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Providing healthcare services frequently involves cognitively demanding tasks, including diagnoses and analyses as well as complex decisions about treatments and therapy. From a global perspective, ethically significant inequalities exist between regions where the expert knowledge required for these tasks is scarce or abundant. One possible strategy to diminish such inequalities and increase healthcare opportunities in expert-scarce settings is to provide healthcare solutions involving digital technologies that do not necessarily require the presence of a human expert, e.g., in the form of artificial intelligent decision-support systems (AI-DSS). Such algorithmic decision-making, however, is mostly developed in resource- and expert-abundant settings to support healthcare experts in their work. As a practical consequence, the normative standards and requirements for such algorithmic decision-making in healthcare require the technology to be at least as explainable as the decisions made by the experts themselves. The goal of providing healthcare in settings where resources and expertise are scarce might come with a normative pull to lower the normative standards of using digital technologies in order to provide at least some healthcare in the first place. We scrutinize this tendency to lower standards in particular settings from a normative perspective, distinguish between different types of absolute and relative, local and global standards of explainability, and conclude by defending an ambitious and practicable standard of local relative explainability.
Altered gastrocnemius contractile behavior in former achilles tendon rupture patients during walking
(2022)
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.
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.
Objective
Hemodialysis patients show an approximately threefold higher prevalence of cognitive impairment compared to the age-matched general population. Impaired microcirculatory function is one of the assumed causes. Dynamic retinal vessel analysis is a quantitative method for measuring neurovascular coupling and microvascular endothelial function. We hypothesize that cognitive impairment is associated with altered microcirculation of retinal vessels.
Methods
152 chronic hemodialysis patients underwent cognitive testing using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Retinal microcirculation was assessed by Dynamic Retinal Vessel Analysis, which carries out an examination recording retinal vessels' reaction to a flicker light stimulus under standardized conditions.
Results
In unadjusted as well as in adjusted linear regression analyses a significant association between the visuospatial executive function domain score of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and the maximum arteriolar dilation as response of retinal arterioles to the flicker light stimulation was obtained.
Conclusion
This is the first study determining retinal microvascular function as surrogate for cerebral microvascular function and cognition in hemodialysis patients. The relationship between impairment in executive function and reduced arteriolar reaction to flicker light stimulation supports the involvement of cerebral small vessel disease as contributing factor for the development of cognitive impairment in this patient population and might be a target for noninvasive disease monitoring and therapeutic intervention.
Retinal vessels are similar to cerebral vessels in their structure and function. Moderately low oscillation frequencies of around 0.1 Hz have been reported as the driving force for paravascular drainage in gray matter in mice and are known as the frequencies of lymphatic vessels in humans. We aimed to elucidate whether retinal vessel oscillations are altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD) at the stage of dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Seventeen patients with mild-to-moderate dementia due to AD (ADD); 23 patients with MCI due to AD, and 18 cognitively healthy controls (HC) were examined using Dynamic Retinal Vessel Analyzer. Oscillatory temporal changes of retinal vessel diameters were evaluated using mathematical signal analysis. Especially at moderately low frequencies around 0.1 Hz, arterial oscillations in ADD and MCI significantly prevailed over HC oscillations and correlated with disease severity. The pronounced retinal arterial vasomotion at moderately low frequencies in the ADD and MCI groups would be compatible with the view of a compensatory upregulation of paravascular drainage in AD and strengthen the amyloid clearance hypothesis.
Dynamic retinal vessel analysis (DVA) provides a non-invasive way to assess microvascular function in patients and potentially to improve predictions of individual cardiovascular (CV) risk. The aim of our study was to use untargeted machine learning on DVA in order to improve CV mortality prediction and identify corresponding response alterations.
This dissertation uses in first stage a macroeconomic investigation to examine the dependence, influence and corruption of socio-economic development through effects of sustainability and resource management. The conducted research found that the state's dependence on its citizens decreases when the state's sources of revenue are largely detached and independent of the citizens' financial resources. In this case, financial resources are taxes and duties provided by the citizens. One possible consequence is the restriction of state investment in its citizens. Both the qualitative literature review and the quantitative data analysis revealed a negative correlation between socio-economic development and the resource economy's share of GDP for the period under study. The microeconomic investigation was primarily conducted through an intensive literature review. It was shown that the rebound effect as such is already very well researched. However, it also became clear that avoidance strategies for the rebound effect and links to sustainability initiatives are scarce or non-existent. The need for a redesign of the impact analysis with regard to technological innovations and their influence on resource consumption and resource management has become clear on the basis of the present study. Further, emerging and developing countries in particular, which will be confronted in the foreseeable future not only with the fundamental problems of resource abundance in the overall economic context, but also with the issues of their sustainable use, should be confronted with these problems as early as possible in order to find solutions in a timely manner.
Biocompatibility, flexibility and durability make polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes top candidates in biomedical applications. CellDrum technology uses large area, <10 µm thin membranes as mechanical stress sensors of thin cell layers. For this to be successful, the properties (thickness, temperature, dust, wrinkles, etc.) must be precisely controlled. The following parameters of membrane fabrication by means of the Floating-on-Water (FoW) method were investigated: (1) PDMS volume, (2) ambient temperature, (3) membrane deflection and (4) membrane mechanical compliance. Significant differences were found between all PDMS volumes and thicknesses tested (p < 0.01). They also differed from the calculated values. At room temperatures between 22 and 26 °C, significant differences in average thickness values were found, as well as a continuous decrease in thicknesses within a 4 °C temperature elevation. No correlation was found between the membrane thickness groups (between 3–4 µm) in terms of deflection and compliance. We successfully present a fabrication method for thin bio-functionalized membranes in conjunction with a four-step quality management system. The results highlight the importance of tight regulation of production parameters through quality control. The use of membranes described here could also become the basis for material testing on thin, viscous layers such as polymers, dyes and adhesives, which goes far beyond biological applications.
This paper compares several blade element theory (BET) method-based propeller simulation tools, including an evaluation against static propeller ground tests and high-fidelity Reynolds-Average Navier Stokes (RANS) simulations. Two proprietary propeller geometries for paraglider applications are analysed in static and flight conditions. The RANS simulations are validated with the static test data and used as a reference for comparing the BET in flight conditions. The comparison includes the analysis of varying 2D aerodynamic airfoil parameters and different induced velocity calculation methods. The evaluation of the BET propeller simulation tools shows the strength of the BET tools compared to RANS simulations. The RANS simulations underpredict static experimental data within 10% relative error, while appropriate BET tools overpredict the RANS results by 15–20% relative error. A variation in 2D aerodynamic data depicts the need for highly accurate 2D data for accurate BET results. The nonlinear BET coupled with XFOIL for the 2D aerodynamic data matches best with RANS in static operation and flight conditions. The novel BET tool PropCODE combines both approaches and offers further correction models for highly accurate static and flight condition results.
Teamsitzungen, Arbeitsgruppentreffen, Kickoffs und Meetings – sie alle werden mit dem Ziel durchgeführt, innerhalb einer vorgegebenen Zeitspanne ein gemeinsames Arbeitsziel zu erreichen. Damit die Zielerreichung auch bei komplexeren Arbeitsaufträgen nicht vom Zufall abhängt, empfiehlt es sich, die Leitung des Ablaufs einem Moderator zu übertragen.
In diesem Beitrag einer mehrteiligen Serie wird beschrieben, über welches Mindset der Moderator verfügen sollte, welche grundsätzlichen Methoden hilfreich sind und was bei der Onlinemoderation im Besonderen zu beachten ist.
Useful market simulations are key to the evaluation of diferent market designs existing of multiple market mechanisms or rules. Yet a simulation framework which has a comparison of diferent market mechanisms in mind was not found. The need to create an objective view on different sets of market rules while investigating meaningful agent strategies concludes that such a simulation framework is needed to advance the research on this subject. An overview of diferent existing market simulation models is given which also shows the research gap and the missing capabilities of those systems. Finally, a methodology is outlined how a novel market simulation which can answer the research questions can be developed.
Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI), Aachen University of Applied Sciences, and B&B-AGEMA GmbH have investigated the potential of low NOx micro-mix (MMX) hydrogen combustion and its application to an industrial gas turbine combustor. Engine demonstration tests of a MMX combustor for the M1A-17 gas turbine with a co-generation system were conducted in the hydrogen-fueled power generation plant in Kobe City, Japan.
This paper presents the results of the commissioning test and the combined heat and power (CHP) supply demonstration. In the commissioning test, grid interconnection, loading tests and load cut-off tests were successfully conducted. All measurement results satisfied the Japanese environmental regulation values. Dust and soot as well as SOx were not detected. The NOx emissions were below 84 ppmv at 15 % O2. The noise level at the site boundary was below 60 dB. The vibration at the site boundary was below 45 dB.
During the combined heat and power supply demonstration, heat and power were supplied to neighboring public facilities with the MMX combustion technology and 100 % hydrogen fuel. The electric power output reached 1800 kW at which the NOx emissions were 72 ppmv at 15 % O2, and 60 %RH. Combustion instabilities were not observed. The gas turbine efficiency was improved by about 1 % compared to a non-premixed type combustor with water injection as NOx reduction method. During a total equivalent operation time of 1040 hours, all combustor parts, the M1A-17 gas turbine as such, and the co-generation system were without any issues.
Industrial facilities must be thoroughly designed to withstand seismic actions as they exhibit an increased loss potential due to the possibly wideranging damage consequences and the valuable process engineering equipment. Past earthquakes showed the social and political consequences of seismic damage to industrial facilities and sensitized the population and politicians worldwide for the possible hazard emanating from industrial facilities. However, a holistic approach for the seismic design of industrial facilities can presently neither be found in national nor in international standards. The introduction of EN 1998-4 of the new generation of Eurocode 8 will improve the normative situation with
specific seismic design rules for silos, tanks and pipelines and secondary process components. The article presents essential aspects of the seismic design of industrial facilities based on the new generation of Eurocode 8 using the example of tank structures and secondary process components. The interaction effects of the process components with the primary structure are illustrated by means of the experimental results of a shaking table test of a three story moment resisting steel frame with different process components. Finally, an integrated approach of
digital plant models based on building information modelling (BIM) and structural health monitoring (SHM) is presented, which provides not only a reliable decision-making basis for operation, maintenance and repair but also an excellent tool for rapid assessment of seismic damage.
Recent earthquakes showed that low-rise URM buildings following codecompliant seismic design and details behaved in general very well without substantial damages. Although advances in simulation tools make nonlinear calculation methods more readily accessible to designers, linear analyses will still be the standard design method for years to come. The present paper aims to improve the linear seismic design method by providing a proper definition of the q-factor of URM buildings. Values of q-factors are derived for low-rise URM buildings with rigid diaphragms, with reference to modern structural configurations realized in low to moderate seismic areas of Italy and Germany. The behaviour factor components for deformation and energy dissipation capacity and for overstrength due to the redistribution of forces are derived by means of pushover analyses. As a result of the investigations, rationally based values of the behaviour factor q to be used in linear analyses in the range of 2.0 to 3.0 are proposed.
Sleep spindles are neurophysiological phenomena that appear to be linked to memory formation and other functions of the central nervous system, and that can be observed in electroencephalographic recordings (EEG) during sleep. Manually identified spindle annotations in EEG recordings suffer from substantial intra- and inter-rater variability, even if raters have been highly trained, which reduces the reliability of spindle measures as a research and diagnostic tool. The Massive Online Data Annotation (MODA) project has recently addressed this problem by forming a consensus from multiple such rating experts, thus providing a corpus of spindle annotations of enhanced quality. Based on this dataset, we present a U-Net-type deep neural network model to automatically detect sleep spindles. Our model’s performance exceeds that of the state-of-the-art detector and of most experts in the MODA dataset. We observed improved detection accuracy in subjects of all ages, including older individuals whose spindles are particularly challenging to detect reliably. Our results underline the potential of automated methods to do repetitive cumbersome tasks with super-human performance.
The recent advances in microbiology have shed light on understanding the role of vitamins beyond the nutritional range. Vitamins are critical in contributing to healthy biodiversity and maintaining the proper function of gut microbiota. The sharing of vitamins among bacterial populations promotes stability in community composition and diversity; however, this balance becomes disturbed in various pathologies. Here, we overview and analyze the ability of different vitamins to selectively and specifically induce changes in the intestinal microbial community. Some schemes and regularities become visible, which may provide new insights and avenues for therapeutic management and functional optimization of the gut microbiota.
The work presented in this report provides scientific support to building renovation policies in the EU by promoting a holistic point of view on the topic. Integrated renovation can be seen as a nexus between European policies on disaster resilience, energy efficiency and circularity in the building sector. An overview of policy measures for the seismic and energy upgrading of buildings across EU Member States identified only a few available measures for combined upgrading. Regulatory framework, financial instruments and digital tools similar to those for energy renovation, together with awareness and training may promote integrated renovation. A framework for regional prioritisation of building renovation was put forward, considering seismic risk, energy efficiency, and socioeconomic vulnerability independently and in an integrated way. Results indicate that prioritisation of building renovation is a multidimensional problem. Depending on priorities, different integrated indicators should be used to inform policies and accomplish the highest relative or most spread impact across different sectors. The framework was further extended to assess the impact of renovation scenarios across the EU with a focus on priority regions. Integrated renovation can provide a risk-proofed, sustainable, and inclusive built environment, presenting an economic benefit in the order of magnitude of the highest benefit among the separate interventions. Furthermore, it presents the unique capability of reducing fatalities and energy consumption at the same time and, depending on the scenario, to a greater extent.
Dieser Beitrag beschreibt die herkömmlichen Maßnahmen wie die Kapazitätsbemessung der Tragwerksstruktur, die Isolation des Bauwerks mittels Basisisolatoren, die Dämpfungserhöhung der Struktur mittels Inter-Story-Dämpfern und die Schwingungsreduktion mittels Schwingungstilgern gegen Einwirkungen durch Erdbeben, Wind, Verkehr und Personen auf die Bauwerke. Ergänzend wird die erdbebengerechte Auslegung und Isolation von nichttragenden Bauteilen behandelt. Für die betrachteten Systeme werden die Bewegungsdifferenzialgleichungen unter Berücksichtigung der wesentlichen Nichtlinearitäten angegeben. Die vorgestellten Weiterentwicklungen in den Bereichen der Basisisolatoren, Dämpfern und Schwingungstilgern zeigen, dass das modellbasierte Design mittels Simulation ein sehr effektives, ökonomisches und dank der heutigen Computerleistung auch zeiteffizientes Werkzeug darstellt.
A Gamified Information System (GIS) implements game concepts and elements, such as affordances and game design principles to motivate people. Based on the idea to develop a GIS to increase the motivation of software developers to perform software quality tasks, the research work at hand aims at investigating relevant requirements from that target group. Therefore, 14 interviews with software development experts are conducted and analyzed. According to the results, software developers prefer the affordances points, narrative storytelling in a multiplayer and a round-based setting. Furthermore, six design principles for the development of a GIS are derived.
The recently discovered first hyperbolic objects passing through the Solar System, 1I/’Oumuamua and 2I/Borisov, have raised the question about near term missions to Interstellar Objects. In situ spacecraft exploration of these objects will allow the direct determination of both their structure and their chemical and isotopic composition, enabling an entirely new way of studying small bodies from outside our solar system. In this paper, we map various Interstellar Object classes to mission types, demonstrating that missions to a range of Interstellar Object classes are feasible, using existing or near-term technology. We describe flyby, rendezvous and sample return missions to interstellar objects, showing various ways to explore these bodies characterizing their surface, dynamics, structure and composition. Their direct exploration will constrain their formation and history, situating them within the dynamical and chemical evolution of the Galaxy. These mission types also provide the opportunity to explore solar system bodies and perform measurements in the far outer solar system.
Vitamin D plays an essential role in calcium and inorganic phosphate (Pi) homeostasis, maintaining their optimal levels to assure adequate bone mineralization. Vitamin D, as calcitriol (1,25(OH)2D), not only increases intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption but also facilitates their renal reabsorption, leading to elevated serum calcium and phosphate levels. The interaction of 1,25(OH)2D with its receptor (VDR) increases the efficiency of intestinal absorption of calcium to 30–40% and phosphate to nearly 80%. Serum phosphate levels can also influence 1,25 (OH)2D and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) levels, i.e., higher phosphate concentrations suppress vitamin D activation and stimulate parathyroid hormone (PTH) release, while a high FGF23 serum level leads to reduced vitamin D synthesis. In the vitamin D-deficient state, the intestinal calcium absorption decreases and the secretion of PTH increases, which in turn causes the stimulation of 1,25(OH)2D production, resulting in excessive urinary phosphate loss. Maintenance of phosphate homeostasis is essential as hyperphosphatemia is a risk factor of cardiovascular calcification, chronic kidney diseases (CKD), and premature aging, while hypophosphatemia is usually associated with rickets and osteomalacia. This chapter elaborates on the possible interactions between vitamin D and phosphate in health and disease.
Many of today’s factors make software development more and more complex, such as time pressure, new technologies, IT security risks, et cetera. Thus, a good preparation of current as well as future software developers in terms of a good software engineering education becomes progressively important. As current research shows, Competence Developing Games (CDGs) and Serious Games can offer a potential solution.
This paper identifies the necessary requirements for CDGs to be conducive in principle, but especially in software engineering (SE) education. For this purpose, the current state of research was summarized in the context of a literature review. Afterwards, some of the identified requirements as well as some additional requirements were evaluated by a survey in terms of subjective relevance.
Aufgrund der gestiegenen Anforderungen durch höhere Ein-wirkungen aus Wind und Erdbeben ist eine Verbesserung und Optimierung der Berechnungs- und Bemessungsansätze für Mauerwerksbauten erforderlich. Eine bessere Ausnutzung der Tragwerksreserven ist durch die Berücksichtigung der Rah-mentragwirkung mit einer Aktivierung der Deckenscheiben in den Rechenmodellen möglich, die in der Praxis aufgrund der Komplexität der Wand-Decken-Interaktion bislang nicht aus-genutzt wird. Im vorliegenden Aufsatz wird ein vereinfachter Ansatz auf Grundlage der mitwirkenden Plattenbreite von Schubwänden aus Mauerwerk vorgestellt, der die wesentli-chen Einfl ussfaktoren in parametrisierten Tabellen erfasst. Damit steht den Tragwerksplanern ein einfach anwendbares Werkzeug zur Verfügung, um die Rahmentragwirkung in der Mauerwerksbemessung anzusetzen.
In the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process, parts are built out of metal powder material by exposure of a laser beam. During handling operations of the powder material, several influencing factors can affect the properties of the powder material and therefore directly influence the processability during manufacturing. Contamination by moisture due to handling operations is one of the most critical aspects of powder quality. In order to investigate the influences of powder humidity on LPBF processing, four materials (AlSi10Mg, Ti6Al4V, 316L and IN718) are chosen for this study. The powder material is artificially humidified, subsequently characterized, manufactured into cubic samples in a miniaturized process chamber and analyzed for their relative density. The results indicate that the processability and reproducibility of parts made of AlSi10Mg and Ti6Al4V are susceptible to humidity, while IN718 and 316L are barely influenced.
Process mining gets more and more attention even outside large enterprises and can be a major benefit for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to gain competitive advantages. Applying process mining is challenging, particularly for SMEs because they have less resources and process maturity. So far, IS researchers analyzed process mining challenges with a focus on larger companies. This paper investigates the application of process mining by means of a case study and sheds light into the particular challenges of an IT SME. The results reveal 13 SME process mining challenges and seven guidelines to address them. In this way, the paper contributes to the understanding of process mining application in SME and shows similarities and differences to larger companies.
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.
Halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms represent a promising source of salt-tolerant enzymes suitable for various biotechnological applications where high salt concentrations would otherwise limit enzymatic activity. Considering the current growing enzyme market and the need for more efficient and new biocatalysts, the present study aimed at the characterization of a high-alkaline subtilisin from Alkalihalobacillus okhensis Kh10-101T. The protease gene was cloned and expressed in Bacillus subtilis DB104. The recombinant protease SPAO with 269 amino acids belongs to the subfamily of high-alkaline subtilisins. The biochemical characteristics of purified SPAO were analyzed in comparison with subtilisin Carlsberg, Savinase, and BPN'. SPAO, a monomer with a molecular mass of 27.1 kDa, was active over a wide range of pH 6.0–12.0 and temperature 20–80 °C, optimally at pH 9.0–9.5 and 55 °C. The protease is highly oxidatively stable to hydrogen peroxide and retained 58% of residual activity when incubated at 10 °C with 5% (v/v) H2O2 for 1 h while stimulated at 1% (v/v) H2O2. Furthermore, SPAO was very stable and active at NaCl concentrations up to 5.0 m. This study demonstrates the potential of SPAO for biotechnological applications in the future.
A generalized shear-lag theory for fibres with variable radius is developed to analyse elastic fibre/matrix stress transfer. The theory accounts for the reinforcement of biological composites, such as soft tissue and bone tissue, as well as for the reinforcement of technical composite materials, such as fibre-reinforced polymers (FRP). The original shear-lag theory proposed by Cox in 1952 is generalized for fibres with variable radius and with symmetric and asymmetric ends. Analytical solutions are derived for the distribution of axial and interfacial shear stress in cylindrical and elliptical fibres, as well as conical and paraboloidal fibres with asymmetric ends. Additionally, the distribution of axial and interfacial shear stress for conical and paraboloidal fibres with symmetric ends are numerically predicted. The results are compared with solutions from axisymmetric finite element models. A parameter study is performed, to investigate the suitability of alternative fibre geometries for use in FRP.
Virgin passive colon biomechanics and a literature review of active contraction constitutive models
(2022)
The objective of this paper is to present our findings on the biomechanical aspects of the virgin passive anisotropic hyperelasticity of the porcine colon based on equibiaxial tensile experiments. Firstly, the characterization of the intestine tissues is discussed for a nearly incompressible hyperelastic fiber-reinforced Holzapfel–Gasser–Ogden constitutive model in virgin passive loading conditions. The stability of the evaluated material parameters is checked for the polyconvexity of the adopted strain energy function using positive eigenvalue constraints of the Hessian matrix with MATLAB. The constitutive material description of the intestine with two collagen fibers in the submucosal and muscular layer each has been implemented in the FORTRAN platform of the commercial finite element software LS-DYNA, and two equibiaxial tensile simulations are presented to validate the results with the optical strain images obtained from the experiments. Furthermore, this paper also reviews the existing models of the active smooth muscle cells, but these models have not been computationally studied here. The review part shows that the constitutive models originally developed for the active contraction of skeletal muscle based on Hill’s three-element model, Murphy’s four-state cross-bridge chemical kinetic model and Huxley’s sliding-filament hypothesis, which are mainly used for arteries, are appropriate for numerical contraction numerical analysis of the large intestine.
Aufsicht und Rechtsdurchsetzung bei unzulässigem Einsatz von Cookies & Co. unter Geltung des TTDSG
(2022)
Solar thermal concentrated power is an emerging technology that provides clean electricity for the growing energy market. To the solar thermal concentrated power plant systems belong the parabolic trough, the Fresnel collector, the solar dish, and the central receiver system.
For high-concentration solar collector systems, optical and thermal analysis is essential. There exist a number of measurement techniques and systems for the optical and thermal characterization of the efficiency of solar thermal concentrated systems.
For each system, structure, components, and specific characteristics types are described. The chapter presents additionally an outline for the calculation of system performance and operation and maintenance topics. One main focus is set to the models of components and their construction details as well as different types on the market. In the later part of this article, different criteria for the choice of technology are analyzed in detail.
Because of simple construction process, high energy efficiency, significant fire resistance and excellent sound isolation, masonry infilled reinforced concrete (RC) frame structures are very popular in most of the countries in the world, as well as in seismic active areas. However, many RC frame structures with masonry infills were seriously damaged during earthquake events, as the traditional infills are generally constructed with direct contact to the RC frame which brings undesirable infill/frame interaction. This interaction leads to the activation of the equivalent diagonal strut in the infill panel, due to the RC frame deformation, and combined with seismically induced loads perpendicular to the infill panel often causes total collapses of the masonry infills and heavy damages to the RC frames. This fact was the motivation for developing different approaches for improving the behaviour of masonry infills, where infill isolation (decoupling) from the frame has been more intensively studied in the last decade. In-plane isolation of the infill wall reduces infill activation, but causes the need for additional measures to restrain out-of-plane movements. This can be provided by installing steel anchors, as proposed by some researchers. Within the framework of European research project INSYSME (Innovative Systems for Earthquake Resistant Masonry Enclosures in Reinforced Concrete Buildings) the system based on a use of elastomers for in-plane decoupling and steel anchors for out-of-plane restrain was tested. This constructive solution was tested and deeply investigated during the experimental campaign where traditional and decoupled masonry infilled RC frames with anchors were subjected to separate and combined in-plane and out-of-plane loading. Based on a detailed evaluation and comparison of the test results, the performance and effectiveness of the developed system are illustrated.
FEM shakedown analysis of structures under random strength with chance constrained programming
(2022)
Direct methods, comprising limit and shakedown analysis, are a branch of computational mechanics. They play a significant role in mechanical and civil engineering design. The concept of direct methods aims to determine the ultimate load carrying capacity of structures beyond the elastic range. In practical problems, the direct methods lead to nonlinear convex optimization problems with a large number of variables and constraints. If strength and loading are random quantities, the shakedown analysis can be formulated as stochastic programming problem. In this paper, a method called chance constrained programming is presented, which is an effective method of stochastic programming to solve shakedown analysis problems under random conditions of strength. In this study, the loading is deterministic, and the strength is a normally or lognormally distributed variable.
Das Ziel des INTERREG-Projektes „SHAREuregio“ (FKZ: 34.EFRE-0300134)
ist es, grenzüberschreitende Mobilität in der Euregio Rhein-Maas-Nord zu
ermöglichen und zu fördern. Dazu soll ein elektromobiles Car- und Bikesharing-
System entwickelt und in der Stadt Mönchengladbach, im Kreis Viersen
sowie in den Gemeinden Roermond und Venlo (beide NL) zusammen mit den
Partnern Wirtschaftsförderung Mönchengladbach, Wirtschaftsförderung für den
Kreis Viersen, NEW AG, Goodmoovs (NL), Greenflux (NL) und der FH Aachen
implementiert werden. Zunächst richtet sich das Angebot, bestehend aus 40
Elektroautos und 40 Elektrofahrrädern, an Unternehmen und wird nach einer
Erprobungsphase, mit einer größeren Anzahl an Fahrzeugen, auch für Privatpersonen
verfügbar gemacht werden. Die Fahrzeuge stehen bei den jeweiligen
Anwendungspartnern in Deutschland und den Niederlanden.
Im Rahmen dieses Projektes hat die FH Aachen „FlexSHARE“ entwickelt
– ein methodisches Framework zur innovativen Gestaltung urbaner Sharing-
Angebote. Das Framework ermöglicht es, anhand von messbaren Kenngrößen,
bedarfsgerechte und auf die Region abgestimmte Sharing-Systeme zu entwickeln.
A capacitive electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EISCAP) biosensor modified with Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) particles for the detection of acetoin is presented. The enzyme acetoin reductase (AR) was immobilized on the surface of the EISCAP using TMV particles as nanoscaffolds. The study focused on the optimization of the TMV-assisted AR immobilization on the Ta 2 O 5 -gate EISCAP surface. The TMV-assisted acetoin EISCAPs were electrochemically characterized by means of leakage-current, capacitance-voltage, and constant-capacitance measurements. The TMV-modified transducer surface was studied via scanning electron microscopy.
Da Capo - The Town of Music
(2022)
bulk : Konzeption und Gestaltung einer mobilen Anwendung eines nachhaltigen Unverpackt-Lieferservice
(2022)
Die Welt wird wortwörtlich von Plastik überschwemmt- und trotzdem ist kein Ende des trivialen Verpackungsmaterials in Sicht. Die, die sich den Konsequenzen ihres Konsumverhaltens bewusst sind, haben immer noch keinen flächendeckenden Zugang zu Unverpacktläden und es mangelt schlicht an praktischen Alternativen.
Hier knüpft die App „bulk“ an und schlägt ausschließlich unverpackte Lebensmittel vor – bequem bis zur Haustür geliefert. Das Angebot ist qualitativ hochwertig und meist regional. Für ein positives Kauferlebnis veranschaulicht „bulk“, wie viel Plastik mit den Produkten im Vergleich zu einem konventionellen Wocheneinkauf eingespart werden kann. Das gibt Nutzer:Innen eine Grundlage, ihre Entscheidungen kritisch zu hinterfragen und schult den Blick für den Impact sich summierender Kleinigkeiten.
"I Was Here!"
(2022)
Die Menschheit erlebt aktuell Zeiten drastischen Wandels. Deswegen könnte es wohltun, einen Blick in die Vergangenheit zu werfen und sich darauf zu besinnen, wo die Menschen herkommen, wer sie waren und was seitdem bereits erreicht wurde.
In dieser Grafiknovelle wird ein kleiner Steinzeitjunge namens Muami begleitet, der vor 35.000 Jahren die Vergänglichkeit des Lebens kennenlernt. Im Verlauf des folgenden Jahres erfindet er die Selbstverewigung in der Höhlenmalerei.
Mit seiner Figur soll aufgezeigt werden, dass die frühen Europäer eben keine primitiven Halbaffen, sondern intelligente und außerdem zutiefst kreative Menschen waren. Trotz ihrer rauen Umwelt waren ihre Sorgen und Freuden den unseren gar nicht so unähnlich. „I Was Here!“ ist ein Versuch, ein authentisches Porträt jener Menschen zu schaffen und dabei ihrer Welt, ihrem Leben und ihrer Kunst gerecht zu werden.
Zeitfenster : Prototyp einer animierten Installation zum Thema Mesokosmos und Lebensraum Erde
(2022)
Der Prototyp des Projekts "Zeitfenster" stellt eine Installation dar, inspiriert vom Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. Die Installation besteht aus einer Animation, die an die Fenster des Dinosauriersaals im Museum pojiziert wird. Die Animation zeigt in einer Art Zeitreise, wie das Erbe der Natur aussieht und was der Mensch daraus macht. In der Zeit des Klimawandels setzt sich Design vermehrt für die Aufklärung des Naturschutzes ein. Die Animation soll die Zuschauer, ob Jung oder Alt, für die Verbindung zwischen dem Menschen und der Erde sensibilisieren. Dies wird erreicht, indem sich die Installation die atemberaubende Atmosphäre des Dinosauriersaals zu Nutze macht. Die Fenster des Saals erlauben es, die Bildnisse in beeindruckender Lebensgröße darzustellen. Im Fokus steht, dass der Prototyp ein Erlebnis konzipiert, welches nur durch das Zusammenspiel der verschiedenen Medien möglich ist.
Der Personalmangel in der Pflege ist vor allem durch die Pandemie in den Fokus der Öffentlichkeit gerückt. Diese Situation wird sich in den nächsten Jahren aufgrund der steigenden Pflegequote in Folge des demografischen Wandels weiter zuspitzen. Das Dokumentieren der durchgeführten Tätigkeiten nimmt dabei viel Zeit in Anspruch, die nicht den Bewohner:innen zugutekommt. Das Dokumentationssystem „Applause“ soll Pflege- und Betreuungskräfte in ihrer Arbeit unterstützen und durch die einfache Nutzerführung den Schulungsaufwand reduzieren. Durch die Integration von modernen medizinischen Sensoren kann innerhalb des Systems der aktuelle Gesundheitsstatus der Bewohner:innen eingesehen werden. Zusätzlich wird die interne sowie externe Kommunikation innerhalb des Dokumentationssystems abgebildet. Bei Letzterer wird mittels einer datenschutzkonformen Software die auf Fax basierende Kommunikation abgelöst.
Miniaturized electrolyte–insulator–semiconductor capacitors (EISCAPs) with ultrathin gate insulators have been studied in terms of their pH-sensitive sensor characteristics: three different EISCAP systems consisting of Al–p-Si–Ta2O5(5 nm), Al–p-Si–Si3N4(1 or 2 nm)–Ta2O5 (5 nm), and Al–p-Si–SiO2(3.6 nm)–Ta2O5(5 nm) layer structures are characterized in buffer solution with different pH values by means of capacitance–voltage and constant capacitance method. The SiO2 and Si3N4 gate insulators are deposited by rapid thermal oxidation and rapid thermal nitridation, respectively, whereas the Ta2O5 film is prepared by atomic layer deposition. All EISCAP systems have a clear pH response, favoring the stacked gate insulators SiO2–Ta2O5 when considering the overall sensor characteristics, while the Si3N4(1 nm)–Ta2O5 stack delivers the largest accumulation capacitance (due to the lower equivalent oxide thickness) and a higher steepness in the slope of the capacitance–voltage curve among the studied stacked gate insulator systems.
Die Facetten Hamburgs
(2022)
Im Rahmen dieser Masterarbeit entsteht ein neues Erscheinungsbild für die "Stiftung Historische Museen Hamburg". Dabei wurde ein medienübergreifendes Gestaltungskonzept entwickelt, welches dazu dienen soll, die Stiftung und deren musealen Einrichtungen modern, aussagekräftig und repräsentativ neu aufleben zu lassen, als auch das Interesse unserer Gesellschaft für Kunst, Kultur und Geschichte zu wecken und damit die Zielgruppe zu erweitern. Hierzu wurde das Corporate Design neu entwickelt, minimalisiert und modernisiert. Durch den aufgeräumten und organisierten digitalen Auftritt gelangen Interessenten schneller und gezielter zu Informationen über die Stiftung, die einzelnen Museen und deren Programm und Ausstellungen. Zusätzlich dienen als weiterführende Informationsquellen neu getslatete analoge Medien in Form von Plakaten, Flyern, Broschüren und Eintrittskarten. Weitestgehend wurde das Corporate Design in den urbanen Lebensraum der Stadt Hamburg integriert und neu interpretiert. Aus dem Gestaltungskonzept lässt sich ebenfalls ein neues Leitsystem zur besseren Orientierung in den Museen ableiten. Das Designkonzept zieht sich wie ein roter Faden durch alle Medien, um eine Einheit und einen Wiedererkennungswert zu schaffen und seriös und informativ zu wirken. Das Projekt ist rein fiktiv.
Soziale Netzwerke gehören zu den größten Konzernen der Welt. Hier werden minütlich Millionen von Nachrichten verschickt. Das Internet spielt eine stetig wachsende Rolle in der zwischenmenschlichen Kommunikation. Und doch funktioniert dort nicht nur die Sprache anders, auch die Persönlichkeit der Menschen kann sich auch verändern. Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit dem „Online-Ich“, das jeder in sich tragen soll. Häufig ist dieses offener, hilfsbereiter und selbstloser, aber eben auch reizbarer, aggressiver und energetischer. Um auf diese Veränderung aufmerksam zu machen, werden die analoge und digitale Persönlichkeit verglichen. Dazu schöpft die Arbeit aus den vielfältigen Möglichkeiten von Virtual Reality, um Betrachtende in die Arbeit miteinzubeziehen.
Upcoming gasoline engines should run with a larger number of fuels beginning from petrol over methanol up to gas by a wide range of compression ratios and a homogeneous charge. In this article, the microwave (MW) spark plug, based on a high-speed frequency hopping system, is introduced as a solution, which can support a nitrogen compression ratio up to 1:39 in a chamber and more. First, an overview of the high-speed frequency hopping MW ignition and operation system as well as the large number of applications are presented. Both gives an understanding of this new base technology for MW plasma generation. Focus of the theoretical part is the explanation of the internal construction of the spark plug, on the achievable of the high voltage generation as well as the high efficiency to hold the plasma. In detail, the development process starting with circuit simulations and ending with the numerical multiphysics field simulations is described. The concept is evaluated with a reference prototype covering the frequency range between 2.40 and 2.48 GHz and working over a large power range from 20 to 200 W. A larger number of different measurements starting by vector hot-S11 measurements and ending by combined working scenarios out of hot temperature, high pressure and charge motion are winding up the article. The limits for the successful pressure tests were given by the pressure chamber. Pressures ranged from 1 to 39 bar and charge motion up to 25 m/s as well as temperatures from 30◦ to 125◦.
Das Thema „Bio“ ist auf dem Markt längst zu einem Mainstream geworden und vor allem bei jüngeren Zielgruppen sehr gefragt. Umso wichtiger ist es für Bio-Marken wie ALNATURA, sich zu definieren, um neben innovativen, nachhaltigen Start-up-Marken noch aufzufallen. Aktuell ist ALNATURA vorwiegend aufgrund der hochwertigen Produkte sowie einer transparenten Kommunikation bekannt. Jedoch fehlt es den Produkten an einheitlichem Design mit Wiedererkennungswert. Diese Arbeit zeigt einen Ansatz für ein neues, zeitgemäßes Gestaltungskonzept. Im Zuge dessen wurde das Unternehmenslogo modifiziert sowie Farben, Schrift und Gestaltungsraster neu definiert. Um das neue Image der Marke bekannt zu machen, wurde zudem eine Plakatkampagne entwickelt. Das Projekt zeigt, wie sich eine Bio-Marke weg vom Öko-Image und hin zu einer modernen Lifestyle-Marke mit Relevanz entwickeln kann.
In dieser Arbeit wurde sich mit der Frage auseinandergesetzt, wie sich der Nahrungsmittelanbau im urbanen Raum entwickeln könnte. Eine spannende Alternative zu traditionellen Anbaumethoden ist die Hydroponik, der Anbau von Pflanzen ohne Erde. Basierend auf dieser Technologie wurde in diesem Projekt ein Indoor-Garden-System gestaltet, welches den Nahrungsmittelanbau zurück zur Verbraucher:In bringt und zu einem bewussteren Umgang mit Lebensmitteln anregen soll.
Denn mit „INGA“ kann frisches, pestizidfreies Blattgemüse ganz einfach zu Hause selbst angebaut werden. Das hydroponische System schafft mithilfe einer Nährstofflösung und künstlichem Licht optimale Wachstumsbedingungen für die Pflanzen – ganz unabhängig von örtlichen Gegebenheiten. Mithilfe seiner Modularität können Nutzer:Innen „INGA“ nach Belieben konfigurieren. Damit wird es einer breiten Zielgruppe mit unterschiedlichen Bedürfnissen gerecht und ermöglicht pestizidfreie Nahrung – auch in den Städten.
VIUR : urbanes Lagerfeuer
(2022)
Es kann ganze Lebensräume auslöschen, und doch wäre unsere Welt nicht die gleiche ohne Feuer. Feuer spielt eine wichtige Rolle in der menschlichen Evolution und diente unseren Vorfahren zum Schutz vor wilden Tieren, Kochen und zum Wärmen. Auch Gespräche am Lagerfeuer sollen einen erheblichen Einfluss auf die soziale und kulturelle Evolution des Menschen gehabt haben.
Kein Wunder also, dass die Menschen bis heute mit Feuer ein Gefühl von Gemeinschaft und Geborgenheit verbinden. Genau diese Wirkung greift „VIUR“ auf und macht Feuer alltagstauglich für eine Welt, die von Urbanisierung und Digitalisierung geprägt ist. Entstanden ist ein Hybrid aus einem Tischfeuer und einem Grill. Somit entsteht sowohl das sinnliche Erlebnis einer Feuerstelle als auch die Möglichkeit, kleine Speisen zuzubereiten.
Die smarte Konstruktion und ein Sicherheitsbrennstoff, mit dem sich kaum Rauch entwickeln kann, ermöglicht die Nutzung im kleinen Garten, aber eben auch auf einem Stadtbalkon. So kann das Lagerfeuer wieder seinen Zauber entfalten.
Für manche mag es banal wirken, doch für Gestalter:innen ist sie unverzichtbar: eine wirklich gute Leuchte für den Arbeitsplatz. Sie hat nämlich einen enormen Einfluss auf die Konzentration und den Komfort. Zudem ermöglicht gutes Licht erst ein sauberes und farbechtes Ergebnis. Dafür wurde in diesem Projekt die perfekte Leuchte entwickelt.
Sie leuchtet die Arbeitsfläche ideal aus und unterstützt das Lesen, Schreiben oder die Arbeit mit technischen Geräten. Durch fünf Drehpunkte ist die Leuchte in alle Richtungen zu bewegen und lässt sich somit individuell auf ihre Aufgaben anpassen. Außerdem wurde Wert daraufgelegt, bestehende Normen und Vorschiften einzuhalten, um den Arbeit- und Gesundheitsschutz zu gewährleisten.
Feierabend? Durch die Dim-Funktion wird die Arbeitsleuchte zu einer gemütlichen Lichtquelle. Unter anderem durch die unsichtbare Stromführung überzeugt die Lampe mit ihrer minimalistischen Designsprache und lässt sich in unterschiedlichste Räume integrieren.
Gastronomiebetriebe, insbesondere diese ohne zeitgemäße und durchdachte Konzepte wurden durch die Pandemie stark getroffen. Während große Fast-Food-Ketten bereits vor der Pandemie digitale Lösungen einsetzten, stehen nun auch andere Restaurantbetreiber:innen vor der Herausforderung der Digitalisierung. Gerade die Pandemie hat an dieser Stelle verdeutlicht, welche Restaurants ihre Prozesse im Sinne der User Experience durchdacht haben und welche nicht. Die Tisch-Stuhl-Kombination der „SUE“-Serie bietet Restaurants, smarte und elegante Gastronomiemöbel, die je nach Konzept in Materialität und Farbe frei anpassbar sind. Wandelbarkeit, Komfort und die Integration digitaler Lösungen sind die Kernkompetenzen und Anforderungen, die das Gastronomie-Interior in Zukunft erfüllen muss. Der smarte Bistrotisch und der wandelbare Stuhl der „SUE“-Serie zeigt einen digitalisierten und anpassbaren Lösungsansatz.
Mobilität stellt oftmals ein Problem in Städten dar. Es sind Staus, Abgase, Platzmangel, die sich negativ auf die urbane Lebensqualität auswirken. Dies sind externe Auswirkungen der von Autos dominierten Mobilität.
Ziel von „Faces“ war es, eine effiziente und vor allem attraktive Alternative zum Automobil zu bieten. Dafür denkt das Projekt die Straßenbahn neu. Durch kompaktes Design und die Verwendung autonomer Systeme wird eine höhere Taktung ermöglicht. Zudem werden die Bahnen flexibler und können den Einsatz am Mobilitätsbedarf anpassen.
Um den Bedürfnissen der Fahrgäste gerecht zu werden, lässt sich das modulare Interior an die Reisedistanz anpassen.
Hier wird ein Mobilitätskonzept gezeichnet, das einem mit einem hoffnungsvollen Blick auf das Leben in den Städten der Zukunft zurücklässt.