FoodAuthent – Developing a System for Food Authenticity by Collecting, Analyzing and Utilizing Product Data

The research project FoodAuthent aims at providing the technical framework and incentives for the routine use of “fingerprinting” to secure and monitor food quality. The planned system captures, analyses and processes data on the chemical fingerprint of food and can prove its authenticity. For this purpose, cloud-based fingerprinting databases are combined with methods of data analysis and batch-specific product information. The project focuses on proof of origin and fraud detection of food as well as on analytical methods for the product categories cheese, oil and spirits

Quality of Life and Neutropenia in Patients with Early Stage Breast Cancer: A Randomized Pilot Study Comparing Additional Treatment with Mistletoe Extract to Chemotherapy Alone

Background: Chemotherapy for breast cancer often deteriorates quality of life, augments fatigue, and induces neutropenia. Mistletoe preparations are frequently used by cancer patients in Central Europe. Physicians have reported better quality of life in breast cancer patients additionally treated with mistletoe preparations during chemotherapy. Mistletoe preparations also have immunostimulant properties and might therefore have protective effects against chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.Patients and Methods: We conducted a prospective randomized open label pilot study with 95 patients randomized into three groups. Two groups received Iscador® M special (IMS) or a different mistletoe preparation, respectively, additionally to chemotherapy with six cycles of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, and 5-fluoro-uracil (CAF). A control group received CAF with no additional therapy. Here we report the comparison IMS (n = 30) vs. control (n = 31). Quality of life including fatigue was assessed with the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ-C30). Neutropenia was defined as neutrophil counts <1,000/µl and assessed at baseline and one day before each CAF cycle.Results: In the descriptive analysis all 15 scores of the EORTC-QLQ-C30 showed better quality of life in the IMS group compared to the control group. In 12 scores the differences were significant (p < 0.02) and nine scores showed a clinically relevant and significant difference of at least 5 points. Neutropenia occurred in 3/30 IMS patients and in 8/31 control patients (p = 0.182).Conclusions: This pilot study showed an improvement of quality of life by treating breast cancer patients with IMS additionally to CAF. CAF-induced neutropenia showed a trend to lower frequency in the IMS group

Technology experience café - enabling technology - driven social innovation for an ageing society

Effective technology innovation process management in the context of active healthy ageing has the potential to improve older adults’ quality of life, allowing them to maintain their independence and age in their own homes for longer. But as older adults significantly differ from the general population in technology use and its impact on their quality of life, tools are needed that (1) involve this target group into the innovation process, as well as (2) capture the diverse needs of technology for various stakeholders involved in this process. This paper presents the framework called Technology Experience Café (TEC), developed within the European project SIforAGE, answering exactly this need. Detailed information on the methodology and its implementation in five sites, in four different countries across Europe, focusing on participating stakeholders, general design of the TEC, and used evaluation tools, is provided. Preliminary results show, that (1) the target group’s perception of the TEC as a framework was thoroughly positive and TECs had a positive impact on older adults’ technology related attitudes and (2) that stakeholders’ benefits affiliated with their involvement in the TECs are manifold. Implications and limitations are discussed

The surface science of quasicrystals

The surfaces of quasicrystals have been extensively studied since about 1990. In this paper we review work on the structure and morphology of clean surfaces, and their electronic and phonon structure. We also describe progress in adsorption and epitaxy studies. The paper is illustrated throughout with examples from the literature. We offer some reflections on the wider impact of this body of work and anticipate areas for future development. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version

Evidence for short range orbital order in paramagnetic insulating (Al,V)_2O_3

The local structure of (Al_0.06V_0.94)_2O_3 in the paramagnetic insulating (PI) and antiferromagnetically ordered insulating (AFI) phase has been investigated using hard and soft x-ray absorption techniques. It is shown that: 1) on a local scale, the symmetry of the vanadium sites in both the PI and the AFI phase is the same; and 2) the vanadium 3d - oxygen 2p hybridization, as gauged by the oxygen 1s absorption edge, is the same for both phases, but distinctly different from the paramagnetic metallic phase of pure V_2O_3. These findings can be understood in the context of a recently proposed model which relates the long range monoclinic distortion of the antiferromagnetically ordered state to orbital ordering, if orbital short range order in the PI phase is assumed. The measured anisotropy of the x-ray absorption spectra is discussed in relation to spin-polarized density functional calculations.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Validity of the Polar V800 heart rate monitor to measure RR intervals at rest

Purpose To assess the validity of RR intervals and short-term heart rate variability (HRV) data obtained from the Polar V800 heart rate monitor, in comparison to an electrocardiograph (ECG). Method Twenty participants completed an active orthostatic test using the V800 and ECG. An improved method for the identification and correction of RR intervals was employed prior to HRV analysis. Agreement of the data was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), Bland–Altman limits of agreement (LoA), and effect size (ES). Results A small number of errors were detected between ECG and Polar RR signal, with a combined error rate of 0.086 %. The RR intervals from ECG to V800 were significantly different, but with small ES for both supine corrected and standing corrected data (ES 0.999 for both supine and standing corrected intervals. When analysed with the same HRV software no significant differences were observed in any HRV parameters, for either supine or standing; the data displayed small bias and tight LoA, strong ICC (>0.99) and small ES (≤0.029). Conclusions The V800 improves over previous Polar models, with narrower LoA, stronger ICC and smaller ES for both the RR intervals and HRV parameters. The findings support the validity of the Polar V800 and its ability to produce RR interval recordings consistent with an ECG. In addition, HRV parameters derived from these recordings are also highly comparable

The unusual electronic structure of the "pseudo-ladder" compound CaCu2O3

Experimental and theoretical studies of the unoccupied electronic structure of CaCu2O3 single crystals have been performed using polarization-dependent x-ray absorption spectroscopy and band structure calculations. The measured hole distribution shows an unusual large number of holes in orbitals parallel to the interlayer direction which is in agreement with the theoretical analysis. CaCu2O3 deviates significantly from the standard pd-sigma cuprate picture. The corresponding strong interlayer exchange is responsible for the missing spin gap generic for other two-leg ladder cuprates.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures include

Crossing borders of material science – a new approach of aerogel preparation for electron microscopy

A new method for the embedding and preparation of organic aerogels for electron mciroscopic Analysis like Crosssectioning, Lamella preparation, FIB-Tomography and Transmissio Electron Microscop