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During the design phase of a chemical plant, information is created by various software tools and stored in heterogeneous formats, such as technical documents, CAE databases, or simulation files. Eventually, these scattered information items need to be merged and consolidated. However, there is no efficient computer support for this task available today. While existing technologies like XML are capable of handling the structural and syntactic differences between the heterogeneous formats, these technologies cannot resolve any semantic incompatibilities. For this reason, information integration is still largely performed manually – a task which is both tedious and error-prone. Semantic technologies based on ontologies have been identified as an appropriate means to establish semantic interoperability. This contribution presents an ontology-based approach for information integration in chemical process engineering. The underlying knowledge base, which is based on the formal ontology OntoCAPE, is presented, and the design and implementation of a prototypical integration software are described. Further, the application of the software prototype in a large industrial use case is reported.

This article gives an overview on OntoCAPE, a formal ontology for the domain of computer-aided process engineering. An ontology is an explicit specification of a conceptualization (Gruber, 1993), typically involving classes, their relations, and axioms for clarifying the intended semantics. A formal ontology, in particular, captures the consensual knowledge of an application domain in such a way that it can be reused and shared across software applications (Gomez-Perez et al., 2004). OntoCAPE formally represents domain knowledge about CAPE, with the intention of supporting the construction of software tools for different tasks such as knowledge management, mathematical modeling, or plant design. We argue that a useful ontology must simultaneously strive for usability and reusability and explain how these goals are achieved by OntoCAPE.

From investigations of the vertebrate immune system gender specific differences in individual immunocompetence are well known. In general, females seem to possess more powerful immune systems than males. In invertebrates, the situation is much less clear. Therefore, we investigated the immune system of an invertebrate species, the scorpionfly Panorpa vulgaris. We found a high degree of individual variation in both traits studied, the lysozyme-like antibacterial activity of hemolymph and the capacity for in vitro phagocytosis of artificial particles. These two immune traits were positively correlated. As expected, hemolymph derived from females had higher lysozyme-like activity and hemocytes from females phagocytosed more particles. The difference in phagocytosis was mainly based on higher total hemocyte counts and higher proportions of phagocytically active cells in females, while the average number of ingested particles per active phagocyte was not significantly different. The observed gender differences are discussed in the context of reproductive strategies and parasite-mediated sexual selection.

Apolipophorin III (apoLp-III) is an exchangeable insect apolipoprotein. Its function, as currently understood, lies in the stabilization of low-density lipophorin particles (LDLp) crossing the hemocoel in phases of high energy consumption to deliver lipids from the fat body to the flight muscle cells. Recent studies with native Galleria mellonella-apoLp-III gave first indications of an unexpected role of that protein in insect immune activation. Here we report the immune activation by the recombinant protein, documenting a newly discovered correlation between lipid physiology and immune defense in insects. The complete cDNA sequence of G. mellonella-apoLp-III was identified by mixed oligonucleotide-primed amplification of cDNA (MOPAC), 3'-RACE-PCR, and cRACE-PCR. The sequence coding for the native protein was ligated into a pET-vector; this construct was transfected into Escherichia coli and overexpressed in the bacteria. Photometric turbidity assays with human low density lipoprotein (LDL) and transmission electron microscopy studies on apoLp-III-stabilized lipid discs revealed the full functionality of the isolated recombinant apoLp-III with regard to its lipid-association ability. For proving its immune-stimulating capacity, apoLp-III was injected into the hemocoel of last instar G. mellonella larvae and the antibacterial activity in cell-free hemolymph was determined 24 h later. As a result, the hemolymph samples of injected insects contained strongly increased antibacterial activities against E. coli as well as clearly enhanced lysozyme-like activities. From Northern blot analysis of total RNA from insects injected with apoLp-III or the bacterial immune provocator lipopolysaccharide, it could be concluded that the transcription rate of apoLp-III mRNA does not vary in comparison to untreated last instar larvae.

Apolipophorin III (apoLp-III) was isolated from the haemolymph of last instar larvae of Galleria mellonella. The ultraviolet (u.v.) spectrum and the N-terminal amino acid sequence reveal high similarities with the apoLp-III from Manduca sexta. The protein is heat-stable. The molecular mass of apoLp-III was determined to be 18 077 Da using mass spectrometry. The heat treatment (90 degrees C, 30 min) resulted in a pI shift from 6.6 for the non-heated to 6.1 for the heat-treated apoLp-III without change in the molecular mass, indicating that a conformational change might have been caused by the heat treatment, rather than covalent alterations. Intrahaemocoelic injection of pure apoLp-III into last instar G. mellonella larvae is followed by a dose-dependent increase of antibacterial activity in cell-free haemolymph of treated larvae 24 h after injection. Furthermore, pure apoLp-III enhances the phagocytic activity of isolated haemocytes in vitro. The newly discovered role of apoLp-III in inducing immune-related functions in insects is discussed in regard to the known features of this molecule in lipid metabolism. Arylphorin, another heat-stable protein in G. mellonella haemolymph, was likewise isolated in this study. The protein was identified by N-terminal protein sequencing, the sequence obtained exactly matches the known sequence data for this protein. Copyright 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

We established an in vitro transfer system with monolayers of isolated plasmatocytes from Galleria mellonella. The plasmatocytes represent the main phagocytically active haemocyte type in this lepidopteran insect. Plasmatocytes to which hydrophilic silica beads were added as a phagocytosing agent served as ‘donor’ cells. Supernatants from these donor cultures were transferred to freshly prepared ‘recipient’ plasmatocyte monolayers. Subsequently, FITC (fluorescein-isothiocyanate) labelled yeast cells were added to the recipient monolayers and the phagocytic activity was determined using an FITC quenching assay with trypan blue. The phagocytic activity in plasmatocyte monolayers which received supernatants from phagocytically active donor cells was significantly higher than the activity of cells receiving supernatants from non-activated donor cells. Time course studies revealed that the inducing capacity of the donor cell supernatants was highest 2–4h after starting phagocytosis of the silica beads. Isolation of the responsible phagocytosis stimulating factor is still underway. From our investigations we can conclude that it must be a very small (

An in vitro microscopic fluorescence assay determining the phagocytic activity of isolated plasmatocytes of Galleria mellonella is described. It was developed to quantify insect cellular immune reactions. The assay, a modification of a method originally established for vertebrate blood cells, is based on the quenching effect of trypan blue on fluorescein-isothiocyanate-labelled yeast cells. Only ingested yeast cells retain their fluorescence after quenching and can be easily distinguished from adhering ones. The technique is highly reproducible and easy to perform. Using this method a phagocytosis-stimulating effect caused by a haemolymph fraction > 100 kDa isolated from G. mellonella is demonstrated.

Intrahaemocoelic injection of silica beads into Galleria mellonella (wax moth) larvae provoked strong cellular and humoral reactions similar to those normally occuring during an antibacterial defence. The cellular reactions of the haemocytes—investigated by light and scanning electron microscopy—comprised degranulation of granular cells and phagocytosis by plasmatocytes. The humoral responses—measured in cell free haemolymph as the increase of antibacterial activity against Echerichia coli K12 D31 and of lysozyme activity against Micrococcus luteus cell walls—were significantly enhanced in comparison to controls. Only hydrophylic but not hydrophobic silica beads provoked strong reactions. Plasmatocytes (PLs), the main phagocytic haemocytes of G. mellonella, were isolated by using a newly adapted nylon wool column technique. PL monolayers, prepared from isolated cells, exhibited a high purity by consisting of at least 90% PL. Scanning electron microscopy studies revealed that 64% of the isolated PLs showed phagocytic activity against the sterile silica beads in vitro. Intrahaemocoelic injection of supernatants from monolayers with phagocytosing plasmatocytes into naive larvae led to a clearly higher antibacterial activity against E. coli in haemolymph of recipients than the injection of supernatants from monolayers with non-phagocytosing cells. The earlier supposition that haemocyte-released factors induce the humoral immune response is further supported by these results.

Injection of ion exchange beads or sterile latex beads into the haemocoel of wax moth ( Galleria mellonella ) larvae provokes an humoral immune response measurable as antibacterial activity in cell-free haemolymph. The influence of provocator surface properties on the intensity of response was investigated. Comparing the antibacterial activities provoked by injection of anion and cation exchangers it can be concluded, that anion exchangers are better provocators than cation exchangers. The influence of physicochemical parameters was confirmed by the fact, that injection of latex beads pretreated with sulphuric acid lead to enhanced antibacterial activities in larvae as compared to the activities provoked by injection of untreated beads. In order to prove if it is possible to enhance the provocation capacity of beads by binding molecules to their surfaces, the following substances were covalently coupled onto the beads prior to injection: fibronectin, peptides with a cell adhesive signal of fibronectin (GLY-ARG-GLY-ASP-SER-PRO-LYS, GLY-ARG-GLY-ASP-SER, ARG-GLY-ASP-SER), poly-lysine, adjuvant peptide, lysozyme, bovine serum albumin, bovine plasma, cell-free haemolymph and haemolymph lysate supernatant (haemolymph preparations from G. mellonella ) Coupling of adjuvant peptide, fibronectin or haemolymph preparations enhanced the provocation capacity of beads very clearly. Likewise, but to a lower extent, an enhancement was noticed for nearly all the other substances tested in comparison to results obtained by injection of unloaded beads. The results will be discussed in relation to the known facts about the influence of provocator characteristics onto the onset of a cellular reaction by arthropod and vertebrate cells.