Saarland University

In-situ synthesis of gold nanoparticles within a self-assembled multiblock copolymer matrix for electrospun hybrid nanofibers

Abstract Nanostructured materials (NMs) are a key subject in contemporary technological advancements due to their unique optical, electrical, and catalytic properties. Thus, this work investigates the fabrication and functionalization of nanofibers obtained from polystyrene- bloc...

Intermolecular Carbon–Carbon Bond Formation by a Chorismate-Converting Enzyme

Abstract Chorismate is an important precursor of many primary and secondary metabolites. Enzymes that can transform chorismate are therefore useful biocatalysts for constructing bioactive molecules, yet the scope of known chorismate biochemistry is limited. Here, we identify TunB...

Diagnostic performance of Baermann technique, urine-ELISA, stool-PCR and Strongyloides IgG4 rapid test for diagnosis of strongyloidiasis: a study protocol

Strongyloidiasis is caused by a parasitic worm, primarily Strongyloides stercoralis . In rural settings of Côte d’Ivoire, parasitological surveys have revealed that the prevalence of S. stercoralis infection can reach up to 50%. The World Health Organization has included S. sterc...

Dystonia 3×3: A Training Guideline for Beginners in Botulinum Neurotoxin Treatment of Cervical Dystonia

Cervical dystonia (CD) is a hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions leading to abnormal postures of the head and neck. The injection of botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT-A) into the muscles involved is the treatment of choice for CD. BoNT-A...

Integrated Study of the Distal Femur Biphasic Plate: Exploring In Vivo, In Vitro, and In Silico Methodologies

Abstract Purpose An emerging concept for plate fixation of fractured bones in humans changed from absolute stability through relative stability to a new concept of a predefined range of elastic movement with mechanical amplitude limitation (“Biphasic Plate,” 41 medical, Bettlach,...

Data driven selection of consensus docking pipelines for structure based hit identification

Abstract Structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) is a cornerstone of computer-aided drug design, yet its success depends on selecting a combination of docking tools, scoring function (SF), and ranking strategies. MolDockLab addresses this challenge with an automated, data-driven...

Current smoking and COPD are associated with differentiation-dependent secretory and inflammatory programs in airway basal cells

Abstract Background Persistent airway epithelial abnormalities contribute to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but it remains unclear whether smoking- and COPD-associated epithelial remodeling is retained in airway basal cells and transmitted during differentiation. W...

Neuroergonomic signatures of improved human–robot collaboration in LLM-supported industrial workflows

Abstract The Industry 5.0 is hindered by the communication bottleneck between humans and collaborative robots (cobots), because of the rigid programming requirements, which prevent dynamic and unexpected workflow changes. This study introduces and validates a Large Language Model...

Psychological symptoms in individuals with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and their caregivers – results from a nation-wide study in Germany

Abstract Background This study investigates the prevalence and associations of psychological symptoms in individuals with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and their caregivers, utilizing data from a cross-sectional, observational assessment conducted in Germany. Participants were re...

Distortion of Multi-Winner Elections on the Line Metric: The Polar Comparison Rule

We study the problem of minimizing metric distortion in multi-winner elections, where a committee of size k is selected from a set of candidates based on voters’ ordinal preferences. We assume that voters and candidates are embedded on a line metric, and social cost is determined...

Clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes in ductal prostate cancer: a multicenter retrospective analysis

Abstract Purpose Prostatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a rare, aggressive prostate cancer subtype associated with advanced disease and poorer prognosis than acinar adenocarcinoma. Small ductal components influence management and preclude active surveillance. This study analyze...

Tracheal tuft cell-released leukotrienes promote antibacterial immune responses

SUMMARY Tuft cells act as crucial sentinels in the airways that detect bacterial metabolites. In response, tuft cells release signaling molecules that trigger immune responses essential for clearing the infection. The molecular mechanisms driving immune cell activation following...

Decoding the causes of ischemic stroke despite ongoing oral anticoagulation and their clinical impact: the ASPERA-R study

BACKGROUND: Oral anticoagulants (OACs), including vitamin K antagonists and direct OACs, reduce stroke risk in atrial fibrillation (AF), yet breakthrough ischemic stroke still occurs in 1-2% of patients annually despite adequate therapy. The mechanisms underlying these events rem...

Inverse-Problem Approach for 3MA Electromagnetic NDT on Laser-Hardened Materials

This work presents a numerical framework for the electromagnetic modeling and inverse characterization of laser-hardened steels using 3MA (Micromagnetic Multiparameter Microstructure and Stress Analysis) non-destructive testing. The proposed methodology combines a simplified two-...

Variation in glabrous skin physiology across anatomical locations on the human hand

Abstract Skin physiology varies greatly between anatomical locations, with impact on tactile sensitivity. Research on the variations in morphology and physiology between different anatomical locations of glabrous skin is limited so far. This study investigates the morphology and...

Rapid screening of urinary tract infections: quantitative flow cytometry versus dipstick testing in a hospital cohort

PURPOSE: We compared urine dipstick testing (DS) with quantitative flow cytometry (FC) and evaluated a diagnostic algorithm to optimise urinary tract infection (UTI) screening. METHODS: In this single-centre study, 5,124 consecutive urine samples were analysed in parallel using D...

Breakloose Suppression in Minimal Friction Models

Abstract Breakloose friction—the transient friction force peak at the onset of sliding—is often pronounced in nanoscale contacts but weak or absent in macroscopic systems. This behavior is commonly associated with rupture fronts and process-zone effects. However, the mechanisms b...

Ruling In and Ruling Out Sepsis Using Likelihood Ratios of a Host Response Assay

Overview: SeptiCyte RAPID is an FDA-cleared gene expression test that quantifies host immune response to aid in the diagnosis of sepsis. The test yields a score (the SeptiScore) ranging from 0–15, distributed across four bands (1–4) based on increased likelihood of sepsis. Each b...

Understanding the Individual-Level Consequences of Strikes: A Systematic Review and Future Research Directions

Strikes are a recurring workplace phenomenon that affects strikers, their families, and managers, but also others such as commuters. To date, studies examining individual-level effects of strikes have been scattered across different fields of study. This systematic literature rev...