Soft Matter Engineering for the Fabrication of Functionalized Casein Microparticles

The structural features of the most abundant milk protein casein can be exploited for the targeted production of microparticles with desired properties. After the addition of pectin, the so-called casein micelles reversibly form aggregates of several µm in size, which change their shape due to shear and elongation forces. The soft properties are crucial for the subsequent solidification into stable casein microparticles during film drying. Based on pH-dependent experiments, we show how we analyze and tailor the swelling and disintegration properties of the microparticles for future controlled and instant release applications.     

Andrographolide Derivatives Target the KEAP1/NRF2 Axis and Possess Potent Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Activity

Naturally occurring compounds represent a vast pool of pharmacologically active entities. One of such compounds is andrographolide, which is endowed with many beneficial properties, including the activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To initiate a drug repurposing or hit optimization campaign, it is imperative to unravel the primary mechanism(s) of the antiviral action of andrographolide. Here, we showed by means of a reporter gene assay that andrographolide exerts its anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects by inhibiting the interaction between Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) causing NRF2 upregulation. Moreover, we demonstrated that subtle structural modifications of andrographolide could lead to derivatives with stronger on-target activities and improved physicochemical properties. Our results indicate that further optimization of this structural class is warranted to develop novel COVID-19 therapies.     

Spatially Resolved Temperature Measurements during Condensation in Presence of a Non-Condensable Gas

Axial temperature profiles of the vapor phase can provide valuable indication of the condensation process along the heat transfer path and highlight the impact of non-condensable gases on a unit's performance. The local measurements at moderate vacuum conditions for condensation of a binary mixture are presented alongside the implementation and assessment of optical sensors in a heat transfer process. The results show a good depiction of the characteristic temperature behavior during the condensation process. The relation between temperature, partial pressure and mole fractions are shown.     

Innovation in the creative industries: Linking the founder's creative and business orientation to innovation outcomes

Creative industries contain paradoxes because conflicting tensions arise between the market and the arts. Entrepreneurs need to find and maintain a balance between those two sides to create innovation. This study tests the interaction between business and creative orientations of a founder in their influence on innovation in the context of creative entrepreneurial firms and provides recommendations for how creative agents can leverage and manage their innovations based on their creative visions. Determinants on the individual level, such as the founder's creative or business orientations, have a lasting impact on the practices and process of their venture. To trace the imprinting influence of the founder's orientation on innovation, the empirical setting is a time-lagged study of German firm owners in the cultural and creative industries surveyed 5 years apart. The results show a significant relationship between creative orientation and innovation, whereas business orientation does not significantly relate to innovation. However, creative and business orientations reveal a negative interaction effect. This study contributes empirical evidence to the paradox theory and the interaction between the opposite poles. Our findings provide valuable insights about the relevance of creative orientation and its visionary impact on the firms' innovation process. Furthermore, the results shed new light on the tension between art and the market, as different compositions of the two orientation poles seem to have a varying impact on the degree of innovation. Thus, the study reveals the complexity of creative entrepreneurship and provides managerial guidance for other knowledge-based industries.     

Prospective LCA of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Thermo-Chemical Recycling by Pyrolysis

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is a particularly difficult waste to manage, characterized by hazardous and valuable chemicals. Emerging chemical recycling technologies are developed to unveil the possibility of sustainable treatment providing valuable resources from WEEE. This study develops a framework for prospective life cycle assessment (LCA) to explore a range of future scenarios in which the technology can be operated with low environmental impact. This is demonstrated in a case study focusing on plastics from WEEE, which are currently predominantly incinerated. The results reveal environmental benefits by WEEE treated via chemical recycling. In terms of climate change impacts, the best-case scenario of chemical recycling shows a reduction potential of 74 % compared to current treatment.     

Interactive Depixelization of Pixel Art through Spring Simulation

We introduce an approach for converting pixel art into high-quality vector images. While much progress has been made on automatic conversion, there is an inherent ambiguity in pixel art, which can lead to a mismatch with the artist's original intent. Further, there is room for incorporating aesthetic preferences during the conversion. In consequence, this work introduces an interactive framework to enable users to guide the conversion process towards high-quality vector illustrations. A key idea of the method is to cast the conversion process into a spring-system optimization that can be influenced by the user. Hereby, it is possible to resolve various ambiguities that cannot be handled by an automatic algorithm.