TUMIKIA Project Laboratory Kato-Katz Forms

A suite of forms covering the processes for stool samples in the laboratory, from sample receipt, slide reading and reporting, to quality control. All forms are centred on the unique sample QR code used in the field

Secure and Efficient Masking of AES - A Mission Impossible?

This document discusses masking approaches with a special focus on the AES S-box. Firstly, we discuss previously presented masking schemes with respect to their security and implementation. We conclude that algorithmic countermeasures to secure the AES algorithm against side-channel attacks have not been resistant against all first-order side-channel attacks. Secondly, we introduce a new masking countermeasure which is not only secure against first-order side-channel attacks, but which also leads to relatively small implementations compared to other masking schemes when implemented in dedicated hardware

Sequential Mixed Cultures : From Syngas to Malic Acid

Synthesis gas (syngas) fermentation using acetogenic bacteria is an approach for production of bulk chemicals like acetate, ethanol, butanol, or 2,3-butandiol avoiding the fuel vs. food debate by using carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen from gasification of biomass or industrial waste gases. Suffering from energetic limitations, yields of C₄-molecules produced by syngas fermentation are quite low compared with ABE fermentation using sugars as a substrate. On the other hand, fungal production of malic acid has high yields of product per gram metabolized substrate but is currently limited to sugar containing substrates. In this study, it was possible to show that Aspergilus oryzae is able to produce malic acid using acetate as sole carbon source which is a main product of acetogenic syngas fermentation. Bioreactor cultivations were conducted in 2.5 L stirred tank reactors. During the syngas fermentation part of the sequential mixed culture, Clostridium ljungdahlii was grown in modified Tanner medium and sparged with 20 mL/min of artificial syngas mimicking a composition of clean syngas from entrained bed gasification of straw (32.5 vol-% CO, 32.5 vol-% H₂, 16 vol-% CO₂, and 19 vol-% N₂) using a microsparger. Syngas consumption was monitored via automated gas chromatographic measurement of the off-gas. For the fungal fermentation part gas sparging was switched to 0.6 L/min of air and a standard sparger. Ammonia content of medium for syngas fermentation was reduced to 0.33 g/L NH₄Cl to meet the requirements for fungal production of dicarboxylic acids. Malic acid production performance of A. oryzae in organic acid production medium and syngas medium with acetate as sole carbon source was verified and gave YP∕S values of 0.28 g/g and 0.37 g/g respectively. Growth and acetate formation of C. ljungdahlii during syngas fermentation were not affected by the reduced ammonia content and 66 % of the consumed syngas was converted to acetate. The overall conversion of CO and H₂ into malic acid was calculated to be 3.5 g malic acid per mol of consumed syngas or 0.22 g malic acid per gram of syngas

Reverse supply network design for circular economy pathways of wind turbine blades in Europe

Wind energy installations are increasing rapidly and so is their end-of-life waste. Wind turbine blades consist primarily of glass fibers and are usually landfilled. Given the significant amounts of blade waste expected in the future, circular economy pathways need to be identified for this waste stream. This study investigates the feasibility of the circular economy pathway of mechanical recycling for reuse of end-of-life blades at composite material manufacturing, while optimising the required reverse supply network design in Europe, for 2020 and for 2050. This is achieved through formulating and solving to optimality a Mixed Integer Linear Programming model for the wind blades Supply Chain Network Design problem. The findings indicate a semi-decentralised optimal network design, with 3-4 processing facilities proposed around Europe in all scenarios. The proposed circular economy pathway is economically viable without additional policy support only in 2050; while focusing the efforts only in more favourable areas of end-of-life blade availability can reduce system-wide costs. This study contributes to academic knowledge by formulating and solving for the first time the Supply Chain Network Design problem for end-of-life wind blades and to practice and policy-making by providing insights on the optimal network design, its feasibility and the related implications

Die Förderung des sportbezogenen Fähigkeitsselbstkonzepts mittels einer Intervention mit individueller Bezugsnormorientierung im Sportunterricht

Die Förderung der Persönlichkeitsentwicklung ist ein wichtiges Ziel des Sportunterrichts. Die vorliegende Studie nimmt sich der Überprüfung dieses pädagogischen Postulates bei zwölf Primarschulklassen (N = 221) an und untersucht die Veränderung des sportbezogenen Fähigkeitsselbstkonzepts mittels einer zwanzigwöchigen Intervention mit individueller Bezugsnormorientierung (nicht-randomisierte, kontrollierte Interventionsstudie mit prä-post Messwiederholung). Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sich bei der Versuchsgruppe sowohl die individuelle Bezugsnormorientierung der Lehrperson als auch das sportbezogene Fähigkeitsselbstkonzept der Schülerinnen und Schüler positiv verändern. Auch wenn es sich bei diesen Veränderungen lediglich um kleine Effekte handelt, deuten diese auf die Möglichkeit einer Förderung des Selbstkonzeptes mittels einer individuellen Bezugsnormorientierung der Lehrperson im Sportunterricht hin. Forschungsmethodische Desiderate für zukünftige Interventionsstudien im Sportunterricht werden diskutiert

Gas Plasma-Conditioned Ringer’s Lactate Enhances the Cytotoxic Activity of Cisplatin and Gemcitabine in Pancreatic Cancer In Vitro and In Ovo

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive tumor entities. Diffuse metastatic infiltration of vessels and the peritoneum restricts curative surgery. Standard chemotherapy protocols include the cytostatic drug gemcitabine with limited efficacy at considerable toxicity. In search of a more effective and less toxic treatment modality, we tested in human pancreatic cancer cells (MiaPaca and PaTuS) a novel combination therapy consisting of cytostatic drugs (gemcitabine or cisplatin) and gas plasma-conditioned Ringer’s lactate that acts via reactive oxygen species. A decrease in metabolic activity and viability, change in morphology, and cell cycle arrest was observed in vitro. The combination treatment was found to be additively toxic. The findings were validated utilizing an in ovo tumor model of solid pancreatic tumors growing on the chorionallantois membrane of fertilized chicken eggs (TUM-CAM). The combination of the drugs (especially cisplatin) with the plasma-conditioned liquid significantly enhanced the anti-cancer effects, resulting in the induction of cell death, cell cycle arrest, and inhibition of cell growth with both of the cell lines tested. In conclusion, our novel combination approach may be a promising new avenue to increase the tolerability and efficacy of locally applied chemotherapeutic in diffuse metastatic peritoneal carcinomatosis of the pancreas. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Comparative Hepatic and Intestinal Efflux Transport of Statins

Previous studies have shown that lipid-lowering statins are transported by various ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. However, because of varying methods, it is difficult to compare the transport profiles of statins. Therefore, we investigated the transport of 10 statins or statin metabolites by six ABC transporters using human embryonic kidney cell-derived membrane vesicles. The transporter protein expression levels in the vesicles were quantified with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and used to scale the measured clearances to tissue levels. In our study, apically expressed breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and P-glycoprotein (P-gp) transported atorvastatin, fluvastatin, pitavastatin, and rosuvastatin. Multidrug resistance-associated protein 3 (MRP3) transported atorvastatin, fluvastatin, pitavastatin, and, to a smaller extent, pravastatin. MRP4 transported fluvastatin and rosuvastatin. The scaled clearances suggest that BCRP contributes to 87%-91% and 84% of the total active efflux of rosuvastatin in the small intestine and the liver, respectively. For atorvastatin, the corresponding values for P-gp-mediated efflux were 43%-79% and 66%, respectively. MRP3, on the other hand, may contribute to 23%-26% and 25%-37% of total active efflux of atorvastatin, fluvastatin, and pitavastatin in jejunal enterocytes and liver hepatocytes, respectively. These data indicate that BCRP may play an important role in limiting the intestinal absorption and facilitating the biliary excretion of rosuvastatin and that P-gp may restrict the intestinal absorption and mediate the biliary excretion of atorvastatin. Moreover, the basolateral MRP3 may enhance the intestinal absorption and sinusoidal hepatic efflux of several statins. Taken together, the data show that statins differ considerably in their efflux transport profiles. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study characterized and compared the transport of atorvastatin, fluvastatin, pitavastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin, and simvastatin acid and four atorvastatin metabolites by six ABC transporters (BCRP, MRP2, MRP3, MRP4, MRP8, P-gp). Based on in vitro findings and protein abundance data, the study concludes that BCRP, MRP3, and P-gp have a major impact in the efflux of various statins. Together with in vitro metabolism, uptake transport, and clinical data, our findings are applicable for use in comparative systems pharmacology modeling of statins.Peer reviewe