Transregional Collaborative Research Centre Research Articles

Genome sequence of the pink to light reddish-pigmented Rubellimicrobium mesophilum type strain (DSM 19309(T)), a representative of the Roseobacter group isolated from soil, and emended description of the species.

Rubellimicrobium mesophilum Dastager et al. 2008 is a mesophilic and light reddish-pigmented representative of the Roseobacter group within the alphaproteobacterial family Rhodobacteraceae. Representatives of the Roseobacter group play an important role in the marine biogeochemical cycles and were found in a broad variety of marine environments associated with algal blooms, different kinds of sediments, and surfaces of invertebrates and vertebrates. Roseobacters were shown to be widely distributed, especially within the total bacterial community found in coastal waters, as well as in mixed water layers of the open ocean. Here we describe the features of R. mesophilum strain MSL-20T together with its genome sequence and annotation generated from a culture of DSM 19309T. The 4,927,676 bp genome sequence consists of one chromosome and probably one extrachromosomal element. It contains 5,082 protein-coding genes and 56 RNA genes. As previously reported, the G+C content is significantly different from the actual genome sequence-based G+C content and as the type strain tests positively for oxidase, the species description is emended accordingly. The genome was sequenced as part of the activities of the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 51 (TRR51) funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Genome sequence of the exopolysaccharide-producing Salipiger mucosus type strain (DSM 16094(T)), a moderately halophilic member of the Roseobacter clade.

Salipiger mucosus Martínez-Cànovas et al. 2004 is the type species of the genus Salipiger, a moderately halophilic and exopolysaccharide-producing representative of the Roseobacter lineage within the alphaproteobacterial family Rhodobacteraceae. Members of this family were shown to be the most abundant bacteria especially in coastal and polar waters, but were also found in microbial mats and sediments. Here we describe the features of the S. mucosus strain DSM 16094T together with its genome sequence and annotation. The 5,689,389-bp genome sequence consists of one chromosome and several extrachromosomal elements. It contains 5,650 protein-coding genes and 95 RNA genes. The genome of S. mucosus DSM 16094T was sequenced as part of the activities of the Transregional Collaborative Research Center 51 (TRR51) funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

A Comparison of FSW, BHLW and TIG Joints for Al-Si-Mg Alloy (EN AW-6082 T6)

For joining lightweight frame structures, two welding methods are within the focus of the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre SFB/TR 10. The first one is the friction stir welding (FSW) and the second one s the bifocal hybrid laser welding (BHLW). To compare the properties of joints manufactured using these techniques with tungs en inert-gas welding (TIG), representing a conventional joining method, a benchmark was performed. This benchmark includes a comparison of the microstructure, the pore distribution, the microhardness and the mechanical behavior at quasi-static and high-speed tensile loading. The results reveal that the BHLW and the FSW processes outperform the TIG process regarding the mechanic l properties of the joints produced.

Genome sequence of the Litoreibacter arenae type strain (DSM 19593(T)), a member of the Roseobacter clade isolated from sea sand.

Litoreibacter arenae Kim et al. 2012 is a member of the genomically well-characterized Rhodobacteraceae clade within the Roseobacter clade. Representatives of this clade are known to be metabolically versatile and involved in marine carbon-producing and biogeochemical processes. They form a physiologically heterogeneous group of Alphaproteobacteria and were mostly found in coastal or polar waters, especially in symbiosis with algae, in microbial mats, in sediments or together with invertebrates and vertebrates. Here we describe the features of L. arenae DSM 19593T, including novel aspects of its phenotype, together with the draft genome sequence and annotation. The 3,690,113 bp long genome consists of 17 scaffolds with 3,601 protein-coding and 56 RNA genes. This genome was sequenced as part of the activities of the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 51 funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Genome sequence of the Leisingera aquimarina type strain (DSM 24565(T)), a member of the marine Roseobacter clade rich in extrachromosomal elements.

Leisingera aquimarina Vandecandelaere et al. 2008 is a member of the genomically well characterized Roseobacter clade within the family Rhodobacteraceae. Representatives of the marine Roseobacter clade are metabolically versatile and involved in carbon fixation and biogeochemical processes. They form a physiologically heterogeneous group, found predominantly in coastal or polar waters, especially in symbiosis with algae, in microbial mats, in sediments or associated with invertebrates. Here we describe the features of L. aquimarina DSM 24565T together with the permanent-draft genome sequence and annotation. The 5,344,253 bp long genome consists of one chromosome and an unusually high number of seven extrachromosomal elements and contains 5,129 protein-coding and 89 RNA genes. It was sequenced as part of the DOE Joint Genome Institute Community Sequencing Program 2010 and of the activities of the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 51 funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Atom-specific forces and defect identification on surface-oxidized Cu(100) with combined 3D-AFM and STM measurements

Financial support from the US Department of Energy (Basic Energy Sciences Grant No.DE-FG02-06ER15834), the National Science Foundation through the Yale Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (Grants Nos. MRSEC DMR-1119826 and No. DMR-0520495) and the Materials World Network program (Grant No. MWN DMR-0806893), the Spanish MINECO (Projects No. MAT2008-02953-E, No. MAT2011-023627, and No. CSD2010-00024), and from the UAM-Banco Santander Program of Collaboration with the United States is gratefully acknowledged. Access to the Magerit Supercomputer (CesViMa, Madrid) was provided through the Spanish Supercomputing Network (RES, Spain). H.M. thanks the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) for support through the transregional collaborative research center TRR 061 (Project No. B7)

Impact of dumped sediment structures on hydrological modelling in the artificial Chicken Creek catchment, Germany

Revealing the hydrological impact of sediment structures promises a better understanding of the influence of the spatial variability of sediment properties on the hydrological patterns and processes at the catchment scale. To improve the knowledge of structure-process interactions in initial ecosystems, the 6-ha artificial Chicken Creek Catchment in Germany was investigated by the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 38 (SFB/TRR 38). Sediment structures called pour-ribs, which are dumped by stackers during the construction process, lead to differently compacted sediment zones, which increase the spatial variability of sediments’ hydraulic properties. Although levelled afterwards by bulldozers, the majority of these structures remain in the subsurface. To analyse the effects of pour-ribs on the hydrological catchment’s behaviour, the process-based spatially distributed Water balance Simulation Model (WaSiM-ETH) was applied. The results show that the consideration of pour-ribs improves the runoff simulation and significantly affects the simulated soil moisture patterns and, thereby, the initial stage of the ecosystem development. Compacted zones act as hydraulic barriers and inhibit subsurface lateral water flow, whereas non-compacted zones constitute areas with increased water storage capacity. Both effects cause reduced catchment runoff. Moreover, disregarding of the pour-ribs was identified as a source of model uncertainty in previous studies. A further outcome of this study is the importance of a global sensitivity analysis as a tool for model improvement. Finally, the results stress the importance of considering the variability of sediment properties for hydrological modelling at the catchment scale.

DEVELOPMENT OF A METADATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AN INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROJECT

Abstract. In every interdisciplinary, long-term research project it is essential to manage and archive all heterogeneous research data, produced by the project participants during the project funding. This has to include sustainable storage, description with metadata, easy and secure provision, back up, and visualisation of all data. To ensure the accurate description of all project data with corresponding metadata, the design and implementation of a metadata management system is a significant duty. Thus, the sustainable use and search of all research results during and after the end of the project is particularly dependent on the implementation of a metadata management system. Therefore, this paper will describe the practical experiences gained during the development of a scientific research data management system (called the TR32DB) including the corresponding metadata management system for the multidisciplinary research project Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 32 (CRC/TR32) 'Patterns in Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Systems'. The entire system was developed according to the requirements of the funding agency, the user and project requirements, as well as according to recent standards and principles. The TR32DB is basically a combination of data storage, database, and web-interface. The metadata management system was designed, realized, and implemented to describe and access all project data via accurate metadata. Since the quantity and sort of descriptive metadata depends on the kind of data, a user-friendly multi-level approach was chosen to cover these requirements. Thus, the self-developed CRC/TR32 metadata framework is designed. It is a combination of general, CRC/TR32 specific, as well as data type specific properties.

Characterization of Horizontal Loads in the Production of Asymmetrical Parts

The vision of Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 73 of the German Research Foundation (DFG) is the development of a new manufacturing technology, sheet-bulk metal forming. The research activity is focused on the manufacturing of geometrically complex parts with functional elements from thin sheet metal. This paper gives an overview about the challenges in forming of asymmetrical parts with regard to the forming forces and resulting displacements of the press components. Furthermore, it introduces an appropriate approach for consideration of machine characteristics in order to improve the computational accuracy of the process modelling.

Investigation of a force-locked connection of micro piezo elements with aluminium carrier material

Within the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre PT-PIESA “High-Volume Production-Compatible Production Technologies for Lightmetal and Fiber Composite-Based Components with Integrated Piezo Sensors and Actuators” effective technologies for the production of active components are investigated. One concept is the direct integration of piezo material as fibers or rods in sheet metal like for instance aluminum sheets. This paper deals with the production step of the joining process. Based on a finite element simulation different dimensional layouts are experimentally investigated. The results show, that with an appropriate fill ratio a force-locked connection between piezo material and carrier material can be achieved.

Influence of Mandrel's Surface and Material on the Mechanical Properties of Joints Produced by Electromagnetic Compression

Electromagnetic compression of tubular profiles with high electrical conductivity is an innovative joining process for the manufacturing of lightweight structures. The mandrel's material has an influence on the transferable loads which is affected by the Young's modulus as well as the strength of the material. This was investigated, on the one hand, by changing the mandrel's material and, on the other hand, by using the same mandrel material with differing strength. Furthermore, taking conventional interference fits into account, the contact area's influence on the joint's quality seems to be of significance, as e.g. the contact area and the friction coefficient between the joining partners proportionally determine an allowed axial load or torsional momentum. Therefore, different contact area surfaces were prepared by shot peening and different machining operations and strategies. The mandrel's surfaces were modified by shot peening with glass beads and Al2O3 particles. An alternative preparation was performed using simultaneous five-axis milling, because potential joining partners in lightweight frame structures within the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre SFB/TR10 would be manufactured similarly. After that, the manufactured surfaces were characterized by measuring the surface roughness and using confocal whitelight microscopy. Afterwards the modified mandrels were joined by electromagnetic compression. The influence of different mandrel's surface conditions on the joint's mechanical properties was analysed by tensile tests. Finally, conclusions and design rules for the manufacturing of joints by electromagnetic compression are given.

The German Transregional Collaborative Research Centre ‘Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy – Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapy’

Objectives: This report focuses on the design and methods of the 3-centre clinical study of the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre ‘Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy – Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapy’, which aims to establish a comprehensive research registry on the diagnostics, therapy and disease outcomes of patients with inflammatory cardiomyopathy (CMi). The study goals are to investigate specific disease sub-entities and to develop standardised strategies for diagnostics and treatment. Methods: All consecutive patients with clinically suspected CMi, post-myocarditic cardiomyopathy and acute myocarditis are included in the research registry. Cardiopulmonary functional tests, clinical and patient data are obtained at baseline and subsequent readmission appointments and are linked to allow for prospective follow-up. Co-morbidities, quality of life, health- related behaviour and sociodemographic variables are ascertained using uniform self-administered questionnaires. Present Status: By May 2008, 2,061 cases had been included in the research registry (1,300 data-sets completed). At registration, 335 patients were diagnosed with CMi. The mean age was 50 ± 13 years and the mean ejection fraction was 39.9 ± 15.8%. Conclusions: The broad range of the acquired molecular-biological, histological, immunohistological, clinical and patient data makes this the most comprehensive research registry on patients with CMi to date.

Functional gradation by differential thermo-mechanical treatment

For the production of bulk steel products with tailored properties, a new approach of thermo-mechanical processing offers a high potential of process innovations. The application of differential thermo-mechanical effects to initial homogeneous workpiece materials combines thermally-controlled material flow with functional grading of mechanical properties. The key effect is the control of local microstructural transformation. The detailed investigation and description of all related phenomena, not only for forming processes of bulk steel products but also for light metals and polymers is the main topic of the recently-established Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 30, which is financed by the German Research Foundation. Recent optimisations of the experimental setup in the field of hybrid metal forming offer new possibilities in the investigation of the main effects. The effects of different heating strategies are investigated through temperature and hardness measurements. Finite element simulations extend the range of the process monitoring. An appropriate choice of differential heating conditions and resulting thermo-mechanical effects creates a functional graded microstructural and resulting mechanical property distribution of bulk products.

Methods and implementation of a central biosample and data management in a three-centre clinical study

In our report we describe concept, strategies and implementation of a central biosample and data management (CSDM) system in the three-centre clinical study of the Transregional Collaborative Research Centre “Inflammatory Cardiomyopathy - Molecular Pathogenesis and Therapy” SFB/TR 19, Germany. Following the requirements of high system resource availability, data security, privacy protection and quality assurance, a web-based CSDM was developed based on Java 2 Enterprise Edition using an Oracle database. An efficient and reliable sample documentation system using bar code labelling, a partitioning storage algorithm and an online documentation software was implemented. An online electronic case report form is used to acquire patient-related data. Strict rules for access to the online applications and secure connections are used to account for privacy protection and data security. Challenges for the implementation of the CSDM resided at project, technical and organisational level as well as at staff level.

Bifocal Hybrid Laser Beam Welding and Friction Stir Welding of Aluminium Extrusion Components

On a global market, new products are subject to rising requirements regarding strength and quality. Simultaneously, the conservation of the environment and natural resources has become a key priority. One approach to these demands is the weight reduction of mechanical components by lightweight construction. The Transregional Collaborative Research Center (TR 10), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), is therefore working on the “Integration of forming, cutting and joining for the flexible production of lightweight space structures”. The use of light metals, like aluminium and composite materials is a main part in the TR10 process chain. This paper deals with the challenges of welding of light weight components made out of EN AW-6060. It shows the use and potentials of two innovative joining processes, particularly suited for welding aluminium. Especially developed for the fusion welding of aluminium components, BHLW (Bifocal Hybrid Laser Beam Welding), combines a Nd:YAG and a high power diode laser. The paper will give insight into the findings of the achieved results so far and line out the further proceedings with regard to critical parameters and their effect on the overall laser welding process. For the welding of aluminium composite materials, which play a big role in the TR10 process chain, Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is evaluated. As a solid state joining process, it can be used for the welding of materials that are hardly weldable with fusion welding techniques. In this paper, results of basic experiment for the joining of reinforced aluminium and the resulting process forces are presented.

Bulk Steel Products with Functionally Graded Properties Produced by Differential Thermo-mechanical Processing

For the production of bulk steel products with tailored properties a new approach of thermo-mechanical processing offers high potential for process innovations. The application of differential thermo-mechanical effects to initially homogeneous workpiece materials combines thermally controlled material flow with functional grading of mechanical properties. The key effect is the control of local microstructural transformation. The detailed investigation and description of all related phenomena, not only for forming processes of bulk steel products but also for light metals and polymers, is the main topic of the recently established Transregional Collaborative Research Centre 30, which is financed by the German Research Foundation. The comprehensive coverage of these phenomena is aimed at developing tools to govern this innovative new type of hybrid production processes. Recent optimisations of the experimental set-up in the field of hybrid metal forming offer new possibilities in the investigation of the main effects. In the following the effects of different cooling strategies on the functional gradation of properties are investigated by temperature and hardness measurements. Finite-element simulations give additional information to experimental observations. The control of these effects offers the possibility of a differential thermo-mechanical driven functional gradation of bulk steel products.

SFB/TR 14 AVACS – Automatic Verification and Analysis of Complex Systems (Der Sonderforschungsbereich/Transregio 14 AVACS – Automatische Verifikation und Analyse komplexer Systeme)

The Transregional Collaborative Research Center AVACS integrates the three sites Freiburg, Oldenburg, and Saarbrücken, and addresses the challenge of pushing the borderline for automatic verification and analysis of complex systems. A particular focus of the project is on models of complex transportation systems and their safety requirements. AVACS is organized in ten subprojects, each teaming researchers from all sites, and is funded by the German Science Foundation since January 1, 2004. This article surveys scope, organization, and research directions of AVACS, including pointers to key publications.

Composite Extrusion – Determination of the Influencing Factors on the Positioning of the Reinforcing Elements

In order to manufacture a workpiece fulfilling specified requirements with the lowest possible weight, it is crucial to be able to work with a variety of materials and to combine them accordingly. The production of profiles based on hybrid materials demonstrates such an approach. The continuous and selective reinforcement of aluminum profiles with metallic elements like steel wire and steel wire ropes by composite extrusion is being investigated within the scope of research of the Transregional Collaborative Research Center (SFB/TR10). A stable production process for composite profiles with embedded continuous reinforcing elements was developed during the research work. In this paper, the process principle is shown and an overview of the special tools is given. Furthermore, the temperature and the strand speed as influencing factors on the final state of the composite are analyzed, based on real size experiments using a 2.5MN and a 10 MN extrusion press.

Transregional Collaborative Research Center SFB/TR 8 Spatial Cognition: Reasoning, Action, Interaction (Sonderforschungsbereich/Transregio SFB/TR 8 Raumkognition: Schließen, Handeln, Interagieren)

Summury The Transregional Collaborative Research Center SFB/TR 8 Spatial Cognition was established by the German Science Foundation (DFG) at the Universities of Bremen and Freiburg in January 2003. 13 Research projects pursue interdisciplinary research on intelligent spatial information processing. This article introduces the research field of spatial cognition and reports on aspects from cognitive psychology, cognitive robotics, linguistics, and artificial intelligence.