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This work incorporates three treatises which are commonly concerned with a stochastic theory of the Lyapunov exponents. With the help of this theory universal scaling laws are investigated which appear in coupled chaotic and disordered systems. First, two continuous-time stochastic models for weakly coupled chaotic systems are introduced to study the scaling of the Lyapunov exponents with the coupling strength (coupling sensitivity of chaos). By means of the the Fokker-Planck formalism scaling relations are derived, which are confirmed by results of numerical simulations. Next, coupling sensitivity is shown to exist for coupled disordered chains, where it appears as a singular increase of the localization length. Numerical findings for coupled Anderson models are confirmed by analytic results for coupled continuous-space Schrödinger equations. The resulting scaling relation of the localization length resembles the scaling of the Lyapunov exponent of coupled chaotic systems. Finally, the statistics of the exponential growth rate of the linear oscillator with parametric noise are studied. It is shown that the distribution of the finite-time Lyapunov exponent deviates from a Gaussian one. By means of the generalized Lyapunov exponents the parameter range is determined where the non-Gaussian part of the distribution is significant and multiscaling becomes essential.
Concerns have been raised that anthropogenic climate change could lead to large-scale singular climate events, i.e., abrupt nonlinear climate changes with repercussions on regional to global scales. One central goal of this thesis is the development of models of two representative components of the climate system that could exhibit singular behavior: the Atlantic thermohaline circulation (THC) and the Indian monsoon. These models are conceived so as to fulfill the main requirements of integrated assessment modeling, i.e., reliability, computational efficiency, transparency and flexibility. The model of the THC is an interhemispheric four-box model calibrated against data generated with a coupled climate model of intermediate complexity. It is designed to be driven by global mean temperature change which is translated into regional fluxes of heat and freshwater through a linear down-scaling procedure. Results of a large number of transient climate change simulations indicate that the reduced-form THC model is able to emulate key features of the behavior of comprehensive climate models such as the sensitivity of the THC to the amount, regional distribution and rate of change in the heat and freshwater fluxes. The Indian monsoon is described by a novel one-dimensional box model of the tropical atmosphere. It includes representations of the radiative and surface fluxes, the hydrological cycle and surface hydrology. Despite its high degree of idealization, the model satisfactorily captures relevant aspects of the observed monsoon dynamics, such as the annual course of precipitation and the onset and withdrawal of the summer monsoon. Also, the model exhibits the sensitivity to changes in greenhouse gas and sulfate aerosol concentrations that are known from comprehensive models. A simplified version of the monsoon model is employed for the identification of changes in the qualitative system behavior against changes in boundary conditions. The most notable result is that under summer conditions a saddle-node bifurcation occurs at critical values of the planetary albedo or insolation. Furthermore, the system exhibits two stable equilibria: besides the wet summer monsoon, a stable state exists which is characterized by a weak hydrological cycle. These results are remarkable insofar, as they indicate that anthropogenic perturbations of the planetary albedo such as sulfur emissions and/or land-use changes could destabilize the Indian summer monsoon. The reduced-form THC model is employed in an exemplary integrated assessment application. Drawing on the conceptual and methodological framework of the tolerable windows approach, emissions corridors (i.e., admissible ranges of CO2- emissions) are derived that limit the risk of a THC collapse while considering expectations about the socio-economically acceptable pace of emissions reductions. Results indicate, for example, a large dependency of the width of the emissions corridor on climate and hydrological sensitivity: for low values of climate and/or hydrological sensitivity, the corridor boundaries are far from being transgressed by any plausible emissions scenario for the 21st century. In contrast, for high values of both quantities low non-intervention scenarios leave the corridor already in the early decades of the 21st century. This implies that if the risk of a THC collapse is to be kept low, business-as-usual paths would need to be abandoned within the next two decades. All in all, this thesis highlights the value of reduced-form modeling by presenting a number of applications of this class of models, ranging from sensitivity and bifurcation analysis to integrated assessment. The results achieved and conclusions drawn provide a useful contribution to the scientific and policy debate about the consequences of anthropogenic climate change and the long-term goals of climate protection. --- Anmerkung: Die Autorin ist Trägerin des von der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Potsdam vergebenen Michelson-Preises für die beste Promotion des Jahres 2003/2004.
Interpretation of and reasoning with conditionals : probabilities, mental models, and causality
(2003)
In everyday conversation "if" is one of the most frequently used conjunctions. This dissertation investigates what meaning an everyday conditional transmits and what inferences it licenses. It is suggested that the nature of the relation between the two propositions in a conditional might play a major role for both questions. Thus, in the experiments reported here conditional statements that describe a causal relationship (e.g., "If you touch that wire, you will receive an electric shock") were compared to arbitrary conditional statements in which there is no meaningful relation between the antecedent and the consequent proposition (e.g., "If Napoleon is dead, then Bristol is in England"). Initially, central assumptions from several approaches to the meaning and the reasoning from causal conditionals will be integrated into a common model. In the model the availability of exceptional situations that have the power to generate exceptions to the rule described in the conditional (e.g., the electricity is turned off), reduces the subjective conditional probability of the consequent, given the antecedent (e.g., the probability of receiving an electric shock when touching the wire). This conditional probability determines people's degree of belief in the conditional, which in turn affects their willingness to accept valid inferences (e.g., "Peter touches the wire, therefore he receives an electric shock") in a reasoning task. Additionally to this indirect pathway, the model contains a direct pathway: Cognitive availability of exceptional situations directly reduces the readiness to accept valid conclusions. The first experimental series tested the integrated model for conditional statements embedded in pseudo-natural cover stories that either established a causal relation between the antecedent and the consequent event (causal conditionals) or did not connect the propositions in a meaningful way (arbitrary conditionals). The model was supported for the causal, but not for the arbitrary conditional statements. Furthermore, participants assigned lower degrees of belief to arbitrary than to causal conditionals. Is this effect due to the presence versus absence of a semantic link between antecedent and consequent in the conditionals? This question was one of the starting points for the second experimental series. Here, the credibility of the conditionals was manipulated by adding explicit frequency information about possible combinations of presence or absence of antecedent and consequent events to the problems (i.e., frequencies of cases of 1. true antecedent with true consequent, 2. true antecedent with false consequent, 3. false antecedent with true consequent, 4. false antecedent with false consequent). This paradigm allows testing different approaches to the meaning of conditionals (Experiment 4) as well as theories of conditional reasoning against each other (Experiment 5). The results of Experiment 4 supported mainly the conditional probability approach to the meaning of conditionals (Edgington, 1995) according to which the degree of belief a listener has in a conditional statement equals the conditional probability that the consequent is true given the antecedent (e.g., the probability of receiving an electric shock when touching the wire). Participants again assigned lower degrees of belief to the arbitrary than the causal conditionals, although the conditional probability of the consequent given the antecedent was held constant within every condition of explicit frequency information. This supports the hypothesis that the mere presence of a causal link enhances the believability of a conditional statement. In Experiment 5 participants solved conditional reasoning tasks from problems that contained explicit frequency information about possible relevant cases. The data favored the probabilistic approach to conditional reasoning advanced by Oaksford, Chater, and Larkin (2000). The two experimental series reported in this dissertation provide strong support for recent probabilistic theories: for the conditional probability approach to the meaning of conditionals by Edgington (1995) and the probabilistic approach to conditional reasoning by Oaksford et al. (2000). In the domain of conditional reasoning, there was additionally support for the modified mental model approaches by Markovits and Barrouillet (2002) and Schroyens and Schaeken (2003). Probabilistic and mental model approaches could be reconciled within a dual-process-model as suggested by Verschueren, Schaeken, and d'Ydewalle (2003).
During the past several decades polymer materials become widely used as components of medical devices and implants such as hemodialysers, bioartificial organs as well as vascular and recombinant surgery. Most of the devices cannot avoid the blood contact in their use. When the polymer materials come in contact with blood they can cause different undesired host responses like thrombosis, inflammatory reactions and infections. Thus the materials must be hemocompatible in order to minimize these undesired body responses. The earliest and one of the main problems in the use of blood-contacting biomaterials is the surface induced thrombosis. The sequence of the thrombus formation on the artificial surfaces has been well established. The first event, which occurs, after exposure of biomaterials to blood, is the adsorption of blood proteins. Surface physicochemical properties of the materials as wettability greatly influence the amount and conformational changes of adsorbed proteins. In turn the type, amount and conformational state of the adsorbed protein layer determines whether platelets will adhere and become activated or not on the artificial surface and thus to complete the thrombus formation. The adsorption of fibrinogen (FNG), which is present in plasma, has been shown to be closely related to surface induced thrombosis by participating in all processes of the thrombus formation such as fibrin formation, platelet adhesion and aggregation. Therefore study the FNG adsorption to artificial surfaces could contribute to better understanding of the mechanisms of platelet adhesion and activation and thus to controlling the surface induced thrombosis. Endothelization of the polymer surfaces is one of the strategies for improving the materials hemocompatibility, which is believed to be the most ideal solution for making truly blood-compatible materials. Since at physiological conditions proteins such as FNG and fibronectin (FN) are the usual extracellular matrix (ECM) for endothelial cells (EC) adhesion, precoating of the materials with these proteins has been shown to improve EC adhesion and growth in vitro. ECM proteins play an essential role not only like a structural support for cell adhesion and spreading, but also they are important factor in transmitting signals for different cell functions. The ability of cells to remodel plasma proteins such as FNG and FN in matrix-like structures together with the classical cell parameters such as actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesion formation could be used as an criteria for proper cell functioning. The establishment and the maintaining of delicate balance between cell-cell and cell-substrate contacts is another important factor for better EC colonization of the implants. The functionality of newly established endothelium in order to produce antithromotic substances should be always considered when EC seeding is used for improving the hemocompatibility of the polymer materials. Controlling the polymer surface properties such as surface wettability represents a versatile approach to manipulate the above cellular responses and therefore can be used in biomaterial and tissue engineering applications for producing better hemocompatible materials.
This paper argues that the texts surviving from the Old English period do not reflect the spoken language of the bulk of the population under Anglo-Saxon elite domination. While the Old English written documents suggest that the language was kept remarkably unchanged, i.e. was strongly monitored during the long OE period (some 500 years!), the spoken and "real Old English" is likely to have been very different and much more of the type of Middle English than the written texts. "Real Old Engish", i.e. of course only appeared in writing after the Norman Conquest. Middle English is therefore claimed to have begun with the 'late British' speaking shifters to Old English. The shift patterns must have differed in the various part of the island of Britain, as the shifters became exposed to further language contact with the Old Norse adstrate in the Danelaw areas and the Norman superstrate particularly in the South East, the South West having been least exposed to language contact after the original shift from 'Late British' to Old English. This explains why the North was historically the most innovative zone. This also explains the conservatism of the present day dialects in the South West. It is high time that historical linguists acknowledge the arcane character of the Old English written texts.
Studies of the role of disturbance in vegetation or ecosystems showed that disturbances are an essential and intrinsic element of ecosystems that contribute substantially to ecosystem health, to structural diversity of ecosystems and to nutrient cycling at the local as well as global level. Fire as a grassland, bush or forest fire is a special disturbance agent, since it is caused by biotic as well abiotic environmental factors. Fire affects biogeochemical cycles and plays an important role in atmospheric chemistry by releasing climate-sensitive trace gases and aerosols, and thus in the global carbon cycle by releasing approximately 3.9 Gt C p.a. through biomass burning. A combined model to describe effects and feedbacks between fire and vegetation became relevant as changes in fire regimes due to land use and land management were observed and the global dimension of biomass burnt as an important carbon flux to the atmosphere, its influence on atmospheric chemistry and climate as well as vegetation dynamics were emphasized. The existing modelling approaches would not allow these investigations. As a consequence, an optimal set of variables that best describes fire occurrence, fire spread and its effects in ecosystems had to be defined, which can simulate observed fire regimes and help to analyse interactions between fire and vegetation dynamics as well as to allude to the reasons behind changing fire regimes. Especially, dynamic links between vegetation, climate and fire processes are required to analyse dynamic feedbacks and effects of changes of single environmental factors. This led us to the point, where new fire models had to be developed that would allow the investigations, mentioned above, and could help to improve our understanding of the role of fire in global ecology. In conclusion of the thesis, one can state that moisture conditions, its persistence over time and fuel load are the important components that describe global fire pattern. If time series of a particular region are to be reproduced, specific ignition sources, fire-critical climate conditions and vegetation composition become additional determinants. Vegetation composition changes the level of fire occurrence and spread, but has limited impact on the inter-annual variability of fire. The importance to consider the full range of major fire processes and links to vegetation dynamics become apparent under climate change conditions. Increases in climate-dependent length of fire season does not automatically imply increases in biomass burnt, it can be buffered or accelerated by changes in vegetation productivity. Changes in vegetation composition as well as enhanced vegetation productivity can intensify changes in fire and lead to even more fire-related emissions. --- Anmerkung: Die Autorin ist Trägerin des von der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität Potsdam vergebenen Michelson-Preises für die beste Promotion des Jahres 2002/2003.
Existing theoretical literature fails to explain the differences between the pay of workers that are covered by union agreements and others who are not. This study aims at closing this gap by a single general- equilibrium approach that integrates a dual labor market and a two- sector product market. Our results suggest that the so called 'union wage gap' is largely determined by the degree of centralization of the bargains, and, to a somewhat lesser extent, by the expenditure share of the unionized sector's goods.
(De)regulatory interventions frequently have unintended cross- market effects, which may or may not be desirable. We assess the effects of three policies on aggregate variables, in particular real income, from a theoretical perspective. Our results suggest that instruments acting upon wages have only a weak impact on real income, whereas the distribution of income is affected strongly. In contrast, a policy that enhances product market competition is fostering real income, but also impacts strongly on union wages and the distribution of income.
Late Miocene to Quaternary volcanic rocks from the frontal arc to the back-arc region of the Central Volcanic Zone in the Andes show a wide range of delta 11B values (+4 to -7 ‰) and boron concentrations (6 to 60 ppm). Positive delta 11B values of samples from the volcanic front indicate involvement of a 11B-enriched slab component, most likely derived from altered oceanic crust, despite the thick Andean continental lithosphere, and rule out a pure crust-mantle origin for these lavas. The delta 11B values and B concentrations in the lavas decrease systematically with increasing depth of the Wadati-Benioff Zone. This across-arc variation in delta 11B values and decreasing B/Nb ratios from the arc to the back-arc samples are attributed to the combined effects of B-isotope fractionation during progressive dehydration in the slab and a steady decrease in slab-fluid flux towards the back arc, coupled with a relatively constant degree of crustal contamination as indicated by similar Sr, Nd and Pb isotope ratios in all samples. Modelling of fluid-mineral B-isotope fractionation as a function of temperature fits the across-arc variation in delta 11B and we conclude that the B-isotope composition of arc volcanics is dominated by changing delta 11B composition of B-rich slab-fluids during progressive dehydration. Crustal contamination becomes more important towards the back-arc due to the decrease in slab-derived fluid flux. Because of this isotope fractionation effect, high delta 11B signatures in volcanic arcs need not necessarily reflect differences in the initial composition of the subducting slab. Three-component mixing calculations for slab-derived fluid, the mantle wedge and the continental crust based on B, Sr and Nd isotope data indicate that the slab-fluid component dominates the B composition of the fertile mantle and that the primary arc magmas were contaminated by an average addition of 15 to 30 % crustal material.
In a classical context, synchronization means adjustment of rhythms of self-sustained periodic oscillators due to their weak interaction. The history of synchronization goes back to the 17th century when the famous Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens reported on his observation of synchronization of pendulum clocks: when two such clocks were put on a common support, their pendula moved in a perfect agreement. In rigorous terms, it means that due to coupling the clocks started to oscillate with identical frequencies and tightly related phases. Being, probably, the oldest scientifically studied nonlinear effect, synchronization was understood only in 1920-ies when E. V. Appleton and B. Van der Pol systematically - theoretically and experimentally - studied synchronization of triode generators. Since that the theory was well developed and found many applications. Nowadays it is well-known that certain systems, even rather simple ones, can exhibit chaotic behaviour. It means that their rhythms are irregular, and cannot be characterized only by one frequency. However, as is shown in the Habilitation work, one can extend the notion of phase for systems of this class as well and observe their synchronization, i.e., agreement of their (still irregular!) rhythms: due to very weak interaction there appear relations between the phases and average frequencies. This effect, called phase synchronization, was later confirmed in laboratory experiments of other scientific groups. Understanding of synchronization of irregular oscillators allowed us to address important problem of data analysis: how to reveal weak interaction between the systems if we cannot influence them, but can only passively observe, measuring some signals. This situation is very often encountered in biology, where synchronization phenomena appear on every level - from cells to macroscopic physiological systems; in normal states as well as in severe pathologies. With our methods we found that cardiovascular and respiratory systems in humans can adjust their rhythms; the strength of their interaction increases with maturation. Next, we used our algorithms to analyse brain activity of Parkinsonian patients. The results of this collaborative work with neuroscientists show that different brain areas synchronize just before the onset of pathological tremor. Morevoever, we succeeded in localization of brain areas responsible for tremor generation.
The development of fast and reliable biochemical tools for on-site screening in environmental analysis was the main target of the present work. Due to various hazardous effects such as endocrine disruption and toxicity phenolic compounds are key analytes in environmental analysis and thus were chosen as model analytes. Three different methods were developed: For the enzymatic detection of phenols in environmental samples an enzyme-based biosensor was developed. In contrast to reported work using tyrosinase or peroxidases, we developed a biosensor based on glucose dehydrogenase as biorecognition element. This biosensor was devoted for an application in a laboratory flow system as well as in a portable device for on-site measurements. This enzymatic detection is applicable only for a limited number of phenols due to substrate specificity of the enzyme. For other relevant compounds based on a phenolic structure (i.e. nitrophenol, alkylphenols and alkylphenol ethoxylates) immunological methods had to be developed. The electrochemical GDH-biosensor was used as the label detector in these immunoassays. Two heterogeneous immunoassays were developed where ßGal was used as the label. An electrochemical method for the determination of the marker enzyme activity was processed. The separation step was realized with protein A/G columns (laboratory flow system) or by direct immobilization of the antibodies in small disposable capillaries (on-site analysis). All methods were targeted on the contemporary analysis of small numbers of samples.
Western Anatolia that represents the eastward lateral continuation of the Aegean domain is composed of several tectono-metamorphic units showing occurrences of high-pressure/low-temperature (HP-LT) rocks. While some of these metamorphic rocks are vestiges of the Pan-African or Cimmerian orogenies, others are the result of the more recent Alpine orogenesis. In southwest Turkey, the Menderes Massif occupies an extensive area tectonically overlain by nappe units of the Izmir-Ankara Suture Zone in the north, the Afyon Zone in the east, and the Lycian Nappes in the south. In the present study, investigations in the metasediments of the Lycian Nappes and underlying southern Menderes Massif revealed widespread occurrences of Fe-Mg-carpholite-bearing rocks. This discovery leads to the very first consideration that both nappe complexes recorded HP-LT metamorphic conditions during the Alpine orogenesis. P-T conditions for the HP metamorphic peak are about 10-12 kbar/400°C in the Lycian Nappes, and 12-14 kbar/470-500°C in the southern Menderes Massif, documenting a burial of at least 30 km during subduction and nappe stacking. Ductile deformation analysis in concert with multi-equilibrium thermobarometric calculations reveals that metasediments from the Lycian Nappes recorded distinct exhumation patterns after a common HP metamorphic peak. The rocks located far from the contact separating the Lycian Nappes and the Menderes Massif, where HP parageneses are well preserved, retained a single HP cooling path associated with top-to-the-NNE shearing related to the Akçakaya shear zone. This zone of strain localization is an intra-nappe contact that was active in the early stages of exhumation of HP rocks, within the stability field of Fe-Mg-carpholite. The rocks located close to the contact with the Menderes Massif, where HP parageneses are completely retrogressed into chlorite and mica, recorded warmer exhumation paths associated with top-to-the-E intense shearing. This deformation occurred after the southward emplacement of Lycian Nappes, and is contemporaneous with the reactivation of the ’Lycian Nappes-Menderes Massif′ contact as a major shear zone (the Gerit shear zone) that allowed late exhumation of HP parageneses under warmer conditions. The HP rocks from the southern Menderes Massif recorded a simple isothermal decompression at about 450°C during exhumation, and deformation during HP event and its exhumation is characterized by a severe N-S to NE-SW stretching. The age of the HP metamorphism recorded in the Lycian Nappes is assumed to range between the Latest Cretaceous (age of the youngest sediments in the Lycian allochthonous unit) and the Eocene (age of the Cycladic Blueschists). A probable Palaeocene age is suggested. The age of the HP metamorphism that affected the cover series of the Menderes Massif is constrained between the Middle Palaeocene (age of the uppermost metaolistostrome of the Menderes ’cover′) and the Middle Eocene (age of the HP metamorphism in the Dilek-Selçuk region that belongs to the Cycladic Complex). Apatite fission track data for the rocks on both sides of the ’Lycian Nappes/Menderes Massif’ contact suggest that these rocks were very close to the paleo-Earth surface in the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene time. This study in the Lycian Nappes and in the Menderes Massif establishes the existence of an extensive Alpine HP metamorphic belt in southwest Turkey. HP rocks were involved in the accretionary complex related to northward-verging subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, Late Cretaceous obduction and subsequent Early Tertiary continental collision of the passive margin (Anatolide-Tauride block) beneath the active margin of the northern plate (Sakarya micro-continent). During the Eocene, the accretionary complex was made of three stacked HP units. The lowermost corresponds to the imbricated ’core′ and HP ’cover′ of the Menderes Massif, the intermediate one consists of the Cycladic Blueschist Complex (Dilek-Selçuk unit), and the uppermost unit is made of the HP Lycian Nappes. Whereas the basement units of both Aegean and Anatolian regions underwent a different pre-Mesozoic tectonic history, they were probably juxtaposed by the end of the Paleozoic and underwent a common Mesozoic history. Then, the basements and their cover, as well as the Cycladic Blueschists and the Lycian Nappes were involved in similar evolutional accretionary complexes during the Eocene and Oligocene times.
The colloidal systems are present everywhere in many varieties such as emulsions (liquid droplets dispersed in liquid), aerosols (liquid dispersed in gas), foam (gas in liquid), etc. Among several new methods for the preparation of colloids, the so-called miniemulsion technique has been shown to be one of the most promising. Miniemulsions are defined as stable emulsions consisting of droplets with a size of 50-500 nm by shearing a system containing oil, water, a surfactant, and a highly water insoluble compound, the so-called hydrophobe 1. In the first part of this work, dynamic crystallization and melting experiments are described which were performed in small, stable and narrowly distributed nanodroplets (confined systems) of miniemulsions. Both regular and inverse systems were examined, characterizing, first, the crystallization of hexadecane, secondly, the crystallization of ice. It was shown for both cases that the temperature of crystallization in such droplets is significantly decreased (or the required undercooling is increased) as compared to the bulk material. This was attributed to a very effective suppression of heterogeneous nucleation. It was also found that the required undercooling depends on the nanodroplet size: with decreasing droplet size the undercooling increases. 2. It is shown that the temperature of crystallization of other n-alkanes in nanodroplets is also significantly decreased as compared to the bulk material due to a very effective suppression of heterogeneous nucleation. A very different behavior was detected between odd and even alkanes. In even alkanes, the confinement in small droplets changes the crystal structure from a triclinic (as seen in bulk) to an orthorhombic structure, which is attributed to finite size effects inside the droplets. An intermediate metastable rotator phase is of less relevance for the miniemulsion droplets than in the bulk. For odd alkanes, only a strong temperature shift compared to the bulk system is observed, but no structure change. A triclinic structure is formed both in bulk and in miniemulsion droplets. 3. In the next part of the thesis it is shown how miniemulsions could be successfully applied in the development of materials with potential application in pharmaceutical and medical fields. The production of cross-linked gelatin nanoparticles is feasible. Starting from an inverse miniemulsion, the softness of the particles can be controlled by varying the initial concentration, amount of cross-link agent, time of cross-linking, among other parameters. Such particles show a thermo-reversible effect, e.g. the particles swell in water above 37 °C and shrink below this temperature. Above 37 °C the chains loose the physical cross-linking, however the particles do not loose their integrity, because of the chemical cross-linking. Those particles have potential use as drug carriers, since gelatin is a natural polymer derived from collagen. 4. The cross-linked gelatin nanoparticles have been used for the biomineralization of hydroxyapatite (HAP), a biomineral, which is the major constituent of our bones. The biomineralization of HAP crystals within the gelatin nanoparticles results in a hybrid material, which has potential use as a bone repair material. 5. In the last part of this work we have shown that layers of conjugated semiconducting polymers can be deposited from aqueous dispersion prepared by the miniemulsion process. Dispersions of particles of different conjugated semiconducting polymers such as a ladder-type poly(para-phenylene) and several soluble derivatives of polyfluorene could be prepared with well-controlled particle sizes ranging between 70 - 250 nm. Layers of polymer blends were prepared with controlled lateral dimensions of phase separation on sub-micrometer scales, utilizing either a mixture of single component nanoparticles or nanoparticles containing two polymers. From the results of energy transfer it is demonstrated that blending two polymers in the same particle leads to a higher efficiency due to the better contact between the polymers. Such an effect is of great interest for the fabrication of opto-electronic devices such as light emitting diodes with nanometer size emitting points and solar cells comprising of blends of electron donating and electron accepting polymers.
Encounters with neighbours
(2003)
In this work, different aspects and applications of the recurrence plot analysis are presented. First, a comprehensive overview of recurrence plots and their quantification possibilities is given. New measures of complexity are defined by using geometrical structures of recurrence plots. These measures are capable to find chaos-chaos transitions in processes. Furthermore, a bivariate extension to cross recurrence plots is studied. Cross recurrence plots exhibit characteristic structures which can be used for the study of differences between two processes or for the alignment and search for matching sequences of two data series. The selected applications of the introduced techniques to various kind of data demonstrate their ability. Analysis of recurrence plots can be adopted to the specific problem and thus opens a wide field of potential applications. Regarding the quantification of recurrence plots, chaos-chaos transitions can be found in heart rate variability data before the onset of life threatening cardiac arrhythmias. This may be of importance for the therapy of such cardiac arrhythmias. The quantification of recurrence plots allows to study transitions in brain during cognitive experiments on the base of single trials. Traditionally, for the finding of these transitions the averaging of a collection of single trials is needed. Using cross recurrence plots, the existence of an El Niño/Southern Oscillation-like oscillation is traced in northwestern Argentina 34,000 yrs. ago. In further applications to geological data, cross recurrence plots are used for time scale alignment of different borehole data and for dating a geological profile with a reference data set. Additional examples from molecular biology and speech recognition emphasize the suitability of cross recurrence plots.
The present work is dealing with the first synthesis and characterisation of amphiphilic diblock copolymers bearing b-dicarbonyl (acetoacetoxy) chelating residues. Polymers were obtained by Group Transfer Polymerisation (GTP)/acetoacetylation and controlled radical polymerisation techniques (RAFT).Different micellar morphologies of poly(n-butyl methacrylate)-block-poly[2-(acetoacetoxy)ethyl methacrylate] (pBuMA-b-pAEMA) were observed in cyclohexane as a selective solvent. Depending on the block length ratio, either spherical, elliptical, or cylindrical micelles were formed. The density of the polymer chains at the core/corona interface is considerably higher as compared to any other strongly segregating system reported in the literature. It is demonstrated that there are H-bond interactions existing between acetoacetoxy groups, which increase the incompatibility between block segments. In addition, such interactions lead to the formation of secondary structures (such as b-sheets or globular structures) and larger superstructures in the micrometer length scale.Block copolymers were also used to solubilise metal ion salts of different geometries and oxidation states in organic media, in which are otherwise insoluble. Sterically stabilised colloidal hybrid materials are formed, i.e. monodisperse micelles having the metal ion salt incorporated in their core upon complexation with the ligating pAEMA block, whereas pBuMA forms the solvating corona responsible for stabilisation in solution. Systematic studies show that the aggregation behaviour is dependent on different factors, such as the tautomeric form of the beta-dicarbonyl ligand (keto/enol) as well as the nature and amount of added metal ion salt.
Movements of processive cytoskeletal motors are characterized by an interplay between directed motion along filament and diffusion in the surrounding solution. In the present work, these peculiar movements are studied by modeling them as random walks on a lattice. An additional subject of our studies is the effect of motor-motor interactions on these movements. In detail, four transport phenomena are studied: (i) Random walks of single motors in compartments of various geometries, (ii) stationary concentration profiles which build up as a result of these movements in closed compartments, (iii) boundary-induced phase transitions in open tube-like compartments coupled to reservoirs of motors, and (iv) the influence of cooperative effects in motor-filament binding on the movements. All these phenomena are experimentally accessible and possible experimental realizations are discussed.
The P- and S-wave velocity structure of the D” layer beneath the southwestern Pacific was investigated by using short-period data from 12 deep events in the Tonga-Fiji region recorded by the J-Array and the Hi-net in Japan. A migration method and reflected wave beamforming (RWB) were used in order to extract weak signals originating from small-scale heterogeneities in the lowermost mantle. In order to acquire high resolution, a double array method (DAM) which integrates source array beamforming with receiver array beamforming was applied to the data. A phase-weighted stacking technique, which reduces incoherent noise by employing complex trace analysis, was also applied to the data, amplifying the weak coherent signals from the lowermost mantle. This combination greatly enhances small phases common to the source and receiver beams. The results of the RWB method indicate that seismic energy is reflected at discontinuities near 2520 km and 2650 km, which have a negative P-wave velocity contrast of 1 % at the most. In addition, there is a positive seismic discontinuity at a depth of 2800 km. In the case of the S-wave, reflected energy is produced almost at the same depth (2550 km depth). The different depth (50 km) between the P-wave velocity discontinuity at the depth of 2800 and a further S-wave velocity discontinuity at the depth of 2850 km may indicate that the S-wave velocity reduction in the lowermost mantle is about 2-3 times stronger that that of P wave. A look at a 2D cross section, constructed with the RWB method, suggests that the observed discontinuities can be characterized as intermittent lateral heterogeneities whose lateral extent is a few hundred km, and that the CMB might have undulations on a scale of less than 10 km in amplitude. The migration shows only weak evidence for the existence of scattering objects. Heterogeneous regions in the migration belong to the detected seismic discontinuities. These anomalous structures may represent a part of hot plume generated beneath the southwestern Pacific in the lowermost mantle.
This study investigated the slope carbonates of two Miocene carbonate systems: the Maltese Islands (in the Central Mediterranean) and the Marion Plateau (Northeastern Australia, drilled during ODP Leg 194). The aim of the study was to trace the impact of the Miocene cooling steps (events Mi1-Mi6) in these carbonate systems, especially the Mi3 event, which took place around 13.6 Ma and deeply impacted the marine oxygen isotope record. This event also profoundly impacted oceanographic and climatic patterns, eventually leading to the establishment of the modern ice-house world. In particular, East Antarctica became ice covered at that period. The rational behind the present study was to investigate the impact that this event had on shallow water systems in order to complement the deep-sea record and hence acquire a more global perspective on Miocene climate change. The Maltese Islands were investigated for trends in bulk-rock carbon and oxygen isotopes, as well as bulk-rock mineralogy, clay minerals analysis and organic geochemisty. Results showed that the mid Miocene cooling event deeply impacted sedimentation at that location by changing sedimentation from carbonate to clay-rich sediments. Moreover, it was discovered that each phase of Antarctic glaciation, not just the major mid Miocene event, resulted in higher terrigenous input on Malta. Mass accumulation rates revealed that this was linked to increased runoff during periods when Antarctica was glaciated, and thus that the carbonate sediments were “diluted” by clay-rich sediments. The model subsequently developed to explain this implies feedback from Antarctic glaciations creating cold, dense air masses that push the ITCZ Northward, thus increasing precipitation on the North African subcontinent. Increased precipitation (or stronger African monsoon) accelerated continental weathering and runoff, thus bringing more terrigenous sediment to the paleo-location of the slope sediments of Malta. Spectral analysis of carbonate content and organic matter geochemical analysis furthermore suggest that the clay-rich intervals are similar to sapropelic deposits. On the Marion Plateau, trends in oxygen and carbon isotopes were obtained by measuring Cibicidoides spp foraminifers. Moreover, carbonate content was reconstructed using a chemical method (coulometer). Results show that the mid Miocene cooling step profoundly affected this system: a major drop in accumulation rates of carbonates occurs precisely at 13.8 Ma, around the time of the East Antarctic ice sheet formation. Moreover, sedimentation changes occurred at that time, carbonate fragments coming from neritic environments becoming less abundant, planktonic foraminifer content increasing and quartz and reworked glauconite being deposited. Conversely, a surprising result is that the major N12-N14 sea-level fall occurring around 11.5 Ma did not impact the accumulation of carbonates on the slope. This was unexpected since carbonate platform are very sensitive to sea-level changes. The model developed to explain that mass accumulation rates of carbonates diminished around 13.6 Ma (Mi3 Event) instead of 11.5 Ma (N12-N14 event), suggests that oceanic currents were controlling slope carbonate deposition on the Marion Plateau prior to the mid-Miocene, and that the mid Miocene event considerably increase their strength, hence reducing the amount of carbonate being deposited on slope sites. Moreover, by combining results from deep-sea oxygen isotopes with sea-level estimates based on coastal onlaps made during Leg 194, we constrain the amplitude of the N12-N14 sea-level fall to 90 meters. When integrating isotopic results from this study, this amplitude is lowered to 70 meters. A general conclusion of this work is that the mid Miocene climatic shift did impact carbonate systems, at least at the two locations studied. However, the nature of this response was highly dependant on the regional settings, in particular the presence of land mass (Malta) and the absence of a barrier to shelter from the effects of open ocean (Marion Plateau).
Transport processes in and of cells are of major importance for the survival of the organism. Muscles have to be able to contract, chromosomes have to be moved to opposing ends of the cell during mitosis, and organelles, which are compartments enclosed by membranes, have to be transported along molecular tracks. Molecular motors are proteins whose main task is moving other molecules.For that purpose they transform the chemical energy released in the hydrolysis of ATP into mechanical work. The motors of the cytoskeleton belong to the three super families myosin, kinesin and dynein. Their tracks are filaments of the cytoskeleton, namely actin and the microtubuli. Here, we examine stochastic models which are used for describing the movements of these linear molecular motors. The scale of the movements comprises the regime of single steps of a motor protein up to the directed walk along a filament. A single step bridges around 10 nm, depending on the protein, and takes about 10 ms, if there is enough ATP available. Our models comprise M states or conformations the motor can attain during its movement along a one-dimensional track. At K locations along the track transitions between the states are possible. The velocity of the protein depending on the transition rates between the single states can be determined analytically. We calculate this velocity for systems of up to four states and locations and are able to derive a number of rules which are helpful in estimating the behaviour of an arbitrary given system. Beyond that we have a look at decoupled subsystems, i.e., one or a couple of states which have no connection to the remaining system. With a certain probability a motor undergoes a cycle of conformational changes, with another probability an independent other cycle. Active elements in real transport processes by molecular motors will not be limited to the transitions between the states. In distorted networks or starting from the discrete Master equation of the system, it is possible to specify horizontal rates, too, which furthermore no longer have to fulfill the conditions of detailed balance. Doing so, we obtain unique, complete paths through the respective network and rules for the dependence of the total current on all the rates of the system. Besides, we view the time evolutions for given initial distributions. In enzymatic reactions there is the idea of a main pathway these reactions follow preferably. We determine optimal paths and the maximal flow for given networks. In order to specify the dependence of the motor's velocity on its fuel ATP, we have a look at possible reaction kinetics determining the connection between unbalanced transitions rates and ATP-concentration. Depending on the type of reaction kinetics and the number of unbalanced rates, we obtain qualitatively different curves connecting the velocity to the ATP-concentration. The molecular interaction potentials the motor experiences on its way along its track are unknown. We compare different simple potentials and the effects the localization of the vertical rates in the network model has on the transport coefficients in comparison to other models.
The present work investigates the structure formation and wetting in two dimensional (2D) Langmuir monolayer phases in local thermodynamic equilibrium. A Langmuir monolayer is an isolated 2D system of surfactants at the air/water interface. It exhibits crystalline, liquid crystalline, liquid and gaseous phases differing in positional and/or orientational order. Permanent electric dipole moments of the surfactants lead to a long range repulsive interaction and to the formation of mesoscopic patterns. An interaction model is used describing the structure formation as a competition between short range attraction (bare line tension) and long range repulsion (surface potentials) on a scale Delta. Delta has the meaning of a dividing length between the short and long range interaction. In the present work the thermodynamic equilibrium conditions for the shape of two phase boundary lines (Young-Laplace equation) and three phase intersection points (Young′s condition) are derived and applied to describe experimental data: The line tension is measured by pendant droplet tensiometry. The bubble shape and size of 2D foams is calculated numerically and compared to experimental foams. Contact angles are measured by fitting numerical solutions of the Young-Laplace equation on micron scale. The scaling behaviour of the contact angle allows to measure a lower limit for Delta. Further it is discussed, whether in biological membranes wetting transitions are a way in order to control reaction kinetics. Studies performed in our group are discussed with respect to this question in the framework of the above mentioned theory. Finally the apparent violation of Gibbs′ phase rule in Langmuir monolayers (non-horizontal plateau of the surface pressure/area-isotherm, extended three phase coexistence region in one component systems) is investigated quantitatively. It has been found that the most probable explanation are impurities within the system whereas finite size effects or the influence of the long range electrostatics can not explain the order of magnitude of the effect.
In this thesis the gravitational lensing effect is used to explore a number of cosmological topics. We determine the time delay in the gravitationally lensed quasar system HE1104-1805 using different techniques. We obtain a time delay Delta_t(A-B) Delta_t(A-B) =-310 +- 20 days (2 sigma errors) between the two components. We also study the double quasar Q0957+561 during a three years monitoring campaign. The fluctuations we find in the difference light curves are completely consistent with noise and no microlensing is needed to explain these fluctuations. Microlensing is also studied in the quadruple quasar Q2237+0305 during the GLITP collaboration (Oct.1999-Feb.2000). We use the absence of a strong microlensing signal to obtain an upper limit of v=600 km/s for the effective transverse velocity of the lens galaxy (considering microlenses with 0.1 solar masses). The distribution of dark matter in galaxy clusters is also studied in the second part of the thesis. In the cluster of galaxies Cl0024+1654 we obtain a mass-to-light ratio of M/L = 200 M_sun/L_sun (within a radius of 3 arcminutes). In the galaxy cluster RBS380 we find a relatively low X-ray luminosity for a massive cluster of L =2*10^(44) erg/s, but a rich distribution of galaxies in the optical band.
This thesis describes the development and application of the impacts module of the ICLIPS model, a global integrated assessment model of climate change. The presentation of the technical aspects of this model component is preceded by a discussion of the sociopolitical context for model-based integrated assessments, which defines important requirements for the specification of the model. Integrated assessment of climate change comprises a broad range of scientific efforts to support the decision-making about objectives and measures for climate policy, whereby many different approaches have been followed to provide policy-relevant information about climate impacts. Major challenges in this context are the large diversity of the relevant spatial and temporal scales, the multifactorial causation of many climate impacts', considerable scientific uncertainties, and the ambiguity associated with unavoidable normative evaluations. A hierarchical framework is presented for structuring climate impact assessments that reflects the evolution of their practice and of the underlying theory. Integrated assessment models of climate change (IAMs) are scientific tools that contain simplified representations of the relevant components of the coupled society-climate system. The major decision-analytical frameworks for IAMs are evaluated according to their ability to address important aspects of the pertinent social decision problem. The guardrail approach is presented as an inverse' framework for climate change decision support, which aims to identify the whole set of policy strategies that are compatible with a set of normatively specified constraints (guardrails'). This approach combines, to a certain degree, the scientific rigour and objectivity typical of predictive approaches with the ability to consider virtually all decision options that is at the core of optimization approaches. The ICLIPS model is described as the first IAM that implements the guardrail approach. The representation of climate impacts is a key concern in any IAM. A review of existing IAMs reveals large differences in the coverage of impact sectors, in the choice of the impact numeraire(s), in the consideration of non-climatic developments, including purposeful adaptation, in the handling of uncertainty, and in the inclusion of singular events. IAMs based on an inverse approach impose specific requirements to the representation of climate impacts. This representation needs to combine a level of detail and reliability that is sufficient for the specification of impact guardrails with the conciseness and efficiency that allows for an exploration of the complete domain of plausible climate protection strategies. Large-scale singular events can often be represented by dynamic reduced-form models. This approach, however, is less appropriate for regular impacts where the determination of policy-relevant results generally needs to consider the heterogeneity of climatic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors at the local or regional scale. Climate impact response functions (CIRFs) are identified as the most suitable reduced-form representation of regular climate impacts in the ICLIPS model. A CIRF depicts the aggregated response of a climate-sensitive system or sector as simulated by a spatially explicit sectoral impact model for a representative subset of plausible futures. In the CIRFs presented here, global mean temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentration are used as predictors for global and regional impacts on natural vegetation, agricultural crop production, and water availability. Application of a pattern scaling technique makes it possible to consider the regional and seasonal patterns in the climate anomalies simulated by several general circulation models while ensuring the efficiency of the dynamic model components. Efforts to provide quantitative estimates of future climate impacts generally face a trade-off between the relevance of an indicator for stakeholders and the exactness with which it can be determined. A number of non-monetary aggregated impact indicators for the CIRFs is presented, which aim to strike the balance between these two conflicting goals while taking into account additional constraints of the ICLIPS modelling framework. Various types of impact diagrams are used for the visualization of CIRFs, each of which provides a different perspective on the impact result space. The sheer number of CIRFs computed for the ICLIPS model precludes their comprehensive presentation in this thesis. Selected results referring to changes in the distribution of biomes in different biogeographical regions, in the agricultural potential of various countries, and in the water availability in selected major catchments are discussed. The full set of CIRFs is accessible via the ICLIPS Impacts Tool, a graphical user interface that provides convenient access to more than 100,000 impact diagrams developed for the ICLIPS model. The technical aspects of the software are described as well as the accompanying database of CIRFs. The most important application of CIRFs is in inverse' mode, where they are used to translate impact guardrails into simultaneous constraints for variables from the optimizing ICLIPS climate-economy model. This translation is facilitated by algorithms for the computation of reachable climate domains and for the parameterized approximation of admissible climate windows derived from CIRFs. The comprehensive set of CIRFs, together with these algorithms, enables the ICLIPS model to flexibly explore sets of climate policy strategies that explicitly comply with impact guardrails specified in biophysical units. This feature is not found in any other intertemporally optimizing IAM. A guardrail analysis with the integrated ICLIPS model is described that applies selected CIRFs for ecosystem changes. So-called necessary carbon emission corridors' are determined for a default choice of normative constraints that limit global vegetation impacts as well as regional mitigation costs, and for systematic variations of these constraints. A brief discussion of recent developments in integrated assessment modelling of climate change connects the work presented here with related efforts.
Dopamine is found in many invertebrate organisms, including insects, however, the mechanisms through which this amine operates remain unclear. We have expressed two dopamine receptors cloned from honey bee (AmDOP1 and AmDOP2) in insect cells (Spodoptera frugiperda), and compared their pharmacology directly using production of cAMP as a functional assay. In each assay, AmDOP1 receptors required lower concentrations of dopamine and 6,7-ADTN for maximal activation than AmDOP2 receptors. Conversely, butaclamol and cis(Z)-flupentixol were more potent at blocking the cAMP response mediated through AmDOP2 than AmDOP1 receptors. Expression of AmDOP1, but not AmDOP2, receptors significantly increased levels of cAMP even in the absence of ligand. This constitutive activity was blocked by cis(Z)-flupentixol. This work provides the first evidence of a constitutively activated dopamine receptor in invertebrates and suggests that although AmDOP1 and AmDOP2 share much less homology than their vertebrate counterparts, they display a number of functional parallels with the mammalian D1-like dopamine receptors.
Biogenic amines and their receptors regulate and modulate many physiological and behavioural processes in animals. In vertebrates, octopamine is only found in trace amounts and its function as a true neurotransmitter is unclear. In protostomes, however, octopamine can act as neurotransmitter, neuromodulator and neurohormone. In the honeybee, octopamine acts as a neuromodulator and is involved in learning and memory formation. The identification of potential octopamine receptors is decisive for an understanding of the cellular pathways involved in mediating the effects of octopamine. Here we report the cloning and functional characterization of the first octopamine receptor from the honeybee, Apis mellifera . The gene was isolated from a brain-specific cDNA library. It encodes a protein most closely related to octopamine receptors from Drosophila melanogaster and Lymnea stagnalis . Signalling properties of the cloned receptor were studied in transiently transfected human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells. Nanomolar to micromolar concentrations of octopamine induced oscillatory increases in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration. In contrast to octopamine, tyramine only elicited Ca2+ responses at micromolar concentrations. The gene is abundantly expressed in many somata of the honeybee brain, suggesting that this octopamine receptor is involved in the processing of sensory inputs, antennal motor outputs and higher-order brain functions.
Electro-chemical signal transduction is the basis of communication between n eurons and their target cells. An important group of neuroactive substances that are released by action potentials from neurons are the biogenic amines. These a re small organic molecules that bind to specific receptors located in the target cell membrane. Once activated these receptors cause changes in the intracellula r concentration of second messengers, i.e. cyclic nucleotides, phosphoinositides , or Ca2+, leading to slow but long-lasting cellular responses. Biochemical, pha rmacological, physiological, and molecular biological approaches have unequivoca lly shown that biogenic amines are important regulators of cellular function in both vertebrates and invertebrates. In this review, we will concentrate on the p roperties of two biogenic amines and their receptors that were originally identi fied in invertebrates: tyramine and octopamine.
In this thesis, I investigated the factors influencing the growth and vertical distribution of planktonic algae in extremely acidic mining lakes (pH 2-3). In the focal study site, Lake 111 (pH 2.7; Lusatia, Germany), the chrysophyte, Ochromonas sp., dominates in the upper water strata and the chlorophyte, Chlamydomonas sp., in the deeper strata, forming a pronounced deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM). Inorganic carbon (IC) limitation influenced the phototrophic growth of Chlamydomonas sp. in the upper water strata. Conversely, in deeper strata, light limited its phototrophic growth. When compared with published data for algae from neutral lakes, Chlamydomonas sp. from Lake 111 exhibited a lower maximum growth rate, an enhanced compensation point and higher dark respiration rates, suggesting higher metabolic costs due to the extreme physico-chemical conditions. The photosynthetic performance of Chlamydomonas sp. decreased in high-light-adapted cells when IC limited. In addition, the minimal phosphorus (P) cell quota was suggestive of a higher P requirement under IC limitation. Subsequently, it was shown that Chlamydomonas sp. was a mixotroph, able to enhance its growth rate by taking up dissolved organic carbon (DOC) via osmotrophy. Therefore, it could survive in deeper water strata where DOC concentrations were higher and light limited. However, neither IC limitation, P availability nor in situ DOC concentrations (bottom-up control) could fully explain the vertical distribution of Chlamydomonas sp. in Lake 111. Conversely, when a novel approach was adopted, the grazing influence of the phagotrophic phototroph, Ochromonas sp., was found to exert top-down control on its prey (Chlamydomonas sp.) reducing prey abundance in the upper water strata. This, coupled with the fact that Chlamydomonas sp. uses DOC for growth, leads to a pronounced accumulation of Chlamydomonas sp. cells at depth; an apparent DCM. Therefore, grazing appears to be the main factor influencing the vertical distribution of algae observed in Lake 111. The knowledge gained from this thesis provides information essential for predicting the effect of strategies to neutralize the acidic mining lakes on the food-web.
In this work, an approach of paleoclimate reconstruction for tropical East Africa is presented. After giving a short summary of modern climate conditions in the tropics and the East African climate peculiarity, the potential of reconstructing climate from paleolake sediments is discussed. As demonstrated, the hydrologic sensitivity of high-elevated closed-basin lakes in the Central Kenya Rift yields valuable guaranties for the establishment of long-term climate records. Temporal fluctuations of the limnological characteristics saved in the lake sediments are used to define variations in the Quaternary climate history. Based on diatom analyses in radiocarbon- and 40Ar/39Ar-dated sediments, a chronology of paleoecologic fluctuations is developed for the Central Kenya Rift -lakes Nakuru, Elmenteita and Naivasha. At least during the penultimate interglacial (around 140 to 60 kyr BP) and during the last interglacial (around 12 to 4 kyr BP), these lakes experienced several transgression-regression cycles on time intervals of about 11,000 years. Additionally, a long-term trend of lake evolution is found suggesting the general succession from deep freshwater lakes towards more saline waters during the last million years. Using ecologic transfer functions and a simple lake-balance model, the observed paleohydrologic fluctuations are linked to potential precipitation-evaporation changes in the lake basins. Though also tectonic influences on the drainage pattern and the effect of varied seepage are investigated, it can be shown that already a small increase in precipitation of about 30±10 % may have affected the hydrologic budget of the intra-rift lakes within the reconstructed range. The findings of this study help to assess the natural climate variability of East Africa. They furthermore reflect the sensitivity of the Central Kenya Rift -lakes to fluctuations of large-scale climate parameters, such as solar radiation and sea-surface temperatures of the Indian Ocean.
The theory of atomic Boson-Fermion mixtures in the dilute limit beyond mean-field is considered in this thesis. Extending the formalism of quantum field theory we derived expressions for the quasi-particle excitation spectra, the ground state energy, and related quantities for a homogenous system to first order in the dilute gas parameter. In the framework of density functional theory we could carry over the previous results to inhomogeneous systems. We then determined to density distributions for various parameter values and identified three different phase regions: (i) a stable mixed regime, (ii) a phase separated regime, and (iii) a collapsed regime. We found a significant contribution of exchange-correlation effects in the latter case. Next, we determined the shift of the Bose-Einstein condensation temperature caused by Boson-Fermion interactions in a harmonic trap due to redistribution of the density profiles. We then considered Boson-Fermion mixtures in optical lattices. We calculated the criterion for stability against phase separation, identified the Mott-insulating and superfluid regimes both, analytically within a mean-field calculation, and numerically by virtue of a Gutzwiller Ansatz. We also found new frustrated ground states in the limit of very strong lattices. ----Anmerkung: Der Autor ist Träger des durch die Physikalische Gesellschaft zu Berlin vergebenen Carl-Ramsauer-Preises 2004 für die jeweils beste Dissertation der vier Universitäten Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität Berlin und Universität Potsdam.
This is the first issue of a series in which affiliates of the Institute of Linguistics report the results of their experimental work. Generative linguistics usually rely on the method of native speaker judgements in order to test their hypotheses. If a hypothesis rules out a set of sentences, linguistics can ask native speakers whether they feel these sentences are indeed ungrammatical in their language. There are, however, circumstances where this method is unreliable. In such cases a more elaborate method to test a hypothesis is called. All papes in this series, and hence, all papers in this volume deal with issues that cannot be reliably tested with native speaker judgements. This volume contains 7 papers, all using different methods and finding answers to very different questions. This heterogenity, by the way, reflects the various interests and research programs of the institute. The paper, by Trutkowski, Zugck, Blaszczak, Fanselow, Fischer and Vogel deals with superiority in 10 Indo-European languages. The paper by Schlesewsky, Fanselow and Frisch and by Schlesewsky and Frisch, deal with the role of case in processing German sentences. The paper by Vogel and Frisch deals with resolving case conflicts, as does the paper by Vogel and Zugck. The nature of partitive case is the topic of the paper by Fischer. The paper by K?gler deals with the realization of question intonation in two German dialects. We hope that you enjoy reading the papers!