bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Koncept zerwanie w dyskursie rosyjskich i angielskich użytkowników forów
Authors: Zatoń Natalia
Published: September 2018

The aim of this article is to present the concept of a break-up on Russian and English love forums. In the center of our interest was the question how the feelings and emotions are narrated and whether there are any noticeable gender or cultural differences. Computer Mediated Communication Discourse Analysis was used as  a scientific method in this research. The results of the research show that there are several patterns of behavior which influence the discourse of forum users. Linguistic analysis of the discourse revealed differences between normal communication and computer mediated communication.
Recepcja prozy Warłama Szałamowa. Próba systematyzacji
Authors: Kulikowska Małgorzata
Published: September 2018

The topic of this article is the reception of Varlam Shalamov’s output since his first official publication of The Kolyma tales in1978 inLondon until now. Works published inRussia andPoland, also inFrance,Great Britain,Italy,Israel,Germany,USA andAustralia have been deeply analysed. It was proved that first publications were dedicated to Varlam Shalamov’s biography and the portrayal of the Gulag civilization (since the second half of 90’s, last century). Problems of poetic in works are dominating in last publications. Apart of this, on the bases of thematics of chosen research papers in the article, some directions of further development of Shalamov’s legacy were determined.
Tradycja bizantyjska i jej wpływ na kulturę rosyjską w myśli Konstantina Leontjewa
Authors: Bala Maciej
Published: September 2018

The present article amounts to an attempt to analyze the Byzantine tradition in the work Byzantinism and the Slavs by Konstantin Leontiev. The thinker finds the heritage of Eastern Christianity an immanent part of the Russian national identity. Moreover, the philosopher defines Byzantinism as a type of culture with centralized power in the hands of the Romanovs. Consequently, Leontiev depicts particular stages of the evolution of this power model in Russia. The author of the paper concludes that the thinker’s considerations are centered on the emphasis on the role of monarchy in contemporary Russia rather than on its Byzantine roots.
Kobiety radzieckiego samizdatu we współczesnej kulturze rosyjskiej — skomplikowane drogi feministek drugiej fali
Authors: Mendrela Karolina
Published: September 2018

The article aims to reconstruct the history of women who created female Soviet samizdat Woman and Russia and magazine Maria. They are examples of  a postsoviet woman who needs to find a place for herself in the new Russian reality after  the fall  of the Eastern Block. Despite her experience in dissident activity she cannot find her place in the new women`s movement in Russia. The Russian women’s movement in 90’s had two main sources: women organizations originating from the Soviet times and the Russian feminist research institutes, which were cooperating with Western feminist organizations. Despite big popularity of women`s organization in the beginning nowadays Russia has got a problem with poor social and political activity of Russian women.  The author of the article indicates several reasons for such a situation.
Media w Rosji a wojna informacyjna. Analiza zjawiska na przykładzie programu „Wiesti o 20:00” w czasie konfliktu wojennego na wschodzie Ukrainy
Authors: Onishechko Yaryna
Published: September 2018

The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues related to the use of media as a tool of information warfare: analysis of randomly selected episodes of the Russia-1 headline news show in terms of publications related to the conflict in the eastern Ukraine. Russia was selected, because of the fact that its mass media for many years have been engaged in shaping anti Ukrainian attitudes not only within their own country but also abroad. The importance of information has changed. Some time ago, it was  a tool supporting the implementation of active military operations, but now it could be used as a main force, which sets the direction and determines the effects of the war. This paper attempts to answer the question of what role the Russian state television plays in conducting information warfare against Ukraine, supporting military operations in the east of the country. The object of the study was the Russian state television, namely the headline news show, summarizing the day called “Vesti at 20:00” in the period from  14 July 2014 until 14 May 2015.
Гонения на генетику в русской прозе второй половины XX века
Authors: Попович Наталья
Published: September 2018

Lysenkoism was a political campaign against genetics and science-based agriculture conducted by Trofim Lysenko, his followers and Soviet authorities. Many books on this theme were forbidden in Russia and published abroad. Novel The White Robes by Dudintsev is a fictionalized version of the devastation, which Lysenko wreaked on Soviet genetic study. Novels Nikolai Nikolaevich by Aleshkovsky and The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin by Voinovich describe the topic in  a satirical style. The actuality of the theme is confirmed by its presence in Russian mass media in the form of materials aimed at justifying Lysenko's activity in the recent years.
Сакрализация обыденности в рассказе Андрея Битова „Летучий голландец”
Authors: Radosz Joanna
Published: September 2018

The Flying Dutchman (Letuchiy Gollandets) from the collection Wheel (Koleso) belongs to the forgotten part of Andrei Bitov’s memoir-like prose. This short story stands as an epitaph for a Soviet speedway rider Gennadiy Vyunov. In his story, Bitov adds some sacred value to both speedway and the particular rider, until the sport becomes  a supernatural phenomenon. The given article aims at analyzing the story and the means used to conduct the sacralization process on various levels: the plot, the language, the complex of intertextual relations, and therefore, presenting the unknown side of the well-known author of Pushkin House.
Факторы влияния чеховского текста на пьесы Александра Марданя „Антракт” и „Аншлаг” (отказ от власти прецедент¬ных текстов или возвращение к ним?)
Authors: Sibirnaya Maria
Published: September 2018

This research is dedicated to the issue of the classical drama reception, which  is supposed to be canonical, used in the play of Odessian playwright Alexandr Mardan. The concept of modern times appears in Mardan’s plays through the literary and cultural inheritance of the past. The usage of Chekhov’s motives in both plays we deal with — Antract and Anshlag seems not only to resemble the form used in the mass culture, but also stylization and reinterpretation of the classic, which appear here as modern literary devices through which the interpretation of canonical drama occurs.  In both plays one can observe a lack of presentation of classical motives in a modern, revolutionary form, there is no retrieval to the precedent writings with the final idea  of elaborating on Chekhov thoughts. Furthermore, the classical motives are used for the reinterpretation of how theater may influence the modern human being and how endless the attempts to interpret the classic are.
Moskiewska „czernucha”. Wstydliwa strona miasta?
Authors: Zywert Aleksandra
Published: September 2018

The article is an attempt to answer the question of the way noir functions in the contemporary prose devoted to Moscow and the extent to which it affects the city’s literary image. The paper interprets selected works by Vladimir Sorokin, Roman Senchin and Sergei Kuznetsov. The analysis conducted by the author of the paper leads to the conclusion that the presence of the so-called “black naturalism” in the Moscow texts does not spoil the image of Russia’s capital, but complements it with new elements (previously hidden, but present since the old days). Therefore, Moscow becomes more real, tangible, flesh and blood as well as suitable for the worldwide tendency to create megapolises.
Публицистика Владимира Короленко
Authors: Bortnowski Antoni
Published: September 2018

Journalism takes a very important place in the works of Vladimir Korolenko. The writer witnessed historic changes in Russia of the late 19th — early 20th century and in his many works included a great number of valuable comments and insightful analysis of the processes taking place on the territory of the decaying Russian Empire. The last years of the writer's life coincided with a period of formation of the Soviet authority, which Korolenko did not accept. This fact was often overlooked or ignored  in the Soviet critical works on the writer and only after the collapse of the USSR it was possible to conduct an overall analysis of Korolenko’s rich heritage. Many of his articles containing insights into the Russian reality can be applied to modern times.
Problem obcości: opozycja Rosja–Europa w kulturze rosyjskiej (XI–XIX w.)
Authors: Jedliński Marek
Published: September 2018

The article analyzes the historical perspective of the formation of the opposition “friend or foe” in the Russian culture from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. Binary thinking has a universal dimension: it is present in every culture, particularly in traditional societies (in this case it is the opposition Russia–Europe). Hostility towards strangers is already noticeable in the Ruthenian tribes. The outsiders were seen as savages, as animals, and even as evil forces. It relates to the perception of the symbolic center of the world.  It is recognizable in the work of Hilarion and the concept of Moscow as the Third Rome.
„Гамлет. Версия” Бориса Акунина как отказ от регламентации шекспировского интертекста
Authors: Kiseleva Kristina
Published: September 2018

The present article aims at analyzing one of the modern drama's strategies  — playing with a classical text. Boris Akunin's Hamlet. Version, which is at the core of my interests, is comparable to such famed Hamlet’s alterations as Tom Stoppard's Rosenkrantz and Guilderstern Are Dead. The uniqueness of Akunin's work lays in building the individual strategy, while taking into the mass recipient consideration. The forecast is not comforting — consumers are getting less and less sensitive and adequately formed to perceive  art. But one cannot say that Akunin is descending to his readers narrow horizons. He is  a mediator between highbrow and lowbrow, always beyond, never belonging to any category.
Bezpieczeństwo wewnętrzne państwa, pod red. E. Ury, S. Pieprznego, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego, Rzeszów 2015 185
Authors: Wojtczak Krystyna
Published: September 2018

Bezpieczeństwo wewnętrzne państwa, pod red. E. Ury, S. Pieprznego, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rzeszowskiego, Rzeszów 2015 185
Charakter prawny wyroków wydawanych przez Krajową Izbę Odwoławczą
Authors: Różowicz Konrad
Published: September 2018

The regulation of the legal nature of an appeal proceeding or a judgment crowning the proceeding is ambiguous and unclear. The National Appeals Chamber which issues a judgment decides upon the validity of a contract, the obligations of the contracting authority, ﬁnancial penalties, and, indirectly, the actions taken by contractors. The inﬂuence of such decisions is of theoretical and practical signiﬁcance and justiﬁes an analysis presented in the paper. Thus the constitutive features of judgments handed down by a public administration body have been analysed and compared with typical forms of law enforcement (judicial decisions of the common courts, decisions issued by arbitration courts and individual administrative decisions). The latter have been given particular attention. The deliberations were based on the position of the doctrine of the law on public procurements, provisions of civil law and administrative law, as well as judicial decisions and judgments issued by the National Appeals Chamber. These were then analysed in the light of normative regulations of the Act on Public Procurements. The analysis revealed a multitude of problems resulting from the adoption by the legislature of atypical forms of action by the National Board of Appeal. The analysis provides the basis for further research aimed to create a coherent system regulating public procurements to ensure its proper functioning and to reduce the possibility of further interpretative problems.
New records from the southern North Sea and first records from the Baltic Sea of Kornmannia leptoderma
Authors: Weinberger Florian , Steinhagen Sophie , Afanasyev Dmitry F. , Karez Rolf
Published: September 2018

Combined genetic, morphological and ontogenetic observations show that the circumarctic boreal green algal macrophyte Kornmannia leptoderma has expanded its distribution range into the Baltic Sea, on a German coastal section of 220 km length. The species is also again (or still) established at its former extreme southern distribution limit in the North Sea, the German island of Helgoland, where it has not been detected during the last four decades. Macroscopic visible sporophytes of K. leptoderma are nowadays present in the Baltic Sea and at Helgoland from February to September, while they were in the past only detected from February to May at Helgoland. This capacity for formation of sporophytes in summer correlates with the circumstance that K. leptoderma from the Baltic Sea can complete its life cycle at 15°C while several studies conducted decades ago with material from Helgoland and from Pacific coasts consistently reported an inhibition of the algal gametogenesis at temperatures that exceed 12°C. Possibly K. leptoderma has undergone adaptations that facilitate its spread into warmer environments, unless the Kornmannia present in the Baltic Sea and on Helgoland today represents a newly introduced cryptic species.
Kaiser Julians Heerespolitik und das Mönchtum
Authors: Brendel Raphael
Published: September 2018

The information in letters 3.61 and 3.64 of Pope Gregory the Great that Emperor Julian had released a law, according to which soldiers were not allowed to become monks, is a confusion with Valens who is accredited to have forced the monks by law to do military service. This hypothesis is based on the church historians’ reports that Julian wanted to remove the Christians from his army by conversion and dismissal, and on the fact that Julian and Valens are parallelised by Theophanes and other Byzantine texts.
An unpublished poem on Porphyry
Authors: Tomadaki Maria
Published: September 2018

This paper offers an editio princeps, an English translation and a commentary of an interesting epigram on Porphyry, the commentator of Aristotle. The epigram was transcribed in Vat. Reg. 166 by Ioannes Malaxos (16th c.) and is ascribed to Petros Servilos, a poet unknown from other sources. The paper discusses the poem’s manuscript context, as well as its authorship, genre, content and function. Further, it attempts to shed light on the poem’s relation to Porphyry’s philosophy and his reception in Byzantine poetry.
Scaling the text: the ambiguity of the book in John Climacus
Authors: Torrance Alexis
Published: September 2018

The literary sophistication of John Climacus has been the subject of recent scholarly discussion, and forms part of a larger trend that seeks to recover the pivotal importance of paideia in early Byzantine monasticism. In dialogue with this ongoing interest in text and book culture, the present article outlines John Climacus’ nuanced position on the matter of sacred text. In Climacus’ oeuvre we discover a tension between his reverence for sacred text, which includes the written word’s role in bringing about spiritual health, and the need to recognize all text and every book, however holy, as something ultimately dispensable in light of the ascetic ideal. The setting aside of holy texts, however, does not indicate the superfluity of these texts for Climacus so much as the need to transpose them from the dead and external letter of the page to the living and embodied book of the heart.
Interactive implants: vision and challenges
Authors: Klaus-Peter Hoffmann , Heidi Olze , Werner Kneist , Thilo Krüger , Wiebke Droste , Marc Ruta , Rüdiger Rupp
Published: September 2018

Different complex physiological functions might be restored by means of distributed active implants. Wireless communication between the implants, on the one hand, and an external control unit, on the other hand, is necessary to synchronize electrical stimulation of neural and muscular tissue. Seventeen project partners from industries, universities, healthcare providers and research organizations closely cooperate in the framework of the BMBF Innovation Cluster “Interactive Implants (INTAKT)”. The goal of this cluster is to develop and evaluate networks of distributed implants. Challenges of the project include complex interaction between humans and technology, wireless power supply, long-term stability of implants as well as secure and safe signal transmission [1].
Electrical stimulation with motility analysis of five parts of the gastrointestinal tract
Authors: Schiemer Jonas F. , Heimann Axel , Somerlik-Fuchs Karin , Ruff Roman , Hoffmann Klaus-Peter , Baumgart Jan , Kneist Werner
Published: September 2018

Gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders are frequent and clinically significant conditions with impairment of patient’s quality of life. Examples range from upper GI symptoms such as dysphagia and gastroparesis to lower GI manifestations, namely chronic-intestinal pseudo obstruction, diarrhea and constipation. Furthermore, postoperative motility disorders are common. Currently, available pharmacological or dietetic treatment options are limited. Since GI motility is based on myoelectric activity, electrical stimulation (ES) is a promising alternative. Numerous studies have demonstrated suitable pacing strategies and parameters in different GI segments. However, results of multilocular ES are rare. We report the first experimental study to evaluate ES of five GI parts in a porcine model. Multi-channel electromyography (EMG) recordings of gastrointestinal baseline and poststimulatory electrical activity were realized together with video-based marker tracking (VBMT). ES provoked visible GI contractions and appeared to modulate frequencies of slow waves and spikes. Further investigations are needed for analysis of locoregional and cross-organ effects of ES on the GI tract.
Application of Iterative Learning Control for Repetitive Processes in Breathing Therapy
Authors: Scheel Mathias , Berndt Andreas , Simanski Olaf
Published: September 2018

The continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is the gold standard to treat the obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. This continuous pressure splints the upper respiratory tracts and prevents a collapse of the pharynx. If not being treated a collapse of the upper respiratory tracts reduces the blood oxygen concentration and increases the CO2 concentration leading to repeated sleep disruptions. Many CPAP-devices cannot maintain the reference pressure, which can lead to an uncomfortable perception for the patient. To reduce the pressure deviation in the mask we want to apply the Iterative Learning Control (ILC) method, because the breathing of the patient is a repetitive process - and at night the breathing patterns are even and recurring from breath to breath.
Application of thermography for cerebral perfusion imaging during aneurysm surgery
Authors: Müller Juliane , Schreiter Valentin , Böhl Elisa , Steiner Gerald , Koch Edmund , Schackert Gabriele , Kirsch Matthias
Published: September 2018

The success of aneurysm surgery depends on complete clipping of the aneurysmal sacculation without compromising quality of cerebral perfusion of vessels concerned. An established intraoperative method to visualize cerebral blood flow i n a pparent v essels i s fl uorescence vi deo angiography based on indocyanine green (ICG). However, major disadvantages of indocyanine green video angiography (ICG VA) are the need of a specialized imaging system, potential drug side effects as well as the limited number of repetitions due to long decay time of ICG in blood circulation. In particular the last drawback prevents brain parenchymal perfusion monitoring with ICG VA. The application of time-resolved thermography as a fast, contactless, noninvasive, marker-free and harmless imaging tool became a promising approach for perfusion imaging and thus offers several advantages compared to ICG. Measurements of deep structures in heat traps for identification of i nternal patterns, e ssential f or e .g. s uccess monitoring of aneurysm clipping, are still unsolved challenges of thermography. This work reveals as a proof of concept that the combination of thermography and an intravenous cold saline bolus injection as a contrast agent is capable to detect arterial and parenchymal perfusion located in the surgical cavity during aneurysm surgery in comparison to state-of-the-art ICG VA. The investigations provide evidence that thermography has the capability to perform intraoperative imaging of cerebral perfusion at an advanced stage in surgery for vessels and parenchyma located both cortically and in the surgical cavity.
Comparison of two biological aortic valve prostheses inside patient-specific aorta model by bi-directional fluid-structure interaction
Authors: Bongert Markus , Wüst Jan , Geller Marius , Schlömicher Markus , Ricken Tim , Nicolas Volkmar , Strauch Justus
Published: September 2018

In Germany in 2016 17,085 patients received TAVI operations and 9,579 had conventional aortic valve surgery. The ‘Heart Team’ uses established scoring systems (EuroSCORE, STS, German AV Score) to evaluate operation risks and which technique to use. However, such risk grading fails to consider patient morphology and possible long-term behavior of the replacement valve chosen. Therefore, preoperative simulation of the dynamic loading on the valve leaflets after TAVR provides information vital for the selection of the appropriate aortic valve therapy - interventional versus conventional. Individual aorta used in this study was captured by MRI. Segmentation and data processing were done with Mimic In-novation Suite. The available biological aortic valves prostheses were reverse engineered to create a 3D CAD model. Simulations combined bi-directional fluid structure interaction (FSI) with a first order Ogden model of the hyperelastic behavior of aortic leaflets from bovine pericardium. Movements induced by flow and the resultant tension on the biological leaflets were computed with developed simulation model. Stress analyses of the leaflets showed behavior attributable to their particular structure. Both valves showed two stress peaks within the initial 0.3 s. Maximum stress occurred, however, at other time points. Furthermore, the initial increase in stress showed a delayed onset. The patterns of movement were also significantly different. So, at opening of the valve, the freely perfused area of the valve, the freedom of leaflet movement and symmetry at closure were different in the two valves. Simulated movement of valve leaflets corresponds well with reality. The estimated stresses clearly lie below thresholds published in the literature for bovine pericardium. It is planned to further develop the current workflow to increase stability and optimize processing time, with the intention of providing the ‘Heart Team’ with a tool for incorporating individual anatomy when selecting the aortic valves.
Regional analysis of airway abnormalities in cystic fibrosis employing Electrical Impedance Tomography
Authors: Krueger-Ziolek Sabine , Gong Bo , Zimmermann Hanna , Müller-Lisse Ullrich , Möller Knut
Published: September 2018

To estimate the severity of airway abnormalities in cystic fibrosis (CF) Brody et al. developed a computed tomography (CT) scoring system. Each pulmonary lobe is analyzed separately considering various morphological defects. A study from Zhao et al. demonstrates that this CTbased score correlates with regional airway obstruction (RAO) measured by the real-time imaging method Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT). Zhao et al. performed EIT measurements at the 5th intercostal space (ICS) and median RAO, including both lungs, was correlated with the associated score. In the present feasibility study, it was investigated if RAO determined by EIT within the left and right lung respectively at the 3rd and 5th ICS corresponds with the scores of the left and right lobes. EIT measurements and CT-based scoring were carried out on two CF patients. RAO was identified by ratios of impedance values associated to the maximal forced expiratory flow at 25% and 75% of the forced vital capacity. Mean RAO of each lung within both thorax sections was compared with the lobar scores. Airway abnormalities within upper lobes are assigned to RAO measured within the 3rd ICS, whereas abnormalities of the right middle lobe, both lower lobes and the lingula are mainly represented by EIT images of the 5th ICS. Results show that differences in the CT-based score between the left and right lung concur with differences in EIT derived RAO. The regional information provided by EIT might be used for a more targeted therapy of CF-related lung diseases.
AAL Functions for Home Care and Security
Authors: Lauterbach Christl , Steinhage Axel , Techmer Axel , Sousa Miguel , Hoffmann Raoul
Published: September 2018

We describe a holistic AAL concept for senior residences that is based on a large-area sensor floor. This system provides general home-automation functions such as light control, intrusion alarm and energy saving. However, advanced homecare features such as activity monitoring, fall detection and the discovery of changes in daily routines assist the resident and support the carer. After explaining the components and general working principle of the system, we describe how these applications are realized in practice. The focus lays on the unobtrusiveness, flexibility and multifunctionality of the solution.
Development and validation of a tissue-equivalent test environment for detection of malfunctions in active medical implants caused by ionizing radiation
Authors: Stich Manuel , Blümlein Larissa , Slawig Anne , Schmidl Felix , Schuller Karina , Lösch Richard , Hipp Matthias , Hentschel Sabine , Schaefers Gregor , Ringler Ralf
Published: September 2018

Many patients in radiotherapy carry active implantable medical devices (AIMDs) such as pacemakers or cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). The influence of the ionizing radiation can lead to failures in the device function. This study presents a tissue-equivalent test environment to investigate the influence of ionizing radiation on AIMDs. The in-vitro test environment is designed to simulate a human torso. Structures such as the heart, lungs, ribs, spinal column and soft tissue are replicated from tissue-equivalent materials to allow realistic treatment planning and to simulate the effect of ionizing radiation on active implants. CT measurements and Monte-Carlo validations have shown that Polytetrafluorethylen (bone), carrageenan (heart), Styrodur (lung) and Biresin® G27 (soft tissue) fulfill all requirements for suitable tissue surrogates. A plug-in unit integrated in the test environment has been designed specifically to allow the placement AIMDs in the phantom at typical positions for implant placement in humans. The dosimetry validation showed that the test environment is applicable in the full treatment planning process.
Postural workloads on paramedics during patient transport
Authors: Verjans Mark , Schütt Andrea , Schleer Philipp , Struck Detlef , Radermacher Klaus
Published: September 2018

Paramedics perform physically demanding tasks during patient transport in daily routine and therefore suffer more often from musculoskeletal ailments, mainly low back pain, than any other profession. We hypothesise, that current transport aids do not offer sufficient support when it comes to obstacles and stairs during patient transport. Therefore we conducted an Ovako Working Posture Analysing System (OWAS) field study to capture postural workloads during patient transport and connected the results to a survey among paramedics about occurring obstacles. The results of the OWAS analysis showed strenuous working conditions during barrier-free transport with classical transport aids, like stretcher and stretcher chair, but enormous postural workloads when barriers occurred. Our survey revealed, that stairs occurred in 38 %, and at least one barrier, like narrow passages, curbs, etc., in 48.1 % of all deployments (n=405), we can quantitatively link postural workloads with occurring obstacles. In conclusion, there is a high demand for ergonomic improvements of current transport aids and a high potential of active assist devices to reduce harmful loads on paramedics.
Controlling of a ROS-based robotic system in accordance to the assist-as-needed principle in end-effector based rehabilitation systems
Authors: Becker Sebastian , Hinterlang Wiebke , Eschert Tim , Disselhorst-Klug Catherine
Published: September 2018

Stroke is one of the most frequent diseases among the elderly and often leads to an ongoing failure of functions in the central nervous system. Due to the plasticity of the brain affected may regain lost motor function by repetitive training. Robotic devices can be an approach to accelerate the rehabilitation process by maximizing patients’ training intensity. End-effector based robotic systems are particularly suitable for this purpose and often an advantage over exoskeletons since the proximal part of the upper limb remains under the control of the patient. Furthermore, the integration of the assistas- needed principle (AAN) into these devices enables individualized, adaptable robotic support to patients during therapy. In this study an end-effector based robotic rehabilitation device based on the Robot Operating System (ROS) framework is introduced. The system allows patients to perform 3- dimensional movements without a therapist’s assistance. With regard to the AAN, focus was based on impedance control and an additional real-time adaption of the impedance control parameters by using a feedback loop. 10 healthy subjects took part in this study to evaluate the overall concept with regard to usability and quality of the supported movement. Hence, the three most promising adaption models of AAN (without adaption, adaption according to position and time, adaption according to velocity) under three different levels of movement support (0%, 50%, 100%) were investigated by administering a self-designed questionnaire and the robot kinematics. The results showed no significant differences between the three different adaption models of AAN. However, the subjective assessment of the movements was in keeping with robot kinematics and the control approaches as well as the overall system have experienced remarkable support.
Effects of Serum Calcium Changes on the Cardiac Action Potential and the ECG in a Computational Model
Authors: Hernández Mesa María , Pilia Nicolas , Dössel Olaf , Severi Stefano , Loewe Axel
Published: September 2018

Patients suffering from end stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) often undergo haemodialysis to normalize the electrolyte concentrations. Moreover, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the main cause of death in CKD patients. To study the connection between CKD and CVD, we investigated the effects of an electrolyte variation on cardiac signals (action potential and ECG) using a computational model. In a first step, simulations with the Himeno et al. ventricular cell model were performed on cellular level with different extracellular sodium ([Na+]o), calcium ([Ca2+]o) and potassium ([K+]o) concentrations as occurs in CKD patients. [Ca2+]o and [K+]o changes caused variations in different features describing the morphology of the AP. Changes due to a [Na+]o variation were not as prominent. Simulations with [Ca2+]o variations were also carried out on ventricular ECG level and a 12-lead ECG was computed. Thus, a multiscale simulator from ion channel to ECG reproducing the calcium-dependent inactivation of ICaL was achieved. The results on cellular and ventricular level agree with results from literature. Moreover, we suggest novel features representing electrolyte changes that have not been described in literature. These results could be helpful for further studies aiming at the estimation of ionic concentrations based on ECG recordings.
New Tracer for Magnetic Particle Imaging - SPIONs encapsulated in RBCs
Authors: Steuer Ann-Kathrin , Klinger Matthias , Pries Ralph , Lüdtke-Buzug Kerstin
Published: September 2018

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, so called SPIONs, are used as tracers in medical imaging, e. g. for magnetic particle imaging (MPI) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Since the half-life time of the SPIONs in the bloodstream is quite short because they are quickly absorbed by the reticuloendothelial system (RES), the particles are introduced into human red blood cells (RBCs) to increase their half-life time in the blood circulation. The hypotonic swelling procedure is used to incorporate the particles into the RBCs. Before the SPIONs are introduced into the RBCs, they are fluorescent labelled. To evaluate the result transmission electron microscopy, magnetic particle spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy are used. Fluorescein isothiocyanate and rose Bengal were chosen as fluorescent dyes because their biocompatibility is guaranteed. The results suggest that the method hypotonic swelling can be used to successfully introduce the nanoparticles into RBCs and that the magnetic properties of the particles which are necessary for imaging are not influenced.
Cross-sectional and en-face depolarization imaging for the assessment of dental lesions
Authors: Golde Jonas , Tetschke Florian , Walther Julia , Rosenauer Tobias , Hempel Franz , Hannig Christian , Koch Edmund , Kirsten Lars
Published: September 2018

Dental caries is one of the most widespread diseases and the early and non-invasive detection of carious lesions remains an ongoing topic in biomedical research. In contrast, optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emerging, non-invasive imaging technique for near-surface structures, that has already proved its capability for manifold biomedical applications and can be extended by several modalities such as polarization sensitivity. We have recently shown that polarization sensitive OCT combined with an algorithm for depolarization imaging, visualizing the degree of polarization uniformity (DOPU), is a promising tool for the detection and assessment of carious lesions. In this paper, we evaluate different visualization approaches based on both the intensity and DOPU data with cross-sectional and en-face representations and discuss limitations and the potential of the proposed method for the assessment of dental lesions on the example of a molar tooth with a brown spot.
A compact and accurate set of basis functions for model-based reconstructions
Authors: Eckel Christina , Bannasch Sebastian , Frysch Robert , Rose Georg
Published: September 2018

Model-based perfusion reconstruction (MBPR) by using a weighting sum of basis functions, is used to describe the dynamic contrast agent distribution by superposition of incorporated prior knowledge. It handles temporal under-sampling in measurements acquired with a slowly rotating X-ray-based imaging system, in our case a C-arm based computed tomography (CT). However, here challenging issue arises that the computing complexity increases proportional to the number of prior knowledge elements. Thus, the aim of this study is to analyze clinical data and elaborate basis functions, that maps various patients with a small orthonormal basis set (ONB). This work is based on five reconstructed clinical perfusion CT data sets. For each patient, regions of interest were manually figured out in order to enhance the content. Therefore, bones and catheters have to be removed out of the data, to prevent a falsification of the curves by them. The principal component analysis (PCA) to compress the relevant information of perfusion and create an ONB was used. In order to achieve an ONB which also optimal maps unknown patients, the cross validation method was used, i.e. the datasets of four patients were utilized for the estimation of the ONB, while the remaining patient was used for evaluation. Finally, the ONB gets evaluated by the mean-absolute-percentage-error (MAPE) of MBPR. A compact ONB with three basis functions that maps all five patients without a significant d eviation o f t he approximated curves and the original ones is obtained. Especially, regions with high blood supply can be reconstructed very accurately and a reduction of noise is qualitatively visible in the image. An optimum ONB for the MBPR requires that the curves can be modeled as exactly as possible with a few basis elements. The use of only a few elements also leads to short computing times. In this work a good approximation of the curves with three basis elements is received. This results in an improved MBPR that in turn can lead to a higher precision of stroke diagnostics and treatments by using C-Arm CT.
Combination of Color and Focus Segmentation for Medical Images with Low Depth-of-Field
Authors: Wirth Tamara , Naber Ady , Nahm Werner
Published: September 2018

Image segmentation plays an increasingly important role in image processing. It allows for various applications including the analysis of an image for automatic image understanding and the integration of complementary data. During vascular surgeries, the blood flow in the vessels has to be checked constantly, which could be facilitated by a segmentation of the affected vessels. The segmentation of medical images is still done manually, which depends on the surgeon’s experience and is time-consuming. As a result, there is a growing need for automatic image segmentation methods. We propose an unsupervised method to detect the regions of no interest (RONI) in intraoperative images with low depth-of-field (DOF). The proposed method is divided into three steps. First, a color segmentation using a clustering algorithm is performed. In a second step, we assume that the regions of interest (ROI) are in focus whereas the RONI are unfocused. This allows us to segment the image using an edge-based focus measure. Finally, we combine the focused edges with the color RONI to determine the final segmentation result. When tested on different intraoperative images of aneurysm clipping surgeries, the algorithm is able to segment most of the RONI not belonging to the pulsating vessel of interest. Surgical instruments like the metallic clips can also be excluded. Although the image data for the validation of the proposed method is limited to one intraoperative video, a proof of concept is demonstrated.
Surgical Tool Classification in Laparoscopic Videos Using Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Abdulbaki Alshirbaji Tamer , Jalal Nour Aldeen , Möller Knut
Published: September 2018

Laparoscopic videos are a very important source of information which is inherently available in minimally invasive surgeries. Detecting surgical tools based on that videos have gained increasing interest due to its importance in developing a context-aware system. Such system can provide guidance assistance to the surgical team and optimise the processes inside the operating room. Convolutional neural network is a robust method to learn discriminative visual features and classify objects. As it expects a uniform distribution of data over classes, it fails to identify classes which are under-presented in the training data. In this work, loss-sensitive learning approach and resampling techniques were applied to counter the negative effects of imbalanced laparoscopic data on training the CNN model. The obtained results showed improvement in the classification performance especially for detecting surgical tools which are shortly used in the procedure.
Increasing the Robustness of the automatic IMU calibration for lower Extremity Motion Analysis
Authors: Küderle Arne , Becker Sebastian , Disselhorst-Klug Catherine
Published: September 2018

With the advances of IMU-based human motion tracking, joint angle tracking in an home environment has become a realistic goal. Achieving it, could enable novel applications in rehabilitation and sports medicine. However, in existing systems the process of aligning the mounted sensors with the body coordinate system is either not robust enough or to complicated for fully unsupervised usage. In this publication the performance of a promising existing algorithm is evaluated with a range of different calibration motions. Further, an extension to this implementation is proposed, aiming to improve its stability when only non-ideal calibration data is available. It could be validated that the modification of the algorithm can increase the stability and reduce the dependency of the calibration on specific calibration motions. Based on these results, we recommend the proposed extension of the algorithm as a drop-in replacement for the existing implementation.
Heart rhythm model for the simulation of electric fields in transesophageal atrial pacing and cardiac resynchronization therapy
Authors: Göküs Kerem , Heinke Matthias , Hörth Johannes
Published: September 2018

Electric field of biventricular (BV) pacing, left ventricular (LV) electrode position and electrical interventricular desynchronization are important parameters for successful cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in patients with heart failure, sinus rhythm and reduced LV ejection fraction. The aim of the study was to evaluate electric pacing field of transesophageal left atrial (LA) pacing and BV pacing with 3D heart rhythm simulation. Bipolar right atrial (RA), right ventricular (RV), LV electrodes and multipolar hemispherical esophageal LA electrodes were modeled with CST (Computer Simulation Technology, Darmstadt). Electric pacing field were simulated with bipolar RA and RV pacing with Solid S (Biotronik) electrode, bipolar LV pacing with Attain 4194 (Medtronic) electrode and bipolar LA pacing with TO8 (Osypka) esophageal electrode. 3D heart rhythm model with esophagus allowed electric pacing field simulation of 4-chamber pacing with bipolar intracardiac RA, RV, LV pacing and bipolar transesophageal LA pacing. The pacing amplitudes were 3V RA pacing amplitude, 50V LA pacing amplitude, 1.5V RV pacing amplitude and 3V LV pacing amplitude with 0.5ms pacing pulse duration. The atrioventricular delay between RA pacing and BV pacing was 140ms atrioventricular pacing delay and simultaneous RV and LV pacing. Electric pacing fields were simulated during the different pacing modes AAI, VVI, DDD and DDD0V. The intracardiac far-field pacing potentials were evaluated with intracardiac electrodes and a distance of 1mm from the electrodes with RA electrode 1.104V, RV electrode 0.703V and LV electrode 1.32V. The transesophageal far-field pacing potential was evaluated with transesophageal electrode and a distance of 10mm from the elelctrode with LA electrode 6.076V. Heart rhythm model simulation with esophagus allows evaluation of electric pacing fields in AAI, VVI, DDD, DDD0V and DDD0D pacing modes. Electric pacing field of RA, RV and LV pacing in combination with LA pacing may additional useful pacing mode in CRT non-responders.
Testing of dynamic wrist joint external fixator mobility and reaction moment
Authors: Martin Heiner , Stiehm Michael , Rinas Ingmar , Grabow Niels , Mittlmeier Thomas
Published: September 2018

For the investigation of reaction moments of wrist joint with external fixator, a test device was developed that allows a well-defined investigation of the joint loads during hand flexion movements. The reaction moments are considered as a measure for the joint loads due to the constraint forces, which occur with differences of the rotation axis of the fixator device from the physiological rotation axis of the wrist joint. The developed test device allows a dynamic momentum load application into the wrist by a servohydraulic testing machine. This testing device converts the force to a moment by a constant lever arm and allows thereby the measurement of the reaction moments by the force load cell of the testing machine. Measurements on cadaveric wrist joints with external fixator can be thereby performed under reproducible conditions. The cadaveric wrist joints can be integrally casted into bone cement and thereby clamped to the testing device. Preliminary experiments with artificial bones showed that forces within the measuring range of the load cell of the testing machine can be measured. The design of the test device is presented. Hence, the requirements for measurements of the reaction moments with wrists with external fixator for distal radius fractures under dynamic loads are created.
Histological Image Processing for the Assessment of Tissue Engineered Cartilage
Authors: Munz Michael , Och Fabian , Wenzel Ulla , Hessling Martin , Hasch Katja , Goldberg-Bockhorn Eva , Rotter Nicole
Published: September 2018

In a recently developed perfusion bioreactor, human nasal septum chondrocytes were seeded on decellularized porcine collagen scaffolds and cultivated for 6 weeks. Afterwards, the samples were stained with alcian blue and multiple histological microscope images were taken to assess the migration of the human cells and their redifferentiation. In this paper, we propose an image processing algorithm to objectively quantify the cultivation results. This algorithm performs a white balance, detects cell nuclei and their migration depth, and detects lacunae and their orientation. To evaluate performance, sensitivity and precision are calculated using manually labeled data over 50 images. The detection of cell nuclei has a reasonable precision (73%), but the level of sensitivity (42%) should be further improved. The proposed method demonstrates acceptable level of precision (83%) and sensitivity (86%) for the detection of lacunae.
Increased baroreceptor sensitivity in a patient with hereditary spastic paraplegia – type SPG11
Authors: Fischer Gerald , Baumgartner Sigl Sara , Baumgarten Daniel , Fortin Jürgen
Published: September 2018

An 18 years old male patient was diagnosed with genetically confirmed hereditary spastic paraplegia of type SPG11 - a rare disease of neurodegeneration. During normal clinical routine investigation, he presented with a moderate sinus bradycardia. The function of the cardiovascular system was investigated by recording electrocardiogram, impedance cardiogram and continuous blood pressure non-invasively. Cardiac function appeared normal in all modalities. Baroreflex sensitivity was strongly increased by a factor of 2.8. Results indicate that further to hyperactivity of deep tendon reflexes, also the responsiveness regarding control of heart rhythm by baroreceptors is significantly increased. This finding provides evidence for the impact of a neurological disorder onto the cardiovascular system and its autonomic control.