Berührungsloses Meßverfahren zur Beurteilung der Struktur bearbeiteter Holzoberflächen

Die Beurteilung der Struktur bearbeiteter Oberflächen von Holz und Holzwerkstolfen ist meßtechnisch eine anspruchsvolle Aufgabenstellung. So ist bei mechanisch abtastenden Verfahren die Größe des Radius der Tastspitze und deren Kegelform ein entscheidender begrenzender Faktor dafür, welche Feinheiten der abgetasteten Oberfläche noch erlaßt werden können. Beispielsweise sind offene angeschnittene Poren kaum darstellbar bzw. von anderen "Oberflächenfehlern" schwer zu unterscheiden. Ebenso spielt die Auflagekraft der Tastspitze eine das Meßergebnis beeinflussende Rolle, da es gegebenenfalls zu Deformationen oder Zerstörung der empfindlichen Zellstruktur der Oberfläche kommen kann. Ferner erlauben Tastschnittgeräte im allgemeinen nur ein linienförmiges Abtasten der Holzoberfläche. Eine Darstellung der räumlichen Struktur der zu beurteilenden Oberfläche ist nur mit erheblichen Zeitaufwand möglich. Der Firma UBM aus Ettlingen ist es gelungen, ein Meßverfahren für höchste Ansprüche zu entwickeln, das auf einem berührungslosen Meßprinzip beruht

Exploring eco-industrial development in the global south: recognizing informal waste-picking as urban-industrial symbiosis?

Industrial ecology (IE) is discussed as a suitable approach to resolve three widespread socio-ecological problems in the so-called global south: waste accumulation, unemployment, and lack of adequate housing. As the IE framework was developed mainly in the global north, its applicability in the global south is uncertain. The issue is discussed along the use of municipal waste as building materials as a concrete application of circular economy (CE) and IE principles, which could contribute to the alleviation of the aforementioned social-ecological problems. The study focuses on San Martin, a district in the Buenos Aires metropolitan areawhich suffers from these problems dispite its industrial capacities. A SWOT analysis that includes all PESTLE dimensions was applied to identify risks for the success of an IE-based strategy, including the main actors and stakeholders of local waste management. Key issues include the informality and low agency of non-profit organizations, fluctuations in the national economy, inefficiencies in waste collection and recovery, and a lack of awareness and policies on waste separation. One major challenge is the undervaluation of the relevance, expertise and efficiency of waste sorting and processing by informal waste pickers and non-profit organizations. These practices should be recognized as a symbiosis of the urban with the industrial metabolism. This way, the epistemic basis for the eco-industrial development (EID) framework can be layed to make it capable to empower them rather than further displace the people involved. In this way, urban EID could become a useful strategy to channel different scientific disciplines, knowledge and actors, knowledge and actors towards sustainable development.Fil: Tröger, Danny. University of Kassel; AlemaniaFil: Becerra Araneda, Abraham Alexis. Universidad Nacional de San Martin. Instituto de Arquitectura y Urbanismo; ArgentinaFil: Busnelli, Roberto. Universidad Nacional de San Martin. Instituto de Arquitectura y Urbanismo; ArgentinaFil: Yajnes, Marta Edith. Universidad Nacional de San Martin. Instituto de Arquitectura y Urbanismo; ArgentinaFil: Williams, Fernando. Universidad Nacional de San Martin. Instituto de Arquitectura y Urbanismo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Braun, Andreas Christian. University of Kassel; Alemani

Identifying Appropriate Nursing Home Resources to Reduce Fall-Related Emergency Department Transfers.

OBJECTIVES To describe potentially avoidable fall-related transfers to the emergency department (ED), and to identify infrastructure, training needs, and resources deemed appropriate for implementation in nursing homes (NHs) to decrease fall-related transfers to EDs. DESIGN A multi-method design, including (1) in-depth case review by an expert panel, (2) structured discussion with NH stakeholders, and (3) appropriateness rating. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Fall-related transfers were identified from the prospective reporting of every unplanned hospital transfer occurring within 21 months, collected during the INTERCARE study in 11 Swiss NHs. METHODS Eighty-one fall-related transfers were rated for avoidability by a 2-round expert panel. NH stakeholders were consulted to discuss key implementable resources for NHs to mitigate potentially avoidable fall-related transfers. A questionnaire composed of 21 contextually adapted resources was sent to a larger group of stakeholders, to rate the appropriateness for implementation in NHs. χ2 tests were used to assess whether avoidability was associated with an ED visit and to describe transfers. The RAND/UCLA method for appropriateness was used to determine appropriate resources. RESULTS One of 4 fall-related transfers were rated as potentially avoidable. A positive association was found between an ED visit and a rating of avoidability (χ2 (1, N = 81) = 18.0, P < .001). Fourteen resources, including developing partnerships with outpatient clinics to access imaging services and strengthening geriatric expertise in nursing homes through clinical training and advanced nurse practitioners, were rated as appropriate by NH stakeholders for NH implementation to reduce potentially avoidable fall-related ED transfers. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Access to diagnostic equipment, geriatric expertise, and clinical training is essential to reduce fall-related potentially avoidable transfers from NHs. Implementing and supporting advanced practice nurses or nurses in extended roles provides NH directors, policymakers, and health care institutions with the possibility of re-engineering resources to limit unnecessary transfers, which are detrimental for resident quality of care and costly for the health system

PuraStat in gastrointestinal bleeding: results of a prospective multicentre observational pilot study

Background: A recently developed haemostatic peptide gel for endoscopic application has been introduced to improve the management of gastrointestinal bleeding. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, efficacy and indication profiles of PuraStat in a clinical setting. Methods: In this prospective observational multicentre pilot study, patients with acute non-variceal gastrointestinal bleeding (upper and lower) were included. Primary and secondary application of PuraStat was evaluated. Haemoglobin, prothrombin time, platelets and transfusion behaviour were documented before and after haemostasis. The efficacy of PuraStat was assessed during the procedure, at 3 days and 1 week after application. Results: 111 patients with acute gastrointestinal bleeding were recruited into the study. 70 percent (78/111) of the patients had upper gastrointestinal bleeding and 30% (33/111) had lower gastrointestinal bleeding. After primary application of PuraStat, initial haemostatic success was achieved in 94% of patients (74/79, 95% CI 88-99%), and in 75% of the patients when used as a secondary haemostatic product, following failure of established techniques (24/32, 95% CI 59-91%). The therapeutic success rates (absence of rebleeding) after 3 and 7 days were 91% and 87% after primary use, and 87% and 81% in all study patients. Overall rebleeding rate at 30 day follow-up was 16% (18/111). In the 5 patients who finally required surgery (4.5%), PuraStat allowed temporary haemostasis and stabilisation. Conclusions: PuraStat expanded the therapeutic toolbox available for an effective treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding sources. It could be safely applied and administered without complications as a primary or secondary therapy. PuraStat may additionally serve as a bridge to surgery in order to achieve temporary haemostasis in case of refractory severe bleeding, possibly playing a role in preventing immediate emergency surgery