Ellipticity in Pseudodifferential Algebras of Toeplitz Type

Let L^\star be a filtered algebra of abstract pseudodifferential operators equipped with a notion of ellipticity, and T^\star be a subalgebra of operators of the form P_1AP_0, where P_0 and P_1 are two projections. The elements of L^\star act as linear continuous operators in certain scales of abstract Sobolev spaces, the elements of the subalgebra in the corresponding subspaces determined by the projections. We study how the ellipticity in L^\star descends to T^\star, focusing on parametrix construction, Fredholm property, and homogeneous principal symbols. Applications concern SG-pseudodifferential operators, pseudodifferential operators on manifolds with conical singularities, and Boutet de Monvel's algebra for boundary value problems. In particular, we derive invertibilty of the Stokes operator with Dirichlet boundary conditions in a subalgebra of Boutet de Monvel's algebra. We indicate how the concept generalizes to parameter-dependent operators.Comment: 29 page

Kollagen XXII - Charakterisierung eines neuen Markers an Gewebegrenzen

Kollagen XXII ist ein neu entdecktes Protein, das hauptsaechlich an Gewebegrenzen lokalisiert ist. Dieses Protein wurde bei einer Suche nach neuen Kollagenen in der EST Datenbank gefunden und durch anschließende Klonierung und Sequenzierung wurde die komplette cDNA Sequenz des Proteins ermittelt. Aus der abgeleiteten Aminosaeuresequenz ging hervor, dass Kollagen XXII neben tripelhelikalen Sequenzen eine von-Willebrand-Faktor-A-aehnliche Domaene sowie ein Thrombospondin-Motiv und zwei �Coiled-Coil�-Regionen besitzt. Aufgrund dieser strukturellen Merkmale wurde das neue Kollagen in die Familie der FACIT-Kollagene eingeordnet. Die Verteilung von Kollagen XXII wurde im Organismus zunaechst auf mRNA Ebene untersucht. Hierbei konnte eine Expression hauptsaechlich in Herz und Muskel gezeigt werden. Naehere Untersuchungen auf Proteinebene, mit neu hergestellten polyklonalen Antikoerpern, ergaben in neugeborenen Maeusen eine sehr distinkte Lokalisation von Kol XXII an Muskel-Sehnen Ansaetzen und an der Oberflaeche des Gelenkknorpels. Dieses Expressionsmuster konnte mit in situ Hybridisierungen, welche auch die Expression von Kollagen XXII durch Muskelzellen zeigten, bestaetigt werden. Die Verteilung von Kollagen XXII wurde waehrend der Entwicklung untersucht. Hier konnte schon ab E8,5, eine permanente Lokalisation im Bereich der Somiten festgestellt werden. Spaeter kann Kollagen XXII in den Vorlaeufern der gleichen Gewebe gefunden werden, in denen es auch im erwachsenen Tier lokalisiert ist. Aufgrund der co-Expression mit verschiedenen Wachstumsfaktoren, wie z.B. MyoF, FGF4 und anderen, wird eine Regulation durch diese Molekuele vermutet. Kollagen XXII besitzt kein typisches Bindemotiv fuer kollagenbindende Integrine. Trotzdem zeigte sich Kollagen XXII als ein außergewoehnlich guter Ligand fuer verschiedene Mitglieder dieser Gruppe. Die integrinbindende Region innerhalb des Proteins konnte identifiziert werden. Kollagen XXII konnte noch in anderen Vertebraten gefunden werden. Um die Funktion des Proteins in vivo zu untersuchen wurde eine Kollagen XXII defiziente ES-Zellinie hergestellt, sowie ein Zebrafisch Morpholino �Knockdown� generiert und analysiert. Um die Ergebnisse aus der Maus zu bestaetigen wurde hier zunaechst die Verteilung von Kollagen XXII mRNA und Protein, sowohl im erwachsenen als auch sich entwickelnden Zebrafisch untersucht. Hierbei zeigte der Fisch ein sehr aehnliches Expressionsmuster wie in der Maus. Zusaetzlich konnte hier Kollagen XXII im Mesencephalon und Auge, sowie Kiemen und Chorda dorsalis detektiert werden. Bei der Analyse des Morpholino �Knockdowns� zeigten sich drastische Veraenderungen im Phaenotyp, die auffaelligsten sind hier eine Verdrehung und Deformation der Wirbelsaeule, sowie Wachstums- und Koordinationsstoerunge

Integrated collinear refractive index sensor with Ge PIN photodiodes

Refractive index sensing is a highly sensitive and label-free detection method for molecular binding events. Commercial implementations of biosensing concepts based on plasmon resonances typically require significant external instrumentation such as microscopes and spectrometers. Few concepts exist that are based on direct integration of plasmonic nanostructures with optoelectronic devices for on-chip integration. Here, we present a CMOS-compatible refractive index sensor consisting of a Ge heterostructure PIN diode in combination with a plasmonic nanohole array structured directly into the diode Al contact metallization. In our devices, the photocurrent can be used to detect surface refractive index changes under simple top illumination and without the aid of signal amplification circuitry. Our devices exhibit large sensitivities > 1000 nm per refractive index unit in bulk refractive index sensing and could serve as prototypes to leverage the cost-effectiveness of the CMOS platform for ultra-compact, low-cost biosensors.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figures, supporting information with 11 pages and 11 figures attache

How to Predict Molecular Interactions between Species?

Organisms constantly interact with other species through physical contact which leads to chan-ges on the molecular level, for example the transcriptome. These changes can be monitored forall genes, with the help of high-throughput experiments such as RNA-seq or microarrays. Theadaptation of the gene expression to environmental changes within cells is mediated throughcomplex gene regulatory networks. Often, our knowledge of these networks is incomplete. Netw-ork inference predicts gene regulatory interactions based on transcriptome data. An emergingapplication of high-throughput transcriptome studies are dual transcriptomics experiments. Here,the transcriptome of two or more interacting species is measured simultaneously. Based ona dual RNA-seq data set of murine dendritic cells infected with the fungal pathogen Candidaalbicans, the software tool NetGenerator was applied to predict an inter-species gene regulatorynetwork. To promote further investigations of molecular inter-species interactions, we recentlydiscussed dual RNA-seq experiments for host-pathogen interactions and extended the appliedtool NetGenerator (Schulze et al., 2015). The updated version of NetGenerator makes use ofmeasurement variances in the algorithmic procedure and accepts gene expression time seriesdata with missing values. Additionally, we tested multiple modeling scenarios regarding the stimulifunctions of the gene regulatory network. Here, we summarize the work by Schulze et al. (2015)and put it into a broader context. We review various studies making use of the dual transcriptomicsapproach to investigate the molecular basis of interacting species. Besides the application tohost-pathogen interactions, dual transcriptomics data are also utilized to study mutualistic andcommensalistic interactions. Furthermore, we give a short introduction into additional approachesfor the prediction of gene regulatory networks and discuss their application to dual transcriptomicsdata. We conclude that the application of network inference on dual-transcriptomics data is apromising approach to predict molecular inter-species interactions

Evidence of Longitudinal Acoustic Phonon Generation in Si Doping Superlattices by Ge Prism-Coupled THz Laser Radiation

We report on the direct excitation of 246 GHz longitudinal acoustic phonons in silicon doping superlattices by the resonant absorption of nanosecond-pulsed far-infrared laser radiation of the same frequency. A longitudinally polarized evanescent laser light field is coupled to the superlattice through a germanium prism providing total internal reflection at the superlattice interface. The ballistic phonon signal is detected by a superconducting aluminum bolometer. The sample is immersed in low-temperature liquid helium

Azobenzene at Coinage Metal Surfaces: The Role of Dispersive van der Waals Interactions

We use different semi-empirical dispersion correction schemes to assess the role of long-range van der Waals interactions in the adsorption of the prototypical molecular switch azobenzene (C6H5-N2-C6H5) at the coinage metal surfaces Cu(111), Ag(111) and Au(111). Compared to preceding density-functional theory results employing a semi-local exchange and correlation functional we obtain partly sizable changes of the computed adsorption geometry and energetics. The discomforting scatter in the results provided by the different schemes is largely attributed to the unknown form of the damping function in the semi-empirical correction expression. Using the congeneric problem of the adsorption of benzene as a vehicle to connection with experiment, we cautiously conclude that the account of dispersive interactions at the metal surfaces provided by the various schemes is in the right ballpark, with the more recent, general schemes likely to overbind.Comment: 11 pages including 4 figures; related publications can be found at http://www.fhi-berlin.mpg.de/th/th.htm

Activated complement C3: A potentially novel predictor of progressive IgA nephropathy

Activated complement C3: A potentially novel predictor of progressive IgA nephropathy. In the search for a serologic marker of disease activity, we measured concentrations of activated C3 (actC3, that is, neoantigens developing after C3 activation on breakdown products), C4-C3 complexes and soluble C5b-9 (sC5b-9) in one or two plasma samples from adult patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN, N = 50) or Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP, N = 4). As controls, 20 patients with non-immune renal disease, but comparable age, degree of proteinuria, renal dysfunction and prevalence of hypertension were studied. Compared to controls, actC3 levels were elevated in 30% of the patients with IgAN and one of the HSP patients. C4-C3 complexes were elevated in only 8% of the IgAN patients, and sC5b-9 levels were within the control range in all IgAN and HSP patients. In IgAN patients with elevated actC3 levels, proteinuria and hematuria were more pronounced than in those with normal levels. Elevated plasma concentrations of actC3 at the first presentation correlated with subsequent deterioration of renal function both in patients with initially normal and already impaired renal function (r = -0.56, N = 44, P = 0.003). The five IgAN patients with elevated actC3 on both occasions of obtaining plasma showed the most rapid loss of renal function. We conclude that mainly alternative pathway complement activation can be demonstrated in patients with IgAN and HSP. In IgAN patients the presence of complement activation is associated with more severe renal disease. Further studies are warranted to examine the clinical usefulness of actC3 as a predictor of the subsequent course of IgAN

Chemical treatment of straw for ruminant feeding with NaOH or urea – investigative steps via practical application under current European Union conditions

Weather extremes in parts of Europe have led to a renewed search for alternative feeds for ruminants. Cereal straw presents one source of fibre, which is hard to digest due to its lignin-carbohydrate complexes. Chemical and biological treatments have been investigated to improve digestibility. Here, the applicability of alkaline treatments for farming conditions under EU legislation and their efficacy were checked. Thus, we tested caustic soda (60, 120 g kg-1straw) and urea (15, 30, 45, 60 g kg-1 straw without and with urease addition) applications both at laboratory scale and using a mixer-wagon. The nutritive value was evaluated analyzing chemical parameters including fibre components and estimating in vitro digestibility. The in vitro digestibility indicated by gas production, enzymatically soluble substrate and neutral detergent fibre digestibility (30h) was highest for the NaOH treatments, which did not differ by dose. Remoistening the straw to 600 g DM kg-1 was a precondition for the effectiveness of both treatments. Urease addition enhanced the intended ammonification when urea was applied at ≥ 30 g kg-1. An ambient temperature for urea treatment ≥ 25 °C was necessary and had to be maintained for at least 14 d post treatment. The determination of crude ash in NaOH treated feeds by the standard procedure and time overestimated the mineral fraction and had to be modified. This systematic approach provides guidance for feasible straw treatments for EU farmers. However, trials for feed acceptance and in vivo digestibility are needed to demonstrate the real effect in animals

Konjunktur 2011

Die globale Wirtschaftsleistung ist seit Beginn des Jahrtausends jährlich um durchschnittlich 3,6 % gestiegen. Wesentlich ist dies auf die Schwellenund Entwicklungsländer zurückzuführen, die zwischen 2000 und 2008 ein durchschnittliches Wachstum von über 6 % aufwiesen. Auch in der Krise 2009 wuchsen diese Länder um mehr als 21/2 %. Dagegen mussten die Industrieländer, deren durchschnittliches Wachstum lediglich 1,8 % betrug, 2009 einen Rückgang ihrer Wirtschaftskraft um rund 3,2 % hinnehmen. Im Jahr 2010 wird die weltweite Produktion um etwa 4,8 % steigen und 2011 voraussichtlich um 4,2 %. Sowohl die Entwicklungs- als auch die Industrieländer werden 2011, als Folge des nach der Krise eingeleiteten Aufholprozesses, überdurchschnittlich wachsen. Zu den Ländern mit den höchsten Wachstumsraten werden 2011 weiterhin die Schwellenländer - insbesondere China und Indien - gehören. Innerhalb der Industriestaaten wird für Hongkong, Singapur und Korea das höchste Wachstum 2011 erwartet. In den USA und in der Eurozone wird dagegen mit einer vergleichsweise schwachen Erholung der Konjunktur gerechnet. Die Risiken ergeben sich dabei weiterhin aus der hohen staatlichen Verschuldung. --