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In this paper I investigate the impact of regional public employment changes on private employment, prices, and wages. Public employment is often used as an instrument of regional and economic stimulus, currently in the Corona stimulus package. Yet its effect is controversial. Studies on regional outcomes find both multiplier and displacement effects. Comparisons are complicated by study periods with growing or shrinking public sectors. Displacement predominates under public sector contraction, while multipliers prevail under expansion.Based on the Keynesian multiplier and general equilibrium model and building on Faggio & Overmann (2014), my analysis uses a dual (public/private) economy with two private sectors: tradable and non-tradable. Multiplier effects following increased demand are expected in the non-tradable sector, while crowding-out effects from cost increases should prevail in the tradable sector. Models on the connection of public- with private- and sectoral job changes as well as with prices and wages are formulated to test this. In addition, an instrumental variables model is constructed as it is robust to biases. The analysis uses district data from 2009-2019, with population, regional type, and qualification structure as control variables.The regression analyses find a significant multiplier effect of 0.7 additional private jobs per new public position. The value in the instrumental variables analysis is higher, indicating a reduced potential in supporting lagging regions. The multiplier effect only affects the non-tradable sector; tradable employment does not change significantly. The expansion of the public sector also leads to higher wages and prices, the latter approximated by asking rents.I develop an explanation of asymmetric multipliers. Under public employment expansion and contraction, the private sector grows. This can be explained by regional demand. Public sector job cuts occur through privatizations and retirements. This lowers the wage level but hardly weakens regional demand. Therefore, the private sector grows. New jobs during public sector expansion generate in-migration, which increases regional demand and private employment.Public employment expansion raises wages and prices. Due to demand effects, private employment increases as well. From a scientific point of view, measures such as the Corona stimulus package are therefore suitable for strengthening private employment.

The application of organic carbon as a biotechnological substrate belongs to the most promising approaches for the substitution of unsustainable production systems. Here, we present Cupriavidus necator as production strain for catalyzing the conversion of carbon dioxide, butyrate, acetate and propionate to the platform chemical acetoin. Using genetic engineering and proteomics the optimization of the strain is put into perspective regarding its implementation in a biorefinery context.

Die Weltbevölkerung wächst und gleichzeitig werden die Ressourcen immer knapper. Einen großen Anteil daran hat das Bauwesen. Die Lösung für ressourceneffizientes Bauen, sei es auf dem Wasser oder an Land, sehen Expertinnen und Experten in anpassungsfähigen, so genannten adaptiven Strukturen. Sie beschreiben die Idee, wie künftig für mehr Menschen ressourcenschonend und emissionsfrei gebaut werden kann. Dabei soll nicht nur mehr Wohnraum mit weniger Material geschaffen werden, sondern auch der Energieverbrauch gesenkt und der Nutzerkomfort gesteigert werden. Über den neuesten Stand der Technik diskutieren Expertinnen und Experten aus Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft am 23. und 24. Mai im Rahmen des Workshops „Adaptive Structures at Shore“ an der Technischen Universität Hamburg. In unterschiedlichen Fachvorträgen geht es einerseits darum, welche Auswirkungen beispielsweise Wind und Wasser auf Kaimauern oder schwimmende Bauwerke haben, oder inwiefern eine hohe Verkehrslast Brücken beansprucht. Dabei stellt sich die Frage, wie Bauwerke nachhaltig auf entsprechende Herausforderungen optimiert und angepasst werden können und inwiefern dabei Modellierungen und Simulationen helfen können. Der interdisziplinäre, englischsprachige Workshop wird durch das TU-Institut für Geotechnik und Baubetrieb organisiert und richtet sich an Interessierte unterschiedlicher Fachbereiche aus Wissenschaft, Wirtschaft und Verwaltung., Adaptive structures at shore provide an opportunity to minimize the resource consumption and the impact on the marine ecosystems through an efficient adaptation to changing boundary conditions. A combination of impact prediction, monitoring and material resistance estimation, numerical modelling, and innovative design is the key to success. The workshop “Adaptive Structures at Shore 2022” hosted by Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) brings together international scientists and professionals to discuss the latest developments in the field and to explore synergies.

This study discusses the construction and operation of a membrane-less bioelectrochemical reactor that employs rotating working electrodes with a surface area of up to 1 m2. As a proof-of-principle for an aerobic microbial electrosynthesis process,Kyrpidia spormanniiwas cultivated in the reactor. Optical coherence tomography was used to examine the spatial distribution of the cathodic biofilm. After 24 days 87% of the cathode surface was covered with biofilm that was characterized by a radial increase in its biovolume towards the circumcenter of the electrodes reaching up to 92.13 μm3μm-2. To demonstrate the versatility of the system, we further operated the reactor as a microbial electrolysis cell employing a co-culture ofShewanella oneidensisandGeobacter sulfurreducens. Anodic current densities of up to 130 μA cm-2were measured during these batch experiments. This resulted in a maximum production rate of 0.43 liters of pure hydrogen per liter reactor volume and day.Graphical AbstractHighlightsConstruction of a 10 L membrane-less, pressurizable bioelectrochemical reactorRotating working electrodes with up to 1 m2electrode surfaceElectroautotrophic cultivation and quantification ofK. spormanniibiofilmsInitial cell density crucial for successfulK. spormanniibiofilm formationAnodic operation as MEC withShewanella/Geobactercoculture

In this study, impacts of toxic ions/acids found in real fermentation-hydrolysate on the model exoelectrogenic G. sulfurreducens were investigated. Initially, different concentrations of acetate, butyrate, propionate, Na

In previous publications, it was hypothesized that Micrarchaeota cells are covered by two individual membrane systems. This study proves that at least the recently cultivated “Candidatus Micrarchaeum harzensis A_DKE” possesses an S-layer covering its cytoplasmic membrane. The potential S-layer protein was found to be among the proteins with the highest abundance in “Ca. Micrarchaeum harzensis A_DKE,” and in silico characterization of its primary structure indicated homologies to other known S-layer proteins. Homologues of this protein were found in other Micrarchaeota genomes, which raises the question of whether the ability to form an S-layer is a common trait within this phylum. The S-layer protein seems to be glycosylated, and the micrarchaeon expresses genes for N-glycosylation under cultivation conditions, despite not being able to synthesize carbohydrates. Electron micrographs of freeze-etched samples of a previously described coculture, containing “Ca. Micrarchaeum harzensis A_DKE” and a Thermoplasmatales member as its host organism, verified the hypothesis of an S-layer on the surface of “Ca. Micrarchaeum harzensis A_DKE.” Both organisms are clearly distinguishable by cell size, shape, and surface structure. IMPORTANCE Our knowledge about the DPANN superphylum, which comprises several archaeal phyla with limited metabolic capacities, is mostly based on genomic data derived from cultivation-independent approaches. This study examined the surface structure of a recently cultivated member “Candidatus Micrarchaeum harzensis A_DKE,” an archaeal symbiont dependent on an interaction with a host organism for growth. The interaction requires direct cell contact between interaction partners, a mechanism which is also described for other DPANN archaea. Investigating the surface structure of “Ca. Micrarchaeum harzensis A_DKE” is an important step toward understanding the interaction between Micrarchaeota and their host organisms and living with limited metabolic capabilities, a trait shared by several DPANN archaea.

BACKGROUND In this study, the enhancement of propionic acid production from a model feedstock mimicking kitchen waste was investigated. For that purpose, two operational runs of a semicontinuous anaerobic hydrolysis reactor were carried out at pH 6.0 ± 0.1 and mesophilic (30 °C) temperature. Two different types of inocula, a mixed microbial culture selected over 24 months for growth on cellulose and a culture contained in goat cheese were compared. RESULTS The results show that the goat cheese inoculum was significantly more efficient for propionic acid (PA) production. The highest propionic acid concentration achieved amounted to 139 mmol L−1 at a yield of 23.3 mg g−1 volatile solids (VS), which was 55% greater than what was achieved with the mixed culture. Furthermore, it was observed that propionic acid production was enhanced by a combination of high hydraulic retention time (HRT) with low organic loading rate (OLR), ensuring sufficient time for complete processing of the complex organic substrates. The fermentation could be kept in a stable process of propionic acid production at HRT of 20 days and a rather low OLR of 11.1 g L−1 day−1 VS. CONCLUSION Our results give a better understanding of PA production in semicontinuous mode, applying optimized process parameters and selecting the adequate microbial community for inoculation. This study provides important information for the improvement of PA production from complex substrates for future industrial application. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Wastewater treatment using aerobic granular sludge has gained increasing interest due to its advantages compared to conventional activated sludge. The technology allows simultaneous removal of organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in a single reactor system and is independent of space-intensive settling tanks. However, due to the microscale, an analysis of processes and microbial population along the radius of granules is challenging. Here, we introduce a model system for aerobic granular sludge on a small scale by using a machine-assisted microfluidic cultivation platform. With an implemented logic module that controls solenoid valves, we realized alternating oxic hunger and anoxic feeding phases for the biofilms growing within. Sampling during ongoing anoxic cultivation directly from the cultivation channel was achieved with a robotic sampling device. Analysis of the biofilms was conducted using optical coherence tomography, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and amplicon sequencing. Using this setup, it was possible to significantly enrich the percentage of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAO) belonging to the family Rhodocyclaceae in the community compared to the starting inoculum. With the aid of this miniature model system, it is now possible to investigate the influence of a multitude of process parameters in a highly parallel way to understand and efficiently optimize aerobic granular sludge-based wastewater treatment systems.Key points• Development of a microfluidic model to study EBPR.• Feast-famine regime enriches polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs).• Microfluidics replace sequencing batch reactors for aerobic granular sludge research.

Objectives Major Depression (MDD) and anxiety disorders are stress-related disorders that share pathophysiological mechanisms. There is evidence for alterations of glutamate-glutamine, N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and GABA in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a stress-sensitive region affected by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). The aim was to investigate metabolic alterations in the ACC and whether hair cortisol, current stress or early life adversity predict them.Methods We investigated 22 patients with MDD and comorbid anxiety disorder and 23 healthy controls. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was performed with voxels placed in pregenual (pg) and dorsal (d) ACC in 3T. Analysis of hair cortisol was performed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).Results The N-acetylaspartate/Creatin ratio (NAA/Cr) was reduced in patients in both pgACC (p = 0.040) and dACC (p = 0.016). A significant interactive effect of diagnosis and cortisol on both pg-NAA/Cr (F = 5.00, p = 0.033) and d-NAA/Cr (F = 7.86, p = 0.009) was detected, whereby in controls cortisol was positively correlated with d-NAA/Cr (r = 0.61, p = 0.004).Conclusions Our results suggest a relationship between NAA metabolism in ACC and HPA axis activity as represented by long-term cortisol output.

The world journal of biological psychiatry 23(10), 773-784 (2022). doi:10.1080/15622975.2022.2040052, Published by Taylor & Francis Group, Abingdon

The biotechnological usage of carbon dioxide has become a relevant aim for future processes. Microbial electrosynthesis is a rather new technique to energize biological CO2 fixation with the advantage to establish a continuous process based on a cathodic biofilm that is supplied with renewable electrical energy as electron and energy source. In this study, the recently characterized cathodic biofilm forming microorganism Kyrpidia spormannii strain EA-1 was used in an adaptive laboratory evolution experiment to enhance its cathodic biofilm growth capabilities. At the end of the experiment, the adapted cathodic population exhibited an up to fourfold higher biofilm accumulation rate, as well as faster substratum coverage and a more uniform biofilm morphology compared to the progenitor strain. Genomic variant analysis revealed a genomically heterogeneous population with genetic variations occurring to various extends throughout the community. Via the conducted analysis we identified possible targets for future genetic engineering with the aim to further optimize cathodic growth. Moreover, the results assist in elucidating the underlying processes that enable cathodic biofilm formation.