3,297 research outputs found

    The Network of Innovators in Jena: An Application of Social Network Analysis

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    We apply social network analysis methods to describe the evolution of the innovator network of Jena, Germany in the period from 1995 to 2001. We find this evolution to be directed towards an increasing focus on core competencies of the local innovation system. Further we analyze the network resulting from R&D cooperations and explain - by means of network regression techniques - that the job mobility of scientists and the technological overlap between the actors, rather than past cooperations, can best predict the resulting structure. We also observe an increasing importance of the university while the former "Kombinate" begin to lose their prominent role.Innovator Networks, Network Regression, Local Innovation Systems, R+D Cooperation, Research University

    Rozpor ako východisko, láska ako smer u Simone Weilovej (Contradiction as base, Love as direction in writings of Simone Weil)

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    Article is explaining contradiction and love, Simone Weil‘s essential terms of hermeneutics of human Being. It introduces close relation of these terms with her understanding of God as well as with her overall concept of religion. Author also mentions Simone Weil‘s inspirations with philosophical and spiritual concepts of the East

    Proton pumping bo3 oxidase from Vitreoscilla

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    Membrane bound heme-copper oxidases reduce oxygen to water, using the released energy for vectorial proton transport across the membrane. Both reactions contribute to the generation of the proton motive force by electrogenic proton and electron transfer reactions across the membrane. These reactions are tightly coupled and precisely orchestrated to ensure energy conservation and suppression of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) production. Experimental discrimination between protons required for oxygen reduction and pumped protons is typically not possible. Therefore, a terminal oxidase pumping a different ion than protons would provide an elegant system to study mechanistic aspects of these intricate pumps. The group of Webster described a sodium pumping quinol oxidase in the bacterium Vitreoscilla, but no further studies have been described with this enzyme. Our aim was thus to isolate, purify and analyse the properties of the Vitriocilla quinol oxidase to see, if it could be used a model system to elucidate the pumping mechanism using single turnover measurements with the flow-flash technique. We successfully cloned, heterologously expressed and purified the enzyme in E. coli. To our disappointment, we could neither observe sodium dependency of the enzymatic activity nor sodium pumping of the protein in inverted membrane vesicles, purified protein in detergent, or the enzyme reconstituted into proteoliposomes. Instead, we conducted several experiments that directly show proton pumping by the Vitreoscilla cytochrome bo, as compared with the related enzyme of E. coli

    Rapid Electron Transfer within the III-IV Supercomplex in CorynebacteriumCorynebacterium glutamicumglutamicum

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    Complex III in C. glutamicum has an unusual di-heme cyt. c1 and it co-purifies with complex IV in a supercomplex. Here, we investigated the kinetics of electron transfer within this supercomplex and in the cyt. aa3 alone (cyt. bc1 was removed genetically). In the reaction of the reduced cyt. aa3 with O2, we identified the same sequence of events as with other A-type oxidases. However, even though this reaction is associated with proton uptake, no pH dependence was observed in the kinetics. For the cyt. bc1-cyt. aa3 supercomplex, we observed that electrons from the c-hemes were transferred to CuA with time constants 0.1–1 ms. The b-hemes were oxidized with a time constant of 6.5 ms, indicating that this electron transfer is rate-limiting for the overall quinol oxidation/O2 reduction activity (~210 e−/s). Furthermore, electron transfer from externally added cyt. c to cyt. aa3 was significantly faster upon removal of cyt. bc1 from the supercomplex, suggesting that one of the c-hemes occupies a position near CuA. In conclusion, isolation of the III-IV-supercomplex allowed us to investigate the kinetics of electron transfer from the b-hemes, via the di-heme cyt. c1 and heme a to the heme a3-CuB catalytic site of cyt. aa3

    “I beg you to tell me what has become of Djamila”: The Political Mobilization of Simone de Beauvoir’s Readers During the Boupacha Affair

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    By Sophia Millman This is a condensed version of a Masters thesis dedicated to the political mobilization of Simone de Beauvoir’s readers. The citations from the letters were translated from French by the author. *** On June 2, 1960, the French government ordered all copies of the daily Algiers edition of Le Monde seized and destroyed to suppress the publication of Simone de Beauvoir’s article “Pour Djamila Boupacha.” Beauvoir, a self-professed “woman of letters”, not “of action[1]”, and one ..

    A comparative study of form and theology in the works of Flannery O'Connor and Simone Weil

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    In this comparative study of the form and theology of Flannery O'Connor and Simone Weil I interrogate how Weil's philosophical writings and her theology illuminate O'Connor's use of both narrative and non-fictional forms, and her Catholicism. The Introduction analyses how Weil's concept of superposed reading provides a new method of approaching both O'Connor, her writings, and O'Connor studies, and focuses on how such apparently different women interconnect. Chapter One explores how both Weil and O'Connor attempt to write their theologies on the souls of their readers yet are each subject to constraints imposed by form. Weil's concept of locating equilibrium between incommensurates is discussed, and her distinctively philosophical approach to fictions and fictionality is used to investigate O'Connor's notion of prophetic fictions and the writer's role. Chapter Two assesses how both writers revivify Christian paradoxes. Weil's monstrous concept of affiiction, and O'Connor's use of the grotesque genre to jolt secular man into an awareness of the sacred are scrutinised. Chapter Three studies how both writers consider an encounter between God and man is possible through the action of grace. My Conclusion interrogates how Weil's work can deepen our understanding of O'Connor's writings, and examines how successful O'Connor is at realising a truly Christian literature. I conclude that despite being a writer of powerful fictions, O'Connor can not be totally successful in her mission as writer-prophet because ultimately fiction escapes orthodoxy

    Public Research in Regional Networks of Innovators: A Comparative Study of Four East-German Regions

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    Universities and public research organizations are said to be an integrative and essential element of a functioning innovation system as they play a vital role not only in the generation of new technological knowledge, but also in its diffusion. We analyse four East German local networks of innovators which differ in structure and innovative performance and investigate the characteristic role of public research within these local systems by applying methods of social network analysis. Our results show that universities and non-university institutions of public research are key actors in all regional networks of innovators both in terms of patent output and in terms of centrality of their position in the networks. Further we find the 'thicker' networks to have more central public research organizations. Higher centrality of public research compared to private actors may be due to the fact that universities are explicitly designed to give away their knowledge and that they increasingly face the need to raise external funds.Innovator Networks; Public research; R+D Cooperation; Mobility

    Rapid Electron Transfer within the III-IV Supercomplex in Corynebacterium glutamicum. And the bo3 quinol oxidase of vitreoscilla.

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    The gram positive soil bacterium Corynebacterium glutamicum does not harbor any water-soluble cytochrome (cyt.) c. However, complex III of the respiratory chain has a di-heme cyt. c (called here cyt. bcc). In addition, the cyt. bcc-complex co-purifies with cytochrome c oxidase (CytcO), which suggests that the two respiratory enzymes form a supercomplex. Here, we investigated the kinetics of electron transfer within the putative cyt. bcc-CytcO supercomplex and in the CytcO alone. In the reaction of the reduced detergent-purified CytcO with O2 we observed the same sequence of events and kinetics as those observed previously with other A-type CytcOs. However, even though the reaction is associated with proton uptake from solution, we did not observe any pH dependence of the kinetics. The isolated cyt. bcc-CytcO complex displayed a quinol oxidation-O2 reduction activity of ~210 s 1, which is slightly faster than the CytcO activity (~180 s 1), indicating that electron transfer via the two C-hemes of cyt. bcc is not rate limiting for the overall quinol-oxidation activity. The data also indicate that one of the C-hemes of the cyt. bcc complex occupies a position near CuA. Furthermore, we show that during O2 reduction, electrons from the C-hemes of cyt. bcc were transferred to CuA over a time scale of at least 104 s 1. After oxidation, the C-hemes were re-reduced by the B-hemes over a time scale of ~6 ms. Taken together, the data indicate rapid intracomplex electron transfer between cyt. bcc and CytcO, via the diheme cyt. c, but without any water-soluble cyt. c

    Microlinices benthovus Simone 2014

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    benthovus, Microlinices Simone, 2014 Microlinices benthovus Simone, 2014: 575–578 (figs 6A–J, 7A–H, 11A–C). Gastropoda, Naticidae Paratypes (22 spc): MZSP 105269. Paratypes 1 (15 spc): MZSP 105270. Paratypes 2 (16 spc): MZSP 105271. Paratypes 3 (7 spc): MZSP 105272. Localities: Brazil, Espírito Santo, off Itaúnas, Abrolhos Slope, 18°59' S, 37°50' W, MD55 sta. DC 73, 637 m depth, 27 May 1987; 1) 19°00' S, 37°48' W, MD55 sta. DC72, 950– 1050 m, 27 May 1987; 2) off Regência, 19°40' S, 37°48' W, MD55 sta. CB77, 790– 940 m depth, 27 May 1987; 3) off Itaúnas, Abrolhos Slope, 19°01' S, 37°47' W, MD55 sta. CB79, 1500–1575 m depth, 28 May 1987. Collectors: P. Bouchet, J.H. Leal and B. Métivier. Preservation: Dry. Remarks: Former MNHN, Paris. The catalogue number MZSP 105250 is mentioned twice in Simone’s (2014) paper, among the paratypes of M. ibitingus Simone, 2014 and M. benthovus. This duplicity was a mistake by the author: the latter is an erroneous designation and should be disregarded. The only valid paratype lots for M. benthovus are the ones shown above.Published as part of Cavallari, Daniel C., Dornellas, Ana Paula S. & Simone, Luiz Ricardo L., 2016, Second annotated list of type specimens of molluscs deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, pp. 1-59 in European Journal of Taxonomy 213 on page 10, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2016.213, http://zenodo.org/record/384012

    Was bringt die Föderalismusreform? Wahrscheinliche Effekte der geänderten Zustimmungspflicht

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    The recently enacted reform of German federalism is supposed to make legislation faster, more efficient and better. To what extent are these expectations justified? In order to assess the likely effects of the reform, this study uses a research design that was recently applied by the Research and Reference Services of the German Bundestag (parliament): we estimate the future effects of the reform by analyzing the impact it would have had on the legislation in the 14th and 15th term of the Bundestag if it had already been been in force at that time. In particular we ask: To what extent would the number of laws requiring the consent of the states' chamber, the Bundesrat, have been reduced? Which type of laws would have been affected by this reduction - the more controversial ones, or the less controversial ones? Which policy sectors would have seen the greatest reduction? How much would the reduction have increased the government's capacity to act effectively? Would the legislative process have been accelerated? -- Die verabschiedete Föderalismusreform soll die Gesetzgebung in Deutschland schneller, effizienter und besser machen. Inwiefern sind diese Erwartungen berechtigt? Zur Abschätzung der Reformfolgen auf die Bundesgesetzgebung folgen wir in dem vorliegenden Working Paper einer Vorgehensweise, die der Wissenschaftliche Dienst des Bundestages kürzlich in einer Studie angewandt hat: Die Auswirkungen der Föderalismusreform insbesondere auf die Zustimmungspflicht werden anhand der Gesetzgebung der 14. und 15. Legislaturperiode untersucht. Wir fragen insbesondere: Wie stark hätte sich der Anteil der Zustimmungsgesetze verringert, wenn die neuen Zustimmungsregeln schon in diesen beiden Legislaturperioden gegolten hätten? Wären eher zwischen Regierung strittige oder unstrittige Gesetze von der Zustimmungspflicht befreit worden? Welche Politikbereiche wären betroffen? Wie sehr hätte sich die politische Handlungsfreiheit der Bundesregierung erhöht? Wäre die Gesetzgebung durch die veränderten Zustimmungsregeln beschleunigt worden?
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