TY - JOUR A1 - Vahidpour, Farnoosh A1 - Alghazali, Yousef H. M. A1 - Akca, Sevilay A1 - Hommes, Gregor A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - An Enzyme-Based Interdigitated Electrode-Type Biosensor for Detecting Low Concentrations of H₂O₂ Vapor/Aerosol JF - Chemosensors N2 - This work introduces a novel method for the detection of H₂O₂ vapor/aerosol of low concentrations, which is mainly applied in the sterilization of equipment in medical industry. Interdigitated electrode (IDE) structures have been fabricated by means of microfabrication techniques. A differential setup of IDEs was prepared, containing an active sensor element (active IDE) and a passive sensor element (passive IDE), where the former was immobilized with an enzymatic membrane of horseradish peroxidase that is selective towards H₂O₂. Changes in the IDEs’ capacitance values (active sensor element versus passive sensor element) under H₂O₂ vapor/aerosol atmosphere proved the detection in the concentration range up to 630 ppm with a fast response time (<60 s). The influence of relative humidity was also tested with regard to the sensor signal, showing no cross-sensitivity. The repeatability assessment of the IDE biosensors confirmed their stable capacitive signal in eight subsequent cycles of exposure to H₂O₂ vapor/aerosol. Room-temperature detection of H₂O₂ vapor/aerosol with such miniaturized biosensors will allow a future three-dimensional, flexible mapping of aseptic chambers and help to evaluate sterilization assurance in medical industry. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors10060202 SN - 2227-9040 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue "Bioinspired Chemical Sensors and Micro-Nano Devices" VL - 10 IS - 6 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Uysal, Karya A1 - Firat, Ipek Serat A1 - Creutz, Till A1 - Aydin, Inci Cansu A1 - Artmann, Gerhard A1 - Teusch, Nicole A1 - Temiz Artmann, Aysegül T1 - A novel in vitro wound healing assay using free-standing, ultra-thin PDMS membranes JF - membranes N2 - Advances in polymer science have significantly increased polymer applications in life sciences. We report the use of free-standing, ultra-thin polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes, called CellDrum, as cell culture substrates for an in vitro wound model. Dermal fibroblast monolayers from 28- and 88-year-old donors were cultured on CellDrums. By using stainless steel balls, circular cell-free areas were created in the cell layer (wounding). Sinusoidal strain of 1 Hz, 5% strain, was applied to membranes for 30 min in 4 sessions. The gap circumference and closure rate of un-stretched samples (controls) and stretched samples were monitored over 4 days to investigate the effects of donor age and mechanical strain on wound closure. A significant decrease in gap circumference and an increase in gap closure rate were observed in trained samples from younger donors and control samples from older donors. In contrast, a significant decrease in gap closure rate and an increase in wound circumference were observed in the trained samples from older donors. Through these results, we propose the model of a cell monolayer on stretchable CellDrums as a practical tool for wound healing research. The combination of biomechanical cell loading in conjunction with analyses such as gene/protein expression seems promising beyond the scope published here. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13010022 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue "Latest Scientific Discoveries in Polymer Membranes" VL - 2023 IS - 13(1) PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bergmann, Ole A1 - Götten, Falk A1 - Braun, Carsten A1 - Janser, Frank T1 - Comparison and evaluation of blade element methods against RANS simulations and test data JF - CEAS Aeronautical Journal N2 - This paper compares several blade element theory (BET) method-based propeller simulation tools, including an evaluation against static propeller ground tests and high-fidelity Reynolds-Average Navier Stokes (RANS) simulations. Two proprietary propeller geometries for paraglider applications are analysed in static and flight conditions. The RANS simulations are validated with the static test data and used as a reference for comparing the BET in flight conditions. The comparison includes the analysis of varying 2D aerodynamic airfoil parameters and different induced velocity calculation methods. The evaluation of the BET propeller simulation tools shows the strength of the BET tools compared to RANS simulations. The RANS simulations underpredict static experimental data within 10% relative error, while appropriate BET tools overpredict the RANS results by 15–20% relative error. A variation in 2D aerodynamic data depicts the need for highly accurate 2D data for accurate BET results. The nonlinear BET coupled with XFOIL for the 2D aerodynamic data matches best with RANS in static operation and flight conditions. The novel BET tool PropCODE combines both approaches and offers further correction models for highly accurate static and flight condition results. KW - BET KW - CFD propeller simulation KW - Propeller aerodynamics KW - Actuator disk modelling KW - Propeller performance Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s13272-022-00579-1 SN - 1869-5590 (Online) SN - 1869-5582 (Print) N1 - Corresponding author: Ole Bergmann VL - 13 SP - 535 EP - 557 PB - Springer CY - Wien ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stäudle, Benjamin A1 - Seynnes, Olivier A1 - Laps, Guido A1 - Brüggemann, Gert-Peter A1 - Albracht, Kirsten T1 - Altered gastrocnemius contractile behavior in former achilles tendon rupture patients during walking JF - Frontiers in Physiology N2 - Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) remains associated with functional limitations years after injury. Architectural remodeling of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscle is typically observed in the affected leg and may compensate force deficits caused by a longer tendon. Yet patients seem to retain functional limitations during—low-force—walking gait. To explore the potential limits imposed by the remodeled GM muscle-tendon unit (MTU) on walking gait, we examined the contractile behavior of muscle fascicles during the stance phase. In a cross-sectional design, we studied nine former patients (males; age: 45 ± 9 years; height: 180 ± 7 cm; weight: 83 ± 6 kg) with a history of complete unilateral ATR, approximately 4 years post-surgery. Using ultrasonography, GM tendon morphology, muscle architecture at rest, and fascicular behavior were assessed during walking at 1.5 m⋅s–1 on a treadmill. Walking patterns were recorded with a motion capture system. The unaffected leg served as control. Lower limbs kinematics were largely similar between legs during walking. Typical features of ATR-related MTU remodeling were observed during the stance sub-phases corresponding to series elastic element (SEE) lengthening (energy storage) and SEE shortening (energy release), with shorter GM fascicles (36 and 36%, respectively) and greater pennation angles (8° and 12°, respectively). However, relative to the optimal fascicle length for force production, fascicles operated at comparable length in both legs. Similarly, when expressed relative to optimal fascicle length, fascicle contraction velocity was not different between sides, except at the time-point of peak series elastic element (SEE) length, where it was 39 ± 49% lower in the affected leg. Concomitantly, fascicles rotation during contraction was greater in the affected leg during the whole stance-phase, and architectural gear ratios (AGR) was larger during SEE lengthening. Under the present testing conditions, former ATR patients had recovered a relatively symmetrical walking gait pattern. Differences in seen AGR seem to accommodate the profound changes in MTU architecture, limiting the required fascicle shortening velocity. Overall, the contractile behavior of the GM fascicles does not restrict length- or velocity-dependent force potentials during this locomotor task. KW - tendon rupture KW - muscle fascicle behavior KW - walking gait KW - force generation KW - ultrasound imaging Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.792576 SN - 1664-042X VL - 13 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bernau, C. R. A1 - Knödler, Matthias A1 - Emonts, Jessica A1 - Jäpel, Ronald Colin A1 - Buyel, Johannes Felix T1 - The use of predictive models to develop chromatography-based purification processes JF - Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology N2 - Chromatography is the workhorse of biopharmaceutical downstream processing because it can selectively enrich a target product while removing impurities from complex feed streams. This is achieved by exploiting differences in molecular properties, such as size, charge and hydrophobicity (alone or in different combinations). Accordingly, many parameters must be tested during process development in order to maximize product purity and recovery, including resin and ligand types, conductivity, pH, gradient profiles, and the sequence of separation operations. The number of possible experimental conditions quickly becomes unmanageable. Although the range of suitable conditions can be narrowed based on experience, the time and cost of the work remain high even when using high-throughput laboratory automation. In contrast, chromatography modeling using inexpensive, parallelized computer hardware can provide expert knowledge, predicting conditions that achieve high purity and efficient recovery. The prediction of suitable conditions in silico reduces the number of empirical tests required and provides in-depth process understanding, which is recommended by regulatory authorities. In this article, we discuss the benefits and specific challenges of chromatography modeling. We describe the experimental characterization of chromatography devices and settings prior to modeling, such as the determination of column porosity. We also consider the challenges that must be overcome when models are set up and calibrated, including the cross-validation and verification of data-driven and hybrid (combined data-driven and mechanistic) models. This review will therefore support researchers intending to establish a chromatography modeling workflow in their laboratory. KW - biopharmaceutical production process KW - Data-driven models KW - downstream processing design KW - experiment quality KW - hybrid model validation Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2022.1009102 SN - 2296-4185 (online-ressource) IS - 10 PB - Frontiers Media CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Digel, Ilya A1 - Akimbekov, Nuraly S. A1 - Rogachev, Evgeniy A1 - Pogorelova, Natalia T1 - Bacterial cellulose produced by Medusomyces gisevii on glucose and sucrose: biosynthesis and structural properties JF - Cellulose N2 - In this work, the effects of carbon sources and culture media on the production and structural properties of bacterial cellulose (BC) synthesized by Medusomyces gisevii have been studied. The culture medium was composed of different initial concentrations of glucose or sucrose dissolved in 0.4% extract of plain green tea. Parameters of the culture media (titratable acidity, substrate conversion degree etc.) were monitored daily for 20 days of cultivation. The BC pellicles produced on different carbon sources were characterized in terms of biomass yield, crystallinity and morphology by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Our results showed that Medusomyces gisevii had higher BC yields in media with sugar concentrations close to 10 g L−1 after a 18–20 days incubation period. Glucose in general lead to a higher BC yield (173 g L−1) compared to sucrose (163.5 g L−1). The BC crystallinity degree and surface roughness were higher in the samples synthetized from sucrose. Obtained FE-SEM micrographs show that the BC pellicles synthesized in the sucrose media contained densely packed tangles of cellulose fibrils whereas the BC produced in the glucose media displayed rather linear geometry of the BC fibrils without noticeable aggregates. KW - Bacterial cellulose KW - Medusomyces gisevi KW - Carbon sources KW - Culture media KW - Cellulose nanostructure Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-023-05592-z SN - 1572-882X (Online) SN - 0969-0239 (Print) N1 - Corresponding author: Ilya Digel PB - Springer Science + Business Media CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Thoma, Andreas A1 - Thomessen, Karolin A1 - Gardi, Alessandro A1 - Fisher, A. A1 - Braun, Carsten T1 - Prioritising paths: An improved cost function for local path planning for UAV in medical applications JF - The Aeronautical Journal N2 - Even the shortest flight through unknown, cluttered environments requires reliable local path planning algorithms to avoid unforeseen obstacles. The algorithm must evaluate alternative flight paths and identify the best path if an obstacle blocks its way. Commonly, weighted sums are used here. This work shows that weighted Chebyshev distances and factorial achievement scalarising functions are suitable alternatives to weighted sums if combined with the 3DVFH* local path planning algorithm. Both methods considerably reduce the failure probability of simulated flights in various environments. The standard 3DVFH* uses a weighted sum and has a failure probability of 50% in the test environments. A factorial achievement scalarising function, which minimises the worst combination of two out of four objective functions, reaches a failure probability of 26%; A weighted Chebyshev distance, which optimises the worst objective, has a failure probability of 30%. These results show promise for further enhancements and to support broader applicability. KW - Path planning KW - Cost function KW - Multi-objective optimization Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1017/aer.2023.68 SN - 0001-9240 (Print) SN - 2059-6464 (Online) IS - First View SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Cambridge University Press CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Falkenberg, Fabian A1 - Kohn, Sophie A1 - Bott, Michael A1 - Bongaerts, Johannes A1 - Siegert, Petra T1 - Biochemical characterisation of a novel broad pH spectrum subtilisin from Fictibacillus arsenicus DSM 15822ᵀ JF - FEBS Open Bio N2 - Subtilisins from microbial sources, especially from the Bacillaceae family, are of particular interest for biotechnological applications and serve the currently growing enzyme market as efficient and novel biocatalysts. Biotechnological applications include use in detergents, cosmetics, leather processing, wastewater treatment and pharmaceuticals. To identify a possible candidate for the enzyme market, here we cloned the gene of the subtilisin SPFA from Fictibacillus arsenicus DSM 15822ᵀ (obtained through a data mining-based search) and expressed it in Bacillus subtilis DB104. After production and purification, the protease showed a molecular mass of 27.57 kDa and a pI of 5.8. SPFA displayed hydrolytic activity at a temperature optimum of 80 °C and a very broad pH optimum between 8.5 and 11.5, with high activity up to pH 12.5. SPFA displayed no NaCl dependence but a high NaCl tolerance, with decreasing activity up to concentrations of 5 m NaCl. The stability enhanced with increasing NaCl concentration. Based on its substrate preference for 10 synthetic peptide 4-nitroanilide substrates with three or four amino acids and its phylogenetic classification, SPFA can be assigned to the subgroup of true subtilisins. Moreover, SPFA exhibited high tolerance to 5% (w/v) SDS and 5% H₂O₂ (v/v). The biochemical properties of SPFA, especially its tolerance of remarkably high pH, SDS and H₂O₂, suggest it has potential for biotechnological applications. KW - Bacillaceae KW - Biotechnological application KW - Broad pH spectrum KW - Subtilases KW - Subtilisin Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.13701 SN - 2211-5463 N1 - Corresponding author: Petra Siegert VL - 13 IS - 11 SP - 2035 EP - 2046 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken, NJ ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rübbelke, Dirk A1 - Vögele, Stefan A1 - Grajewski, Matthias A1 - Zobel, Luzy T1 - Cross border adjustment mechanism: Initial data for the assessment of hydrogen-based steel production JF - Data in Brief N2 - Ambitious climate targets affect the competitiveness of industries in the international market. To prevent such industries from moving to other countries in the wake of increased climate protection efforts, cost adjustments may become necessary. Their design requires knowledge of country-specific production costs. Here, we present country-specific cost figures for different production routes of steel, paying particular attention to transportation costs. The data can be used in floor price models aiming to assess the competitiveness of different steel production routes in different countries (Rübbelke, 2022). KW - Energy-intensive industry KW - Steel industry KW - Competitiveness KW - Floor prices KW - Cross border adjustment mechanism Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2023.108907 SN - 2352-3409 VL - 47 IS - Article 108907 SP - 1 EP - 5 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cheenakula, Dheeraja A1 - Griebel, Kai A1 - Montag, David A1 - Grömping, Markus ED - Huang, Xiaowu T1 - Concept development of a mainstream deammonification and comparison with conventional process in terms of energy, performance and economical construction perspectives JF - Frontiers in Microbiology N2 - Deammonification for nitrogen removal in municipal wastewater in temperate and cold climate zones is currently limited to the side stream of municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTP). This study developed a conceptual model of a mainstream deammonification plant, designed for 30,000 P.E., considering possible solutions corresponding to the challenging mainstream conditions in Germany. In addition, the energy-saving potential, nitrogen elimination performance and construction-related costs of mainstream deammonification were compared to a conventional plant model, having a single-stage activated sludge process with upstream denitrification. The results revealed that an additional treatment step by combining chemical precipitation and ultra-fine screening is advantageous prior the mainstream deammonification. Hereby chemical oxygen demand (COD) can be reduced by 80% so that the COD:N ratio can be reduced from 12 to 2.5. Laboratory experiments testing mainstream conditions of temperature (8–20°C), pH (6–9) and COD:N ratio (1–6) showed an achievable volumetric nitrogen removal rate (VNRR) of at least 50 gN/(m3∙d) for various deammonifying sludges from side stream deammonification systems in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, where m3 denotes reactor volume. Assuming a retained Norganic content of 0.0035 kgNorg./(P.E.∙d) from the daily loads of N at carbon removal stage and a VNRR of 50 gN/(m3∙d) under mainstream conditions, a resident-specific reactor volume of 0.115 m3/(P.E.) is required for mainstream deammonification. This is in the same order of magnitude as the conventional activated sludge process, i.e., 0.173 m3/(P.E.) for an MWWTP of size class of 4. The conventional plant model yielded a total specific electricity demand of 35 kWh/(P.E.∙a) for the operation of the whole MWWTP and an energy recovery potential of 15.8 kWh/(P.E.∙a) through anaerobic digestion. In contrast, the developed mainstream deammonification model plant would require only a 21.5 kWh/(P.E.∙a) energy demand and result in 24 kWh/(P.E.∙a) energy recovery potential, enabling the mainstream deammonification model plant to be self-sufficient. The retrofitting costs for the implementation of mainstream deammonification in existing conventional MWWTPs are nearly negligible as the existing units like activated sludge reactors, aerators and monitoring technology are reusable. However, the mainstream deammonification must meet the performance requirement of VNRR of about 50 gN/(m3∙d) in this case. KW - anammox KW - energy efficiency KW - mainstream deammonification KW - nitrogen elimination KW - wastewater Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1155235 SN - 1664-302X VL - 14 IS - 11155235 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Frontiers ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ringers, Christa A1 - Bialonski, Stephan A1 - Ege, Mert A1 - Solovev, Anton A1 - Hansen, Jan Niklas A1 - Jeong, Inyoung A1 - Friedrich, Benjamin M. A1 - Jurisch-Yaksi, Nathalie T1 - Novel analytical tools reveal that local synchronization of cilia coincides with tissue-scale metachronal waves in zebrafish multiciliated epithelia JF - eLife N2 - Motile cilia are hair-like cell extensions that beat periodically to generate fluid flow along various epithelial tissues within the body. In dense multiciliated carpets, cilia were shown to exhibit a remarkable coordination of their beat in the form of traveling metachronal waves, a phenomenon which supposedly enhances fluid transport. Yet, how cilia coordinate their regular beat in multiciliated epithelia to move fluids remains insufficiently understood, particularly due to lack of rigorous quantification. We combine experiments, novel analysis tools, and theory to address this knowledge gap. To investigate collective dynamics of cilia, we studied zebrafish multiciliated epithelia in the nose and the brain. We focused mainly on the zebrafish nose, due to its conserved properties with other ciliated tissues and its superior accessibility for non-invasive imaging. We revealed that cilia are synchronized only locally and that the size of local synchronization domains increases with the viscosity of the surrounding medium. Even though synchronization is local only, we observed global patterns of traveling metachronal waves across the zebrafish multiciliated epithelium. Intriguingly, these global wave direction patterns are conserved across individual fish, but different for left and right noses, unveiling a chiral asymmetry of metachronal coordination. To understand the implications of synchronization for fluid pumping, we used a computational model of a regular array of cilia. We found that local metachronal synchronization prevents steric collisions, i.e., cilia colliding with each other, and improves fluid pumping in dense cilia carpets, but hardly affects the direction of fluid flow. In conclusion, we show that local synchronization together with tissue-scale cilia alignment coincide and generate metachronal wave patterns in multiciliated epithelia, which enhance their physiological function of fluid pumping. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.77701 SN - 2050-084X VL - 12 PB - eLife Sciences Publications ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Luft, Angela A1 - Bremen, Sebastian A1 - Luft, Nils T1 - A cost/benefit and flexibility evaluation framework for additive technologies in strategic factory planning JF - Processes N2 - There is a growing demand for more flexibility in manufacturing to counter the volatility and unpredictability of the markets and provide more individualization for customers. However, the design and implementation of flexibility within manufacturing systems are costly and only economically viable if applicable to actual demand fluctuations. To this end, companies are considering additive manufacturing (AM) to make production more flexible. This paper develops a conceptual model for the impact quantification of AM on volume and mix flexibility within production systems in the early stages of the factory-planning process. Together with the model, an application guideline is presented to help planners with the flexibility quantification and the factory design process. Following the development of the model and guideline, a case study is presented to indicate the potential impact additive technologies can have on manufacturing flexibility Within the case study, various scenarios with different production system configurations and production programs are analyzed, and the impact of the additive technologies on volume and mix flexibility is calculated. This work will allow factory planners to determine the potential impacts of AM on manufacturing flexibility in an early planning stage and design their production systems accordingly. KW - additive manufacturing KW - factory planning KW - manufacturing flexibility KW - volume flexibility KW - mix flexibility Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11071968 SN - 2227-9717 VL - 11 IS - 7 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hoffstadt, Kevin A1 - Cheenakula, Dheeraja A1 - Nikolausz, Marcell A1 - Krafft, Simone A1 - Harms, Hauke A1 - Kuperjans, Isabel T1 - Design and construction of a new reactor for flexible biomethanation of hydrogen JF - Fermentation N2 - The increasing share of renewable electricity in the grid drives the need for sufficient storage capacity. Especially for seasonal storage, power-to-gas can be a promising approach. Biologically produced methane from hydrogen produced from surplus electricity can be used to substitute natural gas in the existing infrastructure. Current reactor types are not or are poorly optimized for flexible methanation. Therefore, this work proposes a new reactor type with a plug flow reactor (PFR) design. Simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics ® showed promising properties for operation in laminar flow. An experiment was conducted to support the simulation results and to determine the gas fraction of the novel reactor, which was measured to be 29%. Based on these simulations and experimental results, the reactor was constructed as a 14 m long, 50 mm diameter tube with a meandering orientation. Data processing was established, and a step experiment was performed. In addition, a kLa of 1 h−1 was determined. The results revealed that the experimental outcomes of the type of flow and gas fractions are in line with the theoretical simulation. The new design shows promising properties for flexible methanation and will be tested. KW - methanation KW - plug flow reactor KW - bubble column KW - bio-methane KW - power-to-gas Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation9080774 SN - 2311-5637 N1 - The article belongs to the Special Issue Fermentation Processes: Modeling, Optimization and Control VL - 9 IS - 8 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Berg-Postweiler, Julia A1 - Steuer-Dankert, Linda A1 - Leicht-Scholten, Carmen T1 - One size does not fit all: Applying antibias trainings in academia JF - The International Journal of Organizational Diversity N2 - Antibias training is increasingly demanded and practiced in academia and industry to increase employees’ sensitivity to discrimination, racism, and diversity. Under the heading of “Diversity Management,” antibias trainings are mainly offered as one-off workshops intending to raise awareness of unconscious biases, create a diversity-affirming corporate culture, promote awareness of the potential of diversity, and ultimately enable the reflection of diversity in development processes. However, coming from childhood education, research and scientific articles on the sustainable effectiveness of antibias in adulthood, especially in academia, are very scarce. In order to fill this research gap, the article aims to explore how sustainable the effects of individual antibias trainings on participants’ behavior are. In order to investigate this, participant observation in a qualitative pre–post setting was conducted, analyzing antibias training in an academic context. Two observers actively participated in the training sessions and documented the activities and reflection processes of the participants. Overall, the results question the effectiveness of single antibias trainings and show that a target-group adaptive approach is mandatory owing to the background of the approach in early childhood education. Therefore, antibias work needs to be adapted to the target group’s needs and realities of life. Furthermore, the study reveals that single antibias trainings must be embedded in a holistic diversity management approach to stimulate sustainable reflection processes among the target group. This article is one of the first to scientifically evaluate antibias training effectiveness, especially in engineering sciences and the university context. KW - Antibias KW - Diversity Management KW - Organizational Culture KW - Engineering Habitus Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.18848/2328-6261/CGP/v24i01/1-23 SN - 2328-6261 (Print) SN - 2328-6229 (Online) VL - 24 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 23 PB - Common Ground Research Networks ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Haeger, Gerrit A1 - Grankin, Alina A1 - Wagner, Michaela T1 - Construction of an Aspergillus oryzae triple amylase deletion mutant as a chassis to evaluate industrially relevant amylases using multiplex CRISPR/Cas9 editing technology JF - Applied Research N2 - Aspergillus oryzae is an industrially relevant organism for the secretory production of heterologous enzymes, especially amylases. The activities of potential heterologous amylases, however, cannot be quantified directly from the supernatant due to the high background activity of native α-amylase. This activity is caused by the gene products of amyA, amyB, and amyC. In this study, an in vitro CRISPR/Cas9 system was established in A. oryzae to delete these genes simultaneously. First, pyrG of A. oryzae NSAR1 was mutated by exploiting NHEJ to generate a counter-selection marker. Next, all amylase genes were deleted simultaneously by co-transforming a repair template carrying pyrG of Aspergillus nidulans and flanking sequences of amylase gene loci. The rate of obtained triple knock-outs was 47%. We showed that triple knockouts do not retain any amylase activity in the supernatant. The established in vitro CRISPR/Cas9 system was used to achieve sequence-specific knock-in of target genes. The system was intended to incorporate a single copy of the gene of interest into the desired host for the development of screening methods. Therefore, an integration cassette for the heterologous Fpi amylase was designed to specifically target the amyB locus. The site-specific integration rate of the plasmid was 78%, with exceptional additional integrations. Integration frequency was assessed via qPCR and directly correlated with heterologous amylase activity. Hence, we could compare the efficiency between two different signal peptides. In summary, we present a strategy to exploit CRISPR/Cas9 for gene mutation, multiplex knock-out, and the targeted knock-in of an expression cassette in A. oryzae. Our system provides straightforward strain engineering and paves the way for development of fungal screening systems. KW - aspergillus KW - CRISPR/Cas9 KW - filamentous fungi KW - genome engineering Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/appl.202200106 SN - 2702-4288 IS - Early View SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Wiley-VCH ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pfaff, Raphael T1 - Braking distance prediction for vehicle consist in low-speed on-sight operation: a Monte Carlo approach JF - Railway Engineering Science N2 - The first and last mile of a railway journey, in both freight and transit applications, constitutes a high effort and is either non-productive (e.g. in the case of depot operations) or highly inefficient (e.g. in industrial railways). These parts are typically managed on-sight, i.e. with no signalling and train protection systems ensuring the freedom of movement. This is possible due to the rather short braking distances of individual vehicles and shunting consists. The present article analyses the braking behaviour of such shunting units. For this purpose, a dedicated model is developed. It is calibrated on published results of brake tests and validated against a high-definition model for low-speed applications. Based on this model, multiple simulations are executed to obtain a Monte Carlo simulation of the resulting braking distances. Based on the distribution properties and established safety levels, the risk of exceeding certain braking distances is evaluated and maximum braking distances are derived. Together with certain parameters of the system, these can serve in the design and safety assessment of driver assistance systems and automation of these processes. KW - Freight rail KW - Shunting KW - Braking curves KW - Brake set-up KW - Driver assistance system Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40534-023-00303-7 SN - 2662-4753 (eISSN) SN - 2662-4745 (Print) VL - 31 IS - 2 SP - 135 EP - 144 PB - SpringerOpen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dellmann, Sophia Florence A1 - Glorius, J. A1 - Litvinov, Yu A. A1 - Reifarth, R. A1 - Al-Khasawneh, Kafa A1 - Aliotta, M. A1 - Bott, L. A1 - Brückner, Benjamin A1 - Bruno, C. G. A1 - Chen, Ruijiu A1 - Davinson, T. A1 - Dickel, T. A1 - Dillmann, Iris A1 - Dmytriev, D. A1 - Erbacher, P. A1 - Freire-Fernández, D. A1 - Forstner, Oliver A1 - Geissel, H. A1 - Göbel, K. A1 - Griffin, Christopher J. A1 - Grisenti, R. A1 - Gumberidze, Alexandre A1 - Haettner, Emma A1 - Hagmann, Siegbert A1 - Heil, M. A1 - Heß, R. A1 - Hillenbrand, P.-M. A1 - Joseph, R. A1 - Jurado, B. A1 - Kozhuharov, Christophor A1 - Kulikov, I. A1 - Löher, Bastian A1 - Langer, Christoph A1 - Leckenby, Guy A1 - Lederer-Woods, C. A1 - Lestinsky, M. A1 - Litvinov, S. A. A1 - Lorenz, B. A. A1 - Lorenz, E. A1 - Marsh, J. A1 - Menz, Esther Babette A1 - Morgenroth, T. A1 - Petridis, N. A1 - Pibernat, Jerome A1 - Popp, U. A1 - Psaltis, Athanasios A1 - Sanjari, Shahab A1 - Scheidenberger, C. A1 - Sguazzin, M. A1 - Sidhu, Ragandeep Singh A1 - Spillmann, Uwe A1 - Steck, M. A1 - Stöhlker, T. A1 - Surzhykov, A. A1 - Swartz, J. A. A1 - Törnqvist, H. A1 - Varga, L. A1 - Vescovi, Diego A1 - Weick, H. A1 - Weigand, M. A1 - Woods, P. A1 - Xing, Y. A1 - Yamaguchi, Taiyo T1 - Proton capture on stored radioactive ¹¹⁸Te ions JF - EPJ Web of Conferences N2 - Experimental determination of the cross sections of proton capture on radioactive nuclei is extremely difficult. Therefore, it is of substantial interest for the understanding of the production of the p-nuclei. For the first time, a direct measurement of proton-capture cross sections on stored, radioactive ions became possible in an energy range of interest for nuclear astrophysics. The experiment was performed at the Experimental Storage Ring (ESR) at GSI by making use of a sensitive method to measure (p,γ) and (p,n) reactions in inverse kinematics. These reaction channels are of high relevance for the nucleosyn-thesis processes in supernovae, which are among the most violent explosions in the universe and are not yet well understood. The cross section of the ¹¹⁸Te(p,γ) reaction has been measured at energies of 6 MeV/u and 7 MeV/u. The heavy ions interacted with a hydrogen gas jet target. The radiative recombination process of the fully stripped ¹¹⁸Te ions and electrons from the hydrogen target was used as a luminosity monitor. An overview of the experimental method and preliminary results from the ongoing analysis will be presented. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/202327911018 SN - 2100-014X N1 - Volume 279, 2023. Nuclear Physics in Astrophysics – X (NPA-X 2022). VL - 279 IS - Article Number: 11018 SP - 1 EP - 5 PB - EDP Sciences ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Morais, Paulo V. A1 - Suman, Pedro H. A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef A1 - Siqueira Junior, José R. A1 - Orlandi, Marcelo O. T1 - Layer-by-layer film based on Sn₃O₄ nanobelts as sensing units to detect heavy metals using a capacitive field-effect sensor platform JF - Chemosensors N2 - Lead and nickel, as heavy metals, are still used in industrial processes, and are classified as “environmental health hazards” due to their toxicity and polluting potential. The detection of heavy metals can prevent environmental pollution at toxic levels that are critical to human health. In this sense, the electrolyte–insulator–semiconductor (EIS) field-effect sensor is an attractive sensing platform concerning the fabrication of reusable and robust sensors to detect such substances. This study is aimed to fabricate a sensing unit on an EIS device based on Sn₃O₄ nanobelts embedded in a polyelectrolyte matrix of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) using the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. The EIS-Sn₃O₄ sensor exhibited enhanced electrochemical performance for detecting Pb²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions, revealing a higher affinity for Pb²⁺ ions, with sensitivities of ca. 25.8 mV/decade and 2.4 mV/decade, respectively. Such results indicate that Sn₃O₄ nanobelts can contemplate a feasible proof-of-concept capacitive field-effect sensor for heavy metal detection, envisaging other future studies focusing on environmental monitoring. KW - Sn₃O₄ KW - nanobelts KW - field-effect sensor KW - LbL films KW - heavy metals Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors11080436 SN - 2227-9040 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue The Application of Electrochemical Sensors or Biosensors Based on Nanomaterials VL - 11 IS - 8 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schulze, Sven A1 - Feyerl, Günter A1 - Pischinger, Stefan T1 - Advanced ECMS for hybrid electric heavy-duty trucks with predictive battery discharge and adaptive operating strategy under real driving conditions JF - Energies N2 - To fulfil the CO2 emission reduction targets of the European Union (EU), heavy-duty (HD) trucks need to operate 15% more efficiently by 2025 and 30% by 2030. Their electrification is necessary as conventional HD trucks are already optimized for the long-haul application. The resulting hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) truck gains most of the fuel saving potential by the recuperation of potential energy and its consecutive utilization. The key to utilizing the full potential of HEV-HD trucks is to maximize the amount of recuperated energy and ensure its intelligent usage while keeping the operating point of the internal combustion engine as efficient as possible. To achieve this goal, an intelligent energy management strategy (EMS) based on ECMS is developed for a parallel HEV-HD truck which uses predictive discharge of the battery and adaptive operating strategy regarding the height profile and the vehicle mass. The presented EMS can reproduce the global optimal operating strategy over long phases and lead to a fuel saving potential of up to 2% compared with a heuristic strategy. Furthermore, the fuel saving potential is correlated with the investigated boundary conditions to deepen the understanding of the impact of intelligent EMS for HEV-HD trucks. KW - Energy management strategies KW - ECMS KW - CO2 emission reduction targets KW - Driving cycle recognition KW - Predictive battery discharge Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/en16135171 SN - 1996-1073 N1 - The article belongs to the Special Issue "Energy Management Strategies of Electrified Vehicles toward the Real-World Driving". VL - 16 IS - 13 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Waldvogel, Janice A1 - Freyler, Kathrin A1 - Helm, Michael A1 - Monti, Elena A1 - Stäudle, Benjamin A1 - Gollhofer, Albert A1 - Narici, Marco V. A1 - Ritzmann, Ramona A1 - Albracht, Kirsten T1 - Changes in gravity affect neuromuscular control, biomechanics, and muscle-tendon mechanics in energy storage and dissipation tasks JF - Journal of Applied Physiology N2 - This study evaluates neuromechanical control and muscle-tendon interaction during energy storage and dissipation tasks in hypergravity. During parabolic flights, while 17 subjects performed drop jumps (DJs) and drop landings (DLs), electromyography (EMG) of the lower limb muscles was combined with in vivo fascicle dynamics of the gastrocnemius medialis, two-dimensional (2D) kinematics, and kinetics to measure and analyze changes in energy management. Comparisons were made between movement modalities executed in hypergravity (1.8 G) and gravity on ground (1 G). In 1.8 G, ankle dorsiflexion, knee joint flexion, and vertical center of mass (COM) displacement are lower in DJs than in DLs; within each movement modality, joint flexion amplitudes and COM displacement demonstrate higher values in 1.8 G than in 1 G. Concomitantly, negative peak ankle joint power, vertical ground reaction forces, and leg stiffness are similar between both movement modalities (1.8 G). In DJs, EMG activity in 1.8 G is lower during the COM deceleration phase than in 1 G, thus impairing quasi-isometric fascicle behavior. In DLs, EMG activity before and during the COM deceleration phase is higher, and fascicles are stretched less in 1.8 G than in 1 G. Compared with the situation in 1 G, highly task-specific neuromuscular activity is diminished in 1.8 G, resulting in fascicle lengthening in both movement modalities. Specifically, in DJs, a high magnitude of neuromuscular activity is impaired, resulting in altered energy storage. In contrast, in DLs, linear stiffening of the system due to higher neuromuscular activity combined with lower fascicle stretch enhances the buffering function of the tendon, and thus the capacity to safely dissipate energy. KW - electromyography KW - locomotion KW - overload KW - stretch-shortening cycle KW - ultrasound Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00279.2022 SN - 1522-1601 (Onlineausgabe) SN - 8750-7587 (Druckausgabe) VL - 134 IS - 1 SP - 190 EP - 202 PB - American Physiological Society CY - Bethesda, Md. ER -