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Nach jahrelangem Ringen haben sich die zuständigen Institutionen der EU auf ein einheitliches Datenschutzgesetz, die Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (DS-GV), geeinigt. Diese ist am 25.5.2016 in Kraft getreten und wird nach einer zweijährigen Übergangszeit am 25.5.2018 für alle EU-Mitgliedstaaten unmittelbar verbindlich. Verstöße hiergegen können erhebliche Sanktionen nach sich ziehen. Es drohen Bußgelder von bis zu 20 Mio. € oder bis zu 4 % des gruppenweiten Jahresumsatzes – je nachdem, welcher Betrag höher ist. Die betriebliche Praxis tut also gut daran, sich rechtzeitig mit den neuen Anforderungen zu befassen und diese umzusetzen. Dieser Beitrag gibt einen ersten Überblick über die sich aus der DS-GV ergebenden Konsequenzen für die betriebliche Praxis im Allgemeinen sowie im Hinblick auf die Datenverarbeitung im Beschäftigungskontext im Besonderen.
Kaum ein anderer Begriff hält so viele Varianten und Facetten bereit wie die Arbeitszeit. Für die betriebliche Praxis stellt sich dabei regelmäßig die Frage, was überhaupt zur Arbeitszeit gehört, entsprechend als solche zu vergüten ist und welche Optionen bei der Gestaltung der Arbeitsverträge bestehen. Der folgende Praxisleitfaden gibt einen Überblick über die aktuelle Rechtslage und enthält zugleich Hinweise für die Vertragsgestaltung. Die hierzu insbesondere in den letzten Jahren ergangenen zahlreichen aktuellen Gerichtsentscheidungen werden besonders berücksichtigt.
Das Bundeskabinett hat sich am 14.9.2016 mit der sog. Flexi-Rente befasst und eine sog. Formulierungshilfe verabschiedet, der ein aus den Regierungsfraktionen des Bundestages einzubringender entsprechender Gesetzesentwurf zur „Flexibilisierung des Übergangs vom Erwerbsleben in den Ruhestand und zur Stärkung von Prävention und Rehabilitation im Erwerbsleben (Flexirentengesetz)“ folgen soll. Eine entsprechende Vorabfassung des Gesetzesentwurfs liegt bereits vor (BT-Drucks. 18/9787). Mit der Flexi-Rente sollen im Wesentlichen zwei Ziele erreicht werden: Das flexible Arbeiten bis zum Erreichen der Regelaltersgrenze soll gefördert und das Weiterarbeiten über die Regelaltersgrenze hinaus attraktiver gemacht werden. Hierfür ist eine Reihe von gesetzlichen Änderungen geplant, insbesondere im SGB VI und SGB III. Teile des Gesetzes sollen schon zum 1.1.2017 in Kraft treten. Grund genug, sich bereits jetzt einen ersten Überblick über die geplanten Neuerungen zu verschaffen.
Mit der Verabschiedung der Europäischen Güterrechtsverordnung für Ehegatten und eingetragene Partner hat der Unionsgesetzgeber die Vereinheitlichung des Kollisionsrechts in Europa weiter vorangetrieben. Zentraler Baustein beider Rechtsakte ist die Parteiautonomie, die mit Blick auf Eheleute an bewährte Traditionen anknüpft, für Lebenspartner aber eine echte Neuerung bringt.
Zehn Jahre nach Erlass des „Grünbuchs zu den Kollisionsnormen im Güterrecht“ vom 17.7.2006 hat der Rat der Europäischen Union am 24.6.2016 die EU-Ehegüterrechts-(„EuGüVO“) sowie die EU-Partnerschaftsverordnung („EuPartVO“) erlassen. Damit wird das europäische Güterkollisionsrecht fü rca. 16 Millionen „internationaler Paare“ in der EU auf eine neue, einheitliche Grundlage gestellt. Anders als ursprünglich geplant, handelt es sich bei beiden Verordnungen nicht um gesamteuropäische Rechtsakte, da die für Art. 81 Abs. 3 AEUV erforderliche Einstimmigkeit unter den Mitgliedstaaten letztlich nicht erreicht werden konnte. Das Scheitern der ersten Verordnungsvorschläge aus dem Jahr 2011 war dabei dem Umstand geschuldet, dass rechtspolitisch von Anfang an eine Verknüpfung beider Regelungsmaterien gewollt war. Mit Blick auf die Einführung einheitlicher güterrechtlicher Regelungen für eingetragene Partnerschaften war aber nicht nur das „Ob“ und „Wie“ etwaiger Rechtswahlmöglichkeiten heftig umstritten. Insbesondere diejenigen Mitgliedstaaten, die dem Rechtsinstitut der eingetragenen Lebenspartnerschaft kritisch gegenüberstehen, sahen in der Einführung einheitlicher Kollisionsnormen die Gefahr einer zwangsweisen Durchsetzung dieses Rechtsinstituts „durch die Hintertür“. Vor diesem Hintergrund erwies sich – ebenso wie schon bei der Rom III-VO – das Verfahren zur verstärkten Zusammenarbeit(Art. 20 EUV i.V.m. Art. 326 ff. AEUV) als probates Mittel, um den Integrationsprozess im Bereich des europäischen Kollisionsrechts voranzutreiben. Achtzehn Mitgliedstaaten nehmen an dieser Verstärkten Zusammenarbeit teil.
In der EU richtet sich das auf unterhaltsrechtliche Sachverhalte mit grenzüberschreitendem Bezug anwendbare Recht seit dem 18. Juni 2011 nach dem Haager Protokoll über das auf Unterhaltspflichten anwendbare Recht vom 23. November 2007 („HUP“). Dieser Rechtsakt, der EU-weit anwendbar ist, hat das Haager Unterhaltsübereinkommen von 1973 („HUÜ“) ersetzt und das Unterhaltskollisionsrecht in der EU auf eine neue, einheitliche Grundlage gestellt. Bei den Vorschriften des HUP handelt es sich um sog. lois universelles, die unabhängig davon gelten, welche Staatsangehörigkeit die unterhaltsberechtigte bzw. die unterhaltsverpflichtete Person haben. Zu beachten ist aber, dass die Bundesrepublik Deutschland ebenso wie die Türkei, die Schweiz, Japan und Albanien das HUÜ ratifiziert hatten. Für die Nicht-EU-Staaten besteht aber keine Bindung an die Vorschriften des HUP, so dass sich im Verhältnis zu ihnen die Frage stellt, ob das HUÜ weiterhin Anwendung finden kann. Die Problematik ist gerade im Hinblick auf die erweiterten Rechtswahlmöglichkeiten des HUP von erheblicher praktischer Relevanz.
Die Entscheidung in der Rechtssache Bohez /Wiertz bot dem EuGH Gelegenheit, zur Abgrenzung der Anwendungsbereiche von Brüssel I-(jetzt: Brüssel Ia-) und Brüssel IIa-VO Stellung zu nehmen. Den Ausgangspunkt bildete dabei ein familienrechtlicher Sachverhalt, nämlich die zwangsweise Durchsetzung des Umgangsrechts eines Vaters im Hinblick auf seine beiden Kinder. Auf den ersten Blick lag daher eine Anwendung der auf Verfahren betreffend die elterliche Verantwortung bezogenen Brüssel IIa-VO nahe. Andererseits schien auch eine Argumentation denkbar, wonach es sich bei dem zu vollstreckenden Anspruch auf Zahlung des Zwangsgeldes um eine Geldforderung handele, deren Vollstreckung nach der Brüssel I-VO zu erfolgen habe.
Was vordergründig die Ermittlung des einschlägigen EU-Rechtsaktes betraf, erwies sich bei genauerer Betrachtung als Bestimmung der dogmatischen Rechtsnatur des Zwangsgeldes.
Es werden Effizienzbegriffe zum Vergleich von statistischen Tests basierend auf verschiedenen statistischen Experimenten eingeführt. Dabei handelt es sich um die schon aus dem Vergleich von statistischen Tests in je demselben Modell bekannten asymptotischen relativen Effizienzen wie die Hodges-Lehmann-Effizienz, die Bahadur-Effizienz und die Pitman-Effizienz sowie um Kriterien basierend auf Volumina von Konfidenzbereichen. Effizienzaussagen werden unter anderem für Likelihood-Quotienten-Tests und Waldsche Tests im Rahmen eines allgemeinen multivariaten parametrischen Modells erhalten. Statistische Tests zur Prüfung von Hypothesen über die relative Wirksamkeit zweier Experimente werden vorgeschlagen. Auf der Grundlage der erhaltenen Ergebnisse erfolgt ein Vergleich der Wirksamkeit von korrespondierenden Verfahren bei verbundener Stichprobenerhebung und unabhängiger Stichprobenerhebung. Die Rolle der Kovarianzmatrix bei verbundener Stichprobenerhebung wird insbesondere unter der Annahme, dass die zugrunde liegenden Verteilungen durch k-parametrische Exponentialfamilien modellierbar sind, herausgearbeitet. Verbindungen zu Effizienzbegriffen bei Punkt- und Konfidenzbereichsschätzverfahren werden aufgezeigt. Ausführlichere Untersuchungen betreffen die korrespondierenden Hotellingschen T²-Tests im multivariaten Normalverteilungsfall, die klassischen Homogenitatstests bei k × k-Kontingenztafeln und die Wilcoxon Tests in nichtparametrischen Lagealternativmodellen
Das Forschungsvorhaben Optiox beschäftigt sich mit der Optimierung eines Belüftungsbeckens zur Rauchgasentschwefelung fossil befeuerter Kraftwerke mittels Seewasser. Unter Neutralisierung der entstehenden Hydroniumionen (H3O+) durch die natürliche Alkalität des Seewassers dissoziiert Schwefeldioxid aus dem Rauchgase im vorgeschalteten Absorber beim Phasenübergang von der Gas- in die Flüssigphase zu Sulfiten. Im Belüftungsbecken werden diese Sulfite mittels eingeblasener Luft zu Sulfaten oxidiert, was zu einer geringen Erhöhung der Sulfatfracht vor Einleitung ins Meer führt, die unterhalb der natürlichen Schwankungen liegt. Daneben dient das Belüftungsbecken der Konditionierung des Seewassers hinsichtlich pH-Wert und Sauerstoffgehalt und ist mit hoch effizienten Belüftern ausgestattet, deren Spezifikation den jeweiligen Randbedingungen, wie Abscheideleistung des Absorbers, Beckengeometrie sowie lokalen Gegebenheiten angepasst wird.
The stimulation and dominance of potentially harmful phytoplankton taxa at a given locale and time are determined by local environmental conditions as well as by transport to or from neighboring regions. The present study investigated the occurrence of common harmful algal bloom (HAB) taxa within the Southern California Bight, using cross-correlation functions to determine potential dependencies between HAB taxa and environmental factors, and potential links to algal transport via local hydrography and currents. A simulation study, in which Lagrangian particles were released, was used to assess travel times due to advection by prevailing ocean currents in the bight. Our results indicate that transport of some taxa may be an important mechanism for the expansion of their distributions into other regions, which was supported by mean travel times derived from our simulation study and other literature on ocean currents in the Southern California Bight. In other cases, however, phytoplankton dynamics were rather linked to local environmental conditions, including coastal upwelling events. Overall, our study shows that complex current patterns in the Southern California Bight may contribute significantly to the formation and expansion of HABs in addition to local environmental factors determining the spatiotemporal dynamics of phytoplankton blooms.
A refined substructure technique in the frequency domain is developed, which permits consideration of the interaction effects among adjacent containers through the supporting deformable soil medium. The tank-liquid systems are represented by means of mechanical models, whereas discrete springs and dashpots stand for the soil beneath the foundations. The proposed model is employed to assess the responses of adjacent circular, cylindrical tanks for harmonic and seismic excitations over wide range of tank proportions and soil conditions. The influence of the number, spatial arrangement of the containers and their distance on the overall system's behavior is addressed. The results indicate that the cross-interaction effects can substantially alter the impulsive components of response of each individual element in a tank farm. The degree of this impact is primarily controlled by the tank proportions and the proximity of the predominant natural frequencies of the shell-liquid-soil systems and the input seismic motion. The group effects should be not a priori disregarded, unless the tanks are founded on shallow soil deposit overlying very stiff material or bedrock.
There are different types of games that try to make use of the motivation of a gaming situation in learning contexts. This paper introduces the new terminology ‘Competence Developing Game’ (CDG) as an umbrella term for all games with this intention. Based on this new terminology, an assessment framework has been developed and validated in scope of an empirical study. Now, all different types of CDGs can be evaluated according to a defined and uniform set of assessment criteria and, thus, are comparable according to their characteristics and effectiveness.
The scientific interest for near-Earth asteroids as well as the interest in potentially hazardous asteroids from the perspective of planetary defense led the space community to focus on near-Earth asteroid mission studies. A multiple near-Earth asteroid rendezvous mission with close-up observations of several objects can help to improve the characterization of these asteroids. This work explores the design of a solar-sail spacecraft for such a mission, focusing on the search of possible sequences of encounters and the trajectory optimization. This is done in two sequential steps: a sequence search by means of a simplified trajectory model and a set of heuristic rules based on astrodynamics, and a subsequent optimization phase. A shape-based approach for solar sailing has been developed and is used for the first phase. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through a fully optimized multiple near-Earth asteroid rendezvous mission. The results show that it is possible to visit five near-Earth asteroids within 10 years with near-term solar-sail technology.
Optical flow estimation is known from Computer Vision where it is used to determine obstacle movements through a sequence of images following an assumption of brightness conservation. This paper presents the first study on application of the optical flow method to aerated stepped spillway flows. For this purpose, the flow is captured with a high-speed camera and illuminated with a synchronized LED light source. The flow velocities, obtained using a basic Horn–Schunck method for estimation of the optical flow coupled with an image pyramid multi-resolution approach for image filtering, compare well with data from intrusive conductivity probe measurements. Application of the Horn–Schunck method yields densely populated flow field data sets with velocity information for every pixel. It is found that the image pyramid approach has the most significant effect on the accuracy compared to other image processing techniques. However, the final results show some dependency on the pixel intensity distribution, with better accuracy found for grey values between 100 and 150.
The behaviour of infilled reinforced concrete frames under horizontal load has been widely investigated, both experimentally and numerically. Since experimental tests represent large investments, numerical simulations offer an efficient approach for a more comprehensive analysis. When RC frames with masonry infill walls are subjected to horizontal loading, their behaviour is highly non-linear after a certain limit, which makes their analysis quite difficult. The non-linear behaviour results from the complex inelastic material properties of the concrete, infill wall and conditions at the wall-frame interface. In order to investigate this non-linear behaviour in detail, a finite element model using a micro modelling approach is developed, which is able to predict the complex non-linear behaviour resulting from the different materials and their interaction. Concrete and bricks are represented by a non-linear material model, while each reinforcement bar is represented as an individual part installed in the concrete part and behaving elasto-plastically. Each brick is modelled individually and connected taking into account the non-linearity of a brick mortar interface. The same approach is followed using two finite element software packages and the results are compared with the experimental results. The numerical models show a good agreement with the experiments in predicting the overall behaviour, but also very good matching for strength capacity and drift. The results emphasize the quality and the valuable contribution of the numerical models for use in parametric studies, which are needed for the derivation of design recommendations for infilled frame structures.
Eine seismische Anregung verursacht in einem Flüssigkeitstank einen kombinierten Spannungszustand, was zu einem Stabilitätsversagen der häufig sehr dünnwandigen Konstruktionen führen kann. Für die Durchführung von Stabilitätsnachweisen stehen verschiedene Verfahren zur Verfügung. Üblicherweise werden aus Gründen der Einfachheit spannungsbasierte Verfahren angewendet. Diese sind für Einheitslastfälle experimentell abgesichert, wobei eine Übertragung auf kombinierte Spannungszustände wie im Erdbebenfall nur begrenzt möglich ist. Alternativ kann ein globales, numerisches Konzept, das LBA/MNA-Verfahren, angewendet werden. Das Verfahren kombiniert eine materiell nichtlineare Berechnung (MNA) mit einer linearen Beulanalyse (LBA) und erfasst die Interaktion verschiedener gleichzeitig auftretender Beanspruchungen implizit im Nachweis. Dieser Beitrag demonstriert die Anwendung der Verfahren am Beispiel verschiedener Tankgeometrien mit Höhe/Radius-Verhältnissen zwischen 1 ≤ H/R ≤ 2 und Radius/Tankwand-Verhältnissen zwischen 500 ≤ R/t ≤ 1000 und diskutiert zusätzlich die Defizite der spannungsbasierten Nachweisverfahren.
Following the recent successful landings and occasional re-awakenings of PHILAE, the lander carried aboard ROSETTA to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and the launch of the Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout, MASCOT, aboard the HAYABUSA2 space probe to asteroid (162173) Ryugu we present an overview of the characteristics and peculiarities of small spacecraft missions to small solar system bodies (SSSB). Their main purpose is planetary science which is transitioning from a ‘pure’ science of observation of the distant to one also supporting in-situ applications relevant for life on Earth. Here we focus on missions at the interface of SSSB science and planetary defence applications. We provide a brief overview of small spacecraft SSSB missions and on this background present recent missions, projects and related studies at the German Aerospace Center, DLR, that contribute to the worldwide planetary defence community. These range from Earth orbit technology demonstrators to active science missions in interplanetary space. We provide a summary of experience from recently flown missions with DLR participation as well as a number of studies. These include PHILAE, the lander of ESA’s ROSETTA comet rendezvous mission now on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, and the Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout, MASCOT, now in cruise to the ~1 km diameter C-type near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu aboard the Japanese sample-return probe HAYABUSA2. We introduce the differences between the conventional methods employed in the design, integration and testing of large spacecraft and the new approaches developed by small spacecraft projects. We expect that the practical experience that can be gained from projects on extremely compressed timelines or with high-intensity operation phases on a newly explored small solar system body can contribute significantly to the study, preparation and realization of future planetary defence related missions. One is AIDA (Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment), a joint effort of ESA, JHU/APL, NASA, OCA and DLR, combining JHU/APL’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) and ESA’s AIM (Asteroid Impact Monitor) spacecraft in a mission towards near-Earth binary asteroid system (65803) Didymos. DLR is currently applying MASCOT heritage and lessons learned to the design of MASCOT2, a lander for the AIM mission to support a bistatic low frequency radar experiment with PHILAE/ROSETTA CONSERT heritage to explore the inner structure of Didymoon which is the designated impact target for DART.
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.
At the present time, one of the most serious environmental problems of Central Asia and South Kazakhstan is the ongoing large-scale deterioration of principal urban tree populations. Several major centers of massive spread of invasive plant pests have been found in urban dendroflora of this region. The degree of damage of seven most wide-spread aboriginal tree species was found to range from 21.4±1.1 to 85.4±1.8%. In particular, the integrity of the native communities of sycamore (Platanus spp.), willow (Salix spp.), poplar (Populus spp.) and elm (Ulmus spp.) is highly endangered. Our taxonomic analysis of the most dangerous tree pests of the region has revealed them as neobiontic xylophilous insects such as Cossus cossus L. (Order: Lepidoptera L.) Monochamus urussovi Fisch., Monochamus sutor L., Acanthocinus aedelis L. and Ñetonia aureate L. (Order: Coleoptera L.). We relate the origin of this threatening trend with the import of industrial wood in the mid 90s of the last century that was associated with high degree of the constructional work in the region. Because of the absence of efficient natural predators of the pest species, the application of microbiological methods of the pest control and limitation is suggested.
Entwicklung eines Kletterroboters zur Diagnose und Instandsetzung von Windenergieanlagen (SMART)
(2016)
In this paper we present an extension of the action language Golog that allows for using fuzzy notions in non-deterministic argument choices and the reward function in decision-theoretic planning. Often, in decision-theoretic planning, it is cumbersome to specify the set of values to pick from in the non-deterministic-choice-of-argument statement. Also, even for domain experts, it is not always easy to specify a reward function. Instead of providing a finite domain for values in the non-deterministic-choice-of-argument statement in Golog, we now allow for stating the argument domain by simply providing a formula over linguistic terms and fuzzy uents. In Golog’s forward-search DT planning algorithm, these formulas are evaluated in order to find the agent’s optimal policy. We illustrate this in the Diner Domain where the agent needs to calculate the optimal serving order.
Surgical reconstruction of the interosseous membrane (IOM) could restore longitudinal forearm stability to avoid persisting disability due to capituloradial and ulnocarpal impingement in Essex Lopresti lesions. This biomechanical study aimed to assess longitudinal forearm stability of intact specimens, after sectioning of the IOM and after reconstruction with a TightRope construct using either a single or double bundle technique.
Turbulent dispersion in bounded horizontal jets : RANS capabilities and physical modeling comparison
(2016)
While plate fixation of proximal ulna fractures might lead to superior clinical results compared to tension band wiring, regular plates represent an established risk factor for wound complications. The olecranon double plates (Medartis, Basel, CH) might decrease complications related to the osteosynthesis because of their low profile and better anatomical fit. This study aimed to evaluate the biomechanical performance and clinical results of the olecranon double plates.
A New Class of Biosensors Based on Tobacco Mosaic Virus and Coat Proteins as Enzyme Nanocarrier
(2016)
An amperometric biosensor using a substrate recycling principle was realized for the detection of low adrenaline concentrations (1 nM) by measurements in phosphate buffer and Ringer’s solution at pH 6.5 and pH 7.4, respectively. In proof-of-concept experiments, a Boolean logic-gate principle has been applied to develop a digital adrenaline biosensor based on an enzyme AND logic gate. The obtained results demonstrate that the developed digital biosensor is capable for a rapid qualitative determination of the presence/absence of adrenaline in a YES/NO statement. Such digital biosensor could be used in clinical diagnostics for the control of a correct insertion of a catheter in the adrenal veins during adrenal venous-sampling procedure.
Label-free Electrostatic Detection of DNA Amplification by PCR Using Capacitive Field-effect Devices
(2016)
A capacitive field-effect EIS (electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor) sensor modified with a positively charged weak polyelectrolyte of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH)/single-stranded probe DNA (ssDNA) bilayer has been used for a label-free electrostatic detection of pathogen-specific DNA amplification via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The sensor is able to distinguish between positive and negative PCR solutions, to detect the existence of target DNA amplicons in PCR samples and thus, can be used as tool for a quick verification of DNA amplification and the successful PCR process.
Future engineers are increasingly confronted with the so-called Megatrends which are the big social challenges society has to cope with. These Megatrends, such as “Silver Society”, “Globalization”, “Mobility” and “Female Shift” require an application-oriented perspective on Diversity especially in the engineering field. Therefore, it is necessary to enable future engineers not only to look at the technical perspectives of a problem, but also to be able to see the related questions within societies they are developing their artefacts for. The aim of teaching engineering should be to prepare engineers for these requirements and to draw attention to the diverse needs in a globalized world.
Bringing together technical knowledge and social competences which go beyond a mere training of the so-called “soft skills”, is a new approach followed at RWTH Aachen University, one of the leading technical universities in Germany. RWTH Aachen University has established the bridging professorship “Gender and Diversity in Engineering” (GDI) which educates engineers with an interdisciplinary approach to expand engineering limits. In the frame of a sustainable teaching concept the research group under the leadership of Prof. Carmen Leicht-Scholten has developed an approach which imparts a supplication-specific Gender and Diversity expertise to engineers. In workshops students gain theoretical knowledge about Gender and Diversity and learn how to transfer their knowledge in their special field of study and later work. To substantiate this, the course participants have to solve case studies from real life. The cases which are developed in collaboration with non-profit organizations and enterprises from economy rise the students to challenges which are inspired by professional life. Evaluation shows the success of this approach as well as an increasing demand for such teaching formats.
A multi-spot light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS), which belongs to the family of semiconductor field-effect devices, was applied for label-free detection of double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA) molecules by their intrinsic molecular charge. To reduce the distance between the DNA charge and sensor surface and thus, to enhance the electrostatic coupling between the dsDNA molecules and the LAPS, the negatively charged dsDNA molecules were electrostatically adsorbed onto the gate surface of the LAPS covered with a positively charged weak polyelectrolyte layer of PAH (poly(allylamine hydrochloride)). The surface potential changes in each spot of the LAPS, induced by the layer-by-layer adsorption of a PAH/dsDNA bilayer, were recorded by means of photocurrent-voltage and constant-photocurrent measurements. In addition, the surface morphology of the gate surface before and after consecutive electrostatic adsorption of PAH and dsDNA layers was studied by atomic force microscopy measurements. Moreover, fluorescence microscopy was used to verify the successful adsorption of dsDNA molecules onto the PAH-modified LAPS surface. A high sensor signal of 25 mV was registered after adsorption of 10 nM dsDNA molecules. The lower detection limit is down to 0.1 nM dsDNA. The obtained results demonstrate that the PAH-modified LAPS device provides a convenient and rapid platform for the direct label-free electrical detection of in-solution hybridized dsDNA molecules.
The interplay of albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (LYZ) adsorbed simultaneously on titanium was analyzed by gel electrophoresis and BCA assay. It was found that BSA and lysozyme adsorb cooperatively. Additionally, the isoelectric point of the respective protein influences the adsorption. Also, the enzymatic activity of lysozyme and amylase (AMY) in mixtures with BSA was considered with respect to a possible influence of protein-protein interaction on enzyme activity. Indeed, an increase of lysozyme activity in the presence of BSA could be observed. In contrast, BSA does not influence the activity of amylase.
The composition of plant biomass varies depending on the feedstock and pre-treatment conditions and influences its processing in biorefineries. In order to ensure optimal process conditions, the quantitative proportion of the main polymeric components of the pre-treated biomass has to be determined. Current standard procedures for biomass compositional analysis are complex, the measurements are afflicted with errors and therefore often not comparable. Hence, new powerful analytical methods are urgently required to characterize biomass. In this contribution, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was applied in combination with multivariate data analysis (MVA) to detect the cellulose content of the plant biomass pretreated by Liquid Hot Water (LHW) and Organosolv processes under various conditions. Unlike conventional techniques, the developed analytic method enables the accurate quantification of monosaccharide content of the plant biomass without any previous sample preparation. It is easy to handle and avoids errors in sample preparation.