Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg
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4-Methyl-3-penten-2-one – Determination of 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one (mesityl oxide) in the workplace air using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-DAD)
No full textThe working group “Air Analyses” of the German Senate Commission for the Investigation of Health Hazards of Chemical Compounds in the Work Area (MAK Commission) developed and verified the presented analytical method. It is used to determine the levels of 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one [141-79-7] that occur in the workplace air. The method covers concentrations in the range from one tenth up to twice the current occupational exposure limit value (OELV) of 8.1 mg/m3. The method is also suitable for verifying the short-term exposure limit (STEL; excursion factor 2). Samples are collected by drawing a defined volume of air through a sampling tube filled with silica gel using a flow regulated pump at a volumetric flow rate of 0.5 l/min. Exposure during the shift is measured with a sampling period of 2 hours and the short-term exposure with a period of 15 minutes. The 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one adsorbed to the silica gel is extracted by liquid extraction with methanol and analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography using diode array detection. The quantitative determination is based on multiple-point calibrations with external standards. A relative limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.06 mg/m3 is obtained for an air sample volume of 60 litres. As the LOQ for a sample volume of 30 litres is 0.03 mg/m3, the STEL can also be measured. The recovery is approx. 100% and the expanded uncertainty is 14% for a sampling period of 2 hours and below 16% for a period of 15 minutes
Wissenstransfer für nachhaltige Entwicklung in der ingenieurwissenschaftlichen Hochschullehre: Grundlagenforschung trifft Praxis
No full textIm vorliegenden Beitrag wird ein Studierendenprojekt im Ingenieurstudium vorgestellt, dessen Ziel die kompetenzförderliche Vermittlung von nachhaltigkeitsrelevanten Inhalten aus der Grundlagenforschung des Max-Planck-Instituts für Chemie ist. Im Rahmen des Projekts untersuchen die Studierenden die Wirksamkeit von Budget-Belüftungsanlagen in Klassenzimmern in Bezug auf die Luftqualität und analysieren dabei Messdaten sowie Befragungsdaten, um technische Lösungen mit Nutzerperspektiven abzugleichen. Dieser Abgleich erfolgt theoriebasiert entlang der nachhaltigkeitsrelevanten Forschungsthemen Indoor Environmental Quality und Thermal Comfort. Konzipiert, durchgeführt und evaluiert wird das Projekt mit Hilfe des Design-Based Research (DBR)-Ansatz. Das didaktische Design des Projekts adressiert die Bedeutung praxisnaher Wissensvermittlung, interdisziplinärer Zusammenarbeit und reflexiver Auseinandersetzung. Der iterative Ansatz des DBR ermöglicht auf Basis der empirischen Ergebnisse eine kontinuierliche Verbesserung des didaktischen Designs über zwei Sommersemester hinweg. Neben dem forcierten Kompetenzerwerb wird durch die theoretische und praktische Auseinandersetzung zugleich ein Bewusstsein für die Innovationskraft von Grundlagenforschung im Kontext nachhaltiger Entwicklung bei den Studierenden entwickelt.This paper presents a student project in engineering education aimed at fostering competence development through the integration of sustainability-related content from basic research at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. As part of the project, students investigate the effectiveness of lowcost ventilation systems in classrooms regarding air quality. They analyze measurement and survey data to align technical solutions with user perspectives. This alignment is theory-driven, based on the sustainability topics Indoor Environmental Quality and Thermal Comfort. The project was designed, implemented, and evaluated using the Design-Based Research (DBR) approach. Its instructional design emphasizes practical knowledge transfer, interdisciplinary collaboration, and reflective engagement. The iterative DBR process enables continuous improvement of the teaching concept over two summer semesters based on empirical findings. Beyond skill development, the project also raises students’ awareness of the innovative potential of basic research in the context of sustainable development
A neuromorphic approach to obstacle avoidance in robot manipulation
No full textNeuromorphic computing mimics computational principles of the brain in silico and motivates research into event-based vision and spiking neural networks (SNNs). Event cameras (ECs) exclusively capture local intensity changes and offer superior power consumption, response latencies, and dynamic ranges. SNNs replicate biological neuronal dynamics and have demonstrated potential as alternatives to conventional artificial neural networks (ANNs), such as in reducing energy expenditure and inference time in visual classification. Nevertheless, these novel paradigms remain scarcely explored outside the domain of aerial robots. To investigate the utility of brain-inspired sensing and data processing, we developed a neuromorphic approach to obstacle avoidance on a camera-equipped manipulator. Our approach adapts high-level trajectory plans with reactive maneuvers by processing emulated event data in a convolutional SNN, decoding neural activations into avoidance motions, and adjusting plans using a dynamic motion primitive. We conducted experiments with a Kinova Gen3 arm performing simple reaching tasks that involve obstacles in sets of distinct task scenarios and in comparison to a non-adaptive baseline. Our neuromorphic approach facilitated reliable avoidance of imminent collisions in simulated and real-world experiments, where the baseline consistently failed. Trajectory adaptations had low impacts on safety and predictability criteria. Among the notable SNN properties were the correlation of computations with the magnitude of perceived motions and a robustness to different event emulation methods. Tests with a DAVIS346 EC showed similar performance, validating our experimental event emulation. Our results motivate incorporating SNN learning, utilizing neuromorphic processors, and further exploring the potential of neuromorphic methods
Prüfungsordnung (Studiengangsspezifischer Teil) für den Master-Studiengang Biomedical Sciences am Campus Rheinbach an der Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg vom 23.03.2023 in der Fassung der ersten Änderungsordnung vom 12.12.2024
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Homogeneity Between Cervical and Vaginal Microbiomes and the Diagnostic Limitations of 16S Sequencing for STI Pathogens at Higher Ct Values
No full textUnderstanding the interactions between the cervico-vaginal microbiome, immune responses, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is crucial for developing targeted diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Although microbiome analyses are not yet standard practice, integrating them into routine diagnostics could enhance personalized medicine and therapies. We investigated the extent to which partial 16S short-read amplicon microbiome analyses could inform on the presence of six commonly encountered STI-causing pathogens in a patient cohort referred for colposcopy, and whether relevant taxonomic or diagnostic discrepancies occur when using vaginal rather than cervical swabs. The study cohort included cervical and vaginal samples collected from women referred for colposcopy at the University Hospital Bonn between November 2021 and February 2022, due to an abnormal PAP smear or positive hrHPV results. 16S rRNA gene sequencing libraries were prepared targeting the V1–V2 and V4 regions of the 16S RNA gene and sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq. PCR diagnostics for common STI-causing pathogens were conducted using the Allplex STI Essential Assay Kit (Seegene, Seoul, Republic of Korea). Concerning the bacterial microbiome, no significant differences were found between vaginal and cervical samples in terms of prevalence of taxa present or diversity. A total of 95 patients and 171 samples tested positive for at least one among Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Chlamydophila trachomatis or Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Sequencing the V1–V2 region enabled detection of one-third to half of the PCR-positive samples, with the detection likelihood increasing at lower cycle threshold (Ct) values. In contrast, sequencing the V4 region was less effective overall, yielding fewer species-level identifications and a higher proportion of undetermined taxa. We demonstrate that the vaginal microbiome closely mirrors the cervical microbiome, a relationship that has not been explored previously, but which broadens the possibilities for microbiome analysis and pathogen detection and establishes vaginal swabs as a reliable method for detecting the investigated pathogens, with sensitivities comparable with or superior to endocervical swabs. On the other hand, the sensitivity of partial 16S amplicon sequencing appears insufficient for effective STI diagnostics, as it fails to reliably identify or even detect pathogens at higher Ct values
Wissen über Wissenschaft – Ein Core Curriculum für Studierende aller Fächer (Modul 1: Gegenwart)
No full textNot Only in Times of Crisis: The Necessity of Contextualizing and Updating Knowledge
It is not only due to the ongoing crises that we have come to understand the necessity for diverse academic disciplines to contextualize and continuously update their bodies of knowledge in order to respond to societal demands. Furthermore, it is essential that discipline-specific knowledge, shaped by its distinct academic traditions, can also be proactively contributed to public discourse.
History and Present of the Sciences
The Core Curriculum addresses these questions in the context of university teaching, from the perspective of students, and with relevance across all disciplines. It goes beyond long-established courses that are widely offered to develop methodological competencies, guide students in writing academic papers, or provide general introductions to scholarly work. Rather than replacing these essential offerings, the Core Curriculum seeks to provide a broader framework in which such courses can ideally achieve even greater impact.
To meet this objective, the Core Curriculum consists of two components: one dedicated to the contemporary landscape of the sciences and the other to their historical development. Accordingly, the curriculum is structured with a sociological and historical orientation. Both modules are also enriched by insights from cultural and media studies.
A Flexible Syllabus
Not only the Core Curriculum as a whole, but also its two components, are designed in a modular format. Each course consists of both core and elective elements, allowing instructors from different academic traditions to adapt the seminars to their specific institutional and disciplinary contexts. The selection of materials and themes will naturally differ between engineering, education, or political science, just as it will at an art academy compared to a comprehensive university. The Core Curriculum explicitly encourages creative engagement with its provided resources. To facilitate preparation, key sources are recommended, but they can be supplemented flexibly. The syllabi of both modules have been developed with the goal of offering practical frameworks that allow for meaningful academic exploration without unduly restricting the autonomy of instructors and students.
Co-Creative Further Development
The Core Curriculum was developed by the Rhine Ruhr Center for Science Communication Research in collaboration with students at select exemplary universities. Ideally, it will continue to evolve in practice as it is implemented locally. The sciences themselves are in constant transformation, and this ongoing change should not only be reflected in the curriculum but also actively negotiated within it.
At its core, the Core Curriculum is committed to a "spirit" of praxeological reflection: it is designed to support both students and instructors in critically engaging with the multiplicity and complexity of the sciences, as well as their respective histories.
Shared Responsibility for Science in Higher Education
However, this goal is not an end in itself. The underlying assumption of the Core Curriculum is that students across all disciplines in Germany are being educated for a society in which an increasing number of issues, opportunities, and conflicts are shaped by scientific knowledge.
Engaging at an early stage in a foundational and conceptually rich examination of both the origins and future trajectories of scientific knowledge can benefit students from all fields. This engagement does not begin only after graduation; rather, the Core Curriculum empowers students from the undergraduate level onward to critically reflect on their own academic environment, questioning why certain academic practices prevail at their institution—and whether they might actively participate in shaping alternative approaches
