Konzeption einer deklarativen Wissensbasis über recyclingrelevante Materialien

Das Recycling von Produkten und Produktionsreststoffen erlangt als Einflußfaktor für wirtschaftliche Entscheidungsprozesse eine immer größere Bedeutung. Die Integration von recyclingrelevanten Daten in betriebliche Informationsstrukturen sollte in Zukunft durch wissensbasierte Methoden unterstützt werden. Wir stellen Ansätze für eine Wissensbasis zur recyclinggerechten Produkt- und Produktionsplanung vor, und gehen dann genauer auf das grundlegende Modul über Materialien ein. Es wird untersucht, welche Evolutionstechniken sich zur Pflege derartiger Wissensbestände eignen, z.B. zur Validierung vorhandener und Exploration neuer Materialien im Hinblick auf ihre Recycelbarkeit

Towards a sharable knowledge base on recyclable plastics

For economic decision processes, recycling of products and production waste is getting more important. In the future the integration of recycling-relevant data into the information structures of companies should be supported by knowledge-based methods. We present the conception of a knowledge base for recycling-oriented product and production planning (RPPP). Then we take a detailed look at the fundamental materials module. We examine which evolution techniques are appropriate for the maintenance of such knowledge bases. In particular, we study the validation of existing materials and the exploration of new ones with regard to their recyclability. An appendix includes a script of a real sample dialogue with our knowledge base on recyclable thermoplastics (RTPLAST)

Linkage mapping of putative regulator genes of barley grain development characterized by expression profiling

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Barley (<it>Hordeum vulgare </it>L.) seed development is a highly regulated process with fine-tuned interaction of various tissues controlling distinct physiological events during prestorage, storage and dessication phase. As potential regulators involved within this process we studied 172 transcription factors and 204 kinases for their expression behaviour and anchored a subset of them to the barley linkage map to promote marker-assisted studies on barley grains.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>By a hierachical clustering of the expression profiles of 376 potential regulatory genes expressed in 37 different tissues, we found 50 regulators preferentially expressed in one of the three grain tissue fractions pericarp, endosperm and embryo during seed development. In addition, 27 regulators found to be expressed during both seed development and germination and 32 additional regulators are characteristically expressed in multiple tissues undergoing cell differentiation events during barley plant ontogeny. Another 96 regulators were, beside in the developing seed, ubiquitously expressed among all tissues of germinating seedlings as well as in reproductive tissues. SNP-marker development for those regulators resulted in anchoring 61 markers on the genetic linkage map of barley and the chromosomal assignment of another 12 loci by using wheat-barley addition lines. The SNP frequency ranged from 0.5 to 1.0 SNP/kb in the parents of the various mapping populations and was 2.3 SNP/kb over all eight lines tested. Exploration of macrosynteny to rice revealed that the chromosomal orders of the mapped putative regulatory factors were predominantly conserved during evolution.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We identified expression patterns of major transcription factors and signaling related genes expressed during barley ontogeny and further assigned possible functions based on likely orthologs functionally well characterized in model plant species. The combined linkage map and reference expression map of regulators defined in the present study offers the possibility of further directed research of the functional role of regulators during seed development in barley.</p

Ergebnisse neuerer Klimabeobachtungen in Leipzig

In dieser Arbeit wird über Klimamessungen berichtet, die beide Autoren in den achtziger Jahren im Raum Leipzig durchgeführt haben. Damit wird ein erster Versuch der Darstellung stadtklimatologischer Differenzierungen in Leipzig unternommen. Anhand der mittleren Lufttemperaturen läßt sich die städtische Wärmeinsel nachweisen. Darüber hinaus wird eine kleinräurnige Niederschlagsverteilung von Leipzig angegeben

Understanding Selective Oxidations

Functionalizing organic molecules is an important value-creating step throughout the entire chemical value-chain. Oxyfunctionalization of value-chain. Oxyfunctionalization of e.g. C–H or C=C bonds is one of the most important functionalization technologies used industrially. The major challenge in this field is the prevention of side reactions and/or the consecutive over-oxidation of the desired products. Despite its importance, a fundamental understanding of the intrinsic chemistry, and the subsequent design of a tailored engineering environment, is often missing. Industrial oxidation processes are indeed to a large extent based on empirical know-how. In this mini-review, we summarize some of our previous work to help to bridge this knowledge gap and elaborate on our ongoing research

Hepatotoxic substance(s) removed by high-flux membranes enhances the positive acute phase response

Hepatotoxic substance(s) removed by high-flux membranes enhances the positive acute phase response.BackgroundAcute phase proteins (APPs) are enhanced in end-stage renal disease patients (ESRD) requiring dialysis treatment. They are involved in a variety of pathologic processes like muscle proteolysis, cachexia, regulation of appetite, and atherosclerosis. They are predictive for mortality. APPs are not only makers but also active substances. They are mainly produced in liver cells and are primarily, but not exclusively, regulated by proinflammatory cytokines. To what extent hepatic APPs are influenced by uremic toxins is still unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of different ultrafiltrates (UFs) on the synthesis of α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) in HepG2 cells.MethodsA cross-sectional as well as a crossover study with high-/low-flux membranes was conducted to investigate the impact of UFs on bioactivity of liver cell cultures. Metabolic activity (MTT test), cytotoxicity (lactate dehydrogenase release), and the positive APP AGP were measured in HepG2 cells.ResultsCultured hepatocytes treated with UFs from high-flux membranes exhibited a higher cytotoxicity (18.6 ± 0.3% high-flux vs. 13.9 ± 0.2% low-flux, P < 0.001) and a lower metabolic activity (29.3% high-flux vs. 50.3% low-flux, P < 0.001) in comparison with low-flux UFs. In addition, enhanced APP secretion could be observed under costimulatory conditions (high-flux 5.0 ± 0.7 vs. low-flux 3.1 ± 0.6 ng/μg protein, P < 0.05). The effects of high- and low-flux UFs were strongly expressed at the beginning and were still significantly different after 120 minutes of hemodialysis (HD) treatment. The cross-over experiments confirmed that UFs collected during high-flux HD had a higher capacity to stimulate AGP synthesis in liver cells.ConclusionThe effects of UFs from dialysis patients demonstrate that hepatotoxic substances can be removed by dialysis. Stimulating the acute phase response UF collected during high-flux HD had a higher impact on liver cells in comparison with low-flux UF. These substances are putative cofactors involved in cytokine regulation

Portal vein embolization using a Histoacryl/Lipiodol mixture before right liver resection

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous transhepatic portal vein embolization (PVE) of the right liver lobe using Histoacryl/Lipiodol mixture to induce contralateral liver hypertrophy before right-sided (or extended right-sided) hepatectomy in patients with primarily unresectable liver tumors. Methods: Twenty-one patients (9 females and 12 males) underwent PVE due to an insufficient future liver remnant; 17 showed liver metastases and 4 suffered from biliary cancer. Imaging was performed prior to and 4 weeks after PVE. Surgery was scheduled for 1 week after a CT or MRI control. The primary study end point was technical success, defined as complete angiographical occlusion of the portal vein. The secondary study end point was evaluation of liver hypertrophy by CT and MRI volumetry and transfer to operability. Results: In all the patients, PVE could be performed with a with a Histoacryl/Lipiodol mixture (n = 20) or a Histoacryl/ Lipiodol mixture with microcoils (n = 1). No procedure-related complications occurred. The volume of the left liver lobe increased significantly (p < 0.0001) by 28% from a mean of 549 ml to 709 ml. Eighteen of twenty-one patients (85.7%) could be transferred to surgery, and the intended resection could be performed as planned in 13/18 (72.3%) patients. Conclusion: Preoperative right-sided PVE using a Histoacryl/Lipiodol mixture is a safe technique and achieves a sufficient hypertrophy of the future liver remnant in the left liver lobe