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Bürgerpartizipation
(2017)
Ancient genomes have revolutionized our understanding of Holocene prehistory and, particularly, the Neolithic transition in western Eurasia. In contrast, East Asia has so far received little attention, despite representing a core region at which the Neolithic transition took place independently similar to 3 millennia after its onset in the Near East. We report genome-wide data from two hunter-gatherers from Devil's Gate, an early Neolithic cave site (dated to similar to 7.7 thousand years ago) located in East Asia, on the border between Russia and Korea. Both of these individuals are genetically most similar to geographically close modern populations from the Amur Basin, all speaking Tungusic languages, and, in particular, to the Ulchi. The similarity to nearby modern populations and the low levels of additional genetic material in the Ulchi imply a high level of genetic continuity in this region during the Holocene, a pattern that markedly contrasts with that reported for Europe.
The performance of hybridization capture combined with next-generation sequencing (NGS) has seen limited investigation with samples from hot and arid regions until now. We applied hybridization capture and shotgun sequencing to recover DNA sequences from bone specimens of ancient-domestic dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) and its extinct ancestor, the wild dromedary from Jordan, Syria, Turkey and the Arabian Peninsula, respectively. Our results show that hybridization capture increased the percentage of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) recovery by an average 187-fold and in some cases yielded virtually complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes at multifold coverage in a single capture experiment. Furthermore, we tested the effect of hybridization temperature and time by using a touchdown approach on a limited number of samples. We observed no significant difference in the number of unique dromedary mtDNA reads retrieved with the standard capture compared to the touchdown method. In total, we obtained 14 partial mitochondrial genomes from ancient-domestic dromedaries with 17-95% length coverage and 1.27-47.1-fold read depths for the covered regions. Using whole-genome shotgun sequencing, we successfully recovered endogenous dromedary nuclear DNA (nuDNA) from domestic and wild dromedary specimens with 1-1.06-fold read depths for covered regions. Our results highlight that despite recent methodological advances, obtaining ancient DNA (aDNA) from specimens recovered from hot, arid environments is still problematic. Hybridization protocols require specific optimization, and samples at the limit of DNA preservation need multiple replications of DNA extraction and hybridization capture as has been shown previously for Middle Pleistocene specimens.
We introduce an abstract concept of quantum field theory on categories fibered in groupoids over the category of spacetimes. This provides us with a general and flexible framework to study quantum field theories defined on spacetimes with extra geometric structures such as bundles, connections and spin structures. Using right Kan extensions, we can assign to any such theory an ordinary quantum field theory defined on the category of spacetimes and we shall clarify under which conditions it satisfies the axioms of locally covariant quantum field theory. The same constructions can be performed in a homotopy theoretic framework by using homotopy right Kan extensions, which allows us to obtain first toy-models of homotopical quantum field theories resembling some aspects of gauge theories.
Background
Cells are able to communicate and coordinate their function within tissues via secreted factors. Aberrant secretion by cancer cells can modulate this intercellular communication, in particular in highly organised tissues such as the liver. Hepatocytes, the major cell type of the liver, secrete Dickkopf (Dkk), which inhibits Wnt/ β-catenin signalling in an autocrine and paracrine manner. Consequently, Dkk modulates the expression of Wnt/ β-catenin target genes. We present a mathematical model that describes the autocrine and paracrine regulation of hepatic gene expression by Dkk under wild-type conditions as well as in the presence of mutant cells.
Results
Our spatial model describes the competition of Dkk and Wnt at receptor level, intra-cellular Wnt/ β-catenin signalling, and the regulation of target gene expression for 21 individual hepatocytes. Autocrine and paracrine regulation is mediated through a feedback mechanism via Dkk and Dkk diffusion along the porto-central axis. Along this axis an APC concentration gradient is modelled as experimentally detected in liver. Simulations of mutant cells demonstrate that already a single mutant cell increases overall Dkk concentration. The influence of the mutant cell on gene expression of surrounding wild-type hepatocytes is limited in magnitude and restricted to hepatocytes in close proximity. To explore the underlying molecular mechanisms, we perform a comprehensive analysis of the model parameters such as diffusion coefficient, mutation strength and feedback strength.
Conclusions
Our simulations show that Dkk concentration is elevated in the presence of a mutant cell. However, the impact of these elevated Dkk levels on wild-type hepatocytes is confined in space and magnitude. The combination of inter- and intracellular processes, such as Dkk feedback, diffusion and Wnt/ β-catenin signal transduction, allow wild-type hepatocytes to largely maintain their gene expression.
West German anticommunism and the SED’s Westarbeit were to some extentinterrelated. From the beginning, each German state had attemted to stabilise itsown social system while trying to discredit its political opponent. The claim tosole representation and the refusal to acknowledge each other delineated governmentalaction on both sides. Anticommunism inWest Germany re-developed under theconditions of the Cold War, which allowed it to become virtually the reason ofstate and to serve as a tool for the exclusion of KPD supporters. In its turn, theSED branded the West German State as‘revanchist’and instrumentalised itsanticommunism to persecute and eliminate opponents within the GDR. Bothphenomena had an integrative and exclusionary element.
With its transparent orthography, Standard Indonesian is spoken by over 160 million inhabitants and is the primary language of instruction in education and the government in Indonesia. An assessment battery of reading and reading-related skills was developed as a starting point for the diagnosis of dyslexia in beginner learners. Founded on the International Dyslexia Association’s definition of dyslexia, the test battery comprises nine empirically motivated reading and reading-related tasks assessing word reading, pseudoword reading, arithmetic, rapid automatized naming, phoneme deletion, forward and backward digit span, verbal fluency, orthographic choice (spelling), and writing. The test was validated by computing the relationships between the outcomes on the reading-skills and reading-related measures by means of correlation and factor analyses. External variables, i.e., school grades and teacher ratings of the reading and learning abilities of individual students, were also utilized to provide evidence of its construct validity. Four variables were found to be significantly related with reading-skill measures: phonological awareness, rapid naming, spelling, and digit span. The current study on reading development in Standard Indonesian confirms findings from other languages with transparent orthographies and suggests a test battery including preliminary norm scores for screening and assessment of elementary school children learning to read Standard Indonesian.
Theoretischer Hintergrund:Supervision spielt eine zentrale Rolle zum Wissens- und Kompetenzerwerb sowie in der Qualitätssicherung.
Fragestellung:Ziel war es, den aktuellen Forschungsstand zur Supervision im Rahmen der kognitiven Verhaltenstherapie abzubilden, um daraus Schlussfolgerungen für die zukünftige Forschung abzuleiten.
Methode:Zur Evidenzsynthese wurde ein Scoping Review durchgeführt, das die Darstellung zentraler Konzepte, aktueller Evidenz und möglicher Forschungsbedarfe ermöglichte. Neben einer systematischen Literaturrecherche wurden Vorwärts- und Rückwärtssuchstrategien eingesetzt.
Ergebnisse:Eingeschlossen wurden zwölf Publikationen basierend auf zehn empirischen Studien. Alle Studien beschrieben Ausbildungssettings, aber nur wenige untersuchten übende Interventionen (z. B. Rollenspiele). Häufig wurden Effekte subjektiv erfasst, die methodische Qualität der Begleitstudien variierte.
Schlussfolgerungen:Notwendig sind weitere methodisch hochwertige Studien, experimentell orientiert oder in der klinischen Praxis, die die Supervisionsforschung bereichern können.
Postpartale Depressionen sind häufige und schwerwiegende psychische Erkrankungen mit ungünstigem Einfluss auf die kindliche Entwicklung. Als Haupttransmissionsweg gilt die frühe Mutter-Kind-Interaktion. Über die langfristigen Auswirkungen auf die Kinder im Erwachsenenalter und die Rolle der Interaktion liegen kaum Ergebnisse vor. Im Rahmen der Mannheimer Risikokinderstudie wurden postpartale Depressionen bis zwei Jahre nach der Geburt erfasst. Die kindliche Entwicklung wurde fortlaufend und die Mutter-Kind-Interaktion im Alter von 3 Monaten standardisiert erhoben. 28 Kinder postpartal depressiver und 107 Kinder gesunder Mütter konnten mit 25 Jahren untersucht werden. Beeinträchtigungen der kognitiven und psychischen Entwicklung bei Kindern postpartal depressiver Mütter waren bis ins Erwachsenenalter nachweisbar. Responsives bzw. sensitives mütterliches Verhalten wirkte der negativen Entwicklung entgegen. Dies betont die Bedeutung einer hohen Qualität der Mutter-Kind-Interaktion für die Entwicklung von Risikokindern.
In einer prospektiven Längsschnittstudie wurden Auswirkungen früher psychosozialer Risiken bis ins junge Erwachsenenalter untersucht und dabei die Rolle von affektiver und behavioraler Dysregulation im Kindesalter als vermittelndem Faktor überprüft. Drei Monate nach der Geburt wurde das Vorliegen von 11 psychosozialen Belastungsfaktoren erfasst. Im Alter von 8 – 15 Jahren wurde dreimal das Child Behavior Checklist-Dysregulationsprofil (CBCL-DP) erhoben. Mit 25 Jahren wurde ein Strukturiertes Klinisches Interview durchgeführt und 309 der Teilnehmer füllten den Young Adult Self-Report aus. Frühe psychosoziale Risiken gingen mit einem erhöhten Risiko für das Vorliegen eines Substanzmissbrauchs im jungen Erwachsenenalter sowie mit erhöhtem externalisierendem und internalisierendem Problemverhalten einher. Der Zusammenhang zwischen frühen psychosozialen Risiken und späterem externalisierendem bzw. internalisierendem Problemverhalten wurde durch das CBCL-DP vermittelt.
Anhand von Daten der Mannheimer Risikokinderstudie, die sich mit der langfristigen Entwicklung von Kindern mit unterschiedlichen Risikobelastungen beschäftigt, wird gezeigt, wie Schutzfaktoren aufseiten des Kindes und seines familiären Umfelds im Verlauf der Entwicklung wirksam werden und zur Entstehung von Resilienz beitragen können. Eine besondere Rolle kommt dabei positiven frühen Eltern-Kind-Beziehungen zu (sowohl Mutter- als auch Vater-Kind-Interaktionen). Daneben spielen auch Interaktionserfahrungen im Alter von zwei Jahren des Kindes eine bedeutsame Rolle; diese schützen Risikokinder davor, eine ungünstige Entwicklung zu nehmen und tragen dazu bei, dass sich Kinder, die in psychosozialen Hochrisikofamilien aufwachsen, trotz ungünstiger „Startbedingungen“ positiv entwickeln. Neben Merkmalen der sozialen Umwelt nehmen auch sprachliche, sozial-emotionale und internale Kompetenzen des Kindes im Entwicklungsverlauf eine wichtige Rolle ein. Diese Kompetenzen ermöglichen es Risikokindern auch unter widrigen Lebensumständen (psychosoziale Hochrisikofamilien, Aufwachsen in Armutsverhältnissen) erfolgreich zu bestehen. Darüber hinaus zeigt die Arbeit, dass Resilienz ein Persönlichkeitsmerkmal ist, das ab dem frühen Erwachsenenalter eine hohe Stabilität besitzt. Mit diesen Befunden verweist die Arbeit auf die große Bedeutung der Resilienz bei der Vorhersage der langfristigen Entwicklung von Risikokindern.
Die langfristigen Auswirkungen von Frühgeburtlichkeit auf kognitive Entwicklung und Schulerfolg
(2017)
In einer prospektiven Längsschnittstudie wurde der Zusammenhang zwischen früher Responsivität der Mutter und kognitiver Entwicklung ihrer früh- bzw. reifgeborenen Kinder untersucht. Im Alter von drei Monaten wurde dafür die Mutter-Kind-Interaktion mittels Verhaltensbeobachtung erfasst. Bei n=351 der teilnehmenden Kinder (101 frühgeboren) wurde die allgemeine Intelligenz (IQ) im Alter von 11 Jahren und bei n=313 (85 frühgeboren) zusätzlich der höchste erreichte Schulabschluss bis 25 Jahren erhoben. Frühgeborene wiesen mit 11 Jahren einen signifikant niedrigeren IQ als Reifgeborene auf, nachdem für mögliche konfundierende Faktoren kontrolliert worden war. Nur bei Früh-, nicht aber bei Reifgeborenen zeigte sich ein signifikanter positiver Zusammenhang zwischen mütterlicher Responsivität und IQ. Für die Wahrscheinlichkeit einen höheren Schulabschluss (mind. Fachabitur) zu erreichen, fand sich weder ein signifikanter Effekt von Frühgeburtlichkeit noch von mütterlicher Responsivität.
Many studies demonstrated interactions between number processing and either spatial codes (effects of spatial-numerical associations) or visual size-related codes (size-congruity effect). However, the interrelatedness of these two number couplings is still unclear. The present study examines the simultaneous occurrence of space- and size-numerical congruency effects and their interactions both within and across trials, in a magnitude judgment task physically small or large digits were presented left or right from screen center. The reaction times analysis revealed that space- and size-congruency effects coexisted in parallel and combined additively. Moreover, a selective sequential modulation of the two congruency effects was found. The size-congruency effect was reduced after size incongruent trials. The space-congruency effect, however, was only affected by the previous space congruency. The observed independence of spatial-numerical and within magnitude associations is interpreted as evidence that the two couplings reflect Different attributes of numerical meaning possibly related to orginality and cardinality.
Integral Fourier operators
(2017)
This volume of contributions based on lectures delivered at a school on Fourier Integral Operators
held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, 14–26 September 2015, provides an introduction to Fourier Integral Operators (FIO) for a readership of Master and PhD students as well as any interested layperson. Considering the wide
spectrum of their applications and the richness of the mathematical tools they involve, FIOs lie the cross-road of many a field. This volume offers
the necessary background, whether analytic or geometric, to get acquainted with FIOs, complemented by more advanced material presenting various aspects of active research in that area.
Die Esche ist nicht nur als Weltenbaum Yggdrasil aus der germanischen Mythologie bekannt. Ihr Holz wird für Möbel, Parkett und Werkzeuge genutzt, und sie ist ein wichtiger Faktor für die Neuaufforstung. Doch die Esche ist vom Aussterben bedroht. Das Eschentriebsterben wird ausgelöst durch einen Pilz (Falsches Weißes Stengelbecherchen) und verursacht ein großflächiges Absterben von Altbeständen und jungen Bäumen in allen Teilen Deutschlands.
Diese umweltsoziologische Untersuchung geht der Frage nach, ob die Diskrepanz zwischen der gesellschaftlichen, ökonomischen und ökologischen Bedeutung dieser Baumgattung und ihrem möglichen Verlust zu gesellschaftlichen Diskussionsprozessen über die Esche und das Eschentriebsterben führt.
Anhand der Wissenssoziologischen Diskursanalyse und der Grounded Theory Method wird gezeigt, dass sich zwar Expertinnen und Experten einig sind, dass die Esche vermutlich aussterben wird, ihre gesellschaftliche Bedeutung jedoch nicht groß genug ist, sodass ihr Aussterben als hinreichend problematisch eingestuft wird und folglich politische Handlungskonsequenzen gefordert werden.
Via their powerful radiation, stellar winds, and supernova explosions, massive stars (Mini & 8 M☉) bear a tremendous impact on galactic evolution. It became clear in recent decades that the majority of massive stars reside in binary systems. This thesis sets as a goal to quantify the impact of binarity (i.e., the presence of a companion star) on massive stars. For this purpose, massive binary systems in the Local Group, including OB-type binaries, high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs), and Wolf-Rayet (WR) binaries, were investigated by means of spectral, orbital, and evolutionary analyses.
The spectral analyses were performed with the non-local thermodynamic equillibrium (non-LTE) Potsdam Wolf-Rayet (PoWR) model atmosphere code. Thanks to critical updates in the calculation of the hydrostatic layers, the code became a state-of-the-art tool applicable for all types of hot massive stars (Chapter 2). The eclipsing OB-type triple system δ Ori served as an intriguing test-case for the new version of the PoWR code, and provided key insights regarding the formation of X-rays in massive stars (Chapter 3). We further analyzed two prototypical HMXBs, Vela X-1 and IGR J17544-2619, and obtained fundamental conclusions regarding the dichotomy of two basic classes of HMXBs (Chapter 4). We performed an exhaustive analysis of the binary R 145 in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), which was claimed to host the most massive stars known. We were able to disentangle the spectrum of the system, and performed an orbital, polarimetric, and spectral analysis, as well as an analysis of the wind-wind collision region. The true masses of the binary components turned out to be significantly lower than suggested, impacting our understanding of the initial mass function and stellar evolution at low metallicity (Chapter 5). Finally, all known WR binaries in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) were analyzed. Although it was theoretical predicted that virtually all WR stars in the SMC should be formed via mass-transfer in binaries, we find that binarity was not important for the formation of the known WR stars in the SMC, implying a strong discrepancy between theory and observations (Chapter 6).
Editorial
(2017)
I. Einleitung
II. Soziale Sicherung als Bestandteil entwicklungspolitischer Agenden – Eine internationale Perspektive
III. Internationale Politikdiffusion und nationaler Politikwandel – Konzeptionelle Grundlagen
IV. Die Rolle internationaler Politikdiffusion für den Wandel sozialer Sicherungssysteme
– Empirische Evidenz
V. Schlussfolgerungen
This is a brief survey of a constructive technique of analytic continuation related to an explicit integral formula of Golusin and Krylov (1933). It goes far beyond complex analysis and applies to the Cauchy problem for elliptic partial differential equations as well. As started in the classical papers, the technique is elaborated in generalised Hardy spaces also called Hardy-Smirnov spaces.
Statistics Canada, Canada’s national statistics agency, offers a suite of spatial
files for mapping and analysis of its various population data products. The following
article showcases possibilities and shortfalls of the existing spatial files
for mapping population data, and provides an overview of the structure of the
available boundary files from the regional to the dissemination block level. Due
to Canada’s highly dispersed population, mapping its distribution and density can
be challenging. Common mapping techniques such as the choropleth method are
suitable only for mapping spatially high resolution data such as data at the dissemination
area level. To allow for mapping of population data at less detailed levels
such as census divisions or provinces, Statistics Canada has created a so-called
ecumene boundary file which outlines the inhabited area of Canada and can be
used to more accurately visualize Canada’s population distribution and density.
Earth observation data have become an outstanding basis for analyzing environmental
aspects. The increasing availability of remote sensing data is accompanied
by an increasing user demand. Within the scope of the COOPERNICUS-initiative,
the automatic processing of remote sensing data is important for supplying value-
added-information products. The use of additional data like land-water-masks
in the context of deriving value-added information products can stabilize and
improve the product quality of information products.
The authors of this contribution would like to discuss different automated
processing algorithms which are based on land-water masks for value-added
data interpretation. These developments were supported or accompanied by Prof.
Hartmut Asche.
Vermessung im Sonnensystem
(2017)
Die bisherigen Missionen ins Sonnensystem lieferten eine enorme Fülle an Daten in unterschiedlichen Formaten und in Form von Bildern und digitalen Messergebnissen. Die Oberflächenprozesse der planetaren Körper, die mit Hilfe dieser Daten erforscht werden können, sind äußerst vielfältig und reichen von Einschlagskratern über Vulkanismus und Tektonik zu allen Formen der Erosion und Sedimentation. Um diese Prozesse verstehen zu können werden Verfahren angewendet, die für die Datenanalyse auf der Erde entwickelt wurden. Allerdings ist es notwendig all diese Verfahren zum Teil mit erheblichem Aufwand und unter Berücksichtigung der jeweiligen physikalischen Rahmenbedingungen anzupassen. Die Entwicklung kartographischer Verfahren zur Abstraktion der hier angesprochenen Informationen, also die Erfassung, geomorphologische Analyse und Visualisierung planetarer Oberflächen und Prozesse, hat jedoch gerade erst begonnen. Um diese Entwicklungen voranzutreiben, hat das Deutsche Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt in Kooperation mit der Universität Potsdam (Institut für Geographie, Fachgruppe Geoinformatik, Prof. Dr. Asche), im Rahmen von Dissertationen und Forschungsvorhaben, in einem ersten Schritt kartographische Analyseverfahren für den Mars und die Asteroiden Ceres und Vesta entwickelt.
Mental arithmetic exhibits various biases. Among those is a tendency to overestimate addition and to underestimate subtraction outcomes. Does such “operational momentum” (OM) also affect multiplication and division? Twenty-six adults produced lines whose lengths corresponded to the correct outcomes of multiplication and division problems shown in symbolic format. We found a reliable tendency to over-estimate division outcomes, i.e., reverse OM. We suggest that anchoring on the first operand (a tendency to use this number as a reference for further quantitative reasoning) contributes to cognitive biases in mental arithmetic.
Background
Non-typhoid Salmonella Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) accounts for a high number of registered salmonellosis cases, and O-serotyping is one important tool for monitoring epidemiology and spread of the disease. Moreover, variations in glucosylated O-antigens are related to immunogenicity and spread in the host. However, classical autoagglutination tests combined with the analysis of specific genetic markers cannot always reliably register phase variable glucose modifications expressed on Salmonella O-antigens and additional tools to monitor O-antigen glucosylation phenotypes of S. Typhimurium would be desirable.
Results
We developed a test for the phase variable O-antigen glucosylation state of S. Typhimurium using the tailspike proteins (TSP) of Salmonella phages 9NA and P22. We used this ELISA like tailspike adsorption (ELITA) assay to analyze a library of 44 Salmonella strains. ELITA was successful in discriminating strains that carried glucose 1-6 linked to the galactose of O-polysaccharide backbone (serotype O1) from non-glucosylated strains. This was shown by O-antigen compositional analyses of the respective strains with mass spectrometry and capillary electrophoresis. The ELITA test worked rapidly in a microtiter plate format and was highly O-antigen specific. Moreover, TSP as probes could also detect glucosylated strains in flow cytometry and distinguish multiphasic cultures differing in their glucosylation state.
Conclusions
Tailspike proteins contain large binding sites with precisely defined specificities and are therefore promising tools to be included in serotyping procedures as rapid serotyping agents in addition to antibodies. In this study, 9NA and P22TSP as probes could specifically distinguish glucosylation phenotypes of Salmonella on microtiter plate assays and in flow cytometry. This opens the possibility for flow sorting of cell populations for subsequent genetic analyses or for monitoring phase variations during large scale O-antigen preparations necessary for vaccine production.
Laudatio
(2017)
Die Verwendung geographischer Namen in Karten und Atlanten ist ein in der
kartographischen Methodenlehre vernachlässigter Bereich, der aber Aufmerksamkeit
verdient, weil geographische Namen dort wichtige Funktionen erfüllen.
Sie identifizieren zwar nicht ein geographisches Objekt, erleichtern aber das
Kartenlesen, ermöglichen die Suche nach geographischen Objekten, weisen auf
Merkmale geographischer Objekte hin und lassen die kulturelle Einbettung eines
Ortes erkennen. Für Leser, denen der Name und der durch ihn bezeichnete Ort
bekannt sind, haben sie die zusätzliche Funktion von Etiketten und die Eigenschaft,
emotionale Bindungen zum Ort zu unterstützen. Es werden zudem sechs allgemeine
Grundsätze für die Verwendung von geographischen Namen in Atlanten genannt, ferner spezielle Grundsätze für die beiden Haupttypen von Atlanten, nämlich
wissenschaftliche Atlanten, die sich an ein internationales Publikum wenden, und populäre Atlanten, die v. a. ein heimisches Publikum ansprechen wollen.
Die vorliegende Arbeit trägt den Titel: Intellektuellen-Rolle in Günter Grass Werken : „Die Plebejer proben den Aufstand“(1966), „Örtlich betäubt“(1969), „Aus dem Tagebuch einer Schnecke“(1972), und „Ein weites Feld“(1995).
Das erste Kapitel befasst sich insgesamt mit drei Haupttiteln
II. Der Intellektuelle
II.1 Das allgemeine Umfeld
In diesem Teil der Dissertation sollen Aussagen getroffen werden, die auf folgende und weitere Fragen eine Antwort geben: Was ist ein Intellektueller? Wie kam der Begriff zustande? Gibt es Unterschiede zwischen den Intellektuellen und wie werden sie eingeteilt?
II.2 Das deutsche Umfeld
Die Behandlung des Nazisystems und dessen historische Hintergründe vermittelt bedeutsame Lehren. Aber wozu braucht man diese Lehren? Gibt es Spuren von Nationalsozialismus heutzutage? Wo waren die Intellektuellen bei der Bildung des Nationalsozialismus? Ist der Nationalsozialismus erst mit Hitler aufgetaucht? Wenn zuvor, in welcher Phase hat er sich im Bewusstsein der Deutschen verankert? Ob theoretische bzw. geistige Tendenzen dazu beigetragen haben?
II.3 Das Bild von Grass als Intellektueller
II.3.1 Positionierung
Eine Hauptthese für Grass intellektuelle Positionierung wird durch die Verbindung zwischen Grass’ Grundkonzeption der gesellschaftspolitischen Intellektualität und der Gruppe 47 ermittelt. Dann bezweckt die Behandlung von Grass Bild nach Erscheinen seines autobiographischen Werks: „Beim Häuten der Zwiebel“ (2006), dass seine Intellektualität nicht nur aus dem positiven, sondern auch aus dem negativen Profil beleuchtet wird.
Aus der Darstellung zahlreicher Ansichten von Günter Grass werden fünf thematische Kernpunkte als Konzepte behandelt. Unter jedem Konzept sollen spezifische Vorschläge zur gesellschaftlichen Positionierung aufgezeigt werden.
II.3.2 Grass’ politische Merkmale
Es handelt sich hier um die intellektuellen Charaktereigenschaften. Dadurch kommen manche Fragen zu Wort: Hat Günter Grass gesellschaftliche Aktivitäten? Hat er die Voraussetzungen dafür? Wie ist der Umfang seiner Aktivitäten? Hat die Gruppe 47 Einfluss auf Grass intellektuelle Merkmale? Steht bei Grass eine Methode der gesellschaftspolitischen Arbeit zur Verfügung?
Dann wird die politische Sprache von Günter Grass und ihre Wirkung auf den Rezipienten untersucht. Danach wird nach Grass’ Auffassung von der Revision gefragt und ob sie mit seiner Auffassung der Aufklärung zusammenpasst. Darauf wird die Funktion der Revision in seinem literarischen Werk und in seiner gesellschaftspolitischen Aktivität gezeigt.
Abschließend werden die Argumente seiner Intellektualität untersucht:
Wie hat Grass’ gesellschaftspolitische Aktivität den konkreten politischen Rahmen berücksichtigt? Um diese Frage zu beantworten, muss der Zusammenhang zwischen Politik und Moral verdeutlicht werden.
III. Historischer Kontext und Inhalt der Werke
Unter diesem Titel wird erstens der historische Zusammenhang der untersuchten Werke skizziert. Dann werden meistens durch Argumente aus jedem Werk selbst nicht nur der Kern des Werkes und sein Handlungsverlauf, sondern auch die dafür angewandte Methode dargestellt.
IV. Bezug der untersuchten Werke zu konkreten gesellschaftspolitischen Fragen
IV.1 Interaktionswege des Intellektuellen mit der Gesellschaft, vor allem beim Wandel gesellschaftspolitischer Prozesse
Zentralkonzepte des ersten Werkes sind: Vermittlung, Engagement, Solidarität und die Aktualität als Maßstab. Diese werden durch zwei Konzepte des zweiten Werkes: Appell an Generationen beim Wechsel und Zusammenhaltsprinzip an Revision gebunden, sowie durch die Behandlung vom Prozess der Meinungsbildung im vierten Werk ausgearbeitet.
IV.2 Thematische Aspekte zur Vermeidung eines Naziregimes
Aus den thematischen Perspektiven der drei letzten Werke geht eine bunte Sammlung intellektueller Konzepte aus, die zur Bekämpfung von Nazivorsprünge verwendet werden können.
V. Pädagogische Strategien der untersuchten Werke
Die pädagogischen Aspekte der untersuchten Werke sollen intellektuelle Werte vermitteln, die einen bedeutenden Beitrag zur Lösung gesellschaftspolitischer Probleme und Konflikte leisten.
VI. Entwicklung der literarischen und gesellschaftspolitischen Vision
Hier wird die Entwicklungslinie der gesellschaftspolitischen Vision in den untersuchten Werken verfolgt.
VII. Zur Rezeption der vier Werke
Durch die Auseinandersetzung mit der negativen Kritik wird angestrebt, ihre Subjektivität darzulegen, damit der gesellschaftspolitische Wert der vier Werke enthüllt wird.
Background: Although nowaday it is broadly accepted that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) may undergo recombination, the frequency of such recombination remains controversial. Its estimation is not straightforward, as recombination under homoplasmy (i.e., among identical mt genomes) is likely to be overlooked. In species with tandem duplications of large mtDNA fragments the detection of recombination can be facilitated, as it can lead to gene conversion among duplicates. Although the mechanisms for concerted evolution in mtDNA are not fully understood yet, recombination rates have been estimated from "one per speciation event" down to 850 years or even "during every replication cycle".
Results: Here we present the first complete mt genome of the avian family Bucerotidae, i.e., that of two Philippine hornbills, Aceros waldeni and Penelopides panini. The mt genomes are characterized by a tandemly duplicated region encompassing part of cytochrome b, 3 tRNAs, NADH6, and the control region. The duplicated fragments are identical to each other except for a short section in domain I and for the length of repeat motifs in domain III of the control region. Due to the heteroplasmy with regard to the number of these repeat motifs, there is some size variation in both genomes; with around 21,657 bp (A. waldeni) and 22,737 bp (P. panini), they significantly exceed the hitherto longest known avian mt genomes, that of the albatrosses. We discovered concerted evolution between the duplicated fragments within individuals. The existence of differences between individuals in coding genes as well as in the control region, which are maintained between duplicates, indicates that recombination apparently occurs frequently, i. e., in every generation.
Conclusions: The homogenised duplicates are interspersed by a short fragment which shows no sign of recombination. We hypothesize that this region corresponds to the so-called Replication Fork Barrier (RFB), which has been described from the chicken mitochondrial genome. As this RFB is supposed to halt replication, it offers a potential mechanistic explanation for frequent recombination in mitochondrial genomes.
Background: The Visayan Tarictic Hornbill (Penelopides panini) and the Walden's Hornbill (Aceros waldeni) are two threatened hornbill species endemic to the western islands of the Visayas that constitute - between Luzon and Mindanao - the central island group of the Philippine archipelago. In order to evaluate their genetic diversity and to support efforts towards their conservation, we analyzed genetic variation in similar to 600 base pairs (bp) of the mitochondrial control region I and at 12-19 nuclear microsatellite loci. The sampling covered extant populations, still occurring only on two islands (P. panini: Panay and Negros, A. waldeni: only Panay), and it was augmented with museum specimens of extinct populations from neighboring islands. For comparison, their less endangered (= more abundant) sister taxa, the Luzon Tarictic Hornbill (P. manillae) from the Luzon and Polillo Islands and the Writhed Hornbill (A. leucocephalus) from Mindanao Island, were also included in the study. We reconstructed the population history of the two Penelopides species and assessed the genetic population structure of the remaining wild populations in all four species.
Results: Mitochondrial and nuclear data concordantly show a clear genetic separation according to the island of origin in both Penelopides species, but also unravel sporadic over-water movements between islands. We found evidence that deforestation in the last century influenced these migratory events. Both classes of markers and the comparison to museum specimens reveal a genetic diversity loss in both Visayan hornbill species, P. panini and A. waldeni, as compared to their more abundant relatives. This might have been caused by local extinction of genetically differentiated populations together with the dramatic decline in the abundance of the extant populations.
Conclusions: We demonstrated a loss in genetic diversity of P. panini and A. waldeni as compared to their sister taxa P. manillae and A. leucocephalus. Because of the low potential for gene flow and population exchange across islands, saving of the remaining birds of almost extinct local populations - be it in the wild or in captivity - is particularly important to preserve the species' genetic potential.
The all-female Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa) is the result of a hybridization of the Atlantic molly (P. mexicana) and the sailfin molly (P. latipinna) approximately 120,000 years ago. As a gynogenetic species, P. formosa needs to copulate with heterospecific males including males from one of its bisexual ancestral species. However, the sperm only triggers embryogenesis of the diploid eggs. The genetic information of the sperm donor typically will not contribute to the next generation of P. formosa. Hence, P. formosa possesses generally one allele from each of its ancestral species at any genetic locus. This raises the question whether both ancestral alleles are equally expressed in P. formosa. Allele-specific expression (ASE) has been previously assessed in various organisms, e.g., human and fish, and ASE was found to be important in the context of phenotypic variability and disease. In this study, we utilized Real-Time PCR techniques to estimate ASE of the androgen receptor alpha (arα) gene in several distinct tissues of Amazon mollies. We found an allelic bias favoring the maternal ancestor (P. mexicana) allele in ovarian tissue. This allelic bias was not observed in the gill or the brain tissue. Sequencing of the promoter regions of both alleles revealed an association between an Indel in a known CpG island and differential expression. Future studies may reveal whether our observed cis-regulatory divergence is caused by an ovary-specific trans-regulatory element, preferentially activating the allele of the maternal ancestor.
Plants frequently have to weather both biotic and abiotic stressors, and have evolved sophisticated adaptation and defense mechanisms. In recent years, chromatin modifications, nucleosome positioning, and DNA methylation have been recognized as important components in these adaptations. Given their potential epigenetic nature, such modifications may provide a mechanistic basis for a stress memory, enabling plants to respond more efficiently to recurring stress or even to prepare their offspring for potential future assaults. In this review, we discuss both the involvement of chromatin in stress responses and the current evidence on somatic, intergenerational, and transgenerational stress memory.
Decades of research have demonstrated that physical stress (PS) stimulates bone remodeling and affects bone structure and function through complex mechanotransduction mechanisms. Recent research has laid ground to the hypothesis that mental stress (MS) also influences bone biology, eventually leading to osteoporosis and increased bone fracture risk. These effects are likely exerted by modulation of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity, resulting in an altered release of growth hormones, glucocorticoids and cytokines, as demonstrated in human and animal studies. Furthermore, molecular cross talk between mental and PS is thought to exist, with either synergistic or preventative effects on bone disease progression depending on the characteristics of the applied stressor. This mini review will explain the emerging concept of MS as an important player in bone adaptation and its potential cross talk with PS by summarizing the current state of knowledge, highlighting newly evolving notions (such as intergenerational transmission of stress and its epigenetic modifications affecting bone) and proposing new research directions.
Objectives: Chronic back pain (CBP) can lead to disability and burden. In addition to its medical causes, its development is influenced by psychosocial risk factors, the so-called flag factors, which are categorized and integrated into many treatment guidelines. Currently, most studies investigate single flag factors, which limit the estimation of individual factor significance in the development of chronic pain. Furthermore, factors concerning patients’ lifestyle, biography and treatment history are often neglected. Therefore, the objectives of the present study are to identify commonly neglected factors of CBP and integrate them into an analysis model comparing their significance with established flag factors.
Methods: A total of 24 patients and therapists were cross-sectionally interviewed to identify commonly neglected factors of CBP. Subsequently, the impact of these factors was surveyed in a longitudinal study. In two rehabilitation clinics, CBP patients (n = 145) were examined before and 6 months after a 3-week inpatient rehabilitation. Outcome variables, chronification factor pain experience (CF-PE) and chronification factor disability (CF-D), were ascertained with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of standardized questionnaires. Predictors were evaluated using stepwise calculations of simple and multiple regression models.
Results: Through interviews, medical history, iatrogenic factors, poor compliance, critical life events (LEs), social support (SS) type and effort–reward were identified as commonly neglected factors. However, only the final three held significance in comparison to established factors such as depression and pain-related cognitions. Longitudinally, lifestyle factors found to influence future pain were initial pain, physically demanding work, nicotine consumption, gender and rehabilitation clinic. LEs were unexpectedly found to be a strong predictor of future pain, as were the protective factors, reward at work and perceived SS.
Discussion: These findings shed insight regarding often overlooked factors in the development of CBP, suggesting that more detailed operationalization and superordinate frameworks would be beneficial to further research.
Conclusion: In particular, LEs should be taken into account in future research. Protective factors should be integrated in therapeutic settings.
A particular form of social pain is invalidation. Therefore, this study (a) investigates whether patients with chronic low back pain experience invalidation, (b) if it has an influence on their pain, and (c) explores whether various social sources (e.g. partner and work) influence physical pain differentially. A total of 92 patients completed questionnaires, and for analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficients and hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted. They indicated a significant association between discounting and disability due to pain (respective =.29, p>.05). Especially, discounting by partner was linked to higher disability (=.28, p>.05).
BACKGROUND: Reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤30% is the most powerful prognostic indicator for sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients after myocardial infarction (MI), but there are little data about long-term changes of LVEF after revascularization and the following implantation of a cardioverter defibrillator (ICD).
METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 277 patients with reduced LVEF at least 1month after MI and complete revascularization. Patients (median time post-MI 23.4months; 74.3% after PCI, 25.7% after CABG were assigned either to group 1 (LVEF<30%) or group 2 (LVEF 30-40%). Biplane echocardiography was redone after a mean follow-up of 441±220days.
RESULTS: LVEF increased significantly in both two groups (group 1: 26.2±4.8% to 32.4±8.5%; p<0.001; group 2: 38.2±2.5% to 44.4±9.6%; p<0.001). However, statistical analysis of first and second LVEF measurement by means of a LOWESS regression and with an appropriate correction of the regression towards the mean effect revealed only a moderate increase of the mean LVEF from 35 to 37% (p<0.001) with a large interindividual variation.
CONCLUSIONS: The impact of early revascularization on LVEF appears to be low in the majority of post-MI heart failure patients. Owing to the high variability, a single measurement may not be reliable enough to justify a decision on ICD indication.
This review analyzes the potential role and long-term effects of field perennial polycultures (mixtures) in agricultural systems, with the aim of reducing the trade-offs between provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. First, crop rotations are identified as a suitable tool for the assessment of the long-term effects of perennial polycultures on ecosystem services, which are not visible at the single-crop level. Second, the ability of perennial polycultures to support ecosystem services when used in crop rotations is quantified through eight agricultural ecosystem services. Legume-grass mixtures and wildflower mixtures are used as examples of perennial polycultures, and compared with silage maize as a typical crop for biomass production. Perennial polycultures enhance soil fertility, soil protection, climate regulation, pollination, pest and weed control, and landscape aesthetics compared with maize. They also score lower for biomass production compared with maize, which confirms the trade-off between provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. However, the additional positive factors provided by perennial polycultures, such as reduced costs for mineral fertilizer, pesticides, and soil tillage, and a significant preceding crop effect that increases the yields of subsequent crops, should be taken into account. However, a full assessment of agricultural ecosystem services requires a more holistic analysis that is beyond the capabilities of current frameworks.
Modifications of transfer RNA (tRNA) have been shown to play critical roles in the biogenesis, metabolism, structural stability and function of RNA molecules, and the specific modifications of nucleobases with sulfur atoms in tRNA are present in pro- and eukaryotes. Here, especially the thiomodifications xm(5)s(2)U at the wobble position 34 in tRNAs for Lys, Gln and Glu, were suggested to have an important role during the translation process by ensuring accurate deciphering of the genetic code and by stabilization of the tRNA structure. The trafficking and delivery of sulfur nucleosides is a complex process carried out by sulfur relay systems involving numerous proteins, which not only deliver sulfur to the specific tRNAs but also to other sulfur-containing molecules including iron-sulfur clusters, thiamin, biotin, lipoic acid and molybdopterin (MPT). Among the biosynthesis of these sulfur-containing molecules, the biosynthesis of the molybdenum cofactor (Moco) and the synthesis of thio-modified tRNAs in particular show a surprising link by sharing protein components for sulfur mobilization in pro- and eukaryotes.
Sequelae of prematurity triggered by oxidative stress and free radical-mediated tissue damage have coined the term "oxygen radical disease of prematurity". Caffeine, a potent free radical scavenger and adenosine receptor antagonist, reduces rates of brain damage in preterm infants. In the present study, we investigated the effects of caffeine on oxidative stress markers, anti-oxidative response, inflammation, redox-sensitive transcription factors, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix following the induction of hyperoxia in neonatal rats. The brain of a rat pups at postnatal Day 6 (P6) corresponds to that of a human fetal brain at 28-32 weeks gestation and the neonatal rat is an ideal model in which to investigate effects of oxidative stress and neuroprotection of caffeine on the developing brain. Six-day-old Wistar rats were pre-treated with caffeine and exposed to 80% oxygen for 24 and 48 h. Caffeine reduced oxidative stress marker (heme oxygenase-1, lipid peroxidation, hydrogen peroxide, and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC)), promoted anti-oxidative response (superoxide dismutase, peroxiredoxin 1, and sulfiredoxin 1), down-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines, modulated redox-sensitive transcription factor expression (Nrf2/Keap1, and NF kappa B), reduced pro-apoptotic effectors (poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), and caspase-3), and diminished extracellular matrix degeneration (matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2, and inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) 1/2). Our study affirms that caffeine is a pleiotropic neuroprotective drug in the developing brain due to its anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties.
Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have the potential to complement antibodies in bioanalysis, are more stable under harsh conditions, and are potentially cheaper to produce. However, the affinity and especially the selectivity of MIPs are in general lower than those of their biological pendants. Enzymes are useful tools for the preparation of MIPs for both low and high-molecular weight targets: As a green alternative to the well-established methods of chemical polymerization, enzyme-initiated polymerization has been introduced and the removal of protein templates by proteases has been successfully applied. Furthermore, MIPs have been coupled with enzymes in order to enhance the analytical performance of biomimetic sensors: Enzymes have been used in MIP-sensors as tracers for the generation and amplification of the measuring signal. In addition, enzymatic pretreatment of an analyte can extend the analyte spectrum and eliminate interferences.
In assessing adolescent behavior difficulties, parents, teachers, and the adolescents themselves are key informants. However, substantial disagreement has been found between informants. Specifically, children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to overestimate their competencies, also known as “positive (illusionary) bias.” This study compared parent, teacher, and adolescent ratings of ADHD and other behavioral symptoms in a sample of 114 adolescents with ADHD. Further, the effect of cross-informant disagreement (CID) on treatment outcomes was investigated in a subsample of 54 adolescents who had undergone a training and coaching intervention. Overall, there was moderate agreement among informants. Parent and adolescent ratings were more strongly correlated with each other than with teacher ratings. The strongest discrepancy was found between teacher and adolescent ratings on prosocial behavior. This discrepancy explained 12% of the variance in parent-rated ADHD symptom severity after the intervention. The treatment was less effective in participants with high teacher-adolescent disagreement on prosocial behavior (d = 0.41) than with low disagreement (d = 0.98). These findings suggest that professionals working with adolescents with ADHD should consider multiple sources of information before initiating treatment and pay attention to cross-informant disagreements because these may indicate a risk of diminished treatment effects.
In October 2016, following a campaign led by Labour Peer Lord
Alfred Dubs, the first child asylum-seekers allowed entry to the UK
under new legislation (the ‘Dubs amendment’) arrived in England.
Their arrival was captured by a heavy media presence, and very
quickly doubts were raised by right-wing tabloids and politicians
about their age. In this article, I explore the arguments
underpinning the Dubs campaign and the media coverage of
the children’s arrival as a starting point for interrogating
representational practices around children who seek asylum. I
illustrate how the campaign was premised on a universal politics
of childhood that inadvertently laid down the terms on which
these children would be given protection, namely their innocence.
The universality of childhood fuels public sympathy for child
asylum-seekers, underlies the ‘child first, migrant second’
approach advocated by humanitarian organisations, and it was a
key argument in the ‘Dubs amendment’. Yet the campaign
highlights how representations of child asylum-seekers rely on
codes that operate to identify ‘unchildlike’ children. As I show, in
the context of the criminalisation of undocumented migrants‘,
childhood is no longer a stable category which guarantees
protection, but is subject to scrutiny and suspicion and can,
ultimately, be disproved.
Reaching the Sustainable Development Goals requires a fundamental socio-economic transformation accompanied by substantial investment in low-carbon infrastructure. Such a sustainability transition represents a non-marginal change, driven by behavioral factors and systemic interactions. However, typical economic models used to assess a sustainability transition focus on marginal changes around a local optimum, whichby constructionlead to negative effects. Thus, these models do not allow evaluating a sustainability transition that might have substantial positive effects. This paper examines which mechanisms need to be included in a standard computable general equilibrium model to overcome these limitations and to give a more comprehensive view of the effects of climate change mitigation. Simulation results show that, given an ambitious greenhouse gas emission constraint and a price of carbon, positive economic effects are possible if (1) technical progress results (partly) endogenously from the model and (2) a policy intervention triggering an increase of investment is introduced. Additionally, if (3) the investment behavior of firms is influenced by their sales expectations, the effects are amplified. The results provide suggestions for policy-makers, because the outcome indicates that investment-oriented climate policies can lead to more desirable outcomes in economic, social and environmental terms.
Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. It is known that GDM is associated with an altered placental function and changes in placental gene regulation. More recent studies demonstrated an involvement of epigenetic mechanisms. So far, the focus regarding placental epigenetic changes in GDM was set on gene-specific DNA methylation analyses. Studies that robustly investigated placental global DNA methylation are lacking. However, several studies showed that tissue-specific alterations in global DNA methylation are independently associated with type 2 diabetes. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize global placental DNA methylation by robustly measuring placental DNA 5-methylcytosine (5mC) content and to examine whether differences in placental global DNA methylation are associated with GDM.
Methods: Global DNA methylation was quantified by the current gold standard method, LC-MS/MS. In total, 1030 placental samples were analyzed in this single-center birth cohort study.
Results: Mothers with GDM displayed a significantly increased global placental DNA methylation (3.22 ± 0.63 vs. 3.00 ± 0.46 %; p = 0.013; ±SD). Bivariate logistic regression showed a highly significant positive correlation between global placental DNA methylation and the presence of GDM (p = 0.0009). Quintile stratification according to placental DNA 5mC levels revealed that the frequency of GDM was evenly distributed in quintiles 1–4 (2.9–5.3 %), whereas the frequency in the fifth quintile was significantly higher (10.7 %; p = 0.003). Bivariate logistic models adjusted for maternal age, BMI, ethnicity, recurrent miscarriages, and familiar diabetes predisposition clearly demonstrated an independent association between global placental DNA hypermethylation and GDM. Furthermore, an ANCOVA model considering known predictors of DNA methylation substantiated an independent association between GDM and placental DNA methylation.
Conclusions: This is the first study that employed a robust quantitative assessment of placental global DNA methylation in over a thousand placental samples. The study provides large scale evidence that placental global DNA hypermethylation is associated with GDM, independent of established risk factors.
Theoretischer Hintergrund: Einflüsse von therapeutenorientiertem Kompetenz-Feedback in der Psychotherapieausbildung wurden bislang wenig untersucht.
Fragestellung: Wie gehen Ausbildungstherapeuten mit Feedback um? Welchen Einfluss hat ein regelmäßiges Kompetenz-Feedback auf die Qualität psychotherapeutischer Behandlungen (insbesondere Therapiesitzungen, therapeutische Beziehung, Person des Therapeuten, Supervision)?
Methode: Elf Therapeuten wurden mithilfe eines halbstrukturierten Interviewleitfadens befragt. Die Auswertung erfolgte mittels qualitativer Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring (2015).
Ergebnisse: Das auf Basis der Interviews erstellte Kategoriensystem umfasste die Kategorien „Erwartungen an das Feedback“, „Wahrnehmung des Feedbacks“, „Verarbeitung von und Umgang mit Feedback“, „Folgen, Auswirkungen und Veränderungen durch Feedback“ sowie „Verbesserungswünsche“.
Schlussfolgerungen: Therapeuten streben eine Umsetzung des Feedbacks an, welches sich auf die Behandlung, die Supervision, die eigene Person und die therapeutische Beziehung auswirkt.
The ecological benefits of polyploidy are intensely debated. Some authors argue that plants with duplicated chromosome sets (polyploids) are more stress-resistant and superior colonizers and may thus outnumber their low ploidy conspecifics in more extreme habitats. Brachypodium distachyon (sensu lato), for example, a common annual grass in Israel and the entire Mediterranean basin, comprises three cytotypes of differing chromosome numbers that were recently proposed as distinct species. It was suggested that increased aridity increases the occurrence of its polyploid cytotype. Here, we tested at two spatial scales whether polyploid plants of B. distachyon s.l. are more frequently found in drier habitats in Israel. We collected a total of 430 specimens (i) along a largescale climatic gradient with 15 thoroughly selected sites (spanning 114–954 mm annual rainfall), and (ii) from corresponding Northern (more mesic) and Southern (more arid) hill slopes to assess the micro-climatic difference between contrasting exposures. Cytotypes were then determined via flow cytometry. Polyploid plants comprised 90% of all specimens and their proportion ranged between 0% and 100% per site. However, this proportion was not correlated with aridity along the large-scale gradient, nor were polyploids more frequently found on Southern exposures. Our results show for both spatial scales that increasing aridity is not the principal driver for the distribution of polyploids in B. distachyon s.l. in Israel. Notably, though, diploid plants were restricted essentially to four intermediate sites, while polyploids dominated the most arid and the most mesic sites. This, to some degree, clustered pattern suggests that the distribution of cytotypes is not entirely random and calls for future studies to assess further potential drivers.
Bobrowski hatte nach dem Abitur die Absicht geäußert, Kunstgeschichte zu studieren, doch Krieg und Kriegsgefangenschaft vereitelten seinen Plan: Der Wehrmachtsangehörige wurde einzig im Winter 1941/1942 für ein Studiensemester an der Universität Berlin vom Kriegsdienst freigestellt. Nachhaltig beeindruckt war Bobrowski insbesondere von der Vorlesung „Deutsche Kunst der Goethezeit“ des Lehrstuhlinhabers Wilhelm Pinder. Trotz eines grundlegenden Einflusses ist indessen zu keinem Zeitpunkt Pinders ideologischer Hintergrund in Bobrowskis Gedichten manifest geworden. Nach der Rückkehr aus sowjetischer Gefangenschaft an Weihnachten 1949 war für den mittlerweile Zweiunddreißigjährigen an ein Studium nicht mehr zu denken. Die lebenslange intermediale Auseinandersetzung mit Werken der bildenden Kunst in seinem Œuvre kann indessen als Ausdruck seiner vielfältigen kulturgeschichtlichen Interessen und Neigungen interpretiert werden. Die Lebensphasen des Dichters korrelieren mit einer motivischen Entwicklung seiner Bildgedichte: Insbesondere half ihm die unantastbare Ästhetik bedeutender Kunstwerke, das Grauen der letzten Kriegsjahre und die Entbehrungen in sowjetischer Kriegsgefangenschaft zu überwinden. Didaktisch-moralische Zielsetzungen prägten zunächst die in den Jahren nach seiner Heimkehr entstandenen Gedichte, bevor sich Bobrowski inhaltlich und formal von diesem Gedichttypus zu lösen vermochte und vermehrt Gedichte zu schreiben begann, die kulturgeschichtliche Dimensionen annahmen und historische, mythologische, biblische und religionsphilosophische Themen in epochenübergreifende Zusammenhänge stellten. Die Gedichte über die Künstler Jawlensky und Calder berühren gleichzeitig kulturlandschaftliche Aspekte. Im letzten Lebensjahrzehnt interessierte sich Bobrowski zunehmend für die Kunst des 20. Jahrhunderts, während die moderne Architektur aus seinem Werk ausgeklammert blieb.
Architektur bildet eine Leitmotivik in Bobrowskis lyrischem Werk. Die übertragene Bedeutungsebene der in den Gedichten benannten sakralen und profanen Einzelbauten, aber auch der städtischen und dörflichen Ensembles sowie einzelner Gebäudeteile, verändert sich mehrfach im Laufe der Jahre. Ausgehend von traditionellen, paargereimten Jugendgedichten in jambischem Versmaß, in denen architektonische Elemente Teil einer Wahrnehmung bilden, die alles Außerästhetische ausblendet, wandelt sich der Sinngehalt der Sakral- und Profanbauten in Bobrowskis lyrischem Werk ein erstes Mal während den Kriegsjahren in Russland, die der Wehrmachtsangehörige am Ilmensee verbracht hat. In den damals entstandenen Oden zeugen die architektonischen Relikte von Leid, Tod und Zerstörung. Noch fehlt indessen der später so zentrale Gedanke der Schuld, der erst im Rückblick auf jene Zeit in den Gedichten, die nach der Rückkehr aus der Kriegsgefangenschaft bis zu Bobrowskis frühem Tod entstanden sind, thematisiert worden ist.
Gegen Ende des Kriegs und in den Jahren der Kriegsgefangenschaft besinnt sich Bobrowski erneut auf Heimatthemen, und die Architektur in seinen Gedichten wird zu einem ästhetisch überhöhten Fluchtpunkt seiner Sehnsucht nach Ostpreußen und dem Memelgebiet. In Kriegsgefangenschaft tritt erstmals der Aspekt des Sublimen in seinen Gedichten auf, und zwar sowohl bezogen auf die Malerei als auch auf die Architektur. Dieser Gedanke wird einerseits nach der Rückkehr nach Berlin in den Gedichten über die Architektur gotischer Kathedralen und das bauliche Erbe des Klassizismus weitergesponnen, doch steht in den damals entstandenen Gedichten das Kulturerbe Europas auch für historisches Unrecht und eine schwere, weit zurückreichende Schuld.
Von dieser auf den ganzen Kontinent bezogenen Kritik wendet sich Bobrowski in den nachfolgenden Jahren ab und konzentriert sich auf die Schuld der Deutschen gegenüber den Völkern Osteuropas. Damit erhält auch die Architektur in seinen Gedichten eine neue Bedeutung. Die Relikte der Ritterburgen des deutschen Ordens zeugen von der Herrschaft der mittelalterlichen Eroberer und verschmelzen dabei mit der Natur: Das Zeichenhafte der Architektur wird Teil der Landschaft. Im letzten Lebensjahrzehnt entstehen vermehrt Gedichte, die sich auf Parkanlagen und städtische Grünräume beziehen.
Der Dichter hat sich nicht nur auf persönliche Erfahrungen, sondern mitunter auch auf Bildquellen abstützt, ohne dass er das Original je gesehen hätte. Nur schwer zugänglich sind die Gedichte über Chagall und Gauguin ohne die Erkenntnis, dass sie sich auf Bildvorlagen in schmalen, populärwissenschaftlichen Büchern beziehen, die Bobrowski jeweils kurz vor der Niederschrift der entsprechenden Gedichte erworben hat. Anders verhält es sich mit jenen russischen Kirchen, die Eingang in sein lyrisches Werk gefunden haben. Bobrowski hat sie alle selbst im Krieg gesehen, und die meisten scheinen noch heute zu bestehen und können mit einiger Sicherheit identifiziert werden, wozu auch die Briefe des Dichters aus jener Zeit beitragen.
School adjustment determines long-term adjustment in society. Yet, immigrant youth do better in some countries than in others. Drawing on acculturation research (Berry, 1997; Ward, 2001) and self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000), we investigated indirect effects of adolescent immigrants’ acculturation orientations on school adjustment (school-related attitudes, truancy, and mathematics achievement) through school belonging. Analyses were based on data from the Programme for International Student Assessment from six European countries, which were combined into three clusters based on their migrant integration and multicultural policies: Those with the most supportive policies (Belgium and Finland), those with moderately supportive policies (Italy and Portugal), and those with the most unsupportive policies (Denmark and Slovenia). In a multigroup path model, we confirmed most associations. As expected, mainstream orientation predicted higher belonging and better outcomes in all clusters, whereas the added value of students’ ethnic orientation was only observed in some clusters. Results are discussed in terms of differences in acculturative climate and policies between countries of settlement.
Schools are a major context for academic and socio-emotional development, but
also an important acculturative context. This is notably the case in adolescence,
which is a critical period for the development of a social and ethnic identity, as
well as moral reasoning and intergroup attitudes. How schools approach cultural
diversity issues is therefore likely to affect these developmental and acculturative
processes and adaptation outcomes. In the present article, the manifestation
and effects of the most prominent approaches to cultural diversity, namely
those guided by a perspective of equality and inclusion, and those guided by
a perspective of cultural pluralism, are reviewed and compared in the context
of multi-ethnic schools. The aim is to explore when and how the potential of
cultural diversity can best flourish, enhancing the academic and socio-emotional
development of culturally diverse students.
Across currents
(2017)
Einleitung: Die Erdnussallergie zählt zu den häufigsten Nahrungsmittelallergien im Kindesalter. Bereits kleine Mengen Erdnuss (EN) können zu schweren allergischen Reaktionen führen. EN ist der häufigste Auslöser einer lebensbedrohlichen Anaphylaxie bei Kindern und Jugendlichen. Im Gegensatz zu anderen frühkindlichen Nahrungsmittelallergien entwickeln Patienten mit einer EN-Allergie nur selten eine natürliche Toleranz. Seit mehreren Jahren wird daher an kausalen Therapiemöglichkeiten für EN-Allergiker, insbesondere an der oralen Immuntherapie (OIT), geforscht. Erste kleinere Studien zur OIT bei EN-Allergie zeigten erfolgsversprechende Ergebnisse. Im Rahmen einer randomisierten, doppelblind, Placebo-kontrollierten Studie mit größerer Fallzahl werden in der vorliegenden Arbeit die klinische Wirksamkeit und Sicherheit dieser Therapieoption bei Kindern mit EN-Allergie genauer evaluiert. Des Weiteren werden immunologische Veränderungen sowie die Lebensqualität und Therapiebelastung unter OIT untersucht.
Methoden: Kinder zwischen 3-18 Jahren mit einer IgE-vermittelten EN-Allergie wurden in die Studie eingeschlossen. Vor Beginn der OIT wurde eine orale Provokation mit EN durchgeführt. Die Patienten wurden 1:1 randomisiert und entsprechend der Verum- oder Placebogruppe zugeordnet. Begonnen wurde mit 2-120 mg EN bzw. Placebo pro Tag, abhängig von der Reaktionsdosis bei der oralen Provokation. Zunächst wurde die tägliche OIT-Dosis alle zwei Wochen über etwa 14 Monate langsam bis zu einer Erhaltungsdosis von mindestens 500 mg EN (= 125 mg EN-Protein, ~ 1 kleine EN) bzw. Placebo gesteigert. Die maximal erreichte Dosis wurde dann über zwei Monate täglich zu Hause verabreicht. Im Anschluss erfolgte erneut eine orale Provokation mit EN. Der primäre Endpunkt der Studie war die Anzahl an Patienten der Verum- und Placebogruppe, die unter oraler Provokation nach OIT ≥1200 mg EN vertrugen (=„partielle Desensibilisierung“). Sowohl vor als auch nach OIT wurde ein Hautpricktest mit EN durchgeführt und EN-spezifisches IgE und IgG4 im Serum bestimmt. Außerdem wurden die Basophilenaktivierung sowie die Ausschüttung von T-Zell-spezifischen Zytokinen nach Stimulation mit EN in vitro gemessen. Anhand von Fragebögen wurde die Lebensqualität vor und nach OIT sowie die Therapiebelastung während OIT erfasst.
Ergebnisse: 62 Patienten wurden in die Studie eingeschlossen und randomisiert. Nach etwa 16 Monaten unter OIT zeigten 74,2% (23/31) der Patienten der Verumgruppe und nur 16,1% (5/31) der Placebogruppe eine „partielle Desensibilisierung“ gegenüber EN (p<0,001). Im Median vertrugen Patienten der Verumgruppe 4000 mg EN (~8 kleine EN) unter der Provokation nach OIT wohingegen Patienten der Placebogruppe nur 80 mg EN (~1/6 kleine EN) vertrugen (p<0,001). Fast die Hälfte der Patienten der Verumgruppe (41,9%) tolerierten die Höchstdosis von 18 g EN unter Provokation („komplette Desensibilisierung“). Es zeigte sich ein vergleichbares Sicherheitsprofil unter Verum- und Placebo-OIT in Bezug auf objektive Nebenwirkungen. Unter Verum-OIT kam es jedoch signifikant häufiger zu subjektiven Nebenwirkungen wie oralem Juckreiz oder Bauchschmerzen im Vergleich zu Placebo (3,7% der Verum-OIT-Gaben vs. 0,5% der Placebo-OIT-Gaben, p<0,001). Drei Kinder der Verumgruppe (9,7%) und sieben Kinder der Placebogruppe (22,6%) beendeten die Studie vorzeitig, je zwei Patienten beider Gruppen aufgrund von Nebenwirkungen. Im Gegensatz zu Placebo, zeigten sich unter Verum-OIT signifikante immunologische Veränderungen. So kam es zu einer Abnahme des EN-spezifischen Quaddeldurchmessers im Hautpricktest, einem Anstieg der EN-spezifischen IgG4-Werte im Serum sowie zu einer verminderten EN-spezifischen Zytokinsekretion, insbesondere der Th2-spezifischen Zytokine IL-4 und IL-5. Hinsichtlich der EN-spezifischen IgE-Werte sowie der EN-spezifischen Basophilenaktivierung zeigten sich hingegen keine Veränderungen unter OIT. Die Lebensqualität von Kindern der Verumgruppe war nach OIT signifikant verbessert, jedoch nicht bei Kindern der Placebogruppe. Während der OIT wurde die Therapie von fast allen Kindern (82%) und Müttern (82%) als positiv bewertet (= niedrige Therapiebelastung).
Diskussion: Die EN-OIT führte bei einem Großteil der EN-allergischen Kinder zu einer Desensibilisierung und einer deutlich erhöhten Reaktionsschwelle auf EN. Somit sind die Kinder im Alltag vor akzidentellen Reaktionen auf EN geschützt, was die Lebensqualität der Kinder deutlich verbessert. Unter den kontrollierten Studienbedingungen zeigte sich ein akzeptables Sicherheitsprofil, mit vorrangig milder Symptomatik. Die klinische Desensibilisierung ging mit Veränderungen auf immunologischer Ebene einher. Langzeitstudien zur EN-OIT müssen jedoch abgewartet werden, um die klinische und immunologische Wirksamkeit hinsichtlich einer möglichen langfristigen oralen Toleranzinduktion sowie die Sicherheit unter langfristiger OIT zu untersuchen, bevor das Therapiekonzept in die Praxis übertragen werden kann.
The purpose of the project was to develop the Discounting Inventory (DI), a measure of individual differences in delay, probability, effort, and social discounting, all related to behavioral impulsivity. Over 400 items relating to four types of discounting were generated. Next, a study followed by a series of psychometric analyses of data obtained from a group of 2843 individuals was conducted. Principal Component Analysis yielded a four-factor structure of data, reflecting the four types of discounting. The results of Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed good fit of the four-factor model to data. Through several iterations of retaining and deleting items on the basis of their component loadings, item intercorrelations, and contribution to coefficient alphas, the total number of items was reduced to 48. The final 48-item version of the inventory has satisfactory psychometric characteristics, including Cronbach’s alpha and test–retest stability. In addition, significant correlations were observed between the DI and traditional discounting instruments, suggesting that the DI measures a construct similar to the behavioral discounting process. The development of the tool was based on the assumption that discounting is a personality trait. However, the present data suggest that discounting may reflect more a state than trait function.
Cancer cachexia, of which the most notable symptom is severe and rapid weight loss, is present in the majority of patients with advanced cancer. Inflammatory mediators play an important role in the development of cachexia, envisaged as a chronic inflammatory syndrome. The white adipose tissue (WAT) is one of the first compartments affected in cancer cachexia and suffers a high rate of lipolysis. It secretes several cytokines capable of directly regulating intermediate metabolism. A common pathway in the regulation of the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in WAT is the activation of the nuclear transcription factor kappa-B (NF-κB). We have examined the gene expression of the subunits NF-κBp65 and NF-κBp50, as well as NF-κBp65 and NF-κBp50 binding, the gene expression of pro-inflammatory mediators under NF-κB control (IL-1β, IL-6, INF-γ, TNF-α, MCP-1), and its inhibitory protein, nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, alpha (IκB-α). The observational study involved 35 patients (control group, n = 12 and cancer group, n = 23, further divided into cachectic and non-cachectic). NF-κBp65 and its target genes expression (TNF-α, IL-1β, MCP-1 and IκB-α) were significantly higher in cachectic cancer patients. Moreover, NF-κBp65 gene expression correlated positively with the expression of its target genes. The results strongly suggest that the NF-κB pathway plays a role in the promotion of WAT inflammation during cachexia.
The transition from hunting and gathering to farming involved profound cultural and technological changes. In Western and Central Europe, these changes occurred rapidly and synchronously after the arrival of early farmers of Anatolian origin [1-3], who largely replaced the local Mesolithic hunter-gatherers [1, 4-6]. Further east, in the Baltic region, the transition was gradual, with little or no genetic input from incoming farmers [7]. Here we use ancient DNA to investigate the relationship between hunter-gatherers and farmers in the Lower Danube basin, a geographically intermediate area that is characterized by a rapid Neolithic transition but also by the presence of archaeological evidence that points to cultural exchange, and thus possible admixture, between hunter-gatherers and farmers. We recovered four human paleogenomes (1.13 to 4.13 coverage) from Romania spanning a time transect between 8.8 thousand years ago (kya) and 5.4 kya and supplemented them with two Mesolithic genomes (1.73- and 5.33) from Spain to provide further context on the genetic background of Mesolithic Europe. Our results show major Western hunter-gatherer (WHG) ancestry in a Romanian Eneolithic sample with a minor, but sizeable, contribution from Anatolian farmers, suggesting multiple admixture events between hunter-gatherers and farmers. Dietary stableisotope analysis of this sample suggests a mixed terrestrial/ aquatic diet. Our results provide support for complex interactions among hunter-gatherers and farmers in the Danube basin, demonstrating that in some regions, demic and cultural diffusion were not mutually exclusive, but merely the ends of a continuum for the process of Neolithization.
Palaeogenomes of Eurasian straight-tusked elephants challenge the current view of elephant evolution
(2017)
The straight-tusked elephants Palaeoloxodon spp. were widespread across Eurasia during the Pleistocene. Phylogenetic reconstructions using morphological traits have grouped them with Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), and many paleontologists place Palaeoloxodon within Elephas. Here, we report the recovery of full mitochondrial genomes from four and partial nuclear genomes from two P. antiquus fossils. These fossils were collected at two sites in Germany, Neumark-Nord and Weimar-Ehringsdorf, and likely date to interglacial periods similar to 120 and similar to 244 thousand years ago, respectively. Unexpectedly, nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analyses suggest that P. antiquus was a close relative of extant African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis). Species previously referred to Palaeoloxodon are thus most parsimoniously explained as having diverged from the lineage of Loxodonta, indicating that Loxodonta has not been constrained to Africa. Our results demonstrate that the current picture of elephant evolution is in need of substantial revision.
The present work will introduce a Finite State Machine (FSM) that processes any Collatz Sequence; further, we will endeavor to investigate its behavior in relationship to transformations of a special infinite input. Moreover, we will prove that the machine’s word transformation is equivalent to the standard Collatz number transformation and subsequently discuss the possibilities for use of this approach at solving similar problems. The benefit of this approach is that the investigation of the word transformation performed by the Finite State Machine is less complicated than the traditional number-theoretical transformation.
Background: The relative dose response (RDR) test, which quantifies the increase in serum retinol after vitamin A administration, is a qualitative measure of liver vitamin A stores. Particularly in preterm infants, the feasibility of the RDR test involving blood is critically dependent on small sample volumes. Objectives: This study aimed to assess whether the RDR calculated with retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) might be a substitute for the classical retinol-based RDR test for assessing vitamin A status in very preterm infants. Methods: This study included preterm infants with a birth weight below 1,500 g (n = 63, median birth weight 985 g, median gestational age 27.4 weeks) who were treated with 5,000 IU retinyl palmitate intramuscularly 3 times a week for 4 weeks. On day 3 (first vitamin A injection) and day 28 of life (last vitamin A injection), the RDR was calculated and compared using serum retinol and RBP4 concentrations. Results: The concentrations of retinol (p < 0.001) and RBP4 (p < 0.01) increased significantly from day 3 to day 28. On day 3, the median (IQR) retinol-RDR was 27% (8.4-42.5) and the median RBP4-RDR was 8.4% (-3.4 to 27.9), compared to 7.5% (-10.6 to 20.8) and -0.61% (-19.7 to 15.3) on day 28. The results for retinol-RDR and RBP4-RDR revealed no significant correlation. The agreement between retinol-RDR and RBP4-RDR was poor (day 3: Cohen's κ = 0.12; day 28: Cohen's κ = 0.18). Conclusion: The RDR test based on circulating RBP4 is unlikely to reflect the hepatic vitamin A status in preterm infants.
Editorial
(2017)
This study combines spaceborne multitemporal and hyperspectral data to analyze the spatial distribution of surface evaporite minerals and changes in a semi-arid depositional environment associated with episodic flooding events, the Omongwa salt pan (Kalahari, Namibia). The dynamic of the surface crust is evaluated by a change-detection approach using the Iterative-reweighted Multivariate Alteration Detection (IR-MAD) based on the Landsat archive imagery from 1984 to 2015. The results show that the salt pan is a highly dynamic and heterogeneous landform. A change gradient is observed from very stable pan border to a highly dynamic central pan. On the basis of hyperspectral EO-1 Hyperion images, the current distribution of surface evaporite minerals is characterized using Spectral Mixture Analysis (SMA). Assessment of field and image endmembers revealed that the pan surface can be categorized into three major crust types based on diagnostic absorption features and mineralogical ground truth data. The mineralogical crust types are related to different zones of surface change as well as pan morphology that influences brine flow during the pan inundation and desiccation cycles. These combined information are used to spatially map depositional environments where the more dynamic halite crust concentrates in lower areas although stable gypsum and calcite/sepiolite crusts appear in higher elevated areas.
Im kognitiven Vulnerabilitäts-Stress-Modell der Depression von A.T. Beck (1967, 1976) spielen dysfunktionale Einstellungen bei der Entstehung von Depression in Folge von erlebtem Stress eine zentrale Rolle. Diese Theorie prägt seit Jahrzehnten die ätiologische Erforschung der Depression, jedoch ist die Bedeutung dysfunktionaler Einstellungen im Prozess der Entstehung einer Depression insbesondere im Kindes- und Jugendalter nach wie vor unklar. Die vorliegende Arbeit widmet sich einigen in der bisherigen Forschung wenig behandelten Fragen. Diese betreffen u. a. die Möglichkeit nichtlinearer Effekte dysfunktionaler Einstellungen, Auswirkungen einer Stichprobenselektion, Entwicklungseffekte sowie die Spezifität etwaiger Zusammenhänge für eine depressive Symptomatik.
Zur Beantwortung dieser Fragen wurden Daten von zwei Messzeitpunkten der PIER-Studie, eines großangelegten Längsschnittprojekts über Entwicklungsrisiken im Kindes- und Jugendalter, genutzt. Kinder und Jugendliche im Alter von 9 bis 18 Jahren berichteten zweimal im Abstand von ca. 20 Monaten im Selbstberichtsverfahren über ihre dysfunktionalen Einstellungen, Symptome aus verschiedenen Störungsbereichen sowie über eingetretene Lebensereignisse.
Die Ergebnisse liefern Evidenz für ein Schwellenmodell, in dem dysfunktionale Einstellungen unabhängig von Alter und Geschlecht nur im höheren Ausprägungsbereich eine Wirkung als Vulnerabilitätsfaktor zeigen, während im niedrigen Ausprägungsbereich keine Zusammenhänge zur späteren Depressivität bestehen. Eine Wirkung als Vulnerabilitätsfaktor war zudem nur in der Subgruppe der anfänglich weitgehend symptomfreien Kinder und Jugendlichen zu beobachten. Das Schwellenmodell erwies sich als spezifisch für eine depressive Symptomatik, es zeigten sich jedoch auch (teilweise ebenfalls nichtlineare) Effekte dysfunktionaler Einstellungen auf die Entwicklung von Essstörungssymptomen und aggressivem Verhalten. Bei 9- bis 13-jährigen Jungen standen dysfunktionale Einstellungen zudem in Zusammenhang mit einer Tendenz, Stress in Leistungskontexten herbeizuführen.
Zusammen mit den von Sahyazici-Knaak (2015) berichteten Ergebnissen aus der PIER-Studie weisen die Befunde darauf hin, dass dysfunktionale Einstellungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter – je nach betrachteter Subgruppe – Ursache, Symptom und Konsequenz der Depression darstellen können. Die in der vorliegenden Arbeit gezeigten nichtlinearen Effekte dysfunktionaler Einstellungen und die Effekte der Stichprobenselektion bieten eine zumindest teilweise Erklärung für die Heterogenität früherer Forschungsergebnisse. Insgesamt lassen sie auf komplexe – und nicht ausschließlich negative – Auswirkungen dysfunktionaler Einstellungen schließen. Für eine adäquate Beurteilung der „Dysfunktionalität“ der von A.T. Beck so betitelten Einstellungen erscheint daher eine Berücksichtigung der betrachteten Personengruppe, der absoluten Ausprägungen und der fraglichen Symptomgruppen geboten.
Advanced mechatronic systems have to integrate existing technologies from mechanical, electrical and software engineering. They must be able to adapt their structure and behavior at runtime by reconfiguration to react flexibly to changes in the environment. Therefore, a tight integration of structural and behavioral models of the different domains is required. This integration results in complex reconfigurable hybrid systems, the execution logic of which cannot be addressed directly with existing standard modeling, simulation, and code-generation techniques. We present in this paper how our component-based approach for reconfigurable mechatronic systems, M ECHATRONIC UML, efficiently handles the complex interplay of discrete behavior and continuous behavior in a modular manner. In addition, its extension to even more flexible reconfiguration cases is presented.
Ist TTIP alternativlos?
(2017)
Literarische Spurensuche
(2017)
The aim of this thesis is to develop approaches to automatically recognise the structure of argumentation in short monological texts. This amounts to identifying the central claim of the text, supporting premises, possible objections, and counter-objections to these objections, and connecting them correspondingly to a structure that adequately describes the argumentation presented in the text.
The first step towards such an automatic analysis of the structure of argumentation is to know how to represent it. We systematically review the literature on theories of discourse, as well as on theories of the structure of argumentation against a set of requirements and desiderata, and identify the theory of J. B. Freeman (1991, 2011) as a suitable candidate to represent argumentation structure. Based on this, a scheme is derived that is able to represent complex argumentative structures and can cope with various segmentation issues typically occurring in authentic text.
In order to empirically test our scheme for reliability of annotation, we conduct several annotation experiments, the most important of which assesses the agreement in reconstructing argumentation structure. The results show that expert annotators produce very reliable annotations, while the results of non-expert annotators highly depend on their training in and commitment to the task.
We then introduce the 'microtext' corpus, a collection of short argumentative texts. We report on the creation, translation, and annotation of it and provide a variety of statistics. It is the first parallel corpus (with a German and English version) annotated with argumentation structure, and -- thanks to the work of our colleagues -- also the first annotated according to multiple theories of (global) discourse structure.
The corpus is then used to develop and evaluate approaches to automatically predict argumentation structures in a series of six studies: The first two of them focus on learning local models for different aspects of argumentation structure. In the third study, we develop the main approach proposed in this thesis for predicting globally optimal argumentation structures: the 'evidence graph' model. This model is then systematically compared to other approaches in the fourth study, and achieves state-of-the-art results on the microtext corpus. The remaining two studies aim to demonstrate the versatility and elegance of the proposed approach by predicting argumentation structures of different granularity from text, and finally by using it to translate rhetorical structure representations into argumentation structures.
We present an approach for reconstructing networks of pulse-coupled neuronlike oscillators from passive observation of pulse trains of all nodes. It is assumed that units are described by their phase response curves and that their phases are instantaneously reset by incoming pulses. Using an iterative procedure, we recover the properties of all nodes, namely their phase response curves and natural frequencies, as well as strengths of all directed connections.
Lafora disease (LD, OMIM #254780) is a rare, recessively inherited neurodegenerative disease with adolescent onset, resulting in progressive myoclonus epilepsy which is fatal usually within ten years of symptom onset. The disease is caused by loss-of-function mutations in either of the two genes EPM2A (laforin) or EPM2B (malin). It characteristically involves the accumulation of insoluble glycogen-derived particles, named Lafora bodies (LBs), which are considered neurotoxic and causative of the disease. The pathogenesis of LD is therefore centred on the question of how insoluble LBs emerge from soluble glycogen. Recent data clearly show that an abnormal glycogen chain length distribution, but neither hyperphosphorylation nor impairment of general autophagy, strictly correlates with glycogen accumulation and the presence of LBs. This review summarizes results obtained with patients, mouse models, and cell lines and consolidates apparent paradoxes in the LD literature. Based on the growing body of evidence, it proposes that LD is predominantly caused by an impairment in chain-length regulation affecting only a small proportion of the cellular glycogen. A better grasp of LD pathogenesis will further develop our understanding of glycogen metabolism and structure. It will also facilitate the development of clinical interventions that appropriately target the underlying cause of LD.
Throughout all different socio-historical tensions undergone by the Latin American modernit(ies), the literary-historical production as well as the reflection on the topic - regional, national, supranational and/or continental – have been part of the critical and intellectual itinerary of very significant political and cultural projects, whose particular development allows the analysis of the socio-discursive dynamics fulfilled by the literary historiography in the search of a historical conscience and representation of the esthetic-literary processes.
In present literary and cultural Central American literary studies, the academic thought on the development of the literary historiography has given place to some works whose main objects of study involve a significant corpus of national literature histories published mainly in the 20th century, between the forties and the eighties. Although these studies differ greatly from the vast academic production undertaken by the literary critics in the last two decades, the field of research of the literary historiography in Central America has made a theoretical-methodological effort, as of the eighties and until now, to analyze the local literary-historical productions.
However, this effort was carried out more systematically in the last five years of the 20th century, within the Central American democratic transition and post-war context, when a national, supra national and transnational model of literary history was boosted. This gave place to the creation and launching of the project Hacia una Historia de las Literaturas Centroamericanas (HILCAS) at the beginning of the new millennium.
Given the ideological relevance which the literary historiography has played in the process of the historical formation of the Hispano-American States, and whose philological tradition has also had an impact in the various Central American nation states, the emergence of this historiographic project marks an important rupture in relation with the national paradigms, and it is also manifested in a movement of transition and tension with regard to the new cultural, comparative and transareal dynamics, which seek to understand the geographical, transnational, medial and transdisciplinary movements within which the esthetic narrative processes and the idea and formation of a critical Central American subject gain shape.
Taking this aspect into account, our study puts forward as its main hypothesis that the historiographic thought developed as a consequence of the project Hacia una Historia de las Literaturas Centroamericanas (HILCAS) constitutes a socio-discursive practice, which reflects the formation of a historic-literary conscience and of a critical intellectual subject, an emergence that takes place between the mid-nineties and the first decade of the 21st century.
In this respect, and taking as a basis the general purpose of this investigation indicated before, the main justification for our object of study consists of making the Central American historiographic reflection visible as a part of the epistemological and cultural changes shown by the Latin American historiographic thought, and from which a new way of conceptualization of the space, the coexistence and the historic conscience emerge with regard to the esthetic-literary practices and processes.
Based on the field and hypothesis stated before, the general purpose of this research is framed by the socio-discursive dimension fulfilled by the Latin American literary historiography, and it aims to analyze the Central American historical-literary thought developed between the second half of the nineties and the beginning of the first decade of the 21st century.
Mundos comunes
(2017)
A partir de la constatación de una serie de movimientos y diálogos artísticos, correspondientes a las décadas del setenta y ochenta, su tesis doctoral interroga la noción de “lo latinoamericano” en el ámbito del arte y la cultura. La investigación realiza un “viaje recopilatorio” de documentos a través de distintas ciudades europeas que permiten problematizar el lugar, la comunidad y la memoria cultural de lo latinoamericano.
Khal Torabully
(2017)
Khal Torabully creates poetry and a poetics for those forgotten by history, a theorem and theory which construct a tangible and sensual landscape, allowing for an empathetically shared experience and expressing the dramatic climax of the third phase of accelerated globalization: a project that would be unthinkable without the cultural theory we now have at our disposal in the present surge of globalization. In his poetic and theoretical texts, he has paid a literary tribute to the Coolies, usually from India, but also China and many other countries. Given Torabully’s Mauritian roots, but also the worldwide migration of the Coolies themselves, the world of Coolitude is culturally and linguistically extremely diverse, making the act of translation very relevant and giving it multiple meanings. Literature brings these forgotten lives back to life and allows us to share this experience thanks to its aesthetic force. It traces the movements, which sketch trajectories functioning to this day as palimpsest-like vectors of our own paths and trajectories. The author of Chair Corail, Fragments Coolies breaks the chain of mutual exclusions, replacing it with a type of writing belonging to a wider array of expressive modes which in diasporic situations unleash polylogical and archipelagic imaginaries.
We studied the short- (12 h) and long-term (144 h) response of Daphnia pulex lipases to quality shifts in diets consisting of different mixtures of the green alga Scenedesmus with the cyanobacterium Synechococcus, two species with contrasting lipid compositions. The lipase/esterase activity in both the gut and the body tissues had fast responses to the diet shift and increased with higher dietary contributions of Synechococcus. When screening the Daphnia genome for TAG lipases, we discovered a large gene-family expansion of these enzymes. We used a subset of eight genes for mRNA expression analyses and distinguished between influences of time and diet on the observed gene expression patterns. We identified five diet-responsive lipases of which three showed a sophisticated short- and long-term pattern of expression in response to small changes in food-quality. Furthermore, the gene expression of one of the lipases was strongly correlated to lipase/esterase activity in the gut suggesting its potentially major role in digestion. These findings demonstrate that the lipid-related enzymatic machinery of D. pulex is finely tuned to diet and might constitute an important mechanism of physiological adaptation in nutritionally complex environments.
The widespread occurrence of melatonin in prokaryotes as well as eukaryotes indicates that this indoleamine is considerably old. This high evolutionary age has led to the development of diverse functions of melatonin in different organisms, such as the detoxification of reactive oxygen species and anti-stress effects. In insects, i.e. Drosophila, the addition of melatonin has also been shown to increase the life span of this arthropod, probably by reducing age-related increasing oxidative stress.
Although the presence of melatonin was recently found to exist in the ecological and toxicological model organism Daphnia, its function in this cladoceran has thus far not been addressed. Therefore, we challenged Daphnia with three different stressors in order to investigate potential stress-response attenuating effects of melatonin. i) Female and male daphnids were exposed to melatonin in a longevity experiment, ii) Daphnia were confronted with stress signals from the invertebrate predator Chaoborus sp., and iii) Daphnia were grown in high densities, i.e. under crowding-stress conditions.
Results
In our experiments we were able to show that longevity of daphnids was not affected by melatonin. Therefore, age-related increasing oxidative stress was probably not compensated by added melatonin. However, melatonin significantly attenuated Daphnia’ s response to acute predator stress, i.e. the formation of neckteeth which decrease the ability of the gape-limited predator Chaoborus sp. to handle their prey. In addition, melatonin decreased the extent of crowding-related production of resting eggs of Daphnia.
Conclusions
Our results confirm the effect of melatonin on inhibition of stress-signal responses of Daphnia. Until now, only a single study demonstrated melatonin effects on behavioral responses due to vertebrate kairomones, whereas we clearly show a more general effect of melatonin: i) on morphological predator defense induced by an invertebrate kairomone and ii) on life history characteristics transmitted by chemical cues from conspecifics. Therefore, we could generally confirm that melatonin plays a role in the attenuation of responses to different stressors in Daphnia.
Gegenstand der Dissertation ist die Präsentation von Kleidermode in ihr gewidmeten Sonderausstellungen, die in zunehmender Zahl seit den 1990er Jahren in musealen und musemsähnlichen Kontexten veranstaltet werden. Es geht darum, wie Modekörper und vestimentäre Artefakte in diesen Ausstellungen gezeigt werden und welche ästhetischen Erfahrungen sich für die RezipientInnen aus der jeweiligen Konstellation von vestimentärem Objekt und Inszenierungsmittel ergeben können. Das Augenmerk liegt auf der Spannung zwischen dem visuellen Imperativ musealer Zeigepraktiken und den multisensorischen Qualitäten der Kleidermode, v. a. jener hautsinnlichen, die sich aus dem unmittelbaren Kontakt zwischen Körper und Kleid ergeben.
Die zentrale These ist, dass sich das Hautsinnliche der Kleidermode trotz des Berührungsverbots in vielen Ausstellungsinszenierungen zeigen kann. D. h., dass – entgegen häufig wiederholter Behauptungen – ‚der Körper‘, das Tragen und die Bewegung nicht per se oder komplett aus den Kleidern gewichen sind, werden diese musealisiert und ausgestellt. Es findet eine Verschiebung des Körperlichen und Hautsinnlichen, wie das Anfassen, Tragen und Bewegen, in visuelle Darstellungsformen statt. Hautsinnliche Qualitäten der vestimentären Exponate können, auch in Abhängigkeit von den jeweils verwendeten Präsentationsmitteln, von den BesucherInnen in unterschiedlichen Abstufungen sehend oder buchstäblich gespürt werden.
An konkreten Beispielen wird zum einen das Verhältnis von ausgestelltem Kleid und Präsentationsmittel(n) in den Displays untersucht. Dabei stehen folgende Mittel im Fokus, mit deren Hilfe die vestimentären Exponate zur Schau gestellt werden: Vitrinen, Podeste, Ersatzkörper wie Mannequins, optische Hilfsmittel wie Lupen, Bildmedien oder (bewegte) Installationen. Zum anderen wird analysiert, welche Wirkungen die Arrangements jeweils erzielen oder verhindern können, und zwar in Hinblick auf mögliche ästhetische Erfahrungen, die taktilen, haptischen und kinästhetischen Qualitäten der Exponate als BesucherIn sehend oder buchstäblich zu fühlen oder zu spüren. Ob als Identifikation, Projektion, Haptic Vision – es handelt sich um ästhetische Erfahrungen, die sich aus den modischen Kompetenzen der BetrachterInnen speisen und bei denen sich Visuelles und Hautsinnliches oft überlagern.
In der Untersuchung wird eine vernachlässigte, wenn nicht gar unerwünschte Rezeptionsweise diskutiert, die von den AkteurInnen der spezifischen Debatte bspw. als konsumptives Sehen abgewertet wird. Die von mir vorgeschlagene, stärker differenzierende Perspektive ist zugleich eine Kritik an dem bisherigen Diskurs und seinem eng gefassten, teilweise elitären Verständnis von Museum, Bildung und Wissen, mit dem sich AkteurInnen und Institutionen abgrenzen. Der Spezialdiskurs über musealisierte und exponierte Kleidermode steht zudem exemplarisch für die Diskussion, was das Museum, verstanden als Institution, sein kann und soll(te) und ob (und wenn ja, wie) es sich überhaupt noch von anderen Orten und Räumen klar abgrenzen lässt.
Der konsularische Schutz
(2017)
Anlässlich der Zunahme von Entführungen deutscher Staatsangehöriger im Ausland und des im Jahr 2009 ergangenen Urteils des Bundesverwaltungsgerichts zu diesem Thema legt die vorliegende Arbeit eine detaillierte und umfassende Analyse der Rechtsgrundlagen für die Gewährung konsularischen Schutzes durch die Auslandsvertretungen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland vor.
Das erste Kapitel beinhaltet eine detaillierte Darstellung der sich aus dem Völker-, Europa- und Verfassungsrecht sowie aus dem Konsulargesetz ergebenen staatlichen Handlungspflichten sowie möglicher damit einhergehender Individualansprüche auf die Ausübung konsularischen Schutzes im Einzelfall.
Im zweiten Kapitel werden die Voraussetzungen der Gewährung konsularischen Schutzes nach dem Konsulargesetz dargestellt. Den Schwerpunkt bildet hierbei die Bestimmung des Anwendungsbereiches des § 5 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Konsulargesetz unter Berücksichtigung des Urteils des Bundesverwaltungsgerichtes vom 28.05.2009, welches nach Auffassung der Verfasserin den Anwendungsbereich dieser Norm verkennt. Bei § 5 Abs. 1 Satz 1 Konsulargesetz handelt es sich um eine besondere sozialhilferechtliche Norm außerhalb der SGB XII, welche die konsularische Hilfe allein in wirtschaftlichen Notlagen regelt.
Das dritte Kapitel analysiert die bestehenden Regelungen über die Erstattung der im Rahmen der Gewährung konsularischen Schutzes entstandenen Kosten und erklärt deren Systematik. Ferner erfolgt ein Ausblick auf die künftigen Regelungen der Kostenerstattung nach dem Bundesgebührengesetz sowie der damit einhergehenden Rechtsverordnung.
Zum Abschluss werden die Ergebnisse anhand eines historischen Falles zusammengefasst sowie ein Gesetzesvorschlag vorgestellt, welcher die gefundenen Unklarheiten und Unstimmigkeiten im Konsulargesetz beheben kann.
Borehole instabilities are frequently encountered when drilling through finely laminated, organic rich shales (Økland and Cook, 1998; Ottesen, 2010; etc.); such instabilities should be avoided to assure a successful exploitation and safe production of the contained unconventional hydrocarbons. Borehole instabilities, such as borehole breakouts or drilling induced tensile fractures, may lead to poor cementing of the borehole annulus, difficulties with recording and interpretation of geophysical logs, low directional control and in the worst case the loss of the well. If these problems are not recognized and expertly remedied, pollution of the groundwater or the emission of gases into the atmosphere can occur since the migration paths of the hydrocarbons in the subsurface are not yet fully understood (e.g., Davies et al., 2014; Zoback et al., 2010). In addition, it is often mentioned that the drilling problems encountered and the resulting downtimes of the wellbore system in finely laminated shales significantly increase drilling costs (Fjaer et al., 2008; Aadnoy and Ong, 2003).
In order to understand and reduce the borehole instabilities during drilling in unconventional shales, we investigate stress-induced irregular extensions of the borehole diameter, which are also referred to as borehole breakouts. For this purpose, experiments with different borehole diameters, bedding plane angles and stress boundary conditions were performed on finely laminated Posidonia shales. The Lower Jurassic Posidonia shale is one of the most productive source rocks for conventional reservoirs in Europe and has the greatest potential for unconventional oil and gas in Europe (Littke et al., 2011).
In this work, Posidonia shale specimens from the North (PN) and South (PS) German basins were selected and characterized petrophysically and mechanically. The composition of the two shales is dominated by calcite (47-56%) followed by clays (23-28%) and quartz (16-17%). The remaining components are mainly pyrite and organic matter. The porosity of the shales varies considerably and is up to 10% for PS and 1% for PN, which is due to a larger deposition depth of PN. Both shales show marked elasticity and strength anisotropy, which can be attributed to a macroscopic distribution and orientation of soft and hard minerals. Under load the hard minerals form a load-bearing, supporting structure, while the soft minerals compensate the deformation. Therefore, if loaded parallel to the bedding, the Posidonia shale is more brittle than loaded normal to the bedding. The resulting elastic anisotropy, which can be defined by the ratio of the modulus of elasticity parallel and normal to the bedding, is about 50%, while the strength anisotropy (i.e., the ratio of uniaxial compressive strength normal and parallel to the bedding) is up to 66%. Based on the petrophysical characterization of the two rocks, a transverse isotropy (TVI) was derived. In general, PS is softer and weaker than PN, which is due to the stronger compaction of the material due to the higher burial depth.
Conventional triaxial borehole breakout experiments on specimens with different borehole diameters showed that, when the diameter of the borehole is increased, the stress required to initiate borehole breakout decreases to a constant value. This value can be expressed as the ratio of the tangential stress and the uniaxial compressive strength of the rock. The ratio increases exponentially with decreasing borehole diameter from about 2.5 for a 10 mm diameter hole to ~ 7 for a 1 mm borehole (increase of initiation stress by 280%) and can be described by a fracture mechanic based criterion. The reduction in borehole diameter is therefore a considerable aspect in reducing the risk of breakouts. New drilling techniques with significantly reduced borehole diameters, such as "fish-bone" holes, are already underway and are currently being tested (e.g., Xing et al., 2012).
The observed strength anisotropy and the TVI material behavior are also reflected in the observed breakout processes at the borehole wall. Drill holes normal to the bedding develop breakouts in a plane of isotropy and are not affected by the strength or elasticity anisotropy. The observed breakouts are point-symmetric and form compressive shear failure planes, which can be predicted by a Mohr-Coulomb failure approach. If the shear failure planes intersect, conjugate breakouts can be described as "dog-eared” breakouts.
While the initiation of breakouts for wells oriented normal to the stratification has been triggered by random local defects, reduced strengths parallel to bedding planes are the starting point for breakouts for wells parallel to the bedding. In the case of a deflected borehole trajectory, therefore, the observed failure type changes from shear-induced failure surfaces to buckling failure of individual layer packages. In addition, the breakout depths and widths increased, resulting in a stress-induced enlargement of the borehole cross-section and an increased output of rock material into the borehole. With the transition from shear to buckling failure and changing bedding plane angle with respect to the borehole axis, the stress required for inducing wellbore breakouts drops by 65%.
These observations under conventional triaxial stress boundary conditions could also be confirmed under true triaxial stress conditions. Here breakouts grew into the rock as a result of buckling failure, too. In this process, the broken layer packs rotate into the pressure-free drill hole and detach themselves from the surrounding rock by tensile cracking. The final breakout shape in Posidonia shale can be described as trapezoidal when the bedding planes are parallel to the greatest horizontal stress and to the borehole axis. In the event that the largest horizontal stress is normal to the stratification, breakouts were formed entirely by shear fractures between the stratification and required higher stresses to initiate similar to breakouts in conventional triaxial experiments with boreholes oriented normal to the bedding.
In the content of this work, a fracture mechanics-based failure criterion for conventional triaxial loading conditions in isotropic rocks (Dresen et al., 2010) has been successfully extended to true triaxial loading conditions in the transverse isotropic rock to predict the initiation of borehole breakouts. The criterion was successfully verified on the experiments carried out.
The extended failure criterion and the conclusions from the laboratory and numerical work may help to reduce the risk of borehole breakouts in unconventional shales.
Alles auf (Studien)anfang!
(2017)
Introduction: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a major cause of disability; early diagnosis and stratification of care remain challenges.
Objectives: This article describes the development of a screening tool for the 1-year prognosis of patients with high chronic LBP risk (risk stratification index) and for treatment allocation according to treatment-modifiable yellow flag indicators (risk prevention indices, RPI-S).
Methods: Screening tools were derived from a multicentre longitudinal study (n = 1071, age >18, intermittent LBP). The greatest prognostic predictors of 4 flag domains ("pain," "distress," "social-environment," "medical care-environment") were determined using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis. Internal validity and prognosis error were evaluated after 1-year follow-up. Receiver operating characteristic curves for discrimination (area under the curve) and cutoff values were determined.
Results: The risk stratification index identified persons with increased risk of chronic LBP and accurately estimated expected pain intensity and disability on the Pain Grade Questionnaire (0-100 points) up to 1 year later with an average prognosis error of 15 points. In addition, 3-risk classes were discerned with an accuracy of area under the curve = 0.74 (95% confidence interval 0.63-0.85). The RPI-S also distinguished persons with potentially modifiable prognostic indicators from 4 flag domains and stratified allocation to biopsychosocial treatments accordingly.
Conclusion: The screening tools, developed in compliance with the PROGRESS and TRIPOD statements, revealed good validation and prognostic strength. These tools improve on existing screening tools because of their utility for secondary preventions, incorporation of exercise effect modifiers, exact pain estimations, and personalized allocation to multimodal treatments.
The unusual mix of morphological traits displayed by extinct South American native ungulates (SANUs) confounded both Charles Darwin, who first discovered them, and Richard Owen, who tried to resolve their relationships. Here we report an almost complete mitochondrial genome for the litoptern Macrauchenia. Our dated phylogenetic tree places Macrauchenia as sister to Perissodactyla, but close to the radiation of major lineages within Laurasiatheria. This position is consistent with a divergence estimate of B66Ma (95% credibility interval, 56.64-77.83 Ma) obtained for the split between Macrauchenia and other Panperissodactyla. Combined with their morphological distinctiveness, this evidence supports the positioning of Litopterna (possibly in company with other SANU groups) as a separate order within Laurasiatheria. We also show that, when using strict criteria, extinct taxa marked by deep divergence times and a lack of close living relatives may still be amenable to palaeogenomic analysis through iterative mapping against more distant relatives.
Objective: A key challenge in ancient DNA research is massive microbial DNA contamination from the deposition site which accumulates post mortem in the study organism’s remains. Two simple and cost-effective methods to enrich the relative endogenous fraction of DNA in ancient samples involve treatment of sample powder with either bleach or Proteinase K pre-digestion prior to DNA extraction. Both approaches have yielded promising but vary-ing results in other studies. Here, we contribute data on the performance of these methods using a comprehensive and systematic series of experiments applied to a single ancient bone fragment from a giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).Results: Bleach and pre-digestion treatments increased the endogenous DNA content up to ninefold. However, the absolute amount of DNA retrieved was dramatically reduced by all treatments. We also observed reduced DNA damage patterns in pre-treated libraries compared to untreated ones, resulting in longer mean fragment lengths and reduced thymine over-representation at fragment ends. Guanine–cytosine (GC) contents of both mapped and total reads are consistent between treatments and conform to general expectations, indicating no obvious biasing effect of the applied methods. Our results therefore confirm the value of bleach and pre-digestion as tools in palaeog-enomic studies, providing sufficient material is available.
The motivation of this work was to investigate the self-assembly of a block copolymer species that attended little attraction before, double hydrophilic block copolymers (DHBCs). DHBCs consist of two linear hydrophilic polymer blocks. The self-assembly of DHBCs towards suprastructures such as particles and vesicles is determined via a strong difference in hydrophilicity between the corresponding blocks leading to a microphase separation due to immiscibility. The benefits of DHBCs and the corresponding particles and vesicles, such as biocompatibility, high permeability towards water and hydrophilic compounds as well as the large amount of possible functionalizations that can be addressed to the block copolymers make the application of DHBC based structures a viable choice in biomedicine. In order to assess a route towards self-assembled structures from DHBCs that display the potential to act as cargos for future applications, several block copolymers containing two hydrophilic polymer blocks were synthesized. Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PEO-b-PVP) and Poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone-co-N-vinylimidazole) (PEO-b-P(VP-co-VIm) block copolymers were synthesized via reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) techniques starting from a PEO-macro chain transfer agent. The block copolymers displayed a concentration dependent self-assembly behavior in water which was determined via dynamic light scattering (DLS). It was possible to observe spherical particles via laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) and cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (cryo SEM) at highly concentrated solutions of PEO-b-PVP. Furthermore, a crosslinking strategy with (PEO-b-P(VP-co-VIm) was developed applying a diiodo derived crosslinker diethylene glycol bis(2-iodoethyl) ether to form quaternary amines at the VIm units. The formed crosslinked structures proved stability upon dilution and transfer into organic solvents. Moreover, self-assembly and crosslinking in DMF proved to be more advantageous and the crosslinked structures could be successfully transferred to aqueous solution. The afforded spherical submicron particles could be visualized via LSCM, cryo SEM and Cryo TEM.
Double hydrophilic pullulan-b-poly(acrylamide) block copolymers were synthesized via copper catalyzed alkyne azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) starting from suitable pullulan alkyne and azide functionalized poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (PDMA) and poly(N-ethylacrylamide) (PEA) homopolymers. The conjugation reaction was confirmed via SEC and 1H-NMR measurements. The self-assembly of the block copolymers was monitored with DLS and static light scattering (SLS) measurements indicating the presence of hollow spherical structures. Cryo SEM measurements could confirm the presence of vesicular structures for Pull-b-PEA block copolymers. Solutions of Pull-b-PDMA displayed particles in cryo SEM. Moreover, an end group functionalization of Pull-b-PDMA with Rhodamine B allowed assessing the structure via LSCM and hollow spherical structures were observed indicating the presence of vesicles, too.
An exemplified pathway towards a DHBC based drug delivery vehicle was demonstrated with the block copolymer Pull-b-PVP. The block copolymer was synthesized via RAFT/MADIX techniques starting from a pullulan chain transfer agent. Pull-b-PVP displayed a concentration dependent self-assembly in water with an efficiency superior to the PEO-b-PVP system, which could be observed via DLS. Cryo SEM and LSCM microscopy displayed the presence of spherical structures. In order to apply a reversible crosslinking strategy on the synthesized block copolymer, the pullulan block was selectively oxidized to dialdehydes with NaIO4. The oxidation of the block copolymer was confirmed via SEC and 1H-NMR measurements. The self-assembled and oxidized structures were subsequently crosslinked with cystamine dihiydrochloride, a pH and redox responsive crosslinker resulting in crosslinked vesicles which were observed via cryo SEM. The vesicular structures of crosslinked Pull-b-PVP could be disassembled by acid treatment or the application of the redox agent tris(2-carboxyethyl)-phosphin-hydrochloride. The successful disassembly was monitored with DLS measurements.
To conclude, self-assembled structures from DHBCs such as particles and vesicles display a strong potential to generate an impact on biomedicine and nanotechnologies. The variety of DHBC compositions and functionalities are very promising features for future applications.
In Zeiten eines sich schnell ändernden und vielseitigen Energiemarktes müssen Kohlenstoffmaterialien für verschiedene Anforderungen einsetzbar sein. Dies erfordert flexibel synthetisierbare Kohlenstoffmaterialien bevorzugt aus günstigen und nachhaltigen Kohlenstoffquellen. Es ist allerdings nicht leicht Vorläuferverbindungen auszumachen, welche sich einerseits für verschiedene Herstellungsverfahren eignen und deren Kohlenstoffprodukte andererseits in spezifischen Eigenschaften, wie der Struktur, des Stickstoffanteils, der Oberfläche und der Porengrößen, eingestellt werden können. In diesem Zusammenhang können natürliche Polyphenole, etwa überschüssige Tannine aus der Weinproduktion, eine neue Welt zu hoch funktionalen und vielseitig einstellbaren Kohlenstoffmaterialien mit hohen Ausbeuten öffnen.
Das Hauptziel dieser vorliegenden Thesis war es neue funktionale, einstellbare und skalierbare nanostrukturierte Kohlenstoffmaterialien aus Tanninen (insbesondere Tanninsäure) für unterschiedliche elektrochemische Zwecke zu synthetisieren und zu charakterisieren. Ermöglicht wurde dies durch unterschiedliche synthetische Herangehensweisen, wie etwa der polymeren Strukturdirektion, dem ionothermalen Templatieren und der weichen Templatierung. An Stelle des weitläufig gebräuchlichen, aber kanzerogenen Vernetzungsagens Formaldehyd wurden bei den vorgestellten Synthesen Harnstoff und Thioharnstoff gewählt, um zugleich die synthetisierten Kohlenmaterialien variabel dotieren zu können.
Daher wurden im ersten Teil der Arbeit die Wechselwirkungen, Reaktionen und thermischen Verhaltensweisen von Tanninsäure und Mixturen von Tanninsäure und Harnstoff bzw. Thioharnstoff untersucht, um daraus wichtige Erkenntnisse für die verschiedenen Kohlenstoffsynthesen zu gewinnen.
Durch die Verwendung eines polymeren Strukturierungsagenz Pluronic P123 konnten in einer ersten Kohlenstoffsynthese nachhaltige und dotierbare Kohlenstoffpartikel mit Durchmessern im Nanometerbereich aus Tanninsäure und Harnstoff hergestellt werden. Es konnte dabei gezeigt werden, dass durch die Modifikation der verschiedenen Syntheseparameter die Kohlenstoffnanopartikel gemäß ihres gemittelten Partikeldurchmessers, ihrer BET-Oberfläche, ihrer Komposition, ihrer Leitfähigkeit und ihrer chemischen Stabilität einstellbar sind. Dies eröffnete die Möglichkeit diese Kohlenstoffpartikel als alternatives und nachhaltiges Rußmaterial einzusetzen.
Weiterhin war es durch die ionothermale Templatierung möglich poröse, dotierte und kontrollierbare Kohlenstoffpartikel mit hohen spezifischen Oberflächen aus den gewählten Präkursorverbindungen zu synthetisieren, die sich für den Einsatz in Superkondensatoren eignen.
Auf diesen Erkenntnissen aufbauend konnten mittels der Rotationsbeschichtung poröse binderfreie und strukturierte Kohlenstofffilme synthetisiert werden, die eine spinodale Struktur aufwiesen. Anhand der Modifikation der Stammlösungskonzentration, der Rotationsgeschwindigkeit und der verwendeten Substrate konnten die Filmdicke (100-1000 nm), die Morphologie und Gesamtoberfläche gezielt beeinflusst werden. Die erweiterte elektrochemische Analyse zeigte außerdem ein sehr gut zugängliches Porensystem der porösen Kohlenstofffilme.
Allumfassend konnten demnach verschiedene Synthesewege für Kohlenstoffmaterialien aus Tanninen aufgezeigt werden, die verschiedenartig strukturiert und kontrolliert werden können und sich für diverse Anwendungsgebiete eignen.
Functional nanoporous carbon-based materials derived from oxocarbon-metal coordination complexes
(2017)
Nanoporous carbon based materials are of particular interest for both science and industry due to their exceptional properties such as a large surface area, high pore volume, high electroconductivity as well as high chemical and thermal stability. Benefiting from these advantageous properties, nanoporous carbons proved to be useful in various energy and environment related applications including energy storage and conversion, catalysis, gas sorption and separation technologies. The synthesis of nanoporous carbons classically involves thermal carbonization of the carbon precursors (e.g. phenolic resins, polyacrylonitrile, poly(vinyl alcohol) etc.) followed by an activation step and/or it makes use of classical hard or soft templates to obtain well-defined porous structures. However, these synthesis strategies are complicated and costly; and make use of hazardous chemicals, hindering their application for large-scale production. Furthermore, control over the carbon materials properties is challenging owing to the relatively unpredictable processes at the high carbonization temperatures.
In the present thesis, nanoporous carbon based materials are prepared by the direct heat treatment of crystalline precursor materials with pre-defined properties. This synthesis strategy does not require any additional carbon sources or classical hard- or soft templates. The highly stable and porous crystalline precursors are based on coordination compounds of the squarate and croconate ions with various divalent metal ions including Zn2+, Cu2+, Ni2+, and Co2+, respectively. Here, the structural properties of the crystals can be controlled by the choice of appropriate synthesis conditions such as the crystal aging temperature, the ligand/metal molar ratio, the metal ion, and the organic ligand system. In this context, the coordination of the squarate ions to Zn2+ yields porous 3D cube crystalline particles. The morphology of the cubes can be tuned from densely packed cubes with a smooth surface to cubes with intriguing micrometer-sized openings and voids which evolve on the centers of the low index faces as the crystal aging temperature is raised. By varying the molar ratio, the particle shape can be changed from truncated cubes to perfect cubes with right-angled edges.
These crystalline precursors can be easily transformed into the respective carbon based materials by heat treatment at elevated temperatures in a nitrogen atmosphere followed by a facile washing step. The resulting carbons are obtained in good yields and possess a hierarchical pore structure with well-organized and interconnected micro-, meso- and macropores. Moreover, high surface areas and large pore volumes of up to 1957 m2 g-1 and 2.31 cm3 g-1 are achieved, respectively, whereby the macroscopic structure of the precursors is preserved throughout the whole synthesis procedure.
Owing to these advantageous properties, the resulting carbon based materials represent promising supercapacitor electrode materials for energy storage applications. This is exemplarily demonstrated by employing the 3D hierarchical porous carbon cubes derived from squarate-zinc coordination compounds as electrode material showing a specific capacitance of 133 F g-1 in H2SO4 at a scan rate of 5 mV s-1 and retaining 67% of this specific capacitance when the scan rate is increased to 200 mV s-1.
In a further application, the porous carbon cubes derived from squarate-zinc coordination compounds are used as high surface area support material and decorated with nickel nanoparticles via an incipient wetness impregnation. The resulting composite material combines a high surface area, a hierarchical pore structure with high functionality and well-accessible pores. Moreover, owing to their regular micro-cube shape, they allow for a good packing of a fixed-bed flow reactor along with high column efficiency and a minimized pressure drop throughout the packed reactor. Therefore, the composite is employed as heterogeneous catalyst in the selective hydrogenation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2,5-dimethylfuran showing good catalytic performance and overcoming the conventional problem of column blocking.
Thinking about the rational design of 3D carbon geometries, the functions and properties of the resulting carbon-based materials can be further expanded by the rational introduction of heteroatoms (e.g. N, B, S, P, etc.) into the carbon structures in order to alter properties such as wettability, surface polarity as well as the electrochemical landscape. In this context, the use of crystalline materials based on oxocarbon-metal ion complexes can open a platform of highly functional materials for all processes that involve surface processes.
Development of a reliable and environmentally friendly synthesis for fluorescence carbon nanodots
(2017)
Carbon nanodots (CNDs) have generated considerable attention due to their promising properties, e.g. high water solubility, chemical inertness, resistance to photobleaching, high biocompatibility and ease of functionalization. These properties render them ideal for a wide range of functions, e.g. electrochemical applications, waste water treatment, (photo)catalysis, bio-imaging and bio-technology, as well as chemical sensing, and optoelectronic devices like LEDs. In particular, the ability to prepare CNDs from a wide range of accessible organic materials makes them a potential alternative for conventional organic dyes and semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) in various applications. However, current synthesis methods are typically expensive and depend on complex and time-consuming processes or severe synthesis conditions and toxic chemicals. One way to reduce overall preparation costs is the use of biological waste as starting material. Hence, natural carbon sources such as pomelo peal, egg white and egg yolk, orange juice, and even eggshells, to name a few; have been used for the preparation of CNDs. While the use of waste is desirable, especially to avoid competition with essential food production, most starting-materials lack the essential purity and structural homogeneity to obtain homogeneous carbon dots. Furthermore, most synthesis approaches reported to date require extensive purification steps and have resulted in carbon dots with heterogeneous photoluminescent properties and indefinite composition. For this reason, among others, the relationship between CND structure (e.g. size, edge shape, functional groups and overall composition) and photophysical properties is yet not fully understood. This is particularly true for carbon dots displaying selective luminescence (one of their most intriguing properties), i.e. their PL emission wavelength can be tuned by varying the excitation wavelength.
In this work, a new reliable, economic, and environmentally-friendly one-step synthesis is established to obtain CNDs with well-defined and reproducible photoluminescence (PL) properties via the microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment of starch, carboxylic acids and Tris-EDTA (TE) buffer as carbon- and nitrogen source, respectively. The presented microwave-assisted hydrothermal precursor carbonization (MW-hPC) is characterized by its cost-efficiency, simplicity, short reaction times, low environmental footprint, and high yields of approx. 80% (w/w). Furthermore, only a single synthesis step is necessary to obtain homogeneous water-soluble CNDs with no need for further purification.
Depending on starting materials and reaction conditions different types of CNDs have been prepared. The as-prepared CNDs exhibit reproducible, highly homogeneous and favourable PL properties with narrow emission bands (approx. 70nm FWHM), are non-blinking, and are ready to use without need for further purification, modification or surface passivation agents. Furthermore, the CNDs are comparatively small (approx. 2.0nm to 2.4nm) with narrow size distributions; are stable over a long period of time (at least one year), either in solution or as a dried solid; and maintain their PL properties when re-dispersed in solution. Depending on CND type, the PL quantum yield (PLQY) can be adjusted from as low as 1% to as high as 90%; one of the highest reported PLQY values (for CNDs) so far.
An essential part of this work was the utilization of a microwave synthesis reactor, allowing various batch sizes and precise control over reaction temperature and -time, pressure, and heating- and cooling rate, while also being safe to operate at elevated reaction conditions (e.g. 230 ±C and 30 bar). The hereby-achieved high sample throughput allowed, for the first time, the thorough investigation of a wide range of synthesis parameters, providing valuable insight into the CND formation. The influence of carbon- and nitrogen source, precursor concentration and -combination, reaction time and -temperature, batch size, and post-synthesis purification steps were carefully investigated regarding their influence on the optical properties of as-synthesized CNDs. In addition, the change in photophysical properties resulting from the conversion of CND solution into solid and back into the solution was investigated. Remarkably, upon freeze-drying the initial brown CND-solution turns into a non-fluorescent white/slightly yellow to brown solid which recovers PL in aqueous solution. Selected CND samples were also subject to EDX, FTIR, NMR, PL lifetime (TCSPC), particle size (TEM), TGA and XRD analysis. Besides structural characterization, the pH- and excitation dependent PL characteristics (i.e. selective luminescence) were examined; giving inside into the origin of photophysical properties and excitation dependent behaviour of CNDs. The obtained results support the notion that for CNDs the nature of the surface states determines the PL properties and that excitation dependent behaviour is caused by the “Giant Red-Edge Excitation Shift” (GREES).
Nanolenses are linear chains of differently-sized metal nanoparticles, which can theoretically provide extremely high field enhancements. The complex structure renders their synthesis challenging and has hampered closer analyses so far. Here, the technique of DNA origami was used to self-assemble DNA-coated 10 nm, 20 nm, and 60 nm gold or silver nanoparticles into gold or silver nanolenses. Three different geometrical arrangements of gold nanolenses were assembled, and for each of the three, sets of single gold nanolenses were investigated in detail by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, dark-field scattering and Raman spectroscopy. The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) capabilities of the single nanolenses were assessed by labelling the 10 nm gold nanoparticle selectively with dye molecules. The experimental data was complemented by finite-difference time-domain simulations. For those gold nanolenses which showed the strongest field enhancement, SERS signals from the two different internal gaps were compared by selectively placing probe dyes on the 20 nm or 60 nm gold particles. The highest enhancement was found for the gap between the 20 nm and 10 nm nanoparticle, which is indicative of a cascaded field enhancement. The protein streptavidin was labelled with alkyne groups and served as a biological model analyte, bound between the 20 nm and 10 nm particle of silver nanolenses. Thereby, a SERS signal from a single streptavidin could be detected. Background peaks observed in SERS measurements on single silver nanolenses could be attributed to amorphous carbon. It was shown that the amorphous carbon is generated in situ.