Synaptic membrane proteins form stable microdomains in early endosomes

In the plasma membrane, membrane proteins are frequently organized in microdomains that are stabilized both by protein‐protein and protein‐lipid interactions, with the membrane lipid cholesterol being instrumental for microdomain stability. However, it is unclear whether such microdomains persist during endocytotic membrane trafficking. We used stimulated emission‐depletion microscopy to investigate the domain structure of the endosomes. We developed a semiautomatic method for counting the individual domains, an approach that we have validated by immunoelectron microscopy. We found that in endosomes derived from neuroendocrine PC12 cells synaptophysin and several SNARE proteins are organized in microdomains. Cholesterol depletion by methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin disintegrates most of the domains. Interestingly, no change in the frequency of microdomains was observed when endosomes were fused with protein‐free liposomes of similar size (in what constitutes a novel approach in modifying acutely the lipid composition of organelles), regardless of whether the membrane lipid composition of the liposomes was similar or very different from that of the endosomes. Similarly, Rab depletion from the endosome membranes left the domain structure unaffected. Furthermore, labeled exogenous protein, introduced into endosomes by liposome fusion, equilibrated with the corresponding microdomains. We conclude that synaptic membrane proteins are organized in stable but dynamic clusters within endosomes, which are likely to persist during membrane recycling. Microsc. Res. Tech. 2010. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Context specificity of implicit preferences: The case of human preference for red.

Three experiments were conducted on color preference using a spontaneous selection paradigm with infant participants. Experiment 1 demonstrated that participants prefer red over green in a friendly laboratory environment. Experiment 2 demonstrated that participants’ preference for red varies with the context in which the color is presented: Red is preferred in a hospitable context (following a happy face), but not in a hostile context (following an angry face). The opposite pattern was found for the control color green. Experiment 3 used the same context manipulation, but a second control color, gray, was added to clearly examine whether context affects preference for red only. As predicted, given a second alternative choice, context-dependent preference for red, but not green or gray, was found. These results represent the first evidence of context moderation in the color preference literature. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Control theory and economic policy: Balance and perspectives

This paper provides a selective survey of applications of control theory to the analysis of economic policy problems. We discuss applications of closed-loop control and of optimum control theory, including deterministic, stochastic and decentralized optimum control. Promising areas of mutual cooperation between control theorists and economists such as robust control and dynamic game theory are identified. A critical evaluation is given of different control theory approaches to an empirically useful theory of economic policy.     

Free amino acid amounts in raw cocoas from different origins

Raw cocoa is the processed and traded form of the cocoa seed. Fresh seeds undergo fermentation and a drying process before they are prepared for transport and shipping. Depending on the local situation in the producer region the seeds are collected from big estates and are fermented and dried in big lots or they originate from small farmer's crop trees. In the subsequent transport and trading chain raw cocoas may be mixed and stored before they finally are sold and brought to the consumer countries. Local or regional variations in cocoa plant material, fermentation procedures and drying processes finally result in a typical traded good with respect to the amino acids, which form an important part of the flavour precursors. These free amino acids and their composition result from the fermentation procedure of fresh seeds. In the course of the fermentation specific cleavage of cocoa storage proteins delivers the amino acid patterns. In this study the variation of free amino acid amount and distribution of 108 commercially fermented and traded cocoa samples and two Theobroma grandiflorum (Willd. ex Spreng.) K. Schum samples were determined. This examination showed clearly, that content and distribution of free amino acids in raw cocoa from different origins vary greatly (5–25 mg g⁻¹ fatfree dry matter), in some cases country and even region-specific differences were apparent. It is important to notice typical, region-specific variations in the amounts and compositions of free amino acids.     

Scaling laws as a tool of materials informatics

This paper discusses the utility of scaling laws to materials informatics and presents the algorithm Scaling LAW (SLAW), useful to obtain scaling laws from statistical data. These laws can be used to extrapolate known materials property data to untested materials by using other more readily available information. This technique is independent of a characteristic length or time scale, so it is useful for a broad diversity of problems. In some cases, SLAW can reproduce the mathematical expression that would have been obtained through an analytical treatment of the problem. This technique was originally designed for mining statistical data in materials processing and materials behavior at a system level, and it shows promise for the study of the relationship between structure and properties in materials.     

Socio-economic drivers of large urban biomass cogeneration: Sustainable energy supply for Austria's capital Vienna

This paper provides a detailed case study on Austria's by far largest biomass cogeneration plant. The plant is located in the city of Vienna and scheduled to be put into operation by mid-2006. Given the urban location of the plant and its significant biomass fuel input requirements, fuel delivery logistics play an important role—not only from an economic point of view, but also in relation to supply security and environmental impact. We describe and analyse the history of the project, putting particular emphasis on the main driving forces and actors behind the entire project development process. From this analysis we deduce the following main socio-economic drivers and success factors for the realisation of large bioenergy projects in urban settings: (1) a critical mass of actors; (2) a priori political consensus; (3) the existence of a problem (and problem awareness) that calls for decisive steps to be taken; (4) institutional innovation and changes in the mindset of the main decision makers; (5) favourable economic conditions; (6) change agents that are actively engaged from an early stage of development; (7) intra-firm supporters at different hierarchical levels and from different departments; and (8) targeted study tours that help to reduce uncertainty, to enable leapfrogging in project planning and design, and to build up confidence in the project's feasibility and chance of success.     

Markerless 4 gestures 6 DOF real-time visual tracking of the human hand with automatic initialization

In this paper we present a novel computer vision based hand-tracking technique, which is capable of robustly tracking 6+4DOF of the human hand in real-time (at least 25 frames per second) with the help of 3 (or more) off-the-shelf consumer cameras. ‘6+4DOF’ means that the system can track the global pose (6 continuous parameters for translation and rotation) of 4 different gestures. A key feature of our system is its fully automatic real-time initialization procedure, which, along with a sound tracking-lost detector, makes the system fit for real-world applications. Because of this, our method acts as an enabling technology for uncumbersome hand-based 3D Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI). Previously, using the hand as an at least 6DOF input device involved the use of either datagloves or markers. Using our tracking we evaluated the use of the hand as an input device for two prevalent Virtual Reality applications: fly-through exploration of a virtual world and a simple digital assembly simulation.