Structural investigation of cholesterol homeostasis and bacterial toxins

Membrane proteins regulate a variety of processes that are critical for living organisms. They participate in cell-cell communication, catalyze reactions in or at the membrane, are involved in transmitting signals from the environment into the cell, and can transport molecules across membranes. Approximately 60% of all clinically approved drugs target membrane proteins, underscoring their importance. In order to understand the function of membrane proteins and to design more targeted drugs, determining their precise three-dimensional structures is required. In this PhD project, I aimed to structurally characterize two membrane protein complexes involved in the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis – the Scap-Insig and HMGCR-UBIAD1 complexes – and the type VI secretion system (T6SS) effector RhsA. My PhD work showcases that biochemical studies combined with structural determination by cryo-EM provides valuable insights into molecular processes that occur in or at the membrane and is of utmost pharmacological interest

What are the possible moiré patterns of graphene on hexagonally packed surfaces? Universal solution for hexagonal coincidence lattices, derived by a geometric construction

We present a systematic investigation of two coinciding lattices and their spatial beating frequencies that lead to the formation of moire patterns. A mathematical model was developed and applied for the case of a hexagonally arranged adsorbate on a hexagonal support lattice. In particular, it describes the moire patterns observed for graphene grown on a hexagonally arranged transition metal surface, a system that serves as one of the promising synthesis routes for the formation of this highly wanted material. The presented model uses a geometric construction that derives analytic expressions for first and higher order beating frequencies occurring for arbitrarily oriented graphene on the underlying substrate lattice. By solving the corresponding equations, we predict the size and orientation of the resulting moire pattern. Adding the constraints for commensurability delivers further solvable analytic equations that predict whether or not first or higher order commensurable phases occur. We explicitly treat the case for first, second and third order commensurable phases. The universality of our approach is tested by comparing our data with moire patterns that are experimentally observed for graphene on Ir(111) and on Pt(111). Our analysis can be applied for graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), or other sp(2)-networks grown on any hexagonally packed support surface predicting the size, orientation and properties of the resulting moire patterns. In particular, we can determine which commensurate phases are expected for these systems. The derived information can be used to critically discuss the moire phases reported in the literature

Case study on technological applications for production planning and control in the context of industry 4.0

In the course of the fourth industrial revolution, a rapid technological change proceeds in the manufacturing industry. Numerous new technologies enable multiple opportunities for industrial applications. In order to keep pace with this development, companies are forced to cope with a high amount of new technologies and arising application trends. For a successful positioning, knowledge of the industrial relevance of possible applications and the technologies associated with their implementation is required in particular. In this context, the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT and the Centre of Excellence in Production Informatics and Control (EPIC CoE) conducted a two-stage case study to identify and evaluate promising industry 4.0 based application fields, such as self-optimizing production scheduling. The case study is proceeded as part of the European Union's Horizon 2020 research project under grant No. 739592. Within the first stage of this project a systematic screening for industrial application fields was conducted. Several potential application fields were identified and their advantages and disadvantages outlined. Furthermore, the application fields were evaluated according to their potential industrial impact and maturity level. In the second stage, technologies for the implementation of the most promising application fields were identified. At this, technologies were investigated and evaluated according to their readiness level for the identified application fields. In this paper, the methodology as well as the results of the first stage of the study are presented

Urban Settlement: Data, Measures, and Trends

This paper examines data on urbanization. We review the most commonly used data sources and highlight the difficulties inherent in defining and measuring the size of urban versus rural populations. We show that differences in the measurement of urban populations across countries and over time are significant and discuss the methods used for these measurements, as well as for projecting urbanization. We also analyze recent trends and patterns in urbanization. Finally, we describe the principal channels of urbanization and examine their relative contributions to the global urbanization process.urbanization, urbanization data

Urban Settlement: Data, Measures, and Trends

This paper examines data on urbanization. We review the most commonly used data sources, and highlight the difficulties inherent in defining and measuring the size of urban versus rural populations. We show that differences in the measurement of urban populations across countries and over time are significant, and discuss the methods used to obtain these measurements, as well as those for projecting urbanization. We also analyze recent trends and patterns in urbanization. Finally, we describe the principal channels of urbanization and examine their relative contributions to the global urbanization process.Urbanization, measurement, urban population

Višerazinska procjena faznih i kodnih pomaka satelitskog signala

Precise point positioning with satellite navigation signals requires knowledge of satellite code and phase biases. In this paper, a new multi-stage method is proposed for estimating of these biases using measurements from a geodetic network. Themethod first subtracts all available a priori knowledge on orbits, satellite clocks andmultipath from the measurements to reduce their dynamics. Secondly, satellite phase biases, ionospheric delays, carrier phase integer ambiguities and the geometry combining all non-dispersive parameters are jointly estimated in a Kalman filter. Finally, the a posteriori geometry estimates are refined in a second Kalman filter for the computation of orbital errors, code biases and tropospheric delays. As the first Kalman filter introduces time correlation, a generalized Kalman filter for colored measurement noise is applied in the second stage. The proposed algorithm is applied to dual frequency GPS measurements from a local geodetic network in Germany. A remarkable bias stability with variations of less than 3 cm over 4 hours is observed.Precizno odre.ivanje položaja uporabom satelitske navigacije zahtjeva poznavanje satelitskog koda te fazna mjerenja. U ovom radu predložena je nova metoda za procjenu faznih pomaka signala uporabom rezultata mjerenja iz geodetske mreže. U prvom koraku iz mjerenja se izuzimaju poznati podaci o orbitama, satelitskim satovima i višestrukim putevima, kako bi se smanjila njihova dinamika. U drugom se koraku uporabom Kalmanovog filtra procjenjuju fazni pomaci, ionosferska kašnjenja, neodre.enost broja valnih duljina nosioca i geometrija koja uključuje sve nedisperzivne parametre. Konačno, odre.uje se korigirana geometrija u drugom Kalmanovom filtru radi proračuna orbitalnih pogrešaka, pogrešaka koda i troposferskog kašnjenja. S obzirom na to da prvi Kalmanov filtar unosi vremensku korelaciju, opći Kalmanov filtar primjenjuje se u drugom koraku. Predloženi algoritam primijenjen je u dvofrekvencijskim GPS-mjerenjima u lokalnoj geodetskoj mreži u Njemačkoj. Postignuta je visoka stabilnost rezultata uz varijacije manje od 3 cm tijekom 4 sata

A Model-View-Controller Extension for Pervasive Multi-Client User Interfaces

This paper addresses the implementation of pervasive Java Web applications using a development approach that is based on the Model–View–Controller (MVC) design pattern. We combine the MVC methodology with a hierarchical task-based state transition model in order to achieve the distinction between the task state and the view state of an application. More precisely, we propose to add a device-independent TaskStateBean and a device-specific ViewStateBean for each task state as an extension to the J2EE Service to Worker design pattern. Furthermore, we suggest representing the task state and view state transitionmodels as finite state automata in two sets of XML files. This paper shows that the distinction between an application’s task state and view state is both intuitive and facilitates several, otherwise complex, tasks, such as changing devices 'on the fly'

Metastasized pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor in a teenage girl: a case report

Introduction: Metastasized pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors are extremely rare malignancies, especially in children. Therefore, therapeutic options are limited, and few standardized therapy regimens exist. Case presentation: We report a case of a 14-year-old white girl. In 2011 she was diagnosed with a metastasized, well-differentiated pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor with expression of synaptophysin and chromogranin A. We describe her clinical course with special attention to her individual therapeutic regimens while bringing together several disciplines of medicine. Conclusions: In patients such as ours, surgical intervention may be the only therapy that will lead to long-term survival

Potential-based Evaluation for Initial Selection of Technologies

Due to the increasing internationalization of markets, rising cost pressure, and shortened product life cycles, manufacturing companies are facing increasing competition and innovation pressure. To secure competitiveness, the early development of new and innovative technologies and their implementation in the market as products or services is paramount. To use available resources for innovation efficiently, potentials of new technologies must be exploited at early stages. The main objective of this paper is to support companies in early decision-making processes regarding new technologies by providing a systematic approach to technology assessment. For this purpose, a model is developed which supports the evaluation of the technology potentials based on the limited information available at an early stage and, thus, creates the basis for an initial technology selection

Extending the MVC Design Pattern towards a Task-Oriented Development Approach for Pervasive Computing Applications

This paper addresses the implementation of pervasive Java Web applications using a development approach that is based on the Model-View- Controller (MVC) design pattern. We combine the MVC methodology with a hierarchical task-based state transition model in order to achieve the distinction between the task state and the view state of an application. More precisely, we propose to add a device-independent TaskStateBean and a device-specific ViewStateBean for each task state as an extension to the J2EE Service to Worker design pattern. Furthermore, we suggest representing the task state and view state transition models as finite state automata in two sets of XML files