Impacts of Personalized Sensor Feedback Regarding Exposure to Environmental Stressors

Feedback on personal exposure to air pollution, noise or extreme temperatures through wearable sensors or sensors installed at home or in the workplace can offer information that might motivate behaviours to mitigate exposure. As personal measurement devices are becoming increasingly accessible, it is important to evaluate the effects of such sensors on human perception and behaviour. We conducted a systematic literature research and identified 33 studies, analysing the effects of personal feedback on air pollution, noise and temperatures. Feedback was given through reports including different forms of visualization, in-person or over the telephone, or directly on the sensor or through a phone app. The exposure feedback led to behaviour changes particularly for noise and temperature feedback while findings on behaviour adaptation to avoid air pollution were mixed. Most studies reported increased awareness and knowledge from receiving exposure feedback. Many participants in studies on air pollution reported low levels of self-efficacy regarding exposure mitigation. For a better understanding of the effects of personal exposure feedback, more studies are required, particularly providing feedback from wearable sensors measuring outdoor air pollution, noise and temperature

Efficient laser-driven proton acceleration from cylindrical and planar cryogenic hydrogen jets.

We report on recent experimental results deploying a continuous cryogenic hydrogen jet as a debris-free, renewable laser-driven source of pure proton beams generated at the 150 TW ultrashort pulse laser Draco. Efficient proton acceleration reaching cut-off energies of up to 20 MeV with particle numbers exceeding 109 particles per MeV per steradian is demonstrated, showing for the first time that the acceleration performance is comparable to solid foil targets with thicknesses in the micrometer range. Two different target geometries are presented and their proton beam deliverance characterized: cylindrical (∅ 5 μm) and planar (20 μm × 2 μm). In both cases typical Target Normal Sheath Acceleration emission patterns with exponential proton energy spectra are detected. Significantly higher proton numbers in laser-forward direction are observed when deploying the planar jet as compared to the cylindrical jet case. This is confirmed by two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell (2D3V PIC) simulations, which demonstrate that the planar jet proves favorable as its geometry leads to more optimized acceleration conditions

Efficient laser-driven proton acceleration from cylindrical and planar cryogenic hydrogen jets

We report on recent experimental results deploying a continuous cryogenic hydrogen jet as a debris-free, renewable laser-driven source of pure proton beams generated at the 150 TW ultrashort pulse laser Draco. Efficient proton acceleration reaching cut-off energies of up to 20 MeV with particle numbers exceeding 109 particles per MeV per steradian is demonstrated, showing for the first time that the acceleration performance is comparable to solid foil targets with thicknesses in the micrometer range. Two different target geometries are presented and their proton beam deliverance characterized: cylindrical (∅ 5 μm) and planar (20 μm × 2 μm). In both cases typical Target Normal Sheath Acceleration emission patterns with exponential proton energy spectra are detected. Significantly higher proton numbers in laser-forward direction are observed when deploying the planar jet as compared to the cylindrical jet case. This is confirmed by two-dimensional Particle-in-Cell (2D3V PIC) simulations, which demonstrate that the planar jet proves favorable as its geometry leads to more optimized acceleration conditions

Bewertung landwirtschaftlicher Produktivitätspotentiale der globalen Landressource

Ziel unserer Arbeiten ist die Klassifikation und funktionelle Bewertung von Agrarstandorten nach einheitlichen Kriterien. Solche Informationen könnten für die überregional vergleichende Bewertung und standortgerechte nachhaltige agrarische Nutzung von Böden hilfreich sein. Wir untersuchten mehr als 100 repräsentative Böden auf Versuchsstandorten in bedeutenden Agrarregionen der Welt. Das sind Europa, Nordchina, die Prärieregionen Nordamerikas, sowie die Steppen Westsibiriens und Kasachstans. Die Böden wurden nach der World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB 2006) klassifiziert und mittels Müncheberger Soil Quality Rating (M-SQR) funktionell bewertet. Das indikatorbasierte M-SQR erwies sich als praktikabel und führte zu plausiblen Wertezahlen der Bodengüte. Die Bewertungskennziffern des M-SQR können je nach Landnutzungsintensität und Anpassungsgüte der Indikatoren etwa 50-80 % der Ertragsvariabilität von Getreide erklä¬ren. Es wird geschlußfolgert, daß das M-SQR für die skalenübergreifende Abschätzung von landwirtschaftlichen Produktivitätspotentialen, also als Basiswerkzeug für ein globales Bodenmonitoring, geeignet ist. Das M-SQR erweitert Bodenklassifikationssysteme wie die WRB 2006 um den Aspekt der Bodenfunktionalität

Diagnostic Value of Lumbar Facet Joint Injection: A Prospective Triple Cross-Over Study

The diagnosis “lumbar facet syndrome” is common and often indicates severe lumbar spine surgery procedures. It is doubtful whether a painful facet joint (FJ) can be identified by a single FJ block. The aim of this study was to clarify the validity of a single and placebo controlled bilateral FJ blocks using local anesthetics. A prospective single blinded triple cross-over study was performed. 60 patients (31 f, 29 m, mean age 53.2 yrs (22–73)) with chronic low back pain (mean pain persistance 31 months, 6 months of conservative treatment without success) admitted to a local orthopaedic department for surgical or conservative therapy of chronic LBP, were included in the study. Effect on pain reduction (10 point rating scale) was measured. The 60 subjects were divided into six groups with three defined sequences of fluoroscopically guided bilateral monosegmental lumbar FJ test injections in “oblique needle” technique: verum-(local anaesthetic-), placebo-(sodium chloride-) and sham-injection. Carry-over and periodic effects were evaluated and a descriptive and statistical analysis regarding the effectiveness, difference and equality of the FJ injections and the different responses was performed. The results show a high rate of non-response, which documents the lack of reliable and valid predictors for a positive response towards FJ blocks. There was a high rate of placebo reactions noted, including subjects who previously or later reacted positively to verum injections. Equivalence was shown among verum vs. placebo and partly vs. sham also. With regard to test validity criteria, a single intraarticular FJ block with local anesthetics is not useful to detect the pain-responsible FJ and therefore is no valid and reliable diagostic tool to specify indication of lumbar spine surgery. Comparative FJ blocks with local anesthetics and placebo-controls have to be interpretated carefully also, because they solely give no proper diagnosis on FJ being main pain generator

A time-resolved proteomic and prognostic map of COVID-19

COVID-19 is highly variable in its clinical presentation, ranging from asymptomatic infection to severe organ damage and death. We characterized the time-dependent progression of the disease in 139 COVID-19 inpatients by measuring 86 accredited diagnostic parameters, such as blood cell counts and enzyme activities, as well as untargeted plasma proteomes at 687 sampling points. We report an initial spike in a systemic inflammatory response, which is gradually alleviated and followed by a protein signature indicative of tissue repair, metabolic reconstitution, and immunomodulation. We identify prognostic marker signatures for devising risk-adapted treatment strategies and use machine learning to classify therapeutic needs. We show that the machine learning models based on the proteome are transferable to an independent cohort. Our study presents a map linking routinely used clinical diagnostic parameters to plasma proteomes and their dynamics in an infectious disease

Clinical and virological characteristics of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in a German tertiary care centre during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: a prospective observational study

Purpose: Adequate patient allocation is pivotal for optimal resource management in strained healthcare systems, and requires detailed knowledge of clinical and virological disease trajectories. The purpose of this work was to identify risk factors associated with need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), to analyse viral kinetics in patients with and without IMV and to provide a comprehensive description of clinical course. Methods: A cohort of 168 hospitalised adult COVID-19 patients enrolled in a prospective observational study at a large European tertiary care centre was analysed. Results: Forty-four per cent (71/161) of patients required invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). Shorter duration of symptoms before admission (aOR 1.22 per day less, 95% CI 1.10-1.37, p < 0.01) and history of hypertension (aOR 5.55, 95% CI 2.00-16.82, p < 0.01) were associated with need for IMV. Patients on IMV had higher maximal concentrations, slower decline rates, and longer shedding of SARS-CoV-2 than non-IMV patients (33 days, IQR 26-46.75, vs 18 days, IQR 16-46.75, respectively, p < 0.01). Median duration of hospitalisation was 9 days (IQR 6-15.5) for non-IMV and 49.5 days (IQR 36.8-82.5) for IMV patients. Conclusions: Our results indicate a short duration of symptoms before admission as a risk factor for severe disease that merits further investigation and different viral load kinetics in severely affected patients. Median duration of hospitalisation of IMV patients was longer than described for acute respiratory distress syndrome unrelated to COVID-19

Gestaltungsmerkmale und mechanische Eigenschaften druckelastischer Abstandsgewirke

Die Arbeit behandelt das Formänderungsverhalten von Abstandsgewirken und Möglichkeiten zu deren Fertigung als neuartige, reguläre, druckelastische 3D-Gewirkepolster. Ausgehend vom Stand der Technik diverser Polsterkonstruktionen erfolgt die Analyse der druckelastischen Eigenschaften herkömmlicher Abstandsgewirke. Aufbauend darauf wird der spezifische Erzeugnischarakter der 3D-Gewirke hergeleitet. Ein auf Biegeknicken basierendes Verformungmodell wird zur theoretischen Beschreibung des Formänderungsverhaltens der 3D-Gewirke entwickelt. Hierbei steht der strukturelle und funktionale Einfluss der 3D-Elemente im Vordergrund der Betrachtungen. In Ableitung daraus entsteht eine Berechnungsgrundlage zur theoretischen Bestimmung des Druckverformungsverhaltens. Zur Bestimmung darin enthaltener geometrischer Kenngrößen der 3D-Gewirke werden die Einflüsse des Wirkverfahrens und der Thermofixierung berücksichtigt. Auf Basis einer technisch modifizierten Rechts/Rechts-Raschelmaschine werden Musterserien zu regulären 3D-Gewirken unter Variation der maßgeblichen strukturellen Parameter gefertigt und bezüglich ihrer Druckspannungs-Verformungseigenschaften untersucht. Auf Grundlage der praktischen Ergebnisse erfolgt eine Korrektur der theoretischen Berechnungsmethode, wodurch die praxisnahe Vorherbestimmung zu erwartender Druckspannungs-Verformungseigenschaften entsprechend strukturierter 3D-Gewirkepolster möglich wird