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Objective. The objective of this study was to synthesize the evidence from systematic reviews on the efficacy of physical therapy and exercise therapy, including interventional elements explicitly aiming at physical activity promotion (PAP) in patients with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Methods. PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched from inception to February 28, 2023. Two independent reviewers screened the literature to identify systematic reviews that evaluated the effects of physical therapy and exercise therapy, including PAP interventions. Patient-reported and device-based measures of physical activity (PA) outcomes were included. Qualitative and quantitative data from systematic reviews were extracted by 2 independent reviewers. Assessment of the methodological quality of the included systematic reviews was performed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR 2). We assessed primary study overlap by calculating the corrected covered area and conducted the evidence synthesis in accordance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Results. Fourteen systematic reviews were included in the present overview, including patients with a variety of NCDs. Most included systematic reviews had critically low (n = 5) to low (n = 7) methodological quality. Most meta-analyses (67%; 8/12) provided evidence supporting the short- and long-term efficacy of PAP interventions, but not all pooled estimates were clinically relevant. Only three of the systematic reviews with meta-analysis included an assessment of the certainty of the evidence. The evidence from systematic reviews without meta-analysis was inconclusive. Conclusions. The results of the present overview suggest that PAP interventions in physical therapy or exercise therapy may be effective in improving PA for patients with NCDs in the short and long term. The results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited certainty of evidence and critically low-to-low methodological quality of the included systematic reviews. Both high-quality primary studies and systematic reviews are required to confirm these results. Impact. There is limited evidence that PAP interventions in physical therapy and exercise therapy may be effective in improving PA for patients with NCDs. Keywords: Exercise Therapy, Physical Activity, Physical Activity Promotion, Physical Therapy, Public health guidelines recommend at least 150 min/wk of moderate-intensity physical activity (PA) to achieve significant health benefits and mitigate health risks. (1) Thereby, PA is defined as "any bodily [...]

DNA origami nanotechnology has great potential in multiple fields including biomedical, biophysical, and nanofabrication applications. However, current production pipelines lead to single-use devices incorporating a small fraction of initial reactants, resulting in a wasteful manufacturing process. Here, we introduce two complementary approaches to overcome these limitations by recycling the strand components of DNA origami nanostructures (DONs). We demonstrate reprogramming entire DONs into new devices, reusing scaffold strands. We validate this approach by reprogramming DONs with complex geometries into each other, using their distinct geometries to verify successful scaffold recycling. We reprogram one DON into a dynamic structure and show both pristine and recycled structures display similar properties. Second, we demonstrate the recovery of excess staple strands postassembly and fold DONs with these recycled strands, showing these structures exhibit the expected geometry and dynamic properties. Finally, we demonstrate the combination of both approaches, successfully fabricating DONs solely from recycled DNA components.

Wilms tumour (WT) is the most common renal tumour in children, and studies of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) treatment and markers are limited in number. In this study we investigated the ICIs' related immune landscape by examining the expression of PD-L1, PD-1, CD8 and DNA mismatch repair (MMR) proteins by immunohistochemistry (IHC), tumour mutation burden (TMB), and correlations with histology and clinical outcome. Positive PD-L1 (SP263) expression was defined as modified combined positive score (CPS) ≥1. A total of 59 WTs (from 2000 to 2017), including eight (14.0%) with anaplasia, from 46 patients were analysed (45 primary and 14 metastatic). Thirteen WTs (13/59, 22%) were positive for PD-L1 (8 primary, 5 metastatic; CPS 1.11–3.42). Positive PD-L1 expression was associated with diffuse anaplasia (p<0.05) and significantly shorter progression-free survival (p<0.05) among WTs with favourable histology (n=39). CD8+ lymphocytes were present in all analysed WTs. A subset of CD8+ cells co-expressed PD-1, which was associated with favourable histology and treatment. MMR IHC stains identified two (2/18, 11%) WTs with isolated PMS2 loss. All six WTs analysed for TMB showed low mutation burden. We found CD8+ lymphocytes in all analysed WTs and identified a fraction of WT (17.8% of primary and 35.8% of metastatic) with positive PD-L1 CPS, suggesting potential response to ICIs in some patients.

Traditional approaches to the chemistry curriculum for undergraduate students prioritize coverage of fragmented individual topics rather than employing systems thinking to embed chemistry concepts in immersive holistic contexts vital to our planet’s future, such as climate change. Many students are eager to understand and tackle climate change, drawing on political, socioeconomic, sustainability, and chemistry perspectives. However, educators face substantial barriers in resourcing climate empowerment through chemistry education. This paper outlines interactive resources and activities educators can use to help students engage with climate literacy and action, grounded in an emerging understanding of key concepts in chemistry. These resources draw from the work of 14 third- and fourth-year undergraduate students at The King’s University who were learning about climate change in an environmental chemistry class. The students, who also coauthored this paper, collaborated in small groups and as an entire class to develop learning activities, pilot activities created by others, articulate topics for educators, and perform several rounds of peer review. Together, the students developed activities and learning outcomes that they hope others will use to connect climate change to cognitive, affective, and kinesthetic learning in chemistry.

Purpose/Aim:Acrylamides are hydrolytically stable at pH lower than 2, and were shown to preserve bonded interface integrity with two-step, total etch adhesives. The objective of this study was to leverage those two characteristics in self-etching primers containing the acidic monomer 10-MDP and test the microtensile bond strength before and after incubation with S. mutansincubation. Materials and Methods:Acidic primers (10 wt % 10-methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate─10-MDP; 45 wt % N,N-diethyl-1,3-bis(acrylamido)propane─DEBAAP, or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate─HEMA; 45 wt %, glycerol–dimethacrylate─GDMA) and adhesives (DEBAAP or HEMA/10-MDP/UDMA 45/10/45 wt %) were made polymerizable by the addition of 0.2 wt % camphorquinone, 0.8 wt % ethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate, 0.4 wt % diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate, and 0.1 wt % butylhydroxytoluene. Nonsolvated materials were characterized for flexural strength (FS), modulus (E), toughness, water sorption/solubility (WS/SL), contact angle, and vinyl conversion (DC). Viscosity was evaluated after adding 20 and 40 vol % ethanol to the primer and adhesive, respectively. The experimental materials or Clearfil SE Bond (CC─commercial control) were used to bond a commercial composite (Filtek Supreme) to the flat surface of human dentin. Microtensile bond strength (MTBS) was tested in 1 mm2sticks for the 5 primer/bond combinations: CC (Clearfil Bond Primer and Bond), HH (HEMA/HEMA), DD (DEBAAP/DEBAAP), HD (HEMA/DEBAAP), and DH (DEBAAP/HEMA). Prior to testing, sticks were stored in water or biofilm-inducing culture medium with S. mutansfor 1 week. Confocal images and FTIR–ATR evaluation evaluated the hybrid layer of the adhesives. Results were analyzed using Student’s t-test (WS, SL, DC, contact angle, FS, E, toughness), one-way ANOVA/Tukey’s test for viscosity, and two-way ANOVA/Tukey’s test for MTBS (95%). Results:HEMA-based materials had lower contact angle (p= 0.004), higher WS (p< 0.001), and similar SL values compared to DEBAAP (p= 0.126). FS (p= 0.171) and E (p= 0.065) dry values were similar, but after one week of water storage, FS/E dropped more significantly for HEMA materials. Dry and wet toughness was greater for DEBAAP (p< 0.001), but it also had the greatest drop (46%). Clearfil bonds had the highest viscosity, followed by DEBAAP and HEMA, respectively (p= 0.002). For the primers, HEMA had the lowest viscosity (p= 0.003). As far as MTBS, all groups tested in water were statistically different when compared with HH (p< 0.001). After storage in biofilm, DH had the highest MTBS value, being statistically different from HH (p= 0.002), CC (p= 0.015), and DD (p= 0.027). Conclusions:The addition of a diacrylamide and its association with HEMA in self-etching adhesive systems provided greater bonding stability after bacterial challenge.

Grätzel and co-workers introduce cesium-doped graphene oxide as an interlayer to enhance the long-term operational stability of high-efficiency perovskite solar cells with efficiency over 23%.

What level of quality do you feel is required in orthopedic implants, pacemakers and other critical, life-sustaining medical devices? The highest quality, of course! It's not a surprise that quality [...]

Mallach, Alan. Smaller cities in a shrinking world: learning to thrive without growth. Island Press, 2023. 336p bibl index ISBN 9781642832273 cloth, $35.00; ISBN 9781642832280 ebook, contact publisher for price [...]

Banks, David A. The city authentic: how the attention economy builds urban America. California, 2023. 224p bibl index ISBN 9780520383449 cloth, $85.00; ISBN 9780520383456 pbk, $26.95; ISBN 9780520383470 ebook, contact [...]

More than five decades after Brown v. Board of Education and four decades after the Civil Rights era, racial prejudice remains a national problem cutting across social class and culture. Although schools may seem ideal places to teach children about tolerance and harmony, there is little consensus on how to best reduce negative sentiments and behaviors toward peers of different racial or ethnic backgrounds. To understand the modest gains made by various prejudice reduction programs (each relying on different theoretical assumptions), we first review what psychologists have learned about the environmental conditions affecting prejudice, the social-cognitive constraints supporting prejudice, and the multiple manifestations of prejudice among children since this issue gained national attention via the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954. We then apply these lessons learned to analyze the effectiveness and promise of three approaches: multicultural curricula, cooperative learning techniques, and anti-bias/social-cognitive skills training. In conclusion, recommendations are made about age- and context-appropriate methods to reduce prejudice in schools and future topics to address in basic research. (Contains 3 tables.) [Commentaries from Bernadette M. Hickman-Maynard, Robert L. Selman and Clark McKown are included. Commentaries are individually referenced.]

Logged and disturbed forests are often viewed as degraded and depauperate environments compared with primary forest. However, they are dynamic ecosystems1that provide refugia for large amounts of biodiversity2,3, so we cannot afford to underestimate their conservation value4. Here we present empirically defined thresholds for categorizing the conservation value of logged forests, using one of the most comprehensive assessments of taxon responses to habitat degradation in any tropical forest environment. We analysed the impact of logging intensity on the individual occurrence patterns of 1,681 taxa belonging to 86 taxonomic orders and 126 functional groups in Sabah, Malaysia. Our results demonstrate the existence of two conservation-relevant thresholds. First, lightly logged forests (<29% biomass removal) retain high conservation value and a largely intact functional composition, and are therefore likely to recover their pre-logging values if allowed to undergo natural regeneration. Second, the most extreme impacts occur in heavily degraded forests with more than two-thirds (>68%) of their biomass removed, and these are likely to require more expensive measures to recover their biodiversity value. Overall, our data confirm that primary forests are irreplaceable5, but they also reinforce the message that logged forests retain considerable conservation value that should not be overlooked.

Opposed to piloted ignition, where a substance is ignited by an external flame or spark, the term auto-ignition describes the onset of combustion by spontaneous ignition without an external source. In this study, the influence of the size of spherical wood samples and the temperature surrounding the samples was investigated by performing ignition experiments in a muffle furnace with beech and spruce wood. On a specially constructed rig, spheres with four different diameters (8 mm, 12 mm, 18 mm, and 25 mm) were put into a preheated furnace at five isothermal temperatures (240 °C, 270 °C, 300 °C, 330 °C, and 360 °C). For every temperature, diameter, and wood species, the experiments were repeated eight times, and positions of the spheres on the rig were changed for every measurement. Temperatures inside the samples were recorded with thermocouples (TC) positioned in holes drilled to the middle of the spheres. With rising size and temperature, samples were more prone to auto-ignition in a glowing mode, due to a larger, highly reactive pyrolyzed surface and internal overheating. During heating and oxidative pyrolysis, isothermal phases were present at approximately 360 °C in the recorded temperature curves. The comparison to simultaneous thermal analysis (STA) measurements shows decomposition of hemicelluloses, and cellulose is highest around 360 °C. It is concluded that pyrolysis and disintegration of the main wood constituents use up all arising energy. Due to differences in the composition of the wood polymers, beech wood samples already ignite at lower temperatures compared to spruce wood samples with the same diameter. It can be concluded that the size is a critical factor for auto-ignition at the used temperatures. Larger samples will produce more volatile compounds during pyrolysis and have a larger pyrolyzed, porous surface area where heterogenous oxidation reactions can happen. The influence of the size is already critical at differences on the millimetre scale.

Minimal/measurable residual disease (MRD) diagnostics using real-time quantitative PCR analysis of rearranged immunoglobulin and T-cell receptor gene rearrangements are nowadays implemented in most treatment protocols for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Within the EuroMRD Consortium, we aim to provide comparable, high-quality MRD diagnostics, allowing appropriate risk-group classification for patients and inter-protocol comparisons. To this end, we set up a quality assessment scheme, that was gradually optimized and updated over the last 20 years, and that now includes participants from around 70 laboratories worldwide. We here describe the design and analysis of our quality assessment scheme. In addition, we here report revised data interpretation guidelines, based on our newly generated data and extensive discussions between experts. The main novelty is the partial re-definition of the “positive below quantitative range” category by two new categories, “MRD low positive, below quantitative range” and “MRD of uncertain significance”. The quality assessment program and revised guidelines will ensure reproducible and accurate MRD data for ALL patients. Within the Consortium, similar programs and guidelines have been introduced for other lymphoid diseases (e.g., B-cell lymphoma), for new technological platforms (e.g., digital droplet PCR or Next-Generation Sequencing), and for other patient-specific MRD PCR-based targets (e.g., fusion genes).

Most chemistry and biology occurs in solution, in which conformational dynamics and complexation underlie behaviour and function. Single-molecule techniques1are uniquely suited to resolving molecular diversity and new label-free approaches are reshaping the power of single-molecule measurements. A label-free single-molecule method2–16capable of revealing details of molecular conformation in solution17,18would allow a new microscopic perspective of unprecedented detail. Here we use the enhanced light–molecule interactions in high-finesse fibre-based Fabry–Pérot microcavities19–21to detect individual biomolecules as small as 1.2 kDa, a ten-amino-acid peptide, with signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) >100, even as the molecules are unlabelled and freely diffusing in solution. Our method delivers 2D intensity and temporal profiles, enabling the distinction of subpopulations in mixed samples. Notably, we observe a linear relationship between passage time and molecular radius, unlocking the potential to gather crucial information about diffusion and solution-phase conformation. Furthermore, mixtures of biomolecule isomers of the same molecular weight and composition but different conformation can also be resolved. Detection is based on the creation of a new molecular velocity filter window and a dynamic thermal priming mechanism that make use of the interplay between optical and thermal dynamics22,23and Pound–Drever–Hall (PDH) cavity locking24to reveal molecular motion even while suppressing environmental noise. New in vitro ways of revealing molecular conformation, diversity and dynamics can find broad potential for applications in the life and chemical sciences.

'Colors are forces, radiant energies that affect us positively or negatively, whether we are aware of it or not.' --Johannes Itten The automotive market has come a long way since [...]

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition that affects approximately one in 10 people in the United States (Defrees & Bailey, 2017). Despite the high prevalence of IBS, the medical community struggles to effectively understand, diagnose, and treat this disorder (Ankersen et al., 2021). In recent years, an increasing number of health-tech companies have emerged to offer integrated treatment of IBS via telemedicine. This pilot study explores the patient experience of virtual, multidisciplinary IBS care through a U.S.-based company, Oshi Health. Semistructured interviews were conducted followed by thematic analysis to identify commonalities between patient experience and perspective (Van Manen, 2014). Overarching themes were identified as follows: loss of the grocer, a broken system, and the power of self-trust. Although several limitations exist, including small sample size, the study offers insight into the experience of telemedicine services for IBS and provides a framework for future research.

We document the generation and the content of the Comprehensive Patent Database (CPDB) of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) (1949–1990), which is freely available at GESIS https://doi.org/10.7802/2448. The database contains all patents granted in the GDR and published by the Office of Inventions and Patents (later: German Patent and Trade Mark Office/DPMA). The core database covers the years 1950–1990 and contains 24 variables with manually cleaned and processed information on a total of 261,822 unique patents of the GDR.

Bartram, Robin. Stacked decks: building inspectors and the reproduction of urban inequality. Chicago, 2022. 240p bibl index ISBN 9780226819068 cloth, $95.00; ISBN 9780226821146 pbk, $27.50; ISBN 9780226821139 ebook, contact publisher [...]

Understanding Korean Americans' mental health: a guide to culturally competent practices, program developments, and policies, ed. by Anderson Sungmin Yoon, Sung Seek Moon, and Haein Son. Lexington Books, 2021. 408p [...]

In this contribution, we analyse how students perceive and comment on potential instances of intercultural clashes in the writing component of the International English Language Testing System. Following student accounts, we argue that intercultural bias is indeed perceived, preventing test takers from fully positioning themselves regarding cultural practices in general, and religious beliefs more particularly, as well as from expressing their sociocultural identities. Analysing a corpus of interviews in Amman (Jordan) with Jordanian students who took the test, we uncover how student perceptions of elements that reflect the culture of the test creator negatively influenced their performance, or at least their perception of what constitutes a good performance, which they implicitly identify with like-mindedness and alignment with the test creator’s cultural expectations.

AbstractThis paper reports on a research project which asked scholars to speak about their multilingual and collaborative academic practices. This case study sheds light on the complex and multilayered linguistic choices made by multilingual scholars to comply with the diverse requirements of a multilingual academic life, namely the adoption of EMI (English Medium Instruction). This contribution starts by reconstructing and discussing from a multilingual perspective the different concepts composing EMI. Then, the results of the empirical study, a questionnaire for researchers, are shown by means of descriptive statistics (for the closed questions) and content analysis (for the open questions). Scholars’ agency to move across languages depending on their assignments and tensions surrounding the use of English in European universities are emphasised in the discussion. This study allows us to see in a new light the concept and research on EMI, and to envisage new relations between English, instruction, and publication in Higher Education, embracing the broader concept of  ‘English as one medium in academic life’.

Graphical Abstract:

DNA damage is a threat to genome integrity and can be a cause of many human diseases, owing to either changes in the chemical structure of DNA or conversion of the damage into a mutation, that is, a permanent change in DNA sequence. Determining the exact positions of DNA damage and ensuing mutations in the genome are important for identifying mechanisms of disease aetiology when characteristic mutations are prevalent and probably causative in a particular disease. However, this approach is challenging particularly when levels of DNA damage are low, for example, as a result of chronic exposure to environmental agents or certain endogenous processes, such as the generation of reactive oxygen species. Over the past few years, a comprehensive toolbox of genome-wide methods has been developed for the detection of DNA damage and rare mutations at single-nucleotide resolution in mammalian cells. Here, we review and compare these methods, describe their current applications and discuss future research questions that can now be addressed.

Zusammenfassung: Ziel dieser Untersuchung war es, die Versorgungssituation von Patienten mit osteoporotischer Fraktur in Deutschland zu ermitteln. Mittels eines Fragebogens wurden 409 unfallchirurgische Kliniken im gesamten Bundesgebiet zu Diagnostik und Therapie dieser Frakturen befragt. Über 80% der Fragebögen wurden zurückgesandt. Die Daten wurden mit den Leitlinien des Dachverbands der deutschsprachigen osteologischen Fachgesellschaften verglichen. 35% der Abteilungen verfügen über ein standardisiertes Vorgehen. Von diesen Kliniken führen 30% die Diagnostik und 51% die Therapie in Übereinstimmung mit den Leitlinien durch. Eine leitliniengerechte Diagnostik und Therapie, also eine leitliniengerechte Versorgung, wird von 12% angeboten. Die Mehrheit der unfallchirurgischen Kliniken verfügt demnach über kein definiertes Vorgehen bei Patienten mit osteoporotischen Frakturen. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen die momentan unzureichende Versorgungswirklichkeit, aber auch das enorme Verbesserungspotenzial, das unseres Erachtens durch eine verstärkte Aufklärung und interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit ausgeschöpft werden kann.

Im Zuge der Erarbeitung der ersten Nationalen Sicherheitsstrategie Deutschlands führte das federführende Auswärtige Amt eine quantitativ und qualitativ beispiellose Beteiligungsserie durch. Im Sommer 2022 bot das Ministerium hierzu verschiedene Dialog- und Beteiligungsformate quer durch die Republik an, bei denen sich zufällig ausgewählte Bürger*innen mit ihren Meinungen einbringen und Empfehlungen ausarbeiten konnten. Diese innovative Öffnung des Strategieprozesses wurde jedoch von bestimmten Kontrolltechniken begrenzt, die das Auswärtige Amt zugunsten einer besseren Steuerbarkeit und Risikovermeidung anwendete. In diesem Beitrag argumentieren wir daher, dass die Beteiligung rund um die Nationale Sicherheitsstrategie als eine kontrollierte Politisierungverstanden werden kann. Demnach politisiert die Exekutive gezielt manche Aspekte, während zugleich andere intentional entpolitisiert werden. Offen bleibt allerdings, wie kontrollierbar eine Top-down-Politisierung angesichts unintendierter Folgeeffekte sein kann.

Linear pushbroom (LP) cameras are often used in airborne hyperspectral imaging (HSI). Orthoimages are generated for HSI analyses but these require accurate camera orientations from bundle adjustment. However, the limited image overlap leads to an over-parameterization in the bundle adjustment with six degrees of freedom per image exposure, i.e., LP image line. Feature-based matching based on salient key points in small image neighborhoods cannot be readily applied to LP image lines, since each LP image line is only a single pixel wide in one of the image dimensions. A naive mosaicing of consecutive LP image lines leads to unacceptably large errors owing to the relative camera motion within these mosaics, even for a stabilized camera. Thus, a new method that allows the use of established methods for feature-based matching from aerial LP image lines is presented, and observations are retrieved and used in the bundle adjustment. The examination of the spatial misregistration between spectral bands in HSI cameras, i.e., the chromatic aberration, is also examined. The method assumes a stabilized camera system with a processed global navigation satellite system aided inertial navigation system solution. The bundle adjustment is done by estimating trajectory corrections in time intervals and retrieving discrete trajectory estimates from cubic spline interpolation. An experiment was conducted to demonstrate the method. The chromatic aberration is shown to be of sub-pixel level in the LP HSI camera, and the resulting planimetric accuracy (normalized median absolute deviation) from the bundle adjustment is ∼1/4of the ground sampling distance in each of the north and east components. The accurate estimates from the bundle adjustment are shown to be suitable for high-quality orthoimage generation.

What does ironic language indicate about an emotional state? When we experience negative events, we may produce an ironic comment about our experience to cope. We tested whether using irony indexes less negative emotional states of speakers and listeners compared to literal statements. In addition, we tested whether comments directed at the self (“How clumsy/careful of me!”) lead to a different emotional state compared to statements directed at someone else (“How clumsy/careful of you!”). We found that listeners were rated as feeling more negative and more aroused when a statement was directed at them, whereas for speakers, direction did not matter. Further, self-irony led to lower ratings of negativity in speakers. Our results show that whether or not someone is an addressee of a statement matters for their perceived emotional state, and that self-irony may index down-regulated emotional states.

It began with a challenge from our Chief Nursing Officer. As a Magnet hospital, it was time for our nurse residency program to be recognized as an accredited program for new graduate nurses. This article shares our experience using the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses competency statements in a creative way when applying for recognition as the first American Nurses Credentialing Center-accredited specialty hospital nurse residency program. Although these competency statements were used initially to meet the requirements of the accreditation application process, they also led to the creation of a document that serves two purposes. First, it can be used to instruct new graduate nurses on the structure and processes of a nurse residency program in which competency statements are used to guide curriculum development. Second, it can be used to inform nurse residency program managers on new graduate nurses’ progress throughout the nurse residency program by tracking competency completion. The end result of this accredited program is a new graduate nurse who understands not only what it means to be a nurse but also what it means to be a rehabilitation specialty nurse.

This study first examined how mothers with and without depression differ in neural activation in response to adolescents’ affective faces. Second, it examined the extent to which these neural activation patterns are related to observed positive and aggressive parenting behavior.

Passive surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors are used for wireless monitoring of physical conditions, particularly in harsh environments. However, limits in strain sensing applications typically arise from the functional intermediate layer design that bonds the sensing element to its respective measurement object. We introduce a novel concept of directly integrating SAW strain sensors onto metallic deformation substrates using glass frit bonding. A hybrid simulation approach, using finite elemente method (FEM) for coupling-of-modes parameter calculation and cascaded P-matrix model, is used to reduce the dimensional footprint of a 434-MHz one-port resonator with high-quality factor on Y35°-X quartz. We experimentally disentangle the respective effects of the assembly process, strain sensitivity, and temperature sensitivity at chip-level and investigate both low-melting sealing glasses and heat-curing epoxy adhesives that are preselected based on analytical strain transfer modeling. For precise numerical simulation of thermomechanical stress and strain coupling properties, temperature-dependent elastic modulus and thermal expansion characteristics of the glass frit and adhesive materials are determined through dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermomechanical analysis (TMA) up to the glass transition temperature of each bond material. We demonstrate superior strain transfer properties of glass-frit bonded sensors compared with glued devices at high temperatures up to 250 °C. A more than twofold reduction in the package-level cross-sensitivity to temperature can be achieved by counteracting thermomechanical stresses throughout the glass frit bonding process.

Deep learning, referring to artificial neural networks with multiple layers, is widely used for classification tasks in many disciplines including computer vision. The most popular type is the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), commonly applied to 2D image data. However, CNNs are difficult to adapt to irregular data like point clouds. PointNet, on the other hand, has enabled the derivation of features based on the geometric distribution of a set of points in nD-space utilising a neural network. We use PointNet on multiple scales to automatically learn a representation of local neighbourhoods in an end-to-end fashion, which is optimised for semantic labelling on 3D point clouds acquired by Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS). The results are comparable to those using manually crafted features, suggesting a successful representation of these neighbourhoods. On the ISPRS 3D Semantic Labelling benchmark, we achieve 80.6% overall accuracy, a mid-field result. Investigation on a bigger dataset, namely the 2011 ALS point cloud of the federal state of Vorarlberg, shows overall accuracies of up to 95.8% over large-scale built-up areas. Lower accuracy is achieved for the separation of low vegetation and ground points, presumably because of invalid assumptions about the distribution of classes in space, especially in high alpine regions. We conclude that the method of the end-to-end system, allowing training on a big variety of classification problems without the need for expert knowledge about neighbourhood features can also successfully be applied to single-point-based classification of ALS point clouds. Klassifizierung von ALS-Punktwolken mit End-to-End Deep Learning. Maschinelles Lernen mit künstlichen neuronalen Netzen hat unter dem Namen Deep Learningbei Klassifizierungs- und Regressionsaufgaben viele Erfolge, insbesondere auch in der Computer Visionerbracht. Ein beliebtes Modell dabei ist das Convolutional Neural Network, welches auf einer Faltungsoperation basiert und einfach auf 2D-Bilddaten angewendet werden kann. Auf irregulären Daten wie Punktwolken ist die Anwendung jedoch nicht trivial. Daher wurde mit PointNeteine Architektur vorgestellt, welche die Ableitung von Nachbarschaftsinformationen aus einer Menge von Punkten in n-dimensionalem Raum in der Form eines neuronalen Netzes lernen kann. In dieser Arbeit wird PointNet auf topographischen Punktwolken aus Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) zur semantischen Klassifizierung eingesetzt. Die erzielten Ergebnisse sind mit denen aus manuell selektierten Merkmalen vergleichbar, was auf einen erfolgreichen Lernprozess hinweist. Die Gesamtgenauigkeit auf dem 3D Semantic Labelling Testdatensatz der ISPRS liegt mit 80,6% im Mittelfeld. Weitere Analysen auf einem größeren Datensatz, einer ALS Punktwolke des Landes Vorarlberg, zeigen deutlich höhere Gesamtgenauigkeiten von bis zu 95,8% in urbanem Gebiet. In alpinen Bereichen stellt sich jedoch die Separation von niedriger Vegetation und Boden als problematisch heraus. Dennoch ist die Methode, mithilfe von Trainingsdaten automatisiert Nachbarschaftsmerkmale aus Punktwolken für einzelpunktbasierte Klassifizierungsaufgaben abzuleiten, auch auf ALS-Daten erfolgreich anwendbar, ohne dass auf Expertenwissen zurückgegriffen werden muss.

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Ziel der Untersuchung war die Erfassung der Häufigkeit größenprogredienter intrakranieller Blutungen (PIB) bei SHT-Patienten und die Identifikation möglicher Begleitparameter. Material und Methoden: Eingeschlossen wurden SHT-Patienten, die einer initialen CCT sowie einer Kontroll-CCT innerhalb der ersten 24 h nach Trauma unterzogen wurden. Als Blutungsprogression wurde eine Befundprogredienz über 25% gewertet. Ergebnisse: 98 SHT-Patienten mit intrakranieller Blutung konnten retrospektiv ausgewertet werden. Dabei zeigten 45 PIB-Patienten signifikant häufiger intrazerebrale Kontusionsblutungen und Frakturen der Schädelkalotte (p<0,05) als Patienten mit konstantem Befund. Keine signifikanten Gruppenunterschiede fanden sich hinsichtlich demografischer und klinischer Parameter, Zeitintervall vom Trauma zum 1. CCT sowie des Gerinnungsstatus. Schlussfolgerung: Eine frühe Größenprogredienz tritt bei etwa der Hälfte der SHT-Patienten mit initial diagnostizierter intrakranieller Blutung auf und wird häufiger bei Kontusionsblutung oder kombinierter Kalottenfraktur beobachtet. Eine frühzeitige CCT-Kontrolle ist bei SHT-Patienten mit intrakranieller Blutung indiziert.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a central thermogenic organ that enhances energy expenditure and cardiometabolic health. However, regulators that specifically increase the number of thermogenic adipocytes are still an unmet need. Here, we show that the cAMP-binding protein EPAC1 is a central regulator of adaptive BAT growth. In vivo, selective pharmacological activation of EPAC1 increases BAT mass and browning of white fat, leading to higher energy expenditure and reduced diet-induced obesity. Mechanistically, EPAC1 coordinates a network of regulators for proliferation specifically in thermogenic adipocytes, but not in white adipocytes. We pinpoint the effects of EPAC1 to PDGFRα-positive preadipocytes, and the loss of EPAC1 in these cells impedes BAT growth and worsens diet-induced obesity. Importantly, EPAC1 activation enhances the proliferation and differentiation of human brown adipocytes and human brown fat organoids. Notably, a coding variant of RAPGEF3(encoding EPAC1) that is positively correlated with body mass index abolishes noradrenaline-induced proliferation of brown adipocytes. Thus, EPAC1 might be an attractive target to enhance thermogenic adipocyte number and energy expenditure to combat metabolic diseases.

The rise of fast fashion has led to challenges in sustainable production and recycling of polyester textile waste. Bio-based polyethylene terephthalate (bio-PET) and the enzymatic hydrolysis of PET textiles may offer two solutions for bio and circular clothing. This study designed and simulated scaled enzymatic hydrolysis of fossil PET into ethylene glycol (r-EG) and purified terephthalic acid (r-PTA), the production of bio-EG and bio-PTA from the wheat straw ethanol (EtOH) and corn stover isobutene (IBN), respectively, and the production of PET polyester textile fibres from these monomers. The research goal was to determine whether bio-PET, r-PET, or their mixture achieves better positive profitability and NPV2023and carbon neutrality in textile fibres. The financial returns and carbon emissions for r-PET fibres with a bio-PET content of 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% to 100% was estimated for scenario 1 (a newly constructed plant), scenario 2 (no capital costs for the EtOH or IBN processes), and scenario 3 (no capital costs for the EtOH, IBN, and enzymatic hydrolysis processes). While scenario 1 was not able to generate positive net profits or NPV2023, scenarios 2 and 3 were able to attain financial sustainability when the bio-PET content was ≤ 40%. On the other hand, increasing the amount of bio-PET content in the polyester fibre from 0 to 100 wt.% decreased its carbon footprint from 2.99 to 0.46 kg CO2eq./kg of PET fibre.

Aerosols formed and grown by gas-to-particle processes are a major contributor to smog and haze in megacities, despite the competition between growth and loss rates. Rapid growth rates from ammonium nitrate formation have the potential to sustain particle number in typical urban polluted conditions. This process requires supersaturation of gas-phase ammonia and nitric acid with respect to ammonium nitrate saturation ratios. Urban environments are inhomogeneous. In the troposphere, vertical mixing is fast, and aerosols may experience rapidly changing temperatures. In areas close to sources of pollution, gas-phase concentrations can also be highly variable. In this work we present results from nucleation experiments at −10 °C and 5 °C in the CLOUD chamber at CERN. We verify, using a kinetic model, how long supersaturation is likely to be sustained under urban conditions with temperature and concentration inhomogeneities, and the impact it may have on the particle size distribution. We show that rapid and strong temperature changes of 1 °C min−1are needed to cause rapid growth of nanoparticles through ammonium nitrate formation. Furthermore, inhomogeneous emissions of ammonia in cities may also cause rapid growth of particles.