@phdthesis{Aich2015, author = {Aich, Valentin}, title = {Floods in the Niger River Basin in the face of global change}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-91577}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {xxi, 275}, year = {2015}, abstract = {In the last decade, the number and dimensions of catastrophic flooding events in the Niger River Basin (NRB) have markedly increased. Despite the devastating impact of the floods on the population and the mainly agriculturally based economy of the riverine nations, awareness of the hazards in policy and science is still low. The urgency of this topic and the existing research deficits are the motivation for the present dissertation. The thesis is an initial detailed assessment of the increasing flood risk in the NRB. The research strategy is based on four questions regarding (1) features of the change in flood risk, (2) reasons for the change in the flood regime, (3) expected changes of the flood regime given climate and land use changes, and (4) recommendations from previous analysis for reducing the flood risk in the NRB. The question examining the features of change in the flood regime is answered by means of statistical analysis. Trend, correlation, changepoint, and variance analyses show that, in addition to the factors exposure and vulnerability, the hazard itself has also increased significantly in the NRB, in accordance with the decadal climate pattern of West Africa. The northern arid and semi-arid parts of the NRB are those most affected by the changes. As potential reasons for the increase in flood magnitudes, climate and land use changes are attributed by means of a hypothesis-testing framework. Two different approaches, based on either data analysis or simulation, lead to similar results, showing that the influence of climatic changes is generally larger compared to that of land use changes. Only in the dry areas of the NRB is the influence of land use changes comparable to that of climatic alterations. Future changes of the flood regime are evaluated using modelling results. First ensembles of statistically and dynamically downscaled climate models based on different emission scenarios are analyzed. The models agree with a distinct increase in temperature. The precipitation signal, however, is not coherent. The climate scenarios are used to drive an eco-hydrological model. The influence of climatic changes on the flood regime is uncertain due to the unclear precipitation signal. Still, in general, higher flood peaks are expected. In a next step, effects of land use changes are integrated into the model. Different scenarios show that regreening might help to reduce flood peaks. In contrast, an expansion of agriculture might enhance the flood peaks in the NRB. Similarly to the analysis of observed changes in the flood regime, the impacts of climate- and land use changes for the future scenarios are also most severe in the dry areas of the NRB. In order to answer the final research question, the results of the above analysis are integrated into a range of recommendations for science and policy on how to reduce flood risk in the NRB. The main recommendations include a stronger consideration of the enormous natural climate variability in the NRB and a focus on so called "no-regret" adaptation strategies which account for high uncertainty, as well as a stronger consideration of regional differences. Regarding the prevention and mitigation of catastrophic flooding, the most vulnerable and sensitive areas in the basin, the arid and semi-arid Sahelian and Sudano-Sahelian regions, should be prioritized. Eventually, an active, science-based and science-guided flood policy is recommended. The enormous population growth in the NRB in connection with the expected deterioration of environmental and climatic conditions is likely to enhance the region´s vulnerability to flooding. A smart and sustainable flood policy can help mitigate these negative impacts of flooding on the development of riverine societies in West Africa.}, language = {en} } @article{AhmadShoaibPrinetto2015, author = {Ahmad, Nadeem and Shoaib, Umar and Prinetto, Paolo}, title = {Usability of Online Assistance From Semiliterate Users' Perspective}, series = {International journal of human computer interaction}, volume = {31}, journal = {International journal of human computer interaction}, number = {1}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis Group}, address = {Philadelphia}, issn = {1044-7318}, doi = {10.1080/10447318.2014.925772}, pages = {55 -- 64}, year = {2015}, language = {en} } @article{AdelsbergerBivigouKoumbaMiasnikovaetal.2015, author = {Adelsberger, Joseph and Bivigou Koumba, Achille Mayelle and Miasnikova, Anna and Busch, Peter and Laschewsky, Andr{\´e} and M{\"u}ller-Buschbaum, Peter and Papadakis, Christine M.}, title = {Polystyrene-block-poly (methoxy diethylene glycol acrylate)-block-polystyrene triblock copolymers in aqueous solution-a SANS study of the temperature-induced switching behavior}, series = {Colloid and polymer science : official journal of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft}, volume = {293}, journal = {Colloid and polymer science : official journal of the Kolloid-Gesellschaft}, number = {5}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0303-402X}, doi = {10.1007/s00396-015-3535-6}, pages = {1515 -- 1523}, year = {2015}, abstract = {A concentrated solution of a symmetric triblock copolymer with a thermoresponsive poly(methoxy diethylene glycol acrylate) (PMDEGA) middle block and short hydrophobic, fully deuterated polystyrene end blocks is investigated in D2O where it undergoes a lower critical solution temperature-type phase transition at ca. 36 A degrees C. Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) in a wide temperature range (15-50 A degrees C) is used to characterize the size and inner structure of the micelles as well as the correlation between the micelles and the formation of aggregates by the micelles above the cloud point (CP). A model featuring spherical core-shell micelles, which are correlated by a hard-sphere potential or a sticky hard-sphere potential together with a Guinier form factor describing aggregates formed by the micelles above the CP, fits the SANS curves well in the entire temperature range. The thickness of the thermoresponsive micellar PMDEGA shell as well as the hard-sphere radius increase slightly already below the cloud point. Whereas the thickness of the thermoresponsive micellar shell hardly shrinks when heating through the CP and up to 50 A degrees C, the hard-sphere radius decreases within 3.5 K at the CP. The volume fraction decreases already significantly below the CP, which may be at the origin of the previously observed gel-sol transition far below the CP (Miasnikova et al., Langmuir 28: 4479-4490, 2012). Above the CP, small, and at higher temperatures, large aggregates are formed by the micelles.}, language = {en} } @article{AdamoBaumeisterHohmannetal.2015, author = {Adamo, Nicoletta and Baumeister, Sarah and Hohmann, Sarah and Wolf, Isabella and Holz, Nathalie and Boecker-Schlier, Regina and Laucht, Manfred and Banaschewski, Tobias and Brandeis, Daniel}, title = {Frequency-specific coupling between trial-to-trial fluctuations of neural responses and response-time variability}, series = {Journal of neural transmission}, volume = {122}, journal = {Journal of neural transmission}, number = {8}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Wien}, issn = {0300-9564}, doi = {10.1007/s00702-015-1382-8}, pages = {1197 -- 1202}, year = {2015}, abstract = {We assessed intra-individual variability of response times (RT) and single-trial P3 amplitudes following targets in healthy adults during a Flanker/NO-GO task. RT variability and variability of the neural responses coupled at the faster frequencies examined (0.07-0.17 Hz) at Pz, the target-P3 maxima, despite non-significant associations for overall variability (standard deviation, SD). Frequency-specific patterns of variability in the single-trial P3 may help to understand the neurophysiology of RT variability and its explanatory models of attention allocation deficits beyond intra-individual variability summary indices such as SD.}, language = {en} } @article{AdamlaIgnatova2015, author = {Adamla, Frauke and Ignatova, Zoya}, title = {Somatic expression of unc-54 and vha-6 mRNAs declines but not pan-neuronal rgef-1 and unc-119 expression in aging Caenorhabditis elegans}, series = {Scientific reports}, volume = {5}, journal = {Scientific reports}, publisher = {Nature Publ. Group}, address = {London}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/srep10692}, pages = {10}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Aging is a highly controlled biological process characterized by a progressive deterioration of various cellular activities. One of several hallmarks of aging describes a link to transcriptional alteration, suggesting that it may impact the steady-state mRNA levels. We analyzed the mRNA steady-state levels of polyCAG-encoding transgenes and endogenous genes under the control of well-characterized promoters for intestinal (vha-6), muscular (unc-54, unc-15) and pan-neuronal (rgef-1, unc-119) expression in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We find that there is not a uniform change in transcriptional profile in aging, but rather a tissue-specific difference in the mRNA levels of these genes. While levels of mRNA in the intestine (vha-6) and muscular (unc-54, unc-15) cells decline with age, pan-neuronal tissue shows more stable mRNA expression (rgef-1, unc-119) which even slightly increases with the age of the animals. Our data on the variations in the mRNA abundance from exemplary cases of endogenous and transgenic gene expression contribute to the emerging evidence for tissue-specific variations in the aging process.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Adamla2015, author = {Adamla, Frauke}, title = {Polyglutamine- and aging-dependent aberrancies in transcription and translation}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {109}, year = {2015}, language = {en} } @article{AcostaSchildgenClarkeetal.2015, author = {Acosta, Veronica Torres and Schildgen, Taylor F. and Clarke, Brian A. and Scherler, Dirk and Bookhagen, Bodo and Wittmann, Hella and von Blanckenburg, Friedhelm and Strecker, Manfred}, title = {Effect of vegetation cover on millennial-scale landscape denudation rates in East Africa}, series = {Lithosphere}, volume = {7}, journal = {Lithosphere}, number = {4}, publisher = {American Institute of Physics}, address = {Boulder}, issn = {1941-8264}, doi = {10.1130/L402.1}, pages = {408 -- 420}, year = {2015}, abstract = {The mechanisms by which climate and vegetation affect erosion rates over various time scales lie at the heart of understanding landscape response to climate change. Plot-scale field experiments show that increased vegetation cover slows erosion, implying that faster erosion should occur under low to moderate vegetation cover. However, demonstrating this concept over long time scales and across landscapes has proven to be difficult, especially in settings complicated by tectonic forcing and variable slopes. We investigate this problem by measuring cosmogenic Be-10-derived catchment-mean denudation rates across a range of climate zones and hillslope gradients in the Kenya Rift, and by comparing our results with those published from the Rwenzori Mountains of Uganda. We find that denudation rates from sparsely vegetated parts of the Kenya Rift are up to 0.13 mm/yr, while those from humid and more densely vegetated parts of the Kenya Rift flanks and the Rwenzori Mountains reach a maximum of 0.08 mm/yr, despite higher median hillslope gradients. While differences in lithology and recent land-use changes likely affect the denudation rates and vegetation cover values in some of our studied catchments, hillslope gradient and vegetation cover appear to explain most of the variation in denudation rates across the study area. Our results support the idea that changing vegetation cover can contribute to complex erosional responses to climate or land-use change and that vegetation cover can play an important role in determining the steady-state slopes of mountain belts through its stabilizing effects on the land surface.}, language = {en} } @misc{AcharyaAramoBabicetal.2015, author = {Acharya, B. S. and Aramo, C. and Babic, A. and Barrio, J. A. and Baushev, Anton N. and Tjus, J. Becker and Berge, David and Bohacova, M. and Bonardi, A. and Brown, A. and Bugaev, V. and Bulik, Tomasz and Burton, M. and Busetto, G. and Caraveo, P. A. and Carosi, R. and Carr, John and Chadwick, Paula M. and Chudoba, J. and Conforti, V. and Connaughton, V. and Contreras, J. L. and Cotter, G. and Dazzi, F. and De Franco, A. and de la Calle, I. and Lopez, R. de los Reyes and De Lotto, B. and De Palma, F. and Di Girolamo, T. and Di Giulio, C. and Di Pierro, F. and Dournaux, J. -L. and Dwarkadas, Vikram V. and Ebr, J. and Egberts, Kathrin and Fesquet, M. and Fleischhack, H. and Font, L. and Fontaine, G. and Foerster, A. and F{\"u}ßling, Matthias and Garcia, B. and Lopez, R. Garcia and Garczarczyk, M. and Gargano, F. and Garrido, D. and Gaug, M. and Giglietto, N. and Giordano, F. and Giuliani, A. and Godinovic, N. and Gonzalez, M. M. and Grabarczyk, T. and Hassan, T. and Hoerandel, J. and Hrabovsky, M. and Hrupec, D. and Humensky, T. B. and Huovelin, J. and Jamrozy, M. and Janecek, P. and Kaaret, P. E. and Katz, U. and Kaufmann, S. and Khelifi, B. and Kluzniak, W. and Kocot, J. and Komin, N. and Kubo, H. and Kushida, J. and Lamanna, G. and Lee, W. H. and Lenain, J. -P. and Lohse, T. and Lombardi, S. and Lopez-Coto, R. and Lopez-Oramas, A. and Lucarelli, F. and Maccarone, M. C. and Maier, G. and Majumdar, P. and Malaguti, G. and Mandat, D. and Mazziotta, Mario Nicola and Meagher, K. and Mirabal, N. and Morselli, A. and Moulin, Emmanuel and Niemiec, J. and Nievas, M. and Nishijima, K. and Nosek, D. and Nunio, F. and Ohishi, M. and Ohm, S. and Ong, R. A. and Orito, R. and Otte, N. and Palatka, M. and Pareschi, G. and Pech, M. and Persic, M. and Pohl, Manuela and Prouza, M. and Quirrenbach, A. and Raino, S. and Fernandez, G. Rodriguez and Romano, Patrizia and Rovero, A. C. and Rudak, B. and Schovanek, P. and Shayduk, M. and Siejkowski, H. and Sillanpaa, A. and Stefanik, S. and Stolarczyk, T. and Szanecki, M. and Szepieniec, T. and Tejedor, L. A. and Telezhinsky, Igor O. and Teshima, M. and Tibaldo, L. and Tibolla, O. and Tovmassian, G. and Travnicek, P. and Trzeciak, M. and Vallania, P. and van Eldik, C. and Vercellone, S. and Vigorito, C. and Wagner, S. J. and Wakely, S. P. and Weinstein, A. and Wierzcholska, A. and Wilhelm, Alina and Wojcik, P. and Yoshikoshi, T.}, title = {The Cherenkov Telescope Array potential for the study of young supernova remnants}, series = {Astroparticle physics}, volume = {62}, journal = {Astroparticle physics}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0927-6505}, doi = {10.1016/j.astropartphys.2014.08.005}, pages = {152 -- 164}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Supernova remnants (SNRs) are among the most important targets for gamma-ray observatories. Being prominent non-thermal sources, they are very likely responsible for the acceleration of the bulk of Galactic cosmic rays (CRS). To firmly establish the SNR paradigm for the origin of cosmic rays, it should be confirmed that protons are indeed accelerated in, and released from, SNRs with the appropriate flux and spectrum. This can be done by detailed theoretical models which account for microphysics of acceleration and various radiation processes of hadrons and leptons. The current generation of Cherenkov telescopes has insufficient sensitivity to constrain theoretical models. A new facility, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), will have superior capabilities and may finally resolve this long standing issue of high-energy astrophysics. We want to assess the capabilities of CTA to reveal the physics of various types of SNRs in the initial 2000 years of their evolution. During this time, the efficiency to accelerate cosmic rays is highest. We perform time-dependent simulations of the hydrodynamics, the magnetic fields, the cosmic-ray acceleration, and the non-thermal emission for type Ia, Ic and IIP SNRs. We calculate the CTA response to the y-ray emission from these SNRs for various ages and distances, and we perform a realistic analysis of the simulated data. We derive distance limits for the detectability and resolvability of these SNR types at several ages. We test the ability of CTA to reconstruct their morphological and spectral parameters as a function of their distance. Finally, we estimate how well CTA data will constrain the theoretical models. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @misc{AcevedoReichCubasch2015, author = {Acevedo, Walter and Reich, Sebastian and Cubasch, Ulrich}, title = {Towards the assimilation of tree-ring-width records using ensemble Kalman filtering techniques}, series = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, volume = {46}, journal = {Postprints der Universit{\"a}t Potsdam : Mathematisch Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe}, number = {892}, issn = {1866-8372}, doi = {10.25932/publishup-43636}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-436363}, pages = {1909 -- 1920}, year = {2015}, abstract = {This paper investigates the applicability of the Vaganov-Shashkin-Lite (VSL) forward model for tree-ring-width chronologies as observation operator within a proxy data assimilation (DA) setting. Based on the principle of limiting factors, VSL combines temperature and moisture time series in a nonlinear fashion to obtain simulated TRW chronologies. When used as observation operator, this modelling approach implies three compounding, challenging features: (1) time averaging, (2) "switching recording" of 2 variables and (3) bounded response windows leading to "thresholded response". We generate pseudo-TRW observations from a chaotic 2-scale dynamical system, used as a cartoon of the atmosphere-land system, and attempt to assimilate them via ensemble Kalman filtering techniques. Results within our simplified setting reveal that VSL's nonlinearities may lead to considerable loss of assimilation skill, as compared to the utilization of a time-averaged (TA) linear observation operator. In order to understand this undesired effect, we embed VSL's formulation into the framework of fuzzy logic (FL) theory, which thereby exposes multiple representations of the principle of limiting factors. DA experiments employing three alternative growth rate functions disclose a strong link between the lack of smoothness of the growth rate function and the loss of optimality in the estimate of the TA state. Accordingly, VSL's performance as observation operator can be enhanced by resorting to smoother FL representations of the principle of limiting factors. This finding fosters new interpretations of tree-ring-growth limitation processes.}, language = {en} } @unpublished{AbutalebiClahsen2015, author = {Abutalebi, Jubin and Clahsen, Harald}, title = {Bilingualism, cognition, and aging}, series = {Bilingualism : language and cognition.}, volume = {18}, journal = {Bilingualism : language and cognition.}, number = {1}, publisher = {Cambridge Univ. Press}, address = {New York}, issn = {1366-7289}, doi = {10.1017/S1366728914000741}, pages = {1 -- 2}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Extract: Topics in psycholinguistics and the neurocognition of language rarely attract the attention of journalists or the general public. One topic that has done so, however, is the potential benefits of bilingualism for general cognitive functioning and development, and as a precaution against cognitive decline in old age. Sensational claims have been made in the public domain, mostly by journalists and politicians. Recently (September 4, 2014) The Guardian reported that "learning a foreign language can increase the size of your brain", and Michael Gove, the UK's previous Education Secretary, noted in an interview with The Guardian (September 30, 2011) that "learning languages makes you smarter". The present issue of BLC addresses these topics by providing a state-of-the-art overview of theoretical and experimental research on the role of bilingualism for cognition in children and adults.}, language = {en} }