Competition versus cooperation: German federalism in need of constitutional amendments

Article by Professor Dr Jur Ulrich Karpen (Hamburg) published in Amicus Curiae - Journal of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies. The Journal is produced by the Society for Advanced Legal Studies at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London

On Solving the Coronal Heating Problem

This article assesses the current state of understanding of coronal heating, outlines the key elements of a comprehensive strategy for solving the problem, and warns of obstacles that must be overcome along the way.Comment: Accepted by Solar Physics; Published by Solar Physic

New CHARMM force field parameters for dehydrated amino acid residues, the key to lantibiotic molecular dynamics simulations

Lantibiotics are an important class of naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides containing unusual dehydrated amino acid residues. In order to enable molecular dynamics simulations of lantibiotics, we have developed empirical force field parameters for dehydroalanine and dehydrobutyrine, which are compatible with the CHARMM all-atom force field. The parameters reproduce the geometries and energy barriers from MP2/6-31G*//MP2/cc-pVTZ quantum chemistry calculations. Experimental, predicted and calculated NMR chemical shifts for the amino protons and alpha-, beta- and carbonyl carbon atoms of the dehydrated residues are consistent with a significant charge redistribution. The new parameters are used to perform the first molecular dynamics simulations of nisin, a widely used but poorly understood lantibiotic, in an aqueous environment and in a phospholipid bilayer. The simulations show surface association of the peptide with membranes in agreement with solid state NMR data and formation of beta-turns in agreement with solution NMR

Migration and human rights - challenges and possibilities

Professor Dr Ulrich Karpen of the Law Faculty, University of Hamburg considers issues relating to migration and human rights through an analysis of two European case studies

Transitional justice and the transition to democracy: looking at the past to gain a better perspective for the future

Professor Dr Ulrich Karpen, Law faculty, University of Hamburg examines approaches to the problems of transitional justice which follow from major social and constitutional changes in a country. He considers aspects such as criminal justice, truth and reconcilation, access to information and rule of law  understandings and tolerance with reference to situations in Germany and Africa