Microengineered Hollow Graphene Tube Systems Generate Conductive Hydrogels with Extremely Low Filler Concentration

The fabrication of electrically conductive hydrogels is challenging as the introduction of an electrically conductive filler often changes mechanical hydrogel matrix properties. Here, we present an approach for the preparation of hydrogel composites with outstanding electrical conductivity at extremely low filler loadings (0.34 S m-1, 0.16 vol %). Exfoliated graphene and polyacrylamide are microengineered to 3D composites such that conductive graphene pathways pervade the hydrogel matrix similar to an artificial nervous system. This makes it possible to combine both the exceptional conductivity of exfoliated graphene and the adaptable mechanical properties of polyacrylamide. The demonstrated approach is highly versatile regarding porosity, filler material, as well as hydrogel system. The important difference to other approaches is that we keep the original properties of the matrix, while ensuring conductivity through graphene-coated microchannels. This novel approach of generating conductive hydrogels is very promising, with particular applications in the fields of bioelectronics and biohybrid robotics

An assessment of the global impact of 21st century land use change on soil erosion

Human activity and related land use change are the primary cause of accelerated soil erosion, which has substantial implications for nutrient and carbon cycling, land productivity and in turn, worldwide socio-economic conditions. Here we present an unprecedentedly high resolution (250 × 250 m) global potential soil erosion model, using a combination of remote sensing, GIS modelling and census data. We challenge the previous annual soil erosion reference values as our estimate, of 35.9 Pg yr−1 of soil eroded in 2012, is at least two times lower. Moreover, we estimate the spatial and temporal effects of land use change between 2001 and 2012 and the potential offset of the global application of conservation practices. Our findings indicate a potential overall increase in global soil erosion driven by cropland expansion. The greatest increases are predicted to occur in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America and Southeast Asia. The least developed economies have been found to experience the highest estimates of soil erosion rates

Identification of genetic elements in metabolism by high-throughput mouse phenotyping.

Metabolic diseases are a worldwide problem but the underlying genetic factors and their relevance to metabolic disease remain incompletely understood. Genome-wide research is needed to characterize so-far unannotated mammalian metabolic genes. Here, we generate and analyze metabolic phenotypic data of 2016 knockout mouse strains under the aegis of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) and find 974 gene knockouts with strong metabolic phenotypes. 429 of those had no previous link to metabolism and 51 genes remain functionally completely unannotated. We compared human orthologues of these uncharacterized genes in five GWAS consortia and indeed 23 candidate genes are associated with metabolic disease. We further identify common regulatory elements in promoters of candidate genes. As each regulatory element is composed of several transcription factor binding sites, our data reveal an extensive metabolic phenotype-associated network of co-regulated genes. Our systematic mouse phenotype analysis thus paves the way for full functional annotation of the genome

Mouse mutant phenotyping at scale reveals novel genes controlling bone mineral density.

The genetic landscape of diseases associated with changes in bone mineral density (BMD), such as osteoporosis, is only partially understood. Here, we explored data from 3,823 mutant mouse strains for BMD, a measure that is frequently altered in a range of bone pathologies, including osteoporosis. A total of 200 genes were found to significantly affect BMD. This pool of BMD genes comprised 141 genes with previously unknown functions in bone biology and was complementary to pools derived from recent human studies. Nineteen of the 141 genes also caused skeletal abnormalities. Examination of the BMD genes in osteoclasts and osteoblasts underscored BMD pathways, including vesicle transport, in these cells and together with in silico bone turnover studies resulted in the prioritization of candidate genes for further investigation. Overall, the results add novel pathophysiological and molecular insight into bone health and disease

The phylogeography and incidence of multi-drug resistant typhoid fever in sub-Saharan Africa.

There is paucity of data regarding the geographical distribution, incidence, and phylogenetics of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Salmonella Typhi in sub-Saharan Africa. Here we present a phylogenetic reconstruction of whole genome sequenced 249 contemporaneous S. Typhi isolated between 2008-2015 in 11 sub-Saharan African countries, in context of the 2,057 global S. Typhi genomic framework. Despite the broad genetic diversity, the majority of organisms (225/249; 90%) belong to only three genotypes, 4.3.1 (H58) (99/249; 40%), 3.1.1 (97/249; 39%), and 2.3.2 (29/249; 12%). Genotypes 4.3.1 and 3.1.1 are confined within East and West Africa, respectively. MDR phenotype is found in over 50% of organisms restricted within these dominant genotypes. High incidences of MDR S. Typhi are calculated in locations with a high burden of typhoid, specifically in children aged <15 years. Antimicrobial stewardship, MDR surveillance, and the introduction of typhoid conjugate vaccines will be critical for the control of MDR typhoid in Africa

Skills Lab Training in der akademischen Pflegeausbildung für die Versorgung von palliativen PatientInnen: Konzepte und Lerneffekte

Problembeschreibung: Pflegestudierende werden während ihrer theoretischen Ausbildung nicht ausreichend auf die klinische Praxis hinsichtlich der palliativen Pflege vorbereitet. Insbesondere in Deutschland ist die palliative Pflege weitestgehend eine Fortbildung und noch nicht ausreichend in das Pflegecurriculum integriert. Das Simulationstraining in einer gesicherten Lernumgebung dient hierbei als Vorbereitungsmöglichkeit für Studierende, um erste praktische Erfahrungen in der Palliativversorgung zu sammeln Forschungsziel: Ziel ist es, anhand von Studien einen Überblick zu aktuell bestehenden Konzepten und Lerneffekten des Skills Lab Trainings zu beschreiben, welche die AbsolventInnen adäquat auf den Versorgungsbereich der palliativen Pflege vorbereiten. Methodik: Es erfolgte eine systematische Literatur analyse in der Datenbank PubMed. Anhand der Fragestellung wurden Suchbegriffe abgeleitet, um thematisch passende Studien zu finden. Ergebnisse: Pflegestudierende können durch das Simulationstraining ihr Wis sen bezüglich des Sterbeprozesses erweitern und dadurch physiologische Veränderungen als Anzeichen des bevorstehenden Todes frühzeitig erkennen. Des Weiteren fühlen sie sich sicherer in der Kommunikation mit PatientInnen, welche an einer lebenslimitierende n Erkrankung leiden sowie mit deren Angehörigen und verfügen über eine höhere Selbstwirksamkeit. Als geeignetes Konzept zum Erlernen der palliativen Pflege stellte sich das praktische Simulationstraining in Verbindung mit Prä und Post Tests sowie Vor und Nachbesprechungen heraus. Fazit: Studierende können durch das Simulationstraining einen Lernzuwachs bezüglich des Umgangs mit palliativen PatientInnen und deren Angehörigen verzeichnen. Das Simulationstraining dient als gute Vorbereitung auf die klinische Praxis, jedoch besteht weiterhin Forschungsbedarf in Bezug auf die Umsetzung des Gelernten im Krankenhaussetting. Schlüsselwörter simulation nursing, academic training, palliative car