Design process and digital technology: A Perspective for education

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Evaluation of spasticity in experimental models of ischemic stroke

Strokes are one of the most common causes of lifelong physical impairment, with about 35% of the patients suffering from post-stroke spasticity (PSS). In contrast to the long and successful history of experimental stroke, rodent models of PSS are sparse and insufficiently characterized [275]. Motivated by this gap in stroke studies, this thesis focused on the development of a PSS mouse model and the long-term effects after strokes within the primary motor area (MOp), secondary motor area (MOs), and internal capsule. For longitudinal determination of PSS, sensorimotor behavioral tests, and equivalent to the measurement in the patient, electrophysiological measurements of the Hoffman reflex were performed. For this purpose, in addition to a longitudinal H-wave measurement, a novel direct nerve H-wave measurement was established in the mouse. For the quantitative determination of the PSS, the ratio of H- and M-wave as well as the rate-dependent depression were measured, which allow an objective measurement of PSS. The experiments revealed that a lesion within the MOp leads to motor deficits, without development of PSS, whereas a lesion within the MOs and internal capsule leads to mild and strong PSS, respectively, after 56 days. In the established internal capsule stroke model for the induction of PSS, an onset of PSS was detected electrophysiologically after 14 days. The sensorimotor deficit score correlated with the PSS measurement, i.e. animals with a PSS showed a reduced recovery of motor function. It was demonstrated that, in addition to the grid walk test, the cylinder test represents behavioral tests that still detect a motor deficit 56 days after a lesion and are sensitive to the motor deficits that occur in PSS. In addition to electrophysiolgical and sensorimotor changes, structural changes were also analyzed, which included examination of secondary neurodegeneration in addition to lesion description. Within the first 28 days after lesion within the MOp microglia/- macrophages were found mainly in the ipsilesional in subregions of the thalamus, which suggested a secondary neurodegeneration. Within the spinal cord, this aggregation of microglia/macrophages and thus evidence of selective secondary degeneration was particularly evident in the dorsal corticospinal tract, an important descending motor pathway. The knowledge gained will serve as a basis for further studies, which will include a precise characterization of secondary neurodegeneration at the spinal cord level and neuronal tracing to evaluate the influence of the cortico- as well as reticolospinal tracts

Investigation of the impact of extraterrestrial energetic particles on stratospheric nitrogen compounds and ozone on the basis of three dimensional model studies

As a result of solar events like Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and solar flares, highly energetic charged particles including protons and electrons can precipitate in the direction of the Earth. Having sufficient energies, these particles can penetrate down to the middle atmosphere and lead to a change in the chemical composition of the atmosphere. In particular during strong events, these charged particles induce an ionisation in the atmosphere that can reach down to the lower stratosphere. This ionisation is followed by a fast positive ion chemistry that causes a strong increase in reactive HOx (H, OH, HO2) an NOx (N, NO, NO2). HOx and NOx constituents eventually destroy O3 in catalytical reaction cycles. Furthermore, NOx is long-lived during polar winter and can be transported into the middle and lower stratosphere, where it can contribute to the O3 depletion. The increase in NOx in the upper and middle atmosphere due to solar events and the consequential depletion of O3 has been observed as during the Solar Proton Event (SPE) in October/November 2003 by satellite instruments. In atmospheric models, the generation of HOx and NOx can be well described by parametrisations to include in neutral models. Whereas other changes, for instance in chlorine compounds, can not be described sufficiently by this parametrisation. The purpose of this PhD thesis is, to investigate the impact of strong solar particle events on the abundance in NOx and O3 in the stratosphere and mesosphere on the basis of threedimensional model studies.For this purpose a three-dimensional Chemistry and Transport Model (CTM) has been extended to the upper atmosphere (lower thermosphere). To include the processes in the mesosphere and lower themosphere a new meteorological data set has been implemented to the model. To describe the ionising effect of energetic particle on the atmosphere, three-dimensional ionisations rates from Atmospheric Ionization Module Osnabrück (AIMOS) were implemented into the model. The previous version of the CTM uses a so-called family approach to solve the chemical equations. This family approach is a appropiate assumption in the stratosphere, but cannot be applied in the mesosphere and thermosphere. To consider chemical processes in the upper atmosphere a non family version of the chemical code have been implemented into the CTM. To investigate the impact of precipitating particles on chlorine compounds, additional parametrisations have been implemented in a case model study from the University of Bremen Ion Chemistry (UBIC) model. With this extended version of the three-dimensional CTM of the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere, different model simulations for the period between 2002-2009 have been performed. This period covered the maximum phase of the 23. solar cycle with several medium and strong SPEs as well as the rather quiet declining phase of cycle 23 and the beginning of cycle 24

Status of Stream Pollution in Iowa

Under the Iowa Stream Pollution Law, adopted in 1923, the State Department of Health is charged with the administration of antipollution measures. The law requires specifically that the State Department shall investigate conditions of alleged pollution and may issue orders for the remedying of such pollution. If the work contemplated under any such order exceeds $5,000 in cost, the State Executive Council must approve such order

Biogeographical boundaries, functional group structure and diversity of rocky shore communities along the Argentinean coast

We investigate the extent to which functional structure and spatial variability of intertidal communities coincide with major biogeographical boundaries, areas where extensive compositional changes in the biota are observed over a limited geographic extension. We then investigate whether spatial variation in the biomass of functional groups, over geographic (10′s km) and local (10′s m) scales, could be associated to species diversity within and among these groups. Functional community structure expressed as abundance (density, cover and biomass) and composition of major functional groups was quantified through field surveys at 20 rocky intertidal shores spanning six degrees of latitude along the southwest Atlantic coast of Argentina and extending across the boundaries between the Argentinean and Magellanic Provinces. Patterns of abundance of individual functional groups were not uniformly matched with biogeographical regions. Only ephemeral algae showed an abrupt geographical discontinuity coincident with changes in biogeographic boundaries, and this was limited to the mid intertidal zone. We identified 3–4 main ‘groups’ of sites in terms of the total and relative abundance of the major functional groups, but these did not coincide with biogeographical boundaries, nor did they follow latitudinal arrangement. Thus, processes that determine the functional structure of these intertidal communities are insensitive to biogeographical boundaries. Over both geographical and local spatial scales, and for most functional groups and tidal levels, increases in species richness within the functional group was significantly associated to increased total biomass and reduced spatial variability of the group. These results suggest that species belonging to the same functional group are sufficiently uncorrelated over space (i.e. metres and site-to-site ) to stabilize patterns of biomass variability and, in this manner, provide a buffer, or “insurance”, against spatial variability in environmental conditions

Axe 1 : Sociohistoire de l’État social depuis 1945 – mutations, européanisations et capacités

Le groupe étudie le développement des États-providence après 1945 en accordant une attention particulière aux processus d’institutionnalisation et aux acteurs sociaux de cette institutionnalisation. La fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, le début et la fin du conflit Est-Ouest, la construction européenne tout comme les changements économiques, politiques, sociaux et culturels ont marqué les États sociaux européens de manière significative. Les transformations dans le domaine des politiques soc..

Role Strain, Anomia, and Television Viewing: a Preliminary Investigation

Home Economics -- Family Relations and Child Developmen

Les transformations de l’État social : une recherche

Une introduction Le groupe « État social » du réseau « Saisir l’Europe/Europa als Herausforderung » a saisi l’occasion de cet article pour se présenter, et décrire les directions qui vont être données à ses recherches. Notre groupe de travail, composé d’une quinzaine de chercheurs, dont trois doctorants et deux post-doctorants, se consacre à diverses recherches sur les transformations de l’État social depuis 1945 : depuis le déploiement dans toute l’Europe, suivant des trajectoires diverses, ..

Integrating Walking for Transportation and Physical Activity for Sedentary Office Workers in Texas

The workplace is considered a strategic location for health promotion. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, office workers represent up to 40% of the workforce in Texas and the general nature of the type of work is sedentary. Additional study is needed on how the built environment near the worksite area impacts walking behaviors and to determine interventions effective in increasing walking as part of daily routines among office workers. The two aims of this dissertation were: 1) investigate the differences that urban and suburban settings may have on walking behavior (walk trips, walk duration, total step count) of office workers in Texas and 2) to examine the impact of a simple intervention in increasing walking within the respective land use settings. This study utilized on-line survey and travel diary, pedometer, and Geographic Information System to capture the study variables, which included personal, social and cultural, organizational, and built environmental factors. Results showed that urban office workers walk, on average, 600 steps more per day than the suburban office workers. Office workers in both land use settings on average have not met the recommended level of walking steps per day of 10,000 steps per day (Urban Mean=4,932 steps per day, Suburban Mean=4,347 steps per day). Post-intervention step count averaged 5,734 steps per day for urban office workers in contrast to 4,257 steps per day for suburban office workers. This translated to a 16% increase and 2% decrease in walking steps for urban and suburban office workers, respectively. The built environment in terms of land use setting, urban versus suburban, and availability of land use destinations showed associations with walking behavior for office workers. Destinations positively associated with the number of walking trips, including access to bookstores and coffee shops. Access to convenience stores and food establishments for suburban office workers were more relevant for walking duration. Significant destinations for the urban office workers' walking duration per week included the number of banks and food establishments within one fourth mile from their office building. The results for the second aim, testing the tailored information intervention, were informative, though not significant. The intervention did not yield a significant change in walking step count, but provided insight on opportunities for future studies