605 research outputs found
The Application of Geographic Information Systems to Support Wayfinding for People with Visual Impairments or Blindness
People with visual impairments or legal blindness are relying on differing, comprehensive information utilized for their individual mobility. Increasing the personal mobility of people with disabilities and thereby achieving a self-determined life are major steps toward a more inclusive society. Research and applications on mobility issues of people with visual impairments or blindness mainly focus on technical applications or assistive orientation and navigation devices, and less work is covering the individual needs, e.g., regarding the information required for wayfinding. Moreover, active participation of people with disabilities in research and development is still limited. ways2see offers a new online application to support individual mobility in context of pre-trip planning for people with visual impairments or blindness based on a Geographic Information System (GIS). Obstacles, barriers, landmarks, orientation hints, and directions for wayfinding are generated by user profiles. The underlying network for GIS analysis is designed as pedestrian network. This individually coded network approach integrates sidewalks and different types of crossings and implements various orientation and navigation attributes. ways2see integrates three research realms: firstly, implementing a participative and transdisciplinary research design; secondly, integrating personalized information aligned with the individual user needs; and thirdly, presenting result of GIS analysis through an accessible designed user interface
Smarter Cities â Ein Modell lebenswerter StĂ€dte
StĂ€dte der Zukunft haben komplexe und systemische Herausforderungen wie Bevölkerungswachstum, Umweltprobleme, die GewĂ€hrleistung von flĂ€chendeckender Ver- und Entsorgung bei einer Verknappung der Ressourcen sowie gesellschaftliche VerĂ€nderungsprozesse zu bewĂ€ltigen. HĂ€ufig fĂ€llt in diesem Zusammenhang die Forderung nach einer Entwicklung zu âSmarter Citiesâ. Doch was steckt hinter dem Begriff âSmart Cityâ, der mittlerweile zu einem âTrendwortâ geworden ist? Was zeichnet eine âSmart Cityâ aus? Und vor allem: Wie und in welchen Bereichen mĂŒssen sich StĂ€dte weiterentwickeln, damit sie zu âsmarterâ Cities werden können?
Aufgrund der vielfĂ€ltigen Herausforderungen und der KomplexitĂ€t des Systems Stadt, ist es erforderlich, Prozesse in Smart Cities aufeinander abzustimmen und zu koordinieren. Neben der Infrastrukturversorgung (Energie, Verkehr, Ver- und Entsorgung, Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien, etc.) besteht auch in den Bereichen LebensqualitĂ€t und Umwelt, Wirtschaft und Forschung sowie Verwaltung Abstimmungsbedarf. Oft wird Smart City aufgrund der Technologieorientierung der Gesellschaft mit dem Einsatz neuer Technologien in den Bereichen Energie, MobilitĂ€t und Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien (ICT) gleichgesetzt. In diesem Kontext werden vielfach (technische) Systeme entwickelt, die weder angenommen werden noch den gewĂŒnschten Erfolg erzielen können. Daher ist es wichtig, nicht nur technologische Voraussetzungen fĂŒr Smart Cities zu schaffen, sondern auch regulatorische sowie gesellschaftliche und soziale Fragestellungen mit einzubinden. Diese Ausweitung des Entwicklungsansatzes folgt darĂŒber hinaus dem Prinzip der Nachhaltigkeit.
Ausgehend von einer Begriffsdefinition bzw. -abgrenzung der Smart City entwickelt diese Arbeit ein Modell, das den Prozess der Weiterentwicklung einer Stadt zu einer Smart City skizziert. Das âSmarter City Modellâ resultiert aus einem komplexen Zugang, der Wechselwirkungen und EinflĂŒsse von Akteuren und deren Handlungsfeldern in einem stĂ€dtischen Entwicklungsprozess beleuchtet. Durch iterative Prozesse wurden Experteninterviews, Fallbeispiele und einschlĂ€gige Literatur in die Modellentwicklung integriert. Neben diesen Faktoren spielen auch technische, gesellschaftliche und regulatorische Voraussetzungen und ihre Wechselwirkungen eine zentrale Rolle. Das resultierende Wissen fĂŒhrt zu einer integrativen Formulierung von Herausforderungen, Neuabgrenzung von Handlungsfeldern sowie zur Definition von Voraussetzungen fĂŒr Smart Cities
The future circular collider study
At the end of 2018, a large worldwide collaboration, withcontributors from more than 350 institutes completed theconceptual design of the Future Circular Collider (FCC),aâŒ100 km accelerator infrastructure linked to the existingCERN complex, that would open up the way to the post-LHC era in particle physics. We present an overview of thetwo main accelerator options considered in the design study,namely the lepton collider (FCC-ee), serving as highest-luminosity Higgs and electroweak factory, and the 100-TeVenergy-frontier hadron collider (FCC-hh), along with theongoing technological R&D efforts and the planned nextsteps. A recently approved EU co-funded project, the FCCInnovation Study (FCCIS), will refine the design of the lep-ton collider and prepare the actual implementation of theFCC, in collaboration with European and global partners,and with the local authorities
Regional modeling and the logics of sustainability - a social theory approach for regional development and change
Effectiveness of a primary care based complex intervention to promote self-management in patients presenting psychiatric symptoms: study protocol of a cluster-randomized controlled trial
BACKGROUND: Anxiety, Depression and Somatoform (ADSom) disorders are highly prevalent in primary care. Managing these disorders is time-consuming and requires strong commitment on behalf of the General Practitioners (GPs). Furthermore, the management of these patients is restricted by the high patient turnover rates in primary care practices, especially in the German health care system. In order to address this problem, we implement a complex, low-threshold intervention by an Advanced Practice Nurse (APN) using a mixture of case management and counseling techniques to promote self-management in these patients. Here we present the protocol of the âSelf-Management Support for Anxiety, Depression and Somatoform Disorders in Primary Careâ (SMADS)-Study. METHODS/DESIGN: The study is designed as a cluster-randomized controlled trial, comparing an intervention and a control group of 10 primary care practices in each case. We will compare the effectiveness of the intervention applied by an APN with usual GP-care. A total of 340 participants will be enrolled in the study, 170 in either arm. We use the Patient Health Questionnaire-German version (PHQ-D) as a screening tool for psychiatric symptoms, including patients with a score above 5 on any of the three symptom scales. The primary outcome is self-efficacy, measured by the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE), here used as a proxy for self-management. As secondary outcomes we include the PHQ-D symptom load and questionnaires regarding coping with illness and health related quality of life. Outcome assessments will be applied 8 weeks and 12 months after the baseline assessment. DISCUSSION: The SMADS-study evaluates a complex, low threshold intervention for ambulatory patients presenting ADSom-symptoms, empowering them to better manage their condition, as well as improving their motivation to engage in self-help and health-seeking behaviour. The benefit of the intervention will be substantiated, when patients can enhance their expected self-efficacy, reduce their symptom load and engage in more self-help activities to deal with their everyday lives. After successfully evaluating this psychosocial intervention, a new health care model for the management of symptoms of anxiety, depression and somatoform disorders for ambulatory patients could emerge, supplementing the work of the GP. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT0172638
Monitoring the volatile language of fungi using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry
Fusarium oxysporum is a plant pathogenic fungus leading to severe crop losses in agriculture every year. A sustainable way of combating this pathogen is the application of mycoparasitesâfungi parasitizing other fungi. The filamentous fungus Trichoderma atroviride is such a mycoparasite that is able to antagonize phytopathogenic fungi. It is therefore frequently applied as a biological pest control agent in agriculture. Given that volatile metabolites play a crucial role in organismic interactions, the major aim of this study was to establish a method for on-line analysis of headspace microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) during cultivation of different fungi. An ion mobility spectrometer with gas chromatographic pre-separation (GC-IMS) enables almost real-time information of volatile emissions with good selectivity. Here we illustrate the successful use of GC-IMS for monitoring the time- and light-dependent release of MVOCs by F. oxysporum and T. atroviride during axenic and co-cultivation. More than 50 spectral peaks were detected, which could be assigned to 14 volatile compounds with the help of parallel gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) measurements. The majority of identified compounds are alcohols, such as ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-methyl propanol, 2-methyl butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol and 1-octen-3-ol. In addition to four ketones, namely acetone, 2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, 3-octanone, and 2-octanone; two esters, ethyl acetate and 1-butanol-3-methylacetate; and one aldehyde, 3-methyl butanal, showed characteristic profiles during cultivation depending on axenic or co-cultivation, exposure to light, and fungal species. Interestingly, 2-octanone was produced only in co-cultures of F. oxysporum and T. atroviride, but it was not detected in the headspace of their axenic cultures. The concentrations of the measured volatiles were predominantly in the low ppbv range; however, values above 100 ppbv were detected for several alcohols, including ethanol, 2-methylpropanol, 2-methyl butanol, 1- and 3-methyl butanol, and for the ketone 2-heptanone, depending on the cultivation conditions. Our results highlight that GC-IMS analysis can be used as a valuable analytical tool for identifying specific metabolite patterns for chemotaxonomic and metabolomic applications in near-to-real time and hence easily monitor temporal changes in volatile concentrations that take place in minutes
Prevalence and associated factors of viral hepatitis and transferrin elevations in 5036 patients admitted to the emergency room of a Swiss university hospital: cross-sectional study
BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of liver disease in patients admitted to emergency rooms is largely unknown. The current study aimed to measure the prevalence of viral hepatitis B and C infection and pathological laboratory values of liver disease in such a population, and to study factors associated with these measurements. METHODS: Cross-sectional study in patients admitted to the emergency room of a university hospital. No formal exclusion criteria. Determination of anti-HBs, anti-HCV, transferrin saturation, alanine aminotransferase, and obtaining answers from a study-specific questionnaire. RESULTS: The study included 5'036 patients, representing a 14.9% sample of the target population during the study period. Prevalence of anti-HBc and anti-HCV was 6.7% (95%CI 6.0% to 7.4%) and 2.7% (2.3% to 3.2%), respectively. Factors independently associated with positive anti-HBc were intravenous drug abuse (OR 18.3; 11.3 to 29.7), foreign country of birth (3.4; 2.6 to 4.4), non-white ethnicity (2.7; 1.9 to 3.8) and age > or =60 (2.0; 1.5 to 2.8). Positive anti-HCV was associated with intravenous drug abuse (78.9; 43.4 to 143.6), blood transfusion (1.7; 1.1 to 2.8) and abdominal pain (2.7; 1.5 to 4.8). 75% of all participants were not vaccinated against hepatitis B or did not know their vaccination status. Among anti-HCV positive patients only 49% knew about their infection and 51% reported regular alcohol consumption. Transferrin saturation was elevated in 3.3% and was associated with fatigue (prevalence ratio 1.9; 1.2 to 2.8). CONCLUSION: Emergency rooms should be considered as targets for public health programs that encourage vaccination, patient education and screening of high-risk patients for liver disease with subsequent referral for treatment if indicated
Erkrankungen, PflegebedĂŒrftigkeit und subjektive Gesundheit im hohen Alter
Trotz des schnellen Wachstums des Anteils der Bevölkerung in einem Alter ab 80 Jahren an der Gesamtbevölkerung (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2019), ist das Wissen ĂŒber diese Bevölkerungsgruppe bislang gering. Zwar gibt es thematisch, methodisch und regional spezifische Studien, jedoch keine reprĂ€sentative Erfassung der Lebenssituation und LebensqualitĂ€t dieser Altersgruppe fĂŒr den gesamtdeutschen Raum. Eine gute Datenlage ist jedoch notwendig: Zum einen, um den besonderen UnterstĂŒtzungsbedarfen im hohen Alter zukĂŒnftig besser gerecht werden zu können. Zum anderen, um LösungsansĂ€tze fĂŒr sozialpolitische Herausforderungen wie der sozialen Sicherung im Alter sowie im Hinblick auf eine Generationengerechtigkeit entwickeln zu können. "Hohes Alter in Deutschland" (D80+) ist eine bundesweit reprĂ€sentative Querschnittsbefragung der hochaltrigen Menschen in Privathaushalten und in Heimen. Die Studie baut auf dem im Hochaltri-genpanel NRW80+ (Wagner et al., 2018) entwickelten Studienprotokoll und dem interdisziplinĂ€r ent-wickelten Rahmenmodell zur ErklĂ€rung von LebensqualitĂ€t im hohen Alter (Neise et al., 2019) auf. Die Studie D80+ âHohes Alter in Deutschlandâ wird vom Bundesministerium fĂŒr Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ) fĂŒr drei Jahre gefördert und gemeinsam vom Cologne Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics, and Social Sciences of Health (ceres) und dem Deutschen Zentrum fĂŒr Altersfragen (DZA) durchgefĂŒhrt. Die Studie vereint Perspektiven der an den beteiligten Institutionen verorteten Disziplinen wie Soziologie, Psychologie, Versorgungswissenschaften, Gerontologie und Medizin. Aufgrund der Coronapandemie konnte eine persönliche Befragung nicht umgesetzt werden. Stattdessen wurde zunĂ€chst eine schriftliche Befragung, und darauf aufsetzend eine telefonische Befragung realisiert. Dabei wurden auch Fragen zu Erfahrungen im Zusammenhang mit der Coronapandemie gestellt. Im Rahmen der schriftlichen Befragung beteiligten sich insgesamt 10.372 Personen und damit mehr als jede vierte angesprochene hochaltrige Person an der Studie. Umfang und Anlage der Studie erlauben erstmals einen differenzierten Blick auf die Lebenssituation von MĂ€nnern und Frauen sowie von verschiedenen Gruppen sehr alter Menschen (80-84 Jahre, 85-89 Jahre, 90 Jahre und Ă€lter) in Deutschland. Die gewichteten Daten berĂŒcksichtigen die unterschiedlichen Auswahl- und Teilnahmewahrscheinlichkeiten in Subgruppen und sind mit Blick auf wesentliche demographische Daten wie Alters- und Geschlechtsstruktur, Familienstand, HaushaltsgröĂe, Institutionalisierung, GemeindegröĂe und Bundesland fĂŒr die Ăber-80-JĂ€hrigen in Deutschland reprĂ€sentativ. Aussagen zu ĂŒberzufĂ€lligen Merkmalsunterschieden oder MerkmalszusammenhĂ€ngen sind mit einem konventionellen Fehlerniveau (α=0.05) abgesichert und berĂŒcksichtigen die komplexe Stichprobenstruktur (Gemeinden als Untersuchungscluster) mit
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