Lossy Image Compression in a Preclinical Multimodal Imaging Study.

The growing use of multimodal high-resolution volumetric data in pre-clinical studies leads to challenges related to the management and handling of the large amount of these datasets. Contrarily to the clinical context, currently there are no standard guidelines to regulate the use of image compression in pre-clinical contexts as a potential alleviation of this problem. In this work, the authors study the application of lossy image coding to compress high-resolution volumetric biomedical data.

Critical parameters for highly efficient and reproducible polyelectrolyte multilayer coatings for protein separation by capillary electrophoresis.

Since the introduction of polyelectrolyte multilayers to protein separation in capillary electrophoresis (CE), some progress has been made to improve separation efficiency by varying different parameters, such as buffer ionic strength and pH, polyelectrolyte nature and number of deposited layers. However, CE is often overlooked as it lacks robustness compared to other separation techniques. In this work, critical parameters for the construction of efficient and reproducible Successive multiple ionic-polymer layers (SMIL) coatings were investigated, focusing on experimental conditions, such as vial preparation and sample conservation which were shown to have a significant impact on separation performances.

A novel system for glycosylation engineering by natural and artificial miRNAs.

N-linked glycosylation is a crucial post-translational modification of many biopharmaceuticals, including monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), capable of modifying their biological effect in patients and thus considered as a critical quality attribute (CQA). However, expression of desired and consistent glycosylation patterns remains a constant challenge for the biopharmaceutical industry and constitutes the need for tools to engineer glycosylation. Small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) are known regulators of entire gene networks and have therefore the potential of being used as tools for modulation of glycosylation pathways and for glycoengineering.

Process-Structure Coupled Simulation of Additive Manufactured Components.

In this work, the influence of extrusion infill angles on the mechanical properties of 3D printed (Fused Filament Fabrication, FFF) test specimens are investigated, considering the real geometry of the components. Therefore, various polylactide (PLA) specimens with different infill angles are manufactured, scanned by Computed Tomography (CT) and further investigated by mechanical testing using an optical measuring system. This allows the directional dependence and the elastoplastic behavior of the material to be demonstrated.

Clinical validation and assessment of feasibility of volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) for monitoring of nilotinib, cabozantinib, dabrafenib, trametinib, and ruxolitinib.

Volumetric absorptive microsampling (VAMS) has emerged as a minimally invasive alternative to conventional sampling. However, the applicability of VAMS must be investigated clinically. Therefore, the feasibility of at-home sampling was investigated for the kinase inhibitors nilotinib, cabozantinib, dabrafenib, trametinib and ruxolitinib and evaluated regarding the acceptance of at-home microsampling, sample quality of at-home VAMS and incurred sample stability.

Two-Dimensional Capillary Zone Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry: Intact mAb Charge Variant Separation Followed by Peptide Level Analysis Using In-Capillary Digestion.

Characterization of charge heterogeneity is an essential pillar for pharmaceutical development and quality control of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The highly selective and commonly applied capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) method containing high amounts of ε-aminocaproic acid (EACA) provides a detailed and robust charge heterogeneity profile of intact mAb variants. Nevertheless, the exact location of protein modifications within these charge profiles remains ambiguous.

Psychological stress and strain in laboratory animal professionals - a systematic review.

Laboratory animal professionals (LAP) are faced with various situations and tasks influencing their mental well-being. A systematic review has been conducted to investigate whether there are specific stressors for LAP and which moderators are relevant for the development of psychological strain. A comprehensive search following PRISMA Guidelines was carried out in June 2021.

A Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Model of Ruxolitinib and Posaconazole to Predict CYP3A4-Mediated Drug-Drug Interaction Frequently Observed in Graft versus Host Disease Patients.

Ruxolitinib (RUX) is approved for the treatment of steroid-refractory acute and chronic graft versus host disease (GvHD). It is predominantly metabolized via cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4. As patients with GvHD have an increased risk of invasive fungal infections, RUX is frequently combined with posaconazole (POS), a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor.

Additive Manufacturing of CrFeNiTi Multi-Principal Element Alloys.

High entropy alloys (HEAs) and their closely related variants, called multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs), are the topic of a rather new area of research, and so far, the gathered knowledge is incomplete. This is especially true when it comes to material libraries, as the fabrication of HEA and MPEA samples with a wide variation in chemical compositions is challenging in itself. Additive manufacturing technologies are, to date, seen as possibly the best option to quickly fabricate HEA and MPEA samples, offering both the melting metallurgical and solid-state sintering approach.

The transformation of global value chains in the age of Covid-19 and Digitization.

Almost everyone on the globe had to adjust to new conditions as a result of Covid-19 in conjunction with digitization. Contact and entry limitations damaged global business, trade and social connections. In addition, there is an increasing impact of digitization in supply chain.

Fostering study crafting to increase engagement and reduce exhaustion among higher education students: A randomized controlled trial of the STUDYCoach online intervention.

The study demands-resources framework states that study demands increase exhaustion and study resources increase engagement. Study crafting describes a student's proactive adaption to demands and resources. To date, no intervention in the higher education context has aimed to foster study crafting.

Characterization of therapeutic mAb charge heterogeneity by iCIEF coupled to mass spectrometry (iCIEF-MS).

Imaged capillary isoelectric focusing (iCIEF) has emerged as an important technique for therapeutic monoclonal antibody (mAb) charge heterogeneity analysis in the biopharmaceutical context, providing imaged detection and quantitation by UV without a mobilization step. Besides quantitation, the characterization of separated charge variants ideally directly by online electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) is crucial to ensure product quality, safety, and efficacy. Straightforward direct iCIEF-MS coupling combining high separation efficiency and quantitative results of iCIEF with the characterization power of MS enables deep characterization of mAb charge variants.

Concepts and recent advances in microchip electrophoresis coupled to mass spectrometry: Technologies and applications.

The online coupling of microchip electrophoresis (ME) as a fast, highly efficient, and low-cost miniaturized separation technique to mass spectrometry (MS) as an information-rich and sensitive characterization technique results in ME-MS an attractive tool for various applications. In this paper, we review the basic concepts and latest advances in technology for ME coupled to MS during the period of 2016-2021, covering microchip materials, structures, fabrication techniques, and interfacing to electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-MS. Two critical issues in coupling ME and ESI-MS include the electrical connection used to define the electrophoretic field strength along the separation channel and the generation of the electrospray for MS detection, as well as, a miniaturized ESI-tip.

Successive Multiple Ionic-Polymer Layer Coatings for Intact Protein Analysis by Capillary Zone Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry: Application to Hemoglobin Analysis.

Adsorption of analytes, e.g., proteins, often interfere with separation in CE, due to the relatively large surface of the narrow capillary.

Antibiotic profiling of wild-type bacilli led to the discovery of new lanthipeptide subtilin-producing Bacillus spizizenii strains whose 16S rDNA sequences differ from the B. spizizenii typing strain.

Two dozen field-collected Bacillus and a dozen Bacillus spizizenii wild-type strains from strain collections were selected on the basis of their antagonistic properties against the Gram-positive strain Micrococcus luteus. Based on their genetic and antibiotic profiles, they were characterized (subtilin encoding spaS gene sequences, mass spectrometric, and quantitative-reversed phase liquid chromatographic analyses, as well as the presence of the lanthionine cyclase protein SpaC by western blotting), seven novel producers of the lanthipeptide subtilin. Phylogenetic analyses of the subtilin-producing wild-type strains based on their 16S rRNA sequences showed that all seven strains could be classified as B.

Impact of Doxorubicin on Cell-Substrate Topology.

Variable-Angle Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy (VA-TIRFM) is applied in view of early detection of cellular responses to the cytostatic drug doxorubicin. Therefore, we determined cell-substrate topology of cultivated CHO cells transfected with a membrane-associated Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) in the nanometer range prior to and subsequent to the application of doxorubicin. Cell-substrate distances increased up to a factor of 2 after 24 h of application.

Framework for Armature-Based 3D Shape Reconstruction of Sensorized Soft Robots in eXtended Reality.

Soft robots are typically intended to operate in highly unpredictable and unstructured environments. Although their soft bodies help them to passively conform to their environment, the execution of specific tasks within such environments often requires the help of an operator that supervises the interaction between the robot and its environment and adjusts the actuation inputs in order to successfully execute the task. However, direct observation of the soft robot is often impeded by the environment in which it operates.

Lasers in Live Cell Microscopy.

Due to their unique properties-coherent radiation, diffraction limited focusing, low spectral bandwidth and in many cases short light pulses-lasers play an increasing role in live cell microscopy. Lasers are indispensable tools in 3D microscopy, e.g.

Ferromagnetism and Superconductivity in CaRuO/YBaCuO Heterostructures.

The deposition of a ferromagnetic layer can affect the properties of high-temperature superconductors underneath. We investigated the influence of ferromagnetic CaRuO on the properties of YBaCuO (YBCO) superconducting thin films when the layers are either in direct contact or separated by a barrier layer of 5 nm SrTiO. Detailed measurements of the magnetic moment of the superconductor and ferromagnet as a function of temperature and magnetic field have been performed using SQUID magnetometry.

Impact of 3D Printing Technique and TPE Material on the Endurance of Pneumatic Linear Peristaltic Actuators.

In this paper, additive manufacturing was used in order to produce hose prototypes for peristaltic linear pneumatic actuators. In order to optimise the endurance of the actuator, we 3D printed different thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers with different shore hardness levels using ARBURG Plastic Freeforming technology. Furthermore, effects of the hose geometries on the lifetime of the actuator were investigated.

High-throughput glycosylation analysis of intact monoclonal antibodies by mass spectrometry coupled with capillary electrophoresis and liquid chromatography.

The analysis of monoclonal antibodies glycosylation is a crucial quality control attribute of biopharmaceutical drugs. High throughput screening approaches for antibody glycoform analysis are required in various stages of process optimization. Here, we present high throughput screening suitable mass spectrometry-based workflows for the analysis of intact antibody glycosylation out of cell supernatants.

Vat Photopolymerization of Cemented Carbide Specimen.

Numerous studies show that vat photopolymerization enables near-net-shape printing of ceramics and plastics with complex geometries. In this study, vat photopolymerization was investigated for cemented carbide specimens. Custom-developed photosensitive WC-12 Co (wt%) slurries were used for printing green bodies.

Dissociation between red and white stimulus perception: A perimetric quantification of protanopic color vision deficiencies.

Significance: Horizontal visual field extension was assessed for red and white stimuli in subjects with protanopia using semi-automated kinetic perimetry. In contrast to a conventional anomaloscope, the "red/white dissociation ratio" (RWR) allows to describe protanopia numerically. For the majority of subjects with protanopia a restriction for faint red stimuli was found.

Characterisation of a new online nanoLC-CZE-MS platform and application for the glycosylation profiling of alpha-1-acid glycoprotein.

The ever-increasing complexity of biological samples to be analysed by mass spectrometry has led to the necessity of sophisticated separation techniques, including multidimensional separation. Despite a high degree of orthogonality, the coupling of liquid chromatography (LC) and capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) has not gained notable attention in research. Here, we present a heart-cut nanoLC-CZE-ESI-MS platform to analyse intact proteins.

Estimation of electrochemical cell potentials and reaction energies using Fermi energies.

This paper suggests that cell voltage and reaction energy can be estimated using the difference between the Fermi energies of the products and reactants. DFT calculations for important Li-ion cathode case studies show that the Fermi approach is adequate. The GGA method makes better approximations than the GGA+ and internal energy approaches.