Business Plan (1994)

"Reviewed May 15, 1994."By the time you get serious enough about an idea to need a business plan, you will have already spent a lot of time thinking about it and doing a great deal of informal research. Now you have to refine all your vague guesses and suppositions

Cultivating diversity and food quality. Proceedings of Diversifood EU Forum, Brussels, 11 April 2018

To tackle this issue, Diversifood team organised a forum with policy makers and stakeholders on the 11th of April 2018, in Brussels. Diversifood’s aim is to share results and key lessons including new approaches for the management of cultivated biodiversity, for plant breeding for sustainable farming systems, and new relationships among actors of food systems. In the afternoon, there was time for discussion, knowledge sharing, collecting feedback and extending current policies to include cultivating diversity and food quality (for FP9, CAP 2020, The outputs of this workshop will feed Diversifood’s final recommendations. The forum was kindly hosted by the European Committee of the Regions (Rue Belliard/Belliardstraat 101, 1040 Brussels)

(+)-{1,2-Bis[(2R,5R)-2,5-dimethyl-phospho-lan-1-yl]ethane- κ2 P,P′}(η4-cyclo-octa-1,5-diene) rhodium(I) tetra-fluorido-borate

The title compound, [Rh(C8H12)(C14H 28P2)]BF4, exhibits a rhodium(I) complex cation with a bidentate bis-phosphine ligand and a bidentate η2, η2-coordinated cyclo-octa-1,5-diene. Together the ligands create a slightly distorted square-planar cordination environment for the Rh(I) atom. There are three mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit and intra-molecular P - Rh - P bite angles of 82.78 (5), 82.97 (6) and 83.09 (5)° are observed. The dihedral angles between the P - Rh - P and the X - Rh - X planes (X is the centroid of a double bond) are 14.7 (1), 14.8 (1) and 15.3 (1)°. The structure exhibits disorder of one cyclo-octa-diene ligand as well as one BF4 anion

Real world experience reflecting current guidelines

Background: In case of suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS), international guidelines recommend to obtain a 12-lead ECG as soon as possible after first medical contact, to administrate platelet aggregation inhibitors and antithrombins, and to transfer the patient as quickly as possible to an emergency department. Methods: A German emergency care service database was retrospectively analysed from 2014 to 2016. Data were tested for normal distribution and the Mann-Whitney test was used for statistical analysis. Results are presented as medians (IQR). Results: A total of 1424 patients with suspected ACS were included in the present analysis. A 12-lead ECG was documented in 96% of patients (n = 1369). The prehospital incidence of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was 18% (n = 250). In 981 patients (69%), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), unfractionated heparin (UFH), or ASA and UFH was given. Time in prehospital care differed significantly between non-STEMI (NSTEMI) ACS (37 [IQR 30, 44] min) and STEMI patients (33 [IQR 26, 40] min, n = 1395, p < 0.0001). Most of NSTEMI ACS and STEMI patients were brought to the emergency care unit, while 30% of STEMI patients were directly handed over to a cardiac catheterization laboratory. Conclusions: Prehospital ECG helps to identify patients with STEMI, which occurs in 18% of suspected ACS. Patients without ST-elevations suffered from longer prehospital care times. Thus, it is tempting to speculate that ST-elevations in patients prompt prehospital medical teams to act more efficiently while the absence of ST-elevations even in patients with suspected ACS might cause unintended delays. Moreover, this analysis suggests the need for further efforts to make the cardiac catheterization laboratory the standard hand-over location for all STEMI patients.Einführung: Internationale Leitlinien empfehlen die umgehende Ableitung eines 12-Kanal-Elektrokardiogramms bei Patienten mit akuter Angina-pectoris-Symptomatik. Ebenfalls wird die präklinische Gabe von Azetylsalizylsäure, Heparin sowie der sofortige Transport in ein Krankenhaus mit der Möglichkeit einer koronarinvasiven Diagnostik empfohlen. Methoden: Es wurden die Einsatzprotokolle einer Rettungsstellendatenbank retrospektiv für den Zeitraum von 2014–2016 auf diese Merkmale untersucht. Die Daten wurden auf Normalverteilung getestet und für die statistische Analyse wurde ein Mann-Whitney-Test verwendet. Die Ergebnisse sind als Mediane (Interquartilsabstand, IQR) dargestellt. Ergebnisse: Es wurden 1424 Patienten mit Angina-pectoris-Symptomatik eingeschlossen. In 96 % (n = 1369) der Fälle wurde ein 12-Kanal-Elektrokardiogramm aufgezeichnet. Präklinisch wurden 250 Patienten (18 %) mit ST-Strecken-Hebungs-Infarkt (STEMI) diagnostiziert. Insgesamt 981 Patienten (69 %) erhielten Azetylsalizylsäure bzw. Heparin oder Azetylsalizylsäure und Heparin. Die präklinischen Zeiten unterschieden sich signifikant zwischen Patienten mit akutem Koronarsyndrom ohne Ischämiezeichen im Elektrokardiogramm (NSTEMI ACS; 37 min [IQR 30,44]) und Patienten mit ST-Hebungen (STEMI; 33 min [IQR 26,40]). Der Großteil der Patienten wurde in der Notaufnahme übergeben, während 30 % der STEMI-Patienten direkt in das Herzkatheterlabor transferiert wurden. Schlussfolgerung: Die Inzidenz von ST-Hebungen liegt im präklinischen Bereich bei Patienten mit Angina-pectoris bei 18 %. Patienten ohne Ischämiezeichen wurden langsamer einem Krankenhaus zugeführt als Patienten mit STEMI. Dieses Ergebnis kann auf die geltenden Leitlinien zurückzuführen sein, da bei STEMI-Patienten die Zeit von Diagnosestellung bis zur koronarinvasiven Diagnostik <120 min betragen soll

Characterization of the monocyte-specific esterase (MSE) gene

Carboxylic esterases are widely distributed in hematopoietic cells. Monocytes express the esterase isoenzyme (termed 'monocyte-specific esterase', MSE) that can be inhibited by NaF in the alpha-naphthyl acetate cytochemical staining. We examined the expression of MSE in normal cells and primary and cultured leukemia-lymphoma cells. The MSE protein was demonstrated by isoelectric focusing (IEF); MSE mRNA expression was investigated by Northern blotting and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The following samples were positive for MSE protein and Northern mRNA expression: 20/24 monocytic, 4/32 myeloid, and 1/20 erythroid-megakaryocytic leukemia cell lines, but none of the 112 lymphoid leukemia or lymphoma cell lines; of the normal purified cell populations only the monocytes were positive whereas, T, B cells, and granulocytes were negative; of primary acute (myelo) monocytic leukemia cells (CD14-positive, FAB M4/M5 morphology) 14/20 were Northern mRNA and 11/14 IEF protein positive. RT-PCR revealed MSE expression in 29/49 Northern-negative lymphoid leukemia-lymphoma cell lines. The RT-PCR signals in monocytic cell lines were on average 50-fold stronger than the mostly weak trace expression in lymphoid specimens. On treatment with various biomodulators, only all-trans retinoic acid significantly upregulated MSE message and protein levels but could not induce new MSE expression in several leukemia cell lines; lipopolysaccharide and interferon-gamma increased MSE expression in normal monocytes. Analysis of DNA methylation with sensitive restriction enzymes showed no apparent regulation of gene expression by differential methylation; the MSE gene is evolutionarily conserved among mammalian species; the half-life of the human MSE transcripts was about 5-6 h. The extent of MSE expression varied greatly among different monocytic leukemia samples. However, the MSE overexpression in a significant number of specimens was not associated with gene amplification, gross structural rearrangements or point mutations within the cDNA region. Taken together, the results suggest that MSE expression is not absolutely specific for, but strongly associated with cells of the monocytic lineage; MSE is either not expressed at all or expressed at much lower levels in cells from other lineages. The biological significance, if any, of rare MSE messages in lymphoid cells detectable only by the hypersensitive RT-PCR remains unclear. Further studies on the regulation of this gene and on the physiological function of the enzyme will no doubt be informative with respect to its striking overexpression in some malignant cells and to a possible role in the pathobiology of monocytic leukemias

(+)-{1,2-Bis[(2R,5R)-2,5-diethyl-phospho-lan-1-yl]ethane- κ2 P,P′}(≠4-cyclo-octa-1,5-diene)rhodium(I) tetra-fluoridoborate

The title compound, [Rh(C8H12)(C18H 36P2)]BF4, exhibits a rhodium(I) complex cation with a bidentate bis-phosphine ligand and a bidentate 2, 2-coordinated cyclo-octa-1,5-diene ligand. The ligands form a slightly distorted square-planar coordination environment for the Rh(I) atom. An intra-molecular P-Rh-P bite angle of 83.91 (2)° is observed. The dihedral angle between the P - Rh - P and the X - Rh - X planes (X is the centroid of a double bond) is 14.0 (1)°. The BF4 anion is disordered over two positions in a 0.515 (7):0.485 (7) ratio

The immunological, environmental, and phylogenetic perpetrators of metastatic leishmaniasis.

Cutaneous leishmaniases have persisted for centuries as chronically disfiguring parasitic infections affecting millions of people across the subtropics. Symptoms range from the more prevalent single, self-healing cutaneous lesion to a persistent, metastatic disease, where ulcerations and granulomatous nodules can affect multiple secondary sites of the skin and delicate facial mucosa, even sometimes diffusing throughout the cutaneous system as a papular rash. The basis for such diverse pathologies is multifactorial, ranging from parasite phylogeny to host immunocompetence and various environmental factors. Although complex, these pathologies often prey on weaknesses in the innate immune system and its pattern recognition receptors. This review explores the observed and potential associations among the multifactorial perpetrators of infectious metastasis and components of the innate immune system

Energy levels of few electron quantum dots imaged and characterized by atomic force microscopy

Strong confinement of charges in few electron systems such as in atoms, molecules and quantum dots leads to a spectrum of discrete energy levels that are often shared by several degenerate quantum states. Since the electronic structure is key to understanding their chemical properties, methods that probe these energy levels in situ are important. We show how electrostatic force detection using atomic force microscopy reveals the electronic structure of individual and coupled self-assembled quantum dots. An electron addition spectrum in the Coulomb blockade regime, resulting from a change in cantilever resonance frequency and dissipation during tunneling events, shows one by one electron charging of a dot. The spectra show clear level degeneracies in isolated quantum dots, supported by the first observation of predicted temperature-dependent shifts of Coulomb blockade peaks. Further, by scanning the surface we observe that several quantum dots may reside on what topologically appears to be just one. These images of grouped weakly and strongly coupled dots allow us to estimate their relative coupling strengths.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Auswirkung der Weideintensität auf bodenphysikalische und -chemische Parameter und Vegetation

Grünland stellt neben Ackerbau die zweitgrößte agrarische Nutzungsform in Deutschland dar. Traditionell wird Grünland primär als Standort für die Produktion von Futtermitteln wahrgenommen, welche über Beweidung oder Mahd geerntet werden. Obwohl ein Trend zur Stallhaltung beobachtet wird, kann die Weidehaltung unter dem Aspekt des Tierwohles, in Hinblick auf die Wirtschaftlichkeit der Milchviehbetriebe und unter Berücksichtigung der ökologischen Landschaftsfunktionen des Grünlandes eine wichtige Rolle spielen. Neben der Bereitstellung von Futtermitteln gehören zu den wichtigsten Ökosystemleistungen des Grünlandes Wasserregulationsfunktionen und Bodenerosionsschutz, zudem das Potenzial zur Klimaregulierung über vermehrte Kohlenstoffspeicherung und der Schutz biotischer Ressourcen über den Erhalt und Erhöhung der Biodiversität. Wie sich diese Ökosystemleistungen auf intensiv genutzten Weidestandorten mit steigender Nutzungsintensität und Trittbelastung verändern, ist bisher wenig erforscht. Das ÖKOTAWEK-Projekt („Ökonomische, ökologische und Tierwohlaspekte der Weidehaltung von Hochleistungskühen“; gefördert von der Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung) analysiert neben den ökonomischen und Tierwohlaspekten auch das ökologische Wirkungsgefüge der intensiven Weidehaltung. Die Untersuchungen erfolgten anhand ausgewählter Praxisbetriebe in Norddeutschland. Innerhalb des Teilprojektes Bodenökologie wurden auf den Untersuchungsflächen bis zu vier Trittintensitätsklassen untersucht. Für jede Klasse wurden zum einen die bodenphysikalischen Parameter, wie die Trockenrohdichte und Kennwerte auf Basis der Wasserretentionskurve, bestimmt. Zum anderen wurden Unterschiede in Bezug auf chemische Parameter, wie der Gehalt an Phosphor, Kalium, Stickstoff und organischem Kohlenstoff sowie zum pH-Wert, untersucht. Im Weiteren können auf Basis der Vegetationszusammensetzung, Trockenmasseerträge und Kennwerte der Weender Futtermittelanalyse Rückschlüsse der Trittintensität auf Erträge und Erntequalität gezogen werden. Der Vortrag präsentiert die mittels PCA (Principal Component Analysis) und anderen statistischen Verfahren ermittelten Zusammenhänge aus dreijähriger Projektarbeit