Hightech-Firmen in Ostdeutschland: Disperses Standortmuster und ungleiche Entwicklungschancen

Unternehmen der Hochtechnologie wird oftmals eine herausragende Rolle im Rahmen der Stärkung, Transformation und Verbesserung der Zukunftsfähigkeit der ostdeutschen Wirtschaft zugesprochen. Dabei wird meist auf deren überlegenes Wachstum abgestellt, insbesondere im Hinblick auf die Schaffung neuer Arbeitsplätze. Der Beitrag zeigt einleitend die räumliche Verteilung der Beschäftigten in Hochtechnologieunternehmen im Osten Deutschlands auf und geht anschließend im Rahmen eines Fallbeispiels mit Hilfe einer Stichprobe junger, durch Technologie- und Gründerzentren (TGZ) geförderter Unternehmen der vielfach erhofften Wachstumsstärke von Hightech-Unternehmen nach. In den Neuen Bundesländern lässt sich räumlich eine stark heterogene Struktur der Hochtechnologiesektoren mit einem ausgeprägten Nord-Süd-Gefälle feststellen. Während in einigen Städten und Regionen kaum Hightech-Unternehmen angesiedelt sind, können dagegen auch einige Hightech-Schwerpunkte identifiziert werden. Dabei handelt es sich insbesondere um Standorte mit langjährigen Traditionen in bestimmten Technologiefeldern. Darüber hinaus zeigte die empirische Untersuchung des Fallbeispiels TGZ-geförderter Firmen zum Unternehmenswachstum in Abhängigkeit vom Technologieniveau nicht nur ein statistisch signifikant stärkeres Wachstum der Hochtechnologieunternehmen gegenüber nicht bzw. nur gering technologieorientierten Unternehmen, sondern auch, dass innerhalb der Hightech-Segmente mit steigender Technologieorientierung höheres Wachstum der in dieser Fallstudie untersuchten Unternehmen einhergeht. Der Beitrag weist abschließend darauf hin, dass die Potenziale der Hochtechnologie in Ostdeutschland realistisch eingeschätzt werden sollten. Insbesondere ist aufgrund des gegenwärtig und wohl auch zukünftig relativ geringen Anteils dieser Unternehmen an der Gesamtbeschäftigung in den Neuen Bundesländern vor einer Überschätzung im Hinblick auf die Generierung von Arbeitsplätzen zu warnen

Hightech-Firmen in Ostdeutschland: Disperses Standortmuster und ungleiche Entwicklungschancen

High technology firms are often considered to be one of the drivers of structural change in Eastern Germany. With regard to the possible benefits of high-tech firms, the focus is on employments effects in particular. In a first step, the article investigates the regional distribution of firms from high technology sectors in Eastern Germany. Furthermore, within the framework of a case study of firms from business incubators, it is investigated whether high-tech firms in fact show a high growth potential, as it is often postulated. Empirical results concerning the spatial pattern show a highly heterogeneous distribution, with a strong North-South divide. In particular, path dependency seems to be relevant in explaining the high-tech patterns/agglomerations identified. In addition, the case study results demonstrate the strong growth potential of high-tech firms compared to low-tech firms and firms from rather traditional sectors respectively, whereby a higher R&D intensity (within the sample of high-tech firms) is found to be associated with higher growth. However, the article warns against “high-tech euphoria”, since the total number of existing high-tech firms as well as the number of newly founded high technology ventures is modest, and therefore the overall employment effect is rather limited.

Crowdsourced network measurements: Benefits and best practices

Network measurements are of high importance both for the operation of networks and for the design and evaluation of new management mechanisms. Therefore, several approaches exist for running network measurements, ranging from analyzing live traffic traces from campus or Internet Service Provider (ISP) networks to performing active measurements on distributed testbeds, e.g., PlanetLab, or involving volunteers. However, each method falls short, offering only a partial view of the network. For instance, the scope of passive traffic traces is limited to an ISP’s network and customers’ habits, whereas active measurements might be biased by the population or node location involved. To complement these techniques, we propose to use (commercial) crowdsourcing platforms for network measurements. They permit a controllable, diverse and realistic view of the Internet and provide better control than do measurements with voluntary participants. In this study, we compare crowdsourcing with traditional measurement techniques, describe possible pitfalls and limitations, and present best practices to overcome these issues. The contribution of this paper is a guideline for researchers to understand when and how to exploit crowdsourcing for network measurements

Early benefit assessment (EBA) in Germany: analysing decisions 18 months after introducing the new AMNOG legislation

Since the introduction of the German health care reform in January 2011, an early benefit assessment (EBA) is required for all new medicines. Pharmaceutical manufacturers have to submit a benefit dossier for evaluation by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). A final decision is made by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA). The aim of this investigation was to analyse the outcomes 18 months after introduction of the new legislation and to identify critical areas requiring further discussion and development. All EBAs commenced prior to June 2012 were included. The G-BA website was used to obtain manufacturers' benefit dossiers, IQWiG assessments, and G-BA decisions. Four areas of interest were analysed: levels of additional benefit, appropriate comparative therapy (ACT), patient-relevant endpoints, and adverse events. Twenty-seven EBAs were analysed. IQWiG stated a benefit in 50 % of EBAs, whereas G-BA stated a benefit in 63 %, but only in 50 % of identified subgroups and 40 % of patients involved. In 12 EBAs, the ACT suggested by G-BA differed from the comparator used in phase III trials. The G-BA reported no benefits on health-related quality of life. Discrepancies arose in morbidity outcomes such as 'progression-free survival' and 'sustained virological response'. Categorisation and balancing of adverse events was conducted within various assessments. Considerable variance was observed in the levels of additional benefit reported by pharmaceutical manufacturers, IQWiG and G-BA. The areas of disagreement included ACT selection, definition of subgroups and patient-relevant endpoints, and classification and balancing of adverse events.Roche Pharma A

Attractive force on atoms due to blackbody radiation

Objects at finite temperature emit thermal radiation with an outward energy-momentum flow, which exerts an outward radiation pressure. At room temperature, a cesium atom scatters on average less than one of these blackbody radiation photons every 10^8 years. Thus, it is generally assumed that any scattering force exerted on atoms by such radiation is negligible. However, atoms also interact coherently with the thermal electromagnetic field. In this work, we measure an attractive force induced by blackbody radiation between a cesium atom and a heated, centimeter-sized cylinder which is orders of magnitude stronger than the outward directed radiation pressure. Using atom interferometry, we find that this force scales with the fourth power of the cylinder`s temperature. The force is in good agreement with that predicted from an ac Stark shift gradient of the atomic ground state in the thermal radiation field. This observed force dominates over both gravity and radiation pressure, and does so for a large temperature range

A pentapeptide as minimal antigenic determinant for MHC class I-restricted T lymphocytes

Peptides that are antigenic for T lymphocytes are ligands for two receptors, the class I or II glycoproteins that are encoded by genes in the major histocompatibility complex, and the idiotypic / chain T-cell antigen receptor1–9. That a peptide must bind to an MHC molecule to interact with a T-cell antigen receptor is the molecular basis of the MHC restriction of antigen-recognition by T lymphocytes10,11. In such a trimolecular interaction the amino-acid sequence of the peptide must specify the contact with both receptors: agretope residues bind to the MHC receptor and epitope residues bind to the T-cell antigen receptor12,13. From a compilation of known antigenic peptides, two algorithms have been proposed to predict antigenic sites in proteins. One algorithm uses linear motifs in the sequence14, whereas the other considers peptide conformation and predicts antigenicity for amphipathic -helices15,16. We report here that a systematic delimitation of an antigenic site precisely identifies a predicted pentapeptide motif as the minimal antigenic determinant presented by a class I MHC molecule and recognized by a cytolytic T lymphocyte clone

Presentation of CMV immediate-early antigen to cytolytic T lymphocytes is selectively prevented by viral genes expressed in the early phase

The regulation of antigen processing and presentation to MHC class I-restricted cytolytic T lymphocytes was studied in cells infected with murine cytomegalovirus. Recognition by cytolytic T lymphocytes of the phosphoprotein pp89, the immunodominant viral antigen expressed in the immediate-early phase of infection, was selectively prevented during the subsequent expression of viral early genes. The surface expression of MHC class I glycoproteins and their capacity to present externally added pp89-derived antigenic peptides were not affected. Because recognition of several other antigens occurred during the early phase, a general failure in processing and presentation was excluded. Since neither rate of synthesis, amount, stability, nor nuclear transport of pp89 was modified, the failure in recognition indicates a selective interference with pp89 antigen processing and presentation

Infiltrating Blood-Derived Macrophages Are Vital Cells Playing an Anti-inflammatory Role in Recovery from Spinal Cord Injury in Mice

Using a mouse model of spinal injury, Michal Schwartz and colleagues tested the effect of macrophages on the recovery process and demonstrate an important anti-inflammatory role for a subset of infiltrating monocyte-derived macrophages that is dependent upon their expression of interleukin 10

Clinical Trial Design and Development Work Group within the Quantitative Imaging Network

The Clinical Trial Design and Development Working Group within the Quantitative Imaging Network focuses on providing support for the development, validation, and harmonization of quantitative imaging (QI) methods and tools for use in cancer clinical trials. In the past 10 years, the Group has been working in several areas to identify challenges and opportunities in clinical trials involving QI and radiation oncology. The Group has been working with Quantitative Imaging Network members and the Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers Alliance leadership to develop guidelines for standardizing the reporting of quantitative imaging. As a validation platform, the Group led a multireader study to test a semi-automated positron emission tomography quantification software. Clinical translation of QI tools cannot be possible without a continuing dialogue with clinical users. This article also highlights the outreach activities extended to cooperative groups and other organizations that promote the use of QI tools to support clinical decisions