TY - JOUR A1 - Sildatke, Michael A1 - Karwanni, Hendrik A1 - Kraft, Bodo A1 - Zündorf, Albert T1 - A distributed microservice architecture pattern for the automated generation of information extraction pipelines JF - SN Computer Science N2 - Companies often build their businesses based on product information and therefore try to automate the process of information extraction (IE). Since the information source is usually heterogeneous and non-standardized, classic extract, transform, load techniques reach their limits. Hence, companies must implement the newest findings from research to tackle the challenges of process automation. They require a flexible and robust system that is extendable and ensures the optimal processing of the different document types. This paper provides a distributed microservice architecture pattern that enables the automated generation of IE pipelines. Since their optimal design is individual for each input document, the system ensures the ad-hoc generation of pipelines depending on specific document characteristics at runtime. Furthermore, it introduces the automated quality determination of each available pipeline and controls the integration of new microservices based on their impact on the business value. The introduced system enables fast prototyping of the newest approaches from research and supports companies in automating their IE processes. Based on the automated quality determination, it ensures that the generated pipelines always meet defined business requirements when they come into productive use. KW - Architectural design KW - Model-driven software engineering KW - Software and systems modeling KW - Enterprise information systems KW - Information extraction Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s42979-023-02256-4 SN - 2661-8907 N1 - Corresponding authors: Michael Sildatke, Hendrik Karwanni IS - 4, Article number: 833 PB - Springer Singapore CY - Singapore ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schulze, Sven A1 - Feyerl, Günter A1 - Pischinger, Stefan T1 - Advanced ECMS for hybrid electric heavy-duty trucks with predictive battery discharge and adaptive operating strategy under real driving conditions JF - Energies N2 - To fulfil the CO2 emission reduction targets of the European Union (EU), heavy-duty (HD) trucks need to operate 15% more efficiently by 2025 and 30% by 2030. Their electrification is necessary as conventional HD trucks are already optimized for the long-haul application. The resulting hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) truck gains most of the fuel saving potential by the recuperation of potential energy and its consecutive utilization. The key to utilizing the full potential of HEV-HD trucks is to maximize the amount of recuperated energy and ensure its intelligent usage while keeping the operating point of the internal combustion engine as efficient as possible. To achieve this goal, an intelligent energy management strategy (EMS) based on ECMS is developed for a parallel HEV-HD truck which uses predictive discharge of the battery and adaptive operating strategy regarding the height profile and the vehicle mass. The presented EMS can reproduce the global optimal operating strategy over long phases and lead to a fuel saving potential of up to 2% compared with a heuristic strategy. Furthermore, the fuel saving potential is correlated with the investigated boundary conditions to deepen the understanding of the impact of intelligent EMS for HEV-HD trucks. KW - Energy management strategies KW - ECMS KW - CO2 emission reduction targets KW - Driving cycle recognition KW - Predictive battery discharge Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en16135171 SN - 1996-1073 N1 - The article belongs to the Special Issue "Energy Management Strategies of Electrified Vehicles toward the Real-World Driving". VL - 16 IS - 13 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - 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 - http://dx.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 - Rübbelke, Dirk A1 - Vögele, Stefan A1 - Grajewski, Matthias A1 - Zobel, Luzy T1 - Cross border adjustment mechanism: Initial data for the assessment of hydrogen-based steel production JF - Data in Brief N2 - Ambitious climate targets affect the competitiveness of industries in the international market. To prevent such industries from moving to other countries in the wake of increased climate protection efforts, cost adjustments may become necessary. Their design requires knowledge of country-specific production costs. Here, we present country-specific cost figures for different production routes of steel, paying particular attention to transportation costs. The data can be used in floor price models aiming to assess the competitiveness of different steel production routes in different countries (Rübbelke, 2022). KW - Energy-intensive industry KW - Steel industry KW - Competitiveness KW - Floor prices KW - Cross border adjustment mechanism Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2023.108907 SN - 2352-3409 VL - 47 IS - Article 108907 SP - 1 EP - 5 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ringers, Christa A1 - Bialonski, Stephan A1 - Ege, Mert A1 - Solovev, Anton A1 - Hansen, Jan Niklas A1 - Jeong, Inyoung A1 - Friedrich, Benjamin M. A1 - Jurisch-Yaksi, Nathalie T1 - Novel analytical tools reveal that local synchronization of cilia coincides with tissue-scale metachronal waves in zebrafish multiciliated epithelia JF - eLife N2 - Motile cilia are hair-like cell extensions that beat periodically to generate fluid flow along various epithelial tissues within the body. In dense multiciliated carpets, cilia were shown to exhibit a remarkable coordination of their beat in the form of traveling metachronal waves, a phenomenon which supposedly enhances fluid transport. Yet, how cilia coordinate their regular beat in multiciliated epithelia to move fluids remains insufficiently understood, particularly due to lack of rigorous quantification. We combine experiments, novel analysis tools, and theory to address this knowledge gap. To investigate collective dynamics of cilia, we studied zebrafish multiciliated epithelia in the nose and the brain. We focused mainly on the zebrafish nose, due to its conserved properties with other ciliated tissues and its superior accessibility for non-invasive imaging. We revealed that cilia are synchronized only locally and that the size of local synchronization domains increases with the viscosity of the surrounding medium. Even though synchronization is local only, we observed global patterns of traveling metachronal waves across the zebrafish multiciliated epithelium. Intriguingly, these global wave direction patterns are conserved across individual fish, but different for left and right noses, unveiling a chiral asymmetry of metachronal coordination. To understand the implications of synchronization for fluid pumping, we used a computational model of a regular array of cilia. We found that local metachronal synchronization prevents steric collisions, i.e., cilia colliding with each other, and improves fluid pumping in dense cilia carpets, but hardly affects the direction of fluid flow. In conclusion, we show that local synchronization together with tissue-scale cilia alignment coincide and generate metachronal wave patterns in multiciliated epithelia, which enhance their physiological function of fluid pumping. Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.77701 SN - 2050-084X VL - 12 PB - eLife Sciences Publications ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rhoden, Imke A1 - Ball, Christopher Stephen A1 - Grajewski, Matthias A1 - Kuckshinrich, Wilhelm T1 - Reverse engineering of stakeholder preferences – A multi-criteria assessment of the German passenger car sector JF - Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews N2 - Germany is a frontrunner in setting frameworks for the transition to a low-carbon system. The mobility sector plays a significant role in this shift, affecting different people and groups on multiple levels. Without acceptance from these stakeholders, emission targets are out of reach. This research analyzes how the heterogeneous preferences of various stakeholders align with the transformation of the mobility sector, looking at the extent to which the German transformation paths are supported and where stakeholders are located. Under the research objective of comparing stakeholders' preferences to identify which car segments require additional support for a successful climate transition, a status quo of stakeholders and car performance criteria is the foundation for the analysis. Stakeholders' hidden preferences hinder the derivation of criteria weightings from stakeholders; therefore, a ranking from observed preferences is used. This study's inverse multi-criteria decision analysis means that weightings can be predicted and used together with a recalibrated performance matrix to explore future preferences toward car segments. Results show that stakeholders prefer medium-sized cars, with the trend pointing towards the increased potential for alternative propulsion technologies and electrified vehicles. These insights can guide the improved targeting of policy supporting the energy and mobility transformation. Additionally, the method proposed in this work can fully handle subjective approaches while incorporating a priori information. A software implementation of the proposed method completes this work and is made publicly available. KW - Regionalization KW - Multi-criteria decision analysis KW - Preference assessment KW - E-Mobility KW - Mobility transition Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2023.113352 SN - 1364-0321 VL - 181 IS - July 2023 SP - Article number: 113352 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pfaff, Raphael T1 - Braking distance prediction for vehicle consist in low-speed on-sight operation: a Monte Carlo approach JF - Railway Engineering Science N2 - The first and last mile of a railway journey, in both freight and transit applications, constitutes a high effort and is either non-productive (e.g. in the case of depot operations) or highly inefficient (e.g. in industrial railways). These parts are typically managed on-sight, i.e. with no signalling and train protection systems ensuring the freedom of movement. This is possible due to the rather short braking distances of individual vehicles and shunting consists. The present article analyses the braking behaviour of such shunting units. For this purpose, a dedicated model is developed. It is calibrated on published results of brake tests and validated against a high-definition model for low-speed applications. Based on this model, multiple simulations are executed to obtain a Monte Carlo simulation of the resulting braking distances. Based on the distribution properties and established safety levels, the risk of exceeding certain braking distances is evaluated and maximum braking distances are derived. Together with certain parameters of the system, these can serve in the design and safety assessment of driver assistance systems and automation of these processes. KW - Freight rail KW - Shunting KW - Braking curves KW - Brake set-up KW - Driver assistance system Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40534-023-00303-7 SN - 2662-4753 (eISSN) SN - 2662-4745 (Print) VL - 31 IS - 2 SP - 135 EP - 144 PB - SpringerOpen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Niedermeier, Jana A1 - Penner, Crystal A1 - Usherovich, Samuel A1 - Bélanger-Champagne, Camille A1 - Paulßen, Elisabeth A1 - Cornelia, Hoehr T1 - Optical Fibers as Dosimeter Detectors for Mixed Proton/Neutron Fields - A Biological Dosimeter JF - electronics N2 - In recent years, proton therapy has gained importance as a cancer treatment modality due to its conformality with the tumor and the sparing of healthy tissue. However, in the interaction of the protons with the beam line elements and patient tissues, potentially harmful secondary neutrons are always generated. To ensure that this neutron dose is as low as possible, treatment plans could be created to also account for and minimize the neutron dose. To monitor such a treatment plan, a compact, easy to use, and inexpensive dosimeter must be developed that not only measures the physical dose, but which can also distinguish between proton and neutron contributions. To that end, plastic optical fibers with scintillation materials (Gd₂O₂S:Tb, Gd₂O₂S:Eu, and YVO₄:Eu) were irradiated with protons and neutrons. It was confirmed that sensors with different scintillation materials have different sensitivities to protons and neutrons. A combination of these three scintillators can be used to build a detector array to create a biological dosimeter. KW - biological dosimeter KW - Bragg peak KW - relative dosimetry KW - optical fibers KW - proton therapy KW - protons KW - neutrons Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/electronics12020324 SN - 2079-9292 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue "Applications of Optical Fiber Sensors" VL - 12 IS - 2 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Möhren, Felix A1 - Bergmann, Ole A1 - Janser, Frank A1 - Braun, Carsten T1 - On the influence of elasticity on propeller performance: a parametric study JF - CEAS Aeronautical Journal N2 - The aerodynamic performance of propellers strongly depends on their geometry and, consequently, on aeroelastic deformations. Knowledge of the extent of the impact is crucial for overall aircraft performance. An integrated simulation environment for steady aeroelastic propeller simulations is presented. The simulation environment is applied to determine the impact of elastic deformations on the aerodynamic propeller performance. The aerodynamic module includes a blade element momentum approach to calculate aerodynamic loads. The structural module is based on finite beam elements, according to Timoshenko theory, including moderate deflections. Several fixed-pitch propellers with thin-walled cross sections made of both isotropic and non-isotropic materials are investigated. The essential parameters are varied: diameter, disc loading, sweep, material, rotational, and flight velocity. The relative change of thrust between rigid and elastic blades quantifies the impact of propeller elasticity. Swept propellers of large diameters or low disc loadings can decrease the thrust significantly. High flight velocities and low material stiffness amplify this tendency. Performance calculations without consideration of propeller elasticity can lead to decreased efficiency. To avoid cost- and time-intense redesigns, propeller elasticity should be considered for swept planforms and low disc loadings. KW - Propeller KW - Finite element method KW - Blade element method KW - Propeller elasticity KW - Aeroelasticity Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13272-023-00649-y SN - 1869-5590 (Online) SN - 1869-5582 (Print) N1 - Corresponding author: Felix Möhren VL - 14 SP - 311 EP - 323 PB - Springer Nature CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Morais, Paulo V. A1 - Suman, Pedro H. A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef A1 - Siqueira Junior, José R. A1 - Orlandi, Marcelo O. T1 - Layer-by-layer film based on Sn₃O₄ nanobelts as sensing units to detect heavy metals using a capacitive field-effect sensor platform JF - Chemosensors N2 - Lead and nickel, as heavy metals, are still used in industrial processes, and are classified as “environmental health hazards” due to their toxicity and polluting potential. The detection of heavy metals can prevent environmental pollution at toxic levels that are critical to human health. In this sense, the electrolyte–insulator–semiconductor (EIS) field-effect sensor is an attractive sensing platform concerning the fabrication of reusable and robust sensors to detect such substances. This study is aimed to fabricate a sensing unit on an EIS device based on Sn₃O₄ nanobelts embedded in a polyelectrolyte matrix of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) using the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique. The EIS-Sn₃O₄ sensor exhibited enhanced electrochemical performance for detecting Pb²⁺ and Ni²⁺ ions, revealing a higher affinity for Pb²⁺ ions, with sensitivities of ca. 25.8 mV/decade and 2.4 mV/decade, respectively. Such results indicate that Sn₃O₄ nanobelts can contemplate a feasible proof-of-concept capacitive field-effect sensor for heavy metal detection, envisaging other future studies focusing on environmental monitoring. KW - Sn₃O₄ KW - nanobelts KW - field-effect sensor KW - LbL films KW - heavy metals Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/chemosensors11080436 SN - 2227-9040 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue The Application of Electrochemical Sensors or Biosensors Based on Nanomaterials VL - 11 IS - 8 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Maurer, Florian A1 - Rieke, Christian A1 - Schemm, Ralf A1 - Stollenwerk, Dominik T1 - Analysis of an urban grid with high photovoltaic and e-mobility penetration JF - Energies N2 - This study analyses the expected utilization of an urban distribution grid under high penetration of photovoltaic and e-mobility with charging infrastructure on a residential level. The grid utilization and the corresponding power flow are evaluated, while varying the control strategies and photovoltaic installed capacity in different scenarios. Four scenarios are used to analyze the impact of e-mobility. The individual mobility demand is modelled based on the largest German studies on mobility “Mobilität in Deutschland”, which is carried out every 5 years. To estimate the ramp-up of photovoltaic generation, a potential analysis of the roof surfaces in the supply area is carried out via an evaluation of an open solar potential study. The photovoltaic feed-in time series is derived individually for each installed system in a resolution of 15 min. The residential consumption is estimated using historical smart meter data, which are collected in London between 2012 and 2014. For a realistic charging demand, each residential household decides daily on the state of charge if their vehicle requires to be charged. The resulting charging time series depends on the underlying behavior scenario. Market prices and mobility demand are therefore used as scenario input parameters for a utility function based on the current state of charge to model individual behavior. The aggregated electricity demand is the starting point of the power flow calculation. The evaluation is carried out for an urban region with approximately 3100 residents. The analysis shows that increased penetration of photovoltaics combined with a flexible and adaptive charging strategy can maximize PV usage and reduce the need for congestion-related intervention by the grid operator by reducing the amount of kWh charged from the grid by 30% which reduces the average price of a charged kWh by 35% to 14 ct/kWh from 21.8 ct/kWh without PV optimization. The resulting grid congestions are managed by implementing an intelligent price or control signal. The analysis took place using data from a real German grid with 10 subgrids. The entire software can be adapted for the analysis of different distribution grids and is publicly available as an open-source software library on GitHub. KW - distribution grid simulation KW - smart-charging KW - e-mobility Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en16083380 SN - 1996-1073 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue "Advanced Solutions for the Efficient Integration of Electric Vehicles in Electricity Grids" N1 - Corresponding author: Florian Maurer VL - 16 IS - 8 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Luft, Angela A1 - Luft, Nils A1 - Arntz, Kristian T1 - A basic description logic for service-oriented architecture in factory planning and operational control in the age of industry 4.0 JF - Applied Sciences N2 - Manufacturing companies across multiple industries face an increasingly dynamic and unpredictable environment. This development can be seen on both the market and supply side. To respond to these challenges, manufacturing companies must implement smart manufacturing systems and become more flexible and agile. The flexibility in operational planning regarding the scheduling and sequencing of customer orders needs to be increased and new structures must be implemented in manufacturing systems’ fundamental design as they constitute much of the operational flexibility available. To this end, smart and more flexible solutions for production planning and control (PPC) are developed. However, scheduling or sequencing is often only considered isolated in a predefined stable environment. Moreover, their orientation on the fundamental logic of the existing IT solutions and their applicability in a dynamic environment is limited. This paper presents a conceptual model for a task-based description logic that can be applied to factory planning, technology planning, and operational control. By using service-oriented architectures, the goal is to generate smart manufacturing systems. The logic is designed to allow for easy and automated maintenance. It is compatible with the existing resource and process allocation logic across operational and strategic factory and production planning. KW - manufacturing data model KW - production planning and control KW - manufacturing flexibility KW - technology planning KW - SOA KW - service-oriented architectures KW - factory planning Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app13137610 N1 - This article belongs to the Special Issue "Smart Industrial System" VL - 2023 IS - 13 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Luft, Angela A1 - Bremen, Sebastian A1 - Luft, Nils T1 - A cost/benefit and flexibility evaluation framework for additive technologies in strategic factory planning JF - Processes N2 - There is a growing demand for more flexibility in manufacturing to counter the volatility and unpredictability of the markets and provide more individualization for customers. However, the design and implementation of flexibility within manufacturing systems are costly and only economically viable if applicable to actual demand fluctuations. To this end, companies are considering additive manufacturing (AM) to make production more flexible. This paper develops a conceptual model for the impact quantification of AM on volume and mix flexibility within production systems in the early stages of the factory-planning process. Together with the model, an application guideline is presented to help planners with the flexibility quantification and the factory design process. Following the development of the model and guideline, a case study is presented to indicate the potential impact additive technologies can have on manufacturing flexibility Within the case study, various scenarios with different production system configurations and production programs are analyzed, and the impact of the additive technologies on volume and mix flexibility is calculated. This work will allow factory planners to determine the potential impacts of AM on manufacturing flexibility in an early planning stage and design their production systems accordingly. KW - additive manufacturing KW - factory planning KW - manufacturing flexibility KW - volume flexibility KW - mix flexibility Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pr11071968 SN - 2227-9717 VL - 11 IS - 7 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Liphardt, Anna-Maria A1 - Fernandez-Gonzalo, Rodrigo A1 - Albracht, Kirsten A1 - Rittweger, Jörn A1 - Vico, Laurence T1 - Musculoskeletal research in human space flight – unmet needs for the success of crewed deep space exploration JF - npj Microgravity N2 - Based on the European Space Agency (ESA) Science in Space Environment (SciSpacE) community White Paper “Human Physiology – Musculoskeletal system”, this perspective highlights unmet needs and suggests new avenues for future studies in musculoskeletal research to enable crewed exploration missions. The musculoskeletal system is essential for sustaining physical function and energy metabolism, and the maintenance of health during exploration missions, and consequently mission success, will be tightly linked to musculoskeletal function. Data collection from current space missions from pre-, during-, and post-flight periods would provide important information to understand and ultimately offset musculoskeletal alterations during long-term spaceflight. In addition, understanding the kinetics of the different components of the musculoskeletal system in parallel with a detailed description of the molecular mechanisms driving these alterations appears to be the best approach to address potential musculoskeletal problems that future exploratory-mission crew will face. These research efforts should be accompanied by technical advances in molecular and phenotypic monitoring tools to provide in-flight real-time feedback. Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41526-023-00258-3 SN - 2373-8065 VL - 9 IS - Article number: 9 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Laarmann, Lukas A1 - Thoma, Andreas A1 - Misch, Philipp A1 - Röth, Thilo A1 - Braun, Carsten A1 - Watkins, Simon A1 - Fard, Mohammad T1 - Automotive safety approach for future eVTOL vehicles JF - CEAS Aeronautical Journal N2 - The eVTOL industry is a rapidly growing mass market expected to start in 2024. eVTOL compete, caused by their predicted missions, with ground-based transportation modes, including mainly passenger cars. Therefore, the automotive and classical aircraft design process is reviewed and compared to highlight advantages for eVTOL development. A special focus is on ergonomic comfort and safety. The need for further investigation of eVTOL’s crashworthiness is outlined by, first, specifying the relevance of passive safety via accident statistics and customer perception analysis; second, comparing the current state of regulation and certification; and third, discussing the advantages of integral safety and applying the automotive safety approach for eVTOL development. Integral safety links active and passive safety, while the automotive safety approach means implementing standardized mandatory full-vehicle crash tests for future eVTOL. Subsequently, possible crash impact conditions are analyzed, and three full-vehicle crash load cases are presented. KW - eVTOL development KW - eVTOL safety KW - Crashworthiness KW - Automotive safety approach KW - Full-vehicle crash test Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13272-023-00655-0 SN - 1869-5590 (Online) SN - 1869-5582 (Print) N1 - Corresponding author: Lukas Laarmann PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kuchler, Timon A1 - Günthner, Roman A1 - Ribeiro, Andrea A1 - Hausinger, Renate A1 - Streese, Lukas A1 - Wöhnl, Anna A1 - Kesseler, Veronika A1 - Negele, Johanna A1 - Assali, Tarek A1 - Carbajo-Lozoya, Javier A1 - Lech, Maciej A1 - Adorjan, Kristina A1 - Stubbe, Hans Christian A1 - Hanssen, Henner A1 - Kotliar, Konstantin A1 - Haller, Berhard A1 - Heemann, Uwe A1 - Schmaderer, Christoph T1 - Persistent endothelial dysfunction in post-COVID-19 syndrome and its associations with symptom severity and chronic inflammation N2 - Background Post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) is a lingering disease with ongoing symptoms such as fatigue and cognitive impairment resulting in a high impact on the daily life of patients. Understanding the pathophysiology of PCS is a public health priority, as it still poses a diagnostic and treatment challenge for physicians. Methods In this prospective observational cohort study, we analyzed the retinal microcirculation using Retinal Vessel Analysis (RVA) in a cohort of patients with PCS and compared it to an age- and gender-matched healthy cohort (n = 41, matched out of n = 204). Measurements and main results PCS patients exhibit persistent endothelial dysfunction (ED), as indicated by significantly lower venular flicker-induced dilation (vFID; 3.42% ± 1.77% vs. 4.64% ± 2.59%; p = 0.02), narrower central retinal artery equivalent (CRAE; 178.1 [167.5–190.2] vs. 189.1 [179.4–197.2], p = 0.01) and lower arteriolar-venular ratio (AVR; (0.84 [0.8–0.9] vs. 0.88 [0.8–0.9], p = 0.007). When combining AVR and vFID, predicted scores reached good ability to discriminate groups (area under the curve: 0.75). Higher PCS severity scores correlated with lower AVR (R = − 0.37 p = 0.017). The association of microvascular changes with PCS severity were amplified in PCS patients exhibiting higher levels of inflammatory parameters. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that prolonged endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of PCS, and impairments of the microcirculation seem to explain ongoing symptoms in patients. As potential therapies for PCS emerge, RVA parameters may become relevant as clinical biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy management. KW - Endothelial dysfunction KW - Long COVID KW - Post-COVID-19 syndrome KW - retinal microvasculature Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10456-023-09885-6 N1 - Corresponding author: Christoph Schmaderer VL - 26 SP - 547 EP - 563 PB - Springer Nature CY - Dordrecht ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kowalewski, Paul A1 - Bragard, Michael A1 - Hüning, Felix A1 - De Doncker, Rik W. T1 - An inexpensive Wiegand-sensor-based rotary encoder without rotating magnets for use in electrical drives JF - IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement N2 - This paper introduces an inexpensive Wiegand-sensor-based rotary encoder that avoids rotating magnets and is suitable for electrical-drive applications. So far, Wiegand-sensor-based encoders usually include a magnetic pole wheel with rotating permanent magnets. These encoders combine the disadvantages of an increased magnet demand and a limited maximal speed due to the centripetal force acting on the rotating magnets. The proposed approach reduces the total demand of permanent magnets drastically. Moreover, the rotating part is manufacturable from a single piece of steel, which makes it very robust and cheap. This work presents the theoretical operating principle of the proposed approach and validates its benefits on a hardware prototype. The presented proof-of-concept prototype achieves a mechanical resolution of 4.5 ° by using only 4 permanent magnets, 2Wiegand sensors and a rotating steel gear wheel with 20 teeth. KW - Rotary encoder KW - Wiegand sensor Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/TIM.2023.3326166 SN - 0018-9456 (Print) SN - 1557-9662 (Online) N1 - Early Access SP - 10 Seiten PB - IEEE ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Karschuck, Tobias A1 - Schmidt, Stefan A1 - Achtsnicht, Stefan A1 - Poghossian, Arshak A1 - Wagner, Patrick A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Multiplexing system for automated characterization of a capacitive field-effect sensor array JF - Physica Status Solidi A N2 - In comparison to single-analyte devices, multiplexed systems for a multianalyte detection offer a reduced assay time and sample volume, low cost, and high throughput. Herein, a multiplexing platform for an automated quasi-simultaneous characterization of multiple (up to 16) capacitive field-effect sensors by the capacitive–voltage (C–V) and the constant-capacitance (ConCap) mode is presented. The sensors are mounted in a newly designed multicell arrangement with one common reference electrode and are electrically connected to the impedance analyzer via the base station. A Python script for the automated characterization of the sensors executes the user-defined measurement protocol. The developed multiplexing system is tested for pH measurements and the label-free detection of ligand-stabilized, charged gold nanoparticles. KW - Capacitive field-effect sensor KW - Gold nanoparticles KW - Label-free detection KW - Multicell KW - Multiplexing Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pssa.202300265 SN - 1862-6300 (Print) SN - 1862-6319 (Online) N1 - Corresponding author: Michael Josef Schöning VL - 220 IS - 22 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Janus, Kevin Alexander A1 - Achtsnicht, Stefan A1 - Tempel, Laura A1 - Drinic, Aleksaner A1 - Kopp, Alexander A1 - Keusgen, Michael A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Influence of fibroin membrane composition and curing parameters on the performance of a biodegradable enzymatic biosensor manufactured from Silicon-Free Carbon JF - Physica status solidi : pss. A, Applications and materials science N2 - Herein, fibroin, polylactide (PLA), and carbon are investigated for their suitability as biocompatible and biodegradable materials for amperometric biosensors. For this purpose, screen-printed carbon electrodes on the biodegradable substrates fibroin and PLA are modified with a glucose oxidase membrane and then encapsulated with the biocompatible material Ecoflex. The influence of different curing parameters of the carbon electrodes on the resulting biosensor characteristics is studied. The morphology of the electrodes is investigated by scanning electron microscopy, and the biosensor performance is examined by amperometric measurements of glucose (0.5–10 mM) in phosphate buffer solution, pH 7.4, at an applied potential of 1.2 V versus a Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Instead of Ecoflex, fibroin, PLA, and wound adhesive are tested as alternative encapsulation compounds: a series of swelling tests with different fibroin compositions, PLA, and Ecoflex has been performed before characterizing the most promising candidates by chronoamperometry. Therefore, the carbon electrodes are completely covered with the particular encapsulation material. Chronoamperometric measurements with H2O2 concentrations between 0.5 and 10 mM enable studying the leakage current behavior. KW - amperometric biosensors KW - biocompatible KW - biodegradabl KW - encapsulation materials KW - fibroin Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pssa.202300081 SN - 1862-6300 (Print) SN - 1862-6319 (Online) N1 - Corresponding author: Michael J. Schöning VL - 220 IS - 22 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Janus, Kevin Alexander A1 - Achtsnicht, Stefan A1 - Drinic, Aleksander A1 - Kopp, Alexander A1 - Keusgen, Michael A1 - Schöning, Michael Josef T1 - Transient magnesium-based thin-film temperature sensor on a flexible, bioabsorbable substrate for future medical applications JF - Applied Research N2 - In this work, the bioabsorbable materials, namely fibroin, polylactide acid (PLA), magnesium and magnesium oxide are investigated for their application as transient, resistive temperature detectors (RTD). For this purpose, a thin-film magnesium-based meander-like electrode is deposited onto a flexible, bioabsorbable substrate (fibroin or PLA) and encapsulated (passivated) by additional magnesium oxide layers on top and below the magnesium-based electrode. The morphology of different layered RTDs is analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The sensor performance and lifetime of the RTD is characterized both under ambient atmospheric conditions between 30°C and 43°C, and wet tissue-like conditions with a constant temperature regime of 37°C. The latter triggers the degradation process of the magnesium-based layers. The 3-layers RTDs on a PLA substrate could achieve a lifetime of 8.5 h. These sensors also show the best sensor performance under ambient atmospheric conditions with a mean sensitivity of 0.48 Ω/°C ± 0.01 Ω/°C. KW - Silk fibroin KW - Polylactide acid KW - Bioabsorbable KW - Resistive temperature detector Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/appl.202300102 SN - 2702-4288 (Print) N1 - Corresponding author: Michael Josef Schöning IS - Accepted manuscript PB - Wiley-VCH ER -