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Since 2015, society and businesses have been urged to implement procedures that would help to achieve the UN's 17 sustainable development goals. Higher education institutions want to become drivers of modern change and to contribute to achieving those targets agreed upon in Paris. Universities are encouraged to provide the required knowledge to the future employees and leaders, and also to act as an example of a sustainable organisation. And this means not just to talk about the required challenges and changes, not just to teach sustainability courses, but to implement the sustainability in its full range into HEI´s own procedures. That would provide a holistic approach. The aim of the chapter is to create a model that would enable to see the whole picture and help HEIs find their way to a more holistic approach to tackling sustainability issues at universities.

This book chapter offers a holistic approach to companies in the engineering business to implement sustainability in its wide and full dimension considering different SDGs, as well as different processes, areas of activities, and partnerships within and outside of supply chains. The provided five-stage model - 5Ps - is based upon a qualitative research approach by conducting semi-structured interviews with German engineering companies and comparing sustainability reports of the 30 German DAX enterprises to identify the gaps in understanding the issue of sustainability. The 5 Ps are abbreviations for product, process, people, partnerships, and planet. The easy-to-remember and easy-to-implement model is developed by using the design thinking methodology to enable medium-sized companies to establish the right understanding of sustainable actions and make the issue of sustainability comprehensible to all employees. Through this model, created standardised procedures ensure comparability of results and sustainability reporting.

SummaryRetinoic acid (RA) induces an atrial phenotype in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC), but expression of atrium-selective currents such as the ultrarapid (IKur) and acetylcholine-stimulated K+current (IK,ACh) is variable and less than in adult human atrium. We suspected methodological issues and systematically investigated the concentration-dependency of RA. RA treatment increased IKurconcentration-dependently from 1.1±0.54 pA/pF (0 RA) to 3.8±1.1, 5.8±2.5 and 12.2±4.3 at 0.01, 0.1 and 1 µM, respectively. Only 1 µM RA induced enough IKurto fully reproduce human atrial AP shape and a robust shortening of action potentials (AP) upon carbachol. We found that sterile filtration caused substantial loss of RA. We conclude that 1 µM RA appears necessary and sufficient to induce a full atrial AP shape in hiPSC-CM in EHT format. RA concentrations are prone to methodological issues and may profoundly impact success of atrial differentiation.

This chapter details the generation of atrial fibrin-based engineered heart tissue (EHT) in standard 24-well format as a 3D model for the human atrium. Compared to 2D cultivation, human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)-derived atrial cardiomyocytes demonstrated a higher degree of maturation in 3D format. Furthermore, we have demonstrated in previous work that the model displayed atrial characteristics in terms of contraction and gene expression patterns, electrophysiology, and pharmacological response. Here, we describe how to embed atrial cardiomyocytes differentiated from hiPSCs in a fibrin hydrogel to form atrial EHT attached to elastic silicone posts, allowing auxotonic contraction. In addition, we describe how force and other contractility parameters can be derived from these beating atrial EHTs by video-optical monitoring. The presented atrial EHT model is suitable to study chamber-specific mechanisms, drug effects and to serve for disease modeling.

Using qualitative data analysis (QDA) to perform domain analysis and modeling has shown great promise. Yet, the evaluation of such approaches has been limited to single-case case studies. While these exploratory cases are valuable for an initial assessment, the evaluation of the efficacy of QDA to solve the suggested problems is restricted by the common single-case case study research design. Using our own method, called QDAcity-RE, as the example, we present an in-depth empirical evaluation of employing qualitative data analysis for domain modeling using a controlled experiment design. Our controlled experiment shows that the QDA-based method leads to a deeper and richer set of domain concepts discovered from the data, while also being more time efficient than the control group using a comparable non-QDA-based method with the same level of traceability.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for atrial fibrillation (AF) have uncovered numerous disease-associated variants. Their underlying molecular mechanisms, especially consequences for mRNA and protein expression remain largely elusive. Thus, refined multi-omics approaches are needed for deciphering the underlying molecular networks. Here, we integrate genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics of human atrial tissue in a cross-sectional study to identify widespread effects of genetic variants on both transcript (cis-eQTL) and protein (cis-pQTL) abundance. We further establish a novel targeted trans-QTL approach based on polygenic risk scores to determine candidates for AF core genes. Using this approach, we identify two trans-eQTLs and five trans-pQTLs for AF GWAS hits, and elucidate the role of the transcription factor NKX2-5 as a link between the GWAS SNP rs9481842 and AF. Altogether, we present an integrative multi-omics method to uncover trans-acting networks in small datasets and provide a rich resource of atrial tissue-specific regulatory variants for transcript and protein levels for cardiovascular disease gene prioritization., Numerous disease-associated variants have been described in GWAS for atrial fibrillation. Here the authors integrate omics data to investigate the consequences of genetic variants for transcript and protein levels in the atrium of the human heart. With this multi-omics approach, authors reveal the regulatory network underlying atrial fibrillation and provide a resource for cardiac gene prioritization.

Introduction: Induction of a pathological type of hypertrophy in human engineered heart tissues (EHTs) has not yet been fully achieved. We hypothesized that this limitation is caused by the unicellularity of EHTs, which contain only cardiomyocytes (CMs) and lack the interactions with non-myocytes. Thus, we aimed to generate EHTs implementing five native cardiac cell types, i.e., CMs, endothelial cells (ECs), fibroblasts (Fbs), smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and macrophages (Mϕ). Methods and Results: CMs were differentiated from hiPSCs by mesodermal induction followed by inhibition of Wnt-signaling. Mesoderm progenitors were also used to differentiate ECs via VEGF stimulation. Differentiation into SMCs and Fbs required Wnt pathway activation followed by stimulation with TGFβ+bFGF or bFGF only, respectively. Finally, Mϕ differentiation required hematopoietic/myeloid specification by IL-3 and M-CSF treatment. Successful differentiation was analyzed by electron microscopy (EM) and expression profiling of hallmark genes and proteins. For instance, Mϕs exhibited high expression of myeloid markers (98.0% CD68 + , 90.9% CD14 + ) whereas Fbs showed upregulation in genes such as POSTN, DDR2, COL1A1 (all >100 fold higher than iPSCs). Functionality of all cell types was demonstrated by multiple assays. For example, the native Mϕ function was demonstrated via degradation and phagocytosis assays while ECs exhibited fast and extensive tube formation in matrigel assays. Additionally, Fbs produced 4.6x more collagen after TGFβ stimulation than unstimulated controls. In effect, multi-cell-type EHTs were generated from 60% CMs, 20% ECs, 10% Mϕ, 5% SMCs and 5% Fbs. These EHTs were characterized by confocal microscopy, serial block-face scanning EM, gene expression profiling, and automated contractility measurements. Pilot experiments revealed that the addition of different cell types accelerated the development of EHTs which was associated with earlier onset of beating and shorter diameter of the EHTs. Conclusion: Successful application of cell differentiation protocols resulted in the integration of five cell types in a multi-cell-type EHT system. The full functional profile and reaction to a stress stimulus will be investigated in future experiments.

In the human heart, the energy supplied by the production of ATP is predominately accomplished by ß-oxidation in mitochondria, using fatty acids (FAs) as the primary fuel. Long-chain acylcarnitines (LCACs) are intermediate forms of FA transport that are essential for FA delivery from the cytosol into mitochondria. Here, we analyzed the impact of the LCACs C18 and C18:1 on mitochondrial function and, subsequently, on heart functionality in the in vivo vertebrate model system of zebrafish (Danio rerio). Since LCACs are formed and metabolized in mitochondria, we assessed mitochondrial morphology, structure and density in C18- and C18:1-treated zebrafish and found no mitochondrial alterations compared to control-treated (short-chain acylcarnitine, C3) zebrafish embryos. However, mitochondrial function and subsequently ATP production was severely impaired in C18- and C18:1-treated zebrafish embryos. Furthermore, we found that C18 and C18:1 treatment of zebrafish embryos led to significantly impaired cardiac contractile function, accompanied by reduced heart rate and diminished atrial and ventricular fractional shortening, without interfering with cardiomyocyte differentiation, specification and growth. In summary, our findings provide insights into the direct role of long-chain acylcarnitines on vertebrate heart function by interfering with regular mitochondrial function and thereby energy allocation in cardiomyocytes.

Long-chain acylcarnitines (LCACs) are known to directly alter cardiac contractility and electrophysiology. However, the acute effect of LCACs on human cardiac function is unknown. We aimed to determine the effect of LCAC 18:1, which has been associated with cardiovascular disease, on the contractility and arrhythmia susceptibility of human atrial myocardium. Additionally, we aimed to assess how LCAC 18:1 alters Ca2+ influx and spontaneous Ca2+ release in vitro. Human right atrial trabeculae (n = 32) stimulated at 1 Hz were treated with LCAC 18:1 at a range of concentrations (1-25 µM) for a 45-min period. Exposure to the LCAC induced a dose-dependent positive inotropic effect on myocardial contractility (maximal 1.5-fold increase vs. control). At the 25 µM dose (n = 8), this was paralleled by an enhanced propensity for spontaneous contractions (50% increase). Furthermore, all LCAC 18:1 effects on myocardial function were reversed following LCAC 18:1 washout. In fluo-4-AM-loaded HEK293 cells, LCAC 18:1 dose dependently increased cytosolic Ca2+ influx relative to vehicle controls and the short-chain acylcarnitine C3. In HEK293 cells expressing ryanodine receptor (RyR2), this increased Ca2+ influx was linked to an increased propensity for RyR2-mediated spontaneous Ca2+ release events. Our study is the first to show that LCAC 18:1 directly and acutely alters human myocardial function and in vitro Ca2+ handling. The metabolite promotes proarrhythmic muscle contractions and increases contractility. The exploratory findings in vitro suggest that LCAC 18:1 increases proarrhythmic RyR2-mediated spontaneous Ca2+ release propensity. The direct effects of metabolites on human myocardial function are essential to understand cardiometabolic dysfunction.NEW & NOTEWORTHY For the first time, the fatty acid metabolite, long-chain acylcarnitine 18:1, is shown to acutely increase the arrhythmia susceptibility and contractility of human atrial myocardium. In vitro, this was linked to an influx of Ca2+ and an enhanced propensity for spontaneous RyR2-mediated Ca2+ release.

Zusammenfassung Ziel der Studie Die Teledermatologie bietet Potenziale, um die dermatologische Versorgung in ländlichen Regionen zu verbessern. Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Nutzungsbereitschaft von Teledermatologie in der ländlichen Bevölkerung Bayerns zu erheben und Bedenken zu erfassen. Methodik Die Daten wurden im Rahmen einer Querschnittsstudie im Bayerischen Wald (Q1/2017) sowie einer Follow-up-Erhebung einer laufenden Kohortenstudie (Q1/2018) mithilfe standardisierter Papierfragebögen erhoben. Studienteilnehmer wurden gefragt, ob sie bereit wären, ihrem Dermatologen Fotos von „Hautausschlägen“ oder anderen Hautveränderungen über das Internet zu senden, und falls „nein“, warum nicht. Ergebnisse Insgesamt wurden Daten von 1 116 Personen mit Wohnsitz in Bayern ausgewertet (Altersdurchschnitt 50,2 Jahren, 57,3% weiblich, 80,4% mit Wohnsitz in ländlichen Landkreisen). Die Bereitschaft zur Nutzung von Teledermatologie in der Gesamtstichprobe lag bei 36,6%. Frauen, ältere Studienteilnehmer und Studienteilnehmer, die in ländlichen Regionen lebten, waren weniger offen für die Nutzung von Teledermatologie. Die häufigsten Bedenken gegenüber Teledermatologie waren Unpersönlichkeit, Zweifel an der Qualität der medizinischen Leistung sowie Bedenken hinsichtlich des Datenschutzes und der Privatsphäre. Schlussfolgerung Die Bereitschaft zur Nutzung von Teledermatologie in den ländlichen Regionen Bayerns ist bisher eher gering. Damit die Teledermatologie ihre Potenziale zur Verbesserung der medizinischen Versorgung voll entfalten könnte, wäre eine umfangreiche Aufklärung der ländlichen Bevölkerung über Funktionsweisen und die Möglichkeiten der Teledermatologie sowie eine Sicherstellung des Datenschutzes unerlässlich.

Der deutsche Maschinenbau spielt eine herausragende Rolle fur die Wirtschaft des Landes und seine Produkte sind ein beliebtes Exportgut. In der heutigen Zeit mit unterschiedlichen wirtschaftlichen, sozialen und okologischen Anforderungen sowie zahlreichen Herausforderungen, die Globalisierung, Digitalisierung und der weltweite Klimawandel mit sich bringen, ist es unerlasslich, Wege fur nachhaltige Produktions- und Organisationsprozesse zu finden.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text., Background: DNA methylation acts as a mechanism of gene transcription regulation. It has recently gained attention as a possible therapeutic target in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. However, its exact role in cardiomyocytes remains controversial. Thus, we knocked out the main de novo DNA methyltransferase in cardiomyocytes, DNMT3A, in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Functional consequences of DNA methylation-deficiency under control and stress conditions were then assessed in human engineered heart tissue from knockout human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes. Methods: DNMT3A was knocked out in human induced pluripotent stem cells by CRISPR/Cas9gene editing. Fibrin-based engineered heart tissue was generated from knockout and control human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes. Development and baseline contractility were analyzed by video-optical recording. Engineered heart tissue was subjected to different stress protocols, including serum starvation, serum variation, and restrictive feeding. Molecular, histological, and ultrastructural analyses were performed afterward. Results: Knockout of DNMT3A in human cardiomyocytes had three main consequences for cardiomyocyte morphology and function: (1) Gene expression changes of contractile proteins such as higher atrial gene expression and lower MYH7/MYH6 ratio correlated with different contraction kinetics in knockout versus wild-type; (2) Aberrant activation of the glucose/lipid metabolism regulator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma was associated with accumulation of lipid vacuoles within knockout cardiomyocytes; (3) Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α protein instability was associated with impaired glucose metabolism and lower glycolytic enzyme expression, rendering knockout-engineered heart tissue sensitive to metabolic stress such as serum withdrawal and restrictive feeding. Conclusion: The results suggest an important role of DNA methylation in the normal homeostasis of cardiomyocytes and during cardiac stress, which could make it an interesting target for cardiac therapy.

The role of DNA methylation in cardiomyocyte physiology and cardiac disease remains a matter of controversy. We have recently provided evidence for an important role of DNMT3A in human cardiomyocyte cell homeostasis and metabolism, using engineered heart tissue (EHT) generated from human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes carrying a knockout of the de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A. Unlike isogenic control EHT, knockout EHT displayed morphological abnormalities such as lipid accumulations inside cardiomyocytes associated with impaired mitochondrial metabolism, as well as functional defects and impaired glucose metabolism. Here, we analyzed the role of DNMT3A in the setting of cardiac hypertrophy. We induced hypertrophic signaling by treatment with 50 nM endothelin-1 and 20 μM phenylephrine for one week and assessed EHT contractility, morphology, DNA methylation, and gene expression. While both knockout EHTs and isogenic controls showed the expected activation of the hypertrophic gene program, knockout EHTs were protected from hypertrophy-related functional impairment. Conversely, hypertrophic treatment prevented the metabolic consequences of a loss of DNMT3A, i.e. abolished lipid accumulation in cardiomyocytes likely by partial normalization of mitochondrial metabolism and restored glucose metabolism and metabolism-related gene expression of knockout EHT. Together, these data suggest an important role of DNA methylation not only for cardiomyocyte physiology, but also in the setting of cardiac disease.

RATIONALE Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for atrial fibrillation (AF) have uncovered numerous disease-associated variants. The molecular mechanisms of genotype-phenotype relationships, especially consequences of sequence variants for mRNA and protein expression remain largely elusive. Novel multiOMICs approaches are needed for deciphering the underlying molecular networks. Recently, an omnigenic model postulated the existence of core genes, that accumulate trans regulatory effects and are directly linked to disease phenotypes. However, the existence and identity of AF-relevant core genes remain unknown. OBJECTIVE The aim was to systematically assess regulatory genetic variants and their downstream consequences on transcriptome, proteome and the disease phenotype AF on a genome-wide scale. METHODS AND RESULTS We integrated genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics of human atrial tissue. We identified widespread effects of genetic variants on transcript (cis eQTL) and protein (cis pQTL) abundance of nearby genes with an overrepresentation of GWAS variants for AF. To investigate more complex genetic mechanisms we established a novel approach to identify candidates for AF core genes, as postulated by the omnigenic model. Our approach combined a polygenic risk score for AF with pathway enrichment analysis to uncover biological processes related to the genetic susceptibility of AF. Within these biological processes, we identified two trans eQTLs and six trans pQTLs for AF GWAS hits involved in cardiac contractile function or metabolism. Furthermore, we elucidated the role of the transcription factor NKX2-5 as a link between the GWAS SNP rs9481842 and thirteen putative AF core genes with a consistent downregulation in AF on proteomics level. CONCLUSIONS We established an integrative multiOMICs approach for the identification of AF core gene candidates and applied this technique to uncover trans-acting genetic networks in AF. We provide a valuable resource to investigate atrial tissue-specific regulatory variants for transcript and protein levels in the context of cardiovascular disease.

Zusammenfassung Hintergrund Hautkrebs ist weltweit die häufigste Malignität der hellhäutigen Bevölkerung. Primär- und Sekundärprävention sind entscheidend, um die Krankheitslast von Hautkrebs zu senken. Verschiedene Studien deuten allerdings auf ein unzureichendes Präventionsverhalten insbesondere der Landbevölkerung hin. Ziel der Arbeit Ziel war, das Risiko- und Präventionsverhalten von ländlichen Bevölkerungen zu untersuchen und Subgruppen mit hohem Handlungsbedarf bezüglich Präventionsmaßnahmen zu identifizieren. Material und Methoden In einer Querschnittstudie wurden im ersten Quartal 2017 in nichtdermatologischen Arztpraxen im Bayerischen Wald (Deutschland) Patienten und deren Begleitpersonen (≥18 Jahre) in den Wartezimmern zum Thema Primär- und Sekundärprävention befragt. Die Daten wurden mittels anonymisierter Papierfragebögen erhoben. Assoziationen wurden mittels logistischer Regression berechnet. Ergebnisse Insgesamt wurden 880 Personen (57,7 % weibliche, mittleres Alter 49,5 Jahre) eingeschlossen, von denen 53,6 % bisher mindestens 1‑mal ein Hautkrebsscreening in Anspruch genommen hatten. Sonnencreme war die am häufigsten verwendete Sonnenschutzmaßnahme. Das männliche Geschlecht und die Altersgruppen 18 bis 34 Jahre hatten ein signifikant höheres Risiko für die Nichtverwendung von fast allen Präventionsmaßnahmen (abhängig von der Maßnahme: OR [Odds Ratio]: 1,4–2,4 bzw. 1,8–3,7). Keine Inanspruchnahme von Hautkrebsscreening war zudem mit einer solaren UV-Exposition von über 6 h pro Tag assoziiert (OR: 1,8, 95 %-KI [Konfidenzintervall]: 1,14–2,97). Schlussfolgerung Zukünftige Präventionsstrategien sollten vermehrt auf junge Erwachsene, insbesondere auf Männer und Personen mit einer hohen UV-Exposition ausgerichtet werden, um der Krankheitslast von Hautkrebs in der ländlichen Region langfristig gerecht werden zu können.

The aim of the German Government is the licensing of one million electric vehicles (EV) in Germany until 2020. However, the number of battery electric vehicles (EVs) today still is just above 25,000. There are several reasons for deciding against an EV, but especially low battery ranges as well as too long perceived charging duration inhibit the usage of an EV. To eliminate the negative influence of these two reasons on the decision to purchase an EV, a novel charging technology is established. The rapid-charging technology enables the user to recharge the battery to 80% of its state of charge (SOC) within 20–30 min. For the examination of the technology’s impact from (potential) user’s perspective, users and nonusers of battery electric vehicles were questioned about the perceived additional value of public rapid-charging infrastructure by taking into account different trip purposes and running comparisons to regular charging options. The results show an increased perceived value especially for trips with leisure purpose, considering their share of all trip purposes in Germany, according to the MiD 2008. In order to increase the number of licensed EVs in Germany, the study’s results also suggest further dissemination of information on rapid charging which might influence the perceived usefulness of the technology and consequentially the perceived usefulness of an EV.

Many methods have been proposed for the experimental determination of the collector resistance in bipolar junction transistors and HBTs. In this paper, the most widely used methods are reviewed and applied to SiGe HBTs with a large variety of device sizes fabricated in different technologies and generations, including high-speed and high-voltage transistors. First, the accuracy of those methods, which are based on an extraction from single-transistor characteristics, is evaluated from simulated data using a sophisticated compact model and, where applicable, also device simulation. This approach allows the origin of observed inaccuracies or failures of certain methods to be identified. Second, the test structure-based methods are reviewed, and third, all methods were applied to experimental data. This paper and its results provide insight into each method’s accuracy; its application limits with respect to a technology, a device size, and an operating range as well as its requirements in terms of equipment and extraction effort.

Tricycles could help to improve the traffic safety of cyclists as they make it easier to deal with bad surfaces. They are an option to ensure independent mobility for persons who cannot ride a bicycle. But on roads tricycles are rare. Compared to bikes, trikes are considered to have substantial disadvantages. In this study, differences between persons who can imagine going on a trial ride with a trike and persons who cannot imagine going on a trial ride are assessed. In effect, practical differences between bikes and trikes are unimportant, as is safety perception. What is important is how far a trike is associated with age and disability, how well it fits to the individual's lifestyle and whether it is seen as sporty. For the marketing of trikes, safety arguments are irrelevant; references to a “senior” product could be counterproductive.

This study investigates the effect of extreme uncertainty on disclosure behaviour by analyzing the quality and quantity of forward-looking disclosures during the global financial crisis and pre-crisis periods, controlling for other determinants of disclosure behaviour. Prior research has struggled to distinguish between the quality and quantity dimensions of forward-looking disclosures. Also, the impact of the recent financial crisis on these forward-looking disclosure attributes has not yet been examined systematically. We address this gap by exploiting the unique setting of German publicly traded firms. These firms must provide forward-looking information within their audited financial statements, although relevant regulation is sufficiently vague to allow great variation in the quality, scope and quantity of forward-looking disclosures actually observed. Using hand-collected data from 2005 to 2009, we provide evidence of a significantly negative association between crisis and disclosure quality. This finding is robust to several different disclosure quality proxies and regression specifications. In contrast, we find no negative significant relation between crisis and disclosure quantity; rather, there is evidence that reported volume increases during the crisis. Our results are consistent with extreme uncertainty, as occurring during times of crisis, negatively affecting the quality of voluntary disclosures, while firms maintain or increase disclosure quantity, ultimately diluting the information density of forward-looking disclosures.

The base series resistance is an important parameter for bipolar junction transistors and heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBTs). Although many methods have been proposed for its experimental determination, their results vary significantly. In this paper, the most widely used methods are reviewed and applied to SiGe HBTs of different technologies and generations including different device types, i.e. high-speed and high-voltage SiGe HBTs. The accuracy of the methods is evaluated by applying them to a sophisticated physics-based compact model, allowing to clearly detect and explain the causes for the observed inaccuracies or failures. The methods are then also applied to experimental data. In both cases, a large variety of device sizes have been investigated. This paper and its results provide insight into each method’s accuracy, its application limits with respect to a technology, device size, and operating range as well as its requirements in terms of equipment and extraction effort.

Teledermatology has a great potential to improve dermatologic care in rural regions. The aim of this study was to assess the willingness to use teledermatology in the rural population of Bavaria, Southern Germany, and to explore major concerns regarding teledermatology.The data of this cross-sectional study were collected both as part of a health survey conducted in the Bavarian forest region in Q1/2017 and as part of a follow-up survey (Q1/2018) of a running cohort study recruited at a Bavarian agricultural festival. Study participants were asked in a standardized questionnaire whether they would send pictures of skin rashes or other skin changes to their dermatologist via the internet, and if "no", why not.Data on 1,116 participants living in Bavaria were analysed (mean age 50.2 years, 57.3% female, 80.4% living in rural regions). Of the whole sample, 36.6% were willing to use teledermatology. Women, older participants and participants living in rural regions were less open to the use of teledermatology. Major concerns regarding teledermatology were impersonality, doubts about the quality of the service and data safety and privacy concerns.The willingness to use teledermatology in the rural population of Bavaria is still rather low. Before teledermatology can realise its full potential for improving health care in rural regions, the population needs to be educated about the functioning and the advantages of teledermatology, and data safety concerns need to be addressed.Die Teledermatologie bietet Potenziale, um die dermatologische Versorgung in ländlichen Regionen zu verbessern. Ziel dieser Studie war es, die Nutzungsbereitschaft von Teledermatologie in der ländlichen Bevölkerung Bayerns zu erheben und Bedenken zu erfassen.Die Daten wurden im Rahmen einer Querschnittsstudie im Bayerischen Wald (Q1/2017) sowie einer Follow-up-Erhebung einer laufenden Kohortenstudie (Q1/2018) mithilfe standardisierter Papierfragebögen erhoben. Studienteilnehmer wurden gefragt, ob sie bereit wären, ihrem Dermatologen Fotos von „Hautausschlägen“ oder anderen Hautveränderungen über das Internet zu senden, und falls „nein“, warum nicht.Insgesamt wurden Daten von 1 116 Personen mit Wohnsitz in Bayern ausgewertet (Altersdurchschnitt 50,2 Jahren, 57,3% weiblich, 80,4% mit Wohnsitz in ländlichen Landkreisen). Die Bereitschaft zur Nutzung von Teledermatologie in der Gesamtstichprobe lag bei 36,6%. Frauen, ältere Studienteilnehmer und Studienteilnehmer, die in ländlichen Regionen lebten, waren weniger offen für die Nutzung von Teledermatologie. Die häufigsten Bedenken gegenüber Teledermatologie waren Unpersönlichkeit, Zweifel an der Qualität der medizinischen Leistung sowie Bedenken hinsichtlich des Datenschutzes und der Privatsphäre.Die Bereitschaft zur Nutzung von Teledermatologie in den ländlichen Regionen Bayerns ist bisher eher gering. Damit die Teledermatologie ihre Potenziale zur Verbesserung der medizinischen Versorgung voll entfalten könnte, wäre eine umfangreiche Aufklärung der ländlichen Bevölkerung über Funktionsweisen und die Möglichkeiten der Teledermatologie sowie eine Sicherstellung des Datenschutzes unerlässlich.

The continuous progress in SiGe:C HBT BiC-MOS process technology has led to HBTs with quite reasonable performance even for a forward-biased base-collector junction. Operation in the associated saturation region enables a significant reduction in the power consumption of high-frequency integrated circuits. This work aims at exploring the design of mm-wave circuits with lowest possible power consumption while maintaining reasonable performance for possible integration into mobile systems where battery lifetime is crucial. A second goal is the evaluation of HBT compact models in saturation and under realistic circuit operation. This paper presents the measured and simulated results of a 94 GHz direct down converter. The supply voltage for the Gilbert-cell based mixer core is as low as 0.7 V.

This chapter provides readers with specifics of complexity in engineering, delivering, and constructing of industrial plants while working in different countries. Export-oriented companies in mechanical and plant engineering businesses with long supply chains face huge challenges in considering different technical requirements for different types of equipment and for different services and procedures they provide, which lead to time and cost inefficiency. In modern times with different economic, social, and environmental requirements on the one hand and challenges caused by globalization, digitalization, and worldwide climate change; on the other, it is vital to find the ways for more sustainable project management and sustainable business models and to inspire global players to consider sustainability development goals and to become an innovator to drive the others: the suppliers, the clients, and other stakeholders. The first step towards sustainable engineering processes in the globalized world is the harmonization of technical regulations worldwide.

Eine nachhaltige Entwicklung unserer Gesellschaft, welche okologische, soziale und okonomische Aspekte berucksichtigt, scheint besonders seit den im Jahr 2015 auf der UN-Klima-Konferenz in Paris vereinbarten 17 Nachhaltigkeitszielen einen enormen Schwung auch in der Wirtschaft aufgenommen zu haben. Uber die Nachhaltigkeit wird nicht nur in der Industrie und der Politik, sondern auch an den deutschen Universitaten und diversen sozialen Einrichtungen nachgedacht und neue Konzepte zur nachhaltigen Bildung entwickelt. Die Nachhaltigkeit agiert als Gesellschaftstrend, der sich auch auf die Messe- und Eventbranche auswirkt und mit welchem neue Standards und Normen gesetzt werden, um unsere Zukunft in allen Aspekten menschen- und umweltfreundlicher zu gestalten (vgl. Zanger 2012, S. 1071 ff.).

Many different methods can be found in the literature for determining both the internal and external base series resistance based on single transistor terminal characteristics. Those methods are not equally reliable or applicable for all technologies, device sizes and speeds. In this review, the most common methods are evaluated regarding their suitability for InP heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) based on both measured and simulated data. Using data generated by a sophisticated physics-based compact model allows an evaluation of the extraction method precision by comparing the extracted parameter value to its known value. Based on these simulations, this study provides insight into the limitations of the applied methods, causes for errors and possible error mitigation. In addition to extraction methods based on just transistor terminal characteristics, test structures for separately determining the components of the base resistance from sheet and specific contact resistances are discussed and applied to serve as reference for the experimental evaluation.

Though bank filtration diminishes the loads of many trace organic compounds (TOrCs) present in the source water, still there is a wide uncertainty on the influence of local environmental conditions on biodegradation processes. This research addresses the fate and transport behaviour of 37 trace organic compounds at a bank filtration site in Germany over a relatively long-time span of six years. Using two-dimensional heat and reactive transport modelling in FEFLOW, TOrCs are classified according to their occurrence in bank filtration wells with a residence time of up to 4 months. We identify 12 persistent compounds, 20 reactive compounds and 5 transformation products formed during aquifer passage. Estimates of first-order biodegradation rate constants are given for six reactive compounds. Minimum biodegradation rate constants (i.e. maximum half-lives) are approximated for eight compounds only present in the surface water. For some compounds, a simple first-order degradation model did not yield satisfactory results and the behaviour appears to be more complex. Processes like sorption, redox- and/or temperature-dependent biodegradation and temperature-dependent desorption are suspected but incorporating these into the model was beyond the scope of this paper that provides an overview for many compounds. Results highlight the ability of the sub-surface to improve the water quality during bank filtration, yet at the same time show the persistence of several compounds in the aquifer.

Smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and has been implicated in the regulation of the G protein-coupled receptor 15 (GPR15) by affecting CpG methylation. The G protein-coupled receptor 15 is involved in angiogenesis and inflammation. An effect on GPR15 gene regulation has been shown for the CpG site CpG3.98251294. We aimed to analyze the effect of smoking on GPR15 expression and methylation sites spanning the GPR15 locus. DNA methylation of nine GPR15 CpG sites was measured in leukocytes from 1291 population-based individuals using the EpiTYPER. Monocytic GPR15 expression was measured by qPCR at baseline and five-years follow up. GPR15 gene expression was upregulated in smokers (beta (&szlig, ) = &minus, 2.699, p-value (p) = 1.02 &times, 10&minus, 77) and strongly correlated with smoking exposure (&szlig, = &minus, 0.063, p = 2.95 &times, 34). Smoking cessation within five years reduced GPR15 expression about 19% (p = 9.65 &times, 5) with decreasing GPR15 expression over time (&szlig, = 0.031, p = 3.81 &times, 6). Additionally, three novel CpG sites within GPR15 affected by smoking were identified. For CpG3.98251047, DNA methylation increased steadily after smoking cessation (&szlig, = 0.123, p = 1.67 &times, 3) and strongly correlated with changes in GPR15 expression (&szlig, = 0.036, p = 4.86 &times, 5). Three novel GPR15 CpG sites were identified in relation to smoking and GPR15 expression. Our results provide novel insights in the regulation of GPR15, which possibly linked smoking to inflammation and disease progression.

Engineered heart tissue (EHT) from rat cells is a useful tool to study ventricular biology and cardiac drug safety. Since atrial and ventricular cells differ significantly, EHT and other 3D cell culture formats generated from ventricular cells have been of limited value to study atrial biology. To date, reliable in vitro models that reflect atrial physiology are lacking. Therefore, we established a novel EHT model using rat atrial cells (atrial EHT, aEHT) to assess atrial physiology, contractility and drug response. The tissue constructs were characterized with regard to gene expression, histology, electrophysiology, and the response to atrial-specific drugs. We observed typical functional properties of atrial tissue in our model such as more regular spontaneous beating with lower force, shorter action potential duration, and faster contraction and relaxation compared to ventricular EHT (vEHT). The expression of atrial-specific genes and proteins was high, whereas ventricle-specific transcripts were virtually absent. The atrial-selective drug carbachol had a strong negative inotropic and chronotropic effect on aEHT only. Taken together, the results demonstrate the feasibility of aEHT as a novel atrial 3D model and as a benchmark for tissue engineering with human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived atrial-like cardiomyocytes. Atrial EHT faithfully recapitulates atrial physiology and shall be useful to study atrial molecular physiology in health and disease as well as drug response.

Pruritus can have many different causes and is a very subjective sensation. As dialects show a greater diversity of linguistic expressions than standard languages, the description of the sensation of pruritus in a dialect might carry additional information about the quality of pruritus.This cross-sectional study was carried out in Q1/2016 in the rural Bavarian Forest region in Bavaria, Germany. Participants were recruited in the waiting rooms of local doctors. They were asked to complete four sentences composed in the Bavarian dialect in which one word per sentence that signified the sensation of pruritus had been replaced by a blank space.In total, the 1,007 participants (mean age 49.97 years, SD = 15.76; 58.2% female) named 2,870 expressions, 144 excluding duplicates. 98.7% of the expressions could be matched to 13 underlying terms. The most frequent ones were "jucken" ('to itch'', 59.5%), "brennen" ('to burn', 26.5%), "kribbeln" (no English equivalent, 1.1%), "kratzen" ('to scratch', 0.7%) and "beißen" ('to bite', 0.6%). The use of the different expressions was strongly situational: In 75% of the cases "brennen" ('to burn') was used in the context of contact to a stinging nettle (in German 'Brennnessel'). Two of the 13 expressions ("kribbeln" and "bitzeln", no English equivalents) were even used only in this scenario.In the Bavarian dialect several different expressions for the sensation of pruritus exist. Although "jucken" ('to itch') is the most common expression for the sensation of pruritus, the German medical terms "Pruritus" ('pruritus') and "Juckreiz" ('itch') don't do justice to the situational use of expressions in the dialect.

Background There is a high prevalence of allergies in Germany, with approximately 20% of the population having at least one allergy and only about 10% of these being treated adequately. We conducted a cross-sectional study in a rural area of Bavaria (Southern Germany) to evaluate the prevalence of allergies and their treatment, because research regarding this topic is currently limited. Methods Data were collected in 10 offices of non-dermatological doctors using a self-filled questionnaire to ask participants about allergies and treatment. Results A total of 641 questionnaires were appropriate for analysis. The prevalence of allergies in the Bavarian countryside was higher than that reported for Germany (37.3% vs. 20.0%). Furthermore, almost a third (30.4%) of allergies were not treated at all. The most frequently consulted therapist was found to be a general practitioner. Conclusions Based on the study results, there is a need for prevention programs and establishment of treatments for certain allergies to minimize long-term health effects. Moreover, more studies are needed to analyze the prevalence of allergies in farmers who had a higher prevalence of allergies compared to previously reported prevalence in literature reviews. Trial registrations The study was approved by the ethical review committee of the Technical University Munich (EC number 548/16S).

For the experimental determination of the emitter resistance of bipolar junction transistors and HBTs, many methods exist in the literature, which yield quite different results though. In this paper, the most widely used methods are reviewed and applied to SiGe HBTs of different technologies and generations, including different device types (i.e., high-speed and high-voltage transistors). First, the accuracy of the methods is evaluated based on simulated data using a compact model. Explanations for causes of observed inaccuracy or failure are given and discussed. Second, suitable methods are applied to experimental data. In both cases, the results are compared for a large variety of device sizes. This paper and its results provide insight into each method’s accuracy; its application limits with respect to a technology, device size, and operating range; as well as its requirements in terms of equipment and extraction effort. A guideline for extracting the emitter resistance is also given.

In order to increase the number of electrical vehicles (EV) in Germany, a nationwide distribution of public charging stations is intended to improve the perception of EV usage potential. These can be equipped with novel fast charging technology. To examine the users’ needs and deduce potential locations for charging stations, users of EV are interviewed with focus on acceptance of detours, the necessary back-up battery SOC (state of charge), and, as conclusion of both, the user’s preference for home or public charging. Finalizing, factors of perceived effort and perceived benefit in public charging are evaluated. It can be shown that the positioning of public charging is not yet sufficient, but has to be improved. This can be deducted from the backed-up battery SOC which is left to manage long detours to public charging infrastructure.

Der Abwartstrend in der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung Russlands setzte sich im Jahr 2015 weiter fort, die Ursachen lagen jedoch kaum in der Ukraine-Krise, sondern in der schwachen Wahrung und den Einbusen in einigen Wirtschaftssektoren, wie Maschinenbau und Metallurgie, denen gegenuber andere wachsende Industriebereiche, wie die Chemie-, Gummi- und Kunststoffindustrie, keinen ausreichenden Ausgleich bieten konnten.

Betrachtet man die Themen Compliance und Rechtssicherheit als Bestandteile eines Risikomanagements, welches die systematische Erkennung, Analyse, Bewertung, Uberwachung und Kontrolle von Risiken umfasst, so ist die Kenntnis der zutreffenden Normen und Gesetze, die Realisierung von Investitionsprojekten im Anlagenbau naher bestimmen, der erste und der bedeutendste Faktor der Risikominimierung.

In den letzten Jahrzehnten hat man den Wettbewerb zweier Verwaltungssysteme beobachten konnen – des staatlichen und des selbstregulierenden. Es ging um das Machtverhaltnis zwischen der Staatsgewalt und der lokalen, innerbetrieblichen, also selbstregulierenden Seite. Obwohl es Selbstregulierende Organisationen bereits in den 1920er Jahren gab und diese als Wirtschaftslenker vom Staat anerkannt waren, wurden die Fragen der Selbstregulierung in normativ-rechtlichen Dokumenten nicht berucksichtigt.

Die chemische Industrie sowie der Ol- und Gassektor spielen eine herausragende Rolle in der russischen Wirtschaft. Im Energiebereich sind uber 1,8 Millionen Menschen in Russland beschaftigt und dieser Bereich ist mit 30% des Bruttoinlandsproduktes Russlands einer der wichtigsten Industriezweige des Landes und mit 70% der bedeutendste Exportzweig der russischen Wirtschaft.

Die Attraktivitat des russischen Marktes mit hohen Gewinnmargen und hohen Investitionsvolumen fur einen deutschen Anlagenbauer ist jedoch mit einigen Risiken verbunden. Zu den Hindernissen im Russlandgeschaft zahlen das noch nicht vollstandig reformierte Bankensystem sowie Burokratie und Korruption.

Standardisierung ist ein naturlicher Prozess in der Entwicklung einer Gesellschaft, der unabhangig von der Produkt- oder Prozessart auf allen Ebenen wirtschaftlicher und anderer gesellschaftlicher Beziehungen und in allen Landern und Gemeinschaften stattfindet. Die dargestellten Parallelen in der Entwicklung der Standards, der Zollunionen und der Technischen Regulierung in Russland und in der Welt und die Rollen diverser Institutionen auf dem Gebiet der Standardisierung verdeutlichen die Bedeutung, den Sinn und die Gemeinsamkeiten solcher Prozesse und schaffen das notige Verstandnis fur auf den ersten Blick unverstandliche und burokratische Prozeduren bei der Realisierung von Investitions-projekten in Russland.

Der Beitritt Russlands zur Welthandelsorganisation nach einem fast zwanzigjahrigen Verhandlungsmarathon wurde von den Parteien mit unterschiedlichen Gefuhlen aufgenommen, denn dieser Beitritt war an die Erfullung bestimmter Voraussetzungen zur Abschaffung der Handelshemmnisse und an Zollminderungen geknupft. Diese wurden aber erst wahrend der Wirtschaftskrise 2008/2009 eingefuhrt und forderten russische Betriebe heraus, sich dem gewaltigen internationalen Wettbewerb zu stellen.

This study investigates the effect of extreme uncertainty on disclosure behaviour by analyzing the quality and quantity of forward‐looking disclosures during the global financial crisis and pre‐crisis periods, controlling for other determinants of disclosure behaviour. Prior research has struggled to distinguish between the quality and quantity dimensions of forward‐looking disclosures. Also, the impact of the recent financial crisis on these forward‐looking disclosure attributes has not yet been examined systematically. We address this gap by exploiting the unique setting of German publicly traded firms. These firms must provide forward‐looking information within their audited financial statements, although relevant regulation is sufficiently vague to allow great variation in the quality, scope and quantity of forward‐looking disclosures actually observed. Using hand‐collected data from 2005 to 2009, we provide evidence of a significantly negative association between crisis and disclosure quality. This finding is robust to several different disclosure quality proxies and regression specifications. In contrast, we find no negative significant relation between crisis and disclosure quantity; rather, there is evidence that reported volume increases during the crisis. Our results are consistent with extreme uncertainty, as occurring during times of crisis, negatively affecting the quality of voluntary disclosures, while firms maintain or increase disclosure quantity, ultimately diluting the information density of forward‐looking disclosures.

Um den gegenwartigen Stand und die derzeitige Entwicklung jeglicher Prozesse besser zu verstehen oder diese als Ergebnis zahlreicher Uberlegungen und Handlungen wahrzunehmen, ist eine historische Analyse dieser Prozesse unabdingbar.

Visual information such as SmartArts are often used in presentations and lectures. SmartArts are visual information containing some text and graphical elements. They have to be described verbally to become accessible for visually impaired and blind people. But a manual image description is often not provided or misses information about the pictorial part of SmartArt diagrams. We present a PowerPoint Add-In to create image descriptions semiautomatically. Both a short description and a long description containing details are generated. The author can adjust the generation by modifying a template. In a user evaluation the quality of manually and semi-automatic transcribed images were tested.

Aus den aufgefuhrten Bereichen, Arten und Tatigkeiten bei der Projektierung einer Anlage, bei der Zulassung diverser Produkte und bei den zahlreichen Prozeduren wahrend der Inbetriebnahme ist ersichtlich, wie breit das Tatigkeitsfeld eines Investitionsprojektes sein kann und wie gros der Umfang der durchzufuhrenden Arbeiten ist. Es ist zu vermuten, dass nur einige Dutzende der beteiligten Organisationen solch ein Vorhaben in einer kooperativen Zusammenarbeit bewaltigen konnen.