Brückenkurs Physik mit integrierter App - Untersuchung zur Aktivierung mit heterogenen Studienanfängergruppen der Ingenieurwissenschaften

Der Studienbeginn wird an der Hochschule Offenburg durch Vorbereitungskurse, sogenannte Brückenkurse, unterstützt. Wir stellen vorläufige Ergebnisse beim Einsatz von Smartphones und Tablets im Rahmen des Physik-Brückenkurses vor, bei dem die Studenten Hilfen zum selbständigen Üben durch eine App erhalten. Durch die Überarbeitung des Kurses und den Einsatz der App konnte der Teilnehmerschwund verringert werden. Die Evaluationsergebnisse bestätigen eine hohe Akzeptanz der Neuerungen seitens der Studierenden. Erste Auswertungen von Ein- und Ausgangstests deuten darauf hin, dass durch den Brückenkurs eine Angleichung der Vorkenntnisse der Studienanfänger erreicht wird,  da Teilnehmer mit geringeren Vorkenntnissen tendenziell einen größeren Lernfortschritt erreichen. Durch unterschiedliche Schwierigkeitsstufen und selbstregulierte Übungsphasen in individuellem Tempo können aber auch die Erfordernisse der stärkeren Teilnehmer angemessen berücksichtigt werden

Brückenkurs Physik mit integrierter App - Untersuchung zur Aktivierung mit heterogenen Studienanfängergruppen der Ingenieurwissenschaften

Der Studienbeginn wird an der Hochschule Offenburg durch Vorbereitungskurse, sogenannte Brückenkurse, unterstützt. Wir stellen vorläufige Ergebnisse beim Einsatz von Smartphones und Tablets im Rahmen des Physik-Brückenkurses vor, bei dem die Studenten Hilfen zum selbständigen Üben durch eine App erhalten. Durch die Überarbeitung des Kurses und den Einsatz der App konnte der Teilnehmerschwund verringert werden. Die Evaluationsergebnisse bestätigen eine hohe Akzeptanz der Neuerungen seitens der Studierenden. Erste Auswertungen von Ein- und Ausgangstests deuten darauf hin, dass durch den Brückenkurs eine Angleichung der Vorkenntnisse der Studienanfänger erreicht wird,  da Teilnehmer mit geringeren Vorkenntnissen tendenziell einen größeren Lernfortschritt erreichen. Durch unterschiedliche Schwierigkeitsstufen und selbstregulierte Übungsphasen in individuellem Tempo können aber auch die Erfordernisse der stärkeren Teilnehmer angemessen berücksichtigt werden

Effects of dignity therapy on psychological distress and wellbeing of palliative care patients and family caregivers – a randomized controlled study

Background This study extended the original Dignity Therapy (DT) intervention by including partners and family caregivers (FCs) of terminally-ill cancer patients with the overall aim of evaluating whether DT can mitigate distress in both patients nearing the end of life and their FCs. Methods In this multicenter, randomized controlled trial (RCT), a total of 68 patients with life expectancy < 6 months and clinically-relevant stress levels (Hospital Anxiety Depression total score; HADS$_{tot}$ ≥ 8) including their FCs were randomly assigned to DT, DT + (including their FCs), or standard palliative care (SPC) in a 1:1:1 ratio. Study participants were asked to complete a set of questionnaires pre- and post-intervention. Results The coalesced group (DT and DT +) revealed a significant increase in patients’ perceived quality of life (FACIT-Pal-14) following the intervention (mean difference 6.15, SD = 1.86, p < 0.01). We found a statistically significant group-by-time interaction effect: while the HADS$_{tot}$ of patients in the intervention group remained stable over the pre-post period, the control group’s HADS$_{tot}$ increased (F = 4.33, df = 1, 82.9; p < 0.05), indicating a protective effect of DT. Most patients and their FCs found DT useful and would recommend it to other individuals in their situation. Conclusions The DT intervention has been well-received and shows the potential to increase HRQoL and prevent further mental health deterioration, illness burden and suffering in terminally-ill patients. The DT intervention holds the potential to serve as a valuable tool for facilitating end-of-life conversations among terminally-ill patients and their FCs. However, the implementation of DT within the framework of a RCT in a palliative care setting poses significant challenges. We suggest a slightly modified and less resource-intensive version of DT that is to provide the DT inventory to FCs of terminally-ill patients, empowering them to ask the questions that matter most to them over their loved one’s final days. Trial registration This study was registered with Clinical Trial Registry (ClinicalTrials.gov -Protocol Record NCT02646527; date of registration: 04/01/2016). The CONSORT 2010 guidelines were used for properly reporting how the randomized trial was conducted

MP756: Eastern Regional Potato Trials 2004: Summary of NE1014 Regional Project Field Testing of New Potato Clones

The objectives of this regional potato trial are (1) to develop pest-resistant, early-maturing, long-dormant potato varieties that will process from cold storage; (2) to evaluate new and specialty variet­ies developed in the Northeast; (3) to determine climatic effects on performance to develop pre­dictive models for potato improvement; and (4) determine heritability/linkage relationships and improve the genetic base of tetraploid cultivated varieties. The results presented in this report reflect a portion of the activity directed toward objectives 1, 2 and 3.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscpubs/1019/thumbnail.jp

MP755: Eastern Regional Potato Trials 2003: Summary of NE1014 Regional Project Field Testing of New Potato Clones

The objectives of this regional potato trial are (1) to develop pest-resistant, early-maturing, long-dormant potato varieties that will process from cold storage; (2) to evaluate new and specialty variet­ies developed in the Northeast; (3) to determine climatic effects on performance to develop pre­dictive models for potato improvement; and (4) determine heritability/linkage relationships and improve the genetic base of tetraploid cultivated varieties. The results presented in this report reflect a portion of the activity directed toward objectives 1, 2 and 3.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscpubs/1020/thumbnail.jp

Exposure of the human body to professional and domestic induction cooktops compared to the basic restrictions

We investigated whether domestic and professional induction cooktops comply with the basic restrictions defined by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). Based on magnetic field measurements, a generic numerical model of an induction cooktop was derived in order to model user exposure. The current density induced in the user was simulated for various models and distances. We also determined the exposure of the fetus and of young children. While most measured cooktops comply with the public exposure limits at the distance specified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (standard IEC 62233), the majority exceeds them at closer distances, some of them even the occupational limits. The maximum current density in the tissue of the user significantly exceeds the basic restrictions for the general public, reaching the occupational level. The exposure of the brains of young children reaches the order of magnitude of the limits for the general public. For a generic worst-case cooktop compliant with the measurement standards, the current density exceeds the 1998 ICNIRP basic restrictions by up to 24 dB or a factor of 16. The brain tissue of young children can be overexposed by 6 dB or a factor of 2. The exposure of the tissue of the central nervous system of the fetus can exceed the limits for the general public if the mother is exposed at occupational levels. This demonstrates that the methodology for testing induction cooktops according to IEC 62233 contradicts the basic restrictions. This evaluation will be extended considering the redefined basic restrictions proposed by the ICNIRP in 2010

MP758: East Regional Potato Trials 2006: Summary of NE1014 Regional Project Field Testing of New Potato Clones

The objectives of this regional potato trial are (1) to develop pest-resistant, early-maturing, long-dormant potato varieties that will process from cold storage; (2) to evaluate new and specialty variet­ies developed in the Northeast; (3) to determine climatic effects on performance to develop pre­dictive models for potato improvement; and (4) determine heritability/linkage relationships and improve the genetic base of tetraploid cultivated varieties. The results presented in this report reflect a portion of the activity directed toward objectives 1, 2 and 3.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscpubs/1017/thumbnail.jp

MP760: East Regional Potato Trials 2007: Summary of NE1014 Regional Project Field Testing of New Potato Clones

The objectives of this regional potato trial are (1) to develop pest-resistant, early-maturing, long-dormant potato varieties that will process from cold storage; (2) to evaluate new and specialty variet­ies developed in the Northeast; (3) to determine climatic effects on performance to develop pre­dictive models for potato improvement; and (4) determine heritability/linkage relationships and improve the genetic base of tetraploid cultivated varieties. The results presented in this report reflect a portion of the activity directed toward objectives 1, 2 and 3.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_miscpubs/1016/thumbnail.jp

Enhancement of CURB65 score with proadrenomedullin (CURB65-A) for outcome prediction in lower respiratory tract infections: Derivation of a clinical algorithm

Proadrenomedullin (ProADM) confers additional prognostic information to established clinical risk scores in lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). We aimed to derive a practical algorithm combining the CURB65 score with ProADM-levels in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and non-CAP-LRTI

Phenotype Selection Reveals Coevolution of Muscle Glycogen and Protein and PTEN as a Gate Keeper for the Accretion of Muscle Mass in Adult Female Mice

We have investigated molecular mechanisms for muscle mass accretion in a non-inbred mouse model (DU6P mice) characterized by extreme muscle mass. This extreme muscle mass was developed during 138 generations of phenotype selection for high protein content. Due to the repeated trait selection a complex setting of different mechanisms was expected to be enriched during the selection experiment. In muscle from 29-week female DU6P mice we have identified robust increases of protein kinase B activation (AKT, Ser-473, up to 2-fold) if compared to 11- and 54-week DU6P mice or controls. While a number of accepted effectors of AKT activation, including IGF-I, IGF-II, insulin/IGF-receptor, myostatin or integrin-linked kinase (ILK), were not correlated with this increase, phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) was down-regulated in 29-week female DU6P mice. In addition, higher levels of PTEN phosphorylation were found identifying a second mechanism of PTEN inhibition. Inhibition of PTEN and activation of AKT correlated with specific activation of p70S6 kinase and ribosomal protein S6, reduced phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) and higher rates of protein synthesis in 29-week female DU6P mice. On the other hand, AKT activation also translated into specific inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase 3ß (GSK3ß) and an increase of muscular glycogen. In muscles from 29-week female DU6P mice a significant increase of protein/DNA was identified, which was not due to a reduction of protein breakdown or to specific increases of translation initiation. Instead our data support the conclusion that a higher rate of protein translation is contributing to the higher muscle mass in mid-aged female DU6P mice. Our results further reveal coevolution of high protein and high glycogen content during the selection experiment and identify PTEN as gate keeper for muscle mass in mid-aged female DU6P mice