Einsatz mobiler Hühnerställe in der Praxis – ein Vergleich von zwei Systemen

Der Anteil der Auslaufhaltungssysteme für Legehennen nimmt zu. Allerdings sind mobile Haltungssysteme noch nicht weit verbreitet. In Deutschland werden vor allem Mobilställe zweier Hersteller eingesetzt. Ein Hersteller setzt Folientunnel auf Stahlträgerkufen ein (Typ 1), der andere Ställe auf Rädern (Typ 2). Ziel der Untersuchung war eine aktuelle Befragung der Mobilstallbetreiber(Typ 1: 110 Betriebe, Typ 2: 134 Betriebe) durchzuführen. 61 Fragebögen von Legehennenhaltern und 12 Fragebögen von Masthühnerhaltern wurden ausgewertet. Betriebe mit Typ 1 hielten mehr Hühner und versetzten die Ställe weniger häufig. Die Hühner hatten im Vergleich zu Typ 2 weniger Auslauffläche. Betriebe mit Typ 2 erzielten höhere Eierpreise

Technologische Prozesskette für die CFK-Instandsetzung

Inhalte: - Vorstellung der Fraunhofer-Projektgruppe Regenerative Produktion - Technologische Prozesskette für die CFK-Instandsetzung - Validierung - Zusammenfassung und Ausblic

Probabilistische Zuverlässigkeits- und Risikountersuchung der Photovoltaik-Wasserstoff-Brennstoffzellen-Demonstrationsanlage PHOEBUS Jülich

The probabilistic reliability and risk analysis o£ the Photovoltaic-Hydrogen-Fuel Cell-Demonstration-Facility PHOEBUS Juelich, provides comprehensive information on the essential accidents in such plants. The result for PHOEBUS is a high safety level which, in principle, is based upon passively safe components (storage tanks, pipes) and highly reliable safety measures (gas supervision, leak disconnection, active venting system). The hazardous potential of the facility is given by inadvertant hydrogen release with possible explosions, where small releases are controled already by the natural venting. The study has shown that event sequences with hydrogen release from the high pressure storage tanks outside with subsequent explosion ofthe evolved hydrogen-air mixture dominate theenvironmentral risk which is low in total though. Major contributions are also provided by uncontroled hydrogen releases within the experimental hall and an emergency corridor. Operation errors are expected to be rare due to the high degree of automation ofthe plant and, even then, play an insignificant role. The consequences of processing errors are limited to the immediate area of the respective components. An extension is highly unlikely due to the protection measures.The study characterizes the accidents investigated by their frequency of occurence, by the amount of hydrogen released, and by the consequences of possible explosions, basically site damages with jeopardization of people. The individual risk arising by this facility is as low as 1,0 $\cdot$ 10$^{-5}$/a and is restricted to its immediate neighborhood (radius approx. 200 m). Severe earthquakes accompanied by a largerange destruction of most buildings are lying for the site Juelich with 1,0 $\cdot 10$^{-5}$/a in a comparable frequency range

Noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation improves vestibular perception in bilateral vestibulopathy

Background Patients with bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) suffer from impaired vestibular motion perception that is linked to deficits in spatial memory and navigation. Objective To examine the potential therapeutic effect of imperceptible noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (nGVS) on impaired vestibular perceptual performance in BVP. Methods In 11 patients with BVP (mean age: 54.0 +/- 8.3 years, 7 females), we initially determined the nGVS intensity that optimally stabilizes balance during a static posturographic assessment. Subsequently, effects of optimal nGVS vs. sham stimulation on vestibular motion perception were examined in randomized order. Vestibular perceptual performance was determined as direction recognition thresholds for head-centered roll tilt motion on a 6DOF motion platform in the absence of any visual or auditory motion cues. Results For each patient, an nGVS intensity that optimally stabilized static balance compared to sham stimulation could be identified (mean 0.36 +/- 0.16 mA). nGVS at optimal intensity resulted in lowered vestibular perceptual thresholds (0.94 +/- 0.30 deg/s) compared to sham stimulation (1.67 +/- 1.11 deg/s;p = 0.040). nGVS-induced improvements in vestibular perception were observed in 8 of 11 patients (73%) and were greater in patients with poorer perceptual performance during sham stimulation (R = - 0.791;p = 0.007). Conclusions nGVS is effective in improving impaired vestibular motion perception in patients with BVP, in particular in those patients with poor baseline perceptual performance. Imperceptible vestibular noise stimulation might thus offer a non-invasive approach to target BVP-related impairments in spatial memory, orientation, and navigation

Combining vestibular rehabilitation with noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation for treatment of bilateral vestibulopathy

Objective: Noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (nGVS) has been shown to partly restore vestibular function and to stabilize stance and gait in patients with incomplete bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP). Here, we examined potential synergistic effects of nGVS when combined with standardized vestibular rehabilitation training (VRT). Methods: 23 patients with confirmed BVP received a 30-min vestibular rehabilitation training (VRT) program three times a week for 2 weeks. The intervention group (n = 12) was stimulated with nGVS (at individually determined optimal amplitudes) during training, whereas the control group (n = 11) received zero-amplitude nGVS (sham stimulation) during training. Outcome measurements assessed at baseline, after 2 weeks of training, and at 2-week follow-up included quantitative posturography, instrumented gait analysis, Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), and clinical scores related to quality of life and balance confidence. Results: After 2 weeks of VRT, all patients showed moderate improvement in balance. Irrespective of nGVS treatment, performance improved in the TUG (p < 0.013), and in the FGA (p < 0.040). Furthermore, base of support when walking with closed eyes was reduced after 2-week training (p < 0.003). Postural sway did not change. There was no difference between groups and thereby no evidence for an additional influence of nGVS on the VRT treatment effects. Conclusion: nGVS does not induce synergistic treatment effects in combination with VRT in patients with BVP when applied during treatment sessions. Hence, rather than being applied in parallel, nGVS and VRT might be complementary therapeutic options with nGVS being used during postural activities in daily life, e.g., walking. Keywords: Balance; Bilateral vestibulopathy; Gait; Noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation; Vestibular rehabilitation

Targeted Repression of Essential Genes To Arrest Growth and Increase Carbon Partitioning and Biofuel Titers in Cyanobacteria

Photoautotrophic production of fuels and chemicals by cyanobacteria typically gives lower volumetric productivities and titers than heterotrophic production. Cyanobacteria cultures become light limited above an optimal cell density, so that this substrate is not supplied to all cells sufficiently. Here, we investigate genetic strategies for a two-phase cultivation, where biofuel-producing <i>Synechocystis</i> cultures are limited to an optimal cell density through inducible CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) repression of cell growth. Fixed CO₂ is diverted to ethanol or <i>n</i>-butanol. Among the most successful strategies was partial repression of citrate synthase <i>gltA.</i> Strong repression (>90%) of <i>gltA</i> at low culture densities increased carbon partitioning to <i>n</i>-butanol 5-fold relative to a nonrepression strain, but sacrificed volumetric productivity due to severe growth restriction. CO₂ fixation continued for at least 3 days after growth was arrested. By targeting sgRNAs to different regions of the <i>gltA</i> gene, we could modulate GltA expression and carbon partitioning between growth and product to increase both specific and volumetric productivity. These growth arrest strategies can be useful for improving performance of other photoautotrophic processes

Brain Region-Specific Differences in Amyloid-β Plaque Composition in 5XFAD Mice

Senile plaques consisting of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides are a major pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Aβ peptides are heterogeneous regarding the exact length of their amino- and carboxy-termini. Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-42 are often considered to represent canonical “full-length” Aβ species. Using immunohistochemistry, we analyzed the distribution of Aβ1-x, Aβx-42 and Aβ4-x species in amyloid deposits in the subiculum, hippocampus and cortex in 5XFAD mice during aging. Overall plaque load increased in all three brain regions, with the subiculum being the area with the strongest relative plaque coverage. In the subiculum, but not in the other brain regions, the Aβ1-x load peaked at an age of five months and decreased thereafter. In contrast, the density of plaques positive for N-terminally truncated Aβ4-x species increased continuously over time. We hypothesize that ongoing plaque remodeling takes place, leading to a conversion of deposited Aβ1-x peptides into Aβ4-x peptides in brain regions with a high Aβ plaque burden