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Fibrinogen nanofibers are very attractive biomaterials to mimic the native blood clot architecture. Previously, we reported the self-assembly of fibrinogen nanofibers in the presence of monovalent salts and have now studied how divalent salts influence fibrinogen precipitation. Although the secondary fibrinogen structure was significantly altered with divalent metal ions, morphological analysis revealed exclusively smooth fibrinogen precipitates. In situ monitoring of the surface roughness facilitated predicting the tendency of various salts to form fibrinogen fibers or smooth films. Analysis of the chemical composition revealed that divalent salts were removed from smooth fibrinogen films upon rinsing while monovalent Na+ species were still present in fibrinogen fibers. Therefore, we assume that the decisive factor controlling the morphology of fibrinogen precipitates is direct ion-protein contact, which requires disruption of the ion-surrounding hydration shells. We conclude that in fibrinogen aggregates, this mechanism is effective only for monovalent ions, whereas divalent ions are limited to indirect fibrinogen adsorption.

Report from the Working Group on Strengthening the Support for Users at CERN

Slime expelled by velvet worms entraps prey insects within seconds in a hardened biopolymer network that matches the mechanical strength of industrial polymers. While the mechanic stimuli-responsive nature and building blocks of the polymerization are known, it is still unclear how the velvet worms’ slime hardens so fast. Here, we investigated the slime for the first time, not only after, but also before expulsion. Further, we investigated the slime’s micro- and nanostructures in-depth. Besides the previously reported protein nanoglobules, carbohydrates, and lipids, we discovered abundant encapsulated phosphate and carbonate salts. We also detected CO2 bubbles during the hardening of the slime. These findings, along with further observations, suggest that the encapsulated salts in expelled slime rapidly dissolve and neutralize in a baking-powder-like reaction, which seems to accelerate the drying of the slime. The proteins’ conformation and aggregation are thus influenced by shear stress and the salts’ neutralization reaction, increasing the slime’s pH and ionic strength. These insights into the drying process of the velvet worm’s slime demonstrate how naturally evolved polymerizations can unwind in seconds, and could inspire new polymers that are stimuli-responsive or fast-drying under ambient conditions.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T11:14:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-03-21 Photocatalyst-coated self-cleaning ceramic tiles are in high demand for indoor and outdoor applications aimed at keeping a clean environment. Their industrial processing, however, often requires firing at temperature (1000-1200 °C) much higher than the thermal stability limits of common photocatalysts (

When producing stable electrodes, polymeric binders are highly functional materials that are effective in dispersing lithium-based oxides such as Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) and carbon-based materials and establishing the conductivity of the multiphase composites. Nowadays, binders such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) are used, requiring dedicated recycling strategies due to their low biodegradability and use of toxic solvents to dissolve it. Better structuring of the carbon layers and a low amount of binder could reduce the number of inactive materials in the electrode. In this study, we use computational and experimental methods to explore the use of the poly amino acid poly-L-lysine (PLL) as a novel biodegradable binder that is placed directly between nanostructured LTO and reduced graphene oxide. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations allowed us to determine that the (111) surface is the most stable LTO surface exposed to lysine. We performed Kubo–Greenwood electrical conductivity (KGEC) calculations to determine the electrical conductivity values for the hybrid LTO–lysine–rGO system. We found that the presence of the lysine-based binder at the interface increased the conductivity of the interface by four-fold relative to LTO–rGO in a lysine monolayer configuration, while two-stack lysine molecules resulted in 0.3-fold (in the plane orientation) and 0.26-fold (out of plane orientation) increases. These outcomes suggest that monolayers of lysine would specifically favor the conductivity. Experimentally, the assembly of graphene oxide on poly-L-lysine-TiO2 with sputter-deposited titania as a smooth and hydrophilic model substrate was investigated using a layer-by-layer (LBL) approach to realize the required composite morphology. Characterization techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the formed layers. Our experimental results show that thin layers of rGO were assembled on the TiO2 using PLL. Furthermore, the PLL adsorbates decrease the work function difference between the rGO- and the non-rGO-coated surface and increased the specific discharge capacity of the LTO–rGO composite material. Further experimental studies are necessary to determine the influence of the PLL for aspects such as the solid electrolyte interface, dendrite formation, and crack formation.

The Copernicus Polar Ice and Snow Topography Altimeter (CRISTAL) mission is one of six high-priority candidate missions (HPCMs) under consideration by the European Commission to enlarge the Copernicus Space Component. Together, the high-priority candidate missions fill gaps in the measurement capability of the existing Copernicus Space Component to address emerging and urgent user requirements in relation to monitoring anthropogenic CO2 emissions, polar environments, and land surfaces. The ambition is to enlarge the Copernicus Space Component with the high-priority candidate missions in the mid-2020s to provide enhanced continuity of services in synergy with the next generation of the existing Copernicus Sentinel missions. CRISTAL will carry a dual-frequency synthetic-aperture radar altimeter as its primary payload for measuring surface height and a passive microwave radiometer to support atmospheric corrections and surface-type classification. The altimeter will have interferometric capabilities at Ku-band for improved ground resolution and a second (non-interferometric) Ka-band frequency to provide information on snow layer properties. This paper outlines the user consultations that have supported expansion of the Copernicus Space Component to include the high-priority candidate missions, describes the primary and secondary objectives of the CRISTAL mission, identifies the key contributions the CRISTAL mission will make, and presents a concept – as far as it is already defined – for the mission payload.

When two surfaces interact across colloidal dispersions, oscillatory structural forces often arise due to an ordering of colloidal particles. Although this type of forces was intensively studied, the effect of the surface charge of the colloidal particles is still poorly understood. In the present study, the surface charge of colloidal particles is varied by changing the ratio of nonionic (Tween20) and anionic (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) surfactants of micellar dispersions. The same micellar systems were previously characterised with small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) by the authors, revealing that mixed nonionic-anionic surfactant micelles with variable surface charge form. The present paper addresses the ordering phenomena of the micellar systems under confinement. Therefore, forces across these dispersions were measured for varying surface charges and volume fractions of the micelles, using colloidal-probe atomic force microscopy (CP-AFM). The combination of SANS and CP-AFM experiments allows the dispersions structure in bulk and under geometrical confinement to be compared in terms of the characteristic interparticle distance, correlation length, and ordering strength: In bulk and under confinement, the characteristic intermicellar distance increases by introducing surface charges to micelles until the electrostatic repulsion forces the micelles into a specific ordering. There, the characteristic intermicellar distance purely relates to the micelle volume fraction ϕ as ∝ ϕ−1/3. While in dispersions of uncharged micelles the characteristic intermicellar distance is reduced from bulk to confinement, no such compressibility is observed once the micelles are charged. Furthermore, variation of the micelles surface charge has only little effect on the correlation length of the micelles ordering which is mainly governed by hard-sphere interactions, especially in concentrated dispersions. Introducing surface charges, however, enhances the ordering strength (i.e., the amplitude) of oscillatory structural forces due to stronger electrostatic repulsions of the micelles with the equally charged confining surface. This surface-induced effect is not represented in bulk scattering experiments.

The CERN Control and Monitoring Framework(C2MON) is a monitoring platform developed at CERN and since 2016 made available under an LGPL3 open source license. It stands at the heart of the CERN Technical Infrastructure Monitoring (TIM) that supervises the correct functioning of CERN���s technical and safety infrastructure. This diverse technological infrastructure requires a variety of industrial communication protocols. OPC UA [2], an open and platform-independent architecture, can be leveraged as an integration protocol for a large number of existing data sources, and represents a welcome alternative to proprietary protocols. With the increasing relevance of the open communication standard OPC UA in the world of industrial control, adding OPC UA data acquisition capabilities to C2MON provides an opportunity to accommodate modern and industry-standard compatible use cases. This paper describes the design and development process of the C2MON OPC UA data acquisition module, the requirements it fulfills, as well as the opportunities for innovation it yields in the context of industrial controls at CERN., Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Accelerator and Large Experimental Physics Control Systems, ICALEPCS2021, Shanghai, China

Aqueous solutions of a nonionic surfactant (either Tween20 or BrijL23) and an anionic surfactant (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) are investigated, using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). SANS spectra are analysed by using a core-shell model to describe the form factor of self-assembled surfactant micelles, the intermicellar interactions are modelled by using a hard-sphere Percus–Yevick (HS-PY) or a rescaled mean spherical approximation (RMSA) structure factor. Choosing these specific nonionic surfactants allows for comparison of the effect of branched (Tween20) and linear (BrijL23) surfactant headgroups, both constituted of poly-ethylene oxide (PEO) groups. The nonionic–anionic surfactant mixtures are studied at various concentrations up to highly concentrated samples (ϕ ≲ 0.45) and various mixing ratios, from pure nonionic to pure anionic surfactant solutions. The scattering data reveal the formation of mixed micelles already at concentrations below the critical micelle concentration of SDS. At higher volume fractions, excluded volume effects dominate the intermicellar structuring, even for charged micelles. In consequence, at high volume fractions, the intermicellar structuring is the same for charged and uncharged micelles. At all mixing ratios, almost spherical mixed micelles form. This offers the opportunity to create a system of colloidal particles with a variable surface charge. This excludes only roughly equimolar mixing ratios (X≈ 0.4–0.6) at which the micelles significantly increase in size and ellipticity due to specific sulfate–EO interactions.

In this study, we propose new polymeric coatings for metallic implants that impart biocompatibility and antibacterial features to such surfaces. The starting material, poly(cyclic carbonate)-polydimethylsiloxane, was prepared from carbon dioxide fixation and then sequentially reacted by aminolysis with an organoaminosilane, affording the formation of an urethanic polydimethylsiloxane-based material. Finally, a hybrid coating was obtained by performing a sol-gel process on the metallic surfaces, catalyzed by phosphotungstic acid. We provide evidence that due to the polydimethylsiloxane segments governing the surface termination, the hybrid coatings show a hydrophobic character. Furthermore, due the presence of phosphotungstic acid in the upper surface, the adhesion of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria is suppressed in 4 h of contact with aqueous bacterial cultures. In addition, the coatings presented a >70% cytocompatibility besides a low cytotoxicity, making them interesting candidates as biocompatible materials and an alternative to avoiding the biofilm associated with bacterial infections.

Background The triad of a presacral mass, sacral agenesis and an anorectal anomaly constitutes the rare Currarino syndrome (CS), which is caused by dorsal–ventral patterning defects during embryonic development. The major causative CS gene is MNX1, encoding a homeobox protein. Main body In the majority of patients, CS occurs as an autosomal dominant trait; however, a female predominance observed, implies that CS may underlie an additional mode(s) of inheritance. Often, the diagnosis of CS is established solely by clinical findings, impacting a detailed analysis of the disease. Our combined data, evaluating more than 60 studies reporting patients with CS-associated mutations, revealed a slightly higher incidence rate in females with a female-to-male ratio of 1.39:1. Overall, MNX1 mutation analysis was successful in only 57.4% of all CS patients investigated, with no mutation detected in 7.7% of the familial and 68% of the sporadic patients. Our studies failed to detect the presence of an expressed MNX1 isoform that might explain at least some of these mutation-negative cases. Conclusion Aside from MNX1, other genes or regulatory regions may contribute to CS and we discuss several cytogenetic studies and whole-exome sequencing data that have implicated further loci/genes in its etiology. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13023-021-01799-0.

Ziel dieser Studie ist es, Wege und Rahmenbedingungen der Entstehung gesellschaftlicher Wirkungen in transdisziplinärer Forschung besser zu verstehen: Wie können gesellschaftliche Wirkungen erzeugt und verstärkt werden? Dazu wurde exemplarisch das Forschungsprojekt MobilBericht tiefergehend analysiert., Diese Veröffentlichung basiert auf Forschungsarbeiten im Verbundvorhaben "Synthese- und Vernetzungsprojekt Zukunftsstadt (SynVer*Z)". Das Projekt ist den Fördermaßnahmen "Zukunftsstadt" und "Nachhaltige Transformation urbaner Räume zugeordnet und Teil des Förderschwerpunkts "Sozial-ökologische Forschung" des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF). Es wird unter dem Förderkennzeichen 01UR1707 gefördert. Die Verantwortung für den Inhalt dieser Veröffentlichung liegt bei den Autor*innen.

Colloid based products are ubiquitous in our daily life and precise knowledge of the interactions in these systems is of great interest in basic as well as in applied sciences. This thesis studies forces between macroscopic surfaces interacting across concentrated colloidal dispersions, focussing on the mutual effect between the dispersions' nanostructure and surface forces. Besides the well-known DLVO-type surface forces, specific structuring of colloidal particles may induce the so-called oscillatory structural forces. In particular, this study utilises two model colloidal dispersions: suspensions of silica nanoparticles and dispersions of self-assembled surfactant micelles. Throughout this work, surface forces across these colloidal dispersions are measured using colloidal-probe atomic force microscopy. In dispersions of charged colloidal particles, electrostatic interactions cause a pronounced interparticle structuring. For spherical particles, the mean interparticle distance scales with the particles' volume fraction according to an inverse cubic root scaling law. Oscillatory structural forces across these dispersions typically show a wavelength which is directly related to the respective mean interparticle distance. Consequently, the measurement of oscillatory structural forces can be utilised as a tool for characterisation of colloidal particles, knowing the particles' volume fraction. This is demonstrated by measuring surface forces across concentrated silica nanoparticle suspensions to determine the respective nanoparticles' diameters. The validity of this inverse cubic root scaling law is checked upon variation of the particles' surface charges. Mixing nonionic and anionic surfactants form particles with tunable surface charge as demonstrated by small-angle neutron scattering. It is shown that the inverse cubic root scaling law is only valid for highly charged colloidal particles. If the particles carry little or no charges, their interparticle structuring decreases. By this means, the oscillatory structural forces across dispersions are precisely tuned not only by the particles' volume fraction but also by the amount of surface charges per particle. Complete description of the surface forces requires further contributions, other than the oscillatory structural forces. Here, forces between charged surfaces across concentrated silica nanoparticle suspensions are modelled as a superposition of two individual contributions - the electrostatic double layer and the oscillatory structural force. The electrostatic screening length of colloidal dispersions, an important parameter for the description of the electrostatic double layer force, is independently determined by conductivity measurements. In that way, both force contributions are untangled. This enables a uniform description of the surface forces from a few hundred nanometres down to the surfaces being almost in contact.

Background: Lung disease phenotype varies widely even in the F508del (homozygous) genotype. Leukocyte-driven inflammation is important for pulmonary disease pathogenesis in cystic fibrosis (CF). Blood cytokines correlate negatively with pulmonary function in F508del homozygous patients, and gap junction proteins (GJA) might be related to the influx of blood cells into the lung and influence disease course. We aimed to assess the relationship between GJA1/GJA4 genotypes and the clinical disease phenotype. Methods: One-hundred-and-sixteen homozygous F508del patients (mean age 27 years, m/f 66/50) were recruited from the CF centers of Bonn, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. Sequence analysis was performed for GJA1 and GJA4. The clinical disease course was assessed over 3 years using pulmonary function tests, body mass index, Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonization, diabetes mellitus, survival to end-stage lung disease, blood and sputum inflammatory markers. Results: Sequence analysis revealed one clinically relevant single nucleotide polymorphism. In this GJA4 variant (rs41266431), homozygous G variant carriers (n = 84/116; 72.4%) had poorer pulmonary function (FVC% pred: mean 78/86, p < 0.040) and survival to end-stage lung disease was lower (p < 0.029). The frequency of P. aeruginosa colonization was not influenced by the genotype, but in those chronically colonized, those with the G/G genotype had reduced pulmonary function (FVC% pred: mean 67/80, p < 0.049). Serum interleukin-8 (median: 12.4/6.7 pg/ml, p < 0.052) and sputum leukocytes (2305/437.5 pg/ml, p < 0.025) were higher for the G/G genotype. Conclusions: In carriers of the A allele (27.6%) the GJA4 variant is associated with significantly better protection against end-stage lung disease and superior pulmonary function test results in F508del homozygous patients. This SNP has the potential of a modifier gene for phenotyping severity of CF lung disease, in addition to the CFTR genotype. Clinical Trial Registration: The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT04242420, retrospectively on January 24th, 2020.

Previous studies in developing Xenopus and zebrafish reported that the phosphate transporter slc20a1a is expressed in pronephric kidneys. The recent identification of SLC20A1 as a monoallelic candidate gene for cloacal exstrophy further suggests its involvement in the urinary tract and urorectal development. However, little is known of the functional role of SLC20A1 in urinary tract development. Here, we investigated this using morpholino oligonucleotide knockdown of the zebrafish ortholog slc20a1a. This caused kidney cysts and malformations of the cloaca. Moreover, in morphants we demonstrated dysfunctional voiding and hindgut opening defects mimicking imperforate anus in human cloacal exstrophy. Furthermore, we performed immunohistochemistry of an unaffected 6-week-old human embryo and detected SLC20A1 in the urinary tract and the abdominal midline, structures implicated in the pathogenesis of cloacal exstrophy. Additionally, we resequenced SLC20A1 in 690 individuals with bladder exstrophy-epispadias complex (BEEC) including 84 individuals with cloacal exstrophy. We identified two additional monoallelic de novo variants. One was identified in a case-parent trio with classic bladder exstrophy, and one additional novel de novo variant was detected in an affected mother who transmitted this variant to her affected son. To study the potential cellular impact of SLC20A1 variants, we expressed them in HEK293 cells. Here, phosphate transport was not compromised, suggesting that it is not a disease mechanism. However, there was a tendency for lower levels of cleaved caspase-3, perhaps implicating apoptosis pathways in the disease. Our results suggest SLC20A1 is involved in urinary tract and urorectal development and implicate SLC20A1 as a disease-gene for BEEC.

Bereits seit vielen Jahren wirbelt die Digitalisierung viele Industrien vollig durcheinander. Tradierte Geschaftsmodelle mit ihren Wertschopfungsstufen werden aufgebrochen, disruptive Ideen entstehen, werden umgesetzt und neue Spieler ubernehmen eine dominante Stellung in der Industrie. Jenseits bekannter Zuordnungen entstand eine neue Dynamik: Netzwerkfirmen schopfen den Markt ab und Disruptoren stellen jegliche Verfahrensweisen und Verhaltnismasigkeiten auf den Kopf.

Dynamic regulation of the interactions between specific molecules on functional surfaces and biomolecules, for example, proteins or cells, is critical for biosensor and biomedical devices. Herein, we present a spiropyran (SP)‐based light‐responsive surface coating, hPG (hyperbranched polyglycerol)‐SP, to control the adsorption of proteins and adhesion of cells. In the normal state, the SP groups on the coating surface were in hydrophobic ring‐closed form, which promotes the nonspecific protein adsorption and cell adhesion. Under UV irradiation, the grafted SP groups were dynamically isomerized into hydrophilic/zwitterionic merocyanine. Both hydrophilicity and zwitterions support the formation of a hydrated layer and hence the resulting hPG‐MC coatings highly resist protein adsorption and cell adhesion. Moreover, the presented hPG also provided a robust bioinert background to suppress the nonspecific protein adsorption and cells adhesion. Therefore, this functionalized coating exhibited a good photoregulated antifouling behavior. Moreover, the detachment of adsorbed proteins and adhered cells from the coating surface was also realized.

Despite the increasing need for universal polymer coating strategies, only a few approaches have been successfully developed, and most of them are suffering from color, high thickness, or high roughness. In this paper, we present for the first time a universal monolayer coating that is only a few nanometers thick and independent of the composition, size, shape, and structure of the substrate. The coating is based on a bioinspired synthetic amphiphilic block copolymer that combines two concepts from blood protein adsorption and mussel adhesion. This polymer can be rapidly tethered on various substrates including both planar surfaces and nanosystems with high grafting density. The resulting monolayer coatings are, on the one hand, inert to the adsorption of multiple polymer layers and prevent biofouling. On the other hand, they are chemically active for secondary functionalization and provide a new platform for selective material surface modification.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-04T12:13:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-06-05 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Controlled synthesis of SiO2@TiO2 core@shell particles is important for effectively exploiting the unique properties associated with core@shell architecture and obtaining photocatalysts with enhanced photoactivity. Herein, we propose an alternative, simple and rational solvent-based synthetic strategy for the reproducible and controlled coating of anatase nanocrystals ((similar to)5 nm) over submicron SiO2 spheres. This strategy is based on the fact that titanium (IV) isopropoxide (TiP), the TiO2 precursor, exists in oligomeric (less reactive) and monomeric (more reactive) forms in ethanol-rich and isopropanol-rich solvent, respectively. The different reactivity of TiP in mixed solvents with varying ethanol/isopropanol ratio thus allows a precise control over the rate of titania deposition or TiO2 loading as well as the resultant particle morphology through simple manipulation of isopropanol/ethanol ratio of the solvent mixture used in the sol-gel process. Based on a detailed characterization of the samples using an array of complementary characterization techniques, a comprehensive discussion on the relationship between solvent composition, particle morphology and their photoactivity is presented. Photocatalytic dye degradation assays reveal that SiO2@TiO2 particles with uniform morphology obtained by solvent-controlled deposition show enhanced activity per mass unit of TiO2, thus confirming the importance of controlled deposition of titania for the design of efficient core@shell photocatalytic systems. The solvent-based synthetic strategy proposed here is facile, general and effective in controlling the structure and composition of the SiO2@TiO2 particles which, in turn, allows one to tune the photocatalytic properties and obtain core@TiO2 composite photocatalysts with improved photocatalytic activity. Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Quim Sao Carlos, BR-13560970 Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Quim, BR-14800060 Araraquara, SP, Brazil Univ Peshawar, Inst Chem Sci, Peshawar 25120, KP, Pakistan Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Geociencias & Ciencias Exatas, BR-13500970 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Fraunhofer Inst Mfg Technol & Adv Mat, D-28359 Bremen, Germany Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Quim, BR-14800060 Araraquara, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Geociencias & Ciencias Exatas, BR-13500970 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil FAPESP: 2013/24948-3 FAPESP: 2016/10939-0 CNPq: 302185/2017-8

Starting from the extended corporate citizenship (CC) perspective, this article focuses on the perceptions of residents in the district of Steinfurt, Germany, regarding the social and environmental activities of enterprises in their region. In a citizen survey, in the district, 1,003 households&mdash, selected by a Random-Route-Procedure&mdash, were interviewed using a partly standardized questionnaire. The results of the explorative and descriptive study show that approximately, only half of the interviewees associated social and environmental activities with enterprises in the region. The answers point towards a wide diversity of understandings. Furthermore, less than one-fifth feel well-informed about the theses activities. This hints towards a lack of information, which could be tackled by targeted communication. When asked about prioritization, most interviewees consider social activities for employees to be more relevant. In the environmental field, a majority favor local action being taken by enterprises locally, in order to prevent environmental damage in the surrounding area. These results suggest that the direct impact with regard to measures is crucial for citizens&rsquo, perceptions. In addition, residents highlight the issue of employment as a main role of enterprises in the region. This may offer an anchor point for enterprises to develop social activities that are highly relevant to the citizens.

Turing-Maschinen sind das klassische Beschreibungsmittel für Wortsprachen und werden daher auch benützt, um Komplexitätsklassen zu definieren. Dies geschieht zum Beispiel durch das Einschränken des Platz- oder Zeitaufwandes der Berechnung zur Lösung eines Problems. Für sehr niedrige Komplexität wie etwa sublineare Laufzeit, werden Schaltkreise verwendet. Schaltkreise können auf natürliche Art Komplexitäten wie etwa logarithmische Laufzeit modellieren. Ebenso können sie als eine Art paralleles Rechenmodell gesehen werden. Eine wichtige parallele Komplexitätsklasse ist NC1. Sie wird beschrieben durch Boolesche Schaltkreise logarithmischer Tiefe und beschränktem Eingangsgrad der Gatter. Eine initiale Beobachtung, die die vorliegende Arbeit motiviert, ist, dass viele schwere Probleme in NC1 eine ähnliche Struktur haben und auf ähnliche Art und Weise gelöst werden. Das Auswertungsproblem für Boolesche Formeln ist eines der repräsentativsten Probleme aus dieser Klasse: Gegeben ist hier eine aussagenlogische Formel samt Belegung für die Variablen; gefragt ist, ob sie zu wahr oder zu falsch auswertet. Dieses Problem wird in NC1 gelöst durch den Algorithmus von Buss. Auf ähnliche Art können arithmetische Formeln in #NC1 ausgewertet oder das Wortproblem für Visibly-Pushdown-Sprachen gelöst werden. Zu besagter Klasse an Problemen gehört auch Courcelles Theorem, welches Berechnungen in Baumautomaten involviert. Zu bemerken ist, dass alle angesprochenen Probleme gemeinsam haben, dass sie aus Instanzen bestehen, die baumartig sind. Formeln sind Bäume, Visibly-Pushdown-Sprachen enthalten als Wörter kodierte Bäume und Courcelles Theorem betrachtet Graphen mit beschränkter Baumweite, d.h. Graphen, die sich als Baum darstellen lassen. Insbesondere Letzteres ist ein Schema, das häufiger auftritt. Zum Beispiel gibt es NP-vollständige Graphprobleme wie das Finden von Hamilton-Kreisen, welches unter beschränkter Baumweite in P fällt. Neuere Analysen konnten diese Schranke weiter zu SAC1 verbessern, was eine parallele Komplexitätsklasse ist. Die angesprochenen Probleme kommen aus unterschiedlichen Bereichen und haben individuelle Lösungen. Hauptthese dieser Arbeit ist, dass sich diese Vielfalt vereinheitlichen lässt. Es wird ein generisches Lösungskonzept vorgestellt, welches darauf beruht, dass sich die Probleme auf ein Termevaluierungsproblem reduzieren lassen. Kernstück ist daher ein Termevaluierungsalgorithmus, der unabhängig von der Algebra, über welche der Term evaluiert werden soll, ist. Resultat ist, dass eine Vielzahl, darunter die oben angesprochenen Probleme, sich auf analoge Art lösen lassen, und dass sich ebenso leicht neue Resultate zeigen lassen. Diese Menge an Resultaten hätte sich ohne den vereinheitlichten Lösungsansatz nicht innerhalb des Rahmens einer Arbeit wie der vorliegenden zeigen lassen. Der entwickelte Lösungsansatz führt stets zu Schaltkreisfamilien polylogarithmischer Tiefe. Es wird jedoch auch die Frage behandelt, wie mächtig Schaltkreisfamilien konstanter Tiefe noch bezüglich Termevaluierung sind. Die Klasse AC0 ist hierfür ein natürlicher Kandidat; sie entspricht der Menge der Sprachen, die durch Logik erster Ordung beschreibbar sind. Um dieses Problem anzugehen, wird zunächst das Termevaluierungsproblem über endlichen Algebren betrachtet. Dieses wiederum lässt sich in das Wortproblem von Visibly-Pushdown-Sprachen einbetten. Daher handelt dieser Teil der Arbeit vornehmlich von der Beschreibbarkeit von Visibly-Pushdown-Sprachen in Logik erster Ordnung. Hierbei treten ungelöste Probleme zu Tage, welche ein Indiz dafür sind, wie schlecht die Komplexität konstanter Tiefe bisher noch verstanden ist, und das, trotz des Resultats von Furst, Saxe und Sipser, bzw. Håstads. Die bis jetzt beschrieben Inhalte sind Teil einer kontinuierlichen Entwicklung. Es gibt jedoch ein Thema in dieser Arbeit, das orthogonal dazu ist: Automaten und im speziellen Cost-Register-Automaten. Zum einen sind, wie oben angedeutet, Automaten Beispiele für Anwendungen des hier entwickelten generischen Lösungsansatzes. Zum anderen können sie selbst zur Beschreibung von Termevaluierungsproblemen dienen; so können Visibly-Pushdown-Automaten Termevaluierung über endlichen Algebren ausführen. Um über endliche Algebren hinauszugehen, benötigen die Automaten mehr Speicher. Visibly-Pushdown-Automaten haben einen Keller, der genau dafür geeignet ist, die Baumstruktur einer Eingabeformel zu verifizieren. Für nichtendliche Algebren eignet sich ein Modell, welches hier vorgestellt werden soll. Es kombiniert Visibly-Pushdown-Automaten mit Cost-Register-Automaten. Ein Cost-Register-Automat ist ein endlicher Automat, welcher mit zusätzlichen Registern ausgestattet ist. Die Register können Werte einer Algebra speichern und werden in jedem Schritt in Abhängigkeit des Eingabezeichens und des Zustandes aktualisiert. Dieser Einwegdatenfluss von Zuständen zu Registern sorgt dafür, dass dieses Modell nicht nur entscheidbar bleibt, sondern, in Abhängigkeit der Algebra, auch niedrige Komplexität hat. Das neue Modell der Cost-Register-Visibly-Pushdown-Automaten kann nun Terme evaluieren. Es werden grundlegende Eigenschaften gezeigt, einschließlich Komplexitätsaussagen.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T01:10:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-01-01 The design of functionalized polymer surfaces using bioactive compounds has grown rapidly over the past decade within many industries including biomedical, textile, microelectronics, bioprocessing and food packaging sectors. Polymer surfaces such as polystyrene (PS) must be treated using surface activation processes prior to the attachment of bioactive compounds. In this study, a new peptide immobilization strategy onto hydrocarbonaceus polymer surfaces is presented. A bio-interfactant layer made up of a tailored combination of laccase from trametes versicolor enzyme and maltodextrin is applied to immobilize peptides. Using this strategy, immobilization of the bio-inspired peptide KLWWMIRRWG-bromophenylalanine-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine-G and KLWWMIRRWG-bromophenylalanine-G on polystyrene (PS) was achieved. The interacting laccase layers allows to immobilize antimicrobial peptides avoiding the chemical modification of the peptide with a spacer and providing some freedom that facilitates different orientations. These are not strongly dominated by the substrate as it is the case on hydrophobic surfaces; maintaining the antimicrobial activity. Films exhibited depletion efficiency with respect to the growth of Escherichia coli bacteria and did not show cytotoxicity for fibroblast L929. This environmentally friendly antimicrobial surface treatment is both simple and fast, and employs aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the method can be extended to three-dimensional scaffolds as well as rough and patterned substrates. University of Fribourg Adolphe Merkle Institute, Chemin des Verdiers 4 UNESP São Paulo State University, Av. Eng. Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14 Federal University of Grande Dourados FACET Department of Chemistry University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9 Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, Wiener Strasse 12 UNESP São Paulo State University, Av. Eng. Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14

Corporate sustainability management usually relies on innovation experts ‐ that is, it relies on top-down and staff-unit approaches. Seeking out the involvement of employees from all company departments can substantially contribute to corporate greening. “Ordinary” employees are not trained as sustainability experts, yet it is precisely their experience within their own field and within the organisation that can give rise to knowledge that is essential for transforming the economy towards sustainability. Hence, employees need to be empowered by appropriate structures and organisational culture. Transferring practical experience to expertise can prove very helpful in assisting and stimulating sustainability transformations in various business fields. Although ordinary employees are typically regarded as an important stakeholder group for enhancing corporate sustainability, they are seldom seriously addressed in business or research practice. To learn from the practical experience of what takes place at workplaces, we analysed four transdisciplinary research projects all aimed at initiating, accompanying and analysing processes of sustainability transformation within companies, but which focused on different sectors and organisational contexts. Based on the assumption that ordinary employees can hold three different roles in processes of sustainability transformations (implementers, ambassadors and recipients of corporate sustainability practices), we compared the findings from practices of employee involvement within the four projects. Based on these findings, we examined the implications for companies and highlighted future research needs.

The industrial control systems of CERN’s experiments are undergoing major renovation since 2017 and well into CERN’s second Long Shutdown (LS2) until the end of 2019. Each detector power-supply control system runs several hundred software instances consisting of many different components in parallel on a large scale, broadly distinguishable as servers and clients. Our accumulated experience during LHC runs proves that some complex control issues are impossible to detect using stand-alone components on a small scale only. Furthermore, new components must be developed well before the electron-ics becomes available, without impact on operations. Moreover, during LS2, the improved and now widely established Open Protocol Communication Unified Ar-chitecture (OPC-UA) replaces OPC-DA as middleware protocol. For these reasons, we developed a simulation environment to emulate the real, and valuable, CAEN power-supply electronics underneath the OPC-UA serv-ers. This distributed simulation is configurable to mimic and exceed the nominal conditions during production and provides a repeatable setup for validation. This paper discusses the functionality and use of this simulation service., Proceedings of the 12th Int. Workshop on Emerging Technologies and Scientific Facilities Controls, PCaPAC2018, Hsinchu, Taiwan

We present a versatile and highly substrate-independent approach for preparing multisandwich layers based on thermally reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) which gets strongly attached by bio-interfactants using a layer-by-layer (LBL) aqueous dipping and rinsing process. The process allows for the deposition of homogeneous ultra-thin films (∼5.5 nm) in distinct surface topographies, thicknesses and compositions by varying the bio-interfactant layer(s). The layers formed on quartz or other semi conductive material are electrically conductive, flexible, and transparent. The here-developed approach could be applied for the fabrication of wearables, sensors, and antistatic transparent films.

Fibrinogen nanofibers hold great potential for applications in wound healing and personalized regenerative medicine due to their ability to mimic the native blood clot architecture. Although versatile strategies exist to induce fibrillogenesis of fibrinogen in vitro, little is known about the underlying mechanisms and the associated length scales. Therefore, in this manuscript the current state of research on fibrinogen fibrillogenesis in vitro is reviewed. For the first time, the manifold factors leading to the assembly of fibrinogen molecules into fibers are categorized considering three main groups: substrate interactions, denaturing and non-denaturing buffer conditions. Based on the meta-analysis in the review it is concluded that the assembly of fibrinogen is driven by several mechanisms across different length scales. In these processes, certain buffer conditions, in particular the presence of salts, play a predominant role during fibrinogen self-assembly compared to the surface chemistry of the substrate material. Yet, to tailor fibrous fibrinogen scaffolds with defined structure-function-relationships for future tissue engineering applications, it still needs to be understood which particular role each of these factors plays during fiber assembly. Therefore, the future combination of experimental and simulation studies is proposed to understand the intermolecular interactions of fibrinogen, which induce the assembly of soluble fibrinogen into solid fibers.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T16:44:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-11-01 A robust procedure for the surface bio-functionalization of carbon surfaces was developed. It consists on the modification of carbon materials in contact with an aqueous suspension of the enzyme laccase from Trametes versicolor and the lyophilization agent maltodextrin, with the pH value adjusted close to the isoelectric point of the enzyme. We report in-situ investigations applying Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation (QCM-D) for carbon-coated sensor surfaces and, moreover, ex-situ measurements with static contact angle measurements, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Force Microscopy (SFM) for smooth Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite (HOPG) substrates, for contact times between the enzyme formulation and the carbon material surface ranging from 20 s to 24 h. QCM-D studies reveals the formation of rigid layer of biomaterial, a few nanometers thin, which shows a strongly improved wettability of the substrate surface upon contact angle measurements. Following spectroscopic characterization, these layers are composed of mixtures of laccase and maltodextrin. The formation of these adsorbates is attributed to attractive interactions between laccase, the maltodextrin-based lyophilization agent and the hydrophobic carbon surfaces; a short-term contact between the aqueous laccase mixture suspension and HOPG surfaces is shown to merely result in de-wetting patterns influencing the results of contact angle measurements. The new enzyme-based surface modification of carbon-based materials is suggested to be applicable for the improvement of not only the wettability of low energy substrate surfaces with fluid formulations like coatings or adhesives, but also their adhesion in contact with hardened polymers. UNESP São Paulo State University Av. Eng. Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Bauru Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, Wiener Strasse 12 Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Perlickstrasse 1 UNESP São Paulo State University Av. Eng. Luiz Edmundo Carrijo Coube, 14-01, Bauru

Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-26T15:29:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-01-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Science Without Borders This work aims to improve the adhesion of a hybrid non-isocyanate polydimethylsiloxane urethane (PDMSUr) coating by producing active layers on titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) and stainless steel (SS316L) applying pulsed Nd:YAG laser and oxygen plasma. The PDMSUr is a hybrid adhesive and, when functionalized with alkoxysilane groups, can bind onto the interfacial hydroxyl groups of a (hydr)oxide/carbonate layer by sol-gel reactions. These reactions are acid catalysed and the silanol groups can bind through Si-O-metal links. The pull-off-strength of such sustainable coatings raised more than 100% for both substrates after the physical treatments, compared with the substrates etched. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) of a freshly pre-treated substrate revealed the formation of thin oxide-based reactive layers on the surface of Ti6Al4V and SS316L after the surface treatments. Both physical procedures were efficient to create oxide layers on top of metallic substrates and contributed to the improvement of adhesion strength of PDMSUr on biomedical grade metals. Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Chem Sao Carlos, BR-13563120 Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil Fraunhofer Inst Mfg Technol & Adv Mat IFAM, D-28359 Bremen, Germany Pontif Catholic Univ Rio Grande do Sul, BR-90619900 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil State Univ Julio de Mesquita Filho, Fac Engn, BR-15385000 Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil State Univ Julio de Mesquita Filho, Fac Engn, BR-15385000 Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil FAPESP: 2011/06019-0 FAPESP: 2013/05279-3 FAPESP: 2011/08120-0 CAPES: 57060300

The increased complexity of multi-channel SAR sensors and the real-time on-board phase/amplitude correction requirement poses new challenges for the calibration, which cannot rely on current calibration techniques. On the other hand, the digital hardware utilized in multi-channel SAR systems, offer entirely new opportunities for the calibration such as on-board error correction and digital calibration. An internal calibration strategy for future digital beamforming SAR instruments is detailed and its performance analyzed using a dedicated calibration simulator.

In this work we consider the term evaluation problem which is, given a term over some algebra and a valid input to the term, computing the value of the term on that input. In contrast to previous methods we allow the algebra to be completely general and consider the problem of obtaining an efficient upper bound for this problem. Many variants of the problems where the algebra is well behaved have been studied. For example, the problem over the Boolean semiring or over the semiring (N,+,*). We extend this line of work. Our efficient term evaluation algorithm then serves as a tool for obtaining polylogarithmic depth upper bounds for various well-studied problems. To demonstrate the utility of our result we show new bounds and reprove known results for a large spectrum of problems. In particular, the applications of the algorithm we consider include (but are not restricted to) arithmetic formula evaluation, word problems for tree and visibly pushdown automata, and various problems related to bounded tree-width and clique-width graphs.

The aim of this work was to synthesize a non-isocyanate poly(dimethylsiloxane) hydroxyurethane with biomimetic terminal catechol moieties, as a candidate for inorganic and metallic surface modification. Such surface modifier is capable to strongly attach onto metallic and inorganic substrates forming layers and, in addition, providing water-repellent surfaces. The non-isocyanate route is based on carbon dioxide cycloaddition into bis-epoxide, resulting in a precursor bis(cyclic carbonate)-polydimethylsiloxane (CCPDMS), thus fully replacing isocyanate in the manufacture process. A biomimetic approach was chosen with the molecular composition being inspired by terminal peptides present in adhesive proteins of mussels, like Mefp (Mytilus edulis foot protein), which bear catechol moieties and are strong adhesives even under natural and saline water. The catechol terminal groups were grafted by aminolysis reaction into a polydimethylsiloxane backbone. The product, PDMSUr-Dopamine, presented high affinity towards inhomogeneous alloy surfaces terminated by native oxide layers as demonstrated by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D), as well as stability against desorption by rinsing with ethanol. As revealed by QCM-D, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and computational studies, the thickness and composition of the resulting nanolayers indicated an attachment of PDMSUr-Dopamine molecules to the substrate through both terminal catechol groups, with the adsorbate exposing the hydrophobic PDMS backbone. This hypothesis was investigated by classical molecular dynamic simulation (MD) of pure PDMSUr-Dopamine molecules on SiO2 surfaces. The computationally obtained PDMSUr-Dopamine assembly is in agreement with the conclusions from the experiments regarding the conformation of PDMSUr-Dopamine towards the surface. The tendency of the terminal catechol groups to approach the surface is in agreement with proposed model for the attachment PDMSUr-Dopamine. Remarkably, the versatile PDMSUr-Dopamine modifier facilitates such functionalization for various substrates such as titanium alloy, steel and ceramic surfaces.

Although ordinary employees are typically regarded as an important stakeholder group for enhancing corporate sustainability, they are seldom seriously addressed in business or research practice. To learn from the practical experience of what takes place at workplaces, we analysed four transdisciplinary research projects all aimed at initiating, accompanying and analysing processes of sustainability transformation within companies, but which focused on different sectors and organisational contexts. Based on the assumption that ordinary employees can hold three different roles in processes of sustainability transformations (implementers, ambassadors and recipients of corporate sustainability practices), we compared the findings from practices of employee involvement within the four projects. Based on these findings, we examined the implications for companies and highlighted future research needs.

Diese Masterarbeit erörtert, warum das Target Set Selection Problem (TSSP) für Forschungsfelder, die an Bedeutung zunehmen, von großer Wichtigkeit ist. Der Einfluss von Eigenschaften von Graphen auf die Komplexität der Lösung des TSSP wird gezeigt. Für den Fall von Graphen mit beliebigen Kantengewichten wird eine neue Formulierung der ganzzahligen linearen Optimierung eingeführt und gezeigt, wo die Tücken beim Finden eines Target Sets im Falle von Graphen mit beliebigen Kantengewichten sind. Für Instanzen mit unterschiedlichen strukturellen Eigenschaften, sowie für reale Datensätze, wurden Lösungen des TSSP gefunden und analysiert. Eine Erkennt- nis ist, dass eine hohe Dichte des Graphen, mehr noch als die Anzahl der Knoten, zu einer hohen Rechenzeit zur Ermittlung der Lösung des TSSP führt., This master’s thesis reasons why the Target Set Selection Problem (TSSP) is of high relevance to research topics of gaining importance. The impact of graph properties on the complexity of solving the TSSP is shown. For the case of graphs with arbitrary edge weights, a novel integer linear programming formulation is established, and it is shown where the pitfalls of finding target sets in graphs with arbitrary edge weights are. For instances with different structural features, as well as for real-world data, solutions have been found and analyzed. One of the findings is, that even more than the number of nodes, a high graph density leads to a great increase in calculation time for determining the solution of the TSSP.

A new “adsorption-cross-linking” technology is presented to generate a highly dense polymer brush coating on various nonpolar substrates, including the most inert and low-energy surfaces of poly(dimethylsiloxane) and poly(tetrafluoroethylene). This prospective surface modification strategy is based on a tailored bifunctional amphiphilic block copolymer with benzophenone units as the hydrophobic anchor/chemical cross-linker and terminal azide groups for in situ postmodification. The resulting polymer brushes exhibited long-term and ultralow protein adsorption and cell adhesion benefiting from the high density and high hydration ability of polyglycerol blocks. The presented antifouling brushes provided a highly stable and robust bioinert background for biospecific adsorption of desired proteins and bacteria after secondary modification with bioactive ligands, e.g., mannose for selective ConA and Escherichia coli binding.

This work describes the fabrication and evaluation of a transparent hydrogel based spray coating to reduce marine biofouling on glass surfaces. A glycerol based copolymer was synthesized and covalently immobilized by applying a simple spray coating procedure. To test its nonfouling behavior, modified glass surfaces were exposed to different marine fouling species including bacteria, green algae, and blue mussels. For all tested species the coating could considerably reduce the settlement as compared to pristine glass surfaces. The settlement of blue mussels on coated surfaces was additionally compared to polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) substrates. The glycerol based copolymer showed an even better resistance against blue mussel adhesion than PTFE. Furthermore, the nonfouling performance of the coating was tested via fibrinogen adsorption after aging coated silica slides under marine conditions. The major aim of this study is to provide an easy synthesis and application procedure for a polyglycerol based nonfouling coating and the evaluation of its nonfouling properties in marine environments.

In order to ensure the performance of adhesively joined load-critical composite structures, suitable technologies are needed to steadily monitor adherent surfaces prior to bonding and to detect adhesion properties of bonded components. A novel class of non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques, classified as extended non-destructive testing (ENDT), is required to ascertain selected physicochemical properties which are important for the performance of adhesive bonds in place of detecting material defects like conventional NDT methods do. The European FP7 project, 'ENCOMB - Extended non-destructive testing of composite bonds' aims in the identification, development, adaptation and validation of ENDT methods for characterisation of adherent surfaces and adhesive bond quality. Here, recent NDT techniques such as optically stimulated electron emission (OSEE) and aerosol wetting test (AWT) as well as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) were advanced and applied in field, and without contacting carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) surfaces for detecting different contamination layers such as release agent, moisture or hydraulic oil as well as thermal degradation of CFRP adherent surfaces before performing an adhesive bonding process. Sensitivity and accuracy of these techniques allow distinguishing surface states which are suitable for bonding of CFRP adherents from surface states which are unfavourable for bonding. ENDT using OSEE, AWT and LIBS facilitated the detection of layers of release agent as thin as one nanometre and thin layers resulting from hydraulic oil. OSEE investigations of adherent surfaces before adhesive bonding allowed the indication of all surface states of potential CFRP adherents, which according to previous studies, were related to application scenarios reducing the joint strength of resulting adhesive joints by 20-70%.

We explored the potentials of both non-imaging laboratory and airborne imaging spectroscopy to assess arable soil quality indicators. We focused on microbial biomass-C (MBC) and hot water-extractable C (HWEC), complemented by organic carbon (OC) and nitrogen (N) as well-studied spectrally active parameters. The aggregation of different spectral variable selection strategies was used to analyze benefits for reachable estimation accuracies and to explore spectral predictive mechanisms for MBC and HWEC. With selected variables, quantification accuracies improved markedly for MBC (laboratory: RPD = 2.32 instead of 1.33 with full spectra; airborne: 2.35 instead of 1.80) and OC (laboratory: RPD = 3.08 instead of 2.36; airborne: 2.20 instead of 1.94). Patterns of selected variables indicated similarities between HWEC and OC, but significant differences between all other soil variables. This agreed to our results of indirect approaches in which both (i) wet-chemical data of OC and N and (ii) spectra fitted to measured OC and N values were used to estimate MBC and HWEC. Compared to these approaches, we found marked benefits of laboratory and airborne data for a direct spectral quantification of MBC (but not for HWEC). This suggests specificity of spectra for MBC, usable for the determination of this important soil parameter.

Quality assured surface pre-treatment may greatly enhance adhesive interactions and, thus, the performance and durability of material joints. This holds true as well for substrates used in coating processes as for adherents introduced into bonding processes. Wettable polymeric wetting agents—shortly called polymeric interfactants—contribute to modifying surfaces and governing the properties of interphases. This is demonstrated for amphiphilic polymers directing the adsorption of graphene oxide (GO) nano-sheets from aqueous dispersion on alumina surfaces. In this contribution, contact angle measurements as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning force microscopy investigations are applied for the characterization of thin films. GO is adsorbed either from a buffered dispersion on pristine aluminum oxide surfaces or on alumina modified with a few nanometers thin layer of a polymeric interfactant. Laterally extended nanoparticles and GO nano-sheets are preferentially found on interfactant layers whereas on pristine aluminum oxide smaller adsorbates dominate. The driving forces directing the GO attachment are discussed using a phenomenological model based on polymer/substrate interactions governing the sticking probabilities of GO nano-sheets with different sizes.

Despite the increasing need for universal polymer coating strategies, only a few approaches have been successfully developed, and most of them are suffering from color, high thickness, or high roughness. In this paper, we present for the first time a universal monolayer coating that is only a few nanometers thick and independent of the composition, size, shape, and structure of the substrate. The coating is based on a bioinspired synthetic amphiphilic block copolymer that combines two concepts from blood protein adsorption and mussel adhesion. This polymer can be rapidly tethered on various substrates including both planar surfaces and nanosystems with high grafting density. The resulting monolayer coatings are, on the one hand, inert to the adsorption of multiple polymer layers and prevent biofouling. On the other hand, they are chemically active for secondary functionalization and provide a new platform for selective material surface modification.

This paper reviews multichannel SAR instrument architectures, modes and processing techniques for the imaging of ultra-wide swaths with high azimuth resolution. The review includes both direct radiating arrays and reflector-based system architectures that are operated in either a single-transmit multiple-receive (SIMO) or in a multiple-transmit multiple-receive (MIMO) mode. The work has been conducted by DLR under the ESA contract -Advanced Processing Techniques for Next Generation Multichannel SARs- with the main objective to identify suitable SAR modes, processing techniques and system architectures for the definition and design of a next generation L-band SAR with unprecedented imaging capabilities. The goal is to map an ultra-wide swath of 400 km with 5 m azimuth resolution and to achieve, at the same time, an excellent imaging quality where both the noise equivalent sigma zero (NESZ) and the distributed ambiguity ratio (DTAR) are better than 25 dB. Towards this end, a large number of different SIMO and MIMO system candidates have been identified and assessed in view of achieving the demanding performance goals.

A new ""adsorption-cross-linking"" technology is presented to generate a highly dense polymer brush coating on various nonpolar substrates, including the most inert and low-energy surfaces of poly(dimethyl siloxane)and poly(tetrafluoroethylene). This prospective surface modification strategy is based on a tailored bifunctional amphiphilic block copolymer with benzophenone units as the hydrophobic anchor/chemical cross-linker and terminal azide groups for in situ postmodification. The resulting polymer brushes exhibited long-term and ultralow protein adsorption and cell adhesion benefiting from the high density and high hydration ability of polyglycerol blocks. The presented antifouling brushes provided a highly stable and robust bioinert background for biospecific adsorption of desired proteins and bacteria after secondary modification with bioactive ligands, e.g., mannose for selective ConA and Escherichia coli binding.

A set of new catecholic monolayer coatings was developed to improve the antifouling performance of TiO2 surfaces. To solve the problem of the weak charge-transfer interaction between a single catechol anchor and TiO2, multiple catechol groups were combined with hyperbranched polyglycerol (hPG) which is a distinct dendritic scaffold that exposes its multivalent anchor groups on the surface. Thus, multivalent catecholic hPGs can be easily prepared for surface modification. The immobilization of the compounds was monitored by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring. Surface properties of the coatings were analyzed by water contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The antifouling ability and stability were investigated by protein adsorption and cell adhesion. By increasing the number of catechol groups on the hPG scaffold, the stability and surface coverage could be significantly enhanced. Moreover, the inner-layer crosslinking of the coatings by grafting and initiating vinyl groups clearly improved their long-term stability. As a result, hPG with a catecholic functional degree of 10% (hPG-Cat10) and hPG with both catecholic and vinylic functional degree of 5% (hPG-Cat5-V5) were identified as the best catecholic hPGs to prepare bioinert and stable monolayer coatings on TiO2.

In this work, we combine nature's amazing bioadhesive catechol with the excellent bioinert synthetic macromolecule hyperbranched polyglycerol (hPG) to prepare antifouling surfaces. hPG can be functionalized by different amounts of catechol groups for multivalent anchoring and cross-linking because of its highly branched architecture. The catecholic hPGs can be immobilized on various surfaces including metal oxides, noble metals, ceramics, and polymers via simple incubation procedures. The effect of the catechol amount on the immobilization, surface morphology, stability, and antifouling performance of the coatings was studied. Both anchoring and cross-linking interactions provided by catechols can enhance the stability of the coatings. When the catechol groups on the hPG are underrepresented, the tethering of the coating is not effective; while an overrepresentation of catechol groups leads to protein adsorption and cell adhesion. Thus, only a well-balanced amount of catechols as optimized and described in this work can supply the coatings with both good stability and antifouling ability.

Liddle syndrome (LS) is a familial disease characterized by early onset hypertension (HT). Although regarded as rare, its incidence may be greater than expected because the classical findings of hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis with suppressed renin and aldosterone levels are not consistently present. Herein, we present the case of an adolescent boy and maternal relatives who were followed up with misdiagnosis of essential HT for a long duration. Clinical diagnosis of LS was confirmed on genetic analysis. Despite carrying the same mutation, the index patient and the family members manifested heterogeneous phenotypes of the disease including age at presentation, degree of HT, presence of hypokalemia and renal/cardiac complications. LS should be considered in the differential diagnosis of HT in children with a strong family history of HT resistant to conventional treatment; and genetic screening should be performed in these circumstances.