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The COVID-19 pandemic had major implications for private and family lives. The German Family Panel pairfam conducted an online survey regarding the experiences during the pandemic. The survey was conducted from May to July 2020. It includes instruments introduced in previous pairfam waves as well as new modules on topics that proved particularly relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting dataset encompasses a sample of 3,182 respondents from all German federal states ranging in age from 17–47 years. The data has already been used in a variety of scientific publications and is available for research and teaching purposes.

Our respiratory system is exposed to toxicants and pathogens from both sides: the airways and the vasculature. While tracheal, bronchial and alveolar epithelial cells form a natural barrier in the airways, endothelial cells protect the lung from perfused toxic compounds, particulate matter and invading microorganism in the vascular system. Damages induce inflammation by our immune response and wound healing by (myo)fibroblast proliferation. Members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily of ion channel are expressed in many cells of the respiratory tract and serve multiple functions in physiology and pathophysiology. TRP expression patterns in non-neuronal cells with a focus on TRPA1, TRPC6, TRPM2, TRPM5, TRPM7, TRPV2, TRPV4 and TRPV6 channels are presented, and their roles in barrier function, immune regulation and phagocytosis are summarized. Moreover, TRP channels as future pharmacological targets in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, cystic and pulmonary fibrosis as well as lung edema are discussed.

The ultimate objective of a microscope of the highest resolution is to map the molecules of interest in the sample. Traditionally, linear imaging systems are characterized by their spatial frequency transfer function, which is given, in real space, by the point spread function (PSF). By extending the concept of the PSF towards the molecular contribution function (MCF), that quantifies the average contribution of a single fluorophore to the image, a straightforward concept for counting fluorophores is obtained. Using reversible saturable optical fluorescence transitions (RESOLFT), fluorophores are effectively activated only in a small, subdiffraction-sized volume before they are read out. During readout the signal exhibits an increased variance due to the stochastic nature of prior activation, which scales quadratically with the brightness of the active fluorophores while the mean of the signal scales only linearly with it. Using a two-state Markov model for the activation, showing comparable behavior to the switching kinetics of the switchable fluorescent protein rsEGFP2, we can approximate quantitatively the MCF of RESOLFT nanoscopy allowing to count the number of fluorophores within a subdiffraction-sized region of the sample. The method is validated on measurements of tubulin structures in Drosophila melagonaster larvae. Modeling and estimation of the MCF is a promising approach to quantitative microscopy. peerReviewed

Members of the transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily are broadly expressed in our body and contribute to multiple cellular functions. Most interestingly, the fourth member of the vanilloid family of TRP channels (TRPV4) serves different partially antagonistic functions in the respiratory system. This review highlights the role of TRPV4 channels in lung fibroblasts, the lung endothelium, as well as the alveolar and bronchial epithelium, during physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms. Data available from animal models and human tissues confirm the importance of this ion channel in cellular signal transduction complexes with Ca2+ ions as a second messenger. Moreover, TRPV4 is an excellent therapeutic target with numerous specific compounds regulating its activity in diseases, like asthma, lung fibrosis, edema, and infections.

Reversibly photoswitchable 1,2‐bis(2‐ethyl‐6‐phenyl‐1‐benzothiophene‐1,1‐dioxide‐3‐yl)perfluorocyclopentenes (EBT) having fluorescent “closed” forms were decorated with four or eight carboxylic groups and attached to antibodies. Low aggregation, efficient photoswitching in aqueous buffers, specific staining of cellular structures, and good photophysical properties were demonstrated. Alternating light pulses of UV and blue light induce numerous reversible photochemical transformations between two stables states with distinct structures. Using relatively low light intensities, EBTs were applied in biology‐related super‐resolution microscopy based on the reversible saturable (switchable) optical linear fluorescence transitions (RESOLFT) and demonstrated optical resolution of 75 nm.

Given a more intense competition and substantial investments in research and development (R&D), this paper investigates the impact of innovation on performance in the European automotive industry. More specifically, using secondary data for 98 observations and running multiple regression models, this study examines the effect of the number of both total and green patent applications, and R&D intensity on return on assets (ROA). The evidence suggests that both patent applications and R&D intensity have a positive and significant impact on ROA, whereas green patents are marginally insignificant at the 10% significance level. The results have important implications for business leaders in the industry indicating that innovation does indeed improve performance.

Reversibel photoschaltbares 1,2-Bis(2-ethyl-6-phenyl-1-benzothiophen-1,1-dioxid-3-yl)perfluorcyclopenten (EBT) mit fluoreszierender “geschlossener” Form wurde mit vier oder acht Carboxygruppen versehen und an Antikorper gebunden. Die carboxylierten Derivate wiesen geringe Aggregation, effizientes Photoschalten in wassrigen Puffern, gezieltes Farben von zellularen Strukturen und gute photophysikalische Eigenschaften auf. Abwechselnde Bestrahlung mit UV und blauem Licht relativ geringer Intensitat fuhrte zu reversibler photochemischer Isomerisierung zwischen zwei stabilen Strukturen uber mehrere dutzend Schaltzyklen. Dies ermoglichte die Verwendung der Farbstoffe fur hochauflosende RESOLFT-Mikroskopie (“reversible switchable optical linear fluorescence transitions”). Hierbei konnte eine optische Auflosung von 75 nm an zellularen Tubulin-Filamenten erzielt werden.

Protein bound water molecules play an important role for protein function. In the trans-membrane proton pump bacteriorhodopsin (BR) water molecules in the proton transport channel and in the retinal chromophor binding pocket have been shown by means of infrared vibrational spectroscopy to participate in the light driven proton transport mechanism (Garczarek et al., Nature 2006, 439, 109). Static low temperature FTIR experiments strongly suggest that the pentagonal water cluster involving three water molecules W401, W402 and W406 as well as the retinal Schiff-base, Asp85 and Asp212, is perturbed when the ground state BR570 is photoconverted to the K610 state (H. Kandori et al., J.Phys.Chem.B 1998, 102, 7899). We have now investigated the spectral range above 3.3 μm by means of femtosecond time resolved transient mid-IR spectroscopy. Here we find a broad IR absorption band which bleaches within (or even faster than) retinal isomerization, i.e. 0.5 ps. This finding is strongly corroborated by quantum-chemical QM/MM calculations that attribute this continuum band to a polarization coupling between the protonated retinal Schiff-base N-H stretch and water W402 in BR570 (M. Baer et al., ChemPhysChem 2008, 9, 2703). Our results indicate that the pentagonal water cluster is heavily perturbed already on this time scale.