Hybrid antenna design for an optically powered SHF RFID transponder applicable in metals

This paper presents a hybrid antenna design for an optically powered super high frequency (SHF) radio frequency identification transponder applicable for the integration into metal. The key feature of the antenna is its ability to receive microwave signals at SHF for data communication and optical signals for the power supply of the transponder. The antenna design is based on a circular waveguide which is filled with a bundle of polymer optical fibers to guide light to the photodiodes. In addition, a transition is placed within the circular waveguide to transfer the waveguide mode of the SHF signal into a microstrip mode which is a more suitable structure for the integration of electronic transponder components. This paper discusses the constraints and solutions for the aforementioned combination of SHF microwave and light. The figures of merit of the optical power supply are presented, including considerations of the light distribution and the obtained power as a function of the incident angle and the used polymer optical fiber diameter. Furthermore, the measured gain and return loss of the SHF antenna structure is compared to the simulated results. © Cambridge University Press and the European Microwave Association, 2013

Reconstruction of the pelvic ring using an autologous free non-vascularized fibula graft in a patient with benign fibrous histiocytoma

BACKGROUND: Benign fibrous histiocytomas (BFH) usually presents as a small benign lesion that predominantly occurs in the skin. Only few cases of BFH arising from bone have been reported, its occurrence in pelvic bones is even rarer. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old female presented with BFH at a rare anatomical location on both sides of the os ilium which was larger than earlier reported BFH of the bone. Surgical resection was performed successfully including resection of the inner pelvic ring and reconstruction of the linea terminalis using a non-vascularized fibular autograft. At 18 months after tumor resection and reconstruction of the pelvic ring, with interposition of a free vascularized fibula graft patient has an excellent clinical oncological and functional outcome. CONCLUSION: Non vascularized fibular autograft is a useful reconstructive procedure in select patients

Humboldt Forum Berlin | Stadt.Raum.Monumente | Strategieplan 2020

Mit der bevorstehenden Fertigstellung des Humboldtforums stellt sich die Frage nach der stadträumlichen Entwicklung des Umfeldes in Richtung Lustgarten, Schlossplatz und Breite Straße. Aber auch die aktuell diskutierte Gestaltung der Schlossfreiheit mit den ehemaligen Kolonnaden des Nationaldenkmals steht im Focus der Betrachtung. Der hier vorgelegte Plan geht von der These aus, dass der Stadtraum jener Monumente wieder bedarf, die ihn die letzten 300 Jahre über architektonisch geprägt und ikonographisch aufgeladen haben. Zusätzlich wird auf nicht realisierte Projekte verwiesen: nicht mit dem Ziel einer exakten nachträglichen Realisierung, sondern im Sinne einer analogen Intervention, die städtebauliche Schwerpunkte formuliert und Möglichkeiten aufzeigt, also im Sinne einer Aktivierung der Ideengeschichte der Mitte von Berlin. Nicht zuletzt soll der vom Durchgangsverkehr zerteilte Platzraum zwischen dem ehemaligen Staatsratsgebäude und Schinkels Altem Museum durch Umlenkung des Individualverkehrs und durch Stärkung der Randbebauung wieder zu einem zusammenhängenden Bereich werden, dessen Textur im Zusammenspiel mit den verschiedenen Monumenten das Schloss innerhalb der Stadt neu verortet. In Schinkelscher Logik sind hier die meisten Gebäude und Monumente typologisch wie stylistisch Solitäre, die ohne jede formale Anpassung an den Kontext in einem „Bezugsystem“ mit den Stadträumen stehen: eine Fernkoordinierung zwischen unterschiedlichen und einzigartigen Raumstrukturen. Die freistehenden Baukörper wirken nicht mehr allein in der Frontalansicht, die die Fassaden bildhaftflach erscheinen lässt und nur einen einzigen Standpunkt im Raum festhält: zur vollen räumlichen Wirkung gelangen sie vielmehr durch eine kinematographische Betrachtungsweise, die dem Betrachter eine Vielzahl von Blickstandpunkten ermöglicht. Genau das ist das Ziel dieses Strategieplans: ein Bezugssystem von Architekturen, Räumen, Sichtachsen und Monumenten zu schaffen, eine urbane Ensemblebildung von so nie da gewesener architektonisch-stadträumlicher Qualität und Schönheit

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a semi-finished occlusal appliance – a randomized, controlled clinical trial

INTRODUCTION: Painful temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are usually treated with physiotherapy, self-exercises, medication-based therapy and splint therapy. For splint therapy different types of splints are available. Therefore this randomized controlled study compared the effectiveness of a semi-finished occlusal appliance (SB) with a laboratory-made occlusal appliance (SS) in myofascial pain patients. METHOD: The trial subjects allocated to the experimental groups with the (SB) occlusal appliance and those provided with a laboratory-made occlusal appliance (SS) did, in addition, receive conservative treatment (self-exercises, drug-based and manual therapy). The control group was given conservative therapy (CO) only. Overall, a total of 63 patients participated in the study with each group consisting of 21 subjects. RESULTS: When the first follow-up examination took place (14 days after splint insertion) mouth opening within the SB group was significantly enlarged. When the second examination was conducted (2.5 months after splint insertion) mouth opening was significantly enlarged in both splint groups when compared with the initial value. In the control group, no significant enlargement of mouth opening was detected. At no point there was a significant reduction in the number of pressure-sensitive areas of the TMJ. On palpation of the masticatory muscles however, a significant reduction in the number of pressure-sensitive areas could be observed within the CO group and the SS group after 2.5 months. When comparing pain reduction (muscle/joint pain) and mouth opening, no significant differences could be detected between the treatments. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that TMD should be treated conservatively. In cases of restricted mouth opening, the additional use of occlusal appliances can eliminate the patient’s discomfort more quickly. In this context, the tested, semi-finished occlusal appliance appears to offer an immediately available, temporary alternative to laboratory-made splints

Genome Sequences of Both Organelles of the Grapevine Rootstock Cultivar ‘Börner’

Frommer B, Holtgräwe D, Hausmann L, et al. Genome Sequences of Both Organelles of the Grapevine Rootstock Cultivar ‘Börner’. Microbiology Resource Announcements. 2020;9(15): e01471-19.Genomic long reads of the interspecific grapevine rootstock cultivar ‘Börner’ (Vitis riparia GM183 × Vitis cinerea Arnold) were used to assemble its chloroplast and mitochondrion genome sequences. We annotated 133 chloroplast and 172 mitochondrial genes, including the RNA editing sites. The organelle genomes in ‘Börner’ were maternally inherited from Vitis riparia

QTL analysis of flowering time and ripening traits suggests an impact of a genomic region on linkage group 1 in Vitis.

Fechter I, Hausmann L, Zyprian E, et al. QTL analysis of flowering time and ripening traits suggests an impact of a genomic region on linkage group 1 in Vitis. Theoretical and Applied Genetics. 2014;127(9):1857-1872.In the recent past, genetic analyses of grapevine focused mainly on the identification of resistance loci for major diseases such as powdery and downy mildew. Currently, breeding programs make intensive use of these results by applying molecular markers linked to the resistance traits. However, modern genetics also allows to address additional agronomic traits that have considerable impact on the selection of grapevine cultivars. In this study, we have used linkage mapping for the identification and characterization of flowering time and ripening traits in a mapping population from a cross of V3125 ('Schiava Grossa' × 'Riesling') and the interspecific rootstock cultivar 'Börner' (Vitis riparia × Vitis cinerea). Comparison of the flowering time QTL mapping with data derived from a second independent segregating population identified several common QTLs. Especially a large region on linkage group 1 proved to be of special interest given the genetic divergence of the parents of the two populations. The proximity of the QTL region contains two CONSTANS-like genes. In accordance with data from other plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, we hypothesize that these genes are major contributors to control the time of flowering in Vitis

A Partially Phase-Separated Genome Sequence Assembly of the Vitis Rootstock ‘Börner’ (Vitis riparia × Vitis cinerea) and Its Exploitation for Marker Development and Targeted Mapping

Holtgräwe D, Rosleff Soerensen T, Hausmann L, et al. A Partially Phase-Separated Genome Sequence Assembly of the Vitis Rootstock ‘Börner’ (Vitis riparia × Vitis cinerea) and Its Exploitation for Marker Development and Targeted Mapping. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2020;11: 156.Grapevine breeding has become highly relevant due to upcoming challenges like climate change, a decrease in the number of available fungicides, increasing public concern about plant protection, and the demand for a sustainable production. Downy mildew caused by Plasmopara viticola is one of the most devastating diseases worldwide of cultivated Vitis vinifera. In modern breeding programs, therefore, genetic marker technologies and genomic data are used to develop new cultivars with defined and stacked resistance loci. Potential sources of resistance are wild species of American or Asian origin. The interspecific hybrid of Vitis riparia Gm 183 x Vitis cinerea Arnold, available as the rootstock cultivar ‘Börner,’ carries several relevant resistance loci. We applied next-generation sequencing to enable the reliable identification of simple sequence repeats (SSR), and we also generated a draft genome sequence assembly of ‘Börner’ to access genome-wide sequence variations in a comprehensive and highly reliable way. These data were used to cover the ‘Börner’ genome with genetic marker positions. A subset of these marker positions was used for targeted mapping of the P. viticola resistance locus, Rpv14, to validate the marker position list. Based on the reference genome sequence PN40024, the position of this resistance locus can be narrowed down to less than 0.5 Mbp on chromosome 5

Effect of statin therapy on serum activity of proteinases and cytokines in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm

Bernd Muehling1, Alexander Oberhuber1, Hubert Schelzig1, Gisela Bischoff1, Nikolaus Marx2, Ludger Sunder-Plassmann1, Karl H Orend11Department of Thoracic and Vascular surgery; 2Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulm, Ulm, GermanyBackground and aims: Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are considered to be key enzymes in the pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), with elevated levels in diseased aorta and in patient sera. Statins seem to exert an inhibitory effect on MMP activity in the aortic wall. No data exist on the effect of statins on serum activity of MMPs and inflammatory cytokines (interleukins, IL).Methods: The serum activities of MMP2 and MMP9, osteoprotegerin (OPG), and IL6 and IL10 in 63 patients undergoing elective infrarenal aneurysm repair were measured on the day before surgery. Levels were correlated to statin therapy and aneurysm diameter.Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in the activity of circulating levels of MMP2/9, OPG, and IL6/10 in patients with infrarenal aortic aneurysm. IL6 levels in patients with AAA larger than 6 cm were significantly elevated; differences in serum activities of MMP2/9, OPG, and IL10 were not related to AAA diameter.Conclusion: Serum activities of MMP2/9, OPG, and IL6/10 are not correlated to statin therapy; IL6 levels are higher in patients with large aneurysms. Hence the effect of statin therapy in the treatment of aneurismal disease remains to be elucidated.Keywords: biomarkers, aneurismal disease, statin therap