2012, Dryanov, D., Petrov, P.

In mathematics, the term approximation usually means either interpolation on a point set or approximation with respect to a given distance. There is a concept, which joins the two approaches together, and this is the concept of characterization of the best approximants via interpolation. It turns out that for some large classes of functions the best approximants with respect to a certain distance can be constructed by interpolation on a point set that does not depend on the choice of the function to be approximated. Such point sets are called canonical sets of best approximation. The present paper summarizes results on canonical sets of best L1-approximation with emphasis on multivariate interpolation and best L1-approximation by blending functions. The best L1-approximants are characterized as transfinite interpolants on canonical sets. The notion of a Haar-Chebyshev system in the multivariate case is discussed also. In this context, it is shown that some multivariate interpolation spaces share properties of univariate Haar-Chebyshev systems. We study also the problem of best one-sided multivariate L 1-approximation by sums of univariate functions. Explicit constructions of best one-sided L1-approximants give rise to well-known and new inequalities.

2012, Mousa, A., Heinrich, G., Kretzschmar, B., Wagenknecht, U., Das, A.

Poly(vinyl chloride)/nitrile butadiene rubber (PVC/NBR) alloys were melt-mixed using a Brabender Plasticorder at 180 °C and 50rpm rotor speed. Alloys obtained by melt mixing from PVC and NBR were formulated with wood-flour- (WF-) based olive residue, a natural byproduct from olive oil extraction industry. WF was progressively increased from 0 to 30phr. The effects of WF loadings on the tensile properties of the fabricated samples were inspected. The torque rheometry, which is an indirect indication of the melt strength, is reported. The pattern of water uptake for the composites was checked as a function WF loading. The fracture mode and the quality of bonding of the alloy with and without filler are studied using electron scanning microscope (SEM).

2013, Haertel, B., Straßenburg, S., Oehmigen, K., Wende, K., Von Woedtke, T., Lindequist, U.

Adequate chronic wound healing is a major problem in medicine. A new solution might be non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma effectively inactivating microorganisms and influencing cells in wound healing. Plasma components as, for example, radicals can affect cells differently. HaCaT keratinocytes were treated with Dielectric Barrier Discharge plasma (DBD/air, DBD/argon), ozone or hydrogen peroxide to find the components responsible for changes in integrin expression, intracellular ROS formation or apoptosis induction. Dependent on plasma treatment time reduction of recovered cells was observed with no increase of apoptotic cells, but breakdown of mitochondrial membrane potential. DBD/air plasma increased integrins and intracellular ROS. DBD/argon caused minor changes. About 100 ppm ozone did not influence integrins. Hydrogen peroxide caused similar effects compared to DBD/air plasma. In conclusion, effects depended on working gas and exposure time to plasma. Short treatment cycles did neither change integrins nor induce apoptosis or ROS. Longer treatments changed integrins as important for influencing wound healing. Plasma effects on integrins are rather attributed to induction of other ROS than to generation of ozone. Changes of integrins by plasma may provide new solutions of improving wound healing, however, conditions are needed which allow initiating the relevant influence on integrins without being cytotoxic to cells.

2012, Ecke, W., Chen, K., Leng, J.

[No abstract available]

2014, Götz, Julia, Lüth, Stefan, Krawczyk, Charlotte M., Cosma, Calin

At the CO2 storage pilot site near the town of Ketzin (35 km west of Berlin, Germany) the sandstone reservoir at 630 m–650 m depth is thin and heterogeneous. The time-lapse analysis of zero-offset VSP measurements shows that CO2-induced amplitude changes can be observed on near-well corridor stacks. Further, we investigate whether CO2-induced amplitude changes in the monitoring data can be used to derive geometrical and petrophysical parameters governing the migration of CO2 within a brine saturated sandstone aquifer. 2D seismic-elastic modelling is done to test the processing workflow and to perform a wedge modelling study for estimation of the vertical expansion of the CO2 plume. When using the NRMS error as a measure for the similarity between the modelled and recorded repeat traces, the best match is achieved for a plume thickness of 6-7 m within the reservoir sandstone of 8 m thickness. With band limited impedance inversion a velocity reduction at the top of the reservoir of 30%, influenced by casing reverberations as well as CO2 injection, is found. The relation of seismic amplitude to CO2 saturated layer thickness and CO2-induced changes in P-wave velocities are important parameters for the quantification of the injected CO2 volume.

2012, Zietz, C., Fritsche, A., Finke, B., Stranak, V., Haenle, M., Hippler, R., Mittelmeier, W., Bader, R.

New developments of antimicrobial implant surfaces doped with copper (Cu) ions may minimize the risk of implant-associated infections. However, experimental evaluation of the Cu release is influenced by various test parameters. The aim of our study was to evaluate the Cu release characteristics in vitro according to the storage fluid and surface roughness. Plasma immersion ion implantation of Cu (Cu-PIII) and pulsed magnetron sputtering process of a titanium copper film (Ti-Cu) were applied to titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) samples with different surface finishing of the implant material (polished, hydroxyapatite and corundum blasted). The samples were submersed into either double-distilled water, human serum, or cell culture medium. Subsequently, the Cu concentration in the supernatant was measured using atomic absorption spectrometry. The test fluid as well as the surface roughness can alter the Cu release significantly, whereby the highest Cu release was determined for samples with corundum-blasted surfaces stored in cell medium.

2012, Takahashi, Kazunori, Igel, Jan, Preetz, Holger

In small-scale measurements, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) often uses a higher frequency to detect a small object or structural changes in the ground. GPR becomes more sensitive to the natural heterogeneity of the soil when a higher frequency is used. Soil heterogeneity scatters electromagnetic waves, and the scattered waves are in part observed as unwanted reflections that are often referred to as clutter. Data containing a great amount of clutter are difficult to analyze and interpret because clutter disturbs reflections from objects of interest. Therefore, modeling GPR clutter is useful to assess the effectiveness of GPR measurements. In this paper, the development of such a technique is discussed. This modeling technique requires the permittivity distribution of soil (or its geostatistical properties) and gives a nominal value of clutter power. The paper demonstrates the technique with the comparison to the data from a GPR time-lapse measurement. The proposed technique is discussed in regard to its applicability and limitations based on the results.

2012, Gitin, A.V.

All known quantum-mechanical approaches to wave and statistical optics are united into a single theory, using Feynman's path integral as a fundamental principle. In short-wave approximations, this principle, the Fourier transformations, and concepts of the theory reproduce Fermat's principle, the Legendre transformations, and concepts of Hamilton's optics and radiometry in a one-to-one fashion.

2013, Avitabile, D., Salchert, K., Werner, C., Capogrossi, M.C., Pesce, M.

Various reports have indicated low survival of injected progenitors into unfavorable environments such as the ischemic myocardium or lower limb tissues. This represents a major bottleneck in stem-cell-based cardiovascular regenerative medicine. Strategies to enhance survival of these cells in recipient tissues have been therefore sought to improve stem cell survival and ensure long-term engraftment. In the present contribution, we show that embedding human cord blood-derived CD34+ cells into a collagen I-based hydrogel containing cytokines is a suitable strategy to promote stem cell proliferation and protect these cells from anoxia-induced apoptosis.