@article{SchuhmacherGassmannKwisdaetal.2025, author = {Schuhmacher, Alexander and Gassmann, Oliver and Kwisda, Sebastian and Kremer, Malte and Hinder, Markus and Hartl, Dominik}, title = {The R\&D productivity challenge: transforming the pharmaceutical ecosystem}, volume = {30}, pages = {104494}, journal = {Drug Discovery Today}, number = {11}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {1878-5832}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2025.104494}, year = {2025}, abstract = {The persistent decline in pharmaceutical R\&D productivity has been extensively analyzed and debated for over two decades, with profound implications for the structure and strategy of the pharmaceutical industry. This systemic challenge forced many leading companies to adapt their R\&D models, influencing internal capabilities and external innovation strategies. In response, the industry has evolved into a complex, interdependent biopharmaceutical ecosystem encompassing large pharmaceutical corporations, biotech innovators and specialized service providers. Although R\&D productivity affects all research-driven companies, its consequences are particularly pronounced for large pharmaceutical firms, because the scale and capital intensity of their R\&D activities make productivity a crucial determinant of long-term competitiveness and sustainability. By contrast, other stakeholders are only partially adversely affected, whereas some can even obtain value from it.}, language = {en} } @unpublished{SuciuBock2025, author = {Suciu, Tobias and Bock, J{\"u}rgen}, title = {A Practical Approach to Multivariate Time Series Anomaly Detection in Automotive Bus Systems Testing}, titleParent = {Research Square}, publisher = {Research Square}, address = {Durham}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7778102/v1}, year = {2025}, abstract = {The increasing complexity of modern vehicles and their testing procedures generates vast amounts of multivariate time series data, making manual anomaly detection during automotive testing increasingly challenging. This article investigates the application of deep learning algorithms for automated anomaly detection in automotive bus data collected during dynamic driving scenarios. Three distinct architectures are implemented and compared: a CNN-based forecasting approach (DeepAnT), an LSTM-based model (LSTM-AD), and a Convolutional Autoencoder (CAE). Real-world driving data collected across various scenarios, ranging from normal operation to extreme maneuvers, is employed. Through evaluation across seven distinct test scenarios, findings reveal that while each architecture demonstrates specific strengths, their effectiveness varies significantly based on anomaly type and driving context. DeepAnT shows the most consistent performance across different scenarios, while LSTM-AD achieves superior detection capability for complex temporal patterns, particularly in scenarios involving coordinated changes across multiple features. The CAE excels at identifying pronounced deviations but shows limitations in detecting subtle anomalies. This study demonstrates that while deep learning models effectively detect anomalies in automotive time series data, their practical implementation requires careful consideration of specific use cases, emphasizing the critical role of data preprocessing and threshold calculation in ensuring reliable anomaly detection.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{MangerAlbrechtRiener2024, author = {Manger, Carina and Albrecht, Kathrin and Riener, Andreas}, title = {Explanation Needs in Automated Driving: Insights from German Driving Education and Vehicle Acquisition}, booktitle = {MuC'24: Proceedings of the 2024 Conference on Mensch und Computer}, editor = {Maedche, Alexander and Beigl, Michael and Gerling, Kathrin and Mayer, Sven}, publisher = {ACM}, address = {New York}, isbn = {979-8-4007-0998-2}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3670653.3670679}, pages = {288 -- 298}, year = {2024}, abstract = {As driving assistance driving systems become increasingly advanced, a correct understanding of the functionality of these systems is crucial for safe use. In this work we explored drivers' explanation needs and current explanation methods from an important but underlooked perspective: driver training and vehicle acquisition. In a two-step approach, we conducted expert interviews with n = 7 driving instructors and vehicle salespeople in Germany and validated these results with an online survey of n = 105. Our results show that Driver Assistance Systems (DASs) and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADASs), are currently covered in both driver training and vehicle acquisition but to a varying extent and in a very application-oriented manner. A drivers' tendency for preferring comparative explanations that build upon knowledge about similar systems was found. Based on the combined results, we emphasize the need for mandatory and standardized explanation methods to ensure a safe transition to automated driving.}, language = {en} } @article{MehtaLambaSinhaetal.2025, author = {Mehta, Kedar and Lamba, Ravita and Sinha, Sunanda and Kumar, Nand}, title = {BIPV in India: Opportunities, challenges, and pathways for urban planning and smart cities}, volume = {2025}, pages = {100133}, journal = {Solar Compass}, number = {15}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {2772-9400}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solcom.2025.100133}, year = {2025}, abstract = {As India urbanizes rapidly, sustainable energy solutions have become a priority to meet rising energy demands and mitigate environmental impacts. Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) offer a promising approach to harness solar energy within urban infrastructure, transforming buildings into renewable energy assets. Unlike conventional rooftop PV systems, BIPV maximizes urban space utilization while enhancing architectural aesthetics and energy efficiency. However, the adoption of BIPV in India remains limited due to factors such as regulatory barriers, lack of standardized designs, and high initial costs. This study uses SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and TOWS (Threats, Opportunities, Weaknesses, Strengths) analyses to assess the potential, opportunities, and challenges of BIPV in India's urban planning. It then discusses policy implications and offers practical recommendations for implementation in Indian cities. Key findings of this study indicate that BIPV adoption in India can significantly contribute to urban sustainability by reducing carbon emissions, improving energy self-sufficiency, and lowering long-term operational costs. The SWOT and TOWS analysis reveal that while BIPV presents opportunities for smart urban integration, challenges such as high initial investments and lack of awareness must be addressed through targeted policies and incentives. Additionally, global case studies highlight successful BIPV implementations, providing valuable lessons for India's urban planning strategies.}, language = {en} } @inproceedings{EscherPeintnerRiener2024, author = {Escher, Bengt and Peintner, Jakob and Riener, Andreas}, title = {The Significance of the Bystander Effect on Personal Responsibility in Critical Situations in Shared Automated Vehicles}, booktitle = {16th International Conference on Automotive User Interfaces and Interactive Vehicular Applications, September 22-25, 2024, Stanford, USA, Main Conference Proceedings}, publisher = {ACM}, address = {New York}, isbn = {979-8-4007-0510-6}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3640792.3675704}, pages = {384 -- 394}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Shared Automated Vehicles (SAVs) present a promising solution for future urban mobility. However, SAVs will reach the limits of their capabilities in some edge cases. Similar to personal AVs, passengers in SAVs might be utilized for this purpose, thus, methods for interaction between passengers and the automation or a teleoperator need to be explored. This study investigates whether the presence of other passengers leads to more passive behavior in critical situations (bystander effect). The results did not show significant differences in the participants' behavior depending on whether the ride was experienced alone or with other passengers. However, the qualitative data indicate that the presence of other passengers can trigger psychological processes that promote a bystander effect. The findings emphasize the importance of considering group effects in the context of SAVs. By understanding these dynamics, we aim to help design SAVs to promote safer and more inclusive future transport systems.}, language = {en} } @unpublished{OkumusRamicKugele2025, author = {Okumus, Fazli Faruk and Ramic, Amra and Kugele, Stefan}, title = {A Systematic Mapping Study on Contract-based Software Design for Dependable Systems}, publisher = {arXiv}, address = {Ithaca}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2505.07542}, year = {2025}, abstract = {Background: Contract-based Design (CbD) is a valuable methodology for software design that allows annotation of code and architectural components with contracts, thereby enhancing clarity and reliability in software development. It establishes rules that outline the behaviour of software components and their interfaces and interactions. This modular approach enables the design process to be segmented into smaller, independently developed, tested, and verified system components, ultimately leading to more robust and dependable software. Aim: Despite the significance and well-established theoretical background of CbD, there is a need for a comprehensive systematic mapping study for reliable software systems. Our study provides an evidence-based overview of a method and demonstrates its practical feasibility. Method: To conduct this study, we systematically searched three different databases using specially formulated queries, which initially yielded 1,221 primary studies. After voting, we focused on 288 primary studies for more detailed analysis. Finally, a collaborative review allowed us to gather relevant evidence and information to address our research questions. Results: Our findings suggest potential avenues for future research trajectories in CbD, emphasising its role in improving the dependability of software systems. We highlight maturity levels across different domains and identify areas that may benefit from further research. Conclusion: Although CbD is a well-established software design approach, a more comprehensive literature review is needed to clarify its theoretical state about dependable systems. Our study addresses this gap by providing a detailed overview of CbD from various perspectives, identifying key gaps, and suggesting future research directions.}, language = {en} } @article{deBorbaVaculinMarzbanietal.2023, author = {de Borba, Thiago and Vaculin, Ondrej and Marzbani, Hormoz and Jazar, Reza}, title = {Increasing Safety of Automated Driving by Infrastructure-Based Sensors}, volume = {11}, journal = {IEEE Access}, publisher = {IEEE}, address = {New York}, issn = {2169-3536}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2023.3311136}, pages = {94974 -- 94991}, year = {2023}, abstract = {This paper describes the development of an intelligent infrastructure, a test field, for the safety assurance of automated vehicles within the research project Ingolstadt Innovation Laboratory (IN2Lab). It includes a description of the test field architecture, the RoadSide Units (RSU) concept based on infrastructure-based sensors, the environment perception system, and the mission control system. The study also proposes a global object fusion method to fuse objects detected by different RSUs and investigate the overall measurement accuracy obtained from the usage of different infrastructure-based sensors. Furthermore, it presents four use cases: traffic monitoring, assisted perception, collaborative perception, and extended perception. The traffic monitoring, based on the perception information provided by each roadside unit, generates a global fused object list and monitors the state of the traffic participants. The assisted perception, using vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, broadcasts the state information of the traffic participants to the connected vehicles. The collaborative perception creates a global fused object list with the local detections of connected vehicles and the detections provided by the roadside units, making it available for all connected vehicles. Lastly, the extended environment perception monitors specific locations, recognizes critical scenarios involving vulnerable road users and automated vehicles, and generates a suitable avoidance maneuver to avoid or mitigate the occurrence of collisions.}, language = {en} } @article{AfrajVaculinBoehmlaenderetal.2025, author = {Afraj, Shahabaz and Vaculin, Ondrej and B{\"o}hml{\"a}nder, Dennis and Hynč{\´i}k, Luděk}, title = {Vehicle crash simulation models for reinforcement learning driven crash-detection algorithm calibration}, volume = {12}, pages = {17}, journal = {Advanced Modeling and Simulation in Engineering Sciences}, number = {1}, publisher = {SpringerOpen}, address = {Berlin}, issn = {2213-7467}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s40323-025-00288-4}, year = {2025}, abstract = {The development of finite element vehicle models for crash simulations is a highly complex task. The main aim of these models is to simulate a variety of crash scenarios and assess all the safety systems for their respective performances. These vehicle models possess a substantial amount of data pertaining to the vehicle's geometry, structure, materials, etc., and are used to estimate a large set of system and component level characteristics using crash simulations. It is understood that even the most well-developed simulation models are prone to deviations in estimation when compared to real-world physical test results. This is generally due to our inability to model the chaos and uncertainties introduced in the real world. Such unavoidable deviations render the use of virtual simulations ineffective for the calibration process of the algorithms that activate the restraint systems in the event of a crash (crash-detection algorithm). In the scope of this research, authors hypothesize the possibility of accounting for such variations introduced in the real world by creating a feedback loop between real-world crash tests and crash simulations. To accomplish this, a Reinforcement Learning (RL) compatible virtual surrogate model is used, which is adapted from crash simulation models. Hence, a conceptual methodology is illustrated in this paper for developing an RL-compatible model that can be trained using the results of crash simulations and crash tests. As the calibration of the crash-detection algorithm is fundamentally dependent upon the crash pulses, the scope of the expected output is limited to advancing the ability to estimate crash pulses. Furthermore, the real-time implementation of the methodology is illustrated using an actual vehicle model.}, language = {en} } @article{deBorbaVaculinMarzbanietal.2025, author = {de Borba, Thiago and Vaculin, Ondrej and Marzbani, Hormoz and Jazar, Reza}, title = {Increasing Safety of Vulnerable Road Users in Scenarios With Occlusion: A Collaborative Approach for Smart Infrastructures and Automated Vehicles}, volume = {13}, journal = {IEEE Access}, publisher = {IEEE}, address = {New York}, issn = {2169-3536}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2025.3527865}, pages = {8851 -- 8885}, year = {2025}, abstract = {The impact of Automated Vehicles (AVs) on road traffic safety has become the focus of discussions among governmental organizations, academia, stakeholders, and OEMs. Questions about how safe the automated driving features should be and how the road infrastructure should be improved for the arrival of this new technology must be clarified to enable full acceptance by the customers and society and prepare the mobility of future cities. The fundamental architecture of automated vehicles comprises perception, planning, decision, and actuation. The operation of the perception system, which is responsible for understanding the environment in which the vehicle is inserted, relies mainly on the onboard sensors. However, the available ranging and vision sensors, e.g., LiDAR, radar, and camera, have several limitations. Scenarios with occlusion present a real challenge for state-of-the-art perception systems. The occlusion, caused by obstructing the sensors' detection field, limits the vehicle's perception ability and inhibits the detection of other road users in the surroundings, especially Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs). Infrastructure composed of Roadside Units (RSUs) equipped with infrastructure-based sensors can overcome the perception limitations of a system based solely on onboard sensors by monitoring the road environment with a larger field of view and reduced sensitivity to occlusion. This paper presents a collaborative approach for smart infrastructures and automated vehicles for vulnerable road users' collision avoidance. The proposed extended perception system comprises four main modules: traffic monitoring, long-term motion prediction, collision risk assessment, and trajectory planning. In the event of a safety-critical scenario, the infrastructure generates a safe and comfortable evasive maneuver to avoid a possible collision. Hence, the proposed approach provides a complete solution to overcome scenarios with occluded VRUs. It allows AVs to react to a critical situation with a longer time-to-collision than other systems relying only on onboard sensors, increasing the chance of successful avoidance even when implementing smoother maneuvers. This contributes considerably to the safe and comfortable operation of automated vehicles.}, language = {en} } @article{DoenmezVaculindeBorba2024, author = {D{\"o}nmez, {\"O}mer and Vaculin, Ondrej and de Borba, Thiago}, title = {A Cost Effective Solution to an Automated Valet Parking System}, volume = {25}, journal = {International Journal of Automotive Technology}, number = {2}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Heidelberg}, issn = {1976-3832}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s12239-024-00031-9}, pages = {369 -- 380}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Automated Valet Parking Systems (AVPS) relieve the driver of the entire parking process. Many of the systems known today rely on a combination of automotive sensors with sensors of the infrastructure. For this purpose, parking facilities are equipped with comprehensive sensor technology to support the vehicles in environment sensing and route planning. This approach is comparatively expensive which is why many parking operators don't provide that technology to their customers. This paper proposes a lean AVPS system architecture that requires minimal effort to adapt the infrastructure. At the same time, state-of-the-art vehicle technology is used to make AVPS more profitable overall. At the beginning, an overview will be given describing the state of the art of AVPS. Subsequently, requirements for the AVPS will be elaborated, whereby the system can be designed and implemented in the following. Finally, the presentation of simulation results shows that one doesn't have to extend the infrastructure with sensors to develop a safe and reliable AVPS.}, language = {en} } @article{VaculinGellrichMatawaetal.2020, author = {Vaculin, Ondrej and Gellrich, Michael and Matawa, Robert and Witschass, Steffen}, title = {Testing of automated driving systems}, volume = {17}, journal = {MECCA : Journal of Middle European Construction and Design of Cars}, number = {1}, publisher = {Czech Technical University}, address = {Prag}, issn = {1804-9338}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.14311/mecdc.2020.01.02}, pages = {7 -- 13}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The automated driving requires new testing approaches, which are more complex than the current testing systems. The complexity and requirements for accuracy is important, because of interconnection of virtual with physical testing. This paper presents a generic approach to testing of automated driving functions and demonstrates its implementation on measurement of two scenarios.}, language = {en} } @article{ItzekWeissbachMeintrupetal.2023, author = {Itzek, Andreas and Weißbach, Victoria and Meintrup, David and Rieß, Beate and van der Linden, Mark and Borgmann, Stefan}, title = {Epidemiological and Clinical Features of Streptococcus dysgalactiae ssp. equisimilis stG62647 and Other emm Types in Germany}, volume = {12}, pages = {589}, journal = {Pathogens}, number = {4}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2076-0817}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12040589}, year = {2023}, abstract = {(1) Background: Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) is an important β-hemolytic pathogen historically described as mainly affecting animals. Studies epidemiologically assessing the pathogenicity in the human population in Germany are rare. (2) Methods: the present study combines national surveillance data from 2010 to 2022 with a single-center clinical study conducted from 2016 to 2022, focusing on emm type, Lancefield antigen, antimicrobial resistance, patient characteristics, disease severity, and clinical infection markers. (3) Results: The nationwide reported invasive SDSE infections suggest an increasing infection burden for the German population. One particular emm type, stG62647, increased over the study period, being the dominant type in both study cohorts, suggesting a mutation-driven outbreak of a virulent clone. The patient data show that men were more affected than women, although in the single-center cohort, this trend was reversed for patients with stG62647 SDSE. Men affected by stG62647 developed predominantly fascial infections, whereas women suffering from superficial and fascial non-stG62647 SDSE infections were significantly younger than other patients. Increasing age was a general risk factor for invasive SDSE infections. (4) Conclusions: further studies are needed to further elucidate the raised questions regarding outbreak origin, underlying molecular mechanisms as well as sex-dependent pathogen adaptation.}, language = {en} } @article{KubisSchwabWerleetal.2018, author = {Kubis, Lea and Schwab, Julian D. and Werle, Silke D. and Lausser, Ludwig and T{\"u}mpel, Stefan and Pfister, Astrid S. and K{\"u}hl, Michael and Kestler, Hans A.}, title = {A Boolean network of the crosstalk between IGF and Wnt signaling in aging satellite cells}, volume = {13}, pages = {e0195126}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {3}, publisher = {PLOS}, address = {San Francisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195126}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Aging is a complex biological process, which determines the life span of an organism. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and Wnt signaling pathways govern the process of aging. Both pathways share common downstream targets that allow competitive crosstalk between these branches. Of note, a shift from IGF to Wnt signaling has been observed during aging of satellite cells. Biological regulatory networks necessary to recreate aging have not yet been discovered. Here, we established a mathematical in silico model that robustly recapitulates the crosstalk between IGF and Wnt signaling. Strikingly, it predicts critical nodes following a shift from IGF to Wnt signaling. These findings indicate that this shift might cause age-related diseases.}, language = {en} } @article{BottDresselBayer2020, author = {Bott, Christoph and Dressel, Ingo and Bayer, Peter}, title = {Paraffin wax as self-sealing insulation material of seasonal sensible heat storage systems—A laboratory study}, volume = {15}, pages = {e0236056}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {7}, publisher = {PLOS}, address = {San Francisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0236056}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Seasonal heat storage is considered as one of the key elements on the path to a low-emission economy. Embedded in local district heating networks, they raise the share of renewable energies and balance out highly fluctuating supplies of e.g. solar systems or windmills. The technology of seasonal heat storage can be described as almost technically mature, with well-established concepts and some systems being in operation for a considerable time. Nevertheless, the operating experience gained to date also revealed two critical problems. On the one hand, even smallest leakages in sealing foils led to irreparable breakdowns. On the other hand, heat loss in the marginal areas was revealed as a key deficiency, preventing the technology from advancing towards global marketability. This study presents an experimental approach to address these two key issues in the field of seasonal energy storage. Two small-scale laboratory tests were carried out to test paraffin wax as a completely novel component in the marginal area of seasonal storages. This is based on two material properties: As hydrophobic and mobile medium, the warmed and molten paraffin should actively seal the fissures and holes in the event of leakage. Additionally, the latent heat storage properties of the paraffin wax should increase the systems' total storage capacity and reduce lateral heat losses via its low thermal conductivity. With retardation periods from 2.5 to 4 hours, the results show an effective phase change effect of the paraffin wax, which reduces energy losses and allows to buffer short-term, intensive loading and unloading processes. By storing up to 138 kJ/kg energy in the paraffin wax, increased capacities of application-scale pit storages by up to 40.70 MWh are to be expected. Additionally, the self-healing features could be successfully demonstrated: With only small losses of between 1.5 and 17\%, the paraffin wax effectively sealed artificially incised leaks. Thereby, the mechanism was most effective for local defects. Following these positive demonstrations of feasibility, technical design questions still remain, which concern prevention of deformation of the paraffin wax. Once solved, this new component can then provide a path for further optimization of seasonal heat storage technologies.}, language = {en} } @article{YarzaNavarroSchaerEllerSchulzetal.2025, author = {Yarza Navarro-Sch{\"a}r, Vanessa Gabriela and Eller, Eric and Schulz, Marco and Lermer, Eva}, title = {The trust-NPS correlation: The role of trust in promoting customer loyalty in Swiss financial institutions}, volume = {20}, pages = {e0334423}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {11}, publisher = {PLOS}, address = {San Francisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0334423}, year = {2025}, abstract = {The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a widely used key performance indicator (KPI) for measuring customer loyalty and guiding customer-centric strategies. While customer trust has been identified as an important influencing factor for NPS, existing research treats trust as a unidimensional construct, leaving the specific trust components that drive customer loyalty behaviors largely unexplored. This study addresses this theoretical gap by examining the relationship between various trust components and NPS in the financial services sector. A survey of 1,370 Swiss consumers assessed trust across ten theoretically-derived dimensions alongside their NPS ratings for five financial service companies. Employing median-split analysis, results demonstrate that high customer trust is associated with a significantly higher NPS (+36.5) compared to low trust (-68.6). Critically, quantile regression analysis revealed heterogeneous effects of trust components across different NPS distribution levels, with ability, experience, and reputation showing consistent positive effects across all quantiles. In contrast, joint interests and continuity emerged as relevant only at higher NPS quantiles, while reciprocity proved significant exclusively at the 25th percentile, demonstrating that distinct trust determinants become salient depending on customers' advocacy levels. These findings challenge prevailing theoretical assumptions about customer trust's homogeneous influence on customer loyalty, revealing instead a differentiated pattern of trust component effects. The study advances trust theory by demonstrating that trust dimensions not only vary in their influence on customer advocacy behaviors but also exhibit different effect patterns across the NPS distribution, contradicting assumptions of uniform trust impact on loyalty outcomes. The results indicate that NPS optimization requires strategic focus on specific trust dimensions, particularly those demonstrating consistent positive associations across quantile levels. This research contributes novel theoretical insights into the conditional trust-loyalty relationship while providing empirically-grounded guidance for customer-centric business strategies.}, language = {en} } @article{MaxUhl2023, author = {Max, Raphael and Uhl, Matthias}, title = {Moral luck in investment contexts: We consciously find unprofitable investments less moral}, volume = {18}, pages = {e0278677}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {1}, publisher = {PLOS}, address = {San Francisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278677}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Moral luck refers to whether an actor is morally praised or blamed for an action whose outcome they could not influence. In two studies, we investigated the behavioral importance of this phenomenon in the realm of investments, which has become increasingly subject to ethical evaluations. In our first online experiment, we examined whether people's moral evaluation of an investment decision depended on its arbitrary outcome and whether their interpretation of the nature of the decision was driven by this outcome. Our results showed that profitable investments were considered more moral than unprofitable investments. Moreover, profitable investments were labeled "investments" instead of "speculation" or "gambling" more often than unprofitable ones. In our second study, we asked the subjects to assess investments independent of the outcome. After the outcome was announced, the subjects were given the opportunity to reflect and change their initial decision. The results show that people change the moral evaluation and label of investments when told that it had a bad outcome. This observation was stable across different investment contexts. These findings suggest that we must be careful with the increasing moralization of investment decisions and be sensitive to our cognitive biases.}, language = {en} } @article{HebestreitGroettrupEmdenetal.2012, author = {Hebestreit, Katja and Gr{\"o}ttrup, S{\"o}ren and Emden, Daniel and Veerkamp, Jannis and Ruckert, Christian and Klein, Hans-Ulrich and M{\"u}ller-Tidow, Carsten and Dugas, Martin}, title = {Leukemia Gene Atlas - A Public Platform for Integrative Exploration of Genome-Wide Molecular Data}, volume = {7}, pages = {e39148}, journal = {PLOS ONE}, number = {6}, publisher = {PLOS}, address = {San Francisco}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0039148}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Leukemias are exceptionally well studied at the molecular level and a wealth of high-throughput data has been published. But further utilization of these data by researchers is severely hampered by the lack of accessible integrative tools for viewing and analysis. We developed the Leukemia Gene Atlas (LGA) as a public platform designed to support research and analysis of diverse genomic data published in the field of leukemia. With respect to leukemia research, the LGA is a unique resource with comprehensive search and browse functions. It provides extensive analysis and visualization tools for various types of molecular data. Currently, its database contains data from more than 5,800 leukemia and hematopoiesis samples generated by microarray gene expression, DNA methylation, SNP and next generation sequencing analyses. The LGA allows easy retrieval of large published data sets and thus helps to avoid redundant investigations. It is accessible at www.leukemia-gene-atlas.org.}, language = {en} } @article{SchwanMohanSchmidetal.2025, author = {Schwan, Hannes and Mohan, Nihesh and Schmid, Maximilian and Saha, Rocky Kumar and Klassen, Holger and M{\"u}ller, Klaus and Elger, Gordon}, title = {Sintering for High Power Optoelectronic Devices}, volume = {16}, pages = {1164}, journal = {Micromachines}, number = {10}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2072-666X}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16101164}, year = {2025}, abstract = {Residual-free eutectic Au80Sn20 soldering is still the dominant assembly technology for optoelectronic devices such as high-power lasers, LEDs, and photodiodes. Due to the high cost of gold, alternatives are desirable. This paper investigates the thermal performance of copper-based sintering for optoelectronic submodules on first and second level to obtain thermally efficient thin bondlines. Sintered interconnects obtained by a new particle-free copper ink, based on complexed copper salt, are compared with copper flake and silver nanoparticle sintered interconnects and benchmarked against AuSn solder interconnects. The copper ink is dispensed and predried at 130 °C to facilitate in situ generation of Cu nanoparticles by thermal decomposition of the metal salt before sintering. Submounts are then sintered at 275 °C for 15 min under nitrogen with 30 MPa pressure, forming uniform 2-5 µm copper layers achieving shear strengths above 31 MPa. Unpackaged LEDs are bonded on first level using the copper ink but applying only 10 MPa to avoid damaging the semiconductor dies. Thermal performance is evaluated via transient thermal analysis. Results show that copper ink interfaces approach the performance of thin AuSn joints and match silver interconnects at second level. However, at first level, AuSn and sintered interconnects of commercial silver and copper pastes remained superior due to the relative inhomogeneous thickness of the thin Cu copper layer after predrying, requiring higher bonding pressure to equalize surface inhomogeneities.}, language = {en} } @article{MeintrupSinger2025, author = {Meintrup, David and Singer, Peter}, title = {A Friendly Guide to the Real Exponential Function}, volume = {132}, journal = {The American Mathematical Monthly}, number = {10}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, address = {London}, issn = {1930-0972}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1080/00029890.2025.2554556}, pages = {1043 -- 1047}, year = {2025}, abstract = {We propose an elementary introduction to the real exponential function of Leonhard Euler that combines ideas of Felix Klein and Adolf Hurwitz and uses an approximation of the primitive of the hyperbola. In this way, we can avoid the difficulties of common approaches yet still obtain classical results.}, language = {en} } @article{MeintrupBorgmannSeidletal.2021, author = {Meintrup, David and Borgmann, Stefan and Seidl, Karlheinz and Stecher, Melanie and Jakob, Carolin E. M. and Pilgram, Lisa and Spinner, Christoph D. and Rieg, Siegbert and Isberner, Nora and Hower, Martin and Vehreschild, Maria and G{\"o}pel, Siri and Hanses, Frank and Nowak-Machen, Martina}, title = {Specific Risk Factors for Fatal Outcome in Critically Ill COVID-19 Patients}, volume = {10}, pages = {3855}, journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine}, subtitle = {Results from a European Multicenter Study}, number = {17}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {2077-0383}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10173855}, year = {2021}, abstract = {(1) Background: The aim of our study was to identify specific risk factors for fatal outcome in critically ill COVID-19 patients. (2) Methods: Our data set consisted of 840 patients enclosed in the LEOSS registry. Using lasso regression for variable selection, a multifactorial logistic regression model was fitted to the response variable survival. Specific risk factors and their odds ratios were derived. A nomogram was developed as a graphical representation of the model. (3) Results: 14 variables were identified as independent factors contributing to the risk of death for critically ill COVID-19 patients: age (OR 1.08, CI 1.06-1.10), cardiovascular disease (OR 1.64, CI 1.06-2.55), pulmonary disease (OR 1.87, CI 1.16-3.03), baseline Statin treatment (0.54, CI 0.33-0.87), oxygen saturation (unit = 1\%, OR 0.94, CI 0.92-0.96), leukocytes (unit 1000/μL, OR 1.04, CI 1.01-1.07), lymphocytes (unit 100/μL, OR 0.96, CI 0.94-0.99), platelets (unit 100,000/μL, OR 0.70, CI 0.62-0.80), procalcitonin (unit ng/mL, OR 1.11, CI 1.05-1.18), kidney failure (OR 1.68, CI 1.05-2.70), congestive heart failure (OR 2.62, CI 1.11-6.21), severe liver failure (OR 4.93, CI 1.94-12.52), and a quick SOFA score of 3 (OR 1.78, CI 1.14-2.78). The nomogram graphically displays the importance of these 14 factors for mortality. (4) Conclusions: There are risk factors that are specific to the subpopulation of critically ill COVID-19 patients.}, language = {en} } @article{MeintrupNowakMachenBorgmann2021, author = {Meintrup, David and Nowak-Machen, Martina and Borgmann, Stefan}, title = {Nine months of COVID-19 pandemic in Europe}, volume = {18}, pages = {6680}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}, subtitle = {a comparative time series analysis of cases and fatalities in 35 countries}, number = {12}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {1660-4601}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126680}, year = {2021}, abstract = {(1) Background: to describe the dynamic of the pandemic across 35 European countries over a period of 9 months. (2) Methods: a three-phase time series model was fitted for 35 European countries, predicting deaths based on SARS-CoV-2 incidences. Hierarchical clustering resulted in three clusters of countries. A multiple regression model was developed predicting thresholds for COVID-19 incidences, coupled to death numbers. (3) Results: The model showed strongly connected deaths and incidences during the waves in spring and fall. The corrected case-fatality rates ranged from 2\% to 20.7\% in the first wave, and from 0.5\% to 4.2\% in the second wave. If the incidences stay below a threshold, predicted by the regression model (R2=85.0\%), COVID-19 related deaths and incidences were not necessarily coupled. The clusters represented different regions in Europe, and the corrected case-fatality rates in each cluster flipped from high to low or vice versa. Severely and less severely affected countries flipped between the first and second wave. (4) Conclusions: COVID-19 incidences and related deaths were uncoupled during the summer but coupled during two waves. Once a country-specific threshold of infections is reached, death numbers will start to rise, allowing health care systems and countries to prepare.}, language = {en} } @article{BorgmannRiessMeintrupetal.2020, author = {Borgmann, Stefan and Rieß, Beate and Meintrup, David and Klare, Ingo and Werner, Guido}, title = {Long-Lasting Decrease of the Acquisition of Enterococcus faecium and Gram-Negative Bacteria Producing Extended Spectrum Beta-Lactamase (ESBL) by Transient Application of Probiotics}, volume = {17}, pages = {6100}, journal = {International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH)}, number = {17}, publisher = {MDPI}, address = {Basel}, issn = {1660-4601}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176100}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Previously it was shown that application of probiotics stopped the acquisition of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) by patients in an early rehabilitation ward. Once the application of probiotics ended, we examined whether acquisition of VRE reoccurred. Furthermore, we examined whether probiotics altered prevalence of vancomycin-susceptible E. faecium (VSE) and Gram-negative bacteria, which produce extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL). Although probiotic application ceased in April 2018, VRE-colonized patients rarely presented on that ward until 2019. Probiotic treatment also resulted in a decreased number of patients with VSE and ESBL. While decreased incidence of VRE occurred immediately, decreased VSE and ESBL numbers occurred months later. A probiotic-mediated decrease of VSE and ESBL incidence cannot be explained when assuming bacterial transmission exclusively as a linear cause and effect event. The decrease is better understood by considering bacterial transmissions to be stochastic events, which depend on various driving forces similar to an electric current. We hypothesize that VRE, VSE and ESBL uptake by patients and by staff members mutually reinforced each other, leading staff members to form a bacterial reservoir, similar to a condenser that stores electrical energy. Probiotic treatment then inhibited regeneration of that store, resulting in a breakdown of the driving force.}, language = {en} }