Gauge Independence of the S-Matrix in the Causal Approach

The gauge dependence of the time-ordered products for Yang-Mills theories is analysed in perturbation theory by means of the causal method of Epstein and Glaser together with perturbative gauge invariance. This approach allows a simple inductive proof of the gauge independence of the physical S-matrix.Comment: 19 pages, latex, 1 figur

VacA's Induction of VacA-Containing Vacuoles (VCVs) and Their Immunomodulatory Activities on Human T Cells

Vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) is a secreted pore-forming toxin and one of the major virulence factors of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), which actively supports the persistence and survival of the bacteria in the special ecological niche of the human stomach. H. pylori genomes harbor different allelic forms of the vacA gene, which translate into functionally distinct VacA toxin types. VacA internalizes into various cell types via membrane or specific receptor interactions finally forming acidic endocytic VacA-containing vacuoles (VCVs). In this review, we focus on different characteristics of VacA, its interaction with host cells, the formation and protein content of VCVs and their intracellular transport into human T cells, which finally leads to the immunosuppressive phenotype of VacA. Immunomodulatory activities of VacA on human T cells are discussed with a focus on T-cell proliferation and calcium signaling

Paper Session II-A - Potential Use of Smaller Satellites for Military Space Operations

This paper describes potentially attractive uses of smaller satellites for complementing current Air Force space systems. By mission area, the applications of smaller satellites as enhancements to current systems are shown for three operational scenarios: (1) to provide dedicated support to tactical war-fighting users, (2) to provide a quick-response surge to augment current systems in a crisis, and (3) in the case of the failure or loss of a satellite, to provide responsive back-up systems for use until new primary systems can be deployed. Preliminary results show that in every space mission area, smaller satellites can potentially provide a useful enhancement to the current systems. The enhancements in most cases are improvements in coverage, capacity, and data timelines which are required from time to time by certain user segments. Enhancements in some cases simultaneously improve the robustness and resiliency of the space mission area. The smaller satellites probably cannot realistically replace current systems, which have evolved to their current configuration through years of optimization of cost, mission capability, and survivability. The results show that using current technolgy and design practices, the 500-1000 pound weight class of satellite is what is being referred to as smaller, but useful

Allergen Delivery Inhibitors: A Rationale for Targeting Sentinel Innate Immune Signaling of Group 1 House Dust Mite Allergens through Structure-Based Protease Inhibitor Design

Diverse evidence from epidemiologic surveys and investigations into the molecular basis of allergenicity have revealed that a small cadre of “initiator” allergens promote the development of allergic diseases, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis. Pre-eminent among these initiators are the group 1 allergens from house dust mites (HDM). In mites, group 1 allergens function as cysteine peptidase digestive enzymes to which humans are exposed by inhalation of HDM fecal pellets. Their protease nature confers the ability to activate high gain signaling mechanisms which promote innate immune responses, leading to the persistence of allergic sensitization. An important feature of this process is that the initiator drives responses both to itself and to unrelated allergens lacking these properties through a process of collateral priming. The clinical significance of group 1 HDM allergens in disease, their serodominance as allergens, and their IgE-independent bioactivities in innate immunity make these allergens interesting therapeutic targets in the design of new small-molecule interventions in allergic disease. The attraction of this new approach is that it offers a powerful, root-cause-level intervention from which beneficial effects can be anticipated by interference in a wide range of effector pathways associated with these complex diseases. This review addresses the general background to HDM allergens and the validation of group 1 as putative targets. We then discuss structure-based drug design of the first-in-class representatives of allergen delivery inhibitors aimed at neutralizing the proteolytic effects of HDM group 1 allergens, which are essential to the development and maintenance of allergic diseases

Mit Berufsratgebern zum Erfolg? Angebots- und Nachfragestrukturen im Bewerbungs-, Berufs- und Karriere-Ratgebermarkt

Apart from minor swings, guidebook literature has been having a relatively constant and high market share in the last few years. A similar constancy can be found in the internal segment of application, job and career guides. This work illustrates the structural properties of the supply side, economic developments as well as customer structures of this guidebook segment and analyzes their future economic potential. Between the real economic importance of the internal segment for the book market and the importance that is ascribed by the book trade specialist bodies exists a discrepancy. The costumers’ interest in this topic is much stronger than it is perceived by the industry’s participants. On the first glance the supply and demand structures can let it presume that it is a segment which is supply saturated, extremely competitive and threatened by substitution. A more in-depth analysis shows, however, that the potentials of the ware group are comparatively high in contrast to the whole guidebook market and the other internal segments. The main arguments for the market’s attractiveness are a manageable number of competitors, the higher willingness to pay of the customers and promising, not yet served market niches on the demand side. These properties indicate a positive development in the future, which is why market entry or dealing with the segment is recommendable for publishing houses.Bis auf kleinere Ausschläge weist die Ratgeberliteratur in den letzten Jahren einen relativ konstanten und hohen Marktanteil auf. Eine ähnliche Konstanz findet sich beim Binnensegement der Bewerbungs-, Berufs- und Karriereratgeber. Die Arbeit stellt strukturelle Gegebenheiten der Angebotsseite, ökonomische Entwicklungen sowie die Käuferstrukturen dieses Ratgebersegments dar und analysiert deren zu-künftiges wirtschaftliches Potenzial. Zwischen der realen ökonomischen Bedeutung des Binnensegments für den Buchmarkt und der Bedeutung, die seitens der buch-händlerischen Fachorgane beigemessen wird, besteht eine Diskrepanz. Das Interesse der Kunden an der Thematik ist viel stärker, als es von den Branchenteilnehmern wahrgenommen wird. Auf den ersten Blick lassen die Angebots- und Nachfragestrukturen zwar vermuten, dass es sich um ein angebotsgesättigtes, konkurrenzintensives und substitutionsgefährdetes Segment handelt. Eine tiefergehende Analyse zeigt jedoch, dass die Potenziale der Warengruppe im Gegensatz zum gesamten Ratgebermarkt und den anderen Binnensegmenten verhältnismäßig hoch sind. Hauptargumente für die Attraktivität des Markts sind eine übersichtliche Anzahl an Mitbewerbern, die erhöhte Zahlungsbereitschaft der Kunden und zukunftsträchtige, noch nicht bediente Marktnischen auf der Nachfrageseite. Diese Merkmale weisen auf eine positive Entwicklung auch in der Zukunft hin, weswegen den Verlagen ein Markteintritt bzw. eine Bearbeitung des Segments zu empfehlen ist

Religião e Psicologia

The author proposes in this article to make an analysis of the relationship between religion, but also its academic study through theology, and psychology. He remarks that in the context of German-speaking countries, especially in Germany, theologians have dealt more with psychology than psychologists with either religion or theology. In their assimilation of psychology, theologians favored a marginal school, namely depth psychology, and so far have paid little or no attention to important psychological schoolssuch as the humanist, the behaviorist and the systemic. He further submits that in the background there is a dispute over the prerogative to knowledge of the human soul, an area in which, theology and the Church have gradually been losing their relevance. On the other hand, he observes that a growing “psychologization” is taking place which fuses elements of the Christian tradition with Asian concepts of consciousness, Buddhist techniques of meditation, and shamanic and esoteric practices under a generic concept of spirituality. Finally, he argues that if a reciprocal critical dialogue is to be possible, both theology as psychology need to point to each other’s respective limits: theology points to Psychology’s anthropological and cosmovisive assumptions, while Psychology points out the fundamental issue of religious feeling, thinking and acting, often times ignored by Theology.O autor propõe-se a fazer uma análise da relação entre religião, respectivamente o seu estudo acadêmico através da teologia, e a psicologia. Constata que no contexto dos países de fala alemã, especialmente na Alemanha, teólogos se ocuparam muito mais com a psicologia, do que psicólogos com a religião ou a teologia. Nessa sua assimilação da psicologia, teólogos privilegiaram uma escola psicológica marginal, a psicologia do profundo, e ainda têm dado pouca ou nenhuma atenção a escolas psicológicas importantes como a humanista, a behaviorista e a sistêmica. Constata ainda que no fundo ocorre uma disputa pela prerrogativa do conhecimento da alma humana, na qual a teologia e a igreja gradativamente vêm perdendo sua relevância. Em seu lugar ocorre uma crescente psicologização, que funde elementos da tradição cristã com conceitos asiáticos de consciência, técnicas budistas de meditação, assim como práticas xamãs e esotéricas, sob um conceito genérico de espiritualidade. Defende que, para ser possível um diálogo crítico recíproco, tanto a teologia quanto a psicologia precisam apontar uma para os limites da outra: a teologia para a questão das premissas antropológicas e cosmovisivas que servem de fundamento à psicologia; a psicologia para os aspectos fundamentais do sentir, pensar e agir religioso, muitas vezes ignorado pela teologia

Die Bedeutung der Psychologie für spirituelle Lebensorientierungen

Die Bedeutung der Psychologie für spirituelle Lebensorientierungen wird erörtert. Zunächst wird betont, dass sich die Formen religiösen Erlebens und Verhaltens verändert haben. Während kirchliche Lebens- und Weltdeutungen zunehmend an Bedeutung verlieren, drückt sich die ungebrochene Sehnsucht nach Transzendenz in diversen Spielarten der Spiritualität zwischen Fundamentalismus und Beliebigkeit in einem unüberschaubaren Markt esoterisch begründeter Psychotherapieverfahren und in der kontrovers diskutierten Sektenthematik aus. Im Überangebot der in sich geschlossenen Sinn-Milieus mischen sich harmlose Modetrends mit wahnhaften Ideologien, Unverbindliches mit Manipulativem. Der Psychologie fällt dabei eine regulative Funktion zu, weil sie Merkmale gelungener Lebensgestaltungen beschreiben kann. Leben wird dann als erfüllend empfunden, wenn die Umsetzung der persönlichen, weltanschaulich abgeleiteten Werte gelingt. Diese Ziele und Ideale können durch eine psychologische Realitätsprüfung auf ihre Alltagstauglichkeit hin untersucht werden. Der Gefährdung einer Ideologisierung und weltanschaulichen Überhöhung psychologischer Einsichten kann durch eine deutliche Abgrenzung zu den menschenbildabhängigen Voraussetzungen und einer sozialwissenschaftlich fundierten Theoriebildung begegnet werden

Eine Praktik der Aufgabenbearbeitung von Lehramtsstudierenden zur Folgenkonvergenz in der Analysis I: Die Vernetzung von Definition, graphischer Darstellung und Vorstellung

In einer an der JLU Gießen durchgeführten Studie mit 26 Lehramtsstudierenden wurde untersucht, welche Vernetzung von Concept Image und Concept Definition in Aufgabenbearbeitungen zur Folgenkonvergenz sichtbar werden. Dabei haben sich verschiedene Praktiken identifizieren lassen, die auf eine solche Vernetzung hinweisen. Mit Praktiken sind keine einzelnen, individuellen Herangehensweisen gemeint, sondern ein umfassenderes, in der Untersuchungsgruppe geteiltes Bündel von Aktivitäten. Im Beitrag wird als Forschungsergebnis eine von den Studierenden besonders aktivierte Praktik der Vernetzung von Concept Image und Concept Definition thematisiert: Die Vernetzung der Definition mit graphischen Darstellungen und Vorstellungen.This paper explores whether students connect their concept image with the concept definition in task assignments and reports on a study in which 26 university calculus students solve four exercises on convergence of sequences. In the process, different practices were identified that indicate such interplay. Practices do not refer to individual approaches, but to a more comprehensive set of activities shared by the research group. As a result of the research, the article focuses on a practice of connection concept image and concept definition that was particularly activated by the students: The interplay of conceptions, visual representations and the formal concept definition