#Friedrich-Alexander-Universität

[dlyarchitecture]

[krejong]

EDIT: Vielen Dank an alle, die mir eine Nachricht über ihre Erfahrungen geschickt haben! Ich komme gerade dazu, euch allen zu antworten, aber ich schreibe seeeeehr langsam auf Deutsch 😅

Hi zusammen!

Wie einige von euch bereits wissen, bereite ich gerade mein Auslandssemester in Deutschland vor(!) Eine Entscheidung zu treffen zwischen verschiedenen Universitäten ist aber nie einfach. Wenn ihr also an einer der folgenden Universitäten seid bzw. wart, oder jemanden kennt, der an einer dieser Universitäten ist/war, könnt ihr mir bitte eine DM schicken?

Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen

Stiftung Universität Hildesheim

Universität zu Köln

Universität Regensburg

Ich werde Linguistik studieren und möchte vor allem Informationen über das Studentenleben an den verschiedenen Universitäten erhalten. Danke im Voraus! 💛

[mindblowingscience]

A species of spider lives its entire life underwater, despite having lungs that can only breathe atmospheric oxygen. How does it do it? This spider, known as the Argyroneta aquatica, has millions of rough, water-repellent hairs that trap air around its body, creating an oxygen reservoir and acting as a barrier between the spider's lungs and the water. This thin layer of air is called a plastron and for decades, material scientists have been trying to harness its protective effects. Doing so could lead to underwater superhydrophobic surfaces able to prevent corrosion, bacterial growth, the adhesion of marine organisms, chemical fouling, and other deleterious effects of liquid on surfaces. But plastrons have proved highly unstable under water, keeping surfaces dry for only a matter of hours in the lab. Now, a team of researchers led by the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany, and Aalto University in Finland have developed a superhydrophobic surface with a stable plastron that can last for months under water.

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[materialsscienceandengineering]

A species of spider lives its entire life underwater, despite having lungs that can only breathe atmospheric oxygen. How does it do it? This spider, known as the Argyroneta aquatica, has millions of rough, water-repellent hairs that trap air around its body, creating an oxygen reservoir and acting as a barrier between the spider's lungs and the water. This thin layer of air is called a plastron and for decades, material scientists have been trying to harness its protective effects. Doing so could lead to underwater superhydrophobic surfaces able to prevent corrosion, bacterial growth, the adhesion of marine organisms, chemical fouling, and other deleterious effects of liquid on surfaces. But plastrons have proved highly unstable under water, keeping surfaces dry for only a matter of hours in the lab. Now, a team of researchers led by the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany, and Aalto University in Finland have developed a superhydrophobic surface with a stable plastron that can last for months under water. The team's general strategy to create long-lasting underwater superhydrophobic surfaces, which repel blood and drastically reduce or prevent the adhesion of bacterial and marine organisms such as barnacles and mussels, opens a range of applications in biomedicine and industry.

Read more.

[bpod-bpod]

Under Cholesterol's Control

Computer simulations reveal that cholesterol – a component of the cell membrane – controls the essential barrier's properties, and can engender both impermeability and bendiness

Read the published research paper here

Image from work by Matthias Pöhnl and colleagues

Computational Biology, Department of Biology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Nature Communications, December 2023

You can also follow BPoD on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook

[schwarzander]

EMILIO SAKRAYA? Não! É apenas ALEXANDER SCHWARZ, ele é filho de ATENA do chalé 6 e tem VINTE E SETE ANOS. A TV Hefesto informa no guia de programação que ele está no NÍVEL III por estar no Acampamento há QUINZE ANOS, sabia? E se lá estiver certo, ZANDER é bastante DETERMINADO mas também dizem que ele é ORGULHOSO. Mas você sabe como Hefesto é, sempre inventando fake news pra atrair audiência.

B I O G R A F I A 

Friedrich Schwarz é um arquiteto renomado e visionário que projetou alguns dos edifícios mais emblemáticos do mundo. Ele é amplamente conhecido por sua criatividade, paixão pela sustentabilidade e seu compromisso em criar espaços que inspirem as pessoas. Nascido em uma família bem sucedida na Alemanha, se interessou pela arte e pelo design desde cedo. Estudou arquitetura na Technische Universität Berlin e, após se formar, trabalhou em diversos escritórios de arquitetura renomados até finalmente fundar sua própria empresa, chamada IdeenHaus, com o objetivo de criar espaços que sejam ao mesmo tempo bonitos e funcionais.

E não foi só na vida profissional que o senhor Schwarz prosperou: três anos após ter fundado a IdeenHaus, casou-se e teve três lindos filhos. Ou melhor, foi assim que pensou até o fatídico dia em que recebeu uma ligação que mudou sua vida. A voz da secretária, sempre serena e eficiente, soou diferente ao telefone: "Ér… Sr. Schwarz? Há um bebê aqui na recepção. Uma carta o acompanha."

Friedrich, intrigado e um tanto perplexo, correu até a recepção da empresa. Lá, encontrou um bebê adormecido em um cesto, ao lado de um envelope branco. Com as mãos trêmulas, ele abriu a carta e seus olhos se arregalaram ao ler as palavras escritas em caligrafia elegante. O que ele faria com essa criança inesperada em sua vida? A carta a qual acompanhava o bebê continha algumas instruções, mas sua mente sempre voltada para soluções não foi capaz de traçar um plano. Deixou o bebê sob os cuidados da secretária durante todo o dia e, quando retornou para casa com o suposto filho, não foi tão bem recebido assim pela esposa. 

Obviamente ele não poderia abandonar o filho porque isso seria o mesmo que colocar um alvo nas costas da indefesa criança. Entre muitas brigas e discussões, conseguiu ficar com o garoto até os doze anos, idade com a qual, segundo as informações contidas na carta deixada para ele, era permitido ingressar no tal Acampamento Meio-Sangue. Desta forma, seu filho Alexander iria morar com uns tios em Nova Iorque e, durante o período de férias escolares, passaria um tempo no Acampamento para treinar suas habilidades.

Quando chegou ao lugar destinado aos semideuses, levou aproximadamente dois meses para ser reconhecido por sua mãe e, honestamente, se questionava o porquê demorou tanto para a deusa da sabedoria se pronunciar. Foram longos dias de treinamento árduo e, durante a transição para o nível três, Zander acreditou por um momento que ficaria para sempre no segundo nível. No entanto, tal dificuldade lhe serviu como inspiração para iniciar uma profissão no mundo mortal como personal trainer. Desta forma, estaria cada vez mais focado em aumentar sua força e resistência, consequentemente lhe preparando para enfrentar os desafios que viriam pela frente.

Hoje em dia, Alexander mantém uma frequência baixa de correspondência com o pai, mas eles ainda se falam. Apesar dele não ter seguido no ramo da família, o homem se orgulha pelo filho ter conseguido conciliar bem uma vida “normal” com seus deveres de semideus. Todas as vezes que eles se despedem, Friedrich encerra o contato com um carinhoso: por favor, se mantenha vivo. Zander estava na academia mortal quando recebeu a mensagem de Dionísio e, apesar de ser contra a sua vontade, sequer pestanejou antes de retornar ao Acampamento.

P O D E R E S 

Visão Estratégica: Desvendando os Segredos do Campo de Batalha

A Visão Estratégica é uma habilidade formidável que transforma Alexander em um estrategista excepcional, capaz de analisar o campo de batalha com uma mente afiada e tomar decisões precisas que auxiliam na vitória. Essa habilidade se manifesta em diferentes níveis, desde a percepção aguçada até a capacidade de identificar oportunidades e explorar fraquezas inimigas.

H A B I L I D A D E S 

Agilidade sobre-humana e Previsão.

A R M A 

Θεία Κρίση (Theia Krisi): Uma espada imponente e elegante, forjada em ferro estígio, um metal lendário conhecido por sua força e resistência contra monstros. Seu cabo é feito de madeira de carvalho, esculpido com intrincados desenhos que lembram folhas de oliveira, símbolo da paz e da sabedoria. A lâmina, afiada como um raio, possui um brilho metálico que cintila à luz do sol, enquanto uma leve aura azulada emana de sua superfície, um sinal do poder divino que reside em seu interior. 

Essa arma foi forjada por Hefesto, o deus ferreiro, a pedido de Atena, deusa da sabedoria e da guerra. Ela foi presenteada a seu filho em sua primeira missão como um símbolo de sua proteção e poder. Desde então, a Espada acompanhou o semideus em suas aventuras, defendendo-o de inúmeros monstros e inimigos. Quando não está em uso, a arma se transforma em um bracelete elegante e discreto, feito do mesmo ferro estígio da lâmina que se encaixa perfeitamente no pulso e possui os mesmos detalhes da espada.

M A L D I Ç Ã O / B E N Ç Ã O

Ainda não possui.

A T I V I D A D E S

Alexander sempre demonstrou um talento nato para o planejamento e a resolução de problemas complexos. A prova de inteligência estratégica era árdua e exigia muito mais do que apenas conhecimento. Ele precisava pensar de forma criativa, analisar cenários complexos e tomar decisões sob pressão, por isso, se dedicou de corpo e alma à tarefa. Ao final da prova, Zander esperava ansiosamente pelo sinal de Atena. E então, para sua imensa alegria, uma coruja majestosa pousou em seu ombro, confirmando sua aprovação. A partir desse dia, Alexander dedica-se incansavelmente à sua nova função, estudando sempre que pode sobre táticas de guerra, estratégias de combate e a arte da liderança. 

Sendo assim, ele faz parte do grupo dos Estrategistas e, como esporte, também pratica escalada individualmente.

[linguistlist-blog]

Jobs: German; English, German; General Linguistics, Language Acquisition, Linguistics Theories, Phonetics, Phonology: Tenure-Track Position as an Assistant Professor of German as a Foreign Language, Friedrich Alexander Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg

The Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) invites applications for a Tenure-Track Position as an Assistant Professor of German as a Foreign Language in the Context of Multilingualism (salary group W1) at the Department of German and Comparative Studies. The position is planned to be filled by the earliest possible starting date for an initial period of four years. Upon successful evaluation, the appointment will be extende http://dlvr.it/TCXmHg

[blog-for-communications]

Gerd Altmann Pixabay

Dem kognitiven Abbau vorbeugen Das soziale Netzwerk ist entscheidend

Erlangen-Nürnberg, 13.08.2024. FAU-Studie untersucht den Einfluss von sozialer Isolation auf die kognitiven Fähigkeiten

Neben Hörverlust, Bluthochdruck und Diabetes gehört soziale Isolation bei älteren Menschen zu den veränderbaren Risikofaktoren, die die Entwicklung einer Demenz begünstigen können. Ein interdisziplinäres Forschungsteam der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) hat nun den Zusammenhang zwischen sozialer Isolation und kognitiven Beeinträchtigungen erforscht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen: Menschen mit kognitiven Beeinträchtigungen haben ein hohes Risiko, sozial isoliert von Freunden und Familienangehörigen zu sein. Dies berichten die Forschenden des Digitalen Demenzregisters Bayern (digiDEM Bayern) in der renommierten Fachzeitschrift PlosOne*.

Ob das gemeinsame Kaffeekränzchen oder die Senioren-Sportgruppe: Soziale Interaktionen sind ein wichtiger Eckpfeiler des Lebens. Mangelt es an diesen oder fehlen soziale Bindungen, gelten Menschen als sozial isoliert. „Aktuelle internationale Studien zeigen, dass auch bei kognitiv gesunden älteren Menschen die geistige Leistungsfähigkeit abnimmt, sobald sich die Betroffenen vom gesellschaftlichen Leben zurückziehen“, sagt Lisa Laininger, Erstautorin der Studie und wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin bei dem Versorgungsforschungsprojekt digiDEM Bayern.

Risikofaktor für Demenz

Besonders unter älteren Menschen ist das Phänomen der sozialen Isolation weit verbreitet und kann mit gravierenden gesundheitlichen Problemen verbunden sein. Soziale Isolation kann darüber hinaus den Rückgang kognitiver Funktionen begünstigen. „Sind die sozialen Bindungen beeinträchtigt, kann dies zu einem erhöhten Risiko für körperliche sowie psychische Erkrankungen wie zum Beispiel Demenz, aber auch zu einer erhöhten Sterblichkeit führen“, berichtet der Neurologe Prof. Dr. Peter Kolominsky-Rabas, Co-Autor und digiDEM Bayern-Projektleiter.

Daten von Menschen mit kognitiven Beeinträchtigungen

In ihrer Studie haben die FAU-Forschenden über eine Verlaufszeit von 12 Monaten die Daten von 106 Personen ausgewertet. Erhoben wurden deren Daten im Rahmen des Versorgungsforschungsprojektes digiDEM Bayern, einer Langzeituntersuchung mit Teilnehmenden aus allen Regierungsbezirken Bayerns. Eine weitere Besonderheit der Studie ist es, dass alle Befragten bereits Anzeichen kognitiver Beeinträchtigungen aufzeigten und darüber hinaus nicht auf die Unterstützung von pflegenden An- und Zugehörigen angewiesen waren.

„In den Netzwerken älterer Menschen sind Familie und Freunde die beiden wichtigsten Komponenten“, erläutert Lisa Laininger. „Wir wissen auch aus anderen Studien, dass die Zusammensetzung des persönlichen Netzwerks, also ob es sich um Freunde oder Familienmitglieder handelt, eine weitaus größere Rolle zu spielen scheint als die Größe des Netzwerkes oder die Häufigkeit der Kontakte.“

Dabei gibt es vielfältige Gründe, weshalb das Risiko der sozialen Isolation mit dem Alter zunimmt. „Ältere Menschen neigen einerseits eher dazu, sich zurückzuziehen, andererseits wird der Freundeskreis oft kleiner, wenn Altersgenossen pflegebedürftig werden oder versterben.“

Ausmaß der sozialen Isolation

Ein zentrales Interesse der Wissenschaftler um Lisa Laininger galt der Frage nach dem Ausmaß der sozialen Isolation – ein bislang noch wenig untersuchter Aspekt. So zeigte sich, dass 42,5 Prozent der Teilnehmenden ein erhöhtes Risiko für ein inadäquates Netzwerk aus Freunden aufwiesen. Zu ähnlichen Ergebnissen kamen auch andere Forschende. Im Unterschied dazu lag das Risiko der sozialen Isolation gegenüber Familienmitgliedern bei nur 17 Prozent.

Freund/-innen wichtiger als Familie

Des Weiteren untersuchten die Forschenden, inwiefern sich das Risiko der sozialen Isolation auf den Verlauf der kognitiven Fähigkeiten auswirkt. „Unsere Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass Freundschaften einen größeren Einfluss auf den Verlauf der kognitiven Fähigkeiten zu haben scheinen als familiäre Bindungen“, sagt die digiDEM Bayern-Wissenschaftlerin Lisa Laininger. Dafür kann es eine Vielzahl an Gründen geben. In Freundschaften neige man eher dazu, gemeinsam an sozialen Aktivitäten teilzunehmen oder sich zwanglos auszutauschen. Co-Autor Prof. Dr. Peter Kolominsky-Rabas ergänzt: „Dies fördert die kognitive Leistungsfähigkeit. Zudem können gleichaltrige Freund/-innen hinsichtlich des Gesundheitsbewusstseins auch als Vorbild dienen und zum Beispiel zur Teilnahme an sportlichen Aktivitäten motivieren.“

In ihrer Studie haben die Forschenden aber nicht nur den Zusammenhang zwischen dem Grad der Zurückgezogenheit und der Kognition untersucht. Werden andere klassische Risikofaktoren für Demenz wie zum Beispiel Alter, Geschlecht oder Bildungsgrad in der Auswertung berücksichtigt, sind die Einflüsse der Netzwerke von Freund/-innen auf die Kognition nicht mehr eindeutig nachweisbar. „In diesem Fall scheinen diese Faktoren einen größeren Einfluss auf die kognitiven Fähigkeiten zu haben“, sagt Lisa Laininger.

Aufmerksamkeit schenken

Dennoch erfordere das Thema „Freundschaften im Alter“ speziell für Menschen mit kognitiven Beeinträchtigungen eine besondere Aufmerksamkeit. „Das Risiko, enge und vertrauensvolle Beziehungen zu Menschen außerhalb ihres familiären Umfelds nicht mehr aufrechterhalten zu können, scheint für diese Personengruppe besonders hoch zu sein“, sagt Prof. Dr. Peter Kolominsky-Rabas. Schwierigkeiten, sozial zu interagieren oder erste Anzeichen von Gedächtnisverlust – wenn man sich etwa nicht mehr an Termine zu erinnern vermag – können das Sozialverhalten beeinträchtigen und den individuellen Rückzug fördern.

Zielgruppenspezifische Angebote schaffen

Für die Forschenden ist es daher ein entscheidender Faktor, dass zukünftig gerade für diese Personengruppe entsprechende Angebote ins Leben gerufen werden. „Um Menschen, die bereits von kognitiven Beeinträchtigungen betroffen sind, dabei zu unterstützen, bestehende Freundschaften aufrechtzuerhalten oder sogar neue, nicht verwandtschaftliche Beziehungen aufzubauen, ist es notwendig, zielgruppenspezifische Angebote wie Kunst- oder Bewegungsaktivitätsgruppen für Menschen mit und ohne Demenz oder kognitive Beeinträchtigung zu schaffen“, fasst Lisa Laininger zusammen. Soziale Isolation gehört – wie auch Rauchen, Bewegungsmangel oder Diabetes – zu den Risikofaktoren für Demenz, die veränderbar sind.

Direkt zur Studie: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306447 Mehr über digiDEM Bayern

digiDEM Bayern baut ein digitales Demenzregister für Bayern auf, um den Langzeitverlauf der Erkrankung besser zu verstehen und die Versorgungssituation von Menschen mit Demenz und deren An- und Zugehörigen in ganz Bayern zu verbessern. Dafür werden Menschen mit leichten kognitiven Beeinträchtigungen oder Demenz und ihre pflegenden An- und Zugehörigen zu ihrer Situation systematisch befragt.

Mit 2.000 Studienteilnehmenden aus ganz Bayern hat das Digitale Demenzregister Bayern (digiDEM Bayern) mittlerweile einen Rekordstand erreicht. Damit ist digiDEM Bayern das größte Demenzregister in Deutschland und gehört im Bereich Demenzforschung zu einem der umfangreichsten Projekte zur Erfassung von Langzeitdaten in der Europäischen Union (EU).

digiDEM Bayern ist ein interdisziplinäres Forschungsprojekt der Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, des Universitätsklinikums Erlangen und des Innovationsclusters Medical Valley Europäische Metropolregion Nürnberg. Gefördert wird das Projekt vom Bayerischen Staatsministerium für Gesundheit, Pflege und Prävention (StMGP) im Rahmen des Masterplans „BAYERN DIGITAL II“.

Originalpublikation:

Weitere Informationen:

[jobrxiv]

PhD position in cell division and microscopy Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg PhD position available in the Zanin lab at #FAU. Join us to decipher the molecular mechanisms of cell division in animal cells! See the full job description on jobRxiv: https://jobrxiv.org/job/friedrich-alexander-universitat-erlangen-nurnberg-27778-phd-position-in-cell-division-and-microscopy/?feed_id=79586 #biochemistry #C._elegans #cell_biology #cell_division #confocal_microscopy #ScienceJobs #hiring #research

[teknolojihaber]

Alman bilim insanları kalp krizinden sonra kalbi onaracak bir jel geliştirdi

Kalp pili takılması gibi mevcut yöntemler sadece aritmiyi kesiyor ancak tekrarını engelleyemiyor. Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen (FAU) ve Bonn Üniversitesi'nden araştırmacılar, bu sorunun çözülmesine yardımcı olacak bir jel oluşturdular. Şu anda aritmi ile mücadele etmek için kalp pilleri ve defibrilatörler kullanılıyor. Aritmiyi tespit ederek ve normal kalp ritmini sağlamak için bir elektrik deşarjı kullanıyorlar. Ancak kalp pilleri aritminin nedenini ortadan kaldırmadığı gibi, sık sık uygulanan şoklar da kalp kasını ve hastaların yaşam kalitesini olumsuz etkiliyor. Kolajen ve iletken madde PEDOT:PSS'ye dayalı yeni bir jel, doğrudan kalbin yara dokusuna enjekte ediliyor. Hayvanlar üzerinde yapılan ilk testler, jelin aritmiyi önlemedeki etkinliğini gösterdi. Ancak insanların kullanımına sunulmadan önce yapılması gereken çok sayıda araştırma var. Gelecekte jelin, defibrilatör deşarjlarının özellikle tehlikeli olduğu, aritmi riski yüksek olan hastalarda test edilmesi planlanıyor. Read the full article

[cosimomarraffa]

Podcast mit Dagmar Schur | Training. Beratung. Coaching Technische Hochschule Nürnberg Georg Simon Ohm Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Nürnberg Bayern | Schwerpunkte sind • Trainings und Coachings für Führungskräfte • Coaching von Geschäftsführern bei strategischen Entscheidungen und bei der Weiterentwicklung von stimmigen Unternehmensstrukturen • Entwicklung von Teams • Klärung von Konflikten zwischen Abteilungen und Einzelpersonen | Autorin von "Komm Dir selbst auf die Spur - Ein kreatives Arbeitsbuch"

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dagmar-schur-9264aa29a/

Academy: https://www.marraffatrainingacademy.de

Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/@marraffatrainingacademy

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…to download 6D's Skript, whatsapp to +49 1719430074

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Super-dense packing of hydrogen molecules on a surface

Hydrogen (H2) is currently discussed as an ideal energy carrier of renewable energies. Hydrogen has the highest gravimetric energy density of all chemical fuels (141 MJ/kg), which is three times higher than gasoline (46 MJ/kg). However, its low volumetric density restricts its widespread use in transportation applications—as current storage options require a lot of space.

At ambient temperature, hydrogen is a gas, and one kilogram of hydrogen occupies a volume of 12000 liters (12 cubic meters). In fuel-cell vehicles, hydrogen is stored under a very high pressure of 700 times the atmospheric pressure, which reduces the volume to 25 liters per kilogram of H2. Liquid hydrogen shows a higher density resulting in 14 liters per kilogram, but it requires extremely low temperatures since the boiling point of hydrogen is minus 253 °C.

Now a team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, the Technische Universität Dresden, the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory has demonstrated that hydrogen condenses on a surface at a very low temperature near the H2 boiling point, forming a super-dense monolayer exceeding the density of liquid hydrogen by a factor of almost three, which reduces the volume to only 5 liters per kilogram H2.

Read more.

[bpod-bpod]

Team Defence

Teamwork, as everyone knows, makes the dream work, and it may be key to tackling a particularly slimy health issue. Gastrointestinal worms are a threat around the world, and anyone who has been infected once may be reassured that the body develops methods to prevent a second attack. Immune cells called alternatively activated macrophages trap worm larvae in the intestine (pictured, red and green showing molecules released by the immune cells, enveloping a larva). Researchers hoping to understand the mechanism used by macrophages to tackle the worms investigated the action of various molecules produced by macrophages. They discovered that the macrophages alone weren’t enough to quell an infection, and instead the defence operation relies on additional help from products of other immune cells, T cells, and the activation of genes in the intestinal lining cells. This teamwork keeps secondary infection at bay, and could point researchers towards new treatment approaches.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Image from work by Stefanie Westermann and colleagues

Department of Infection Biology, University Hospital Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in PLOS Pathogens, April 2023

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[jhavelikes]

Strong field quantum optics is a rapidly emerging research topic, which merges elements of non-linear photoemission rooted in strong field physics with the well-established realm of quantum optics. While the distribution of light particles (i.e., photons) has been widely documented both in classical and non-classical light sources, the impact of such distributions on photoemission processes remains poorly understood. Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light recently set out to fill this gap in the literature, by exploring the interactions between light and matter with a non-classical light source. Their paper, published in Nature Physics, demonstrates that photon statistics of the driving light source are imprinted on the electron number statistics of emitted electrons from metal needle tips, an observation that could have interesting implications for the future development of optical devices.

Researchers realize multiphoton electron emission with non-classical light

[scientificinquirer-blog]

RNA that doesn’t age.

Certain RNA molecules in the nerve cells in the brain last a life time without being renewed. Neuroscientists from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have now demonstrated that this is the case together with researchers from Germany, Austria and the USA. RNAs are generally short-lived molecules that are constantly reconstructed to adjust to environmental conditions. With…

[xtruss]

Researchers Explain the Dissimilar Smells of Babies and Teenagers

Body odors change during development, and this change influences the interpersonal communication between parents and their children. The molecular basis for this chemical communication has not been elucidated yet. Here, we show by combining instrumental and sensory analyses that the qualitative odorant composition of body odor samples is similar in infants (0-3 years) and post-pubertal children (14-18 years). The post-pubertal samples are characterized by higher odor dilution factors for carboxylic acids and by the presence of 5α-androst-16-en-3-one and 5α-androst-16-en-3α-ol. In addition to the olfaction-guided approach, the compounds 6-methylhept-5-en-2-one (6MHO), geranyl acetone (GA) and squalene (SQ) were quantified. Both age groups have similar concentrations of 6MHO and GA, whereas post-pubertal children tend to have higher concentration of SQ. In conclusion, sexual maturation coincides with changes to body odor chemical composition. Whether those changes explain differences in parental olfactory perception needs to be determined in future studies with model odors. (Diana Owsienko, Lisa Goppelt, Katharina Hierl, Laura Schäfer, Ilona Croy & Helene M. Loos)

— By Bob Yirka | Phys.Org | March 24, 2024

Study Overview Regarding Preparation of Sampling Material, Participants, and Analysis. Credit: Communications Chemistry (2024). DOI: 10.1038/S42004-024-01131-4

A team of aroma chemists at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, working with psychologist colleagues from the Technical University of Dresden, has uncovered the reasons for the dissimilar smells between babies and teenagers. The study is published in the journal Communications Chemistry.

Prior research and anecdotal evidence have shown that babies have a pleasant smell, often described as sweet. Teenagers, on the other hand, especially males, have often been described as smelling less pleasant. In this new effort, the research team sought to find out what causes the difference.

The researchers recruited the parents of 18 children aged up to 3 years old to wash the youngsters with a fragrance-free gel and to take swap samples of the armpits of their pajamas prior to sleep. They did the same with 18 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18. All the cotton pads were then collected and analyzed in a lab setting.

The research team used mass spectrometry to identify the chemical compounds in the pads, and used gas chromatography along with a human sniffer to assess the odorousness of the smells associated with each chemical compound.

The researchers found that most of the chemicals responsible for body odor were similar between the two groups of volunteers. But there were a few that made the difference. Teenage sweat, for example, had high levels of many kinds of carboxylic acids, which the assessors described as "earthy, musty or cheesy."

They also found two steroids in the teen sweat not present in the baby sweat, one of which resulted in "musk or urine-like" emanations—the other, the assessors suggested, smelled more like "musk and sandalwood." Without such chemicals, the sweat of babies smelled much sweeter.

The researchers suggest that study of the chemical compounds in teen sweat could prove fruitful for makers of odor-control products. They also suggest that more work could done to better understand the impact of such odors on parents.