RWTH Aachen University

Adoption of, attitudes towards, and perceived challenges of digital health in hospice and palliative care among professionals in Germany: a national cross-sectional web-based survey

Abstract Background Digital health technologies may support communication, symptom management, continuity of care, and access to services in hospice and palliative care. National data on their adoption, on professionals’ attitudes, and on perceived barriers are scarce. We examine...

Asymptotic-Preserving Schemes for the Initial-Boundary Value Problem of Hyperbolic Relaxation Systems

Abstract. In this work, we present a numerical method for the initial-boundary value problem (IBVP) of first-order hyperbolic systems with source terms. The scheme directly solves the relaxation system using a relatively coarse mesh and captures the equilibrium behavior quite wel...

Deliberate Workflows. Why Explicit Steps Define the SHAPE of Modern Research Data Processing

Research data are rarely published as they were recorded. In between lies processing (cleaning, converting, combining, analysing, plotting), and that is where results are made and most easily lost. Steps live in someone's head, files are handed on without saying what they contain...

Dimerization of human PARP15 is required for NAD + binding and automodification

Abstract PARP proteins are enzymes catalyzing ADP-ribosylation, a well-conserved post-translational modification. In addition to the catalytic domain present in all PARPs, these proteins have a wide selection of other domains possessing different functions. Additional domains pre...

Engineering Gold Nanoconstruct Architecture Dictates Absorption Efficiency and Photoacoustic Imaging Performance

Abstract Photoacoustic (PA) imaging combines the high contrast of optical modalities with the deep-tissue penetration and high-spatial resolution of ultrasound, making it an attractive technique for biomedical imaging. Gold nanoconstructs are among the most widely investigated PA...

Comparison of a New Fully Synthetic Perfusion Solution to Belzer MPS for 24-H Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion of Porcine Kidneys: A Feasibility Study.

Background: Kidney transplantation remains the only curative therapy for end-stage renal disease, yet organ shortage limits its impact. Static cold storage of kidney, still widely used because of its cost effectiveness, is often associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury and del...

Towards a Pseudo-Labeling Workflow for Celltype-Classification from Explanted Brain Slice Recordings

Abstract This paper proposes an unsupervised workflow to pseudo-label extracellular spikes from human brain slice MEA recordings into two putative cell types: pyramidal cells and interneurons. Here, the raw data from the data acquisition system is used and processed. The pipeline...

LLM-driven design of physics-constrained constitutive models: Two agents are better than one

Abstract Developing constitutive models that capture how materials deform under load traditionally requires years of specialized expertise in continuum mechanics, machine learning, and scientific programming. Large language models (LLMs) have recently been shown to lower this bar...

Real-time Quality Assessment of Donor Kidneys During Normothermic Machine Perfusion Using Perfusate and Urinary Biomarkers.

Background: Objective, real-time criteria for kidney graft quality during normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) are lacking, contributing to subjective acceptance decisions and organ discard. We evaluated real-time perfusate/urinary biomarkers and perfusion parameters during NMP a...

Cross-national and historical variation in relative age effects in professional football

The relative age effect (RAE) — the overrepresentation of players born early in the selection year — is one of the most robust findings in sports science, yet how much it varies across countries and over time remains surprisingly underexplored. Drawing on birth-date data for 49,5...

Understanding and Designing Phase Change Materials: Insights From Atom Probe Tomography

Phase Change Materials (PCMs) can be rapidly and reversibly switched between their amorphous and crystalline state; a transition that is accompanied by a pronounced change of optoelectronic properties. Here, progress is reviewed to explain these property changes, focusing on adva...

Performance of the spin qubit shuttling architecture for a surface code implementation

Qubit shuttling promises to advance some quantum computing platforms to the qubit register sizes needed for effective quantum error correction (QEC), but also introduces additional errors whose impact must be evaluated. The established method to investigate the performance of QEC...

Neuropsychobiological transdiagnostic risk mechanisms for aggression in mental disorders across the life span

Abstract Background Aggression in mental disorders (AMD) is a prevalent symptom, poses difficulties to the clinical setting and has far-reaching societal implications. The biological basis of different manifestations, developmental courses, and disease-specific mechanisms remains...

Distinct Plasma Proteomic Signatures Distinguish MASLD From Non‐Steatotic Individuals but Not From MetALD

ABSTRACT Background and Aims Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most prevalent liver disease, yet accurate early detection remains challenging. A particular diagnostic obstacle is distinguishing MASLD from metabolic dysfunction and alcohol‐rel...

Fueled by sunlight, clouded by concern: Risk perceptions and risk-risk tradeoffs regarding solar fuels from artificial photosynthesis in Germany

Mitigating climate change requires societal transformation, including decarbonization innovations, as CO 2 emissions remain the primary driver of global warming. One emerging solution is solar fuels, produced through artificial photosynthesis by integrating green hydrogen, carbon...

Biophysical rationale and emerging clinical perspectives of surfactants in thoracic surgery: a translational review

Abstract Background Pulmonary surfactants are essential for alveolar stability and gas exchange. While their clinical use is well established in neonatal care, their potential in thoracic surgery remains underexplored. Objective To review the current and emerging applications of...

CD147 is associated with NF-κB activation during the post-traumatic immune response in a murine trauma model

Abstract Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (CD147) has been proven to play a crucial role in a variety of inflammatory diseases but has not yet been investigated in trauma. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of CD147 in a murine model of trauma and hemo...

Cell-derived lactate triggers local hydrogelation and phenotype remodelling

Abstract Many tumours release lactate as a major metabolic product and signalling molecule. Here we use lactate flux as an endogenous trigger for covalent hydrogel formation. Phenol-functionalised alginate remains soluble until cell-derived lactate is oxidised by lactate oxidase;...

A Co II/III oxo-carboxylate cluster featuring a Lindqvist core

Abstract A nonanuclear mixed-valent coordination cluster, isolated as [CoIII3CoII6(µ6-O)(piv)7(thmp)4(MeCN)2(H2O)]·4(MeCN) (1), forms in a one-pot reaction of cobalt(II) pivalate and 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)propane (H3thmp) in acetonitrile solution. Single-crystal X-ray diffract...

Development of a monoclonal antibody targeting the calcification blocking factor CBF

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients suffer from a multitude of comorbidities, with vascular calcification being a major one. Recently, a new 19 amino acid long peptide, called calcification blocking factor (CBF), inhibiting vascular calcification has been identified. CBF concen...