TY - GEN A1 - Tippkötter, Nils A1 - Ulber, Roland T1 - Eine magnetische horizontale Wirbelschicht für die Durchmischung und Rückhaltung von magnetisierbaren Mikropartikeln im Durchfluss T2 - Chemie Ingenieur Technik N2 - Magnetisierbare Partikel als Träger von Katalysatoren können durch Anlegen eines magnetisches Feldes einfach und schnell abgetrennt werden. Die Wiedergewinnung von wertvollen Enzymen unter geringem Energie- und Materialeinsatz der magnetischen Abtrennung eröffnet einen Wettbewerbsvorteil für Produktionsprozesse. Die Abtrennung von magnetisierbaren Partikeln vom Überstand wird üblicherweise entweder durch Anlegen eines äußeren Magnetfelds und der resultierenden Ablagerung der Partikel an den Reaktorwänden oder durch Hochgradientenmagnetseparation (HGMS)durchgeführt. Beide Verfahren resultieren meist in der Bildung eines Filterkuchens aus Magnetpartikeln und den Feststoffen des Reaktionsmediums. Das magnetische horizontale Wirbelbett ermöglicht simultan eine kontinuierliche Reaktionsführung und die Rückhaltung der Partikel im Durchfluss. Die Partikelsuspension fließt durch einen Rohrreaktor, der in einem Magnetfeld mit wechselnden Feldgradienten eingebracht ist. Die Änderung des Magnetfeldgradienten erfolgt entgegen der Strömungsrichtung der Reaktionslösung. Durch alternierende Feldmaxima an den beiden Seiten des Reaktors werden die magnetisierbaren Partikel zu dessen Wänden gezogen. Bei Umkehrung des Feldes wandern die Partikel an die gegenüberliegende Reaktorwand. Durch Wahl einer geeigneten Wechselfrequenz kann eine kontinuierliche Durchmischung und Rückhaltung der Mikropartikel im durchströmten Rohr erreicht werden. Somit können Immobilisierungsreaktionen und Biotransformationen mit den Partikelsystemen im Durchfluss durchgeführt werden. Y1 - 2009 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/cite.200950076 SN - 0009-286X SN - 1522-2640 (eISSN) N1 - ProcessNet‐Jahrestagung 2009 und 27. DECHEMA-Jahrestagung der Biotechnologen, 8.- 10. September 2009, Mannheim VL - 81 IS - 8 SP - 1168 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gräßl, Andreas A1 - Renz, Wolfgang A1 - Hezel, Fabian A1 - Dieringer, Matthias A. A1 - Winter, Lukas A1 - Özerdem, Celal A1 - Rieger, Jan A1 - Kellmann, Peter A1 - Santoro, Davide A1 - Lindel, Tomasz D. A1 - Frauenrath, Tobias A1 - Pfeiffer, Harald A1 - Niendorf, Thoralf T1 - Modular 32-channel transceiver coil array for cardiac MRI at 7.0T JF - Magnetic Resonance in Medicine N2 - Purpose To design and evaluate a modular transceiver coil array with 32 independent channels for cardiac MRI at 7.0T. Methods The modular coil array comprises eight independent building blocks, each containing four transceiver loop elements. Numerical simulations were used for B1+ field homogenization and radiofrequency (RF) safety validation. RF characteristics were examined in a phantom study. The array's suitability for accelerated high spatial resolution two-dimensional (2D) FLASH CINE imaging of the heart was examined in a volunteer study. Results Transmission field adjustments and RF characteristics were found to be suitable for the volunteer study. The signal-to-noise intrinsic to 7.0T together with the coil performance afforded a spatial resolution of 1.1 × 1.1 × 2.5 mm3 for 2D CINE FLASH MRI, which is by a factor of 6 superior to standardized CINE protocols used in clinical practice at 1.5T. The 32-channel transceiver array supports one-dimensional acceleration factors of up to R = 4 without impairing image quality significantly. Conclusion The modular 32-channel transceiver cardiac array supports accelerated and high spatial resolution cardiac MRI. The array is compatible with multichannel transmission and provides a technological basis for future clinical assessment of parallel transmission techniques at 7.0T. Y1 - 2013 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/mrm.24903 SN - 1522-2594 VL - 72 IS - 1 SP - 276 EP - 290 PB - Wiley-Liss CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Frauenrath, Tobias A1 - Fuchs, Katharina A1 - Dieringer, Matthias A. A1 - Özerdem, Celal A1 - Patel, Nishan A1 - Renz, Wolfgang A1 - Greiser, Andreas A1 - Elgeti, Thomas A1 - Niendorf, Thoralf T1 - Detailing the use of magnetohydrodynamic effects for synchronization of MRI with the cardiac cycle: A feasibility study JF - Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging N2 - Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects for synchronization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the cardiac cycle. Materials and Methods: The MHD effect was scrutinized using a pulsatile flow phantom at B0 = 7.0 T. MHD effects were examined in vivo in healthy volunteers (n = 10) for B0 ranging from 0.05–7.0 T. Noncontrast-enhanced MR angiography (MRA) of the carotids was performed using a gated steady-state free-precession (SSFP) imaging technique in conjunction with electrocardiogram (ECG) and MHD synchronization. Results: The MHD potential correlates with flow velocities derived from phase contrast MRI. MHD voltages depend on the orientation between B0 and the flow of a conductive fluid. An increase in the interelectrode spacing along the flow increases the MHD potential. In vivo measurement of the MHD effect provides peak voltages of 1.5 mV for surface areas close to the common carotid artery at B0 = 7.0 T. Synchronization of MRI with the cardiac cycle using MHD triggering is feasible. MHD triggered MRA of the carotids at 3.0 T showed an overall image quality and richness of anatomic detail, which is comparable to ECG-triggered MRAs. Conclusion: This feasibility study demonstrates the use of MHD effects for synchronization of MR acquisitions with the cardiac cycle. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:364–372. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.23634 SN - 1522-2586 VL - 36 IS - 2 SP - 364 EP - 372 PB - Wiley-Liss CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Grande, Marion A1 - Meffert, Elisabeth A1 - Schoenberger, Eva A1 - Jung, Stefanie A1 - Frauenrath, Tobias A1 - Huber, Walter A1 - Hussmann, Katja A1 - Moormann, Mareike A1 - Heim, Stefan T1 - From a concept to a word in a syntactically complete sentence: An fMRI study on spontaneous language production in an overt picture description task JF - NeuroImage N2 - Spontaneous language has rarely been subjected to neuroimaging studies. This study therefore introduces a newly developed method for the analysis of linguistic phenomena observed in continuous language production during fMRI. Most neuroimaging studies investigating language have so far focussed on single word or — to a smaller extent — sentence processing, mostly due to methodological considerations. Natural language production, however, is far more than the mere combination of words to larger units. Therefore, the present study aimed at relating brain activation to linguistic phenomena like word-finding difficulties or syntactic completeness in a continuous language fMRI paradigm. A picture description task with special constraints was used to provoke hesitation phenomena and speech errors. The transcribed speech sample was segmented into events of one second and each event was assigned to one category of a complex schema especially developed for this purpose. The main results were: conceptual planning engages bilateral activation of the precuneus. Successful lexical retrieval is accompanied – particularly in comparison to unsolved word-finding difficulties – by the left middle and superior temporal gyrus. Syntactic completeness is reflected in activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) (area 44). In sum, the method has proven to be useful for investigating the neural correlates of lexical and syntactic phenomena in an overt picture description task. This opens up new prospects for the analysis of spontaneous language production during fMRI. Y1 - 2012 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.03.087 SN - 1522-2586 VL - 61 IS - 3 SP - 702 EP - 714 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Martin, Conrad A1 - Frauenrath, Tobias A1 - Özerdem, Celal A1 - Renz, Wolfgang A1 - Niendorf, Thoralf T1 - Development and evaluation of a small and mobile Magneto Alert Sensor (MALSE) to support safety requirements for magnetic resonance imaging JF - European Radiology N2 - Objective The purpose of this study is to (i) design a small and mobile Magnetic field ALert SEnsor (MALSE), (ii) to carefully evaluate its sensors to their consistency of activation/deactivation and sensitivity to magnetic fields, and (iii) to demonstrate the applicability of MALSE in 1.5 T, 3.0 T and 7.0 T MR fringe field environments. Methods MALSE comprises a set of reed sensors, which activate in response to their exposure to a magnetic field. The activation/deactivation of reed sensors was examined by moving them in/out of the fringe field generated by 7TMR. Results The consistency with which individual reed sensors would activate at the same field strength was found to be 100% for the setup used. All of the reed switches investigated required a substantial drop in ambient magnetic field strength before they deactivated. Conclusions MALSE is a simple concept for alerting MRI staff to a ferromagnetic object being brought into fringe magnetic fields which exceeds MALSEs activation magnetic field. MALSE can easily be attached to ferromagnetic objects within the vicinity of a scanner, thus creating a barrier for hazardous situations induced by ferromagnetic parts which should not enter the vicinity of an MR-system to occur. KW - MRI KW - MR safety KW - Magneto alert sensor KW - High field MRI KW - Uktrahigh field MRI Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-011-2153-z SN - 1432-1084 VL - 21 SP - 2187 EP - 2192 PB - Springer CY - Berlin, Heidelberg ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dieringer, Matthias A. A1 - Renz, Wolfgang A1 - Lindel, Tomasz D. A1 - Seifert, Frank A1 - Frauenrath, Tobias A1 - von Knobelsdorf-Brenkenhoff, Florian A1 - Waiczies, Helmar A1 - Hoffmann, Werner A1 - Rieger, Jan A1 - Pfeiffer, Harald A1 - Ittermann, Bernd A1 - Schulz-Menger, Jeanette A1 - Niendorf, Thoralf T1 - Design and application of a four-channel transmit/receive surface coil for functional cardiac imaging at 7T JF - Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging N2 - Purpose To design and evaluate a four-channel cardiac transceiver coil array for functional cardiac imaging at 7T. Materials and Methods A four-element cardiac transceiver surface coil array was developed with two rectangular loops mounted on an anterior former and two rectangular loops on a posterior former. specific absorption rate (SAR) simulations were performed and a Burn:x-wiley:10531807:media:JMRI22451:tex2gif-stack-1 calibration method was applied prior to obtain 2D FLASH CINE (mSENSE, R = 2) images from nine healthy volunteers with a spatial resolution of up to 1 × 1 × 2.5 mm3. Results Tuning and matching was found to be better than 10 dB for all subjects. The decoupling (S21) was measured to be >18 dB between neighboring loops, >20 dB for opposite loops, and >30 dB for other loop combinations. SAR values were well within the limits provided by the IEC. Imaging provided clinically acceptable signal homogeneity with an excellent blood-myocardium contrast applying the Burn:x-wiley:10531807:media:JMRI22451:tex2gif-stack-2 calibration approach. Conclusion A four-channel cardiac transceiver coil array for 7T was built, allowing for cardiac imaging with clinically acceptable signal homogeneity and an excellent blood-myocardium contrast. Minor anatomic structures, such as pericardium, mitral, and tricuspid valves and their apparatus, as well as trabeculae, were accurately delineated. Y1 - 2011 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.22451 SN - 1522-2586 VL - 33 IS - 3 SP - 736 EP - 741 PB - Wiley-Liss CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ayala, Rafael Ceja A1 - Harris, Isaac A1 - Kleefeld, Andreas A1 - Pallikarakis, Nikolaos T1 - Analysis of the transmission eigenvalue problem with two conductivity parameters JF - Applicable Analysis N2 - In this paper, we provide an analytical study of the transmission eigenvalue problem with two conductivity parameters. We will assume that the underlying physical model is given by the scattering of a plane wave for an isotropic scatterer. In previous studies, this eigenvalue problem was analyzed with one conductive boundary parameter whereas we will consider the case of two parameters. We prove the existence and discreteness of the transmission eigenvalues as well as study the dependence on the physical parameters. We are able to prove monotonicity of the first transmission eigenvalue with respect to the parameters and consider the limiting procedure as the second boundary parameter vanishes. Lastly, we provide extensive numerical experiments to validate the theoretical work. KW - Transmission Eigenvalues KW - Conductive Boundary Condition KW - Inverse Scattering Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/00036811.2023.2181167 SN - 0003-6811 PB - Taylor & Francis ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Funke, Harald A1 - Beckmann, Nils T1 - Flexible fuel operation of a Dry-Low-NOx Micromix Combustor with Variable Hydrogen Methane Mixture JF - International Journal of Gas Turbine, Propulsion and Power Systems N2 - The role of hydrogen (H2) as a carbon-free energy carrier is discussed since decades for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As bridge technology towards a hydrogen-based energy supply, fuel mixtures of natural gas or methane (CH4) and hydrogen are possible. The paper presents the first test results of a low-emission Micromix combustor designed for flexible-fuel operation with variable H2/CH4 mixtures. The numerical and experimental approach for considering variable fuel mixtures instead of recently investigated pure hydrogen is described. In the experimental studies, a first generation FuelFlex Micromix combustor geometry is tested at atmospheric pressure at gas turbine operating conditions corresponding to part- and full-load. The H2/CH4 fuel mixture composition is varied between 57 and 100 vol.% hydrogen content. Despite the challenges flexible-fuel operation poses onto the design of a combustion system, the evaluated FuelFlex Micromix prototype shows a significant low NOx performance Y1 - 2022 SN - 1882-5079 VL - 13 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hammer, Thorben A1 - Quitter, Julius A1 - Mayntz, Joscha A1 - Bauschat, J.-Michael A1 - Dahmann, Peter A1 - Götten, Falk A1 - Hille, Sebastian A1 - Stumpf, Eike T1 - Free fall drag estimation of small-scale multirotor unmanned aircraft systems using computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel experiments JF - CEAS Aeronautical Journal N2 - New European Union (EU) regulations for UAS operations require an operational risk analysis, which includes an estimation of the potential danger of the UAS crashing. A key parameter for the potential ground risk is the kinetic impact energy of the UAS. The kinetic energy depends on the impact velocity of the UAS and, therefore, on the aerodynamic drag and the weight during free fall. Hence, estimating the impact energy of a UAS requires an accurate drag estimation of the UAS in that state. The paper at hand presents the aerodynamic drag estimation of small-scale multirotor UAS. Multirotor UAS of various sizes and configurations were analysed with a fully unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes approach. These simulations included different velocities and various fuselage pitch angles of the UAS. The results were compared against force measurements performed in a subsonic wind tunnel and provided good consistency. Furthermore, the influence of the UAS`s fuselage pitch angle as well as the influence of fixed and free spinning propellers on the aerodynamic drag was analysed. Free spinning propellers may increase the drag by up to 110%, depending on the fuselage pitch angle. Increasing the fuselage pitch angle of the UAS lowers the drag by 40% up to 85%, depending on the UAS. The data presented in this paper allow for increased accuracy of ground risk assessments. KW - Multirotor UAS KW - Drag estimation KW - CFD KW - Wind tunnel experiments KW - Wind milling Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s13272-023-00702-w SN - 1869-5590 (Online) SN - 1869-5582 (Print) N1 - Corresponding author: Thorben Hammer PB - Springer CY - Wien ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ketelhut, Maike A1 - Brügge, G. M. A1 - Göll, Fabian A1 - Braunstein, Bjoern A1 - Albracht, Kirsten A1 - Abel, Dirk T1 - Adaptive iterative learning control of an industrial robot during neuromuscular training JF - IFAC PapersOnLine N2 - To prevent the reduction of muscle mass and loss of strength coming along with the human aging process, regular training with e.g. a leg press is suitable. However, the risk of training-induced injuries requires the continuous monitoring and controlling of the forces applied to the musculoskeletal system as well as the velocity along the motion trajectory and the range of motion. In this paper, an adaptive norm-optimal iterative learning control algorithm to minimize the knee joint loadings during the leg extension training with an industrial robot is proposed. The response of the algorithm is tested in simulation for patients with varus, normal and valgus alignment of the knee and compared to the results of a higher-order iterative learning control algorithm, a robust iterative learning control and a recently proposed conventional norm-optimal iterative learning control algorithm. Although significant improvements in performance are made compared to the conventional norm-optimal iterative learning control algorithm with a small learning factor, for the developed approach as well as the robust iterative learning control algorithm small steady state errors occur. KW - Iterative learning control KW - Robotic rehabilitation KW - Adaptive control Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2020.12.741 SN - 2405-8963 VL - 53 IS - 2 SP - 16468 EP - 16475 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ketelhut, Maike A1 - Kolditz, Melanie A1 - Göll, Fabian A1 - Braunstein, Bjoern A1 - Albracht, Kirsten A1 - Abel, Dirk T1 - Admittance control of an industrial robot during resistance training JF - IFAC-PapersOnLine N2 - Neuromuscular strength training of the leg extensor muscles plays an important role in the rehabilitation and prevention of age and wealth related diseases. In this paper, we focus on the design and implementation of a Cartesian admittance control scheme for isotonic training, i.e. leg extension and flexion against a predefined weight. For preliminary testing and validation of the designed algorithm an experimental research and development platform consisting of an industrial robot and a force plate mounted at its end-effector has been used. Linear, diagonal and arbitrary two-dimensional motion trajectories with different weights for the leg extension and flexion part are applied. The proposed algorithm is easily adaptable to trajectories consisting of arbitrary six-dimensional poses and allows the implementation of individualized trajectories. KW - Assistive technology KW - Rehabilitation engineering KW - Human-Computer interaction KW - Automatic control Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifacol.2019.12.102 SN - 2405-8963 N1 - 14th IFAC Symposium on Analysis, Design, and Evaluation of Human Machine Systems HMS 2019 Tallinn, Estonia, 16–91 September 2019 VL - 52 IS - 19 SP - 223 EP - 228 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Ketelhut, Maike A1 - Göll, Fabian A1 - Braunstein, Bjoern A1 - Albracht, Kirsten A1 - Abel, Dirk T1 - Iterative learning control of an industrial robot for neuromuscular training T2 - 2019 IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications N2 - Effective training requires high muscle forces potentially leading to training-induced injuries. Thus, continuous monitoring and controlling of the loadings applied to the musculoskeletal system along the motion trajectory is required. In this paper, a norm-optimal iterative learning control algorithm for the robot-assisted training is developed. The algorithm aims at minimizing the external knee joint moment, which is commonly used to quantify the loading of the medial compartment. To estimate the external knee joint moment, a musculoskeletal lower extremity model is implemented in OpenSim and coupled with a model of an industrial robot and a force plate mounted at its end-effector. The algorithm is tested in simulation for patients with varus, normal and valgus alignment of the knee. The results show that the algorithm is able to minimize the external knee joint moment in all three cases and converges after less than seven iterations. KW - Knee KW - Training KW - Load modeling KW - Force KW - Iterative learning control Y1 - 2019 SN - 978-1-7281-2767-5 (ePub) SN - 978-1-7281-2766-8 (USB) SN - 978-1-7281-2768-2 (PoD) U6 - https://doi.org/10.1109/CCTA.2019.8920659 N1 - 2019 IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications (CCTA) Hong Kong, China, August 19-21, 2019 PB - IEEE CY - New York ER - TY - GEN A1 - Blottner, Dieter A1 - Hastermann, Maria A1 - Muckelt, Paul A1 - Albracht, Kirsten A1 - Schoenrock, Britt A1 - Salanova, Michele A1 - Warner, Martin A1 - Gunga, Hans-Christian A1 - Stokes, Maria T1 - MYOTONES - Inflight muscle health status monitoring during long-duration space missions onboard the International Space Station: a single case study T2 - IAC Papers Archive N2 - The MYOTONES experiment is the first to monitor changes in the basic biomechanical properties (tone, elasticity and stiffness) of the resting human myofascial system due to microgravity with a oninvasive, portable device on board the ISS. The MyotonPRO device applies several brief mechanical stimuli to the surface of the skin, and the natural oscillation signals of the tissue beneath are detected and computed by the MyotonPRO. Thus, an objective, quick and easy determination of the state of the underlying tissue is possible. Two preflight, four inflight and four post flight measurements were performed on a male astronaut using the same 10 measurement points (MP) for each session. MPs were located on the plantar fascia, Achilles tendon, M. soleus, M. gastrocnemius, M. multifidus, M. splenius capitis, M. deltoideus anterior, M. rectus femoris, infrapatellar tendon, M. tibialis anterior. Subcutaneous tissues thickness above the MPs was measured using ultrasound imaging. Magnetic resonance images (MRI) of lower limb muscles and functional tests were also performed pre- and postflight. Our first measurements on board the ISS confirmed increased tone and stiffness of the lumbar multifidus muscle, an important trunk stabilizer, dysfunction of which is known to be associated with back pain. Furthermore, reduced tone and stiffness of Achilles tendon and plantar fascia were observed inflight vs. preflight, confirming previous findings from terrestrial analog studies and parabolic flights. Unexpectedly, the deltoid showed negative inflight changes in tone and stiffness, and increased elasticity, suggesting a potential risk of muscle atrophy in longer spaceflight that should be addressed by adequate inflight countermeasure protocols. Most values from limb and back MPS showed deflected patterns (in either directions) from inflight shortly after the re-entry phase on the landing day and one week later. Most parameter values then normalized to baseline after 3 weeks likely due to 1G re-adaptation and possible outcome of the reconditioning protocol. No major changes in subcutaneous tissues thickness above the MPs were found inflight vs preflight, suggesting no bias (i.e., fluid shift, extreme tissue thickening or loss). Pre- and postflight MRI and functional tests showed negligible changes in calf muscle size, power and force, which is likely due to training effects from current inflight exercise protocols. The MYOTONES experiment is currently ongoing to collect data from further crew members. The potential impact of this research is to better understand the effects of microgravity and countermeasures over the time course of an ISS mission cycle. This will enable exercise countermeasures to be tailored Y1 - 2019 SN - 00741795 N1 - International Astronautical Congress: space: the power of the past, the promise of the future - Washington DC, USA/Vereinigte Staaten von Amerika Dauer: 21.10.2019 → 25.10.2019 PB - Pergamon CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bruksle, Ieva A1 - Chwallek, Constanze A1 - Krastina, Anzelika T1 - Strengthening sustainability in entrepreneurship education - implications for shifting entrepreneurial thinking towards sustainability at universities JF - ACTA PROSPERITATIS N2 - By developing innovative solutions to social and environmental problems, sustainable ventures carry greatpotential. Entrepreneurship which focuses especially on new venture creation can be developed through education anduniversities, in particular, are called upon to provide an impetus for social change. But social innovations are associatedwith certain hurdles, which are related to the multi-dimensionality, i.e. the tension between creating social,environmental and economic value and dealing with a multiplicity of stakeholders. The already complex field ofentrepreneurship education has to face these challenges. This paper, therefore, aims to identify starting points for theintegration of sustainability into entrepreneurship education. To pursue this goal experiences from three differentproject initiatives between the partner universities: Lapland University of Applied Sciences, FH Aachen University ofApplied Sciences and Turiba University are reflected and findings are systematically condensed into recommendationsfor education on sustainable entrepreneurship. KW - climate change KW - entrepreneurship education KW - Finland KW - Germany KW - Latvia Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.37804/1691-6077-2023-14-37-48 SN - 1691-6077 VL - 14 IS - 1 SP - 37 EP - 48 PB - Sciendo ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Werkhausen, Amelie A1 - Cronin, Neil J. A1 - Albracht, Kirsten A1 - Paulsen, Gøran A1 - Larsen, Askild V. A1 - Bojsen-Møller, Jens A1 - Seynnes, Olivier R. T1 - Training-induced increase in Achilles tendon stiffness affects tendon strain pattern during running JF - PeerJ N2 - Background During the stance phase of running, the elasticity of the Achilles tendon enables the utilisation of elastic energy and allows beneficial contractile conditions for the triceps surae muscles. However, the effect of changes in tendon mechanical properties induced by chronic loading is still poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that a training-induced increase in Achilles tendon stiffness would result in reduced tendon strain during the stance phase of running, which would reduce fascicle strains in the triceps surae muscles, particularly in the mono-articular soleus. Methods Eleven subjects were assigned to a training group performing isometric singleleg plantarflexion contractions three times per week for ten weeks, and another ten subjects formed a control group. Before and after the training period, Achilles tendon stiffness was estimated, and muscle-tendon mechanics were assessed during running at preferred speed using ultrasonography, kinematics and kinetics. Results Achilles tendon stiffness increased by 18% (P <0:01) in the training group, but the associated reduction in strain seen during isometric contractions was not statistically significant. Tendon elongation during the stance phase of running was similar after training, but tendon recoil was reduced by 30% (P <0:01), while estimated tendon force remained unchanged. Neither gastrocnemius medialis nor soleus fascicle shortening during stance was affected by training. Discussion These results show that a training-induced increase in Achilles tendon stiffness altered tendon behaviour during running. Despite training-induced changes in tendon mechanical properties and recoil behaviour, the data suggest that fascicle shortening patterns were preserved for the running speed that we examined. The asymmetrical changes in tendon strain patterns supports the notion that simple inseries models do not fully explain the mechanical output of the muscle-tendon unit during a complex task like running. KW - Achilles tendon KW - Stiffness KW - Running KW - Tendon properties KW - Architectural gear ratio Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6764 SN - 21678359 PB - Peer CY - London 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 - Bung, Daniel Bernhard A1 - Erpicum, Sébastien A1 - Tullis, Blanke P. T1 - Advances in hydraulic structures engineering JF - Journal of Hydraulic Engineering Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001851 SN - 0733-9429 (Druckausgabe) SN - 1943-7900 (Online-Ausgabe) VL - 147 IS - 1 PB - ASCE CY - Reston, Va. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Koch, Christopher A1 - Böhnisch, Nils A1 - Verdonck, Hendrik A1 - Hach, Oliver A1 - Braun, Carsten T1 - Comparison of unsteady low- and mid-fidelity propeller aerodynamic methods for whirl flutter applications JF - Applied Sciences N2 - Aircraft configurations with propellers have been drawing more attention in recent times, partly due to new propulsion concepts based on hydrogen fuel cells and electric motors. These configurations are prone to whirl flutter, which is an aeroelastic instability affecting airframes with elastically supported propellers. It commonly needs to be mitigated already during the design phase of such configurations, requiring, among other things, unsteady aerodynamic transfer functions for the propeller. However, no comprehensive assessment of unsteady propeller aerodynamics for aeroelastic analysis is available in the literature. This paper provides a detailed comparison of nine different low- to mid-fidelity aerodynamic methods, demonstrating their impact on linear, unsteady aerodynamics, as well as whirl flutter stability prediction. Quasi-steady and unsteady methods for blade lift with or without coupling to blade element momentum theory are evaluated and compared to mid-fidelity potential flow solvers (UPM and DUST) and classical, derivative-based methods. Time-domain identification of frequency-domain transfer functions for the unsteady propeller hub loads is used to compare the different methods. Predictions of the minimum required pylon stiffness for stability show good agreement among the mid-fidelity methods. The differences in the stability predictions for the low-fidelity methods are higher. Most methods studied yield a more unstable system than classical, derivative-based whirl flutter analysis, indicating that the use of more sophisticated aerodynamic modeling techniques might be required for accurate whirl flutter prediction. KW - Aeroelasticity KW - Flutter KW - Propeller whirl flutter KW - Unsteady aerodynamics KW - 1P hub loads Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/app14020850 SN - 2076-3417 VL - 14 IS - 2 SP - 1 EP - 28 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - BOOK A1 - Staat, Manfred A1 - Digel, Ilya A1 - Trzewik, Jürgen A1 - Sielemann, Stefanie A1 - Erni, Daniel A1 - Zylka, Waldemar T1 - Symposium Proceedings; 4th YRA MedTech Symposium 2024 : February 1 / 2024 / FH Aachen Y1 - 2024 SN - 978-3-940402-65-3 U6 - https://doi.org/10.17185/duepublico/81475 PB - Universität Duisburg-Essen CY - Duisburg ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Simsek, Beril A1 - Krause, Hans-Joachim A1 - Engelmann, Ulrich M. ED - Digel, Ilya ED - Staat, Manfred ED - Trzewik, Jürgen ED - Sielemann, Stefanie ED - Erni, Daniel ED - Zylka, Waldemar T1 - Magnetic biosensing with magnetic nanoparticles: Simulative approach to predict signal intensity in frequency mixing magnetic detection T2 - YRA MedTech Symposium (2024) N2 - Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) are investigated with great interest for biomedical applications in diagnostics (e.g. imaging: magnetic particle imaging (MPI)), therapeutics (e.g. hyperthermia: magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH)) and multi-purpose biosensing (e.g. magnetic immunoassays (MIA)). What all of these applications have in common is that they are based on the unique magnetic relaxation mechanisms of MNP in an alternating magnetic field (AMF). While MFH and MPI are currently the most prominent examples of biomedical applications, here we present results on the relatively new biosensing application of frequency mixing magnetic detection (FMMD) from a simulation perspective. In general, we ask how the key parameters of MNP (core size and magnetic anisotropy) affect the FMMD signal: by varying the core size, we investigate the effect of the magnetic volume per MNP; and by changing the effective magnetic anisotropy, we study the MNPs’ flexibility to leave its preferred magnetization direction. From this, we predict the most effective combination of MNP core size and magnetic anisotropy for maximum signal generation. Y1 - 2024 SN - 978-3-940402-65-3 U6 - https://doi.org/10.17185/duepublico/81475 N1 - 4th YRA MedTech Symposium, February 1, 2024. FH Aachen, Campus Jülich SP - 27 EP - 28 PB - Universität Duisburg-Essen CY - Duisburg ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Schmitz, Annika A1 - Apandi, Shah Eiman Amzar Shah A1 - Spillner, Jan A1 - Hima, Flutura A1 - Behbahani, Mehdi ED - Digel, Ilya ED - Staat, Manfred ED - Trzewik, Jürgen ED - Sielemann, Stefanie ED - Erni, Daniel ED - Zylka, Waldemar T1 - Effect of different cannula positions in the pulmonary artery on blood flow and gas exchange using computational fluid dynamics analysis T2 - YRA MedTech Symposium (2024) N2 - Pulmonary arterial cannulation is a common and effective method for percutaneous mechanical circulatory support for concurrent right heart and respiratory failure [1]. However, limited data exists to what effect the positioning of the cannula has on the oxygen perfusion throughout the pulmonary artery (PA). This study aims to evaluate, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the effect of different cannula positions in the PA with respect to the oxygenation of the different branching vessels in order for an optimal cannula position to be determined. The four chosen different positions (see Fig. 1) of the cannulas are, in the lower part of the main pulmonary artery (MPA), in the MPA at the junction between the right pulmonary artery (RPA) and the left pulmonary artery (LPA), in the RPA at the first branch of the RPA and in the LPA at the first branch of the LPA. Y1 - 2024 SN - 978-3-940402-65-3 U6 - https://doi.org/10.17185/duepublico/81475 N1 - 4th YRA MedTech Symposium, February 1, 2024. FH Aachen, Campus Jülich SP - 29 EP - 30 PB - Universität Duisburg-Essen CY - Duisburg ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Sherelkhan, Dinara A1 - Alibekova, Alina ED - Digel, Ilya ED - Staat, Manfred ED - Trzewik, Jürgen ED - Sielemann, Stefanie ED - Erni, Daniel ED - Zylka, Waldemar T1 - EEM spectroscopy characterization of humic substances of biomedical importance T2 - YRA MedTech Symposium (2024) N2 - Humic substances possess distinctive chemical features enabling their use in many advanced applications, including biomedical fields. No chemicals in nature have the same combination of specific chemical and biological properties as humic substances. Traditional medicine and modern research have demonstrated that humic substances from different sources possess immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, which makes them suitable for the prevention and treatment of chronic dermatoses, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, and other conditions characterized by inflammatory and allergic responses [1-4]. The use of humic compounds as agentswith antifungal and antiviral properties shows great potential [5-7]. Y1 - 2024 SN - 978-3-940402-65-3 U6 - https://doi.org/10.17185/duepublico/81475 N1 - 4th YRA MedTech Symposium, February 1, 2024. FH Aachen, Campus Jülich SP - 31 EP - 32 PB - Universität Duisburg-Essen CY - Duisburg ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Tepecik, Atakan ED - Digel, Ilya ED - Staat, Manfred ED - Trzewik, Jürgen ED - Sielemann, Stefanie ED - Erni, Daniel ED - Zylka, Waldemar T1 - AstroBioLab: Review of technical and bioanalytical approaches T2 - YRA MedTech Symposium (2024) N2 - This study presents the concept of AstroBioLab, an autonomous astrobiological field laboratory tailored for the exploration of (sub)glacial habitats. AstroBioLab is an integral component of the TRIPLE (Technologies for Rapid Ice Penetration and subglacial Lake Exploration) DLR-funded project, aimed at advancing astrobiology research through the development and deployment of innovative technologies. AstroBioLab integrates diverse measurement techniques such as fluorescence microscopy, DNA sequencing and fluorescence spectrometry, while leveraging microfluidics for efficient sample delivery and preparation. Y1 - 2024 SN - 978-3-940402-65-3 U6 - https://doi.org/10.17185/duepublico/81475 N1 - 4th YRA MedTech Symposium, February 1, 2024. FH Aachen, Campus Jülich SP - 33 EP - 34 PB - Universität Duisburg-Essen CY - Duisburg ER - TY - BOOK A1 - Drumm, Christian A1 - Scheuermann, Bernd A1 - Weidner, Stefan T1 - Introduction to SAP S/4HANA® : The official companion book based on model company Global Bike–for learning, teaching, and training N2 - This easy-to-understand introduction to SAP S/4HANA guides you through the central processes in sales, purchasing and procurement, finance, production, and warehouse management using the model company Global Bike. Familiarize yourself with the basics of business administration, the relevant organizational data, master data, and transactional data, as well as a selection of core business processes in SAP. Using practical examples and tutorials, you will soon become an SAP S/4HANA professional! Tutorials and exercises for beginners, advanced users, and experts make it easy for you to practice your new knowledge. The prerequisite for this book is access to an SAP S/4HANA client with Global Bike version 4.1. - Business fundamentals and processes in the SAP system - Sales, purchasing and procurement, production, finance, and warehouse management - Tutorials at different qualification levels, exercises, and recap of case studies - Includes extensive download material for students, lecturers, and professors Y1 - 2024 SN - 9783960122685 PB - Espresso Tutorials CY - Gleichen 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 - Richter, Charlotte A1 - Braunstein, Bjoern A1 - Stäudle, Benjamin A1 - Attias, Julia A1 - Suess, Alexander A1 - Weber, Tobias A1 - Mileva, Katja N. A1 - Rittweger, Joern A1 - Green, David A. A1 - Albracht, Kirsten T1 - Gastrocnemius medialis contractile behavior is preserved during 30% body weight supported gait training JF - Frontiers in Sports and Active Living N2 - Rehabilitative body weight supported gait training aims at restoring walking function as a key element in activities of daily living. Studies demonstrated reductions in muscle and joint forces, while kinematic gait patterns appear to be preserved with up to 30% weight support. However, the influence of body weight support on muscle architecture, with respect to fascicle and series elastic element behavior is unknown, despite this having potential clinical implications for gait retraining. Eight males (31.9 ± 4.7 years) walked at 75% of the speed at which they typically transition to running, with 0% and 30% body weight support on a lower-body positive pressure treadmill. Gastrocnemius medialis fascicle lengths and pennation angles were measured via ultrasonography. Additionally, joint kinematics were analyzed to determine gastrocnemius medialis muscle–tendon unit lengths, consisting of the muscle's contractile and series elastic elements. Series elastic element length was assessed using a muscle–tendon unit model. Depending on whether data were normally distributed, a paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed rank test was performed to determine if body weight supported walking had any effects on joint kinematics and fascicle–series elastic element behavior. Walking with 30% body weight support had no statistically significant effect on joint kinematics and peak series elastic element length. Furthermore, at the time when peak series elastic element length was achieved, and on average across the entire stance phase, muscle–tendon unit length, fascicle length, pennation angle, and fascicle velocity were unchanged with respect to body weight support. In accordance with unchanged gait kinematics, preservation of fascicle–series elastic element behavior was observed during walking with 30% body weight support, which suggests transferability of gait patterns to subsequent unsupported walking. KW - AlterG KW - rehabilitation KW - gait KW - walking KW - ultrasound imaging KW - series elastic element behavior KW - muscle fascicle behavior KW - unloading Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2020.614559 SN - 2624-9367 VL - 2021 IS - 2 PB - Frontiers CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Quittmann, Oliver J. A1 - Abel, Thomas A1 - Albracht, Kirsten A1 - Strüder, Heiko K. T1 - Biomechanics of all-out handcycling exercise: kinetics, kinematics and muscular activity of a 15-s sprint test in able-bodied participants JF - Sports Biomechanics N2 - This study aims to quantify the kinematics, kinetics and muscular activity of all-out handcycling exercise and examine their alterations during the course of a 15-s sprint test. Twelve able-bodied competitive triathletes performed a 15-s all-out sprint test in a recumbent racing handcycle that was attached to an ergometer. During the sprint test, tangential crank kinetics, 3D joint kinematics and muscular activity of 10 muscles of the upper extremity and trunk were examined using a power metre, motion capturing and surface electromyography (sEMG), respectively. Parameters were compared between revolution one (R1), revolution two (R2), the average of revolution 3 to 13 (R3) and the average of the remaining revolutions (R4). Shoulder abduction and internal-rotation increased, whereas maximal shoulder retroversion decreased during the sprint. Except for the wrist angles, angular velocity increased for every joint of the upper extremity. Several muscles demonstrated an increase in muscular activation, an earlier onset of muscular activation in crank cycle and an increased range of activation. During the course of a 15-s all-out sprint test in handcycling, the shoulder muscles and the muscles associated to the push phase demonstrate indications for short-duration fatigue. These findings are helpful to prevent injuries and improve performance in all-out handcycling. KW - Handbike KW - sEMG KW - Paralympic sport KW - performance testing KW - high-intensity exercise Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1080/14763141.2020.1745266 SN - 1752-6116 (Onlineausgabe) SN - 1476-3141 (Druckausgabe) VL - 21 IS - 10 SP - 1200 EP - 1223 PB - Taylor & Francis CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Richter, Charlotte A1 - Braunstein, Björn A1 - Stäudle, Benjamin A1 - Attias, Julia A1 - Süss, Alexander A1 - Weber, Tobias A1 - Mileva, Katya N. A1 - Rittweger, Jörn A1 - Green, David A. A1 - Albracht, Kirsten T1 - Gastrocnemius medialis contractile behavior during running differs between simulated Lunar and Martian gravities JF - Scientific reports N2 - The international partnership of space agencies has agreed to proceed forward to the Moon sustainably. Activities on the Lunar surface (0.16 g) will allow crewmembers to advance the exploration skills needed when expanding human presence to Mars (0.38 g). Whilst data from actual hypogravity activities are limited to the Apollo missions, simulation studies have indicated that ground reaction forces, mechanical work, muscle activation, and joint angles decrease with declining gravity level. However, these alterations in locomotion biomechanics do not necessarily scale to the gravity level, the reduction in gastrocnemius medialis activation even appears to level off around 0.2 g, while muscle activation pattern remains similar. Thus, it is difficult to predict whether gastrocnemius medialis contractile behavior during running on Moon will basically be the same as on Mars. Therefore, this study investigated lower limb joint kinematics and gastrocnemius medialis behavior during running at 1 g, simulated Martian gravity, and simulated Lunar gravity on the vertical treadmill facility. The results indicate that hypogravity-induced alterations in joint kinematics and contractile behavior still persist between simulated running on the Moon and Mars. This contrasts with the concept of a ceiling effect and should be carefully considered when evaluating exercise prescriptions and the transferability of locomotion practiced in Lunar gravity to Martian gravity. KW - Bone quality and biomechanics KW - Environmental impact KW - Skeletal muscle KW - Tendons KW - Ultrasound Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-00527-9 SN - 2045-2322 N1 - Corresponding author: Charlotte Richter VL - 11 IS - Article number: 22555 PB - Springer Nature CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Werkhausen, Amelie A1 - Willwacher, Steffen A1 - Albracht, Kirsten T1 - Medial gastrocnemius muscle fascicles shorten throughout stance during sprint acceleration JF - Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports N2 - The compliant nature of distal limb muscle-tendon units is traditionally considered suboptimal in explosive movements when positive joint work is required. However, during accelerative running, ankle joint net mechanical work is positive. Therefore, this study aims to investigate how plantar flexor muscle-tendon behavior is modulated during fast accelerations. Eleven female sprinters performed maximum sprint accelerations from starting blocks, while gastrocnemius muscle fascicle lengths were estimated using ultrasonography. We combined motion analysis and ground reaction force measurements to assess lower limb joint kinematics and kinetics, and to estimate gastrocnemius muscle-tendon unit length during the first two acceleration steps. Outcome variables were resampled to the stance phase and averaged across three to five trials. Relevant scalars were extracted and analyzed using one-sample and two-sample t-tests, and vector trajectories were compared using statistical parametric mapping. We found that an uncoupling of muscle fascicle behavior from muscle-tendon unit behavior is effectively used to produce net positive mechanical work at the joint during maximum sprint acceleration. Muscle fascicles shortened throughout the first and second steps, while shortening occurred earlier during the first step, where negative joint work was lower compared with the second step. Elastic strain energy may be stored during dorsiflexion after touchdown since fascicles did not lengthen at the same time to dissipate energy. Thus, net positive work generation is accommodated by the reuse of elastic strain energy along with positive gastrocnemius fascicle work. Our results show a mechanism of how muscles with high in-series compliance can contribute to net positive joint work. KW - locomotion KW - muscle mechanics KW - running KW - sprint start KW - ultrasonography Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13956 SN - 0905-7188 (Druckausgabe) SN - 1600-0838 (Onlineausgabe) VL - 31 IS - 7 SP - 1471 EP - 1480 PB - Wiley-Blackwell CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Monti, Elena A1 - Waldvogel, Janice A1 - Ritzmann, Ramona A1 - Freyler, Kathrin A1 - Albracht, Kirsten A1 - Helm, Michael A1 - De Cesare, Niccolò A1 - Pavan, Piero A1 - Reggiani, Carlo A1 - Gollhofer, Albert A1 - Narici, Marco Vincenzo T1 - Muscle in variable gravity: “I do not know where I am, but I know what to do” JF - Frontiers in Physiology N2 - Performing tasks, such as running and jumping, requires activation of the agonist and antagonist muscles before (motor unit pre-activation) and during movement performance (Santello and Mcdonagh, 1998). A well-timed and regulated muscle activation elicits a stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) response, naturally occurring in bouncing movements (Ishikawa and Komi, 2004; Taube et al., 2012). By definition, the SSC describes the stretching of a pre-activated muscle-tendon complex immediately followed by a muscle shortening in the concentric push-off phase (Komi, 1984). Given the importance of SSC actions for human movement, it is not surprising that many studies investigated the biomechanics of this phenomenon; in particular, drop jumps (DJs) represent a good paradigm to study muscle fascicle and tendon behavior in ballistic movements involving the SSC. Within a DJ, three main phases [pre-activation, braking, and push-off (PO; Komi, 2000)] have been recognized and extensively studied in common and challenging conditions, such as changes in load, falling height, or simulated hypo-gravity (Avela et al., 1994; Arampatzis et al., 2001; Fukashiro et al., 2005; Ishikawa et al., 2005; Sousa et al., 2007; Ritzmann et al., 2016; Helm et al., 2020). These studies show that the timing and amount of triceps-surae muscle-tendon unit pre-activation in DJs are differentially regulated based on the load applied to the muscle, being optimal in normal “Earth” gravity conditions (Avela et al., 1994), but decreased in simulated hypo-gravity, hyper-gravity (Avela et al., 1994; Ritzmann et al., 2016), or unknown conditions (i.e., unknown falling heights; Helm et al., 2020). Some authors indicated that, when falling from heights different from the optimal one [defined as the drop height giving a maximum DJ performance indicated as peak ground reaction force (GRF) or jump high], electromyographic (EMG) activity of the plantar flexors increases from lower than optimal to higher than optimal heights (Ishikawa and Komi, 2004; Sousa et al., 2007). These findings highlight the ability of the central nervous system to regulate the timing and amount of pre-activation according to different jumping conditions, thus regulating muscle fascicle length, tendon and joint stiffness as well as position, in order to safely land on the ground and quickly re-bounce. Similarly, to pre-activation, also in the braking phase, the plantar flexors are differentially regulated. In optimal height (i.e., load) jumping conditions, gastrocnemius medialis (GM) fascicles shorten at early ground contact (possibly due to the intervention of the stretch reflex; Gollhofer et al., 1992) and behave quasi-isometrically in the late braking phase, enabling tendon elongation, and storage of elastic energy (Gollhofer et al., 1992; Fukashiro et al., 2005; Sousa et al., 2007). When increasing the falling height (augmenting the impact GRF), the quasi-isometric behavior of fascicles disappears, and fast fascicle lengthening occurs (Ishikawa et al., 2005; Sousa et al., 2007). In the third and last PO phase, fascicles shorten and the tendon releases the elastic energy previously stored. Bobbert et al. (1987) reported no influence of jumping height on the work done and on the net vertical impulse assessed during PO; this observation suggests that, despite an optimal DJ performance might be achieved only in specific conditions (falling heights, loads), the central nervous system seems to be able to regulate muscle behavior in order to effectively perform the required task also in challenging situations. Although the regulation of triceps-surae muscle-tendon unit in DJs has been extensively investigated, very few studies focused on sarcomeres behavior during the performance of this SSC movement (Kurokawa et al., 2003; Fukashiro et al., 2005, 2006). Sarcomeres represent muscle contractile units and are known to express different amounts of force depending on their length (Gordon et al., 1966; Walker and Schrodt, 1974); thus, understanding the time course of their responses during DJs is fundamental to gain further insights into muscle force-generating capacity. In vivo measurement of sarcomere length in humans has been so far been performed only in static positions and under highly controlled experimental conditions (Llewellyn et al., 2008; Sanchez et al., 2015). Instead, human sarcomere length estimation (achieved by dividing GM measured fascicle length for a fixed sarcomere number) in dynamic contractions provided an indirect measure of sarcomere operating range during squat jump, countermovement jump, and DJ (Fukashiro et al., 2005, 2006; Kurokawa et al., 2003). The results of these studies showed that sarcomeres operate in the ascending limb of their length-tension (L-T) relationship in all types of jumps, and particularly so in DJ. However, most of the available observations on sarcomere and muscle fascicle behavior were made in condition of constant gravity. Thus, in order to understand how sarcomere and muscle fascicle length are regulated in variable gravity conditions, we performed experiments in a parabolic flight, involving variable gravity levels, ranging from about zero-g to about double the Earth’s gravity (1 g; Waldvogel et al., 2021). Specifically, the aims of the present study were as follows: 1. To investigate the ability of the neuromuscular system in regulating fascicle length in response to conditions of variable gravity. 2. To estimate sarcomere operative length in the different DJ phases, in order to calculate its theoretical force production and its possible modulation in conditions of variable gravity. We hypothesized that muscle fascicles would be differentially regulated in different gravity conditions compared to 1 g, particularly in anticipation of landing and re-bouncing in unknown gravity levels. In addition, we hypothesized that sarcomeres would operate in the upper part of the ascending limb of their L-T relationship, possibly lengthening during the braking phase (especially in hyper-gravity) while operating quasi-isometrically in 1 g. KW - parabolic flight KW - drop jump KW - hypo-gravity KW - hyper-gravity KW - sarcomere operating length Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.714655 SN - 1664-042X VL - 12 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Stäudle, Benjamin A1 - Seynnes, Olivier A1 - Laps, Guido A1 - Göll, Fabian A1 - Brüggemann, Gert-Peter A1 - Albracht, Kirsten T1 - Recovery from achilles tendon repair: a combination of Postsurgery Outcomes and Insufficient remodeling of muscle and tendon JF - Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise N2 - Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) patients have persistent functional deficits in the triceps surae muscle–tendon unit (MTU). The complex remodeling of the MTU accompanying these deficits remains poorly understood. The purpose of the present study was to associate in vivo and in silico data to investigate the relations between changes inMTU properties and strength deficits inATR patients. Methods: Elevenmale subjects who had undergone surgical repair of complete unilateral ATR were examined 4.6 ± 2.0 (mean ± SD) yr after rupture. Gastrocnemius medialis (GM) tendon stiffness, morphology, and muscle architecture were determined using ultrasonography. The force–length relation of the plantar flexor muscles was assessed at five ankle joint angles. In addition, simulations (OpenSim) of the GM MTU force–length properties were performed with various iterations of MTU properties found between the unaffected and the affected side. Results: The affected side of the patients displayed a longer, larger, and stiffer GM tendon (13% ± 10%, 105% ± 28%, and 54% ± 24%, respectively) compared with the unaffected side. The GM muscle fascicles of the affected side were shorter (32% ± 12%) and with greater pennation angles (31% ± 26%). A mean deficit in plantarflexion moment of 31% ± 10% was measured. Simulations indicate that pairing an intact muscle with a longer tendon shifts the optimal angular range of peak force outside physiological angular ranges, whereas the shorter muscle fascicles and tendon stiffening seen in the affected side decrease this shift, albeit incompletely. Conclusions: These results suggest that the substantial changes in MTU properties found in ATR patients may partly result from compensatory remodeling, although this process appears insufficient to fully restore muscle function. KW - Tendon Rupture KW - Stiffness KW - Simulation KW - Muscle Force KW - Muscle Fascicle Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002592 SN - 1530-0315 VL - 53 IS - 7 SP - 1356 EP - 1366 PB - American College of Sports Medicine CY - Philadelphia, Pa. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Savitskaya, Irina A1 - Zhantlessova, Sirina A1 - Kistaubayeva, Aida A1 - Ignatova, Ludmila A1 - Shokatayeva, Dina A1 - Sinyavsky, Yuriy A1 - Kushugulova, Almagul A1 - Digel, Ilya T1 - Prebiotic cellulose–pullulan matrix as a “vehicle” for probiotic biofilm delivery to the host large intestine JF - Polymers N2 - This study describes the development of a new combined polysaccharide-matrix-based technology for the immobilization of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) bacteria in biofilm form. The new composition allows for delivering the bacteria to the digestive tract in a manner that improves their robustness compared with planktonic cells and released biofilm cells. Granules consisting of a polysaccharide matrix with probiotic biofilms (PMPB) with high cell density (>9 log CFU/g) were obtained by immobilization in the optimized nutrient medium. Successful probiotic loading was confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The developed prebiotic polysaccharide matrix significantly enhanced LGG viability under acidic (pH 2.0) and bile salt (0.3%) stress conditions. Enzymatic extract of feces, mimicking colon fluid in terms of cellulase activity, was used to evaluate the intestinal release of probiotics. PMPB granules showed the ability to gradually release a large number of viable LGG cells in the model colon fluid. In vivo, the oral administration of PMPB granules in rats resulted in the successful release of probiotics in the colon environment. The biofilm-forming incubation method of immobilization on a complex polysaccharide matrix tested in this study has shown high efficacy and promising potential for the development of innovative biotechnologies. KW - immobilization KW - prebiotic KW - bacterial cellulose KW - biofilms KW - Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16010030 N1 - This article belongs to the Section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites" IS - 16(1) PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Werkhausen, Amelie A1 - Albracht, Kirsten A1 - Cronin, Neil J A1 - Paulsen, Gøran A1 - Bojsen-Møller, Jens A1 - Seynnes, Olivier R T1 - Effect of training-induced changes in achilles tendon stiffness on muscle-tendon behavior during landing JF - Frontiers in physiology N2 - During rapid deceleration of the body, tendons buffer part of the elongation of the muscle-tendon unit (MTU), enabling safe energy dissipation via eccentric muscle contraction. Yet, the influence of changes in tendon stiffness within the physiological range upon these lengthening contractions is unknown. This study aimed to examine the effect of training-induced stiffening of the Achilles tendon on triceps surae muscle-tendon behavior during a landing task. Twenty-one male subjects were assigned to either a 10-week resistance-training program consisting of single-leg isometric plantarflexion (n = 11) or to a non-training control group (n = 10). Before and after the training period, plantarflexion force, peak Achilles tendon strain and stiffness were measured during isometric contractions, using a combination of dynamometry, ultrasound and kinematics data. Additionally, testing included a step-landing task, during which joint mechanics and lengths of gastrocnemius and soleus fascicles, Achilles tendon, and MTU were determined using synchronized ultrasound, kinematics and kinetics data collection. After training, plantarflexion strength and Achilles tendon stiffness increased (15 and 18%, respectively), and tendon strain during landing remained similar. Likewise, lengthening and negative work produced by the gastrocnemius MTU did not change detectably. However, in the training group, gastrocnemius fascicle length was offset (8%) to a longer length at touch down and, surprisingly, fascicle lengthening and velocity were reduced by 27 and 21%, respectively. These changes were not observed for soleus fascicles when accounting for variation in task execution between tests. These results indicate that a training-induced increase in tendon stiffness does not noticeably affect the buffering action of the tendon when the MTU is rapidly stretched. Reductions in gastrocnemius fascicle lengthening and lengthening velocity during landing occurred independently from tendon strain. Future studies are required to provide insight into the mechanisms underpinning these observations and their influence on energy dissipation. KW - achilles tendon KW - energy absorption KW - energy dissipation KW - mechanical buffer KW - stiffness Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00794 SN - 1664-042X IS - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Haeger, Gerrit A1 - Jolmes, Tristan A1 - Oyen, Sven A1 - Jaeger, Karl-Erich A1 - Bongaerts, Johannes A1 - Schörken, Ulrich A1 - Siegert, Petra T1 - Novel recombinant aminoacylase from Paraburkholderia monticola capable of N-acyl-amino acid synthesis JF - Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology N2 - N-Acyl-amino acids can act as mild biobased surfactants, which are used, e.g., in baby shampoos. However, their chemical synthesis needs acyl chlorides and does not meet sustainability criteria. Thus, the identification of biocatalysts to develop greener synthesis routes is desirable. We describe a novel aminoacylase from Paraburkholderia monticola DSM 100849 (PmAcy) which was identified, cloned, and evaluated for its N-acyl-amino acid synthesis potential. Soluble protein was obtained by expression in lactose autoinduction medium and co-expression of molecular chaperones GroEL/S. Strep-tag affinity purification enriched the enzyme 16-fold and yielded 15 mg pure enzyme from 100 mL of culture. Biochemical characterization revealed that PmAcy possesses beneficial traits for industrial application like high temperature and pH-stability. A heat activation of PmAcy was observed upon incubation at temperatures up to 80 °C. Hydrolytic activity of PmAcy was detected with several N-acyl-amino acids as substrates and exhibited the highest conversion rate of 773 U/mg with N-lauroyl-L-alanine at 75 °C. The enzyme preferred long-chain acyl-amino-acids and displayed hardly any activity with acetyl-amino acids. PmAcy was also capable of N-acyl-amino acid synthesis with good conversion rates. The best synthesis results were obtained with the cationic L-amino acids L-arginine and L-lysine as well as with L-leucine and L-phenylalanine. Exemplarily, L-phenylalanine was acylated with fatty acids of chain lengths from C8 to C18 with conversion rates of up to 75%. N-lauroyl-L-phenylalanine was purified by precipitation, and the structure of the reaction product was verified by LC–MS and NMR. KW - Chaperone KW - Biocatalysis KW - Aminoacylase KW - Acylation KW - Acyl-amino acids KW - Biosurfactants Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-023-12868-8 SN - 1432-0614 N1 - Corresponding author: Petra Siegert IS - 108 PB - Springer CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yang, Peng-Fei A1 - Kriechbaumer, Andreas A1 - Albracht, Kirsten A1 - Sanno, Maximilian A1 - Ganse, Bergita A1 - Koy, Timmo A1 - Shang, Peng A1 - brüggemann, Gert-Peter A1 - Müller, Lars Peter A1 - Rittweger, Jörn T1 - A novel optical approach for assessing in vivo bone segment deformation and its application in muscle-bone relationship studies in humans JF - Journal of Orthopaedic Translation Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jot.2014.07.078 SN - 2214-0328 SN - 2214-031X VL - 2 IS - 4 SP - 238 EP - 238 PB - Elsevier CY - Singapore ER - TY - INPR A1 - Ringers, Christa A1 - Bialonski, Stephan A1 - Solovev, Anton A1 - Hansen, Jan N. A1 - Ege, Mert A1 - Friedrich, Benjamin M. A1 - Jurisch-Yaksi, Nathalie T1 - Preprint: Local synchronization of cilia and tissue-scale cilia alignment are sufficient for global metachronal waves T2 - bioRxiv N2 - Motile cilia are hair-like cell extensions present in multiple organs of the body. How cilia coordinate their regular beat in multiciliated epithelia to move fluids remains insufficiently understood, particularly due to lack of rigorous quantification. We combine here experiments, novel analysis tools, and theory to address this knowledge gap. We investigate collective dynamics of cilia in 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. Despite the fact that synchronization is local only, we observed global patterns of traveling metachronal waves across the multiciliated epithelium. Intriguingly, these global wave direction patterns are conserved across individual fish, but different for left and right nose, 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 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 are sufficient to generate metachronal wave patterns in multiciliated epithelia, which enhance their physiological function of fluid pumping. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.23.469646 N1 - Veröffentlicht in eLife 12:e77701 (https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.77701). ER - TY - JOUR A1 - von Häfen, Hajo A1 - Krautwald, Clemens A1 - Stolle, Jacob A1 - Bung, Daniel Bernhard A1 - Goseberg, Nils T1 - Overland flow of broken solitary waves over a two-dimensional coastal plane JF - Coastal Engineering N2 - Landslides, rock falls or related subaerial and subaqueous mass slides can generate devastating impulse waves in adjacent waterbodies. Such waves can occur in lakes and fjords, or due to glacier calving in bays or at steep ocean coastlines. Infrastructure and residential houses along coastlines of those waterbodies are often situated on low elevation terrain, and are potentially at risk from inundation. Impulse waves, running up a uniform slope and generating an overland flow over an initially dry adjacent horizontal plane, represent a frequently found scenario, which needs to be better understood for disaster planning and mitigation. This study presents a novel set of large-scale flume test focusing on solitary waves propagating over a 1:14.5 slope and breaking onto a horizontal section. Examining the characteristics of overland flow, this study gives, for the first time, insight into the fundamental process of overland flow of a broken solitary wave: its shape and celerity, as well as its momentum when wave breaking has taken place beforehand. KW - Landslide tsunamis KW - Hazard assessment KW - Large scale tests KW - Overland flow KW - Solitary waves Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coastaleng.2022.104125 SN - 1872-7379 VL - 175 IS - August PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Maurer, Florian A1 - Miskiw, Kim K. A1 - Acosta, Rebeca Ramirez A1 - Harder, Nick A1 - Sander, Volker A1 - Lehnhoff, Sebastian ED - Jorgensen, Bo Norregaard ED - Pereira da Silva, Luiz Carlos ED - Ma, Zheng T1 - Market abstraction of energy markets and policies - application in an agent-based modeling toolbox T2 - EI.A 2023: Energy Informatics N2 - In light of emerging challenges in energy systems, markets are prone to changing dynamics and market design. Simulation models are commonly used to understand the changing dynamics of future electricity markets. However, existing market models were often created with specific use cases in mind, which limits their flexibility and usability. This can impose challenges for using a single model to compare different market designs. This paper introduces a new method of defining market designs for energy market simulations. The proposed concept makes it easy to incorporate different market designs into electricity market models by using relevant parameters derived from analyzing existing simulation tools, morphological categorization and ontologies. These parameters are then used to derive a market abstraction and integrate it into an agent-based simulation framework, allowing for a unified analysis of diverse market designs. Furthermore, we showcase the usability of integrating new types of long-term contracts and over-the-counter trading. To validate this approach, two case studies are demonstrated: a pay-as-clear market and a pay-as-bid long-term market. These examples demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed framework. KW - Energy market design KW - Agent-based simulation KW - Market modeling Y1 - 2023 SN - 978-3-031-48651-7 (Print) SN - 978-3-031-48652-4 (eBook) U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48652-4_10 N1 - Energy Informatics Academy Conference, 6-8 December 23, Campinas, Brazil. N1 - Part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science book series (LNCS,volume 14468). SP - 139 EP - 157 PB - Springer CY - Cham ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Marinkovic, Marko A1 - Butenweg, Christoph T1 - Numerical analysis of the in-plane behaviour of decoupled masonry infilled RC frames JF - Engineering Structures N2 - Damage of reinforced concrete (RC) frames with masonry infill walls has been observed after many earthquakes. Brittle behaviour of the masonry infills in combination with the ductile behaviour of the RC frames makes infill walls prone to damage during earthquakes. Interstory deformations lead to an interaction between the infill and the RC frame, which affects the structural response. The result of this interaction is significant damage to the infill wall and sometimes to the surrounding structural system too. In most design codes, infill walls are considered as non-structural elements and neglected in the design process, because taking into account the infills and considering the interaction between frame and infill in software packages can be complicated and impractical. A good way to avoid negative aspects arising from this behavior is to ensure no or low-interaction of the frame and infill wall, for instance by decoupling the infill from the frame. This paper presents the numerical study performed to investigate new connection system called INODIS (Innovative Decoupled Infill System) for decoupling infill walls from surrounding frame with the aim to postpone infill activation to high interstory drifts thus reducing infill/frame interaction and minimizing damage to both infills and frames. The experimental results are first used for calibration and validation of the numerical model, which is then employed for investigating the influence of the material parameters as well as infill’s and frame’s geometry on the in-plane behaviour of the infilled frames with the INODIS system. For all the investigated situations, simulation results show significant improvements in behaviour for decoupled infilled RC frames in comparison to the traditionally infilled frames. KW - Seismic loading KW - Earthquake KW - In-plane performance, isolation KW - Infill wall design KW - Numerical modelling Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engstruct.2022.114959 SN - 0141-0296 VL - 272 IS - 1 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Giresini, Linda A1 - Sassu, Mauro A1 - Butenweg, Christoph A1 - Alecci, Valerio A1 - De Stefano, Mario T1 - Vault macro-element with equivalent trusses in global seismic analyses JF - Earthquakes and Structures N2 - This paper proposes a quick and simplified method to describe masonry vaults in global seismic analyses of buildings. An equivalent macro-element constituted by a set of six trusses, two for each transverse, longitudinal and diagonal direction, is introduced. The equivalent trusses, whose stiffness is calculated by fully modeled vaults of different geometry, mechanical properties and boundary conditions, simulate the vault in both global analysis and local analysis, such as kinematic or rocking approaches. A parametric study was carried out to investigate the influence of geometrical characteristics and mechanical features on the equivalent stiffness values. The method was numerically validated by performing modal and transient analysis on a three naves-church in the elastic range. Vibration modes and displacement time-histories were compared showing satisfying agreement between the complete and the simplified models. This procedure is particularly useful in engineering practice because it allows to assess, in a simplified way, the effectiveness of strengthening interventions for reducing horizontal relative displacements between vault supports. KW - vault KW - macro-element KW - equivalent stiffness KW - truss KW - churches Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.12989/eas.2017.12.4.409 SN - 2092-7614 (Print) SN - 2092-7622 (Online) VL - 12 IS - 4 SP - 409 EP - 423 PB - Techno-Press CY - Taejŏn ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Lu, S. A1 - Beyer, K. A1 - Bosiljkov, V. A1 - Butenweg, Christoph A1 - D’Ayala, D. A1 - Degee, H. A1 - Gams, M. A1 - Klouda, J. A1 - Lagomarsino, S. A1 - Penna, A. A1 - Mojsilovic, N. A1 - da Porto, F. A1 - Sorrentino, L. A1 - Vintzileou, E. ED - Modena, Claudio ED - da Porto, F. ED - Valluzzi, M.R. T1 - Next generation of Eurocode 8, masonry chapter T2 - Brick and Block Masonry Proceedings of the 16th International Brick and Block Masonry Conference, Padova, Italy, 26-30 June 2016 N2 - This paper describes the procedure on the evaluation of the masonry chapter for the next generation of Eurocode 8, the European Standard for earthquake-resistant design. In CEN, TC 250/SC8, working group WG 1 has been established to support the subcommittee on the topic of masonry on both design of new structures (EN1998-1) and assessment of existing structures (EN1998-3). The aim is to elaborate suggestions for amendments which fit the current state of the art in masonry and earthquake-resistant design. Focus will be on modelling, simplified methods, linear-analysis (q-values, overstrength-values), nonlinear procedures, out-of-plane design as well as on clearer definition of limit states. Beside these, topics related to general material properties, reinforced masonry, confined masonry, mixed structures and non-structural infills will be covered too. This paper presents the preliminary work and results up to the submission date. Y1 - 2016 SN - 978-1-138-02999-6 (Print) SN - 9781315374963 (E-Book) SP - 695 EP - 700 PB - Taylor & Francis CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Becker, Meike A1 - Frauenrath, Tobias A1 - Hezel, Fabian A1 - Krombach, Gabriele A. A1 - Kremer, Ute A1 - Koppers, Benedikt A1 - Butenweg, Christoph A1 - Goemmel, Andreas A1 - Utting, Jane F. A1 - Schulz-Menger, Jeanette A1 - Niendorf, Thoralf T1 - Comparison of left ventricular function assessment using phonocardiogram- and electrocardiogram-triggered 2D SSFP CINE MR imaging at 1.5 T and 3.0 T JF - European Radiology N2 - Objective: As high-field cardiac MRI (CMR) becomes more widespread the propensity of ECG to interference from electromagnetic fields (EMF) and to magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) effects increases and with it the motivation for a CMR triggering alternative. This study explores the suitability of acoustic cardiac triggering (ACT) for left ventricular (LV) function assessment in healthy subjects (n=14). Methods: Quantitative analysis of 2D CINE steady-state free precession (SSFP) images was conducted to compare ACT’s performance with vector ECG (VCG). Endocardial border sharpness (EBS) was examined paralleled by quantitative LV function assessment. Results: Unlike VCG, ACT provided signal traces free of interference from EMF or MHD effects. In the case of correct Rwave recognition, VCG-triggered 2D CINE SSFP was immune to cardiac motion effects—even at 3.0 T. However, VCG-triggered 2D SSFP CINE imaging was prone to cardiac motion and EBS degradation if R-wave misregistration occurred. ACT-triggered acquisitions yielded LV parameters (end-diastolic volume (EDV), endsystolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF) and left ventricular mass (LVM)) comparable with those derived fromVCG-triggered acquisitions (1.5 T: ESVVCG=(56± 17) ml, EDVVCG=(151±32)ml, LVMVCG=(97±27) g, SVVCG=(94± 19)ml, EFVCG=(63±5)% cf. ESVACT= (56±18) ml, EDVACT=(147±36) ml, LVMACT=(102±29) g, SVACT=(91± 22) ml, EFACT=(62±6)%; 3.0 T: ESVVCG=(55±21) ml, EDVVCG=(151±32) ml, LVMVCG=(101±27) g, SVVCG=(96±15) ml, EFVCG=(65±7)% cf. ESVACT=(54±20) ml, EDVACT=(146±35) ml, LVMACT= (101±30) g, SVACT=(92±17) ml, EFACT=(64±6)%). Conclusions: ACT’s intrinsic insensitivity to interference from electromagnetic fields renders KW - Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) KW - MR-stethoscope KW - Magnetic field strength KW - Left ventriular function KW - Cardiovascular MRI Y1 - 2010 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-009-1676-z SN - 1432-1084 (Onlineausgabe) SN - 0938-7994 (Druckausgabe) VL - 20 SP - 1344 EP - 1355 PB - Springer CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Frauenrath, Tobias A1 - Hezel, Fabian A1 - Heinrichs, Uwe A1 - Kozerke, Sebastian A1 - Utting, Jane A1 - Kob, Malte A1 - Butenweg, Christoph A1 - Boesiger, Peter A1 - Niendorf, Thoralf T1 - Feasibility of Cardiac Gating Free of Interference With Electro-Magnetic Fields at 1.5 Tesla, 3.0 Tesla and 7.0 Tesla Using an MR-Stethoscope JF - Investigative Radiology KW - phonocardiogram KW - electrocardiogram KW - cardiac gating KW - high field MR imaging KW - cardiovascular MR imaging Y1 - 2009 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1097/RLI.0b013e3181b4c15e SN - 1536-0210 (online) SN - 0020-9996 (gedruckt) VL - 44 IS - 9 SP - 539 EP - 547 PB - Lippincott Williams & Wilkins ; (via Ovid) CY - Philadelphia, Pa ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Drescher, Hans Paul T1 - Critical review of the 1. Stokes’ problem and consequences for mixed turbulent/laminar flow N2 - The “1. Stokes’ problem”, the “suddenly accelerated flat wall”, is the oldest application of the Navier-Stokes equations. Stokes’ solution of the “problem” does not comply with the mathematical theorem of Cauchy and Kowalewskaya on the “Uniqueness and Existence” of solutions of partial differential equations and violates the physical theorem of minimum entropy production/dissipation of the Thermodynamics of Irreversible Processes. The result includes very high local shear stresses and dissipation rates. That is of special interest for the theory of turbulent and mixed turbulent/laminar flow. A textbook solution of the “1. Stokes Problem” is the Couette flow, which has a constant sheer stress along a linear profile. A consequence is that the Navier-Stokes equations do not describe any S-shaped part of a turbulent profile found in any turbulent Couette experiment. The paper surveys arguments referring to that statement, concerning the history of >150 years. Contrary to this there is always a Navier-Stokes solution near the wall, observed by a linear part of the Couette profile. There a turbulent description (e.g. by the logarithmic law-of-the-wall) fails completely. That is explained by the minimum dissipation requirement together with the Couette feature τ = const. The local co-existence of a turbulent zone and a laminar zone near the wall is stable and observed also at high Reynolds-Numbers. Y1 - 2024 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hafidi, Youssef A1 - El Hatka, Hicham A1 - Schmitz, Dominik A1 - Krauss, Manuel A1 - Pettrak, Jürgen A1 - Biel, Markus A1 - Ittobane, Najim T1 - Sustainable soil additives for water and micronutrient supply: swelling and chelating properties of polyaspartic acid hydrogels utilizing newly developed crosslinkers JF - Gels N2 - Drought and water shortage are serious problems in many arid and semi-arid regions. This problem is getting worse and even continues in temperate climatic regions due to climate change. To address this problem, the use of biodegradable hydrogels is increasingly important for the application as water-retaining additives in soil. Furthermore, efficient (micro-)nutrient supply can be provided by the use of tailored hydrogels. Biodegradable polyaspartic acid (PASP) hydrogels with different available (1,6-hexamethylene diamine (HMD) and L-lysine (LYS)) and newly developed crosslinkers based on diesters of glycine (GLY) and (di-)ethylene glycol (DEG and EG, respectively) were synthesized and characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and regarding their swelling properties (kinetic, absorbency under load (AUL)) as well as biodegradability of PASP hydrogel. Copper (II) and zinc (II), respectively, were loaded as micronutrients in two different approaches: in situ with crosslinking and subsequent loading of prepared hydrogels. The results showed successful syntheses of di-glycine-ester-based crosslinkers. Hydrogels with good water-absorbing properties were formed. Moreover, the developed crosslinking agents in combination with the specific reaction conditions resulted in higher water absorbency with increased crosslinker content used in synthesis (10% vs. 20%). The prepared hydrogels are candidates for water-storing soil additives due to the biodegradability of PASP, which is shown in an exemple. The incorporation of Cu(II) and Zn(II) ions can provide these micronutrients for plant growth. KW - micronutrients KW - swelling properties KW - biodegradable polymers KW - hydrogels KW - superabsorbent polymers KW - glycine KW - polyaspartic acid Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10030170 SN - 2310-2861 VL - 10 IS - 3 SP - Artikel 170 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yoshinobu, Tatsuo A1 - Miyamoto, Ko-ichiro A1 - Wagner, Torsten A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Field-effect sensors combined with the scanned light pulse technique: from artificial olfactory images to chemical imaging technologies JF - Chemosensors N2 - The artificial olfactory image was proposed by Lundström et al. in 1991 as a new strategy for an electronic nose system which generated a two-dimensional mapping to be interpreted as a fingerprint of the detected gas species. The potential distribution generated by the catalytic metals integrated into a semiconductor field-effect structure was read as a photocurrent signal generated by scanning light pulses. The impact of the proposed technology spread beyond gas sensing, inspiring the development of various imaging modalities based on the light addressing of field-effect structures to obtain spatial maps of pH distribution, ions, molecules, and impedance, and these modalities have been applied in both biological and non-biological systems. These light-addressing technologies have been further developed to realize the position control of a faradaic current on the electrode surface for localized electrochemical reactions and amperometric measurements, as well as the actuation of liquids in microfluidic devices. KW - visualization KW - light-addressing technologies KW - scanned light pulse technique KW - field-effect structure KW - MOS KW - metal-oxide-semiconductor structure KW - catalytic metal KW - electronic nose KW - gas sensor KW - artificial olfactory image Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors12020020 SN - 2227-9040 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue "An Exciting Journey of Chemical Sensors and Biosensors: A Theme Issue in Honor of Professor Ingemar Lundström" Corresponding author: Tatsuo Yoshinobu, Michael J. Schöning VL - 12 IS - 2 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bertz, Morten A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef A1 - Molinnus, Denise A1 - Homma, Takayuki T1 - Influence of temperature, light, and H₂O₂ concentration on microbial spore inactivation: in-situ Raman spectroscopy combined with optical trapping JF - Physica status solidi (a) applications and materials science N2 - To gain insight on chemical sterilization processes, the influence of temperature (up to 70 °C), intense green light, and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) concentration (up to 30% in aqueous solution) on microbial spore inactivation is evaluated by in-situ Raman spectroscopy with an optical trap. Bacillus atrophaeus is utilized as a model organism. Individual spores are isolated and their chemical makeup is monitored under dynamically changing conditions (temperature, light, and H₂O₂ concentration) to mimic industrially relevant process parameters for sterilization in the field of aseptic food processing. While isolated spores in water are highly stable, even at elevated temperatures of 70 °C, exposure to H₂O₂ leads to a loss of spore integrity characterized by the release of the key spore biomarker dipicolinic acid (DPA) in a concentration-dependent manner, which indicates damage to the inner membrane of the spore. Intensive light or heat, both of which accelerate the decomposition of H₂O₂ into reactive oxygen species (ROS), drastically shorten the spore lifetime, suggesting the formation of ROS as a rate-limiting step during sterilization. It is concluded that Raman spectroscopy can deliver mechanistic insight into the mode of action of H₂O₂-based sterilization and reveal the individual contributions of different sterilization methods acting in tandem. KW - hydrogen peroxide KW - optical spore trapping KW - Raman spectroscopy KW - sterilization conditions KW - temperature Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/pssa.202300866 SN - 1862-6319 (Online) SN - 1862-6300 (Print) N1 - Corresponding author: Michael J. Schöning IS - Early View PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pogorelova, Natalia A1 - Rogachev, Evgeniy A1 - Akimbekov, Nuraly S. A1 - Digel, Ilya T1 - Effect of dehydration method on the micro- and nanomorphological properties of bacterial cellulose produced by Medusomyces gisevii on different substrates JF - Journal of materials science N2 - Many important properties of bacterial cellulose (BC), such as moisture absorption capacity, elasticity and tensile strength, largely depend on its structure. This paper presents a study on the effect of the drying method on BC films produced by Medusomyces gisevii using two different procedures: room temperature drying (RT, (24 ± 2 °C, humidity 65 ± 1%, dried until a constant weight was reached) and freeze-drying (FD, treated at − 75 °C for 48 h). BC was synthesized using one of two different carbon sources—either glucose or sucrose. Structural differences in the obtained BC films were evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction. Macroscopically, the RT samples appeared semi-transparent and smooth, whereas the FD group exhibited an opaque white color and sponge-like structure. SEM examination showed denser packing of fibrils in FD samples while RT-samples displayed smaller average fiber diameter, lower surface roughness and less porosity. AFM confirmed the SEM observations and showed that the FD material exhibited a more branched structure and a higher surface roughness. The samples cultivated in a glucose-containing nutrient medium, generally displayed a straight and ordered shape of fibrils compared to the sucrose-derived BC, characterized by a rougher and wavier structure. The BC films dried under different conditions showed distinctly different crystallinity degrees, whereas the carbon source in the culture medium was found to have a relatively small effect on the BC crystallinity. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-024-09596-3 SN - 1573-4803 (Online) SN - 0022-2461 (Print) N1 - Corresponding author: Ilya Digel VL - 2024 PB - Springer Science + Business Media CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hoffstadt, Kevin A1 - Nikolausz, Marcell A1 - Krafft, Simone A1 - Bonatelli, Maria A1 - Kumar, Vivekanantha A1 - Harms, Hauke A1 - Kuperjans, Isabel T1 - Optimization of the ex situ biomethanation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide in a novel meandering plug flow reactor: start-up phase and flexible operation JF - Bioengineering KW - methanation KW - plug flow reactor KW - bubble column KW - biomethane KW - P2G Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11020165 SN - 2306-5354 VL - 11 IS - 2 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Karschuck, Tobias A1 - Poghossian, Arshak A1 - Ser, Joey A1 - Tsokolakyan, Astghik A1 - Achtsnicht, Stefan A1 - Wagner, Patrick A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Capacitive model of enzyme-modified field-effect biosensors: Impact of enzyme coverage JF - Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical N2 - Electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor capacitors (EISCAP) belong to field-effect sensors having an attractive transducer architecture for constructing various biochemical sensors. In this study, a capacitive model of enzyme-modified EISCAPs has been developed and the impact of the surface coverage of immobilized enzymes on its capacitance-voltage and constant-capacitance characteristics was studied theoretically and experimentally. The used multicell arrangement enables a multiplexed electrochemical characterization of up to sixteen EISCAPs. Different enzyme coverages have been achieved by means of parallel electrical connection of bare and enzyme-covered single EISCAPs in diverse combinations. As predicted by the model, with increasing the enzyme coverage, both the shift of capacitance-voltage curves and the amplitude of the constant-capacitance signal increase, resulting in an enhancement of analyte sensitivity of the EISCAP biosensor. In addition, the capability of the multicell arrangement with multi-enzyme covered EISCAPs for sequentially detecting multianalytes (penicillin and urea) utilizing the enzymes penicillinase and urease has been experimentally demonstrated and discussed. KW - Field-effect biosensor KW - Capacitive model KW - Enzyme coverage KW - Multianalyte detection KW - Penicillin Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2024.135530 SN - 0925-4005 (Print) SN - 1873-3077 (Online) N1 - Corresponding Author: Michael J. Schöning VL - 408 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER -