English language teaching through classical and contemporary children's lterature : the importance of extensive reading in second language acquisation

vorgelegt von Kathrin ErtlAbweichender Titel laut Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des VerfassersZsfassung in dt. SpracheGraz, Univ., Dipl.-Arb., 2009(VLID)20688

Elemental composition of food on the Austrian market

Mengen- und Spurenelemente sind ein essentieller Bestandteil des täglichen Lebens und sollten daher in ausreichender Menge dem menschlichen Körper durch die Nahrung zugeführt werden. Dabei ist es wichtig keine kontaminierten Lebensmittel zu konsumieren. Um dies zu gewährleisten ist das Untersuchen von Lebensmitteln auf ihren Elementgehalt hin unumgänglich. Da bereits vorhandene Literatur aber in vielen Fällen alt und ohne ausreichende Qualitätskontrolle ist, wurde der Elementgehalt in mehr als 225 typischerweise in Österreich konsumierten Lebensmitteln untersucht.Insgesamt wurde bei keiner der untersuchten Proben eine durch Umweltbedingungen hervorgerufene Schwermetallbelastung gefunden. Konzentrationen waren in fast allen Lebensmitteln deutlich niedriger als veröffentlichte Grenzwerte. Nichtsdestotrotz zeigten untersuchte Wildfleischproben Blei-, Antimon und teilweise Arsen- Verunreinigungen aufgrund von Bleimunition. Weiters konnte gezeigt werden, dass obwohl Aluminiumfolie in vielen Fällen bedenkenlos einzusetzen ist, der gleichzeitige Kontakt mit einem Metall höherer Elektronegativität enorme Mengen Aluminium von der Folie an das Lebensmittel übergehen lässt.Ein Blick auf die Ergebnisse der essentiellen Elemente zeigt, dass Nüsse, Samen, Körner und Linsen, aufgrund ihres niedrigen Wassergehaltes, die höchsten Konzentrationen für die meisten Elemente aufweisen. Beispiele sind für Kalzium Mohn, für Magnesium Kürbiskerne, für Cobalt Cashew-Kerne, für Selen Paranüsse und für Molybdän Linsen. Davon abgesehen zeigt vor allem Hirsch- und Rehfleisch sehr hohe Konzentrationen an Eisen, während Gamsfleisch am meisten Zink beinhaltet. In Vollkornprodukten findet man signifikant höhere Konzentrationen an wichtigen Spurenelementen als in den vergleichbaren Weißmehlprodukten. Trotzdem gilt es jedes Nahrungsmittel individuell zu betrachten, da der Elementgehalt in starker Abhängigkeit zu Herkunft, Reife, Futter und anderen Einflüssen steht.Macro- and micro-elements are mandatory to maintain human life and should therefore be taken up in a sufficient amount with our food, whereas at the same time heavy metal intake must be avoided. Therefore, the investigation of the elemental composition of food is crucial. However, existing literature is often rather old, or results have been generated with insufficient quality control. Therefore, new and reliable results, for various elements in more than 225 commonly eaten foodstuff from Austria, were generated.Summarizing the results, it can be said that all investigated foodstuff showed no contamination with heavy metals due to environmental conditions. Concentrations found in almost all food samples were far below any given regulatory limit.However, investigations of different game meat samples showed that game meat, shot with lead ammunition, can suffer from lead, antimony and in some cases arsenic contamination. Apart from that it could be shown that, although the solely contact of aluminum foil to our food does not pose any substantial contamination risk, the simultaneous contact to another metal with a higher standard electrode potential can lead to high aluminum contaminations. When looking at the results for essential elements it can be said that, nuts and seeds as well as grains and lentils show, due to their low water content, highest concentrations for most elements. Examples, with the best sources is brackets, are calcium (poppy seeds), magnesium (pumpkin seeds), cobalt (Brazil nut), copper (cashews), selenium (Brazil nut) and molybdenum (lentils). Apart from that, meat especially from red deer and roe deer is extremely high in iron, whereas chamois shows highest concentrations for zinc. Furthermore, whole flour products are richer in most essential elements than the corresponding white flour products. However, each foodstuff has to be discussed individually, as it shows a unique elemental composition in dependence on origin and other influences.vorgelegt von Mag. Kathrin ErtlZusammenfassungen in Deutsch und EnglischKumulative Dissertation aus 3 ArtikelnKarl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Dissertation, 2018OeBB(VLID)302477

Handling behaviour of dental composite resins

Viskosität, Fließverhalten, Klebrigkeit, Thixotropie und Formstabilität sind neben der Bewegung der Masse und deren beeinflussenden Kräfte wichtige rheologische Parameter im Umgang mit dentalen Komposit-Materialien. Einer der wichtigen Bearbeitungsfaktoren von Kompositen ist deren Klebrigkeitsverhalten. Das Material sollte zwei Eigenschaften aufweisen: Niedriges Klebeverhalten um Haftung des Materials am Instrument zu vermeiden, hohes Klebeverhalten um in der Kavität zu bleiben. Es wurde bis dato sehr wenig über das Klebeverhalten von Kompositen und entsprechende wissenschaftliche Messmethoden publiziert. Ziel dieser Studie ist es, mehr Informationen über das Klebeverhalten von Kompositen herauszufinden. Zu diesem Zweck wurde ein Instrument an der Universität Manchester entwickelt. Das Instrument setzt sich aus mehreren Mess- und Kontrolleinheiten zusammen. Das Hauptmessinstrument (stickiness instrument) besteht aus einem abgeflachten, zylinderförmigen Stahlkopf (Ø: 6 mm), der sich vertikal mit unterschiedlichen Geschwindigkeiten auf eine tiefer gelegene horizontal verlaufende Oberfläche zu- und wegbewegen kann. Die Oberfläche, deren Temperatur verändert werden kann, integriert eine herausnehmbare Disk. Der Stahlkopf taucht in das mit Komposit gefüllte Loch (Ø: 6.1 mm) der Disk ein. Das Material bleibt am Zylinderkopf kleben und wird nach oben gezogen. Der höchste Punkt (0.2 mm-1.8 mm), den das Material erreicht, nachdem es sich von dem Zylinderkopf gelöst hat, ist der Indikator für das Klebeverhalten des Komposits. Die Resultate zeigen, dass sich die Klebrigkeit bei verschiedenen Temperaturen, Bearbeitungsgeschwindigkeiten und zwischen Herstellermarken deutlich unterscheidet. Der Leistungsvergleich ermöglicht das am besten geeignete Produkt für verschiedene Anwendungsbereiche in der Zahnheilkunde zu finden. Die Ergebnisse können als Basis für die Entwicklung von neuen Kompositmaterialien mit verbesserten Applikations- und Verarbeitungseigenschaften dienen.Viscosity, flow, stickiness, packability, thixotropy and shape stability are important rheological parameters in studying the handling behaviour of dental composite resins. Further important factors are the fluid motions of and the effort needed to deform composite resins. Rheological parameters can be very different in response to the handling behaviour. In the clinical handling behaviour of composite restoratives, stickiness is a vital rheological parameter. The material should have two characteristics: (1) low stickiness for not sticking on the instrument and (2) high stickiness for staying in the prepared cavity. There are very few publications on objective scientific methods for measuring these characteristics. The aim of this study is to evaluate the stickiness behaviour of dental composite resins. For this purpose, a new instrument was designed. This "stickiness instrument" contains several measuring and controlling units. The main part consist of a vertical cylindrical stainless steel bolt with a flat circular end and a platform with a cylindrical mold (diameter: 6.1 mm, depth: 2.2 mm) which is filled with the material to be tested. The temperature of the instrument and the speed of the bolt going in and out of the material can be modified. With a force of 350 g, the instrument's plunger moves slowly into the prepared mold which is filled with the unset composite material. The degree of stickiness is deducted from the height (projected height ranges from 0.2 to 1.8 mm) of the "hill" the material forms when the plunger is withdrawn from the mold until the steelhead detaches itself from the composite. The study aims at showing the difference in stickiness between different brands of composite materials. In general, the stickiest among the tested materials is Estelite while Premise is the least sticky material. By benchmarking different products it is possible to discover the adequate material for different problem-areas in dentistry. In addition, the results of this study can provide a good solid basis for studying new dental composite materials with improved application and handling technique.eingereicht von Kathrin ErtlZusammenfassung in engl. SpracheWien, Med. Univ., Dipl.-Arb., 2009(VLID)171386

Lernen mit Videokonferenzen. Szenarien, Anwendungen und Praxistipps

Ziel des Kapitels ist es, Ihnen einen Einblick in die Thematik des Lernens in Videokonferenzen zu geben. Sie erfahren, wann Videokonferenzen besonders sinnvoll für das Lernen eingesetzt werden können, welche Lern- und Kommunikationsprozesse dabei ablaufen und wie sich das Lernen in Videokonferenzen unterstützen lässt. Im Kapitel werden Szenarien von Videokonferenzen im Kontext des Lernens und Lehrens vorgestellt, und es wird erläutert, welchen spezifischen Beitrag Videokonferenzen zu diesen Szenarien leisten. Dabei liegt der Schwerpunkt auf Desktop-Videokonferenzen, in denen zwei oder mehr Individuen kooperativ lernen. Auf dieser Grundlage analysiert das Kapitel Lern- und Kommunikationsprozesse in Videokonferenzen. Das Kapitel schließt mit einem Übungsbeispiel für gemeinsames Lernen und Arbeiten in Videokonferenzen, Entscheidungshilfen für die Auswahl von geeigneten Videokonferenztechnologien und Leitfäden für eine gelungene Vorbereitung von Videokonferenzen. (DIPF/Orig.

Deliberations on Natural Products and Future Directions in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Natural Products are molecular “special equipment” that impart survival benefits on their producers in nature. Due to their evolved functions to modulate biology these privileged metabolites are substantially represented in the drug market and are continuing to contribute to the discovery of innovative medicines such as the recently approved semi-synthetic derivative of the bacterial alkaloid staurosporin in oncology indications. The innovation of low molecular weight compounds in modern drug discovery is built on rapid progress in chemical, molecular biological, pharmacological and data sciences which together provide a rich understanding of disease-driving molecular interactions and how to modulate them. NPs investigated in these pharmaceutical research areas create new perspectives on their chemical and biological features and thereby new chances to advance medical research. New methods in analytical chemistry linked with searchable NP-databases solved the issue of reisolation and enabled targeted and efficient access to novel molecules from nature. Cheminformatics delivers high resolution descriptions of NPs and explores the substructures that systematically map NP-chemical space by sp3-enriched fragments. Whole genome sequencing has revealed the existence of collocated gene clusters that form larger functional entities together with proximate resistance factors thus avoiding self-inhibition of the encoded metabolites. The analysis of bacterial and fungal genes provides tantalizing glimpses of new compound-target pairs of therapeutic value. Furthermore, a dedicated investigation of structurally unique, selectively active NPs in chemical biology demonstrates their extraordinary power as shuttles between new biological target spaces of pharmaceutical relevance

Effect of Spheroidal Age on Sorafenib Diffusivity and Toxicity in a 3D HepG2 Spheroid Model

Abstract The enhanced predictive power of 3D multi-cellular spheroids in comparison to conventional monolayer cultures makes them a promising drug screening tool. However, clinical translation for pharmacology and toxicology is lagging its technological progression. Even though spheroids show a biological complexity resembling native tissue, standardization and validation of drug screening protocols are influenced by continuously changing physiological parameters during spheroid formation. Such cellular heterogeneities impede the comparability of drug efficacy studies and toxicological screenings. In this paper, we demonstrated that aside from already well-established physiological parameters, spheroidal age is an additional critical parameter that impacts drug diffusivity and toxicity in 3D cell culture models. HepG2 spheroids were generated and maintained on a self-assembled ultra-low attachment nanobiointerface and characterized regarding time-dependent changes in morphology, functionality as well as anti-cancer drug resistance. We demonstrated that spheroidal aging directly influences drug response due to the evolution of spheroid micro-structure and organo-typic functions, that alter inward diffusion, thus drug uptake

Optimized alamarBlue assay protocol for drug dose-response determination of 3D tumor spheroids

The assessment of drug-dose responses is vital for the prediction of unwanted toxicological effects in modern medicine. Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures techniques can provide in vivo-like spheroids and microtissues that resemble natural tumor function. However, formation of necrotic core and diffusion limitation of chemical compounds within these models can reduce the reproducibility and precision of standard bioassay protocols used to test two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures. Nonetheless, the accurate prediction of detrimental effects of test compounds based on functional bioassays is essential for the development of new efficient therapeutic strategies. For instance, alamarBlue® is a widely-used commercially available redox indicator dye that can evaluate metabolic activity and cellular health status in a single-step procedure however, suitability and optimization of this bioassay must be determined for each individual application scenario. Here, we optimized the standard alamarBlue® proliferation/viability protocol for tumor spheroid cultures to enhance assay precision during toxicological drug screening.We optimized the original protocol of alamarBlue® assay that usually suggests an incubation time of 2–4 hours. The key modifications of the protocol for spheroid cultures are as follows:• Aspiration of cell culture medium before drug exposure.• Replacement of drug-supplemented medium with 10% (v/v) alamarBlue® reagent mixed with culture medium.• Increase of incubation period to 24 h at 37 °C protected from light.European Union’s Horizon 202

Screening for Best Neuronal-Glial Differentiation Protocols of Neuralizing Agents Using a Multi-Sized Microfluidic Embryoid Body Array

Stem cell technology and embryonic stem cell models are of great interest in biomedical research since they provide deeper insights into, e.g., neurogenesis and early mammalian brain development. Despite their great scientific potential, the reliable establishment of three-dimensional embryoid bodies (EBs) remains a major challenge, and the current lack of standardization and comparability is still limiting a broader application and translation of stem cell technology. Among others, a vital aspect for the reliable formation of EBs is optimizing differentiation protocols since organized differentiation is influenced by soluble inducers and EB size. A microfluidic biochip array was employed to automate cell loading and optimize directed neuronal and astrocytic differentiation protocols using murine P19 embryoid bodies to facilitate reliable embryonic stem cell differentiation. Our gravity-driven microfluidic size-controlled embryoid body-on-a-chip system allows (a) the robust operation and cultivation of up to 90 EBs in parallel and (b) the reproducible generation of five increasing sizes ranging from 300 µm to 1000 µm diameters. A comparative study adds two differentiation-inducers such as retinoic acid and EC23 to size-controlled embryoid bodies to identify the optimal differentiation protocol. Our study revealed a 1.4 to 1.9-fold higher neuron and astrocyte expression in larger embryoid bodies (above 750 µm) over smaller-sized EBs (below 450 µm), thus highlighting the importance of EB size in the establishment of robust neurodevelopmental in vitro models

The Usual Suspects 2019: of Chips, Droplets, Synthesis, and Artificial Cells

Synthetic biology aims to understand fundamental biological processes in more detail than possible for actual living cells. Synthetic biology can combat decomposition and build-up of artificial experimental models under precisely controlled and defined environmental and biochemical conditions. Microfluidic systems can provide the tools to improve and refine existing synthetic systems because they allow control and manipulation of liquids on a micro- and nanoscale. In addition, chip-based approaches are predisposed for synthetic biology applications since they present an opportune technological toolkit capable of fully automated high throughput and content screening under low reagent consumption. This review critically highlights the latest updates in microfluidic cell-free and cell-based protein synthesis as well as the progress on chip-based artificial cells. Even though progress is slow for microfluidic synthetic biology, microfluidic systems are valuable tools for synthetic biology and may one day help to give answers to long asked questions of fundamental cell biology and life itself