@phdthesis{Sans2019, author = {Sans, Wolfgang}, title = {Monotonic Probability Distribution : Characterisation, Measurements under Prior Information, and Application}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-175194}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Statistical Procedures for modelling a random phenomenon heavily depend on the choice of a certain family of probability distributions. Frequently, this choice is governed by a good mathematical feasibility, but disregards that some distribution properties may contradict reality. At most, the choosen distribution may be considered as an approximation. The present thesis starts with a construction of distributions, which uses solely available information and yields distributions having greatest uncertainty in the sense of the maximum entropy principle. One of such distributions is the monotonic distribution, which is solely determined by its support and the mean. Although classical frequentist statistics provides estimation procedures which may incorporate prior information, such procedures are rarely considered. A general frequentist scheme for the construction of shortest confidence intervals for distribution parameters under prior information is presented. In particular, the scheme is used for establishing confidence intervals for the mean of the monotonic distribution and compared to classical procedures. Additionally, an approximative procedure for the upper bound of the support of the monotonic distribution is proposed. A core purpose of auditing sampling is the determination of confidence intervals for the mean of zero-inflated populations. The monotonic distribution is used for modelling such a population and is utilised for the procedure of a confidence interval under prior information for the mean. The results are compared to two-sided intervals of Stringer-type.}, subject = {Mathematik}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schubert2019, author = {Schubert, Frank Klaus}, title = {The circadian clock network of \(Drosophila\) \(melanogaster\)}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-157136}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {All living organisms need timekeeping mechanisms to track and anticipate cyclic changes in their environment. The ability to prepare for and respond to daily and seasonal changes is endowed by circadian clocks. The systemic features and molecular mechanisms that drive circadian rhythmicity are highly conserved across kingdoms. Therefore, Drosophila melanogaster with its relatively small brain (ca. 135.000 neurons) and the outstanding genetic tools that are available, is a perfect model to investigate the properties and relevance of the circadian system in a complex, but yet comprehensible organism. The last 50 years of chronobiological research in the fruit fly resulted in a deep understanding of the molecular machinery that drives circadian rhythmicity, and various histological studies revealed the neural substrate of the circadian system. However, a detailed neuroanatomical and physiological description on the single-cell level has still to be acquired. Thus, I employed a multicolor labeling approach to characterize the clock network of Drosophila melanogaster with single-cell resolution and additionally investigated the putative in- and output sites of selected neurons. To further study the functional hierarchy within the clock network and to monitor the "ticking clock" over the course of several circadian cycles, I established a method, which allows us to follow the accumulation and degradation of the core clock genes in living brain explants by the means of bioluminescence imaging of single-cells.}, subject = {Taufliege}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schaper2019, author = {Schaper, Philipp}, title = {Errors in Prospective Memory}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-175217}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Prospektives Ged{\"a}chtnis beschreibt die F{\"a}higkeit Intentionen zu einem sp{\"a}teren Zeitpunkt als Reaktion auf einen Hinweisreiz auszuf{\"u}hren. Derartige Aufgaben finden sich zahlreich in Alltags- wie auch Arbeitskontexten, waren aber im Gegensatz zum retrospektiven Ged{\"a}chtnis lange Zeit nicht im Fokus der Forschung. Erst die Arbeit von Harris (1984) und insbesondere der Artikel von Einstein and McDaniel (1990) wurden Ausgangspunkte eines sich stetig vergr{\"o}ßernden Forschungsfeldes. Aufbauend auf dieser Forschung werden im Rahmen dieser Dissertationsschrift f{\"u}nf Journal-Artikel pr{\"a}sentiert und verkn{\"u}pft, die das Verst{\"a}ndnis zum prospektiven Ged{\"a}chtnis durch die Betrachtung von m{\"o}glichen Fehlern erweitern. Die erste Studie besch{\"a}ftigt sich mit der Frage ob zus{\"a}tzliche kognitiven Ressourcen ben{\"o}tigt werden um eine Intention zwischen dem Hinweisreiz und ihrer Ausf{\"u}hrung aufrecht zu erhalten. Die Folgerungen von Einstein, McDaniel, Williford, Pagan, and Dismukes (2003), die eine derartige Aufrechterhaltung vorschlugen konnten nicht repliziert werden. In der zweiten Studie konnte gezeigt werden, dass Unterbrechungen zwischen Hinweisreiz und Ausf{\"u}hrung der Intention insbesondere dann negative Folgen zeigen, wenn sie mit einem Kontextwechsel verbunden sind. In den Studien drei bis f{\"u}nf stand das irrt{\"u}mliche Ausf{\"u}hren von beendeten prospektiven Ged{\"a}chtnisaufgaben im Zentrum der Untersuchung. Hier konnte nicht nur gezeigt werden, dass die bisherige Theorie zur Vorhersage derartiger Fehler, die vor allem auf Unterdr{\"u}ckung der Reaktion beruht (Bugg, Scullin, \& Rauvola, 2016), mit den Ergebnissen speziell zu deren Pr{\"u}fung entworfener Experimente nicht zu vereinbaren ist. Dar{\"u}ber hinaus wurde im Rahmen der Untersuchungen eine Modifikation der Theorie ausgearbeitet, die besser geeignet erscheint sowohl bisherige Ergebnisse als auch die hinzugekommenen Experimente vorherzusagen. {\"U}ber alle f{\"u}nf Artikel wird zus{\"a}tzlich verdeutlicht, dass der Moment in dem der Hinweisreiz pr{\"a}sentiert wird eine noch gr{\"o}ßere Rolle zu spielen scheint, als durch bisherige Forschung deutlich geworden ist.}, subject = {Ged{\"a}chtnis}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Juengst2019, author = {J{\"u}ngst, Tomasz}, title = {Establishing and Improving Methods for Biofabrication}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-173444}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Die Biofabrikation ist ein junges und sehr dynamisches Forschungsgebiet mit viel Potential. Dieses Potential spiegelt sich unter anderem in den ambitionierten Zielen wieder, die man sich hier gesetzt hat. Wissenschaftler in diesem Gebiet wollen eines Tages beispielsweise funktionale menschliche Gewebe nachbilden, die aus patienteneigenen Zellen bestehen. Diese Gewebe sollen entweder f{\"u}r die Testung neuer Arzneimittel und Therapien oder sogar als Implantate einsetzt werden. Der Schl{\"u}ssel zum Erfolg soll hier die Verwendung automatisierter Prozesse in Verbindung mit innovativen Materialien sein, die es erm{\"o}glichen, die Hierarchie und Funktion des zu ersetzenden nat{\"u}rlichen Gewebes nachbilden. Obwohl in den letzten Jahren große Fortschritte gemacht worden sind, gibt es immer noch H{\"u}rden, die {\"u}berwunden werden m{\"u}ssen. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es deshalb, die derzeit eingeschr{\"a}nkte Auswahl kompatibler Materialien f{\"u}r die Biofabrikation zu erweitern und bereits etablierte Verfahren wie den extrusionsbasierten Biodruck noch besser verstehen zu lernen. Auch neue Verfahren, wie etwa das Melt Electrospinning Writing (MEW) sollten etabliert werden. In Kapitel 3 dieser Arbeit wurde das MEW dazu verwendet, tubul{\"a}re Strukturen zu fertigen, die sich aus Polymerfasern mit einem durchschnittlichen Durchmesser von nur etwa 12 μm zusammensetzen. Die mit Hilfe von Druckluft in Verbindung mit einer hohen elektrischen Spannung aus einer Nadelspitze austretende Polymerschmelze wurde hierbei auf zylinderf{\"o}rmigen Kollektoren mit Durchmessern zwischen 0.5 und 4.8mm gesammelt. Auf diese Weise wurden r{\"o}hrenf{\"o}rmige Faserkonstrukte generiert. Das Hauptaugenmerk lag auf dem Einfluss des Durchmessers, der Rotations- und Translationsbewegung des Kollektors auf die Morphologie der Faserkonstrukte. Hierzu wurden die Fasern erst auf unbewegten Kollektoren mit unterschiedlichen Durchmessern gesammelt und die entstehenden Muster analysiert. Es zeigte sich, dass das Fasermuster mit zunehmendem Durchmesser des Kollektors mehr den symmetrischen Konstrukten mit runder Grundfl{\"a}che glich, die auch von flachen Kollektoren bekannt sind. Je kleiner der Kollektordurchmesser wurde, desto ovaler wurde die Grundfl{\"a}che der Muster, was den Einfluss der Kr{\"u}mmung deutlich machte. In weiteren Experimenten wurden die zylindrischen Kollektoren mit Geschwindigkeiten von 4,2 bis 42 Umdrehungen pro Minute um ihre L{\"a}ngsachse gedreht. Die von flachen Kollektoren bekannten {\"U}berg{\"a}nge der Fasermorphologie konnten auch f{\"u}r runde Kollektoren best{\"a}tigt werden. So {\"a}nderte sich die Morphologie mit zunehmender Geschwindigkeit der Oberfl{\"a}che von einer achterf{\"o}rmigen Gestalt {\"u}ber eine sinusf{\"o}rmige Ausrichtung der Fasern hin zu einer geraden Linie. Der Einfluss des Kollektordurchmessers wurde auch hier deutlich, da sich etwa die Amplitude der bei Rotationsgeschwindigkeiten im Bereich sinusf{\"o}rmiger Ausrichtung abgelegten Fasern mit abnehmendem Radius erh{\"o}hte. Im n{\"a}chsten Schritt wurde neben der Rotation der Kollektoren auch eine Translation induziert. Durch geeignete Kombination von Rotation und Translation konnten Konstrukte mit definiertem Wickelwinkel hergestellt werden. Es zeigte sich, dass die Wiedergabe des vorher kalkulierten Winkels unter Verwendung von Oberfl{\"a}chengeschwindigkeiten, die nahe am {\"U}bergang zur geraden Faserausrichtung waren, am besten war. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit konnten Winkel zwischen 5 und 60° mit hoher Pr{\"a}zision wiedergegeben werden. Im Falle von sich wiederholenden Mustern konnte auch in Bezug auf die Stapelbarkeit der Fasern aufeinander eine hohe Pr{\"a}zision erreicht werden. Kapitel 4 dieser Arbeit befasste sich mit dem extrusionsbasierten 3D-Druck. Das etabliere Verfahren wurde auf eine bisher wenig untersuchte Materialzusammensetzung von Nanopartikeln-beladenen Hydrogeltinten ausgeweitet. Die Tinte bestand aus einer Kombination von funktionalisierten Polyglyzidolen und einer unmodifizierten langkettingen Hyalurons{\"a}ure. Dieser wurden mesopor{\"o}se Silika-Nanopartikel mit unterschiedlicher Ladung zugesetzt und deren Freisetzung aus gedruckten Konstrukten mit einstellbarer Geometrien untersucht. Da die Hyalurons{\"a}ure selbst negativ geladen ist, wurde erwartet und auch gezeigt, dass aminofunktionalisierte Partikel mit positiver Ladung langsamer freigesetzt werden als carboxylfunktionalisierte Partikel mit negativer Ladung. Interessanterweise {\"a}nderten die Partikel nicht die rheologischen Eigenschaften der Tinte und es konnten Hydrogele, die mit positiv geladenen Partikeln beladen waren, bei den gleichen Druckparametern verdruckt werden, wie Hydrogele, die mit negativ geladenen Partikeln beladen waren. Die guten Druckeigenschaften der Tinten erm{\"o}glichten die pr{\"a}zise Fertigung von Konstrukten mit einer Gr{\"o}ße von 12x12x3mm^3, also von Konstrukten mit bis zu 16 aufeinanderfolgenden Lagen. Die Strangdurchmesser betrugen hierbei 627±31μm und die Verteilung der Partikel innerhalb der Str{\"a}nge war sehr homogen. Zudem konnten auch Strukturen gedruckt werden, bei denen beide Tintenarten, mit positiven und mit negativen Partikeln beladene Hydrogele, in einem Konstrukt kombiniert wurden. Hierbei zeigte sich, dass die Freisetzung der Partikel, die {\"u}ber 6 Wochen hinweg untersucht wurde, auch stark von der Geometrie der zwei-Komponenten-Konstrukte abhing. Insbesondere die Auswirkung des direkten Kontakts zwischen den Komponenten innerhalb eines Konstruktes war hier sehr deutlich. Wurden die Str{\"a}nge {\"u}ber Kreuz aufeinander abgelegt und hatten direkten Kontakt an den Kreuzungspunkten, konnte beobachtet werden, dass die positiv geladenen Partikel aus ihrem System in das mit den negativ geladenen Partikeln wanderten. Wurden die Str{\"a}nge ohne direkten Kontakt parallel nebeneinander abgelegt, wurden die positiv geladenen Partikel in umgebendes Medium freigesetzt, konnten aber selbst nach 6 Wochen nicht in den Str{\"a}ngen mit den negativ geladenen Partikeln nachgewiesen werden. Dies verdeutlicht, dass Geometrie und Ladung der Partikel einen Einfluss auf die Freisetzung der Partikel hatten und sich die Freisetzung der Partikel durch eine geschickte Kombination beider Parameter steuern l{\"a}sst. In Kapitel 5 dieser Arbeit wurde eine neue Materialklasse als Biotinte f{\"u}r den extrusionsbasierten Biodruck untersucht. Bei dem Material handelte es sich um Hydrogele auf Basis rekombinanter Spinnenseidenproteine. Diese konnten ab einer Proteinkonzentration von 3 \%Gew./Vol. ohne die Verwendung von Verdickungsmittel oder anderen Additiven und auch ohne eine nachtr{\"a}gliche Vernetzung verdruckt werden. Sowohl Hydrogele auf Basis des rekombinanten Proteins eADF4(C16) als auch eine mit einer RGD-Sequenz versehene Modifikation (eADF4(C16)-RGD) konnten mit einer hohen Formtreue verdruckt werden. Die RGD-Sequenz zeigte einen positiven Effekt auf das Anhaften von humanen Fibroblasten, die auf gedruckte Konstrukte ausges{\"a}t wurden. Zudem konnten mit Hilfe der Hydrogele auch zellbeladene Konstrukte gefertigt werden. Hierzu wurden die Hydrogele mit einer Zellsuspension so vermengt, dass eine finale Konzentration von 1,2 Millionen Zellen/ml erreicht wurde. Die beladenen Gele wurden verdruckt und es konnte eine {\"U}berlebensrate von 70,1±7,6\% nachgewiesen werden. Das in diesem Kapitel etablierte Materialsystem erm{\"o}glichte zum ersten Mal das Verdrucken lebender Zellen in einer neuen Klasse von Tinten, die weder die Beimengung von Verdickungsmittel noch einen zus{\"a}tzlichen Nachh{\"a}rtungsschritt f{\"u}r die Herstellung zellbeladener stabiler Konstrukte ben{\"o}tigt.}, subject = {3D-Druck}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{BruecknergebChristel2019, author = {Br{\"u}ckner [geb. Christel], Theresa}, title = {Novel application forms and setting mechanisms of mineral bone cements}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-157045}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Calcium phosphate cements (CPC) represent valuable synthetic bone grafts, as they are self-setting, biocompatible, osteoconductive and in their composition similar to the inorganic phase of human bone. Due to their long shelf-life, neutral setting and since water is sufficient for setting, hydroxyapatite (HA) forming cements are processed in different paste formulations. Those comprise dual setting, Ca2+ binding and premixed cement systems. With dual setting formulations, both dissolution and precipitation of the cement raw powder occur simultaneously to the polymerization of water-soluble monomers to form a hydrogel. Chelating agents are able to form complexes with Ca2+ released from the raw powder. Premixed systems mostly contain the raw powder of the cement and a non-aqueous binder liquid which delays the setting reaction until application in the moist physiological environment. In the present work, two of those reaction mechanisms allowed the development of HA based cement applications. Drillable cements are of high clinical interest, as the quality of screw and plate osteosynthesis techniques can be improved by cement augmentation. A drillable, dual setting composite from HA and a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel was analyzed with respect to the influence of monomer content and powder-to-liquid ratio on setting kinetics and mechanical outcome. While the conversion to HA and crystal growth were constantly confined with increased monomer amount, a minimum concentration of 50 \% was required to see impressive ameliorations including a low bending modulus and high fracture energy at improved bending strength. Increasing the liquid amount enabled injection of the paste as well as drilling after 10 min of pre-setting. While classic bone wax formulations have drawbacks such as infection, inflammation, hindered osteogenesis and a lack of biodegradability, the as-presented premixed formulation is believed to exhibit outmatching properties. It consisted of HA raw powders and a non-aqueous, but water-miscible carrier liquid from poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The bone wax was proved to be cohesive and malleable, it withstood blood pressure conditions and among deposition in an aqueous environment, PEG was exchanged such that porous, nanocrystalline HA was formed. Incorporation of a model antibiotic proved the suitability of the novel bone wax formulation for drug release purposes. Prefabricated laminates from premixed carbonated apatite forming cement and poly(ε-caprolactone) fiber mats with defined pore architecture were presented as a potential approach for the treatment of 2-dimensional, curved cranial defects. They are flexible until application and were produced in a layer-by-layer approach from both components such that the polymer scaffold prevents the cement from flowing. It was demonstrated that solution electrospinning with a patterned collector for the fabrication of perforated fiber mats was suitable, as high fiber volume contents in combination with an appropriate interface enabled the successful fabrication of mechanically reinforced laminates. Mild immersion of the scaffolds under alkaline conditions additionally improved the interphase followed by an increase in bending-strength. Since few years, magnesium phosphate cements (MPC) have attracted increasing attention for bone replacement. Compared to CPC, MPC exhibit a higher degradation potential and high early strength and they release biologically valuable Mg2+. However, common systems offer some challenges while using them in non-classic cement formulations such as the need for foreign ion supply, the potential acidity of the reaction or the fast setting kinetics. Here, it was possible to develop a chelate-setting MPC paste with a broad spectrum of potential applications. The general mechanism of the novel setting principle was tested in a proof-of-principle manner. The cement paste consisted of farringtonite with differently concentrated phytic acid solution for chelate formation with Mg2+ from the raw powder. Adjusting the phytic acid content and adding a magnesium oxide as setting regulator to compensate its retarding effect resulted in drillable formulations. Additionally, there is a strong clinical demand for well working bone adhesives especially in a moist environment. Mostly the existing formulations are non-biodegradable. Ex vivo adhesion of the above presented MPC under wet conditions on bone demonstrated over a course of 7 d shear strengths of 0.8 MPa. Further, the hardened cement specimens showed a mass loss of 2 wt.\% within 24 d in an aqueous environment and released about 0.17 mg/g of osteogenic Mg2+ per day. Together with the demonstrated cytocompatibility towards human fetal osteoblasts, this cement system showed promising characteristics in terms of degradable biocements with special application purposes.}, subject = {Knochenzement}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Fink2019, author = {Fink, Mario}, title = {Unconventional and topological superconductivity in correlated non-centrosymmetric systems with spin-orbit coupling}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-175034}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Despite its history of more than one hundred years, the phenomenon of superconductivity has not lost any of its allure. During that time the concept and perception of the superconducting state - both from an experimental and theoretical point of view - has evolved in way that has triggered increasing interest. What was initially believed to simply be the disappearance of electrical resistivity, turned out to be a universal and inevitable result of quantum statistics, characterized by many more aspects apart from its zero resistivity. The insights of BCS-theory eventually helped to uncover its deep connection to particle physics and consequently led to the formulation of the Anderson-Higgs-mechanism. The very core of this theory is the concept of gauge symmetry (breaking). Within the framework of condensed-matter theory, gauge invariance is only one of several symmetry groups which are crucial for the description and classification of superconducting states. \\ In this thesis, we employ time-reversal, inversion, point group and spin symmetries to investigate and derive possible Hamiltonians featuring spin-orbit interaction in two and three spatial dimensions. In particular, this thesis aims at a generalization of existing numerical concepts to open up the path to spin-orbit coupled (non)centrosymmetric superconductors in multi-orbital models. This is done in a two-fold way: On the one hand, we formulate - based on the Kohn-Luttinger effect - the perturbative renormalization group in the weak-coupling limit. On the other hand, we define the spinful flow equations of the effective action in the framework of functional renormalization, which is valid for finite interaction strength as well. Both perturbative and functional renormalization groups produce a low-energy effective (spinful) theory that eventually gives rise to a particular superconducting state, which is investigated on the level of the irreducible two-particle vertex. The symbiotic relationship between both perturbative and functional renormalization can be traced back to the fact that, while the perturbative renormalization at infinitesimal coupling is only capable of dealing with the Cooper instability, the functional renormalization can investigate a plethora of instabilities both in the particle-particle and particle-hole channels. \\ Time-reversal and inversion are the two key symmetries, which are being used to discriminate between two scenarios. If both time-reversal and inversion symmetry are present, the Fermi surface will be two-fold degenerate and characterized by a pseudospin degree of freedom. In contrast, if inversion symmetry is broken, the Fermi surface will be spin-split and labeled by helicity. In both cases, we construct the symmetry allowed states in the particle-particle as well as the particle-hole channel. The methods presented are formally unified and implemented in a modern object-oriented reusable and extendable C++ code. This methodological implementation is employed to one member of both families of pseudospin and helicity characterized systems. For the pseudospin case, we choose the intriguing matter of strontium ruthenate, which has been heavily investigated for already twenty-four years, but still keeps puzzling researchers. Finally, as the helicity based application, we consider the oxide heterostructure LaAlO\$_{3}\$/SrTiO\$_{3}\$, which became famous for its highly mobile two- dimensional electron gas and is suspected to host topological superconductivity.}, subject = {Quanten-Vielteilchensysteme}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Frank2019, author = {Frank, Erik Thomas}, title = {Behavioral adaptations in the foraging behaviour of \(Megaponera\) \(analis\)}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-156544}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {An efficient foraging strategy is one of the most important traits for the fitness of animals. The theory of optimal foraging tries to predict foraging behaviour through the overarching question: how animals should forage so as to minimize costs while maximizing profits? Social insects, having occupied nearly every natural niche through widely different strategies, offer themselves as an ideal group to study how well optimal foraging theory can explain their behaviour and success. Specialization often leads to unique adaptations in morphology and behaviour. I therefore decided to investigate the behaviour of Megaponera analis. This ponerine ant species is specialized on hunting only termites of the subfamily Macrotermitinae at their foraging sites. Their foraging behaviour is regulated by a handful of individual scouts (10-20) that search for termite foraging sites before returning to the nest to recruit a large number of nestmates (200-500 ants). These ants then follow the scout in a column formation to the termites and after the hunt return together to the nest, these raids occur two to five times per day. Predators of highly defensive prey likely develop cost reducing adaptations. The evolutionary arms race between termites and ants led to various defensive mechanisms in termites, e.g. a caste specialized in fighting predators. As M. analis incurs high injury/mortality risks when preying on termites, some risk mitigating adaptations have evolved. I show that a unique rescue behaviour in M. analis, consisting of injured nestmates being carried back to the nest, reduces combat mortality. These injured ants "call for help" with pheromones present in their mandibular gland reservoirs. A model accounting for this rescue behaviour identifies the drivers favouring its evolution and estimates that rescuing allows for maintaining a 29\% larger colony size. Heavily injured ants that lost too many legs during the fight on the other hand are not helped. Interestingly, this was regulated not by the helper but by the uncooperativeness of the injured ant. I further observed treatment of the injury by nestmates inside the nest through intense allogrooming directly at the wound. Lack of treatment increased mortality from 10\% to 80\% within 24 hours, with the cause of death most likely being infections. Collective decision-making is one of the main mechanisms in social insects through which foraging is regulated. However, individual decision-making can also play an important role, depending on the type of foraging behaviour. In M. analis only a handful of individuals (the scouts) hold all the valuable information about foraging sites. I therefore looked at predictions made by optimal foraging theory to better understand the interplay between collective and individual decision-making in this obligate group-raiding predator. I found a clear positive relation between raid size and termite abundance at the foraging site. Furthermore, selectivity of the food source increased with distance. The confirmation of optimal foraging theory suggests that individual scouts must be the main driver behind raid size, choice and raiding behaviour. Therefore most central place foraging behaviours in M. analis were not achieved by collective decisions but rather by individual decisions of scout ants. Thus, 1\% of the colony (10-20 scouts) decided the fate and foraging efficiency of the remaining 99\%. Division of labour is one of the main reasons for the success of social insects. Worker polymorphism, age polyethism and work division in more primitive ants, like the ponerines, remain mostly unexplored though. Since M. analis specializes on a defensive prey, adaptations to reduce their foraging costs can be expected. I found that the work division, task allocation and column-formation during the hunt were much more sophisticated than was previously thought. The column-formation was remarkably stable, with the same ants resuming similar positions in subsequent raids and front ants even returning to their positions if displaced in the same raid. Most of the raid tasks were not executed by predetermined members of the raid but were filled out as need arose during the hunt, with a clear preference for larger ants to conduct most tasks. I show that specialization towards a highly defensive prey can lead to very unique adaptations in the foraging behaviour of a species. I explored experimentally the adaptive value of rescue behaviour focused on injured nestmates in social insects. This was not only limited to selective rescuing of lightly injured individuals by carrying them back (thus reducing predation risk) but moreover includes a differentiated treatment inside the nest. These observations will help to improve our understanding of the evolution of rescue behaviour in animals. I further show that most optimal foraging predictions are fulfilled and regulated by a handful of individuals in M. analis. Lastly, I propose that the continuous allometric size polymorphism in M. analis allows for greater flexibility in task allocation, necessary due to the unpredictability of task requirements in an irregular system such as hunting termites in groups. All of my observations help to further understand how a group-hunting predator should forage so as to minimize costs while maximizing profits.}, subject = {Stechameisen}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Krebs2019, author = {Krebs, Oliver}, title = {Essays on International Trade, Regional Change and Structural Growth}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-174954}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Diese Dissertationsschrift befasst sich mit der {\"o}konomischen Bedeutung von Regionen innerhalb Deutschlands. Regionen sind dabei aus zweierlei Sicht ein wichtiges Untersuchungsobjekt. Dies gilt zum Einen, da makro{\"o}konomische Schocks {\"u}ber Regionen Hinweg zu substantiell unterschiedlichen Effekten f{\"u}hren. Dringliche Themen wie die Robotisierung und die Verwendung k{\"u}nstlicher Intelligenz, der Brexit, oder US-amerikanische Z{\"o}lle werden W{\"u}rzburg anders Beeinflussen als Berlin und implizieren somit unterschiedliche Interessen bei der jeweiligen Bev{\"o}lkerung, den jeweiligen Firmen und Politikern. Zum Anderen k{\"o}nnen regionale {\"o}konomische Schocks wie Erfindungen, Insolvenzen, oder die Ansiedlung eines bedeutenden Betriebs durch Handel und „input-output" Verbindungen zu Schocks von makro{\"o}konomischer Bedeutung anwachsen. Allerdings sind regionale Heterogenit{\"a}ten innerhalb Deutschlands und die komplizierten Netzwerke verschiedenster Art zwischen Regionen weder gut dokumentiert noch ausreichenden verstanden. Dies gilt insbesondere auch f{\"u}r lokale Arbeitsm{\"a}rkte welche ein Kerninteressen der Regionalpolitik darstellen und ebenfalls von bedeutenden Heterogenit{\"a}ten gepr{\"a}gt sind. Die vorliegende Arbeit analysiert und quantifiziert das regionale Produktions- und Handelsnetzwerk innerhalb Deutschlands und untersucht welche Aspekte f{\"u}r die beobachteten breiten Unterschiede bei der Anpassung lokaler Arbeitsm{\"a}rkte an {\"o}konomische Schocks verantwortlich sind. Der erste Aufsatz, „How deep is your love? A quantitative spatial analysis of the transatlantic trade partnership", setzt sich dabei mit der Prognose von Effekten eines konkreten Schocks in Form des vorgeschlagenen transatlantischen Freihandelsabkommens (TTIP) auseinander. Die Arbeit findet einerseits nur m{\"a}ßige Wohlfahrtseffekte, sowohl f{\"u}r die Vereinigten Staaten als auch f{\"u}r die Europ{\"a}ische Union und Drittstaaten, andererseits zeigt sie, dass alle Landkreise in Deutschland Wohlfahrtsgewinne erzielen und es somit zumindest regional keine Verlierer des Abkommens geben w{\"u}rde. Der zweite Aufsatz, „RIOTs in Germany - Constructing an interregional input-output table for Germany", nutzt einen einzigartigen Datensatz von G{\"u}tersendungen per LKW, Zug oder Schiff zwischen allen 402 deutschen Landkreisen im Jahr 2010 um, mit Hilfe weiterer Daten, eine interregionale input-output Tabelle f{\"u}r Deutschland zu erstellen und die Verflechtungen lokaler M{\"a}rkte zu untersuchen. Der dritte Aufsatz, „On the Road (Again): Commuting and Local Employment Elasticities in Germany", analysiert die Bedeutung des Pendelns f{\"u}r lokale Arbeitsm{\"a}rkte. Es zeigt sich dabei, dass Pendelstr{\"o}me eine zentrale Marge bei der Anpassung an lokale Schocks darstellen und dass deutsche Arbeitsm{\"a}rkte wesentlich flexibler und anpassungsf{\"a}higer sind als weitl{\"a}ufig angenommen. Der vierte Aufsatz, „Shocking Germany - A spatial analysis of German regional labor markets", integriert Arbeitslosigkeit in die zur Prognose lokaler Schocks verwendeten quantitativen Modelle. Dadurch kann er den Effekte von durch Schocks ausgel{\"o}ster Migration innerhalb Deutschland auf lokale Arbeitsm{\"a}rkte quantifizieren. Es zeigt sich, dass die {\"A}nderung lokaler Arbeitslosigkeitsraten als Antwort auf lokale Produktivit{\"a}tsschocks durch Migration im Durchschnitt um 70 Prozent ged{\"a}mpft wird. Strukturelle Anpassung f{\"u}hren langfristig zu einer im Vergleich wesentliche geringeren {\"A}nderung dieser Raten.}, subject = {Außenhandel}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Blocka2019, author = {Blocka, Joanna}, title = {Molecular mechanisms underlying Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome: characterization of DCAF17 with specific, polyclonal antibodies}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-174766}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome (WSS) is a rare multisystemic, autosomal recessive disease. The underlying cause of WSS are mutations of C2orf37 gene, which result in a truncated protein. Little is known about the function of C2orf37 (DDB1-CUL4A-associated factor 17, DCAF17) apart from it being part of the DDB1-CUL4-ROC1 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, specifically binding directly to DDB1 and serving as a substrate recruiter for E3. There are two major isoforms of DCAF17: beta (65 kDa, 520 amino acids) and alpha (27 kDa, 240 amino acids), which is a C-terminal part of beta. The intracellular localization of the WSS protein is thought to be primarily the nucleolus. A murine ortholog protein was found to be expressed in all tissues with a relatively higher expression in the brain, liver, and skin.The aim of this work was to investigate DCAF17 in HeLa cells in more detail, in particular the redistribution of both WSS isoforms on the subcellular and -nuclear level as well as their chemical features. For these experiments, I developed, through recombinant expression and affinity purification, a specific polyclonal antibody against a WSS-epitope 493-520. Furthermore, three other specific polyclonal antibodies were obtained through affinity purification with help of commercially produced high-affinity epitope peptides.By means of these antibodies, I determined- through immunofluorescence and subcellular protein fractionation- that, apart from the redistribution of the WSS protein within the non-soluble = chromatin-bound nuclear fraction, a significant amount of both WSS isoforms is present in the soluble nuclear fraction. Indeed, treatment of purified nuclear envelopes with an increasing concentration of NaCl as well as urea confirmed a non-covalent binding of the WSS protein to the nuclear envelope with the detachment ofbeta-WSS at a lower NaCl concentration than alpha-WSS. In regard to the chromatin-bound WSS protein, I performed hydrolysis of nuclear and nucleolar extract with DNase and RNase. The results indicate that the WSS protein is bound to DNA but not RNA, with alpha-WSS being possibly located more abundantly in the nucleolus, whereas beta-WSS within other subnuclear departments. Furthermore, in all the above-mentioned experiments, a presence of an 80-kDa protein, which specifically reacted with the polyclonal high-affinity antibodies and showed similar redistribution and chemical features as alpha- and beta-WSS, was observed. In order to investigate whether this protein is a posttranslationally modified WSS isoform, I performed deglycosylation and dephosphorylation of nuclear extract, which showed no disappearance or change in abundance of the 80-kDa band on Western blot. While other ways of poststranslational modification cannot be excluded as the cause of occurrence of the 80-kDa protein, an existence of a third, yet undescribed, major isoform is also conceivable. Summarizing, this work contributed to a deeper characterization of the WSS protein, which can help future investigators in developing new experimental ideas to better understand the pathology of WSS.}, subject = {Humangenetik}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Segerer2019, author = {Segerer, Gabriela}, title = {Characterization of cell biological and physiological functions of the phosphoglycolate phosphatase AUM}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-123847}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Mammalian haloacid dehalogenase (HAD)-type phosphatases are a large and ubiquitous family of at least 40 human members. Many of them have important physiological functions, such as the regulation of intermediary metabolism and the modulation of enzyme activities, yet they are also linked to diseases such as cardiovascular or metabolic disorders and cancer. Still, most of the mammalian HAD phosphatases remain functionally uncharacterized. This thesis reveals novel cell biological and physiological functions of the phosphoglycolate phosphatase PGP, also referred to as AUM. To this end, PGP was functionally characterized by performing analyses using purified recombinant proteins to investigate potential protein substrates of PGP, cell biological studies using the spermatogonial cell line GC1, primary mouse lung endothelial cells and lymphocytes, and a range of biochemical techniques to characterize Pgp-deficient mouse embryos. To characterize the cell biological functions of PGP, its role downstream of RTK- and integrin signaling in the regulation of cell migration was investigated. It was shown that PGP inactivation elevates integrin- and RTK-induced circular dorsal ruffle (CDR) formation, cell spreading and cell migration. Furthermore, PGP was identified as a negative regulator of directed lymphocyte migration upon integrin- and GPCR activation. The underlying mechanisms were analyzed further. It was demonstrated that PGP regulates CDR formation and cell migration in a PLC- and PKC-dependent manner, and that Src family kinase activities are required for the observed cellular effects. Upon integrin- and RTK activation, phosphorylation levels of tyrosine residues 1068 and 1173 of the EGF receptor were elevated and PLCγ1 was hyper-activated in PGP-deficient cells. Additionally, PGP-inactivated lymphocytes displayed elevated PKC activity, and PKC-mediated cytoskeletal remodeling was accelerated upon loss of PGP activity. Untargeted lipidomic analyses revealed that the membrane lipid phosphatidylserine (PS) was highly upregulated in PGP-depleted cells. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the accumulation of PS in the plasma membrane leads to a pre-assembly of signaling molecules such as PLCγ1 or PKCs that couple the activation of integrins, EGF receptors and GPCRs to accelerated cytoskeletal remodeling. Thus, this thesis shows that PGP can affect cell spreading and cell migration by acting as a PG-directed phosphatase. To understand the physiological functions of PGP, conditionally PGP-inactivated mice were analyzed. Whole-body PGP inactivation led to an intrauterine growth defect with developmental delay after E8.5, resulting in a gradual deterioration and death of PgpDN/DN embryos between E9.5 and E11.5. However, embryonic lethality upon whole-body PGP inactivation was not caused by a primary defect of the (cardio-) vascular system. Rather, PGP inactivated embryos died during the intrauterine transition from hypoxic to normoxic conditions. Therefore, the potential impact of oxygen on PGP-dependent cell proliferation was investigated. Analyses of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) generated from E8.5 embryos and GC1 cells cultured under normoxic and hypoxic conditions revealed that normoxia (~20\% O2) causes a proliferation defect in PGP-inactivated cells, which can be rescued under hypoxic (~1\% O2) conditions. Mechanistically, it was found that the activity of triosephosphate isomerase (TPI), an enzyme previously described to be inhibited by phosphoglycolate (PG) in vitro, was attenuated in PGP-inactivated cells and embryos. TPI constitutes a critical branch point between carbohydrate- and lipid metabolism because it catalyzes the isomerization of the glycolytic intermediates dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP, a precursor of the glycerol backbone required for triglyceride biosynthesis) and glyceraldehyde 3'-phosphate (GADP). Attenuation of TPI activity, likely explains the observed elevation of glycerol 3-phosphate levels and the increased TG biosynthesis (lipogenesis). Analyses of ATP levels and oxygen consumption rates (OCR) showed that mitochondrial respiration rates and ATP production were elevated in PGP-deficient cells in a lipolysis-dependent manner. However under hypoxic conditions (which corrected the impaired proliferation of PGP-inactivated cells), OCR and ATP production was indistinguishable between PGP-deficient and PGP-proficient cells. We therefore propose that the inhibition of TPI activity by PG accumulation due to loss of PGP activity shifts cellular bioenergetics from a pro-proliferative, glycolytic metabolism to a lipogenetic/lipolytic metabolism. Taken together, PGP acts as a metabolic phosphatase involved in the regulation of cell migration, cell proliferation and cellular bioenergetics. This thesis constitutes the basis for further studies of the interfaces between these processes, and also suggests functions of PGP for glucose and lipid metabolism in the adult organism.}, subject = {Phosphoglykolatphosphatase}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{SchaefergebStichler2019, author = {Sch{\"a}fer [geb. Stichler], Simone}, title = {Thiol-ene Cross-linked Poly(glycidol) / Hyaluronic Acid Based Hydrogels for 3D Bioprinting}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-174713}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {The aim of the work was the development of thiol-ene cross-linked hydrogels based on functionalized poly(glycidol)s (PG) and hyaluronic acid (HA) for extrusion based 3D bioprinting. Additionally, the functionalization of the synthesized PG with peptides and the suitability of these polymers for physically cross-linked gels were investigated, in a proof of principle study in order to demonstrate the versatile use of PG polymers in hydrogel development. First, the precursor polymers of the different hydrogel systems were synthesized. For thiol-ene cross-linked hydogels, linear allyl-functionalized PG (P(AGE-co-G)) and three different thiol-(SH-)functionalized polymers, ester-containing PG-SH (PG SHec), ester-free PG-SH (PG-SHef) and HA-SH were synthesized and analysed, The degree of functionalization of these polymers was adjustable. For physically cross-linked hydrogels, peptide-functionalized PG (P(peptide-co-G)), was synthesized through polymer analogue thiol-ene modification of P(AGE-co-G). Subsequently, thiol-ene cross-linked hydrogels were prepared with the synthesized thiol- and allyl-functionalized polymers. Depending on the origin of the used polymers, two different systems were obtained: on the one hand synthetic hydrogels consisting of PG-SHec/ef and P(AGE-co-G) and on the other hand hybrid gels, consisting of HA-SH and P(AGE-co-G). In synthetic gels, the degradability of the gels was determined by the applied PG-SH. The use of PG-SHec resulted in hydrolytically degradable hydrogels, whereas the cross-linking with PG-SHef resulted in non-degradable gels. The physical properties of these different hydrogel systems were determined by swelling, mechanical and diffusion studies and subsequently compared among each other. In swelling studies the differences of degradable and non-degradable synthetic hydrogels as well as the differences of synthetic compared to hybrid hydrogels were demonstrated. Next, the stiffness and the swelling ratios (SR) of the established hydrogel systems were examined in dependency of different parameters, such as incubation time, polymer concentration and UV irradiation. In general, these measurements revealed the same trends for synthetic and hybrid hydrogels: an increased polymer concentration as well as prolonged UV irradiation led to an increased network density. Moreover, it was demonstrated that the incorporation of additional non-bound HMW HA hampered the hydrogel cross-linking resulting in gels with decreased stiffness and increased SR. This effect was strongly dependent on the amount of additional HMW HA. The diffusion of different molecular weight fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (FITC-dextran) through hybrid hydrogels (with/without HMW HA) gave information about the mesh size of these gels. The smallest FITC-dextran (4 kDa) completely diffused through both hydrogel systems within the first week, whereas only 55 \% of 40 kDa and 5-10 \% HMW FITC-dextrans (500 kDa and 2 MDa) could diffuse through the networks. The applicability of synthetic and hybrid hydrogels for cartilage regeneration purpose was investigated through by biological examinations. It was proven that both gels support the survival of embedded human mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs) (21/28 d in vitro culture), however, the chondrogenic differentiation was significantly improved in hybrid hydrogels compared to synthetic gels. The addition of non-bound HMW HA resulted in a slightly less distinct chondrogenesis. Lastly the printability of the established hydrogel systems was examined. Therefore, the viscoelastic properties of the hydrogel solutions were adjusted by incorporation of non-bound HMW HA. Both systems could be successfully printed with high resolution and high shape fidelity. The introduction of the double printing approach with reinforcing PCL allowed printing of hydrogel solutions with lower viscosities. As a consequence, the amount of additional HMW HA necessary for printing could be reduced allowing successful printing of hybrid hydrogel solutions with embedded cells. It was demonstrated that the integrated cells survived the printing process with high viability measured after 21 d. Moreover, by this reinforcing technique, robust hydrogel-containing constructs were fabricated. In addition to thiol-ene cross-linked hydrogels, hydrogel cross-linking via ionic interactions was investigated with a hybrid hydrogel based on HMW HA and peptide-functionalized PG. Rheological measurements revealed an increase in the viscosity of a 2 wt.\% HMW HA solution by the addition of peptide-functionalized PG. The increase in viscosity could be attributed to the ionic interactions between the positively charge PG and the negatively charge HMW HA. In conclusion, throughout this thesis thiol-ene chemistry and PG were introduced as promising cross-linking reaction and polymer precursor for the field of biofabrication. Furthermore, the differences of hybrid and synthetic hydrogels as well as chemically and physically cross-linked hydrogels were demonstrated. Moreover, the double printing approach was demonstrated to be a promising tool for the fabrication of robust hydrogel-containing constructs. It opens the possibility of printing hydrogels that were not printable yet, due to too low viscosities.}, subject = {Hyalurons{\"a}ure}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Lange2019, author = {Lange, Stanislav}, title = {Optimization of Controller Placement and Information Flow in Softwarized Networks}, issn = {1432-8801}, doi = {10.25972/OPUS-17457}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-174570}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {The Software Defined Networking (SDN) paradigm offers network operators numerous improvements in terms of flexibility, scalability, as well as cost efficiency and vendor independence. However, in order to maximize the benefit from these features, several new challenges in areas such as management and orchestration need to be addressed. This dissertation makes contributions towards three key topics from these areas. Firstly, we design, implement, and evaluate two multi-objective heuristics for the SDN controller placement problem. Secondly, we develop and apply mechanisms for automated decision making based on the Pareto frontiers that are returned by the multi-objective optimizers. Finally, we investigate and quantify the performance benefits for the SDN control plane that can be achieved by integrating information from external entities such as Network Management Systems (NMSs) into the control loop. Our evaluation results demonstrate the impact of optimizing various parameters of softwarized networks at different levels and are used to derive guidelines for an efficient operation.}, subject = {Leistungsbewertung}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Gutmann2019, author = {Gutmann, Marcus}, title = {Functionalization of cells, extracellular matrix components and proteins for therapeutic application}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-170602}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Glycosylation is a biochemical process leading to the formation of glycoconjugates by linking glycans (carbohydrates) to proteins, lipids and various small molecules. The glycans are formed by one or more monosaccharides that are covalently attached, thus offering a broad variety depending on their composition, site of glycan linkage, length and ramification. This special nature provides an exceptional and fine tunable possibility in fields of information transfer, recognition, stability and pharmacokinetic. Due to their intra- and extracellular omnipresence, glycans fulfill an essential role in the regulation of different endogenous processes (e.g. hormone action, immune surveillance, inflammatory response) and act as a key element for maintenance of homeostasis. The strategy of metabolic glycoengineering enables the integration of structural similar but chemically modified monosaccharide building blocks into the natural given glycosylation pathways, thereby anchoring them in the carbohydrate architecture of de novo synthesized glycoconjugates. The available unnatural sugar molecules which are similar to endogenous sugar molecules show minimal perturbation in cell function and - based on their multitude functional groups - offer the potential of side directed coupling with a target substance/structure as well as the development of new biological properties. The chemical-enzymatic strategy of glycoengineering provides a valuable complement to genetic approaches. This thesis primarily focuses on potential fields of application for glycoengineering and its further use in clinic and research. The last section of this work outlines a genetic approach, using special Escherichia coli systems, to integrate chemically tunable amino acids into the biosynthetic pathway of proteins, enabling specific and site-directed coupling with target substances. With the genetic information of the methanogen archaea, Methanosarcina barkeri, the E. coli. system is able to insert a further amino acid, the pyrrolysine, at the ribosomal site during translation of the protein. The natural stop-codon UAG (amber codon) is used for this newly obtained proteinogenic amino acid. Chapter I describes two systems for the integration of chemically tunable monosaccharides and presents methods for characterizing these systems. Moreover, it gives a general overview of the structure as well as intended use of glycans and illustrates different glycosylation pathways. Furthermore, the strategy of metabolic glycoengineering is demonstrated. In this context, the structure of basic building blocks and the epimerization of monosaccharides during their metabolic fate are discussed. Chapter II translates the concept of metabolic glycoengineering to the extracellular network produced by fibroblasts. The incorporation of chemically modified sugar components in the matrix provides an innovative, elegant and biocompatible method for site-directed coupling of target substances. Resident cells, which are involved in the de novo synthesis of matrices, as well as isolated matrices were characterized and compared to unmodified resident cells and matrices. The natural capacity of the matrix can be extended by metabolic glycoengineering and enables the selective immobilization of a variety of therapeutic substances by combining enzymatic and bioorthogonal reaction strategies. This approach expands the natural ability of extracellular matrix (ECM), like the storage of specific growth factors and the recruitment of surface receptors along with synergistic effects of bound substances. By the selection of the cell type, the production of a wide range of different matrices is possible. Chapter III focuses on the target-oriented modification of cell surface membranes of living fibroblast and human embryonic kidney cells. Chemically modified monosaccharides are inserted by means of metabolic glycoengineering and are then presented on the cell surface. These monosaccharides can later be covalently coupled, by "strain promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition" (SPAAC) and/or "copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition" (CuAAC), to the target substance. Due to the toxicity of the copper catalysator in the CuAAC, cytotoxicity analyses were conducted to determine the in vivo tolerable range for the use of CuAAC on living cell systems. Finally, the efficacy of both bioorthogonal reactions was compared. Chapter IV outlines two versatile carrier - spacer - payload delivery systems based on an enzymatic cleavable linker, triggered by disease associated protease. In the selection of carrier systems (i) polyethylene glycol (PEG), a well-studied, Food and Drug Administration approved substance and very common tool to increase the pharmacokinetic properties of therapeutic agents, was chosen as a carrier for non-targeting systems and (ii) Revacept, a human glycoprotein VI antibody, was chosen as a carrier for targeting systems. The protease sensitive cleavable linker was genetically inserted into the N-terminal region of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) without jeopardizing protein activity. By exchanging the protease sensitive sequence or the therapeutic payload, both systems represent a promising and adaptable approach for establishing therapeutic systems with bioresponsive release, tailored to pre-existing conditions. In summary, by site-specific functionalization of various delivery platforms, this thesis establishes an essential cornerstone for promising strategies advancing clinical application. The outlined platforms ensure high flexibility due to exchanging single or multiple elements of the system, individually tailoring them to the respective disease or target site.}, subject = {Glykosylierung}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Alexander2019, author = {Alexander, Stephanie}, title = {Collective cancer cell invasion \(in\) \(vivo\): function of β1 and β3 integrins in perivascular invasion and resistance to therapy}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-85435}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2019}, abstract = {Pro-migratory signals mediated by the tumor microenvironment contribute to the cancer progression cascade, including invasion, metastasis and resistance to therapy. Derived from in vitro studies, isolated molecular steps of cancer invasion programs have been identified but their integration into the tumor microenvironment and suitability as molecular targets remain elusive. The purpose of the study was to visualize central aspects of tumor progression, including proliferation, survival and invasion by real-time intravital microscopy. The specific aims were to monitor the kinetics, mode, adhesion and chemoattraction mechanisms of tumor cell invasion, the involved guidance structures, and the response of invasion zones to anti-cancer therapy. To reach deeper tumor regions by optical imaging with subcellular resolution, near-infrared and infrared excited multiphoton microscopy was combined with a modified dorsal skinfold chamber model. Implanted HT-1080 fibrosarcoma and B16/F10 and MV3 melanoma tumors developed zones of invasive growth consisting of collective invasion strands that retained cell-cell contacts and high mitotic activity while invading at velocities of up to 200 μm per day. Collective invasion occurred predominantly along preexisting tissue structures, including blood and lymph vessels, collagen fibers and muscle strands of the deep dermis, and was thereby insensitive to RNAi based knockdown and/or antibody-based treatment against β1 and β3 integrins, chemokine (SDF-1/CXCL12) and growth factor (EGF) signaling. Therapeutic hypofractionated irradiation induced partial to complete regression of the tumor main mass, yet failed to eradicate the collective invasion strands, suggesting a microenvironmentally privileged niche. Whereas no radiosensitization was achieved by interference with EGFR or doxorubicin, the simultaneous inhibition of β1 and β3 integrins impaired cell proliferation and survival in spontaneously growing tumors and strongly enhanced the radiation response up to complete eradication of both main tumor and invasion strands. In conclusion, collective invasion in vivo is a robust process which follows preexisting tissue structures and is mainly independent of established adhesion and chemoattractant signaling. Due to its altered biological response to irradiation, collective invasion strands represent a microenvironmentally controlled and clinically relevant resistance niche to therapy. Therefore supportive regimens, such as anoikisinduction by anti-integrin therapy, may serve to enhance radio- and chemoefficacy and complement classical treatment regimens.}, subject = {Tumorzelle}, language = {en} }