Investigations regarding the persecution of raptors in Austria

Masterarbeit - Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien - 2019Master thesis - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna - 2019Masterarbeit - Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien - 201

Sleep-wake behaviour and the EEG in altered states of consciousness

Abstract presented at the 23rd Australasian Society for Psychophysiology Conference, 20-22 Nov 2013, Wollongong, Australia

Robot-assisted arm assessments in spinal cord injured patients: a consideration of concept study

Robotic assistance is increasingly used in neurological rehabilitation for enhanced training. Furthermore, therapy robots have the potential for accurate assessment of motor function in order to diagnose the patient status, to measure therapy progress or to feedback the movement performance to the patient and therapist in real time. We investigated whether a set of robot-based assessments that encompasses kinematic, kinetic and timing metrics is applicable, safe, reliable and comparable to clinical metrics for measurement of arm motor function. Twenty-four healthy subjects and five patients after spinal cord injury underwent robot-based assessments using the exoskeleton robot ARMin. Five different tasks were performed with aid of a visual display. Ten kinematic, kinetic and timing assessment parameters were extracted on joint- and end-effector level (active and passive range of motion, cubic reaching volume, movement time, distance-path ratio, precision, smoothness, reaction time, joint torques and joint stiffness). For cubic volume, joint torques and the range of motion for most joints, good inter- and intra-rater reliability were found whereas precision, movement time, distance-path ratio and smoothness showed weak to moderate reliability. A comparison with clinical scores revealed good correlations between robot-based joint torques and the Manual Muscle Test. Reaction time and distance-path ratio showed good correlation with the "Graded and Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensibility and Prehension" (GRASSP) and the Van Lieshout Test (VLT) for movements towards a predefined position in the center of the frontal plane. In conclusion, the therapy robot ARMin provides a comprehensive set of assessments that are applicable and safe. The first results with spinal cord injured patients and healthy subjects suggest that the measurements are widely reliable and comparable to clinical scales for arm motor function. The methods applied and results can serve as a basis for the future development of end-effector and exoskeleton-based robotic assessments

Attaching Single Biomolecules Selectively to the Apex of AFM Tips for Measuring Specific Interactions

We present a general approach for preparing well-defined AFM tips for probing single target molecules. We demonstrated that carboxylic acid groups could be generated by electrochemical oxidation selectively at the apex of an AFM tip that is coated with a monolayer of oligo(ethylene glycol) derivatives for resisting nonspecific interactions. These carboxylic acid groups were used as handles to tether only one ligand molecule, such as biotin, to the tip apex for measurement of specific interactions with biomolecules

Overview over implemented assessments and the measured parameters.

<p>Overview over implemented assessments and the measured parameters.</p

Characteristics of the patients.

<p>^aChronic (> 6 months) vs. subacute (≤ 6 months post SCI).</p><p>^bEvaluated with questionnaire of Chapman [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0126948#pone.0126948.ref043" target="_blank">43</a>].</p><p>Characteristics of the patients.</p

QOM: The hand paths of a patient moving to the 8 different targets.

<p>QOM: The hand paths of a patient moving to the 8 different targets.</p

Summary of the significant differences found from the Friedman test of the intra-rater reliability.

<p>^aAs healthy subjects almost exclusively reached the mechanical limits ROM values correspond in most cases to the mechanical end limit.</p><p>^bThe maximal <i>workspace levels</i> and therefore the maximal <i>cubic volume</i> were reached for the evaluated subjects for all the directions (p = 1.00).</p><p>Summary of the significant differences found from the Friedman test of the intra-rater reliability.</p

Example of an <i>aROM</i> Bland-Altman plot regarding wrist flexion for the nine patient arms.

<p>The limits of agreement (dashed lines for lower -4.3° and upper 5.4° limit) and the mean difference (solid line at 0.5°) are shown. The x-axis shows the mean values of the two measurements of tester 1 and 2 (negative values indicate flexion, positive values stand for extension), while the y-axis shows the measurement difference between tester 1 and 2.</p