Therapeutic drug monitoring in adolescents with anorexia nervosa for safe treatment with adjunct olanzapine

Objective: Medication is commonly used in anorexia nervosa (AN) despite largely missing high grade evidence. Olanzapine (OLZ) is the best-evidenced substance used off-label in this group, with conflicting outcome regarding BMI, clinical and safety parameters. Therefore, it is important to strictly assure quality of treatment with OLZ in AN by using 'Therapeutic Drug Monitoring' according to AGNP-guidelines, including serum levels and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to support safety for adolescents with AN and attempt to generate an initial age- and disorder-specific therapeutic reference range. Method: Sixty-five adolescents with AN (aged 10-18) treated with OLZ (98% female; 97.5% AN-restricting-type) were prospectively observed, ADRs reported, and correlations between dosage and serum levels measured at trough level were calculated, a preliminary therapeutic range defined. Results: Mean dosage of OLZ was 8.15 (SD: 2.91) mg and 0.19 (SD: 0.07) mg/kg respectively, average concentration was 26.57 (SD: 13.46) ng/mL. Correlation between daily dosage/dosage per kg and serum level was 0.72 (**p < 0.001)/0.65 (**p < 0.001), respectively. ADRs with impairment were rare (6.3%). 75% improved clinically (CGI). BMI increased significantly by 1.5 kg/m2 (t = 10.6, p < 0.001). A preliminary therapeutic reference range is 11.9 and 39.9 ng/mL. Conclusions: OLZ in the hands of specialists is a well-tolerated and safe treatment adjunct for adolescents with AN

Capacitive Sensing of Icing under Vacuum and Cryogenic Temperatures

In certain industrial processes, ice aggregations on surfaces can occur under almost vacuum conditions and at very low to cryogenic temperatures due to residual water molecules. This aggregation can affect the performance of the process and it is therefore of interest to monitor such surfaces. In this paper, we present a capacitive ice measurement system capable to operate in vacuum and temperatures of about - 120 ∘ C and below. We present a capacitive sensor setup with a separation of sensor element and sensor electronics, such that the sensor electronics can reside outside the cold environment. It is demonstrated that the permittivity of such ice formations at vacuum and low temperatures is sufficient for measurement using the proposed sensor configuration. Results from a long-term study using a prototype further demonstrate the stability of the system and thus the feasibility of the proposed system for long term condition monitoring of surfaces in vacuum that are e.g., cooled by cryogenic liquids. The developed system uses wireless communication in order to allow for simple retrofitting of existing infrastructure even in remote locations

Artificial Landmarks for Trusted Localization of Autonomous Vehicles Based on Magnetic Sensors

Magnetic sensors provide an advantageous alternative localization method, primarily focusing on localization in surroundings where GPS, other radio frequency-based, as well as optical localization do not work or has severe limitations. Suitable for distances in the meter range, such magnetic localization may in particular be useful as artificial landmarks, e.g., for automatic drift correction. To easily use such artificial landmarks, we propose an integration process based on Transducer Electronic Data Sheets. With this approach, the landmarks can be used by passing autonomous vehicles, e.g., UAVs, for re-orientation and re-calibration. During this process, all necessary information such as data formats, reference coordinates, calibration data, provider of the landmark etc. is made known to the vehicle passing by. Based on the provided so-called meta-information, the vehicle itself can decide whether and how to use the provided sensory information. To provide a certain level of trust in the landmarks and their provided information, the corresponding data sheets are certified using a digital signature

Artificial Landmarks for Autonomous Vehicles Based on Magnetic Sensors

We propose to use an integration process based on Transducer Electronic Data Sheets applied to a magnetic sensor system for the realization of artificial landmarks. Magnetic sensors provide an advantageous alternative in surroundings where GPS and optical sensors do not work. These landmarks can be used by passing autonomous vehicles, e.g., drones, for re-orientation and re-calibration. To facilitate the usage of these landmarks also by any vehicle, known or unknown, a standardized process for automatic connection and identification of the landmarks is suggested. During this process, all necessary information such as protocols, calibration data etc. is made known to the vehicle passing by. Based on the provided information, the vehicle itself can decide whether and how to use the provided sensory information

MWCNT–Epoxy Nanocomposite Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring

We address multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) for structural health monitoring in adhesive bonds, such as in building structures. MWCNT-loaded composites are employed to sense strain changes under tension load using an AC impedance measurement setup. Different weight percentages of 1, 1.5, 2 and 3 wt % MWCNTs are added to the base epoxy resin using different dispersion times, i.e., 5, 10, and 15 min. The equivalent parallel resistance of the specimens is first measured by applying an alternating voltage at different frequencies. To determine the mechanical as well as sensory properties, the specimens are then subjected to a tensile test with concurrent impedance measurement at a fixed pre-chosen frequency. Using alternating voltage, a higher sensitivity of the impedance reading can be achieved. Employing these sensors in buildings and combining the readings of a network of such devices can significantly improve the buildings’ safety. Additionally, networks of such sensors can be used to identify necessary maintenance actions and locations

Relative importance of methylotrophic methanogenesis in sediments of the Western Mediterranean Sea

Microbial production of methane is an important terminal metabolic process during organic matter degradation in marine sediments. It is generally acknowledged that hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic methanogenesis constitute the dominant pathways of methane production; the importance of methanogenesis from methylated compounds remains poorly understood. We conducted various biogeochemical and molecular genetic analyses to characterize substrate availability, rates of methanogenesis, and methanogen community composition, and further evaluated the contribution of different substrates and pathways for methane production in deltaic surface and subsurface sediments of the Western Mediterranean Sea. Major substrates representing three methanogenic pathways, including H2, acetate, and methanol, trimethylamine (TMA), and dimethylsulfide (DMS), were detected in the pore waters and sediments, and exhibited variability over depth and between sites. In accompanying incubation experiments, methanogenesis rates from various 14C labeled substrates varied as well, suggesting that environmental factors, such as sulfate concentration and organic matter quality, could significantly influence the relative importance of individual pathway. In particular, methylotrophic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis contributed to the presence of micromolar methane concentrations in the sulfate reduction zone, with methanogenesis from methanol accounting for up to 98% of the total methane production in the topmost surface sediment. In the sulfate-depleted zone, hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis was the dominant methanogenic pathway (67–98%), and enhanced methane production from acetate was observed in organic-rich sediment (up to 31%). Methyl coenzyme M reductase gene (mcrA) analysis revealed that the composition of methanogenic communities was generally consistent with the distribution of methanogenic activity from different substrates. This study provides the first quantitative assessment of methylotrophic methanogenesis in marine sediments and has important implications for marine methane cycling. The occurrence of methylotrophic methanogenesis in surface sediments could fuel the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in the shallow sulfate reduction zone. Release of methane produced from methylotrophic methanogenesis could be a source of methane efflux to the water column, thus influencing the benthic methane budgets