The Colorized Dead. Computerunterstützte Analysen der Farblichkeit von Filmen in den Digital Humanities am Beispiel von Zombiefilmen.

E-print/Working paper (2016)

Tiers et contrat au Luxembourg

in Les tiers (2016)

La transnationalisation de l'enseignement du droit.

Book published by Larcier (2016)

The small-angle neutron scattering instrument D33 at the Institut Laue-Langevin

in JOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY (2016), 49

The D33 small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) instrument at the Institut Laue–Langevin (ILL) is the most recent SANS instrument to be built at the ILL. In a project beginning in 2005 and lasting seven ... [more ▼]

The D33 small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) instrument at the Institut Laue–Langevin (ILL) is the most recent SANS instrument to be built at the ILL. In a project beginning in 2005 and lasting seven years, the concept has been developed, and the instrument designed, manufactured and installed. D33 was commissioned with neutrons during the second half of 2012, fully entering the ILL user programme in 2013. The scientific case required that D33 should provide a wide dynamic range of measured scattering vector magnitude q, flexibility with regard to the instrument resolution, and the provision of polarized neutrons and 3He spin analysis to facilitate and expand studies in magnetism. In monochromatic mode, a velocity selector and a flexible system of inter-collimation apertures define the neutron beam. A double-chopper system enables a time-of-flight (TOF) mode of operation, allowing an enhanced dynamic q range (qmax/qmin) and a flexible wavelength resolution. Two large multitube detectors extend the dynamic q range further, giving qmax/qmin ’ 25 in monochromatic mode and a very large qmax/qmin > 1000 in TOF mode. The sample zone is large and flexible in configuration, accommodating complex and bulky sample environments, while the position of D33 is such as to allow high magnetic fields at the sample position. The instrument is of general purpose with a performance rivalling that of D22, and is well adapted for SANS studies in scientific disciplines as diverse as solution scattering in biology and soft matter and studies of physics, materials science and magnetism. This article provides a detailed technical description of D33 and its performance and characterization of the individual components, and serves as a technical reference for users of the instrument. [less ▲]

Urolithin A induces mitophagy and prolongs lifespan in C. elegans and increases muscle function in rodents.

in Nature medicine (2016), 22(8), 879-88

The biological effects of urolithins remain poorly characterized, despite wide-spread human exposure via the dietary consumption of their metabolic precursors, the ellagitannins, which are found in the ... [more ▼]

The biological effects of urolithins remain poorly characterized, despite wide-spread human exposure via the dietary consumption of their metabolic precursors, the ellagitannins, which are found in the pomegranate fruit, as well as in nuts and berries. We identified urolithin A (UA) as a first-in-class natural compound that induces mitophagy both in vitro and in vivo following oral consumption. In C. elegans, UA prevented the accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria with age and extended lifespan. Likewise, UA prolonged normal activity during aging in C. elegans, including mobility and pharyngeal pumping, while maintaining mitochondrial respiratory capacity. These effects translated to rodents, where UA improved exercise capacity in two different mouse models of age-related decline of muscle function, as well as in young rats. Our findings highlight the health benefits of urolithin A and its potential application in strategies to improve mitochondrial and muscle function. [less ▲]

Systems proteomics of liver mitochondria function.

in Science (New York, N.Y.) (2016), 352(6291), 0189

Recent improvements in quantitative proteomics approaches, including Sequential Window Acquisition of all Theoretical Mass Spectra (SWATH-MS), permit reproducible large-scale protein measurements across ... [more ▼]

Recent improvements in quantitative proteomics approaches, including Sequential Window Acquisition of all Theoretical Mass Spectra (SWATH-MS), permit reproducible large-scale protein measurements across diverse cohorts. Together with genomics, transcriptomics, and other technologies, transomic data sets can be generated that permit detailed analyses across broad molecular interaction networks. Here, we examine mitochondrial links to liver metabolism through the genome, transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome of 386 individuals in the BXD mouse reference population. Several links were validated between genetic variants toward transcripts, proteins, metabolites, and phenotypes. Among these, sequence variants in Cox7a2l alter its protein's activity, which in turn leads to downstream differences in mitochondrial supercomplex formation. This data set demonstrates that the proteome can now be quantified comprehensively, serving as a key complement to transcriptomics, genomics, and metabolomics--a combination moving us forward in complex trait analysis. [less ▲]

Joint mouse-human phenome-wide association to test gene function and disease risk.

in Nature communications (2016), 7

Phenome-wide association is a novel reverse genetic strategy to analyze genome-to-phenome relations in human clinical cohorts. Here we test this approach using a large murine population segregating for ... [more ▼]

Phenome-wide association is a novel reverse genetic strategy to analyze genome-to-phenome relations in human clinical cohorts. Here we test this approach using a large murine population segregating for approximately 5 million sequence variants, and we compare our results to those extracted from a matched analysis of gene variants in a large human cohort. For the mouse cohort, we amassed a deep and broad open-access phenome consisting of approximately 4,500 metabolic, physiological, pharmacological and behavioural traits, and more than 90 independent expression quantitative trait locus (QTL), transcriptome, proteome, metagenome and metabolome data sets--by far the largest coherent phenome for any experimental cohort (www.genenetwork.org). We tested downstream effects of subsets of variants and discovered several novel associations, including a missense mutation in fumarate hydratase that controls variation in the mitochondrial unfolded protein response in both mouse and Caenorhabditis elegans, and missense mutations in Col6a5 that underlies variation in bone mineral density in both mouse and human. [less ▲]

Anisotropic Nanoantenna-Based Magnetoplasmonic Crystals for Highly Enhanced and Tunable Magneto-Optical Activity

in Nano Letters (2016), 16(4), 2533-2542

We present a novel concept of a magnetically tunable plasmonic crystal based on the excitation of Fano lattice surface modes in periodic arrays of magnetic and optically anisotropic nanoantennas. We show ... [more ▼]

We present a novel concept of a magnetically tunable plasmonic crystal based on the excitation of Fano lattice surface modes in periodic arrays of magnetic and optically anisotropic nanoantennas. We show how coherent diffractive far-field coupling between elliptical nickel nanoantennas is governed by the two in-plane, orthogonal and spectrally detuned plasmonic responses of the individual building block, one directly induced by the incident radiation and the other induced by the application of an external magnetic field. The consequent excitation of magnetic field-induced Fano lattice surface modes leads to highly tunable and amplified magneto-optical effects as compared to a continuous film or metasurfaces made of disordered noninteracting magnetoplasmonic anisotropic nanoantennas. The concepts presented here can be exploited to design novel magnetoplasmonic sensors based on coupled localized plasmonic resonances, and nanoscale metamaterials for precise control and magnetically driven tunability of light polarization states. [less ▲]

Hybrid mesh/particle meshless method for modeling geological flows with discontinuous transport properties

E-print/Working paper (2016)

In the present paper, we introduce the Finite Difference Method-Meshless Method (FDM-MM) in the context of geodynamical simulations. The proposed numerical scheme relies on the well-established FD method ... [more ▼]

In the present paper, we introduce the Finite Difference Method-Meshless Method (FDM-MM) in the context of geodynamical simulations. The proposed numerical scheme relies on the well-established FD method along with the newly developed “meshless” method and, is considered as a hybrid Eulerian/Lagrangian scheme. Mass, momentum, and energy equations are solved using an FDM method, while material properties are distributed over a set of markers (particles), which represent the spatial domain, with the solution interpolated back to the Eulerian grid. The proposed scheme is capable of solving flow equations (Stokes flow) in uniform geometries with particles, “sprinkled” in the spatial domain and is used to solve convection- diffusion problems avoiding the oscillation produced in the Eulerian approach. The resulting algebraic linear systems were solved using direct solvers. Our hybrid approach can capture sharp variations of stresses and thermal gradients in problems with a strongly variable viscosity and thermal conductivity as demonstrated through various benchmarking test cases. The present hybrid approach allows for the accurate calculation of fine thermal structures, offering local type adaptivity through the flexibility of the particle method. [less ▲]

The long arm of work: A motivational conflict perspective on teacher strain

in Teaching and Teacher Education (2016), 60

Teacher strain is seen typically as a phenomenon within the job domain. Drawing on effort-recovery theory as well as on research on work family conflict and motivational interference, we propose that ... [more ▼]

Teacher strain is seen typically as a phenomenon within the job domain. Drawing on effort-recovery theory as well as on research on work family conflict and motivational interference, we propose that intrapsychic conflict between different life domains also contributes to teachers' emotional exhaustion. Findings based on self-reports of 234 teachers show that particularly the negative impact of work on teachers' private life related positively to their emotional exhaustion, and that this effect is mostly mediated by motivational interference effects in the social domain. Hence, adequate leisure experiences and detachment from work seem to be crucial to prevent prolonged emotional strain. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. [less ▲]