A versatile electrostatic trap

A four electrode electrostatic trap geometry is demonstrated that can be used to combine a dipole, quadrupole and hexapole field. A cold packet of 15ND3 molecules is confined in both a purely quadrupolar and hexapolar trapping field and additionally, a dipole field is added to a hexapole field to create either a double-well or a donut-shaped trapping field. The profile of the 15ND3 packet in each of these four trapping potentials is measured, and the dependence of the well-separation and barrier height of the double-well and donut potential on the hexapole and dipole term are discussed.Comment: submitted to pra; 7 pages, 9 figure

Ageism and Perceptions of Vulnerability: Framing of Age during Covid-19 Pandemic

Media representations of the Covid-19 pandemic and its devastating consequences have shaped people’s fears, anxiety, and perceptions of vulnerability. Social scientists have examined the consequences of how information is “framed.” Framing theory asserts that issues can be portrayed differently by emphasizing or de-emphasizing aspects and information. According to Lakoff (2004) the impact of a message is not based on what is said but how it is said. Theories of framing focus on how the media frames issues, which then structure and shape attitudes and policies. A news article serves as a frame for an intended message. This paper examines the ways that “age” has been framed during the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the most dominant frames in terms of COVID-19 coverage is how the pandemic has been analyzed through the lens of age and framed in terms of age discrimination. The results of news articles appearing in several prominent newspapers indicate that the perceptions of elders and their vulnerabilities to severe consequences from Covid-19 are likely to help perpetuate or create age discrimination

Ageism in the Workplace: Ageing in the Age of Intolerance

Age discrimination is widespread, but not widely acknowledged. Unlike racism and sexism, ageism is often normalized (WHO, 2020). As people live longer, healthier lives, they also remain in the workplace longer (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017). A majority (64%), of older workers, particularly female workers, report being subjected to discriminatory mistreatment (AARP, 2014). This presentation focuses on a discussion of the preliminary results of an ongoing study addressing age discrimination in the workplace. A sample of 244 WCU faculty and staff (ages 20 - 80) responded to an online survey. Questions probed work experiences, work attitudes, stress, and life satisfaction. Forty-six percent (n = 112) of participants reported experiencing ageist treatment; of these, 64 were women, indicating that older women were more likely to face intersectional discrimination (Barrington, 2015). Qualitative data analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) indicated that ageist treatment resulted in feelings of powerlessness and isolation. Consequently, older faculty women often lowered their professional expectations and engaged in self-silencing. This presentation addresses the personal, social, and cultural consequences of age discrimination and suggests possible solutions to this widespread problem

Technical challenges of providing record linkage services for research

Background: Record linkage techniques are widely used to enable health researchers to gain event based longitudinal information for entire populations. The task of record linkage is increasingly being undertaken by specialised linkage units (SLUs). In addition to the complexity of undertaking probabilistic record linkage, these units face additional technical challenges in providing record linkage ‘as a service’ for research. The extent of this functionality, and approaches to solving these issues, has had little focus in the record linkage literature. Few, if any, of the record linkage packages or systems currently used by SLUs include the full range of functions required. Methods: This paper identifies and discusses some of the functions that are required or undertaken by SLUs in the provision of record linkage services. These include managing routine, on-going linkage; storing and handling changing data; handling different linkage scenarios; accommodating ever increasing datasets. Automated linkage processes are one way of ensuring consistency of results and scalability of service. Results: Alternative solutions to some of these challenges are presented. By maintaining a full history of links, and storing pairwise information, many of the challenges around handling ‘open’ records, and providing automated managed extractions are solved. A number of these solutions were implemented as part of the development of the National Linkage System (NLS) by the Centre for Data Linkage (part of the Population Health Research Network) in Australia.Conclusions: The demand for, and complexity of, linkage services are growing. This presents as a challenge to SLUs as they seek to service the varying needs of dozens of research projects annually. Linkage units need to be both flexible and scalable to meet this demand. It is hoped the solutions presented here can help mitigate these difficulties

Risk factors and characteristics influencing humoral response to COVID-19 vaccination in patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation

IntroductionVaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is approved and recommended for immunocompromised patients such as patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). Since infections represent a relevant cause of transplant related mortality we analyzed the advent of immunization to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in a bicentric population of allogeneic transplanted patients.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed data of allo-SCT recipients in two German transplantation centers for safety and serologic response after two and three SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations. Patients received mRNA vaccines or vector-based vaccines. All patients were monitored for antibodies against SARS-CoV2-spike protein (anti-S-IgG) with an IgG ELISA assay or an EIA Assay after two and three doses of vaccination.ResultsA total of 243 allo-SCT patients underwent SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. The median age was 59 years (range 22-81). While 85% of patients received two doses of mRNA vaccines, 10% had vector-based vaccines and 5% received a mixed vaccination. The two vaccine doses were well tolerated with only 3% patients developing a reactivation of graft versus host disease (GvHD). Overall, 72% of patients showed a humoral response after two vaccinations. In the multivariate analysis age at time of allo-SCT (p=0.0065), ongoing immunosuppressive therapy (p= 0.029) and lack of immune reconstitution (CD4-T-cell counts <200/μl, p< 0.001) were associated with no response. Sex, intensity of conditioning and the use of ATG showed no influence on seroconversion. Finally, 44 out of 69 patients that did not respond after the second dose received a booster and 57% (25/44) showed a seroconversion.DiscussionWe showed in our bicentric allo-SCT patient cohort, that a humoral response could be achieve after the regular approved schedule, especially for those patients who underwent immune reconstitution and were free from immunosuppressive drugs. In over 50% of the initial non-responders after 2-dose vaccination, a seroconversion can be achieved by boostering with a third dose

Lynx Mission Concept Status

Lynx is a concept under study for prioritization in the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey. Providing orders of magnitude increase in sensitivity over Chandra, Lynx will examine the first black holes and their galaxies, map the large-scale structure and galactic halos, and shed new light on the environments of young stars and their planetary systems. In order to meet the Lynx science goals, the telescope consists of a high-angular resolution optical assembly complemented by an instrument suite that may include a High Definition X-ray Imager, X-ray Microcalorimeter and an X-ray Grating Spectrometer. The telescope is integrated onto the spacecraft to form a comprehensive observatory concept. Progress on the formulation of the Lynx telescope and observatory configuration is reported in this paper

Das Saure Prostata Phosphatase Fragment 85-120 bildet Amyloidfibrillen und verstärkt die HIV-1 Infektion

Sperma ist der Hauptvektor für die Transmission des Humanen Immundefizienz Virus Typ 1 (HIV-1). Durch das Screening einer aus Sperma hergestellten Peptidbibliothek konnte ein PAP Fragment mit der Aminosäuresequenz PAP85-120 isoliert werden, welches Amyloidfibrillen ausbildet und die HIV-1 Infektion beeinflusst. Dieser Einfluss wurde in der vorliegenden Arbeit weiter charakterisiert. Die Fibrillenbildung von PAP85-120 Peptiden wurde durch den Amyloidfarbstoff Kongorot mikroskopisch überprüft und Virusstocks wurden mittels Calciumphosphattransfektion proviraler DNA hergestellt. Das Ausmaß des infektionsverstärkenden Effektes wurde im Luziferasetest und ß-Galaktosidasetest ermittelt. Mittels Schwellentiteranalysen wurde zudem die TCID50 (englisch: tissue culture infective dose 50) bestimmt. Zur Bestimmung der Virus-Zielzellbindung wurde ein p24 Kapsid Antigen ELISA (englisch: enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) verwendet. Soweit bislang bekannt, ist PAP das einzige humane Protein, welches Amyloidprecursor in zwei Sequenzabschnitten besitzt. Die Infektionsverstärkung beider Fragmente ist von der Ausbildung dieser Amyloidfibrillen abhängig. Der infektionsverstärkende Effekt beruht auf einer Erleichterung des viralen Attachment an die Zielzelle. Dies erklärt sich durch eine positive Oberflächenladung der Fibrillen, so dass diese der natürlichen Retropulsion von negativ geladenen Virionen und Zielzelle entgegenwirkt. Dieser Effekt ist unabhängig vom viralen Geno- und Phänotyp und ist nicht auf HIV-1 beschränkt, sondern scheint ein genereller Effekt für umhüllte Viren zu sein. Es handelt sich hierbei um einen drastischen Effekt. So kann in Anwesenheit der Fibrillen bereits ein einziges Viruspartikel eine produktive Infektion etablieren. Diese Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Amyloid Fibrillen im Sperma eine entscheidende Rolle bei der sexuellen Transmission von HIV-1 spielen könnten und eröffnen neue Möglichkeiten, der AIDS Pandemie Einhalt zu gebieten

Clandinin T. Influence of dietary gangliosides on neonatal brain development. Nutr Rev 2009;67

Gangliosides are sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids. Ganglioside

COLD MOLECULES AND SPECTROSCOPY

Author Institution: FRITZ-HABER-INSTITUT DER MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT, FARADAYWEG 4-6, D-14195 BERLIN, GERMANYCold molecules offer fascinating possibilities for novel molecular physics and physical chemistry experiments, such as studying cold collisions or performing high-resolution spectroscopy. Using inhomogeneous electric fields neutral polar molecules can be decelerated to any computer-controlled velocity. The use of state-selected slow molecules can lead to a significantly increased interaction time of the molecules with the electromagnetic radiation in the spectroscopic experiment, resulting in a higher resolution. In this talk we will focus on the deceleration procedure to produce cold molecules and on their prospects for high-resolution (microwave) spectroscopy [1]. %% references \def\refname{} \begin{thebibliography}{9} \small \bibitem{Paper1} J. van Veldhoven, J. Kupper, H.L. Bethlem, B. Sartakov, A.J.A. van Roij, G. Meijer Phys. \textit{Eur. Phys. J. D} 31, 337-349 (2004). \end{thebibliography

Trapping polar molecules in an ac trap

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