Gefälschte Identität oder Sehnsucht nach Exotik

Auch im Kopieren fremder Vorbilder bleibt Architektur auf technische, materielle und ökonomische Aspekte der Gesellschaft bezogen, in der sie entsteht. Dies unterscheidet "Immobilien"-Architekturen von Produkten, die weltweit verschickt und gehandelt werden. Die Übernahme westlicher, aber auch eigener historischer Architekturvorbilder im chinesischen Immobilenmarkt ist insofern ein Anzeiger für spezifische Bedürfnisse und für ein spezielles Verständnis von Kopie. Die Vermarktung westlicher Architekturkopien ist die Inszenierung einer als fortschrittlich empfunden Lebenswelt, die sich aus dem Umfeld der allgemeinen Entwicklung abhebt und damit exotisch und begehrenswert wirkt. Dabei kommt zum Tragen, dass Architektur in China traditionell nicht als Kunst angesehen, sondern in den Zünften der Handwerker weitergegeben wurde. Das kommunistische Regime tat über Jahrzehnte ein übriges zur Anonymisierung der Entwurfspraxis. Erst seit den letzten Jahren entwickelt sich in China eine Architekturszene, die sowohl die eigene Tradition wie die globale Entwicklung im Blickfeld hat.

Software Engineering for Self-Adaptive Systems: A Second Research Roadmap

The goal of this roadmap paper is to summarize the state-of-the-art and identify research challenges when developing, deploying and managing self-adaptive software systems. Instead of dealing with a wide range of topics associated with the field, we focus on four essential topics of self-adaptation: design space for self-adaptive solutions, software engineering processes for self-adaptive systems, from centralized to decentralized control, and practical run-time verification & validation for self-adaptive systems. For each topic, we present an overview, suggest future directions, and focus on selected challenges. This paper complements and extends a previous roadmap on software engineering for self-adaptive systems published in 2009 covering a different set of topics, and reflecting in part on the previous paper. This roadmap is one of the many results of the Dagstuhl Seminar 10431 on Software Engineering for Self-Adaptive Systems, which took place in October 2010.

Three-dimensional structure of tropism-switching Bordetella bacteriophage.

Bacteriophage BPP-1, which infects Bordetella species, can switch its specificity by mutations to the ligand-binding surface of its major tropism-determinant protein, Mtd. This targeted mutagenesis results from the activity of a phage-encoded diversity-generating retroelement. Purified Mtd binds its receptor with low affinity, yet BPP-1 binding and infection of Bordettella cells are efficient because of high-avidity binding between phage-associated Mtd and its receptor. Here, using an integrative approach of three-dimensional (3D) structural analyses of the entire phage by cryo-electron tomography and single-prticle cryo-electron microscopy, we provide direct localization of Mtd in the phage and the structural basis of the high-avidity binding of the BPP-1 phage. Our structure shows that each BPP-1 particle has a T = 7 icosahedral head and an unusual tail apparatus consisting of a short central tail "hub," six short tail spikes, and six extended tail fibers. Subtomographic averaging of the tail fiber maps revealed a two-lobed globular structure at the distal end of each long tail fiber. Tomographic reconstructions of immuno-gold-labeled BPP-1 directly localized Mtd to these globular structures. Finally, our icosahedral reconstruction of the BPP-1 head at 7A resolution reveals an HK97-like major capsid protein stabilized by a smaller cementing protein. Our structure represents a unique bacteriophage reconstruction with its tail fibers and ligand-binding domains shown in relation to its tail apparatus. The localization of Mtd at the distal ends of the six tail fibers explains the high avidity binding of Mtd molecules to cell surfaces for initiation of infection.

History of Medicine Schedule and Abstracts 2009-2010

From Genes to Genome: An historical perspective (David Wheeler) Ignaz Semmelweis: Medical Prophet Without Honor (Ronald L. Young) Why Lewis Thomas, MD is Not a Bore: The Life of a Biology Watcher (Steven Greenberg) Doctors from Hell: The Horrific Account of Nazi Experiments on Humans (Vivien Spitz) Illuminating Autism: Passing the Torch from the Twentieth Century (Student Essay Contest Winners) (Lynn Yudofsky) Healing Beyond Hippocrates: The Temples of Asclepius and Public Health Care in Ancient Greece (Andrew Baldwin) Iron Wills and Iron Lungs: The Polio Years in Texas (Heather Green Wooten) William Osler and the Inspirational Uses of History (Michael Bliss) Working Too Hard and Achieving Too Much: The Cost of Being Harvey Cushing (Michael Bliss) Medicine in Ancient Egypt (Gene Boisaubin) The History of Diabetes (Jeff Unger)

THE ISOLATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF O-ACETYLATED SIALIC ACIDS ON HUMAN CELLS (NEURAMINIC ACIDS, PAPER CHROMATOGRAPHY, HUMAN MALIGNANCY, BIOSYNTHETIC LABELING)

Unlike most carbohydrates, sialic acids have a restricted distribution in nature, being present in higher animals and in certain bacteriae. Unfortunately, most studies have not taken into account the fact that the parent sialic acid molecules, N-acetyl(or N-glycolyl)-neuraminic acid can be O-substituted at the 4, 7, 8 and 9 positions, generating many compounds and isomers. The approach and results of this research study demonstrates that proportions of non-, mono-, di-, and tri-O-acetylated sialic acids can be identified and quantitated on normal and malignant human cells. This was accomplished using a paper chromatographic technique to isolate and resolve individual species of non and O-substituted sialic acids. The chemical nature of these O-substituents, as an acetyl ester, was determined on the basis of chemical degradation, enzymatic and fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry analysis.^ The working hypothesis of this study, that O-acetylated sialic acids are expressed in a restricted manner on normal and malignant cells, was confirmed using the above experimental approach; which identified mono-, di-, and tri-O-acetylated sialic acids on a variety of normal and malignant human cells. These O-acetylated sialic acids were expressed in restricted manner on subpopulations and subcellular fractions of PHL melanoma cells. Aberrant expression of O-acetylated sialic acids was associated with adenocarcinoma of the colon, leading to a nearly complete loss of di- and tri-O-acetylated sialic acids.^ Thus, the ability to isolate and identify biosynthetically radiolabeled O-acetylated sialic acids offers an efficient method of monitoring the expression of O-acetylated sialic acids in biochemical and cellular interactions. Furthermore, the ability to identify abnormal ratios of O-acetylated sialic acids in the human colon, represents a possible diagnostic tool to evaluate and identify patients who may be genetically or culturally predisposed to the development of adenocarcinoma of the colon. ^

Softening the Lower Crust: Modes of Syn-Transport Transposition Around and Adjacent to a Deep Crustal Granulite Nappe, Parry Sound Domain, Grenville Province, Ontario, Canada

The Parry Sound domain is a granulite nappe-stack transported cratonward during reactivation of the ductile lower and middle crust in the late convergence of the Mesoproterozoic Grenville orogeny. Field observations suggest the following with respect to the ductile sheath: (1) Formation of a carapace of transposed amphibolite facies gneiss derived from and enveloping the western extremity of the Parry Sound domain and separating it from high-strain gneiss of adjacent allochthons. This ductile sheath formed dynamically around the moving granulite nappe through the development of systems of progressively linked shear zones. (2) Transposition initiated by hydration (amphibolization) of granulite facies gneiss by introduction of fluid along cracks accompanying pegmatite emplacement. Shear zones nucleated along pegmatite margins and subsequently linked and rotated. The source of the pegmatites was most likely subjacent migmatitic and pegmatite-rich units or units over which Parry Sound domain was transported. Comparison of gneisses of the ductile sheath with high-strain layered gneiss of adjacent allochthons show the mode of transposition of penetratively layered gneiss depended on whether or not the gneiss protoliths were amphibolite or granulite facies tectonites before initiation of transposition, resulting in, e.g., folding before shearing, no folding before shearing, respectively. Meter-scale truncation along high-strain gradients at the margins of both types of transposition-related shear zones observed within and marginal to Parry Sound domain mimic features at kilometer scales, implying that apparent truncation by transposition originating in a manner similar to the ductile sheath may be a common feature of deep crustal ductile reworking. Citation: Culshaw, N., C. Gerbi, and J. Marsh (2010), Softening the lower crust: Modes of syn-transport transposition around and adjacent to a deep crustal granulite nappe, Parry Sound domain, Grenville Province, Ontario, Canada, Tectonics, 29, TC5013, doi:10.1029/2009TC002537.

Quantifying the improvement in sepsis diagnosis, documentation, and coding: the marginal causal effect of year of hospitalization on sepsis diagnosis.

PURPOSE To quantify the coinciding improvement in the clinical diagnosis of sepsis, its documentation in the electronic health records, and subsequent medical coding of sepsis for billing purposes in recent years. METHODS We examined 98,267 hospitalizations in 66,208 patients who met systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria at a tertiary care center from 2008 to 2012. We used g-computation to estimate the causal effect of the year of hospitalization on receiving an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification discharge diagnosis code for sepsis by estimating changes in the probability of getting diagnosed and coded for sepsis during the study period. RESULTS When adjusted for demographics, Charlson-Deyo comorbidity index, blood culture frequency per hospitalization, and intensive care unit admission, the causal risk difference for receiving a discharge code for sepsis per 100 hospitalizations with systemic inflammatory response syndrome, had the hospitalization occurred in 2012, was estimated to be 3.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.8%-4.0%), 3.4% (95% CI, 3.3%-3.5%), 2.2% (95% CI, 2.1%-2.3%), and 0.9% (95% CI, 0.8%-1.1%) from 2008 to 2011, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Patients with similar characteristics and risk factors had a higher of probability of getting diagnosed, documented, and coded for sepsis in 2012 than in previous years, which contributed to an apparent increase in sepsis incidence.

Superorganism resilience: eusociality and susceptibility of ecosystem service providing insects to stressors

Insects provide crucial ecosystem services for human food security and maintenance of biodiversity. Therefore, major declines in wild insects combined with losses of managed bees have raised great concern. Recent data suggest that honey bees appear to be less susceptible to stressors compared to other species. Here, we argue that eusociality plays a key role for the susceptibility of insects to environmental stressors due to superorganism resilience, which can be defined as the ability to tolerate the loss of somatic cells (= workers) as long as the germ line (= reproduction) is maintained. Life history and colony size appear critical for such resilience. Future conservation efforts should take superorganism resilience into account to safeguard ecosystem services by insects.

Physiogenomic Analysis of Weight Loss Induced by Dietary Carbohydrate Restriction

ABSTRACT : BACKGROUND : Diets that restrict carbohydrate (CHO) have proven to be a successful dietary treatment of obesity for many people, but the degree of weight loss varies across individuals. The extent to which genetic factors associate with the magnitude of weight loss induced by CHO restriction is unknown. We examined associations among polymorphisms in candidate genes and weight loss in order to understand the physiological factors influencing body weight responses to CHO restriction. METHODS : We screened for genetic associations with weight loss in 86 healthy adults who were instructed to restrict CHO to a level that induced a small level of ketosis (CHO ~10% of total energy). A total of 27 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected from 15 candidate genes involved in fat digestion/metabolism, intracellular glucose metabolism, lipoprotein remodeling, and appetite regulation. Multiple linear regression was used to rank the SNPs according to probability of association, and the most significant associations were analyzed in greater detail. RESULTS : Mean weight loss was 6.4 kg. SNPs in the gastric lipase (LIPF), hepatic glycogen synthase (GYS2), cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and galanin (GAL) genes were significantly associated with weight loss. CONCLUSION : A strong association between weight loss induced by dietary CHO restriction and variability in genes regulating fat digestion, hepatic glucose metabolism, intravascular lipoprotein remodeling, and appetite were detected. These discoveries could provide clues to important physiologic adaptations underlying the body mass response to CHO restriction.

Mortgage Lending in Chicago and Los Angeles: A Paired Testing Study of the Pre-Application Process

This paper analyzes data from a recently completed study of discrimination against African-American and Hispanic homebuyers when they visit mortgage lending institutions in two major metropolitan markets to make pre-application inquiries. It represents the first application of paired testing to rigorously measure discrimination in the mortgage lending process. The paired tests isolated significant levels of differential treatment on the basis of race and ethnicity in Chicago with African Americans and Hispanics receiving less information and assistance than comparable whites. Adverse treatment of African-Americans and Hispanics is also observed in Los Angeles for specific treatments, but the overall pattern of treatment observed did not differ statistically from equal treatment. Multivariate analyses for Chicago indicate that large lenders treat minorities more favorably than small lenders and that lenders with substantial numbers of applications from African-Americans treat African Americans more favorably than lenders with predominantly white application pools.