731 research outputs found
Graph-theoretic Model for Observability in Multi-carrier Energy Distribution Networks (MEDNs)
A High Temperature Capacitive Humidity Sensor Based on Mesoporous Silica
Capacitive sensors are the most commonly used devices for the detection of humidity because they are inexpensive and the detection mechanism is very specific for humidity. However, especially for industrial processes, there is a lack of dielectrics that are stable at high temperature (>200 °C) and under harsh conditions. We present a capacitive sensor based on mesoporous silica as the dielectric in a simple sensor design based on pressed silica pellets. Investigation of the structural stability of the porous silica under simulated operating conditions as well as the influence of the pellet production will be shown. Impedance measurements demonstrate the utility of the sensor at both low (90 °C) and high (up to 210 °C) operating temperatures
Precise redox-sensitive cleavage sites for improved bioactivity of siRNA lipopolyplexes
Lipo-oligomers have been proven as potent siRNA carriers based on stable electrostatic and hydrophobic complex formation and endosomal membrane destabilization. Although high stability of siRNA polyplexes is desirable in the extracellular space and cellular uptake, intracellular disassembly is important for the cytosolic release of siRNA and RNA-induced silencing complex formation. To improve the release, bioreducible sequence-defined lipo-oligomers were synthesized by solid-phase assisted synthesis using the disulfide building block Fmoc-succinoyl-cystamine for precise positioning of a disulfide unit between a lipophilic diacyl (bis-myristyl, bis-stearyl or bis-cholestanyl) domain and an ionizable oligocationic siRNA binding unit. Reducible siRNA polyplexes show higher gene silencing efficacy and lower cytotoxicity than their stable analogs, consistent with glutathione-triggered siRNA release and reduced lytic activity
Report of the annual meeting of the Society for Medical Education in the German speaking countries, virtual from the ETH ZĂŒrich 2021.
After the successful GMA Annual Meeting 2016 in Bern [1], we were âinnovative togetherâ for a second time in 2021. The GMA Annual Meeting 2021 was jointly organized by medical education and healthcare institutions in the Zurich area and the Medical Faculty of Bern, namely: University of Zurich, Medical Faculty; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich; Careum Bildungsmanagement; Zurich University of Applied Sciences; University of Lucerne, Department of Health Sciences and Medicine; and Medical Faculty of Bern, with the Institute for Medical Education. After the GMA 2020 had to be postponed due to the Corona Pandemic, it was decided to hold the 2021 meeting online to ensure a higher planning reliability and to ensure to definitely be able to organise the GMA Annual Meeting again. Innovatively, we have thus implemented the first ever online annual meeting of the GMA
Kartierung des anthropogenen Lagers in Deutschland zur Optimierung der SekundÀrrohstoffwirtschaft
Deutschland hat ein enormes Vermögen in Form von Bauwerken, Infrastrukturen und sonstigen langlebigen GĂŒtern angehĂ€uft. Hierin befindet sich ein wertvolles SekundĂ€rrohstoffreservoir - ein anthropogenes Materiallager. Es ist als Kapitalstock der Zukunft zu begreifen, den es systematisch zu bewirtschaften gilt. In der ĂŒberwiegend Input-dominierten Ressourceneffizienzdiskussion findet dieser Kapitalstock bislang nur wenig Beachtung. Eine Ursache hierfĂŒr ist unzureichendes Wissen ĂŒber die GröĂe und Zusammensetzung dieses Materiallagers sowie ĂŒber dessen VerĂ€nderungsdynamik. Das Vorhaben sollte dazu beitragen, die Wissensbasis diesbezĂŒglich deutlich zu erweitern. Mit den Ergebnissen des Projektes liegt nun ein differenziertes Bild ĂŒber MaterialflĂŒsse und MaterialbestĂ€nde vor, die in langlebigen GĂŒtern in Deutschland gebunden sind und von diesen ausgelöst werden. Neben umfangreichen Daten wurde ein Konzept vorgelegt, das Grundlagen zum Aufbau eines langfristigen Monitorings des anthropogenen Lagers durch eine kontinuierliche Fortschreibung von BestandsverĂ€nderungen liefert
Mixed methods instrument validation: Evaluation procedures for practitioners developed from the validation of the Swiss Instrument for Evaluating Interprofessional Collaboration.
BACKGROUND
Quantitative and qualitative procedures are necessary components of instrument development and assessment. However, validation studies conventionally emphasise quantitative assessments while neglecting qualitative procedures. Applying both methods in a mixed methods design provides additional insights into instrument quality and more rigorous validity evidence. Drawing from an extensive review of the methodological and applied validation literature on mixed methods, we showcase our use of mixed methods for validation which applied the quality criteria of congruence, convergence, and credibility on data collected with an instrument measuring interprofessional collaboration in the context of Swiss healthcare, named the Swiss Instrument for Evaluating Interprofessional Collaboration.
METHODS
We employ a convergent parallel mixed methods design to analyse quantitative and qualitative questionnaire data. Data were collected from staff, supervisors, and patients of a university hospital and regional hospitals in the German and Italian speaking regions of Switzerland. We compare quantitative ratings and qualitative comments to evaluate the quality criteria of congruence, convergence, and credibility, which together form part of an instrument's construct validity evidence.
RESULTS
Questionnaires from 435 staff, 133 supervisors, and 189 patients were collected. Analysis of congruence potentially provides explanations why respondents' comments are off topic. Convergence between quantitative ratings and qualitative comments can be interpreted as an indication of convergent validity. Credibility provides a summary evaluation of instrument quality. These quality criteria provide evidence that questions were understood as intended, provide construct validity, and also point to potential item quality issues.
CONCLUSIONS
Mixed methods provide alternative means of collecting construct validity evidence. Our suggested procedures can be easily applied on empirical data and allow the congruence, convergence, and credibility of questionnaire items to be evaluated. The described procedures provide an efficient means of enhancing the rigor of an instrument and can be used alone or in conjunction with traditional quantitative psychometric approaches
Supramolecular Assembly of AminoethyleneâLipopeptide PMO Conjugates into RNA SpliceâSwitching Nanomicelles
Phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) are oligonucleotide analogs that can be used for therapeutic modulation of preâmRNA splicing. Similar to other classes of nucleic acidâbased therapeutics, PMOs require delivery systems for efficient transport to the intracellular target sites. Here, artificial peptides based on the oligo(ethylenamino) acid succinylâtetraethylenpentamine (Stp), hydrophobic modifications, and an azide group are presented, which are used for strainâpromoted azideâalkyne cycloaddition conjugation with spliceâswitching PMOs. By systematically varying the lead structure and formulation, it is determined that the type of contained fatty acid and supramolecular assembly have a critical impact on the delivery efficacy. A compound containing linolenic acid with three cis double bonds exhibits the highest spliceâswitching activity and significantly increases functional protein expression in pLuc/705 reporter cells in vitro and after local administration in vivo. Structural and mechanistic studies reveal that the lipopeptide PMO conjugates form nanoparticles, which accelerate cellular uptake and that the content of unsaturated fatty acids enhances endosomal escape. In an in vitro Duchenne muscular dystrophy exon skipping model using H2Kâmdx52 dystrophic skeletal myotubes, the highly potent PMO conjugates mediate significant spliceâswitching at very low nanomolar concentrations. The presented aminoethyleneâlipopeptides are thus a promising platform for the generation of PMOâtherapeutics with a favorable activity/toxicity profile
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