Wahlarithmetische Kabinettstückchen: Mandate im Überfluß oder wie Überhangmandate die Wahl entscheiden

'Überhangmandate nahmen in der Vergangenheit eine Ausnahmestellung im Deutschen Bundestag ein und hatten politisch so gut wie keine Bedeutung. Erst mit der deutschen Vereinigung, der damit verbundenen Neugliederung des Wahlgebietes und weitreichenden Veränderungen in der politischen Landschaft der Bundesrepublik Deutschland bekamen diese überzähligen Mandate eine wichtige Funktion. Sowohl nach der Bundestagswahl 1994 als auch 1998 stabilisierten die Überhangmandate äußerst knappe Mehrheiten. Obgleich das Bundesverfassungsgericht zwischenzeitlich die Verfassungsmäßigkeit der Überhangmandate bejaht hat, bleibt deren stimmgewichtsverzerrende Wirkung bestehen. Der Beitrag simuliert auf der Basis der Wahlergebnisse der Bundestagswahlen von 1994 und 1998 den Einfluß unterschiedlicher institutionell-rechtlicher bzw. wahlarithmetischer Faktoren, die das Zustandekommen und die Zahl der Überhangmandate beeinflussen: die Verteilung der Wahlkreise auf die Bundesländer, eine regional unterschiedliche Wahlbeteiligung und die Sperrklausel.' (Autorenreferat)'In the past, the so-called 'Ueberhangmandate' (surplus seats) were a rare and low impact phenomenon in the German 'Bundestag'. Yet as a result of German reunification, which brought about newly arranged electoral districts and far-reaching changes in the political landscape of the Federal Republic, surplus mandates gained in importance. Both in 1994 and 1998, they increased and stabilized an otherwise bare governing majority. Although the Bundesverfassungsgericht has confirmed the constitutionality of surplus seats, their distorting effects on the voters' decision is undeniable. Based on the results of the last two elections to the Bundestag, the contribution demonstrates the influence of different institutional-legal and arithmetic factors on the occurrence and number of surplus seats: the distribution of electoral districts among the 'Laender', regionally differentiated participation rates, and the electoral threshold.' (author's abstract)

L1CAM expression in endometrial carcinomas is regulated by usage of two different promoter regions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The L1 cell adhesion molecule (L1CAM) was originally identified as a neural adhesion molecule involved in axon guidance. In many human epithelial carcinomas L1CAM is overexpressed and thereby augments cell motility, invasion and metastasis formation. L1CAM positive carcinomas are associated with bad prognosis. Recent data point out that L1CAM is regulated in a fashion similar to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Previous studies have implied the transcription factors Slug and/or β-catenin in <it>L1CAM </it>transcriptional regulation. However, the regulation of human L1CAM expression at the transcriptional level is not well understood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To better understand the molecular basis of <it>L1CAM </it>transcriptional regulation, we carried out a detailed characterization of the human <it>L1CAM </it>promoter. We identified two transcription start sites, the first in front of a non-translated exon 0 (promoter 1) and the other next to the first protein-coding exon 1 (promoter 2). Both sites could be verified in endometrial carcinoma (EC) cell lines and appear to be used in a cell-type specific manner. The two identified promoter regions showed activity in luciferase reporter assays. Chromatin-IP analyses confirmed the <it>in silico </it>predicted E-boxes, binding sites for transcription factors Snail and Slug, as well as Lef-1 sites, which are related to β-catenin-mediated transcriptional regulation, in both promoters. Overexpression of β-catenin exclusively augmented activity of promoter 1 whereas Slug enhanced promoter 1 and 2 activity suggesting that both promoters can be active. Overexpression of β-catenin or Slug could upregulate L1CAM expression in a cell-type specific manner.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results, for the first time, provide evidence that the L1CAM gene has two functionally active promoter sites that are used in a cell-type specific manner. Slug and β-catenin are involved <it>L1CAM </it>transcriptional regulation. Nevertheless, Slug rather than β-catenin levels are correlated with L1CAM expression in EC cell lines. Our findings suggest that the <it>L1CAM </it>transcriptional regulation is more complex than anticipated and this study provides the basis for a better understanding of L1CAM regulation in non-neuronal/tumor cells.</p

Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in horses from Germany by molecular and serological testing (2008–2021)

Background Equine granulocytic anaplasmosis (EGA) is a tick-borne disease caused by Anaplasma (A.) phagocytophilum. In Germany, this pathogen is transmitted primarily by Ixodes ricinus. There is limited knowledge about its prevalence in horses in Germany. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the results of serological and molecular testing for A. phagocytophilum in horses which were done in a commercial laboratory in Germany over fourteen years. Additionally, risk factors were evaluated, and hematological abnormalities were addressed in horses with positive PCR results. Methods This retrospective study examined results of direct (Polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) and indirect (immunofluorescence antibody test [IFAT]) detection methods for A. phagocytophilum in horses on samples provided by German veterinarians and processed by the commercial laboratory LABOKLIN from 2008 to 2021. In horses with positive test results, a Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Serum Amyloid A (SAA) were also analyzed where possible. Results In total, 1217/4834 horses tested positive (PCR: 190/1246 horses, 15.2%; IFAT: 1036/3849 horses, 26.9%). Seasonality and location, as classified by federal state, had a statistically significant impact on PCR results (P < 0.001 for both). In horses with positive PCR results, hematological abnormalities were detected in 112/118 horses (95%), with thrombocytopenia (86%) and anemia (52%) representing the most common findings. The remaining 6/118 horses (5%) showed no hematological abnormalities on CBC. SAA was measured in 35 horses with positive PCR results, which exclusively showed marked elevation. Conclusions The seasonality of A. phagocytophilum infections confirmed by PCR testing was consistent with known peaks in vector activity in Germany. The high rate of horses with positive PCR results when compared to dogs and cats may be due to a lack of ectoparasite prophylaxis. Infections with A. phagocytophilum should be considered as a differential diagnosis in horses with cytopenia on CBC and SAA elevation, especially in the summer and after any possible tick exposure

Molecular and Serological Detection of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Dogs from Germany (2008–2020)

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate intracellular bacterium that causes granulocytic anaplasmosis in domestic animals, wildlife, and humans and is primarily transmitted by ticks of the Ixodes persulcatus complex. This retrospective study aims to determine the percentages of dogs that tested positive for A. phagocytophilum in Germany. It included the results of direct (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) and indirect (immunofluorescence antibody test [IFAT], antibody-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]) detection methods performed in the laboratory LABOKLIN on canine samples provided by German veterinarians from 2008 to 2020. Out of a total of 27,368 dogs tested by PCR, 1332 (4.9%) tested positive, while 24,720 (27.4%) of the 90,376 dogs tested by IFAT/ELISA had positive serology. High rates of positive PCR results were observed in months with known peaks in vector activity, showing that the dynamics of A. phagocytophilum infections in dogs in Germany are consistent with vector activity. In dogs with a positive PCR result, peaks in serology could be observed four weeks after initial testing. Male and senior dogs had higher rates of positive serology. A possible impact of environmental factors such as changes in climate should be investigated further. Overall, the upward trend in positive test results over the years indicates that canine granulocytic anaplasmosis will continue to become increasingly important for veterinary medicine

Integration von Mitarbeitern als Konsumenten in Nachhaltigkeitsinnovationsprozesse : Erprobung eines neuen Forschungsansatzes im Rahmen eines BMBF-Verbundprojekts

Die Integration von Konsumentinnen und Konsumenten in Nachhaltigkeitsinnovationsprozesse hat das Potenzial, diese Innovationen erfolgreicher zu machen. Allerdings ist die Einbindung besonders innovativer Konsumenten, sogenannter Lead User, vielfach sehr aufwendig, wenn diese außerhalb der Unternehmen identifiziert und für die Mitarbeit gewonnen werden müssen. In diesem Beitrag wird mit der Integration von (nachhaltigkeitsorientierten) Mitarbeitern in ihrer Konsumentenrolle ein neuer Ansatz präsentiert. Dieser steht im Mittelpunkt des vom BMBF (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung) finanzierten Verbundprojekts IMKoN (Integration von Mitarbeitern als Konsumenten in Nachhaltigkeitsinnovationsprozesse). Als erstes Teilergebnis werden hier Chancen und Risiken des IMKoN-Ansatzes am Beispiel einer Bestandsaufnahme bei acht Unternehmen unterschiedlicher Größe aus verschiedenen Branchen diskutiert.BMBF, 01UT1423A, Integration von Mitarbeitern als Konsumenten in Nachhaltigkeitsinnovationsprozesse, Teilprojekt 1: Open Innovation, Soziale Innovationen, Koordination (IMKoN

Modified Lattice of the Compact Storage Ring in the cSTART Project at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

A very large ac­cep­tance com­pact stor­age ring (VLA-cSR) is under de­sign at the In­sti­tute for Beam Physics and Tech­nol­ogy (IBPT) of the Karl­sruhe In­sti­tute of Tech­nol­ogy (KIT, Ger­many). The com­bi­na­tion of a com­pact stor­age ring and a laser wake­field ac­cel­er­a­tor (LWFA) might be the basis for fu­ture com­pact light sources and ad­vanc­ing user fa­cil­i­ties. Mean­while, the post-LWFA beam should be adapted for stor­age and ac­cu­mu­la­tion in a ded­i­cated stor­age ring. Mod­i­fied geom­e­try and lat­tice of a VLA-cSR op­er­at­ing at 50 MeV en­ergy range have been stud­ied in de­tailed sim­u­la­tions. The main fea­tures of a new model are de­scribed here. The new de­sign, based on 45° bend­ing mag­nets, is suit­able to store the post-LWFA beam with a wide mo­men­tum spread (1% to 2%) as well as ul­tra-short elec­tron bunches in the fs range from the Fer­n­in­frarot Linac- Und Test- Ex­per­i­ment (FLUTE). The DBA-FDF lat­tice with re­laxed set­tings, split el­e­ments, and higher-or­der op­tics of tol­er­a­ble strength al­lows im­prov­ing the dy­namic aper­ture to an ac­cept­able level. This con­tri­bu­tion dis­cusses the lat­tice fea­tures in de­tail and dif­fer­ent pos­si­ble op­er­a­tion schemes of a VLA-cSR

In Vitro Analysis of Human Cartilage Infiltrated by Hydrogels and Hydrogel-Encapsulated Chondrocytes

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease causing loss of articular cartilage and structural damage in all joint tissues. Given the limited regenerative capacity of articular cartilage, methods to support the native structural properties of articular cartilage are highly anticipated. The aim of this study was to infiltrate zwitterionic monomer solutions into human OA-cartilage explants to replace lost proteoglycans. The study included polymerization and deposition of methacryloyloxyethyl-phosphorylcholine- and a novel sulfobetaine-methacrylate-based monomer solution within ex vivo human OA-cartilage explants and the encapsulation of isolated chondrocytes within hydrogels and the corresponding effects on chondrocyte viability. The results demonstrated that zwitterionic cartilage–hydrogel networks are formed by infiltration. In general, cytotoxic effects of the monomer solutions were observed, as was a time-dependent infiltration behavior into the tissue accompanied by increasing cell death and penetration depth. The successful deposition of zwitterionic hydrogels within OA cartilage identifies the infiltration method as a potential future therapeutic option for the repair/replacement of OA-cartilage extracellular suprastructure. Due to the toxic effects of the monomer solutions, the focus should be on sealing the OA-cartilage surface, instead of complete infiltration. An alternative treatment option for focal cartilage defects could be the usage of monomer solutions, especially the novel generated sulfobetaine-methacrylate-based monomer solution, as bionic for cell-based 3D bioprintable hydrogels