Abstract Type XIII collagen is a transmembrane protein consisting of a short intracellular portion, a transmembrane anchor, and a long extracellular domain with a mainly collagenous sequence. Histochemical and cell biological studies have revealed that type XIII collagen has a wide distribution in various tissues and that it is mostly localized to cell-cell and cell-matrix contacts. In order to study type XIII collagen at the molecular level, the protein was expressed in insect cells as a homotrimer. The recombinant protein was found to reside in the plasma membrane of insect cells with its N-terminus intracellular and C-terminal part extracellular, i. e. in a type II orientation. The trimerization of type XIII collagen chains was initiated by 21 amino acid residues adjacent to the transmembrane domain on the extracellular side, and this sequence was found to be conserved in several other collagenous transmembrane proteins. In addition to the transmembrane form, the ectodomain of type XIII collagen was secreted into the cell culture medium, a result of proteolytic cleavage by furin-like proteases at the non-collagenous NC1 domain. The ectodomain was purified from the insect cell culture medium with a typical collagenous composition and conformation, and it showed as a 150 nm-long rod in rotary shadowing electron microscopy. Furthermore, the recombinant ectodomain showed high affinity binding to several extracellular matrix proteins, e. g. fibronectin, nidogen-2, and perlecan, as well as to heparin. The type XIII collagen ectodomain also showed selective recognition to collagen receptor integrins. Integrin α1 and α11 I domains bind to type XIII collagen with a high affinity, and both integrins α1β1 and α11β1 mediate cell attachment to type XIII collagen. The present results suggest that type XIII collagen shares common aspects with other collagenous transmembrane proteins in terms of chain association and ectodomain shedding. However, it is notably distinct in its structure and binding specificity compared to other types of collagen and cell-surface proteins. The data imply that type XIII collagen might participate in multiple cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions.

An aqueous solution of electrolytes can be modelled simplistically as charged hard spheresdispersed in a dielectric continuum. We review various classical theories for hard sphere systems including the Percus-Yevick theory, the mean spherical approximation, the Debye-Hückel theory and the hyper-netted chain theory, and we compare the predictions of the theories with simulation results. The statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT) has proved to be accurate for neutral polymers. It is modified to cope with charged polyelectrolyte systems. A chain term for the charged reference fluid is introduced into the theory. Some well-established results are reproduced in this study and we also introduce new terms and discuss their effects. The results show that the SAFT is semi-quantitatively correct in predicting the phase behaviour of polyelectrolytes. The electrostatic attraction between unlike charged particles at low temperature is very strong. The short-range attractions between unlike pairs are treated via an association theory while the remaining interactions are handled by hypernetted chain theory. This method works quite well with multiple associating sites. The phase prediction for the size and charge symmetric restricted primitive model is quantitatively correct as compared with simulation results. Furthermore, it also gives semi-quantitatively correct predictions for the phase behaviour of size- and charge-asymmetric cases. Dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) is a powerful simulation technique for mesoscopic systems. Molecules with specific shapes (rods and spheres) are simulated using this technique.By tuning the density of the system, some liquid crystal phase transitions can be observed.The properties of spider silk fibroin are also modelled by DPD, indicating a possible route offorming spider silk.

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Since the Trump election, the subject of extra-territorial application of national law – in particular U.S. law – has received considerable attention. This is so because the U.S. administration increasingly uses this legal tool to enforce its foreign policy interests. A legal area with a particularly strong reach of extra-territoriality is U.S. export controls as this allows the U.S. to control foreign states’ business. A very recent and vivid example is the Huawei trade ban by the U.S. The purpose of this article is to show the (harsh) legal and economic effects, which the extra-territorial application of U.S. export-related laws have on international trade. The article will focus on the approach taken by the U.S. to impose its export controls outside the U.S. It will analyze the legal framework of extra-territorial U.S. export controls and explore to which extent the U.S. laws apply to foreign business, i.e., business outside the U.S. The article will define the cases in which foreign companies are subject to U.S. export controls and therefore must comply with U.S. regulations. It will show that the applicability of U.S. export controls to foreign companies and their business is considerably broad. It rigorously controls the destiny of U.S. origin products and components once they have been exported from U.S. territory and also regulates the worldwide export of products that have been manufactured by using U.S. technology. In addition, U.S. export controls impose economic sanctions on countries (e.g., Iran) or companies (e.g., Huawei) and prohibit foreign companies from doing business with these sanctioned parties. Understanding U.S. export controls and its extra-territorial reach are a challenge for foreign companies. It is a rather complex legal system that requires deeper knowledge of the underlying concept. However, foreign companies are well advised to comply with U.S. export controls, as the penalties for violations can be severe, including millions of dollars in fines and even imprisonment. In addition, the U.S. may blacklist foreign companies with the effect that business with the U.S. or elsewhere is no longer possible. Therefore, understanding U.S. export controls and its extra-territorial reach is vital to foreign companies.

Coming to terms with discrimination in the workspace (including sexual harassment and racism) as an integral part of compliance in Germany and Switzerland in recent years, profit-oriented companies and non-profit organizations have increasingly had to deal with discrimination, especially sexual assault and racist behavior. This article deals with how these risks can be addressed in compliance management systems, which preventive measures are recommended and which special features should be taken into account when investigating and dealing with such incidents internally.

With the rise of digitalization, myriad new technologies are currently revolutionizing most, if not all, markets. One such technology that is receiving particular attention from businesses, private market participants, the financial sector, and governments alike is the blockchain. Despite its increasing popularity, most jurisdictions currently fail to adequately regulate it, meaning that businesses cannot exploit the full potential of blockchain technology and its various applications. This article explains how blockchains function and delineates their associated compliance risks. Here, particular attention will be paid to both decentralized cryptocurrencies and stablecoins. How decentralized cryptocurrencies could potentially be abused for money laundering, terrorism financing, and corruption purposes will be illustrated, and different legislation and international approaches to dealing with blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies will be highlighted. Lastly, the impact of blockchain technology and its implications for actors in the digitalized economy will be discussed.

In this issue we focus on the transfer of problems and ideas from the USA in connection with compliance, in particular from a European perspective (German-speaking countries).

The Austrian Act of Corporate Criminal Liability came into force on January 1, 2006. Since then, associations can be penalized for judicially criminal acts of their decisionmakers and / or employees. A criminal liability of the association presupposes that the offense was committed in favor of the association and, that the criminal offense violates the duties determined by the association (association duties). In the case of a violation against the VbVG, the court will impose an association fine, which depends on the annual yield of the association. In addition, an instruction can be issued for compensation for damage. In 2018 there were counted 341 preliminary investigations against associations, of which only 28 resulted in an indictment. Only in five cases, there was a conviction, and an association fine was imposed.