@article{KnobeGiesenPlateetal.2016, author = {Knobe, M. and Giesen, M. and Plate, S. and Gradl-Dietsch, G. and Buecking, B. and Eschbach, D. and Laack, Walter van and Pape, H.-C.}, title = {The Aachen mobility and balance index to measure physiological falls risk: a comparison with the Tinetti POMA scale}, series = {European Journal Of Trauma And Emergency Surgery}, volume = {42}, journal = {European Journal Of Trauma And Emergency Surgery}, number = {5}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Berlin}, issn = {1863-9941}, doi = {10.1007/s00068-016-0693-2}, pages = {537 -- 545}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Purpose The most commonly used mobility assessments for screening risk of falls among older adults are rating scales such as the Tinetti performance oriented mobility assessment (POMA). However, its correlation with falls is not always predictable and disadvantages of the scale include difficulty to assess many of the items on a 3-point scale and poor specificity. The purpose of this study was to describe the ability of the new Aachen Mobility and Balance Index (AMBI) to discriminate between subjects with a fall history and subjects without such events in comparison to the Tinetti POMA Scale. Methods For this prospective cohort study, 24 participants in the study group and 10 in the control group were selected from a population of patients in our hospital who had met the stringent inclusion criteria. Both groups completed the Tinetti POMA Scale (gait and balance component) and the AMBI (tandem stance, tandem walk, ten-meter-walk-test, sit-to-stand with five repetitions, 360° turns, timed-up-and-go-test and measurement of the dominant hand grip strength). A history of falls and hospitalization in the past year were evaluated retrospectively. The relationships among the mobility tests were examined with Bland-Altmananalysis. Receiver-operated characteristics curves, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. Results The study showed a strong negative correlation between the AMBI (17 points max., highest fall risk) and Tinetti POMA Scale (28 points max., lowest fall risk; r = -0.78, p < 0.001) with an excellent discrimination between community-dwelling older people and a younger control group. However, there were no differences in any of the mobility and balance measurements between participants with and without a fall history with equal characteristics in test comparison (AMBI vs. Tinetti POMA Scale: AUC 0.570 vs. 0.598; p = 0.762). The Tinetti POMA Scale (cut-off <20 points) showed a sensitivity of 0.45 and a specificity of 0.69, the AMBI a sensitivity of 0.64 and a specificity of 0.46 (cut-off >5 points). Conclusion The AMBI comprises mobility and balance tasks with increasing difficulty as well as a measurement of the dominant hand-grip strength. Its ability to identify fallers was comparable to the Tinetti POMA Scale. However, both measurement sets showed shortcomings in discrimination between fallers and non-fallers based on a self-reported retrospective falls-status.}, language = {en} } @article{AlKaidyKuthanHeringetal.2016, author = {Al-Kaidy, Huschyar and Kuthan, Kai and Hering, Thomas and Tippk{\"o}tter, Nils}, title = {Aqueous droplets used as enzymatic microreactors and their electromagnetic actuation}, series = {Journal of Visualized Experiments}, journal = {Journal of Visualized Experiments}, number = {Issue 126}, issn = {1940-087X}, doi = {10.3791/54643}, year = {2016}, abstract = {For the successful implementation of microfluidic reaction systems, such as PCR and electrophoresis, the movement of small liquid volumes is essential. In conventional lab-on-a-chip-platforms, solvents and samples are passed through defined microfluidic channels with complex flow control installations. The droplet actuation platform presented here is a promising alternative. With it, it is possible to move a liquid drop (microreactor) on a planar surface of a reaction platform (lab-in-a-drop). The actuation of microreactors on the hydrophobic surface of the platform is based on the use of magnetic forces acting on the outer shell of the liquid drops which is made of a thin layer of superhydrophobic magnetite particles. The hydrophobic surface of the platform is needed to avoid any contact between the liquid core and the surface to allow a smooth movement of the microreactor. On the platform, one or more microreactors with volumes of 10 µL can be positioned and moved simultaneously. The platform itself consists of a 3 x 3 matrix of electrical double coils which accommodate either neodymium or iron cores. The magnetic field gradients are automatically controlled. By variation of the magnetic field gradients, the microreactors' magnetic hydrophobic shell can be manipulated automatically to move the microreactor or open the shell reversibly. Reactions of substrates and corresponding enzymes can be initiated by merging the microreactors or bringing them into contact with surface immobilized catalysts.}, language = {en} } @article{JablonowskiKollmannNabeletal.2016, author = {Jablonowski, Nicolai David and Kollmann, Tobias and Nabel, Moritz and Damm, Tatjana and Klose, Holger and M{\"u}ller, Michael and Bl{\"a}sing, Marc and Seebold, S{\"o}ren and Krafft, Simone and Kuperjans, Isabel and Dahmen, Markus and Schurr, Ulrich}, title = {Valorization of Sida (Sida hermaphrodita) biomass for multiple energy purposes}, series = {GCB [Global Change Biology] Bioenergy}, volume = {9}, journal = {GCB [Global Change Biology] Bioenergy}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1757-1707 (online)}, doi = {10.1111/gcbb.12346}, pages = {202 -- 214}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The performance and biomass yield of the perennial energy plant Sida hermaphrodita (hereafter referred to as Sida) as a feedstock for biogas and solid fuel was evaluated throughout one entire growing period at agricultural field conditions. A Sida plant development code was established to allow comparison of the plant growth stages and biomass composition. Four scenarios were evaluated to determine the use of Sida biomass with regard to plant development and harvest time: (i) one harvest for solid fuel only; (ii) one harvest for biogas production only; (iii) one harvest for biogas production, followed by a harvest of the regrown biomass for solid fuel; and (iv) two consecutive harvests for biogas production. To determine Sida's value as a feedstock for combustion, we assessed the caloric value, the ash quality, and melting point with regard to DIN EN ISO norms. The results showed highest total dry biomass yields of max. 25 t ha⁻¹, whereas the highest dry matter of 70\% to 80\% was obtained at the end of the growing period. Scenario (i) clearly indicated the highest energy recovery, accounting for 439 288 MJ ha⁻¹; the energy recovery of the four scenarios from highest to lowest followed this order: (i) ≫ (iii) ≫ (iv) > (ii). Analysis of the Sida ashes showed a high melting point of >1500 °C, associated with a net calorific value of 16.5-17.2 MJ kg⁻¹. All prerequisites for DIN EN ISO norms were achieved, indicating Sida's advantage as a solid energy carrier without any post-treatment after harvesting. Cell wall analysis of the stems showed a constant lignin content after sampling week 16 (July), whereas cellulose had already reached a plateau in sampling week 4 (April). The results highlight Sida as a promising woody, perennial plant, providing biomass for flexible and multipurpose energy applications.}, language = {en} } @article{HeinzeMangPopescuetal.2016, author = {Heinze, D. and Mang, Thomas and Popescu, C. and Weichold, O.}, title = {Effect of side chain length and degree of polymerization on the decomposition and crystallization behaviour of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers}, series = {Thermochimica Acta}, volume = {637}, journal = {Thermochimica Acta}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0040-6031 (electronic)}, doi = {10.1016/j.tca.2016.05.015}, pages = {143 -- 153}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Four members of a homologous series of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers CCl₃-(CH₂CH (OCO(CH₂)ₘCH₃))ₙ-Cl with degrees of polymerization of 10 and 20 were prepared by telomerisation using carbon tetrachloride. The number of side chain carbon atoms ranges from 2 (poly(vinyl acetate) to 18 (poly(vinyl stearate)). The effect of the n-alkyl side chain length and of the degree of polymerization on the thermal stability and crystallization behaviour of the synthesized compounds was investigated. All oligomers degrade in two major steps by first losing HCl and side chains with subsequent breakdown of the backbone. The members with short side chains, up to poly(vinyl octanoate), are amorphous and show internal plasticization, whereas those with high number of side chain carbon atoms are semi-crystalline due to side-chain crystallization. A better packing for poly(vinyl stearate) is also noticeable. The glass transition and melting temperatures as well as the onset temperature of decomposition are influenced to a larger extent by the side chain length than by the degree of polymerization. Thermal stability is improved if both the size and number of side chains increase, but only a long side chain causes a significant increase of the resistance to degradation. This results in a stabilization of PVAc so that oligomers from poly(vinyl octanoate) on are stable under atmospheric conditions. Thus, the way to design stable, chlorinated PVEs oligomers is to use a long n-alkyl side chain.}, language = {en} } @article{AlbannaConzenWeissetal.2016, author = {Albanna, W. and Conzen, C. and Weiss, M. and Clusmann, H. and Fuest, M. and Mueller, M. and Brockmann, M.A. and Vilser, W. and Schmidt-Trucks{\"a}ss, A. and Hoellig, A. and Seiz, M. and Thom{\´e}, C. and Kotliar, Konstantin and Schubert, G.A.}, title = {Retinal Vessel Analysis (RVA) in the context of subarachnoid hemorrhage: A proof of concept study}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {11}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {7}, publisher = {PLOS}, address = {San Francisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0158781}, pages = {13 Seiten}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background Timely detection of impending delayed cerebral ischemia after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is essential to improve outcome, but poses a diagnostic challenge. Retinal vessels as an embryological part of the intracranial vasculature are easily accessible for analysis and may hold the key to a new and non-invasive monitoring technique. This investigation aims to determine the feasibility of standardized retinal vessel analysis (RVA) in the context of SAH. Methods In a prospective pilot study, we performed RVA in six patients awake and cooperative with SAH in the acute phase (day 2-14) and eight patients at the time of follow-up (mean 4.6±1.7months after SAH), and included 33 age-matched healthy controls. Data was acquired using a manoeuvrable Dynamic Vessel Analyzer (Imedos Systems UG, Jena) for examination of retinal vessel dimension and neurovascular coupling. Results Image quality was satisfactory in the majority of cases (93.3\%). In the acute phase after SAH, retinal arteries were significantly dilated when compared to the control group (124.2±4.3MU vs 110.9±11.4MU, p<0.01), a difference that persisted to a lesser extent in the later stage of the disease (122.7±17.2MU, p<0.05). Testing for neurovascular coupling showed a trend towards impaired primary vasodilation and secondary vasoconstriction (p = 0.08, p = 0.09 resp.) initially and partial recovery at the time of follow-up, indicating a relative improvement in a time-dependent fashion. Conclusion RVA is technically feasible in patients with SAH and can detect fluctuations in vessel diameter and autoregulation even in less severely affected patients. Preliminary data suggests potential for RVA as a new and non-invasive tool for advanced SAH monitoring, but clinical relevance and prognostic value will have to be determined in a larger cohort.}, language = {en} } @article{RieperGebhardtStucker2016, author = {Rieper, Harald and Gebhardt, Andreas and Stucker, Brent}, title = {Selective Laser Melting of the Eutectic Silver-Copper Alloy Ag 28 wt \% Cu}, series = {RTejournal - Forum f{\"u}r Rapid Technologie}, volume = {13}, journal = {RTejournal - Forum f{\"u}r Rapid Technologie}, issn = {1614-0923}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/nbn:de:0009-2-44141}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The aim of this work was to perform a detailed investigation of the use of Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology to process eutectic silver-copper alloy Ag 28 wt. \% Cu (also called AgCu28). The processing occurred with a Realizer SLM 50 desktop machine. The powder analysis (SEM-topography, EDX, particle distribution) was reported as well as the absorption rates for the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum. Microscope imaging showed the surface topography of the manufactured parts. Furthermore, microsections were conducted for the analysis of porosity. The Design of Experiments approach used the response surface method in order to model the statistical relationship between laser power, spot distance and pulse time.}, language = {en} } @article{WagnerVornholtWerneretal.2016, author = {Wagner, Torsten and Vornholt, Wolfgang and Werner, Frederik and Yoshinobu, Tatsuo and Miyamoto, Ko-Ichiro and Keusgen, Michael and Sch{\"o}ning, Michael Josef}, title = {Light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) combined with magnetic beads for pharmaceutical screening}, series = {Physics in medicine}, volume = {2016}, journal = {Physics in medicine}, number = {1}, issn = {2352-4510}, doi = {10.1016/j.phmed.2016.03.001}, pages = {2 -- 7}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) has the unique feature to address different regions of a sensor surface without the need of complex structures. Measurements at different locations on the sensor surface can be performed in a common analyte solution, which distinctly simplifies the fluidic set-up. However, the measurement in a single analyte chamber prevents the application of different drugs or different concentrations of a drug to each measurement spot at the same time as in the case of multi-reservoir-based set-ups. In this work, the authors designed a LAPS-based set-up for cell culture screening that utilises magnetic beads loaded with the endotoxin (lipopolysaccharides, LPS), to generate a spatially distributed gradient of analyte concentration. Different external magnetic fields can be adjusted to move the magnetic beads loaded with a specific drug within the measurement cell. By recording the metabolic activities of a cell layer cultured on top of the LAPS surface, this work shows the possibility to apply different concentrations of a sample along the LAPS measurement spots within a common analyte solution.}, language = {en} } @article{DollWagnerWagneretal.2016, author = {Doll, Theodor and Wagner, Torsten and Wagner, Patrick and Sch{\"o}ning, Michael Josef}, title = {Engineering of functional interfaces / Theodor Doll ; Torsten Wagner ; Patrick Wagner ; Michael J. Sch{\"o}ning (eds.)}, series = {Physica status solidi (a)}, volume = {213}, journal = {Physica status solidi (a)}, number = {6}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1862-6319}, doi = {10.1002/pssa.201670641}, pages = {1393 -- 1394}, year = {2016}, language = {en} } @article{GhoschBaierSchuetzetal.2016, author = {Ghosch, S. and Baier, M. and Sch{\"u}tz, J. and Schneider, Felix and Scherer, Ulrich W.}, title = {Analysis of electronic autoradiographs by mathematical post-processing}, series = {Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids: Incorporating plasma science and plasma technology}, volume = {171}, journal = {Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids: Incorporating plasma science and plasma technology}, number = {1-2}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, address = {London}, issn = {1029-4953}, doi = {10.1080/10420150.2016.1155587}, pages = {161 -- 172}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Autoradiography is a well-established method of nuclear imaging. When different radionuclides are present simultaneously, additional processing is needed to distinguish distributions of radionuclides. In this work, a method is presented where aluminium absorbers of different thickness are used to produce images with different cut-off energies. By subtracting images pixel-by-pixel one can generate images representing certain ranges of β-particle energies. The method is applied to the measurement of irradiated reactor graphite samples containing several radionuclides to determine the spatial distribution of these radionuclides within pre-defined energy windows. The process was repeated under fixed parameters after thermal treatment of the samples. The greyscale images of the distribution after treatment were subtracted from the corresponding pre-treatment images. Significant changes in the intensity and distribution of radionuclides could be observed in some samples. Due to the thermal treatment parameters the most significant differences were observed in the ³H and ¹⁴C inventory and distribution.}, language = {en} } @article{KolditzAlbinAbeletal.2016, author = {Kolditz, Melanie and Albin, Thivaharan and Abel, Dirk and Fasse, Alessandro and Br{\"u}ggemann, Gert-Peter and Albracht, Kirsten}, title = {Evaluation of foot position and orientation as manipulated variables to control external knee adduction moments in leg extension training}, series = {Computer methods and programs in biomedicine}, volume = {171}, journal = {Computer methods and programs in biomedicine}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0169-2607}, doi = {10.1016/j.cmpb.2016.09.005}, pages = {81 -- 86}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background and Objective Effective leg extension training at a leg press requires high forces, which need to be controlled to avoid training-induced damage. In order to avoid high external knee adduction moments, which are one reason for unphysiological loadings on knee joint structures, both training movements and the whole reaction force vector need to be observed. In this study, the applicability of lateral and medial changes in foot orientation and position as possible manipulated variables to control external knee adduction moments is investigated. As secondary parameters both the medio-lateral position of the center of pressure and the frontal-plane orientation of the reaction force vector are analyzed. Methods Knee adduction moments are estimated using a dynamic model of the musculoskeletal system together with the measured reaction force vector and the motion of the subject by solving the inverse kinematic and dynamic problem. Six different foot conditions with varying positions and orientations of the foot in a static leg press are evaluated and compared to a neutral foot position. Results Both lateral and medial wedges under the foot and medial and lateral shifts of the foot can influence external knee adduction moments in the presented study with six healthy subjects. Different effects are observed with the varying conditions: the pose of the leg is changed and the direction and center of pressure of the reaction force vector is influenced. Each effect results in a different direction or center of pressure of the reaction force vector. Conclusions The results allow the conclusion that foot position and orientation can be used as manipulated variables in a control loop to actively control knee adduction moments in leg extension training.}, language = {en} }