With the emergence of new technologies, numerous options for stress management are becoming available. One promising approach to support individuals in coping with stress is virtual reality (VR). A variety of relaxation techniques, such as guided imagery and breathing meditation, have recently been translated into virtual environments, providing easily accessible alternatives to traditional approaches. As studies suggest that VR interventions are effective in reducing stress, the consortium project AI4Coping aims to develop a toolbox for individually adaptive, digitally supported coping strategies. Furthermore, the project evaluates the efficacy of VR interventions across various application fields and addresses the societal, ethical, and economic dimensions that determine its use in the general population.

To address the issue of plastic pollution, biodegradable plastics have been developed as an alternative to conventional
non-biodegradable plastics. Nitrogen(N)-fixing bacteria have been shown to play a pivotal role in the
microbial degradation of biodegradable plastics. However, little is known about how N-fixing bacteria respond to
plastic degradation in agricultural practice. Therefore, this study aimed to (i) provide insights into the N-fixing
bacteria associated with biodegradable plastics during the early stage of degradation (after 60 days of exposure),
and (ii) examine the impact of agricultural practices and climate simulations on the enrichment of N-fixing
bacteria across various plastic types: poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT),
and polyethylene (PE) as a reference. Our findings revealed that N-fixing bacterial genera, particularly Sphingomonas,
Hymenobacter, Massilia, and Methylobacterium-Methylorubrum, outcompete other N-fixing bacteria in the
plastisphere at the early degradation stage, while they are almost absent in the initial soils. These bacterial
groups have been previously linked to plastic degradation and the production of plastic-degrading enzymes.
Moreover, our results indicate that agricultural practices and climate conditions did not significantly affect the
enrichment of N-fixing bacteria. Instead, this study explored the enrichment of these bacteria on biodegradable
plastics, particularly PBAT and PBS, under changing climate and land use conditions during the early degradation
phase. Additionally, we identified soil-associated minor N-fixing bacteria that dominate these N-poor
plastics in both conventional and organic farming systems. Identifying plastic-preferring microbial groups is
crucial for understanding the microbial plastic degradation process under the real world’s scenario.

New quantitative data processing methods could enable ultrasound as a potential diagnostic method for hip implant integration monitoring. For development of such methods, suitable acoustic simulation tools are essential. In this work, a novel 1D FDTD simulation tool for multilayer structures, considering frequency-dependent properties, is introduced, particularly meeting the special needs of this application. Simulation results show excellent agreement with experimental data, confirming accurate prediction of wave propagation in multilayer systems.

Background, Motivation and Objective

Hip joint prostheses (HJP) are increasingly common with an aging population. The most frequent complication is aseptic loosening, linked to bone resorption and a growing soft tissue gap between bone and implant. However, integration monitoring and loosening diagnosis still rely on expensive, static X-ray imaging. Ultrasound, despite cheaper, dynamic, and radiation-free, is not yet viable due to its limits in resolving tissue beyond the bone.

This work presents how a novel quantitative ultrasound (QUS) data processing approach could improve HJP monitoring by quantitatively assessing osteointegration. While the basic concept was already tested on artificial models, we now show first clinical results for ultrasonic thickness measurements of the bone-implant gap at hip implant patients compared to X-ray imaging.

Statement of Contribution/Methods

Our approach is based on an analysis of raw (RF) beamformed ultrasonic data. A scan line perpendicular to the bone surface is extracted and a certain signal range following the dominant bone reflection is transformed to the frequency domain using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) (a). The gap thickness, indicating local osteointegration quality and potential loosening signs, is then determined by evaluating the frequency spacing of minima in the amplitude spectrum.

To demonstrate the potential of our QUS method, we analyzed ultrasonic scans from six HJP patients at one fixed position each (sagittal and transversal) using a handheld scanner (C3 HD3, Clarius, Canada) and compared the measured gap thicknesses with x-ray images.

Results/Discussion

(b) shows the gap thicknesses determined using our QUS method in comparison with the visual assessment of corresponding X-ray images. Despite the small sample size and some simplifying assumptions used for this first feasibility test, the clear trend highlights the approach’s potential for assessing local implant integration. The cases where no gap could be seen in the x-ray image illustrate its potential for gap detection beyond X-ray resolution limits.

Besides gap thickness, our QUS approach could also reveal elasticity changes in the soft-tissue gap, potentially indicating critical biofilm formation. Further steps also include extending our method to an automated thickness detection during dynamic scanning and integrating results into B-mode images, e. g., using color coding.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by persistent inflammation and tubulointerstitial fibrosis leading to end-stage renal disease. Transient receptor potential canonical 6 (TRPC6) channel inhibition mitigates tubular injury and renal fibrosis in murine models of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and 2-month chronic post-ischemia-reperfusion injury (2m post-I/R). Through integrated analysis of single-cell-RNA-sequencing (scRNA-Seq) data from UUO mice treated with the selective TRPC6 inhibitor SH045, here the renoprotective cell composition and cell type-specific transcriptional programs are defined. We explored translational aspects by conducting an in-depth scRNA-Seq analysis of kidney samples from patients with CKD. These results reveal global transcriptional shifts with a dramatic diversification of inflammatory cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts. Notably, a distinct subpopulation of novel endothelial cells is delineated, which is termed ECRIN, that regulate inflammatory networks implicating VEGF and GAS signaling pathways. The data also indicates that inhibition of TRPC6 channels triggers a Prnp transcription factor regulatory network, which contributes to the alleviation of renal fibrosis. The key findings are supported at the protein level by immunofluorescence and western blot analysis. We observed similar patterns in the chronic 2m postI/R injury model. These findings provide novel insights into the potential therapeutic benefits of TRPC6 inhibition in CKD.