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<bold>Background:</bold> Inhalation errors are a common source of underdosing in asthma patients, leading to poor asthma control. Thus, regular inhalation training is recommended. The Kata^® app is a digital inhalation coach that provides step-by-step guidance on how to inhale correctly. <bold>Objective:</bold> Evaluate the effect of the Kata^® app on inhalation technique and clinical endpoints (e.g., FeNO; ACQ-5) in a clinical trial. <bold>Methods:</bold> This post hoc analysis of Kata^® app data collected during a phase II randomized controlled trial, included adult patients with moderate to severe, uncontrolled type-2 high asthma (N=78). Patients were followed for up to 12 weeks. A smartphone with the Kata^® app was provided at study start. Patients were asked to record each inhalation of their asthma maintenance treatment. Inhalation errors were scored according to predefined criteria. Rates for total and critical errors (significantly affect drug delivery) were calculated as the number of errors per inhalation. Analysis of clinical endpoints used data from the run-in phase only. <bold>Results:</bold> Univariate regression analysis showed a significant total error rate decrease of 1.4% per study day (p<.001; 95%CI: 0.8-1.9). Similarly, a significant decrease of the critical error rate of 2.0% per study day was found (p<.001; 95%CI: 1.0-2.6). There was a significant improvement of the ACQ-5 (p=.036; N=59). No significant improvement of FeNO was found (p=.170; N=60), but 26 of 60 patients (43%) showed a clinically relevant decrease (>20%) of FeNO. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> The Kata^® app improves inhalation technique in a clinical trial and is associated with improved asthma control. The Kata^® app is a useful tool for patients using inhalers to treat their asthma.

Roswitha Quadflieg, KönigsSohn. Eine kleine Geschichte. Stroemfeld Verlag, Frankfurt a. M. 2012. 94 Seiten, 14,80 Euro Heinz Schlaffer, Geistersprache. Zweck und Mittel der Lyrik. C.Hanser, München 2012. 204 Seiten, 18,90 Euro Angelika Overath, Fließendes Land. Geschichten vom Schreiben und Reisen. Luchterhand, München 2012. 191 Seiten, 19,99 Euro Manfred Koch, Faulheit. Eine schwierige Disziplin. Essays. Zu Klampen, Springe 2012. 157 Seiten, 19,80 Euro Joachim Kalka, Die Katze, der Regen, das Totenreich. Ehrfurchtsnotizen. Berenberg, Berlin 2012. 142 Seiten, 20 Euro

Abstract Armellinoite-(Ce), ideally Ca4Ce4+(AsO4)4⋅H2O, is a new mineral discovered in Fe–Mn ore in metaquartzites of the Montaldo mine, Corsaglia Valley, Cuneo Province, Piedmont, Italy. It occurs as very small and rare, pale yellow to brown–yellow pseudo-octahedral translucent crystals hosted by a matrix of quartz, hematite, cryptomelane/hollandite, tilasite, muscovite, braunite and montmorillonite. The mineral is translucent, with white streak and has a resinous to vitreous lustre. It is brittle with irregular fracture and fair cleavage parallel to {110} and {100}. Estimated Mohs hardness is ~3–3.5. Calculated density is 4.29 g⋅cm–3. Armellinote-(Ce) is uniaxial (–), ω = 1.795(5), ɛ = 1.765(5) (white light), non-pleochroic and non-fluorescent. Chemical point analyses by WDS-EPMA yielded the empirical formula (based on 17 O+F anions): A(Ca3.89Th0.08Sr0.02La0.03)Σ4.02B(Ce4+0.76Nd0.13Y0.08Gd0.03Sm0.02Pr0.01Dy0.01Ho0.01)Σ1.05[(As4.00P0.01)Σ4.01O4]4⋅(H2O0.85F0.15)Σ2.00. The presence of H2O was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. The mineral is tetragonal, I41/a, with single-crystal unit-cell parameters a = 10.749(2), c = 12.030(2) Å and V = 1390.0(6) Å3, with Z = 4. The eight strongest X-ray powder diffraction lines are [d Å (Irel; hkl)]: 7.983 (36; 101), 4.443 (23; 2̄11), 2.957 (100; 3̄12), 2.398 (14; 420), 1.875 (22; 424, 325), 1.728 (19; 3̄16), 1.612 (13; 613) and 1.475 (26; 712, 552). The crystal structure (R1 = 0.0284 for 1275 unique reflections) has isolated TO4 (T = As5+) tetrahedra that link Ca2+- or Ce4+-centred polyhedra via common oxygen ligands to form 2D blocks or double-layered (DL) structural units parallel to (001). Armellinoite-(Ce) is isostructural with pottsite, ideally (Pb3Bi)Bi(VO4)4⋅H2O, and closely related to a larger number of anhydrous synthetic compounds. The mineral is named after the mineral collector Gianluca Armellino (b. 1962), who collected the discovery sample.

Die Verfügbarkeit von Energie und die Fähigkeit, sie planvoll nutzen zu können, sind Voraussetzung einer jeden menschlichen Lebensführung, die sich über eine von den Wechselfällen der Natur abhängige Versorgung erheben will. Energie wirkt dabei wie ein Hebel, der den Wirkungsgrad des Handelns vergrößert, indem er Mittel einzusetzen erlaubt, die sonst nicht zur Verfügung stünden, und der so neue, weiterreichende Zwecke erreichbar macht (Smil 2017). Mit Energie lassen sich sonst zu schwere Dinge bewegen, sonst zu weite Strecken überwinden, sonst zu unwirtliche Umgebungen bewohnbar machen und sonst zu dunkle Räume erhellen.