming a pronounced deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM). Inorganic carbon (IC) limitation influenced the phototrophic growth of Chlamydomonas sp. in the upper water strata. Conversely, in deeper strata, light limited its phototrophic growth. When compared with published data for algae from neutral lakes, Chlamydomonas sp. from Lake 111 exhibited a lower maximum growth rate, an enhanced compensation point and higher dark respiration rates, suggesting higher metabolic costs due to the extreme physico-chemical conditions. The photosynthetic performance of Chlamydomonas sp. decreased in high-light-adapted cells when IC limited. In addition, the minimal phosphorus (P) cell quota was suggestive of a higher P requirement under IC limitation. Subsequently, it was shown that Chlamydomonas sp. was a mixotroph, able to enhance its growth rate by taking up dissolved organic carbon (DOC) via osmotrophy. Therefore, it could survive in deeper water strata where DOC concentrations were higher and light limited. However, neither IC limitation, P availability nor in situ DOC concentrations (bottom-up control) could fully explain the vertical distribution of Chlamydomonas sp. in Lake 111. Conversely, when a novel approach was adopted, the grazing influence of the phagotrophic phototroph, Ochromonas sp., was found to exert top-down control on its prey (Chlamydomonas sp.) reducing prey abundance in the upper water strata. This, coupled with the fact that Chlamydomonas sp. uses DOC for growth, leads to a pronounced accumulation of Chlamydomonas sp. cells at depth; an apparent DCM. Therefore, grazing appears to be the main factor influencing the vertical distribution of algae observed in Lake 111. The knowledge gained from this thesis provides information essential for predicting the effect of strategies to neutralize the acidic mining lakes on the food-web. Die vorliegende Dissertation beschäftigt sich mit den Faktoren, die das Wachstum und die Vertikalverteilung von Planktonalgen in extrem sauren Tagebaurestseen (TBS; pH 2-3) beeinflussen. Im exemplarisch untersuchten TBS 111 (pH 2.7; Lausitzer Revier) dominiert die Goldalge Ochromonas sp. in oberen und die Grünalge Chlamydomonas sp. in tieferen Wasserschichten, wobei letztere ein ausgeprägtes Tiefenchlorophyll-Maximum (DCM) ausbildet. Es wurde ein deutlicher Einfluss von Limitation durch anorganischen Kohlenstoff (IC) auf das phototrophe Wachstum von Chlamydomonas sp. in oberen Wasserschichten nachgewiesen, die mit zunehmender Tiefe von Lichtlimitation abgelöst wird. Im Vergleich mit Arbeiten aus neutralen Seen zeigte Chlamydomonas sp. erniedrigte maximale Wachstumsraten, einen gesteigerten Kompensationspunkt und erhöhte Dunkelrespirationsraten, was auf gesteigerte metabolische Kosten unter den extremen physikalisch-chemischen Bedingungen hinweist. Die Photosyntheseleistungen von Chlamydomonas sp. waren in Starklicht-adaptierten Zellen durch IC-Limitation deutlich verringert. Außerdem ergaben die ermittelten minimalen Zellquoten für Phosphor (P) einen erhöhten P-Bedarf unter IC-Limitation. Anschließend konnte gezeigt werden, dass Chlamydomonas sp. ein mixotropher Organismus ist, der seine Wachstumsraten über die osmotrophe Aufnahme gelösten organischen Kohlenstoffs (DOC) erhöhen kann. Dadurch ist dieser Organismus fähig, in tieferen, Licht-limitierten Wasserschichten zu überleben, die einen höheren DOC-Gehalt aufweisen. Da die Vertikalverteilung der Algen im TBS 111 jedoch weder durch IC-Limitation, P-Verfügbarkeit noch die in situ DOC-Konzentrationen abschließend erklärt werden konnte (bottom-up Kontrolle), wurde eine neue Theorie zur Entstehung der Vertikalverteilung geprüft. Grazing der phagotrophen und phototrophen Alge Ochromonas sp. auf der phototrophen Alge Chlamydomonas sp. erwies sich als herausragender Faktor, der über top-down Kontrolle die Abundanz der Beute in höheren Wasserschichten beeinflussen kann. Gemeinsam mit der Tatsache, dass Chlamydomonas sp. DOC zur Wachstumssteigerung verwendet, führt dies zu einer Akkumulation von Chlamydomonas sp. in der Tiefe, ausgeprägt als DCM. Daher erscheint grazing als der Hauptfaktor, der die beobachtete Vertikalschichtung der Algen im TBS 111 hervorruft. Die erzielten Ergebnisse liefern grundlegende Informationen, um die Auswirkungen von Strategien zur Neutralisierung der TBS auf das Nahrungsnetz abschätzen zu können.

Age-related accumulation of advanced glycation end-products-albumin, S100β, and the expressions of advanced glycation end product receptor differ in visceral and subcutaneous fat

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Son, Kuk Hui; Son, Myeongjoo; Functional Cellular Networks Laboratory, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University, Incheon

Visceral fat induces more inflammation by activating macrophages than subcutaneous fat, and inflammation is an underlying feature of the pathogeneses of various diseases, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), S100β, and their receptors, the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), lead to macrophage activation. However, little information is available regarding the differential accumulations of AGE-albumin (serum albumin modified by AGEs), S100β, or expressions of RAGE in different adipocyte types in fat tissues. In this study, the authors investigated whether age-related AGE-albumin accumulations S100β level, and RAGE expressions differ in subcutaneous and visceral fat tissues. Subcutaneousmore » and visceral fat were harvested from 3- and 28-week-old rats. Macrophage activation was confirmed by Iba1 staining, and AGE-albumin accumulations and RAGE expressions were assessed by confocal microscopy. S100β were analyzed by immunoblotting. It was found that activated macrophage infiltration, AGE-albumin accumulation, and S100β in visceral fat was significantly greater in 28-week-old rats than in 3-week-old rats, but similar in subcutaneous fat. The expression of RAGE in visceral fat was much greater in 28-week-old rats, but its expression in subcutaneous fat was similar in 3- and 28-week-old rats. Furthermore, inflammatory signal pathways (NFκB, TNF-α) and proliferation pathways (FAK) in visceral fat were more activated in 28-week-old rats. These results imply that age-related AGE-albumin accumulation, S100β, and RAGE expression are more prominent in visceral than in subcutaneous fat, suggesting that visceral fat is involved in the pathogenesis of inflammation-induced diseases in the elderly. - Highlights: • The age-related AGE-albumin accumulation and S100β were more prominent in visceral than subcutaneous fat. • The age-related RAGE expression were more prominent in visceral than subcutaneous fat. • The inflammatory signal pathway were more activated in aged animal visceral than subcutaneous fat. • The results suggested visceral fat is involved in inflammation-induced diseases in the elderly.« less

Mikrosensor-gesteuerte Rückkopplungs- Bioaktuatoren auf Halbleiterbasis zur biophysikalischen Krebsbehandlung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, Bernhard; Kraus, Michael

Acidic microenvironmental conditions combined with large hypoxic areas are ubiquitous hallmarks of most solid tumors. They result from a poorly organized vascularization and a deviant energy metabolism. There is convincing evidence supporting the hypothesis that such physico-chemical conditions promote the microevolution of malignant cells, inhibit the cellular immune response, and favor tumor cell invasion. In agreement with published data, our cell biological analyses and computer simulations indicate that treatment schemes which restore a tumor microenvironment reflecting that one found in normal tissues might improve the efficiency of immunotherapies and classical methods for cancer treatment. We suggest that the tumor microenvironment could be effectively monitored and manipulated by means of silicon-based feedback bioactuators which are controlled by integrated microsensors. In principle, miniaturized bioactuators can be implanted directly at the sites of inoperable tumors and metastases where they function as a "pH clamp" and thereby can reconstitute normal physico-chemical conditions. Drug application could be precisely controlled by an integrated microprocessor. Our paper summarizes the current state of development of microsensor-based feedback bioactuators and outlines possible applications in biophysical cancer treatment.

Aktuelle Entwicklungen - Orthopädische Implantate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riner, Marc A.

Die guten Resultate und langen Standzeiten von bis zu 15 und 20 Jahren von implantierten Hüftendoprothesen führen dazu, immer jüngere Patienten mit einem Hüftgelenkersatz zu behandeln. Die Versorgung von jungen aktiven Patienten mit einer Hüftendoprothese stellt jedoch eine besondere Herausforderung dar [1]. Trotz umfangreicher Materialentwicklungen, Designoptimierungen und Verbesserungen der Operationstechnik, haben sich die Standzeiten der Prothesen zwar wesentlich verbessert, ist jedoch bei jungen Patienten verglichen mit denen von älteren Patienten deutlich verkürzt [2, 3]. Zudem kann die Hüftprothesenverankerung durch Knochenresektion im Rahmen der Erstimplantation, Adaptionsvorgängen im Knochen (stress shielding) aufgrund unphysiologischer Krafteinleitung, abriebbedingte Osteolyse und während der Implantat- bzw. Knochenzemententfernung auftretende knöcherne Defekte zu unbefriedigende Reimplantationsbedingungen im Fall einer Revision führen [4]. Dies hat in jüngerer Zeit zur Entwicklung von verschiedenen Endoprothesensystemen mit einem möglichst geringen Knochenverlust und damit einhergehenden verbesserten Rückzugsmöglichkeit im Revisionsfall geführt. Bei den knochensparend verankerten Hüftprothesen werden allgemein zwei Typen, die Schenkelhalsprothese und der Oberflächenersatz, unterschieden.

The identity of Hyla leucotaenia Burmeister, 1861 (Anura: Hylidae).

PubMed

Pinheiro, Paulo D P; Faivovich, Julián; Langone, José A; Kwet, Axel

2014-11-13

The German naturalist Carl Hermann Conrad Burmeister (1807-1892) had a prolific scientific career, spanning multiple taxa from diverse insect groups and trilobites to temnospondyls, birds, and extant and fossil mammals (see Berg, 1895). His contributions to anuran taxonomy are concentrated in two books, "Erläuterungen zur Fauna Brasiliensis…" (Burmeister, 1856) and "Reise durch die La Plata-Staaten…" (Burmeister, 1861). The latter is an account of his travels in Argentina and Uruguay from 1857-1860 and includes descriptions of three new species of frogs: Leiuperus nebulosus, Cystignathus mystacinus, and Hyla leucotaenia. While the first two names currently designate valid species, with the combinations Pleurodema nebulosum and Leptodactylus mystacinus respectively, the last name has had a more complex taxonomic history. It involves confusions involving a homonym, its consideration as a junior synonym of Hypsiboas pulchellus (Duméril & Bibron, 1841)-a widely distributed species in eastern Argentina, southeastern Brazil, and Uruguay (Frost, 2014)-and its actual identity corresponding to another widespread species in the same geographic area, with which it has never before been associated: Scinax squalirostris (A. Lutz, 1925). All these issues are discussed in this paper.

Zuverlässigkeit digitaler Schaltungen unter Einfluss von intrinsischem Rauschen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleeberger, V. B.; Schlichtmann, U.

2011-08-01

Die kontinuierlich fortschreitende Miniaturisierung in integrierten Schaltungen führt zu einem Anstieg des intrinsischen Rauschens. Um den Einfluss von intrinsischem Rauschen auf die Zuverlässigkeit zukünftiger digitaler Schaltungen analysieren zu können, werden Methoden benötigt, die auf CAD-Verfahren wie Analogsimulation statt auf abschätzenden Berechnungen beruhen. Dieser Beitrag stellt eine neue Methode vor, die den Einfluss von intrinsischem Rauschen in digitalen Schaltungen für eine gegebene Prozesstechnologie analysieren kann. Die Amplituden von thermischen, 1/f und Schrotrauschen werden mit Hilfe eines SPICE Simulators bestimmt. Anschließend wird der Einfluss des Rauschens auf die Schaltungszuverlässigkeit durch Simulation analysiert. Zusätzlich zur Analyse werden Möglichkeiten aufgezeigt, wie die durch Rauschen hervorgerufenen Effekte im Schaltungsentwurf mit berücksichtigt werden können. Im Gegensatz zum Stand der Technik kann die vorgestellte Methode auf beliebige Logikimplementierungen und Prozesstechnologien angewendet werden. Zusätzlich wird gezeigt, dass bisherige Ansätze den Einfluss von Rauschen bis um das Vierfache überschätzen.

Reisen im freien Fall - Teil 2: Das Zwillingsparadoxon aus dem Blickwinkel der ART

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonne, Bernd; Weiß, Reinhard

2013-07-01

Nachdem wir uns mit den Prinzipien der ART und einigen Beispielen vertraut gemacht haben, kommen wir nun zur Berechnung des Zwillingsparadoxons aus Sicht des reisenden Zwillings. Dabei spielt das Äquivalenzprinzip eine große Rolle. Deshalb wird die Bewegungssituation noch einmal erläutert, diesmal aus Sicht von Katrin. Sie befindet sich in ihrem System S'in Ruhe. In ihrem System läuft die Zeit t'ab. Nach dem Start fühlt Katrin jedoch eine Kraft, die sie als Gravitationskraft interpretieren kann. Sie merkt es daran, dass sie in den Sitz gedrückt wird. Nach einiger Zeit werden die Triebwerke abgeschaltet, und das Raumschiff fliegt mit konstanter Geschwindigkeit weiter, Phase 2. Anschließend wird der Schub der Triebwerke solange umgekehrt, bis das Raumschiff irgendwo mit der Geschwindigkeit null am Umkehrpunkt U landet, Phase 3 (Abb. 15.1). Die Erde, auf der sich Michael befindet, bewegt sich mit x'(t') aus Sicht von Katrin im freien Fall von ihr weg, s. das Experiment mit dem steigenden Fahrstuhl in Abschn. 13.2.1.

The psychosocial situation of obese children: Psychological factors and quality of life

PubMed Central

Korsten-Reck, U; Korsten, K; Haeberle, K; Kromeyer-Hauschild, K; Dickhuth, H H; Schulz, E

2009-01-01

The psychosocial situation of obese children at the beginning of the Freiburg Intervention Trial for Obese Children (FITOC) program influences the course and outcome of intervention therapy. At the beginning of FITOC, mothers of 30 children (12 ♂ age 10.5 ± 1.4, 18 ♀; 10.2 ± 1.3) rated the psychopathological symptoms using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the quality of life of their children (Inventar zur Erfassung der Lebensqualität [ILK]). 46.6% of mothers rated their children to be disturbed (normal population group, 2% disturbed). There was no correlation between the body mass index of the child and the CBCL score. On the ILK, the obese children themselves selected “good” while the mother’s view of their childrens’ quality of life varied around “poor”. The stress on the mother increased with the degree of the child’s obesity and number of critical life events (p = 0.030). The CBCL and the ILK at the beginning of treatment serve as a good screening instrument for psychopathology and distress in children with obesity. PMID:22110318

[Management of Pregnancy-Associated Venous Thromboembolism - Current Recommendations].

PubMed

Linnemann, Birgit

2017-06-01

Diagnostik in der Schwangerschaft  Studien belegen den hohen Stellenwert der Kompressionssonografie der Beinvenen plus Duplexsonografie der Beckenvenen in der Diagnostik der Becken- und Beinvenenthrombose auch bei Schwangeren. Perfusionsszintigrafie und CT-Angiografie der Pulmonalarterien sind bei vergleichbarer fötaler Strahlenbelastung gleich aussagekräftig. Aufgrund der mütterlichen Strahlenbelastung favorisieren aktuelle Leitlinien bei fehlender struktureller Lungenerkrankung die Perfusionsszintigrafie als primäre Bildgebung. Es gibt keinen Grund, einer Schwangeren mit Lungenembolieverdacht eine notwendige radiologische Diagnosesicherung vorzuenthalten. Antikoagulation in der Schwangerschaft  Heparine bleiben Antikoagulans der 1. Wahl bei der Behandlung der venöses Thromboembolien (VTE) in der Schwangerschaft. Neue orale Antikoagulantien (NOAK) sind aufgrund ihrer geringen Molekülgröße plazentagängig und daher in der Schwangerschaft kontraindiziert. Peripartales Vorgehen  Zur Minimierung des postpartalen Blutungsrisikos vor der Geburt ist in den letzten Wochen vor der Geburt eine Aufteilung der NMH-Injektion auf 2 Tagesdosen sinnvoll. Bei der Entbindung ist eine interdisziplinäre Abstimmung wichtig. Postpartal kann eine NMH-Therapie fortgesetzt oder Warfarin eingesetzt werden (Kein Phenprocoumon, da es in die Muttermilch übergeht).

Grundwasserökosysteme im Recht? - Eine kritische Betrachtung zur rechtlichen Stellung von Grundwasserökosystemen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahn, Hans Jürgen; Schweer, Christian; Griebler, Christian

2018-05-01

Groundwater is the largest and oldest continental biome. However, in the German and EU legislation, groundwater is still considered an abiotic resource rather than an ecosystem. On the other hand, the German Water Act (WHG, Wasserhaushaltsgesetz) mentions groundwaters along with other water bodies that carry the status of ecosystems. Its ecosystem status is also referred to in the preamble of the European Groundwater Directive (EC-GWD). The implementation of groundwater protection measures should be geared to the ecosystemic approach for surface waters contained in the European Water Framework Directive (EC-WFD) and to the German National Biodiversity Strategy (BMU 2007). Addition of the terms "good ecological status" and "groundwater ecosystems" into the German and EU environmental water laws is recommended. Groundwater habitats and species should be subject to impact assessment and included into the FFH directive and German nature conservation laws. There is no technical or legal argument for the discrimination of groundwater ecosystems and species in environmental legislation. The authors argue for the legal equality of ground and surface water, and propose the adaption of the existing legislation according to ecological requirements.

[Neither Pedants nor Amateurs? Psychological Journals in Germany in the last three Decades of the 18th Century].

PubMed

Gantet, Claire

Neither pedants nor amateurs? Psychological journals in Germany in the last three decades of the 18th century The Magazin zur Erfahrungsseelenkunde introduced a new tone in the evolving field of psychology. For the first time, attention was paid not to the abstract relationships between body and soul, but to suffering individuals from the «common folk». The collection and systematic publication of accounts of readers should eventually allow the formulation of an empirical «science of the soul». The readers would eventually send accounts of personal and experienced «cases». By 1800, this conception of the science of psychology was called into question by educated philosophers who, in journals opened only to specialists, endeavored to develop a more professional psychology. They nevertheless failed in formulating general criteria of scientificity. The main argument of this article is that the distinction between amateurs and scientists was not an outcome of the inner evolution of the field of psychology, but that it developed through practices of communication in which periodicals play a major role.

Zur Biologie des Planktons des Königshafens (Nordsylter Wattenmeer)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martens, P.

1982-06-01

From May 1979 on, the following parameters were measured at a station in the inlet of Königshafen near List (Island of Sylt): temperature, salinity, mesozooplankton (>76 µm), chlorophyll-a, seston dry weight, oxygen and phytoplankton-nutrients (NH4-N, NO2-N, NO3-N, PO4-P, SiO3-Si). A multiple regression analysis showed the interrelationships between the parameters measured. Tidal influences on zooplankton and seston dry weight could be observed. At low tide, the amount of zooplankton (not counting the harpacticoid copepods) declines and the number of harpacticoid copepods rises as does the seston dry weight too. The chlorophyll-a content is a function of the phytoplankton-nutrients. An increase in chlorophyll-a leads to a decrease in nitrogen and silicate concentrations. Phosphate, due possibly to a sewage inlet into the Königshafen, is not a limiting factor. The availability of nutrients is influenced by temperature, salinity and the tidal cycle. The amount of oxygen is dependent on water temperature and seston dry weight. High water temperatures and a high seston content lead to a decrease in oxygen concentrations.

GIS-MODFLOW: Ein kleines OpenSource-Werkzeug zur Anbindung von GIS-Daten an MODFLOW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gossel, Wolfgang

2013-06-01

The numerical model MODFLOW (Harbaugh 2005) is an efficient and up-to-date tool for groundwater flow modelling. On the other hand, Geo-Information-Systems (GIS) provide useful tools for data preparation and visualization that can also be incorporated in numerical groundwater modelling. An interface between both would therefore be useful for many hydrogeological investigations. To date, several integrated stand-alone tools have been developed that rely on MODFLOW, MODPATH and transport modelling tools. Simultaneously, several open source-GIS codes were developed to improve functionality and ease of use. These GIS tools can be used as pre- and post-processors of the numerical model MODFLOW via a suitable interface. Here we present GIS-MODFLOW as an open-source tool that provides a new universal interface by using the ESRI ASCII GRID data format that can be converted into MODFLOW input data. This tool can also treat MODFLOW results. Such a combination of MODFLOW and open-source GIS opens new possibilities to render groundwater flow modelling, and simulation results, available to larger circles of hydrogeologists.

[Coping mechanisms of police officers with mental and psychosomatic symptoms after an event of potential psychotraumatic nature].

PubMed

Schütte, Nils; Bär, Olaf; Weiss, Udo; Heuft, Gereon

2009-01-01

This prospective study analyzes the coping mechanisms of police officers directly after an event of potential traumatic nature in the line of duty (e. g. use of firearms) as well as 6 months later. 59 police officers were contacted by professional crisis intervention teams of the police force. After an extended interview, an ICD-10 diagnosis, if applicable, was assigned. Six months later a diagnosis was derived by a clinician (Diplom-Psychologe) using a structured interview. Coping strategies were accessed by the FKV (Freiburger Fragebogen zur Krankheitsverarbeitung) questionnaire. Fourteen police officers (28%) received the diagnosis of a PTSD (ICD-10: F43.1) at 6 months. The coping mechanisms of the traumatized police officers were significantly elevated in a dysfunctional manner in the areas "emotional control and social retreat" (only directly after the event), "regression", "mistrust and pessimism", and "depressive processing". Because dysfunctional coping mechanisms impede the decline of the symptoms, it may be considered adequate to strengthen the coping mechanisms for functional coping with these symptoms, thereby focusing on the dysfunctional coping strategy specific to the police force, namely, emotional control.

[Patterns of dysfunctional parenting styles and psychological disturbances in offspring].

PubMed

Kumnig, Martin; Höfer, Stefan; Huber, Alexandra; Messner, Carmen; Renn, Daniela; Mestel, Robert; Klingelhöfer, Jürgen; Kopp, Martin; Doering, Stephan; Schüßler, Gerhard; Rumpold, Gerhard

2013-01-01

Dysfunctional parenting styles represent a risk factor for the development of psychological disturbances. The present study investigated the differential validity of the German language Fragebogen zur Erfassung dysfunktionaler Erziehungsstile (FDEB; Measurement of Parental Styles, MOPS) and determined whether different forms of psychological disorders are associated with specific patterns of parenting styles. 145 inpatients, 108 outpatients and a control group of 633 representative individuals from the general population were investigated by adapting the FDEB. A comparison of dysfunctional parenting styles showed different distress levels within the diagnostic groups: Patients suffering from depression reported high levels of maternal indifference and over protectiveness together with an abusive rearing behavior on the part of both parents. Patients with anxiety disorders reported having overprotective mothers. Bulimic patients as well as those with personality disorders significantly exhibited stress in almost all areas. However, anorexic patients did not differ significantly from the control group, which appeared to be the least affected of all. The FDEB showed a satisfactory differential validity. There was evidence that specific patterns of dysfunctional parenting styles were associated with different diagnostic groups.

Multi Electrode Geoelectric on the Borehole Wall. Determination of Groundwater Velocity and Dispersion Parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kessels, W.; Thorenz, C.; Rifai, H.

2002-05-01

A single well technique to determine groundwater flow and transport parameters is presented. Multi-electrode arrays are placed on a borehole wall by an inflatable packer or are installed behind the plastic casing. For measurements, a salt tracer is injected between the electrodes. This salt tracer cloud is afterwards moving in the natural groundwater flow field. The observation of this movement by geoelectric measurements is the basis for the determination of groundwater velocity and the dispersion parameters. The geoelectric observations are performed with n borehole electrodes and one earth connection. Thus, either n independent two point measurements or n*(n-1)/2 pole-to-pole measurements can be performed. The whole procedure consists of three phases: 1. Measurement of the basic conductivity without tracer. 2. Measurement during the injection. 3. Measurement after injection To test the method, measurements in a lab aquifer filled with sand are carried out. The results are discussed and the limitations of the method are shown. Here, the interpretation is restricted on two point geoelectric measurements and the transport equation for NaCl-tracered water. Due to the density contrast, the tracer shows a vertical movement which is not related to the natural velocity field. Numerical calculations with the finite-element-method simulator ROCKFLOW (Kolditz et al., 1999) reproduced this behaviour. The currently used interpretation code is based on an analytic solution of the transport equation. The parameters velocity and dispersion length are calculated by inversion. In the two scientific drillings CAT-LUD1 and CAT-LUD1A in the northern part of Germany multi-electrode installations behind the casing are tested in situ. A multi-electrode packer system is designed and build. References: Kessels, W., Zoth, G.(1997): Doppelmantel - Packers mit geoelektrischer Meßtechnik zur Bestimmung der Abstandsgeschwindigkeit des Grundwassers, Patentanmeldung Az:19855048.0 NLfB/GGA-Hannover. Kessels, W., Zoth, G. (1999): Doppelmantelpacker mit geoelektrischer Meßtechnik zur Bestimmung der Grundwasserströmung und hydraulischer Eigenschaften von Grundwasserleitern. -59. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Geophysikalischen Gesellschaft; 8.-12.März 1999, Braunschweig: 117. Kessels, W., Fulda, C., Binot, F., Dörhöfer, G., Fritz, J. (2001): Monitoring and Modeling in the Coastal Aquifer Test Field (CAT-Field) between Bremerhaven and Cuxhaven in the Northern Part of Germany. SWICA M3 Salt Water Intrusion and Coastal Aquifers Monitoring, Modeling and Management, 23. 25.April 2001; Essaouira, Morocco. Kolditz, O., Habbar, O., Kaiser, R., Rother, T. & Thorenz, C. (1999) ROCKFLOW - Theory and Users Manual. Release 3.4, Institute for Fluid Mechanics and Computer Application in Civil Engineering, University of Hannover

Deep soil compaction as a method of ground improvement and to stabilization of wastes and slopes with danger of liquefaction, determining the modulus of deformation and shear strength parameters of loose rock.

PubMed

Lersow, M

2001-01-01

For the stabilization of dumps with the construction of hidden dams and for building ground improvement, for instance for traffic lines over dumps, nearly all applied compaction methods have the aim to reduce the pore volume in the loose rock. With these methods, a homogenization of the compacted loose rock will be obtained too. The compaction methods of weight compaction by falling weight, compaction by vibration and compaction by blasting have been introduced, and their applications and efficiencies have been shown. For the estimation of the effective depth of the compaction and for a safe planning of the bearing layer, respectively, the necessary material parameters have to be determined for each deep compaction method. Proposals for the determination of these parameters have been made within this paper. In connection with the stabilization of flow-slide-prone dump slopes, as well as for the improvement of dump areas for the use as building ground, it is necessary to assess the deformation behavior and the bearing capacity. To assess the resulting building ground improvement, deformation indexes (assessment of the flow-prone layer) and strength indexes (assessment of the bearing capacity) have to be determined with soil mechanical tests. Förster and Lersow, [Patentschrift DE 197 17 988. Verfahren, auf der Grundlage last- und/oder weggesteuerter Plattendruckversuche auf der Bohrlochsohle, zur Ermittlung des Spannungs-Verformungs-Verhaltens und/oder von Deformationsmoduln und/oder von Festigkeitseigenschaften in verschiedenen Tiefen insbesondere von Lockergesteinen und von Deponiekörpern in situ; Förster W, Lersow M. Plattendruckversuch auf der Bohrlochsohle, Ermittlung des Spannungs-Verformungs-Verhaltens von Lockergestein und Deponiematerial Braunkohle--Surface Mining, 1998;50(4): 369-77; Lersow M. Verfahren zur Ermittlung von Scherfestigkeitsparametern von Lockergestein und Deponiematerial aus Plattendruckversuchen auf der Bohrlochsohle. Braunkohle--Surface Mining, 1995;51(1):39-47] improved a direct procedure, the so-called plate-loading test. With this improved procedure, it is possible to produce profiles of deformation parameters and shear-strength parameters of the loose rock. On this basis the settlement behavior and the bearing behavior of the ground can be described. The PDV-BS cone-penetration test and the pressiometer test are compared and the reliability of the soil mechanical indexes are assessed critically. The PDV-BS can be used as a calibration test for cone penetration tests as well as for the calibration of pressiometer tests. With the application of a PDV-BS and a pressiometer test in combination in a testing field, the anisotropy properties of the loose rock can be proved.

[Osteopathie bei gastroösophagealem Reflux mit Hiatushernie: Ein Fallbericht gemäß der CARE-Leitlinie].

PubMed

Rotter, Gabriele; Brinkhaus, Benno

2017-01-01

Hintergrund: Das Vorhandensein einer Hiatushernie kann das Auftreten einer gastroösophagealen Refluxerkrankung (GERD) als Komplikation bedingen. Konventionelle medizinische Therapiemaßnahmen können zu unerwünschten Ereignissen und Rezidiven führen. Bisher sind die Effekte von osteopathischen Behandlungen bei Hiatushernie und GERD nicht bekannt. Fallbericht: Eine 59-jährige Patientin mit endoskopisch diagnostizierter chronischer Gastritis, GERD und Hiatushernie beklagte einen persistierenden gastroösophagealen Reflux trotz konventionell-medizinischer konservativer Therapie. Die osteopathische Diagnostik ergab eine funktionelle Störung im Bereich des Magens und der Kardia mit einer Beteiligung zugehöriger Reflexzonen. Nach einer osteopathischen Behandlung als individuelle, befundorientierte Therapie ließen die Beschwerden erheblich nach. Die Hiatushernie war nach einer dieser Behandlung endoskopisch nicht mehr nachweisbar. Schlussfolgerungen: Dieser Fallbericht schildert die Symptomreduktion einer GERD nach osteopathischer Behandlung. In der endoskopischen Folgeuntersuchung fand sich die initial diagnostizierte Hiatushernie nicht mehr, diese Befund änderung könnte jedoch auf die unterschiedlichen Untersucher zurückgeführt werden. Prospektive kontrollierte klinische Studien sind notwendig, um den Stellenwert von osteopathischen Behandlungen bei GERD mit Hiatushernie zu untersuchen. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Medizintechnik in der Tumororthopädie

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgkart, Rainer; Gollwitzer, Hans; Holzapfel, Boris; Rudert, Maximilian; Rechl, Hans; Gradinger, Reiner

Die Behandlung der Knochentumoren unterlag in den letzten 20 Jahren einem raschen und stetigen Wandel, was zum einen auf die verbesserten Therapieerfolge durch den Einsatz von neoadjuvanten Therapieformen zurückzuführen ist, und andererseits von medizintechnischen Entwicklungen bezüglich moderner Schnittbilddiagnostik, neuer 3D Operationsplanungsverfahren wie das Rapid Prototyping und adaptiv modularer Tumorendoprothesensystemen u. a. begleitet wurde. Gerade die technischen Entwicklungen haben dazu geführt, daß im Bereich der Extremitäten und der Wirbelsäule radikalere Eingriffe durchgeführt werden können, was die lokale Tumorkontrolle wesentlich verbessert hat. In zunehmenden Maße werden deshalb nicht nur Kurzzeiterfolge sondern auch mittel- und langfristige Fortschritte bei der Behandlung der malignen Knochentumoren einschließlich der Metastasenbehandlung erreicht. Grundlage der Therapie ist dabei immer primär die Sicherung der Diagnose mittels Biopsie und die bildgebende sowie histologische Stadieneinteilung des malignen Tumors. Nach der Tumorresektion kann die Rekonstruktion biologisch oder mit Endoprothesensystemen erfolgen. Gerade die weiterentwickelten modularen Systeme führen zu guten funktionellen Ergebnissen mit langen Standzeiten und einer reduzierten Komplikationsrate. Individuell angefertigte Implantate sind vor allem im Bereich der Rekonstruktion komplexer Beckentumoren von großer klinischer Bedeutung.

On the Making of Quantum Chemistry in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karachalios, Andreas

During the 1990s several historians of science have studied the emergence of quantum chemistry as an autonomous discipline in different national contexts (Nye, 1993; Simões, 1993; Simões, forthcoming; Gavroglu and Simões, 1994; Karachalios, 1997a). Beyond these disciplinary studies, a number of contributions to special aspects of this theme have appeared (Schweber, 1990; Gavroglu, 1995; Simões and Gavroglu, 1997, 1999a,b; Schwarz et al., 1999). In this literature the birth of quantum chemistry has generally been associated with two dates: the 1927 paper of Walter Heitler and Fritz London and the year 1931 in which Linus Pauling and John Clarke Slater independently explained the tetrahedral orientation of the four bonds of the carbon atom. To these dates we might also add a third: in 1928 London published a paper, 'Zur Quantentheorie der homöopolaren Valenzzahlen' (London, 1928), in which he gave a quantum mechanical explanation of the classical chemical notion of valency. There he showed a relationship between the valency numbers and the spectroscopical multiplicity, namely that valency=multiplicity-1. This relation established a bridge between physical and chemical facts. Taken together, these developments constitute important events for the international development of quantum chemistry.

Contributions to the History of Astronomy, Vol. 11. (German Title: Beiträge zur Astronomiegeschichte, Band 11)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dick, Wolfgang R.; Duerbeck, H. W.; Hamel, Jürgen

2011-08-01

The contributions deal with astronomical concepts, historical observatories and biographical studies. Newly found copies of Copernicus' principal work are described, the development of the concepts "sphaera" and "orbis coelestis" from ancient times via Copernicus to Kepler is investigated. The concept of harmonical cosmology of Kepler and A. Kircher is analyzed in a major paper. A rediscovered letter by Kepler is interpreted. Other papers deal with the university observatory of Bützow (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), the observatories installed in Strasbourg in the 17th and early 19th centuries, and the Jesuit observatory which existed in Graz (Styria) in the 18th century, as well as the unrealized plans for an observing station of Vienna University Observatory in the 1940s. Einstein's thoughts about Friedmann's cosmological papers are presented. Biographical sketches on Philipp Feselius (1565-1610), Ferdinand Adolph Freiherr von Ende (1760-1816), Wilhelm Ebert (1871-1916) and Karl Julius Lohnert (1885-1944) are supplemented by an analysis of the social background of the important Astronomers of the 20th century. The claim that Jupiter's moons were described already 105 years before Galilei is contradicted in a discussion. The book concludes by short communications, obituaries and book reviews.

Schnellverfahren zur flammenlosen AAS-Bestimmung von Spurenelementen in geologischen Proben

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrön, W.; Bombach, G.; Beuge, P.

This paper reports experience with direct quantitative trace element determinations in powdered geological samples by nameless atomic absorption spectroscopy. Two methods were explored. The first one is based on the production of a sample aerosol by laser radiation in a specifically designed sample chamber and the subsequent transport of the aerosol into a graphite tube, which has been preheated to a stable temperature. This technique is suited for a large range of concentration and is relatively free from matrix interferences. The technique was tested for the elements Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Co, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr and Tl. The described sample chamber can be also used in combination with other spcctroscopic techniques. The second method explored permits the quantitative determination of trace elements at very low concentrations. Essentially an accurately weighed amount of sample is placed on a graphite rod and introduced into a graphite furnace by inserting the rod through the sample injection port. Atomization takes place also under stable temperature conditions. Using this technique detection limits were found to be 10 -11 g for Ag, 2 × 10 -11 g for Cd and 10 -10 g for Sb in silicate materials.

Die Energiebranche am Beginn der digitalen Transformation: aus Versorgern werden Utilities 4.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doleski, Oliver D.

Die traditionelle Energieversorgung befindet sich in einer Zäsur. Das seit Jahrzehnten bewährte und stabile Geschäftsmodell einer zuverlässig planbaren, zentralen Energieerzeugung mit anschließender unidirektionaler Verteilung geriet spätestens seit der Energiewende des Jahres 2011 immer mehr unter Druck. Angesichts fortschreitender Digitalisierung und Dezentralisierung einerseits und gestiegener Erwartungshaltung der Kunden gegenüber "ihrem" Versorger andererseits sieht sich die Energiebranche heute einem epochalen Transformationsprozess gegenübergestellt. Bei diesem entwickeln sich aus den monopolistischen Versorgern des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts (Utility 1.0), über die liberalisierten Energieversorgungsunternehmen (Utility 2.0) und Energiedienstleistungsunternehmen (Utility 3.0) heutiger Prägung, die digitalen Energiedienstleistungsunternehmen (Utility 4.0) von morgen. Oliver D. Doleski beschränkt sich in seinem Beitrag nicht auf die reine Beschreibung dieses Veränderungsprozesses an sich. Vielmehr werden darüber hinaus sowohl die mit dieser Entwicklung verbundenen übergeordneten Ziele als auch die wesentlichen Anforderungen an erfolgreiche Utilities 4.0 skizziert. Das Kapitel endet mit einem prägnanten Überblick profitabler Betätigungsfelder, die zur Sicherung der ökonomischen Zukunft von Energiekonzernen, Regionalversorgern und Stadtwerken beitragen können.

A multiwave range test for obstacle reconstructions with unknown physical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potthast, Roland; Schulz, Jochen

2007-08-01

We develop a new multiwave version of the range test for shape reconstruction in inverse scattering theory. The range test [R. Potthast, et al., A `range test' for determining scatterers with unknown physical properties, Inverse Problems 19(3) (2003) 533-547] has originally been proposed to obtain knowledge about an unknown scatterer when the far field pattern for only one plane wave is given. Here, we extend the method to the case of multiple waves and show that the full shape of the unknown scatterer can be reconstructed. We further will clarify the relation between the range test methods, the potential method [A. Kirsch, R. Kress, On an integral equation of the first kind in inverse acoustic scattering, in: Inverse Problems (Oberwolfach, 1986), Internationale Schriftenreihe zur Numerischen Mathematik, vol. 77, Birkhauser, Basel, 1986, pp. 93-102] and the singular sources method [R. Potthast, Point sources and multipoles in inverse scattering theory, Habilitation Thesis, Gottingen, 1999]. In particular, we propose a new version of the Kirsch-Kress method using the range test and a new approach to the singular sources method based on the range test and potential method. Numerical examples of reconstructions for all four methods are provided.

A new hydrogeological model of charging shallow and deep aquifers in the Lake Neusiedl - Seewinkel region (Northern Burgenland, Austria)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Häusler, Hermann; Müllegger, Christian; Körner, Wilfried; Ottner, Franz; Prohaska, Thomas; Irrgeher, Johanna; Tchaikovsky, Anastassiya; Dober, Gregor; Gritzmann, Romana; Mykhaylyuk, Ivanna

2014-05-01

The hypothesis of ascending thermal groundwater in the Seewinkel was introduced by Tauber (1965), favoured by Schmid (1970), and followed up by Wurm (2000). The main idea of this hypothesis was up welling of saline waters from a deep aquifer along faults, which in the 1950s have been identified as such in seismic sections. An aquifer of marine deposits of Badenian to Sarmatian age was postulated as source, and hydrochemical composition of water should have changed during migration due to high contents of sodium carbonate and sulphate instead of potassium chloride in the shallow groundwater bodies of the Seewinkel. Häusler (2010) argued, however, that fault aquifers discharging saline waters nowhere have been identified in this region. Supposed that according to the ascendance hypothesis ion composition of up welling formation water could have undergone a change, the primary isotope signal of marine water should have not. In order to get a better insight to the groundwater cycle we compare results from geochemical analyses, clay mineralogical analyses, and leachates of source rocks of potential recharge areas with respective analyses of shallow and deep aquifers, and apply the method of stable hydroisotopes such as oxygen, deuterium, strontium and chloride for distinguishing origin of groundwaters. We evaluate the hypothesis of up welling connate waters, and eventually come up with a new conceptual hydrogeological model for the Neusiedl-Seewinkel region regarding composition, origin, flow direction and residence time of groundwater in shallow and deeper aquifers. The very low value of -12.26‰ for oxygen isotope ratio of thermal groundwater from the deepest aquifer drilled to a depth of about 1000 metres at Frauenkirchen in northern Seewinkel, which is not highly mineralised, excludes connate water as major source, which basically is characterized by high oxygen isotope ratio values. Taking into account that oxygen isotope ratio-values ranging from -12.0‰ to -10.5‰ in the catchment of Lake Neusiedl are characteristic for waters derived from the cooler period of the Pleistocene (Rank et al., 1982), we conclude that groundwater of the deepest aquifer of the Seewinkel is not of Badenian to Sarmatian age but only several tens of thousands of years old. The artesian wells of the Seewinkel region drilled down to several hundreds of metres yielded groundwater with oxygen isotope ratio-values ranging between -11.90‰ and -10.83‰, values fitting well to waters of Pleistocene age of that region. Since wells discharging the Leitha Mountains also revealed oxygen isotope ratio-values varying from -11.10‰ to -10.22‰, we conclude that the mountain chains surrounding Lake Neusiedl basically charged both shallow and deeper aquifers of the Seewinkel. From oxygen isotope ratios of these groundwater bodies we therefore conclude that first the majority of aquifers of the Lake Neusiedl region was charged from the surrounding mountain chains, and second that salinity of soils in the Seewinkel region cannot be derived from up welling connate water, as has been proofed for Lake Kelemenszék area south of Budapest (Simon et al., 2011). There is no doubt on the fact, however, that differing amounts of free carbon dioxide in several aquifers of the Seewinkel region originate from deep-seated post volcanic activity in this region. Häusler, H. (2010)(ed.): Geologische Karte der Republik Österreich 1:50.000, Erläuterungen zur Geologischen Karte 78 Rust.- 191 S., 65 Abb., 5 Tab., 2 Taf., (Geologische Bundesanstalt), Wien. Rank, D., Rajner, V., Staudner, F. and Papesch, W. (1982): Zur Altersdatierung der Grundwässer am Ostufer des Neusiedlersees.- BFB-Bericht, 43, 197-204, 2 Abb., (Biologisches Forschungsinstitut für Burgenland), Illmitz. Simon, S., Mádl-Szőnyi, J., Müller, I. and Pogácsás, G. (2011): Conceptual model for surface salinization in an overpressured and a superimposed gravity-flow field, Lake Kelemenszék area, Hungary.- Hydrogeology Journal, 19, 701-717. Tauber, A. F. (1965): Geologische Typologie und Genese der Mineralquellen und Mineralwässer im Neusiedlerseegebiet.- Wissenschaftliche Arbeiten aus dem Burgenland, 34, 259-304, 6 Tab., Eisenstadt. Wurm, M. (2000): Hydrogeochemische Methodik zur Klärung von Interaktionsprozessen von Formations-, Mineral-, Tiefengrund- und oberflächennahen Grundwässern im Einzugsgebiet des Neusiedlersees.- Unveröffentlichte Diplomarbeit, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Abteilung für Geologie und Lagerstättenlehre, Montanuniversität Leoben, 125 S., zahlr. Abb., Anhang (71 hydrochemische Analysen), Leoben.

Large-scale hydrological modelling in the semi-arid north-east of Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Güntner, Andreas

2002-07-01

Semi-arid areas are, due to their climatic setting, characterized by small water resources. An increasing water demand as a consequence of population growth and economic development as well as a decreasing water availability in the course of possible climate change may aggravate water scarcity in future, which often exists already for present-day conditions in these areas. Understanding the mechanisms and feedbacks of complex natural and human systems, together with the quantitative assessment of future changes in volume, timing and quality of water resources are a prerequisite for the development of sustainable measures of water management to enhance the adaptive capacity of these regions. For this task, dynamic integrated models, containing a hydrological model as one component, are indispensable tools. The main objective of this study is to develop a hydrological model for the quantification of water availability in view of environmental change over a large geographic domain of semi-arid environments. The study area is the Federal State of Ceará (150 000 km2) in the semi-arid north-east of Brazil. Mean annual precipitation in this area is 850 mm, falling in a rainy season with duration of about five months. Being mainly characterized by crystalline bedrock and shallow soils, surface water provides the largest part of the water supply. The area has recurrently been affected by droughts which caused serious economic losses and social impacts like migration from the rural regions. The hydrological model Wasa (Model of Water Availability in Semi-Arid Environments) developed in this study is a deterministic, spatially distributed model being composed of conceptual, process-based approaches. Water availability (river discharge, storage volumes in reservoirs, soil moisture) is determined with daily resolution. Sub-basins, grid cells or administrative units (municipalities) can be chosen as spatial target units. The administrative units enable the coupling of Wasa in the framework of an integrated model which contains modules that do not work on the basis of natural spatial units. The target units mentioned above are disaggregated in Wasa into smaller modelling units within a new multi-scale, hierarchical approach. The landscape units defined in this scheme capture in particular the effect of structured variability of terrain, soil and vegetation characteristics along toposequences on soil moisture and runoff generation. Lateral hydrological processes at the hillslope scale, as reinfiltration of surface runoff, being of particular importance in semi-arid environments, can thus be represented also within the large-scale model in a simplified form. Depending on the resolution of available data, small-scale variability is not represented explicitly with geographic reference in Wasa, but by the distribution of sub-scale units and by statistical transition frequencies for lateral fluxes between these units. Further model components of Wasa which respect specific features of semi-arid hydrology are: (1) A two-layer model for evapotranspiration comprises energy transfer at the soil surface (including soil evaporation), which is of importance in view of the mainly sparse vegetation cover. Additionally, vegetation parameters are differentiated in space and time in dependence on the occurrence of the rainy season. (2) The infiltration module represents in particular infiltration-excess surface runoff as the dominant runoff component. (3) For the aggregate description of the water balance of reservoirs that cannot be represented explicitly in the model, a storage approach respecting different reservoirs size classes and their interaction via the river network is applied. (4) A model for the quantification of water withdrawal by water use in different sectors is coupled to Wasa. (5) A cascade model for the temporal disaggregation of precipitation time series, adapted to the specific characteristics of tropical convective rainfall, is applied for the generating rainfall time series of higher temporal resolution. All model parameters of Wasa can be derived from physiographic information of the study area. Thus, model calibration is primarily not required. Model applications of Wasa for historical time series generally results in a good model performance when comparing the simulation results of river discharge and reservoir storage volumes with observed data for river basins of various sizes. The mean water balance as well as the high interannual and intra-annual variability is reasonably represented by the model. Limitations of the modelling concept are most markedly seen for sub-basins with a runoff component from deep groundwater bodies of which the dynamics cannot be satisfactorily represented without calibration. Further results of model applications are: (1) Lateral processes of redistribution of runoff and soil moisture at the hillslope scale, in particular reinfiltration of surface runoff, lead to markedly smaller discharge volumes at the basin scale than the simple sum of runoff of the individual sub-areas. Thus, these processes are to be captured also in large-scale models. The different relevance of these processes for different conditions is demonstrated by a larger percentage decrease of discharge volumes in dry as compared to wet years. (2) Precipitation characteristics have a major impact on the hydrological response of semi-arid environments. In particular, underestimated rainfall intensities in the rainfall input due to the rough temporal resolution of the model and due to interpolation effects and, consequently, underestimated runoff volumes have to be compensated in the model. A scaling factor in the infiltration module or the use of disaggregated hourly rainfall data show good results in this respect. The simulation results of Wasa are characterized by large uncertainties. These are, on the one hand, due to uncertainties of the model structure to adequately represent the relevant hydrological processes. On the other hand, they are due to uncertainties of input data and parameters particularly in view of the low data availability. Of major importance is: (1) The uncertainty of rainfall data with regard to their spatial and temporal pattern has, due to the strong non-linear hydrological response, a large impact on the simulation results. (2) The uncertainty of soil parameters is in general of larger importance on model uncertainty than uncertainty of vegetation or topographic parameters. (3) The effect of uncertainty of individual model components or parameters is usually different for years with rainfall volumes being above or below the average, because individual hydrological processes are of different relevance in both cases. Thus, the uncertainty of individual model components or parameters is of different importance for the uncertainty of scenario simulations with increasing or decreasing precipitation trends. (4) The most important factor of uncertainty for scenarios of water availability in the study area is the uncertainty in the results of global climate models on which the regional climate scenarios are based. Both a marked increase or a decrease in precipitation can be assumed for the given data. Results of model simulations for climate scenarios until the year 2050 show that a possible future change in precipitation volumes causes a larger percentage change in runoff volumes by a factor of two to three. In the case of a decreasing precipitation trend, the efficiency of new reservoirs for securing water availability tends to decrease in the study area because of the interaction of the large number of reservoirs in retaining the overall decreasing runoff volumes. Semiaride Gebiete sind auf Grund der klimatischen Bedingungen durch geringe Wasserressourcen gekennzeichnet. Ein zukünftig steigender Wasserbedarf in Folge von Bevölkerungswachstum und ökonomischer Entwicklung sowie eine geringere Wasserverfügbarkeit durch mögliche Klimaänderungen können dort zu einer Verschärfung der vielfach schon heute auftretenden Wasserknappheit führen. Das Verständnis der Mechanismen und Wechselwirkungen des komplexen Systems von Mensch und Umwelt sowie die quantitative Bestimmung zukünftiger Veränderungen in der Menge, der zeitlichen Verteilung und der Qualität von Wasserressourcen sind eine grundlegende Voraussetzung für die Entwicklung von nachhaltigen Maßnahmen des Wassermanagements mit dem Ziel einer höheren Anpassungsfähigkeit dieser Regionen gegenüber künftigen Änderungen. Hierzu sind dynamische integrierte Modelle unerlässlich, die als eine Komponente ein hydrologisches Modell beinhalten. Vorrangiges Ziel dieser Arbeit ist daher die Erstellung eines hydrologischen Modells zur großräumigen Bestimmung der Wasserverfügbarkeit unter sich ändernden Umweltbedingungen in semiariden Gebieten. Als Untersuchungsraum dient der im semiariden tropischen Nordosten Brasiliens gelegene Bundestaat Ceará (150 000 km2). Die mittleren Jahresniederschläge in diesem Gebiet liegen bei 850 mm innerhalb einer etwa fünfmonatigen Regenzeit. Mit vorwiegend kristallinem Grundgebirge und geringmächtigen Böden stellt Oberflächenwasser den größten Teil der Wasserversorgung bereit. Die Region war wiederholt von Dürren betroffen, die zu schweren ökonomischen Schäden und sozialen Folgen wie Migration aus den ländlichen Gebieten geführt haben. Das hier entwickelte hydrologische Modell Wasa (Model of Water Availability in Semi-Arid Environments) ist ein deterministisches, flächendifferenziertes Modell, das aus konzeptionellen, prozess-basierten Ansätzen aufgebaut ist. Die Wasserverfügbarkeit (Abfluss im Gewässernetz, Speicherung in Stauseen, Bodenfeuchte) wird mit täglicher Auflösung bestimmt. Als räumliche Zieleinheiten können Teileinzugsgebiete, Rasterzellen oder administrative Einheiten (Gemeinden) gewählt werden. Letztere ermöglichen die Kopplung des Modells im Rahmen der integrierten Modellierung mit Modulen, die nicht auf der Basis natürlicher Raumeinheiten arbeiten. Im Rahmen eines neuen skalenübergreifenden, hierarchischen Ansatzes werden in Wasa die genannten Zieleinheiten in kleinere räumliche Modellierungseinheiten unterteilt. Die ausgewiesenen Landschaftseinheiten erfassen insbesondere die strukturierte Variabilität von Gelände-, Boden- und Vegetationseigenschaften entlang von Toposequenzen in ihrem Einfluss auf Bodenfeuchte und Abflussbildung. Laterale hydrologische Prozesse auf kleiner Skala, wie die für semiaride Bedingungen bedeutsame Wiederversickerung von Oberflächenabfluss, können somit auch in der erforderlichen großskaligen Modellanwendung vereinfacht wiedergegeben werden. In Abhängigkeit von der Auflösung der verfügbaren Daten wird in Wasa die kleinskalige Variabilität nicht räumlich explizit sondern über die Verteilung von Flächenanteilen subskaliger Einheiten und über statistische Übergangshäufigkeiten für laterale Flüsse zwischen den Einheiten berücksichtigt. Weitere Modellkomponenten von Wasa, die spezifische Bedingungen semiarider Gebiete berücksichtigen, sind: (1) Ein Zwei-Schichten-Modell zur Bestimmung der Evapotranspiration berücksichtigt auch den Energieumsatz an der Bodenoberfläche (inklusive Bodenverdunstung), der in Anbetracht der meist lichten Vegetationsbedeckung von Bedeutung ist. Die Vegetationsparameter werden zudem flächen- und zeitdifferenziert in Abhängigkeit vom Auftreten der Regenzeit modifiziert. (2) Das Infiltrationsmodul bildet insbesondere Oberflächenabfluss durch Infiltrationsüberschuss als dominierender Abflusskomponente ab. (3) Zur aggregierten Beschreibung der Wasserbilanz von im Modell nicht einzeln erfassbaren Stauseen wird ein Speichermodell unter Berücksichtigung verschiedener Größenklassen und ihrer Interaktion über das Gewässernetz eingesetzt. (4) Ein Modell zur Bestimmung der Entnahme durch Wassernutzung in verschiedenen Sektoren ist an Wasa gekoppelt. (5) Ein Kaskadenmodell zur zeitlichen Disaggregierung von Niederschlagszeitreihen, das in dieser Arbeit speziell für tropische konvektive Niederschlagseigenschaften angepasst wird, wird zur Erzeugung höher aufgelöster Niederschlagsdaten verwendet. Alle Modellparameter von Wasa können von physiographischen Gebietsinformationen abgeleitet werden, sodass eine Modellkalibrierung primär nicht erforderlich ist. Die Modellanwendung von Wasa für historische Zeitreihen ergibt im Allgemeinen eine gute Übereinstimmung der Simulationsergebnisse für Abfluss und Stauseespeichervolumen mit Beobachtungsdaten in unterschiedlich großen Einzugsgebieten. Die mittlere Wasserbilanz sowie die hohe monatliche und jährliche Variabilität wird vom Modell angemessen wiedergegeben. Die Grenzen der Anwendbarkeit des Modell-konzepts zeigen sich am deutlichsten in Teilgebieten mit Abflusskomponenten aus tieferen Grundwasserleitern, deren Dynamik ohne Kalibrierung nicht zufriedenstellend abgebildet werden kann. Die Modellanwendungen zeigen weiterhin: (1) Laterale Prozesse der Umverteilung von Bodenfeuchte und Abfluss auf der Hangskala, vor allem die Wiederversickerung von Oberflächenabfluss, führen auf der Skala von Einzugsgebieten zu deutlich kleineren Abflussvolumen als die einfache Summe der Abflüsse der Teilflächen. Diese Prozesse sollten daher auch in großskaligen Modellen abgebildet werden. Die unterschiedliche Ausprägung dieser Prozesse für unterschiedliche Bedingungen zeigt sich an Hand einer prozentual größeren Verringerung der Abflussvolumen in trockenen im Vergleich zu feuchten Jahren. (2) Die Niederschlagseigenschaften haben einen sehr großen Einfluss auf die hydrologische Reaktion in semiariden Gebieten. Insbesondere die durch die grobe zeitliche Auflösung des Modells und durch Interpolationseffekte unterschätzten Niederschlagsintensitäten in den Eingangsdaten und die daraus folgende Unterschätzung von Abflussvolumen müssen im Modell kompensiert werden. Ein Skalierungsfaktor in der Infiltrationsroutine oder die Verwendung disaggregierter stündlicher Niederschlagsdaten zeigen hier gute Ergebnisse. Die Simulationsergebnisse mit Wasa sind insgesamt durch große Unsicherheiten gekennzeichnet. Diese sind einerseits in Unsicherheiten der Modellstruktur zur adäquaten Beschreibung der relevanten hydrologischen Prozesse begründet, andererseits in Daten- und Parametersunsicherheiten in Anbetracht der geringen Datenverfügbarkeit. Von besonderer Bedeutung ist: (1) Die Unsicherheit der Niederschlagsdaten in ihrem räumlichen Muster und ihrer zeitlichen Struktur hat wegen der stark nicht-linearen hydrologischen Reaktion einen großen Einfluss auf die Simulationsergebnisse. (2) Die Unsicherheit von Bodenparametern hat im Vergleich zu Vegetationsparametern und topographischen Parametern im Allgemeinen einen größeren Einfluss auf die Modellunsicherheit. (3) Der Effekt der Unsicherheit einzelner Modellkomponenten und -parameter ist für Jahre mit unter- oder überdurchschnittlichen Niederschlagsvolumen zumeist unterschiedlich, da einzelne hydrologische Prozesse dann jeweils unterschiedlich relevant sind. Die Unsicherheit einzelner Modellkomponenten- und parameter hat somit eine unterschiedliche Bedeutung für die Unsicherheit von Szenarienrechnungen mit steigenden oder fallenden Niederschlagstrends. (4) Der bedeutendste Unsicherheitsfaktor für Szenarien der Wasserverfügbarkeit für die Untersuchungsregion ist die Unsicherheit der den regionalen Klimaszenarien zu Grunde liegenden Ergebnisse globaler Klimamodelle. Eine deutliche Zunahme oder Abnahme der Niederschläge bis 2050 kann gemäß den hier vorliegenden Daten für das Untersuchungsgebiet gleichermaßen angenommen werden. Modellsimulationen für Klimaszenarien bis zum Jahr 2050 ergeben, dass eine mögliche zukünftige Veränderung der Niederschlagsmengen zu einer prozentual zwei- bis dreifach größeren Veränderung der Abflussvolumen führt. Im Falle eines Trends von abnehmenden Niederschlagsmengen besteht in der Untersuchungsregion die Tendenz, dass auf Grund der gegenseitigen Beeinflussung der großen Zahl von Stauseen beim Rückhalt der tendenziell abnehmenden Abflussvolumen die Effizienz von neugebauten Stauseen zur Sicherung der Wasserverfügbarkeit zunehmend geringer wird. --- Anmerkung: Der Autor ist Träger des von der Universitätsgesellschaft Potsdam e.V. vergebenen Wissenschaftspreises zur Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses für die beste Dissertation des Jahres 2002/2003 an der Universität Potsdam.

miR-2909-mediated regulation of KLF4: a novel molecular mechanism for differentiating between B-cell and T-cell pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemias

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background microRNAs (miRNAs) play both oncogenic and oncostatic roles in leukemia. However, the molecular details underlying miRNA-mediated regulation of their target genes in pediatric B- and T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALLs) remain unclear. The present study investigated the relationship between miR-2909 and Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), and its functional relevance to cell cycle progression and immortalization in patients with pediatric ALL. Methods Elevated levels of miR-2909 targeted the tumor suppressor gene KLF4 in pediatric B-cell, but not pediatric T-cell ALL, as detected by pMIR-GFP reporter assay. Expression levels of genes including apoptosis-antagonizing transcription factor (AATF), MYC, B-cell lymphoma (BCL3), P21 CIP , CCND1 and SP1 in B- and T-cells from patients with pediatric ALL were compared with control levels using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and reporter assays. Results We identified two novel mutations in KLF4 in pediatric T-ALL. A mutation in the 3′ untranslated region of the KLF4 gene resulted in loss of miR-2909-mediated regulation, while mutation in its first or third zinc-finger motif (Zf1/Zf3) rendered KLF4 transcriptionally inactive. This mutation was a frameshift mutation resulting in alteration of the Zf3 motif sequence in the mutant KLF4 protein in all pediatric T-ALL samples. Homology models, docking studies and promoter activity of its target gene P21 CIP confirmed the lack of function of the mutant KLF4 protein in pediatric T-ALL. Moreover, the inability of miR-2909 to regulate KLF4 and its downstream genes controlling cell cycle and apoptosis in T-cell but not in B-ALL was verified by antagomiR-2909 transfection. Comprehensive sequence analysis of KLF4 identified the predominance of isoform 1 (~55 kDa) in most patients with pediatric B-ALL, while those with pediatric T-ALL expressed isoform 2 (~51 kDa). Conclusions This study identified a novel miR-2909-KLF4 molecular axis able to differentiate between the pathogeneses of pediatric B- and T-cell ALLs, and which may represent a new diagnostic/prognostic marker. PMID:25037230

„3D-augmented-reality“-Visualisierung für die navigierte Osteosynthese von Beckenfrakturen

PubMed Central

Befrui, N.; Fischer, M.; Fuerst, B.; Lee, S.-C.; Fotouhi, J.; Weidert, S.; Johnson, A.; Euler, E.; Osgood, G.; Navab, N.; Böcker, W.

2018-01-01

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Trotz großer Fortschritte in der Entwicklung der Hard- und Software von Navigationssystemen finden diese aufgrund ihrer vermeintlichen Komplexität, umständlichen Integration in klinische Arbeitsabläufe und fraglichen Vorteilen gegenüber konventionellen bildgebenden Verfahren bisher wenig Einsatz in den heutigen Operationssälen. Ziel der Arbeit Entwicklung einer „Augmented-reality“(AR)-Darstellung zur chirurgischen Navigation ohne Infrarot(„IR“)-Tracking-Marker und Vergleich zum konventioneller Röntgen in einem simulierten Eingriff. Material und Methoden Navigationssystem bestehend aus „Cone-beam-CT“(CBCT)-fähigem C-Bogen und „Red-green-blue-depth“(RGBD)-Kamera. Testung durch Kirschner(K)-Draht-Platzierung in Modellen unter Berücksichtigung der benötigten Zeit, der Strahlendosis und der Benutzerfreundlichkeit der Systeme. Ergebnisse Eine signifikante Reduktion der benötigten Zeit, der Röntgenbilder und der gesamten Strahlendosis bei der AR-Navigation gegenüber dem konventionellen Röntgen bei gleichbleibender Präzision. Schlussfolgerung Die AR-Navigation mithilfe der RGBD-Kamera bietet flexible und intuitive Darstellungsmöglichkeiten des Operations-situs für navigierte Osteosynthesen ohne Tracking-Marker. Hiermit ist es möglich, Operationen schneller, einfacher und mit geringerer Strahlenbelastung für Patient und OP-Personal durchzuführen. PMID:29500506

Stenting und technische Stentumgebung

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffstetter, Marc; Pfeifer, Stefan; Schratzenstaller, Thomas; Wintermantel, Erich

In hoch entwickelten Industrieländern stehen laut Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen und speziell die Koronare Herzkrankheit (KHK) an erster Stelle der Todesursachen. In Deutschland betrug die Zahl der erfassten, an KHK erkrankten Personen ohne Berücksichtigung der Dunkelziffer allein im Jahre 2001 über 473.000. Die KHK war im Jahre 2003 mit 92.673 erfassten Todesfällen immer noch die häufigste Todesursache, obgleich in Deutschland die Häufigkeit der Koronarinterventionen zur Behandlung der KHK zwischen 1984 und 2003 um fast das 80fache von 2.809 auf 221.867 Eingriffe pro Jahr gestiegen ist [1]. Neben der hohen Zahl an Todesfällen haben die betroffenen Personen durch chronische Schmerzen und eingeschränkte körperliche Leistungsfähigkeit zusätzlich eine starke Beeinträchtigung der Lebensqualität [2].In Folge dessen wird die erkrankte Person häufig zum Pflegefall was neben den gesundheitlichen Aspekten auch eine sozioökonomische Komponente in Form der fehlenden Arbeitskraft und den auftretenden Pflegekosten nach sich zieht. Die Kosten für die Behandlung der KHK in Deutschland beliefen sich im Jahre 2002 laut Statistischem Bundesamt auf rund 6,9 Mrd. €. Verglichen mit ähnlichen Zahlen der USA dürfte sich der entstandene Schaden für die deutsche Volkswirtschaft im zwei- bis dreistelligen Milliardenbereich bewegen [3].

Chirurgie angeborener Herzfehler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schreiber, Christian; Libera, Paul; Lange, Rüdiger

Störungen der embryonalen Entwicklung in der frühen Phase der Schwangerschaft können zu Fehlbildungen am Herz- und Gefäßsystem führen. Die Häufigkeit liegt bei 0.8-1 % aller lebend geborenen Kinder. In Deutschland werden jedes Jahr etwa 6.000 Kinder mit einem Herzfehler geboren (Quelle: http://www.kompetenznetzahf.de). Das Spektrum reicht von einfachen Fehlern, die das Herz-Kreislauf-System wenig beeinträchtigen, bis zu sehr schweren Herzerkrankungen, die unbehandelt zum Tode führen. Fortschritte der Kinderkardiologie, Herzchirurgie und Anästhesie ermöglichen heute ein Überleben bei über 90 % der Patienten. Auch die spezialisierte Pränataldiagnostik (vorgeburtliche Diagnostik) ermöglicht schon die frühe Weichenstellung für mögliche Therapieoptionen. Bei der chirurgischen Therapie ist jedoch festzuhalten, dass ein Herzfehler entweder korrigierend behandelt wird oder nur "palliiert“ werden kann. Bei letzterer Therapie wird bei einem Patienten eine medizinische Maßnahme durchgeführt, die nicht die Herstellung normaler Körperfunktionen zum Ziel hat, sondern in Anpassung an die physiologischen Besonderheiten des Patienten dessen Zustand lediglich stabilisiert und optimiert. Dies kann beispielsweise bei einer nicht korrigierbaren angeborenen Fehlbildung notwendig sein, bei der lediglich eine funktionelle Herzkammer vorhanden ist (z. B. hypoplastisches Linksherz). Hierbei muss eine prothetische Verbindung zur Lungenstrombahn in der Folgezeit entfernt werden.

Methodological idiosyncracies, frameworks and challenges of non-pharmaceutical and non-technical treatment interventions.

PubMed

Schünemann, Holger J

2013-01-01

In this brief article which summarises a presentation given at the "6. Diskussionsforum zur Nutzenbewertung im Gesundheitswesen" of the German Ministry of Education and Research "Gesundheitsforschungsrat (GFR)" and the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare (IQWiG) I will analyse some methodological idiosyncrasies of studies evaluating non-pharmacological non-technical interventions (NPNTI). I will focus on how the methodological framework of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group may support design and appraisal of NPNTI. Specific design features that may be of particular value in NPNTI research, such as expertise-based randomised controlled trials, will be briefly described. Finally, based on an example, I will argue that - despite the methodological idiosyncrasies - there is neither a sufficient reason to accept different standards for the assessment of the confidence in the evidence from NPNTI nor for using study designs that are less rigorous compared to "simpler" interventions but that special measures have to be taken to reduce the risk of bias. The example that will be used in this article will primarily come from the field of respiratory rehabilitation, a typical multi-component or complex intervention and by definition a complex NPNTI, which has been evaluated in many randomised controlled trials. (As supplied by publisher). Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

[Occupational health studies on airport transport workers. I. Results of ergonomic time and motion studies (author's transl)].

PubMed

Rutenfranz, J; Löwenthal, I; Kylian, H; Klimmer, F; Flöring, R; Gärtner, K H; Brockmann, W

1980-01-01

Loading and unloading of aircrafts involves lifting, moving, and carrying of heavy cargo in unfavourable body positions and in narrow spaces. This transport work was subjected to an investigation in a big airport. Forty-three male transport workers and foremen were studied during 46 total shifts. The type of activity was recorded by using the standardized procedure, the so-called "Arbeitswissenschaftliches Erhebungsverfahren zur Tätigkeitsanalyse" (AET). For time and motion analysis, body positions were recorded by continuous observation during the total shift. For typical activities the energy expenditure was determined. The strain caused by transport work was estimated by recording the heart rate with a portable cardiocorder during the total shift. The results show that both dynamic and static work are involved in the loading and unloading of aircrafts. The heart rate varied characteristically according to the body position and to type of activity. The body position was mainly determined by the height of the bellies (from 0.61-1.97 m) of different aircrafts. An additional influence due to weight carrying could be observed only in body positions with low energy expenditure. Recommendations for changing the height of the bellies or to the appropriate selection of workers were made.

[ICD-10 diagnosis and quality of life. A pilot study of quality of life of children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders].

PubMed

Schubert, M T; Herle, M; Wurst, E

2003-11-01

The present study examined whether the quality of life in children and adolescents with psychological disorders, as judged by the patients themselves and their mothers, differed according to the various ICD-10 diagnoses or the number of axes involved. 151 children/adolescents and 125 mothers, referred consecutively to the clinic, completed the Inventory for Evaluation of Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents (Inventar zur Erfassung der Lebensqualität bei Kindern und Jugendlichen; ILK) by Mattejat et al. ICD-10 diagnoses were grouped for evaluation. No significant interaction between the five diagnostic axes and the several domains of quality of life was found. However, mothers of children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders and/or conduct disorder more often tended to judge their children's quality of life as unsatisfactory in all domains, while the patients themselves did not. Thus, rather than the children themselves it seems to be the children's environment which considers "external disorders" to be distressing. The authors conclude that the quality of life as measured by the ILK cannot be captured by ICD-10 criteria. Apparently it is not so much the diagnosis itself but its subjective meaning that has the most essential impact on an individual's assessment of quality of life.

Interkulturelles Lernen — Zur Grundlegung eines didaktischen Prinzips interkultureller Begegnungen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandhaas, Bernd

1988-12-01

In the Federal Republic of Germany there have in recent years been many varied encounters between Germans and representatives of other cultures, particularly those from Third World countries. These have increasingly been organized with an awareness of global interdependence and have as a result opened the door to the influence of foreign cultures and to an unmistakeable movement in the direction of a multicultural society. An intercultural pedagogical approach and didactic theory are faced with the task of resolving the consequent problems related to education and training. The author firstly attempts to systematize as a typology the practice of learning as it occurs in intercultural encounters in so far as this relates to the Federal Republic of Germany. He suggests that `intercultural learning' should be seen as the didactic principle underlying the organization of learning in such encounters. Through a detailed discussion of his central concepts of `culture' and `learning' and of the issue of `interculturalism', and by sketching a theoretical model of the stages and goals of the learning taking place, he then makes plain the necessary enlargement of the German concept of `Kultur' and the process of differentiation which the concept of learning will have to engage in if it is to be applicable to educational activity in international or intercultural contexts.

Zur Biologie von Paramphiascella fulvofasciata (Copepoda, Harpacticoida)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahms, Hans-Uwe

1986-09-01

The benthic harpacticoid copepod Paramphiascella fulvofasciata Rosenfield & Coull was collected from holdfasts of Laminaria hyperborea from a subtidal area of Helgoland (North Sea). All developmental stages of P. fulvofasciata are raptorial feeders. The feeding of the nauplii is advanced by a marginal setule-crest of the labrum which prevents food-particles from being swept away. The oral appendages of the copepodites circumscribe a frustal space ventral to the mouth which facilitates uptake of food-particles. The nauplii are not able to swim and perform stalking movements with their antennal endopodites. Good swimming ability as well as digging-in-behaviour and negative phototaxis of the copepodites indicate epi- as well as inbenthic mode of life. Several life-cycle characters are described. Precopula lasts ca. one day. The mean egg-number is 27, and mean egg-diameter is 87 × 75 µm. The number of nauplii per egg (double)-sac amounts to 25 30. Developmental time at 19°C is 6 9 days (nauplii) and 20 24 days (copepodites). The whole developmental period lasts 28 days. The maximal lifespan in the laboratory is 193 days. Sex-ratio is almost balanced. Females produce egg-sacs more than 3.5 times during their life period. Seasonal effects on reproductive activity have not been detected in laboratory cultures.

A Novel Two-Step Hierarchial Quantitative Structure-Activity ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Background: Accurate prediction of in vivo toxicity from in vitro testing is a challenging problem. Large public–private consortia have been formed with the goal of improving chemical safety assessment by the means of high-throughput screening. Methods and results: A database containing experimental cytotoxicity values for in vitro half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and in vivo rodent median lethal dose (LD50) for more than 300 chemicals was compiled by Zentralstelle zur Erfassung und Bewertung von Ersatz- und Ergaenzungsmethoden zum Tierversuch (ZEBET ; National Center for Documentation and Evaluation of Alternative Methods to Animal Experiments) . The application of conventional quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) modeling approaches to predict mouse or rat acute LD50 values from chemical descriptors of ZEBET compounds yielded no statistically significant models. The analysis of these data showed no significant correlation between IC50 and LD50. However, a linear IC50 versus LD50 correlation could be established for a fraction of compounds. To capitalize on this observation, we developed a novel two-step modeling approach as follows. First, all chemicals are partitioned into two groups based on the relationship between IC50 and LD50 values: One group comprises compounds with linear IC50 versus LD50 relationships, and another group comprises the remaining compounds. Second, we built conventional binary classification QSAR models t

Frühe Stresserfahrungen und Krankheitsvulnerabilität

PubMed Central

Entringer, Sonja; Buss, Claudia; Heim, Christine

2016-01-01

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Das stetig wachsende Forschungsgebiet der “Frühe[n] Programmierung von Krankheit und Gesundheit” untersucht, inwieweit die individuelle Vulnerabilität für die Entstehung verschiedenster Erkrankungen über die Lebensspanne bereits während der frühen Entwicklung beeinflusst wird. Ziele der Arbeit In der vorliegenden Übersichtsarbeit werden das Konzept der frühen Programmierung von Krankheitsvulnerabilität erläutert sowie Befunde zu den Folgen frühkindlicher Traumatisierung und pränataler Stressexposition zusammenfassend dargestellt. Es werden außerdem biologische Mechanismen diskutiert, die das erhöhte Krankheitsrisiko nach lebensgeschichtlich früher Stresserfahrungen vermitteln. Die Möglichkeit der transgenerationalen Transmission frühkindlicher Erfahrungen an die nächste Generation und die zugrundeliegenden Mechanismen dieser Übertragung werden ebenfalls vorgestellt. Fazit Die Befundlage zu Stresserfahrungen im frühen Leben und der Entstehung von psychischen und körperlichen Störungen über die Lebensspanne wächst stetig. Die Mechanismen werden derzeit weiter bis hin zur molekularbiologischen und epigenetischen Ebene erforscht. Hier ergeben sich ganz neue Perspektiven, welche die Präzision klinischer Diagnostik und den Erfolg von Interventionen erheblich verbessern könnten. Momentan existiert jedoch noch ein erheblicher Mangel an Translation zwischen diesen Forschungserkenntnissen und deren Anwendung in der klinischen Versorgung. PMID:27604117

Validation of Erosion 3D in Lower Saxony - Comparison between modelled soil erosion events and results of a long term monitoring project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bug, Jan; Mosimann, Thomas

2013-04-01

Since 2000 water erosion has been surveyed on 400 ha arable land in three different regions of Lower Saxony (Mosimann et al. 2009). The results of this long-term survey are used for the validation of the soil erosion models such as USLE and Erosion 3D. The validation of the physically-based model Erosion 3D (Schmidt & Werner 2000) is possible because the survey analyses the effects (soil loss, sediment yield, deposition on site) of single thunder storm events and also maps major factors of soil erosion (soil, crop, tillage). A 12.5 m Raster DEM was used to model the soil erosion events.Rainfalldata was acquired from climate stations. Soil and landuse parameters were derived from the "Parameterkatalog Sachsen"(Michael et al. 1996). During thirteen years of monitoring, high intensity storms fell less frequently than expected. High intensity rainfalls with a return period of five or ten years usually occurred during periods of maximum plant cover.Winter events were ruled out because dataon snow melt and rainfallwere not measured. The validation is therefore restricted to 80 events. The validation consists of three parts. The first part compares the spatial distribution of the mapped soil erosion with the model results. The second part calculates the difference in the amount of redistributed soil. The third part analyses off-site effects such as sediment yield and pollution of water bodies. The validation shows that the overall result of erosion 3D is quite good. Spatial hotspots of soil erosion and of off-site effects are predicted correctly in most cases. However, quantitative comparison is more problematic, because the mapping allows only the quantification of rillerosion and not of sheet erosion. So as a rule,the predicted soil loss is higher than the mapped. The prediction of rill development is also problematic. While the model is capable of predicting rills in thalwegs, the modelling of erosion in tractor tracks and headlands is more complicated. In order to obtain better results, the DEM needs a higher resolution, and soil and landuse parameters have to been optimized in tractor tracks and headlands (higher bulk density, less coverage). Other models like LINERO (Bug &Mosimann 2012) can help to get an overview over the location of erosion forms and the soil loss due to rill erosion. References: Bug J., & T. Mosimann (2012): Modellierung der linearen Bodenerosion. Entwicklung eines entscheidungsbasierten Modells zur flächenhaften Prognose der linearen Erosionsaktivität, Geosynthesis 15, Hannover, 105 S. Michael, A., Schmidt, J. & W. A. Schmidt (1996): EROSION 2D/3D - Ein Computermodell zur Simulation der Bodenerosion durch Wasser. Parameterkatalog Sachsen, Freiberg. Mosimann, T., Bug, J. Sanders, S. & F. Beisiegel (2009): Bodenerosionsdauerbeobachtung in Niedersachsen 2000-2008. Methodik, Erosionsgeschehen, Bodenabträge und Anwendung der Ergebnisse, Geosynthesis 14, Hannover, 101 S. Schmidt, J., & M. v. Werner (2000): Modeling sediment and heavy metal yields of drinking water reservoirs in the Osterzgebirge region of Saxony (Germany). In: Schmidt, J. (Ed.), Soil Erosion—Application of Physically Based Models. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, pp. 93- 108.

Distributed computations in a dynamic, heterogeneous Grid environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dramlitsch, Thomas

2003-06-01

In order to face the rapidly increasing need for computational resources of various scientific and engineering applications one has to think of new ways to make more efficient use of the worlds current computational resources. In this respect, the growing speed of wide area networks made a new kind of distributed computing possible: Metacomputing or (distributed) Grid computing. This is a rather new and uncharted field in computational science. The rapidly increasing speed of networks even outperforms the average increase of processor speed: Processor speeds double on average each 18 month whereas network bandwidths double every 9 months. Due to this development of local and wide area networks Grid computing will certainly play a key role in the future of parallel computing. This type of distributed computing, however, distinguishes from the traditional parallel computing in many ways since it has to deal with many problems not occurring in classical parallel computing. Those problems are for example heterogeneity, authentication and slow networks to mention only a few. Some of those problems, e.g. the allocation of distributed resources along with the providing of information about these resources to the application have been already attacked by the Globus software. Unfortunately, as far as we know, hardly any application or middle-ware software takes advantage of this information, since most parallelizing algorithms for finite differencing codes are implicitly designed for single supercomputer or cluster execution. We show that although it is possible to apply classical parallelizing algorithms in a Grid environment, in most cases the observed efficiency of the executed code is very poor. In this work we are closing this gap. In our thesis, we will - show that an execution of classical parallel codes in Grid environments is possible but very slow - analyze this situation of bad performance, nail down bottlenecks in communication, remove unnecessary overhead and other reasons for low performance - develop new and advanced algorithms for parallelisation that are aware of a Grid environment in order to generelize the traditional parallelization schemes - implement and test these new methods, replace and compare with the classical ones - introduce dynamic strategies that automatically adapt the running code to the nature of the underlying Grid environment. The higher the performance one can achieve for a single application by manual tuning for a Grid environment, the lower the chance that those changes are widely applicable to other programs. In our analysis as well as in our implementation we tried to keep the balance between high performance and generality. None of our changes directly affect code on the application level which makes our algorithms applicable to a whole class of real world applications. The implementation of our work is done within the Cactus framework using the Globus toolkit, since we think that these are the most reliable and advanced programming frameworks for supporting computations in Grid environments. On the other hand, however, we tried to be as general as possible, i.e. all methods and algorithms discussed in this thesis are independent of Cactus or Globus. Die immer dichtere und schnellere Vernetzung von Rechnern und Rechenzentren über Hochgeschwindigkeitsnetzwerke ermöglicht eine neue Art des wissenschaftlich verteilten Rechnens, bei der geographisch weit auseinanderliegende Rechenkapazitäten zu einer Gesamtheit zusammengefasst werden können. Dieser so entstehende virtuelle Superrechner, der selbst aus mehreren Grossrechnern besteht, kann dazu genutzt werden Probleme zu berechnen, für die die einzelnen Grossrechner zu klein sind. Die Probleme, die numerisch mit heutigen Rechenkapazitäten nicht lösbar sind, erstrecken sich durch sämtliche Gebiete der heutigen Wissenschaft, angefangen von Astrophysik, Molekülphysik, Bioinformatik, Meteorologie, bis hin zur Zahlentheorie und Fluiddynamik um nur einige Gebiete zu nennen. Je nach Art der Problemstellung und des Lösungsverfahrens gestalten sich solche "Meta-Berechnungen" mehr oder weniger schwierig. Allgemein kann man sagen, dass solche Berechnungen um so schwerer und auch um so uneffizienter werden, je mehr Kommunikation zwischen den einzelnen Prozessen (oder Prozessoren) herrscht. Dies ist dadurch begründet, dass die Bandbreiten bzw. Latenzzeiten zwischen zwei Prozessoren auf demselben Grossrechner oder Cluster um zwei bis vier Grössenordnungen höher bzw. niedriger liegen als zwischen Prozessoren, welche hunderte von Kilometern entfernt liegen. Dennoch bricht nunmehr eine Zeit an, in der es möglich ist Berechnungen auf solch virtuellen Supercomputern auch mit kommunikationsintensiven Programmen durchzuführen. Eine grosse Klasse von kommunikations- und berechnungsintensiven Programmen ist diejenige, die die Lösung von Differentialgleichungen mithilfe von finiten Differenzen zum Inhalt hat. Gerade diese Klasse von Programmen und deren Betrieb in einem virtuellen Superrechner wird in dieser vorliegenden Dissertation behandelt. Methoden zur effizienteren Durchführung von solch verteilten Berechnungen werden entwickelt, analysiert und implementiert. Der Schwerpunkt liegt darin vorhandene, klassische Parallelisierungsalgorithmen zu analysieren und so zu erweitern, dass sie vorhandene Informationen (z.B. verfügbar durch das Globus Toolkit) über Maschinen und Netzwerke zur effizienteren Parallelisierung nutzen. Soweit wir wissen werden solche Zusatzinformationen kaum in relevanten Programmen genutzt, da der Grossteil aller Parallelisierungsalgorithmen implizit für die Ausführung auf Grossrechnern oder Clustern entwickelt wurde.

[Morita Therapy to Treat Depression: When and How to Encourage Patients to Join Activities].

PubMed

Nakamura, Kei

2015-01-01

The author discusses how Morita therapy is used to treat depression, illustrated with a clinical case, and makes comparisons between Morita therapy and behavioral activation (BA). The author further examines the issue of when and how to encourage patients to join activities in clinical practice in Japan. Both Morita therapy and BA share at least a common view that it is effective to activate patients' constructive behavior at a certain point in depression treatment. However, BA therapists, compared to Morita therapists, seem to pay less attention to the necessity of resting and the appropriate timing for introducing behavioral activation. There may be some contextual differences between depressive patients in Japan and those in North America. In the case of Japanese patients, exhaustion from overwork is often considered a factor triggering the development of depression. At the same time, the Morita-based pathogenic model of depression seems different from BA's model of the same disorder. BA's approach to understanding depression may be considered a psychological (behavioristic) model. In this model, the cause of depression lies in: (a) a lack of positive reinforcement, and (b) negative reinforcement resulting from avoidance of the experience of discomfort. Therefore, the basic strategy of BA is to release depressive patients from an avoidant lifestyle, which serves as a basis for negative reinforcement, and to redirect the patients toward activities which offer the experience of positive reinforcement BA is primarily practiced by clinical psychologists in the U. S. while psychiatrists prescribe medication as a medical service. On the other hand, the clinical practice of treating depression in Japan is based primarily on medical models of depression. This is also true of Morita therapy, but in a broad sense. While those who follow medical models in a narrow sense try to identify the cause of illness and then remove it, Morita therapists pay more attention to the recovery process rather than the pathogeneses of depression, and attempt to foster patients' natural healing power and resilience. Therefore, it may be more appropriate to refer to the model used in Morita therapy as "a health-recovery model." Moreover, the Moritian model of depression partially incorporates a psychological model because patients' dogmatic thinking (e. g., perfectionistic self-expectations and high demands on self) is regarded as a factor hindering their recovery, which Morita therapists try to modify. In conclusion, it is recommended that we reconsider the importance of incorporating psychological help which is compatible with the initial treatment principle based on resting and pharmacotherapy in clinical practice in Japan.

Cytoplasmic extrusion and the switch from creatine kinase B to M isoform are completed by the commencement of epididymal transport in human and stallion spermatozoa.

PubMed

Huszar, G; Patrizio, P; Vigue, L; Willets, M; Wilker, C; Adhoot, D; Johnson, L

1998-01-01

Although in several species there is a relationship between epididymal sperm transport and fertility, in human in vitro fertilization (IVF), spermatozoa recovered from the caput epididymidis or even the rete testis are fertile. We studied two objective markers of sperm maturity in the sperm of men and stallions: creatine kinase (CK) concentrations, which are a measure of cytoplasmic retention in immature spermatozoa, and the ratio of CK-M and CK-B isoforms (% CK-M/[CK-M + CK-B]), which is proportional to the incidence of mature sperm. The CK markers and the fertilizing function are closely related: Immature sperm with cytoplasmic retention do not bind to the zona, because during cytoplasmic extrusion, the sperm plasma membrane is also remodeled. We examined whether changes in sperm CK values are still ongoing during epididymal transport, or if cellular maturation is completed prior to the arrival of sperm in the caput epididymidis. The incidences of mature sperm in human caput and corpus epididymidis (studied in six men with obstructive azoospermia of various pathogeneses) were (mean+/-SEM) 55.7+/-2.2 and 49.3+/-7.6%, respectively; and the sperm CK-M ratios in the caput epididymidis of three men were 72, 75, and 70%, values that are similar to those of ejaculated sperm. In four segments of the proximal and distal epididymis of three stallions (the origin of sperm was also verified by the position of the cytoplasmic droplet) and in ejaculate of five stallions, the incidences of mature sperm were 88.2+/-6.2, 89.0+/-6.7, 90.3+/-7.8, 87.6+/-5.9, and 86.7+/-0.8%, and the respective CK-M ratios were 75.0+/-8.7, 84.2+/-2.9, 87.9+/-1.2, 92.5+/-1.5, and 69.3+/-3.5%. There were no differences in the incidences of mature and immature spermatozoa or in CK-M ratios among sperm arising from the various epididymal regions or from the ejaculate in men or stallions. Thus, the cellular maturation events in sperm, as detected by the CK markers, are completed by the time the sperm commences epididymal transport. These findings are in agreement with the IVF fertility of sperm aspirated from the male reproductive tract. The data may also suggest that the primary role of sperm epididymal transport in men is to remodel the plasma membrane to enhance sperm functional integrity in the diverse environments of the male and female reproductive tracts prior to fertilization.

[The psychosocial status of patients with endogenous eczema. A study using cluster analysis for the correlation of psychological factors with somatic findings].

PubMed

Gieler, U; Ehlers, A; Höhler, T; Burkard, G

1990-08-01

The present study was performed to investigate whether patients with atopic dermatitis differ as a group from controls on psychological measures of mood and personality or whether psychologically deviant and normal patient subgroups can be distinguished. Furthermore, we were interested in what clinical characteristics might co-vary with psychological disability in patients with atopic dermatitis. In all, 93 patients filled in a standardized mood scale (Hamburg-Erlanger-Stimmungsbarometer) and a personality scale (Kurztest zur Erfassung der Persönlichkeitsstruktur). Compared with matched controls, patients described themselves as being more anxious, more aroused, more depressed and less energetic, and they reached higher neuroticism scores. A cluster analysis identified four patient subgroups. Only one of the subgroups (n = 17) was psychologically disabled according to the questionnaire scores. In contrast to a psychologically stabile patient group, the psychologically disabled patients showed an earlier age of onset of dermatitis, but less intense itching and scratching. They reported more somatic complaints and a higher level of familial stress, were more dissatisfied with their life situation and work, had fewer friends and experienced more losses of significant others. Furthermore, they more frequently rated their disorder as being determined by psychological factors and were more intelligent. Thus, the questionnaires identified a subgroup of patients who may need psychotherapeutic interventions.

Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit von Fumarsäureestern in Kombination mit Phototherapie bei Patienten mit moderater bis schwerer Plaque-Psoriasis (FAST).

PubMed

Weisenseel, Peter; Reich, Kristian; Griemberg, Wiebke; Merten, Katharina; Gröschel, Christine; Gomez, Natalie Nunez; Taipale, Kirsi; Bräu, Beate; Zschocke, Ina

2017-02-01

Die Behandlung von Psoriasis-Patienten mit einer Kombination aus Fumarsäureestern (FSE, Fumaderm ® ) und Phototherapie (UV) ist verbreitet, wurde aber im Rahmen von Studien wenig untersucht. Bisher liegen lediglich Daten aus einer kleinen Pilotstudie vor. Intention dieser Studie war, eine FSE/UV-Kombinationsbehandlung an einem größeren Patientenkollektiv mit mittelschwerer bis schwerer Psoriasis zu untersuchen. In dieser prospektiven, multizentrischen, nichtinterventionellen Studie wurden Daten von Patienten mit FSE/UV-Kombinationstherapie hinsichtlich der Wirksamkeit (PGA' PASI, DLQI, EQ-5D), Sicherheit und Dosierung über einen Zeitraum von zwölf Monaten erfasst und mit Daten einer retrospektiven Studie mit FSE-Monotherapie verglichen. Es wurden Daten von 363 Patienten ausgewertet. Unter der Kombinationstherapie verbesserten sich alle Wirksamkeitsparameter deutlich. Im Vergleich zur Monotherapie mit FSE konnte durch die Kombination mit UV ein schnellerer Wirkeintritt erzielt werden, wobei nach zwölf Monaten kein Unterschied in der Wirksamkeit bestand. Die Dauer und Art der Phototherapie zeigte keinen Einfluss auf die Wirksamkeitsparameter. Allgemein wurde die Kombinationstherapie gut vertragen. Unerwünschte Ereignisse wurden bei 7 % der Patienten berichtet. Die FSE/UV Kombinationstherapie zeigt eine gute Wirksamkeit und Verträglichkeit und kann zu einem schnelleren Wirkeintritt führen. Eine Kombinationstherapie erscheint vor allem in den ersten drei Monaten der FSE Behandlung sinnvoll. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Plattenepithelkarzinom in Verbindung mit einer roten Tätowierung.

PubMed

Schmitz, Inge; Prymak, Oleg; Epple, Matthias; Ernert, Carsten; Tannapfel, Andrea

2016-06-01

Obwohl Tätowierungen in den letzten Jahren außerordentlich beliebt geworden sind, wurde in der Literatur bisher nur über wenige Fälle schwerer Reaktionen berichtet, die zu einer malignen Transformation führten. Dies steht im Kontrast zu der praktisch unüberschaubaren Zahl an Tätowierungen weltweit. Die Zusammensetzung der für Tätowierungen verwendeten Farbstoffe variiert stark, und selbst gleiche Farbtöne können unterschiedliche Komponenten enthalten. Das Ziel unserer Studie war es zu untersuchen, auf welche Weise Tätowierungen möglicherweise Hautkrebs auslösen können. Wir berichten über den seltenen Fall einer 24-jährigen Frau, bei der sich sieben Monate nachdem sie eine Tätowierung auf dem Fußrücken erhalten hatte in unmittelbarer Nähe des verwendeten roten Farbstoffs ein Plattenepithelkarzinom entwickelte. Die Komplikationen begannen mit einer unspezifischen Schwellung. Die Läsion wurde histologisch untersucht. Die Zusammensetzung des inkorporierten Farbstoffs wurde mittels Rasterelektronenmikroskopie in Kombination mit energiedispersiver Elementanalyse analysiert. Zur weiteren Charakterisierung wurden Thermogravimetrie und Pulverdiffraktometrie eingesetzt. Der Tätowierungsfarbstoff enthielt hauptsächlich Bariumsulfat; Spuren von Al, S, Ti, P, Mg und Cl ließen sich ebenfalls nachweisen. Bei der Analyse zeigten sich Pigmentgranula unterschiedlicher Größe. In seltenen Fällen kann Tätowierungstinte karzinogene Effekte haben, die multifaktoriell zu sein scheinen. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

International STakeholder NETwork (ISTNET): Creating a ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A major problem in developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) risk assessment is the lack of toxicological hazard information for most compounds. Therefore, new approaches are being considered to provide adequate experimental data that allow regulatory decisions. This process requires a matching of regulatory needs on the one hand and the opportunities provided by new test sys-tems and methods on the other hand. Alignment of academically and industrially-driven assay development with regulatory needs in the field of DNT is a core mission of the International STakeholder NETwork (ISNET) in DNT testing. The first meeting of ISTNET was held in Zur-ich on 23-24 January 2014 in order to explore the concept of adverse outcome pathway (AOP) to practical DNT testing. AOPs were considered promising tools to promote test systems develop-ment according to regulatory needs. Moreover, the AOP concept was identified as an important guiding principle to assemble predictive integrated testing strategies (ITSs) for DNT. The recommendations on a roadmap towards AOP-based DNT testing is considered a stepwise approach, operating initially with incomplete AOPs for compound grouping, and focussing on key events of neurodevelopment. Next steps to be considered in follow-up activities are the use of case studies to further apply the AOP concept in regulatory DNT testing, making use of AOP intersections (common key events) for economic development of screening assays, and address-ing the transit

["No pleasant side can be discovered in this young boy"--aspects of "child euthanasia" in Silesia].

PubMed

Haack, Kathleen; Hässler, Frank; Kumbier, Ekkehardt

2013-01-01

Several thousand children also fell victim to the murder committed on physically or mentally handicapped persons under the term "euthanasia" during Nazi times. While at first they were included in the killings administered under "Action T4", beginning in 1941 the process of selection and murder was relocated to specialized "child departments" developed just for this purpose. Under the auspices of the Reich Committee for the Scientific Registering of Serious Hereditary and Congenital Illnesses (Reichsausschuss zur wissenschaftlichen Erfassung erb- und anlagebedingter schwerer Leiden) a network expanded with the objective of screening children and youth that did not seem fit and supportable for society and future generations. Care and educational institutions increasingly came into the center of attention. The primarily pedagogically motivated intent of removing children and youth from a harmful environment could very easily and quickly turn into organized murder. An example of this is Peter A. from Görlitz, who was ten years of age at the time of his murder. His path from his family to the corrective care that ultimately lead to his commitment into the specialized "child department" in Loben took less than half a year. His right to life was denied by Elisabeth Hecker, the director of the youth psychiatric clinic, as a result of labeling him as disruptive and useless.

Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy Reduces Stress and Improves the Quality of Life in Patients with Parkinson's Disease.

PubMed

Hadinia, Anousha; Meyer, Antonia; Bruegger, Viviane; Hatz, Florian; Nowak, Karolina; Taub, Ethan; Nyberg, Elisabeth; Stieglitz, Rolf-Dieter; Fuhr, Peter; Gschwandtner, Ute

2016-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare a cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBT) with a health enhancement program (HEP) for stress reduction and the impact on quality of life (QoL) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Method : Thirty patients with PD participated in the study: 16 received CBT including stress-reducing elements and 14 took part in a HEP. The two groups did not differ significantly in their baseline demographic characteristics. The patients in both groups underwent weekly sessions of 2 h duration for 9 weeks. The Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire with 39 items (PDQ-39), the Burden Questionnaire for Parkinson's Disease (translated from the original German: Belastungsfragebogen für Parkinsonpatienten (BELA) and the Disease-Related Questionnaire [ Fragebogen zur krankheitsbezogenen Kommunikation (FKK)] were used for assessment. Ratings were completed at baseline and after 9 weeks (immediately after the last treatment session). Results : The patients in the CBT group achieved significantly better BELA, FKK and PDQ-39 scores ( p < 0.05). Subscale analysis revealed that the scores on the BELA subscales "emotional well-being" and "somatic motor function" contributed significantly to stress reduction ( p < 0.05). The FKK revealed significant improvement in social skills in the CBT group ( p < 0.05). Conclusion : Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy appears to be an effective way for patients with PD to lessen stress and improve their quality of life.

Erhöhtes Lungenkrebs-Risiko bei Ekzempatienten: eine landesweite Kohortenstudie in Taiwan.

PubMed

Juan, Chao-Kuei; Shen, Jui-Lung; Lin, Cheng-Li; Kim, Karen Wang; Chen, Wen-Chi

2016-09-01

Der Zusammenhang zwischen Lungenkrebs und Ekzemen bleibt umstritten. Frühere Studien haben zu widersprüchlichen Ergebnissen geführt. Diese retrospektive populationsbasierte Kohortenstudie zielt darauf ab, das Risiko von Lungenkrebs im Zusammenhang mit Ekzemen abzuklären. In der Forschungsdatenbank der taiwanesischen nationalen Krankenversicherung identifizierten wir 43719 Patienten, bei denen in den Jahren 2000 bis 2010 ein Ekzem neu diagnostiziert wurde. Die Vergleichskohorte bildeten 87438 zufällig ausgewählte, altersangepasste Patienten ohne Ekzem. Die Fälle aus diesen beiden Kohorten wurden bis 2011 verfolgt. Zur Kalkulation des Lungenkrebsrisikos bei Ekzempatienten wurde die Cox-Regression verwendet. Die Datenbank enthielt keine Informationen über Raucherstatus, Alkoholkonsum, sozioökonomischen Status oder Familienanamnese. Nach der Bereinigung um Alter und Komorbidität hatte die Population mit Ekzemen ein um 2,80 erhöhtes Risiko für die Entwicklung von Lungenkrebs gegenüber der Vergleichskohorte (bereinigte Hazard-Ratio 2,80, 95 % Konfidenzinterval 2,59-3,03). Ekzempatienten mit Begleiterkrankungen, darunter Asthma, chronisch obstruktive Lungenerkrankungen, alkoholbedingten Leberschäden oder Diabetes, hatten ein höheres Lungenkrebsrisiko als Patienten ohne Ekzeme oder Komorbidität. Ekzeme gehen mit einem höheren Risiko für die Entwicklung von Lungenkrebs einher. Weitere Studien mit umfassenderen Informationen über weitere potentielle Einflussfaktoren sind sinnvoll. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Solubility Prediction of Active Pharmaceutical Compounds with the UNIFAC Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nouar, Abderrahim; Benmessaoud, Ibtissem; Koutchoukali, Ouahiba; Koutchoukali, Mohamed Salah

2016-03-01

The crystallization from solution of an active pharmaceutical ingredient requires the knowledge of the solubility in the entire temperature range investigated during the process. However, during the development of a new active ingredient, these data are missing. Its experimental determination is possible, but tedious. UNIFAC Group contribution method Fredenslund et al. (Vapor-liquid equilibria using UNIFAC: a group contribution method, 1977; AIChE J 21:1086, 1975) can be used to predict this physical property. Several modifications on this model have been proposed since its development in 1977, modified UNIFAC of Dortmund Weidlich et al. (Ind Eng Chem Res 26:1372, 1987), Gmehling et al. (Ind Eng Chem Res 32:178, 1993), Pharma-modified UNIFAC Diedrichs et al. (Evaluation und Erweiterung thermodynamischer Modelle zur Vorhersage von Wirkstofflöslichkeiten, PhD Thesis, 2010), KT-UNIFAC Kang et al. (Ind Eng Chem Res 41:3260, 2002), ldots In this study, we used UNIFAC model by considering the linear temperature dependence of interaction parameters as in Pharma-modified UNIFAC and structural groups as defined by KT-UNIFAC first-order model. More than 100 binary datasets were involved in the estimation of interaction parameters. These new parameters were then used to calculate activity coefficient and solubility of some molecules in various solvents at different temperatures. The model gives better results than those from the original UNIFAC and shows good agreement between the experimental solubility and the calculated one.

The Density Matrix for Single-mode Light after k-Photon Absorption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voigt, H.; Bandilla, A.

In order to continue and generalize the studies of the density matrix of a light field undergoing k-photon absorption, in this paper we put the emphasis on the off-diagonal elements. The solution obtained earlier for the diagonal elements describing the photon statistics can be found as a special case but will not be discussed again. The general solution calculated by recursion shows an asymptotic behaviour if the initial photon number is sufficiently high. Only the initial phase information survives. Illustrating the solution we start with coherent light and a generalized coherent state.Translated AbstractDie Dichtematrix eines Lichtstrahls nach k-Photonen-Absorption aus einer ModeWir führen die Betrachtungen über das Verhalten der Dichtematrix eines Lichtfeldes nach k-Photonen-Absorption aus einer Mode verallgemeinernd weiter und konzentrieren uns auf die Nichtdiagonalelemente. Die im folgenden angegebene allgemeine Lösung, die durch Rekursion gefunden wurde, enthält die schon früher erhaltene, jedoch hier nicht weiter diskutierte Lösung für die Diagonalelemente als Spezialfall. Sie zeigt ferner, daß es einen asymptotischen Zustand gibt, der eine von der Ausgangsintensität unabhängige Information über die Ausgangsphase enthält. Zur Diskussion der Lösung werden verschiedene Anfangsbedingungen betrachtet, so z. B. kohärentes Licht und kohärentes Licht, das ein Medium mit nichtlinearem Brechungsindex durchlaufen hat (Kerr-Effekt).

Ernst Rüdin’s Unpublished 1922-1925 Study “Inheritance of Manic-Depressive Insanity”: Genetic Research Findings Subordinated to Eugenic Ideology

PubMed Central

Kösters, Gundula; Steinberg, Holger; Kirkby, Kenneth Clifford; Himmerich, Hubertus

2015-01-01

In the early 20th century, there were few therapeutic options for mental illness and asylum numbers were rising. This pessimistic outlook favoured the rise of the eugenics movement. Heredity was assumed to be the principal cause of mental illness. Politicians, scientists and clinicians in North America and Europe called for compulsory sterilisation of the mentally ill. Psychiatric genetic research aimed to prove a Mendelian mode of inheritance as a scientific justification for these measures. Ernst Rüdin’s seminal 1916 epidemiological study on inheritance of dementia praecox featured large, systematically ascertained samples and statistical analyses. Rüdin’s 1922–1925 study on the inheritance of “manic-depressive insanity” was completed in manuscript form, but never published. It failed to prove a pattern of Mendelian inheritance, counter to the tenets of eugenics of which Rüdin was a prominent proponent. It appears he withheld the study from publication, unable to reconcile this contradiction, thus subordinating his carefully derived scientific findings to his ideological preoccupations. Instead, Rüdin continued to promote prevention of assumed hereditary mental illnesses by prohibition of marriage or sterilisation and was influential in the introduction by the National Socialist regime of the 1933 “Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring” (Gesetz zur Verhütung erbkranken Nachwuchses). PMID:26544949

Optimized testing schemes using nucleus progeny, adult MOET siblings, or juvenile MOET pedigrees in dairy cattle closed populations.

PubMed

Bondoc, O L; Smith, C

1993-01-12

Selection response rates are predicted for nucleus progeny testing, adult multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) sib testing, and juvenile MOET pedigree testing in closed populations. Deterministic models are adapted to adjust predicted genetic gains for the effects of population size and structure, selection disequilibrium, sampling losses, and inbreeding depression. The improvement schemes were optimized for different numbers of sires used and first lactation females recorded per year. The number of nucleus daughters tested per sire, and of females per MOET full sibship, that maximize the predicted response to selection per year, were determined. Annual genetic gains and inbreeding rates were interpolated to the same planning horizon (20 years) to compare the optimized schemes for a wide range of situations. The predicted maximum genetic gain per year is higher for adult MOET than for juvenile MOET (due to the proportional extra time to collect the embryos needed) and for nucleus progeny testing. Average annual inbreeding rates are much higher for MOET schemes than for nucleus progeny testing. The advantages of adult and juvenile over nucleus progeny testing are little affected by planning horizon, but are higher with more females recorded per year, higher heritability, and higher reproductive and MOET success rates. Comparison of the schemes at the same level of inbreeding is fairer for fixed testing resources. At the same inbreeding level, the genetic advantage of adult MOET was generally maintained, but juvenile MOET then lost its advantage over progeny testing in these closed populations. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Optimierte Prüfpläne für Nukleusnachkommen, adulte MOET Geschwister oder juvenile MOET Pedigrees in geschlossenen Milchviehpopulationen Selektionserfolge werden für Nukleusnachkommenprüfung, adulte multiple Ovulation (MOET) und Embryotransfer, Geschwisterprüfung und juvenile MOET Pedigreeprüfung geschlossener Populationen geschätzt. Deterministische Modelle werden modifiziert zur Berücksichtigung geschätzter genetischer Fortschritte für die Wirkungen von Populationsgröße, Struktur, Selektionsungleichgewicht, Stichprobenungenauigkeit und Inzuchtdepression. Die Zuchtpläne werden für verschiedene Zahlen von Stieren und Erstlaktationskühe pro Jahr optimiert. Die Zahl der geprüften Nukleustöchter je Stier und Kühe je MOETVollgeschwistergruppe, die den geschätzten Erfolg maximieren, werden bestimmt. Um die optimierten Pläne über einen weiten Bereich zu vergleichen, werden jährlicher Zuchtfortschritt und Inzuchtzuwachs für den gleichen Planungshorizont von 20 Jahren interpoliert. Der geschätzte maximale Zuchtfortschritt pro Jahr ist für adultes MOET höher als bei juvenilem (wegen zusätzlicher Zeit zur Embryonengewinnung) und bei Nukleusnachkommenschaftsprüfung. Durchschnittliche jährliche Inzuchtraten sind viel höher für MOET Pläne als für das Nachkommenschaftsprüfsystem. Die Vorteile des adulten und juvenilen MOET über Nukleusnachkommenprüfung werden durch den Planungshorizont nur geringfügig tangiert, werden aber höher, wenn mehr weibliche Tiere je Jahr geprüft werden bei höherer Heritabilität, höherer Reproduktions- und Erfolgsrate. Der Vergleich der Pläne beim gleichen Inzuchtniveau ist für gegebene Testresourcen angemessener. 1993 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Robust boosting via convex optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rätsch, Gunnar

2001-12-01

In this work we consider statistical learning problems. A learning machine aims to extract information from a set of training examples such that it is able to predict the associated label on unseen examples. We consider the case where the resulting classification or regression rule is a combination of simple rules - also called base hypotheses. The so-called boosting algorithms iteratively find a weighted linear combination of base hypotheses that predict well on unseen data. We address the following issues: o The statistical learning theory framework for analyzing boosting methods. We study learning theoretic guarantees on the prediction performance on unseen examples. Recently, large margin classification techniques emerged as a practical result of the theory of generalization, in particular Boosting and Support Vector Machines. A large margin implies a good generalization performance. Hence, we analyze how large the margins in boosting are and find an improved algorithm that is able to generate the maximum margin solution. o How can boosting methods be related to mathematical optimization techniques? To analyze the properties of the resulting classification or regression rule, it is of high importance to understand whether and under which conditions boosting converges. We show that boosting can be used to solve large scale constrained optimization problems, whose solutions are well characterizable. To show this, we relate boosting methods to methods known from mathematical optimization, and derive convergence guarantees for a quite general family of boosting algorithms. o How to make Boosting noise robust? One of the problems of current boosting techniques is that they are sensitive to noise in the training sample. In order to make boosting robust, we transfer the soft margin idea from support vector learning to boosting. We develop theoretically motivated regularized algorithms that exhibit a high noise robustness. o How to adapt boosting to regression problems? Boosting methods are originally designed for classification problems. To extend the boosting idea to regression problems, we use the previous convergence results and relations to semi-infinite programming to design boosting-like algorithms for regression problems. We show that these leveraging algorithms have desirable theoretical and practical properties. o Can boosting techniques be useful in practice? The presented theoretical results are guided by simulation results either to illustrate properties of the proposed algorithms or to show that they work well in practice. We report on successful applications in a non-intrusive power monitoring system, chaotic time series analysis and a drug discovery process. --- Anmerkung: Der Autor ist Träger des von der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Potsdam vergebenen Michelson-Preises für die beste Promotion des Jahres 2001/2002. In dieser Arbeit werden statistische Lernprobleme betrachtet. Lernmaschinen extrahieren Informationen aus einer gegebenen Menge von Trainingsmustern, so daß sie in der Lage sind, Eigenschaften von bisher ungesehenen Mustern - z.B. eine Klassenzugehörigkeit - vorherzusagen. Wir betrachten den Fall, bei dem die resultierende Klassifikations- oder Regressionsregel aus einfachen Regeln - den Basishypothesen - zusammengesetzt ist. Die sogenannten Boosting Algorithmen erzeugen iterativ eine gewichtete Summe von Basishypothesen, die gut auf ungesehenen Mustern vorhersagen. Die Arbeit behandelt folgende Sachverhalte: o Die zur Analyse von Boosting-Methoden geeignete Statistische Lerntheorie. Wir studieren lerntheoretische Garantien zur Abschätzung der Vorhersagequalität auf ungesehenen Mustern. Kürzlich haben sich sogenannte Klassifikationstechniken mit großem Margin als ein praktisches Ergebnis dieser Theorie herausgestellt - insbesondere Boosting und Support-Vektor-Maschinen. Ein großer Margin impliziert eine hohe Vorhersagequalität der Entscheidungsregel. Deshalb wird analysiert, wie groß der Margin bei Boosting ist und ein verbesserter Algorithmus vorgeschlagen, der effizient Regeln mit maximalem Margin erzeugt. o Was ist der Zusammenhang von Boosting und Techniken der konvexen Optimierung? Um die Eigenschaften der entstehenden Klassifikations- oder Regressionsregeln zu analysieren, ist es sehr wichtig zu verstehen, ob und unter welchen Bedingungen iterative Algorithmen wie Boosting konvergieren. Wir zeigen, daß solche Algorithmen benutzt werden koennen, um sehr große Optimierungsprobleme mit Nebenbedingungen zu lösen, deren Lösung sich gut charakterisieren laesst. Dazu werden Verbindungen zum Wissenschaftsgebiet der konvexen Optimierung aufgezeigt und ausgenutzt, um Konvergenzgarantien für eine große Familie von Boosting-ähnlichen Algorithmen zu geben. o Kann man Boosting robust gegenüber Meßfehlern und Ausreissern in den Daten machen? Ein Problem bisheriger Boosting-Methoden ist die relativ hohe Sensitivität gegenüber Messungenauigkeiten und Meßfehlern in der Trainingsdatenmenge. Um dieses Problem zu beheben, wird die sogenannte 'Soft-Margin' Idee, die beim Support-Vector Lernen schon benutzt wird, auf Boosting übertragen. Das führt zu theoretisch gut motivierten, regularisierten Algorithmen, die ein hohes Maß an Robustheit aufweisen. o Wie kann man die Anwendbarkeit von Boosting auf Regressionsprobleme erweitern? Boosting-Methoden wurden ursprünglich für Klassifikationsprobleme entwickelt. Um die Anwendbarkeit auf Regressionsprobleme zu erweitern, werden die vorherigen Konvergenzresultate benutzt und neue Boosting-ähnliche Algorithmen zur Regression entwickelt. Wir zeigen, daß diese Algorithmen gute theoretische und praktische Eigenschaften haben. o Ist Boosting praktisch anwendbar? Die dargestellten theoretischen Ergebnisse werden begleitet von Simulationsergebnissen, entweder, um bestimmte Eigenschaften von Algorithmen zu illustrieren, oder um zu zeigen, daß sie in der Praxis tatsächlich gut funktionieren und direkt einsetzbar sind. Die praktische Relevanz der entwickelten Methoden wird in der Analyse chaotischer Zeitreihen und durch industrielle Anwendungen wie ein Stromverbrauch-Überwachungssystem und bei der Entwicklung neuer Medikamente illustriert.

From Helmholtz to Schlick: The evolution of the sign-theory of perception.

PubMed

Oberdan, Thomas

2015-08-01

Efforts to trace the influence of fin de siècle neo-Kantianism on early 20th Century philosophy of science have led scholars to recognize the powerful influence on Moritz Schlick of Hermann von Helmholtz, the doyen of 19th Century physics and a leader of the zurȕck zu Kant movement. But Michael Friedman thinks that Schlick misunderstood Helmholtz' signature philosophical doctrine, the sign-theory of perception. Indeed, Friedman has argued that Schlick transformed Helmholtz' Kantian view of spatial intuition into an empiricist version of the causal theory of perception. However, it will be argued that, despite the key role the sign-theory played in his epistemology, Schlick thought the Kantianism in Helmholtz' thought was deeply flawed, rendered obsolete by philosophical insights which emerged from recent scientific developments. So even though Schlick embraced the sign-theory, he rejected Helmholtz' ideas about spatial intuition. In fact, like his teacher, Max Planck, Schlick generalized the sign-theory into a form of structural realism. At the same time, Schlick borrowed the method of concept-formation developed by the formalist mathematicians, Moritz Pasch and David Hilbert, and combined it with the conventionalism of Henri Poincaré. Then, to link formally defined concepts with experience, Schlick's introduced his 'method of coincidences', similar to the 'point-coincidences' featured in Einstein's physics. The result was an original scientific philosophy, which owed much to contemporary scientific thinkers, but little to Kant or Kantianism. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The ZInEP Epidemiology Survey: background, design and methods.

PubMed

Ajdacic-Gross, Vladeta; Müller, Mario; Rodgers, Stephanie; Warnke, Inge; Hengartner, Michael P; Landolt, Karin; Hagenmuller, Florence; Meier, Magali; Tse, Lee-Ting; Aleksandrowicz, Aleksandra; Passardi, Marco; Knöpfli, Daniel; Schönfelder, Herdis; Eisele, Jochen; Rüsch, Nicolas; Haker, Helene; Kawohl, Wolfram; Rössler, Wulf

2014-12-01

This article introduces the design, sampling, field procedures and instruments used in the ZInEP Epidemiology Survey. This survey is one of six ZInEP projects (Zürcher Impulsprogramm zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung der Psychiatrie, i.e. the "Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services"). It parallels the longitudinal Zurich Study with a sample comparable in age and gender, and with similar methodology, including identical instruments. Thus, it is aimed at assessing the change of prevalence rates of common mental disorders and the use of professional help and psychiatric sevices. Moreover, the current survey widens the spectrum of topics by including sociopsychiatric questionnaires on stigma, stress related biological measures such as load and cortisol levels, electroencephalographic (EEG) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) examinations with various paradigms, and sociophysiological tests. The structure of the ZInEP Epidemiology Survey entails four subprojects: a short telephone screening using the SCL-27 (n of nearly 10,000), a comprehensive face-to-face interview based on the SPIKE (Structured Psychopathological Interview and Rating of the Social Consequences for Epidemiology: the main instrument of the Zurich Study) with a stratified sample (n = 1500), tests in the Center for Neurophysiology and Sociophysiology (n = 227), and a prospective study with up to three follow-up interviews and further measures (n = 157). In sum, the four subprojects of the ZInEP Epidemiology Survey deliver a large interdisciplinary database. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mining Genomes of Marine Cyanobacteria for Elements of Zinc Homeostasis

PubMed Central

Barnett, James P.; Millard, Andrew; Ksibe, Amira Z.; Scanlan, David J.; Schmid, Ralf; Blindauer, Claudia Andrea

2012-01-01

Zinc is a recognized essential element for the majority of organisms, and is indispensable for the correct function of hundreds of enzymes and thousands of regulatory proteins. In aquatic photoautotrophs including cyanobacteria, zinc is thought to be required for carbonic anhydrase and alkaline phosphatase, although there is evidence that at least some carbonic anhydrases can be cambialistic, i.e., are able to acquire in vivo and function with different metal cofactors such as Co2+ and Cd2+. Given the global importance of marine phytoplankton, zinc availability in the oceans is likely to have an impact on both carbon and phosphorus cycles. Zinc concentrations in seawater vary over several orders of magnitude, and in the open oceans adopt a nutrient-like profile. Most studies on zinc handling by cyanobacteria have focused on freshwater strains and zinc toxicity; much less information is available on marine strains and zinc limitation. Several systems for zinc homeostasis have been characterized in the freshwater species Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, but little is known about zinc requirements or zinc handling by marine species. Comparative metallo-genomics has begun to explore not only the putative zinc proteome, but also specific protein families predicted to have an involvement in zinc homeostasis, including sensors for excess and limitation (SmtB and its homologs as well as Zur), uptake systems (ZnuABC), putative intracellular zinc chaperones (COG0523) and metallothioneins (BmtA), and efflux pumps (ZiaA and its homologs). PMID:22514551

Ustekinumab in der Therapie der Pustulosis palmoplantaris - Eine Fallserie mit neun Patienten.

PubMed

Buder, Valeska; Herberger, Katharina; Jacobi, Arnd; Augustin, Matthias; Radtke, Marc Alexander

2016-11-01

Die Pustulosis palmoplantaris ist eine chronisch entzündliche Hauterkrankung, die mit bedeutenden Einschränkungen der Lebensqualität und der Belastbarkeit einhergeht. Aufgrund von Zulassungsbeschränkungen und einem häufig therapierefraktären Verlauf sind die Behandlungsmöglichkeiten limitiert. Nach zuvor frustranen Therapien erhielten 9 Patienten mit Pustulosis palmoplantaris nach Ausschluss einer latenten Tuberkulose Ustekinumab (45 mg Ustekinumab bei < 100 kg Körpergewicht [KG], 90 mg Ustekinumab > 100 kg KG) in Woche 0, 4, 12 und 24. Reguläre Visiten erfolgten nach 4 und 12 Wochen, im weiteren Verlauf alle 12 Wochen. Das Durchschnittsalter bei Therapiebeginn betrug 48 Jahre. Drei Patienten waren männlich. Bei n  =  4 Patienten (44,4 %) wurde eine Verbesserung um 75 % des Palmoplantar-Psoriasis-Area-Severity-Index (PPPASI) erreicht. Insgesamt verbesserte sich der PPPASI nach 24 Wochen durchschnittlich um 71,6 %. Eine komplette Abheilung zeigte sich bei n  =  2 Patienten nach 24 Wochen. Bis auf lokale Injektionsreaktionen und leichte Infekte wurden keine unerwünschten Wirkungen beobachtet. Die Fallserie ist ein weiterer Beleg für die Wirksamkeit und Verträglichkeit von Ustekinumab in der Therapie der Pustulosis palmoplantaris. Zur Beurteilung der Langzeitwirkung und -sicherheit sowie der Wirksamkeit einer intermittierenden Therapie sind kontrollierte Studiendaten sowie Beobachtungen im Rahmen von Patientenregistern notwendig. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Spitznävi: unterschiedliche klinische, dermatoskopische und histopathologische Merkmale in der Kindheit.

PubMed

Dika, Emi; Neri, Iria; Fanti, Pier Alessandro; Barisani, Alessia; Ravaioli, Giulia Maria; Patrizi, Annalisa

2017-01-01

Die Charakterisierung der klinischen Merkmale und des biologischen Potenzials von Spitznävi hat in den letzten Jahrzehnten breites Interesse gefunden. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Beschreibung der klinischen und dermatoskopischen Merkmale von Spitznävi sowie des klinischen Ergebnisses nach chirurgischer Exzision von Spitznävi in drei pädiatrischen Altersgruppen. Restrospektive Studie zur Analyse von klinischen Merkmalen, videodermatoskopischen Bildern, histopathologischen Diagnosen und Behandlungsergebnissen. Der Grad der Pigmentierung wurde sowohl klinisch als auch histopathologisch beurteilt. Bei 71 Patienten wurden 72 spitzoide Neoplasien entfernt. Videodermatologische Bilder lagen für 41 Patienten vor. Das Muster der Pigmentierung korrelierte signifikant mit dem Alter der Patienten: Hyperpigmentierte Läsionen waren bei Vorschulkindern selten, bei Patienten von 7 bis 12 Jahren und ab 13 Jahren dagegen häufiger. Eine histopathologische Diagnose von atypischen Spitznävi wurde selten durchgeführt. Keiner der Patienten, bei denen ursprünglich ein atypischer Spitznävus diagnostiziert worden war, entwickelte ein Lokalrezidiv oder Metastasen während der anschließenden Nachbeobachtung. Pigmentierte Spitznävi traten im Alter ab 13 Jahren häufiger auf. Die Studie bestätigt andere Berichte über die Altersverteilung von Pigmentierungsmustern und hebt die geringe Anzahl atypischer Spitznävi bei pädiatrischen Patienten hervor sowie das Ausbleiben von Rezidiven bei der langfristigen Nachbeobachtung. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

An evaluation of life satisfaction and health - Quality of life of senior citizens.

PubMed

Ziółkowski, Artur; Błachnio, Aleksandra; Pąchalska, Maria

2015-01-01

Modern medicine is still searching for the antecedents which will lead to successful aging. The article discusses the self-perception of life satisfaction and health of senior citizens. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between self-evaluation of life satisfaction and health by senior citizens in comparison to different age groups. The study included 463 persons - 230 men and 233 women. The age of the participants was in the range 16 - 83 years. All participants were asked to fill the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (Fragebogen zur Lebenszufriedenheit - FLZ). The FLZ questionnaire assesses the global life satisfaction of a person and health domain separately. The results show age-related differences in the evaluation of life satisfaction. Accordingly, there is a significant change in health evaluations in different age groups, but there are no significant gender differences in health self-report data. The senior citizens' assessment of general health, although the lowest among all the age-subgroups, showed significant difference only in relation to the people below 45 years of age. The significant differences in satisfaction from mental health occurred only for the elderly and participants aged 25-34 and 35-44. Life satisfaction is associated with subjective health evaluations. There are two domains (mental health and performance) that are positively evaluated by more than two-thirds of senior citizens. The observed differences challenge stereotypes and prejudices relating to negative aging process. Senior citizens can improve their control beliefs and develop self-regulation and coping skills.

Early Recognition of High Risk of Bipolar Disorder and Psychosis: An Overview of the ZInEP “Early Recognition” Study

PubMed Central

Theodoridou, Anastasia; Heekeren, Karsten; Dvorsky, Diane; Metzler, Sibylle; Franscini, Maurizia; Haker, Helene; Kawohl, Wolfram; Rüsch, Nicolas; Walitza, Susanne; Rössler, Wulf

2014-01-01

Early detection of persons with first signs of emerging psychosis is regarded as a promising strategy to reduce the burden of the disease. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in early detection of psychosis and bipolar disorders, with a clear need for sufficient sample sizes in prospective research. The underlying brain network disturbances in individuals at risk or with a prodrome are complex and yet not well known. This paper provides the rationale and design of a prospective longitudinal study focused on at-risk states of psychosis and bipolar disorder. The study is carried out within the context of the Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health services (Zürcher Impulsprogramm zur Nachhaltigen Entwicklung der Psychiatrie). Persons at risk for psychosis or bipolar disorder between 13 and 35 years of age are examined by using a multi-level-approach (psychopathology, neuropsychology, genetics, electrophysiology, sociophysiology, magnetic resonance imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy). The included adolescents and young adults have four follow-ups at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. This approach provides data for a better understanding of the relevant mechanisms involved in the onset of psychosis and bipolar disorder, which can serve as targets for future interventions. But for daily clinical practice a practicable “early recognition” approach is required. The results of this study will be useful to identify the strongest predictors and to delineate a prediction model. PMID:25325050

Early Recognition of High Risk of Bipolar Disorder and Psychosis: An Overview of the ZInEP "Early Recognition" Study.

PubMed

Theodoridou, Anastasia; Heekeren, Karsten; Dvorsky, Diane; Metzler, Sibylle; Franscini, Maurizia; Haker, Helene; Kawohl, Wolfram; Rüsch, Nicolas; Walitza, Susanne; Rössler, Wulf

2014-01-01

Early detection of persons with first signs of emerging psychosis is regarded as a promising strategy to reduce the burden of the disease. In recent years, there has been increasing interest in early detection of psychosis and bipolar disorders, with a clear need for sufficient sample sizes in prospective research. The underlying brain network disturbances in individuals at risk or with a prodrome are complex and yet not well known. This paper provides the rationale and design of a prospective longitudinal study focused on at-risk states of psychosis and bipolar disorder. The study is carried out within the context of the Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health services (Zürcher Impulsprogramm zur Nachhaltigen Entwicklung der Psychiatrie). Persons at risk for psychosis or bipolar disorder between 13 and 35 years of age are examined by using a multi-level-approach (psychopathology, neuropsychology, genetics, electrophysiology, sociophysiology, magnetic resonance imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy). The included adolescents and young adults have four follow-ups at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. This approach provides data for a better understanding of the relevant mechanisms involved in the onset of psychosis and bipolar disorder, which can serve as targets for future interventions. But for daily clinical practice a practicable "early recognition" approach is required. The results of this study will be useful to identify the strongest predictors and to delineate a prediction model.

Fitness and exercise as correlates of sleep complaints: is it all in our minds?

PubMed

Gerber, Markus; Brand, Serge; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Pühse, Uwe

2010-05-01

Restoring sleep is associated with psychological well-being. In contrast, poor sleep leads to impaired daily cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. Both commonplace and expert opinion hold that exercise has a favorable impact on preventing poor sleep and improving its quality. However, the scientific basis for this opinion remains limited, and results are mixed. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to explore the impact of perceived physical fitness, exercise, and a perceived lack of activity on sleep in early adulthood. Gender-related patterns were also examined. A total of 862 participants (639 females and 223 males; mean +/- SD = 24.67 +/- 5.91 yr) took part in the study. Respondents completed a series of self-report questionnaires assessing perceived physical fitness, exercise, perceived lack of physical activity, insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index), dysfunctional sleep-related thoughts (Fragebogen zur Erfassung allgemeiner Persönlichkeitsmerkmale Schlafgestörter), and quality of sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index). High perceived physical fitness, but not exercise, was associated with favorable scores for various sleep indicators. A perceived lack of physical activity was associated with poor sleep. Perceived physical fitness and exercise were moderately correlated. Compared with males, females reported more sleep difficulties and also more dysfunctional sleep-related thoughts. For early adulthood, findings did not support commonplace or expert opinion that exercise behavior has a favorable influence on sleep. Rather, the findings lend support to the importance of cognitive processes in the onset and maintenance of sleep complaints.

[Voice Self-Concept (FESS) in Medical Students].

PubMed

Lehnert, B

2016-10-01

Introduction: The questionnaire "Fragebogen zur Erfassung des stimmlichen Selbstkonzepts (FESS)" was published in 2015 by Nusseck et al. It consists of 17 items measuring 3 scales on voice related self-concept. This paper examines the distribution of scale values in young adults by examination of medical students. Material and Methods: 96 FESS questionnaires were filled in by medical students. An additional item was added, stating whether it felt easy to answer the questionnaire. The distribution of the scales as well as percentile ranks are given in the paper. Results: In all 3 scales there were no significant differences between females and males, therefore they were analysed as one group. The distributions of all 3 scales show no relevant ceiling nor floor effects. Probands with lower scores in 2 of the three scales found it less easy to answer the questions. Discussion: The results encourage the use of the questionnaire in patients. There was no indication of relevant floor or ceiling effects and there was enough variance in each scale. If used in patients further investigation is needed on the result that patients with lower scores tend to find it more difficult to fill in the questionnaire. The percentile ranks published herein are valid for medical students at this stage. Until bigger normative data on more diverse populations are conducted we will use these data as an orientation to judge other young adults' scores, too. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The turning point for Einstein's Annus mirabilis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rynasiewicz, Robert; Renn, Jürgen

The year 1905 has been called Einstein's Annus mirabilis because of three ground-breaking works completed over the span of a few months-the light-quantum paper, the Brownian motion paper, and the paper on the electrodynamics of moving bodies introducing the special theory of relativity. There are prima facie reasons for thinking that the origins of these papers cannot be understood in isolation from one another. Due to space limitations, we concentrate primarily on the light quantum paper, since, in key respects, it marks the turning point for the Annus mirabilis. The task is to probe, not just how the idea of the light quantum might have occurred to Einstein, but, more importantly, what convinced him that the idea was not just a quixotic hypothesis, but an unavoidable and demonstrable feature of radiation. The crucial development, we suggest, arose from comparing the energy fluctuations that follow rigorously from the Stefan-Boltzmann law, as well as from Wien's distribution formula for blackbody radiation, with what it is reasonable to expect from Maxwell's electromagnetic theory of light. A special case of this is addressed in Einstein's one paper from 1904, "Zur allgemeinen molekularen Theorie der Wärme". Annalen der Physik, 14, 355-362 (Also in CPAE, Vol. 2, Doc. 5)]. The outcome for the general case leads naturally to the central theoretical argument of the light quantum paper, the expectation of Brownian-like motion, and several of the key results for the electrodynamics of moving bodies.

Hydraulische Optimierung des Reaktionsraumes um einen Infiltrationsbrunnen zur unterirdischen Enteisenung. Durchführung eines Feldversuchs mit Infiltrationssteuerung (Teil 2/2) Hydraulic optimization of the reaction zone around an injection well during subsurface iron removal (SIR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartak, Rico; Macheleidt, Wolfgang; Ahrns, Johannes; Grischek, Thomas

2017-11-01

In subsurface iron removal (SIR), oxygen-enriched water is injected into an aquifer to create a reaction zone. Ahrns et al. (2017) simulated a doubling of the efficiency coefficient by the inactivation of well screen sections during injection for a vertical SIR pilot well penetrating an aquifer with varying dissolved iron concentrations. The optimized injection regime was adopted conceptually in a pilot SIR test. An inflatable packer was used to manipulate the outflow distribution. The packer was inflated before the injection phase then evacuated with a vacuum pump before pumping while remaining inside the casing. Cycles with conventional injection were performed first and iron breakthrough was monitored in the pumped water. Subsequently when the packer was used, iron removal increased by 25% and the efficiency coefficient by 50% for an adopted reference value of 5.0 mg/l. Although the study site was unfavorable for SIR because of the unfavorable low alkalinity (pH in the re- and infiltrate decreased down to 4.2), the injectant could have been pretreated by the addition of alkalis prior to injection. This was not considered in the simulation and iron concentrations were above the limits commonly used in practice. However, the overall use of an optimized injection will still be presented.

[Evidence and consensus based treatment guidelines 2010 for juvenile idiopathic arthritis by the German Society of Paediatric Rheumatology].

PubMed

Dueckers, G; Guellac, N; Arbogast, M; Dannecker, G; Foeldvari, I; Frosch, M; Ganser, G; Heiligenhaus, A; Horneff, G; Illhardt, A; Krauspe, R; Markus, B; Michels, H; Schneider, M; Singendonk, W; Sitter, H; Spamer, M; Wagner, N; Niehues, T

2011-11-01

Treatment of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) has improved quality of life in children and adolescents with JIA. Standardisation of care offers the chance to improve the quality of care of those patients. New studies have been published after completion of our last treatment guideline (2007). An updated consensus process is mandatory. A systematic literature analysis in PUBMED (key words: juvenile idiopathic (rheumatoid) arthritis, therapy; limits: humans, published in the last 3 years, all child 0-18 years, clinical trial) revealed 17 relevant studies. Studies relating to diagnosis of JIA, Uveitis, vaccination, transition were excluded. Representatives nominated by scientific societies and organisations were invited to consensus conferences which were hosted by a professional moderator. The following societies were invited: Berufsverband der Kinder- und Jugendärzte (BVKJ), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin (DGKJ), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie (DGRh), Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft (DOG), Deutsche Rheuma-Liga Bundesverband, Verein zur Förderung und Unterstützung rheumatologisch erkrankter Kinder und deren Eltern, Vereinigung für Kinderorthopädie, Zentraler Verband der Physiotherapeuten und Krankengymnasten (ZVK). Consensus conferences were each attended by more than 95% of the nominated representatives. Consensus statements were confirmed by nominal group technique and Delphi method. Updated consensus statements regarding drug therapy, symptomatic and surgical management of JIA were compiled and judged strictly by the criteria of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM). © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Proverb comprehension reconsidered--'theory of mind' and the pragmatic use of language in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Brüne, Martin; Bodenstein, Luise

2005-06-15

For decades, impaired proverb comprehension has been regarded as typical of schizophrenic thought disorder. Testing patients' proverb understanding has widely been abandoned, however, due to poor reliability and validity of the assessment procedures. Since the underlying cognitive deficit of impaired proverb interpretation remained obscure, this study sought to determine the relation of proverb understanding with other cognitive domains, particularly 'theory of mind' or 'mindreading', in schizophrenia. 31 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia were assessed using a novel German Proverb Test [Barth, A., Küfferle, B., 2001. Die Entwicklung eines Sprichworttests zur Erfassung konkretistischer Denkstörungen bei schizophrenen Patienten. Nervenarzt 72, 853-858.], a 'theory of mind' test battery, a variety of executive functioning tests and verbal intelligence. Psychopathology was measured using the PANSS [Kay, S.R., Opler, L.A., Lindenmayer, J.P., 1989. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS): rationale and standardisation. Br. J. Psychiatry 158 (suppl. 7), 59-67.]. Patients' task performance was compared to a group of healthy control persons. 'Theory of mind', executive functioning and intelligence were strongly correlated with patients' ability to interpret proverbs correctly. In a regression analysis 'theory of mind' performance predicted, conservatively estimated, about 39% of the variance of proverb comprehension in the patient group. The ability to interpret such metaphorical speech that is typical of many proverbs crucially depends on schizophrenic patients' ability to infer mental states. Future studies may further address differences between schizophrenia subtypes or the relation to specific symptom clusters.

Gerbstoffe aus Potentilla officinalis wirken entzündungshemmend im UV-Erythem-Test und bei Anwendung auf atopischer Haut.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Julia; Wölfle, Ute; Schempp, Christoph M; Casetti, Federica

2016-09-01

Das Rhizom von Potentilla officinalis (PO) ist reich an Gerbstoffen und wird traditionell zur äußerlichen Behandlung von Entzündungen der Haut und der Schleimhäute verwendet. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war die Bestätigung der antiinflammatorischen Eigenschaften von PO mittels eines UV-Erythem-Tests und einer klinischen Anwendungsstudie bei atopischer Haut. Die antiinflammatorische Wirkung eines PO-Extrakts (standardisiert auf 2 % Trockensubstanz) wurde in einer prospektiven, randomisierten, placebokontrollierten Doppelblindstudie mit 40 gesunden Erwachsenen im UV-Erythem-Test im Vergleich zu 1 % Hydrocortisonacetat untersucht. Im Rahmen einer prospektiven nicht kontrollierten Studie wurde die Wirkung und Verträglichkeit der 2 % PO-Creme an zwölf Erwachsenen und zwölf Kindern mit atopischer Haut nach Anwendung über zwei Wochen in einem definierten Testareal anhand eines Teil-SCORAD untersucht. Zusätzlich wurde die Beeinflussung der Hautrötung im Testareal photometrisch gemessen. Im UV-Erythem-Test zeigte die PO-Creme eine signifikante Reduktion des Erythemindex im Vergleich zum Vehikel. Die antiinflammatorische Wirkung des Verums entsprach der der 1 % Hydrocortisonacetat-Creme. Die klinische Studie bei Atopikern zeigte eine signifikante Abnahme des Teil-SCORAD und des Erythems im Testareal. Es wurden keine Unverträglichkeitsreaktionen beobachtet. PO als 2%ige Zubereitung besitzt entzündungshemmende Eigenschaften und ist wirksam und gut verträglich auf atopischer Haut. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Azelainsäure 20 % Creme: Auswirkung auf Lebensqualität und Krankheitsaktivität bei erwachsenen Patientinnen mit Acne vulgaris.

PubMed

Kainz, Julius Thomas; Berghammer, Gabriele; Auer-Grumbach, Piet; Lackner, Verena; Perl-Convalexius, Sylvia; Popa, Rodica; Wolfesberger, Barbara

2016-12-01

Zur Wirksamkeit von Aknetherapien und deren Auswirkungen auf die Lebensqualität erwachsener Patienten liegen kaum Daten vor. ZIEL: Erhebung der Wirkung von Azelainsäure 20 % Creme (Skinoren ® ) auf Akne-Schweregrad und krankheitsbedingte Lebensqualität. Nichtinterventionelle Studie bei erwachsenen Patientinnen mit leichter bis mittelschwerer Akne. Wirksamkeitsparameter waren DLQI sowie Akne-Schweregrad im Gesicht, am Dekolleté sowie am Rücken im Gesamturteil des Prüfarztes (IGA-Skala: Grad 1 = annähernd reine Haut; 2 = leichte Akne; 3 = mittelschwere Akne). Visiten waren zu Studienbeginn sowie nach 4-8 und zwölf Wochen geplant. Von den 251 eingeschlossenen Patientinnen lag zu Studienbeginn bei 59 %, 31 % bzw. 10 % ein IGA-Grad von 1, 2 bzw. 3 vor; die am häufigsten betroffene Hautpartie war das Gesicht (IGA-Grad 2 oder 3: 79 %). Nach zwölf Behandlungswochen war eine signifikante Besserung der Acne vulgaris im Gesicht (IGA-Grad 0 oder 1: 82 %) sowie auf Dekolleté und Rücken feststellbar. Der mediane DLQI-Wert sank von neun zu Studienbeginn auf fünf nach zwölf Behandlungswochen. Neunzig Prozent der behandelnden Ärzte und Patientinnen beurteilten die Verträglichkeit der Behandlung als sehr gut oder gut. Die Anwendung von 20%iger Azelainsäure-Creme führt bei erwachsenen Frauen zu einer signifikanten Besserung der Acne vulgaris und der krankheitsbedingten Lebensqualität. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Analyse der pharmazeutischen Versorgungssituation von Patienten mit Psoriasis-Arthritis auf Basis von Routinedaten der Gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung.

PubMed

Sondermann, Wiebke; Ventzke, Julia; Matusiewicz, David; Körber, Andreas

2018-03-01

Die Psoriasis-Arthritis (PsA) gehört zu den chronisch entzündlichen Gelenkerkrankungen. Trotz zahlreicher versorgungswissenschaftlicher Studien in Deutschland liegen zur pharmazeutischen Versorgungssituation von PsA-Patienten bisher kaum aktuelle Ergebnisse vor. Mit Hilfe einer systematischen Literaturrecherche sowie anhand von Routinedaten der Allgemeinen Ortskrankenkasse (AOK) Rheinland/Hamburg wird ein aktueller Überblick über die pharmazeutische Versorgung von PsA-Patienten in Deutschland gegeben. Selektiert wurden Versicherte aus dem ambulanten und stationären Bereich, die im 1. und 2. Quartal des Jahres 2014 die gesicherte Abrechnungsdiagnose Psoriasis-Arthritis L40.5+ aufwiesen. Anschließend wurden auf Basis dieser "vorab definierten" Kohorte die Arzneimitteldaten für 5 Jahre (01.01.2010-31.12.2014) abgerufen. Es konnten insgesamt n  =  3205 Versicherte (45 % männlich, 55 % weiblich) der AOK Rheinland/Hamburg mit einer gesicherten PsA-Diagnose selektiert werden. Das Durchschnittsalter betrug 58,9 Jahre. 53,7 % der PsA-Patienten wurden mit systemischen PsA-relevanten Arzneimitteln versorgt. Nichtsteroidale Antirheumatika (NSAR) wurden am häufigsten verordnet, gefolgt von systemischen Glucocorticoiden. Von den selektierten PsA-Patienten, die eine Systemtherapie erhielten, wurden 72,1 % mittels einer Disease-modifying-antirheumatic-Drug (DMARD)-Monotherapie behandelt, gefolgt von der Kombinationstherapie aus DMARDs und Biologika (20,9 %). Die pharmakologische Therapie der PsA muss eine Gewährleistung zwischen adäquater Versorgung der PsA mit Verhinderung der Krankheitsprogression und ökonomischer Verantwortung darstellen. © 2018 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Einsatz und Wirksamkeit von Systemtherapien bei Erwachsenen mit schwerer Neurodermitis: Erste Ergebnisse des deutschen Neurodermitis-Registers TREATgermany.

PubMed

Schmitt, Jochen; Abraham, Susanne; Trautmann, Freya; Stephan, Victoria; Fölster-Holst, Regina; Homey, Bernhard; Bieber, Thomas; Novak, Natalija; Sticherling, Michael; Augustin, Matthias; Kleinheinz, Andreas; Elsner, Peter; Weidinger, Stephan; Werfel, Thomas

2017-01-01

Versorgungsregister dienen der Erfassung des Einsatzes und der Wirksamkeit von Therapien unter realen Versorgungsbedingungen und sind als Basis einer evidenzbasierten Gesundheitsversorgung unverzichtbar. Das deutsche Neurodermitis-Register TREATgermany wurde als weltweit erstes Register für Patienten mit schwerer Neurodermitis 2011 initiiert. Erwachsene mit schwerer Neurodermitis (aktuelle/frühere antientzündliche Systemtherapie und/oder objektiver SCORAD ≥ 40) werden über einen Zeitraum von 24 Monaten prospektiv beobachtet. Anhand validierter Erhebungsinstrumente werden die klinische Erkrankungsschwere (EASI, SCORAD), Lebensqualität (DLQI), Symptome, globale Erkrankungsschwere sowie die Patientenzufriedenheit erfasst und die durchgeführten Therapien dokumentiert. Die vorliegende Analyse beschreibt die Charakteristika, Therapiewahl und Wirksamkeit der eingesetzten antiinflammatorischen Systemtherapien der bis Oktober 2014 eingeschlossenen Patienten. An fünf Zentren wurden insgesamt 78 Patienten (Durchschnittsalter 39 Jahre, 61 % männlich) eingeschlossen. Bei den Patienten besteht eine hohe Inanspruchnahme ambulanter und stationärer Leistungen. Ciclosporin war das am häufigsten eingesetzte Systemtherapeutikum und zeigte die höchste klinische Effektivität (EASI-50-Ansprechrate 51 %; EASI-75-Ansprechrate 34 % nach zwölfwöchiger Therapie). Azathioprin, Methotrexat (MTX), Prednisolon oral, Mycophenolat, Alitretinoin und Leflunomid wurden ebenfalls bei einzelnen Patienten eingesetzt. Die vorliegende Registerauswertung gibt wichtige Hinweise zur derzeitigen Versorgung von Erwachsenen mit schwerer Neurodermitis in Deutschland, dokumentiert die hohe Erkrankungslast, den Nutzen vorhandener Therapien und den Bedarf an weiteren, effektiven und in der Langzeitanwendung sicheren Therapieoptionen. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Potenzielle Arzneimittelwechsel-wirkungen und unerwünschte Arzneimittelwirkungen bei stationären dermatologischen Patienten.

PubMed

Koch, Lukas; Kränke, Birger; Aberer, Werner

2016-11-01

Informationen zur Häufigkeit von Arzneimittelwechselwirkungen und unerwünschten Arzneimittelwirkungen zu präsentieren und Hilfestellung zu leisten, wie diese wichtigen Probleme in der pharmakologischen Behandlung stationärer dermatologischer Patienten minimiert werden können. Die Medikation von 1 099 stationären dermatologischen Patienten wurde retrospektiv mittels einer Internet-basierten Software für Medikamenteninteraktionen (Diagnosia ® Check) auf Arzneimittelwechselwirkungen und unerwünschte Arzneimittelwirkungen analysiert. Wir beschreiben eine Gesamthäufigkeit relevanter Arzneimittelwechselwirkungen von 51,7 % mit durchschnittlich 3,2 Interaktionen pro betroffenem stationären Patienten. Arzneimittelkombinationen, die gemieden werden sollten, wurden bei 5,7 % der Studienpopulation festgestellt. Der wichtigste Risikofaktor war die Gesamtzahl der verabreichten Medikamente. Die Arzneimittelgruppen, die bei der Mehrzahl der Wechselwirkungen beteiligt waren, waren Analgetika, Herz-Kreislauf-Medikamente und gerinnungshemmende Medikamente sowie Antidepressiva. Das Risiko unerwünschte Arzneimittelwirkungen auszubilden wurde bei 53,1 % der stationären Patienten als "hoch" eingestuft. Die fünf wichtigsten unerwünschten Nebenwirkungen in dieser Patientengruppe waren Blutungen, Obstipation, anticholinerge Effekte, Sedierung und orthostatische Effekte. Potenzielle Arzneimittelwechselwirkungen sowie unerwünschte Arzneimittelwirkungen sind bei stationären dermatologischen Patienten alarmierend häufig. Bei jedem zweiten Patienten besteht die Gefahr, derartige Wechselwirkungen oder unerwünschte Nebenwirkungen zu erleiden und jeder zwanzigste Patient erhält eine Arzneimittelkombination, die nicht verabreicht werden sollte. Erhöhte Wachsamkeit ist erforderlich, um die gefährdeten Patienten zu erkennen. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Investigations and results concerning railway-induced ground-borne vibrations in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Degen, K. G.; Behr, W.; Grütz, H.-P.

2006-06-01

Besides noise reduction, ground-borne vibrations induced by railways are another important environmental issue associated with the construction of new or the reconstruction of existing railway lines that had to be tackled during the last decade. Annoyance can occur, particularly for lines in urban areas at small distances to neighbouring houses or lines in shallow depth tunnels under buildings. The ground-borne vibrations can be perceived by the inhabitants via the floor vibrations, as well as via the air-borne noise radiated inside the building by the vibrating building structures (secondary noise). At present, legal specifications for judging railway-induced ground-borne vibrations do not exist in Germany. In order to review common practices, an experimental psycho-physical laboratory study was performed. To estimate the annoyance of railway-induced vibrations, the mean vibration energy of a train pass-by seems much more significant and related to the annoyance than the commonly used RMS value according to the German standard DIN 4150-2. The minimum difference in vibration that can be felt by people was found at a signal difference of 25%. This paper will review results of a project performed in cooperation with the engineering office Obermeyer in Munich and the Technical University of Munich [A. Said, D. Fleischer, H. Kilcher, H. Fastl, H.-P. Grütz, Zur Bewertung von Erschütterungsimmissionen aus dem Schienenverkehr, Zeitschrift fuer Lärmbekämpfung, Vol. 48(6), Springer VDI Verlag, Düsseldorf, 2001.] and will link them to further demands on research and on development of suitable guiding principles and legislative regulations.

Numerical solutions of pulsating flow and heat transfer characteristics in a channel with a backward-facing step

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valencia, A.; Hinojosa, L.

The incompressible laminar flow of air and heat transfer in a channel with a backward-facing step is studied for steady cases and for pulsatile inlet conditions. For steady flows the influence of the inlet velocity profile, the height of the step and the Reynolds number on the reattachment length is investigated. A parabolic entrance profile was used for pulsatile flow. It was found with amplitude of oscillation of one by Re=100 that the primary vortex breakdown through one pulsatile cycle. The wall shear rate in the separation zone varied markedly with pulsatile flows and the wall heat transfer remained relatively constant. The time-average pulsatile heat transfer at the walls was greater as with steady flow with the same mean Reynolds number. Zusammenfassung Es wird eine zweidimensionale numerische Untersuchung des instationären Wärmeübergangs und Druckverlustes im laminar durchströmten Spaltkanal mit einer plötzlichen Kanalerweiterung dargelegt und zwar für stationäre und periodische Geschwindigkeitsprofile am Eintritt des Kanals. Für stationäre Strömungen wurden die Form des Eintrittsprofils, die Reynoldszahl und die Kanalerweiterung variiert. Als Lösung der Navier/Stokes-und der Energiegleichungen mit periodischen Randbedingungen resultiert eine oszillierende Strömung, die das Aufplatzen des Primärwirbels in einer Schwingungsperiode zur Folge hat. Der Einfluß dieser Oszillation auf den Wärmeübergang und den Strömungsverlust wurde für die maximale Amplitude und für Re=100 eingehend untersucht.

FIMA, the questionnaire for health-related resource use in the elderly population: validity, reliability, and usage of the Polish version in clinical practice.

PubMed

Mazurek, Justyna; Sutkowska, Edyta; Szcześniak, Dorota; Urbańska, Katarzyna Małgorzata; Rymaszewska, Joanna

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the Polish version of the Questionnaire for Health-Related Resource Use in an Elderly Population [Fragebogen zur Inanspruchnahme medizinischer und nicht-medizinischer Versorgungsleistungen im Alter (FIMA)]. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a rehabilitation care unit in Poland between January and June of 2017. Sixty-one patients aged ≥65 years who had been admitted to the unit were enrolled into the study. Each participant was evaluated twice: once within 48 hours of admission (T1) and once after 2 weeks (T2). The translated instrument was understood by most respondents in a selected population and it maintained a reading and comprehension level that was accessible by most respondents, even of a low education level. With the aid of the prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), 100% test-retest reliability for 10 out of the 12 questions that were subjected to analysis was indicated. The most frequent health-related resource uses were appointments at the general practitioner (90.2%) and orthopedist (54.1%), medication (93.4%), and the necessity to have glasses as supportive equipment (70.5%). The Polish FIMA demonstrated very good test-retest reliability, good validity, and ease of use for elderly people. Further investigation is required. In the future, the routine use of this instrument could be encouraged to assess the use and demand for medical and nonmedical services among the elderly.

Neue Laser und Strahlquellen - alte und neue Risiken?

PubMed

Paasch, Uwe; Schwandt, Antje; Seeber, Nikolaus; Kautz, Gerd; Grunewald, Sonja; Haedersdal, Merete

2017-05-01

Die Entwicklungen im Bereich dermatologischer Laser, hochenergetischer Blitzlampen, LED und neuer Energie- und Strahlquellen der letzten Jahre haben gezeigt, dass mit neuen Wellenlängen, Konzepten und Kombinationen zusätzliche, zum Teil über den ästhetischen Bereich hinaus gehende therapeutische Optionen für den Dermatologen erschlossen werden konnten. Wurden bisher zum Beispiel mit fraktionalen Lasern Falten behandelt, sind eben diese Systeme heute in Kombination mit Medikamenten wichtige Werkzeuge bei der Behandlung von Narben, bei Feldkanzerisierung und epithelialen Tumoren. Die Anforderungen an den die Indikation stellenden und vorzugsweise therapierenden Arzt steigen mit der immer komplexer werdenden Technik und den zunehmenden Komorbiditäten und Komedikationen einer älter werdenden Patientenklientel. Parallel etabliert wurden, zunächst für einige wenige Indikationen, Geräte für die Heimanwendung, die sich durch geringe Leistung und spezielle Sicherheitsvorkehrungen zur Vermeidung von Unfällen, Risiken und Nebenwirkungen auszeichnen. Trotz der reduzierten Effizienz solcher Selbstbehandlungsmaßnahmen steigt die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer Fehlanwendung, da die Grundvoraussetzung für eine korrekte Therapie, nämlich die exakte Diagnose und Indikationsstellung, nicht vorausgesetzt werden kann. Bei einer Haarentfernung können so Pigmenttumoren, bei einer Faltentherapie neoplastische Hautveränderungen adressiert und zu erwartende, unvorhergesehene und neue Nebenwirkungen und Komplikationen induziert werden. In diesem Szenario ist es wichtig, alle potenziellen Anwender dieser neuen Technologien vor deren Einsatz so zu qualifizieren, dass den Therapierten maximale Therapiesicherheit bei höchster Effizienz unter dem Leitbild diagnosis certa - ullae therapiae fundamentum garantiert wird. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Health in old age, and patients' approaches to telemedicine in Poland.

PubMed

Buliński, Leszek; Błachnio, Aleksandra

2017-06-07

Polish ageing society still experiences health-related problems and the increasing difficulties in receiving medical care. The initiation of telemedicine programmes can change this situation for better. The question arises if telemedicine is a solution that the elderly are willing to accept and take advantage of in order to raise their quality of life. Questionnaire based research was conducted in 2015 on a sample group of 312 seniors. The respondents completed the Diener Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and the subscale of Health States from Fragebogen zur Lebenszufriedenheit (FLZ) by Fahrenberg et al. Each participant gave their consent to take part in the research. SWLS presents a relatively stable value in the subsequent decades of being old (60-69 years M=21.93 SD=6.25; 70-79 years M=21.70 SD=5.52; 80+ M=21.38 SD=5.82). The health related quality of life (the FLZ subscale), varied in the analysed subgroups (F=7.783 p=0.000), and was related to comorbidity and polytherapy. A positive attitude towards telemedicine was expressed by 40% of those surveyed. However the seniors' need for telemedical services was more limited and did not exceed the 10%. In Poland in ageing there still dominates the experience of multiple ailments and polytherapy, something which justifies a search for new, easily accessible, and economically sound solutions for health care. Telemedicine is a promising solution although there is a need for concrete steps to be taken to raise willingness amongst geriatric patients to take advantage of telemedicine.

[German neurology and neurologists during the Third Reich: exemplified by research on epilepsy].

PubMed

Martin, M; Fangerau, H; Karenberg, A

2016-08-01

There are only a small number of studies dealing with the impact of eugenic theories and practices on the research of particular neurological diseases during the Third Reich. Thus, this contribution to the special issue on neurology in Germany between 1933 and 1945 focuses exemplarily on epilepsy research. By drawing on primary sources and secondary literature the article tries to reconstruct the scientific discourse of the time and consider the implications for patients. National socialistic ideology was based on eugenic thinking and the implementation of eugenic policies was a major political objective. An immediate effect of this policy was the passing of the Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring (Gesetz zur Verhütung erbkranken Nachwuchses) in 1933. According to this law "hereditary epilepsy" along with various other neurological and psychiatric disorders was regarded as a mandatory indication for forced sterilization. Subsequently, funding of epileptological research was generously increased and extended, e. g. at the German Research Institute (Deutsche Forschungsanstalt) in Munich and the Rheinische Provinzial-Institut in Bonn. The main focus was placed on idiopathic forms of the disease, which were a priori considered as hereditary. At the annual meetings of the Society of German Neurologists and Psychiatrists (Gesellschaft deutscher Neurologen und Psychiater), lectures and debates on epilepsy repeatedly constituted a key topic. Some participants opted for a broad interpretation of "endogeneity" and thus favored an extension of the practice of sterilization but others advocated a more differentiated and restricted attitude. Several neurology researchers showed a penchant for self-mobilization in line with the doctrine of the new government.

Variabilität des Reviergesangs des Buchfinken (Fringilla coelebs) zur Raum-Zeit-Beschreibung von Metapopulationen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nolte, Björn

2003-10-01

Der Buchfinkengesang wurde in Potsdam in zwei Hauptpopulationen über drei Jahre aufgenommen. Jedes Individuum wurde eindeutig am individuellen Strophentypenrepertoire identifiziert. Ein weiterer Punkt der die individuelle Wiedererkennung bestätigt ist die hohe Standorttreue der adulten Männchen. Die beschriebene Methode eignet sich für die Untersuchung von gesamten Populationen, um den Wandel des Gesangs von Populationen in Raum und Zeit zu beschreiben. Die Haupterkenntnisse der Arbeit sind: - Die Gesamtanzahl der Grundstrophentypen innerhalb einer Population bleibt über Jahre konstant. - Die relative Häufigkeit jedes einzelnen Strophentyps variiert von Jahr zu Jahr und von Population zu Population. - Gesangslernen erfolgt exakt mit einem Korrektheitsgrad von mindestens 96%. - Das Song-Sharing ist innerhalb der Population hoch. Die diskutierten Mechanismen für das Song-Sharing sind: Die Lebenserwartung, das Zugverhalten, das Lernverhalten, die Etabliertheit von Strophentypen, Weibchenpräferenzen und die Reaktionen der territorialen Männchen. - Weiterhin wurde ein Modell zur kulturellen Evolution des Buchfinkengesangs programmiert, um die Rolle der Einflussfaktoren, wie Fehlerquote, Abwanderungsrate und Laufzeit zu ermitteln. Der Wandel des Dialektes erfolgt graduell in Raum und Zeit. Daher sind keine scharfen Dialektgrenzen anzutreffen. Trotz dieser Tatsache markieren die etablierten Strophentypen die Population. 50 % der Juvenilen siedeln am Geburtsort, auf diese Weise bleibt der Dialekt erhalten und Inzest wird vermieden. -Analysiert man das Repertoire benachbarten Männchen bei isolierten Alleen, so entspricht die Gesangsangleichung in etwa dem Zufall. -Intraindividuelle Vergleiche der quantitativen Parameter des jeweiligen Strophentyps wurden saisonal und annuell durchgeführt. Saisonal konnten für einen Strophentyp ein Trend ermittelt werden. Bei jährlichen Vergleichen konnten intraindividuell ausschließlich nicht signifikante Ergebnisse ermittelt werden, wohingegen die interindividuelle Variation in zwei Fällen signifikant war. In einem Fall bestand ein Trend und in einem weiteren Fall war die Variationsunterschiede nicht signifikant. - Der Verlauf der Brutsaison lässt sich an der jährlichen Gesangsaktivität nachvollziehen. Chaffinch song was recorded in Potsdam in two major populations of chaffinches over a period of three years. Each male was identified unambiguously because of their individual song type repertoires. These are usually easy to distinguish from sonagrams as the variation is discontinuous. A further point for individual recognition is the fixed territorial behaviour of adult males. The described method is employed to examine whole populations and to observe changes with space and time in the song of a population. The major findings of the study are: - The total amount of basic song types in each population is constant over years. - The quantity of each basic song type is different and varies from year to year and from population to population. - Song copying is extremely accurate on at least 96% of occasions. - Song-type sharing is high within populations. Discussed mechanisms for song neighbourhoods are: expectation of life, semi-migratory behaviour, learning skills, establishment of song types, female choice and male vs male interaction. Furthermore a model of cultural evolution of chaffinch song was programmed to determine the role of factors like error rate, rate of emigration and running time. The changes are gradual in space and time. Hence the dialect borders are smooth. Despite this fact established song types mark the population. As every second juvenile bird settles in the population of his birth inbreeding is avoided and the dialect structure is retained. - Analysing the repertoires of neighbouring males (“next door neighbours”) in isolated avenues to examine mutual influences suggests that these have the same amount of song types in common than would be expected by chance. - Within intraindividual comparisons the quantitative parameters of the same song types remain seasonal and annual constant, whereas interindividual variations within the same song tip are statistically significant. - The breeding biology of the chaffinch can be observed by seasonal singing activity during the breeding cycle.

The influence of chronotype and intelligence on academic achievement in primary school is mediated by conscientiousness, midpoint of sleep and motivation.

PubMed

Arbabi, Talat; Vollmer, Christian; Dörfler, Tobias; Randler, Christoph

2015-04-01

Individuals differ in their timing of sleep (bed times, rise times) and in their preference for morning or evening hours. Previous work focused on the relationship between academic achievement and these variables in secondary school students. The main aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between chronotype and academic achievement in 10-year-old children (n = 1125) attending 4th grade of primary school. They filled a cognitive test (Culture Fair Intelligence Test, CFT 20-R) and questions about rise times and bed times, academic achievement, conscientiousness and motivation. We used the "scales for the assessment of learning and performance motivation" (SELLMO; Skalen zur Erfassung der Lern- und Leistungsmotivation for motivation), the short version of the Five-Factor Personality Inventory Children (FFPI-C) to measure conscientiousness, and the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM) to assess morningness-eveningness. Mean CSM score was 37.84 ± 6.66, midpoint of sleep was 1:36 ± 00:25 and average sleep duration (time in bed) was 10:15 ± 0:48. Morningness orientation was positively related to intelligence, conscientiousness and learning objectives. Eveningness orientation was related to avoidance performance objectives and work avoidance. Early midpoint of sleep, conscientiousness and intelligence were associated with better grades. The multivariate model showed that intelligence was the strongest predictor of good grades. Conscientiousness, motivation, younger age and an earlier midpoint of sleep were positively related to good grades. This is the first study in primary school pupils, and it shows that the relationship between evening orientation and academic achievement is already prevalent at this age even when controlling for important predictors of achievement.

Kompressionstherapie - Versorgungspraxis: Informationsstand von Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum.

PubMed

Protz, Kerstin; Heyer, Kristina; Dissemond, Joachim; Temme, Barbara; Münter, Karl-Christian; Verheyen-Cronau, Ida; Klose, Katharina; Hampel-Kalthoff, Carsten; Augustin, Matthias

2016-12-01

Eine Säule der kausalen Therapie bei Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum ist die Kompressionstherapie. Sie unterstützt die Abheilung, reduziert Schmerzen und Rezidive und steigert die Lebensqualität. Bislang existieren kaum wissenschaftliche Daten zu dem Versorgungsstand und fachspezifischem Wissen von Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum. Standardisierte Fragebögen wurden bundesweit in 55 Pflegediensten, 32 Arztpraxen, vier Wundzentren und -sprechstunden sowie einem Pflegetherapiestützpunkt von Patienten mit Ulcus cruris venosum bei Erstvorstellung anonym ausgefüllt. Insgesamt nahmen 177 Patienten (Durchschnittsalter 69,4 Jahre; 75,1 % Frauen) teil. Ein florides Ulcus cruris venosum bestand im Mittel 17 Monate. 31,1 % hatten keine Kompressionstherapie, 40,1 % Binden und 28,8 % Strümpfe. Bei der Bestrumpfung hatten 13,7 % Kompressionsklasse III, 64,7 % Kompressionsklasse II und 19,6 % Kompressionsklasse I. 70,6 % legten die Strümpfe nach dem Aufstehen an, 21,1 % trugen sie Tag und Nacht. 39,2 % bereiteten die Strümpfe Beschwerden. Lediglich 11,7 % hatten eine An- und Ausziehhilfe. Die Binden wurden im Mittel 40,7 Wochen getragen und bei 69 % nicht unterpolstert. Bei 2,8 % wurde der Knöchel- und Waden-Umfang zur Erfolgskontrolle gemessen. Venensport machten 45,9 %. Ein Drittel hatte keine Kompressionsversorgung, obwohl diese eine Basismaßnahme der Therapie des Ulcus cruris venosum ist. Zudem ist deren korrekte Auswahl und Anwendung angesichts der langen Bestandsdauer der Ulzerationen zu hinterfragen. Weiterführende Fachkenntnisse bei Anwendern und Verordnern sowie Patientenschulungen sind erforderlich. © 2016 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Interdisciplinary and evidence-based treatment guideline for juvenile idiopathic arthritis].

PubMed

Guellac, N; Niehues, T

2008-01-01

Treatment of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) has improved quality of life in children and adolescents suffering from JIA. However, it varies considerably from caregiver to caregiver. Therefore a standardisation of care on the basis of consensus treatment recommendations offers the chance to further improve the quality of care for children and adolescents with JIA. We aimed to establish an interdisciplinary, evidence-based treatment guideline for JIA based on the existing guideline from 2005. We did a systematic literature analysis in PUBMED with the key words "juvenile idiopathic (rheumatoid) arthritis" and "therapy". As limits in PUBMED we used: humans, published in the last 3 years, all child 0-18 years, clinical trial. Studies relating to diagnosis of JIA, Uveitis, vaccination, transition and rofexocibe were excluded. Authors of the 2005 guideline and representatives nominated by different societies were invited to attend the consensus conferences which were hosted by a professional moderator. Following societies were invited: Berufsverband der Kinder- und Jugendärzte (BVKJ), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin (DGKJ), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Rheumatologie (DGRh), Deutsche Ophthalmologische Gesellschaft (DOG), Deutsche Rheuma-Liga Bundesverband, Verein zur Förderung und Unterstützung rheumatologisch erkrankter Kinder und deren Eltern, Vereinigung für Kinderorthopädie, Zentraler Verband der Physiotherapeuten und Krankengymnasten (ZVK). Consensus conferences took place in Düsseldorf on May 9th and August 1st 2007 and were each attended by more than 95% of the nominated representatives Finally, statements were confirmed in a Delphi method. Consensus statements regarding drug therapy, symptomatic and surgical management of JIA were compiled and judged strictly by the criteria of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM).

The strength of polyaxial locking interfaces of distal radius plates.

PubMed

Hoffmeier, Konrad L; Hofmann, Gunther O; Mückley, Thomas

2009-10-01

Currently available polyaxial locking plates represent the consequent enhancement of fixed-angle, first-generation locking plates. In contrast to fixed-angle locking plates which are sufficiently investigated, the strength of the new polyaxial locking options has not yet been evaluated biomechanically. This study investigates the mechanical strength of single polyaxial interfaces of different volar radius plates. Single screw-plate interfaces of the implants Palmar 2.7 (Königsee Implantate und Instrumente zur Osteosynthese GmbH, Allendorf, Germany), VariAx (Stryker Leibinger GmbH & Co. KG, Freiburg, Germany) und Viper (Integra LifeSciences Corporation, Plainsboro, NJ, USA) were tested by cantilever bending. The strength of 0 degrees, 10 degrees and 20 degrees screw locking angle was obtained during static and dynamic loading. The Palmar 2.7 interfaces showed greater ultimate strength and fatigue strength than the interfaces of the other implants. The strength of the VariAx interfaces was about 60% of Palmar 2.7 in both, static and dynamic loading. No dynamic testing was applied to the Viper plate because of its low ultimate strength. By static loading, an increase in screw locking angle caused a reduction of strength for the Palmar 2.7 and Viper locking interfaces. No influence was observed for the VariAx locking interfaces. During dynamic loading; angulation had no influence on the locking strength of Palmar 2.7. However, reduction of locking strength with increasing screw angulation was observed for VariAx. The strength of the polyaxial locking interfaces differs remarkably between the examined implants. Depending on the implant an increase of the screw locking angle causes a reduction of ultimate or fatigue strength, but not in all cases a significant impact was observed.

Zinc transporters YbtX and ZnuABC are required for the virulence of Yersinia pestis in bubonic and pneumonic plague in mice.

PubMed

Bobrov, Alexander G; Kirillina, Olga; Fosso, Marina Y; Fetherston, Jacqueline D; Miller, M Clarke; VanCleave, Tiva T; Burlison, Joseph A; Arnold, William K; Lawrenz, Matthew B; Garneau-Tsodikova, Sylvie; Perry, Robert D

2017-06-21

A number of bacterial pathogens require the ZnuABC Zinc (Zn 2+ ) transporter and/or a second Zn 2+ transport system to overcome Zn 2+ sequestration by mammalian hosts. Previously we have shown that in addition to ZnuABC, Yersinia pestis possesses a second Zn 2+ transporter that involves components of the yersiniabactin (Ybt), siderophore-dependent iron transport system. Synthesis of the Ybt siderophore and YbtX, a member of the major facilitator superfamily, are both critical components of the second Zn 2+ transport system. Here we demonstrate that a ybtX znu double mutant is essentially avirulent in mouse models of bubonic and pneumonic plague while a ybtX mutant retains high virulence in both plague models. While sequestration of host Zn is a key nutritional immunity factor, excess Zn appears to have a significant antimicrobial role in controlling intracellular bacterial survival. Here, we demonstrate that ZntA, a Zn 2+ exporter, plays a role in resistance to Zn toxicity in vitro, but that a zntA zur double mutant retains high virulence in both pneumonic and bubonic plague models and survival in macrophages. We also confirm that Ybt does not directly bind Zn 2+ in vitro under the conditions tested. However, we detect a significant increase in Zn 2+ -binding ability of filtered supernatants from a Ybt + strain compared to those from a strain unable to produce the siderophore, supporting our previously published data that Ybt biosynthetic genes are involved in the production of a secreted Zn-binding molecule (zincophore). Our data suggest that Ybt or a modified Ybt participate in or promote Zn-binding activity in culture supernatants and is involved in Zn acquisition in Y. pestis.

Bile Stress Response in Listeria monocytogenes LO28: Adaptation, Cross-Protection, and Identification of Genetic Loci Involved in Bile Resistance

PubMed Central

Begley, Máire; Gahan, Cormac G. M.; Hill, Colin

2002-01-01

Bile is one of many barriers that Listeria monocytogenes must overcome in the human gastrointestinal tract in order to infect and cause disease. We demonstrated that stationary-phase cultures of L. monocytogenes LO28 were able to tolerate concentrations of bovine, porcine, and human bile and bile acids well in excess of those encountered in vivo. Strain LO28 was relatively bile resistant compared with other clinical isolates of L. monocytogenes, as well as with Listeria innocua, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2, and Lactobacillus sakei. While exponential-phase L. monocytogenes LO28 cells were exquisitely sensitive to unconjugated bile acids, prior adaptation to sublethal levels of bile acids or heterologous stresses, such as acid, heat, salt, or sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), significantly enhanced bile resistance. This adaptive response was independent of protein synthesis, and in the cases of bile and SDS adaptation, occurred in seconds. In order to identify genetic loci involved in the bile tolerance phenotype of L. monocytogenes LO28, transposon (Tn917) and plasmid (pORI19) integration banks were screened for bile-sensitive mutants. The disrupted genes included a homologue of the capA locus required for capsule formation in Bacillus anthracis; a gene encoding the transcriptional regulator ZurR; a homologue of an Escherichia coli gene, lytB, involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis; a gene encoding a homologue of the Bacillus subtilis membrane protein YxiO; and a gene encoding an amino acid transporter with a putative role in pH homeostasis, gadE. Interestingly, all of the identified loci play putative roles in maintenance of the cell envelope or in stress responses. PMID:12450822

Smartes System für die Energiewende - der Übertragungsnetzbetreiber in der digitalen Zukunft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pflaum, Rainer; Egeler, Tobias

Die Übertragungsnetze stellen eine zuverlässige Versorgung von Haushalt, Gewerbe und Industrie mit elektrischer Energie sicher und sind damit Grundlage einer modernen Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Die mittlerweile unumkehrbaren Entwicklungen der nationalen und europäischen Energiewende stellen den Übertragungsnetzbetreiber in seinen Kernaufgaben, dem Bau und Betrieb von Netzen, dem Markt- und Netzzugang und der Integration der erneuerbaren Energien vor neue und große Herausforderungen. Verbrauchsnahe dezentrale Erzeugung wie verbrauchsferne zentrale Erzeugung muss im Sinne der Gewährleistung der Systemstabilität gemanagt und in Einklang mit dem Verbrauch gebracht werden. Erneuerbare Energien müssen zudem in einem solchen System ihren Beitrag zur System- und Marktintegration leisten. All das erfordert mehr Daten, um in einem Gesamtsystem dynamische Reaktionsmöglichkeiten gewährleisten zu können. Erst die "Digitalisierung" schafft dabei die notwendigen Voraussetzungen die Komplexität zu stemmen. Die Digitalisierung stellt daher ein Kernelement dieses Wandels des Übertragungsnetzbetreibers dar, die einerseits mit zum Entstehen der neuen Herausforderungen beiträgt, andererseits aber auch hilft Werkzeuge bereitzustellen, diesen Herausforderungen zu begegnen. Im folgenden Beitrag wird aufgezeigt, wie die Digitalisierung die Aufgaben und Instrumente des Übertragungsnetzbetreibers verändern. Ausgehend von den heutigen Aufgaben eines Übertragungsnetzbetreibers und dem gültigen Rechtsrahmen werden unter dem Begriff "Notwendiges Set für morgen" smarte Elemente und Werkzeuge beschrieben, die bereits heute im Einsatz sind oder in den nächsten Jahren notwendig werden. Im Anschluss erfolgt anhand einiger Beispiele aus unterschiedlichen Bereichen eine Konkretisierung der Einsatzzwecke der Digitalisierung beim Übertragungsnetzbetreiber. Ein kurzer Ausblick mit Fokus auf den weiteren Veränderungsprozess rundet den Beitrag ab.

Der II. Hauptsatz der Wärmelehre

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heintze, Joachim

Wir haben in (4.44) den II. Hauptsatz als empirische Tatsache folgendermaßen formuliert: (i) Wärmeenergie geht von selbst nur von einem wärmeren Körper auf einen kälteren über, niemals in der umgekehrten Richtung. Nun werden wir beweisen, dass sich aus diesem Prinzip folgende äquivalente Formulierungen für den II. Hauptsatz ableiten lassen: (ii) Es ist unmöglich, ein Perpetuum mobile zweiter Art zu bauen, d. h. eine Maschine, die fortlaufend Wärmeenergie vollständig in mechanische Arbeit umsetzen kann. Eine Wärmekraftmaschine, die einen Kreisprozess mit der höchsten Temperatur Tw und der niedrigsten Temperatur Tk durchläuft, hat höchstens den Carnotschen Wirkungsgrad c = (Tw - Tk)/Tw. Wenn in der Maschine nur reversible Prozesse ablaufen, die gesamte Wärmezufuhr bei der Temperatur Tw erfolgt und ausschließlich bei der Temperatur Tw gekühlt wird, ist ihr Wirkungsgrad = C. Es gibt keine Wärmekraftmaschine, die eine bessere Ausnutzung der Wärmeenergie ermöglicht. (iv) In jedem thermodynamischen System existiert die Zustandsgröße Entropie, definiert durch ihr Differential dS = (dQrev)/T . Entropie kann erzeugt, aber nicht vernichtet werden. Bei Zustandsänderungen, die in einem abgeschlossenen System ablaufen, nimmt die Entropie entweder zu (irreversible Prozesse), oder sie bleibt konstant (reversible Prozesse). Im Anschluss an (iii) werden wir zur Definition der thermodynamischen Temperatur und bei der Diskussion von (iv) zu einem tieferen Verständnis der Entropie gelangen. Es zeigt sich, dass die Entropie das eigentliche Bindeglied zwischen Mechanik und Wärmelehre darstellt. Am Ende des Kapitels werden wir einige Anwendungen des II. Hauptsatzes betrachten.

A novel transient wall heat transfer approach for the start-up of SI engines with gasoline direct injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lejsek, David; Kulzer, André; Hammer, Jürgen

2010-11-01

The introduction of CO2-reduction technologies like Start-Stop or the Hybrid-Powertrain and the worldwide stringent emission legislation require a detailed optimization of the engine start-up. The combustion concept development as well as the calibration of the engine control unit makes an explicit thermodynamic analysis of the combustion process during the start-up necessary. Initially, the well-known thermodynamic analysis of in-cylinder pressure at stationary condition was transmitted to the highly non-stationary engine start-up. For this running mode of the engine the current models for calculation of the transient wall heat fluxes were found to be misleading. With a fraction of nearly 45% of the burned fuel energy, the wall heat is very important for the calculation of energy balance and for the combustion process analysis. Based on the measurements of transient wall heat transfer densities during the start-up presented in a former work (Lejsek and Kulzer in Investigations on the transient wall heat transfer at start-up for SI engines with gasoline direct injection. SAE Paper), the paper describes the development of adaptations to the known correlations by Woschni (MTZ 31:491, 1970), Hohenberg (Experimentelle Erfassung der Wandwärme von Kolbenmotoren. TU Graz, Habil., 1980) and Bargende (Ein Gleichungsansatz zur Berechnung der instationären Wandwärmeverluste im Hochdruckteil von Ottomotoren. TH Darmstadt, PhD-Thesis, 1991) for the application during engine start-up. To demonstrate the high accuracy of the model, the results of the cyclic resolved thermodynamic analysis using the presented novel approaches were compared with the results of the measurements. It is shown, that the novel heat flux models for the engine start-up process gives a cyclic resolved thermodynamic analysis to optimize the engine start-up pretty efficient.

[Hepatitis E - More than a Rare Travel-Associated Infectious Disease!

PubMed

Wedemeyer, Heiner

2017-06-01

Übertragungswege  In Deutschland infizieren sich jedes Jahr wahrscheinlich mehr als 300 000 Menschen mit dem Hepatitis-E-Virus (HEV). Die Hepatitis E ist in Mitteleuropa in der Regel eine durch den zoonotischen HEV-Genotyp-3-verursachte autochthone, d. h. lokal erworbene Infektionskrankheit. Der Verzehr von nicht ausreichend erhitztem Schweine- oder Wildfleisch ist ein Hauptrisikofaktor für HEV-Infektionen, Übertragungen des Virus durch Bluttransfusionen sind aber auch möglich. Diagnostik  Bei Immunkompetenten kann die Diagnose einer akuten Hepatitis E mit dem Nachweis von anti-HEV-IgM gestellt werden. Serologische Tests können bei Immunsupprimierten aber falsch-negativ sein, weshalb in diesen Fällen eine HEV-Infektion nur durch den direkten Nachweis des Erregers mittels PCR im Blut oder Stuhl erfolgen sollte. Natürlicher Verlauf  Eine akute Hepatitis E kann bei Patienten mit anderen chronischen Lebererkrankungen zu einem Leberversagen führen. Chronische Verläufe, definiert durch eine Virämie von mind. 3 Monaten, sind bei Organtransplantierten mit immunsuppressiver Medikation beschrieben, können aber auch bei anderen Immundefizienzen auftreten. Eine chronische Hepatitis E kann innerhalb von Monaten zu einer fortgeschrittenen Leberfibrose oder zur Zirrhose führen. Extrahepatische Manifestationen  Extrahepatische Manifestationen können während und nach einer HEV-Infektion auftreten. Insbesondere Guillain-Barré-Syndrome und die neuralgische Schulteramyotrophie sind mit einer Hepatitis E assoziiert worden. Therapie  Ribavirin hat eine antivirale Wirksamkeit gegen HEV. Bei chronischer Hepatitis E sollte die Behandlung für 3 – 6 Monate durchgeführt werden. Therapieversagen und Rückfälle nach Beendigung einer Behandlung sind möglich. Ein Impfstoff gegen HEV ist bisher nur in China zugelassen.

Learning Plate Tectonics Using a Pre-Analogy Step

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glesener, G. B.; Sandoval, W. A.

2011-12-01

Previous research has shown that children tend to demonstrate lower performance on analogical reasoning tasks at a causal relations level compared to most adults (Gentner & Toupin, 1986). This tendency is an obstacle that geoscience educators must overcome because of the high frequency of analogies used in geoscience pedagogy. In particular, analog models are used to convey complex systems of non-everyday/non-observable events found in nature, such as plate tectonics. Key factors in successful analogical reasoning that have been suggested by researchers include knowledge of the causal relations in the base analog (Brown & Kane, 1988; Gentner, 1988; Gentner & Toupin, 1986), and development of learning strategies and metaconceptual competence(Brown & Kane, 1988). External factors, such as guiding cues and hints have been useful cognitive supports that help students reason through analogical problems (Gick & Holyoak, 1980). Cognitive supports have been seen by researchers to decrease processing demands on retrieval and working memory (Richland, Zur, & Holyoak, 2007). We observed third and fourth graders learning about plate tectonics beginning with a pre-analogy step-a cognitive support activity a student can do before working with an analogy to understand the target. This activity was designed to aid students in developing their understanding of object attributes and relations within an analog model so that more focus can be placed on mapping the corresponding higher-order relations between the base and target. Students learned targeted concepts of plate tectonics, as measured by pre to post gains on items adapted from the Geosciences Concept Inventory. Analyses of classroom interaction showed that students used the object attributes and higher-order relations highlighted in the pre-analogy activity as resources to reason about plate boundaries and plate movement during earthquakes.

Report on the 5‘th scientific meeting of the “Verein zur Förderung des Wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses in der Neurologie” (NEUROWIND e.V.) held in Motzen, Germany, Oct. 25th – Oct. 27th, 2013

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

From october 25th - 27th 2013, the 5th NEUROWIND e.V. meeting was held in Motzen, Brandenburg, Germany. This year more than 60 doctoral students and postdocs from over 25 different groups working in German university hospitals or research institutes attended the meeting to discuss their latest findings in the fields of neuroimmunology, neurodegeneration and neurovascular research. All participants appreciated the stimulating environment in Motzen, Brandenburg, and people took the opportunity for scientific exchange, discussion about ongoing projects and already started further collaborations. Like in the previous years, the symposium was regarded as a very well organized platform to support research of young investigators in Germany. According to the major aim of NEUROWIND e.V. to support younger researchers in Germany the 3rd NEUROWIND YOUNG SCIENTIST AWARD for experimental neurology was awarded to Ruth Stassart working in the group of Klaus Armin Nave and Wolfgang Brück (MPI Göttingen and Department of Neuropathology, Göttingen Germany). The successful work was published in Nature Neuroscience entitled “A role for Swann cell-derived neuregulin-1 in remyelination”. This outstanding paper deals with the function of Schwann cell neuregulin as an endogenous factor for myelin repair. The award is endowed with 20.000 Euro sponsored by Merck Serono GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany (unrestricted educational grant). This year’s keynote lecture was given by Albert Ludolph, Head of the Department of Neurology at the University Clinic of Ulm. Dr. Ludolph highlighted the particular role of individual scientists for the development of research concepts in Alzheimer´s disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). PMID:24330587

PATHOGENESIS OF OPTIC DISC EDEMA IN RAISED INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE

PubMed Central

Hayreh, Sohan Singh

2015-01-01

Optic disc edema in raised intracranial pressure was first described in 1853. Ever since, there has been a plethora of controversial hypotheses to explain its pathogenesis. I have explored the subject comprehensively by doing basic, experimental and clinical studies. My objective was to investigate the fundamentals of the subject, to test the validity of the previous theories, and finally, based on all these studies, to find a logical explanation for the pathogenesis. My studies included the following issues pertinent to the pathogenesis of optic disc edema in raised intracranial pressure: the anatomy and blood supply of the optic nerve, the roles of the sheath of the optic nerve, of the centripetal flow of fluids along the optic nerve, of compression of the central retinal vein, and of acute intracranial hypertension and its associated effects. I found that, contrary to some previous claims, an acute rise of intracranial pressure was not quickly followed by production of optic disc edema. Then, in rhesus monkeys, I produced experimentally chronic intracranial hypertension by slowly increasing in size space-occupying lesions, in different parts of the brain. Those produced raised cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) and optic disc edema, identical to those seen in patients with elevated CSFP. Having achieved that, I investigated various aspects of optic disc edema by ophthalmoscopy, stereoscopic color fundus photography and fluorescein fundus angiography, and light microscopic, electron microscopic, horseradish peroxidase and axoplasmic transport studies, and evaluated the effect of opening the sheath of the optic nerve on the optic disc edema. This latter study showed that opening the sheath resulted in resolution of optic disc edema on the side of the sheath fenestration, in spite of high intracranial CSFP, proving that a rise of CSFP in the sheath was the essential pre-requisite for the development of optic disc edema. I also investigated optic disc edema with raised CSFP in patients, by evaluating optic disc and fundus changes by stereoscopic fundus photography and fluorescein fundus angiography. Based on the combined information from all the studies discussed above, it is clear that the pathogenesis of optic disc edema in raised intracranial pressure is a mechanical phenomenon. It is primarily due to a rise of CSFP in the optic nerve sheath, which produces axoplasmic flow stasis in the optic nerve fibers in the surface nerve fiber layer and prelaminar region of the optic nerve head. Axoplasmic flow stasis then results in swelling of the nerve fibers, and consequently of the optic disc. Swelling of the nerve fibers and of the optic disc secondarily compresses the fine, low-pressure venules in that region, resulting in venous stasis and fluid leakage; that leads to the accumulation of extracellular fluid. Contrary to the previous theories, the various vascular changes seen in optic disc edema are secondary and not primary. Thus, optic disc edema in raised CSFP is due to a combination of swollen nerve fibers and the accumulation of extracellular fluid. My studies also provided information about the pathogeneses of visual disturbances in raised intracranial pressure. PMID:26453995

Pathogenesis of optic disc edema in raised intracranial pressure.

PubMed

Hayreh, Sohan Singh

2016-01-01

Optic disc edema in raised intracranial pressure was first described in 1853. Ever since, there has been a plethora of controversial hypotheses to explain its pathogenesis. I have explored the subject comprehensively by doing basic, experimental and clinical studies. My objective was to investigate the fundamentals of the subject, to test the validity of the previous theories, and finally, based on all these studies, to find a logical explanation for the pathogenesis. My studies included the following issues pertinent to the pathogenesis of optic disc edema in raised intracranial pressure: the anatomy and blood supply of the optic nerve, the roles of the sheath of the optic nerve, of the centripetal flow of fluids along the optic nerve, of compression of the central retinal vein, and of acute intracranial hypertension and its associated effects. I found that, contrary to some previous claims, an acute rise of intracranial pressure was not quickly followed by production of optic disc edema. Then, in rhesus monkeys, I produced experimentally chronic intracranial hypertension by slowly increasing in size space-occupying lesions, in different parts of the brain. Those produced raised cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) and optic disc edema, identical to those seen in patients with elevated CSFP. Having achieved that, I investigated various aspects of optic disc edema by ophthalmoscopy, stereoscopic color fundus photography and fluorescein fundus angiography, and light microscopic, electron microscopic, horseradish peroxidase and axoplasmic transport studies, and evaluated the effect of opening the sheath of the optic nerve on the optic disc edema. This latter study showed that opening the sheath resulted in resolution of optic disc edema on the side of the sheath fenestration, in spite of high intracranial CSFP, proving that a rise of CSFP in the sheath was the essential pre-requisite for the development of optic disc edema. I also investigated optic disc edema with raised CSFP in patients, by evaluating optic disc and fundus changes by stereoscopic fundus photography and fluorescein fundus angiography. Based on the combined information from all the studies discussed above, it is clear that the pathogenesis of optic disc edema in raised intracranial pressure is a mechanical phenomenon. It is primarily due to a rise of CSFP in the optic nerve sheath, which produces axoplasmic flow stasis in the optic nerve fibers in the surface nerve fiber layer and prelaminar region of the optic nerve head. Axoplasmic flow stasis then results in swelling of the nerve fibers, and consequently of the optic disc. Swelling of the nerve fibers and of the optic disc secondarily compresses the fine, low-pressure venules in that region, resulting in venous stasis and fluid leakage; that leads to the accumulation of extracellular fluid. Contrary to the previous theories, the various vascular changes seen in optic disc edema are secondary and not primary. Thus, optic disc edema in raised CSFP is due to a combination of swollen nerve fibers and the accumulation of extracellular fluid. My studies also provided information about the pathogeneses of visual disturbances in raised intracranial pressure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nomadic migration : a service environment for autonomic computing on the Grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanfermann, Gerd

2003-06-01

In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in available compute capacities. However, these “Grid resources” are rarely accessible in a continuous stream, but rather appear scattered across various machine types, platforms and operating systems, which are coupled by networks of fluctuating bandwidth. It becomes increasingly difficult for scientists to exploit available resources for their applications. We believe that intelligent, self-governing applications should be able to select resources in a dynamic and heterogeneous environment: Migrating applications determine a resource when old capacities are used up. Spawning simulations launch algorithms on external machines to speed up the main execution. Applications are restarted as soon as a failure is detected. All these actions can be taken without human interaction. A distributed compute environment possesses an intrinsic unreliability. Any application that interacts with such an environment must be able to cope with its failing components: deteriorating networks, crashing machines, failing software. We construct a reliable service infrastructure by endowing a service environment with a peer-to-peer topology. This “Grid Peer Services” infrastructure accommodates high-level services like migration and spawning, as well as fundamental services for application launching, file transfer and resource selection. It utilizes existing Grid technology wherever possible to accomplish its tasks. An Application Information Server acts as a generic information registry to all participants in a service environment. The service environment that we developed, allows applications e.g. to send a relocation requests to a migration server. The server selects a new computer based on the transmitted resource requirements. It transfers the application's checkpoint and binary to the new host and resumes the simulation. Although the Grid's underlying resource substrate is not continuous, we achieve persistent computations on Grids by relocating the application. We show with our real-world examples that a traditional genome analysis program can be easily modified to perform self-determined migrations in this service environment. In den vergangenen Jahren ist es zu einer dramatischen Vervielfachung der verfügbaren Rechenzeit gekommen. Diese 'Grid Ressourcen' stehen jedoch nicht als kontinuierlicher Strom zur Verfügung, sondern sind über verschiedene Maschinentypen, Plattformen und Betriebssysteme verteilt, die jeweils durch Netzwerke mit fluktuierender Bandbreite verbunden sind. Es wird für Wissenschaftler zunehmend schwieriger, die verfügbaren Ressourcen für ihre Anwendungen zu nutzen. Wir glauben, dass intelligente, selbstbestimmende Applikationen in der Lage sein sollten, ihre Ressourcen in einer dynamischen und heterogenen Umgebung selbst zu wählen: Migrierende Applikationen suchen eine neue Ressource, wenn die alte aufgebraucht ist. 'Spawning'-Anwendungen lassen Algorithmen auf externen Maschinen laufen, um die Hauptanwendung zu beschleunigen. Applikationen werden neu gestartet, sobald ein Absturz endeckt wird. Alle diese Verfahren können ohne menschliche Interaktion erfolgen. Eine verteilte Rechenumgebung besitzt eine natürliche Unverlässlichkeit. Jede Applikation, die mit einer solchen Umgebung interagiert, muss auf die gestörten Komponenten reagieren können: schlechte Netzwerkverbindung, abstürzende Maschinen, fehlerhafte Software. Wir konstruieren eine verlässliche Serviceinfrastruktur, indem wir der Serviceumgebung eine 'Peer-to-Peer'-Topology aufprägen. Diese “Grid Peer Service” Infrastruktur beinhaltet Services wie Migration und Spawning, als auch Services zum Starten von Applikationen, zur Dateiübertragung und Auswahl von Rechenressourcen. Sie benutzt existierende Gridtechnologie wo immer möglich, um ihre Aufgabe durchzuführen. Ein Applikations-Information- Server arbeitet als generische Registratur für alle Teilnehmer in der Serviceumgebung. Die Serviceumgebung, die wir entwickelt haben, erlaubt es Applikationen z.B. eine Relokationsanfrage an einen Migrationsserver zu stellen. Der Server sucht einen neuen Computer, basierend auf den übermittelten Ressourcen-Anforderungen. Er transferiert den Statusfile des Applikation zu der neuen Maschine und startet die Applikation neu. Obwohl das umgebende Ressourcensubstrat nicht kontinuierlich ist, können wir kontinuierliche Berechnungen auf Grids ausführen, indem wir die Applikation migrieren. Wir zeigen mit realistischen Beispielen, wie sich z.B. ein traditionelles Genom-Analyse-Programm leicht modifizieren lässt, um selbstbestimmte Migrationen in dieser Serviceumgebung durchzuführen.

ABCB1-Gen-Polymorphismus in einer polnischen Kohorte ist mit Risiko für bullöses Pemphigoid assoziiert.

PubMed

Rychlik-Sych, Mariola; Barańska, Małgorzata; Dudarewicz, Michał; Skrętkowicz, Jadwiga; Żebrowska, Agnieszka; Owczarek, Jacek; Waszczykowska, Elżbieta

2017-05-01

Polymorphismen im ABCB1-Gen, das für das P-Glykoprotein kodiert, können die intrazelluläre Konzentration von Xenobiotika beeinflussen und so zur Entwicklung von Autoimmunerkrankungen, einschließlich des bullösen Pemphigoids (BP), beitragen. In der vorliegenden Studie sollte untersucht werden, ob in einer polnischen Kohorte die C3435T- und G2677T/A-Polymorphismen im ABCB1-Gen mit dem Risiko für ein BP assoziiert sind. Die Studie umfasste 71 Patienten mit BP und 156 gesunde Probanden. Der C3435T-Polymorphismus wurde mittels PCR-RFLP bestimmt und der G2677T/A-Polymorphismus mittels Allel-spezifischer PCR. Es gab zwar keine Korrelation zwischen dem C3435-Polymorphismus und dem BP-Risiko, aber wir konnten eine derartige Assoziation hinsichtlich des G2677T/A-Polymorphismus nachweisen. Das relative Risiko eines BP war bei Personen mit dem 2677TA-Genotyp um mehr als den Faktor fünf erhöht (OR = 5,52; p = 0,0063) und bei Trägern des 2677TT-Genotyps mehr als verdoppelt (OR = 2,40; p = 0,0076). Mit 2,40 (p = 0,000018) war die OR bei Trägern des 2677T-Allels ebenfalls erhöht. Die höhere Prävalenz des 2677GG-Genotyps und des 2677G-Allels bei der Kontrollgruppe sowie eine OR < 1,0 (0,22 beziehungsweise 0,33) legen eine Schutzfunktion des 2677G-Allels hinsichtlich der Ausbildung eines BP nahe. Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Studie zeigen, dass der G2677T/A-Polymorphismus im ABCB1-Gen das Risiko für die Entstehung eines BP beeinflussen könnte. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Postoperative adjuvante Therapie mit einem Mistelextrakt (Viscum album ssp. album) bei Hündinnen mit Mammatumoren].

PubMed

Biegel, Ulrike; Stratmann, Nina; Knauf, Yvonne; Ruess, Katja; Reif, Marcus; Wehrend, Axel

2017-01-01

Hintergrund: Canine Mammatumoren (CMT) sind wegen ihrer Häufigkeit und hohen Malignitätsrate eine Herausforderung für die Veterinärmedizin. Bisher ist noch keine postoperative adjuvante Therapie als wirksamer Standard etabliert und in den nächsten Jahren wohl auch nicht zu erwarten. Zusätzlich ist die Frage nach der Verträglichkeit einer adjuvanten Therapie mit Erhaltung oder Verbesserung der Lebensqualität (LQ) wichtig. Die Therapie mit Mistelextrakten (Viscum album L.; VAE) ist in der Humanonkologie nach adjuvanter Tumorbasistherapie (Chemotherapie und Bestrahlung) eine sehr häufig verwendete, zusätzliche adjuvante Behandlungsmethode. Auch bei verschiedenen Tierarten werden inzwischen Mistelpräparate in der Onkologie erfolgreich angewendet. Methoden: Überprüfung von Wirkung und Nutzen einer postoperativen, adjuvanten Misteltherapie beim CMT sowie Erfassung der LQ unter der VAE-Behandlung. Ausgewertet wurden 56 Hündinnen mit Mammaadenokarzinom, 33 ausschließlich operierte Kontrolltiere und 23 operierte Tiere, die adjuvant VAE erhielten. Ergebnisse: Die mediane Überlebenszeit (MST) aller Tiere (n = 56) betrug 32 Monate (Interquartilbereich 13-51 Monate). Im deskriptiven Vergleich der Überlebenszeiten (ST) nach Kaplan-Meier waren nach 12, 24, 36 bzw. 48 Monaten noch 24, 20, 15 bzw. 5 Hündinnen (entsprechend 72,7%, 60,6%, 45,1%, 12,4%) der Kontrollgruppe sowie 19, 14, 11 und 1 Hündin (82,6%, 60,9%, 47,8%, 4,3%) der VAE-Gruppe am Leben. Die VAE-Therapie führte zu einem geringeren Gesamtversterberisiko, das statistisch nicht signifikant war (Hazard Ratio (HR) 0,530, 95%-Konfidenzintervall (KI) 0,222-1,262; p = 0,15). Tendenziell (p = 0,07) zeigte sich eine Verringerung des tumorbedingten Sterberisikos auf 25% (HR 0,251, 95%-KI 0,056-1,122). Schlussfolgerungen: Es kann eine Tendenz zur Senkung des tumorbedingten Sterberisikos der VAE-Gruppe bei guter Verträglichkeit der Therapie angenommen werden. Die LQ der Tiere blieb über die gesamte Beobachtungszeit auf hohem Niveau stabil. © 2017 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

Intraläsionale Therapie niedrig maligner primär kutaner B-Zell-Lymphome mit Anti-CD20-Antikörper: Nebenwirkungen korrelieren mit gutem klinischen Ansprechen.

PubMed

Eberle, Franziska C; Holstein, Julia; Scheu, Alexander; Fend, Falko; Yazdi, Amir S

2017-03-01

Die intraläsionale Gabe von Anti-CD20-Antikörpern (Rituximab) wurde als effektive Therapieoption für Patienten mit niedrig malignen primär kutanen B-Zell-Lymphomen beschrieben. Bis heute wurden allerdings keine Parameter identifiziert, welche reproduzierbar ein gutes klinisches Ansprechen dieser Therapie vorhersagen. Ziel dieser Studie ist, sowohl das klinische Ansprechen und die unerwünschten Nebenwirkungen als auch die Patientenwahrnehmung hinsichtlich intraläsionaler Injektionen von anti-CD20-Antikörpern zur Behandlung indolenter primär kutaner B-Zell-Lymphome im Vergleich mit anderen Therapien zu evaluieren. Elf Patienten mit einem primär kutanen B-Zell-Lymphom, namentlich primär kutanes Keimzentrumslymphom (n = 9) und primär kutanes Marginalzonenlymphom (n = 2), welche mittels intraläsionalem Anti-CD20-Antikörper behandelt wurden, wurden retrospektiv evaluiert hinsichtlich der Ansprechrate und unerwünschter Nebenwirkungen sowie in Bezug auf deren Selbsteinschätzung dieser und anderer Therapien des primär kutanen B-Zell-Lymphoms. Patienten, deren primär kutanes B-Zell-Lymphom mittels intraläsionaler Gabe von Anti-CD20-Antikörper behandelt wurde, zeigten ein komplettes oder partielles Ansprechen in 45 % beziehungsweise 27 % aller Patienten. Speziell Patienten mit grippeähnlichen Symptomen nach erfolgter Injektion zeigten ein gutes Ansprechen. Die Mehrheit der Patienten empfand die Therapie mit Rituximab als die beste Therapie im Vergleich zu anderen Therapien wie beispielsweise chirurgische Exzision oder Radiotherapie. Intraläsionales Rituximab ist eine effektive Therapie mit hoher Patientenzufriedenheit. Starke therapiebedingte Nebenwirkungen wie Fieber, Schüttelfrost und Kopfschmerzen nach Gabe von Rituximab könnten als Indikator für gute Wirksamkeit dienen. © 2017 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Windkraftanlagen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surek, Dominik

Windturbinenanlagen nutzen die kinetische Energie des Windes bei Geschwindigkeiten von c=4 m/s bis 25 m/s in Nabenhöhe des Windrades zur Stromerzeugung. Die oben genannten Windgeschwindigkeiten liegen im Grenzschichtbereich der ebenen Strömung (Abb. 67.1), die bei Höhen von h=100 m bis 1000 m liegen und in Großstädten mit Skylines bis 2000 m. Die größten Windturbinentürme erreichen gegenwärtig Nabenhöhen von h=160 m und Windraddurchmesser von d=130 m, d. h. mit Flügellängen von L=65 m. Die Windturbinen werden vorrangig mit 3 Schaufeln ausgeführt. Windturbinen mit einer und zwei Schaufeln waren Versuchsgeräte. Die Drehzahl von Windturbinen für Leistungen von P_{T}=2 MW betragen n=12 bis 20 min{}^{-1}. Das Windrad entzieht dem Wind mit der Anströmgeschwindigkeit c 1 nach Betz die Geschwindigkeitsdifferenz c2=(2/3) c1. Der Rest der Windgeschwindigkeit wird für die Abströmung des Windes im Leebereich c3=c1/3 benötigt. Durch den Entzug der Geschwindigkeit im Laufrad bläht sich der Abströmdurchmesser auf d3> d1 auf, der bei der Installation von Windturbinen zu beachten ist (Abb. 67.2) [Gasch und Twele(2013)]. Um die Windturbinen bei starkem Wind von c {}1> 25 m/s zu schützen, werden die Laufschaufeln durch Pitch- oder Stall-Anlagen aus dem Wind gedreht, so dass die Strömung an den Schaufeln abreißt und das Windrad in die Ruhestellung gelangt. Bei der Windgeschwindigkeit c1=25 m/s bis 34 m/s wird der Windrotor abgeschaltet. Die zulässige Maximalgeschwindigkeit liegt aus Festigkeitsgründen etwa bei . Die aktive Blattverdrehung (Pitchregelung) stellt eine Blattwinkelregelung dar, wobei die Profilnase in die Anströmung gedreht wird. Sie benötigen für die Drehzahlreduzierung keine mechanische Bremse.

A Multi-Proxy Analysis of two Loess-Paleosol Sequences in the Northern Harz Foreland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krauss, Lydia; Zens, Joerg; Zeeden, Christian; Schulte, Philipp; Eckmeier, Eileen; Lehmkuhl, Frank

2016-04-01

Within the second phase of the "Collaborative Research Centre 806 (CRC806) - Our Way to Europe - Culture-Environment Interaction and Human Mobility in the Late Quaternary" two loess-paleosol sections in the northern Harz foreland are being investigated. The region is part of the Northern European loess belt. The northern edge of the loess distribution is characterized by an interlocking of Weichselian silt and sand sized aeolian sediments. To the south the Northern European loess belt is limited by the central German uplands (Mittelgebirge). Here the continuous loess cover disperses into separated loess basins. In comparison to relatively long, continuous and intensively studied sections, e.g. along the Rhine river, investigations on loess-paleosol sequences in the northern Harz foreland have been sparse so far. In 2006 REINECKE created an overview of Pleistocene landscape developments by investigating terrace sequences and loess sections in this area. Due to improvements of research methods over the last ten years, the two loess-paleosol sequences Hecklingen and Zilly are being reinvestigated. Aiming towards a better understanding of the paleoenvironmental conditions during the Weichselian in an area close to the Scandinavian ice sheet, results from grain size, geochemical (XRF, CNS) and color measurements are combined. The results show an increased input of aeolian material during the last glacial maximum and the last cover loess period, supporting the theory of dryer and colder conditions during this time frame. Further, we can see a stronger short distant input within the recent soil and during the last glacial maximum in both profiles. In Hecklingen this is also observed within the MIS 3 soil material. Since soil material dating to the MIS 3 is present, we can assume that surface processes where less intrusive during the MIS 3 and 2 as in e.g. the Lower Rhine Embayment. REINECKE, V. (2006): Untersuchungen zur mittel- und jungpleistozänen Reliefentwicklung und Morphodynamik im nördlichen Harzvorland. Aachen (= Aachener Geographische Arbeiten 43).

Grundvoraussetzungen herzchirurgischer Einheiten zur Behandlung von Patienten mit angeborenen Herzfehlern.

PubMed

2016-01-01

This document defines fundamental structures of congenital cardiac surgery departments in Germany. It has been developed by the executive boards of the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery (GSTCVS) and the German Society of Pediatric Cardiology (GSPC) in collaboration with the working group for Congenital and Pediatric Heart Surgery of the GSTCVS.This updated consensus paper is based on a previous publication of the European Association for Cardiothoracic Surgery (EACTS) and is a refinement and adaptation of its initial version published by the GSTCVS in 2005. In Germany, pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery facilities caring for patients with congenital cardiac defects are subject to certain regulations. For example, in 2010 the Federal Joint Committee implemented the resolution on Quality Assurance Measures in the Provision of Cardiac Surgical Care for Children and Adolescents (directive congenital cardiac surgery) which regulates structural and process quality compulsorily. To date, fundamental and considerable differences of the respective departments persist.Congenital cardiac surgery departments have to provide the whole spectrum of the cardiac surgical therapy from the neonate to the adult with congenital cardiac defects (with the exception of heart transplantation) continuously and with the appropriate experience. Furthermore, the departments have to prove their constant scientific activity and ensure that they facilitate education and training for the specialty certification in cardiac surgery. The responsible surgeons of all congenital cardiac surgery departments commit to participate in the currently voluntary national quality assurance for congenital cardiac defects of the GSTCVS and the GSPC and perform an individual surgical outcome assessment and risk stratification. This is supplemented by the willingness for external certification specific to the individual and the facilitation of peer review procedures for quality assurance purposes. Additional measures, such as collaboration in clinical research and ongoing interdisciplinary education and training, are preferable. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[Treatment motivation and results of inpatient psychotherapy for women with depressive disorders: a prospective study].

PubMed

Nickel, C; Muehlbacher, M; Kettler, C; Tritt, K; Egger, C; Lahmann, C; Pedrosa Gil, F; Leiberich, P; Bachler, E; Buschmann, W; Forthuber, P; Fartacek, R; Mitterlehner, F; Rother, W; Loew, T; Nickel, M

2006-01-01

Whether the treatment results in inpatient psychotherapy are significantly influenced by the patient's motivation is a subject of discussion. The goal of this study was to assess whether the primary motivation for therapy in depressive women influences the results of psychotherapeutic treatment. In a prospective study, the monitored results from 64 female inpatients (32 who were highly motivated to enter therapy, and 32 who were minimally motivated) were compared to each other. The period of observation was six weeks. As instruments of assessment, the Fragebogen zur Therapiemotivation (FMP) (Questonnaire on Motivation for Entering Therapy) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were aministered upon admission; after the fourth and sixth weeks of therapy, the Veränderungsfragebogen des Erlebens und Verhaltens (VEV) (Questionnaire of Changes in Experience and Behavior) was administered as well. All patients who had applied for a pension were found in the group of less motivated patients and consolidated into a subgroup. The analysis was carried out according to the intent-to-treat principle. The variance analysis for the repeat measurements showed significant differences on all the FMP scales and on the BDI (all P< 0.001). The measurements with VEV likewise resulted in a significant difference (P< 0.01). The subgroup of "pension patients" showed significantly less change in all three of the above measurements. Patients with depressive symptomology who essentially are relatively highly motivated for therapy could profit significantly more from inpatient psychosomatic treatment than those who are less motivated. Establishing and developing motivation prior to inpatient hospitalization could possibly contribute to more efficient and cost-effective clinical treatment. Where legal proceedings pertaining to a pension are pending, relatively less motivated patients fare significantly worse not only in their motivational development for therapy, but also in their final treatment results. It should be noted, however, that the relatively small random sample, the restricted blinding, which was only partially possible, could have led to possible distortions.

[Motivation for psychosomatic-psychotherapeutic treatment of vocational stresses -- development and validation of a questionnaire].

PubMed

Zwerenz, R; Knickenberg, R J; Schattenburg, L; Beutel, M E

2005-02-01

There is a lack of questionnaires assessing the motivation of inpatients to scrutinize occupational stresses and deal with them as part of their psychotherapeutic treatment. Work-related stress contributes significantly to the development of mental disorders. Vocational reintegration is an outcome criterion for the success of vocational rehabilitation. Patients are often not motivated for dealing with occupational stresses during inpatient medical rehabilitation. Therefore it is necessary to assess patient motivation at the beginning of treatment, in order to assign them to specific interventions, e. g. promoting motivation. A questionnaire (Fragebogen zur berufsbezogenen Therapiemotivation -- FBTM) consisting of 84 items was developed, based on published questionnaires for psychotherapy motivation. 283 psychosomatic rehabilitation inpatients were administered the FBTM, subsequently analyzed by item and factor analyses. Based on a second sample (n = 282) confirmatory factor analyses and validation of the questionnaire were executed. Item and factor analyses revealed a four factor structure. 24 items constituted the subscales that could be described as "intention to change", "wish for pension", "negative treatment expectations" and "active coping". Reliability (Cronbach's Alpha) was satisfactory with coefficients between 0.69 and 0.87, and only low correlations could be found between the four subscales. Correlations with other measures were most pronounced for the subscale "intention to change". Some significant but low correlations could be reported between the FBTM and a standardized questionnaire of psychotherapy motivation (FMP). Confirmatory factor analyses of a second sample (n = 282) confirmed the original four factors. First evidence of sensitivity could be observed in a sample of patients who took part in an intervention promoting work-related therapy motivation during psychosomatic inpatient rehabilitation. The FBTM is a reliable and valid instrument assessing work-related therapy motivation of inpatients, as a relevant therapeutic measure in psychosomatic rehabilitation. Further validation, especially the analysis of predictive validity is desirable.

Affective and behavioral dysfunction under antiepileptic drugs in epilepsy: Development of a new drug-sensitive screening tool.

PubMed

Mertens, Lea Julia; Witt, Juri-Alexander; Helmstaedter, Christoph

2018-06-01

Behavioral problems and psychiatric symptoms are common in patients with epilepsy and have a multifactorial origin, including adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). In order to develop a screening tool for behavioral AED effects, the aim of this study was to identify behavioral problems and symptoms particularly sensitive to AED drug load and the presence/absence of AEDs with known negative psychotropic profiles. Four hundred ninety-four patients with epilepsy were evaluated who had been assessed with three self-report questionnaires on mood, personality, and behavior (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI; Neurological Disorders Depression Inventory for Epilepsy extended, NDDI-E; and Fragebogen zur Persönlichkeit bei zerebralen Erkrankungen, FPZ). Drug-sensitive items were determined via correlation analyses and entered into an exploratory factor analysis for scale construction. The resulting scales were then analyzed as a function of drug treatment. Analyses revealed 30 items, which could be allocated to six behavioral domains: Emotional Lability, Depression, Aggression/Irritability, Psychosis & Suicidality, Risk- & Sensation-seeking, and Somatization. Subsequent analysis showed significant effects of the number of AEDs on behavior, as in Emotional Lability (F=2.54, p=.029), Aggression/Irritability (F=2.29, p=.046), Psychosis & Suicidality (F=2.98, p=.012), and Somatization (F=2.39, p=.038). Affective and behavioral difficulties were more prominent in those patients taking AEDs with supposedly negative psychotropic profiles. These effects were largely domain-unspecific and primarily manifested in polytherapy. Drug-sensitive behavioral domains and items were identified which qualify for a self-report screening tool. The tool indicates impairments with a higher drug load and when administering AEDs with negative psychotropic profiles. The next steps require normalization in healthy subjects and the clinical validation of the newly developed screening tool PsyTrack along with antiepileptic drug treatment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integration of heterogeneous molecular networks to unravel gene-regulation in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

PubMed

van Dam, Jesse C J; Schaap, Peter J; Martins dos Santos, Vitor A P; Suárez-Diez, María

2014-09-26

Different methods have been developed to infer regulatory networks from heterogeneous omics datasets and to construct co-expression networks. Each algorithm produces different networks and efforts have been devoted to automatically integrate them into consensus sets. However each separate set has an intrinsic value that is diluted and partly lost when building a consensus network. Here we present a methodology to generate co-expression networks and, instead of a consensus network, we propose an integration framework where the different networks are kept and analysed with additional tools to efficiently combine the information extracted from each network. We developed a workflow to efficiently analyse information generated by different inference and prediction methods. Our methodology relies on providing the user the means to simultaneously visualise and analyse the coexisting networks generated by different algorithms, heterogeneous datasets, and a suite of analysis tools. As a show case, we have analysed the gene co-expression networks of Mycobacterium tuberculosis generated using over 600 expression experiments. Regarding DNA damage repair, we identified SigC as a key control element, 12 new targets for LexA, an updated LexA binding motif, and a potential mismatch repair system. We expanded the DevR regulon with 27 genes while identifying 9 targets wrongly assigned to this regulon. We discovered 10 new genes linked to zinc uptake and a new regulatory mechanism for ZuR. The use of co-expression networks to perform system level analysis allows the development of custom made methodologies. As show cases we implemented a pipeline to integrate ChIP-seq data and another method to uncover multiple regulatory layers. Our workflow is based on representing the multiple types of information as network representations and presenting these networks in a synchronous framework that allows their simultaneous visualization while keeping specific associations from the different networks. By simultaneously exploring these networks and metadata, we gained insights into regulatory mechanisms in M. tuberculosis that could not be obtained through the separate analysis of each data type.

Acceptance of technology-enhanced learning for a theoretical radiological science course: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Nkenke, Emeka; Vairaktaris, Elefterios; Bauersachs, Anne; Eitner, Stephan; Budach, Alexander; Knipfer, Christoph; Stelzle, Florian

2012-03-30

Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) gives a view to improved education. However, there is a need to clarify how TEL can be used effectively. The study compared students' attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face course on theoretical radiological science and a TEL course where students could combine face-to-face lectures and e-learning modules at their best convenience. 42 third-year dental students were randomly assigned to the traditional face-to-face group and the TEL group. Both groups completed questionnaires before the beginning and after completion of the course on attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face lectures and technology-enhanced learning. After completion of the course both groups also filled in the validated German-language TRIL (Trierer Inventar zur Lehrevaluation) questionnaire for the evaluation of courses given at universities. Both groups had a positive attitude towards e-learning that did not change over time. The TEL group attended significantly less face-to-face lectures than the traditional group. However, both groups stated that face-to-face lectures were the basis for education in a theoretical radiological science course. The members of the TEL group rated e-mail reminders significantly more important when they filled in the questionnaire on attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face lectures and technology-enhanced learning for the second time after completion of the course. The members of the technology-enhanced learning group were significantly less confident in passing the exam compared to the members of the traditional group. However, examination results did not differ significantly for traditional and the TEL group. It seems that technology-enhanced learning in a theoretical radiological science course has the potential to reduce the need for face-to-face lectures. At the same time examination results are not impaired. However, technology-enhanced learning cannot completely replace traditional face-to-face lectures, because students indicate that they consider traditional teaching as the basis of their education.

Biologie statt Philosophie? Evolutionäre Kulturerklärungen und ihre Grenzen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Illies, Christian

Vor über siebzig Jahren fand man in einer Höhle nahe Hohlenstein-Stadel, im heutigen Baden-Württemberg, eine Frau, die keiner bekannten Spezies und nicht einmal eindeutig den Hominiden zugeordnet werden konnte. Wegen ihres Aussehens wurde sie schon bald als "Löwenfrau“ bekannt (unterdessen wird sie als "Löwenmensch“ bezeichnet, da die in solchen Fragen Klarheit schaffenden Geschlechtsteile bei der Figur fehlen und in Zeiten von gender mainstreaming derartige Festlegungen gerne vermieden werden), denn sie hatte eine menschlich-aufrechte, unbehaarte Gestalt mit weiblichen Rundungen, aber zugleich eine Mähne, sowie Augen, Ohren und Schnauze eines Löwen. Eine sehr weitläufige Verwandte des Minotaurus, so schien es, und doch wesentlich älter als alle Bewohner des Olymps, denn vermutlich wurde die knapp 30 cm große Skulptur bereits in der Altsteinzeit vor etwa 32.000 Jahren aus Mammut-Elfenbein geschnitzt. Wir wissen nicht, ob sie kultischen Zwecken diente oder ein Kind mit ihr spielte, ob sie als Glücksbringer für die Jagd oder als Schamanin mit Löwenmaske verehrt und gefürchtet wurde. Aber die Löwenfrau legt nahe, dass der Mensch schon im Morgendämmern seiner Kultur über die eigene Nähe, aber auch Distanz zum Tier nachgedacht haben muss. Die Frage nach der menschlichen Selbstverortung begegnet uns in dieser Figur, und sie bestimmt viele Zeugnisse menschlichen Nachdenkens, welche uns die Altertumswissenschaften vorlegen. Mit dem Begriff "animal rationale“, wie er unter Bezug auf Aristoteles geprägt wurde, findet sie schließlich ihre klassische, für das Abendland lange Zeit maßgebliche Antwort: Der Mensch als Tier, dessen spezifisches Merkmal die Vernunftbegabtheit ist, die ihn zugleich von allen anderen Tieren abgrenzt und über sie stellt. Aber wo genau verläuft die Grenze? Und wie kann der Mensch beides zugleich sein? Die aristotelische Definition beantwortet diese Fragen nach der Doppelnatur nicht, sondern erhebt das offene Rätsel gleichsam zur Wesensbestimmung des Menschen.

Loess in Europe—its spatial distribution based on a European Loess Map, scale 1:2,500,000

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haase, D.; Fink, J.; Haase, G.; Ruske, R.; Pécsi, M.; Richter, H.; Altermann, M.; Jäger, K.-D.

2007-05-01

The paper focuses on the concept, mapping and discussion of loess distribution in Western, Central and Eastern Europe at a scale of 1:2,500,000. The research work is based on studies and data compilation primarily carried out in the 1970s and 1980s [Fink, J., Haase, G., Ruske, R., 1977. Bemerkungen zur Lößkarte von Europe 1:2,5 Mio. Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen 2(77), 81-94; Fink, J., 1969 Les progres de l' etude de loess en Europe. Bulletin de l' Association française pour l' etude du Quarternaire 3-12. Haase, G., Ruske, R., Fink, J., 1983. Conception, preparation and some results of the Loess Map of Europe on a scale 1:2,5 Million. INQUA Newsletter 1983(1), 7-10] and completed recently by additional material and literature references. Reference is also made to recent GIS-based data processing and visualisation techniques that were utilised for the final version of the European Loess Map. The paper provides an overview of the history of the conceptualisation of the map as well as on the loess study in Europe, and than considers the cartographic data on loess sediment formation and distribution in Europe. The classification of loess and loess-like sediments and their distribution throughout Europe as reproduced in the map are discussed [Haase, G., Lieberoth, I., Ruske, R., 1970. Sedimente und Paläoböden im Lössgürtel. In: Richter, H., Haase, G., Lieberoth, I., Ruske, R. (Eds.), Periglazial-Löß-Paläolithikum om JUngpleistozän der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik; Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen 274, 99-212]. The paper illustrates the final state of the loess distribution map of Europe at a scale of 1:2,500,000 and the digital data references on which it is based. Some applications of the map are suggested.

Preparation courses for medical clerkships and the final clinical internship in medical education – The Magdeburg Curriculum for Healthcare Competence

PubMed Central

Spura, Anke; Werwick, Katrin; Feißel, Annemarie; Gottschalk, Marc; Winkler-Stuck, Kirstin; Robra, Bernt-Peter; Braun-Dullaeus, Rüdiger C.; Stieger, Philipp

2016-01-01

Background/Goals: Supporting medical students entering their internships – the clinical clerkship and the internship “final clinical year” (Praktisches Jahr, PJ) – the seminars “Ready for Clerkship” and “Ready for PJ” were held for the first time in 2014 and continued successfully in 2015. These seminars are part of the “Magdeburg Curriculum for Healthcare Competence” (Magdeburger Curriculum zur Versorgungskompetenz, MCV). The concept comprises three main issues: “Understanding interdisciplinary clinical procedures”, “Interprofessional collaboration”, and “Individual cases and their reference to the system.” The aim of the seminar series is to prepare students as medical trainees for their role in the practice-oriented clinical clerkship and PJ, respectively. Methods: Quality assurance evaluations and didactic research are integral parts of the seminars. In preparation for the “Ready for PJ” seminar a needs assessment was conducted. The seminars were rated by the participants using an anonymized questionnaire consisting of a 5-choice Likert scale (ranging from 1=fully agree to 5=fully disagree) and spaces for comments that was generated by the evaluation software Evasys. Results: The results are presented for the preparatory seminars “Ready for Clerkship” and “Fit für PJ” held in 2014 and 2015. Overall, the students regarded the facultative courses as very good preparation for the clerkship as well as for the PJ. The three-dimensional main curricular concept of the MCV was recognized in the evaluation as a valuable educational approach. Interprofessional collaboration, taught by instructors focussing in teamwork between disciplines, was scored positively and highly valued. Conclusions: The “Magdeburg Curriculum for Healthcare Competence” (MCV) integrates clerkship and PJ in a framing educational concept and allows students a better appreciation of their role in patient care and the tasks that they will face. The MCV concept can be utilized in other practice-oriented phases (nursing internship, bed-side teaching, block internships). PMID:27275505

Dose-rate effects of ethylene oxide exposure on developmental toxicity.

PubMed

Weller, E; Long, N; Smith, A; Williams, P; Ravi, S; Gill, J; Henessey, R; Skornik, W; Brain, J; Kimmel, C; Kimmel, G; Holmes, L; Ryan, L

1999-08-01

In risk assessment, evaluating a health effect at a duration of exposure that is untested involves assuming that equivalent multiples of concentration (C) and duration (T) of exposure have the same effect. The limitations of this approach (attributed to F. Haber, Zur Geschichte des Gaskrieges [On the history of gas warfare], in Funf Vortrage aus den Jahren 1920-1923 [Five lectures from the years 1920-1923], 1924, Springer, Berlin, pp. 76-92), have been noted in several studies. The study presented in this paper was designed to specifically look at dose-rate (C x T) effects, and it forms an ideal case study to implement statistical models and to examine the statistical issues in risk assessment. Pregnant female C57BL/6J mice were exposed, on gestational day 7, to ethylene oxide (EtO) via inhalation for 1.5, 3, or 6 h at exposures that result in C x T multiples of 2100 or 2700 ppm-h. EtO was selected because of its short half-life, documented developmental toxicity, and relevance to exposures that occur in occupational settings. Concurrent experiments were run with animals exposed to air for similar periods. Statistical analysis using models developed to assess dose-rate effects revealed significant effects with respect to fetal death and resorptions, malformations, crown-to-rump length, and fetal weight. Animals exposed to short, high exposures of EtO on day 7 of gestation were found to have more adverse effects than animals exposed to the same C x T multiple but at longer, lower exposures. The implication for risk assessment is that applying Haber's Law could potentially lead to an underestimation of risk at a shorter duration of exposure and an overestimation of risk at a longer duration of exposure. Further research, toxicological and statistical, are required to understand the mechanism of the dose-rate effects, and how to incorporate the mechanistic information into the risk assessment decision process.

Vom Urknall zum Durchknall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Unzicker, Alexander

Lautstarker Applaus erhob sich im Salon III/IV des Marriott-Hotels von Crystal City im amerikanischen Bundesstaat Virginia. In dem überfüllten Konferenzraum starrten alle wie gebannt auf die Leinwand, wo nicht mehr zu sehen war als ein nüchternes Diagramm aus zahlreichen Punkten und einer geschwungenen Kurve. Nureine eigenartige Personengruppe konnte sich davon zu Emotionen hinreißen lassen - Physiker auf der Jahrestagung der Astronomischen Gesellschaft, die ihren Begeisterungssturm noch minutenlang fortsetzten. Was war geschehen? Die im Diagramm aufgetragenen Daten bestätigten mit einer nie da gewesenen Genauigkeit ein fundamentales Naturgesetz zur Wärmeabstrahlung von heißen Körpern. 1900 von Max Planck entdeckt, leuchtete es nun in geradezu mathematischer Reinheit auf. Noch sensationeller war der Ursprung der Daten - Mikrowellensignale verschiedener Frequenzen, die nicht aus einem irdischen Labor stammten, sondern von einem heißen Urzustand des Universums! Ein Feuerball aus Wasserstoff und Helium, noch ohne jegliche Strukturen, die irgendwann Leben ermöglichen sollten, ließ damals seinem Licht freien Lauf. Mehr als zehn Milliarden Jahre war es bis zu den Detektoren des vom Menschen gebauten Satelliten COBE unterwegs, der wenige Tage zuvor die Daten übertragen hatte. Wenn ich das alles wie einen Film in meiner Vorstellung ablaufen lasse, bekomme ich immer eine Gänsehaut, als würde ich die inzwischen extrem abgekühlte Strahlung tatsächlich spüren. Ihre Gleichverteilung im Raum macht uns auch deutlich, dass wir uns nicht einbilden dürfen, an einem besonderen Ort im Universum zu leben - intelligente Aliens könnten sich seitdem überall entwickelt haben! Sollten sie - was nicht wahrscheinlich ist - uns wirklich von Zeit zu Zeit über die Schulter schauen, dann hätten sie an jenem Nachmittag des 13. Januar 1990, als der Vortrag stattfand, bestimmt anerkennend mit ihrem großen Kopf genickt.

Double-mode Two-photon Absorption and Enhanced Photon Antibunching Due to Interference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandilla, A.; Ritze, H.-H.

Inspired by results of interfering signal and idler from a nondegenerate parametric amplifier we investigate the photon statistics of the resulting field after interference of two components subjected to double-mode two-photon absorption. This absorption process leads to a strong correlation of the participating modes, which can be used to generate fields with photon antibunching in interference experiments. In addition the photon number can be made small, which produces enhanced antibunching.Translated AbstractZwei-Photonen-Absorption aus zwei Moden und durch Interferenz verstärktes photon antibunchingDie quantenmechanische Betrachtung der Interferenz führt zu neuen Ergebnissen, wenn Felder ohne klassisches Analogon betrachtet werden. Insbesondere ergibt sich durch die Reduktion der Photonenzahl durch Interferenz eine effektive Verstärkung des Photon Antibunching, wie von den Verfassern in vorhergehenden Arbeiten gezeigt wurde. Die vorliegende Untersuchung betrachtet die Interferenz von zwei korrelierten Moden, wobei die Korrelation durch Zwei-Photonen-Absorption aus den beiden Moden zustande kommt. In jeder einzelnen Mode ergibt sich lediglich ein gewisses Bunching, wenn man mit kohärentem Licht in beiden Moden beginnt. Es wird die Interferenz der Feldstärke-Komponenten in bestimmten Polarisationsrichtungen untersucht. Zur Vereinfachung wird in den betrachteten Moden die gleiche Anfangsphotonenzahl vorausgesetzt und der Analysator auf minimale Transmittanz gebracht. Das eigentliche Signal entsteht dann durch Einführung einer endlichen Phasenverschiebung zwischen den beiden Moden. Dieses Signal zeigt Antibunching und kann in seiner Intensität beliebig variiert werden, was wegen des (1/n)-Charakters des Antibunching zu seiner Verstärkung führt. Ferner wird gezeigt, daß die zunächst für zwei linear polarisierte Moden durchgeführte Rechnung auf zwei zirkulare Moden sowie auf zwei gegenläufige Strahlen bei der dopplerfreien Zwei-Quanten-Absorption übertragen werden kann. Die Ergebnisse werden durch numerische Rechnungen gestützt und schließlich durch approximative Methoden reproduziert und erweitert.

Preparation courses for medical clerkships and the final clinical internship in medical education - The Magdeburg Curriculum for Healthcare Competence.

PubMed

Spura, Anke; Werwick, Katrin; Feißel, Annemarie; Gottschalk, Marc; Winkler-Stuck, Kirstin; Robra, Bernt-Peter; Braun-Dullaeus, Rüdiger C; Stieger, Philipp

2016-01-01

Supporting medical students entering their internships - the clinical clerkship and the internship "final clinical year" (Praktisches Jahr, PJ) - the seminars "Ready for Clerkship" and "Ready for PJ" were held for the first time in 2014 and continued successfully in 2015. These seminars are part of the "Magdeburg Curriculum for Healthcare Competence" (Magdeburger Curriculum zur Versorgungskompetenz, MCV). The concept comprises three main issues: "Understanding interdisciplinary clinical procedures", "Interprofessional collaboration", and "Individual cases and their reference to the system." The aim of the seminar series is to prepare students as medical trainees for their role in the practice-oriented clinical clerkship and PJ, respectively. Quality assurance evaluations and didactic research are integral parts of the seminars. In preparation for the "Ready for PJ" seminar a needs assessment was conducted. The seminars were rated by the participants using an anonymized questionnaire consisting of a 5-choice Likert scale (ranging from 1=fully agree to 5=fully disagree) and spaces for comments that was generated by the evaluation software Evasys. The results are presented for the preparatory seminars "Ready for Clerkship" and "Fit für PJ" held in 2014 and 2015. Overall, the students regarded the facultative courses as very good preparation for the clerkship as well as for the PJ. The three-dimensional main curricular concept of the MCV was recognized in the evaluation as a valuable educational approach. Interprofessional collaboration, taught by instructors focussing in teamwork between disciplines, was scored positively and highly valued. The "Magdeburg Curriculum for Healthcare Competence" (MCV) integrates clerkship and PJ in a framing educational concept and allows students a better appreciation of their role in patient care and the tasks that they will face. The MCV concept can be utilized in other practice-oriented phases (nursing internship, bed-side teaching, block internships).

A Mathematical Physicist's Approach to Virology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Twarock, Reidun

2012-02-01

The following talk has been given in a special session dedicated to Professor Heinz-Dietrich Doebner at QTS in Prague in August 2011 on the occasion of his 80th birthday. It documents my journey from being a PhD student in Mathematical Physics at the Arnold Sommerfeld Institute in Clausthal under his supervision, to becoming a Professor of Mathematical Biology at the University of York in the UK. I am currently heading an interdisciplinary research group of eight PDRAs and PhDs, focussed on investigating the structures of viruses from a symmetry perspective and unravelling the implications of virus structure on how viruses form and infect their hosts. A central element in my research is my fascination with the development and application of symmetry techniques, which stems from my time in Clausthal when working with Professor Doebner and colleagues. I would like to thank Professor Doebner for these important formative years in Clausthal. Der folgende Vortrag war mein Beitrag zu einer Festsitzung fuer Herrn Professor Heinz-Dietrich Doebner auf der Tagung QTS im August 2011 anläßlich seines achzigsten Geburtstags. Dieser Beitrag dokumentiert, wie sich meine Forschungen aus der Zeit als Doktorandin von Herrn Professor Doebner in Mathematischer Physik am Arnold Sommerfeld Institut in Clausthal weiterentwickelt haben, und zu meiner Professur in Mathematischer Biologie an der Universität York geführt haben. Ich leite dort zur Zeit eine interdisziplinäre Forschungsgruppe von acht Postdocs und Doktoranden, die sich mit der Entwicklung und Anwendung von Symmetrie-Techniken in der Virologie beschäftigt, und insbesondere untersucht, wie sich die Symmetrie-Eigenschaften von Viren auf deren Entstehung und Funktionsweise auswirken. Eine wichtige Vorraussetzung für dieses Forschungsprogramm ist meine Faszination für die Modellierung von Symmetrie-Eigenschaften, die ich während meiner Zusammenarbeit mit Herrn Professor Doebner und Kollegen in Clausthal entwickelt habe. Ich möchte Herrn Professor Doebner für diese wichtigen formativen Jahre besonderen Dank aussprechen.

[Johann van Beethoven (1776-1848)].

PubMed

Eikermann, Erika

2012-01-01

The article about the life and achievements of the apothecary Johann van Beethoven, the younger brother of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven, depicts a vivid picture of life in the 18th, 19t century. Research on archived original documents in Bonn, Vienna and Linz on the Danube made it possible to reveal details about the relationship inside this famous family and describes the hurdles of life of a successful apothecary. In 1776 Johann van Beethoven was born as the fourth child of the Beethoven family, a family of Bonner musicians. In 1790 he began his apprenticeship to become an apothecary at the Bonner "Hofapotheke". Towards the end of 1795 he moved to join his older brothers Ludwig and Karl in Vienna. During his time there he worked as a "subject" in various Viennese pharmacies. However in 1808 he purchased the pharmacy "Zur Goldenen Krone" in Linz on the Danube. His new pharmacy flourished, supplying first the Napoleonic occupation troops, and later the Austrian Military with medicines and field dressing/bandage materials. When in 1812 he married his Housekeeper, his Brother Ludwig opposed harshly, on reasons of social status and on moral grounds. Four years later, in 1816 Johann sold the pharmacy in Linz and founded a new pharmacy in Urfahr, on the opposite bank of the Danube. In 1819 he became a squire (or landowner), when he purchased a manor estate in Gneixendorf, near Krems on the Danube. In spite of his numerous duties as an apothecary and squire, Johann was frequently resident in Vienna, supporting his brother both emotionally and pharmaceutically. At the end of his life Johann sold both his pharmacy and the Gneixendorf estate, and spent his last years as a private gentleman living a dazzling lifestyle in Vienna. He died on January 12th 1848 and was buried in Vienna's "Waldmüllerpark".

[A correlation study between diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome complicated functional dyspepsia patients of Gan-stagnation Pi-deficiency syndrome and gastrointestinal hormones].

PubMed

Zhao, Liang; Song, Wen; Zhu, Ping; Zhang, Yu; Bu, Ping

2014-10-01

To investigate the correlation between the pathogeneses of diarrhea-pre- dominant irritable bowel syndrome (D-IBS) complicated functional dyspepsia (FD) patients of Gan-stagnation Pi-deficiency Syndrome (GSPDS) and symptoms, psychological states, and gastrointestinal hormones. A total of 111 patients with confirmed D-IBS complicated FD of GSPDS were recruited as the treated group by using Rome III standard and Chinese medical syndrome standard. And 30 healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group. The general condition, scoring for digestive symptoms, and the distribution of GSPDS subtype of all subjects were recorded by a questionnaire, and assessed by Symptom Checklist (SCL-90; a software for psychological test developed by Beijing Huicheng Adult Cor- poration). Meanwhile, plasma levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), somatostatin (SS), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), endothelin (ET), interleukin 10 (IL-10), and interleukin 12 (IL-12) were measured in all subjects. (1) The subtype of D-IBS complicated FD of GSPDS was dominant in Pi-qi deficiency type (51/111,45.9%),Pi yang deficiency type (34/111,30.6%), and GSPDS. There was no statistical difference in the scoring of digestive symptoms among the 3 subtypes (P >0.05). (2) Compared with the control group, the anxiety factor score and the total score significantly increased in all three subtypes of D-IBS complicated FD of GSPDS, and the depression score of Pi yang deficiency type and Gan-depression type also significantly increased (P <0.05, P <0.01); the depression score of Gan-depression type was significantly higher than that of the Pi-qi deficiency type (P <0.01). Plasma 5-HT levels were obviously lower in D-IBS complicated FD patients of GSPDS accompanied with anxiety or depression than in those with no obvious psychological abnormalities, and VIP and IL-10 levels were significantly lower than those in the control group (P <0.05). Plasma VIP levels were also obviously lower in D-IBS complicated FD patients of GSPDS accompanied with anxiety or depression than in those with no obvious psychological abnormalities (P <0.01), and SS levels were significantly lower than those in the control group (P <0.05). There was no statistical difference in plasma ET or IL-12 levels in each patient group, when compared with the control group (P >0.05). (3) Compared with the.control group, plasma 5-HT levels significantly increased, plasma VIP and IL-10 levels significantly decreased in ach subtype of D-IBS complicated FD patients of GSPDS (P <0.05, P <0.01), and no significant change of SS, ET, or IL-12 occurred (P >0.05). Besides, plasma 5-HT levels were significantly higher in Gan-depression type than in Pi yang deficiency type, VIP levels were lower in Gan-depression type than in Pi-qi deficiency type (all P <0.05). Gan stagnation and Pi deficiency were dominant in D-IBS complicated FD patients of GSPDS. Psychological abnormalities, increased plasma 5-HT levels, and decreased plasma VIP levels were closely correlated with Gan stagnation subtype, which provided some reference for looking for objective indicators of Chinese medical syndromes in treating D-IBS complicated FD patients of GSPDS.

A review of MRI findings in schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Shenton, Martha E.; Dickey, Chandlee C.; Frumin, Melissa; McCarley, Robert W.

2009-01-01

After more than 100 years of research, the neuropathology of schizophrenia remains unknown and this is despite the fact that both Kraepelin (1919/1971: Kraepelin,E., 1919/1971. Dementia praecox. Churchill Livingston Inc., New York) and Bleuler (1911/1950: Bleuler, E., 1911/1950. Dementia praecox or the group of schizophrenias. International Universities Press, New York), who first described ‘dementia praecox’ and the ‘ schizophrenias’, were convinced that schizophrenia would ultimately be linked to an organic brain disorder. Alzheimer (1897: Alzheimer, A., 1897. Beitrage zur pathologischen anatomie der hirnrinde und zur anatomischen grundlage einiger psychosen. Monatsschrift fur Psychiarie und Neurologie. 2, 82–120) was the first to investigate the neuropathology of schizophrenia, though he went on to study more tractable brain diseases. The results of subsequent neuropathological studies were disappointing because of conflicting findings. Research interest thus waned and did not flourish again until 1976, following the pivotal computer assisted tomography (CT) finding of lateral ventricular enlargement in schizophrenia by Johnstone and colleagues. Since that time significant progress has been made in brain imaging, particularly with the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), beginning with the first MRI study of schizophrenia by Smith and coworkers in 1984 (Smith, R.C., Calderon, M., Ravichandran, G.K., et al. (1984). Nuclear magnetic resonance in schizophrenia: A preliminary study. Psychiatry Res. 12, 137–147). MR in vivo imaging of the brain now confirms brain abnormalities in schizophrenia. The 193 peer reviewed MRI studies reported in the current review span the period from 1988 to August, 2000. This 12 year period has witnessed a burgeoning of MRI studies and has led to more definitive findings of brain abnormalities in schizophrenia than any other time period in the history of schizophrenia research. Such progress in defining the neuropathology of schizophrenia is largely due to advances in in vivo MRI techniques. These advances have now led to the identification of a number of brain abnormalities in schizophrenia. Some of these abnormalities confirm earlier post-mortem findings, and most are small and subtle, rather than large, thus necessitating more advanced and accurate measurement tools. These findings include ventricular enlargement (80% of studies reviewed) and third ventricle enlargement (73% of studies reviewed). There is also preferential involvement of medial temporal lobe structures (74% of studies reviewed), which include the amygdala, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus, and neocortical temporal lobe regions (superior temporal gyrus) (100% of studies reviewed). When gray and white matter of superior temporal gyrus was combined, 67% of studies reported abnormalities. There was also moderate evidence for frontal lobe abnormalities (59% of studies reviewed), particularly prefrontal gray matter and orbitofrontal regions. Similarly, there was moderate evidence for parietal lobe abnormalities (60% of studies reviewed), particularly of the inferior parietal lobule which includes both supramarginal and angular gyri. Additionally, there was strong to moderate evidence for subcortical abnormalities (i.e. cavum septi pellucidi—92% of studies reviewed, basal ganglia—68% of studies reviewed, corpus callosum—63% of studies reviewed, and thalamus—42% of studies reviewed), but more equivocal evidence for cerebellar abnormalities (31% of studies reviewed). The timing of such abnormalities has not yet been determined, although many are evident when a patient first becomes symptomatic. There is, however, also evidence that a subset of brain abnormalities may change over the course of the illness. The most parsimonious explanation is that some brain abnormalities are neurodevelopmental in origin but unfold later in development, thus setting the stage for the development of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Or there may be additional factors, such as stress or neurotoxicity, that occur during adolescence or early adulthood and are necessary for the development of schizophrenia, and may be associated with neurodegenerative changes. Importantly, as several different brain regions are involved in the neuropathology of schizophrenia, new models need to be developed and tested that explain neural circuitry abnormalities effecting brain regions not necessarily structurally proximal to each other but nonetheless functionally interrelated. Future studies will likely benefit from: (1) studying more homogeneous patient groups so that the relationship between MRI findings and clinical symptoms become more meaningful; (2) studying at risk populations such as family members of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and subjects diagnosed with schizotypal personality disorder in order to define which abnormalities are specific to schizophrenia spectrum disorders, which are the result of epiphenomena such as medication effects and chronic institutionalization, and which are needed for the development of frank psychosis; (3) examining shape differences not detectable from measuring volume alone; (4) applying newer methods such as diffusion tensor imaging to investigate abnormalities in brain connectivity and white matter fiber tracts; and, (5) using methods that analyze brain function (fMRI) and structure simultaneously. PMID:11343862

Mercaptursäure und Nukleosidaddukt im Harn als Biomarker in 1-Hydroxymethylpyren-exponierten Ratten

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Lan

2002-01-01

1-Methylpyren (MP) ist hepatokanzerogen in neugeborenen männlichen Mäusen. Durch Hydroxylierung an der benzylischen Stelle und anschließende Sulfonierung wird MP zu DNA-reaktivem 1-Sulfooxymethylpyren (SMP) aktiviert. In der Ratte führt die Exposition des benzylischen Alkohols, 1-Hydroxymethylpyren (HMP), zur DNA-Adduktbildung in verschiedenen Geweben. Eventuelle Konsequenz der Toxifizierung ist die Ausscheidung entsprechender Mercaptursäure und Nukleosidaddukt im Harn, welche aufgrund ihrer Herkunft als Biomarker eignen könnten. In dieser Arbeit wird die Ausscheidung der Mercaptursäure und des N2-Desoxyguanosinadduktes in HMP-exponierten Ratten untersucht. Nach der Applikation von HMP bzw. MP wurden weniger als 1 % der Dosis als MPMA über Urin und Faeces ausgeschieden (0 - 48 h). Die Ausscheidung erfolgt hauptsächlich in den ersten 24 h nach der Applikation. MPdG konnte weder in Urin noch in Faeces der HMP-behandelten Tieren identifiziert werden. Nach direkter SMP-Applikation wurde MPdG nur in sehr geringe Menge (weniger als 0,9 ppm in 12 h) im Urin gefunden. Aufgrund der geringen Menge eignet sich MPdG nicht als Biomarker. MPMA dagegen, lässt sich analytisch gut erfassen. Es sollte daher untersucht werden, ob MPMA die Toxifizierung des HMP wiederspiegelt. Die Voraussetzung dafür ist die Kenntnisse über das Metabolismusmuster von HMP. Es wurde daher umfassende Untersuchungen zum Metabolismus des HMP durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass mehr als 80 % der Metaboiten in ihrer oxidierten Form (PCS, deren Glucuronsäure-Konjugate sowie phenolische Sulfatester der PCS) ausgeschieden wurden. Demnach spielt die Oxidation des HMP zu PCS eine sehr wichtige Rolle bei der Detoxifizierung und Ausscheidung von HMP. Ferne konnte nachgewiesen werden, dass die Enzyme Alkohol- und Aldehyd-Dehydrogenase an der Oxidation von HMP beteiligt waren. Die Inhibitoren Disulfiram und Ethanol der o. g. Enzyme wurde daher zur Modulation der Detoxifizierung in vivo eingesetzt. Die Veränderungen in der Toxifizierung von HMP zu SMP wurden durch die SMP-Konzentration im Plasma, die DNA-Addukthäufigkeit und die MPMA-Ausscheidung erfasst. Die Vorbehandlung von Disulfiram und Ethanol führte zu tendentielle Erhöhung der SMP-Konzentration im Plasma, DNA-Addukthäufigkeit in der Leber und die MPMA-Ausscheidung. Bemerkenswert ist jedoch, dass bereits eine Dosis von 0,2 g Ethanol/kg Körpermasse bereits zu statistisch signifikanten Erhöhungen der MPMA-Ausscheidung bei weiblichen Ratten. 1-Methylpyrene is hepatocarcinogenic in rodents. It is metabolized primarily to 1-hydroxymethylpyrene (HMP) by various cDNA-expressed rat and human cytochromes P450. HMP is activated to a highly reactive sulfuric acid ester, 1-sulfooxymethylpyrene (SMP), by sulphotransferases. In the rat, this activation pathway leads to the formation of DNA adducts in various tissues. Possible consequences of the toxification could be the excretion of the corresponding mercapturic acid and nucleosidadduct in urine and feces. Because of their origin, these substances should reflex the toxification process may be used as biomarkers. We investigate the excretion of 1-methylpyrenyl-mercapturic acid (MPMA) and the excretion of N2-(1-methylpyrenyl)-desoxyguanosin (MPdG) in urine and feces of HMP-treated rats. These studies showed that only a minor portion (< 1 %) of the administered dose of 1-HMP was excreted as mercapturic acid. MPdG could not be identified in urine and feces of HMP-treated rats. Treating rats with the active spieces sulfooxymethylpyrene, 0.9 ppm of the dose was found excreted within 12 h. I now investigated the alternative metabolic pathways of HMP. More than 50 % of the dose (administered intraperitoneally) was excreted as free 1-pyrenyl carboxylic acid and its glucuronic acid conjugate primarily in the urine. Other major urinary metabolites were phenolic sulpho conjugates of ring-oxidized 1-pyrenyl carboxylic acid (> 30 %). Minor metabolites were phenolic sulpho conjugates of HMP (< 5 %). The glucuronic acid conjugate of HMP was found in very small amounts. In total, > 80 % of the metabolites excreted were oxidized at the exocyclic carbon. This side-chain oxidation, probably catalyzed by alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases, appears to represent a detoxification pathway. Indeed, administration of ethanol shortly before the administration of HMP to rats increased the levels of SMP detected in blood, of DNA adducts formed in tissues and of mercapturic acid excreted. These effects were observed even at very low dose levels of ethanol (0.2 g per kg body weight). Similar effects were shown after administration of Disulfiram, an inhibitor of aldehyde dehydrogenase.

Use of the dog as non-rodent test species in the safety testing schedule associated with the registration of crop and plant protection products (pesticides): present status.

PubMed

Box, Rainer J; Spielmann, Horst

2005-11-01

The results from a survey of the expert information that is publicly accessible on the use of the dog as test species during the regulatory evaluation of agricultural chemicals and pesticides are reported. Methods that are being used or considered in order to reduce the number of dogs used for this purpose are described. Regulatory evaluation aims at establishing threshold values for safe human exposure; it is based on no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOELs) determined in animal studies. Current regulations require testing in two species, a rodent species (usually rat or mouse), and a non-rodent species (usually the dog). Subchronic (90-day) and chronic (12-month) repeated-dose feeding studies must be routinely conducted in dogs. This report first focuses on the results from a retrospective study analysing data on 216 pesticides kept on record by the Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung, BfR (German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment), the competent regulatory authority in Germany. The study was sponsored and coordinated by SET, the German Foundation for the Promotion of Research on Replacement and Complementary Methods to Reduce Animal Testing (Stiftung zur Förderung der Erforschung von Ersatz-und Ergänzungsmethoden zur Einschränkung von Tierversuchen, Mainz) and conducted by the BfR. Since the data submitted for registration of a product is the property of the manufacturer, the study could only proceed with the collaboration of the German Association of Manufacturers of Agricultural Chemicals (Industrieverband Agrar, IVA). To ensure confidentiality, designated codes were used instead of the compounds' proper names when the study was published. The results support two major conclusions. The use of the dog for the testing of pesticides is indeed necessary because the dog has proved to be the most sensitive species for about 15% of the compounds examined. However, chronic studies are only of limited value since they only provide essential information that cannot be obtained in sub-chronic studies in about 5% of cases. These conclusions are supported by several retrospective analyses using data on pharmaceutical drugs carried out in the context of the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for the Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH). Over 90% of drugs elicited no toxic symptoms in 12-month studies in dogs in addition to those that had been recorded previously in studies conducted for 90 or 180 days in dogs and rats. Another approach comparing the results from pre-clinical animal studies with clinical studies noted that animal studies predicted about 70% of the effects observed in volunteers, and in about 94% of cases the effects occurred in animal studies lasting not more than one month. Furthermore, the report summarises the current methods under consideration that could refine or reduce the use of dogs in toxicity testing: industrial data sharing and harmonisation of guidelines, in vitro methods, human studies, computational prediction models, and integrated testing approaches. The integrated Agricultural Chemicals Safety Assessment (ACSA) testing scheme, which is currently being developed in an international project initiated by the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI, USA), is of particular relevance, since an ambitious attempt is being made to design a new comprehensive test framework incorporating modern scientific approaches and covering most aspects of current regulatory testing requirements. The ACSA project has access to the pesticide database of the US EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP). Preliminary results have confirmed the two major conclusions from the joint SET/BfR study conducted in Germany. Taking these results into account, it is recommended that the regulatory requirement for 12-month studies to be routinely carried out in dogs should be abandoned. While 90-day studies should be conducted in both rats and dogs, chronic studies should only take place in rats. If the dog is more sensitive than the rat in the 90-day study, an additional safety factor to the NOEL value obtained in the chronic rat study should be applied in order to set the threshold for safe human exposure, instead of conducting a 12-month study in dogs. This safety factor may be calculated from chronic NOEL data available in several pesticide databases. Chronic tests using dogs would then only be required if the test compound belongs to a new class of chemicals that has never been tested before. Thus, the report concludes that, according to current scientific knowledge, the routine 12-month studies in dogs are no longer required for agricultural chemicals and pesticides, and international regulations should be changed accordingly. Active international support of such measures is welcomed, from both an economical and an animal welfare perspective.

Magnetotomography—a new method for analysing fuel cell performance and quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauer, Karl-Heinz; Potthast, Roland; Wüster, Thorsten; Stolten, Detlef

Magnetotomography is a new method for the measurement and analysis of the current density distribution of fuel cells. The method is based on the measurement of the magnetic flux surrounding the fuel cell stack caused by the current inside the stack. As it is non-invasive, magnetotomography overcomes the shortcomings of traditional methods for the determination of current density in fuel cells [J. Stumper, S.A. Campell, D.P. Wilkinson, M.C. Johnson, M. Davis, In situ methods for the determination of current distributions in PEM fuel cells, Electrochem. Acta 43 (1998) 3773; S.J.C. Cleghorn, C.R. Derouin, M.S. Wilson, S. Gottesfeld, A printed circuit board approach to measuring current distribution in a fuel cell, J. Appl. Electrochem. 28 (1998) 663; Ch. Wieser, A. Helmbold, E. Gülzow, A new technique for two-dimensional current distribution measurements in electro-chemical cells, J. Appl. Electrochem. 30 (2000) 803; Grinzinger, Methoden zur Ortsaufgelösten Strommessung in Polymer Elektrolyt Brennstoffzellen, Diploma thesis, TU-München, 2003; Y.-G. Yoon, W.-Y. Lee, T.-H. Yang, G.-G. Park, C.-S. Kim, Current distribution in a single cell of PEMFC, J. Power Sources 118 (2003) 193-199; M.M. Mench, C.Y. Wang, An in situ method for determination of current distribution in PEM fuel cells applied to a direct methanol fuel cell, J. Electrochem. Soc. 150 (2003) A79-A85; S. Schönbauer, T. Kaz, H. Sander, E. Gülzow, Segmented bipolar plate for the determination of current distribution in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, in: Proceedings of the Second European PEMFC Forum, vol. 1, Lucerne/Switzerland, 2003, pp. 231-237; G. Bender, S.W. Mahlon, T.A. Zawodzinski, Further refinements in the segmented cell approach to diagnosing performance in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, J. Power Sources 123 (2003) 163-171]. After several years of research a complete prototype system is now available for research on single cells and stacks. This paper describes the basic system (fundamentals, hardware and software) as well as the state of development until December 2003. Initial findings on a full-size single cell will be presented together with an outlook on the planned next steps.

[Cardiodoron® bei Patienten mit Schlafstörungen - Ergebnisse einer prospektiven Beobachtungsstudie].

PubMed

Rother, Claudia; Schnelle, Martin

Hintergrund: Schlafstörungen gehören zu den häufigsten gesundheitlichen Problemen der heutigen Zeit. Stress und die dadurch bedingte innere Anspannung sowie eine unrhythmische Lebensführung z.B. durch Schichtarbeit sind bekannte auslösende Faktoren. Weniger bekannt ist, dass auch funktionelle Herz-Kreislauf-Beschwerden zu Störungen des Schlafs führen können und dass deren Behandlung zu einer Verbesserung der Schlafqualität beiträgt. Ganzheitlich betrachtet geht es daher um die Wiederherstellung einer gesunden Rhythmik, insbesondere des Herz-/Atem- sowie des Schlaf-Wach-Rhythmus, die Cardiodoron®, eine Heilpflanzenkomposition aus Primula veris, Hyoscyamus niger und Onopordum acanthium, unterstützt. Patienten und Methoden: Mittels einer prospektiven, multizentrischen Beobachtungsstudie sollte ermittelt werden, wie sich funktionelle Herz-Kreislauf-Beschwerden und/oder Schlafstörungen unter der Behandlung mit Cardiodoron® (Dilution) über 3-6 Monate entwickeln. Im Zeitraum von September 2009 bis März 2012 dokumentierten 92 Ärzte 501 Patienten, von denen 380 über Schlafstörungen klagten und deren Daten in dieser Publikation näher betrachtet werden. Nach einer Aufnahmeuntersuchung erfolgte nach 90 Tagen eine Abschlussuntersuchung und bei Fortführung der Therapie nach nochmals 90 Tagen eine Follow-up-Untersuchung. Neben 30 ärztlicherseits bewerteten Symptomen beurteilten die Patienten ihr Befinden mittels Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) nach Buysse und der Beschwerden-Liste nach von Zerssen (B-L und B-L'). Ergebnisse: Unter der Cardiodoron®-Therapie gingen bei guter Verträglichkeit sowohl die Ausprägung der Schlafstörungen (um 65% von 2,0 auf 0,7 Punkte) als auch die erfassten 30 Symptome (um 59% von 24,3 auf 9,9 Punkte) deutlich zurück (p < 0,01). Weiterhin reduzierten sich der PSQI und der Gesamtwert der Beschwerden-Liste signifikant (p < 0,0001) um 60% bzw. 56% (von 12,2 auf 4,8 bzw. von 25,6 auf 11,4 Punkte). Schlussfolgerungen: Bei Patienten mit Schlafstörungen (mit oder ohne funktionelle Herz-Kreislauf-Beschwerden) kann die Ausprägung der Beschwerden mit Cardiodoron® deutlich gesenkt werden. Cardiodoron® ist gut verträglich. © 2016 S. Karger GmbH, Freiburg.

How unusual are the contents of paraphilias? Paraphilia-associated sexual arousal patterns in a community-based sample of men.

PubMed

Ahlers, Christoph Joseph; Schaefer, Gerard Alfons; Mundt, Ingrid Annette; Roll, Stephanie; Englert, Heike; Willich, Stefan N; Beier, Klaus Michael

2011-05-01

This is a report of a cross-sectional study on paraphilia-associated sexual arousal patterns (PASAP) among men in a metropolitan city in Germany, EU. To determine the prevalence of PASAP during sexual fantasies, fantasies accompanying masturbation, and real-life sociosexual behavior. In a cross-sectional study, self-reported sexual history data were collected by questionnaire from 367 volunteers recruited from a community sample of 1,915 men aged 40-79 years. The Derogatis Symptom Checklist-Revised (SCL-90-R) and the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LSQ; German original, Fragebogen zur Lebenszufriedenheit, [FLZ]) were administered to obtain a general subjective health measure and a measure of general as well as sex life satisfaction. The Questionnaire on Sexual Experiences and Behaviour was administered to comprehensively assess all relevant sexo-medical data. Results.  The percent of men that reported at least one PASAP was 62.4%. In 1.7% of cases, PASAP were reported to have caused distress. The presence of PASAP was associated with a higher likelihood of being single (odds ratio [OR] 2.6; 95%; confidence interval [CI] 1.047-6.640), masturbating at least once per week (OR 4.4; 95%; CI 1.773-10.914), or having a low general subjective health score (OR 11.9; 95%; CI 2.601-54.553). Pedophilic PASAP in sexual fantasies and in real-life sociosexual behavior was reported by 9.5% and 3.8% of participants, respectively. The findings suggest that paraphilia-related experience can not be regarded as unusual from a normative perspective. At the same time, many men experience PASAP without accompanying problem awareness or distress, even when PASAP contents are associated with potentially causing harm to others. In view of the relevance for sex life and relationship satisfaction, presence of PASAP should be assessed in all sexual medicine consultations. Future research should focus on conditions in which PASAP reach clinical significance in the sense of mental disorders. © 2009 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

A Novel Two-Step Hierarchical Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship Modeling Work Flow for Predicting Acute Toxicity of Chemicals in Rodents

PubMed Central

Zhu, Hao; Ye, Lin; Richard, Ann; Golbraikh, Alexander; Wright, Fred A.; Rusyn, Ivan; Tropsha, Alexander

2009-01-01

Background Accurate prediction of in vivo toxicity from in vitro testing is a challenging problem. Large public–private consortia have been formed with the goal of improving chemical safety assessment by the means of high-throughput screening. Objective A wealth of available biological data requires new computational approaches to link chemical structure, in vitro data, and potential adverse health effects. Methods and results A database containing experimental cytotoxicity values for in vitro half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and in vivo rodent median lethal dose (LD50) for more than 300 chemicals was compiled by Zentralstelle zur Erfassung und Bewertung von Ersatz- und Ergaenzungsmethoden zum Tierversuch (ZEBET; National Center for Documentation and Evaluation of Alternative Methods to Animal Experiments). The application of conventional quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) modeling approaches to predict mouse or rat acute LD50 values from chemical descriptors of ZEBET compounds yielded no statistically significant models. The analysis of these data showed no significant correlation between IC50 and LD50. However, a linear IC50 versus LD50 correlation could be established for a fraction of compounds. To capitalize on this observation, we developed a novel two-step modeling approach as follows. First, all chemicals are partitioned into two groups based on the relationship between IC50 and LD50 values: One group comprises compounds with linear IC50 versus LD50 relationships, and another group comprises the remaining compounds. Second, we built conventional binary classification QSAR models to predict the group affiliation based on chemical descriptors only. Third, we developed k-nearest neighbor continuous QSAR models for each subclass to predict LD50 values from chemical descriptors. All models were extensively validated using special protocols. Conclusions The novelty of this modeling approach is that it uses the relationships between in vivo and in vitro data only to inform the initial construction of the hierarchical two-step QSAR models. Models resulting from this approach employ chemical descriptors only for external prediction of acute rodent toxicity. PMID:19672406

Power estimation on functional level for programmable processors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, M.; Blume, H.; Noll, T. G.

2004-05-01

In diesem Beitrag werden verschiedene Ansätze zur Verlustleistungsschätzung von programmierbaren Prozessoren vorgestellt und bezüglich ihrer Übertragbarkeit auf moderne Prozessor-Architekturen wie beispielsweise Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW)-Architekturen bewertet. Besonderes Augenmerk liegt hierbei auf dem Konzept der sogenannten Functional-Level Power Analysis (FLPA). Dieser Ansatz basiert auf der Einteilung der Prozessor-Architektur in funktionale Blöcke wie beispielsweise Processing-Unit, Clock-Netzwerk, interner Speicher und andere. Die Verlustleistungsaufnahme dieser Bl¨ocke wird parameterabhängig durch arithmetische Modellfunktionen beschrieben. Durch automatisierte Analyse von Assemblercodes des zu schätzenden Systems mittels eines Parsers können die Eingangsparameter wie beispielsweise der erzielte Parallelitätsgrad oder die Art des Speicherzugriffs gewonnen werden. Dieser Ansatz wird am Beispiel zweier moderner digitaler Signalprozessoren durch eine Vielzahl von Basis-Algorithmen der digitalen Signalverarbeitung evaluiert. Die ermittelten Schätzwerte für die einzelnen Algorithmen werden dabei mit physikalisch gemessenen Werten verglichen. Es ergibt sich ein sehr kleiner maximaler Schätzfehler von 3%. In this contribution different approaches for power estimation for programmable processors are presented and evaluated concerning their capability to be applied to modern digital signal processor architectures like e.g. Very Long InstructionWord (VLIW) -architectures. Special emphasis will be laid on the concept of so-called Functional-Level Power Analysis (FLPA). This approach is based on the separation of the processor architecture into functional blocks like e.g. processing unit, clock network, internal memory and others. The power consumption of these blocks is described by parameter dependent arithmetic model functions. By application of a parser based automized analysis of assembler codes of the systems to be estimated the input parameters of the Correspondence to: H. Blume (blume@eecs.rwth-aachen.de) arithmetic functions like e.g. the achieved degree of parallelism or the kind and number of memory accesses can be computed. This approach is exemplarily demonstrated and evaluated applying two modern digital signal processors and a variety of basic algorithms of digital signal processing. The resulting estimation values for the inspected algorithms are compared to physically measured values. A resulting maximum estimation error of 3% is achieved.

Functional transcranial Doppler sonography and a spatial orientation paradigm identify the non-dominant hemisphere.

PubMed

Dorst, J; Haag, A; Knake, S; Oertel, W H; Hamer, H M; Rosenow, F

2008-10-01

Functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD) during word generation is well established for language lateralization. In this study, we evaluated a fTCD paradigm to reliably identify the non-dominant hemisphere. Twenty-nine right-handed healthy subjects (27.1+/-7.6 years) performed the 'cube perspective test' [Stumpf, H., & Fay, E. (1983). Schlauchfiguren: Ein Test zur Beurteilung des räumlichen Vorstellungsvermögens. Verlag für Psychologie Dr. C. J. Hogrefe, Göttingen, Toronto, Zürich] a spatial orientation task, while the cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) was simultaneously measured in both middle cerebral arteries (MCAs). In addition, the established word generation paradigm for language lateralization was performed. Subjects with atypical language representation were excluded. Data were analysed offline with the software Average, which performed a heart-cycle integration and a baseline-correction and calculated a lateralization index (LI) with its standard error of the mean increase in CBFV separately for both MCAs. Twenty-one of 29 subjects (72.4%) lateralized to the right hemisphere (chi2=5.828, p=0.016). The mean LI of the spatial orientation paradigm pointed to the right hemisphere (x =-1.9+/-3.2) and was different from the LI of word generation (x =3.9+/-2.2;p<0.001). There was no correlation between the LI of spatial orientation and word generation (R=0.095, p=0.624). Age of the subjects did not correlate with the LI during spatial orientation (p>0.05) but negatively with the LI during word generation (R=-0.468, p=0.010). The maximum increase of CBFV was greater in the spatial orientation (14.0%+/-3.6%) than in the word generation paradigm (9.4%+/-4.0%; p<0.001). In more than two thirds of the subjects with left-sided language dominance, the spatial orientation paradigm was able to identify the non-dominant hemisphere. The results suggest both paradigms to be independent of each other. The spatial orientation paradigm, therefore, appears to be a non-verbal fTCD paradigm with possible clinical relevance.

[The German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) during the Period of National Socialism].

PubMed

Rohrbach, J M

2006-11-01

Sixty-one years after the end of the Hitler dictatorship, the history of the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) has still hardly been investigated. According to different sources, especially the reports of the DOG congresses 1934, 1936, 1938, and 1940, the following picture can be drawn: 1. The seizure of power ("Machtergreifung") of Adolf Hitler was appreciated by most of the DOG members. 2. After a change of the constitution the DOG came under the control of the "Reichsinnenministerium". However, it escaped the egalitarianism ("Gleichschaltung") and remained relatively independent. 3. Approximately 40 % of the heads of the German university eye clinics who were the most influential DOG representatives were members of the national socialistic German working party (NSDAP). Almost all of these joined the party in 1933 or later. 4. Up to the last congress in Dresden, 1940, the DOG activities were quite extensive. After that time the activities strongly declined. 5. The "Law for the prevention of genetically disabled offspring" ("Gesetz zur Verhütung erbkranken Nachwuchses") from January 1st 1934 was intensely discussed by the DOG. Some prominent ophthalmologists and DOG members were at least in part responsible for the sterilisations because of "congenital blindness". However, as far as it is known, the DOG itself did not intervene directly concerning the practice of sterilisation. 6. Between 1932 and 1940, the DOG lost approximately 12 % of its members. Many of these stemmed from foreign countries, and many were German Jews. The latter left the DOG, as Walther Löhlein stated after the end of the war, "voluntarily". However, a main reason for leaving the DOG was very likely the feeling of being unwanted. The national socialism had several disastrous effects on ophthalmology. Although single DOG members participated in the excesses, the DOG as an organization was not directly involved. However, taking into consideration that more than 10 % of the members of the pre-Hitler era left their scientific society it is a matter of interpretation whether the DOG remained completely innocent between 1933 and 1945.

A novel two-step hierarchical quantitative structure-activity relationship modeling work flow for predicting acute toxicity of chemicals in rodents.

PubMed

Zhu, Hao; Ye, Lin; Richard, Ann; Golbraikh, Alexander; Wright, Fred A; Rusyn, Ivan; Tropsha, Alexander

2009-08-01

Accurate prediction of in vivo toxicity from in vitro testing is a challenging problem. Large public-private consortia have been formed with the goal of improving chemical safety assessment by the means of high-throughput screening. A wealth of available biological data requires new computational approaches to link chemical structure, in vitro data, and potential adverse health effects. A database containing experimental cytotoxicity values for in vitro half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) and in vivo rodent median lethal dose (LD(50)) for more than 300 chemicals was compiled by Zentralstelle zur Erfassung und Bewertung von Ersatz- und Ergaenzungsmethoden zum Tierversuch (ZEBET; National Center for Documentation and Evaluation of Alternative Methods to Animal Experiments). The application of conventional quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling approaches to predict mouse or rat acute LD(50) values from chemical descriptors of ZEBET compounds yielded no statistically significant models. The analysis of these data showed no significant correlation between IC(50) and LD(50). However, a linear IC(50) versus LD(50) correlation could be established for a fraction of compounds. To capitalize on this observation, we developed a novel two-step modeling approach as follows. First, all chemicals are partitioned into two groups based on the relationship between IC(50) and LD(50) values: One group comprises compounds with linear IC(50) versus LD(50) relationships, and another group comprises the remaining compounds. Second, we built conventional binary classification QSAR models to predict the group affiliation based on chemical descriptors only. Third, we developed k-nearest neighbor continuous QSAR models for each subclass to predict LD(50) values from chemical descriptors. All models were extensively validated using special protocols. The novelty of this modeling approach is that it uses the relationships between in vivo and in vitro data only to inform the initial construction of the hierarchical two-step QSAR models. Models resulting from this approach employ chemical descriptors only for external prediction of acute rodent toxicity.

40Ar/36Ar geochronology on a quadrupole mass spectrometer: Where are we going?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, B.; Wijbrans, J. R.; Kuiper, K. F.; Fenton, C. R.; Williams, A. J.

2009-04-01

40Ar/39Ar analysis has passed many milestones since its first application (Wänke & König, 1959). From the early all-glass Reynolds-type vacuum system to today's high quality, bakeable all-metal piping and valve systems, the evolution of ultra high vacuum systems has been considerable. Extraction systems have faced similar changes over time. Early furnaces made partially of glass were later replaced by full metal constructs containing a high temperature resistant molybdenum alloy tube and heating mechanism, sometimes contained within an insulating secondary vacuum chamber. Laser extraction techniques further refined the approach allowing very small samples or sample parts to be analyzed. The principal type of mass spectrometer used for 40Ar/36Ar geochronology is the magnetic sector instrument, which has the resolution and sensitivity necessary for measuring argon isotopes and achieving high precision over a large age range. We present 40Ar/39Ar data from basalt samples collected from a number of different locations, all obtained using the Hiden HAL Series 1000 quadrupole mass spectrometer at Vrije University, Amsterdam. We show that quadrupole technology is not only a viable option in K-Ar geochronology (Rouchon et al., 2008) but also in 40Ar/39Ar geochronology. The data was obtained from groundmass hand-picked from 200-500 um size fractions. Sample amounts of 200 to 500 mg were used for incremental heating experiments. The quality of the data is demonstrated by convergence of plateau and isochron ages, replicate analyses and by comparison to results of independent studies. Sample ages range from 40 ka to 400 ka, demonstrating the potential of quadrupole instruments for dating even very young rocks using the 40Ar/39Ar incremental heating technique. Rouchon, V., Lefevre, J.-C., Quidelleur, X., Guerin, G., Gillot, P.-Y. (2008): Nonspiked 40Ar and 36Ar quantification using a quadrupole mass spectrometer: A potential for K-Ar geochronology. International Journal of Mass Spectrometry 270, 52-61. Wänke H., König H. (1959): Eine neue Methode zur Kalium-Argon-Altersbestimmung und ihre Anwendung auf Steinmeteorite. Z. Naturforschung, 14a, 860 - 866.

Spaced education activates students in a theoretical radiological science course: a pilot study.

PubMed

Nkenke, Emeka; Vairaktaris, Elefterios; Bauersachs, Anne; Eitner, Stephan; Budach, Alexander; Knipfer, Christian; Stelzle, Florian

2012-05-23

The present study aimed at determining if the addition of spaced education to traditional face-to-face lectures increased the time students kept busy with the learning content of a theoretical radiological science course. The study comprised two groups of 21 third-year dental students. The students were randomly assigned to a "traditional group" and a "spaced education group". Both groups followed a traditional face-to-face course. The intervention in the spaced education group was performed in way that these students received e-mails with a delay of 14 days to each face-to-face lecture. These e-mails contained multiple choice questions on the learning content of the lectures. The students returned their answers to the questions also by e-mail. On return they received an additional e-mail that included the correct answers and additional explanatory material.All students of both groups documented the time they worked on the learning content of the different lectures before a multiple choice exam was held after the completion of the course. All students of both groups completed the TRIL questionnaire (Trierer Inventar zur Lehrevaluation) for the evaluation of courses at university after the completion of the course. The results for the time invested in the learning content and the results of the questionnaire for the two groups were compared using the Mann-Whitney-U test. The spaced education group spent significantly more time (216.2 ± 123.9 min) on keeping busy with the learning content compared to the traditional group (58.4 ± 94.8 min, p < .0005). The spaced education group rated the didactics of the course significantly better than the traditional group (p = .034). The students of the spaced education group also felt that their needs were fulfilled significantly better compared to the traditional group as far as communication with the teacher was concerned (p = .022). Adding spaced education to a face-to-face theoretical radiological science course activates students in a way that they spend significantly more time on keeping busy with the learning content.

The difference in in vivo sensitivity between Bacillus licheniformis PerR and Bacillus subtilis PerR is due to the different cellular environments.

PubMed

Kim, Jung-Hoon; Won, Young-Bin; Ji, Chang-Jun; Yang, Yoon-Mo; Ryu, Su-Hyun; Ju, Shin-Yeong; Kwon, Yumi; Lee, Yeh-Eun; Lee, Jin-Won

2017-02-26

PerR, a member of Fur family of metal-dependent regulators, is a major peroxide sensor in many Gram positive bacteria, and controls the expression of genes involved in peroxide resistance. Bacillus licheniformis, a close relative to the well-studied model organism Bacillus subtilis, contains three PerR-like proteins (PerR BL , PerR2 and PerR3) in addition to Fur and Zur. In the present study, we characterized the role of PerR BL in B. licheniformis. In vitro and in vivo studies indicate that PerR BL , like PerR BS , uses either Fe 2+ or Mn 2+ as a corepressor and only the Fe 2+ -bound form of PerR BL senses low levels of H 2 O 2 by iron-mediated histidine oxidation. Interestingly, regardless of the difference in H 2 O 2 sensitivity, if any, between PerR BL and PerR BS , B. licheniformis expressing PerR BL or PerR BS could sense lower levels of H 2 O 2 and was more sensitive to H 2 O 2 than B. subtilis expressing PerR BL or PerR BS . This result suggests that the differences in cellular milieu between B. subtilis and B. licheniformis, rather than the intrinsic differences in PerR BS and PerR BL per se, affect the H 2 O 2 sensing ability of PerR inside the cell and the H 2 O 2 resistance of cell. In contrast, B. licheniformis and B. subtilis expressing Staphylococcus aureus PerR (PerR SA ), which is more sensitive to H 2 O 2 than PerR BL and PerR BS , were more resistant to H 2 O 2 than those expressing either PerR BL or PerR BS . This result indicates that the sufficient difference in H 2 O 2 susceptibility of PerR proteins can override the difference in cellular environment and affect the resistance of cell to H 2 O 2 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acceptance of technology-enhanced learning for a theoretical radiological science course: a randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) gives a view to improved education. However, there is a need to clarify how TEL can be used effectively. The study compared students' attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face course on theoretical radiological science and a TEL course where students could combine face-to-face lectures and e-learning modules at their best convenience. Methods 42 third-year dental students were randomly assigned to the traditional face-to-face group and the TEL group. Both groups completed questionnaires before the beginning and after completion of the course on attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face lectures and technology-enhanced learning. After completion of the course both groups also filled in the validated German-language TRIL (Trierer Inventar zur Lehrevaluation) questionnaire for the evaluation of courses given at universities. Results Both groups had a positive attitude towards e-learning that did not change over time. The TEL group attended significantly less face-to-face lectures than the traditional group. However, both groups stated that face-to-face lectures were the basis for education in a theoretical radiological science course. The members of the TEL group rated e-mail reminders significantly more important when they filled in the questionnaire on attitudes and opinions towards a traditional face-to-face lectures and technology-enhanced learning for the second time after completion of the course. The members of the technology-enhanced learning group were significantly less confident in passing the exam compared to the members of the traditional group. However, examination results did not differ significantly for traditional and the TEL group. Conclusions It seems that technology-enhanced learning in a theoretical radiological science course has the potential to reduce the need for face-to-face lectures. At the same time examination results are not impaired. However, technology-enhanced learning cannot completely replace traditional face-to-face lectures, because students indicate that they consider traditional teaching as the basis of their education. PMID:22463757

Effekt einer ad libitum verzehrten fettreduzierten Kost, reich an Obst, Gemüse und Milchprodukten auf den Blutdruck bei Borderline-Hypertonikern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Möseneder, Jutta M.

2002-01-01

In der randomisierten, multizentrischen DASH-Studie (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hy-pertension), die unter kontrollierten Bedingungen stattfand, führte eine fettreduzierte Mischkost, reich an Obst, Gemüse und Milchprodukten, bei Borderline-Hypertonikern zu einer signifikanten Blutdrucksenkung. Während der Studienphase wurden Körpermasse, Natrium-Aufnahme sowie Alkoholzufuhr aufgrund der bekannten Einflussnahme auf den Blutdruck konstant gehalten. In der eigenen Pilot-Studie sollte untersucht werden, ob das Ergebnis der DASH-Studie (i) mit deutschen Hypertonikern und (ii) unter habituellen Ernährungs- und Lebensbedingungen mit regelmäßig durchgeführter Ernährungsberatung und ad libitum Verzehr anstelle des streng kontrollierten Studienansatzes bestätigt werden kann. Eine Konstanz der Körpermasse, der Natrium-Urinausscheidung (unter diesem Studienansatz valider als die Aufnahme) und des Alkoholkonsums wurde vorausgesetzt. Die Studienpopulation setzte sich aus 53 übergewichtigen Probanden mit einer nicht medikamentös therapierten Borderline-Hypertonie und ohne Stoffwechselerkrankungen zusammen. Die Studienteilnehmer wurden randomisiert entweder der Idealgruppe mit einer fettarmen Kost reich an Milchprodukten, Obst und Gemüse (ähnlich der DASH-Idealgruppe) oder der Kontrollgruppe mit habitueller Ernährungsweise zugeteilt. Über einen Zeitraum von fünf Wochen wurde den Probanden etwa 50% ihres täglichen Lebensmittelbedarfes entsprechend ihrer Gruppenzugehörigkeit kostenfrei zur Verfügung gestellt. Gelegenheitsblutdruckmessungen und 24h-Blutdruckmessungen, Ernährungs- und Aktivitätsprotokolle, Blut- und Urinproben sowie anthropometrische Messungen wurden vor, während und fünf Wochen nach der Interventionsphase durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass in der Idealgruppe keine signifikante Blutdrucksenkung beobachtet werden konnte. Dies lässt sich durch die Tatsache erklären, dass die Lebens-mittel- und Nährstoffaufnahme der deutschen Kontrollgruppe eher der amerikanischen Idealgruppe entsprach. In der Pilot-Studie waren die Unterschiede in der Nährstoffzufuhr zwischen den beiden Gruppen viel geringer als in der DASH-Studie; für eine blutdrucksenkende Ernährungsumstellung bestand somit nur ein geringer Spielraum. Eine weitere Erklärung besteht in der unterschiedlichen Zusammensetzung der Studienpopulation. Bei DASH wurden vorwiegend farbige Probanden (40% höhere Hypertonieprävalenz) untersucht. Die Studienergebnisse lassen also den Schluss zu, dass Ernährungs- und Lebensstilgewohnheiten sowie der genetische Hintergrund der entsprechenden Bevölkerungsgruppe bei der Formulierung von nährstoff- oder lebensmittelbezogenen Empfehlungen zur Senkung des Bluthochdruckes Berücksichtigung finden müssen. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension trial (DASH), a randomized well-controlled feeding study conducted at 4 medical centers, demonstrated that a low-fat diet, rich in fruits, vegetables and dairy products is able to lower blood pressure of borderline-hypertensive people significantly. Body weight, sodium intake and alcohol consumption were kept constant during the whole study period, due to the known influence on hypertension. Aim of our study project was to investigate whether the results of the DASH study can be confirmed by (i) using a German hypertensive population and (ii) replacing the well-controlled feeding design by allowing ad libitum intake according to dietary ad-vice. The participants were asked to keep their body weight, sodium urine excretion (un-der this study design more valid than sodium intake) and their alcohol consumption con-stant. Our pilot study population consisted of 53 mainly overweight participants with borderline hypertension and without medication or any metabolic disorders. They were randomly assigned to either an ideal diet low in fat and rich in dairy products, fruits and vegetables (similar to the DASH I-group) or a habitual diet as control (C-group). During five weeks the subjects were provided 50 % of their daily intake for free according to their dietary pattern. Single and 24h-blood pressure measurements, dietary weighed and physical activity records, blood and urine samples and anthropometric measurements were collected before, during and five weeks after the intervention period. The study results indicated that no significantly reduction of blood pressure could be observed for both methods in the I-group of our trial. This is due to the fact that the baseline intake of foods and nutrients of the German subjects was nearly corresponding to the intake targeted for the DASH I-group. Therefore, it was impossible to increase the intake of these nutrients in our I-group by the same percentage as in the DASH study. Another explanation may be the different consistency of the study population. About 60% of the DASH study population were African Americans with a known higher prevalence of hy-pertension (about 40%) than Caucasians. The conclusion is that even convincing results of a controlled trial cannot be simply transferred into dietary advice for the general public. For addressing food-based dietary guidelines to reduce the risk of hypertension it is necessary to consider the genetic background as well as the dietary and the lifestyle situation of the target population carefully.

Effects of Cyclic Loading on the Uniaxial Behavior of Nitinol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlun, M.; Zipse, A.; Dreher, G.; Rebelo, N.

2011-07-01

The widespread development and use of implants made from NiTi is accompanied by the publication of many NiTi material characterization studies. These publications have increased significantly the knowledge about the mechanical properties of NiTi. However, this knowledge also increased the complexity of the numerical simulation of NiTi implants or devices. This study is focused on the uniaxial behavior of NiTi tubing due to cyclic loading and had the goal to deliver both precise and application-oriented results. Single aspects of this study have already been published (Wagner in Ein Beitrag zur strukturellen und funktionalen Ermüdung von Drähten und Federn aus NiTi-Formgedaechtnislegierungen, Ph.D. Thesis, 2005; Eucken and Duerig in Acta Metall 37:2245-2252, 1989; Yawny et al. in Z Metallkd 96:608-618, 2005); however, there is no publication known that shows all the single effects combined in a "duty cycle case." It was of particular importance to summarize the main effects of pre-strain and subsequent small or large strain amplitudes on the material properties. The phenomena observed were captured in an extended Abaqus® Nitinol material model, presented by Rebelo et al. (A Material Model for the Cyclic Behavior of Nitinol, SMST Extended Abstracts 2010). The cyclic tensile tests were performed using a video extensometer to obtain accurate strain measurement on small electro-polished dog-bone specimen that were incorporated into a stent framework so that standard manufacturing methods could be used for the fabrication. This study indicates that a prestrain beyond 6% strain alters the transformation plateaus and if the cyclic displacement amplitude is large enough, additional permanent deformations are observed, the lower plateau and most notably the upper plateau change. The changes to the upper plateau are very interesting in the sense that an additional stress plateau develops: its "start stress" is lowered thereby creating a new plateau up to the highest level of cyclic strain, followed by resuming the original plateau until full transformation. This study was conducted in the course of the work of a consortium of several stent manufacturers, SAFE Technology Limited and Dassault Systèmes Simulia Corp., dedicated to the development of fatigue laws suitable for life prediction of Nitinol devices.

[German ophthalmologists and NSDAP

PubMed

Rohrbach, Jens Martin

2008-01-01

Approximately 40-45 % of all German physicians joined the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) until 1945. Reasons for party membership are manifold and still a matter of debate. Very likely, the extraordinary high representation of medical doctors in the NSDAP was rather a result of active entry than recruitment by the party. There are only few data concerning the willingness of ophthalmologists to become a party member ("Parteigenosse", "Pg"). According to the list of University teachers in Germany ("Hochschullehrerkarte"; Federal Archive, Berlin), the list of the members of the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) of 1934 and especially the list of NSDAP-members (Federal Archive, Berlin) the following conclusions can be drawn: 1. Directors of German University eye hospitals (chairmen) were members of the NSDAP with a frequency of 23% in 1933 and 48% in 1938 as well as in 1943. The motivation for joining the party was most likely the perspective of acceleration of the academic career. 2. "Only" 30% of the ophthalmologists working in private praxis were "Pg" (until 1945). 3. Both chairmen and ophthalmologists in private praxis were equally hindered to join the NSDAP between May 1st 1933 and May 1st 1937 when the party temporarily stopped registration. 4. The majority of ophthalmologists who joined the NSDAP were born between 1880 and 1900 and thus had taken part in World War I as soldiers or had experienced the times of need after WW I. Only few ophthalmologists succeeded in the NS-hierarchy and probably only one ophthalmologist, Walther Löhlein from Berlin, came in personal contact with Adolf Hitler who was constantly in fear for his sight after his eye injury in October 1918. The "Law for the prevention of genetically disabled offsprings" ("Gesetz zur Verhütung erbkranken Nachwuchses") from July 14th, 1933 separated ophthalmologists into two parties: those advocating sterilization to a high degree and those recommending sterilization only exceptionally. Interestingly, both groups consisted equally of NSDAP-members as well as of non-NSDAP-members. To conclude, although ophthalmology was--in comparison with other medical disciplines--rather "unpolitical" in the NS-era, ophthalmologists at that time were concerning NSDAP-membership and loyalty to the regime very likely neither "better" nor "worse" than the German physicians in general.

3D-Modeling of deformed halite hopper crystals: Object based image analysis and support vector machine, a first evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leitner, Christoph; Hofmann, Peter; Marschallinger, Robert

2014-05-01

Halite hopper crystals are thought to develop by displacive growth in unconsolidated mud (Gornitz & Schreiber, 1984). The Alpine Haselgebirge, but also e.g. the salt deposits of the Rhine graben (mined at the beginning of the 20th century), comprise hopper crystals with shapes of cuboids, parallelepipeds and rhombohedrons (Görgey, 1912). Obviously, they deformed under oriented stress, which had been tried to reconstruct with respect to the sedimentary layering (Leitner et al., 2013). In the present work, deformed halite hopper crystals embedded in mudrock were automated reconstructed. Object based image analysis (OBIA) has been used successfully in remote sensing for 2D images before. The present study represents the first time that the method was used for reconstruction of three dimensional geological objects. First, manually a reference (gold standard) was created by redrawing contours of the halite crystals on each HRXCT scanning slice. Then, for OBIA, the computer program eCognition was used. For the automated reconstruction a rule set was developed. Thereby, the strength of OBIA was to recognize all objects similar to halite hopper crystals and in particular to eliminate cracks. In a second step, all the objects unsuitable for a structural deformation analysis were dismissed using a support vector machine (SVM) (clusters, polyhalite-coated crystals and spherical halites) The SVM simultaneously drastically reduced the number of halites. From 184 OBIA-objects 67 well shaped remained, which comes close to the number of pre-selected 52 objects. To assess the accuracy of the automated reconstruction, the result before and after SVM was compared to the reference, i.e. the gold standard. State-of the art per-scene statistics were extended to a per-object statistics. Görgey R (1912) Zur Kenntnis der Kalisalzlager von Wittelsheim im Ober-Elsaß. Tschermaks Mineral Petrogr Mitt 31:339-468 Gornitz VM, Schreiber BC (1981) Displacive halite hoppers from the dead sea: Some implications for ancient evaporite deposits. J of Sediment Petrol 51:787-794. doi: 10.1306/212F7DAB-2B24-11D7-8648000102C1865D Leitner C, Neubauer F, Marschallinger R, Genser J, Bernroider M (2013) Origin of deformed halite hopper crystals, pseudomorphic anhydrite cubes and polyhalite in Alpine evaporates (Austria, Germany). Int J Earth Sc 102, pp 813-829, doi: 10.1007/s00531-012-0836-6

[Establishing an Ambulatory Health-Care Centre (AHCC) at a University Hospital].

PubMed

Krüll, A; Debatin, J F

2013-02-01

Since January 2004 hospitals have the opportunity to establish an ambulatory health-care centre (Medizinisches Versorgungszentrum - MVZ) as a result of the introduction of the Health-care Modernisation Act (Gesetz zur Modernisierung der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung - GMG). After about a half-year preparatory phase, the UKE, in September 2004, began operation of the "Ambulanzzentrum des UKE GmbH" (a limited liability company) as the first MVZ at a university hospital in Germany. We report here on the establishment of the MVZ and the experience made. In the initial phase, only the medical fields of radiation therapy and nuclear medicine were represented. Both disciplines, especially radiation therapy, were existentially threatened by the extensive loss of ambulatory patients. The central motive for the establishment of the ambulatory health-care centre was to secure the survival of both disciplines and to preserve existing jobs. After it was put into operation, the referrals from practice-based colleagues to both radiation therapy and nuclear medicine increased quickly. The positive developments caused other departments of the UKE to express their interest in supplementing their outpatient activities with facilities in the MVZ. Over the following years, the ambulance centre grew steadily. Now 24 departments are represented in the MVZ, and the centre has a total of 49 positions for physicians contracted by and registered within the German public health insurance system. The number of salaried doctors has risen to 85, although many of these only work part time in the MVZ. Also more than 83 non-medical staff members were hired over the years. These were mostly physiotherapists, radiographers, and medical assistants. With the growing number of departments in the MVZ, the number of treated cases grew steadily. Currently approximately 20 000 cases are treated in each quarter of a year. The experience made while establishing an ambulatory health-care centre is very positive. Better cross-sectoral medicine, support of referring practice-based colleagues, content of centre-physicians and a strengthening of research and teaching summarise the experience of the last 7 years accurately. The outpatient centre of UKE GmbH will strive to continue to expand its range of medical services into other medical fields whenever it makes sense. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[Interferon α therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection: biopsychosocial consequences].

PubMed

Baranyi, A; Meinitzer, A; Stepan, A; Matejka, J; Stauber, R; Kapfhammer, H-P; Rothenhäusler, H-B

2012-09-01

Interferon α (IFN-alpha) is widely used in the treatment of viral infections, including hepatitis C. Unfortunately depression is a common side effect of IFN-alpha therapy. The presence of depressive symptoms is important because they have an adverse effect on the course of the illness and reduce the quality of life and the treatment adherence. The current prospective study examines the effects of IFN-alpha on the development of depressive disorders, on cognitive functioning and on quality of life. A total of 25 patients with chronic hepatitis C infection were investigated. All patients were treated in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Medicine of Graz, Austria. Psychometric observer rating and self-rating scales were administered 1 month and 3 months after the beginning of the antiviral treatment to evaluate depressive symptoms [Beck Depression Inventory (BDI); Hamilton Depression Scale]. The data on life satisfaction before therapy and health-related quality of life were obtained from the Fragebogen zur Lebenszufriedenheit (FLZ) and the SF-36 (Health Status Questionnaire). Cognitive function was based on the SKT (Syndrom Kurztest). All patients completed the Social Support Questionnaire (SSS), a multidimensional self-report measure of social support. Three months after the initial IFN-alpha administration in the whole sample significant impairments in health-related quality of life were found in the health-related domains "physical functioning", "role physical", "role emotional", "social functioning" and "vitality". The whole sample showed cognitive impairments. No changes in social support were recorded. Three months after the first INF-alpha administration, 48% (n=12) of the sample suffered from moderate clinical depression. In comparison to patients without pathological affective findings, patients with INF-alpha-induced clinical depression showed decreased life satisfaction before the initial antiviral therapy. Impairments in health-related quality of life (SF-36) were found in the sample with clinical depression in the health-related domains "general health", "social functioning", "role emotional", "vitality" and "mental health". Hepatitis C is associated with an increased prevalence of psychiatric disorders, particularly depression. INF-alpha patients having low levels of life satisfaction in the domains "self-concept" (skills, appearance, self-confidence, vitality …), "employment" and "physical health and constitution" seem to face a major risk of depression.

Znu is the predominant zinc importer in Yersinia pestis during in vitro growth but is not essential for virulence.

PubMed

Desrosiers, Daniel C; Bearden, Scott W; Mier, Ildefonso; Abney, Jennifer; Paulley, James T; Fetherston, Jacqueline D; Salazar, Juan C; Radolf, Justin D; Perry, Robert D

2010-12-01

Little is known about Zn homeostasis in Yersinia pestis, the plague bacillus. The Znu ABC transporter is essential for zinc (Zn) uptake and virulence in a number of bacterial pathogens. Bioinformatics analysis identified ZnuABC as the only apparent high-affinity Zn uptake system in Y. pestis. Mutation of znuACB caused a growth defect in Chelex-100-treated PMH2 growth medium, which was alleviated by supplementation with submicromolar concentrations of Zn. Use of transcriptional reporters confirmed that Zur mediated Zn-dependent repression and that it can repress gene expression in response to Zn even in the absence of Znu. Virulence testing in mouse models of bubonic and pneumonic plague found only a modest increase in survival in low-dose infections by the znuACB mutant. Previous studies of cluster 9 (C9) transporters suggested that Yfe, a well-characterized C9 importer for manganese (Mn) and iron in Y. pestis, might function as a second, high-affinity Zn uptake system. Isothermal titration calorimetry revealed that YfeA, the solute-binding protein component of Yfe, binds Mn and Zn with comparably high affinities (dissociation constants of 17.8 ± 4.4 nM and 6.6 ± 1.2 nM, respectively), although the complete Yfe transporter could not compensate for the loss of Znu in in vitro growth studies. Unexpectedly, overexpression of Yfe interfered with the znu mutant's ability to grow in low concentrations of Zn, while excess Zn interfered with the ability of Yfe to import iron at low concentrations; these results suggest that YfeA can bind Zn in the bacterial cell but that Yfe is incompetent for transport of the metal. In addition to Yfe, we have now eliminated MntH, FetMP, Efe, Feo, a substrate-binding protein, and a putative nickel transporter as the unidentified, secondary Zn transporter in Y. pestis. Unlike other bacterial pathogens, Y. pestis does not require Znu for high-level infectivity and virulence; instead, it appears to possess a novel class of transporter, which can satisfy the bacterium's Zn requirements under in vivo metal-limiting conditions. Our studies also underscore the need for bacterial cells to balance binding and transporter specificities within the periplasm in order to maintain transition metal homeostasis.

Sonification of acoustic emission data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raith, Manuel; Große, Christian

2014-05-01

While loading different specimens, acoustic emissions appear due to micro crack formation or friction of already existing crack edges. These acoustic emissions can be recorded using suitable ultrasonic transducers and transient recorders. The analysis of acoustic emissions can be used to investigate the mechanical behavior of different specimens under load. Our working group has undertaken several experiments, monitored with acoustic emission techniques. Different materials such as natural stone, concrete, wood, steel, carbon composites and bone were investigated. Also the experimental setup has been varied. Fire-spalling experiments on ultrahigh performance concrete and pullout experiments on bonded anchors have been carried out. Furthermore uniaxial compression tests on natural stone and animal bone had been conducted. The analysis tools include not only the counting of events but the analysis of full waveforms. Powerful localization algorithms and automatic onset picking techniques (based on Akaikes Information Criterion) were established to handle the huge amount of data. Up to several thousand events were recorded during experiments of a few minutes. More sophisticated techniques like moment tensor inversion have been established on this relatively small scale as well. Problems are related to the amount of data but also to signal-to-noise quality, boundary conditions (reflections) sensor characteristics and unknown and changing Greens functions of the media. Some of the acoustic emissions recorded during these experiments had been transferred into audio range. The transformation into the audio range was done using Matlab. It is the aim of the sonification to establish a tool that is on one hand able to help controlling the experiment in-situ and probably adjust the load parameters according to the number and intensity of the acoustic emissions. On the other hand sonification can help to improve the understanding of acoustic emission techniques for training purposes (students, co-workers). On goal is to establish a real-time frequency transformation into the audio range to avoid time consuming visual data processing during the experiments. It is also the intention to analyze the signals using psycho-acoustic methods with the help of specialists from electrical engineering. Reference: Raith, Manuel (2013). "Schallemissionsanalyse bei Pulloutexperimenten an Verbunddübeln" Masterarbeit. Technische Universität München, Lehrstuhl für Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung. Malm, Fabian (2012). "Schallemissionsanalyse am humanen Femur" Masterarbeit. Technische Universität München, Lehrstuhl für Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung. Richter R. (2009): Einsatz der Schallemissionsanalyse zur Detektion des Riss und Abplatzungsverhaltens von Beton unter Brandeinwirkung. Diplomarbeit. Materialprüfungsanstalt Universität Stuttgart Keywords: Acoustic emission, bonded anchors, femur, pullout test, fire-spalling

Parameterisation of clastic sediments including benthic structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bobertz, B.; Harff, J.; Bohling, B.

2009-02-01

The sediment transport processes in the south-western Baltic Sea are predicted by means of a numerical model in the project DYNAS. There are two sediment parameters that influence the results of modelling remarkably: critical shear stress velocity and bottom roughness. This paper presents the way how to parameterise these factors and extrapolate them into the investigation area. The critical shear stress velocity is parameterised basing on grain size data, combining approximations after Hjulström [Hjulström, F., 1935: Studies in the morphological activity of rivers as illustrated by the river Fyris. Geological Institution of University of Uppsala: Bulletin (25): 221-528.], Shields [Shields, A., 1936: Anwendung der Ähnlichkeits-Mechanik und der Turbulenzforschung auf die Geschiebebewegung. Mitteilungen der Preussischen Versuchsanstalt für Wasserbau und Schiffahrt (26): 26 pp.] and Bohling [Bohling, B., 2003: Untersuchungen zur Mobilität natürlicher und anthropogener Sedimente in der Mecklenburger Bucht. unpublished doctoral thesis, Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald/Germany, 156 pp.]. The roughness length, in the case of absence of macro zoo-benthos and their structures, is parameterised basing on grain size too employing Soulsby [Soulsby, R.L., 1997: Dynamics of Marine Sands: a Manual for Practical Applications. London, Thomas Telford Publications. 249 pp.], Nielsen [Nielsen, P., 1983: Analytical determination of nearshore wave height variation due to refraction shoaling and friction. Coastal Engineering 7, 233-251.] and Yalin [Yalin, M.S., 1977: Mechanics of Sediment Transport. Pergamon Press, New York. 298 pp.]. No equivalent simple parameterisations for biologically caused bed roughness exist. Here, findings of Friedrichs [Friedrichs, M., 2004: Flow-induced effects of macro zoo-benthic structures on the near-bed sediment transport. Dissertation, Universität Rostock, 80 S.] and estimations by the DYNAS biologists group were combined in order to derive roughness lengths from abundance measurements of four previously selected key species which represent the originators of the dominating benthic structures at the sea floor in the south-western Baltic Sea. Critical shear stress velocity and bed roughness are known at few sample sites only. They were extrapolated into the larger investigation area using a proxy-target concept. The mean near bottom milieu (bathymetry, median grain size, salinity, oxygen) which was derived using results from numerical modelling serves as the proxy. Since the milieu parameters are measured at the sampling sites for which the target parameters have been determined, a combined hierarchical and supervised classification was employed to transfer the local knowledge into the unknown investigation area.

Micromorphological investigation on ring road sediments of the Early Bronze Age site Tell Chuera, Syria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritzsch, Dagmar; Thiemeyer, Heinrich

2010-05-01

Tell Chuera is an Early Bronze Age settlement mount in NE-Syria close to the Turkish border. With a diameter of almost 1 km and a height of 18 m it is one of the biggest tells in the region between the rivers Balikh and Khabur. In 1958 the structures of the city wall was known first by Orthmann (1990). This city wall was built of air-dried mud bricks. The age of the founding of this construction is not yet clear. The earliest pottery from the place is dated around 2500 BC to 2350 BC. Inside the fortification a road was detected, which was first excavated by Novak (1995). We took sediment monoliths in 2004 from a new trench, which shows the same situation of the road. A geomagnetic prospection, that included the whole site, suggests that the road was part of the planned extension of the lower town and serves as a circular road (Meyer, in prep.). The micromorphological investigation focussed on the question, how the road was used. Did animals have had access to the town? The thin sections show different indications of the anthropogenic influence. In all samples pseudomorphs after straw are visible. In many parts ash, charred wood fragments, bone fragments, melted material and fragments of basalt and flint were observable, too. These materials are typical for sediments in streets (cf. Goldberg & Macphail, 2006). In some parts of the thin sections faecal spherulites and dung remains with faecal spherulites give an idea that ruminants used the road as well as men. Trampling structures support this assumption. Moreover, leaching of calcite, its redeposition in mottles, pseudomycels and concretions, hydromorphic stains and the translocation of silt indicate postdepositional pedogenic processes. Literature Goldberg, P., & Macphail, R. I. (2006). Practical and theoretical geoarchaeology: UK Blackwell Publishing. Meyer, J.-W. (in prep.). Überlegungen zur Siedlungsstruktur - eine erste Analyse der Ergebnisse der geomagnetischen Prospektion. In J.-W. Meyer (Ed.), Ausgrabungen in Tell Chuera in Nordostsyrien II - Vorbericht der Grabungskampagnen 1998 - 2005. Novak, M. (1995). Die Stadtmauergrabung. In W. Orthmann, R. Hempelmann, H. Klein, C. Kühne, M. Novak, A. Pruß, E. Vila, H. M. Weicken & A. Wener (Eds.), Ausgrabungen in Tell Chuera in Nordost-Syrien I - Vorbericht über die Grabungskampagnen von 1986 bis 1992 (Vol. 2, pp. (173 - 182)). Saarbücken.: SDV. Orthmann, W. (1990). Tell Chuera. Ausgrabungen der Max Freiherr von Oppenheim-Stiftung in Nordost-Syrien, Damaskus und Taurus.

Validating a hydrodynamic framework for long-term modelling of the German Bight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koesters, Frank; Pluess, Andreas; Heyer, Harro; Kastens, Marko; Sehili, Aissa

2010-05-01

The intention of the "AufMod" project is to set up a modelling framework for questions concerning the large-scale, long-term morphodynamic evolution of the German Bight. First a hydrodynamic model has been set up which includes the entire North Sea and a sophisticated representation of the German Bight. In a second step, simulations of sediment transport and morphodynamic changes will be processed. This paper deals with the calibration and validation process for the hydrodynamic model in detail. The starting point for "AufMod" was the aim to better understand the morphodynamic processes in the German Bight. Changes in bottom topography need to be predicted to ensure a safe and easy transport through the German waterways leading to ports at the German coast such as Hamburg and Bremerhaven. Within "AufMod" this question is addressed through a combined effort of gaining a comprehensive sedimentological and bathymetric data set as well as running different numerical models. The model is based on the numerical method UnTRIM (Casulli and Zanolli, 2002). The model uses an unstructured grid in the horizontal to provide a good representation of the complex topography. The spatial resolution increases from about 20 km in the North Sea to 20 m within the estuaries. The model forcing represents conditions for the year 2006 and consists of wind stress at the surface, water level elevation and salinity at the open boundaries as well as freshwater inflows. Temperature is not taken into account. For the model validation, there exists a large number of over 40 hydrodynamic monitoring stations which are used to compare modelled and measured data. The calibration process consists of adapting the tidal components at the open boundaries following the approach of Pluess (2003). The validation process includes the analysis of tidal components of water level elevation and current values as well as an analysis of tidal characteristic values, e.g. tidal low and high water. Based on these numerical measures, the representation of the underlying physics is quantified by using a skill score. The overall hydrodynamic structure is represented well by the model and will be starting point for the following morphodynamic experiments. Literature Casulli and Zanolli (2002) V. Casulli and P. Zanolli. Semi-Implicit Numerical Modelling of Non-Hydrostatic Free-surface Flows for Environmental Problems. Mathematical and Computer Modelling, 36:1131-1149, 2002. Pluess (2003) A. Pluess. Das Nordseemodell der BAW zur Simulation der Tide in der Deutschen Bucht. Die Kueste, Heft 67, 2003, ISBN 3-8042-1058-9, pp 83-128

Landscape and vegetation change on the Iberian Peninsula during the Roman Epoch - A reconstruction based on Geo-Bioarchives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Heike

2010-05-01

Archaeological investigations expect that first strong landscape changes on the Iberian Peninsula based on Roman Occupation (Schattner 1998, Teichner 2007). Actual sedimentological investigations in flood plains, lagoons and estuaries do not reflect this development. They often show a decrease in sedimentation during this period (Thorndycraft & Benito 2006 a/b). In contrast analyses on sediments from roman dams (Hinderer et al. 2004, Solanas 2005) document massive erosion processes. The aim of this presented project is to reconstruct the effects of the roman land use system on vegetation and landscape development. Therefore different Geo-Bioarchives on several sites of Portugal and Spain - estuaries, palaeoriver channels and roman dams - are actually investigated with a high temporal resolution using palynological and sedimentological methods. First results show, that the anthropogenic impact starts clearly before roman time with an peak in human activity during Iron Age (Schneider et al. 2008). During the roman occupation phase different effects are visible. The inland areas document a massive increase in vegetation change, while the coastal areas were stronger developed before and show only slightly and very local changes in land use and vegetation. References Hinderer, M., Silva C. & J. Ries (2004). Erosion in zentralen Ebrobecken und Sedimentakkumulation in Talsperren. GeoLeipzig 2004, Geowissenschaften sichern Zukunft. - Schriftenreihe der Dt. Geol. Gesell. 34. Schattner, T.G. (1998): Archäologischer Wegweiser durch Portugal.- Kulturgeschichte der antiken Welt 74. Mainz. Schneider, H., Höfer, D., Trog, C., Daut, G., Hilbich C. & R. Mäusbacher (2008): Geoarcheological reconstruction of lagoon development in the Algarve Region (South Portugal). Terra Nostra 2008/2, Abstract Volume 12th IPC: 248. Solanas, O.L.-P. (2005): El Aterramiento del embalse romano de Muel: Implicaciones para la evolución de la erosióy el uso de los recursos hidricos en el valle del Huerva. Postgrado en Ingeneria de los Recursos Hidricos, Zaragoza. Teichner, F. (2007): Zwischen Land und Meer - Entre tierra y mar. Studien zur Architektur und Wirtschaftsweise ländlicher Siedlungen im Süden der römischen Provinz Lusitanien. - Stvdia Lvsitana 3 (MNAR) / Madrider Beitr. (DAI). Thorndycraft, V.R. & G. Benito (2006a): Late Holocene fluvial chronology of Spain: The role of climatic variability and human impact. - Catena 66 (1-2): 34-41. Thorndycraft, V.R. & G. Benito (2006b): The Holocene fluvial chronology of Spain: evidence from a newly compiled radiocarbon database. - Quaternary Science Reviews 25 (3-4): 223-234.

Beitraege zur Astronomiegeschichte, Band 5 (Acta Historica Astronomiae Vol. 18)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duerbeck, H. W.; Dick, W. R.; Hamel, J.

2003-01-01

The 18th volume of the Acta Historica Astronomiae is at the same time the sixth collection of essays on the history of astronomy ("Beitræge zur Astronomiegeschichte, Band 6"), edited by the historians of astronomy W.R. Dick (Potsdam) and J. Hamel (Berlin). Besides a few short notices and book reviews, the book contains eight major articles, which deal with astronomical topics covering the time from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The first article by Michael Weichenhan (Berlin) deals with "the invention of the disk-shaped earth: a chapter of Copernican apologetics". The author shows that the concept of a "disc-shaped Earth" was by no means widespread in the middle ages, but restricted to the father of the church Lactantius and some adherents. Nevertheless, it was used by adherents of Copernicus to show the absurd consequences of a strictly literal biblical interpretation -- here concerning the Earth's shape, disc versus sphere, there the geocentric versus the heliocentric system. This thorough philosophical study is followed by two very short articles. "The measuring accuracy of Tycho's large sextant" by Johann Wünsch investigates O-C values of planet-star distances, as based on Tycho's observations as published in the Historia Coelestis (a compilation, which is also based on Tycho's manuscripts, and published in Regensburg in 1672). The result is that standard deviations are 80 arcseconds for Saturn and 89 arcseconds for Jupiter and Mars, an unexpectedly poor result in view of the general opinion that Tycho was famous for his precision work. "The astronomer Christoph Grienberger and the Galilei trial" by Franz Daxecker deals with a Jesuit astronomer who was both the disciple and successor of the mathematician-astronomer Christopher Clavius at the Collegium Romanum. While he was inclined to Galilei early on, he was forced to propagate Aristotelian doctrine. The brief article is very concise, but extremely tiresome to read (3 pages of pure text are embellished by 33 footnotes). The 3-page paper on Grienberger is followed by a 50-page paper on Kordenbusch. Hans Gaab presents a thoroughly researched biography of the Nuremberg astronomer Georg Friedrich Kordenbusch (1731-1802). Educated as a doctor of medicine, he nevertheless became teacher of mathematics and physics at the Egidien gymnasium, attempted to revitalize the Nuremberg Observatory, and issued a second edition of Johann Leonard Rost's Astronomisches Handbuch (1718), the first compendium of astronomy written in German. He also edited and translated some French works (star maps, a description of globes, and an elementary book on cosmography). Dietmar Fürst (Berlin), who has already published in this series three articles on the foundation of Königsberg Observatory, now presents the first part of the history of the Königsberg heliometer, an instrument which is famous since it was used by Bessel to determine the trigonometric parallax of 61 Cygni. Fürst informs us about the purchase and the putting in operation of the instrument, which was endangered by Fraunhofer's death and delayed by (unavoidably counterproductive?) administrative activities. Reinhold Haefner, astronomer at Munich Observatory, and Rolf Riekher, optician in Berlin, have joined forces to present some pioneers of stellar spectroscopy in "the astro-spectroscopic researches by Fraunhofer and Lamont". It is well known that Fraunhofer observed the solar spectrum with high enough resolution to detect the Fraunhofer lines, but it is less known that he also observed bright planets and fixed stars at the Munich Observatiory, with the assistance of its director Soldner. A publication of 1823 gives only a short summary of this stellar work, and Fraunhofer's early death, three years later, was possibly the cause that no detailed article ever appeared. Interestingly, the second director of the observatory, Johann von Lamont, used the new large refractor (aperture: 28 cm, focal length about 5 m) to observe stellar spectra in 1836. The authors quote details from the observing book and present some sketches (whose reproduction is somewhat poor, and the reader is referred to Häfner's history of Munich Observatory, discussed elsewhere in this volume of JAD, to see a better colour reproduction of a spectral sketch of Lamont). The impact of these studies (or rather the lack of it) is also briefly reviewed. Manfred Strumpf (Gotha) describes the difficulties in finding suitable directors for the Gotha Observatory - when the funds became smaller and the post thus became less and less attractive. Only the wealthy Nikolaus von Konkoly, a serious amateur and pioneer of astrophysics, applied even twice, but the administration was reluctant to seriously consider his offer. The result was that the chosen candidates were mainstream astronomers who used Gotha only as a step to foster their career and to find a better position as soon as possible. Finally, Peter Brosche (Daun) and Endre Zsoldos (Budapest) trace the life of a hitherto elusive craftsman-scientist, Friedrich Schwab. He was chosen to be the mechanic of one of the Venus transit expeditions of the German Empire (1882 to Punta Arenas), became university mechanic in Klausenburg, and later teacher at the technical school in Ilmenau. He was an active observer of variable stars and also a specialist in endomological studies. The authors have located a grand-son and have put to light some valuable notes and photographs. As can be seen from the summaries given above, this collection of essays deals mainly with historical events that occurred in Germany and neighboring countries, and focuses mainly on events in the 17th to 19th centuries. All contributions are written in German. The editors have taken care that generally a high standard was kept, although topic and realization make some articles more pleasant to read than others.

Determination of Groundwater Velocity and Dispersion Parameters by Borehole Wall Multielectrode Geoelectrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kessels, W.; Wuttke, M. W.

2007-05-01

A single well technique to determine groundwater flow values and transport parameters is presented. Multielectrode arrays are placed at the filtered casing depth by an inflatable packer or are installed on the borehole wall behind the casing.Tracer water with a higher or lower specific electrical conductivity (salinity) which is injected between the electrodes. This tracer plume then moves into the natural groundwater flow field. The observation of this movement by geoelectric logging enables the determination of the groundwater velocity and salinity. The transport parameters "effective porosity" and "dispersion length" can also be derived. The geoelectric logging uses n borehole electrodes and two grounding electrodes. Thus, either n independent two point measurements or n*(n-1)/2 pole-to-pole measurements can be conducted to obtain a full set of geoelectric measurements. This set is used to derive all electrode combinations by applying the law of superposition and reciprocity. The tracer distribution around the borehole during and after injection depends on the hydraulic and transport parameters of the aquifer and the filter sand. The transport parameter "porosity" plus the total injected tracer volume determines the tracer distribution around the borehole. The transport parameter "dispersivity" determines the abruptness of the tracer front. The method was tested by undertaking measurements in a lab aquifer filled with sand. The results are discussed and the limitations of the method are shown. Multielectrode installations behind casing were tested in situ in the two scientific boreholes CAT-LUD-1 and CAT- LUD-1A drilled in the northern part of Germany. A multielectrode packer system was designed, built and tested in these boreholes. The results are compared with colloid observations in the borehole and hydraulic triangulation in surrounded observation wells. Here, the interpretation of these in situ measurements is mainly restricted to two point geoelectric measurements and vertical four point electrode interpretations. The transport equation for NaCl-tracered water is the basic rule to determine the groundwater transport velocity. Numerical calculations to simulate the measurement are carried out with the program FEFLOW. Due to the density contrast, the tracer undergoes vertical movement. Kessels, W., Zoth, G.(1998): Doppelmantel - Packer mit geoelektrischer Meßtechnik zur Bestimmung der Abstandsgeschwindigkeit des Grundwassers, Patent Az:19855048.0, GGA-Institut, Germany, Hannover. KESSELS, W., RIFAI, H., THORENZ, C., ZOTH, G.(2002): Multi Electrode Geoelectric on the Borehole Wall- Determination of groundwater velocity and dispersion parameters, AGU spring meeting, Washington KESSELS, W., ZOTH, G., WONIK, T., FULDA, C. (1999): THE USE OF SALT CARTRIDGES FOR FLUID LOGGING. XXIV GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF E.G.S. THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS PANTELEIT,B., KESSELS, W., BINOT, F (2006): MUD TRACER TEST DURING SOFT ROCK DRILLING; W.R.R., VOL. 42, W11415, DOI:10.1029/2005WR004487

Quality of Life and Patient Satisfaction Following Male-to-Female Sex Reassignment Surgery.

PubMed

Papadopulos, Nikolaos A; Lellé, Jean-Daniel; Zavlin, Dmitry; Herschbach, Peter; Henrich, Gerhard; Kovacs, Laszlo; Ehrenberger, Benjamin; Kluger, Anna-Katharina; Machens, Hans-Guenther; Schaff, Juergen

2017-05-01

Surveys on quality of life (QOL) of male-to-female (MTF) transsexuals have found low QOL scores before and increased satisfaction scores after sex-reassignment surgery (SRS). To our knowledge, many of them lack standardized questionnaires and comparisons with normative data to evaluate different vaginoplasty techniques. To analyze patient satisfaction and QOL after SRS. Forty-seven patients participated in this study. All patients had surgery with our self-developed combined technique on average 19 months before the survey. They completed a self-developed indication-specific questionnaire concerning demographic and socioeconomic issues and postoperative satisfaction. Furthermore, a standardized self-assessment questionnaire on satisfaction and QOL (Fragen zur Lebenszufriedenheit Module [FLZ M ]; Questions on Life Satisfaction Modules ) was used. The FLZ M consists of three modules (general life satisfaction, satisfaction with health, and satisfaction with body image) with scores of weighted satisfaction for each item. Results of the general and health modules were compared with normative data. Demographics, QOL, general life satisfaction, satisfaction with health, and satisfaction with body image. The self-developed indication-specific questionnaire showed that 91% experienced an improvement of QOL. All patients stated they would undergo SRS again and did not regret it at all. Patients stated their femininity significantly increased. For the FLZ M , the sum score for general life satisfaction (P < .001) was significantly lower than the normative data, whereas the sum score of the satisfaction with health module (P = .038) did not reach statistical significance. The two modules also showed positive trends for different items. Values of the body image module showed a significant increase in satisfaction with breasts (P < .001) and genitals (P = .002). The findings of this survey emphasize the importance of SRS in the interdisciplinary gender-reassignment process. The detailed description of our combined technique could help to improve the surgical outcome and patient satisfaction of this complex and non-standardized surgery. This is the first description of a new surgical technique (combined technique) for MTF SRS. QOL was assessed by a large number of patients by standardized questionnaires and could be compared with normative data. Because this is a retrospective study, we can draw only careful conclusions for pre- and postoperative changes. Our self-developed combined surgical technique seemed to have a positive influence on QOL after SRS. Satisfaction with breasts, genitals, and femininity increased significantly and show the importance of surgical treatment as a key therapeutic option for MTF transsexuals. Papadopulos NA, Lellé J-D, Zavlin D, et al. Quality of Life and Patient Satisfaction Following Male-to-Female Sex Reassignment Surgery. J Sex Med 2017;14:721-730. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Räumlich-statistische Charakterisierung der Hydrogeochemie einer BTEX-Grundwasserkontamination am Standort "RETZINA"/Zeitz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wachter, Thorsten; Dethlefsen, Frank; Gödeke, Stefan; Dahmke, Andreas

Kurzfassung Bei der Erkundung von Grundwasserschadensfällen werden gewöhnlich punktuell erhobene Messdaten über den betrachteten Aquifer interpoliert. Die Reichweite der Autokorrelation der Daten entscheidet dabei über Zulässigkeit und Qualität der Interpolation. Während auf regionalem Maßstab Daten vorliegen, gibt es nur sehr wenig Arbeiten über Korrelationslängen auf lokalem Maßstab. Diese Arbeit untersucht die Interpolationssicherheit am Beispiel der BTEX-Kontamination am Testfeld RETZINA in Zeitz anhand von Variogrammen und Krigingstandardabweichung. Als Datengrundlage dienten Analysenergebnisse aus über 50 Grundwassermessstellen und 180 Sedimentproben. Für Benzol, Methan, Sulfat und Alkalität genügte der mittlere Abstand der Probennahmepunkte von etwa 50 m für hinreichende Interpolationssicherheit, im Falle von gelöstem Eisen, gelöstem Mangan und Redoxpotenzial war die vorhandene Datendichte zu gering, für die Hauptionen, pH-Wert und elektr. Leitfähigkeit hätten bereits größere Probenabstände ausgereicht. Die Reichweiten der Autokorrelation im Sediment sind geringer als die Probennahmeabstände, weshalb die Messwerte der Eisen- und Schwefelbindungsformen nicht regionalisiert werden konnten. Die Ergebnisse sind hinsichtlich der Entwicklung von Probennahmestrategien von Bedeutung. Zur Verbesserung der Übertragbarkeit bedarf es noch ähnlicher Untersuchungen an weiteren Standorten. Investigation of sites with groundwater contamination usually involves interpolation of point-based results across the aquifer under consideration. The range of autocorrelation thereby decides whether the quality of interpolation will be sufficient. While there are investigations on the regional (km) scale, only a few publications exist for correlation lengths at a local (10s to 100s of m) scale. This study investigates the accuracy of interpolation at the example of the BTEX-contaminated aquifer in Zeitz by means of variogram analysis and interpretation of kriging standard deviation. Investigations are based upon analytical results from more than 50 groundwater wells and 180 sediment samples. In the case of benzene, methane, sulphate, and alkalinity, the given sample spacing of about 50 m provided sufficient accuracy of interpolation. For dissolved iron, dissolved manganese, and redox potential the results did not allow interpolation, while for the major ions, pH, and electrical conductivity a wider sampling distance would have been possible. The ranges of autocorrelation in the aquifer's solid phase proved to be smaller than the sampling distances. Therefore, results of iron and sulphur phases could not be regionalized. The results of this study are relevant for the development of sampling strategies and quality management. To improve transferability similar investigations should be done at other sites.

Dynamic modelling and humus balances as tools for estimating and upscaling soil carbon stock changes in temperate cropland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oberholzer, Hans-Rudolf; Holenstein, Hildegard; Mayer, Jochen; Leifeld, Jens

2010-05-01

Humus balances are simple mathematical tools used by farmers for assessing the overall performance of their management in terms of soil organic matter changes. They are based on humus reproduction factors which themselves mainly depend on crop rotation, residue management, and amount and type of organic fertilization. Dynamic models, on the other hand, are typically complex and need more detailed input data and are designed to calculate the time course of soil carbon content. In both cases, thorough validation is needed to utilize their potential for estimating carbon stock changes. We compared the results of three humus balance methods SALCA-SQ (Neyroud 1997), VDLUFA method (VDLUFA 2004), Humod (Brock et al. 2008) and the RothC model with measured soil carbon stocks in a long-term experiment in Switzerland for the period 1977-2005 (Fliessbach et al 2007). The field trial comprises various minerally and organically fertilized treatments, the latter differing in the amount and composition of organics applied. All methods were able to distinguish systematic management effects on soil organic carbon (SOC). However, only those SOC trajectories calculated with the dynamic model RothC matched measured stocks quantitatively. For both, humus balances and dynamic modelling the result strongly depended on parameterization of organic fertilizers, i.e. its stability and organic matter content. Therefore, incomplete information on the amount and composition of organic fertilizer and lack of knowledge about its potential for humus reproduction is regarded an uncertainty in both dynamic modelling and humus balance calculation, and seems to be a major drawback for the reliable application of these approaches at the regional scale. Our results stress the need for more detailed and harmonized data bases of organic fertilizer composition and application rates. References Brock C., Hoyer U., Leithold G., Hülsbergen K.-J., 2008. Entwicklung einer praxisanwendbaren Methode der Humusbilanzierung im ökologischen Landbau. Abschlussbericht zum Projekt 03OE084, http://forschung.oekolandbau.de unter der BÖL-Bericht-ID 16447,184 pp. Fliessbach A, Oberholzer H.-R., Gunst L., Mäder P., 2007. Soil organic matter and biological soil quality indicators after 21 years of organic and conventional farming. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 118, 273-284. Leifeld J., Reiser R., Oberholzer H.-R., 2009. Consequences of conventional vs. organic farming on soil carbon: Results from a 27-year field experiment. Agronomy Journal 101, 1204-1218. Neyroud J.-A., 1997. La part du sol dans la production intégrée 1. Gestion de la matière organique et bilan humique. Revue suisse d'agriculture, 29, 45-51. VDLUFA, 2004. VDLUFA-Standpunkt: Humusbilanzierung - Methode zur Beurteilung und Bemessung der Humusversorgung von Ackerland. Verband Deutscher Landwirtschaftlicher Untersuchungs- und Forschungsanstalten, Selbstverlag.

[Not Available].

PubMed

Hainschitz, I; Rieger, K; Siegl, H

2002-06-01

In Austria an index of 3 μg/kg of Ochratoxin A for coffee, 0,3 μg/kg for fruit juices and 0,2 μg/kg for beer is discussed. The laboratory of the food inspection authority of the state of Vorarlberg investigated the contribution of selected foodstuffs to the daily OTA intake and compared it with the recommendation of the scientific food committee of the EC. The focal point of this study was on beverages (coffee, coffee substitutes, beer and fruit juices) and their ingredients.ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Die Untersuchungsergebnisse von Bier, Fruchtsaft und Kaffee [Diagramm 1] zeigen, dass die Mehrzahl der Proben nur sehr schwach bis gar nicht belastet waren. Die OTA-Belastung lag bei der Mehrzahl der Proben unter der Nachweisgrenze von 0,3 μg/kg bzw. 0,01μg/1. Einzelne Proben waren aber erheblich belastet, sodass bei starkem Konsum (Fruchtsaft im Sommer) eine überschreitung der vom SCF vorgeschlagenen Höchstmenge nicht auszuschließen ist. Die Ergebnisse der Kaffeemitteluntersuchung [Diagramm 2] belegen eine höhere OTA-Belastung bei mehr als der Hälfte der Proben. Wenn die vom SCF vorgeschlagene Höchstaufnahme von 5 ng pro Tag und kg Körpergewicht zu Grunde gelegt wird, resultiert für eine 60 kg schwere Person ein Wert von 0,3 μg/Tag. Das bedeutet bei einem mit 100 μg/kg OTA kontaminierten Kaffeeersatz und dem Konsum nur einer Tasse (5 - 7 g Pulver), dass alleine aus dieser Quelle diese Höchstaufnahme deutlich überschritten wird. Der Eintrag über die restliche Nahrung wie Cerealien, die für etwa die Hälfte der OTA-Aufnahme verantwortlich sind, bleibt hier unberücksichtigt. Die Untersuchungen belegen, dass die Einhaltung der in österreich vorgeschlagenen Richtwerte bei Bier, Fruchtsäften und Kaffee keine Schwierigkeiten bereitet. Für Kaffeemittel und andere Trockenfrüchte als Weintrauben [3] wurde allerdings noch kein Richtwert vorgeschlagen. Die Ergebnisse belegen aber, dass gerade für Kaffemittel und verschiedene Trockenfrüchte vor dem Hintergrund fehlender Höchstwerte ein Richtwert in der Größenordnung von 3 μg/kg bzw. 10 μg/kg hilfreich wäre, bis die Festlegung der gemeinschaftsrechtlicher Höchstgehalte erfolgt. Mit Hinblick auf die in der Einleitung beschriebene toxische Wirkung von OTA ist es im Sinne eines vorbeugenden Verbraucherschutzes wichtig, diese hochbelasteten Chargen zu erkennen und aus dem Verkehr zu nehmen. Ursache für die OTA-Kontamination ist vor allem eine mangelhafte Produktionshygiene in den Erzeugerländern. Dort liegt auch das größte Potential für eine Verringerung der OTA-Belastung. Die überprüfung der Lebensmittel auf Ochratoxin A durch die amtliche Lebensmittelkontrolle ist ein notwendiger Beitrag zum Schutz der öffentlichen Gesundheit und zur weiteren Reduktion der Aufnahme.

Removal of Co(II) from waste water using dry cow dung powder : a green ambrosia to soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bagla, Hemlata; Khilnani, Roshan

2015-04-01

Co(II) is one of the hazardous products found in the waste streams. The anthropogenic activities are major sources of Co(II) in our environment. Some of the well-established processes such as chemical precipitation, membrane process, liquid extraction and ion exchange have been applied as a tool for the removal of this metal ion [1]. All the above methods are not considered to be greener due to some of their shortcomings such as incomplete metal ion removal, high requirement of energy and reagents, generation of toxic sludge or other waste materials which in turn require further treatments for their cautious disposal. The present investigation entails the application of dry cow dung powder (DCP) as an indigenous, inexpensive and eco-friendly material for the removal of Co(II) from aqueous medium. DCP, is naturally available bio-organic, complex, polymorphic humified fecal matter of cow and is enriched with minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, bile pigments, aliphatic-aromatic species such as 'Humic acid' (HA), Fulvic acid, Ulmic acid [2,3]. Batch biosorption experiments were conducted employing 60Co(II) as a tracer and effect of various process parameters such as pH (1-8), temperature (283-363K), amount of biosorbent (5-40 g/L), time of equilibration (0-30 min), agitation speed (0-4000 rpm), concentration of initial metal ions (0.5-20 mg/mL) and interfering effect of different organic as well as inorganic salts were studied. The Kinetic studies were carried out employing various models but the best fitting was given by Lagergren Pseudo-second order model [4] with high correlation coefficient R2 value of 0.999 and adsorption capacity of 2.31 mg/g. The thermodynamic parameters for biosorption were also evaluated which indicated spontaneous and exothermic process with high affinity of DCP for Co(II). Many naturally available materials are used for biosorption of hazardous metal pollutants, where most of them are physically or chemically modified. In this research work, DCP has been utilized without pre or post chemical treatment. Thus it manifests the principal of green chemistry and proves to be an eco-friendly biosorbent. References 1. N.S. Barot, H.K. Bagla, Biosorption of Radiotoxic 90Sr by Green adsorbent: Dry Cow Dung Powder, Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 294, pp. 81-86, (2012). 2. N.S. Barot, H.K. Bagla, Eco-friendly waste water treatment by cow-dung powder (Adsorption studies of Cr(III), Cr (VI) & Cd(II) using Tracer Technique), Desalination & Water Treatment, 38(1-3), pp.104-113, (2012). 3. N.S. Barot, R.P. Khilnani, H.K. Bagla, "Biosorptive profile of Synthetic and Natural Humiresin for the remediation of Metallic Water Pollutants", Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 301(1):1-9, (2014). 4. S. Lagergren, Zur theorie der sogenannten adsorption geloster stoffe. Kungliga Svenska Vetenskapsakademiens, Handlingar 24(4):1-39, (1898).

Mixtures of Bosonic and Fermionic atoms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albus, Alexander

2003-12-01

The theory of atomic Boson-Fermion mixtures in the dilute limit beyond mean-field is considered in this thesis. Extending the formalism of quantum field theory we derived expressions for the quasi-particle excitation spectra, the ground state energy, and related quantities for a homogenous system to first order in the dilute gas parameter. In the framework of density functional theory we could carry over the previous results to inhomogeneous systems. We then determined to density distributions for various parameter values and identified three different phase regions: (i) a stable mixed regime, (ii) a phase separated regime, and (iii) a collapsed regime. We found a significant contribution of exchange-correlation effects in the latter case. Next, we determined the shift of the Bose-Einstein condensation temperature caused by Boson-Fermion interactions in a harmonic trap due to redistribution of the density profiles. We then considered Boson-Fermion mixtures in optical lattices. We calculated the criterion for stability against phase separation, identified the Mott-insulating and superfluid regimes both, analytically within a mean-field calculation, and numerically by virtue of a Gutzwiller Ansatz. We also found new frustrated ground states in the limit of very strong lattices. ----Anmerkung: Der Autor ist Träger des durch die Physikalische Gesellschaft zu Berlin vergebenen Carl-Ramsauer-Preises 2004 für die jeweils beste Dissertation der vier Universitäten Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin und Universität Potsdam. Ziel der Arbeit war die systematische theoretische Behandlung von Gemischen aus bosonischen und fermionischen Atomen in einem Parameterbereich, der sich zur Beschreibung von aktuellen Experimenten mit ultra-kalten atomaren Gasen eignet. Zuerst wurde der Formalismus der Quantenfeldtheorie auf homogene, atomare Boson-Fermion Gemische erweitert, um grundlegende Größen wie Quasiteilchenspektren, die Grundzustandsenergie und daraus abgeleitete Größen über die Molekularfeldtheorie hinaus zu berechnen. Unter Zuhilfenahme der dieser Resultate System wurde ein Boson-Fermion Gemisch in einem Fallenpotential im Rahmen der Dichtefunktionaltheorie beschrieben. Daraus konnten die Dichteprofile ermittelt werden und es ließen sich drei Bereiche im Phasendiagramm identifizieren: (i) ein Bereich eines stabilen Gemisches, (ii) ein Bereich, in dem die Spezies entmischt sind und (iii) ein Bereich, in dem das System kollabiert. Im letzten dieser drei Fällen waren Austausch--Korrelationseffekte signifikant. Weiterhin wurde die Änderung der kritischen Temperatur der Bose-Einstein-Kondensation aufgrund der Boson-Fermion-Wechselwirkung berechnet. Verursacht wird dieser Effekt von Dichtumverteilungen aufgrund der Wechselwirkung. Dann wurden Boson-Fermion Gemische in optischen Gittern betrachtet. Ein Stabilitätskriterium gegen Phasenentmischung wurde gefunden und es ließen sich Bedingungen für einen supraflüssig zu Mott-isolations Phasenübergang angeben. Diese wurden sowohl mittels einer Molekularfeldrechnung als auch numerisch im Rahmen eines Gutzwilleransatzes gefunden. Es wurden weiterhin neuartige frustrierte Grundzustände im Fall von sehr großen Gitterstärken gefunden.