TY - JOUR A1 - Aboulnaga, E. A. A1 - Zou, H. A1 - Selmer, Thorsten A1 - Xian, M. T1 - Development of a plasmid-based, tunable, tolC-derived expression system for application in Cupriavidus necator H16 JF - Journal of Biotechnology N2 - Cupriavidus necator H16 gains increasing attention in microbial research and biotechnological application due to its diverse metabolic features. Here we present a tightly controlled gene expression system for C. necator including the pBBR1-vector that contains hybrid promoters originating from C. necator native tolC-promoter in combination with a synthetic tetO-operator. The expression of the reporter gene from these plasmids relies on the addition of the exogenous inducer doxycycline (dc). The novel expression system offers a combination of advantageous features as; (i) high and dose-dependent recombinant protein production, (ii) tight control with a high dynamic range (On/Off ratio), which makes it applicable for harmful pathways or for toxic protein production, (iii) comparable cheap inducer (doxycycline, dc), (iv) effective at low inducer concentration, that makes it useful for large scale application, (v) rapid, diffusion controlled induction, and (vi) the inducer does not interfere within the cell metabolism. As applications of the expression system in C. necator H16, the growth ability on glycerol was enhanced by constitutively expressing the E. coli glpk gene-encoding for glycerol kinase. Likewise, we used the system to overcome the expression toxicity of mevalonate pathway in C. necator H16. With this system, the mevalonate-genes were successfully introduced in the host and the recombinant strains could produce about 200 mg/l mevalonate. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiotec.2018.03.007 SN - 0168-1656 VL - 274 SP - 15 EP - 27 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Albanna, Walid A1 - Kotliar, Konstantin A1 - Lüke, Jan Niklas A1 - Alpdogan, Serdar A1 - Conzen, Catharina A1 - Lindauer, Ute A1 - Clusmann, Hans A1 - Hescheler, Jürgen A1 - Vilser, Walthard A1 - Schneider, Toni A1 - Schubert, Gerrit Alexander T1 - Non-invasive evaluation of neurovascular coupling in the murine retina by dynamic retinal vessel analysis JF - Plos one N2 - Background Impairment of neurovascular coupling (NVC) was recently reported in the context of subarachnoid hemorrhage and may correlate with disease severity and outcome. However, previous techniques to evaluate NVC required invasive procedures. Retinal vessels may represent an alternative option for non-invasive assessment of NVC. Methods A prototype of an adapted retinal vessel analyzer was used to assess retinal vessel diameter in mice. Dynamic vessel analysis (DVA) included an application of monochromatic flicker light impulses in predefined frequencies for evaluating NVC. All retinae were harvested after DVA and electroretinograms were performed. Results A total of 104 retinal scans were conducted in 21 male mice (90 scans). Quantitative arterial recordings were feasible only in a minority of animals, showing an emphasized reaction to flicker light impulses (8 mice; 14 scans). A characteristic venous response to flicker light, however, could observed in the majority of animals. Repeated measurements resulted in a significant decrease of baseline venous diameter (7 mice; 7 scans, p < 0.05). Ex-vivo electroretinograms, performed after in-vivo DVA, demonstrated a significant reduction of transretinal signaling in animals with repeated DVA (n = 6, p < 0.001). Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first non-invasive study assessing murine retinal vessel response to flicker light with characteristic changes in NVC. The imaging system can be used for basic research and enables the investigation of retinal vessel dimension and function in control mice and genetically modified animals. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0204689 VL - 13 IS - 10 PB - PLOS CY - San Francisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Brötz, Nicolas A1 - Dietrich, Ingo A1 - Gally, Tristan A1 - Geßner, Felix A1 - Kloberdanz, Hermann A1 - Leise, Philipp A1 - Pelz, Peter Franz A1 - Schlemmer, Pia A1 - Schmitt, Andreas T1 - Resilience in mechanical engineering - a concept for controlling uncertainty during design, production and usage phase of load-carrying structures JF - Applied Mechanics and Materials N2 - Resilience as a concept has found its way into different disciplines to describe the ability of an individual or system to withstand and adapt to changes in its environment. In this paper, we provide an overview of the concept in different communities and extend it to the area of mechanical engineering. Furthermore, we present metrics to measure resilience in technical systems and illustrate them by applying them to load-carrying structures. By giving application examples from the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 805, we show how the concept of resilience can be used to control uncertainty during different stages of product life. Y1 - 2018 SN - 1662-7482 U6 - https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.885.187 VL - 885 SP - 187 EP - 198 PB - Trans Tech Publications CY - Bäch ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Joggerst, Laura A1 - Leise, Philipp A1 - Pfetsch, Marc E. A1 - Schmitt, Andreas A1 - Wendt, Janine T1 - On obligations in the development process of resilient systems with algorithmic design methods JF - Applied Mechanics and Materials N2 - Advanced computational methods are needed both for the design of large systems and to compute high accuracy solutions. Such methods are efficient in computation, but the validation of results is very complex, and highly skilled auditors are needed to verify them. We investigate legal questions concerning obligations in the development phase, especially for technical systems developed using advanced methods. In particular, we consider methods of resilient and robust optimization. With these techniques, high performance solutions can be found, despite a high variety of input parameters. However, given the novelty of these methods, it is uncertain whether legal obligations are being met. The aim of this paper is to discuss if and how the choice of a specific computational method affects the developer’s product liability. The review of legal obligations in this paper is based on German law and focuses on the requirements that must be met during the design and development process. KW - legal obligations KW - product liability KW - design of technical systems KW - optimization KW - resilience Y1 - 2018 SN - 1662-7482 U6 - https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.885.240 VL - 885 IS - 885 SP - 240 EP - 252 PB - Trans Tech Publications CY - Bäch ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Altherr, Lena A1 - Leise, Philipp A1 - Pfetsch, Marc E. A1 - Schmitt, Andreas T1 - Algorithmic design and resilience assessment of energy efficient high-rise water supply systems JF - Applied Mechanics and Materials N2 - High-rise water supply systems provide water flow and suitable pressure in all levels of tall buildings. To design such state-of-the-art systems, the consideration of energy efficiency and the anticipation of component failures are mandatory. In this paper, we use Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming to compute an optimal placement of pipes and pumps, as well as an optimal control strategy.Moreover, we consider the resilience of the system to pump failures. A resilient system is able to fulfill a predefined minimum functionality even though components fail or are restricted in their normal usage. We present models to measure and optimize the resilience. To demonstrate our approach, we design and analyze an optimal resilient decentralized water supply system inspired by a real-life hotel building. KW - MINLP KW - Buffering Capacity KW - Uncertainty KW - Water Supply Networks KW - Booster Stations Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.885.211 SN - 1662-7482 VL - 885 SP - 211 EP - 223 PB - Trans Tech Publications CY - Bäch ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Balakirski, Galina A1 - Kotliar, Konstantin A1 - Pauly, Karolin J. A1 - Krings, Laura K. A1 - Rübben, Albert A1 - Baron, Jens M. A1 - Schmitt, Laurenz T1 - Surgical Site Infections After Dermatologic Surgery in Immunocompromised Patients: A Single-Center Experience JF - Dermatologic Surgery N2 - BACKGROUND Immunosuppression is often considered as an indication for antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent surgical site infections (SSI) while performing skin surgery. However, the data on the risk of developing SSI after dermatologic surgery in immunosuppressed patients are limited. PATIENTS AND METHODS All patients of the Department of Dermatology and Allergology at the University Hospital of RWTH Aachen in Aachen, Germany, who underwent hospitalization for a dermatologic surgery between June 2016 and January 2017 (6 months), were followed up after surgery until completion of the wound healing process. The follow-up addressed the occurrence of SSI and the need for systemic antibiotics after the operative procedure. Immunocompromised patients were compared with immunocompetent patients. The investigation was conducted as a retrospective analysis of patient records. RESULTS The authors performed 284 dermatologic surgeries in 177 patients. Nineteen percent (54/284) of the skin surgery was performed on immunocompromised patients. The most common indications for surgical treatment were nonmelanoma skin cancer and malignant melanomas. Surgical site infections occurred in 6.7% (19/284) of the cases. In 95% (18/19), systemic antibiotic treatment was needed. Twenty-one percent of all SSI (4/19) were seen in immunosuppressed patients. CONCLUSION According to the authors' data, immunosuppression does not represent a significant risk factor for SSI after dermatologic surgery. However, larger prospective studies are needed to make specific recommendations on the use of antibiotic prophylaxis while performing skin surgery in these patients. The available data on complications after dermatologic surgery have improved over the past years. Particularly, additional risk factors have been identified for surgical site infections (SSI). Purulent surgical sites, older age, involvement of head, neck, and acral regions, and also the involvement of less experienced surgeons have been reported to increase the risk of the SSI after dermatologic surgeries.1 In general, the incidence of SSI after skin surgery is considered to be low.1,2 However, antibiotics in dermatologic surgeries, especially in the perioperative setting, seem to be overused,3,4 particularly regarding developing antibiotic resistances and side effects. Immunosuppression has been recommended to be taken into consideration as an additional indication for antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent SSI after skin surgery in special cases.5,6 However, these recommendations do not specify the exact dermatologic surgeries, and were not specifically developed for dermatologic surgery patients and treatments, but adopted from other surgical fields.6 According to the survey conducted on American College of Mohs Surgery members in 2012, 13% to 29% of the surgeons administered antibiotic prophylaxis to immunocompromised patients to prevent SSI while performing dermatologic surgery on noninfected skin,3 although this was not recommended by Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology Advisory Statement. Indeed, the data on the risk of developing SSI after dermatologic surgery in immunosuppressed patients are limited. However, it is possible that due to the insufficient evidence on the risk of SSI occurrence in this patient group, dermatologic surgeons tend to overuse perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. To make specific recommendations on the use of antibiotic prophylaxis in immunosuppressed patients in the field of skin surgery, more information about the incidence of SSI after dermatologic surgery in these patients is needed. The aim of this study was to fill this data gap by investigating whether there is an increased risk of SSI after skin surgery in immunocompromised patients compared with immunocompetent patients. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1097/DSS.0000000000001615 IS - 44 (12) SP - 1525 EP - 1536 PB - Wolters Kluwer ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Baringhaus, Ludwig A1 - Gaigall, Daniel A1 - Thiele, Jan Philipp T1 - Statistical inference for L²-distances to uniformity JF - Computational Statistics N2 - The paper deals with the asymptotic behaviour of estimators, statistical tests and confidence intervals for L²-distances to uniformity based on the empirical distribution function, the integrated empirical distribution function and the integrated empirical survival function. Approximations of power functions, confidence intervals for the L²-distances and statistical neighbourhood-of-uniformity validation tests are obtained as main applications. The finite sample behaviour of the procedures is illustrated by a simulation study. KW - Integrated empirical distribution (survival) function KW - Goodness-of-fit tests for uniformity KW - Numerical inversion of Laplace transforms KW - Coverage probability KW - Equivalence test Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00180-018-0820-0 SN - 1613-9658 VL - 2018 IS - 33 SP - 1863 EP - 1896 PB - Springer CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bernecker, Andreas A1 - Klier, Julia A1 - Stern, Sebastian A1 - Thiel, Lea T1 - Sustaining high performance beyond public-sector pilot projects. Y1 - 2018 IS - September 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bhattarai, Aroj A1 - Jabbari, Medisa A1 - Anding, Ralf A1 - Staat, Manfred T1 - Surgical treatment of vaginal vault prolapse using different prosthetic mesh implants: a finite element analysis JF - tm - Technisches Messen N2 - Particularly multiparous elderly women may suffer from vaginal vault prolapse after hysterectomy due to weak support from lax apical ligaments. A decreased amount of estrogen and progesterone in older age is assumed to remodel the collagen thereby reducing tissue stiffness. Sacrocolpopexy is either performed as open or laparoscopic surgery using prosthetic mesh implants to substitute lax ligaments. Y-shaped mesh models (DynaMesh, Gynemesh, and Ultrapro) are implanted in a 3D female pelvic floor finite element model in the extraperitoneal space from the vaginal cuff to the first sacral (S1) bone below promontory. Numerical simulations are conducted during Valsalva maneuver with weakened tissues modeled by reduced tissue stiffness. Tissues are modeled as incompressible, isotropic hyperelastic materials whereas the meshes are modeled either as orthotropic linear elastic or as isotropic hyperlastic materials. The positions of the vaginal cuff and the bladder base are calculated from the pubococcygeal line for female pelvic floor at rest, for prolapse and after repair using the three meshes. Due to mesh mechanics and mesh pore deformation along the loaded direction, the DynaMesh with regular rectangular mesh pores is found to provide better mechanical support to the organs than the Gynemesh and the Ultrapro with irregular hexagonal mesh pores. Insbesondere ältere, mehrgebährende Frauen leiden häufiger an einem Scheidenvorfall nach einer Hysterektomie aufgrund der schwachen Unterstützung durch laxe apikale Bänder. Es wird angenommen, dass eine verringerte Menge an Östrogen und Progesteron im höheren Alter das Kollagen umformt, wodurch die Gewebesteifigkeit reduziert wird. Die Sakrokolpopexie ist eine offene oder laparoskopische Operation, die mit prothetischen Netzimplantaten durchgeführt wird, um laxe Bänder zu ersetzen. Y-förmige Netzmodelle (DynaMesh, Gynemesh und Ultrapro) werden in einem 3D-Modell des weiblichen Beckenbodens im extraperitonealen Raum vom Vaginalstumpf bis zum Promontorium implantiert. Numerische Simulationen werden während des Valsalva-Manövers mit geschwächtem Gewebe durchgeführt, das durch eine reduzierte Gewebesteifigkeit modelliert wird. Die Gewebe werden als inkompressible, isotrop hyperelastische Materialien modelliert, während die Netze entweder als orthotrope linear elastische oder als isotrope hyperlastische Materialien modelliert werden. Die Positionen des Vaginalstumpfs, der Blase und der Harnröhrenachse werden anhand der Pubococcygeallinie aus der Ruhelage, für den Prolaps und nach der Reparatur unter Verwendung der drei Netze berechnet. Aufgrund der Netzmechanik und der Netzporenverformung bietet das DynaMesh mit regelmäßigen rechteckigen Netzporen eine bessere mechanische Unterstützung und eine Neupositionierung des Scheidengewölbes, der Blase und der Urethraachse als Gynemesh und Ultrapro mit unregelmäßigen hexagonalen Netzporen. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1515/teme-2017-0115 SN - 2196-7113 VL - 85 IS - 5 SP - 331 EP - 342 PB - De Gruyter CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bhattarai, Aroj A1 - Staat, Manfred T1 - Modelling of Soft Connective Tissues to Investigate Female Pelvic Floor Dysfunctions JF - Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine N2 - After menopause, decreased levels of estrogen and progesterone remodel the collagen of the soft tissues thereby reducing their stiffness. Stress urinary incontinence is associated with involuntary urine leakage due to pathological movement of the pelvic organs resulting from lax suspension system, fasciae, and ligaments. This study compares the changes in the orientation and position of the female pelvic organs due to weakened fasciae, ligaments, and their combined laxity. A mixture theory weighted by respective volume fraction of elastin-collagen fibre compound (5%), adipose tissue (85%), and smooth muscle (5%) is adopted to characterize the mechanical behaviour of the fascia. The load carrying response (other than the functional response to the pelvic organs) of each fascia component, pelvic organs, muscles, and ligaments are assumed to be isotropic, hyperelastic, and incompressible. Finite element simulations are conducted during Valsalva manoeuvre with weakened tissues modelled by reduced tissue stiffness. A significant dislocation of the urethrovesical junction is observed due to weakness of the fascia (13.89 mm) compared to the ligaments (5.47 mm). The dynamics of the pelvic floor observed in this study during Valsalva manoeuvre is associated with urethral-bladder hypermobility, greater levator plate angulation, and positive Q-tip test which are observed in incontinent females. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9518076 SN - 1748-6718 VL - 2018 IS - Article ID 9518076 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Hindawi CY - New York, NY ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bhattarai, Aroj A1 - Staat, Manfred T1 - Computational comparison of different textile implants to correct apical prolapse in females JF - Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering N2 - Prosthetic textile implants of different shapes, sizes and polymers are used to correct the apical prolapse after hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). The selection of the implant before or during minimally invasive surgery depends on the patient’s anatomical defect, intended function after reconstruction and most importantly the surgeon’s preference. Weakness or damage of the supporting tissues during childbirth, menopause or previous pelvic surgeries may put females in higher risk of prolapse. Numerical simulations of reconstructed pelvic floor with weakened tissues and organ supported by textile product models: DynaMesh®-PRS soft, DynaMesh®-PRP soft and DynaMesh®-CESA from FEG Textiletechnik mbH, Germany are compared. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1515/cdbme-2018-0159 VL - 4 IS - 1 SP - 661 EP - 664 PB - De Gruyter CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Birgel, Stefan A1 - Leschinger, Tim A1 - Wegmann, Kilian A1 - Staat, Manfred T1 - Calculation of muscle forces and joint reaction loads in the shoulder area via an OpenSim based computer model JF - tm - Technisches Messen N2 - Using the OpenSim software and verified anatomical data, a computer model for the calculation of biomechanical parameters is developed and used to determine the effect of a reattachment of the Supraspinatus muscle with a medial displacement of the muscle attachment point, which may be necessary for a rupture of the supraspinatus tendon. The results include the influence of the operation on basic biomechanical parameters such as the lever arm, as well as the calculated the muscle activations for the supraspinatus and deltoid. In addition, the influence on joint stability is examined by an analysis of the joint reaction force. The study provides a detailed description of the used model, as well as medical findings to a reattachment of the supraspinatus. Mit der Software OpenSim und überprüften anatomischen Daten wird ein Computermodell zur Berechnung von biomechanischen Parametern entwickelt und genutzt, um den Effekt einer Refixierung des Supraspinatusmuskels mit einer medialen Verschiebung des Muskelansatzpunktes zu ermitteln, wie sie unter anderem nach einem Riss der Supraspinatussehne notwendig sein kann. Die Ergebnisse umfassen hierbei den Einfluss der Operation auf grundlegende biomechanische Parameter wie den Hebelarm sowie die berechneten Muskelaktivierungen für den Supraspinatus und Deltoideus. Zusätzlich wird der Einfluss auf die Gelenkstabilität betrachtet und durch eine Analyse der Gelenkreaktionskraft untersucht. Die Studie bietet eine detaillierte Beschreibung des genutzten Modells, sowie medizinische Erkenntnisse zu einer Refixierung des Supraspinatus. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1515/teme-2017-0114 SN - 2196-7113 VL - 85 IS - 5 SP - 321 EP - 330 PB - De Gruyter CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bronder, Thomas A1 - Jessing, Max P. A1 - Poghossian, Arshak A1 - Keusgen, Michael A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Detection of PCR-Amplified Tuberculosis DNA Fragments with Polyelectrolyte-Modified Field-Effect Sensors JF - Analytical Chemistry N2 - Field-effect-based electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) sensors were modified with a bilayer of positively charged weak polyelectrolyte (poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)) and probe single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and are used for the detection of complementary single-stranded target DNA (cDNA) in different test solutions. The sensing mechanism is based on the detection of the intrinsic molecular charge of target cDNA molecules after the hybridization event between cDNA and immobilized probe ssDNA. The test solutions contain synthetic cDNA oligonucleotides (with a sequence of tuberculosis mycobacteria genome) or PCR-amplified DNA (which origins from a template DNA strand that has been extracted from Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis-spiked human sputum samples), respectively. Sensor responses up to 41 mV have been measured for the test solutions with DNA, while only small signals of ∼5 mV were detected for solutions without DNA. The lower detection limit of the EIS sensors was ∼0.3 nM, and the sensitivity was ∼7.2 mV/decade. Fluorescence experiments using SybrGreen I fluorescence dye support the electrochemical results. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.8b01807 SN - 0003-2700 VL - 90 IS - 12 SP - 7747 EP - 7753 PB - ACS Publications CY - Washington, DC ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bung, Daniel Bernhard A1 - Valero, Daniel T1 - Re-aeration on stepped spillways with special consideration of entrained and entrapped air JF - Geosciences N2 - As with most high-velocity free-surface flows, stepped spillway flows become self-aerated when the drop height exceeds a critical value. Due to the step-induced macro-roughness, the flow field becomes more turbulent than on a similar smooth-invert chute. For this reason, cascades are oftentimes used as re-aeration structures in wastewater treatment. However, for stepped spillways as flood release structures downstream of deoxygenated reservoirs, gas transfer is also of crucial significance to meet ecological requirements. Prediction of mass transfer velocities becomes challenging, as the flow regime differs from typical previously studied flow conditions. In this paper, detailed air-water flow measurements are conducted on stepped spillway models with different geometry, with the aim to estimate the specific air-water interface. Re-aeration performances are determined by applying the absorption method. In contrast to earlier studies, the aerated water body is considered a continuous mixture up to a level where 75% air concentration is reached. Above this level, a homogenous surface wave field is considered, which is found to significantly affect the total air-water interface available for mass transfer. Geometrical characteristics of these surface waves are obtained from high-speed camera investigations. The results show that both the mean air concentration and the mean flow velocity have influence on the mass transfer. Finally, an empirical relationship for the mass transfer on stepped spillway models is proposed. Y1 - 2018 SN - 2076-3263 VL - 8 IS - 9 SP - Article number 333 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ciritsis, Alexander A1 - Horbach, Andreas A1 - Staat, Manfred A1 - Kuhl, Christiane K. A1 - Kraemer, Nils Andreas T1 - Porosity and tissue integration of elastic mesh implants evaluated in vitro and in vivo JF - Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part B: Applied Biomaterials N2 - Purpose In vivo, a loss of mesh porosity triggers scar tissue formation and restricts functionality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the properties and configuration changes as mesh deformation and mesh shrinkage of a soft mesh implant compared with a conventional stiff mesh implant in vitro and in a porcine model. Material and Methods Tensile tests and digital image correlation were used to determine the textile porosity for both mesh types in vitro. A group of three pigs each were treated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visible conventional stiff polyvinylidene fluoride meshes (PVDF) or with soft thermoplastic polyurethane meshes (TPU) (FEG Textiltechnik mbH, Aachen, Germany), respectively. MRI was performed with a pneumoperitoneum at a pressure of 0 and 15 mmHg, which resulted in bulging of the abdomen. The mesh-induced signal voids were semiautomatically segmented and the mesh areas were determined. With the deformations assessed in both mesh types at both pressure conditions, the porosity change of the meshes after 8 weeks of ingrowth was calculated as an indicator of preserved elastic properties. The explanted specimens were examined histologically for the maturity of the scar (collagen I/III ratio). Results In TPU, the in vitro porosity increased constantly, in PVDF, a loss of porosity was observed under mild stresses. In vivo, the mean mesh areas of TPU were 206.8 cm2 (± 5.7 cm2) at 0 mmHg pneumoperitoneum and 274.6 cm2 (± 5.2 cm2) at 15 mmHg; for PVDF the mean areas were 205.5 cm2 (± 8.8 cm2) and 221.5 cm2 (± 11.8 cm2), respectively. The pneumoperitoneum-induced pressure increase resulted in a calculated porosity increase of 8.4% for TPU and of 1.2% for PVDF. The mean collagen I/III ratio was 8.7 (± 0.5) for TPU and 4.7 (± 0.7) for PVDF. Conclusion The elastic properties of TPU mesh implants result in improved tissue integration compared to conventional PVDF meshes, and they adapt more efficiently to the abdominal wall. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 827–833, 2018. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm.b.33877 SN - 1552-4981 VL - 106 IS - 2 SP - 827 EP - 833 PB - Wiley CY - New York, NY ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Conzen, Catharina A1 - Albanna, Walid A1 - Weiss, Miriam A1 - Kürten, David A1 - Vilser, Walthard A1 - Kotliar, Konstantin A1 - Zäske, Charlotte A1 - Clusmann, Hans A1 - Schubert, Gerrit Alexander T1 - Vasoconstriction and Impairment of Neurovascular Coupling after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: a Descriptive Analysis of Retinal Changes JF - Translational Stroke Research N2 - Impaired cerebral autoregulation and neurovascular coupling (NVC) contribute to delayed cerebral ischemia after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Retinal vessel analysis (RVA) allows non-invasive assessment of vessel dimension and NVC hereby demonstrating a predictive value in the context of various neurovascular diseases. Using RVA as a translational approach, we aimed to assess the retinal vessels in patients with SAH. RVA was performed prospectively in 24 patients with acute SAH (group A: day 5–14), in 11 patients 3 months after ictus (group B: day 90 ± 35), and in 35 age-matched healthy controls (group C). Data was acquired using a Retinal Vessel Analyzer (Imedos Systems UG, Jena) for examination of retinal vessel dimension and NVC using flicker-light excitation. Diameter of retinal vessels—central retinal arteriolar and venular equivalent—was significantly reduced in the acute phase (p < 0.001) with gradual improvement in group B (p < 0.05). Arterial NVC of group A was significantly impaired with diminished dilatation (p < 0.001) and reduced area under the curve (p < 0.01) when compared to group C. Group B showed persistent prolonged latency of arterial dilation (p < 0.05). Venous NVC was significantly delayed after SAH compared to group C (A p < 0.001; B p < 0.05). To our knowledge, this is the first clinical study to document retinal vasoconstriction and impairment of NVC in patients with SAH. Using non-invasive RVA as a translational approach, characteristic patterns of compromise were detected for the arterial and venous compartment of the neurovascular unit in a time-dependent fashion. Recruitment will continue to facilitate a correlation analysis with clinical course and outcome. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12975-017-0585-8 SN - 1868-601X IS - 9 SP - 284 EP - 293 PB - Springer Nature CY - Cham ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dantism, Shahriar A1 - Röhlen, Desiree A1 - Wagner, Torsten A1 - Wagner, Patrick A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Optimization of Cell-Based Multi-Chamber LAPS Measurements Utilizing FPGA-Controlled Laser-Diode Modules JF - physica status solidi a : applications and materials sciences N2 - A light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) is a field-effect-based potentiometric device, which detects concentration changes of an analyte solution on the sensor surface in a spatially resolved way. It uses a light source to generate electron–hole pairs inside the semiconductor, which are separated in the depletion region due to an applied bias voltage across the sensor structure and hence, a surface-potential-dependent photocurrent can be read out. However, depending on the beam angle of the light source, scattering effects can occur, which influence the recorded signal in LAPS-based differential measurements. To solve this problem, a novel illumination unit based on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) consisting of 16 small-sized tunable infrared laser-diode modules (LDMs) is developed. Due to the improved focus of the LDMs with a beam angle of only 2 mrad, undesirable scattering effects are minimized. Escherichia coli (E. coli) K12 bacteria are used as a test microorganism to study the extracellular acidification on the sensor surface. Furthermore, a salt bridge chamber is built up and integrated with the LAPS system enabling multi-chamber differential measurements with a single Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.201800058 SN - 1862-6319 VL - 215 IS - 15 SP - Article number 1800058 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - de Blois, Eric A1 - de Zanger, Rory M. S. A1 - Paulßen, Elisabeth A1 - Sze Chan, Ho A1 - Breeman, Wouter A. P. T1 - Semi-automated system for concentrating 68Ga-eluate to obtain high molar and volume concentration of 68Ga-Radiopharmaca for preclinical applications JF - Nuclear Medicine and Biology N2 - 68Ga-radiopharmaceuticals are common in the field of Nuclear Medicine to visualize receptor-mediated processes. In contrast to straightforward labeling procedures for clinical applications, preclinical in vitro and in vivo applications are hampered for reasons like e.g. volume restriction, activity concentration, molar activity and osmolality. Therefore, we developed a semiautomatic system specifically to overcome these problems. A difficulty appeared unexpectedly, as intrinsic trace metals derived from eluate (Zn, Fe and Cu) are concentrated as well in amounts that influence radiochemical yield and thus lower molar activity. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2018.06.006 VL - 64-65 SP - 16 EP - 21 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Digel, Ilya A1 - Wehlitz, V. A1 - Kayser, Peter A1 - Figiel-Lange, A. A1 - Bassam, R. A1 - Rundstedt, F. von T1 - Suspension depletion approach for exemption of infected Solanum jasminoides cells from pospiviroids JF - Plant Pathology N2 - Despite numerous studies, viroid elimination from infected plants remains a very challenging task. This study introduces for the first time a novel ‘suspension depletion’ approach for exemption of Solanum jasminoides plants from viroids. The proposed method implies initial establishment of suspension cultures of the infected plant cells. The suspended cells were then physically treated (mild thermotherapy, 33 °C), which presumably delayed the replication of the viroid. The viroid concentration in the treated biomass was monitored weekly using pospiviroid-specific PCR. After 10–12 weeks of continuous treatment, a sufficient decrease in viroid concentration was observed such that the infection became undetectable by PCR. The treated single cells then gave rise to microcolonies on a solid culture medium and the obtained viroid-negative clones were further promoted to regenerate into viroid-free plants. Three years of accumulated experimental data suggests feasibility, broad applicability, and good efficacy of the proposed approach. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.12750 SN - 1365-3059 VL - 67 IS - 2 SP - 358 EP - 365 PB - Wiley CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ditzhaus, Marc A1 - Gaigall, Daniel T1 - A consistent goodness-of-fit test for huge dimensional and functional data JF - Journal of Nonparametric Statistics N2 - A nonparametric goodness-of-fit test for random variables with values in a separable Hilbert space is investigated. To verify the null hypothesis that the data come from a specific distribution, an integral type test based on a Cramér-von-Mises statistic is suggested. The convergence in distribution of the test statistic under the null hypothesis is proved and the test's consistency is concluded. Moreover, properties under local alternatives are discussed. Applications are given for data of huge but finite dimension and for functional data in infinite dimensional spaces. A general approach enables the treatment of incomplete data. In simulation studies the test competes with alternative proposals. KW - Cramér-von-Mises statistic KW - separable Hilbert space KW - huge dimensional data KW - functional data Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/10485252.2018.1486402 SN - 1029-0311 VL - 30 IS - 4 SP - 834 EP - 859 PB - Taylor & Francis CY - Abingdon ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Druckenmüller, Katharina A1 - Günther, Klaus A1 - Elbers, Gereon T1 - Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a tool to monitor exhaust air from poultry operations JF - Science of the Total Environment N2 - Intensive poultry operation systems emit a considerable volume of inorganic and organic matter in the surrounding environment. Monitoring cleaning properties of exhaust air cleaning systems and to detect small but significant changes in emission characteristics during a fattening cycle is important for both emission and fattening process control. In the present study, we evaluated the potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) combined with chemometric techniques as a monitoring tool of exhaust air from poultry operation systems. To generate a high-quality data set for evaluation, the exhaust air of two poultry houses was sampled by applying state-of-the-art filter sampling protocols. The two stables were identical except for one crucial difference, the presence or absence of an exhaust air cleaning system. In total, twenty-one exhaust air samples were collected at the two sites to monitor spectral differences caused by the cleaning device, and to follow changes in exhaust air characteristics during a fattening period. The total dust load was analyzed by gravimetric determination and included as a response variable in multivariate data analysis. The filter samples were directly measured with NIR spectroscopy. Principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), and factor analysis (FA) were effective in classifying the NIR exhaust air spectra according to fattening day and origin. The results indicate that the dust load and the composition of exhaust air (inorganic or organic matter) substantially influence the NIR spectral patterns. In conclusion, NIR spectroscopy as a tool is a promising and very rapid way to detect differences between exhaust air samples based on still not clearly defined circumstances triggered during a fattening period and the availability of an exhaust air cleaning system. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.02.072 SN - 0048-9697 VL - 630 SP - 536 EP - 543 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Eckert, Alexander A1 - Rudolph, Tobias A1 - Guo, Jiaqi A1 - Mang, Thomas A1 - Walther, Andreas T1 - Exceptionally Ductile and Tough Biomimetic Artificial Nacre with Gas Barrier Function JF - Advanced Materials N2 - Synthetic mimics of natural high-performance structural materials have shown great and partly unforeseen opportunities for the design of multifunctional materials. For nacre-mimetic nanocomposites, it has remained extraordinarily challenging to make ductile materials with high stretchability at high fractions of reinforcements, which is however of crucial importance for flexible barrier materials. Here, highly ductile and tough nacre-mimetic nanocomposites are presented, by implementing weak, but many hydrogen bonds in a ternary nacre-mimetic system consisting of two polymers (poly(vinyl amine) and poly(vinyl alcohol)) and natural nanoclay (montmorillonite) to provide efficient energy dissipation and slippage at high nanoclay content (50 wt%). Tailored interactions enable exceptional combinations of ductility (close to 50% strain) and toughness (up to 27.5 MJ m⁻³). Extensive stress whitening, a clear sign of high internal dynamics at high internal cohesion, can be observed during mechanical deformation, and the materials can be folded like paper into origami planes without fracture. Overall, the new levels of ductility and toughness are unprecedented in highly reinforced bioinspired nanocomposites and are of critical importance to future applications, e.g., as barrier materials needed for encapsulation and as a printing substrate for flexible organic electronics. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201802477 VL - 30 IS - 32 SP - Article number 1802477 PB - Wiley-VCH ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Edip, K. A1 - Sesov, V. A1 - Butenweg, Christoph A1 - Bojadjieva, J. T1 - Development of coupled numerical model for simulation of multiphase soil JF - Computers and Geotechnics N2 - In this paper, a coupled multiphase model considering both non-linearities of water retention curves and solid state modeling is proposed. The solid displacements and the pressures of both water and air phases are unknowns of the proposed model. The finite element method is used to solve the governing differential equations. The proposed method is demonstrated through simulation of seepage test and partially consolidation problem. Then, implementation of the model is done by using hypoplasticity for the solid phase and analyzing the fully saturated triaxial experiments. In integration of the constitutive law error controlling is improved and comparisons done accordingly. In this work, the advantages and limitations of the numerical model are discussed. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2017.08.016 SN - 0266-352X VL - 96 SP - 118 EP - 131 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Engel, Mareike A1 - Holtmann, Dirk A1 - Ulber, Roland A1 - Tippkötter, Nils T1 - Increased Biobutanol Production by Mediator‐Less Electro‐Fermentation JF - Biotechnology Journal N2 - A future bio-economy should not only be based on renewable raw materials but also in the raise of carbon yields of existing production routes. Microbial electrochemical technologies are gaining increased attention for this purpose. In this study, the electro-fermentative production of biobutanol with C. acetobutylicum without the use of exogenous mediators is investigated regarding the medium composition and the reactor design. It is shown that the use of an optimized synthetic culture medium allows higher product concentrations, increased biofilm formation, and higher conductivities compared to a synthetic medium supplemented with yeast extract. Moreover, the optimization of the reactor system results in a doubling of the maximum product concentrations for fermentation products. When a working electrode is polarized at −600 mV vs. Ag/AgCl, a shift from butyrate to acetone and butanol production is induced. This leads to an increased final solvent yield of Yᴀᴃᴇ = 0.202 gg⁻¹ (control 0.103 gg⁻¹), which is also reflected in a higher carbon efficiency of 37.6% compared to 23.3% (control) as well as a fourfold decrease in simplified E-factor to 0.43. The results are promising for further development of biobutanol production in bioelectrochemical systems in order to fulfil the principles of Green Chemistry. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/biot.201800514 SN - 1860-7314 VL - 14 IS - 4 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Engelmann, Ulrich M. A1 - Buhl, Eva Miriam A1 - Draack, Sebastian A1 - Viereck, Thilo A1 - Frank, A1 - Schmitz-Rode, Thomas A1 - Slabu, Ioana T1 - Magnetic relaxation of agglomerated and immobilized iron oxide nanoparticles for hyperthermia and imaging applications JF - IEEE Magnetic Letters N2 - Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are used as therapeutic and diagnostic agents for local delivery of heat and image contrast enhancement in diseased tissue. Besides magnetization, the most important parameter that determines their performance for these applications is their magnetic relaxation, which can be affected when MNPs immobilize and agglomerate inside tissues. In this letter, we investigate different MNP agglomeration states for their magnetic relaxation properties under excitation in alternating fields and relate this to their heating efficiency and imaging properties. With focus on magnetic fluid hyperthermia, two different trends in MNP heating efficiency are measured: an increase by up to 23% for agglomerated MNP in suspension and a decrease by up to 28% for mixed states of agglomerated and immobilized MNP, which indicates that immobilization is the dominant effect. The same comparatively moderate effects are obtained for the signal amplitude in magnetic particle spectroscopy. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1109/LMAG.2018.2879034 SN - 1949-307X VL - 9 IS - Article number 8519617 PB - IEEE CY - New York, NY ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Engelmann, Ulrich M. A1 - Roeth, Anjali A.J. A1 - Eberbeck, Dietmar A1 - Buhl, Eva Miriam A1 - Neumann, Ulf Peter A1 - Schmitz-Rode, Thomas A1 - Slabu, Ioana T1 - Combining Bulk Temperature and Nanoheating Enables Advanced Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia Efficacy on Pancreatic Tumor Cells JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Many efforts are made worldwide to establish magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) as a treatment for organ-confined tumors. However, translation to clinical application hardly succeeds as it still lacks of understanding the mechanisms determining MFH cytotoxic effects. Here, we investigate the intracellular MFH efficacy with respect to different parameters and assess the intracellular cytotoxic effects in detail. For this, MiaPaCa-2 human pancreatic tumor cells and L929 murine fibroblasts were loaded with iron-oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) and exposed to MFH for either 30 min or 90 min. The resulting cytotoxic effects were assessed via clonogenic assay. Our results demonstrate that cell damage depends not only on the obvious parameters bulk temperature and duration of treatment, but most importantly on cell type and thermal energy deposited per cell during MFH treatment. Tumor cell death of 95% was achieved by depositing an intracellular total thermal energy with about 50% margin to damage of healthy cells. This is attributed to combined intracellular nanoheating and extracellular bulk heating. Tumor cell damage of up to 86% was observed for MFH treatment without perceptible bulk temperature rise. Effective heating decreased by up to 65% after MNP were internalized inside cells. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-31553-9 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 8 IS - 1 SP - Article number 13210 PB - Springer Nature CY - Cham ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Figueroa-Miranda, Gabriela A1 - Feng, Lingyan A1 - Shiu, Simon Chi-Chin A1 - Dirkzwager, Roderick Marshall A1 - Cheung, Yee-Wai A1 - Tanner, Julian Alexander A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef A1 - Offenhäusser, Andreas A1 - Mayer, Dirk T1 - Aptamer-based electrochemical biosensor for highly sensitive and selective malaria detection with adjustable dynamic response range and reusability JF - Sensor and Actuators B: Chemical N2 - Malaria infection remains a significant risk for much of the population of tropical and subtropical areas, particularly in developing countries. Therefore, it is of high importance to develop sensitive, accurate and inexpensive malaria diagnosis tests. Here, we present a novel aptamer-based electrochemical biosensor (aptasensor) for malaria detection by impedance spectroscopy, through the specific recognition between a highly discriminatory DNA aptamer and its target Plasmodium falciparum lactate dehydrogenase (PfLDH). Interestingly, due to the isoelectric point (pI) of PfLDH, the aptasensor response showed an adjustable detection range based on the different protein net-charge at variable pH environments. The specific aptamer recognition allows sensitive protein detection with an expanded detection range and a low detection limit, as well as a high specificity for PfLDH compared to analogous proteins. The specific feasibility of the aptasensor is further demonstrated by detection of the target PfLDH in human serum. Furthermore, the aptasensor can be easily regenerated and thus applied for multiple usages. The robustness, sensitivity, and reusability of the presented aptasensor make it a promising candidate for point-of-care diagnostic systems. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2017.07.117 SN - 0925-4005 VL - 255 IS - P1 SP - 235 EP - 243 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Finger, Felix A1 - Braun, Carsten A1 - Bil, Cees T1 - Impact of electric propulsion technology and mission requirements on the performance of VTOL UAVs JF - CEAS Aeronautical Journal N2 - One of the engineering challenges in aviation is the design of transitioning vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Thrust-borne flight implies a higher mass fraction of the propulsion system, as well as much increased energy consumption in the take-off and landing phases. This mass increase is typically higher for aircraft with a separate lift propulsion system than for aircraft that use the cruise propulsion system to support a dedicated lift system. However, for a cost–benefit trade study, it is necessary to quantify the impact the VTOL requirement and propulsion configuration has on aircraft mass and size. For this reason, sizing studies are conducted. This paper explores the impact of considering a supplemental electric propulsion system for achieving hovering flight. Key variables in this study, apart from the lift system configuration, are the rotor disk loading and hover flight time, as well as the electrical systems technology level for both batteries and motors. Payload and endurance are typically used as the measures of merit for unmanned aircraft that carry electro-optical sensors, and therefore the analysis focuses on these particular parameters. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s13272-018-0352-x SN - 1869-5582 print SN - 1869-5590 online VL - 10 IS - 3 SP - 843 PB - Springer ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Franzen, Julius A1 - Pinders, Erik A1 - Pfaff, Raphael A1 - Enning, Manfred T1 - RailCrowd’s virtual fleets: Make most of your asset data JF - Deine Bahn N2 - For smaller railway operators or those with a diverse fleet, it can be difficult to collect sufficient data to improve maintenance programs. At the same time, new rules such as entity in charge of maintenance – ECM – regulations impose an additional workload by requiring a dedicated maintenance management system and specific reports. The RailCrowd platform sets out to facilitate compliance with ECM and similar regulations while at the same time pooling anonymised fleet data across operators to form virtual fleets, providing greater data insights. Y1 - 2018 SN - 0948-7263 IS - 9 SP - 11 EP - 13 PB - Bahn-Fachverlag CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Funke, Harald A1 - Beckmann, Nils A1 - Keinz, Jan A1 - Abanteriba, Sylvester T1 - Comparison of Numerical Combustion Models for Hydrogen and Hydrogen-Rich Syngas Applied for Dry-Low-Nox-Micromix-Combustion JF - Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power N2 - The Dry-Low-NOx (DLN) Micromix combustion technology has been developed as low emission combustion principle for industrial gas turbines fueled with hydrogen or syngas. The combustion process is based on the phenomenon of jet-in-crossflow-mixing (JICF). Fuel is injected perpendicular into the air-cross-flow and burned in a multitude of miniaturized, diffusion-like flames. The miniaturization of the flames leads to a significant reduction of NOx emissions due to the very short residence time of reactants in the flame. In the Micromix research approach, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses are validated toward experimental results. The combination of numerical and experimental methods allows an efficient design and optimization of DLN Micromix combustors concerning combustion stability and low NOx emissions. The paper presents a comparison of several numerical combustion models for hydrogen and hydrogen-rich syngas. They differ in the complexity of the underlying reaction mechanism and the associated computational effort. The performance of a hybrid eddy-break-up (EBU) model with a one-step global reaction is compared to a complex chemistry model and a flamelet generated manifolds (FGM) model, both using detailed reaction schemes for hydrogen or syngas combustion. Validation of numerical results is based on exhaust gas compositions available from experimental investigation on DLN Micromix combustors. The conducted evaluation confirms that the applied detailed combustion mechanisms are able to predict the general physics of the DLN-Micromix combustion process accurately. The FGM method proved to be generally suitable to reduce the computational effort while maintaining the accuracy of detailed chemistry. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4038882 SN - 0742-4795 N1 - Article number 081504; Paper No: GTP-17-1567 VL - 140 IS - 8 PB - ASME CY - New York, NY ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Götten, Falk A1 - Finger, Felix A1 - Havermann, Marc A1 - Braun, Carsten A1 - Gomez, Francisco A1 - Bill, C. T1 - On the flight performance impact of landing gear drag reduction methods for unmanned air vehicles JF - Deutscher Luft- und Raumfahrtkongress 2018 N2 - The flight performance impact of three different landing gear configurations on a small, fixed-wing UAV is analyzed with a combination of RANS CFD calculations and an incremental flight performance algorithm. A standard fixed landing gear configuration is taken as a baseline, while the influence of retracting the landing gear or applying streamlined fairings is investigated. A retraction leads to a significant parasite drag reduction, while also fairings promise large savings. The increase in lift-to-drag ratio is reduced at high lift coefficients due to the influence of induced drag. All configurations are tested on three different design missions with an incremental flight performance algorithm. A trade-off study is performed using the retracted or faired landing gear's weight increase as a variable. The analysis reveals only small mission performance gains as the aerodynamic improvements are negated by weight penalties. A new workflow for decision-making is presented that allows to estimate if a change in landing gear configuration is beneficial for a small UAV. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.25967/480058 PB - DGLR CY - Bonn ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Harris, Isaac A1 - Kleefeld, Andreas T1 - The inverse scattering problem for a conductive boundary condition and transmission eigenvalues JF - Applicable Analysis N2 - In this paper, we consider the inverse scattering problem associated with an inhomogeneous media with a conductive boundary. In particular, we are interested in two problems that arise from this inverse problem: the inverse conductivity problem and the corresponding interior transmission eigenvalue problem. The inverse conductivity problem is to recover the conductive boundary parameter from the measured scattering data. We prove that the measured scatted data uniquely determine the conductivity parameter as well as describe a direct algorithm to recover the conductivity. The interior transmission eigenvalue problem is an eigenvalue problem associated with the inverse scattering of such materials. We investigate the convergence of the eigenvalues as the conductivity parameter tends to zero as well as prove existence and discreteness for the case of an absorbing media. Lastly, several numerical and analytical results support the theory and we show that the inside–outside duality method can be used to reconstruct the interior conductive eigenvalues. KW - Transmission eigenvalues KW - Conductive boundary condition KW - Inverse scattering Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/00036811.2018.1504028 SN - 1563-504X VL - 99 IS - 3 SP - 508 EP - 529 PB - Taylor & Francis CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Heinke, Lars N. A1 - Knicker, Axel J. A1 - Albracht, Kirsten T1 - Evaluation of passively induced shoulder stretch reflex using an isokinetic dynamometer in male overhead athletes JF - Isokinetics and Exercise Science N2 - BACKGROUND: Muscle stretch reflexes are widely considered to beneficially influence joint stability and power generation in the lower limbs. While in the upper limbs and especially in the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint such evidence is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the electromyographical response in the muscles crossing the shoulder of specifically trained overhead athletes to an anterior perturbation force. METHODS: Twenty healthy male participants performed six sets of different external shoulder rotation stretches on an isokinetic dynamometer over a range of amplitudes and muscle pre-activation moment levels. All stretches were applied with a dynamometer acceleration of 10,000∘/s2 and a velocity of 150∘/s. Electromyographical response was measured via sEMG. RESULTS: Consistent reflexes were not observed in all experimental conditions. The reflex latencies revealed a significant muscle main effect (F (2,228) = 99.31, p< 0.001; η2= 0.466; f= 0.934) and a pre-activation main effect (F (1,228) = 142.21, p< 0.001; η2= 0.384; f= 1.418). The stretch reflex amplitude yielded a significant pre-activation main effect (F (1,222) = 470.373, p< 0.001; η2= 0.679; f= 1.454). CONCLUSION: Short latency muscle reflexes showed a tendency to an anterior to posterior muscle recruitment whereby the main internal rotator muscles of the shoulder revealed the most consistent results. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3233/IES-184111 SN - 1878-5913 VL - 26 IS - 4 SP - 265 EP - 274 PB - IOS Press CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hofmann, Till A1 - Limpert, Nicolas A1 - Mataré, Victor A1 - Schönitz, Sebastian A1 - Niemueller, Tim A1 - Ferrein, Alexander A1 - Lakemeyer, Gerhard T1 - The Carologistics RoboCup Logistics Team 2018 N2 - The Carologistics team participates in the RoboCup Logistics League for the seventh year. The RCLL requires precise vision, manipulation and path planning, as well as complex high-level decision making and multi-robot coordination. We outline our approach with an emphasis on recent modifications to those components. The team members in 2018 are David Bosen, Christoph Gollok, Mostafa Gomaa, Daniel Habering, Till Hofmann, Nicolas Limpert, Sebastian Schönitz, Morian Sonnet, Carsten Stoffels, and Tarik Viehmann. This paper is based on the last year’s team description. Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Horbach, Andreas A1 - Staat, Manfred T1 - Optical strain measurement for the modeling of surgical meshes and their porosity JF - Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering N2 - The porosity of surgical meshes makes them flexible for large elastic deformation and establishes the healing conditions of good tissue in growth. The biomechanic modeling of orthotropic and compressible materials requires new materials models and simulstaneoaus fit of deformation in the load direction as well as trannsversely to to load. This nonlinear modeling can be achieved by an optical deformation measurement. At the same time the full field deformation measurement allows the dermination of the change of porosity with deformation. Also the socalled effective porosity, which has been defined to asses the tisssue interatcion with the mesh implants, can be determined from the global deformation of the surgical meshes. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1515/cdbme-2018-0045 SN - 2364-5504 VL - Band 4 IS - 1 SP - 181 EP - 184 PB - De Gruyter CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hüning, Felix A1 - Heuermann, Holger A1 - Wache, Franz-Josef T1 - Wireless CAN without WLAN or Bluetooth JF - CAN Newsletter N2 - In two developed concepts, dual-mode radio enables CAN participants to be integrated wirelessly into a CAN network. Constructed from a few components, a protocol-free, real-time transmission and thus transparent integration into CAN is provided. Y1 - 2018 IS - December 2018 SP - 44 EP - 46 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hüning, Felix A1 - Heuermann, Holger A1 - Wache, Franz-Josef A1 - Jajo, Rami Audisho T1 - A new wireless sensor interface using dual-mode radio JF - Journal of Sensors and Sensor Systems : JSSS N2 - The integration of sensors is one of the major tasks in embedded, control and “internet of things” (IoT) applications. For the integration mainly digital interfaces are used, starting from rather simple pulse-width modulation (PWM) interface to more complex interfaces like CAN (Controller Area Network). Even though these interfaces are tethered by definition, a wireless realization is highly welcome in many applications to reduce cable and connector cost, increase the flexibility and realize new emerging applications like wireless control systems. Currently used wireless solutions like Bluetooth, WirelessHART or IO-Link Wireless use dedicated communication standards and corresponding higher protocol layers to realize the wireless communication. Due to the complexity of the communication and the protocol handling, additional latency and jitter are introduced to the data communication that can meet the requirements for many applications. Even though tunnelling of other bus data like CAN data is generally also possible the latency and jitter prevent the tunnelling from being transparent for the bus system. Therefore a new basic technology based on dual-mode radio is used to realize a wireless communication on the physical layer only, enabling a reliable and real-time data transfer. As this system operates on the physical layer it is independent of any higher layers of the OSI (open systems interconnection) model. Hence it can be used for several different communication systems to replace the tethered physical layer. A prototype is developed and tested for real-time wireless PWM, SENT (single-edge nibble transmission) and CAN data transfer with very low latency and jitter. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/jsss-7-507-2018 VL - Volume 7 IS - 2 SP - 507 EP - 515 PB - Copernicus Publ. CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jildeh, Zaid B. A1 - Oberländer, Jan A1 - Kirchner, Patrick A1 - Keusgen, Michael A1 - Wagner, Patrick H. A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Experimental and Numerical Analyzes of a Sensor Based on Interdigitated Electrodes for Studying Microbiological Alterations JF - physica status solidi (a): applications and materials science N2 - In this work, a cell-based biosensor to evaluate the sterilization efficacy of hydrogen peroxide vapor sterilization processes is characterized. The transducer of the biosensor is based on interdigitated gold electrodes fabricated on an inert glass substrate. Impedance spectroscopy is applied to evaluate the sensor behavior and the alteration of test microorganisms due to the sterilization process. These alterations are related to changes in relative permittivity and electrical conductivity of the bacterial spores. Sensor measurements are conducted with and without bacterial spores (Bacillus atrophaeus), as well as after an industrial sterilization protocol. Equivalent two-dimensional numerical models based on finite element method of the periodic finger structures of the interdigitated gold electrodes are designed and validated using COMSOL® Multiphysics software by the application of known dielectric properties. The validated models are used to compute the electrical properties at different sensor states (blank, loaded with spores, and after sterilization). As a final result, we will derive and tabulate the frequency-dependent electrical parameters of the spore layer using a novel model that combines experimental data with numerical optimization techniques. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.201700920 SN - 1862-6319 VL - 215 IS - 15 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jildeh, Zaid B. A1 - Oberländer, Jan A1 - Kirchner, Patrick A1 - Wagner, Patrick H. A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Thermocatalytic Behavior of Manganese (IV) Oxide as Nanoporous Material on the Dissociation of a Gas Mixture Containing Hydrogen Peroxide JF - Nanomaterials N2 - In this article, we present an overview on the thermocatalytic reaction of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) gas on a manganese (IV) oxide (MnO₂) catalytic structure. The principle of operation and manufacturing techniques are introduced for a calorimetric H₂O₂ gas sensor based on porous MnO₂. Results from surface analyses by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the catalytic material provide indication of the H₂O₂ dissociation reaction schemes. The correlation between theory and the experiments is documented in numerical models of the catalytic reaction. The aim of the numerical models is to provide further information on the reaction kinetics and performance enhancement of the porous MnO₂ catalyst. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/nano8040262 SN - 2079-4991 VL - 8 IS - 4 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jung, Alexander A1 - Müller, Wolfram A1 - Staat, Manfred T1 - Wind and fairness in ski jumping: A computer modelling analysis JF - Journal of Biomechanics N2 - Wind is closely associated with the discussion of fairness in ski jumping. To counter-act its influence on the jump length, the International Ski Federation (FIS) has introduced a wind compensation approach. We applied three differently accurate computer models of the flight phase with wind (M1, M2, and M3) to study the jump length effects of various wind scenarios. The previously used model M1 is accurate for wind blowing in direction of the flight path, but inaccuracies are to be expected for wind directions deviating from the tangent to the flight path. M2 considers the change of airflow direction, but it does not consider the associated change in the angle of attack of the skis which additionally modifies drag and lift area time functions. M3 predicts the length effect for all wind directions within the plane of the flight trajectory without any mathematical simplification. Prediction errors of M3 are determined only by the quality of the input data: wind velocity, drag and lift area functions, take-off velocity, and weight. For comparing the three models, drag and lift area functions of an optimized reference jump were used. Results obtained with M2, which is much easier to handle than M3, did not deviate noticeably when compared to predictions of the reference model M3. Therefore, we suggest to use M2 in future applications. A comparison of M2 predictions with the FIS wind compensation system showed substantial discrepancies, for instance: in the first flight phase, tailwind can increase jump length, and headwind can decrease it; this is opposite of what had been anticipated before and is not considered in the current wind compensation system in ski jumping. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2018.05.001 SN - 0021-9290 IS - 75 SP - 147 EP - 153 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jung, Alexander A1 - Staat, Manfred A1 - Müller, Wolfram T1 - Corrigendum to “Flight style optimization in ski jumping on normal, large, and ski flying hills” [J. Biomech 47 (2014) 716–722] JF - Journals of Biomechanics Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2018.02.001 SN - 0021-9290 N1 - refers to Journal of Biomechanics Vol 47, Issue 3, Pages 716-722: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2013.11.021 SP - 313 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ketelhut, Maike A1 - Göll, Fabian A1 - Braunstein, Björn A1 - Albracht, Kirsten A1 - Abel, Dirk T1 - Comparison of different training algorithms for the leg extension training with an industrial robot JF - Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering N2 - In the past, different training scenarios have been developed and implemented on robotic research platforms, but no systematic analysis and comparison have been done so far. This paper deals with the comparison of an isokinematic (motion with constant velocity) and an isotonic (motion against constant weight) training algorithm. Both algorithms are designed for a robotic research platform consisting of a 3D force plate and a high payload industrial robot, which allows leg extension training with arbitrary six-dimensional motion trajectories. In the isokinematic as well as the isotonic training algorithm, individual paths are defined i n C artesian s pace by sufficient s upport p oses. I n t he i sotonic t raining s cenario, the trajectory is adapted to the measured force as the robot should only move along the trajectory as long as the force applied by the user exceeds a minimum threshold. In the isotonic training scenario however, the robot’s acceleration is a function of the force applied by the user. To validate these findings, a simulative experiment with a simple linear trajectory is performed. For this purpose, the same force path is applied in both training scenarios. The results illustrate that the algorithms differ in the force dependent trajectory adaption. KW - Rehabilitation Technology and Prosthetics KW - Surgical Navigation and Robotics Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1515/cdbme-2018-0005 SN - 2364-5504 VL - 4 IS - 1 SP - 17 EP - 20 PB - De Gruyter CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koch, Claudia A1 - Poghossian, Arshak A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef A1 - Wege, Christian T1 - Penicillin Detection by Tobacco Mosaic Virus-Assisted Colorimetric Biosensors JF - Nanotheranostics N2 - The presentation of enzymes on viral scaffolds has beneficial effects such as an increased enzyme loading and a prolonged reusability in comparison to conventional immobilization platforms. Here, we used modified tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) nanorods as enzyme carriers in penicillin G detection for the first time. Penicillinase enzymes were conjugated with streptavidin and coupled to TMV rods by use of a bifunctional biotin-linker. Penicillinase-decorated TMV particles were characterized extensively in halochromic dye-based biosensing. Acidometric analyte detection was performed with bromcresol purple as pH indicator and spectrophotometry. The TMV-assisted sensors exhibited increased enzyme loading and strongly improved reusability, and higher analysis rates compared to layouts without viral adapters. They extended the half-life of the sensors from 4 - 6 days to 5 weeks and thus allowed an at least 8-fold longer use of the sensors. Using a commercial budget-priced penicillinase preparation, a detection limit of 100 µM penicillin was obtained. Initial experiments also indicate that the system may be transferred to label-free detection layouts. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.7150/ntno.22114 SN - 2206-7418 VL - 2 IS - 2 SP - 184 EP - 196 PB - Ivyspring CY - Sydney ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kunkel, Maximilian Hugo A1 - Gebhardt, Andreas A1 - Mpofu, Khumbaulani A1 - Kallweit, Stephan T1 - Statistical assessment of mechanical properties of selective laser melted specimens of stainless steel JF - The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology N2 - The rail business is challenged by long product life cycles and a broad spectrum of assembly groups and single parts. When spare part obsolescence occurs, quick solutions are needed. A reproduction of obsolete parts is often connected to long waiting times and minimum lot quantities that need to be purchased and stored. Spare part storage is therefore challenged by growing stocks, bound capital and issues of part ageing. A possible solution could be a virtual storage of spare parts which will be 3D printed through additive manufacturing technologies in case of sudden demand. As mechanical properties of additive manufactured parts are neither guaranteed by machine manufacturers nor by service providers, the utilization of this relatively young technology is impeded and research is required to address these issues. This paper presents an examination of mechanical properties of specimens manufactured from stainless steel through the selective laser melting (SLM) process. The specimens were produced in multiple batches. This paper interrogates the question if the test results follow a normal distribution pattern and if mechanical property predictions can be made. The results will be put opposite existing threshold values provided as the industrial standard. Furthermore, probability predictions will be made in order to examine the potential of the SLM process to maintain state-of-the-art mechanical property requirements. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-018-2040-8 SN - 0268-3768 VL - 98 IS - 5-8 SP - 1409 EP - 1431 PB - Springer CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - König, Johannes Alexander A1 - Wolf, Martin T1 - GHOST: An Evaluated Competence Developing Game for Cybersecurity Awareness Training JF - International Journal on Advances in Security N2 - To train end users how to interact with digital systems is indispensable to ensure a strong computer security. 'Competence Developing Game'-based approaches are particularly suitable for this purpose because of their motivation-and simulation-aspects. In this paper the Competence Developing Game 'GHOST' for cybersecurity awareness trainings and its underlying patterns are described. Accordingly, requirements for an 'Competence Developing Game' based training are discussed. Based on these requirements it is shown how a game can fulfill these requirements. A supplementary game interaction design and a corresponding evaluation study is shown. The combination of training requirements and interaction design is used to create a 'Competence Developing Game'-based training concept. A part of these concept is implemented into a playable prototype that serves around one hour of play respectively training time. This prototype is used to perform an evaluation of the game and training aspects of the awareness training. Thereby, the quality of the game aspect and the effectiveness of the training aspect are shown. Y1 - 2018 SN - 1942-2636 VL - 11 IS - 3 & 4 SP - 274 EP - 287 PB - IARIA Journals ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lapitan, Denis G. A1 - Rogatkin, Dmitrii A. A1 - Persheyev, Sydulla K. A1 - Kotliar, Konstantin T1 - False spectra formation in the differential two-channel scheme of the laser Doppler flowmeter JF - Biomedizinische Technik N2 - Noise in the differential two-channel scheme of a classic laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) instrument was studied. Formation of false spectral components in the output signal due to beating of electrical signals in the differential amplifier was found out. The improved block-diagram of the flowmeter was developed allowing to reduce the noise. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1515/bmt-2017-0060 SN - 0013-5585 VL - 63 IS - 4 SP - 439 EP - 444 PB - De Gruyter CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Laura, C.O. A1 - Drechsler, Klaus A1 - Erdt, M. A1 - Wesarg, S. A1 - Bale, R. T1 - Intervention assessment tool for primary tumors in the liver JF - Current Directions in Biomedical Engineering N2 - After a liver tumor intervention the medical doctor has to compare both pre and postoperative CT acquisitions to ensure that all carcinogenic cells are destroyed. A correct assessment of the intervention is of vital importance, since it will reduce the probability of tumor recurrence. Some methods have been proposed to support the medical doctors during the assessment process, however, all of them focus on secondary tumors. In this paper a tool is presented that enables the outcome validation for both primary and secondary tumors. Therefore, a multiphase registration (preoperative arterial and portal phases) followed by a registration between the pre and postoperative CT images is carried out. The first registration is in charge of the primary tumors that are only visible in the arterial phase. The secondary tumors will be incorporated in the second registration step. Finally, the part of the tumor that was not covered by the necrosis is quantified and visualized. The method has been tested in 9 patients, with an average registration error of 1.41 mm. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1515/cdbme-2018-0081 SN - 2364-5504 VL - 4 IS - 1 SP - 337 EP - 340 PB - De Gruyter CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Matcha, Heike A1 - Ljubas, Ante A1 - Gueldemet, Harun ED - Kepczynska-Walczak, A. T1 - Printing a Coffee Bar: An investigation into mid-scale 3D printing JF - Computing for a better tomorrow - Proceedings of the 36th eCAADe Conference - Volume 2, Lodz University of Technology, Lodz, Poland, 19-21 September 2018 N2 - We present and discuss an exploration of the possibilities and properties of 3D printing with a printing space of 1 cubic meter, and how those can be integrated into architectural education through an experimental design and research course with students of architecture.We expand on issues presented at the eCAADe conference 2017 in Rome [Ref 6] by increasing the complexity and size of our prints, printing not a model to scale, but a full scale funtional prototype of a usable architectural object: A coffee bar. Y1 - 2018 SP - 59 EP - 68 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Michaux, F. A1 - Mattern, P. A1 - Kallweit, Stephan T1 - RoboPIV: how robotics enable PIV on a large industrial scale JF - Measurement Science and Technology N2 - This work demonstrates how the interaction between particle image velocimetry (PIV) and robotics can massively increase measurement efficiency. The interdisciplinary approach is shown using the complex example of an automated, large scale, industrial environment: a typical automotive wind tunnel application. Both the high degree of flexibility in choosing the measurement region and the complete automation of stereo PIV measurements are presented. The setup consists of a combination of three robots, individually used as a 6D traversing unit for the laser illumination system as well as for each of the two cameras. Synchronised movements in the same reference frame are realised through a master-slave setup with a single interface to the user. By integrating the interface into the standard wind tunnel management system, a single measurement plane or a predefined sequence of several planes can be requested through a single trigger event, providing the resulting vector fields within minutes. In this paper, a brief overview on the demands of large scale industrial PIV and the existing solutions is given. Afterwards, the concept of RoboPIV is introduced as a new approach. In a first step, the usability of a selection of commercially available robot arms is analysed. The challenges of pose uncertainty and importance of absolute accuracy are demonstrated through comparative measurements, explaining the individual pros and cons of the analysed systems. Subsequently, the advantage of integrating RoboPIV directly into the existing wind tunnel management system is shown on basis of a typical measurement sequence. In a final step, a practical measurement procedure, including post-processing, is given by using real data and results. Ultimately, the benefits of high automation are demonstrated, leading to a drastic reduction in necessary measurement time compared to non-automated systems, thus massively increasing the efficiency of PIV measurements. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6501/aab5c1 SN - 1361-6501 N1 - Special Section on the 12th International Symposium on Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV 2017) VL - 29 IS - 7 SP - 074009 PB - IOP CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Michel, Philipp A1 - Butenweg, Christoph A1 - Kinkel, Sven T1 - Pile-grid foundations of onshore wind turbines considering soil-structure-interaction under seismic loading JF - Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering N2 - In recent years, many onshore wind turbines are erected in seismic active regions and on soils with poor load bearing capacity, where pile grids are inevitable to transfer the loads into the ground. In this contribution, a realistic multi pile grid is designed to analyze the dynamics of a wind turbine tower including frequency dependent soil-structure-interaction. It turns out that different foundations on varying soil configurations heavily influence the vibration response. While the vibration amplitude is mostly attenuated, certain unfavorable combinations of structure and soil parameters lead to amplification in the range of the system's natural frequencies. This testifies the need for overall dynamic analysis in the assessment of the dynamic stability and the holistic frequency tuning of the turbines. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soildyn.2018.03.009 SN - 0267-7261 VL - 109 SP - 299 EP - 311 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER -