Detecting and managing small bowel Crohn’s disease – capsule endoscopy becoming a first line diagnostic method?

Small bowel endoscopy is crucial for diagnosing small bowel Crohn’s disease, and capsule endoscopy is complemented by balloon-assisted enteroscopy to take biopsies and by magnetic resonance imaging to visualize enteral and extra-intestinal involvement. Recently, imaging has also become a key instrument to manage Crohn’s disease patients. Treatment control is advised for patients who have undergone bowel resections and is increasingly used to testify treatment success in non-operated patients, too. In this review we present the modern imaging methods to diagnose and to manage Crohn’s disease with a special focus on the small bowel. Moreover, current knowledge on the impact of diagnostic methods on the patients’ outcome is reported

Rage Against the Machines: How Subjects Learn to Play Against Computers

We use an experiment to explore how subjects learn to play against computers which are programmed to follow one of a number of standard learning algorithms. The learning theories are (unbeknown to subjects) a best response process, fictitious play, imitation, reinforcement learning, and a trial & error process. We test whether subjects try to influence those algorithms to their advantage in a forward-looking way (strategic teaching). We find that strategic teaching occurs frequently and that all learning algorithms are subject to exploitation with the notable exception of imitation. The experiment was conducted, both, on the internet and in the usual laboratory setting. We find some systematic differences, which however can be traced to the different incentives structures rather than the experimental environment

Small Bowel Imaging in Managing Crohn's Disease Patients

The small bowel is essential to sustain alimentation and small bowel Crohn's disease (CD) may severely limit its function. Small bowel imaging is a crucial element in diagnosing small bowel CD, and treatment control with imaging is increasingly used to optimize the patients outcome. Thereby, capsule endoscopy, Balloon-assisted enteroscopy, and Magnetic resonance imaging have become key players to manage CD patients. In this review, role of small bowel imaging is detailed discussed for use in diagnosing and managing Crohn's disease patients

Rage Against the Machines - How Subjects Learn to Play Against Computers

We use an experiment to explore how subjects learn to play against computers which are programmed to follow one of a number of standard learning algorithms. The learning theories are (unbeknown to subjects) a best response process, fictitious play, imitation, reinforcement learning, and a trial & error process. We test whether subjects try to influence those algorithms to their advantage in a forward-looking way (strategic teaching). We find that strategic teaching occurs frequently and that all learning algorithms are subject to exploitation with the notable exception of imitation. The experiment was conducted, both, on the internet and in the usual laboratory setting. We find some systematic differences, which however can be traced to the different incentives structures rather than the experimental environment.

Rage Against the Machines: How Subjects Learn to Play Against Computers

We use an experiment to explore how subjects learn to play against computers which are programmed to follow one of a number of standard learning algorithms. The learning theories are (unbeknown to subjects) a best response process, fictitious play, imitation, reinforcement learning, and a trial & error process. We test whether subjects try to influence those algorithms to their advantage in a forward-looking way (strategic teaching). We find that strategic teaching occurs frequently and that all learning algorithms are subject to exploitation with the notable exception of imitation. The experiment was conducted, both, on the internet and in the usual laboratory setting. We find some systematic differences, which however can be traced to the different incentives structures rather than the experimental environment.learning; fictitious play; imitation; reinforcement; trial & error; strategic teaching; Cournot duopoly; experiments; internet.

SEMS vs cSEMS in duodenal and small bowel obstruction : high risk of migration in the covered stent group

Aim: To compare clinical success and complications of uncovered self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) vs covered SEMS (cSEMS) in obstruction of the small bowel. Methods: Technical success, complications and outcome of endoscopic SEMS or cSEMS placement in tumor related obstruction of the duodenum or jejunum were retrospectively assessed. The primary end points were rates of stent migration and overgrowth. Secondary end points were the effect of concomitant biliary drainage on migration rate and overall survival. The data was analyzed according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. Results: Thirty-two SEMS were implanted in 20 patients. In all patients, endoscopic stent implantation was successful. Stent migration was observed in 9 of 16 cSEMS (56%) in comparison to 0/16 SEMS (0%) implantations (P = 0.002). Stent overgrowth did not significantly differ between the two stent types (SEMS: 3/16, 19%; cSEMS: 2/16, 13%). One cSEMS dislodged and had to be recovered from the jejunum by way of laparotomy. Time until migration between SEMS and cSEMS in patients with and without concomitant biliary stents did not significantly differ (HR = 1.530, 95%CI 0.731-6.306; P = 0.556). The mean follow-up was 57 ± 71 d (range: 1-275 d). Conclusion: SEMS and cSEMS placement is safe in small bowel tumor obstruction. However, cSEMS is accompanied with a high rate of migration in comparison to uncovered SEMS

Leitfaden für die praktische Umsetzung einer Freilandhaltung von Mastschweinen

EINLEITUNG: Dieser Leitfaden soll Hilfestellung beim Aufbau einer Freilandhaltung von Mastschweinen geben. Hinweise und Angaben basieren auf Erfahrungen aus einem Forschungsvorhaben mit Mastschweinen, das von Herbst 2002 bis Ende 2003 an der Universität Kassel / Witzenhausen auf dem Versuchsbetrieb der Hessischen Staatsdomäne Frankenhausen durchgeführt wurde. Des Weiteren fließen Erfahrungen von Freilandschweinehaltern ein, die im Rahmen einer Diplomarbeit befragt wurden, sowie Angaben aus der Literatur ein. Die Freilandhaltung bietet die Möglichkeit, mit geringen Investitionskosten eine artgemäße Schweinehaltung zu verwirklichen, die sich auch in die pflanzliche Erzeugung integrieren lässt. Die erste Voraussetzung für die Einrichtung einer Freilandhaltung sollten jedoch nicht in erster Linie finanzielle Überlegungen sein, sondern die eigene Bereitschaft, 365 Tage im Jahr die Tiere im Freien zu betreuen. Verfahren, bei denen Schweine erst im März aufgestallt werden und der letzte Durchgang im November endet, sind natürlich möglich, wenn alle Tiere als Ferkel zugekauft werden. INHALT: 1 Einleitung 2 Gesetzliche Vorgaben 2.1 Schweinehaltungshygieneverordnung (SchHaltHygV) 2.2 Verordnungen für die Ökologische Landwirtschaft 2.2.1 EG-Verordnung (EWG) Nr. 2092/91 2.2.2 Richtlinien von deutschen Öko-Verbänden 3 Durchführung einer Freilandhaltung von Mastschweinen 3.1 Standorteignung 3.2 Flächengestaltung 3.3 Einrichtung für eine Schweinehaltung im Freiland 3.3.1 Zaun 3.3.2 Schutzhütte 3.3.3 Wassertränke 3.3.4 Futtertrog 3.3.5 Suhle 3.3.6 Schattendach 3.4 Tierherkunft 3.5 Fütterung mit Kraftfutter 3.6 Umgang mit den Tieren Anhang Tägliche Futtermenge pro Tie

Dual-FOV Raman and Doppler lidar studies of aerosol-cloud interactions : Simultaneous profiling of aerosols, warm-cloud properties, and vertical wind

Date of Acceptance: 24/04/2014 This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are madeFor the first time, colocated dual-field of view (dual-FOV) Raman lidar and Doppler lidar observations (case studies) of aerosol and cloud optical and microphysical properties below and within thin layered liquid water clouds are presented together with an updraft and downdraft characterization at cloud base. The goal of this work is to investigate the relationship between aerosol load close to cloud base and cloud characteristics of warm (purely liquid) clouds and the study of the influence of vertical motions and turbulent mixing on this relationship. We further use this opportunity to illustrate the applicability of the novel dual-FOV Raman lidar in this field of research. The dual-FOV lidar combines the well-established multiwavelength Raman lidar technique for aerosol retrievals and the multiple-scattering Raman lidar technique for profiling of the single-scattering extinction coefficient, effective radius, number concentration of the cloud droplets, and liquid water content. Key findings of our 3 year observations are presented in several case studies of optically thin altocumulus layers occurring in the lower free troposphere between 2.5 and 4 km height over Leipzig, Germany, during clean and polluted situations. For the clouds that we observed, the most direct link between aerosol proxy (particle extinction coefficient) and cloud proxy (cloud droplet number concentration) was found at cloud base during updraft periods. Above cloud base, additional processes resulting from turbulent mixing and entrainment of dry air make it difficult to determine the direct impact of aerosols on cloud processes.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Thermoplastic high performance composite gears

This paper describes the development and testing of gears based on polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and endless carbon fibers. Behind these results is a research project funded by INNOSUISSE with the aim of developing plastic gears with which much higher strengths than previously available gears can be achieved. In principle, two types of gearwheels are investigated which differ in their manufacturing method: icotec’s injection molding CFM (Composite flow moulding) process and milled gears (GP) made of composite plate materials. The wheels produced in the CFM process have very good static strength. However, the expected performance in the running tests could not be achieved due to insufficient dimensional accuracy from the CFM process. Comparative tests with GP gears were able to confirm the expected service life. For example, the tests with a line load of 60 N/mm were terminated after approximately 106 load cycles, since the wear was limited to the run-in amount and no failure was to be expected. During dry running tests in a range of 105-106 cycles a load > 129 N/mm was run