@phdthesis{Doerge2015,
  author    = {D{\"o}rge, Christina},
  title     = {Informatische Schl{\"u}sselkompetenzen},
  publisher = {Universit{\"a}tsverlag Potsdam},
  address   = {Potsdam},
  isbn      = {978-3-86956-262-9},
  issn      = {1868-0844},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-70470},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {458},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Seit den 60er Jahren gibt es im deutschsprachigen Raum Diskussionen um die Begriffe Schl{\"u}sselqualifikation und (Schl{\"u}ssel-)Kompetenz, welche seit ca. 2000 auch in der Informatikdidaktik angekommen sind. Die Diskussionen der Fachdisziplinen und ihre Bedeutung f{\"u}r die Informatikdidaktik sind Gegenstand des ersten Teils dieser Dissertation. Es werden Rahmenmodelle zur Strukturierung und Einordnung von Kompetenzen entworfen, die f{\"u}r alle Fachdisziplinen nutzbar sind. Im zweiten Teil wird ein methodologischer Weg gezeigt, Schl{\"u}sselkompetenzen herzuleiten, ohne normativ vorgehen zu m{\"u}ssen. Hierzu wird das Verfahren der Qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse (QI) auf informatikdidaktische Ansätze angewendet. Die resultierenden Kompetenzen werden in weiteren Schritten verfeinert und in die zuvor entworfenen Rahmenmodelle eingeordnet. Das Ergebnis sind informatische Schl{\"u}sselkompetenzen, welche ein spezifisches Bild der Informatik zeichnen und zur Analyse bereits bestehender Curricula genutzt werden können. Zusätzlich zeigt das Verfahren einen Weg auf, wie Schl{\"u}sselkompetenzen auf nicht-normativem Wege generell hergeleitet werden können.},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Conforti2015,
  author    = {Conforti, Giovanni},
  title     = {Reciprocal classes of continuous time Markov Chains},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-82255},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {xvi, 183},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {In this thesis we study reciprocal classes of Markov chains. Given a continuous time Markov chain on a countable state space, acting as reference dynamics, the associated reciprocal class is the set of all probability measures on path space that can be written as a mixture of its bridges. These processes possess a conditional independence property that generalizes the Markov property, and evolved from an idea of Schr{\"o}dinger, who wanted to obtain a probabilistic interpretation of quantum mechanics. Associated to a reciprocal class is a set of reciprocal characteristics, which are space-time functions that determine the reciprocal class. We compute explicitly these characteristics, and divide them into two main families: arc characteristics and cycle characteristics. As a byproduct, we obtain an explicit criterion to check when two different Markov chains share their bridges. Starting from the characteristics we offer two different descriptions of the reciprocal class, including its non-Markov probabilities. The first one is based on a pathwise approach and the second one on short time asymptotic. With the first approach one produces a family of functional equations whose only solutions are precisely the elements of the reciprocal class. These equations are integration by parts on path space associated with derivative operators which perturb the paths by mean of the addition of random loops. Several geometrical tools are employed to construct such formulas. The problem of obtaining sharp characterizations is also considered, showing some interesting connections with discrete geometry. Examples of such formulas are given in the framework of counting processes and random walks on Abelian groups, where the set of loops has a group structure. In addition to this global description, we propose a second approach by looking at the short time behavior of a reciprocal process. In the same way as the Markov property and short time expansions of transition probabilities characterize Markov chains, we show that a reciprocal class is characterized by imposing the reciprocal property and two families of short time expansions for the bridges. Such local approach is suitable to study reciprocal processes on general countable graphs. As application of our characterization, we considered several interesting graphs, such as lattices, planar graphs, the complete graph, and the hypercube. Finally, we obtain some first results about concentration of measure implied by lower bounds on the reciprocal characteristics.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Cattania2015,
  author    = {Cattania, Camilla},
  title     = {Improvement of aftershock models based on Coulomb stress changes and rate-and-state dependent friction},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-87097},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {xvi, 123},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Earthquake clustering has proven the most useful tool to forecast changes in seismicity rates in the short and medium term (hours to months), and efforts are currently being made to extend the scope of such models to operational earthquake forecasting. The overarching goal of the research presented in this thesis is to improve physics-based earthquake forecasts, with a focus on aftershock sequences. Physical models of triggered seismicity are based on the redistribution of stresses in the crust, coupled with the rate-and-state constitutive law proposed by Dieterich to calculate changes in seismicity rate. This type of models are known as Coulomb- rate and-state (CRS) models. In spite of the success of the Coulomb hypothesis, CRS models typically performed poorly in comparison to statistical ones, and they have been underepresented in the operational forecasting context. In this thesis, I address some of these issues, and in particular these questions: (1) How can we realistically model the uncertainties and heterogeneity of the mainshock stress field? (2) What is the effect of time dependent stresses in the postseismic phase on seismicity? I focus on two case studies from different tectonic settings: the Mw 9.0 Tohoku megathrust and the Mw 6.0 Parkfield strike slip earthquake. I study aleatoric uncertainties using a Monte Carlo method. I find that the existence of multiple receiver faults is the most important source of intrinsic stress heterogeneity, and CRS models perform better when this variability is taken into account. Epistemic uncertainties inherited from the slip models also have a significant impact on the forecast, and I find that an ensemble model based on several slip distributions outperforms most individual models. I address the role of postseismic stresses due to aseismic slip on the mainshock fault (afterslip) and to the redistribution of stresses by previous aftershocks (secondary triggering). I find that modeling secondary triggering improves model performance. The effect of afterslip is less clear, and difficult to assess for near-fault aftershocks due to the large uncertainties of the afterslip models. Off-fault events, on the other hand, are less sensitive to the details of the slip distribution: I find that following the Tohoku earthquake, afterslip promotes seismicity in the Fukushima region. To evaluate the performance of the improved CRS models in a pseudo-operational context, I submitted them for independent testing to a collaborative experiment carried out by CSEP for the 2010-2012 Canterbury sequence. Preliminary results indicate that physical models generally perform well compared to statistical ones, suggesting that CRS models may have a role to play in the future of operational forecasting. To facilitate efforts in this direction, and to enable future studies of earthquake triggering by time dependent processes, I have made the code open source. In the final part of this thesis I summarize the capabilities of the program and outline technical aspects regarding performance and parallelization strategies.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Boettle2015,
  author    = {B{\"o}ttle, Markus},
  title     = {Coastal floods in view of sea level rise},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-91074},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {xiii, 111},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {The sea level rise induced intensification of coastal floods is a serious threat to many regions in proximity to the ocean. Although severe flood events are rare they can entail enormous damage costs, especially when built-up areas are inundated. Fortunately, the mean sea level advances slowly and there is enough time for society to adapt to the changing environment. Most commonly, this is achieved by the construction or reinforcement of flood defence measures such as dykes or sea walls but also land use and disaster management are widely discussed options. Overall, albeit the projection of sea level rise impacts and the elaboration of adequate response strategies is amongst the most prominent topics in climate impact research, global damage estimates are vague and mostly rely on the same assessment models. The thesis at hand contributes to this issue by presenting a distinctive approach which facilitates large scale assessments as well as the comparability of results across regions. Moreover, we aim to improve the general understanding of the interplay between mean sea level rise, adaptation, and coastal flood damage. Our undertaking is based on two basic building blocks. Firstly, we make use of macroscopic flood-damage functions, i.e. damage functions that provide the total monetary damage within a delineated region (e.g. a city) caused by a flood of certain magnitude. After introducing a systematic methodology for the automatised derivation of such functions, we apply it to a total of 140 European cities and obtain a large set of damage curves utilisable for individual as well as comparative damage assessments. By scrutinising the resulting curves, we are further able to characterise the slope of the damage functions by means of a functional model. The proposed function has in general a sigmoidal shape but exhibits a power law increase for the relevant range of flood levels and we detect an average exponent of 3.4 for the considered cities. This finding represents an essential input for subsequent elaborations on the general interrelations of involved quantities. The second basic element of this work is extreme value theory which is employed to characterise the occurrence of flood events and in conjunction with a damage function provides the probability distribution of the annual damage in the area under study. The resulting approach is highly flexible as it assumes non-stationarity in all relevant parameters and can be easily applied to arbitrary regions, sea level, and adaptation scenarios. For instance, we find a doubling of expected flood damage in the city of Copenhagen for a rise in mean sea levels of only 11 cm. By following more general considerations, we succeed in deducing surprisingly simple functional expressions to describe the damage behaviour in a given region for varying mean sea levels, changing storm intensities, and supposed protection levels. We are thus able to project future flood damage by means of a reduced set of parameters, namely the aforementioned damage function exponent and the extreme value parameters. Similar examinations are carried out to quantify the aleatory uncertainty involved in these projections. In this regard, a decrease of (relative) uncertainty with rising mean sea levels is detected. Beyond that, we demonstrate how potential adaptation measures can be assessed in terms of a Cost-Benefit Analysis. This is exemplified by the Danish case study of Kalundborg, where amortisation times for a planned investment are estimated for several sea level scenarios and discount rates.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Boesche2015,
  author    = {B{\"o}sche, Nina Kristine},
  title     = {Detection of rare earth elements and rare earth oxides with hyperspectral spectroscopy},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-85363},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {147},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {The continuously increasing demand for rare earth elements in technical components of modern technologies, brings the detection of new deposits closer into the focus of global exploration. One promising method to globally map important deposits might be remote sensing, since it has been used for a wide range of mineral mapping in the past. This doctoral thesis investigates the capacity of hyperspectral remote sensing for the detection of rare earth element deposits. The definition and the realization of a fundamental database on the spectral characteristics of rare earth oxides, rare earth metals and rare earth element bearing materials formed the basis of this thesis. To investigate these characteristics in the field, hyperspectral images of four outcrops in Fen Complex, Norway, were collected in the near-field. A new methodology (named REEMAP) was developed to delineate rare earth element enriched zones. The main steps of REEMAP are: 1) multitemporal weighted averaging of multiple images covering the sample area; 2) sharpening the rare earth related signals using a Gaussian high pass deconvolution technique that is calibrated on the standard deviation of a Gaussian-bell shaped curve that represents by the full width of half maxima of the target absorption band; 3) mathematical modeling of the target absorption band and highlighting of rare earth elements. REEMAP was further adapted to different hyperspectral sensors (EO-1 Hyperion and EnMAP) and a new test site (Lofdal, Namibia). Additionally, the hyperspectral signatures of associated minerals were investigated to serve as proxy for the host rocks. Finally, the capacity and limitations of spectroscopic rare earth element detection approaches in general and of the REEMAP approach specifically were investigated and discussed. One result of this doctoral thesis is that eight rare earth oxides show robust absorption bands and, therefore, can be used for hyperspectral detection methods. Additionally, the spectral signatures of iron oxides, iron-bearing sulfates, calcite and kaolinite can be used to detect metasomatic alteration zones and highlight the ore zone. One of the key results of this doctoral work is the developed REEMAP approach, which can be applied from near-field to space. The REEMAP approach enables rare earth element mapping especially for noisy images. Limiting factors are a low signal to noise ratio, a reduced spectral resolution, overlaying materials, atmospheric absorption residuals and non-optimal illumination conditions. Another key result of this doctoral thesis is the finding that the future hyperspectral EnMAP satellite (with its currently published specifications, June 2015) will be theoretically capable to detect absorption bands of erbium, dysprosium, holmium, neodymium and europium, thulium and samarium. This thesis presents a new methodology REEMAP that enables a spatially wide and rapid hyperspectral detection of rare earth elements in order to meet the demand for fast, extensive and efficient rare earth exploration (from near-field to space).},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Baerstecher2015,
  author    = {B{\"a}rstecher, Felix Emanuel},
  title     = {Was machen Schulleiter tats{\"a}chlich und welche Faktoren beeinflussen diese ausgef{\"u}hrten T{\"a}tigkeiten?},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-80109},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {301},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {W{\"a}hrend die theoretische Arbeitsbeschreibung und das Rollenbild von Schulleitern vielfach in der Forschung aufgegriffen wurde, gibt es - wie {\"u}brigens im gesamten Bereich Public Management - nur wenige empirische Untersuchungen, die aus einer betriebswirtschaftlichen Managementbetrachtung heraus untersuchen, was Schulleiter wirklich machen, d.h. welchen T{\"a}tigkeiten und Aufgaben die genannten Personen nachgehen und welche Unterschiede sich feststellen lassen. Besondere Relevanz erh{\"a}lt die Thematik durch das sich wandelnde Aufgabenbild des Schulleiters, getrieben insbesondere durch die zus{\"a}tzliche Autonomie der Einzelschule, aber auch durch die Fokussierung auf die Performance und Wirksamkeit der Einzelschule und verbunden damit, die Abh{\"a}ngigkeit dieser von der Arbeit des Schulleiters. Hier bildet das Verst{\"a}ndnis der Aufgaben und T{\"a}tigkeiten eine wichtige Grundlage, die jedoch unzureichend erforscht ist. Mit Hilfe einer explorativen Beobachtung von 15 Schulleiterinnen und Schulleitern und damit einer empirischen Untersuchung von insgesamt 7591 Arbeitsminuten und 774 Aktivit{\"a}ten in Kombination mit ausf{\"u}hrlichen qualitativen, halboffenen Interviews wird durch diese Arbeit eine detaillierte Betrachtung des tats{\"a}chlichen Schulleitungsmanagementhandelns m{\"o}glich. So wird sichtbar, dass sich die Aufgaben und T{\"a}tigkeiten der Schulleiter in zentralen Bereichen unterscheiden und eine Typologisierung entlang von Rollenbeschreibungen und Leadership Behavior zu kurz greift. Es konnte zum ersten Mal in dieser Ausf{\"u}hrlichkeit innerhalb des deutschen Schulsystems gezeigt werden, dass Schulleiter Kommunikationsmanager sind. Dar{\"u}ber hinaus entwickelt das hier dokumentierte Forschungsvorhaben Hypothesen zu den Faktoren, die einen Einfluss auf die Aufgaben und T{\"a}tigkeiten haben und beschreibt dezidiert Implikationen, die diese Erkenntnisse auf die T{\"a}tigkeit des Schulleiters, die weitere Forschung aber auch die politische Rahmengestaltung und, damit verbunden, die Weiterentwicklung des Schulsystems haben.},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Buss2015,
  author    = {Buß, Claudia},
  title     = {Instrumente der B{\"u}rgerbeteiligung in St{\"a}dten},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-88888},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {xi, 468},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Die vergleichende Arbeit besch{\"a}ftigt sich mit der B{\"u}rgerbeteiligung in St{\"a}dten in Deutschland und Frankreich. In den letzten 20 Jahren haben sich die Formen lokaler Demokratie immer wieder ver{\"a}ndert und sich den {\"o}rtlichen Gegebenheiten angepasst. Das Interesse der B{\"u}rger, Verwaltung und politisch gew{\"a}hlten Vertreter an Partizipation w{\"a}chst stetig . Das heißt aber auch, dass sich diese 3 Akteure den neuen Strukturen anpassen und eigene Strategien entwickeln m{\"u}ssen. Die demokratischen Formen der kooperativen bzw. partizipativen Demokratie werden immer h{\"a}ufiger angewandt. Diese Arbeit evaluiert die verschiedenen B{\"u}rgerbeteiligungsinstrumente in Frankreich und Deutschland in dem zwischen Input, Output und Outcome unterschieden wird. Insbesondere die B{\"u}rgerhaushalte, Beir{\"a}te und Quartiersr{\"a}te werden genauer betrachtet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen erste Hinweise in welche demokratische Richtung sich die deutschen St{\"a}dte k{\"u}nftig entwickeln.},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Busch2015,
  author    = {Busch, Jan Philip},
  title     = {Investigations on mobility of carbon colloid supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) for groundwater remediation},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-76873},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {X, 127, XLIII},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Injection of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) is an innovative technology for in situ installation of a permeable reactive barrier in the subsurface. Zerovalent iron (ZVI) is highly reactive with chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) and renders them into less harmful substances. Application of nZVI instead of granular ZVI can increase rates of dechlorination of CHCs by orders of magnitude, due to its higher surface area. This approach is still difficult to apply due to fast agglomeration and sedimentation of colloidal suspensions of nZVI, which leads to very short transport distances. To overcome this issue of limited mobility, polyanionic stabilisers are added to increase surface charge and stability of suspensions. In field experiments maximum transport distances of a few metres were achieved. A new approach, which is investigated in this thesis, is enhanced mobility of nZVI by a more mobile carrier colloid. The investigated composite material consists of activated carbon, which is loaded with nZVI. In this cumulative thesis, transport characteristics of carbon-colloid supported nZVI (c-nZVI) are investigated. Investigations started with column experiments in 40 cm columns filled with various porous media to investigate on physicochemical influences on transport characteristics. The experimental setup was enlarged to a transport experiment in a 1.2-m-sized two-dimensional aquifer tank experiment, which was filled with granular porous media. Further, a field experiment was performed in a natural aquifer system with a targeted transport distance of 5.3 m. Parallel to these investigations, alternative methods for transport observations were investigated by using noninvasive tomographic methods. Experiments using synchrotron radiation and magnetic resonance (MRI) were performed to investigate in situ transport characteristics in a non-destructive way. Results from column experiments show potentially high mobility under environmental relevant conditions. Addition of mono-and bivalent salts, e.g. more than 0.5 mM/L CaCl2, might decrease mobility. Changes in pH to values below 6 can inhibit mobility at all. Measurements of colloid size show changes in the mean particle size by a factor of ten. Measurements of zeta potential revealed an increase of -62 mV to -82 mV. Results from the 2D-aquifer test system suggest strong particle deposition in the first centimetres and only weak straining in the further travel path and no gravitational influence on particle transport. Straining at the beginning of the travel path in the porous medium was observed with tomographic investigations of transport. MRI experiments revealed similar results to the previous experiments, and observations using synchrotron radiation suggest straining of colloids at pore throats. The potential for high transport distances, which was suggested from laboratory experiments, was confirmed in the field experiment, where the transport distance of 5.3 m was reached by at least 10\% of injected nZVI. Altogether, transport distances of the investigated carbon-colloid supported nZVI are higher than published results of traditional nZVI.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Brosinsky2015,
  author    = {Brosinsky, Arlena},
  title     = {Spectral fingerprinting},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-83369},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {VI, 117},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Current research on runoff and erosion processes, as well as an increasing demand for sustainable watershed management emphasize the need for an improved understanding of sediment dynamics. This involves the accurate assessment of erosion rates and sediment transfer, yield and origin. A variety of methods exist to capture these processes at the catchment scale. Among these, sediment fingerprinting, a technique to trace back the origin of sediment, has attracted increasing attention by the scientific community in recent years. It is a two-step procedure, based on the fundamental assumptions that potential sources of sediment can be reliably discriminated based on a set of characteristic 'fingerprint' properties, and that a comparison of source and sediment fingerprints allows to quantify the relative contribution of each source. This thesis aims at further assessing the potential of spectroscopy to assist and improve the sediment fingerprinting technique. Specifically, this work focuses on (1) whether potential sediment sources can be reliably identified based on spectral features ('fingerprints'), whether (2) these spectral fingerprints permit the quantification of relative source contribution, and whether (3) in situ derived source information is sufficient for this purpose. Furthermore, sediment fingerprinting using spectral information is applied in a study catchment to (4) identify major sources and observe how relative source contributions change between and within individual flood events. And finally, (5) spectral fingerprinting results are compared and combined with simultaneous sediment flux measurements to study sediment origin, transport and storage behaviour. For the sediment fingerprinting approach, soil samples were collected from potential sediment sources within the Is{\´a}bena catchment, a meso-scale basin in the central Spanish Pyrenees. Undisturbed samples of the upper soil layer were measured in situ using an ASD spectroradiometer and subsequently sampled for measurements in the laboratory. Suspended sediment was sampled automatically by means of ISCO samplers at the catchment as well as at the five major subcatchment outlets during flood events, and stored fine sediment from the channel bed was collected from 14 cross-sections along the main river. Artificial mixtures of known contributions were produced from source soil samples. Then, all source, sediment and mixture samples were dried and spectrally measured in the laboratory. Subsequently, colour coefficients and physically based features with relation to organic carbon, iron oxide, clay content and carbonate, were calculated from all in situ and laboratory spectra. Spectral parameters passing a number of prerequisite tests were submitted to principal component analyses to study natural clustering of samples, discriminant function analyses to observe source differentiation accuracy, and a mixing model for source contribution assessment. In addition, annual as well as flood event based suspended sediment fluxes from the catchment and its subcatchments were calculated from rainfall, water discharge and suspended sediment concentration measurements using rating curves and Quantile Regression Forests. Results of sediment flux monitoring were interpreted individually with respect to storage behaviour, compared to fingerprinting source ascriptions and combined with fingerprinting to assess their joint explanatory potential. In response to the key questions of this work, (1) three source types (land use) and five spatial sources (subcatchments) could be reliably discriminated based on spectral fingerprints. The artificial mixture experiment revealed that while (2) laboratory parameters permitted source contribution assessment, (3) the use of in situ derived information was insufficient. Apparently, high discrimination accuracy does not necessarily imply good quantification results. When applied to suspended sediment samples of the catchment outlet, the spectral fingerprinting approach was able to (4) quantify the major sediment sources: badlands and the Villacarli subcatchment, respectively, were identified as main contributors, which is consistent with field observations and previous studies. Thereby, source contribution was found to vary both, within and between individual flood events. Also sediment flux was found to vary considerably, annually as well as seasonally and on flood event base. Storage was confirmed to play an important role in the sediment dynamics of the studied catchment, whereas floods with lower total sediment yield tend to deposit and floods with higher yield rather remove material from the channel bed. Finally, a comparison of flux measurements with fingerprinting results highlighted the fact that (5) immediate transport from sources to the catchment outlet cannot be assumed. A combination of the two methods revealed different aspects of sediment dynamics that none of the techniques could have uncovered individually. In summary, spectral properties provide a fast, non-destructive, and cost-efficient means to discriminate and quantify sediment sources, whereas, unfortunately, straight-forward in situ collected source information is insufficient for the approach. Mixture modelling using artificial mixtures permits valuable insights into the capabilities and limitations of the method and similar experiments are strongly recommended to be performed in the future. Furthermore, a combination of techniques such as e.g. (spectral) sediment fingerprinting and sediment flux monitoring can provide comprehensive understanding of sediment dynamics.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Brachs2015,
  author    = {Brachs, Maria},
  title     = {Genome wide expression analysis and metabolic mechanisms predicting body weight maintenance},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-100767},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam},
  pages     = {106},
  year      = {2015},
  abstract  = {Obesity is a major health problem for many developing and industrial countries. Increasing rates reach almost 50 \% of the population in some countries and related metabolic diseases including cardiovascular events and T2DM are challenging the health systems. Adiposity, an increase in body fat mass, is a major hallmark of obesity. Adipose tissue is long known not only to store lipids but also to influence whole-body metabolism including food intake, energy expenditure and insulin sensitivity. Adipocytes can store lipids and thereby protect other tissue from lipotoxic damage. However, if the energy intake is higher than the energy expenditure over a sustained time period, adipose tissue will expand. This can lead to an impaired adipose tissue function resulting in higher levels of plasma lipids, which can affect other tissue like skeletal muscle, finally leading to metabolic complications. Several studies showed beneficial metabolic effects of weight reduction in obese subjects immediately after weight loss. However, weight regain is frequently observed along with potential negative effects on cardiovascular risk factors and a high intra-individual response. We performed a body weight maintenance study investigating the mechanisms of weight maintenance after intended WR. Therefore we used a low caloric diet followed by a 12-month life-style intervention. Comprehensive phenotyping including fat and muscle biopsies was conducted to investigate hormonal as well as metabolic influences on body weight regulation. In this study, we showed that weight reduction has numerous potentially beneficial effects on metabolic parameters. After 3-month WR subjects showed significant weight and fat mass reduction, lower TG levels as well as higher insulin sensitivity. Using RNA-Seq to analyse whole fat and muscle transcriptome a strong impact of weight reduction on adipose tissue gene expression was observed. Gene expression alterations over weight reduction included several cellular metabolic genes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism as well as insulin signalling and regulatory pathways. These changes were also associated with anthropometric parameters assigning body composition. Our data indicated that weight reduction leads to a decreased expression of several lipid catabolic as well as anabolic genes. Long-term body weight maintenance might be influenced by several parameters including hormones, metabolic intermediates as well as the transcriptional landscape of metabolic active tissues. Our data showed that genes involved in biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids might influence the BMI 18-month after a weight reduction phase. This was further supported by analysing metabolic parameters including RQ and FFA levels. We could show that subjects maintaining their lost body weight had a higher RQ and lower FFA levels, indicating increased metabolic flexibility in subjects. Using this transcriptomic approach we hypothesize that low expression levels of lipid synthetic genes in adipose tissue together with a higher mitochondrial activity in skeletal muscle tissue might be beneficial in terms of body weight maintenance.},
  language  = {en}
}