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The consequences of economic globalization have created a new interest in ́EmileDurkheim’s conception of an institutional and moral reorganization of modernsociety that he developed in Professional Ethics and Civic Morals. Contrary toexisting attempts to explain these political processes towards democratization, thisarticle argues for a causal analysis of social change and concentrates on the socialmechanisms that trigger the reorganization process of modern society. Two thesesare entertained. The first thesis argues that the programme of an institutional andmoral reorganization of modern society can be reanalysed as a causal process ofdemocratization. This process takes two steps. While social mechanisms of reorgan-izationbring about the institutional and moral reorganization of modern society,social mechanisms of stabilizationguarantee the functioning of the emergingdemocratic system. Further, the second thesis argues that this kind of explanationcan be applied to Durkheim’s vision of a European confederation. The analysisreveals that his idea of a ‘post-national’ constellation refers to crucial problems ofthe recent debate regarding a democratic deficit in the European Union, and itshows that Durkheim’s contribution to both political sociology and historical-comparative research has been misconceived and prematurely repudiated.
When exposed to sufficiently high electric fields, polymer-foam electret materials with closed cells exhibit ferroelectric-like behavior and may therefore be called ferroelectrets. In cellular ferroelectrets, the influence of the cell size and shape distributions on the application-relevant properties is not yet understood. Therefore, controlled inflation experiments were carried out on cellular polypropylene films, and the resulting elastical and electromechanical parameters were determined. The elastic modulus in the thickness direction shows a minimum with a corresponding maximum in the electromechanical transducer coefficient. The resonance frequency shifts as a function of the elastic modulus and the relative density of the inflated cellular films. Therefore, the transducer properties of cellular ferroelectrets can be optimized by means of controlled inflation. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics
We have undertaken a thorough dynamical investigation of five extrasolar planetary systems using extensive numerical experiments. The systems Gl 777 A, HD 72659, Gl 614, 47 Uma and HD 4208 were examined concerning the question of whether they could host terrestrial-like planets in their habitable zones (HZ). First we investigated the mean motion resonances between fictitious terrestrial planets and the existing gas giants in these five extrasolar systems. Then a fine grid of initial conditions for a potential terrestrial planet within the HZ was chosen for each system, from which the stability of orbits was then assessed by direct integrations over a time interval of 1 million years. For each of the five systems the 2-dimensional grid of initial conditions contained 80 eccentricity points for the Jovian planet and up to 160 semimajor axis points for the fictitious planet. The computations were carried out using a Lie-series integration method with an adaptive step size control. This integration method achieves machine precision accuracy in a highly efficient and robust way, requiring no special adjustments when the orbits have large eccentricities. The stability of orbits was examined with a determination of the Renyi entropy, estimated from recurrence plots, and with a more straightforward method based on the maximum eccentricity achieved by the planet over the 1 million year integration. Additionally, the eccentricity is an indication of the habitability of a terrestrial planet in the HZ; any value of e > 0.2 produces a significant temperature difference on a planet's surface between apoapse and periapse. The results for possible stable orbits for terrestrial planets in habitable zones for the five systems are: for Gl 777 A nearly the entire HZ is stable, for 47 Uma, HD 72659 and HD 4208 terrestrial planets can survive for a sufficiently long time, while for Gl 614 our results exclude terrestrial planets moving in stable orbits within the HZ. Studies such as this one are of primary interest to future space missions dedicated to finding habitable terrestrial planets in other stellar systems. Assessing the likelihood of other habitable planets, and more generally the possibility of other life, is the central question of astrobiology today. Our investigation indicates that, from the dynamical point of view, habitable terrestrial planets seem to be compatible with many of the currently discovered extrasolar systems
In this paper we present densely sampled fumarole temperature data, recorded continuously at a high-temperature fumarole of Mt. Merapi volcano (Indonesia). These temperature time series are correlated with continuous records of rainfall and seismic waveform data collected at the Indonesian - German multi-parameter monitoring network. The correlation analysis of fumarole temperature and precipitation data shows a clear influence of tropical rain events on fumarole temperature. In addition, there is some evidence that rainfall may influence seismicity rates, indicating interaction of meteoric water with the volcanic system. Knowledge about such interactions is important, as lava dome instabilities caused by heavy-precipitation events may result in pyroclastic flows. Apart from the strong external influences on fumarole temperature and seismicity rate, which may conceal smaller signals caused by volcanic degassing processes, the analysis of fumarole temperature and seismic data indicates a statistically significant correlation between a certain type of seismic activity and an increase in fumarole temperature. This certain type of seismic activity consists of a seismic cluster of several high-frequency transients and an ultra-long-period signal (< 0.002 Hz), which are best observed using a broadband seismometer deployed at a distance of 600 m from the active lava dome. The corresponding change in fumarole temperature starts a few minutes after the ultra-long-period signal and simultaneously with the high-frequency seismic cluster. The change in fumarole temperature, an increase of 5 degreesC on average, resembles a smoothed step. Fifty-four occurrences of simultaneous high-frequency seismic cluster, ultra-long period signal and increase of fumarole temperature have been identified in the data set from August 2000 to January 2001. The observed signals appear to correspond to degassing processes in the summit region of Mt. Merapi. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
It has been found in recent measurements that the singlet-to-triplet exciton ratio in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is larger than expected from spin degeneracy, and that singlet excitons form at a larger rate than triplets. We employed the technique of optically detected magnetic resonance to measure the spin-dependent exciton formation rates in films of a polymer and corresponding monomer, and explore the relation between the formation rates and the actual singlet-to-triplet ratio measured previously in OLEDs. We found that the spin-dependent exciton formation rates can indeed quantitatively explain the observed exciton yields, and that singlet formation rates and yields are significantly enhanced only in polymer OLEDs, but not in OLEDs made from the corresponding monomer
A method for construction of biosensors with membranous cytochrome P450 isoenzymes was developed based on clay/ detergent/protein mixed films. Thin films of sodium montmorillonite colloid with incorporated cytochrome P450 2134 (CYP2B4) with nonionic detergent were prepared on glassy carbon electrodes. The modified electrodes were electrochemically characterized, and bio-electrocatalytic reactions were followed. CYP2B4 can be reduced fast on clay- modified glassy carbon electrodes in the presence of the nonionic detergent Tween 80. In anaerobic solutions, reversible oxidation and reduction is obtained with a formal potential between -0.292 and - 0.305 V vs Ag/AgCl 1 M KCl depending on the preparation of the biosensor. In air-saturated solution, bio-electrocatalytic reduction currents can be obtained with the CYP2B4-modified electrode on addition of typical substrates such as aminopyrine and benzphetamine. This reaction was suppressed when methyrapone, an inhibitor of P450 reactions, was present. Measurement of product formation also indicates the bioelectrocatialysis by CYP2B4
Economy vs. history : what does actually determine the distribution of firms' locations in cities?
(2004)
Gender und Medienpädagogik
(2004)
Suppression of the keto-emission in polyfluorene light-emitting diodes : Experiments and models
(2004)
The spectral characteristics of polyfluorene (PF)-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) containing a defined low concentration of either keto-defects or of the polymer poly(9.9-octylfuorene-co-benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) are preseneted. Both types of blend layers were tested in different device configurations with respect to the relative and absolute intensities of green blue emission components. It is shown that blending hole-transporting molecules into the emission layer at low concentration or incorporation of a suitable hole-transport layer reduces the green emission contribution in the electroluminescence (EL) spectrum of the PF:F8BT blend, which is similar to what is observed for the keto- containing PF layer. We conclude that the keto-defects in PF homopolymer layers mainly constitute weakly emissive electron traps, in agreement with the results of quantum-mechanical calculations
The presence of partially folded intermediates along the folding funnel of proteins has been suggested to be a signature of potentially aggregating systems. Many studies have concluded that metastable, highly flexible intermediates are the basic elements of the aggregation process. In a previous paper, we demonstrated how the choice between aggregation and folding behavior was influenced by hydrophobicity distribution patterning along the sequence, as quantified by recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) of the Myiazawa-Jernigan coded primary structures. In the present paper, we tried to unify the "partially folded intermediate" and "hydrophobicity/charge" models of protein aggregation verifying the ability of an empirical relation, developed for rationalizing the effect of different mutations on aggregation propensity of acyl-phosphatase and based on the combination of hydrophobicity RQA and charge descriptors, to discriminate in a statistically significant way two different protein populations: (a) proteins that fold by a process passing by partially folded intermediates and (b) proteins that do not present partially folded intermediates
The roots of evil : the foundation years of anti-semitism : from the time of Bismarck to Hitler
(2004)
Based on data from a Mid-German dialect area of Dresden, this article presents research on the structure and functions of regionalized intonation. The Dresden data comes from informal conversation-like settings and illustrates a contour that is typical of the Dresden city vernacular: a contour previously named and described as the Dresden Fallbogen. An analysis of the phonetic forms and phonological structures of the contour is provided, and its use and function in conversational interactions is described. Additional methods of investigating the perception and identification of these contours by subjects in an experimental setting are also given. The article concludes with remarks about the possible relevance of this contour as a signal of identity
English and German, though genetically closely related, have undergone different developments with regard to the verbal category aspect in its interaction with aktionsart. English has grammaticalized a periphrastic construction to mark the progressisve whereas German - if at all - uses word formation to mark the perfective. This study deals with verbal prefixes, especially ge-/gi-, in the earliest attestable stages of the two languages, i.e. in Old English (King Alfred's Orosius) and Old High German (Tafan). These elements have often been considered markers of perfective aspect or aktionsart and can be compared to perfectives, which - according to Bybee/Perkins/Pagliuca (1994) - have developed from "bounders", i.e. adverbial particles to denote situation boundaries. Our analyses suggest that although there are basic similarities in the use of the various verbal constructions, the diverging paths of development with regard to aspect seem to begin already in these early stages
We remelted and analyzed crystallized silicate melt inclusions in quartz from a porphyritic albitezinnwaldite microgranite dike to determine the composition of highly evolved, shallowly intruded, Li- and F-rich granitic magma and to investigate the role of crystal fractionation and aqueous fluid exsolution in causing the extreme extent of magma differentiation. This dike is intimately associated with tin- and tungsten-mineralized granites of Zinnwald, Erzgebirge, Germany. Prior research on Zinnwald granite geochemistry was limited by the effects of strong and pervasive greisenization and alkali-feldspar metasomatism of the rocks. These melt inclusions, however, provide important new constraints on magmatic and mineralizing processes in Zinnwald magmas. The mildly peraluminous granitic melt inclusions are strongly depleted in CAFEMIC constituents (e.g., CaO, FeO, MgO, TiO2), highly enriched in lithophile trace elements, and highly but variably enriched in F and Cl. The melt inclusions contain up to several thousand ppm Cl and nearly 3 wt% F, on average; several inclusions contain more than 5 wt% F. The melt inclusions are geochemically similar to the corresponding whole-rock sample, except that the former contain much more F and less CaO, FeO, Zr, Nb, Sr, and Ba. The Sr and Ba abundances are very low implying the melt inclusions represent magma that was more evolved than that represented by the bulk rock. Relationships involving melt constituents reflect increasing lithophile-element and halogen abundances in residual melt with progressive magma differentiation. Modeling demonstrates that differentiation was dominated by crystal fractionation involving quartz and feldspar and significant quantities of topaz and F-rich zinnwaldite. The computed abundances of the latter phases greatly exceed their abundances in the rocks, suggesting that the residual melt was separated physically from phenocrysts during magma movement and evolution. Interactions of aqueous fluids with silicate melt were also critical to magma evolution. To better understand the role of halogen-charged, aqueous fluids in magmatic differentiation and in subsequent mineralization and metasomatism of the Zinnwald granites, Cl-partitioning experiments were conducted with a F-enriched silicate melt and aqueous fluids at 2,000 bar (200 MPa). The results of the experimentally determined partition coefficients for Cl and F, the compositions of fluid inclusions in quartz and other phenocrysts, and associated geochemical modeling point to an important role of magmatic-hydrothermal fluids in influencing magma geochemistry and evolution. The exsolution of halogen-charged fluids from the Li- and F- enriched Zinnwald granitic magma modified the Cl, alkali, and F contents of the residual melt, and may have also sequestered Li, Sri, and W from the melt. Many of these fluids contained strongly elevated F concentrations that were equivalent to or greater than their Cl abundances. The exsolution of F-, Cl-, Li-, +/- W- and Sn-bearing hydrothermal fluids from Zinnwald granite magmas was important in effecting the greisenizing and alkali-feldspathizing metasomatism of the granites and the concomitant mineralization
In the past academic libraries in Germany have been successfully undertaking joint endeavors toward a social and political definition of the knowledge society by cooperatively developing ways to provide information and increasing the digital forms of metadata and media. In doing so, they have unintentionally created the basis for a competitive playing field in which the individual library must establish strategic positions for success if it is to maintain viability and ensure continuous flow of resources. This article develops a framework for discussing such alternative and potentially successful strategies from the point of view of a university library
We study the behavior of time-periodic three-dimensional incompressible flows modelled by three-dimensional volume-preserving maps in the presence of a leakage. The distribution of residence times, and the chaotic saddle together with its stable and unstable invariant manifolds are described and characterized. They shed light. on typical filamentation of chaotic flows whose local stable and unstable manifolds are always of different, character (plane or line). We point out that leaking is a useful method which sheds light on typical filamentation of chaotic flows. In particular; the topology depends on the number of local expanding directions, and is the same in the leaked system as in the closed flow
The Cassini-Huygens Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) is intended to provide direct observations of dust grains with masses between 10(-19) and 10(-9) kg in interplanetary space and in the jovian and saturnian systems, to investigate their physical, chemical and dynamical properties as functions of the distances to the Sun, to Jupiter and to Saturn and its satellites and rings, to study their interaction with the saturnian rings, satellites and magnetosphere. Chemical composition of interplanetary meteoroids will be compared with asteroidal and cometary dust, as well as with Saturn dust, ejecta from rings and satellites. Ring and satellites phenomena which might be effects of meteoroid impacts will be compared with the interplanetary dust environment. Electrical charges of particulate matter in the magnetosphere and its consequences will be studied, e.g. the effects of the ambient plasma and the magnetic held on the trajectories of dust particles as well as fragmentation of particles due to electrostatic disruption. The investigation will be performed with an instrument that measures the mass, composition, electric charge, speed, and flight direction of individual dust particles. It is a highly reliable and versatile instrument with a mass sensitivity 106 times higher than that of the Pioneer 10 and I I dust detectors which measured dust in the saturnian system. The Cosmic Dust Analyzer has significant inheritance from former space instrumentation developed for the VEGA, Giotto, Galileo, and Ulysses missions. It will reliably measure impacts from as low as I impact per month up to 104 impacts per second. The instrument weighs 17 kg and consumes 12 W, the integrated time-of-flight mass spectrometer has a mass resolution of up to 50. The nominal data transmission rate is 524 bits/s and varies between 50 and 4192 bps
The (3)J(P,H) and (4)J(P,H) spin-spin coupling constants of a selected test set of organophosphorus compounds, calculated by density functional theory (DFT) methods, were found to correlate well with the experimentally measured coupling constants. The contribution of the spin-dipole (SD) term to the coupling constants was found to be negligible, and the diamagnetic and paramagnetic spin-orbit (DSO and PSO) terms cancelled each other, as in the case of J(H,H). Calculation solely of the Fermi contact (FC) term was found to be sufficient to provide good estimates of the coupling constants. In the second part of the work, the conformational equilibria and coupling constants in 2-bis(2- chloroethyl)amino-trans-octahydro-2H-1,3,2-benzoxazaphosphinine 2-oxide and its 3-methyl derivative were studied. DFT methods failed in predicting the relative stabilities of the conformations but yielded good geometries and coupling constants. Optimization of the conformations at the Moller-Plesset second-order perturbation theory (MP2) level resulted in energy differences compatible with previous experimental observations. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004)
Fe K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and Mossbauer spectra were collected on synthetic glasses of basaltic composition and of glasses on the sodium oxide-silica binary to establish a relation between the pre- edge of the XANES at the K-edge and the Fe oxidation state of depolymerised glasses. Charges of sample material were equilibrated at ambient pressure, superliquidus temperatures and oxygen fugacities that were varied over a range of about 15 orders of magnitude. Most experiments were carried out in gas-flow furnaces, either with pure oxygen, air, or different CO/CO2 mixtures. For the most reduced conditions, the samples charges were enclosed together with a pellet of the IQF oxygen buffer in an evacuated silica glass ampoule. Fe3+/SigmaFe x 100 of the samples determined by Mossbauer spectroscopy range between 0% and 100%. Position and intensity of the pre-edge centroid position vary strongly depending on the Fe oxidation state. The pre-edge centroid position and the Fe oxidation state determined by Mossbauer spectroscopy are nonlinearly related and have been fitted by a quadratic polynomial. Alternatively, the ratio of intensities measured at positions sensitive to Fe2+ and Fe3+, respectively, provides an even more sensitive method. Pre- edge intensities of the sample suite indicate average Fe co-ordination between 4 and 6 for all samples regardless of oxidation state. A potential application of the calibration given here opens the possibility of determining Fe oxidation state in glasses of similar compositions with high spatial resolution by use of a Micro-XANES setup (e.g., glass inclusions in natural minerals). (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Contemporary methods for the modification of porphyrins are presented. In association with the Third International Conference on Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines (ICPP-3) a survey of current method developments and reactivity studies is made. The review focuses on synthetic transformations of porphyrins currently in use for various applications and on functional group transformations. A brief survey of important developments covers selectively the literature from late 2001 to early 2004. Copyright (c) 2004 Society of Porphyrins C Phthalocyanines
Optical, structural and morphological properties of thin films of polyparaphenylenevinylene (PPV) formed by an alkyl sulfinyl precursor route have been studied. Thin films were fabricated on an optical glass and on quartz glass either by spin-coating of the precursor solution or by layer-by-layer deposition using Langmuir-Blodgett technique. PPV precursor films were also spin-coated on gold-coated glass in order to study thin-film optical parameters by surface plasmon spectroscopy. We have been successful in forming about 40 precursor mono layers on quartz glass by Langmuir- Blodgett technique using optimized surface pressure and dipping conditions. After thermal conversion of the precursor layers good quality fluorescent PPV films of yellow colour have been obtained. Optical characterization of the films was carried out by linear absorption and emission spectroscopy, ellipsometry, and surface plasmon spectroscopy. Structural and morphological studies on the thin films were carried out by using X-ray scattering and atomic force microscopy. Wave- guided travelling-wave laser action has been achieved in a PPV film on quartz glass. The sample was transversally pumped with picosecond laser pulses (wavelength 347.15 nm, duration 35 ps). Laser emission occurred at 550 nm for pump pulse energy densities above 1 x 10(-4) J cm(-2). (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
The situation of the German agricultural economy is currently somewhat problematic and requires transitions to sustainable development. The authors consider the network of different stakeholders in rural areas an important social resource for the transition to sustainable agriculture as the change in European and national agricultural policies requires active target groups at regional level. On the empirical basis of two case examples in East German rural areas, they studied the establishment of rural networks and their social development conditions. The study demonstrates how such regional networks must be organised and what socio-cultural contexts are shaping them. The institutionalisation of guiding principles for collaborative cooperation and the incorporation of regional networks in a framework of social environments are of significance for their formation and their ability to flexibly adapt to changing environmental conditions
In this contribution, recent advances in the theory of laser and, to a lesser extent, of scanning tunneling microscope (STM) induced cleavage of bonds between an adsorbate and a solid surface, will be reviewed. Special emphasis will be given to the quantum dynamics of electronically non-adiabatic reactions. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
The use of ground-motion-prediction equations to estimate ground shaking has become a very popular approach for seismic-hazard assessment, especially in the framework of a logic-tree approach. Owing to the large number of existing published ground-motion models, however, the selection and ranking of appropriate models for a particular target area often pose serious practical problems. Here we show how observed around-motion records can help to guide this process in a systematic and comprehensible way. A key element in this context is a new, likelihood based, goodness-of-fit measure that has the property not only to quantify the model fit but also to measure in some degree how well the underlying statistical model assumptions are met. By design, this measure naturally scales between 0 and 1, with a value of 0.5 for a situation in which the model perfectly matches the sample distribution both in terms of mean and standard deviation. We have used it in combination with other goodness-of-fit measures to derive a simple classification scheme to quantify how well a candidate ground-rnotion-prediction equation models a particular set of observed-response spectra. This scheme is demonstrated to perform well in recognizing a number of popular ground-motion models from their rock-site- recording, subsets. This indicates its potential for aiding the assignment of logic-tree weights in a consistent and reproducible way. We have applied our scheme to the border region of France, Germany, and Switzerland where the M-w 4.8 St. Die earthquake of 22 February 2003 in eastern France recently provided a small set of observed-response spectra. These records are best modeled by the ground-motion-prediction equation of Berge-Thierry et al. (2003), which is based on the analysis of predominantly European data. The fact that the Swiss model of Bay et al. (2003) is not able to model the observed records in an acceptable way may indicate general problems arising from the use of weak-motion data for strong-motion prediction
The amphiphilic poly(ampholyte) poly(N,N-diallyl-N-hexylamine-alt-maleic acid), bearing simultaneously carboxylic acids, amines and hydrocarbon side chains, was used as a matrix to stabilize inorganic ion species (anionic as well as cationic) generated in aqueous solution from Ni(NO3)(2).6H(2)O, Co(NO3)(2).6H(2)O and (NH4)2MoO(4). Drying produces hybrid organic-inorganic blends which, due to the amphiphilicity of the copolymer, exhibit supramolecular organization in the bulk. Solid state studies show that up to two moles of metal cations (alone or together with metal anions) per repeat unit of the copolymer can be blended without loss of homogeneity in the hybrid material. A systematic screening permitted the determination of the optimal conditions for the preparation of homogeneous blends. Thermal treatment of the hybrid materials produces simple and mixed nickel and/or cobalt molybdates. The alpha- as well as the P- phase were obtained, and the mixed structures are solid solutions of simple NiMoO4 and CoMoO4
14-Hydroxy-retro-retinol was previously described as an in vivo and in vitro metabolite of retinol. Furthermore, the retinoid 4-hydroxy-retinol was identified as an endogenous occurring retinoid in the amphibian organism and an in vitro metabolite of retinol. We describe in the present study that 14-hydroxy-retro-retinol and 4-hydroxy- retinol are present in normal neonatal rat serum as endogenous occurring retinoids in normal non-vitamin A supplemented mammals (rats). Both retinoids were detected in serum and liver of neonatal rats at days 3 and 11 after birth. The respective concentrations at day 11 after birth were 41.8 +/- 2.8 ng/ml (serum)/ 104 +/- 6 ng/g (liver) for 4-hydroxy- retinol and 23 +/- 4.6 ng/ml (serum)/ 285 +/- 5 ng/g (liver) for 14-hydroxy-retro-retinol. Both retinoids could not be detected in adult rat serum and liver. From our experiments important physiological functions of these retinoids during postnatal development could be postulated. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved
The Saxon granulites, the type granulite locality, were deeply buried, extremely heated and then rapidly exhumed during the Variscan Orogeny; thus their evolution differs from many granulites elsewhere. The peak-metamorphic assemblages of layered felsic-mafic granulites from a 500 m deep borehole consist of garnet, kyanite, rutile, ternary feldspar and quartz in felsic granulite, and garnet, omphacite, titanite, ternary feldspar and quartz in mafic granulite. A minimum temperature of 1000-1020degreesC, calculated from reintegrated hypersolvus feldspar in felsic and mafic granulites, is consistent with the highest temperature estimates from garnet-clinopyroxene equilibria. Various equilibria in felsic and mafic granulites record a peak pressure of about 23 kbar. Diffusion zoning and local homogenisation of minerals reflect near-isothermal decompression that preceded cooling and partial hydration at medium- to low-pressure. U-Pb dating of titanite yields an age of peak metamorphism at 340.7+/-0.8 Ma (2sigma). However, chemical inheritance from precursor rutile and post-peak Pb loss are also evident, suggesting a protolith age of 499+/-2 Ma (2sigma) and partial resetting down to an age of 333+/-2 Ma (2sigma). Rb-Sr mica ages of 333.2+/-3.3 Ma (2sigma) are interpreted as dating cooling through about 620degreesC. Hence the Saxon granulites were exhumed to the upper crust during the short period of 6-11 Ma, which corresponds to average exhumation and cooling rates of 10 mm/year and 50degreesC/Ma, respectively. Such rapid exhumation is inconsistent with recent numerical models that assume foreland- directed transport of the Saxon granulites in the lower crust followed by extensional unroofing. Instead, high-pressure rocks of the Saxon Granulite Massif and the nearby Erzgebirge experienced a buoyant rise to the middle crust and subsequent juxtaposition with structurally higher units along a series of medium- to low-pressure detachment faults
We suggest a method for suppression of synchrony in a globally coupled oscillator network, based on the time- delayed feedback via the mean field. Having in mind possible applications for suppression of pathological rhythms in neural ensembles, we present numerical results for different models of coupled bursting neurons. A theory is developed based on the consideration of the synchronization transition as a Hopf bifurcation
German accent revisited
(2004)
Xin is a protein that is expressed during early developmental stages of cardiac and skeletal muscles. Immunolocalization studies indicated a peripheral localization in embryonic mouse heart, where Xin localizes with beta- catenin and N-cadherin. In adult tissues, Xin is found primarily in the intercalated discs of cardiomyocytes and the myotendinous junctions of skeletal muscle cells, both specialized attachment sites of the myofibrillar ends to the sarcolemma. A large part of the Xin protein consists of unique 16 amino acid repeats with unknown function. We have investigated the characteristics of the Xin repeats by transfection experiments and actin-binding assays and ascertained that, upon expression in cultured cells, these repeats bind to and stabilize the actin-based cytoskeleton. In vitro co- sedimentation assays with skeletal muscle actin indicated that they not only directly bind actin filaments, but also have the capability of arranging microfilaments into networks that sediment upon low-speed centrifugation. Very similar repeats were also found in Xin-repeat protein 2' (XIRP2), a novel protein that seems to be expressed mainly in striated muscles. Human XIRP2 contains 28 Xin repeats with properties identical to those of Xin. We conclude that the Xin repeats define a novel, repetitive actin-binding motif present in at least two different muscle proteins. These Xin- repeat proteins therefore constitute the first two members of a novel family of actin-binding proteins
We propose two methods that reduce the post-nonlinear blind source separation problem (PNL-BSS) to a linear BSS problem. The first method is based on the concept of maximal correlation: we apply the alternating conditional expectation (ACE) algorithm-a powerful technique from nonparametric statistics-to approximately invert the componentwise nonlinear functions. The second method is a Gaussianizing transformation, which is motivated by the fact that linearly mixed signals before nonlinear transformation are approximately Gaussian distributed. This heuristic, but simple and efficient procedure works as good as the ACE method. Using the framework provided by ACE, convergence can be proven. The optimal transformations obtained by ACE coincide with the sought-after inverse functions of the nonlinearitics. After equalizing the nonlinearities, temporal decorrelation separation (TDSEP) allows us to recover the source signals. Numerical simulations testing "ACE-TD" and "Gauss-TD" on realistic examples are performed with excellent results
We discuss the role of gravitational excitons/radions in different cosmological scenarios. Gravitational excitons are massive moduli fields which describe conformal excitations of the internal spaces and which, due to their Planck-scale suppressed coupling to matter fields, are WIMPs. It is demonstrated that, depending on the concrete scenario, observational cosmological data set strong restrictions on the allowed masses and initial oscillation amplitudes of these particles
We investigate noise-controlled resonant response of active media to weak periodic forcing, both in excitable and oscillatory regimes. In the excitable regime, we find that noise-induced irregular wave structures can be reorganized into frequency-locked resonant patterns by weak signals with suitable frequencies. The resonance occurs due to a matching condition between the signal frequency and the noise-induced inherent time scale of the media. m:1 resonant regions similar to the Arnold tongues in frequency locking of self-sustained oscillatory media are observed. In the self-sustained oscillatory regime, noise also controls the oscillation frequency and reshapes significantly the Arnold tongues. The combination of noise and weak signal thus could provide an efficient tool to manipulate active extended systems in experiments
A statistical model describing the propensity for protein aggregation is presented. Only amino-acid hydrophobicity values and calculated net charge are used for the model. The combined effects of hydrophobic patterns as computed by the signal analysis technique, recurrence quantification, plus calculated net charge were included in a function emphasizing the effect of singular hydrophobic patches which were found to be statistically significant for predicting aggregation propensity as quantified by fluorescence studies obtained from the literature. These results suggest preliminary evidence for a mesoscopic principle for protein folding/aggregation. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
We investigate the effects of rotation on the behavior of the helium-burning shell source in accreting carbon- oxygen white dwarfs, in the context of the single degenerate Chandrasekhar mass progenitor scenario for type la supernovae (SNe Ia). We model the evolution of helium-accreting white dwarfs of initially 1 M-circle dot, assuming four different constant accretion rates (2, 3, 5 and 10 x 10(-7) M-circle dot/yr). In a one-dimensional approximation, we compute the mass accretion and subsequent nuclear fusion of helium into carbon and oxygen, as well as angular momentum accretion, angular momentum transport inside the white dwarf, and rotationally induced chemical mixing. Our models show two major effects of rotation: a) The helium-burning nuclear shell source in the rotating models is much more stable than in corresponding non-rotating models - which increases the likelihood that accreting white dwarfs reach the stage of central carbon ignition. This effect is mainly due to rotationally induced mixing at the CO/He interface which widens the shell source, and due to the centrifugal force lowering the density and degeneracy at the shell source location. b) The C/O-ratio in the layers which experience helium shell burning - which may affect the energy of an SN Ia explosion - is strongly decreased by the rotationally induced mixing of a-particles into the carbon-rich layers. We discuss implications of our results for the evolution of SNe la progenitors
We study the global singularity structure of solutions to 3-D semilinear wave equations with discontinuous initial data. More precisely, using Strichartz' inequality we show that the solutions stay conormal after nonlinear interaction if the Cauchy data are conormal along a circle. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved
The ethyl acetate extract of the stem bark of Erythrina abyssinica showed anti-plasmodial activity against the chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and chloroquine-resistant (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum with IC50 values of 7.9 +/- 1.1 and 5.3 +/- 0.7 mug/ml, respectively. From this extract, a new chalcone, 2,3,4,4'-tetrahydroxy-5- prenylchalcone (trivial name 5-prenylbutein) and a new flavanone, 4',7-dihydroxy-3'-methoxy-5'- prenylflavanone (trivial name, 5-deoxyabyssinin II) along with known flavonoids have been isolated as the anti- plasmodial principles. The structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
We demonstrate efficient single-layer polymer phosphorescent light-emitting devices based on a green-emitting iridium complex and a polymer host co-doped with electron-transporting and hole-transporting molecules. These devices can be operated at relatively low voltages, resulting in a power conversion efficiency of up to 24 lm/W at luminous efficiencies exceeding 30 cd/A. The overall performances of these devices suggest that efficient electrophosphorescent devices with acceptable operating voltages can be achieved in very simple device structures fabricated by spin coating. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics
Various authors have investigated the problem of light deflection by radially moving gravitational lenses, but the results presented so far do not appear to agree on the expected deflection angles. Some publications claim a scaling of deflection angles with 1-v to first order in the radial lens velocity v, while others obtained a scaling with 1-2 v. In this paper we generalize the calculations for arbitrary lens velocities and show that the first result is the correct one. We discuss the seeming inconsistency of relativistic light deflection with the classical picture of moving test particles by generalizing the lens effect to test particles of arbitrary velocity, including light as a limiting case. We show that the effect of radial motion of the lens is very different for slowly moving test particles and light and that a critical test particle velocity exists for which the motion of the lens has no effect on the deflection angle to first order. An interesting and not immediately intuitive result is obtained in the limit of a highly relativistic motion of the lens towards the observer, where the deflection angle of light reduces to zero. This phenomenon is elucidated in terms of moving refractive media. Furthermore, we discuss the dragging of inertial frames in the field of a moving lens and the corresponding Lense-Thirring precession. in order to shed more light on the geometrical effects in the surroundings of a moving mass. In a second part we discuss the effect of transversal motion on the observed redshift of lensed sources. We demonstrate how a simple kinematic calculation explains the effects for arbitrary velocities of the lens and test particles. Additionally we include the transversal motion of the source and observer to show that all three velocities can be combined into an effective relative transversal velocity similar to the approach used in microlensing studies
B0218 + 357 is one of the most promising systems to determine the Hubble constant from time-delays in gravitational lenses. Consisting of two bright images, which are well resolved in very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations, plus one of the most richly structured Einstein rings, it potentially provides better constraints for the mass model than most other systems. The main problem left until now was the very poorly determined position of the lensing galaxy. After presenting detailed results from classical lens modelling, we apply our improved version of the LENSCLEAN algorithm which for the first time utilizes the beautiful Einstein ring for lens modelling purposes. The primary result using isothermal lens models is a now very well defined lens position of (255 +/- 6, 119 +/- 4) mas relative to the A image, which allows the first reliable measurement of the Hubble constant from the time-delay of this system. The result of H-0 = (78 +/- 6) km s(-1) Mpc(-1) (2sigma) is very high compared with other lenses. It is, however, compatible with local estimates from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) key project and with WMAP results, but less prone to systematic errors. We furthermore discuss possible changes of these results for different radial mass profiles and find that the final values cannot be very different from the isothermal expectations. The power-law exponent of the potential is constrained by VLBI data of the compact images and the inner jet to be beta = 1.04 +/- 0.02, which confirms that the mass distribution is approximately isothermal (corresponding to beta = 1), but slightly shallower. The effect on H-0 is reduced from the expected 4 per cent decrease by an estimated shift of the best galaxy position of circa 4 mas to at most 2 per cent. Maps of the unlensed source plane produced from the best LENSCLEAN brightness model show a typical jet structure and allow us to identify the parts which are distorted by the lens to produce the radio ring. We also present a composite map which for the first time shows the rich structure of B0218 + 357 on scales ranging from mas to arcsec, both in the image plane and in the reconstructed source plane. Finally, we use a comparison of observations at different frequencies to investigate the question of possible weakening of one of the images by propagation effects and/or source shifts with frequency. The data clearly favour the model of significant 'extinction' without noticeable source position shifts. The technical details of our variant of the LENSCLEAN method are presented in the accompanying Paper I.
Background/Aims: The renal function, including the excretion of low-molecular-weight proteins, changes during pregnancy and may cause a urinary excretion of retinol-binding protein (RBP). Whether it is accompanied by a substantial loss of vitamin A ( retinol) has not been established yet. We therefore determined the excretion of retinol and RBP in urine of pregnant women. Methods: The study involved analyses of urine samples from 40 healthy pregnant women and 29 women with pregnancy complications during the third trimester. Analyses of plasma and urine of 7 healthy women and 5 women with pregnancy complications were also carried out 6 weeks antepartum, at time of delivery and 1 week postpartum. Results: Urinary retinol was higher in women who suffered from pregnancy disorders with an influence on maternal metabolism ( p < 0.01). RBP was excreted at substantial concentrations in the urine of all 69 women, but there were no differences between the groups. Women with a concomitant excretion of retinol had higher levels of urinary RBP than those without a retinol excretion ( p < 0.05). Differences in plasma retinol and RBP were not significant. Conclusion: The excretion of urinary retinol may increase significantly during pregnancy complications, which needs further clarification to which extent this condition may negatively affect the vitamin A status in such women. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel
LensClean revisited
(2004)
We discuss the LENSCLEAN algorithm which for a given gravitational lens model fits a source brightness distribution to interferometric radio data in a similar way as standard CLEAN does in the unlensed case. The lens model parameters can then be varied in order to minimize the residuals and determine the best model for the lens mass distribution. Our variant of this method is improved in order to be useful and stable even for high dynamic range systems with nearly degenerated lens model parameters. Our test case B0218 + 357 is dominated by two bright images but the information needed to constrain the unknown parameters is provided only by the relatively smooth and weak Einstein ring. The new variant of LENSCLEAN is able to fit lens models even in this difficult case. In order to allow the use of general mass models with LENSCLEAN, we develop the new method LENTIL which inverts the lens equation much more reliably than any other method. This high reliability is essential for the use as part of LENSCLEAN. Finally a new method is developed to produce source plane maps of the unlensed source from the best LENSCLEAN brightness models. This method is based on the new concept of 'dirty beams' in the source plane. The application to the lens B0218 + 357 leads to the first useful constraints for the lens position and thus to a result for the Hubble constant. These results are presented in the accompanying Paper II, together with a discussion of classical lens modelling for this system
There is concern about the lack of recruitment of Acacia trees in the Negev desert of Israel. We have developed three models to estimate the frequency of recruitment necessary for long-term population survival (i.e. positive average population growth for 1,000 years and <10% probability of extinction). Two models assume purely episodic recruitment based on the general notion that recruitment in and environments is highly episodic. They differ in that the deterministic model investigates average dynamics while the stochastic model does not. Studies indicating that recruitment episodes in and environments have been overemphasized motivated the development of the third model. This semi-stochastic model simulates a mixture of continuous and episodic recruitment. Model analysis was done analytically for the deterministic model and via running model simulations for the stochastic and semi-stochastic models. The deterministic and stochastic models predict that, on average, 2.2 and 3.7 recruitment events per century, respectively, are necessary to sustain the population. According to the semi-stochastic model, 1.6 large recruitment events per century and an annual probability of 50% that a small recruitment event occurs are needed. A consequence of purely episodic recruitment is that all recruitment episodes produce extremely large numbers of recruits (i.e. at odds with field observations), an evaluation that holds even when considering that rare events must be large. Thus, the semi- stochastic model appears to be the most realistic model. Comparing the prediction of the semi-stochastic model to field observations in the Negev desert shows that the absence of observations of extremely large recruitment events is no reason for concern. However, the almost complete absence of small recruitment events is a serious reason for concern. The lack of recruitment may be due to decreased densities of large mammalian herbivores and might be further exacerbated by possible changes in climate, both in terms of average precipitation and the temporal distribution of rain
Indium(III) chloride forms in water with potassium 1,2-dithiooxalate (dto) and potassium 1,2-dithiosquarate (dtsq) stable coordination compounds. Due to the higher bridging ability of the 1,2-dithiooxalate ligand in all cases only thiooxalate bridged binuclear complexes were found. From 1,2-dithioquadratate with an identical donor atom set mononuclear trischelates could be isolated. Five crystalline complexes, (BzlMe(3)N)(4)[(dto)(2)In(dto)In(dto)(2)] (1), (BzlPh(3)P)(4)[(dto)(2)In(dto)In(dto)(2)] (2), (BzlMe(3)N)(3)[In(dtsq)(3)] (3), (Bu4N)(3)[In(dtsq)(3)] (4) and (Ph4P)[In(dtsq)(2)(DMF)(2)] (5), have been isolated and characterized by X-ray analyses. Due to the type of the complex and the cations involved these compounds crystallize in different space groups with the following parameters: 1, monoclinic in P2(1)/c with a = 14.4035(5) Angstrom, b = 10.8141(5) Angstrom, c = 23.3698(9) Angstrom, beta = 124.664(2)degrees, and Z = 2; 2, triclinic in P (1) over bar with a = 11.3872(7) Angstrom, b = 13.6669(9) Angstrom, c = 17.4296(10) Angstrom, alpha = 88.883(5)degrees, beta = 96.763(1)degrees, gamma = 74.587(5)degrees, and Z = 1; 3, hexagonal in R3 with a = 20.6501(16) Angstrom, b = 20.6501(16) Angstrom, c = 19.0706(13) Angstrom and Z = 6; 4, monoclinic in P21/c with a = 22.7650(15) Angstrom, b = 20.4656(10) Angstrom, c = 14.4770(9) Angstrom, P
In cellular, electromechanically active polymer films, the so-called ferroelectrets, the cell size and shape distributions can be varied through a controlled inflation process. Up to now, high-pressure treatments were usually performed at elevated temperatures. There are, however, significant experimental limitations and complications if the pressure and temperature treatments are performed at the same time. Here, we demonstrate the controlled inflation of cellular polypropylene films by means of sepal-ate pressure and temperature treatments. Separate procedures are Much easier to implement. Excellent electromechanical properties were achieved with Such a two-step inflation process. The technique has significant potential for inflating large-area transducer films for electromechanical and electroacoustical applications
Piezo-, pyro- and ferroelectricity in poly (vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) copolymer films
(2004)
Thin films of poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) P(VDF-HFP) show significant electroactive properties, such as piezoelectricity, pyroelectricity and electrostriction. Suitable polar P(VDF-HFP) copolymer films can be prepared by melt-pressing or solution-casting. Dipolar orientation causes the macroscopic polarization and thus also the symmetry breaking necessary for electroactive properties. We discuss the polarization build-up in thin, stretched and non-stretched, films of P(VDF-HFP) copolymer with a HFP content of 15%. Poling currents measured in-situ during electric poling are analyzed and the polarization is calculated. Suitable electric poling leads to hysteresis phenomena of the polarization as a function of the electric field as well as to significant polarization during switching experiments. Our results indicate dipolar orientation also in non-stretched P(VDF-HFP) films
When we think of extremophiles, organisms adapted to extreme environments, prokaryotes come to mind first. However, the unicellular red micro-alga Galdieria sulphuraria (Cyanidiales) is a eukaryote that can represent up to 90% of the biomass in extreme habitats such as hot sulfur springs with pH values of 0-4 and temperatures of up to 56 degreesC. This red alga thrives autotrophically as well as heterotrophically on more than 50 different carbon sources, including a number of rare sugars and sugar alcohols. This biochemical versatility suggests a large repertoire of metabolic enzymes, rivaled by few organisms and a potentially rich source of thermo-stable enzymes for biotechnology. The temperatures under which this organism carries out photosynthesis are at the high end of the range for this process, making G. sulphuraria a valuable model for physical studies on the photosynthetic apparatus. In addition, the gene sequences of this living fossil reveal much about the evolution of modern eukaryotes. Finally, the alga tolerates high concentrations of toxic metal ions such as cadmium, mercury, aluminum, and nickel, suggesting potential application in bioremediation. To begin to explore the unique biology of G. sulphuraria, 5270 expressed sequence tags from two different cDNA libraries have been sequenced and annotated. Particular emphasis has been placed on the reconstruction of metabolic pathways present in this organism. For example, we provide evidence for (i) a complete pathway for lipid A biosynthesis; (ii) export of triose-phosphates from rhodoplasts; (iii) and absence of eukaryotic hexokinases. Sequence data and additional information are available at http://genomics.msu.edu/galdieria
Our aim was to assess the psychosocial well-being of asthmatic children and adolescents, the influencing factors, and to determine the effect of inpatient rehabilitation on their quality of life; 226 asthmatic children and adolescents participated in the inpatient rehabilitation (IG). The comparison group (CG) included 92 asthmatic children and adolescents receiving standard medical treatments. Patients were aged between 8 and 16 years and were predominantly male. The health-related quality of life was measured with the German version of the "Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire." Interviews were carried out for IG 2 weeks before the commencement of their inpatient stay and 1 year after their stay ended. The same time schedule was carried out for CG. All patients reported a mild to moderate impairment of their quality of life. Girls described a slightly lower quality of life than boys. With increasing asthma severity, quality of life decreased. Inpatients described a lower quality of life than CG at enrollment. Inpatient rehabilitation resulted in a greater improvement of quality of life over time for IG than for CG. Gender and severity status had no effect on this time course. The only modestly affected quality of life may reflect the good adaptation to the disease and medical treatment. Children and adolescents in the IG recorded improvements in their quality of life. Differences in quality of life based on gender and disease severity were not shown to influence the improvements. In summary, inpatient rehabilitation results in an improvement of health-related quality of life. Further research concerning the psychosocial situation of children and adolescents in this setting is needed
We review the problem of estimating parameters and unobserved trajectory components from noisy time series measurements of continuous nonlinear dynamical systems. It is first shown that in parameter estimation techniques that do not take the measurement errors explicitly into account, like regression approaches, noisy measurements can produce inaccurate parameter estimates. Another problem is that for chaotic systems the cost functions that have to be minimized to estimate states and parameters are so complex that common optimization routines may fail. We show that the inclusion of information about the time-continuous nature of the underlying trajectories can improve parameter estimation considerably. Two approaches, which take into account both the errors-in-variables problem and the problem of complex cost functions, are described in detail: shooting approaches and recursive estimation techniques. Both are demonstrated on numerical examples
The quasar HE 0047-1756, at z = 1.67, is found to be split into two images 1."144 apart by an intervening galaxy acting as a gravitational lens. The flux ratio for the two components is roughly 3.5:1, depending slightly upon wavelength. The lensing galaxy is seen on images obtained in the i (800 nm) and K-s bands (2.1 mum); there is also a nearby faint object which may be responsible for some shear. The spectra of the two quasar images are nearly identical, but the emission line ratio between the two components scale differently from the continuum. Moreover, the fainter component has a bluer continuum slope than the brighter one. We argue that these small differences are probably due to microlensing. There is evidence for a partial Einstein ring emanating from the brighter image toward the fainter one
Cross-sections for ground and excited state absorptions of the charge transfer system 3-(3-tert- butoxycarbonylamino-propyl)-4'-pyren-1-yl-biphenyl-2,5-dicarbo xylicacid dimethyl ester (Py-C) are determined from nonlinear absorption and fluorescence measurements as a function of solvent. While in non-polar solvents no stable charge transfer (CT) state occurs after optical excitation, in polar solvents the CT state is stabilized. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Ferrocenyl macrocyclic conjugates involving 22pi oxasmaragdyrins and 18pi oxacorroles have been synthesized and characterized. The direct covalent linkage of the ferrocenyl moiety to the meso position of the macrocycle is achieved by simple oxidative coupling of appropriate precursors with trifluoroacetic acid as catalyst. The electronic coupling between the ferrocenyl moiety and the macrocyclic pi system is apparent from: a) the red shifts (293-718 cm(-1)) of the Soret and Q-bands in the electronic absorption spectra of ferrocenyl conjugates; b) the shift of oxidation potentials (50 130 mV) of both the ferrocene and the corrole rings to the positive potentials; and c) considerable shortening of the C-C bond which connects the ferrocene and the meso-carbon atom of the macrocycle. The single-crystal X-ray structure of oxasmaragdyrin-ferrocene conjugate 9 reveals the planarity of the 22pi skeleton with very small deviations of the meso-carbon atoms. The meso-ferrocenyl substituent has a small dihedral angle of 38degrees, making way for mixing of the molecular orbitals of the ferrocene and the macrocycle. However, the other two meso substituents are almost perpendicular to the mean plane, defined by the three meso carbon atoms. Classical C-(HO)-O-... and nonclassical C- H(...)pi interactions lead to a two-dimensional supramolecular network. Ferrocene-smaragdyrin conjugate 9 bonds to a chloride ion in the protonated form and a rhodium(i) ion in the free base form. Nonlinear optical measurements reveal a larger nonlinear refractive index (-5.83 x 10(-8) cm(2) W-1) and figure of merit (2.28 x 10(-8) cm(3)W(-1)) for the rhodium smaragdyrin-ferrocene conjugate 19 than for the others, suggesting its possible application in optical devices
Predicting evolution of floral traits associated with mating system in a natural plant population
(2004)
Evolution of floral traits requires that they are heritable, that they affect fitness, and that they are not constrained by genetic correlations. These prerequisites have only rarely been examined in natural populations. For Mimulus guttatus, we found by using the Riska-method that corolla width, anther length, ovary length and number of red dots on the corolla were heritable in a natural population. Seed production (maternal fitness) was directly positively affected by corolla width and anther size, and indirectly so by ovary length and number of red dots on the corolla. The siring success (paternal fitness), as estimated from allozyme data, was directly negatively affected by anther-stigma separation, and indirectly so by the corolla length-width ratio. Genetic correlations, estimated with the Lynch-method, were positive between floral size measures. We predict that larger flowers with larger reproductive organs, which generally favour outcrossing, will evolve in this natural population of M. guttatus
Unstable dimension variability is a mechanism whereby an invariant set of a dynamical system, like a chaotic attractor or a strange saddle, loses hyperbolicity in a severe way, with serious consequences on the shadowability properties of numerically generated trajectories. In dynamical systems possessing a variable parameter, this phenomenon can be triggered by the bifurcation of an unstable periodic orbit. This Letter aims at discussing the possible types of codimension-one bifurcations leading to unstable dimension variability in a two-dimensional map, presenting illustrative examples and displaying numerical evidences of this fact by computing finite-time Lyapunov exponents. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Background Bringing up children with atopic dermatitis (AD) is widely perceived as being stressful because parenting demands considerable time and energy. There have been only a few studies to assess the extent of problems experienced by the parents. Objective To assess the psychosocial well-being of parents caring for a young child with AD and to examine the relationship between parental quality of life and disease-related and sociodemographic variables. Methods One hundred and eighty-seven parents of young children with AD attending an inpatient rehabilitation clinic participated in the study. At admission, parents completed a set of questionnaires (assessing health-related quality of life, coping with the disease, family functioning). Dermatologists assessed disease severity using the severity scoring of AD index (SCORAD). Results In general, parents cope well with their situation. Compared with normal values, high rates of psychological distress were observed in a subsample of parents of children with AD. Parents of children with a higher severity of disease reported a significantly higher impact on family functioning, a greater financial burden and a higher level of disease management. Parental disease management could be predicted by the familial situation, their personal well-being and the severity of disease of their child. Differences attributed to their child's gender or age were not observed. Conclusions Childhood AD has a profound impact on the emotional and social well-being of many of the parents. The results underline the importance of psychological treatment approaches designed to increase parental well-being and ability to cope with stress and social strain
We describe enzymological and structural analyses of the interaction between the family 18 chitinase ChiB from Serratia marcescens and the designed inhibitor N,N'-diacetylchitobionoxime-N-phenylcarbamate (HM508). HM508 acts as a competitive inhibitor of this enzyme with a K-i in the 50 muM range. Active site mutants of ChiB show K-i values ranging from 1 to 200 muM, providing insight into some of the interactions that determine inhibitor affinity. Interestingly, the wild type enzyme slowly degrades HM508, but the inhibitor is essentially stable in the presence of the moderately active D142N mutant of ChiB. The crystal structure of the D142N-HM508 complex revealed that the two sugar moieties bind to the -2 and -1 subsites, whereas the phenyl group interacts with aromatic side chains that line the +1 and +2 subsites. Enzymatic degradation of HM508, as well as a Trp-->Ala mutation in the +2 subsite of ChiB, led to reduced affinity for the inhibitor, showing that interactions between the phenyl group and the enzyme contribute to binding. Interestingly, a complex of enzymatically degraded HM508 with the wild type enzyme showed a chitobiono-delta- lactone bound in the -2 and -1 subsites, despite the fact that the equilibrium between the lactone and the hydroxy acid forms in solution lies far toward the latter. This shows that the active site preferentially binds the E-4 conformation of the -1 sugar, which resembles the proposed transition state of the reaction
Pectins are major components of primary plant cell walls and the seed mucilage of Arabidopsis. Despite progress in the structural elucidation of pectins, only very few enzymes participating in or regulating their synthesis have been identified. A first candidate gene involved-in the synthesis of pectinaceous rhamnogalacturonan I is RHM2, a putative plant ortholog to NDP-rhamnose biosynthetic enzymes in bacteria. Expression studies with a promoter beta-glucuronidase construct and reverse transcription PCR data show that RHM2 is expressed ubiquitously. Rhm2 T-DNA insertion mutant lines were identified using a reverse genetics approach. Analysis of the rhm2 seeds by various staining methods and chemical analysis of the mucilage revealed a strong reduction of rhamnogalacturonan I in the mucilage and a decrease of its molecular weight. In addition, scanning electron microscopy of the seed surface indicated a distorted testa morphology, illustrating not only a structural but also a developmental role for RGI or rhamnose metabolism in proper testa formation
In the years following German reunification, East and West German parents (282 mothers and 207 fathers) were interviewed about attitudes to the rearing of their 7- to 13-year-old children and about their social networks. Path analyses show that East German parents engage in more protective and less permissive parenting, and that East German fathers raise their children in a more traditional and authoritarian manner than their West German counterparts. In part, these differences can be attributed to the strong family orientation of East German parents (many and intensive kinship relations, few friends). Further analyses show that corollaries of the social upheavals in East Germany, namely closer cohesion of the immediate family and a decrease in the social support provided by the extrafamilial environment, are associated with protective attitudes to parenting and hence with the tendency to limit children's freedom of decision-making
We present spatially resolved spectrophotometric observations of multiply imaged QSOs, using the Potsdam Multi- Aperture Spectrophotometer (PMAS), with the intention to search for spectral differences between components indicative of either microlensing or dust extinction. For the quadruple QSO HE 0435-1223 we find that the continuum shapes are indistinguishable, therefore differential extinction is negligible. The equivalent widths of the broad emission lines are however significantly different, and we argue that this is most likely due to microlensing. Contrariwise, the two components of the well-known object UM 673 have virtually identical emission line properties, but the continuum slopes differ significantly and indicate different dust extinction along both lines of sight
In this letter, elastic properties of highly anisotropic cellular poly(propylene) films are reported. The material shows peculiar elastic properties compared to other foams in the literature. The data is displayed as the relative Young's modulus E*/E-s versus relative density rho*/rho(s). Almost all the data from the literature are located on the region E*/E-s = (rho*/rho(s))(n) with 1 less than or equal to n less than or equal to 6. The introduced material on the other hand has lower relative Young's modulus at high relative densities, n greater than or equal to 6. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved