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Harald Rittger,1,* Christoph Stadelmaier,1,* Thomas Kieschnick,1 Duygu Büber,1 Kristina Rank,1 Laura Vitali-Serdoz,1 Dirk Bastian,1 Matthias Waliszewski2,3 1Medizinische Klinik 1, Klinikum Fürth, Fürth, Germany; 2Medical Scientific Affairs, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Berlin, Germany; 3Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow, Berlin, Germany*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Harald RittgerKlinikum Fuerth, Medizinische Klinik 1, Jakob-Henle-Strasse 1, Fuerth 90766, GermanyTel +49-911-7580-1101Fax +49-911-7580-1104Email h.rittger@yahoo.comIntroduction: The clinical benefit of invasive therapy in elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains unclear. Furthermore, the decision-making process to treat this growing patient group is also debatable. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between elderly ACS patients, the treatment choice and their in-hospital outcomes after non-ST-elevation (NSTE)-ACS in a consecutive series of patients > 75 years of age.Methods and Results: Consecutive patients > 75 years presenting with NSTE-ACS in our hospital between July 2017 and July 2018 were included during the first 2 days of hospital admission. Demographic data, prior medical history and present medical condition were documented. During day 0 and day 2, geriatric assessments (Clinical Frailty Scale [CFS], Barthel index, Charlson comorbidity index, “timed up and go” test [TUG], Mini-Mental Status Test [MMS], Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS], SF-36 for quality of life, instrumental activities of daily living [IADL], Killip-score, Grace-score and Euro-score) were conducted. After 6 months, patients were re-evaluated. In 106 patients (mean age 81.9± 5.3 years, 57% male gender), 68 patients (64%) were treated interventionally, and 38 patients had conservative treatment (36%). Patients treated with intervention were significantly younger (80.9± 4.7 years vs 83.5± 6.0 years, p=0.015), had a lower rate of prior cerebral events (17.6% vs 26.3%; p=ns) and suffered more often from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (17.6% vs 34.2%; p=0.050). All other demographic variables were comparable between both groups. The composite clinical endpoint (death, re-infarction, bleeding) was reached in 7 patients (10.3%) of the invasive and in 2 patients (5.3%) of the conservative group. They were not significantly different between both groups. A frailty index, consisting of commonly used parameters of functional impairment in elderly patients, namely, MMS ≤ 2 at baseline, IADL ≤ 7, CFS ≥ 7 and age ≥ 85 years, significantly predicted conservative treatment.Conclusion: Effective revascularization techniques are still underused in patients of older age in the case of ACS. For decision-making, geriatric tests alone may not predict treatment in those patients, but the combination of different tests may better predict treatment and perhaps the clinical outcomes in those patients. Furthermore, frail patients are at higher risk for not receiving guideline recommended therapy.Keywords: acute coronary syndromes, elderly patients, frailty, interventional treatment

Pendahuluan: Infeksi kecacingan yang tersebar luas di daerah tropis dan subtropis. Khususnya Indonesia, salah satu negara yang mempunyai kasus kecacingan cukup tinggi, kasus ini biasaya ditemukan di daerah dengan kelembaban yang tinggi, dan kurangnya kebersihan diri, serta keadaan lingkungan yang kurang baik. Salah satu pemeriksaan laboratorium yang bisa dilakukan untuk mendiagnosis penyakit kecacingan adalah pemeriksaan mikroskopis. Pemeriksaan mikroskopis menggunakan sampel feses memerlukan pewarnaan yang tentunya mengandung zat pewarna yang baik sebagai penunjang. Zat pewarna ini ditemukan pada limbah gambir (Uncaria gambir) berupa zat katekin yang mampu memberikan warna merah kuning. Sehingga, limbah gambir (Uncaria gambir) dapat dijadikan pewarnaan alternatif pemeriksaan telur cacing STH. Tujuan penelitian : untuk memanfaatkan zat katekin pada limbah gambir (Uncaria gambir) sebagai pewarnaan pemeriksaan telur cacing STH. Penelitian ini meliputi pengumpulan, sampel feses, pengumpulan limbah gambir, pengolahan limbah gambir, pembuatan preparat menggunakan pewarnaan eosin dan pewarnaan limbah gambir, pengamatan telur cacing STH yang dilakukan secara mikroskopis. Metode penelitian : Eksperimen laboratorium, yang dilakukan di Laboratorium Parasitologi Fakultas Sains dan Teknologi Institut Ilmu Kesehatan dan Teknologi Muhammadiyah Palembang. Sampel berupa feses. Hasil penelitian : menunjukkan bahwa telur cacing STH dapat terwarnai pada kedua pewarnaan, yaitu Pewarnaan Limbah Gambir dan Pewarnaan Eosin. Kesimpulan penelitian : pewarnaan limbah gambir dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai pewarnaan telur cacing STH. Pewarnaan limbah gambir dapat dijadikan pewarnaan alternatif pengganti pewarna eosin untuk pewarnaan telur cacing STH.

The idea of sensorizing a strain wave gear to measure the transmitted torque has been reported since the 1980s. The strain in the elastic flex spline is typically measured by strain gages attached to it. The resulting voltages relate to the transmitted torque in the gear. However, periodic inaccuracies in the measured torque signal (sensing ripple), resulting from positioning inaccuracies of strain gages on the flex spline, prevented this technology from being used outside a lab environment. Regardless of these difficulties, measuring the torque directly in the strain wave gear would bring many advantages, especially in robotic applications, where design space is highly limited. Traditionally, robotic joints are equipped with link-sided torque sensors, which reduce the available design volume, lower the joint stiffness, and require complex cable routing. This paper presents an experimental study of a novel sensorized strain wave gear named RT1-T, which was developed by Schaeffler Technologies. The study was implemented on a joint testbed, including a high-resolution reference torque sensor at the link side. In addition to the measurement accuracy and linearity, a torque ripple analysis is performed. The joint torque control capabilities are determined along dynamic trajectories and compared to the performance achieved with a link-sided reference sensor. The sensor employed in the testbed has a static torque error of 0.42 Nm and an average closed-loop torque control error of 0.65 Nm above the reference sensor.

IntroductionDeficits in social functioning and decision-making are well-documented in schizophrenia, but their relationship with positive symptoms and social conflicts is poorly understood. We created a new paradigm based on the Dictator Game (DG) to explore differences in social decision-making between individuals experiencing high levels of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), particularly hallucinations and delusions, and controls with less PLEs.MethodsA large community sample (N = 1,161) completed a DG in an online study whereby extreme groups were built based on the positive subscale of the CAPE.ResultsOverall, participants experiencing PLEs did not act less prosocial than controls but showed a somewhat aberrant decision-making behavior, particularly a pattern of behaving more prosocial in fair situations and generally favoring punishment over compensation relative to controls. Mediation analyses suggest that measures of empathy and Machiavellism have predictive power for prosocial behavior beyond group status.DiscussionThe present study raises the possibility that individuals with high levels of PLEs may be less able to adapt their behavior to the situation at hand than controls. These irregularities might be due to deficits in social cognition which may elicit conflict, thus compromising social functioning and possibly contributing to the formation of positive symptoms.

Introduction: The incidence of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in Indonesia has a case prevalence ranging from 0.1% to 0.3%. Limitations in the supply of Glyceline saline buffer in laboratory examinations, especially in the laboratory for examination of Rheumatoid Factor (RF), is one of the reasons for the need for alternative materials with the same effectiveness to be used in examinations. An alternative in carrying out inspections if commercial reagents are not available so that ready-to-use 0.9% NaCl reagent can be an alternative reagent. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were differences in the titers of rheumatoid factor levels using glycine saline buffer reagents and ready-touse 0.9% NaCl. Method: The study was conducted at the IKesT MP Clinical Pathology Laboratory. The research design used a posttest only control group design. The population is 43 elderly people at the Harapan Kita Nursing Home. a sample of 30 elderly people with purposive sampling technique. Data were analyzed by Wilcoxon test. Results: The results obtained were p = 0.000 for titer examination of RF levels using Glycine Saline Buffer reagent and ready-to-use 0.9% NaCl reagent. Discussion: There are differences in the titers of rheumatoid factor levels using glycerin saline buffer and ready-to-use NaCl. 0,9%.

Abstract Objective This study aimed to determine whether ultra-low tidal volume ventilation (ULTVV) applied during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) compared with standard ventilation (intermittent positive pressure ventilation, IPPV) can reduce pulmonary end-organ damage in the post-resuscitation period. Methods A prospective, randomized trial was conducted using a porcine model (n = 45). The animals were divided into three groups: IPPV, ULTVV, and a sham control group. Juvenile male pigs underwent CPR after inducing ventricular fibrillation and received the designated ventilation intervention [IPPV: tidal volume 6–8 ml per kilogram body weight (ml/kg BW), respiratory rate 10/min, FiO2 1.0; ULTVV: tidal volume 2–3 ml/kg BW, respiratory rate 50/min, FiO2 1.0]. A 20-h observation period followed if return of spontaneous circulation was achieved. Histopathological examination using the diffuse alveolar damage scoring system was performed on postmortem lung tissue samples. Arterial and venous blood gas analyses and ventilation/perfusion measurements via multiple inert gas elimination technique (MIGET) were repeatedly recorded during the experiment. Results Out of the 45 experiments conducted, 28 animals were excluded based on predefined criteria. Histopathological analysis showed no significant differences in lung damage between the ULTVV and IPPV groups. ULTVV demonstrated adequate oxygenation and decarboxylation. MIGET measurements during and after resuscitation revealed no significant differences between the intervention groups. Conclusion In the short-term follow-up phase, ULTVV demonstrated similar histopathological changes and functional pulmonary parameters compared to standard ventilation. Further research is needed to investigate the long-term effects and clinical implications of ULTVV in resuscitation settings.

Abstract Automated detection of lesions using artificial intelligence creates new standards in medical imaging. For people with epilepsy, automated detection of focal cortical dysplasias (FCDs) is widely used because subtle FCDs often escape conventional neuroradiological diagnosis. Accurate recognition of FCDs, however, is of outstanding importance for affected people, as surgical resection of the dysplastic cortex is associated with a high chance of postsurgical seizure freedom. Here, we make publicly available a dataset of 85 people affected by epilepsy due to FCD type II and 85 healthy control persons. We publish 3D-T1 and 3D-FLAIR, manually labeled regions of interest, and carefully selected clinical features. The open presurgery MRI dataset may be used to validate existing automated algorithms of FCD detection as well as to create new approaches. Most importantly, it will enable comparability of already existing approaches and support a more widespread use of automated lesion detection tools.

We propose a Majoron-like extension of the Standard Model with an extra global U(1)X-symmetry where neutrino masses are generated through an inverse seesaw mechanism at the 1-loop level. In contrast to the tree-level inverse seesaw, our framework contains dark matter (DM) candidates stabilized by a residual Z2-symmetry surviving spontaneous breaking of the U(1)X-group. We explore the case in which the DM is a Majorana fermion. Furthermore, we provide parameter space regions allowed by current experimental constraints coming from the dark matter relic abundance, (in)direct detection, and charged lepton flavor violation.

In this research we consider a U(1)X gauge boson acting as a dark matter candidate. The vector dark matter (DM) gets mass when a complex singlet scalar breaks the gauge symmetry spontaneously, adding a second Higgs boson to the spectra. The dark matter candidates communicate with the SM particles via a scalar-Higgs portal. In this work, we concentrate on the masses of the vector dark matter and the scalar mediator below 10 GeV, aka light dark matter. Although we assume thermal freeze-out for the vector DM using the zero-moment of the full Boltzmann equation to calculate the relic abundance, we explore the effects of the second-moment when the vector DM annihilates resonantly. As typically light DM is highly sensitive to CMB bounds, we focus on two thermal mechanisms which alleviate this bound: dark matter annihilation via forbidden channels and near a pole. Other bounds from colliders, thermalization conditions, beam-dump experiments, and astrophysical observations are imposed. Taking into account all the bounds including the direct detection upper limits, the viable space is achieved.

C-Reactive Protein (CRP) ialah protein fase akut dengan struktur homopentamer dan memiliki tempat ikatan kalsium yang spesifik terhadap phosphocholine. Peningkatan kadar C-Reactive Protein (CRP) dikarnakan adanya trauma, infek bakteri dan inflamasi (peradangan dan kerusakan jaringan). Pemeriksaan laboratorium C-Reactive Protein (CRP) dapat dilakukan dengan metode, aglutinasi, ELISA, dan immunoturbidimetri. Konsentrasi dari CRP ditentukan secara kuantitatif dengan pengukuran immunoturbidimetri, dalam pemeriksaan CRP lebih banyak menggunakan sampel serum tetapi penggunaan serum dalam pemeriksaan laboratorium sering terjadinya hemolisis sehingga pada proses pengambilan sampelnya membutuhkan waktu yang lebih lama dan membuat proses pemeriksaan kurang efisien, sehingga diperlukan penggunaan plasma lithium heparin dari pada serum karena plasma lithium heparin leebih baik dalam menggambarkan situasi patologis pasien. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui Pebandingan Kadar C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Pada Sampel Serum dan Plasma Lithium Heparin. Metode Penelitian: Penelitian ini dilakukan dilaboratorium Patologi Klinik Intitut Ilmu Kesehatan dan Teknologi Muhammadiyah Palembang pada bulan Januari 2022. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan pada penelitian ini yaitu Crosssection. Data dianalisis dengan uji Wilcoxon, Hasil: Didapatkan Hasil p= 0,000 dengan adanya perbedaan selisih kadar CRP menggunakan serum dan plasma lithium heparin mengalami peningkatan sebesar 15%.. Diskusi: terdapat perbedaan yang signitifikan pada pemeriksaan kadar CRP menggunakan sampel serum dan plasma lithium heparin.

Abstract Energy optimization of factory operations has gained increasing importance over recent years since it is understood as one way to counteract climate change. At the same time, the number of research teams working on energy-optimized factory operations has also increased. While many tools are useful in this area, our team has recognized the importance of a comprehensive framework to combine functionality for optimization, simulation, and communication with devices in the factory. Therefore, we developed a framework that provides a standardized interface to research energy-optimized factory operations with a rolling horizon approach. The optimization part of the framework is based on the OpenAI gym environment. The framework also provides connectors for multiple communication protocols including Open Platform Communication Unified Architecture and Modbus via Transmission Control Protocol. These facilities can be utilized to implement rolling horizon optimizations for factory systems easily and directly control devices in the factory with the optimization results. In this article, we present the framework and show some examples to prove the effectiveness of our approach.

Artificial Intelligence can support diagnostic workflows in oncology, but they are vulnerable to adversarial attacks. Here, the authors show that convolutional neural networks are highly susceptible to white- and black-box adversarial attacks in clinically relevant classification tasks.

Despite investments of companies in employee trainings, transfer of training remains low. One component influencing transfer is transfer motivation. Recent insights have shown that different components of transfer motivation possibly independently influence transfer of training. It is therefore possible that transfer motivation profiles can be distinguished. However, it is unclear whether such motivational profiles exist. In this study, we investigated motivational profiles, how these profiles differ in antecedents influencing transfer motivation and how these profiles differ in transfer intention and transfer of training. This study does so by using the unified model of task-specific motivation (UMTM). Data were collected among 1317 participants who filled in a questionnaire representing the UMTM components directly after the training and indicated transfer after six weeks. Outcomes showed that four transfer motivation profiles could be distinguished, labeled: ‘very optimistic’, ‘moderately optimistic’, ‘personal value’ and ‘conscious’. Moreover, profiles scoring higher on motivational components scored higher on antecedents of transfer motivation, transfer intention and transfer of training. These outcomes suggest that trainings and work circumstances need to be tailored differently toward different trainees to raise their transfer motivation and transfer of training.

BackgroundArtificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models continue to evolve the clinical decision support systems (CDSS). However, challenges arise when it comes to the integration of AI/ML into clinical scenarios. In this systematic review, we followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), the population, intervention, comparator, outcome, and study design (PICOS), and the medical AI life cycle guidelines to investigate studies and tools which address AI/ML-based approaches towards clinical decision support (CDS) for monitoring cardiovascular patients in intensive care units (ICUs). We further discuss recent advances, pitfalls, and future perspectives towards effective integration of AI into routine practices as were identified and elaborated over an extensive selection process for state-of-the-art manuscripts.MethodsStudies with available English full text from PubMed and Google Scholar in the period from January 2018 to August 2022 were considered. The manuscripts were fetched through a combination of the search keywords including AI, ML, reinforcement learning (RL), deep learning, clinical decision support, and cardiovascular critical care and patients monitoring. The manuscripts were analyzed and filtered based on qualitative and quantitative criteria such as target population, proper study design, cross-validation, and risk of bias.ResultsMore than 100 queries over two medical search engines and subjective literature research were developed which identified 89 studies. After extensive assessments of the studies both technically and medically, 21 studies were selected for the final qualitative assessment.DiscussionClinical time series and electronic health records (EHR) data were the most common input modalities, while methods such as gradient boosting, recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and RL were mostly used for the analysis. Seventy-five percent of the selected papers lacked validation against external datasets highlighting the generalizability issue. Also, interpretability of the AI decisions was identified as a central issue towards effective integration of AI in healthcare.

Kanker serviks adalah penyakit yang ditandai dengan pertumbuhan sel yang tidak terkontrol dan penyebaran sel abnormal yang terjadi di serviks. World Health Organization (WHO) menjelaskan bahwa kanker serviks merupakan penyebab kematian nomor dua pada perempuan dari seluruh penyakit kanker yang ada. Pap smear merupakan pemeriksaan yang dilakukan untuk mendeteksi kanker serviks. Pemeriksaan pap smear menggunakan bahan pemeriksaan swab vagina yang harus dilakukan fiksasi basah sebelum pewarnaan papanicolaou dan fiksasi kering sebelum pewarnaan giemsa. Penelitian bertujuan untuk menganalisa metode fiksasi basah menggunakan pewarnaan papanicolaou dan fiksasi kering menggunakan pewarnaan giemsa pada pemeriksaan pap smear yang dilakukan di Laboratorium Patologi Anatomi Dyatnitalis Palembang. Jenis penelitian menggunakan cross sectional dengan rancangan penelitian menggunakan intact group comparison. Sampel terdiri atas 8 responden masing-masing dilakukan fiksasi basah diwarnai dengan papanicoloau dan fiksasi kering diwarnai dengan giemsa. Penelitian dilakukan mulai dari persiapan pasien, pengambilan bahan pemeriksaan, pengolahan bahan pemeriksaan, analisis dan hasil pemeriksaan. Hasil uji Chi-Square diketahui bahwa nilai signifikan adalah p = 0,064. Nilai p yang didapatkan adalah p˃0,05. Hasil penelitian dapat disimpulkan bahwa tidak terdapat perbedaan antara metode fiksasi kering menggunakan giemsa dan fiksasi basah menggunakan papanicolaou pada pemeriksaan pap smear.

Pendahuluan: Penyakit diaere yang di sebabkan Escherichia coli patogen bahwa ada sekitar dua miliar kasus diare diseluruh dunia setiap tahun, dan 1,9 juta anak balita meninggal akibat diare setiap tahunnya. Standar pelarut dalam pembuatan media nutrient agar adalah akuades, Tetapi di daerah-daerah tertentu masih belum terjangkau untuk mendapatkan akuades, selain harganya yang mahal jangkauan untuk mendapatkan akuades tidaklah mudah karena alat untuk pembuatan akuades masih cukup mahal. upaya yang dapat dilakukan adalah menggunakan pelarut alternatif, dimana air minum dalam kemasan adalah air baku yang telah diproses, dikemas, dan aman diminum. Tujuan untuk mengetahui perbedaan jumlah koloni bakteri E.coli pada media nutrien agar dengan pelarut akuades dan air minum dalam kemasan. Metode Penelitian: Eksperimen laboratorium, yang dilakukan di Laboratorium Mikrobiologi Fakultas Sains dan Teknologi Institut Ilmu Kesehatan dan Teknologi Muhammadiyah Palembang. Sampel berupa Strain Murni Bakteri Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. Hasil: penelitian didapatkan jumlah koloni pada media nutrient agar dengan pelarut akuades mendapatkan nilai rata-rata 54 koloni, pada pelarut air minum dalam kemasan mendapatkan rata-rata 59 koloni. Dan uji-T berpasangan (paired sampel T test) di dapatkan nilai p =>0.112. Kesimpulan: Penelitian ini bahwa tidak terdapat perbedaan signifikan jumlah koloni bakteri E.coli pada media nutrient agar dengan pelarut akuades dan air minum dalam kemasan

Abstract We explore a simple extension to the Standard Model containing two gauge singlets: a Dirac fermion and a real pseudoscalar. In some regions of the parameter space both singlets are stable without the necessity of additional symmetries, then becoming a possible two-component dark matter model. We study the relic abundance production via freeze-out, with the latter determined by annihilations, conversions and semi-annihilations. Experimental constraints from invisible Higgs decay, dark matter relic abundance and direct/indirect detection are studied. We found three viable regions of the parameter space, and the model is sensitive to indirect searches.

Abstract Objective Using multimodal imaging, we tested the hypothesis that patients after hemispherotomy recruit non‐primary motor areas and non‐pyramidal descending motor fibers to restore motor function of the impaired limb. Methods Functional and structural MRI data were acquired in a group of 25 patients who had undergone hemispherotomy and in a matched group of healthy controls. Patients’ motor impairment was measured using the Fugl‐Meyer Motor Assessment. Cortical areas governing upper extremity motor‐control were identified by task‐based functional MRI. The resulting areas were used as nodes for functional and structural connectivity analyses. Results In hemispherotomy patients, movement of the impaired upper extremity was associated to widespread activation of non‐primary premotor areas, whereas movement of the unimpaired one and of the control group related to activations prevalently located in the primary motor cortex (all p ≤ 0.05, FWE‐corrected). Non‐pyramidal tracts originating in premotor/supplementary motor areas and descending through the pontine tegmentum showed relatively higher structural connectivity in patients (p

Abstract Prompt reperfusion is important to rescue ischemic tissue; however, the process itself presents a key pathomechanism that contributes to a poor outcome following cardiac arrest. Experimental data have suggested the use of levosimendan to limit ischemia–reperfusion injury by improving cerebral microcirculation. However, recent studies have questioned this effect. The present study aimed to investigate the influence on hemodynamic parameters, cerebral perfusion and oxygenation following cardiac arrest by ventricular fibrillation in juvenile male pigs. Following the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), animals were randomly assigned to levosimendan (12 µg/kg, followed by 0.3 µg/kg/min) or vehicle treatment for 6 h. Levosimendan-treated animals showed significantly higher brain PbtO2 levels. This effect was not accompanied by changes in cardiac output, preload and afterload, arterial blood pressure, or cerebral microcirculation indicating a local effect. Cerebral oxygenation is key to minimizing damage, and thus, current concepts are aimed at improving impaired cardiac output or cerebral perfusion. In the present study, we showed that NIRS does not reliably detect low PbtO2 levels and that levosimendan increases brain oxygen content. Thus, levosimendan may present a promising therapeutic approach to rescue brain tissue at risk following cardiac arrest or ischemic events such as stroke or traumatic brain injury.

Microsoft HoloLens 2 (HL2) is often found in research and products as a cutting-edge device in Mixed Reality medical applications. One application is surgical telementoring, that allows a remote expert to support surgeries in real-time from afar. However, in this field of research two problems are encountered: First, many systems rely on additional sensors to record the surgery in 3D which makes the deployment cumbersome. Second, clinical testing under real-world surgery conditions is only performed in a small number of research works. In this article, we present a standalone system that allows the capturing of 3D recordings of open cardiac surgeries under clinical conditions using only the existing sensors of HL2. We show difficulties that arose during development, especially related to the optical system of the HL2, and present how they can be solved. The system has successfully been used to record surgeries from the surgeons point of view and the obtained material can be used to reconstruct a 3D view for evaluation by an expert. In a preliminary study, we present a recording of a captured surgery under real-world clinical conditions to expert surgeons which estimate the quality of the recordings and their overall applicability for diagnosis and support. The study shows benefits from a 3D reconstruction compared to video-only transmission regarding perceived quality and feeling of immersion.

The ideal treatment for chronic wounds is based on the use of bioactive dressings capable of releasing active agents. However, the control of the rate at which these active agents are released is still a challenge. Bioactive polymeric fiber mats of poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) [PSMA] functionalized with amino acids of different hydropathic indices and L-glutamine, L-phenylalanine and L-tyrosine levels allowed obtaining derivatives of the copolymers named PSMA@Gln, PSMA@Phe and PSMA@Tyr, respectively, with the aim of modulating the wettability of the mats. The bioactive characteristics of mats were obtained by the incorporation of the active agents Calendula officinalis (Cal) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). A higher wettability for PSMA@Gln was observed, which is in accordance with the hydropathic index value of the amino acid. However, the release of AgNPs was higher for PSMA and more controlled for functionalized PSMA (PSMAf), while the release curves of Cal did not show behavior related to the wettability of the mats due to the apolar character of the active agent. Finally, the differences in the wettability of the mats also affected their bioactivity, which was evaluated in bacterial cultures of Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 33592, an NIH/3T3 fibroblast cell line and red blood cells.

The following paper examines the practicality of a methodical approach for energy-flexible and energy-optimal operation in the field of metal-cutting production. The analysis is based on the example of a grinding machine and its central cooling-supply system. In the first step, an energy-flexibility data model is built for each subsystem, which describes energy flexibility potentials generically. This is then extended to enable combined energy cost-optimal production planning. As a basis for the links between the data model representations, the cold flows between the subsystems are modeled using parameter-estimation methods, which have a mean absolute error of only 2.3 percent, making the subsequent installation of heat meters unnecessary. Based on the presented approach, the results successfully validate the possibility of energy-flexible cost-optimal and sensor-reduced production planning by reducing energy costs by 6.6 percent overall and 1.9 percent per workpiece produced.

Abstract Background Mechanical chest compression devices are accepted alternatives for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) under specific circumstances. Current devices lack prospective and comparative data on their specific cardiovascular effects and potential for severe thoracic injuries. Objectives To compare CPR effectiveness and thoracic injuries of two mechanical chest compression devices in pigs. Study design Prospective randomised trial. Animals Eighteen male German landrace pigs. Methods Ventricular fibrillation was induced in anaesthetised and instrumented pigs and the animals were randomised into two intervention groups. Mechanical CPR was initiated by means of LUCAS™ 2 (mCCD1) or Corpuls™ cpr (mCCD2) device. Advanced life support was applied for a maximum of 10 cycles and animals achieving ROSC were monitored for 8 h. Ventilation/perfusion measurements were performed and blood gas analyses were taken. Thoracic injuries were assessed via a standardised damage score. Results Five animals of the mCCD1 group and one animal of the mCCD2 group achieved ROSC (p = 0.048). Only the mCCD1 animals survived until the end of the monitoring period (p

Abstract Intramolecular methyl–methyl coupling on Au (111) is explored as a new on-surface protocol for edge extension in graphene nanoribbons (GNRs). Characterized by high-resolution scanning tunneling microscopy, noncontact atomic force microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, the methyl–methyl coupling is proven to indeed proceed at the armchair edges of the GNRs, forming six-membered rings with sp3- or sp2-hybridized carbons.

Abstract Selective amygdalohippocampectomy is an effective treatment for patients with therapy-refractory temporal lobe epilepsy but may cause visual field defect (VFD). Here, we aimed to describe tissue-specific pre- and postoperative imaging correlates of the VFD severity using whole-brain analyses from voxel- to network-level. Twenty-eight patients with temporal lobe epilepsy underwent pre- and postoperative MRI (T1-MPRAGE and Diffusion Tensor Imaging) as well as kinetic perimetry according to Goldmann standard. We probed for whole-brain gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) correlates of VFD using voxel-based morphometry and tract-based spatial statistics, respectively. We furthermore reconstructed individual structural connectomes and conducted local and global network analyses. Two clusters in the bihemispheric middle temporal gyri indicated a postsurgical GM volume decrease with increasing VFD severity (FWE-corrected p

Abstract Background Two reference strains have been sequenced from the mushroom Coprinopsis cinerea, monokaryon Okayama 7/#130 (OK130) and the self-compatible homokaryon AmutBmut. An adenine-auxotrophy in OK130 (ade8-1) and a para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA)-auxotrophy in AmutBmut (pab1-1) offer selection markers for transformations. Of these two strains, homokaryon AmutBmut had been transformed before to PABA-prototrophy and with the bacterial hygromycin resistance marker hph, respectively. Results Gene ade8 encodes a bifunctional enzyme with an N-terminal glycinamide ribonucleotide synthase (GARS) and a C-terminal aminoimidazole ribonucleotide synthase (AIRS) domain required for steps 2 and 5 in the de novo biosynthesis of purines, respectively. In OK130, a missense mutation in ade8-1 rendered residue N231 for ribose recognition by the A loop of the GARS domain into D231. The new ade8 + vector pCcAde8 complements the auxotrophy of OK130 in transformations. Transformation rates with pCcAde8 in single-vector and co-transformations with ade8 +-selection were similarly high, unlike for trp1 + plasmids which exhibit suicidal feedback-effects in single-vector transformations with complementation of tryptophan synthase defects. As various other plasmids, unselected pCcAde8 helped in co-transformations of trp1 strains with a trp1 +-selection vector to overcome suicidal effects by transferred trp1 +. Co-transformation rates of pCcAde8 in OK130 under adenine selection with nuclear integration of unselected DNA were as high as 80% of clones. Co-transformation rates of expressed genes reached 26–42% for various laccase genes and up to 67% with lcc9 silencing vectors. The bacterial gene hph can also be used as another, albeit less efficient, selection marker for OK130 transformants, but with similarly high co-transformation rates. We further show that the pab1-1 defect in AmutBmut is due to a missense mutation which changed the conserved PIKGT motif for chorismate binding in the C-terminal PabB domain to PIEGT in the mutated 4-amino-4-deoxychorismate synthase. Conclusions ade8-1 and pab1-1 auxotrophic defects in C. cinerea reference strains OK130 and AmutBmut for complementation in transformation are described. pCcAde8 is a new transformation vector useful for selection in single and co-transformations of the sequenced monokaryon OK130 which was transformed for the first time. The bacterial gene hph can also be used as an additional selection marker in OK130, making in combination with ade8 + successive rounds of transformation possible.

Abstract The presence of lymph node (LN) metastases is one of the most important negative prognostic factors in upper gastrointestinal carcinomas. Tumour regression similar to that in primary tumours can be observed in LN metastases after neoadjuvant therapy. We evaluated the prognostic impact of histological regression in LNs in 480 adenocarcinomas of the stomach and gastro‐oesophageal junction after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Regressive changes in LNs (nodular and/or hyaline fibrosis, sheets of foamy histiocytes or acellular mucin) were assessed by histology. In total, regressive changes were observed in 128 of 480 patients. LNs were categorised according to the absence or presence of both residual tumour and regressive changes (LN−/+ and Reg−/+). 139 cases were LN−/Reg−, 28 cases without viable LN metastases revealed regressive changes (LN−/Reg+), 100 of 313 cases with LN metastases showed regressive changes (LN+/Reg+), and 213 of 313 metastatic LN had no signs of regression (LN+/Reg−). Overall, LN/Reg categorisation correlated with overall survival with the best prognosis for LN−/Reg− and the worst prognosis for LN+/Reg− (p