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Totholzinseln für Frankfurt
(2023)
Ist das Lebensraum oder kann das weg? Aaron Kauffeldt und Tim Milz haben ihrem Biodiversitätsprojekt bewusst diesen etwas provokanten Namen verliehen. Sie wollen mehr Aufmerksamkeit für den Biodiversitätshotspot Totholz schaffen. Für ihre Idee, Totholzinseln im Frankfurter Stadtgebiet anzulegen, wurden sie kürzlich mit dem dritten Platz des Ideenwettbewerbs Biodiversität von Goethe-Universität, Palmengarten, der Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, dem Dezernat für Klima, Umwelt und Frauen der Stadt Frankfurt und der Frankfurter Sparkasse ausgezeichnet.
Precise intensity monitoring at CRYRING@ESR: on designing a Cryogenic Current Comparator for FAIR
(2023)
In the field of today’s beam intensity diagnostic there is a significant gap in the non-interceptive, calibrated measurement of the absolute intensity of continuous (unbunched) dc beams with current amplitudes below 1 μA. At the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) low-intensity DC beams will occur during slow extraction from the synchrotrons as well as for coasting beams of highly-charged or exotic nuclei in the storage rings. The lack of adequate beam instrumentation limits the experimental program as well as the accuracy of experimental results.
The Cryogenic Current Comparator (CCC) can close the diagnostic gap with a high-precision dc current reading independent of ion-species and of beam parameters. However, the established detector design based on a core with high magnetic permeability and on a radial shield geometry has well-known weaknesses concerning magnetic shielding efficiency and intrinsic current noise. To eliminate these weaknesses, a novel coreless CCC with a co-axial shield was constructed and combined with a high-performance SQUID contributed by the Leibniz-Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz-IPHT Jena). The new axial CCC model was compared to a radial CCC with the established design provided by the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena. According to numerical simulations prepared at TU Darmstadt and test measurements of the detectors in the laboratory, the new design offered a significant improvement of the shielding factor – from 75dB to 207dB at the required dimensions – and eliminated all noise contributions from the core material, promising an improved current resolution. Although the lower inductance of the pickup coil reduced the coupling to the beam significantly, the noise properties of the new CCC type were comparable to the classical version with a high-permeability core. However, the expected decrease of the low-frequency noise and thus an increase of the current resolution could not be observed at this stage of development.
Consequently, the classical CCC based on the radial shielding and high-permeability core had to be installed in CRYRING@ESR to provide best possible intensity measurements for the upcoming experimental campaign. In CRYRING the CCC was operated with beam currents between 1nA and 20μA and with different ion species (H, Ne, O, Pb, U). It was shown that the CCC provides a noise-limited current resolution of better than 3.2 nArms at a bandwidth of 200 kHz as well as a noise level below 40 pA/√Hz above 1 kHz. During the operation, the main noise sources of the accelerator environment had to be identified and suitable mitigation strategies were developed. Temperature and pressure fluctuations were suppressed with a newly-designed cryogenic support system based on a 70 l helium bath cryostat, developed and built in collaboration with the Institut für Luft- und Kältetechnik Dresden, in combination with a helium re-liquefier. The cryogenic operating time was restricted to around 7 days, which must be expanded significantly in the future. Digital filters were developed to remove the perturbations of the helium liquefier and of the neighboring dipole magnets. Given the promising results the CCC system can be considered as a prototype for future CCCs at FAIR.
Human language relies on hierarchically structured syntax to facilitate efficient and robust communication. The correct processing of syntactic information is essential for successful communication between speakers. As an abstract level of language, syntax has often been studied separately from the physical form of the speech signal, thus often masking the interactions that can promote better syntactic processing in the human brain. We analyzed a MEG dataset to investigate how acoustic cues, specifically prosody, interact with syntactic operations. We examined whether prosody enhances the cortical encoding of syntactic representations. We decoded left-sided dependencies directly from brain activity and evaluated possible modulations of the decoding by the presence of prosodic boundaries. Our findings demonstrate that prosodic boundary presence improves the representation of left-sided dependencies, indicating the facilitative role of prosodic cues in processing abstract linguistic features. This study gives neurobiological evidence for the boosting of syntactic processing via interaction with prosody.
Die Digitalisierung weiter Teile der Lebenswelt ist vor allem mit der Verbreitung und extensiven Nutzung des Smartphones verknüpft. Eine Mehrzahl der älteren Menschen in Deutschland nutzt Smartphones selbstverständlich im Alltag. Die vorliegende Studie adressiert erstens wie stark sich das Smartphone bereits in den Alltag älterer Menschen als vergleichsweise neue Technologie eingeschrieben hat. Im Mittelpunkt steht dabei, welche Funktionen genutzt werden, wie oft und wann zum Smartphone gegriffen wird und welche Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede in der Nutzung identifizierbar sind. Darüber hinaus wird zweitens der Zusammenhang zwischen alltäglicher Smartphonenutzung, Medienkompetenz und technikbezogenen Einstellungen in den Blick genommen. Drittens geht die Studie der Frage nach inwiefern die Smartphonenutzung mit zentralen Variablen der Lebensqualität im Alter, der sozialer Eingebundenheit sowie dem subjektiven Wohlbefinden assoziiert ist. Die vorliegende Arbeit ist eine quantitativ empirische Studie, die einem mikrolängsschnittlichem Design folgt. Zur Beantwortung der Forschungsfragen wurden objektive Nutzungsdaten, Daten aus einem ambulanten Assessment sowie Daten eines querschnittlichen Fragebogens kombiniert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Befragten älteren Menschen im Hinblick auf Nutzungsdauer, -intensität als auch inhaltlicher Vielfalt hohe inter- als auch intraindividuelle Unterschiede aufwiesen. Gemeinsamkeiten der Nutzung waren die Kommunikation oder Alltagsorganisation. Das Smartphone wurde aber auch zum Spielen oder für gesundheitsbezogene Handlungen genutzt. Gleichzeitig ging eine zeitlich intensive auch mit einer inhaltlich breit gefächerten Nutzung einher. Die Unterschiede in der Nutzung konnten primär durch technikbezogene Einstellungen und deklarative Wissensbestände zu Computer und Smartphone erklärt werden. Intensivnutzer wiesen positivere Einstellungen gegenüber Technik auf und verfügten über höhere Wissensbestände. Trotz intensiver Nutzung des Smartphones zur Kommunikation zeigte sich kein klarer Zusammenhang mit sozialer Eingebundenheit und subjektivem Wohlbefinden. Vielmehr konnte in diesem Kontext die wahrgenommene Qualität der erlebten sozialen Beziehungen als zentraler Prädiktor identifiziert werden. Zusammengenommen zeigte sich eine tiefe Integration des Smartphones in den Alltag älterer Smartphonenutzer.
Im Rahmen des Tarifvertragsrechts spielen Selbstständige eine nur untergeordnete Rolle – so schien es zumindest in der Vergangenheit die Regel gewesen zu sein. Während das Tarifvertragsgesetz in seiner ursprünglichen Fassung von 1918 (TVVO) nur Arbeitnehmer im Blick hatte, wurde der persönliche Anwendungsbereich mit Einführung des § 12a TVG auf arbeitnehmerähnliche Personen ausgedehnt, wobei der restriktiv ausgelegte Anwendungsbereich und die Auswirkungen in der Praxis zeigten, dass hierdurch keine umfassende Erweiterung des Tarifvertragsrechts auf Selbstständige erreicht werden würde. Nunmehr steht das Arbeitsrecht, auch in Hinblick auf Überschneidungen mit dem Kartellrecht, vor der Herausforderung, sich auf sich ändernde Arbeitsformen und neue wirtschaftliche Gegebenheiten anzupassen, um in Zukunft auch andere Personengruppen von seinem Schutze zu erfassen. Dass es sich hierbei nicht um eine rein nationale Angelegenheit handelt, zeigt der Wandel des politischen und rechtlichen Diskurses auf Unionsebene.
The Calderón problem with finitely many unknowns is equivalent to convex semidefinite optimization
(2023)
We consider the inverse boundary value problem of determining a coefficient function in an elliptic partial differential equation from knowledge of the associated Neumann-Dirichlet-operator. The unknown coefficient function is assumed to be piecewise constant with respect to a given pixel partition, and upper and lower bounds are assumed to be known a-priori.
We will show that this Calderón problem with finitely many unknowns can be equivalently formulated as a minimization problem for a linear cost functional with a convex non-linear semidefinite constraint. We also prove error estimates for noisy data, and extend the result to the practically relevant case of finitely many measurements, where the coefficient is to be reconstructed from a finite-dimensional Galerkin projection of the Neumann-Dirichlet-operator.
Our result is based on previous works on Loewner monotonicity and convexity of the Neumann-Dirichlet-operator, and the technique of localized potentials. It connects the emerging fields of inverse coefficient problems and semidefinite optimization.
Essentials
• The role of platelet IL-1β release in chronic inflammation is currently unclear.
• Platelets from 65 patients with varying degrees of chronic inflammation were studied.
• Chronic inflammation linked to reduced levels of intracellular IL-1β and IL-1β release.
• Chronic inflammation induces a phenotype that indicates chronic IL-1β release from platelets.
Abstract
Background: Chronic inflammation is a cardiovascular risk factor, and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is central to the inflammatory host response. Platelets contain the NLRP3 inflammasome and are able to translate IL-1β messenger RNA (mRNA) and secrete mature IL-1β upon activation. However, the role of a chronic inflammatory environment in platelet IL-1β mRNA and protein content remains unclear.
Objectives: The aim of the current study was to investigate intracellular platelet IL-1β and IL-1β mRNA in a chronic inflammatory state.
Methods: Sixty-five patients with stable inflammation (ie, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein within predefined margins in 2 separate measurements) were stratified according to high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels in low (0.0-0.9 mg/L), medium (1.0-2.9 mg/L), and high (3.0-9.9 mg/L) risk groups. Platelet reactivity as well as platelet IL-1β protein synthesis were studied.
Results: The highest risk group was characterized by a distinct cardiovascular risk profile and approximately 20% higher platelet counts. While platelet reactivity was not different, a reduction in intracellular platelet IL-1β mRNA and IL-1β protein levels was observed in the highest risk group and was linked to decreased platelet size and granularity. This signature suggests a phenotype of chronic IL-1β secretion and could be experimentally phenocopied by stimulation of platelets from healthy volunteers with either TRAP-6 or collagen related peptide (CRP-XL).
Conclusion: Our data suggest a phenotype of chronic IL-1β secretion by platelets in patients with chronic sterile inflammation.
We have investigated the systematic differences introduced when performing a Bayesian-inference analysis of the equation of state (EOS) of neutron stars employing either variable- or constant-likelihood functions. The former has the advantage of retaining the full information on the distributions of the measurements, making exhaustive usage of the data. The latter, on the other hand, has the advantage of a much simpler implementation and reduced computational costs. In both approaches, the EOSs have identical priors and have been built using the sound speed parameterization method so as to satisfy the constraints from X-ray and gravitational waves observations, as well as those from chiral effective theory and perturbative quantum chromodynamics. In all cases, the two approaches lead to very similar results and the 90% confidence levels essentially overlap. Some differences do appear, but in regions where the probability density is extremely small and are mostly due to the sharp cutoff on the binary tidal deformability L˜ 720 set in the constant-likelihood approach. Our analysis has also produced two additional results. First, an inverse correlation between the normalized central number density, nc,TOV/ns, and the radius of a maximally massive star, RTOV. Second, and most importantly, it has confirmed the relation between the chirp mass and the binary tidal deformability. The importance of this result is that it relates chirp, which is measured very accurately, and L˜ , which contains important information on the EOS. Hence, when chirp is measured in future detections, our relation can be used to set tight constraints on L˜ .
Post-merger gravitational-wave signal from neutron-star binaries: a new look at an old problem
(2023)
The spectral properties of the post-merger gravitational-wave signal from a binary of neutron stars encodes a variety of information about the features of the system and of the equation of state describing matter around and above nuclear saturation density. Characterizing the properties of such a signal is an “old” problem, which first emerged when a number of frequencies were shown to be related to the properties of the binary through “quasiuniversal” relations. Here we take a new look at this old problem by computing the properties of the signal in terms of the Weyl scalar ψ4. In this way, and using a database of more than 100 simulations, we provide the first evidence for a new instantaneous frequency, y f0 4, associated with the instant of quasi-time-symmetry in the dynamics, and which also follows a quasi-universal relation. We also derive a new quasi-universal relation for the merger frequency f h mer, which provides a description of the data that is 4 times more accurate than previous expressions while requiring fewer fitting coefficients. Finally, consistent with the findings of numerous studies before ours, and using an enlarged ensemble of binary systems, we point out that the ℓ = 2, m = 1 gravitational-wave mode could become comparable with the traditional ℓ = 2, m = 2 mode on sufficiently long timescales, with strain amplitudes in a ratio |h21|/|h22| ∼ 0.1–1 under generic orientations of the binary, which could be measured by present detectors for signals with a large signal-to-noise ratio or by third-generation detectors for generic signals should no collapse occur.
The amplification of magnetic fields plays an important role in explaining numerous astrophysical phenomena associated with binary neutron star mergers, such as mass ejection and the powering of short gamma-ray bursts. Magnetic fields in isolated neutron stars are often assumed to be confined to a small region near the stellar surface, while they are normally taken to fill the whole star in numerical modeling of mergers. By performing high-resolution, global, and high-order general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations, we investigate the impact of a purely crustal magnetic field and contrast it with the standard configuration consisting of a dipolar magnetic field with the same magnetic energy but filling the whole star. While the crust configurations are very effective in generating strong magnetic fields during the Kelvin–Helmholtz-instability stage, they fail to achieve the same level of magnetic-field amplification of the full-star configurations. This is due to the lack of magnetized material in the neutron-star interiors to be used for further turbulent amplification and to the surface losses of highly magnetized matter in the crust configurations. Hence, the final magnetic energies in the two configurations differ by more than 1 order of magnitude. We briefly discuss the impact of these results on astrophysical observables and how they can be employed to deduce the magnetic topology in merging binaries.
Motivated by recent reports of a quantum-disordered ground state in the triangular lattice compound NaRuO2, we derive a jeff = 1/2 magnetic model for this system by means of first-principles calculations. The pseudospin Hamiltonian is dominated by bond-dependent off-diagonal Γ interactions, complemented by a ferromagnetic Heisenberg exchange and a notably antiferromagnetic Kitaev term. In addition to bilinear interactions, we find a sizable four-spin ring exchange contribution with a strongly anisotropic character, which has been so far overlooked when modeling Kitaev materials. The analysis of the magnetic model, based on the minimization of the classical energy and exact diagonalization of the quantum Hamiltonian, points toward the existence of a rather robust easy-plane ferromagnetic order, which cannot be easily destabilized by physically relevant perturbations.
Die Organisation SOS Children's Villages (im Folgenden: SOS) ist eine der größten und ältesten nicht-staatlichen, überkonfessionellen Kinderhilfsorganisationen der Welt. Heute sind mehrere Generationen in Einrichtungen der in 136 Ländern tätigen Organisation aufgewachsen oder haben von ihren Hilfsprogrammen profitiert. Seit der Gründung im Jahr 1949 liegt der Schwerpunkt auf "Kindern und Jugendlichen, die keine elterliche Fürsorge haben oder Gefahr laufen, diese zu verlieren". Trotz der langjährigen weltweiten Präsenz haben sich bisher nur wenige ethnologische Arbeiten mit der Organisation SOS, ihrem Modell und vor allem ihren Teilnehmern beschäftigt.
Die vorliegende Arbeit will diese Lücke schließen. Sie zeigt anhand exemplarischer, biographisch-narrativer Interviews und auf einer multi-sited ethnography basierenden Analysen, wie einzelne Akteure im SOS-Kontext ihrer Vergangenheit begegnen, wie sie Erfahrungen - aus der Zeit unter der Obhut von SOS, aber auch aus der Zeit davor - einordnen und wie diese ihre Gegenwart und auch Zukunft beeinflussen bzw. wie sie heute mit diesen Erinnerungen umgehen. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es außerdem, am Beispiel von SOS als Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (EZ) im Bereich Kinder, Jugend und Familie zu untersuchen, wie sich EZ-Projekte auf das Leben, die Sichtweisen und Biografien verschiedener Akteure sowie auf bestimmte lokale Zusammenhänge auswirken und wie wiederum Handlungen und individuelle Einstellungen von Akteuren sowie bestimmte lokale Kontexte solche Projekte beeinflussen.
Hierfür habe ich über einen Zeitraum von elf Monaten zwischen Juni 2019 und Mai 2020 an vier Standorten der Organisation in Kenia und Tansania rund 150 Interviews mit verschiedenen Zielgruppen (mit SOS-Mitarbeitern, ehemaligen SOS-Teilnehmern, aktuellen SOS-Teilnehmern sowie Gemeindevertretern) geführt.
Die Studie liefert also Ergebnisse auf mehreren Ebenen. Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass die Akteure meiner Untersuchung ihrer Vergangenheit und den Erinnerungen daran im Erwachsenenalter durch Aneignungsprozesse begegnen, die es ihnen ermöglichen, diese Erinnerungen und Erfahrungen kohärent in ihre eigene Biografie einzuordnen. Dieser Umgang mit der eigenen Geschichte ermöglicht es den ehemaligen SOS-Teilnehmern, sich die Struktur, die ihrer Kindheit zugrunde lag, nämlich die der internationalen Hilfsorganisation SOS, anzueignen und darüber Handlungen und Verhaltensweisen auch in ihrer Gegenwart und Zukunft zu definieren und zu legitimieren, und SOS als Zentrum ihrer Kindheit auch im Erwachsenenalter auf unterschiedliche Weise in Besitz zu nehmen. Dabei erfüllen sie nicht immer die Erwartungen, die von organisatorischer Seite an ihr Verhalten oder ihre Interpretation von Organisationskonzepten und -prinzipien gestellt werden. Da durch das Organisationsmodell evozierte Probleme wie fehlende Zugehörigkeiten oder Schwierigkeiten beim Übergang in die Selbstständigkeit durch lebensweltliche Diskrepanzen im Vergleich zu lokalen Kontexten über die Lebenswege und Erfahrungen der (ehemaligen) Teilnehmer sichtbar werden, schreibe ich nicht zuletzt den Teilnehmern und ihrem Umgang mit diesen Erfahrungen einen Anteil an den Transformationsprozessen zu, in denen sich die Organisation aktuell befindet.
Die Genetik hat die Landwirtschaft erheblich vorangebracht, weil sich mit ihrer Hilfe wesentlich ertragreichere Arten züchten lassen. Dabei werden Pflanzen mit vorteilhaften Eigenschaften ausgewählt und mit solchen gekreuzt, die andere erstrebenswerte Merkmale aufweisen. Auf diese Weise erhält man hybride Pflanzensorten, die beispielsweise widerstandsfähiger gegenüber Schädlingen und Krankheiten sind und sich besser an unterschiedliche Umweltbedingungen anpassen können. Aber das reicht nicht mehr, selbst mit den leistungsfähigsten und ertragreichsten Zuchtpflanzen steht die Landwirtschaft vor großen Herausforderungen: Klimawandel, Wasserknappheit und schlechte Bodenqualität begrenzen die Höhe landwirtschaftlicher Erträge, gleichzeitig wächst mit der Weltbevölkerung natürlich auch der Bedarf an Nahrungsmitteln. Wesentliche Fortschritte in der Nahrungsmittelerzeugung sind allerdings zu erwarten, wenn bei der Entwicklung von Nahrung nicht nur genetische, sondern auch epigenetische Verfahren angewandt werden, um Nahrungspflanzen weiterzuentwickeln – Verfahren, die darauf beruhen, einzelne Gene gezielt an- und abzuschalten. Seit einigen Jahren forscht dazu an der Goethe-Universität der Molekularbiologe Dr. Sotirios Fragkostefanakis.
Bacterial biosynthetic assembly lines, such as non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS) and polyketide synthases, are often subject of synthetic biology – because they produce a variety of natural products invaluable for modern pharmacotherapy. Acquiring the ability to engineer these biosynthetic assembly lines allows the production of artificial non-ribosomal peptides (NRP), polyketides, and hybrids thereof with new or improved properties. However, traditional bioengineering approaches have suffered for decades from their very limited applicability and, unlike combinatorial chemistry, are stigmatized as inefficient because they cannot be linked to the high-throughput screening platforms of the pharmaceutical industry. Although combinatorial chemistry can generate new molecules cheaper, faster, and in greater numbers than traditional natural product discovery and bioengineering approaches, it does not meet current medical needs because it covers only a limited biologically relevant chemical space. Hence, methods for high-throughput generation of new natural product-like compound libraries could provide a new avenue towards the identification of new lead compounds. To this end, prior to this work, we introduced an artificial synthetic NRPS type, referred to as type S NRPS, to provide a first-of-its-kind bicombinatorial approach to parallelized high-throughput NRP library generation. However, a bottleneck of these first two generations of type S NRPS was a significant drop in production yields. To address this issue, we applied an iterative optimization process that enabled titer increases of up to 55-fold compared to the non-optimized equivalents, restoring them to wild-type levels and beyond.
Over the last three decades, countries across the Andean region have moved toward legal recognition of indigenous justice systems. This turn toward legal pluralism, however, has been and continues to be heavily contested. The working paper explores a theoretical perspective that aims at analyzing and making sense of this contentious process by assessing the interplay between conflict and (mis)trust. Based on a review of the existing scholarship on legal pluralism and indigenous justice in the Andean region, with a particular focus on the cases of Bolivia and Ecuador, it is argued that manifest conflict over the contested recognition of indigenous justice can be considered as helpful and even necessary for the deconstruction of mistrust of indigenous justice. Still, such conflict can also help reproduce and even reinforce mistrust, depending on the ways in which conflict is dealt with politically and socially. The exploratory paper suggests four proposition that specify the complex and contingent relationship between conflict and (mis)trust in the contested negotiation of pluralist justice systems in the Andean region.
Unquestionably (or: undoubtedly), every competent speaker has already come to doubt with respect to the question of which form is correct or appropriate and should be used (in the standard language) when faced with two or more almost identical competing variants of words, word forms or sentence and phrase structure (e.g. German "Pizzas/Pizzen/Pizze" 'pizzas', Dutch "de drie mooiste/mooiste drie stranden" 'the three most beautiful/most beautiful three beaches', Swedish "större än jag/mig" 'taller than I/me'). Such linguistic uncertainties or "cases of doubt" (cf. i.a. Klein 2003, 2009, 2018; Müller & Szczepaniak 2017; Schmitt, Szczepaniak & Vieregge 2019; Stark 2019 as well as the useful collections of data of Duden vol. 9, Taaladvies.net, Språkriktighetsboken etc.) systematically occur also in native speakers and they do not necessarily coincide with the difficulties of second language learners. In present-day German, most grammatical uncertainties occur in the domains of inflection (nominal plural formation, genitive singular allomorphy of strong masc./neut. nouns, inflectional variation of weak masc. nouns, strong/weak adjectival inflection and comparison forms, strong/weak verb forms, perfect auxiliary selection) and word-formation (linking elements in compounds, separability of complex verbs). As for syntax, there are often doubts in connection with case choice (pseudo-partitive constructions, prepositional case government) and agreement (especially due to coordination or appositional structures). This contribution aims to present a contrastive approach to morphological and syntactic uncertainties in contemporary Germanic languages (mostly German, Dutch, and Swedish) in order to obtain a broader and more fine-grained typology of grammatical instabilities and their causes. As will be discussed, most doubts of competent speakers - a problem also for general linguistic theory - can be attributed to processes of language change in progress, to language or variety contact, to gaps and rule conflicts in the grammar of every language or to psycholinguistic conditions of language processing. Our main concerns will be the issues of which (kinds of) common or different critical areas there are within Germanic (and, on the other hand, in which areas there are no doubts), which of the established (cross-linguistically valid) explanatory approaches apply to which phenomena and, ultimately, the question whether the new data reveals further lines of explanation for the empirically observable (standard) variation.
Die gängige Chemotherapie schlägt bei Darmkrebs oft nicht ausreichend an. Dies liegt unter anderem daran, dass sterbende Darmkrebszellen die Überlebensfähigkeit ihrer Nachbarzellen im Tumor fördern, wie Frankfurter Forscher jetzt zeigen konnten. Diese Erkenntnis wollen sie nun nutzen, um die bestehende Therapie zu verbessern.
70. Geburtstag
(2023)
Coilodes Westwood, 1846 is a Neotropical genus of Hybosorinae. Despite being a morphologically homogeneous genus, it presents a great deal of intraspecific variation, especially with reference to the colour of integuments. This makes identification of species even more difficult, since the majority of original descriptions present the colour as the main diagnostic character. To solve this problem, the first taxonomic revision of Coilodes is presented. The genus now comprises 13 species. Redescriptions of C. castaneus Westwood, 1846, C. fumipennis Arrow, 1909, C. humeralis (Mannerheim, 1829), C. niger (Mannerheim, 1829), C. ovalis Robinson, 1948, C. parvulus Westwood, 1846, and C. punctipennis Arrow, 1909 are presented. Coilodes niger (Mannerheim, 1829) has its status revalidated and three new synonyms are proposed: C. gibbus (Perty, 1830) and C. chilensis Westwood, 1846 with C. humeralis, and C. nigripennis Arrow, 1903 with C. castaneus. Biological and geographical distribution data are expanded. Lectotypes are designated for C. humeralis and C. niger. Six new species are described: C. bezerrai Basílio & Vaz-de-Mello sp. nov., C. edeiltae Basílio & Vaz-de-Mello sp. nov., C. lunae Basílio & Vaz-de-Mello sp. nov., C. mayae Basílio & Vaz-de-Mello sp. nov., C. ravii Basílio & Vaz-de-Mello sp. nov., and C. skelleyi Basílio & Vaz-de-Mello sp. nov. An identification key for the males of the species is presented.
North-western Africa has a large Andrena fauna, but parts of the country away from coastal areas remain poorly studied, and confusion persists as to the identity of certain taxa due to the long history of study combined with imperfectly examined type material. New fieldwork, genetic barcoding, and study of museum material has substantially improved our understanding of this region. Eleven new species are described: A. (Aciandrena) bendai sp. nov., A. (Aciandrena) ifranensis sp. nov., A. (Euandrena) berberica sp. nov., A. (Hoplandrena) darha sp. nov., A. (Micrandrena) anammas sp. nov., A. (Micrandrena) gemina sp. nov., A. (Micrandrena) tinctoria sp. nov., and A. (incertae sedis) muelleri sp. nov., all from Morocco, and A. (Aciandrena) quieta sp. nov., A. (Euandrena) abscondita sp. nov., and A. (Taeniandrena) prazi sp. nov. from Morocco and Tunisia. Andrena (Aciandrena) nitidilabris Pérez, 1895 was misdiagnosed, and is actually the senior synonym of A. (Graecandrena) montarca parva Warncke, 1974 syn. nov. Andrena (Aciandrena) pisantyi sp. nov. is described from Algeria, Tunisia, and Israel, conforming to A. nitidilabris auctorum sensu Warncke. Andrena (Graecandrena) andina Warncke, 1974 stat. nov. and A. (Micrandrena) heliaca Warncke, 1974 stat. nov. are elevated from sub species to species status. Lectotypes are designated for A. (Melanapis) ephippium Spinola, 1838,
A. (Melanapis) rutila Spinola, 1838, A. (Simandrena) rhypara Pérez, 1903, and A. (Suandrena) savignyi Spinola, 1838. Neotypes are designated for A. (Melandrena) soror Dours, 1872 and A. (Notandrena) nigroviridula Dours, 1873. The female of A. (Aciandrena) triangulivalvis Wood, 2020 is described. The following seven additional synonymies are reported (senior name first): A. (Chrysandrena) testaceipes Saunders, 1908 = A. (Chrysandrena) rubricorpora Wood, 2021 syn. nov., A. (incertae sedis) maidaqi Scheuchl & Gusenleitner, 2007 = A. (Carandrena) hoggara Wood, 2021 syn. nov., A. (Lepidandrena) tuberculifera Pérez, 1895 = A. (Poecilandrena) nigriclypeus Wood, 2020 syn. nov., A. (Notandrena) albohirta Saunders, 1908 = A. (Notandrena) eddaensis Gusenleitner, 1998 syn. nov., A. (Notandrena) microthorax Pérez, 1895 = A. (Notandrena) nigrocyanea Saunders, 1908 syn. nov., A. (Simandrena) rhypara = A. (Simandrena) palumba Warncke, 1974 syn. nov., and A. (Taeniandrena) poupillieri Dours, 1872 = A. (Taeniandrena) lecerfi Benoist, 1961 syn. nov. Andrena (Notandrena) viridiaenea Pérez, 1903 is returned to synonymy with A. nigroviridula. Relative to the 2020 baseline, 16 Andrena species are newly recorded for Morocco, and six species are removed from the faunal list. These revisions bring the total number of Andrena species known from Morocco to 202 with 25 endemic species, making it one of the hotspots for Andrena diversity globally.
Here, we report on 33 molluscan species from Miocene ’Calcari a Lucina’ hydrocarbon-seep deposits in northern Italy. Three new species are described: the chilodontaid gastropod Putzeysia diversii sp. nov., the lucinid bivalve Miltha (sensu lato) romaniae sp. nov., and Sisonia ultimoi sp. nov., a heterodont bivalve of uncertain taxonomic affinity. Fourteen species are described in open nomenclature. The common but enigmatic gastropod species Phasianema taurocrassa is here suggested to belong to the seguenzioid genus Cataegis. Most gastropod species are inhabitants of the deep-sea floor in general, and are not restricted (obligate) to sites of hydrocarbon-seepage. The gastropod Putzeysia diversii sp. nov. and the bivalve Sisonia ultimoi sp. nov. are the geologically oldest members of their genera known to date. While the genus Putzeysia is geographically restricted to the NE Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, Sisonia ultimoi sp. nov. represents another link of the Miocene Mediterranean seep fauna to that of the central Indo-West Pacific Ocean.
The endemic Mexican genus Lamoana Casey, 1915 stat. rev. is revalidated through a comparative morphological analysis of both male genitalia and somatic characters of all genera with perpendicular parameres. A comparative study and general description of the basic patterns in the morphology of the genitalia for the American genera are provided. A full redescription of the genus and a redescription of L. villosella (Blanchard, 1851) comb. rev. is provided herein, with the addition of generic and specific diagnostic characters and data about its geographical distribution. Further, possible relationships at generic level among American genera are provided. With this study, the number of Anomalini genera known for America and Mexico is now elevated to 17 and 14, respectively.
Ziel der Arbeit ist es die Eigenschaften und die Häufigkeit von Rezidiven der primär und sekundär therapierten Basalzellkarzinome der MKPG, insbesondere in Abhängigkeit der Lokalisation und des Resektionsstatus zu evaluieren und mit den Ergebnissen der Literatur zu vergleichen, um ein optimiertes chirurgisches Vorgehen zu sichern.
Protein kinases are key signalling molecules and transduce intracellular signals via the post-translational phosphorylation of substrate proteins, often other protein kinases. Dysregulation of this protein family has been linked to many diseases including neurodegenerative diseases, inflammation and cancer and amplifications of kinases play important roles as diagnostic biomarkers in a variety of cancers. Various strategies have been developed to treat dysregulated protein kinases. Most commonly, chemical small molecule inhibitors are used to modulate protein kinase activity in cancer cells. Many inhibitor and general research efforts have focused only on a small subset of protein kinases, resulting in a large portion of the kinome, the so-called “dark” kinome, remaining largely unexplored. As part of the strategy to develop inhibitors, it is crucial to understand the structure-activity-relationships (SAR) of small molecules to the activity towards the targets based on understanding small molecule-target affinities as determined by biophysical, biochemical, and cellular methods. However, not always do in vitro determined affinities, which are frequently used as basis for SAR considerations, correlate with the cellular affinity. For protein kinases in particular, it has been shown that the cellular concentration of the natural substrate adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) plays a critical role for the resulting small molecule affinity, as substrate and inhibitor frequently compete for the same binding site of the protein kinase. The cellular target engagement assay NanoBRET is a versatile assay that overcomes this problem and can be used to assess binding of a compound to the full-length protein kinase, in the presence of natural binding partners. Another important factor in inhibitor optimization is the selectivity of the molecule within the family of protein kinases. When comparing the selectivity profiles of small molecule kinase inhibitors in vitro and in cells, different profiles can be observed. Frequently, a compound, binds fewer protein kinases with high affinity in cells, indicating that cellular profiling of protein kinase inhibitors is necessary to understand the selectivity profile of an inhibitor.
The goal of this work was to understand cellular SARs of inhibitors for kinases and dark kinases in medicinal chemistry projects, and to understand the selectivity profiles of existing small molecules in cells, including already approved drugs and clinically used kinases inhibitors. The cellular potency and selectivity aspects guided optimization of the inhibitors towards selective small molecules ‘chemical probes’ or highly validated inhibitors with a narrow selectivity profile as part of ‘chemogenomic libraries’. One strategy to improve selectivity has been to use sterically restricted cyclic small molecules, called macrocycles, that allow fewer conformations of the molecule than their non-cyclic parent compound. In this thesis the dark kinase STK17A was investigated. Macrocyclization was used to develop a selective chemical probe molecule that is also selective in the cellular context. For another kinase, SIK2, a rational design approach was used to exclude off-targets bound by the lead structure, resulting in a chemical probe that selectively targets the SIK1/2/3 proteins. Assessing cellular potency of another series of inhibitors, a probe was developed for the PCTAIRE subfamily of the CDK kinases. This required co-expression of the binding partners of CDKs, the cyclins, in cells to obtain a functional assay. To identify new candidates for the neglected family of splicing kinases comprising the CLK, SRPK, DYRK and HIPK protein kinase subfamilies, a literature review was conducted, and the best small molecule candidates were compared for their target engagement in cells. This led to a series of small molecule inhibitors that may be used as a set or single agents to target the CLK proteins and SRPK proteins or in combination to target the remaining proteins. In search of new starting points for this subfamily of kinases, an initial screen with NanoBRET technology was performed using a library of over 2000 inhibitors, and new starting points were identified. Additionally, a set of clinical and approved small molecule kinase inhibitors was assessed for their selectivity in cells. Several highly selective molecules were identified that were much less selective in in vitro approaches. The set of data allowed for a comprehensive comparison of cellular potencies with published data using in vitro binding, in vitro activity and data obtained from cell lysates and identified several protein kinases that would need to be investigated in cells...
The mountain bumblebees of the subgenus Alpigenobombus Skorikov, 1914, are uniquely distinctive because the females have enlarged mandibles with six large, evenly spaced teeth, which they use to bite holes in long-corolla flowers for nectar robbing. Recognition of species in this subgenus has been uncertain, with names used in various combinations. To revise the species, we examined COI-like barcodes for evidence of species’ gene coalescents using MrBayes and PTP and we compare the coalescent groups with morphological variation for integrative assessment. While we seek to include only orthologous barcodes (the ‘good’) and exclude all of the more strongly divergent barcode-like numts (the ‘bad’), for some nominal taxa only low-divergence numts could be obtained (the ‘ugly’). For taxa with no orthologous sequences available, using a minimum number of the lowest divergence numts did yield coalescent candidates for species that were consistent with morphologically diagnosable groups. These results agree in recognising 11 species within this subgenus, supporting: (1) recognising the widespread European Bombus mastrucatus Gerstaecker, 1869 stat. rev. as a species separate from the west Asian B. wurflenii Radoszkowski, 1860 s. str.; (2) the recently recognised B. rainai Williams, 2022, as a species separate from B. kashmirensis Friese, 1909, within the western Himalaya; (3) the recognition once again of B. sikkimi Friese, 1918 stat. rev. and B. validus Friese, 1905 stat. rev. as species separate from B. nobilis Friese, 1905 s. str. within the eastern Himalaya and Hengduan regions; (4) confirming the recognition of B. angustus Chiu, 1948, B. breviceps Smith, 1852 s. lat., B. genalis Friese, 1918, and B. grahami (Frison, 1933) as separate species within the Himalaya, China, and Southeast Asia; (5) recognising the conspecificity of the nominal taxa (not species) channicus Gribodo, 1892 (Southeast Asia) and dentatus Handlirsch, 1888 (Himalaya) as parts of the species B. breviceps s. lat. (southern and eastern China); and (6) recognising the conspecificity of the rare taxon beresovskii (Skorikov, 1933) syn. n. as part of the species B. grahami within China. Nectar robbing by bumblebees is reviewed briefly and prospects for future research discussed.
Terahertz (THz) radiation lies between the micro and far-infrared range in the electromagnetic spectrum. Compared with microwave and millimeter waves, it has a larger signal bandwidth and extremely narrow antenna beam. Thus, it is easier to achieve high-resolution for imaging and detection applications. The unique properties, such as penetration for majority non-polar materials, non-ionizing characteristic and the spectral fingerprint of materials, makes THz imaging an appealing artifice in the military, biomedical, astronomical communications, and other areas. However, THz radiation’s current low power level and detection sensitivity block THz imaging system from including fewer optical elements than the visible or infrared range. This leads to imaging resolution, contrast, and imaging field of view degenerate and makes the aberration more serious. THz imaging based on the space Fourier spectrum detection is developed in this thesis to achieve high-quality imaging. The main concept of Fourier imaging is by recording the field distribution in the Fourier plane (focal plane) of the imaging system; the information of the target is obtained. The numerical processing method is needed to extract the amplitude and phase information of the imaged target. With additional process, three-dimensional (3D) information can be obtained based on the phase information. The novel recording and reconstructing ways of the Fourier imaging system enables it to have a higher resolution, better contrast, and broader field of view than conventional imaging systems such as microscopy and plane to plane telescopic imaging system.
The work presented in this thesis consists of two imaging systems, one is working at 300 GHz based on the fundamental heterodyne detection of the THz radiation, the other is operated at 600 GHz by utilizing the sub harmonic heterodyne detection technique. The realization and test of the heterodyne detection are based on the THz antenna-coupled field-effect transistor (TeraFET) detector developed by Dr. Alvydas Lisauskas. Both systems use two synchronized electronic multiplier chains to radiate the THz waves. One radiation works as the local oscillator (LO), the other works as illumination with a slight frequency shift, the radiations are mixed on the detector scanning in the Fourier plane to record the complex Fourier spectrum of the imaged target. The LO has the same frequency range as the illuminating radiation for fundamental heterodyne detection but half the frequency range for the sub-harmonic heterodyne detection. The 2-mm resolution, 60-dB contrast, and 5.5-cm diameter imaging area at 300 GHz and the of 500-μm resolution, 40-dB contrast, and 3.5-cm diameter imaging area at 600 GHz are achieved (the 300-GHz illuminating radiation has the approximate power of 600 μW , the 600-GHz illuminating radiation has the approximate power of 60 μW ).
The thesis consists of 6 parts. After the introduction, the second chapter expands on the topic of Fourier optics from a theoretical point of view and the simulations of the Fourier imaging system. First, the theory of the electromagnetic field propagation in free space and through an optical system are investigated to elicit the Fourier transform function of the imaging system. The simulation is used for theoretical considerations and the implementation of a Fourier optic script that allows for numerical investigations on reconstruction. The preliminary imaging field of view and resolution are also demonstrated. The third chapter describes the Fourier imaging system at 300 GHz based on the fundamental heterodyne detection, including the experimental setup, the 2D, and 3D imaging results. The following fourth chapter reports the integration of the TeraFET detector with two substrate lenses (one is a Si lens on the back-side Si substrate, the other is a wax/PTFE lens on the front side containing the bonding wires) for sub-harmonic heterodyne detection at 600 GHz. The characteristic of the wax/PTFE lens at THz range is presented. After that, the compared imaging results between the detector with and without the wax/PTFE lens are shown. The fifth chapter extends the demonstration on the lateral and depth resolution of the Fourier imaging system in detail and uses the experimental results at 600 GHz to validate the analytical predictions. The comparison of the resolution between the Fourier imaging system and the conventional microscopy system proves that the Fourier imaging system has better imaging quality under the same system configuration. The last chapter in this thesis concludes on the findings of the THz Fourier imaging and gives an outlook for the enhancement of the Fourier imaging system at THz range.
Bumblebees (Bombus Latreille, 1802), because of their large body size, bright colours and activity at times and places that coincide with biologists, are an example of a group of insects that is particularly well represented in museum collections. This is important if taxonomic revisions are to achieve greater comparability among species. Bumblebees have also attracted particular attention because they are especially ecologically and economically valuable for pollination in north temperate regions, where they are now becoming increasingly threatened. I argue that the what, the where, and the how of effective conservation management may be informed by understanding the divergent characteristics that have affected their biogeographical past: by helping us to see ‘the woods’, not just ‘the trees’, of their habitat needs. Identifying suitable habitat should be part of reconstructing historical biogeography within taxonomic revisions. For bumblebees, for example, biogeographical analysis associates major taxonomic groups either with flower-rich lowland grasslands or with flower-rich montane grasslands, highlighting their contrasting requirements for: nest sites, flowers of different depths, pollen-plant families, and especially the differing importance of early spring and late summer flowers for breeding success. This broad view of species groups helps filter the less important idiosyncrasies from local case studies in order to focus conservation actions.
A new subgenus of Orinda Kirkaldy, 1907, Montorinda subgen. nov., is described to accommodate two new species from southeastern Queensland, O. (Montorinda) eungellana sp. nov. from Eungella National Park and O. (Montorinda) montana sp. nov. from Mount Walsh National Park. The new species are compared to the other species of the genus and a new subgenus Scapulorinda subgen. nov. is described to accommodate Orinda (Scapulorinda) scapularis (Jacobi, 1928), leaving a single species in the subgenus Orinda: O. (Orinda) lucindae (Kirkaldy, 1906). Illustrations of the male holotype, a female paratype and male genitalia are provided for both new species as well as habitus and wing of O. (Scapulorinda) scapularis (Jacobi, 1928), the most closely related species, for comparison. The type series of the O. (Montorinda) montana sp. nov. was collected on Grevillea whiteana Mc Gill. (Proteaceae). The genus Orinda is only recorded from Queensland and now contains four species.
Two new species of Palpimanus Dufour, 1820 are described from India: P. godawan Tripathi & Sankaran sp. nov. (♂♀), collected from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, and P. maldhok Kuni, Tripathi & Sankaran sp. nov. (♂♀), collected from Maharashtra. Images of the endogyne and male palp of the holotype and paratype of P. narsinhmehtai Parajapati, Hun & Raval, 2021 are presented to facilitate its identification. A key to Indian species of Palpimanus and a catalogue of Indian palpimanid spiders are provided. The current distribution of all the known Indian palpimanid spiders is mapped.
Two species of leeches were described from Georgia in the past, Dina ratschaensis Kobakhidze, 1958 from the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region and Trocheta ariescornuta Grosser, Barjadze & Maghradze, 2021 from the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region. Both species were the only known typical representatives of cave leeches in Georgia. Recently, two more species of the genus Dina R. Blanchard, 1894 have been found in karst caves in this country. These leeches are morphologically similar to D. ratschaensis, from which they differ in the shape of the reproductive system, primarily the shape of the cornua of the genital atrium and the shape and extension of the vasa deferentia and ovisacs, justifying the description of two new species, Dina imeretiensis Grosser, Barjadze & Maghradze sp. nov. from the Imereti region and Dina samegreloensis Grosser, Barjadze & Shavadze sp. nov. from the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region. Data on the cave dwelling invertebrate communities in the studied caves are provided. Molecular data are provided, and a phylogenetic tree based on Cox1 sequences of Dina spp. and related genera is provided and discussed.
The present work reviews the deep-water cone fauna of New Caledonia and its Economic Exclusive Zone. It is based on the material collected for more than 40 years by oceanographic expeditions in the deep waters surrounding New Caledonia, organized by the Muséum national d’histoire naturelle-Paris/ORSTOM, then Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, in the framework of the Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos programme. A total of 2377 lots containing 5113 specimens collected in depths between 100 and 1260 m have been examined. About 770 specimens were collected live, and allowed for radular and DNA studies. A phylogenetic analysis, based on the cox1 gene, of the deep-water cone snail fauna of New Caledonia is presented, along with a detailed, fully illustrated taxonomic account with data on geographic and bathymetric distribution and radular morphology. A total of 76 different species of cone snails were identified among the collected material. Of these, 22 corresponded to typical shallow water species, which were most likely translocated into deeper water, whereas 54 could be considered true components of the deep water (below 100 m) cone snail fauna. Species of the genus Profundiconus represent 22%, whereas those of the genera Conasprella and Conus represent 28% and 50%, respectively. Eleven deep water cone species can be considered as endemic to the New Caledonia EEZ, representing 20.3% of the total. The most abundant species found (more than 400 specimens each) were Conus (Afonsoconus) bruuni, Conasprella (Boucheticonus) alisi, Conasprella (Conasprella) boucheti, and Profundiconus vaubani. The new species Conus (Taranteconus) samadiae sp. nov. is hereby described.
The Australian genus of Eurybrachidae (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha) Kamabrachys gen. nov. is described to accommodate Platybrachys signata Distant, 1892 and Euronotobrachys plana Kirkaldy, 1906, the former being the type species. The new combinations Kamabrachys signata (Distant, 1892) gen. et comb. nov. and K. plana (Kirkaldy, 1906) gen. et comb. nov. are subsequently proposed. Ten new species are also included in the genus and described: K. andersoni gen. et sp. nov., K. brennani gen. et sp. nov., K. campbelli gen. et sp. nov., K. danielsi gen. et sp. nov., K. falcata gen. et sp. nov., K. fasciata gen. et sp. nov., K. pedemontana gen. et sp. nov., K. rieki gen. et sp. nov., K. v-carinatum gen. et sp. nov. and K. waineri gen. et sp. nov. The male and female genitalia of each species are illustrated and photographs of habitus, distribution maps, biological data and an identification key are provided. The mating behaviour of K. signata is described, illustrated and discussed. The genus Kamabrachys currently contains 12 species and is associated to trees in the family Myrtaceae.
Thylacocephalans are enigmatic euarthropods, known at least from the Silurian to the Cretaceous. Despite remaining uncertainties concerning their anatomy, key features can be recognised such as a shield enveloping most of the body, hypertrophied compound eyes, three pairs of raptorial appendages and a posterior trunk consisting of eight up to 22 segments bearing appendages and eight pairs of gills. Well-known for its euarthropod diversity, the La Voulte-sur-Rhône Lagerstätte (Callovian, Middle Jurassic, France) has provided many remains of four thylacocephalan species so far: Dollocaris ingens, Kilianicaris lerichei, Paraostenia voultensis and Clausocaris ribeti. In this paper, we study the type material as well as undescribed material. The re-description of La Voulte thylacocephalans reveals an unexpected diversity, with the description of two new species, Austriocaris secretanae sp. nov. and Paraclausocaris harpa gen. et sp. nov., and of specimens of Mayrocaris, a taxon originally described from Solnhofen Lagerstätten. We also reassign Clausocaris ribeti to Ostenocaris. The reappraisal of La Voulte thylacocephalans also provides important insight into the palaeobiology of Thylacocephala. New key anatomical features are described, such as an oval structure or a putative statocyst, which indicate a nektonic or nektobenthic lifestyle. Finally, we document a juvenile stage for Paraostenia voultensis.
The genera Colpixys and Xiphentedon are revised. Both genera are of Afrotropical distribution and are very similar to Entedon, but distinguished by a median strip or furrow on the propodeum replacing the median carina of Entedon. The genus Xiphentedon is characterized by the complete lateral propodeal sulci delimiting convex submedian areas, prosternum with a flange, axillula with indentate projection, and densely hairy central mesopectus. The subgenus Cederholmia Gumovsky, 1997 of Entedon is considered a junior synonym of Xiphentedon, so two of its species are moved to the genus as X. halli (Gumovsky, 1997) comb. nov. and X. danielssoni (Gumovsky, 1997) comb. nov. The genus Colpixys is characterized by the lack of characters of Xiphentedon, but also by the broadly sculptured propodeum with the deep median furrow delimited laterally by two sinuous margins. Three (one new) species are recognized in Colpixys and sixteen (thirteen new) species allocated to three groups (kayovei, danielssoni and forceps), are assigned to Xiphentedon. The new species are: Colpixys eburnus sp. nov. from Ivory Coast and the Republic of South Africa (RSA), Xiphentedon neserorum sp. nov. from RSA, X. simoni sp. nov. from Tanzania, X. dewittei sp. nov. and X. musimba sp. nov. from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), X. jeanyvesi sp. nov. from Tanzania, the Central African Republic (CAR) and RSA, X. wieringai sp. nov. from Gabon and Ivory Coast, X. kivuensis sp. nov. from DRC, X. palabora sp. nov. from RSA, X. sangha sp. nov. from CAR, X. nimba sp. nov. from Guinea, X. forceps sp. nov. from Ivory Coast, Benin and RSA, X. gerardi sp. nov. from Benin, DRC and RSA, and X. acutigena sp. nov. from Ivory Coast, DRC, Tanzania and RSA. Morphological peculiarities and possible relationships of Colpixys, Xiphentedon, Entedon and some other genera, are discussed.
Five species of the cheiracanthiid spider genus Cheiracanthium C.L. Koch, 1839 collected from China are diagnosed and described as new to science based on morphological characters: Cheiracanthium arcilongum sp. nov. (♂♀) from Yunnan, C. circulum sp. nov. (♂♀) from Yunnan, C. digitatum sp. nov. (♂♀) from Anhui, C. jiuquan sp. nov. (♂♀) from Guangxi and C. xinjiangense sp. nov. (♂♀) from Xinjiang. In addition, the photos of the habitus, copulatory organs and distribution map are provided for all species. However, DNA barcodes information is only provided for four species.
Madagascar is a freshwater biodiversity hotspot, yet the current understanding of freshwater bryozoan diversity is limited. Using a dissecting microscope, bryozoan statoblasts were collected during macrofossil analysis of a sediment core, which was taken from Lake Sofia, Madagascar, in 2019. There was a peak in the abundance of statoblasts prior to 1900, with 67 statoblast valves found at 45.5 cm and a decline in more recent sediments. A subsample of 14 specimens was examined under a scanning electron microscope to determine species identification. One of the species found was Plumatella kinesis. Two new species, Plumatella tsimiheta sp. nov. and Plumatella sofiae sp. nov. were also found and described. These results show the potential of lake sedimentary bryozoan remains for categorising species presence and distribution. Although poor preservation was a limitation for identification, there is still value in having a historical record of past biodiversity, especially when species may no longer be extant. This study highlights the need for further research to better understand the status of these species and other potential new species of bryozoan in Madagascar.
PURPOSE: This theoretical study seeks to understand how the development of ‘Transnational Business Feminism’ in response to the 2008 financial crisis, was implemented in 2013 through Japan’s ‘Womenomics’ program. The paper further examines how efficient this said form of neoliberal feminist economic program was in in addressing vulnerabilities in the Japanese financial system during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Finally, it looks at how the pandemic has shifted conversations around the future of gender and finance in Japan through the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework.
DESIGN/METHOD: Drawing on a variety of sources, this paper uses a case study research methodology as well as statistical data from a variety of sources to draw theoretical conclusions on the specific case of Japan’s economy.
RESULTS/FINDINGS: This paper reveals that the programs implemented by the Japanese government failed to address existing gender inequalities and systemic risk in the Japanese economy, and that women in Japan were hit much harder by the repercussions of the pandemic, in spite of Womenomics policies.
ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study offers insights into the effectiveness of neoliberal feminist agendas in addressing systemic financial and economic risk, in order to help optimize the potential of ESG.
Nachrichten
(2023)
Zur bisherigen Basisdiagnostik bei klinischem Verdacht eines PCa wird den aktuellen Leitlinien zufolge, neben einer fundierten Anamnese und körperlicher Untersuchung, die Bestimmung des PSA-Wertes gezählt. Seit nun mehr als zwei Jahrzehnten hat sich die PSA-Bestimmung zur Früherkennung, aber auch der Überwachung von Patienten mit bereits diagnostiziertem PCa bewährt. Ob die Bestimmung des PSA-Wertes die PCa-spezifische Mortalität adäquat widerspiegelt, wird allerdings in zahlreichen Expertenkreisen weiterhin kontrovers diskutiert. Anlässlich dessen soll die Erforschung neuer Biomarker dazu dienen, das Risiko eines aggressiven PCa gezielter zu erfassen und behandeln zu können. Die Arbeitsgruppe von Tsaur et al. hat in vorausgegangenen Studien auf das vielversprechende Potential von sE-Cadherin als möglichen Biomarker beim PCa hingewiesen [92]. Basierend darauf wurde in der vorliegenden Arbeit untersucht, wie sich das Serumprotein sE-Cadherin auf PCa-Zelllinien vor allem in Hinblick auf die Metastasierung des PCa am in vitro Modell auswirkt. Die Experimente erfolgten an den beiden Androgen-resistenten Zellen PC3 und DU145 sowie der Androgen-sensitiven Zelllinie LNCaP nach Behandlung mit sE-Cadherin. Unbehandelte Zellen dienten jeweils als Kontrolle. Die ersten Versuche beschäftigten sich damit, eine Arbeitskonzentration des sE-Cadherins zu etablieren, welche nachfolgend für alle weiteren Versuche genutzt werden konnte. Die Arbeitskonzentration von sE-Cadherin wurde auf 5 µg/ml festgelegt. Mithilfe des MTT-Assays wurde nachfolgend das Zellwachstum untersucht. Auswirkungen von sE-Cadherin auf den Zellzyklus der genannten PCa-Zelllinien wurden mithilfe der fluoreszenzaktivierten Zellanalyse (FACS) nach erfolgter Zell-Synchronisation evaluiert. Der Einfluss von sE-Cadherin auf die einzelnen Schritte der Metastasierung wurde durch Migrations- und Invasions- sowie Adhäsions-Versuchen an Zellmatrixproteinen (immobilisiertes Kollagen und Fibronektin) untersucht. Mithilfe der Durchflusszytometrie konnte die Beeinflussung von sE-Cadherin auf die Integrinoberflächenprofile analysiert werden. Zur Evaluation relevanter Signalwege erfolgten Western-Blot-Versuche, in denen der Expressionsstatus von Integrin-assoziierten Signalproteinen untersucht wurde. Blockade-Studien dienten der Überprüfung der funktionellen Relevanz einzelner Integrine. Die Behandlung der PCa-Zellen mit sE-Cadherin in der Konzentration von 5 µg/ml führte zur signifikanten Abnahme des Tumorwachstums. Die Zellzyklus-Analyse zeigte einen vermehrten Zell-Arrest in der G0/G1-Phase sowie Abnahme der S-Phase. Des Weiteren führte die sE-Cadherin-Applikation bei allen drei PCa-Zelllinien zur Abnahme der Adhäsionsfähigkeit an Kollagen und Fibronektin. Im Gegensatz dazu konnte gleichzeitig eine Erhöhung der chemotaktischen Bewegung beobachtet werden. Unter der sE-Cadherin-Behandlung kam es zur signifikanten Veränderung der Oberflächenprofile der Integrin-Subtypen α3 und β1. Dessen physiologische Relevanz konnte in Blockadestudien überprüft werden. Es zeigte sich, dass beide Subtypen, jedoch insbesondere β1, in die Adhäsion und Chemotaxis involviert sind. Abschließend kann in Zusammenschau der Experimente und dessen Resultate geschlussfolgert werden, dass sE-Cadherin maßgeblich das Metastasierungspotenzial der verschiedenen Prostatakarzinomzellen steigert, indem es das Zellwachstum stagnieren lässt und gleichzeitig das Herablösen der Tumorzellen von der extrazellulären Matrix sowie den Anschluss an das Blut-/Lymphabflusssystem erleichtert.
The chelodesmid genus Dibolostethus Hoffman, 2009, the sole member of the tribe Dibolostethini, is reviewed. The genus contains the type species D. sicarius Hoffman, 2009 known only from the Los Rios Province, Ecuador, and two new species from the Tropical Andes, D. inopinatus Means, Bouzan & Ivanov sp. nov. from the Morona-Santiago Province, Ecuador and D. kattani Means, Bouzan, Martínez-Torres & Ivanov sp. nov. from the Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia. We redescribe D. sicarius and provide a revised diagnosis of the genus, images of diagnostic morphological characters, and a key to the males of Dibolostethus. In addition, we provide a summary and a distribution map of the Chelodesmidae of the Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot.
The Andean genus Priscula Simon, 1893 includes the largest Neotropical pholcid spiders, but due to their mostly cryptic lifestyle they remain poorly collected and poorly studied. Many species available in collections remain undescribed and nothing has been published about the phylogeny and the biology of the genus. Here, we deal with a recent collection of Priscula spiders from Ecuador, the country of origin of the type species, P. gularis Simon, 1893. We describe eight new species, collected at 17 localities at altitudes from 640–3160 m, all based on males and females: P. azuay sp. nov., P. llaviucu sp. nov., P. espejoi sp. nov., P. esmeraldas sp. nov., P. chapintza sp. nov., P. pastaza sp. nov., P. bonita sp. nov., and P. lumbaqui sp. nov. We use a sample of approximately 26 species-level taxa, mostly from Ecuador and Venezuela, to propose a first hypothesis about relationships within the genus. Our data (mainly CO1) suggest the existence of five species groups, three of which are represented in Ecuador. The cave-dwelling P. pastaza sp. nov. is only slightly troglomorphic (paler than usual; anterior median eyes strongly reduced or lost) but differs dramatically from forest-dwelling congeners in its biology: it hangs fully exposed in its web during the day; it produces egg sacs with only 6–7 eggs (average in 15 other species: 42 eggs); and it produces the largest eggs relative to body size of all studied species.
Six new species are described in the Australian planthopper genus Innobindus Jacobi, 1928. A new species group, the artus group, is created for Innobindus artus sp. nov., I. kaanti sp. nov. and I. loriensis sp. nov.; Innobindus gimani sp. nov. is added to the licinus group and I. geminatus sp. nov. to the multimaculatus group. Another new species, Innobindus oppositus sp. nov., could not be assigned to a species group as it shows unique features within Innobindus regarding forewing venation and chaetotaxy. A checklist and identification key to males of all 13 species of Innobindus is provided. Innobindus is endemic to the eastern parts of New South Wales and Queensland, distribution maps for each species are presented.
Taxonomic revision of the African assassin bug genus Fusius (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae)
(2023)
The African assassin bug genus Fusius Stål, 1862 is revised after the examination of type specimens with redescriptions of four species. Lectotypes of Pirates (Fusius) H-flavum Reuter, 1881 and Pirates rubricosus Stål, 1855 are designated. The status of P. (Fusius) H-flavum Reuter, 1881 is revalidated with its current name as F. hflavus (Reuter, 1881) stat. rev. et comb. nov. Seven new synonyms are proposed: F. dilutus Miller, 1957 = F. gowdeyi Miller, 1957 syn. nov. = F. liberiensis Miller, 1957 syn. nov. = F. dilutus anonymus Dispons, 1969 syn. nov. = F. dilutus vicinus Dispons, 1969 syn. nov.; F. distinctus Miller, 1957 = F. sylvestris Miller, 1957 syn. nov.; F. hflavus (Reuter, 1881) = F. hargreavesi Miller, 1957 syn. nov.; F. rubricosus (Stål, 1855) = F. ugandensis Miller, 1957 syn. nov. A key is provided to separate the four species of this genus. Diagnosis and distribution of Fusius are briefly discussed.
Ribosomes catalyze protein synthesis by cycling through various functional states. These states have been extensively characterized in vitro, yet their distribution in actively translating human cells remains elusive. Here, we optimized a cryo-electron tomography-based approach and resolved ribosome structures inside human cells with a local resolution of up to 2.5 angstroms. These structures revealed the distribution of functional states of the elongation cycle, a Z tRNA binding site and the dynamics of ribosome expansion segments. In addition, we visualized structures of Homoharringtonine, a drug for chronic myeloid leukemia treatment, within the active site of the ribosome and found that its binding reshaped the landscape of translation. Overall, our work demonstrates that structural dynamics and drug effects can be assessed at near-atomic detail within human cells.
The present paper is devoted to the description of three new species of the genus Acanthophorella Antić & Makarov, 2016 from Georgia, western Caucasus: A. devi Antić sp. nov. and A. valerii Antić sp. nov., both presumed troglobionts and each from a single cave, and the epigean A. aurita Antić sp. nov. The troglobiotic Acanthophorella barjadzei Antić & Makarov, 2016 is reported from two additional caves, with further descriptive notes given. Notes on the ecology and localities, and a distribution map for all six species of the genus are presented. A key is given to all members of the Flagellophorella complex. The relationships within the complex and the distribution and troglomorphism in the genus Acanthophorella are briefly discussed.
Three species of bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Colletidae) are newly recorded for Guatemala: Centris obscurior Michener, Centris vidua Mocsáry, and Zikanapis inbio (Michener, Engel and Ayala). We discuss aspects of their biology and circumstances of the collecting events and provide information on their presently known distribution.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A19C3260-B215-4F61-AF9C-72D88DD06456
Taxonomic criteria alone are not sufficient to determine a linear sequence for the arrangement of collection specimens according to a preferred classification or the linear sequence according to which taxa are best discussed in articles or books. The choice of methodology to obtain a linear sequence of taxa in agreement with a hierarchical classification has been little studied and remains controversial. In this article, I offer an historical background, before examining properties, use and limits of possible listing criteria. The result of a linearization effort depends on arbitrary choices with respect to two aspects of the hierarchical classification we intend to linearize. One is the order to be followed in listing the immediately subordinate members of a given taxon, the other is the choice of the sets of taxa to be linearized according to tradition, alphabetic order or other criterion. The example presented here, related to the “orders” of Hexapoda, demonstrates the need to specify very clearly the extent and composition of the uncollapsed classification backbone retained in the linearization procedure.
Large international airports were identified as sources of ultrafine particles (UFPs) (Hu et al., 2009; Yu et al., 2012; Hsu et al., 2013; Keuken et al., 2015; Hudda and Fruin, 2016). Since September 2017 UFP emissions originating from the Frankfurt International Airport, Germany are monitored by the Hessian Agency for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology (HLNUG) showing elevated UFP concentrations during airport operating hours (05:00–23:00 CET) (Ditas et al., 2022). Referring to that, the organic chemical composition of aviation-related UFPs emerging from the Frankfurt Airport was analysed by performing a comprehensive non-target screening of UFP filter samples.
Aluminium-filter samples were collected at an air quality monitoring station 4 km north of the Frankfurt Airport, using a 13-stage impactor system (Nano-MOUDI). The chemical
characterization of UFPs in the size range of 10-18 nm, 18-32 nm and 32-56 nm was accomplished by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography, heated electrospray ionisation and mass analysis using an Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometer. Non-target screening revealed that the majority of detected compounds belong to homologous series of two different types of organic esters, which are base stocks of aircraft lubrication oils.
In reference to five different jet engine lubrication oils of various manufacturers, the corresponding lubricant base stocks and their additives, two amines and one organophosphate, were identified in the UFPs by the use of matching retention time, exact mass and MS/MS fragmentation pattern of single organic molecules. The quantitative analysis of the jet engine oil constituents in the aviation-related UFPs with diameters < 56 nm was accomplished by standard addition. By characterizing the Nano-MOUDI, loss factors for each size stage were determined and used for correction accordingly. Particle-number size distribution measurements, conducted parallel to the filter sampling, enabled the determination of the jet engine oil contribution to the UFP mass.
Furthermore, the nucleation and particle formation potential of a commonly used synthetic jet engine lubrication oil was investigated in the laboratory. Thermodenuder experiments at 20 °C and 300 °C were carried out to monitor the gas-to-particle partitioning behaviour of jet engine oils. At 300 °C a significantly higher number of particles with a mean diameter of ~10 nm are formed, leading to a more than fivefold increase in total particle numbers compared to 20 °C. Particle diameters of the newly formed oil particles in the laboratory experiment appeared in the same size region as UFPs emerging from Frankfurt Airport. Particles originating from the Frankfurt city centre direction showed larger diameters.
Results indicate that aircraft emissions strongly influence the total mass of 10-18 nm particles. The jet oil fraction decreases for bigger particles (e.g., 18-56 nm), implying that these oils form new particles in the cooling exhaust gases of aircraft engines. In addition, non-target screening and in vitro bioassays on aviation-related PM2.5 filter samples were combined to provide indications for potential toxicologically relevant compounds in dependence of different wind directions and airport operations. Most recently, the applied non-target screening method was also used to identify seasonal variations in the organic aerosol composition in Beijing.
The title compound, di-μ3-chlorido-tetra-μ2-chlorido-tetrakis(diethyl ether-κO)bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)tetramagnesium, [Mg4(C4H9)2Cl6(C4H10O)4], features an Mg4Cl6 open-cube cluster. The two four-coordinate Mg2+ ions show an almost tetrahedral coordination, whereas the two six-coordinate Mg2+ ions have their ligands in an octahedral environment. The Mg—Cl bond lengths differ depending on the coordination number (2 or 3) of the bridging μ-Cl− ligands. There are few comparable structures deposited in the Cambridge Structural Database.
HER2 belongs to the ErbB sub-family of receptor tyrosine kinases and regulates cellular proliferation and growth. Different from other ErbB receptors, HER2 has no known ligand. Activation occurs through heterodimerization with other ErbB receptors and their cognate ligands. This suggests several possible activation paths of HER2 with ligand-specific, differential response, which has so far remained unexplored. Using single-molecule tracking and the diffusion profile of HER2 as a proxy for activity, we measured the activation strength and temporal profile in live cells. We found that HER2 is strongly activated by EGFR-targeting ligands EGF and TGFα, yet with a distinguishable temporal fingerprint. The HER4-targeting ligands EREG and NRGβ1 showed weaker activation of HER2, a preference for EREG, and a delayed response to NRGβ1. Our results indicate a selective ligand response of HER2 that may serve as a regulatory element. Our experimental approach is easily transferable to other membrane receptors targeted by multiple ligands.
Der Name der Clusterinitiative SCALE steht für „Subcellular Architecture of Life“. Als einer der Frankfurter Anträge geht SCALE bei der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) ins Rennen um Fördermittel aus der Exzellenzinitiative. Die Initiatoren von SCALE wollen dabei bewusst eine traditionelle Stärke der Forschenden auf dem Campus Riedberg fortsetzen.
Ausgehend von der Frage nach literarischen Darstellungskonventionen, die zu verschiedenen historischen Zeitpunkten als Medien der Beobachtung und Reflexion von Intersektionalität und interdependenten Herrschaftsverhältnissen dienen konnten, untersucht der Beitrag das Erzählen 'vom Dorf' und 'der Provinz' als Mittel der Narration von sozialer Ungleichheit. Spätestens seit dem 19. Jahrhundert intensiviert sich eine kulturelle Stadt-Land-Dichotomie, aufgrund derer das 'Ländliche' in Abgrenzung zur urban geprägten Moderne als das rückwärtsgewandte, hierarchisch schwächere 'Andere' wahrgenommen wird. Die Zugehörigkeit zu einem ländlichen oder städtischen Umfeld entwickelt sich daher zur 'Ungleichheitskategorie', die im intersektionalen Zusammenspiel mit anderen Differenzfaktoren auftreten kann. Zugleich ist 'das Dorf' als sozialer Raum konventionell durch eine strikte Einteilung von Menschen in die Kategorien 'Einheimische' und 'Fremde' geprägt und produziert auf Basis strenger Normvorstellungen in besonderem Maße soziale Zuschreibungen der Nichtzugehörigkeit, die wiederum mit Diskriminierungskategorien wie Geschlecht, ethnische Herkunft, ökonomischer Status etc. verwoben sein können. In der literarischen Dorfgeschichte bzw. dem 'Provinzerzählen' vom 19. Jahrhundert bis in die Gegenwart dient der rurale Raum daher auf vielfältige Weise als Ort der Darstellung und Reflexion intersektionaler Formen der Diskriminierung und Ungleichheit. Demonstriert wird dies durch eine Untersuchung von Berthold Auerbachs Dorfgeschichte "Des Schloßbauers Vefele" von 1843 und Maja Haderlaps Roman "Engel des Vergessens" aus dem Jahr 2011.
Rhythmic flicker stimulation has gained interest as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases and a method for frequency tagging neural activity in human EEG/MEG recordings. Yet, little is known about the way in which flicker-induced synchronization propagates across cortical levels and impacts different cell types. Here, we used Neuropixels to simultaneously record from LGN, V1, and CA1 while presenting visual flicker stimuli at different frequencies. LGN neurons showed strong phase locking up to 40Hz, whereas phase locking was substantially weaker in V1 units and absent in CA1 units. Laminar analyses revealed an attenuation of phase locking at 40Hz for each processing stage, with substantially weaker phase locking in the superficial layers of V1. Gamma-rhythmic flicker predominantly entrained fast-spiking interneurons. Optotagging experiments showed that these neurons correspond to either PV+ or narrow-waveform Sst+ neurons. A computational model could explain the observed differences in phase locking based on the neurons’ capacitative low-pass filtering properties. In summary, the propagation of synchronized activity and its effect on distinct cell types strongly depend on its frequency.
Unser Alltag wird immer digitaler. Auch das Theater als Medium, das mit den Vorstellungen von Realität und Wirklichkeit spielen kann, greift die Virtualisierung der Realität künstlerisch auf. Susanne Kennedy und Markus Selg konfrontieren das Publikum mit einer zunächst rätselhaft wirkenden technologisierten Erscheinungsform von Theater. Sie führen es damit immer wieder an die Schwelle zwischen leiblicher und virtueller Weltwahrnehmung.
Es geht um Werbung, Betrug oder die Optimierung von Geschäftsmodellen: Verbraucherdaten sind ein kostbares Gut, das Kreditgeber und Versicherer genauso interessiert wie Händler und Kriminelle. Kai Rannenberg, Professor für Mobile Business & Multilateral Security an der Goethe-Universität, forscht zur Cybersicherheit. Dirk Frank hat mit dem Wirtschaftsinformatiker über Datenschutz, Hackerangriffe und das Auto als »Handy auf Rädern« gesprochen.
Das Gebiet der synthetischen Netzwerke boomt. Mithilfe solcher im Computer simulierten Netze werden heute so unterschiedliche Dinge wie die Verknüpfung der Neuronen im Gehirn, der Datenverkehr im Internet oder Stromnetze untersucht. Ein Forscherteam um Ulrich Meyer vom Institut für Informatik der Goethe-Universität hat nun Standardverfahren zur Erstellung solcher Netze einen wichtigen Schritt vorangebracht.
A new species of Bathynellidae is described from Colorado (USA). Hobbsinella gunnisonensis Camacho & Taylor sp. nov. displays a unique combination of morphological characters including seven-segmented antenna lacking medial seta on exopod, antennule slightly longer than antenna, three-segmented mandibular palp, four articles on endopod of thoracopods I to VII and five spines on sympod and three spines on endopod of the uropods. Partial sequences of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and 18S have been obtained from several specimens of the new species. The mitocondrial and nuclear DNA data complement the traditional morphological taxonomic description support the validity of the new species. Molecular data for the Bathynellidae demonstrate the presence of two highly divergent genetic units, with the new species placed in the genus Hobbsinella. With the description of Hobbsinella gunnisonensis Camacho & Taylor sp. nov. and its molecular characterization, we discovered an interesting distribution of the genus, which occurs in both sides of the Continental Divide (Texas and Colorado) and different habitats.