TU Dresden

Zusammenfassung Testmethodische Auswertungen stellen ein obligatorisches Element in der Entwicklung von High-Stakes-Tests dar. Im vorliegenden Beitrag wird die Bedeutung der Itemanalyse als Teil des Qualitätssicherungsverfahrens im Prüfungserstellungs- und Prüfungsüberarbeitungsprozess der Deutschen Sprachprüfung für den Hochschulzugang (DSH) thematisiert. Exemplarisch für die Prüfungsteile der rezeptiven Fertigkeiten wird die Itemanalyse mit den Kennwerten der Itemschwierigkeit und der Trennschärfe an einem Beispiel für das Leseverstehen vollzogen. Anhand von drei Beispielaufgaben wird deren Überarbeitungsprozess detailliert beschrieben und der Mehrwert der Itemanalyse in der Qualitätssicherung herausgestellt. Abschließend werden die Möglichkeiten der Itemanalyse und deren Bedeutung im DSH-Kontext diskutiert.

Simulation models are crucial for various applications across the lifecycle of process plants, such as plant engineering. As the industry moves toward modularization, plant components are increasingly supplied by manufacturers who design these modular units, often called package units or process equipment assemblies. Consequently, critical knowledge about their behavior resides with the manufacturers. This paper outlines the requirements for simulation model exchange to share this behavioral knowledge. It reviews solutions and highlights challenges based on literature and case studies. Key elements include metadata, open standards, IP protection, and quality assurance. Solutions, like the asset administration shell (AAS), CAPE‐OPEN, the Functional Mock‐up Interface (FMI), encrypted models, and quality models, are discussed. Remaining gaps are highlighted.

A model-based data analysis of the depth measurements performed during percussion drilling in stainless steel reveals the occurrence of microstructures by observed deviations from model expectations. For the data analysis, an adaptive correction factor ${c}_{\text{A}}$ was introduced into an analytical drilling model to account for changes in the absorptance caused by the microstructures. The analysis of the temporal evolution of ${c}_{\text{A}}$ during drilling shows that the presence of microstructures coincides with an increased absorption, while the formation of a single borehole tip is associated with a reduced absorption.

In this paper, we propose a spectrally-resolved titanium dioxide waveguide resonant sensor, modified with a perovskite film. The sensor consists of a prism (N-FK51A), gold (Au), hybrid organic–inorganic halide perovskites, and titanium dioxide layers. The thickness of each layer and the incident angle were optimized based on the Fresnel equations. The refractive index sensitivity of the sensor increased by 32.1% and the figure of merit improved by 60.0% after optimizing the thickness of each layer. The optimized sensor was applied to detect five types of cancer biomarkers (Basal, HeLa, Jurkat, PC12, and MDA-MB-231). Simulation results at an incident angle of 14° demonstrate that the sensor shows excellent performance for the proposed cancer biomarkers, with resonance wavelength shifts ranging from 26 to 44 nm due to differences in the refractive indices between normal cell and cancer cell. These results indicate that the perovskite-modified sensor offers superior sensitivity compared to conventional sensors without the perovskite structure. This enhancement significantly improves the detection performance across various cancer biomarkers. Additionally, by replacing the dense titanium dioxide film with a nanoporous structure in the waveguide layer, which also acts as a biochemical molecule enrichment layer, the detection sensitivity for low-concentration small molecules in solution can be further enhanced. The adsorption sensitivity for small molecules is 90 nm per unit volume fraction.

Although sex determination is a fundamental process in vertebrate development, it is very plastic. Diverse genes became major sex determinants in teleost fishes. Deciphering how individual sex-determining genes orchestrate sex determination can reveal new actors in sexual development. Here, we demonstrate that the Y-chromosomal copy of the TGF-β family member gdf6 (gdf6Y) in Nothobranchius furzeri, an emerging model organism in aging research, gained the function of the male sex determinant through allelic diversification while retaining the skeletal developmental function shared with the X-chromosomal gdf6 allele (gdf6X). Concerning sex determination, gdf6Y is expressed by somatic supporting cells of the developing testes. There it induces the male sex in a germ cell-independent manner in contrast to sex determination in zebrafish and the medaka. Looking for downstream effectors of Gdf6Y, we identified besides TGF-β signaling modulators, especially the inhibitor of DNA binding genes id1/2/3, the mRNA decay activator zfp36l2 as a new GDF6 signaling target.

While the effect of time-of-day (morning versus evening) on hormones, lipids and lipolysis has been studied in relation to meals and exercise, there are no studies that have investigated the effects of time-of-day on ice bath induced hormone and lipidome responses. In this crossover-designed study, a group of six women and six men, 26 ± 5 years old, 176 ± 7 cm tall, weighing 75 ± 10 kg, and a BMI of 23 ± 2 kg/m2 had an ice bath (8–12 °C for 5 min) both in the morning and evening on separate days. Absence from intense physical exercise, nutrient intake and meal order was standardized in the 24 h prior the ice baths to account for confounders such as diet or exercise. We collected venous blood samples before and after (5 min and 30 min) the ice baths to measure hormones (noradrenaline, adrenaline, and cortisol) and lipid levels in plasma via liquid chromatography mass spectrometry shotgun lipidomics. We found that ice baths in the morning increase plasma fatty acids more than in the evening. Overall plasma lipid composition significantly differed in-between the morning and evening, and only in the morning ice bathing is accompanied by significantly increased plasma fatty acids from 5.1 ± 2.2% to 6.0 ± 2.4% (P = 0.029) 5 min after and to 6.3 ± 3.1% (P = 0.008) 30 min after. Noradrenaline was not affected by time-of-day and increased significantly immediately after the ice baths in the morning by 127 ± 2% (pre: 395 ± 158 pg/ml, post 5 min: 896 ± 562 pg/ml, P = 0.025) and in the evening by 144 ± 2% (pre: 385 ± 146 pg/ml, post 5 min: 937 ± 547 pg/ml, P = 0.015). Cortisol was generally higher in the morning than in the evening (pre: 179 ± 108 pg/ml versus 91 ± 59 pg/ml, P = 0.013; post 5 min: 222 ± 96 pg/ml versus 101 ± 52 pg/ml, P = 0.001; post 30 min: 190 ± 96 pg/ml versus 98 ± 54 pg/ml, P = 0.009). There was no difference in the hormonal and lipidome response to an ice bath between women and men. The main finding of the study was that noradrenaline, adrenaline, cortisol and plasma lipidome responses are similar after an ice bath in the morning and evening. However, ice baths in the morning increase plasma fatty acids more than in the evening. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-85304-8.

Thin films fabricated from solution-processed graphene nanosheets are of considerable technological interest for a wide variety of applications, such as transparent conductors, supercapacitors, and memristors. However, very thin printed films tend to have low conductivity compared to thicker ones. In this work, we demonstrate a simple layer-by-layer deposition method which yields thin films of highly-aligned, electrochemically-exfoliated graphene which have low roughness and nanometer-scale thickness control. By optimising the deposition parameters, we demonstrate films with high conductivity (1.3 × 105 S/m) at very low thickness (11 nm). Finally, we connect our high conductivities to low inter-nanosheet junction resistances (RJ), which we estimate at RJ ~ 1kΩ.

Force spectroscopy gives access to the underlying free energy landscape of protein folding. Proteins exhibit folding rates between microseconds and hours. To access slow folding rates, magnetic tweezers have shown to be a promising tool, yet it remained unclear if magnetic tweezers capture kinetics of ultra-fast folding proteins. Here, we study the folding mechanics and kinetics of λ6-85; a five-helix bundle protein with fast ~20 µs folding time in the thermal denaturation midpoint. We observed two-state folding of λ6-85 at ~ 6.2 pN and ~ 250 ms folding time in the mechanical midpoint. With optical tweezers, we found that λ6-85 folds at the mechanical midpoint with ~ 15 ms, 16-fold faster than in magnetic tweezers. To resolve the discrepancy between magnetic and optical tweezers, we developed a physics-based model taking into account the constant force condition of magnetic tweezers and the spacer mechanics. Using this model, we reach agreement between magnetic tweezers, optical tweezers and thermal denaturation experiments. In summary, we show that magnetic tweezers capture kinetics of ultrafast conformational changes, even at low forces. The model for extrapolation of the kinetics to force-free conditions provides opportunities of comparability for the growing community of magnetic tweezers force spectroscopy.

Pancreatic surgery is still associated with significant morbidity. In a simultaneously increasingly ageing population with elevated morbidity, the risk stratification and indications for surgery are of particular importance. Assessment of the impact of multimorbidity of patients on the postoperative outcome after pancreatic surgery. Evaluation and summary of the available literature. The postoperative morbidity after pancreatic surgery remains high. Relevant comorbidities, such as liver cirrhosis, cardiac and pulmonary diseases and advanced renal insufficiency enormously increase the risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality; however, in high-volume centers with appropriate expertise in pancreatic surgery the mortality is below 5%. Pancreatic surgery with severe comorbidity can be safely performed in centers with proven expertise. Nevertheless, a careful interpretation of the indications and good patient selection are essential for the postoperative outcome.

The Hugo RAS system is characterized by its multimodular design, which leads to an increased docking effort. Exact data for docking time and the learning curve is missing. We describe for the first time the use of a laser-guided cart positioning to reduce the docking time. In this prospective monocentric study, the docking time was evalutated for a consecutive series of pelvic surgeries with the Hugo RAS system. In a subgroup, a cross-line laser was adapted at the cart for positioning using fix points at the ceiling. The medical personnel were classified as “inexperienced” with ≤ 5 consecutive dockings and as “experienced” with > 5 consecutive dockings. From 10/2023 to 08/2024, 82 procedures were performed with the Hugo RAS. For the evaluation 75 procedures could be considered. The mean docking time was 7.6 ± 3.5 min. There was a reduction in docking time from 13.5 ± 3.7 min in the first 5 procedures to 4.4 ± 0.9 min in the last 5 procedures (p < 0.001). Docking with laser (n = 45) was faster than without laser (n = 30) (6.2 ± 2.5 vs. 9.8 ± 3.7 min, p < 0.001). Faster docking time was observed with inexperienced surgical nursing staff with laser than without laser (10.4 ± 3.7 vs. 5.4 ± 1.4 min; p < 0.001). With experienced nursing staff, the laser had no influence (6.6 ± 1.3 vs. 6.7 ± 2.9 min; p = 0.9). As a reference docking time for daVinci Xi procedures was 2.4 ± 1.7 min (n = 5). Laser-guided cart positioning has a significant impact on docking time, especially for unexperienced medical personnel. Especially in the times of experienced staff shortage, laser-guided cart positioning can save operating time.

Purpose The management of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) at reference centers with specialized multidisciplinary tumor boards (MTB) improves patient survival. The German Cancer Society (DKG) certifies sarcoma centers in German-speaking countries, promoting high standards of care. This study investigated the variability in treatment recommendations for localized STS across different German-speaking tertiary sarcoma centers. Methods In this cross-sectional case-based survey study, 5 anonymized patient cases with imaging data of localized STS were presented to MTBs of 21 German-speaking tertiary referral hospitals. Centers provided recommendations on treatment sequence and modalities, along with the consensus level within their MTB. Agreement percentages were calculated, and consensus levels were rated on a scale of 1 to 10. Results Five patient cases were discussed resulting in 105 recommendations. Agreement percentages for case 1 to 5 were 14.3%, 61.9%, 33.3%, 52.4% and 9.3%, with a median agreement percentage of 33.3%. Grouping pre- and postoperative therapies as "perioperative" and including recommendations with and without regional hyperthermia raised the median agreement to 47.6%. The mean consensus level within each center across all 5 cases was 9.5. Conclusion This first case-based analysis of inter-center agreement for STS management in German-speaking countries reveals low inter-center agreement but high intra-center consensus. Our study includes nearly all tertiary sarcoma centers in German-speaking countries, affirming its strong external validity. These findings suggest potential and clinically very relevant differences in treatment standards among sarcoma centers. Enhanced case-based exchanges and collaborative efforts are needed to reduce discrepancies and standardize the management of STS patients.

Extrinsic apoptotic network is driven by Death Ligand (DL)-mediated activation of procaspase-8. Recently, we have developed the first-in class small molecule, FLIPinB, which specifically targets the key regulator of extrinsic apoptosis, the protein c-FLIPL, in the caspase-8/c-FLIPL heterodimer. We have shown that FLIPinB enhances DL-induced caspase-8 activity and apoptosis. However, the effects of FLIPinB action in combination with other cell death inducers have only just begun to be elucidated. Here, we show that FLIPinB enhances the cell death in pancreatic cancer cells induced by combinatorial treatment with DL, gemcitabine and Mcl-1 inhibitor S63845. Further, we found that these effects are mediated via an increase in the complex II assembly. Collectively, our study shows that targeting the caspase-8/c-FLIPL heterodimer in combination with the other drugs in pancreatic cancer cells is a promising direction that may provide a basis for further therapeutic strategies.

Herein we investigate the interaction of the highly porous metal-organic framework DUT-76(Cu) with different C1-C4 hydrocarbons at their boiling points. During adsorption the structure appeared to simply decompose however the true process is a transition into an amorphous phase with a smaller total pore volume. We used a combination of multi cycle physisorption experiments of different hydrocarbons (methane, ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, n-butane, 1,3-butadiene) with X-ray diffraction, SEM imaging and total scattering to investigate this transition. With this methodology we were able to gain a deep understanding of occurring phenomena on the crystal structure, the local structure as well as the macroscopic behavior of the material and recognized a stronger transition with increasing chain length, number of double bonds and adsorption/desorption cycles due to adsorption stress. These multi cycle adsorption experiments can be utilized as a semi-quantitative tool to test the mechanical stability of highly sensitive mesoporous materials.

The understanding of phenomena falling outside the Ginzburg-Landau paradigm of phase transitions represents a key challenge in condensed matter physics. A famous class of examples is constituted by the putative deconfined quantum critical points between two symmetry-broken phases in layered quantum magnets, such as pressurised SrCu2(BO3)2. Experiments find a weak first-order transition, which simulations of relevant microscopic models can reproduce. The origin of this behaviour has been a matter of considerable debate for several years. In this work, we demonstrate that the nature of the deconfined quantum critical point can be best understood in terms of a novel dynamical mechanism, termed Nordic walking. Nordic walking denotes a renormalisation group flow arising from a beta function that is flat over a range of couplings. This gives rise to a logarithmic flow that is faster than the well-known walking behaviour, associated with the annihilation and complexification of fixed points, but still significantly slower than the generic running of couplings. The Nordic-walking mechanism can thus explain weak first-order transitions, but may also play a role in high-energy physics, where it could solve hierarchy problems. We analyse the Wess-Zumino-Witten field theory pertinent to deconfined quantum critical points with a topological term in 2+1 dimensions. To this end, we construct an advanced functional renormalisation group approach based on higher-order regulators. We thereby calculate the beta function directly in 2+1 dimensions and provide evidence for Nordic walking.

The expanding scale and complexity of microscopy image datasets require accelerated analytical workflows. NanoPyx meets this need through an adaptive framework enhanced for high-speed analysis. At the core of NanoPyx, the Liquid Engine dynamically generates optimized central processing unit and graphics processing unit code variations, learning and predicting the fastest based on input data and hardware. This data-driven optimization achieves considerably faster processing, becoming broadly relevant to reactive microscopy and computing fields requiring efficiency.