Abstract: The present invention relates to a QTL allele in maize associated with drought resistance and carbon isotope composition as well as specific marker alleles associated with the QTL allele. The present invention further relates methods for identifying maize plants based on screening for the presence of the QTL allele or marker alleles. The invention also relates to methods for modifying drought resistance and carbon isotope composition in maize plants.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a tubular mixing device (6) with reversed coiled configuration (also referred to as “coiled flow reverser” CFR)) wherein after a number n of turns (2) with n=1; 2 the flow path is reverted to the opposite direction, and wherein the device (6) has an overall straight coil axis.

Abstract: For improving the safety of optical measurements performed with an apparatus comprising a set of light sources and detectors controlled by an electronic unit for measuring an optical or physiological parameter in a scattering medium, in particular human tissue, based on a set of measurement wavelengths, it is suggested that the apparatus features at least one optical contact detector, for example in the form of a photodiode or a light sensitive end facet of an optical fiber or the like, for measuring a detection light quantity resulting from a detection wavelength, and wherein the apparatus issues an alarm signal, in case the measured detection light quantity indicates a low optical coupling efficiency between the apparatus and the medium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a nucleic acid molecule comprising a low repetitive nucleotide sequence encoding a proline/alanine-rich amino acid repeat sequence. The encoded polypeptide comprises a repetitive amino acid sequence that forms a random coil. The nucleic acid molecule comprising said low repetitive nucleotide sequences can further comprise a nucleotide sequence encoding a biologically or pharmacologically active protein. Further, the present invention provides for selection means and methods to identify said nucleic acid molecule comprising said low repetitive nucleotide sequence. The present invention also relates to a method for preparing said nucleic acid molecules. Also provided herein are methods for preparing the encoded polypeptide or drug conjugates with the encoded polypeptide using the herein provided nucleic acid molecules. The drug conjugate may comprise a biologically or pharmacologically active protein or a small molecule drug.

Abstract: The invention relates to an infectious arenavirus particle that is engineered to contain a genome with the ability to amplify and express its genetic information in infected cells but unable to produce further infectious progeny particles in normal, not genetically engineered cells. One or more of the four arenavirus open reading frames glycoprotein (GP), nucleoprotein (NP), matrix protein Z and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase L are removed or mutated to prevent replication in normal cells but still allowing gene expression in arenavirus vector-infected cells, and foreign genes coding for an antigen or other protein of interest or nucleic acids modulating host gene expression are expressed under control of the arenavirus promoters, internal ribosome entry sites or under control of regulatory elements that can be read by the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, cellular RNA polymerase I, RNA polymerase II or RNA polymerase III.

Abstract: The present invention provides means and methods for equipping a polypeptide of interest at its C-terminus with a versatile adaptor amino acid that allows the functionalization of the polypeptide of interest.

Abstract: The present invention relates to cyclic NTCP targeting peptides which are preS-derived peptides of hepatitis B virus (HBV). The present invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising at least one cyclic peptide. The present invention further relates to medical uses of said cyclic peptides and the pharmaceutical compositions, such as in the diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment of a liver disease or condition, and/or in the inhibition of HBV and/or HDV infection. The present invention further relates to methods of diagnosis, prevention and/or treatment of a liver disease or condition and/or the inhibition of HBV and/or HDV infection.

Abstract: A nucleic acid constructs are used in improving site-specific insertion of an exogenous nucleic acid into a genome. In some aspects the nucleic acid construct having a first polynucleotide sequence encoding a DNA binding protein engineered to bind to a specific genomic DNA sequence, a second polynucleotide having a modified integrase or a modified transposase that enables insertion of exogenous nucleic acid into the genome, and a nucleic acid sequence encoding a linker between the two nucleotides. In some aspects, the nucleic acid construct encodes a fusion protein, for example, a fusion protein for delivery to a cell by a lentiviral particle.

Abstract: A presentation system and method for the joint display by a playback system of a monitor image and a camera image, recorded by a video camera, of a presenter, involves the monitor image and the camera image being superposed in a mixer for display by the playback system. A monitor with a display is provided in order to display the monitor image for a presenter situated in front of the monitor, a semi-transparent mirror being arranged in front of the display, and the video camera being positioned such that it detects the presenter mirrored via the semi-transparent mirror. The at least one video camera of the presentation system is an infrared camera.

Abstract: A tension member with at least one loop made from fiber-reinforced plastic, which tension member has a plurality of fibers that run substantially parallel to each other, so that the loop is formed by the plurality of fibers, wherein a first group of fibers is turned over along the loop in a first turning direction, while a second group of fibers is turned over along the loop in a second turning direction, which is opposed to the first turning direction. Some of the turned-over fibers of both groups end in a different distance from the vertex of the loop than others of the turned-over fibers, so that a cross-section of the tension member that results from the respective number of fibers that run approximately parallel to each other outside the turning-over area of the fibers approximately continuously decreases until it reaches the cross-section size of the tension member.

Abstract: A method for identifying the switch topology of multiple energy storage module connected in parallel and/or in series, which respectively have at least one energy storage element, each module has a switch element for selectively activating and deactivating the module and a unique identifier, wherein each module is assigned to a module string in that a total current flowing across the switch topology is checked, and individual modules are activated successively via the switch element until the total current is detectable.

Abstract: The present invention generally provides a therapy for effectively treating and/or preventing diseases associated with cells expressing CLDN18.2, in particular cancer diseases such as gastroesophageal cancer. Data are presented demonstrating that administration of an anti-CLDN18.2 antibody to human patients with gastroesophageal cancer is safe and well-tolerated up to a dose of at least 1000 mg/m2. Furthermore, data are presented demonstrating that the antibody is fully functional in these patients to execute anti-tumor cell effects and evidence for antitumoral activity was obtained.

Abstract: Described herein is a gene construct comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding insulin, for use in the treatment and/or prevention of neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration and/or cognitive decline, or a disease or condition associated therewith.

Abstract: An illustrative method for estimating a direct-to-reverberant ratio of a sound signal is described, wherein the direct-to-reverberant ratio is indicative of a ratio between direct sound received from a sound source and reverberated sound received from reflections in an environment of the sound source. The method includes determining a first energy value of a sound signal for a first time frame; assigning to an onset value of the first time frame a positive value, if the difference of the first energy value of the first time frame and a second energy value of a preceding second time frame is greater than a threshold, and a zero value otherwise; and determining the direct-to-reverberant ratio by providing an onset signal comprising the onset value to a machine learning algorithm, which has been trained to determine the direct-to-reverberant ratio based on the onset signal.

Abstract: It is provided a method for obtaining mesoporous silica particles with surface functionalisation comprising the steps of a) providing solutions of at least three precursors; wherein the pH of the mixture is adjusted to a range between 2 and 8 in a buffered system; b) Mixing the precursor solutions thereby allowing a reaction to take place at a temperature between 20 and 60° C., whereby surface functionalized mesoporous silica particles as solid reaction product are formed; c) Separating the surface functionalized mesoporous silica particles from the reaction mixture by centrifugation or filtration; d) Removing any pore structure directing agent present in the pores of the formed surface functionalized mesoporous silica particles by ultrasonication; e) followed by separation by centrifugation or filtration, washing and drying of the surface functionalized mesoporous silica particles.

Abstract: A method and computer programs for identifying time-frequency features of physiological events are disclosed. A computer system comprises filtering a set of physiological signals within each one of a plurality of time-frequency windows, obtaining a filtered set for each time-frequency window; calculating, for each time-frequency window, a given feature for the filtered set, each one of the signals of the filtered set having a given feature value, providing for each time-frequency window a set of feature values; and calculating, for each time-frequency window a first quantifier defined as a function of said set of features values and/or a second quantifier defined as a function of an empirical distribution of said set of feature values. The first quantifier can be compared with a first threshold and the second quantifier can be compared with a second threshold. The computing system can further select the time-frequency windows satisfying the first threshold and/or the second threshold.

Abstract: The method for determining the speed of printing of a fiber and the length of a printed fiber comprises: supplying ink to a nozzle; forming an ink drop at the exit of said nozzle; generating an ink jet carrying a net electrostatic charge; deflecting said ink jet periodically by one or a plurality of jet-deflection electrodes; collecting the ink jet on a substrate repetitively forming a printed motif by means of a continuous fiber; determining the width of the printed motif; calculating the speed of printing of fiber from the frequency of the jet-deflection signal and the width of the printed motif; calculating the length of fiber printed in a time interval from the frequency of the jet-deflection signal and from the width of the printed motif.

Abstract: An arrangement for determining an energy spectrum of a beam of radiation or particles is disclosed. The arrangement comprises a plurality of polymeric bodies. Each of the plurality of polymeric bodies includes an optical waveguide. Each of the plurality of polymeric bodies has a scintillator disposed at a respective end of the optical waveguide. The scintillators are arranged relative to each other such that an energy resolution of a particle beam incident on the arrangement can be determined. Furthermore, a particle detector with the arrangement and an evaluation unit for reading out the particle detector are disclosed.

Abstract: A sulfurous, metallic glass forming alloy and a method for the production thereof are described.

Abstract: The present invention relates to small molecule compounds of formula (I) and their use as FLT3 inhibitors for the treatment of various diseases, such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The present invention further relates to methods of synthesizing the compounds and methods of treatment.