Снеготаяние на базе теплофикации при каскадном расположении установок по таянию снега

Для получения ряда данных, необходимых для проектирования установок по таянию снега, а также выявления недостатков в конструкции полупромышленной установки были проведены опыты и даны некоторые рекомендации

Elevated nerve growth factor and neurotrophin-3 levels in cerebrospinal fluid of children with hydrocephalus

BACKGROUND: Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) resulting from impaired drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) causes hydrocephalus with damage to the central nervous system. Clinical symptoms of elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in infants may be difficult to diagnose, leading to delayed treatment by shunt placement. Until now, no biochemical marker of elevated ICP has been available for clinical diagnosis and monitoring. In experimental animal models, nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) have been shown to be produced by glial cells as an adaptive response to hypoxia. We investigated whether concentrations of NGF and NT-3 are increased in the CSF of children with hydrocephalus. METHODS: NGF was determined in CSF samples collected from 42 hydrocephalic children on 65 occasions (taps or shunt placement surgery). CSF samples obtained by lumbar puncture from 22 children with suspected, but unconfirmed bacterial infection served as controls. Analysis was performed using ELISA techniques. RESULTS: NGF concentrations in hydrocephalic children were over 50-fold increased compared to controls (median 225 vs 4 pg/mL, p < 0.0001). NT-3 was detectable (> 1 pg/mL) in 14/31 hydrocephalus samples at 2–51 pg/mL but in none of 11 control samples (p = 0.007). CONCLUSION: NGF and NT-3 concentrations are increased in children with hydrocephalus. This may represent an adaptive response of the brain to elevated ICP

Correlation of SHOX2 Gene Amplification and DNA Methylation in Lung Cancer Tumors

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>DNA methylation in the <it>SHOX2 </it>locus was previously used to reliably detect lung cancer in a group of critical controls, including 'cytologically negative' samples with no visible tumor cell content, at a high specificity based on the analysis of bronchial lavage samples. This study aimed to investigate, if the methylation correlates with <it>SHOX2 </it>gene expression and/or copy number alterations. An amplification of the <it>SHOX2 </it>gene locus together with the observed tumor-specific hypermethylation might explain the good performance of this marker in bronchial lavage samples.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>SHOX2 </it>expression, gene copy number and DNA methylation were determined in lung tumor tissues and matched morphologically normal adjacent tissues (NAT) from 55 lung cancer patients. Quantitative HeavyMethyl (HM) real-time PCR was used to detect <it>SHOX2 </it>DNA methylation levels. <it>SHOX2 </it>expression was assayed with quantitative real-time PCR, and copy numbers alterations were measured with conventional real-time PCR and array CGH.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A hypermethylation of the <it>SHOX2 </it>locus in tumor tissue as compared to the matched NAT from the same patient was detected in 96% of tumors from a group of 55 lung cancer patients. This correlated highly significantly with the frequent occurrence of copy number amplification (p < 0.0001), while the expression of the <it>SHOX2 </it>gene showed no difference.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Frequent gene amplification correlated with hypermethylation of the <it>SHOX2 </it>gene locus. This concerted effect qualifies <it>SHOX2 </it>DNA methylation as a biomarker for lung cancer diagnosis, especially when sensitive detection is needed, i.e. in bronchial lavage or blood samples.</p

Inklusive Sozialplanung für Menschen mit und ohne Behinderung im Alter: Regionalbericht Wettringen. Forschungsprojekt SoPHiA

Der vorliegende Regionalbericht dokumentiert den Forschungsprozess und die wichtigsten Ergebnisse des Forschungsprojektes „Sozialraumorientierte kommunale Planung von Hilfe- und Unterstützungsarrangements für Menschen mit und ohne lebensbegleitende Behinderung im Alter“ (SoPHiA) im Zeitraum Oktober 2012 bis September 2015. Das Projekt wurde im Rahmen des Forschungsprogramms „Soziale Innovationen für Lebensqualität Im Alter“ vom Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung gefördert. Das Projekt zielte darauf ab, Potentiale für eine inklusiv angelegte kommunale Sozialplanung für die Lebensphase Alter zu erschließen. Sowohl die Prozesse wie die Ergebnisse der Sozialplanung sollen inklusiv gestaltet werden. Unter Inklusion verstehen wir ein Gestaltungsprinzip, eine Leitidee für die Gestaltung sämtlicher Lebensbereiche und Unterstützungssysteme von Menschen mit Behinderung. Inklusiv sollen sowohl die Prozesse wie die Gegenstände der Sozialplanung (Infrastrukturen, Angebote, Dienste) gestaltet werden. Das Faktum der Behinderung wird hierbei als ein gegebener, nicht weiter zu stigmatisierender Teil der Verschiedenheit aller Menschen verstanden, auf welche sich die Akteure in der kommunalen Planung, die Angebote und Dienste im Gemeinwesen sowie alle Bürger_innen einzustellen haben (vgl. Dieckmann et al. 2013). Dabei geht es nicht um eine Verabsolutierung inklusiver Lösungen, sondern darum traditionell separierte Planungsprozesse und -gegenstände in Bezug auf die Lebensphase Alter zusammen zu betrachten. Inklusiv angelegte Planungsvorhaben wurden exemplarisch in zwei Modellregionen gestartet: in der Stadt Münster im ausgewählten Stadtteil Hiltrup und in der Gemeinde Wettringen im Kreis Steinfurt. In der ersten Analysephase wurden in den jeweiligen Modellregionen die Sozial- und Infrastrukturdaten sowie Planungsverfahren in den Handlungsfeldern Behindertenhilfe und Altenhilfe/Seniorenarbeit untersucht. In der Interventionsphase wurde in den beiden Sozialräumen ein partizipativer Planungsprozess mithilfe verschiedener Strategien und Methoden durchgeführt. Die empirische Evaluation ergänzt und reflektiert die unmittelbaren Erfahrungen im Prozess und liefert neben den Ergebnissen der Analyse der Sozialdaten und der Planungstraditionen wichtige Hinweise für die Generalisierbarkeit der Ergebnisse und die Entwicklung eines allgemeinen Manuals für eine inklusive kommunale Sozialplanung für das Alter, in der die Teilhabe- und die Senioren-/Altenhilfeplanung sozialraumbezogen zusammengeführt werden

Sniffin’ Sticks and Olfactometer-Based Odor Thresholds for n-Butanol: Correspondence and Validity for Indoor Air Scenarios

Threshold assessments for the reference odorant n-butanol are an integral part of various research, clinical, and environmental sensory testing procedures. However, the practical significance of a high or low threshold for n-butanol beyond a particular testing environment and procedure are often unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to determine between-method correlations and to investigate the association between the n-butanol threshold and perceptual/behavioral odor effects in natural breathing scenarios in 35 healthy adults. The thresholds for n-butanol derived from the Sniffin’ Sticks test and determined by the ascending limit dynamic dilution olfactometry procedure were significantly correlated (∣r∣ = 0.47). However, only the thresholds determined by olfactometry were significantly correlated to the odor detection of n-butanol in an exposure lab. Moreover, participants with a higher sensitivity for n-butanol in the olfactometer-based assessment rated ammonia, during a 75 min exposure, to be more unpleasant and showed better performance in a simultaneous 3-back task than participants with lower sensitivity. The results of this study suggest that beyond the strict parameters of a certain psychophysical procedure, the threshold for n-butanol can be a meaningful indicator of odor detection and effects in some cases

A short-term inhalation study to assess the reversibility of sensory irritation in human volunteers

Sensory irritation is an acute adverse effect caused by chemicals that stimulate chemoreceptors of the upper respiratory tract or the mucous membranes of the outer eye. The avoidance of this end point is of uttermost importance in regulatory toxicology. In this study, repeated exposures to ethyl acrylate were analyzed to investigate possible carryover effects from day to day for different markers of sensory irritation. Thirty healthy subjects were exposed for 4 h on five subsequent days to ethyl acrylate at concentrations permitted by the German occupational exposure limit at the time of study. Ratings of eye irritation as well as eye blinking frequencies indicate the elicitation of sensory irritation. These markers of sensory irritation showed a distinct time course on every single day. However, cumulative carryover effects could not be identified across the week for any marker. The rhinological and biochemical markers could not reveal hints for more pronounced sensory irritation. Neither increased markers of neurogenic inflammation nor markers of immune response could be identified. Furthermore, the performance on neurobehavioral tests was not affected by ethyl acrylate and despite the strong odor of ethyl acrylate the participants improved their performances from day to day. While the affected physiological marker, the increased eye blinking frequency stays roughly on the same level across the week, subjective markers like perception of eye irritation decrease slightly from day to day though the temporal pattern of, i.e., eye irritation perception stays the same on each day. A hypothetical model of eye irritation time course derived from PK/PD modeling of the rabbit eye could explain the within-day time course of eye irritation ratings repeatedly found in this study more precisely