A pattern-based approach to a cell tracking ontology

Time-lapse microscopy has thoroughly transformed our understanding of biological motion and developmental dynamics from single cells to entire organisms. The increasing amount of cell tracking data demands the creation of tools to make extracted data searchable and interoperable between experiment and data types. In order to address that problem, the current paper reports on the progress in building the Cell Tracking Ontology (CTO): An ontology framework for describing, querying and integrating data from complementary experimental techniques in the domain of cell tracking experiments. CTO is based on a basic knowledge structure: the cellular genealogy serving as a backbone model to integrate specific biological ontologies into tracking data. As a first step we integrate the Phenotype and Trait Ontology (PATO) as one of the most relevant ontologies to annotate cell tracking experiments. The CTO requires both the integration of data on various levels of generality as well as the proper structuring of collected information. Therefore, in order to provide a sound foundation of the ontology, we have built on the rich body of work on top-level ontologies and established three generic ontology design patterns addressing three modeling challenges for properly representing cellular genealogies, i.e. representing entities existing in time, undergoing changes over time and their organization into more complex structures such as situations

The role of triplet excitons in enhancing polymer solar cell efficiency: a photo-induced absorption study

Inclusion of heavy metal atoms in a polymer backbone allows transitions between the singlet and triplet manifolds. Interfacial dissociation of triplet excitons constitutes a viable mechanism for enhancing photovoltaic (PV) efficiencies in polymer heterojunction-based solar cells. The PV efficiency from polymer solar cells utilizing a ladder-type poly (para-phenylene) polymer (PhLPPP) with trace quantity of Pd atoms and a fullerene derivative (PCBM) is much higher than its counterpart (MeLPPP) with no Pd atom. Evidence is presented for the formation of a weak ground-state charge-transfer complex (CTC) in the blended films of the polymer and PCBM, using photo-induced absorption (PIA) spectroscopy. The CTC state in MeLPPP:PCBM has a singlet character to it, resulting in a radiative recombination. In contrast, the CTC states in PhLPPP:PCBM are more localized with a triplet character. An absorption peak at 1.65 eV is observed in PhLPPP:PCBM blend in the PIA, which may be converted to weakly-bound polaron-pairs, contributing to the enhancement of PV efficiency.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figure

Finanzpolitische Ansatzpunkte zur Bekämpfung der Arbeitslosigkeit

Formaldehyde is known as the building block in many industries including resins, polymers, paints and adhesives. It is widely used in furniture and wood processing. The annual production rate of formaldehyde is in the range of 30 million tons globally and the demand of formaldehyde has grown by 2-3 % per year over the past two decades. Industrially, formaldehyde is produced via methanol partial oxidation. Methanol in turn is produced from synthesis gas which is produced via steam reforming of natural gas. Both methanol synthesis and steam reforming process suffer from high exergy loss due to high temperature processes and large purification units. Considering the large quantity of formaldehyde produced in the world, when combined with the high exergy losses, leads to high energy losses and CO2 emissions globally. Therefore, alternative method for the production process of formaldehyde is needed. This project develops a novel method of formaldehyde production by using equimolar quantities of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in a catalytic slurry phase reaction. Promoted nickel-based catalysts – Ru-Ni/Al2O3 and Pd-Ni/Al2O3 were used in this project due to their high activity in hydrogenation reactions. It was observed in this project that formaldehyde yield was significantly higher in the slurry phase (4.6 mmol.L-1.gcat -1) compared to the gas phase (8.2×10-3 mmol.L-1.gcat -1). Thermodynamics analysis showed that the reaction is equilibrium limited in the gas phase whereas it is kinetically limited in the liquid phase. It was found that in the slurry reactor increasing the temperature increases the reaction rate but the formaldehyde yield peaks at 353 K, above which the yield reduces. This is in agreement with the fact that the equilibrium constant of the reaction decreases as the temperature increases. Increasing pressure and stirring speed increased the formaldehyde yield. The reaction mechanism was investigated based on deuterium labelling technique. It was shown that the reactant gases dissolve in the solvent and are adsorbed on the catalyst surface. The adsorbed gases react on the catalyst surface to form formaldehyde which desorbs and immediately hydrates in aqueous conditions to form methylene glycol. The effect of solvents with high CO and H2 solubility was investigated in this study since it was found that increasing the solubility of the gases was important to achieve higher production. However, it was observed that in addition to the gases solubility, formaldehyde yield also depends on the reactivity of the solvents with desorbed formaldehyde. The last step is important to shift the equilibrium of the CO hydrogenation reaction. In a nutshell, higher pressures were in favour of the reaction but the operating pressure in this study was limited to 100 bar by the maximum available gas cylinder pressure. The most suitable solvent was found to be methanol since it has higher solubility of CO and H2 compared to water, and similar to water, it also reacts with formaldehyde to shift the equilibrium. Highest yield was achieved by using pure methanol as a solvent at 363 K and 100 bar, which resulted in formaldehyde yield of 15.58 mmol.L-1.gcat -1

Abschaffung des Ehegattensplittings bewirkt steuerliche Diskriminierung von Ehegatten

Das Ehegattensplitting ist kein Steuervorteil, sondern entspricht dem Leistungsfähigkeitsprinzip der Besteuerung. Die Pläne der „Familienpolitiker” verschiedener Bundestagsfraktionen zur Abschaffung des Ehegattensplittings führen zu einer steuerlichen Diskriminierung von Ehepaaren. Sie sind aus steuersystematischer Sicht abzulehnen und dürften einer verfassungsrechtlichen Überprüfung nicht standhalten

A Legacy of Canadian Cultural Tradition and the Small Press: The Case of Talonbooks

According to the Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia, the most editorially and financially active of the surviving Canadian literary presses is Talonbooks. While Talonbooks's primary significance lies in its activity as a publisher of Canadian literature, particularly drama, the existence and survival of Talonbooks is of great scholarly interest because the life of the company closely documents and reflects the life of Canadian literary culture since 1967 with a west coast twist. From the beginning, Talonbooks has taken an editorial position of difference, separating itself from and publishing against the geographical and perceived intellectual center of Canadian letters; it sought not only to express but also to serve the local. Correspondence from most of the press's early writers reveals the extent of their participation in book design. The press faced financial challenges during the 1970s. The professionalization of its business practices and the press's maturing involvement in the politics of the Canadian publishing industry mark its movement into the domestic publishing establishment