TY - JOUR A1 - Abbas, Karim A1 - Hedwig, Lukas A1 - Balc, Nicolae A1 - Bremen, Sebastian T1 - Advanced FFF of PEEK: Infill strategies and material characteristics for rapid tooling JF - Polymers N2 - Traditional vulcanization mold manufacturing is complex, costly, and under pressure due to shorter product lifecycles and diverse variations. Additive manufacturing using Fused Filament Fabrication and high-performance polymers like PEEK offer a promising future in this industry. This study assesses the compressive strength of various infill structures (honeycomb, grid, triangle, cubic, and gyroid) when considering two distinct build directions (Z, XY) to enhance PEEK’s economic and resource efficiency in rapid tooling. A comparison with PETG samples shows the behavior of the infill strategies. Additionally, a proof of concept illustrates the application of a PEEK mold in vulcanization. A peak compressive strength of 135.6 MPa was attained in specimens that were 100% solid and subjected to thermal post-treatment. This corresponds to a 20% strength improvement in the Z direction. In terms of time and mechanical properties, the anisotropic grid and isotropic cubic infill have emerged for use in rapid tooling. Furthermore, the study highlights that reducing the layer thickness from 0.15 mm to 0.1 mm can result in a 15% strength increase. The study unveils the successful utilization of a room-temperature FFF-printed PEEK mold in vulcanization injection molding. The parameters and infill strategies identified in this research enable the resource-efficient FFF printing of PEEK without compromising its strength properties. Using PEEK in rapid tooling allows a cost reduction of up to 70% in tool production. KW - polyetheretherketone (PEEK) KW - rapid tooling KW - infill strategy KW - compression behavior KW - additive manufacturing KW - fused filament fabrication Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/polym15214293 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue "Polymer Materials and Design Processes for Additively Manufactured Products" VL - 2023 IS - 15 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Adels, Klaudia A1 - Elbers, Gereon A1 - Diehl, Bernd A1 - Monakhova, Yulia T1 - Multicomponent analysis of dietary supplements containing glucosamine and chondroitin: comparative low- and high-field NMR spectroscopic study JF - Analytical Sciences N2 - With the prevalence of glucosamine- and chondroitin-containing dietary supplements for people with osteoarthritis in the marketplace, it is important to have an accurate and reproducible analytical method for the quantitation of these compounds in finished products. NMR spectroscopic method based both on low- (80 MHz) and high- (500–600 MHz) field NMR instrumentation was established, compared and validated for the determination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine in dietary supplements. The proposed method was applied for analysis of 20 different dietary supplements. In the majority of cases, quantification results obtained on the low-field NMR spectrometer are similar to those obtained with high-field 500–600 MHz NMR devices. Validation results in terms of accuracy, precision, reproducibility, limit of detection and recovery demonstrated that the developed method is fit for purpose for the marketed products. The NMR method was extended to the analysis of methylsulfonylmethane, adulterant maltodextrin, acetate and inorganic ions. Low-field NMR can be a quicker and cheaper alternative to more expensive high-field NMR measurements for quality control of the investigated dietary supplements. High-field NMR instrumentation can be more favorable for samples with complex composition due to better resolution, simultaneously giving the possibility of analysis of inorganic species such as potassium and chloride. KW - Glucosamine KW - Chondroitin sulfate KW - Polysaccharides KW - Dietary supplements KW - High-field NMR Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s44211-023-00433-2 SN - 1348-2246 (Online) SN - 0910-6340 (Print) N1 - Corresponding author: Yulia Monakhova VL - 2023 PB - Springer Verlag CY - Cham ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Alnemer, Momin Sami Mohammad A1 - Kotliar, Konstantin A1 - Neuhaus, Valentin A1 - Pape, Hans-Christoph A1 - Ciritsis, Bernhard D. T1 - Cost-effectiveness analysis of surgical proximal femur fracture prevention in elderly: a Markov cohort simulation model JF - Cost Effectiveness and Resource Allocation N2 - Background Hip fractures are a common and costly health problem, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality, as well as high costs for healthcare systems, especially for the elderly. Implementing surgical preventive strategies has the potential to improve the quality of life and reduce the burden on healthcare resources, particularly in the long term. However, there are currently limited guidelines for standardizing hip fracture prophylaxis practices. Methods This study used a cost-effectiveness analysis with a finite-state Markov model and cohort simulation to evaluate the primary and secondary surgical prevention of hip fractures in the elderly. Patients aged 60 to 90 years were simulated in two different models (A and B) to assess prevention at different levels. Model A assumed prophylaxis was performed during the fracture operation on the contralateral side, while Model B included individuals with high fracture risk factors. Costs were obtained from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and transition probabilities and health state utilities were derived from available literature. The baseline assumption was a 10% reduction in fracture risk after prophylaxis. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted to assess the reliability and variability of the results. Results With a 10% fracture risk reduction, model A costs between $8,850 and $46,940 per quality-adjusted life-year ($/QALY). Additionally, it proved most cost-effective in the age range between 61 and 81 years. The sensitivity analysis established that a reduction of ≥ 2.8% is needed for prophylaxis to be definitely cost-effective. The cost-effectiveness at the secondary prevention level was most sensitive to the cost of the contralateral side’s prophylaxis, the patient’s age, and fracture treatment cost. For high-risk patients with no fracture history, the cost-effectiveness of a preventive strategy depends on their risk profile. In the baseline analysis, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio at the primary prevention level varied between $11,000/QALY and $74,000/QALY, which is below the defined willingness to pay threshold. Conclusion Due to the high cost of hip fracture treatment and its increased morbidity, surgical prophylaxis strategies have demonstrated that they can significantly relieve the healthcare system. Various key assumptions facilitated the modeling, allowing for adequate room for uncertainty. Further research is needed to evaluate health-state-associated risks. KW - Hip fractures KW - Prevention KW - Geriatric KW - Cost-effectiveness KW - Prophylaxis Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12962-023-00482-4 SN - 1478-7547 N1 - Corresponding author: Momin S. Alnemer IS - 21, Article number: 77 PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ayala, Rafael Ceja A1 - Harris, Isaac A1 - Kleefeld, Andreas A1 - Pallikarakis, Nikolaos T1 - Analysis of the transmission eigenvalue problem with two conductivity parameters JF - Applicable Analysis N2 - In this paper, we provide an analytical study of the transmission eigenvalue problem with two conductivity parameters. We will assume that the underlying physical model is given by the scattering of a plane wave for an isotropic scatterer. In previous studies, this eigenvalue problem was analyzed with one conductive boundary parameter whereas we will consider the case of two parameters. We prove the existence and discreteness of the transmission eigenvalues as well as study the dependence on the physical parameters. We are able to prove monotonicity of the first transmission eigenvalue with respect to the parameters and consider the limiting procedure as the second boundary parameter vanishes. Lastly, we provide extensive numerical experiments to validate the theoretical work. KW - Transmission Eigenvalues KW - Conductive Boundary Condition KW - Inverse Scattering Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00036811.2023.2181167 SN - 0003-6811 PB - Taylor & Francis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Baader, Fabian A1 - Boxberg, Marc S. A1 - Chen, Qian A1 - Förstner, Roger A1 - Kowalski, Julia A1 - Dachwald, Bernd T1 - Field-test performance of an ice-melting probe in a terrestrial analogue environment JF - Icarus N2 - Melting probes are a proven tool for the exploration of thick ice layers and clean sampling of subglacial water on Earth. Their compact size and ease of operation also make them a key technology for the future exploration of icy moons in our Solar System, most prominently Europa and Enceladus. For both mission planning and hardware engineering, metrics such as efficiency and expected performance in terms of achievable speed, power requirements, and necessary heating power have to be known. Theoretical studies aim at describing thermal losses on the one hand, while laboratory experiments and field tests allow an empirical investigation of the true performance on the other hand. To investigate the practical value of a performance model for the operational performance in extraterrestrial environments, we first contrast measured data from terrestrial field tests on temperate and polythermal glaciers with results from basic heat loss models and a melt trajectory model. For this purpose, we propose conventions for the determination of two different efficiencies that can be applied to both measured data and models. One definition of efficiency is related to the melting head only, while the other definition considers the melting probe as a whole. We also present methods to combine several sources of heat loss for probes with a circular cross-section, and to translate the geometry of probes with a non-circular cross-section to analyse them in the same way. The models were selected in a way that minimizes the need to make assumptions about unknown parameters of the probe or the ice environment. The results indicate that currently used models do not yet reliably reproduce the performance of a probe under realistic conditions. Melting velocities and efficiencies are constantly overestimated by 15 to 50 % in the models, but qualitatively agree with the field test data. Hence, losses are observed, that are not yet covered and quantified by the available loss models. We find that the deviation increases with decreasing ice temperature. We suspect that this mismatch is mainly due to the too restrictive idealization of the probe model and the fact that the probe was not operated in an efficiency-optimized manner during the field tests. With respect to space mission engineering, we find that performance and efficiency models must be used with caution in unknown ice environments, as various ice parameters have a significant effect on the melting process. Some of these are difficult to estimate from afar. Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115852 N1 - Forschungsdaten hierzu: "Performance data of an ice-melting probe from field tests in two different ice environments" (https://opus.bibliothek.fh-aachen.de/opus4/frontdoor/index/index/docId/10890) IS - 409 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Berg-Postweiler, Julia A1 - Steuer-Dankert, Linda A1 - Leicht-Scholten, Carmen T1 - One size does not fit all: Applying antibias trainings in academia JF - The International Journal of Organizational Diversity N2 - Antibias training is increasingly demanded and practiced in academia and industry to increase employees’ sensitivity to discrimination, racism, and diversity. Under the heading of “Diversity Management,” antibias trainings are mainly offered as one-off workshops intending to raise awareness of unconscious biases, create a diversity-affirming corporate culture, promote 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 antibias in adulthood, especially in academia, are very scarce. In order to fill this research gap, the article aims to explore how sustainable the effects of individual antibias trainings on participants’ behavior are. In order to investigate this, participant observation in a qualitative pre–post setting was conducted, analyzing antibias training 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 antibias trainings and show that a target-group adaptive approach is mandatory owing to the background of the approach in early childhood education. Therefore, antibias work needs to be adapted to the target group’s needs and realities of life. Furthermore, the study reveals that single antibias trainings must be embedded in a holistic diversity management approach to stimulate sustainable reflection processes among the target group. This article is one of the first to scientifically evaluate antibias training effectiveness, especially in engineering sciences and the university context. KW - Antibias KW - Diversity Management KW - Organizational Culture KW - Engineering Habitus Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.18848/2328-6261/CGP/v24i01/1-23 SN - 2328-6261 (Print) SN - 2328-6229 (Online) VL - 24 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 23 PB - Common Ground Research Networks ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bergmann, Ole A1 - Möhren, Felix A1 - Braun, Carsten A1 - Janser, Frank T1 - On the influence of elasticity on swept propeller noise JF - AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum N2 - High aerodynamic efficiency requires propellers with high aspect ratios, while propeller sweep potentially reduces noise. Propeller sweep and high aspect ratios increase elasticity and coupling of structural mechanics and aerodynamics, affecting the propeller performance and noise. Therefore, this paper analyzes the influence of elasticity on forward-swept, backward-swept, and unswept propellers in hover conditions. A reduced-order blade element momentum approach is coupled with a one-dimensional Timoshenko beam theory and Farassat's formulation 1A. The results of the aeroelastic simulation are used as input for the aeroacoustic calculation. The analysis shows that elasticity influences noise radiation because thickness and loading noise respond differently to deformations. In the case of the backward-swept propeller, the location of the maximum sound pressure level shifts forward by 0.5 °, while in the case of the forward-swept propeller, it shifts backward by 0.5 °. Therefore, aeroacoustic optimization requires the consideration of propeller deformation. Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-0210 N1 - Session: Propeller, Open Rotor, and Rotorcraft Noise II AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum, 23-27 January 2023, National Harbor, MD & Online PB - AIAA ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bertz, Morten A1 - Molinnus, Denise A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef A1 - Homma, Takayuki T1 - Real-time monitoring of H₂O₂ sterilization on individual bacillus atrophaeus spores by optical sensing with trapping Raman spectroscopy JF - Chemosensors N2 - Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), a strong oxidizer, is a commonly used sterilization agent employed during aseptic food processing and medical applications. To assess the sterilization efficiency with H₂O₂, bacterial spores are common microbial systems due to their remarkable robustness against a wide variety of decontamination strategies. Despite their widespread use, there is, however, only little information about the detailed time-resolved mechanism underlying the oxidative spore death by H₂O₂. In this work, we investigate chemical and morphological changes of individual Bacillus atrophaeus spores undergoing oxidative damage using optical sensing with trapping Raman microscopy in real-time. The time-resolved experiments reveal that spore death involves two distinct phases: (i) an initial phase dominated by the fast release of dipicolinic acid (DPA), a major spore biomarker, which indicates the rupture of the spore’s core; and (ii) the oxidation of the remaining spore material resulting in the subsequent fragmentation of the spores’ coat. Simultaneous observation of the spore morphology by optical microscopy corroborates these mechanisms. The dependence of the onset of DPA release and the time constant of spore fragmentation on H₂O₂ shows that the formation of reactive oxygen species from H₂O₂ is the rate-limiting factor of oxidative spore death. KW - DPA (dipicolinic acid) KW - sterilization KW - Bacillus atrophaeus spores KW - optical trapping KW - Raman spectroscopy KW - optical sensor setup Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors11080445 SN - 2227-9040 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue "Biosensors and Chemical Sensors for Food and Healthcare Monitoring—Celebrating the 10th Anniversary" VL - 8 IS - 11 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Block, Franziska A1 - May, Alexander A1 - Wetzel, Katharina A1 - Adels, Klaudia A1 - Elbers, Gereon A1 - Schulze, Margit A1 - Monakhova, Yulia T1 - What is the best spectroscopic method for simultaneous analysis of organic acids and (poly)saccharides in biological matrices: Example of Aloe vera extracts? JF - Talanta Open N2 - Several species of (poly)saccharides and organic acids can be found often simultaneously in various biological matrices, e.g., fruits, plant materials, and biological fluids. The analysis of such matrices sometimes represents a challenging task. Using Aloe vera (A. vera) plant materials as an example, the performance of several spectro-scopic methods (80 MHz benchtop NMR, NIR, ATR-FTIR and UV–vis) for the simultaneous analysis of quality parameters of this plant material was compared. The determined parameters include (poly)saccharides such as aloverose, fructose and glucose as well as organic acids (malic, lactic, citric, isocitric, acetic, fumaric, benzoic and sorbic acids). 500 MHz NMR and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used as the reference methods. UV–vis data can be used only for identification of added preservatives (benzoic and sorbic acids) and drying agent (maltodextrin) and semiquantitative analysis of malic acid. NIR and MIR spectroscopies combined with multivariate regression can deliver more informative overview of A. vera extracts being able to additionally quantify glucose, aloverose, citric, isocitric, malic, lactic acids and fructose. Low-field NMR measurements can be used for the quantification of aloverose, glucose, malic, lactic, acetic, and benzoic acids. The benchtop NMR method was successfully validated in terms of robustness, stability, precision, reproducibility and limit of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ), respectively. All spectroscopic techniques are useful for the screening of (poly)saccharides and organic acids in plant extracts and should be applied according to its availability as well as information and confidence required for the specific analytical goal. Benchtop NMR spectroscopy seems to be the most feasible solution for quality control of A. vera products. KW - Spectroscopy KW - (Poly)saccharides KW - Organic acids KW - Aloe vera KW - qNMR Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.talo.2023.100220 SN - 2666-8319 VL - 7 IS - Art. No. 100220 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bruksle, Ieva A1 - Chwallek, Constanze A1 - Krastina, Anzelika T1 - Strengthening sustainability in entrepreneurship education - implications for shifting entrepreneurial thinking towards sustainability at universities JF - ACTA PROSPERITATIS N2 - By developing innovative solutions to social and environmental problems, sustainable ventures carry greatpotential. Entrepreneurship which focuses especially on new venture creation can be developed through education anduniversities, in particular, are called upon to provide an impetus for social change. But social innovations are associatedwith certain hurdles, which are related to the multi-dimensionality, i.e. the tension between creating social,environmental and economic value and dealing with a multiplicity of stakeholders. The already complex field ofentrepreneurship education has to face these challenges. This paper, therefore, aims to identify starting points for theintegration of sustainability into entrepreneurship education. To pursue this goal experiences from three differentproject initiatives between the partner universities: Lapland University of Applied Sciences, FH Aachen University ofApplied Sciences and Turiba University are reflected and findings are systematically condensed into recommendationsfor education on sustainable entrepreneurship. KW - climate change KW - entrepreneurship education KW - Finland KW - Germany KW - Latvia Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.37804/1691-6077-2023-14-37-48 SN - 1691-6077 VL - 14 IS - 1 SP - 37 EP - 48 PB - Sciendo ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cheenakula, Dheeraja A1 - Griebel, Kai A1 - Montag, David A1 - Grömping, Markus ED - Huang, Xiaowu T1 - Concept development of a mainstream deammonification and comparison with conventional process in terms of energy, performance and economical construction perspectives JF - Frontiers in Microbiology N2 - Deammonification for nitrogen removal in municipal wastewater in temperate and cold climate zones is currently limited to the side stream of municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTP). This study developed a conceptual model of a mainstream deammonification plant, designed for 30,000 P.E., considering possible solutions corresponding to the challenging mainstream conditions in Germany. In addition, the energy-saving potential, nitrogen elimination performance and construction-related costs of mainstream deammonification were compared to a conventional plant model, having a single-stage activated sludge process with upstream denitrification. The results revealed that an additional treatment step by combining chemical precipitation and ultra-fine screening is advantageous prior the mainstream deammonification. Hereby chemical oxygen demand (COD) can be reduced by 80% so that the COD:N ratio can be reduced from 12 to 2.5. Laboratory experiments testing mainstream conditions of temperature (8–20°C), pH (6–9) and COD:N ratio (1–6) showed an achievable volumetric nitrogen removal rate (VNRR) of at least 50 gN/(m3∙d) for various deammonifying sludges from side stream deammonification systems in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, where m3 denotes reactor volume. Assuming a retained Norganic content of 0.0035 kgNorg./(P.E.∙d) from the daily loads of N at carbon removal stage and a VNRR of 50 gN/(m3∙d) under mainstream conditions, a resident-specific reactor volume of 0.115 m3/(P.E.) is required for mainstream deammonification. This is in the same order of magnitude as the conventional activated sludge process, i.e., 0.173 m3/(P.E.) for an MWWTP of size class of 4. The conventional plant model yielded a total specific electricity demand of 35 kWh/(P.E.∙a) for the operation of the whole MWWTP and an energy recovery potential of 15.8 kWh/(P.E.∙a) through anaerobic digestion. In contrast, the developed mainstream deammonification model plant would require only a 21.5 kWh/(P.E.∙a) energy demand and result in 24 kWh/(P.E.∙a) energy recovery potential, enabling the mainstream deammonification model plant to be self-sufficient. The retrofitting costs for the implementation of mainstream deammonification in existing conventional MWWTPs are nearly negligible as the existing units like activated sludge reactors, aerators and monitoring technology are reusable. However, the mainstream deammonification must meet the performance requirement of VNRR of about 50 gN/(m3∙d) in this case. KW - anammox KW - energy efficiency KW - mainstream deammonification KW - nitrogen elimination KW - wastewater Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1155235 SN - 1664-302X VL - 14 IS - 11155235 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Frontiers ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cheenakula, Dheeraja A1 - Paulsen, Svea A1 - Ott, Fabian A1 - Grömping, Markus T1 - Operational window of a deammonifying sludge for mainstream application in a municipal wastewater treatment plant JF - Water and Environment Journal N2 - The present work aimed to study the mainstream feasibility of the deammonifying sludge of side stream of municipal wastewater treatment plant (MWWTP) in Kaster, Germany. For this purpose, the deammonifying sludge available at the side stream was investigated for nitrogen (N) removal with respect to the operational factors temperature (15–30°C), pH value (6.0–8.0) and chemical oxygen demand (COD)/N ratio (≤1.5–6.0). The highest and lowest N-removal rates of 0.13 and 0.045 kg/(m³ d) are achieved at 30 and 15°C, respectively. Different conditions of pH and COD/N ratios in the SBRs of Partial nitritation/anammox (PN/A) significantly influenced both the metabolic processes and associated N-removal rates. The scientific insights gained from the current work signifies the possibility of mainstream PN/A at WWTPs. The current study forms a solid basis of operational window for the upcoming semi-technical trails to be conducted prior to the full-scale mainstream PN/A at WWTP Kaster and WWTPs globally. KW - Anammox KW - Mainstream KW - Nitrogen removal KW - Partial nitritation KW - Wastewater Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/wej.12898 SN - 1747-6593 N1 - Corresponding author: Dheeraja Cheenakula IS - Early View SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Wiley CY - Chichester ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dellmann, Sophia Florence A1 - Glorius, J. A1 - Litvinov, Yu A. A1 - Reifarth, R. A1 - Al-Khasawneh, Kafa A1 - Aliotta, M. A1 - Bott, L. A1 - Brückner, Benjamin A1 - Bruno, C. G. A1 - Chen, Ruijiu A1 - Davinson, T. A1 - Dickel, T. A1 - Dillmann, Iris A1 - Dmytriev, D. A1 - Erbacher, P. A1 - Freire-Fernández, D. A1 - Forstner, Oliver A1 - Geissel, H. A1 - Göbel, K. A1 - Griffin, Christopher J. A1 - Grisenti, R. A1 - Gumberidze, Alexandre A1 - Haettner, Emma A1 - Hagmann, Siegbert A1 - Heil, M. A1 - Heß, R. A1 - Hillenbrand, P.-M. A1 - Joseph, R. A1 - Jurado, B. A1 - Kozhuharov, Christophor A1 - Kulikov, I. A1 - Löher, Bastian A1 - Langer, Christoph A1 - Leckenby, Guy A1 - Lederer-Woods, C. A1 - Lestinsky, M. A1 - Litvinov, S. A. A1 - Lorenz, B. A. A1 - Lorenz, E. A1 - Marsh, J. A1 - Menz, Esther Babette A1 - Morgenroth, T. A1 - Petridis, N. A1 - Pibernat, Jerome A1 - Popp, U. A1 - Psaltis, Athanasios A1 - Sanjari, Shahab A1 - Scheidenberger, C. A1 - Sguazzin, M. A1 - Sidhu, Ragandeep Singh A1 - Spillmann, Uwe A1 - Steck, M. A1 - Stöhlker, T. A1 - Surzhykov, A. A1 - Swartz, J. A. A1 - Törnqvist, H. A1 - Varga, L. A1 - Vescovi, Diego A1 - Weick, H. A1 - Weigand, M. A1 - Woods, P. A1 - Xing, Y. A1 - Yamaguchi, Taiyo T1 - Proton capture on stored radioactive ¹¹⁸Te ions JF - EPJ Web of Conferences N2 - Experimental determination of the cross sections of proton capture on radioactive nuclei is extremely difficult. Therefore, it is of substantial interest for the understanding of the production of the p-nuclei. For the first time, a direct measurement of proton-capture cross sections on stored, radioactive ions became possible in an energy range of interest for nuclear astrophysics. The experiment was performed at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) at GSI by making use of a sensitive method to measure (p,γ) and (p,n) reactions in inverse kinematics. These reaction channels are of high relevance for the nucleosyn-thesis processes in supernovae, which are among the most violent explosions in the universe and are not yet well understood. The cross section of the ¹¹⁸Te(p,γ) reaction has been measured at energies of 6 MeV/u and 7 MeV/u. The heavy ions interacted with a hydrogen gas jet target. The radiative recombination process of the fully stripped ¹¹⁸Te ions and electrons from the hydrogen target was used as a luminosity monitor. An overview of the experimental method and preliminary results from the ongoing analysis will be presented. Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202327911018 SN - 2100-014X N1 - Volume 279, 2023. Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics – X (NPA-X 2022). VL - 279 IS - Article Number: 11018 SP - 1 EP - 5 PB - EDP Sciences ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Digel, Ilya A1 - Akimbekov, Nuraly A1 - Rogachev, Evgeniy A1 - Pogorelova, Natalia T1 - Bacterial cellulose produced by Medusomyces gisevii on glucose and sucrose: biosynthesis and structural properties JF - Cellulose N2 - In this work, the effects of carbon sources and culture media on the production and structural properties of bacterial cellulose (BC) synthesized by Medusomyces gisevii have been studied. The culture medium was composed of different initial concentrations of glucose or sucrose dissolved in 0.4% extract of plain green tea. Parameters of the culture media (titratable acidity, substrate conversion degree etc.) were monitored daily for 20 days of cultivation. The BC pellicles produced on different carbon sources were characterized in terms of biomass yield, crystallinity and morphology by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Our results showed that Medusomyces gisevii had higher BC yields in media with sugar concentrations close to 10 g L−1 after a 18–20 days incubation period. Glucose in general lead to a higher BC yield (173 g L−1) compared to sucrose (163.5 g L−1). The BC crystallinity degree and surface roughness were higher in the samples synthetized from sucrose. Obtained FE-SEM micrographs show that the BC pellicles synthesized in the sucrose media contained densely packed tangles of cellulose fibrils whereas the BC produced in the glucose media displayed rather linear geometry of the BC fibrils without noticeable aggregates. KW - Bacterial cellulose KW - Medusomyces gisevi KW - Carbon sources KW - Culture media KW - Cellulose nanostructure Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10570-023-05592-z SN - 1572-882X (Online) SN - 0969-0239 (Print) N1 - Corresponding author: Ilya Digel PB - Springer Science + Business Media CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Eggert, Mathias A1 - Kling, Rene T1 - How to distribute charging requests of electronic vehicles? A reservation-based approach JF - International Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems Research N2 - The number of electronic vehicles increase steadily while the space for extending the charging infrastructure is limited. In particular in urban areas, where parking spaces in attractive areas are famous, opportunities to setup new charging stations is very limited. This leads to an overload of some very attractive charging stations and an underutilization of less attractive ones. Against this background, the paper at hand presents the design of an e-vehicle reservation system that aims at distributing the utilization of the charging infrastructure, particularly in urban areas. By applying a design science approach, the requirements for a reservation-based utilization approach are elicited and a model for a suitable distribution approach and its instantiation are developed. The artefact is evaluated by simulating the distribution effects based on data of real charging station utilizations. KW - Simulation KW - Parking KW - Charging station KW - Utilization improvement KW - Reservation system KW - Electronic vehicle Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13177-023-00367-z SN - 1868-8659 N1 - Corresponding author: Mathias Eggert VL - 21 IS - 2023 SP - 437 EP - 460 PB - Springer CY - Berlin, Heidelberg, New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - El Bergui, Omnia A1 - Abouabdillah, Aziz A1 - Bourioug, Mohamed A1 - Schmitz, Dominik A1 - Biel, Markus A1 - Aboudrare, Abdellah A1 - Krauss, Manuel A1 - Jomaa, Ahlem A1 - Romuli, Sebastian A1 - Müller, Joachim A1 - Fagroud, Mustapha A1 - Bouabid, Rachid T1 - Innovative solutions for drought: Evaluating hydrogel application on onion cultivation (Allium cepa) in Morocco JF - Water N2 - Throughout the last decade, and particularly in 2022, water scarcity has become a critical concern in Morocco and other Mediterranean countries. The lack of rainfall during spring was worsened by a succession of heat waves during the summer. To address this drought, innovative solutions, including the use of new technologies such as hydrogels, will be essential to transform agriculture. This paper presents the findings of a study that evaluated the impact of hydrogel application on onion (Allium cepa) cultivation in Meknes, Morocco. The treatments investigated in this study comprised two different types of hydrogel-based soil additives (Arbovit® polyacrylate and Huminsorb® polyacrylate), applied at two rates (30 and 20 kg/ha), and irrigated at two levels of water supply (100% and 50% of daily crop evapotranspiration; ETc). Two control treatments were included, without hydrogel application and with both water amounts. The experiment was conducted in an open field using a completely randomized design. The results indicated a significant impact of both hydrogel-type dose and water dose on onion plant growth, as evidenced by various vegetation parameters. Among the hydrogels tested, Huminsorb® Polyacrylate produced the most favorable outcomes, with treatment T9 (100%, HP, 30 kg/ha) yielding 70.55 t/ha; this represented an increase of 11 t/ha as compared to the 100% ETc treatment without hydrogel application. Moreover, the combination of hydrogel application with 50% ETc water stress showed promising results, with treatment T4 (HP, 30 kg, 50%) producing almost the same yield as the 100% ETc treatment without hydrogel while saving 208 mm of water. KW - water economy KW - yield KW - deficit irrigation KW - hydrogel KW - onion Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w15111972 VL - 15 IS - 11 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Falkenberg, Fabian A1 - Kohn, Sophie A1 - Bott, Michael A1 - Bongaerts, Johannes A1 - Siegert, Petra T1 - Biochemical characterisation of a novel broad pH spectrum subtilisin from Fictibacillus arsenicus DSM 15822ᵀ JF - FEBS Open Bio N2 - Subtilisins from microbial sources, especially from the Bacillaceae family, are of particular interest for biotechnological applications and serve the currently growing enzyme market as efficient and novel biocatalysts. Biotechnological applications include use in detergents, cosmetics, leather processing, wastewater treatment and pharmaceuticals. To identify a possible candidate for the enzyme market, here we cloned the gene of the subtilisin SPFA from Fictibacillus arsenicus DSM 15822ᵀ (obtained through a data mining-based search) and expressed it in Bacillus subtilis DB104. After production and purification, the protease showed a molecular mass of 27.57 kDa and a pI of 5.8. SPFA displayed hydrolytic activity at a temperature optimum of 80 °C and a very broad pH optimum between 8.5 and 11.5, with high activity up to pH 12.5. SPFA displayed no NaCl dependence but a high NaCl tolerance, with decreasing activity up to concentrations of 5 m NaCl. The stability enhanced with increasing NaCl concentration. Based on its substrate preference for 10 synthetic peptide 4-nitroanilide substrates with three or four amino acids and its phylogenetic classification, SPFA can be assigned to the subgroup of true subtilisins. Moreover, SPFA exhibited high tolerance to 5% (w/v) SDS and 5% H₂O₂ (v/v). The biochemical properties of SPFA, especially its tolerance of remarkably high pH, SDS and H₂O₂, suggest it has potential for biotechnological applications. KW - Bacillaceae KW - Biotechnological application KW - Broad pH spectrum KW - Subtilases KW - Subtilisin Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.13701 SN - 2211-5463 N1 - Corresponding author: Petra Siegert VL - 13 IS - 11 SP - 2035 EP - 2046 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken, NJ ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Falkenberg, Fabian A1 - Voß, Leonie A1 - Bott, Michael A1 - Bongaerts, Johannes A1 - Siegert, Petra T1 - New robust subtilisins from halotolerant and halophilic Bacillaceae JF - Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology N2 - The aim of the present study was the characterisation of three true subtilisins and one phylogenetically intermediate subtilisin from halotolerant and halophilic microorganisms. Considering the currently growing enzyme market for efficient and novel biocatalysts, data mining is a promising source for novel, as yet uncharacterised enzymes, especially from halophilic or halotolerant Bacillaceae, which offer great potential to meet industrial needs. Both halophilic bacteria Pontibacillus marinus DSM 16465ᵀ and Alkalibacillus haloalkaliphilus DSM 5271ᵀ and both halotolerant bacteria Metabacillus indicus DSM 16189 and Litchfieldia alkalitelluris DSM 16976ᵀ served as a source for the four new subtilisins SPPM, SPAH, SPMI and SPLA. The protease genes were cloned and expressed in Bacillus subtilis DB104. Purification to apparent homogeneity was achieved by ethanol precipitation, desalting and ion-exchange chromatography. Enzyme activity could be observed between pH 5.0–12.0 with an optimum for SPPM, SPMI and SPLA around pH 9.0 and for SPAH at pH 10.0. The optimal temperature for SPMI and SPLA was 70 °C and for SPPM and SPAH 55 °C and 50 °C, respectively. All proteases showed high stability towards 5% (w/v) SDS and were active even at NaCl concentrations of 5 M. The four proteases demonstrate potential for future biotechnological applications. KW - Biotechnological application KW - Bacillaceae KW - Subtilisin KW - Subtilases KW - Halotolerant protease Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00253-023-12553-w SN - 1432-0614 N1 - Corresponding author: Petra Siegert VL - 107 SP - 3939 EP - 3954 PB - Springer Nature CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fayyazi, Mojgan A1 - Sardar, Paramjotsingh A1 - Thomas, Sumit Infent A1 - Daghigh, Roonak A1 - Jamali, Ali A1 - Esch, Thomas A1 - Kemper, Hans A1 - Langari, Reza A1 - Khayyam, Hamid T1 - Artificial intelligence/machine learning in energy management systems, control, and optimization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles N2 - Environmental emissions, global warming, and energy-related concerns have accelerated the advancements in conventional vehicles that primarily use internal combustion engines. Among the existing technologies, hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles and fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles may have minimal contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and thus are the prime choices for environmental concerns. However, energy management in fuel cell electric vehicles and fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles is a major challenge. Appropriate control strategies should be used for effective energy management in these vehicles. On the other hand, there has been significant progress in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and designing data-driven intelligent controllers. These techniques have found much attention within the community, and state-of-the-art energy management technologies have been developed based on them. This manuscript reviews the application of machine learning and intelligent controllers for prediction, control, energy management, and vehicle to everything (V2X) in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The effectiveness of data-driven control and optimization systems are investigated to evolve, classify, and compare, and future trends and directions for sustainability are discussed. KW - optimization system KW - intelligent control KW - fuel cell vehicle KW - machine learning KW - artificial intelligence KW - intelligent energy management Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su15065249 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue "Circular Economy and Artificial Intelligence" VL - 15 IS - 6 SP - 38 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gaigall, Daniel ED - AitSahlia, Farid T1 - Allocating and forecasting changes in risk JF - Journal of risk N2 - We consider time-dependent portfolios and discuss the allocation of changes in the risk of a portfolio to changes in the portfolio’s components. For this purpose we adopt established allocation principles. We also use our approach to obtain forecasts for changes in the risk of the portfolio’s components. To put the approach into practice we present an implementation based on the output of a simulation. Allocation is illustrated with an example portfolio in the context of Solvency II. The quality of the forecasts is investigated with an empirical study. KW - portfolio risk KW - allocation KW - forecast KW - covariance principle KW - conditional expectation principle Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.21314/JOR.2022.048 SN - 1755-2842 SN - 1465-1211 VL - 25 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 24 PB - Infopro Digital Risk CY - London ER -