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- Amino acid (2)
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- Lemnaceae (2)
- Pulsed electric fields (2)
- Standardized production (2)
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- 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (1)
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Background
A peripheral venous catheter (PVC) is the most widely used device for obtaining vascular access, allowing the administration of fluids and medication. Up to 25% of adult patients, and 50% of pediatric patients experience a first-attempt cannulation failure. In addition to patient and clinician characteristics, device features might affect the handling and success rates. The objective of the study was to compare the first-attempt cannulation success rate between PVCs with wings and a port access (Vasofix® Safety, B. Braun, abbreviated hereon in as VS) with those without (Introcan® Safety, B. Braun, abbreviated hereon in as IS) in an anesthesiological cohort.
Methods
An open label, multi-center, randomized trial was performed. First-attempt cannulation success rates were examined, along with relevant patient, clinician, and device characteristics with univariate and multivariate analyses. Information on handling and adherence to use instructions was gathered, and available catheters were assessed for damage.
Results
Two thousand three hundred four patients were included in the intention to treat analysis. First-attempt success rate was significantly higher with winged and ported catheters (VS) than with the non-winged, non-ported design (IS) (87.5% with VS vs. 78.2% with IS; PChi < .001). Operators rated the handling of VS as superior (rating of “good” or “very good: 86.1% VS vs. 20.8% IS, PChi < .001). Reinsertion of the needle into the catheter after partial withdrawal—prior or during the catheterization attempt—was associated with an increased risk of cannulation failure (7.909, CI 5.989–10.443, P < .001 and 23.023, CI 10.372–51.105, P < .001, respectively) and a twofold risk of catheter damage (OR 1.999, CI 1.347–2.967, P = .001).
Conclusions
First-attempt cannulation success of peripheral, ported, winged catheters was higher compared to non-ported, non-winged devices. The handling of the winged and ported design was better rated by the clinicians. Needle reinsertions are related to an increase in rates of catheter damage and cannulation failure.
During gestation, the most drastic change in oxygen supply occurs with the onset of ventilation after birth. As the too early exposure of premature infants to high arterial oxygen pressure leads to characteristic diseases, we studied the adaptation of the oxygen sensing system and its targets, the hypoxia-inducible factor- (HIF-) regulated genes (HRGs) in the developing lung. We draw a detailed picture of the oxygen sensing system by integrating information from qPCR, immunoblotting, in situ hybridization, and single-cell RNA sequencing data in ex vivo and in vivo models. HIF1α protein was completely destabilized with the onset of pulmonary ventilation, but did not coincide with expression changes in bona fide HRGs. We observed a modified composition of the HIF-PHD system from intrauterine to neonatal phases: Phd3 was significantly decreased, while Hif2a showed a strong increase and the Hif3a isoform Ipas exclusively peaked at P0. Colocalization studies point to the Hif1a-Phd1 axis as the main regulator of the HIF-PHD system in mouse lung development, complemented by the Hif3a-Phd3 axis during gestation. Hif3a isoform expression showed a stepwise adaptation during the periods of saccular and alveolar differentiation. With a strong hypoxic stimulus, lung ex vivo organ cultures displayed a functioning HIF system at every developmental stage. Approaches with systemic hypoxia or roxadustat treatment revealed only a limited in vivo response of HRGs. Understanding the interplay of the oxygen sensing system components during the transition from saccular to alveolar phases of lung development might help to counteract prematurity-associated diseases like bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Applications of pulsed electric fields for processing potatoes: Examples and equipment design
(2022)
In the last two decades, pulsed electric fields (PEF) have successfully been introduced into the food industry, as one of the most promising and "game changing" technologies. This review is devoted to the recent applications of pulsed electric fields used in processing potatoes. The potato processing market size was estimated to be ca. USD 24.83 billion (2018) and with an annual growth rate of 5.2%. The physicochemical characteristics of potatoes and the specificity of potato processing lines makes a pulsed electric field very versatile and flexible allowing one to achieve different technological aims by its implementation into technological lines. In this paper, a short analysis of the potato structure and its nutritional properties, applications of moderate electric fields, ohmic heating, and pulsed electric fields are presented. Moreover, the basic electroporation effects, metabolic responses, texture modification and different PEF assisted processes applied to the potato are discussed. Finally, some examples of commercial applications and a brief description of the available equipment for the PEF processing of potatoes are presented.
One challenge of the EU energy transition is the integration of renewable electricity generation in the distribution system. EU energy law proposes a possible solution by introducing “citizen energy communities” (Directive 2019/944/EU) which may be open for “cross-border participation”. This article proposes an innovative way of implementing such cross-border communities by linking distribution systems via a “switchable element”, a generation, storage, or consumption asset with a connection to each country. An optimization model has been developed to calculate the system cost savings of such a connection. Linking regions with complementary characteristics regarding electricity generation and demand via a switchable element leads to more efficient system utilization. Findings are relevant for the transposition of “citizen energy communities” in national laws.
Background: New ischaemic brain lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are reported in up to 86% of patients after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair of the mitral valve (TEER-MV). Knowledge of the exact procedural step(s) that carry the highest risk for cerebral embolisation may help to further improve the procedure.
Aims: The aim of this study was to identify the procedural step(s) that are associated with an increased risk of cerebral embolisation during TEER-MV with the MitraClip system. Furthermore, the risk of overt stroke and silent brain ischaemia after TEER-MV was assessed.
Methods: In this prospective, pre-specified observational study, all patients underwent continuous transcranial Doppler examination during TEER-MV to detect microembolic signals (MES). MES were assigned to specific procedural steps: (1) transseptal puncture and placement of the guide, (2) advancing and adjustment of the clip in the left atrium, (3) device interaction with the MV, and (4) removal of the clip delivery system and the guide. Neurological examination using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and cerebral MRI were performed before and after TEER-MV.
Results: Fifty-four patients were included. The number of MES differed significantly between the procedural steps with the highest numbers observed during device interaction with the MV. Mild neurological deterioration (NIHSS ≤3) occurred in 9/54 patients. New ischaemic lesions were detected in 21/24 patients who underwent MRI. Larger infarct volume was significantly associated with neurological deterioration.
Conclusions: Cerebral embolisation is immanent to TEER-MV and predominantly occurs during device interaction with the MV. Improvements to the procedure may focus on this procedural step.
Background
To detect changes in biological processes, samples are often studied at several time points. We examined expression data measured at different developmental stages, or more broadly, historical data. Hence, the main assumption of our proposed methodology was the independence between the examined samples over time. In addition, however, the examinations were clustered at each time point by measuring littermates from relatively few mother mice at each developmental stage. As each examination was lethal, we had an independent data structure over the entire history, but a dependent data structure at a particular time point. Over the course of these historical data, we wanted to identify abrupt changes in the parameter of interest - change points.
Results
In this study, we demonstrated the application of generalized hypothesis testing using a linear mixed effects model as a possible method to detect change points. The coefficients from the linear mixed model were used in multiple contrast tests and the effect estimates were visualized with their respective simultaneous confidence intervals. The latter were used to determine the change point(s). In small simulation studies, we modelled different courses with abrupt changes and compared the influence of different contrast matrices. We found two contrasts, both capable of answering different research questions in change point detection: The Sequen contrast to detect individual change points and the McDermott contrast to find change points due to overall progression. We provide the R code for direct use with provided examples. The applicability of those tests for real experimental data was shown with in-vivo data from a preclinical study.
Conclusion
Simultaneous confidence intervals estimated by multiple contrast tests using the model fit from a linear mixed model were capable to determine change points in clustered expression data. The confidence intervals directly delivered interpretable effect estimates representing the strength of the potential change point. Hence, scientists can define biologically relevant threshold of effect strength depending on their research question. We found two rarely used contrasts best fitted for detection of a possible change point: the Sequen and McDermott contrasts.
To investigate the influence of two dietary sources of vitamin D on the vitamin D status, bone metabolism, welfare and birth progress of gestating and lactating sows, forty-nine multiparous sows were randomly assigned to one of two diets: “CON” (n = 25; 50 μg vitamin D3/kg feed) and “HYD” (n = 24; 50 μg 25-hydroxycholecalciferol/kg feed). The basal diets were protein- and phosphorus-reduced. The trial started on day 3 ante insemination of the sows and ended with weaning of the piglets on day 28 postpartum. Dietary supplementation of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol resulted in improved maternal vitamin D status (p < 0.001), fewer gait changes (p < 0.01) and longer standing time after feeding (day 5 ante partum; p < 0.05) compared to vitamin D3. However, the bone markers CrossLaps and osteocalcin were not affected. Overall, the present results suggest that sows fed 25-hydroxycholecalciferol instead of vitamin D3 showed improved locomotion and stance strength. However, this outcome is probably not related to altered bone metabolism. The underlying mechanisms must be investigated in further studies.
Currently, the modelling of drying processes of plant tissues pre-treated by pulsed electric field (PEF) is following experimentally identified curves or separate heat and mass transfer and diffusion models with different levels of accuracy. This research had two major objectives: mathematical modeling and control of drying process of different vegetables pretreated by PEF during convective drying. The mathematical modeling was based on Luikov's heat and mass transfer model along with properties of different vegetables. Computer modelling was done using the difference method for predicting moisture and the temperature potentials of untreated and PEF-treated vegetables. The formulation and the solution procedures were applied to simulate the simultaneous heat and mass transfer in selected vegetables subjected to the convective drying. Suggested model had a good correlation with experimental results. Moreover, cell disintegration index can be used as a controllable parameter in heat and mass transfer models to predict drying behavior of potato, onion, and carrot tissues. Obtained drying models can be used as a mathematical tool to predict drying behavior for various types of agricultural products pre-treated by pulsed electric field.
In open-field vegetable production, high quantities of soil mineral nitrogen (Nmin) and N-rich crop residues often remain in the field at harvest. After the harvest of crops in autumn, this N can lead to considerable nitrate (NO3−) losses during the subsequent winter leaching period. In four field trials, different tillage depths (3–4, 10, 30 cm) and dates (early autumn, late autumn, early spring) were investigated to reduce N losses after growing spinach in the autumn. In a further treatment, the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-Dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) was directly applied to the crop residues. Potential N losses were calculated by a balance sheet approach based on Nmin concentration (0–90 cm), measured N mineralization and N uptake by catch crops. By postponing the tillage date from early to late autumn or spring, resprouting spinach stubbles acted as a catch crop, reducing N losses by up to 61 kg ha−1. However, if the spinach biomass collapsed, the N losses increased by up to 33 kg ha−1 even without tillage. The application of DMPP as well as the tillage depth were less effective. Overall, postponing tillage to spring seems to be the most promising approach for reducing N losses during the off-season.
Currently, only non-imaging chlorophyll fluorescence measurements are used to identify the Lower Oxygen Limit (LOL) in Dynamic Controlled Atmosphere - Chlorophyll Fluorescence (DCA-CF) storage. The disadvantage of non-imaging fluorescence is that no statement can be made about the spatial heterogeneity of the sample. In contrast, chlorophyll fluorescence imaging can detect spatial heterogeneity of photosynthetic activity and has been established in research for some decades because the information benefit is higher. In this study, the chlorophyll fluorescence (Fo, Fm, Fv, Fv/Fm) of apples (Malus x domestica, BORKH.) was measured with a fluorescence imaging system in situ during storage. Intact apples of ‘Braeburn’ and ‘Golden Delicious’ were stored under low-oxygen stress conditions (< 1 kPa). The metabolic shift from aerobic to fermentative metabolism was made visible with the chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and was spatially localized on the sample. Furthermore, a method was developed to identify the LOL based on the chlorophyll fluorescence imaging combined with the histogram division method. This method considers the heterogeneity of the fluorescence and bundles the measured Fo data as histograms. Our results showed that the fluorescence imaging combined with the histogram division method can be a powerful tool for identifying the LOL.
Oleamide is used as a lubricant in the manufacturing and application of polypropylene (PP) medical devices. Samples of PP were prepared with 0, 1500, and 15 000 ppm oleamide content as lubricant. The samples were either left non-sterile, sterilized with ethylene oxide (ETO), γ-radiation (γ) or autoclaved (A) and stored for up to 4 weeks. To determine the oleamide bulk-to-surface distribution depending on sterilization method and storage time an extraction method and a washing technique were applied. The oleamide content was determined by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and compared with the coefficient of friction (COF). The COF dependent on the measured lubricant content at the surface. The content of lubricant on the surface depends on the type of sterilization: ETO increased the lubricant content to some extent, γ-sterilization and autoclaving reduced it. After storage, no migration of the lubricant to the surface could be detected.
A systematic study was performed to understand the effects of the devulcanizing agent dibenzamido diphenyl disulfide (DBD) on the vulcanization and devulcanization process of a sulfur-cured ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubber. The influence of DBD on vulcanization was investigated by mixing DBD with virgin rubber and curative system. The devulcanization of rubber waste was achieved with varying amounts of DBD ranging from 0.4 to 13.8 wt% and temperatures from 150 to 200°C. The quality of vulcanizates and devulcanizates was evaluated by rheometer tests, temperature scanning stress relaxation measurements, and analysis of mechanical properties. During vulcanization, DBD acts as an accelerator in the presence of sulfur. When accelerators are added, the scorch time increases, and the cure rate decreases. Thus, DBD acts as a retarder. In the presence of activators, DBD leads to a significant reduction of crosslink density. This results in composites with high elongation at break and poor compression set values. The efficiency of the devulcanization of rubber waste depends strongly on DBD concentration and temperature. The monosulfidic crosslinks are cleaved by low concentrations of DBD, while polysulfidic crosslinks require higher concentrations. These results show that DBD is effective as a devulcanizing agent and degrades the network below 200°C.
25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OHD3) formed via hepatic hydroxylation from vitamin D, cholecalciferol, represents the precursor of the biologically active vitamin D hormone, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Due to a higher absorption rate and the omission of one hydroxylation, dietary supplementation of 25-OHD3 instead of vitamin D3 is considered to be more efficient as plasma concentrations of 25-OHD3 are increased more pronounced. The present review summarises studies investigating potential beneficial effects on mineral homeostasis, bone metabolism, health status and performance in sows, piglets and fattening pigs. Results are inconsistent. While most studies could not demonstrate any or only a slight impact of partial or total replacement of vitamin D3 by 25-OHD3, some experiments indicated that 25-OHD3 might alter physiological processes when animals are challenged, for example, by a restricted mineral supply.
The increasing diversity of cultural backgrounds offers potential for a more elaborated information processing, yet has been shown to be challenging for individuals, due to intergroup hostility, prejudices, and difficulties of intercultural communication. Current research thus focusses on the interaction of employees with different cultural heritages, as well as on their intergroup attitudes and competences. Thereby, leaders have been shown to shape the way diversity is considered in their teams in a top-down process. However, their perception of diversity as well as related challenges and chances are poorly investigated. The current paper thus aims to contribute to the understanding of leader’s perspective on and role in diversity-management by building on a comparative qualitative study with sixteen employees and twenty-two leaders. Research questions are how employees and leaders perceive cultural diversity from their specific point of view, which experiences are likely to contribute to their opinion on and perception of diversity and in how far do employees and leaders differ in these aspects. The results show that employees are aware of the topic of diversity in general but have poor competences in dealing with diversity in their daily working life. This seems to be associated with lack of experience with intercultural interaction and a lack of support from the respective organizations/leaders. Leaders are rarely aware of this lack of support. The results indicate that leaders’ experiences with cultural and age diversity, their identification with the company and previous diversity measures in the context of the companies’ policy towards diversity seem to be relevant for the formation of leaders’ attitudes. As a consequence, most participants focus on the question whether they do or do not want diversity within their teams and companies, while they actually fail to perceive the diversity that is already there.
Objectives: To measure and assess the economic impact of adherence to a single quality indicator (QI) regarding weaning from invasive ventilation.
Design: Retrospective observational single-centre study, based on electronic medical and administrative records.
Setting: Intensive care unit (ICU) of a German university hospital, reference centre for acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Participants: Records of 3063 consecutive mechanically ventilated patients admitted to the ICU between 2012 and 2017 were extracted, of whom 583 were eligible adults for further analysis. Patients’ weaning protocols were evaluated for daily adherence to quality standards until ICU discharge. Patients with <65% compliance were assigned to the low adherence group (LAG), patients with ≥65% to the high adherence group (HAG).
Primary and secondary outcome measures: Economic healthcare costs, clinical outcomes and patients’ characteristics.
Results: The LAG consisted of 378 patients with a median negative economic results of −€3969, HAG of 205 (−€1030), respectively (p<0.001). Median duration of ventilation was 476 (248; 769) hours in the LAG and 389 (247; 608) hours in the HAG (p<0.001). Length of stay (LOS) in the LAG on ICU was 21 (12; 35) days and 16 (11; 25) days in the HAG (p<0.001). LOS in the hospital was 36 (22; 61) days in the LAG, and within the HAG, respectively, 26 (18; 48) days (p=0.001).
Conclusions: High adherence to this single QI is associated with better clinical outcome and improved economic returns. Therefore, the results support the adherence to QI. However, the examined QI does not influence economic outcome as the decisive factor.
Farmland bird populations are in a deep crisis across Europe. Agri-environment schemes (AES) were implemented by the European Union to stop and reverse the general decline of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. In Germany, flower strips are one of the most common AES. Establishing high-quality perennial wildflower strips (WFS) with species-rich native forb mixtures from regional seed propagation is a recent approach, for which the effectiveness for birds has not yet been sufficiently studied. We surveyed breeding birds and vegetation on 40 arable fields with WFS (20 with single and 20 with aggregated WFS) and 20 arable fields lacking WFS as controls across Saxony-Anhalt (Germany). Additionally, vegetation composition, WFS quantity and landscape structure (e.g. distance to nearest woody element) were considered in our analyses. All WFS were established with species-rich native seed mixtures (30 forbs) in agricultural practice as AES. Arable fields with WFS had a higher species richness and territory density of birds than controls, confirming the effectiveness of this AES. A forb-rich vegetation was the main driver promoting birds. Flower strip quantity at the landscape level had positive effects only on bird densities, but also single WFS achieved benefits. A short distance from WFS to woody elements increased total bird species richness. However, the density of farmland birds, which are target species of these AES, were negatively affected by the proximity and proportion of woody elements in the vicinity. The effect of the proportion of non-intensively used open habitats and overall habitat richness was unexpectedly low in the otherwise intensively farmed landscape. Species-rich perennial WFS significantly promoted breeding birds. Successful establishment of WFS, resulting in high-quality habitats, a high flower strip quantity as well as implementation in open landscapes were shown to maximise the effectiveness for restoring declining and AES target farmland birds.
Information systems (IS) play a central role in promoting corporate sustainability and pro-environmental behavior. This study explores the use of mobile apps for fostering sustainability-oriented corporate culture. It accentuates issues relating to sustainability-oriented corporate culture (RQ1), app meta-requirements as a strategic approach to addressing these issues (RQ2), as well as design and implementation principles (RQ3). Referring to the literature on sustainability apps, gamification, and nudging, our qualitative research design combines an analysis of four corporate apps intending to promote sustainable behavior and expert interviews (Grounded Theory). The proposed framework supports the planning, realization, and monitoring of this targeted app use. Single cultural dimensions inform seven issues in culture development. Five meta-requirements address this multi-dimensionality, challenges provided by new digital working environments, and principles of Green IT. Four design principles support, extend, and integrate current knowledge on app features, nudging, and gamification. Five variables determine the app intervention and maturity level. We conclude that this targeted app use should intend to foster the sustainability orientation within all dimensions of corporate culture instead of being limited to promoting sustainable behavior.
Dieser Artikel befasst sich mit dem bundesweiten Niveau der Treibhausgas (THG)-Emissionen und des Ressourcenverbrauchs in der deutschen Gemeinschaftsverpflegung im Segment "Business" und deren Einsparpotenziale durch verschiedene Szenarien der ungestützten und gestützten Rezeptüberarbeitung. Unter "ungestützt" verstehen wir in dieser Arbeit die intuitive Optimierung von Rezepten durch die Mitarbeiter von Betrieben der Gemeinschaftsverpflegung. Die "unterstützten" Ansätze mussten dagegen bestimmte Zielvorgaben erfüllen, zum Beispiel der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Ernährung; engl. Deutschen Gesellschaft für Ernährung oder das nachhaltige Niveau. Konkret Konkret wird getestet, wie sich (A) eine ungestützte Rezeptüberarbeitung, (B) eine Rezeptüberarbeitung auf Basis von Ernährungsempfehlungen und (C) eine Rezeptüberarbeitung mit wissenschaftlicher Begleitung die Umweltauswirkungen eines Gerichtes beeinflussen. Als methodischer Rahmen diente eine Online-Befragung von Unternehmen der Gemeinschaftsverpflegung sowie eine Szenarioanalyse auf Menüebene und auf nationaler Ebene durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse basieren zum einen auf empirischen Daten und zum anderen auf Hochrechnungen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die die bundesweite Umsetzung der Rezepturüberarbeitung nach wissenschaftlichen Vorgaben - wie konkrete Zielvorgaben für die THG Emissionen pro Portion - bis zu 44% des Ressourcenverbrauchs in der deutschen Betriebsgastronomie einsparen kann (das entspricht 3,4 Millionen Tonnen Ressourcen pro Jahr) und bis zu 40 % der THG-Emissionen (0,6 Millionen Tonnen THG-Emissionen pro Jahr) einsparen.
Power consumption has become a major design constraint, especially for battery-powered embedded systems. However, the impact of software applications is typically considered in later phases, where both software and hardware parts are close to their finalization. Power-related issues must be detected in early stages to keep the development costs low, satisfy time-to-market, and avoid cost-intensive redesign loops. Moreover, the variety of hardware components, architectures, and communication interfaces make the development of embedded software more challenging. To manage the complexity of software applications, approaches such as model-driven development (MDD) may be used. This article proposes a power-estimation approach in MDD for software application models in early development phases. A unified modeling language (UML) profile is introduced to model power-related properties of hardware components. To determine the impact of software applications, we defined two analysis methods using simulation data and a novel in-the-loop concept. Both methods may be applied at different development stages to determine an energy trace, describing the energy-related behavior of the system. A novel definition of energy bugs is provided to describe power-related misbehavior. We apply our approach to a sensor node example, demonstrate an energy bug detection, and compare the runtime and accuracy of the analysis methods.
The apple fruit (Malus domestica L. Borkh) is one of the most popular fruits worldwide. Beyond their beneficial properties, apples contain proteins that trigger allergic reactions in susceptible consumers. Mal d1 to d4 are allergens present in a variety of different isoforms in apples. In this study, we used proteomics to quantify all four Mal d proteins in 52 apple genotypes with varying allergenic potentials. A total of 195, 17, 14, and 18 peptides were found to be related to Mal d1, d2, d3, and d4 proteins, respectively of which 25 different Mal d proteins could be unambiguously identified. The allergenic potential of the Mal d isoforms was characterized by comparing the isoform abundance with the allergenic score of genotypes from oral challenge tests. The detected Mal d peptides presumably have different IgE binding properties and could be used as potential molecular markers to discriminate between hypoallergenic and hyperallergenic cultivars.