TY - JOUR A1 - Harish, Ajay B. A1 - Wriggers, Peter A1 - Jungk, Juliane A1 - Hojdis, Nils A1 - Recker, Carla T1 - Mesoscale Constitutive Modeling of Non-Crystallizing Filled Elastomers JF - Computational Mechanics N2 - Elastomers are exceptional materials owing to their ability to undergo large deformations before failure. However, due to their very low stiffness, they are not always suitable for industrial applications. Addition of filler particles provides reinforcing effects and thus enhances the material properties that render them more versatile for applications like tyres etc. However, deformation behavior of filled polymers is accompanied by several nonlinear effects like Mullins and Payne effect. To this day, the physical and chemical changes resulting in such nonlinear effect remain an active area of research. In this work, we develop a heterogeneous (or multiphase) constitutive model at the mesoscale explicitly considering filler particle aggregates, elastomeric matrix and their mechanical interaction through an approximate interface layer. The developed constitutive model is used to demonstrate cluster breakage, also, as one of the possible sources for Mullins effect observed in non-crystallizing filled elastomers. Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00466-015-1251-1 SN - 1432-0924 VL - 57 SP - 653 EP - 677 PB - Springer CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schwab, Lukas A1 - Hojdis, Nils A1 - Lacayo, Jorge A1 - Wilhelm, Manfred T1 - Fourier-Transform Rheology of Unvulcanized, Carbon Black Filled Styrene Butadiene Rubber JF - Macromolecular Materials and Engineering N2 - Rubber materials filled with reinforcing fillers display nonlinear rheological behavior at small strain amplitudes below γ0 < 0.1. Nevertheless, rheological data are analyzed mostly in terms of linear parameters, such as shear moduli (G′, G″), which loose their physical meaning in the nonlinear regime. In this work styrene butadiene rubber filled with carbon black (CB) under large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) is analyzed in terms of the nonlinear parameter I3/1. Three different CB grades are used and the filler load is varied between 0 and 70 phr. It is found that I3/1(φ) is most sensitive to changes of the total accessible filler surface area at low strain amplitudes (γ0 = 0.32). The addition of up to 70 phr CB leads to an increase of I3/1(φ) by a factor of more than ten. The influence of the measurement temperature on I3/1 is pronounced for CB levels above the percolation threshold. Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mame.201500356 SN - 1439-2054 VL - 301 IS - 4 SP - 457 EP - 468 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Svaneborg, Carsten A1 - Karimi-Varzaneh, Hossein Ali A1 - Hojdis, Nils A1 - Fleck, Franz A1 - Everaers, Ralf T1 - Multiscale approach to equilibrating model polymer melts JF - Physical Review E N2 - We present an effective and simple multiscale method for equilibrating Kremer Grest model polymer melts of varying stiffness. In our approach, we progressively equilibrate the melt structure above the tube scale, inside the tube and finally at the monomeric scale. We make use of models designed to be computationally effective at each scale. Density fluctuations in the melt structure above the tube scale are minimized through a Monte Carlo simulated annealing of a lattice polymer model. Subsequently the melt structure below the tube scale is equilibrated via the Rouse dynamics of a force-capped Kremer-Grest model that allows chains to partially interpenetrate. Finally the Kremer-Grest force field is introduced to freeze the topological state and enforce correct monomer packing. We generate 15 melts of 500 chains of 10.000 beads for varying chain stiffness as well as a number of melts with 1.000 chains of 15.000 monomers. To validate the equilibration process we study the time evolution of bulk, collective, and single-chain observables at the monomeric, mesoscopic, and macroscopic length scales. Extension of the present method to longer, branched, or polydisperse chains, and/or larger system sizes is straightforward. Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.94.032502 SN - 2470-0053 VL - 94 IS - 032502 PB - AIP Publishing CY - Melville, NY ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scheer, Nico A1 - Wilson, Ian D. T1 - A comparison between genetically humanized and chimeric liver humanized mouse models for studies in drug metabolism and toxicity JF - Drug Discovery Today N2 - Mice that have been genetically humanized for proteins involved in drug metabolism and toxicity and mice engrafted with human hepatocytes are emerging and promising in vivo models for an improved prediction of the pharmacokinetic, drug–drug interaction and safety characteristics of compounds in humans. The specific advantages and disadvantages of these models should be carefully considered when using them for studies in drug discovery and development. Here, an overview on the corresponding genetically humanized and chimeric liver humanized mouse models described to date is provided and illustrated with examples of their utility in drug metabolism and toxicity studies. We compare the strength and weaknesses of the two different approaches, give guidance for the selection of the appropriate model for various applications and discuss future trends and perspectives. Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2015.09.002 SN - 1359-6446 VL - 21 IS - 2 SP - 250 EP - 263 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dallas, Shannon A1 - Salphati, Laurent A1 - Gomez-Zepeda, David A1 - Wanek, Thomas A1 - Chen, Liangfu A1 - Chu, Xiaoyan A1 - Kunta, Jeevan A1 - Mezler, Mario A1 - Menet, Marie-Claude A1 - Chasseigneaux, Stephanie A1 - Declèves, Xavier A1 - Langer, Oliver A1 - Pierre, Esaie A1 - DiLoreto, Karen A1 - Hoft, Carolin A1 - Laplanche, Loic A1 - Pang, Jodie A1 - Pereira, Tony A1 - Andonian, Clara A1 - Simic, Damir A1 - Rode, Anja A1 - Yabut, Jocelyn A1 - Zhang, Xiaolin A1 - Scheer, Nico T1 - Generation and Characterization of a Breast Cancer Resistance Protein Humanized Mouse Model JF - Molecular Pharmacology N2 - Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) is expressed in various tissues, such as the gut, liver, kidney and blood brain barrier (BBB), where it mediates the unidirectional transport of substrates to the apical/luminal side of polarized cells. Thereby BCRP acts as an efflux pump, mediating the elimination or restricting the entry of endogenous compounds or xenobiotics into tissues and it plays important roles in drug disposition, efficacy and safety. Bcrp knockout mice (Bcrp−/−) have been used widely to study the role of this transporter in limiting intestinal absorption and brain penetration of substrate compounds. Here we describe the first generation and characterization of a mouse line humanized for BCRP (hBCRP), in which the mouse coding sequence from the start to stop codon was replaced with the corresponding human genomic region, such that the human transporter is expressed under control of the murine Bcrp promoter. We demonstrate robust human and loss of mouse BCRP/Bcrp mRNA and protein expression in the hBCRP mice and the absence of major compensatory changes in the expression of other genes involved in drug metabolism and disposition. Pharmacokinetic and brain distribution studies with several BCRP probe substrates confirmed the functional activity of the human transporter in these mice. Furthermore, we provide practical examples for the use of hBCRP mice to study drug-drug interactions (DDIs). The hBCRP mouse is a promising model to study the in vivo role of human BCRP in limiting absorption and BBB penetration of substrate compounds and to investigate clinically relevant DDIs involving BCRP. Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1124/mol.115.102079 SN - 1521-0111 VL - 89 IS - 5 SP - 492 EP - 504 PB - ASPET CY - Bethesda, Md. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhang, Jin A1 - Heimbach, Tycho A1 - Scheer, Nico A1 - Barve, Avantika A1 - Li, Wenkui A1 - Lin, Wen A1 - He, Handan T1 - Clinical Exposure Boost Predictions by Integrating Cytochrome P450 3A4–Humanized Mouse Studies With PBPK Modeling JF - Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences N2 - NVS123 is a poorly water-soluble protease 56 inhibitor in clinical development. Data from in vitro hepatocyte studies suggested that NVS123 is mainly metabolized by CYP3A4. As a consequence of limited solubility, NVS123 therapeutic plasma exposures could not be achieved even with high doses and optimized formulations. One approach to overcome NVS123 developability issues was to increase plasma exposure by coadministrating it with an inhibitor of CYP3A4 such as ritonavir. A clinical boost effect was predicted by using physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling. However, initial boost predictions lacked sufficient confidence because a key parameter, fraction of drug metabolized by CYP3A4 (ƒₘCYP3A4), could not be estimated with accuracy on account of disconnects between in vitro and in vivo preclinical data. To accurately estimate ƒₘCYP3A4 in human, an in vivo boost effect study was conducted using CYP3A4-humanized mouse model which showed a 33- to 56-fold exposure boost effect. Using a top-down approach, human ƒₘCYP3A4 for NVS123 was estimated to be very high and included in the human PBPK modeling to support subsequent clinical study design. The combined use of the in vivo boost study in CYP3A4-humanized mouse model mice along with PBPK modeling accurately predicted the clinical outcome and identified a significant NVS123 exposure boost (∼42-fold increase) with ritonavir. Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/doi.org/10.1016/j.xphs.2016.01.021 SN - 0022-3549 VL - Volume 105 IS - Issue 4 SP - 1398 EP - 1404 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Infantino, Angelo A1 - Paulßen, Elisabeth A1 - Mostacci, Domiziano A1 - Schaffer, Paul A1 - Trinczek, Michael A1 - Hoehr, Cornelia T1 - Assessment of the production of medical isotopes using the Monte Carlo code FLUKA: Simulations against experimental measurements JF - Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms N2 - The Monte Carlo code FLUKA is used to simulate the production of a number of positron emitting radionuclides, ¹⁸F, ¹³N, ⁹⁴Tc, ⁴⁴Sc, ⁶⁸Ga, ⁸⁶Y, ⁸⁹Zr, ⁵²Mn, ⁶¹Cu and ⁵⁵Co, on a small medical cyclotron with a proton beam energy of 13 MeV. Experimental data collected at the TR13 cyclotron at TRIUMF agree within a factor of 0.6 ± 0.4 with the directly simulated data, except for the production of ⁵⁵Co, where the simulation underestimates the experiment by a factor of 3.4 ± 0.4. The experimental data also agree within a factor of 0.8 ± 0.6 with the convolution of simulated proton fluence and cross sections from literature. Overall, this confirms the applicability of FLUKA to simulate radionuclide production at 13 MeV proton beam energy. Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2015.10.067 SN - 1872-9584 VL - 366 SP - 117 EP - 123 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Paulßen, Elisabeth A1 - Lengkeek, Nigel A. A1 - Le, Van So A1 - Pellegrini, Paul A. A1 - Greguric, Ivan A1 - Weiner, Ron T1 - The role of additives in moderating the influence of Fe(III) and Cu(II) on the radiochemical yield of [⁶⁸Ga(DOTATATE)] JF - Applied Radiation and Isotopes N2 - [⁶⁸Ga(DOTATATE)] has demonstrated its clinical usefulness. Both Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺, potential contaminants in Gallium-68 generator eluent, substantially reduce the radiochemical (RC) yield of [⁶⁸Ga(DOTATATE)] if the metal/ligand ratio of 1:1 is exceeded. A variety of compounds were examined for their potential ability to reduce this effect. Most had no effect on RC yield. However, addition of phosphate diminished the influence of Fe³⁺ by likely forming an insoluble iron salt. Addition of ascorbic acid reduced Cu²⁺ and Fe³⁺ to Cu⁺ and Fe²⁺ respectively, both of which have limited impact on RC yields. At low ligand amounts (5 nmol DOTATATE), the addition of 30 nmol phosphate (0.19 mM) increased the tolerance of Fe3⁺ from 4 nmol to 10 nmol (0.06 mM), while the addition of ascorbic acid allowed high RC yields (>95%) in the presence of 40 nmol Fe³⁺ (0.25 mM) and 100 nmol Cu²⁺ (0.63 mM). The effect of ascorbic acid was highly pH-dependant, and gave optimal results at pH 3. Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apradiso.2015.09.008 SN - 1872-9800 VL - 107 SP - 13 EP - 16 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wulfhorst, Helene A1 - Duwe, Anna-Maria A1 - Merseburg, Johannes A1 - Tippkötter, Nils T1 - Compositional analysis of pretreated (beech) wood using differential scanning calorimetry and multivariate data analysis JF - Tetrahedron N2 - The composition of plant biomass varies depending on the feedstock and pre-treatment conditions and influences its processing in biorefineries. In order to ensure optimal process conditions, the quantitative proportion of the main polymeric components of the pre-treated biomass has to be determined. Current standard procedures for biomass compositional analysis are complex, the measurements are afflicted with errors and therefore often not comparable. Hence, new powerful analytical methods are urgently required to characterize biomass. In this contribution, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was applied in combination with multivariate data analysis (MVA) to detect the cellulose content of the plant biomass pretreated by Liquid Hot Water (LHW) and Organosolv processes under various conditions. Unlike conventional techniques, the developed analytic method enables the accurate quantification of monosaccharide content of the plant biomass without any previous sample preparation. It is easy to handle and avoids errors in sample preparation. Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tet.2016.04.029 VL - 72 IS - 46 SP - 7329 EP - 7334 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Al-Kaidy, Huschyar A1 - Kuthan, Kai A1 - Hering, Thomas A1 - Tippkötter, Nils T1 - Aqueous droplets used as enzymatic microreactors and their electromagnetic actuation JF - Journal of Visualized Experiments N2 - For the successful implementation of microfluidic reaction systems, such as PCR and electrophoresis, the movement of small liquid volumes is essential. In conventional lab-on-a-chip-platforms, solvents and samples are passed through defined microfluidic channels with complex flow control installations. The droplet actuation platform presented here is a promising alternative. With it, it is possible to move a liquid drop (microreactor) on a planar surface of a reaction platform (lab-in-a-drop). The actuation of microreactors on the hydrophobic surface of the platform is based on the use of magnetic forces acting on the outer shell of the liquid drops which is made of a thin layer of superhydrophobic magnetite particles. The hydrophobic surface of the platform is needed to avoid any contact between the liquid core and the surface to allow a smooth movement of the microreactor. On the platform, one or more microreactors with volumes of 10 µL can be positioned and moved simultaneously. The platform itself consists of a 3 x 3 matrix of electrical double coils which accommodate either neodymium or iron cores. The magnetic field gradients are automatically controlled. By variation of the magnetic field gradients, the microreactors' magnetic hydrophobic shell can be manipulated automatically to move the microreactor or open the shell reversibly. Reactions of substrates and corresponding enzymes can be initiated by merging the microreactors or bringing them into contact with surface immobilized catalysts. Y1 - 2016 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3791/54643 SN - 1940-087X IS - Issue 126 ER -