Continuous Non-Invasive Ophthalmic Glucose Sensor for Diabetics

A contact lens with an embedded glucose sensor hologram has been developed for continuous non-invasive monitoring of glucose levels in diabetics. This article describes the development and initial clinical testing of this ophthalmic glucose sensor and provides a comparison to current continuous glucose monitors

Heuristische Verfahren

Heuristische Verfahren dienen zur näherungsweisen Lösung von komplexen Entscheidungs- und Optimierungsproblemen bzw. zugehörigen Optimierungsmodellen. Eröffnungsverfahren konstruieren eine (erste) zulässige Lösung, während Verbesserungsverfahren durch sukzessive Lösungstransformation zu verbesserten (lokal optimalen) Lösungen führen. Metastrategien steuern Verbesserungsverfahren im Hinblick auf die Untersuchung vielversprechender Lösungsbereiche und die Überwindung lokaler Optimalität.Heuristisches Verfahren, Heuristik, Optimierungsmodell, Metastrategie

Entropy-Preserving Coupling of Hierarchical Gas Models

This paper is concerned with coupling conditions at junctions for transport models which differ in their fidelity to describe transient flow in gas pipelines. It also includes the integration of compressors between two pipes with possibly different models. A hierarchy of three one-dimensional gas transport models is built through the 3x3 polytropic Euler equations, the 2x2 isentropic Euler equations and a simplified version of it for small velocities. To ensure entropy preservation, we make use of the novel entropy-preserving coupling conditions recently proposed by Lang and Mindt [Netw. Heterog. Media, 13:177-190, 2018] and require the continuity of the total enthalpy at the junction and that the specific entropy for pipes with outgoing flow equals the convex combination of all entropies that belong to pipes with incoming flow. We prove the existence and uniqueness of solutions to generalised Riemann problems at a junction in the neighbourhood of constant coupling functions and stationary states which belong to the subsonic region. This provides the basis for the well-posedness of certain Cauchy problems for initial data with sufficiently small total variation.Comment: 28 pages, 3 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1704.0403

Genomische Charakterisierung, systematisches Mutationsscreening und Assoziationsstudie des CREM-Gens bei Patienten mit Panikstörung

Panikstörung ist eine Angsterkrankung mit einer Heritabilität von ca. 48%. Knock-out Mäuse für das 'C-AMP Responsive Element Modulator' (CREM) Gen zeigen ein niedrigeres Angstniveau als Wildtyp-Mäuse. CREM ist zudem ein wichtiger nukleärer Transkriptionsfaktor in der hypothalamo-hypophyseo-adrenalen Achse. Daher wurde nach genomischer Charakterisierung des CREM Gens (10p12.1-11.1) bei 40 Patienten mit Panikstörung ein systematisches Mutationsscreening unter Verwendung von SSCP und direkter Sequenzierung durchgeführt. Identifizierte Polymorphismen wurden bei 88 Patienten und 88 alters- und geschlechtsangepassten Kontrollen mittels RFLP- und Fragmentanalysen auf Assoziation untersucht. Von sechs identifizierten Polymorphismen war ein Trinukleotid-Repeat-Polymorphismus in Promotor P2 in der kürzeren Allelform signifikant mit Panikstörung (p=0,02), v.a. ohne Agoraphobie (p=0,001) assoziiert, was auf eine mögliche Beteiligung des CREM Gens an der Pathogenese der Panikstörung hinweist

L’influence d’Auguste Comte sur les conceptions philosophiques de Wilhelm Ostwald

Wilhelm Ostwald (1853-1932) est resté dans l’histoire des sciences comme un des principaux adversaires de l’atomisme, qu’il identifiait au « matérialisme scientifique », et comme le théoricien de l’« énergétisme », théorie physique ensuite généralisée à l’ensemble des phénomènes, y compris sociologiques. Dans sa critique de l’atomisme, Ostwald emprunte une partie de ses arguments au positivisme ambiant, celui de Mach notamment, mais aussi, plus discrètement, au positivisme de Comte, pour lequel il affiche une estime sincère. L’article met en lumière certains aspects fondamentaux de la lecture de Comte par Ostwald et montre ce que la classification des sciences par Ostwald doit à celle de Comte. Si Ostwald revendique son identité de savant et si son énergétisme ne doit rien au fondateur du positivisme français, qui aurait refusé toute forme de monisme, en revanche, plusieurs points communs se font jour dans leur conception des sciences

Developmental pathways towards mood disorders in adult life: Is there a role for sleep disturbances?

Introduction: Mood disorders are among the most prevalent and serious mental disorders and rank high among to the leading global burdens of disease. The developmental psychopathology framework can offer a life course perspective on them thus providing a basis for early prevention and intervention. Sleep disturbances, are considered risk factors for mood disorders across childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Assuming that sleep disturbances may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of mood disorders from a life course point of view, we reviewed the data on developmental pathways towards mood disorders in adult life in relation to sleep disturbances. Method: From February 2017, a systematic search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO and Embase electronic databases for literature on developmental pathways to mood disorders in adult life in relation to sleep disturbances and to 1) pre-natal stress, 2) early brain developmental processes, and 3) temperaments, character and attachment style. Results: Eleven, 54 and 15 articles were respectively selected. Conclusions: Experimental and clinical studies revealed that exposure to prenatal/early life stress results in sleep disturbances such as poor sleep and altered circadian regulation phases and may predict or even precipitate mood disorders in adulthood. Chronic sleep disruption may interfere with neuronal plasticity, connectivity and the developing brain thus contributing to the development of mood disorders. In addition sleep and circadian dysregulations have been shown to be related to those temperaments, character and attachment styles which are considered precursors of mood disorders. Sleep and circadian behaviours may serve as early targets regarding mood disorders

Glucose-targeted niosomes deliver vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) to the brain

The aim of this study was to evaluate glucose-bearing niosomes as a brain targeted delivery system for the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). To this end, VIP/125I-VIP-loaded glucose-bearing niosomes were intravenously injected to mice. Brain uptake was determined by measuring the radioactivity of 125I-labeled VIP using gamma-counting, after intravenous administration of VIP in solution or encapsulated in glucose-bearing niosomes or in control niosomes. VIP integrity was assessed by reversed-phase HPLC analysis of brain extracts. Distribution of 125I-VIP derived radioactivity was examined from serial brain slices. HPLC analysis confirmed the presence of intact VIP in brain after administration of VIP-loaded niosomes, but not after administration of VIP solution. Encapsulation within glucose-bearing niosomes mainly allowed a significantly higher VIP brain uptake compared to control niosomes (up to 86%, 5min after treatment). Brain distribution of intact VIP after injection of glucose-bearing niosomes, indicated that radioactivity was preferentially located in the posterior and the anterior parts of the brain, whereas it was homogeneously distributed in the whole brain after the administration of control vesicles. In conclusion, this novel vesicular formulation of VIP delivers intact VIP to particular brain regions in mice. Glucose-bearing vesicles might be therefore a novel tool to deliver drugs across the blood-brain barrier (BBB)

Prognostic and Diagnostic Potential of the Structural Neuroanatomy of Depression

Background: Depression is experienced as a persistent low mood or anhedonia accompanied by behavioural and cognitive disturbances which impair day to day functioning. However, the diagnosis is largely based on self-reported symptoms, and there are no neurobiological markers to guide the choice of treatment. In the present study, we examined the prognostic and diagnostic potential of the structural neural correlates of depression.Methodology and Principal Findings: Subjects were 37 patients with major depressive disorder (mean age 43.2 years), medication-free, in an acute depressive episode, and 37 healthy individuals. Following the MRI scan, 30 patients underwent treatment with the antidepressant medication fluoxetine or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Of the patients who subsequently achieved clinical remission with antidepressant medication, the whole brain structural neuroanatomy predicted 88.9% of the clinical response, prior to the initiation of treatment (88.9% patients in clinical remission (sensitivity) and 88.9% patients with residual symptoms (specificity), p = 0.01). Accuracy of the structural neuroanatomy as a diagnostic marker though was 67.6% (64.9% patients (sensitivity) and 70.3% healthy individuals (specificity), p = 0.027).Conclusions and Significance: The structural neuroanatomy of depression shows high predictive potential for clinical response to antidepressant medication, while its diagnostic potential is more limited. The present findings provide initial steps towards the development of neurobiological prognostic markers for depression