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Trace metal determination by dc resistance changes of microstructured thin gold film electrodes
(1999)
Fields of asymmetric tensors play an important role in many applications such as medical imaging (diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging), physics, and civil engineering (for example Cauchy-Green-deformation tensor, strain tensor with local rotations, etc.). However, such asymmetric tensors are usually symmetrized and then further processed. Using this procedure results in a loss of information. A new method for the processing of asymmetric tensor fields is proposed restricting our attention to tensors of second-order given by a 2x2 array or matrix with real entries. This is achieved by a transformation resulting in Hermitian matrices that have an eigendecomposition similar to symmetric matrices. With this new idea numerical results for real-world data arising from a deformation of an object by external forces are given. It is shown that the asymmetric part indeed contains valuable information.
Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPS-CM) today are widely used for the investigation of normal electromechanical cardiac function, of cardiac medication and of mutations. Computational models are thus established that simulate the behavior of this kind of cells. This section first motivates the modeling of hiPS-CM and then presents and discusses several modeling approaches of microscopic and macroscopic constituents of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived and mature human cardiac tissue. The focus is led on the mapping of the computational results one can achieve with these models onto mature human cardiomyocyte models, the latter being the real matter of interest. Model adaptivity is the key feature that is discussed because it opens the way for modeling various biological effects like biological variability, medication, mutation and phenotypical expression. We compare the computational with experimental results with respect to normal cardiac function and with respect to inotropic and chronotropic drug effects. The section closes with a discussion on the status quo of the specificity of computational models and on what challenges have to be solved to reach patient-specificity.
An amperometric biosensor using a substrate recycling principle was realized for the detection of low adrenaline concentrations (1 nM) by measurements in phosphate buffer and Ringer’s solution at pH 6.5 and pH 7.4, respectively. In proof-of-concept experiments, a Boolean logic-gate principle has been applied to develop a digital adrenaline biosensor based on an enzyme AND logic gate. The obtained results demonstrate that the developed digital biosensor is capable for a rapid qualitative determination of the presence/absence of adrenaline in a YES/NO statement. Such digital biosensor could be used in clinical diagnostics for the control of a correct insertion of a catheter in the adrenal veins during adrenal venous-sampling procedure.
The LAPS (light-addressable potentiometric sensor) platform is one of the most attractive approaches for chemical and biological sensing with many applications ranging from pH and ion/analyte concentration measurements up to cell metabolism detection and chemical imaging. However, although it is generally accepted that LAPS measurements are spatially resolved, the light-addressability feature of LAPS devices has not been discussed in detail so far. In this work, an extended electrical equivalent-circuit model of the LAPS has been presented, which takes into account possible cross-talk effects due to the capacitive coupling of the non-illuminated region. A shunting effect of the non-illuminated area on the measured photocurrent and addressability of LAPS devices has been studied. It has been shown, that the measured photocurrent will be determined not only by the local interfacial potential in the illuminated region but also by possible interfacial potential changes in the non-illuminated region, yielding cross-talk effects. These findings were supported by the experimental investigations of a penicillin-sensitive multi-spot LAPS and a metal-insulator-semiconductor LAPS as model systems.
A wireless sensor system based on the industrial ZigBee standard for low-rate wireless networking was developed that enables real-time monitoring of gaseous H2O2 during the package sterilization in aseptic food processes. The sensor system consists of a remote unit connected to a calorimetric gas sensor, which was already established in former works, and an external base unit connected to a laptop computer. The remote unit was built up by an XBee radio frequency (RF) module for data communication and a programmable system-on-chip controller to read out the sensor signal and process the sensor data, whereas the base unit is a second XBee RF module. For the rapid H2O2 detection on various locations inside the package that has to be sterilized, a novel read-out strategy of the calorimetric gas sensor was established, wherein the sensor response is measured within the short sterilization time and correlated with the present H2O2 concentration. In an exemplary measurement application in an aseptic filling machinery, the suitability of the new, wireless sensor system was demonstrated, wherein the influence of the gas velocity on the H2O2 distribution inside a package was determined and verified with microbiological tests.
Sterilisation processes are compulsory in medicine, pharmacy, and food industries to prevent infections of consumers and microbiological contaminations of products. Monitoring the sterilisation by conventional microbiological methods is time- and lab-consuming. To overcome this problem, in this work a novel biosensor has been proposed. The sensor enables a fast method to evaluate sterilisation processes. By means of thin-film technology the sensor's transducer structures in form of IDEs (interdigitated electrodes) have been fabricated on a silicon substrate. Physical characterisation of the developed sensor was done by AFM, SEM, and profilometry. Impedance analyses were conducted for the electrical characterisation. As microbiological layer spores of B. atrophaeus have been immobilised on the sensing structure; spores of this type are a well-known sterilisation test organism. Impedance measurements at a fixed frequency over time were performed to monitor the immobilisation process. A sterilisation process according to aseptic filling machines was applied to demonstrate the sensor functionality. After both, immobilisation and sterilisation, a change in impedance could successfully be detected.
Monitoring of organic acids (OA) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) is crucial for the control of anaerobic digestion. In case of unstable process conditions, an accumulation of these intermediates occurs. In the present work, two different enzyme-based biosensor arrays are combined and presented for facile electrochemical determination of several process-relevant analytes. Each biosensor utilizes a platinum sensor chip (14 × 14 mm²) with five individual working electrodes. The OA biosensor enables simultaneous measurement of ethanol, formate, d- and l-lactate, based on a bi-enzymatic detection principle. The second VFA biosensor provides an amperometric platform for quantification of acetate and propionate, mediated by oxidation of hydrogen peroxide. The cross-sensitivity of both biosensors toward potential interferents, typically present in fermentation samples, was investigated. The potential for practical application in complex media was successfully demonstrated in spiked sludge samples collected from three different biogas plants. Thereby, the results obtained by both of the biosensors were in good agreement to the applied reference measurements by photometry and gas chromatography, respectively. The proposed hybrid biosensor system was also used for long-term monitoring of a lab-scale biogas reactor (0.01 m³) for a period of 2 months. In combination with typically monitored parameters, such as gas quality, pH and FOS/TAC (volatile organic acids/total anorganic carbonate), the amperometric measurements of OA and VFA concentration could enhance the understanding of ongoing fermentation processes.
The conjunction of (bio-)chemical recognition elements with nanoscale biological building blocks such as virus particles is considered as a very promising strategy for the creation of biohybrids opening novel opportunities for label-free biosensing. This work presents a new approach for the development of biosensors using tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) nanotubes or coat proteins (CPs) as enzyme nanocarriers. Sensor chips combining an array of Pt electrodes loaded with glucose oxidase (GOD)-modified TMV nanotubes or CP aggregates were used for amperometric detection of glucose as a model system for the first time. The presence of TMV nanotubes or CPs on the sensor surface allows binding of a high amount of precisely positioned enzymes without substantial loss of their activity, and may also ensure accessibility of their active centers for analyte molecules. Specific and efficient immobilization of streptavidin-conjugated GOD ([SA]-GOD) complexes on biotinylated TMV nanotubes or CPs was achieved via bioaffinity binding. These layouts were tested in parallel with glucose sensors with adsorptively immobilized [SA]-GOD, as well as [SA]-GOD crosslinked with glutardialdehyde, and came out to exhibit superior sensor performance. The achieved results underline a great potential of an integration of virus/biomolecule hybrids with electronic transducers for future applications in biosensorics and biochips.
Nanotubular tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) particles and RNA-free lower-order coat protein (CP) aggregates have been employed as enzyme carriers in different diagnostic layouts and compared for their influence on biosensor performance. In the following, we describe a label-free electrochemical biosensor for improved glucose detection by use of TMV adapters and the enzyme glucose oxidase (GOD). A specific and efficient immobilization of streptavidin-conjugated GOD ([SA]-GOD) complexes on biotinylated TMV nanotubes or CP aggregates was achieved via bioaffinity binding. Glucose sensors with adsorptively immobilized [SA]-GOD, and with [SA]-GOD cross-linked with glutardialdehyde, respectively, were tested in parallel on the same sensor chip. Comparison of these sensors revealed that TMV adapters enhanced the amperometric glucose detection remarkably, conveying highest sensitivity, an extended linear detection range and fastest response times. These results underline a great potential of an integration of virus/biomolecule hybrids with electronic transducers for applications in biosensorics and biochips. Here, we describe the fabrication and use of amperometric sensor chips combining an array of circular Pt electrodes, their loading with GOD-modified TMV nanotubes (and other GOD immobilization methods), and the subsequent investigations of the sensor performance.
The small animal PET scanners developed by the Crystal Clear Collaboration (ClearPETtrade) detect coincidences by analyzing timemarks which are attached to each event. The scanners are able to save complete single list mode data which allows analysis and modification of the timemarks after data acquisition. The timemarks are obtained from the digitally sampled detector pulses by calculating the baseline crossing of the rising edge of the pulse which is approximated as a straight line. But the limited sampling frequency causes a systematic error in the determination of the timemark. This error depends on the phase of the sampling clock at the time of the event. A statistical method that corrects these errors will be presented
In energy economy forecasts of different time series are rudimentary. In this study, a prediction for the German day-ahead spot market is created with Apache Spark and R. It is just an example for many different applications in virtual power plant environments. Other examples of use as intraday price processes, load processes of machines or electric vehicles, real time energy loads of photovoltaic systems and many more time series need to be analysed and predicted.
This work gives a short introduction into the project where this study is settled. It describes the time series methods that are used in energy industry for forecasts shortly. As programming technique Apache Spark, which is a strong cluster computing technology, is utilised. Today, single time series can be predicted. The focus of this work is on developing a method to parallel forecasting, to process multiple time series simultaneously with R and Apache Spark.
Thin film chemical sensors based on chalcogenide glasses for „electronic tongue“ applications
(2001)
This study addresses a proof-of-concept experiment with a biocompatible screen-printed carbon electrode deposited onto a biocompatible and biodegradable substrate, which is made of fibroin, a protein derived from silk of the Bombyx mori silkworm. To demonstrate the sensor performance, the carbon electrode is functionalized as a glucose biosensor with the enzyme glucose oxidase and encapsulated with a silicone rubber to ensure biocompatibility of the contact wires. The carbon electrode is fabricated by means of thick-film technology including a curing step to solidify the carbon paste. The influence of the curing temperature and curing time on the electrode morphology is analyzed via scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical characterization of the glucose biosensor is performed by amperometric/voltammetric measurements of different glucose concentrations in phosphate buffer. Herein, systematic studies at applied potentials from 500 to 1200 mV to the carbon working electrode (vs the Ag/AgCl reference electrode) allow to determine the optimal working potential. Additionally, the influence of the curing parameters on the glucose sensitivity is examined over a time period of up to 361 days. The sensor shows a negligible cross-sensitivity toward ascorbic acid, noradrenaline, and adrenaline. The developed biocompatible biosensor is highly promising for future in vivo and epidermal applications.
In this article, we present an overview on the thermocatalytic reaction of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) gas on a manganese (IV) oxide (MnO₂) catalytic structure. The principle of operation and manufacturing techniques are introduced for a calorimetric H₂O₂ gas sensor based on porous MnO₂. Results from surface analyses by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the catalytic material provide indication of the H₂O₂ dissociation reaction schemes. The correlation between theory and the experiments is documented in numerical models of the catalytic reaction. The aim of the numerical models is to provide further information on the reaction kinetics and performance enhancement of the porous MnO₂ catalyst.
Thermodynamic stability, configurational motions and internal forces of haemoglobin (Hb) of three endotherms (platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus; domestic chicken, Gallus gallus domesticus and human, Homo sapiens) and an ectotherm (salt water crocodile, Crocodylus porosus) were investigated using circular dichroism, incoherent elastic neutron scattering and coarse-grained Brownian dynamics simulations. The experimental results from Hb solutions revealed a direct correlation between protein resilience, melting temperature and average body temperature of the different species on the 0.1 ns time scale. Molecular forces appeared to be adapted to permit conformational fluctuations with a root mean square displacement close to 1.2 Å at the corresponding average body temperature of the endotherms. Strong forces within crocodile Hb maintain the amplitudes of motion within a narrow limit over the entire temperature range in which the animal lives. In fully hydrated powder samples of human and chicken, Hb mean square displacements and effective force constants on the 1 ns time scale showed no differences over the whole temperature range from 10 to 300 K, in contrast to the solution case. A complementary result of the study, therefore, is that one hydration layer is not sufficient to activate all conformational fluctuations of Hb in the pico- to nanosecond time scale which might be relevant for biological function. Coarse-grained Brownian dynamics simulations permitted to explore residue-specific effects. They indicated that temperature sensing of human and chicken Hb occurs mainly at residues lining internal cavities in the β-subunits.
Therefore Fermat is right
(2014)
It was Fernat's idea to investigate how many numbers would fulfill the equation according to the Pythagorean Theorem if the exponent were increased to random, e.g. to a3 + b3 = c3. His question became therefore: are there two whole numbers the cubes of which add up to the volume of the cube of a third whole number? He posed this same question, of course, for all kinds of higher exponents, so that the equation could be generalized: is there an integral solution for the equation an + bn = cn, if the exponent n is higher than 2? Although in 1993, the English mathematician Andrew Wiles was able to produce an arithmetical proof for Fermat's famous theorem, I will show that there is a simple logical explanation which is also pragmatic and plausible and what is the result of a fundamental alternative idea how our world seems to be constructed.
The most of conventional methods of air purification use the power of a fan to draw in air and pass it through a filter. The problem of bacterial contamination of inner parts of such a type of air conditioners in some cases draws attention towards alternative air-cleaning systems. Some manufacturers offer to use the ozone's bactericidal and deodorizing effects, but the wide spreading of such systems is restricted by the fact that toxic effects of ozone in respect of human beings are well known. In 2000 Sharp Inc. introduced "Plasma Cluster Ions (PCI)" air purification technology, which uses plasma discharge to generate cluster ions (I 0-14 ). This technology has been developed for those customers that are conscious about health and hygiene. In our experiments, we focused on some principal aspects of plasma-generated ions application - time-dependency and irreversibility of bactericidal action, spatial and kinetic characteristics of emitted cluster particles, their chemical targets in the microbial cells.
The sorption of LPS toxic shock by nanoparticles on base of carbonized vegetable raw materials
(2008)
Immobilization of lactobacillus on high temperature carbonizated vegetable raw material (rice husk, grape stones) increases their physiological activity and the quantity of the antibacterial metabolits, that consequently lead to increase of the antagonistic activity of lactobacillus. It is implies that the use of the nanosorbents for the attachment of the probiotical microorganisms are highly perspective for decision the important problems, such as the probiotical preparations delivery to the right address and their attachment to intestines mucosa with the following detoxication of gastro-intestinal tract and the normalization of it’s microecology. Besides that, thus, the received carbonizated nanoparticles have peculiar properties – ability to sorption of LPS toxical shock and, hence, to the detoxication of LPS.
Structural design analyses are conducted with the aim of verifying the exclusion of ratcheting. To this end it is important to make a clear distinction between the shakedown range and the ratcheting range. In cyclic plasticity more sophisticated hardening models have been suggested in order to model the strain evolution observed in ratcheting experiments. The hardening models used in shakedown analysis are comparatively simple. It is shown that shakedown analysis can make quite stable predictions of admissible load ranges despite the simplicity of the underlying hardening models. A linear and a nonlinear kinematic hardening model of two-surface plasticity are compared in material shakedown analysis. Both give identical or similar shakedown ranges. Structural shakedown analyses show that the loading may have a more pronounced effect than the hardening model.
A network of brain areas is expected to be involved in supporting the motion aftereffect. The most active components of this network were determined by means of an fMRI study of nine subjects exposed to a visual stimulus of moving bars producing the effect. Across the subjects, common areas were identified during various stages of the effect, as well as networks of areas specific to a single stage. In addition to the well-known motion-sensitive area MT the prefrontal brain areas BA44 and 47 and the cingulate gyrus, as well as posterior sites such as BA37 and BA40, were important components during the period of the motion aftereffect experience. They appear to be involved in control circuitry for selecting which of a number of processing styles is appropriate. The experimental fMRI results of the activation levels and their time courses for the various areas are explored. Correlation analysis shows that there are effectively two separate and weakly coupled networks involved in the total process. Implications of the results for awareness of the effect itself are briefly considered in the final discussion.
The method of fundamental solutions is applied to the approximate computation of interior transmission eigenvalues for a special class of inhomogeneous media in two dimensions. We give a short approximation analysis accompanied with numerical results that clearly prove practical convenience of our alternative approach.
The inverse scattering problem for a conductive boundary condition and transmission eigenvalues
(2018)
In this paper, we consider the inverse scattering problem associated with an inhomogeneous media with a conductive boundary. In particular, we are interested in two problems that arise from this inverse problem: the inverse conductivity problem and the corresponding interior transmission eigenvalue problem. The inverse conductivity problem is to recover the conductive boundary parameter from the measured scattering data. We prove that the measured scatted data uniquely determine the conductivity parameter as well as describe a direct algorithm to recover the conductivity. The interior transmission eigenvalue problem is an eigenvalue problem associated with the inverse scattering of such materials. We investigate the convergence of the eigenvalues as the conductivity parameter tends to zero as well as prove existence and discreteness for the case of an absorbing media. Lastly, several numerical and analytical results support the theory and we show that the inside–outside duality method can be used to reconstruct the interior conductive eigenvalues.
The hybrid K+/Ca2+ sensor based on laser scanned silicon transducer for multi-component analysis
(2002)
The hot spots conjecture is only known to be true for special geometries. This paper shows numerically that the hot spots conjecture can fail to be true for easy to construct bounded domains with one hole. The underlying eigenvalue problem for the Laplace equation with Neumann boundary condition is solved with boundary integral equations yielding a non-linear eigenvalue problem. Its discretization via the boundary element collocation method in combination with the algorithm by Beyn yields highly accurate results both for the first non-zero eigenvalue and its corresponding eigenfunction which is due to superconvergence. Additionally, it can be shown numerically that the ratio between the maximal/minimal value inside the domain and its maximal/minimal value on the boundary can be larger than 1 + 10− 3. Finally, numerical examples for easy to construct domains with up to five holes are provided which fail the hot spots conjecture as well.
Humic substances originating from various organic matters can ameliorate soil properties, stimulate plant growth, and improve nutrient uptake. Due to the low calorific heating value, leonardite is rather unsuitable as fuel. However, it may serve as a potential source of humic substances. This study was aimed at characterizing the leonardite-based soil amendments and examining the effect of their application on the soil microbial community, as well as on potato growth and tuber yield. A high yield (71.1%) of humic acid (LHA) from leonardite has been demonstrated. Parental leonardite (PL) and LHA were applied to soil prior to potato cultivation. The 16S rRNA sequencing of soil samples revealed distinct relationships between microbial community composition and the application of leonardite-based soil amendments. Potato tubers were planted in pots in greenhouse conditions. The tubers were harvested at the mature stage for the determination of growth and yield parameters. The results demonstrated that the LHA treatments had a significant effect on increasing potato growth (54.9%) and tuber yield (66.4%) when compared to the control. The findings highlight the importance of amending leonardite-based humic products for maintaining the biogeochemical stability of soils, for keeping their healthy microbial community structure, and for increasing the agronomic productivity of potato plants.
The Crystal Clear Collaboration has developed a modular system for a small animal PET scanner (ClearPET). The modularity allows the assembly of scanners of different sizes and characteristics in order to satisfy the specific needs of the individual member institutions. The system performs depth of interaction detection by using a phoswich arrangement combining LSO and LuYAP scintillators which are coupled to Multichannel Photomultipliers (PMTs). For each PMT a free running 40 MHz ADC digitizes the signal and the complete scintillation pulse is sampled by an FPGA and sent with 20 MB/s to a PC for preprocessing. The pulse provides information about the gamma energy and the scintillator material which identifies the interaction layer. Furthermore, the exact pulse starting time is obtained from the sampled data. This is important as no hardware coincidence detection is implemented. All single events are recorded and coincidences are identified by software. The system in Jülich (ClearPET Neuro) is equipped with 10240 crystals on 80 PMTs. The paper will present an overview of the data acquisition system.
Following the success of PET/CT during the last decade and the recent increasing proliferation of SPECT/CT, another hybrid imaging instrument has been gaining more and more interest: MR-PET. First combined, simultaneous PET and MR studies carried out in small animals demonstrated the feasibility of the new approach. Concurrently, some prototypes of an MR-PET scanner for simultaneous human brain studies have been built, their performance is being tested and preliminary applications have already been shown. Through this pioneering work, it has become clear that advances in the detector design are necessary for further optimization.
Recently, the different issues related to the present state and future prospects of MR-PET were presented and discussed during an international 2-day workshop at the Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany, held after, and in conjunction with, the 2008 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference in Dresden, Germany on October 27–28, 2008. The topics ranged from small animal MR-PET imaging to human MR-BrainPET imaging, new detector developments, challenges/opportunities for ultra-high field MR-PET imaging and considerations of possible future research and clinical applications. This report presents a critical summary of the contributions made to the workshop.
The ClearPET™ project: Development of a 2nd generation high-performance small animal PET scanner
(2005)
Second generation high-performance PET scanners, called ClearPET™1, have been developed by working groups of the Crystal Clear Collaboration (CCC). High sensitivity and high spatial resolution for the ClearPET camera is achieved by using a phoswich arrangement combining two different types of lutetium-based scintillator materials: LSO from CTI and LuYAP:Ce from the CCC (ISTC project). In a first ClearPET prototype, phoswich arrangements of 8×8 crystals of 2×2×10 mm3 are coupled to multi-channel photomultiplier tubes (Hamamatsu R7600). A unit of four PMTs arranged in-line represents one of 20 sectors of the ring design. The opening diameter of the ring is 120 mm, the axial detector length is 110 mm.The PMT pulses are digitized by free-running ADCs and digital data processing determines the gamma energy, the phoswich layer and even the exact pulse starting time, which is subsequently used for coincidence detection. The gantry allows rotation of the detector modules around the field of view.
Preliminary data shows a correct identification of the crystal layer about (98±1)%. Typically the energy resolution is (23.3±0.5)% for the luyap layer and (15.4±0.4)% for the lso layer. early studies showed the timing resolution of 2 ns FWHM and 4.8 ns FWTM. the intrinsic spatial resolution ranges from 1.37 mm to 1.61 mm full-width of half-maximum (FWHM) with a mean of 1.48 mm FWHM. further improvements in image and energy resolution are expected when the system geometry is fully modeled.
A 2nd generation high performance small animal PET scanner, called ClearPET™, has been designed and a first prototype is built by working groups of the Crystal Clear Collaboration (CCC). In order to achieve high sensitivity and maintain good uniform spatial resolution over the field of view in high resolution PET systems, it is necessary to extract the depth of interaction (DOI) information and correct for spatial degradation. The design of the first ClearPET™ Demonstrator based on the use of the multi-anode photomultiplier tube (Hamamatsu R7600-M64) and a LSO/LuYAP phoswich matrix. The two crystal layers of 8*8 crystals (2*2*10 mm3) are stacked on each other and mounted without light guide as one to one on the PMT. A unit of four PMTs arranged in-line represents one of 20 sectors of the ring design. The opening diameter of the crystal ring is 137 mm, the axial detector length is 110 mm. The PMT pulses are digitized by free-running ADCs and digital data processing determines the gamma energy, the phoswich layer and even the pulse arrival time. Single gamma interactions are recorded and coincidences are found by software. The gantry allows rotation of the detector modules around the field of view. The measurements have been done using the first LSO/LuYAP detector cassettes.
The ClearPET project
(2004)
The Crystal Clear Collaboration has designed and is building a high-resolution small animal PET scanner. The design is based on the use of the Hamamatsu R7600-M64 multi-anode photomultiplier tube and a LSO/LuYAP phoswich matrix with one to one coupling between the crystals and the photo-detector. The complete system will have 80 PM tubes in four rings with an inner diameter of 137 mm and an axial field of view of 110 mm. The PM pulses are digitized by free-running ADCs and digital data processing determines the gamma energy, the phoswich layer and even the pulse arrival time. Single gamma interactions are recorded and coincidences are found by software. The gantry allows rotation of the detector modules around the field of view. Simulations, and measurements a 2×4 module test set-up predict a spatial resolution of 1.5 mm in the centre of the field of view and a sensitivity of 5.9% for a point source in the centre of the field of view.
Within the Crystal Clear Collaboration a modular system for a small animal PET scanner (ClearPET™) has been developed. The modularity allows the assembly of scanners of different sizes and characteristics in order to fit the specific needs of the individual member institutions. Now a first demonstrator is being completed in Julich. The system performs depth of interaction detection by using a phoswich arrangement combining LSO and LuYAP scintillators which are coupled to multi-channel photomultipliers (PMTs). A free-running ADC digitizes the signal from the PMT and the complete scintillation pulses are sampled by an FPGA and sent with 20 MB/S to a PC for preprocessing. The pulse provides information about the gamma energy and the scintillator material which identifies the interaction layer. Furthermore, the exact pulse starting time is obtained from the sampled data. This is important as no hardware coincidence detection is implemented. All single events are recorded and coincidences are identified by software. An advantage of that is that the coincidence window and the dimensions of the field of view can be adjusted easily. The ClearPET™ demonstrator is equipped with 10240 crystals on 80 PMTs. This paper presents an overview of the data acquisition system.
Stretch-shortening type actions are characterized by lengthening of the pre-activated muscle-tendon unit (MTU) in the eccentric phase immediately followed by muscle shortening. Under 1 g, pre-activity before and muscle activity after ground contact, scale muscle stiffness, which is crucial for the recoil properties of the MTU in the subsequent push-off. This study aimed to examine the neuro-mechanical coupling of the stretch-shortening cycle in response to gravity levels ranging from 0.1 to 2 g. During parabolic flights, 17 subjects performed drop jumps while electromyography (EMG) of the lower limb muscles was combined with ultrasound images of the gastrocnemius medialis, 2D kinematics and kinetics to depict changes in energy management and performance. Neuro-mechanical coupling in 1 g was characterized by high magnitudes of pre-activity and eccentric muscle activity allowing an isometric muscle behavior during ground contact. EMG during pre-activity and the concentric phase systematically increased from 0.1 to 1 g. Below 1 g the EMG in the eccentric phase was diminished, leading to muscle lengthening and reduced MTU stretches. Kinetic energy at take-off and performance were decreased compared to 1 g. Above 1 g, reduced EMG in the eccentric phase was accompanied by large MTU and muscle stretch, increased joint flexion amplitudes, energy loss and reduced performance. The energy outcome function established by linear mixed model reveals that the central nervous system regulates the extensor muscles phase- and load-specifically. In conclusion, neuro-mechanical coupling appears to be optimized in 1 g. Below 1 g, the energy outcome is compromised by reduced muscle stiffness. Above 1 g, loading progressively induces muscle lengthening, thus facilitating energy dissipation.
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.
We discuss the testing problem of homogeneity of the marginal distributions of a continuous bivariate distribution based on a paired sample with possibly missing components (missing completely at random). Applying the well-known two-sample Crámer–von-Mises distance to the remaining data, we determine the limiting null distribution of our test statistic in this situation. It is seen that a new resampling approach is appropriate for the approximation of the unknown null distribution. We prove that the resulting test asymptotically reaches the significance level and is consistent. Properties of the test under local alternatives are pointed out as well. Simulations investigate the quality of the approximation and the power of the new approach in the finite sample case. As an illustration we apply the test to real data sets.
This paper considers a paired data framework and discusses the question of marginal homogeneity of bivariate high-dimensional or functional data. The related testing problem can be endowed into a more general setting for paired random variables taking values in a general Hilbert space. To address this problem, a Cramér–von-Mises type test statistic is applied and a bootstrap procedure is suggested to obtain critical values and finally a consistent test. The desired properties of a bootstrap test can be derived that are asymptotic exactness under the null hypothesis and consistency under alternatives. Simulations show the quality of the test in the finite sample case. A possible application is the comparison of two possibly dependent stock market returns based on functional data. The approach is demonstrated based on historical data for different stock market indices.
Test-retest reliability of the internal shoulder rotator muscles' stretch reflex in healthy men
(2021)
Until now the reproducibility of the short latency stretch reflex of the internal rotator muscles of the glenohumeral joint has not been identified. Twenty-three healthy male participants performed three sets of external shoulder rotation stretches with various pre-activation levels on two different dates of measurement to assess test-retest reliability. All stretches were applied with a dynamometer acceleration of 104°/s2 and a velocity of 150°/s. Electromyographical response was measured via surface EMG. Reflex latencies showed a pre-activation effect (ƞ2 = 0,355). ICC ranged from 0,735 to 0,909 indicating an overall “good” relative reliability. SRD 95% lay between ±7,0 to ±12,3 ms.. The reflex gain showed overall poor test-retest reproducibility. The chosen methodological approach presented a suitable test protocol for shoulder muscles stretch reflex latency evaluation. A proof-of-concept study to validate the presented methodical approach in shoulder involvement including subjects with clinically relevant conditions is recommended.
Test of QED in e+e− annihilation at energies between 12 and 31.6 GeV. TASSO Collaboration
(1980)
In the context of the Solvency II directive, the operation of an internal risk model is a possible way for risk assessment and for the determination of the solvency capital requirement of an insurance company in the European Union. A Monte Carlo procedure is customary to generate a model output. To be compliant with the directive, validation of the internal risk model is conducted on the basis of the model output. For this purpose, we suggest a new test for checking whether there is a significant change in the modeled solvency capital requirement. Asymptotic properties of the test statistic are investigated and a bootstrap approximation is justified. A simulation study investigates the performance of the test in the finite sample case and confirms the theoretical results. The internal risk model and the application of the test is illustrated in a simplified example. The method has more general usage for inference of a broad class of law-invariant and coherent risk measures on the basis of a paired sample.