11 research outputs found
Design and analysis of multi-element antenna systems and agile radiofrequency frontends for automotive applications
Vehicular connectivity serves as one of the major enabling technologies for
current applications like driver assistance, safety and infotainment as well as
upcoming features like highly automated vehicles - all of which having certain
quality of service requirements, e. g. datarate or reliability. This work focuses on
vehicular integration of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) capable multielement
antenna systems and frequency-agile radio frequency (RF) front ends
to cover current and upcoming connectivity needs. It is divided in four major
parts. For each part, mostly physical layer effects are analyzed (any performance
lost on physical layer, cannot be compensated in higher layers), sensitivities are
identified and novel concepts are introduced based on the status-quo findings.Fahrzeugvernetzung dient als eine der wesentlichsten Befähigungstechnologien
für moderne Fahrerassistenzsysteme und zukünftig auch hochautomatisiertes
Fahren. Sowohl die heutigen als auch zukünftige Anwendungen haben besondere
Dienstgüteanforderungen, z.B. in Bezug auf die Datenrate oder Verlässlichkeit.
Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wird die Integration von Mehrantennensystemen für
MIMO-Funkanwendungen (MIMO: engl. Multiple Input Multiple Output) sowie
von frequenzagilen Hochfrequenzfrontends im Fahrzeugumfeld untersucht, um
so eine technische Grundlage für zukünftige Anforderungen an die automobile
Vernetzung anbieten zu können. Die dabei gewonnenen Erkenntnisse lassen sich
in vier Teile gliedern. Grundsätzlich konzentrieren sich die Untersuchungen vorrangig
auf die physikalische Ebene. Auf Basis des aktuellen Status Quo werden
Sensitivitäten herausgearbeitet, neue Konzepte hergeleitet und entwickelt
Biodegradation of metoprolol in oxic and anoxic hyporheic zone sediments: unexpected effects on microbial communities
Metoprolol is widely used as a beta-blocker and considered an emerging contaminant of environmental concern due to pseudo persistence in wastewater effluents that poses a potential ecotoxicological threat to aquatic ecosystems. Microbial removal of metoprolol in the redox-delineated hyporheic zone (HZ) was investigated using streambed sediments supplemented with 15 or 150 μM metoprolol in a laboratory microcosm incubation under oxic and anoxic conditions. Metoprolol disappeared from the aqueous phase under oxic and anoxic conditions within 65 and 72 days, respectively. Metoprolol was refed twice after initial depletion resulting in accelerated disappearance under both conditions. Metoprolol disappearance was marginal in sterile control microcosms with autoclaved sediment. Metoprolol was transformed mainly to metoprolol acid in oxic microcosms, while metoprolol acid and α-hydroxymetoprolol were formed in anoxic microcosms. Transformation products were transient and disappeared within 30 days under both conditions. Effects of metoprolol on the HZ bacterial community were evaluated using DNA- and RNA-based time-resolved amplicon Illumina MiSeq sequencing targeting the 16S rRNA gene and 16S rRNA, respectively, and were prominent on 16S rRNA rather than 16S rRNA gene level suggesting moderate metoprolol-induced activity-level changes. A positive impact of metoprolol on Sphingomonadaceae and Enterobacteriaceae under oxic and anoxic conditions, respectively, was observed. Nitrifiers were impaired by metoprolol under oxic and anoxic conditions. Collectively, our findings revealed high metoprolol biodegradation potentials in the hyporheic zone under contrasting redox conditions associated with changes in the active microbial communities, thus contributing to the attenuation of micropollutants
Ibuprofen Degradation and Associated Bacterial Communities in Hyporheic Zone Sediments
Ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain reliever, is among pharmaceutical residues of environmental concern ubiquitously detected in wastewater effluents and receiving rivers. Thus, ibuprofen removal potentials and associated bacteria in the hyporheic zone sediments of an impacted river were investigated. Microbially mediated ibuprofen degradation was determined in oxic sediment microcosms amended with ibuprofen (5, 40, 200, and 400 µM), or ibuprofen and acetate, relative to an un-amended control. Ibuprofen was removed by the original sediment microbial community as well as in ibuprofen-enrichments obtained by re-feeding of ibuprofen. Here, 1-, 2-, 3-hydroxy- and carboxy-ibuprofen were the primary transformation products. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed a significantly higher 16S rRNA abundance in ibuprofen-amended relative to un-amended incubations. Time-resolved microbial community dynamics evaluated by 16S rRNA gene and 16S rRNA analyses revealed many new ibuprofen responsive taxa of the Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Gemmatimonadetes, Latescibacteria, and Proteobacteria. Two ibuprofen-degrading strains belonging to the genera Novosphingobium and Pseudomonas were isolated from the ibuprofen-enriched sediments, consuming 400 and 300 µM ibuprofen within three and eight days, respectively. The collective results indicated that the hyporheic zone sediments sustain an efficient biotic (micro-)pollutant degradation potential, and hitherto unknown microbial diversity associated with such (micro)pollutant removal
Is the Hyporheic Zone Relevant beyond the Scientific Community?
Rivers are important ecosystems under continuous anthropogenic stresses. The hyporheic
zone is a ubiquitous, reactive interface between the main channel and its surrounding sediments
along the river network. We elaborate on the main physical, biological, and biogeochemical drivers
and processes within the hyporheic zone that have been studied by multiple scientific disciplines for
almost half a century. These previous efforts have shown that the hyporheic zone is a modulator for
most metabolic stream processes and serves as a refuge and habitat for a diverse range of aquatic
organisms. It also exerts a major control on river water quality by increasing the contact time with
reactive environments, which in turn results in retention and transformation of nutrients, trace
organic compounds, fine suspended particles, and microplastics, among others. The paper showcases
the critical importance of hyporheic zones, both from a scientific and an applied perspective, and
their role in ecosystem services to answer the question of the manuscript title. It identifies major
research gaps in our understanding of hyporheic processes. In conclusion, we highlight the potential
of hyporheic restoration to efficiently manage and reactivate ecosystem functions and services in
river corridors
Seven Millennia of Saltmaking. III Congreso Internacional de Antropologia de la Sal
International audienc
THE FIRST COMBINED SEARCH FOR NEUTRINO POINT-SOURCES IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE WITH THE ANTARES AND ICECUBE NEUTRINO TELESCOPES
We present the results of searches for point-like sources of neutrinos based
on the first combined analysis of data from both the ANTARES and IceCube
neutrino telescopes. The combination of both detectors which differ in size and
location forms a window in the Southern sky where the sensitivity to point
sources improves by up to a factor of two compared to individual analyses.
Using data recorded by ANTARES from 2007 to 2012, and by IceCube from 2008 to
2011, we search for sources of neutrino emission both across the Southern sky
and from a pre-selected list of candidate objects. No significant excess over
background has been found in these searches, and flux upper limits for the
candidate sources are presented for and power-law spectra
with different energy cut-offs.Comment: 25 pages, 9 figures. Submitted to Ap
THE FIRST COMBINED SEARCH for NEUTRINO POINT-SOURCES in the SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE with the ANTARES and ICECUBE NEUTRINO TELESCOPES
We present the results of searches for point-like sources of neutrinos based on the first combined analysis of data from both the ANTARES and IceCube neutrino telescopes. The combination of both detectors, which differ in size and location, forms a window in the southern sky where the sensitivity to point sources improves by up to a factor of 2 compared with individual analyses. Using data recorded by ANTARES from 2007 to 2012, and by IceCube from 2008 to 2011, we search for sources of neutrino emission both across the southern sky and from a preselected list of candidate objects. No significant excess over background has been found in these searches, and flux upper limits for the candidate sources are presented for E -2.5 and E -2 power-law spectra with different energy cut-offs