Joanneum Research Forschungsgesellschaft mbH

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Hintergrund Ältere Patienten sind in ihrer Gesundheitsversorgung häufig auf Angehörige, sog. „Care-Partner” (CP), angewiesen. Diese erhalten oft nur erschwert Zugang zu relevanten Gesundheitsdaten der Patienten und können deshalb nur begrenzt unterstützen. CP einen digitalen Zugang zur elektronischen Akte und zur klinischen Behandlungsdokumentation der Patienten zu geben, stellt einen innovativen Beitrag zur Lösung dieses Problems dar. Es werden die Barrieren und Chancen des Lösungsansatzes untersucht. Methoden Ältere Patienten (n = 8) und deren CP (n = 8) erhalten online Zugang zur ärztlichen Behandlungsdokumentation via eines webbasierten Patientenportals. Es werden qualitative Interviews (n = 16) zu den Erfahrungen mit dem Zugang für CP geführt. Ergebnisse Sowohl Patienten als auch CP erleben bei der Nutzung Barrieren und Chancen. Der Kontakt zu den Behandlern verbessert und vereinfacht sich. Patienten stehen in Arztgesprächen weniger unter Druck, da sie via Online-Zugang die Arztkontakte nach- und vorbereiten können. CP fühlen sich besser in die Gesundheitsversorgung einbezogen und entlastet. Einige Patienten gelang es aufgrund von technischen Schwierigkeiten und/oder fehlender digitaler Gesundheitskompetenz nicht, den Online-Zugang selbstständig zu nutzen, sodass Verantwortung an die CP abgegeben wurde. Diskussion CP nehmen eine zentrale Rolle in der digitalen Gesundheitsversorgung von Patienten ein. Damit auch ältere Patienten als gleichberechtigte Partner an ihrem digitalen Gesundheitsmanagement teilhaben, ist es erforderlich, spezifische Angebote zu entwickeln, die sie in der Entwicklung digitaler Kompetenzen unterstützen.

With the diffusion of prosumerism, where households act both as producers and consumers of energy, policy makers must strike a balance between encouraging microgeneration and regulating this new prosumer segment on the energy market. However, effective policy implementation depends on prosumers’ behavioural reactions. This paper provides evidence on the interplay between digital real-time information and regulation of self-consumption for rooftop photovoltaics (PV) in Croatia. Croatian households that produce more annual electricity than they consume are automatically re-classified as renewable traders, which means additional administrative duties and less favorable tax treatment. This creates perverse incentives to reduce PV generation or increase energy consumption by year-end. We document the behavioural reactions to this policy design, indicating that energy production and consumption are highly elastic regarding regulatory incentives, but only if these incentives are made transparent and accessible with timely information. We collected two survey waves (n = 54 and n = 80) and smart meter data (n = 39), which illustrate the behavioural reaction before and after year-end. According to the survey wave before year-end, almost half of the participants considered curtailing their PV output. According to the smart meter data, a sizable share did indeed take action by shutting down PV production or by powering additional devices to reduce the surplus near year-end. In a second survey wave in the new year, prosumers provide ex-post insights on the specific measures taken to reduce surplus. We discuss research insights regarding the transparency and control offered by metering feedback, and how this can influence household behaviour within regulatory frameworks.

This paper takes a multi-perspective approach to understand drivers and barriers of climate action on the neighbourhood level. We start with the assumption that climate actions on the level of citizens are most motivating and promising, when conducted jointly within established social systems like neighbourhoods. A survey implemented in neighbourhoods (3 in Austria, 2 in Norway, 2 in Italy, 2 in Finland). The neighbourhoods were partly in rural communities (4) and partly in urban or semi-urban areas (5). In total, 1.084 answers were retained between summer 2022 and summer 2023. The impact of factors from the different perspectives on the self-reported number of implemented climate actions were tested in a stepwise structural-equation-modelling-approach. The analyses show that intentions to act both on the individual and collective level impact climate actions as represented by behaviour in four domains (travel, diet, protest, and general climate action) implemented by citizens in the neighbourhoods, but individual intentions are more important. In addition, local cultural aspects have an impact on climate action, as indicated by the two extremely rural Finnish neighbourhoods being different on many variables. On the socio-structural level, males and households with younger children report less climate action, whereas larger households in general and people with university degree report more. Intentions to act individually are mostly determined by perceived individual efficacy and attitudes, but also selected cultural and socio-structural factors. Collective intentions to act depend on the social capital in the neighbourhood, collective efficacy, and social norms, as well as selected socio-structural and cultural factors. Concluding, this paper emphasises that in order to understand and stimulate climate-related action of citizens, the individual, collective, cultural and socio-structural factors must be taken into account and that the level of neighbourhoods, where everyday action takes place, is a relevant unit of analysis to do so.

Understanding the structure of thin films is essential for successful applications of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), such as low k-dielectrics in electronic devices. This study focuses on the thin film formation of the 3D nanoporous MOF Cu2(bdc)2(dabco). The thin films are prepared by a layer-by-layer technique with varying deposition cycles (1 to 50). Thin film morphologies and crystallographic properties were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD). AFM revealed an island growth (Volmer–Weber) with plate-like shaped islands. FTIR and GIXD revealed that Cu2(bdc)2(dabco) crystals form already during the first preparation cycle. The heights of the islands do not increase linearly with the number of deposition cycles, suggesting multiple growth stages. X-ray diffraction pole figures uncover a uniplanar texture of the Cu2(bdc)2(dabco) crystals, together with randomly oriented crystallites. The fraction of uniplanar oriented crystals increases with each deposition cycle, reaching a maximum of 75% at ten deposition cycles, simultaneously achieving complete substrate coverage. However, already at five cycles, an additional phase of randomly oriented copper-terephthalate (Cu2(bdc)) crystals appeared; this phase reaches a fraction of 22% at the largest film thickness (50 cycles). In summary, a detailed understanding of the thin film formation of an archetypal layer-pillar MOF is presented, elucidating how films grow in terms of their morphology and crystalline properties. Samples prepared by ten cycles show complete coverage of the substrate together with the highest degree of preferred crystal orientation. These results establish a deepened understanding of critical parameters for MOF thin film applications, such as complete substrate coverage and definition of the nanopores relative to the substrate surface.

Objective: Managing flexor tendon injuries surgically remains challenging due to the ongoing debate over the most effective suture technique and materials. An optimal repair must be technically feasible while providing enough strength to allow for early active mobilization during the post-operative phase. This study aimed to assess the biomechanical properties of three modified Kessler repair techniques using two different suture materials: a conventional two-strand and a modified four-strand Kirchmayr–Kessler repair using 3-0 Prolene® (2s-KK-P and 4s-KK-P respectively), and a four-strand Kessler–Tsuge repair using 4-0 FiberLoop® (4s-KT-FL). Methods: Human flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendons were retrieved from Thiel-embalmed prosections. For each tendon, a full-thickness cross-sectional incision was created, and the ends were reattached using either a 2s-KK-P (n = 30), a 4s-KK-P (n = 30), or a 4s-KT-FL repair (n = 30). The repaired tendons were tested using either a quasi-static (n = 45) or cyclic testing protocol (n = 45). Maximum force (Fmax), 2 mm gap force (F2mm), and primary failure modes were recorded. Results: In both quasi-static and cyclic testing groups, tendons repaired using the 4s-KT-FL approach exhibited higher Fmax and F2mm values compared to the 2s-KK-P or 4s-KK-P repairs. Fmax was significantly higher with a 4s-KK-P versus 2s-KK-P repair, but there was no significant difference in F2mm. Suture pull-out was the main failure mode for the 4s-KT-FL repair, while suture breakage was the primary failure mode in 2s- and 4s-KK-P repairs. Conclusions: FDP tendons repaired using the 4s-KT-FL approach demonstrated superior biomechanical performance compared to 2s- and 4s-KK-P repairs, suggesting that the 4s-KT-FL tendon repair could potentially reduce the risk of gapping or re-rupture during early active mobilization.

Background In an increasing number of countries, patients are given online record access (ORA) to their clinical notes (“open notes”). In many places, psychotherapy notes are exempt, even if patients explicitly wish to read them. Previous research suggests that psychotherapists (PTs) have reservations that are not yet fully understood. Objective To investigate the attitudes and perceived effects of open notes on psychotherapeutic care, patients, and individual psychotherapeutic practice in Germany. Methods Psychological and medical therapists were invited to participate in a national online survey. Sociodemographic characteristics such as gender, age, professional group, and psychotherapeutic school were gathered. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the 51-item survey. Results 129 PTs completed the survey. Only a small proportion of respondents (30 out of 129, 23.3%) suspected that open notes would improve the efficiency of psychotherapeutic care. On the one hand, participants assumed that patients gain more control over their treatment (59 out of 129, 45.7%) and are better able to remember therapy goals (55 out of 129, 42.6%), although this was considered unlikely to lead to greater engagement in the therapy process (94 out of 129, 72.9%). On the other hand, PTs expected patients to misunderstand their notes, feel offended (98 out of 129, 76.0%), and approach them with questions (107 out of 129, 82.9%) or requests for changes (94 out of 129, 72.9%). The respondents also anticipated being less honest when writing (95 out of 129, 73.6%) and reported they needed more time for documentation (99 out of 129, 76.7%). A meaningful use of open notes for working with relatives was envisaged (101 out of 129, 78.3%). Conclusion PTs in Germany tend to have a negative attitude towards patients’ ORA on open notes. Further research on clinical efficacy and feasibility is necessary to demonstrate whether open notes add value in the context of psychotherapy.

Runner’s high is a euphoric emotional state occurring during and post-physical exercise. Although previous data indicate endocannabinoids’ involvement in animal runner’s high, their role in human runner’s high remains to be established. We investigated runner’s high in healthy humans assessing mood and plasma endocannabinoid concentration changes pre- and post a 60 min outdoor run, considering sex (8 females/8 males), running frequency (4 occasional/12 regular runners) and age (median split 36 years). Mood, AEA, and 2-AG concentrations were significantly increased post-run considering all participants (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p < 0.01, respectively), with 2-AG varying more than AEA concentrations. Concentrations of both endocannabinoids increased pre- to post-run in women (p < 0.01) but the AEA concentration increase was higher in females than in males (p < 0.05). Post-run concentration increase appeared to be more pronounced in occasional than in regular runners for 2-AG but not for AEA. However, regular runners experienced stronger mood increases and better post-run mood than occasional runners. Post-run endocannabinoid concentrations were increased regardless of age. AEA concentrations and their post-run changes were less affected by running frequency and age than those of 2-AG. These findings provide insights into the interplay of physical exercise, physiological/psychological factors and demographics, laying a valuable foundation for future research.

Caloric restriction and intermittent fasting prolong the lifespan and healthspan of model organisms and improve human health. The natural polyamine spermidine has been similarly linked to autophagy enhancement, geroprotection and reduced incidence of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases across species borders. Here, we asked whether the cellular and physiological consequences of caloric restriction and fasting depend on polyamine metabolism. We report that spermidine levels increased upon distinct regimens of fasting or caloric restriction in yeast, flies, mice and human volunteers. Genetic or pharmacological blockade of endogenous spermidine synthesis reduced fasting-induced autophagy in yeast, nematodes and human cells. Furthermore, perturbing the polyamine pathway in vivo abrogated the lifespan- and healthspan-extending effects, as well as the cardioprotective and anti-arthritic consequences of fasting. Mechanistically, spermidine mediated these effects via autophagy induction and hypusination of the translation regulator eIF5A. In summary, the polyamine–hypusination axis emerges as a phylogenetically conserved metabolic control hub for fasting-mediated autophagy enhancement and longevity.

One of the greatest challenges worldwide is containing the spread of problematic microorganisms. A promising approach is the use of antimicrobial coatings (AMCs). The antimicrobial potential of certain metals, including copper and zinc, has already been verified. In this study, polyethylene terephthalate and aluminum (PET-Al) foils were coated with copper, zinc, and a combination of these two metals, known as core–shell particles, respectively. The resistance of the three different types of coatings to mechanical and chemical exposure was evaluated in various ways. Further, the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and the bacteriophage ɸ6 were used to assess the antimicrobial efficacy of the coatings. The best efficacy was achieved with the pure copper coating, which was not convincing in the abrasion tests. The result was a considerable loss of copper particles on the surfaces and reduced effectiveness against the microorganisms. The core–shell particles demonstrated better adhesion to the surfaces after abrasion tests and against most chemical agents. In addition, the antimicrobial efficiency remained more stable after the washability treatment. Thus, the core–shell particles had several benefits over the pure copper and zinc coatings. In addition, the best core–shell loading for durability and efficacy was determined in this study.

In this paper, we present an iterative algorithm that detects and estimates the specular components (SCs) and estimates the dense component (DC) of single-input—multiple-output (SIMO) ultra-wide-band (UWB) multipath channels. Specifically, the algorithm super-resolves the SCs in the delay–angle-of-arrival domain and estimates the parameters of a parametric model of the delay-angle power spectrum characterizing the DC. Channel noise is also estimated. In essence, the algorithm solves the problem of estimating spectral lines (the SCs) in colored noise (generated by the DC and channel noise). Its design is inspired by the sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) framework. As a result the iteration process contains a threshold condition that determines whether a candidate SC shall be retained or pruned. By relying to results from extreme-value analysis the threshold of this condition is suitably adapted to ensure a prescribed probability of detecting spurious SCs. Studies using synthetic and real channel measurement data demonstrate the virtues of the algorithm: it is able to still detect and accurately estimate SCs, even when their separation in delay and angle is down to half the Rayleigh resolution limit (RRL) of the equipment; it is robust in the sense that it tends to return no more SCs than the actual ones. Finally, the algorithm is demonstrated to outperform a state-of-the-art super-resolution channel estimator in terms of robustness in the estimation of the amplitudes of specular components closely spaced in the dispersion domain.

The wound-healing process is a physiological response that begins after a disruption to the integrity of tissues present in the skin. To understand the intricacies involved in this process, many groups have tried to develop different in vitro models; however, the lack of a systemic response has, until this day, been the major barrier to the establishment of these models as the main study platform. Therefore, in vivo models are still the most common system for studying healing responses following different treatments, especially porcine models, which share several morphological similarities to the human skin. In this work, we developed a porcine excisional wound model and used semi-automated software as a strategy to generate quantitative morphometric results of healing responses by specific tissues and compartments. Our aim was to extract the most information from the model while producing reliable, reproducible, and standardized results. In order to achieve this, we established a 7-day treatment using a bacterial cellulose dressing as our standard for all the analyzed wounds. The thickness of the residual dermis under the wound (DUtW) bed was shown to influence the healing outcome, especially for the regeneration of epidermal tissue, including the wound closure rate. The analysis of the DUtW throughout the entire dorsal region of the animals opened up the possibility of establishing a map that will facilitate the experimental design of future works, increasing their standardization and reproducibility and ultimately reducing the number of animals needed. Thus, the developed model, together with the automated morphometric analysis approach used, offers the possibility to generate robust quantitative results with a rapid turnaround time while allowing the study of multiple extra morphometric parameters, creating a more holistic analysis.

Zusammenfassung Die JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft ist heute die zweitgrößte außeruniversitäre Einrichtung im Bereich der angewandten Forschung in Österreich. Ihre Geschichte nachzuzeichnen ist deshalb interessant, weil sie den Versuch darstellt, auf regionaler Ebene die verschiedenen Entwicklungsphasen von Innovationssystemen durch entsprechende Entwicklungen von Forschungseinrichtungen zu unterstützen, und weil sie in Österreich den größten und bislang nachhaltigsten Versuch in diese Richtung repräsentiert. Ursprünge dieser Entwicklung finden sich bereits in den 1950er und frühen 1960er Jahren, als vom Land Steiermark finanzierte Forschungsvereine eingerichtet wurden. Ihr Ziel war es, die notwendige, aber kostspielige Forschungsinfrastruktur sowohl an den steirischen Hochschulen als auch für Anwendungen in der Landesverwaltung und für Unternehmen sicherzustellen. Ab Beginn der 1970er Jahre erweiterten sich deren Forschungsgebiete und die Anzahl der Institute nahm zu. Das Forschungszentrum Graz und die Forschungsgesellschaft Joanneum wurden als Dachorganisationen eingerichtet, ehe Ende der 1980er Jahre eine Neuausrichtung mit Gründung der heutigen JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH folgte. Mit einem Fokus auf angewandte Forschung und Technologieentwicklung nimmt diese heute eine wichtige Rolle im regionalen und nationalen Innovationssystem ein.

Little is known about the evolution and dynamics of icebergs in alpine lakes. We analyzed the movement and ablation patterns of icebergs at an ice-contact lake at Pasterze Glacier, Austria, using time-lapse images. Iceberg evolution was quantified for two timescales and related to meteorological as well as glacier ablation data from the adjacent glacier tongue. On a multiyear scale, ablation and movement of one iceberg (IB1) was monitored during a twenty-five-month period. On a single-day scale, the movement paths of eighty-four icebergs were tracked over 16 hours. Results for IB1 revealed an average iceberg ablation of 72 mm d−1 from June to September and no winter ablation. Iceberg ablation rates rose over time, explained by a rising surface area-to-volume ratio. Monitoring lake-wide iceberg movement for one day shows that a persistent katabatic glacier wind and a valley wind are the main influences on horizontal iceberg movement. Iceberg velocity is roughly 0.6 percent of the wind velocity. The existence of a wind-driven current on the lake surface is proposed. Sudden changes in movement rates, which are not explained by wind data, suggest that iceberg grounding is common. This study provides insight into iceberg melt rates in the absence of wave erosion.

Jumping is an important task in skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, figure skating, volleyball and many other sports. In these examples, jumping tasks are a performance criterion, and therefore detailed insight into them is important for athletes and coaches. Therefore, this paper aims to introduce a simple and easy-to-implement jump detection algorithm for skiing using acceleration data from inertial measurement units attached to ski boots. The algorithm uses the average of the absolute vertical accelerations of the two boots. We provide results for different parameter settings of the algorithm and two types of jumps: Big Air jumps and jumps during skiing. The latter are divided into small (time of flight < 500 ms) and medium (time of flight ≥ 500 ms) jumps. The algorithm detects 100% of Big Air, 94% of medium and 44% of small jumps. In addition, the settings with the highest detection rates also have the highest number of overdetected jumps. To resolve this conflict, a penalty-adjusted score that considers the number of overdetected jumps in the final performance analysis is proposed.

Dupilumab is a monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD); however, its effects on molecular, cellular, and immunological levels remain to be elucidated. In this study, blood and dermal interstitial fluid (ISF) from nonlesional (NL) and lesional (L) skin were collected from eight patients with moderate to severe AD, before (visit 2-v2) and at the end of a 16-week treatment with dupilumab (visit 10-v10). Clinical treatment effect was demonstrated by significantly decreased AD severity scores at the end of treatment. At v10 versus v2, the percentages of CD4+ interleukin-producing cells showed a decreasing trend in ISF L and NL, unbound IL-4 levels in plasma were increased, IL-5 levels in ISF L reduced, and levels of factors involved in anti-inflammatory pathways and re-epithelization increased. At v2, ISF L showed that AD lesions might have altered amino acid pathways and lipid signaling compared to ISF NL. At v10, ISF L exhibited raised levels of long- and very-long-chain fatty acids and lipids compared to v2. Furthermore, dupilumab administration caused reduced expression of miR-155–5p and miR-378a-3p in ISF L. In conclusion, results from the present study provided novel knowledge by linking local immune and metabolic alterations to AD pathogenesis and treatment response.