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In diesem Kapitel werden einige elementare Beobachtungen vorgestellt, die man mit einem kleinen Radioteleskop, wie es von Hochschulen, Sternwarten und Amateuren betrieben werden kann, machen kann, insbesondere die Radiostrahlung der Sonne, von Cassiopeia A und die 21-cm-Strahlung aus der Milchstrase.

In diesem Kapitel wird die Funktionsweise eines Radioteleskops erlautert. Die wichtigsten Komponenten sind die Antenne (z. B. eine Parabolantenne bestehend aus Reflektor und sog. Feed), die Verstarker und die Messgerate fur die Empfangsleistung. Am Beispiel eines Software Defined Radios und digitaler Signalverarbeitung wird erklart, wie ein Signalspektrum gewonnen werden kann.

Nach einer kurzen Darstellung der Entwicklung der Astronomie bis zum 19. Jahrhundert wird auf die Entdeckung der elektromagnetischen Wellen durch Maxwell und Hertz eingegangen. Diese ermoglichten die Entwicklung der Funktechnik. Als man begann, den Kurzwellenbereich zu nutzen, entdeckte K. Jansky die ersten Signale kosmischen Ursprungs. Die Radioastronomie etablierte sich nach 1945 und fuhrte zur Entdeckung zahlreicher kosmischer Radioquellen, der 21-cm-Strahlung des Wasserstoffs, der kosmischen Hintergrundstrahlung, und von Quasaren und Pulsaren. Moderne interferometrische Methoden und Datenverarbeitung ermoglichen spektakulare Darstellungen, z. B. die eines Schwarzen Lochs. Aber auch auserhalb der Grosforschungseinrichtungen kann man sich mit Radioastronomie beschaftigen, als Beispiel wird das Radioteleskop der Sternwarte Nurnberg vorgestellt.

In diesem Kapitel werden die grundlegenden Eigenschaften elektromagnetischer Wellen erlautert. Durch die Eigenschaften der Erdatmosphare ergeben sich die Frequenzbereiche, in denen radioastronomische Beobachtungen moglich sind.

In the context of the Internet-of-Things (IoT), wireless connectivity of wide spread sensor networks for infrastructure and environment monitoring is one of the essential factors for implementation. Low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN) are cost-effective solutions for such applications. Their high maximum coupling loss makes them also appealing for deep indoor-to-outdoor applications. However, no suitable channel models for these scenarios are available, especially taking the long-term effects of stationary transmitters and receivers into account. Such long-term effects are e.g. generated by the opening or closing of doors. The consideration of these long-term effects are important for LPWAN as many use-cases only require a single successful transmission per day. To develop a suitable channel model we performed extensive long-term measurements in a suburban, a commercial and an industrial area. For these we used up to 50 special transmitters that enabled us to measure the channel characteristics over a period of several weeks with a temporal resolution of five minutes. Using thousands of measurement data we developed a generic indoor-to-outdoor channel model for LPWANs operated in license-exempt frequency bands based on statistical analyses of the obtained data.

To evaluate Parkinson's disease (PD)-associated pain as perceived by the patients (subjective characterization), and how this may change following initiation of rotigotine transdermal patch.SP1058 was a non-interventional study conducted in routine clinical practice in Germany and Austria in patients experiencing PD-associated pain (per the physician's assessment). Data were collected at baseline (ie, before rotigotine initiation) and at a routine visit after ≥25 days (-3 days allowed) of treatment on a maintenance dose of rotigotine (end of study [EoS]). Pain perception was assessed using the 12-item Pain Description List of the validated German Pain Questionnaire (each item ranked 0 = 'not true' to 3 = 'very true'). Primary effectiveness variable: change from baseline to EoS in the sum score of the 4 'affective dimension' items of the Pain Description List. Secondary effectiveness variables: change from baseline to EoS in Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) II, III, and II+III scores, and Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-8) total score (PD-related quality-of-life). Other variables included scores of the eight 'sensory dimension' items of the Pain Description List.Of 93 enrolled patients (mean [SD] age: 71.1 [9.0] years; male: 48 [52%]), 77 (83%) completed the study, and 70 comprised the full analysis set. The mean (SD) change from baseline in the sum score of the four 'affective dimension' items was -1.3 (2.8) indicating a numerical improvement (baseline: 3.9 [3.4]). In the 'sensory dimension', pain was mostly perceived as 'pulling' at baseline (49/70 [70%]); 'largely true'/'very true'). Numerical improvements were observed in all UPDRS scores (mean [SD] change in UPDRS II+III: -5.3 [10.5]; baseline: 36.0 [15.9]), and in PDQ-8 total score (-2.0 [4.8]; baseline: 10.7 [5.9]). Adverse drug reactions were consistent with dopaminergic stimulation and transdermal administration.The perception of the 'affective dimension' of PD-associated pain numerically improved in patients treated with rotigotine. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01606670; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01606670?term=NCT01606670rank=1.

Summary Objective Evidence for the efficacy and safety of adjunctive lacosamide in the treatment of partial‐onset seizures (POS) was gained during placebo‐controlled clinical trials in patients with treatment‐resistant seizures who were taking one to three concomitant antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). The VITOBA study (NCT01098162) evaluated the effectiveness and tolerability of adjunctive lacosamide added to one baseline AED in real‐world clinical practice. Methods We conducted a 6‐month observational study at 112 sites across Germany. Adult patients (≥16 years) with POS received lacosamide adjunctive to only one baseline AED. Seizure frequency reduction at the end of the observation period was compared with a 3‐month retrospective baseline period. Results Five hundred seventy‐one patients received lacosamide at least once (Safety Set [SS]); 520 provided evaluable seizure records (Full Analysis Set [FAS]); and 499 took in‐label dosages of lacosamide (up to 400 mg) and were evaluated for effectiveness (modified FAS). Median baseline seizure frequency was 2.0 per 28 days: 47.1% of patients (235/499, mFAS) took a concomitant sodium channel–blocking (SCB) AED; 38.1% (190/499) had only one lifetime AED; and 18.4% (92/499) were aged ≥65 years (mFAS). At the final visit, 72.5% (358/494) of patients showed a ≥50% reduction in seizure frequency from baseline, 63.8% (315/494) showed a ≥75% reduction, and 45.5% (225/494) were seizure‐free. Seizure freedom rates were higher in patients aged ≥65 years (56.7%) compared with patients aged 5 years duration (41.0%), and when added to first monotherapy (60.5%) rather than as a later therapy option. Treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were reported by 48.5% (277/571) of patients (SS), with a profile similar to that observed in pivotal trials; 466 of patients (81.6%, SS) continued lacosamide therapy after the trial. Significance These results suggest that lacosamide use, added to one concomitant AED, was effective at improving seizure control and was well tolerated in patients treated in routine clinical practice.

Introduction Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), due to both the disease itself and anti-PD drugs. We hypothesized that transdermal drug administration may result in fewer GI problems. This prospective observational study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01159691 ) investigated effect of switching to rotigotine transdermal patch from oral anti-PD medications in patients with PD and existing GI symptoms. Methods Patients were enrolled if their physician was planning to switch them to rotigotine because of GI symptoms experienced while receiving oral anti-PD medications. Effectiveness assessments included a visual analog scale (VAS) measuring intensity of GI symptoms from 0 (no disorder) to 100 mm (extremely severe disorder), a questionnaire on the frequency and intensity of six individual GI complaints (heartburn, bloating, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea), each rated 0–12 for a sum score of 0–72, and patient satisfaction regarding GI symptoms over approximately 6 weeks after switching. Results Of 75 patients who received rotigotine, 58 had follow-up data available for final analysis. Intensity of GI complaints improved numerically on both the VAS (47.5 ± 24.4 mm [ n = 65] at baseline, 19.7 ± 23.3 mm [ n = 58] after around 6 weeks) and the sum score of GI complaints (11.2 ± 9.0 at baseline, 2.1 ± 4.4 [ n = 58] after around 6 weeks). Fifty of 58 patients were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” regarding GI symptoms over around 6 weeks following switch to the patch. Conclusion This study suggests that a switch from oral anti-PD medications to rotigotine transdermal patch may improve existing GI symptoms among patients with PD. Additional controlled studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Reliable wireless data links, which use the license free ISM/SRD frequency bands below 1 GHz are a key component for machine-to-machine communications in the environment of smart metering and smart grid. In contrast to mobile communication devices, the mounting position of such sensor, actor or metering devices is static over a long period. To design such specific low power wide area networks (LPWAN), knowledge about propagation channel and its temporal evolution is essential. Here, path loss and the multipath propagation conditions are the main aspects. To analyse the temporal evolution of typical sub-GHz ISM/SRD transmission channels, we performed two measurement field trials in the commercial area of Erlangen, Germany, in 2014 and 2016. Based on the measurement results for the 868 MHz ISM/SRD band, in this study the temporal evolution of the channel characteristic is adressed. Therefore we propose a two path channel model which describes the multipath propagation conditions. With reference to this model, a classification of the measured radio channels is done. Model parameters, like the amplitude of the first received signal path, are extracted from the measurement data and afterwards analysed with respect to the correlation between the two measurement field trials. The results show the unchanged characteristic of the majority of the measured radio channels after two years. Therefor, channels which indicate multipath propagation in 2014 are also observable in 2016. Furthermore, our correlation analysis of the model parameter show that besides the channel characteristic the temporal evolution of consecutive days in 2014 and 2016 is approximately constant. This indicates that the multipath propagation conditions are static over several years, and so our previous assumption of multipath effects of reflections on static structures, e.g. adjacent buildings, is plausible.

We report the synthesis of new compounds 4-35 based on two different openings (A and B) of the chromane ring present in the previously identified 5-HT1A receptor (5-HT1AR) ligand 3. The synthesized compounds were assessed for binding affinity, selectivity, and functional activity at the 5-HT1AR. Selected candidates resulting from B opening were also evaluated for their potential antinociceptive effect in vivo and pharmacokinetic properties in vitro. Analogue 19 [2-(4-{[2-(2-ethoxyphenoxy)ethyl]amino}butyl)tetrahydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-c]imidazole-1,3(2H)-dione] has been characterized as a high-affinity and potent 5-HT1AR agonist (Ki = 2.3 nM; EC50 = 19 nM). Pharmacokinetic studies indicated that compound 19 displays a good metabolic stability in human liver microsomes (t1/2 ∼ 3 h and CLint = 3.5 mL/min/kg, at 5 μM), and a low level of protein binding (25%, at 5 μM). Interestingly, 19 (3 mg/kg, ip, and 30 mg/kg, po) caused significant attenuation of formalin-induced behavior in early and late phases of the mouse intradermal formalin test of pain, and this in vivo effect was reversed by the selective 5-HT1AR antagonist WAY-100635. Thus, the new 5-HT1AR agonist identified in this work, 19, exhibits oral analgesic activity, and the results herein represent a step toward identifying new therapeutics for the control of pain.

Objective We aimed to assess effectiveness and tolerability of rotigotine in patients with moderate to severe idiopathic restless legs syndrome (RLS) under daily practice conditions in Germany. Methods In this 3-month noninterventional study, effectiveness was assessed using RLS-6 (primary variables were symptom severity when falling asleep [item 2] and during the night [item 3]). Data were collected at baseline and at the end of treatment. Safety assessments included adverse events (AEs). Results Six hundred and eighty-four patients were treated with rotigotine and 418 (61%) completed the study. The full analysis set (FAS) comprised 564 patients (106 de novo; 458 pretreated [454 had complete rotigotine dosing data]). Mean rotigotine dose of longest duration was 2.4 ± 1.4 mg/24 h. Rotigotine improved all RLS-6 items (mean change from baseline [item 2], −2.4 ± 3.6; [item 3], −2.7 ± 3.4), with the most pronounced improvement observed in daytime symptoms while at rest (item 4, −2.9 ± 3.2). AEs were typical of dopaminergic treatment and transdermal administration. De novo patients generally started rotigotine on 1 mg/24 h (85% [90/106]) and pretreated patients on 1 (50% [227/454]) or 2 mg/24 h (40% [183/454]). Most patients who were pretreated with levodopa (57%), pramipexole (84%), or ropinirole (78%) monotherapy discontinued these medications on initiation of rotigotine. Conclusions Rotigotine was effective and well-tolerated when used in routine clinical practice.

Four out of six CYP enzymes involved in steroid biosynthesis are very interesting targets for the development of new drugs in order to treat a variety of severe illnesses. Herein we report on a novel approach for the discovery of hit compounds using new combinations of substructures of known CYP inhibitors. The synthesis of new scaffolds and their biological evaluation regarding inhibition of CYP17, CYP19, CYP11B1 and CYP11B2 are described. Thus, the very active (IC 50 = 114 and 100 nM) and selective (IC 50 >1000 nM) CYP11B2 inhibitors, compounds 4 and 5 , were obtained as well as the dual inhibitor 3 , reducing the activities of CYP19 and CYP11B2.

To provide real-world data on caregiver and physician perceptions of the advantages and disadvantages of rotigotine transdermal patch (Neupro * ) versus oral Parkinson's Disease (PD) medication.Cross-sectional, non-interventional study in routine clinical practice in Germany (NCT01330290). Patients had PD with documented need for care, and had received rotigotine transdermal patch as add-on to oral PD treatment for ≥1 month. Caregivers/nurses and physicians assessed rotigotine transdermal patch versus oral PD medications using questionnaires. Specific questions regarding the possible benefits of transdermal application were asked and comprised questions on: swallowing dysfunction, nausea/vomiting, monitoring therapy, once daily application, application independently from meals, application to sleeping patients, caregiving efforts (caregivers only) and clinical aspects (physicians only). Each question was assessed on a 5 point scale ranging from -2 (major disadvantage) to 2 (major advantage) compared with oral treatment. Primary outcomes were mean total scores of all questions for caregivers/nurses and physicians who provided responses for ≥4 questions. As there are no validated tools to assess physician/caregiver preference in the PD setting, there is no reference against which the current findings can be compared; this study serves to pilot the questionnaires.Questionnaire responses from 128 caregivers/nurses and 41 physicians were documented for 147 patients. One hundred (68%) patients had a caregiving family member; 40 (27%) were cared for by a nurse. Mean PD duration was 8.2 (SD 6.3) years; 136 (93%) patients were taking levodopa. Mean total score of caregivers'/nurses' questionnaires was 1.32 (SD 0.67) and of physicians' questionnaires was 1.46 (0.32) indicating a perceived advantage of rotigotine transdermal patch over oral PD therapy. Mean scores for individual questions were in the range 1.03-1.54 for caregivers/nurses and 1.15-1.87 for physicians. When given a choice about rationale to prescribe, physicians cited pharmaceutical form (patch) in 139 (95%) cases and active agent (rotigotine) in 89 (61%) cases.Caregivers/nurses and physicians perceived advantages with rotigotine transdermal patch compared to an oral PD medication as add-on therapy in patients with PD; advantages were observed in aspects of medical treatment as well as in everyday situations of caregiving of PD patients.

Antenna Diversity is a method to improve the reliability of DAB reception in mobile environment leading to less spots with undesired audio interruptions and increased coverage areas.

Twenty-one novel compounds originating from two classes of annulated biphenyls were synthesized as mimetics of the steroidal A- and C-rings and examined for their potency as inhibitors of human CYP17. Selected compounds were tested for inhibition of the hepatic CYP enzyme 3A4. Potent CYP17 inhibitors were found for each class, compound 9 (17 and 71% at 0.2 and 2 microM, respectively) and 21 (591 nM). Compound 21 showed only weak inhibition of CYP3A4 (32 and 64% at 2 and 10 microM, respectively). Both compounds, however, exhibited moderate to strong inhibition of the glucocorticoid-forming enzyme CYP11B1. The most interesting compounds were docked into our protein model. They bound into one of the modes which we have previously published. New interaction regions were identified.

Abiraterone, a steroidal cytochrome P450 17alpha-hydroxylase-17,20-lyase inhibitor (CYP17), is currently undergoing phase II clinical trials as a potential drug for the treatment of androgen-dependent prostate cancer. Since steroidal compounds often show side effects attributable to their structure, we have tried to replace the sterane scaffold by nonsteroidal core structures. The design and synthesis of 20 new abiraterone mimetics are described. Their activities have been tested with recombinant human CYP17 expressed in E. coli. Promising compounds were further evaluated for selectivity against CYP11B1, CYP11B2, and the hepatic CYP3A4. Compounds 19 and 20 showed comparable activity to abiraterone (IC50 values of 144 and 64 nM vs 72 nM) and similar or even better selectivity against the other CYP enzymes. Selected compounds were also docked into our homology model, and the same binding modes as for abiraterone were found.

Thirty-five novel substituted imidazolyl methylene biphenyls have been synthesized as CYP17 inhibitors for the potential treatment of prostate cancer. Their activities have been tested with recombinant human CYP17 expressed in Escherichia coli. Promising compounds were tested for selectivity against CYP11B1, CYP11B2, and hepatic CYP enzymes 3A4, 1A2, 2B6 and 2D6. The core rigidified compounds (30-35) were the most active ones, being much more potent than Ketoconazole and reaching the activity of Abiraterone. However, they were not very selective. Another rather potent and more selective inhibitor (compound 23, IC(50)=345 nM) was further examined in rats regarding plasma testosterone levels and pharmacokinetic properties. Compared to the reference Abiraterone, 23 was more active in vivo, showed a longer plasma half-life (10h) and a higher bioavailability. Using our CYP17 homology protein model, docking studies with selected compounds were performed to study possible interactions between inhibitors and amino acid residues of the active site.

In Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks, computers with equal rights form a logical (overlay) network in order to provide a common service that lies beyond the capacity of each single participant. Among other applications, fielded P2P networks have shown their viability for the distribution and exchange of large amounts of data. Current research on retrieval in P2P systems focuses largely on keyword-based retrieval and other weakly in- teractive query paradigms. Within this paper, we present a Bayesian image browser that helps the user in finding images in dis- tributed collections. Bayesian image browsers operate by presenting sequences of thumbnail-based collections to the user, at each step collecting user feedback that is used to update a Bayesian model. In contrast to query by example (QBE) no initial query image is needed in order to start the query process. Our approach is scalable in that the state of the Bayesian model is maintained locally in the browsing peer and only a small number of thumbnails is requested from the network at each step. Each query step is thus done in a short time frame. In this paper we present the method, as well as first experiments done using a JXTA-based implementation.

Hunt the Cluster (HTC) is an interactive image browser for small to medium-sized P2P networks that uses methods that are likely to scale also to larger net- works. In Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networks, computers with equal rights form a logical (overlay) network in order to provide a common service that lies beyond the capac- ity of each single participant. Current research on re- trieval in P2P systems focuses largely on keyword-based retrieval and other weakly interactive query paradigms. In contrast, interaction is at the center of our contri- bution. We demo a Bayesian, PicHunter-like image browser that helps the user in finding images in distributed col- lections. Such browsers operate by presenting sequences of thumbnail-based collection overviews to the user, at each step collecting user feedback that is used to update a Bayesian model. Our approach is scalable in that the state of the Bayesian model is maintained locally in the browsing peer and only a few thumbnails are requested from the network at each step. Each query step is thus done in a short timeframe. At the conference we will present one peer that is connected to a P2P network consisting of 50 peers, let- ting visitors try the browsing functionality of our sys- tem.

Novel chemical entities were prepared via Suzuki and S(N) reaction as AC-ring substrate mimetics of CYP17. The synthesised compounds 1-31 were tested for activity using human CYP17 expressed in Escherichia coli. Promising compounds were tested for selectivity against hepatic CYP enzymes (3A4, 2D6, 1A2, 2C9, 2C19, 2B6). Two potent inhibitors (27, IC50 = 373 nM/28, IC50 = 953 nM) were further examined in rats regarding their effects on plasma testosterone levels and their pharmacokinetic properties. Compound 28 was similarly active as abiraterone and showed better pharmacokinetic properties (higher bioavailability, t(1/2) 9.5 h vs 1.6 h). Docking studies revealed two new binding modes different from the one of the substrates and steroidal inhibitors.

The Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) system developed within the Eureka 147 project is well adapted to the requirements of broadcasting audio, programme associated data and general data including, e.g. video, still images and coded traffic messages. The configuration of the DAB multiplex (i.e. data rates and error protection of the different applications) is flexibly adjustable. Having evaluated the performance of DAB data channels in typical mobile reception situations, we conclude that the system will allow multimedia services to be reliably broadcast to mobile, portable and fixed receivers. To demonstrate this capability of DAB, we set up and operated experimental low bitrate video and still image transmissions associated with audio programmes.