@article{SchulzeFeyerlPischinger2023, author = {Schulze, Sven and Feyerl, G{\"u}nter and Pischinger, Stefan}, title = {Advanced ECMS for hybrid electric heavy-duty trucks with predictive battery discharge and adaptive operating strategy under real driving conditions}, series = {Energies}, volume = {16}, journal = {Energies}, number = {13}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {1996-1073}, doi = {10.3390/en16135171}, pages = {29 Seiten, Art. Nr.: 5171}, year = {2023}, abstract = {To fulfil the CO2 emission reduction targets of the European Union (EU), heavy-duty (HD) trucks need to operate 15\% more efficiently by 2025 and 30\% by 2030. Their electrification is necessary as conventional HD trucks are already optimized for the long-haul application. The resulting hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) truck gains most of the fuel saving potential by the recuperation of potential energy and its consecutive utilization. The key to utilizing the full potential of HEV-HD trucks is to maximize the amount of recuperated energy and ensure its intelligent usage while keeping the operating point of the internal combustion engine as efficient as possible. To achieve this goal, an intelligent energy management strategy (EMS) based on ECMS is developed for a parallel HEV-HD truck which uses predictive discharge of the battery and adaptive operating strategy regarding the height profile and the vehicle mass. The presented EMS can reproduce the global optimal operating strategy over long phases and lead to a fuel saving potential of up to 2\% compared with a heuristic strategy. Furthermore, the fuel saving potential is correlated with the investigated boundary conditions to deepen the understanding of the impact of intelligent EMS for HEV-HD trucks.}, language = {en} } @article{SavitskayaZhantlessovaKistaubayevaetal.2023, author = {Savitskaya, Irina and Zhantlessova, Sirina and Kistaubayeva, Aida and Ignatova, Ludmila and Shokatayeva, Dina and Sinyavsky, Yuriy and Kushugulova, Almagul and Digel, Ilya}, title = {Prebiotic cellulose-pullulan matrix as a "vehicle" for probiotic biofilm delivery to the host large intestine}, series = {Polymers}, journal = {Polymers}, number = {16(1)}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, doi = {10.3390/polym16010030}, pages = {Artikel 30}, year = {2023}, abstract = {This study describes the development of a new combined polysaccharide-matrix-based technology for the immobilization of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) bacteria in biofilm form. The new composition allows for delivering the bacteria to the digestive tract in a manner that improves their robustness compared with planktonic cells and released biofilm cells. Granules consisting of a polysaccharide matrix with probiotic biofilms (PMPB) with high cell density (>9 log CFU/g) were obtained by immobilization in the optimized nutrient medium. Successful probiotic loading was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The developed prebiotic polysaccharide matrix significantly enhanced LGG viability under acidic (pH 2.0) and bile salt (0.3\%) stress conditions. Enzymatic extract of feces, mimicking colon fluid in terms of cellulase activity, was used to evaluate the intestinal release of probiotics. PMPB granules showed the ability to gradually release a large number of viable LGG cells in the model colon fluid. In vivo, the oral administration of PMPB granules in rats resulted in the successful release of probiotics in the colon environment. The biofilm-forming incubation method of immobilization on a complex polysaccharide matrix tested in this study has shown high efficacy and promising potential for the development of innovative biotechnologies.}, language = {en} } @article{RuebbelkeVoegeleGrajewskietal.2023, author = {R{\"u}bbelke, Dirk and V{\"o}gele, Stefan and Grajewski, Matthias and Zobel, Luzy}, title = {Cross border adjustment mechanism: Initial data for the assessment of hydrogen-based steel production}, series = {Data in Brief}, volume = {47}, journal = {Data in Brief}, number = {Article 108907}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {2352-3409}, doi = {10.1016/j.dib.2023.108907}, pages = {1 -- 5}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Ambitious climate targets affect the competitiveness of industries in the international market. To prevent such industries from moving to other countries in the wake of increased climate protection efforts, cost adjustments may become necessary. Their design requires knowledge of country-specific production costs. Here, we present country-specific cost figures for different production routes of steel, paying particular attention to transportation costs. The data can be used in floor price models aiming to assess the competitiveness of different steel production routes in different countries (R{\"u}bbelke, 2022).}, language = {en} } @article{RingersBialonskiEgeetal.2023, author = {Ringers, Christa and Bialonski, Stephan and Ege, Mert and Solovev, Anton and Hansen, Jan Niklas and Jeong, Inyoung and Friedrich, Benjamin M. and Jurisch-Yaksi, Nathalie}, title = {Novel analytical tools reveal that local synchronization of cilia coincides with tissue-scale metachronal waves in zebrafish multiciliated epithelia}, series = {eLife}, volume = {12}, journal = {eLife}, publisher = {eLife Sciences Publications}, issn = {2050-084X}, doi = {10.7554/eLife.77701}, pages = {27 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Motile cilia are hair-like cell extensions that beat periodically to generate fluid flow along various epithelial tissues within the body. In dense multiciliated carpets, cilia were shown to exhibit a remarkable coordination of their beat in the form of traveling metachronal waves, a phenomenon which supposedly enhances fluid transport. Yet, how cilia coordinate their regular beat in multiciliated epithelia to move fluids remains insufficiently understood, particularly due to lack of rigorous quantification. We combine experiments, novel analysis tools, and theory to address this knowledge gap. To investigate collective dynamics of cilia, we studied zebrafish multiciliated epithelia in the nose and the brain. We focused mainly on the zebrafish nose, due to its conserved properties with other ciliated tissues and its superior accessibility for non-invasive imaging. We revealed that cilia are synchronized only locally and that the size of local synchronization domains increases with the viscosity of the surrounding medium. Even though synchronization is local only, we observed global patterns of traveling metachronal waves across the zebrafish multiciliated epithelium. Intriguingly, these global wave direction patterns are conserved across individual fish, but different for left and right noses, unveiling a chiral asymmetry of metachronal coordination. To understand the implications of synchronization for fluid pumping, we used a computational model of a regular array of cilia. We found that local metachronal synchronization prevents steric collisions, i.e., cilia colliding with each other, and improves fluid pumping in dense cilia carpets, but hardly affects the direction of fluid flow. In conclusion, we show that local synchronization together with tissue-scale cilia alignment coincide and generate metachronal wave patterns in multiciliated epithelia, which enhance their physiological function of fluid pumping.}, language = {en} } @article{RhodenBallGrajewskietal.2023, author = {Rhoden, Imke and Ball, Christopher Stephen and Grajewski, Matthias and Kuckshinrich, Wilhelm}, title = {Reverse engineering of stakeholder preferences - A multi-criteria assessment of the German passenger car sector}, series = {Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews}, volume = {181}, journal = {Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews}, number = {July 2023}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {1364-0321}, doi = {10.1016/j.rser.2023.113352}, pages = {Article number: 113352}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Germany is a frontrunner in setting frameworks for the transition to a low-carbon system. The mobility sector plays a significant role in this shift, affecting different people and groups on multiple levels. Without acceptance from these stakeholders, emission targets are out of reach. This research analyzes how the heterogeneous preferences of various stakeholders align with the transformation of the mobility sector, looking at the extent to which the German transformation paths are supported and where stakeholders are located. Under the research objective of comparing stakeholders' preferences to identify which car segments require additional support for a successful climate transition, a status quo of stakeholders and car performance criteria is the foundation for the analysis. Stakeholders' hidden preferences hinder the derivation of criteria weightings from stakeholders; therefore, a ranking from observed preferences is used. This study's inverse multi-criteria decision analysis means that weightings can be predicted and used together with a recalibrated performance matrix to explore future preferences toward car segments. Results show that stakeholders prefer medium-sized cars, with the trend pointing towards the increased potential for alternative propulsion technologies and electrified vehicles. These insights can guide the improved targeting of policy supporting the energy and mobility transformation. Additionally, the method proposed in this work can fully handle subjective approaches while incorporating a priori information. A software implementation of the proposed method completes this work and is made publicly available.}, language = {en} } @article{Pfaff2023, author = {Pfaff, Raphael}, title = {Braking distance prediction for vehicle consist in low-speed on-sight operation: a Monte Carlo approach}, series = {Railway Engineering Science}, volume = {31}, journal = {Railway Engineering Science}, number = {2}, publisher = {SpringerOpen}, issn = {2662-4753 (eISSN)}, doi = {10.1007/s40534-023-00303-7}, pages = {135 -- 144}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The first and last mile of a railway journey, in both freight and transit applications, constitutes a high effort and is either non-productive (e.g. in the case of depot operations) or highly inefficient (e.g. in industrial railways). These parts are typically managed on-sight, i.e. with no signalling and train protection systems ensuring the freedom of movement. This is possible due to the rather short braking distances of individual vehicles and shunting consists. The present article analyses the braking behaviour of such shunting units. For this purpose, a dedicated model is developed. It is calibrated on published results of brake tests and validated against a high-definition model for low-speed applications. Based on this model, multiple simulations are executed to obtain a Monte Carlo simulation of the resulting braking distances. Based on the distribution properties and established safety levels, the risk of exceeding certain braking distances is evaluated and maximum braking distances are derived. Together with certain parameters of the system, these can serve in the design and safety assessment of driver assistance systems and automation of these processes.}, language = {en} } @article{OhrtmannGolland2023, author = {Ohrtmann, Jan-Peter and Golland, Alexander}, title = {Datenschutz \& Datenrecht - ein Ausblick auf 2023: Nationale Entwicklungen, EuGH-Vorlagen \& Aufsicht}, series = {DSB Datenschutz-Berater}, volume = {2023}, journal = {DSB Datenschutz-Berater}, number = {3}, publisher = {DFV Mediengruppe}, address = {Frankfurt a.M.}, pages = {73 -- 75}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Die Verfasser vermitteln einen {\"U}berblick {\"u}ber die nationalen Gesetzgebungsverfahren und wesentliche EuGH-Vorlagefragen betreffend den Datenschutz und das Datenrecht f{\"u}r das Jahr 2023. Zun{\"a}chst folgen u.a. Hinweise in Bezug auf den Hinweisgeberschutz, die Verabschiedung der Einwilligungsverwaltungs-Verordnung zur Konkretisierung des \S 26 TTDSG und das Mobilit{\"a}tsdatengesetz. Anschließend werden Vorlagefragen deutscher Gerichte, die dem EuGH vorgelegt und bereits am 12.01.2023 beantwortet wurden, wie etwa C-154/21 und C-132/21 und die EuGH-Entscheidung vom 9.2.2023 (C-453/21), thematisiert. {\"U}berdies f{\"u}hren die Autoren wesentliche Entscheidungen des EuGH an, die im Jahr 2023 aus dem Bereich Datenrecht und Datenschutz zu erwarten seien. Auch Aktivit{\"a}ten der Datenschutzaufsicht auf nationaler und europ{\"a}ischer Ebene finden Erw{\"a}hnung. Die Verfasser machen abschließend auf besonders interessante Entscheidungen, die 2023 erwartet werden, wie etwa das EuGH-Urteil zum Auskunftsanspruch, sowie auf das Verh{\"a}ltnis des der Whistleblowing-RL umzusetzende Hinweisgeberschutzgesetz einerseits und Vorgaben des Datenschutzes andererseits, aufmerksam. Sie empfehlen, die k{\"u}nftige Rechtsprechung des EuGH im Blick zu behalten.}, language = {de} } @article{OhrtmannGolland2023, author = {Ohrtmann, Jan-Peter and Golland, Alexander}, title = {Datenschutz \& Datenrecht - ein Ausblick auf 2023: Gesetzgebungsverfahren auf EU-Ebene}, series = {DSB Datenschutz-Berater}, volume = {2023}, journal = {DSB Datenschutz-Berater}, number = {2}, publisher = {Fachmedien Recht und Wirtschaft}, address = {Frankfurt am Main}, pages = {43 -- 46}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Die Verfasser stellen in ihrem Beitrag die k{\"u}nftig in Kraft tretenden oder schon in Kraft getretenen Gesetzesvorhaben der europ{\"a}ischen Union vor. Vorab werde auf die abgelaufene Frist zur Anpassung von Standardvertragsklausel hingewiesen. Die Anpassung k{\"o}nne ggf. durch den Data Privacy Act der Kommission bewirkt werden, da dieser eine Angemessenheit suggeriere. Neben dem Digital Markets Act, der die Wahrung der Diskriminierungsfreiheit den Gatekeeper-Plattformen bez{\"u}glich der Bewerbung von Waren Dritter vorschreibt, sind ebenfalls der Digital Service Act und der Data Governance Act in Kraft getreten und werden k{\"u}nftig wirksam. Letzteres bezweckt den Datenaustausch von nicht-personenbezogenen Daten {\"o}ffentlich-rechtlicher Datens{\"a}tze, wobei anders als bei DSA, der die Verbraucherrechte durchsetzen m{\"o}chte, mangels Verpflichtung die praktische Umsetzung ausbleiben werde. In der Entwurfsphase stecken der Artificial Intelligence Act, der Data Act, sowie der Cyber Resilience Act. Allen drei sei wegen dem weiten Anwendungsspielraum, der Bußgeldandrohung oder der Cyber-Bedrohungslage besondere praktische Relevanz beizumessen. Die Kommission weite durch diese Gesetzesvorhaben ihre Regelungsabsicht auch auf nicht-personenbezogene Daten und dem Datentransfer aus. Im Ergebnis werden die Unternehmen mit mehr Verpflichtungen konfrontiert, zu dessen Umsetzung ein funktionierendes Compliance-Management-System unabdingbar sei.}, language = {de} } @article{NiedermeierPennerUsherovichetal.2023, author = {Niedermeier, Jana and Penner, Crystal and Usherovich, Samuel and B{\´e}langer-Champagne, Camille and Paulßen, Elisabeth and Hoehr, Cornelia}, title = {Optical Fibers as Dosimeter Detectors for Mixed Proton/Neutron Fields - A Biological Dosimeter}, series = {electronics}, volume = {12}, journal = {electronics}, number = {2}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2079-9292}, doi = {10.3390/electronics12020324}, pages = {11 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {In recent years, proton therapy has gained importance as a cancer treatment modality due to its conformality with the tumor and the sparing of healthy tissue. However, in the interaction of the protons with the beam line elements and patient tissues, potentially harmful secondary neutrons are always generated. To ensure that this neutron dose is as low as possible, treatment plans could be created to also account for and minimize the neutron dose. To monitor such a treatment plan, a compact, easy to use, and inexpensive dosimeter must be developed that not only measures the physical dose, but which can also distinguish between proton and neutron contributions. To that end, plastic optical fibers with scintillation materials (Gd₂O₂S:Tb, Gd₂O₂S:Eu, and YVO₄:Eu) were irradiated with protons and neutrons. It was confirmed that sensors with different scintillation materials have different sensitivities to protons and neutrons. A combination of these three scintillators can be used to build a detector array to create a biological dosimeter.}, language = {en} } @article{MuesgenanntKoersPrevostPaulssenetal.2023, author = {Mues genannt Koers, Lucas and Prevost, David and Paulßen, Elisabeth and Hoehr, Cornelia}, title = {Density reduction effects on the production of [11C]CO2 in Nb-body targets on a medical cyclotron}, volume = {199}, number = {Art. 110911}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, doi = {10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.110911}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Medical isotope production of 11C is commonly performed in gaseous targets. The power deposition of the proton beam during the irradiation decreases the target density due to thermodynamic mixing and can cause an increase of penetration depth and divergence of the proton beam. In order to investigate the difference how the target-body length influences the operation conditions and the production yield, a 12 cm and a 22 cm Nb-target body containing N2/O2 gas were irradiated using a 13 MeV proton cyclotron. It was found that the density reduction has a large influence on the pressure rise during irradiation and the achievable radioactive yield. The saturation activity of [11C]CO2 for the long target (0.083 Ci/μA) is about 10\% higher than in the short target geometry (0.075 Ci/μA).}, language = {en} } @article{MuesgenanntKoersMcNeilRadchenkoetal.2023, author = {Mues genannt Koers, Lucas and McNeil, S. W. and Radchenko, V. and Paulßen, Elisabeth and Hoehr, Cornelia}, title = {Production of Co-58m in a siphon-style liquid target on a medical cyclotron}, volume = {195}, number = {Art. 110734}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0969-8043}, doi = {10.1016/j.apradiso.2023.110734}, year = {2023}, abstract = {We present the production of 58mCo on a small, 13 MeV medical cyclotron utilizing a siphon style liquid target system. Different concentrated iron(III)-nitrate solutions of natural isotopic distribution were irradiated at varying initial pressures and subsequently separated by solid phase extraction chromatography. The radio cobalt (58m/gCo and 56Co) was successfully produced with saturation activities of (0.35 ± 0.03) MBq μA-1 for 58mCo with a separation recovery of (75 ± 2) \% of cobalt after one separation step utilizing LN-resin.}, language = {en} } @article{MoraisSumanSchoeningetal.2023, author = {Morais, Paulo V. and Suman, Pedro H. and Sch{\"o}ning, Michael Josef and Siqueira Junior, Jos{\´e} R. and Orlandi, Marcelo O.}, title = {Layer-by-layer film based on Sn₃O₄ nanobelts as sensing units to detect heavy metals using a capacitive field-effect sensor platform}, series = {Chemosensors}, volume = {11}, journal = {Chemosensors}, number = {8}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2227-9040}, doi = {10.3390/chemosensors11080436}, pages = {Artikel 436}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Lead and nickel, as heavy metals, are still used in industrial processes, and are classified as "environmental health hazards" due to their toxicity and polluting potential. The detection of heavy metals can prevent environmental pollution at toxic levels that are critical to human health. In this sense, the electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) field-effect sensor is an attractive sensing platform concerning the fabrication of reusable and robust sensors to detect such substances. This study is aimed to fabricate a sensing unit on an EIS device based on Sn₃O₄ nanobelts embedded in a polyelectrolyte matrix of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) using the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. The EIS-Sn₃O₄ sensor exhibited enhanced electrochemical performance for detecting Pb²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions, revealing a higher affinity for Pb²⁺ ions, with sensitivities of ca. 25.8 mV/decade and 2.4 mV/decade, respectively. Such results indicate that Sn₃O₄ nanobelts can contemplate a feasible proof-of-concept capacitive field-effect sensor for heavy metal detection, envisaging other future studies focusing on environmental monitoring.}, language = {en} } @article{MikuckiSchulerDigeletal.2023, author = {Mikucki, Jill Ann and Schuler, C. G. and Digel, Ilya and Kowalski, Julia and Tuttle, M. J. and Chua, Michelle and Davis, R. and Purcell, Alicia and Ghosh, D. and Francke, G. and Feldmann, M. and Espe, C. and Heinen, Dirk and Dachwald, Bernd and Clemens, Joachim and Lyons, W. B. and Tulaczyk, S.}, title = {Field-Based planetary protection operations for melt probes: validation of clean access into the blood falls, antarctica, englacial ecosystem}, series = {Astrobiology}, volume = {23}, journal = {Astrobiology}, number = {11}, publisher = {Liebert}, address = {New York, NY}, issn = {1557-8070 (online)}, doi = {10.1089/ast.2021.0102}, pages = {1165 -- 1178}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Subglacial environments on Earth offer important analogs to Ocean World targets in our solar system. These unique microbial ecosystems remain understudied due to the challenges of access through thick glacial ice (tens to hundreds of meters). Additionally, sub-ice collections must be conducted in a clean manner to ensure sample integrity for downstream microbiological and geochemical analyses. We describe the field-based cleaning of a melt probe that was used to collect brine samples from within a glacier conduit at Blood Falls, Antarctica, for geomicrobiological studies. We used a thermoelectric melting probe called the IceMole that was designed to be minimally invasive in that the logistical requirements in support of drilling operations were small and the probe could be cleaned, even in a remote field setting, so as to minimize potential contamination. In our study, the exterior bioburden on the IceMole was reduced to levels measured in most clean rooms, and below that of the ice surrounding our sampling target. Potential microbial contaminants were identified during the cleaning process; however, very few were detected in the final englacial sample collected with the IceMole and were present in extremely low abundances (∼0.063\% of 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequences). This cleaning protocol can help minimize contamination when working in remote field locations, support microbiological sampling of terrestrial subglacial environments using melting probes, and help inform planetary protection challenges for Ocean World analog mission concepts.}, language = {en} } @article{LuftLuftArntz2023, author = {Luft, Angela and Luft, Nils and Arntz, Kristian}, title = {A basic description logic for service-oriented architecture in factory planning and operational control in the age of industry 4.0}, series = {Applied Sciences}, volume = {2023}, journal = {Applied Sciences}, number = {13}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2076-3417}, doi = {10.3390/app13137610}, pages = {23 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Manufacturing companies across multiple industries face an increasingly dynamic and unpredictable environment. This development can be seen on both the market and supply side. To respond to these challenges, manufacturing companies must implement smart manufacturing systems and become more flexible and agile. The flexibility in operational planning regarding the scheduling and sequencing of customer orders needs to be increased and new structures must be implemented in manufacturing systems' fundamental design as they constitute much of the operational flexibility available. To this end, smart and more flexible solutions for production planning and control (PPC) are developed. However, scheduling or sequencing is often only considered isolated in a predefined stable environment. Moreover, their orientation on the fundamental logic of the existing IT solutions and their applicability in a dynamic environment is limited. This paper presents a conceptual model for a task-based description logic that can be applied to factory planning, technology planning, and operational control. By using service-oriented architectures, the goal is to generate smart manufacturing systems. The logic is designed to allow for easy and automated maintenance. It is compatible with the existing resource and process allocation logic across operational and strategic factory and production planning.}, language = {en} } @article{LiphardtFernandezGonzaloAlbrachtetal.2023, author = {Liphardt, Anna-Maria and Fernandez-Gonzalo, Rodrigo and Albracht, Kirsten and Rittweger, J{\"o}rn and Vico, Laurence}, title = {Musculoskeletal research in human space flight - unmet needs for the success of crewed deep space exploration}, series = {npj Microgravity}, volume = {9}, journal = {npj Microgravity}, number = {Article number: 9}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, issn = {2373-8065}, doi = {10.1038/s41526-023-00258-3}, pages = {1 -- 9}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Based on the European Space Agency (ESA) Science in Space Environment (SciSpacE) community White Paper "Human Physiology - Musculoskeletal system", this perspective highlights unmet needs and suggests new avenues for future studies in musculoskeletal research to enable crewed exploration missions. The musculoskeletal system is essential for sustaining physical function and energy metabolism, and the maintenance of health during exploration missions, and consequently mission success, will be tightly linked to musculoskeletal function. Data collection from current space missions from pre-, during-, and post-flight periods would provide important information to understand and ultimately offset musculoskeletal alterations during long-term spaceflight. In addition, understanding the kinetics of the different components of the musculoskeletal system in parallel with a detailed description of the molecular mechanisms driving these alterations appears to be the best approach to address potential musculoskeletal problems that future exploratory-mission crew will face. These research efforts should be accompanied by technical advances in molecular and phenotypic monitoring tools to provide in-flight real-time feedback.}, language = {en} } @article{KuchlerGuenthnerRibeiroetal.2023, author = {Kuchler, Timon and G{\"u}nthner, Roman and Ribeiro, Andrea and Hausinger, Renate and Streese, Lukas and W{\"o}hnl, Anna and Kesseler, Veronika and Negele, Johanna and Assali, Tarek and Carbajo-Lozoya, Javier and Lech, Maciej and Adorjan, Kristina and Stubbe, Hans Christian and Hanssen, Henner and Kotliar, Konstantin and Haller, Berhard and Heemann, Uwe and Schmaderer, Christoph}, title = {Persistent endothelial dysfunction in post-COVID-19 syndrome and its associations with symptom severity and chronic inflammation}, volume = {26}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, address = {Dordrecht}, doi = {10.1007/s10456-023-09885-6}, pages = {547 -- 563}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Background Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) is a lingering disease with ongoing symptoms such as fatigue and cognitive impairment resulting in a high impact on the daily life of patients. Understanding the pathophysiology of PCS is a public health priority, as it still poses a diagnostic and treatment challenge for physicians. Methods In this prospective observational cohort study, we analyzed the retinal microcirculation using Retinal Vessel Analysis (RVA) in a cohort of patients with PCS and compared it to an age- and gender-matched healthy cohort (n = 41, matched out of n = 204). Measurements and main results PCS patients exhibit persistent endothelial dysfunction (ED), as indicated by significantly lower venular flicker-induced dilation (vFID; 3.42\% ± 1.77\% vs. 4.64\% ± 2.59\%; p = 0.02), narrower central retinal artery equivalent (CRAE; 178.1 [167.5-190.2] vs. 189.1 [179.4-197.2], p = 0.01) and lower arteriolar-venular ratio (AVR; (0.84 [0.8-0.9] vs. 0.88 [0.8-0.9], p = 0.007). When combining AVR and vFID, predicted scores reached good ability to discriminate groups (area under the curve: 0.75). Higher PCS severity scores correlated with lower AVR (R = - 0.37 p = 0.017). The association of microvascular changes with PCS severity were amplified in PCS patients exhibiting higher levels of inflammatory parameters. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that prolonged endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of PCS, and impairments of the microcirculation seem to explain ongoing symptoms in patients. As potential therapies for PCS emerge, RVA parameters may become relevant as clinical biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy management.}, language = {en} } @article{KowalewskiBragardHueningetal.2023, author = {Kowalewski, Paul and Bragard, Michael and H{\"u}ning, Felix and De Doncker, Rik W.}, title = {An inexpensive Wiegand-sensor-based rotary encoder without rotating magnets for use in electrical drives}, series = {IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement}, volume = {72}, journal = {IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement}, publisher = {IEEE}, address = {New York}, issn = {0018-9456 (Print)}, doi = {10.1109/TIM.2023.3326166}, pages = {10 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {This paper introduces an inexpensive Wiegand-sensor-based rotary encoder that avoids rotating magnets and is suitable for electrical-drive applications. So far, Wiegand-sensor-based encoders usually include a magnetic pole wheel with rotating permanent magnets. These encoders combine the disadvantages of an increased magnet demand and a limited maximal speed due to the centripetal force acting on the rotating magnets. The proposed approach reduces the total demand of permanent magnets drastically. Moreover, the rotating part is manufacturable from a single piece of steel, which makes it very robust and cheap. This work presents the theoretical operating principle of the proposed approach and validates its benefits on a hardware prototype. The presented proof-of-concept prototype achieves a mechanical resolution of 4.5 ° by using only 4 permanent magnets, 2Wiegand sensors and a rotating steel gear wheel with 20 teeth.}, language = {en} } @article{HengsbachEngelCwienczeketal.2023, author = {Hengsbach, Jan-Niklas and Engel, Mareike and Cwienczek, Marcel and Stiefelmaier, Judith and Tippk{\"o}tter, Nils and Ulber, Roland}, title = {Scalable unseparated bioelectrochemical reactors by using a carbon fiber brush as stirrer and working electrode}, series = {ChemElectroChem}, volume = {10}, journal = {ChemElectroChem}, number = {21}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, address = {Weinheim}, issn = {2196-0216}, doi = {10.1002/celc.202300440}, pages = {9 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The concept of energy conversion into platform chemicals using bioelectrochemical systems (BES) has gained increasing attention in recent years, as the technology simultaneously provides an opportunity for sustainable chemical production and tackles the challenge of Power-to-X technologies. There are many approaches to realize the industrial scale of BES. One concept is to equip standard bioreactors with static electrodes. However, large installations resulted in a negative influence on various reactor parameters. In this study, we present a new single-chamber BES based on a stirred tank reactor in which the stirrer was replaced by a carbon fiber brush, performing the functions of the working electrode and the stirrer. The reactor is characterized in abiotic studies and electro-fermentations with Clostridium acetobutylicum. Compared to standard reactors an increase in butanol production of 20.14±3.66 \% shows that the new BES can be efficiently used for bioelectrochemical processes.}, language = {en} } @article{HeieisBoeckerD'Angeloetal.2023, author = {Heieis, Jule and B{\"o}cker, Jonas and D'Angelo, Olfa and Mittag, Uwe and Albracht, Kirsten and Sch{\"o}nau, Eckhard and Meyer, Andreas and Voigtmann, Thomas and Rittweger, J{\"o}rn}, title = {Curvature of gastrocnemius muscle fascicles as function of muscle-tendon complex length and contraction in humans}, series = {Physiological Reports}, volume = {11}, journal = {Physiological Reports}, number = {11}, publisher = {Wiley}, issn = {2051-817X}, doi = {10.14814/phy2.15739}, pages = {e15739, Seite 1-11}, year = {2023}, abstract = {It has been shown that muscle fascicle curvature increases with increasing contraction level and decreasing muscle-tendon complex length. The analyses were done with limited examination windows concerning contraction level, muscle-tendon complex length, and/or intramuscular position of ultrasound imaging. With this study we aimed to investigate the correlation between fascicle arching and contraction, muscle-tendon complex length and their associated architectural parameters in gastrocnemius muscles to develop hypotheses concerning the fundamental mechanism of fascicle curving. Twelve participants were tested in five different positions (90°/105°*, 90°/90°*, 135°/90°*, 170°/90°*, and 170°/75°*; *knee/ankle angle). They performed isometric contractions at four different contraction levels (5\%, 25\%, 50\%, and 75\% of maximum voluntary contraction) in each position. Panoramic ultrasound images of gastrocnemius muscles were collected at rest and during constant contraction. Aponeuroses and fascicles were tracked in all ultrasound images and the parameters fascicle curvature, muscle-tendon complex strain, contraction level, pennation angle, fascicle length, fascicle strain, intramuscular position, sex and age group were analyzed by linear mixed effect models. Mean fascicle curvature of the medial gastrocnemius increased with contraction level (+5 m-1 from 0\% to 100\%; p = 0.006). Muscle-tendon complex length had no significant impact on mean fascicle curvature. Mean pennation angle (2.2 m-1 per 10°; p < 0.001), inverse mean fascicle length (20 m-1 per cm-1; p = 0.003), and mean fascicle strain (-0.07 m-1 per +10\%; p = 0.004) correlated with mean fascicle curvature. Evidence has also been found for intermuscular, intramuscular, and sex-specific intramuscular differences of fascicle curving. Pennation angle and the inverse fascicle length show the highest predictive capacities for fascicle curving. Due to the strong correlations between pennation angle and fascicle curvature and the intramuscular pattern of curving we suggest for future studies to examine correlations between fascicle curvature and intramuscular fluid pressure.}, language = {en} } @article{HaegerGrankinWagner2023, author = {Haeger, Gerrit and Grankin, Alina and Wagner, Michaela}, title = {Construction of an Aspergillus oryzae triple amylase deletion mutant as a chassis to evaluate industrially relevant amylases using multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 editing technology}, series = {Applied Research}, journal = {Applied Research}, number = {Early View}, publisher = {Wiley-VCH}, issn = {2702-4288}, doi = {10.1002/appl.202200106}, pages = {1 -- 15}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Aspergillus oryzae is an industrially relevant organism for the secretory production of heterologous enzymes, especially amylases. The activities of potential heterologous amylases, however, cannot be quantified directly from the supernatant due to the high background activity of native α-amylase. This activity is caused by the gene products of amyA, amyB, and amyC. In this study, an in vitro CRISPR/Cas9 system was established in A. oryzae to delete these genes simultaneously. First, pyrG of A. oryzae NSAR1 was mutated by exploiting NHEJ to generate a counter-selection marker. Next, all amylase genes were deleted simultaneously by co-transforming a repair template carrying pyrG of Aspergillus nidulans and flanking sequences of amylase gene loci. The rate of obtained triple knock-outs was 47\%. We showed that triple knockouts do not retain any amylase activity in the supernatant. The established in vitro CRISPR/Cas9 system was used to achieve sequence-specific knock-in of target genes. The system was intended to incorporate a single copy of the gene of interest into the desired host for the development of screening methods. Therefore, an integration cassette for the heterologous Fpi amylase was designed to specifically target the amyB locus. The site-specific integration rate of the plasmid was 78\%, with exceptional additional integrations. Integration frequency was assessed via qPCR and directly correlated with heterologous amylase activity. Hence, we could compare the efficiency between two different signal peptides. In summary, we present a strategy to exploit CRISPR/Cas9 for gene mutation, multiplex knock-out, and the targeted knock-in of an expression cassette in A. oryzae. Our system provides straightforward strain engineering and paves the way for development of fungal screening systems.}, language = {en} }