@phdthesis{Stahl2005, author = {Stahl, Rainer}, title = {Electroactive Conjugated Polymers as Charge-Transport Materials for Optoelectronic Thin-Film Devices}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-16980}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {In this work the electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical properties of a series of pi-conjugated organic polymers were studied. The polymers were deposited on platinum electrodes or ITO-coated glass substrates by potentiodynamic electro-polymerisation of the corresponding monomeric precursor molecules. The electro-chemical and photophysical properties of the triarylborane monomers were studied in detail in order to estimate possible influences on the behaviour of the corresponding polymer. The first part of this work aimed at the synthesis and investigation of conjugated donor-acceptor polymers which combine the prerequisites of an OLED within one material: the transport of positive and negative charges and the formation of emissive excited states. With the carbazole-substituted oxadiazoles 1-3 it was shown that on the one hand the carbazole functionality is suitable for enabling the electrochemical polymerisation of the monomers and on the other hand it facilitates reversible p-doping of the resultant polymers. Although n-doping of poly-1-poly-3 is possible due to the electron-deficient oxadiazole rings, it causes the continuous degradation of these electron-acceptor units. Interestingly, this process does not influence the capability of p-doping of the polymers. With respect to its electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical properties the behaviour of the borane polymer poly-4 is absolutely identical with that of the oxadiazole polymers. Moreover, the optical excitation of poly-4 in the solid state leads to the emission of blue-green light which suggests that this polymer might also possess electroluminescent properties. AFM-measurements of poly-4 films on ITO-coated glass substrates revealed, that the film thickness can be controlled to a certain extent by the number of polymerisation redox cycles. It was shown from the electrochemical and photophysical properties of the triarylboranes 4-6 that the pi-pi-interaction between boron and nitrogen atoms is comparably weak in these molecules. This leads to an unexpected ground-state polarisation with a partially positive boron atom and a partially negative nitrogen atom. Moreover, it was found that TAB 4 possesses a lower symmetry than D3 in solution and that excitation energy can be transferred amongst the three subchromophores of 4. By titration experiments it was also demonstrated that TAB 4 can reversibly bind fluoride ions and that the binding event significantly influences the optical absorption characteristics of the chromophore. It can be assumed, that the above mentioned properties, which have a profound influence on the photophysical behaviour of these triarylborane chromophores, also determine the behaviour of the corresponding polymer in a solid state environment. The aim of the second part of this work was the investigation of purely n-conducting materials based on electron-deficient borane and viologen polymers. The corresponding precursor molecules should be polymerised on platinum electrodes by reductive electropolymerisation. However, a reductive polymerisation was not possible for the borane monomer 19 which is thought to be due to a strong localisation of the unpaired electron on the central boron atom of the radical anion. An electropolymerisation of the cyano-substituted bispyridinio-compound 17 failed because of the poor quality of CN- as a leaving group. Thus, a synthesis of the analogous isomer 18 was developed, in which the cyano-substituents were exchanged by the better leaving group Cl-. The viologen polymer poly-18, which can be regarded as an electron-deficient iso-electronic analogue of poly(para-phenylene), was successfully deposited on a platinum electrode by reductive electropolymerisation of 18. Poly-18 can be reversibly n-doped at comparably low potentials; however, at higher potentials the polymer is overcharged and destroyed irreversibly. As the synthetic strategy for 18 allows the variation of both spacer unit and leaving group in the last two steps of the reaction sequence, a series of analogous compounds can be easily synthesised using this route.}, subject = {Polymerhalbleiter}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Denker2006, author = {Denker, Katrin}, title = {Isolation and characterization of channel-forming proteins in the outer membrane of E. coli and Borrelia species}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-16955}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2006}, abstract = {In this study pore forming proteins of the gram-negative bacteria B. burgdorferi, B. duttonii and E.coli were investigated. Therefore the study is subdivided into three parts. In the first part outer membrane preparation of three relapsing fever Borrelia were investigated. In the second part the putative TolC homologue BB0124 of B. burgdorferi, the Lyme borreliosis agent, was studied. In the last part the influence of point mutants within the greasy slide of the maltose specific porin (LamB) of E. coli were shown. In the first part of this study outer membrane preparations of three Borrelia relapsing fever strains have been studied for pore-forming activity in the black lipid bilayer assay. Histograms of conductance fluctuations were obtained from single-channel experiments with outer membrane preparations of B. hermsii, B. recurentis and B. duttonii. All strains had a different conductance fluctuation pattern with a broad range of single-channel conductance values varying from 0.5 nS - 11 nS. Common for all three strains was a high pore-forming activity at around 0.5 nS. Furthermore the proteins of the outer membrane of B. duttonii were separated by chromatographic methods. Some eluate fractions contained a channel-forming protein, which was forming stable channels with a single-channel conductance of 80 pS in 1 M KCl. Characterization of this channel showed that it is slightly anionic selective and voltage independent. The small single-channel conductance suggests that it is a specific pore. However, a substrate specificity could not be determined. In the second part, for the B. burgdorferi HB19 and p66 knock out strain HB19/K02, their outer membrane preparations were characterized in the black lipid bilayer assay. Comparing the histograms of single-channel conductions fluctuations of both strains showed no single-channel activity at 11.5 nS for the p66 knock out strain. This verifies earlier studies that P66 is a pore-forming protein in B. burgdorferi. Furthermore, one fraction obtained by anion exchange chromatography of the p66 knock out outer membrane protein preparation showed a uniform channel-forming activity with a single channel conductance of 300 pS. The electrophysically characterization of the 300 pS channel showed that it is not ionselective or voltage dependent. By mass spectrometry using peptide mass finger prints, BB0142 could be identified as the sole channel forming candidate in the active fraction. A BLAST search and a conserved domain search showed that BB0142 is a putative TolC homologue in B. burgdorferi. Furthermore the location of the bb0142 gene within the chromosome is in an operon encoding a multidrug efflux pump. In this study the expression of an outer membrane component of a putative drug efflux system of B. burgdorferi was shown for the first time. In the third part functional studies of the maltooligosaccharide-specific LamB channel were performed. The 3D-structure of LamB suggests that a number of aromatic residues (Y6, Y41, W74, F229, W358 and W420) within the channel lumen is involved in carbohydrate and ion transport. All aromatic residues were replaced by alanine (A) scanning mutagenesis. Furthermore, LamB mutants were created in which one, two, three, four and five aromatic residues were replaced to study their effects on ion and maltopentaose transport through LamB. The purified mutant proteins were reconstituted into lipid bilayer membranes and the single-channel conductance was studied. The results suggest that all aromatic residues provide some steric hindrance for ion transport through LamB. Highest impact is provided by Y6 and Y41, which are localized opposite to Y118, which forms the central constriction of the LamB channel. Stability constants for binding of maltopentaose to the mutant channels were measured using titration experiments with the carbohydrate. The mutation of one or several aromatic amino acids led to a substantial decrease of the stability constant of binding. The highest effect was observed when all aromatic amino acids were replaced by alanine because no binding of maltopentaose could be detected in this case. However, binding was again possible when Y118 was replaced by tryptophane (W). The carbohydrate-induced block of the channel function could also be used for the study of current noise through the different mutant LamB-channels. The analysis of the power density spectra of some of the mutants allowed the evaluation of the on- and off-rate constants (k1 and k-1) of carbohydrate binding to the binding-site inside the channels. The results suggest that both on- and off-rate constants were affected by the mutations. For most mutants k1 decreased and k-1 increased.}, subject = {Escherichia coli}, language = {en} } @book{FalkMarohnMicheletal.2006, author = {Falk, Michael and Marohn, Frank and Michel, Ren{\´e} and Hofmann, Daniel and Macke, Maria and Tewes, Bernward and Dinges, Peter}, title = {A First Course on Time Series Analysis : Examples with SAS}, organization = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg / Lehrstuhl f{\"u}r Statistik}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-16919}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2006}, abstract = {The analysis of real data by means of statistical methods with the aid of a software package common in industry and administration usually is not an integral part of mathematics studies, but it will certainly be part of a future professional work. The present book links up elements from time series analysis with a selection of statistical procedures used in general practice including the statistical software package SAS Statistical Analysis System). Consequently this book addresses students of statistics as well as students of other branches such as economics, demography and engineering, where lectures on statistics belong to their academic training. But it is also intended for the practician who, beyond the use of statistical tools, is interested in their mathematical background. Numerous problems illustrate the applicability of the presented statistical procedures, where SAS gives the solutions. The programs used are explicitly listed and explained. No previous experience is expected neither in SAS nor in a special computer system so that a short training period is guaranteed. This book is meant for a two semester course (lecture, seminar or practical training) where the first two chapters can be dealt with in the first semester. They provide the principal components of the analysis of a time series in the time domain. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 deal with its analysis in the frequency domain and can be worked through in the second term. In order to understand the mathematical background some terms are useful such as convergence in distribution, stochastic convergence, maximum likelihood estimator as well as a basic knowledge of the test theory, so that work on the book can start after an introductory lecture on stochastics. Each chapter includes exercises. An exhaustive treatment is recommended. This book is consecutively subdivided in a statistical part and an SAS-specific part. For better clearness the SAS-specific part, including the diagrams generated with SAS, always starts with a computer symbol, representing the beginning of a session at the computer, and ends with a printer symbol for the end of this session. This book is an open source project under the GNU Free Documentation License.}, subject = {Zeitreihenanalyse}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Pils2005, author = {Pils, Birgit}, title = {Insights into the evolution of protein domains give rise to improvements of function prediction}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-16805}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {The growing number of uncharacterised sequences in public databases has turned the prediction of protein function into a challenging research field. Traditional annotation methods are often error-prone due to the small subset of proteins with experimentally verified function. Goal of this thesis was to analyse the function and evolution of protein domains in order to understand molecular processes in the cell. The focus was on signalling domains of little understood function, as well as on functional sites of protein domains in general. Glucosaminidases (GlcNAcases) represent key enzymes in signal transduction pathways. Together with glucosamine transferases, they serve as molecular switches, similar to kinases and phosphatases. Little was known about the molecular function and structure of the GlcNAcases. In this thesis, the GlcNAcases were identified as remote homologues of N-acetyltransferases. By comparing the homologous sequences, I was able to predict functional sites of the GlcNAcase family and to identify the GlcNAcases as the first family member of the acetyltransferase superfamily with a distinct catalytic mechanism, which is not involved in the transfer of acetyl groups. In a similar approach, the sensor domain of a plant hormone receptor was studied. I was able to predict putative ligand-binding sites by comparing evolutionary constraints in functionally diverged subfamilies. Most of the putative ligand-binding sites have been experimentally confirmed in the meantime. Due to the importance of enzymes involved in cellular signalling, it seems impossible to find substitutions of catalytic amino acids that turn them catalytically inactive. Nevertheless, by scanning catalytic positions of the protein tyrosine phosphatase families, I found many inactive domains among single domain and tandem domain phosphatases in metazoan proteomes. In addition, I found that inactive phosphatases are conserved throughout evolution, which led to the question about the function of these catalytically inactive phosphatase domains. An analysis of evolutionary site rates of amino acid substitutions revealed a cluster of conserved residues in the apparently redundant domain of tandem phosphatases. This putative regulatory center might be responsible for the experimentally verified dimerization of the active and inactive domain in order to control the catalytic activity of the active phosphatase domain. Moreover, I detected a subgroup of inactive phosphatases, which presumably functions in substrate recognition, based on different evolutionary site rates within the phosphatase family. The characterization of these new regulatory modules in the phosphatase family raised the question whether inactivation of enzymes is a more general evolutionary mechanism to enlarge signalling pathways and whether inactive domains are also found in other enzyme families. A large-scale analysis of substitutions at catalytic positions of enzymatic domains was performed in this work. I identified many domains with inactivating substitutions in various enzyme families. Signalling domains harbour a particular high occurrence of catalytically inactive domains indicating that these domains have evolved to modulate existing regulatory pathways. Furthermore, it was shown that inactivation of enzymes by single substitutions happened multiple times independently in evolution. The surprising variability of amino acids at catalytic positions was decisive for a subsequent analysis of the diversity of functional sites in general. Using functional residues extracted from structural complexes I could show that functional sites of protein domains do not only vary in their type of amino acid but also in their structural location within the domain. In the process of evolution, protein domains have arisen from duplication events and subsequently adapted to new binding partners and developed new functions, which is reflected in the high variability of functional sites. However, great differences exist between domain families. The analysis demonstrated that functional sites of nuclear domains are more conserved than functional sites of extracellular domains. Furthermore, the type of ligand influences the degree of conservation, for example ion binding sites are more conserved than peptide binding sites. The work presented in this thesis has led to the detection of functional sites in various protein domains involved in signalling pathways and it has resulted in insights into the molecular function of those domains. In addition, properties of functional sites of protein domains were revealed. This knowledge can be used in the future to improve the prediction of protein function and to identify functional sites of proteins.}, subject = {Dom{\"a}ne }, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Pozgajova2005, author = {Pozgajova, Miroslava}, title = {Studies on formation and stabilization of pathological thrombi in vivo}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-16784}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Platelet activation and adhesion resulting in thrombus growth is essential for normal hemostasis, but can lead to irreversible, life-threatening vessel occlusion. In the current study, the contribution of platelet integrins, activation receptors and the contact system of blood coagulation in such pathological conditions was investigated in mice.}, subject = {Thrombose}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Toben2005, author = {Toben, Catherine Gisela}, title = {Generation and analysis of transgenic mice expressing ovalbumin as a neo-self antigen under control of the myelin basic protein promoter}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-16708}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {In this project two novel murine autoimmune models were to be established in an attempt to further investigate the nervous system disorders of Multiple Sclerosis and Guillain Barr{\´e} Syndrome. Previous experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN) models have demonstrated that T cells play a major role in these diseases. Which roles CD4 and CD8 T cells specifically have in the initiation, propagation and termination of an autoimmune nervous system disorder remains controversial. To this end two transgenic mice specifically expressing the neo-antigen (Ag) ovalbumin (OVA) in either the central nervous system (CNS) or peripheral nervous system (PNS) were to be generated. The myelin basic protein (MBP) is a major component of the myelin sheath both within the CNS and the PNS. Therefore the MBP promoter was employed for its distinct regulatory elements to facilitate exclusive CNS or PNS OVA expression. The adoptive transfer of OVA specific MHCI restricted (OT-I) and MHCII restricted (OT-II) TCR Tg T cells extended the OVA Tg mouse model by allowing potentially encephalitogenic T cells to be tracked in vivo. Specificity for the target Ag should enable the dynamic role of antigen specific T cells in neuroinflammatory diseases to be revealed in more detail.}, subject = {Multiple Sklerose}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Kleinsteuber2005, author = {Kleinsteuber, Martin}, title = {Jacobi-type methods on semisimple Lie algebras : a Lie algebraic approach to numerical linear algebra}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-16454}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Es wird eine Lie-algebraische Verallgemeinerung sowohl des klassischen als auch des Sortier-Jacobi-Verfahrens f{\"u}r das symmetrische Eigenwertproblem behandelt. Der koordinatenfreie Zugang erm{\"o}glicht durch eine neue Betrachtungsweise die Vereinheitlichung strukturierter Eigen- und Singul{\"a}rwertprobleme, darunter bis dato noch nicht betrachtete F{\"a}lle. F{\"u}r beide Verfahren wird lokal quadratische Konvergenz, sowohl f{\"u}r den regul{\"a}ren als auch f{\"u}r den irregul{\"a}ren Fall, gezeigt. Die Analyse und Verallgemeinerung der sog. speziellen Sweeps f{\"u}r das symmetrische Eigenwertproblem f{\"u}hrt zu neuen Sweep-Methoden f{\"u}r strukturierte Eigen- und Singul{\"a}rwertprobleme, die ein besseres Konvergenzverhalten als die bisher bekannten aufweisen.}, subject = {Eigenwert}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Bradeanu2005, author = {Bradeanu, Ioana Lavinia}, title = {Photoionization and excitation of free variable size van der Waals clusters in the inner shell regime}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-16372}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {The studies presented in this thesis deal with resonant and non-resonant excitation of free variable size clusters using synchrotron radiation in the soft X-ray regime. The post collision interaction (PCI) effect is investigated in free variable size krypton and argon clusters near the Kr 3d and Ar 2p ionization energies. The core ionization energies of surface and bulk sites in variable size clusters can be clearly distinguished. This is mostly due to the polarization screening. It is found that the asymmetry, which is a consequence of PCI, is characteristically smaller for clusters than for isolated atoms. Moreover, there is less asymmetry for bulk sites than for surface sites in variable size rare gas clusters. We assign the results in terms of mechanisms that are based on quantum mechanical models of post collision interaction. Complementary experiments on the photoionization of free van der Waals clusters are performed by using zero kinetic energy (ZEKE) photoelectron spectroscopy in the Ar 2p-, Kr 3d-, Ne 1s-, and N2-regimes. The experimental approach is also suitable to detect cluster size dependent changes in electronic structure. This also allows us to study post collision interaction in variable size clusters. The parameters of the PCI profiles deduced for ZEKE experiments indicate that there are no significant changes in core ionization dynamics compared to near-threshold experiments. Results from model calculations in Kr 3d ionization energy indicate that different geometric sites can be clearly distinguished from each other by their substantial shift in Kr 3d ionization energy, though the dimer shows almost the same Kr 3d ionization energy as the free atom. A comparison with the experimental results indicates that there is resemblance with the model calculations, even though close-lying ionization energies are blended and require deconvolutions of the experimental spectra. It is evident from the present work that one can observe distinct shifts in core ionization energies in van der Waals clusters that are formed in wide size distributions of a jet expansion. The emission of ultraviolet fluorescence radiation from variable size argon clusters is investigated with high spectral resolution in the Ar 2p-excitation regime. The fluorescence excitation spectra reveal strong fluorescence intensity in the Ar 2p-continuum, but no evidence for the occurrence of discrete low-lying core-exciton states in the near-edge regime. This finding is different from the absorption and photoionization cross sections of argon clusters and the solid. The dispersed fluorescence shows a broad molecular band centered near 280 nm. The present results are consistent with the formation of singly charged, excited moieties within the clusters, which are assigned as sources of the radiative relaxation in the 280 nm regime. A fast energy transfer process (interatomic Coulombic decay, ICD) is assigned to be primarily the origin of these singly charged, excited cations besides intra-cluster electron impact ionization by Auger electrons. Our findings give possibly the first experimental evidence for ICD in the core level regime. Free, variable size nitrogen clusters are investigated in the N 1s excitation regime in comparison with the free molecule and solid nitrogen. The conversion of Rydberg states into core excitons, surface and bulk, was studied. The experimental results are simulated by ab initio calculations using (N2)13 as a reasonable prototype cluster structure that allows us to simulate both surface and bulk properties in comparison with the isolated molecule. The present results clearly show that there are specific properties, such as molecular orientation, in molecular van der Waals clusters, which do not exist in atomic van der Waals clusters. It is shown that inner and outer surface sites give rise to distinct energy shifts of the low lying surface core excitons.}, subject = {Photoionisation}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Kackstaetter2003, author = {Kackstaetter, Uwe R.}, title = {Contaminant diffusion and sorption of an artificial leachate in selected geologic barriers of Frankonia, Bavaria, Germany}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-16151}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2003}, abstract = {The geologic barrier represents the final contact between a landfill and the environment. Ideally suited are clays and mudstones because of sufficient vertical and lateral extent, low hydraulic conductivities and high sorptive characteristics. Since hydraulic conductivity is no longer the single criteria to determine transport and retardation of contaminants in geologic landfill barrier materials, diffusive and sorptive characteristics of 4 different clay and mudstone lithologies in Northern Bavaria, were investigated. Cored samples from various depths were included in this study and subjected to evaluations of geochemistry, mineralogy, physical parameters, sorption and diffusion. A transient double reservoir with decreasing source concentration was designed and constructed using clear polycarbonate cylinders for undisturbed clay plugs of 2 to 4cm thickness. Samples were also fitted with internal electrical conductivity probes to determine the migration of the diffusive front. A multi chemical species synthetic landfill leachate was contrived to simulate and evaluate natural pollutant conditions. A computational method for determining mineralogy from geochemical data was also developed. It was found that sorptive processes are mostly controlled by the quality and type of fine grained phyllosilicates and the individual chemical species involved exhibited linear, Freundlich, as well as Langmuir sorption properties. Effective diffusion and sorption coefficients were also determined using POLLUTEv6 (GAEA, 1997) software and receptor reservoir concentrations for K, Na, Ca, Cu, NH4, Cl, NO3, SO4, and concentration totals at predetermined time intervals. Anion exclusion proved to be a major factor in the diffusion process and was used to explain many observed anomalies. Furthermore, diffusion coefficients were found not to be static with a multi chemical species leachate, but actually varied during the course of the experiment. Strong indications point toward the major role of pore space quality, shape, and form as control of diffusive properties of a geologic barrier. A correlation of CECNa of the samples with De may point to a possible deduction of diffusive properties for multi species leachates without extensive and time consuming laboratory tests}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Boehler2005, author = {B{\"o}hler, Elmar}, title = {Algebraic closures in complexity theory}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-16106}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {We use algebraic closures and structures which are derived from these in complexity theory. We classify problems with Boolean circuits and Boolean constraints according to their complexity. We transfer algebraic structures to structural complexity. We use the generation problem to classify important complexity classes.}, subject = {Komplexit{\"a}tstheorie}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Amthor2005, author = {Amthor, Stephan}, title = {Redox properties of Bis-Triarylamines and ligand properties of Thianthrenophane}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15916}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {The one electron oxidation potential of ten TAAs with all permutations of Cl , OMe- and Me-substituents in the three p-positions were determined by CV. The half wave potential of the first oxidation wave correlates linearly with the number of Cl- and OMe-substituents. AM1-CISD derived values of the absorption energies are in good agreement with the experiments but differ strongly for the oscillator strengths as well as for neutral compounds and their corresponding mono radical cations. The small solvent dependence of the experimental UV/Vis spectra in CH2Cl2 and MeCN reflects a minor charge transfer character of the electronic transitions. The UV/Vis/NIR spectra of the series of TAAs and their corresponding radical cations and the AM1 computations reveal that even small substituents may lead to strong symmetry breaking and to a modified electronic structure. The spectroscopic properties of a series of four bis-TAA donor-bridge-donor X-B-X dimers, composed of two asymmetric TAA chromophores (monomers) were investigated. UV/vis-, fluorescence and transient absorption spectra were recorded and compared with those of the corresponding X-B monomers. The excited states of the dimers are described as MV states which show, depending on the chemical nature of the bridge, a varying amount of interactions. It was found that superradiant emission only proceeds in the case of weak and medium coupling. Whether the first excited state potential energy surface of the dimers is a single minimum or a double minimum potential depends on the solvent polarity and the electronic coupling. In the latter case, the dimer relaxes in a symmetry broken CT state. The [2.2]paracyclophane bridged dimer is an example for a weakly coupled system, because the spectroscopic behavior is very similar to the corresponding p xylene monomer. In contrast, anthracene as well as p-xylene bridges mediate a stronger coupling and reveal a significant cooperative influence on the optical properties. A series of [2.2]paracylophane bridged bis-TAA MV radical cations X-B-X+ were analyzed by a GMH three-level model which takes two transitions into account: the IV-CT band and the bridge band. From the GMH analysis, one can conclude that the [2.2]paracyclophane moiety is not the limiting factor which governs the intramolecular charge transfer. The electronic interactions are of course smaller than direct conjugation but from the order of magnitude of the couplings of the [2.2]paracyclophane MV species it can be assumed that this bridge is able to mediate significant through-space and through-bond interactions. From the exponential dependence of the electronic coupling V between the two TAA localized states on the distance r between the two redox centers, it was inferred that the HT proceeds via superexchange mechanism. The analysis reveals that even significantly longer conjugated bridges should still mediate significant electronic interactions, because the decay constant of a series of conjugated MV species is small. The absorption properties of a series of bis-TAA-[2.2]paracyclophane dications X+-B-X+ were presented. The localized and the CT transitions of these dications are explained and analyzed by an exciton coupling model which also considers the photophysical properties of the monomeric TAA radical cations. Together with AM1-CISD calculated transition moments, experimental transition moments and transition energies of the bis-TAA dications were used to calculate electronic couplings by a GMH approach. These couplings are a measure for interactions of the excited MV CT states. The modification of the diabatic states reveals similarities of the GMH three-level model and the exciton coupling model. Comparison of the two models shows that the transition moment between the excited mixed-valence states of the dimer equals the dipole moment difference of the ground and the excited bridge state of the corresponding monomer. Thianthrenophane (1) has a cavity which offers enough room to potentially enable endohedral coordination to small ions or molecules. For the complexation of silver(I) perchlorate, the complex stability constants of thianthrenophane logK1=5.45 and of thianthrene logK2=9.16 were determined by UV/Vis titration. Single competition transport experiments with ten metal salts demonstrate a very high selectivity of thianthrenophane as a carrier for silver(I) and a distinctly higher transport rate compared to carriers such as thianthrene and 14-ane-S4. Although the X-ray crystal structure analysis of the polymeric [Ag(1)]ClO4 shows an exohedral coordination to silver(I), the formation of an endohedral [Ag(1)]+ complex is suggested to be the explanation for the unusual carrier selectivity of silver(I) by 1 in bulk liquid membrane.}, subject = {Triarylamine}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Kriegisch2005, author = {Kriegisch, Volker}, title = {Electron transfer processes between organic redox centres and electrodes via active bridges in self-assembled monolayers}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15892}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Cyclovoltammetrische Messungen der Ferrocenalkylthiole 1 - 3 belegen, dass homogene, gemischte Monolagen aus redoxaktiven Verbindungen und redoxinaktiven Alkylthiolen gebildet werden. Die von Creager et al. bestimmten ET Raten der Ferrocenalkylthiole 1 - 3 konnten hierbei verifiziert werden. Wie erwartet erfolgt eine Abnahme der ET Geschwindigkeit bei einer Kettenverl{\"a}ngerung des Alkylspacers von 2 nach 3. Eine unterschiedliche Konnektivit{\"a}t zwischen Redoxzentrum und Alkylspacer, z. B. die Einf{\"u}hrung einer Carbonyl-Funktion im Falle von 1, unter Beibehaltung der Kettenl{\"a}nge zeigt keinen bemerkbaren Einfluß auf den ET. Trotzt vergleichbaren Abstands der aromatischen Ferrocenthiole 4 und 5 zu der C8-Alkyl-Verbindung 2 zwischen Redoxzentrum und Elektrode, weisen diese aufgrund ihrer starken Konjugation sehr hohe ET Geschwindigkeiten auf. Die elektronischen Kopplungsfaktoren selbst deuten auf einen nichtadiabtischen ET zwischen Redoxzentrum und Elektrode hin. Wie erwartet kommt es zu einem Anwachsen der Kopplungsfaktoren bei sich verk{\"u}rzender Kettenl{\"a}nge oder bei Einf{\"u}hrung konjugierter Spacersysteme. Zusammenfassend kann gesagt werden, dass Erfahrungen hinsichtlich der Pr{\"a}paration der Monolagen gesammelt, die gemessenen ET Raten f{\"u}r der literaturbekannten Verbindungen 1 - 3 best{\"a}tigt und diese Informationen auf die konjugierten Verbindungen 4 und 5 angewandt werden konnten. Im zweiten Teil wurden die Triarylamin- (29, 32) und Phenothiazinalkylthiole (35) bez{\"u}glich ihres ET Verhaltens in gemischten Monolagen untersucht. Mittels Cyclovoltammetrie konnte gezeigt werden, daß einheitlich geformte, verd{\"u}nnte Monolagen vorliegen. Die ET Raten der Triarylamin- (29, 32) und Phenithiazinalkylthiole (35) sind jedoch um den Faktor 10 bis 100 h{\"o}her als vergleichbare Ferrocenalkylthiole gleicher Kettenl{\"a}nge [1, 2], wohingegen f{\"u}r Monolagen, welche [Ru(bpy)2(pp)]+-Alkythiole enthalten, {\"a}quivalente Werte gefunden wurden [3]. Die ET Geschwindigkeit wird von zwei Parametern beeinflusst: dem elektronischen Kopplungsmatrixelement und der Regorganisationsenergie \&\#61548;\&\#61472; [4]. Die ET Geschwindigkeit in Donor-substituierten Alkylthiolen wird haupts{\"a}chlich durch \&\#61548; beeinflusst und sogar kleine {\"A}nderungen dieser zeigen eine große Auswirkung auf die zu untersuchenden Prozesse. Aus diesem Grund wird eine Zunahme der ET Geschwindigkeit von Ferrocen (hohe Reorganisationsenergie) {\"u}ber die Phenothiazinverbindung 35 und [Ru(bpy)2(pp)]+ zu den Triarylaminchromophoren 29 und 32 (niedrige Reorganisationsenergie) beobachtet. Weiterhin spielt, im Gegensatz zu Beobachtung von Creager et al. an {\"a}quivalenten Ferrocenverbingungen, die Anbindung des Redoxzentrums an den Alkylspacer eine bedeutende Rolle. Im Falle der elektronenreichen Ether-verbr{\"u}ckten Verbindung 29 wird der ET nicht alleine durch \&\#61548;, sondern ebenso durch mesomere Effekte bestimmt. Bei 29 kommt es durch Lokalisation der positiven Ladung nahe der Ether Funktion formal zu einer Kettenverk{\"u}rzung um eine „Methyleneinheit", welche schließlich in h{\"o}heren ET Geschwindigkeiten resultiert. Im dritten Teil dieser Dissertation wurde ein Serie „molekularer Dr{\"a}hte" bestehend aus Methoxy- oder Chlorid-substituierten Triarylamin- und Phenothiazinverbindungen mit unterschiedlichen Br{\"u}ckeneinheiten und Br{\"u}ckenl{\"a}ngen zwischen Redoxzentrum und Ankerfunktion dargestellt und im Hinblick auf ihr ET Verhalten untersucht. Durch cyclovoltammetrische und UV/Vis-spektroskopische Untersuchungen konnte gezeigt werden, dass sowohl die Oxidationspotentiale als auch die energetischen Zust{\"a}nde der Chromophore recht gut durch Einf{\"u}hrung unterschiedlicher Redoxzentren und Br{\"u}ckeneinheiten beeinflusst werden k{\"o}nnen. Trotz erfolgreicher Kontrolle der Dichte der Chromophoreinheiten in den gemischten Monolagen konnte nur f{\"u}r die Verbindungen 49, 52 und 87 mit Nitril-substituierten Br{\"u}ckeneinheiten verl{\"a}ssliche ET Geschwindigkeiten erhalten werden. Bei diesen Chromphoren ist ein Absinken der ET Geschwindigkeit bei zunehmender Dichte der redoxaktiven Molek{\"u}le in den gemischten Monolagen zu beobachten, welche auf eine {\"A}nderung der Adsorptionsgeometrie hindeutet. Bei zunehmender Packungsdichte der Chromophore f{\"u}hrt dies zu einer aufrechteren Stellung der redoxaktiven Spezies. F{\"u}r alle anderen Verbindungen konnten keine Werte aufgrund der zu schnellen ET Geschwindigkeiten ermittelt werden. Konformelle, wie auch die sehr geringe Abstandsabh{\"a}ngigkeit des ET, resultieren in hohen ET Geschwindigkeiten oder auch ung{\"u}nstige HOMO-LUMO Energien bez{\"u}glich des Donors, der Br{\"u}cke und der Elektrode sind Gr{\"u}nde f{\"u}r dieses Verhalten. Die Tatsache, dass Verbindung 49 und 52 beinahe die gleichen Geschwindigkeitskonstanten des ETs unabh{\"a}ngig von der Anzahl der Br{\"u}ckeneinheiten (n = 2, n = 3) besitzen, deutet darauf hin, dass ein Hopping-Prozess stattfindet, bei welchem eine geringere L{\"a}ngenabh{\"a}ngigkeit des ETs als bei eine Superexchange-Mechanismus zu erwarten ist.}, subject = {Monoschicht}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Ruester2005, author = {R{\"u}ster, Christian}, title = {Magnetotransport effects in lateral and vertical ferromagnetic semiconductor junctions}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15554}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {This work is an investigation of giant magnetoresistance (GMR), tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) and tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR)effects in (Ga,Mn) based ferromagnetic semiconductor junctions. Detailed results are published in the following articles: [1] C. R{\"u}ster, T. Borzenko, C. Gould, G. Schmidt, L.W. Molenkamp, X. Liu, T.J.Wojtowicz, J.K. Furdyna, Z.G. Yu and M. Flatt´e, Very Large Magnetoresistance in Lateral Ferromagnetic (Ga,Mn)As Wires with Nanoconstrictions, Physical Review Letters 91, 216602 (2003). [2] C. Gould, C. R{\"u}ster, T. Jungwirth, E. Girgis, G.M. Schott, R. Giraud, K. Brunner, G. Schmidt and L.W. Molenkamp, Tunneling Anisotropic Magnetoresistance: A Spin-Valve-Like Tunnel Magnetoresistance Using a Single Magnetic Layer, Physical Review Letters 93, 117203 (2004). [3] C. R{\"u}ster, C. Gould, T. Jungwirth, J. Sinova, G.M. Schott, R. Giraud, K. Brunner, G. Schmidt and L.W. Molenkamp, Very Large Tunneling Anisotropic Magnetoresistance of a (Ga,Mn)As/GaAs/(Ga,Mn)As Stack, Physical Review Letters 94, 027203 (2005). [4] C. R{\"u}ster and C. Gould, T. Jungwirth, E. Girgis, G.M. Schott, R. Giraud, K. Brunner, G. Schmidt and L.W. Molenkamp, Tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance: Creating a spin-valve-like signal using a single ferromagnetic semiconductor layer, Journal of Applied Physics 97, 10C506 (2005).}, subject = {Galliumarsenid}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Sohns2005, author = {Sohns, Andreas}, title = {Halfsandwich iron complexes with Silanol-functionalized Cyclopentadienyl ligands}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15809}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {...}, subject = {Halbsandwich-Verbindungen}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schmitt2005, author = {Schmitt, Rainer}, title = {P-H-functionalized Phosphenium Tungsten Complexes : exchange reactions at the phosphorus and cycloadditions with heteroallenes}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15818}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {...}, subject = {Phospheniumkomplexe}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schaefer2005, author = {Sch{\"a}fer, Matthias}, title = {Molecular mechanisms of floor plate formation and neural patterning in zebrafish}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15789}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {The vertebrate spinal cord is composed of billions of neurons and glia cells, which are formed in a highly coordinated manner during early neurogenesis. Specification of these cells at distinct positions along the dorsoventral (DV) axis of the developing spinal cord is controlled by a ventrally located signaling center, the medial floor plate (MFP). Currently, the origin and time frame of specification of this important organizer are not clear. During my PhD thesis, I have analyzed the function of the novel secreted growth factor Midkine-a (Mdka) in zebrafish. In higher vertebrates, mdk and the related factor pleiotrophin (ptn) are widely expressed during embryogenesis and are implicated in a variety of processes. The in-vivo function of both factors, however, is unclear, as knock-out mice show no embryonic phenotype. We have isolated two mdk co-orthologs, mdka and mdkb, and one single ptn gene in zebrafish. Molecular phylogenetic analyses have shown that these genes evolved after two large gene block duplications. In contrast to higher vertebrates, zebrafish mdk and ptn genes have undergone functional divergence, resulting in mostly non-redundant expression patterns and functions. I have shown by overexpression and knock-down analyses that Mdka is required for MFP formation during zebrafish neurulation. Unlike the previously known MFP inducing factors, mdka is not expressed within the embryonic shield or tailbud but is dynamically expressed in the paraxial mesoderm. I used epistatic and mutant analyses to show that Mdka acts independently from these factors. This indicates a novel mechanism of Mdka dependent MFP formation during zebrafish neurulation. To get insight into the signaling properties of zebrafish Mdka, the function of both Mdk proteins and the candidate receptor Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (Alk) have been compared. Knock-down of mdka and mdkb resulted in the same reduction of iridophores as in mutants deficient for Alk. This indicates that Alk could be a putative receptor of Mdks during zebrafish embryogenesis. In most vertebrate species a lateral floor plate (LFP) domain adjacent to the MFP has been defined. In higher vertebrates it has been shown that the LFP is located within the p3 domain, which forms V3 interneurons. It is unclear, how different cell types in this domain are organized during early embryogenesis. I have analyzed a novel homeobox gene in zebrafish, nkx2.2b, which is exclusively expressed in the LFP. Overexpression, mutant and inhibitor analyses showed that nkx2.2b is activated by Sonic hedgehog (Shh), but repressed by retinoids and the motoneuron-inducing factor Islet-1 (Isl1). I could show that in zebrafish LFP and p3 neuronal cells are located at the same level along the DV axis, but alternate along the anteroposterior (AP) axis. Moreover, these two different cell populations require different levels of HH signaling and nkx2.2 activities. This provides new insights into the structure of the vertebrate spinal cord and suggests a novel mechanism of neural patterning.}, subject = {Zebrab{\"a}rbling}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Bayer2005, author = {Bayer, Tanja}, title = {Toxicity and biotransformation of 1,1,1,3,3-Pentafluoropropane, 3,3,3-Trifluoropropionic acid and 1,1,1,3-Tetrachloropropane}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15731}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {The biotransformation of 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane was investigated in rats and in in vitro systems. First, the metabolites were identified in vivo using GC/MS and 19F NMR analysis. The main metabolite was identified as trifluoroacetic acid, the minor metabolite as 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid and as a cleavage product, inorganic fluoride was found. As the in vitro system, liver microsomes from rat and human samples and rat liver homogenates were used. Trifluoroacetic acid and 3,3,3 trifluoropropionic acid were confirmed in vitro as metabolic intermediates, following biotransformation of 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane by the cytochrome P-450-system. Studies, designed for clarifying the cardiotoxicity of 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane were driven by the hypothesis that 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid is the toxic agent. This was based on the lethal toxicity, which was observed in previous in vivo experiments. In addition, the point of its structural similarity to toxic agents as for example monofluoroacetic acid or of possible metabolic intermediates like difluoroacrylic acid with known toxicity were considered to support this assumption. However, trifluoroacetic acid was neglected as the sought-after toxic agent because of its different toxic effects, known from literature. Investigations on the biotransformation of 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid were performed and resulted in no metabolic activity and in poor elimination of 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid in vivo. The histopathological effects on the heart, which were observed in the 90-day oral toxicity study of 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane in rats, namely mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltrations and degenerated myocardial fibers, were not observed after a 28 day repeated exposure of up to 10 mg/kg b.w. of 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid. However, a single high dose of 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid lead to severe toxicological effects. The difference in the observed toxic effects after a single and repeated administration may be due to adaptive mechanisms in rats. The toxicological effects included clinical signs like ataxia, coma and cramps. The conditions of the rats suggested possible inhibition of the energy supply to the organism. Furthermore, the interference of 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid in the functionality of the organism was investigated. Experiments were performed in vitro in rat liver and heart mitochondria to investigate effects on the mitochondrial ß-oxidation. However, the transformation of the substrate [U14C] palmitic acid in the ß oxidation pathway was not inhibited by 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid. In addition, no cytotoxicity of 3,3,3 trifluoropropionic acid was observed in the cell culture systems. The main effect after a single dose of 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid was seen in clinical pathology and metabonomic analysis. The decrease in blood glucose is considered to have the most far-reaching consequences for the toxicity of 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid. If considering this change as the primary effect after a single dose, secondary effects, for example, the above-mentioned clinical signs could be explained. In addition, the observed high level of ketone bodies might have been responsible for life-threatening possible ketoacidosis. In general, ketoacidosis occurs after an imbalance between glycolysis, lipolysis, TCA cycle activity and respiratory function. Based on the results, ß-oxidation of fatty acids was not affected, and due to the decrease in glucose levels and the high levels of acetyl CoA, glycolysis was considered not to be impaired. Increased amounts of acetyl CoA might be a result of insufficient activity of the TCA cycle. However, the inhibition of the TCA cycle can be based on the impairment of specific enzymes and/or on the involvement of messenger substrates like insulin. Supporting the first mentioned aspect are decreased levels of TCA cycle intermediates, like \&\#945;-ketoglutarate or citrate, as seen in 1H-NMR spectra of urine. However, the second aspect would explain the drop in blood glucose with the impairment of glucose transporters or the impairment of the insulin balance. If a single dose of 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid had stimulated the insulin release, glycolysis would be activated, and high amounts of acetyl CoA would be produced. In case of impaired use by the TCA cycle, levels of ketone bodies would be increased. Experiments were designed to characterize the direct effect of 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid on rat insulinoma-derived INS-1 cells as possible increase in insulin release. Further investigations are necessary to answer in which step of the metabolic pathway 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid interferes or finally which specific enzyme is inhibited or activated by 3,3,3-trifluoropropionic acid, leading to the drop in blood glucose and finally in lethal toxicity.}, subject = {Fluorkohlenwasserstoffe}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{JimenezPearson2005, author = {Jim{\´e}nez-Pearson, Mar{\´i}a-Antonieta}, title = {Characterization of the mechanisms of two-component signal transduction involved in motility and chemotaxis of Helicobacter pylori}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15698}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Flagellen-basierte Motilit{\"a}t und Chemotaxis stellen essentielle Pathogenit{\"a}tsfaktoren dar, die f{\"u}r die erfolgreiche Kolonisierung der Magenschleimhaut durch H. pylori notwendig sind. Die Mechanismen der Regulation der Flagellensynthese und das Chemotaxis-System von H. pylori weisen trotz einiger {\"A}hnlichkeiten fundamentale Unterschiede zu den Systemen anderer Bakterien auf. In H. pylori ist die Flagellensynthese durch eine komplex regulierte Kaskade kontrolliert, die Regulatorkomponenten wie das Zweikomponentensystem HP244/FlgR, die Sigma Faktoren 54 und 28 und den Sigma Faktor28-Antagonisten FlgM enth{\"a}lt. Das Signal, welches {\"u}ber die Histidinkinase des Zweikomponentensystems HP244/FlgR die Expression der Sigma Faktor54-abh{\"a}ngigen Klasse 2 Flagellengene reguliert, ist bisher noch nicht bekannt. Allerdings konnte mit HP137 ein Protein identifiziert werden, das im „yeast two-hybrid" System sowohl mit der korrespondierenden Kinase HP244 des Flagellenregulators FlgR, als auch mit der Flagellenkomponente FlgE´ interagiert (Rain et al., 2001). In dieser Arbeit wurde eine m{\"o}gliche Rolle von HP137 in einem R{\"u}ckkopplungsmechanismus untersucht, welcher die Aktivit{\"a}t der Histidinkinase in der Flagellenregulation kontrollieren k{\"o}nnte. Obwohl die Deletion des ORF hp137 zu einer unbeweglichen Mutante f{\"u}hrte, legen die erfolglosen Komplementations Experimente, sowie die Beobachtung, dass HP137 in vitro keinen bedeutenden Effekt auf die Aktivit{\"a}t der Histidinkinase HP244 hat nahe, dass HP137 weder in H. pylori noch im nahe verwandten C. jejuni direkt an der Flagellenregulation beteiligt ist. Das Chemotaxis-System von H. pylori unterscheidet sich vom gutuntersuchten Chemotaxis-System der Enterobakterien in einigen Aspekten. Zus{\"a}tzlich zu dem CheY Response Regulator Protein (CheY1) besitzt H. pylori eine weitere CheY-artige Receiver-Dom{\"a}ne (CheY2) welche C-terminal an die Histidinkinase CheA fusioniert ist. Zus{\"a}tzlich finden sich im Genom von H. pylori Gene, die f{\"u}r drei CheV Proteine kodieren die aus einer N-terminalen Dom{\"a}ne {\"a}hnlich CheW und einer C-terminalen Receiver Dom{\"a}ne bestehen, w{\"a}hrend man keine Orthologen zu den Genen cheB, cheR, and cheZ findet. Um einen Einblick in den Mechanismus zu erhalten, welcher die chemotaktische Reaktion von H. pylori kontrolliert, wurden Phosphotransferreaktionen zwischen den gereinigten Signalmodulen des Zweikomponentensystems in vitro untersucht. Durch in vitro-Phosphorylierungsexperimente wurde eine ATP-abh{\"a}ngige Autophosphorylierung der bifunktionellen Histidinkinase CheAY2 und von CheA´, welches ein verk{\"u}rztes Derivat von ChAY2 ohne Receiver-Dom{\"a}ne darstellt, nachgewiesen. CheA´ zeigt eine f{\"u}r an der Chemotaxis beteiligte Histidinkinasen typische Phosphorylierungskinetik mit einer ausgepr{\"a}gten exponentiellen Phase, w{\"a}hrend die Phosphorylierungskinetik von CheAY2 nur eine kurze exponentielle Phase aufweist, gefolgt von einer Phase in der die Hydrolyse von CheAY2~P {\"u}berwiegt. Es wurde gezeigt, dass die Anwesenheit einer der CheY2 Dom{\"a}ne die Stabilit{\"a}t der phosphorylierten P1 Dom{\"a}ne im CheA Teil des bifunktionellen Proteins beeinflusst. Außerdem wurde gezeigt, dass sowohl CheY1 als auch CheY2 durch CheAY2 phosphoryliert werden und dass die drei CheV Proteine die Histidinkinase CheA´~P dephosphorylieren, wenn auch mit einer im Vergleich zu CheY1 und CheY2 geringeren Affinit{\"a}t. Außerdem ist CheA´ in der Lage seine Phosphatgruppen auf CheY1 aus C. jejuni und CheY aus E. coli zu {\"u}bertragen. Retrophosphorylierungsexperimente weisen darauf hin, dass CheY1~P die Phosphatgruppe zur{\"u}ck auf die Histidinkinase CheAY2 {\"u}bertragen kann und dass die CheY2-Dom{\"a}ne in dem bifunktionellen Protein CheAY2 als „Phosphat Sink" agiert der den Phosphorylierungszustand und damit die Aktivit{\"a}t des frei diffundierbaren Proteins CheY1 reguliert, das vermutlich es mit dem Flagellenmotor interagiert. Es konnte weiterhin gezeigt werden, dass die unabh{\"a}ngige Funktion der beiden Dom{\"a}nen CheA´ und CheY2 f{\"u}r eine normale chemotaktische Signalgebung in vivo nicht ausreicht. In dieser Arbeit wurden also Hinweise auf eine komplexe Kaskade Phosphat{\"u}bertragungsreaktionen im chemotaktischen System von H. pylori gefunden, welches {\"A}hnlichkeiten zu dem Syteme-Chemotaxis von S. meliloti aufweist an denen multiple CheY Proteine beteiligt sind. Die Rolle der CheV Proteine bleibt im Moment unklar, jedoch k{\"o}nnte es sein, dass sie an einer weiteren Feinregulierung der Phosphatgruppen{\"u}bertragungsreaktionen in diesem komplexen chemotaktischen System beteiligt sind}, subject = {Helicobacter pylori}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Dietzek2005, author = {Dietzek, Benjamin}, title = {Ultrafast linear and non-linear spectroscopy : from biological light-receptors to artificial light-harvesting systems}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15684}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {In the experiments presented in this work, linear and non-linear femtosecond time-resolved spectrsocopy were applied to investigate the structure-function and functiondynamics relationship in biological and artificially designed systems. The experiments presented in this work utilize femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption and transient grating as well as picosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy to investigate the photophysics and photochemistry of biological photoreceptors and address the light-induced excited-state processes in a particular molecular device that serves as a - structurally - very simple light-harvesting antenna and potentially as a catalysis-switch for the production of hydrogen in solution. The combination of white-light probe transient absorption and coherent transient grating spectroscopies yields spectral information about the excited state absorption in concert with high quality, high signal-to-noise kinetic transients, which allow for precise fitting and therefore very accurate time-constants to be extracted from the data. The use of femtosecond time-resolved transient grating spectroscopy is relatively uncommon in addressing questions concerning the excited-state reaction pathways of complex (biological) systems, and therefore the experiments presented in this work constitute according to the literature the first studies applying this technique to a a metalloporphyrin and an artificial light-harvesting antenna.}, subject = {Femtosekundenspektroskopie}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Daumer2005, author = {Daumer, Volker}, title = {Phase coherent transport phenomena in HgTe quantum well structures}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15538}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Although spintronics has aroused increasing interest, much fundamental research has to be done. One important issue is the control over the electronic spin. Therefore, spin and phase coherent transport are very important phenomena. This thesis describes experiments with mercury based quantum well structures. This narrow gap material provides a very good template to study spin related effects. It exhibits large Zeeman spin splitting and Rashba spin-orbit splitting. The latter is at least four to five times larger than in III-V semiconductors. Initially a short review on the transport theory was presented. The main focus as on quantisation effects that are important to understand the related experiments. Thus, Shubnikov-de Haas and the quantum Hall effect have been analysed. Due to the first fabrication of nanostructures on Hg-based quantum well samples, the observation of ballistic transport effects could be expected. Hence, the Landauer-B¨uttiker theory has been introduced which gives the theoretical background to understand such effects. With respect to the main topic of this thesis, phase coherence has been introduced in detail. Experiments, where coherence effects could be observed, have been explained theoretically. Here, possible measurement setups have been discussed, e.g., a ring shaped structure to investigate the Aharonov-Bohm and related effects. Due to the fact, that all experiments, described in this thesis, were performed on Hg-based samples, the exceptional position of such samples among the \&\#147;classical\&\#148; semiconductors has been clarified. Hg1-xMnx Te quantum wells are type-III QWs in contrast to the type-I QWs formed by e.g., GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. With a well width of more than 6 nm and a manganese content of less than 7\% they exhibit an inverted band alignment. Band structure calculations based on self consistent Hartree calculations have been presented. The common description of a diluted magnetic semiconductor with the Brillouin function has been introduced and the experiments to obtain the empiric parameters T0 and S0 have been presented. Rashba spin-orbit splitting and giant Zeeman splitting have been explained theoretically and the magnetic ordering of a spin glass as well as the relevant interactions therein have been discussed. The next chapter describes the first realisation of nanostructures on Hg-based heterostructures. Several material specific problems have been solved, but the unique features of this material system mentioned above justify the effort. Interesting new insight could be found and will be found with these structures. Onto a series of QW samples, cross-shaped structures with several lead widths have been patterned. With the non-local resistance measurement setup, evidence for quasiballistic transport was demonstrated in cross-shaped structures with lead widths down to 0.45 mm. The non-local bend resistance and a regime of rebound trajectories as well as the anomalous Hall effect could be identified. Monte-Carlo simulations of the classical electron trajectories have been performed. A good agreement with the experimental data has been achieved by taking a random scattering process into account. Encouraged by this success the technology has been improved and ring-shaped structures with radii down to 1 mm have been fabricated. Low temperature (below 100 mK), four terminal resistance measurements exhibit clear Aharonov-Bohm oscillations. The period of the oscillations agrees very well with a calculation that takes only the sample geometry into account. One goal using such a structure is the experimental prove of the spin-orbit Berry phase. Therefore an additional Shottky gate on top of the ring was needed. With this structure evidence for the Aharonov-Casher effect was observed. Here, a perpendicular applied electric field causes analogous oscillations as does the magnetic field in the AB effect. A subsequent change in the Rashba SO splitting due to several applied gate voltages while measuring the AB effect should reveal the SO Berry phase. Although initially evidence of a phase change was detected, a clear proof for the direct measurement of the SO Berry phase could not be found. In the future, with an advanced sample structure, e.g., with an additional Hall bar next to the ring, which permits a synchronous measurement of the Rashba splitting, it might be possible to measure the SO Berry phase directly. In manganese doped HgTe QWs two different effects simultaneously cause spin splitting: the giant Zeeman and the Rashba effect. By analysing the Shubnikovde Haas oscillations and the node positions of their beating pattern, it has been possible to separate these two effects. Whereas the Rashba effect can be identified by its dependence on the structure inversion asymmetry, varied by the applied gate voltage, the giant Zeeman splitting is extracted from its strong temperature dependence, because Rashba splitting is temperature independent. The analysis revealed, that the Rashba splitting is larger than or comparable to the giant Zeeman splitting even at moderately high magnetic fields. In an extraordinary HgMnTe QW sample, that exhibits the n= 1 quantum Hall plateau from less than 1 T up to 28 T, the anomalous Hall effect could be excluded. Intense studies on the temperature dependence of the QHE as well as band structure calculations have revealed this extraordinary behaviour to be an ordinary band structure effect of this system. In a series of mesoscopic structures on nonmagnetic and magnetic QWs, an investigation of the universal conductance uctuations have been carried out. In the}, subject = {Quecksilbertellurid}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Masek2005, author = {Masek, Pavel}, title = {Odor intensity learning in Drosophila}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15546}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {It has been known for a long time that Drosophila can learn to discriminate not only between different odorants but also between different concentrations of the same odor. Olfactory associative learning has been described as a pairing between odorant and electric shock and since then, most of the experiments conducted in this respect have largely neglected the dual properties of odors: quality and intensity. For odorant-coupled short-term memory, a biochemical model has been proposed that mainly relies on the known cAMP signaling pathway. Mushroom bodies (MB) have been shown to be necessary and sufficient for this type of memory, and the MB-model of odor learning and short-term memory was established. Yet, theoretically, based on the MB-model, flies should not be able to learn concentrations if trained to the lower of the two concentrations in the test. In this thesis, I investigate the role of concentration-dependent learning, establishment of a concentration-dependent memory and their correlation to the standard two-odor learning as described by the MB-model. In order to highlight the difference between learning of quality and learning of intensity of the same odor I have tried to characterize the nature of the stimulus that is actually learned by the flies, leading to the conclusion that during the training flies learn all possible cues that are presented at the time. The type of the following test seems to govern the usage of the information available. This revealed a distinction between what flies learned and what is actually measured. Furthermore, I have shown that learning of concentration is associative and that it is symmetrical between high and low concentrations. I have also shown how the subjective quality perception of an odor changes with changing intensity, suggesting that one odor can have more than one scent. There is no proof that flies perceive a range of concentrations of one odorant as one (odor) quality. Flies display a certain level of concentration invariance that is limited and related to the particular concentration. Learning of concentration is relevant only to a limited range of concentrations within the boundaries of concentration invariance. Moreover, under certain conditions, two chemically distinct odorants could smell sufficiently similarly such, that they can be generalized between each other like if they would be of the same quality. Therefore, the abilities of the fly to identify the difference in quality or in intensity of the stimuli need to be distinguished. The way how the stimulus is analyzed and processed speaks in favor of a concept postulating the existence of two separated memories. To follow this concept, I have proposed a new form of memory called odor intensity memory (OIM), characterized it and compared it to other olfactory memories. OIM is independent of some members of the known cAMP signaling pathway and very likely forms the rutabaga-independent component of the standard two-odor memory. The rutabaga-dependent odor memory requires qualitatively different olfactory stimuli. OIM is revealed within the limits of concentration invariance where the memory test gives only sub-optimal performance for the concentration differences but discrimination of odor quality is not possible at all. Based on the available experimental tools, OIM seems to require the mushroom bodies the same as odor-quality memory but its properties are different. Flies can memorize the quality of several odorants at a given time but a newly formed memory of one odor interferes with the OIM stored before. In addition, the OIM lasts only 1 to 3 hours - much shorter than the odor-quality memory.}, subject = {Taufliege}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Motsch2005, author = {Motsch, Isabell}, title = {Lamin A and lamin C are differentially dysfunctional in autosomal dominant Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-15360}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) is a rare genetic disorder characterised by early contractures of the elbows, Achilles tendons and spine, slowly progressive muscle wasting and cardiomyopathy associated with cardiac conduction defect. The autosomal dominant form is caused by mutations in the LMNA gene which gives rise to lamin A and lamin C proteins by alternative splicing. These A-type lamins, together with B-type lamins, form the nuclear lamina, a network of intermediate filament proteins underlining the nuclear envelope. In order to ascertain the role lamin A and C separately contribute to the molecular phenotype, we analysed ten LMNA mutations and one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in transfection studies in COS7 fibroblasts and, partially, in C2C12 myoblasts. The EGFP or DsRed2 tagged lamins were exogenously expressed either individually or both A-types together and examined by light and electron microscopy. The protein mobility of lamin A mutants was determined by FRAP analysis. Additionally, a co-immunoprecipitation binding assay of in vitro synthesised A-type lamins and emerin was performed.Eight of the LMNA mutations (R50S, R133P, E358K, E358K+C}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Pietsch2005, author = {Pietsch, Christof}, title = {The genetics of species differences within the genus Nasonia ASHMEAD 1904 (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae)}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-14348}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {The genetics of species differences is an outstanding question in evolutionary biology. How do species evolve to become phenotypically distinct and how is the genetic architecture organized that underlie species differences? Phenotypic diverged traits are supposed to be frequently involved in prezygotic isolation, i.e. they prevent the formation of hybrids, whereas postzygotic isolation occurs when hybrids experience a fitness reduction. The parasitic wasp genus Nasonia represents an appropriate model system to investigate the genetics of species differences as well as the genetics of postzygotic isolation. The genus consists of three species N. vitripennis, N. longicornis and N. giraulti that differ particularly in male traits that are assumed to posses an adaptive significance: courtship behaviour and wing size differences. The courtship behaviour consists of cyclically repeated series of head nods that are separated by pauses. The stereotypic performance allowed to split up the display into distinct courtship components. Males of N. vitripennis bear vestigial forewings and are incapable of flight, whereas N. longicornis wear intermediate sized wings and N. giraulti is fully capable of flying. Nasonia species can produce interspecific hybrids after removing Wolbachia bacteria induced hybrid incompatibilities with antibiotics. Postzygotic isolation occurs to different extent and is asymmetric among reciprocal crosses, e.g. inviability is stronger in the N. vitripennis (\&\#9792;) x N. longicornis (\&\#9794;) cross than in the N. longicornis (\&\#9792;) x N. vitripennis (\&\#9794;) cross. The formation of hybrids allow to study the genetic of species differences in QTL (quantitative trait locus) analyses as well as the genetics of postzygotic isolation causing hybrid inviability. The aim of the study was to investigate the genetic architecture of differences in courtship behaviour and wing size between N. vitripennis and N. longicornis and to assess the genetics of postzygotic isolation to gain clues about the evolutionary processes underlying trait divergence and establishment of reproductive isolation between taxa. In a QTL analysis based on 94 F2-hybrid individuals of an LV cross only few QTL for wing size differences have been found with relatively large effects, although a large proportion of the phenotypic variance remained unexplained. The QTL on courtship behaviour analysis based on 94-F2 hybrid males revealed a complex genetic architecture of courtship behaviour with QTL of large phenotypic effects that explained more than 40 \% of the phenotypic variance in one case. Additionally, an epistatic analysis (non-additive interlocus interaction) of courtship QTL revealed frequent genetic interchromsomal relations leading in some instances to hybrid specific effects, e.g. reversion of phenotypic effects or the transgression of phenotypes. A QTL analysis based on a threefold sample size revealed, however, an overestimation of QTL effects in the analysis based on smaller sample size pointing towards a genetic architecture of many loci with small effects governing the phenotypic differences in courtship behaviour. Furthermore, the the study comprised the analysis of postzygotic isolation in the reciprocal crosses N. vitripennis (\&\#9792;) x N. longicornis (\&\#9794;) versus N. longicornis (\&\#9792;) x N. vitripennis (\&\#9794;) located several loci distributed over different chromosomes that are involved in hybrid incompatibility. The mapping of hybrid incompatibility regions reproduced for the first time the observed asymmetries in the strength of postzygotic isolation in reciprocal crosses of between the more distant related taxa within the genus Nasonia. Stronger postzygotic incompatibilities in the VL cross are supposed to result from the superposition of nuclear-nuclear incompatibilities with nuclear-cytoplasmic incompatibilities, whereas the coincidences of these to types of incompatibilities were found to be much weaker in the reciprocal LV cross.}, subject = {Pteromalidae}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Rabie2005, author = {Rabie, Tamer}, title = {Cellular regulation of platelet glycoprotein VI : in vivo and in vitro studies in mice}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-14267}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Platelet interaction with the subendothelium is essential to limit blood loss after tissue injury. However, upon rupture of atherosclerotic plaques, this interaction may result in blood vessel occlusion leading to life threatening diseases such as myocardial infarction or stroke. Among the subendothelial matrix proteins, collagen is considered to be the most thrombogenic component as it directly activates platelets. Platelets interact with collagen, either indirectly through glycoprotein (GP) Ib-V-IX receptor complex, or directly through the major collagen receptor on the platelet surface, GPVI. The work presented here focused on studying the cellular regulation of GPVI. In addition, a possible role for GPVI in thrombus formation induced by atherosclerotic plaque material was investigated and it was found that GPVI plays an important role in this process. Using a recently published mitochondrial injury model, it was found that GPVI contains a cleavage site for a platelet-expressed metalloproteinase. Further studies showed that platelet activation by CRP, or thrombin induced down-regulation of GPIb\&\#61537;, but not GPVI. In parallel, cellular regulation of GPV was studied and it was found that GPV is cleaved in vitro by the metalloproteinase ADAM17. In previous studies it was shown that injection of mice with the anti-GPVI mAb, JAQ1, induces GPVI down-regulation, which is associated with a strong, but transient, thrombocytopenia. Using new anti-GPVI mAbs, which bind different epitopes on the receptor, it is shown in this study that GPVI down-regulation occurs in an epitope-independent manner. Further experiments showed that antibody treatment induces a transient, but significant increase in bleeding time. Using different genetically modified mice, it is shown that, upon antibody injection, GPVI is both, shed from the platelet surface and internalized into the platelet. Signaling through the immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) of the FcR\&\#61543; chain is essential for both processes, while LAT and PLC\&\#61543;2 are essential for the shedding process only. Antibody-induced increase in bleeding time and thrombocytopenia were absent in LAT deficient mice, showing that it is possible to uncouple the associated side effects from the down-regulation process. As antibody-induced GPVI internalization still occurs in LAT and PLC\&\#61543;2 deficient mice, this suggests a novel signaling pathway downstream of GPVI that has not been described so far.}, subject = {Maus}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Hipondoka2005, author = {Hipondoka, Martin H.T.}, title = {The development and evolution of Etosha Pan, Namibia}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-14351}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {This study explores and examines the geomorphology of a large endorheic basin, approximately twice the size of Luxemburg, situated in the Etosha National Park, Namibia. The main focus is directed on how and when this depression, known as Etosha Pan, came into being. Geomorphological investigation was complemented and guided primarily by the application and interpretation of satellite-derived information. Etosha Pan has attracted scientific investigations for nearly a century. Unfortunately, their efforts resulted into two diverging and mutually exclusive views with respect to its development. The first and oldest view dates back to the 1920s. It hypothesized Etosha Pan as a desiccated palaeolake which was abandoned following the river capture of its major fluvial system, the Kunene River. The river capture was assumed to have taken place in the Pliocene/Early Pleistocene. In spite of the absence of fluvial input that the Kunene contributed, the original lake was thought to have persisted until some 35 ka ago, long after the Kunene severed its ties with the basin. The current size of the basin and its playa status was interpreted to have resulted from deteriorating climatic conditions. The opposing view emerged in the 1980s and gained prominence in the 1990s. This view assumed that there were an innumerable number of small pans on the then surface of what later to become Etosha Pan. Since the turn of the Pliocene to Early Pleistocene, these individual pans started to experience a combined effect of fluvial erosion during the rainy season and wind deflation during the dry period. The climatic regime during that entire period was postulated to be semi-arid as today. This climatic status was used to rule out any existence of a perennial lake within the boundary of Etosha since the Quaternary. Ultimately, these denudational processes, taking place in a seasonal rhythm, caused the individual pans to deepen and widen laterally into each other and formed a super-pan that we call Etosha today. Thus the Kunene River had no role to play in the development of the Etosha Pan according to this model. However, proponents of this model acknowledged that the Kunene once fed into the Owambo Basin and assigned the end of the Tertiary to the terminal phase of that inflow. Findings of this study included field evidence endorsing the postulation that the Kunene River had once flowed into the Owambo Basin. Its infilled valley, bounding with the contemporary valley of the Kunene near Calueque, was identified and points towards the Etosha Pan. It is deliberated that a large lake, called Lake Kunene, existed in the basin during the time. Following the deflection of the Kunene River to the coast under the influence of river incision and neo-tectonic during the Late Pliocene, new dynamics were introduced over the Owambo Basin surface. After the basin was deprived of its major water and sediment budget that the Kunene River contributed, it was left with only smaller rivers, most notably the Cuvelai System, as the only remaining supplier. This resulted in the Cuvelai System concentrating and limiting its collective load deposition to a lobe of Lake Kunene basin floor. The accident of that lobe is unclear, but it is likely that it constituted the deepest part of the basin at the time or it was influenced by neo-tectonic that helped divert the Kunene River or both. Against the backdrop of fluvial action that was initiating the new lake, most parts of the rest of the basin, then denied of lacustrine activity, were intermittently riddled with a veneer of sediment, especially during phases of intensified aeolian activity. In the mean time, the area that was regularly receiving fluvial input started to shape up as a distinct lake with the depositions of sediments around the water-body, primarily via littoral action, serving as embankment. Gradually, a shoreline is formed and assisted in fixing and delineating the spatial extent of the new and much smaller lake, called Lake Etosha. That Lake Etosha is the predecessor of the modern day Etosha Pan. Indicators for a perennial lake found in this study at Etosha include fossil fragments of Clariidae species comparable to modern species measuring some 90 cm, and those of sitatunga dated to approximately 5 ka. None of these creatures exist today at Etosha because of their ecological requirements, which among others, include permanent water. The sitatunga, in addition, is known as the only truly amphibious antelope in the world. Since its inception, the new lake underwent a number of geomorphological modifications. A prominent character amongst these modifications is the orientation of the lake, which has its long-axis oriented in the ENE-WSW direction. It resulted from wave action affected by the prevailing dominant northeasterly wind, which is believed to have been in force since the Middle Pleistocene. Lake Etosha has also witnessed phases of waning and waxing under the influence of the prevailing climatic regime. Over the last 150 ka, the available data intercepted about seven phases of high lake levels. These data are generally in agreement with regional palaeoclimatic data, particularly when compared with those obtained from neighbouring Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana. The last recorded episode of the wet phase at Etosha was some 2,400 years before the present.}, subject = {Etoschapfanne}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Strehl2005, author = {Strehl, Christoph-Peter}, title = {Evolution of colony characteristics in the harvester ant genus Pogonomyrmex}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-14324}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Die Gattung Pogonomyrmex ist besonders gut geeignet, um die Evolution der Charakteristika von Ameisenkolonien allgemein zu untersuchen, und insbesondere deren soziogenetische Struktur, da die Biologie f{\"u}r einige ihrer Arten sehr gut bekannt ist, und eine Diversit{\"a}t an Paarungsh{\"a}ufigkeiten und K{\"o}nniginnenzahlen vorkommt. Diese Variation in der soziogenetischen Struktur der Kolonien erzeugt eine hohe Varianz an Verwandschaftsgraden innerhalb von Kolonien, und kann eine Hauptkomponente darstellen, welche die Evolution verschiedenster Koloniecharakteristika vorantreibt. Um die Variabilit{\"a}t intrakolonialer Verwandschaftsgrade innerhalb der Gattung Pogonomyrmex genau zu bestimmen, wurde f{\"u}r ausgew{\"a}hlte Mitglieder der Gattung, n{\"a}mlich f{\"u}r P. (sensu stricto) rugosus, P. (sensu stricto) badius and P. (Ephebomyrmex) pima, mit Hilfe der Technik des DNA-Fingerabdruckes die Anzahl an Matrilinien und Patrilinien bestimmt. Es wurde versucht die Evolution dieser Koloniecharakteristika vor dem Hintergrund einer Phylogenie zu erkl{\"a}ren. Zu diesem Zweck wurde ein Gen-Stammbaum f{\"u}r 39 Arten der Gattung Pogonomyrmex erstellt. Die Artabdeckung betrug 83\% bei den Nord-Amerikanischen, und 43\% bei den S{\"u}d-Amerikanischen Arten. Effektive Mehrfachpaarung von K{\"o}niginnen wurde f{\"u}r P. rugosus (me=4.1) und P. badius (me=6.7) best{\"a}tigt. Zus{\"a}tzlich wurde gezeigt, dass beide Arten monogyn sind. Diese Ergebnisse best{\"a}tigen Verhaltensbeobachtungen von Mehrfachpaarungen in diesen Arten. Mittlerweile ist Mehrfachpaarung in 9 Pogonomyrmex Arten bekannt (bei 3 Arten durch Verhaltensbeobachtungen - bei 6 Arten durch genetischen Nachweis). In P. (E.) pima hingegen waren alle der untersuchten K{\"o}niginnen einfach gepaart (me=1.0). Daher k{\"o}nnte es sein, dass Mehrfachpaarung entweder fr{\"u}h in der Evolution der Gattung Pogonomyrmex entstand und nachtr{\"a}glich in der Untergattung Ephebomyrmex verloren wurde (Plesiomorphie-Hypothese), oder sie entstand zum ersten mal in der Untergattung Pogonomyrmex sensu stricto (Apomorphie-Hypothese). In P. huachucanus, einer Art, die basal zu dem Nord-Amerikanischen sensu stricto Komplex ist, k{\"o}nnten die im Vergleich zu ihren sensu stricto Verwandten geringeren effektiven Paarungsh{\"a}ufigkeiten der K{\"o}niginnen (J. Gadau and C.-P. Strehl, unver{\"o}ffentlicht) einen Wechsel von Monandrie zu Polyandrie im Verlauf der Entstehung der fortschrittlicheren sensu stricto Arten widerspiegeln, was die Apomorphie-Hypothese unterst{\"u}tzen w{\"u}rde. Die intrakolonialen Verwandtschaftsgrade sind dennoch in P. (E.) pima niedrig. Dies ist m{\"o}glicherweise auf mehrere reproduktive K{\"o}niginnen (Polygynie) zur{\"u}ckzuf{\"u}hren. Polygynie ist ebenfalls dokumentiert f{\"u}r mindestens vier weitere Arten der Untergattung Ephebomyrmex, mit genetischer Evidenz allerdings bisher nur f{\"u}r P. (E.) pima. Es k{\"o}nnte sein, dass es einen evolution{\"a}ren Ausgleich (trade-off) zwischen Polyandrie und Polygynie innerhalb der Untergattung Ephebomyrmex gab, und daher beide Untergattungen eine hohe genetische Vielfalt innerhalb der Kolonien behielten. Diese hohe genetische Vielfalt k{\"o}nnte einer der Gr{\"u}nde sein f{\"u}r den Erfolg und die Radiation der Gattung Pogonomyrmex in Trockengebieten. Evolution k{\"o}nnte eine hohe genetische Vielfalt von Pogonomyrmex Kolonien beg{\"u}nstigt haben, da sie den Kolonien hilft die Organisation der Kolonie und die Effizienz mit der externe Aufgaben ausgef{\"u}hrt werden zu verbessern. Wenigstens in P. badius konnte eine Verkn{\"u}pfung zwischen Patrilinien und physischem Polyethismus gefunden werden, was auf eine Verbesserung der Kolonieorganisation mit Hilfe von Polyandrie hindeutet. Dar{\"u}ber hinaus k{\"o}nnten die dargelegten extremen Polyandrie- Werte den P. badius-Weibchen helfen die M{\"o}glichkeit der Inzucht aufgrund eingeschr{\"a}nkter Ausbreitung zu bew{\"a}ltigen. Eine eingeschr{\"a}nkte Ausbreitung wird auch in P. (E.) pima durch fl{\"u}gellose, intermorphe K{\"o}niginnen beobachtet. Jedoch wird bei P. (E.) pima die Inzucht durch Auskreuzen mittels M{\"a}nnchen m{\"o}glicherweise verhindert, da keine signifikante Inzucht gefunden wurde. In den vorliegenden Gen-Stammb{\"a}umen war die Untergattung Pogonomyrmex Ephebomyrmex von der Untergattung Pogonomyrmex sensu stricto getrennt. Daher k{\"o}nnte es sein, dass P. Ephebomyrmex in den Status einer Gattung erhoben wird, auch aufgrund distinkter morphologischer und lebensgeschichtlicher Charaktere. F{\"u}r eine pr{\"a}zise taxonomische Revision m{\"u}sste allerdings eine breite Erg{\"a}nzung an Arten vorgenommen werden. Es wurde in P. rugosus Kolonien normalerweise eine geringe Anzahl von unverwandten Arbeiterinnen vorgefunden, die m{\"o}glicherweise aus Brutraub ausgewachsener Kolonien auf G{\"u}ndungs-Kolonien stammen. Es ist allseits bekannt, dass die meisten Gr{\"u}ndungskolonien von benachbarten, ausgewachsenen Kolonien der eigenen Art zerst{\"o}rt werden, aber es wurde bisher angenommen, dass die Brut dieser Kolonien ebenfalls zerst{\"o}rt wurde. Dieser oft vernachl{\"a}ssigte Aspekt k{\"o}nnte einen wichtigen St{\"a}rke-Bonus f{\"u}r ausgewachsene Kolonien darstellen.}, subject = {Pogonomyrmex}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{AlOuran2005, author = {Al-Ouran, Nedal}, title = {Environmental assessment, documentation and spatial modeling of heavy metal pollution along the Jordan Gulf of Aqaba using coral reefs as environmental indicator}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-14090}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Two phases of reef sampling were carried out. The first included regular samples taken along the coastline of Aqaba (27km long) at depths of 4-15m, and used to determine spatial distribution of pollution. The second phase included three 20cm-deep cores obtained from within the industrial zone. These cores were drilled from pre-dated communities, where the growth rate was determined earlier to be 10mm y-1, therefore the core obtained represented a period of 20 years (i.e. 1980-2000). The cores were used to reconstruct the metal pollution history at the most heavily used site along the coast (industrial zone).All samples were examined with respect to their metal content of Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, and Cr. Almost all of them have shown records above the calculated background values. Mean values of Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni and Cr recorded along the coast were 1,25; 4,26; 9,76; 11,40; 2,29 and 10,522, µg g-1 respectively, and for core samples 1.4; 4.2; 5.7; 6.4; 2.3 and 8.21 µg g-1 respectively. Spatial distribution of metal enrichment in reef samples have shown a general and clear increasing trend towards the south. Same increasing trend was also in core samples where the six metals have shown a prominent increasing trend towards the core surface indicating an increase of coastal activities during the last twenty years. High and relatively high values were recorded at the oil port, the industrial area and main port, and thus categorized as highly impacted areas. Intermediate metal content were recorded in samples of the north beach, and thus classified as being relatively impacted, where the lowest metal concentrations were observed at the marine reserve, the least impacted site along the coast. The high enrichment of metal is attributed mainly to anthropogenic impacts. The natural inputs of the six metals studied in the Gulf of Aqaba are generally very low, due to the geographic positions and the absence of wadi discharge and as a result of low rainfall. Several potential sources of heavy metals were investigated. The industrial-related activities, port operations and phosphate dust were among the main sources currently threatening the marine ecosystem in Aqaba. Applying the Principle Components Analysis method (PCA) to all samples taken along the coastline has resulted in categorizing three different groups according to their metal enrichment, the first is composed of samples taken from the north beach and the main port with intermediate to high enrichment, the second joined the samples of the marine park and the marine reserve with low and relatively low enrichment, and the last group joined samples of the industrial zone and the oil port with high enrichment. The Principle Component Scores were also utilized to confirm the spatial distribution and relationships of the examined heavy metals along the coast. Two models (interpolated by SURFER \&\#61666; 7.0 and ArcView\&\#61666; 3.2a) were developed, the first was based on the PC scores of the first component, and shows clearly the positive anomalies in metal concentrations along the coast. The second model was developed by plotting the second factor scores on a landuse map of Aqaba. According to these models, it has shown that the positive anomalies are associated with three different zones; industrial area, the main port and the oil port. The results have shown that coral reefs can be used as good environmental indicator for assessments and monitoring processes, and they can provide data and information on both the spatial distribution of pollution and their history. The present work is the first to document the environmental status along the whole coast of Aqaba and the first to use coral reef as a tool/ indicator.}, subject = {Golf von Akaba}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Huenten2005, author = {H{\"u}nten, Peter}, title = {Channel-forming proteins in the cell wall of amino acid-producing Corynebacteria}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13890}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Corynebacterium glutamicum is together with C. callunae and C. efficiens a member of the diverse group of mycolic-acid containing actinomycetes, the mycolata. These bacteria are potent producer of glutamate, lysine and other amino acids on industrial scale. The cell walls of most actinomycetes contain besides an arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex large amounts of mycolic acids. This three-layer envelope is called MAP (mycolyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan) complex and it represents a second permeability barrier beside the cytoplasmic membrane similar to the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. In analogy to the situation in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, channels are present in the mycolic acid layer of the mycobacterial cell wall for the passage of hydrophilic solutes. Molecular studies have provided far-reaching findings on the amino acid flux and its balance in C. glutamicum in general, but the L-glutamate export still remains unknown. The properties of the outer layers, typical of mycolata, seem to be of major importance in this process, and diffusion seems to play a key role for this part of the cell wall. The major aim of this thesis was to identify and study novel channel-forming proteins of the amino acid producers C. glutamicum, C. callunae and C. efficiens. Cell wall extracts of the organisms were investigated and a novel pore-forming protein, named PorH, that is homologue in all three organisms, was detected and characterized. PorHC.glut was isolated from C. glutamicum cells cultivated in minimal medium. The protein was identified in lipid bilayer experiments and purified to homogeneity by fast-protein liquid chromatography across a HiTrap-Q column. The purified protein forms cation-selective channels with a diameter of about 2.2 nm and an average single-channel conductance of about 2.5 nS in 1 M KCl in the lipid bilayer assay. Organic solvent extracts were used to study the permeability properties of the cell wall of C. callunae and C.efficiens. The cell extracts contained channel-forming activity, the corresponding proteins were purified to homogeneity by fast-protein liquid chromatography across a HiTrap-Q column and named PorHC.call and PorHC.eff. Channels formed by PorHC.call are cation-selective with a diameter of about 2.2 nm and an average single-channel conductance of 3 nS, whereas PorHC.eff forms slightly anion selective channels with an average single-channel conductance of 2.3 nS in 1 M KCl in the lipid bilayer assay. The PorH proteins were partially sequenced and the corresponding genes, which were designated as porH, were identified in the published genome sequence of C. glutamicum and C. efficiens. The chromosome of C. callunae is not sequenced, but PorHC.call shows a high homology to PorHC.eff and PorHC.glut. The proteins have no N-terminal extension, only the inducer methionine, which suggests that secretion of the proteins could be very similar to that of PorAC.glut of C. glutamicum. PorHC.glut is coded in the bacterial chromosome by a gene that is localized in the vincinity of the porAC.glut gene, within a putative operon formed by 13 genes that are encoded by the minus strand. Both porins are cotranscribed and coexist in the cell wall, which was demonstrated in RT-PCR and immunological detection experiments. The arrangement of porHC.glut and porAC.glut on the chromosome is similar to that of porBC.glut and porCC.glut and it was found that PorAC.glut, PorHC.glut, PorBC.glut and PorCC.glut coexist in the cell wall of C. glutamicum. The molecular mass of about 6 kDa of the PorH channel forming proteins is rather small and suggests that the cell wall channels are formed by oligomers. A possibly hexameric form was demonstrated for PorHC.glut in Western blot analysis with anti- PorHC.glut antibodies. Secondary structure predictions for PorHC.glut, PorHC.call and PorHC.eff predict that a stretch of about 42 amino acids of PorHC.glut and 28 amino acids of PorHC.call and PorHC.eff forms amphipathic \&\#61537;-helices with a total length of 6.3 nm and 4.2 nm respectively. This should be sufficient to cross the mycolic acid layer. Another objective of this work was to establish an heterologous expression system for corynebacterial channel-forming proteins, to investigate the channel-forming properties of the up to now only hypothetical porins PorA, PorB, PorC from C. efficiens and PorC from C. glutamicum. We could demonstrate with recombinant expression experiments in E. coli that porBC.eff and porCC.eff encode for channel-forming proteins. They are, like PorBC.glut, anion-selective with a similar single-channel conductance of 1 nS in 1 M KCl.}, subject = {Corynebacterium callunae}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Mahnkopf2005, author = {Mahnkopf, Sven}, title = {Photonic crystal based widely tunable laser diodes and integrated optoelectronic components}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13860}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {In a first aspect of this work, the development of photonic crystal based widely tunable laser diodes and their monolithic integration with photonic crystal based passive waveguide and coupler structures is explored theoretically and experimentally. In these devices, the photonic crystal is operated in the photonic bandgap which can be used for the realization of effective reflectors and waveguide structures. Such tunable light sources are of great interest for the development of optical network systems that are based on wavelength division multiplexing. In a second aspect of this work, the operation of a photonic crystal block near the photonic band edge is investigated with respect to the so-called superprism effect. After a few introductory remarks that serve to motivate this work, chapter 3 recapitulates some aspects of semiconductor lasers and photonic crystals that are essential for the understanding of this work so that the reader should be readily equipped with the tools to appreciate the results presented in this work.}, subject = {Laserdiode}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{FernandezMora2005, author = {Fern{\´a}ndez-Mora, Eugenia}, title = {Analysis of the maturation of Rhodococcus equi-containing vacuoles in macrophages}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-14049}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Rhodococcus equi is a Gram-positive intracellular pathogen which can cause severe bronchopneumonia in foals. In recent years, the role of this bacterium as human pathogen has been noted, as R.equi infections in humans have increase in frequency. This increase is associated with the rise in immunosupressed individuals, specially AIDS patients, where infection leads to symptoms and pathology similar to those seen in foals with a high mortality rate. Due to its capability to survive and multiply in murine and equine macrophages, R.equi has been classified as a facultative intracellular bacterium. R.equi is found frequently in macrophages in alveolar infiltrate from infected animals. The pathogenicity of R.equi depends on its ability to exist and multiply inside macrophages and has been associated with the presence of virulence plasmids. It has been observed that, inside foal alveolar macrophages, R.equi-containing vacuoles (RCVs) do not mature into phagolysosomes. However, most of the intracellular events during R.equi infection have not been investigated in detail. The aim of this study was to elucidate the intracellular compartmentation of R.equi and the mechanism by which the bacteria avoid destruction in host macrophages. The importance of the virulence-associated plasmids of R.equi for the establishment of RCVs was also evaluated. Furthermore, the intracellular fate of viable and non-viable R.equi was compared in order to study whether viability of R.equi influeciantes the establishment of RCVs. In this study, the RCV was characterized by using a variety of endocytic markers to follow the path of the bacteria trhough murine macropages. Transmission electron microscopy-base analysis showed that R.equi was found equally frequently in phagosomes with loosely or thightly apposed membranes, and RCV often contains numerous membranous vesicles. Laser scanning microscopy of infected macrophages showed that the majority of phagosomes containing R.equi acquired transiently the early endosomal markers Rab5, Ptlns3P, and EEA-1, suggesting initially undisturbed phagosome maturation. Although the RCV acquired some late endosomal markers, such as Rab7, LAMP-1, and Lamp-2, they did not acquired vATPase, did not interact with pre-labeled lysosomes, and failed to acidify. These data clearly suggest that the RCV is a compartment which has left vacuoles that resemble multivesicular body compartments (MVB), which are transport intermediates between early and late endosomes and display internal vesicles very similar to the ones observed within RCVs. Analyisis of several R.equi strains containing either VapA- or VapB-expressing plasmids or neither demonstrated that the possession of the virulence-associated plasmids does not affect phagosome trafficking over a two hour period of infection. The finding that non-viable R.equi was still able to inhibit phagosome maturation (although not to the same extent as viable R.equi did) suggests that heat-insensitive factors, such as cell periphery lipids, may play a major role in inhibition of phagosome maturation, although heat-sensitive factors may also be involved.}, subject = {Rhodococcus equi}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Maksimenka2005, author = {Maksimenka, Raman}, title = {Techniques in frequency conversion and time-resolved spectroscopy with nonlinear optical processes in the femtosecond regime}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-14087}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Nichtlineare Frequenzumsetzung der niederenergetischen femtosekunden Laserpulsen wurde in den Festk{\"o}rpermitteln nachgeforscht. Ramanumwandlung im weiss-Licht-freien Regime des impulsiven stimulierten Raman Streuungs wurde erzielt, indem man KGW-Kristall mit den Bessel-Lichtstrahl pumpte. Leistungs-f{\"a}higes Superkontinuumerzeugung wurde f{\"u}r die sub-microjule Pulse demonstriert, die in Mikrostrukturfaser fokussiert wurden. Anwendung von Vier-Wellen-Mischung Techniken zur {\"U}berwachung der Aufregenzustandsdynamik in den mehratomigen Molek{\"u}len wurde demonstriert. Zeitkonstanten der Prozesse, die auf Schwingungsenergiewiederverteilung nach dem ursprunglichen Photoanregung von Stilben-3 bezogen wurden, wurden mittels der Pump-CARS Technik festgestellt, in der CARS-Prozess als wirkungsvoller Modus-vorgew{\"a}hlter Filter diente. Spektrale sowie zeitliche Eigenschaften der elektronischen Entspannungbahnen in den Azulenderivats wurden erforscht, indem man verg{\"a}nglichen-Bev{\"o}lkerungs-Gittern und Pump-Probe verg{\"a}nglichen Absorptions Techniken verwendete.}, subject = {Frequenzumsetzung}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Joshi2005, author = {Joshi, Sanjeev}, title = {Preparation and characterization of CdS nanoparticles}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13395}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Zusammenfassung CdS-Nanoteilchen mit Gr{\"o}ßen zwischen 1.1 und 4.2 nm wurden in {\"A}thanol und mit Thioglycerol (TG)-H{\"u}lle synthetisiert. Es wurde gezeigt, dass die nass-chemische Synthese ohne Wasser und die Verwendung von TG als H{\"u}lle folgende Vorteile bieten: Es konnten kleinere Teilchen hergestellt und eine schmalere Gr{\"o}ßenverteilung erzielt werden. Zus{\"a}tzlich wird dem Altern der Teilchen vorgebeugt, und die Ergebnisse sind besser reproduzierbar. Hochaufgel{\"o}ste Photoemissions-Messungen an kleinen CdS-Teilchen (1.1, 1.4, 1.7, 1.8; 1.8 nm mit Glutathion-H{\"u}lle) ergaben Beitr{\"a}ge von f{\"u}nf verschiedenen Schwefelatom-Typen zum S 2p-Gesamt Signal. Außerdem wurde beobachtet, dass Nanoteilchen unterschiedlicher Gr{\"o}ße und/oder mit unterschiedlichen H{\"u}llen-Substanzen verschiedene Photoemissionsspektren zeigen und verschieden starke Strahlensch{\"a}den aufweisen. Bei den 1.4 nm großen CdS-Teilchen entsprechen die Komponenten des S 2p-Signals entweder Schwefelatomen mit unterschiedlichen Cd-Nachbarn, Thiol-Schwefelatomen oder teilweise oxidiertem Schwefel. Die jeweilige Zuweisung der Schwefeltypen erfolgte {\"u}ber Intensit{\"a}ts-{\"A}nderungen der einzelnen S 2p-Komponenten als Funktion der Photonenenergie und des Strahlenschadens. Die Daten der 1.4 nm großen CdS-Teilchen wurden mit PES-Intensit{\"a}ts-Rechnungen verglichen, die auf einem neuen Strukturmodell-Ansatz basieren. Von den drei verwendeten CdS-Strukturmodellen konnte nur ein Modell mit 33 S-Atomen die Variation der experimentellen Intensit{\"a}ten richtig wieder geben. Modelle von gr{\"o}ßeren Nanoteilchen mit beispielsweise 53 S-Atomen zeigen Abweichungen von den experimentellen Daten der 1.4 nm-Teilchen. Auf diese Weise kann indirekt auf die Gr{\"o}ße der gemessenen Teilchen geschlossen werden. Die Intensit{\"a}tsrechnungen wurden zum einen „per Hand" zur groben Absch{\"a}tzung durchgef{\"u}hrt, zum anderen wurden exaktere Berechnungen mit einem von L. Weinhardt und O. Fuchs entwickelten Programm angestellt. Diese best{\"a}tigen die Ergebnisse der Absch{\"a}tzung. Zudem wurde festgestellt, dass die inelastische freie Wegl{\"a}nge \&\#955; keinen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Modellrechnungen hat. Die gemessenen Intensit{\"a}ts-{\"A}nderungen konnten zwar mit mehreren leicht verchiedenen Modellen erkl{\"a}rt werden, allerdings f{\"u}hrte nur ein kugelf{\"o}rmiges Teilchen-Modell auch zu den richtigen Intensit{\"a}tsverh{\"a}ltnissen der einzelnen S 2p-Komponenten. Weiterhin konnte beobachtet werden, dass die elektronische Bandl{\"u}cke gr{\"o}ßer ist als die optische Bandl{\"u}cke. Bei den PES-Messungen wurden einige wichtige Einfl{\"u}sse sichtbar. So spielen strahlenbedingte Effekte eine große Rolle. Kenntnisse {\"u}ber die Zeitskala solcher Effekte erm{\"o}glichen PES-Aufnahmen mit guter Signal-Qualit{\"a}t und erlauben eine Extraploation zur Situation ohne Strahlenschaden. Auch die D{\"u}nnschicht-Pr{\"a}paration beeinflusst die Spektren. Beispielsweise zeigten mit Elektrophorese hergestellte Filme Hinweise auf Agglomeration. Schichten, die per Tropfen-Deposition erzeugt wurden, weisen spektrale {\"A}nderungen am Rand der Probe auf, und Filme aus Nanoteilchen-Pulver waren nicht homogen. Mikro-Raman Experimente, die in Kollaboration mit Dr. M. Schmitt und Prof. W. Kiefer durchgef{\"u}hrt wurden, ließen große Unterschiede in den Spektren von Nanoteilchen und TG in L{\"o}sung erkennen. Dies wurde vor allem auf das Fehlen von S - H -Bindungen zur{\"u}ckgef{\"u}hrt und zeigt damit, dass alle TG-Molek{\"u}le verwertet oder ausgewaschen wurden.}, subject = {Cadmiumsulfid}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Bera2005, author = {Bera, Holger}, title = {Halfsandwich tungsten complexes with a silanol-functionalized cyclopentadienyl ligand : synthesis and reactivity}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13778}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Within the studies concerning metallo-silanols, halfsandwich-tungsten complexes have been silanol-functionalized at the cyclopentadienyl ligand. The stability and the condensation behavior have been investigated. Thus, it was shown that these complexes are stable enough for isolation but they are reactiv enough for time-effective condensation reactions with diverse chlorosilanes, chlorostannanes or metalhalogenides. These processes are characterized by an increased reactivity in contrast to metallo-silanols with a direct metal-bonded silanol group and proves that the separation of the silanol group has to be regarded as a successful manipulation. In addition, this modification allows a wide variation of the ligand sphere of the metal which was shown by H/Cl exchange, methylation, silylation or phosphine substitution. These changes evoke a small but significant influence on the silanol group. For example leads an introduced phosphine to an enhanced stability of the silanol function. A further separation of the silanol group from the metal by an additional alkylidene spacer leads to the complete lost of the stabilizing effect of the metal fragment and generates silanols which show a condensation behavior very similar to those of ordinary organosilanols.}, subject = {Wolframkomplexe}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Na2005, author = {Na, Shin-Young}, title = {PKB/Akt : a critical regulator of lymphocyte, development and function}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13755}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Protein kinase B (PKB), a serine threonine kinase, is highly involved in the regulation of cellular proliferation and survival. To characterize PKB's function in lymphocyte development and activation, transgenic (tg) mice that express a membrane targeted constitutively active form of PKBa (myr PKB) in T and B cells were analysed. Thymocytes from myr PKB tg mice showed enhanced proliferation after T cell receptor (TCR) engagement compared to wild type (wt) mice. Astonishingly, myr PKB tg thymocytes were capable to proliferate in response to PMA only and were also less sensitive to inhibition by the calcineurin inhibitors CsA or FK506, which indicates the proliferative response of myr PKB tg T cells is relatively independent of calcium mobilisation and calcineurin activity. In addition, when TCR signalling was inhibited by the MEKinase inhibitor PD98059 or the Srckinase inhibitor PP1 myr PKB tg thymocytes again were more resistant to inhibition. Western blot analysis revealed myr PKB enhances activation of the kinases Lck, Raf and Erk after TCR/CD3 stimulation. Thus, myr PKB renders proliferative responses of thymocytes more sensitive to TCR signals by positive regulation of the Lck-Raf-MEK-Erk signalling pathway. Studies on the cellular location of the tg protein showed myr PKB is located in membrane socalled "lipid rafts". Furthermore, we found that after TCR/CD3 ligation endogenous cytoplasmic PKB moves into "lipid rafts", which highlights PKB as a crucial mediator of TCR proximal signalling events. Analysing three different TCR tg model systems for positive and negative selection of immature precursors in the thymus, we found myr PKB promotes positive selection of CD4+ but not CD8+ T cells. This most likely results from PKB's positive cross-talk on Lck-Raf-Erk signalling, which is known to influence thymocyte selection and CD4/CD8-lineage choice. Furthermore, myr PKB enhances phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), a negative regulator of the transcription factor NFAT (nuclear factor of activated T cells) and T cell activation, and of the adapter protein c-Cbl. Concerning negative selection, myr PKB enhanced (OT1 mice), reduced (HY mice) or had no influence (OT2 mice) on negative selection. Thus, myr PKB's effect on negative selection strongly depends on the model system analysed and this most likely results from differences in TCR affinity/avidity and TCR specificity for MHC. 106 Peripheral CD4+ T cells from myr PKB tg mice showed enhanced production of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines. Furthermore, after TCR/CD3 stimulation in the presence of TGF-b1, wt CD4+ T cells showed a drastic inhibition of proliferation, whereas myr PKB tg CD4+ T cells proliferated even better, i.e. they were resistant to the inhibitory TGF-b1 signals. Expression of myr PKB in B cells leads to reduced Ca2+ flux and proliferation after BCR stimulation, but activation of Lyn, SLP-65, c-Cbl and GSK-3 were enhanced. When we analysed B cell subsets in myr PKB tg mice, a decrease in immature and mature B cells became obvious, whereas cell numbers for marginal zone (MZ) B cells were normal. In aged myr PKB tg mice we detected a very strong reduction of pro/pre and immature B cell populations in the bone marrow, indicating PKB is very important for maintenance of B cell development. Furthermore, myr PKB also lead to a strong reduction of peritoneal B-1 cells. However, expression of NFATc1, which is required for B-1 cell development, was comparable between wt and myr PKB tg B-1 cells. To analyse the effect of myr PKB on immunoglobulin production, mice were immunized with thymus dependent (TD) and independent (TI) antigens. In both cases, B cell responses were strongly elevated in myr PKB tg mice. Finally, RT-PCR analyses of in vitro expanded B cells revealed increased Blimp-1 and Notch3 expression in myr PKB tg B cells, which might be primary candidates involved in their enhanced effector function. In summary, this study clearly shows an important cross-talk between PKB and various critical signalling molecules downstream of the TCR and BCR. Thereby active PKB modulates and regulates the thresholds for thymocyte selection and T cell activation as well as for B cell development and function.}, subject = {Proteinkinase B}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Zhou2005, author = {Zhou, Qingchun}, title = {Molecular analysis of the sex-determining region of the Y chromosome in the platyfish Xiphophorus maculatus}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13827}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {A large variety of sex determination systems have been described in fish. However, almost no information is available about sex determination in the classical fish models, the zebrafish Danio rerio and the pufferfish Takifugu rubripes. A DNA-binding protein gene called dmrt1bY (or DMY) has been recently described as an outstanding candidate for the primary sex-determining gene in the medaka fish Oryzias latipes. But this gene is not the universal master sex-determining gene in teleost fish, since dmrt1bY is not found in most other fishes. Hence, other fish models need to be examined including the platyfish Xiphophorus maculatus. Xiphophorus maculatus has three types of sex chromosomes (X, Y and W; females are XX, WX or WY; males are XY or YY). Its gonosomes are at an early stage of differentiation. The sex-determining locus on the sex chromosomes is flanked by two receptor tyrosine kinase genes, the Xmrk oncogene and its protooncogenic progenitor gene egfrb, which both delimit a region of about 0.6 centiMorgans. This situation should allow the positional cloning of the sex-determining gene (SD) of the platyfish. For this purpose, Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) contigs were assembled from a BAC library of XY males constructed in our laboratory, using the oncogene Xmrk, egfrb, as well as a Y-specific pseudogene called ps-criptY as starting points. The ps-criptY sequence was found to be closely linked to the SD gene, since no recombination was observed between SD and ps-criptY in more than 400 individuals tested. Two major BAC contigs for the X chromosome (about 2.5 Mb) and three major BAC contigs for the Y chromosome (about 3.5 Mb) were built up and analyzed by strategic sequencing. These are some of the largest contigs ever assembled for the sex chromosomes of a non-mammalian vertebrate species. The molecular analysis of the ps-criptY contig was the major objective of this work. The Y-specific ps-criptY contig has been extended over 1 Mb in this work with 58 identified molecular markers. Approximatively 700 kb of non-redundant sequences has been obtained from this contig by strategic sequencing. Numerous Y-linked markers from the contig including ps-criptY were also detected on the X chromosome. Nevertheless, major structural differences were observed between the X and Y chromosomes. Particularly, a large region, which is present at one copy on the X chromosome and contains several candidate genes, was found to be duplicated on the Y chromosome. Evidence for an inversion in the sex-determining region and for the Y-specific accumulation of a repeated sequence called XIR was also obtained. Such events might correspond to an initiation of differentiation between both types of gonosomes. Accumulation of transposable elements was also observed in the ps-criptY contig. A DNA transposable element, helitron, was isolated from the sex-determining region of X. maculatus. Three copies of helitron are located on the ps-criptY contig and one copy on the X-linked contig (helitron has roughly 15 copies per haploid genome). No in-frame stop codon, truncation or intron was found in these four copies, which present high nucleotide identities to each other. This suggests that helitron elements might be active or have been recently active in X. maculatus. A consensus open reading frame of helitron was also assembled from medaka (Oryzias latipes) genomic sequences. Two candidate genes from the ps-criptY contig are also located on the W chromosome in the X. maculatus Usumacinta strain (heterogamety). These markers show the relationship between the different types of gonosomes and allow to compare the male and female heterogameties in the platyfish. Several gene candidates were identified in the ps-criptY contig. However, some of them such as msh2, cript, igd and acr probably correspond to pseudogenes. Interestingly, a novel gene, called swimy, is exclusively expressed in spermatogonia of the adult testis. Swimy is a gene encoding a DNA-binding protein with several putative DNA-binding domains. The data suggest that swimy is a very promising candidate for the master SD gene. Another novel gene, which is called fredi and encodes a novel helix-turn-helix protein, is predominately expressed in the adult testis and currently under scrutiny. There is no doubt that the master SD gene of X. maculatus will be identified by positional cloning. Further molecular analysis of the contigs built in this work will shed new light on the molecular mechanism of sex determination and the evolution of sex chromosomes in fish.}, subject = {Platy}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Stojic2005, author = {Stojic, Jelena}, title = {Cloning and functional characterization of novel genes expressed preferentially in the human retina}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13746}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {The human retina is a multi-layered neuronal tissue specialized for the reception and processing of visual information. The retina is composed of a great diversity of neuronal cell types including rod and cone photoreceptors, bipolar cells, ganglion cells, amacrine cells, horizontal cells and M{\"u}ller glia. In response to light, a coordinated series of molecular events, the so-called phototransduction cascade, is triggered in photoreceptor cells and the signals from the photoreceptors are further processed by the bipolar and ganglion cells to the higher centers of the brain. The retina as highly complex system may be greatly susceptible to genetic defects which can lead to a wide range of disease phenotypes. Therefore, isolation and characterisation of the genes active in the human retina will facilitate our deeper understanding of retinal physiology and mechanisms underlying retinal degeneration and provide novel candidates for the retinal disease genes. To identify novel genes that are specifically or predominantly expressed in the human retina, a cDNA library enriched for retina specific transcripts was generated using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) technique. In total, 1113 clones were randomly isolated from the retina SSH cDNA library and partially sequenced. On the basis of BLASTN algorithm analysis these clones were classified into four categories including those with I) significant homology to known human genes (766/1113), II) significant homology to partial transcripts and hypothetical gene predictions (162/1113), III) no homology to known mRNAs (149/1113), and IV) vector sequences and clones derived from mitochondrial genes (36/1113). After correcting for redundancy, category I represented 234 known human genes and category II a total of 92unknown transcripts. Clones from category I, were selected for expression analysis by RT-PCR in a great number of human tissues. This resulted in the identification of 16 genes which were expressed exclusively in the retina, 13 which were highly expressed in the retina compared to other tissues, 12 genes which were specifically expressed in neuronal tissues and 48 ubiquitously expressed genes. Thus, our expression analysis resulted in the identification of 29 genes exclusively or abundantly transcribed in the human retina. Of those, retina specific genes L25,L33, L35, L37, L38 and L40 were selected for further analysis. To characterize the complete mRNA sequences of these transcripts a full-length human retina cDNA library was constructed. The analysis of the L25 gene revealed three splicing variants of the ABCC5 gene, consequently named ABCC5_SV1 (SV1), ABCC5_SV2 (SV2) and ABCC5_SV3 (SV3).These isoforms comprise the first five exons of ABCC5 and additional novel exons named 5a, 5b and 5c, generated by differential exon usage. The determined lengths of the three transcripts are 2039 bp, 1962 bp, and 1887 bp in size, respectively. RT-PCR, real-time PCR and Northern blot analysis of ABCC5 as well as the isoforms SV1, SV2 and SV3demonstrated high levels of expression for all transcripts in the retina compared to other tissues. Analysis of their nucleotide sequences revealed that inclusion of exon 5a in splicing variant SV1 produced a frame shift and premature termination codon (PTC). Our data show that this splice variant is the target of nonsense mediated mRNA decay (NMD). This was shown by inhibition of protein synthesis with antibiotics puromycin and anisomycin in human cell lines A-RPE 19 and Y79. Our analysis resulted in an increase of the PTC containing transcript and a decrease of the ABCC5 transcript. Conversely, the amount of both transcripts (SV1 and ABCC5) returned to pre-treatment levels after removal of the inhibitors. Together, our results suggest that alternative splicing of the ubiquitously expressed ABCC5 gene in addition to NMD is involved in retina-specific transcriptional regulation of the mRNA level of ABCC5. In contrast, additional experiments demonstrated that the levels of expression ofSV2 and SV3 isoforms do not appear to influence ABCC5 transcription. Several of the cloned genes were selected for additional genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in order to construct their SNP maps which are going to be used for future association studies of complex disease AMD. Thus, identification of novel retinal genes and their functional characterization will further our elucidation of retinal physiology in general and in the diseased state in particular, by providing candidate retinal disease genes.}, subject = {Netzhaut}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Volkmann2004, author = {Volkmann, Thorsten}, title = {Lattice gas models and simulations of epitaxial growth}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13812}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {In this PhD thesis, we develop models for the numerical simulation of epitaxial crystal growth, as realized, e.g., in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The basic idea is to use a discrete lattice gas representation of the crystal structure, and to apply kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) simulations for the description of the growth dynamics. The main advantage of the KMC approach is the possibility to account for atomistic details and at the same time cover MBE relevant time scales in the simulation. In chapter 1, we describe the principles of MBE, pointing out relevant physical processes and the influence of experimental control parameters. We discuss various methods used in the theoretical description of epitaxial growth. Subsequently, the underlying concepts of the KMC method and the lattice gas approach are presented. Important aspects concerning the design of a lattice gas model are considered, e.g. the solid-on-solid approximation or the choice of an appropriate lattice topology. A key element of any KMC simulation is the selection of allowed events and the evaluation of Arrhenius rates for thermally activated processes. We discuss simplifying schemes that are used to approximate the corresponding energy barriers if detailed knowledge about the barriers is not available. Finally, the efficient implementation of the MC kinetics using a rejection-free algorithm is described. In chapter 2, we present a solid-on-solid lattice gas model which aims at the description of II-VI(001) semiconductor surfaces like CdTe(001). The model accounts for the zincblende structure and the relevant surface reconstructions of Cd- and Te-terminated surfaces. Particles at the surface interact via anisotropic nearest and next nearest neighbor interactions, whereas interactions in the bulk are isotropic. The anisotropic surface interactions reflect known properties of CdTe(001) like the small energy difference between the c(2x2) and (2x1) vacancy structures of Cd-terminated surfaces. A key element of the model is the presence of additional Te atoms in a weakly bound Te* state, which is motivated by experimental observations of Te coverages exceeding one monolayer at low temperatures and high Te fluxes. The true mechanism of binding excess Te to the surface is still unclear. Here, we use a mean-field approach assuming a Te* reservoir with limited occupation. In chapter 3, we perform KMC simulations of atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) of CdTe(001). We study the self-regulation of the ALE growth rate and demonstrate how the interplay of the Te* reservoir occupation with the surface kinetics results in two different regimes: at high temperatures the growth rate is limited to one half layer of CdTe per ALE cycle, whereas at low enough temperatures each cycle adds a complete layer. The temperature where the transition between the two regimes occurs depends mainly on the particle fluxes. The temperature dependence of the growth rate and the flux dependence of the transition temperature are in good qualitative agreement with experimental results. Comparing the macroscopic activation energy for Te* desorption in our model with experimental values we find semiquantitative agreement. In chapter 4, we study the formation of nanostructures with alternating stripes during submonolayer heteroepitaxy of two different adsorbate species on a given substrate. We evaluate the influence of two mechanisms: kinetic segregation due to chemically induced diffusion barriers, and strain relaxation by alternating arrangement of the adsorbate species. KMC simulations of a simple cubic lattice gas with weak inter-species binding energy show that kinetic effects are sufficient to account for stripe formation during growth. The dependence of the stripe width on control parameters is investigated. We find an Arrhenius temperature dependence, in agreement with experimental investigations of phase separation in binary or ternary material systems. Canonical MC simulations show that the observed stripes are not stable under equilibrium conditions: the adsorbate species separate into very large domains. Off-lattice simulations which account for the lattice misfit of the involved particle species show that, under equilibrium conditions, the competition between binding and strain energy results in regular stripe patterns with a well-defined width depending on both misfit and binding energies. In KMC simulations, the stripe-formation and the experimentally reported ramification of adsorbate islands are reproduced. To clarify the origin of the island ramification, we investigate an enhanced lattice gas model whose parameters are fitted to match characteristic off-lattice diffusion barriers. The simulation results show that a satisfactory explanation of experimental observations within the lattice gas framework requires a detailed incorporation of long-range elastic interactions. In the appendix we discuss supplementary topics related to the lattice gas simulations in chapter 4.}, subject = {Kristallwachstum}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Engelhardt2004, author = {Engelhardt, Catherine Marie}, title = {Identification and characterisation of the Spred protein family}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-11456}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {The subject of this thesis was the cloning and the initial biochemical and functional characterisation of novel human proteins with an N-terminal Ena-VASP homology (EVH)-1 domain and a C-terminal Sprouty homologous region (SPR), which are related to the Drosophila AE33 protein. During the course of this work, three mouse homologues of the AE33 fly protein have been reported and termed Sprouty-related protein with an EVH-1 domain 1, 2 and 3 (Spred-1, -2, -3)(Wakioka et al, 2001; Kato et al, 2003). Spred-1, -2 and -3 are membrane associated substrates of receptor tyrosine kinases and they act as negative regulators of the Ras pathway during growth factor stimulation. As the Spred-family members seem to exert similar functions, the specific function of each member remains enigmatic. Therefore, we investigated the mRNA and protein expression patterns of the two murine protein family members Spred-1 and Spred-2 on the whole organ level. Furthermore, we focussed on the cellular localisation and the role of human and murine Spred-2 in the organism. The expression patterns of Spred-1 and Spred-2 differed markedly among various tissues and cell types. In mouse, Spred-1 is abundantly expressed in adult brain, cerebellum, and fetal tissues, whereas Spred-2 was ubiquitously expressed. In humans, Spred-2 was found to be strongly expressed in glandular epithelia and in invasive cytotrophoblasts, and at the subcellular level its immunoreactivity was associated with secretory vesicles and was found to colocalise with Rab11 GTPase. The new human Spred gene family was investigated in detail. Cloning of the fulllength form of human Spred-2 resulted in an 1254 bp coding sequence, corresponding to a 418 amino-acids protein. Immunoblotting with a set of affinitypurified antibodies confirmed the expression of a 47 kDa protein and suggested the presence of additional differently sized variants. Cloning of various shortened Spred- 2 mRNAs and identification of 2 additional human Spred genes (localised on different chromosomes) with their respective EST (expressed sequence tag) revealed that the new human Spred gene family displays extensive splicing, leading to the generation of short and long Spred proteins. All protein isoforms and splicing variants contain an EVH1-domain located at the N-terminus of the protein. The full-length forms ("a" forms) comprised the SPR, another functional domain localised at the C-terminus whereas the short variants (Spred-1b, 2 c-e, 3 c) lack the entire C-terminal SPR domain or part of it. The existence of short and long splicing variants of Spred-1, -2 and -3 revealed a common principle of organisation and splicing pattern in the Spred family. Functional analyses of the 5 cloned Spred-2 splicing variants revealed differential subcellular localisation and differential regulation of serum- and EGF- mediated ERK activation in HEK-293 cells. Taken together, these results indicate a highly specific expression pattern of Spred-1 and Spred-2 in various tissues suggesting a specific physiological role for the individual Spred isoform in these tissues. For example, Spred-2 appears to be involved in regulating secretory pathways. Furthermore, the human Spred family contains three genes, which are subject to extensive alternative splicing resulting in at least 8 different proteins with differential subcellular localisation and differential regulatory potential of the MAPK pathways during growth factor stimulation.}, subject = {Spred Protein}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Graefe2005, author = {Gr{\"a}fe, Stefanie}, title = {Laser-control of molecular dynamics}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13388}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {In this work a new algorithm to determine quantum control fields from the instantaneous response of systems has been developed. The derived fields allow to establish a direct connection between the applied perturbation and the molecular dynamics. The principle is most easily illustrated in regarding a classical forced oscillator. A particle moving inside the respective potential is accelerated if an external field is applied acting in the same direction as its momentum (heating). In contrary, a deceleration is achieved by a field acting in the opposite direction as the momentum (cooling). Furthermore, when the particle reaches a classical turning point and then changes its direction, the sign of the field has to be changed to further drive the system in the desired way. The frequency of the field therefore is in resonance with the oscillator. This intuitively clear picture of a driven classical oscillator can be used for directing (or controlling) quantum mechanical wave packet motion. The efficiency of the instantaneous dynamics algorithm was demonstrated in treating various model problems, the population transfer in double well potentials, excitation and dissociation of selective modes, and the population transfer between electronic states. Although it was not tried to optimize the fields to gain higher yields, the control was found to be very efficient. Driving population transfer in a double well potential could be shown to take place with nearly 100\% efficiency. It was shown that selective dissociation within the electronic ground state of HOD can be performed by either maximizing a selected coordinate's differential momentum change or the energy absorption. Concerning the population transfer into excited electronic states, a direct comparison with common control algorithms as optimal control theory and genetic algorithms was accomplished using a one-dimensional representation of methyl iodide. The fields derived from the various control theories were effective in transferring population into the chosen target state but the underlying physical background of the derived optimal fields was not obvious to explain. The instantaneous dynamics algorithm allowed to establish a direct relation between the derived fields and the underlying molecular dynamics. Bound-to-bound transitions could be handled more effectively. This was demonstrated on the sodium dimer in a representation of 3 electronic states being initially in its vibronic ground state. The objective was to transfer population into a predefined excited state. Choosing the first or the second state as a target, the control fields exhibited quite different features. The pulse-structure is related to the excited state wave packet, moving in, and out of the Franck-Condon region. Changing the control objective, the derived control field performed pure electronic transitions on a fast time-scale via a two-step transition. Futhermore, orientational effects have been investigated. The overall-efficiency of the population transfer for differently oriented molecules was about 70 \% or more if applying a control field derived for a 45° orientation. Spectroscopic methods to gain information about the outcome of the control process have been investigated. It was shown that pump/probe femtosecond ionization spectroscopy is suited to monitor time-dependent molecular probability distributions. In particular, time-dependent photoelectron spectra are able to monitor the population in the various electronic states. In the last chapter a different possibility of controlling molecules was regarded by investigating molecular iodine with a setup similar to the STIRAP ("Stimulated Raman Adiabatic passage") scenario. The possibility to extend this technique to a fs-time scale was examined in theory as well as in experiments, the latter being performed by Dr. Torsten Siebert in the Kiefer group, University of W{\"u}rzburg. It was shown that off-resonant excitation with implementation of the pulses with a higher intensity of the Stokes pulse as compared to the pump pulse - describing a so-called f-STIRAP like configuration - was shown to effectively transfer population into excited ground-state vibrational levels. This was theoretically underlined by comparing the numerically exact coupling case with the adiabatic picture. The process was described to run in the vicinity of adibaticity. A new model explaining the process by the system's vector rotating around the dressed state vector will be adopted in future calculations. Altogether, a new promising algorithm to control dynamical processes based on the instantaneous response has been developed. Because the derived control fields have been shown to be very efficient in selectively influencing molecules, it is to be expected that farther reaching applications can be realized in future investigations.}, subject = {Laserstrahlung}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Li2004, author = {Li, Jie}, title = {Differential effects of neuromelanin and synthetic dopamine melanin on cell lines}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13588}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {xxx}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Hassel2005, author = {Haßel, Sylke}, title = {Signal transduction via multiple BMP receptor complexes}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13353}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {BMPs influence a variety of cellular processes. They have been shown to regulate proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis and thus play central roles during developmental processes and tissue homeostasis. Ligand mediated signal transduction is transmitted via BMP type I and BMP type II receptors, both members of the serine/threonine kinase superfamily. The BMP receptor mediated signal transduction is not explored in detail. Therefore our aim was to address different aspects of BMP mediated signal transduction with main focus on BRII and its regulation. Due to the existence of two alternative splice variants, a long and a short form, the function of the two variants and the impact of the C-terminal extension are of general interest. Moreover, mutations in the BMPR2 gene were identified to be responsible for PPH, a autosomal dominant lung disease. In this thesis, BRII phosphorylation and signalling mediated by different receptor oligomers were investigated and multiple BRII associated proteins were identified. We could show that the oligomerization pattern of BMP receptors exhibits a higher degree of flexibility compared to other receptors of that superfamily. In the present work the BMP2 mediated signal transduction should be examined, depending on the receptor oligomerization pattern. Using kinase-deficient mutants, it could be demonstrated, that signalling via preformed BMP receptor complexes is mediated by the well characterized Smad1/5/8 pathway, whereas signalling initiated by BMP2 induced recruitment of the receptors activates the p38 pathway and leads to Alkaline Phosphatase production. To further study signalling events triggered directly from the BRII a proteomics-based screen for BRII associated proteins was performed. 53 associated proteins were found, the majority being signal transducing molecules, but in addition metabolic proteins, transcriptional regulators and others were identified. These proteins enable to gain a deeper insight in BMP mediated signalling. One of the interactors, the receptor tyrosine kinase c-kit, was characterized in more detail. It could be demonstrated, that BRII and c-kit form a complex in vitro and in vivo, and the interaction is enhanced upon BMP2 stimulation. 2D phosphopeptid mapping showed that BRII is phosphorylated at S757 upon activation of c-kit by SCF. Moreover, c-kit and its ligand SCF are modulating BMP2 pathways, by enhancing Smad1/5 phosphorylation, Smad-transcriptional activity, Alkaline Phosphatase production and expression of Cbfa1. All these pathways hint towards modulation of the osteoblast development via c-kit. Thus, we were able to develop a novel paradigm for the BMP2 meditated signalling. One of the initial triggers for BRII is the auto-phosphorylation of BRII. Here we analyze ligand-independent as well as ligand-dependent phosphorylation of BRII. Some phosphorylation sites in BRII were identified. The general phosphorylation occurs mostly on serines. S815, S818 and Y825 are identified targets of phosphorylation whose function is still unclear. However phosphorylation of S336 is demonstrated to be essential for BRII activation. The elucidation of BMP receptor phosphorylation and oligomerization as well as the impact of a number of BRII associated proteins (such as c-kit), demonstrated in this thesis that BMP signalling has to be regulated precisely on multiple levels. This can be useful for the development of selective signalling inhibitors for basic research and therapeutic approaches of PPH and other diseases.}, subject = {Knochen-Morphogenese-Proteine}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Swiderek2005, author = {Swiderek, Halina}, title = {Typing and genome comparison of Neisseria meningitidis by DNA-microarrays}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13374}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {In the present thesis, two projects on the use of microarray technology for molecular epidemiology of Neisseria meningitidis have been followed. The first one evaluated microarrays based on polymorphism-directed oligonucleotide design for typing of N. meningitidis adopting the multilocus sequence typing (MLST) concept. The number of oligonucleotides needed to cover all known polymorphisms was much lower compared to the number needed if a tiling strategy would have been chosen. Initial experiments using oligonucleotides 28-32 nucleotides in length, revealed that the applied hybridisation protocols were highly specific. However, despite of several optimisation steps, the rate of misidentification of oligonucleotides remained >1.8\% in consecutive validation experiments using arrays representing the genetic diversity at three MLST loci. This finding led to the assumption that the high density of polymorphic sites and extensive GC-content variations at N. meningitidis MLST loci hindered the successful implementation of MLST microarrays based on polymorphism-directed oligonucleotide design. In the 1980s, the ET-15 clone emerged within the ST-11 complex of N. meningitidis. This new clone was associated with severe meningococcal disease and outbreaks world-wide. Therefore, the goal of the second project was to identify genetic differences between ET-15 strains and other ST-11 strains using whole genome microarray technology. Three genes encoding hypothetical proteins were identified to be present in all ET-15 strains but absent in other ST-11 strains. This finding together with unpublished observation from our group suggested that several genome alterations occurred before the clonal expansion of the ET-15 clone started. The role that these three genes play in the pathogenicity of the ET-15 clone is unclear. The genome comparisons revealed furthermore that studies of the ET-15 clone displayed approximately two-fold less gene content variation than ST-11 strains not belonging to the ET-15 clone. This finding is in accordance with the recent emergence and clonal expansion of the ET-15 variant.}, subject = {Neisseria meningitis}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Joestingmeier2005, author = {J{\"o}stingmeier, Martin}, title = {On the competition of superconductivity, antiferromagnetism and charge order in the high-Tc compounds}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13036}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Diese Arbeit l{\"a}ßt sich in zwei grobe Abschnitte gliedern. Der erste Teil umfaßt die Kapitel 1-3, in denen drei verschiedene Konzepte beschrieben werden, die zum Verst{\"a}ndis stark korrelierter Vielteilchen-Systeme dienen. Dies sind zun{\"a}chst einmal die SO(5)-Theorie in Kapitel 3, die den allgemeinen Rahmen vorgibt und auf der numerischen Seite die Stochastische Reihen Entwicklung (SSE) in Kapitel 1 und der Contractor Renormierungsgruppen Ansatz (CORE), s.Kapitel 2). Die zentrale Idee dieser Dissertationsschrift besteht darin, diese verschiedenen Konzepte zu kombinieren, um ein besseres Verst{\"a}ndnis der Hochtemperatursupraleiter zu erhalten. Im zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit (Kap. 4 und Kap. 5) werden die so gewonnenen Ergebnisse dargestellt. Die zentrale Idee dieser Arbeit, d.h. die Kombination der SO(5)-Theorie mit den F{\"a}higkeiten bosonischer Quanten-Monte-Carlo Verfahren und den {\"u}berlegungen der Renormierungsgruppe, hat sich sich am Beispiel der Physik der Hochtemperatur-Supraleiter als sehr tragf{\"a}hig erwiesen. Die numerischen Simulationen reproduzieren bei den behandelten Modelle eine Reihe wichtiger experimenteller Daten. Die Grundlage f{\"u}r eine k{\"u}nftige weitere schrittweise Erweiterung des Modells wurde so geschaffen. Eine offene Frage ist z.B. die Restaurierung der SO(5)-Symmetrie an einem multi-kritischen Punkt, wenn die l{\"a}ngerreichweitigen Wechselwirkungen mit in das Modell einbezogen sind.}, subject = {Hochtemperatursupraleitung}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Patra2005, author = {Patra, Amiya Kumar}, title = {Modulation of the NFAT signaling pathway by protein kinase B (PKB) ; a perspective study in the context of thymocyte development and T cell function}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13315}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {To analyze the role of protein kinase B(PKB)on developmental and functional aspects of T cells, we have generated transgenic mouse lines expressing a constitutively active form of PKB (myrPKB) in early stages of T cell development.Peripheral CD4+ T cells from PKB tg mice are hyperreactive, more efficient in producing th1 and th2 cytokines and show faster and CD28 co-stimulation independent cell cycle progression.Interestingly PKB tg T cells are resistant to CsA treatment in proliferation and cytokine production.Further analysis show PKB tg CD4+ T cells have a drastically reduced nuclear translocation of NFAT proteins and this is due to a direct interaction between PKB and NFAT. To study whether the negative regulatiopn of NFATs by PKB affects T cell development, we analyzed double tg mice expressing both, a constitutively active version of calcineurin (dCam) and myrPKB. dCam tg mice have a severe block in thymocyte development at the DN3 stage.But in the dCam/PKB double tg mice this developmental block is significantly rescued.This rescue of thymocyte development by PKB is due to the expression of RAG1 and subsequent TCRb chain expression. CsA treatment of neonatal thymic lobes from dCam mice restores normal thymocyte development, indicating involvement of NFATs in the severe block in dCam thymocyte development.Confocal studies clearly established that compared to dCam DN cells there is a significant reduction in the nuclear levels of NFATc1 and NFATc3 in dCam/PKB cells.Downregulation of nuclear NFAT levels by myrPKB thus seems to be an essential parameter in dCam cells to proceed with normal differentiation. In summary, the data from PKB tg peripheral CD4+ T cells and dCam/PKB double tg thymocytes clearly establish PKB as an important modulator of T cell development and function and PKB as a novel negative regulator of NFAT activation.}, subject = {T-Lymphozyt}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Muellner2004, author = {M{\"u}llner, Antje}, title = {Breeding ecology and related life-history traits of the hoatzin, Opisthocomus hoazin, in a primary rainforest habitat}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13239}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {The hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin) is an enigmatic bird that lives in the riparian lowlands of northern South America. Among its peculiar attributes are 1) microbial foregut fermentation, unique in birds, to convert plant cellulose in the foliage which it consumes into simple sugars, 2) an ongoing debate about the puzzling taxonomic position, although a relationship to the Cuculiformes appears likely, 3) adaptive wing claws in the young which are used for climbing, and 4) co-operative breeding behaviour. Despite the information available on digestive mode and taxonomy little has been published on its breeding biology and behaviour and until now almost all knowledge was based on a study in the savannah of Venezuela. This is the first detailed study of the hoatzin's nesting ecology in a rainforest habitat. From 1995-1998 and in 2000 I monitored a hoatzin population which consisted of approximately 700 individuals in an Amazonian rainforest in Ecuador situated in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve (between 0°02' N, 76°0' W, 0°03' S, and 76°14' W). The area is composed of various black water lagoons and small rivers, flooded forests and terra firme forest. Primarily, I examined group composition and breeding pattern and success related to traits such as clutch and egg size, offspring sex ratio and the number of parents involved in a common breeding attempt. Apart from standardised observations and monitoring I took blood samples from chicks, which were later used for molecular sexing and for DNA fingerprints. Food plants were collected and determined and a rough habitat mapping was conducted. Since the impacts of boat tourism in the area became apparent I investigated the interactions of adult and young hoatzins with tourists and measured the plasma concentration of the hormone corticosterone in chicks as an indicator of stress. Each chapter has its own introduction to the specific topic and can be read independently. The main findings of this study are: The reproduction of the hoatzin was timed strictly following the bimodal rainy pattern in the area. There was only one breeding attempt per year. Only 18\% of breeding attempts ended successfully with at least one fledgling. Incubation started with the first egg laid and led to hatching asynchrony. In most cases only the A-chick survived and there is evidence for a brood reduction strategy. I observed egg size variation patterns both within the clutches and between the clutches. Approximately 80\% of breeding attempts were carried out with auxiliaries. Units with alloparentals had a higher breeding success than single pairs. The results indicate a trade-off between helping and group size. DNA band-sharing comparisons revealed the existence of joint-nests, where several females laid their eggs in one single nest. The clutches of these joint-nests suffered severe egg loss during all stages of incubation. Breeding success did not differ between single- and joint-nests. The primary offspring sex ratio was biased towards daughters. There was no differential mortality between the sexes until fledging. Individual breeding units employed an adaptive production of offspring of each sex according to their current group size. Rainforest tourism negatively influenced the survival and growth of young, not yet fledged hoatzins. In addition tourist-exposed young showed a stronger hormonal stress response than their conspecifics from undisturbed sites. In contrast, breeding adults appear to have habituated to tourist boats and exposure to observers.}, subject = {Hoatzins}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Berkane2005, author = {Berkane, Emir}, title = {Etude de l'interaction entre GpJ, une prot{\´e}ine du bact{\´e}riophage Lambda, et LamB, une prot{\´e}ine de la membrane externe des bact{\´e}ries gram-n{\´e}gatives}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12889}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {La fixation du bact{\´e}riophage Lambda sur son r{\´e}cepteur cellulaire, LamB, est d{\^u}e {\`a} une prot{\´e}ine de sa queue appel{\´e}e GpJ. Le but des travaux est d'{\´e}tudier l'int{\´e}raction entre le bact{\´e}riophage Lambda et LamB {\`a} travers l'{\´e}tude du complexe entre LamB et GpJ exprim{\´e}e en prot{\´e}ine de fusion. Pour ce faire, deux prot{\´e}ines de fusion sont utilis{\´e}es : MBP-gpJ et HisgpJ. MBP-gpJ est une prot{\´e}ine de fusion entre la Maltose Binding Prot{\´e}ine et l'extr{\^e}mit{\´e} Cterminale de la prot{\´e}ine GpJ (r{\´e}sidu 684 {\`a} 1132), gr{\^a}cieusement fournie par le Pr. Charbit (Paris, France). Gr{\^a}ce {\`a} la Technique du Film Noir (BLM), il a {\´e}t{\´e} permis d'observer que MBP-gpJ, apr{\`e}s expression dans E.coli et purification, int{\´e}ragit gr{\^a}ce au fragment de GpJ avec l'extr{\^e}mit{\´e} extracellulaire de LamB. Cette int{\´e}raction se traduit par un blocage complet et r{\´e}versible des canaux de LamB sauvage, mais {\´e}galement de mutants: LamB de Shigella sonnei, LamB Y118G et LamB D4+D6+D9v. Afin d'obtenir des informations sur la liaison de LamB avec uniquement le fragment de GpJ sans la partie MBP, une autre prot{\´e}ine de fusion a {\´e}t{\´e} r{\´e}alis{\´e}e: His-GpJ. His-gpJ repr{\´e}sente l'extr{\^e}mit{\´e} C-terminale de GpJ (684-1132) en fusion avec un 6×Histidine-tag. Cette prot{\´e}ine est exprim{\´e}e sous forme de corps d'inclusion dans E.coli. Apr{\`e}s purification et renaturation, une prot{\´e}ine de nouveau soluble peut {\^e}tre obtenue. Lors d'exp{\´e}riences de Film Noir, His-gpJ int{\´e}ragit certes avec LamB, mais n'induit pas le blocage des canaux comme pr{\´e}cedemment observ{\´e} apr{\`e}s ajout de MBP-gpJ. En parall{\`e}le, la formation d'un complexe entre His-gpJ et LamB sauvage, ainsi que de mutants a pu {\^e}tre confirm{\´e}e au travers de travaux de SDS-PAGE et d'immunod{\´e}tection par la pr{\´e}sence de bandes de masse mol{\´e}culaire {\´e}lev{\´e}e. L'utilisation de mutants de LamB a par ailleurs permis d'essayer d'identifier la partie de LamB impliqu{\´e}e dans l'interaction avec le fragment C-terminal de GpJ, qui se r{\´e}v{\`e}le {\^e}tre diff{\´e}rente de celle de GpJ dans la queue du bact{\´e}riophage Lambda. Mots cl{\´e}s: bact{\´e}riophage Lambda, gpJ, LamB, technique du film noir (BLM), immunod{\´e}tection.}, subject = {Bakteriophage Lambda}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Beck2005, author = {Beck, Jan}, title = {The macroecology of Southeast-Asian hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-13001}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {This study investigates the abundance and geographic distribution of the hawkmoth species (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) of Southeast-Asia and analyses the resulting patterns of biodiversity, biogeography and macroecology. Data on the distribution of species were retrieved from published and unpublished faunal lists and museum collections (in close cooperation with the Natural History Museum, London). Over 34,500 records of the global distribution of the 380 species that occur in Southeast-Asia (including New Guinea and the Solomon Islands) were used for a GIS-supported estimate of distributional ranges, which can be accessed at http://www.sphingidae-sea.biozentrum.uni-wuerzburg.de, an Internet site that also provides pictures of the species and checklists for 114 islands of the Malesian region. The abundance of species in local assemblages was assessed from nightly collections at artificial light sources. Using a compilation of own samples as well as published and unpublished data from other sources, local abundance data on 93 sites were used for analysis, covering 159 species or 17,676 specimens.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{TrujilloVargas2005, author = {Trujillo Vargas, Claudia Milena}, title = {Development of vaccines against allergic asthma using products derived from intracellular bacteria or helminths}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12992}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Die „Hygiene Hypothese" postuliert, dass der Kontakt mit Infektionserregern in der fr{\"u}hen Kindheit die Entwicklung von Th2-abh{\"a}ngigen allergischen Immunreaktionen verhindern kann, indem dadurch entweder eine vorrangig Th1-gerichtete Immunit{\"a}t etabliert wird oder alternativ die Bildung von regulatorischen T Zellen induziert wird. Basierend auf dieser Theorie zielte die vorliegende Arbeit darauf ab, Produkte von Mikroorganismen oder W{\"u}rmern als m{\"o}gliche Komponenten von Impfstoffen gegen Allergien zu testen. Im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit wurden lebende BCG, Hitze abget{\"o}tete BCG (hk-BCG), CpG und PPD, die alle als Th1 Adjuvantien bekannt sind, auf ihre Effektivit{\"a}t getestet, allergisches Asthma in der Maus zu unterdr{\"u}cken. Alle Adjuvantien konnten die durch Allergie induzierte Lungeneosinophilie, die Schleimproduktion in der Lunge und mit Ausnahme von PPD, die Lungen{\"u}berempfindlichkeit (AHR) unterdr{\"u}cken, wenn sie zusammen mit OVA/alum verabreicht wurden. Die Lungeneosinophilie konnte jedoch nicht in IL-12 oder IFN-gamma defizienten M{\"a}usen durch die Applikation von hk-BCG, CpG oder PPD verhindert werden. Interessanterweise waren jedoch lebende BCG in der Lage, die allergische Th2 Immunreaktion zu unterdr{\"u}cken. Ebenso war die Wirkung von lebendem BCG unabh{\"a}ngig vom IL-10, TLR-2, TLR-4 oder MyD88 vermittelten Signalweg. Wurden M{\"a}use, die mit den verschiedenen Adjuvantien zusammen mit OVA/alum geimpft wurden, einer zweiten Runde OVA/alum Sensibilisierung unterzogen, so konnten nur lebende und hk-BCG die Entwicklung der Entz{\"u}ndung in der Lunge effektiv unterdr{\"u}cken. Diese Wirkung konnte durch den adoptiven Transfer von CD4+ T Zellen auf naive M{\"a}use {\"u}bertragen werden. Zusammenfassend zeigen diese Daten, daß lebende BCG am effektivsten, gefolgt von hk-BCG, CpG und schließlich PPD allergische Th2 Immunreaktionen unterdr{\"u}cken konnten. Als n{\"a}chstes wurde untersucht, ob eine Impfung mit dendritischen Zellen (DC) die Entwicklung von Th2 Zellen durch die Induktion von allergenspezifischen Th1 Zellen verhindern kann. Die Applikation von OVA-gepulsten aus dem Knochenmark stammenden-dendritischen Zellen (BM-DC), die mit CpG in vitro stimuliert wurden, konnten die Lungeneosinophilie und Entz{\"u}ndung in den Atemwegen in OVA-immunisierten M{\"a}usen nicht reduzieren. OVA-spezifische IgG1 und IgE Antik{\"o}rpermengen im Serum waren ebenfalls nicht vermindert. Versuche mit OVA-gepulsten Langerhans-zellen (LC) f{\"u}hrten zu {\"a}hnlichen Ergebnissen wie mit BM-DC. Jedoch waren in M{\"a}usen, die mit CpG/OVA gepulsten BM-DC behandelt wurden, deutlich erh{\"o}hte Werte an OVA-spezifischen IgG2a Antik{\"o}rper im Serum nachzuweisen, was auf die Induktion einer allergenspezifischen Th1 Immunreaktion in vivo schließen l{\"a}ßt. Insgesamt zeigen die Ergebnisse aber, dass weder die Impfung mit OVA-gepulsten und CpG-stimulierten BM-DC noch mit OVA-gepulsten LC eine Verringerung der allergischen Th2 Immunreaktion in einem Mausmodell mit schwerem atopischem Asthma bewirkt. Im dritten Teil der Arbeit wurde NES, ein exkretorisches/sekretorisches Produkt des Helminthen Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, als ein neues m{\"o}gliches Adjuvant zur Unterdr{\"u}ckung allergischer Reaktionen untersucht. Die Applikation von NES zusammen mit OVA/alum inhibierte deutlich die Entwicklung der Lungeneosinophilie, Becherzellmetaplasie und Schleimproduktion in der Lunge sowie die Entwicklung der AHR. Das verwendete NES enthielt geringe Mengen an LPS, die diese Wirkung erkl{\"a}ren k{\"o}nnte. Allerdings war die Unterdr{\"u}ckung der Th2 Immunreaktion durch NES unabh{\"a}ngig von TLR-4 und konnte immer noch nachgewiesen werden, wenn LPS-depletiertes NES verwendet wurde. Schließlich konnte NES die OVA-induzierte Th2 Immunreaktion unabh{\"a}ngig von IL-10 und IFN-gamma reduzieren. Außerdem konnte der Verdau von NES mit Proteinase K oder eine Hitzebehandlung (kochen) den Th2-unterdr{\"u}ckenden Effekt nicht aufheben. Interessanterweise inhibierte NES in vivo eine OVA-spezifische Th2 Immunreaktion in Anwesenheit einer starken NES-spezifischen Th2 Reaktion. Zusammenfassend f{\"u}hren diese Ergebnisse zu dem Schluß, daß der Helminth N. brasiliensis Substanzen produziert, die die Entwicklung von allergischen Th2 Immunreaktionen beeinflussen. Diese Produkte und ihre Wirkmechanismen genauer zu charakterisieren, k{\"o}nnte zu sehr effektiven Adjuvantien f{\"u}hren, welche allergische Reaktionen unterdr{\"u}cken k{\"o}nnten. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit k{\"o}nnten zuk{\"u}nftig dazu beitragen, effiziente Impfungen zu entwickeln, die Menschen vor der Entwicklung von allergischen Immunreaktionen sch{\"u}tzen.}, subject = {Bronchialasthma}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Akimzhanov2005, author = {Akimzhanov, Askar M.}, title = {Epigenetic repression of the NFATc1 transcription factor in human lymphomas}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12921}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {We examined the regulation of NFATc1 in different lymphomas and observed an inversed correlation between the methylation status and expression of NFATc1. Our data demonstrate that aberrant DNA methylation associated with chromatin remodeling within nfatc1 locus is a major mechanism for the repression of NFATc1 expression, suggesting that the DNA methylation-mediated transcriptional silencing of NFATc1 may be a critical event in the tumorogenesis of ALCLs and cHLs. Furthermore, the DNA methylation of human nfatc1 promoter region could be used as a novel biomarker of tumor progression. Our results indicate a close link between the loss of immunoreceptor signaling and NFATc1 expression in human lymphomas. For both ALCLs and cHLs, defects in immunoreceptor signaling have been described which result in a loss of receptor-mediated gene expression programs (Schwering et al., 2003; Bonzheim et al., 2004; Marafioti et al., 2004). In T cells, one indicator gene of these programs appears to be the nfatc1 gene whose expression is controlled by TCR signals (Chuvpilo et al., 2002a). In contrast, in T cells NFATc1 expression is unaffected by TCR signals, and NFATc2 was found to be expressed at normal levels in ALCLs and cHLs (L.K., unpubl. data). Moreover, the activity of NF-kappaB factors which can bind to certain NFAT binding sites and share a distantly-related DNA binding domain with NFATs is strongly elevated in cHL cells (Bargou et al., 1997; Hinz et al., 2001; Hinz et al., 2002) suggesting that NFATs and NF-kappaBs exert very different effects on generation and maintenance of Hodgkin's lymhomas. However, it should be mentioned that in Burkitt's and further B cell lymphomas in which NFATc1 proteins are strongly expressed and controlled by receptor signals (Kondo et al., 2003), they could exert a promoting function in tumor development. The genes of p53 family members p63 and p73 are prominent examples for mammalian genes whose products can act both as oncoproteins and tumor suppressor genes (Hibi et al., 2000; Stiewe and Putzer, 2002), and it is likely that more genes exist which encode both tumor suppressors and oncoproteins. It remains to be shown whether the nfatc1 gene is one of them.}, subject = {Lymphom}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Kittel2004, author = {Kittel, Olaf}, title = {CP violation in production and decay of supersymmetric particles}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12767}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {In dieser Dissertation untersuchen wir CP verletzende Effekte von MSSM-Phasen in Produktion und Zwei-Teilchen-Zerfaellen von Neutralinos, Charginos und Sfermionen. Fuer verschiedene supersymmetrische Prozesse definieren und berechnen wir CP-ungerade Asymmetrien, welche auf Spatprodukten basieren. Wir zeigen numerische Ergebnisse fuer Elektron-Positron-Kollisionen an einem zukuenftigen Linearbeschleuniger mit einer Energie von 500 - 800 GeV, hoher Luminositaet und longitudinal polarisierten Strahlen.}, subject = {Supersymmetrisches Teilchen}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Deppisch2004, author = {Deppisch, Frank}, title = {Towards a reconstruction of the SUSY seesaw model}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12757}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {In this work, we studied in great detail how the unknown parameters of the SUSY seesaw model can be determined from measurements of observables at or below collider energies, namely rare flavor violating decays of leptons, slepton pair production processes at linear colliders and slepton mass differences. This is a challenging task as there is an intricate dependence of the observables on the unknown seesaw, light neutrino and mSUGRA parameters. In order to separate these different influences, we first considered two classes of seesaw models, namely quasi-degenerate and strongly hierarchical right-handed neutrinos. As a generalisation, we presented a method that can be used to reconstruct the high energy seesaw parameters, among them the heavy right-handed neutrino masses, from low energy observables alone.}, subject = {Supersymmetrie}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Babocsi2005, author = {Babocsi, Krisztina}, title = {Characterization of II-VI semiconductor nanostructures by low wavenumber raman- and four-wave-mixing spectroscopy}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12551}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {Es ist bekannt, dass r{\"a}umlich eingeschr{\"a}nkte Ladungstr{\"a}ger in niederdimensionalen Halbleitern zur Verst{\"a}rkung optischer und elektronischer Eigenschaften solcher Nanostrukturen beitragen. Die Physik des "Quantum Confinements" ist trotz umfangreicher Nachforschungen noch immer nicht v{\"o}llig verstanden. Die vorliegende Arbeit beinhaltet eine qualitative Studie quasi-nulldimensionaler II-VI Halbleiter Nanostrukturen. Es wurden handels{\"u}bliche und w{\"a}rmebehandelte CdSxSe1-x Quantenpunkte (QDs) mittels linearer und nicht-linearer Spektroskopie untersucht. Im Rahmen nicht-resonanter Raman Spektroskopie wurden Schl{\"u}sseleigenschaften der QDs, wie z.B. der Durchmesser und die Gr{\"o}ßenverteilung, bestimmt. Die Anordnung der Energieniveaus in einer atom-{\"a}hnlichen Struktur hat die Verst{\"a}rkung der Intensit{\"a}t akustischer Phononen zur Folge, welche im Bulk nicht nachgewiesen werden k{\"o}nnen. In Nanokristallen sind nur zwei Sorten akustischer Vibrationen Raman-aktiv: Die kugelsymmetrischen (l = 0) und die quadrupolaren (l=2) Vibrationen, die durch linear polarisierte Laserpulse selektiv angeregt werden k{\"o}nnen. Die Gr{\"o}ße der QDs wurde durch Ber{\"u}cksichtigen der Abh{\"a}ngigkeit der Vibrationsfrequenz akustischer Phononen von dem Durchmesser des Nanokristalls berechnet. Die Gr{\"o}ßenverteilung der QDs ist aus dem normalisierten FWHM ("full width at half maximum") der symmetrischen Vibration bestimmt worden. Die Relaxationsprozesse in Quantenpunkten finden auf einer Pikosekundenskala statt, zu deren Untersuchung ultraschnelle Spektroskopiemethoden mit Laserpulsen im Femtosekundenbereich notwendig sind. Es wurden in einer Glasmatrix eingebettete CdS0.6Se0.4 QDs von 9.1 nm Durchmesser mittels Fs-VWM- und Fs-PPT-Spektroskopie untersucht. In beiden F{\"a}llen wurden zirkular polarisierte Fs-Laserpulse eingesetzt. Es ist gezeigt worden, dass die Auswahlregeln f{\"u}r die Polarisation sehr stark von der Symmetrie der Nanokristalle abh{\"a}ngig sind. Es ist gezeigt worden, dass die angeregten Nanokristalle der Symmetriegruppe C2v oder niedriger angeh{\"o}ren und der Nachweis einer hexagonalen Struktur der Nanokristalle wurde erbracht. Die G{\"u}ltigkeit des Vier-Niveau-Modells wurde ebenfalls nachgewiesen. Dieses Modell enth{\"a}lt einen Grundzustand, zwei Exzitonzust{\"a}nde und einen Biexzitonenzustand. Das Entstehen der VWM- und PPT-Signale in verbotenen Polarisationsgeometrien wurde durch das Auftreten starker Coulomb-Wechselwirkung zwischen Exzitonen, die sich in demselben QD befinden, und durch die niedrige Symmetrie der QDs erkl{\"a}rt. Aufgrund der quadratischen Abh{\"a}ngigkeit der Intensit{\"a}ten der VWM-Signale von der Intensit{\"a}t der PPT-Signale, konnten die Ergebnisse der VWM-Messungen durch PPT-Untersuchungen gepr{\"u}ft werden. Die Effizienz der Methode der zirkular polarisierten Fs-VWM-Spektroskopie wurde bei der Untersuchung von in einer Glasmatrix eingebetteten w{\"a}rmebehandelten CdSe Quantenpunkten noch einmal best{\"a}tigt. Die Aufmerksamkeit auf Nicht-Phonon-Relaxationsmechanismen des Grund- und angeregten Zustands des Exzitons gerichtet. Außerdem konnte die Abh{\"a}ngigkeit der Kristallasymmetrie von der Nanopartikelgr{\"o}ße und von den Wachstumsbedingungen abgesch{\"a}tzt werden. Es zeigte sich, dass qualitativ hochwertige Quantenpunkte am effizientesten durch lange Wachstumszeiten bei niedrigen Temperaturen hergestellt werden k{\"o}nnen. Dabei haben die Nanokristalle gen{\"u}gend Zeit f{\"u}r „Nukleation" und nehmen eine symmetrischere Form an. Außerdem ist es nachgewiesen worden, dass die Exzitonrelaxation sehr stark von den Coulomb-Wechselwirkungen zwischen den Ladungstr{\"a}gern abh{\"a}ngt. Die Relaxationsprozesse der Exzitonen werden sowohl durch die Auger Selbstionisation, als auch durch den anschließenden Einfang der Ladungstr{\"a}ger in tiefen Fallen (an der Quantenpunktoberfl{\"a}che und/oder in der dielektrischen Matrix) deutlich verlangsamt. Dadurch wird die Lebensdauer der Exzitonen deutlich verk{\"u}rzt und liegt im Pikosekundenbereich. Die Relaxation der Exzitonen von h{\"o}heren Energieniveaus in den Grundzustand erfolgt auch auf zwei Wegen: Am Anfang des Relaxationsprozesses (t31 ~ 200 fs) ist Auger-Thermalisierung der Ladungstr{\"a}ger f{\"u}r die Relaxation des Elektrons von seinem angeregten 1pe Zustand auf sein niedrigeres 1se Energieniveau verantwortlich. W{\"a}renddessen erfolgt die Relaxation des Lochs sehr schnell {\"u}ber sein dichtes Spektrum von Valenzbandzust{\"a}nden. Diesem Prozess folgt unmittelbar der Einfang der Ladungstr{\"a}ger in tiefen Fallen, die sich an der Nanokristall-Glasmatrix-Grenzfl{\"a}che befinden. Diese Fallen sind eine direkte Konsequenz der Asymmetrie des Nanokristalls: je zahlreicher und je tiefer die Fallen, desto h{\"o}her ist die Asymmetrie des Kristalls. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit ist eine komplette Charakterisierung der in einer Glas- matrix eingebetteten CdSSe-Quantenpunkte gelungen. Die wichtigsten Eigenschaften, wie z.B. die Gr{\"o}ße und die Gr{\"o}ßenverteilung der Quantenpunkte, sind durch polarisierte Raman-Messungen bestimmt worden. Um ein komplettes Bild {\"u}ber die Nanokristalle zu bekommen, sind weitere nicht-lineare Spektroskopiemethoden eingesetzt worden. Polarisierte VWM Spektroskopie wurde zur Untersuchung verschiedener Quantenpunktensembles erfolgreich eingesetzt und daraus sind wertvolle Informationen {\"u}ber die Symmetrie der Nanokristalle gewonnen worden. Weiterhin sind die Exzitonrelaxationsmechanismen beschrieben worden, die die Verst{\"a}rkung der optischen nicht-linearen Eigenschaften und starke Coulomb-Wechselwirkungen zwischen Exzitonen erkl{\"a}ren. Durch die Untersuchung der Auswirkung verschiedener Wachstumsbedingungen auf die Symmetrie der QDs stellt diese Arbeit einen erg{\"a}nzenden Beitrag zu Herstellungsverfahren qualitativ hochwertiger Quantenpunkte dar.}, subject = {Zwei-Sechs-Halbleiter}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Biswas2005, author = {Biswas, Kajal}, title = {Analysis of Nitrogen starvation induced filamentous growth and characterization of putative essential genes in the human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-11554}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {1. Zusammenfassung Candida albicans ist ein opportunistisch pathogener Hefepilz, der sowohl oberfl{\"a}chliche Infektionen der Schleimhaut als auch lebensbedrohliche systemische Infektionen hervorrufen kann. Obwohl die F{\"a}higkeit von C.albicans Infektionen auszul{\"o}sen weitgehend vom Immunstatus des Wirts abh{\"a}ngt, besitzt der Pilz doch auch spezifische Eigenschaften, die eine Kolonisierung, Disseminierung und Anpassung an unterschiedliche Wirtsnischen erm{\"o}glichen und ihn vom harmlosen Kommensalen zum gef{\"a}hrlichen Krankheitsserreger werden lassen. Unter bestimmten Umweltbedingungen geht C.albicans vom Wachstum als sprossende Hefe zum invasiven, filament{\"o}sen Wachstum {\"u}ber, das eine wichtige Rolle in der Pathogenit{\"a}t des Pilzes spielt. Stickstoffmangel ist eines der Signale, die das filament{\"o}se Wachstum in C.albicans induzieren, und die Kontrolle der Morphogenese durch die Verf{\"u}gbarkeit von Stickstoff wurde in dieser Arbeit detailliert untersucht. Ammonium ist f{\"u}r Hefepilze eine bevorzugte Stickstoffquelle, die {\"u}ber spezifische Transporter in die Zelle aufgenommen wird. In der vorliegenden Arbeit konnte gezeigt werden, dass C.albicans zwei Ammoniumpermeasen besitzt, deren Expression durch Stickstoffmangel induziert wird. W{\"a}hrend die Deletion von CaMEP1 oder CaMEP2 keinen Einfluss auf das Wachstum bei limitierenden Ammoniumkonzentrationen hatte, konnten \&\#61508;mep1 \&\#61508;mep2 Doppelmutanten bei Ammoniumkonzentrationen unter 5 mM nicht mehr wachsen. Im Gegensatz zu \&\#61508;mep1 Mutanten bildeten \&\#61508;mep2 Mutanten unter Stickstoffmangel keine Hyphen mehr und wuchsen ausschließlich in der Hefeform. CaMep2p hat also nicht nur eine Funktion als Ammoniumtransporter, sondern spielt auch eine Rolle bei der Induktion des filament{\"o}sen Wachstums. Weitere Experimente zeigten, dass CaMep2p ein weniger effizienter Ammoniumtransporter als CaMep1p ist, daf{\"u}r aber st{\"a}rker exprimiert wird, und dass dieser Unterschied wichtig f{\"u}r die Signalfunktion von CaMep2p ist. Durch Deletionsanalysen konnte bewiesen werden, dass die C-terminale, cytoplasmatische Dom{\"a}ne von CaMep2p essentiell f{\"u}r die Induktion des Hyphenwachstums ist, f{\"u}r den Ammoniumtransport jedoch nicht ben{\"o}tigt wird, und diese beiden Funktionen von CaMep2p daher voneinander getrennt werden k{\"o}nnen. In C.albicans gibt es mindestens zwei Signalwege die das filament{\"o}se Wachstum steuern, eine MAP-Kinase-Kaskade und einen cAMP-abh{\"a}ngigen Signalweg, die in den Transkriptionsfaktoren Cph1p bzw. Efg1p enden. Bei Inaktivierung des einen oder des anderen Signalwegs induziert Stickstoffmangel kein filament{\"o}ses Wachstum mehr. Ein hyperaktives CaMEP2 Allel konnte den filament{\"o}sen Wachstumsdefekt sowohl von \&\#61508;cph1 als auch \&\#61508;efg1 Mutanten aufheben, nicht jedoch den einer \&\#61508;cph1 \&\#61508;efg1 Doppelmutante oder einer Mutante, der das G-Protein Ras1p fehlte, das beide Signalwege aktiviert. Umgekehrt wurde der filament{\"o}se Wachstumsdefekt von \&\#61472;\&\#61508;mep2 Mutanten durch ein dominant-aktives RAS1 Allel bzw. durch die Zugabe von cAMP aufgehoben. Diese Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass CaMep2p bei Stickstoffmangel sowohl den MAP-Kinase- als auch den cAMP-abh{\"a}ngigen Signalweg aktiviert, um filament{\"o}ses Wachstum zu induzieren. In gen{\"u}gend hohen Konzentrationen reprimierte Ammonium das filament{\"o}se Wachstum selbst wenn die Signalwege artifiziell aktiviert waren. Die bevorzugte Stickstoffquelle Ammonium ist deshalb ein Inhibitor der Morphogenese, der durch denselben Transporter in die Zelle aufgenommen wird, der bei Stickstoffmangel das filament{\"o}se Wachstum von C.albicans induziert. Obwohl ein genaues Verst{\"a}ndnis der Virulenzmechanismen von C.albicans auch neue Ans{\"a}tze zur Bek{\"a}mpfung von Infektionen durch diesen Pilz liefern kann, ist doch die Identifizierung und Charakterisierung von essentiellen Genen als potentielle Ziele f{\"u}r die Entwicklung neuer Antimykotika eine Strategie, die von der pharmazeutischen Industrie favorisiert wird. Aus diesem Grund wurden in Zusammenarbeit mit einem Industriepartner drei Gene von C.albicans ausgew{\"a}hlt, die in anderen Pilzen als essentiell beschrieben wurden, und im Rahmen dieser Arbeit funktionell charakterisiert. RAP1 codiert f{\"u}r das Repressor/Aktivator Protein 1, ein Transkriptionsfaktor und Telomerbindeprotein, das in der B{\"a}ckerhefe Saccharomyces cerevisiae essentiell ist. Die Deletion des RAP1 Gens in C.albicans beeintr{\"a}chtigte jedoch nicht die Lebensf{\"a}higkeit der Mutanten, so dass RAP1 kein vielversprechendes Ziel darstellt. CBF1 (centromere binding factor 1) ist in S.cerevisiae wichtig f{\"u}r die korrekte Chromosomenverteilung w{\"a}hrend der Mitose und außerdem auch f{\"u}r die transkriptionelle Aktivierung der Methioninbiosynthesegene; in den verwandten Hefen Kluyveromyces lactis und Candida glabrata ist CBF1 sogar essentiell. C.albicans \&\#61508;cbf1 Mutanten wiesen jedoch keinen erh{\"o}hten Chromosomenverlust auf, so dass CBF1 hier offensichtlich keine Rolle bei der Chromosomensegregation spielt. Allerdings waren die Mutanten auxotroph f{\"u}r schwefelhaltige Aminos{\"a}uren und generell stark im Wachstum beeintr{\"a}chtigt, was zeigte, dass Cbf1p f{\"u}r das normale Wachstum von C.albicans wichtig ist. YIL19 ist in S.cerevisiae ein essentielles Gen und hat eine Funktion bei der Reifung der 18S rRNA. YIL19 stellte sich auch in C.albicans als essentiell heraus. Konditionale Mutanten, in denen YIL19 durch induzierbare, FLP-vermittelte Rekombination aus dem Genom deletiert wurde, waren nicht lebensf{\"a}hig und akkumulierten rRNA Vorstufen. Durch diese Untersuchungen konnte gezeigt werden, dass YIL19 essentiell f{\"u}r diesen wichtigen zellul{\"a}ren Prozess und f{\"u}r die Lebensf{\"a}higkeit von C.albicans ist und sich m{\"o}glicherweise als Ziel f{\"u}r die Entwicklung antifungaler Substanzen eignet.}, subject = {Candida albicans}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Papastathopoulos2005, author = {Papastathopoulos, Evangelos}, title = {Adaptive control of electronic excitation utilizing ultrafast laser pulses}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12533}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {The subject of this work has been the investigation of dynamical processes that occur during and after the interaction of matter with pulses of femtosecond laser radiation. The experiments presented here were performed in the gas phase and involve one atomic and several model molecular systems. Absorption of femtosecond laser radiation by these systems induces an electronic excitation, and subsequently their ionization, photofragmentation or isomerization. The specific adjustment of the excitation laser field properties offers the possibility to manipulate the induced electronic excitation and to influence the formation of the associated photoproducts. From the perspective of the employed spectroscopic methods, the development of photoelectron spectroscopy and its implementation in laser control experiments has been of particular interest in this thesis. This technique allows for a most direct and intuitive observation of electronic excitation dynamics in atomic as well as in complex polyatomic molecular systems. The propagation of an intermediate electronic transient state, associated to the formation of a particular photoproduct, can be interrogated by means of its correlation to a specific state of the atomic or molecular continuum. Such correlations involve the autoionization of the transient state, or by means of a second probe laser field, a structural correlation, as summarized by the Koopman's theorem (section 2.4.1). The technique of adaptive femtosecond quantum control has been the subject of development in our group for many years. The basic method, by which the temporal profile of near-infrared laser pulses at a central wavelength of 800 nm, can be adjusted, is a programmable femtosecond pulse-shaper that comprises of a zero dispersion compressor and a commercial liquid crystal modulator (LCD). This experimental arrangement was realized prior to this thesis and served as a starting point to extend the pulse-shaping technique to the ultraviolet spectral region. This technological development was realized for the purposes of the experiments presented in Chapter 5. It involves a combination of the LCD-pulse-shaper with frequency up-conversion techniques on the basis of producing specifically modulated laser pulses of central wavelength 266 nm. Furthermore, the optical method X-FROG had to be developed in order to characterize the often complex structure of generated ultraviolet pulses. In the adaptive control experiments presented in this work, the generated femtosecond laser pulses could be automatically adjusted by means of specifically addressing the 128 independent voltage parameters of the programmable liquid-crystal modulator. Additionally a machine learning algorithm was employed for the cause of defining laser pulse-shapes that delivered the desired (optimal) outcome in the investigated laser interaction processes. In Chapter 4, the technique of feedback-controlled femtosecond pulse shaping was combined with time-of-flight mass spectroscopy as well as photoelectron spectroscopy in order to investigate the multiphoton double ionization of atomic calcium. A pronounced absolute enhancement of the double ionization yield was obtained with optimized femtosecond laser pulses. On the basis of the measured photoelectron spectra and of the electron optimization experiments, a non-sequential process was found, which plays an important role in the formation of doubly charged Calcium ions. Then in Chapter 5, the dynamics following the pp* excitation of ethylene-like molecules were investigated. In this context, the model molecule stilbene was studied by means of femtosecond photoelectron spectroscopy. Due to the simplicity of its chemical structure, stilebene is one of the most famous models used in experimental as well as theoretical studies of isomerization dynamics. From the time-resolved experiments described in that chapter, new spectroscopic data involving the second excited electronic state S2 of the molecule were acquired. The second ethylenic product was the molecule tetrakis (dimethylamino) ethylene (TDMAE). Due to the presence of numerous lone pair electrons on the four dimethylamino groups, TDMAE exhibits a much more complex structure than stilbene. Nevertheless, previously reported studies on the dynamics of TDMAE provided vital information for planning and conducting a successful optimisation control experiment of the wavepacket propagation upon the (pp*) S1 excited potential surface of the molecule. Finally, in Chapter 6 the possibility of employing femtosecond laser pulses as an alternative method for activating a metallocene molecular catalyst was addressed. By means of an adaptive laser control scheme, an optimization experiment was realized. There, the target was the selective cleavage of one methyl-ligand of the model catalyst (Cp)^2Zr(CH3)^2, which induces a catalytic coordination position on the molecule. The spectroscopic studies presented in that chapter were performed in collaboration to the company BASF A.G. and constitute a proof-of principle attempt for a commercial application of the adaptive femtosecond quantum control technique.}, subject = {Ultrakurzer Lichtimpuls}, language = {en} } @book{FalkMarohnMicheletal.2005, author = {Falk, Michael and Marohn, Frank and Michel, Ren{\´e} and Hofmann, Daniel and Macke, Maria and Tewes, Bernward and Dinges, Peter}, title = {A First Course on Time Series Analysis : Examples with SAS}, organization = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg / Lehrstuhl f{\"u}r Statistik , Universit{\"a}t Eichst{\"a}tt/Rechenzentrum}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12593}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {The analysis of real data by means of statistical methods with the aid of a software package common in industry and administration usually is not an integral part of mathematics studies, but it will certainly be part of a future professional work. The present book links up elements from time series analysis with a selection of statistical procedures used in general practice including the statistical software package SAS Statistical Analysis System). Consequently this book addresses students of statistics as well as students of other branches such as economics, demography and engineering, where lectures on statistics belong to their academic training. But it is also intended for the practician who, beyond the use of statistical tools, is interested in their mathematical background. Numerous problems illustrate the applicability of the presented statistical procedures, where SAS gives the solutions. The programs used are explicitly listed and explained. No previous experience is expected neither in SAS nor in a special computer system so that a short training period is guaranteed. This book is meant for a two semester course (lecture, seminar or practical training) where the first two chapters can be dealt with in the first semester. They provide the principal components of the analysis of a time series in the time domain. Chapters 3, 4 and 5 deal with its analysis in the frequency domain and can be worked through in the second term. In order to understand the mathematical background some terms are useful such as convergence in distribution, stochastic convergence, maximum likelihood estimator as well as a basic knowledge of the test theory, so that work on the book can start after an introductory lecture on stochastics. Each chapter includes exercises. An exhaustive treatment is recommended. This book is consecutively subdivided in a statistical part and an SAS-specific part. For better clearness the SAS-specific part, including the diagrams generated with SAS, always starts with a computer symbol, representing the beginning of a session at the computer, and ends with a printer symbol for the end of this session. This book is an open source project under the GNU Free Documentation License.}, subject = {Zeitreihenanalyse}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Bechmann2004, author = {Bechmann, Michael}, title = {Dynamics in quantum spin glass systems}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12519}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {This thesis aims at a description of the equilibrium dynamics of quantum spin glass systems. To this end a generic fermionic SU(2), spin 1/2 spin glass model with infinite-range interactions is defined in the first part. The model is treated in the framework of imaginary-time Grassmann field theory along with the replica formalism. A dynamical two-step decoupling procedure, which retains the full time dependence of the (replica-symmetric) saddle point, is presented. As a main result, a set of highly coupled self-consistency equations for the spin-spin correlations can be formulated. Beyond the so-called spin-static approximation two complementary systematic approximation schemes are developed in order to render the occurring integration problem feasible. One of these methods restricts the quantum-spin dynamics to a manageable number of bosonic Matsubara frequencies. A sequence of improved approximants to some quantity can be obtained by gradually extending the set of employed discrete frequencies. Extrapolation of such a sequence yields an estimate of the full dynamical solution. The other method is based on a perturbative expansion of the self-consistency equations in terms of the dynamical correlations. In the second part these techniques are applied to the isotropic Heisenberg spin glass both on the Fock space (HSGF) and, exploiting the Popov-Fedotov trick, on the spin space (HSGS). The critical temperatures of the paramagnet to spin glass phase transitions are determined accurately. Compared to the spin-static results, the dynamics causes slight increases of T_c by about 3\% and 2\%, respectively. For the HSGS the specific heat C(T) is investigated in the paramagnetic phase and, by way of a perturbative method, below but close to T_c. The exact C(T)-curve is shown to exhibit a pronounced non-analyticity at T_c and, contradictory to recent reports by other authors, there is no indication of maximum above T_c. In the last part of this thesis the spin glass model is augmented with a nearest-neighbor hopping term on an infinite-dimensional cubic lattice. An extended self-consistency structure can be derived by combining the decoupling procedure with the dynamical CPA method. For the itinerant Ising spin glass numerous solutions within the spin-static approximation are presented both at finite and zero temperature. Systematic dynamical corrections to the spin-static phase diagram in the plane of temperature and hopping strength are calculated, and the location of the quantum critical point is determined.}, subject = {Spinglas}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Flegel2005, author = {Flegel, Michael L.}, title = {Constraint qualifications and stationarity concepts for mathematical programs with equilibrium constraints}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12453}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {An exhaustive discussion of constraint qualifications (CQ) and stationarity concepts for mathematical programs with equilibrium constraints (MPEC) is presented. It is demonstrated that all but the weakest CQ, Guignard CQ, are too strong for a discussion of MPECs. Therefore, MPEC variants of all the standard CQs are introduced and investigated. A strongly stationary point (which is simply a KKT-point) is seen to be a necessary first order optimality condition only under the strongest CQs, MPEC-LICQ, MPEC-SMFCQ and Guignard CQ. Therefore a whole set of KKT-type conditions is investigated. A simple approach is given to acquire A-stationarity to be a necessary first order condition under MPEC-Guiganrd CQ. Finally, a whole chapter is devoted to investigating M-stationary, among the strongest stationarity concepts, second only to strong stationarity. It is shown to be a necessary first order condition under MPEC-Guignard CQ, the weakest known CQ for MPECs.}, subject = {Nichtlineare Optimierung}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schlirf2005, author = {Schlirf, Michael}, title = {Revision and description of Keuper (Middle Ladinian to Rhaetian) invertebrate trace fossils from the southern part of the Germanic Basin and studies of related material}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12288}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {The invertebrate trace fossils from the Keuper (Upper Triassic) of the southern part of the Germanic Basin are revised. The Keuper sediments of the Germanic Basin are predominantly composed of rocks representing various nonmarine environments dominated by red-bed facies. The W{\"u}rzburg Formation, the Stuttgart Formation, and the Hassberge Formation, all representing deposits of extended river systems, contain the richest ichnofauna. Trace fossil abundance is generally low and their occurrence is scattered. The studied material can be assigned to 28 ichnogenera, 38 ichnospecies, and 6 vernacular forms. Among the described trace fossils are one new ichnogenus and three new ichnospecies. Apart from the revision of the invertebrate trace fossils from the Keuper numerous related ichnotaxa from various localities and ages have been studied and revised. In the course of these studies several ichnotaxa are synonymised, lowered in rank, and new ichnogenera, subichnogenera, and ichnospecies are suggested. In addition, general guidelines for naming, and methodologies for studying invertebrate trace fossils are presented. The palaeoecology of three ichnocoenoses, one from the W{\"u}rzburg Formation and two from the Hassberge Formation in Lower Franconia are briefly discussed.}, subject = {Haßberge-Gebiet}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Stey2004, author = {Stey, Thomas Josef}, title = {Di(benzothiazol-2-yl)phosphane - Studies on a Janus Head Ligand -}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12330}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {The design of ligands is one of the most important and simultaneously challenging fields of research in modern inorganic chemistry. The aim is to synthesise ligands that can serve as coordination units for a broad variety of metal fragments and different purposes. The ligands have to be very flexible concerning their donating behaviour and geometrical prerequisites in order to correspond to the required metal fragments.}, subject = {Phosphine}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Dahnken2004, author = {Dahnken, Christopher}, title = {Spectral properties of strongly correlated electron systems}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12238}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {We investigate the single particle static and dynamic properties at zero temperature within the Hubbard an three-band-Hubbard model for the superconducting copper oxides. Based on the recently proposed self-energy functional approach (SFA) [M.Potthoff, Eur. Phys. J. B 32 429 (2003)], we present an extension of the cluster-perturbation theory (CPT) to systems with spontaneous broken symmetry. Our method accounts for both short-range correlations and long-range order. Short-range correlations are accurately taken into account via the exact diagonalization of finite clusters. Long-range order is described by variational optimization of a ficticious symmetry-breaking field. In comparison with related cluster methods, our approach is more flexible and, for a given cluster size, less demanding numerically, especially at zero temperature. An application of the method to the antiferromagnetic phase of the Hubbard model at half-filling shows good agreement with results from quantum Monte-Carlo calculations. We demonstrate that the variational extension of the cluster-perturbation theory is crucial to reproduce salient features of the single-particle spectrum of the insulating cuprates. Comparison of the dispersion of the low-energy excitations with recent experimental results of angular resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) allows us to fix a consistent parameter set for the one-band Hubbard model with an additional hopping parameter t' along the lattice diagonal. The doping dependence of the single-particle excitations is studied within the t-t-U Hubbard model with special emphasis on the electron doped compounds. We show, that the ARPES results on the band structure and the Fermi surface of Nd{2-x}Ce_xCuOCl_{4-\delta} are naturally obtained within the t-t-U Hubbard model without further need for readjustment or fitting of parameters, as proposed in recent theoretical considerations. We present a theory for the photon energy and polarization dependence of ARPES intensities from the CuO2 plane in the framework of strong correlation models. The importance of surface states for the observed experimental facts is considered. We show that for electric field vector in the CuO_2 plane the 'radiation characteristics' of the O 2p_{\sigma} and Cu 3d_{x^2-y^2} orbitals are strongly peaked along the CuO_2 plane, i.e. most photoelectrons are emitted at grazing angles. This suggests that surface states play an important role in the observed ARPES spectra, consistent with recent data from Sr_2CuCl_2O_2. We show that a combination of surface state dispersion and Fano resonance between surface state and the continuum of LEED-states may produce a precipitous drop in the observed photoelectron current as a function of in-plane momentum, which may well mimic a Fermi-surface crossing. This effect may explain the simultaneous 'observation' of a hole-like and an electron-like Fermi surfaces in Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+\delta} at different photon energies.}, subject = {Hochtemperatursupraleiter}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Eckl2004, author = {Eckl, Thomas}, title = {Phenomenological phase-fluctuation model for the underdoped cuprates}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-12115}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {In this thesis, a phenomenological phase-fluctuation model for the pseudogap regime of the underdoped cuprates was discussed. The key idea of the phase-fluctuation scenario in the high-T_c superconductors is the notion that the pseudogap observed in a wide variety of experiments arises from phase fluctuations of the superconducting gap. In this scenario, below a mean-field temperature scale T_c^{MF}, a d_{x^2-y^2}-wave gap amplitude is assumed to develop. However, the superconducting transition is suppressed to a considerably lower transition temperature T_c by phase fluctuations. In the intermediate temperature regime between T_c^{MF} and T_c, phase fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter give rise to the pseudogap phenomena. The phenomenological phase-fluctuation model discussed in this thesis consists of a two-dimensional BCS-like Hamiltonian where the phase of the pairing-amplitude is free to fluctuate. The fluctuations of the phase were treated by a Monte Carlo simulation of a classical XY model. First, the density of states was calculated. The quasiparticle tunneling conductance (dI/dV) obtained from our phenomenological phase fluctuation model was able to reproduce characteristic and salient features of recent scanning-tunneling studies of Bi2212 and Bi2201 suggesting that the pseudogap behavior observed in these experiments arises from phase fluctuations of the d_{x^2-y^2}-wave pairing gap. In calculating the single-particle spectral weight, we were further able to show how phase fluctuations influence the experimentally observed quasiparticle spectra in detail. In particular the disappearance of the BCS-Bogoliubov quasiparticle band at T_c and the change from a more V-like superconducting gap to a rather U-like pseudogap above T_c can be explained in a consistent way by assuming that the low-energy pseudogap in the underdoped cuprates is due to phase fluctuations of a local d_{x^2-y^2}-wave pairing gap with fixed magnitude. Furthermore, phase fluctuations can explain why the pseudogap starts closing from the nodal points, whereas it rather fills in along the anti-nodal directions and they can also account for the characteristic temperature dependence of the superconducting (pi,0)-photoemission-peak. Next, we have shown that the "violation" of the low-frequency optical sum rule recently observed in the SC state of underdoped Bi2212, which is associated with a reduction of kinetic energy, can be related to the role of phase fluctuations. The decrease in kinetic energy is due to the sharpening of the quasiparticle peaks close to the superconducting transition at T_c == T_{KT}, where the phase correlation length xi diverges. A detailed analysis of the temperature and frequency dependence of the optical conductivity sigma(omega)=sigma_1(omega)+i sigma_2(omega) revealed a superconducting scaling of sigma_2(omega), which starts already above T_c, exactly as observed in high-frequency microwave conductivity experiments on Bi2212. On the other hand, our model was only able to account for the characteristic peak, which is observed in sigma_1(omega) close to the superconducting transition, after the inclusion of an additional marginal-Fermi-liquid scattering-rate in the optical conductivity formula. Finally, we calculated the static uniform diamagnetic susceptibility. It turned out that the precursor effects of the fluctuating diamagnetism above T_c are very small and limited to temperatures close to T_c in a phase-fluctuation scenario of the pseudogap. Instead, the temperature dependence of the uniform static magnetic susceptibility is dominated by the Pauli spin susceptibility, which displayed a very characteristic temperature dependence, independent of the details of the gap function used in our model. This temperature dependence is qualitatively very similar to the experimentally observed change of the Knight-shift as a function of temperature in underdoped Bi2212.}, subject = {Hochtemperatursupraleiter}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Szeghalmi2005, author = {Szeghalmi, Adriana Viorica}, title = {The ground and excited state molecular structure of model systems undergoing photochemical processes and the characterization of active agents by means of vibrational spectroscopy and theoretical calculations}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-11961}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2005}, abstract = {The present thesis reports about vibrational and quantum chemical investigations on model systems undergoing photochemical processes and pharmaceutically active compounds, respectively. Infrared (IR) and Raman spectroscopy were applied for the characterization of the ground state molecular structure. Moreover, resonance Raman (RR) spectra contain additional information about the resonantly enhanced excited state molecular structure. A quantitative resonance Raman intensity analysis in conjunction with the simultaneous simulation of the absorption spectra by means of time-dependent propagation methods was accomplished in order to extract valuable information about the excited state molecular structures of the investigated systems. Surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) allows one to determine the interaction and adsorption site of active agents on a metal substrate. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) and potential energy distribution (PED) calculations were carried out for an exact assignment of the vibrational spectra. Complete active space self consistent field (CASSCF) and configuration interaction (CI) calculations for some model systems were also performed to assess the experimental results on the excited state potential surfaces. The fundamentals of resonance Raman spectroscopy are treated in detail, describing the physical processes and emphasizing the theoretical methodologies which allow one to obtain the information about the resonantly excited state via an RR intensity analysis. The Brownian oscillator model to determine the solvent reorganization energy is briefly presented. Furthermore, the SERS enhancement mechanisms and selection rules to determine the orientation of the molecules adsorbed on the metal substrate are discussed. The Hartree-Fock approach to calculate the ground state geometry is expatiated, and the basic characteristics of the CI and CASSCF calculations are specified. The chapter ends with a short description of the DFT calculations. Chapter 4 deals with the investigation of the excited state intramolecular proton transfer of the model system, 1-hydroxy-2-acetonaphthone (HAN). The vibrations showing the highest displacement parameters correspond to stretching and in-plane deformation modes of the naphthalene ring and the conjugated carbonyl group, while the OH stretching mode exhibits no observable enhancement. The cooperative effect of the skeletal vibrations reduces the distance between the carbonyl and hydroxyl oxygen atoms in accordance with a general electron density redistribution. Hence, the leading force in the proton transfer process is the increase in electron density on the carbonyl group and the decrease of the negative charge on the hydroxyl oxygen. In chapter 5 the structural and vibrational characteristics of the organic mixed valence system N,N,N',N'-tetraphenylphenylenediamine radical cation (1+) are discussed. The resonance Raman measurements showed that at least eight vibrational modes are strongly coupled to the optical charge transfer process in (1+). These Franck-Condon active modes were assigned to symmetric vibrations. The most enhanced band corresponds to the symmetric stretching mode along the N-phenylene-N unit and exhibits the largest vibrational reorganization energy. Nevertheless, symmetric stretching modes of the phenylene and phenyl units as well as deformation modes are also coupled to the electronic process. The total vibrational reorganization energy of these symmetrical modes is dominant, while the solvent induced broadening and reorganization energy are found to be small. Hence, (1+) adopts a symmetrical delocalized Robin-Day Class III structure in the ground state. Chapter 6 reports about a vibrational spectroscopic investigation of a model organic photorefractive thiophene derivative, 2-(N,N-diethylamino)-5-(2',2'-dicyanovinyl)-thiophene. The geometry of the first excited state were optimized and the FC parameters were calculated using the configuration interaction with single excitations method. These calculations show that the contribution of the zwitterionic structure to the excited state is significantly higher than in the ground state. The resonance Raman spectra indicate that several stretching modes along the bonds connecting the donor and acceptor moieties as well as the S-C stretching vibrations are enhanced. Chapter 7 presents the vibrational analysis of an aziridinyl tripeptide, a cysteine protease inhibitor active drug. The vibrational analysis reveals stronger H-bonding of the aziridine NH unit in the solid state of the aziridinyl tripeptide than in the liquid electrophilic building block, indicating medium strong intermolecular H-bond interactions in the crystal unit. The amide hydrogen atoms of the aziridinyl tripeptide are involved in weaker H-bonds than in an epoxide analogon. Furthermore, the characteristic vibrational modes of the peptide backbone were discussed. Chapter 8 reports on the adsorption mechanism of two related anti-leukemia active agents, 6-mercaptopurine (6MP) and 6-mercaptopurine-ribose (6MPR) on a silver colloid. Both molecules adsorb through the N1 and possibly S atom on the metal surface under basic conditions. The SERS spectra recorded for acidic pH values showed that the ribose derivative exhibits a different adsorption behavior compared to the free base. 6MP probably adsorbs on the silver sol through the N9 and N3 atoms, while 6MPR interacts with the surface via the N7 and probably S atoms. Around critical biological concentrations and pH values i.e. at low concentrations and almost neutral condition (pH 7-9), 6MPR interacts with the substrate through both N7 and N1 atoms, possibly forming two differently adsorbed species, while for 6MP only the species adsorbed via N1 was evidenced.}, subject = {Photochemie}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Klukowska2004, author = {Klukowska, Anna}, title = {Switching hybrid polymers with physically and covalently entrapped organic photochromes}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-11721}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {The aim of this work was to test and tailor new sol gel derived hybrid polymer coatings for the incorporation of photochromic spirooxazines and chromenes. The development and optimisation of work was performed via two different routes (dye and matrix ones), that led to photochromic multi-layer coating systems with coloration depth and photostabilities comparable to commercially available products. Hybrid sol-gel derived polymers were found to be suitable host materials for photochromic dyes. Matrix properties and the type of entrapment heavily influence the photochromic activity, as well as the degradation rate and the kinetics of incorporated dyes. Dyes incorporated within more polar and rigid matrices were found to show slower kinetics and higher coloration but associated with faster photodegradation. On the other hand, hosts with less polar sites, low residual water concentration and low rigidity are preferable in terms of photostability. Significant differences were found for physically incorporated and covalently grafted chromophores. Using silylated dyes that can participate in the sol-gel process, the photodegradation rate of the whole system can be decreased as compared to the physically entrapped systems. The higher photostability and slower kinetics for covalently bonded photochromes is probably due to sterical hindrance. Addition of proper stabilisers increases the photostability: The employment of UV light stabilisers, excited state quenchers and HALS was found to be beneficial but not sufficient. Besides the presence of stabilisers, also the reduction of oxygen migration into the coating (by a hard top coat and an inorganic anti reflective coating) strongly increases stability of photochromes. Finally, it was found that the separation of photochromes within two (or more) different layers leads to a further improvement of the coloration and fatigue behaviour of the whole coating stack, presumably by preventing the contact of dye molecules with excited states of other molecules or their degradation products. These latter findings are considered to pave the way for stable photochromic coatings based on hybrid polymers. Future development should be directed towards more photostable yellow and red switching dyes. The results of the present investigations should help to choose the most suitable molecular environments for the tested photochromes in terms of photostability, kinetics and activity, which is considered relevant with respect to potential applications, in particular in the ophthalmic sector. Furthermore, the interesting combination of properties of this type of materials offers a large potential with regard to many applications, such as coatings for sunglasses, radiation protectors, filters, sunroofs, reversible markings, printing applications and smart textiles.}, subject = {Metallorganische Polymere}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Herzner2004, author = {Herzner, Gudrun}, title = {Evolution of the pheromone communication system in the European Beewolf Philanthus triangulum F. (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae)}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-11651}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {Darwin's theory of sexual selection explains the evolution of flamboyant male traits through female choice. It does not, however, address the question why males typically court and females choose. This asymmetry is now thought to be the result of the dichotomy in reproductive expenditures: Females invest primarily in parental care and males invest predominantly in mate attraction or competition. Based on this view, several hypotheses for the origin and maintenance of female preferences have been proposed. They include the classical sexual selection models, i.e. female choice for direct and indirect benefits as well as the more recent concepts of female choice for genetic compatibility and receiver bias models. The complementary choice scenario assumes that females choose mates with regard to genetic compatibility. The receiver bias concept views male traits and female preferences within the framework of communication theory and encompasses various more or less distinct models, two of which are sensory exploitation and sensory trap. Both models postulate that male signals evolved in response to pre-existing perceptual biases of females. The sensory trap hypothesis additionally emphasizes that pre-existing female preferences for certain cues evolved in non-sexual contexts, like e.g. foraging. Males that mimic these cues and elicit a favourable out-of-context response by females may increase their reproductive success. This thesis examines the evolution of the pheromone communication in the European Beewolf Philanthus triangulum. Beewolf females are specialized hunters of honeybees and provision their progeny with paralyzed prey. Male beewolves establish and scent mark territories with a pheromone from a head gland to court females. The concordant occurrence of the otherwise rare alcohol (Z)-11-eicosen-1-ol in the male pheromone and in the alarm pheromone of honeybees, the exclusive prey of the females, suggests a sensory trap process as an explanation for the evolution of the male pheromone in P. triangulum. According to this hypothesis, we tested three predictions: First, foraging honeybees should emit eicosenol. Via chemical analysis we could show that honeybee workers in fact smell of eicosenol during foraging. The occurrence of eicosenol on the cuticle and in the headspace of honeybees is a new finding. Second, beewolf females should use eicosenol as a cue for prey detection or identification. Using behavioural assays, we demonstrated that prey recognition in beewolf females is accomplished by olfactory cues and that eicosenol is an essential cue in this process. The sensory sensitivity of beewolf females to eicosenol must be extremely high, since they perceive the trace amounts present in the head space of honeybees. This sensitivity may be due to specialized olfactory receptors on the antennae of beewolf females. An inventory of the flagellar sensilla of both sexes showed that females carry one type of sensillum that is missing in males, the large sensillum basiconicum. This chemo-sensitive sensillum most likely plays a role in prey recognition. The third prediction is that beewolf males incorporate bee-like substances, including eicosenol, into their pheromone, and possibly catch females in a sensory trap. A reanalysis of the male pheromone revealed, among others, eicosenol and several alkanes and alkenes as pheromonal compounds. Our own analyses of the chemical profiles of honeybee workers and beewolf pheromone disclosed a surprisingly strong resemblance between the two. Eight of the eleven substances of the male pheromone are also present on the cuticle and in the headspace of honeybees. Notwithstanding this similarity, the male pheromone does not function as a sensory trap for females. Nevertheless, the extensive congruence between the odour bouquets of the females' prey and the male pheromone strongly suggests that the male signal evolved to exploit a pre-existing female sensory bias towards bee odour, and, thus represents a case of sensory exploitation. In addition to the above described scenario concerning mostly the 'design' of the male pheromone, we addressed possible indirect benefits female beewolves may gain by basing their mating decisions on signal 'content'. We show that the pheromone of male beewolves varies between families and may, thus, contain information about the degree of relatedness between the female and a potential mate. Females could use this information to choose genetically complementary males to avoid inbreeding and the production of infertile diploid sons. Collectively, our results provide strong evidence for a receiver bias process in the evolution of the male pheromone of P. triangulum. They further indicate that the pheromone composition may subsequently have been influenced by other natural or sexual selection pressures, like e.g. complementary female choice.}, subject = {Philantus}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schmitt2004, author = {Schmitt, Thomas}, title = {Communication in the hymenoptera : chemistry, ecology and evolution}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-11267}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {Insects exhibit complex systems of communication with chemical signalling being the most important mode. Although there are many studies on chemical communication in insects, the evolution of chemical signals is not well understood. Due to the conflict of interests between individuals, different selective pressures might act on sender and receiver. In this thesis I investigate different types of communication where either the sender, the receiver or both parties yield benefits. These studies were conducted with one digger wasp species, honeybees, one chrysidid wasp, and three ant species. Senders might benefit by exploiting existing preferences of receivers. Such sensory exploitation might influence the evolution of male signals that are designed to attract females. The sex pheromone of male European beewolves Philanthus triangulum (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) might have evolved according to the sensory exploitation hypothesis. A three-step scenario is supported by our studies. First, a major component of the honeybee alarm pheromone, (Z)-11-eicosen-1-ol, is also found on the cuticles and in the air surrounding foraging honeybees. Second, it could be shown, that (Z)-11- eicosen-1-ol plays a crucial role as kairomone for prey identification of honeybees by beewolf females. Third, a reanalysis of the beewolf male sex pheromone shows a remarkable similarity of compounds between the pheromone and the honeybee cuticle, besides the co-occurrence of (Z)-11-eisosen-ol. The majority of the cuticular hydrocarbons of honeybees occur also in the headspace of foraging workers. These results strongly support the hypothesis that beewolf males evolved a pheromone that exploits the females' pre-existing sensory sensitivity. In addition, the male sex pheromone shows a significantly higher similarity among brothers than among non-related individuals, which might enable beewolf females to discriminate against brothers and avoid detrimental effects of breeding. Together with the studies on the possible sensory exploitation this result shows that both, male and female beewolves probably gain more benefits than costs from the pheromone communication and, thus, the communication system as a whole can be regarded as cooperative. To maintain the reproductive division of labour in eusocial colonies, queens have to signal their presence and fecundity. In the ant Camponotus floridanus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) queens mark their own eggs with a distinctive pattern of cuticular hydrocarbons. Two different hypotheses have been developed. One suggests a form of worker manipulation by the queen. The alternative hypothesis assumes a cooperative signal that provides information on the condition of the queen. The results of our investigation clearly favour the latter hypothesis. Chemical mimicry is a form of non-cooperative communication that benefits predominantly the sender. We provided conclusive evidence that the cockoo wasp, Hedychrum rutilans (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae), the primary brood parasitoid of Philanthus triangulum, evades recognition by beewolf females most probably by chemical mimicry of the odour of its host. Furthermore, the adaptation of the chemical signature in the social ant parasite Protomognathus americanus (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) to its Leptothorax (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) hosts was investigated. Although this parasite is principally adapted to its hosts' cuticular hydrocarbon profile, there are still pronounced differences between the profiles of parasites and hosts. This might be explained by the trade-off, which the parasites faces when confronted locally with two host species with different cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. Non-cooperative communication in the sense that only receivers benefit was discovered in the exploitation of honeybees volatile cuticular hydrocarbons by beewolf females. By using emitted (Z)-11-eicosen-1-ol as a kairomone, the receiver, the beewolf female, yields the benefits and the sender, the honeybee prey, bears all the costs. The results of these studies contribute to the understanding of the evolution of cooperative and non-cooperative communication with chemical signals taking into account differential benefits for sender and/or receiver.}, subject = {Hautfl{\"u}gler}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Daiss2004, author = {Daiß, J{\"u}rgen Oliver}, title = {Synthesis of sila-analogs and silicon-containing derivatives of drugs and development and application of the Si-2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl moiety as a novel protecting group in organosilicon chemistry}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-11187}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {The present work describes the synthesis of sila-venlafaxine, disila-bexarotene, disila-AG-045572 (disila-CMPD1), a series of silicon-based allosteric modulators of muscarinic receptors, and a partial synthesis of sila-gabapentin. Crystal structure data of rac-sila-venlafaxine hydrochloride, (R)-sila-venlafaxine hydrobromide, bexarotene, disila-bexarotene, and disila-AG-045572 (disila-CMPD1) are included. Studies on the biological activities of sila-venlafaxine and of silicon-based allosteric modulators of muscarinic receptors are discussed. The Si-2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl (Si-2,4,6-TMOP) moiety is described as a novel, acid-labile protecting group in organosilicon chemistry. The synthesis of chlorotris(chloromethyl)silane and tris(chloromethyl)methoxysilane is described.}, subject = {Wirkstoff}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Kukulus2004, author = {Kukulus, Matthias}, title = {A quantitative approach to the evolution of the central Walvis Basin offshore NW-Namibia : structure, mass balancing, and hydrocarbon potential}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-11075}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {Rifting and breakup of Westgondwana in the Late Jurassic/ Early Cretaceous initiated the formation of the South Atlantic and its conjugated pair of passive continental margins. The Walvis Basin offshore NW-Namibia is an Early Cretaceous to recent depositional centre with a typically wedge-shaped postrift sedimentary succession covering an area of 105000km2. A 2D model transect across the central Walvis Basin and adjacent onshore areas is used as a case study to investigate quantitatively the denudational history of the evolving passive margin and the related contemporaneous depositional postrift evolution offshore. The database for both the onshore and offshore part of the model traverse is well constrained by own field work, published data as well as by seismic and well data supported by samples. The ultimate goal of this project is to present an integrated approach towards a quantitative link between surface processes and internal processes in terms of a mass and process balance.}, subject = {Namibia }, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Berndt2002, author = {Berndt, Roman}, title = {Palaeoecology and taxonomy of the macrobenthic fauna from the Upper Cretaceous Ajlun Group, southern Jordan}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10974}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2002}, abstract = {The Upper Cretaceous Ajlun Group (Cenomanian-Turonian) of southern/south-eastern Jordan has been analysed in 15 detailed sections with thicknesses between 40 m and 200 m. Taxonomic, palaeoecological, taphonomic, and sedimentological aspects were taken into account. During the early Upper Cretaceous the study area was situated at the south-eastern margin of the Tethys Ocean, between the palaeo-shoreline in the south-east and an offshore carbonate platform in the west. Thus, the measured sections include a complete facies succession from terrestrial-dominated environments via marginal marine siliciclastics to an area of carbonate precipitation. So far, very little is known about the fauna and the depositional environment of the group, especially of the transitional marginal marine part. Also, in depth studies of the Cretaceous fauna of southern Jordan are very rare. Therefore, the benthic fauna of the area is described in an extensive taxonomic chapter. It consists of 117 taxa, 77 of which are bivalves, 22 gastropods, 9 echinoids, and 4 corals. The phyla Porifera, Bryozoa, and Brachiopoda are represented by 1 species each. Additionally, at least two species of decapod crustaceans were found. One bivalve species is new: Anthonya jordanica from Cenomanian claystones of the eastern study area. 41 quantitative samples of the benthic invertebrate fauna were grouped into nine associations and three assemblages by means of a Q-mode cluster analysis. These are described as remnants of former communities and their environments are discussed. Salinity and substrate consistency are assumed to have been the most important environmental parameters controlling the faunal distribution. The overall palaeo-environment is discussed on the basis of sedimentological and palaeoecological results. It was primarily influenced by the morphology of the sea floor, sediment supply, and salinity of the sea water.}, subject = {Ajlun }, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Brandt2003, author = {Brandt, S{\"o}nke}, title = {Metamorphic evolution of ultrahigh-temperature granulite facies and upper amphibolite facies rocks of the Epupa Complex, NW Namibia}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10930}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2003}, abstract = {The high-grade metamorphic Epupa Complex (EC) of north-western Namibia constitutes the south-western margin of the Archean to Proterozoic Congo Craton. The north-eastern portion of the EC has been geochemically and petrologically investigated in order to reconstruct its tectono-metamorphic evolution. Two distinct metamorphic units have been recognized, which are separated by ductile shear zones: (1) Upper amphibolite facies rocks (Orue Unit) and (2) ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) granulite facies rocks (Epembe Unit). The rocks of the EC are transsected by a large anorthosite massif, the Kunene Intrusive Complex (KIC). The Orue Unit and the Epembe Unit were affected by two distinct Mesoproterozoic metamorphic events, as is evident from differences in their metamorphic grade, in the P-T paths and in the age of peak-metamorphism: (1) The Orue Unit consists of a Palaeoproterozoic volcano-sedimentary sequence, which was intruded by large masses of I-type granitoids and by rare mafic dykes. During the Mesoproterozoic (1390-1318 Ma) the Orue Unit rocks underwent upper amphibolite facies metamorphism. The volcano-sedimentary sequence is constituted by interlayered basaltic amphibolites and rhyolitic felsic gneisses, with intercalations of migmatitic metagreywackes, migmatitic metapelites, metaarkoses and calc-silicate rocks. The Orue Unit was subdivided into three parts, which record similar heating-cooling paths but represent individual crustal levels: Heating led to the partial replacement of amphibole, biotite and muscovite through dehydration melting reactions. The peak-metamorphic P-T conditions of c. 700°C, 6.5 +/- 1.0 kbar (south-eastern part), c. 820°C, 8 +/- 0.5 kbar (south-western part) and c. 800°C, 6.0 +/- 1.0 kbar (northern part) correlate well with the mineral assemblage in the metapelites, i.e. Grt-Bt-Sil gneisses and schist in the south-eastern and south-western region and (Grt-)Crd-Bt gneisses in the northern part. Peak-metamorphism was followed by retrograde cooling to middle amphibolite facies conditions. Contact metamorphism, related with the intrusion of the anorthosites, is restricted to the direct contact to the KIC and recorded by massive metapelitic Grt-Sil-Crd felses, formed under upper amphibolite facies conditions (c. 750°C, c. 6.5 kbar). (2) The Epembe Unit consists of a Palaeoproterozoic volcano-sedimentary succession, which was intruded by small bodies of S-type granitoids and by andesitic dykes. All these rocks underwent UHT granulite facies metamorphism during the early Mesoproterozoic (1520-1447 Ma). The volcano-sedimentary succession is dominated by interlayered basaltic two-pyroxene granulites and rhyolitic felsic granulites. Migmatitic metapelites and metagreywackes are intercalated in the metavolcanites. Sapphirine-bearing MgAl-rich gneisses occur as restitic schlieren in the migmatitic metagreywackes. Reconstructed anti-clockwise P-T paths are subdivided into several distinct stages: During prograde near-isobaric heating to UHT conditions at c. 7 kbar biotite- or hornblende-bearing mineral assemblages were almost completely replaced by anhydrous mineral assemblages through various dehydration melting reactions. A subsequent pressure increase of 2-3 kbar led to the formation of the peak-metamorphic mineral assemblages Grt-Opx and (Grt-)Opx-Cpx in the orthogneisses and Grt-Opx, Grt-Sil and (Grt-)(Spr-)Opx-Sil-Qtz in the paragneisses. UHT-Metamorphism is proved by conventional geothermobarometry (970 +/- 70°C; 9.5 +/- 2.5 kbar), by the very high Al content of peak-metamorphic orthopyroxene (up to 11.9 wt.\% Al2O3) in many paragneisses and by Opx-Sil-Qtz assemblages in the MgAl-rich gneisses. Post-peak decompression is recorded by several corona and symplectite textures, formed at the expense of the peak-metamorphic phases: Initial UHT decompression of about ca. 2 kbar to 940 +/- 60°C at 8 +/- 2 kbar is mainly evident from the formation of sapphirine-bearing symplectites in the Opx-Sil gneisses. Subsequent high-temperature decompression to 6 +/- 2 kbar at 800 +/- 60°C resulted in the formation of Crd-Opx-Spl, Crd-Opx and Spl-Crd symplectites. Subsequent near-isobaric cooling to upper amphibolite conditions of 660 +/- 30°C at 5 +/- 1.5 kbar led to the re-growth of biotite, hornblende, sillimanite and garnet. During continued decompression orthopyroxene and cordierite were formed at the expense of biotite in several paragneisses. In a geodynamic model UHT metamorphism of the Epembe Unit is correlated with the formation of a large magma chamber at the mantle-crust boundary, which forms the source for the anorthosites of the KIC. In contrast, amphibolite facies metamorphism of the Orue Unit is ascribed to a regional contact metamorphic event, caused by the emplacement of the anorthositic crystal mushes in the middle crust.}, subject = {Namibia }, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schoell2003, author = {Sch{\"o}ll, Achim}, title = {High-resolution investigation of the electronic structure of organic thin films}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10809}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2003}, abstract = {Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der elektronischen Struktur organischer D{\"u}nnfilme. Eine zentrale Frage dabei ist der Einfluss der Wechselwirkung zwischen den Molek{\"u}len in der kondensierten Phase und der Wechselwirkung an metall-organischen Grenzfl{\"a}chen auf die elektronischen Eigenschaften. Dazu wurden die experimentellen Methoden Photoelektronenspektroskopie (PES) und R{\"o}ntgenabsorptionsspektroskopie (NEXAFS) mit h{\"o}chster Energieaufl{\"o}sung angewandt. Zus{\"a}tzlich wurden ab initio Rechnungen zur theoretischen Simulation von NEXAFS Spektren durchgef{\"u}hrt. Haupts{\"a}chlich wurden d{\"u}nne, vakuumsublimierte Filme aromatischer Modellmolek{\"u}le mit sauerstoffhaltigen funktionellen Gruppen (NTCDA, PTCDA, NDCA, BPDCA und ANQ) auf Ag(111) Oberfl{\"a}chen untersucht. Die ausgew{\"a}hlten Molek{\"u}le besitzen wegen ihrer großen delokalisierten p-Elektronensysteme sehr interessante Eigenschaften f{\"u}r die Anwendung in elektronischen Bauelementen. Dank der hohen Energieaufl{\"o}sung von Synchrotronstrahlungsquellen der dritten Generation war es erstmals m{\"o}glich, die Schwingungsfeinstruktur in den NEXAFS Spektren dieser kondensierten großen Molek{\"u}le sichtbar zu machen. Der Vergleich der Daten verschiedener Molek{\"u}le liefert dabei interessante Einblicke in den Kopplungmechanismus zwischen dem elektronischen {\"U}bergang und der Schwingungsanregung. Obwohl die Molek{\"u}le eine Vielzahl verschiedener Schwingungsmoden besitzen, kann man in deren NEXAFS Spektren beobachten, dass die elektronischen {\"U}berg{\"a}nge jeweils an haupts{\"a}chlich eine Schwingungsmode koppeln. Die hochaufgel{\"o}sten XPS Spektren der Molek{\"u}le NTCDA, PTCDA, NDCA, BPDCA und ANQ zeigen bestimmte systematische Unterschiede, so dass diese Spektren als Fingerabdruck f{\"u}r die jeweilige Substanz verwendet werden k{\"o}nnen. Durch die vergleichende Auswertung der Spektren konnten die 1s Bindungsenergien aller chemisch unterschiedlichen Kohlenstoff- und Sauerstoffatome bestimmt werden. Zus{\"a}tzliche Strukturen in den Spektren k{\"o}nnen shake-up Satelliten zugeschrieben werden. Die f{\"u}nf Molek{\"u}le stellen ein ideales Modellsystem dar, um fundamentale Aspekte der Rumpfelektronenspektroskopie zu untersuchen, wie Anfangs- und Endzustandseffekte und Satelliten, die durch die intramolekulare und intermolekulare Elektronendichteverteilung im Grund- und rumpfionisierten Zustand beeinflusst werden. Ein wichtiger Punkt dieser Dissertation sind spektroskopische Untersuchungen strukturell unterschiedlicher NTCDA Monolagenphasen auf Ag(111), deren Existenz aus vorangegangenen Arbeiten bekannt ist. Deutliche Unterschiede in der elektronischen Struktur der verschiedenen Phasen, die auf die Metall-Adsorbat Wechselwirkung zur{\"u}ckzuf{\"u}hren sind, konnten sowohl mittels XPS als auch mittels NEXAFS aufgezeigt werden. Sowohl f{\"u}r die komprimierte also auch f{\"u}r die relaxierte NTCDA Monolage kann die Bindung ans Substrat als schwach chemisorptiv charakterisiert werden, was eindeutig aus der Analyse der Satellitenstrukturen in den O 1s und C 1s XPS Spektren hervorgeht, die durch die dynamische Abschirmung durch Ladungstransfer vom Substrat erzeugt werden. Die NEXAFS Daten zeigen konsistent eine teilweise Besetzung des NTCDA LUMOs. Sowohl f{\"u}r die komprimierte als auch f{\"u}r die relaxierte NTCDA Monolage finden hochinteressante Phasen{\"u}berg{\"a}nge in ungeordnete Tieftemperaturphasen beim Abk{\"u}hlen auf 160 K statt. Dabei wird die Adsorbat-Substrat Wechselwirkung st{\"a}rker und das LUMO wird vollst{\"a}ndig besetzt. Dies kann in den NEXAFS Spektren anhand des Verschwindens der zugh{\"o}rigen {\"U}berg{\"a}nge beobachtet werden. Die XPS Spektren zeigen gleichzeitig eine deutliche Abnahme der Intensit{\"a}t schlecht abgeschirmter Photoemissionszust{\"a}nde, was auf die nun effektivere Ladungstransferabschirmung zur{\"u}ckzuf{\"u}hren ist. F{\"u}r den Phasen{\"u}bergang der relaxierten Monolage konnte mittels temperaturabh{\"a}ngiger NEXAFS Messungen eindeutig ein Hystereseverhalten gezeigt und die Hysteresekurve bestimmt werden. Die Hysterese betr{\"a}gt etwa 20 K. Des weiteren wurde aus SPA-LEED Messungen die Aktivierungsenergie f{\"u}r den Phasen{\"u}bergang der relaxierten Monolage beim Abk{\"u}hlen auf ca. 60 meV bestimmt. Schließlich wurden NEXAFS Untersuchungen an Poly{\"a}thylenproben mit verschiedenem Komonomergehalt durchgef{\"u}hrt. Unterschiede in den Absorptionsspektren von Proben mit unterschiedlichem Komonomeranteil konnten eindeutig auf die unterschiedliche Kristallinit{\"a}t der Proben zur{\"u}ckgef{\"u}hrt werden, indem eine hochkristalline Probe in situ bis zur Schmelztemperatur geheizt wurde. Ab initio Rechnungen an einer Modelmatrix aus Butanmolek{\"u}len zeigen, dass die Spektren von kristallinem und amorphem Poly{\"a}thylen aufgrund der intermolekularen Wechselwirkung deutliche Unterschiede haupts{\"a}chlich f{\"u}r Resonanzen mit starkem Rydberg Charakter aufweisen. Damit lassen sich die Unterschiede in den Poly{\"a}thylenspektren durch die {\"U}berlagerung der Signaturen der kristallinen und amorphen Anteile erkl{\"a}ren, die je nach Kristallinit{\"a}t der Probe in unterschiedlichen Verh{\"a}ltnissen vorliegen.}, subject = {D{\"u}nne Schicht}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Xiao2004, author = {Xiao, Zheng}, title = {Blimp-1 Regulates Terminal Differentiation of T Cells}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10530}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {The transcriptional repressor-Blimp-1 terminates differentiation of B lymphocytes as well as myeloid cells. Our data show that Blimp-1 is highly expressed in freshly isolated murine primary T lymphocytes, particularly its minor splice variant. Ectopic expression of Blimp-1 by retroviral transduction neither dramatically altered secretion of IFN-{\~a} or IL-4 nor did it induce the ability to suppress as regulatory T cells. However, induction of Blimp-1 resulted in not only a significant reduction in the production of IL-2 but also an inability to proliferate as well as in the reduced viability. These results demonstrate that Blimp-1 might mark end stages of lineage differentiation in T cells.}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Vukicevic2004, author = {Vukicevic, Vladimir}, title = {Mechanisms of apoptosis modulation and their contribution to genomic instability in tumor cells}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10605}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {The concept of programmed cell death has been increasingly considered from various aspects since early 1970's. Primarily, knowledge of apoptosis referred to morphological changes in which chromatin is condensed and increasingly fragmented, revealed as small structure in the nucleus. The membrane shrinks and the cell becomes dense as can be seen by flow cytometry. Interestingly, similar modes of cell deletion were observed in nematodes indicating that apoptosis is a highly conserved machinery. Three Caeonorhabditis elegans gene products are found to have high homology with mammalian apoptotic genes: CED-9 inhibits apoptosis and is related to bcl-2; CED-3 and CED-4 promote apoptosis and are related to caspase 9 and APAF-1. Apoptosis is not accidental death, but a highly controlled and medically important molecular process. More general terms such as 'physiological' or 'regulated' cell death cover different morphologies and sequences. Programmed suicide of cells that were subjected to toxic exogenous and endogenous stimuli plays a key role in understanding cancer development and its treatment. Apoptosis involves sequences of events that may overlap and play contradictory or antagonistic roles in cell death. Generally, the ability to trigger apoptotic processes in cancer cells would benefit an organism by keeping homeostasis intact. Programmed cell death is a regularly present mechanism, for instance, in lymphocyte recruitment in the thymus where immature lymphocytes may recognize host antigens. Therefore, such lymphocytes become apoptotic and are removed by macrophages. Removal prevents possible autoimmune diseases. Unlike apoptosis, necrosis is a passive process of cell death recognizable by membrane morphological changes and accompanied by leakage of intracellular material into intercellular space that may cause inflammation in the organism. Signals that may initiate apoptosis are generally classified into two groups: signals that launch extrinsic apoptotic pathways starting with aggregation of death receptors and intrinsic apoptotic pathways starting with disruption of intracellular homeostasis such as the release of mitochondrial factors or DNA degradation. Early in the process, apoptotic signals may lead to a broad range of signaling mechanisms such as DNA repair and assessment of DNA damage (check points). Thus, failure in any of these steps can cause a defective apoptotic response that plays a decisive role in both tumorigenesis and drug resistance in tumor treatment. More distinctly, the capability of cancer cells to go into apoptosis prevents further neoplastic changes. Generally, the purpose of this study is to investigate the balance between formation of genomic damage and induction of apoptosis under genotoxic stress. After genotoxic insult there are different possibilities for the fate of a cell (Figure 1). The genomic integrity is analyzed at cellular checkpoints, usually leading to a delay in cell cycle progression if DNA was damaged. Mutations in genes such as p53 and p21 change the cellular response to genotoxic stress and may alter the balance between apoptosis and genomic damage. However, p53 is usually mutated or not expressed in 70\% of human tumors. Alterations in p53 states that reflect distinct apoptotic response upon induction of DNA damage were examined. In this study, three cell lines with distinct p53 states were used: TK6 harboring wild-type p53, WTK1 with mutated p53 and NH32 with knocked out p53. In the present work we applied different approaches to investigate the correlation between DNA damage and apoptotic responsiveness in cancer cell lines with different p53 states or in hormone responsive cell lines with over expressed bcl-2 gene. We were focused on effects caused by temporary down regulation of the p53 and Bcl-2 activity in human lymphoblastoid cell lines. In addition, we investigated the impact of estradiol-induced proliferation on apoptosis and DNA damage in stably transfected cells with bcl-2gene.}, subject = {Apoptosis}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Mueck2004, author = {M{\"u}ck, Alexander}, title = {The standard model in 5D : theoretical consistency and experimental constraints}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10591}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {The four-dimensional Minkowski space is known to be a good description for space-time down to the length scales probed by the latest high-energy experiments. Nevertheless, there is the viable and exciting possibility that additional space-time structure will be observable in the next generation of collider experiments. Hence, we discuss different extensions of the standard model of particle physics with an extra dimension at the TeV-scale. We assume that some of the gauge and Higgs bosons propagate in one additional spatial dimension, while matter fields are confined to a four-dimensional subspace, the usual Minkowski space. After compactification on an S^1/Z_2 orbifold, an effective four-dimensional theory is obtained where towers of Kaluza-Klein (KK) modes, in addition to the standard model fields, reflect the higher-dimensional structure of space-time. The models are elaborated from the 5D Lagrangian to the Feynman rules of the KK modes. Special attention is paid to an appropriate generalization of the Rxi-gauge and the interplay between spontaneous symmetry breaking and compactification. Confronting the observables in 5D standard model extensions with combined precision measurements at the Z-boson pole and the latest data from LEP2, we constrain the possible size R of the extra dimension experimentally. A multi-parameter fit of all relevant input parameters leads to bounds for the compactification scale M=1/R in the range 4-6 TeV at the 2 sigma confidence level and shows how the mass of the Higgs boson is correlated with the size of an extra dimension. Considering a future linear e+e- collider, we outline the discovery potential for an extra dimension using the proposed TESLA specifications as an example. As a consistency check for the various models, we analyze Ward identities and the gauge boson equivalence theorem in W-pair production and find that gauge symmetry is preserved by a complex interplay of the Kaluza-Klein modes. In this context, we point out the close analogy between the traditional Higgs mechanism and mass generation for gauge bosons via compactification. Beyond the tree-level, the higher-dimensional models studied extensively in the literature and in the first part of this thesis have to be extended. We modify the models by the inclusion of brane kinetic terms which are required as counter terms. Again, we derive the corresponding 4D theory for the KK towers paying special attention to gauge fixing and spontaneous symmetry breaking. Finally, the phenomenological implications of the new brane kinetic terms are investigated in detail.}, subject = {Standardmodell }, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Murso2004, author = {Murso, Alexander}, title = {Electronic response of phosphorus and nitrogen based ligands on metal coordination}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10397}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {Phosphorus and nitrogen containing ligands were examined in terms of their coordination flexibility. Combining these donor atoms of different hardness or softness in one molecule leads to the design of polyfunctional, ambidentate ligand systems with unique properties, because the different features associated with each donor atom confer unique reactivity to their metal complexes. The phosphane Ph2P(CH2Py) (Py = 2-pyridyl) is a very versatile starting material for the preparation of highly flexible, hemilabile, ambident ligands. C-deprotonation of this phosphane yields a Janus head, responding very sensitive to the Lewis-acidity and the charge concentration of the coordinated metal, adapting its coordination mode to the electronic requirements of the cation (electronic differentiation). Thus, bidentate (P,N)-chelating, tridentate (P,N)-chelating together with C-coordination and (C,N)-coordination is observed in the different metal complexes discussed in this work. Additionally, the oxidized derivative of the abovementioned phosphane, the iminophosphorane Ph2P(CH2Py)(NSiMe3), is discussed. The C-deprotonated anion of this iminophosphorane prefers (N,N')-side arm- rather than C-coordination. The electron deficient pyridyl substituent at the C-atom leads to charge delocalization in the anionic [Ph2P(CHPy)(NSiMe3]-moiety. The bonding parameters of the iminophosphorane and all its derivatives, together with the almost fixed 15N-NMR resonances for the imino nitrogen atoms in these compounds prove that hypervalent central phosphorus is not required to describe the bonding situation in iminophosphoranes.}, subject = {Phosphane}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Dobrawa2004, author = {Dobrawa, Rainer Anton}, title = {Synthesis and characterization of terpyridine-based fluorescent coordination polymers}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10367}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {Complexation properties of 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (tpy) have been studied with a series of first row transition metal ions by UV-vis, 1H NMR and isothermal titration calorimetry and ƒ´H values for the tpy complexation processes have been determined. These studies reveal that Zn2+ is the best suited metal ion for the reversible coordination of the terpyridine ligand. Thus, supramolecular coordination polymerization of perylene bisimide fluorophores containing terpyridine functionalities have been investigated by using Zn2+ as metal ion. The formation of the dimeric complexes in the case of monotopic model comounds and coordination polymerization of ditopic functional building blocks have been confirmed by 1H NMR studies. The optical properties of dimeric and polymeric complexes have been investigated by UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. The Zn2+ coordination to the terpyridine unit does not effect the advantageous fluorescence properties of perylene bisimide moieties. The reversibility of the formation of coordination polymers has been established by 1H NMR and additionally by DOSY NMR and fluorescence anisotropy measurements. Coordination polymer strands can be visualized by atomic force microscopy (AFM), which also reveals the formation of an ordered monolayer film at higher concentration. The average polymer length has been determined by AFM to 15 repeat units, which correlates well with the value estimated by 1H NMR to >10 repeat units.}, subject = {Terpyridinderivate <2}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Nuernberger2004, author = {N{\"u}rnberger, Dieter}, title = {The Galactic Starburst Region NGC 3603 : exciting new insights on the formation of high mass stars}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10440}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {One of the most fundamental, yet still unsolved problems in star formation research is addressed by the question "How do high mass stars form?". While most details related to the formation and early evolution of low mass stars are quite well understood today, the basic processes leading to the formation of high mass stars still remain a mystery. There is no doubt that low mass stars like our Sun form via accretion of gas and dust from their natal environment. With respect to the formation of high mass stars theorists currently discuss two possible scenarios controversely: First, similar to stars of lower masses, high mass stars form by continuous (time variable) accretion of large amounts of gas and dust through their circumstellar envelopes and/or disks. Second, high mass stars form by repeated collisions (coalescence) of protostars of lower masses. Both scenarios bear difficulties which impose strong constrains on the final mass of the young star. To find evidences for or against one of these two theoretical models is a challenging task for observers. First, sites of high mass star formation are much more distant than the nearby sites of low mass star formation. Second, high mass stars form and evolve much faster than low mass star. In particular, they contract to main sequence, hydrogen burning temperatures and densities on time scales which are much shorter than typical accretion time scales. Third, as a consequence of the previous point, young high mass stars are usually deeply embedded in their natal environment throughout their (short) pre-main sequence phase. Therefore, high mass protostars are rare, difficult to find and difficult to study. In my thesis I undertake a novel approach to search for and to characterize high mass protostars, by looking into a region where young high mass stars form in the violent neighbourhood of a cluster of early type main sequence stars. The presence of already evolved O type stars provides a wealth of energetic photons and powerful stellar winds which evaporate and disperse the surrounding interstellar medium, thus "lifting the courtains" around nearby young stars at a relatively early evolutionary stage. Such premises are given in the Galactic starburst region NGC 3603. Nevertheless, a large observational effort with different telescopes and instruments -- in particular, taking advantage of the high angular resolution and high sensitivity of near and mid IR instruments available at ESO -- was necessary to achieve the goals of my study. After a basic introduction on the topic of (high mass) star formation in Chapter 1, a short overview of the investigated region NGC 3603 and its importance for both galactic and extragalactic star formation studies is given in Chapter 2. Then, in Chapter 3, I report on a comprehensive investigation of the distribution and kinematics of the molecular gas and dust associated with the NGC 3603 region. In Chapter 4 I thoroughly address the radial extent of the NGC 3603 OB cluster and the spatial distribution of the cluster members. Together with deep Ks band imaging data, a detailed survey of NGC 3603 at mid IR wavelengths allows to search the neighbourhood of the cold molecular gas and dust for sources with intrinsic mid IR excess (Chapter 5). In Chapter 6 I characterize the most prominent sources of NGC 3603 IRS 9 and show that these sources are bona-fide candidates for high mass protostars. Finally, a concise summary as well as an outlook on future prospects in high mass star formation research is given in Chapter 7.}, subject = {Starburst-Galaxie}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Luo2004, author = {Luo, Qin}, title = {Essential features of a PrfA-dependent : promoter of Listeria monocytogenes}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10341}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {The gram-positive, facultative intracellular pathogen Listeria monocytogenes is the causal agent of listeriosis. Most of well-known virulence genes are controlled by PrfA that belongs to the Crp-Fnr family of transcriptional activators. A PrfA-mediated transcription initiating at a virulence gene promoter, inlC promoter (PinlC) that regulates the expression of the small, secreted internalin C, was in-depth characterized by an in vitro transcription system to unravel the essential features of a PrfA-dependent promoter in this study. The obtained results indicate a dual promoter for inlC that leads to PrfA-dependent and -independent transcription in vitro and in vivo. The PrfA-dependent transcription requires, as expected, the PrfA-box, a conserved 14 bp sequence of dyad symmetry located about 40 bp upstream of the transcriptional start site of each PrfA-regulated gene. Another important structural feature for this PrfA-dependent promoter is the distance between the 3´-end of the PrfA-box and the 5´-end of the SigA-recognized -10 box fixed to 22 or 23 bp, which is observed in the interspace regions of the other known PrfA-dependent promoters, e.g. PactA, PplcA, Phly and Pmpl. The -35 box of PinlC is not necessary for PrfA-dependent transcription. The -10 box of PinlC and also that of the other PrfA-dependent promoters of L. monocytogenes closely resemble SigA-recognized -10 promoter sequences of the well-characterized gram-positive bacterium B. subtilis. Even the extended -10 motif (5´-TRTG-3´) considered to be a basic element for many SigA-recognized promoters in B. subtilis is present in PinlC. Primer extension studies reveal that both the PrfA-dependent and the independent promoter share the same -10 box. The PrfA-independent transcription of inlC depends on a -35 box located directly downstream of the PrfA-box, and the close proximity of the two sites inhibits strongly the transcription activity of the PrfA-independent promoter when the PrfA-RNA polymerase complex binds to the PrfA-box. Deletion of the PrfA-box results in PrfA-independent transcription from PinlC, which is no longer inhibited by PrfA. High concentration of GTP appears to be necessary for PrfA-dependent transcription initiated at the inlC promoter and at other PrfA-dependent promoters. Based on transcriptome analysis, Milohanic and his co-workers identified three groups of genes that were regulated differently by PrfA. Some of these genes containing putative PrfA-boxes in their 5´-upstream regulatory regions were selected for analysis of their transcriptional dependency on PrfA using again the in vitro transcription system. The data show that among these "PrfA-regulated" promoters tested, only the promoter of the hpt gene belonging to group I is clearly activated by PrfA. This promoter is also the only one that exhibited all essential features of a typical PrfA-dependent promoter as described above. In vitro transcription starting at most of the other promoters was neither positively nor negatively affected by PrfA. Transcription initiated at some of the promoters of group III genes (lmo0596 and lmo2067) is rather inefficient with SigA-loaded RNA polymerase, but is highly activated with RNA polymerase loaded with purified SigB. Addition of purified PrfA protein has no effect on the SigB-dependent transcription. These in vitro transcription results indicate that the in vivo observed PrfA effect on the expression of most of the new genes is either indirect or PrfA-mediated transcription of these genes requires - in contrast to the PrfA-dependent transcription of the known virulence genes (including hpt) - additional factors not present in the in vitro transcription assay. In addition to these new genes described by Milohanic, the promoters of two genes (lmo2420 and lmo2840) that contain putative PrfA-boxes with only a single mismatch in their upstream regulatory regions were analyzed in this study. However, transcription of none of these genes is regulated by PrfA, suggesting that these genes are either not truly regulated by PrfA or regulated by other global transcription activators that interact with PrfA by yet unknown mechanisms. By exchanging corresponding sequences between a functionally inactive promoter ParoAP2 and a typical PrfA-dependent promoter PplcA, it is found that PrfA-dependent in vitro transcription can be initiated from the hybrid promoter containing the putative PrfA-box and the SigA-recognized -10 box (TTTAAT) from the putative PrfA-dependent aroAP2 promoter, but it is inhibited strongly by the interspace sequence between these two sites apparently due to an additional RNA polymerase binding site [the -10 box (TAATAT) for the PrfA-independent transcription of ParoAP1)] within this region. Furthermore, a symmetric sequence downstream of the -10 box (TTTAAT) is also shown to be a strongly inhibitory for PrfA-dependent transcription from the putative PrfA-dependent aroAP2 promoter.}, subject = {Listeria monocytogenes}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Schallenberg2004, author = {Schallenberg, Timo}, title = {Shadow mask assisted heteroepitaxy of compound semiconductor nanostructures}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10290}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {Shadow Mask assisted Molecular Beam Epitaxy (SMMBE) is a technique enabling selected area epitaxy of semiconductor heterostructures through shadow masks. The objective of this work was the development of the SMMBE technique for the reliable fabrication of compound semiconductor nanostructures of high structural and optical quality. In order to accomplish this, technological processes have been developed and optimized. This, in combination with model calculations of the basic kinetic growth processes has enabled the fabrication of high quality quantum structures. A high spatial precision and control of the incidence regions of the molecular beams during the SMMBE process are required for the fabrication of nanostructures. One of the technological developments to this effect, which has substantially enhanced the versatility of SMMBE, is the introduction of a new type of freestanding shadow masks: Growth through such a mask with different incidence angles of the molecular beams is equivalent to employing different mechanical masks, but is much more accurate since the precision of mechanical alignment is limited. A consistent model has been developed, which successfully explains the growth dynamics of molecular beam epitaxy through shadow masks. The redistribution of molecular fluxes under shadow masks may affect the growth rates on selected areas of the substrate drastically. In the case of compound semiconductors, reactions between the constituent species play important roles in controlling the growth rates as a function of the growth parameters. The predictions of the model regarding the growth of II-VI and III-V compounds have been tested experimentally and the dependence of the growth rates on the growth parameters has been verified. Moreover, it has been shown, that selected area epitaxy of II-VI and III-V compounds are governed by different surface kinetics. Coexisting secondary fluxes of both constituent species and the apparent non-existence of surface diffusion are characteristic for SMMBE of II-VI compounds. In contrast, III-V SMMBE is governed by the interplay between secondary group-V flux and the surface migration of group-III adatoms. In addition to the basic surface kinetic processes described by the model, the roles of orientation and strain-dependent growth dynamics, partial shadow, and material deposition on the mask (closure of apertures) have been discussed. The resulting advanced understanding of the growth dynamics (model and basic experiments) in combination with the implementation of technical improvements has enabled the development and application of a number of different processes for the fabrication of both II-VI and III-V nanostructures. In addition to specific material properties, various other phenomena have been exploited, e.g., self-organization. It has been shown that, e.g., single quantum dots and quantum wires can be reliably grown. Investigations performed on the SMMBE nanostructures have demonstrated the high positional and dimensional precision of the SMMBE technique. Bright cathodoluminescence demonstrates that the resulting quantum structures are of high structural and optical quality. In addition to these results, which demonstrate SMMBE as a prospective nanofabrication technique, the limitations of the method have also been discussed, and various approaches to overcome them have been suggested. Moreover, propositions for the fabrication of complex quantum devices by the multiple application of a stationary shadow mask have been put forward. In addition to selected area growth, the shadow masks can assist in etching, doping, and in situ contact definition in nanoscale selected areas. Due to the high precision and control over the dimensions and positions of the grown structures, which at the same time are of excellent chemical, crystal, and optical quality, SMMBE provides an interesting perspective for the fabrication of complex quantum devices from II-VI and III-V semiconductors.}, subject = {Verbindungshalbleiter}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Krampert2004, author = {Krampert, Gerhard}, title = {Femtosecond quantum control and adaptive polarization pulse shaping}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10304}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {Adaptive Femtosekunden-Quantenkontrolle hat sich in den letzten Jahren als eine sehr erfolgreiche Methode in vielen wissenschaftlichen Gebieten wie Physik, Chemie oder Biologie erwiesen. Eine Vielzahl von Quantensystemen und insbesondere Molek{\"u}le, die eine chemische Reaktion durchlaufen, sind durch speziell geformte, Femtosekunden-Laserimpulse kontrolliert worden. Diese Methode erlaubt es, nicht nur das Quantensystem zu beobachten, sondern einen Schritt weiterzugehen und aktive Kontrolle {\"u}ber quantenmechanische Dynamik zu erlangen. In diesem Schema werden Interferenzph{\"a}nomene im Zeit- und Frequenzraum benutzt, um Selektivit{\"a}t zum Beispiel in einer chemischen Reaktion zu erhalten. Die dazu benutzten, speziell geformten Femtosekunden-Laserimpulse waren bislang nur linear polarisiert. Deshalb konnten sie nur die skalaren Eigenschaften der Licht - Materie - Wechselwirkung ausnutzen und haben so den vektoriellen Charakter des elektrischen Dipolmoments \$\vec{\mu}\$ und des elektrischen Lichtfeldes \$\vec{E}(t)\$ vernachl{\"a}ssigt. Im besonderen in der Quantenkontrolle von chemischen Reaktionen ist das untersuchte System, die Molek{\"u}le, dreidimensional und zeigt komplexe raumzeitliche Dynamik. Mit der Hilfe von polarisations-geformten Laserimpulsen ist man jetzt in der Lage dieser Dynamik, sowohl in der Zeit als auch in der r{\"a}umlichen Richtung zu folgen. Deshalb kann nun ein neues Niveau an Kontrolle in quanten-mechanischen Systemen erreicht werden. In dieser Arbeit konnte die Erzeugung von polarisations-geformten Laserimpulsen in einem optischen Aufbau verwirklicht werden. Dieser Aufbau erfordert keine interferometrische Stabilit{\"a}t, da beide Polarisationskomponenten demgleichen Strahlweg folgen. Zwei-Kanal spektrale Interferometrie wurde eingesetzt, um die Laserimpulse experimentell vollst{\"a}ndig zu charakterisieren. Um den zeitabh{\"a}ngigen Polarisationszustand dieser Pulse exakt zu beschreiben, wurde eine mathematische Darstellung entwickelt und angewandt. Die Ver{\"a}nderungen des Polarisationszustandes durch optische Elemente wurde untersucht und einige L{\"o}sungen wurden aufgezeigt, um diese Ver{\"a}nderungen zu minimieren. Der Jones Matrix Formalismus wurde dazu benutzt, alle Verzerrungen des Polarisationszustandes zwischen dem Impulsformer und dem Ort des Experiments zu ber{\"u}cksichtigen. Zugleich k{\"o}nnen die Jones Matrizen zu einer vollst{\"a}ndigen Charakterisierung der erzeugten Laserimpulse verwendet werden. Dabei wurden experimentell kalibrierte Matrizen eingesetzt. Adaptive Polarisations-Impulsformung konnte in einem rein optischen Demonstrationsexperiment gezeigt werden. Dabei wurde die computergesteuerte Polarisationsformung mit einer Lernschleife und einem experimentellen R{\"u}ckkopplungssignal kombiniert. Durch diesen selbstlernenden Algorithmus konnte der ben{\"o}tigte, linear polarisierte Laserimpuls mit m{\"o}glichst kleiner Impulsdauer gefunden werden, der f{\"u}r die effektive Erzeugung der zweiten Harmonischen in einem nichtlinearen optischen Kristall am besten geeignet ist. Durch diese R{\"u}ckkopplungsschleife war es m{\"o}glich auch noch kompliziertere Polarisationsverzerrungen, die durch eine Wellenplatte f{\"u}r eine falsche Wellenl{\"a}nge verursacht wurden, r{\"u}ckg{\"a}ngig zu machen. Die zus{\"a}tzliche Verformung der spektralen Phase durch Materialdispersion in einem 10~cm langen Glasblock konnte ebenfalls automatisch kompensiert werden. Nach diesen optischen Demonstrationsexperimenten wurde ultraschnelle Polarisationsformung angewandt, um ein Quantensystem zu kontrollieren. Die Polarisationsabh{\"a}ngigkeit der Multi-Photonen Ionisation von Kaliumdimeren konnte in einer Anrege-Abtast Messung nachgewiesen werden. Diese Abh{\"a}ngigkeit wurde dann in einem adaptiven Polarisationsformungsexperiment in einer sehr viel allgemeineren Art ausgenutzt. Statt nur einem Anrege- und Abtastlaserimpuls mit jeweils unterschiedlicher Polarisation zu benutzen, wurde der zeitabh{\"a}ngige Polarisationszustand eines geformtem Laserimpulses benutzt, um die Ionisation zu maximieren. Anstelle von einer nur quantitativen Verbesserung konnte eine qualitativ neue Art von Kontrolle {\"u}ber Quantensysteme demonstriert werden. Diese Polarisationskontrolle ist anwendbar selbst bei zuf{\"a}llig ausgerichteten Molek{\"u}len. Durch diese M{\"o}glichkeit, auf Ausrichtung der Molek{\"u}le zu verzichten, konnte mit einem wesentlich vereinfachten experimentellen Aufbau gearbeitet werden. {\"U}ber diese Polarisationskontrollexperimente hinaus wurden auch die dreidimensionalen Aspekte der Dynamik von Molek{\"u}len erforscht und kontrolliert. Die \textit{cis-trans} Photoisomerisierungsreaktion von 3,3\$'\$-Diethyl-2,2\$'\$-Thiacyanin Iodid (NK88) wurde in der fl{\"u}ssigen Phase mit transienter Absorptionsspektroskopie untersucht. Die Isomerisierungsausbeute konnte sowohl erh{\"o}ht als auch erniedrigt werden durch den Einsatz geformter Femtosekunden-Laserimpulse mit einer Zentralwellenl{\"a}nge von 400~nm, die sowohl in spektraler Phase als auch Amplitude moduliert waren. Dieses Experiment zeigt die M{\"o}glichkeit, die koh{\"a}rente Bewegung großer molekularer Gruppen durch Laserimpulse gezielt zu beeinflussen. Diese Modifikation der molekularen Geometrie kann als erster Schritt angesehen werden, kontrollierte Stereochemie zu verwirklichen. Insbesondere da im ersten Teil dieser Arbeit die Kontrolle von Molek{\"u}len mit Polarisations-geformten Impulsen gezeigt werden konnte, ist der Weg geebnet zu einer Umwandlung von einem chiralen Enantiomer in das andere, da theoretische Modelle dieser Umwandlung polarisations-geformte Laserimpulse ben{\"o}tigen. Außer diesen faszinierenden Anwendungen der Polarisationsformung sollte es nun m{\"o}glich sein den Wellenl{\"a}ngenbereich der polarisations-geformten Laserimpulse auszuweiten. Sowohl Erzeugung der zweiten Harmonischen um in den ultravioletten Bereich zu kommen als auch optische Gleichrichtung von {\"a}ußerst kurzen Femtosekunden-Impulsen um den mittleren infrarot Bereich abzudecken sind M{\"o}glichkeiten, den Wellenl{\"a}ngenbereich von polarisations-geformten Laserimpulsen zu erweitern. Mit diesen neuen Wellenl{\"a}ngen tut sich eine Vielzahl an neuen M{\"o}glichkeiten auf, Polarisationsformung f{\"u}r die Kontrolle von quantenmechanischen Systemen einzusetzen.}, subject = {Ultrakurzer Lichtimpuls}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Reintjes2004, author = {Reintjes, Norbert}, title = {Taxonomy, faunistics and life-history traits of Dytiscidae and Noteridae (Coleoptera) in a West African savannah}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10287}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {The studies inventoried the species of the families Dytiscidae and Noteridae (Coleoptera) in Como{\´e} National Park in northern Ivory Coast, West Africa and investigated the ecological role of temporary and permanent water bodies for the aestivation of these aquatic beetles. The ecological studies focused on the question how the beetles cope with the temporary loss of their aquatic habitats during dry season. The climate in the study area is characterised by a pronounced dry season from about November to March/April, in which the temporary ponds and creeks in the savannah entirely desiccate. The only available water bodies during dry season in Como{\´e} National Park are the Como{\´e} River, pools in some of its tributaries, and a few of the large savannah ponds. The taxonomic and faunistic analysis revealed a high species richness in the study area and yielded a total of twelve species of Noteridae in four genera and 95 species of Dytiscidae in 22 genera. Thirty of these species had not yet been reported from the Ivory Coast. A description of a new species in the genus Laccophilus is given, named L. comoensis in honour of the National Park. Strong incidences exist that the material includes more species yet unknown to science. Concerning the mode of aestivation, observations in pilot studies led to the working hypothesis that the beetles pass the dry season as adults in aquatic habitats. Consequently, presence of adults in aquatic habitats throughout the dry season and cyclic migration of adults between temporary and permanent water bodies was expected. Regular sampling of water bodies throughout the dry season and beginning rainy season yielded 33,705 individuals in 72 species and 26 genera. In all the sample periods Noteridae and / or Dytiscidae were recorded. The number of species per period was between 36 and 58. It is concluded that in Como{\´e} National Park a) at least parts of the populations of the recorded species pass the dry season as adults and b) aquatic habitats serve as a refuge for aestivation of these adult beetles. In a rocky area in the riverbed of the permanent Como{\´e} River four sets of studies were performed during dry and beginning rainy season. According to the working hypothesis beetles should be searching for adequate aquatic habitats as long as temporary savannah waters are becoming inhospitable and are falling dry. Seven rock pools in the riverbed of the Como{\´e} River were artificially filled and thus offered for colonization at the peak of the dry season (end of January). After five days the rock pools were quantitatively sampled by completely emptying them. All the rock pools were colonized by Dytiscidae and / or Noteridae and with a total of 1,507 individuals in 26 species abundance and diversity were high. Habitats for aestivation are needed most, when the majority of the savannah waters are fallen dry. Little precipitation on February 18th 1999 had filled rock pools in the riverbed of the Como{\´e} River but no pools in the savannah, where the rain was immediately absorbed by the very dry soil. An inventory of beetles was performed in 21 naturally filled rock pools five to 20 days after this precipitation. The sampling yielded 8,456 individuals in 41 species. Except the smallest, all rock pools contained beetles. The result showed that Dytiscidae and Noteridae utilise the rock pools as aquatic habitat during dry season. Beetles adapted to a highly seasonal environment like the aquatic system in the study area should be good colonizers. Sampling of four, respectively five rock pools at two occasions within 24 hours after the start of precipitation examined the potential of colonizers at that period (March). Prior to these precipitations the pools had been completely dry. Dytiscidae were already present in all rock pools and a total of 434 Dytiscidae in 14 species was found. The working hypothesis of cyclic migration suggests that the beetles should leave the rock pools at the onset of the rainy season when precipitation had filled temporary water bodies in the savannah. After several precipitation events an inventory of 13 rock pools of the Como{\´e} River in May controlled for adult beetles. Only four species with 126 individuals were still found, of which Yolina chopardi contributed 81.7\%. This species seems to differ from the other recorded species in the use of habitats, since it was never recorded in the savannah. In general, however, diversity and abundance of Dytiscidae and Noteridae in the rock pools, as expected, was low after the onset of the rainy season. During the entire study of the rock pools in the riverbed of the Como{\´e} River 10,523 individuals in 44 species and 18 genera were collected. Thus, more than half of the species recorded in Como{\´e} National Park were found in the rock pools. The results suggest that the Como{\´e} River and the rock pools in the riverbed serve as aquatic retreat for adult Dytiscidae and Noteridae during dry season when temporary water bodies in the savannah are desiccated. The suggested cyclic migration between water bodies predicts that newly formed savannah waters are recolonized by the beetles at the onset of the rainy season. This colonization should be a) by adults and b) airborne. Two artificial ponds in the open savannah were offered only for aerial colonization at the beginning of the rainy season. The ponds were controlled for adult Noteridae and Dytiscidae daily during one continuous phase of eleven and a second one of 16 days (end of March to end of April). On every sampling date Noteridae or Dytiscidae were recorded. In the entire study 2,744 individuals in 44 species and 16 genera were collected. After precipitation, abundance and species richness increased. Thirty-five of the encountered species had been recorded in rock pools of the Como{\´e} River before. The principal species in the artificial savannah ponds had been principal species in samplings of the rock pools as well. The results support the hypothesis of cyclic migration: most species of Dytiscidae and Noteridae of the Como{\´e} National Park fly from desiccating savannah waters to permanent water bodies or water bodies holding water for extended times during dry season. They pass the dry season in these waters and fly back into the savannah after precipitation at the onset of the rainy season. Exceptions from this general rule are discussed.}, subject = {Schwimmk{\"a}fer}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Redelbach2004, author = {Redelbach, Andreas}, title = {SUSY Seesaw model and phenomenological implications for leptonic processes at low energies and leptogenesis}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-10182}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {In this work the supersymmetric seesaw model and its effects on low-energy leptonic observables and thermal leptogenesis have been systematically investigated. Precision measurements will increase the sensitivity on lepton-flavor violating decays, particularly on Br(l_j->l_i gamma) and also on electric and magnetic dipole moments in the near future. In order to improve also the accuracy of theoretical predictions for these processes, we have performed a full one-loop calculation of the underlying supersymmetric processes taking into account the lepton masses. Since the mechanism of soft supersymmetry breaking (SSB) is completely unknown, a novel analysis beyond the often studied minimal Supergravity scenarios has been performed. This way it has been demonstrated that in the considered mSUGRA, AMSB, GMSB and gaugino mediated scenarios, the ongoing search for Br(mu->e gamma) can constrain fundamental SSB parameters and/or the seesaw parameters. On the other hand, the basic parameters of thermal leptogenesis, such as the CP asymmetry in the decays of the lightest right-handed Majorana neutrino, provide probes of the unknown complex orthogonal R-matrix of the seesaw model.}, subject = {Supersymmetrie}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{Hein2004, author = {Hein, Silke}, title = {The survival of grasshoppers and bush crickets in habitats variable in space and time}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-9140}, school = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg}, year = {2004}, abstract = {Die zunehmende Nutzung von Landschaften f{\"u}hrt zu einer steigenden Fragmentierung sch{\"u}tzenswerter Fl{\"a}chen. Damit verbunden ist eine Zerschneidung von großen Populationen in Metapopulationen. In solchen F{\"a}llen bestimmt das Gleichgewicht zwischen Aussterben und Besiedlung von Habitaten die regionale {\"U}berlebenswahrscheinlichkeit von Arten. Um diese bestimmen, braucht man ein gutes Verst{\"a}ndnis der Habitatanspr{\"u}che der Arten, sowie Informationen {\"u}ber ihr Ausbreitungsverhalten. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, geeignete Fl{\"a}chen f{\"u}r Heuschrecken in einer Landschaft identifizieren zu k{\"o}nnen, sowie einen Beitrag zur Quantifizierung der Erreichbarkeit einzelner Fl{\"a}chen durch Individuen zu leisten. Der erste Teil dieser Arbeit besch{\"a}ftigt sich mit der Quantifizierung der Habitateignung von Fl{\"a}chen f{\"u}r Heuschrecken. Dazu habe ich statistische Habitateignungsmodelle mittels logistischer Regression erstellt, evaluiert und validiert. Es zeigte sich, dass die Habitatwahl der Heuschrecken auf einer mittleren r{\"a}umlichen Skalenebene erfolgt. Dies steht mit der beobachteten Ausbreitungsdistanz der Tiere im Einklang. Neben dem nur grob klassifizierten Landschaftsfaktor „Biotoptyp" korrelieren vor allem strukturelle Faktoren sowie abiotische Faktoren mit dem Vorkommen der Heuschreckenarten. Bei der Bestimmung eines gemeinsamen Models f{\"u}r alle drei Heuschreckenarten erwies sich das Model der Art S. lineatus mit den Parametern Biotoptyp und Vegetationsh{\"o}he als am besten geeignet zur Vorhersage der Vorkommen der anderen Heuschreckenarten. Um zu testen, ob auch die Vorkommen von Arten unterschiedlicher Tiergruppen mittels eines gemeinsamen Modells vorhergesagt werden k{\"o}nnen, habe ich sowohl die Heuschreckenmodelle zur Prognose von Faltervorkommen getestet, als auch Modelle f{\"u}r Falter auf Heuschrecken {\"u}bertragen. Dabei erwiesen sich die Heuschreckenmodelle zur Prognose der anderen Arten weniger geeignet als das Modell f{\"u}r das Widderchen Z. carniolica in das der Anteil an geeignetem Habitat sowie die Vorkommen der beiden Saugpflanzen C. jacea und S. columbaria einfließen. Diese Art wird als standorttreu eingestuft und repr{\"a}sentiert damit auch die anderen Arten, die typisch f{\"u}r S{\"a}ume und Halbtrockenrasen sind. Die erh{\"o}hte Mobilit{\"a}t von Z. carniolica im Vergleich zu den Heuschrecken garantiert gleichzeitig auch die Erreichbarkeit aller geeigneten Fl{\"a}chen im Gebiet und damit ein Modell, das nur unwesentlich durch Zufallseffekte bei der Besiedlung beeinflusst wird. Neben der Habitatqualit{\"a}t/-quantit{\"a}t spielt vor allem der Austausch zwischen Fl{\"a}chen eine entscheidende Rolle f{\"u}r das {\"U}berleben der Metapopulation. Im zweiten Teil meiner Arbeit habe ich mich sowohl theoretisch als auch empirisch, mit dem Ausbreitungsverhalten von Heuschrecken besch{\"a}ftigt. In Freilandexperimenten konnte ich zeigen, dass die Annahme eines dichotomen Bewegungsverhaltens f{\"u}r Heuschrecken in einer realen Landschaft nicht zutrifft. Vielmehr wird die Bewegung in einer Fl{\"a}che besser als Kontinuum beschrieben das durch strukturelle Resistenz, Temperatur, Mortalit{\"a}tsrisiko und Ressourcenverf{\"u}gbarkeit bestimmt wird. Die jeweilige Kombination dieser Parameter veranlasst die Tiere dann zu einem entsprechenden Bewegungsmuster, das sich zwischen den beiden Extremen gerichteter und zuf{\"a}lliger Lauf bewegt. In Experimenten zum Grenzverhalten von Heuschrecken best{\"a}tigte sich dieses Ergebnis. F{\"u}r verschiedene Grenzstrukturen konnte ich unterschiedliche {\"U}bertrittswahrscheinlichkeiten nachweisen. Weiterhin konnte ich feststellen, dass Heuschrecken geeignete Habitate aus einer gewissen Entfernung detektieren k{\"o}nnen. Da das Ausbreitungsverhalten von Tieren in theoretischen Modellen eine wichtige Rolle spielt, k{\"o}nnen diese empirischen Daten zur Parametrisierung dieser Modelle verwendet werden. Zus{\"a}tzlich zum Einfluss des Laufmusters der Tiere auf die Erreichbarkeit geeigneter Habitate, zeigte sich in den von mir durchgef{\"u}hrten Simulationsstudien deutlich, dass der landschaftliche Kontext, in dem die Ausbreitung stattfindet, die Erreichbarkeit einzelner Habitate beeinflusst. Dieser Effekt ist zus{\"a}tzlich abh{\"a}ngig von der Mortalit{\"a}tsrate beim Ausbreitungsvorgang. Mit den Ergebnissen aus den Untersuchungen zur Habitateignung lassen sich die f{\"u}r Heuschrecken geeigneten Habitate in einer Landschaft identifizieren. Somit l{\"a}sst sich die potentielle Eignung einer Fl{\"a}che als Habitat, basierend auf Vorhersagen {\"u}ber die {\"A}nderung des Biotoptyps durch ein Managementverfahren, vorhersagen. Diese Information allein reicht aber nicht aus, um die regionale {\"U}berlebenswahrscheinlichkeit einer Art bestimmen zu k{\"o}nnen. Meine Untersuchungen zum Ausbreitungsverhalten zeigen deutlich, dass die Erreichbarkeit geeigneter Fl{\"a}chen von der r{\"a}umlichen Anordnung der Habitate und der Struktur der Fl{\"a}chen, die zwischen Habitaten liegen, abh{\"a}ngt. Zus{\"a}tzlich spielen individuenspezifische Faktoren wie Motivation und physiologische Faktoren eine ausschlaggebende Rolle f{\"u}r die Erreichbarkeit von geeigneten Fl{\"a}chen.}, subject = {Naturschutzgebiet Hohe Wann}, language = {en} }