Pericyte Migration: A Novel Mechanism of Pericyte Loss in Experimental Diabetic Retinopathy

OBJECTIVE— The mechanism underlying pericyte loss during incipient diabetic retinopathy remains controversial. Hyperglycemia induces angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) transcription, which modulates capillary pericyte coverage. In this study, we assessed loss of pericyte subgroups and the contribution of Ang-2 to pericyte migration

The Effect of Minimum Wages on Labour Market Flows Evidence from Germany

Using a linked employer-employee data set on the German construction industry, we analyse the effects of the introduction of minimum wages in this sector on labour market dynamics at the establishment level, i.e. turnover and churning flows, as well as accessions and separations and their underlying worker flows. The fact that minimum wages in Germany are sector-specific enables us to apply a between approach using other industries as control groups in a difference-in-differences framework. Furthermore, we use a within approach with high-wage workers as control group. While the within approach shows that the minimum wage reduced worker flows in East Germany, the between approach yields positive effect on labour market dynamics in West Germany. Our results can be explained by differences between East and West Germany with respect to the bite of the minimum wage, as well as the much higher prevalence of posted workers in West Germany. Furthermore, spillover effects to highwage workers are likely to have played a role in East Germany.In dem Papier werden die Auswirkungen der Mindestlohneinführung im deutschen Bauhauptgewerbe auf Arbeitsmarktdynamiken untersucht, wobei die Analyse von Einstellungen und Trennungen sowie der damit zusammenhängenden Arbeitsmarktübergänge auf Betriebsebene erfolgt. Dabei kommt ein einzigartiger Linked Employer-Employee Datensatz zum Einsatz. Da der Mindestlohn zunächst nur im Bauhauptgewerbe eingeführt wurde, können Betriebe einer anderen Branche als Kontrollgruppe in einem Differenz-von-Differenzen-Ansatz genutzt werden (between-Ansatz). Zusätzlich wird ein within-Ansatz verwendet, bei dem Arbeitnehmer mit relativ hohem Lohn innerhalb des Bauhauptgewerbes als Kontrollgruppe dienen. Während der within-Ansatz zeigt, dass der Mindestlohn Arbeiterflüsse in Ostdeutschland reduzierte, bringt der between-Ansatz positive Effekte auf Arbeitsmarktdynamiken in Westdeutschland zutage. Diese Ergebnisse können auf Ost-West-Unterschiede hinsichtlich der Eingriffsintensität des Mindestlohns sowie die deutlich höhere Anzahl entsendeter Arbeitnehmer in Westdeutschland zurückgeführt werden. Zudem sind spillover-Effekte auf Arbeitnehmer mit relativ hohen Löhnen in Ostdeutschland wahrscheinlich

Farmer Participatory Early-Generation Yield Testing of Sorghum in West Africa: Possibilities to Optimize Genetic Gains for Yield in Farmers’ Fields

The effectiveness of on-farm and/or on-station early generation yield testing was examined to maximize the genetic gains for sorghum yield under smallholder famer production conditions in West Africa. On-farm first-stage yield trials (augmented design, 150 genotypes with subsets of 50 genotypes tested per farmer) and second-stage yield trials (replicated α-lattice design, 21 test genotypes) were conducted, as well as on-station α-lattice first- and second-stage trials under contrasting phosphorous conditions. On-farm testing was effective, with yield showing significant genetic variance and acceptable heritabilities (0.56 in first- and 0.61 to 0.83 in second-stage trials). Predicted genetic gains from on-station yield trials were always less than from direct testing on-farm, although on-station trials under low-phosphorus and combined over multiple environments improved selection efficiencies. Modeling alternative designs for on-farm yield testing (augmented, farmer-as-incomplete-block, multiple lattice, and augmented p-rep) indicated that acceptable heritabilities (0.57 to 0.65) could be obtained with all designs for testing 150 progenies in 20 trials and 75 plots per farmer. Ease of implementation and risk of errors would thus be key criteria for choice of design. Integrating results from on-station and on-farm yield testing appeared beneficial as progenies selected both by on-farm and on-station first-stage trials showed higher on-farm yields in second-stage testing

Analysis of the DC-arc behavior of a novel 3D-active fuse

In this work, the DC-arc behavior of an active fuse integrated into a CMOS process is described. The purpose of this fuse is to prevent serious hazards in power electronics in the case of a malfunction of a single power-transistor. The focus of this work is on the characterization of functionality and reliability of the "cutout-bridge". Different cutout-bridge geometries and the DC-arc behavior during fuse release are analyzed. It is shown that a significant increase in release time occurs, when a DC-arc across the cutout-bridge is ignited at voltages above 20V. By integrating a snubber device into the circuit, the DC-arc behavior will be clearly reduced and the release time of the fuse will be decreased significantly

Latest Results from the Production of 500 MHz SRF Modules for Light Sources and CESR

Abstract In the year 2000 ACCEL Instruments agreed with Cornell University on a transfer of technology of their superconducting 500 MHz RF module and is now producing such modules turn key for use in Light Sources or other high current