Entwicklung eines mikrofluidischen Brailledisplays

Aus Kostengründen sind Brailledisplays, die Sehgeschädigte zur Darstellung digitaler Daten für den Tastsinn nutzen, meist auf einzelne Textzeilen beschränkt. Unter Verwendung kostengünstiger, mikrofluidischer Aktoren lassen sich jedoch großflächige, grafikfähige Brailledisplays herstellen. Funktionsweise und Herstellung der Komponenten eines solchen Displays sowie die Ergebnisse einer Nutzerumfrage zu den Anforderungen an großflächige Brailledisplays werden innerhalb der Arbeit beschrieben

Targeting of Drosophila Rhodopsin Requires Helix 8 but Not the Distal C-Terminus

BACKGROUND: The fundamental role of the light receptor rhodopsin in visual function and photoreceptor cell development has been widely studied. Proper trafficking of rhodopsin to the photoreceptor membrane is of great importance. In human, mutations in rhodopsin involving its intracellular mislocalization, are the most frequent cause of autosomal dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative retinal pathology characterized by progressive blindness. Drosophila is widely used as an animal model in visual and retinal degeneration research. So far, little is known about the requirements for proper rhodopsin targeting in Drosophila. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Different truncated fly-rhodopsin Rh1 variants were expressed in the eyes of Drosophila and their localization was analyzed in vivo or by immunofluorescence. A mutant lacking the last 23 amino acids was found to properly localize in the rhabdomeres, the light-sensing organelle of the photoreceptor cells. This constitutes a major difference to trafficking in vertebrates, which involves a conserved QVxPA motif at the very C-terminus. Further truncations of Rh1 indicated that proper localization requires the last amino acid residues of a region called helix 8 following directly the last transmembrane domain. Interestingly, the very C-terminus of invertebrate visual rhodopsins is extremely variable but helix 8 shows conserved amino acid residues that are not conserved in vertebrate homologs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Despite impressive similarities in the folding and photoactivation of vertebrate and invertebrate visual rhodopsins, a striking difference exists between mammalian and fly rhodopsins in their requirements for proper targeting. Most importantly, the distal part of helix 8 plays a central role in invertebrates. Since the last amino acid residues of helix 8 are dispensable for rhodopsin folding and function, we propose that this domain participates in the recognition of targeting factors involved in transport to the rhabdomeres

Impact of Ear Occlusion on In-Ear Sounds Generated by Intra-oral Behaviors

We conducted a case study with one volunteer and a recording setup to detect sounds induced by the actions: jaw clenching, tooth grinding, reading, eating, and drinking. The setup consisted of two in-ear microphones, where the left ear was semi-occluded with a commercially available earpiece and the right ear was occluded with a mouldable silicon ear piece. Investigations in the time and frequency domains demonstrated that for behaviors such as eating, tooth grinding, and reading, sounds could be recorded with both sensors. For jaw clenching, however, occluding the ear with a mouldable piece was necessary to enable its detection. This can be attributed to the fact that the mouldable ear piece sealed the ear canal and isolated it from the environment, resulting in a detectable change in pressure. In conclusion, our work suggests that detecting behaviors such as eating, grinding, reading with a semi-occluded ear is possible, whereas, behaviors such as clenching require the complete occlusion of the ear if the activity should be easily detectable. Nevertheless, the latter approach may limit real-world applicability because it hinders the hearing capabilities.</p

Organizational approaches to the forming of strategic partnership of enterprises of region

Систематизовано організаційні підходи до формування стратегічного партнерства підприємств, що існують у вітчизняній та зарубіжній науковій літературі. Виділено цільовий, або проблемно-орієнтовний, підхід, первинним етапом якого є встановлення стратегічних цілей; ресурсно-компетенційний підхід, який засновано на визначенні наявних ресурсів та компетенцій підприємств – потенційних партнерів, та проектний підхід, згідно з яким формування стратегічного партнерства підприємств пов’язано з реалізацією сукупності проектів. Обґрунтовано функціональний, або структурний, підхід, що передбачає включення у партнерство підприємств тих галузей, які є ключовими та які визначають спеціалізацію регіону. Використання запропонованого підходу забезпечить комплексний соціально-економічний розвиток господарства регіону.Organizational approaches to forming of strategic partnership of enterprises which exist in domestic and foreign scientific literature are systematized. Target, or problem-orientated, approach the primary stage of which is establishment of strategic aims; resource-competent approach which is based on determination of present resources and jurisdictions of enterprises – potential partners, and project approach, according to which the forming of strategic partnership of enterprises is related with the realization of complex of projects are selected. Functional, or structural, approach, which foresees plugging in partnership of enterprises of those industries which are key and which determine specialization of region is grounded. Offered approach has the followings stages: determination of regional type and basic industries of industrial production, successful development of which will become the key factor of regional economic development; formulation of strategic aims of enterprises of priority industries according to norms and normative correlations, set the most perfect technologies, by organization of production on the whole and separate subsystems of enterprises which are utilized in the proper industries in Ukraine and world; estimation by the enterprises of present and necessary resources and jurisdictions, determination of potential partners after the criterion of presence of necessary resources and jurisdictions and choice of enterprises – potential partners, clarification of strategic and operative aims of strategic partnership that formalize the relations of enterprises-partners. The use of this approach will provide complex socio-economic development of economy of region

Effect of DON and ZEN and their metabolites DOM-1 and HZEN on B cell proliferation and antibody production

IntroductionThe mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN), produced by Fusarium fungi, are frequently found in the cereal-rich diet of pigs and can modulate the immune system. Some enzymes or bacteria present in the digestive tract can de-epoxydize DON to deepoxy-deoxynivalenol (DOM-1) and biotransform ZEN into hydrolyzed ZEN (HZEN). The effects of these metabolites on immune cells, particularly with respect to the vaccine responses, are poorly documented. The aim of this study was to address the impact of DON and ZEN and their respective derivatives, on proliferation, and antibody production of porcine B cells in vitro.MethodsPeripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), isolated from healthy pigs, were stimulated with the Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8-agonist Resiquimod (R848) or the TLR/1/2-agonist Pam3Cys-SKKKK in combination with DON [0.1-1.6 µM] or DOM-1 [1.6 µM and 16 µM] and ZEN [2.5-40 µM] or HZEN [40 µM].ResultsA strong decrease in B-cell proliferation was observed at DON concentrations equal to or exceeding 0.8 µM and at ZEN concentrations equal to or exceeding 20 µM. Treatment with 1.6 µM DON or 40 µM ZEN led to almost a complete loss of live CD79α+ B cells. Moreover, CD21 expression of proliferating IgG+ and IgM+ B-cell subsets was decreased at DON concentrations equal to and exceeding 0.4 µM and at ZEN concentrations equal to or exceeding 10 µM. ELISpot assays revealed a decrease of IgG-secreting B cells at concentrations of and exceeding 0.4 µM and at ZEN concentrations equal to and exceeding 10 µM. ELISA assays showed a decrease of IgM, IgG, and IgA secretion at concentrations equal to or exceeding 0.4 µM DON. ZEN reduced IgM secretion at 20-40 µM (both R848 and Pam3Cys-SKKKK), IgG secretion at 40 µM (both R848 and Pam3Cys-SKKKK) and IgA secretion at 20-40 µM.DiscussionOur in vitro experiments show that while DON and ZEN impair immunoglobulin production and B-cell proliferation, this effect is abrogated by HZEN and DOM-1