Technical University of Munich

This study explores carbon dioxide enrichment in anaerobic digestion to boost biomethane production and assess degradation kinetics and methanogenic pathway evolution. Carbon dioxide enrichment was found to improve inoculum digestion, supplying additional energy for methanogenic archaea. The methane yield of blank inocula increased by 53 % to 77 % after carbon dioxide enrichment. Although further digestion of inoculum residues took longer, rapid adaptation led to an increased methane production rate that surpassed the lag phase. No antagonistic effects were observed with carbon dioxide enrichment after applying the feedstocks. Increased methane production, along with a significant reduction in chemical oxygen demand, confirms the impact of carbon dioxide enrichment on inoculum digestion. Isotope analysis showed an increase in δ2H-CH4 values by approximately 36 mU compared to non-enriched inoculum, implying enhanced hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Carbon dioxide enrichment significantly enhances biomethane production and digestion efficiency in anaerobic digestion, offering a sustainable solution for large-scale plant operations.

This research investigates the phenomenon of urban sprawl in a medium-sized metropolitan area, specifically Bandar Lampung. It identifies the primary characteristics of urban sprawl and its impact on suburban development. The goal is to pinpoint the symptoms of urban sprawl through its spatial patterns, which may form systemically or sporadically, and predict their occurrence. The underlying theory is that urban sprawl symptoms can be observed in the rapid population growth and land use change in suburban areas. Using statistical and spatial analysis (Geographic Information System), we studied the population growth rate and land use alterations in Bandar Lampung and its suburbs over the past decade. Our study reveals that the population in the suburbs is growing faster than in the city. Over a decade, there has been a land use change to 1255 ha of built-up land. This change is strongly associated with the development of public infrastructure and road networks. We recommend implementing smart growth strategies to manage urban sprawl in medium-sized cities in Indonesia. Additionally, we provide a critical review of the causal relationships driving urban sprawl and its widespread impacts

Despite advances in creating dissipative materials with transient properties, such as hydrogels and active droplets, their application remains confined to temporal changes in structural properties. Developing out‐of‐equilibrium materials whose electronic functions are parameterized by a chemical reaction cycle is challenging. Yet, this class of materials is required to construct biomimetic materials. In contrast to traditional chemical reaction cycles that exploit molecularly dissolved building blocks at thermodynamic equilibrium, we show that fiber structures derived from reactive naphthalene diimide (NDI) building blocks can be used as resting states to form far‐from‐equilibrium conductive hydrogels after the addition of chemical fuels. Upon fueling the NDI‐derived fibers, a dual‐component activation and deactivation pathway is deduced by kinetic analysis and is absent when using a molecularly dissolved resting state. Investigating the solid‐state morphologies of the structures formed throughout the fuel‐driven reaction cycle using cryo‐EM reveals that the resting thermodynamic fibers evolve to transient thicker fibrils and layered superstructures. We show that the transient redox‐active hydrogels exhibit a nearly threefold increase in electrical conductivity upon fuel consumption before reverting to their original value over hours. These far‐from‐equilibrium materials are potential candidates in applications such as programmable biorobotics and chemical computing.

Recent JET D–T campaigns opened the possibility of unique isotope studies to investigate the L–H transition physics in view of reactor plasmas and to study the origin of the observed power threshold minimum. In the present paper, we characterise L–H transitions in the low and high-density branches of JET NBI-heated D–T plasmas. As discussed in the paper, L–H transition has been hypothesised to be determined by the transport power losses of plasma ions, i.e. the so-called ion heat flux (Qi). We present the first power balance analysis of JET NBI-heated D–T plasmas to evaluate the ion heat flux at the transition. Due to the experimental setting being similar to previous JET D experiments, we also directly compare the results, discussing the isotope effect and similarities between datasets. First, we find an isotope effect between D and D–T Qi, with a lower Qi in D–T plasmas. We confirm that the ion heat flux deviates from density linearity compared to the linear trend observed in wave-heated D plasmas of other tokamaks. The deviation we observe in NBI-heated L–H transitions happens at an isotope-dependent density. Plasma edge rotation correlates with Qi deviation from density linearity in the low-density branch. However, further investigations would be required to assess the role of rotation on Qi and the power threshold minimum at JET. At low plasma density, NBI power dominates Qi, while increasing the density makes the equipartition power dominant. We finally compare our results with hypotheses proposed from evidence in other tokamaks to present a complete overview of ion heat flux analyses in D and D–T NBI-heated plasmas at JET.

Background The population is aging rapidly worldwide, impacting public health, with countries in the Global South, such as Brazil, aging faster than developed nations. The 24-hour movement behavior is crucial for healthy aging, but its relationship with the neighborhood built environment is underresearched, especially for older adults. The EpiMove Study uses accelerometers and GPS to investigate the relationships between 24-hour movement behavior, community mobility and the neighborhood built environment for healthy aging in older Brazilian adults. Methods The EpiMove Study is a representative cross-sectional study of older adults aged 60 years and older from an urban area in the southern region of Brazil. It consists of two phases. Phase 1 involves conducting home interviews to gather subjective measures of the neighborhood built environment and physical activity. Phase 2 involves delivering devices to participants’ homes and collecting objective data on 24-hour movement behavior via wrist-worn wGT3X-BT ActiGraph accelerometers and community-based active transportation via hip-mounted GPS Qstarz-1000XT devices. The data are collected simultaneously over seven consecutive days, along with the participants’ reasons for adhering to the study protocol. Discussion The EpiMove study will provide a better understanding of the relationships between the perceived neighborhood environment and 24-hour movement behaviors and community-based active transportation among older adults, with a particular focus on whether environmental factors influence these behaviors, which are crucial for healthy aging. The results from the EpiMove study could offer essential evidence for developing public policies and urban interventions that support healthier and more equitable environments for aging populations, particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions.

The lncRNA Crossfirre was identified as an imprinted X-linked gene, and is transcribed antisense to the trans-acting lncRNA Firre. The Firre locus forms an inactive-X-specific interaction with Dxz4, both loci providing the platform for the largest conserved chromatin structures. Here, we characterize the epigenetic profile of these loci, revealing them as the most female-specific accessible regions genome-wide. To address their in vivo role, we perform one of the largest X-linked knockout studies by deleting Crossfirre, Firre, and Dxz4 individually and in combination. Despite their distinct epigenetic features observed on the X chromosome, our allele-specific analysis uncovers these loci as dispensable for imprinted and random X chromosome inactivation. However, we provide evidence that Crossfirre affects autosomal gene regulation but only in combination with Firre. To shed light on the functional role of these sex-specific loci, we perform an extensive standardized phenotyping pipeline and uncover diverse knockout and sex-specific phenotypes. Collectively, our study provides the foundation for exploring the intricate interplay of conserved X-linked loci in vivo.

Adult reports of unexpected severe disease worsening, often termed “rebound”, shortly after discontinuing fingolimod, have grown over the last decade. This phenomenon, however, remains poorly described in pediatric patients. We present findings of a 15-year-old who experienced a debilitating relapse four weeks after stopping fingolimod to switch to ocrelizumab. Imaging revealed multiple large new lesions far exceeding any previously observed activity level in the patient. Despite prompt high-dose corticosteroids, plasma exchange and prolonged rehabilitation therapy, significant residual deficits involving cognition, balance and vision remain from the attack. This case underscores that pediatric patients are also at risk of severe disease deterioration after fingolimod withdrawal and require close monitoring when switching therapies.

The EU AI Act requires providers of high-risk AI systems to establish a Quality Management System (QMS) to monitor and document the AI system’s design, quality, and risk. This paper introduces a new design concept for a QMS as a SaaS web application and demonstrates its feasibility with an implemented prototype. It connects directly to the AI system for verification and documentation and enables the orchestration and integration of various sub-services, each tailored to specific EU AI Act requirements. The prototype connects to the Phi-3-mini-128k-instruct LLM as an example AI system and includes a risk and a data management sub-service. The prototype is evaluated through an assessment of implemented requirements and feedback from IT, AI, and legal experts.

The residual stress state in the sub-surface of machined components can significantly impact the properties and performance of parts, such as tribological properties, fatigue life, and dimensional distortion. The evolution of residual stresses depends on the selected process parameters and tool geometry, which affect the thermo-mechanical load imposed on the workpiece. The cutting-edge radius is among the most important factors influencing the resulting residual stresses. In this paper, a semi-analytical model for the determination of residual stresses after peripheral milling of Ti–6Al–4V is presented. It considers the physical principles of orthogonal machining, including the complex geometric and kinematic relationships during milling, to enable the determination of the residual stress variation after three-dimensional milling. Model input parameters, such as the equivalent Hertzian width of contact, the contact pressure, and the friction coefficients, were determined using a dedicated in-situ experimental setup. In addition, digital image correlation (DIC) was used to characterize the displacement fields in the sub-surface during machining. After the peripheral milling of Ti–6Al–4V, the calculated residual stresses were compared with experimentally measured values for various process parameters and cutting-edge radii. The residual stress model reproduced the 3D residual stress depth profiles with acceptable accuracy. The maximum Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) was 29.87 MPa .

This work explores the complex hydrodynamics in magnetophoretic microfluidic processes, focusing on the interplay of forces and particle concentrations. The study employs a combined simulation and experimental approach to investigate...

There is a perpetual need for efficient and mild methods to integrate deuterium atoms into carbon frameworks through late‐stage modifications. We have developed a simple and highly effective synthetic route for hydrogen isotope exchange (HIE) in aromatic compounds under ambient conditions. This method utilizes catalytic amounts of hexafluorophosphate (PF6⁻) in deuterated 1,1,1,3,3,3‐hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP‐d1) and D2O. Phenols, anilines, anisoles, and heterocyclic compounds were converted with high yields and excellent deuterium incorporations, which allows for the synthesis of a wide range of deuterated aromatic compounds. Spectroscopic and theoretical studies show that an interactive H‐bonding network triggered by HFIP‐d1 activates the typically inert P−F bond in PF6⁻ for D2O addition. The thus in situ formed DPO2F2 then triggers HIE, offering a new way to deuterated building blocks, drugs, and natural‐product derivatives with high deuterium incorporation via the activation of strong bonds.

Background Fusion transcripts (FTs), generated by the fusion of genes at the DNA level or RNA-level splicing events significantly contribute to transcriptome diversity. FTs are usually considered unique features of neoplasia and serve as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for multiple cancers. The latest findings show the presence of FTs in normal human physiology. Several discrete reports mentioned the presence of fusion transcripts in planta, has important roles in stress responses, morphological alterations, or traits (e.g. seed size, etc.). Results In this study, we identified 169,197 fusion transcripts in 2795 transcriptome datasets of Arabidopsis thaliana, Cicer arietinum, and Oryza sativa by using a combination of tools, and confirmed the translational activity of 150 fusion transcripts through proteomic datasets. Analysis of the FT junction sequences and their association with epigenetic factors, as revealed by ChIP-Seq datasets, demonstrated an organised process of fusion formation at the DNA level. We investigated the possible impact of three-dimensional chromatin conformation on intra-chromosomal fusion events by leveraging the Hi-C datasets with the incidence of fusion transcripts. We further utilised the long-read RNA-Seq datasets to validate the most reoccurring fusion transcripts in each plant species followed by further authentication through RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing. Conclusions Our findings suggest that a significant portion of fusion events may be attributed to alternative splicing during transcription, accounting for numerous fusion events without a proportional increase in the number of RNA pairs. Even non-nuclear DNA transcripts from mitochondria and chloroplasts can participate in intra- and inter-chromosomal fusion formation. Genes in close spatial proximity are more prone to undergoing fusion formation, especially in intra-chromosomal FTs. Most of the fusion transcripts may not undergo translation and serve as long non-coding RNAs. The low validation rate of FTs in plants indicated that the fusion transcripts are expressed at very low levels, like in the case of humans. FTs often originate from parental genes involved in essential biological processes, suggesting their relevance across diverse tissues and stress conditions. This study presents a comprehensive repository of fusion transcripts, offering valuable insights into their roles in vital physiological processes and stress responses.

Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease is an inherited lysosomal storage disorder mainly driven by mutations in the NPC1 gene, causing lipid accumulation within late endosomes/lysosomes and resulting in progressive neurodegeneration. Although microglial activation precedes neuronal loss, it remains elusive whether loss of the membrane protein NPC1 in microglia actively contributes to NPC pathology. In a mouse model with depletion of NPC1 in myeloid cells, we report severe alterations in microglial lipidomic profiles, including the enrichment of bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate, increased cholesterol, and a decrease in cholesteryl esters. Lipid dyshomeostasis was associated with microglial hyperactivity, marked by an increase in translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO). These hyperactive microglia initiated a pathological cascade resembling NPC-like phenotypes, including a shortened life span, motor impairments, astrogliosis, neuroaxonal pathology, and increased neurofilament light chain (NF-L), a neuronal injury biomarker. As observed in the mouse model, patients with NPC showed increased NF-L in the blood and microglial hyperactivity, as visualized by TSPO-PET imaging. Reduced TSPO expression in blood-derived macrophages of patients with NPC was measured after N -acetyl- l -leucine treatment, which has been recently shown to have beneficial effects in patients with NPC, suggesting that TSPO is a potential marker to monitor therapeutic interventions for NPC. Conclusively, these results demonstrate that myeloid dysfunction, driven by the loss of NPC1, contributes to NPC disease and should be further investigated for therapeutic targeting and disease monitoring.

Designing electrocatalysts with optimal activity and selectivity relies on a thorough understanding of the surface structure under reaction conditions. In this study, experimental and computational approaches are combined to elucidate reconstruction processes on low‐index Pd surfaces during H‐insertion following proton electroreduction. While electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy clearly reveals pronounced surface roughening and morphological changes on Pd(111), Pd(110), and Pd(100) surfaces during cyclic voltammetry, a complementary analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry excludes Pd dissolution as the primary cause of the observed restructuring. Large‐scale molecular dynamics simulations further show that these surface alterations are related to the creation and propagation of structural defects as well as phase transformations that take place during hydride formation.

In this paper a new modeling approach for denitrification and similar processes, which depend on the geochemical gradient between the air-filled larger pores in a soil and a water-filled matrix, is presented. The new modeling approach is capable of taking soil structural properties (obtained e.g. from X-ray CT) into account without requiring a high-resolution simulation. The model approach is explained and its application is demonstrated by simulating denitrification experiments conducted with repacked soil samples to assess the challenges and possibilities of the new approach. The main result of the modeling is that the nitrous oxide emission measured in the experiment can not be explained by a limited supply with oxygen alone at a carbon turnover rate derived from carbon dioxide emissions. It is additionally necessary that the microbial activity is concentrated in localized hot spots to create anaerobic conditions. This is confirmed by analytical solutions.

Gate-teleportation circuits are arguably among the most basic examples of computations believed to provide a quantum computational advantage: In seminal work \cite{TerhalDiVincenzo04}, Terhal and DiVincenzo have shown that these circuits elude simulation by efficient classical algorithms under plausible complexity-theoretic assumptions. Here we consider possibilistic simulation \cite{wang2021possibilistic}, a particularly weak form of this task where the goal is to output any string appearing with non-zero probability in the output distribution of the circuit. We show that even for single-qubit Clifford-gate-teleportation circuits this simulation problem cannot be solved by constant-depth classical circuits with bounded fan-in gates. Our results are unconditional and are obtained by a reduction to the problem of computing the parity, a well-studied problem in classical circuit complexity.

Understanding the electrochemical behavior of hydrogen adsorption at Pt-group metal surfaces, particularly in the context of non-well-defined nanoparticle surfaces, is crucial for advancing electrocatalytic applications such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). This study investigates the non-Nernstian pH shifts observed for underpotential deposited Hupd-like cyclic voltammetry peaks on Pt, Ir, Pd, and Rh nanoparticles. Utilizing density functional theory calculations, we explore the potential-dependent stability of H and OH adsorbates at undercoordinated surface sites, emphasizing the role of non-ideal electrosorption valencies in these shifts. Our results support that the peaks arise predominantly from a direct H-OH replacement process and suggest the primary influence of partial charge transfer. The theoretical predictions show good agreement with experimental observations across various Pt-group metals, even on non-well-defined surfaces, and provide insights into cation-specific effects at Pt across the entire pH scale. This work not only clarifies the origin of the Hupd-like peak within the water stability region but also offers a foundation for understanding cation effects in HER kinetics, paving the way for more detailed analyses of cation type, concentration, and interfacial solvent structure.

Granular soils creep and age. Previous findings on the time-dependent phenomena under deviatoric stress are summarized and extended with the results of an experimental investigation. Multi-stage triaxial compression tests with creep phases at different deviatoric loading on medium-dense and dense samples of a uniformly graded silica sand confirm an increase in stiffness after creep phases. Contact maturing, contact homogenization, and stabilization of the soil structure are known causes for ageing reported in the literature. As other results found in the literature, the volumetric creep behavior can be dilatant, contractant or of negligible strain close to zero and depends on the trend of the volumetric strain resulting from deviatoric loading at the beginning of creep. By the triaxial tests it is shown that dilatant creep results in an increase of the radial strain due to grain rearrangements. The axial strain rates during creep and changes of the small-strain shear modulus (ageing) follow a power law with time. According to the experiments, the exponent of the proposed power law describing the development of strain and shear modulus at small strain during creep is independent of the density and stress state. The small-strain shear stiffness and the associated soil structure at the onset of creep determine the subsequent ageing behavior. A linear dependency was found between the related ageing rates and axial strain rates during creep, which can be used to predict ageing of granular materials in combination with rate-dependent constitutive models.