TY - JOUR A1 - Wentzky, V. C. A1 - Tittel, J. A1 - Jäger, Christoph G. A1 - Rinke, K. ED - Wiley, T1 - Mechanisms preventing a decrease in phytoplankton biomass after phosphorus reductions in a German drinking water reservoir—results from more than 50 years of observation JF - Freshwater Biology N2 - 1. To counteract the severe consequences of eutrophication on water quality and ecosystem health, nutrient inputs have been reduced in many lakes and reservoirs during the last decades. Contrary to expectations, in some lakes phytoplankton biomass did not decrease in response to oligotrophication (nutrient reduction). The underlying mechanisms preventing a decrease in biomass in these lakes are the subject of ongoing discussion. 2. We used a hitherto unpublished long-term data set ranging from 1961 until 2016 from a German drinking water reservoir (Rappbode Reservoir) to investigate the underlying mechanisms preventing a decrease in biomass. Total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in the Rappbode Reservoir dropped abruptly in 1990 from 0.163 to 0.027 mg/L within three consecutive years, as a result of banning phosphate-containing detergents. Despite substantial reductions in TP, total annual phytoplankton biomass did not decline in the long-run, and therefore, the yield of total phytoplankton biomass per unit phosphorus largely increased. 3. Regression analysis revealed a positive association between the yield and potentially phagotrophic mixotrophs (R2 = .465, p < .001). We infer that by ingesting bacteria, mixotrophic species were capable of exploiting additional P sources that are not accessible to obligate autotrophic phytoplankton, eventually preventing a decrease in algal biomass after TP reductions. 4. Long-term epilimnetic phosphorus concentrations during the winter mixing period decreased to a greater degree than summer phosphorus concentrations. Apparently, TP losses over the season were less intense. Spring diatom biomass also markedly decreased after oligotrophication. In fact, spring diatom biomass was positively related to the TP loss over the season suggesting diatoms play an important role in P reduction. However, this intraannual P processing was not the primary factor when focusing on the average yearly yield, which remained to be fully explained by mixotrophs. 5. Our study demonstrates this ecosystem’s ability to compensate for changes in resource availability through changes in phytoplankton community composition and functional strategies. We conclude that an increase in mixotrophy and the ability to make bacterial phosphorus available for phytoplankters were the main factors that allowed the phytoplankton community of the Rappbode Reservoir to adapt to lower nutrient levels without a loss in total biomass. KW - community composition KW - long-term monitoring, KW - mixotrophy KW - oligotrophication KW - sedimentation Y1 - 2018 UR - https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.13116 VL - 63 IS - 9 SP - 1063 EP - 1076 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Stoettner, Julia A1 - Seliger, Norbert T1 - Ring resonator based signal and power transfer at UHF frequencies T2 - 6th International EURASIP Workshop on RFID Technology (EURFID) N2 - We present low-cost, high-efficient electromagnetic coupling between open ring geometry and a so-called butterfly structure on standard printed circuit boards (FR4) for the purpose of short range wireless data and power transfer at an UHF resonance frequency of 868 MHz. The components of the transfer system are characterized by simulation and experiments in terms of associated scattering parameters. Characterizing the efficiency of the coupled resonators, RF signal power transmission is examined for high power transfer as well as for low power DC supply utilizing a voltage doubler rectifier. With an enhanced butterfly structure coupler, unmodulated RF power transmission of 17.3 W is achieved with an efficiency of more than 95%. Furthermore, signal transmission of Pulse-Width-Modulated (PWM) signals with frequencies up to 5 MHz is demonstrated. KW - Resonators KW - electromagnetic coupling KW - UHF resonance frequency Y1 - 2018 PB - IEEE ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Saal, S. A1 - Meyer, G. A1 - Beutner, K. A1 - Klingshirn, H. A1 - Strobl, R. A1 - Grill, E. A1 - Mann, E. A1 - Köpke, S. A1 - Bleijlevens, M.H.C. A1 - Bartoszek, G. A1 - Stephan, A.-J. A1 - Hirt, J. A1 - Müller, Martin T1 - Development of a complex intervention to improve participation of nursing home residents with joint contractures: a mixed-method study JF - BMC Geriatrics N2 - Background Joint contractures in nursing home residents limit the capacity to perform daily activities and restrict social participation. The purpose of this study was to develop a complex intervention to improve participation in nursing home residents with joint contractures. Methods The development followed the UK Medical Research Council framework using a mixed-methods design with re-analysis of existing interview data using a graphic modelling approach, group discussions with nursing home residents, systematic review of intervention studies, structured 2-day workshop with experts in geriatric, nursing, and rehabilitation, and group discussion with professionals in nursing homes. Results Graphic modelling identified restrictions in the use of transportation, walking within buildings, memory functions, and using the hands and arms as the central target points for the intervention. Seven group discussions with 33 residents revealed various aspects related to functioning and disability according the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health domains body functions, body structures, activities and participation, environmental factors, and personal factors. The systematic review included 17 studies with 992 participants: 16 randomised controlled trials and one controlled trial. The findings could not demonstrate any evidence in favour of an intervention. The structured 2-day expert workshop resulted in a variety of potential intervention components and implementation strategies. The group discussion with the professionals in nursing homes verified the feasibility of the components and the overall concept. The resulting intervention, Participation Enabling CAre in Nursing (PECAN), will be implemented during a 1-day workshop for nurses, a mentoring approach, and supportive material. The intervention addresses nurses and other staff, residents, their informal caregivers, therapists, and general practitioners. Conclusions In view of the absence of any robust evidence, the decision to use mixed methods and to closely involve both health professionals and residents proved to be an appropriate means to develop a complex intervention to improve participation of and quality of life in nursing home residents. We will now evaluate the PECAN intervention for its impact and feasibility in a pilot study in preparation for an evaluation of its effectiveness in a definitive trial. Trial registration German clinical trials register, reference number DRKS00010037 (12 February 2016). KW - Contractures KW - Nursing homes KW - Social participation KW - Disability and health Y1 - 2018 UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-018-0745-z ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Ragai, A1 - Schwabenbauer, A1 - Eser, A1 - Müller, ED - ASME, T1 - Effect of Process Parameters on the Electrically-Assisted Sintered Iron-Copper Powder Metals BT - Volume 2: Advanced Manufacturing T2 - ASME 2018 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition N2 - Electric-current-assisted sintering (ECAS) is a novel process that can potentially replace the conventional sintering method. It is hypothesized that the process can reduce the sintering time and can be used in situ; thus, can be more cost effective. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of direct current on the sintered properties of iron-copper powder metal. Experiments were conducted at various conditions to determine the optimal process parameters for this particular powder metal. The parameters investigated were electric current levels and energizing time. Experiments also included sintering the powder using a conventional furnace. Samples from both types of experiments were compared to determine the metallurgical differences due to the sintering process. Mechanical and microstructure examination were conducted to aid in determining the feasibility of ECAS. KW - Electric-current-assisted sintering Y1 - 2018 SN - 978-0-7918-5201-9 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2018-86891 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prodinger, Birgit A1 - Tennant, A. A1 - Stucki, G. T1 - Standardized reporting of functioning information on ICF-based common metrics JF - European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine N2 - BACKGROUND: In clinical practice and research a variety of clinical data collection tools are used to collect information on people’s functioning for clinical practice and research and national health information systems. Reporting on ICF-based common metrics enables standardized documentation of functioning information in national health information systems. The objective of this methodological note on applying the ICF in rehabilitation is to demonstrate how to report functioning information collected with a data collection tool on ICF-based common metrics. We first specify the requirements for the standardized reporting of functioning information. Secondly, we introduce the methods needed for transforming functioning data to ICF-based common metrics. Finally, we provide an example. METHODS: The requirements for standardized reporting are as follows: 1) having a common conceptual framework to enable content comparability between any health information; and 2) a measurement framework so that scores between two or more clinical data collection tools can be directly compared. The methods needed to achieve these requirements are the ICF Linking Rules and the Rasch measurement model. Using data collected incorporating the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0), and the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 (SIS 3.0), the application of the standardized reporting based on common metrics is demonstrated. RESULTS: A subset of items from the three tools linked to common chapters of the ICF (d4 Mobility, d5 Self-care and d6 Domestic life), were entered as “super items” into the Rasch model. Good fit was achieved with no residual local dependency and a unidimensional metric. A transformation table allows for comparison between scales, and between a scale and the reporting common metric. CONCLUSIONS: Being able to report functioning information collected with commonly used clinical data collection tools with ICF-based common metrics enables clinicians and researchers to continue using their tools while still being able to compare and aggregate the information within and across tools. KW - International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health KW - Rehabilitation KW - Delivery of health care Y1 - 2018 UR - https://doi.org/10.23736/S1973-9087.17.04784-0 VL - 54 IS - 1 SP - 110 EP - 117 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prodinger, Birgit A1 - Taylor, Paul T1 - Improving quality of care through patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs): expert interviews using the NHS PROMs Programme and the Swedish quality registers for knee and hip arthroplasty as examples JF - BMC Health Services Research N2 - Background: Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) have been integrated in national quality registries or specific national monitoring initiatives to inform the improvement of quality of care on a national scale. However there are many unanswered questions, such as: how these systems are set up, whether they lead to improved quality of care, which stakeholders use the information once it is available. The aim of this study was to examine supporting and hindering factors relevant to integrating patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in selected health information systems (HIS) tailored toward improving quality of care across the entire health system. Methods: First, a systematic search and review was conducted to outline previously identified factors relevant to the integration of PROMs in the selected HIS. A social network analysis was performed to identify networks of experts in these systems. Second, expert interviews were conducted to discuss and elaborate on the identified factors. Directive content analysis was applied using a HIS Evaluation Framework as the frame of reference. This framework is structured into four components: Organization, Human, Technology, and Net benefits. Results: The literature review revealed 37 papers for the NHS PROMs Programme and 26 papers for the SHPR and SKAR: Five networks of researchers were identified for the NHS PROMs Programme and 1 for the SHPR and SKAR. Seven experts related to the NHS PROMs Programme and 3 experts related to the SKAR and SHPR participated in the study. The main themes which revealed in relation to Organization were Governance and Capacity building; to Human: Reporting and Stakeholder Engagement; to Technology: the Selection and Collection of PROMs and Data linkage. In relation to Net benefits, system-specific considerations are presented. Conclusion: Both examples succeeded in integrating PROMs into HIS on a national scale. The lack of an established standard on what change PROMs should be achieved by an intervention limits their usefulness for monitoring quality of care. Whether the PROMs data collected within these systems can be used in routine clinical practice is considered a challenge in both countries. KW - Health information system evaluation KW - Quality registry KW - Oxford hip score KW - Oxford knee score KW - EQ-5D Y1 - 2018 UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-2898-z VL - 18 SP - 87 PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prodinger, Birgit A1 - Rastall, Paul A1 - Kalra, Dipak A1 - Wooldridge, Darren A1 - Carpenter, Iain ED - Thieme E-Journals, T1 - Documenting Routinely What Matters to People: Standardized Headings for Health Records of Patients with Chronic Health Conditions JF - Applied Clinical Informatics N2 - Objective Specifying the content in electronic health records (EHRs) through standardized headings based on international reference classifications will facilitate their semantic interoperability. The objective of this study was to specify potential chapter headings for EHRs aligned with the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) based on the perspectives of people living with chronic health conditions, carers, and professionals. Methods A multistage process was established including (1) a patient workshop, (2) an online survey of both patients and carers, and (3) an online consultation with patient and professional bodies. The ICF served as a starting point. Based on the first stage, a first draft of the headings was developed and further refined based on the feedback at each stage. We examined in a fourth step whether items from existing assessment tools support the operationalization of the identified headings. Therefore, we used the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS2.0), a patient-reported instrument, and interRAI, a clinician-administered instrument. Results The first workshop was attended by eight people, the survey was completed by 250 persons, and the online consultation received detailed feedback by 18 professional bodies. This study resulted in 16 potential chapter headings for EHRs which capture aspects related to the body, such as emotions, motivation, sleep, and memory or thoughts, to being involved in social life, such as mobility, social activities, and finances, as well as to the care process, such as understanding of health issues and treatment or care priorities and goals. When using the WHODAS2.0 and interRAI together, they capture all except one of the proposed headings. Conclusion The identified headings provide a high level structure for the standardized recording, use, and sharing of information. Once implemented, these headings have the potential to facilitate the delivery of personalized care planning for patients with long-term health problems. KW - Patient's perspective KW - electronic health records KW - international classification of functioning KW - disability and health Y1 - 2018 UR - https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1649488 VL - 9 IS - 2 SP - 348 EP - 365 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Monsberger, Christoph A1 - Lienhart, Werner A1 - Marte, Roman A1 - Hirschmüller, Sebastian ED - Sohn, Hoon T1 - Monitoring of soil nailed slope stabilizations using distributed fiber optic sensing T2 - Sensors and Smart Structures Technologies for Civil, Mechanical, and Aerospace Systems 2018 N2 - Soil nailing systems are a common way to stabilize slopes and construction pits. Their design is usually based on the mechanical equilibrium of a rigid body motion and therefore, only tensile stresses are considered and accompanying forces like bending (shear stresses) in the soil nails are neglected. Continuous strain measurements along nails could verify this assumption, but may not be performed using conventional sensing technologies. This paper reports about monitoring of a soil nailed slope stabilization using distributed fiber optic sensing. Soil nails in different anchoring horizons were instrumented and autonomously monitored over several weeks, in which the construction pit was excavated continuously. After the excavation, the final load bearing capacity of one selected nail was determined within a classical geotechnical load test. In addition to the field measurements, the bending behavior of the instrumented nail system was analyzed under laboratory conditions. The presented studies demonstrate the high potential of distributed fiber optic sensing systems and their capability to extend traditional measurement methods in foundation engineering applications. KW - Timber engineering KW - Soil nailed slope stabilizations KW - Distributed fiber optic sensing Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2296674 VL - 10598 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maritz, R. A1 - Baptiste, S. A1 - Darzins, S. W. A1 - Magasi, S. A1 - Weleschuk, C. A1 - Prodinger, Birgit T1 - Linking occupational therapy models and assessments to the ICF to enable standardized documentation of functioning JF - Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy N2 - Background The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) can serve as reference for standardized documentation of health in clinical practice. Purpose This study aims to bridge the gap between the ICF and occupational therapy specific concepts, represented by occupational therapy models and their derived assessments. Method Occupational therapy assessments in relation to their models were systematically linked to the ICF, and a compatibility analysis was conducted. To strengthen reliability of the linkings, feedback from the respective assessment hosts was obtained. Findings Linking tables were developed for the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills, the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, and the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool. Similarities and differences between the ICF and the three assessments and their associated models show how they differ from and complement each other. Implications The findings of this study lay the foundation for standardized documentation in occupational therapy and enhance the practicability of the ICF. KW - Assessment KW - Documentation KW - International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health KW - Standardization KW - Theory Classification internationale du fonctionnement, handicap et santé KW - Documentation KW - Évaluation KW - Standardisation KW - Théorie Y1 - 2018 UR - https://doi.org/10.1177/0008417418797146 VL - 85 IS - 4 SP - 330 EP - 341 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Langdon-Arms, Samuel A1 - Gschwendtner, Michael A1 - Neumaier, Martin T1 - A novel solar-powered liquid piston Stirling refrigerator JF - Applied Energy N2 - The objective of this research project is to develop a solar-powered refrigerator in the lower capacity range of up to 5 kW of cooling power. With the use of liquid pistons and one of the most efficient thermodynamic cycles known, the Stirling cycle, this product has the potential to outperform rival solar cooling technologies while providing inexpensive, reliable, quiet, environmentally-friendly, and efficient solar cooling for residential use, due to its straightforward manufacturing, simple design and inert working gas. Presented in this paper are the newest results of the theoretical and experimental investigation into deducing the key design parameters and system configuration of the so-called Liquid Piston Stirling Cooler (LPSC), which will help lead to optimal performance. Computer models of the complex unconstrained system have been constructed and validated using the modelling software Sage and shown to replicate system behavior with reasonable accuracy in experiments. The models have been used to predict system improvements and identify limitations imposed by the use of liquid pistons. The results to date provide a unique insight into a relatively little studied area in Stirling cycle research. KW - Stirling cycle KW - Refrigeration KW - Liquid pistons KW - Renewable energy KW - Solar heating and cooling KW - Free-pistons KW - Sage Y1 - 2018 UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.08.040 VL - 229 SP - 603 EP - 613 ER -