FEI Titan G3 50-300 PICO

The FEI Titan G3 50-300 PICO is a unique fourth generation transmission electron microscope which has been specifically designed for the investigation of a wide range of solid state phenomena taking place on the atomic scale and thus necessitating true atomic resolution analysis capabilities. For these purposes, the FEI Titan G3 50-300 PICO is equipped with a Schottky type high-brightness electron gun (FEI X-FEG), a monochromator unit, and a Cs probe corrector (CEOS DCOR), a Cs-Cc achro-aplanat image corrector (CEOS CCOR+), a double biprism, a post-column energy filter system (Gatan Quantum 966 ERS) as well as a 16 megapixel CCD system (Gatan UltraScan 4000 UHS). Characterised by a TEM and STEM resolution well below 50 pm at 200 kV, the instrument is one of the few chromatically-corrected high resolution transmission electron microscopes in the world. Typical examples of use and technical specifications for the instrument are given below

FEI Titan 80-300 TEM

The FEI Titan 80-300 TEM is a high-resolution transmission electron microscope equipped with a field emission gun and a corrector for the spherical aberration (CS) of the imaging lens system. The instrument is designed for the investigation of a wide range of solid state phenomena taking place on the atomic scale, which requires true atomic resolution capabilities. Under optimum optical settings of the image CS-corrector (CEOS CETCOR) the point-resolution is extended up to the information limit of well below 100 pm with 200 keV and 300 keV electrons. A special piezo-stage design allows ultra-precise positioning of the specimen in all 3 dimensions. Digital images are acquired with a Gatan 2k x 2k slow-scan charged coupled device camera

FEI Titan G2 60-300 HOLO

The FEI Titan G2 60-300 HOLO is a unique fourth generation transmission electron microscope, which has been specifically designed for the investigation of electromagnetic fields of materials using off-axis electron holography. It has a Lorentz lens to allow magnetic field free imaging plus two electron biprisms, which in combination enable more uniform holographic fringes to be used. The instrument also has an ultra-wide objective lens pole piece gap which is ideal for in situ experiments. For these purposes, the FEI Titan G2 60-300 HOLO is equipped with a Schottky type high-brightness electron gun (FEI X-FEG), an image Cs corrector (CEOS), a post-column energy filter system (Gatan Tridiem 865 ER) as well as a 4 megapixel CCD system (Gatan UltraScan 1000 XP). Typical examples of use and technical specifications for the instrument are given below

FEI Titan 80-300 STEM

The FEI Titan 80-300 STEM is a scanning transmission electron microscope equipped with a field emission electron gun, a three-condenser lens system, a monochromator unit, and a Cs probe corrector (CEOS), a post-column energy filter system (Gatan Tridiem 865 ER) as well as a Gatan 2k slow scan CCD system. Characterised by a STEM resolution of 80 pm at 300 kV, the instrument was one of the first of a small number of sub-ångström resolution scanning transmission electron microscopes in the world when commissioned in 2006

FEI Tecnai G2 F20

The FEI Titan Tecnai G2 F20 is a versatile transmission electron microscope which is equipped with a Gatan Tridiem 863P post column image filter (GIF) and a high angle energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) detector. This set up allows for a variety of experiments such as conventional imaging and diffraction, recording of bright- and dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images, or acquiring elemental maps extracted from energy electron loss spectra (EELS) or EDX signals

Außerhäusliche Kinderbetreuung in Ostdeutschland vor und nach der Wiedervereinigung. Ein Vergleich mit Westdeutschland in den Jahren 1990-1999

This paper provides first a concise overview of institutional day-care arrangements and their extent in the former GDR. Then institutional and infrastructural changes since German re-unification in 1990 are briefly discussed. In the empirical part, data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP) for the period 1990 to 1999 are used to analyze the actual day-care situation for children living in eastern Germany. The paper concludes with considerations of the consequences of a changing day-care situation for the opportunities of women (particularly mothers) in the New Länder to participate in the labor force. (AUTHORS)

Transcriptomic characterisation and genomic glimpse into the toxigenic dinoflagellate Azadinium spinosum, with emphasis on polykeitde synthase genes

Background: Unicellular dinoflagellates are an important group of primary producers within the marine plankton community. Many of these species are capable of forming harmful algae blooms (HABs) and of producing potent phycotoxins, thereby causing deleterious impacts on their environment and posing a threat to human health. The recently discovered toxigenic dinoflagellate Azadinium spinosum is known to produce azaspiracid toxins. These toxins are most likely produced by polyketide synthases (PKS). Recently, PKS I-like transcripts have been identified in a number of dinoflagellate species. Despite the global distribution of A. spinosum, little is known about molecular features. In this study, we investigate the genomic and transcriptomic features of A. spinosum with a focus on polyketide synthesis and PKS evolution. Results: We identify orphan and homologous genes by comparing the transcriptome data of A. spinosum with a diverse set of 18 other dinoflagellates, five further species out of the Rhizaria Alveolate Stramelopile (RAS)-group, and one representative from the Plantae. The number of orphan genes in the analysed dinoflagellate species averaged 27%. In contrast, within the A. spinosum transcriptome, we discovered 12,661 orphan transcripts (18%). The dinoflagellates toxins known as azaspiracids (AZAs) are structurally polyethers; we therefore analyse the transcriptome of A. spinosum with respect to polyketide synthases (PKSs), the primary biosynthetic enzymes in polyketide synthesis.We find all the genes thought to be potentially essential for polyketide toxin synthesis to be expressed in A. spinosum,whose PKS transcripts fall into the dinoflagellate sub-clade in PKS evolution. Conclusions: Overall, we demonstrate that the number of orphan genes in the A. spinosum genome is relatively small compared to other dinoflagellate species. In addition, all PKS domains needed to produce the azaspiracid carbon backbone are present in A. spinosum. Our study underscores the extraordinary evolution of such gene clusters and, in particular, supports the proposed structural and functional paradigm for PKS Type I genes in dinoflagellates

Transcriptomic characterisation and genomic glimps into the toxigenic dinoflagellate Azadinium spinosum, with emphasis on polykeitde synthase genes

BACKGROUND: Unicellular dinoflagellates are an important group of primary producers within the marine plankton community. Many of these species are capable of forming harmful algae blooms (HABs) and of producing potent phycotoxins, thereby causing deleterious impacts on their environment and posing a threat to human health. The recently discovered toxigenic dinoflagellate Azadinium spinosum is known to produce azaspiracid toxins. These toxins are most likely produced by polyketide synthases (PKS). Recently, PKS I-like transcripts have been identified in a number of dinoflagellate species. Despite the global distribution of A. spinosum, little is known about molecular features. In this study, we investigate the genomic and transcriptomic features of A. spinosum with a focus on polyketide synthesis and PKS evolution. RESULTS: We identify orphan and homologous genes by comparing the transcriptome data of A. spinosum with a diverse set of 18 other dinoflagellates, five further species out of the Rhizaria Alveolate Stramelopile (RAS)-group, and one representative from the Plantae. The number of orphan genes in the analysed dinoflagellate species averaged 27%. In contrast, within the A. spinosum transcriptome, we discovered 12,661 orphan transcripts (18%). The dinoflagellates toxins known as azaspiracids (AZAs) are structurally polyethers; we therefore analyse the transcriptome of A. spinosum with respect to polyketide synthases (PKSs), the primary biosynthetic enzymes in polyketide synthesis. We find all the genes thought to be potentially essential for polyketide toxin synthesis to be expressed in A. spinosum, whose PKS transcripts fall into the dinoflagellate sub-clade in PKS evolution. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we demonstrate that the number of orphan genes in the A. spinosum genome is relatively small compared to other dinoflagellate species. In addition, all PKS domains needed to produce the azaspiracid carbon backbone are present in A. spinosum. Our study underscores the extraordinary evolution of such gene clusters and, in particular, supports the proposed structural and functional paradigm for PKS Type I genes in dinoflagellates