High-precision 3D object capturing with static and kinematic terrestrial laser scanning in industrial applications-approaches of quality assessment

Abstract Terrestrial laser scanning is used in many disciplines of engineering. Examples include mobile mapping, architecture surveying, archaeology, as well as monitoring and surveillance measurements. For most of the mentioned applications, 3D object capturing in an accuracy range of several millimeters up to a few centimeters is sufficient. However, in engineering geodesy, particularly in industrial surveying or monitoring measurements, accuracies in a range of a few millimeters are required. Additional increased quality requirements apply to these applications. This paper focuses on the quality investigation of data captured with static and kinematic terrestrial laser scanning. For this purpose, suitable sensors, which are typically used in the approach of a multi-sensor-system, as well as the corresponding data capturing/acquisition strategies, are presented. The aim of such systems is a geometry- and surface-based analysis in an industrial environment with an accuracy of +/- 1-2 mm or better

Biochemical and molecular characterisation of Tetrahymena thermophila extracellular cysteine proteases

BACKGROUND: Over the last decades molecular biologic techniques have been developed to alter the genome and proteome of Tetrahymena thermophila thereby providing the basis for recombinant protein expression including functional human enzymes. The biotechnological potential of Tetrahymena has been proved in numerous publications, demonstrating fast growth, high biomass, fermentation in ordinary bacterial/yeast equipment, up-scalability, existence of cheap and chemical defined media. For these reasons Tetrahymena offers promising opportunities for the development of a high expression system. Yet optimised high yield strains with protease deficiency such as commonly used in yeast and bacterial systems are not available. RESULTS: This work presents the molecular identification of predominant proteases secreted into the medium by Tetrahymena thermophila. A one-step purification of the proteolytic enzymes is described. CONCLUSION: The information provided will allow silencing of protease activity by either knock out methods or by Tetrahymena specific antisense-ribosome-techniques. This will facilitate the next step in the advancement of this exciting organism for recombinant protein production

Precipitation Over Southern Africa: Moisture Sources and Isotopic Composition

Southern Africa, with its vast arid to semiarid areas, is considered vulnerable to precipitation changes and amplifying weather extremes. However, during the last 100 ka, huge lakes existed in the currently dry central Kalahari. It has been suggested that these lakes could have existed due to altered atmospheric circulation pattern, leading to an increase in precipitation or to changes in the annual precipitation distribution. Past climate changes are recorded in paleo-archives, yet, for a proper interpretation of paleo-records, for example, from sedimentological archives or fossils, it is essential to put them in a context with recent observations. This study’s objective is, therefore, to analyze spatially differing annual precipitation distributions at multiple locations in southern Africa with respect to their stable water isotope composition, moisture transport pathways, and sources. Five different precipitation distributions are identified by end-member modeling and respective rainfall zones are inferred, which differ significantly in their isotopic compositions. By calculating backward trajectories, different moisture source regions are identified for the rainfall zones and linked to typical circulation patterns. Our results furthermore show the importance of the seasonality, the amount effect, and the traveled distance of the moisture for the general isotopic composition over the entire southern Africa. The identified pattern and relationships can be useful in the evaluation of isotope-enabled climate models for the region and are potentially of major importance for the interpretation of stable water isotope composition in paleo-records in future research

Implementierung eines webbasierten Talsperren-Monitoring-Systems

Die Bauwerksüberwachung gewinnt aus sicherheitstechnischen sowie aus wirtschaftlichen Gründen zunehmend an Bedeutung. Nicht nur die Bauwerkssicherheit kann durch leistungsfähige Monitoring-Systeme angemessen beurteilt, auch die Nutzungsdauer bestehender Bauwerke kann durch die gewonnenen Informationen deutlich verlängert werden. Das vorliegende Papier beschreibt die Entwicklung eines webbasierten Talsperren-Monitoring-Systems, das die automatisierte Erfassung von Daten vor Ort sowie die computergestützte Aufbereitung und Analyse der gesammelten Messdaten ermöglicht. Das Monitoring-System ist durch seinen modularen Aufbau nicht auf die Talsperren-Überwachung beschränkt, sondern kann ohne großen Aufwand an andere Überwachungsaufgaben angepasst werden. Das System besteht aus drei wesentlichen Modulen: (i) einer erweiterbaren Klassenbibliothek, die die Steuerung der im Bauwerk installierten Messelektronik ermöglicht, (ii) einem webbasierten Datenerfassungsmodul, das neben der automatischen Datenerfassung eine Fernsteuerung der Messelektronik erlaubt und Funktionen zur Verwaltung der Überwachungsaufgaben bereitstellt, sowie (iii) einem webbasierten Visualisierungs- und Auswertungsmodul zur Aufbereitung und Analyse der gesammelten Daten. Alle an der Überwachung beteiligten Mitarbeiter können mit einem üblichen Web-Browser über das Internet auf das entwickelte System zugreifen; ein Zugriff mittels Mobiltelefon ist alternativ möglich. Das implementierte Talsperren-Monitoring-System begleitet die beteiligten Fachleute von der Erfassung der Daten vor Ort bis hin zur Aufbereitung und Analyse der Messdaten an zentraler Stelle: Die Mitarbeiter werden durch einen einfachen Zugriff auf die installierte Messelektronik, automatisierte Messungen und umfangreiche Analysefunktionalitäten bei ihren spezifischen Aufgaben unterstützt. Der bisherige manuelle Arbeitsaufwand für Datenerfassung, -transfer und Analyse wird somit deutlich reduziert

Riverine impact on future projections of marine primary production and carbon uptake

Riverine transport of nutrients and carbon from inland waters to the coastal and finally the open ocean alters marine primary production (PP) and carbon (C) uptake regionally and globally. So far, this process has not been fully represented and evaluated in the state-of-the-art Earth system models. Here we assess changes in marine PP and C uptake projected under the Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5 climate scenario using the Norwegian Earth system model, with four riverine transport configurations for nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon, and iron), carbon, and total alkalinity: deactivated, fixed at a recent-past level, coupled to simulated freshwater runoff, and following four plausible future scenarios. The inclusion of riverine nutrients and carbon at the 1970 level improves the simulated contemporary spatial distribution of annual mean PP and air–sea CO2 fluxes relative to observations, especially on the continental margins (5.4 % reduction in root mean square error (RMSE) for PP) and in the North Atlantic region (7.4 % reduction in RMSE for C uptake). While the riverine nutrients and C input is kept constant, its impact on projected PP and C uptake is expressed differently in the future period from the historical period. Riverine nutrient inputs lessen nutrient limitation under future warmer conditions as stratification increases and thus lessen the projected decline in PP by up to 0.66 ± 0.02 Pg C yr−1 (29.5 %) globally, when comparing the 1950–1999 with the 2050–2099 period. The riverine impact on projected C uptake depends on the balance between the net effect of riverine-nutrient-induced C uptake and riverine-C-induced CO2 outgassing. In the two idealized riverine configurations the riverine inputs result in a weak net C sink of 0.03–0.04 ± 0.01 Pg C yr−1, while in the more plausible riverine configurations the riverine inputs cause a net C source of 0.11 ± 0.03 Pg C yr−1. It implies that the effect of increased riverine C may be larger than the effect of nutrient inputs in the future on the projections of ocean C uptake, while in the historical period increased nutrient inputs are considered the largest driver. The results are subject to model limitations related to resolution and process representations that potentially cause underestimation of impacts. High-resolution global or regional models with an adequate representation of physical and biogeochemical shelf processes should be used to assess the impact of future riverine scenarios more accurately.publishedVersio

Development of a Risk Framework for Industry 4.0 in the Context of Sustainability for Established Manufacturers

The concept of “Industry 4.0” is expected to bring a multitude of benefits for industrial value creation. However, the associated risks hamper its implementation and lack a comprehensive overview. In response, the paper proposes a framework of risks in the context of Industry 4.0 that is related to the Triple Bottom Line of sustainability. The framework is developed from a literature review, as well as from 14 in-depth expert interviews. With respect to economic risks, the risks that are associated with high or false investments are outlined, as well as the threatened business models and increased competition from new market entrants. From an ecological perspective, the increased waste and energy consumption, as well as possible ecological risks related to the concept “lot size one”, are described. From a social perspective, the job losses, risks associated with organizational transformation, and employee requalification, as well as internal resistance, are among the aspects that are considered. Additionally, risks can be associated with technical risks, e.g., technical integration, information technology (IT)-related risks such as data security, and legal and political risks, such as for instance unsolved legal clarity in terms of data possession. Conclusively, the paper discusses the framework with the extant literature, proposes managerial and theoretical implications, and suggests avenues for future research

DIREITOS FUNDAMENTAIS E DIREITO PRIVADO: A PROTEÇÃO DA LIBERDADE DE EXPRESSÃO NAS MÍDIAS SOCIAIS

O artigo trata sobre a proteção da liberdade de expressão, e seus desdobramentos em relação aos direitos fundamentais como a honra, a imagem, a privacidade e a propriedade, e como isso tem adquirido proeminência no debate acadêmico e jurisprudencial, em especial quando tematizado no contexto das plataformas online de mídia social. Objetiva-se com isso discutir o papel dos usuários e dos grandes grupos privados como o Google e o Facebook, designadamente acerca das suas vinculações às normas definidoras de direitos fundamentais, num contexto marcado por uma prevalente assimetria de poder. Questiona-se, deste modo, a possibilidade e a forma de incidência dos direitos fundamentais nessa nova ambiência da internet, caracterizada pela autonomia e autorregulação dos grandes grupos privados, e que se tornou parte integrante do cotidiano, inclusive profissional, da maioria das pessoas, constituindo assim um desafio novo a ser equacionado no âmbito da dogmática constitucional. É neste cenário que se investiga como e em que medida as normas de direitos fundamentais incidem (e devem incidir), ou seja qual sua eficácia e efetividade nas relações entre os grandes atores, social e economicamente, e até politicamente poderosos – entre si e com a comunidade de pessoas naturais e jurídicas de usuários, o que exige igualmente um enfrentamento do problema na perspectiva de se mensurar quais os níveis de autonomia privada atribuídos aos atores da Internet, e como as assimetrias de poder e déficits de autonomia exigem uma adequada proteção e equacionamento no marco do texto constitucional. Entende-se, ao final, que uma eficácia direta prima facie dos direitos fundamentais poderá ser adotada em casos específicos no que concerne às relações empreendidas nas plataformas de mídia social, acolhendo-se, na condição de regra geral, os postulados da teoria dos deveres de proteção, desde uma perspectiva de convivência dialógica, configurada essencialmente por uma metodologia diferenciada de resolução

Expression, secretion and surface display of a human alkaline phosphatase by the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Tetrahymena thermophila </it>possesses many attributes that render it an attractive host for the expression of recombinant proteins. Surface proteins from the parasites <it>Ichthyophthirius multifiliis </it>and <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>and avian influenza virus antigen H5N1 were displayed on the cell membrane of this ciliate. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that <it>T. thermophila </it>is also able to produce a functional human DNase I. The present study investigates the heterologous expression of the functional human intestinal alkaline phosphatase (hiAP) using <it>T. thermophila </it>and thereby presents a powerful tool for the optimization of the ciliate-based expression system.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Functional and full length human intestinal alkaline phosphatase was expressed by <it>T. thermophila </it>using a codon-adapted gene containing the native signal-peptide and GPI (Glycosylphosphatidylinositol) anchor attachment signal. HiAP activity in the cell extract of transformants suggested that the hiAP gene was successfully expressed. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that the enzyme was modified with N-glycosylation and localized on the surface membrane by the C-terminal GPI anchor. A C-terminally truncated version of hiAP lacking the GPI anchor signal peptide was secreted into the medium as an active enzyme. In a first approach to establish a high level expression system up to 14,000 U/liter were produced in a time frame of two days, which exceeds the production rate of other published expression systems for this enzyme.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>With the expression of hiAP, not only a protein of commercial interest could be produced, but also a reporter enzyme that offers the possibility to analyze <it>T. thermophila </it>genes that play a role in the regulation of protein secretion. Additionally, the fact that ciliates do not secrete an endogenous alkaline phosphatase provides the possibility to use the truncated hiAP as a reporter enzyme, allowing the quantification of measures that will be necessary for further optimization of the host strains and the fermentation processes.</p