Do They Always Say No? German Consumers and Second-Generation GMO Foods

European consumers and, in particular, German consumers are known to be very critical towards the introduction of genetically modified (GM) foods. It is analyzed here whether German consumers do reject second-generation GMO foods, too. Whereas first-generation GM crops induced producer-related benefits, second-generation GM crops are associated with consumer-oriented benefits like an improvement of nutritional quality. The determinants of demand for second-generation GM rapeseed oil are investigated within an online survey of 1556 German consumers. It is elaborated how two functional properties of that product matter; i.e. long-chain ϖ3 fatty acids and the cholesterol-lowering effect of phytosterols. It turns out that GMO rapeseed oil is neglected by 74 % of all respondents. Output traits, however, will increase the probability of purchases of GMO rapeseed oil. This is more the case for long-chain ϖ3 fatty acids than for phytosterols.consumer behavior, second generation, GMO foods, rapeseed oil, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Automated sequence-specific protein NMR assignment using the memetic algorithm MATCH

MATCH (Memetic Algorithm and Combinatorial Optimization Heuristics) is a new memetic algorithm for automated sequence-specific polypeptide backbone NMR assignment of proteins. MATCH employs local optimization for tracing partial sequence-specific assignments within a global, population-based search environment, where the simultaneous application of local and global optimization heuristics guarantees high efficiency and robustness. MATCH thus makes combined use of the two predominant concepts in use for automated NMR assignment of proteins. Dynamic transition and inherent mutation are new techniques that enable automatic adaptation to variable quality of the experimental input data. The concept of dynamic transition is incorporated in all major building blocks of the algorithm, where it enables switching between local and global optimization heuristics at any time during the assignment process. Inherent mutation restricts the intrinsically required randomness of the evolutionary algorithm to those regions of the conformation space that are compatible with the experimental input data. Using intact and artificially deteriorated APSY-NMR input data of proteins, MATCH performed sequence-specific resonance assignment with high efficiency and robustnes

Konzeption und technische Realisierung eines mobilen Frameworks zur Unterstützung tinnitusgeschädigter Patienten

Tinnitus bezeichnet ein Symptom, bei dem der Betroffene Töne oder Geräusche ohne physikalische Ursache wahrnimmt. Bei 60% der Tinnituspatienten schwankt die subjektive Lautstärke des Tinnitus innerhalb und zwischen den Tagen erheblich. Der genaue Verlauf dieser Schwankungen sowie dessen Ursachen sind bislang nicht bekannt. Bisher werden diese Schwankungen in der Tinnitusforschung nur durch sogenannte Tinnitustagebücher erfasst, bei denen der Patienten handschriftlich den Verlauf des Tinnitus festhält. Dabei ist eine exakte Aufzeichnung des zeitlichen Verlaufs nicht möglich. Außerdem lassen sich so die Schwankungen nur schwer mit anderen Tätigkeiten, der Umgebungslautstärke oder stressigen Situationen im Alltag eines Tinnitusgeschädigten in Verbindung bringen. Um in der Forschung, aber auch den Betroffenen selbst, eine Möglichkeit zu bieten, diese Schwankungen zu überwachen, wurde das Track Your Tinnitus Projekt entwickelt. Diese Arbeit zeigt, wie die Schwankungen der Tinnituswahrnehmung auf Smartphones überwacht und visualisiert werden können. Hierfür wurde eine Webseite, sowie eine App für iOS und Android entwickelt. Diese drei Bereiche werden im Detail vorgestellt, aber auch aus technischer Sicht betrachtet. Es wird gezeigt, wie ein solches Projekt architektonisch zu realisieren ist. Außerdem erklärt diese Arbeit spezielle Implementierungsthemen, wie das Senden von Benachrichtigungen in den Apps, sowie das Erstellen von eigenen User-Interface Elementen. Am Ende entstand ein voll funktionsfähiges mobiles Framework zur Unterstützung tinnitusgeschädigter Patienten, das in dieser Form auch auf andere Bereiche (wie zum Beispiel der Migräneforschung oder chronischem Schmerz) übertragen werden kann. Es dient nicht nur der Forschung, sondern auch den Betroffenen die Schwankungen der Tinnituswahrnehmung besser zu verstehen

Time course of information processing in visual and haptic object classification

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Mobile Crowd Sensing in Clinical and Psychological Trials – A Case Study

Many highly prevalent diseases (e.g., tinnitus, migraine, chronic pain) are difficult to treat and universally effective treatments are missing. Available treatments are only effective in patient subgroups; i.e., medical doctors and patients have to figure out which therapy might be helpful in the patient’s situation. Sufficiently large and qualitative longitudinal data sets, however, would be desirable to facilitate evidence-based treatment decisions for individual patients. On one hand, traditional sensing techniques (i.e., clinical trials) have many merits enabling evidence-based medicine. On the other, they have inherent limitations. First, clinical trials are very cost- and labour-intensive. Second, the traditional approach aims at reducing ecological heterogeneity to enable the investigation of homogeneous subsamples. Recently, a new paradigm emerged that offers promising perspectives for collecting large amounts of longitudinal patient data – Mobile Crowd Sensing. By utilizing smart mobile devices of a large number of patients, health information can be gathered from large patient collections as well as at many different time points and in various real life environmental situations. In the TrackYourTinnitus project, we implemented such a mobile crowd sensing platform to reveal new medical aspects about tinnitus with a particular focus on the variability of tinnitus over time depending on the environmental situation. In this paper, the current project status as well as first lessons learned from running the mobile application for twelve months are presented. In turn, the lessons learned are discussed in the context of the new perspectives offered by mobile crowd sensing in the medical field

Moment-to-moment variability of the auditory phantom perception in chronic tinnitus

With a prevalence of about 70%, the majority of patients that undergo cochlear implantation also report a perception of tinnitus prior to operation. Following implantation, some patients report an improvement of tinnitus while the tinnitus worsens in other cases. Subjective tinnitus, in general, is defined as an auditory perception in the absence of any physically identifiable source for it. The patients typically report a constant ringing, buzzing or hissing in the ear, which can lead to serious psychological distress including depression, insomnia and anxiety. Several evidence exists, that the perception of tinnitus is not constant during the everyday life and rather fluctuations from one moment to the other and that the amount of fluctuation relates to the generally perceived tinnitus-related distress. For example, electrical stimulation of the cochlea can change this perceptual variability leading to longer and more episodes where the tinnitus is 'off'. In order to measure this moment-to-moment variability of tinnitus perception, we developed an experience sampling application running on smartphones that is able to track the individual tinnitus perception and distress during the day under real world conditions. The longitudinal data collected by the app might also be helpful for the adjustment of the CI settings. Additionally, we assessed the moment-to-moment variability of brain activity in the auditory cortex using magnetoencephalography. Chronic tinnitus is usually associated with a decrease of the alpha frequency oscillatory power in temporal areas. Here we show, that also the moment-to-moment variability of the alpha activity is largely reduced in chronic tinnitus. Most importantly, it can be shown that this neuronal variability is associated with the tinnitus duration. Subjects with a longer history of tinnitus show less alpha variability in auditory regions. Whether these changes in neuronal variability relate to the perceptual variability remains to be seen

How dynamic is the continuous tinnitus percept?

Objective: Subjective tinnitus is defined as an auditory perception in the absence of any physically identifiable source for it. About 5-10% of the population report a continuous perception of the tinnitus sound – but how continuous is this perception? Is the tinnitus constantly “on”, or are there also periods were the tinnitus is perceived less? Indeed, more than 60% of the chronic tinnitus subjects report a variability of the tinnitus perception between days. The heterogeneity of this variability is currently largely unexplored. Results: Chronic tinnitus is usually associated with a decrease of the alpha frequency oscillatory power in temporal areas. Here we show, that also the moment-to-moment variability of the alpha activity is largely reduced in chronic tinnitus. Most importantly, it can be shown that this neuronal variability is associated with the tinnitus duration. Subjects with a longer history of tinnitus show less alpha variability in auditory regions. Preliminary data on the variability of the tinnitus perception will be presented

Anwendbarkeit der Nah- Infrarotspektroskopie zur Qualitätsbeurteilung von Komposten

Die Verwendung hochwertiger Komposte als organische Dünger hat positive Effekte auf den Boden und das Pflanzenwachstum. Komposte können beispielsweise die Stickstoffumsetzung und die Bildung von organischer Substanz erhöhen. Zudem sind viele Komposte in der Lage Pflanzen-krankheiten zu unterdrücken (Hoitink et al., 2006). Die Kompostqualität ist dabei von entscheidender Bedeutung. Die Einteilung erfolgt durch die Analyse von ausgewählten physikalischen, chemischen und bio-logischen Parametern, die zur Güte-klassifizierung herangezogen werden. Bislang werden sämtliche Parameter kostenintensiv und unter hohem Zeitaufwand, meist mit einer aufwendigen Probenvorbereitung, nasschemisch untersucht. Die Nahinfrarot-Spektroskopie (NIRS), ist eine präzise Messtechnik, die mehrere Analysen in einem Arbeitsgang durchführen kann, welches den Zeit- und Kostenaufwand von Analysen deutlich reduzieren könnte. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, die Anwendbarkeit der NIRS zur Beurteilung der Kompostqualität, insbesondere biologischer Parameter, zu untersuchen. Die folgenden Fragestellungen wurden bearbeitet: • Können Basisparameter, biologische Parameter, Keim- und Suppressivitäts-tests mit NIRS vorhergesagt werden? • Wie hoch ist der Einfluss der Homogenität der Proben auf die Abschätzungsgenauigkeit der NIRS

Исследование величины наклепанного слоя при обработке стали 40Х концевыми фрезами из быстрорежущей стали с разными углами винтовой стружечной канавки

Объект исследования – концевые фрезы из быстрорежущей стали Р6М5 с разными углами наклона винтовой стружечной канавки в 20°, 30°, 45° и концевая фреза с волнообразной режущей кромкой. Предмет исследования – влияние на величину наклепанного слоя после обработки фрезерованием стали 40Х. Цель. Исследовать величину наклепанного слоя при обработке стали 40Х концевыми фрезами из быстрорежущей стали с разными углами наклона винтовой канавки, выявить меньшую величину наклепанного слоя, определить конструкцию и геометрию концевых фрез для улучшения качества обработки стали 40Х. Тема диссертации актуальна для производства корпусов сборного инструмента на предприятии ООО "ПК МИОН".The object of research – end mills made of high-speed steel R6M5 with different angles of inclination of the screw chip groove in 20°, 30°, 45° and an end mill with a wavy cutting edge. The subject of the study is the influence on the size of the riveted layer after processing by milling steel 40X. Goal. Investigate the size of the riveted layer when processing 40X steel with high-speed steel end mills with different angles of inclination of the screw groove, identify a smaller size of the riveted layer, determine the design and geometry of the end mills to improve the quality of processing 40X steel. Relevance. The topic of the dissertation is relevant for the production of prefabricated tool cases at the company "PC MION"