Novel measurement system for respiratory aerosols and droplets in indoor environments

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has created a great demand for a better understanding of the spread of viruses in indoor environments. A novel measurement system consisting of one portable aerosol-emitting mannequin (emitter) and a number of portable aerosol-absorbing mannequins (recipients) was developed that can measure the spread of aerosols and droplets that potentially contain infectious viruses. The emission of the virus from a human is simulated by using tracer particles solved in water. The recipients inhale the aerosols and droplets and quantify the level of solved tracer particles in their artificial lungs simultaneously over time. The mobile system can be arranged in a large variety of spreading scenarios in indoor environments and allows for quantification of the infection probability due to airborne virus spreading. This study shows the accuracy of the new measurement system and its ability to compare aerosol reduction measures such as regular ventilation or the use of a room air purifier.     

Selective clustering for representative paintings selection

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Selective classification (or rejection based classification) has been proved useful in many applications. In this paper we describe a selective clustering...     

科帕卡格拉纳建筑 奥地利维亚纳

正科帕卡格拉纳位于新多瑙河12.5公里处,毗邻Reichsbrücke大桥。出于同旧有设计保持协调性考虑,力求能让大楼融入当地环境,迎合自身功能性需要,GERNER GERNER PLUS团队充分考虑现有周边环境,对大楼重新规划设计。新的设计突显建筑的特殊性和重要性,面向河流的立面是科帕卡格拉纳大楼最重要的部分,所以设计的重点也放在了这里。现有的城市中轴线是一个参照物,为了视觉上和氛围上形成一体化城市的感     

风情西班牙 马德里AXEL酒店

正Axel酒店坐落于马德里文学街区中心的一栋19世纪的大楼内,在西班牙"黄金世纪"时期,这一地区曾是一个重要的文化中心。经过岁月的洗礼,大楼至今仍保留着橙色的外墙和典雅的阳台。接手此次酒店设计的是西班牙室内设计工作室EL EQUIPO CREATIVO,设计师以西班牙著名导演佩德罗·阿莫多瓦(Pedro Almodóvar)的电影为灵感,在酒店内融入了马德里非常传统并广受欢迎的特色元素和一些著名的视觉元素。     

A Potent Mimetic of the Siglec-8 Ligand 6’-Sulfo-Sialyl Lewisx

Siglecs are members of the immunoglobulin gene family containing sialic acid binding N-terminal domains. Among them, Siglec-8 is expressed on various cell types of the immune system such as eosinophils, mast cells and weakly on basophils. Cross-linking of Siglec-8 with monoclonal antibodies triggers apoptosis in eosinophils and inhibits degranulation of mast cells, making Siglec-8 a promising target for the treatment of eosinophil- and mast cell-associated diseases such as asthma. The tetrasaccharide 6’-sulfo-sialyl Lewis^x has been identified as a specific Siglec-8 ligand in glycan array screening. Here, we describe an extended study enlightening the pharmacophores of 6’-sulfo-sialyl Lewis^x and the successful development of a high-affinity mimetic. Retaining the neuraminic acid core, the introduction of a carbocyclic mimetic of the Gal moiety and a sulfonamide substituent in the 9-position gave a 20-fold improved binding affinity. Finally, the residence time, which usually is the Achilles tendon of carbohydrate/lectin interactions, could be improved.     

Improvement of Aglycone π-Stacking Yields Nanomolar to Sub-nanomolar FimH Antagonists

Antimicrobial resistance has become a serious concern for the treatment of urinary tract infections. In this context, an anti-adhesive approach targeting FimH, a bacterial lectin enabling the attachment of E. coli to host cells, has attracted considerable interest. FimH can adopt a low/medium-affinity state in the absence and a high-affinity state in the presence of shear forces. Until recently, mostly the high-affinity state has been investigated, despite the fact that a therapeutic antagonist should bind predominantly to the low-affinity state. In this communication, we demonstrate that fluorination of biphenyl α-d -mannosides leads to compounds with perfect π–π stacking interactions with the tyrosine gate of FimH, yielding low nanomolar to sub-nanomolar K_D values for the low- and high-affinity states, respectively. The face-to-face alignment of the perfluorinated biphenyl group of FimH ligands and Tyr48 was confirmed by crystal structures as well as ¹H,¹⁵N-HSQC NMR analysis. Finally, fluorination improves pharmacokinetic parameters predictive for oral availability.     

Adhesion of a rigid punch to a confined elastic layer revisited

The adhesion of a punch to a linear elastic, confined layer is investigated. Numerical analysis is performed to determine the equivalent elastic modulus in terms of layer confinement. The size of the layer relative to the punch radius and its Poisson’s ratio are found to affect the layer stiffness. The results reveal that the equivalent modulus of a highly confined layer depends on its Poisson’s ratio, whereas, in contrast, an unconfined layer is only sensitive to the extent of the elastic film. The solutions of the equivalent modulus obtained from the simulations are fitted by an analytical function that, subsequently, is utilized to deduce the energy release rate for detachment of the punch via linear elastic fracture mechanics. The energy release rate strongly varies with layer confinement. Regimes for stable and unstable crack growth can be identified that, in turn, are correlated to interfacial stress distributions to distinguish between different detachment mechanisms.