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The current allocation of street space is based on expected vehicular peak-hour flows. Flexible and adaptive use of this space can respond to changing needs. To evaluate the acceptability of flexible street layouts, several urban environments were designed and implemented in virtual reality. Participants explored these designs in immersive virtual reality in a [Formula: see text] mixed factorial experiment, in which we analysed self-reported, behavioural and physiological responses from participants. Distinct communication strategies were varied between subjects. Participants' responses reveal a preference for familiar solutions. Unconventional street layouts are less preferred, perceived as unsafe and cause a measurably greater stress response. Furthermore, information provision focusing on comparisons lead participants to focus primarily on the drawbacks, instead of the advantages of novel scenarios. When being able to freely express thoughts and opinions, participants are focused more on the impact of space design on behaviour rather than the objective physical features themselves. Especially, this last finding suggests that it is vital to develop new street scenarios in an inclusive and democratic way: the success of innovating urban spaces depends on how well the vast diversity of citizens' needs is considered and met., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Among the thousands of eHealth tools available, the vast majority do not get past pilot phases because they cannot prove value, and only a few have been systematically assessed. Although multiple eHealth assessment frameworks have been developed, these efforts face multiple challenges. This study aimed to address some of these challenges by validating and refining an initial list of 55 assessment criteria based on previous frameworks through a two-round modified Delphi process with in-between rounds of interviews. The expert panel (n = 57) included participants from 18 countries and 9 concerned parties. A consensus was reached on 46 criteria that were classified into foundational and contextual criteria. The 36 foundational criteria focus on evaluating the eHealth tool itself and were grouped into nine clusters: technical aspects, clinical utility and safety, usability and human centricity, functionality, content, data management, endorsement, maintenance, and developer. The 10 contextual criteria focus on evaluating the factors that vary depending on the context the tool is being evaluated for and were grouped into seven clusters: data-protection compliance, safety regulatory compliance, interoperability and data integration, cultural requirements, affordability, cost-benefit, and implementability. The classification of criteria into foundational and contextual helps us assess not only the quality of an isolated tool, but also its potential fit in a specific setting. Criteria subscales may be particularly relevant when determining the strengths and weaknesses of the tool being evaluated. This granularity enables different concerned parties to make informed decisions about which tools to consider according to their specific needs and priorities., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Autologous bone remains the gold standard bone substitute in clinical practice. Therefore, the microarchitecture of newly developed synthetic bone substitutes, which reflects the spatial distribution of materials in the scaffold, aims to recapitulate the natural bone microarchitecture. However, the natural bone microarchitecture is optimized to obtain a mechanically stable, lightweight structure adapted to the biomechanical loading situation. In the context of synthetic bone substitutes, the application of a Triply Periodic Minimum Surface (TPMS) algorithm can yield stable lightweight microarchitectures that, despite their demanding architectural complexity, can be produced by additive manufacturing. In this study, we applied the TPMS derivative Adaptive Density Minimal Surfaces (ADMS) algorithm to produce scaffolds from hydroxyapatite (HA) using a lithography-based layer-by-layer methodology and compared them with an established highly osteoconductive lattice microarchitecture. We characterized them for compression strength, osteoconductivity, and bone regeneration. The in vivo results, based on a rabbit calvaria defect model, showed that bony ingrowth into ADMS constructs as a measure of osteoconduction depended on minimal constriction as it limited the maximum apparent pore diameter in these scaffolds to 1.53 mm. Osteoconduction decreased significantly at a diameter of 1.76 mm. The most suitable ADMS microarchitecture was as osteoconductive as a highly osteoconductive orthogonal lattice microarchitecture in noncritical- and critical-size calvarial defects. However, the compression strength and microarchitectural integrity in vivo were significantly higher for scaffolds with their microarchitecture based on the ADMS algorithm when compared with high-connectivity lattice microarchitectures. Therefore, bone substitutes with high osteoconductivity can be designed with the advantages of the ADMS-based microarchitectures. As TPMS and ADMS microarchitectures are true lightweight structures optimized for high mechanical stability with a minimal amount of material, such microarchitectures appear most suitable for bone substitutes used in clinical settings to treat bone defects in weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing sites., Competing Interests: The ADMS algorithm is patented by Spherene AG where C.W., R.B., L.F., and D.S. own stocks or stock options. Otherwise, the authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© Ekaterina Maevskaia et al., 2023; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.)

Objectives: Continuously rising healthcare costs have led to financial pressure on the healthcare systems. One of the trends for the reduction of costs is the shift towards outpatient treatment. However, research has not focused on the patients' preferences regarding inpatient versus outpatient treatment settings. The purpose of this review is to examine existing studies surveying patients' preferences related to inpatient and outpatient treatment methods. The aim is to find out whether patients' wishes were queried and considered in the decision-making process., Design: Therefore, the reviewers performed a systematic approach utilizing the PRISMA standards and screened 1'646 articles out of 5'606 articles from the systematic search., Results and Conclusion: The screening resulted in 4 studies that analyzed exclusively the patient's choice of treatment setting. The search showed an apparent paucity of current literature and highlights the need for further research. The authors' recommendation includes a better involvement of patients in the decision-making process as well as adding preferred treatment settings to advanced treatment directives and patient satisfaction questionnaires., (© 2023 The Authors. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

MO x (M = Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, Ce) nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in porous C with uniform diameter and dispersion were synthesized, with potential application as S-absorbents to protect catalysts from S-poisoning in catalytic hydrothermal gasification (cHTG) of biomass. S-absorption performance of MO x /C was evaluated by reacting the materials with diethyl disulfide at HTG conditions (450 °C, 30 MPa, 15 min). Their S-absorption capacity followed the order CuO x /C > CeO x /C ≈ ZnO/C > MnO x /C > FeO x /C. S was absorbed in the first four through the formation of Cu 1.8 S, Ce 2 S 3 , ZnS, and MnS, respectively, with a capacity of 0.17, 0.12, 0.11, and 0.09 mol S mol M . The structure of MO -1 /C (M = Zn, Cu, Mn) evolved significantly during S-absorption reaction, with the formation of larger agglomerates and separation of MO x particles from porous C. The formation of ZnS NPs and their aggregation in place of hexagonal ZnO crystals indicate a dissolution/precipitation mechanism. Note that aggregated ZnS NPs barely sinter under these conditions. Cu(0) showed a preferential sulfidation over Cu x O, the sulfidation of the latter seemingly following the same mechanism as for ZnO. In contrast, FeO 2 O, the sulfidation of the latter seemingly following the same mechanism as for ZnO. In contrast, FeO x /C and CeO x dissolution in water (from liquid to supercritical state) was modeled and a correlation between solubility and particle growth was found, comforting the hypothesis of the importance of an Ostwald ripening mechanism. CeO x /C with high structural stability and promising S-absorption capacity was suggested as a promising bulk absorbent for sulfides in cHTG of biomass.x /C with high structural stability and promising S-absorption capacity was suggested as a promising bulk absorbent for sulfides in cHTG of biomass., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objectives: This paper about social media platforms of Swiss hospitals refers to the period between 10 February 2020 and 6 July 2020. The study included in-depth insights into the use of platforms, content analyses of posts and resonance of the posts. The study's objective was to get insights into social media post creation by and corresponding resonance in pandemic crisis., Study Design: This study included collection and analyses of posts created by a selection of Swiss hospitals during the period of study. All university hospitals and a variety of private and regional hospitals in all regions of Switzerland are represented. The data collection started before the official shutdown in Switzerland., Methods: This study used mixed method approach and content analysis to evaluate 2,326 posts during the study period related to the COVID-19 pandemic., Results: During the first phase of the pandemic, hospitals used social media platforms more frequently than normal. Especially in the first month, the number of posts rose disproportionally. The numbers dropped back to the initial situation after only 4 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Most hospitals used Facebook and Twitter, whereas Instagram and YouTube's use were marginal. University hospitals used social media platforms differently than regional hospitals., Conclusion: Most posts generated only a very low response with a median of 2. Hospitals were therefore not able to create engagement of their followers. However, hospitals that publish actively were able to build a more active community. Only a small number of posts led to heated discussions in the comments. These viral posts shared information on the illness, the vaccination, children and COVID-19., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The hip joint helps the upper body to transfer its weight to lower body. Along with age, there are various reasons for the degeneration of the hip joint. The artificial hip implant replaces the degenerated hip. Wear between the joints is the primary cause of the hip implant becoming loose. The wear can occur due to various reasons. Due to this revision surgery are most common in young and active patients. In the design phase of the implant if this is taken care then life expectancy of the implant can be improved. Small design changes can significantly enhance the implant's life. In this work, elliptical-shaped hip implant stem is designed, and linear wear is estimated at trunnion junction. In this work, a 28 mm diameter femoral head with a 4 mm thick acetabular cup and a 2 mm thick backing cup is used. The top surface taper radiuses are changed. Solid works was used to create the models. Ansys was used to perform the analysis. It was found that as the radius of the TTR decreased, the wear rate decreased. The least wear rate was found in 12/14 mm taper with a value of 1.15E -02 mm year -1 for the first material combination and with a value of 1.23E -02 mm year -1 for the second material combination. In the comparison between the models with 1 mm chamfer and no chamfer, it was found that the wear rate was lower for the models with 1 mm chamfer. When the chamfer was increased (more than 1 mm), the linear wear increased. Wear is the main reason for the loosening of hip implants, which leads to a revision of an implant. It was found that with a decrease in TTR, there was a small increase in the linear wear rate. Overall, the implant with TTR 6 mm and a chamfer of 1 mm was found to have the least wear rate. To validate these results, the implant can be 3D printed and tested on a hip simulator., (© 2023 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Combining amphiphilic block copolymers and phospholipids opens new opportunities for the preparation of artificial membranes. The chemical versatility and mechanical robustness of polymers together with the fluidity and biocompatibility of lipids afford hybrid membranes with unique properties that are of great interest in the field of bioengineering. Owing to its straightforwardness, the solvent-assisted method (SA) is particularly attractive for obtaining solid-supported membranes. While the SA method was first developed for lipids and very recently extended to amphiphilic block copolymers, its potential to develop hybrid membranes has not yet been explored. Here, we tailor the SA method to prepare solid-supported polymer-lipid hybrid membranes by combining a small library of amphiphilic diblock copolymers poly(dimethyl siloxane)-poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) and poly(butylene oxide)- block -poly(glycidol) with phospholipids commonly found in cell membranes including 1,2-dihexadecanoyl- sn -glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl- sn -glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, sphingomyelin, and 1,2-dioleoyl- sn -glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine- N -(glutaryl). The optimization of the conditions under which the SA method was applied allowed for the formation of hybrid polymer-lipid solid-supported membranes. The real-time formation and morphology of these hybrid membranes were evaluated using a combination of quartz crystal microbalance and atomic force microscopy. Depending on the type of polymer-lipid combination, significant differences in membrane coverage, formation of domains, and quality of membranes were obtained. The use of the SA method for a rapid and controlled formation of solid-supported hybrid membranes provides the basis for developing customized artificial hybrid membranes.

Insect wings are an outstanding example of how a proper interplay of rigid and flexible materials enables an intricate flapping flight accompanied by sound. The understanding of the aerodynamics and acoustics of insect wings has enabled the development of man-made flying robotic vehicles and explained basic mechanisms of sound generation by natural flyers. This work proposes the concept of artificial wings with a periodic pattern, inspired by metamaterials, and explores how the pattern geometry can be used to control the aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of a wing. For this, we analyzed bio-inspired wings with anisotropic honeycomb patterns flapping at a low frequency and developed a multi-parameter optimization procedure to tune the pattern design in order to increase lift and simultaneously to manipulate the produced sound. Our analysis is based on the finite-element solution to a transient three-dimensional fluid-structure interactions problem. The two-way coupling is described by incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for viscous air and structural equations of motion for a wing undergoing large deformations. We 3D-printed three wing samples and validated their robustness and dynamics experimentally. Importantly, we showed that the proposed wings can sustain long-term resonance excitation that opens a possibility to implement resonance-type flights inherent to certain natural flyers. Our results confirm the feasibility of metamaterial patterns to control the flapping flight dynamics and can open new perspectives for applications of 3D-printed patterned wings, e.g. in the design of drones with target sound., (Creative Commons Attribution license.)

The increasingly widespread use of vacuum assisted technologies in the manufacture of polymer-composite structures does not always provide the required product quality and repeatability. Deterioration of quality most often appears itself in the form of incomplete filling of the preform with resin as a result of the inner and outer dry spot formation, as well as due to premature gelation of the resin and blockage of the vacuum port. As experience shows, these undesirable phenomena are significantly dependent on the location of the resin and vacuum ports. This article presents a method for making a decision on the rational design of a process layout. It is based on early forecasting of its objectives in terms of quality and reliability when simulating its finite element model, on the correlation analysis of the preliminary and final quality assessments, as well as on the study of the cross-correlation of a group of early calculated sub-criteria. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by the example of vacuum infusion of a 3D thin-walled structure of complex geometry.

Artificial membranes, as materials with biomimetic properties, can be applied in various fields, such as drug screening or bio-sensing. The solvent-assisted method (SA) represents a straightforward method to prepare lipid solid-supported membranes. It overcomes the main limitations of established membrane preparation methods, such as Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) or vesicle fusion. However, it has not yet been applied to create artificial membranes based on amphiphilic block copolymers, despite their enhanced mechanical stability compared to lipid-based membranes and bio-compatible properties. Here, we applied the SA method on different amphiphilic di- and triblock poly(dimethylsiloxane)-block-poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (PDMS- b -PMOXA) copolymers and optimized the conditions to prepare artificial membranes on a solid support. The real-time membrane formation, the morphology, and the mechanical properties have been evaluated by a combination of atomic force microscopy and quartz crystal microbalance. Then, selected biomolecules including complementary DNA strands and an artificial deallylase metalloenzyme (ADAse) were incorporated into these membranes relying on the biotin-streptavidin technology. DNA strands served to establish the capability of these synthetic membranes to interact with biomolecules by preserving their correct conformation. The catalytic activity of the ADAse following its membrane anchoring induced the functionality of the biomimetic platform. Polymer membranes on solid support as prepared by the SA method open new opportunities for the creation of artificial membranes with tailored biomimetic properties and functionality.

Pterodon pubescens fruits are popularly used because of their analgesic and anti-inflammatory actions, which are attributed to the isolated compounds with a vouacapan skeleton. This work aimed to evaluate the antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory effects of a P. pubescens fruit dichloromethane extract and the vouacapan diterpene furan isomer's mixture (1 : 1) (6 α -hydroxy-7 β -acetoxy-vouacapan-17 β -oate methyl ester and 6 α -acetoxy-7 β -hydroxy-vouacapan-17 β -oate methyl ester isomers) in HaCaT cells using the cell migration and the BrDU incorporation assay. Levels of IL-8 were measured by ELISA after TNF- α stimulation. HPLC/DAD analysis of the extract revealed the expressive presence of vouacapan diterpene furan isomer's mixture. P. pubescens extract (1.5625 - 25 µg/mL) and vouacapan diterpene furan isomer's mixture (3.125 - 50 µM) inhibited cell proliferation as indicated by a decreased BrdU-incorporation. For the evaluation of cell migration, time-lapse microscopy was used. P. pubescens presented inhibition on cell migration at all concentrations tested (3.125 - 12.5 µg/mL), whereas for the VDFI mixture, the inhibition was only observed at the highest concentrations (12.5 and 25 µM) tested. Furthermore P. pubescens extract and vouacapan diterpene furan isomer's mixture significantly decreased IL-8 levels. Our results showed antiproliferative and anti-inflammatory effects on HaCaT cells treated with the extract and the vouacapan isomer's mixture, without affecting cell viability. These activities could be attributed to the voucapan molecular structures. In conclusion, topical products developed of P. pubescens extract or the voucapan isomer's mixture should be further studied as a potential product for local treatment against hyperproliferative lesions as in psoriasis vulgaris, representing an alternative treatment approach., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Controllable attachment of proteins to material surfaces is very attractive for many applications including biosensors, bioengineered scaffolds or drug screening. Especially, redox proteins have received considerable attention as a model system not only to understand the mechanism of electron transfer in biological systems, but also the development of novel biosensors. However, current research attempts suffer from denaturation of the protein after its attachment to solid substrates. Here, we present how lipid, polymer and hybrid membranes based on mixtures of lipids and copolymers on a solid support provide a more favorable environment to drive selective and functional attachment of a model redox protein, cytochrome  c (cyt c ). Polymer membranes provided chemical versatility to support covalent attachment of cyt c , whereas lipid membranes provided flexibility and biocompatibility to support insertion of cyt c through its hydrophobic part. Hybrid membranes combine the most promising characteristics of both lipids and polymers and allowed attachment of cyt  c with both covalent attachment and insertion driven by hydrophobic interactions. We then investigated the effect of different attachment strategies on the accessibility and peroxidase-like activity of cyt c , in the presence of different membranes. The real-time combination of cyt c with the planar membranes was investigated by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. It was possible to selectively drive the insertion of cyt c into a specific lipid domain of hybrid membranes. In addition, protein accessibility and its functionality were dependent on the specificity of the combination strategy: covalent conjugation of cyt c to polymer and hybrid membranes promoted higher accessibility and supported higher peroxidase-like activity. Taking together, the combination of biomolecules with planar membranes can be modulated in such a way to improve the accessibility of the biomolecules and their resulting functionality for the development of efficient "active surfaces".

Background: Although second opinions are rather restricted to the surgical disciplines, they have become more and more important to the health system in the last 20 years. The demand has been triggered by rising health costs and the economization of the field. The Internet has also made a considerable contribution to the demand for patient-initiated second opinions. Given these developments, it is surprising that second opinions have not become more important in the field of psychiatry. This article highlights the special situation of second opinions in psychiatry, discusses possible barriers to the adoption of second opinions in psychiatry, and the potential for greater use of second opinions in this field., Objective: In psychiatry, second opinions have been neglected by the typical drivers of innovations in health care, including insurers and other commercial drivers as well as psychiatrists and patients themselves. This review identifies current barriers to widespread adoption of second opinions in psychiatric practice, discusses the benefits of second opinions that have been demonstrated in other disciplines, and outlines the potential gains to be realized through use of second opinions in psychiatry., Methods: Literature in the area was reviewed through a search of the main medical databases. This literature review was supported by in-depth interviews with health care personnel and insurers., Conclusions: Second opinions are rarely obtained in psychiatry and there is little literature on this subject. The stigmatization of psychiatric disorders and patients and the uniqueness of the patient-doctor relationship in psychiatry, especially in psychotherapeutic care, may pose considerable obstacles to the use of second opinions in this field. In addition, more stakeholders, such as social workers, government agencies and regulators, health care and disability insurers, and social security agencies, are involved in the mental health compared with the somatic health sector, which may make it more difficult to achieve a coordinated approach in psychiatric care. However, we have found no convincingly good reason why second opinions have not been at least discussed in psychiatry. Psychiatry could benefit from ongoing discussions concerning the outcomes of second opinions in other medical disciplines.

Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) augmented with terrestrial white-rot basidiomycetes have already been tested for the removal of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) from wastewaters. Within the present study, an aquatic ascomycete ( Phoma sp.) was initially demonstrated to efficiently remove several PhACs at their real environmental trace concentrations from nonsterile municipal wastewater on a laboratory scale. Then, a pilot MBR was bioaugmented with Phoma sp. and successively operated in two configurations (first treating full-scale MBR effluent as a posttreatment, and then treating raw municipal wastewater). Treatment of influent wastewater by the Phoma -bioaugmented pilot MBR was more efficient than influent treatment by a concomitantly operated full-scale MBR lacking Phoma sp and posttreatment of full-scale MBR permeate using the pilot MBR. A stable removal of the PhACs carbamazepine (CBZ) and diclofenac (DF) (39 and 34% on average, respectively) could be achieved throughout the pilot MBR influent treatment period of 51 days, without the need for additional nutrient supplementation (full-scale MBR: on average, 15% DF but no CBZ removed during 108 days). The long-term presence of Phoma sp. in the pilot MBR could be demonstrated using fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, but still open questions regarding its long-term activity maintenance remain to be answered., (© 2018 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

A new and fully automated newborn screening method for mass spectrometry was introduced in this paper. Pathological relevant amino acids, acylcarnitines, and certain steroids are detected within 4 min per sample. Each sample is treated in an automated and standardized workflow, where a mixture of deuterated internal standards is sprayed onto the sample before extraction. All compounds showed good linearity, and intra- and inter-day variation lies within the acceptance criteria (except for aspartic acid). The described workflow decreases analysis cost and labor while improving the sample traceability towards good laboratory practice., Competing Interests: Conflicts of InterestJana Rykl is an employee of Shimadzu Schweiz GmbH (Reinach, Switzerland) and Stefan Gaugler is an employee of CAMAG (Muttenz, Switzerland). None of the other authors report any conflict of interest regarding this study. One DBS-MS 500 was setup at the Children´s Hospital as part of this KTI project. All other instrumentation is property of the respective companies and Children´s Hospital., (© 2017 by the authors.)

Exposure to airborne agents needs to be assessed in the personal breathing zone by the use of personal measurement equipment. Specific measurement devices for assessing personal exposure to airborne nanomaterials have only become available in the recent years. They can be differentiated into direct-reading personal monitors and personal samplers that collect the airborne nanomaterials for subsequent analyses. This article presents a review of the available personal monitors and samplers and summarizes the available literature regarding their accuracy, comparability and field applicability. Due to the novelty of the instruments, the number of published studies is still relatively low. Where applicable, literature data is therefore complemented with published and unpublished results from the recently finished nanoIndEx project. The presented data show that the samplers and monitors are robust and ready for field use with sufficient accuracy and comparability. However, several limitations apply, e.g. regarding the particle size range of the personal monitors and their in general lower accuracy and comparability compared with their stationary counterparts. The decision whether a personal monitor or a personal sampler shall be preferred depends strongly on the question to tackle. In many cases, a combination of a personal monitor and a personal sampler may be the best choice to obtain conclusive results., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Personal monitors based on unipolar diffusion charging (miniDiSC/DiSCmini, NanoTracer, Partector) can be used to assess the individual exposure to nanoparticles in different environments. The charge acquired by the aerosol particles is nearly proportional to the particle diameter and, by coincidence, also nearly proportional to the alveolar lung-deposited surface area (LDSA), the metric reported by all three instruments. In addition, the miniDiSC/DiSCmini and the NanoTracer report particle number concentration and mean particle size. In view of their use for personal exposure studies, the comparability of these personal monitors was assessed in two measurement campaigns. Altogether 29 different polydisperse test aerosols were generated during the two campaigns, covering a large range of particle sizes, morphologies and concentrations. The data provided by the personal monitors were compared with those obtained from reference instruments: a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) for LDSA and mean particle size and a ultrafine particle counter (UCPC) for number concentration. The results indicated that the LDSA concentrations and the mean particle sizes provided by all investigated instruments in this study were in the order of ±30% of the reference value obtained from the SMPS when the particle sizes of the test aerosols generated were within 20-400nm and the instruments were properly calibrated. Particle size, morphology and concentration did not have a major effect within the aforementioned limits. The comparability of the number concentrations was found to be slightly worse and in the range of ±50% of the reference value obtained from the UCPC. In addition, a minor effect of the particle morphology on the number concentration measurements was observed. The presence of particles >400nm can drastically bias the measurement results of all instruments and all metrics determined., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A 24-year-old man known to consume illegal drugs was found dead in his apartment. A reclosable plastic zipper bag containing several hundred milligrams of a brown powder was found close to the dead body and the first assumption of the investigators was death due to heroin intoxication. Therefore, a legal autopsy was ordered. The following toxicological analysis revealed ocfentanil in urine and in the brown powder. Four different approaches for the determination of the ocfentanil concentrations in peripheral whole blood are described. Enrichment of ocfentanil from the powder was realized. With this reference, it was possible to determine the ocfentanil concentration in the seized powder to be 0.91%. Concentrations of ocfentanil were also determined in the sampled body fluids using the standard addition procedure. In peripheral blood 9.1 µg/L, in heart blood 27.9 µg/L and in urine 480 µg/L were measured. In addition, the antidepressant citalopram, the neuroleptic quetiapine and cannabinoids were found in urine and subsequently quantified in peripheral blood., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Many soils polluted by antimony (Sb) are subject to fluctuating waterlogging conditions; yet, little is known about how these affect the mobility of this toxic element under field conditions. Here, we compared Sb leaching from a calcareous shooting range soil under drained and waterlogged conditions using four large outdoor lysimeters. After monitoring the leachate samples taken at bi-weekly intervals for >1.5 years under drained conditions, two of the lysimeters were subjected to waterlogging with a water table fluctuating according to natural rainfall water infiltration. Antimony leachate concentrations under drained conditions showed a strong seasonal fluctuation between 110 μg L(-1) in summer and <40 μg L(-1) in winter, which closely correlated with fluctuations in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations. With the development of anaerobic conditions upon waterlogging, Sb in leachate decreased to 2-5 μg L(-1) Sb and remained stable at this level. Antimony speciation measurements in soil solution indicated that this decrease in Sb(V) concentrations was attributable to the reduction of Sb(V) to Sb(III) and the stronger sorption affinity of the latter to iron (Fe) (hydr)oxide phases. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering seasonal and waterlogging effects in the assessment of the risks from Sb-contaminated sites., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Anemia is a frequent complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Hepcidin, a key mediator in this anemia, is up-regulated by high iron levels and inflammation, and serum levels are elevated in IBD. However, the extent of inflammatory activity and iron deficiency for the regulation of hepcidin is not known. This study aimed to evaluate serum hepcidin levels in anemic and non-anemic IBD patients, with iron or non-iron deficiency, and active or inactive disease., Methods: This retrospective, observational study analyzed serum hepcidin levels from 247 patients with IBD (130 Crohn's patients and 117 with ulcerative colitis) recruited at Swiss Inflammatory Bowel Disease Cohort Study centers. Patients were divided into 5 different groups using criteria of active and inactive diseases (C-reactive protein, and CDAI/MTWAI=disease activity-index), anemia (hemoglobin) and iron deficiency (ferritin) and compared to healthy controls with no signs of anemia and normal ferritin levels. Hepcidin was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay., Results: Independent of inflammatory activity, all patients with decreased ferritin (<30μg/L) had significantly lower hepcidin levels when compared to patients and healthy controls having normal ferritin (>30μg/L). A significant correlation between serum ferritin levels and serum hepcidin was found (Spearman's Rho=0.491; p<0.001). A backward multi-linear stepwise regression analysis showed that only ferritin, and none of the inflammatory markers or age and sex correlated significantly (p=0.005) with hepcidin., Conclusion: This retrospective analysis suggests that iron deficiency is the key trigger for hepcidin regulation in IBD patients with anemia., (Copyright © 2014 European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Today's healthcare can be characterised by the increasing importance of specialisation that requires cooperation across disciplines and specialities. In view of the number of educational programmes for interdisciplinary cooperation, surprisingly little is known on how learning arises from interdisciplinary work. In order to analyse the learning and teaching practices of interdisciplinary cooperation, a multiple case study research focused on how consults, i.e., doctor-to-doctor consultations between medical doctors from different disciplines were carried out: semi-structured interviews with doctors of all levels of seniority from two hospital sites in Switzerland were conducted. Starting with a priori constructs based on the 'methods' underpinning cognitive apprenticeship (CA), the transcribed interviews were analysed according to the principles of qualitative content analysis. The research contributes to three debates: (1) socio-cognitive and situated learning, (2) intra- and interdisciplinary learning in clinical settings, and (3), more generally, to cooperation and problem solving. Patient cases, which necessitate the cooperation of doctors in consults across boundaries of clinical specialisms, trigger intra- as well as interdisciplinary learning and offer numerous and varied opportunities for learning by requesting doctors as well as for on-call doctors, in particular those in residence. The relevance of consults for learning can also be verified from the perspective of CA which is commonly used by experts, albeit in varying forms, degrees of frequency and quality, and valued by learners. Through data analysis a model for collaborative problem-solving and help-seeking was developed which shows the interplay of pedagogical 'methods' of CA in informal clinical learning contexts.

Selenium-reducing microorganisms produce elemental selenium nanoparticles with particular physicochemical properties due to an associated organic fraction. This study identified high-affinity proteins associated with such bionanominerals and with nonbiogenic elemental selenium. Proteins with an anticipated functional role in selenium reduction, such as a metalloid reductase, were found to be associated with nanoparticles formed by one selenium respirer, Sulfurospirillum barnesii.

Brain microvascular endothelial cells are part of the blood-brain barrier and participate actively in immunological processes including cytokine-mediated inflammatory reactions. Using the human brain capillary endothelial cell line hCMEC/D3, activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathways were studied in response to stimulation by cytokines. The phenotype of hCMEC/D3 cells was confirmed by flow cytometry analysis of cell adhesion factors (cluster of differentiation molecules CD31 and CD34) and the von Willebrand factor endothelial marker was detected by immunofluorescence. Strong STAT1, STAT6 and STAT3 activation was observed in response to interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin 4 (IL-4) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), respectively. Nuclear translocation of phosphorylated STAT proteins was visualized by confocal microscopy. Treatment of hCMEC/D3 cells with IFN-gamma resulted in interferon-induced upregulation of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I within 48h. Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) did not activate STAT1 or STAT3 nor did it induce MHC class I upregulation. Therefore, hCMEC/D3 cells were judged to be non-responsive to IFN-alpha. We also observed that hCMEC/D3 cells exhibit functional expression of alternative cytokine signal transduction pathways (i.e. TNF-alpha mediated activation of NF-kappaB). Together these results indicate that human blood-brain barrier hCMEC/D3 cells are responsive towards stimulation with various cytokines. We conclude that this unique cell line can be used to explore in vitro human blood-brain barrier functionality under proinflammatory conditions., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A new sensitive method has been successfully developed and validated for the simultaneous determination and quantification of nine estrogenic UV filters (benzophenone-1, benzophenone-2, benzophenone-3, benzophenone-4, 4,4-dihydroxybenzophenone, ethyl-4-aminobenzoate, 2-ethyl-hexyl-4-trimethoxycinnamate, 3-(4-methylbenzylidene)-camphor, 3-benzylidene-camphor) in different environmental matrices. After optimisation of extraction conditions for the best recovery of polar to lipophilic compounds from fish tissue and a subsequent lipid clean-up in HPLC, fish extraction recoveries exceeded 72% for all nine UV filters. Identification and quantification of compounds was performed for lipophilic UV filters with gas chromatography-electroionisation-mass spectrometry and for polar and mid-polar compounds with liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. Instrumental detection limits (IDL) varied between 5 and 260 pg injected and method detection limits (MDL) were in the low ng/g lipids range for all test compounds. The described analytical methods are shown to be useful to screen for estrogenic UV filters in environmental samples such as fish and polar organic chemical integrative samplers.

In a common application scenario, large screen projection-based stereoscopic display systems are not used by a single user alone, but are shared by a small group of people. Using multiviewpoint images for multiuser interaction does not require special hardware and scales transparently with the number of colocated users in a system. We present a qualitative and quantitative study comparing usability and interaction performance for multiviewpoint images to non-head-tracked and head-tracked interaction for ray-casting selection and in-hand object manipulation. Results show that while direct first-person interaction in projection-based displays without head-tracking is difficult or even completely impractical, interaction with multiviewpoint images can produce similar or even better performance than fully head-tracked interaction. For ray-casting selection, interaction with multiviewpoint images is actually up to 10 percent faster than head-tracked interaction. For in-hand object manipulation in a simple docking task, multiviewpoint interaction performs only about 6 percent slower than fully head-tracked interaction.

UV-absorbing chemicals (UV filters) are widely used for protection against UV radiation in sunscreens and in a variety of cosmetic products and materials. Depending on the breadth and factor of UV protection, they are added as single compounds or as a combination thereof. Some UV filters have estrogenic activity, but their activity and interactions in mixtures are largely unknown. In this work, we analyzed 8 commonly used UV filters, which are pure or partial hERalpha agonists, for their estrogenic activity in equieffective mixtures in a recombinant yeast assay carrying the human estrogen receptor alpha (hERalpha). Mixtures of two, four and eight UV filters alone, or in combination with 17 beta estradiol (E2), were assessed at different effect levels and no-observed-effect-concentrations (NOEC). Predictions of the joint effects of these mixtures were calculated by employing the concentration addition (CA) and independent action (IA) model. Most binary mixtures comprising of pure hERalpha agonists showed a synergistic activity at all mixture combinations. Only in combination with benzophenone-1, antagonistic activity was observed at some effect levels. All mixtures of four or eight, pure or pure and partial hERalpha agonists, alone or including E2, showed synergistic activity at concentrations giving an increase of 10% of basal activity (BC10). This occurred even at concentrations that were at the NOEC level of each single compound. Hence, there were substantial mixture effects even though each UV filter was present at its NOEC level. These results show that significant interactions occur in UV filter mixtures, which is important for the hazard and risk assessments of these personal care products.

UV filters have been detected in surface water, wastewater and fish, and some of them are estrogenic in fish. At present, little is known about their additional hormonal activities in different hormonal receptor systems despite their increasing use and environmental persistence. Besides estrogenic activity, UV filters may have additional activities, both agonistic and antagonistic in aquatic organisms. In our study, we investigate a series of UV filters for multiple hormonal activities in vitro in human receptor systems and evaluate the predictive value of these findings for the activity in fish in vitro and in vivo. First we systematically analysed the estrogenic, antiestrogenic, androgenic, and antiandrogenic activity of 18 UV filters and one metabolite in vitro at non-cytotoxic concentrations with recombinant yeast systems carrying either a human estrogen (hERalpha) or androgen receptor (hAR). All 19 compounds elicited hormonal activities, surprisingly most of them multiple activities. We found 10 UV-filters having agonistic effects towards the hERalpha. Surprisingly, we identified for the first time six UV filters with androgenic activities and many of them having pronounced antiestrogenic and antiandrogenic activities. As much as 17 compounds inhibited 4,5-dihydrotestosterone activity in the hAR assay, while 14 compounds inhibited estradiol activity in the hERalpha assay, indicating antiandrogenic and antiestrogenic activity, respectively. In particular, the antiandrogenic activities of phenyl- and benzyl salicylate, benzophenone-1 and -2, and of 4-hydroxybenzophenone were higher than that of flutamide, a known hAR antagonist. In a second series of experiments, we investigated the predictive power of the hERalpha assay for aquatic organisms by further investigating the estrogenic UV filter ethyl 4-aminobenzoate (Et-PABA) in vitro and in vivo in fish. Et-PABA showed estrogenic activity in a recombinant yeast system carrying the rainbow trout estrogen receptor (rtERalpha) with higher activity than in the hERalpha assay. In addition, Et-PABA induced vitellogenin after 14 days of exposure in juvenile fathead minnows at 4394mug/L. Our study shows estrogenic activity of this UV filter in fish both in vitro and in vivo. In conjunction with in vitro human receptor-based systems our results give a more detailed picture about distinct hormonal activities of UV filters occurring in aquatic systems. We conclude that receptor-based assays are important for in vitro assessment of UV-filters prior to or concurrently with in vivo assays, which ultimately provide data for the environmental risk assessment of these important personal care products.