Prehistoric bird and egg shell remains from the village Sulze near Erfurt/Thuringia

Prähistorische Eierschalenfragmente der Fundstelle Sulze bei Erfurt in Thüringen werden beschrieben und diskutiert. Die folgenden Arten werden nachgewiesen: Cygnus olor, Anser anser, Anas platyrhynchos und Gallus gallus forma domestica. Auf der Grundlage von Knochenresten gelten folgende Nachweise: Columba livia forma domestica, Tyto alba, Anser anser forma domestica, Anas platyrhynchos forma domestica, Gallus gallus forma domestica, Corvus corax, Coloelus monedula, Galerida cristata, Passer domesticus und Coccothraustes coccothraustes. Besonderes Gewicht wird auf die Bestimmungsmethoden an prähistorischen Eierschalen gelegt.Prehistoric materials of bird- egg shells from the deposit Sulze are described and discussed. The following species occur: Cygnus olor, Anser anser, Anas platyrhynchos and Gallus gallus forma domestica. Furthermore, some bone remains from Columbia livia forma domestica, Tyto alba, Anser anser forma domestica, Anas platyrhynchos forma domestica, Gallus gallus forma domestica, Corvus corax, Coloelus monedula, Galerida cristata, Passer domesticus and Coccothraustes coccothraustes were collected. Special importance was attached to identification methods of prehistoric egg-shells

Ligand crowding at a nascent signal sequence

We have systematically analyzed the molecular environment of the signal sequence of a growing secretory protein from Escherichia coli using a stage- and site-specific cross-linking approach. Immediately after emerging from the ribosome, the signal sequence of pOmpA is accessible to Ffh, the protein component of the bacterial signal recognition particle, and to SecA, but it remains attached to the surface of the ribosome via protein L23. These contacts are lost upon further growth of the nascent chain, which brings the signal sequence into sole proximity to the chaperone Trigger factor (TF). In its absence, nascent pOmpA shows extended contacts with L23, and even long chains interact in these conditions proficiently with Ffh. Our results suggest that upon emergence from the ribosome, the signal sequence of an E. coli secretory protein gradually becomes sequestered by TF. Although TF thereby might control the accessibility of pOmpA's signal sequence to Ffh and SecA, it does not influence interaction of pOmpA with SecB

Generation of Level 1 Data Products and Validating the Correctness of Currently Available Release 04 Data for the GRACE Follow-On Laser Ranging Interferometer

The satellite pair of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Follow-On orbits the Earth, while their inter-satellite distance changes are measured with an accuracy never reached before. This is achieved with the first Laser Ranging Interferometer (LRI) that oper- ates between two distant spacecraft. The mission is based on a US-German collaboration for investigating Earth’s gravitational field and its temporal variations. The LRI was developed with the involvement of the Albert Einstein Institute (AEI) and the instrument has been running reliably for about 3 years now. The AEI has an interest in verifying and validating the LRI Level 1 data products, to ensure that the officially provided LRI data (Release 04 or v04) is correct and useful for gravity field determination. Level 1 data results from the raw telemetry of the spacecraft and serves as an intermediate step before the actual gravity field solutions can be created. Furthermore, the Level 1 data is divided into Level 1A and Level 1B products, where Level 1B is the result of further processing of Level 1A. The author of this thesis has implemented a processing chain in the existing framework of data processing and data analysis at AEI. The new processing chain generates alternative LRI Level 1A data products and especially the LRI1B product. They are referred to as v50 data. The data sets of v04 and v50 were compared in order to identify discrepancies between both versions. It turns out that the LRI Level 1A v04 products show some minor imperfections like a few missing packets of the data, incorrect units or time frame identifiers which do not match with the product description. However, the LRI phase measurements within the LRI1A product are provided correctly, which is the most important data for deriving a correct LRI1B product and the subsequent gravity field solutions. In the case of LRI1B, the range measurement in v50 shows a lower noise level on some individual days than v04. This might be related to instrument reboots, incorrect clock data, and to jumps in the phase measurement, which result for example from thruster activation, but were probably not completely removed from v04 data. In summary, this thesis will introduce some theoretical basics on laser interferometry and occurring effects of relativity in space. Afterwards, the GRACE Follow-On mission and the functionality of the LRI are presented in detail. Furthermore, the different levels of data processing are discussed and the LRI Level 1A and LRI1B processing steps are explained. Finally, the differences of v04 and v50, and their origins will be clarified

Intensive Chemotherapy with Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation During a 10-Year Period in 64 Patients with Germ Cell Tumor

AbstractDespite gratifying cure rates in germ cell tumors, conventional-dose chemotherapy achieves long-term remissions in less than 50% of patients at high risk. High-dose chemotherapy followed by autologous (auto) peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) has shown impressive remission rates in high-risk and relapsed germ cell tumors. We report on 64 consecutive patients with high- (n = 39), intermediate- (n = 18), and refractory or relapsed low- (n = 7) risk germ cell tumors who underwent auto-PBSCT between January 1993 and February 2003. PBSCTs were performed as a single (n = 40) or repeated (n = 24) transplantation using either etoposide, ifosfamide, and carboplatin (n = 80) or related protocols (paclitaxel, ifosfamide, carboplatin, etoposide [n = 7]; carboplatin, etoposide, thiotepa [n = 4]). With a median follow-up of 6 years, estimated 2- and 5-year overall survivals were 77.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 66.7-87.7) and 73.1% (95% CI 61.7-84.5), respectively. We observed unfavorable results in those patients showing refractoriness to cisplatin (hazard ratio 20.36; 95% CI 6.64-62.47) or no response to induction chemotherapy (hazard ratio 10.67; 95% CI 1.37-83.37). Auto-PBSCT was well tolerated, showed objective antitumor activity, and achieved long-term survival in patients at high risk and with relapse. Our data suggest that auto-PBSCT can increase response rates and may improve the outcome in these patients

Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC2) Suppress Beneficial Type 1 Immune Responses During Pulmonary Cryptococcosis

Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen preferentially causing disease in immunocompromised individuals such as organ-transplant-recipients, patients receiving immunosuppressive medications or, in particular, individuals suffering from HIV infection. Numerous studies clearly indicated that the control of C. neoformans infections is strongly dependent on a prototypic type 1 immune response and classical macrophage activation, whereas type 2-biased immunity and alternative activation of macrophages has been rather implicated in disease progression and detrimental outcomes. However, little is known about regulatory pathways modulating and balancing immune responses during early phases of pulmonary cryptococcosis. Here, we analyzed the role of group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) for the control of C. neoformans infection. Using an intranasal infection model with a highly virulent C. neoformans strain, we found that ILC2 numbers were strongly increased in C. neoformans-infected lungs along with induction of a type 2 response. Mice lacking ILC2s due to conditional deficiency of the transcription factor RAR-related orphan receptor alpha (Rora) displayed a massive downregulation of features of type 2 immunity as reflected by reduced levels of the type 2 signature cytokines IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 at 14 days post-infection. Moreover, ILC2 deficiency was accompanied with increased type 1 immunity and classical macrophage activation, while the pulmonary numbers of eosinophils and alternatively activated macrophages were reduced in these mice. Importantly, this shift in pulmonary macrophage polarization in ILC2-deficient mice correlated with improved fungal control and prolonged survival of infected mice. Conversely, adoptive transfer of ILC2s was associated with a type 2 bias associated with less efficient anti-fungal immunity in lungs of recipient mice. Collectively, our date indicate a non-redundant role of ILC2 in orchestrating myeloid anti-cryptococcal immune responses toward a disease exacerbating phenotype

In-memory Databases in Business Information Systems

In-memory databases are developed to keep the entire data in main memory. Compared to traditional database systems, read access is now much faster since no I/O access to a hard drive is required. In terms of write access, mechanisms are available which provide data persistence and thus secure transactions. In-memory databases have been available for a while and have proven to be suitable for particular use cases. With increasing storage density of DRAM modules, hardware systems capable of storing very large amounts of data have become affordable. In this context the question arises whether in-memory databases are suitable for business information system applications. Hasso Plattner, who developed the HANA in-memory database, is a trailblazer for this approach. He sees a lot of potential for novel concepts concerning the development of business information systems. One example is to conduct transactions and analytics in parallel and on the same database, i.e. a division into operational database systems and data warehouse systems is no longer necessary (Plattner and Zeier 2011). However, there are also voices against this approach. Larry Ellison described the idea of business information systems based on in-memory database as “wacko,” without actually making a case for his statement (cf. Bube 2010). Stonebraker (2011) sees a future for in-memory databases for business information systems but considers the division of OLTP and OLAP applications as reasonable. [From: Introduction

Beiträge und Stellungnahmen zu Problemen der Währungspolitik

Als Mittel der Preispolitik, zur Dämpfung der Preissteigerungserwartungen und zur Korrektur der Vorstellungen über die durchsetzbaren Lohnerhöhungen ist eine gleitende Aufwertung diskutabel, auch wenn kein fundamentales Ungleichgewicht in der Zahlungsbilanz besteht. (G. Fels, H. Giersch, H. Müller-Groeling, K. D. Schmidt) Wenn durchgreifende binnenwirtschaftliche Maßnahmen, die geeignet sind, die Preisflexibilität zu erhöhen und den Anbieterwettbewerb zu verstärken, nicht zur Verfügung stehen, bleibt nur die Möglichkeit, den Preiswettbewerb von außen durch wechselkurspolitische Maßnahmen zu intensivieren. (Gemeinschaftsdiagnose wirtschaftswissenschaftlicher Forschungsinstitute) Im Interesse des internationalen Währungssystems befürworten in- und ausländische Nationalökonomen eine marktwirtschaftliche Lösung der Währungsprobleme durch Freigabe des Wechselkurses; sie warnen vor administrativen Beschränkungen des freien Zahlungsverkehrs. Wer - bei binnenwirtschaftlicher Stabilitätspolitik - eine Rückkehr zur alten Dollarparität befürwortet, macht es den Gewerkschaften unmöglich, auf eine stabilisierungskonforme Lohnpolitik umzuschalten. (Herbert Giersch) Das Versprechen einer Rückkehr zur alten Parität ist genau das Gegenteil dessen, was die gegenwärtige Situation in der Bundesrepublik erfordert. (Gottfried Haberler) Der flexible DM-Kurs kann nur dann wirkungsvoll zu einer Stabilisierung ohne Stagnation beitragen, wenn sich Bundesregierung und Bundesbank zu einer allmählichen Aufwertung der DM bekennen. (H.-M. Stahl, P. Trapp) Die Währungsintegration in Europa sollte durch Einführung einer Rechnungseinheit mit konstanter Kaufkraft vorangetrieben werden; sobald es eine europäische Regierung und Zentralbank gibt, kann die Rechnungseinheit als Zahlungsmittel dienen und die nationalen Währungen ablösen. (Carl Christian von Weizsäcker) Bewegliche Wechselkurse können wettbewerbsneutral sein und deshalb dazu beitragen, daß in außenhandelsintensiven Unternehmen der Gewinn mehr durch die Leistung als durch die währungspolitischen Bedingungen bestimmt wird. (Herbert Giersch) --

European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS):Gründungsveranstaltung Münster, 12. Oktober 2004

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