Walk & Feel – a New Integrated Walkability Research ApproachWalk & Feel – a New Integrated Walkability Research Approach

Walking is healthy, promotes social contacts and is a basic requirement of mobility. Nevertheless, between 1995 and 2013/14 the modal share of walking in Austria declined from 27% to 17%. However, walking is abig unknown factor in the overall transport system, as it is statistically often unrecorded. This also expresses an underestimation of the importance and positive effects of walking in the overall transport system. The term “walkability” is often used to describe the attractiveness of walking which not only includes the path quality but also attractive and animating conditions to walk. The project presented in this paper aims to develop a methodology, which should improve the conditions for pedestrians on their daily walks and increase the quality of life. A major requirement for this purpose is a comprehensive and high-quality data basis for assessing the quality of walking – leading to more insights into the needs of pedestrians. Biosensoric technology to gather physiologic data about people’s reaction concerning walking infrastructure will support this new approach. The approach will join subjective and objective methods to create a new view about perception and emotions of pedestrians. By this means it will evaluate spatial conditions like street design, built environment, perceived safety to achieve “walkability” or a more walkable infrastructure. This contribution introduces the topic, presents the state of research concerning walkability as well as a concept of a theoretical framework of the project. This includes a methodology to collect, analyse andvisualise the collected data, and further describes technologies for sensor-based measurement of perceptions and emotions while walking. Finally, the paper gives a first glance to the web-based platform, where different data sources are combined and visualised for various user groups and purposes

Unterstützung der Organisation des Behandlungsprozesses in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie - Ist- und Schwachstellenanalyse

Die enorme Ausweitung der medizinischen und technischen Diagnose- und Therapie-möglichkeiten im Gesundheitswesen führt zunehmend zu einer extremen Spezialisierung und Arbeitsteilung der am Behandlungsprozess beteiligten Berufsgruppen. Wie Behandlungsabläufe patientenorientiert und berufsgruppenübergreifend optimiert werden können und wie ein unterstützendes Informationsmanagement hierzu aussehen kann, wird am Beispiel der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie des Universitätsklinikums untersucht. Zunächst wurde ein wissenschaftlich fundiertes methodisches Vorgehen entworfen, das als allgemeines Rahmenkonzept für Reorganisationsprojekte im Krankenhaus verwendet werden kann. Es wurden vier verschiedene Sichtweisen auf den Behand-lungsprozess unterschieden, die zusammen ein Gesamtbild auf die Kooperation im multiprofessionellen Behandlungsteam ergeben: Beteiligte Rollen und ihre Tätigkeitsprofile (Sicht 1), Informationsverarbeitung und informationsverarbeitende Werkzeuge (Sicht 2), arbeitsbezogene Kommunikation zwischen den Mitarbeitern (Sicht 3), organisatorische Abläufe in Form von Geschäftsprozessen (Sicht 4). Betrachtet man bisherige Abläufe und Strukturen unter dem Gesichtspunkt, welche zukünftig bewahrt werden sollten, so ergaben sich u.a. folgende Punkte: - Hoher Entscheidungsspielraum und Arbeitsmotivation der Mitarbeiter. - Versuch, die Tätigkeitsstruktur von Therapeuten, Cotherapeuten, Pflegern und Erziehern soweit wie möglich auf die Bedürfnisse von Patienten und Angehörige auszurichten. - Multidisziplinäre Behandlung. - Viel Zeit für den multidisziplinären Informationsaustausch. Umfangreiche Dokumentation. Aus den Ergebnissen wurden im Hinblick auf die Unterstützung patientenzentrierter Kooperation eine ganzes Reihe von Verbesserungspotentialen ab, welche im Bericht vorgestellt werden, z.B. Einordnung aller Tätigkeiten in den Behandlungsprozess, Optierung des Informationsmanagements, Ausrichtung der Organisationsstruktur am Prozessgedanken

Cultivation and Immortalization of Human B-Cells Producing a Human Monoclonal IgM Antibody Binding to MDA-LDL: Further Evidence for Formation of Atherogenic MDA-LDL Adducts in Humans In Vivo

Oxidatively modified low-density lipoprotein (oLDL) is firmly believed to play an important role in the initiation and development of atherosclerosis, and malonic dialdehyde (MDA) is one of the major lipid peroxidation breakdown products involved in this process. In recent decades, antibodies against MDA-LDL have been detected in human and animal sera. In our study, human B-cells from the peripheral blood of a healthy female donor were fused with the SP2/0 mouse myeloma cell line. Antibody-producing hybridomas were detected by MDA-LDL-IgG/IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and Cu++-oxidized LDL IgG/IgM (oLAb) ELISA. Cells with supernatants emitting positive signals for antibodies were then cloned and after sufficient multiplication frozen and stored under liquid nitrogen. Due to the loss of antibody-producing ability, we established an MDA-LDL-IgM-producing cell line by recloning. This allowed isolation and immortalization of several human B-cells. The human donor had not been immunized with MDA-modified proteins, thus obviously producing MDA-LDL antibodies in vivo. Furthermore, using these antibodies for in vitro experiments, we were able to demonstrate that MDA epitopes are among the epitopes generated during Cu++-LDL oxidation as well. Finally, these antibodies compete in ELISA and cell culture experiments with MDA as a challenging toxin or ligand

IrO2 Surface Complexions Identified Through Machine Learning and Surface Investigations

A Gaussian Approximation Potential (GAP) was trained using density-functional theory data to enable a global geometry optimization of low-index rutile IrO2 facets through simulated annealing. Ab initio thermodynamics identifies (101) and (111) (1x1)-terminations competitive with (110) in reducing environments. Experiments on single crystals find that (101) facets dominate, and exhibit the theoretically predicted (1x1) periodicity and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) core level shifts. The obtained structures are analogous to the complexions discussed in the context of ceramic battery materials.Comment: 13 pages 2 figure

The Transcription Factor SOX18 Regulates the Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase 7 and Guidance Molecules in Human Endothelial Cells

Mutations in the transcription factor SOX18 are responsible for specific cardiovascular defects in humans and mice. In order to gain insight into the molecular basis of its action, we identified target genes of SOX18 and analyzed one, MMP7, in detail.SOX18 was expressed in HUVEC using a recombinant adenoviral vector and the altered gene expression profile was analyzed using microarrays. Expression of several regulated candidate SOX18 target genes was verified by real-time PCR. Knock-down of SOX18 using RNA interference was then used to confirm the effect of the transcription factor on selected genes that included the guidance molecules ephrin B2 and semaphorin 3G. One gene, MMP7, was chosen for further analysis, including detailed promoter studies using reporter gene assays, electrophoretic mobility shift analysis and chromatin-immunoprecipitation, revealing that it responds directly to SOX18. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated the co-expression of SOX18 and MMP7 in blood vessels of human skin.The identification of MMP7 as a direct SOX18 target gene as well as other potential candidates including guidance molecules provides a molecular basis for the proposed function of this transcription factor in the regulation of vessel formation

Urticaria and infections

Urticaria is a group of diseases that share a distinct skin reaction pattern. Triggering of urticaria by infections has been discussed for many years but the exact role and pathogenesis of mast cell activation by infectious processes is unclear. In spontaneous acute urticaria there is no doubt for a causal relationship to infections and all chronic urticaria must have started as acute. Whereas in physical or distinct urticaria subtypes the evidence for infections is sparse, remission of annoying spontaneous chronic urticaria has been reported after successful treatment of persistent infections. Current summarizing available studies that evaluated the course of the chronic urticaria after proven Helicobacter eradication demonstrate a statistically significant benefit compared to untreated patients or Helicobacter-negative controls without urticaria (p < 0.001). Since infections can be easily treated some diagnostic procedures should be included in the routine work-up, especially the search for Helicobacter pylori. This review will update the reader regarding the role of infections in different urticaria subtypes

Comparative label-free proteomics of the neonatal meningitis-causing Escherichia coli K1 IHE3034 and RS218 morphotypes

The proteome of two newborn meningitis Escherichia coli K1 (NMEC) morphotypes was examined via a label-free proteomics approach. Besides shared NMEC virulence factors, the two strains have different evolutionary strategies-strain IHE3034 tends to perform anaerobic respiration continuously, while strain RS218 maintains its filamentous morphotype due to active SOS response