Works of Mercy.

Armenhäuser im spätmittelalterlichen England werden insbesondere dann, wenn ihr Stifter ein Adliger ist, in ein größeres Stiftungsensemble aus mehreren Elementen eingebunden, das neben dem Armenhaus beispielsweise aus einer Kollegiatkirche, einer Lateinschule und einem universitären Kolleg bestehen kann. Diese Staatsexamensarbeit untersucht vergleichend drei große (Ewelme 1437, Eton 1440, Westminster 1504) sowie mehrere kleine Ensemblestiftungen (Tong, Fotheringhay, Higham Ferrers, Tattershall, Heytesbury, Ipswich). Sie fragt zum einen institutionengeschichtlich nach dem Aufbau dieser Stiftungen, zum anderen sozialgeschichtlich nach den möglichen Motiven ihrer adligen Stifter (Frömmigkeit, praktische Erwägungen, Repräsentation); dabei wird der Versuch unternommen, diese Stiftungen in ihren historischen Entstehungskontext einzuordnen.Late medieval English almshouses were sometimes part of larger foundations with several elements, particularly when their founders were noble. Apart from the almshouse, these foundations could consist of, for example, a collegiate church, a grammar school and a university college. This state finals thesis is a comparative study of three larger (Ewelme 1437, Eton 1440, Westminster 1504) and several smaller multipart foundations (Tong, Fotheringhay, Higham Ferrers, Tattershall, Heytesbury, Ipswich). It examines their institutional structure and the potential motives of their noble founders (piety, pragmatism, representation) and aims to interpret these foundations in their historical context

Das arktische Meereis in Klimamodellen - Variabilitäten und anthropogener Klimawandel

Changes due to global warming are particularly obvious in the Arctic. Anisimov et al. (2007, Chapter 15.2.1) show, that the warming in the Arctic is twice as strong as the mean global warming. Hence, changes in arctic sea ice will be regarded in this diploma thesis. Therefore, the CMIP3-Models for the A1B-Scenario are used. Changes are studied for the entire Arctic as well as for different regions of the Arctic. In all regions the models show a reduction in the sea ice extent, the sea ice thickness and the sea ice volume. Furthermore, this reduction is visible in the amplitude of the seasonal cycle. The phase of the seasonal cycle shows a shift of the maximum of the sea ice extent. These maximum extents are later in the year. However, this effect is not visible for the other two parameters. The sea ice extent shows a sensitivity to global warming in the whole arctic as well as in the different regions. The sensitivity varies for the annual mean and the seasonal means of summer and winter. The models show a similar sensitivity in the winter mean in the whole arctic. However, for regions like the Barents Sea the models simulate different sensitivities. The interannual variability of the sea ice extent is changed due to a reduction in the sea ice extent. Without the anthropogenic warming the variability of the sea ice extent in March exceeds the variability of September. In contrast, at the end of the 21st century the sea ice extent in Sepember exceeds the variability in March. However, no changes in the multi decadal variability are visible. Furthermore, three of 19 models exhibit a relationship between the reduction of the sea ice concentration and cold winters over the Eurasian continent. For a high sea ice concentration in the Barents Sea, a positive temperature and a negative pressure anomaly are present over the Eurasien continent. With a reduction of the sea ice concentration, there is a negative temperature and a positive pressure anomaly. This shifts back to a positive temperature and a negative pressure anomaly for low sea ice concentration. Thus, a reduction of sea ice concentration could influence the atmospheric circulation

Nanoporous hybrid core–shell nanoparticles for sequential release

In this article, a new type of core–shell nanoparticle is introduced. In contrast to most reported core–shell systems, the particles presented here consist of a porous core as well as a porous shell using only non-metal materials. The core–shell nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using nanoporous silica nanoparticles (NPSNPs) as the starting material, which were coated with nanoporous phenylene-bridged organosilica, resulting in a total particle diameter of about 80 nm. The combination of a hydrophilic nanoporous silica core and a more hydrophobic nanoporous organosilica shell provides regions of different chemical character and slightly different pore sizes within one particle. These different properties combined in one particle enable the selective adsorption of guest molecules at different parts of the particle depending on the molecular charge and polarity. On the other hand, the core–shell make-up of the particles provides a sequential release of guest molecules adsorbed at different parts of the nanoparticles. As a proof of concept, loading and release experiments with dyes were performed using non polar fluorescein and polar and charged methylene blue as model guest molecules. Non polar fluorescein is mostly adsorbed on the hydrophobic organosilica shell and therefore quickly released whereas the polar methylene blue, accumulated in the hydrophilic silica core, is only released subsequently. This occurs in small doses for an extended time corresponding to a sustained release over at least one year, controlled by the organosilica shell which acts as a diffusion barrier. An initial experiment with two drugs — non polar ibuprofen and polar and charged procaine hydrochloride — has been carried out as well and shows that the core–shell nanoparticles presented here can also be used for the sequential release of more relevant combinations of molecules

The influence of basaltic islands on the oceanic REE distribution: A case study from the tropical South Pacific

The Rare Earth Elements (REEs) have been widely used to investigate marine biogeochemical processes as well as the sources and mixing of water masses. However, there are still important uncertainties about the global aqueous REE cycle with respect to the contributions of highly reactive basaltic minerals originating from volcanic islands and the role of Submarine Groundwater Discharge (SGD). Here we present dissolved REE concentrations obtained from waters at the island-ocean interface (including SGD, river, lagoon and coastal waters) from the island of Tahiti and from three detailed open ocean profiles on the Manihiki Plateau (including neodymium (Nd) isotope compositions), which are located in ocean currents downstream of Tahiti. Tahitian fresh waters have highly variable REE concentrations that likely result from variable water–rock interaction and removal by secondary minerals. In contrast to studies on other islands, the SGD samples do not exhibit elevated REE concentrations but have distinctive REE distributions and Y/Ho ratios. The basaltic Tahitian rocks impart a REE pattern to the waters characterized by a middle REE enrichment, with a peak at europium similar to groundwaters and coastal waters of other volcanic islands in the Pacific. However, the basaltic island REE characteristics (with the exception of elevated Y/Ho ratios) are lost during transport to the Manihiki Plateau within surface waters that also exhibit highly radiogenic Nd isotope signatures. Our new data demonstrate that REE concentrations are enriched in Tahitian coastal water, but without multidimensional sampling, basaltic island Nd flux estimates range over orders of magnitude from relatively small to globally significant. Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) loses its characteristic Nd isotopic signature (-6 to-9) around the Manihiki Plateau as a consequence of mixing with South Equatorial Pacific Intermediate Water (SEqPIW), which shows more positive values (-1 to -2). However, an additional Nd input/exchange along the pathway of AAIW, eventually originating from the volcanic Society, Tuamotu and Tubuai Islands (including Tahiti), is indicated by an offset from the mixing array of AAIW and SEqPIW to more radiogenic Nd isotope compositions

PH-responsive release of chlorhexidine from modified nanoporous silica nanoparticles for dental applications

A pH-sensitive stimulus-response system for controlled drug release was prepared by modifying nanoporous silica nanoparticles (NPSNPs) with poly(4-vinylpyridine) using a bismaleimide as linker. At physiological pH values, the polymer serves as gate keeper blocking the pore openings to prevent the release of cargo molecules. At acidic pH values as they can occur during a bacterial infection, the polymer strains become protonated and straighten up due to electrostatic repulsion. The pores are opened and the cargo is released. The drug chlorhexidine was loaded into the pores because of its excellent antibacterial properties and low tendency to form resistances. The release was performed in PBS and diluted hydrochloric acid, respectively. The results showed a considerably higher release in acidic media compared to neutral solvents. Reversibility of this pH-dependent release was established. In vitro tests proved good cytocompatibility of the prepared nanoparticles. Antibacterial activity tests with Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus revealed promising perspectives of the release system for biofilm prevention. The developed polymer-modified silica nanoparticles can serve as an efficient controlled drug release system for long-term delivery in biomedical applications, such as in treatment of biofilm-associated infections, and could, for example, be used as medical implant coating or as components in dental composite materials

Coatings of different carbon nanotubes on platinum electrodes for neuronal devices: Preparation, cytocompatibility and interaction with spiral ganglion cells

Cochlear and deep brain implants are prominent examples for neuronal prostheses with clinical relevance. Current research focuses on the improvement of the long-term functionality and the size reduction of neural interface electrodes. A promising approach is the application of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), either as pure electrodes but especially as coating material for electrodes. The interaction of CNTs with neuronal cells has shown promising results in various studies, but these appear to depend on the specific type of neurons as well as on the kind of nanotubes. To evaluate a potential application of carbon nanotube coatings for cochlear electrodes, it is necessary to investigate the cytocompatibility of carbon nanotube coatings on platinum for the specific type of neuron in the inner ear, namely spiral ganglion neurons. In this study we have combined the chemical processing of as-delivered CNTs, the fabrication of coatings on platinum, and the characterization of the electrical properties of the coatings as well as a general cytocompatibility testing and the first cell culture investigations of CNTs with spiral ganglion neurons. By applying a modification process to three different as-received CNTs via a reflux treatment with nitric acid, long-term stable aqueous CNT dispersions free of dispersing agents were obtained. These were used to coat platinum substrates by an automated spray-coating process. These coatings enhance the electrical properties of platinum electrodes, decreasing the impedance values and raising the capacitances. Cell culture investigations of the different CNT coatings on platinum with NIH3T3 fibroblasts attest an overall good cytocompatibility of these coatings. For spiral ganglion neurons, this can also be observed but a desired positive effect of the CNTs on the neurons is absent. Furthermore, we found that the well-established DAPI staining assay does not function on the coatings prepared from single-wall nanotubes. © 2016 Burblies et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.DFG/EXC 1077/1 “Hearing4all

The effect of family history on screening procedures and prognosis in breast cancer patients - Results of a large population-based case-control study

Background: The potential benefit of additional breast cancer screening examinations in moderate risk patients (patients with a history of breast cancer in one or two family members) remains unclear.Methods: A large population-based case-control study on breast cancer in postmenopausal women in Germany recruited 2002-2005 (3813 cases and 7341 age-matched controls) was used to assess the association of family history with breast cancer risk. Analysis of family history, participation in screening procedures, and tumor size regarding prognosis in patients was based on follow-up data until 2015.Results: A first degree family history of breast cancer was associated with higher breast cancer risk (OR 1.39, p &lt; 0.001). Patients with a first degree family history of breast cancer were more likely to have had &gt;10 mammograms (MG) (42.7% vs. 24.9%, p &lt; 0.001) and showed a higher rate of imaging-detected tumors (MG or ultrasound) (45.8% vs. 31.9%, p &lt; 0.001). A smaller tumor size at initial diagnosis (below 2 cm) was more likely in patients with a positive family history (OR 1.45, p &lt; 0.001) and a higher number of MG (&gt;= 10 MG: OR 2.29). After accounting for tumor characteristics, mammogram regularity (HR 0.72, p &lt; 0.001) and imaging-assisted tumor detection (HR 0.66, p &lt; 0.001) were associated with better overall survival but not with a positive family history.Discussion: Patients with a positive family history had a higher rate of imaging detected tumors with smaller size at initial diagnosis compared to patients without affected family members. Screening was associated with improved survival after a breast cancer diagnosis, irrespective of a positive family history. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.</p

Adhesion Forces of Oral Bacteria to Titanium and the Correlation with Biophysical Cellular Characteristics

Bacterial adhesion to dental implants is the onset for the development of pathological biofilms. Reliable characterization of this initial process is the basis towards the development of anti-biofilm strategies. In the present study, single-cell force spectroscopy (SCFS), by means of an atomic force microscope connected to a microfluidic pressure control system (FluidFM), was used to comparably measure adhesion forces of different oral bacteria within a similar experimental setup to the common implant material titanium. The bacteria selected belong to different ecological niches in oral biofilms: the commensal pioneers Streptococcus oralis and Actinomyces naeslundii; secondary colonizer Veillonella dispar; and the late colonizing pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis as well as fimbriated and non-fimbriated Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. The results showed highest values for early colonizing pioneer species, strengthening the link between adhesion forces and bacteria’s role in oral biofilm development. Additionally, the correlation between biophysical cellular characteristics and SCFS results across species was analyzed. Here, distinct correlations between electrostatically driven maximum adhesion force, bacterial surface elasticity and surface charge as well as single-molecule attachment points, stretching capability and metabolic activity, could be identified. Therefore, this study provides a step towards the detailed understanding of oral bacteria initial adhesion and could support the development of infection-resistant implant materials in future

On-tissue dataset-dependent MALDI-TIMS-MS2^{2} bioimaging

Trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) adds an additional separation dimension to mass spectrometry (MS) imaging, however, the lack of fragmentation spectra (MS$^{2}$) impedes confident compound annotation in spatial metabolomics. Here, we describe spatial ion mobility-scheduled exhaustive fragmentation (SIMSEF), a dataset-dependent acquisition strategy that augments TIMS-MS imaging datasets with MS$^{2}$ spectra. The fragmentation experiments are systematically distributed across the sample and scheduled for multiple collision energies per precursor ion. Extendable data processing and evaluation workflows are implemented into the open source software MZmine. The workflow and annotation capabilities are demonstrated on rat brain tissue thin sections, measured by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation (MALDI)-TIMS-MS, where SIMSEF enables on-tissue compound annotation through spectral library matching and rule-based lipid annotation within MZmine and maps the (un)known chemical space by molecular networking. The SIMSEF algorithm and data analysis pipelines are open source and modular to provide a community resource