Sanitär- und Kommunaltechnik; Umwelttechnik
Filtern
Dokumenttyp
- Zeitschriftenartikel (3) (entfernen)
Sprache
- Englisch (3)
Referierte Publikation
- ja (3)
Schlagworte
- 3D printing (1)
- Bacteria (1)
- Calcium phosphate cement (1)
- Computed tomography (1)
- Drywood termite (1)
- Fungi (1)
- Large animal model (1)
- Minimal-invasive (1)
- PV modules (1)
- Phototrophs (1)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 4 Material und Umwelt (2)
- 4.0 Abteilungsleitung und andere (2)
- 5 Werkstofftechnik (2)
- 5.4 Multimateriale Fertigungsprozesse (2)
- 4.1 Biologische Materialschädigung und Referenzorganismen (1)
- 6 Materialchemie (1)
- 6.1 Oberflächen- und Dünnschichtanalyse (1)
- 8 Zerstörungsfreie Prüfung (1)
- 8.0 Abteilungsleitung und andere (1)
Frass (fine powdery refuse or fragile perforated wood produced by the activity of boring insects) of larvae of the European house borer (EHB) and of drywood termites was tested as a natural and novel feedstock for 3D-printing of wood-based materials. Small particles produced by the drywood termite Incisitermes marginipennis and the EHB Hylotrupes bajulus during feeding in construction timber, were used. Frass is a powdery material of particularly consistent quality that is essentially biologically processed wood mixed with debris of wood and faeces. The filigree-like particles flow easily permitting the build-up of woodbased structures in a layer wise fashion using the Binder Jetting printing process. The Quality of powders produced by different insect species was compared along with the processing steps and properties of the printed parts. Drywood termite frass with a Hausner Ratio HR = 1.1 with ρBulk = 0.67 g/cm3 and ρTap = 0.74 g/cm3 was perfectly suited to deposition of uniformly packed layers in 3D printing. We suggest that a variety of naturally available feedstocks could be used in environmentally responsible approaches to scientific material sciences/additive manufacturing.
Soiling of photovoltaic (PV) systems compromises their performance causing a significant power loss and demanding periodical cleaning actions. This phenomenon raises great concerns in the solar energy field, thus leading to notable research efforts over the last decades. Soiling is caused by a dual action of dust deposition and biofouling. However, surprisingly, the microbiological contribution to PV soiling is often overlooked or underestimated. In this study, a variety of qPCR-based methods have been developed to quantify the microbial load of fungi, bacteria and phototrophs on PV panels. These protocols were evaluated by comparison with culturedependent methods, and were implemented with real solar plants for two years. The results show that the developed molecular methods are highly sensitive and reliable to monitor the microbial component of the soiling. Fungal biomass was clearly dominant in all analysed PV modules, while bacteria and phototrophs showed much lower abundance. Light microscopy and qPCR results revealed that melanised microcolonial fungi and phototrophs are the main biofilm-forming microorganisms on the studied solar panels. In particular, the fungal qPCR protocol is proposed as a useful tool for monitoring of PV soiling, and investigating the microbial contribution to specific soiling cases.
Large animal models are highly recommended for meaningful preclinical studies, including the optimization of cement augmentation for vertebral body defects by vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty.
The aim of this study was to perform a systematic characterization of a strictly minimally invasive in vivo large animal model for lumbar ventrolateral vertebroplasty.
This is a prospective experimental animal study.
Lumbar defects (diameter 5 mm; depth approximately 14 mm) were created by a ventrolateral percutaneous approach in aged, osteopenic, female sheep (40 Merino sheep; 6–9 years; 68–110 kg). L1 remained untouched, L2 was left with an empty defect, and L3 carried a defect injected with a brushite-forming calcium phosphate cement (CPC). Trauma/functional impairment, surgical techniques (including drill sleeve and working canula with stop), reproducibility, bone defects, cement filling, and functional cement augmentation were documented by intraoperative incision-to-suture time and X-ray, postoperative trauma/impairment scores, and ex vivo osteodensitometry, microcomputed tomography (CT), histology, static/fluorescence histomorphometry, and biomechanical testing.
Minimally invasive vertebroplasty resulted in short operation times (28±2 minutes; mean±standard error of the mean) and X-ray exposure (1.59±0.12 minutes), very limited local trauma (score 0.00±0.00 at 24 hours), short postoperative recovery (2.95±0.29 hours), and rapid decrease of the postoperative impairment score to 0 (3.28±0.36 hours). Reproducible defect creation and cement filling were documented by intraoperative X-ray and ex vivo conventional/micro-CT. Vertebral cement augmentation and osteoconductivity of the CPC was verified by osteodensitometry (CPC>control), micro-CT (CPC>control and empty defect), histology/static histomorphometry (CPC>control and empty defect), fluorescence histomorphometry (CPC>control; all p<.05 for 3 and 9 months), and compressive strength measurements (CPC numerically higher than control; 102% for 3 months and 110% for 9 months).
This first-time systematic clinical assessment of a minimally invasive, ventrolateral, lumbar vertebroplasty model in aged, osteopenic sheep resulted in short operation times, rapid postoperative recovery, and high experimental reproducibility. This model represents an optimal basis for standardized evaluation of future studies on vertebral augmentation with resorbable and osteoconductive CPC.