@phdthesis{Akakpo2019,
  author    = {Akakpo, Martin Gameli},
  title     = {The influence of learner characteristics on interactions to seek and share information in e-learning: A media psychology perspective},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-18593},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-185934},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Research on the deployment and use of technology to assist learning has seen a significant rise over the last decades (Aparicio et al., 2017). The focus on course quality, technology, learning outcome and learner satisfaction in e-learning has led to insufficient attention by researchers to individual characteristics of learners (Cidral et al., 2017 ; Hsu et al., 2013). The current work aims to bridge this gap by investigating characteristics identified by previous works and backed by theory as influential individual differences in e-learning. These learner characteristics have been suggested as motivational factors (Edmunds et al., 2012) in decisions by learners to interact and exchange information (Luo et al., 2017). In this work e-learning is defined as interaction dependent information seeking and sharing enabled by technology. This is primarily approached from a media psychology perspective. The role of learner characteristics namely, beliefs about the source of knowledge (Schommer, 1990), learning styles (Felder \& Silverman, 1988), need for affect (Maio \& Esses, 2001), need for cognition (Cacioppo \& Petty, 1982) and power distance (Hofstede, 1980) on interactions to seek and share information in e-learning are investigated. These investigations were shaped by theory and empirical lessons as briefly mentioned in the next paragraphs. Theoretical support for investigations is derived from the technology acceptance model(TAM) by psychologist Davis (1989) and the hyper-personal model by communication scientist Walther (1996). The TAM was used to describe the influence of learner characteristics on decisions to use e-learning systems (Stantchev et al., 2014). The hyper-personal model described why computer-mediated communication thrives in e-learning (Kaye et al., 2016) and how learners interpret messages exchanged online (Hansen et al., 2015). This theoretical framework was followed by empirical reviews which justified the use of interaction and information seeking-sharing as key components of e-learning as well as the selection of learner characteristics. The reviews provided suggestions for the measurement of variables (K{\"u}hl et al., 2014) and the investigation design (Dascalau et al., 2015). Investigations were designed and implemented through surveys and quasi experiments which were used for three preliminary studies and two main studies. Samples were selected from Germany and Ghana with same variables tested in both countries. Hypotheses were tested with interaction and information seeking-sharing as dependent variables while beliefs about the source of knowledge, learning styles, need for affect, need for cognition and power distance were independent variables. Firstly, using analyses of variance, the influence of beliefs about the source of knowledge on interaction choices of learners was supported. Secondly, the role of need for cognition on interaction choices of learners was supported by results from a logistic regression. Thirdly, results from multiple linear regressions backed the influence of need for cognition and power distance on information seeking-sharing behaviour of learners. Fourthly, the relationship between need for affect and need for cognition was supported. The findings may have implications for media psychology research, theories used in this work, research on e-learning, measurement of learner characteristics and the design of e-learning platforms. The findings suggest that, the beliefs learners have about the source of knowledge, their need for cognition and their power distance can influence decisions to interact and seek or share information. The outlook from reviews and findings in this work predicts more research on learner characteristics and a corresponding intensity in the use of e-learning by individuals. It is suggested that future studies investigate the relationship between learner autonomy and power distance. Studies on inter-cultural similarities amongst e-learners in different populations are also suggested.},
  subject      = {e-learning},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Agnetta2019,
  author    = {Agnetta, Luca},
  title     = {Novel Photoswitchable and Dualsteric Ligands Acting on Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors for Receptor Function Investigation},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-18717},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-187170},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {G protein-coupled receptor research looks out for new technologies to elucidate the complex processes of receptor activation, function and downstream signaling with spatiotemporal resolution, preferably in living cells and organisms. A thriving approach consists in making use of the unsurpassed properties of light, including its high precision in space and time, noninvasiveness and high degree of orthogonality regarding biological processes. This is realized by the incorporation of molecular photoswitches, which are able to effectively respond to light, such as azobenzene, into the structure of a ligand of a given receptor. The muscarinic acetylcholine receptors belong to class A GPCRs and have received special attention in this regard due to their role as a prototypic pharmacological system and their therapeutic potential. They mediate the excitatory and inhibitory effects of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and thus regulate diverse important biological processes, especially many neurological functions in our brain. In this work, the application of photopharmacological tool compounds to muscarinic receptors is presented, consisting of pharmacophores extended with azobenzene as light-responsive motif. Making use of the dualsteric concept, such photochromic ligands can be designed to bind concomitantly to the orthosteric and allosteric binding site of the receptor, which is demonstrated for BQCAAI (M1) and PAI (M2) and may lead to subtype- and functionalselective photoswitchable ligands, suitable for further ex vivo and in vivo studies. Moreover, photoswitchable ligands based on the synthetic agonist iperoxo were investigated extensively with regard to their photochemical behavior and pharmacological profile, outlining the advantages and challenges of using red-shifted molecular photoswitches, such as tetraortho- fluoro azobenzene. For the first time on a GPCR it was examined, which impact the different substitution pattern has on both the binding and the activity on the M1 receptor. Results show that substituted azobenzenes in photopharmacological compounds (F4-photoiperoxo and F4-iper-azo-iper) not just represent analogs with other photophysical properties but can exhibit a considerably different biological profile that has to be investigated carefully. The achievements gained in this study can give important new insights into the binding mode and time course of activation processes, enabling precise spatial and temporal resolution of the complex signaling pathway of muscarinic receptors. Due to their role as exemplary model system, these findings may be useful for the investigation into other therapeutically relevant GPCRs.},
  subject      = {Muscarinrezeptor},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{AdelAbdelrehimMohamedSoliman2019,
  author    = {Adel Abdelrehim Mohamed Soliman, Hadya},
  title     = {Structural Equation Modeling of Factors Influencing EFL Reading comprehension: Comparative study between Egypt and Germany},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-18695},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-186957},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {In most foreign language learning contexts, there are only rare chance for contact with native speakers of the target language. In such a situation, reading plays an important role in language acquisition as well as in gaining cultural information about the target language and its speakers. Previous research indicated that reading in foreign language is a complex process, which is influenced by various linguistic, cognitive and affective factors. The aim of the present study was to test two structural models of the relationship between reading comprehension in native language (L1), English language (L2) reading motivation, metacognitive awareness of L2 reading strategies, and reading comprehension of English as a foreign language among the two samples. Furthermore, the current study aimed to examine the differences between Egyptian and German students in their perceived usage of reading strategies during reading English texts, as well as to explore the pattern of their motivation toward reading English texts. For this purpose, 401 students were recruited from Germany (n=200) and Egypt (n=201) to participate in the current study. In order to have information about metacognitive awareness of reading strategies, a self-report questionnaire (SORS) developed by Moktari and Sheory (2002) was used. While the L2 reading motivation variable, was measured by a reading motivation survey (L2RMQ) which was based on reviewed reading motivation research. In addition, two reading tests were administrated one to measure reading comprehension for native language (German/Arabic) and the other to measure English reading comprehension. To analyze the collected data, descriptive statistics and independent t-tests were performed. In addition, further analysis using structural equation modeling was applied to test the strength of relationships between the variables under study. The results from the current research revealed that L1 reading comprehension, whether in a German or Arabic language, had the strongest relationship with L2 reading comprehension. However, the relationship between L2 intrinsic reading motivation was not proven to be significant in either the German or Egyptian models. On the other hand, the relationship between L2 extrinsic reading motivation, metacognitive awareness of reading strategies, and L2 reading comprehension was only proven significant in the German sample. The discussion of these results along with their pedagogical implications for education and practice will be illustrated in the following study.},
  subject      = {Leseverstehen},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Abt2019,
  author    = {Abt, Raimond},
  title     = {Implementing Aspects of Quantum Information into the AdS/CFT Correspondence},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-18801},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-188012},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {In recent years many discoveries have been made that reveal a close relation between quantum information and geometry in the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence. In this duality between a conformal quantum field theory (CFT) and a theory of gravity on Anti-de Sitter spaces (AdS) quantum information quantities in CFT are associated with geometric objects in AdS. Subject of this thesis is the examination of this intriguing property of AdS/CFT. We study two central elements of quantum information: subregion complexity -- which is a measure for the effort required to construct a given reduced state -- and the modular Hamiltonian -- which is given by the logarithm of a considered reduced state. While a clear definition for subregion complexity in terms of unitary gates exists for discrete systems, a rigorous formulation for quantum field theories is not known. In AdS/CFT, subregion complexity is proposed to be related to certain codimension one regions on the AdS side. The main focus of this thesis lies on the examination of such candidates for gravitational duals of subregion complexity. We introduce the concept of \textit{topological complexity}, which considers subregion complexity to be given by the integral over the Ricci scalar of codimension one regions in AdS. The Gauss-Bonnet theorem provides very general expressions for the topological complexity of CFT\(_2\) states dual to global AdS\(_3\), BTZ black holes and conical defects. In particular, our calculations show that the topology of the considered codimension one bulk region plays an essential role for topological complexity. Moreover, we study holographic subregion complexity (HSRC), which associates the volume of a particular codimension one bulk region with subregion complexity. We derive an explicit field theory expression for the HSRC of vacuum states. The formulation of HSRC in terms of field theory quantities may allow to investigate whether this bulk object indeed provides a concept of subregion complexity on the CFT side. In particular, if this turns out to be the case, our expression for HSRC may be seen as a field theory definition of subregion complexity. We extend our expression to states dual to BTZ black holes and conical defects. A further focus of this thesis is the modular Hamiltonian of a family of states \(\rho_\lambda\) depending on a continuous parameter \(\lambda\). Here \(\lambda\) may be associated with the energy density or the temperature, for instance. The importance of the modular Hamiltonian for quantum information is due to its contribution to relative entropy -- one of the very few objects in quantum information with a rigorous definition for quantum field theories. The first order contribution in \(\tilde{\lambda}=\lambda-\lambda_0\) of the modular Hamiltonian to the relative entropy between \(\rho_\lambda\) and a reference state \(\rho_{\lambda_0}\) is provided by the first law of entanglement. We study under which circumstances higher order contributions in \(\tilde{\lambda}\) are to be expected. We show that for states reduced to two entangling regions \(A\), \(B\) the modular Hamiltonian of at least one of these regions is expected to provide higher order contributions in \(\tilde{\lambda}\) to the relative entropy if \(A\) and \(B\) saturate the Araki-Lieb inequality. The statement of the Araki-Lieb inequality is that the difference between the entanglement entropies of \(A\) and \(B\) is always smaller or equal to the entanglement entropy of the union of \(A\) and \(B\). Regions for which this inequality is saturated are referred to as entanglement plateaux. In AdS/CFT the relation between geometry and quantum information provides many examples for entanglement plateaux. We apply our result to several of them, including large intervals for states dual to BTZ black holes and annuli for states dual to black brane geometries.},
  subject      = {AdS-CFT-Korrespondenz},
  language  = {en}
}
@phdthesis{Aboagye2019,
  author    = {Aboagye, Benjamin},
  title     = {Behavioral and physiologic consequences of inducible inactivation of the \(Tryptophan\) \(hydroxylase\) 2 gene in interaction with early-life adversity},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-17358},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-173581},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2019},
  abstract  = {Disruptions in brain serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) signaling pathways have been associated with etiology and pathogenesis of various neuropsychiatric disorders, but specific neural mechanisms of 5-HT function are yet to be fully elucidated. Tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) is the rate-limiting enzyme for brain 5-HT synthesis. Therefore, in this study a tamoxifen (Tam)-inducible cre-mediated conditional gene (Tph2) knockout in adult mouse brain (Tph2icKO) has been established to decipher the specific role of brain 5-HT in the regulation of behavior in adulthood. Immunohistochemistry and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used first to test the efficacy of Tam-inducible inactivation of Tph2 and consequential reduction of 5-HT in adult mouse brain. Tam treatment resulted in ≥90\% reduction in the number of 5-HT immuno-reactive cells in the anterior raphe nuclei. HPLC revealed a significant reduction in concentration of 5-HT and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) in selected brain regions of Tph2icKO, indicating the effectiveness of the protocol used. Second, standard behavioral tests were used to assess whether reduced brain 5-HT concentrations could alter anxiety-, fear- and depressive-like behavior in mice. No altered anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors were observed in Tph2icKO compared to control mice (Tph2CON) in all indices measured, but Tph2icKO mice exhibited intense and sustained freezing during context-dependent fear memory retrieval. Tph2icKO mice also exhibited locomotor hyperactivity in the aversive environments, such as the open field, and consumed more food and fluid than Tph2CON mice. Lastly, the combined effect of maternal separation (MS) stress and adult brain 5-HT depletion on behavior was assessed in male and female mice. Here, MS stress, 5-HT depletion and their interaction elicited anxiety-like behavior in a sex-dependent manner. MS reduced exploratory behavior in both male and female mice. Reduced 5-HT enhanced anxiety in female, but not in male mice. Furthermore, expression of genes related to the 5-HT system and emotionality (Tph2, Htr1a, Htr2a, Maoa and Avpr1a) was assessed by performing a quantitative real-time PCR. In Tph2icKO mice there was a reduction in expression of Tph2 in the raphe nuclei of both male and female mice. Interaction between MS stress and 5-HT deficiency was detected showing increased Htr2a and Maoa expression in raphe and hippocampus respectively of female mice. In male mice, MS stress and 5-HT depletion interaction effects reduced Avpr1a expression in raphe, while the expression of Htr1a, Htr2a and Maoa was differentially altered by 5-HT depletion and MS in various brain regions.},
  subject      = {Anxiety},
  language  = {en}
}