Increasing system complexity can be controlled by using systems engineering processes. INCOSE defines processes with inputs and outputs (artifacts) for this purpose. Specific SE roles are used to organize the tasks of the processes within the company. In this work, the responsibilities for artifacts are evaluated by means of the RACI scheme and examined by a cluster analysis and discussed for a SE transformation project with a German automotive OEM. As a result of the study, the optimal composition for systems engineering teams is identified and the systems engineering roles are prioritized.

Virtual Reality (VR) is progressively adopted at different stages of design and product development. Consequently, evolving interaction requirements in engineering design and development for VR are essential for technology adoption. One of these requirements is real-time positional tracking. This paper aims to present an experimental design of a new real-time positional tracking device (tracker), that is more compact than the existing solution, while addressing factors such as wearability and connectivity. We compare the simulation of the proposed device and the existing solution, discuss the results, and the limitations. The new experimental shape of the device is tailored towards research, allowing the engineering designer to take advantage of a new tracker alternative in new ways, and opens the door to new VR applications in research and product development.

Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with the compulsion to wash have fear of contamination or feel contaminated. The compulsion to wash often lasts for hours, so that massive difficulties to cope with everyday life follow. There exist only few data on the aetiology of specific OCD-subgroups as the compulsive disorder to wash. Specific neural correlates of OCD with compulsion to wash have never been analyzed before. Existing neuroimaging data on OCD generally show changes of neural activity in the striatum, orbitofrontal cortex and anterior cingulated gyrus. A dysfunction of frontostriatal loops is supposed as one cause of OCD. From a psychoanalytic point of view OCD with the specific compulsion to wash is related to a suppression of autosexual and aggressive drives.

In our neuroimaging study (fMRI) we compared the neural networks of OCD-patients with the compulsion to wash and healthy controls. We used a picture-paradigm consisting of autosexual, aggressive, disgusting, neutral and water pictures. We were interested in the neural correlates of OCD-patients with compulsion to wash regarding the different affective pictures categories and expected neural differences between patients and controls. Stimuli were taken partly from the IAPS, partly also self- constructed and validated by a control group. First results point at significant differences in neural activity between patients and healthy controls, especially in diseases-related components as autosexual, aggressive and water pictures. OCD-patients used a more extended and more emotional related network of brain structures.

Our study provides new insights into neural correlates of OCD-patients with the compulsion to wash.

The postpartum depression occurs between the 2nd and 6th week after birth. It is characterized by ambivalent emotions concerning the baby, excessive demands, feelings of guilt, fears of failure, panic attacks and sometimes culminates in suicide or infanticide. Previous studies show prevalence between 5 and 15%. In Germany only few data exist concerning epidemiology, aetiology and risk factors. Previous psychological diseases, especially depression, missing social support and bad partner support are important components. There is nothing common about the neural correlates of postpartum depression so far. Patients, midwives and gynaecologists rarely have information about experts and possibilities of treatment. Because the postpartum depression has devastating consequences for the mother and for the development of the child, a close cooperation between gynaecological, midwives and psychosomatic disciplines is essential and a directed psychotherapeutic consultation absolutely necessary.

Therefore we accomplish an interdisciplinary project with a multimodal approach. Besides a ‘postpartum-depression-hotline’, which is well-staffed by experts 24 hours, a new homepage concerning postpartum depression is available (www.wochenbettdepression-hotline.de). Therapeutic support for mothers and fathers occurs immediately by our team and a mother-child-unit is available. Turkish patients are included to assess intercultural influences. Clinical interviews and psychometric instruments are used to analyze personality, attachment, body perception etc. For the first time neural networks of postpartum depression are examined by fMRI. A picture-paradigm is used.

By our interdisciplinary approach we already established a broad supportive network in only few months.

Our psychometric and fMRI results contribute to further knowledge of aetiology and risk factors of postnatal depression.

Primary insomnia (PI) is a highly prevalent health problem worldwide and has been identified as a risk factor for major somatic and mental disorders. Still, less than 50% of all individuals with chronic PI show full remission with optimized first line treatment, indicating the need for additional research. The broad objective of this study was to test acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) as a supplement to first line treatment in order to improve non-pharmacological interventions for insomnia.

Specific aims were i) to evaluate whether ACT is feasible in patients with PI and ii) to collect preliminary efficacy data. Improvements of subjective sleep quality and quality of life (QoL) were hypothesized.

Eleven individuals with chronic PI without comorbidities who were non- or partial responders to Cognitive Behavior Therapy were included. They participated in six weekly ACT sessions in an outpatient group setting. Primary outcomes were subjective sleep quality as measured by sleep diary data, and quality of life as measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life. Data were collected at two baselines, post-treatment and at three-months-follow-up.

Ten individuals completed the study. Sleep parameters did not significantly change across the study. Importantly, the QoL across different domains was significantly improved after ACT. Sleep-related avoidance behavior was significantly reduced. Effect sizes for QoL and avoidance behavior changes were large.

The data provide preliminary evidence that ACT as a group program is feasible in individuals with chronic PI and could be a helpful supplement to existing treatments especially with the aim of improving QoL.

Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) is one of the few psychological methods whose efficacy has been demonstrated for affective disorders. The approach was originally designed specifically for the outpatient treatment of acute unipolar depressive episodes. Since the method has proven to be successful, it has been modified in many ways e.g. for the inpatient setting and treatments for numerous mental disorders.

IPT conceptualizes depression as a multifactorial psychiatric disorder that develops in an interpersonal context. The therapeutic work therefore focusses on the current circumstances of the person's life, which are related to depressive episode (e.g. partnership conflict, change of roles in the context of maternity or caring for a relative). The therapeutic work takes place in the here and now. The patient is helped to deal with interpersonal problems, to develop appropriate social skills to cope with its difficulties and to reduce depressive symptoms. The theoretical basis of the IPT is the interpersonal theory of Sullivan and Bowlby's attachment theory. Specific interpersonal techniques (e.g. communication analysis) as well as techniques of other therapy schools (e.g. actualization of emotions, clarification and roleplaying) are applied.

The aim of the workshop is to give an introduction to the IPT, in particular working with the four different foci conflicts, change of roles, pathologic grief and interpersonal deficits as well as the work with IPT in the individual and inpatient setting.

A curved-linear Fresnel lens was investigated to test the effect of concentrated solar radiation on surface and buried weed seed. The lens produced a line focus 1 by 150 cm with a mean temperature of 309 C. A 20-s exposure to seed on the soil surface was 100% lethal to green foxtail, kochia, common lambsquarters, common purslane, and wild buckwheat. In a separate study, emergence from kochia and yellow foxtail seed was reduced 100% at 10 mm soil depth after 15 min in soil of 35 and 93 g/kg moisture and 20 to 40% at 178 g/kg moisture content. Concentrated solar radiation from a Fresnel lens has the greatest potential for affecting weed seed on the soil surface. A series of Fresnel lenses and/or larger lenses may be required for many practical field applications.

Titanium (Ti) is the material of choice for orthopaedic applications because it is biocompatible and encourages osteoblast ingrowth. It was shown that the biocompatibility of Ti metal is due to the presence of a thin native sub-stoichiometric titanium oxide layer which enhances the adsorption of mediating proteins on the surface [1]. The present studies were devised to evaluate the adhesion, survival, and growth of cells on the surface of new engineered nano-crystal films of titanium and titanium oxides and compare them with orthopaedic-grade titanium with microcrystals. The engineered nano-crystal films with hydrophilic properties are produced by employing an ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) technique. IBAD combines physical vapor deposition with concurrent ion beam bombardment in a high vacuum environment to produce films (with 3 to 70 nm grain size) with superior properties. These films are “stitched” to the artificial orthopaedic implant materials with characteristics that affect the wettability and mechanical properties of the coatings.

To characterize the biocompatibility of these nano-engineered surfaces, we have studied osteoblast function including cell adhesion, growth, and differentiation on different nanostructured samples. Cell responses to surfaces were examined using SAOS-2 osteoblast-like cells. We also studied a correlation between the surface nanostructures and the cell growth by characterizing the SAOS-2 cells with immunofluorescence and measuring the amount alizarin red concentration produced after 7 and 14 days. The number of adherent cells was determined by means of nuclei quantification on the nanocrystalline Ti, TiO2, and microcrystalline Ti and analysis was performed with Image J. Our experimental results indicated that nanocrystalline TiO2 is superior to both nano and microcrystalline Ti in supporting growth, adhesion, and proliferation. Improving the quality of surface oxide, i.e. fabricating stoichiometric oxides as well as nanoengineering the surface topology, is crucial for increasing the biocompatibility of Ti implant materials.

The Bielefeld Longitudinal Study of Adult Twins (BiLSAT) is a German longitudinal study of monozygotic and dizygotic twins reared together, including more than 1,100 twin pairs aged between 14 and 80 who participated in the first wave. Data were collected at five waves of assessment between 1993 and 2009. Initially, the study focused on genetic and environmental influences on the structure and the development in adult temperament and personality. Today, the study includes a broad range of individual variables, such as personality disorders, major life goals, interests, attitudes, values, life and work satisfaction, and major life events. A special feature of this genetically informative study lies in the multiple-rater approach (i.e., self-reports and peer reports). Longitudinal multiple-rater analyses allow researchers to go beyond the basic nature–nurture decomposition of variance in self-reports examining genetic and environmental influences on stability and change in more accurately measured individual attributes. In the current article, we briefly describe the design and contents of BiLSAT as well as some recent major findings and future plans.

We designed and produced pure cubic zirconia (ZrO2) ceramic1 coatings by an ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) with nanostructures comparable to the size of proteins. Our ceramic coatings exhibit high hardness and a zero contact angle with serum. In contrast to hydroxyapatite (HA), nano-engineered zirconia films possess excellent adhesion to all orthopaedic materials. Cell adhesion and proliferation experiments were performed with a bona fide mesenchymal stromal cell line (OMA-AD). Our experimental results indicate that the nano-engineered cubic zirconia is superior in supporting growth, adhesion, and proliferation. Since cell attachment is mediated by adhesive proteins such as fibronectin (FN), to elucidate why cells attach more effectively to our nanostructures, we performed a comparative analysis of adsorption energies of FN fragment using quantum mechanical calculations and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation both on smooth and nanostructured surfaces. We have found that a FN fragment adsorbs significantly stronger on the nanostructured surface than on the smooth surface2.

Initial clinical trials using Trichuris suis eggs (TSO) in autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, revealed a striking suppressive effect on the autoimmune response. Here, we analysed the effect of TSO therapy on the course of multiple sclerosis (MS), as a Th1/Th17-associated autoimmune disease. Different immunological parameters in four patients with secondary progressive MS were surveyed during a 6-month therapy with TSO, focusing on the modulation of T-cell Th1–Th2 balance as well as on the innate immune response. We are able to show a slight downregulation of the Th1-associated cytokine pattern, especially relevant in interleukin (IL)-2 (P < 0.05 after 2 months of therapy), with a temporary increase of Th2-associated cytokines such as IL-4. Furthermore, mild eosinophily and changes in CD4+ and CD8+T cells and natural killer (NK) CD56 bright cell numbers were observed. The findings observed in this group of patients suggest that TSO therapy has a moderate immunomodulatory impact in MS.

We describe the field demonstration of astrobiology instruments and research methods conducted in and from the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah during the EuroGeoMars campaign 2009 coordinated by ILEWG, ESA/ESTEC and NASA Ames, with the contribution of academic partners. We discuss the entire experimental approach from determining the geological context using remote sensing, in situ measurements, sorties with sample collection and characterization, analysis in the field laboratory, to the post sample analysis using advanced laboratory facilities.

We present the rationale for terrestrial field campaigns to strengthen astrobiology research and the link between in situ and orbital remote sensing data. These campaigns are supporting the preparation for future missions such as Mars Science Laboratory, ExoMars or Mars Sample Return. We describe the EuroGeoMars 2009 campaign conducted by MDRS crew 76 and 77, focused on the investigation of surface processes in their geological context. Special emphasis was placed on sample collection and pre-screening using in-situ portable instruments. Science investigations included geological and geochemical measurements as well as detection and diagnostic of water, oxidants, organic matter, minerals, volatiles and biota.

EuroGeoMars 2009 was an example of a Moon–Mars field research campaign dedicated to the demonstration of astrobiology instruments and a specific methodology of comprehensive measurements from selected sampling sites. We discuss in sequence: the campaign objectives and trade-off based on science, technical or operational constraints. This includes remote sensing data and maps, and geological context; the monitoring of environmental parameters; the geophysical context and mineralogy studies; geology and geomorphology investigations; geochemistry characterization and subsurface studies.

We describe sample handling (extraction and collection) methods, and the sample analysis of soils and rocks performed in the MDRS laboratory using close inspection, initial petrological characterization, microscopy, Visible-NIR spectrometry, Raman spectrometry, X-ray diffraction/X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, soil analysis, electrochemical and biological measurements.

The results from post-mission analysis of returned samples using advanced facilities in collaborator institutes are described in companion papers in this issue. We present examples of in-situ analysis, and describe an example investigation on the exploration and analysis of endolithic microbial mats (from reconnaissance, in-situ imaging, sampling, local analysis to post-mission sample analysis).

Direct-write, cryogenic electron beam-induced deposition (EBID) was performed by condensing methylcyclopentadienyl-platinum-trimethyl precursor onto a substrate at −155 °C, exposing the condensate by a 15 keV electron beam, and desorbing unexposed precursor molecules by heating the substrate to room temperature. Dependencies of film thickness, microstructure, and surface morphology on electron beam flux and fluence, and Monte Carlo simulations of electron interactions with the condensate are used to construct a model of cryogenic EBID that is contrasted to existing models of conventional, room temperature EBID. It is shown that material grown from a cryogenic condensate exhibits one of three distinct surface morphologies: a nanoporous mesh with a high surface-to-volume ratio; a smooth, continuous film analogous to material typically grown by room temperature EBID; or a film with a high degree of surface roughness, analogous to that of the cryogenic condensate. The surface morphology can be controlled reproducibly by the electron fluence used for exposure.