@article{VarrialeHengsbachGuoetal.2024, author = {Varriale, Ludovica and Hengsbach, Jan-Niklas and Guo, Tianyi and Kuka, Katrin and Tippk{\"o}tter, Nils and Ulber, Roland}, title = {Sustainable production of lactic acid using a perennial ryegrass as feedstock—a comparative study of fermentation at the bench- and reactor-scale, and ensiling}, series = {Sustainability}, volume = {16}, journal = {Sustainability}, number = {18}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2071-1050}, doi = {10.3390/su16188054}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is an underutilized lignocellulosic biomass that has several benefits such as high availability, renewability, and biomass yield. The grass press-juice obtained from the mechanical pretreatment can be used for the bio-based production of chemicals. Lactic acid is a platform chemical that has attracted consideration due to its broad area of applications. For this reason, the more sustainable production of lactic acid is expected to increase. In this work, lactic acid was produced using complex medium at the bench- and reactor scale, and the results were compared to those obtained using an optimized press-juice medium. Bench-scale fermentations were carried out in a pH-control system and lactic acid production reached approximately 21.84 ± 0.95 g/L in complex medium, and 26.61 ± 1.2 g/L in press-juice medium. In the bioreactor, the production yield was 0.91 ± 0.07 g/g, corresponding to a 1.4-fold increase with respect to the complex medium with fructose. As a comparison to the traditional ensiling process, the ensiling of whole grass fractions of different varieties harvested in summer and autumn was performed. Ensiling showed variations in lactic acid yields, with a yield up to 15.2\% dry mass for the late-harvested samples, surpassing typical silage yields of 6-10\% dry mass.}, language = {en} } @article{OrtnerHauserSchmadereretal.2019, author = {Ortner, Marion and Hauser, Christine and Schmaderer, Christoph and Muggenthaler, Claudia and Hapfelmeier, Alexander and Sorg, Christian and Diehl-Schmid, Janine and Kurz, Alexander and F{\"o}rstl, Hans and Ikenberg, Benno and Kotliar, Konstantin and Holger, Poppert and Grimmer, Timo}, title = {Decreased vascular pulsatility in Alzheimer's disease dementia measured by transcranial color-coded duplex sonography}, series = {Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment}, journal = {Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment}, number = {15}, publisher = {Dove Medical Press}, address = {Albany, Auckland}, issn = {1178-2021}, doi = {10.2147/NDT.S225754}, pages = {3487 -- 3499}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Purpose: Impaired paravascular drainage of β-Amyloid (Aβ) has been proposed as a contributing cause for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), as decreased cerebral blood vessel pulsatility and subsequently reduced propulsion in this pathway could lead to the accumulation and deposition of Aβ in the brain. Therefore, we hypothesized that there is an increased impairment in pulsatility across AD spectrum. Patients and Methods: Using transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS) the resistance and pulsatility index (RI; PI) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in healthy controls (HC, n=14) and patients with AD dementia (ADD, n=12) were measured. In a second step, we extended the sample by adding patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stratified by the presence (MCI-AD, n=8) or absence of biomarkers (MCI-nonAD, n=8) indicative for underlying AD pathology, and compared RI and PI across the groups. To control for atherosclerosis as a confounder, we measured the arteriolar-venular-ratio of retinal vessels. Results: Left and right RI (p=0.020; p=0.027) and left PI (p=0.034) differed between HC and ADD controlled for atherosclerosis with AUCs of 0.776, 0.763, and 0.718, respectively. The RI and PI of MCI-AD tended towards ADD, of MCI-nonAD towards HC, respectively. RIs and PIs were associated with disease severity (p=0.010, p=0.023). Conclusion: Our results strengthen the hypothesis that impaired pulsatility could cause impaired amyloid clearance from the brain and thereby might contribute to the development of AD. However, further studies considering other factors possibly influencing amyloid clearance as well as larger sample sizes are needed.}, language = {en} } @article{BandlitzNakhoulKotliar2022, author = {Bandlitz, Stefan and Nakhoul, Makram and Kotliar, Konstantin}, title = {Daily variations of corneal white-to-white diameter measured with different methods}, series = {Clinical and experimental optometry}, journal = {Clinical and experimental optometry}, number = {14}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, address = {London}, issn = {0816-4622}, doi = {10.2147/OPTO.S360651}, pages = {173 -- 181}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Purpose: A precise determination of the corneal diameter is essential for the diagnosis of various ocular diseases, cataract and refractive surgery as well as for the selection and fitting of contact lenses. The aim of this study was to investigate the agreement between two automatic and one manual method for corneal diameter determination and to evaluate possible diurnal variations in corneal diameter. Patients and Methods: Horizontal white-to-white corneal diameter of 20 volunteers was measured at three different fixed times of a day with three methods: Scheimpflug method (Pentacam HR, Oculus), placido based topography (Keratograph 5M, Oculus) and manual method using an image analysis software at a slitlamp (BQ900, Haag-Streit). Results: The two-factorial analysis of variance could not show a significant effect of the different instruments (p = 0.117), the different time points (p = 0.506) and the interaction between instrument and time point (p = 0.182). Very good repeatability (intraclass correlation coefficient ICC, quartile coefficient of dispersion QCD) was found for all three devices. However, manual slitlamp measurements showed a higher QCD than the automatic measurements with the Keratograph 5M and the Pentacam HR at all measurement times. Conclusion: The manual and automated methods used in the study to determine corneal diameter showed good agreement and repeatability. No significant diurnal variations of corneal diameter were observed during the period of time studied.}, language = {en} } @article{KnoedlerRuehlEmontsetal.2019, author = {Kn{\"o}dler, Matthias and R{\"u}hl, Clemens and Emonts, Jessica and Buyel, Johannes Felix}, title = {Seasonal weather changes affect the yield and quality of recombinant proteins produced in transgenic tobacco plants in a greenhouse setting}, series = {Frontiers in Plant Science}, journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science}, number = {10}, publisher = {Frontiers Media}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1664-462X (online-ressource)}, doi = {10.3389/fpls.2019.01245}, pages = {13 Seiten}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Transgenic plants have the potential to produce recombinant proteins on an agricultural scale, with yields of several tons per year. The cost-effectiveness of transgenic plants increases if simple cultivation facilities such as greenhouses can be used for production. In such a setting, we expressed a novel affinity ligand based on the fluorescent protein DsRed, which we used as a carrier for the linear epitope ELDKWA from the HIV-neutralizing antibody 2F5. The DsRed-2F5-epitope (DFE) fusion protein was produced in 12 consecutive batches of transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) plants over the course of 2 years and was purified using a combination of blanching and immobilized metal-ion affinity chromatography (IMAC). The average purity after IMAC was 57 ± 26\% (n = 24) in terms of total soluble protein, but the average yield of pure DFE (12 mg kg-1) showed substantial variation (± 97 mg kg-1, n = 24) which correlated with seasonal changes. Specifically, we found that temperature peaks (>28°C) and intense illuminance (>45 klx h-1) were associated with lower DFE yields after purification, reflecting the loss of the epitope-containing C-terminus in up to 90\% of the product. Whereas the weather factors were of limited use to predict product yields of individual harvests conducted for each batch (spaced by 1 week), the average batch yields were well approximated by simple linear regression models using two independent variables for prediction (illuminance and plant age). Interestingly, accumulation levels determined by fluorescence analysis were not affected by weather conditions but positively correlated with plant age, suggesting that the product was still expressed at high levels, but the extreme conditions affected its stability, albeit still preserving the fluorophore function. The efficient production of intact recombinant proteins in plants may therefore require adequate climate control and shading in greenhouses or even cultivation in fully controlled indoor farms.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Emonts2013, author = {Emonts, Jessica}, title = {Searching for many defective edges in hypergraphs}, publisher = {Rheinisch-Westf{\"a}lischen Technischen Hochschule Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {VIII, 104 Seiten : Ill.}, year = {2013}, language = {en} } @article{BernauKnoedlerEmontsetal.2022, author = {Bernau, C. R. and Kn{\"o}dler, Matthias and Emonts, Jessica and J{\"a}pel, Ronald Colin and Buyel, Johannes Felix}, title = {The use of predictive models to develop chromatography-based purification processes}, series = {Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology}, journal = {Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology}, number = {10}, publisher = {Frontiers Media}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {2296-4185 (online-ressource)}, doi = {10.3389/fbioe.2022.1009102}, pages = {25 Seiten}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Chromatography is the workhorse of biopharmaceutical downstream processing because it can selectively enrich a target product while removing impurities from complex feed streams. This is achieved by exploiting differences in molecular properties, such as size, charge and hydrophobicity (alone or in different combinations). Accordingly, many parameters must be tested during process development in order to maximize product purity and recovery, including resin and ligand types, conductivity, pH, gradient profiles, and the sequence of separation operations. The number of possible experimental conditions quickly becomes unmanageable. Although the range of suitable conditions can be narrowed based on experience, the time and cost of the work remain high even when using high-throughput laboratory automation. In contrast, chromatography modeling using inexpensive, parallelized computer hardware can provide expert knowledge, predicting conditions that achieve high purity and efficient recovery. The prediction of suitable conditions in silico reduces the number of empirical tests required and provides in-depth process understanding, which is recommended by regulatory authorities. In this article, we discuss the benefits and specific challenges of chromatography modeling. We describe the experimental characterization of chromatography devices and settings prior to modeling, such as the determination of column porosity. We also consider the challenges that must be overcome when models are set up and calibrated, including the cross-validation and verification of data-driven and hybrid (combined data-driven and mechanistic) models. This review will therefore support researchers intending to establish a chromatography modeling workflow in their laboratory.}, language = {en} } @article{EmontsBuyel2023, author = {Emonts, Jessica and Buyel, Johannes Felix}, title = {An overview of descriptors to capture protein properties - Tools and perspectives in the context of QSAR modeling}, series = {Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal}, journal = {Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal}, number = {21}, publisher = {Research Network of Computational and Structural Biotechnology}, address = {Gotenburg}, issn = {2001-0370 (online-ressource)}, doi = {10.1016/j.csbj.2023.05.022}, pages = {3234 -- 3247}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Proteins are important ingredients in food and feed, they are the active components of many pharmaceutical products, and they are necessary, in the form of enzymes, for the success of many technical processes. However, production can be challenging, especially when using heterologous host cells such as bacteria to express and assemble recombinant mammalian proteins. The manufacturability of proteins can be hindered by low solubility, a tendency to aggregate, or inefficient purification. Tools such as in silico protein engineering and models that predict separation criteria can overcome these issues but usually require the complex shape and surface properties of proteins to be represented by a small number of quantitative numeric values known as descriptors, as similarly used to capture the features of small molecules. Here, we review the current status of protein descriptors, especially for application in quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) models. First, we describe the complexity of proteins and the properties that descriptors must accommodate. Then we introduce descriptors of shape and surface properties that quantify the global and local features of proteins. Finally, we highlight the current limitations of protein descriptors and propose strategies for the derivation of novel protein descriptors that are more informative.}, language = {en} } @book{Heuermann2024, author = {Heuermann, Holger}, title = {Microwave technology: field simulation, non-linear circuit technology, components and subsystems, plasma technology, antennas and propagation}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Wiesbaden}, isbn = {978-3-658-45685-6}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-658-45686-3}, pages = {XII, 391 Seiten}, year = {2024}, abstract = {The book covers various numerical field simulation methods, nonlinear circuit technology and its MF-S- and X-parameters, as well as state-of-the-art power amplifier techniques. It also describes newly presented oscillators and the emerging field of GHz plasma technology. Furthermore, it addresses aspects such as waveguides, mixers, phase-locked loops, antennas, and propagation effects, in combination with the bachelor's book 'High-Frequency Engineering,' encompassing all aspects related to the current state of GHz technology.}, language = {en} } @article{RieplPettrakFaulstichetal.2010, author = {Riepl, Herbert Matthias and Pettrak, J{\"u}rgen and Faulstich, Martin and Herrmann, Wolfgang Anton}, title = {Self metathesis of fatty alcohols and amines to provide monomers for polyester and polyamide products}, series = {Macromolecular Symposia}, volume = {293}, journal = {Macromolecular Symposia}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {1521-3900 (eISSN)}, doi = {10.1002/masy.200900041}, pages = {39 -- 42}, year = {2010}, abstract = {Self metathesis of oleochemicals offers a variety of bifunctional compounds, that can be used as monomer for polymer production. Many precursors are in huge scales available, like oleic acid ester (biodiesel), oleyl alcohol (tensides), oleyl amines (tensides, lubricants). We show several ways to produce and separate and purify C18-α,ω-bifunctional compounds, using Grubbs 2nd Generation catalysts, starting from technical grade educts.}, language = {en} } @techreport{StapenhorstVanDenBerghGoliaschetal.2016, author = {Stapenhorst, Carolin and Van Den Bergh, Wim and Goliasch, Simon and K{\"u}hnle, Christian and L{\"a}ufer, Jonas and Ring, Jana and Schmalt, Nicola}, title = {Roman traces for cross-border identification}, series = {Design Strategies for Transforming Cross-Border Regions}, journal = {Design Strategies for Transforming Cross-Border Regions}, pages = {5}, year = {2016}, abstract = {The research group focuses on the characteristics in the land-and cityscapes of the Drielanden-zone, which contribute to generate common identities, as well as on those features that trigger differences and specificities of the adjacent countries that enrich the perception of the zone. In this research, the instruments of cartography and land survey system serve to detect and localize the fragmented appearance of relevant historic elements. These analytic procedures help to develop strategies for infrastructures and processes that gradually initiate local forms of cross-border tourism. The architectural research displays how top-down and bottom-up interventions can be combined in order to guarantee a sustainable use and development of the considered area.}, language = {en} }