Abstract: An apparatus comprises a centrifugal fan having an inlet and outlet, the fan receives ventilation air at the inlet and provides the ventilation air at an adjustable pressure at the outlet, a first respiration line with a first end connected to the inlet and a second end for receiving inhalation air, a second respiration line having a first end connected to the outlet and a second end for coupling a filter and a ventilation mask, the second respiration line having a sensor, to measure a flow parameter in the second respiration line, and a device for controlling the fan according to an output signal of the sensor, the fan and second respiration lines forming a continuous bidirectional flow path, the adjustable ventilation pressure at the outlet comprises an inhalation or an exhalation pressure less than or equal to the inhalation pressure, and the second respiration line has an air filter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and a device for producing saccharides and saccharide arrays. Said method is particularly useful for the synthesis of saccharides in parallel and of high-density saccharide arrays, such as microarrays, which are required for high-throughput screenings.

Abstract: The present invention pertains in the fields of antibody technology, protein engineering, medicine, pharmacology, infection biology, virology, and medical diagnostics. More specifically, the present disclosure provides VHH antibodies that prevent cell entry of and infection by SARS-CoV-2, a strategy for an enhanced block of the homotrimeric viral spike proteins by symmetry-matching VHH-fusions, implementations of this strategy, as well as VHH antibodies for sensitive detection of SARS-CoV2-infections.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an enzyme-catalyzed process for producing UDP-N-acetyl-?-D-glucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) from low-cost substrates uridine monophosphate and N-acetyl-D glucosamine in a single reaction mixture with immobilized or preferably co-immobilized enzymes. Uridine may be used as starting material instead of uridine monophosphate as well. Further, the process may be adapted to produce GlcNAcylated molecules and biomolecules including saccharides, particularly human milk oligosaccharides (HMO), proteins, peptides, glycoproteins, particularly antibodies, or glycopeptides, and bioconjugates, particularly carbohydrate conjugate vaccines and antibody-drug conjugates.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the in vitro detection of a latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) in a subject, wherein said method comprises determining at least one nucleotide sequence and/or at least one polypeptide of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in a blood cell population of said subject, and wherein the presence of said at least one nucleotide sequence and/or said at least one polypeptide is indicative for said latent tuberculosis infection. In particular, the blood cell population is enriched for hematopoietic stem cells. The invention also relates to a pharmaceutical composition for use in the treatment of the LTBI in the subject, wherein it is determined if the nucleotide sequence and/or the polypeptide of Mtb is/are present in the blood cell population. Further, the invention relates to kits for carrying out the methods of the invention. The invention also relates to the use of the kits.

Abstract: A magnetic memory device includes a conductive line that extends in a first direction, and a magnetic track line that extends in the first direction on a top surface of the conductive line. The conductive line may include a first region having a first width in a second direction, and a second region having a second width in the second direction. The first direction and the second direction are parallel to the top surface of the conductive line and are perpendicular to each other. The second width may be greater than the first width. The magnetic track line includes first domains arranged in the first direction on the first region of the conductive line, and second domains arranged in the first direction on the second region of the conductive line. A size of each of the second domains may be less than a size of each of the first domains.

Abstract: The present invention pertains in the fields of antibody technology, protein engineering, medicine, pharmacology, infection biology, virology, and medical diagnostics. More specifically, the present disclosure provides VHH antibodies that prevent cell entry of and infection by SARS-CoV-2, a strategy for an enhanced block of the homotrimeric viral spike proteins by symmetry-matching VHH-fusions, implementations of this strategy, as well as VHH antibodies for sensitive detection of SARS-CoV2-infections.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for vitrifying a biological sample. The method includes positioning a sample holder with the biological sample by a transfer device in a starting position. The sample holder has a base and a pin projecting from the base along a holder axis. Further, the biological sample is attached to the pin distant from the base. The method further comprises adding a liquid to the biological sample in the starting position by a liquid dispenser. Further, the method comprises moving the sample holder with the biological sample by the transfer device along a predetermined transfer path from the starting position to a release position, wherein the biological sample in the release position is arranged in or adjacent to a liquefied gas. It is provided that the transfer path is inclined with respect to the holder axis or runs along a circular arc. Furthermore, the invention relates to a vitrification apparatus which is configured to perform the method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of purifying peptides and/or polypeptides, said method comprising or consisting of: (a) loading a sample comprising peptides and/or polypeptides under acidic or neutral aqueous conditions on mixed-phase solid phase extraction (SPE) material, wherein said material consists of or comprises reversed phase/ion exchange material; (b) washing said mixed-phase SPE material with (ba) an acidic or neutral composition comprising at least 50% (v/v) organic solvent; and/or (bb) an acidic or neutral aqueous solution; and (c) eluting said peptides and/or polypeptides from said mixed-phase SPE material with an alkaline composition comprising at least 50% (v/v) organic solvent.

Abstract: For forming and shifting a light intensity distribution in a focal area of an objective lens, portions of coherent input light are one by one directed into non-identical two-dimensional pupil areas of a pupil of the objective lens. Each of the portions of coherent input light is collimated in the pupil. The pupil areas include a pair of two pupil areas which are axially symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of an optical axis of the objective lens. At least one of the two discrete portions of coherent input light that are directed into the pair of pupil areas is separately modulated with regard to its phase by means of an electro optical modulator such as to form the light intensity distribution in the focal area with a local intensity minimum delimited by intensity maxima and to shift the local intensity minimum laterally with regard to the optical axis.

Abstract: The invention relates in a first aspect to a process for preparing a 3-dimensional body, in particular a vitreous or ceramic body, which comprises at least the following steps: a) providing an electrostatically stabilized suspension of particles; b) effecting a local destabilization of the suspension of particles by means of a localized electrical discharge between a charge injector and the suspension at a predetermined position and causing an aggregation and precipitation of the particles at said position; c) repeating step b) at different positions and causing the formation of larger aggregates until a final aggregate of particles representing a (porous) 3-dimensional body (green body) having predetermined dimensions has been formed; wherein the charge injector includes i) at least one discharge electrode which does not contact said suspension of particles or ii) a source of charged particles.

Abstract: Ethoxy-nonafluorobutane (C4F9OC2H5) is used as an immersion medium for immersing an immersion objective of a cryo-light microscope. The cryo-light microscope comprising an immersion objective, a front lens mount holding a front lens of the immersion objective, a sample holder and a cold stage carrying the sample holder further has a heating device coupling a heat flow into the front lens mount.

Abstract: Method of increasing platelet counts in a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a compound that inhibits Biliverdin reductase B (BLVRB) activity by blocking a binding site of BLVRB or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein the compound does not contain xanthene or acridine moiety is provided.

Abstract: A magnetic memory device may include a magnetic track, which is extended in a first direction, and a first electrode, which is provided at a biasing point of the magnetic track and is configured to apply a voltage to the magnetic track. The magnetic track includes a first region between a first end of the magnetic track and the biasing point and a second region between the biasing point and a second end of the magnetic track. The first electrode may be configured to cause a difference between a current density in the first region and a current density in the second region.

Abstract: A method for optimizing parameters of a physical light propagation model includes providing a physical model of a light propagation in an optical system, radiating an input light distribution using an illumination unit into an excitation path of the optical system, traversing the input light distribution through a scattering body, wherein the scattering body is arranged in the excitation path of the optical system and modifies the input light distribution to form a transmission light distribution to form a reflection light distribution, recording the transmission light distribution or the reflection light distribution, transferring the recorded transmission light distribution or the recorded reflection light distribution to the physical model, and computing transmission distortion parameters of the physical model based on the recorded transmission light distribution or the recorded reflection light distribution. The transmission distortion parameters characterize the scattering body.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an enzyme-catalyzed process for producing UDP-galactose from low-cost substrates uridine monophosphate and D-galactose in a single reaction mixture. The process can be operated (semi)continuously or in batch mode. The process can be extended to uridine as starting material instead of uridine monophosphate. Further, the process can be adapted to produce galactosylated molecules and biomolecules including saccharides, proteins, peptides, glycoproteins or glycopeptides, particularly human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) and (monoclonal) antibodies.

Abstract: A broadband light source device for creating broadband light pulses includes a hollow-core fiber and a pump laser source device. The hollow-core fiber is configured to create the broadband light pulses by an optical non-linear broadening of pump laser pulses. The hollow-core fiber includes a filling gas, an axial hollow light guiding fiber core configured to support core modes of a guided light field, and an inner fiber structure surrounding the fiber core and configured to support transverse wall modes of the guided light field. The pump laser source device is configured to create and provide the pump laser pulses at an input side of the hollow-core fiber. The transverse wall modes include a fundamental transverse wall mode and second and higher order transverse wall modes.

Abstract: A method (1) for preparing a laser marking system (100) to create a colored laser mark on a specimen comprising the following steps: a) Providing a laser marking system (100) and a specimen (105) comprising a surface layer (105a), wherein the laser marking system comprises a preset number of laser parameters (12); b) Performing an exploration of a first gamut (2) specified by the laser marking system (100) and the specimen (105) comprising a surface layer (105a) including the following steps: aa) Creating (3) a design space (10) with a preset number of design points (11), wherein each design point (11) represents a combination of the preset number of laser parameters (12); bb) Performing (4) a marking of a sample on the specimen (105) for each design point (11); cc) Measuring (5) the sample using at least one detection device (106) and deter-mine for each design point a performance point (14), wherein the measured performance points (14) define a performance space (13); dd) Evaluating (6) the performance spac

Abstract: Techniques for providing acoustic feedback are disclosed. Several audio clips (21-23) have a synchronized beat. A sensor signal (16) received from a sensor has a sensor signal range divided by first and second thresholds (11, 12) into at least three sensor signal sub-ranges (13-15). An audio signal is output in response to the received sensor signal (16), the output audio signal comprising one or more of the audio clips. If the received sensor signal (16) exceeds the first threshold (11), at least one (21) of the one or more audio clips is discontinued and/or at least one additional audio clip (22) of the audio clips is initiated in synchronization with the one or more audio clips (21). If the received sensor signal (16) falls below the second threshold (12), at least one (21) of the one or more audio clips is discontinued and/or at least one additional audio clip (23) of the audio clips is initiated in synchronization with the one or more audio clips (21).

Abstract: The invention refers to a modular continuous flow device for automated chemical multistep synthesis under continuous flow conditions. The device comprises a plurality of different types of continuous flow modules and a valve assembly for connecting the continuous flow modules to each other in a parallel or radial manner. This arrangement allows conducting chemical reaction sequences by pre-synthesizing and intermediately storing or simultaneously synthesizing at least one intermediate product which is needed in the main synthetic reaction sequence in order to obtain the final product.