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Recent advances in single particle tracking and supercomputing techniques demonstrate the emergence of normal or anomalous, viscoelastic diffusion in conjunction with non-Gaussian distributions in soft, biological, and active matter systems. We here formulate a stochastic model based on a generalised Langevin equation in which non-Gaussian shapes of the probability density function and normal or anomalous diffusion have a common origin, namely a random parametrisation of the stochastic force. We perform a detailed analysis demonstrating how various types of parameter distributions for the memory kernel result in exponential, power law, or power-log law tails of the memory functions. The studied system is also shown to exhibit a further unusual property: the velocity has a Gaussian one point probability density but non-Gaussian joint distributions. This behaviour is reflected in the relaxation from a Gaussian to a non-Gaussian distribution observed for the position variable. We show that our theoretical results are in excellent agreement with stochastic simulations.
Landslides are frequent natural hazards in rugged terrain, when the resisting frictional force of the surface of rupture yields to the gravitational force. These forces are functions of geological and morphological factors, such as angle of internal friction, local slope gradient or curvature, which remain static over hundreds of years; whereas more dynamic triggering events, such as rainfall and earthquakes, compromise the force balance by temporarily reducing resisting forces or adding transient loads. This thesis investigates landslide distribution and orientation due to landslide triggers (e.g. rainfall) at different scales (6-4∙10^5 km^2) and aims to link rainfall movement with the landslide distribution. It additionally explores the local impacts of the extreme rainstorms on landsliding and the role of precursory stability conditions that could be induced by an earlier trigger, such as an earthquake.
Extreme rainfall is a common landslide trigger. Although several studies assessed rainfall intensity and duration to study the distribution of thus triggered landslides, only a few case studies quantified spatial rainfall patterns (i.e. orographic effect). Quantifying the regional trajectories of extreme rainfall could aid predicting landslide prone regions in Japan. To this end, I combined a non-linear correlation metric, namely event synchronization, and radial statistics to assess the general pattern of extreme rainfall tracks over distances of hundreds of kilometers using satellite based rainfall estimates. Results showed that, although the increase in rainfall intensity and duration positively correlates with landslide occurrence, the trajectories of typhoons and frontal storms were insufficient to explain landslide distribution in Japan. Extreme rainfall trajectories inclined northwestwards and were concentrated along some certain locations, such as coastlines of southern Japan, which was unnoticed in the landslide distribution of about 5000 rainfall-triggered landslides. These landslides seemed to respond to the mean annual rainfall rates.
Above mentioned findings suggest further investigation on a more local scale to better understand the mechanistic response of landscape to extreme rainfall in terms of landslides. On May 2016 intense rainfall struck southern Germany triggering high waters and landslides. The highest damage was reported at the Braunsbach, which is located on the tributary-mouth fan formed by the Orlacher Bach. Orlacher Bach is a ~3 km long creek that drains a catchment of about ~6 km^2. I visited this catchment in June 2016 and mapped 48 landslides along the creek. Such high landslide activity was not reported in the nearby catchments within ~3300 km^2, despite similar rainfall intensity and duration based on weather radar estimates. My hypothesis was that several landslides were triggered by rainfall-triggered flash floods that undercut hillslope toes along the Orlacher Bach. I found that morphometric features such as slope and curvature play an important role in landslide distribution on this micro scale study site (<10 km^2). In addition, the high number of landslides along the Orlacher Bach could also be boosted by accumulated damages on hillslopes due karst weathering over longer time scales.
Precursory damages on hillslopes could also be induced by past triggering events that effect landscape evolution, but this interaction is hard to assess independently from the latest trigger. For example, an earthquake might influence the evolution of a landscape decades long, besides its direct impacts, such as landslides that follow the earthquake. Here I studied the consequences of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake (MW 7.1) that triggered some 1500 landslides in an area of ~4000 km^2 in central Kyushu, Japan. Topography, i.e. local slope and curvature, both amplified and attenuated seismic waves, thus controlling the failure mechanism of those landslides (e.g. progressive). I found that topography fails in explaining the distribution and the preferred orientation of the landslides after the earthquake; instead the landslides were concentrated around the northeast of the rupture area and faced mostly normal to the rupture plane. This preferred location of the landslides was dominated mainly by the directivity effect of the strike-slip earthquake, which is the propagation of wave energy along the fault in the rupture direction; whereas amplitude variations of the seismic radiation altered the preferred orientation. I suspect that the earthquake directivity and the asymmetry of seismic radiation damaged hillslopes at those preferred locations increasing landslide susceptibility. Hence a future weak triggering event, e.g. scattered rainfall, could further trigger landslides at those damaged hillslopes.
Sub-seasonal thaw slump mass wasting is not consistently energy limited at the landscape scale
(2018)
Predicting future thaw slump activity requires a sound understanding of the atmospheric drivers and geomorphic controls on mass wasting across a range of timescales. On sub-seasonal timescales, sparse measurements indicate that mass wasting at active slumps is often limited by the energy available for melting ground ice, but other factors such as rainfall or the formation of an insulating veneer may also be relevant. To study the sub-seasonal drivers, we derive topographic changes from single-pass radar interferometric data acquired by the TanDEM-X satellites. The estimated elevation changes at 12m resolution complement the commonly observed planimetric retreat rates by providing information on volume losses. Their high vertical precision (around 30 cm), frequent observations (11 days) and large coverage (5000 km(2)) allow us to track mass wasting as drivers such as the available energy change during the summer of 2015 in two study regions. We find that thaw slumps in the Tuktoyaktuk coastlands, Canada, are not energy limited in June, as they undergo limited mass wasting (height loss of around 0 cm day 1) despite the ample available energy, suggesting the widespread presence of early season insulating snow or debris veneer. Later in summer, height losses generally increase (around 3 cm day 1), but they do so in distinct ways. For many slumps, mass wasting tracks the available energy, a temporal pattern that is also observed at coastal yedoma cliffs on the Bykovsky Peninsula, Russia. However, the other two common temporal trajectories are asynchronous with the available energy, as they track strong precipitation events or show a sudden speed-up in late August respectively. The observed temporal patterns are poorly related to slump characteristics like the headwall height. The contrasting temporal behaviour of nearby thaw slumps highlights the importance of complex local and temporally varying controls on mass wasting.
Necrotrophic as well as saprophytic small-spored Altemaria (A.) species are annually responsible for major losses of agricultural products, such as cereal crops, associated with the contamination of food and feedstuff with potential health-endangering Altemaria toxins. Knowledge of the metabolic capabilities of different species-groups to form mycotoxins is of importance for a reliable risk assessment. 93 Altemaria strains belonging to the four species groups Alternaria tenuissima, A. arborescens, A. altemata, and A. infectoria were isolated from winter wheat kernels harvested from fields in Germany and Russia and incubated under equal conditions. Chemical analysis by means of an HPLC-MS/MS multi-Alternaria-toxin-method showed that 95% of all strains were able to form at least one of the targeted 17 non-host specific Altemaria toxins. Simultaneous production of up to 15 (modified) Altemaria toxins by members of the A. tenuissima, A. arborescens, A. altemata species-groups and up to seven toxins by A. infectoria strains was demonstrated. Overall tenuazonic acid was the most extensively formed mycotoxin followed by alternariol and alternariol mono methylether, whereas altertoxin I was the most frequently detected toxin. Sulfoconjugated modifications of alternariol, alternariol mono methylether, altenuisol and altenuene were frequently determined. Unknown perylene quinone derivatives were additionally detected. Strains of the species-group A. infectoria could be segregated from strains of the other three species-groups due to significantly lower toxin levels and the specific production of infectopyrone. Apart from infectopyrone, alterperylenol was also frequently produced by 95% of the A. infectoria strains. Neither by the concentration nor by the composition of the targeted Altemaria toxins a differentiation between the species-groups A. altemata, A. tenuissima and A. arborescens was possible.
מחקר זה עוסק במשנתו החדשנית של ר' צדוק הכהן מלובלין. לפי רוב החוקרים, ר' צדוק ממשיך את משנת רבו, ר' מרדכי יוסף ליינער מאיזביצה, ומציג פטליזם אקזיסטנציאליסטי: לאדם יש חופש כנגד החוק המקובל, לפי רצון האל הנגלה בליבו, אפילו בתשוקותיו, החורג מההלכה; ואולם, האדם אינו קובע את הרצון המתגלה בשורש נשמתו, אלא חושפו בלבד. בכתבי ר' צדוק ניתן למצוא ביטויים רבים, בתוכן ובצורה, לפטליזם זה; עם זאת, הוא מציג גם התבטאויות רבות בדבר הבחירה האנושית החופשית וכוחה היצירתי לכונן ולקבוע את שורשו של האדם, ולחדש ולהשפיע על העולמות האלוקיים ועל העולם-הזה. מחקר זה מתמקד בקטעים אלו שמרכזיותם הוזנחה במחקר עד כה, ומכאן הבנתו המחודשת במשנתו.
את עמדת ר' צדוק ניתן להסביר באמצעות התפיסה הפרדוקסלית, הטוענת לכוחם המלא של שני הקטבים הסותרים ואף להשפעה הדדית ביניהם, היוצרת מתח קשה אך פורה: בניגוד לתהליך הפורמלי, האניטלקטואלי והאפריורי של הפטליזם, שבו 'הידיעה' האלוהית מבטלת את 'הבחירה' האנושית החופשית, ר' צדוק מציג פטאליות, המזהה המציאות עצמה את הידיעה והרצון האלוהיים המצויים בכל. בפטליות זו הידיעה אינה מבטלת את הבחירה; להיפך: ללא הידיעה האלוקית אין לאף דבר קיום, ולכן רק מציאות הידיעה בבחירה היא המאפשרת את קיומה הממשי.
תפיסתו האונטולוגית של ר' צדוק מתקיימת לא רק בתוכן הישיר של דבריו, אלא גם בעקיפין, באופן דרשנותו ובמובן שהוא מעניק למושגים שבהם הוא דן; לכן, הפטליות מתגלה גם בתחומים נוספים, שבהם מצוי פער בין הממד המוחלט וההכרחי ('ידיעה') לממד הקונטינגנטי, הארעי והיחסי ('בחירה'): השקר, הדמיון, הרוע, החטא, הייסורים ועוד, אמנם קונטינגנטיים ויחסיים לעומת מוחלטות האמת, הטוב וכו'; אך לפי ר' צדוק, האל רוצה בהם ככאלה – כלומר יש להם ממשות שאינה מוחלטת, אלא ממשות ככאלה, כקונטינגנטיים. אך ממשות זו אינה מאשרת אותם כפי שהם, אלא יוצרת בהם-עצמם טרנספורמציה. למשל, הרוע אינו הופך לטוב מוחלט או נותר כרוע, אלא הופך ל'טוב מאד' שלפי ר' צדוק גדול מהטוב הרגיל.
מכאן עולה גם ההשפעה ההפוכה, זו של הבחירה על הידיעה. לפי ר' צדוק, משקבלה הקונטינגנטיות והיחסיות של 'הבחירה' – שהיא למעשה מהות הבריאה ומהות האדם ומעשיו – את ממשותה, בכוחה אף להוסיף כביכול על המוחלטות האלוקית הקבועה של 'הידיעה': 'נגע' החטא או הייסורים הופך בעצמו, בחילוף אותם אותיות, ל'ענג' הגדול מההנאה הרגילה; בכוח האדם להשפיע על העולמות העליונים בגזירת גזירות ובביטול גזירות אלוקיות; בכוחו אף להשפיע על העולם-הזה, בחידושו היומיומי על-ידי חידושי התושב"ע, ובקידוש החודש המסוגל לשנות את תנועת המזלות השמימיים. מצד אחד, היצירתיות האנושית של חידושי התושב"ע כלולה באמת האלוקית הגנוזה בתושב"כ האלוקית והיא רק חושפת אותה; אך לפי ר"צ, מצד אחר מתברר שמקור חידושי התושב"ע דווקא גבוה ממקור התושב"כ והם אלו היוצרים וקובעים אותה.
ר' צדוק מציג שני מושגים מרכזיים לפרדוקס שלו: בממד האונטולוגי – 'הייחוד הגמור' של האל, שבו הדואליות הקונטינגנטית (בין האל לנבראיו, והבחירה שהיא מאפשרת) של 'הייחוד התחתון' מתקיימת פרדוקסלית עם האחדות המוחלטת ו'הידיעה' האלוהית של 'הייחוד העליון'.
בממד של מצבו האקזיסטנציאלי של האדם – 'השורש הנעלם': בניגוד לר' מרדכי יוסף רבו, ר' צדוק טוען שהאדם קובע את גורלו על-ידי מעשיו הבחיריים והקונטינגנטיים; ואולם, במקביל, בדומה לרבו, הוא טוען גם שהשורש הקבוע של האדם נקבע על-ידי 'הידיעה' האלוהית והיא זו הקובעת את מעשיו לטוב או למוטב. אך מעל אלו מציג ר' צדוק שורש נוסף, 'נעלם' הגבוה מהשורש הקבוע: הוא אכן שורש מוחלט ('ידיעה'), אך הוא נקבע ומכוּנן על-ידי מעשיו הבחיריים של האדם, בדומה לבריאה האלוהית 'יש מאין'.
In challenging times for international law, there might be a heightened need for both analysis and prescription. The international rule of law as a connecting thread that goes through the global legal order is a particularly salient topic. By providing a working understanding of the content and contexts of the international rule of law, and by taking the regime of international investment law as a case study, this paper argues that assessing 'rise' or 'decline' motions in this sphere warrants a nuanced approach that should recognise parallel positive and negative developments. Whilst prominent procedural and substantive aspects of international investment law strongly align with the international rule of law requirements, numerous challenges threaten the future existence of the regime and appeal of international rule of law more broadly. At the same time, opportunities exist to adapt the substantive decision-making processes in investor-State disputes so to pursue parallel goals of enhancing rule of law at both international and national levels. Through recognising the specificities of interaction between international and national sphere, arbitrators can further reinvigorate the legitimacy of international rule of law through international investment law - benefitting thus the future of both.
This study examined psychometric properties of figure rating scales, particularly the effects of ascending silhouette ordering, in 153 children, 9 to 13 years old. Two versions of Collins’s (1991) figural rating scale were presented: the original scale (figures arranged ascendingly) and a modified version (randomized figure ordering. Ratings of current and ideal figure were elicited and body dissatisfaction was calculated. All children were randomly assigned to one of two subgroups and completed both scale versions in a different sequence. There were no significant differences in figure selection and body dissatisfaction between the two figure orderings. Regarding the selection of the current figure, results showed that girls are more affected by the silhouette ordering than boys. Our results suggest that figure rating scales are both valid and reliable, whereby correlation coefficients reveal greater stability for ideal figure selections and body dissatisfaction ratings when using the scale with ascending figure ordering.
Portal Wissen = Language
(2018)
Language is perhaps the most universal tool of human beings. It enables us to express ourselves, to communicate and understand, to help and get help, to create and share togetherness.
However, that does not completely capture the value of language. “Language belongs to the character of man,” said the English philosopher Sir Francis Bacon. If you believe the poet Johann Gottfried von Herder, a human is “only a human through language”. Ultimately, this means that we live in our world not with, but in, language. We not only describe our reality by means of language, but language is the device through which we open up the world in the first place. It is always there and shapes and influences us and the way we perceive, analyze, describe and ultimately determine everything around us.
Since it is so deeply connected with human nature, it is hardly surprising that our language has always been in the center of academic research – and not only in those fields that bear the name linguistics. Philosophy and media studies, neurology and psychology, computer science and semiotics – all of them are based on linguistic structures and their premises and possibilities.
Since July 2017, a scientific network at the University of Potsdam has been working on exactly this interface: the Collaborative Research Center “Limits of Variability in Language” (SFB 1287), funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Linguists, computer scientists, psychologists, and neurologists examine where language is or is not flexible. They hope to find out more about individual languages and their connections.
In this issue of Portal Wissen, we asked SFB spokeswoman Isabell Wartenburger and deputy spokesman Malte Zimmermann to talk about language, its variability and limits, and how they investigate these aspects. We also look over the shoulders of two researchers who are working on sub-projects: Germanist Heike Wiese and her team examine whether the pandemonium of the many different languages spoken at a weekly market in Berlin is creating a new language with its own rules. Linguist Doreen Georgi embarks on a typological journey around the world comparing about 30 languages to find out if they have common limits.
We also want to introduce other research projects at the University of Potsdam and the people behind them. We talk to biologists about biodiversity and ecological dynamics, and the founders of the startup “visionYOU” explain how entrepreneurship can be combined with social responsibility. Other discussions center round the effective production of antibodies and the question of whether the continued use of smartphones will eventually make us speechless. But do not worry: we did not run out of words – the magazine is full of them!
Enjoy your reading!
The Editors
Portal Wissen = Sprache
(2018)
Sprache ist das vielleicht universellste Werkzeug, über das wir Menschen verfügen. Mit ihr können wir uns ausdrücken und mitteilen, verständigen und verstehen, helfen und Hilfe bekommen, ein Miteinander schaffen und daran teilhaben.
Doch damit ist der Wert von Sprache keineswegs vollständig erfasst. „Die Sprache gehört zum Charakter des Menschen“, meinte der englische Philosoph Sir Francis Bacon. Und glaubt man dem Dichter Johann Gottfried von Herder, ist der Mensch gar „Mensch nur durch Sprache“. Das bedeutet letztlich, wir sind in der Welt nicht mit, sondern in Sprache. Wir beschreiben unsere Wirklichkeit nicht allein mithilfe sprachlicher Mittel, Sprache ist die Brille, durch die wir uns die Welt überhaupt erschließen. Sie ist immer schon da und prägt uns und die Weise, wie wir alles um uns herum wahrnehmen und analysieren, beschreiben und letztlich auch bestimmen.
Derart tief mit dem Wesen des Menschen verbunden, wundert es kaum, dass unsere Sprache seit jeher im Fokus wissenschaftlicher Forschung steht. Und zwar nicht nur jener, die sich dem Namen nach als Sprachwissenschaft zu erkennen gibt. Philosophie und Medienwissenschaft, Neurologie und Psychologie, Informatik und Semiotik – sie alle gehen sprachlichen Strukturen, ihren Voraussetzungen und ihren Möglichkeiten nach.
Seit Juli 2017 arbeitet an genau dieser Schnittstelle an der Universität Potsdam ein wissenschaftliches Netzwerk: der von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) geförderte Sonderforschungsbereich „Grenzen der Variabilität in der Sprache“ (SFB 1287). Gemeinsam untersuchen darin Linguisten, Informatiker, Psychologen und Neurologen, wo Sprache flexibel ist – und wo nicht. Dadurch hoffen sie, nicht nur mehr über einzelne Sprachen herauszufinden, sondern auch, was sie verbindet.
In der vorliegenden Ausgabe der Portal Wissen haben wir die Sprecherin des SFB Isabell Wartenburger und ihrem Stellvertreter Malte Zimmermann gebeten, mit uns ins Gespräch zu kommen – über Sprache, ihre Variabilität, deren Grenzen und wie man beides erforscht. Außerdem haben wir zwei Wissenschaftlerinnen bei der Arbeit an ihren Teilprojekten über die Schulter geschaut: Die Germanistin Heike Wiese untersucht mit ihrem Team, ob auf einem Berliner Wochenmarkt, wo Sprachen aus fast allen Teilen der Welt zu hören sind, aus einem wilden Durcheinander eine neue Sprache mit eigenen Regeln entsteht. Und die Linguistin Doreen Georgi begibt sich auf eine typologische Weltreise, bei der sie rund 30 Sprachen miteinander vergleicht, um herauszufinden, ob sie gemeinsame Grenzen haben.
Zugleich wollen wir auch auf andere Forschungsprojekte an der Universität Potsdam und die Menschen dahinter zu sprechen kommen. So ließ uns ein Mathematiker erkennen, was Fußball mit Mathematik zu tun hat und warum diese Verbindung in der Schule gut ankommt. Außerdem sprachen wir mit einer Anglistin über afroamerikanische Literatur im 19. Jahrhundert, führte uns ein Chemiker durch das Gebiet der Angewandten Analytischen Photonik und eine Juristin erklärte uns den Unterschied zwischen dem französischen und dem deutschen Strafrecht. Wir diskutierten mit zwei Medienwissenschaftlern und einem Religionswissenschaftler über Computer- und Videospiele von ihren Anfängen bis heute und lernten von den Gründern des Start-ups „visionYOU“, wie sich Unternehmertum mit sozialer Verantwortung verbinden lässt. In vielen weiteren Gesprächen ging es unter anderem um Fernsehen 4.0, Artenvielfalt und ökologische Dynamik, ein Training zum achtsamen Essen, die effektive Produktion von Antikörpern und die Frage, ob uns die Dauernutzung von Smartphones am Ende sprachlos macht. Aber keine Angst: Uns sind die Worte nicht ausgegangen – das Heft ist voll davon! Viel Vergnügen beim Lesen!
Die Redaktion
This research addressed the question, if it is possible to simplify current microcontact printing systems for the production of anisotropic building blocks or patchy particles, by using common chemicals while still maintaining reproducibility, high precision and tunability of the Janus-balance
Chapter 2 introduced the microcontact printing materials as well as their defined electrostatic interactions. In particular polydimethylsiloxane stamps, silica particles and high molecular weight polyethylenimine ink were mainly used in this research. All of these components are commercially available in large quantities and affordable, which gives this approach a huge potential for further up-scaling developments. The benefits of polymeric over molecular inks was described including its flexible influence on the printing pressure. With this alteration of the µCP concept, a new method of solvent assisted particle release mechanism enabled the switch from two-dimensional surface modification to three-dimensional structure printing on colloidal silica particles, without changing printing parameters or starting materials. This effect opened the way to use the internal volume of the achieved patches for incorporation of nano additives, introducing additional physical properties into the patches without alteration of the surface chemistry.
The success of this system and its achievable range was further investigated in chapter 3 by giving detailed information about patch geometry parameters including diameter, thickness and yield. For this purpose, silica particles in a size range between 1µm and 5µm were printed with different ink concentrations to change the Janus-balance of these single patched particles. A necessary intermediate step, consisting of air-plasma treatment, for the production of trivalent particles using "sandwich" printing was discovered and comparative studies concerning the patch geometry of single and double patched particles were conducted. Additionally, the usage of structured PDMS stamps during printing was described. These results demonstrate the excellent precision of this approach and opens the pathway for even greater accuracy as further parameters can be finely tuned and investigated, e.g. humidity and temperature during stamp loading.
The performance of these synthesized anisotropic colloids was further investigated in chapter 4, starting with behaviour studies in alcoholic and aqueous dispersions. Here, the stability of the applied patches was studied in a broad pH range, discovering a release mechanism by disabling the electrostatic bonding between particle surface and polyelectrolyte ink. Furthermore, the absence of strong attractive forces between divalent particles in water was investigated using XPS measurements. These results lead to the conclusion that the transfer of small PDMS oligomers onto the patch surface is shielding charges, preventing colloidal agglomeration. However, based on this knowledge, further patch modifications for particle self-assembly were introduced including physical approaches using magnetic nano additives, chemical patch functionalization with avidin-biotin or the light responsive cyclodextrin-arylazopyrazoles coupling as well as particle surface modification for the synthesis of highly amphiphilic colloids. The successful coupling, its efficiency, stability and behaviour in different solvents were evaluated to find a suitable coupling system for future assembly experiments. Based on these results the possibility of more sophisticated structures by colloidal self-assembly is given.
Certain findings needed further analysis to understand their underlying mechanics, including the relatively broad patch diameter distribution and the decreasing patch thickness for smaller silica particles. Mathematical assumptions for both effects are introduced in chapter 5. First, they demonstrate the connection between the naturally occurring particle size distribution and the broadening of the patch diameter, indicating an even higher precision for this µCP approach. Second, explaining the increase of contact area between particle and ink surface due to higher particle packaging, leading to a decrease in printing pressure for smaller particles.
These calculations ultimately lead to the development of a new mechanical microcontact printing approach, using centrifugal forces for high pressure control and excellent parallel alignment of printing substrates. First results with this device and the comparison with previously conducted by-hand experiments conclude this research. It furthermore displays the advantages of such a device for future applications using a mechanical printing approach, especially for accessing even smaller nano particles with great precision and excellent yield.
In conclusion, this work demonstrates the successful adjustment of the µCP approach using commercially available and affordable silica particles and polyelectrolytes for high flexibility, reduced costs and higher scale-up value. Furthermore, its was possible to increase the modification potential by introducing three-dimensional patches for additional functionalization volume. While keeping a high colloidal stability, different coupling systems showed the self-assembly capabilities of this toolbox for anisotropic particles.
Draft Art. 15 CCAH attempts to strike a balance between State autonomy and robust judicial supervision. It largely follows Article 22 CERD conditioning the jurisdiction of the ICJ on prior negotiations. Hence, the substance of the clause is interpreted in light of the Court’s recent case law, especially Georgia v. Russia. Besides, several issues regarding the scope ratione temporis of the compromissory clause are discussed. The article advances several proposals to further improve the current draft, addressing the missing explicit reference to State responsibility, as well as the relationship between the Court and a possible treaty body, It also proposes to recalibrate the interplay of a requirement of prior negotiations respectively the seizing of a future treaty body on the one hand and provisional measures to be indicated by the Court on the other.
A doppelalgebra is an algebra defined on a vector space with two binary linear associative operations. Doppelalgebras play a prominent role in algebraic K-theory. We consider doppelsemigroups, that is, sets with two binary associative operations satisfying the axioms of a doppelalgebra. Doppelsemigroups are a generalization of semigroups and they have relationships with such algebraic structures as interassociative semigroups, restrictive bisemigroups, dimonoids, and trioids.
In the lecture notes numerous examples of doppelsemigroups and of strong doppelsemigroups are given. The independence of axioms of a strong doppelsemigroup is established. A free product in the variety of doppelsemigroups is presented. We also construct a free (strong) doppelsemigroup, a free commutative (strong) doppelsemigroup, a free n-nilpotent (strong) doppelsemigroup, a free n-dinilpotent (strong) doppelsemigroup, and a free left n-dinilpotent doppelsemigroup. Moreover, the least commutative congruence, the least n-nilpotent congruence, the least n-dinilpotent congruence on a free (strong) doppelsemigroup and the least left n-dinilpotent congruence on a free doppelsemigroup are characterized.
The book addresses graduate students, post-graduate students, researchers in algebra and interested readers.
Cell-free protein synthesis as a novel tool for directed glycoengineering of active erythropoietin
(2018)
As one of the most complex post-translational modification, glycosylation is widely involved in cell adhesion, cell proliferation and immune response. Nevertheless glycoproteins with an identical polypeptide backbone mostly differ in their glycosylation patterns. Due to this heterogeneity, the mapping of different glycosylation patterns to their associated function is nearly impossible. In the last years, glycoengineering tools including cell line engineering, chemoenzymatic remodeling and site-specific glycosylation have attracted increasing interest. The therapeutic hormone erythropoietin (EPO) has been investigated in particular by various groups to establish a production process resulting in a defined glycosylation pattern. However commercially available recombinant human EPO shows batch-to-batch variations in its glycoforms. Therefore we present an alternative method for the synthesis of active glycosylated EPO with an engineered O-glycosylation site by combining eukaryotic cell-free protein synthesis and site-directed incorporation of non-canonical amino acids with subsequent chemoselective modifications.
Background: Individuals with aphasia after stroke (IWA) often present with working memory (WM) deficits. Research investigating the relationship between WM and language abilities has led to the promising hypothesis that treatments of WM could lead to improvements in language, a phenomenon known as transfer. Although recent treatment protocols have been successful in improving WM, the evidence to date is scarce and the extent to which improvements in trained tasks of WM transfer to untrained memory tasks, spoken sentence comprehension, and functional communication is yet poorly understood.
Aims: We aimed at (a) investigating whether WM can be improved through an adaptive n-back training in IWA (Study 1–3); (b) testing whether WM training leads to near transfer to unpracticed WM tasks (Study 1–3), and far transfer to spoken sentence comprehension (Study 1–3), functional communication (Study 2–3), and memory in daily life in IWA (Study 2–3); and (c) evaluating the methodological quality of existing WM treatments in IWA (Study 3). To address these goals, we conducted two empirical studies – a case-controls study with Hungarian speaking IWA (Study 1) and a multiple baseline study with German speaking IWA (Study 2) – and a systematic review (Study 3).
Methods: In Study 1 and 2 participants with chronic, post-stroke aphasia performed an adaptive, computerized n-back training. ‘Adaptivity’ was implemented by adjusting the tasks’ difficulty level according to the participants’ performance, ensuring that they always practiced at an optimal level of difficulty. To assess the specificity of transfer effects and to better understand the underlying mechanisms of transfer on spoken sentence comprehension, we included an outcome measure testing specific syntactic structures that have been proposed to involve WM processes (e.g., non-canonical structures with varying complexity).
Results: We detected a mixed pattern of training and transfer effects across individuals: five participants out of six significantly improved in the n-back training. Our most important finding is that all six participants improved significantly in spoken sentence comprehension (i.e., far transfer effects). In addition, we also found far transfer to functional communication (in two participants out of three in Study 2) and everyday memory functioning (in all three participants in Study 2), and near transfer to unpracticed n-back tasks (in four participants out of six). Pooled data analysis of Study 1 and 2 showed a significant negative relationship between initial spoken sentence comprehension and the amount of improvement in this ability, suggesting that the more severe the participants’ spoken sentence comprehension deficit was at the beginning of training, the more they improved after training. Taken together, we detected both near far and transfer effects in our studies, but the effects varied across participants. The systematic review evaluating the methodological quality of existing WM treatments in stroke IWA (Study 3) showed poor internal and external validity across the included 17 studies. Poor internal validity was mainly due to use of inappropriate design, lack of randomization of study phases, lack of blinding of participants and/or assessors, and insufficient sampling. Low external validity was mainly related to incomplete information on the setting, lack of use of appropriate analysis or justification for the suitability of the analysis procedure used, and lack of replication across participants and/or behaviors. Results in terms of WM, spoken sentence comprehension, and reading are promising, but further studies with more rigorous methodology and stronger experimental control are needed to determine the beneficial effects of WM intervention.
Conclusions: Results of the empirical studies suggest that WM can be improved with a computerized and adaptive WM training, and improvements can lead to transfer effects to spoken sentence comprehension and functional communication in some individuals with chronic post-stroke aphasia. The fact that improvements were not specific to certain syntactic structures (i.e., non-canonical complex sentences) in spoken sentence comprehension suggest that WM is not involved in the online, automatic processing of syntactic information (i.e., parsing and interpretation), but plays a more general role in the later stage of spoken sentence comprehension (i.e., post-interpretive comprehension). The individual differences in treatment outcomes call for future research to clarify how far these results are generalizable to the population level of IWA. Future studies are needed to identify a few mechanisms that may generalize to at least a subpopulation of IWA as well as to investigate baseline non-linguistic cognitive and language abilities that may play a role in transfer effects and the maintenance of such effects. These may require larger yet homogenous samples.