@article{StiemerThomaBraun2023, author = {Stiemer, Luc Nicolas and Thoma, Andreas and Braun, Carsten}, title = {MBT3D: Deep learning based multi-object tracker for bumblebee 3D flight path estimation}, series = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {18}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, number = {9}, publisher = {PLOS}, address = {San Fancisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0291415}, pages = {e0291415}, year = {2023}, abstract = {This work presents the Multi-Bees-Tracker (MBT3D) algorithm, a Python framework implementing a deep association tracker for Tracking-By-Detection, to address the challenging task of tracking flight paths of bumblebees in a social group. While tracking algorithms for bumblebees exist, they often come with intensive restrictions, such as the need for sufficient lighting, high contrast between the animal and background, absence of occlusion, significant user input, etc. Tracking flight paths of bumblebees in a social group is challenging. They suddenly adjust movements and change their appearance during different wing beat states while exhibiting significant similarities in their individual appearance. The MBT3D tracker, developed in this research, is an adaptation of an existing ant tracking algorithm for bumblebee tracking. It incorporates an offline trained appearance descriptor along with a Kalman Filter for appearance and motion matching. Different detector architectures for upstream detections (You Only Look Once (YOLOv5), Faster Region Proposal Convolutional Neural Network (Faster R-CNN), and RetinaNet) are investigated in a comparative study to optimize performance. The detection models were trained on a dataset containing 11359 labeled bumblebee images. YOLOv5 reaches an Average Precision of AP = 53, 8\%, Faster R-CNN achieves AP = 45, 3\% and RetinaNet AP = 38, 4\% on the bumblebee validation dataset, which consists of 1323 labeled bumblebee images. The tracker's appearance model is trained on 144 samples. The tracker (with Faster R-CNN detections) reaches a Multiple Object Tracking Accuracy MOTA = 93, 5\% and a Multiple Object Tracking Precision MOTP = 75, 6\% on a validation dataset containing 2000 images, competing with state-of-the-art computer vision methods. The framework allows reliable tracking of different bumblebees in the same video stream with rarely occurring identity switches (IDS). MBT3D has much lower IDS than other commonly used algorithms, with one of the lowest false positive rates, competing with state-of-the-art animal tracking algorithms. The developed framework reconstructs the 3-dimensional (3D) flight paths of the bumblebees by triangulation. It also handles and compares two alternative stereo camera pairs if desired.}, language = {en} } @misc{SteuerDankertBergPostweilerLeichtScholten2023, author = {Steuer-Dankert, Linda and Berg-Postweiler, Julia and Leicht-Scholten, Carmen}, title = {One does not fit all: applying anti-bias trainings in academia}, series = {Twenty-third international conference on diversity in organizations, communities \& nations June 22 - 23, 2023 Toronto Metropolitan University, Rogers Communication Centre Toronto, Canada}, journal = {Twenty-third international conference on diversity in organizations, communities \& nations June 22 - 23, 2023 Toronto Metropolitan University, Rogers Communication Centre Toronto, Canada}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Anti-bias trainings are increasingly demanded and practiced in academia and industry to increase employees' sensitivity to discrimination, racism, and diversity. Under the heading of "Diversity Management", anti-bias trainings are mainly offered as one-off workshops intending to raise awareness of unconscious biases, create a diversity-affirming corporate culture, awake awareness of the potential of diversity, and ultimately enable the reflection of diversity in development processes. However, coming from childhood education, research and scientific articles on the sustainable effectiveness of anti-bias in adulthood, especially in academia, are very scarce. In order to fill this research gap, the paper explores how sustainable the effects of individual anti-bias trainings on the behavior of participants are. In order to investigate this, participant observation in a qualitative pre-post setting was conducted, analyzing anti-bias trainings in an academic context. Two observers actively participated in the training sessions and documented the activities and reflection processes of the participants. Overall, the results question the effectiveness of single anti-bias trainings and show that a target-group adaptive approach is mandatory due to the background of the approach in early childhood education. Therefore, it can be concluded that anti-bias work needs to be adapted to the target group's needs and reality of life. Furthermore, the study reveals that single anti-bias trainings must be embedded in a holistic diversity management approach to stimulate sustainable reflection processes among the target group. This paper is one of the first to scientifically evaluate anti-bias training effectiveness, especially in engineering sciences and the university context.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{SteuerDankert2023, author = {Steuer-Dankert, Linda}, title = {Training future skills - sustainability, interculturality \& innovation in a digital design thinking format}, series = {Proceedings of the 19th International CDIO Conference}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 19th International CDIO Conference}, pages = {12 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The complex questions of today for a world of tomorrow are characterized by their global impact. Solutions must therefore not only be sustainable in the sense of the three pillars of sustainability (economic, environmental, and social) but must also function globally. This goes hand in hand with the need for intercultural acceptance of developed services and products. To achieve this, engineers, as the problem solvers of the future, must be able to work in intercultural teams on appropriate solutions, and be sensitive to intercultural perspectives. To equip the engineers of the future with the so-called future skills, teaching concepts are needed in which students can acquire these methods and competencies in application-oriented formats. The presented course "Applying Design Thinking - Sustainability, Innovation and Interculturality" was developed to teach future skills from the competency areas Digital Key Competencies, Classical Competencies and Transformative Competencies. The CDIO Standard 3.0, in particular the standards 5, 6, 7 and 8, was used as a guideline. The course aims to prepare engineering students from different disciplines and cultures for their future work in an international environment by combining a digital teaching format with an interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary and intercultural setting for solving sustainability challenges. The innovative moment lies in the digital application of design thinking and the inclusion of intercultural as well as trans- and interdisciplinary perspectives in innovation development processes. In this paper, the concept of the course will be presented in detail and the particularities of a digital implementation of design thinking will be addressed. Subsequently, the potentials and challenges will be reflected and practical advice for integrating design thinking in engineering education will be given.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{SteuerDankert2023, author = {Steuer-Dankert, Linda}, title = {A crazy little thing called sustainability}, series = {51st Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI)}, booktitle = {51st Annual Conference of the European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI)}, doi = {10.21427/9CQR-VC94}, pages = {11 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 requires global collaboration between different stakeholders. Industry, and in particular engineers who shape industrial developments, have a special role to play as they are confronted with the responsibility to holistically reflect sustainability in industrial processes. This means that, in addition to the technical specifications, engineers must also question the effects of their own actions on an ecological, economic and social level in order to ensure sustainable action and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. However, this requires competencies that enable engineers to apply all three pillars of sustainability to their own field of activity and to understand the global impact of industrial processes. In this context, it is relevant to understand how industry already reflects sustainability and to identify competences needed for sustainable development.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Shah2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Shah, Akshat}, title = {Vita : Rehabilitation assistance for digital professionals}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {125 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Vita ist ein Produkt zur Unterst{\"u}tzung von Physiotherapie und Rehabilitation f{\"u}r moderne digitale Profis. Es hilft beim Aufsp{\"u}ren und Erkennen von Haltungsfehlern und gibt positives und sinnvolles Feedback. Ziel des Feedbacks ist es, ein Gef{\"u}hl des Vertrauens in den Genesungsprozess zu schaffen und durch die Nachahmung der menschlichen Ber{\"u}hrung neue, positive Haltungsgewohnheiten zu entwickeln und zu kultivieren.}, language = {de} } @inproceedings{SchwagerAngeleSchwarzboezletal.2023, author = {Schwager, Christian and Angele, Florian and Schwarzb{\"o}zl, Peter and Teixeira Boura, Cristiano Jos{\´e} and Herrmann, Ulf}, title = {Model predictive assistance for operational decision making in molten salt receiver systems}, series = {SolarPACES: Solar Power \& Chemical Energy Systems}, booktitle = {SolarPACES: Solar Power \& Chemical Energy Systems}, number = {2815 / 1}, publisher = {AIP conference proceedings / American Institute of Physics}, address = {Melville, NY}, isbn = {978-0-7354-4623-6}, issn = {1551-7616 (online)}, doi = {10.1063/5.0151514}, pages = {8 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Despite the challenges of pioneering molten salt towers (MST), it remains the leading technology in central receiver power plants today, thanks to cost effective storage integration and high cost reduction potential. The limited controllability in volatile solar conditions can cause significant losses, which are difficult to estimate without comprehensive modeling [1]. This paper presents a Methodology to generate predictions of the dynamic behavior of the receiver system as part of an operating assistance system (OAS). Based on this, it delivers proposals if and when to drain and refill the receiver during a cloudy period in order maximize the net yield and quantifies the amount of net electricity gained by this. After prior analysis with a detailed dynamic two-phase model of the entire receiver system, two different reduced modeling approaches where developed and implemented in the OAS. A tailored decision algorithm utilizes both models to deliver the desired predictions efficiently and with appropriate accuracy.}, language = {en} } @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} } @inproceedings{SchulteTiggesMatheisRekeetal.2023, author = {Schulte-Tigges, Joschua and Matheis, Dominik and Reke, Michael and Walter, Thomas and Kaszner, Daniel}, title = {Demonstrating a V2X enabled system for transition of control and minimum risk manoeuvre when leaving the operational design domain}, series = {HCII 2023: HCI in Mobility, Transport, and Automotive Systems}, booktitle = {HCII 2023: HCI in Mobility, Transport, and Automotive Systems}, editor = {Kr{\"o}mker, Heidi}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Cham}, isbn = {978-3-031-35677-3 (Print)}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-35678-0_12}, pages = {200 -- 210}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Modern implementations of driver assistance systems are evolving from a pure driver assistance to a independently acting automation system. Still these systems are not covering the full vehicle usage range, also called operational design domain, which require the human driver as fall-back mechanism. Transition of control and potential minimum risk manoeuvres are currently research topics and will bridge the gap until full autonomous vehicles are available. The authors showed in a demonstration that the transition of control mechanisms can be further improved by usage of communication technology. Receiving the incident type and position information by usage of standardised vehicle to everything (V2X) messages can improve the driver safety and comfort level. The connected and automated vehicle's software framework can take this information to plan areas where the driver should take back control by initiating a transition of control which can be followed by a minimum risk manoeuvre in case of an unresponsive driver. This transition of control has been implemented in a test vehicle and was presented to the public during the IEEE IV2022 (IEEE Intelligent Vehicle Symposium) in Aachen, Germany.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{SchulteSchwagerNoureldinetal.2023, author = {Schulte, Jonas and Schwager, Christian and Noureldin, Kareem and May, Martin and Teixeira Boura, Cristiano Jos{\´e} and Herrmann, Ulf}, title = {Gradient controlled startup procedure of a molten-salt power-to-heat energy storage plant based on dynamic process simulation}, series = {SolarPACES: Solar Power \& Chemical Energy Systems}, booktitle = {SolarPACES: Solar Power \& Chemical Energy Systems}, number = {2815 / 1}, publisher = {AIP conference proceedings / American Institute of Physics}, address = {Melville, NY}, isbn = {978-0-7354-4623-6}, issn = {1551-7616 (online)}, doi = {10.1063/5.0148741}, pages = {9 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The integration of high temperature thermal energy storages into existing conventional power plants can help to reduce the CO2 emissions of those plants and lead to lower capital expenditures for building energy storage systems, due to the use of synergy effects [1]. One possibility to implement that, is a molten salt storage system with a powerful power-to-heat unit. This paper presents two possible control concepts for the startup of the charging system of such a facility. The procedures are implemented in a detailed dynamic process model. The performance and safety regarding the film temperatures at heat transmitting surfaces are investigated in the process simulations. To improve the accuracy in predicting the film temperatures, CFD simulations of the electrical heater are carried out and the results are merged with the dynamic model. The results show that both investigated control concepts are safe regarding the temperature limits. The gradient controlled startup performed better than the temperature-controlled startup. Nevertheless, there are several uncertainties that need to be investigated further.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Schmitz2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Schmitz, Marvin}, title = {Eishockey Uni-Cup der RWTH Aachen : Produktion einer Sport{\"u}bertragung}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {43 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Der Uni-Cup ist ein Amateur Eishockey Turnier der RWTH Aachen. Es treten Studierende und Professor:innen gegeneinander an. Ausgetragen wurde das Turnier vor etwa 2.500 Zuschauern in der 100,5 Arena am Tivoli. Um das Event einer breiteren Masse zug{\"a}nglich zu machen, wurde dort im Rahmen der Bachelorarbeit erstmals eine Live {\"U}bertragung produziert. Das Ziel dabei war es, eine m{\"o}glichst professionelle und unterhaltsame Show zu kreieren.}, language = {de} } @masterthesis{Schmidt2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Schmidt, Lucie}, title = {„Keine Schmerzen in der Regel" : Aufkl{\"a}rungskampagne zur Fr{\"u}herkennung der Krankheit Endometriose}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {75 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Jede zehnte Frau hat Endometriose. Hierbei entstehen Zysten und Entz{\"u}ndungen, welche sich beispielsweise an den Eierst{\"o}cken ansiedeln k{\"o}nnen. Wie kann es also sein, dass so viele noch nie was von dieser Erkrankung geh{\"o}rt haben? Mit der online Aufkl{\"a}rungskampagne „ Keine Schmerzen in der Regel" soll sich das {\"a}ndern. In vielen F{\"a}llen werden Beschwerden der Endometriose f{\"a}lschlicherweise als normale Menstruationsbeschwerden abgetan. Die Differenzierung zwischen normal und nicht normal misslingt. Die Aufmerksamkeit von M{\"a}dchen und Frauen, die sich in den nicht normalen Aspekten wiederfinden, soll erregt werden. Daf{\"u}r werden vier Symptome visualisiert und gegen{\"u}bergestellt. Zus{\"a}tzlich bietet ein Schnellcheck weitere Informationen. Diese Kampagne soll dem Problem der Unbekanntheit von Endometriose entgegenwirken und ein gesellschaftliches Bewusstsein f{\"u}r sie schaffen.}, language = {de} } @masterthesis{Schlepuetz2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Schlep{\"u}tz, Nico}, title = {News Flow : Nachrichten- und Informationsprozesse im digitalen Wandel}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {89 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {"News Flow" Nachrichten- und Informationsprozesse im digitalen Wandel. In der digitalen Welt sind wir von Informationen aus unterschiedlichen Medien umgeben. Die st{\"a}ndige Verf{\"u}gbarkeit f{\"u}hrt zu {\"U}berforderung und Orientierungslosigkeit. Junge Menschen bevorzugen Streaming und Social Media gegen{\"u}ber traditionellen Nachrichten. Angesichts globaler Krisen und Desinformation sind innovative L{\"o}sungen wichtig, um den Informationsfluss zu verbessern. "News Flow" ist eine digitale Anwendung f{\"u}r Alternativen des Nachrichtenkonsums. Sie ber{\"u}cksichtigt individuelle Bed{\"u}rfnisse und nutzt moderne Technologien. Durch die visuelle Vermittlung wird das Interesse an Nachrichten gesteigert und junge Zielgruppen angesprochen. Diese Arbeit stellt sich den Herausforderungen des digitalen Wandels im Nachrichtenbereich und er{\"o}ffnet eine neue Perspektive auf den Nachrichtenkonsum.}, language = {de} } @masterthesis{Schlappa2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Schlappa, Anja}, title = {Death \& Decay : a journey into deathly oddities}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {81 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Wir werden alle eines Tages sterben. Obwohl - oder gerade weil - der Tod ein unausweichlicher Teil unseres Lebens ist, schreckt uns die Konversation {\"u}ber ihn und all seine Facetten ab, und die Furcht vor unserem eventuellen Ende bleibt bestehen. Jene Ehrfurcht hindert uns daran, das Ableben als mehr als nur den deprimierenden finalen Abschnitt unseres Seins zu betrachten. In ""Death \& Decay"" wird sich mit den weniger bekannten Seiten des Todes auseinandergesetzt, denn das Ende unserer Existenz ist nicht gleich das Ende unserer Geschichte. Von kultureller Symbolik bis zu Tod unter un{\"u}blichen Umst{\"a}nden - ""Death \& Decay"" nimmt Sie mit die Seiten des Todes kennenzulernen, die den meisten verborgen bleiben oder mit denen wir nie rechnen w{\"u}rden.}, language = {de} } @masterthesis{Scheffel2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Scheffel, Zeno Samuel}, title = {Identit{\"a}t, Zusammenhalt, Zugeh{\"o}rigkeit : Die Exploration der Gestaltung von Fußballtrikots}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {95 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Das Fußballtrikot - Arbeitsbekleidung, Identifikationsmerkmal, Distinktionsmerkmal? Was ist das Fußballtrikot, was sind seine identit{\"a}tsstiftenden Merkmale und welche Gestaltungsparameter pr{\"a}gen sein heutiges Aussehen? In dieser Publikation wird die Geschichte des Trikots ebenso wie die {\"a}ußeren Einfl{\"u}sse auf sein heutiges Erscheinungsbild dokumentiert und analysiert. Die Publikation definiert die verschiedenen Gestaltungsparameter, erl{\"a}utert diese und ordnet sie ein. Ebenso wird ein Einblick in den kreativen Gestaltungsprozess von Fußballtrikots gew{\"a}hrt. Das Ziel dieser Publikation besteht darin, das Erscheinungsbild von Trikots zu verstehen und eine kritische Reflexion dar{\"u}ber zu erm{\"o}glichen, wie das Fußballtrikot individuell definiert wird.}, language = {de} } @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} } @masterthesis{Riederer2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Riederer, Estella Charlotte}, title = {ITFS : Redesign des Erscheinungsbildes des Internationalen Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {111 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Film ab! Das Internationale Trickfilm-Festival Stuttgart ist seit 30 Jahren ein fester Bestandteil der internationalen Film- und Animations-Branche und z{\"a}hlt zu einer der renommiertesten Veranstaltungen. Das Festival ist ein Ort der Inspiration und des Austausches - die neusten Animationsfilme werden hier pr{\"a}sentiert, junge Talente entdeckt und gef{\"o}rdert. Im Fokus des neugestalteten Corporate Design steht die eigens entwickelte Schrift, welche den einzigartigen Charakter des Festivals widerspiegelt und so zum Trickfilm der Typografie wird. Das medien{\"u}bergreifende Erscheinungsbild, in animierter oder statischer Form, kommuniziert so die qualitativ hochwertigen Inhalte des Festivals. Durch die dynamische und plakative Gestaltung wird das Festival zu einem unvergesslichen Erlebnis f{\"u}r alle Besucher:innen.}, language = {de} } @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} } @masterthesis{Raring2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Raring, Theresa}, title = {Multimar Wattforum : die Entwicklung eines neuen Erscheinungsbildes}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {85 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Das Multimar Wattforum ist das gr{\"o}ßte Informationszentrum zum Thema Wattenmeer in Deutschland. Auf {\"u}ber 3000 Quadratmetern k{\"o}nnen große und kleine Besucher:innen eine interaktive Ausstellung {\"u}ber Wale, Watt und Weltnaturerbe bestaunen. Das Wattenmeer ist ein ganz besonderer Lebensraum und bietet vielen Lebewesen Zuflucht. Es wird durch die Gezeiten gepr{\"a}gt, bei Ebbe trocken und der Sonne ausgesetzt, bei Flut nass und salzig. Das neue Erscheinungsbild f{\"u}r das Multimar Wattforum soll die zentralen Werte und Alleinstellungsmerkmale hervorheben und dem Informationszentrum helfen, seiner Aufgabe als bildende, wissenschaftliche und sch{\"u}tzende Einrichtung gerecht zu werden. So wurde ein einheitliches und skalierbares Erscheinungsbild und eine flexible Bild- und Wortmarke entwickel}, language = {de} } @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} } @masterthesis{Palm2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Palm, Kevin John}, title = {Viva sin Aqua : Konzeption einer Kampagne zum virtuellen Wasserbedarf}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {80 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Den aktuellen Zustand unserer Welt positiv zu beeinflussen, ist ein {\"u}bergeordnetes Ziel, welches nur kollektiv als Gesellschaft erreicht werden kann. Das Einsparen von Ressourcen ist ein leichter Weg f{\"u}r jede einzelne Person, um ihren Beitrag f{\"u}r dieses Ziel zu leisten. Doch wie bewegt man die Bev{\"o}lkerung zum Sparen? Und was soll eingespart werden? Die Kampagne "Viva sin Agua" sensibilisiert f{\"u}r die Ressource Wasser und nutzt dabei den {\"o}ffentlichen Raum. Aufgekl{\"a}rt wird {\"u}ber das sogenannte virtuelle Wasser. Dieses f{\"a}llt in teilweise extremen Mengen f{\"u}r die Produktion jeglicher Konsumwaren an. Das Ziel der Kampagne ist das Kennzeichnen dieses Wasserverbrauchs direkt am Produkt {\"u}ber eigene Labels. Dadurch soll ein Bewusstsein f{\"u}r den kritischen Kontext geschaffen und das allgemeine Konsumverhalten nachhaltig ver{\"a}ndert werden.}, language = {de} } @masterthesis{Outkina2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Outkina, Ioulia}, title = {Kassandra : wetterbedingte Extremereignisse werden zunehmend die neue Realit{\"a}t bestimmen}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {253 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Wetterbedingte Extremereignisse nehmen mit dem Klimawandel in vielen Regionen der Welt an Intensit{\"a}t und H{\"a}ufigkeit zu. Immer wieder unterstreichen tragische Krisenvorf{\"a}lle die Notwendigkeit der Aufkl{\"a}rung im Nachgang. Doch ausgerechnet wenn sich Leute {\"u}ber eins der aktuellsten und schwerwiegendsten Themen unserer heutigen Zeit informieren wollen, wird es daf{\"u}r keinen konsistenten Kanal in Deutschland geben. Kassandra bietet die M{\"o}glichkeit, sich verst{\"a}ndlich mit den Ereignissen und Missst{\"a}nden sachlich im Krisenbereich auseinanderzusetzen. Transparenz und Seriosit{\"a}t sind Schwerpunkte im qualitativ hochwertigen Bereich, die dabei von Wichtigkeit sind. Mit den Prinzipien des investigativen Journalismus schafft Kassandra als Onlineformat einen Denkanstoß, wie im Bereich der Krisenkommunikation eine Verbesserung stattfinden kann.}, language = {de} } @article{OhrtmannGolland2023, author = {Ohrtmann, Jan-Peter and Golland, Alexander}, title = {Datenschutz \& Datenrecht - ein Ausblick auf 2023: Nationale Entwicklungen, EuGH-Vorlagen \& Aufsicht}, series = {Datenschutz-Berater (DSB)}, volume = {2023}, journal = {Datenschutz-Berater (DSB)}, number = {3}, publisher = {Fachmedien Recht und Wirtschaft}, address = {Frankfurt am Main}, 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 = {Datenschutz-Berater (DSB)}, volume = {2023}, journal = {Datenschutz-Berater (DSB)}, 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} } @inproceedings{NikolovskiLimpertNessauetal.2023, author = {Nikolovski, Gjorgji and Limpert, Nicolas and Nessau, Hendrik and Reke, Michael and Ferrein, Alexander}, title = {Model-predictive control with parallelised optimisation for the navigation of autonomous mining vehicles}, series = {2023 IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV)}, booktitle = {2023 IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium (IV)}, publisher = {IEEE}, isbn = {979-8-3503-4691-6 (Online)}, doi = {10.1109/IV55152.2023.10186806}, pages = {6 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The work in modern open-pit and underground mines requires the transportation of large amounts of resources between fixed points. The navigation to these fixed points is a repetitive task that can be automated. The challenge in automating the navigation of vehicles commonly used in mines is the systemic properties of such vehicles. Many mining vehicles, such as the one we have used in the research for this paper, use steering systems with an articulated joint bending the vehicle's drive axis to change its course and a hydraulic drive system to actuate axial drive components or the movements of tippers if available. To address the difficulties of controlling such a vehicle, we present a model-predictive approach for controlling the vehicle. While the control optimisation based on a parallel error minimisation of the predicted state has already been established in the past, we provide insight into the design and implementation of an MPC for an articulated mining vehicle and show the results of real-world experiments in an open-pit mine environment.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{NierlePieper2023, author = {Nierle, Elisabeth and Pieper, Martin}, title = {Measuring social impacts in engineering education to improve sustainability skills}, series = {European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI)}, booktitle = {European Society for Engineering Education (SEFI)}, doi = {10.21427/QPR4-0T22}, pages = {9 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {In times of social climate protection movements, such as Fridays for Future, the priorities of society, industry and higher education are currently changing. The consideration of sustainability challenges is increasing. In the context of sustainable development, social skills are crucial to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In particular, the impact that educational activities have on people, communities and society is therefore coming to the fore. Research has shown that people with high levels of social competence are better able to manage stressful situations, maintain positive relationships and communicate effectively. They are also associated with better academic performance and career success. However, especially in engineering programs, the social pillar is underrepresented compared to the environmental and economic pillars. In response to these changes, higher education institutions should be more aware of their social impact - from individual forms of teaching to entire modules and degree programs. To specifically determine the potential for improvement and derive resulting change for further development, we present an initial framework for social impact measurement by transferring already established approaches from the business sector to the education sector. To demonstrate the applicability, we measure the key competencies taught in undergraduate engineering programs in Germany. The aim is to prepare the students for success in the modern world of work and their future contribution to sustainable development. Additionally, the university can include the results in its sustainability report. Our method can be applied to different teaching methods and enables their comparison.}, language = {en} } @article{NiedermeierPennerUsherovichetal.2023, author = {Niedermeier, Jana and Penner, Crystal and Usherovich, Samuel and B{\´e}langer-Champagne, Camille and Paulßen, Elisabeth and Cornelia, Hoehr}, 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} } @inproceedings{NethSchubaBrodkorbetal.2023, author = {Neth, Jannik and Schuba, Marko and Brodkorb, Karsten and Neugebauer, Georg and H{\"o}ner, Tim and Hack, Sacha}, title = {Digital forensics triage app for android}, series = {ARES '23: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security}, booktitle = {ARES '23: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security}, publisher = {ACM}, isbn = {9798400707728}, doi = {10.1145/3600160.3605017}, pages = {6 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Digital forensics of smartphones is of utmost importance in many criminal cases. As modern smartphones store chats, photos, videos etc. that can be relevant for investigations and as they can have storage capacities of hundreds of gigabytes, they are a primary target for forensic investigators. However, it is exactly this large amount of data that is causing problems: extracting and examining the data from multiple phones seized in the context of a case is taking more and more time. This bears the risk of wasting a lot of time with irrelevant phones while there is not enough time left to analyze a phone which is worth examination. Forensic triage can help in this case: Such a triage is a preselection step based on a subset of data and is performed before fully extracting all the data from the smartphone. Triage can accelerate subsequent investigations and is especially useful in cases where time is essential. The aim of this paper is to determine which and how much data from an Android smartphone can be made directly accessible to the forensic investigator - without tedious investigations. For this purpose, an app has been developed that can be used with extremely limited storage of data in the handset and which outputs the extracted data immediately to the forensic workstation in a human- and machine-readable format.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Namakiravesh2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Namakiravesh, Ehsan}, title = {Coup{\´e} Nr. 13}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {25 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Coup{\´e} Nr. 13 ist eine kurze Animation {\"u}ber ein Zugcoup{\´e} mit 6 individuellen Passagieren und den 5 Stufen der Kommunikationsentwicklung zwischen ihnen. Die Passagiere des "Coup{\´e} Nummer 13" werden zu ihrem wahren Ich, wenn sie sich gegenseitig die Kofferklappen {\"o}ffnen. Doch dieses Offen-Sein ist gar nicht so einfach. Es f{\"u}hlt sich anfangs verletzlich an, psychologisch nackt und meist {\"a}ngstlich. Aber diese Verletzlichkeit ist aus psychologischer Sicht der Schl{\"u}ssel zu engen Beziehungen. Wahre Verbundenheit entsteht nur, wenn man den Weg zur Schattenseite des anderen findet - indem man sie so sieht und annimmt, wie sie wirklich sind. In der Tat bewundern und respektieren wir meistens die Verletzlichkeit anderer Menschen. Wir sehen sie in der Regel als ein Zeichen von St{\"a}rke und Mut - nicht von Schw{\"a}che.}, language = {de} } @inproceedings{MoehrenBergmannJanseretal.2023, author = {M{\"o}hren, Felix and Bergmann, Ole and Janser, Frank and Braun, Carsten}, title = {On the determination of harmonic propeller loads}, series = {AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum}, booktitle = {AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum}, publisher = {AIAA}, doi = {10.2514/6.2023-2404}, pages = {12 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Dynamic loads significantly impact the structural design of propeller blades due to fatigue and static strength. Since propellers are elastic structures, deformations and aerodynamic loads are coupled. In the past, propeller manufacturers established procedures to determine unsteady aerodynamic loads and the structural response with analytical steady-state calculations. According to the approach, aeroelastic coupling primarily consists of torsional deformations. They neglect bending deformations, deformation velocities, and inertia terms. This paper validates the assumptions above for a General Aviation propeller and a lift propeller for urban air mobility or large cargo drones. Fully coupled reduced-order simulations determine the dynamic loads in the time domain. A quasi-steady blade element momentum approach transfers loads to one-dimensional finite beam elements. The simulation results are in relatively good agreement with the analytical method for the General Aviation propeller but show increasing errors for the slender lift propeller. The analytical approach is modified to consider the induced velocities. Still, inertia and velocity proportional terms play a significant role for the lift propeller due to increased elasticity. The assumption that only torsional deformations significantly impact the dynamic loads of propellers is not valid. Adequate determination of dynamic loads of such designs requires coupled aeroelastic simulations or advanced analytical procedures.}, 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} } @incollection{MoorkampPetersonUibel2023, author = {Moorkamp, Wilfried and Peterson, Leif Arne and Uibel, Thomas}, title = {Standardholzbr{\"u}cken f{\"u}r kommunale Geh- und Radwege}, series = {Strukturen, Formen und Prinzipien : Festschrift zum 60. Geburtstag von Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Trautz}, booktitle = {Strukturen, Formen und Prinzipien : Festschrift zum 60. Geburtstag von Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Trautz}, editor = {Wehren, Cedric}, publisher = {RWTH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, isbn = {978-3-95886-500-6}, pages = {140 -- 165}, year = {2023}, language = {de} } @masterthesis{Mok2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Mok, Pia Peixia}, title = {Flowcean Qi : a gentle Reminder to take a deep breath.}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {84 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Atmen tut jeder, automatisch. Es wird nicht auf die Ausf{\"u}hrung geachtet. Doch was, wenn nur ein wenig Feinschliff an unserer Atmung bereits Großes f{\"u}r unsere Gesundheit bewirkt? Von etlichen unterschiedlichen Studien wurde bezeugt, dass Atmung und Empfinden eins sind. Das pers{\"o}nliche Empfinden ist unser Portal zur Außenwelt. Die Art wie wir auf {\"a}ußerliche Reize reagieren, wie achtsam wir im Tun und Denken sind, spiegelt unsere Innenwelt und k{\"o}rperliches Wohlbefinden wieder. FLOWCEAN QI dient dazu, Stress- und Angstst{\"o}rungen im Alltagsleben f{\"u}r Berufst{\"a}tige mit hohem Stressfaktor zu reduzieren. Vor allem, um das Gesundheitssystem zu entlasten und die Psyche der Menschen gesund wieder aufzubauen. Sind Berufst{\"a}tige viel gelassener, steigen auch Leistung und Produktivit{\"a}t. Es ist immer wichtig, die Kernursache von Problemen zu finden und zu l{\"o}sen. So k{\"o}nnen auch vielerlei andere auf die Psyche zur{\"u}ckzuf{\"u}hrende Probleme der Gesellschaft gel{\"o}st werden. FLOWCEAN QI agiert durch modernste Technologie aktiv mit dem Nutzer. Die KI-Assistenz gestaltet das Lernen der Atemtechniken spaßiger, was wiederum den Lerneffekt verbessert. Der Beamer wird im Innenbereich platziert und der Tracker begleitet einen unterwegs und zeichnet die Datenanalyse auf. F{\"u}r mehr Datenschutz ist das Armband ein reines offline Produkt. F{\"o}rmlich sollte es dem Nutzer nah sein, naturverbunden, vertrauensw{\"u}rdig und beruhigend wirken. FLOWCEAN QI basiert gestalterisch auf eine antike japanische Philosophie namens „Kintsugi". Nach der japanischen Philosophie Kintsugi werden zerbrochene Teegl{\"a}ser wiederzusammengeklebt statt weggeworfen. Die in Teile getrennten Elemente werden glatt und geschmeidig wieder zusammengef{\"u}gt. Sie formen ein neues Ganzes, dass die Sch{\"o}nheit des Originals meist {\"u}bertrifft. Die {\"A}sthetik hinter „Kintsugi" nennt man „Wabi-Sabi". Es bedeutet, die Sch{\"o}nheit im Verg{\"a}nglichen, Alten oder Fehlerhaften zu verstehen. Die Philosophie dahinter wird metaphorisch auf das Design abgebildet und auf unsere Gesundheit {\"u}bertragen. Statt letztere zu ignorieren, schenken wir ihr unsere volle Aufmerksamkeit. Ziel der Produkte ist, uns stets an sie zu erinnern, sodass wir t{\"a}glich an unserem Wohlbefinden arbeiten k{\"o}nnen.}, language = {de} } @masterthesis{Merkel2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Merkel, Tobias}, title = {Unterst{\"u}tzung f{\"u}r Familien : barrierearme Inanspruchnahme von Sozialleistungen f{\"u}r Familien und Kinder}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {199 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Familienbezogene Sozialleistungen sind wichtige Bestandteile eines Sozialstaats: Nicht nur helfen sie Kindern und Familien bei der Bew{\"a}ltigung ihres Alltags, vielmehr sichern sie ein ̈w{\"u}rdevolles Zusammenleben, gleichen in Teilen soziale Unterschiede aus und korrigieren ungleiche Startchancen. Chancengleichheit ist kein triviales Thema: Eine Gesellschaft, die auf sozialen Grundpfeilern aufbaut, muss st{\"a}ndig die Umsetzung dieses eigenen Anspruchs bewerten. Finanzielle Mittel, die deswegen angeboten werden, sind nur dann wirksam, wenn sie Betroffene erreichen. 
Die Nicht-Inanspruchnahme von Sozialleistungen ist ein komplexes Problem. Als Ursache wird gemeinhin die Attraktivit{\"a}t der Leistungen genannt. Vielfach sind aber die Kommunikation und die Informationsbeschaffung entscheidende Faktoren, warum Hilfe ungenutzt bleibt. In dem Projekt ist demgem{\"a}ß zu er{\"o}rtern, wie {\"u}ber zeitgem{\"a}ße digitale Instrumente das Angebot und die Leistungen der Familienkasse zug{\"a}nglich, barrierearm und intuitiv gestaltet werden k{\"o}nnen.}, language = {de} } @inproceedings{MaurerMiskiwAcostaetal.2023, author = {Maurer, Florian and Miskiw, Kim K. and Acosta, Rebeca Ramirez and Harder, Nick and Sander, Volker and Lehnhoff, Sebastian}, title = {Market abstraction of energy markets and policies - application in an agent-based modeling toolbox}, series = {EI.A 2023: Energy Informatics}, booktitle = {EI.A 2023: Energy Informatics}, editor = {Jorgensen, Bo Norregaard and Pereira da Silva, Luiz Carlos and Ma, Zheng}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Cham}, isbn = {978-3-031-48651-7 (Print)}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-031-48652-4_10}, pages = {139 -- 157}, year = {2023}, abstract = {In light of emerging challenges in energy systems, markets are prone to changing dynamics and market design. Simulation models are commonly used to understand the changing dynamics of future electricity markets. However, existing market models were often created with specific use cases in mind, which limits their flexibility and usability. This can impose challenges for using a single model to compare different market designs. This paper introduces a new method of defining market designs for energy market simulations. The proposed concept makes it easy to incorporate different market designs into electricity market models by using relevant parameters derived from analyzing existing simulation tools, morphological categorization and ontologies. These parameters are then used to derive a market abstraction and integrate it into an agent-based simulation framework, allowing for a unified analysis of diverse market designs. Furthermore, we showcase the usability of integrating new types of long-term contracts and over-the-counter trading. To validate this approach, two case studies are demonstrated: a pay-as-clear market and a pay-as-bid long-term market. These examples demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed framework.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Martinez2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Martinez, Mariana}, title = {The Taste of Memories : a recipe book of memories}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {110 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {What does the word 'home' means and at what age do we give it meaning? Many of us grew up in one, in a home that our parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and relatives shaped. Who, as we grew up, taught us about the world from their perspective as we interpreted and saw it for the first time and with it, its colors, its smells, its tastes, its sounds, its dances, and its languages. When we migrate, we take all that with us, like a piece of luggage that was stored in some corner inside a lung, or inside the memory in a heart's artery. And then you arrive in this new world, which we were told was the Old World, with other colors, other flavors, other words, in which yours no longer make sense. And you try to connect with all your senses, but, above all, we try to belong, because we belonged all our lives to something, to someone, to some place where we learned to be. When we migrate, without saying, we go through the grieve that comes with the beautiful discomfort of leaving everything we once knew. We mourn, because we can't go to lunch at our grandmas on Sundays, or have mom bring us soup when we are sick, or the Christmas meals and celebrations that we like so much, or that special dish that was made for us on our birthdays or on a family BBQ on a Sunday or a holiday. I wonder if emotions come inside us through the taste and respiratory track, if it is that we breathe life, and with that what we love finds its ways inside and finds its corner somewhere in the body. If what we have loved and what we have lived hides somewhere in our body, I doubtlessly think it came in through one of our senses, and in this attempt at my first illustrated book I'll share which, I think, are the senses through which at first instance part of what we perceive as cultural identity enters.}, language = {de} } @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}, doi = {10.3390/app13137610}, pages = {Artikel 7610}, 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} } @masterthesis{Lorse2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Lorse, Hannah}, title = {Gem{\"u}sevolle Aussichten : eine bunte Sammlung essbarer Pflanzenteile}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {92 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Die Bachelorarbeit „Gem{\"u}sevolle Aussichten" / „Eine bunte Sammlung essbarer Pflanzenteile" umfasst eine illustrative Auseinandersetzung, bunte Sammlung essbarer Pflanzenteile (Gem{\"u}se). Mit ihr entsteht ein visueller Anreiz, sich mehr mit dem gesunden Nahrungsmittel auseinanderzusetzen. Viele Kinder sowie Erwachsene kennen viele Gem{\"u}sesorten {\"u}berhaupt nicht, Gem{\"u}se wie z. B. Schwarzwurzeln, Pastinaken oder gar Fenchel ist oftmals wenig bekannt. Mit der Arbeit wird ein informeller, illustrativer {\"U}berblick {\"u}ber Gem{\"u}se geschaffen, um zum Beispiel auch {\"u}ber die Inhaltsstoffe zu informieren. Denn viele wissen gar nicht, was eigentlich in dem wertvollen Nahrungsmitteln steckt, wie gut ein regelm{\"a}ßiger Konsum von Gem{\"u}se eigentlich f{\"u}r uns ist. Dabei hat der t{\"a}gliche Konsum von verschiedenen Gem{\"u}sesorten nicht nur eine Auswirkung auf die k{\"o}rperliche sondern auch auf die mentale Gesundheit. Viele Gem{\"u}sesorten beinhalten bestimmte Vitamine oder weitere Inhaltsstoffe, die sich positiv auf unsere Psyche auswirken und dazu beitragen, zum Bespiel einen depressiven Zustand zu verbessern. Auch die Umwelt kann von einem h{\"a}ufigeren Konsum von Gem{\"u}se anstatt Fleisch profitieren. Denn bei der Produktion von Fleisch entsteht viel mehr Kohlenstoffdioxid als bei der Produktion von Gem{\"u}se. Auch der Anteil des virtuellen Wassers ist bei der Produktion von Fleisch viel h{\"o}her. Das Projekt besteht aus einem fadengebundenen Hardcover-Buch und einer Poster-Serie. Zu Beginn der Arbeit wird eine allgemeine Einleitung in das Thema Gem{\"u}se gegeben. Im folgenden Hauptteil werden verschiedene Gem{\"u}segruppen und einige der zugeh{\"o}rigen Sorten visuell und informativ erkl{\"a}rt. Bei der Poster-Serie wurden die sechs Hauptfarben, die jeweiligen Gem{\"u}seillustrationen separiert und im Stil der Arbeit nummeriert benannt. Mit dem Projekt soll die Unwissenheit {\"u}ber viele Gem{\"u}sesorten gesenkt und der Konsum von weniger Fleisch und mehr Gem{\"u}se angeregt werden.}, language = {de} } @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} } @masterthesis{Leiwen2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Leiwen, Sophie}, title = {Steinreich : Mineralien des Siegerlands}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {69 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Der Aufbau und die Entstehung unseres Planeten sind untrennbar mit der Bildung von Gesteinen verbunden - diese setzen sich aus verschiedenen Mineralien zusammen. Sie sind in der Natur weit verbreitet und spielen eine entscheidende Rolle in unserem t{\"a}glichen Leben. Obwohl vielen Menschen der Nutzen von Bodensch{\"a}tzen bewusst ist, besteht ein geringes Wissen {\"u}ber deren Vorkommen und Relevanz. F{\"u}r die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung des Siegerlandes beispielsweise waren der Abbau und der Handel mit Mineralien von großer Bedeutung. Insbesondere der langj{\"a}hrige Abbau von Eisenerz legte den Grundstein f{\"u}r die gesamte Metallindustrie der Region. Die Publikation visualisiert eine umfangreiche Sammlung Siegerl{\"a}nder Mineralien und vermittelt ein grundlegendes Verst{\"a}ndnis von Mineralien.}, language = {de} } @book{Lauth2023, author = {Lauth, Jakob}, title = {Physical chemistry in a nutshell: Basics for engineers and scientists}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Berlin}, isbn = {978-3-662-67636-3 (Softcover)}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-662-67637-0}, pages = {XIII, 248 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {This book is based on a multimedia course for biological and chemical engineers, which is designed to trigger students' curiosity and initiative. A solid basic knowledge of thermodynamics and kinetics is necessary for understanding many technical, chemical, and biological processes. The one-semester basic lecture course was divided into 12 workshops (chapters). Each chapter covers a practically relevant area of physical chemistry and contains the following didactic elements that make this book particularly exciting and understandable: - Links to Videos at the start of each chapter as preparation for the workshop - Key terms (in bold) for further research of your own - Comprehension questions and calculation exercises with solutions as learning checks - Key illustrations as simple, easy-to-replicate blackboard pictures Humorous cartoons for each workshop (by Faelis) additionally lighten up the text and facilitate the learning process as a mnemonic. To round out the book, the appendix includes a summary of the most popular experiments in basic physical chemistry courses, as well as suggestions for designing workshops with exhibits, experiments, and "questions of the day." Suitable for students minoring in chemistry; chemistry majors are sure to find this slimmed-down, didactically valuable book helpful as well. The book is excellent for self-study.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Laschet2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Laschet, Kimberly}, title = {Berufsbegleitende Bildungsplattform f{\"u}r Designer : Lebenslanges Lernen f{\"u}r alle.}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {159 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Academia ist eine berufsbegleitende Bildungsplattform f{\"u}r Designer:innen. Die Mission der Plattform ist es, Designer:innen w{\"a}hrend ihres kreativen Ausbildungsweges und auch lange nach ihrem Berufseinstieg zu begleiten und zu unterst{\"u}tzen. Durch Videokurse, Online-Lehrveranstaltungen, etwa Gruppenseminare, Design Talks und Challenges sollen Nutzer:innen passend auf ihre Interessen und ihrem Niveau entsprechend gef{\"o}rdert werden. Academias Fokus liegt auf eine nachhaltige Weiterentwicklung der F{\"a}higkeiten und der fachlichen Expertise.}, language = {de} } @inproceedings{LahrsKrisamHerrmann2023, author = {Lahrs, Lennart and Krisam, Pierre and Herrmann, Ulf}, title = {Envisioning a collaborative energy system planning platform for the energy transition at the district level}, series = {The 36th International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems}, booktitle = {The 36th International Conference on Efficiency, Cost, Optimization, Simulation and Environmental Impact of Energy Systems}, publisher = {Procedings of ECOS 2023}, doi = {10.52202/069564-0284}, pages = {3163 -- 3170}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Residential and commercial buildings account for more than one-third of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Integrated multi-energy systems at the district level are a promising way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by exploiting economies of scale and synergies between energy sources. Planning district energy systems comes with many challenges in an ever-changing environment. Computational modelling established itself as the state-of-the-art method for district energy system planning. Unfortunately, it is still cumbersome to combine standalone models to generate insights that surpass their original purpose. Ideally, planning processes could be solved by using modular tools that easily incorporate the variety of competing and complementing computational models. Our contribution is a vision for a collaborative development and application platform for multi-energy system planning tools at the district level. We present challenges of district energy system planning identified in the literature and evaluate whether this platform can help to overcome these challenges. Further, we propose a toolkit that represents the core technical elements of the platform. Lastly, we discuss community management and its relevance for the success of projects with collaboration and knowledge sharing at their core.}, language = {en} } @incollection{Laack2023, author = {Laack, Walter van}, title = {Nahtoderfahrungen, Sterben und Tod aus der Perspektive von Medizin, Naturwissenschaften und Philosophie}, series = {Thanatologie im deutschsprachigen Raum - Interdisziplin{\"a}re Perspektiven}, booktitle = {Thanatologie im deutschsprachigen Raum - Interdisziplin{\"a}re Perspektiven}, editor = {Ortmanns, Bruno and Brauers, Angelika}, publisher = {Rediroma-Verlag}, isbn = {978-3-98527-661-5}, pages = {129 -- 139}, year = {2023}, language = {de} } @inproceedings{KueppersSchubaNeugebaueretal.2023, author = {K{\"u}ppers, Malte and Schuba, Marko and Neugebauer, Georg and H{\"o}ner, Tim and Hack, Sacha}, title = {Security analysis of the KNX smart building protocol}, series = {ARES '23: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security}, booktitle = {ARES '23: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security}, publisher = {ACM}, doi = {10.1145/3600160.3605167}, pages = {1 -- 7}, year = {2023}, abstract = {KNX is a protocol for smart building automation, e.g., for automated heating, air conditioning, or lighting. This paper analyses and evaluates state-of-the-art KNX devices from manufacturers Merten, Gira and Siemens with respect to security. On the one hand, it is investigated if publicly known vulnerabilities like insecure storage of passwords in software, unencrypted communication, or denialof-service attacks, can be reproduced in new devices. On the other hand, the security is analyzed in general, leading to the discovery of a previously unknown and high risk vulnerability related to so-called BCU (authentication) keys.}, language = {en} } @book{KurzSchwer2023, author = {Kurz, Melanie and Schwer, Thilo}, title = {Design f{\"u}r Spiel, Spaß, Spannung: Gestaltung von Artefakten zum spielerischen Handeln / herausgegeben von Melanie Kurz und Thilo Schwer}, series = {Schriften / Gesellschaft f{\"u}r Designgeschichte}, journal = {Schriften / Gesellschaft f{\"u}r Designgeschichte}, edition = {1. Auflage}, publisher = {avedition}, address = {Stuttgart}, isbn = {978-3-89986-396-3}, pages = {171 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Die kulturgeschichtlichen Stationen des Spielens vom Beginn der Industrialisierung bis zur Jahrtausendwende werden sowohl aus dem Blickwinkel der Designgeschichte als auch aus dem der Game Studies betrachtet. Die Bandbreite der Themen reicht von der Bauhaus-Wurfpuppe bis zur Barbie, vom Japonismus bis zur Pixelgrafik, von der grafischen Raumillusion zu 3D-Umgebungen und Interaktionsgestaltung, vom Brettspiel bis zum Kriegsspielzeug, von den Utopien der beginnenden Neuzeit bis zu merkantilen Absichten digitaler Spielkonzepte.}, language = {de} } @incollection{Kurz2023, author = {Kurz, Melanie}, title = {Waffen und milit{\"a}rische Ausr{\"u}stung in Systemspielzeugwelten}, series = {Design f{\"u}r Spiel, Spaß, Spannung: Gestaltung von Artefakten zum spielerischen Handeln / herausgegeben von Melanie Kurz und Thilo Schwer}, booktitle = {Design f{\"u}r Spiel, Spaß, Spannung: Gestaltung von Artefakten zum spielerischen Handeln / herausgegeben von Melanie Kurz und Thilo Schwer}, publisher = {avedition}, address = {Stuttgart}, isbn = {978-3-89986-396-3}, pages = {104 -- 121}, year = {2023}, language = {de} } @masterthesis{Kuck2023, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Kuck, Fabian}, title = {Commuter Zone : R{\"u}ckzugsort f{\"u}r Pendelnde zum Ausgleich ihrer Reisezeit}, publisher = {FH Aachen}, address = {Aachen}, pages = {103 Seiten}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Die „Commuter Zone" setzt sich mit dem Zeitverlust Pendelnder auseinander. Berufliche Ziele treiben immer mehr Menschen an, l{\"a}ngere Strecken zur{\"u}ckzulegen. Dabei b{\"u}ßen sie den Zeitaufwand an privater Stelle ein. Als R{\"u}ckzugsort f{\"u}r Alleinreisende schafft die „Commuter Zone" ein effektiv nutzbares Zeitfenster. Dazu wird die R{\"u}cksichtnahme der Routinierten zueinander genutzt und gef{\"o}rdert. Sitz- und Arbeitsfl{\"a}chen lassen sich zur{\"u}ckklappen und erleichtern das Aussteigen. Der begrenzte Raum wird intensiv genutzt. So entsteht Komfort durch die Zuversicht, einen Sitzplatz zu erhalten. Und dank der Zusammensetzung der Sitzkonstellation bleibt das Arbeitsgeschehen privat. Letztlich bietet die „Commuter Zone" den zunehmend selbstbestimmenden Besch{\"a}ftigten neue M{\"o}glichkeiten zur Arbeitseinteilung und schafft Qualit{\"a}tszeit im Privaten.}, language = {de} } @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} }