Systematic Development of Miniaturized (Bio)Processes using Process Systems Engineering (PSE) Methods and Tools

The focus of this work is on process systems engineering (PSE) methods and tools, and especially on how such PSE methods and tools can be used to accelerate and support systematic bioprocess development at a miniature scale. After a short presentation of the PSE methods and the bioprocess development drivers, three case studies are presented. In the first example it is demonstrated how experimental investigations of the bi-enzymatic production of lactobionic acid can be modeled with help of a new mechanistic mathematical model. The reaction was performed at lab scale and the prediction quality analyzed. In the second example a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model is used to study mass transfer phenomena in a microreactor. In this example the model is not only used to predict the transient dynamics of the reactor system but also to extract material properties like the diffusion velocities of substrate and product, which is otherwise difficult to access. In the last example, a new approach to the design of microbioreactor layouts using topology optimization is presented and discussed. Finally, the PSE methods are carefully discussed with respect to the complexity of the presented approaches, the applicability with respect to practical considerations and the opportunity to analyze experimental results and transfer the knowledge between different scales

Neurodevelopmental outcome at two years of age and predictive value of General Movement Assessment in infants exposed to alcohol and/or drugs during pregnancy: a prospective cohort study

Background Exposure to alcohol and/or other addictive drugs in pregnancy is a documented risk factor for neurological impairment. We aimed to assess neurodevelopmental outcome at two years of age in infants exposed to prenatal alcohol and/or other addictive drugs and to examine the predictive value of early motor assessment. Methods This was a follow-up at two years of age in the prospective cohort study Children Exposed to Alcohol and/ or Drugs in Intrauterine Life (CEADIL). The exposed group comprised 73 infants recruited from primary health care and included in a hospital follow-up programme at St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Norway. The control group comprised 93 healthy, unexposed infants recruited from the maternity ward at the same hospital. All children had been assessed by physiotherapists using the General Movement Assessment (GMA) at three months of age. Presence of fidgety movements, movement character and the Motor Optimality Score – Revised (MOS-R) were used. At two years of age, the children were assessed by trained examiners using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development – Third Edition (BSID-III), Ages & Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ:SE) and the Hollingshead Two-Factor Index of Social Position (SES). Results The cognitive, language and motor composite scores of BSID-III were considerably lower in the exposed group than in the control group. Mean differences adjusted for age and parental SES ranged from −13.3 (95% confidence interval, CI: -18.6 to -8.0) to -17.7 (95% CI: -23.3 to -12.2). Suboptimal fidgety movements and monotonous movement character had high sensitivity (0.94 to 0.74), but low specificity (0.10 to 0.32), while sensitivity and specificity of the MOS-R was around 50 and 60%, respectively. Conclusions Neurodevelopmental outcome at two years of age was poorer in a group of children exposed to alcohol and/or drugs in pregnancy compared with a control group of healthy, unexposed children. Sensitivity of suboptimal fidgety movements and monotonous movement character at three months of age for later neurodevelopmental outcome was high to acceptable, but the MOS-R had limited sensitivity.publishedVersio

Personal factors associated with health-related quality of life in persons with morbid obesity on treatment waiting lists in Norway

Purpose To explore relationships of socio-demographic variables, health behaviours, environmental characteristics and personal factors, with physical and mental health variables in persons with morbid obesity, and to compare their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores with scores from the general population. Methods A cross-sectional correlation study design was used. Data were collected by self-reported questionnaire from adult patients within the first 2 days of commencement of a mandatory educational course. Of 185 course attendees, 142 (76.8%) volunteered to participate in the study. Valid responses on all items were recorded for 128 participants. HRQoL was measured with the Short Form 12v2 from which physical (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores were computed. Other standardized instruments measured regular physical activity, social support, self-esteem, sense of coherence, self-efficacy and coping style. Results Respondents scored lower on all the HRQoL subdomains compared with norms. Linear regression analyses showed that personal factors that included self-esteem, self-efficacy, sense of coherence and coping style explained 3.6% of the variance in PCS scores and 41.6% in MCS scores. Conclusion Personal factors such as self-esteem, sense of coherence and a high approaching coping style are strongly related to mental health in obese persons

‘There’s a Starman waiting in the Sky’: Mourning David #Bowie on Twitter

This contribution analyses Twitter responses to the death of David Bowie as an inroad to discuss key characteristics and functions of Twitter in mediated relationships between celebrities, fans and the popular culture industry. Starting from existing insights into Twitter’s role in iGrieving, it provides a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the type of Twitter users involved in and the content of a sample of 130 most retweeted of all (N=252 318) tweets with #Bowie from the first 48 hours after Bowie died. It analyses, first, whether Twitter reactions constitute a conversation and a community or simply a mass of individual reactions. Second, it analyses the types of fan creativity these Twitter reactions present, indicative of the depth of a celebrity-fan (parasocial) relationship. Finally, it analysis if this iCommunity of mourners is reflective of a ‘Twitter of the masses’ or directed by a popular culture industry-related elite, reflective of commodification of mourning. Results show Twitter mourning being led by a limited number of massively retweeted tweets, suggesting the existence of a Twitter elite that, moreover, consists predominantly of representatives of the popular culture industry. The latter refutes the ‘bottom’ up’ and resistive forces of fans and is indicative of processes of commodification. This does not contradict the notion of Twitter providing a space for fans to mourn, as content analysis of the tweets shows a focus on positive affirmation in tribute to his work, next to information and emotions of grief