Phosphorescent perylene imides.

Asymmetrically substituted perylene imide derivatives PIa and PIx display phosphorescence in glassy matrices at 77 K. The lifetime is 49.0 ms for PIa and 13.5 ms for PIx. The triplet energy is 1.79 eV for PIa and 1.68 eV for PIx as confirmed by sensitization experiments of the C60 triplet

Divination (Alter Orient)

Peer reviewe

Looking at me, are you? Social status and the veil

In this article I discuss the dialogical method which is used to study the idea of perception among individuals, especially to understand the question of perception toward the veil in Yemen in 2007. Furthermore I elaborate on my exploration of “portrayal” as an art form which lies at the basis of my approach. To be occupied with matters of the veil means to deal with questions of image and gaze. Therefore I also try to give a basic overview on this topic. The article ends with a short description of a corresponding experiment I carried out in Germany one year later. By comparing the Western and Eastern responses to the veiled female body, this experiment reveals typical culturally shaped preconceptions

Tools for the Virtual:: Atmosphere and Bodily Presence of Digital Space

Architecture of the digital space is increasingly evolving towards the imaginary, atmospheric, and invisible sphere beyond the reality of built space. The virtual world of digital technologies has changed the practice of the design process by blurring the boundaries between fictitious and real space. Experimental conditions of layering, folding, and programmed randomness of algorithms via the means of combined software enable the visual representation of architectural hybrids. This new reality of the design process is envisioned as renderings, virtual 3d building models, diagrammatic projections, and animated movies. Yet, how can the innovation of the digital turn in the design process effect, shape and interact with our perception and experience of space? Are the digital and the analogue world fundamentally different as their means and techniques may suggest

Proverbios 30:18-19 a la luz de los antiguos textos mesopotámicos cuneiformes

The meaning of Proverbs 30:18-19 has long been disputed. Most scholars interpret the Biblical couplets textually on stylistic features only; an explanation of the contextual association between the four motifs mentioned (eagle, serpent, boat, man and woman) has not yet been undertaken. The present paper aims at shedding light on the motivation for this association, taking into consideration ancient Near Eastern cuneiform compositions for the first time. It is further suggested that Proverbs 30:18-19 derived originally from a riddle that had its setting in a wedding ceremony.El significado de Proverbios 30:18-19 sigue desafiando la exégesis de los biblistas. La mayoría de los comentaristas interpretan los versos bíblicos textualmente, ciñéndose al análisis de las figuras de estilo. Sin embargo, todavía no se ha dado ninguna explicación a la asociación contextual entre los cuatro motivos del proverbio (águila, serpiente, barco, hombre y mujer). Por primera vez, este artículo estudia composiciones de la literatura cuneiforme que ofrecen un telón de fondo para interpretar el sentido de los distintos elementos y del conjunto del proverbio bíblico. Según esta nueva lectura, Proverbios 30:18-19 describiría una adivinanza propuesta durante una ceremonia matrimonial

Significance of frequencies, compositions and/or antileukemic activity of (DC-stimulated) invariant NKT, NK and CIK cells on the outcome of patients with AML, ALL and CLL

Invariant natural killer cells (iNKT cells), natural killer cells (NKT cells) and cytokine induced killer cells (CIK cells) and their subsets are important for immune-surveillance. Recently, a new monoclonal antibody ‘6B11’ was developed for iNKT cell detection, which targets the Vα24Jα18 invariant T cell receptor (TCR) in the CDR3-region of iNKT cells. In the first part of my work iNKT, NK and CIK cells and their subsets were analysed in PB-samples from healthy donors (n=9), patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML; n=23), patients with acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL; n=20) and patients with chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL; n=21) in acute disease-stages and findings were correlated with prognosis. The main results were: I.1) Compared to healthy mononuclear cells (MNC) (significantly) lower proportions of iNKT cells (6B11+/ 6B11+CD3+/ 6B11+CD161+), NK cells (CD3-CD56+/ CD3-CD161+) and CIK cells (CD3+CD56+/ CD3+CD161+) were found in MNC from AML, ALL and CLL patients. I.2) Compared to healthy MNC (significantly) higher proportions of 6B11+iNKT cells were found in the CD3+ T cell- (‘T cell-like’ iNKT cells) and in the CD161+NK cell fraction (‘NK cell-like’ iNKT cells) in AML, ALL and CLL patients. I.3) Prognostically favorable AML subgroups (patients younger than 18 years, primary disease-status, no extramedullary disease, achievement and maintenance of complete remission (CR) after induction-chemotherapy) showed higher proportions of iNKT, NK and CIK cells. Comparable correlations were seen in (adult) ALL and CLL patients. In the second part of my work heparinized whole blood-(WB) and MNC-samples from healthy donors (n=10), AML patients (n=5) and one patient with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS; n=1) were analysed. Samples were pre-treated with different ‘cocktails’ in the cell culture, which induce the conversion of leukemic cells to dendritic cells of leukemic origin (DCleu, leukemia-antigen-presenting cells). Not pre-treated, cultured WB- or MNC-samples served as control. iNKT, NK and CIK cells and their subsets were quantitatively and qualitatively analysed before and after mixed-lymphocyte-cultures (MLC) of T cell enriched WB- or MNC-samples under normoxia (21% O2) as well as under physiological hypoxia (approx. 10% O2). ‘Cocktail’ pre-treated or not pre-treated WB- or MNC-samples served as a ‘stimulator-suspension’, T cell enriched immune-reactive WB- or MNC-samples served as effector cells. Blast-lytic activity of iNKT, NK, CIK and T cells after MLC was examined using a cytotoxicity (fluorolysis) assay. The main results were: II.1) iNKT, NK and CIK cells increased after MLC independent of the applied ‘cocktail’ / ‘stimulator cell suspension’ (under the influence of IL-2). II.2) Pretreatment of MNC- or WB-samples with ‘cocktails’ in the cell culture increased frequencies of iNKT cells and led to a shift in the composition of iNKT, NK and CIK cell subsets after MLC, what might correlate with an improved antileukemic potential. II. 3) Individual samples showed varying, however higher iNKT and CIK cell frequencies after pretreatment with different (especially prostaglandin-containing) ‘cocktails’. II.4) DC, iNKT, NK and CIK cell values after MLC were comparable in physiological hypoxia vs normoxia. II.5) Frequencies of T, iNKT, NK and CIK cells after MLC correlated directly with antileukemic, blast-lytic activity – pointing to an involvement of these cells in antileukemic reactions. In summary, healthy MNC presented with significantly higher iNKT, NK and CIK cells compared to leukemic AML, ALL and CLL MNC. Moreover, subtypes of iNKT cells differ in healthy vs leukemic samples. Furthermore, frequencies of iNKT, NK and CIK cells correlated with prognosis of patients with AML, ALL and CLL. In addition, ‘cocktail’ pre-treated AML-blasts (resulting in DCleu) after MLC with effector cells (T cell enriched WB / MNC) led to a shift in T, iNKT, NK and CIK cell counts and compositions. These findings correlated with improved antileukemic activity against AML-blasts - pointing to a cross-talk of these cells. Proportions of iNKT, NK and CIK-cells (based on detection with 6B11/ CD161/ CD56/ CD3 antibodies) should regularly be evaluated in AML, ALL and CLL diagnosis-panels for quantitative, qualitative and prognostically relevant estimation of individual pts’ antileukemic potential in detail and to learn about their role in DC/DCleu triggered immune-surveillance

Implications of macroeconomic volatility in the Euro area

In this paper we estimate a Bayesian vector autoregressive model with factor stochastic volatility in the error term to assess the effects of an uncertainty shock in the Euro area. This allows us to treat macroeconomic uncertainty as a latent quantity during estimation. Only a limited number of contributions to the literature estimate uncertainty and its macroeconomic consequences jointly, and most are based on single country models. We analyze the special case of a shock restricted to the Euro area, where member states are highly related by construction. We find significant results of a decrease in real activity for all countries over a period of roughly a year following an uncertainty shock. Moreover, equity prices, short-term interest rates and exports tend to decline, while unemployment levels increase. Dynamic responses across countries differ slightly in magnitude and duration, with Ireland, Slovakia and Greece exhibiting different reactions for some macroeconomic fundamentals.Comment: Keywords: Bayesian vector autoregressive models, factor stochastic volatility, uncertainty shocks; JEL: C30, F41, E3