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Energietransparenz und optimierter Energieverbrauch durch ganzheitliche Automatisierungskonzepte
(2012)
We present an effective finite difference formulation for implementing and modeling multiple borehole heat exchangers (BHE) in the general 3-D coupled heat and flow transport code SHEMAT. The BHE with arbitrary length can be either coaxial or double U-shaped. It is particularly suitable for modeling deep BHEs which contain varying pipe diameters and materials.
Usually, in numerical simulations, a fine discretization of the BHE assemblage is required, due to the large geometric aspect ratios involved. This yields large models and long simulation times. The approach avoids this problem by considering heat transport between fluid and the soil through pipes and grout via thermal resistances. Therefore, the simulation time can be significantly reduced.
The coupling with SHEMAT is realized by introducing an effective heat generation. Due to this connection, it is possible to consider heterogeneous geological models, as well as the influence of groundwater flow. This is particularly interesting when studying the long term behavior of a single BHE or a BHE field. Heating and cooling loads can enter the model with an arbitrary interval, e.g. from hourly to monthly values. When dealing with large BHE fields, computing times can be further significantly reduced by focusing on the temperature field around the BHEs, without explicitly modeling inlet and outlet temperatures. This allows to determine the possible migration of cold and warm plumes due to groundwater flow, which is of particular importance in urban areas with a high BHE installation density.
The model is validated against the existing BHE modeling codes EWS and EED. A comparison with monitoring data from a deep BHE in Switzerland shows a good agreement. Synthetic examples demonstrate the field of application of this model.
Die Aufrechnung des Insolvenzverwalters gegen eine Insolvenzforderung nach ihrer Feststellung
(2012)
Vollzug der Schenkung einer Unterbeteiligung : BGH, Urteil vom 29.11.2011 - II ZR 306/09 : Anmerkung
(2012)
Für die Ermittlung der erforderlichen Einspanntiefe von eingespannten Stahlquerschnitten in Betonkonstruktionen existieren verschiedene Bemessungsmodelle. Diese basieren vorwiegend auf Grundlage nationaler Normen wie z. B. DIN 18800 [1] und DIN 1045 [2], die durch die europäische Normung ersetzt wurden. Aus diesem Grund wird in diesem Aufsatz ein Berechnungsmodell für die erforderliche Einspanntiefe von eingespannten Stahlquerschnitten in Betonkonstruktionen auf Grundlage des Eurocodes vorgestellt. Das Grundgerüst für dieses Berechnungsmodell bildet das Verfahren nach Kindmann und Laumann, welches in [3] behandelt wurde. Gleichzeitig werden neue Formeln zur direkten Ermittlung der Mindesteinspanntiefe vorgestellt. Behandelt werden gewalzte I-Profile für einachsige Biegung um die starke Achse (y-y) mit Drucknormalkraft.
This paper presents the latest prototype of the integrated emitter turn-off thyristor concept, which potentially ranks among thyristor high-power devices like the gate turn-off thyristor and the integrated gate-commutated thyristor (IGCT). Due to modifications of the external driver stage and mechanical press-pack design optimization, this prototype allows for full device characterization. The turn-off capability was increased to 1600 A with an active silicon area of 823mm2 . This leads to a transient peak power of 672.1kW/cm² . Within this paper, measurements and concept assessment are presented and a comparison to state-of-the-art IGCT devices is provided.
Wir stellen einen USB-Baustein vor, der eine kostengünstige und universelle Möglichkeit schafft , im Unterricht den Themenkreis Messen-Steuern-Regeln zu behandeln. Die Funktionalität orientiert sich am CVK-Interface der Firma Fischertechnik. Im Gegensatz zu kommerziellen Lösungen erlaubt unser Aufbau auch den preiswerten Einsatz in Gruppen- oder Einzelarbeit. Abschließend berichten wir über ein Beispiel aus dem Unterrichtseinsatz.
This thesis introduces the Integrated Emitter Turn-Off (IETO) Thyristor as a new high-power device. Known state-of-the-art research activities like the Dual GCT, the ETO thyristor and the ICT were presented and critically reviewed. A comparison with commercialized solutions identifies the pros and cons of each type of device family. Based on this analysis, the IETO structure is proposed, covering most benefits of each device class. In particular the combination of a MOS-assisted turn-off with a thyristor-based device allows a voltage-controlled MOS switching and the low on-state voltage of the thyristors. The following synthesis of an IETO device stands on a three-dimensional field of optimization spanned by electric, mechanical and thermal aspects. From an electric point of view, the lowest possible parasitic inductance and resistance within the commutation path are optimization criteria. The mechanical construction has to withstand the required contact pressure of multiple kilo Newtons. Finally, thermal borders limit the maximum average current of the device. FEM simulations covering these three aspects are performed for several design proposals. An IETO prototype is constructed and measurements on various test benches attest thermal, mechanical and electric performance. A local decoupling of the external driver stage and the presspack housing is presented by a cable connection. This separation enables a thermal and mechanical independence, which is advantageous in terms of vibrations and thermal cycles including increased reliability. The electric pulse performance of the prototype device is a factor of 3.1 above today''s solutions. In single-pulse measurements, a current up to 1600 A was successfully turned off at 115°C with an active silicon area of 823 mm². One reason for this increased turn-off capability is the extremely low-inductive construction. Additional functionality of the IETO thyristor like over-current self-protection and defined short-circuit failure state are successfully verified.
Der Temperaturanstieg der vergangenen Jahrzehnte war in Gebirgsregionen besonders ausgeprägt. Sollte sich dieser Temperaturtrend im 21. Jahrhundert fortsetzen, dann dürf-ten sich auch die Häufigkeit und Intensität von Niederschlä-gen und Trockenperioden verändern, was die Waldwirtschaft vor grosse Herausforderungen stellen wird. Trockenheit ist ein entscheidender Faktor für die Waldökosysteme der inner-alpinen Täler, wo seit Jahren trockenheitsbedingtes Baum-sterben festgestellt wird. Der vorliegende Beitrag hat zum Ziel, die Sensitivität der verschiedenen Waldökosysteme ge-genüber Klimawandel und alternative, teilweise extreme Bewirtschaftungsvarianten in der Region Visp zu testen. Me-thodische Ansätze wie Monitoring, Feldexperimente und dy-namische Modellierung wurden kombiniert, und es wurden verschiedene Ökosystemleistungen berücksichtigt, so Holz-produktion, Schutz vor Naturgefahren, Kohlenstoffspeiche-rung und Aspekte der Biodiversität. Die Resultate deuten da-rauf hin, dass auf den Trockenstandorten der Tieflagen die einheimischen Baumarten an ihre physiologischen Grenzen stossen und längerfristig über alternative Baumarten nach-gedacht werden sollte. In den mittleren Lagen dürften Tro-ckenheit und Schadinsekten wie die Borkenkäfer die zukünf-tige Waldentwicklung steuern. In den Hochlagen hingegen werden sich die Wälder ausdehnen und besser wachsen als heute. Alle untersuchten Ökosystemleistungen werden ge-bietsweise starken Veränderungen unterworfen sein. Die dis-kutierten Bewirtschaftungsvarianten scheinen dazu geeignet, die Wasserverfügbarkeit der Bestände, hauptsächlich in tief-eren Lagen, zu erhöhen und dadurch die Widerstandskraft der Bäume gegenüber Trockenperioden vorübergehend zu stärken. Es ist aber davon ausgehen, dass nur verhältnismäs-sig starke Eingriffe wesentliche Effekte erzielen können. Die Verknüpfung von Umweltmonitoring, Feldexperimenten und Modellierung unter Miteinbezug von Ökosystemleistungen ist vielversprechend, da sie eine differenzierte Abschätzung des zukünftigen Landschaftswandels und seiner Effekte auf die Waldleistungen ermöglicht.
Dynamik bei Eisenbahnbrücken
(2012)
Climate change is challenging forestry management and practices. Among other things, tree species with the ability to cope with more extreme climate conditions have to be identified. However, while environmental factors may severely limit tree growth or even cause tree death, assessing a tree species' potential for surviving future aggravated environmental conditions is rather demanding. The aim of this study was to find a tree-ring-based method suitable for identifying very drought-tolerant species, particularly potential substitute species for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Valais. In this inner-Alpine valley, Scots pine used to be the dominating species for dry forests, but today it suffers from high drought-induced mortality. We investigate the growth response of two native tree species, Scots pine and European larch (Larix decidua Mill.), and two non-native species, black pine (Pinus nigra Arnold) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Mirb. var. menziesii), to drought. This involved analysing how the radial increment of these species responded to increasing water shortage (abandonment of irrigation) and to increasingly frequent drought years. Black pine and Douglas fir are able to cope with drought better than Scots pine and larch, as they show relatively high radial growth even after irrigation has been stopped and a plastic growth response to drought years. European larch does not seem to be able to cope with these dry conditions as it lacks the ability to recover from drought years. The analysis of trees' short-term response to extreme climate events seems to be the most promising and suitable method for detecting how tolerant a tree species is towards drought. However, combining all the methods used in this study provides a complete picture of how water shortage could limit species.
An increasing number of studies have reported on forest declines and vegetation shifts triggered by drought. In the Swiss Rhone valley (Valais), one of the driest inner-Alpine regions, the species composition in low elevation forests is changing: The sub-boreal Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) dominating the dry forests is showing high mortality rates. Concurrently the sub-Mediterranean pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens Willd.) has locally increased in abundance. However, it remains unclear whether this local change in species composition is part of a larger-scale vegetation shift. To study variability in mortality and regeneration in these dry forests we analysed data from the Swiss national forest inventory (NFI) on a regular grid between 1983 and 2003, and combined it with annual mortality data from a monitoring site. Pine mortality was found to be highest at low elevation (below 1000 m a.s.l.). Annual variation in pine mortality was correlated with a drought index computed for the summer months prior to observed tree death. A generalized linear mixed-effects model indicated for the NFI data increased pine mortality on dryer sites with high stand competition, particularly for small-diameter trees. Pine regeneration was low in comparison to its occurrence in the overstorey, whereas oak regeneration was comparably abundant. Although both species regenerated well at dry sites, pine regeneration was favoured at cooler sites at higher altitude and oak regeneration was more frequent at warmer sites, indicating a higher adaptation potential of oaks under future warming. Our results thus suggest that an extended shift in species composition is actually occurring in the pine forests in the Valais. The main driving factors are found to be climatic variability, particularly drought, and variability in stand structure and topography. Thus, pine forests at low elevations are developing into oak forests with unknown consequences for these ecosystems and their goods and services.
Die Detektion von Schadstoffen repräsentiert in der Umweltanalytik eine wichtige Aufgabenstellung. Gerade die Abwasser- bzw. Brauchwasseranalytik sowie die Prozesskontrolle haben einen hohen Stellenwert. Siliziumbasierte Dünnschichtsensoren bieten eine kostengünstige Möglichkeit, „online“-Messungen bzw. Vor-Ort-Messungen zeitnah durchzuführen. In dieser Arbeit wird ein potentiometrisches Sensorarray auf der Basis von Chalkogenidgläsern zur Detektion von Schwermetallen in wässrigen Medien vorgestellt.
Risiken des Handels
(2012)
Aufbau von Handelseinheiten
(2012)
Stahlbetonbau
(2012)
Geotechnik
(2012)
Siedlungswasserwirtschaft
(2012)
Abfallwirtschaft
(2012)
Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (hrHPV) can result in the formation of anogenital cancers. As hrHPV proteins E6 and E7 are required for cancer initiation and maintenance, they are ideal targets for immunotherapeutic interventions. Previously, we have described the development of DNA vaccines for the induction of HPV16 E6 and E7 specific T cell immunity. These vaccines consist of ‘gene-shuffled’ (SH) versions of HPV16 E6 and E7 that were fused to Tetanus Toxin Fragment C domain 1 (TTFC) and were named TTFC-E6SH and TTFC-E7SH. Gene-shuffling was performed to avoid the risk of inducing malignant transformation at the vaccination site. Here, we describe the preclinical safety evaluation of these candidate vaccines by analysis of their transforming capacity in vitro using established murine fibroblasts (NIH 3T3 cells) and primary human foreskin keratinocytes (HFKs). We demonstrate that neither ectopic expression of TTFC-E6SH and TTFC-E7SH alone or in combination enabled NIH 3T3 cells to form colonies in soft agar. In contrast, expression of HPV16 E6WT and E7WT alone or in combination resulted in effective transformation. Similarly, retroviral transduction of HFKs from three independent donors with both TTFC-E6SH and TTFC-E7SH alone or in combination did not show any signs of immortalization. In contrast, the combined expression of E6WT and E7WT induced immortalization in HFKs from all donors. Based on these results we consider it justified to proceed to clinical evaluation of DNA vaccines encoding TTFC-E6SH and TTFC-E7SH in patients with HPV16 associated (pre)malignancies.
Chelate stabilization of a titanium(IV)–salan alkoxide by ligand exchange with 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (dipic) resulted in heptacoordinate complex 3 which is not redox-active, stable on silica gel and has increased aqueous stability. 3 is highly toxic in HeLa S3 and Hep G2 and has enhanced antitumor efficacy in a mouse cervical-cancer model.
Wendehorst Beispiele aus der Baupraxis / Ulrich Vismann (Hrsg.). - 4., durchges. und aktualis. Aufl.
(2012)
Sensitivity of phase detection techniques in aerated chute flows to hydraulic design parameters
(2012)
With its need for high SNR and short acquisition times, Cardiac MRI (CMR) is an intriguing target application for ultrahigh field MRI. Due to the sheer size of the upper torso, however, the known RF issues of 7T MRI are also most prominent in CMR. Recent years brought substantial progress but the full potential of the ultrahigh field for CMR is yet to be exploited. Parallel transmission (pTx) is a promising approach in this context and several groups have already reported B1 shimming for 7T CMR. In such a static pTx application amplitudes and phases of all Tx channels are adjusted individually but otherwise imaging techniques established in current clinical practice 1.5 T and 3 T are applied. More advanced forms of pTx as spatially selective excitation (SSE) using Transmit SENSE promise additional benefits like faster imaging with reduced fields of view or improved SAR control. SSE requires the full dynamic capabilities of pTx, however, and for the majority of today's implemented pTx hardware the internal synchronization of the Tx array does not easily permit external triggering as needed for CMR. Here we report a software solution to this problem and demonstrate the feasibility of CINE CMR at 7 T using a Tx array.
Einführung
(2012)
Glucose ist ein primäres Zwischenprodukt der Verarbeitung nachwachsender Rohstoffe, wie z. B. Cellulose. Die wertsteigernde Weiterverarbeitung des Monosaccharids erfolgt häufig in Form vonFermentationsprozessen, jedoch kann der Rohstoff auch für zahlreiche chemische Verarbeitungsstufen genutzt werden. Ein großtechnisch relevanter Prozess ist die Herstellung von Gluconsäure (GS), die u. a. als Nahrungsmittelzusatz (E 574) eingesetzt wird. Die Darstellung der Säure erfolgt durch Oxidation von Glucose mit magnetisierbarem Gold-Nano-Katalysator. Die Rückgewinnung des Katalysators aus der Reaktionslösung wurde unter Einwirkung eines Magnetfeldgradienten verwirklicht. Die Synthese der magnetischen Goldkatalysatoren (sowohl Trägerpartikel als auch Gold-Nanopartikel) wurde durch nass-chemische Fällungsreaktionen durchgeführt. Die Charakteristiken der neuen Materialen konnte durch Messungen des PCD-Potenzials, Laserbeugung und REM/EDX untersucht werden. So wurden u. a. Partikeldurchmesser von 25 lm und ein Goldgehaltvon 1,03 % ermittelt. Weiterhin wurden für die Goldkatalysatoren optimale Reaktionsbedingungen für die Glucoseoxidation im geregelten Rührkesselreaktor etabliert. Hierdurch konnten eine Produktselektivität von 100 % und eine Wiederverwendbarkeit der Partikel über mindestens zehn Zyklen erreicht werden.
Many tasks for autonomous agents or robots are best described by a specification of the environment and a specification of the available actions the agent or robot can perform. Combining such a specification with the possibility to imperatively program a robot or agent is what we call the actionbased imperative programming. One of the most successful such approaches is Golog. In this paper, we draft a proposal for a new robot programming language YAGI, which is based on the action-based imperative programming paradigm. Our goal is to design a small, portable stand-alone YAGI interpreter. We combine the benefits of a principled domain specification with a clean, small and simple programming language, which does not exploit any side-effects from the implementation language. We discuss general requirements of action-based programming languages and outline YAGI, our action-based language approach which particularly aims at embeddability.
Die wachsende Produktpalette von z. B. Pharmazeutika geht mit einer steigenden Nachfrage für hochsensitive/schonende Aufreinigungstechniken einher. Bisherige Verfahren führen oft zu geringer Reinheit und verminderter Bioaktivität, zeigen eine Limitation der Analytengröße oder bedingen dessen Modifikation. Durch die Kombination von mikroskaligen Magnetpartikeln und spezifisch wechselwirkenden Einzelstrang-DNA-Oligonukleotiden, den sog. ssDNA-Aptameren, sind eine höhere Selektivität/Reinheit und eine Automatisierung möglich. In diesem Kontext werden zum einen ssDNA-Amplifikationstechniken und zum anderen der praktische Einsatz von Aptameren in einer Magnetseparation vorgestellt. Die ssDNA-Synthese basiert auf einem In-vivo-dsDNA-Produktionsschritt mittels eines rekombinanten Escherichia coli. Die als High-copy-Plasmid organisierte Sequenz wird in vitro durch Kombination verschiedener enzymatischer Reaktionen in die funktionelle ssDNA überführt. Diese Technik bedingt nur minimale Instrumentierung bzw. Prozessregelung. Die zweite Synthesetechnik wird in Form eines In-vitro-Amplifikationsverfahrens realisiert und beruht auf dem Prinzip einer PCR (Potenzial zu einer Automatisierung bzw. Miniaturisierung). Die gewonnenen Aptamere werden im Anschluss in einem auf Magnetpartikeln basierten Trennverfahren zur Isolationvon 6xHis-tag-Proteinen bezüglich ihrer Eigenschaften untersucht.
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 chapter, different criteria for the choice of technology are analyzed in detail.
All cells generate contractile tension. This strain is crucial for mechanically controlling the cell shape, function and survival. In this study, the CellDrum technology quantifying cell's (the cellular) mechanical tension on a pico-scale was used to investigate the effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on human aortic endothelial cell (HAoEC) tension. The LPS effect during gram-negative sepsis on endothelial cells is cell contraction causing endothelium permeability increase. The aim was to finding out whether recombinant activated protein C (rhAPC) would reverse the endothelial cell response in an in-vitro sepsis model. In this study, the established in-vitro sepsis model was confirmed by interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels at the proteomic and genomic levels by ELISA, real time-PCR and reactive oxygen species (ROS) activation by florescence staining. The thrombin cellular contraction effect on endothelial cells was used as a positive control when the CellDrum technology was applied. Additionally, the Ras homolog gene family, member A (RhoA) mRNA expression level was checked by real time-PCR to support contractile tension results. According to contractile tension results, the mechanical predominance of actin stress fibers was a reason of the increased endothelial contractile tension leading to enhanced endothelium contractility and thus permeability enhancement. The originality of this data supports firstly the basic measurement principles of the CellDrum technology and secondly that rhAPC has a beneficial effect on sepsis influenced cellular tension. The technology presented here is promising for future high-throughput cellular tension analysis that will help identify pathological contractile tension responses of cells and prove further cell in-vitro models.
Leveraging Social Network Data for Analytical CRM Strategies - The Introduction of Social BI.
(2012)
Im vom BMELV/FNR geförderten SynRg-Projekt wurde unter anderem Rapsschrot untersucht, um Polyphenole zu isolieren und aufzureinigen. Diese sollen anschließend als Basisbausteine für Polymere dienen und ihnen neuartige Eigenschaften verleihen. Derzeit wird an der Polyphenolextraktion gearbeitet, da bei organischen oder wässrigen Extraktionsprozessen überwiegend Sinapin, ein Cholinester der Sinapinsäure, vorliegt und dieses nicht für die Polymerbildung eingesetzt werden kann. Für die im Fokus stehende Sinapinsäure wird deshalb eine simultane Extraktion und enzymatische oder chemische Hydrolyse von Sinapin zu Sinapinsäure durchgeführt. Durch die Hydrolyse konnte die Sinapinsäureausbeute bereits um den Faktor 6,2 auf 15,8 mg g⁻¹ gegenüber einer reinwässrigen Extraktion gesteigert werden. Für die Aufreinigung des an Sinapinsäure reichen Extrakts erfolgt anschließend ein adsorptiver Aufarbeitungsschritt, bei dem Zeolithe zum Einsatz kommen. Mit diesem Material ist es möglich, die Sinapinsäure quantitativ zu adsorbieren und später mit 70 %igem Ethanol bei 60 °C zu desorbieren. Bei den Adsorbern handelt es sich um b-Zeolithe von der Süd-Chemie AG.
Enceladus explorer - A maneuverable subsurface probe for autonomous navigation through deep ice
(2012)
Aus hölzernen Cellulosen und Hemicellulosen können durch enzymatische Hydrolyse fermentierbare Zucker für die Herstellung von Chemikalien und Treibstoffen gewonnen werden. Die bisherige Forschung fokussiert sich oft auf die Nutzung dieser Zucker zur Gewinnung von Ethanol. Daneben muss aber auch die stoffliche Nutzung zur Gewinnung von Grundchemikalien berücksichtigt werden. Eine solche Grundchemikalie ist Itakonsäure. Obwohl die biotechnologische Itaconsäureproduktion bereits eingehend untersucht und etabliert ist, gestaltet sie sich im Rahmen von Bioraffinerien der zweiten Generation als schwierig, da der überwiegend verwendete Produktionsorganismus gegen eine weite Bandbreite von Inhibitoren sensibel ist. Die Herstellung von Itaconsäure aus Buchenholzhydrolysaten wird im Rahmen der deutschen Lignocellulose-Bioraffinerie entwickelt. Die unbehandelten Hydrolysate ermöglichen weder das Wachstum von Aspergillus terreus noch die Bildung von Itaconsäure. Daher werden Möglichkeiten zur Konditionierung des Hydrolysates mit dem Ziel einer Itaconsäureproduktion mit hohen Ausbeuten und Konzentrationen vorgestellt.
Technisches Zeichnen : Lösungsvorschläge für das Selbststudium. (Berichte aus dem Maschinenbau)
(2012)
Since several decades, dam-break waves have been of main research interest. Mathematical approaches have been developed by analytical, physical and numerical models within the past 120 years. During the past 10 years, the number of research investigations has increased due to improved measurement techniques as well as significantly increased computer memories and performances. In this context, the present research deals with the initial stage of two-dimensional dam-break waves by comparing physical and numerical model results as well as analytical approaches. High-speed images and resulting particle image velocimetry calculations are thereby compared with the numerical volume-of-fluid (VOF) method, included in the commercial code FLOW-3D. Wave profiles and drag forces on placed obstacles are analysed in detail. Generally, a good agreement between the laboratory and VOF results is found.
Gräser sind in der Lage, einen großen Teil der für eine biobasierte Wirtschaft benötigten Biomasse zur Verfügung zustellen. Um eine ganzjährige Nutzung des Grases zu gewährleisten, muss eine stabile Lagerung des Grases erreicht werden, was z. B. durch Silieren möglich ist. Die konservierende Wirkung der Silierung beruht auf der Bildung organischer Säuren. Um diese zu gewinnen, wird die Silage gepresst, die organischen Säuren über Flüssig/Flüssig-Extraktion aus dem Presssaft abgetrenntund mittels chromatographischer Methoden weiter aufgereinigt. Im präsentierten Konzept werden die im Presskuchen enthaltenen Lignocellulosen hydrolysiert und die erhaltenen Monosaccharide zu Ethanol fermentiert. Die Phenolsäuren, die in Gräsern die Rolle des Lignins übernehmen, können simultan mit der Hydrolyse der Polysaccharide enzymatisch abgetrennt und als Nebenprodukt gewonnen werden. Die nach der Abtrennung des Ethanols verbleibenden Fermentationsreststoffe werden für die Herstellung von Biogas verwendet.
Influence of a freeze–thaw cycle on the stress–stretch curves of tissues of porcine abdominal organs
(2012)
The paper investigates both fresh porcine spleen and liver and the possible decomposition of these organs under a freeze–thaw cycle. The effect of tissue preservation condition is an important factor which should be taken into account for protracted biomechanical tests. In this work, tension tests were conducted for a large number of tissue specimens from twenty pigs divided into two groups of 10. Concretely, the first group was tested in fresh state; the other one was tested after a freeze-thaw cycle which simulates the conservation conditions before biomechanical experiments. A modified Fung model for isotropic behavior was adopted for the curve fitting of each kind of tissues. Experimental results show strong effects of the realistic freeze–thaw cycle on the capsule of elastin-rich spleen but negligible effects on the liver which virtually contains no elastin. This different behavior could be explained by the autolysis of elastin by elastolytic enzymes during the warmer period after thawing. Realistic biomechanical properties of elastin-rich organs can only be expected if really fresh tissue is tested. The observations are supported by tests of intestines.
Suburethral slings as well as different meshes are widely used treating stress urinary incontinence and prolaps in women. With the development of MiniSlings and special meshes using less alloplastic material anchorage systems become more important to keep devices in place and to put some tension especially on the MiniSlings. To date, there are many different systems of MiniSlings of different companies on the market which differ in the structure of the used meshes and anchors. A new objective measurement method to compare different properties of MiniSling systems (mesh and anchor) is presented in this article. Ballistic gelatine acts as soft tissue surrogate. Significant differences in parameters like pull-out strength of anchors or shrinkage of meshes under loading conditions have been determined. The form and size of the anchors as well as the structural stability of the meshes are decisive for a proper integration. The tested anchorings sytems showed markedly different mechanical function at their respective load bearing capacity. As the stable fixation of the device in tissue is a prerequisite for a permanet reinforcement, the proposed test system permits further optimisation of anchor and mesh devices to improve the success of the surgical treatment
The impact of surgical staplers on tissues has been studied mostly in an empirical manner. In this paper, finite element method was used to clarify the mechanics of tissue stapling and associated phenomena. Various stapling modalities and several designs of circular staplers were investigated to evaluate the impact of the device on tissues and mechanical performance of the end-to-end colorectal anastomosis. Numerical simulations demonstrated that a single row of staples is not adequate to resist leakage due to non-linear buckling and opening of the tissue layers between two adjacent staples. Compared to the single staple row configuration, significant increase in stress experienced by the tissue at the inner staple rows was observed in two and three rows designs. On the other hand, adding second and/or third staple row had no effect on strain in the tissue inside the staples. Variable height design with higher staples in outer rows significantly reduced the stresses and strains in outer rows when compared to the same configuration with flat cartridge.
Remotewords makes its mark on the picturesque "Bar Verbanella”, located in Stresa near Isola Bella on Lago Maggiore. The words CUM GRANO SALIS (with a grain of salt) by Sabine Fabo, art theorist on media contexts, were applied to its roof in collaboration with the German-Italian art organization "Lo spirito del Lago".
Background
Minor changes in protein structure induced by small organic and inorganic molecules can result in significant metabolic effects. The effects can be even more profound if the molecular players are chemically active and present in the cell in considerable amounts. The aim of our study was to investigate effects of a nitric oxide donor (spermine NONOate), ATP and sodium/potassium environment on the dynamics of thermal unfolding of human hemoglobin (Hb). The effect of these molecules was examined by means of circular dichroism spectrometry (CD) in the temperature range between 25°C and 70°C. The alpha-helical content of buffered hemoglobin samples (0.1 mg/ml) was estimated via ellipticity change measurements at a heating rate of 1°C/min.
Results
Major results were:
1) spermine NONOate persistently decreased the hemoglobin unfolding temperature T u irrespectively of the Na + /K + environment,
2) ATP instead increased the unfolding temperature by 3°C in both sodium-based and potassium-based buffers and
3) mutual effects of ATP and NO were strongly influenced by particular buffer ionic compositions. Moreover, the presence of potassium facilitated a partial unfolding of alpha-helical structures even at room temperature.
Conclusion
The obtained data might shed more light on molecular mechanisms and biophysics involved in the regulation of protein activity by small solutes in the cell.
Purpose:
To investigate the feasibility of using magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects for synchronization of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with the cardiac cycle.
Materials and Methods:
The MHD effect was scrutinized using a pulsatile flow phantom at B0 = 7.0 T. MHD effects were examined in vivo in healthy volunteers (n = 10) for B0 ranging from 0.05–7.0 T. Noncontrast-enhanced MR angiography (MRA) of the carotids was performed using a gated steady-state free-precession (SSFP) imaging technique in conjunction with electrocardiogram (ECG) and MHD synchronization.
Results:
The MHD potential correlates with flow velocities derived from phase contrast MRI. MHD voltages depend on the orientation between B0 and the flow of a conductive fluid. An increase in the interelectrode spacing along the flow increases the MHD potential. In vivo measurement of the MHD effect provides peak voltages of 1.5 mV for surface areas close to the common carotid artery at B0 = 7.0 T. Synchronization of MRI with the cardiac cycle using MHD triggering is feasible. MHD triggered MRA of the carotids at 3.0 T showed an overall image quality and richness of anatomic detail, which is comparable to ECG-triggered MRAs.
Conclusion:
This feasibility study demonstrates the use of MHD effects for synchronization of MR acquisitions with the cardiac cycle. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:364–372. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Die selektive Isolierung von Cephalosporin C (CPC) aus komplexen Fermentationssuspensionen unter Einsatz magnetischer Separation ist das Ziel dieser Arbeit. Das Verfahren wird im frühen Stadium der Aufarbeitung genutzt, um CPC zu stabilisieren und somit die Produktausbeute zu erhöhen. Als Adsorbersysteme für CPC wurden neben einem projektinternen magnetischen Material ND 10322, dessen Oberflächenladungen spezifisch für die Bindung des Zielmoleküls synthetisiert wurden, verschiedene kommerzielle Partikelsysteme verglichen. Es konnten massenspezifische Maximalbeladungen von 51 mg g⁻¹ erreicht werden. Weiterhin wurde die Stabilität von CPC untersucht. Unter optimalen Adsorptionsbedingungen kann CPC stabilisiert werden, so dass die Geschwindigkeitskonstante der Degradation des b-Lactam-Rings unter diesen Bedingungen unter 0,005 h⁻¹ liegt. Untersuchungen zur Wiederverwertbarkeit der neuen Adsorbers zeigten eine irreversible Bindung geringer CPC-Mengen nach dem ersten Einsatz. Nach zwölf Zyklen tritt eine irreversible Bindung von CPC ein, was zu einer signifikanten Reduktion der Adsorptionsfähigkeit führt. Die Anhäufung des CPC auf dem Adsorber konnte durch IR-Untersuchungen auf die Bildung einer Peptidbindung zwischen Carboxylgruppen des CPC und Aminogruppe der Adsorberoberfläche zurückgeführt werden.
Diese Studie beschäftigte sich mit der Dämpfungswirkung von Schienbeinschonern, wie sie beim Fußball zum Einsatz kommen. Sie wurde mit Hilfe eines Pendelhammers durchgeführt, der verschiedene Aufschlagkräfte auf die Schoner ermöglichte. Dabei wurde deutlich, dass Schienbeinschoner die beste Wirkung bei Maximalkräften unterhalb von 5kN erreichen können, dass bei größerer Belastung allerdings Verbesserungsbedarf besteht. Hierfür konnte, u.a. durch den Einsatz neuer Materialien, ein guter Ansatzpunkt im „adäquaten Zusammenspiel von Schale und Polsterung“ der Schoner gefunden werden. Die Untersuchung hat weiterhin gezeigt, dass zumindest teilweise eine deutliche Verbesserung der Dämpfungswirkung der Schienbeinschoner in den letzten Jahren erreicht werden konnte.
In current clinical cardiovascular MR (CMR) practice cardiac motion is commonly dealt with using ECG based synchronization. However, ECG is corrupted by magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) effects in magnetic fields. This leads to artifacts in the ECG trace and evokes severe T-wave elevations, which might be misinterpreted as R-waves resulting in erroneous triggering. At (ultra)high field strengths, the propensity of ECG recordings to MHD effects is further pronounced. Pulse oximetry (POX) being inherently sensitive to blood oxygenation provides an alternative approach for cardiac gating. However, due to the travel time of the blood the peak of maximum oxygenation and hence the trigger is delayed by approx. 300 ms with respect to the ECG's R-wave. Also the peak of maximum oxygenation shows a jitter of up to 65 ms. Alternative triggering approaches include acoustic cardiac triggering (ACT). In current clinical practice cardiac gating / triggering commonly relies on using single physiological signals only. Realizing this limitation this study proposes a combined triggering approach which exploits multiple physiological signals including ECG, POX or ACT to track cardiac activity. The feasibility of the coupled approach is examined for LV function assessment at 7.0 T. For this purpose, breath-held 2D-CINE imaging in conjunction with cardiac synchronization was performed paralleled by real time logging of physiological waveforms to track (mis)synchronization between the cardiac cycle and data acquisition. Combinations of the ECG, POX and ACT signals were evaluated and processed in real time to facilitate reliable trigger information.
Generation and Characterization of a Novel Multidrug Resistance Protein 2 Humanized Mouse Line
(2012)
The multidrug resistance protein (MRP) 2 is predominantly expressed in liver, intestine, and kidney, where it plays an important role in the excretion of a range of drugs and their metabolites or endogenous compounds into bile, feces, and urine. Mrp knockout [Mrp2(−/−)] mice have been used recently to study the role of MRP2 in drug disposition. Here, we describe the first generation and initial characterization of a mouse line humanized for MRP2 (huMRP2), which is nulled for the mouse Mrp2 gene and expresses the human transporter in the organs and cell types where MRP2 is normally expressed. Analysis of the mRNA expression for selected cytochrome P450 and transporter genes revealed no major changes in huMRP2 mice compared with wild-type controls. We show that human MRP2 is able to compensate functionally for the loss of the mouse transporter as demonstrated by comparable bilirubin levels in the humanized mice and wild-type controls, in contrast to the hyperbilirubinemia phenotype that is observed in MRP2(−/−) mice. The huMRP2 mouse provides a model to study the role of the human transporter in drug disposition and in assessing the in vivo consequences of inhibiting this transporter by compounds interacting with human MRP2.
Compared with rodents and many other animal species, the human cytochrome P450 (P450) Cyp2c gene cluster varies significantly in the multiplicity of functional genes and in the substrate specificity of its enzymes. As a consequence, the use of wild-type animal models to predict the role of human CYP2C enzymes in drug metabolism and drug-drug interactions is limited. Within the human CYP2C cluster CYP2C9 is of particular importance, because it is one of the most abundant P450 enzymes in human liver, and it is involved in the metabolism of a wide variety of important drugs and environmental chemicals. To investigate the in vivo functions of cytochrome P450 Cyp2c genes and to establish a model for studying the functions of CYP2C9 in vivo, we have generated a mouse model with a deletion of the murine Cyp2c gene cluster and a corresponding humanized model expressing CYP2C9 specifically in the liver. Despite the high number of functional genes in the mouse Cyp2c cluster and the reported roles of some of these proteins in different biological processes, mice deleted for Cyp2c genes were viable and fertile but showed certain phenotypic alterations in the liver. The expression of CYP2C9 in the liver also resulted in viable animals active in the metabolism and disposition of a number of CYP2C9 substrates. These mouse lines provide a powerful tool for studying the role of Cyp2c genes and of CYP2C9 in particular in drug disposition and as a factor in drug-drug interaction.
The molecular events during nongenotoxic carcinogenesis and their temporal order are poorly understood but thought to include long-lasting perturbations of gene expression. Here, we have investigated the temporal sequence of molecular and pathological perturbations at early stages of phenobarbital (PB) mediated liver tumor promotion in vivo. Molecular profiling (mRNA, microRNA [miRNA], DNA methylation, and proteins) of mouse liver during 13 weeks of PB treatment revealed progressive increases in hepatic expression of long noncoding RNAs and miRNAs originating from the Dlk1-Dio3 imprinted gene cluster, a locus that has recently been associated with stem cell pluripotency in mice and various neoplasms in humans. PB induction of the Dlk1-Dio3 cluster noncoding RNA (ncRNA) Meg3 was localized to glutamine synthetase-positive hypertrophic perivenous hepatocytes, sug- gesting a role for β-catenin signaling in the dysregulation of Dlk1-Dio3 ncRNAs. The carcinogenic relevance of Dlk1-Dio3 locus ncRNA induction was further supported by in vivo genetic dependence on constitutive androstane receptor and β-catenin pathways. Our data identify Dlk1-Dio3 ncRNAs as novel candidate early biomarkers for mouse liver tumor promotion and provide new opportunities for assessing the carcinogenic potential of novel compounds.
The highly polymorphic human cytochrome P450 2D6 enzyme is involved in the metabolism of up to 25% of all marketed drugs and accounts for significant individual differences in response to CYP2D6 substrates. Because of the differences in the multiplicity and substrate specificity of CYP2D family members among species, it is difficult to predict pathways of human CYP2D6-dependent drug metabolism on the basis of animal studies. To create animal models that reflect the human situation more closely and that allow an in vivo assessment of the consequences of differential CYP2D6 drug metabolism, we have developed a novel straightforward approach to delete the entire murine Cyp2d gene cluster and replace it with allelic variants of human CYP2D6. By using this approach, we have generated mouse lines expressing the two frequent human protein isoforms CYP2D6.1 and CYP2D6.2 and an as yet undescribed variant of this enzyme, as well as a Cyp2d cluster knockout mouse. We demonstrate that the various transgenic mouse lines cover a wide spectrum of different human CYP2D6 metabolizer phenotypes. The novel humanization strategy described here provides a robust approach for the expression of different CYP2D6 allelic variants in transgenic mice and thus can help to evaluate potential CYP2D6-dependent interindividual differences in drug response in the context of personalized medicine.
Assessment of RF Safety of Transmit Coils at 7 Tesla by Experimental and Numerical Procedures (490.)
(2012)
Air- and water-stable phenyl complexes with nitridotechnetium(V) cores can be prepared by straightforward procedures. [TcNPh2(PPh3)2] is formed by the reaction of [TcNCl2(PPh3)2] with PhLi. The analogous N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) compound [TcNPh2(HLPh)2], where HLPh is 1,3,4-triphenyl-1,2,4-triazol-5-ylidene, is available from (NBu4)[TcNCl4] and HLPh or its methoxo-protected form. The latter compound allows the comparison of different Tc–C bonds within one compound. Surprisingly, the Tc chemistry with such NHCs does not resemble that of corresponding Re complexes, where CH activation and orthometalation dominate.
N,N-Dialkylamino(thiocarbonyl)-N′-picolylbenzamidines react with (NEt4)2[M(CO)3X3] (M = Re, X = Br; M = Tc, X = Cl) under formation of neutral [M(CO)3L] complexes in high yields. The monoanionic NNS ligands bind in a facial coordination mode and can readily be modified at the (CS)NR1R2 moiety. The complexes [99Tc(CO)3(LPyMor)] and [Re(CO)3(L)] (L = LPyMor, LPyEt) were characterized by X-ray diffraction. Reactions of [99mTc(CO)3(H2O)3]+ with the N′-thiocarbamoylpicolylbenzamidines give the corresponding 99mTc complexes. The ester group in HLPyCOOEt allows linkage between biomolecules and the metal core.
Entwicklung eines Prototypen zur Prognose von Frühgeburten : ein biomedizintechnischer Ansatz
(2012)
Netzsektoren und deren adäquate Regulierung sind ein sehr relevantes und aktuelles Thema. Dies gilt sowohl für die ökonomische Theorie, die sich sehr intensiv damit auseinandersetzt und in den letzten Jahrzehnten zahlreiche neue Erkenntnisse gewonnen hat. Es gilt ebenso für die Politik, in der Regulierungsfragen kontrovers diskutiert werden und dies nicht nur unter ökonomischen Gesichtspunkten. Es gilt selbstverständlich für die regulierten Unternehmen selbst, deren Tätigkeit durch die staatlichen Regulierungsvorgaben markant beeinflusst wird. Nicht nur die konkreten Inhalte der Regulierungsregime sowie die verbleibenden Freiheitsgrade in der Ausgestaltung sind von Bedeutung, sondern ebenso die Umsetzung durch die Regulierungsbehörden. All dies gilt für den Strommarkt und seinen regulatorischen Hintergrund in besonderer Weise. Die Entflechtung der Stromübertragungsnetze von der Stromproduktion und damit die Vorgaben für die Organisation der Wertschöpfungsketten in den Elektrizitätsunternehmen sind seit dem Beginn des europäischen Liberalisierungsprozesses der Strommärkte ein wichtiges und kontrovers diskutiertes Regulierungselement. Den Fokus bildet das vertikale Unbundling, das letztlich die Diskriminierung von Wettbewerbern durch Anbieter mit aggregierten Wertschöpfungsketten verhindern soll, indem diese gezwungen werden, ihren "Netzteil" anders zu organisieren oder zu verkaufen. Den Mitgliedsstaaten blieben Freiräume in der Ausgestaltung, die in Deutschland erst vor kurzem konkretisiert wurden, und die für die regulierten Unternehmen die Nutzung eines Wahlrechts beinhalten. Der wirtschaftspolitischen folgt nun eine unternehmerische Abwägungsentscheidung.
As the potential of a next generation network (NGN) is recognised, telecommunication companies consider switching to it. Although the implementation of an NGN seems to be merely a modification of the network infrastructure, it may trigger or require changes in the whole company, because it builds upon the separation between service and transport, a flexible bundling of services to products and the streamlining of the IT infrastructure. We propose a holistic framework, structured into the layers ‘strategy’, ‘processes’ and ‘information systems’ and incorporate into each layer all concepts necessary for the implementation of an NGN, as well as the alignment of these concepts. As a first proof-of-concept for our framework we have performed a case study on the introduction of NGN in a large telecommunication company; we show that our framework captures all topics that are affected by an NGN implementation.
Die Veränderungen des Telekommunikationsmarktes haben in der Praxis zu einer Vielzahl von Transformationsprojekten geführt. Was gehört aber zu einem “Transformationsprojekt”, welche Prozesse und Systeme werden verändert? Zur Beantwortung dieser Frage haben wir 184 Berichte zu Projekten analysiert, die als "Transformationsprojekte" bezeichnet waren. Für die Analyse haben wir einen Kodierungsrahmen konzipiert und anhand dessen die Berichte mit einem hierarchischen Clustering-Verfahren in Themen gruppiert. Die Ergebnisse liefern Hinweise über die in der Praxis gesetzten Schwerpunkte und Prioritäten. Sie können
somit als Unterstützung für Unternehmen dienen, die ein Transformationsprojekt planen. Sie weisen zudem darauf hin, in welchen Bereichen eines Unternehmens Unterstützung durch wissenschaftlich erprobte Werkzeuge und Modelle nötig ist.
Wieder einmal hat eine Entscheidung des Europäischen Gerichtshofs (EuGH) das bisherige nationale Verständnis zu einer Frage des Rechts des Betriebsübergangs erheblich ins Wanken gebracht. Bisher entsprach es allgemeiner Auffassung, dass die Arbeitsverhältnisse von Zeit- bzw. Leiharbeitnehmern bei einem Betriebs(teil)übergang des die Leiharbeitnehmer entleihenden Betriebs nicht auf den Betriebserwerber übergehen. Der EuGH hat in der Rechtssache Albron Catering mit Urteil vom 21.10.2010 jedoch entschieden, dass auch Leiharbeitnehmer von einem Betriebs(teil)übergang erfasst sein können. Folglich kann der Erwerber eines Betriebs oder Betriebsteils gem. § 613a BGB zukünftig verpflichtet sein, auch die an den Betriebsveräußerer verliehenen Leiharbeitnehmer zu übernehmen. Die Entscheidung des EuGH hat somit zur Konsequenz, dass der Übergang von Leiharbeitsverhältnissen auf den Erwerber eines Betriebs jedenfalls nicht mehr pauschal ausgeschlossen werden kann. Dies gilt es bei künftigen Betriebs(teil)übertragungen zu berücksichtigen, um unliebsame Überraschungen zu vermeiden.
Determinants of earnings forecast error, earnings forecast revision and earnings forecast accuracy
(2012)
Earnings forecasts are ubiquitous in today’s financial markets. They are essential indicators of future firm performance and a starting point for firm valuation. Extremely inaccurate and overoptimistic forecasts during the most recent financial crisis have raised serious doubts regarding the reliability of such forecasts. This thesis therefore investigates new determinants of forecast errors and accuracy. In addition, new determinants of forecast revisions are examined. More specifically, the thesis answers the following questions: 1) How do analyst incentives lead to forecast errors? 2) How do changes in analyst incentives lead to forecast revisions?, and 3) What factors drive differences in forecast accuracy?
s the magnetic field strength and therefore the operational frequency in MRI are increased, the radiofrequency wavelength approaches the size of the human head/body, resulting in wave effects which cause signal decreases and dropouts. Especially, whole-body imaging at 7 T and higher is therefore challenging. Recently, an acquisition scheme called time-interleaved acquisition of modes has been proposed to tackle the inhomogeneity problems in high-field MRI. The basic premise is to excite two (or more) different Burn:x-wiley:07403194:media:MRM23081:tex2gif-stack-1 modes using static radiofrequency shimming in an interleaved acquisition, where the complementary radiofrequency patterns of the two modes can be exploited to improve overall signal homogeneity. In this work, the impact of time-interleaved acquisition of mode on image contrast as well as on time-averaged specific absorption rate is addressed in detail. Time-interleaved acquisition of mode is superior in Burn:x-wiley:07403194:media:MRM23081:tex2gif-stack-2 homogeneity compared with conventional radiofrequency shimming while being highly specific absorption rate efficient. Time-interleaved acquisition of modes can enable almost homogeneous high-field imaging throughout the entire field of view in PD, T2, and T2*-weighted imaging and, if a specified homogeneity criterion is met, in T1-weighted imaging as well.
31P MR spectroscopic imaging of the human prostate provides information about phosphorylated metabolites that could be used for prostate cancer characterization. The sensitivity of a magnetic field strength of 7 T might enable 3D 31P MR spectroscopic imaging with relevant spatial resolution in a clinically acceptable measurement time. To this end, a 31P endorectal coil was developed and combined with an eight-channel 1H body-array coil to relate metabolic information to anatomical location. An extensive safety validation was performed to evaluate the specific absorption rate, the radiofrequency field distribution, and the temperature distribution of both coils. This validation consisted of detailed Finite Integration Technique simulations, confirmed by MR thermometry and Burn:x-wiley:07403194:media:MRM24175:tex2gif-stack-1 measurements in a phantom and in vivo temperature measurements. The safety studies demonstrated that the presence of the 31P endorectal coil had no influence on the specific absorption rate levels and temperature distribution of the external eight-channel 1H array coil. To stay within a 10 g averaged local specific absorption rate of 10 W/kg, a maximum time-averaged input power of 33 W for the 1H array coil was allowed. For transmitting with the 31P endorectal coil, our safety limit of less than 1°C temperature increase in vivo during a 15-min MR spectroscopic imaging experiment was reached at a time-averaged input power of 1.9 W. With this power setting, a second in vivo measurement was performed on a healthy volunteer. Using adiabatic excitation, 3D 31P MR spectroscopic imaging produced spectra from the entire prostate in 18 min with a spatial resolution of 4 cm3. The spectral resolution enabled the separate detection of phosphocholine, phosphoethanolamine, inorganic phosphate, and other metabolites that could play an important role in the characterization of prostate cancer.
This contribution discusses the utilization of RF power in an MRI system with RF mode shimming which enables the superposition of circularly polarized modes of a transmit RF coil array driven by a Butler matrix. Since the required power for the individual modes can vary widely, mode-shimming can result in a significant underutilization of the total available RF power. A variable power combiner (VPC) is proposed to improve the power utilization: it can be realized as a reconfiguration of the MRI transmit system by the inclusion of one additional matrix network which receives the power from all transmit amplifiers at its input ports and provides any desired (combined) power distribution at its output ports by controlling the phase and amplitude of the amplifiers’ input signals. The power distribution at the output ports of the VPC is then fed into the “mode” ports of the coil array Butler matrix in order to superimpose the spatial modes at the highest achievable power utilization. The VPC configuration is compared to the standard configuration of the transmit chain of our MRI system with 8 transmit channels and 16 coils. In realistic scenarios, improved power utilization was achieved from 17% to 60% and from 14% to 55% for an elliptical phantom and a region of interest in the abdomen, respectively, and an increase of the power utilization of 1 dB for a region of interest in the upper leg. In general, it is found that the VPC allows significant improvement in power utilization when the shimming solution demands only a few modes to be energized, while the technique can yield loss in power utilization in cases with many modes required at high power level.
Prioritization is an essential task within requirements engineering to cope with complexity and to establish focus properly. The 3rd Workshop on Requirements Prioritization for customer oriented Software Development (RePriCo’12) focused on requirements prioritization and adjacent themes in the context of customer oriented development of bespoke and standard software. Five submissions have been accepted for the proceedings and for presentation. The report summarizes and points out key findings.