Linear optical elements based on cooperative subwavelength emitter arrays

We describe applications of two-dimensional subwavelength quantum emitter arrays as efficient optical elements in the linear regime. For normally incident light, the cooperative optical response, stemming from emitter-emitter dipole exchanges, allows the control of the array's transmission, its resonance frequency, and bandwidth. Operations on fully polarized incident light, such as generic linear and circular polarizers as well as phase retarders can be engineered and described in terms of Jones matrices. Our analytical approach and accompanying numerical simulations identify optimal regimes for such operations and reveal the importance of adjusting the array geometry and of the careful tuning of the external magnetic fields amplitude and direction

Cellular Differentiation of Human Monocytes Is Regulated by Time-Dependent Interleukin-4 Signaling and the Transcriptional Regulator NCOR2.

Human in vitro generated monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) and macrophages are used clinically, e.g., to induce immunity against cancer. However, their physiological counterparts, ontogeny, transcriptional regulation, and heterogeneity remains largely unknown, hampering their clinical use. High-dimensional techniques were used to elucidate transcriptional, phenotypic, and functional differences between human in vivo and in vitro generated mononuclear phagocytes to facilitate their full potential in the clinic. We demonstrate that monocytes differentiated by macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) or granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) resembled in vivo inflammatory macrophages, while moDCs resembled in vivo inflammatory DCs. Moreover, differentiated monocytes presented with profound transcriptomic, phenotypic, and functional differences. Monocytes integrated GM-CSF and IL-4 stimulation combinatorically and temporally, resulting in a mode- and time-dependent differentiation relying on NCOR2. Finally, moDCs are phenotypically heterogeneous and therefore necessitate the use of high-dimensional phenotyping to open new possibilities for better clinical tailoring of these cellular therapies

Disease severity-specific neutrophil signatures in blood transcriptomes stratify COVID-19 patients

BACKGROUND: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is currently leading to increasing numbers of COVID-19 patients all over the world. Clinical presentations range from asymptomatic, mild respiratory tract infection, to severe cases with acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory failure, and death. Reports on a dysregulated immune system in the severe cases call for a better characterization and understanding of the changes in the immune system. METHODS: In order to dissect COVID-19-driven immune host responses, we performed RNA-seq of whole blood cell transcriptomes and granulocyte preparations from mild and severe COVID-19 patients and analyzed the data using a combination of conventional and data-driven co-expression analysis. Additionally, publicly available data was used to show the distinction from COVID-19 to other diseases. Reverse drug target prediction was used to identify known or novel drug candidates based on finding from data-driven findings. RESULTS: Here, we profiled whole blood transcriptomes of 39 COVID-19 patients and 10 control donors enabling a data-driven stratification based on molecular phenotype. Neutrophil activation-associated signatures were prominently enriched in severe patient groups, which was corroborated in whole blood transcriptomes from an independent second cohort of 30 as well as in granulocyte samples from a third cohort of 16 COVID-19 patients (44 samples). Comparison of COVID-19 blood transcriptomes with those of a collection of over 3100 samples derived from 12 different viral infections, inflammatory diseases, and independent control samples revealed highly specific transcriptome signatures for COVID-19. Further, stratified transcriptomes predicted patient subgroup-specific drug candidates targeting the dysregulated systemic immune response of the host. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides novel insights in the distinct molecular subgroups or phenotypes that are not simply explained by clinical parameters. We show that whole blood transcriptomes are extremely informative for COVID-19 since they capture granulocytes which are major drivers of disease severity

Das Böse im System des Pop? Ästhetische und politische Urteile am Beispiel des Schlagers und Neoschlagers

Das Verhältnis von Pop-Musik und deutschem Schlager ist ebenso ungeklärt wie belastet. Es lässt sich noch nicht wertungsfrei behandeln. Deshalb geht der Beitrag von ästhetischen Urteilen des Verfassers zum Schlager um 1970 und zum Neoschlager der Gegenwart aus und bemüht sich, deren Sachanteile historisch und systematisch zu explizieren. Die These lautet, dass sich der Schlager seit den 1960er Jahren zur nationalen Alternative zum Pop entwickelt hat, beide bleiben paradigmatisch aufeinander bezogen und teilen dabei auch den oft nur für Pop reklamierten Doppelcharakter von Unterhaltung und existenziellem Angebot. Ist der Schlager also so etwas wie das Böse im System des Pop

(Be-)Richten und Erzählen. Literatur als Gewaltfreier Diskurs

Ein erster Grund, Literatur als Raum zu denken, in dem gewaltfreie menschliche Beziehungen erprobt werden können, ist in der Freiheit zu suchen, die sie sowohl dem Autor als auch dem Leser anbietet. Zuerst erfährt sie der Autor, indem er die Welt in seinem Werk so gestaltet kann, wie er sie sich vorstellt. Die Leser haben aber die Macht zu entscheiden, was ein Text bedeutet und wozu er zu gebrauchen ist. Nicht der Text hat das Recht, sondern die Leser haben es, das letzte Wort über seine Beschaffenheit, seinen Sinn und seine Funktion zu sprechen. Der Bezug der literarischen Werke zu unserer Lebenspraxis entfaltet sich aber nicht als Formulierung unserer Position, sondern primär als Übung einer kritischen Haltung, als Erfahrung also und nicht als Erkenntnis. Nicht was wir beim Lesen denken und verstehen ist unmittelbar auf unser Leben anzuwenden, sondern das, was wir aus dem Lesen als kritisch emanzipierender Übung lernen