Dependence of aptamer activity on opposed terminal extensions : improvement of light-regulation efficiency

Aptamers that can be regulated with light allow precise control of protein activity in space and time and hence of biological function in general. In a previous study, we showed that the activity of the thrombin-binding aptamer HD1 can be turned off by irradiation using a light activatable "caged" intramolecular antisense-domain. However, the activity of the presented aptamer in its ON state was only mediocre. Here we studied the nature of this loss in activity in detail and found that switching from 5'- to 3'-extensions affords aptamers that are even more potent than the unmodified HD1. In particular we arrived at derivatives that are now more active than the aptamer NU172 that is currently in phase 2 clinical trials as an anticoagulant. As a result, we present light-regulatable aptamers with a superior activity in their ON state and an almost digital ON/OFF behavior upon irradiation

Identification of the dominant diffusing species in silicide formation

Implanted noble gas atoms of Xe have been used as diffusion markers in the growth study of three silicides: Ni2Si, VSi2, and TiSi2. Backscattering of MeV He has been used to determine the displacement of the markers. We found that while Si atoms predominate the diffusion in VSi2 and TiSi2, Ni atoms are the faster moving species in Ni2Si

Ground beetles as indicator species for stand tradition and nearness to nature of broadleaved forests

Laufkäfer werden in ökologischen Studien zur Lebensraumbewertung sehr häufig als Bioindikatoren hinzugezogen (PLATEN & KOWARIK 1995, PLATNER et al. 1996, POSPISCHIL 1981), denn ihre Ökologie und die daraus resultierenden ökologischen Ansprüche sind durch zahlreiche Studien eingehend untersucht (u.a. BAEHR 1980, LINDROTH 1945, THIELE 1977). Unterschiede in der Artengemeinschaft bzw. Änderungen in der Abundanz der Carabiden lassen Rückschlüsse über Habitatqualität, Standortsfaktoren, Minimalareal- Fragen, Habitattradition und Vernetzung von Lebensräumen zu. Diese Tatsachen wurden ausgenutzt, um die Bestandstradition und die Naturnähe der Bestockung der Probeflächen zu untersuchen. Diese sind weitgehend naturnahe Wälder im südbayerischen Tertiärhügelland, einem insgesamt wenig naturnahen, forstlich durch Fichtenforste geprägten Landschaftsraum.The role of isolated near natural broadleaved forests in a landscape dominated by manmade coniferous plantations was investigated using ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) as indicator species. Natural beech and ravine forests as well as near-natural secondary oak forests, and a pure spruce stand were researched using pitfall traps. The results were ordinated using CCA including 76 additional sites in similar forest associations. The carabid faunas of these associations group together rather well. Wet forests are most distinct, including natural oak-hornbeam forests and wet ravine forests. Dry ravine forests on calcareous slopes overlap with beech forests on calcareous sites to a certain degree, while acidic beech forests are distinct. The investigated isolated sites do not group with the natural reference sites well, the main reason being „size of forest“ and „size of broadleaved forest“, according to the CCA. These factors are to blame for an apparent loss of species that could be expected for these sites according to data from similar sites under different circumstances. Especially one investigation area with only about 5 hectares of completely isolated forest and a historical record of large-scale deforestation (for use as a vineyard and as a coppice-with-standards stand) is deprived of many species. In the other investigated area, Carabus purpurascens, absent from the entire tertiary hill land of southern Bavaria, was rediscovered after approximately 100 years in an oak forest. In this site, circumstances are apparently better, albeit not good, again due largely to habitat fragmentation, though not habitat tradition. The species lost on these sites are foremost stenotopic forest species with preference to broadleaved forests, species with a montane distribution and large species (several species of the genus Carabus) with accordingly large requirements for contiguous habitat. The results stress the importance of the protection of forests with a habitat tradition on a sufficient area

Annual Policy Report 2011

Der Politikbericht 2011 der deutschen nationalen Kontaktstelle für das Europäische Migrationsnetzwerk (EMN) gibt einen Überblick über die wichtigsten politischen Diskussionen und Entwicklungen in den Bereichen Migration, Integration und Asyl in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland für das Jahr 2011. Der Bericht nimmt besonderen Bezug auf Maßnahmen, welche die Bundesrepublik Deutschland zur Umsetzung des Europäischen Pakts zu Einwanderung und Asyl und des Stockholm Programms des Europäischen Rats beschlossen hat (eine gesonderte Übersicht zur Umsetzung der konkreten Zielvorgaben befindet sich im Anhang des Berichts). Diese Maßnahmen werden durch weitere Gesetze und Initiativen der Bundesregierung in den Bereichen Migration, Integration und Asyl ergänzt. Außerdem stellt der Bericht die allgemeine Struktur des politischen und rechtlichen Systems in Deutschland dar und skizziert die wichtigsten politischen und institutionellen Veränderungen im Jahr 2011.The 2011 Policy Report by the German National Contact Point for the European Migration Network (EMN) provides an overview of the most important political discussions and developments in migration, integration and asylum in the Federal Republic of Germany for the year 2011. The report focuses in particular on measures enacted by the Federal Republic of Germany for implementing the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum and the Stockholm Programme of the European Council (a separate report on implementing concrete goals is in the appendix to this report). These measures are supplemented by additional laws and initiatives by the Federal Government in the areas of migration, integration and asylum. Furthermore, the report describes the general structure of the political and legal system of Germany, and outlines the most important political and institutional changes of 2011

Social Security for Third-Country Nationals in Germany: Study by the German National Contact Point for the European Migration Network (EMN)

Die vorliegende Studie widmet sich dem Aufbau und Funktionsweise der beitragsfinanzierten gesetzlichen Sozialversicherung sowie der steuerfinanzierten Fürsorgesysteme in Deutschland. Während die Leistungen der Sozialversicherung (GRV und ALV, in Teilen die GKV) eine statuskonforme Absicherung ermöglichen, deren Höhe anteilig zum erzielten Erwerbseinkommen berechnet wird, soll die Grundsicherung das soziokulturelle Existenzminimum gewährleisten. Die Studie analysiert, unter welchen Voraussetzungen Drittstaatsangehörige Zugang zu einzelnen Sozialleistungen erhalten und welche aufenthaltsrechtlichen Konsequenzen daraus erwachsen können. Der Sozialleistungsbezug von Drittstaatsangehörigen ist teilweise ausgeschlossen; dort, wo Drittstaatsangehörige leistungsberechtigt sind, kann der Leistungsbezug abhängig von Aufenthaltstitel und Art der Sozialleistung aufenthaltsrechtliche Konsequenzen nach sich ziehen. Vor dem Hintergrund einer zunehmenden grenzüberschreitenden Mobilität stellt die Übertragbarkeit von Sozialleistungsansprüchen eine migrationsspezifische Herausforderung moderner Sozialstaaten dar. Um hier für Rechtssicherheit zu sorgen und dem mobilitätsbedingten Verlust von Versicherungsansprüchen vorzubeugen, hat Deutschland eine Vielzahl an bilateralen Sozialversicherungsabkommen mit Drittstaaten geschlossen. Plastisch veranschaulicht wird die soziale Absicherung von Drittstaatsangehörigen durch drei Fallbeispiele, die verschiedene soziale Notlagen mit unterschiedlichen aufenthaltsrechtlichen Bestimmungen verbinden. Das Working Paper 57 wurde durch die beim Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF) angesiedelte Nationale Kontaktstelle des Europäischen Migrationsnetzwerks (EMN) als deutscher Beitrag für eine europaweit vergleichende Untersuchung des Sozialleistungszugangs von Drittstaatsangehörigen erstellt.The present study describes the structure and functioning of contribution-financed statutory social insurance as well as tax-financed social welfare systems in Germany. While the benefits of social insurance (statutory pension insurance and unemployment insurance, partially statutory health insurance) provide usually temporary coverage commensurate to social status calculated as a percentage of earned income, basic security benefits should ensure a sociocultural minimum living income. The study analyses the conditions under which third-country nationals receive access to individual social benefits as well as the consequences of social security dependence for one’s residence status. Access to social benefits is partially excluded for third-country nationals; however, in those cases, where access is provided, claiming basic security benefits can result in consequences to the residence status, depending on the residence title. In the context of increasing cross-border mobility, the portability of social benefit claims poses a migration-specific challenge for modern welfare states. In order to provide legal stability in this area and prevent the mobility-based loss of insurance claims, Germany has concluded a number of bilateral social insurance agreements with third countries. The social coverage of third-country nationals is practically depicted in three case studies that link various social emergencies with different residence conditions. The Working Paper 57 was drawn up by the National Contact Point of the European Migration Network (EMN) at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees as the German contribution towards a comparative European study of third-country nationals’ access to social security

Automation in strain and temperature control on VHCF with an ultrasonic testing facility.

Increased safety and reliability in mechanical components has become a subject of prime importance in recent years. Therefore, a proper understanding of damage and fracture mechanics in materials and components designed to withstand very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) loadings is extremely important nowadays. However, the use of conventional machines for fatigue testing is very time consuming and costly for VHCF tests. Ultrasonic machines have been introduced as a way to increase the number of cycles in fatigue testing up to IE8 to IE10 cycles within a considerably reduced amount of time. Nevertheless, the accurate measurement of the parameters that influence fatigue life at ultrasonic frequencies (e.g., stress, displacement, strain rate, temperature, and frequency) is still a matter of concern and ongoing development. Because of the high frequencies involved in VHCF testing, a huge amount of heat is generated over the specimen, which greatly affects the variables determining the fatigue behavior. This paper describes the design and instrumentation of an ultrasonic fatigue testing machine that operates at a working frequency of 20 kHz. Among other features, it incorporates automated strain and temperature control. In order to run automated tests, a closed-loop monitoring and control system was developed based on the measured temperature and displacement amplitudes. Temperature readings are made with a pyrometer and thermography camera, and displacement is monitored at the free end of the specimen with a high-resolution laser. The machine's power output is continuously adjusted from the displacement readings, so that the stress variations within the specimen are as flat as possible. When the temperature increases above a certain set value, a cooling function is triggered and the test is interrupted until the specimen is cooled down. Data are acquired, managed, and processed with a data acquisition device working at a 400 kHz sampling frequency. The advantages and limitations of metal fatigue testing at very high frequencies are discussed in this paper, with special emphasis on strain and temperature-control issues. Comparisons are made of tests carried out with and without both displacement and temperature control on two metallic alloys, copper 99 % and carbon steel, with the determination of strength-life (S-N) curves

Annual Policy Report 2012

Der Politikbericht 2012 der deutschen nationalen Kontaktstelle für das Europäische Migrationsnetzwerk (EMN) gibt einen Überblick über die wichtigsten politischen Diskussionen und Entwicklungen in den Bereichen Migration, Integration und Asyl in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland für das Jahr 2012. Dabei nimmt der Bericht besonderen Bezug auf Maßnahmen, welche die Bundesrepublik Deutschland zur Umsetzung des Gesamtansatzes für Migration und Mobilität, der EU-Aktion gegen Migrationsdruck, der EU-Strategie zur Bekämpfung des Menschenhandels sowie der Europäischen Agenda zur Integration von Drittstaatsangehörigen getroffen hat. Diese Maßnahmen werden durch weitere Gesetze und Initiativen der Bundesregierung in den Bereichen Migration, Integration und Asyl ergänzt. Zudem stellt der Bericht die allgemeine Struktur des politischen und rechtlichen Systems in Deutschland dar und skizziert die wichtigsten politischen und institutionellen Veränderungen im Jahr 2012.The 2012 Policy Report of the German National Contact Points for the European Migration Network (EMN) provides an overview of the most important political discussions and developments in the areas of migration, integration and asylum in the Federal Republic of Germany in the year 2012. The Report refers specifically to measures the Federal Republic of Germany has undertaken to implement the Global Approach to Migration and Mobility, EU Action on Migratory Pressures, the EU Strategy towards the Eradication of Trafficking in Human Beings and the European Agenda for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (the Annex to this report contains a special overview on the implementation of defined goals and objectives). These measures are supplemented by additional laws and initiatives adopted by the Federal Government in the areas of migration, integration and asylum. Furthermore, the report explains the general structure of the political and legal system in Germany and outlines the most important political and institutional changes that took place in 2012

Dependence of aptamer activity on opposed terminal extensions: improvement of light-regulation efficiency

Aptamers that can be regulated with light allow precise control of protein activity in space and time and hence of biological function in general. In a previous study, we showed that the activity of the thrombin-binding aptamer HD1 can be turned off by irradiation using a light activatable ‘caged’ intramolecular antisense-domain. However, the activity of the presented aptamer in its ON state was only mediocre. Here we studied the nature of this loss in activity in detail and found that switching from 5′- to 3′-extensions affords aptamers that are even more potent than the unmodified HD1. In particular we arrived at derivatives that are now more active than the aptamer NU172 that is currently in phase 2 clinical trials as an anticoagulant. As a result, we present light-regulatable aptamers with a superior activity in their ON state and an almost digital ON/OFF behavior upon irradiation

Dependence of aptamer activity on opposed terminal extensions: improvement of light-regulation efficiency

Aptamers that can be regulated with light allow precise control of protein activity in space and time and hence of biological function in general. In a previous study, we showed that the activity of the thrombin-binding aptamer HD1 can be turned off by irradiation using a light activatable ‘caged’ intramolecular antisense-domain. However, the activity of the presented aptamer in its ON state was only mediocre. Here we studied the nature of this loss in activity in detail and found that switching from 5′- to 3′-extensions affords aptamers that are even more potent than the unmodified HD1. In particular we arrived at derivatives that are now more active than the aptamer NU172 that is currently in phase 2 clinical trials as an anticoagulant. As a result, we present light-regulatable aptamers with a superior activity in their ON state and an almost digital ON/OFF behavior upon irradiation