But somehow it was only television: West German Narratives of the fall of the Wall in recent novels and their screen adaptations

East Germans have long been criticised for harbouring a feeling of Ostalgie, a nostalgia for their old, Socialist state, but only recently has it become apparent that many west Germans obviously experience a similar sense of loss and longing for a seemingly simpler time before reunification. The texts that express these feelings tend to focus on the fall of the Wall as the pivotal point of change in German post-war history. Typically the characters in these books deny the significance and impact of this major political event and strive to reduce its importance, at best to a minor television moment. This attitude can be observed in the novels liegen lernen and Herr Lehmann and in their film adaptations. Despite having been accused of indulging a feeling of Westalgie, a closer analysis reveals that they are in fact deliberately provocative and challenge eastern and western stereotypes. In addition the films find ways to transport the books’ ironic narrative to the screen, and they also reinforce the authors’ implicitly critical attitude towards their characters’ political apathy by portraying the fall of the Wall in ways different to the books. The films react to the provocation voiced in the novels and function like an intertextual commentary as they integrate the opening of the border into a meaningful context for the protagonists and restore it to its historic importance.

Identification of residues controlling transport through the yeast aquaglyceroporin Fps1 using a genetic screen

Aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins mediate the transport of water and solutes across biological membranes. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fps1 is an aquaglyceroporin that mediates controlled glycerol export during osmoregulation. The transport function of Fps1 is rapidly regulated by osmotic changes in an apparently unique way and distinct regions within the long N- and C-terminal extensions are needed for this regulation. In order to learn more about the mechanisms that control Fps1 we have set up a genetic screen for hyperactive Fps1 and isolated mutations in 14 distinct residues, all facing the inside of the cell. Five of the residues lie within the previously characterized N-terminal regulatory domain and two mutations are located within the approach to the first transmembrane domain. Three mutations cause truncation of the C-terminus, confirming previous studies on the importance of this region for channel control. Furthermore, the novel mutations identify two conserved residues in the channel-forming B-loop as critical for channel control. Structural modelling-based rationalization of the observed mutations supports the notion that the N-terminal regulatory domain and the B-loop could interact in channel control. Our findings provide a framework for further genetic and structural analysis to better understand the mechanism that controls Fps1 function by osmotic changes.

Generation of primary hepatocyte microarrays by piezoelectric printing

We demonstrate a single-step method for the generation of collagen and poly-l-Lysine (PLL) micropatterns on a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) functionalized glass surface for cell based assays. The method involves establishing a reliable silanization method to create an effective non-adhesive PEG layer on glass that inhibits cell attachment, followed by the spotting of collagen or PLL solutions using non-contact piezoelectric printing. We show for the first time that the spotted protein micropatterns remain stable on the PEG surface even after extensive washing, thus significantly simplifying protein pattern formation. We found that adherence and spreading of NIH-3T3 fibroblasts was confined to PLL and collagen areas of the micropatterns. In contrast, primary rat hepatocytes adhered and spread only on collagen micropatterns, where they formed uniform, well defined functionally active cell arrays. The differing affinity of hepatocytes and NIH-3T3 fibroblasts for collagen and PLL patterns was used to develop a simple technique for creating a co-culture of the two cell types. This has the potential to form structured arrays that mimic the in vivo hepatic environment and is easily integrated within a miniaturized analytical platform for developing high throughput toxicity analysis in vitro.

Development of an e-business selection framework for manufacturing SMEs : a study of the printing industry

The aim of the research is to develop an e-business selection framework for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by integrating established techniques in planning. The research is case based, comprising four case studies carried out in the printing industry for the purpose of evaluating the framework. Two of the companies are from Singapore, while the other two are from Guangzhou, China and Jinan, China respectively. To determine the need of an e-business selection framework for SMEs, extensive literature reviews were carried out in the area of e-business, business planning frameworks, SMEs and the printing industry. An e-business selection framework is then proposed by integrating the three established techniques of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), Value Chain Analysis (VCA) and Quality Function Deployment (QFD). The newly developed selection framework is pilot tested using a published case study before actual evaluation is carried out in four case study companies. The case study methodology was chosen because of its ability to integrate diverse data collection techniques required to generate the BSC, VCA and QFD for the selection framework. The findings of the case studies revealed that the three techniques of BSC, VCA and QFD can be integrated seamlessly to complement on each other’s strengths in e-business planning. The eight-step methodology of the selection framework can provide SMEs with a step-by-step approach to e-business through structured planning. Also, the project has also provided better understanding and deeper insights into SMEs in the printing industry.

Perception while watching movies:effects of physical screen size and scene type

Over the last decade, television screens and display monitors have increased in size considerably, but has this improved our televisual experience? Our working hypothesis was that the audiences adopt a general strategy that “bigger is better.” However, as our visual perceptions do not tap directly into basic retinal image properties such as retinal image size (C. A. Burbeck, 1987), we wondered whether object size itself might be an important factor. To test this, we needed a task that would tap into the subjective experiences of participants watching a movie on different-sized displays with the same retinal subtense. Our participants used a line bisection task to self-report their level of “presence” (i.e., their involvement with the movie) at several target locations that were probed in a 45-min section of the movie “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” Measures of pupil dilation and reaction time to the probes were also obtained. In Experiment 1, we found that subjective ratings of presence increased with physical screen size, supporting our hypothesis. Face scenes also produced higher presence scores than landscape scenes for both screen sizes. In Experiment 2, reaction time and pupil dilation results showed the same trends as the presence ratings and pupil dilation correlated with presence ratings, providing some validation of the method. Overall, the results suggest that real-time measures of subjective presence might be a valuable tool for measuring audience experience for different types of (i) display and (ii) audiovisual material.

Total productive maintenance implementation in the newspaper printing industry:an action research approach

The objective of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is to maximise plant and equipment effectiveness, to create a sense of ownership for operators, and promote continuous improvement through small group activities involving production, engineering and maintenance personnel. This paper describes and analyses a case study of TPM implementation at a newspaper printing house in Singapore. However, rather than adopting more conventional implementation methods such as employing consultants or through a project using external training, a unique approach was adopted based on Action Research using a spiral of cycles of planning, acting observing and reflecting. An Action Research team of company personnel was specially formed to undertake the necessary fieldwork. The team subsequently assisted with administering the resulting action plan. The main sources of maintenance and operational data were from interviews with shop floor workers, participative observation and reviews conducted with members of the team. Content analysis using appropriate statistical techniques was used to test the significance of changes in performance between the start and completion of the TPM programme. The paper identifies the characteristics associated with the Action Research method when used to implement TPM and discusses the applicability of the approach in related industries and processes.

A loss-of-function screen reveals SNX5 and SNX6 as potential components of the mammalian retromer

The mammalian retromer is a multimeric protein complex involved in mediating endosome-to-trans-Golgi-network retrograde transport of the cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor. The retromer is composed of two subcomplexes, one containing SNX1 and forming a membrane-bound coat, the other comprising VPS26, VPS29 and VPS35 and being cargo-selective. In yeast, an additional sorting nexin--Vps17p--is a component of the membrane bound coat. It remains unclear whether the mammalian retromer requires a functional equivalent of Vps17p. Here, we have used an RNAi loss-of-function screen to examine whether any of the other 30 mammalian sorting nexins are required for retromer-mediated endosome-to-trans-Golgi-network retrieval of the cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor. Using this screen, we identified two proteins, SNX5 and SNX6, that, when suppressed, induced a phenotype similar to that observed upon suppression of known retromer components. Whereas SNX5 and SNX6 colocalised with SNX1 on early endosomes, in immunoprecipitation experiments only SNX6 appeared to exist in a complex with SNX1. Interestingly, suppression of SNX5 and/or SNX6 resulted in a significant loss of SNX1, an effect that seemed to result from post-translational regulation of the SNX1 level. Such data suggest that SNX1 and SNX6 exist in a stable, endosomally associated complex that is required for retromer-mediated retrieval of the cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor. SNX5 and SNX6 may therefore constitute functional equivalents of Vps17p in mammals.

Drug repurposing screen identifies Foxo1-dependent angiopoietin-2 regulation in sepsis

Objective: The recent withdrawal of a targeted sepsis therapy has diminished pharmaceutical enthusiasm for developing novel drugs for the treatment of sepsis. Angiopoietin-2 is an endothelial-derived protein that potentiates vascular inflammation and leakage and may be involved in sepsis pathogenesis. We screened approved compounds for putative inhibitors of angiopoietin-2 production and investigated underlying molecular mechanisms. Design: Laboratory and animal research plus prospective placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial (NCT00529139) and retrospective analysis (NCT00676897). Setting: Research laboratories of Hannover Medical School and Harvard Medical School. Patients: Septic patients/C57Bl/6 mice and human endothelial cells. Interventions: Food and Drug Administration-approved library screening. Measurements and Main Results: In a cell-based screen of more than 650 Food and Drug Administration-approved compounds, we identified multiple members of the 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor drug class (referred to as statins) that suppressed angiopoietin-2. Simvastatin inhibited 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase, which in turn activated PI3K-kinase. Downstream of this signaling, PI3K-dependent phosphorylation of the transcription factor Foxo1 at key amino acids inhibited its ability to shuttle to the nucleus and bind cis-elements in the angiopoietin-2 promoter. In septic mice, transient inhibition of angiopoietin-2 expression by liposomal siRNA in vivo improved absolute survival by 50%. Simvastatin had a similar effect, but the combination of angiopoietin-2 siRNA and simvastatin showed no additive benefit. To verify the link between statins and angiopoietin-2 in humans, we performed a pilot matched case-control study and a small randomized placebo-controlled trial demonstrating beneficial effects on angiopoietin-2. Conclusions: 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors may operate through a novel Foxo1-angiopoietin-2 mechanism to suppress de novo production of angiopoietin-2 and thereby ameliorate manifestations of sepsis. Given angiopoietin-2's dual role as a biomarker and candidate disease mediator, early serum angiopoietin-2 measurement may serve as a stratification tool for future trials of drugs targeting vascular leakage.

Validity and reliability of the Spanish version of Caregiver Abuse Screen (CASE)

Detection of elder abuse risk is a critical issue because a lot of cases remain hidden. Screening tools can be used to detect elder abuse. However, few tools have been developed for use with caregivers. The purpose was to develop a translation and adaptation of a Spanish version of the Caregiver Abuse Screen (CASE) and to assess its validity and reliability. The CASE was then used with 211 primary caregivers. Validity and reliability were evaluated, as well as the factorial structure of the instrument. This version showed good psychometric properties. It was found to have strong internal consistency and split-half reliability as well as allowing for a good replication of the original factorial structure. Additionally, several variables related to elder abuse were linked to the CASE such as depression, burden, frequency, and reactions to problem behaviors. The version developed showed sufficient validity and reliability and could be considered as a suitable instrument to assess risks of elder abuse in a Spanish-speaking context.

The application of 3D printing to study microfluidic architecture for 'on-chip' mixing systems for SRCD and UV spectroscopy

This paper details methodologies that have been explored for the fast proofing of on-chip architectures for Circular Dichroism techniques. Flow-cell devices fabricated from UV transparent Quartz are used for these experiments. The complexity of flow-cell production typically results in lead times of six months from order to delivery. Only at that point can the on-chip architecture be tested empirically and any required modifications determined ready for the next six month iteration phase. By using the proposed 3D printing and PDMS moulding techniques for fast proofing on-chip architectures the optimum design can be determined within a matter of hours prior to commitment to quartz chip production.