Open Access

Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia (MFH) offers a potent alternative for the treatment of local tumors. In MFH, magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) are either injected directly into or targeted magnetically at the tumor site, where they are exposed to an oscillating magnetic field (OMF). Driven by the OMF the MNP undergo relaxation and hysteretic processes, generating heat locally. It was demonstrated that local tumor temperatures above 42°C damage cells substantially. Once MNP reach the tumor however, they interact with the local cell environment, binding to cell membranes and being internalized inside cells.

Sehnen übernehmen im menschlichen Körper die Kraftübertragung zwischen Muskel und Knochen, als auch die Energiespeicherung und -freisetzung. Bisherige Studien zeigen, dass sich Sehnen entsprechend ihren Belastungen anpassen, d.h. Personen, die höhere Muskelkräfte generieren können, weisen in der Regel eine höhere Sehnensteifigkeit auf. Die Steifigkeit der Sehne ist im Wesentlichen durch ihren Querschnitt und ihre Materialeigenschaften determiniert.

The purpose of the current study was to determine shoulder internal rotator muscles' reflex latencies (SLR) under variable conditions in 20 healthy, specifically trained male participants. Sets of different external shoulder rotation stretches were applied via an isokinetic dynamometer. SLR latencies were determined from sEMG readings as the time from external shoulder rotation stretches application to onset of muscle activity. The amount of muscular response to the perturbation was evaluated via a peak-to-peak analysis. SLR latencies and amplitudes of the pectoral muscle and the anterior deltoid were affected by the investigated muscle and the level of pre-innervation torque. Our results indicated faster muscular stretch response than reported in previous studies which can be attributed to training induced adaptions of the shoulder muscles and capsule.

There is significant interest in sampling subglacial environments for geochemical and microbiological studies, yet those environments are typically difficult to access. Existing ice-drilling technologies make it cumbersome to maintain microbiologically clean access for sample acquisition and environmental stewardship of potentially fragile subglacial aquatic ecosystems. With the "IceMole", a minimally invasive, maneuverable subsurface ice probe, we have developed a clean glacial exploration technology for in-situ analysis and sampling of glacial ice and sub- and englacial materials. Its design is based on combining melting and mechanical stabilization, using an ice screw at the tip of the melting head to maintain firm contact between the melting head and the ice. The IceMole can change its melting direction by differential heating of the melting head and optional side wall heaters. Downward, horizontal and upward melting, as well as curve driving and penetration of particulate-ladden layers has already been demonstrated in several field tests. This maneuverability of the IceMole also necessitates a sophisticated on-board navigation system, capable of autonomous operations. Therefore, between 2012 and 2014, a more advanced probe was developed as part of the "Enceladus Explorer" (EnEx) project. The EnEx-IceMole offers systems for accurate positioning, based on in-ice attitude determination, acoustic positioning, ultrasonic obstacle and target detection, which is all integrated through a high-level sensor fusion algorithm. In December 2014, the EnEx-IceMole was used for clean access into a unique subglacial aquatic environment at Blood Falls, Antarctica, where an englacial brine sample was successfully obtained after about 17 meters of oblique melting. Particular attention was paid to clean protocols for sampling for geochemical and microbiological analysis. In this contribution, we will describe the general technological approach of the IceMole and report on the results of its deployment at Blood Falls. In contrast to conventional melting-probe applications, which can only melt vertically, the IceMole realized an oblique melting path to penetrate the englacial conduit. Experimental and numerical results on melting at oblique angles are rare. Besides reporting on the IceMole technology and the field deployment itself, we will compare and discuss the observed melting behavior with re-analysis results in the context of a recently developed numerical model. Finally, we will present our first steps in utilizing the model to infer on the ambient cryo-environment.

Field-effect EIS (electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor) sensors modified with a positively charged weak polyelectrolyte layer have been applied for the electrical detection of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) immobilization and hybridization by the intrinsic molecular charge. The EIS sensors are able to detect the existence of target DNA amplicons in PCR (polymerase chain reaction) samples and thus, can be used as tool for a quick verification of DNA amplification and the successful PCR process. Due to their miniaturized setup, compatibility with advanced micro- and nanotechnologies, and ability to detect biomolecules by their intrinsic molecular charge, those sensors can serve as possible platform for the development of label-free DNA chips. Possible application fields as well as challenges and limitations will be discussed.