The European Declarative System, Database, and Languages

The EP2025 EDS project develops a highly parallel information server that supports established high-value interfaces. We describe the motivation for the project, the architecture of the system, and the design and application of its database and language subsystems. The Elipsys logic programming language, its advanced applications, EDS Lisp, and the Metal machine translation system are examined

Evaluation of the Advice Centre on Radicalisation: Final Report

Von April 2016 bis August 2017 evaluierte das Forschungszentrum des Bundesamtes für Migration und Flüchtlinge das Beratungsangebot der im BAMF ansässigen Beratungsstelle "Radikalisierung" und ihrer vier zivilgesellschaftlichen "Partner vor Ort" auf Bundesebene für Personen aus dem sozialen Umfeld sich (potentiell) radikalisierender Menschen. Evaluiert wurden die Prozesse der Beratungsarbeit der genannten Akteure und ihre Kooperation untereinander sowie im weiteren Netzwerk im Zeitraum des fünfjährigen Bestehens der Beratungsstelle (01. Januar 2012 bis 31. Dezember 2016).From April 2016 to August 2017 the Research Centre of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) evaluated the work of the BAMF "Advice Centre on Radicalisation" and its four civil society partners which received funding from the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The evaluation focused on the counselling provided e.g. for family members and the social environment of (potentially) radicalised persons by the Advice Centre and its civil society partners. Furthermore, it analysed the cooperation among these actors as well as with other cooperation partners within the broader network during the first five years of the Advice Centre’s existence (1 January 2012 to 31 December 2016)

Mechanical stimulation induces Ca2+i transients and membrane depolarization in cultured endothelial cells Effects on Ca2+i in co-perfused smooth muscle cells

AbstractCytosolic Ca2+ concentration and membrane potential were monitored in individual cultured enothelial cells mechanically stimulated with a micropipette attached to the stage of a microscope. Both dimpling and poking of endothelial cells resulted in Ca2+i transients (from 63 ± 12 to 397 ± 52 nM, characterized by a refractory period of approx. 2 min) and cell depolarization. Ca2+i transients of the reduced amplitude (201 ± 41 nM) were evoked by mechanical stimulation of endothelial cells incubated in a Ca2+-free medium. Dimpling-induced Ca2+i transients were refractory to the pretreatments with pertussis toxin, colchicine, or cytochalasin B, and were not mimicked by an increase in the hydrodynamic pressure. In a co-perfusion system (endothelium: smooth muscle), both the KCl-induced depolarization and ionomycin-induced increase in Ca2+i in the endothelial cells resulted in the reduction of Ca2+i in the smooth muscle cells. The data reported are consistent with the phenomenon of vascular relaxation in response to the increased blood flow. We hypothesize that the mechanical interaction of the formed elements with the microvascular endothelium can serve as a pacemaker for the sustained relaxation of vascular smooth muscle

Age dependent Beta-Amyloid isoforms and implications of different drug treatments as studied in different transgenic mouse models and cell lines

The Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide is the main component of the the amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and has been implicated to be the cause of the disease. During the last decade it has become increasingly evident that soluble, oligomeric forms of Aβ are more toxic to neurons than the plaques and might play an important role in the disease pathogenesis. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the time course of different Aβ isoforms and species and how these forms affects the neuro-pathological changes seen in AD and how different cholinergic drugs can modulate Aβ and it’s processing. A translational approach ranging from transfected human neuroblas-toma SH-SY5Y/APPswe cells, APPswe and hAChE-Tg//APPswe transgenic mouse models of AD to postmortem AD brain tissue were used to study how changes of different levels of Aβ influence the brain and related processes. APPswe transgenic mice showed already at 7-days of age, high levels of soluble form of Aβ, as a sign for that Aβ starts to aggregate from birth. Be-tween 7 to 90-days of age, the major Aβ isoforms in brain were shorter forms than Aβ1-40. The levels of Aβ1-40 were high and remained fairly constant up to 15- months of age while Aβ1-42 showed an age-dependent consistent increase from 7- days up to 15-months of age. High levels of Aβ oligomers but low levels of synaphtophysin were observed in 90-days-old APPswe mice probably due to the toxicity of the oligomers. Low levels of α7 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine recep-tors (nAChRs) compared to non-transgenic mice were measured in 7-days-old APPswe mice; while an increased number N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) recep-tors binding sites were found at 21-days of age probably reflecting compensatory mechanisms in response to a high Aβ burden. Epigenetic studies showed increased levels of acetylated (AcH3), and di-methylated (2MeH3) histone H3 at 4-months-old APPswe mice. When a γ-secretase inhibitor reduced Aβ, there was a reduction in AcH3 in SH-SY5Y/ APPswe cells. nAChR agonists showed to influence the Aβ levels in hAChE-Tg//APPswe transgenic mice and in SH-SY5Y/ APPswe cells

To develop and implement a quality assurance system based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) to a cook-freeze operation: Research project

The purpose of this study was to identify and develop a suitable quality assurance system based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), which was implemented to the ‘cook-freeze\u27 operation, currently employed at Healthcarc Foods. In addition, the quality assurance system was implemented as a systematic approach to food quality, and as a means of ensuring food safety. The samples, which consisted of all the chicken dishes, were used in the development of the HACCP plans comprising of flowcharts and HACCP control charts. These dishes are regarded as \u27high risk\u27, in terms of microbiological growth, and therefore, were chosen to be monitored. The research was conducted in the following way: l) the chicken recipes were reviewed; II) the ingredients required for each chicken recipe were listed; Ill) all the procedures employed in the production of each chicken dish were analysed; and IV) the personnel responsible for each particular operation were observed and informally interviewed. The information collected throughout the conduct of the study provided the groundwork for the development of a flowchart and HACCP control chart for each chicken dish. The study shows that certain areas within the \u27cook-freeze\u27 operation need improving or changing. Therefore, a number of recommendations have been put forward

Improved sample utilization in thermal ionization mass spectrometry isotope ratio measurements: refined development of porous ion emitters for nuclear forensic applications

The precise and accurate determination of isotopic composition in nuclear forensic samples is vital for assessing origin, intended use and process history. Thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) is widely accepted as the gold standard for high performance isotopic measurements and has long served as the workhorse in the isotopic ratio determination of nuclear materials. Nuclear forensic and safeguard specialists have relied heavily on such methods for both routine and atypical efforts. Despite widespread use, TIMS methods for the assay of actinide systems continue to be hindered by poor ionization efficiency, often less than tenths of a percent; the majority of a sample is not measured. This represents a growing challenge in addressing next-generation nuclear detection needs by limiting the ability to analyze ultra-trace quantities of high priority elements that could potentially provide critical nuclear forensic signatures. Porous ion emitter (PIE) thermal ion sources were developed in response to the growing need for new TIMS ion source technologies. By simultaneously incorporating multiple, previously developed strategies for improved ionization efficiency, PIEs have proven to be simple to implement, straightforward approach to boosting ion yield. This work serves to expand the use of PIE techniques for the analysis of trace quantities of plutonium and americium. PIEs exhibited superior plutonium and americium ion yields when compared to direct filament loading and the resin bead technique, one of the most efficient methods for actinide analysis, at similar mass loading levels. Initial attempts at altering PIE composition for the analysis of plutonium proved to enhance sample utilization even further. Preliminary investigations of the instrumental fractionation behavior of plutonium and uranium analyzed via PIE methods were conducted. Data collected during these initial trial indicate that PIEs fractionate in a consistent, reproducible manner; a necessity for high precision isotope ratio measurements. Ultimately, PIEs methods were applied for the age determination of various uranium isotopic standards. PIEs did not exhibit significant advantages for the determination of model ages when compared to traditional filaments; however, this trial was able to provide valuable insight for guiding future investigations