Modulation of cognitive performance and mood by aromas of peppermint and ylang-ylang

This study provides further evidence for the impact of the aromas of plant essential oils on aspects of cognition and mood in healthy participants. One hundred and forty-four volunteers were randomly assigned to conditions of ylang-ylang aroma, peppermint aroma, or no aroma control. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Cognitive Drug Research computerized assessment battery, with mood scales completed before and after cognitive testing. The analysis of the data revealed significant differences between conditions on a number of the factors underpinning the tests that constitute the battery. Peppermint was found to enhance memory whereas ylang-ylang impaired it, and lengthened processing speed. In terms of subjective mood peppermint increased alertness and ylang-ylang decreased it, but significantly increased calmness. These results provide support for the contention that the aromas of essential oils can produce significant and idiosyncratic effects on both subjective and objective assessments of aspects of human behavior. They are discussed with reference to possible pharmacological and psychological modes of influence

LightProbe: A fully-digital 64-channel ultrasound probe with high-bandwidth optical interface

A typical medical ultrasound-imaging system consists of a passive probe and a backend system containing the analog frontend and the digital processing unit, to which the probe connects over a coaxial cable harness. Digital processing is increasingly performed in software on powerful GPUs or multicore CPUs. These new system architectures have not only enabled new imaging modalities (Ultrafast Imaging, Vector Flow Estimation), but also reduced system cost, as ultrasound specific hardware is only used for the acquisition of the raw signals. The next step in this evolution are fully-digital ultrasound probes, which integrate the analog frontend and are equipped with a standard digital interface. This allows connecting the probe directly to a standard device, such as a workstation, tablet or mobile phone running an ultrasound software application. So far, this concept has been demonstrated for mobile applications, but is currently limited to a small number of frontend channe ls (â¼16) due to the large digital bandwidth (>10 Gb/s) at the interface between the probe and the mobile device

Unterricht am Krankenbett ohne Krankenbett - eine Einführung in die klinische Entscheidungsfindung in COVID-19-Zeiten

Introduction: The Corona virus pandemic rendered most live education this spring term impossible. Many classes were converted into e-learning formats. Teaching at the bedside (BST) seemed unfeasible under the circumstances. BST and clinical reasoning as its major outcome is introduced at the beginning of semester 5, henceforth all BST refers to this first presentation.Project outline: To ensure proficiency of current 5th semester students in future BST sessions, the introduction could not be cancelled albeit teaching with patients was. Knowing that the practical learning objectives of bedside teaching cannot be mirrored in online formats, a compensating module to teach the concept of BST and clinical reasoning had to be designed. Summary of work: To facilitate an understanding of the concept of bedside teaching with a focus on clinical reasoning we developed paper cases and a survey in Microsoft Forms following the history and examination path used in live BST with the addendum of clinical reasoning tables. For the first paper case, a personal feedback was provided for the clinical reasoning tables. A sample solution was provided later for self-feedback on the whole case. The first case was completed by 87, the second by 40 of 336 students. Response to individual feedback was positive. Students still missed hands-on training in history taking and examination with patients.Discussion: Paper cases cannot fully substitute BST. However, given the prime directive during the pandemic to protect our patients, this module engaged around one third of the cohort. The review of uploaded clinical reasoning tables gave proof to the sufficient students' grasp of clinical reasoning.Conclusion: Albeit not an exhaustive substitute for BST, this online module seems a feasible way to convey clinical reasoning strategies to students.Einführung: Die Coronavirus-Pandemie machte in diesem Frühjahrssemester den meisten Präsenzunterricht unmöglich. Viele Veranstaltungen wurden in E-Learning-Formate umgewandelt. Der Unterricht am Krankenbett (UaK) schien unter den gegebenen Umständen nicht zulässig. UaK und klinische Entscheidungsfindung als ihr zentrales Lernziel wird zu Beginn von Semester 5 eingeführt, danach bezieht sich jeglicher UaK auf diese erste Einführung.Projektskizze: Um sicherzustellen, dass die derzeitigen Studierenden des 5. Semesters in künftigen UaK-Sitzungen die notwendigen Fähigkeiten beherrschen, konnte die Einführung nicht gestrichen werden, wenngleich Präsenzunterricht mit Patienten nicht durchgeführt wurde. Da die praktischen Lernziele des Unterrichts am Krankenbett nicht in Online-Formaten widergespiegelt werden können, musste ein Ersatzmodul entwickelt werden, um das Konzept des UaK und der klinischen Entscheidungsfindung zu vermitteln. Zusammenfassung der Arbeit: Um das Verständnis des Konzepts des Unterrichts am Krankenbett mit dem Fokus auf der klinischen Entscheidungsfindung zu vermitteln, haben wir Papierfälle und eine Umfrage in Microsoft Forms entwickelt, die dem in Live-UaK verwendeten Anamnese- und Untersuchungspfad mit anhänglichen Tabellen zur klinischen Entscheidungsfindung folgen. Für den ersten Papierfall wurde ein persönliches Feedback zu den Tabellen der klinischen Entscheidungsfindung gegeben. Später wurde eine Musterlösung für das Selbst-Feedback zum gesamten Fall zur Verfügung gestellt. Der erste Fall wurde von 87, der zweite von 40 von 336 Studierenden abgeschlossen. Die Reaktion auf das individuelle Feedback war positiv. Trotzdem vermissten die Studierenden das praktische Üben von Anamnese und Untersuchung mit Patienten.Diskussion: Papierfälle können UaK nicht vollständig ersetzen. Angesichts der während der Pandemie geltenden obersten Direktive, unsere Patienten zu schützen, hat dieses Modul jedoch etwa ein Drittel der Kohorte erfasst. Die Durchsicht der hochgeladenen Tabellen zur klinischen Entscheidungsfindung bewies, dass die Studierenden über ein ausreichendes Verständnis der klinischen Entscheidungsfindung verfügten.Schlussfolgerung: Wenn es auch keinen vollständigen Ersatz für UaK darstellt, so scheint dieses Online-Modul doch ein gangbarer Weg zu sein, den Studierenden Strategien der klinischen Entscheidungsfindung zu vermitteln

Ultraschallkopf mit Ultraschall-Doppler-Anordnung

DE 102008005041 A1 UPAB: 20090817 NOVELTY - The ultrasonic head has an ultrasonic Doppler arrangement and three ultrasonic transmitters. The ultrasonic receivers receive reflecting signal of the transmitter. Each transmitter is arranged inclined to other transmitters with the central axes (52,54). The axle centers of all transmitters lie in two different levels. DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for an ultrasonic probe arrangement with the probe head. USE - Ultrasonic head for use in ultrasonic probe arrangement (Claimed). ADVANTAGE - The ultrasonic head has an ultrasonic Doppler arrangement and three ultrasonic transmitters, and thus ensures a simple device for the reliable detection for reliable detection of flow through containers

Neural stem cells influenced by ultrasound: Frequency and energy density dependencies

Therapeutic ultrasound is a widely used application in clinics. The response to ultrasound is tissue specific and the parameters of ultrasonic treatments are decisive. Here, the responses of primary enteric (ENS) and central nervous system (CNS) neural stem cells were investigated to different frequency – energy density – combination treatments between 510 kHz–3 W s/cm2 and 4.36 MHz–25 W s/cm2. Responses to ultrasonic treatments were both frequency and energy density dependent. Ultrasound enhanced the expansion and showed enlarged neurospheres for both ENS and CNS neural stem cell cultures. Differentiation was not impaired in regard to neuronal and glial cell number as well as neurite and glial fiber outgrowth. Ultrasound is a promising tool to expand neural stem cells in vitro neither influencing neurogenesis nor gliogenesis by applying specific frequency – energy density – combinations

Comparison of different short-range sonar systems on real structures and objects

In recent years, the ultrasound division of the Fraunhofer IBMT has developed and manufactured several imaging sonar systems for different visualization purposes. For short-range high-resolution imaging, three different concepts of sonar systems have been developed and transferred into demonstrators. The first one is a 128 element multibeam echosounder with a combined transmitting and receiving aperture. The second system is a volumetric imaging sonar based on a Mills Cross antenna configuration and the third system is a real-time capable, high-resolution 3D sonar camera with a matrix antenna consisting of 32 × 32 single transducer elements. After validating these systems on various phantoms in measurement tanks, more advanced measurements on real structures and objects were performed in order to evaluate and compare the imaging capabilities of the different sonar systems. In this work we present the results of these measurements together with an analysis of the specific advantages and disadvantages of the short-range imaging systems for different visualization tasks

Evaluation of a high-resolution real-time capable 3D sonar camera for deep sea operation

In this work we present the evaluation results of our 3D sonar camera system. The system consists of a matrix antenna array with 1024 single transducer elements and our in house developed DiPhAS sonar beamformer - a 128 channel FPGA-based beamforming system with a 1:8 multiplexing device for each channel. The system is designed to be applicable to ROV and AUV systems for real-time volumetric imaging in a deep sea environment. Defocused excitation of the transducer array is used to achieve a sound field opening angle of up to 40° in lateral and elevational direction. The antenna's sound field can be adjusted electronically in order to increase either the imaged area or the image contrast in a specific area of interest. Different filter algorithms working on a raw data basis have been implemented in order to suppress image artifacts which occur during the reconstruction process. Measurements on different phantoms have been performed in order to prove the real-time imaging as well as spatial resolution capabilities of the camera system

Concept and demonstrator for modular pressure tolerant autonomous underwater vehicle

Sea and deep sea investigations depend on the availability of efficient and affordable technologies. Especially subsea surveys with underwater vehicles are very cost intensive. In this work we present the concept and the development of a modular underwater vehicle which is easily adaptable to changing tasks specific to deep sea research missions. Different aspects of sub-systems of the vehicle are discussed, i.e. the modular concept, energy supply, buoyancy technique and materials, pressure resistant electronics. First performance tests of a technology demonstrator are described