@phdthesis{Uereyen2022,
  author    = {{\"U}reyen, Soner},
  title     = {Multivariate Time Series for the Analysis of Land Surface Dynamics - Evaluating Trends and Drivers of Land Surface Variables for the Indo-Gangetic River Basins},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-29194},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-291941},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {The investigation of the Earth system and interplays between its components is of utmost importance to enhance the understanding of the impacts of global climate change on the Earth's land surface. In this context, Earth observation (EO) provides valuable long-term records covering an abundance of land surface variables and, thus, allowing for large-scale analyses to quantify and analyze land surface dynamics across various Earth system components. In view of this, the geographical entity of river basins was identified as particularly suitable for multivariate time series analyses of the land surface, as they naturally cover diverse spheres of the Earth. Many remote sensing missions with different characteristics are available to monitor and characterize the land surface. Yet, only a few spaceborne remote sensing missions enable the generation of spatio-temporally consistent time series with equidistant observations over large areas, such as the MODIS instrument. In order to summarize available remote sensing-based analyses of land surface dynamics in large river basins, a detailed literature review of 287 studies was performed and several research gaps were identified. In this regard, it was found that studies rarely analyzed an entire river basin, but rather focused on study areas at subbasin or regional scale. In addition, it was found that transboundary river basins remained understudied and that studies largely focused on selected riparian countries. Moreover, the analysis of environmental change was generally conducted using a single EO-based land surface variable, whereas a joint exploration of multivariate land surface variables across spheres was found to be rarely performed. To address these research gaps, a methodological framework enabling (1) the preprocessing and harmonization of multi-source time series as well as (2) the statistical analysis of a multivariate feature space was required. For development and testing of a methodological framework that is transferable in space and time, the transboundary river basins Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna (IGBM) in South Asia were selected as study area, having a size equivalent to around eight times the size of Germany. These basins largely depend on water resources from monsoon rainfall and High Mountain Asia which holds the largest ice mass outside the polar regions. In total, over 1.1 billion people live in this region and in parts largely depend on these water resources which are indispensable for the world's largest connected irrigated croplands and further domestic needs as well. With highly heterogeneous geographical settings, these river basins allow for a detailed analysis of the interplays between multiple spheres, including the anthroposphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere. In this thesis, land surface dynamics over the last two decades (December 2002 - November 2020) were analyzed using EO time series on vegetation condition, surface water area, and snow cover area being based on MODIS imagery, the DLR Global WaterPack and JRC Global Surface Water Layer, as well as the DLR Global SnowPack, respectively. These data were evaluated in combination with further climatic, hydrological, and anthropogenic variables to estimate their influence on the three EO land surface variables. The preprocessing and harmonization of the time series was conducted using the implemented framework. The resulting harmonized feature space was used to quantify and analyze land surface dynamics by means of several statistical time series analysis techniques which were integrated into the framework. In detail, these methods involved (1) the calculation of trends using the Mann-Kendall test in association with the Theil-Sen slope estimator, (2) the estimation of changes in phenological metrics using the Timesat tool, (3) the evaluation of driving variables using the causal discovery approach Peter and Clark Momentary Conditional Independence (PCMCI), and (4) additional correlation tests to analyze the human influence on vegetation condition and surface water area. These analyses were performed at annual and seasonal temporal scale and for diverse spatial units, including grids, river basins and subbasins, land cover and land use classes, as well as elevation-dependent zones. The trend analyses of vegetation condition mostly revealed significant positive trends. Irrigated and rainfed croplands were found to contribute most to these trends. The trend magnitudes were particularly high in arid and semi-arid regions. Considering surface water area, significant positive trends were obtained at annual scale. At grid scale, regional and seasonal clusters with significant negative trends were found as well. Trends for snow cover area mostly remained stable at annual scale, but significant negative trends were observed in parts of the river basins during distinct seasons. Negative trends were also found for the elevation-dependent zones, particularly at high altitudes. Also, retreats in the seasonal duration of snow cover area were found in parts of the river basins. Furthermore, for the first time, the application of the causal discovery algorithm on a multivariate feature space at seasonal temporal scale revealed direct and indirect links between EO land surface variables and respective drivers. In general, vegetation was constrained by water availability, surface water area was largely influenced by river discharge and indirectly by precipitation, and snow cover area was largely controlled by precipitation and temperature with spatial and temporal variations. Additional analyses pointed towards positive human influences on increasing trends in vegetation greenness. The investigation of trends and interplays across spheres provided new and valuable insights into the past state and the evolution of the land surface as well as on relevant climatic and hydrological driving variables. Besides the investigated river basins in South Asia, these findings are of great value also for other river basins and geographical regions.},
  subject      = {Multivariate Analyse},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Uenzelmann2022,
  author    = {{\"U}nzelmann, Maximilian},
  title     = {Interplay of Inversion Symmetry Breaking and Spin-Orbit Coupling - From the Rashba Effect to Weyl Semimetals},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-28310},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-283104},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Breaking inversion symmetry in crystalline solids enables the formation of spin-polarized electronic states by spin-orbit coupling without the need for magnetism. A variety of interesting physical phenomena related to this effect have been intensively investigated in recent years, including the Rashba effect, topological insulators and Weyl semimetals. In this work, the interplay of inversion symmetry breaking and spin-orbit coupling and, in particular their general influence on the character of electronic states, i.e., on the spin and orbital degrees of freedom, is investigated experimentally. Two different types of suitable model systems are studied: two-dimensional surface states for which the Rashba effect arises from the inherently broken inversion symmetry at the surface, and a Weyl semimetal, for which inversion symmetry is broken in the three-dimensional crystal structure. Angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy provides momentum-resolved access to the spin polarization and the orbital composition of electronic states by means of photoelectron spin detection and dichroism with polarized light. The experimental results shown in this work are also complemented and supported by ab-initio density functional theory calculations and simple model considerations. Altogether, it is shown that the breaking of inversion symmetry has a decisive influence on the Bloch wave function, namely, the formation of an orbital angular momentum. This mechanism is, in turn, of fundamental importance both for the physics of the surface Rashba effect and the topology of the Weyl semimetal TaAs.},
  subject      = {Rashba-Effekt},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Oezkent2022,
  author    = {{\"O}zkent, Helena},
  title     = {Untersuchung der Beteiligung der kleinen Nervenfasern bei Patient/-innen mit Antik{\"o}rper-assoziierten Neuropathien},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-26929},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-269293},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {In der vorliegenden Studie wurden QST, QSART, Hautbiopsien und Frageb{\"o}gen genutzt, um die Beteiligung kleiner Nervenfasern bei verschiedenen Formen der Immunneuropathien zu untersuchen. Wir konnten hierbei eine signifikante Beeintr{\"a}chtigung der thermischen Reizleitung bei CIDP- und MADSAM-Patient/-innen nachweisen sowie eine signifikant reduzierte Schweißproduktion am distalen Unterschenkel bei MADSAM-Patient/-innen. Diese Ergebnisse belegen in allen drei Untergruppen der immunvermittelten Neuropathien eine Beteiligung kleiner auch unmyelinisierter Nervenfasertypen. MADSAM- und CIDP-Patient/-innen wiesen in der QST ein {\"a}hnliches Sch{\"a}digungsmuster auf. Dagegen unterschieden sie sich signifikant in der QSART. Diese Ergebnisse k{\"o}nnen als weiterer Hinweis auf unterschiedliche zugrundeliegende Pathomechanismen verstanden werden. MMN-Patient/-innen wiesen insgesamt die geringste Small-Fiber-Beteiligung in den quantitativen Testungen auf. Auch lagen bei MMN-Patient/-innen durchschnittlich die geringsten Schmerz-Scores und autonomen Symptome vor. Es zeigten sich wenig signifikante Unterschiede zwischen seropositiven und seronegativen Neuropathie-Patient/-innen. Diese jedoch best{\"a}tigten unsere Hypothese einer etwas geringeren Small-Fiber-Beteiligung bei seropositiven Patient/-innen. Bei der Vielzahl an unterschiedlichen Pathomechanismen innerhalb der immunvermittelten Neuropathien erscheinen weitere Subklassifizierungen f{\"u}r eine optimale Diagnosestellung und Therapie unabdingbar. Diese Arbeit konnte mit den oben genannten Untersuchungen einen weiteren Beitrag zur Identifikation von klinischen und quantitativen Unterschieden innerhalb dieser großen Erkrankungsgruppe leisten. K{\"u}nftige, gr{\"o}ßere Studien dieser Art k{\"o}nnen m{\"o}glicherweise hier nur als Tendenzen gesehene Erkenntnisse belegen und sollten durch zus{\"a}tzliche Informationen wie Korrelation zu Krankheitsdauer, Therapie, Laborchemie und elektrophysiologischen Untersuchen weitere interessante Erkenntnisse liefern.},
  subject      = {Polyneuropathie},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Zuefle2022,
  author    = {Z{\"u}fle, Marwin Otto},
  title     = {Proactive Critical Event Prediction based on Monitoring Data with Focus on Technical Systems},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-25575},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-255757},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {The importance of proactive and timely prediction of critical events is steadily increasing, whether in the manufacturing industry or in private life. In the past, machines in the manufacturing industry were often maintained based on a regular schedule or threshold violations, which is no longer competitive as it causes unnecessary costs and downtime. In contrast, the predictions of critical events in everyday life are often much more concealed and hardly noticeable to the private individual, unless the critical event occurs. For instance, our electricity provider has to ensure that we, as end users, are always supplied with sufficient electricity, or our favorite streaming service has to guarantee that we can watch our favorite series without interruptions. For this purpose, they have to constantly analyze what the current situation is, how it will develop in the near future, and how they have to react in order to cope with future conditions without causing power outages or video stalling. In order to analyze the performance of a system, monitoring mechanisms are often integrated to observe characteristics that describe the workload and the state of the system and its environment. Reactive systems typically employ thresholds, utility functions, or models to determine the current state of the system. However, such reactive systems cannot proactively estimate future events, but only as they occur. In the case of critical events, reactive determination of the current system state is futile, whereas a proactive system could have predicted this event in advance and enabled timely countermeasures. To achieve proactivity, the system requires estimates of future system states. Given the gap between design time and runtime, it is typically not possible to use expert knowledge to a priori model all situations a system might encounter at runtime. Therefore, prediction methods must be integrated into the system. Depending on the available monitoring data and the complexity of the prediction task, either time series forecasting in combination with thresholding or more sophisticated machine and deep learning models have to be trained. Although numerous forecasting methods have been proposed in the literature, these methods have their advantages and disadvantages depending on the characteristics of the time series under consideration. Therefore, expert knowledge is required to decide which forecasting method to choose. However, since the time series observed at runtime cannot be known at design time, such expert knowledge cannot be implemented in the system. In addition to selecting an appropriate forecasting method, several time series preprocessing steps are required to achieve satisfactory forecasting accuracy. In the literature, this preprocessing is often done manually, which is not practical for autonomous computing systems, such as Self-Aware Computing Systems. Several approaches have also been presented in the literature for predicting critical events based on multivariate monitoring data using machine and deep learning. However, these approaches are typically highly domain-specific, such as financial failures, bearing failures, or product failures. Therefore, they require in-depth expert knowledge. For this reason, these approaches cannot be fully automated and are not transferable to other use cases. Thus, the literature lacks generalizable end-to-end workflows for modeling, detecting, and predicting failures that require only little expert knowledge. To overcome these shortcomings, this thesis presents a system model for meta-self-aware prediction of critical events based on the LRA-M loop of Self-Aware Computing Systems. Building upon this system model, this thesis provides six further contributions to critical event prediction. While the first two contributions address critical event prediction based on univariate data via time series forecasting, the three subsequent contributions address critical event prediction for multivariate monitoring data using machine and deep learning algorithms. Finally, the last contribution addresses the update procedure of the system model. Specifically, the seven main contributions of this thesis can be summarized as follows: First, we present a system model for meta self-aware prediction of critical events. To handle both univariate and multivariate monitoring data, it offers univariate time series forecasting for use cases where a single observed variable is representative of the state of the system, and machine learning algorithms combined with various preprocessing techniques for use cases where a large number of variables are observed to characterize the system's state. However, the two different modeling alternatives are not disjoint, as univariate time series forecasts can also be included to estimate future monitoring data as additional input to the machine learning models. Finally, a feedback loop is incorporated to monitor the achieved prediction quality and trigger model updates. We propose a novel hybrid time series forecasting method for univariate, seasonal time series, called Telescope. To this end, Telescope automatically preprocesses the time series, performs a kind of divide-and-conquer technique to split the time series into multiple components, and derives additional categorical information. It then forecasts the components and categorical information separately using a specific state-of-the-art method for each component. Finally, Telescope recombines the individual predictions. As Telescope performs both preprocessing and forecasting automatically, it represents a complete end-to-end approach to univariate seasonal time series forecasting. Experimental results show that Telescope achieves enhanced forecast accuracy, more reliable forecasts, and a substantial speedup. Furthermore, we apply Telescope to the scenario of predicting critical events for virtual machine auto-scaling. Here, results show that Telescope considerably reduces the average response time and significantly reduces the number of service level objective violations. For the automatic selection of a suitable forecasting method, we introduce two frameworks for recommending forecasting methods. The first framework extracts various time series characteristics to learn the relationship between them and forecast accuracy. In contrast, the other framework divides the historical observations into internal training and validation parts to estimate the most appropriate forecasting method. Moreover, this framework also includes time series preprocessing steps. Comparisons between the proposed forecasting method recommendation frameworks and the individual state-of-the-art forecasting methods and the state-of-the-art forecasting method recommendation approach show that the proposed frameworks considerably improve the forecast accuracy. With regard to multivariate monitoring data, we first present an end-to-end workflow to detect critical events in technical systems in the form of anomalous machine states. The end-to-end design includes raw data processing, phase segmentation, data resampling, feature extraction, and machine tool anomaly detection. In addition, the workflow does not rely on profound domain knowledge or specific monitoring variables, but merely assumes standard machine monitoring data. We evaluate the end-to-end workflow using data from a real CNC machine. The results indicate that conventional frequency analysis does not detect the critical machine conditions well, while our workflow detects the critical events very well with an F1-score of almost 91\%. To predict critical events rather than merely detecting them, we compare different modeling alternatives for critical event prediction in the use case of time-to-failure prediction of hard disk drives. Given that failure records are typically significantly less frequent than instances representing the normal state, we employ different oversampling strategies. Next, we compare the prediction quality of binary class modeling with downscaled multi-class modeling. Furthermore, we integrate univariate time series forecasting into the feature generation process to estimate future monitoring data. Finally, we model the time-to-failure using not only classification models but also regression models. The results suggest that multi-class modeling provides the overall best prediction quality with respect to practical requirements. In addition, we prove that forecasting the features of the prediction model significantly improves the critical event prediction quality. We propose an end-to-end workflow for predicting critical events of industrial machines. Again, this approach does not rely on expert knowledge except for the definition of monitoring data, and therefore represents a generalizable workflow for predicting critical events of industrial machines. The workflow includes feature extraction, feature handling, target class mapping, and model learning with integrated hyperparameter tuning via a grid-search technique. Drawing on the result of the previous contribution, the workflow models the time-to-failure prediction in terms of multiple classes, where we compare different labeling strategies for multi-class classification. The evaluation using real-world production data of an industrial press demonstrates that the workflow is capable of predicting six different time-to-failure windows with a macro F1-score of 90\%. When scaling the time-to-failure classes down to a binary prediction of critical events, the F1-score increases to above 98\%. Finally, we present four update triggers to assess when critical event prediction models should be re-trained during on-line application. Such re-training is required, for instance, due to concept drift. The update triggers introduced in this thesis take into account the elapsed time since the last update, the prediction quality achieved on the current test data, and the prediction quality achieved on the preceding test data. We compare the different update strategies with each other and with the static baseline model. The results demonstrate the necessity of model updates during on-line application and suggest that the update triggers that consider both the prediction quality of the current and preceding test data achieve the best trade-off between prediction quality and number of updates required. We are convinced that the contributions of this thesis constitute significant impulses for the academic research community as well as for practitioners. First of all, to the best of our knowledge, we are the first to propose a fully automated, end-to-end, hybrid, component-based forecasting method for seasonal time series that also includes time series preprocessing. Due to the combination of reliably high forecast accuracy and reliably low time-to-result, it offers many new opportunities in applications requiring accurate forecasts within a fixed time period in order to take timely countermeasures. In addition, the promising results of the forecasting method recommendation systems provide new opportunities to enhance forecasting performance for all types of time series, not just seasonal ones. Furthermore, we are the first to expose the deficiencies of the prior state-of-the-art forecasting method recommendation system. Concerning the contributions to critical event prediction based on multivariate monitoring data, we have already collaborated closely with industrial partners, which supports the practical relevance of the contributions of this thesis. The automated end-to-end design of the proposed workflows that do not demand profound domain or expert knowledge represents a milestone in bridging the gap between academic theory and industrial application. Finally, the workflow for predicting critical events in industrial machines is currently being operationalized in a real production system, underscoring the practical impact of this thesis.},
  subject      = {Prognose},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Zwick2022,
  author    = {Zwick, Leonie},
  title     = {Die Wirksamkeit von Cisplatin und 5-Fluoruracil im Oralen Plattenepithelkarzinom in Abh{\"a}ngigkeit von MAGE-Tumorantigen-Expression mit besonderem Fokus auf MAGE-A11},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-25495},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-254956},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {In der vorliegenden experimentellen Arbeit wurde in in-vitro-Modellen der Zusammenhang zwischen Expression der Tumorantigene MAGE-A (melanoma-associated antigenes) und der Wirksamkeit von Chemotherapeutika untersucht. Die MAGE-Antigene MAGE-A1 bis MAGE-A12 (ohne A7) kommen in diversen malignen Tumoren vor; neben Melanomen auch in Tumoren der Lunge, Brust, Prostata, Ovarien, Harnblase, des Gastrointestinal-Trakts und des Kopf-Hals-Bereichs. Bereits vielfach wurden Zusammenh{\"a}nge zwischen MAGE-A-Tumorantigen-Expression und einer erh{\"o}hten Tumorinvasivit{\"a}t, Zellproliferation, Metastasierungsrate und k{\"u}rzerem {\"U}berleben hergestellt. In dieser Arbeit gelang nun der erstmalige Nachweis, dass MAGE-A-Tumorantigene die chemotherapeutische Wirksamkeit beeinflussen. Zun{\"a}chst gelang der Nachweis, dass die Expression von MAGE-A11 mit geringer Cisplatin-Wirksamkeit korreliert. Eine im Anschluss generierte MAGE-A11 {\"u}berexprimierende Zelllinie zeigte ein durchschnittlich um 9 \% schlechteres Ansprechen auf Cisplatin als die Kontrollzelllinie.},
  subject      = {Cisplatin},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Zoran2022,
  author    = {Zoran, Tamara},
  title     = {Multilevel analysis of the human immune response to \(Aspergillus\) \(fumigatus\) infection: Characteristic molecular signatures and individual risk factors},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-29851},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-298512},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Although the field of fungal infections advanced tremendously, diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in immunocompromised patients continues to be a challenge. Since IPA is a multifactorial disease, investigation from different aspects may provide new insights, helpful for improving IPA diagnosis. This work aimed to characterize the human immune response to Aspergillus fumigatus in a multilevel manner to identify characteristic molecular candidates and risk factors indicating IPA, which may in the future support already established diagnostic assays. We combined in vitro studies using myeloid cells infected with A. fumigatus and longitudinal case-control studies investigating patients post allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) suffering from IPA and their match controls. Characteristic miRNA and mRNA signatures indicating A. fumigatus-infected monocyte-derived dendritic cells (moDCs) demonstrated the potential to differentiate between A. fumigatus and Escherichia coli infection. Transcriptome and protein profiling of alloSCT patients suffering from IPA and their matched controls revealed a distinctive IPA signature consisting of MMP1 induction and LGAL2 repression in combination with elevated IL-8 and caspase-3 levels. Both, in vitro and case-control studies, suggested cytokines, matrix-metallopeptidases and galectins are important in the immune response to A. fumigatus. Identified IPA characteristic molecular candidates are involved in numerous processes, thus a combination of these in a distinctive signature may increase the specificity. Finally, low monocyte counts, severe GvHD of the gut (grade ≥ 2) and etanercept administration were significantly associated with IPA diagnosis post alloSCT. Etanercept in monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) infected with A. fumigatus downregulates genes involved in the NF-κB and TNF-α pathway and affects the secretion of CXCL10. Taken together, identified characteristic molecular signatures and risk factors indicating IPA may in the future in combination with established fungal biomarkers overcome current diagnostic challenges and help to establish tailored antifungal therapy. Therefore, further multicentre studies are encouraged to evaluate reported findings.},
  subject      = {Aspergillus fumigatus},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Ziegler2022,
  author    = {Ziegler, Katrin},
  title     = {Implementierung von verbesserten Landoberfl{\"a}chenparametern und -prozessen in das hochaufgel{\"o}ste Klimamodell REMO},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-26128},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-261285},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war neue Eingangsdaten f{\"u}r die Landoberfl{\"a}chenbeschreibung des regionalen Klimamodells REMO zu finden und ins Modell zu integrieren, um die Vorhersagequalit{\"a}t des Modells zu verbessern. Die neuen Daten wurden so in das Modell eingebaut, dass die bisherigen Daten weiterhin als Option verf{\"u}gbar sind. Dadurch kann {\"u}berpr{\"u}ft werden, ob und in welchem Umfang sich die von jedem Klimamodell ben{\"o}tigten Rahmendaten auf Modellergebnisse auswirken. Im Zuge der Arbeit wurden viele unterschiedliche Daten und Methoden zur Generierung neuer Parameter miteinander verglichen, denn neben dem Ersetzen der konstanten Eingangswerte f{\"u}r verschiedene Oberfl{\"a}chenparameter und den damit verbundenen {\"A}nderungen wurden als zus{\"a}tzliche Verbesserung auch Ver{\"a}nderungen an der Parametrisierung des Bodens speziell in Hinblick auf die Bodentemperaturen in REMO vorgenommen. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden die durch die verschiedenen {\"A}nderungen ausgel{\"o}sten Auswirkungen f{\"u}r das CORDEX-Gebiet EUR-44 mit einer Aufl{\"o}sung von ca. 50km und f{\"u}r das in dem darin eingebetteten neu definierten Deutschlandgebiet GER-11 mit einer Aufl{\"o}sung von ca. 12km getestet sowie alle {\"A}nderungen anhand von verschiedenen Beobachtungsdatens{\"a}tzen validiert. Die vorgenommenen Arbeiten gliederten sich in drei Hauptteile. Der erste Teil bestand in dem vom eigentlichen Klimamodell unabh{\"a}ngigen Vergleich der verschiedenen Eingangsdaten auf unterschiedlichen Aufl{\"o}sungen und deren Performanz in allen Teilen der Erde, wobei ein besonderer Fokus auf der Qualit{\"a}t in den sp{\"a}teren Modellgebieten lag. Unter Ber{\"u}cksichtigung der Faktoren, wie einer globalen Verf{\"u}gbarkeit der Daten, einer verbesserten r{\"a}umlichen Aufl{\"o}sung und einer kostenlosen Nutzung der Daten sowie verschiedener Validationsergebnissen von anderen Studien, wurden in dieser Arbeit vier neue Topographiedatens{\"a}tze (SRTM, ALOS, TANDEM und ASTER) und drei neue Bodendatens{\"a}tze (FAOn, Soilgrid und HWSD) f{\"u}r die Verwendung im Pr{\"a}prozess von REMO aufbereitet und miteinander sowie mit den bisher in REMO verwendeten Daten verglichen. Auf Grundlage dieser Vergleichsstudien schieden bei den Topographiedaten die verwendeten Datensatz-Versionen von SRTM, ALOS und TANDEM f{\"u}r die in dieser Arbeit durchgef{\"u}hrten REMO-L{\"a}ufe aus. Bei den neuen Bodendatens{\"a}tzen wurde ausgenutzt, dass diese verschiedenen Bodeneigenschaften f{\"u}r unterschiedliche Tiefen als Karten zur Verf{\"u}gung stellen. In REMO wurden bisher alle ben{\"o}tigten Bodenparameter abh{\"a}ngig von f{\"u}nf verschiedenen Bodentexturklassen und einer zus{\"a}tzlichen Torfklasse ausgewiesen und als konstant {\"u}ber die gesamte Modellbodens{\"a}ule (bis ca. 10m) angenommen. Im zweiten Teil wurden auf Basis der im ersten Teil ausgew{\"a}hlten neuen Datens{\"a}tze und den neu verf{\"u}gbaren Bodenvariablen verschiedene Sensitivit{\"a}tsstudien {\"u}ber das Beispieljahr 2000 durchgef{\"u}hrt. Dabei wurden verschiedene neue Parametrisierungen f{\"u}r die bisher aus der Textur abgeleiteten Bodenvariablen und die Parametrisierung von weiteren hydrologischen und thermalen Bodeneigenschaften verglichen. Ferner wurde aufgrund der neuen nicht {\"u}ber die Tiefe konstanten Bodeneigenschaften eine neue numerische Methode zur Berechnung der Bodentemperaturen der f{\"u}nf Schichten in REMO getestet, welche wiederum andere Anpassungen erforderte. Der Test und die Auswahl der verschiedenen Datensatz- und Parametrisierungsversionen auf die Modellperformanz wurde in drei Experimentpl{\"a}ne unterteilt. Im ersten Plan wurden die Auswirkungen der ausgew{\"a}hlten Topographie- und Bodendatens{\"a}tze {\"u}berpr{\"u}ft. Der zweite Plan behandelte die Unterschiede der verschiedenen Parametrisierungsarten der Bodenvariablen hinsichtlich der verwendeten Variablen zur Berechnung der Bodeneigenschaften, der {\"u}ber die Tiefe variablen oder konstanten Eigenschaften und der verwendeten Berechnungsmethode der Bodentemperatur{\"a}nderungen. Durch die Erkenntnisse aus diesen beiden Experimentpl{\"a}nen, die f{\"u}r beide Untersuchungsgebiete durchgef{\"u}hrt wurden, ergaben sich im dritten Plan weitere Parametrisierungs{\"a}nderungen. Alle {\"A}nderungen dieses dritten Experimentplans wurden sukzessiv getestet, sodass der paarweise Vergleich von zwei aufeinanderfolgenden Modelll{\"a}ufen die Auswirkungen der Neuerung im jeweils zweiten Lauf widerspiegelt. Der letzte Teil der Arbeit bestand aus der Analyse von f{\"u}nf l{\"a}ngeren Modelll{\"a}ufen (2000-2018), die zur {\"U}berpr{\"u}fung der Ergebnisse aus den Sensitivit{\"a}tsstudien sowie zur Einsch{\"a}tzung der Performanz in weiteren teilweise extremen atmosph{\"a}rischen Bedingungen durchgef{\"u}hrt wurden. Hierf{\"u}r wurden die bisherige Modellversion von REMO (id01) f{\"u}r die beiden Untersuchungsgebiete EUR-44 und GER-11 als Referenzl{\"a}ufe, zwei aufgrund der Vergleichsergebnisse von Experimentplan 3 selektierte Modellversionen (id06 und id15a f{\"u}r GER-11) sowie die finale Version (id18a f{\"u}r GER-11), die alle vorgenommenen {\"A}nderungen dieser Arbeit enth{\"a}lt, ausgew{\"a}hlt. Es stellte sich heraus, dass sowohl die neuen Topographiedaten als auch die neuen Bodendaten große Differenzen zu den bisherigen Daten in REMO haben. Zudem {\"a}nderten sich die von diesen konstanten Eingangsdaten abgeleiteten Hilfsvariablen je nach verwendeter Parametrisierung sehr deutlich. Dies war besonders gut anhand der Bodenparameter zu erkennen. Sowohl die r{\"a}umliche Verteilung als auch der Wertebereich der verschiedenen Modellversionen unterschieden sich stark. Eine Einsch{\"a}tzung der Qualit{\"a}t der resultierenden Parameter wurde jedoch dadurch erschwert, dass auch die verschiedenen zur Validierung herangezogenen Bodendatens{\"a}tze f{\"u}r diese Parameter deutlich voneinander abweichen. Die finale Modellversion id18a {\"a}hnelte trotz der umfassenden {\"A}nderungen in den meisten Variablen den Ergebnissen der bisherigen REMO-Version. Je nach zeitlicher und r{\"a}umlicher Aggregation sowie unterschiedlichen Regionen und Jahreszeiten wurden leichte Verbesserungen, aber auch leichte Verschlechterungen im Vergleich zu den klimatologischen Validationsdaten festgestellt. Gr{\"o}ßere Ver{\"a}nderungen im Vergleich zur bisherigen Modellversion konnten in den tieferen Bodenschichten aufgezeigt werden, welche allerdings aufgrund von fehlenden Validationsdaten nicht beurteilt werden konnten. F{\"u}r alle 2m-Temperaturen konnte eine tendenzielle leichte Erw{\"a}rmung im Vergleich zum bisherigen Modelllauf beobachtet werden, was sich einerseits negativ auf die ohnehin durchschnittlich zu hohe Minimumtemperatur, aber andererseits positiv auf die bisher zu niedrige Maximumtemperatur des Modells in den betrachteten Gebieten auswirkte. Im Niederschlagssignal und in den 10m-Windvariablen konnten keine signifikanten {\"A}nderungen nachgewiesen werden, obwohl die neue Topographie an manchen Stellen im Modellgebiet deutlich von der bisherigen abweicht. Des Weiteren variierte das Ranking der verschiedenen Modellversionen jeweils nach dem angewendeten Qualit{\"a}tsindex. Um diese Ergebnisse besser einordnen zu k{\"o}nnen, muss ber{\"u}cksichtigt werden, dass die neuen Daten f{\"u}r Modellgebiete mit 50 bzw. 12km r{\"a}umlicher Aufl{\"o}sung und der damit verbundenen hydrostatischen Modellversion getestet wurden. Zudem sind vor allem in Fall der Topographie die bisher enthaltenen GTOPO-Daten (1km Aufl{\"o}sung) f{\"u}r die Aggregation auf diese gr{\"o}bere Modellaufl{\"o}sung geeignet. Die bisherigen Bodendaten stoßen jedoch mit 50km Aufl{\"o}sung bereits an ihre Grenzen. Zus{\"a}tzlich ist zu beachten, dass nicht nur die Mittelwerte dieser Daten, sondern auch deren Subgrid-Variabilit{\"a}t als Variablen im Modell f{\"u}r verschiedene Parametrisierungen verwendet werden. Daher ist es essentiell, dass die Eingangsdaten eine deutlich h{\"o}here Aufl{\"o}sung bereitstellen als die zur Modellierung definierte Aufl{\"o}sung. F{\"u}r lokale Klimasimulationen mit Aufl{\"o}sungen im niedrigen Kilometerbereich spielen auch die Vertikalbewegungen (nicht-hydrostatische Modellversion) eine wichtige Rolle, die stark von der Topographie sowie deren horizontaler und vertikaler {\"A}nderungsrate beeinflusst werden, was die in dieser Arbeit eingebauten wesentlich h{\"o}her aufgel{\"o}sten Daten f{\"u}r die zuk{\"u}nftige Weiterentwicklung von REMO wertvoll machen kann.},
  subject      = {Klimamodell},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Zeeb2022,
  author    = {Zeeb, Luisa},
  title     = {Bedeutung der Expression von MMP-1 und MMP-13 beim Barrett assoziierten Adenokarzinom},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-27872},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-278723},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Es wird vermutet, dass das {\"o}sophageale Adenokarzinom (EAC) durch gastroosophagealen Reflux auf dem Boden des Barrett-{\"O}sophagus (BE) entsteht. Bei der Tumorprogression k{\"o}nnten Matrix-Metalloproteasen eine wichtige Rolle spielen. Die Expression von MMP-1 und MMP-13 wurde im {\"O}sophaguskarziom (n=41 EAC mit BE, n=19 EAC ohne BE, n=10 Plattenepithelkarzinom, ESCC) sowie im nicht-dysplastischen BE (n=18) untersucht. Die Koexpression von MMP-1 und Cdx-2 (intestinale Metaplasie) und die Koexpression von MMP-1 und Ki-67 (Proliferation) wurde mittels Immunhistochemie und auf mRNA-Ebene untersucht. Die Ergebnisse wurde mit klinisch-pathologischen Eigenschaften korreliert. Im gesunden Plattenepithel wurde weder MMP-1 noch MMP-13 exprimiert. In allen EAC ohne BE wurde MMP-1 exprimiert (100\%). Im EAC mit BE, war in 95\% MMP-1 im EAC nachweisbar. Die Expression von MMP-1 im BE ohne IN lag bei 56\%. Das ESCC exprimierte in 60\% MMP-1. Bei der quantitativen Analyse zeigten sich 48\% MMP-1 positive Zellen im EAC mit BE und 35\% im angrenzendem BE (p<0,05). Mit 44\% MMP-1 positiver Zellen im EAC ohne BE, lag die Expression signifikant {\"u}ber der im BE mit EAC (p<0,05). Im ESCC (32\% MMP-1 positiv) lag eine im Vergleich zu allen EACs signifikant geringere Expression vor. Im BE ohne IN waren 4\% der Zellen MMP-1 positiv. Die RT-PCR best{\"a}tigte die Ergebnisse der IHC auf mRNA-Ebene. Eine Pr{\"a}parate waren negativ f{\"u}r MMP-13. Die Untersuchung der Koexpression von MMP-1 in Ki-67 positiven Zellen zeigte eine starke direkte Korrelation (r=0,943 f{\"u}r BE und r= 0,811 f{\"u}r EAC). Eine hohe MMP-1 Expression war mit einem positiven Lymphknotenstatus assoziiert aber nicht mit einem schlechterem {\"U}berleben (p=0,307). Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass MMP-1 eine wichtige Rolle bei der Invasion und Metastasierung des Barrett assoziierten EAC spielen k{\"o}nnte. Die Assoziation eines positiven Lymphknotenstatus mit hoher MMP-1-Expression spricht daf{\"u}r, dass MMP-1 ein wichtiger Faktor bei der malignen Progression sein k{\"o}nnte.},
  subject      = {Adenocarcinom},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Zech2022,
  author    = {Zech, Andrea Christiane},
  title     = {Einfluss der bariatrischen Chirurgie auf die postprandiale Konzentration des Pankreatischen Polypeptids verglichen mit normalgewichtigen Probanden},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-25930},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-259305},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Im Rahmen des metabolischen Syndroms bei morbider Adipositas kommt es unter anderem zu Imbalancen im autonomen Nervensystem (ANS): ein Missverh{\"a}ltnis von Sympathikus und Parasympathikus (PS) f{\"u}hrt zu einer Dysregulation von orexigenen und anorexigenen Hormonen und konsekutiv zu einer weiteren Gewichtszunahme. Diese Arbeit untersucht die Auswirkung von bariatrischen Operationen auf das abdominale ANS anhand des parasympathisch regulierten PPP drei Monate nach Intervention. Die Ver{\"a}nderungen der Imbalance wurden mit Hilfe eines modifizierten Sham Feedings (MSF) ermittelt, bei dem nur die kephale Phase der Nahrungsaufnahme durchlaufen und die Mahlzeiten nicht geschluckt wird. Die PPP-Spiegel im Verlauf des MSF sind daher ausschließlich eine Darstellung des PS. Zus{\"a}tzlich wurden die Verl{\"a}ufe der Insulin- und Glukosewerte bestimmt. Die PPP-Spiegel der normalgewichtigen Kontrollgruppe sind signifikant h{\"o}her als die der adip{\"o}sen Patienten pr{\"a}- und postoperativ. Die Kurvenverl{\"a}ufe des PPP sind aber zwischen den Gruppen vergleichbar. Somit ist die akute Reaktion des PS auf die Nahrungsaufnahme bei morbider Adipositas zwar unver{\"a}ndert, es zeigt sich aber keine Verbesserung der ANS-Dysfunktion kurz nach Intervention. Die Aufteilung der Patienten in J{\"u}ngere und {\"A}ltere (verglichen mit dem Durchschnittsalter der Studie) ergibt postoperativ absolut und relativ eine Zunahme der PPP-Spiegel bei den {\"A}lteren, w{\"a}hrend es bei den J{\"u}ngeren zu einem Abfall kommt. Bei halbierter Gruppegr{\"o}ße ist die Aussagekraft der Signifikanz jedoch eingeschr{\"a}nkt. Auch ohne diabetische Stoffwechsellage gleichen sich die Insulin- und Glukosewerte der Patienten post-OP denen der Kontrollen an. Eine m{\"o}gliche Ursache hierf{\"u}r ist aber nicht nur eine prim{\"a}re ANS-Verbesserung, denn vor allem in der ersten postoperativen Phase scheint die starke Nahrungsmittelrestriktion mehr Auswirkungen zu haben. Eine sp{\"a}tere Besserung der ANS-Imbalance durch z.B. Gewichtsverlust ist jedoch nicht ausgeschlossen.},
  subject      = {Vegetatives Nervensystem},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Zebner2022,
  author    = {Zebner, Jasper},
  title     = {Zusammenhang zwischen EKG-Parametern und Serumkonzentrationen der trizyklischen Antidepressiva Amitriptylin und Doxepin},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-25270},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-252707},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Viele Studien weisen auf einen Zusammenhang zwischen einer verl{\"a}ngerten QTc-Zeit und dem Auftreten von Torsade-de-Pointes-Tachyarrhythmien und dem pl{\"o}tzlichen Herztod hin. Auch AV-Blockierungen und Schenkelbl{\"o}cke erh{\"o}hen das Risiko f{\"u}r kardiale Erkrankungen und Ereignisse deutlich. Eine direkte Beziehung zwischen Serumspiegeln der trizyklischen Antidepressiva und der Verl{\"a}ngerung der PQ-, QRS- oder QTc-Zeit wurde bisher jedoch nicht untersucht. Aus diesem Anlass wurde in dieser Arbeit nun versucht, eine Korrelation zwischen den Serumspiegeln der trizyklischen Antidepressiva Amitriptylin und Doxepin bzw. ihrer Metabolite und einigen EKG-Parametern zu identifizieren und zu beschreiben. Hierf{\"u}r wurden die Daten von 172 Patienten der Klinik und Poliklinik f{\"u}r Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie untersucht, die eine Serumspiegelbestimmung des Talspiegels im Steady-State der TZA einen Tag vor, einen Tag nach oder am selben Tag einer EKG-Ableitung erhalten hatten und keine pathologischen Elektrolytwerte vorwiesen. In der Rangkorrelation zeigte sich ein signifikanter positiver Zusammenhang zwischen Nortriptylin-Spiegel und QTcB (r = 0,24; p < 0,05) sowie QTcH (r = 0,205; p < 0,05), zwischen Nortriptylin und QTcF und QTcLC lag dieser Zusammenhang auf Trendniveau. Zwischen PQ-Zeit und Nortriptylin- (r = 0,226; p < 0,05) sowie Summenkonzentration (r = 0,195; p < 0,05) zeigte sich ebenfalls ein signifikanter positiver Zusammenhang. Im Mann-Whitney-U-Test waren die QTc-Zeiten der Patienten mit Summenspiegeln aus Amitriptylin und Nortriptylin jenseits der Warnschwelle von 300 ng/ml signifikant l{\"a}nger als bei den Patienten mit niedrigeren Summenspiegeln (QTcB = 449 zu 432 ms; QTcF = 423 zu 410 ms; QTcH = 423 zu 410 ms; QTcLC = 421 zu 409 ms; p < 0,05) und auch die PQ-Zeit dieser Gruppe war signifikant verl{\"a}ngert (PQ = 163 zu 179 ms; p < 0,05). {\"A}hnliches galt f{\"u}r das Patientenkollektiv mit einem Nortriptylin-Spiegel oberhalb des Referenzbereichs von 170 ng/ml. Dieses zeigte signifikant l{\"a}ngere QTc-Zeiten nach allen Korrekturmethoden (QTcB = 457 zu 432 ms; QTcF = 430 zu 409 ms; QTcH = 429 zu 410 ms; QTcLC = 427 zu 409 ms; p < 0,01) und zudem l{\"a}ngere PQ- (164 zu 180 ms; p < 0,05) und QRS-Zeiten (98 zu 107 ms; p = 0,054). Diese Ergebnisse machen deutlich, dass eine regelm{\"a}ßige EKG-Kontrolle w{\"a}hrend der Einnahme von trizyklischen Antidepressiva notwendig ist, um kardiale Nebenwirkungen fr{\"u}hzeitig zu erkennen und diesen vorzubeugen. Ebenso wichtig sind regelm{\"a}ßige Serumspiegelbestimmungen, um das Risiko durch erh{\"o}hte Serumspiegel jenseits der Warnschwellen bzw. Referenzbereiche fr{\"u}hzeitig zu erkennen. Eine Beachtung der Tagesdosis allein reicht hier explizit nicht aus.},
  subject      = {Antidepressivum},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Youssef2022,
  author    = {Youssef, Almoatazbellah},
  title     = {Fabrication of Micro-Engineered Scaffolds for Biomedical Application},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-23545},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-235457},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Thermoplastic polymers have a history of decades of safe and effective use in the clinic as implantable medical devices. In recent years additive manufacturing (AM) saw increased clinical interest for the fabrication of customizable and implantable medical devices and training models using the patients' own radiological data. However, approval from the various regulatory bodies remains a significant hurdle. A possible solution is to fabricate the AM scaffolds using materials and techniques with a clinical safety record, e.g. melt processing of polymers. Melt Electrowriting (MEW) is a novel, high resolution AM technique which uses thermoplastic polymers. MEW produces scaffolds with microscale fibers and precise fiber placement, allowing the control of the scaffold microarchitecture. Additionally, MEW can process medical-grade thermoplastic polymers, without the use of solvents paving the way for the production of medical devices for clinical applications. This pathway is investigated in this thesis, where the layout is designed to resemble the journey of a medical device produced via MEW from conception to early in vivo experiments. To do so, first, a brief history of the development of medical implants and the regenerative capability of the human body is given in Chapter 1. In Chapter 2, a review of the use of thermoplastic polymers in medicine, with a focus on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), is illustrated, as this is the polymer used in the rest of the thesis. This review is followed by a comparison of the state of the art, regarding in vivo and clinical experiments, of three polymer melt AM technologies: melt-extrusion, selective laser sintering and MEW. The first two techniques already saw successful translation to the bedside, producing patient-specific, regulatory-approved AM implants. To follow in the footsteps of these two technologies, the MEW device parameters need to be optimized. The MEW process parameters and their interplay are further discussed in Chapter 3 focusing on the importance of a steady mass flow rate of the polymer during printing. MEW reaches a balance between polymer flow, the stabilizing electric field and moving collector to produce reproducible, high-resolution scaffolds. An imbalance creates phenomena like fiber pulsing or arcing which result in defective scaffolds and potential printer damage. Chapter 4 shows the use of X-ray microtomography (µCT) as a non-destructive method to characterize the pore-related features: total porosity and the pore size distribution. MEW scaffolds are three-dimensional (3D) constructs but have long been treated in the literature as two-dimensional (2D) ones and characterized mainly by microscopy, including stereo- and scanning electron microscopy, where pore size was simply reported as the distance between the fibers in a single layer. These methods, together with the trend of producing scaffolds with symmetrical pores in the 0/90° and 0/60/120° laydown patterns, disregarded the lateral connections between pores and the potential of MEW to be used for more complex 3D structures, mimicking the extracellular matrix. Here we characterized scaffolds in the aforementioned symmetrical laydown patterns, along with the more complex 0/45/90/135° and 0/30/60/90/120/150° ones. A 2D pore size estimation was done first using stereomicroscopy, followed by and compared to µCT scanning. The scaffolds with symmetrical laydown patterns resulted in the predominance of one pore size, while those with more complex patterns had a broader distribution, which could be better shown by µCT scans. Moreover, in the symmetrical scaffolds, the size of 3D pores was not able to reach the value of the fiber spacing due to a flattening effect of the scaffold, where the thickness of the scaffold was less than the fiber spacing, further restricting the pore size distribution in such scaffolds. This method could be used for quality assurance of fabricated scaffolds prior to use in in vitro or in vivo experiments and would be important for a clinical translation. Chapter 5 illustrates a proof of principle subcutaneous implantation in vivo experiment. MEW scaffolds were already featured in small animal in vivo experiments, but to date, no analysis of the foreign body reaction (FBR) to such implants was performed. FBR is an immune reaction to implanted foreign materials, including medical devices, aimed at protecting the host from potential adverse effects and can interfere with the function of some medical implants. Medical-grade PCL was used to melt electrowrite scaffolds with 50 and 60 µm fiber spacing for the 0/90° and 0/60/120° laydown patterns, respectively. These implants were implanted subcutaneously in immunocompetent, outbred mice, with appropriate controls, and explanted after 2, 4, 7 and 14 days. A thorough characterization of the scaffolds before implantation was done, followed by a full histopathological analysis of the FBR to the implants after excision. The scaffolds, irrespective of their pore geometry, induced an extensive FBR in the form of accumulation of foreign body giant cells around the fiber walls, in a manner that almost occluded available pore spaces with little to no neovascularization. This reaction was not induced by the material itself, as the same reaction failed to develop in the PCL solid film controls. A discussion of the results was given with special regard to the literature available on flat surgical meshes, as well as other hydrogel-based porous scaffolds with similar pore sizes. Finally, a general summary of the thesis in Chapter 6 recapitulates the most important points with a focus on future directions for MEW.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Ye2022,
  author    = {Ye, Mingyu},
  title     = {Immunotherapy with Vaccinia virus co-expressing tumor-associated antigens and mouse IL-2 cytokine in mice with mammary cancer},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-25309},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-253095},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Interleukin 2 (IL-2) was the first cytokine applied for cancer treatment in human history. It has been approved as monotherapy for renal cell carcinoma and melanoma by the FDA and does mediate the regression of the tumors in patients. One of the possible mechanisms is that the administration of IL-2 led to T lymphocytes expansion, including CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. In addition, a recent study demonstrated that antigen-specific T cells could also be expanded through the induction of IL-2, which plays a crucial role in mediating tumor regression. However, despite the long-term and extensive use of IL-2 in the clinic, the ratio of patients who get a complete response was still low, and only about one-fifth of patients showed objective tumor regression. Therefore, the function of IL-2 in cancer treatment should continue to be optimized and investigated. A study by Franz O. Smith et al. has shown that the combination treatment of IL-2 and tumor-associated antigen vaccine has a strong trend to increased objective responses compared to patients with melanoma receiving IL-2 alone. Peptide vaccines are anti-cancer vaccines able to induce a powerful tumor antigenspecific immune response capable of eradicating the tumors. According to the type of antigens, peptide vaccines can be classified into two distinct categories: Tumor-associated antigens (TAA) vaccine and tumor-specific neoantigens (TSA) vaccine. Currently, Peptide vaccines are mainly investigated in phase I and phase II clinical trials of human cancer patients with various advanced cancers such as lung cancer, gastrointestinal tumors, and breast cancers. Vaccinia virus (VACV) is one of the safest viral vectors, which has been wildly used in cancer treatment and pathogen prevention. As an oncolytic vector, VACV can carry multiple large foreign genes, which enable the virus to introduce diagnostic and therapeutic agents without dramatically reducing the viral replication. Meanwhile, the recombinant vaccinia virus (rVACV) can be easily generated by homologous recombination. Here, we used the vaccinia virus as the therapeutic cancer vector, expressing mouse Interleukin 2 (IL-2) and tumor-associated antigens simultaneously to investigate the combined effect of anti-tumor immune response in the 4T1 mouse tumor model. As expected, the VACV driven mIL-2 expression remarkably increased both CD4+ and CD8+ populations in vivo, and the virus-expressed tumor-associated peptides successfully elicited theantigen-specific T cell response to inhibit the growth of tumors. Furthermore, the experiments with tumor-bearing animals showed that the mIL-2 plus tumor antigens expressing VACV vector gave a better anti-cancer response than the mIL-2 alone expressing vector. The combinations did significantly more inhibit tumor growth than mIL-2 treatment alone. Moreover, the results confirmed our previous unpublished data that the mIL-2 expression driven by synthetic early/late promoter in the Lister strain VACV could enhance the tumor regression in the 4T1 mouse model.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Yaqub2022,
  author    = {Yaqub, Jonathan F.},
  title     = {Geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede der myokardialen Kontraktilit{\"a}t, Geschlechtshormonspiegel und NT-proBNP-Spiegel bei koronarchirurgischen Patienten},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-29116},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-291163},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Die vorliegende klinisch-experimentelle Arbeit beleuchtet den Zusammenhang zwischen biologischem Geschlecht, den Konzentrationen der Geschlechtshormone Testosteron, Estradiol sowie dem kardialen Protein NT-pro-BNP in vivo und der Kraftentwicklung stimulierter Herzmuskelzellen in vitro. Im Studienzeitraum wurden insgesamt 225 Patienten (35 weiblich, 190 m{\"a}nnlich), die sich einer elektiven koronarchirurgischen Operation unter Einsatz der Herz-Lungen-Maschine unterzogen, in die Studie eingeschlossen. Im Rahmen der Operation wurden Herzmuskelproben vom linken und rechten Herzohr gewonnen. Aus diesen wurde experimentell der kontraktile Apparat isoliert. Diese Muskelfaserb{\"u}ndel wurden mittels Immersion in verschieden stark konzentrierten Kalziumb{\"a}dern zur Kontraktion stimuliert und die resultierende Kraftentwicklung erfasst. Diese Daten wurden den im Patientenblut bestimmten Serumkonzentrationen von Estradiol, Testosteron und NT-pro-BNP gegen{\"u}bergestellt. Es konnte, auch unter Ber{\"u}cksichtigung der Hormonkonzentrationen, weder eine Korrelation des Patientengeschlechts mit der Kraftentwicklung festgestellt werden, noch korrelierte die Konzentration von NT-pro-BNP mit der Kraftentwicklung im experimentellen Modell.},
  subject      = {Herz},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Yang2022,
  author    = {Yang, Shang},
  title     = {Characterization and engineering of photoreceptors with improved properties for optogenetic application},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-20527},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-205273},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Optogenetics became successful in neuroscience with Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), a light-gated cation channel from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, as an easy applicable tool. The success of ChR2 inspired the development of various photosensory proteins as powerful actuators for optogenetic manipulation of biological activity. However, the current optogenetic toolbox is still not perfect and further improvements are desirable. In my thesis, I engineered and characterized several different optogenetic tools with new features. (i) Although ChR2 is the most often used optogenetic actuator, its single-channel conductance and its Ca2+ permeability are relatively low. ChR2 variants with increased Ca2+ conductance were described recently but a further increase seemed possible. In addition, the H+ conductance of ChR2 may lead to cellular acidification and unintended pH-related side effects upon prolonged illumination. Through rational design, I developed several improved ChR2 variants with larger photocurrent, higher cation selectivity, and lower H+ conductance. (ii) The light-activated inward chloride pump NpHR is a widely used optogenetic tool for neural silencing. However, pronounced inactivation upon long time illumination constrains its application for long-lasting neural inhibition. I found that the deprotonation of the Schiff base underlies the inactivation of NpHR. Through systematically exploring optimized illumination schemes, I found illumination with blue light alone could profoundly increase the temporal stability of the NpHR-mediated photocurrent. A combination of green and violet light eliminates the inactivation effect, similar to blue light, but leading to a higher photocurrent and therefore better light-induced inhibition. (iii) Photoactivated adenylyl cyclases (PACs) were shown to be useful for light-manipulation of cellular cAMP levels. I developed a convenient in-vitro assay for soluble PACs that allows their reliable characterization. Comparison of different PACs revealed that bPAC from Beggiatoa is the best optogenetic tool for cAMP manipulation, due to its high efficiency and small size. However, a residual activity of bPAC in the dark is unwanted and the cytosolic localization prevents subcellular precise cAMP manipulation. I therefore introduced point mutations into bPAC to reduce its dark activity. Interestingly, I found that membrane targeting of bPAC with different linkers can remarkably alter its activity, in addition to its localization. Taken together, a set of PACs with different activity and subcellular localization were engineered for selection based on the intended usage. The membrane-bound PM-bPAC 2.0 with reduced dark activity is well-tolerated by hippocampal neurons and reliably evokes a transient photocurrent, when co-expression with a CNG channel. (iv) Bidirectional manipulation of cell activity with light of different wavelengths is of great importance in dissecting neural networks in the brain. Selection of optimal tool pairs is the first and most important step for dual-color optogenetics. Through N- and C-terminal modifications, an improved ChR variant (i.e. vf-Chrimson 2.0) was engineered and selected as the red light-controlled actuator for excitation. Detailed comparison of three two-component potassium channels, composed of bPAC and the cAMP-activated potassium channel SthK, revealed the superior properties of SthK-bP. Combining vf-Chrimson 2.0 and improved SthK-bP "SthK(TV418)-bP" could reliably induce depolarization by red light and hyperpolarization by blue light. A residual tiny crosstalk between vf-Chrimson 2.0 and SthK(TV418)-bP, when applying blue light, can be minimized to a negligible level by applying light pulses or simply lowering the blue light intensity.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Xu2022,
  author    = {Xu, Wenshan},
  title     = {Regulation of the DNA Damage Response by the Ubiquitin System},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-16006},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-160064},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {DNA damage occurs frequently during normal cellular progresses or by environmental factors. To preserve the genome integrity, DNA damage response (DDR) has evolved to repair DNA and the non-properly repaired DNA induces human diseases like immune deficiency and cancer. Since a large number of proteins involved in DDR are enzymes of ubiquitin system, it is critical to investigate how the ubiquitin system regulates cellular response to DNA damage. Hereby, we reveal a novel mechanism for DDR regulation via activation of SCF ubiquitin ligase upon DNA damage. As an essential step for DNA damage-induced inhibition of DNA replication, Cdc25A degradation by the E3 ligase β-TrCP upon DNA damage requires the deubiquitinase Usp28. Usp28 deubiquitinates β-TrCP in response to DNA damage, thereby promotes its dimerization, which is required for its activity in substrate ubiquitination and degradation. Particularly, ubiquitination at a specific lysine on β-TrCP suppresses dimerization. The key mediator protein of DDR, 53BP1, forms oligomers and associates with β-TrCP to inhibit its activity in unstressed cells. Upon DNA damage, 53BP1 is degraded in the nucleoplasm, which requires oligomerization and is promoted by Usp28 in a β-TrCP-dependent manner. Consequently, 53BP1 destruction releases and activates β-TrCP during DNA damage response. Moreover, 53BP1 deletion and DNA damage promote β-TrCP dimerization and recruitment to chromatin sites that locate in the vicinity of putative replication origins. Subsequently, the chromatin-associated Cdc25A is degraded by β-TrCP at the origins. The stimulation of β-TrCP binding to the origins upon DNA damage is accompanied by unloading of Cdc45, a crucial component of pre-initiation complexes for replication. Loading of Cdc45 to origins is a key Cdk2-dependent step for DNA replication initiation, indicating that localized Cdc25A degradation by β-TrCP at origins inactivates Cdk2, thereby inhibits the initiation of DNA replication. Collectively, this study suggests a novel mechanism for the regulation of DNA replication upon DNA damage, which involves 53BP1- and Usp28-dependent activation of the SCF(β-TrCP) ligase in Cdc25A degradation.},
  subject      = {DNS-Sch{\"a}digung},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{WulfertHolzmann2022,
  author    = {Wulfert-Holzmann, Paul},
  title     = {Die elektrische Leitf{\"a}higkeit des negativen Aktivmaterials moderner Blei-S{\"a}ure-Batterien},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-29839},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-298397},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Diese Doktorarbeit besch{\"a}ftigt sich mit dem Wirkmechanismus der elektrischen Leitf{\"a}higkeit in Blei-S{\"a}ure-Batterien. Obwohl ihm eine zentrale Rolle beim „Kohlenstoff-Effekt" zugeordnet wird, ist der Wirkmechanismus der elektrischen Leitf{\"a}higkeit bislang vergleichsweise wenig untersucht worden und konnte dementsprechend noch nicht vollst{\"a}ndig aufgekl{\"a}rt werden. Mit dem Anspruch, diese Forschungsl{\"u}cke zu schließen, zielt die vorliegende Doktorarbeit darauf ab, den Einfluss der elektrischen Leitf{\"a}higkeit auf die Performance der Blei-S{\"a}ure-Batterie systematisch herauszuarbeiten und so einen Beitrag zur Generierung neuer Entwicklungsans{\"a}tze zu leisten, z. B. in Form von maßgeschneiderten Additiven. Bislang ist noch unklar, ob allein die elektrische Leitf{\"a}higkeit des Aktivmaterials relevant ist oder diese auch durch Additive beeinflusst wird. Das liegt vor allem daran, dass geeignete Messmethoden fehlen und deshalb der Einfluss von Additiven auf die elektrische Leitf{\"a}higkeit des Aktivmaterials wenig untersucht wurde. Deswegen zielt diese Arbeit auch darauf ab, eine neuartige Messmethode zu entwickeln, um die elektrische Leitf{\"a}higkeit des Aktivmaterials im laufenden Betrieb bestimmen zu k{\"o}nnen. Aufgrund der Vorkenntnisse und Vorarbeiten am Fraunhofer ISC werden die Untersuchungen dabei auf die negative Elektrode limitiert. Insgesamt unterteilt sich die Doktorarbeit in die zwei Abschnitte. Im ersten Abschnitt werden elektrisch isolierende St{\"o}ber-Silica als Additive im negativen Aktivmaterial eingesetzt, um den Einfluss der elektrischen Leitf{\"a}higkeit des Additivs auf die elektrochemischen Eigenschaften der Batterie herauszustellen. Untersucht wird dabei die u.a. die Doppelschichtkapazit{\"a}t, die Wasserstoffentwicklung und die dynamische Ladeakzeptanz. Im zweiten Abschnitt steht die elektrische Leitf{\"a}higkeit des negativen Aktivmaterials im Fokus. Es wird zun{\"a}chst eine neue Messmethodik entwickelt, die ihre in-situ- und operando-Bestimmung erm{\"o}glicht. Nach einer umfassenden Evaluierung und der Betrachtung verschiedener Betriebsparameter wird die Methodik f{\"u}r eine erste proof-of-concept-Messreihe angewendet, um den Einfluss von Additiven auf die elektrische Leitf{\"a}higkeit des negativen Aktivmaterials zu untersuchen.},
  subject      = {Bleiakkumulator},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Wu2022,
  author    = {Wu, Zhu},
  title     = {Room Temperature Phosphorescence (RTP): Experimental And Theoretical Studies on Boron-Containing Materials},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-26084},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-260844},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Persistent room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) luminophores have gained remarkable interest recently for a number of applications in security printing, OLEDs, optical storage, time-gated biological imaging and oxygen sensors. We report the first persistent RTP with lifetimes up to 0.5 s from simple triarylboranes which have no lone pairs. We also have prepared 3 isomeric (o, m, p-bromophenyl)-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)boranes. Among the 3 isomers (o-, m- and p-BrTAB) synthesized, the ortho-one is the only one which shows dual phosphorescence, with a short lifetime of 0.8 ms and a long lifetime of 234 ms in the crystalline state at room temperature. At last, we checked the RTP properties from the boric acid. We found that the pure boric acid does not show RTP in the solid state.},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Wohlfart2022,
  author    = {Wohlfart, Jonas},
  title     = {Analysis of Drug Impurities by Means of Chromatographic Methods: Targeted and Untargeted Approaches},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-27387},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-273878},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {The presented works aimed on the analysis of new impurities in APIs and medicinal products. Different subtypes of LC were coupled to suitable detection methods, i.e. UV and various MS techniques, depending on the chemical natures of the analytes and the analytical task. Unexpected impurities in medicinal products and APIs caused several scandals in the past, concomitant with fatalities or severe side effects in human and veterinary patients. The detection of nitrosamines in sartans led to the discovery of nitrosamines in various other drugs, of which the antibiotic rifampicin was analyzed in this work. An examination of the synthesis of rifampicin revealed a high potential for the formation of 4-methyl-1-nitrosopiperazine (MeNP). An LC-MS/HRMS method suitable for the quantification of MeNP was applied in the analysis of drugs collected from Brazil, Comoros, India, Nepal, and Tanzania, where a single dose of rifampicin is used in the post-exposure prophylaxis of leprosy. All batches were contaminated with MeNP, ranging from 0.7-5.1 ppm. However, application of rifampicin containing up to 5 ppm MeNP was recommended by the regulatory authorities for the post-exposure prophylaxis of leprosy. In the 1990s the aminoglycoside antibiotic gentamicin attracted attention after causing fatalities in the USA, but the causative agent was never identified unequivocally. The related substance sisomicin was recognized as a lead impurity by the Holzgrabe lab at the University of W{\"u}rzburg: sisomicin was accompanied by a variety of other impurities and batches containing sisomicin had caused the fatalities. In 2016, anaphylactic reactions were reported after application of gentamicin. A contamination of the medicinal products with histamine, an impurity of the raw material fish peptone used upon the production, could be identified as the cause of the adverse effects. Batches of gentamicin sulfate, which had been stored at the University of W{\"u}rzburg since the earlier investigations, were analyzed regarding their contamination with histamine to determine whether the biogenic amine was responsible for the 1990s fatalities as well. Furthermore, a correlation with the lead impurity sisomicin was checked. Histamine could be detected in all analyzed batches, but at a lower level than in the batches responsible for the anaphylactic reactions. Moreover, there is no correlation of histamine with the lead impurity sisomicin. Hence, the causative agent for the 1990s fatalities was not histamine and remains unknown. Another source of impurities is the reaction of APIs with excipients, e.g. the esterification of naproxen with PEG 600 in soft gel capsules. The influence of the formulation's composition on this reaction was investigated by means of LC-UV. Therefore, the impurity naproxen-PEG-ester (NPEG) was synthesized and used for the development of a method suitable for the analysis of soft gel capsule formulations. Different formulations were stressed for 7 d at 60 °C and the relative amount of NPEG was determined. The formation of NPEG was influenced by the concentrations of water and lactic acid, the pH, and the drug load of the formulation, which can easily be explained by the chemistry behind esterification reactions. Keeping in mind the huge variety of sources of impurities, it might be impossible to predict all potential impurities of a drug substance/product. Targeted and untargeted approaches were combined in the impurity profiling of bisoprolol fumarate. Eight versions of an LC-HRMS method were developed to enable the detection of a maximum number of impurities: an acidic and a basic buffered LC was coupled to MS detection applying ESI and APCI, both in positive in negative mode. MS and MS/MS data were acquired simultaneously by information dependent acquisition. In the targeted approach, potential impurities were derived from a reaction matrix based on the synthesis route of the API, while the untargeted part was based on general unknown comparative screening to identify additional signals. 18 and 17 impurities were detected in the targeted and the untargeted approach, respectively. The molecular formulae were assessed based on the exact mass and the isotope pattern. Theoretical fragment spectra generated by in silico fragmentation were matched with experimental data to estimate the plausibility of proposed/elucidated structures. Moreover, the detected impurities were quantified with respect to an internal standard.},
  subject      = {LC-MS},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Wissel2022,
  author    = {Wissel, Stephanie},
  title     = {Stellenwert der kognitiven Leistungsf{\"a}higkeit f{\"u}r die generische und krankheitsspezifische Lebensqualit{\"a}t bei chronischer Herzinsuffizienz},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-28785},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-287853},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Cognitive impairment is highly prevalent in patients with chronic heart failure, but little is known about the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of this special patient group. We aimed to examine whether cognitive impairment is associated with HRQL in heart failure patients and hypothesized that cognitive impairment would negatively impact HRQL. We examined the HRQL of 148 patients of the Cognition.Matters-HF study with chronic heart failure and objectified cognitive impairment ranging from no to severe deficits. With the exception of the self-efficacy scale of the KCCQ, cognitive impairment was not associated with lower health-related quality of life in heart failure patients. The association of self-efficacy with severity of cognitive impairment remained significant after adjustment for duration and severity of heart failure, age, and sex (p<0.001). The self-efficacy scale gives information about patients' ability to prevent acute heart failure decompensations and could become a promising tool to detect individuals who are unable to adhere to a proper heart failure treatment regimen and manage arising complications. These patients may benefit from enhanced care, e.g. in the frame of a heart failure nurse led disease-management program.},
  subject      = {Chronische Herzinsuffizienz},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Winter2022,
  author    = {Winter, Carla},
  title     = {Evaluation der Verwendung von Virtueller Realit{\"a}t (VR) als Erg{\"a}nzung zum Laufbandtraining im Rahmen der Behandlung von Gangst{\"o}rungen bei Patienten mit Multipler Sklerose (MS) und Schlaganfall},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-28054},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-280544},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Die Rehabilitation von Gangst{\"o}rungen bei Patienten mit MS und Schlaganfall erfolgt h{\"a}ufig mithilfe eines konventionellen Laufbandtrainings. Einige Studien haben bereits gezeigt, dass durch eine Erweiterung dieses Trainings um eine virtuelle Realit{\"a}t die Motivation der Patienten gesteigert und die Therapieergebnisse verbessert werden k{\"o}nnen. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde eine immersive VR-Anwendung (unter Verwendung eines HMD) f{\"u}r die Gangrehabilitation von Patienten evaluiert. Hierbei wurden ihre Anwendbarkeit und Akzeptanz gepr{\"u}ft sowie ihre Kurzzeiteffekte mit einer semi-immersiven Pr{\"a}sentation (unter Verwendung eines Monitors) und mit einem konventionellen Laufbandtraining ohne VR verglichen. Der Fokus lag insbesondere auf der Untersuchung der Anwendbarkeit beider Systeme und der Auswirkungen auf die Laufgeschwindigkeit und Motivation der Benutzer. Im Rahmen einer Studie mit Innersubjekt-Design nahmen zun{\"a}chst 36 gesunde Teilnehmer und anschließend 14 Patienten mit MS oder Schlaganfall an drei experimentellen Bedingungen (VR {\"u}ber HMD, VR {\"u}ber Monitor, Laufbandtraining ohne VR) teil. Sowohl in der Studie mit gesunden Teilnehmern als auch in der Patientenstudie zeigte sich in der HMD-Bedingung eine h{\"o}here Laufgeschwindigkeit als beim Laufbandtraining ohne VR und in der Monitor-Bedingung. Die gesunden Studienteilnehmer berichteten {\"u}ber eine h{\"o}here Motivation nach der HMD-Bedingung als nach den anderen Bedingungen. Es traten in beiden Gruppen keine Nebenwirkungen im Sinne einer Simulator Sickness auf und es wurden auch keine Erh{\"o}hungen der Herzfrequenzen nach den VR-Bedingungen detektiert. Die Bewertungen des Pr{\"a}senzerlebens waren in beiden Gruppen in der HMD-Bedingung h{\"o}her als in der Monitor-Bedingung. Beide VR-Bedingungen erhielten hohe Bewertungen f{\"u}r die Benutzerfreundlichkeit. Die meisten der gesunden Teilnehmer (89 \%) und Patienten (71 \%) pr{\"a}ferierten das HMD-basierte Laufbandtraining unter den drei Trainingsformen und die meisten Patienten k{\"o}nnten sich vorstellen, es h{\"a}ufiger zu nutzen. Mit der vorliegenden Studie wurde eine strukturierte Evaluation der Anwendbarkeit eines immersiven VR-Systems f{\"u}r die Gangrehabilitation gepr{\"u}ft und dieses erstmals in den direkten Vergleich zu einem semi-immersiven System und einem konventionellen Training ohne VR gesetzt. Die Studie best{\"a}tigte die Praktikabilit{\"a}t der Kombination eines Laufbandtrainings mit immersiver VR. Aufgrund ihrer hohen Benutzerfreundlichkeit und der geringen Nebenwirkungen scheint diese Trainingsform besonders f{\"u}r Patienten geeignet zu sein, um deren Trainingsmotivation und Trainingserfolge, wie z. B. die Laufgeschwindigkeit, zu steigern. Da immersive VR-Systeme allerdings nach wie vor spezifische technische Installationsprozeduren erfordern, sollte f{\"u}r die spezifische klinische Anwendung eine Kosten-Nutzen-Bewertung erfolgen.},
  subject      = {Multiple Sklerose},
  language  = {de}
}