TY - JOUR A1 - Stadler, Andreas M. A1 - Garvey, G. J. A1 - Bocahut, A. A1 - Sacquin-Mora, S. A1 - Digel, Ilya A1 - Schneider, G. J. A1 - Natali, F. A1 - Artmann, Gerhard A1 - Zaccai, G. T1 - Thermal fluctuations of haemoglobin from different species : adaptation to temperature via conformational dynamics JF - Journal of the Royal Society Interface N2 - Thermodynamic stability, configurational motions and internal forces of haemoglobin (Hb) of three endotherms (platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus; domestic chicken, Gallus gallus domesticus and human, Homo sapiens) and an ectotherm (salt water crocodile, Crocodylus porosus) were investigated using circular dichroism, incoherent elastic neutron scattering and coarse-grained Brownian dynamics simulations. The experimental results from Hb solutions revealed a direct correlation between protein resilience, melting temperature and average body temperature of the different species on the 0.1 ns time scale. Molecular forces appeared to be adapted to permit conformational fluctuations with a root mean square displacement close to 1.2 Å at the corresponding average body temperature of the endotherms. Strong forces within crocodile Hb maintain the amplitudes of motion within a narrow limit over the entire temperature range in which the animal lives. In fully hydrated powder samples of human and chicken, Hb mean square displacements and effective force constants on the 1 ns time scale showed no differences over the whole temperature range from 10 to 300 K, in contrast to the solution case. A complementary result of the study, therefore, is that one hydration layer is not sufficient to activate all conformational fluctuations of Hb in the pico- to nanosecond time scale which might be relevant for biological function. Coarse-grained Brownian dynamics simulations permitted to explore residue-specific effects. They indicated that temperature sensing of human and chicken Hb occurs mainly at residues lining internal cavities in the β-subunits. Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2012.0364 SN - 1742-5689 VL - 9 IS - 76 SP - 2845 EP - 2855 PB - The Royal Society CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Staat, Manfred A1 - Vu, Duc Khoi T1 - Limit analysis of flaws in pressurized pipes and cylindrical vessels Part II: Circumferential defects JF - Engineering Fracture Mechanics ; 97(2013), H. 1 N2 - Upper and lower bound theorems of limit analyses have been presented in part I of the paper. Part II starts with the finite element discretization of these theorems and demonstrates how both can be combined in a primal–dual optimization problem. This recently proposed numerical method is used to guide the development of a new class of closed-form limit loads for circumferential defects, which show that only large defects contribute to plastic collapse with a rapid loss of strength with increasing crack sizes. The formulae are compared with primal–dual FEM limit analyses and with burst tests. Even closer predictions are obtained with iterative limit load solutions for the von Mises yield function and for the Tresca yield function. Pressure loading of the faces of interior cracks in thick pipes reduces the collapse load of circumferential defects more than for axial flaws. Axial defects have been treated in part I of the paper. Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.engfracmech.2012.05.017 SN - 0013-7944 VL - 97 SP - 314 EP - 333 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Staat, Manfred A1 - Trenz, Eva A1 - Lohmann, Philipp A1 - Frotscher, Ralf A1 - Klinge, Uwe A1 - Tabaza, Ruth A1 - Kirschner-Hermanns, Ruth T1 - New measurements to compare soft tissue anchoring systems in pelvic floor surgery JF - Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials N2 - Suburethral slings as well as different meshes are widely used treating stress urinary incontinence and prolaps in women. With the development of MiniSlings and special meshes using less alloplastic material anchorage systems become more important to keep devices in place and to put some tension especially on the MiniSlings. To date, there are many different systems of MiniSlings of different companies on the market which differ in the structure of the used meshes and anchors. A new objective measurement method to compare different properties of MiniSling systems (mesh and anchor) is presented in this article. Ballistic gelatine acts as soft tissue surrogate. Significant differences in parameters like pull-out strength of anchors or shrinkage of meshes under loading conditions have been determined. The form and size of the anchors as well as the structural stability of the meshes are decisive for a proper integration. The tested anchorings sytems showed markedly different mechanical function at their respective load bearing capacity. As the stable fixation of the device in tissue is a prerequisite for a permanet reinforcement, the proposed test system permits further optimisation of anchor and mesh devices to improve the success of the surgical treatment Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jbm.b.32654 SN - 1552-4981 VL - 100B IS - 4 SP - 924 EP - 933 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken, NJ ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Staat, Manfred T1 - Limit and shakedown analysis under uncertainty JF - Tap chi Khoa hoc & ung dung - Dai hoc Ton Duc Thang Y1 - 2012 N1 - = Journal of Applied Sciences - Ton Duc Thang University VL - 19 SP - 45 EP - 47 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Spelthahn, Heiko A1 - Schubert, Jürgen A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Dünnschichtsensoren für die Schwermetallanalytik JF - GIT : Labor-Fachzeitschrift N2 - Die Detektion von Schadstoffen repräsentiert in der Umweltanalytik eine wichtige Aufgabenstellung. Gerade die Abwasser- bzw. Brauchwasseranalytik sowie die Prozesskontrolle haben einen hohen Stellenwert. Siliziumbasierte Dünnschichtsensoren bieten eine kostengünstige Möglichkeit, „online“-Messungen bzw. Vor-Ort-Messungen zeitnah durchzuführen. In dieser Arbeit wird ein potentiometrisches Sensorarray auf der Basis von Chalkogenidgläsern zur Detektion von Schwermetallen in wässrigen Medien vorgestellt. Y1 - 2012 SN - 0016-3538 VL - 56 IS - 4 SP - 285 EP - 287 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Spelthahn, Heiko A1 - Kirsanov, Dmitry A1 - Legin, Andrey A1 - Osterrath, Thomas A1 - Schubert, Jürgen A1 - Zander, Willi A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Development of a thin-film sensor array for analytical monitoring of heavy metals in aqueous solutions JF - Physica Status Solidi (a) N2 - In industrial processes there is a variety of heavy metals (e.g., copper, zinc, cadmium, and lead) in use for wires, coatings, paints, alloys, batteries, etc. Since the application of these transition metals for industry is inevitable, it is a vital task to develop proper analytical techniques for their monitoring at low activity levels, especially because most of these elements are acutely toxic for biological organisms. The determination of ions in solution by means of a simple and inexpensive sensor array is, therefore, a promising task. In this work, a sensor array with heavy metal-sensitive chalcogenide glass membranes for the simultaneous detection of the four ions Ag⁺, Cu2⁺, Cd2⁺, and Pb2⁺ in solution is realized. The results of the physical characterization by means of microscopy, profilometry, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as the electrochemical characterization by means of potentiometric measurements are presented. Additionally, the possibility to expand the sensor array by polymeric sensor membranes is discussed. Y1 - 2012 SN - 1862-6319 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pssa.201100733 VL - 209 IS - 5 SP - 885 EP - 891 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schusser, Sebastian A1 - Poghossian, Arshak A1 - Bäcker, Matthias A1 - Leinhos, Marcel A1 - Wagner, Patrick A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Characterization of biodegradable polymers with capacitive field-effect sensors JF - Sensors and actuators B: Chemical N2 - In vitro studies of the degradation kinetic of biopolymers are essential for the design and optimization of implantable biomedical devices. In the presented work, a field-effect capacitive sensor has been applied for the real-time and in situ monitoring of degradation processes of biopolymers for the first time. The polymer-covered field-effect sensor is, in principle, capable to detect any changes in bulk, surface and interface properties of the polymer induced by degradation processes. The feasibility of this approach has been experimentally proven by using the commercially available biomedical polymer poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA) as a model system. PDLLA films of different thicknesses were deposited on the Ta₂O₅-gate surface of the field-effect structure from a polymer solution by means of spin-coating method. The polymer-modified field-effect sensors have been characterized by means of capacitance–voltage and impedance-spectroscopy method. The degradation of the PDLLA was accelerated by changing the degradation medium from neutral (pH 7.2) to alkaline (pH 9) condition, resulting in drastic changes in the capacitance and impedance spectra of the polymer-modified field-effect sensor. KW - Impedance spectroscopy KW - C–V method KW - Real-time monitoring KW - Poly(d,l-lacticacid) KW - (Bio)degradation KW - Field-effect sensor Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2012.07.099 SN - 0925-4005 N1 - Part of special issue "Selected Papers from the 14th International Meeting on Chemical Sensors" VL - 187 SP - 2 EP - 7 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schmitz, Philipp A1 - Weber, Martin T1 - Buying and selling behavior of individual investors in option-like securities JF - Die Betriebswirtschaft : DBW N2 - We analyze the trading behavior of individual investors in option-like securities, namely bankissued warrants, and thus expand the growing literature of investors behavior to a new kind of securities. A unique data set from a large German discount broker gives us the opportunity to analyze the trading behavior of 1,454 investors, making 89,958 transactions in 6,724 warrants on 397 underlyings. In different logit regression, we make use of the facts that investors can speculate on rising and falling prices of the underlying with call and put warrants and that we also have information about the stock portfolios of the investors. We report several facts about the trading behavior of individual investors in warrants that are consistent with the literature on the behavior of individual investors in the stock market. The warrant investors buy calls and sell puts if the price of the underlying has decreased over the past trading days and they sell calls and buy puts if the price of the underlying has increased. That means, the investors follow negative feedback trading strategies in all four trading categories observed. In addition, we find strong evidence for the disposition effect for call as well as put warrants, which is reversed in December. The trading behavior is also influenced if the underlying reaches some exceptionally prices, e.g. highs, lows or the strike price. We show that hedging, as one natural candidate to buy puts, does not play an important role in the market for bank-issued warrants. KW - Bank-issued Warrants KW - Disposition Effect KW - Negative Feedback Trading KW - Trading Behavior KW - Individual Investors Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2055088 SN - 0342-7064 VL - 72 IS - 5 SP - 409 EP - 426 PB - Schäffer-Poeschel CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schiffer, Stefan A1 - Ferrein, Alexander A1 - Lakemeyer, Gerhard T1 - Caesar: an intelligent domestic service robot JF - Intelligent service robotics N2 - In this paper we present CAESAR, an intelligent domestic service robot. In domestic settings for service robots complex tasks have to be accomplished. Those tasks benefit from deliberation, from robust action execution and from flexible methods for human–robot interaction that account for qualitative notions used in natural language as well as human fallibility. Our robot CAESAR deploys AI techniques on several levels of its system architecture. On the low-level side, system modules for localization or navigation make, for instance, use of path-planning methods, heuristic search, and Bayesian filters. For face recognition and human–machine interaction, random trees and well-known methods from natural language processing are deployed. For deliberation, we use the robot programming and plan language READYLOG, which was developed for the high-level control of agents and robots; it allows combining programming the behaviour using planning to find a course of action. READYLOG is a variant of the robot programming language Golog. We extended READYLOG to be able to cope with qualitative notions of space frequently used by humans, such as “near” and “far”. This facilitates human–robot interaction by bridging the gap between human natural language and the numerical values needed by the robot. Further, we use READYLOG to increase the flexible interpretation of human commands with decision-theoretic planning. We give an overview of the different methods deployed in CAESAR and show the applicability of a system equipped with these AI techniques in domestic service robotics Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11370-012-0118-y SN - 1861-2776 N1 - Special Issue on Artificial Intelligence Techniques for Robotics: Sensing, Representation and Action, Part I VL - 5 IS - 4 SP - 259 EP - 276 PB - Springer CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scheer, Nico A1 - Kapelyukh, Yury A1 - Rode, Anja A1 - Buechel, Sandra A1 - Wolf, C. Roland T1 - Generation and characterization of novel cytochrome P450 Cyp2c gene cluster knockout and CYP2C9 humanized mouse lines JF - Molecular Pharmacology N2 - Compared with rodents and many other animal species, the human cytochrome P450 (P450) Cyp2c gene cluster varies significantly in the multiplicity of functional genes and in the substrate specificity of its enzymes. As a consequence, the use of wild-type animal models to predict the role of human CYP2C enzymes in drug metabolism and drug-drug interactions is limited. Within the human CYP2C cluster CYP2C9 is of particular importance, because it is one of the most abundant P450 enzymes in human liver, and it is involved in the metabolism of a wide variety of important drugs and environmental chemicals. To investigate the in vivo functions of cytochrome P450 Cyp2c genes and to establish a model for studying the functions of CYP2C9 in vivo, we have generated a mouse model with a deletion of the murine Cyp2c gene cluster and a corresponding humanized model expressing CYP2C9 specifically in the liver. Despite the high number of functional genes in the mouse Cyp2c cluster and the reported roles of some of these proteins in different biological processes, mice deleted for Cyp2c genes were viable and fertile but showed certain phenotypic alterations in the liver. The expression of CYP2C9 in the liver also resulted in viable animals active in the metabolism and disposition of a number of CYP2C9 substrates. These mouse lines provide a powerful tool for studying the role of Cyp2c genes and of CYP2C9 in particular in drug disposition and as a factor in drug-drug interaction. Y1 - 2012 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1124/mol.112.080036 SN - 1521-0111 VL - 82 IS - 6 SP - 1022 EP - 1029 PB - ASPET CY - Bethesda, Md. ER -