Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the diagnosis of a benign oncocytoma and a method to differentiate a benign oncocytoma from malignant renal cell carcinoma, a kit for use in these methods, as well as antibody relating thereto, a hybridoma cell capable of producing the same as well as the uses relating thereto.

Abstract: The invention relates to a single photon detector device for detecting an optical signal comprising an optical fiber and at least one nanowire, wherein the optical fiber comprises a core area and a cladding area and is designed to conduct the optical signal along an optical axis, wherein, with respect to the optical axis, a first area of the optical fiber is an entrance area for the optical signal and a second area of the optical fiber is a detector area, and wherein the nanowire becomes superconducting at a predetermined temperature and is designed in the superconducting state to generate an output signal as a function of the optical signal. It is provided that in the detector area of the optical fiber the nanowire extends essentially along the optical axis of the optical fiber. A single photon detector device is thus provided which has a simple structure, a high efficiency, a high detection rate and a high spectral bandwidth.

Abstract: The present invention relates to maresins, preferably maresin-1, for use in the treatment of CNS injuries preferably selected from spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device designed for the cultivation and radiation-induced killing of living biological cells. The device comprises a flat substrate and a functional layer for creating a wound in biological cells, said functional layer being applied to the flat substrate. The functional layer contains at least one photosensitizer which is designed to convert triplet oxygen into singlet oxygen by the application of electromagnetic radiation. As a result, biological cells on the functional layer can be killed by irradiation of low-intensity electromagnetic radiation. A wound can be introduced into a cell layer at a locally defined point easily, quickly, carefully, and in a flexible and cost-effective manner and thus the healing of the wound can be studied. The invention further relates to uses of the devices and a method for analyzing a migration and/or wound healing behavior of biological cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of immunology, molecular biology and therapeutics. In particular, the invention relates to novel artificial feeder cells for activation and expansion of natural killer (NK) cells. The artificial feeder cell expresses endogenous ligands (HLA C1, C2, 5 and Bw4 type) for killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), non-KIR binding Bw6 ligand, endogenous HLA-E-ligand for inhibitory NKG2A receptor, and comprises at least one stimulatory cytokine either membrane bound or secreted or at least one co-stimulatory ligand where those ligands and cytokines each specifically bind to a cognate receptor on a NK cell of interest, thereby mediating expansion of the NK cell. The invention can be used as an “off the 10 shelf” artificial feeder cell that can be readily designed to expand a NK cell or a NK subset of interest and also specifically expand NK cells modified with a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR).

Abstract: The present invention discloses a directional photonic coupler (1) with independent tuning of the coupling factor and phase difference. The coupler comprises: two waveguides (4, 5), with respective propagation constants “?1, ?2”, on which phase shifters (6, 7) configured to modify the propagation coefficients are located. Both phase shifters are configured such that, by independent modification (differential or unique) of the propagation coefficients, the power coupling factor (K) between an input signal (2a or 2b) and the output signals (3b and 3a) is tuned, and by equal and simultaneous modification of the propagation coefficients, the common phase difference of the optical output signals (3 a, 3b) is tuned. A third phase shifter (15) can be used to retune the phase difference at the input/output of one of the waveguides. The coupler is of particular interest in PIC circuits, coupled resonators, Mach-Zehnder interferometers and mesh structures.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for assessing the capacity of a substance to treat or prevent hepadnavirus infection. A reporter virus carrying genetic information for a first fragment of a recombinase and a reporter cell expressing a second fragment of the recombinase are used. When the reporter virus infects the reporter cell, the two fragments of the recombinase associate and excise a stop cassette that is flanked by two recombination sites and blocks the expression of a reporter gene. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a method of assessing the capacity of a substance to treat or prevent hepadnavirus infection, a hepadnavirus comprising a nucleic acid encoding a first fragment of a recombinase and a mammalian hepatocyte or hepatoma cell comprising a nucleic acid encoding a second fragment of a recombinase and a nucleic acid comprising a stop cassette flanked by two recombination sites fused to a reporter gene.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to novel saponins comprising acetyl residues on two of their sugar residues. These saponins are able to enhance the transfection efficiency to a high extent and show much less cytotoxic side effects than already known saponins.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a sorption system (1), the sorption system comprising the following: a cooling fluid circuit (8), which has a cooling fluid; a process medium circuit (6), which has a refrigerant and a solvent; an absorber (3), which is connected to the cooling fluid circuit (8) and to the process medium circuit (6); a condenser (5), which is connected to the cooling fluid circuit (8) and to the process medium circuit (6); and a control device. During operation of the sorption system (1), the cooling fluid is fed to the absorber (3) and to the condenser (5), and a feed of the cooling fluid to the absorber (3) and a feed of the cooling fluid to the condenser (5) are controlled differently from each other by means of the control device. The invention further relates to an arrangement for a sorption system (1) and to a sorpotion system (1).

Abstract: The invention is related to a device (1) for receiving a biological sample (3) wherein the device (1) comprises a plurality of wells (10) wherein each well (10) comprises an inner surface (14) facing a volume (60) for receiving a biological sample (3). The inner surface (14) comprises a top section (20) and a bottom section (30). The top section (20) and the bottom section (30) are connected via a circumferential step (40). The circumferential step (40) forms a stop for a tip of a pipette (70).

Abstract: An EMI suppression component includes a piezoelectric element that is configured to provide a low impedance propagation path for electromagnetic disturbances at a resonance frequency of the piezoelectric element.

Abstract: The present invention provides means and methods for functionalizing a polypeptide of interest at its C-terminus with an amino acid derivative.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of a composition in a method of reducing the allergenicity of a cat. Moreover, the present invention relates to the use of a composition in a method of reducing the allergenicity of a cat for a human exposed to the cat. Furthermore, the present invention relates to compositions comprising a virus-like particle (VLP) and at least one Fel d1 protein. The compositions of the invention induce efficient immune responses, in particular antibody responses, in cats and are useful for the treatment and/or prevention of cat allergy.

Abstract: The invention is directed to methods for selecting a treatment option for an activated B cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (ABC DLBCL) subject, a germinal center B cell-like diffuse large B cell lymphoma (GCB DLBCL) subject, a primary mediastinal B cell lymphoma (PMBL) subject, a Burkitt lymphoma (BL) subject, or a mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) subject by analyzing digital gene expression data obtained from the subject, e.g., from a biopsy sample.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel monomaleimide-functionalized platinum compounds of formula (I), including in particular novel monomaleimide-functionalized oxaliplatin and carboplatin derivatives, as well as their use as medicaments, particularly for the treatment or prevention of cancer.

Abstract: Fourier Transformation Spectrometer, FT Spectrometer, comprising: Michelson-Type Interferometer (601, 602, 603, 604, 605, 606, 607, 608, 609) comprising: at least one beam splitter unit designed to split an incident light beam (EB) of a spatially expanded object into a first partial beam (TB1) and a second partial beam (TB2); and for at least partially overlaying the first partial beam (TB1) and the second partial beam (TB2) with a lateral shear (s); a first beam deflection unit designed to deflect the first partial beam (TB1) at least once; a second beam deflection unit designed to deflect the second partial beam (TB2) at least once; wherein at least one among the first beam deflection unit and the second beam deflection unit represents a (2n+1) periscope group with (2n+1) mirror surfaces, and all (2n+1) mirror surfaces are arranged vertically in relation to a common reference plane, in order to respectively deflect the first partial beam (TB1) and/or the second partial beam (TB2) (2n+1) times, and wherein t

Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention is directed to a method for diagnosing fibrosis and/or fibrosis related diseases and to a method for screening a pharmaceutically active compound for the treatment of fibrosis and/or fibrosis related diseases. The present invention further relates to compositions for use in the treatment, amelioration, and/or prevention of fibrosis. In certain embodiments, the compositions modulate the activity of a miRNA for the treatment, amelioration, and/or prevention of fibrosis. In certain embodiments, the compositions inhibit the activity of miR-21 for the treatment, amelioration, and/or prevention of fibrosis.

Abstract: By accurately predicting industrial aging processes (IAP), such as the slow deactivation of a catalyst in a chemical plant, it is possible to schedule maintenance events further in advance, thereby ensuring a cost-efficient and reliable operation of the plant. So far, these degradation processes were usually described by mechanistic models or simple empirical prediction models. In order to accurately predict IAP, data-driven models are proposed, comparing some traditional stateless models (linear and kernel ridge regression, as well as feed-forward neural networks) to more complex stateful recurrent neural networks (echo state networks and long short-term memory networks). Additionally, variations of the stateful models are discussed. In particular, stateful models using mechanistical pre-knowledge about the degradation dynamics (hybrid models).

Abstract: A method for improving a biogas production is provided in which an organic substrate is pretreated by various methods. In particular, the method includes a combination of a magnetic and an enzymatic pretreatment of the substrate with an attractive specific energy gain.

Abstract: The present invention relates to specific complexes comprising heavy metal ions having an atomic number of 23 or higher and 83 or lower (in particular Ag1+, Ba2+, Pb2+, Gd3+ and Bi3+) and one or more hematein ligand(s). In particular, the invention relates to the use of the complexes as ex vivo contrast agents for a computed tomography scanning of a biological sample. Moreover, the invention relates to specific ex vivo methods for investigating a biological sample by means of computed tomography scanning methods, wherein the method comprises staining the biological sample with a solution comprising one or more of the complex(es); or wherein the method comprises staining the biological sample with a staining solution comprising hematein, and separately contacting the biological sample with one or more staining solution(s) comprising one or more heavy metal ions having an atomic number of 23 or higher and 83 or lower (in particular Ag1+, Ba2+, Pb2+, Gd3+ and Bi3+).