On the Gibbsian Nature of the Random Field Kac Model Under Block-Averaging

We consider the Kac–Ising model in an arbitrary configuration of local magnetic fields = , in any dimension d, at any inverse temperature. We investigate the Gibbs properties of the 'renormalized' infinite volume measures obtained by block averaging any of the Gibbs-measures corresponding to fixed , with block-length small enough compared to the range of the Kac-interaction. We show that these measures are Gibbs measures for the same renormalized interaction potential. This potential depends locally on the field configuration and decays exponentially, uniformly in , for which we give explicit bounds. The construction of the potential is based on a high temperature-type cluster expansion.     

The Chemistry of Cyborgs—Interfacing Technical Devices with Organisms

The term “cyborg” refers to a cybernetic organism, which characterizes the chimera of a living organism and a machine. Owing to the widespread application of intracorporeal medical devices, cyborgs are no longer exclusively a subject of science fiction novels, but technically they already exist in our society. In this review, we briefly summarize the development of modern prosthetics and the evolution of brain–machine interfaces, and discuss the latest technical developments of implantable devices, in particular, biocompatible integrated electronics and microfluidics used for communication and control of living organisms. Recent examples of animal cyborgs and their relevance to fundamental and applied biomedical research and bioethics in this novel and exciting field at the crossroads of chemistry, biomedicine, and the engineering sciences are presented.     

Linear Response Equilibrium versus echo-planar encoding for fast high-spatial resolution 3D chemical shift imaging

In this work Linear Response Equilibrium (LRE) and Echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (EPSI) are compared in terms of sensitivity per unit time and power deposition. In addition an extended dual repetition time scheme to generate broad stopbands for improved inherent water suppression in LRE is presented. The feasibility of LRE and EPSI for assessing cholesterol esters in human carotid plaques with high spatial resolution of 1.95×1.15×1.15 mm(3) on a clinical 3T MR system is demonstrated. In simulations and phantom experiments it is shown that LRE has comparable but lower sensitivity per unit time relative to EPSI despite stronger signal generated. This relates to the lower sampling efficiency in LRE relative to EPSI as a result of limited gradient performance on clinical MR systems. At the same time, power deposition of LRE is significantly reduced compared to EPSI making it an interesting niche application for in vivo high field spectroscopic imaging of metabolites within a limited bandwidth.     

Localized subharmonic waves in a circularly vibrated granular bed

Localized period-doubling waves arise in circularly shaken granular beds contained in an annular channel. These solitary wave packets are accompanied by a locally increased particle density. The width and velocity of the granular wave pulse are measured as a function of the bed height. A continuum model for the material distribution, based on the measured granular transport velocity as a function of the bed thickness, captures the essence of the experimental findings.     

Visualization of Protein‐Specific Glycosylation inside Living Cells

Protein glycosylation is a ubiquitous post‐translational modification that is involved in the regulation of many aspects of protein function. In order to uncover the biological roles of this modification, imaging the glycosylation state of specific proteins within living cells would be of fundamental importance. To date, however, this has not been achieved. Herein, we demonstrate protein‐specific detection of the glycosylation of the intracellular proteins OGT, Foxo1, p53, and Akt1 in living cells. Our generally applicable approach relies on Diels–Alder chemistry to fluorescently label intracellular carbohydrates through metabolic engineering. The target proteins are tagged with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the EGFP and the glycan‐anchored fluorophore is detected with high contrast even in presence of a large excess of acceptor fluorophores by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM).