Longitudinal Testing of Olfactory and Gustatory Function in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Background The aim of the study was to investigate changes of the olfactory and gustatory capacity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Methodology 20 MS patients were tested longitudinally for 3 years after initial testing. The Threshold Discrimination Identification test (TDI) was used for subjective olfactometry. Objective olfactometry was performed by registering olfactory evoked potentials (OEP) by EEG. The Taste Strip Test (TST) was used for gustatory testing. Results 45% of the patients showed olfactory dysfunction in the follow-up TDI test and 50% showed delayed OEP´s. 20% of the patients showed gustatory dysfunction on follow-up visit. The patients showed mild disease activity with 0,3 ± 0,5 relapses over the testing period and no significant change of their olfactory and gustatory capacity. The olfactory capacity for the discrimination of odors correlated inversely with the number of relapses (r = -0.5, p ≤ 0.05). The patients were aware of their olfactory deficit. Conclusions Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction is a symptom in MS patients and may be a useful parameter to estimate disease progression in MS patients. As the discrimination of odors is processed in higher central regions of the central nervous system (CNS), the results suggest that olfactory dysfunction could be due to CNS damage

Scientific Assessment for Urban Air Mobility (UAM)

Better connecting the international research community and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) enables effective assessments of novel aviation innovations. The International Forum for Aviation Research (IFAR) created a group on Urban Air Mobility (UAM) to explore the broad array of aspects relevant to the ICAO mandate. The assessment began with a study of the current industry landscape, including an overview of existing market studies, proposed aircraft designs and concepts, and potential paths of industry evolution. The Industry Assessment is summarized into key takeaways highlighting the need for international assessments on economic and societal factors associated with UAM, common understanding of the extent to which the nascent industry can leverage current infrastructure and regulatory structures, and harmonization of industrywide terminology. The subsequent Scientific Assessment, developed through cooperative efforts between international domain experts, captures 17 focus areas relevant to UAM. All focus areas present opportunities for further research. Key takeaways include: the need for further study of the impact of autonomous systems (AS) on the industry; infrastructure requirements (including vertiports and weather sensing) to support the industry; and data requirements (including domains such as cybersecurity, emissions, and safety) to ensure safe, scalable operations. Finally, a brief overview of the current standards landscape as relevant to the Scientific Assessment is presented, which displays the benefits of applying digital systems engineering techniques to map current research efforts to ongoing standards activities

Real-time fMRT Neurofeedback als add-on Therapie bei Patienten mit Depressionen

Es handelt sich um eine realtime fMRT Neurofeedback-Studie an Patienten mit Depressionen. Ziel war eine Erhöhung der Konnektivität zwischen Inselrinde und dorsolateralem präfrontalen Kortex. Es wurden die Ergebnisse zwischen einer depressiven Patienten- und einer gesunden Probandengruppe verglichen

Longitudinal changes of olfactory and gustatory function in patients with multiple sclerosis

Ziel der Studie ist es, Veränderungen des Geruchs- und Geschmacksvermögens von Patienten, die an Multipler Sklerose (MS) erkrankt sind, longitudinal über einen Zeitraum von vier Jahren zu untersuchen. Hierzu wurde initial eine Studie an der Universitätsklinik der Charité bei Patienten mit MS durchgeführt und die Veränderungen, insbesondere des Riech- und oder des Schmeckvermögens, evaluiert. Die aktuell erhobenen Ergebnisse werden mit den vorliegenden Ergebnissen verglichen. In der hier vorliegenden Dissertation konnten 20 MS- Patienten nachverfolgt und somit in die Studie eingeschlossen werden, wovon 16 Patienten an einer schubförmig verlaufenden Form und vier Patienten an einer chronisch progredienten Verlaufsform litten. Das Riechvermögen der Patienten wurde mittels erweiterter subjektiver (mittels Sniffin’ Sticks) und objektiver Olfaktometrie getestet. Die Testung des Geschmackssinns erfolgte durch den Einsatz von Taste Strips (TST). Der klinische neurologische Status wurde durch den Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) dargestellt. Zusätzlich wurde der Beck Depressions Inventar (BDI) und die Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) durchgeführt, um Depressionen und kognitive Defizite zu erkennen. Veränderungen der Werte im TST (Aussage über das Schmeckvermögen) korrelierten stark negativ mit einer Progression (r=-0,81) der Erkrankung (EDSS). Die ermittelten SDI-Werte zeigten eine mittlere Korrelation (r=0,47) zum subjektiven Empfinden des Riechvermögens (visuelle Analogskala). Dabei zeigte sich, dass die Anzahl der im Beobachtungszeitraum aufgetretenen MS-Schübe negativ im mittleren Bereich mit einer Reduktion des Diskriminationswertes des SDI-Testes korrelierte (r=-0,48). Weiterhin zeigte sich ein mittlerer Zusammenhang bei der Veränderung des Diskriminationswertes mit der Veränderung des TST-Wertes (r=0,68), was auf eine zentrale Schädigung schließen lässt. Die objektive Olfaktometrie lieferte methodenbedingt teils widersprüchliche Ergebnisse, weswegen die Fokussierung auf die SDI-Werte erfolgte. Die in dieser Studie eingeschlossenen Patienten waren sich der Leistungsfähigkeit ihres olfaktorischen und gustatorischen Systems bewusst. So scheinen Veränderungen der Funktionen des Geruchs- und Geschmackssinns bei Patienten mit MS nützliche Parameter zur Beurteilung des Aktivitätsgrades der entzündlichen Erkrankung zu sein. Weiterhin könnten sowohl die Minderung des Diskriminationsvermögens als auch die Minderung des Geschmackssinnes bei Patienten mit MS mehr für eine zentrale als für eine periphere Schädigung des Nervus olfactorius sprechen, da die Unterscheidung von Gerüchen und die Erkennung der Geschmacksqualitäten zentral erfolgen.The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinal over four years changes of taste and smell in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and correlate these results to the disease activity. Initially there was made a study at the Charité of Berlin evaluating their olfactory and gustatory possibilities and compared with the new results. 20 MS patients (16 with relapsing remitting MS, four with chronique progressive MS) were tested. The Threshold Discrimination Identification test was used for subjective olfactometry (Sniffin’ Sticks) and an objective olfactometry was made. The Taste Strip Test (TST) was used to evaluate gustatory function. To evaluate the neurological system the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was used, the Becks Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to detect a depression and the Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) was used to check the cognition of the patients. The changes in the TST score correlated negatively with the disease progression, expressed in the changes of the EDSS score (r=-0.81). The changes of the TDI score correlated with the self estimation of smell on the Visual Analogue Scale (r=0.47). The number of relapses in this period of time correlated with the changes of the discrimination test score (r=-0.48) and the change of the discrimination score correlated with the change of the TST score (r=0.68). This might be indicative to be a sign for an affection of the central nerve system. The results of the objective olfactometry underlined parts of the results of the TDI test but some results were so different that there were made a focus on the TDI test. The patients were aware of their olfactory capacity. Olfactory and gustatory capacity might be useful parameters to estimate disease activity in MS patients. As the discrimination of smell is processed in higher central regions of the central nervous system (CNS), the results suggest that olfactory und gustatory dysfunction in MS patients occurs due to CNS damage rather than to peripheral damage of the olfactory nerve

Dimension of aircraft exhaust plumes at cruise conditions: effect of wake vortices

The dispersion of aircraft emissions during the vortex phase is studied using a 3-D LES model with Lagrangian particle tracking. The simulations start with a fully rolled-up vortex pair of a type B747/A340 airplane and the tracer centred around the vortex cores. The tracer dilution and plume extent is studied for a variety of ambient and aircraft parameters until aircraft-induced effects have ceased. For typical upper tropospheric conditions, the impact of stratification is more dominant compared to turbulence intensity or vertical wind shear. Moreover, the sensitivity to the initial tracer distribution was found to be weak. Along the transverse direction, the tracer concentrations can be well approximated by a Gaussian distribution, along the vertical a superposition of three Gaussian distributions is adequate

Comparison and validation of two high-resolution weather forecast models at Frankfurt Airport

In recent years the 'Nowcasting Wake Vortex Impact Variables' model NOWVIV has been developed at the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR, to forecast weather parameters in airport environments. The German Meteorological Service, DWD, employs his COSMO-DE model (COnsortium for Small scale Modelling-DEutschland) for operational forecasts in Germany. A systematic comparison of model output from NOWVIV and a derivate of COSMO-DE, named COSMO-FRA, is presented. Both models are centred at Frankfurt Airport with horizontal resolutions of 2.1 km and 2.8 km, respectively. In the DLR Project Wetter & Fliegen the COSMO-FRA model will replace the NOWVIV model and become a key component in the future rapid update cycle for adverse weather predictions at the airports of Frankfurt and Munich. The forecast vertical profiles of runway crosswind, head/tail wind, temperature, and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) are validated against Wind and Temperature Radar (WTR/RASS) measurements operated by the German Air Navigation Service Provider, DFS, within a 40 day period during fall 2004 and a 60 day period during winter 2007. Model and WTR output is provided every 10 minutes. In general it was found that the predictions of both models yield similar skills based on the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean bias statistics of the crosswind as well as the false alarm-rate (FAR) statistics in forecasting different crosswind thresholds. The RMSE of crosswind between ground and 1600 m altitude ranges between 2.2 and 3.0 ms-1 for NOWVIV in fall and winter. For COSMO-FRA this error ranges between 2.0 and 2.5 ms-1 during winter and 2.5 and 3.5 ms-1 during fall, respectively. The FAR for exceeding a crosswind threshold of 3 ms-1 is about 23 % in fall and 17 % in winter for both models