Cortical motor prosthetics: the development and use for paralysis

The emerging research field of Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) has created an invasive type of BCI, the Cortical Motor Prosthetic (CMP) or invasive BCI (iBCI). The goal is to restore lost motor function via prosthetic control signals to individuals who have long-term paralysis. The development of the CMP consists of two major entities: the implantable, chronic microelectrode array (MEA) and the data acquisition hardware (DAQ) specifically the decoder. The iBCI's function is to record primary motor cortex (M1) neural signals via chronic MEA and translate into a motor command via decoder extraction algorithms that can control a prosthetic to perform the intended movement. The ultimate goal is to use the iBCI as a clinical tool for individuals with long-term paralysis to regain lost motor functioning. Thus, the iBCI is a beacon of hope that could enable individuals to independently perform daily activities and interact once again with their environment. This review seeks to accomplish two major goals. First, elaborate upon the development of the iBCI and focus on the advancements and efforts to create a viable system. Second, illustrate the exciting improvements in the iBCI's use for reaching and grasping actions and in human clinical trials. The ultimate goal is to use the iBCI as a clinical tool for individuals with long-term paralysis to regain movement control. Despite the promise in the iBCI, many challenges, which are described in this review, persist and must be overcome before the iBCI can be a viable tool for individuals with long-term. iBCI future endeavors aim to overcome the challenges and develop an efficient system enhancing the lives of many living with paralysis. Standard terms: Intracortical Brain Computer Interface (iBCI), Intracortical Brain Machine Interface (iBMI), Cortical Motor Prosthetic (CMP), Neuromotor Prostheses (NMP), Intracortical Neural Prosthetics, Invasive Neural Prosthetic all terms used interchangeabl

Illiquid oceans : the risk of liquidity shortages for the expansion of offshore wind energy in Germany

The German transition to renewable energies has so far been an example of a successful energy transition of a major economy. Even though this transition is criticized for being only a half-hearted solution, it is an important example of the attempt of a major economy to transit towards renewable energies and is therefore worth studying in its own rights. Thus, my aim in this thesis is the identification of obstacles on the pathway towards renewable energies to contribute to a more stable transition to a fossil free economy, as one of the most urgent issues of our time. This research is relevant to the broader question, of whether it could be a suitable strategy to reform the energy sector without reforming related sectors such as the FS. Focusing on the financial basis of the renewable energy transition, I claim that the German transition is at risk, as its financing relies on the unstable financial system. Private capital sources are expected to finance most of the necessary investment in renewable energies. Those capital sources, however, are volatile and instable, as described by Minsky’s instability hypothesis, which was supported by the strong evidence of the latest financial crisis. I analyse the financial basis of the German energy transition from a structural as well as a discursive dimension. Both dimensions are consistently embraced by the framework of Critical Discourse Analysis, as developed by Fairclough, which I apply in my research. I use offshore wind energy as a case which allows me to conduct an in depth problem analysis. My structural analysis clearly showed strong financial linkages between the financial system and key companies operative in the energy transition. Standing on the shoulders of Minsky’s instability hypothesis, I follow that those linkages destabilize the energy transition. My discursive analysis pointed to a lack of problem awareness amongst the key agents of the energy transition. Thus, also the importance of risk mitigation is hardly emphasized in their discourse. The problem of financial instability of the German transition to renewable energies demands a problem awareness that results in further research and ultimately structural changes. Acknowledging the interconnectedness between the energy and the financial system is a first step in finding holistic problem solutions. On this note, my research puts sustainability into a new light: By tackling sustainability problems, all connected systems can be changed for a better. It is time to end thinking in trade-offs

Barriers and facilitators to palliative care of patients with chronic heart failure in Germany: a study protocol

Background. Despite its high prevalence, similar symptoms and symptom burden, people suffering from chronic heart failure receive less palliative care than patients with malignant diseases. Internationally, numerous barriers to palliative care of patients with chronic heart failure are known, however, there are no credible data regarding barriers and facilitators to palliative care of people suffering from chronic heart failure available for Germany. Design and Methods. Tripartite study. First part of this study evaluates health care providers’ (physicians and nurses) perceived barriers and facilitators to palliative care of patients with chronic heart failure using a qualitative approach. At least 18 persons will be interviewed. In the second part, based on the results of part one, a questionnaire about barriers and facilitators to palliative care of patients with chronic heart failure will be designed and applied to at least 150 physicians and nurses. In the last part a classic Delphi method will be used to develop specific measures to improve the palliative care for chronic heart failure patients. Expected Impact for Public Health. The results of this study will help to understand why patients with heart failure are seldom referred to palliative care and will provide solutions to overcome these barriers. Developed solutions will be the first step to improve palliative care in patients with heart failure in Germany. In addition, the results will help health care providers in other countries to take action to improve palliative care situations for heart failure patients

Consolidating Causation: Groundwork for a Pragmatic Approach to Causation in the Law

Causation in the law is an extremely complex issue which has vexed philosophers and legal scholars alike. A chief reason for the vexation, I claim, is that most scholars who have tackled the issue start from premises that are philosophically misguided. The conventional viewpoint is that proving causation in a legal case involves two completely distinct elements—cause-in-fact (the question of whether a defendant’s conduct actually causally produced the plaintiff’s injury), and proximate causation (the normative question of whether a defendant should be held responsible for having in fact caused the plaintiff’s harm). In this dissertation, I argue that the conventional viewpoint is incorrect. The conventional approach draws a sharp dividing line between factual and normative questions that is unjustifiable. An accurate analysis of causation in the law will recognize norms of fact and norms of value as being intricately interconnected. I propose an analysis which interprets causation in the law in terms of causal selection—the practice of selecting a “cause” from a set of conditions that were also causally necessary for the effect. Because the selection-oriented analysis emphasizes interests and purposes, it can account for the crucial interconnectedness of facts and values in legal determinations of cause-in-fact and proximate cause both. By consolidating causation in this way, we can consolidate our analysis of legal causation—that is, make it stronger

Transcriptional feedback in the insulin signalling pathway modulates ageing in both Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster.

Several components have been previously identified, that modulate longevity in several species, including the target of rapamycin (TOR) and the Insulin/IGF-1 (IIS) signalling pathways. In order to infer paths and transcriptional feedback loops that are likely to modulate ageing, we manually built a comprehensive and computationally efficient signalling network model of the IIS and TOR pathways in worms. The core insulin transduction is signalling from the sole insulin receptor daf-2 to ultimately inhibit the translocation of the transcription factor daf-16 into the nucleus. Reduction in this core signalling is thought to increase longevity in several species. In addition to this core insulin signalling, we have also recorded in our worm model the transcription factors skn-1 and hif-1, those are also thought to modulate ageing in a daf-16 independent manner. Several paths that are likely to modulate ageing were inferred via a web-based service NetEffects, by utilising perturbed components (rheb-1, let-363, aak-2, daf-2;daf-16 and InR;foxo in worms and flies respectively) from freely available gene expression microarrays. These included "routes" from TOR pathway to transcription factors daf-16, skn-1, hif-1 and daf-16 independent paths via skn-1/hif-1. Paths that could be tested by experimental hypotheses, with respect to relative contribution to longevity, are also discussed. Direct comparison of the IIS and TOR pathways in both worm and fly suggest a remarkable similarity. While similarities in the paths that could modulate ageing in both organisms were noted, differences are also discussed. This approach can also be extended to other pathways and processes

Computational biology for ageing

High-throughput genomic and proteomic technologies have generated a wealth of publicly available data on ageing. Easy access to these data, and their computational analysis, is of great importance in order to pinpoint the causes and effects of ageing. Here, we provide a description of the existing databases and computational tools on ageing that are available for researchers. We also describe the computational approaches to data interpretation in the field of ageing including gene expression, comparative and pathway analyses, and highlight the challenges for future developments. We review recent biological insights gained from applying bioinformatics methods to analyse and interpret ageing data in different organisms, tissues and conditions

Ion-cathode bombardment for the creation of tightly bound deuterium clusters in palladium

A complementary approach of experimental and computational methods was used in pursuit of determining optimal ion bombardment parameters for the creation of deuterium clusters with high binding energies. The incident ions create damage cascades leading to the production of defects such as vacancies, dislocations, and voids. These defects are known to trap interstitial deuterium with binding energies dependent on the trap’s geometry and volume. To simultaneously obtain high concentrations of defects and hydrogen, a simple DC glow discharge method was employed. Deuterium ions bombarded a palladium cathode at varying fluences (1 x 〖10〗^18 ions/cm^3,1 x〖 10〗^19 ions/cm^3,and 1 x 〖10〗^20 ions/cm^3) and incident energies dependent on cathode bias (-0.75 kV,-0.875 kV,and -1.0 kV). Langmuir probe measurements of the Electron Energy Distribution Function (EEDF) validated a COMSOL simulation’s accuracy which confirmed the proper methodology for reproducing discharge dynamics. The simulation was a sequential coupling between COMSOL's Plasma module and Boltzmann Equation, Two-Term Approximation module allowing for more exact calculations of the Townsend coefficients. Properly accounting for the Townsend coefficients is necessary to represent the kinetics of DC discharges with low ionization fractions and species mobility highly dependent on the electric field. With these corroborating results, the model was expanded to conditions where measuring plasma properties became no longer feasible. The model produced Ion Angular Energy Distribution Functions (IAENDF) at the cathode which allowed for finding trends in Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy (TDS) curves. The desorption peaks centered around 600-800 K. There appeared to be a deuterium trapping limit dependent on defect concentration where once a distinct defect density was met any further damage was counterproductive to deuterium trapping. The condition that produced the most trapped deuterium was -0.75 kV cathode bias in 1 Torr deuterium with a fluence of 1 x 〖10〗^18 ions/cm^3. To further investigate these TDS trends some samples were observed under SEM and TEM. The results showed surface pit and blister formations which grew in concentration as the fluence increased. Beneath the surface formations, cross-section images showed large voids and holes in the material with cracks at grain boundaries. TEM images displayed the resulting damage structure which extended ~250 nm into the cathode for a sample at 1.0 Torr and -1.0 kV. A proposal is that as the damage concentration increased, these voids grew to such an extent that they formed the blisters and eventually ruptured leading to the release of the trapped deuterium