Wikinger im modernen Brettspiel

Unter den modernen populärkulturellen Medien, die das Thema „Wikinger“ behandeln, darf das Medium der Brettspiele heutzutage nicht mehr ausgelassen werden. Während zu digitalen Spielen bereits eine stark wachsende Forschung existiert, gibt es trotz der steigenden Beliebtheit von Brettspielen bisher in diesem Bereich kaum Forschung. Dabei sind Brettspiele genau wie digitale Spiele ein Zeugnis unserer Zeit, in dem sich Vorstellungen und Normen einer Gesellschaft widerspiegeln – die wissenschaftliche Beschäftigung mit dem Medium erscheint daher lohnenswert. Ein möglicher Ansatz, wie eine historische Auseinandersetzung mit Brettspielen erfolgen kann, wird im Folgenden gegeben und anhand von drei Spielen mit Wikinger-Setting exemplarisch angewandt

Geodesy and metrology with a transportable optical clock

partially_open24openGrotti, Jacopo; Koller, Silvio; Vogt, Stefan; Häfner, Sebastian; Sterr, Uwe; Lisdat, Christian; Denker, Heiner; Voigt, Christian; Timmen, Ludger; Rolland, Antoine; Baynes, Fred N.; Margolis, Helen S.; Zampaolo, Michel; Thoumany, Pierre; Pizzocaro, Marco; Rauf, Benjamin; Bregolin, Filippo; Tampellini, Anna; Barbieri, Piero; Zucco, Massimo; Costanzo, Giovanni A.; Clivati, Cecilia; Levi, Filippo; Calonico, DavideGrotti, Jacopo; Koller, Silvio; Vogt, Stefan; Häfner, Sebastian; Sterr, Uwe; Lisdat, Christian; Denker, Heiner; Voigt, Christian; Timmen, Ludger; Rolland, Antoine; Baynes, Fred N.; Margolis, Helen S.; Zampaolo, Michel; Thoumany, Pierre; Pizzocaro, Marco; Rauf, Benjamin; Bregolin, Filippo; Tampellini, Anna; Barbieri, Piero; Zucco, Massimo; Costanzo, Giovanni A.; Clivati, Cecilia; Levi, Filippo; Calonico, David

Massive X-ray screening reveals two allosteric drug binding sites of SARS-CoV-2 main protease

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 is creating tremendous health problems and economical challenges for mankind. To date, no effective drug is available to directly treat the disease and prevent virus spreading. In a search for a drug against COVID-19, we have performed a massive X-ray crystallographic screen of repurposing drug libraries containing 5953 individual compounds against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), which is a potent drug target as it is essential for the virus replication. In contrast to commonly applied X-ray fragment screening experiments with molecules of low complexity, our screen tested already approved drugs and drugs in clinical trials. From the three-dimensional protein structures, we identified 37 compounds binding to Mpro. In subsequent cell-based viral reduction assays, one peptidomimetic and five non-peptidic compounds showed antiviral activity at non-toxic concentrations. Interestingly, two compounds bind outside the active site to the native dimer interface in close proximity to the S1 binding pocket. Another compound binds in a cleft between the catalytic and dimerization domain of Mpro. Neither binding site is related to the enzymatic active site and both represent attractive targets for drug development against SARS-CoV-2. This X-ray screening approach thus has the potential to help deliver an approved drug on an accelerated time-scale for this and future pandemics

X-ray screening identifies active site and allosteric inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 is creating tremendous human suffering. To date, no effective drug is available to directly treat the disease. In a search for a drug against COVID-19, we have performed a high-throughput X-ray crystallographic screen of two repurposing drug libraries against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M^(pro)), which is essential for viral replication. In contrast to commonly applied X-ray fragment screening experiments with molecules of low complexity, our screen tested already approved drugs and drugs in clinical trials. From the three-dimensional protein structures, we identified 37 compounds that bind to M^(pro). In subsequent cell-based viral reduction assays, one peptidomimetic and six non-peptidic compounds showed antiviral activity at non-toxic concentrations. We identified two allosteric binding sites representing attractive targets for drug development against SARS-CoV-2

Comparative structural bioinformatics analysis of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens chemotaxis proteins within Bacillus subtilis group

Chemotaxis is a process in which bacteria sense their chemical environment and move towards more favorable conditions. Since plant colonization by bacteria is a multifaceted process which requires a response to the complex chemical environment, a finely tuned and sensitive chemotaxis system is needed. Members of the Bacillus subtilis group including Bacillus amyloliquefaciens are industrially important, for example, as bio-pesticides. The group exhibits plant growth-promoting characteristics, with different specificity towards certain host plants. Therefore, we hypothesize that while the principal molecular mechanisms of bacterial chemotaxis may be conserved, the bacterial chemotaxis system may need an evolutionary tweaking to adapt it to specific requirements, particularly in the process of evolution of free-living soil organisms, towards plant colonization behaviour. To date, almost nothing is known about what parts of the chemotaxis proteins are subjected to positive amino acid substitutions, involved in adjusting the chemotaxis system of bacteria during speciation. In this novel study, positively selected and purified sites of chemotaxis proteins were calculated, and these residues were mapped onto homology models that were built for the chemotaxis proteins, in an attempt to understand the spatial evolution of the chemotaxis proteins. Various positively selected amino acids were identified in semi-conserved regions of the proteins away from the known active sites

Ein Wargame zwischen Militär und Kultur? Der Peloponnesische Krieg in "Polis – Machtkampf um die Vorherrschaft"

Abstract ((Der Beitrag wurde zuerst hier veröffentlicht: https://majournals.bib.uni-mannheim.de/index.php/skk/article/view/194)) Der Peloponnesische Krieg ist einer der bedeutendsten Kriege der griechischen Antike und hat zu grundlegenden Veränderungen der damaligen Gesellschaft geführt. Dabei sind nicht nur zahlreiche Schlachten und verschiedene Kriegstaktiken hervorzuheben, sondern auch kulturelle und politische Entwicklungen zu der Zeit. Als bedeutendes Ereignis hat der Krieg auch Einz..

A Wargame between Militarism and Culture? Der Peloponnesische Krieg in Polis – Machtkampf um die Vorherrschaft

Der Peloponnesische Krieg ist einer der bedeutendsten Kriege der griechischen Antike und hat zu grundlegenden Veränderungen der damaligen Gesellschaft geführt. Dabei sind nicht nur zahlreiche Schlachten und verschiedene Kriegstaktiken hervorzuheben, sondern auch kulturelle und politische Entwicklungen zu der Zeit. Als bedeutendes Ereignis hat der Krieg auch Einzug in diemoderne Populärkultur gehalten. Das Brettspiel Polis - Machtkampf um die Vorherrschaft bedient sich dieser Zeit als Setting. Dabei ist das Spiel bei BoardGameGeek als Wargame gelistet, stellt aber auch die kulturelle Blüte und die Versorgung der Bevölkerung in den Vordergrund. Die Illustrationen sind von antiken Vorbildern inspiriert, um eine authentische und immersive Atmosphäre des klassischen Griechenlands im 5. Jh. zu erschaffen. Das Spiel ist asymmetrisch aufgebaut und trotz zahlreicher historischer Bezüge besteht die Möglichkeit, dass es sich kontrafaktisch entwickelt. Wie genau der Peloponnesische Krieg in dem Spiel thematisiert und wie dies aufgefasst wird, zeigt dieser Aufsatz auf

Effect of rubber mats and perforation in the lying area on claw and limb lesions of fattening pigs

Claw and leg lesions are frequently observed in finishing pigs and are likely to compromise their welfare. Providing softer than the usual concrete flooring may reduce both the frequency and severity of these lesions. Therefore, this study evaluated the influence of rubber mats and floor perforation in the lying area on claw and leg health of finishing pigs. A total of 240 Swiss Large White finishing pigs from on average 24.9 kg until 102.3 kg were used in four batches, with six groups of 10 animals per batch. The six experimental pens initially measured 1.85×3.55 m and were enlarged after 6 weeks to 1.85×5.25 m. In all pens, one third of the floor space was built as a defecating area consisting of a concrete floor with 15% perforation. The remaining two thirds of the pen were designed as a lying area whose floor quality differed between the pens. It either consisted of concrete elements or was covered with rubber mats, and perforation of both floor types was either 0%, 5% or 10%. All individuals were scored for claw and leg lesions at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the 12-week fattening period. Lesions were summarised in scores based on the results of a principal component analysis. The influence on lesion scores of floor material, amount of perforation in the lying area, assessment time, and sex was examined using mixed-models. The total claw lesion score and the total limb lesion score as well as the claw angle increased from the beginning to the end of the fattening period. The values for both scores were slightly lower for animals kept on rubber mats compared with animals kept on concrete floor. There was no effect of the percentage of perforation on the examined outcome variables. In conclusion, our results indicate that rubber mats in the lying area bring about improvements in some aspects of claw and leg health in fattening pigs, whereas there is no effect of floor perforation.Peer Reviewe