0000000000132648
AUTHOR
Stefan Becker
The Anaphylatoxic Peptide C3a of Guinea Pig Complement
Abstract Highly purified guinea pig C3a was obtained after specific cleavage of isolated C3 by the alternative pathway enzyme VF-B in a one step procedure. It turned out to be a low molecular weight peptide with basic character (M.W. 9500; isoelectric point above 9.4). C3a represents an antigenetic determinant of its own in the native C3 molecule, different from the B determinant. Guinea pig C3a is resistant to 100°C for 10 minutes. Its smooth muscle contracting activity can be destroyed by trypsin and carboxypeptidase B. These findings indicate that guinea pig C3a is quite similar to human C3a.
Characterization and Tuning of Ultra High Gradient Permanent Magnet Quadrupoles
The application of quadrupole devices with high field gradients and small apertures requires precise control over higher order multipole field components. We present a new scheme for performance control and tuning, which allows the illumination of most of the quadrupole device aperture because of the reduction of higher order field components. Consequently, the size of the aperture can be minimized to match the beam size achieving field gradients of up to $500\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{T}\text{ }{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ at good imaging quality. The characterization method based on a Hall probe measurement and a Fourier analysis was confirmed using the high quality electron beam at the M…
Forensic investigation of brick stones using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF).
Abstract Brick stones collected from different production facilities were studied for their elemental compositions under forensic aspects using laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS), instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF). The aim of these examinations was to assess the potential of these methods in forensic comparison analyses of brick stones. The accuracy of the analysis methods was evaluated using NIST standard reference materials (679, 98b and 97b). In order to compare the stones to each other, multivariate data analysis was used. The evaluation of the INAA results (based on the concentrations of V, Na, K, …
MPI-DING reference glasses for in situ microanalysis: New reference values for element concentrations and isotope ratios
We present new analytical data of major and trace elements for the geological MPI-DING glasses KL2-G, ML3B-G, StHs6/80-G, GOR128-G, GOR132-G, BM90/21-G, T1-G, and ATHO-G. Different analytical methods were used to obtain a large spectrum of major and trace element data, in particular, EPMA, SIMS, LA-ICPMS, and isotope dilution by TIMS and ICPMS. Altogether, more than 60 qualified geochemical laboratories worldwide contributed to the analyses, allowing us to present new reference and information values and their uncertainties (at 95% confidence level) for up to 74 elements. We complied with the recommendations for the certification of geological reference materials by the International Associ…
Plasticity of the PAS domain and a potential role for signal transduction in the histidine kinase DcuS
The mechanistic understanding of how membrane-embedded sensor kinases recognize signals and regulate kinase activity is currently limited. Here we report structure-function relationships of the multidomain membrane sensor kinase DcuS using solid-state NMR, structural modeling and mutagenesis. Experimental data of an individual cytoplasmic Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain were compared to structural models generated in silico. These studies, together with previous NMR work on the periplasmic PAS domain, enabled structural investigations of a membrane-embedded 40-kDa construct by solid-state NMR, comprising both PAS segments and the membrane domain. Structural alterations are largely limited to prot…
Sensory domain contraction in histidine kinase CitA triggers transmembrane signaling in the membrane-bound sensor
Bacteria use membrane-integral sensor histidine kinases (HK) to perceive stimuli and transduce signals from the environment to the cytosol. Information on how the signal is transmitted across the membrane by HKs is still scarce. Combining both liquid- and solid-state NMR, we demonstrate that structural rearrangements in the extracytoplasmic, citrate-sensing Per-Arnt-Sim (PAS) domain of HK CitA are identical for the isolated domain in solution and in a longer construct containing the membrane-embedded HK and lacking only the kinase core. We show that upon citrate binding, the PAS domain contracts, resulting in a shortening of the C-terminal β-strand. We demonstrate that this contraction of t…
Miniature magnetic devices for laser-based, table-top free-electron lasers
Truly table-top sized radiation sources based on compact laser-plasma accelerators require compact and strong focusing devices and efficient short-period undulators. Complementing our recent theoretical work on the feasibility of a table-top FEL, we here present the design and successful experimental characterizations of a 5 mm period length undulator and miniature quadrupole magnets with field gradients of the order of $500\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{T}/\mathrm{m}$.