English as a lingua franca vs. interpreting: battleground or peaceful coexistence?

The article addresses the contentious issue of the spread of English as a lingua franca in a number of domains – a trend that is not viewed very favourably by many interpreting professionals. After reviewing the development of English as a lingua franca (ELF) and its unique position in different domains, the advantages and disadvantages of ELF are discussed on a general level before approaching the topic from the interpreters’ perspective. The negative stance taken by many interpreters towards ELF is viewed as a result of work-related as well as economic and psychosocial reasons. Against this backdrop the paper reports the first results of a study on the communicative effectiveness of English as a lingua franca vs. simultaneous interpreting. The findings indicate that under appropriate working conditions, in a given setting of technical communication, professional simultaneous interpreting can ensure a higher level of audience comprehension than the use of non-native English

Structural Proteomics of the Fungal Cell Wall

Fungi are surrounded by a thick layer of carbohydrates and proteins, which is essential for the cell’s viability – the fungal cell wall. Proteins are incorporated into this organelle in different ways: some are covalently linked to the carbohydrate moiety of the cell wall via Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchors or alkali-sensitive linkages, others are indirectly attached to the cell wall via disulfide bonds. Cell wall proteins are involved in various cellular functions, such as cell wall biosynthesis, adhesion to external surfaces, or sensing. The GPI-anchored cell wall proteome of the thermophilic model organism Chaetomium thermophilum was identified in the first part of this thesis. First, a prediction of GPI-proteins, anchored to the cell wall and the plasma membrane was done. The prediction was then complemented by mass-spectrometric identification of GPI-anchored cell wall proteins in isolated cell walls. The detected proteins were then analyzed concerning their functions and putative roles and interesting targets for pharmaceutical applications and fundamental research were established, including Gel1/2, Kre9/Knh1, and Ecm33. In addition, the ultrastructure of the C. thermophilum cell wall was analyzed via transmission electron microscopy, revealing short microfibrils in its outer layer and its similarity to the cell wall of S. cerevisiae. The thesis then advances to the analysis of the A-domains of the Candida glabrata adhesins Awp1 and Awp3, which are members of adhesin cluster VI. Although the fungal pathogen lacks certain virulence factors – such as hyphae formation – C. glabrata infections are commonly observed; its large repertoire of adhesins is believed to be the reason therefore. Awp1A and Awp3A both consist of a β helix domain and an α crystallin domain. They are structurally similar to carbohydrate binding proteins, e. g. polysaccharide lyases, but carbohydrate binding could not be observed. A sequence similarity network (SSN) elucidates their high similarity to cluster V adhesins Awp2 and Awp4 and thereby reinforces previous classifications. The structures of Awp1 and Awp3 provide first insights into new types of adhesins in C. glabrata that include the adhesin clusters V and VI. Furthermore, the G-protein coupled receptor Pth11 from C. thermophilum was analyzed. It contains an N-terminal CFEM domain – a domain exclusively found in fungal cell wall and plasma membrane proteins – that is predicted to be the ligand binding site. The CtPth11 CFEM domain consists of five α helices and reveals two potential binding sites, divided by F48. Distinct conformers of F48 allow formation of a tunnel through the domain. A model of the CtPth11 CFEM domain and transmembrane region – based on prediction of neighboring residues via sequence covariation analysis – shows that both potential binding sites are accessible. In a fragment screen, four fragments were bound in the same cavity; three of them could be fitted into their respective electron densities. These hydrophobic fragments are placed in the hydrophobic cavity, with only few additional interactions, which is in accordance with the proposal that Pth11 senses hydrophobic cues on the plant surface

Non-close-packed breath figures via ion-partitioning-mediated self-assembly

We report a one-step method of forming non-close-packed (NCP) pore arrays of micro- and sub-micropores using chloroform-based solutions of polystyrene acidified with hydrogen bromide for breath figure (BF) patterning. As BF patterning takes place, water vapor condenses onto the polystyrene solution, forming water droplets on the solution surface. Concurrently, preferential ion partitioning of hydrogen bromide leads to positively charged water droplets, which experience interdroplet electrostatic repulsion. Self-organization of charged water droplets because of surface flow and subsequent evaporation of the droplet templates result in ordered BF arrays with pore separation/diameter (L/D) ratios of up to 16.5. Evidence from surface potential scans show proof for preferential ion partitioning of HBr. Radial distribution functions and Voronoi polygon analysis of pore arrays show that they possess a high degree of conformational order. Past fabrication methods of NCP structures typically require multi-step processes. In contrast, we have established a new route for facile self-assembly of previously inaccessible patterns, which comprises of only a single operational step

Creative Industries in Wien seit dem Fin de Siècle

Die Dissertation mit dem Titel "Creative Industries in Wien seit dem Fin de Siècle – Mode, Grafik, Design und Fotografie“ beschäftigt sich zum einen mit der quantitativen Entwicklung des gesamten Sektors der Creative Industries über das 20. Jahrhundert hinweg, zum anderen wird im Detail die Entwicklung der Modebranche mit ihren angrenzenden Berufsfeldern Grafik, Design und Fotografie quantitativ wie auch qualitativ nachgezeichnet und analysiert. Im quantitativen Teil wird nach einer umfassenden Bestimmung der verwendeten Definitionen – sowohl von Creative Industries wie auch der einzelnen Begriffe, Branchen und Berufe – die Methodologie passend zum vorhandenen Datenmaterial beschrieben und Stärken wie auch Schwächen herausgearbeitet. Anschließend werden die Gesamtergebnisse präsentiert und auf ausgewählte, herausragende, branchenspezifische Ergebnisse eingegangen. Weiters werden genderspezifische Entwicklungsmuster herausgearbeitet sowie mit Hilfe weiterer Statistiken auf individuelle Aspekte der Creative Industries abseits der Beschäftigungszahl eingegangen. Im qualitativen Teil wird die Entwicklung der Wiener Modeindustrie sowie ihrer angrenzenden Branchen Grafik, Design und Fotografie seit dem Wiener Fin de Siècle untersucht. Die Entwicklung wird in verschiedene Zeitabschnitte unterteilt, die neben ökonomischen und gesellschaftlichen Aspekten auch politische Rahmenbedingungen mit in die Untersuchung einbeziehen. Dieses Feld wird mit der allgemeinen Entwicklung der Creative Industries in Wien kontrastiert und Gemeinsamkeiten wie Unterschiede herausgearbeitet sowie Gründe dafür gesucht. Einzelne typische oder herausragende Personen, Unternehmen, Institutionen oder Maßnahmen werden in Exkursen gesondert beschrieben. Das Ergebnis ist enttäuschend: War Wien im Fin de Siècle noch eine Kunst- und Kulturmetropole von Weltruf, hat sie diesen in der ersten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts verloren und auch verspielt. Im Jahrhundertvergleich wuchs die Wiener CI nur moderat. Die Beschäftigtenzahl, die den Kern dieses Industriezweigs ausmacht, ist im Jahr 2001 annähernd gleich wie ein Jahrhundert zuvor, die niedrigste Zahl ist nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg anzunehmen. Bezieht man die neuen Medien, die heute eine starke Rolle in den CI spielen, mit in die Anzahl von heute ein, ist ein deutlicheres Wachstum erkennbar. Festzustellen ist aber durchaus, dass Wien in den rund vierzig Jahren seit den 1970er-Jahren erst das aufgeholt hat, was davor ebenso lange vor allem durch die gesellschaftliche und politische Situation versäumt wurde.The thesis "Creative Industries in Vienna since the Fin de Siècle – Fashion, Graphics, Design and Photography" deals on the one hand with the quantitative development of the whole creative industries sector during the 20th century. On the other hand, the detailed development of the fashion-industry with its close-by sectors graphics, design and photography will be traced and analysed quantitatively and qualitatively. Within the quantitative part, the methodology is described and its strengths and weaknesses are discussed, after an extensive identification of definitions of creative industries as well as single terms and professions. Afterwards, the general results and selected, outstanding and industryspecific results are presented. Furthermore, gender-specific patterns of development and individual aspects of the creative industries are described. The development of the Viennese fashion-industry since the Fin de Siècle is examined as well as the fields graphics, design and photography with research of literature. This development is divided in different phases which include political implications, besides the economic and societal aspects. This specific field is contrasted with the general development of the creative industries in Vienna, and similarities and differences are elaborated. Specific and typical businesses and institutions are described separately. The results are rather disappointing: while Vienna has been a cultural and artistic centre of international reputation during the Fin de Siècle, it missed its chance during the first half oft he 20th century. Compared to a century ago, the Viennese CI grew only moderately. The number of Content Originators is about the same in 2001 as it was during the Fin de Siècle, the lowest number is presumed immediately after the Second Word War. If New Media, which play a major role in today’s CI, are factored into the comparison, a stronger growth of the sector is noticeable. One can ascertain that Vienna lost its standing regarding the Creative Industries due to the societal and political circumstances from the 1930ies until the 1960ies, and only caught up since the 1970ies what has been missed before

Ligation of anti-cancer drugs to self-assembling ultrashort peptides by click chemistry for localized therapy

Self-assembling ultrashort peptides from aliphatic amino acids were functionalized with platinum anti-cancer drugs by click chemistry. Oxaliplatin-derived hybrid peptide hydrogels with up to 40% drug loading were tested for localized breast cancer therapy. Stably injected gels showed significant tumor growth inhibition in mice and a better tolerance compared to the free platinum drug

Synthesis and bioactivity of a conjugate composed of green tea catechins and hyaluronic acid

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a green tea polyphenol that has several biological activities, including anti-cancer activity and anti-inflammation. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a naturally-occurring polysaccharide that is widely used as a biomaterial for drug delivery and tissue engineering due to its viscoelastic, biocompatible and biodegradable properties. By conjugating HA with EGCG, the resulting HA-EGCG conjugate is expected to exhibit not only the inherent properties of HA but also the bioactivities of EGCG. Toward this end, we report the synthesis of an amine-functionalized EGCG as an intermediate compound for conjugation to HA. EGCG was reacted with 2,2-diethoxyethylamine (DA) under acidic conditions, forming ethylamine-bridged EGCG dimers. The EGCG dimers were composed of four isomers, which were characterized by HPLC, high-resolution mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. The amine-functionalized EGCG dimers were conjugated to hyaluronic acid (HA) through the formation of amide bonds. HA-EGCG conjugates demonstrated several bioactivities which were not present in unmodified HA, including resistance to hyaluronidase-mediated degradation, inhibition of cell growth and scavenging of radicals. The potential applications of HA-EGCG conjugates are discussed