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Platform and modular strategies are widely used in the automotive industry to realize extensive product portfolios efficiently and cost-effectively. The objective is to provide large external product variance with minimal internal variance. In this context, a conflict arises between the desired economic synergy and sufficient product differentiation for customers. For this reason, systematic platform and modular variant management constitute a key factor of success for automotive manufacturers. However, the technical design of platforms and module kits is carried out according to the respective product program, so that many differently structured platforms and module kits exist. These differ in terms of variable platform components and the use of individual modules that influence the physical shape of the platform. The specific designs result in different degrees of complexity and variation potential, which have a decisive influence on the cost structure of individual automotive manufacturer. In order to remain competitive as well as to derive suitable strategic measures, the competitive analysis of platform and module variance is essential for automotive manufacturer. The increase of complexities intensifies especially the need to evaluate and to compare platform and module within the transformation from Internal-Combustion-Engine to Battery-Electric-Vehicles.

This study aims to evaluate the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) with optical coherence tomography (OCT) among patients with alcohol and tobacco use disorder.

Chronic psychological stress cause erectile dysfunction (ED). Considering recent evidence that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels are increased in serum of patients with ED, the present study investigated the effects of infliximab (a TNF-α blocker) on endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS) immunoreactivity of rat penile corpus cavernosum in unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). Male adult rats were randomly divided into three groups (n=8 per group): Control, UCMS and UCMS+infliximab. Control and UCMS groups received physiological saline, UCMS+infliximab group received infliximab (5 mg kg−1per week, intraperitoneally) during 8 weeks of UCMS. UCMS and UCMS+infliximab groups were subjected to different types of stressors, which were randomly applied four to five times during this time period. After 8 weeks, penile eNOS and nNOS expressions were determined immunohistochemically. In UCMS group, nNOS and eNOS immunoreactivity was found to be decreased in penile corpus cavernosum compared with the control group. Whereas in infliximab treatment group eNOS and nNOS immunoreactivity increased compared with the UCMS group. These findings support that UCMS decreases penile constitutive NOS expression via TNF-α, which may contribute to the development of ED. Blockage of TNF-α actions may represent an alternative therapeutic approach for ED in chronic psychological stress.

We compared the effectiveness of three anaesthetic regimens (propofol alone, propofol with remifentanil and sevoflurane alone), with respect to seizure duration and seizure quality in patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy.Thirty-nine patients underwent a total of 234 electroconvulsive therapy treatments in this prospective, observer blinded, crossover study. Each patient received either propofol 1 mg/kg alone (Group P), propofol 0.5 mg/kg and remifentanil 1 μg/kg (Group R), or sevoflurane alone 6% (Group S) for their initial electroconvulsive therapy session. The patients subsequently received an alternative regimen in their next session, such as from propofol 1 mg/kg alone to propofol 0.5 mg/kg and remifentanil 1 μg/kg, from propofol 1 mg/kg alone to propofol 0.5 mg/kg and remifentanil 1 μg/kg to sevoflurane alone 6%, or from sevoflurane alone 6% to a continuing alternation between drugs at each session, until their sixth session. Muscle paralysis was achieved with 1 mg/kg succinylcholine. Seizure duration, postictal suppression index, early and midictal amplitude were recorded. The mean motor and electroencephalogram seizure durations were significantly longer in Groups P and R compared to Group S (P<0.001). The postictal suppression index and early and midictal amplitude values were not significantly different among the groups.These findings indicate that the three anaesthetic regimens had similar effects on seizure quality parameters, although sevoflurane was associated with shorter seizure durations than propofol or propofol-remifentanil.

We aim to compare properties of early-type post-asymptotic giant-branch (post-AGB) stars, including normal first-time B-type post-AGB stars, and extreme helium stars (EHes). Hipparcos photometry for 12 post-AGB stars and 7 EHe stars has been analyzed; 5 post-AGB stars are clearly variable. The Hipparcos data are not sufficiently sensitive to detect variability in any of the EHes. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The lateral motion of a vehicle is controlled using a parameter-dependent controller. The primary objective of the designed controller is to keep the vehicle’s center of gravity close to the lane center. The measured outputs are the offset signal at a look-ahead point and the vehicle’s yaw rate. The control input is actuated by a motor installed on the steering rack. The system model exhibits a linear parametervarying behavior, the parameter being the longitudinal speed, with a fixed time delay in the actuator model and a longitudinal speed-dependent time delay in the offset sensor model. Based on H theory, controllers are designed for the infinite-dimensional linearized system models at selected operating conditions. Performances of the controllers are examined under various conditions via simulations, and robustness issues are discussed.

Abstract: The metabolic response to surgical stress is a nonspecific increase in hepatic synthesis of some specialized acute-phase proteins and a decrease in plasma concentrations of visceral proteins following surgical trauma. This study was undertaken determine which specific proteins were the better clinical indices in monitoring the metabolic response to surgical stress in children recovering from minor surgery. Forty-four patients undergoing elective inguinal surgical procedures under general anesthesia were studied. Blood samples were collected preoperatively (−1) and at 1(+1) and 5(+5) days postoperatively to determine albumin (AL), Prealbumin (PA), C-reactive protein (CRP), and a1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) values, and to calculate the prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index (PINI). Mean AL values were the same on all days. Mean PA  +1 was significantly lower than PA −1 and PA +5 (P < 0.001). Median CRP +1 and mean AGP +1 values were significantly higher than median CRP −1 and mean AGP −1 (P < 0.0001), respectively. Although there was a decrease after postoperative day 1, median CRP +5 and mean AGP +5 values were still significantly higher than preoperative values (P < 0.01 and P < 0.0001). Moreover, the median PINI +1 was also greater than PINI −1 and PINI +5 (P < 0.0001), but the median PINI+5 was significantly higher than PINI −1 (P < 0.01). Median percent changes of PINI values were significantly higher than those of the other parameters from both preoperatively to postoperative day 1 and preoperatively to postoperative day 5. Although several specific proteins (AL, PA, CRP, and AGP) have been evaluated as indicators of the acute metabolic response, we suggest that the PINI is more valuable for reflecting the response to surgical stress in patients recovering from minor surgery.