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Physiological mechanisms of an anti-depressive effect of physical exercise in major depressive disorder (MDD) seem to involve alterations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level. However, previous studies which investigated this effect in a single bout of exercise, did not control for confounding peripheral factors that contribute to BDNF-alterations. Therefore, the underlying cause of exercise-induced BDNF-changes remains unclear. The current study aims to investigate serum BDNF (sBDNF)-changes due to a single-bout of graded aerobic exercise in a group of 30 outpatients with MDD, suggesting a more precise analysis method by taking plasma volume shift and number of platelets into account. Results show that exercise-induced increases in sBDNF remain significant (p<.001) when adjusting for plasma volume shift and controlling for number of platelets. The interaction of sBDNF change and number of platelets was also significant (p=.001) indicating larger sBDNF-increase in participants with smaller number of platelets. Thus, findings of this study suggest an involvement of peripheral as well as additional possibly brain-derived mechanisms explaining exercise-related BDNF release in MDD. For future studies in the field of exercise-related BDNF research, the importance of controlling for peripheral parameters is emphasized.
Understanding and reducing complex systems pharmacology models based on a novel input-response index
(2018)
A growing understanding of complex processes in biology has led to large-scale mechanistic models of pharmacologically relevant processes. These models are increasingly used to study the response of the system to a given input or stimulus, e.g., after drug administration. Understanding the input–response relationship, however, is often a challenging task due to the complexity of the interactions between its constituents as well as the size of the models. An approach that quantifies the importance of the different constituents for a given input–output relationship and allows to reduce the dynamics to its essential features is therefore highly desirable. In this article, we present a novel state- and time-dependent quantity called the input–response index that quantifies the importance of state variables for a given input–response relationship at a particular time. It is based on the concept of time-bounded controllability and observability, and defined with respect to a reference dynamics. In application to the brown snake venom–fibrinogen (Fg) network, the input–response indices give insight into the coordinated action of specific coagulation factors and about those factors that contribute only little to the response. We demonstrate how the indices can be used to reduce large-scale models in a two-step procedure: (i) elimination of states whose dynamics have only minor impact on the input–response relationship, and (ii) proper lumping of the remaining (lower order) model. In application to the brown snake venom–fibrinogen network, this resulted in a reduction from 62 to 8 state variables in the first step, and a further reduction to 5 state variables in the second step. We further illustrate that the sequence, in which a recursive algorithm eliminates and/or lumps state variables, has an impact on the final reduced model. The input–response indices are particularly suited to determine an informed sequence, since they are based on the dynamics of the original system. In summary, the novel measure of importance provides a powerful tool for analysing the complex dynamics of large-scale systems and a means for very efficient model order reduction of nonlinear systems.
High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNAseq) produces large data sets containing expression levels of thousands of genes. The analysis of RNAseq data leads to a better understanding of gene functions and interactions, which eventually helps to study diseases like cancer and develop effective treatments. Large-scale RNAseq expression studies on cancer comprise samples from multiple cancer types and aim to identify their distinct molecular characteristics. Analyzing samples from different cancer types implies analyzing samples from different tissue origin. Such multi-tissue RNAseq data sets require a meaningful analysis that accounts for the inherent tissue-related bias: The identified characteristics must not originate from the differences in tissue types, but from the actual differences in cancer types. However, current analysis procedures do not incorporate that aspect. As a result, we propose to integrate a tissue-awareness into the analysis of multi-tissue RNAseq data. We introduce an extension for gene selection that provides a tissue-wise context for every gene and can be flexibly combined with any existing gene selection approach. We suggest to expand conventional evaluation by additional metrics that are sensitive to the tissue-related bias. Evaluations show that especially low complexity gene selection approaches profit from introducing tissue-awareness.
Purpose:
To test whether the negative relationship between perceived stress and quality of life (Hypothesis 1) can be buffered by perceived social support in patients with dementia as well as in caregivers individually (Hypothesis 2: actor effects) and across partners (Hypothesis 3: partner effects and actor-partner effects).
Method:
A total of 108 couples (N = 216 individuals) comprised of one individual with early-stage dementia and one caregiving partner were assessed at baseline and one month apart. Moderation effects were investigated by applying linear mixed models and actor-partner interdependence models.
Results:
Although the stress-quality of life association was more pronounced in caregivers (beta = -.63, p<.001) compared to patients (beta= -.31, p<.001), this association was equally moderated by social support in patients (beta = .14, p<.05) and in the caregivers (beta =.13, p<.05). From one partner to his or her counterpart, the partner buffering and actor-partner-buffering effect were not present.
Conclusion:
The stress-buffering effect has been replicated in individuals with dementia and caregivers but not across partners. Interventions to improve quality of life through perceived social support should not only focus on caregivers, but should incorporate both partners.
Background: Pavlovian processes are thought to play an important role in the development, maintenance and relapse of alcohol dependence, possibly by influencing and usurping on- going thought and behavior. The influence of Pavlovian stimuli on on-going behavior is paradigmatically measured by Pavlovian-to-instrumental-transfer (PIT) tasks. These involve multiple stages and are complex. Whether increased PIT is involved in human alcohol
dependence is uncertain. We therefore aimed to establish and validate a modified PIT paradigm that would be robust, consistent, and tolerated by healthy controls as well as by patients suffering from alcohol dependence, and to explore whether alcohol dependence is associated with enhanced Pavlovian-Instrumental transfer.
Methods: 32 recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients and 32 age and gender matched healthy controls performed a PIT task with instrumental go/no-go approach behaviours. The task involved both Pavlovian stimuli associated with monetary rewards and losses, and images of drinks.
Results: Both patients and healthy controls showed a robust and temporally stable PIT effect. Strengths of PIT effects to drug-related and monetary conditioned stimuli were highly correlated. Patients more frequently showed a PIT effect and the effect was stronger in response to aversively conditioned CSs (conditioned suppression), but there was no group difference in response to appetitive CSs.
Conclusion: The implementation of PIT has favorably robust properties in chronic alcohol- dependent patients and in healthy controls. It shows internal consistency between monetary and drug-related cues. The findings support an association of alcohol dependence with an increased propensity towards PIT.
Development of a tool to identify intensive care patients at risk of meropenem therapy failure
(2018)
The primary aim of the current study was to examine the unique contribution of psychological need frustration and need satisfaction in the prediction of adults’ mental well-being and ill-being in a heterogeneous sample of adults (N = 334; Mage = 43.33, SD = 32.26; 53% females). Prior to this, validity evidence was provided for the German version of the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS) based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT). The results of the validation analyses found the German BPNSFS to be a valid and reliable measurement. Further, structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that both need satisfaction and frustration yielded unique and opposing associations with well-being. Specifically, the dimension of psychological need frustration predicted adults’ ill-being. Future research should examine whether frustration of psychological needs is involved in the onset and maintenance of psychopathology (e.g., major depressive disorder).
Introduction
Annually, 2 million sports-related injuries are reported in Germany of which athletes contribute to a large proportion. Multiple sport injury prevention programs designed to decrease acute and overuse injuries in athletes have been proven effective. Yet, the programs’ components, general or sports-specific, that led to these positive effects are uncertain. Despite not knowing about the superiority of sports-specific injury prevention programs, coaches and athletes alike prefer more specialized rather than generalized exercise programs. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to present the available evidence on how general and sports-specific prevention programs affect injury rates in athletes.
Methods
PubMed and Web of Science were electronically searched throughout April 2018. The inclusion criteria were publication dates Jan 2006–Dec 2017, athletes (11–45 years), exercise-based injury prevention programs and injury incidence. The methodological quality was assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration assessment tools.
Results
Of the initial 6619 findings, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. In addition, 13 studies were added from reference lists and external sources making a total of 28 studies. Of which, one used sports-specific, seven general and 20 mixed prevention strategies. Twenty-four studies revealed reduced injury rates. Of the four ineffective programs, one was general and three mixed.
Conclusion
The general and mixed programs positively affect injury rates. Sports-specific programs are uninvestigated and despite wide discussion regarding the definition, no consensus was reached. Defining such terminology and investigating the true effectiveness of such IPPs is a potential avenue for future research.
We investigated the comprehension of subject-verb agreement in Turkish-German bilinguals using two tasks. The first task elicited speeded judgments to verb number violations in sentences that contained plural genitive modifiers. We addressed whether these modifiers elicited attraction errors, which have supported the use of a memory retrieval mechanism in monolingual comprehension studies. The second task examined the comprehension of a language-specific constraint of Turkish against plural-marked verbs with overt plural subjects. Bilinguals showed a reduced application of this constraint, as compared to Turkish monolinguals. Critically, both groups showed similar rates of attraction, but the bilingual group accepted ungrammatical sentences more often. We propose that the similarity in attraction rates supports the use of the same retrieval mechanism, but that bilinguals have more problems than monolinguals in the mapping of morphological to abstract agreement features during speeded comprehension, which results in increased acceptability of ungrammatical sentences.
The present study used event related potentials (ERPs) to investigate how native (L1) German-speaking second-language (L2) learners of English process sentences containing filler-gap dependencies such as Bill liked the house (women) that Bob built some ornaments for __ at his workplace. Using an experimental design which allowed us to dissociate filler integration from reanalysis effects, we found that fillers which were implausible as direct objects of the embedded verb (e.g. built the women) elicited similar brain responses (an N400) in L1 and L2 speakers when the verb was encountered. This confirms findings from behavioral and eye-movement studies indicating that both L1 and L2 speakers immediately try to integrate a filler with a potential lexical licensor. L1/L2 differences were observed when subsequent sentence material signaled that the direct-object analysis was in fact incorrect, however. We found reanalysis effects, in the shape of a P600 for sentences containing fillers that were plausible direct objects only for L2 speakers, but not for the L1 group. This supports previous findings suggesting that L2 comprehenders recover from an initially plausible first analysis less easily than L1 speakers.
The movement of organisms has formed our planet like few other processes. Movements shape populations, communities, entire ecosystems, and guarantee fundamental ecosystem functions and services, like seed dispersal and pollination. Global, regional and local anthropogenic impacts influence animal movements across ecosystems all around the world. In particular, land-use modification, like habitat loss and fragmentation disrupt movements between habitats with profound consequences, from increased disease transmissions to reduced species richness and abundance. However, neither the influence of anthropogenic change on animal movement processes nor the resulting effects on ecosystems are well understood. Therefore, we need a coherent understanding of organismal movement processes and their underlying mechanisms to predict and prevent altered animal movements and their consequences for ecosystem functions.
In this thesis I aim at understanding the influence of anthropogenically caused land-use change on animal movement processes and their underlying mechanisms. In particular, I am interested in the synergistic influence of large-scale landscape structure and fine-scale habitat features on basic-level movement behaviours (e.g. the daily amount of time spend running, foraging, and resting) and their emerging higher-level movements (home range formation). Based on my findings, I identify the likely consequences of altered animal movements that lead to the loss of species richness and abundances.
The study system of my thesis are hares in agricultural landscapes. European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) are perfectly suited to study animal movements in agricultural landscapes, as hares are hermerophiles and prefer open habitats. They have historically thrived in agricultural landscapes, but their numbers are in decline. Agricultural areas are undergoing strong land-use changes due to increasing food demand and fast developing agricultural technologies. They are already the largest land-use class, covering 38% of the world’s terrestrial surface. To consider the relevance of a given landscape structure for animal movement behaviour I selected two differently structured agricultural landscapes – a simple landscape in Northern Germany with large fields and few landscape elements (e.g. hedges and tree stands), and a complex landscape in Southern Germany with small fields and many landscape elements.
I applied GPS devices (hourly fixes) with internal high-resolution accelerometers (4 min samples) to track hares, receiving an almost continuous observation of the animals’ behaviours via acceleration analyses. I used the spatial and behavioural information in combination with remote sensing data (normalized difference vegetation index, or NDVI, a proxy for resource availability), generating an almost complete idea of what the animal was doing when, why and where. Apart from landscape structure (represented by the two differently structured study areas), I specifically tested whether the following fine-scale habitat features influence animal movements: resource, agricultural management events, habitat diversity, and habitat structure.
My results show that, irrespective of the movement process or mechanism and the type of fine-scale habitat features, landscape structure was the overarching variable influencing hare movement behaviour. High resource variability forces hares to enlarge their home ranges, but only in the simple and not in the complex landscape. Agricultural management events result in home range shifts in both landscapes, but force hares to increase their home ranges only in the simple landscape. Also the preference of habitat patches with low vegetation and the avoidance of high vegetation, was stronger in the simple landscape. High and dense crop fields restricted hare movements temporarily to very local and small habitat patch remnants. Such insuperable barriers can separate habitat patches that were previously connected by mobile links. Hence, the transport of nutrients and genetic material is temporarily disrupted. This mechanism is also working on a global scale, as human induced changes from habitat loss and fragmentation to expanding monocultures cause a reduction in animal movements worldwide.
The mechanisms behind those findings show that higher-level movements, like increasing home ranges, emerge from underlying basic-level movements, like the behavioural modes. An increasing landscape simplicity first acts on the behavioural modes, i.e. hares run and forage more, but have less time to rest. Hence, the emergence of increased home range sizes in simple landscapes is based on an increased proportion of time running and foraging, largely due to longer travelling times between distant habitats and scarce resource items in the landscape. This relationship was especially strong during the reproductive phase, demonstrating the importance of high-quality habitat for reproduction and the need to keep up self-maintenance first, in low quality areas. These changes in movement behaviour may release a cascade of processes that start with more time being allocated to running and foraging, resulting into an increased energy expenditure and may lead to a decline in individual fitness. A decrease in individual fitness and reproductive output will ultimately affect population viability leading to local extinctions.
In conclusion, I show that landscape structure has one of the most important effects on hare movement behaviour. Synergistic effects of landscape structure, and fine-scale habitat features, first affect and modify basic-level movement behaviours, that can scales up to altered higher-level movements and may even lead to the decline of species richness and abundances, and the disruption of ecosystem functions. Understanding the connection between movement mechanisms and processes can help to predict and prevent anthropogenically induced changes in movement behaviour. With regard to the paramount importance of landscape structure, I strongly recommend to decrease the size of agricultural fields and increase crop diversity. On the small-scale, conservation policies should assure the year round provision of areas with low vegetation height and high quality forage. This could be done by generating wildflower strips and additional (semi-) natural habitat patches. This will not only help to increase the populations of European brown hares and other farmland species, but also ensure and protects the continuity of mobile links and their intrinsic value for sustaining important ecosystem functions and services.
Professionelle GT Langstreckenmotorsportler (Rennfahrer) müssen den hohen motorischen und kognitiven Ansprüchen ohne Verlust der Performance während eines Rennens endgegenwirken können. Sie müssen stets, bei hoher Geschwindigkeit fokussiert und konzentriert auf ihr Auto, die Rennstrecke und ihre Gegner reagieren können. Darüber hinaus sind Rennfahrer zusätzlich durch die notwendige Kommunikation im Auto mit den Ingenieuren und Mechanikern in der Boxengasse gefordert. Daten über die tatsächliche Beanspruchung und häufig auftretende Beschwerden und/oder Verletzung von Profiathleten liegen kaum vor. Für eine möglichst gute Performance im Auto während eines Rennens ist es notwendige neben der körperlichen Beanspruchung auch die häufigen Krankheitsbilder zu kennen. Auf Basis dessen kann eine optimale Prävention oder notwendige Therapie zur möglichst schnellen Reintegration in den Sport abgeleitet und entwickelt werden. Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich durch ein regelmäßiges Gesundheitsmonitoring mit der Erfassung häufiger Beschwerden und oder Verletzungen im GT Langestreckenmotorsport zur Ableitung eines präventiven (trainingstherapeutischen) und therapeutischen Konzeptes. Darüber hinaus, soll über die Einschätzung der körperlichen Leistungsfähigkeit der Athleten, auf Basis der Beanspruchung im Rennfahrzeug ein mögliches Trainingskonzept in Abhängigkeit der Saison entwickelt werden.
Insgesamt wurden über 15 Jahre (2003-2017) 37 männliche Athleten aus dem GT Langstreckenmotorsport 353mal im Rahmen eines Gesundheitsmonitorings untersucht. Dabei wurden Athleten maximal 14 Jahre und mindestens 1 Jahr sportmedizinische betreut. Diese 2x im Jahr stattfindende Untersuchung beinhaltete im Wesentlichen eine sportmedizinische Untersuchung zur Einschätzung der Tauglichkeit für den Sport und die Erfassung der körperlichen Leistungsfähigkeit. Über das Gesundheitsmonitoring hinaus erfolgte die Betreuung zusätzlich an der Rennstrecke zur weiteren Erfassung der Beschwerden, Erkrankungen und Verletzungen der Athleten während ihrer sportartspezifischen Belastung. Zusammengefasst zeigen die Athleten geringe Prävalenzen und Inzidenzen der Krankheitsbilder bzw. Beschwerden. Ein Unterschied der Prävalenzen zeigt sich zwischen den Gesundheitsuntersuchungen und der Betreuung an der Rennstrecke. Die häufigsten Beschwerdebilder zeigen sich aus Orthopädie und Innerer Medizin. So sind Infekte der oberen Atemwege sowie Allergien neben Beschwerden der unteren Extremität und der Wirbelsäule am häufigsten. Demzufolge werden vorrangig physio- und trainingstherapeutische Konsequenzen abgeleitet. Eine medikamentöse Therapie erfolgt im Wesentlichen während der Rennbetreuung. Zur Reduktion der orthopädischen und internistischen Beschwerden sollten präventive Maßnahmen mehr betont werden. Die körperliche Leistungsfähigkeit zeigt im Wesentlichen über die Untersuchungsjahre eine stabile Performance für die Ausdauer-, Kraft und sensomotorische Leistungsfähigkeit. Die Ausdauerleistungsfähigkeit kann in Abhängigkeit der Sportartspezifik mit einer guten bis sehr guten Ausprägung definiert werden. Die Kraftleistungsfähigkeit und die sensomotorische Leistungsfähigkeit lassen sportartspezifische Unterschiede zu und sollte körpergewichtsbezogen betrachtet werden.
Ein sportmedizinisches und trainingstherapeutisches Konzept müsste demnach eine regelmäßige ärztlich-medizinische Untersuchung mit dem Fokus der Orthopädie, Inneren Medizin und Hals- Nasen-Ohren-Kunde beinhalten. Darüber hinaus sollte eine regelmäßige Erfassung der körperlichen Leistungsfähigkeit zur möglichst effektiven Ableitung von Trainingsinhalten oder Präventionsmaßnahmen berücksichtig werden. Auf Grundlage der hohen Reisetätigkeit und der ganzjährigen Saison könnte ein 1-2x jährlich stattfindendes Trainingslager, im Sinne eines Grundlagen- und Aufbautrainings zur Optimierung der Leistungsfähigkeit beitragen, das Konzept komplementieren. Zudem scheint eine ärztliche Rennbetreuung notwendig.
Introduction
Annually, 2 million sports-related injuries are reported in Germany of which athletes contribute to a large proportion. Multiple sport injury prevention programs designed to decrease acute and overuse injuries in athletes have been proven effective. Yet, the programs’ components, general or sports-specific, that led to these positive effects are uncertain. Despite not knowing about the superiority of sports-specific injury prevention programs, coaches and athletes alike prefer more specialized rather than generalized exercise programs. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to present the available evidence on how general and sports-specific prevention programs affect injury rates in athletes.
Methods
PubMed and Web of Science were electronically searched throughout April 2018. The inclusion criteria were publication dates Jan 2006–Dec 2017, athletes (11–45 years), exercise-based injury prevention programs and injury incidence. The methodological quality was assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration assessment tools.
Results
Of the initial 6619 findings, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. In addition, 13 studies were added from reference lists and external sources making a total of 28 studies. Of which, one used sports-specific, seven general and 20 mixed prevention strategies. Twenty-four studies revealed reduced injury rates. Of the four ineffective programs, one was general and three mixed.
Conclusion
The general and mixed programs positively affect injury rates. Sports-specific programs are uninvestigated and despite wide discussion regarding the definition, no consensus was reached. Defining such terminology and investigating the true effectiveness of such IPPs is a potential avenue for future research.
Accuracy of training recommendations based on a treadmill multistage incremental exercise test
(2018)
Competitive runners will occasionally undergo exercise in a laboratory setting to obtain predictive and prescriptive information regarding their performance. The present research aimed to assess whether the physiological demands of lab-based treadmill running (TM) can simulate that of over-ground (OG) running using a commonly used protocol. Fifteen healthy volunteers with a weekly mileage of ≥ 20 km over the past 6 months and treadmill experience participated in this cross-sectional study. Two stepwise incremental tests until volitional exhaustion was performed in a fixed order within one week in an Outpatient Clinic research laboratory and outdoor athletic track. Running velocity (IATspeed), heart rate (IATHR) and lactate concentration at the individual anaerobic threshold (IATbLa) were primary endpoints. Additionally, distance covered (DIST), maximal heart rate (HRmax), maximal blood lactate concentration (bLamax) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) at IATspeed were analyzed. IATspeed, DIST and HRmax were not statistically significantly different between conditions, whereas bLamax and RPE at IATspeed showed statistical significance (p < 0.05). Apart from RPE at IATspeed, IATspeed, DIST, HRmax and bLamax strongly correlate between conditions (r = 0.815–0.988). High reliability between conditions provides strong evidence to suggest that running on a treadmill are physiologically comparable to that of OG and that training recommendations and be made with assurance.
Static (one-legged stance) and dynamic (star excursion balance) postural control tests were performed by 14 adolescent athletes with and 17 without back pain to determine reproducibility. The total displacement, mediolateral and anterior-posterior displacements of the centre of pressure in mm for the static, and the normalized and composite reach distances for the dynamic tests were analysed. Intraclass correlation coefficients, 95% confidence intervals, and a Bland-Altman analysis were calculated for reproducibility. Intraclass correlation coefficients for subjects with (0.54 to 0.65), (0.61 to 0.69) and without (0.45 to 0.49), (0.52 to 0.60) back pain were obtained on the static test for right and left legs, respectively. Likewise, (0.79 to 0.88), (0.75 to 0.93) for subjects with and (0.61 to 0.82), (0.60 to 0.85) for those without back pain were obtained on the dynamic test for the right and left legs, respectively. Systematic bias was not observed between test and retest of subjects on both static and dynamic tests. The one-legged stance and star excursion balance tests have fair to excellent reliabilities on measures of postural control in adolescent athletes with and without back pain. They can be used as measures of postural control in adolescent athletes with and without back pain.
Long-distance race car drivers are classified as athletes. The sport is physically and mentally demanding, requiring long hours of practice. Therefore, optimal dietary intake is essential for health and performance of the athlete. The aim of the study was to evaluate dietary intake and to compare the data with dietary recommendations for athletes and for the general adult population according to the German Nutrition Society (DGE). A 24-h dietary recall during a competition preparation phase was obtained from 16 male race car drivers (28.3 ± 6.1 years, body mass index (BMI) of 22.9 ± 2.3 kg/m2). The mean intake of energy, nutrients, water and alcohol was recorded. The mean energy, vitamin B2, vitamin E, folate, fiber, calcium, water and alcohol intake were 2124 ± 814 kcal/day, 1.3 ± 0.5 mg/day, 12.5 ± 9.5 mg/day, 231.0 ± 90.9 ug/day, 21.4 ± 9.4 g/day, 1104 ± 764 mg/day, 3309 ± 1522 mL/day and 0.8 ± 2.5 mL/day respectively. Our study indicated that many of the nutrients studied, including energy and carbohydrate, were below the recommended dietary intake for both athletes and the DGE.
Previous studies on native language (L1) anaphor resolution have found that monolingual native speakers are sensitive to syntactic, pragmatic, and semantic constraints on pronouns and reflexive resolution. However, most studies have focused on English and other Germanic languages, and little is currently known about the online (i.e., real-time) processing of anaphors in languages with syntactically less restricted anaphors, such as Turkish. We also know relatively little about how 'non-standard' populations such as non-native (L2) speakers and heritage speakers (HSs) resolve anaphors.
This thesis investigates the interpretation and real-time processing of anaphors in German and in a typologically different and as yet understudied language, Turkish. It compares hypotheses about differences between native speakers' (L1ers) and L2 speakers' (L2ers) sentence processing, looking into differences in processing mechanisms as well as the possibility of cross-linguistic influence. To help fill the current research gap regarding HS sentence comprehension, it compares findings for this group with those for L2ers.
To investigate the representation and processing of anaphors in these three populations, I carried out a series of offline questionnaires and Visual-World eye-tracking experiments on the resolution of reflexives and pronouns in both German and Turkish. In the German experiments, native German speakers as well as L2ers of German were tested, while in the Turkish experiments, non-bilingual native Turkish speakers as well as HSs of Turkish with L2 German were tested. This allowed me to observe both cross-linguistic differences as well as population differences between monolinguals' and different types of bilinguals' resolution of anaphors.
Regarding the comprehension of Turkish anaphors by L1ers, contrary to what has been previously assumed, I found that Turkish has no reflexive that follows Condition A of Binding theory (Chomsky, 1981). Furthermore, I propose more general cross-linguistic differences between Turkish and German, in the form of a stronger reliance on pragmatic information in anaphor resolution overall in Turkish compared to German.
As for the processing differences between L1ers and L2ers of a language, I found evidence in support of hypotheses which propose that L2ers of German rely more strongly on non-syntactic information compared to L1ers (Clahsen & Felser, 2006, 2017; Cunnings, 2016, 2017) independent of a potential influence of their L1. HSs, on the other hand, showed a tendency to overemphasize interpretational contrasts between different Turkish anaphors compared to monolingual native speakers. However, lower-proficiency HSs were likely to merge different forms for simplified representation and processing. Overall, L2ers and HSs showed differences from monolingual native speakers both in their final interpretation of anaphors and during online processing. However, these differences were not parallel between the two types of bilingual and thus do not support a unified model of L2 and HS processing (cf. Montrul, 2012).
The findings of this thesis contribute to the field of anaphor resolution by providing data from a previously unexplored language, Turkish, as well as contributing to research on native and non-native processing differences. My results also illustrate the importance of considering individual differences in the acquisition process when studying bilingual language comprehension. Factors such as age of acquisition, language proficiency and the type of input a language learner receives may influence the processing mechanisms they develop and employ, both between and within different bilingual populations.
Second language speakers often struggle to apply grammatical constraints such as subject-verb agreement. One hypothesis for this difficulty is that it results from problems suppressing syntactically unlicensed constituents in working memory. We investigated which properties of these constituents make them more likely to elicit errors: their grammatical distance to the subject head or their linear distance to the verb. We used double modifier constructions (e.g., the smell of the stables of the farmers), where the errors of native speakers are modulated by the linguistic relationships between the nouns in the subject phrase: second plural nouns, which are syntactically and semantically closer to the subject head, elicit more errors than third plural nouns, which are linearly closer to the verb (2nd-3rd-noun asymmetry). In order to dissociate between grammatical and linear distance, we compared embedded and coordinated modifiers, which were linearly identical but differed in grammatical distance. Using an attraction paradigm, we showed that German native speakers and proficient Russian speakers of German exhibited similar attraction rates and that their errors displayed a 2nd-3rd-noun asymmetry, which was more pronounced in embedded than in coordinated constructions. We suggest that both native and second language learners prioritize linguistic structure over linear distance in their agreement computations.
Encountering a cataphoric pronoun triggers a search for a suitable referent. Previous research indicates that this search is constrained by binding Condition C, which prohibits coreference between a cataphoric pronoun and a referential expression within its c-command domain. We report the results from a series of eye-movement monitoring and questionnaire experiments investigating cataphoric pronoun resolution in German. Given earlier findings suggesting that the application of structure-sensitive constraints on reference resolution may be delayed in non-native language processing, we tested both native and proficient non-native speakers of German. Our results show that cataphoric pronouns trigger an active search in both native and non-native comprehenders. Whilst both participant groups demonstrated awareness of Condition C in an offline task, we found Condition C effects to be restricted to later processing measures during online reading. This indicates that during natural reading, Condition C applies as a relatively late filter on potential coreference assignments.
The aim of this review is to provide a selective overview of priming studies which have employed the event-related brain potential (ERP) technique in order to investigate bilingual language processing. The priming technique can reveal an implicit memory effect in which exposure to one stimulus influences the processing of another stimulus. Behavioral approaches, such as measuring reaction times, may not always be enough for providing a full view on the exact mechanisms and the time-course of language comprehension. Instead, ERPs have a time-resolution of a millisecond and hence they offer a precise temporal overview of the underlying neural processes involved in language processing. In our review, we summarize experimental research that has combined priming with ERP measurements, thus creating a valuable tool for examining the neurophysiological correlates of language processing in the bilingual brain.
Previous research has shown that electrical muscle activity is able to synchronize between muscles of one subject. The ability to synchronize the mechanical muscle oscillations measured by Mechanomyography (MMG) is not described sufficiently. Likewise, the behavior of myofascial oscillations was not considered yet during muscular interaction of two human subjects. The purpose of this study is to investigate the myofascial oscillations intra- and interpersonally. For this the mechanical muscle oscillations of the triceps and the abdominal external oblique muscles were measured by MMG and the triceps tendon was measured by mechanotendography (MTG) during isometric interaction of two subjects (n = 20) performed at 80% of the MVC using their arm extensors. The coherence of MMG/MTG-signals was analyzed with coherence wavelet transform and was compared with randomly matched signal pairs. Each signal pairing shows significant coherent behavior. Averagely, the coherent phases of n = 485 real pairings last over 82 ± 39 % of the total duration time of the isometric interaction. Coherent phases of randomly matched signal pairs take 21 ± 12 % of the total duration time (n = 39). The difference between real vs. randomly matched pairs is significant (U = 113.0, p = 0.000, r = 0.73). The results show that the neuromuscular system seems to be able to synchronize to another neuromuscular system during muscular interaction and generate a coherent behavior of the mechanical muscular oscillations. Potential explanatory approaches are discussed.
1-(Dimethylamino)-1-phenyl-1-silacyclohexane 1, was synthesized, and its molecular structure and conformational properties studied by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED), low temperature C-13 NMR spectroscopy and quantum-chemical calculations. The predominance of the 1-Ph-ax conformer (1-Ph-eq:1-Ph-ax ratio of 20:80%, Delta G degrees (317 K) = -0.87 kcal/mol) in the gas phase is close to the theoretically estimated conformational equilibrium. In solution, low temperature NMR spectroscopy showed analyzable decoalescence of C-ipso and C(1,5) carbon signals in C-13 NMR spectra at 103 K. Opposite to the gas state in the freon solution employed (CD2Cl2/CHFCl2/CHFCl2 = 1:1:3), which is still liquid at 100 K, the 1-Ph-eq conformer was found to be the preferred one [(1-Ph-eq: 1-Ph-ax = 77%: 23%, K = 77/23 = 2.8; -Delta G degrees = -RT In K (at 103 K) = 0.44 +/- 0.1 kcal/mol]. When comparing 1 with 1-phenyl-1-(X)silacylohexanes (X = H, Me, OMe, F, Cl), studied so far, the trend of predominance of the Ph-ax conformer in the gas phase and of the Ph-eq conformer in solution is confirmed.
The 3,3-disubstitued 3-silaheterocyclohexane with an electronegative substituent at silicon, 3-fluoro-3-methyl-3-silatetrahydropyran 1, was synthesized, and its molecular structure and conformational properties studied by gas-phase electron diffraction (GED) and low temperature C-13 and F-19 NMR spectroscopy. Quantum-chemical calculations were carried out both for the isolated species and Hcomplexes in gas and in polar medium. The predominance of the 1-FeqMeax conformer (1-F-eq:1-F-ax ratio of 65:35, Delta G degrees = 0.37 kcal/mol) determined from GED is close to the theoretically estimated conformational equilibrium, especially at the DFT level. In solution, low temperature NMR spectroscopy showed no decoalescence of the signals in C-13 (down to 95 K) and F-19 NMR spectra (down to 123 K). However, the calculated F-19 chemical shift of -173.6 ppm for the 1-FeqMeax conformer practically coincides with the experimentally observed value (-173 to -175 ppm) as distinct from that for the 1-FaxMeeq conformer (-188.8 ppm), suggesting compound 1 to be anancomeric in solution, in compliance with its theoretical and experimental preference in the gas phase.
Research question: This study aimed to establish reference values in 1-14 year old healthy children and to implement FPA-percentile curves for daily clinical use. Methods: 5910 healthy children performed at least 3 repetitions of barefoot walking over an instrumented walkway using a pressure measurement platform. The FPA [degrees] was extracted and analyzed by age and gender (mean +/- standard deviation; median with percentiles, MANOVA (age, gender) and Wilcoxon-Signed-Rank test for intra-individual side differences (alpha = 0.05). Results: FPA maximum was observed in 2-year-old children and diminished significant until the age of 4 to moderate out-toeing. For ages 5-14, no statistically significant differences in FPA values were present (p > 0.05). MANOVA confirmed age (p < 0.001) and gender (p < 0.001) as significant FPA influencing factors, without combined effect (p > 0.05). In every age group, right feet showed significantly greater out-toeing (p < 0.05). Significance: Percentile values indicate a wide FPA range in children. FPA development in young children shows a spontaneous shift towards moderate external rotation (age 2-4), whereby in-toeing <= 1-5 degrees can be present, but can return to normal. Bilateral in-toeing after the age of four and unilateral in-toeing after the age of seven should be monitored.
The study investigated the incidence of Achilles and patellar tendinopathy in adolescent elite athletes and non-athletic controls. Furthermore, predictive and associated factors for tendinopathy development were analyzed. The prospective study consisted of two measurement days (M1/M2) with an interval of 3.2 +/- 0.9 years. 157 athletes (12.1 +/- 0.7 years) and 25 controls (13.3 +/- 0.6 years) without Achilles/patellar tendinopathy were included at Ml. Clinical and ultrasound examinations of both Achilles (AT) and patellar tendons (PT) were performed. Main outcome measures were incidence tendinopathy and structural intratendinous alterations (hypo-/hyperechogenicity, vascularization) at M2 [%]. Incidence of Achilles tendinopathy was 1% in athletes and 0% in controls. Patellar tendinopathy was more frequent in athletes (13 %)than in controls (4%). Incidence of intratendinous alterations in ATs was 1-2% in athletes and 0 % in controls, whereas in PTs it was 4-6 % in both groups (p >0.05). Intratendinous alterations at M2 were associated with patellar tendinopathy in athletes (p <= 0.01). Intratendinous alterations at M1, anthropometric data, training amount, sports or sex did not predict tendinopathy development (p>0.05). Incidence often dinopathy and intratendinous alterations in adolescent athletes is low in ATs and more common in PTs. Development of intratendinous alterations in PT is associated with tend in opathy. However, predictive factors could not be identified.
Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of activity limitation. Objective assessment of the spinal motion plays a key role in diagnosis and treatment of LBP. We propose a method that facilitates clinical assessment of lower back motions by means of a wireless inertial sensor network. The sensor units are attached to the right and left side of the lumbar region, the pelvis and the thighs, respectively. Since magnetometers are known to be unreliable in indoor environments, we use only 3D accelerometer and 3D gyroscope readings. Compensation of integration drift in the horizontal plane is achieved by estimating the gyroscope biases from automatically detected initial rest phases. For the estimation of sensor orientations, both a smoothing algorithm and a filtering algorithm are presented. From these orientations, we determine three-dimensional joint angles between the thighs and the pelvis and between the pelvis and the lumbar region. We compare the orientations and joint angles to measurements of an optical motion tracking system that tracks each skin-mounted sensor by means of reflective markers. Eight subjects perform a neutral initial pose, then flexion/extension, lateral flexion, and rotation of the trunk. The root mean square deviation between inertial and optical angles is about one degree for angles in the frontal and sagittal plane and about two degrees for angles in the transverse plane (both values averaged over all trials). We choose five features that characterize the initial pose and the three motions. Interindividual differences of all features are found to be clearly larger than the observed measurement deviations. These results indicate that the proposed inertial sensor-based method is a promising tool for lower back motion assessment.
Understanding vegetation-modern pollen relationships is essential to provide confidence in fossil pollen reconstructions of long-term vegetation changes in savanna ecosystems. In this paper we compare the taxonomical composition and the diversity (Hill NO, N1, N2) of vegetation and modern pollen along precipitation and local grazing-intensity gradients in Namibian savannas. Modern pollen was extracted from surface soil samples collected from 5 x 5 m plots distributed along four 500 m gradients. Vegetation was surveyed in each plot. The results show a high correspondence between vegetation and pollen data in terms of composition. Precipitation and grazing explain a significant although low proportion of compositional change in the vegetation and pollen spectra. We identified pollen taxa as indicators of grazing pressure such as Limeum, Alternanthera, and particularly Tribulus. Correspondence between vegetation and pollen data in terms of taxa richness (NO) is limited, probably because of the influence of landscape heterogeneity and openness, as well as low pollen concentrations. In contrast, the effective numbers of common and dominant taxa (N1, N2) are consistent among the different datasets. We conclude that in spite of limitations, modern pollen assemblages can reflect changes in vegetation composition, richness and diversity patterns along precipitation and grazing gradients in savanna environments. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Ring current effects on resonance-assisted and intramolecularly bridged hydrogen bond protons for 10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline 1 and a number of related compounds were calculated and the through-space NMR shieldings (TSNMRS) obtained hereby visualized as iso-chemical-shielding surfaces (ICSS) of various size and direction. These calculations revealed that this through-space effect is comparably large (up to 2 ppm) dependent on the position of the intramolecularly bridged OH proton, and therefore, contribute considerably to the chemical shift of the latter making it questionable to use delta(OH)/ppm in the estimation of intramolecular hydrogen bond strength without taking this into account. Furthermore, the anisotropy effects of additional groups on the aromatic moiety (e.g. the carbonyl group in salicylaldehyde or in o-hydroxyacetophenone of ca. 0.6 ppm deshielding) should also be considered. These through-space effects need to be taken into account when using OH chemical shifts to estimate hydrogen bond strength.
BACKGROUND: Physical activity involving high spinal load has been exposed to possess a crucial impact in the genesis of acute and chronic low back pain and disorder. Vigorous spinal loads are surmised in drop landings, for which strenuous bending loads were formerly evinced for the lower extremity structures. Thus far, clinical studies revealed that repetitive landing impacts can evoke benign structural adaptions or damage to the lumbar vertebrae. Though, causes for these observations are hitherto not conclusively evinced; since actual spinal load has to date not been experimentally documented. Moreover, it is yet undetermined how physiological activation of trunk musculature compensates for landing impact induced spinal loads, and to which extend trunk activity and spinal load are affected by landing demands and performer characteristics. AIMS of this study are 1. the localisation and quantification of spinal bending loads under various landing demands and 2. the identification of compensatory trunk muscular activity pattern, which potentially alleviate spinal load magnitudes. Three consecutive Hypotheses (H1 - H3) were hereto postulated: H1 posits that spinal bending loads in segregated motion planes can feasibly and reliably be evaluated from peak spine segmental angular accelerations. H2 furthermore assumes that vertical drop landings elicit highest spine bending load in sagittal flexion of the lumbar spine. Based on these verifications, a second study shall prove the successive hypothesis (H3) that diversified landing conditions, like performer’s landing familiarity and gender, as an implementation of an instantaneous follow-up task, affect the emerging lumbar spinal bending load. Herein it is moreover surmised that lumbar spinal bending loads under distinct landing conditions are predominantly modulated by herewith disparately deployed conditioned pre-activations of trunk muscles. METHODS: To test the above arrayed hypothesis, two successive studies were carried out. In STUDY 1, 17 subjects were repetitively assessed performing various drop landings (heigth: 15, 30, 45, 60cm; unilateral, bilateral, blindfolded, catching a ball) in a test-retest-design. Herein individual peak angular accelerations [αMAX] were derived from three-dimensional motion data of four trunk-segments (upper thoracic, lower thoracic, lumbar, pelvis). αMAX was herein assessed in flexion, lateral flexion, and rotation of each spinal joint, formed by two adjacent segments. Reliability of αMAX within and between test-days was evaluated by CV%, ICC 2.1, TRV%, and Bland & Altman Analysis (BIAS±LoA). Subsequently, peak flexion acceleration of the lumbo-pelvic joint [αFLEX[LS-PV]] was statistically compared to αMAX expressions of each other assessed spinal joint and motion plane (Mean ±SD, Independent Samples T-test). STUDY 2 deliberately assessed mere peak lumbo-pelvic flexion accelerations [αFLEX[LS-PV]] and electro-myographic trunk pre-activity prior to αFLEX[LS-PV] on 43 subjects performing varied landing tasks (height 45cm; with definite or indefinite predictability of a subsequent instant follow up jump). Subjects were contrasted with respect to their previous landing familiarity ( >1000 vs. <100 landings performed in the past 10 years) and gender. Differences of αFLEX[LS-PV] and muscular pre-activity between contrasted subject groups as between landing tasks were equally statistically tested by three-way mixed ANOVA with Post-hoc tests. Associations between αFLEX[LS-PV] and muscular pre-activity were factor-specifically assessed by Spearman’s rank order correlation coefficient (rS). Complementarily, muscular pre-activity was subdivided by landing phases [DROP, IMPACT] and discretely assessed for phase specific associations to αFLEX[LS-PV]. Each muscular activity was moreover pairwise compared between DROP and IMPACT (Mean ±SD, Dependent Samples T-test). RESULTS: αMAX was presented with overall high variability within test-days (CV =36%). Lowest intra-individual variability and highest reproducibility of αMAX between test-days was shown in flexion of the spine. αFLEX[LS-PV] showed largely consistent sig. higher magnitudes compared to αMAX presented in more cranial spinal joints and other motion planes. αFLEX[LS-PV] moreover gradually increased with escalations in landing heights. Landing unfamiliar subjects presented sig. higher αFLEX[LS-PV] in contrast to landing familiar ones (p=.016). M. Obliquus Int. with M. Transversus Abd. (66 ±32%MVC) and M. Erector Spinae (47 ±15%MVC) presented maredly highest activity in contrast to lowest activity of M. Rectus Abd. (10 ±4%MVC). Landing unfamiliar subjects showed compared to landing familiar ones sig. higher activity of M. Obliquus Ext. (17 ±8%MVC, 12 ±7%MVC, p= .044). M. Obliquus Ext. and its co-contraction ratio with M. Erector Spinae moreover exhibited low but sig. positive correlations to αFLEX[LS-PV] (rs=.39, rs=.31). Each trunk muscule distributed larger shares of its activity to DROP, whereas peak activations of most muscles emerged in the proportionally shorter IMPACT phase. Commonly increased muscular pre-activation particularly at IMPACT was found in landings with a contrived follow up jump and in female subjects, whereby αFLEX[LS-PV] was hereof only marginally affected. DISCUSSION: Highest spine segmental angular accelerations in drop landings emerge in sagittal flexion of the lumbar spine. The compensatory stabilisation of the spine appears to be preponderantly provided by a dorso-ventral co-contraction of M. Obliquus Int., M. Transversus Abd. and M. Erector Spinae. Elevated pre-activity of M. Obliquuis Ext. supposably characterises poor landing experience, which might engender increased bending loads to the lumbar spine. A pervasive large variability of spinal angular accelerations measured across all landing types, suggests a multifarious utilisation of diverse mechanisms compensating for spinal impacts in landing performances. A standardised assessment and valid evaluation of landing evoked lumbar bending loads is hereof largley confined. CONCLUSION: Drop landings elicit most strenuous lumbo-pelvic flexion accelerations, which can be appraised as representatives for high energetic bending loads to the spine. Such entail the highest risk to overload the spinal tissue, when landing demands exceed the individual’s landing skill. Previous landing experience and training appears to effectively improve muscular spine stabilisation pattern, diminishing spinal bending loads.
Understanding the molecular basis of morphological change remains a central challenge in evolutionary-developmental biology. The transition from outbreeding to selfing is often associated with a dramatic reduction in reproductive structures and functions, such as the loss of attractive pheromones in hermaphroditic Caenorhabditis elegans and a reduced flower size in plants. Here, we demonstrate that variation in the level of the brassinosteroid-biosynthesis enzyme CYP724A1 contributes to the reduced flower size of selfing Capsella rubella compared with its outbreeding ancestor Capsella grandiflora. The primary transcript of the C. rubella allele is spliced more efficiently than that of C. grandiflora, resulting in higher brassinosteroid levels. These restrict organ growth by limiting cell proliferation. More efficient splicing of the C. rubella allele results from two de novo mutations in the selfing lineage. Thus, our results highlight the potentially widespread importance of differential splicing efficiency and higher-than-optimal hormone levels in generating phenotypic variation.
Agricultural land-use practices have intensified over the last decades, leading to population declines of various farmland species, including the European hare (Lepus europaeus). In many European countries, arable fields dominate agricultural landscapes. Compared to pastures, arable land is highly variable, resulting in a large spatial variation of food and cover for wildlife over the course of the year, which potentially affects habitat selection by hares. Here, we investigated within-home-range habitat selection by hares in arable areas in Denmark and Germany to identify habitat requirements for their conservation. We hypothesized that hare habitat selection would depend on local habitat structure, that is, vegetation height, but also on agricultural field size, vegetation type, and proximity to field edges. Active hares generally selected for short vegetation (1-25 cm) and avoided higher vegetation and bare ground, especially when fields were comparatively larger. Vegetation >50 cm potentially restricts hares from entering parts of their home range and does not provide good forage, the latter also being the case on bare ground. The vegetation type was important for habitat selection by inactive hares, with fabaceae, fallow, and maize being selected for, potentially providing both cover and forage. Our results indicate that patches of shorter vegetation could improve the forage quality and habitat accessibility for hares, especially in areas with large monocultures. Thus, policymakers should aim to increase areas with short vegetation throughout the year. Further, permanent set-asides, like fallow and wildflower areas, would provide year-round cover for inactive hares. Finally, the reduction in field sizes would increase the density of field margins, and farming different crop types within small areas could improve the habitat for hares and other farmland species.
We investigated whether a given landscape structure affects the level of home range size adaptation in response to resource variability. We tested whether increasing resource variability forces herbivorous mammals to increase their home ranges. In 2014 and 2015 we collared 40 European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) with GPS-tags to record hare movements in two regions in Germany with differing landscape structures. We examined hare home range sizes in relation to resource availability and variability by using the normalized difference vegetation index as a proxy. Hares in simple landscapes showed increasing home range sizes with increasing resource variability, whereas hares in complex landscapes did not enlarge their home range. Animals in complex landscapes have the possibility to include various landscape elements within their home ranges and are more resilient against resource variability. But animals in simple landscapes with few elements experience shortcomings when resource variability becomes high. The increase in home range size, the movement related increase in energy expenditure, and a decrease in hare abundances can have severe implications for conservation of mammals in anthropogenic landscapes. Hence, conservation management could benefit from a better knowledge about fine-scaled effects of resource variability on movement behaviour.
Stable Carbenes or Betaines?
(2018)
The anisotropy effect in H-1 NMR spectroscopy can be readily employed to indicate the position of carbene/betaine mesomeric equilibria. NR2 substituted carbene/betaines tend to adopt betaine structures, whereas in the absence of NR2 substituents, the betaine structures cannot stabilise the structure through both -donation effects of the NMe2 groups and the electronegativity of the nitrogen atoms, and the corresponding carbene-like structures are preferred. These conclusions are supported by calculated bond orders and (C-13)/ppm values. The spatial magnetic properties of isonitriles and carbon monoxide, which can be counted as stable carbenes or, at least, as carbene-analogues, also exist as stable betaine structures, which is again supported by structural and magnetic properties.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a 6-week sensorimotor or resistance training on maximum trunk strength and response to sudden, high-intensity loading in athletes. Interventions showed no significant difference for maximum strength in concentric and eccentric testing (p>0.05). For perturbation compensation, higher peak torque response following SMT (Extension: +24Nm 95%CI +/- 19Nm; Rotation: + 19Nm 95%CI +/- 13Nm) and RT (Extension: +35Nm 95%CI +/- 16Nm; Rotation: +5Nm 95%CI +/- 4Nm) compared to CG (Extension: -4Nm 95%CI +/- 16Nm; Rotation: -2Nm 95%CI +/- 4Nm) was present (p<0.05).
Background: Core-specific sensorimotor exercises are proven to enhance neuromuscular activity of the trunk, improve athletic performance and prevent back pain. However, the dose-response relationship and, therefore, the dose required to improve trunk function is still under debate. The purpose of the present trial will be to compare four different intervention strategies of sensorimotor exercises that will result in improved trunk function.
Methods/design: A single-blind, four-armed, randomized controlled trial with a 3-week (home-based) intervention phase and two measurement days pre and post intervention (M1/M2) is designed. Experimental procedures on both measurement days will include evaluation of maximum isokinetic and isometric trunk strength (extension/flexion, rotation) including perturbations, as well as neuromuscular trunk activity while performing strength testing. The primary outcome is trunk strength (peak torque). Neuromuscular activity (amplitude, latencies as a response to perturbation) serves as secondary outcome. The control group will perform a standardized exercise program of four sensorimotor exercises (three sets of 10 repetitions) in each of six training sessions (30 min duration) over 3 weeks. The intervention groups’ programs differ in the number of exercises, sets per exercise and, therefore, overall training amount (group I: six sessions, three exercises, two sets; group II: six sessions, two exercises, two sets; group III: six sessions, one exercise, three sets). The intervention programs of groups I, II and III include additional perturbations for all exercises to increase both the difficulty and the efficacy of the exercises performed. Statistical analysis will be performed after examining the underlying assumptions for parametric and non-parametric testing.
Discussion: The results of the study will be clinically relevant, not only for researchers but also for (sports) therapists, physicians, coaches, athletes and the general population who have the aim of improving trunk function.
Long-distance race car drivers are classified as athletes. The sport is physically and mentally demanding, requiring long hours of practice. Therefore, optimal dietary intake is essential for health and performance of the athlete. The aim of the study was to evaluate dietary intake and to compare the data with dietary recommendations for athletes and for the general adult population according to the German Nutrition Society (DGE). A 24-h dietary recall during a competition preparation phase was obtained from 16 male race car drivers (28.3 ± 6.1 years, body mass index (BMI) of 22.9 ± 2.3 kg/m2). The mean intake of energy, nutrients, water and alcohol was recorded. The mean energy, vitamin B2, vitamin E, folate, fiber, calcium, water and alcohol intake were 2124 ± 814 kcal/day, 1.3 ± 0.5 mg/day, 12.5 ± 9.5 mg/day, 231.0 ± 90.9 ug/day, 21.4 ± 9.4 g/day, 1104 ± 764 mg/day, 3309 ± 1522 mL/day and 0.8 ± 2.5 mL/day respectively. Our study indicated that many of the nutrients studied, including energy and carbohydrate, were below the recommended dietary intake for both athletes and the DGE.
Static (one-legged stance) and dynamic (star excursion balance) postural control tests were performed by 14 adolescent athletes with and 17 without back pain to determine reproducibility. The total displacement, mediolateral and anterior-posterior displacements of the centre of pressure in mm for the static, and the normalized and composite reach distances for the dynamic tests were analysed. Intraclass correlation coefficients, 95% confidence intervals, and a Bland-Altman analysis were calculated for reproducibility. Intraclass correlation coefficients for subjects with (0.54 to 0.65), (0.61 to 0.69) and without (0.45 to 0.49), (0.52 to 0.60) back pain were obtained on the static test for right and left legs, respectively. Likewise, (0.79 to 0.88), (0.75 to 0.93) for subjects with and (0.61 to 0.82), (0.60 to 0.85) for those without back pain were obtained on the dynamic test for the right and left legs, respectively. Systematic bias was not observed between test and retest of subjects on both static and dynamic tests. The one-legged stance and star excursion balance tests have fair to excellent reliabilities on measures of postural control in adolescent athletes with and without back pain. They can be used as measures of postural control in adolescent athletes with and without back pain.
Capsella
(2018)
In angiosperms, the gynoecium is the last structure to develop within the flower due to the determinate fate of floral meristem (FM) stem cells. The maintenance of stem cell activity before its arrest at the stage called FM termination affects the number of carpels that develop. The necessary inhibition at this stage of WUSCHEL (WUS), which is responsible for stem cell maintenance, involves a two-step mechanism. Direct repression mediated by the MADS domain transcription factor AGAMOUS (AG), followed by indirect repression requiring the C2H2 zinc-finger protein KNUCKLES (KNU), allow for the complete termination of floral stem cell activity. Here, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana MINI ZINC FINGER2 (AtMIF2) and its homolog in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), INHIBITOR OF MERISTEM ACTIVITY (SlIMA), participate in the FM termination process by functioning as adaptor proteins. AtMIF2 and SlIMA recruit AtKNU and SlKNU, respectively, to form a transcriptional repressor complex together with TOPLESS and HISTONE DEACETYLASE19. AtMIF2 and SlIMA bind to the WUS and SIWUS loci in the respective plants, leading to their repression. These results provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms governing (FM) termination and highlight the essential role of AtMIF2/SlIMA during this developmental step, which determines carpel number and therefore fruit size.
For successful growth and development, plants constantly have to gauge their environment. Plants are capable to monitor their current environmental conditions, and they are also able to integrate environmental conditions over time and store the information induced by the cues. In a developmental context, such an environmental memory is used to align developmental transitions with favourable environmental conditions. One temperature-related example of this is the transition to flowering after experiencing winter conditions, that is, vernalization. In the context of adaptation to stress, such an environmental memory is used to improve stress adaptation even when the stress cues are intermittent. A somatic stress memory has now been described for various stresses, including extreme temperatures, drought, and pathogen infection. At the molecular level, such a memory of the environment is often mediated by epigenetic and chromatin modifications. Histone modifications in particular play an important role. In this review, we will discuss and compare different types of temperature memory and the histone modifications, as well as the reader, writer, and eraser proteins involved.
Following the widespread assumption that a majority of ubiquitous marine microplastic particles originate from land-based sources, recent studies identify rivers as important pathways for microplastic particles (MPP) to the oceans. Yet a detailed understanding of the underlying processes and dominant sources is difficult to obtain with the existing accurate but extremely time-consuming methods available for the identification of MPP. Thus in the presented study, a novel approach applying short-wave infrared imaging spectroscopy for the quick and semi-automated identification of MPP is applied in combination with a multitemporal survey concept. Volume-reduced surface water samples were taken from transects at ten points along a major watercourse running through the South of Berlin, Germany, on six dates. After laboratory treatment, the samples were filtered onto glass fiber filters, scanned with an imaging spectrometer and analyzed by image processing. The presented method allows to count MPP, classify the plastic types and determine particle sizes. At the present stage of development particles larger than 450 m in diameter can be identified and a visual validation showed that the results are reliable after a subsequent visual final check of certain typical error types. Therefore, the method has the potential to accelerate microplastic identification by complementing FTIR and Raman microspectroscopy. Technical advancements (e.g. new lens) will allow lower detection limits and a higher grade of automatization in the near future. The resulting microplastic concentrations in the water samples are discussed in a spatio-temporal context with respect to the influence (i) of urban areas, (ii) of effluents of three major Berlin wastewater treatment plants discharging into the canal and (iii) of precipitation events. Microplastic concentrations were higher downstream of the urban area and after precipitation. An increase in microplastic concentrations was discernible for the wastewater treatment plant located furthest upstream though not for the other two. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Evaluation of an approach-avoidance training intervention for children and adolescents with obesity
(2018)
This study evaluated the efficacy of approach-avoidance training as an additional treatment for children and adolescents with obesity seeking inpatient treatment. Two hundred thirty-two participants (8-16years, 53.9% girls) were randomly assigned either to multisession approach-avoidance (IG) or to placebo training (CG). As outcomes, cognitive biases post intervention, body mass index, eating behaviour, food intake, self-regulation, and weight-related quality of life were assessed, also at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Modification of approach-avoidance bias was observed, but lacked in transfer over sessions and in generalization to attention and association bias. After 6months, the IG reported less problematic food consumption, higher self-regulation, and higher quality of life; effects did not persist until the 12-month follow-up; no significant interaction effects were observed regarding weight course. Despite there was no direct effect on weight course, approach-avoidance training seems to be associated with promising effects on important pillars for weight loss. Further research concerning clinical effectiveness is warranted.
Characterization of altered inflorescence architecture in Arabidopsis thaliana BG-5 x Kro-0 hybrid
(2018)
A reciprocal cross between two A. thaliana accessions, Kro-0 (Krotzenburg, Germany) and BG-5 (Seattle, USA), displays purple rosette leaves and dwarf bushy phenotype in F1 hybrids when grown at 17 °C and a parental-like phenotype when grown at 21 °C. This F1 temperature-dependent-dwarf-bushy phenotype is characterized by reduced growth of the primary stem together with an increased number of branches. The reduced stem growth was the strongest at the first internode. In addition, we found that a temperature switch from 21 °C to 17 °C induced the phenotype only before the formation of the first internode of the stem. Similarly, the F1 dwarf-bushy phenotype could not be reversed when plants were shifted from 17 °C to 21 °C after the first internode was formed. Metabolic analysis showed that the F1 phenotype was associated with a significant upregulation of anthocyanin(s), kaempferol(s), salicylic acid, jasmonic acid and abscisic acid. As it has been previously shown that the dwarf-bushy phenotype is linked to two loci, one on chromosome 2 from Kro-0 and one on chromosome 3 from BG-5, an artificial micro-RNA approach was used to investigate the necessary genes on these intervals. From the results obtained, it was found that two genes, AT2G14120 that encodes for a DYNAMIN RELATED PROTEIN3B and AT2G14100 that encodes a member of the Cytochrome P450 family protein CYP705A13, were necessary for the appearance of the F1 phenotype on chromosome 2. It was also discovered that AT3G61035 that encodes for another cytochrome P450 family protein CYP705A13 and AT3G60840 that encodes for a MICROTUBULE-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN65-4 on chromosome 3 were both necessary for the induction of the F1 phenotype. To prove the causality of these genes, genomic constructs of the Kro-0 candidate genes on chromosome 2 were transferred to BG-5 and genomic constructs of the chromosome 3 candidate genes from BG-5 were transferred to Kro-0. The T1 lines showed that these genes are not sufficient alone to induce the phenotype. In addition to the F1 phenotype, more severe phenotypes were observed in the F2 generations that were grouped into five different phenotypic classes. Whilst seed yield was comparable between F1 hybrids and parental lines, three phenotypic classes in the F2 generation exhibited hybrid breakdown in the form of reproductive failure. This F2 hybrid breakdown was less sensitive to temperature and showed a dose-dependent effect of the loci involved in F1 phenotype. The severest class of hybrid breakdown phenotypes was observed only in the population of backcross with the parent Kro-0, which indicates a stronger contribution of the BG-5 allele when compared to the Kro-0 allele on the hybrid breakdown phenotypes. Overall, the findings of my thesis provide a further understanding of the genetic and metabolic factors underlying altered shoot architecture in hybrid dysfunction.
Is bad intent negligible?
(2018)
The hostile attribution bias (HAB) is a well-established risk factor for aggression. It is considered part of the suspicious mindset that may cause highly victim-justice sensitive individuals to behave uncooperatively. Thus, links of victim justice sensitivity (JS) with negative behavior, such as aggression, may be better explained by HAB. The present study tested this hypothesis in N=279 German adolescents who rated their JS, HAB, and physical, relational, verbal, reactive, and proactive aggression. Victim JS predicted physical, relational, verbal, reactive, and proactive aggression when HAB was controlled. HAB only predicted physical and proactive aggression. There were no moderator effects. Injustice seems an important reason for aggression irrespective of whether or not it is intentionally caused, particularly among those high in victim JS. Thus, victim JS should be considered as a potential important risk factor for aggression and receive more attention by research on aggression and preventive efforts.
The fact that organic solar cells perform efficiently despite the low dielectric constant of most photoactive blends initiated a long-standing debate regarding the dominant pathways of free charge formation. Here, we address this issue through the accurate measurement of the activation energy for free charge photogeneration over a wide range of photon energy, using the method of time-delayed collection field. For our prototypical low bandgap polymer:fullerene blends, we find that neither the temperature nor the field dependence of free charge generation depend on the excitation energy, ruling out an appreciable contribution to free charge generation though hot carrier pathways. On the other hand, activation energies are on the order of the room temperature thermal energy for all studied blends. We conclude that charge generation in such devices proceeds through thermalized charge transfer states, and that thermal energy is sufficient to separate most of these states into free charges.
The importance of plasmonic heating for the plasmondriven photodimerization of 4-nitrothiophenol
(2018)
Metal nanoparticles form potent nanoreactors, driven by the optical generation of energetic electrons and nanoscale heat. The relative influence of these two factors on nanoscale chemistry is strongly debated. This article discusses the temperature dependence of the dimerization of 4-nitrothiophenol (4-NTP) into 4,4′-dimercaptoazobenzene (DMAB) adsorbed on gold nanoflowers by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS). Raman thermometry shows a significant optical heating of the particles. The ratio of the Stokes and the anti-Stokes Raman signal moreover demonstrates that the molecular temperature during the reaction rises beyond the average crystal lattice temperature of the plasmonic particles. The product bands have an even higher temperature than reactant bands, which suggests that the reaction proceeds preferentially at thermal hot spots. In addition, kinetic measurements of the reaction during external heating of the reaction environment yield a considerable rise of the reaction rate with temperature. Despite this significant heating effects, a comparison of SERS spectra recorded after heating the sample by an external heater to spectra recorded after prolonged illumination shows that the reaction is strictly photo-driven. While in both cases the temperature increase is comparable, the dimerization occurs only in the presence of light. Intensity dependent measurements at fixed temperatures confirm this finding.
Three furan-fused BODIPYs were synthesized with perfluorinated methyl, ethyl and n-propyl groups on the meso-carbon. They were obtained with high yields by reacting the furan-fused 2-carboxylpyrrole in corresponding perfluorinated acid and anhydride. With the increase in perfluorinated alkyl chain length, the molecular packing in the single crystal is influenced, showing increasing stacking distance and decreasing slope angle. All the BODIPYs were characterized as intense absorbers in near infrared region in solid state, peaking at similar to 800 nm with absorption coefficient of over 280 000 cm(-1). Facilitated by high thermal stability, the furan-fused BODIPYs were employed in vacuum-deposited organic solar cells as electron donors. All devices exhibit PCE over 6.0% with the EQE maximum reaching 70% at similar to 790 nm. The chemical modification of the BODIPY donors have certain influence on the active layer morphology, and the highest PCE of 6.4% was obtained with a notably high jsc of 13.6 mA cm(-2). Sensitive EQE and electroluminance studies indicated that the energy losses generated by the formation of a charge transfer state and the radiative recombination at the donor-acceptor interface were comparable in the range of 0.14-0.19 V, while non-radiative recombination energy loss of 0.38 V was the main energy loss route resulting in the moderate V-oc of 0.76 V.
Catanionic vesicles spontaneously formed by mixing the anionic surfactant bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate sodium salt with the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide were used as a reducing medium to produce gold clusters, which are embedded and well-ordered into the template phase. The gold clusters can be used as seeds in the growth process that follows by adding ascorbic acid as a mild reducing component. When the ascorbic acid was added very slowly in an ice bath round-edged gold nanoflowers were produced. When the same experiments were performed at room temperature in the presence of Ag+ ions, sharp-edged nanoflowers could be synthesized. The mechanism of nanoparticle formation can be understood to be a non-diffusion-limited Ostwald ripening process of preordered gold nanoparticles embedded in catanionic vesicle fragments. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering experiments show an excellent enhancement factor of 1.7 . 10(5) for the nanoflowers deposited on a silicon wafer.
Negatively charged ultraflat gold nanotriangles (AuNTs) stabilized by the anionic surfactant dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (AOT) were reloaded with the cationic surfactant benzylhexadecyldimethylammonium chloride (BDAC). Because of the spontaneous formation of a catanionic AOT micelle/BDAC bilayer onto the surface of the reloaded AuNTs, a reduction of Ag+ ions leads to the formation of spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). With increasing concentration of AgNPs on the AuNTs, the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is shifted stepwise from 1300 to 800 nm. The tunable LSPR enables to shift the extinction maximum to the wavelength of the excitation laser of the Raman microscope at 785 nm. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) experiments performed under resonance conditions show an SERS enhancement factor of the analyte molecule rhodamine RG6 of 5.1 X 10(5), which can be related to the silver hot spots at the periphery of the undulated gold nanoplatelets.
This publication based thesis, which consists of seven published articles, summarizes my contributions to the research field of laser excited ultrafast structural dynamics. The coherent and incoherent lattice dynamics on microscopic length scales are detected by ultrashort optical and X-ray pulses. The understanding of the complex physical processes is essential for future improvements of technological applications. For this purpose, tabletop soruces and large scale facilities, e.g. synchrotrons, are employed to study structural dynamics of longitudinal acoustic strain waves and heat transport. The investigated effects cover timescales from hundreds of femtoseconds up to several microseconds.
The main part of this thesis is dedicated to the investigation of tailored phonon wave packets propagating in perovskite nanostructures. Tailoring is achieved either by laser excitation of nanostructured bilayer samples or by a temporal series of laser pulses. Due to the propagation of longitudinal acoustic phonons, the out-of-plane lattice spacing of a thin film insulator-metal bilayer sample is modulated on an ultrafast timescale. This leads to an ultrafast modulation of the X-ray diffraction efficiency which is employed as a phonon Bragg switch to shorten hard X-ray pulses emitted from a 3rd generation synchrotron.
In addition, we have observed nonlinear mixing of high amplitude phonon wave packets which originates from an anharmonic interatomic potential. A chirped optical pulse sequence excites a narrow band phonon wave packet with specific momentum and energy. The second harmonic generation of these phonon wave packets is followed by ultrafast X-ray diffraction. Phonon upconversion takes place because the high amplitude phonon wave packet modulates the acoustic properties of the crystal which leads to self steepening and to the successive generation of higher harmonics of the phonon wave packet.
Furthermore, we have demonstrated ultrafast strain in direction parallel to the sample surface. Two consecutive so-called transient grating excitations displaced in space and time are used to coherently control thermal gradients and surface acoustic modes. The amplitude of the coherent and incoherent surface excursion is disentangled by time resolved X-ray reflectivity measurements. We calibrate the absolute amplitude of thermal and acoustic surface excursion with measurements of longitudinal phonon propagation. In addition, we develop a diffraction model which allows for measuring the surface excursion on an absolute length scale with sub-Äangström precision. Finally, I demonstrate full coherent control of an excited surface deformation by amplifying and suppressing thermal and coherent excitations at the surface of a laser-excited Yttrium-manganite sample.
Owing to their ability of concentrating electromagnetic fields to subwavelength mode volumes, plasmonic nanoparticles foster extremely high light-matter coupling strengths reaching far into the strong-coupling regime of light matter interaction. In this article, we present an experimental investigation on the dependence of coupling strength on the geometrical size of the nanoparticle. The coupling strength for differently sized hybrid plasmon-core exciton-shell nanorods was extracted from the typical resonance anticrossing of these systems, obtained by controlled modification of the environment permittivity using layer-by-layer deposition of polyelectrolytes. The observed size dependence of the coupling strength can be explained by a simple model approximating the electromagnetic mode volume by the geometrical volume of the particle. On the basis of this model, the coupling strength for particles of arbitrary size can be predicted, including the particle size necessary to support single-emitter strong coupling.
In this dissertation the lattice and the magnetic recovery dynamics of the two heavy rare-earth metals Dy and Gd after femtosecond photoexcitation are described. For the investigations, thin films of Dy and Gd were measured at low temperatures in the antiferromagnetic phase of Dy and close to room temperature in the ferromagnetic phase of Gd. Two different optical pump-x-ray probe techniques were employed: Ultrafast x-ray diffraction with hard x-rays (UXRD) yields the structural response of heavy rare-earth metals and resonant soft (elastic) x-ray diffraction (RSXD), which allows measuring directly changes in the helical antiferromagnetic order of Dy. The combination of both techniques enables to study the complex interaction between the magnetic and the phononic subsystems.
Ultrafast heat transport in nanoscale metal multilayers is of great interest in the context of optically induced demagnetization, remagnetization and switching. If the penetration depth of light exceeds the bilayer thickness, layer-specific information is unavailable from optical probes. Femtosecond diffraction experiments provide unique experimental access to heat transport over single digit nanometer distances. Here, we investigate the structural response and the energy flow in the ultrathin double-layer system: gold on ferromagnetic nickel. Even though the excitation pulse is incident from the Au side, we observe a very rapid heating of the Ni lattice, whereas the Au lattice initially remains cold. The subsequent heat transfer from Ni to the Au lattice is found to be two orders of magnitude slower than predicted by the conventional heat equation and much slower than electron-phonon coupling times in Au. We present a simplified model calculation highlighting the relevant thermophysical quantities.
Ultrafast heat transport in nanoscale metal multilayers is of great interest in the context of optically induced demagnetization, remagnetization and switching. If the penetration depth of light exceeds the bilayer thickness, layer-specific information is unavailable from optical probes. Femtosecond diffraction experiments provide unique experimental access to heat transport over single digit nanometer distances. Here, we investigate the structural response and the energy flow in the ultrathin double-layer system: gold on ferromagnetic nickel. Even though the excitation pulse is incident from the Au side, we observe a very rapid heating of the Ni lattice, whereas the Au lattice initially remains cold. The subsequent heat transfer from Ni to the Au lattice is found to be two orders of magnitude slower than predicted by the conventional heat equation and much slower than electron-phonon coupling times in Au. We present a simplified model calculation highlighting the relevant thermophysical quantities.
We employ ultrafast X-ray diffraction to compare the lattice dynamics of laser-excited continuous and granular FePt films on MgO (100) substrates. Contrary to recent results on free-standing granular films, we observe in both cases a pronounced and long-lasting out-of-plane expansion. We attribute this discrepancy to the in-plane expansion, which is suppressed by symmetry in continuous films. Granular films on substrates are less constrained and already show a reduced out-of-plane contraction. Via the Poisson effect, out-of-plane contractions drive in-plane expansion and vice versa. Consistently, the granular film exhibits a short-lived out-of-plane contraction driven by ultrafast demagnetization which is followed by a reduced and delayed expansion. From the acoustic reflections of the observed strain waves at the film-substrate interface, we extract a 13% reduction of the elastic constants in thin 10 nm FePt films compared to bulk-like samples. (C) 2018 Author(s).
Negatively charged flat gold nanotriangles, formed in a vesicular template phase and separated by an AOT-micelle-based depletion flocculation, were reloaded by adding a cationic polyelectrolyte, that is, a hyperbranched polyethylenimine (PEI). Heating the system to 100 degrees C in the presence of a gold chloride solution, the reduction process leads to the formation of gold nanoparticles inside the polymer shell surrounding the nanoplatelets. The gold nanoparticle formation is investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and dynamic light scattering measurements in combination with transmission electron microscopy. Spontaneously formed gold clusters in the hyperbranched PEI shell with an absorption maximum at 350 nm grow on the surface of the nanotriangles as hemispherical particles with diameters of similar to 6 nm. High-resolution micrographs show that the hemispherical gold particles are crystallized onto the {111} facets on the bottom and top of the platelet as well as on the edges without a grain boundary. Undulated gold nanoplatelet superstructures with special properties become available, which show a significantly modified performance in SERS-detected photocatalysis regarding both reactivity and enhancement factor.