Abstract: The present invention refers to a newly discovered gene named KASPP for Kinase Associated with Parkinsonism with Pleiomorphic Pathology or alternatively named LRRK2 for Leucine-Rich Repeat Kinase 2, its production, biochemical characterization and use for the detection and treatment of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson disease (PD) including, without limitation, sporadic PD, Alzheimer disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and other synucleinopathies and/or tauopathy as well as several polymorphisms and mutations in the KASPP/LRRK2 gene segregated with PD.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a MVA mutant and its use in the immunotherapy and vaccination against numerous diseases, in particular in the prevention and therapy of cancer and infectious diseases.

Abstract: A method for mass-spectrometric detection of compounds in a gas flow includes: alternatingly forming first and a second beams by switching between electron pulses/pulse trains and photon pulses/pulse trains, the photon pulses/pulse trains being generated by an excimer lamp, and the switching between the electron pulses/pulse trains and the photon pulses/pulse trains occurring at a switching frequency above 50 Hz; disposing the gas flow in an ionization region crossed by the first and second beams so as to ionize volume units in the gas flow so as to form ions of the compounds; deflecting the ions in an effective region of an electric field to a mass-spectrometric device; and sensing the ions with a mass-spectrometric process of the mass-spectrometric device.

Abstract: The present invention refers to inventive fusion proteins, to a method for detecting protein-protein-interactions in living cells and cell lysates using these inventive fusion proteins. The present invention also refers to a screening method for identifying compounds suitable to modify, i.e. inhibit or enhance, protein-protein-interaction using these fusion proteins. Additionally a method for detecting cells is disclosed comprising an unknown protein that interacts with a known protein. Along with the inventive fusion proteins used for these methods encoding nucleic acids, corresponding vectors and host cells transfected accordingly are disclosed herewith.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an affinity marker comprising a FLAG-domain, which contains at least one FLAG-tag, and a Streptavidin-binding domain (Strep-domain), which contains at least two Strep-tags, a protein containing this affinity marker, a nucleic acid which codes for it, a vector or a cell containing the affinity marker, method for the purification of a protein produced in a cell using this affinity marker, and the use of the affinity marker for the purification of a protein produced in a cell.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a reporter gene construct for the detection of the HIV Rev and HIV Tat proteins. Furthermore, the invention relates to a functionality test method for Rev and Rev fusion proteins prepared in a recombinant manner, a method of screening for sequences of different origin for their activity as an instability element, a method of screening for sequences which cause the transport out of the nucleus into the cytoplasm by binding to cellular or other viral shuttle proteins, as well as to a method for the detection of HIV-infected cells. The reporter gene construct according to the present invention, after it has been introduced into cells, in the presence of HIV Rev and HIV Tat proteins results in the formation of reporter proteins which may be used for quantitative/qualitative detection of the HIV Rev and HIV Tat proteins.

Abstract: In a method and device for determining the moisture content and conductivity in the ground and in bulk materials, a capacitive sensor is disposed in the ground or the bulk material, the sensor is charged from a constant external voltage supply with a given initial current from a given first voltage threshold value to a given second voltage threshold value and either a voltage/time diagram is determined or a first charging time required for charging the sensor from the first to the second voltage threshold values by the constant external voltage supply is determined and a second charging time is determined wherein either the initial current and/or at least one of the two voltage threshold values are altered and the water content and the conductivity are determined by verification of the two charging times or of the voltage/time diagram.

Abstract: A method for the identification and/or quantification of GBP-1 or fragments of this protein in the culture supernatant of a tissue sample, a body fluid sample or a sample from a cell culture supernatant is described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to retroviral vectors carrying DNA sequences encoding SDI-1, function analogues of SDI-1, or fragments thereof, or antisense SDI-1 DNA sequences, and especially retroviral vectors carrying the SDI-1 or antisense SDI-1 sequences under the transcriptional control of target cell specific regulatory elements or promoters or X-ray inducible promoters. Further, the invention relates to the use of such retroviral vectors for the production of recombinant retroviral particles useful for the treatment of disorders or diseases responsive to the anti-proliferative activity of SDI-1, or the proliferative activity of antisense SDI-1 sequences.

Abstract: The present invention relates to recombinant vectors carrying sequences encoding naturally occurring antimicrobial peptides or derivatives thereof for the treatment of mammalian tumours and viral infections such as HIV infections and bacterial and fungal infections. In particular the present invention relates to retroviral vectors. Furthermore, the present invention relates to retroviral vectors which undergo promoter conversion (Procon vectors) carrying such sequences. Since these vectors also carry tumour or virus specific regulatory elements, the therapeutic antimicrobial peptide will be delivered and expressed only in relevant, affected cells and not in innocent bystander cells.

Abstract: According to the invention there is described a method for ex vivo immunization of humans and animals comprising the following steps: a) isolating autologous tumor cells; b) treating the tumor cells to prevent the survival thereof following reinfusion; c) incubating the thus treated tumor cells with intact heterologous bispecific and/or trispecific antibodies showing the following properties: ?—binding to a T cell; ?—binding to at least one antigen on a tumor cell; ?—binding, by their Fc portion (in the case of bispecific antibodies), or by a third specificity (in the case of trispecific antibodies) to Fc receptor-positive cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of determining hybridization on a microarry, preferably a DNA-chip.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for detecting compounds in a gas stream, the gas stream with the compounds to be detected is conducted into an ionization chamber of a mass spectrometer where the gas stream is subjected in the ion chamber in a pulsed manner alternately to UV laser pulses and to vacuum ultraviolet VUV laser pulses and the ions generated thereby are directed into the mass spectrometer for detection therein to determine the compounds in the gas stream.

Abstract: Transcription factor responsive elements, target genes, and co-factors of a transcription factor, either individually or in combination, are identified by integrating into the genome of a eukaryotic cell a gene trap vector that includes a reporter gene, a polyadenylation site, and a selectable marker gene, selecting the cells in which the gene trap vector is successfully integrated and contacting those cells with the transcription factor, then identifying and cultivating those cells having a gene into which the gene trap vector has been integrated and in which the reporter gene activity has been altered by interaction between the transcription factor and a transcription factor responsive element of that gene, and identifying the transcription factor responsive element, target gene, or cofactor that interacts with the transcription factor.

Abstract: In a gas inlet structure for an ion source, including a capillary for the admission of a sample gas, which capillary is disposed in a guide tube for discharging a sample gas into the guide tube, the guide tube has an open end disposed in the ion source. The guide tube includes a valve for the pulsed admission of a carrier gas to the guide tube. The guide tube, the valve and the capillary are supported in a sealed support housing from which the guide tube with the capillary disposed therein projects into the ion source for supplying thereto the sample gas in a pulsed manner.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to monoclonal antibodies capable of specifically binding to and recognizing an antigenic determinant (epitope) of the protein kaposin or a derivative thereof, hybridoma cell lines producing said monoclonal antibodies, diagnostic systems for the detection of the presence of a kaposin protein or a derivative thereof as well as antibodies directed against the kaposin protein or a derivative thereof, methods for detection of the expression of kaposin protein or a derivative thereof in a biological sample, methods for the detection of antibodies directed against kaposin protein or a derivative thereof, uses of the monoclonal antibodies provided according to the invention and uses of the kaposin protein or a derivative thereof, each in diagnostics and therapy.

Abstract: Compositions of matter and methods for expressing a polypeptide are provided. In one aspect, a gene construct is provided that comprises an enhancer comprising particular elements or combinations of elements from the immunoglobulin &kgr; locus, the immunoglobulin heavy chain &mgr; locus, and the immunoglobulin &lgr; locus, and a promoter and polyadenylation site linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide from a select group. Cells comprising the gene construct, processes for producing such cells, and processes for producing the polypeptide encoded by the gene construct from such cells are also provided.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to monoclonal antibodies capable of specifically binding to and recognizing an antigenic determinant (epitope) of the protein kaposin or a derivative therof, hybridoma cell lines producing said monoclonal antibodies, diagnostic systems for the detection of the presence of a kaposin protein or a derivative thereof as well as antibodies directed against the kaposin protein or a derivative thereof, methods for detection of the expression of kaposin protein or a derivative thereof in a biological sample, methods for the detection of antibodies directed against kaposin protein or a derivative thereof, uses of the monoclonal antibodies provided according to the invention and uses of the kaposin protein or a derivative thereof, each in diagnostics and therapy.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for determining neutron spectra using at least two neutron detectors which provide integral counting rates from which the spectrum of a neutron radiation can be approximated, and which consist each of a semiconductor diode, a converter layer, an inactive layer and an active layer. The various layers of each detector are different from those of the other neutron detector and so selected that the sensitivity functions of the two neutron detectors are different. An artificial neutral network is provided which is especially trained and to which the counting rates of the detectors are supplied to be processed for obtaining the neutron spectrum.

Abstract: In a method for producing a directed gas jet wherein a guided sample gas beam is generated and an auxiliary gas beam is generated and directed and guided in the same direction as, but separated from, the sample gas beam, a pulsed carrier gas stream is generated and combined with the sample gas beam such that the sample gas beam is separated into spaced pulses which are embedded between the axially spaced pulses of the carrier gas beam and the carrier gas beam with the sample gas beam embedded therein is combined with the auxiliary gas beam such that the carrier and sample gas beam is radially enveloped by the auxiliary gas beam to from the directed gas jet of a carrier and sample gas pulses enveloped in the auxiliary gas beam.