Trapping of dielectric particles with light-induced space-charge fields

Light-induced space-charge fields in lithium niobate crystals are used to trap and manipulate dielectric particles on the surface of such crystals. Without any external voltage source, strong field gradients are present in the proximity of the crystal surface. These are used to trap particles with diameters in the range between 100 nm and some tens of micrometers

Ausweitung des ökologischen Landbaus in Deutschland – Voraussetzungen, Strategien, Implikationen, politische Optionen

The main aim of the study was to develop political strategies and measures to support the extension of organic farming in Germany. The work followed a multi-method approach framed by Social Marketing theory. Asking for hindrances, proposals for action and the perception of organic farming and organic food a literature and a discourse analysis, focus groups with consumers and farmers as well as interviews with actors of the value creation chain were done. Based on the results of the different analyses and the already existing policies nine strategies for the extension of organic farming were formulated and checked by a number of criteria. As a central result it turned out that no significant contribution to the extension of organic farming can be achieved with only one strategy. Therefore a strategic concept needs to address several issues simultaneously and must include a mix of supply and demand orientated strategies. It is recommended to closer determine the strategies through a participatory process that should lead to a medium-term concept. Within this process more differentiated political aims concerning the structure of the sector or special organic product markets should be set

Nachfrage nach Öko-Lebensmitteln: Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Verbraucherstudie

Der erste deutsche BSE-Fall im November 2000 hat zu heftigen Reaktionen der Verbraucher bei der Nachfrage nach Lebensmitteln geführt. Der Rindfleischkonsum brach im Dezember 2000 und Januar 2001 um fast 70 % im Vergleich zu den Vorjahresmonaten ein, während Geflügelfleisch, Fisch, Gemüse und andere Beilagen deutlich in der Verbrauchergunst stiegen. Auch der Markt für ökologische Lebensmittel profitierte deutlich von der deutschen BSE-Krise. Vor diesem Hintergrund stellte sich die Frage, ob die genannten Veränderungen möglicherweise Ausdruck eines veränderten Verbraucherbewusstseins gegenüber Lebensmitteln – insbesondere gegenüber ökologisch erzeugten Produkten – sind. Die Beantwortung dieser und einer Reihe weiterer Fragen waren leitend für die Untersuchung

Nachfrage nach Öko-Lebensmitteln: Veränderung durch BSE?

Der erste deutsche BSE-Fall im November 2000 hat zu starken Veränderungen in der Lebensmittelnachfrage geführt. Der Rindfleischkonsum brach im Dezember 2000 und Januar 2001 um fast 70 Prozent im Vergleich zu den Vorjahresmonaten ein, während vor allem Geflügelfleisch, Fisch und Gemüse deutlich in der Verbrauchergunst stiegen (GfK, 2001). Auch der Markt für ökologisch erzeugte Lebensmittel profitierte von der deutschen BSE-Krise: Der Bundesverband Naturkost Naturwaren (BNN) meldete für das erste Halbjahr 2001 ein Umsatzwachstum von 36,5 Prozent gegenüber dem Vorjahreszeitraum (Rippin, 2002). Auch die Daten des ACNielsen Handelspanels zum Absatz von Bio-Frischmilch über den konventionellen Lebensmitteleinzelhandel (LEH) wiesen für Anfang 2001 ungewöhnlich hohe Wachstumsraten auf (Rippin, 2001). Handelt es sich bei diesen Beobachtungen möglicherweise um Anzeichen für ein verändertes Verbraucherbewusstsein gegenüber Lebensmitteln und insbesondere gegenüber ökologisch erzeugten Produkten? Diese und eine Reihe weiterer Fragen wurden in einer repräsentativen Verbraucherstudie der Universität Hamburg untersucht, bundesweit waren dazu 2 000 Personen im Alter von 18-75 Jahren im September 2001 befragt worden

Solving One Dimensional Scalar Conservation Laws by Particle Management

We present a meshfree numerical solver for scalar conservation laws in one space dimension. Points representing the solution are moved according to their characteristic velocities. Particle interaction is resolved by purely local particle management. Since no global remeshing is required, shocks stay sharp and propagate at the correct speed, while rarefaction waves are created where appropriate. The method is TVD, entropy decreasing, exactly conservative, and has no numerical dissipation. Difficulties involving transonic points do not occur, however inflection points of the flux function pose a slight challenge, which can be overcome by a special treatment. Away from shocks the method is second order accurate, while shocks are resolved with first order accuracy. A postprocessing step can recover the second order accuracy. The method is compared to CLAWPACK in test cases and is found to yield an increase in accuracy for comparable resolutions.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures. Submitted to proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop Meshfree Methods for Partial Differential Equation

Whom do we trust - Booters and SSL/TLS certificates

SPRING 2016, 11th edition of the SPRING series, is a single-track event that was sponsored by the special interest group Security – Intrusion Detection and Response (SIDAR) of the German Informatics Society (GI). The purpose of SPRING is to provide young researchers the opportunity to discuss their work with other students and specialists in the research area of IT security. In particular, SPRING is a venue for presentation of early-stage research and solicits submission of scientific papers presenting novel research on malware analysis, intrusion detection, and related systems security topics. As per our tradition, SPRING encourages submissions from the following broad areas: Analysis of vulnerabilities, intrusion detection, malware, incident management and forensics. This year the SPRING 2016 graduate workshop was held in Darmstadt, Germany, and was hosted at the University of Applied Sciences. SPRING took place from the 2nd to the 3rd of June 2016 and was the eleventh edition of the graduate workshop on IT security. It followed the successful events in Neubiberg in 2015, Bochum in 2014, Munich in 2013, Berlin in 2012, Bochum in 2011, Bonn in 2010, Stuttgart in 2009, Mannheim in 2008, Dortmund in 2007 and Berlin in 2006. SPRING 2016 was organized in a 2-day program to encourage interactions between all participants. The program consists of a main track and opening research keynotes. The presented volume includes all extended abstracts presented at SPRING 2016 as defined within the overall final program

Real-time PCR assays for the detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in clinical samples

Two real-time PCR assays for detection of Mycolasma hyopneumoniae (Mhyop) in clinical lung samples were established and validated in parallel. One is targeting a repetitive DNA element (REP assay) the other a putative ABC transporter gene (ABC assay). The two assays were shown to be 100% specific when testing pig lungs from defined negative farms. When investigating defined positive farms the REP assay tested with a sensitivity of about 50%, the ABC assay with 90%. The two assays together, however detected 100% of positive farms. Within a single positive farm on average 90% of the samples tested positive with the REP or ABC assay. Analysing a set of 41 lungs from infected pigs from routine diagnostic the REP assay detected 50% and the ABC assay 70%, while both assays together had a sensitivity of 85%

Minimalistic mycoplasmas harbor different functional toxin-antitoxin systems

Mycoplasmas are minute bacteria controlled by very small genomes ranging from 0.6 to 1.4 Mbp. They encompass several important medical and veterinary pathogens that are often associated with a wide range of chronic diseases. The long persistence of mycoplasma cells in their hosts can exacerbate the spread of antimicrobial resistance observed for many species. However, the nature of the virulence factors driving this phenomenon in mycoplasmas is still unclear. Toxin-antitoxin systems (TA systems) are genetic elements widespread in many bacteria that were historically associated with bacterial persistence. Their presence on mycoplasma genomes has never been carefully assessed, especially for pathogenic species. Here we investigated three candidate TA systems in M. mycoides subsp. capri encoding a (i) novel AAA-ATPase/subtilisin-like serine protease module, (ii) a putative AbiEii/AbiEi pair and (iii) a putative Fic/RelB pair. We sequence analyzed fourteen genomes of M. mycoides subsp. capri and confirmed the presence of at least one TA module in each of them. Interestingly, horizontal gene transfer signatures were also found in several genomic loci containing TA systems for several mycoplasma species. Transcriptomic and proteomic data confirmed differential expression profiles of these TA systems during mycoplasma growth in vitro. While the use of heterologous expression systems based on E. coli and B. subtilis showed clear limitations, the functionality and neutralization capacities of all three candidate TA systems were successfully confirmed using M. capricolum subsp. capricolum as a host. Additionally, M. capricolum subsp. capricolum was used to confirm the presence of functional TA system homologs in mycoplasmas of the Hominis and Pneumoniae phylogenetic groups. Finally, we showed that several of these M. mycoides subsp. capri toxins tested in this study, and particularly the subtilisin-like serine protease, could be used to establish a kill switch in mycoplasmas for industrial applications