The Convex Body Isoperimetric Conjecture in the Plane

The Convex Body Isoperimetric Conjecture states that the least perimeter needed to enclose a volume within a ball is greater than the least perimeter needed to enclose the same volume within any other convex body of the same volume in Rn. We focus on the conjecture in the plane and prove a new sharp lower bound for the isoperimetric profile of the disk in this case. We prove the conjecture in the case of regular polygons, and show that in a general planar convex body the conjecture holds for small areas

Incidence Problems for Slabs

In this thesis, I prove incidence estimates for slabs which are formed by intersecting small neighborhoods of well-spaced hyperplanes in R superscript with the unit cube [0, 1] superscript . My work is an analogue of a theorem of Guth, Solomon, and Wang, who proved a version of the SzemerédiTrotter theorem for thin tubes that satisfy a certain strong spacing condition. My proof uses induction on scales and the high-low method of Vinh, along with new geometric insights.Ph.D

Isoperimetric Regions in Rn with Density rp

We show that the unique isoperimetric regions in Rn with density rp for n ≥ 3 and p > 0 are balls with boundary through the origin

Effectiveness of Trainings of General Practitioners on Antibiotic Stewardship: Methods of a Pragmatic Quasi-Experimental Study in a Controlled Before-After Design in South-East-Lower Saxony, Germany (WASA).

Introduction: Antibiotic resistance is a serious threat to global public health. It reduces the effectiveness of treatments for serious bacterial infections and thus increases the risk of fatal outcomes. Antibiotic prescriptions are often not in line with clinical evidence-based guidelines. The process of emergence of resistant bacteria can be slowed down by adherence to guidelines. Yet this adherence seems to be lacking in primary health care. Methods and Analysis: This pragmatic quasi-experimental study using a controlled before-after design was carried out in South-East-Lower Saxony in 2018-2020. The voluntary attendance of interactive trainings with condensed presentation of current guidelines for general practitioners (GP) on antibiotic management for urinary and respiratory tract infections is regarded as intervention. Those GP not attending the trainings constitute the control group. Data were collected via questionnaires; routine health records are provided by a statutory health insurance. The primary outcome is the proportion of (guideline-based) prescriptions in relation to the relevant ICD-10 codes as well as daily defined doses and the difference in proportion of certain prescriptions according to guidelines before and after the intervention as compared to the control group. Further outcomes are among others the subjectively perceived risk of antibiotic resistance and the attitude toward the guidelines. The questionnaires to assess this are based on theory of planned behavior (TPB) and health action process approach (HAPA). Variations over time and effects caused by measures other than WASA (Wirksamkeit von Antibiotika-Schulungen in der niedergelassenen Aerzteschaft-Effectiveness of antibiotic management training in the primary health care sector) training are taken into account by including the control group and applying interrupted time series analysis. Ethics and Dissemination: The study protocol and the data protection concept respectively were reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Hannover Medical School and the Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information. Trial Registration: https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00013951, identifier DRKS00013951

Reduction of metallothionein and synaptic proteins in CLN6 affected brain.

<p>(A) Occipital lobe homogenate from control and CLN6 affected sheep was immunoblotted with an antibody for metallothionein I/II and β–tubulin as loading control. (B) Five micrograms of homogenate from occipital and parietal lobe from 12–14 month old control (CTRL1), CLN5 heterozygote (CTRL2) and CLN6 homozygote sheep were immunoblotted with an antibody for synaptophysin and GAPDH as loading control. (C) Twenty micrograms of homogenate from occipital and parietal lobe were immunoblotted with an antibody for syntaxin-6 and β-tubulin as loading control.</p

Activation of ERK in disease-affected regions of CLN6 sheep brain.

<p>(A) Thirty micrograms of homogenate from occipital lobe, parietal lobe, frontal lobe, thalamus, cerebellum, and brainstem from 12–14 month old control (CTRL1), CLN5 heterozygote (CTRL2) and CLN6 homozygote (CLN6) sheep were immunoblotted with an antibody against phosphorylated ERK1/2 and GAPDH as loading control. (B) Twenty micrograms of homogenates from occipital lobe, parietal lobe, frontal lobe, thalamus, cerebellum, and brainstem were immunoblotted with an antibody for total ERK1/2, and GAPDH as loading control.</p

Altered activation of GSK3 in disease-affected brain regions of CLN6 affected sheep.

<p>(A) Thirty micrograms of homogenate from occipital lobe, parietal lobe and frontal lobe from 12–14 month old control (CTRL1), CLN5 heterozygote (CTRL2) and CLN6 homozygote sheep were immunoblotted with an antibody against phosphorylated GSK3, and GAPDH as loading control. Twenty micrograms of homogenate were immunoblotted with an antibody for total Akt and GAPDH as loading control. Densitometric quantification of phosphorylated GSK3ß levels to total GSK3ß was performed as outlined in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0058644#s2" target="_blank">Materials and Methods</a>. Only the phospho-GSKß band was quantified. (B) Homogenate from thalamus, cerebellum, and brainstem were immunoblotted with an antibody for phosphorylated GSK, total GSK3ß, and GAPDH as loading control as in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0058644#pone-0058644-g004" target="_blank">Figure 4A</a>.</p

The Obama administration and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the Arab Revolutions. Taming political Islam?

This article deals with US policy towards the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. How has the leading world state power been dealing with the main Islamist movement, especially in the aftermath of the Arab upheavals? What is the intellectual approach to political Islam, specifically within the Obama administration? Has the anti-US potential been tamed or not? In light of the discourse held by US leaders and diplomats, I highlight the difficulties in addressing the Muslim Brotherhood. More specifically, I shed light on the way US policy of engagement towards the Islamist movement has been conducted