Hochschulrepositorium der Hochschule Biberach
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Development and Characterization of a Primary Ciliated Porcine Airway Model for the Evaluation of In Vitro Mucociliary Clearance and Mucosal Drug Delivery
No full textBackground/Objectives: In vitro models play a crucial role in preclinical respiratory research, enabling the testing and screening of mucosal formulations, dosage forms, and inhaled drugs. Mucociliary clearance (MCC) is an essential defense mechanism in mucosal drug delivery but is often impaired in respiratory diseases. Despite its importance, standardized in vitro MCC assays are rarely reported. Furthermore, many published methods primarily measure cilia beat frequency (CBF), which requires high-speed cameras that are not accessible to all laboratories. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a physiologically relevant, differentiated in vitro model of the respiratory epithelium that incorporates both beating cilia and functional MCC. We chose porcine airway mucosa as an alternative to human tissue due to ethical considerations and limited availability. The established model is designed to provide a reproducible and accessible method for a broad range of research laboratories. Methods: The previously published tracheal mucosal primary cell (TMPC DS) model, derived from porcine tissue, lacked the presence of beating cilia, which are crucial for effective MCC analysis. For accurate MCC assessment, beating cilia are essential as they play a key role in mucus clearance. To address this limitation, the here-described ciliated tracheal mucosal primary cell (cTMPC) model was developed. cTMPCs were isolated from porcine tissue and cultured under air–liquid interface (ALI) conditions for 21 days to promote differentiation. This model was evaluated for cell morphology, tight junction formation, ciliated and mucus-producing cells, barrier function, gene expression, and tracer/IgG transport. MCC and the model’s suitability for standardized MCC assays were assessed using an inverted microscope. In contrast to the TMPC DS model, which lacked beating cilia and thus could not support MCC analysis, the cTMPC model allows for comprehensive MCC studies. Results: The developed differentiated in vitro model demonstrated key structural and functional features of the respiratory epithelium, including well-differentiated cell morphology, tight junction integrity, ciliated and mucus-producing cells, and effective barrier function. Functional MCC was observed, confirming the model’s potential for standardized clearance assays. Conclusions: This differentiated in vitro model closely replicates the structural and functional characteristics of in vivo airways. It provides a valuable platform for studying mucociliary clearance, toxicology, drug uptake, and evaluating mucosal formulations and dosage forms in respiratory research
The Impact of Leadership on Establishing a Data-Driven Organization: A Qualitative Study
No full textThis paper analyzes the impact of leadership on a data-driven culture (DDC) as part of establishing a data-driven organization (DDO). As the costs for gathering, storing and processing data decrease and the volume of data increases, the trend of “democratization of data” continues. It is a concept to make data available to as many employees as possible, across all organizational departments and thereby breaking down organizational and hierarchical silos. In parallel, artificial intelligence will play a pivotal role in changing workplace processes, particularly in how data is handled and interpreted. Therefore, organizations pursue data-driven initiatives to
improve decision-making, develop innovative business models and gain a competitive advantage. Those initiatives and trends can be challenging for employees at all levels, regardless of managerial responsibility. They require considerable effort to acquire new knowledge and to re- or upskill one’s skill set. Establishing a DDC is essential to supporting employees and thus organizations in becoming more datadriven. This includes fostering continuous learning, adapting to new technologies, and collaborating cross-functionally. In this transformation, the eminent role of leadership teams comes into play, as the required leadership skills are changing as well. The
concept of DDOs has drawn academic and practical attention in previous research. The different aspects of a DDO are researched from various perspectives and theories and a new discipline is evolving by combining leadership research and information systems research. Based on a socio-technical framework, this article examines the impact of leadership on establishing a DDO from a DDC perspective. By drawing upon the existing literature on leadership in DDO and enriching the results with semistructured expert interviews conducted in a German multinational corporation, we identifiy critical factors for leaders while implementing a DDC, offering guidance for both academic research and practical application. As a result, we contribute to a common understanding of the leadership requirements and the impact of leadership in a DDO by fostering a DDC
Methodology and case study on transferring the design methods from the Eurocodes to numerical design calculations with direct resistance check
No full textNumerical design of timber structures according to FprEN 1995-1-1 is currently limited to numerical calculations of system response quantities, e.g. internal forces, with a subsequent design verification with analytical formulas in FprEN 1995-1-1. The verifications of bar-shaped members in FprEN 1995-1-1 were developed for structural analyses with beam elements and elastic material behaviour, and factors were introduced for considering deviating stress distributions and the scattering anisotropic material behaviour of wood. For direct verifications based on stresses from numerical analyses with two- or three-dimensional elements, the question arises how the design methods from FprEN 1995-1-1 can be transferred. This contribution presents a methodology for transferring the design concepts of FprEN 1995-1-1 to numerical design calculations with direct resistance check and takes up the discussions on corresponding developments in standardisation, e.g. CEN/TC 250/SC 5/WG 11
Geomorphological signatures of known hurricanes and validation of theoretical emplacement formulations: Coastal boulder deposits on Cuban low-lying marine terraces
No full textCoastal boulder deposits, observed worldwide, provide geomorphological evidence of extreme wave events such as storms, hurricanes and tsunamis. Theoretical formulations have been developed for determining hydrody-namic conditions responsible for boulder emplacement on the shore, which increasingly make use of boulder geometry and associated site geomorphology. Nevertheless, information on extreme events responsible for the emplacement of coastal boulders is rarely available, meaning there has been limited opportunity to test existing formulations in the light of real hydrodynamic and geomorphic data. In this study, we take advantage of the important record of coastal boulder deposits on Cuba Island to compare the hydrodynamic parameters (minimum flow velocity) deduced from the boulders’ morphology and emplacement characteristics, with hydrodynamic conditions (maximum wave height and orbital velocity) that occurred during the tropical cyclones responsible for the boulders’ actual emplacement. We selected four sites where three hurricanes have emplaced five boulders on low-lying coral reef terraces over the last 50 years. Using terrestrial Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry, we determined with precision the boulders’ shape and volume, which in combination with density, mode of emplacement and distance from the shore, were used to calculate the minimum flow velocity responsible for dislocation of the coral reef terrace and inland transport. To serve as comparisons, available modelled data of wave height and period were used to estimate the maximum orbital velocity that possibly occurred during the weather event using linear wave theory. Our results show that for all boulders studied except one, there is a good agreement between the values of minimum flow and maximal orbital velocities, with minimum flow velocities for boulder emplacement consistently smaller than the maximum wave orbital velocity during the weather event. The difference observed for one boulder is attributed to specific site effects, highlighting in this case the limitation of using distant hydrometeorological data for characterizing wave processes responsible for coastal boulder deposits. Helped by detailed data collected on boulders with large differences in morphology including size, and mode of emplacement, this study confirms the pertinence of using formulations relating boulder morphology and site characteristics to the minimum flow velocity that detached and transported the boulder. It further emphasizes the importance of obtaining adequate boulder and geomorphic setting characterizations to link geomorphological proxies and extreme wave events
Unveiling molecular secrets: Analysis of stable lentiviral packaging cell lines enables identification of novel viral gene functions
No full textAnalyse und Bewertung von Produktionsstrategien für formgepresste Lehmsteine im Kontext von InDeckLe
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