Academy Of Sciences Leopoldina Research Articles

Shedding light on the biodiversity and ecosystem impacts of modern land use.

Bioenergy implications for Biodiversity and Ecosystems, GMO impact monitoring and a tool for the assessment of urban and industrial expansion impacts on riparian habitats are the topics of the present issue of BioRisk three topics from within the field of modern or contemporary land-use developments, representing typical drivers which put biodiversity and ecosystems at risk. When it comes to the question whether we can fuel the world with feedstock from bioenergy crops without losing the ability to feed a still growing world population of humans, an answer often ready at hand is to turn abandoned and marginal land to agricultural use. This either to increase crop yields in general or to cultivate dedicated energy crops on those lands in order to avoid land-use competition. Those concepts of cultivating or re-cultivating of seemingly surplus land are often based on optimistic assessments in the order of millions of hectares being available globally (German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina 2012; Offermann et al. 2011). The question whether those estimates of land potentials would bear up against calculations taking environmental and socio-economic constraints into account systematically was adopted in the opinion paper by Dauber et al. (2012; this issue). It is stated in this paper that confusion in the applicability of concepts suggesting the utilization of surplus land for bioenergy crop cultivation is caused by ambiguity in the definition and characterization of surplus land as well by uncertainties in assessments of land availability and of potential yields of bioenergy crops when grown on surplus land. The authors suggest BioRisk 7: 1–4 (2012)

Subwavelength chiral surface plasmons that carry tuneable orbital angular momentum

This work has been sponsored by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation under Contract No. MAT2008-06609-02 and project Nanolight.es. F.R. acknowledges support from the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina under Grant No. LPDS 2009-52. This work has been partially supported by the European Research Council, Grant No. 290981 (PLASMONANOQUANTA).

Around the World

In science news around the world this week, a dengue vaccine shows promise, a U.S. court says stem cells are drugs, a fracking report is under scrutiny, Germany's National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina has come down firmly against the use of crops for energy, and a Senate panel last week approved a bill that would ban invasive research on great apes in the United States.

The New Microbiology: A conference at the Institut de France

In May 2012, three European Academies held a conference on the present and future of microbiology. The conference, entitled “The New Microbiology”, was a joint effort of the French Académie des sciences, of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and of the British Royal Society. The organizers – Pascale Cossart and Philippe Sansonetti from the “Académie des sciences”, David Holden and Richard Moxon from the “Royal Society”, and Jörg Hacker and Jürgen Hesseman from the “Leopoldina Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften” - wanted to highlight the current renaissance in the field of microbiology mostly due to the advent of technological developments and allowing for single-cell analysis, rapid and inexpensive genome-wide comparisons, sophisticated microscopy and quantitative large-scale studies of RNA regulation and proteomics. The conference took place in the historical Palais de l’Institut de France in Paris with the strong support of Jean-François Bach, Secrétaire Perpétuel of the Académie des sciences.

Mark B. Brown, Science in Democracy. Expertise, Institutions, and Representation: MIT Press, Cambridge, MA., and London, 2009.

In January 2011, German science policy advisers at federal level, the 2008 appointed German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, produced a cautious but positive review of pre-implantation genetic screening (http://www.leopoldina.org/en/policy-advice/recommendations-and-statements/national-recommendations/praeimplantationsdiagnostik-pid.html - accessed 21 April, 2011). Immediately, the advice was attacked as an example of politics-contaminated, instead of value-free science. But simultaneously, many seasoned science policy advisers came to the rescue and defended an advice that clearly spoke to the present political debate; and thus also addressed normative and pragmatic issues. The response to keep science ‘value-free’ is the typical tradition of science politics under high modernity in a political system of representative democracy. Scientific experts are seen as ‘delegates’ of citizens’ best judgment on the issue; and the delegation occurs under public accountability of elected legislative bodies or an executive accountable to such bodies. But at present, democratization of expertise, public engagement or direct public participation in science is the more popular and dominant response. This is partly rooted in social and political theories arguing a shift from government to governance. If the state is unable to represent all public concerns and questions involving the uses of science and technology of a fragmented and inchoate ‘protopublic’ (Dewey), more directly participatory and deliberative routes for (individual) citizen influence become attractive. Therefore, an unlikely alliance of egalitarian STS scholars, radical analysts of science, democratic theorists, and promoters of science-driven industrial innovation and some state bureaucrats have come to effectively promote more public engagement and participation in science (Caswill 2010; Wesselink and Hoppe 2011). In a sentence: science is to become more democratic, and democracy more scientific (In ‘t Veld 2010).

Hans Georg von Schnering 1931–2010

Hans Georg von Schnering 1931–2010

In the interest of science: The Digital Information Priority Initiative by the Alliance Partner Organisations*

The Digital Information Priority Initiative by the Alliance Organisations is a remarkable joint initiative by all German Science Organisations in the domain of digital information. It has already started to produce significant results and is most likely to enhance and transform the information infrastructure in a significant and sustainable manner at least in this country. But rather than presenting the operative details of the initiative, this article reflects on the reasons and motivations that prompted science organisations to take such an active role in addressing the topic of information infrastructure. To make it clear from the outset: the notion of “science” is not used in the narrower sense of denoting only the natural sciences but in the broader sense of including the social sciences and humanities as well. To bear this in mind will help to avoid misunderstandings and undue reductions. The Digital Information Priority Initiative by the Alliance Organisations started in the summer of 2008, when the Digital Information Priority Initiative was adopted by all institutions that are represented in the so-called Alliance of German Science Organisations: Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation, Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, German Research Foundation, German Academic Exchange Service, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, German Rector’s Conference, Max Planck Society, Leibniz Association and German Research Council. The Alliance Organisations agreed upon six priority areas: National licensing, Open access, National hosting strategy or better: a national strategy for safeguarding permanent and sustainable access to digital material, Primary research data, Virtual research environments and Legal frameworks. So far the basic information. But what has prompted science organisations to take such an active role in addressing the topic of information infrastructure? As a result of the digital revolution, which has swept over the science generation of the late second and early third millennium, the significance of information infrastructure has changed considerably. Information infrastructure is no longer a background service that, as a researcher, one only took notice of when it failed to function – as was the case for years or even decades – for example, if the journal or the book that one needed was not available at the library, if one did not understand the library catalogue system, or if it took weeks before an item loaned from another library finally arrived. In fact, in the two preceding decades, we have, through the digitisation of scientific research, experienced how the provision of information has changed as well. It has transformed from a background

Zur Erinnerung an das Leben und Werk Helmut Rennerts (1920–1994)

To mark the 90th anniversary of the birth of Helmut Rennert (1920-1994) in 2010 an overview of his biography and scientific work will be given to highlight his important contribution to the classification of psychoses. He rose to prominence above all with his model of the universal genesis of endogenous psychosis in which Rennert advocated the idea of unitary psychosis. The lively discussion regarding nosological, categorical, syndromatological and dimensional approaches for the further development of classification systems of mental disorders illustrates the prevailing relevance of his ideas. For the first time it was possible to access the archival sources in the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the University of Halle (Saale) for this purpose. In addition, the personal experiences of former staff members and representatives in the field of psychiatry assisted in compiling a comprehensive picture of Rennert as a teacher and colleague who contributed a great deal to the development of psychiatry in East Germany.

In memoriam of Prof. Dr. h.c. mult. Otto Prokop, MD

On January 20, 2009, Prof. Dr. h.c. mult. Otto Prokop, MD, died at the age of 87. Otto Prokop was born in St. Polten, Lower Austria, on September 29, 1921. He took his Alevels in Salzburg, Austria. He had to interrupt his medical studies because of his military service; he finished them in Vienna, Austria and Bonn, Germany. In 1948, he received a doctorate under Herbert Elbel at the University of Bonn, Germany, and in 1953, he obtained his habilitation (postdoctoral university degree with lecture qualification) in Legal Medicine. In 1957, he was appointed to a chair of Forensic Medicine at the Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany. There, he held a chair and was the Director of the Institute of Legal Medicine of the Charite, until he was conferred the emeritus status in 1987. In addition, he was the interim director of the Institutes of Legal Medicine in Leipzig, Germany (1958–1961) and Halle, Germany (1958–1959). As a university lecturer, Prof. Prokop inspired thousands of students (medical students, criminologists and law students) over decades with his refined oratorical style, on the highest scientific level, and with his charming humour. His scientific estate documents his long-time, exceptional productivity, including more than 650 original papers, still successful standard works on the subject (e.g. “Forensische Medizin”, “Atlas der gerichtlichen Medizin”, “Die menschlichen Blutgruppen”, “Genetik” etc.) as well as monographs on occultism, charlatanry and pseudosciences, which he confronted vigorously. His books were translated and issued in England, Italy, Japan, Canada, Poland, Spain, the former USSR and the USA. Otto Prokop exemplified the dedicated connection of teaching and research. Numerous discoveries in the field of blood group research and fundamental findings in forensic pathology, traumatology and stain evidence are both the result of his tireless and focused work and of his unorthodox spirit. Twenty-five physicians from Germany and abroad habilitated under Otto Prokop. Many of his students became university lecturers or directors of other institutes of Legal/Forensic Medicine. Together with his German and foreign students, doctoral candidates and auditors, they are witnesses of Prokop’s school, which became a symbol for strict science (even excluding courtesy expert reports issued in the interest of political rulers), soundness in knowledge and skills as well as human warmth and tolerance. On the occasion of his 80th birthday, the jubilarian was recognised by Bernd Brinkmann, the then-President of the German Society of Legal Medicine, “as one of the most outstanding forensic pathologists of the last century, who was one of the last persons to understand the subject in its full width, to apply it practically and to actively help shape it in research”. Thus, it is not surprising that the list of awards and honorary memberships in Germany and abroad is long; a special focus should be placed on the honorary doctorates in Leipzig, Germany, Szeged, Hungary, and Tokyo, Japan, as well as the membership in the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. The subject-specific knowledge and the personal attitude of the professor emeritus were also in demand after the German Reunification, for example, in senate committees and investigating committees of the State of Berlin, Int J Legal Med (2009) 123:449–450 DOI 10.1007/s00414-009-0333-z

Celebrating Achim Trebst’s 80th birthday

At the invitation of Govindjee, we reprint here the English translation of the letter, in German, that we sent, on behalf of the Senate and the Presidium as well as the members of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, from Halle (Saale), to Professor Dr. Dr. h.c.mult. Achim Trebst on his 80th birthday. The original of this letter written in German will appear in Jahrbuch 2009, Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, Halle (Saale), Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH Stuttgart.

Biotin-dependent Enzymes: the Work of Feodor Lynen

The Enzymatic Synthesis of Holotranscarboxylase from Apotranscarboxylase and (+)-Biotin. I. Purification of the Apoenzyme and Synthetase; Characteristics of the Reaction (Lane, M. D., Young, D. L., and Lynen, F. (1964)J. Biol. Chem.239, 2858–2864)

Julius Erich Wess

Julius Erich Wess

News and EFIS

News and EFIS

Universitäten im konfessionellen Zeitalter: Gesammelte Beiträge (review)

Universitaten im konfessionellen Zeitalter: Gesammelte Beitrage. By Peter Baumgart. [Reformationsgeschichtliche Studien und Texte, Band 149.] (Munster: Aschendorff Verlag. 2006. Pp. x, 519. euro65,00 paperback. ISBN 3-402-03817-X.) This is a valuable collection of sixteen articles published by Peter Baumgart (Professor emeritus, University of Wurzburg) over a period of almost four decades. Ten of these articles are devoted to two German universities: the (Lutheran) University of Helmstedt and the (Catholic) University of Wurzburg; nine thereof focus on the foundation and early history (during the last quarter of the sixteenth century) of these two universities. Three additional articles discuss: (1) the University of Marburg during the sixteenth century, (2) Leibniz und Pietismus: Universale Reformbestrebungen um 1700, and (3) the Leopoldina Academy in Breslau during the eighteenth century; the remaining three focus on broader topics pertaining to the history of German and European universities. Attention is given here to three articles. In Zur wirtschaftlichen Situation der deutschen Universitatsprofessoren am Ausgang des 16. Jahrhunderts: Das Beispiel Helmstedt, Baumgart discusses the financial status of Helmstedt University professors at the end of the sixteenth century. The dukes of Braunschweig, who founded and funded that same University, set the salaries of professors. They normally paid new hires poorly so that high salaried professorships could be offered to a few academicians with distinguished reputations. Differences between salaries of individual Helmstedt professors were substantial and apparently larger than at other sixteenth-century German universities. As was typical, however, professors of theology and jurisprudence generally received the best salaries; professors of medicine received less, while the philosophers were paid the least. Nonetheless, Helmstedt professors generally were better paid than the duke's own administrators. Baumgart concludes this article by making a point that reappears within many articles in this collection: University professors during this period considered themselves as part of an elite. As a consequence, their desire for more autonomy often brought them in conflict with those authorities who controlled university finances. Die Anfange der Universitat Wurzburg: Eine Hochschulgrundung im konfessionnellen Zeitalter places the foundation of the University of Wurzburg (1575) in the context of fourteen additional university foundations in the Holy Roman Empire between 1551 and 1647. Baumgart makes two important points with respect to the these fifteen universities: (1) territorial rulers established Catholic, Lutheran, or Reformation Protestant universities, and used these three confessions to exercise control over them; and (2) the curricula of Protestant universities (e.g., Helmstedt) and Catholic universities (e.g., Wurzburg) were basically very similar during this period. The foundation of a Jesuit collegium and school in Wurzburg in 1567 was facilitated by Wurzburg Prince-Bishop (Furstbischof) Julius Echter as an important step toward the establishment of a university. …

The Archive of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in Halle (Saale): more than 350 years of the history of science

The German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (Leopoldina for short) is the oldest German academy, being more than 350 years old.[1][1] It is the world's oldest research foundation focusing upon the natural sciences, and is comparable in age, size and scientific relevance to other early academies such

Rudi Busse

FIGURE: Rudi Busse (1943-2007)On June 27, 2007, the field of vascular biology lost one of its giants when Professor Rudi Busse passed away. To the scientific community, Rudi exemplified the scientist “made in Germany,” with all that implies in terms of thoroughness, solidity, and honesty. Not only was he a pioneer in science but also, as Blaise Pascal put it, a “honnete homme,” a man obsessed with the truth and understanding it. He remained throughout his life a true intellectual, fascinated by culture, art, and music, but at the same time enjoying the good things of life. His joie de vivre was proverbial among his friends, and we all have fond memories of the time spent together, after the discussions and the scientific debates, which were often heated, because he was a fighter for his ideas. Rudi Busse's university career was exemplary. After obtaining his medical degree in 1971 at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg in Germany, he could not resist the appeal of basic science. However, throughout his scientific life, he remained consumed by his medical background, and every one of the many pieces of brilliant research that he and his collaborators produced always aimed at the better understanding of the pathophysiology of disease and the improvement of its treatment, which is now called translational research, that he practiced all along. His early years in research (1973-1980) were at the Department of Physiology of his alma mater, where he was first an assistant and then an associate professor of physiology. He then moved on, as is so typical in the German system, to the next step of his career to the University of Freiburg (Germany), where he became first an associate (1981) and then a full (1986) professor of pathophysiology. The last step of his way upward was to become professor and chairman of the Center of Physiology at the University of Frankfurt/Main (Germany). Professor Busse's contribution to science is immense, not only in quantity (nearly 400 scientific publications) but above all in quality, the most important criterion. He was one of the first researchers to recognize the physiological and pathophysiological implications of the seminal pharmacological observation made by Robert Furchgott, who discovered the obligatory role of the endothelial cells in the vasodilator response to acetylcholine. He continued the quest for the identity of the factors released by endothelial cells and the understanding of the intricacies of the regulation of their release. His work on NO synthase, endothelium-dependent hyperpolarizations, and oxygen-derived free radicals in the vascular wall has set standards of excellence in vascular biology. This immense contribution has been well-recognized by his German peers: his election to the German Academy of Natural Sciences (Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina) and, most important, his impressive grant support record, which culminated in his being awarded one of the few German Research Foundation Excellence Initiatives, the Excellence Cluster Cardio-pulmonary System (ECCPS). In the rest of the world, his work is some of the most frequently referred to, and he belongs to the elite group of the most “Highly Cited Researchers” (http://isihighlycited.com). He will continue to be cited; we can no longer envisage vascular biology without his contribution. Rudi Busse not only was a brilliant researcher but also a great teacher. We all remember him unraveling for us the complexities of endothelial life, leaving us with the feeling: why did we not think of that? He also was a superb mentor of young people, and all over the world younger scientists that he trained continue his quest for truth and understanding. All of them are proud to have had the privilege of working with him and grateful for the lessons in science that which they received from him. Professor Busse knew that being a top researcher in one's laboratory also brings the responsibility of helping to ensure the quality of science elsewhere. He provided consistent service to the scientific community, being a member of a study section of the German Research Foundation and of several scientific advisory committees and selection committees for awards and prizes in Germany and abroad. Rudi was also a most sought-after referee for all of the important cardiovascular science journals and belonged to the editorial boards of most of them; his contributions as Editor (European Journal of Physiology/Pflügers Archiv) and Associate Editor (Circulation Research) are recalled fondly. As regards the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology in particular, Rudi was our Consulting Editor, and we always could count on him when we needed help, for which we remain grateful. Rudi's battle against disease was as exemplary as his life. He fought and continued his journey in science until the end. We have lost a colleague and a dear friend. We will always remember his drive, his insight, and above all, his smile.

Handing over of the baton

As can be seen from the list of Associate Editors in this issue of Clinical Oral Investigations, a new colleague, Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Lindqvist, Helsinki, has taken over the responsibilities of Associate Editor from Prof. Dr. Eric Hjorting-Hansen, Copenhagen. Eric was one of the few people, who in the early nineties joined in the idea to found this new journal. Since the very first issue of Clinical Oral Investigations he served as Associate Editor taking care of submitted manuscripts in the area of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Medicine and related fields. With his longstanding experience as scientist, clinician and editor and with his extraordinary reputation, he contributed significantly to the development of this journal. We all are very grateful to Eric for the time and efforts he invested in our joint project and for the excellent job he did over the years. Recently, Eric has retired from his position at the University of Copenhagen and thus he asked to be released from the duties of Associate Editor. We all wish Eric the very best for the years to come and hope he will enjoy retirement within his family. Prof. Dr. Dr. Christian Lindqvist kindly agreed to take over Eric’s position as Associate Editor of Clinical Oral Investigations. Since 1996, Christian is professor in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Helsinki and he is Chief Physician at the University of Helsinki Central Hospital. Since 1995 he is Head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dept. of Surgery at the University of Helsinki. Since 1999 he is also Director of the Postgraduate Training Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at this university. Christian graduated as DDS, MD and PhD in the years 1973 to 1979 in Helsinki, where he then specialized in Oral Surgery and in Maxillofacial Surgery. In 1986 he became docent and in 1996 Honorary Fellow of the European Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. He has published more than 160 original papers and over 80 reviews. Christian is a member of the Editorial Boards of a number of renowned national and international scientific journals and thus has ample experience in handling manuscripts. In 2000 he has been elected member of the “Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina”. This short and necessarily incomplete list of Christian’s achievements shows that our new Associate Editor has a broad spectrum of experience as scientist and author, as editor and clinician. We are indeed very happy that he agreed to join the club of Associate Editors of this journal, although the brave new computerized world of manuscript handling does not necessarily make life easy. Nevertheless, thanks a lot and welcome on board!

A Method for Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Couplings of Simple Alkyl Chlorides: Suzuki Reactions Catalyzed by [Pd2(dba)3]/PCy3 dba=(E,E)-dibenzylideneacetone, Cy=cyclohexyl. We thank Dr. Matthew R. Netherton for helpful discussions and Johnson Matthey Inc. for supplying palladium compounds. Support has been provided by the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina (Leopoldina fellowship to J.H.K., BMBF-LPD 9901/8-48), Bristol-Myers Squibb, the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of

A Method for Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Couplings of Simple Alkyl Chlorides: Suzuki Reactions Catalyzed by [Pd2(dba)3]/PCy3 dba=(E,E)-dibenzylideneacetone, Cy=cyclohexyl. We thank Dr. Matthew R. Netherton for helpful discussions and Johnson Matthey Inc. for supplying palladium compounds. Support has been provided by the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina (Leopoldina fellowship to J.H.K., BMBF-LPD 9901/8-48), Bristol-Myers Squibb, the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of

A Method for Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Couplings of Simple Alkyl Chlorides: Suzuki Reactions Catalyzed by [Pd2(dba)3]/PCy3 dba=(E,E)-dibenzylideneacetone, Cy=cyclohexyl. We thank Dr. Matthew R. Netherton for helpful discussions and Johnson Matthey Inc. for supplying palladium compounds. Support has been provided by the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina (Leopoldina fellowship to J.H.K., BMBF-LPD 9901/8-48), Bristol-Myers Squibb, the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of

A Method for Palladium-Catalyzed Cross-Couplings of Simple Alkyl Chlorides: Suzuki Reactions Catalyzed by [Pd2(dba)3]/PCy3 dba=(E,E)-dibenzylideneacetone, Cy=cyclohexyl. We thank Dr. Matthew R. Netherton for helpful discussions and Johnson Matthey Inc. for supplying palladium compounds. Support has been provided by the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina (Leopoldina fellowship to J.H.K., BMBF-LPD 9901/8-48), Bristol-Myers Squibb, the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of

Cardiovascular News

Cardiovascular News