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Linked Open Data (LOD) comprises very many and often large public data sets and knowledge bases. Those datasets are mostly presented in the RDF triple structure of subject, predicate, and object, where each triple represents a statement or fact. Unfortunately, the heterogeneity of available open data requires significant integration steps before it can be used in applications. Meta information, such as ontological definitions and exact range definitions of predicates, are desirable and ideally provided by an ontology. However in the context of LOD, ontologies are often incomplete or simply not available. Thus, it is useful to automatically generate meta information, such as ontological dependencies, range definitions, and topical classifications. Association rule mining, which was originally applied for sales analysis on transactional databases, is a promising and novel technique to explore such data. We designed an adaptation of this technique for min-ing Rdf data and introduce the concept of “mining configurations”, which allows us to mine RDF data sets in various ways. Different configurations enable us to identify schema and value dependencies that in combination result in interesting use cases. To this end, we present rule-based approaches for auto-completion, data enrichment, ontology improvement, and query relaxation. Auto-completion remedies the problem of inconsistent ontology usage, providing an editing user with a sorted list of commonly used predicates. A combination of different configurations step extends this approach to create completely new facts for a knowledge base. We present two approaches for fact generation, a user-based approach where a user selects the entity to be amended with new facts and a data-driven approach where an algorithm discovers entities that have to be amended with missing facts. As knowledge bases constantly grow and evolve, another approach to improve the usage of RDF data is to improve existing ontologies. Here, we present an association rule based approach to reconcile ontology and data. Interlacing different mining configurations, we infer an algorithm to discover synonymously used predicates. Those predicates can be used to expand query results and to support users during query formulation. We provide a wide range of experiments on real world datasets for each use case. The experiments and evaluations show the added value of association rule mining for the integration and usability of RDF data and confirm the appropriateness of our mining configuration methodology.
The objective and motivation behind this research is to provide applications with easy-to-use interfaces to communities of deaf and functionally illiterate users, which enables them to work without any human assistance. Although recent years have witnessed technological advancements, the availability of technology does not ensure accessibility to information and communication technologies (ICT). Extensive use of text from menus to document contents means that deaf or functionally illiterate can not access services implemented on most computer software. Consequently, most existing computer applications pose an accessibility barrier to those who are unable to read fluently. Online technologies intended for such groups should be developed in continuous partnership with primary users and include a thorough investigation into their limitations, requirements and usability barriers. In this research, I investigated existing tools in voice, web and other multimedia technologies to identify learning gaps and explored ways to enhance the information literacy for deaf and functionally illiterate users. I worked on the development of user-centered interfaces to increase the capabilities of deaf and low literacy users by enhancing lexical resources and by evaluating several multimedia interfaces for them. The interface of the platform-independent Italian Sign Language (LIS) Dictionary has been developed to enhance the lexical resources for deaf users. The Sign Language Dictionary accepts Italian lemmas as input and provides their representation in the Italian Sign Language as output. The Sign Language dictionary has 3082 signs as set of Avatar animations in which each sign is linked to a corresponding Italian lemma. I integrated the LIS lexical resources with MultiWordNet (MWN) database to form the first LIS MultiWordNet(LMWN). LMWN contains information about lexical relations between words, semantic relations between lexical concepts (synsets), correspondences between Italian and sign language lexical concepts and semantic fields (domains). The approach enhances the deaf users’ understanding of written Italian language and shows that a relatively small set of lexicon can cover a significant portion of MWN. Integration of LIS signs with MWN made it useful tool for computational linguistics and natural language processing. The rule-based translation process from written Italian text to LIS has been transformed into service-oriented system. The translation process is composed of various modules including parser, semantic interpreter, generator, and spatial allocation planner. This translation procedure has been implemented in the Java Application Building Center (jABC), which is a framework for extreme model driven design (XMDD). The XMDD approach focuses on bringing software development closer to conceptual design, so that the functionality of a software solution could be understood by someone who is unfamiliar with programming concepts. The transformation addresses the heterogeneity challenge and enhances the re-usability of the system. For enhancing the e-participation of functionally illiterate users, two detailed studies were conducted in the Republic of Rwanda. In the first study, the traditional (textual) interface was compared with the virtual character-based interactive interface. The study helped to identify usability barriers and users evaluated these interfaces according to three fundamental areas of usability, i.e. effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction. In another study, we developed four different interfaces to analyze the usability and effects of online assistance (consistent help) for functionally illiterate users and compared different help modes including textual, vocal and virtual character on the performance of semi-literate users. In our newly designed interfaces the instructions were automatically translated in Swahili language. All the interfaces were evaluated on the basis of task accomplishment, time consumption, System Usability Scale (SUS) rating and number of times the help was acquired. The results show that the performance of semi-literate users improved significantly when using the online assistance. The dissertation thus introduces a new development approach in which virtual characters are used as additional support for barely literate or naturally challenged users. Such components enhanced the application utility by offering a variety of services like translating contents in local language, providing additional vocal information, and performing automatic translation from text to sign language. Obviously, there is no such thing as one design solution that fits for all in the underlying domain. Context sensitivity, literacy and mental abilities are key factors on which I concentrated and the results emphasize that computer interfaces must be based on a thoughtful definition of target groups, purposes and objectives.
A dramatic efficiency improvement of bulk heterojunction solar cells based on electron-donating conjugated polymers in combination with soluble fullerene derivatives has been achieved over the past years. Certified and reported power conversion efficiencies now reach over 9% for single junctions and exceed the 10% benchmark for tandem solar cells. This trend brightens the vision of organic photovoltaics becoming competitive with inorganic solar cells including the realization of low-cost and large-area organic photovoltaics. For the best performing organic materials systems, the yield of charge generation can be very efficient. However, a detailed understanding of the free charge carrier generation mechanisms at the donor acceptor interface and the energy loss associated with it needs to be established. Moreover, organic solar cells are limited by the competition between charge extraction and free charge recombination, accounting for further efficiency losses. A conclusive picture and the development of precise methodologies for investigating the fundamental processes in organic solar cells are crucial for future material design, efficiency optimization, and the implementation of organic solar cells into commercial products.
In order to advance the development of organic photovoltaics, my thesis focuses on the comprehensive understanding of charge generation, recombination and extraction in organic bulk heterojunction solar cells summarized in 6 chapters on the cumulative basis of 7 individual publications.
The general motivation guiding this work was the realization of an efficient hybrid inorganic/organic tandem solar cell with sub-cells made from amorphous hydrogenated silicon and organic bulk heterojunctions. To realize this project aim, the focus was directed to the low band-gap copolymer PCPDTBT and its derivatives, resulting in the examination of the charge carrier dynamics in PCPDTBT:PC70BM blends in relation to by the blend morphology. The phase separation in this blend can be controlled by the processing additive diiodooctane, enhancing domain purity and size. The quantitative investigation of the free charge formation was realized by utilizing and improving the time delayed collection field technique. Interestingly, a pronounced field dependence of the free carrier generation for all blends is found, with the field dependence being stronger without the additive. Also, the bimolecular recombination coefficient for both blends is rather high and increases with decreasing internal field which we suggest to be caused by a negative field dependence of mobility. The additive speeds up charge extraction which is rationalized by the threefold increase in mobility.
By fluorine attachment within the electron deficient subunit of PCPDTBT, a new polymer F-PCPDTBT is designed. This new material is characterized by a stronger tendency to aggregate as compared to non-fluorinated PCPDTBT. Our measurements show that for F-PCPDTBT:PCBM blends the charge carrier generation becomes more efficient and the field-dependence of free charge carrier generation is weakened. The stronger tendency to aggregate induced by the fluorination also leads to increased polymer rich domains, accompanied in a threefold reduction in the non-geminate recombination coefficient at conditions of open circuit. The size of the polymer domains is nicely correlated to the field-dependence of charge generation and the Langevin reduction factor, which highlights the importance of the domain size and domain purity for efficient charge carrier generation. In total, fluorination of PCPDTBT causes the PCE to increase from 3.6 to 6.1% due to enhanced fill factor, short circuit current and open circuit voltage. Further optimization of the blend ratio, active layer thickness, and polymer molecular weight resulted in 6.6% efficiency for F-PCPDTBT:PC70BM solar cells.
Interestingly, the double fluorinated version 2F-PCPDTBT exhibited poorer FF despite a further reduction of geminate and non-geminate recombination losses. To further analyze this finding, a new technique is developed that measures the effective extraction mobility under charge carrier densities and electrical fields comparable to solar cell operation conditions. This method involves the bias enhanced charge extraction technique. With the knowledge of the carrier density under different electrical field and illumination conditions, a conclusive picture of the changes in charge carrier dynamics leading to differences in the fill factor upon fluorination of PCPDTBT is attained. The more efficient charge generation and reduced recombination with fluorination is counterbalanced by a decreased extraction mobility. Thus, the highest fill factor of 60% and efficiency of 6.6% is reached for F-PCPDTBT blends, while 2F-PCPDTBT blends have only moderate fill factors of 54% caused by the lower effective extraction mobility, limiting the efficiency to 6.5%.
To understand the details of the charge generation mechanism and the related losses, we evaluated the yield and field-dependence of free charge generation using time delayed collection field in combination with sensitive measurements of the external quantum efficiency and absorption coefficients for a variety of blends. Importantly, both the yield and field-dependence of free charge generation is found to be unaffected by excitation energy, including direct charge transfer excitation below the optical band gap. To access the non-detectable absorption at energies of the relaxed charge transfer emission, the absorption was reconstructed from the CT emission, induced via the recombination of thermalized charges in electroluminescence. For a variety of blends, the quantum yield at energies of charge transfer emission was identical to excitations with energies well above the optical band-gap. Thus, the generation proceeds via the split-up of the thermalized charge transfer states in working solar cells. Further measurements were conducted on blends with fine-tuned energy levels and similar blend morphologies by using different fullerene derivatives. A direct correlation between the efficiency of free carrier generation and the energy difference of the relaxed charge transfer state relative to the energy of the charge separated state is found. These findings open up new guidelines for future material design as new high efficiency materials require a minimum energetic offset between charge transfer and the charge separated state while keeping the HOMO level (and LUMO level) difference between donor and acceptor as small as possible.
Fusionen stellen einen zentralen Baustein der Industrieökonomik dar. In diesem Buch wird der Frage nachgegangen, welchen Einfluss die räumliche Dimension auf eine Fusion ausübt. Dabei wird ein Grundmodell entwickelt und über dieses hinaus eine Vielzahl Erweiterungen präsentiert. Der Leser erhält somit die Möglichkeit ein tiefes Verständnis für Fusionen bei räumlichem Wettbewerb zu erlangen.
Mathematical modeling of biological systems is a powerful tool to systematically investigate the functions of biological processes and their relationship with the environment. To obtain accurate and biologically interpretable predictions, a modeling framework has to be devised whose assumptions best approximate the examined scenario and which copes with the trade-off of complexity of the underlying mathematical description: with attention to detail or high coverage. Correspondingly, the system can be examined in detail on a smaller scale or in a simplified manner on a larger scale. In this thesis, the role of photosynthesis and its related biochemical processes in the context of plant metabolism was dissected by employing modeling approaches ranging from kinetic to stoichiometric models. The Calvin-Benson cycle, as primary pathway of carbon fixation in C3 plants, is the initial step for producing starch and sucrose, necessary for plant growth. Based on an integrative analysis for model ranking applied on the largest compendium of (kinetic) models for the Calvin-Benson cycle, those suitable for development of metabolic engineering strategies were identified. Driven by the question why starch rather than sucrose is the predominant transitory carbon storage in higher plants, the metabolic costs for their synthesis were examined. The incorporation of the maintenance costs for the involved enzymes provided a model-based support for the preference of starch as transitory carbon storage, by only exploiting the stoichiometry of synthesis pathways. Many photosynthetic organisms have to cope with processes which compete with carbon fixation, such as photorespiration whose impact on plant metabolism is still controversial. A systematic model-oriented review provided a detailed assessment for the role of this pathway in inhibiting the rate of carbon fixation, bridging carbon and nitrogen metabolism, shaping the C1 metabolism, and influencing redox signal transduction. The demand of understanding photosynthesis in its metabolic context calls for the examination of the related processes of the primary carbon metabolism. To this end, the Arabidopsis core model was assembled via a bottom-up approach. This large-scale model can be used to simulate photoautotrophic biomass production, as an indicator for plant growth, under so-called optimal, carbon-limiting and nitrogen-limiting growth conditions. Finally, the introduced model was employed to investigate the effects of the environment, in particular, nitrogen, carbon and energy sources, on the metabolic behavior. This resulted in a purely stoichiometry-based explanation for the experimental evidence for preferred simultaneous acquisition of nitrogen in both forms, as nitrate and ammonium, for optimal growth in various plant species. The findings presented in this thesis provide new insights into plant system's behavior, further support existing opinions for which mounting experimental evidences arise, and posit novel hypotheses for further directed large-scale experiments.
Adopting a minimalist framework, the dissertation provides an analysis for the syntactic structure of comparatives, with special attention paid to the derivation of the subclause. The proposed account explains how the comparative subclause is connected to the matrix clause, how the subclause is formed in the syntax and what additional processes contribute to its final structure. In addition, it casts light upon these problems in cross-linguistic terms and provides a model that allows for synchronic and diachronic differences. This also enables one to give a more adequate explanation for the phenomena found in English comparatives since the properties of English structures can then be linked to general settings of the language and hence need no longer be considered as idiosyncratic features of the grammar of English. First, the dissertation provides a unified analysis of degree expressions, relating the structure of comparatives to that of other degrees. It is shown that gradable adjectives are located within a degree phrase (DegP), which in turn projects a quantifier phrase (QP) and that these two functional layers are always present, irrespectively of whether there is a phonologically visible element in these layers. Second, the dissertation presents a novel analysis of Comparative Deletion by reducing it to an overtness constraint holding on operators: in this way, it is reduced to morphological differences and cross-linguistic variation is not conditioned by way of postulating an arbitrary parameter. Cross-linguistic differences are ultimately dependent on whether a language has overt operators equipped with the relevant – [+compr] and [+rel] – features. Third, the dissertation provides an adequate explanation for the phenomenon of Attributive Comparative Deletion, as attested in English, by way of relating it to the regular mechanism of Comparative Deletion. I assume that Attributive Comparative Deletion is not a universal phenomenon, and its presence in English can be conditioned by independent, more general rules, while the absence of such restrictions leads to its absence in other languages. Fourth, the dissertation accounts for certain phenomena related to diachronic changes, examining how the changes in the status of comparative operators led to changes in whether Comparative Deletion is attested in a given language: I argue that only operators without a lexical XP can be grammaticalised. The underlying mechanisms underlying are essentially general economy principles and hence the processes are not language-specific or exceptional. Fifth, the dissertation accounts for optional ellipsis processes that play a crucial role in the derivation of typical comparative subclauses. These processes are not directly related to the structure of degree expressions and hence the elimination of the quantified expression from the subclause; nevertheless, they are shown to be in interaction with the mechanisms underlying Comparative Deletion or the absence thereof.
The H.E.S.S. array is a third generation Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) array. It is located in the Khomas Highland in Namibia, and measures very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays. In Phase I, the array started data taking in 2004 with its four identical 13 m telescopes. Since then, H.E.S.S. has emerged as the most successful IACT experiment to date. Among the almost 150 sources of VHE gamma-ray radiation found so far, even the oldest detection, the Crab Nebula, keeps surprising the scientific community with unexplained phenomena such as the recently discovered very energetic flares of high energy gamma-ray radiation. During its most recent flare, which was detected by the Fermi satellite in March 2013, the Crab Nebula was simultaneously observed with the H.E.S.S. array for six nights. The results of the observations will be discussed in detail during the course of this work. During the nights of the flare, the new 24 m × 32 m H.E.S.S. II telescope was still being commissioned, but participated in the data taking for one night. To be able to reconstruct and analyze the data of the H.E.S.S. Phase II array, the algorithms and software used by the H.E.S.S. Phase I array had to be adapted. The most prominent advanced shower reconstruction technique developed by de Naurois and Rolland, the template-based model analysis, compares real shower images taken by the Cherenkov telescope cameras with shower templates obtained using a semi-analytical model. To find the best fitting image, and, therefore, the relevant parameters that describe the air shower best, a pixel-wise log-likelihood fit is done. The adaptation of this advanced shower reconstruction technique to the heterogeneous H.E.S.S. Phase II array for stereo events (i.e. air showers seen by at least two telescopes of any kind), its performance using MonteCarlo simulations as well as its application to real data will be described.
Planetary research is often user-based and requires considerable skill, time, and effort. Unfortunately, self-defined boundary conditions, definitions, and rules are often not documented or not easy to comprehend due to the complexity of research. This makes a comparison to other studies, or an extension of the already existing research, complicated. Comparisons are often distorted, because results rely on different, not well defined, or even unknown boundary conditions. The purpose of this research is to develop a standardized analysis method for planetary surfaces, which is adaptable to several research topics. The method provides a consistent quality of results. This also includes achieving reliable and comparable results and reducing the time and effort of conducting such studies. A standardized analysis method is provided by automated analysis tools that focus on statistical parameters. Specific key parameters and boundary conditions are defined for the tool application. The analysis relies on a database in which all key parameters are stored. These databases can be easily updated and adapted to various research questions. This increases the flexibility, reproducibility, and comparability of the research. However, the quality of the database and reliability of definitions directly influence the results. To ensure a high quality of results, the rules and definitions need to be well defined and based on previously conducted case studies. The tools then produce parameters, which are obtained by defined geostatistical techniques (measurements, calculations, classifications). The idea of an automated statistical analysis is tested to proof benefits but also potential problems of this method. In this study, I adapt automated tools for floor-fractured craters (FFCs) on Mars. These impact craters show a variety of surface features, occurring in different Martian environments, and having different fracturing origins. They provide a complex morphological and geological field of application. 433 FFCs are classified by the analysis tools due to their fracturing process. Spatial data, environmental context, and crater interior data are analyzed to distinguish between the processes involved in floor fracturing. Related geologic processes, such as glacial and fluvial activity, are too similar to be separately classified by the automated tools. Glacial and fluvial fracturing processes are merged together for the classification. The automated tools provide probability values for each origin model. To guarantee the quality and reliability of the results, classification tools need to achieve an origin probability above 50 %. This analysis method shows that 15 % of the FFCs are fractured by intrusive volcanism, 20 % by tectonic activity, and 43 % by water & ice related processes. In total, 75 % of the FFCs are classified to an origin type. This can be explained by a combination of origin models, superposition or erosion of key parameters, or an unknown fracturing model. Those features have to be manually analyzed in detail. Another possibility would be the improvement of key parameters and rules for the classification. This research shows that it is possible to conduct an automated statistical analysis of morphologic and geologic features based on analysis tools. Analysis tools provide additional information to the user and are therefore considered assistance systems.
Surface displacement at volcanic edifices is related to subsurface processes associated with magma movements, fluid transfers within the volcano edifice and gravity-driven deformation processes. Understanding of associated ground displacements is of importance for assessment of volcanic hazards. For example, volcanic unrest is often preceded by surface uplift, caused by magma intrusion and followed by subsidence, after the withdrawal of magma. Continuous monitoring of the surface displacement at volcanoes therefore might allow the forecasting of upcoming eruptions to some extent. In geophysics, the measured surface displacements allow the parameters of possible deformation sources to be estimated through analytical or numerical modeling. This is one way to improve the understanding of subsurface processes acting at volcanoes. Although the monitoring of volcanoes has significantly improved in the last decades (in terms of technical advancements and number of monitored volcanoes), the forecasting of volcanic eruptions remains puzzling. In this work I contribute towards the understanding of the subsurface processes at volcanoes and thus to the improvement of volcano eruption forecasting. I have investigated the displacement field of Llaima volcano in Chile and of Tendürek volcano in East Turkey by using synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR). Through modeling of the deformation sources with the extracted displacement data, it was possible to gain insights into potential subsurface processes occurring at these two volcanoes that had been barely studied before. The two volcanoes, although of very different origin, composition and geometry, both show a complexity of interacting deformation sources. At Llaima volcano, the InSAR technique was difficult to apply, due to the large decorrelation of the radar signal between the acquisition of images. I developed a model-based unwrapping scheme, which allows the production of reliable displacement maps at the volcano that I used for deformation source modeling. The modeling results show significant differences in pre- and post-eruptive magmatic deformation source parameters. Therefore, I conjecture that two magma chambers exist below Llaima volcano: a post-eruptive deep one and a shallow one possibly due to the pre-eruptive ascent of magma. Similar reservoir depths at Llaima have been confirmed by independent petrologic studies. These reservoirs are interpreted to be temporally coupled. At Tendürek volcano I have found long-term subsidence of the volcanic edifice, which can be described by a large, magmatic, sill-like source that is subject to cooling contraction. The displacement data in conjunction with high-resolution optical images, however, reveal arcuate fractures at the eastern and western flank of the volcano. These are most likely the surface expressions of concentric ring-faults around the volcanic edifice that show low magnitudes of slip over a long time. This might be an alternative mechanism for the development of large caldera structures, which are so far assumed to be generated during large catastrophic collapse events. To investigate the potential subsurface geometry and relation of the two proposed interacting sources at Tendürek, a sill-like magmatic source and ring-faults, I have performed a more sophisticated numerical modeling approach. The optimum source geometries show, that the size of the sill-like source was overestimated in the simple models and that it is difficult to determine the dip angle of the ring-faults with surface displacement data only. However, considering physical and geological criteria a combination of outward-dipping reverse faults in the west and inward-dipping normal faults in the east seem to be the most likely. Consequently, the underground structure at the Tendürek volcano consists of a small, sill-like, contracting, magmatic source below the western summit crater that causes a trapdoor-like faulting along the ring-faults around the volcanic edifice. Therefore, the magmatic source and the ring-faults are also interpreted to be temporally coupled. In addition, a method for data reduction has been improved. The modeling of subsurface deformation sources requires only a relatively small number of well distributed InSAR observations at the earth’s surface. Satellite radar images, however, consist of several millions of these observations. Therefore, the large amount of data needs to be reduced by several orders of magnitude for source modeling, to save computation time and increase model flexibility. I have introduced a model-based subsampling approach in particular for heterogeneously-distributed observations. It allows a fast calculation of the data error variance-covariance matrix, also supports the modeling of time dependent displacement data and is, therefore, an alternative to existing methods.
Obwohl in den unionalen Verträgen bis heute keine Vorschrift bezüglich einer Staatshaftung der Mitgliedstaaten für Entscheidungen ihrer Gerichte existiert, hat der Gerichtshof der Europäischen Union (EuGH) in einer Reihe von Entscheidungen eine solche Haftung entwickelt und präzisiert. Die vorliegende Arbeit analysiert eingehend diese Rechtsprechung mitsamt den sich daraus ergebenden facettenreichen Rechtsfragen. Im ersten Kapitel widmet sich die Arbeit der historischen Entwicklung der unionsrechtlichen Staatshaftung im Allgemeinen, ausgehend von dem bekannten Francovich-Urteil aus dem Jahr 1991. Sodann werden im zweiten Kapitel die zur Haftung für judikatives Unrecht grundlegenden Entscheidungen in den Rechtssachen Köbler und Traghetti vorgestellt. In dem sich anschließenden dritten Kapitel wird der Rechtscharakter der unionsrechtlichen Staatshaftung – einschließlich der Frage einer Subsidiarität des unionsrechtlichen Anspruchs gegenüber bestehenden nationalen Staatshaftungsansprüchen – untersucht. Das vierte Kapitel widmet sich der Frage, ob eine unionsrechtliche Staatshaftung für judikatives Unrecht prinzipiell anzuerkennen ist, wobei die wesentlichen für und gegen eine solche Haftung sprechenden Argumente ausführlich behandelt und bewertet werden. Im fünften Kapitel werden die im Zusammenhang mit den unionsrechtlichen Haftungsvoraussetzungen stehenden Probleme der Haftung für letztinstanzliche Gerichtsentscheidungen detailliert erörtert. Zugleich wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob eine Haftung für fehlerhafte unterinstanzliche Gerichtsentscheidungen zu befürworten ist. Das sechste Kapitel befasst sich mit der Ausgestaltung der unionsrechtlichen Staatshaftung für letztinstanzliche Gerichtsentscheidungen durch die Mitgliedstaaten, wobei u.a. zur Anwendbarkeit der deutschen Haftungsprivilegien bei judikativem Unrecht auf den unionsrechtlichen Staatshaftungsanspruch Stellung genommen wird. Im letzten Kapitel wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob der EuGH überhaupt über eine Kompetenz zur Schaffung der Staatshaftung für letztinstanzliche Gerichtsentscheidungen verfügte. Abschließend werden die wichtigsten Ergebnisse der Arbeit präsentiert und ein Ausblick auf weitere mögliche Auswirkungen und Entwicklungen der unionsrechtlichen Staatshaftung für judikatives Unrecht gegeben.
Die vorliegende Arbeit behandelt Untersuchungen zum Einfluss ionischer Flüssigkeiten sowohl auf den Rekombinationsprozess photolytisch generierter Lophylradikale als auch auf die photoinduzierte Polymerisation. Im Fokus standen hierbei pyrrolidiniumbasierte ionische Flüssigkeiten sowie polymerisierbare imidazoliumbasierte ionische Flüssigkeiten. Mittels UV-Vis-Spektroskopie wurde in den ionischen Flüssigkeiten im Vergleich zu ausgewählten organischen Lösungsmitteln die Rekombinationskinetik der aus o-Cl-HABI photolytisch generierten Lophylradikale bei unterschiedlichen Temperaturen verfolgt und die Geschwindigkeitskonstanten der Radikalrekombination bestimmt. Die Charakterisierung des Rekombinationsprozesses erfolgt dabei insbesondere unter Verwendung der mittels Eyring-Gleichung ermittelten Aktivierungsparameter. Hierbei konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Rekombination der Lophylradikale in den ionischen Flüssigkeiten im Gegensatz zu den organischen Lösungsmitteln zu einem großen Anteil innerhalb des Lösungsmittelkäfigs erfolgt. Weiterhin wurden für den Einsatz von o-Cl-HABI als Radikalbildner in den photoinduzierten Polymerisationen mehrere mögliche Co-Initiatoren über photokalorimetrische Messungen untersucht. Hierbei wurde auch ein neuer Aspekt zur Kettenübertragung vom Lophylradikal auf den heterocyclischen Co-Initiator vorgestellt. Darüber hinaus wurden photoinduzierte Polymerisationen unter Einsatz eines Initiatorsystems, bestehend aus o-Cl-HABI als Radikalbildner und einem heterocyclischen Co-Initiator, in den ionischen Flüssigkeiten untersucht. Diese Untersuchungen beinhalten zum einen photokalorimetrische Messungen der photoinduzierten Polymerisation von polymerisierbaren imidazoliumbasierten ionischen Flüssigkeiten. Zum anderen wurden Untersuchungen zur photoinduzierten Polymerisation von Methylmethacrylat in pyrrolidiniumbasierten ionischen Flüssigkeiten durchgeführt. Dabei wurden Einflussparameter wie Zeit, Temperatur, Viskosität, Lösungsmittelkäfigeffekt und die Alkylkettenlänge am Kation der ionischen Flüssigkeiten auf die Ausbeuten und Molmassen sowie Molmassenverteilungen der Polymere hin untersucht.
Der Umgang mit der musikalischen Fachsprache wird in den meisten Lehrplänen für den Musikunterricht der Sekundarstufe I gefordert. Allerdings fehlt nicht nur in den Lehrplänen, sondern auch in der musikdidaktischen Literatur eine inhaltliche Ausgestaltung dieser Forderung. Über Inhalt, Umfang und Ziel der in der Schule anzuwendenden musikalischen Fachsprache herrscht daher keine Klarheit. Empirische Untersuchungen zu den sprachlichen Inhalten im Musikunterricht liegen ebenfalls nicht vor. Auch in vielen anderen Unterrichtsfächern ist die Forschungslage die sprachlichen Inhalte betreffend überschaubar. Mit der Verwendung von Sprache sind jedoch nicht nur Kommunikationsprozesse verbunden, sondern gleichzeitig Lernprozesse innerhalb der Sprache, von der Wortschatzerweiterung bis zur Herstellung von inhaltlich-thematischen Zusammenhängen. Diese Lernprozesse werden beeinflusst von der Wortwahl der Lernenden und Lehrenden. Die Wortwahl der Lernenden lässt gleichzeitig einen Schluss zu auf den Stand des Wissens und dessen Vernetzung. Auf dieser Basis ist der sprachliche Inhalt des Musikunterrichtes der Gegenstand der vorgelegten Arbeit. Ziel der Studie war herauszu¬finden, inwieweit es gelingen kann, durch die Art und Weise des Einsatzes und den Umfang von Fachsprache im Musikunterricht Lernprozesse effektiver und erfolgreicher zu gestalten und besser an Gegenwarts- und Zukunftsbedürfnissen der Lernenden auszurichten.
עבירה לשמה
(2014)
A Transgression for the Sake of God -‘Averah li-shmah: A Tale of a Radical Idea in Talmudic Literature
All cultures, religions, and ethical or legal systems struggle with the role intention plays in evaluating actions. The Talmud compellingly elaborates on the notion of intention through the radical concept that “A sin committed for the sake of God [averah li-shmah] is greater than a commandment fulfilled not for the sake of God [mi-mizvah she-lo li-shmah].” The Babylonian Talmud attributes this concept—which challenges one of rabbinic Judaism’s most fundamental dogmas, the obligation to fulfill the commandments and avoid sin—to R. Nahman b. Isaac (RNBI), a renowned 4th century Amora. Considering the normative character of the rabbinic culture in which Halakhah (Jewish religious law) plays such a central role, this concept, seems almost like a foreign body in the Talmudic corpus.
The study focuses on the linguistic stratum of RNBI’s statement. By tracking the development of the meanings and uses of the word ‘li-shmah’ the research locates RNBI’s statement as part of the broader Talmudic discourse evaluating two levels of performing religious actions ‘li-shmah/she-lo li-shmah’. Since we wish to explain the word ‘li-shmah’ consistently both times it appears in the statement, the best translation would be ‘for the sake of God’. This translation is based on the linguistic connection between the word ‘li-shmah’ and the term ‘le-shem shamayim’ (for the sake of God) that appears in several rabbinic sources. This linguistic connection is also the key to identifying the possible root of RNBI’s concept. RNBI bolsters his idea by quoting a verse about Jael, thus implying that Jael sinned for the sake of God. The research describes at least five statements in Sages’ Literature that attribute sins for the sake of God to other biblical figures, all the while using the term ‘le-shem shamim’. Therefore we may presume that RNBI’s concept has evolved from the exegetical notion of attributing sin for the sake of God to biblical figures.
To understand the way RNBI’s statement was accepted in Talmudic culture, we must explore the textual witnesses to the literary frame of RNBI’s statement: the Talmudic sugya (Nazir 23a; Horayot 10b). We possess five versions of the sugya’s dialectical structure. Comparison of these versions, allows us to reconstruct the earlier dialectical structure, from which the familiar versions developed. The radical potential of RNBI’s statement led to cultural activity, in the transmission of the sugya, in an effort to mitigate it. This activity is reflected in late additions to the sugya identified by our research—which should be viewed as a process of self-censorship for ideological reasons.
This research explores a fundamental issue in rabbinic world: the immanent contradiction between law and intention. The research depicts in detail the movement of a radical idea from the margins culture to mainstream - in this case into the Babylonian Talmud. Therefore, the findings of this research provide substantial insight into our understanding of the interpretive process and of conceptual adaptation in rabbinic culture.
Previous studies on the acquisition of verb inflection in normally developing children have revealed an astonishing pattern: children use correctly inflected verbs in their own speech but fail to make use of verb inflections when comprehending sentences uttered by others. Thus, a three-year old might well be able to say something like ‘The cat sleeps on the bed’, but fails to understand that the same sentence, when uttered by another person, refers to only one sleeping cat but not more than one. The previous studies that have examined children's comprehension of verb inflections have employed a variant of a picture selection task in which the child was asked to explicitly indicate (via pointing) what semantic meaning she had inferred from the test sentence. Recent research on other linguistic structures, such as pronouns or focus particles, has indicated that earlier comprehension abilities can be found when methods are used that do not require an explicit reaction, like preferential looking tasks. This dissertation aimed to examine whether children are truly not able to understand the connection the the verb form and the meaning of the sentence subject until the age of five years or whether earlier comprehension can be found when a different measure, preferential looking, is used. Additionally, children's processing of subject-verb agreement violations was examined. The three experiments of this thesis that examined children's comprehension of verb inflections revealed the following: German-speaking three- to four-year old children looked more to a picture showing one actor when hearing a sentence with a singular inflected verb but only when their eye gaze was tracked and they did not have to perform a picture selection task. When they were asked to point to the matching picture, they performed at chance-level. This pattern indicates asymmetries in children's language performance even within the receptive modality. The fourth experiment examined sensitivity to subject-verb agreement violations and did not reveal evidence for sensitivity toward agreement violations in three- and four-year old children, but only found that children's looking patterns were influenced by the grammatical violations at the age of five. The results from these experiments are discussed in relation to the existence of a production-comprehension asymmetry in the use of verb inflections and children's underlying grammatical knowledge.
The economic impact analysis contained in this book shows how irrigation farming is particularly susceptible when applying certain water management policies in the Australian Murray-Darling Basin, one of the world largest river basins and Australia’s most fertile region. By comparing different pricing and non-pricing water management policies with the help of the Water Integrated Market Model, it is found that the impact of water demand reducing policies is most severe on crops that need to be intensively irrigated and are at the same time less water productive. A combination of increasingly frequent and severe droughts and the application of policies that decrease agricultural water demand, in the same region, will create a situation in which the highly water dependent crops rice and cotton cannot be cultivated at all.
NutzerInnen von gewalthaltigen Medien geben einerseits oftmals zu, dass sie fiktionale, gewalthaltige Medien konsumieren, behaupten jedoch gleichzeitig, dass dies nicht ihr Verhalten außerhalb des Medienkontexts beeinflusst. Sie argumentieren, dass sie leicht zwischen Dingen, die im fiktionalen Kontext und Dingen, die in der Realität gelernt wurden, unterscheiden können. Im Kontrast zu diesen Aussagen zeigen Metanalysen Effektstärken im mittleren Bereich für den Zusammenhang zwischen Gewaltmedienkonsum und aggressivem Verhalten. Diese Ergebnisse können nur erklärt werden, wenn MediennutzerInnen gewalthaltige Lernerfahrungen auch außerhalb des Medienkontexts anwenden. Ein Prozess, der Lernerfahrungen innerhalb des Medienkontexts mit dem Verhalten in der realen Welt verknüpft, ist Desensibilisierung, die oftmals eine Reduktion des negativen Affektes gegenüber Gewalt definiert ist. Zur Untersuchung des Desensibilisierungsprozesses wurden vier Experimente durchgeführt. Die erste in dieser Arbeit untersuchte Hypothese war, dass je häufiger Personen Gewaltmedien konsumieren, desto weniger negativen Affekt zeigen sie gegenüber Bildern mit realer Gewalt. Jedoch wurde angenommen, dass diese Bewertung auf Darstellungen von realer Gewalt beschränkt ist und nicht bei Bildern ohne Gewaltbezug, die einen negativen Affekt auslösen, zu finden ist. Die zweite Hypothese bezog sich auf den Affekt während des Konsums von Mediengewalt. Hier wurde angenommen, dass besonders Personen, die Freude an Gewalt in den Medien empfinden weniger negativen Affekt gegenüber realen Gewaltdarstellungen zeigen. Die letzte Hypothese beschäftigte sich mit kognitiver Desensibilisierung und sagte vorher, dass Gewaltmedienkonsum zu einem Transfer von Reaktionen, die normalerweise gegenüber gewalthaltigen Reizen gezeigt werden, auf ursprünglich neutrale Reize führt. Das erste Experiment (N = 57) untersuchte, ob die habituelle Nutzung von gewalthaltigen Medien den selbstberichteten Affekt (Valenz und Aktivierung) gegenüber Darstellungen von realer Gewalt und nichtgewalthaltigen Darstellungen, die negativen Affekt auslösen, vorhersagt. Die habituelle Nutzung von gewalthaltigen Medien sagte weniger negative Valenz und weniger allgemeine Aktivierung gegenüber gewalthalten und nichtgewalthaltigen Bildern vorher. Das zweite Experiment (N = 103) untersuchte auch die Beziehung zwischen habituellem Gewaltmedienkonsum und den affektiven Reaktionen gegenüber Bildern realer Gewalt und negativen affektauslösenden Bildern. Als weiterer Prädiktor wurde der Affekt beim Betrachten von gewalthaltigen Medien hinzugefügt. Der Affekt gegenüber den Bildern wurde zusätzlich durch psychophysiologische Maße (Valenz: C: Supercilii; Aktivierung: Hautleitreaktion) erhoben. Wie zuvor sagte habitueller Gewaltmedienkonsum weniger selbstberichte Erregung und weniger negative Valenz für die gewalthaltigen und die negativen, gewalthaltfreien Bilder vorher. Die physiologischen Maßen replizierten dieses Ergebnis. Jedoch zeigte sich ein anderes Muster für den Affekt beim Konsum von Gewalt in den Medien. Personen, die Gewalt in den Medien stärker erfreut, zeigen eine Reduktion der Responsivität gegenüber Gewalt auf allen vier Maßen. Weiterhin war bei drei dieser vier Maße (selbstberichte Valenz, Aktivität des C. Supercilii und Hautleitreaktion) dieser Zusammenhang auf die gewalthaltigen Bilder beschränkt, mit keinem oder nur einem kleinen Effekt auf die negativen, aber nichtgewalthaltigen Bilder. Das dritte Experiment (N = 73) untersuchte den Affekt während die Teilnehmer ein Computerspiel spielten. Das Spiel wurde eigens für dieses Experiment programmiert, sodass einzelne Handlungen im Spiel mit der Aktivität des C. Supercilii, dem Indikator für negativen Affekt, in Bezug gesetzt werden konnten. Die Analyse des C. Supercilii zeigte, dass wiederholtes Durchführen von aggressiven Spielzügen zu einem Rückgang von negativen Affekt führte, der die aggressiven Spielhandlungen begleitete. Der negative Affekt während gewalthaltiger Spielzüge wiederum sagte die affektive Reaktion gegenüber Darstellungen von gewalthaltigen Bildern vorher, nicht jedoch gegenüber den negativen Bildern. Das vierte Experiment (N = 77) untersuchte kognitive Desensibilisierung, die die Entwicklung von Verknüpfungen zwischen neutralen und aggressiven Kognitionen beinhaltete. Die Teilnehmer spielten einen Ego-Shooter entweder auf einem Schiff- oder einem Stadtlevel. Die Beziehung zwischen den neutralen Konstrukten (Schiff/Stadt) und den aggressiven Kognitionen wurde mit einer lexikalischen Entscheidungsaufgabe gemessen. Das Spielen im Schiff-/Stadt-Level führte zu einer kürzen Reaktionszeit für aggressive Wörter, wenn sie einem Schiff- bzw. Stadtprime folgten. Dies zeigte, dass die im Spiel enthaltenen neutralen Konzepte mit aggressiven Knoten verknüpft werden. Die Ergebnisse dieser vier Experimente wurden diskutiert im Rahmen eines lerntheoretischen Ansatzes um Desensibilisierung zu konzeptualisieren.
It is generally agreed upon that stars typically form in open clusters and stellar associations, but little is known about the structure of the open cluster system. Do open clusters and stellar associations form isolated or do they prefer to form in groups and complexes? Open cluster groups and complexes could verify star forming regions to be larger than expected, which would explain the chemical homogeneity over large areas in the Galactic disk. They would also define an additional level in the hierarchy of star formation and could be used as tracers for the scales of fragmentation in giant molecular clouds? Furthermore, open cluster groups and complexes could affect Galactic dynamics and should be considered in investigations and simulations on the dynamical processes, such as radial migration, disc heating, differential rotation, kinematic resonances, and spiral structure.
In the past decade there were a few studies on open cluster pairs (de La Fuente Marcos & de La Fuente Marcos 2009a,b,c) and on open cluster groups and complexes (Piskunov et al. 2006). The former only considered spatial proximity for the identification of the pairs, while the latter also required tangential velocities to be similar for the members. In this work I used the full set of 6D phase-space information to draw a more detailed picture on these structures. For this purpose I utilised the most homogeneous cluster catalogue available, namely the Catalogue of Open Cluster Data (COCD; Kharchenko et al. 2005a,b), which contains parameters for 650 open clusters and compact associations, as well as for their uniformly selected members. Additional radial velocity (RV) and metallicity ([M/H]) information on the members were obtained from the RAdial Velocity Experiment (RAVE; Steinmetz et al. 2006; Kordopatis et al. 2013) for 110 and 81 clusters, respectively. The RAVE sample was cleaned considering quality parameters and flags provided by RAVE (Matijevič et al. 2012; Kordopatis et al. 2013). To ensure that only real members were included for the mean values, also the cluster membership, as provided by Kharchenko et al. (2005a,b), was considered for the stars cross-matched in RAVE.
6D phase-space information could be derived for 432 out of the 650 COCD objects and I used an adaption of the Friends-of-Friends algorithm, as used in cosmology, to identify potential groupings. The vast majority of the 19 identified groupings were pairs, but I also found four groups of 4-5 members and one complex with 15 members. For the verification of the identified structures, I compared the results to a randomly selected subsample of the catalogue for the Milky Way global survey of Star Clusters (MWSC; Kharchenko et al. 2013), which became available recently, and was used as reference sample. Furthermore, I implemented Monte-Carlo simulations with randomised samples created from two distinguished input distributions for the spatial and velocity parameters. On the one hand, assuming a uniform distribution in the Galactic disc and, on the other hand, assuming the COCD data distributions to be representative for the whole open cluster population.
The results suggested that the majority of identified pairs are rather by chance alignments, but the groups and the complex seemed to be genuine. A comparison of my results to the pairs, groups and complexes proposed in the literature yielded a partial overlap, which was most likely because of selection effects and different parameters considered. This is another verification for the existence of such structures.
The characteristics of the found groupings favour that members of an open cluster grouping originate from a common giant molecular cloud and formed in a single, but possibly sequential, star formation event. Moreover, the fact that the young open cluster population showed smaller spatial separations between nearest neighbours than the old cluster population indicated that the lifetime of open cluster groupings is most likely comparable to that of the Galactic open cluster population itself. Still even among the old open clusters I could identify groupings, which suggested that the detected structure could be in some cases more long lived as one might think.
In this thesis I could only present a pilot study on structures in the Galactic open cluster population, since the data sample used was highly incomplete. For further investigations a far more complete sample would be required. One step in this direction would be to use data from large current surveys, like SDSS, RAVE, Gaia-ESO and VVV, as well as including results from studies on individual clusters. Later the sample can be completed by data from upcoming missions, like Gaia and 4MOST. Future studies using this more complete open cluster sample will reveal the effect of open cluster groupings on star formation theory and their significance for the kinematics, dynamics and evolution of the Milky Way, and thereby of spiral galaxies.
Polyadenylation is a decisive 3’ end processing step during the maturation of pre-mRNAs. The length of the poly(A) tail has an impact on mRNA stability, localization and translatability. Accordingly, many eukaryotic organisms encode several copies of canonical poly(A) polymerases (cPAPs). The disruption of cPAPs in mammals results in lethality. In plants, reduced cPAP activity is non-lethal. Arabidopsis encodes three nuclear cPAPs, PAPS1, PAPS2 and PAPS4, which are constitutively expressed throughout the plant. Recently, the detailed analysis of Arabidopsis paps1 mutants revealed a subset of genes that is preferentially polyadenylated by the cPAP isoform PAPS1 (Vi et al. 2013). Thus, the specialization of cPAPs might allow the regulation of different sets of genes in order to optimally face developmental or environmental challenges.
To gain insights into the cPAP-based gene regulation in plants, the phenotypes of Arabidopsis cPAPs mutants under different conditions are characterized in detail in the following work. An involvement of all three cPAPs in flowering time regulation and stress response regulation is shown. While paps1 knockdown mutants flower early, paps4 and paps2 paps4 knockout mutants exhibit a moderate late-flowering phenotype. PAPS1 promotes the expression of the major flowering inhibitor FLC, supposedly by specific polyadenylation of an FLC activator. PAPS2 and PAPS4 exhibit partially overlapping functions and ensure timely flowering by repressing FLC and at least one other unidentified flowering inhibitor. The latter two cPAPs act in a novel regulatory pathway downstream of the autonomous pathway component FCA and act independently from the polyadenylation factors and flowering time regulators CstF64 and FY. Moreover, PAPS1 and PAPS2/PAPS4 are implicated in different stress response pathways in Arabidopsis. Reduced activity of the poly(A) polymerase PAPS1 results in enhanced resistance to osmotic and oxidative stress. Simultaneously, paps1 mutants are cold-sensitive. In contrast, PAPS2/PAPS4 are not involved in the regulation of osmotic or cold stress, but paps2 paps4 loss-of-function mutants exhibit enhanced sensitivity to oxidative stress provoked in the chloroplast. Thus, both PAPS1 and PAPS2/PAPS4 are required to maintain a balanced redox state in plants. PAPS1 seems to fulfil this function in concert with CPSF30, a polyadenylation factor that regulates alternative polyadenylation and tolerance to oxidative stress.
The individual paps mutant phenotypes and the cPAP-specific genetic interactions support the model of cPAP-dependent polyadenylation of selected mRNAs. The high similarity of the polyadenylation machineries in yeast, mammals and plants suggests that similar regulatory mechanisms might be present in other organism groups. The cPAP-dependent developmental and physiological pathways identified in this work allow the design of targeted experiments to better understand the ecological and molecular context underlying cPAP-specialization.
Con la sua proposta di una Somaestetica, articolata fondamentalmente in analitica, pragmatica e pratica, Richard Shusterman intende in primo luogo fornire e creare una cornice metodologica, un orientamento unitario che sia in grado di rintracciare, ricostruire e portare a manifestazione - all’interno di eterogenee riflessioni teoriche e pratiche somatiche - la comune esigenza di ridare luce alla dimensione corporea come modo primario di essere nel mondo. Recuperando l’accezione baumgarteniana di Aesthetica come gnoseologia inferiore, arte dell’analogo della ragione, scienza della conoscenza sensibile, la somaestetica intende dare nuovo impulso alla più profonda radice di estetica e filosofia che coglie la vita nel suo processo di metamorfosi e rigenerazione continua, in quel respiro vitale che, per quanto possa diventare cosciente, non è mai totalmente afferrabile dalla ragione discorsiva, situandosi piuttosto in quello spazio primordiale in cui coscienza e corpo si coappartengono, in cui il soggetto non è ancora individualizzabile perché fuso con l’ambiente, non è totalmente privatizzabile perché intrinsecamente plasmato dal tessuto sociale cui egli stesso conferisce dinamicamente forma. A partire dunque dalla rivalutazione del concetto di Aisthesis la disciplina somaestetica mira ad una intensificazione di sensorialità, percezione, emozione, commozione, rintracciando proprio nel Soma la fonte di quelle facoltà “inferiori” irriducibili a quelle puramente intellettuali, che permettono di accedere alle dimensioni qualitative dell’esperienza, di portare a manifestazione e far maturare l’essere umano come essere indivisibile che non si lascia incontrare da un pensiero che ne rinnega l’unitarietà in nome di fittizie e laceranti distinzioni dicotomiche. Nel corpo infatti si radicano in modo silente regole, convenzioni, norme e valori socioculturali che determinano e talvolta limitano la configurazione ed espressione di sensazioni, percezioni, cognizioni, pensieri, azioni, volizioni, disposizioni di un soggetto da sempre inserito in una Mitwelt (mondo comune), ed è allora proprio al corpo che bisogna rivolgersi per riconfigurare più autentiche modalità di espressione del soggetto che crea equilibri dinamici per mantenere una relazione di coerenza con il più ampio contesto sociale, culturale, ambientale. L’apertura al confronto con eterogenee posizioni filosofiche e l’intrinseca multidisciplinarietà spiegano la centralità nel contemporaneo dibattito estetologico internazionale della Somaestetica che, rivolgendosi tanto ad una formulazione teorica quanto ad una concreta applicazione pratica, intende rivalutare il soma come corporeità intelligente, senziente, intenzionale e attiva, non riducibile all’accezione peccaminosa di caro (mero corpo fisico privo di vita e sensazione). Attraverso la riflessione e la pratica di tecniche di coscienza somatica si portano in primo piano i modi in cui il sempre più consapevole rapporto con la propria corporeità come mediatamente esperita e immediatamente vissuta, sentita, offre occasioni autentiche di realizzazione progressiva di sé innanzitutto come persone, capaci di autocoltivazione, di riflessione cosciente sulle proprie abitudini incorporate, di ristrutturazione creativa di sé, di intensificata percezione e apprezzamento sensoriale sia nel concreto agire quotidiano, sia nella dimensione più propriamente estetologica di ricezione, fruizione e creazione artistica. L’indirizzo essenzialmente pragmatista della riflessione di Shusterman traccia così una concezione fondamentalmente relazionale dell’estetica in grado di porsi proprio nel movimento e nel rapporto continuamente diveniente di vera e propria trasformazione e passaggio tra le dimensioni fisiche, proprio-corporee, psichiche e spirituali del soggetto la cui interazione, ed il cui reciproco riversarsi le une nelle altre, può risultare profondamente arricchito attraverso una progressiva e sempre crescente consapevolizzazione della ricchezza della dimensione corporea in quanto intenzionale, percettiva, senziente, volitiva, tanto quanto vulnerabile, limitante, caduca, patica. Il presente lavoro intende ripercorrere ed approfondire alcuni dei principali referenti di Shusterman, focalizzandosi prevalentemente sulla radice pragmatista della sua proposta e sul confronto con il dibattito di area tedesca tra estetica, antropologia filosofica, neofenomenologia e antropologia medica, per riguadagnare una nozione di soma che proprio a partire dal contrasto, dall’impatto irriducibile con la potenza annullante delle situazioni limite, della crisi possa acquisire un più complesso e ricco valore armonizzante delle intrinseche e molteplici dimensioni che costituiscono il tessuto della soggettività incarnata. In particolare il primo capitolo (1. Somaestetica) chiarisce le radici essenzialmente pragmatiste della proposta shustermaniana e mostra come sia possibile destrutturare e dunque riconfigurare radicati modi di esperienza, rendendo coscienti abitudini e modi di vivere che si fissano a livello somatico in modo per lo più inavvertito. Il confronto con la nozione di Habitus, di cui Pierre Bourdieu mette brillantemente in luce l’invisibile e socialmente determinata matrice somatica, lascia scorgere come ogni manifestazione umana sia sostenuta dall’incorporazione di norme, credenze, valori che determinano e talvolta limitano l’espressione, lo sviluppo, persino le predisposizioni e le inclinazioni degli individui. Ed è proprio intervenendo a questo livello che si può restituire libertà alle scelte e aprirsi così alle dimensioni essenzialmente qualitative dell’esperienza che, nell’accezione deweyana è un insieme olistico unitario e coeso che fa da sfondo alle relazioni organismo-ambiente, un intreccio inestricabile di teoria e prassi, particolare e universale, psiche e soma, ragione ed emozione, percettivo e concettuale, insomma quell’immediata conoscenza corporea che struttura lo sfondo di manifestazione della coscienza.
World market governance
(2014)
Democratic capitalism or liberal democracy, as the successful marriage of convenience between market liberalism and democracy sometimes is called, is in trouble. The market economy system has become global and there is a growing mismatch with the territoriality of the nation-states. The functional global networks and inter-governmental order can no longer keep pace with the rapid development of the global market economy and regulatory capture is all too common. Concepts like de-globalization, self-regulation, and global government are floated in the debate. The alternatives are analysed and found to be improper, inadequate or plainly impossible. The proposed route is instead to accept that the global market economy has developed into an independent fundamental societal system that needs its own governance. The suggestion is World Market Governance based on the Rule of Law in order to shape the fitness environment for the global market economy and strengthen the nation-states so that they can regain the sovereignty to decide upon the social and cultural conditions in each country. Elements in the proposed Rule of Law are international legislation decided by an Assembly supported by a Council, and an independent Judiciary. Existing international organisations would function as executors. The need for broad sustained demand for regulations in the common interest is identified.
In this thesis we consider diverse aspects of existence and correctness of asymptotic solutions to elliptic differential and pseudodifferential equations. We begin our studies with the case of a general elliptic boundary value problem in partial derivatives. A small parameter enters the coefficients of the main equation as well as into the boundary conditions. Such equations have already been investigated satisfactory, but there still exist certain theoretical deficiencies. Our aim is to present the general theory of elliptic problems with a small parameter. For this purpose we examine in detail the case of a bounded domain with a smooth boundary. First of all, we construct formal solutions as power series in the small parameter. Then we examine their asymptotic properties. It suffices to carry out sharp two-sided \emph{a priori} estimates for the operators of boundary value problems which are uniform in the small parameter. Such estimates failed to hold in functional spaces used in classical elliptic theory. To circumvent this limitation we exploit norms depending on the small parameter for the functions defined on a bounded domain. Similar norms are widely used in literature, but their properties have not been investigated extensively. Our theoretical investigation shows that the usual elliptic technique can be correctly carried out in these norms. The obtained results also allow one to extend the norms to compact manifolds with boundaries. We complete our investigation by formulating algebraic conditions on the operators and showing their equivalence to the existence of a priori estimates. In the second step, we extend the concept of ellipticity with a small parameter to more general classes of operators. Firstly, we want to compare the difference in asymptotic patterns between the obtained series and expansions for similar differential problems. Therefore we investigate the heat equation in a bounded domain with a small parameter near the time derivative. In this case the characteristics touch the boundary at a finite number of points. It is known that the solutions are not regular in a neighbourhood of such points in advance. We suppose moreover that the boundary at such points can be non-smooth but have cuspidal singularities. We find a formal asymptotic expansion and show that when a set of parameters comes through a threshold value, the expansions fail to be asymptotic. The last part of the work is devoted to general concept of ellipticity with a small parameter. Several theoretical extensions to pseudodifferential operators have already been suggested in previous studies. As a new contribution we involve the analysis on manifolds with edge singularities which allows us to consider wider classes of perturbed elliptic operators. We examine that introduced classes possess a priori estimates of elliptic type. As a further application we demonstrate how developed tools can be used to reduce singularly perturbed problems to regular ones.
Inhalt der Arbeit ist es, einen Überblick über die historische Entwicklung der öffentlich-rechtlichen Gefährdungshaftung in Deutschland vom 18. Jahrhundert bis heute zu geben sowie ihre praktische Bedeutung zu analysieren. Dabei wird zwischen den unterschiedlichen Gesetzgebungen, Rechtsprechungen und den theoretischen Lösungsansätzen der öffentlich-rechtlichen Gefährdungshaftung unterschieden und insbesondere letzteres problematisiert. Ferner wird auf das Verhältnis zu den grundrechtlichen Schutzpflichten, den sozialen Risikotatbeständen, dem sozialrechtlichen Herstellungsanspruch und den Tumultschäden eingegangen.
Wood is used for many applications because of its excellent mechanical properties, relative abundance and as it is a renewable resource. However, its wider utilization as an engineering material is limited because it swells and shrinks upon moisture changes and is susceptible to degradation by microorganisms and/or insects. Chemical modifications of wood have been shown to improve dimensional stability, water repellence and/or durability, thus increasing potential service-life of wood materials. However current treatments are limited because it is difficult to introduce and fix such modifications deep inside the tissue and cell wall. Within the scope of this thesis, novel chemical modification methods of wood cell walls were developed to improve both dimensional stability and water repellence of wood material. These methods were partly inspired by the heartwood formation in living trees, a process, that for some species results in an insertion of hydrophobic chemical substances into the cell walls of already dead wood cells, In the first part of this thesis a chemistry to modify wood cell walls was used, which was inspired by the natural process of heartwood formation. Commercially available hydrophobic flavonoid molecules were effectively inserted in the cell walls of spruce, a softwood species with low natural durability, after a tosylation treatment to obtain “artificial heartwood”. Flavonoid inserted cell walls show a reduced moisture absorption, resulting in better dimensional stability, water repellency and increased hardness. This approach was quite different compared to established modifications which mainly address hydroxyl groups of cell wall polymers with hydrophilic substances. In the second part of the work in-situ styrene polymerization inside the tosylated cell walls was studied. It is known that there is a weak adhesion between hydrophobic polymers and hydrophilic cell wall components. The hydrophobic styrene monomers were inserted into the tosylated wood cell walls for further polymerization to form polystyrene in the cell walls, which increased the dimensional stability of the bulk wood material and reduced water uptake of the cell walls considerably when compared to controls. In the third part of the work, grafting of another hydrophobic and also biodegradable polymer, poly(ɛ-caprolactone) in the wood cell walls by ring opening polymerization of ɛ-caprolactone was studied at mild temperatures. Results indicated that polycaprolactone attached into the cell walls, caused permanent swelling of the cell walls up to 5%. Dimensional stability of the bulk wood material increased 40% and water absorption reduced more than 35%. A fully biodegradable and hydrophobized wood material was obtained with this method which reduces disposal problem of the modified wood materials and has improved properties to extend the material’s service-life. Starting from a bio-inspired approach which showed great promise as an alternative to standard cell wall modifications we showed the possibility of inserting hydrophobic molecules in the cell walls and supported this fact with in-situ styrene and ɛ-caprolactone polymerization into the cell walls. It was shown in this thesis that despite the extensive knowledge and long history of using wood as a material there is still room for novel chemical modifications which could have a high impact on improving wood properties.
One of the most significant current discussions in Astrophysics relates to the origin of high-energy cosmic rays. According to our current knowledge, the abundance distribution of the elements in cosmic rays at their point of origin indicates, within plausible error limits, that they were initially formed by nuclear processes in the interiors of stars. It is also believed that their energy distribution up to 1018 eV has Galactic origins. But even though the knowledge about potential sources of cosmic rays is quite poor above „ 1015 eV, that is the “knee” of the cosmic-ray spectrum, up to the knee there seems to be a wide consensus that supernova remnants are the most likely candidates. Evidence of this comes from observations of non-thermal X-ray radiation, requiring synchrotron electrons with energies up to 1014 eV, exactly in the remnant of supernovae. To date, however, there is not conclusive evidence that they produce nuclei, the dominant component of cosmic rays, in addition to electrons. In light of this dearth of evidence, γ-ray observations from supernova remnants can offer the most promising direct way to confirm whether or not these astrophysical objects are indeed the main source of cosmic-ray nuclei below the knee. Recent observations with space- and ground-based observatories have established shell-type supernova remnants as GeV-to- TeV γ-ray sources. The interpretation of these observations is however complicated by the different radiation processes, leptonic and hadronic, that can produce similar fluxes in this energy band rendering ambiguous the nature of the emission itself. The aim of this work is to develop a deeper understanding of these radiation processes from a particular shell-type supernova remnant, namely RX J1713.7–3946, using observations of the LAT instrument onboard the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. Furthermore, to obtain accurate spectra and morphology maps of the emission associated with this supernova remnant, an improved model of the diffuse Galactic γ-ray emission background is developed. The analyses of RX J1713.7–3946 carried out with this improved background show that the hard Fermi-LAT spectrum cannot be ascribed to the hadronic emission, leading thus to the conclusion that the leptonic scenario is instead the most natural picture for the high-energy γ-ray emission of RX J1713.7–3946. The leptonic scenario however does not rule out the possibility that cosmic-ray nuclei are accelerated in this supernova remnant, but it suggests that the ambient density may not be high enough to produce a significant hadronic γ-ray emission. Further investigations involving other supernova remnants using the improved back- ground developed in this work could allow compelling population studies, and hence prove or disprove the origin of Galactic cosmic-ray nuclei in these astrophysical objects. A break- through regarding the identification of the radiation mechanisms could be lastly achieved with a new generation of instruments such as CTA.
In March 2010, the project CoCoCo (incipient COntinent-COntinent COllision) recorded a 650 km long amphibian N-S wide-angle seismic profile, extending from the Eratosthenes Seamount (ESM) across Cyprus and southern Turkey to the Anatolian plateau. The aim of the project is to reveal the impact of the transition from subduction to continent-continent collision of the African plate with the Cyprus-Anatolian plate. A visual quality check, frequency analysis and filtering were applied to the seismic data and reveal a good data quality. Subsequent first break picking, finite-differences ray tracing and inversion of the offshore wide-angle data leads to a first-arrival tomographic model. This model reveals (1) P-wave velocities lower than 6.5 km/s in the crust, (2) a variable crustal thickness of about 28 - 37 km and (3) an upper crustal reflection at 5 km depth beneath the ESM. Two land shots on Turkey, also recorded on Cyprus, airgun shots south of Cyprus and geological and previous seismic investigations provide the information to derive a layered velocity model beneath the Anatolian plateau and for the ophiolite complex on Cyprus. The analysis of the reflections provides evidence for a north-dipping plate subducting beneath Cyprus. The main features of this layered velocity model are (1) an upper and lower crust with large lateral changes of the velocity structure and thickness, (2) a Moho depth of about 38 - 45 km beneath the Anatolian plateau, (3) a shallow north-dipping subducting plate below Cyprus with an increasing dip and (4) a typical ophiolite sequence on Cyprus with a total thickness of about 12 km. The offshore-onshore seismic data complete and improve the information about the velocity structure beneath Cyprus and the deeper part of the offshore tomographic model. Thus, the wide-angle seismic data provide detailed insights into the 2-D geometry and velocity structures of the uplifted and overriding Cyprus-Anatolian plate. Subsequent gravity modelling confirms and extends the crustal P-wave velocity model. The deeper part of the subducting plate is constrained by the gravity data and has a dip angle of ~ 28°. Finally, an integrated analysis of the geophysical and geological information allows a comprehensive interpretation of the crustal structure related to the collision process.
In dieser Arbeit werden nichtlineare Kopplungsmechanismen von akustischen Oszillatoren untersucht, die zu Synchronisation führen können. Aufbauend auf die Fragestellungen vorangegangener Arbeiten werden mit Hilfe theoretischer und experimenteller Studien sowie mit Hilfe numerischer Simulationen die Elemente der Tonentstehung in der Orgelpfeife und die Mechanismen der gegenseitigen Wechselwirkung von Orgelpfeifen identifiziert. Daraus wird erstmalig ein vollständig auf den aeroakustischen und fluiddynamischen Grundprinzipien basierendes nichtlinear gekoppeltes Modell selbst-erregter Oszillatoren für die Beschreibung des Verhaltens zweier wechselwirkender Orgelpfeifen entwickelt. Die durchgeführten Modellrechnungen werden mit den experimentellen Befunden verglichen. Es zeigt sich, dass die Tonentstehung und die Kopplungsmechanismen von Orgelpfeifen durch das entwickelte Oszillatormodell in weiten Teilen richtig beschrieben werden. Insbesondere kann damit die Ursache für den nichtlinearen Zusammenhang von Kopplungsstärke und Synchronisation des gekoppelten Zwei-Pfeifen Systems, welcher sich in einem nichtlinearen Verlauf der Arnoldzunge darstellt, geklärt werden. Mit den gewonnenen Erkenntnissen wird der Einfluss des Raumes auf die Tonentstehung bei Orgelpfeifen betrachtet. Dafür werden numerische Simulationen der Wechselwirkung einer Orgelpfeife mit verschiedenen Raumgeometrien, wie z. B. ebene, konvexe, konkave, und gezahnte Geometrien, exemplarisch untersucht. Auch der Einfluss von Schwellkästen auf die Tonentstehung und die Klangbildung der Orgelpfeife wird studiert. In weiteren, neuartigen Synchronisationsexperimenten mit identisch gestimmten Orgelpfeifen, sowie mit Mixturen wird die Synchronisation für verschiedene, horizontale und vertikale Pfeifenabstände in der Ebene der Schallabstrahlung, untersucht. Die dabei erstmalig beobachteten räumlich isotropen Unstetigkeiten im Schwingungsverhalten der gekoppelten Pfeifensysteme, deuten auf abstandsabhängige Wechsel zwischen gegen- und gleichphasigen Sychronisationsregimen hin. Abschließend wird die Möglichkeit dokumentiert, das Phänomen der Synchronisation zweier Orgelpfeifen durch numerische Simulationen, also der Behandlung der kompressiblen Navier-Stokes Gleichungen mit entsprechenden Rand- und Anfangsbedingungen, realitätsnah abzubilden. Auch dies stellt ein Novum dar.
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are engineered immunoglobulins G (IgG) used for more than 20 years as targeted therapy in oncology, infectious diseases and (auto-)immune disorders. Their protein nature greatly influences their pharmacokinetics (PK), presenting typical linear and non-linear behaviors.
While it is common to use empirical modeling to analyze clinical PK data of mAbs, there is neither clear consensus nor guidance to, on one hand, select the structure of classical compartment models and on the other hand, interpret mechanistically PK parameters. The mechanistic knowledge present in physiologically-based PK (PBPK) models is likely to support rational classical model selection and thus, a methodology to link empirical and PBPK models is desirable. However, published PBPK models for mAbs are quite diverse in respect to the physiology of distribution spaces and the parameterization of the non-specific elimination involving the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) and endogenous IgG (IgGendo). The remarkable discrepancy between the simplicity of biodistribution data and the complexity of published PBPK models translates in parameter identifiability issues.
In this thesis, we address this problem with a simplified PBPK model—derived from a hierarchy of more detailed PBPK models and based on simplifications of tissue distribution model. With the novel tissue model, we are breaking new grounds in mechanistic modeling of mAbs disposition: We demonstrate that binding to FcRn is indeed linear and that it is not possible to infer which tissues are involved in the unspecific elimination of wild-type mAbs. We also provide a new approach to predict tissue partition coefficients based on mechanistic insights: We directly link tissue partition coefficients (Ktis) to data-driven and species-independent published antibody biodistribution coefficients (ABCtis) and thus, we ensure the extrapolation from pre-clinical species to human with the simplified PBPK model. We further extend the simplified PBPK model to account for a target, relevant to characterize the non-linear clearance due to mAb-target interaction.
With model reduction techniques, we reduce the dimensionality of the simplified PBPK model to design 2-compartment models, thus guiding classical model development with physiological and mechanistic interpretation of the PK parameters. We finally derive a new scaling approach for anatomical and physiological parameters in PBPK models that translates the inter-individual variability into the design of mechanistic covariate models with direct link to classical compartment models, specially useful for PK population analysis during clinical development.
Metabolic systems tend to exhibit steady states that can be measured in terms of their concentrations and fluxes. These measurements can be regarded as a phenotypic representation of all the complex interactions and regulatory mechanisms taking place in the underlying metabolic network. Such interactions determine the system's response to external perturbations and are responsible, for example, for its asymptotic stability or for oscillatory trajectories around the steady state. However, determining these perturbation responses in the absence of fully specified kinetic models remains an important challenge of computational systems biology. Structural kinetic modeling (SKM) is a framework to analyse whether a metabolic steady state remains stable under perturbation, without requiring detailed knowledge about individual rate equations. It provides a parameterised representation of the system's Jacobian matrix in which the model parameters encode information about the enzyme-metabolite interactions. Stability criteria can be derived by generating a large number of structural kinetic models (SK-models) with randomly sampled parameter sets and evaluating the resulting Jacobian matrices. The parameter space can be analysed statistically in order to detect network positions that contribute significantly to the perturbation response. Because the sampled parameters are equivalent to the elasticities used in metabolic control analysis (MCA), the results are easy to interpret biologically. In this project, the SKM framework was extended by several novel methodological improvements. These improvements were evaluated in a simulation study using a set of small example pathways with simple Michaelis Menten rate laws. Afterwards, a detailed analysis of the dynamic properties of the neuronal TCA cycle was performed in order to demonstrate how the new insights obtained in this work could be used for the study of complex metabolic systems. The first improvement was achieved by examining the biological feasibility of the elasticity combinations created during Monte Carlo sampling. Using a set of small example systems, the findings showed that the majority of sampled SK-models would yield negative kinetic parameters if they were translated back into kinetic models. To overcome this problem, a simple criterion was formulated that mitigates such infeasible models and the application of this criterion changed the conclusions of the SKM experiment. The second improvement of this work was the application of supervised machine-learning approaches in order to analyse SKM experiments. So far, SKM experiments have focused on the detection of individual enzymes to identify single reactions important for maintaining the stability or oscillatory trajectories. In this work, this approach was extended by demonstrating how SKM enables the detection of ensembles of enzymes or metabolites that act together in an orchestrated manner to coordinate the pathways response to perturbations. In doing so, stable and unstable states served as class labels, and classifiers were trained to detect elasticity regions associated with stability and instability. Classification was performed using decision trees and relevance vector machines (RVMs). The decision trees produced good classification accuracy in terms of model bias and generalizability. RVMs outperformed decision trees when applied to small models, but encountered severe problems when applied to larger systems because of their high runtime requirements. The decision tree rulesets were analysed statistically and individually in order to explore the role of individual enzymes or metabolites in controlling the system's trajectories around steady states. The third improvement of this work was the establishment of a relationship between the SKM framework and the related field of MCA. In particular, it was shown how the sampled elasticities could be converted to flux control coefficients, which were then investigated for their predictive information content in classifier training. After evaluation on the small example pathways, the methodology was used to study two steady states of the neuronal TCA cycle with respect to their intrinsic mechanisms responsible for stability or instability. The findings showed that several elasticities were jointly coordinated to control stability and that the main source for potential instabilities were mutations in the enzyme alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase.
During this work I built a four wave mixing setup for the time-resolved femtosecond spectroscopy of Raman-active lattice modes. This setup enables to study the selective excitation of phonon polaritons. These quasi-particles arise from the coupling of electro-magnetic waves and transverse optical lattice modes, the so-called phonons. The phonon polaritons were investigated in the optically non-linear, ferroelectric crystals LiNbO₃ and LiTaO₃.
The direct observation of the frequency shift of the scattered narrow bandwidth probe pulses proofs the role of the Raman interaction during the probe and excitation process of phonon polaritons. I compare this experimental method with the measurement where ultra-short laser pulses are used. The frequency shift remains obscured by the relative broad bandwidth of these laser pulses. In an experiment with narrow bandwidth probe pulses, the Stokes and anti-Stokes intensities are spectrally separated. They are assigned to the corresponding counter-propagating wavepackets of phonon polaritons. Thus, the dynamics of these wavepackets was separately studied. Based on these findings, I develop the mathematical description of the so-called homodyne detection of light for the case of light scattering from counter propagating phonon polaritons.
Further, I modified the broad bandwidth of the ultra-short pump pulses using bandpass filters to generate two pump pulses with non-overlapping spectra. This enables the frequency-selective excitation of polariton modes in the sample, which allows me to observe even very weak polariton modes in LiNbO₃ or LiTaO₃ that belong to the higher branches of the dispersion relation of phonon polaritons. The experimentally determined dispersion relation of the phonon polaritons could therefore be extended and compared to theoretical models. In addition, I determined the frequency-dependent damping of phonon polaritons.
Scientific inquiry requires that we formulate not only what we know, but also what we do not know and by how much. In climate data analysis, this involves an accurate specification of measured quantities and a consequent analysis that consciously propagates the measurement errors at each step. The dissertation presents a thorough analytical method to quantify errors of measurement inherent in paleoclimate data. An additional focus are the uncertainties in assessing the coupling between different factors that influence the global mean temperature (GMT).
Paleoclimate studies critically rely on `proxy variables' that record climatic signals in natural archives. However, such proxy records inherently involve uncertainties in determining the age of the signal. We present a generic Bayesian approach to analytically determine the proxy record along with its associated uncertainty, resulting in a time-ordered sequence of correlated probability distributions rather than a precise time series. We further develop a recurrence based method to detect dynamical events from the proxy probability distributions. The methods are validated with synthetic examples and
demonstrated with real-world proxy records. The proxy estimation step reveals the interrelations between proxy variability and uncertainty. The recurrence analysis of the East Asian Summer Monsoon during the last 9000 years confirms the well-known `dry' events at 8200 and 4400 BP, plus an additional significantly dry event at 6900 BP.
We also analyze the network of dependencies surrounding GMT. We find an intricate, directed network with multiple links between the different factors at multiple time delays. We further uncover a significant feedback from the GMT to the El Niño Southern Oscillation at quasi-biennial timescales. The analysis highlights the need of a more nuanced formulation of influences between different climatic factors, as well as the limitations in trying to estimate such dependencies.
Automated location of seismic events is a very important task in microseismic monitoring operations as well for local and regional seismic monitoring. Since microseismic records are generally characterised by low signal-to-noise ratio, such methods are requested to be noise robust and sufficiently accurate. Most of the standard automated location routines are based on the automated picking, identification and association of the first arrivals of P and S waves and on the minimization of the residuals between theoretical and observed arrival times of the considered seismic phases. Although current methods can accurately pick P onsets, the automatic picking of the S onset is still problematic, especially when the P coda overlaps the S wave onset. In this thesis I developed a picking free automated method based on the Short-Term-Average/Long-Term-Average (STA/LTA) traces at different stations as observed data. I used the STA/LTA of several characteristic functions in order to increase the sensitiveness to the P wave and the S waves. For the P phases we use the STA/LTA traces of the vertical energy function, while for the S phases, we use the STA/LTA traces of the horizontal energy trace and then a more optimized characteristic function which is obtained using the principal component analysis technique. The orientation of the horizontal components can be retrieved by robust and linear approach of waveform comparison between stations within a network using seismic sources outside the network (chapter 2). To locate the seismic event, we scan the space of possible hypocentral locations and origin times, and stack the STA/LTA traces along the theoretical arrival time surface for both P and S phases. Iterating this procedure on a three-dimensional grid we retrieve a multidimensional matrix whose absolute maximum corresponds to the spatial and temporal coordinates of the seismic event. Location uncertainties are then estimated by perturbing the STA/LTA parameters (i.e the length of both long and short time windows) and relocating each event several times. In order to test the location method I firstly applied it to a set of 200 synthetic events. Then we applied it to two different real datasets. A first one related to mining induced microseismicity in a coal mine in the northern Germany (chapter 3). In this case we successfully located 391 microseismic event with magnitude range between 0.5 and 2.0 Ml. To further validate the location method I compared the retrieved locations with those obtained by manual picking procedure. The second dataset consist in a pilot application performed in the Campania-Lucania region (southern Italy) using a 33 stations seismic network (Irpinia Seismic Network) with an aperture of about 150 km (chapter 4). We located 196 crustal earthquakes (depth < 20 km) with magnitude range 1.1 < Ml < 2.7. A subset of these locations were compared with accurate locations retrieved by a manual location procedure based on the use of a double difference technique. In both cases results indicate good agreement with manual locations. Moreover, the waveform stacking location method results noise robust and performs better than classical location methods based on the automatic picking of the P and S waves first arrivals.
התזות של העבודה
תקופת חז"ל
1. איסור הנישואין מתייחס לשתי נשים – מעוברת ומנקת, ובהתאם לסוגיה הסתמאית בבבלי יבמות, מדובר באיסור שטעמו אחד. למרות תפיסה מקובלת זו, להערכתנו בהלכה הקדומה מדובר היה בשני איסורים שונים: איסור נישואי מעוברת חברו ואיסור נישואי מנקת שמת בעלה.
למסקנה זו הגענו כתוצאה משורה של ראיות:
א. הסוגיה הסתמאית במסכת יבמות מעוררת קשיים רבים (אשר פורטו בעמ' לעבודתנו). קשיים אלה והעובדה כי במחקר המודרני נהוג לשייך סוגיות סתמאיות לסוף תקופת האמוראים ואף לאחר מכן, הביאו אותנו לשער כי סוגיה זו משקפת הצגה מאוחרת של טעם הדין. טעם שונה של הדין מצוי במקורות תנאיים, והוא המשקף כנראה את טעמו הקדום של הדין .
ב. שניים מתוך שלושת המקורות התנאיים, עוסקים האחד רק במנקת והשני רק במעוברת, ולא בשתי הנשים יחד.
ג. ניתוח הלשון של המקורות, מצביע על שורה של שינויים משמעותיים, אשר יש בהם כדי ללמד כי מדובר באיסורים שונים.
2. בהלכה הקדומה נתפס איסור נישואי "מעוברת חברו" כאיסור חמור, והוא הוסמך לפסוקים מהתנ"ך שאסרו הסגת גבול. בשלב מאוחר יותר בתקופת התנאים האיסור פורש ככזה שנועד להבטיח את הנקתו של הילד, צורפה לאיסור הקביעה כי אין לשאת אלמנה מנקת, והיחס לאיסור היה מקל יותר.
למסקנה זו הגענו כתוצאה מהדברים הבאים:
א. בניגוד למקורות תנאיים שנקטו בגישה מקלה במגוון עניינים, ישנם מספר מקורות המציגים גישה מחמירה – לפיה מי שעבר ונשא אלמנה בניגוד לאיסור, "יוציא ולא יחזיר עולמית".
ב. משורה של מקורות שעסקו בדין סוטה, ניכר כי העמדה ההלכתית הקדומה נקטה בגישה לפיה מי שעבר ונשא אלמנה בניגוד לדין והוא חושד כי אשתו סטתה, אינו משקה אותה מי סוטה, שכן היא אסורה עליו עולמית. גישה מקלה יותר, לפיה יכול הוא להפרישה ולהחזירה לאחר זמן ולכן יש טעם בהשקאת הסוטה במקרה כגון זה, התגבשה בספרות התנאית רק בשלב מאוחר יותר. במקביל וללא קשר לדיני סוטה, התפתחה אצל התנאים גישה מקלה, לפיה ישנם חריגים משמעותיים לאיסור נישואי האלמנה (כגון: כאשר הילד נגמל; כאשר הילד נמסר למנקת).
ג. מקור תנאי שעסק רק במעוברת חברו ולא במנקת שמת בעלה, נקט בגישה המחמירה ("יוציא ולא יחזיר עולמית") ולא הזכיר כלל קיומה של גישה מקלה ("יכול הוא להפרישה ולהחזירה לאחר זמן".
ד. מקורות תנאיים בספרות ארץ-ישראלית (מדרש הלכה, התוספתא וברייתא בירושלמי), ראו במי שעבר ונשא כמי שעבר על איסור הנמסך לפסוקים מהתנ"ך (ספר דברים וספר משלי) והאוסרים הסגת גבול. הצענו להבין את הסגת הגבול כמתארת מסגרת שייכות, ולפיה אלמנה שייכת לבעלה המנוח וזאת בכל הקושר לחובתה להבטחת זרעו.
ה. חוקרים (כגון י' גילת) הצביעו על תופעה המאפיינת את המעבר מההלכה הקדומה אל משנתם של התנאים לאחר החורבן: מעבר מגישה מחמירה אשר אינה מכירה בהבחנה בין דין שמעמדו מדאורייתא לדין שמעמדו מדרבנן, אל גישה מקלה יותר המשתלבת עם הנמקה שונה של האיסורים הקדומים והעמדתם במעמד של דרבנן בלבד.
ו. אנו משערים, למרות שהדבר אינו בר הוכחה חותכת, כי תהליך דומה פקד את הדין בו אנו עוסקים: בהלכה הקדומה נאסרה מעוברת חברו, מכוח הפסוק המקראי האוסר על הסגת גבול. איסור זה נחשב כאיסור מהתורה, ולכן היה בו כדי לדחות את מצוות השקאת הסוטה. בשלב מאוחר יותר, כאשר המוסג השגת גבול בכל הנוגע לאלמנה נראה פחות מתאים (בין השאר, הואיל ואלמנה "קונה עצמה" במיתת הבעל – כדברי המשנה בקידושין), הוצע טעם חדש לאיסור – הפגיעה האפשרית בחלב האם. לאור הנמקה זו, חבר אל איסור נישואי מעוברת חברו, גם האיסור לשאת מנקת שמת בעלה, והאיסור בכללותו נתפס בקרב התנאים כאיסור מדרבנן בלבד ושחומרתו קלה יותר. בשלב זה, הפכה הדעה לפיה מי שעבר ונשא "יוציא ולא יחזיר עולמית" לדעת יחיד בלבד(דעת ר' מאיר), ואילו הרבים קבעו כי "יכול הוא להפרישה ולהחזירה לאחר זמן".
3. בתום תקופת האמוראים ואולי אף בתקופה הסבוראית, הוחלט לאמץ את העמדות המחמירות יותר בכל הנוגע לאיסור הנישואין. נקבע כי מלבד מקרה של מות הילד, אין לאיסור חריגים, והאיסור חל גם כאשר הילד כבר אינו יונק. כמו כן נקבע כי משך ההמתנה הנדרש הוא 24 חודשים מהמועד בו נולד הילד. קביעות אלה משקפות הכרעה לאמץ מגמה מחמירה, מתוך מכלול הדעות אשר אפשרו גם אימוץ גישה מקלה יותר.
כפי שהראנו בעבודתנו , ההכרעה לכיוון המחמיר התקבלה ככל הנראה בתקופה הסבוראית. הכרעה זו אינה מובנת מאליה, שכן היו מקורות תנאיים ואמוראיים על בסיסם ניתן היה לקבוע כי יש לאמץ גישה מקלה יותר. לדוגמא, דעת בית הלל ודעת ר' יהודה הייתה כי משך האיסור הוא 18 חודשים בלבד. דעת רשב"ג הייתה כי ניתן לקצר את האיסור בשלושה חודשים נוספים, כך באיסור יהיה למשך 15 חודשים בלבד. לאור זאת, קביעת ההלכתא הסבוראית כי משך ההמתנה הוא 24 חודשים – אינה מובנת מאליה. למרות שאין ביכולתנו להצביע בוודאות על הסבר מדוע אומצה הגישה המחמירה, בעבודתנו הצבענו על ההחמרה במצב היהודים בתקופה הרלבנטית, כרקע אשר עשוי להשתלב עם אימוץ הגישה המחמירה .
תקופת הגאונים
4. בתקופת הגאונים נשמרו חילוקי הדעות בין בני בבל לבני ארץ ישראל, אשר מקורם בהבדלים בין התלמוד הבבלי לתלמוד הירושלמי. הבדלים אלה נוגעים לשאלה מה הדין במקרה בו מת הילד, ולטענתנו גם אודות השאלה האם מי שעבר ונשא יחויב לתת לאשתו גט או שדי בהפרשה בלבד. בסופו של דבר, גאוני בבל הביאו לכך שעמדת הבבלי היא שהתקבלה בעניינים אלה בקרב פוסקי ההלכה.
בעבודתנו עמדנו על היתר שחודש בתקופת הגאונים, ועל שלבים משעורים בהתפתחותו.
תקופת הראשונים
5. בעבודתנו עמדנו על המגמה שאפיינה את פסיקת ההלכה בדין בו אנו עוסקים בתקופת הראשונים. ניסינו להסביר מדוע נעשו ניסיונות לגבש הקלות באיסור הנישואין, ומדוע בסופו של דבר, לדעת רוב הראשונים וכפי שההלכה סוכמה בשלחן ערוך, הגישות המחמירות הן שאומצו. על עניינים אלו.
6. הרחבת היקף פריסתו של האיסור: בניגוד למקורות מתקופת חז"ל מהם נראה כי האיסור חל רק על אלמנה, בתקופת הראשונים נקבע כי האיסור חל גם על גרושה שיש לה ילד מנישואיה הקודמים, וגם על רווקה שילדה ילד מחוץ למסגרת הנישואין. קביעות אלה הביאו להרחבה ניכרת של המקרים בהם חל האיסור.
בעבודתנו עמדנו על הגישות השונות שהיו בסוגיה זו: אודות גרושה אודות מי שילדה בזנות .
עמדנו על כך שישנה קירבה בין שני הנימוקים השונים שהוזכרו בראשית דרכה של ההלכה על טעם האיסור, לבין המחלוקת בין הדעות השונות בשאלת תחולת האיסור על גרושה ועל מי שילדה בזנות. בהתאם לגישה שראתה באיסור משום הסגת גבולו של הבעל הראשון, אין מקום להחלת האיסור כאשר הנישואין הסתיימו בגירושין או כאשר הילד נולד מבלי שהיה קשר נישואין בין הוריו. מנגד, בהתאם לטעם שפורט בבבלי ואשר התמקד בנזק שעלול להיגרם לילד, חשש זה רלבנטי ללא קשר לטיב היחסים בין ההורים ומשכך יש מקום להחיל את איסור הנישואין גם על גרושה וגם על מי שילדה בזנות.
7. פרשיית ר' יעקב מקרקוב והשפעתה על עמדת חכמי ספרד: ר' יעקב מקרקוב סבר כי ניתן לייצר חריגים לאיסור, וזאת על-ידי מסירת הילד למנקת בשכר ועיצוב מנגנון אשר יבטיח שהמנקת לא תפר את התחייבותה להניק את הילד. עמדה זו נדחתה בחריפות על-ידי חכמי אשכנז, אולם נראה כי היא הייתה מקובלת על הרשב"א. כאשר הרא"ש היגר מאשכנז לספרד, הוא הוביל שינוי בתפיסה הספרדית ואימוץ הגישה המחמירה שמקורה באשכנז . העמדות המקלות בסוגיה זו, ככל הנראה צונזרו באופן כה יעיל, עד כי נראה שר' יוסף קארו מחבר השלחן ערוך, לא היה מודע לקיומן.
8. יחסו של הרא"ש להיתר שקבעו הגאונים: עמדנו בפירוט על תהליך העולה ממכלול יצירותיו של הרא"ש: דחיה של היתר שיוחס לגאונים; לאחר מכן אימוץ מהוסס בשעת הדחק של ההיתר; ובסופו של דבר אימוץ היתר רחב יותר העומד בפני עצמו ואינו נשען על משנתם של הגאונים. בהמשך, עמדנו על האופן בו התייחסו חכמי ספרד להיתר הרחב שקבע הרא"ש.
סוגיה זו ממחישה את יחסם השונה של חכמי ספרד וחכמי אשכנז אל תורתם של גאוני בבל, וכן היחס השונה של חכמי ספרד וחכמי אשכנז ללגיטימיות החדשנות ההלכתית. בסוגיה זו, בניגוד לסוגיה שנדונה בסעיף הקודם, הרא"ש גילה גמישות, והסכים להתקרב לעמדת חכמי ספרד (על השערתנו אודות ההסבר לכך).
העת החדשה
9. בעת החדשה, בעקבות קיצור משך ההנקה המקובל, נוצרו שני זרמים מרכזיים ביחס אל איסור הנישואין: הגישה המחמירה מבית מדרשו של החת"ם סופר, והגישה המקלה. הגישה המחמירה מבית מדרשו של החת"ם סופר, הסכימה להתיר את איסור הנישואין, רק כאשר היה חשש שאם איסור הנישואין לא יבוטל, הילד עלול לצאת ממסגרת החיים הדתיים. גישתו המחמירה של החת"ם סופר, הושפעה להערכתנו מהעובדה שאחד מראשוני תנועת הרפורמה, ר' אהרן חורין, טען כי יש לבטל את איסור הנישואין . על-מנת לחזק את תוקפו של האיסור, תלמידו של החת"ם סופר – המהר"ם שיק, טען כי מדובר באיסור מהתורה.
10. הגישה המקלה: גישה זו מורכבת מפסקי הלכה של פוסקים שונים, אשר הסכימו לאמץ הקלות באיסור הנישואין (לפירוט ההקלות העיקריות). הקלות אלה משקפות את גמישותו הרבה של הטקסט המתפרש. אותם טקסטים עצמם שהובנו בעבר באופן מחמיר, פורשו לפתע באופן מקל הרבה יותר. אנו מעריכים כי שינוי הפרשנות נבע משינוי המציאות הסובבת.
11. גם בעלי הגישה המקלה, הושפעו מעמדותיו של החת"ם סופר. השפעה זו באה לידי ביטוי בכך שבעלי הגישה המקלה היו מוכנים לאמץ גישות מקלות שנדחו על-ידי פוסקי ההלכה בעבר, אולם בדרך כלל הם לא היו מוכנים להכיר בצורך בשינוי דרמטי במעמדו של הדין, לאור שינוי המציאות. להערכתנו, עמדה שמרנית זו מובילה לתוצאות בלתי ראויות, והיא אינה משקפת בחינה אמיצה של מידת הרלבנטיות של איסור הנישואין למציאות החיים היהודיים בעשורים האחרונים.
Effect of benzylglucosinolate on signaling pathways associated with type 2 diabetes prevention
(2014)
Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a health problem throughout the world. In 2010, there were nearly 230 million individuals with diabetes worldwide and it is estimated that in the economically advanced countries the cases will increase about 50% in the next twenty years. Insulin resistance is one of major features in T2D, which is also a risk factor for metabolic and cardiovascular complications. Epidemiological and animal studies have shown that the consumption of vegetables and fruits can delay or prevent the development of the disease, although the underlying mechanisms of these effects are still unclear. Brassica species such as broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) and nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) possess high content of bioactive phytochemicals, e.g. nitrogen sulfur compounds (glucosinolates and isothiocyanates) and polyphenols largely associated with the prevention of cancer. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) display their anti-carcinogenic potential by inducing detoxicating phase II enzymes and increasing glutathione (GSH) levels in tissues. In T2D diabetes an increase in gluconeogenesis and triglyceride synthesis, and a reduction in fatty acid oxidation accompanied by the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are observed; altogether is the result of an inappropriate response to insulin. Forkhead box O (FOXO) transcription factors play a crucial role in the regulation of insulin effects on gene expression and metabolism, and alterations in FOXO function could contribute to metabolic disorders in diabetes. In this study using stably transfected human osteosarcoma cells (U-2 OS) with constitutive expression of FOXO1 protein labeled with GFP (green fluorescent protein) and human hepatoma cells HepG2 cell cultures, the ability of benzylisothiocyanate (BITC) deriving from benzylglucosinolate, extracted from nasturtium to modulate, i) the insulin-signaling pathway, ii) the intracellular localization of FOXO1 and iii) the expression of proteins involved in glucose metabolism, ROS detoxification, cell cycle arrest and DNA repair was evaluated. BITC promoted oxidative stress and in response to that induced FOXO1 translocation from cytoplasm into the nucleus antagonizing the insulin effect. BITC stimulus was able to down-regulate gluconeogenic enzymes, which can be considered as an anti-diabetic effect; to promote antioxidant resistance expressed by the up-regulation in manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) and detoxification enzymes; to modulate autophagy by induction of BECLIN1 and down-regulation of the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway; and to promote cell cycle arrest and DNA damage repair by up-regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (p21CIP) and Growth Arrest / DNA Damage Repair (GADD45). Except for the nuclear factor (erythroid derived)-like2 (NRF2) and its influence in the detoxification enzymes gene expression, all the observed effects were independent from FOXO1, protein kinase B (AKT/PKB) and NAD-dependent deacetylase sirtuin-1 (SIRT1). The current study provides evidence that besides of the anticarcinogenic potential, isothiocyanates might have a role in T2D prevention. BITC stimulus mimics the fasting state, in which insulin signaling is not triggered and FOXO proteins remain in the nucleus modulating gene expression of their target genes, with the advantage of a down-regulation of gluconeogenesis instead of its increase. These effects suggest that BITC might be considered as a promising substance in the prevention or treatment of T2D, therefore the factors behind of its modulatory effects need further investigation.
Nowadays, software systems are getting more and more complex. To tackle this challenge most diverse techniques, such as design patterns, service oriented architectures (SOA), software development processes, and model-driven engineering (MDE), are used to improve productivity, while time to market and quality of the products stay stable. Multiple of these techniques are used in parallel to profit from their benefits. While the use of sophisticated software development processes is standard, today, MDE is just adopted in practice. However, research has shown that the application of MDE is not always successful. It is not fully understood when advantages of MDE can be used and to what degree MDE can also be disadvantageous for productivity. Further, when combining different techniques that aim to affect the same factor (e.g. productivity) the question arises whether these techniques really complement each other or, in contrast, compensate their effects. Due to that, there is the concrete question how MDE and other techniques, such as software development process, are interrelated. Both aspects (advantages and disadvantages for productivity as well as the interrelation to other techniques) need to be understood to identify risks relating to the productivity impact of MDE. Before studying MDE's impact on productivity, it is necessary to investigate the range of validity that can be reached for the results. This includes two questions. First, there is the question whether MDE's impact on productivity is similar for all approaches of adopting MDE in practice. Second, there is the question whether MDE's impact on productivity for an approach of using MDE in practice remains stable over time. The answers for both questions are crucial for handling risks of MDE, but also for the design of future studies on MDE success. This thesis addresses these questions with the goal to support adoption of MDE in future. To enable a differentiated discussion about MDE, the term MDE setting'' is introduced. MDE setting refers to the applied technical setting, i.e. the employed manual and automated activities, artifacts, languages, and tools. An MDE setting's possible impact on productivity is studied with a focus on changeability and the interrelation to software development processes. This is done by introducing a taxonomy of changeability concerns that might be affected by an MDE setting. Further, three MDE traits are identified and it is studied for which manifestations of these MDE traits software development processes are impacted. To enable the assessment and evaluation of an MDE setting's impacts, the Software Manufacture Model language is introduced. This is a process modeling language that allows to reason about how relations between (modeling) artifacts (e.g. models or code files) change during application of manual or automated development activities. On that basis, risk analysis techniques are provided. These techniques allow identifying changeability risks and assessing the manifestations of the MDE traits (and with it an MDE setting's impact on software development processes). To address the range of validity, MDE settings from practice and their evolution histories were capture in context of this thesis. First, this data is used to show that MDE settings cover the whole spectrum concerning their impact on changeability or interrelation to software development processes. Neither it is seldom that MDE settings are neutral for processes nor is it seldom that MDE settings have impact on processes. Similarly, the impact on changeability differs relevantly. Second, a taxonomy of evolution of MDE settings is introduced. In that context it is discussed to what extent different types of changes on an MDE setting can influence this MDE setting's impact on changeability and the interrelation to processes. The category of structural evolution, which can change these characteristics of an MDE setting, is identified. The captured MDE settings from practice are used to show that structural evolution exists and is common. In addition, some examples of structural evolution steps are collected that actually led to a change in the characteristics of the respective MDE settings. Two implications are: First, the assessed diversity of MDE settings evaluates the need for the analysis techniques that shall be presented in this thesis. Second, evolution is one explanation for the diversity of MDE settings in practice. To summarize, this thesis studies the nature and evolution of MDE settings in practice. As a result support for the adoption of MDE settings is provided in form of techniques for the identification of risks relating to productivity impacts.
The data quality of real-world datasets need to be constantly monitored and maintained to allow organizations and individuals to reliably use their data. Especially, data integration projects suffer from poor initial data quality and as a consequence consume more effort and money. Commercial products and research prototypes for data cleansing and integration help users to improve the quality of individual and combined datasets. They can be divided into either standalone systems or database management system (DBMS) extensions. On the one hand, standalone systems do not interact well with DBMS and require time-consuming data imports and exports. On the other hand, DBMS extensions are often limited by the underlying system and do not cover the full set of data cleansing and integration tasks.
We overcome both limitations by implementing a concise set of five data cleansing and integration operators on the parallel data analytics platform Stratosphere. We define the semantics of the operators, present their parallel implementation, and devise optimization techniques for individual operators and combinations thereof. Users specify declarative queries in our query language METEOR with our new operators to improve the data quality of individual datasets or integrate them to larger datasets. By integrating the data cleansing operators into the higher level language layer of Stratosphere, users can easily combine cleansing operators with operators from other domains, such as information extraction, to complex data flows. Through a generic description of the operators, the Stratosphere optimizer reorders operators even from different domains to find better query plans.
As a case study, we reimplemented a part of the large Open Government Data integration project GovWILD with our new operators and show that our queries run significantly faster than the original GovWILD queries, which rely on relational operators. Evaluation reveals that our operators exhibit good scalability on up to 100 cores, so that even larger inputs can be efficiently processed by scaling out to more machines. Finally, our scripts are considerably shorter than the original GovWILD scripts, which results in better maintainability of the scripts.
Today, it is well known that galaxies like the Milky Way consist not only of stars but also of gas and dust. The galactic halo, a sphere of gas that surrounds the stellar disk of a galaxy, is especially interesting. It provides a wealth of information about in and outflowing gaseous material towards and away from galaxies and their hierarchical evolution. For the Milky Way, the so-called high-velocity clouds (HVCs), fast moving neutral gas complexes in the halo that can be traced by absorption-line measurements, are believed to play a crucial role in the overall matter cycle in our Galaxy. Over the last decades, the properties of these halo structures and their connection to the local circumgalactic and intergalactic medium (CGM and IGM, respectively) have been investigated in great detail by many different groups. So far it remains unclear, however, to what extent the results of these studies can be transferred to other galaxies in the local Universe. In this thesis, we study the absorption properties of Galactic HVCs and compare the HVC absorption characteristics with those of intervening QSO absorption-line systems at low redshift. The goal of this project is to improve our understanding of the spatial extent and physical conditions of gaseous galaxy halos in the local Universe. In the first part of the thesis we use HST /STIS ultraviolet spectra of more than 40 extragalactic background sources to statistically analyze the absorption properties of the HVCs in the Galactic halo. We determine fundamental absorption line parameters including covering fractions of different weakly/intermediately/highly ionized metals with a particular focus on SiII and MgII. Due to the similarity in the ionization properties of SiII and MgII, we are able to estimate the contribution of HVC-like halo structures to the cross section of intervening strong MgII absorbers at z = 0. Our study implies that only the most massive HVCs would be regarded as strong MgII absorbers, if the Milky Way halo would be seen as a QSO absorption line system from an exterior vantage point. Combining the observed absorption-cross section of Galactic HVCs with the well-known number density of intervening strong MgII absorbers at z = 0, we conclude that the contribution of infalling gas clouds (i.e., HVC analogs) in the halos of Milky Way-type galaxies to the cross section of strong MgII absorbers is 34%. This result indicates that only about one third of the strong MgII absorption can be associated with HVC analogs around other galaxies, while the majority of the strong MgII systems possibly is related to galaxy outflows and winds. The second part of this thesis focuses on the properties of intervening metal absorbers at low redshift. The analysis of the frequency and physical conditions of intervening metal systems in QSO spectra and their relation to nearby galaxies offers new insights into the typical conditions of gaseous galaxy halos. One major aspect in our study was to regard intervening metal systems as possible HVC analogs. We perform a detailed analysis of absorption line properties and line statistics for 57 metal absorbers along 78 QSO sightlines using newly-obtained ultraviolet spectra obtained with HST /COS. We find clear evidence for bimodal distribution in the HI column density in the absorbers, a trend that we interpret as sign for two different classes of absorption systems (with HVC analogs at the high-column density end). With the help of the strong transitions of SiII λ1260, SiIII λ1206, and CIII λ977 we have set up Cloudy photoionization models to estimate the local ionization conditions, gas densities, and metallicities. We find that the intervening absorption systems studied by us have, on average, similar physical conditions as Galactic HVC absorbers, providing evidence that many of them represent HVC analogs in the vicinity of other galaxies. We therefore determine typical halo sizes for SiII, SiIII, and CIII for L = 0.01L∗ and L = 0.05L∗ galaxies. Based on the covering fractions of the different ions in the Galactic halo, we find that, for example, the typical halo size for SiIII is ∼ 160 kpc for L = 0.05L∗ galaxies. We test the plausibility of this result by searching for known galaxies close to the QSO sightlines and at similar redshifts as the absorbers. We find that more than 34% of the measured SiIII absorbers have galaxies associated with them, with the majority of the absorbers indeed being at impact parameters ρ ≤160 kpc.
In the presented thesis, the most advanced photon reconstruction technique of ground-based γ-ray astronomy is adapted to the H.E.S.S. 28 m telescope. The method is based on a semi-analytical model of electromagnetic particle showers in the atmosphere. The properties of cosmic γ-rays are reconstructed by comparing the camera image of the telescope with the Cherenkov emission that is expected from the shower model. To suppress the dominant background from charged cosmic rays, events are selected based on several criteria. The performance of the analysis is evaluated with simulated events. The method is then applied to two sources that are known to emit γ-rays. The first of these is the Crab Nebula, the standard candle of ground-based γ-ray astronomy. The results of this source confirm the expected performance of the reconstruction method, where the much lower energy threshold compared to H.E.S.S. I is of particular importance. A second analysis is performed on the region around the Galactic Centre. The analysis results emphasise the capabilities of the new telescope to measure γ-rays in an energy range that is interesting for both theoretical and experimental astrophysics. The presented analysis features the lowest energy threshold that has ever been reached in ground-based γ-ray astronomy, opening a new window to the precise measurement of the physical properties of time-variable sources at energies of several tens of GeV.
The Epoch of Reionization marks after recombination the second major change in the ionization state of the universe, going from a neutral to an ionized state. It starts with the appearance of the first stars and galaxies; a fraction of high-energy photons emitted from galaxies permeate into the intergalactic medium (IGM) and gradually ionize the hydrogen, until the IGM is completely ionized at z~6 (Fan et al., 2006). While the progress of reionization is driven by galaxy evolution, it changes the ionization and thermal state of the IGM substantially and affects subsequent structure and galaxy formation by various feedback mechanisms.
Understanding this interaction between reionization and galaxy formation is further impeded by a lack of understanding of the high-redshift galactic properties such as the dust distribution and the escape fraction of ionizing photons. Lyman Alpha Emitters (LAEs) represent a sample of high-redshift galaxies that are sensitive to all these galactic properties and the effects of reionization.
In this thesis we aim to understand the progress of reionization by performing cosmological simulations, which allows us to investigate the limits of constraining reionization by high-redshift galaxies as LAEs, and examine how galactic properties and the ionization state of the IGM affect the visibility and observed quantities of LAEs and Lyman Break galaxies (LBGs).
In the first part of this thesis we focus on performing radiative transfer calculations to simulate reionization. We have developed a mapping-sphere-scheme, which, starting from spherically averaged temperature and density fields, uses our 1D radiative transfer code and computes the effect of each source on the IGM temperature and ionization (HII, HeII, HeIII) profiles, which are subsequently mapped onto a grid. Furthermore we have updated the 3D Monte-Carlo radiative transfer pCRASH, enabling detailed reionization simulations which take individual source characteristics into account.
In the second part of this thesis we perform a reionization simulation by post-processing a smoothed-particle hydrodynamical (SPH) simulation (GADGET-2) with 3D radiative transfer (pCRASH), where the ionizing sources are modelled according to the characteristics of the stellar populations in the hydrodynamical simulation. Following the ionization fractions of hydrogen (HI) and helium (HeII, HeIII), and temperature in our simulation, we find that reionization starts at z~11 and ends at z~6, and high density regions near sources are ionized earlier than low density regions far from sources.
In the third part of this thesis we couple the cosmological SPH simulation and the radiative transfer simulations with a physically motivated, self-consistent model for LAEs, in order to understand the importance of the ionization state of the IGM, the escape fraction of ionizing photons from galaxies and dust in the interstellar medium (ISM) on the visibility of LAEs. Comparison of our models results with the LAE Lyman Alpha (Lya) and UV luminosity functions at z~6.6 reveals a three-dimensional degeneracy between the ionization state of the IGM, the ionizing photons escape fraction and the ISM dust distribution, which implies that LAEs act not only as tracers of reionization but also of the ionizing photon escape fraction and of the ISM dust distribution. This degeneracy does not even break down when we compare simulated with observed clustering of LAEs at z~6.6. However, our results show that reionization has the largest impact on the amplitude of the LAE angular correlation functions, and its imprints are clearly distinguishable from those of properties on galactic scales. These results show that reionization cannot be constrained tightly by exclusively using LAE observations. Further observational constraints, e.g. tomographies of the redshifted hydrogen 21cm line, are required.
In addition we also use our LAE model to probe the question when a galaxy is visible as a LAE or a LBG. Within our model galaxies above a critical stellar mass can produce enough luminosity to be visible as a LBG and/or a LAE. By finding an increasing duty cycle of LBGs with Lya emission as the UV magnitude or stellar mass of the galaxy rises, our model reveals that the brightest (and most massive) LBGs most often show Lya emission.
Predicting the Lya equivalent width (Lya EW) distribution and the fraction of LBGs showing Lya emission at z~6.6, we reproduce the observational trend of the Lya EWs with UV magnitude. However, the Lya EWs of the UV brightest LBGs exceed observations and can only be reconciled by accounting for an increased Lya attenuation of massive galaxies, which implies that the observed Lya brightest LAEs do not necessarily coincide with the UV brightest galaxies. We have analysed the dependencies of LAE observables on the properties of the galactic and intergalactic medium and the LAE-LBG connection, and this enhances our understanding of the nature of LAEs.
Der Bittergeschmack dient Säugern vermutlich zur Wahrnehmung und Vermeidung toxischer Substanzen. Bitterstoffe können jedoch auch gesund sein oder werden oft bereitwillig mit der Nahrung aufgenommen. Ob sie geschmacklich unterschieden werden können, ist allerdings umstritten. Detektiert werden Bitterstoffe von oralen Bittergeschmacksrezeptoren, den TAS2R (human) bzw. Tas2r (murin). In der Literatur gibt es aber immer mehr Hinweise darauf, dass überdies Tas2r nicht nur in extragustatorischen Organen exprimiert werden, sondern dort auch wichtige Aufgaben erfüllen könnten, was wiederum die Aufklärung ihrer noch nicht vollständig entschlüsselten Funktionsweisen erfordert. So ist noch unbekannt, ob alle bisher als funktionell identifizierten Tas2r wirklich gustatorische Funktionen erfüllen.
Im Rahmen der Charakterisierung neu generierter, im Locus des Bittergeschmacksrezeptors Tas2r131 genetisch modifizierter Mauslinien, wurde in vorliegender Arbeit die gustatorische sowie extragustatorische Expression von Tas2r131 untersucht. Dass Tas2r131 nicht nur in Pilzpapillen, Wall- und Blätterpapillen (VP+FoP), Gaumen, Ductus nasopalatinus, Vomeronasalorgan und Kehldeckel, sondern auch in Thymus, Testes und Nebenhodenkopf, in Gehirnarealen sowie im Ganglion geniculatum nachgewiesen wurde, bildete die Grundlage für weiterführende Studien. Die vorliegende Arbeit zeigt außerdem, dass Tas2r108, Tas2r126, Tas2r135, Tas2r137 und Tas2r143 in Blut exprimiert werden, was auf eine heterogene Funktion der Tas2r hindeutet. Dass zusätzlich erstmals die Expression aller 35 als funktionell beschriebenen Tas2r im gustatorischen VP+FoP-Epithel von C57BL/6-Mäusen nachgewiesen wurde, verweist auf deren Relevanz als funktionelle Geschmacksrezeptoren.
Weiter zeigten Untersuchungen zur Aufklärung eines möglichen Bitter-Unterscheidungsvermögens in Geschmackspapillen von Mäusen mit fluoreszenzmarkierten oder ablatierten Tas2r131-Zellen, dass Tas2r131 exprimierende Zellen eine Tas2r-Zellsubpopulation bilden. Darüber hinaus existieren innerhalb der Bitterzellen geordnete Tas2r-Expressionsmuster, die sich nach der chromosomalen Lage ihrer Gene richten. Isolierte Bitterzellen reagieren heterogen auf bekannte Bitterstoffe. Und Mäuse mit ablatierter Tas2r131-Zellpopulation besitzen noch andere Tas2r-Zellen und schmecken damit einige Bitterstoffe kaum noch, andere aber noch sehr gut. Diese Befunde belegen die Existenz verschiedener gustatorischer Tas2r-Zellpopulationen, welche die Voraussetzung bilden, Bitterstoffe heterogen zu detektieren. Ob dies die Grundlage für ein divergierendes Verhalten gegenüber unverträglichen und harmlosen oder gar nützlichen Bitterstoffen darstellt, kann mit Hilfe der dargelegten Tas2r-Expressionsmuster künftig in Verhaltensexperimenten geprüft werden.
Die Bittergeschmackswahrnehmung in Säugetieren stellt sich als ein hochkomplexer Mechanismus dar, dessen Vielschichtigkeit durch die hier neu aufgezeigten heterogenen Tas2r-Expressions- und Funktionsmuster erneut verdeutlicht wird.
The adaptation of cell growth and proliferation to environmental changes is essential for the surviving of biological systems. The evolutionary conserved Ser/Thr protein kinase “Target of Rapamycin” (TOR) has emerged as a major signaling node that integrates the sensing of numerous growth signals to the coordinated regulation of cellular metabolism and growth. Although the TOR signaling pathway has been widely studied in heterotrophic organisms, the research on TOR in photosynthetic eukaryotes has been hampered by the reported land plant resistance to rapamycin. Thus, the finding that Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is sensitive to rapamycin, establish this unicellular green alga as a useful model system to investigate TOR signaling in photosynthetic eukaryotes.
The observation that rapamycin does not fully arrest Chlamydomonas growth, which is different from observations made in other organisms, prompted us to investigate the regulatory function of TOR in Chlamydomonas in context of the cell cycle. Therefore, a growth system that allowed synchronously growth under widely unperturbed cultivation in a fermenter system was set up and the synchronized cells were characterized in detail. In a highly resolved kinetic study, the synchronized cells were analyzed for their changes in cytological parameters as cell number and size distribution and their starch content. Furthermore, we applied mass spectrometric analysis for profiling of primary and lipid metabolism. This system was then used to analyze the response dynamics of the Chlamydomonas metabolome and lipidome to TOR-inhibition by rapamycin
The results show that TOR inhibition reduces cell growth, delays cell division and daughter cell release and results in a 50% reduced cell number at the end of the cell cycle. Consistent with the growth phenotype we observed strong changes in carbon and nitrogen partitioning in the direction of rapid conversion into carbon and nitrogen storage through an accumulation of starch, triacylglycerol and arginine. Interestingly, it seems that the conversion of carbon into triacylglycerol occurred faster than into starch after TOR inhibition, which may indicate a more dominant role of TOR in the regulation of TAG biosynthesis than in the regulation of starch.
This study clearly shows, for the first time, a complex picture of metabolic and lipidomic dynamically changes during the cell cycle of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and furthermore reveals a complex regulation and adjustment of metabolite pools and lipid composition in response to TOR inhibition.
Following the principles of green chemistry, a simple and efficient synthesis of functionalised imidazolium zwitterionic compounds from renewable resources was developed based on a modified one-pot Debus-Radziszewski reaction. The combination of different carbohydrate-derived 1,2-dicarbonyl compounds and amino acids is a simple way to modulate the properties and introduce different functionalities. A representative compound was assessed as an acid catalyst, and converted into acidic ionic liquids by reaction with several strong acids. The reactivity of the double carboxylic functionality was explored by esterification with long and short chain alcohols, as well as functionalised amines, which led to the straightforward formation of surfactant-like molecules or bifunctional esters and amides. One of these di-esters is currently being investigated for the synthesis of poly(ionic liquids). The functionalisation of cellulose with one of the bifunctional esters was investigated and preliminary tests employing it for the functionalisation of filter papers were carried out successfully. The imidazolium zwitterions were converted into ionic liquids via hydrothermal decarboxylation in flow, a benign and scalable technique. This method provides access to imidazolium ionic liquids via a simple and sustainable methodology, whilst completely avoiding contamination with halide salts. Different ionic liquids can be generated depending on the functionality contained in the ImZw precursor. Two alanine-derived ionic liquids were assessed for their physicochemical properties and applications as solvents for the dissolution of cellulose and the Heck coupling.
Die vorliegende Studie untersucht die gesellschaftliche Rolle des gegenwärtigen Mathematikunterrichts an deutschen allgemeinbildenden Schulen aus einer soziologisch-kritischen Perspektive. In Zentrum des Interesses steht die durch den Mathematikunterricht erfahrene Sozialisation. Die Studie umfasst unter anderem eine Literaturdiskussion, die Ausarbeitung eines soziologischen Rahmens auf der Grundlage des Werks von Michel Foucault und zwei Teilstudien zur Soziologie der Logik und des Rechnens. Abschließend werden Dispositive des Mathematischen beschrieben, die darlegen, in welcher Art und mit welcher persönlichen und gesellschaftlichen Folgen der gegenwärtige Mathematikunterricht eine spezielle Geisteshaltung etabliert.
Reading is a complex cognitive task based on the analyses of visual stimuli. Due to the physiology of the eye, only a small number of letters around the fixation position can be extracted with high visual acuity, while the visibility of words and letters outside this so-called foveal region quickly drops with increasing eccentricity. As a consequence, saccadic eye movements are needed to repeatedly shift the fovea to new words for visual word identification during reading. Moreover, even within a foveated word fixation positions near the word center are superior to other fixation positions for efficient word recognition (O’Regan, 1981; Brysbaert, Vitu, and Schroyens, 1996). Thus, most reading theories assume that readers aim specifically at word centers during reading (for a review see Reichle, Rayner, & Pollatsek, 2003). However, saccades’ landing positions within words during reading are in fact systematically modulated by the distance of the launch site from the word center (McConkie, Kerr, Reddix, & Zola, 1988). In general, it is largely unknown how readers identify the center of upcoming target words and there is no computational model of the sensorimotor translation of the decision for a target word into spatial word center coordinates. Here we present a series of three studies which aim at advancing the current knowledge about the computation of saccade target coordinates during saccade planning in reading. Based on a large corpus analyses, we firstly identified word skipping as a further factor beyond the launch-site distance with a likewise systematic and surprisingly large effect on within-word landing positions. Most importantly, we found that the end points of saccades after skipped word are shifted two and more letters to the left as compared to one-step saccades (i.e., from word N to word N+1) with equal launch-site distances. Then we present evidence from a single saccade experiment suggesting that the word-skipping effect results from highly automatic low-level perceptual processes, which are essentially based on the localization of blank spaces between words. Finally, in the third part, we present a Bayesian model of the computation of the word center from primary sensory measurements of inter-word spaces. We demonstrate that the model simultaneously accounts for launch-site and saccade-type contingent modulations of within-word landing positions in reading. Our results show that the spatial saccade target during reading is the result of complex estimations of the word center based on incomplete sensory information, which also leads to specific systematic deviations of saccades’ landing positions from the word center. Our results have important implications for current reading models and experimental reading research.
Ziel der Arbeit war die Entwicklung von farbstoffmarkierten Polymeren, die einen temperaturgetriebenen Knäuel-Kollaps-Phasenübergang in wässriger Lösung ("thermo-responsive Polymere") zeigen und diesen in ein optisches Signal übersetzen können. Solche Polymere unterliegen innerhalb eines kleinen Temperaturintervalls einer massiven Änderung ihres Verhaltens, z B. ihrer Konformation und ihres Quellungsgrads. Diese Änderungen sind mit einem Wechsel der Löseeigenschaften von hydrophil zu hydrophob verbunden. Als Matrixpolymere wurden Poly-N-isopropylacrylamid (polyNIPAm), Poly(oligoethylen-glykolacrylat) (polyOEGA) und Poly(oligoethylenglykolmethacrylat) (polyOEGMA) ein-gesetzt, in die geeignete Farbstoffen durch Copolymerisation eingebaut wurden. Als besonders geeignet, um den Phasenübergang in ein optisches Signal zu übersetzen, erwiesen sich hierfür kompakte, solvatochrome Cumarin- und Naphthalimidderivate. Diese beeinträchtigten weder das Polymerisationsverhalten noch den Phasenübergang, reagierten aber sowohl bezüglich Farbe als auch Fluoreszenz stark auf die Polarität des Lösemittels. Weiterhin wurden Systeme entwickelt, die mittels Energietransfer (FRET) ein an den Phasenübergang gekoppeltes optisches Signal erzeugen. Hierbei wurde ein Cumarin als Donor- und ein Polythiophen als Akzeptorfarbstoff eingesetzt. Es zeigte sich, dass trotz scheinbarer Ähnlichkeit bestimmte Polymere ausgeprägt auf einen Temperaturstimulus mit Änderung ihrer spektralen Eigenschaften reagieren, andere aber nicht. Hierfür wurden die molekularen Ursachen untersucht. Als wahrscheinliche Gründe für das Ausbleiben einer spektralen Änderung in Oligo(ethylenglykol)-basierten Polymeren sind zum einen die fehlende Dehydratationseffektivität infolge des Fehlens eines selbstgenügenden Wasserstoffbrückenbindungsmotivs zu nennen und zum anderen die sterische Abschirmung der Farbstoffe durch die Oligo(ethylenglykol)-Seitenketten. Als Prinzipbeweis für die Nützlichkeit solcher Systeme für die Bioanalytik wurde ein System entwickelt, dass die Löslichkeitseigenschaft eines thermoresponsiven Polymers durch Antikörper-Antigen-Reaktion änderte. Die Bindung selbst kleiner Mengen eines Antikörpers ließ sich so direkt optisch auslesen und war bereits mit dem bloßen Auge zu erkennen.
Unterschiedliche Verfahren zur Ermittlung von Georadar-Wellengeschwindigkeiten wurden entwickelt und erfolgreich angewendet. Für die Verfahren wurden statistische Methoden und Schwarmintelligenz-Algorithmen benutzt. Es wurde gezeigt, dass die neuen Verfahren schneller, präziser und besser reproduzierbare Ergebnisse für Georadar-Wellengeschwindigkeit erzielen als herkömmliche Verfahren.
Mit verbesserten Werten der Georadar-Wellengeschwindigkeit lassen sich die verzerrten dreidimensionalen Abbilder der obersten zehn Meter des Untergrundes, welche sich mit Georadar-Daten erzeugen lassen, korrigieren. In diesen korrigierten Abbildern sind dann realistische Tiefen von Schichten oder Objekten im Untergrund besser messbar. Außerdem verbessern präzisere Wellengeschwindigkeiten die Bestimmung von Bodenparametern, wie Wassergehalt oder Tonanteil. Die präsentierten Verfahren erlauben eine quantitative Angabe von Fehlern der bestimmten Wellengeschwindigkeit und der daraus folgenden Tiefen und Bodenparametern im Untergrund. Die Vorteile dieser neu entwickelten Verfahren zur Charakterisierung des Untergrundes der oberen Meter wurde an Feldbeispielen demonstriert.
Boolean constraint solving technology has made tremendous progress over the last decade, leading to industrial-strength solvers, for example, in the areas of answer set programming (ASP), the constraint satisfaction problem (CSP), propositional satisfiability (SAT) and satisfiability of quantified Boolean formulas (QBF). However, in all these areas, there exist multiple solving strategies that work well on different applications; no strategy dominates all other strategies. Therefore, no individual solver shows robust state-of-the-art performance in all kinds of applications. Additionally, the question arises how to choose a well-performing solving strategy for a given application; this is a challenging question even for solver and domain experts. One way to address this issue is the use of portfolio solvers, that is, a set of different solvers or solver configurations. We present three new automatic portfolio methods: (i) automatic construction of parallel portfolio solvers (ACPP) via algorithm configuration,(ii) solving the $NP$-hard problem of finding effective algorithm schedules with Answer Set Programming (aspeed), and (iii) a flexible algorithm selection framework (claspfolio2) allowing for fair comparison of different selection approaches. All three methods show improved performance and robustness in comparison to individual solvers on heterogeneous instance sets from many different applications. Since parallel solvers are important to effectively solve hard problems on parallel computation systems (e.g., multi-core processors), we extend all three approaches to be effectively applicable in parallel settings. We conducted extensive experimental studies different instance sets from ASP, CSP, MAXSAT, Operation Research (OR), SAT and QBF that indicate an improvement in the state-of-the-art solving heterogeneous instance sets. Last but not least, from our experimental studies, we deduce practical advice regarding the question when to apply which of our methods.
Entrepreneurship is known to be a main driver of economic growth. Hence, governments have an interest in supporting and promoting entrepreneurial activities. Start-up subsidies, which have been analyzed extensively, only aim at mitigating the lack of financial capital. However, some entrepreneurs also lack in human, social, and managerial capital. One way to address these shortcomings is by subsidizing coaching programs for entrepreneurs. However, theoretical and empirical evidence about business coaching and programs subsidizing coaching is scarce. This dissertation gives an extensive overview of coaching and is the first empirical study for Germany analyzing the effects of coaching programs on its participants. In the theoretical part of the dissertation the process of a business start-up is described and it is discussed how and in which stage of the company’s evolvement coaching can influence entrepreneurial success. The concept of coaching is compared to other non-monetary types of support as training, mentoring, consulting, and counseling. Furthermore, national and international support programs are described. Most programs have either no or small positive effects. However, there is little quantitative evidence in the international literature. In the empirical part of the dissertation the effectiveness of coaching is shown by evaluating two German coaching programs, which support entrepreneurs via publicly subsidized coaching sessions. One of the programs aims at entrepreneurs who have been employed before becoming self-employed, whereas the other program is targeted at former unemployed entrepreneurs. The analysis is based on the evaluation of a quantitative and a qualitative dataset. The qualitative data are gathered by intensive one-on-one interviews with coaches and entrepreneurs. These data give a detailed insight about the coaching topics, duration, process, effectiveness, and the thoughts of coaches and entrepreneurs. The quantitative data include information about 2,936 German-based entrepreneurs. Using propensity score matching, the success of participants of the two coaching programs is compared with adequate groups of non-participants. In contrast to many other studies also personality traits are observed and controlled for in the matching process. The results show that only the program for former unemployed entrepreneurs has small positive effects. Participants have a larger survival probability in self-employment and a larger probability to hire employees than matched non-participants. In contrast, the program for former employed individuals has negative effects. Compared to individuals who did not participate in the coaching program, participants have a lower probability to stay in self-employment, lower earned net income, lower number of employees and lower life satisfaction. There are several reasons for these differing results of the two programs. First, former unemployed individuals have more basic coaching needs than former employed individuals. Coaches can satisfy these basic coaching needs, whereas former employed individuals have more complex business problems, which are not very easy to be solved by a coaching intervention. Second, the analysis reveals that former employed individuals are very successful in general. It is easier to increase the success of former unemployed individuals as they have a lower base level of success than former employed individuals. An effect heterogeneity analysis shows that coaching effectiveness differs by region. Coaching for previously unemployed entrepreneurs is especially useful in regions with bad labor market conditions. In summary, in line with previous literature, it is found that coaching has little effects on the success of entrepreneurs. The previous employment status, the characteristics of the entrepreneur and the regional labor market conditions play a crucial role in the effectiveness of coaching. In conclusion, coaching needs to be well tailored to the individual and applied thoroughly. Therefore, governments should design and provide coaching programs only after due consideration.
The aim of the present thesis is to answer the question to what degree the processes involved in sentence comprehension are sensitive to task demands. A central phenomenon in this regard is the so-called ambiguity advantage, which is the finding that ambiguous sentences can be easier to process than unambiguous sentences. This finding may appear counterintuitive, because more meanings should be associated with a higher computational effort. Currently, two theories exist that can explain this finding.
The Unrestricted Race Model (URM) by van Gompel et al. (2001) assumes that several sentence interpretations are computed in parallel, whenever possible, and that the first interpretation to be computed is assigned to the sentence. Because the duration of each structure-building process varies from trial to trial, the parallelism in structure-building predicts that ambiguous sentences should be processed faster. This is because when two structures are permissible, the chances that some interpretation will be computed quickly are higher than when only one specific structure is permissible. Importantly, the URM is not sensitive to task demands such as the type of comprehension questions being asked.
A radically different proposal is the strategic underspecification model by Swets et al. (2008). It assumes that readers do not attempt to resolve ambiguities unless it is absolutely necessary. In other words, they underspecify. According the strategic underspecification hypothesis, all attested replications of the ambiguity advantage are due to the fact that in those experiments, readers were not required to fully understand the sentence.
In this thesis, these two models of the parser’s actions at choice-points in the sentence are presented and evaluated. First, it is argued that the Swets et al.’s (2008) evidence against the URM and in favor of underspecification is inconclusive. Next, the precise predictions of the URM as well as the underspecification model are refined. Subsequently, a self-paced reading experiment involving the attachment of pre-nominal relative clauses in Turkish is presented, which provides evidence against strategical underspecification. A further experiment is presented which investigated relative clause attachment in German using the speed-accuracy tradeoff (SAT) paradigm. The experiment provides evidence against strategic underspecification and in favor of the URM. Furthermore the results of the experiment are used to argue that human sentence comprehension is fallible, and that theories of parsing should be able to account for that fact. Finally, a third experiment is presented, which provides evidence for the sensitivity to task demands in the treatment of ambiguities. Because this finding is incompatible with the URM, and because the strategic underspecification model has been ruled out, a new model of ambiguity resolution is proposed: the stochastic multiple-channel model of ambiguity resolution (SMCM). It is further shown that the quantitative predictions of the SMCM are in agreement with experimental data.
In conclusion, it is argued that the human sentence comprehension system is parallel and fallible, and that it is sensitive to task-demands.
Die Dissertation wird der rechtsstaatlichen Problematik in der Verfassung von Georgien und in der Rechtsprechung des Verfassungsgerichts Georgiens gewidmet und bietet eine umfangreiche Analyse der wichtigsten Rechtsstaatsmerkmale in dieser Hinsicht. Neben dieser Analyse der früheren und bestehenden Gegebenheiten, prognostiziert sie mittels der perspektivistischen Denkmodele zukünftige Entwicklungen und schlägt eventuelle Lösungswege von Problemen vor. Bei der Arbeit an der Dissertation wurde insbesondere die reiche Erfahrung der deutschen Rechtsstaatsdogmatik in Anspruch genommen.
The term Linked Data refers to connected information sources comprising structured data about a wide range of topics and for a multitude of applications. In recent years, the conceptional and technical foundations of Linked Data have been formalized and refined. To this end, well-known technologies have been established, such as the Resource Description Framework (RDF) as a Linked Data model or the SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language (SPARQL) for retrieving this information. Whereas most research has been conducted in the area of generating and publishing Linked Data, this thesis presents novel approaches for improved management. In particular, we illustrate new methods for analyzing and processing SPARQL queries. Here, we present two algorithms suitable for identifying structural relationships between these queries. Both algorithms are applied to a large number of real-world requests to evaluate the performance of the approaches and the quality of their results. Based on this, we introduce different strategies enabling optimized access of Linked Data sources. We demonstrate how the presented approach facilitates effective utilization of SPARQL endpoints by prefetching results relevant for multiple subsequent requests. Furthermore, we contribute a set of metrics for determining technical characteristics of such knowledge bases. To this end, we devise practical heuristics and validate them through thorough analysis of real-world data sources. We discuss the findings and evaluate their impact on utilizing the endpoints. Moreover, we detail the adoption of a scalable infrastructure for improving Linked Data discovery and consumption. As we outline in an exemplary use case, this platform is eligible both for processing and provisioning the corresponding information.