bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A model for designing intraocular pressure-regulating glaucoma implants
Authors: Pereira Inês C. F. , Wyss Hans M. , Pinchuk Leonard , Beckers Henny J. M. , den Toonder Jaap M. J.
Published: September 2022

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, the health of which is vital for vision. The key risk factor for the development and progression of this disease is increased intraocular pressure (IOP). Implantable glaucoma drainage devices have been developed to divert aqueous humor from the glaucomatous eye as a means of reducing IOP. The artificial drainage pathway created by these devices drives the fluid into a filtering bleb. The long-term success of filtration surgery is dictated by the proper functioning of the bleb and overlying Tenon’s and conjunctival tissue. To better understand the influence of the health condition of these tissues on IOP, we have developed a mathematical model of fluid production in the eye, its removal from the anterior chamber by a particular glaucoma implant–the PRESERFLO® MicroShunt–, drainage into the bleb and absorption by the subconjunctival vasculature. The mathematical model was numerically solved by commercial FEM package COMSOL. Our numerical results of IOP for different postoperative conditions are consistent with the available evidence on IOP outcomes after the implantation of this device. To obtain insight into the adjustments in the implant’s hydrodynamic resistance that are required for IOP control when hypotony or bleb scarring due to tissue fibrosis take place, we have simulated the flow through a microshunt with an adjustable lumen diameter. Our findings show that increasing the hydrodynamic resistance of the microshunt by reducing the lumen diameter, can effectively help to prevent hypotony. However, decreasing the hydrodynamic resistance of the implant will not sufficiently decrease the IOP to acceptable levels when the bleb is encapsulated due to tissue fibrosis. Therefore, to effectively reduce IOP, the adjustable glaucoma implant should be combined with a means of reducing fibrosis. The results reported herein may provide guidelines to support the design of future glaucoma implants with adjustable hydrodynamic resistances.
Core competencies of peer workers who use pulse oximeters to supplement their overdose response in British Columbia
Authors: Mamdani Zahra , Feldman-Kiss Damian , McKenzie Sophie , Knott Mike , Cameron Fred , Voyer Rayne , van Norren Jessica , Scott Tracy , Pauly Bernie , Buxton Jane A.
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Peer workers (those with lived/living experience of substance use) are at the forefront of overdose response initiatives in British Columbia, Canada. The onset of the coronavirus disease pandemic has significantly compounded the impact of the overdose crisis. Peer workers are integral in supporting people who use substances. However, despite the important work they do, peer workers often lack formalized credibility and do not have the same resources available to them as service providers without lived experience. The peer-led project titled the Peer2Peer Project implemented several support programs for peer workers, including providing pulse oximeters to peer workers to supplement their overdose response procedures.

Materials and methods

This study was a component of a larger evaluation of the pulse oximeter program at two organizations in BC. The study aims to highlight the competencies of peer workers who use pulse oximeters. Telephone interviews were conducted with seven peer workers who were given pulse oximeters. The transcripts were thematically coded using Covert et al.’s framework of core competencies of community health workers to compare our sample with other widely recognized professions.

Findings

We found that peer workers who used pulse oximeters described several core competencies in their work and these were aligned with Covert et al.’s core competencies for community health workers, including assessment, community health practice, communication, diversity and inclusion, professional practice, and disease prevention and management.

Conclusion

By aligning peer workers’ skills to those of community health workers, we create awareness on the competencies of peer workers in using oximeters to supplement overdose response and advocate for them to receive more recognition and respect within the workplace. Further, our findings act as groundwork for future research in identifying the professional proficiencies of peer workers.
Hypoalbuminemia for the prediction of survival in patients with stage IVB cervical cancer
Authors: Yoshikawa Nobuhisa , Yoshihara Masato , Tamauchi Satoshi , Ikeda Yoshiki , Yokoi Akira , Kajiyama Hiroaki
Published: September 2022

We evaluated the prognostic significance of malnutrition in patients with metastatic cervical cancer. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the cases of 43 patients with stage IVB (FIGO2018) cervical cancer treated at our institute from December 2004 to December 2017. We determined the correlation between clinicopathological characteristics and survival by performing univariate and multivariate analyses. The serum albumin value at diagnosis was used as an index of malnutrition. The median follow-up period was 16.4 months (range, 0.9–91.4 months). On Kaplan-Meier analysis, the 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) rates for all patients were 61.6% and 48.6%, respectively. The optimal serum albumin for predicting 1-year survival was 3.3 g/dL, as determined by the receiver operating characteristic curve to maximize the area under the curve. The OS of the patients with albumin >3.3 g/dL (n = 28) was significantly better than that of the patients with albumin ≤3.3 g/dL (n = 15) (p = 0.004). The univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that pretreatment serum albumin and mode of primary treatment were significantly associated with survival in patients with stage IVB cervical cancer. Hypoalbuminemia was an unfavorable prognostic factor for patients with metastatic cervical cancer.
Reducing intraventricular hemorrhage following the implementation of a prevention bundle for neonatal hypothermia
Authors: Chiu Wei-Tse , Lu Yi-Hsuan , Chen Yin-Ting , Tan Yin Ling , Lin Yi-Chieh , Chen Yu-Lien , Chou Hung-Chieh , Chen Chien-Yi , Yen Ting-An , Tsao Po-Nien
Published: September 2022

Introduction

In very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, hypothermia immediately following birth is common even in countries rich in medical resources. The purpose of this study is to design a standard prevention bundle that decreases the rate of hypothermia among infants after birth and to investigate efficacy of the bundle and short-term outcomes for VLBW infants.

Methods

This quality improvement project was conducted from February 2017 to July 2018 on all VLBW preterm infants admitted at a single referral level III neonatal intensive care unit. The infants were classified into the pre-intervention (February to September 2017) and post-intervention (October 2017 to July 2018) groups according to the time periods when they were recruited. During the pre-intervention period, we analyzed the primary causes of hypothermia, developed solutions corresponding to each cause, integrated all solutions into a prevention bundle, and applied the bundle during the post-intervention period. Afterwards, the incidence of neonatal hypothermia and short-term outcomes, such as intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), acidosis, and shock requiring inotropic agents, in each group were compared.

Results

A total of 95 VLBW infants were enrolled in the study, including 37 pre-intervention, and 58 post-intervention cases. The incidence of hypothermia in preterm infants decreased significantly upon the implementation of our prevention bundle, both in the delivery room (from 45.9% to 8.6%) and on admission (59.5% to 15.5%). In addition, the short-term outcomes of VLBW infants improved significantly, especially with the decreased incidence of IVH (from 21.6% to 5.2%, P = 0.015).

Conclusions

Our standardized prevention bundle for preventing hypothermia in VLBW infants is effective and decreased the IVH rate in VLBW infants. We strongly believe that this prevention bundle is a simple, low-cost, replicable, and effective tool that hospitals can adopt to improve VLBW infant outcomes.
El libre comercio como vocación de los países de la Alianza del Pacífico: una revisión histórica
Authors: Ayala Castiblanco Lizeth Vanessa
Published: September 2022

La Alianza del Pacífico es una iniciativa de integración regional que, desde su creación en el año 2011, ha despertado gran interés a nivel internacional. A propósito de su décimo aniversario, este artículo presenta una revisión histórica de la evolución del libre comercio en los países miembros de la Alianza: Chile, Colombia, México y Perú. El objetivo es examinar los orígenes de la apertura comercial de estos países y destacar sus particularidades teniendo en cuenta el contexto regional. El resultado es un análisis general del proceso de internalización del libre comercio como paradigma a seguir en estos países explicando la manera en que este proceso se tradujo en el protagonismo del libre comercio dentro de la Alianza del Pacífico en particular.
La radicalización de la derecha contemporánea en Brasil e Italia: el caso del Partido Social Liberal y el partido Lega Nord
Authors: Camacho Posada Maria Fernanda
Published: September 2022

Este articulo examina el éxito de los partidos políticos de derecha radical en países europeos y latinoamericanos, abordando una serie de preguntas relacionadas con las explicaciones detrás de la popularidad del Partido Social Liberal (PSL) en Brasil y la Lega Nord (LN) en Italia. Se realizó un análisis comparativo, enfocándose en la relación entre las posiciones discursivas asumidas por los partidos y sus líderes. Los hallazgos sugirieron que los partidos PSL y LN comparten características ideológicas similares. Si bien, estos partidos se desvinculan de nociones tradicionales asociadas al extremismo como el fascismo y el antisemitismo, como partidos políticos contemporáneos, parecen reemplazar estos elementos con otras ideas extremas. De acuerdo con estos resultados, se argumenta que PSL y LN se basan en la mayor vulnerabilidad de las personas al señalar la 'amenaza del Otro', teniendo como enfoque ciertos desafíos sociales, políticos y económicos (por ejemplo, migración, seguridad, desigualdad social, etc.), los cuales determinaron su éxito electoral en las últimas elecciones nacionales.
Economics of time: Advantages of e-learning in proportion to the time utilized and the tradeoff between work and studies
Authors: Davidovitch Nitza , Eckhaus Eyal
Published: September 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic created a disruption of the educational system. The transition to e-learning in a state of emergency involved breaching barriers and challenges for both faculty and students. In the current study, we examine the opinion of students on the advantages of e-learning, in a systemic, multi-institutional perspective. Based on 1,859 respondents from several academic institutions, we employed a mixed methods research, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques. The findings show that variables related to time saving significantly affect the preference for e-teaching. In contrast, money-saving variables were not found to be significant. Reduction in travel time was found to be the most important dimension involved in the preference for e-teaching, followed by the convenience of studying from home and lesson recordings. These measures emphasize the advantages of digitization in the modern era and the option of perceiving learning as a consumer product that does not require physical presence. Globalization has facilitated e-commerce with no geographical barriers, from the convenience of one’s home or organization, together with a significant reduction in time required. However academic institutions are lagging in this regard. The COVID-19 era has raised the need for the academic establishment to adapt to the new reality and the advantages of technological modernization in the 21st century.
Analyzing employment by occupation across sectors in Greek labor market
Authors: Karamanis Kostas , Kolias Giorgios
Published: September 2022

In this paper we investigate the trends in the number of employees by occupational category across the economy's main sectors. For the purpose of our study we use mixed-fixed and random coefficient modeling, taking unemployment, gross value added, employee compensation, and proxies for labor force participation rate as the determining factors. Using annual data from 2000 to 2018, we examine the effects of the determining factors on the share of workers by sector and occupation. Our econometric research shows that the regression coefficients vary between sectors and categories of occupation and the proposed model correctly estimates the dependent variable and the heterogeneous variation of the random effects. Our model can be used to identify occupations with current and future shortages across sectors as well as for assessment and anticipation of employment needs. This study's main contribution is the provision of a flexible and innovative econometric tool, with minimal data requirements, for investigating and assessing employment across economic activities over time. Moreover, in conjunction with other forecasting macroeconomic models, it can offer accurate forecasts for future levels and trends in employment.
Re-examining the links between cultural values and innovation
Authors: Soloviov Vladyslav
Published: September 2022

The fact that the majority of the papers investigating the link between culture and innovation use Hofstede’s cultural theory and indicators prompts a question of whether the alternative cultural theories and variables can provide us with a better understanding of this link. This issue is further necessitated by the strong criticism of the validity of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions throughout their use. This study investigates the link between culture and innovation using four separate sets of cultural indicators: Hofstede’s, Schwartz’s, Inglehart’s and Minkov’s. The results of the empirical analysis highlight that individualism-collectivism unambiguously emerges as significantly linked with innovative activity regardless of the cultural theory utilised. Additionally, compared to Hofstede’s, all alternative sets of cultural indicators provide a better model fit, avoid some of the long-standing multicollinearity problems, and provide a more grounded theoretical foundation, complete with a better replicability of such variables.
Legal Discourse on Manpower During COVID-19 Outbreak
Authors: Kennedy Richard
Published: September 2022

Covid-19 has become a global epidemic all around the world. All countries around the world have been completely struggled by this outbreak, including Indonesia. Economy crisis is something that could not be avoided. Naturally, workers, and entrepreneurs will be either directly or indirectly affected. Massive amount of companies has applied the regulation “Termination of Employment”, laid of the workers, and even deduction on wages payment. Workers have become vulnerable parties in this case because they do not have enough assurance. Article 164 (1) Act No. 3 of 2003 concerning Manpower indeed regulates the Termination of Employment regulation because of force majeure, however this law seems to be slightly unsuitably applied for this outbreak Covid-19 situation. Therefore, this study is aimed to do legal discoursing in which can both assure those workers and maintain the operation of business in this tight condition. Finally, Indonesia needs to return back to kinship culture and unity in diversity philosophy as stated in Pancasila to equalize the interests both for workers and employers. According to Article 33 (1) and (4) of 1945 Constitution of Republic Indonesia, it has been firmly stated that Indonesian economy should be organized as a common endeavor based upon the principles of the family system and conducted on basis of Pancasila democracy. Hence, government is expected to play the intermediary role in order to unify and even out interest of all parties. Law of Manpower need to be adjusted with some regulations about rights and responsibilities accommodate to workers, employers, and government in deal with epidemic outbreak.
The Hike in BPJS Kesehatan’s Premiums based on The principle of Justice in Service Regulation of Healthcare Insurance
Authors: Syahputra Alfin Reza , Munandar Adis Imam
Published: September 2022

There have been a lot of complaints regarding the service received by the members of Healthcare and Social Security Administrative Body, or so called BPJS Kesehatan. This situation has been worsened with the hike in premiums of BPJS Kesehatan’s independent members stipulated in Presidential Regulations Number 75 / 2019 and The Amendment of Presidential regulation Number 82/2018 on Health insurance. After announcing the hike of BPJS Kesehatan premiums, the government must also improve the healthcare service to all the independent participants of BPJS Kesehatan. This study aimed to examine juridical review on the hike in BPJS’s Premiums based on the principle of justice on the policies of healthcare and social security. This study was conducted by applying normative juridical research method using statue approach and secondary data. According to the result of the research, Regulation Number 40 Year 2004 concerning National Social Insurance and Regulation Number 24 Year 2011 on the implementing agency of social insurance have applied the principle of justice in their policies. However, Presidential Regulation Number 75 Year 2019 “Presidential Regulation Number 82 Year 2018 on Health Insurance” has not implemented or reflected the principle of justice in its policies. In addition, the government reason to increase the payment of BPJS Kesehatan is that BPJS has been in financial deficit. In order to solve this problem, one of the solutions that the government can offer is to seek for other financial sources instead of putting the burden on the members of the social health insurance program.
Equity Interest Scheme’s Compatibility with the UNCLOS 1982’s Common Heritage of Mankind Principle
Authors: Merdekawati Agustina , Triatmodjo Marsudi
Published: September 2022

The Mining Code Exploration for polymetallic sulphides and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts provide options for exploration contractors to offer an equity interest in a joint venture with Enterprise. UNCLOS 1982 has never regulated the existence of such a scheme as a substitute for the obligation to submit reserved areas at the exploration stage. The presence of the equity interest scheme raises questions on its compatibility with the Common Heritage of Mankind (CHM) principle, especially with the aspect of equitable benefits sharing (EBS) to all mankind. This study aimed to assess the compatibility of the equity interest scheme with the CHM principle. The study was conducted normatively by analyzing equity interest scheme implementation associated with the norms in the CHM principle and UNCLOS 1982. The results showed that the equity interest scheme is compatible with the EBS aspects in the CHM principle by presenting the optimization of financial benefits for all mankind. The implementation of the equity interest scheme, even though it is contrary to the provisions of Annex III Article 1982, is a form of subsequent practice accepted by state parties. This study recommends that the relevant stakeholders reconsider the involvement of the Enterprise in the equity interest scheme based on financing efficiency.
TRANSLATION IN LIBEL CASES: REPUTATIONS AT STAKE!
Authors: Scott Juliette , O'Shea John Anthony
Published: September 2022

Abstract: In this paper we examine translation arising in court cases involving reputational damage. A diachronic and tightly focused cross-jurisdictional selection of examples from case law is used to highlight the range of ways in which translation can be employed, blamed, or relied upon by the parties and by the courts, and we glimpse how translations can be a source of libel, a defence against libel, or a gateway to libellous material, how crucial translation can be in protecting or damaging reputations, and how significantly it can affect a case’s outcome. We apply Engberg’s lens for communication in legal contexts, distinguishing micro, meso and macro occurrences of translation at publisher/business/individual, judicial, and State levels. Recurring translation-related topics either mooted by courts or arising in our analysis are then outlined, including: competing translations; translation techniques; translator identification; online translation; how the acceptance of jurisdiction may be influenced by translation requirements; and how judges approach decision-making when foreign language documents and translation are involved.
Identificação de cores e comprimentos de onda da luz proveniente de monitores e telas de TVs usando um espectrógrafo caseiro
Authors: Pereira Santos Jessica , Scarano Jr Sergio
Published: September 2022

A Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BNCC) traça as diretrizes para o a educação básica e elaboração de currículos com elementos em comum por todas as regiões do Brasil. Este documento traz consigo uma série de recomendações acerca da necessidade da oferta de um ensino contextualizado e baseado no desenvolvimento de competências e habilidades no estudante. Frente a este cenário, desenvolveu-se uma atividade experimental para o ensino de objetos de conhecimento ligados à Física Ondulatória, através do estudo da formação de imagens em cores nos monitores, TVs e telas em geral. A investigação parte da análise espectral das cores que são geradas nestas telas, por meio da observação e calibração de espectros luminosos extraídos de duas TVs: uma LCD e outra de LED. A metodologia envolveu a montagem do aparato experimental para a obtenção dos espectros, os passos para o tratamento dos espectros afim de possibilitar a calibração e, por fim, são apresentadas as etapas para a calibração. Os resultados das calibrações dos espectros apresentaram dados coerentes com a faixa de comprimento de onda das cores dos LEDs no sistema RGB a partir dos quais fomos capazes de determinar seus comprimentos de onda central e largura de banda. Neste sentido, o presente artigo compõe um material didático potencialmente significativo, tendo em vista a correlação dos conteúdos de Física com elementos do dia a dia dos estudantes.
Determinando a espessura de um fio através da difração da luz
Authors: Nascimento da Silva Wallyson , Da Silva Cláudia  Adriana , Da Silva Olivier Danilo
Published: September 2022

O fenômeno da difração da luz é amplamente estudado na Física, sendo observado em situações reais como hologramas, arco-íris, ou ainda no padrão de cores que surgem em um CD. Neste trabalho propomos a utilização de um aparato experimental simples, construído com materiais de baixo custo, para auxiliar os professores e estudantes no processo de ensino e aprendizagem da difração da luz. Para isso, determinamos a espessura de um fio de cabelo a partir da largura das franjas de difração como função da distância do obstáculo até o anteparo. Os resultados apontam que o aparato proposto possibilita o estudo de conceitos físicos relacionados à difração da luz, bem como a aplicação para o cálculo do diâmetro do fio.
Electrodynamics: Um aplicativo em linguagem Visual Basic for Applications voltado para o ensino de Eletrodinâmica no ensino médio
Authors: Gomes Jr. Luiz Moreira , Lima Ferreira Fernanda Carla , Gomes Luiz Moreira
Published: September 2022

Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido o Software Electrodynamics, com o objetivo de auxiliar professores do Ensino Médio na tarefa de ensinar conceitos de Eletrodinâmica. Inicialmente é apresentada uma breve revisão sobre TICs e a Teoria do Ensino em Espiral, que se considera relevante no contexto do desenvolvimento e utilização do aplicativo. Este foi desenvolvido em linguagem computacional Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), a qual é uma implementação do Visual Basic da Microsoft, incorporada em todos os programas do Microsoft Office, que são amplamente utilizados na sociedade de hoje. O software desenvolvido apresenta ferramentas para cálculos e a plotagem de gráficos das principais equações da Eletrodinâmica. Com essa ferramenta vislumbra-se um grande potencial para ensino e um facilitador da aprendizagem dos discentes.
Tools and methods for Edge-AI-systems
Authors: Schwabe Nils , Zhou Yexu , Hielscher Leon , Röddiger Tobias , Riedel Till , Reiter Sebastian
Published: September 2022

The enormous potential of artificial intelligence, especially artificial neural networks, when used for edge computing applications in cars, traffic lights or smart watches, has not yet been fully exploited today. The reasons for this are the computing, energy and memory requirements of modern neural networks, which typically cannot be met by embedded devices. This article provides a detailed summary of today’s challenges and gives a deeper insight into existing solutions that enable neural network performance with modern HW/SW co-design techniques.
From Self-supervised Learning to Transfer Learning with Musculoskeletal Radiographs
Authors: Hinterwimmer Florian , Consalvo Sarah , Neumann Jan , Micheler Carina , Wilhelm Nikolas , Lang Jan , Eisenhart-Rothe Rüdiger von , Burgkart Rainer , Rueckert Daniel
Published: September 2022

Ewing sarcomas are malignant neoplasm entities typically found in children and adolescents. Early detection is crucial for therapy and prognosis. Due to the low incidence the general experience as well as according data is limited. Novel support tools for diagnosis, such as deep learning models for image interpretation, are required. While acquiring sufficient data is a common obstacle in medicine, several techniques to tackle small data sets have emerged. The general necessity of large data sets in addition to a rare disease lead to the question whether transfer learning can solve the issue of limited data and subsequently support tasks such as distinguishing Ewing sarcoma from its main differential diagnosis (acute osteomyelitis) in paediatric radiographs. 42,608 unstructured radiographs from our musculoskeletal tumour centre were retrieved from the PACS. The images were clustered with a DeepCluster, a self-supervised algorithm. 1000 clusters were used for the upstream task (pretraining). Following, the pretrained classification network was applied for the downstream task of differentiating Ewing sarcoma and acute osteomyelitis. An untrained network achieved an accuracy of 81.5%/54.2%, while an ImageNet-pretrained network resulted in 89.6%/70.8% for validation and testing, respectively. Our transfer learning approach surpassed the best result by 4.4%/17.3% percentage points. Transfer learning demonstrated to be a powerful technique to support image interpretation tasks. Even for small data sets, the impact can be significant. However, transfer learning is not a final solution to small data sets. To achieve clinically relevant results, a structured and systematic data acquisition is of paramount importance.
Iron oxide nanoparticles with supramolecular ureidopyrimidinone coating
Authors: Turrina Chiara , Dankers Patricia Y. W. , Berensmeier Sonja , Schwaminger Sebastian
Published: September 2022

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are a promising material in nanomedicine, especially for generating magnetically controlled drug delivery systems. We developed an innovative ureidopyrimidinone (UPy) coating based on supramolecular hydrogen bonding units. The synthesized nanoparticles possess a positively charged surface with a hydrodynamic diameter of 177 nm at pH 7 and magnetization of 31 emu g-1. The system has the potential to be modified by drugs or bioactive molecules altered with UPy units.
Generative-Adversarial-Network-Based Data Augmentation for the Classification of Craniosynostosis
Authors: Kaiser Christian , Schaufelberger Matthias , Kühle Reinald Peter , Wachter Andreas , Weichel Frederic , Hagen Niclas , Ringwald Friedemann , Eisenmann Urs , Engel Michael , Freudlsperger Christian , Nahm Werner
Published: September 2022

Craniosynostosis is a congenital disease characterized by the premature closure of one or multiple sutures of the infant’s skull. For diagnosis, 3D photogrammetric scans are a radiation-free alternative to computed tomography. However, data is only sparsely available and the role of data augmentation for the classification of craniosynostosis has not yet been analyzed. In this work, we use a 2D distance map representation of the infants’ heads with a convolutional-neural-network-based classifier and employ a generative adversarial network (GAN) for data augmentation. We simulate two data scarcity scenarios with 15% and 10% training data and test the influence of different degrees of added synthetic data and balancing underrepresented classes. We used total accuracy and F1-score as a metric to evaluate the final classifiers. For 15% training data, the GAN-augmented dataset showed an increased F1-score up to 0.1 and classification accuracy up to 3 %. For 10% training data, both metrics decreased. We present a deep convolutional GAN capable of creating synthetic data for the classification of craniosynostosis. Using a moderate amount of synthetic data using a GAN showed slightly better performance, but had little effect overall. The simulated scarcity scenario of 10% training data may have limited the model’s ability to learn the underlying data distribution.
Dry-fog disinfection as a method for processing vehicles for passenger transport
Authors: Buhl Sebastian , Stich Alexander , Bulitta Clemens
Published: September 2022

Due to the corona pandemic, the demand for efficient and fast-acting disinfection measures is high. In this work, the disinfecting potential of a dry fogging technology (Apollon Biotech GmbH, Germany) was investigated for the possibility of disinfection of vehicles for passenger transport. This could represent a new approach for processing emergency vehicles or local passenger transport vehicles quickly and cost-effectively. A public bus was used as a model for a passenger transport vehicle (Ferienfahrschule Hense GbR, Germany). This vehicle was tested at predetermined points before and after dry-fog disinfection with swab and contact plate samples. In addition, contaminated sample tiles (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538; 5x104 CFU) were placed at some locations in order to be able to record a standardized germ reduction. To determine the decontamination effect of the air in the vehicle, active airborne germ measurements were performed. In the airborne germ measurement, our results indicated a reduction of approx. 68% of the microbiological air contamination. Screening of the total contamination of the bus at several selected sites showed an average load of approximately 348 CFU per test site. After disinfection, the average bacterial count was reduced to approx. 18 CFU per test site. This disinfecting effect could also be shown with the standardized test tiles. An efficiency level of between log 0.8 and 3.7 was obtained at the various test sites.
A validation study for a consumer-grade auditory-visual stimulation device
Authors: Oppermann Hannes , Thelen Antonia , Elliot Stephen , Zanow Frank , Haueisen Jens
Published: September 2022

Self-care and improving one’s well-being has been growing rapidly in recent years for manifold reasons (e.g. higher workload, corona pandemic). Consumer-grade noninvasive stimulation devices are therefore on the rise to counteract the occurrence of mood disorders and burn-out symptoms. Here, we aim at investigating the impact of dynamically varying auditory-visual stimulation patterns on neural entrainment patterns and resonance phenomena. Twenty-two healthy volunteers (11 female, 25.4±5.1 years, one dropout, seven in control group) participated in the study. EEG data (64 channel; equidistant layout) were acquired preand during stimulation for each volunteer. Visual and auditory stimuli were presented via a headset (ATUM, Neuro- Bright; https://www.neurobright.co.uk/). Presentation patterns (frequency, intensity, spatial distribution) varied within a presentation session but were kept constant across all volunteers. Stimulus intensity was adjusted to individual comfort levels. Individual alpha peak frequencies (iAPF) were calculated via the power spectral density with 50% overlapping 10s epochs from pre-stimulation segments. For both, the study and the control group, a time-frequency representation was calculated for the pre- and during-stimulation segments. From this, power values were determined for different frequency-bands (iAPF, stimulation frequencies and second harmonics of the latter). Statistical analyses focused on contrasting the power values between pre- and during stimulation. Mean iAPF values were 10.25±0.99Hz for the study and 10.63±1.21Hz for the control group respectively. Both, power values at the stimulation frequencies and their second harmonics differed significantly between pre- and during stimulation (pstim=0.001; pharm=0.001) in the study group. No such difference was found for the control group (pstim=0.352; pharm=0.237). Further, neither the study nor the control group showed significant iAPF power differences (pstudy=0.035; pcontrol=0.352; alpha*=0.008). Our results suggest that lightweight, portable auditory-visual presentation devices represent an effective tool for generating entrainment and resonance effects at home. Further analyses will focus on the investigation of individual differences driving such modulatory effects.
Artificial Prostate Tissue for the Simulation of the Transurethral Resection of the Prostate
Authors: Ramien Max F. , Biakop Nana Pascalessa C. , Radtke Noah S. , Knopf Christoph , Klein Stephan , Damiani Christian
Published: September 2022

In-vitro models for the transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P) require prostate phantoms whose mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties resemble those of real tissue. This work focused on the latter. Phantoms were fabricated with gelatin, pectin, and corn syrup solved in an aqueous solution of 0.4 wt% NaCl. The effect of each component on the phantom’s electrical properties could be described in a multiple nonlinear regression model. As a result, the electrical current drawn during resection of the phantom could be predicted with an uncertainty of ± 10 %. This allows for purposive adjustment of the phantom’s composition to regulate the Joule heating during resection. Particularly the pectin concentration appeared to greatly affect the electrical properties as well as the mechanical stability of the artificial tissue at higher temperatures caused by Joule heating of the system. Until now, this research focused on the development of tissue that resembles porcine musculus longissimus dorsi (MLD). In the future, the phantom’s composition will be adjusted based on data obtained through in-vivo resection of the prostate.
Bad channel detection in EEG recordings
Authors: Komosar Milana , Fiedler Patrique , Haueisen Jens
Published: September 2022

Electroencephalography (EEG) is widely used in clinical applications and basic research. Dry EEG opened the application area to new fields like self-application during gaming and neurofeedback. While recording, the signals are always affected by artefacts. Manual detection of bad channels is the gold standard in both gel-based and dry EEG but is timeconsuming. We propose a simple and robust method for automatic bad channel detection in EEG. Our method is based on the iterative calculation of standard deviations for each channel. Statistical measures of these standard deviations serve as indications for bad channel detection. We compare the new method to the results obtained from the manually identified bad channels for EEG recordings. We analysed EEG signals during resting state with eyes closed and datasets with head movement. The results showed an accuracy of 99.69 % for both gel-based and dry EEG for resting state EEG. The accuracy of our new method is 99.38 % for datasets with the head movement for both setups. There was no significant difference between the manual gold standard of bad channel identification and our iterative standard deviation method. Therefore, the proposed iterative standard deviation method can be used for bad channel detection in resting state and movement EEG recordings.
Effect of enzymatic degradation and hydrolysis on 3D-printed resin-based composite material for temporary dental crowns and bridges
Authors: Berghaus Eva , Roling Xeniya , Warkentin Mareike , Petersen Svea
Published: September 2022

Additive manufacturing of dental prostheses e.g. composite materials is continuously finding broader application in dentistry. In the oral environment, the materials are subjected to hydrolysis and accelerated hydrolysis by enzymes. With the aim to compare an additively manufactured composite with a self-curing and a CAD/CAM material of the same composition, the effect of enzymatic degradation and hydrolysis on the materials were investigated. The experimental composites consisted of 50 wt. % inorganic filler and 50 wt. % monomer matrix (BisEMA, BisGMA, TEGDMA). The influence of hydrolysis via a buffer system was investigated in comparison to enzymatic degradation by cholesterol esterase over 22 days. The detection of degradation products over time was conducted by HPLC-DAD analysis. Degradation products and monomers calibrated were: TEGDMA, BisGMA, BisEMA, MA, TEGMA, Bis-HPPP and E-bis-PA. Surface roughness of polished specimens was measured by AFM and hardness with a Vickers micro hardness tester. After enzymatic degradation and hydrolysis, BisGMA was detected in the eluates of the additively manufactured composites. The samples fabricated by CAD/CAM behaved similar during hydrolysis, where additionally MA was detected. After enzymatic degradation, furthermore TEGMA and BisEMA were detected qualitatively. In contrast, the self-curing material exhibited traces of MA, TEGMA, TEGDMA and BisGMA after enzymatic degradation. Hereof detectable upon hydrolysis were MA, TEGMA and BisGMA. Surface roughness was comparable for all manufactured samples whereas the hardness was lowest of the 3D printed material. Enzymatic degradation and hydrolysis had no effect on surface roughness and hardness. The additively manufactured composite appeared to have low susceptibility to enzymatic degradation and hydrolysis. Due to the manufacturing process, the polishability and initial hardness are poorer.
Towards the Development of a Medical App for the Detection of Diabetic Foot Syndrome and Pressure Ulcers
Authors: Zaufenberger Linda , Stampfer Philip , Mader Julia K. , Gold Herbert , Donsa Klaus
Published: September 2022

Diabetic foot syndrome is a secondary disease of diabetes mellitus that can lead to amputations, reduced mobility and in some cases death if treatment is delayed. The objective of this study was to collect user requirements for the development of a shoe insole accompanied by a medical app for continuous pressure measurement, applying a usercentered Design Thinking process.We conducted a systematic competitor analysis and performed 10 context-interviews with both health care professionals (HCPs) (n=7) and patients with diabetic foot syndrome (n=3) at the University Hospital Graz (Austria) and a medical supply store. Structured interview guides, tailored to user groups were used for qualitative interviews. Questionnaires on the acceptance of eHealth applications were designed for quantitative analysis (n=14 patients, n=7 HCPs). The competitor analysis identified 12 inshoe- systems for plantar pressure measurement for patients with diabetes. No current system on the EU market meets the requirements of the users interviewed in this study. Quantitative evaluation showed that 95% of future users would support the use of a medical app to monitor plantar pressure in patients with diabetic foot syndrome. Based on the identified user requirements, a first user interface was developed iteratively. Usability tests of the prototype resulted in a score of 71.7 on the System Usability Scale. The medical app will be further developed and tested in clinical studies.
Robust Colon Tissue Cartography with Semi-Supervision
Authors: Dexl Jakob , Benz Michaela , Kuritcyn Petr , Wittenberg Thomas , Bruns Volker , Geppert Carol , Hartmann Arndt , Bischl Bernd , Goschenhofer Jann
Published: September 2022

We explore the task of tissue classification for colon cancer histology in a low label regime comparing a semi-supervised and a supervised learning strategy in a series of experiments. Further, we investigate the model robustness w.r.t. distribution shifts in the unlabeled data and domain shifts across different scanners to prove their practicality in a histology context. By utilizing unlabeled data in addition to nl = 1000 labeled tiles per class, we yield a substantial increase in accuracy from 89.9% to 91.4%.
Characterization of Ball-milled Poly(Nisopropylacrylamide) Nanogels
Authors: Huling Jennifer , Wulf Katharina , Illner Sabine , Grabow Niels , Teske Michael
Published: September 2022

Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogels are one of the most commonly studied thermoresponsive biomaterials. In this work, we investigate ball milling as a method of producing PNIPAM nanogels and confirm that the temperature responsiveness is maintained in the nanogel form based on hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential measurements.
Mathematical lung model for local gas exchange based on EIT-measurements
Authors: Hennigs Carlotta , Becher Tobias , Rostalski Philipp
Published: September 2022

In this work we present a four compartment mathematical lung model to simulate the local gas exchange based on electrical impedance tomography (EIT) input. The model simulates the local and global time course of the volume, the gas fraction in the alveoli and the arterial partial pressure. The regional information about the distribution of ventilation and perfusion is extracted from EIT data. In order to illustrate the suitability of this approach, an ARDS patient is simulated. The results show good agreement with measurement data for large portions of the time and seem promising e.g. for the use in medical decision support systems.
A concept to combine a gamma probe with ultrasound imaging for improved localization of sentinel lymph nodes: a feasibility study of the concept
Authors: Pashazadeh Ali , Hoeschen Christoph , Grosser Oliver S. , Kreissl Michael C. , Kupitz Dennis , Boese Axel , Illanes Alfredo , Friebe Michael
Published: September 2022

This paper presents the proof-of-concept study of an adaptor allowing the combination of a gamma probe with ultrasound (US) imaging, intending to improve the detectability of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). The performance of the adaptor in US imaging, in terms of depth of penetration and distance accuracy, and gamma scanning, in terms of sensitivity and spatial resolution, was investigated. We observed that the quality of the US imaging through the adaptor was promising and close to that of normal US imaging. However, the performance of the gamma probe through the adaptor was fairly poor, necessitating the improvement in the design of the adaptor for better gamma scanning. This study shall provide a basis for the development of a handheld gamma-US scanner for interventional procedures and small field-of-view (FOV) imaging in the future.
Augmented Reality Application for Simulation of Mamma Palpation
Authors: Steiger Annika , Burbach Simon , Eiler Tanja Joan , Schmuecker Vanessa , Gießer Christian
Published: September 2022

The teaching of medicine is in a state of flux. New technologies enable students to learn faster and more efficiently than ever before. Especially the possibilities that augmented reality brings with it can be applied very well in this field. The possibility to project additional information directly into the user’s field of vision allows him to perceive additional knowledge without being distracted from the actual work. In this paper, a possibility of training Mamma Palpation is presented, which teaches students the course of action and the detection of possible tumors through virtual points. Through guideline-based interviews, added value for teaching could be highlighted.
Methods of Contactless Blood Pressure Measurement
Authors: Bajraktari Flakë , Liu Jan , Pott Peter P.
Published: September 2022

Contactless blood pressure monitoring displays a chance for detecting hypertension and increasing the awareness of cardiovascular diseases. Camera-based methods show high potential for replacing inconvenient cuff-based technology. Blood pressure estimation through pulse transit time (PTT) and other parameters obtained from photoplethysmography (PPG) signal present a promising alternative to conventional blood pressure measurement. In this paper, recent approaches for contactless blood pressure monitoring were reviewed. All of the articles implemented systems based on PPG, whereas most of them used PTT as measuring parameter. The results are reviewed and summarized while pinpointing key challenges and discussing expectations for future research.
Remote knee endoprosthesis monitoring – alignment requirements and prototyping of the external readout unit
Authors: Rieck Paul , Schaufler Anna , Fritzsche Holger , Bertrand Jessica , Lohmann Christoph , Boese Axel
Published: September 2022

Knee arthroplasty follow-up involves only a limited number of X-ray-based implant condition assessments at extended intervals. Polyethylene (PE) wear of knee endoprosthesis often progresses unnoticed until symptomatic adverse effects become apparent or implant failure occurs. A PE wear measuring concept, consisting of an implanted passive sensor and an extracorporeal readout unit, was previously presented by our group. This system is intended to enable patients to regularly check their knee implants’ condition at home. In this context, an appropriate product design for the readout unit is essential to enable the user to record correct measurements. An experimental investigation of the optimized positioning of the system's readout unit was conducted and the measurement data were analyzed. The findings were then implemented in a prototype for readout unit attachment. A sleeve with Velcro and a sewn-in readout unit has been fabricated. A cutout for the patella ensures intuitive correct alignment of the measurement system according to the experimental results. A hardware housing incorporates the electronics.
Recommendations for the Development of CFD Model to Assess the Thrombogenic Potential of Stents
Authors: Stiehm Michael , Borowski Finja , Oldenburg Jan , Öner Alper , Schmitz Klaus-Peter
Published: September 2022

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has enormous potential for the development of novel cardiovascular implants. In particular, the evaluation of the thrombogenic potential of implants is gaining importance. For this purpose, the numerical model must represent the essential properties of the real system, i.e., an implant in the human blood circulation, in a suitable form. Due to its complexity, the model building process is crucial for the successful application of the model. Currently, there is no structured guideline for the application of numerical flow simulation to which model developers can refer. Based on NASA and ASTM, we present key aspects of the model building process using CFD for stent flow as an example.