TY - JOUR A1 - Abdullahi, Sahra A1 - Wessel, Birgit A1 - Huber, Martin A1 - Wendleder, Anna A1 - Roth, Achim A1 - Kuenzer, Claudia T1 - Estimating penetration-related X-band InSAR elevation bias: a study over the Greenland ice sheet JF - Remote Sensing N2 - Accelerating melt on the Greenland ice sheet leads to dramatic changes at a global scale. Especially in the last decades, not only the monitoring, but also the quantification of these changes has gained considerably in importance. In this context, Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) systems complement existing data sources by their capability to acquire 3D information at high spatial resolution over large areas independent of weather conditions and illumination. However, penetration of the SAR signals into the snow and ice surface leads to a bias in measured height, which has to be corrected to obtain accurate elevation data. Therefore, this study purposes an easy transferable pixel-based approach for X-band penetration-related elevation bias estimation based on single-pass interferometric coherence and backscatter intensity which was performed at two test sites on the Northern Greenland ice sheet. In particular, the penetration bias was estimated using a multiple linear regression model based on TanDEM-X InSAR data and IceBridge laser-altimeter measurements to correct TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Model (DEM) scenes. Validation efforts yielded good agreement between observations and estimations with a coefficient of determination of R\(^2\) = 68% and an RMSE of 0.68 m. Furthermore, the study demonstrates the benefits of X-band penetration bias estimation within the application context of ice sheet elevation change detection. KW - InSAR height KW - penetration bias KW - cryosphere KW - TanDEM-X KW - Greenland ice sheet KW - DEM Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193902 SN - 2072-4292 VL - 11 IS - 24 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Abimannan, Nagarajan A1 - Sumathi, G. A1 - Krishnarajasekhar, O. R. A1 - Sinha, Bhanu A1 - Krishnan, Padma T1 - Clonal Clusters and Virulence Factors of Methicillin-Resistant \(Staphylococcus\) \(Aureus\): Evidence for Community-Acquired Methicillin-Resistant \(Staphylococcus\) \(Aureus\) Infiltration into Hospital Settings in Chennai, South India JF - Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology N2 - Background and Objective: Staphylococcus aureus is one of the major pathogens of nosocomial infections as wells as community-acquired (CA) infections worldwide. So far, large-scale comprehensive molecular and epidemiological characterisation of S. aureus from very diverse settings has not been carried out in India. The objective of this study is to evaluate the molecular, epidemiological and virulence characteristics of S. aureus in both community and hospital settings in Chennai, southern India. Methods: S. aureus isolates were obtained from four different groups (a) healthy individuals from closed community settings, (b) inpatients from hospitals, (c) outpatients from hospitals, representing isolates of hospital-community interface and (d) HIV-infected patients to define isolates associated with the immunocompromised. Antibiotic susceptibility testing, multiplex polymerase chain reactions for detection of virulence and resistance determinants, molecular typing including Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) and agr typing, were carried out. Sequencing-based typing was done using spa and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) methods. Clonal complexes (CC) of hospital and CA methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were identified and compared for virulence and resistance. Results and Conclusion: A total of 769 isolates of S. aureus isolates were studied. The prevalence of MRSA was found to be 7.17%, 81.67%, 58.33% and 22.85% for groups a, b, c and d, respectively. Of the four SCCmec types (I, III, IV and V) detected, SCCmec V was found to be predominant. Panton-Valentine leucocidin toxin genes were detected among MRSA isolates harbouring SCCmec IV and V. A total of 78 spa types were detected, t657 being the most prevalent. 13 MLST types belonging to 9 CC were detected. CC1 (ST-772, ST-1) and CC8 (ST238, ST368 and ST1208) were found to be predominant among MRSA. CA-MRSA isolates with SCCmec IV and V were isolated from all study groups including hospitalised patients and were found to be similar by molecular tools. This shows that CA MRSA has probably infiltrated into the hospital settings. KW - Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus KW - HIV KW - hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus KW - innate immune evasions KW - MLST KW - microbial surface component recognising adhesive matrix molecules KW - spa typing KW - ST 772 KW - Inducible Clindamycin Resistance KW - Valentine Leukocidin Genes KW - Multiplex PCR KW - Nasal Carriage KW - Colonization KW - Prevalence KW - Emergence KW - Skin Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-226963 VL - 37 IS - 3 ER - TY - THES A1 - Aboagye, Benjamin T1 - Behavioral and physiologic consequences of inducible inactivation of the \(Tryptophan\) \(hydroxylase\) 2 gene in interaction with early-life adversity T1 - Verhaltens- und physiologische Konsequenzen einer induzierbaren Inaktivierung des \(Tryptophan\) \(hydroxylase\) 2-Gens Interaktion mit frühkindlichen Stresses N2 - 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. N2 - Unterbrechungen der Serotonin-Stoffwechselwege (5-Hydroxytryptamin, 5-HT) im Gehirn wurden mit der Ätiologie und der Pathogenese von verschiedenen neuropsychiatrischen Erkrankungen assoziiert, wobei die neuronalen Mechanismen der 5-HT Funktionen noch vollständig entschlüsselt werden müssen. Die Tryptophan-Hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) ist das limitierende Enzym für die 5-HT Synthese im Gehirn, weshalb der durch Tamoxifen (Tam) induzierbare, cre-vermittelte Tph2 Gen-Knockout (Tph2icKO) im adulten Mausgehirn möglicherweise helfen könnte die spezifische Rolle von 5-HT im Gehirn in der Regulation von adultem Verhalten zu entschlüsseln. Zuerst wurden Hochleistungsflüssigkeitschromatographie (HPLC) und Immunhistochemische Analysen durchgeführt um die Effizienz der Tam induzierten Inaktivierung des Tph2 und die daraus folgende Reduktion von 5-HT im Gehirn zu überprüfen. Die Behandlung mit Tam resultierte in einer ≥86% Reduktion der Anzahl von 5-HT immunoreaktiven Zellen in der anterioren Raphe im Gehirn. Die HPLC zeigte eine signifikante Reduktion der 5-HT Konzentration und dessen Stoffwechselprodukts 5-Hydroxyindolylessigsäure (5-HIAA) in ausgewählten Gehirn regionen von Tph2icKO, was auf die Effektivität des benutzten Protokolls hindeutet. Danach wurden standarisierte Verhaltens tests durchgeführt um festzustellen, ob eine reduzierte 5-HT Konzentrationen im Gehirn zu einer Veränderung in der Angstreaktion, Depression und im Furchtverhalten der Mäuse führt. Bei allen Tests konnte sowohl in den Tph2icKO-Mäusen als auch in den Kontrolltieren kein offensichtliches angstbezogenes und depressionsähnliches Verhalten festgestellt werden, wobei die Tph2icKO-Mäuse intensive und anhaltende Furcht im Kontext „dependent fear retrieval“ zeigten. Tph2icKO-Mäuse zeigten zudem lokomotorische Hyperaktivität und konsumierten mehr Futter und Flüssigkeit als die Kontrolltiere. Zuletzt wurde der kombinierte Effekt von Stress durch mütterliche Trennung (MS) und adulter 5-HT Reduktion im Gehirn auf das Verhalten von männlichen und weiblichen Mäusen untersucht. Wieder rief nicht der depressionsähnliche Phänotyp, sondernder Stress durch die mütterliche Trennung (MS) und 5-HT Verarmung und deren Interaktion ein angstähnliches Verhalten in Abhängigkeit vom Geschlecht hervor. Reduziertes 5-HT vergrößerte die Angst in weiblichen, aber nicht in männlichen Mäusen. Stress durch mütterliche Trennung (MS) reduzierte das explorative Verhalten sowohl in Männchen als auch in Weibchen. Die Expression von Genen, welche im Bezug zum 5-HT System stehen (Tph2, Htr1a, Htr2a, Maoa und Avpr1a) wurden mit Hilfe von quantitativer Real-Time PCR untersucht. Die Tam Behandlung reduzierte dasTph2 Level in der Raphe bei beiden Geschlechtern signifikant. In weiblichen Mäusen steigertedie Interaktion zwischen Stress durch mütterliche Trennung (MS) und 5-HT Verarmung das Htr2a und Maoa Expressions level in der Raphe und im Hippokampus. In männlichen Mäusen reduzierte die Interaktion von Stress durch mütterliche Trennung (MS) und 5-HT Reduktion die Avpr1a Expression in der Raphe. Die Expression von Htr1a, Htr2a und Maoa wurde in verschiedenen Gehirn regionen unterschiedlich von Tam und Mütterliche Trennung MS verändert. In der Amygdala wurde nur ein MS Effekt auf die Tph2 Expression in den Mäusen sichtbar. KW - Anxiety KW - Angst KW - Depression KW - Serotonin KW - Tamoxifen KW - Tryptophan hydroxylase Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-173581 ER - TY - THES A1 - Abt, Raimond T1 - Implementing Aspects of Quantum Information into the AdS/CFT Correspondence T1 - Aspekte der Quanteninformation in der AdS/CFT-Korrespondenz N2 - 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. N2 - In den letzten Jahren wurden viele Entdeckungen gemacht, welche eine enge Beziehung zwischen Quanteninformation und Geometrie im Kontext der AdS/CFT-Korrespondenz aufzeigen. In dieser Dualität zwischen einer konformen Quantenfeldtheorie (CFT) und einer Gravitationstheorie auf Anti-de-Sitter-Räumen (AdS) werden Quanteninformationsgrößen der CFT mit geometrischen Objekten in AdS assoziiert. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird dieser faszinierende Aspekt von AdS/CFT untersucht. Wir studieren zwei Objekte welche eine zentrale Rolle in der Quanteninformation spielen: Die Teilregionkomplexität (subregion complexity) -- welche ein Maß für den nötigen Aufwand zur Konstruktion eines vorgegebenen reduzierten Zustandes ist -- und den modularen Hamiltonoperator -- welcher durch den Logarithmus eines reduzierten Zustandes gegeben ist. Während eine klare Definition der Teilregionkomplexität mittels unitärer Gatter für diskrete Systeme angegeben werden kann, ist eine präzise Formulierung für Quantenfeldtheorien nicht bekannt. In der AdS/CFT-Korrespondenz wird angenommen, dass die Teilregionkomplexität mit bestimmten Regionen der Kodimension eins in AdS-Räumen in Beziehung stehen. Der Hauptfokus der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Untersuchung derartiger Kandidaten für Gravitationsduale der Teilregionkomplexität. Wir führen das Konzept der \textit{topologischen Komplexität} (topological complexity) ein, welches das Integral über den Ricci-Skalar bestimmter Teilregionen von AdS-Räumen als das Gravitationsdual der Teilregionkomplexität ansieht. Der Satz von Gauss-Bonnet erlaubt es uns sehr allgemeine Ausdrücke für die Teilregionkomplexität von CFT\(_2\)-Zuständen mit globalem AdS\(_3\), BTZ-Schwarzen-Löchern oder konischen Defekten als Gravitationsdual zu konstruieren. Unsere Berechnungen zeigen insbesondere, dass die Topologie der betrachteten Kodimension-Eins-Regionen eine große Rolle für die topologische Komplexität spielt. Weiterhin befassen wir uns mit der holographischen Teilregionkomplexität (holographic subregion complexity, HSRC), welche annimmt, dass die Teilregionkomplexität durch das Volumen bestimmter Kodimension-Eins-Regionen in AdS-Räumen gegeben ist. Wir leiten einen expliziten Ausdruck für die HSRC von Vakuumzuständen in Größen der Feldtheorie her. Die Formulierung der HSRC in Feldtheoriegrößen könnte es ermöglichen zu untersuchen ob diese Größe tatsächlich als die Teilregionkomplexität der CFT interpretiert werden kann. Sollte sich dies bestätigen, kann unser Feldtheorieausdruck für HSRC als Definition für die Teilregionkomplexität der CFT angesehen werden. Wir verallgemeinern unseren Ausdruck für HSRC dahingehend, dass er auch für Zustände dual zu BTZ-Schwarzen-Löchern und konischen Defekten gültig ist. Ein weiterer Fokus der vorliegenden Arbeit ist der modulare Hamiltonoperator einer Familie von Zuständen \(\rho_\lambda\), welche von einem kontinuierlichen Parameter \(\lambda\) abhängen. Hierbei kann \(\lambda\) beispielsweise der Energiedichte oder der Temperatur entsprechen. Die Bedeutung des modularen Hamiltonoperator für die Quanteninformation ist auf seinen Beitrag zur relativen Entropie zurückzuführen -- eine der wenigen Größen der Quanteninformation für welche eine formale Definition für Quantenfeldtheorien bekannt ist. Der Beitrag erster Ordnung in \(\tilde{\lambda}=\lambda-\lambda_0\) des modularen Hamiltonoperators zur relativen Entropie zwischen \(\rho_\lambda\) und einem Referenzzustand \(\rho_{\lambda_0}\) ist gegeben durch den ersten Hauptsatz der Verschränkung (first law of entanglement). Wir untersuchen unter welchen Umständen Beiträge höherer Ordnung in \(\tilde{\lambda}\) zu erwarten sind. Wir zeigen, dass für Zustände die auf zwei Teilregionen \(A\), \(B\) reduziert wurden in der Regel mindestens einer dieser Beiträge höherer Ordnung in \(\tilde{\lambda}\) zur relativen Entropie liefert, wenn \(A\) und \(B\) die Araki-Lieb-Ungleichung saturieren. Die Araki-Lieb-Ungleichung besagt, dass die Differenz der Verschränkungsentropien von \(A\) und \(B\) stets kleiner oder gleich der Verschränkungsentropie der Vereinigung von \(A\) und \(B\) ist. Regionen für welche die Araki-Lieb-Ungleichung saturiert ist werden als Verschränkungsplateaus (entanglement plateaux) bezeichnet. In der AdS/CFT-Korrespondenz gibt es aufgrund der Beziehung zwischen Quanteninformation und Geometrie viele Beispiele für derartige Plateaus. Wir wenden unser Resultat auf einige dieser an. Unter anderem diskutieren wir große Intervalle für Zustände dual zu BTZ-Schwarzen-Löchern und Annuli für Zustände dual zu schwarzen Branen. KW - AdS-CFT-Korrespondenz KW - AdS/CFT KW - Complexity KW - Quantum Information KW - Modular Hamiltonian KW - AdS/CFT KW - Komplexität KW - Quanteninformation KW - Modularer Hamiltonoperator Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-188012 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Abt, Raimond A1 - Erdmenger, Johanna A1 - Gerbershagen, Marius A1 - Melby-Thompson, Charles M. A1 - Northe, Christian T1 - Holographic subregion complexity from kinematic space JF - Journal of High Energy Physics N2 - We consider the computation of volumes contained in a spatial slice of AdS(3) in terms of observables in a dual CFT. Our main tool is kinematic space, defined either from the bulk perspective as the space of oriented bulk geodesics, or from the CFT perspective as the space of entangling intervals. We give an explicit formula for the volume of a general region in a spatial slice of AdS(3) as an integral over kinematic space. For the region lying below a geodesic, we show how to write this volume purely in terms of entangling entropies in the dual CFT. This expression is perhaps most interesting in light of the complexity = volume proposal, which posits that complexity of holographic quantum states is computed by bulk volumes. An extension of this idea proposes that the holographic subregion complexity of an interval, defined as the volume under its Ryu-Takayanagi surface, is a measure of the complexity of the corresponding reduced density matrix. If this is true, our results give an explicit relationship between entanglement and subregion complexity in CFT, at least in the vacuum. We further extend many of our results to conical defect and BTZ black hole geometries. KW - AdS-CFT Correspondence KW - Gauge-gravity correspondence KW - Black Holes in String Theory KW - Black-hole KW - Entanglement Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-227711 VL - 1 IS - 12 ER - TY - THES A1 - Adel Abdelrehim Mohamed Soliman, Hadya T1 - Structural Equation Modeling of Factors Influencing EFL Reading comprehension: Comparative study between Egypt and Germany T1 - Strukturgleichungsmodellierung von Faktoren, die das EFL-Leseverständnis beeinflussen: Vergleichende Studie zwischen Ägypten und Deutschland N2 - 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. N2 - In den meisten Kontexten des Fremdsprachenlernens gibt es nur selten eine Chance auf Kontakt mit Muttersprachlern der Zielsprache. In einer solchen Situation spielt das Lesen eine wichtige Rolle beim Spracherwerb sowie bei der Gewinnung kultureller Informationen über die Zielsprache und ihre Sprecher. Frühere Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass das Lesen in der Fremdsprache ein komplexer Prozess ist, der von verschiedenen linguistischen, kognitiven und affektiven Faktoren beeinflusst wird. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war es, zwei Strukturmodelle der Beziehung zwischen Leseverständnis in der Muttersprache (L1), englischer Sprache (L2) Lesemotivation, metakognitivem Bewusstsein für L2-Lesestrategien und Leseverständnis von Englisch als Fremdsprache zwischen den beiden Stichproben zu testen. Zur Analyse der gesammelten Daten wurden deskriptive Statistiken und unabhängige t-Tests durchgeführt. Darüber hinaus wurde eine weitere Analyse mit Hilfe der Strukturgleichungsmodellierung durchgeführt, um die Stärke der Beziehungen zwischen den untersuchten Variablen zu testen. Die Ergebnisse der aktuellen Forschung zeigten, dass das L1-Leseverständnis, ob in deutscher oder arabischer Sprache, die stärkste Beziehung zum L2-Leseverständnis hatte. Der Zusammenhang zwischen L2 intrinsischer Lesemotivation wurde jedoch weder im deutschen noch im ägyptischen Modell nachgewiesen. Andererseits war der Zusammenhang zwischen L2 extrinsischer Lesemotivation, metakognitivem Bewusstsein für Lesestrategien und L2-Leseverständnis nur in der deutschen Stichprobe signifikant. Die Diskussion dieser Ergebnisse sowie ihre pädagogischen Implikationen für Bildung und Praxis werden in der folgenden Studie dargestellt. KW - L1 reading comprehension KW - metacognition KW - L2 reading motivation KW - L2 reading comprehension KW - Leseverstehen Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-186957 ER - TY - THES A1 - Agnetta, Luca T1 - Novel Photoswitchable and Dualsteric Ligands Acting on Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors for Receptor Function Investigation T1 - Neue lichtschaltbare und dualstere Liganden für die muskarinischen Acetylcholin Rezeptoren zur Untersuchung der Rezeptorfunktion N2 - 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. N2 - Die Forschung an G-Protein-gekoppelten Rezeptoren verlangt nach neuen Technologien zur Aufklärung der komplexen Prozesse der Rezeptoraktivierung, -funktion und ihrer nachgeschalteten Signalwege mit räumlicher und zeitlicher Auflösung, vorzugsweise in lebenden Zellen und Organismen. Ein erfolgreicher Ansatz besteht darin, die unübertroffenen Eigenschaften des Lichts zu nutzen, welche die hohe Präzision in Raum und Zeit, die Nicht- Invasivität und die hohe Orthogonalität in Bezug auf biologische Prozesse einschließt. Dies wird durch den Einbau von molekularen Photoschaltern, wie z. B. Azobenzolen, in die Struktur eines Liganden eines bestimmten Rezeptors realisiert, welche effektiv auf Licht reagieren. Die muskarinischen Acetylcholin Rezeptoren gehören zur Klasse A der GPCRs und haben aufgrund ihrer Rolle als prototypisches pharmakologisches System und ihres therapeutischen Potenzials diesbezüglich besondere Beachtung gefunden. Sie vermitteln die stimulierenden und hemmenden Wirkungen des Neurotransmitters Acetylcholin und regulieren somit verschiedene wichtige biologische Prozesse, insbesondere viele neurologische Funktionen in unserem Gehirn. In dieser Arbeit wird die Anwendung photopharmakologischer „Tool“-Verbindungen auf die muskarinischen Rezeptoren vorgestellt, die aus Pharmakophoren bestehen, welche mit Azobenzol als lichtempfindlichem Motiv modifiziert wurden. Mit Hilfe des Konzepts der Dualsterie können solche photochromen Liganden so gestaltet werden, dass sie gleichzeitig an die orthosterische und allosterische Bindungsstelle des Rezeptors binden, was für BQCAAI (M1) und PAI (M2) gezeigt wurde und zu subtypen- und funktionsselektiven photoschaltbaren Liganden führen kann, die für weitere Ex- und In-Vivo-Studien geeignet sind. Darüber hinaus wurden photoschaltbare Liganden auf Basis des synthetischen Agonisten Iperoxo hinsichtlich ihres photochemischen Verhaltens und ihres pharmakologischen Profils ausführlich untersucht, um die Vorteile und Herausforderungen der Verwendung rotverschobener molekularer Photoschalter wie tetra-ortho-Fluor-azobenzol zu erläutern. Es wurde erstmals an einem GPCR untersucht, welche Auswirkungen das unterschiedliche Substitutionsmuster sowohl auf die Bindung, als auch auf die Aktivität am M1-Rezeptor hat. Diese Ergebnisse zeigen, dass substituierte Azobenzole in photopharmakologischen Verbindungen (F4-Photoiperoxo und F4-Iper-azo-iper) nicht nur Analoga mit anderen photophysikalischen Eigenschaften darstellen, sondern auch ein deutlich unterschiedliches biologisches Profil aufweisen können, das sorgfältig untersucht werden muss. Die in dieser Studie erzielten Ergebnisse geben neue und wichtige Einblicke in den Bindungsmodus und den zeitlichen Verlauf von Aktivierungsprozessen und ermöglichen eine präzise räumliche und zeitliche Auflösung der komplexen Signalwege von muskarinischen Rezeptoren. Aufgrund ihrer Rolle als exemplarisches Modellsystem können diese Befunde für die Untersuchung anderer therapeutisch relevanter GPCRs sehr nützlich sein. KW - Muscarinrezeptor KW - G-Protein gekoppelte Rezeptor KW - G Protein-coupled receptor Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-187170 ER - TY - THES A1 - Akakpo, Martin Gameli T1 - The influence of learner characteristics on interactions to seek and share information in e-learning: A media psychology perspective T1 - Der Einfluss von Lernendenmerkmale auf die Interaktionen zur Suche und zum Austausch von Informationen im E-Learning: Eine medienpsychologische Perspektive N2 - 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 (Kühl 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. N2 - Forschungsbemühungen zur Bereitstellung und die Nutzung von Technologien zur Unterstützung des Lernens nahm in den letzten Jahrzehnten erheblich zu (Aparicio et al., 2017). Der Fokus auf Kursqualität, Technologie, Lernergebnisse und Zufriedenheit der Lernenden im E-Learning führte dazu, dass die Forschenden den individuellen Eigenschaften der Lernenden nicht genügend Aufmerksamkeit schenkten (Cidral et al., 2017; Hsu et al., 2013). Die vorliegende Arbeit ist bestrebt, diese Lücke zu schließen. Sie untersucht Lernendenmerkmale, die in früheren Arbeiten identifiziert und theoretisch als einflussreiche individuelle Unterschiede beim E-Learning unterstrichen wurden. Diese Eigenschaften des Lernenden wurden als Motivationsfaktoren (Edmunds et al., 2012) in Entscheidungen des Lernenden bei Interaktion mit und zum Austausch von Informationen vorgeschlagen (Luo et al., 2017). In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird E-Learning definiert als Informationssuche und -austausch, der durch Technologie ermöglicht wird und auf Interaktionen basiert. Diese Ideen werden vor allem aus medienpsychologischer Sicht angegangen. Die Rolle der Merkmale des Lernenden, nämlich seine jeweiligen Überzeugungen über die Quelle des Wissens (Schommer, 1990), Lernstile (Felder & Silverman, 1988), Bedürfnis nach Zuwendung (Maio & Esses, 2001), Erkenntnisdrang (Cacioppo & Petty, 1982) und Machtdistanz (Hofstede, 1980) werden bzgl. der Interaktionen, die zur Suche und zum Austausch von Informationen dienen, untersucht. Diese Untersuchungen berücksichtigen theoretische Annahmen und empirische Erkenntnisse, die hier kurz skizziert werden. Das ‚Technology Acceptance Model‘ (TAM) des Psychologen Davis (1989) und das ‚Hyper-Personal Model‘ des Kommunikationswissenschaftlers Walther (1996) liegen den durchgeführten Untersuchungen zugrunde. Mit dem TAM wurde der Einfluss der Eigenschaften eines Lernenden auf Entscheidungen zur Verwendung von E-Learning-Systemen erklärt (Stantchev et al., 2014). Das ‚Hyper-Personal Model‘ skizzierte Ursachen, warum computervermittelte Kommunikation im E-Learning gelingt (Kaye et al., 2016) und wie Lernende online ausgetauschte Nachrichten interpretieren (Hansen et al., 2015). Diesem theoretischen Rahmen folgend, werden empirische Arbeiten umrissen, die die Verwendung von Interaktion, zur Suche und zum Austausch von Informationen als Schlüsselkomponenten des E-Learning beschreiben sowie die Auswahl der zu untersuchenden Eigenschaften der Lernenden rechtfertigten. Aus diesen Arbeiten wurden Ideen für die Messung der Variablen (Kühl et al., 2014) und das Untersuchungsdesign (Dascalau et al., 2015) abgeleitet. Umfragen und Quasi-Experimente wurden hierzu durchgeführt. Diese Instrumente wurden für drei Vorstudien und zwei Hauptstudien verwendet. Probanden wurden aus Deutschland und Ghana ausgewählt, wobei in beiden Ländern die gleichen Variablen getestet wurden. Die Hypothesentestung berücksichtigte Interaktion und Informationssuche und -austausch als abhängige Variablen, während die Überzeugungen bzgl. der Quellen des Wissens, Lernstile, Bedürfnis nach Zuwendung, Erkenntnisdrang und Machtdistanz als unabhängige Variablen dienten. Durchgeführte Varianzanalysen (1.) belegen die Annahme, dass Überzeugungen über die Wissensquelle Einfluss auf die Interaktionswahl der Lernenden haben. Zudem konnte ein Effekt (2.) des Erkenntnisdrangs auf die Wahlentscheidung der Lernenden durch die Ergebnisse einer logistischen Regression unterstützt werden. Des Weiteren (3.) unterstützten die Ergebnisse mehrerer linearer Regressionen den Einfluss des Erkenntnisdrangs und der Machtdistanz auf das Verhalten der Lernenden bezüglich Informationssuche und -austausch. Schließlich (4.) wurde die Wechselbeziehung zwischen Bedürfnis nach Zuwendung und Erkenntnisdrang unterstützt. Die Ergebnisse sind relevant für die medienpsychologische Forschung, Theorien, die in dieser Arbeit verwendet werden, die Untersuchung von E-Learning, die Messung der Merkmale der Lernenden, sowie für die Gestaltung von E-Learning-Plattformen. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die Überzeugungen der Lernenden über die Wissensquelle, ihr Erkenntnisdrang (NfC) und ihre Machtdistanz, die Entscheidungen, wie sie interagieren und Informationen suchen oder sie auszutauschen, beeinflussen können. Schlußfolgerungen aus der erarbeiteten Theorie und Empirie sowie aus dieser Arbeit befürworten eine stärkere Erforschung der Eigenschaften der Lernenden. Es erscheint darüber hinaus ratsam, dass zukünftige Studien den Zusammenhang zwischen der Autonomie der Lernenden und der Machtdistanz untersuchen. Es werden außerdem weitere Studien zu interkulturellen Ähnlichkeiten zwischen E-Learning-Lernenden in verschiedenen Bevölkerungsgruppen vorgeschlagen. KW - e-learning KW - Individualität KW - E-Learning KW - Media Psychology KW - Interactions KW - Information seeking and sharing KW - information sharing KW - learner characteristics Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-185934 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Akhoon, Bashir A. A1 - Gupta, Shishir K. A1 - Tiwari, Sudeep A1 - Rathor, Laxmi A1 - Pant, Aakanksha A1 - Singh, Nivedita A1 - Gupta, Shailendra K. A1 - Dandekar, Thomas A1 - Pandey, Rakesh T1 - C. elegans protein interaction network analysis probes RNAi validated pro-longevity effect of nhr-6, a human homolog of tumor suppressor Nr4a1 JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Protein-protein interaction (PPI) studies are gaining momentum these days due to the plethora of various high-throughput experimental methods available for detecting PPIs. Proteins create complexes and networks by functioning in harmony with other proteins and here in silico network biology hold the promise to reveal new functionality of genes as it is very difficult and laborious to carry out experimental high-throughput genetic screens in living organisms. We demonstrate this approach by computationally screening C. elegans conserved homologs of already reported human tumor suppressor and aging associated genes. We select by this nhr-6, vab-3 and gst-23 as predicted longevity genes for RNAi screen. The RNAi results demonstrated the pro-longevity effect of these genes. Nuclear hormone receptor nhr-6 RNAi inhibition resulted in a C. elegans phenotype of 23.46% lifespan reduction. Moreover, we show that nhr-6 regulates oxidative stress resistance in worms and does not affect the feeding behavior of worms. These findings imply the potential of nhr-6 as a common therapeutic target for aging and cancer ailments, stressing the power of in silico PPI network analysis coupled with RNAi screens to describe gene function. KW - Computer modelling KW - Embryonic induction KW - RNAi Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-202666 VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Akshat, Puri A1 - Aaboud, M. A1 - Aad, G. A1 - Abbott, B. A1 - Abdinov, O. A1 - Abeloos, B. A1 - Abhayasinghe, D. K. A1 - Abidi, S. H. A1 - Abou Zeid, O. S. A1 - Abraham, N. L. A1 - Abramowicz, H. A1 - Abreu, H. A1 - Abulaiti, Y. A1 - Acharya, B. S. A1 - Adachi, S. A1 - Adam, L. A1 - Adamczyk, L. A1 - Adelman, J. A1 - Adersberger, M. A1 - Adiguzel, A. A1 - Adye, T. A1 - Affolder, A. A. A1 - Afik, Y. A1 - Agheorghiesei, C. A1 - Aguilar-Saavedra, J. A. A1 - Ahmadov, F. A1 - Aiellil, G. A1 - Akatsuka, S. A1 - Akesson, T. P. A. A1 - Akilli, E. A1 - Akimov, A. V. A1 - Alberghi, G. L. A1 - Albert, J. A1 - Albicocco, P. A1 - Alconada Verzini, M. J. A1 - Alderweireld, S. A1 - Aleksa, M. A1 - Aleksandrov, I. N. A1 - Alexa, C. A1 - Alexopoulos, T. A1 - Alhroob, M. A1 - Ali, B. A1 - Alimonti, G. A1 - Alison, J. A1 - Andre, S. P. A1 - Allaire, C. A1 - Allbrooke, B. M. M. A1 - Allen, B. W. A1 - Allport, P. P. A1 - Aloisio, A. A1 - Alonso, A. A1 - Alonso, F. A1 - Alpigiani, C. A1 - Alshehri, A. A. A1 - Alstaty, M. I. A1 - Alvarez, Gonzalez B. A1 - Alvarez Piqueras, D. A1 - Alviggi, M. G. A1 - Amadio, B. T. A1 - Amaral, Coutinho, Y. A1 - Ambler, A. A1 - Ambroz, L. A1 - Amelung, C. A1 - Amidei, D. A1 - Amor Dos Santos, S. P. A1 - Amoroso, S. A1 - Amrouche, C. S. A1 - Anastopoulos, C. A1 - Ancu, L. S. A1 - Andari, N. A1 - Andeen, T. A1 - Anders, C. F. A1 - Anders, J. K. A1 - Anderson, K. J. A1 - Andreazza, A. A1 - Andrei, V. A1 - et al, T1 - Measurement of angular and momentum distributions of charged particles within and around jets in Pb plus Pb and pp collisions at root s(NN)=5.02 TeV with ATLAS at the LHC : XXVIIth International Conference on Ultrarelativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (Quark Matter 2018) JF - Nuclear Physics A N2 - Studies of the fragmentation of jets into charged particles in heavy-ion collisions can help in understanding the mechanism of jet quenching by the hot and dense QCD matter created in such collisions, the quark-gluon plasma. These proceedings present a measurement of the angular distribution of charged particles around the jet axis in root s(NN) = 5.02 TeV Pb+Pb and pp collisions, done using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurement is performed inside jets reconstructed with the anti-k(t) algorithm with radius parameter R = 0.4, and is extended to regions outside the jet cone. Results are presented as a function of Pb+Pb collision centrality, and both jet and charged-particle transverse momenta. KW - jets KW - fragmentation functions KW - jet shapes Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-224703 VL - 982 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Aktas, Bertal H. A1 - Upcin, Berin A1 - Henke, Erik A1 - Padmasekar, Manju A1 - Qin, Xuebin A1 - Ergün, Süleyman T1 - The Best for the Most Important: Maintaining a Pristine Proteome in Stem and Progenitor Cells JF - Stem Cells International N2 - Pluripotent stem cells give rise to reproductively enabled offsprings by generating progressively lineage-restricted multipotent stem cells that would differentiate into lineage-committed stem and progenitor cells. These lineage-committed stem and progenitor cells give rise to all adult tissues and organs. Adult stem and progenitor cells are generated as part of the developmental program and play critical roles in tissue and organ maintenance and/or regeneration. The ability of pluripotent stem cells to self-renew, maintain pluripotency, and differentiate into a multicellular organism is highly dependent on sensing and integrating extracellular and extraorganismal cues. Proteins perform and integrate almost all cellular functions including signal transduction, regulation of gene expression, metabolism, and cell division and death. Therefore, maintenance of an appropriate mix of correctly folded proteins, a pristine proteome, is essential for proper stem cell function. The stem cells' proteome must be pristine because unfolded, misfolded, or otherwise damaged proteins would interfere with unlimited self-renewal, maintenance of pluripotency, differentiation into downstream lineages, and consequently with the development of properly functioning tissue and organs. Understanding how various stem cells generate and maintain a pristine proteome is therefore essential for exploiting their potential in regenerative medicine and possibly for the discovery of novel approaches for maintaining, propagating, and differentiating pluripotent, multipotent, and adult stem cells as well as induced pluripotent stem cells. In this review, we will summarize cellular networks used by various stem cells for generation and maintenance of a pristine proteome. We will also explore the coordination of these networks with one another and their integration with the gene regulatory and signaling networks. KW - Endoplasmic-Reticulum Stress KW - Heme-regulated inhibitor KW - Human Muse Cells KW - Transcription factor NRF1 KW - ER-Stress KW - Hematopoietic Stem KW - Quality-control KW - Messenger-RNAs KW - Neural Differentiation KW - Translation Initiation Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-227769 ER - TY - THES A1 - AL-Hijailan, Reem Saud T1 - Establishment of endothelialized cardiac tissue using human induced pluripotent stem cells generated cardiomyocytes T1 - Etablierung eines endothelialisierten kardialen Gewebes mittels Kardiomyozyten, differenziert aus induzierten pluripotenten Stammzellen N2 - Cardiovascular diseases are considered the leading cause of death worldwide according to the World Health Organization. Heart failure is the last stage of most of these diseases, where loss of myocardium leads to architectural and functional decline. The definitive treatment option for patients with CVDs is organ or tissue transplantation, which relies on donor availability. Therefore, generating an autologous bioengineered myocardium or heart could overcome this limitation. In addition, generating cardiac patches will provide ventricular wall support and enable reparative stem cells delivery to damaged areas. Although many hurdles still exist, a good number of researches have attempted to create an engineered cardiac tissue which can induce endogenous cardiac repair by replacing damaged myocardium. The present study provided cardiac patches in two models, one by a detergent coronary perfusion decellularization protocol that was optimized, and the other that resulted in a 3D cell-free extracellular matrix with intact architecture and preserved s-glycosaminoglycan and vasculature conduits. Perfusion with 1% Sodium dodecyle sulfate (SDS) under constant pressure resulted in cell-free porcine scaffold within two and cell-free rat scaffold in 7 days, whereas scaffold perfused with 4% sodium deoxycholate (SDO) was not able to remove cells completely. Re-reendothelialization of tissue vasculature was obtained by injecting human microvascular endothelial cell and human fibroblast in 2:1 ratio in a dynamic culture. One-week later, CD31 positive cells and endothelium markers were observed, indicating new blood lining. Moreover, functionality test of re-endothelialized tissue revealed improvement in clotting seen in decellularized tissues. When the tissue was ready to be repopulated, porcine induced pluripotent stem cells (PiPSc) were generated by transfected reprogramming of porcine skin fibroblast and then differentiated to cardiac cells following a robust protocol, for an autologous cardiac tissue model. However, due to the limitation in the PiPSc cell number, alternatively, human induced pluripotent stem cells generated cardiac cells were used. For reseeding a coculture of human iPSc generated cardiac cells, human mesenchymal stem cells and human fibroblast in 2:1:1 ratio respectively were used in a dynamic culture for 6-8 weeks. Contractions at different areas of the tissue were recorded at an average beating rate of 67 beats/min. In addition, positive cardiac markers (Troponin T), Fibroblast (vemintin), and mesenchymal stem cells (CD90) were detected. Not only that, but by week 3, MSC started differentiating to cardiac cells progressively until few CD90 positive cells were very few by week 6 with increasing troponin t positive cells in parallel. Electrophysiological and drug studies were difficult to obtain due to tissue thickness and limited assessment sources. However, the same construct was established using small intestine submucosa (SISer) scaffold, which recorded a spontaneous beating rate between 0.88 and 1.2 Hz, a conduction velocity of 23.9 ± 0.74 cm s−1, and a maximal contraction force of 0.453 ± 0.015 mN. Moreover, electrophysiological studies demonstrated a drug-dependent response on beating rate; a higher adrenalin frequency was revealed in comparison to the untreated tissue and isoproterenol administration, whereas a decrease in beating rate was observed with propranolol and untreated tissue. The present study demonstrated the establishment of vascularized cardiac tissue, which can be used for human clinical application. N2 - Etablierung eines endothelialisierten kardialen Gewebes mittels Kardiomyozyten, differenziert aus induzierten pluripotenten Stammzellen KW - cardiac tissue KW - biological scaffolds KW - decellularization KW - induced pluripotent stem cells Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-173979 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Al-Zaben, Naim A1 - Medyukhina, Anna A1 - Dietrich, Stefanie A1 - Marolda, Alessandra A1 - Hünniger, Kerstin A1 - Kurzai, Oliver A1 - Figge, Marc Thilo T1 - Automated tracking of label-free cells with enhanced recognition of whole tracks JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Migration and interactions of immune cells are routinely studied by time-lapse microscopy of in vitro migration and confrontation assays. To objectively quantify the dynamic behavior of cells, software tools for automated cell tracking can be applied. However, many existing tracking algorithms recognize only rather short fragments of a whole cell track and rely on cell staining to enhance cell segmentation. While our previously developed segmentation approach enables tracking of label-free cells, it still suffers from frequently recognizing only short track fragments. In this study, we identify sources of track fragmentation and provide solutions to obtain longer cell tracks. This is achieved by improving the detection of low-contrast cells and by optimizing the value of the gap size parameter, which defines the number of missing cell positions between track fragments that is accepted for still connecting them into one track. We find that the enhanced track recognition increases the average length of cell tracks up to 2.2-fold. Recognizing cell tracks as a whole will enable studying and quantifying more complex patterns of cell behavior, e.g. switches in migration mode or dependence of the phagocytosis efficiency on the number and type of preceding interactions. Such quantitative analyses will improve our understanding of how immune cells interact and function in health and disease. KW - image processing KW - software Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-221093 VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Alacevich, Massimo A1 - Carloni Calame, Carlo M. A1 - Chiesa, Mauro A1 - Montagna, Guido A1 - Nicrosini, Oreste A1 - Piccinini, Fulvio T1 - Muon-electron scattering at NLO JF - Journal of High Energy Physics N2 - We consider the process of muon-electron elastic scattering, which has been proposed as an ideal framework to measure the running of the electromagnetic coupling constant at space-like momenta and determine the leading-order hadronic contribution to the muon g-2 (MUonE experiment). We compute the next-to-leading (NLO) contributions due to QED and purely weak corrections and implement them into a fully differential Monte Carlo event generator, which is available for first experimental studies. We show representative phenomenological results of interest for the MUonE experiment and examine in detail the impact of the various sources of radiative corrections under different selection criteria, in order to study the dependence of the NLO contributions on the applied cuts. The study represents the first step towards the realisation of a high-precision Monte Carlo code necessary for data analysis. KW - NLO Computations KW - Anomalous magnetic-moment KW - Radiative-corrections KW - Reduction KW - G-2 Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-227777 VL - 155 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Albert, A. A1 - André, M. A1 - Anghinolfi, M. A1 - Anton, G. A1 - Ardid, M. A1 - Aubert, J.-J. A1 - Aublin, J. A1 - Avgitas, T. A1 - Baret, B. A1 - Barrios-Martít, J. A1 - Basa, S. A1 - Belhorma, B. A1 - Bertin, V. A1 - Biagi, S. A1 - Bormuth, R. A1 - Boumaaza, J A1 - Bourret, S. A1 - Bouwhuis, M. C. A1 - Brânzas, H. A1 - Bruijn, R. A1 - Brunner, J. A1 - Busto, J. A1 - Capone, A. A1 - Caramete, L. A1 - Carr, J. A1 - Celli, S. A1 - Chabab, M. A1 - Cherkaoui El Moursli, R. A1 - Chiarusi, T. A1 - Circella, M. A1 - Coelho, J. A. B. A1 - Coleiro, A. A1 - Colomer, M A1 - Coniglione, R. A1 - Costantini, H. A1 - Coyle, P. A1 - Creusot, A. A1 - Díaz, A. F. A1 - Deschamps, A. A1 - Distefano, C. A1 - Di Palma, I. A1 - Domi, A. A1 - Donzaud, C. A1 - Dornic, D. A1 - Drouhin, D. A1 - Eberl, T. A1 - El Bojaddaini, I. A1 - El Khayati, N. A1 - Elsässer, D. A1 - Enzenhöfer, A. A1 - Ettahiri, A. A1 - Fassi, F. A1 - Felis, I. A1 - Fermani, P. A1 - Ferrara, G. A1 - Fusco, L. A. A1 - Gay, P. A1 - Glotin, H. A1 - Grégoire, T. A1 - Gracia Ruiz, R. A1 - Graf, K. A1 - Hallmann, S. A1 - van Haren, H. A1 - Heijboer, A. J. A1 - Hello, Y. A1 - Hernández-Rey, J. J. A1 - Hößl, J. A1 - Hofestädt, J. A1 - Illuminati, G. A1 - de Jong, M. A1 - Jongen, M. A1 - Kadler, M. A1 - Kalekin, O. A1 - Katz, U. A1 - Khan-Chowdhury, N. R. A1 - Kouchner, A. A1 - Kreter, M. A1 - Kreykenbohm, I. A1 - Kulikovskiy, V. A1 - Lachaud, C. A1 - Lahmann, R. A1 - Lefèvre, D. A1 - Leonora, E. A1 - Levi, G. A1 - Lotze, M. A1 - Loucatos, S. A1 - Marcelin, M. A1 - Margiotta, A. A1 - Marinelli, A. A1 - Martínez-Mora, J. A. A1 - Mele, R. A1 - Melis, K. A1 - Migliozzi, P. A1 - Moussa, A. A1 - Navas, S. A1 - Nezri, E. A1 - Nuñez, A. A1 - Organokov, M. A1 - Pavalas, G. E. A1 - Pellegrino, C. A1 - Piattelli, P. A1 - Popa, V. A1 - Pradier, T. A1 - Quinn, L. A1 - Racca, C. A1 - Randazzo, N. A1 - Riccobene, G. A1 - Sánchez-Losa, A. A1 - Saldaña, M. A1 - Salvadori, I. A1 - Samtleben, D. F. E. A1 - Sanguineti, M. A1 - Sapienza, P. A1 - Schüssler, F. A1 - Spurio, M. A1 - Stolarczyk, Th. A1 - Taiuti, M. A1 - Tayalati, Y. A1 - Trovato, A. A1 - Vallage, B. A1 - Van Elewyck, V. A1 - Versari, F. A1 - Vivolo, D. A1 - Wilms, J. A1 - Zaborov, D. A1 - Zornoza, J. D. A1 - Zúñiga, J. T1 - The cosmic ray shadow of the Moon observed with the ANTARES neutrino telescope JF - European Physical Journal C N2 - One of the main objectives of the ANTARES telescope is the search for point- like neutrino sources. Both the pointing accuracy and the angular resolution of the detector are important in this context and a reliableway to evaluate this performance is needed. In order to measure the pointing accuracy of the detector, one possibility is to study the shadow of the Moon, i. e. the deficit of the atmospheric muon flux from the direction of the Moon induced by the absorption of cosmic rays. Analysing the data taken between 2007 and 2016, theMoon shadow is observed with 3.5s statistical significance. The detector angular resolution for downwardgoing muons is 0.73. +/- 0.14.. The resulting pointing performance is consistent with the expectations. An independent check of the telescope pointing accuracy is realised with the data collected by a shower array detector onboard of a ship temporarily moving around the ANTARES location. KW - Atmospheric muons Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-227802 VL - 78 ER - TY - THES A1 - Albert, Michael T1 - Intelligent analysis of medical data in a generic telemedicine infrastructure T1 - Intelligente Datenanalyse in einer generischen Telemedizinumgebung N2 - Telemedicine uses telecommunication and information technology to provide health care services over spatial distances. In the upcoming demographic changes towards an older average population age, especially rural areas suffer from a decreasing doctor to patient ratio as well as a limited amount of available medical specialists in acceptable distance. These areas could benefit the most from telemedicine applications as they are known to improve access to medical services, medical expertise and can also help to mitigate critical or emergency situations. Although the possibilities of telemedicine applications exist in the entire range of healthcare, current systems focus on one specific disease while using dedicated hardware to connect the patient with the supervising telemedicine center. This thesis describes the development of a telemedical system which follows a new generic design approach. This bridges the gap of existing approaches that only tackle one specific application. The proposed system on the contrary aims at supporting as many diseases and use cases as possible by taking all the stakeholders into account at the same time. To address the usability and acceptance of the system it is designed to use standardized hardware like commercial medical sensors and smartphones for collecting medical data of the patients and transmitting them to the telemedical center. The smartphone can also act as interface to the patient for health questionnaires or feedback. The system can handle the collection and transport of medical data, analysis and visualization of the data as well as providing a real time communication with video and audio between the users. On top of the generic telemedical framework the issue of scalability is addressed by integrating a rule-based analysis tool for the medical data. Rules can be easily created by medical personnel via a visual editor and can be personalized for each patient. The rule-based analysis tool is extended by multiple options for visualization of the data, mechanisms to handle complex rules and options for performing actions like raising alarms or sending automated messages. It is sometimes hard for the medical experts to formulate their knowledge into rules and there may be information in the medical data that is not yet known. This is why a machine learning module was integrated into the system. It uses the incoming medical data of the patients to learn new rules that are then presented to the medical personnel for inspection. This is in line with European legislation where the human still needs to be in charge of such decisions. Overall, we were able to show the benefit of the generic approach by evaluating it in three completely different medical use cases derived from specific application needs: monitoring of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) patients, support of patients performing dialysis at home and councils of intensive-care experts. In addition the system was used for a non-medical use case: monitoring and optimization of industrial machines and robots. In all of the mentioned cases, we were able to prove the robustness of the generic approach with real users of the corresponding domain. This is why we can propose this approach for future development of telemedical systems. N2 - Telemedizin nutzt Telekommunikation und Informationstechnologie, um medizinische Dienstleistungen über räumliche Distanzen hinweg zu ermöglichen. Durch den demographischen Wandel hin zu einer älteren Bevölkerung, verschlechtert sich vor allem im ländlichen Raum der Betreuungsschlüssel zwischen (Fach-)ärzten und Patienten, während Experten in den jeweiligen medizinischen Spezialgebieten sehr weit verteilt sind und Anfahrtswege immer weiter werden. Gerade der ländliche Raum profitiert von der Telemedizin. Anfahrtswege entfallen, wenn Untersuchungen oder ärztliche Konzile über Telemedizinsysteme abgewickelt werden. Kritische Situationen können entschärft oder vermieden werden, wenn Spezialisten durch Telemedizin frühzeitig eingebunden werden. Aktuelle Telemedizinsysteme sind allerdings generell auf ein bestimmtes Krankheitsbild beschränkt und verwenden dedizierte Hardware, um den Patienten mit dem telemedizinischen Zentrum zu verbinden, obwohl ein breiteres Anwendungsspektrum in der gesamten Gesundheitsversorgung denkbar ist. Diese Arbeit beschreibt die Entwicklung eines Telemedizinsystems, das darauf ausgelegt ist das System so generisch zu planen und zu entwickeln, dass möglichst viele Krankheitsbilder und Anwendungsfälle abgebildet werden können. Dafür werden alle möglichen Beteiligten des Systems mit berücksichtigt und einbezogen. Um das Telemedizinsystem bedienerfreundlich zu gestalten und die Akzeptanz zu erhöhen, wurde auf den Einsatz von Standardhardware, wie kommerzielle medizinische Sensorik oder Smartphones, hoher Wert gelegt. Das Smartphone dient dabei unter anderem als Patientengerät, das die Daten verschiedenster Sensorik auslesen, aggregieren und an das zentrale System weiterleiten kann. Es kann interaktive Fragebögen anzeigen und verwendet werden, um dem Patienten Feedback zu den Daten zu geben. Das Telemedizinsystem unterstützt die komplette Kette der telemedizinischen Datenverarbeitung, von der Aufnahme der Daten über den abgesicherten Transport bis hin zur Analyse und Visualisierung der Daten. Zusätzlich wird eine Kommunikationsmöglichkeit der Beteiligten über Audio- oder Videotelefonie zur Verfügung gestellt. Um die Skalierbarkeit des Systems zu erhöhen, wurde ein regelbasiertes Auswertesystem für die Patientendaten implementiert. Das medizinische Personal kann über ein einfach zu bedienendes grafisches Interface patientenindividuelle Regeln anlegen. Das Regelsystem ist in der Lage die Daten anhand komplexer Regeln zu analysieren, Visualisierungen zu erzeugen oder Aktionen auszulösen, wie beispielsweise einen Alarm zu geben, wenn die Werte des Patienten sich verschlechtern. Es kommt vor, dass die Experten ihr Wissen nicht in konkrete Regeln formulieren können oder dass Wissen in den Daten steckt, das den Experten selbst nicht bekannt ist. Deshalb kommt ein weiteres Modul zum Einsatz, das anhand der eingehenden Daten mittels maschinellem Lernen neue Regeln erzeugt und dem Fachpersonal zur Überprüfung vorschlägt. Die letzte Entscheidung liegt immer bei dem jeweiligen Fachpersonal, so dass das System konform zu aktuellem europäischem Recht arbeitet. Der generische Ansatz des Telemedizinsystems wurde in drei verschiedenen medizinischen Anwendungsszenarien mit den entsprechenden Anwendern getestet: Langzeitmonitoring von COPD (chronisch obstruktive Lungenerkrankung) Patienten, Unterstützung von Heimdialyse Patienten und intensivmedizinische Konsile. Zusätzlich wurde das System im industriellen Anwendungskontext zum Überwachen und Optimieren von Industrieanlagen und Industrierobotern eingesetzt. In allen Anwendungsfällen konnten wir die Machbarkeit des Systems zeigen und mit Anwendern aus dem jeweiligen Fachbereich evaluieren. Das System kann somit als robuste Grundlage für die Entwicklung weiterer Telemedizinsysteme und Anwendungen dienen. T3 - Forschungsberichte in der Robotik = Research Notes in Robotics - 17 KW - Telemedizin KW - Regelbasiertes Modell KW - telemedicine KW - rulebased analysis Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-174213 SN - 978-3-945459-26-3 (Online) ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Albrecht, Franziska A1 - Mueller, Karsten A1 - Ballarini, Tommaso A1 - Lampe, Leonie A1 - Diehl-Schmid, Janine A1 - Fassbender, Klaus A1 - Fliessbach, Klaus A1 - Jahn, Holger A1 - Jech, Robert A1 - Kassubek, Jan A1 - Kornhuber, Johannes A1 - Landwehrmeyer, Bernhard A1 - Lauer, Martin A1 - Ludolph, Albert C. A1 - Lyros, Epameinondas A1 - Prudlo, Johannes A1 - Schneider, Anja A1 - Synofzik, Matthis A1 - Wiltfang, Jens A1 - Danek, Adrian A1 - Otto, Markus A1 - Schroeter, Matthias L. T1 - Unraveling corticobasal syndrome and alien limb syndrome with structural brain imaging JF - Cortex N2 - Alien limb phenomenon is a rare syndrome associated with a feeling of non-belonging and disowning toward one's limb. In contrast, anarchic limb phenomenon leads to involuntary but goal-directed movements. Alien/anarchic limb phenomena are frequent in corticobasal syndrome (CBS), an atypical parkinsonian syndrome characterized by rigidity, akinesia, dystonia, cortical sensory deficit, and apraxia. The structure function relationship of alien/anarchic limb was investigated in multi centric structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Whole-group and single subject comparisons were made in 25 CBS and eight CBS-alien/anarchic limb patients versus controls. Support vector machine was used to see if CBS with and without alien/anarchic limb could be distinguished by structural MRI patterns. Whole-group comparison of CBS versus controls revealed asymmetric frontotemporal atrophy. CBS with alien/anarchic limb syndrome versus controls showed frontoparietal atrophy including the supplementary motor area contralateral to the side of the affected limb. Exploratory analysis identified frontotemporal regions encompassing the pre-/and postcentral gyrus as compromised in CBS with alien limb syndrome. Classification of CBS patients yielded accuracies of 79%. CBS-alien/anarchic limb syndrome was differentiated from CBS patients with an accuracy of 81%. Predictive differences were found in the cingulate gyrus spreading to frontomedian cortex, postcentral gyrus, and temporoparietoocipital regions. We present the first MRI-based group analysis on CBS-alien/anarchic limb. Results pave the way for individual clinical syndrome prediction and allow understanding the underlying neurocognitive architecture. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). KW - Alien limb syndrome KW - Anarchic limb syndrome KW - Corticobasal syndrome KW - Diagnosis prediction KW - Support vector machine Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-221040 VL - 117 ER - TY - THES A1 - Alexander, Stephanie T1 - Collective cancer cell invasion \(in\) \(vivo\): function of β1 and β3 integrins in perivascular invasion and resistance to therapy T1 - Kollektive Tumorzellinvasion \(in\) \(vivo\): Funktion von β1 und β3 Integrinen in perivaskulärer Invasion und Therapieresistenz N2 - Pro-migratory signals mediated by the tumor microenvironment contribute to the cancer progression cascade, including invasion, metastasis and resistance to therapy. Derived from in vitro studies, isolated molecular steps of cancer invasion programs have been identified but their integration into the tumor microenvironment and suitability as molecular targets remain elusive. The purpose of the study was to visualize central aspects of tumor progression, including proliferation, survival and invasion by real-time intravital microscopy. The specific aims were to monitor the kinetics, mode, adhesion and chemoattraction mechanisms of tumor cell invasion, the involved guidance structures, and the response of invasion zones to anti-cancer therapy. To reach deeper tumor regions by optical imaging with subcellular resolution, near-infrared and infrared excited multiphoton microscopy was combined with a modified dorsal skinfold chamber model. Implanted HT-1080 fibrosarcoma and B16/F10 and MV3 melanoma tumors developed zones of invasive growth consisting of collective invasion strands that retained cell-cell contacts and high mitotic activity while invading at velocities of up to 200 μm per day. Collective invasion occurred predominantly along preexisting tissue structures, including blood and lymph vessels, collagen fibers and muscle strands of the deep dermis, and was thereby insensitive to RNAi based knockdown and/or antibody-based treatment against β1 and β3 integrins, chemokine (SDF-1/CXCL12) and growth factor (EGF) signaling. Therapeutic hypofractionated irradiation induced partial to complete regression of the tumor main mass, yet failed to eradicate the collective invasion strands, suggesting a microenvironmentally privileged niche. Whereas no radiosensitization was achieved by interference with EGFR or doxorubicin, the simultaneous inhibition of β1 and β3 integrins impaired cell proliferation and survival in spontaneously growing tumors and strongly enhanced the radiation response up to complete eradication of both main tumor and invasion strands. In conclusion, collective invasion in vivo is a robust process which follows preexisting tissue structures and is mainly independent of established adhesion and chemoattractant signaling. Due to its altered biological response to irradiation, collective invasion strands represent a microenvironmentally controlled and clinically relevant resistance niche to therapy. Therefore supportive regimens, such as anoikisinduction by anti-integrin therapy, may serve to enhance radio- and chemoefficacy and complement classical treatment regimens. N2 - Die Progression von Tumorerkrankungen, einschließlich Tumorinvasion, Metastasierung und Therapieresistenz wird unter anderem durch migrationsfördernde Signale aus der Tumorumgebung vermittelt. Zur bisherigen Aufklärung einzelner Schritte des Tumorinvasions- und Progressionsprogramms trugen dabei wesentlich In-vitro-Studien bei, jedoch erfordert die Darstellung der Relevanz molekularer Zielstrukturen und deren Funktion im Tumormikromilieu die Validierung in geeigneten In-vivo-Tumormodellen. Ziel dieser Studie war, zelluläre und molekulare Mechanismen der Tumorprogression inklusive Proliferation, Überleben und Invasion mittels Echtzeit-Intravitalmikroskopie darzustellen. Untersucht wurden insbesondere die Kinetik und Arten der Tumorzellinvasion, die zugrunde liegenden Adhäsionswege und pro-migratorischen Signale (EGF, SDF-1), beteiligte Leitstrukturen des Tumorstromas, und Strategien, therapeutisch gegen Invasionszonen vorzugehen. Um tiefe Tumorareale mittels subzellulär aufgelöster optischer Bildgebung zu erreichen, wurde nah-infrarote und infrarote Multiphotonenmikroskopie mit einem modifizierten Rückenkammermodell kombiniert. Orthotope Xeno- und Allotransplantate von HT-1080-Fibrosarkom- und B16/F10- oder MV3-Melanomzellen entwickelten dabei ausgeprägte invasive Wachstumszonen bestehend aus kollektiven Invasionssträngen mit intakten Zell-Zell-Kontakten und zeitgleicher Mitoseaktivität, die Geschwindigkeiten von bis zu 200 μm pro Tag erreichten. Diese kollektive Invasion orientierte sich bevorzugt entlang von Funktionsstrukturen der tiefen Dermis wie Blut- und Lymphgefäßen, Kollagenfasern und Muskelsträngen. RNAibasierende Herrunterregulation und/oder Injektion blockierender Antikörper gegen β1 und β3 Integrine, wie auch Inhibition von EGF führten nur zu minimaler Änderung der Invasionseffizienz. Therapeutische hypofraktionierte Bestrahlung induzierte partielle bis komplette Regression der Tumorhauptmasse, nicht jedoch der kollektiven Invasionsstränge, was auf eine kombinierte Invasions- und Resistenznische hinweist. Weder Doxorubicin noch gegen EGFR gerichtete Antikörper steigerten die Radiosensitivität, jedoch führte die simultane Inhibition von β1 und β3 Integrinen zu einer starken Hemmung von Proliferation und Überleben spontan wachsender Tumoren (Anoikis) und verstärkte die Strahlungssensitivität bis hin zum kompletten Verschwinden von sowohl Tumorhauptmasse wie auch Invasionsträngen. Kollektive Invasion ist somit ein wichtiger Invasionsmodus, der sich an vorbestehenden Gewebsstrukturen orientiert und unabhängig von Integrinen und EGF- und SDF-1-Signalen erfolgt. Die kollektiven Stränge entwickeln dabei eine vom Haupttumor verschiedene biologische Reaktion auf Bestrahlung und entsprechen damit einer durch die Mikroumgebung kontrollierten und von Integrinsignalen abhängenden Resistenznische. Somit könnte eine zusätzliche anti- Integrin-Therapie die Effizienz von Bestrahlung und Chemotherapie erhöhen und klassische Behandlungsschemen/-programme ergänzen. KW - Tumorzelle KW - Kollektive Invasion KW - Multiphotonenmikroskopie KW - Integrine KW - collective invasion KW - multiphoton microscopy KW - integrins KW - Invasion KW - Integrine Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-85435 ER - TY - THES A1 - Anany, Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Mohamed T1 - Enhancement of Toll-like receptor3 (TLR3)-induced death signaling by TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) T1 - Verstärkung der Toll-like receptor3 (TLR3)-induzierten Todessignalisierung durch TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) N2 - Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) is a member of the TNF superfamily (TNFSF) and is as such initially expressed as type II class transmembrane glycoprotein from which a soluble ligand form can be released by proteolytic processing. While the expression of TWEAK has been detected at the mRNA level in various cell lines and cell types, its cell surface expression has so far only been documented for dendritic cells, monocytes and interferon-γ stimulated NK cells. The fibroblast growth factor-inducible-14 (Fn14) is a TRAF2-interacting receptor of the TNF receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) and is the only receptor for TWEAK. The expression of Fn14 is strongly induced in a variety of non-hematopoietic cell types after tissue injury. The TWEAK/Fn14 system induces pleiotropic cellular activities such as induction of proinflammatory genes, stimulation of cellular angiogenesis, proliferation, differentiation, migration and in rare cases induction of apoptosis. On the other side, Toll-like receptor3 (TLR3) is one of DNA- and RNA-sensing pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), plays a crucial role in the first line of defense against virus and invading foreign pathogens and cancer cells. Polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid poly(I:C) is a synthetic analog of dsRNA, binds to TLR3 which acts through the adapter TRIF/TICAM1, leading to cytokine secretion, NF-B activation, IRF3 nuclear translocation, inflammatory response and may also elicit the cell death. TWEAK sensitizes cells for TNFR1-induced apoptosis and necroptosis by limiting the availability of protective TRAF2-cIAP1 and TRAF2-cIAP2 complexes, which interact with the TNFR1-binding proteins TRADD and RIPK1. In accordance with the fact that poly(I:C)-induced signaling also involves these proteins, we found enhanced necroptosis-induction in HaCaT and HeLa-RIPK3 by poly(I:C) in the presence of TWEAK (Figure 24). Analysis of a panel of TRADD, FADD, RIPK1 and caspase-8 knockout cells revealed furthermore similarities and differences in the way how these molecules act in cell death signaling by poly(I:C)/TWEAK and TNF and TRAIL. RIPK1 turned out to be essential for poly(I:C)/TWEAK-induced caspase-8-mediated apoptosis but was dispensable for these responses in TNF and TRAIL signaling. Lack of FADD protein abrogated TRAIL- but not TNF- and poly(I:C)-induced necroptosis. Moreover, we observed that both long and short FLIP rescued HaCaT and HeLa-RIPK3 cells from poly(I:C)-induced apoptosis or necroptosis. To sum up, our results demonstrate that TWEAK, which is produced by interferon stimulated myeloid cells, controls the induction of apoptosis and necroptosis by the TLR3 ligand poly(I:C) and may thus contribute to cancer or anti-viral immunity treatment. N2 - Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) ist ein Mitglied der TNF-Superfamilie (TNFSF) und wird als solches anfänglich als Transmembranglykoprotein der Klasse II exprimiert, aus dem eine lösliche Ligandenform durch proteolytische Prozessierung freigesetzt werden kann. Während die Expression von TWEAK auf mRNA-Ebene in verschiedenen Zelllinien und Zelltypen nachgewiesen wurde, konnte ihre Zelloberflächenexpression bisher nur für dendritische Zellen, Monozyten und Interferon-γ-stimulierte NK-Zellen dokumentiert werden. Fibroblast growth factor-inducible-14 (Fn14) ist ein TRAF2-wechselwirkender Rezeptor der TNF-Rezeptor-Superfamilie (TNFRSF) und der einzige Rezeptor für TWEAK. Die Expression von Fn14 wird nach Gewebeverletzung in einer Vielzahl von nicht hämatopoetischen Zelltypen stark induziert. Das TWEAK / Fn14-System induziert pleiotrope zelluläre Aktivitäten, die von der proinflammatorischen Geninduktion über die Stimulierung der Angiogenese, Proliferation und Zelldifferenzierung bis hin zur Zellmigration und in seltenen Fällen zur Induktion von Apoptose reichen. Auf der anderen Seite spielt der Toll-like Rezeptor3 (TLR3), einer der DNA- and RNA-sensing pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), eine entscheidende Rolle in der ersten Verteidigungslinie gegen Viren und eindringende fremde Krankheitserreger und Krebszellen. Polyinosin-Polycytidylsäure-Poly (I: C) ist ein synthetisches Analogon von dsRNA, das an TLR3 bindet, das über den Adapter TRIF / TICAM1 wirkt und zu Zytokinsekretion, NF-B-Aktivierung, IRF3-Kerntranslokation und Entzündungsreaktion führt der Zelltod. TWEAK sensibilisiert Zellen für TNFR1-induzierte Apoptose und Nekroptose, indem es die Verfügbarkeit von schützenden TRAF2-cIAP1- und TRAF2-cIAP2-Komplexen begrenzt, die mit den TNFR1-bindenden Proteinen TRADD und RIPK1 interagieren. Entsprechend der Tatsache, dass diese Proteine auch von Poly (I: C) induziert werden, fanden wir eine verstärkte Nekroptose-Induktion in HaCaT und HeLa-RIPK3 durch Poly (I: C) in Gegenwart von TWEAK (Figure 24). Die Analyse eines Panels von TRADD-, FADD-, RIPK1- und Caspase-8-Knockout-Zellen ergab außerdem Ähnlichkeiten und Unterschiede in der Art und Weise, wie diese Moleküle bei der Zelltodsignalisierung durch Poly (I: C) / TWEAK und TNF und TRAIL wirken. RIPK1 erwies sich als essentiell für die Poly (I: C) / TWEAK-induzierte Caspase-8-vermittelte Apoptose, war jedoch für diese Reaktionen bei TNF- und TRAIL-Signalen entbehrlich. Das Fehlen von FADD-Protein hob TRAIL-, aber nicht TNF- und Poly (I: C) -induzierte Nekroptose auf. Darüber hinaus beobachteten wir, dass sowohl langes als auch kurzes FLIP HaCaT- und HeLa-RIPK3-Zellen vor Poly (I: C) -induzierter Apoptose oder Nekroptose retteten. Zusammenfassend zeigen unsere Ergebnisse, dass TWEAK, das von Interferon-stimulierten myeloischen Zellen produziert wird, die Induktion von Apoptose und Nekroptose durch den TLR3-Liganden Poly(I: C) steuert und somit zur Krebsbehandlung oder antiviralen Immunität beitragen kann. KW - Immunologe KW - TLR3 KW - TWEAK KW - Krebs Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189757 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Annunziata, Ida A1 - van de Vlekkert, Diantha A1 - Wolf, Elmar A1 - Finkelstein, David A1 - Neale, Geoffrey A1 - Machado, Eda A1 - Mosca, Rosario A1 - Campos, Yvan A1 - Tillman, Heather A1 - Roussel, Martine F. A1 - Weesner, Jason Andrew A1 - Fremuth, Leigh Ellen A1 - Qiu, Xiaohui A1 - Han, Min-Joon A1 - Grosveld, Gerard C. A1 - d'Azzo, Alessandra T1 - MYC competes with MiT/TFE in regulating lysosomal biogenesis and autophagy through an epigenetic rheostat JF - Nature Communications N2 - Coordinated regulation of the lysosomal and autophagic systems ensures basal catabolism and normal cell physiology, and failure of either system causes disease. Here we describe an epigenetic rheostat orchestrated by c-MYC and histone deacetylases that inhibits lysosomal and autophagic biogenesis by concomitantly repressing the expression of the transcription factors MiT/TFE and FOXH1, and that of lysosomal and autophagy genes. Inhibition of histone deacetylases abates c-MYC binding to the promoters of lysosomal and autophagy genes, granting promoter occupancy to the MiT/TFE members, TFEB and TFE3, and/or the autophagy regulator FOXH1. In pluripotent stem cells and cancer, suppression of lysosomal and autophagic function is directly downstream of c-MYC overexpression and may represent a hallmark of malignant transformation. We propose that, by determining the fate of these catabolic systems, this hierarchical switch regulates the adaptive response of cells to pathological and physiological cues that could be exploited therapeutically. KW - autophagy KW - cancer KW - cancer metabolism KW - cell biology KW - mechanisms of disease Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-221189 VL - 10 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Appel, Markus A1 - Marker, Caroline A1 - Mara, Martina T1 - Otakuism and the appeal of sex robots JF - Frontiers in Psychology N2 - Social robots are becoming increasingly prevalent in everyday life and sex robots are a sub-category of especially high public interest and controversy. Starting from the concept of the otaku, a term from Japanese youth culture that describes secluded persons with a high affinity for fictional manga characters, we examine individual differences behind sex robot appeal (anime and manga fandom, interest in Japanese culture, preference for indoor activities, shyness). In an online-experiment, 261 participants read one out of three randomly assigned descriptions of future technologies (sex robot, nursing robot, genetically modified organism) and reported on their overall evaluation, eeriness, and contact/purchase intentions. Higher anime and manga fandom was associated with higher appeal for all three future technologies. For our male subsample, sex robots and GMOs stood out as shyness yielded a particularly strong relationship to contact/purchase intentions for these new technologies. KW - sex robots KW - anime KW - manga KW - fan culture KW - otakuism KW - shyness KW - uncanny valley Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-195893 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 10 IS - 569 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Arrowsmith, Merle A1 - Dömling, Michael A1 - Schmidt, Uwe A1 - Werner, Luis A1 - Castro, Abril C. A1 - Jiménez-Halla, J. Oscar C. A1 - Müssig, Jonas A1 - Prieschl, Dominic A1 - Braunschweig, Holger T1 - Spontaneous trans‐Selective Transfer Hydrogenation of Apolar B=B Double Bonds T2 - Angewandte Chemie, International Edition N2 - The transfer hydrogenation of NHC-supported diborenes with dimethylamine borane proceeds with high selectivity for the trans-1,2-dihydrodiboranes(6). DFT calculations suggest a stepwise proton-first-hydride-second reaction mechanism via an intermediate μ-hydrodiboronium dimethylaminoborate ion pair. KW - transfer hydrogenation KW - diborene KW - amine borane dehydrocoupling KW - diboranes KW - DFT mechanism Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-184874 N1 - This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: M. Dömling, M. Arrowsmith, U. Schmidt, L. Werner, A. C. Castro, J. O. C. Jiménez-Halla, R. Bertermann, J. Müssig, D. Prieschl, H. Braunschweig, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 9782. doi:10.1002/anie.201902656, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201902656. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ataee, Mohammad Sadegh A1 - Maghsoudi, Yasser A1 - Latifi, Hooman A1 - Fadaie, Farhad T1 - Improving estimation accuracy of growing stock by multi-frequency SAR and multi-spectral data over Iran's heterogeneously-structured broadleaf Hyrcanian forests JF - Forests N2 - Via providing various ecosystem services, the old-growth Hyrcanian forests play a crucial role in the environment and anthropogenic aspects of Iran and beyond. The amount of growing stock volume (GSV) is a forest biophysical parameter with great importance in issues like economy, environmental protection, and adaptation to climate change. Thus, accurate and unbiased estimation of GSV is also crucial to be pursued across the Hyrcanian. Our goal was to investigate the potential of ALOS-2 and Sentinel-1's polarimetric features in combination with Sentinel-2 multi-spectral features for the GSV estimation in a portion of heterogeneously-structured and mountainous Hyrcanian forests. We used five different kernels by the support vector regression (nu-SVR) for the GSV estimation. Because each kernel differently models the parameters, we separately selected features for each kernel by a binary genetic algorithm (GA). We simultaneously optimized R\(^2\) and RMSE in a suggested GA fitness function. We calculated R\(^2\), RMSE to evaluate the models. We additionally calculated the standard deviation of validation metrics to estimate the model's stability. Also for models over-fitting or under-fitting analysis, we used mean difference (MD) index. The results suggested the use of polynomial kernel as the final model. Despite multiple methodical challenges raised from the composition and structure of the study site, we conclude that the combined use of polarimetric features (both dual and full) with spectral bands and indices can improve the GSV estimation over mixed broadleaf forests. This was partially supported by the use of proposed evaluation criterion within the GA, which helped to avoid the curse of dimensionality for the applied SVR and lowest over estimation or under estimation. KW - GSV KW - nu SVR KW - uneven-aged mountainous KW - polarimetery KW - multi-spectral KW - optimization Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-197212 SN - 1999-4907 VL - 10 IS - 8 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Auerhammer, Nina A1 - Schulz, Alexander A1 - Schmiedel, Alexander A1 - Holzapfel, Marco A1 - Hoche, Joscha A1 - Röhr, Merle I. S. A1 - Mitric, Roland A1 - Lambert, Christoph T1 - Dynamic exciton localisation in a pyrene-BODIPY-pyrene dye conjugate T2 - Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics N2 - The photophysics of a molecular triad consisting of a BODIPY dye and two pyrene chromophores attached in 2-position are investigated by steady state and fs-time resolved transient absorption spectroscopy as well as by field induced surface hopping (FISH) simulations. While the steady state measurements indicate moderate chromophore interactions within the triad, the time resolved measurements show upon pyrene excitation a delocalised excited state which localises onto the BODIPY chromophore with a time constant of 0.12 ps. This could either be interpreted as an internal conversion process within the excitonically coupled chromophores or as an energy transfer from the pyrenes to the BODIPY dye. The analysis of FISH-trajectories reveals an oscillatory behaviour where the excitation hops between the pyrene units and the BODIPY dye several times until finally they become localised on the BODIPY chromophore within 100 fs. This is accompanied by an ultrafast nonradiative relaxation within the excitonic manifold mediated by the nonadiabatic coupling. Averaging over an ensemble of trajectories allowed us to simulate the electronic state population dynamics and determine the time constants for the nonradiative transitions that mediate the ultrafast energy transfer and exciton localisation on BODIPY. KW - Exciton localization dynamics Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-198718 UR - https://doi.org/10.1039/C9CP00908F N1 - Accepted manuscript ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Avota, Elita A1 - de Lira, Maria Nathalia A1 - Schneider-Schaulies, Sibylle T1 - Sphingomyelin breakdown in T cells: role of membrane compartmentalization in T cell signaling and interference by a pathogen JF - Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology N2 - Sphingolipids are major components of cellular membranes, and at steady-state level, their metabolic fluxes are tightly controlled. On challenge by external signals, they undergo rapid turnover, which substantially affects the biophysical properties of membrane lipid and protein compartments and, consequently, signaling and morphodynamics. In T cells, external cues translate into formation of membrane microdomains where proximal signaling platforms essential for metabolic reprograming and cytoskeletal reorganization are organized. This review will focus on sphingomyelinases, which mediate sphingomyelin breakdown and ensuing ceramide release that have been implicated in T-cell viability and function. Acting at the sphingomyelin pool at the extrafacial or cytosolic leaflet of cellular membranes, acid and neutral sphingomyelinases organize ceramide-enriched membrane microdomains that regulate T-cell homeostatic activity and, upon stimulation, compartmentalize receptors, membrane proximal signaling complexes, and cytoskeletal dynamics as essential for initiating T-cell motility and interaction with endothelia and antigen-presenting cells. Prominent examples to be discussed in this review include death receptor family members, integrins, CD3, and CD28 and their associated signalosomes. Progress made with regard to experimental tools has greatly aided our understanding of the role of bioactive sphingolipids in T-cell biology at a molecular level and of targets explored by a model pathogen (measles virus) to specifically interfere with their physiological activity. KW - T cell KW - sphingomyelinase KW - activation KW - motility KW - measles virus Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-199168 SN - 2296-634X VL - 7 IS - 152 ER - TY - THES A1 - Awad, Eman Da'as T1 - Modulation of insulin-induced genotoxicity in vitro and genomic damage in gestational diabetes T1 - Modulation der Insulin-induzierten Genotoxizität in vitro und Genomschäden bei Frauen mit Gestationsdiabetes N2 - Diabetes mellitus is a global health problem, where the risk of diabetes increases rapidly due to the lifestyle changes. Patients with type II diabetes have many complications with increased risk of morbidity and mortality. High levels of insulin may lead to DNA oxidation and damage. Several studies proposed that hyperinsulinemia may be an important risk factor for various types of cancer. To investigate insulin signaling pathway inducing oxidative stress and genomic damage, pharmaceutical and natural compounds which can interfere with the insulin pathway including PI3K inhibitors, resveratrol, lovastatin, and RAD-001 were selected due to their beneficial effects against metabolic disorder. Thus, the anti-genotoxic potential of these compounds regarding insulin-mediated oxidative stress were investigated in normal rat kidney cells in vitro. Our compounds showed protective effect against genotoxic damage and significantly decreased reactive oxygen specious after treatment of cells with insulin with different mechanisms of protection between the compounds. Thus, these compounds may be attractive candidates for future support of diabetes mellitus therapy. Next, we explored the link between gestational diabetes mellitus and genomic damage in cells derived from human blood. Moreover, we investigated the influence of estradiol, progesterone, adrenaline and triiodothyronine on insulin-induced genomic damage in vitro. First, we studied the effect of these hormones in human promyelocytic leukemia cells and next ex vivo with non-stimulated and stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. In parallel, we also measured the basal genomic damage using three conditions (whole blood, non-stimulated and stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells) in a small patient study including non-pregnant controls with/without hormonal contraceptives, with a subgroup of obese women, pregnant women, and gestational diabetes affected women. A second-time point after delivery was also applied for analysis of the blood samples. Our results showed that GDM subjects and obese individuals exhibited higher basal DNA damage compared to lower weight nonpregnant or healthy pregnant women in stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells in both comet and micronucleus assays. On the other hand, the DNA damage in GDM women had decreased at two months after birth. Moreover, the applied hormones also showed an influence in vitro in the enhancement of the genomic damage in cells of the control and pregnant groups but this damage did not exceed the damage which existed in obese and gestational diabetes mellitus patients with high level of genomic damage. In conclusion, insulin can induce genomic damage in cultured cells, which can be modulated by pharmaceutical and naturals substances. This may be for future use in the protection of diabetic patients, who suffer from hyperinsulinemia during certain disease stages. A particular form of diabetes, GDM, was shown to lead to elevated DNA damage in affected women, which is reduced again after delivery. Cells of affected women do not show an enhanced, but rather a reduced sensitivity for further DNA damage induction by hormonal treatment in vitro. A potential reason may be an existence of a maximally inducible damage by hormonal influences. N2 - Diabetes mellitus stellt eine globales Gesundheitsproblem dar, das aufgrund der sich ändernden Lebensführung rapide ansteigt. Bei Patienten mit Diabetes Typ II kommt es verstärkt zu Komplikationen, was eine erhöhte Morbidität und Mortalität zur Folge hat. Ein hoher Insulinspiegel kann zur DNA-Oxidation und damit zu DNA-Schäden führen. Diverse Studien postulieren, dass Hyperinsulinämie ein entscheidender Risikofaktor für verschiedene Krebserkrankungen darstellt. Zur Untersuchung des Insulin- Signaltransduktionsweg, über den oxidativer Stress und daraus resultierender Genomschäden induziert werden, wurden aus diversen Pharmazeutika und Naturstoffen, welche den Insulin-Signalweg beeinträchtigen, PI3K Inhibitoren, Resveratrol, Lovastatin und RAD-001 aufgrund ihrer positiven Effekte bei Stoffwechselerkrankungen, ausgewählt. Mit diesen Verbindungen wurde die anti-Genotoxizität (Schutzwirkung) hinsichtlich des durch Insulin induzierten oxidativen Stresses und Genomschadens in einer primären Nierenzelllinie der Ratte in vitro untersucht. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigten protektive Effekte der ausgewählten Substanzen hinsichtlich genotoxischer Schäden sowie einen signifikanten Rückgang reaktiver Sauerstoffspezies bei insulinbehandelten Zellen, wobei der Wirkmechanismus zwischen den Substanzen jedoch unterschiedlich war. Somit handelt es sich bei den untersuchten Stoffen um äußerst interessante Verbindungen, die in der Zukunft Diabetes mellitus Therapien unterstützen könnten. Außerdem untersuchten wir den Zusammenhang zwischen Schwangerschaftsdiabetes und Genomschäden in humanen Blutzellen. Dafür verwendeten wir neben humanen HL-60 Zellen nicht stimulierte sowie mit Hilfe von Phytohemagglutinin (PHA) zur Aufnahme des Zellzyklus stimulierte periphere mononukleäre Blutzellen von gesunden sowie von Gestationsdiabetes betroffenen Probandinnen. Wir analysierten zunächst den Einfluss von Östradiol, Progesteron, Adrenalin und Triiodthyronin auf den Genomschaden dieser Zellen in vitro.. Parallel dazu bestimmten wir in die basalen Genomschäden im Vollblut, in nicht stimulierten sowie in PHA-stimulierten peripheren mononukleären Blutzellen. Diese Studie schloss nicht-schwangere Frauen mit bzw. ohne Einnahme hormoneller Kontrazeptiva sowie je eine Subgruppen mit übergewichtigen Frauen, gesunden schwangeren Frauen und Frauen mit Schwangerschaftsdiabetes ein. Bei Schwangeren wurde einige Zeit nach der Entbindung eine zweite Blutuntersuchung durchgeführt. Wir konnten zeigen, dass Frauen mit Schwangerschaftsdiabetes sowie übergewichtige Frauen im Vergleich zu normalgewichtigen, nicht-schwangeren Frauen sowie gesunden schwangeren Frauen mehr basale DNA-Schäden sowohl im Comet-Assay als auch im Mikrokern-Test in stimulierten peripheren mononuklearen Zellen aufweisen. Des Weiteren sanken die DNA-Schäden bei Frauen mit Schwangerschaftsdiabetes zwei Monate nach der Geburt. Darüber hinaus verstärkten die verwendeten Hormone in vitro die zellulären Genomschäden, jedoch überstiegen sie nicht die größere Menge an DNA-Schäden, welche bei übergewichtigen Frauen bzw. Frauen mit Schwangerschaftsdiabetes nachgewiesenen wurden. Zusammenfassend lässt sich feststellen, dass Insulin Zellschäden in vitro induzieren kann, die jedoch durch Pharmazeutika und Naturstoffen reguliert werden können. Diese Erkenntnis könnte zukünftig Diabetespatienten helfen, die an Hyperinsulinämie leiden. Schwangerschaftsdiabetes, eine besondere Form des Diabetes, führt zu erhöhten DNASchäden bei betroffenen Frauen, die sich nach der Geburt jedoch wieder verringern. Die Zellen betroffener Frauen zeigen keine erhöhte, sondern vielmehr eine verminderte Sensitivität für weiteren DNA-Schäden durch hormonelle Behandlung in vitro. Eine mögliche Erklärung dafür könnte sein, dass eine maximal induzierbare Zahl an DNASchäden, die durch hormonelle Einflüsse bzw. daraus resultierenden Aktivierungen von Signalkaskaden hervorgerufen werden können, existiert. KW - Gestationsdiabetes KW - DNA-Schäden KW - Insulin KW - Gestational diabetes KW - DNA damage Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-161866 ER - TY - THES A1 - Baig, Ayesha Anjum T1 - Studies on platelet interactions with the coagulation system and on modulators of platelet (hem)ITAM signaling in genetically modified mice T1 - Studien zur Thrombozyteninteraktion mit der Gerinnungskaskade und Modulation des (hem)ITAM Signalwegs in genetisch veränderaten Mäusen N2 - Activated platelets and coagulation jointly contribute to physiological hemostasis. However, pathological conditions can also trigger unwanted platelet activation and initiation of coagulation resulting in thrombosis and precipitation of ischemic damage of vital organs such as the heart or brain. The specific contribution of procoagulant platelets, positioned at the interface of the processes of platelet activation and coagulation, in ischemic stroke had remained uninvestigated. The first section of the thesis addresses this aspect through experiments conducted in novel megakaryocyte- and platelet-specific TMEM16F conditional KO mice (cKO). cKO platelets phenocopied defects in platelets from Scott Syndrome patients and had severely impaired procoagulant characteristics. This led to decelerated platelet-driven thrombin generation and delayed fibrin formation. cKO mice displayed prolonged bleeding times and impaired arterial thrombosis. However, infarct volumes in cKO mice were comparable to wildtype (WT) mice in an experimental model of ischemic stroke. Therefore, while TMEM16F-regulated platelet procoagulant activity is critical for hemostasis and thrombosis, it is dispensable for cerebral thrombo-inflammation in mice. The second section describes the generation and initial characterization of a novel knockin mouse strain that expresses human coagulation factor XII (FXII) instead of endogenous murine FXII. These knockin mice had normal occlusion times in an experimental model of arterial thrombosis demonstrating that human FXII is functional in mice. Therefore, these mice constitute a valuable tool for testing novel pharmacological agents against human FXII – an attractive potential target for antithrombotic therapy. Glycoprotein (GP)VI and C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC-2)-mediated (hem)immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM) signaling represent a major pathway for platelet activation. The last section of the thesis provides experimental evidence for redundant functions between the two members of the Grb2 family of adapter proteins - Grb2 and Gads that lie downstream of GPVI and CLEC-2 stimulation. In vitro and in vivo studies in mice deficient in both Grb2 and Gads (DKO) revealed that DKO platelets had defects in (hem)ITAM-stimulation-specific activation, aggregation and signal transduction that were more severe than the defects observed in single Grb2 KO or Gads KO mice. Furthermore, the specific role of these adapters downstream of (hem)ITAM signaling was essential for maintenance of hemostasis but dispensable for the known CLEC-2 dependent regulation of blood-lymphatic vessel separation. N2 - Aktivierte Thrombozyten und die Gerinnungskaskade bilden gemeinsam die Grundlage der physiologischen Hämostase. Daneben können jedoch auch pathologische Bedingungen Thrombozytenaktivierung herbeiführen und die Gerinnungskaskade auslösen und somit zum Gefäßverschluss führen, was häufig ischämische Schäden lebenswichtiger Organe wie beispielsweise des Herzens oder des Gehirns verursachen kann. Prokoagulante Thrombozy-ten befinden sich an der Schnittstelle zwischen Thrombozytenaktivierung und der Gerin-nungskaskade, ihre Funktion bei der Pathogenese des ischämischen Schlaganfalls wurde jedoch bisher nicht im Detail untersucht. Der erste Teil dieser Doktorarbeit widmet sich dieser Fragestellung durch die Analyse von neu generierten konditionalen, Megakaryozyten- und Thrombozyten-spezifischen Tmem16f Knockout Mäusen. TMEM16F-defiziente Thrombozy-ten wiesen ähnliche Defekte wie die Thrombozyten von Scott-Syndrom-Patienten sowie stark beeinträchtigte prokoagulante Eigenschaften auf. Diese Defekte gingen mit signifikant verlangsamter thrombozytenabhängiger Thrombingenerierung und verzögerter Fibrinbildung einher. TMEM16F-Defizienz führte zu verlängerter Blutungszeit und beeinträchtigte in einem experimentellen Modell die Bildung arterieller Thromben. TMEM16F-defiziente Mäuse wiesen jedoch im Vergleich zu wildtypischen Mäusen keinerlei Unterschiede im experimentellen ischämischen Schlaganfall auf. TMEM16F-gesteuerte prokoagulante Thrombozytenfunktion ist demnach kritisch für Hämostase und Thrombose, während sie eine untergeordnete Rolle in zerebraler Thrombo-Inflammation spielt. Der zweite Teil dieser Arbeit befasst sich mit der Generierung und Erstbeschreibung einer neuen Mauslinie, welche den humanen Hageman-Faktor (FXII) anstelle des endogenen murinen FXII exprimiert. In den resultierenden Knock-in Mäusen war die Bildung okklusiver arterieller Thromben nach chemisch induzierter Gefäßverletzung nicht beeinträchtigt, was zeigt, dass der humane FXII im Maussystem voll funktionstüchtig ist. Somit können diese Mäuse in der Zukunft als ein wertvolles Werkzeug zum Testen neuer pharmakologischer Ansätze zur Herabsetzung der FXII-Aktivität eingesetzt werden, welche einen vielver-sprechenden Targets neuartiger antithrombotischer Behandlungsansätze darstellt. Die thrombozytären Rezeptoren Glykoprotein (GP)VI und C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC-2) lösen (hem)immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif (ITAM)-gekoppelte Signalwege aus, welche eine eine Schlüsselrolle in der Thrombozytenaktivierung spielen. Der dritte Teil dieser Doktorarbeit liefert experimentelle Hinweise für überlappende Funkti-onen der Adapterproteine Grb2 und Gads in der (hem)ITAM-anhängigen Signalkaskade. In vitro und in vivo Studien zeigten, dass Grb2/Gads-doppeldefiziente Thrombozyten (hem)ITAM-spezifische Defekte in der Aktivierung, Aggregation und Signaltransduktion aufweisen, die im Vergleich zu einzeldefizienten Thrombozyten deutlich ausgeprägter sind und somit eine redundante Rolle der Adapterproteine offenbaren. Während Grb2 und Gads gemeinsam an der Aufrechterhaltung physiologischer Hämostase beteiligt sind, tragen sie nicht entscheidend zur bekannten CLEC-2-abhängigen Regulation der Trennung von Blut- und Lymphgefäßen bei. KW - Blutgerinnung KW - Thrombozyt KW - Signaltransduktion KW - Maus KW - Thrombosis KW - Thrombo-inflammation KW - TMEM16F KW - (hem)ITAM signaling Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-164888 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ballin, Nadja A1 - Hotz, Alrun A1 - Bourrat, Emmanuelle A1 - Küsel, Julia A1 - Oji, Vinzenz A1 - Bouadjar, Bakar A1 - Brognoli, Davide A1 - Hickman, Geoffroy A1 - Heinz, Lisa A1 - Vabres, Pierre A1 - Marrakchi, Slaheddine A1 - Leclerc‐Mercier, Stéphanie A1 - Irvine, Alan A1 - Tadini, Gianluca A1 - Hamm, Henning A1 - Has, Cristina A1 - Blume‐Peytavi, Ulrike A1 - Mitter, Diana A1 - Reitenbach, Marina A1 - Hausser, Ingrid A1 - Zimmer, Andreas D. A1 - Alter, Svenja A1 - Fischer, Judith T1 - Genetical, clinical, and functional analysis of a large international cohort of patients with autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis due to mutations in NIPAL4 JF - Human Mutation N2 - Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) belongs to a heterogeneous group of disorders of keratinization. To date, 10 genes have been identified to be causative for ARCI. NIPAL4 (Nipa‐Like Domain‐Containing 4) is the second most commonly mutated gene in ARCI. In this study, we present a large cohort of 101 families affected with ARCI carrying mutations in NIPAL4. We identified 16 novel mutations and increase the total number of pathogenic mutations in NIPAL4 to 34. Ultrastructural analysis of biopsies from six patients showed morphological abnormalities consistent with an ARCI EM type III. One patient with a homozygous splice site mutation, which leads to a loss of NIPAL4 mRNA, showed additional ultrastructural aberrations together with a more severe clinical phenotype. Our study gives insights into the frequency of mutations, a potential hot spot for mutations, and genotype–phenotype correlations. KW - ARCI KW - ARCI EM type III KW - collodion baby KW - ichthyosis KW - NIPAL4 Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-212747 VL - 40 IS - 12 ER - TY - THES A1 - Bangert, Philip T1 - Magnetic Attitude Control of Miniature Satellites and its Extension towards Orbit Control using an Electric Propulsion System T1 - Magnetische Lageregelung von Kleinstsatelliten und ihre Erweiterung zur Orbitregelung durch die Integration eines Elektrischen Antriebssystems N2 - The attitude and orbit control system of pico- and nano-satellites to date is one of the bottle necks for future scientific and commercial applications. A performance increase while keeping with the satellites’ restrictions will enable new space missions especially for the smallest of the CubeSat classes. This work addresses methods to measure and improve the satellite’s attitude pointing and orbit control performance based on advanced sensor data analysis and optimized on-board software concepts. These methods are applied to spaceborne satellites and future CubeSat missions to demonstrate their validity. An in-orbit calibration procedure for a typical CubeSat attitude sensor suite is developed and applied to the UWE-3 satellite in space. Subsequently, a method to estimate the attitude determination accuracy without the help of an external reference sensor is developed. Using this method, it is shown that the UWE-3 satellite achieves an in-orbit attitude determination accuracy of about 2°. An advanced data analysis of the attitude motion of a miniature satellite is used in order to estimate the main attitude disturbance torque in orbit. It is shown, that the magnetic disturbance is by far the most significant contribution for miniature satellites and a method to estimate the residual magnetic dipole moment of a satellite is developed. Its application to three CubeSats currently in orbit reveals that magnetic disturbances are a common issue for this class of satellites. The dipole moments measured are between 23.1mAm² and 137.2mAm². In order to autonomously estimate and counteract this disturbance in future missions an on-board magnetic dipole estimation algorithm is developed. The autonomous neutralization of such disturbance torques together with the simplification of attitude control for the satellite operator is the focus of a novel on-board attitude control software architecture. It incorporates disturbance torques acting on the satellite and automatically optimizes the control output. Its application is demonstrated in space on board of the UWE-3 satellite through various attitude control experiments of which the results are presented here. The integration of a miniaturized electric propulsion system will enable CubeSats to perform orbit control and, thus, open up new application scenarios. The in-orbit characterization, however, poses the problem of precisely measuring very low thrust levels in the order of µN. A method to measure this thrust based on the attitude dynamics of the satellite is developed and evaluated in simulation. It is shown, that the demonstrator mission UWE-4 will be able to measure these thrust levels with a high accuracy of 1% for thrust levels higher than 1µN. The orbit control capabilities of UWE-4 using its electric propulsion system are evaluated and a hybrid attitude control system making use of the satellite’s magnetorquers and the electric propulsion system is developed. It is based on the flexible attitude control architecture mentioned before and thrust vector pointing accuracies of better than 2° can be achieved. This results in a thrust delivery of more than 99% of the desired acceleration in the target direction. N2 - Eine präzise Lage- und Orbitregelung stellt derzeit eine der größten Limitierungen der Einsatzmöglichkeiten von Kleinstsatelliten dar. Um zukünftige wissenschaftliche und kommerzielle Missionen auch mit dieser Klasse von Satelliten erfolgreich durchführen zu können, ist eine Leistungssteigerung bei gleichbleibender Größe und Masse nötig. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Verbesserung des Lageregelungssystems, der Vermessung der Ausrichtgenauigkeit im Orbit und der Herstellung von Orbitregelungskapazitäten mithilfe von fortschrittlicher Sensordatenanalyse und optimierter on-board Software. Die hier entwickelten Methoden wurden an im Orbit befindlichen Satelliten demonstriert und deren Gültigkeit gezeigt. Neben einer Methode um die typische CubeSat Lageerkennungssensorik im Orbit zu kalibrieren wurde ein Verfahren entwickelt, um die Ausrichtgenauigkeit ohne die Zuhilfenahme eines externen Referenzsensors zu bestimmen. Beide Verfahren wurden mithilfe des UWE-3 Satelliten im Orbit demonstriert. Die genaue Analyse der Dynamik eines Satelliten gibt Aufschluss über die vorwiegend herrschenden Störmomente. Für Kleinstsatelliten im erdnahen Orbit kann gezeigt werden, dass Störungen aufgrund von statischen magnetischen Verunreinigungen bei Weitem am meisten Einfluss auf die Dynamik des Satelliten haben. In dieser Arbeit wird eine Methode präsentiert, die Daten der Lageerkennung nutzt um das magnetische Dipolmoment eines Kleinstsatelliten zu bestimmen. Mithilfe dieses Verfahrens konnte das Dipolmoment von drei unterschiedlichen CubeSats im Bereicht von 23.1mAm² bis 137.2mAm² präzise bestimmt werden. Um die Lageregelungsgenauigkeit zu steigern wird ein Software Konzept präsentiert, welches die bekannten Störungen der Satellitendynamik inherent und energieoptimiert kompensiert. Die Anwendung dieser on-board Software wurde mit UWE-3 in einer Vielzahl von Lageregelungsexperimenten im Orbit demonstriert. Die Integration von elektrischen Antrieben wird zukünftigen Kleinstsatelliten die Möglichkeit zur Orbitkontrolle geben und damit viele neue Anwendungsszenarien eröffnen. Die Qualifizierung und Vermessung der Triebwerke im Orbit stellt jedoch eine technische Schwierigkeit dar, da Schübe im Bereich von µN gemessen werden müssen. Ein Verfahren zur genauen Bestimmung des Schubs eines solchen Triebwerks basierend auf dessen Auswirkung auf die Satellitendynamik wurde entwickelt und wird hier mit Hilfe von Simulationen für die UWE-4 Mission demonstriert. Es wird gezeigt, dass mit Hilfe von UWE-4 der Schub der Triebwerke mit einer hohen Genauigkeit von 1% Fehler für Schübe größer 1µN gemessen werden können. Eine magnetische Lageregelung unter Zuhilfenahme der elektischen Antriebe stellt das Konzept der hybriden Lage- und Orbitregelung für UWE-4 dar. Die damit erzielbare Leistung hinsichtlich der Ausrichtgenauigkeit sowie Orbitregelung wurde untersucht und ist hier für verschiedene Szenarien gezeigt. T3 - Forschungsberichte in der Robotik = Research Notes in Robotics - 19 KW - Satellit KW - Lageregelung KW - Plasmaantrieb KW - Attitude Determination and Control KW - Attitude Dynamics KW - Thrust Vector Control KW - Kleinsatellit Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177020 SN - 978-3-945459-28-7 (online) SN - 1868-7474 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bartel, Karin A1 - Pein, Helmut A1 - Popper, Bastian A1 - Schmitt, Sabine A1 - Janaki-Raman, Sudha A1 - Schulze, Almut A1 - Lengauer, Florian A1 - Koeberle, Andreas A1 - Werz, Oliver A1 - Zischka, Hans A1 - Müller, Rolf A1 - Vollmar, Angelika M. A1 - Schwarzenberg, Karin von T1 - Connecting lysosomes and mitochondria – a novel role for lipid metabolism in cancer cell death JF - Cell Communication and Signaling N2 - Background The understanding of lysosomes has been expanded in recent research way beyond their view as cellular trash can. Lysosomes are pivotal in regulating metabolism, endocytosis and autophagy and are implicated in cancer. Recently it was discovered that the lysosomal V-ATPase, which is known to induce apoptosis, interferes with lipid metabolism in cancer, yet the interplay between these organelles is poorly understood. Methods LC-MS/MS analysis was performed to investigate lipid distribution in cells. Cell survival and signaling pathways were analyzed by means of cell biological methods (qPCR, Western Blot, flow cytometry, CellTiter-Blue). Mitochondrial structure was analyzed by confocal imaging and electron microscopy, their function was determined by flow cytometry and seahorse measurements. Results Our data reveal that interfering with lysosomal function changes composition and subcellular localization of triacylglycerids accompanied by an upregulation of PGC1α and PPARα expression, master regulators of energy and lipid metabolism. Furthermore, cardiolipin content is reduced driving mitochondria into fission, accompanied by a loss of membrane potential and reduction in oxidative capacity, which leads to a deregulation in cellular ROS and induction of mitochondria-driven apoptosis. Additionally, cells undergo a metabolic shift to glutamine dependency, correlated with the fission phenotype and sensitivity to lysosomal inhibition, most prominent in Ras mutated cells. Conclusion This study sheds mechanistic light on a largely uninvestigated triangle between lysosomes, lipid metabolism and mitochondrial function. Insight into this organelle crosstalk increases our understanding of mitochondria-driven cell death. Our findings furthermore provide a first hint on a connection of Ras pathway mutations and sensitivity towards lysosomal inhibitors. KW - lysosome KW - V-ATPase KW - mitochondria KW - fission KW - apoptosis KW - lipid metabolism KW - cardiolipin Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-221524 VL - 17 ER - TY - THES A1 - Bathon, Kerstin T1 - Mutations in protein kinase A catalytic subunit as a cause of adrenal Cushing's syndrome: mechanisms and functional consequences T1 - Mutationen in der katalytischen Untereinheit von Proteinkinase A als Ursache des adrenalen Cushing Syndroms: Mechanismen und funktionelle Konsequenzen N2 - Protein kinase A (PKA) is the main effector of cyclic-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and plays an important role in steroidogenesis and proliferation of adrenal cells. In a previous study we found two mutations (L206R, 199_200insW) in the main catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKA C) to be responsible for cortisol-producing adrenocortical adenomas (CPAs). These mutations interfere with the formation of a stable holoenzyme, thus causing constitutive PKA activation. More recently, we identified additional mutations affecting PKA C in CPAs associated with overt Cushing syndrome: S213R+insIILR, 200_201insV, W197R, d244 248+E249Q, E32V. This study reports a functional characterization of those PKA Cmutations linked to CPAs of Cushing’s patients. All analyzed mutations except for E32V showed a reduced interaction with at least one tested regulatory (R) subunit. Interestingly the results of the activity differed among the mutants and between the assays employed. For three mutants (L206R, 199_200insW, S213R+insIILR), the results showed enhanced translocation to the nucleus. This was also observed in CRISPR/Cas9 generated PRKACA L206R mutated HEK293T cells. The enhanced nuclear translocation of this mutants could be due to the lack of R subunit binding, but also other mechanisms could be at play. Additionally, I used an algorithm, which predicted an effect of the mutation on substrate specificity for four mutants (L206R, 199_200insW, 200_201insV, d244 248+E249Q). This was proven using phosphoproteomics for three mutants (L206R, 200_201insV, d244 248+E249Q). In PRKACA L206R mutated CPAs this change in substrate specificity also caused hyperphosphorylation of H1.4 on serine 36, which has been reported to be implicated in mitosis. Due to these observations, I hypothesized, that there are several mechanisms of action of PRKACA mutations leading to increased cortisol secretion and cell proliferation in adrenal cells: interference with the formation of a stable holoenzyme, altered subcellular localization and a change in substrate specificity. My data indicate that some PKA C mutants might act via just one, others by a combination of these mechanisms. Altogether, these findings indicate that several mechanisms contribute to the development of CPAs caused by PRKACA mutations. Moreover, these findings provide a highly illustrative example of how alterations in a protein kinase can cause a human disease. N2 - Proteinkinase A (PKA) ist der Haupteffektor von cyclischem Adenosinmonophosphat (cAMP) und spielt eine wichtige Rolle bei der Synthese von Steroiden und der Proliferation von Nebennierenzellen. In einer vorangegangenen Studie fanden wir zwei Mutationen (L206R, 199_200insW) der wichtigsten katalytischen Untereinheit von PKA (PKA C), die für Kortisol sekretierende Nebennierenrindenadenome (CPAs) verantwortlich sind. Diese Mutationen stören die Bildung eines stabilen Holoenzyms und verursachen somit eine dauerhafte PKA Aktivierung. Vor Kurzem fanden wir weitere Mutationen der PKA C in CPAs von Patienten mit Cushing Syndrom: S213R+insIILR, 200_201insV, W197R, d244 248+E249Q, E32V. In dieser Arbeit wurde eine funktionelle Charakterisierung dieser PKA C Mutanten, die im Zusammenhang mit CPAs von Cushing Patienten stehen, durchgeführt. Alle PKA Mutanten, mit Ausnahme von E32V, zeigten eine reduzierte Interaktion mit mindestens einer getesteten regulatorischen (R) Untereinheit. Interessanterweise hatten die Mutanten unterschiedliche Effekte auf die Aktivität der Kinase. Zusätzlich hatte die Analysemethode ebenfalls Einfluss auf die Aktivität der Mutanten. Für drei Mutanten (L206R, 199_200insW, S213R+insIILR) zeigten die Ergebnisse eine verstärkte Translokation der C Untereinheit in den Zellkern. Dies wurde auch in HEK293T Zellen bestätigt, in deren PRKACA Gen mittels CRISPR/Cas9 die L206R Mutation eingeführt wurde. Diese erhöhte Translokation kann durch die fehlende Bindung zur R Untereinheit erklärt werden, aber auch andere Mechanismen könnten eine Rolle spielen. Außerdem zeigten die Ergebnisse eine Veränderung der Substratspezifität, die für vier Mutanten durch einen Algorithmus vorausberechnet wurde (L206R, 199_200insW, 200_201insV, d244-248+E249Q). Für drei dieser Mutanten (L206R, 200_201insV, d244 248+E249Q) wurde dieses Ergebnis mittels Phosphoproteomics nachgewiesen. Diese Änderung der Substratspezifität verursacht in PRKACA L206R mutierten CPAs auch eine Hyperphosphorylierung von H1.4 an Serin 36, welches eine wichtige Rolle in der Zellteilung spielt. Meine Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass es mehrere Wirkungsmechanismen von PRKACA Mutationen gibt, die zu einer erhöhten Sekretion von Kortisol und Zellproliferation in Nebennierenzellen führen: Störung der Bildung eines stabilen Holoenzyms, Änderung der subzellulären Lokalisation und eine Veränderung der Substratspezifität. Meine Ergebnisse weisen darauf hin, dass einige PKA C-Mutanten durch nur einen, andere durch eine Kombination dieser Mechanismen wirken. Insgesamt zeigen diese Ergebnisse, dass PRKACA Mutationen durch mehrere Mechanismen zur Entwicklung von CPAs beitragen. Darüber hinaus liefern diese Ergebnisse ein anschauliches Beispiel dafür, wie Mutationen in einer Proteinkinase eine menschliche Krankheit verursachen können. KW - Proteinkinase A KW - Mutation KW - PRKACA KW - Cushing-Syndrom Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-168937 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bauer, Maria A1 - Opitz, Anne A1 - Filser, Jörg A1 - Jansen, Hendrik A1 - Meffert, Rainer H. A1 - Germer, Christoph T. A1 - Roewer, Norbert A1 - Muellenbach, Ralf M. A1 - Kredel, Markus T1 - Perioperative redistribution of regional ventilation and pulmonary function: a prospective observational study in two cohorts of patients at risk for postoperative pulmonary complications JF - BMC Anesthesiology N2 - Background Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) increase morbidity and mortality of surgical patients, duration of hospital stay and costs. Postoperative atelectasis of dorsal lung regions as a common PPC has been described before, but its clinical relevance is insufficiently examined. Pulmonary electrical impedance tomography (EIT) enables the bedside visualization of regional ventilation in real-time within a transversal section of the lung. Dorsal atelectasis or effusions might cause a ventral redistribution of ventilation. We hypothesized the existence of ventral redistribution in spontaneously breathing patients during their recovery from abdominal and peripheral surgery and that vital capacity is reduced if regional ventilation shifts to ventral lung regions. Methods This prospective observational study included 69 adult patients undergoing elective surgery with an expected intermediate or high risk for PPCs. Patients undergoing abdominal and peripheral surgery were recruited to obtain groups of equal size. Patients received general anesthesia with and without additional regional anesthesia. On the preoperative, the first and the third postoperative day, EIT was performed at rest and during spirometry (forced breathing). The center of ventilation in dorso-ventral direction (COVy) was calculated. Results Both groups received intraoperative low tidal volume ventilation. Postoperative ventral redistribution of ventilation (forced breathing COVy; preoperative: 16.5 (16.0–17.3); first day: 17.8 (16.9–18.2), p < 0.004; third day: 17.4 (16.2–18.2), p = 0.020) and decreased forced vital capacity in percentage of predicted values (FVC%predicted) (median: 93, 58, 64%, respectively) persisted after abdominal surgery. In addition, dorsal to ventral shift was associated with a decrease of the FVC%predicted on the third postoperative day (r = − 0.66; p < 0.001). A redistribution of pulmonary ventilation was not observed after peripheral surgery. FVC%predicted was only decreased on the first postoperative day (median FVC%predicted on the preoperative, first and third day: 85, 81 and 88%, respectively). In ten patients occurred pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery also in two patients after peripheral surgery. Conclusions After abdominal surgery ventral redistribution of ventilation persisted up to the third postoperative day and was associated with decreased vital capacity. The peripheral surgery group showed only minor changes in vital capacity, suggesting a role of the location of surgery for postoperative redistribution of pulmonary ventilation. KW - Electrical impedance tomography KW - General anaesthesia KW - Postoperative complications KW - Pulmonary function tests Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-200730 VL - 19 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Baumhoer, Celia A. A1 - Dietz, Andreas J. A1 - Kneisel, C. A1 - Kuenzer, C. T1 - Automated Extraction of Antarctic Glacier and Ice Shelf Fronts from Sentinel-1 Imagery Using Deep Learning JF - Remote Sensing N2 - Sea level rise contribution from the Antarctic ice sheet is influenced by changes in glacier and ice shelf front position. Still, little is known about seasonal glacier and ice shelf front fluctuations as the manual delineation of calving fronts from remote sensing imagery is very time-consuming. The major challenge of automatic calving front extraction is the low contrast between floating glacier and ice shelf fronts and the surrounding sea ice. Additionally, in previous decades, remote sensing imagery over the often cloud-covered Antarctic coastline was limited. Nowadays, an abundance of Sentinel-1 imagery over the Antarctic coastline exists and could be used for tracking glacier and ice shelf front movement. To exploit the available Sentinel-1 data, we developed a processing chain allowing automatic extraction of the Antarctic coastline from Seninel-1 imagery and the creation of dense time series to assess calving front change. The core of the proposed workflow is a modified version of the deep learning architecture U-Net. This convolutional neural network (CNN) performs a semantic segmentation on dual-pol Sentinel-1 data and the Antarctic TanDEM-X digital elevation model (DEM). The proposed method is tested for four training and test areas along the Antarctic coastline. The automatically extracted fronts deviate on average 78 m in training and 108 m test areas. Spatial and temporal transferability is demonstrated on an automatically extracted 15-month time series along the Getz Ice Shelf. Between May 2017 and July 2018, the fronts along the Getz Ice Shelf show mostly an advancing tendency with the fastest moving front of DeVicq Glacier with 726 ± 20 m/yr. KW - Antarctica KW - coastline KW - deep learning KW - semantic segmentation KW - Getz Ice Shelf KW - calving front KW - glacier front KW - U-Net KW - convolutional neural network KW - glacier terminus Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193150 SN - 2072-4292 VL - 11 IS - 21 ER - TY - THES A1 - Baur, Florentin Philipp T1 - Establishment of a 3D tumour model and targeted therapy of BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer T1 - Entwicklung eines 3D Tumormodells und zielgerichtete Behandlung von BRAF-mutiertem kolorektalen Karzinom N2 - Cancer remains after cardiovascular diseases the leading cause of death worldwide and an estimated 8.2 million people died of it in 2012. By 2030, 13 million cancer deaths are expected due to the growth and ageing of the population. Hereof, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in men and the second in women with a wide geographical variation across the world. Usually, CRC begins as a non-cancerous growth leading to an adenomatous polyp, or adenoma, arising from glandular cells. Since research has brought about better understanding of the mechanisms of cancer development, novel treatments such as targeted therapy have emerged in the past decades. Despite that, up to 95% of anticancer drugs tested in clinical phase I trials do not attain a market authorisation and hence these high attrition rates remain a key challenge for the pharmaceutical industry, making drug development processes enormously costly and inefficient. Therefore, new preclinical in vitro models which can predict drug responses in vivo more precisely are urgently needed. Tissue engineering not only provides the possibility of creating artificial three-dimensional (3D) in vitro tissues, such as functional organs, but also enables the investigation of drug responses in pathological tissue models, that is, in 3D cancer models which are superior to conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures on petri dishes and can overcome the limitations of animal models, thereby reducing the need for preclinical in vivo models. In this thesis, novel 3D CRC models on the basis of a decellularised intestinal matrix were established. In the first part, it could be shown that the cell line SW480 exhibited different characteristics when grown in a 3D environment from those in conventional 2D culture. While the cells showed a mesenchymal phenotype in 2D culture, they displayed a more pronounced epithelial character in the 3D model. By adding stromal cells (fibroblasts), the cancer cells changed their growth pattern and built tumour-like structures together with the fibroblasts, thereby remodelling the natural mucosal structures of the scaffold. Additionally, the established 3D tumour model was used as a test system for treatment with standard chemotherapeutic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The second part of the thesis focused on the establishment of a 3D in vitro test system for targeted therapy. The US Food and Drug Administration has already approved of a number of drugs for targeted therapy of specific types of cancer. For instance, the small molecule vemurafenib (PLX4032, Zelboraf™) which demonstrated impressive response rates of 50–80% in melanoma patients with a mutation of the rapidly accelerated fibrosarcoma oncogene type B (BRAF) kinase which belongs to the mitogen active protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway. However, only 5% of CRC patients harbouring the same BRAF mutation respond to treatment with vemurafenib. An explanation for this unresponsiveness could be a feedback activation of the upstream EGFR, reactivating the MAPK pathway which sustains a proliferative signalling. To test this hypothesis, the two early passage cell lines HROC24 and HROC87, both presenting the mutation BRAF V600E but differing in other mutations, were used and their drug response to vemurafenib and/or gefitinib was assessed in conventional 2D cell culture and compared to the more advanced 3D model. Under 3D culture conditions, both cell lines showed a reduction of the proliferation rate only in the combination therapy approach. Furthermore, no significant differences between the various treatment approaches and the untreated control regarding apoptosis rate and viability for both cell lines could be found in the 3D tumour model which conferred an enhanced chemoresistance to the cancer cells. Because of the observed unresponsiveness to BRAF inhibition by vemurafenib as can be seen in the clinic for patients with BRAF mutations in CRC, the cell line HROC87 was used for further xenografting experiments and analysis of activation changes in the MAPK signalling pathway. It could be shown that the cells presented a reactivation of Akt in the 3D model when treated with both inhibitors, suggesting an escape mechanism for apoptosis which was not present in cells cultured under conventional 2D conditions. Moreover, the cells exhibited an activation of the hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR, c-Met) in 2D and 3D culture, but this was not detectable in the xenograft model. This shows the limitations of in vivo models. The results suggest another feedback activation loop than that to the EGFR which might not primarily be involved in the resistance mechanism. This reflects the before mentioned high attrition rates in the preclinical drug testing. N2 - Krebs ist nach Herz- und Kreislauferkrankungen die führende Todesursache weltweit und 2012 starben daran geschätzt 8,2 Millionen Menschen. Für das Jahr 2030 werden 13 Millionen Krebstote erwartet, was auf das Bevölkerungswachstum und deren Überalterung zurückzuführen ist. Dabei ist das kolorektale Karzinom (engl. colorectal cancer, CRC) der dritthäufigste Krebs bei Männern und der zweithäufigste bei Frauen. Für gewöhnlich entwickelt sich CRC aus einem nicht-kanzerösen Wachstum, das zu einem adenomatösen Polyp bzw. Adenom führt, welches aus Drüsenzellen hervorgeht. Da die Forschung in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten ein besseres Verständnis für die Mechanistik der Krebsentstehung hervorgebracht hat, entstanden neuartige Behandlungsformen, wie die zielgerichtete Krebstherapie. Hohe Versagensraten, welche den Medikamentenentwicklungsprozess sehr kostenaufwendig und ineffizient machen, bleiben eine entscheidende Herausforderung für die pharmazeutische Industrie. Deshalb werden dringend neue präklinische in vitro Modelle, die bessere in vivo Wirkungsvorhersagen liefern, benötigt. Das Tissue Engineering bietet die Möglichkeit künstliche dreidimensionale (3D) in vitro Gewebe herzustellen, z.B. funktionelle Organe, aber es ermöglicht auch, die Reaktion auf ein Medikament in pathologischen Gewebemodellen, wie beispielsweise Krebsmodelle, zu untersuchen. Diese sind der konventionellen zweidimensionalen (2D) Zellkultur in Petrischalen überlegen und können die begrenzten Möglichkeiten von Tiermodellen erweitern, was zudem die Notwendigkeit für präklinische in vivo Modelle vermindert. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden neuartige 3D CRC Modelle auf Basis einer dezellularisierten intestinalen Matrix entwickelt. Im ersten Teil konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Zelllinie SW480 verschiedene Charakteristika bezüglich des Wachstums in der konventionellen 2D Zellkultur oder der 3D Umgebung aufwies. Im Gegensatz zu den mesenchymalen Eigenschaften der Zellen in der 2D Zellkultur, zeigten sie im 3D Modell einen betonteren epithelialen Charakter. Durch das Hinzufügen von Fibroblasten änderten die Krebszellen ihr Wachstumsverhalten und sie bildeten zusammen tumorartige Strukturen aus, wobei die natürlichen Strukturen der Darmmatrix, Krypten und Villi, umgebaut wurden. Zusätzlich wurde das entwickelte 3D Tumormodell als Testsystem für das Standardchemotherapeutikum 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) herangezogen. Der zweite Teil der Dissertation konzentrierte sich auf die Entwicklung eines 3D in vitro Testsystems für die zielgerichtete Behandlung. Es gibt schon eine Reihe von der US Food and Drug Administration zugelassenen Medikamente für die zielgerichtete Behandlung spezifischer Tumorentitäten, wie z.B. Vemurafenib (PLX4032, Zelboraf™), das eindrucksvolle Ansprechraten von 50–80% bei Melanompatienten mit BRAF-Mutation erzielt. Trotzdem sprechen nur 5% der CRC-Patienten mit der gleichen BRAF-Mutation auf die Behandlung mit Vemurafenib an. Gründe für diese Unempfindlichkeit könnte eine Rückkoppelung zum aufwärtsgelegenen EGFR sein, der das Signal zur Proliferation aufrecht erhält. Um diese Hypothese zu überprüfen, wurden die zwei Zelllinien HROC24 und HROC87, die beide die BRAF V600E-Mutation tragen aber sich in anderen Mutationen unterscheiden, mit Vemurafenib und/oder Gefitinib behandelt und das Ansprechen auf die Substanzen in der herkömmlichen 2D Zellkultur sowie im fortschrittlicheren 3D Modell verglichen. In 3D Kulturbedingungen zeigten beide Zelllinien eine Senkung der Proliferation nur im Kombinationstherapie-Ansatz. Außerdem wurden bei den 3D Modellen keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen den verschiedenen Behandlungsansätzen und der unbehandelten Kontrolle, hinsichtlich der Apoptoserate und Viabilität, gefunden. Das deutet auf eine erhöhte Chemoresistenz der Krebszellen in der 3D Umgebung hin. Wegen der vorhandenen Unempfindlichkeit der Zelllinie HROC87 gegenüber der BRAF-Inhibierung mit Vemurafenib, wie es auch in der Klinik im Fall von Patienten mit BRAF-Mutation des CRC beobachtet werden kann, wurden diese Zellen für weitere Xenograft-Experimente und Analysen von Aktivierungsunterschieden im MAPK-Signaltransduktionsweg herangezogen. Weiterhin zeigten die Zellen eine Aktivierung des „hepatocyte growth factor receptor“ (HGFR, c-Met) in 2D und 3D Zellkultur, der jedoch nicht im Xenograft-Modell zu sehen war, was die limitierte Übertragbarkeit von Ergebnissen des Tiermodells auf den Menschen verdeutlicht. Dies spiegelt wiederum die obenstehend erwähnten hohen Versagensraten in der präklinischen Medikamententestung wider. Zusammengefasst kann das Tissue Engineering Möglichkeiten zur Herstellung und Entwicklung neuartiger 3D Testsysteme bieten, welche besser die in vivo Situation abbilden. Für eine Medikamententestung in Übereinstimmung mit personalisierter Medizin eröffnet das 3D Tumormodell vielversprechende Wege, welche in Zukunft das präklinische Screening verbessern sowie die hohen Versagensraten und Tierversuche vermindern könnten. KW - Dickdarmtumor KW - Therapie KW - BRAF-mutant KW - colorectal cancer KW - targeted therapy KW - 3D tumour model KW - BRAF-mutiert KW - kolorektales Karzinom KW - zielgerichtete Behandlung KW - 3D Tumormodell KW - In vitro KW - 3D KW - tumour Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-174129 ER - TY - THES A1 - Beck, Sebastian T1 - Using optogenetics to influence the circadian clock of \(Drosophila\) \(melanogaster\) T1 - Die Verwendung der Optogenetik zur Beeinflussung der circadianen Uhr von \(Drosophila\) \(melanogaster\) N2 - Almost all life forms on earth have adapted to the most impactful and most predictable recurring change in environmental condition, the cycle of day and night, caused by the axial rotation of the planet. As a result many animals have evolved intricate endogenous clocks, which adapt and synchronize the organisms’ physiology, metabolism and behaviour to the daily change in environmental conditions. The scientific field researching these endogenous clocks is called chronobiology and has steadily grown in size, scope and relevance since the works of the earliest pioneers in the 1960s. The number one model organism for the research of circadian clocks is the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, whose clock serves as the entry point to understanding the basic inner workings of such an intricately constructed endogenous timekeeping system. In this thesis it was attempted to combine the research on the circadian clock with the techniques of optogenetics, a fairly new scientific field, launched by the discovery of Channelrhodopsin 2 just over 15 years ago. Channelrhodopsin 2 is a light-gated ion channel found in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. In optogenetics, researches use these light-gated ion channels like Channelrhodopsin 2 by heterologously expressing them in cells and tissues of other organisms, which can then be stimulated by the application of light. This is most useful when studying neurons, as these channels provide an almost non-invasive tool to depolarize the neuronal plasma membranes at will. The goal of this thesis was to develop an optogenetic tool, which would be able to influence and phase shift the circadian clock of Drosophila melanogaster upon illumination. A phase shift is the adaptive response of the circadian clock to an outside stimulus that signals a change in the environmental light cycle. An optogenetic tool, able to influence and phase shift the circadian clock predictably and reliably, would open up many new ways and methods of researching the neuronal network of the clock and which neurons communicate to what extent, ultimately synchronizing the network. The first optogenetic tool to be tested in the circadian clock of Drosophila melanogaster was ChR2-XXL, a channelrhodopsin variant with dramatically increased expression levels and photocurrents combined with a prolonged open state. The specific expression of ChR2-XXL and of later constructs was facilitated by deploying the three different clock-specific GAL4-driver lines, clk856-gal4, pdf-gal4 and mai179-gal4. Although ChR2-XXL was shown to be highly effective at depolarizing neurons, these stimulations proved to be unable to significantly phase shift the circadian clock of Drosophila. The second series of experiments was conducted with the conceptually novel optogenetic tools Olf-bPAC and SthK-bPAC, which respectively combine a cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel (Olf and SthK) with the light-activated adenylyl-cyclase bPAC. These tools proved to be quite useful when expressed in the motor neurons of instar-3 larvae of Drosophila, paralyzing the larvae upon illumination, as well as affecting body length. This way, these new tools could be precisely characterized, spawning a successfully published research paper, centered around their electrophysiological characterization and their applicability in model organisms like Drosophila. In the circadian clock however, these tools caused substantial damage, producing severe arrhythmicity and anomalies in neuronal development. Using a temperature-sensitive GAL80-line to delay the expression until after the flies had eclosed, yielded no positive results either. The last series of experiments saw the use of another new series of optogenetic tools, modelled after the Olf-bPAC, with bPAC swapped out for CyclOp, a membrane-bound guanylyl-cyclase, coupled with less potent versions of the Olf. This final attempt however also ended up being unsuccessful. While these tools could efficiently depolarize neuronal membranes upon illumination, they were ultimately unable to stimulate the circadian clock in way that would cause it to phase shift. Taken together, these mostly negative results indicate that an optogenetic manipulation of the circadian clock of Drosophila melanogaster is an extremely challenging subject. As light already constitutes the most impactful environmental factor on the circadian clock, the combination of chronobiology with optogenetics demands the parameters of the conducted experiments to be tuned with an extremely high degree of precision, if one hopes to receive positive results from these types of experiments at all. N2 - Nahezu alle Lebewesen der Erde haben sich an den Tag-Nacht-Zyklus angepasst, die einflussreichste und verlässlichste wiederkehrende Veränderung der Umwelt-bedingungen, verursacht durch die axiale Rotation des Planeten. Daraus resultierend haben viele Tiere komplizierte innere Uhren entwickelt, welche ihre Physiologie, ihren Stoffwechsel und ihr Verhalten an die tägliche Veränderung der natürlichen Bedingungen anpassen. Das Wissenschaftsfeld, das sich der Erforschung dieser inneren Uhren widmet, wird Chronobiologie genannt und hat seit der Arbeit der ersten Pioniere ab 1960 stetig an Größe und Relevanz gewonnen. Der prominenteste Modellorganismus für die Erforschung der circadianen Uhr ist Drosophila melanogaster, deren Uhr als Ansatzpunkt dient, die grundlegenden Vorgänge eines derart komplexen, endogenen Taktsystems zu verstehen. In dieser Thesis wurde versucht die Forschung an der circadianen Uhr mit den Techniken der Optogenetik zu kombinieren, eines jungen Forschungsfeldes, welches durch die Entdeckung von Channelrhodpsin 2 vor über 15 Jahren eröffnet wurde. Channelrhodopsin 2 ist ein Licht-gesteuerter Ionenkanal, der in der Grünalge Chlamydomonas reinhardtii entdeckt wurde. In der Optogenetik nutzen Forscher diese Licht-gesteuerten Ionenkanäle, indem sie sie in den Zellen anderer Organismen exprimieren, welche dann durch Licht stimuliert werden können. Dies ist besonders nützlich bei der Untersuchung von Neuronen, da diese Kanäle ein nahezu nicht-invasives Werkzeug zur Depolarisation neuronaler Membranen bieten. Das Ziel dieser Thesis war es, ein optogenetisches Werkzeug zu entwickeln, welches die circadiane Uhr von Drosophila melanogaster durch Licht manipulieren und deren Phase verschieben kann. Eine Phasenverschiebung ist die adaptive Antwort der circadianen Uhr auf einen äußeren Reiz, welcher eine Veränderung des natürlichen Lichtzyklus signalisiert. Ein optogenetisches Werkzeug, das die Phase der inneren Uhr verlässlich verschieben kann, würde viele neue Möglichkeiten zur Erforschung des neuronalen Uhrnetzwerks eröffnen und wie die Neuronen miteinander kommunizieren um das Netzwerk zu synchronisieren. Das erste optogenetische Werkzeug das in der circadianen Uhr von Drosophila melanogaster getestet wurde war „ChR2-XXL“, eine Channelrhodopsin-Variante mit erhöhter Expression und Photoströmen, gepaart mit einem verlängerten geöffneten Zustand. Die spezifische Expression von ChR2-XXL und auch die späterer Konstrukte wurde durch die Verwendung der drei Uhr-spezifischen GAL4-Treiberlinien clk856-gal4, pdf-gal4 und mai179-gal4 bewerkstelligt. Obwohl bereits gezeigt wurde, dass ChR2-XXL höchst effektiv die Depolarisierung von Neuronen bewirkt, waren diese Stimulationen jedoch nicht in der Lage die Phase der circadianen Uhr von Drosophila signifikant zu verschieben. Die zweite Serie an Versuchen wurde mit den konzeptionell neuartigen optogenetischen Werkzeugen Olf-bPAC und SthK-bPAC durchgeführt, welche jeweils einen durch zyklische Nukleotide gesteuerten Ionenkanal (Olf und SthK) mit der Licht-gesteuerten Adenylatcyclase bPAC kombinieren. Diese Werkzeuge erwiesen sich als äußert nützlich, solange sie in den Motoneuronen von Drosophila-Larven im dritten Larvenstadium exprimiert wurden, wo sie bei Beleuchtung die Larven sowohl paralysierten, als auch deren Körperlänge beeinflussten. Auf diese Weise konnten diese neuen Werkzeuge präzise charakterisiert werden, was in der erfolgreichen Veröffentlichung eines Forschungsartikels mündete, welcher hauptsächlich von der elektrophysiologischen Charakterisierung der Werkzeuge handelte und von deren Anwendungsmöglichkeiten in Modellorganismen wie Drosophila. In der circadianen Uhr verursachten diese Werkzeuge jedoch substantielle Schäden und produzierten schwere Arrhythmie und Anomalien in der neuronalen Entwicklung. Die Verwendung einer temperatur-sensitiven GAL80-Linie um die Expression zu verzögern, erzeugte ebenfalls keinerlei positive Ergebnisse. Für die letzte Serie an Experimenten wurde eine weitere Reihe neuer optogenetischer Werkzeuge verwendet, orientiert an Olf-bPAC und SthK-bPAC, wobei bPAC durch die membrangebundene Guanylatcyclase „CyclOp“ ausgetauscht wurde, welche wiederrum mit weniger wirkstarken Olf-Varianten kombiniert wurde. Dieser letzte Ansatz scheiterte jedoch ebenfalls. Obwohl diese neuen Werkzeuge in der Lage waren die Neuronenmembran bei Beleuchtung effektiv zu depolarisieren, vermochten sie es letztendlich nicht eine Phasenverschiebung zu bewirken. Zusammengenommen zeigen diese überwiegend negativen Ergebnisse, dass die optogenetische Manipulation der circadianen Uhr von Drosophila melanogaster ein extrem anspruchsvolles Thema ist. Da Licht bereits ohnehin den einflussreichsten Umweltfaktor für die circadiane Uhr darstellt, verlangt die Kombination von Chronobiologie und Optogenetik eine extrem präzise Feinabstimmung der Versuchsparameter, um überhaupt darauf hoffen zu dürfen, positive Ergebnisse mit derlei Versuchen zu erzeugen. KW - Chronobiologie KW - Optogenetik KW - Taufliege KW - Optogenetics KW - Chronobiology KW - Channelrhodopsin KW - Drosophila melanogaster Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-184952 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Beer, Katharina A1 - Schenk, Mariela A1 - Helfrich-Förster, Charlotte A1 - Holzschuh, Andrea T1 - The circadian clock uses different environmental time cues to synchronize emergence and locomotion of the solitary bee Osmia bicornis JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Life on earth adapted to the daily reoccurring changes in environment by evolving an endogenous circadian clock. Although the circadian clock has a crucial impact on survival and behavior of solitary bees, many aspects of solitary bee clock mechanisms remain unknown. Our study is the first to show that the circadian clock governs emergence in Osmia bicornis, a bee species which overwinters as adult inside its cocoon. Therefore, its eclosion from the pupal case is separated by an interjacent diapause from its emergence in spring. We show that this bee species synchronizes its emergence to the morning. The daily rhythms of emergence are triggered by temperature cycles but not by light cycles. In contrast to this, the bee’s daily rhythms in locomotion are synchronized by light cycles. Thus, we show that the circadian clock of O. bicornis is set by either temperature or light, depending on what activity is timed. Light is a valuable cue for setting the circadian clock when bees have left the nest. However, for pre-emerged bees, temperature is the most important cue, which may represent an evolutionary adaptation of the circadian system to the cavity-nesting life style of O. bicornis. KW - Behavioural ecology KW - Evolutionary developmental biology Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-202721 VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bekes, Inga A1 - Löb, Sanja A1 - Holzheu, Iris A1 - Janni, Wolfgang A1 - Baumann, Lisa A1 - Wöckel, Achim A1 - Wulff, Christine T1 - Nectin‐2 in ovarian cancer: how is it expressed and what might be its functional role? JF - Cancer Science N2 - Nectin‐2 is an adhesion molecule that has been reported to play a role in tumor growth, metastasis and tumor angiogenesis. Herein, we investigated Nectin‐2 in ovarian cancer patients and in cell culture. Tumor as well as peritoneal biopsies of 60 ovarian cancer patients and 22 controls were dual stained for Nectin‐2 and CD31 using immunohistochemistry. Gene expression of Nectin‐2 was quantified by real‐time PCR and differences analyzed in relation to various tumor characteristics. In the serum of patients, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was quantified by ELISA. Effect of VEGF on Nectin‐2 expression as well as permeability was investigated in HUVEC. In tumor biopsies, Nectin‐2 protein was mainly localized in tumor cells, whereas in peritoneal biopsies, clear colocalization was found in the vasculature. T3 patients had a significantly higher percentage of positive lymph nodes and this correlated with survival. Nectin‐2 was significantly upregulated in tumor biopsies in patients with lymph node metastasis and with residual tumor >1 cm after surgery. Nectin‐2 expression was significantly suppressed in the peritoneal endothelium of patients associated with significantly increased VEGF serum levels. In cell culture, VEGF stimulation led to a significant downregulation of Nectin‐2 which was reversed by VEGF‐inhibition. In addition, Nectin‐2 knockdown in endothelial cells was associated with significantly increased endothelial permeability. Nectin‐2 expression in ovarian cancer may support tumor cell adhesion, leading to growth and lymph node metastasis. In addition, VEGF‐induced Nectin‐2 suppression in peritoneal endothelium may support an increase in vascular permeability leading to ascites production. KW - metastasis KW - ovarian cancer KW - survival KW - Nectin‐2 KW - VEGF Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-202748 VL - 110 IS - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Belaidi, Houmam A1 - Rauch, Florian A1 - Zhang, Zuolun A1 - Latouche, Camille A1 - Boucekkine, Abdou A1 - Marder, Todd B. A1 - Halet, Jean-Francois T1 - Insights into the optical properties of triarylboranes with strongly electron-accepting bis(fluoromesityl)boryl groups: when theory meets experiment JF - ChemPhotoChem N2 - The photophysical properties (absorption, fluorescence and phosphorescence) of a series of triarylboranes of the form 4-D-C\(_6\)H\(_4\)-B(Ar)\(_2\) (D=\(^t\)Bu or NPh\(_2\); Ar=mesityl (Mes) or 2,4,6-tris(trifluoromethylphenyl (Fmes)) were analyzed theoretically using state-of-the-art DFT and TD-DFT methods. Simulated emission spectra and computed decay rate constants are in very good agreement with the experimental data. Unrestricted electronic computations including vibronic contributions explain the unusual optical behavior of 4-\(^t\)Bu-C\(_6\)H\(_4\)-B(Fmes)\(_2\) 2, which shows both fluorescence and phosphorescence at nearly identical energies (at 77 K in a frozen glass). Analysis of the main normal modes responsible for the phosphorescence vibrational fine structure indicates that the bulky tert-butyl group tethered to the phenyl ring is strongly involved. Interestingly, in THF solvent, the computed energies of the singlet and triplet excited states are very similar for compound 2 only, which may explain why 2 shows phosphorescence in contrast to the other members of the series. KW - boron KW - density functional calculations KW - luminescence KW - phosphorescence KW - photophysics KW - activated delayes flourescence KW - 3-coordinate organoboron compounds KW - light-emitting-diodes KW - phosphorescene spectra KW - molecular structures KW - high efficiency KW - pi-conjugation KW - trivalent boron KW - single photon KW - donor Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-205600 VL - 4 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Belic, Stanislav A1 - Page, Lukas A1 - Lazariotou, Maria A1 - Waaga-Gasser, Ana Maria A1 - Dragan, Mariola A1 - Springer, Jan A1 - Loeffler, Juergen A1 - Morton, Charles Oliver A1 - Einsele, Hermann A1 - Ullmann, Andrew J. A1 - Wurster, Sebastian T1 - Comparative Analysis of Inflammatory Cytokine Release and Alveolar Epithelial Barrier Invasion in a Transwell® Bilayer Model of Mucormycosis JF - Frontiers in Microbiology N2 - Understanding the mechanisms of early invasion and epithelial defense in opportunistic mold infections is crucial for the evaluation of diagnostic biomarkers and novel treatment strategies. Recent studies revealed unique characteristics of the immunopathology of mucormycoses. We therefore adapted an alveolar Transwell® A549/HPAEC bilayer model for the assessment of epithelial barrier integrity and cytokine response to Rhizopus arrhizus, Rhizomucor pusillus, and Cunninghamella bertholletiae. Hyphal penetration of the alveolar barrier was validated by 18S ribosomal DNA detection in the endothelial compartment. Addition of dendritic cells (moDCs) to the alveolar compartment led to reduced fungal invasion and strongly enhanced pro-inflammatory cytokine response, whereas epithelial CCL2 and CCL5 release was reduced. Despite their phenotypic heterogeneity, the studied Mucorales species elicited the release of similar cytokine patterns by epithelial and dendritic cells. There were significantly elevated lactate dehydrogenase concentrations in the alveolar compartment and epithelial barrier permeability for dextran blue of different molecular weights in Mucorales-infected samples compared to Aspergillus fumigatus infection. Addition of monocyte-derived dendritic cells further aggravated LDH release and epithelial barrier permeability, highlighting the influence of the inflammatory response in mucormycosis-associated tissue damage. An important focus of this study was the evaluation of the reproducibility of readout parameters in independent experimental runs. Our results revealed consistently low coefficients of variation for cytokine concentrations and transcriptional levels of cytokine genes and cell integrity markers. As additional means of model validation, we confirmed that our bilayer model captures key principles of Mucorales biology such as accelerated growth in a hyperglycemic or ketoacidotic environment or reduced epithelial barrier invasion upon epithelial growth factor receptor blockade by gefitinib. Our findings indicate that the Transwell® bilayer model provides a reliable and reproducible tool for assessing host response in mucormycosis. KW - mucormycosis KW - alveolar epithelium KW - in vitro model KW - cytokines KW - dendritic cells Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-252477 VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Belka, Janina A1 - Nickel, Joachim A1 - Kurth, Dirk G. T1 - Growth on metallo-supramolecular coordination polyelectrolyte (MEPE) stimulates osteogenic differentiation of human osteosarcoma cells (MG63) and human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells JF - Polymers N2 - Background: Culturing of cells is typically performed on standard tissue culture plates generating growth conditions, which in general do not reflect the native three-dimensional cellular environment. Recent investigations provide insights in parameters, which strongly affect the general cellular behavior triggering essential processes such as cell differentiation. The physical properties of the used material, such as stiffness, roughness, or topology, as well as the chemical composition of the cell-surface interface are shown to play a key role in the initiation of particular cellular responses. Methods: We extended our previous research, which identified thin films of metallo-supramolecular coordination polyelectrolytes (MEPEs) as substrate to trigger the differentiation of muscular precursor cells. Results: Here, we show that the same MEPEs similarly stimulate the osteogenic differentiation of pre-osteoblasts. Remarkably, MEPE modified surfaces also trigger the differentiation of primary bone derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) towards the osteogenic lineage. Conclusion: This result leads to the conclusion that these surfaces individually support the specification of cell differentiation toward lineages that correspond to the natural commitment of the particular cell types. We, therefore, propose that Fe-MEPEs may be used as scaffold for the treatment of defects at least in muscular or bone tissue. KW - cell differentiation KW - metallo-supramolecular polymer KW - interface KW - iron metabolism Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-197264 SN - 2073-4360 VL - 11 IS - 7 ER - TY - THES A1 - Berninger, Michael T1 - Development of Novel Quinolone Amides Against the African Sleeping Sickness - A Fluorine Walk T1 - Entwicklung von neuen Chinolonamiden gegen die Afrikanische Schlafkrankheit - Ein "Flourine Walk" N2 - In recent years the transmission of the Human African Trypanosomiasis could be significantly reduced. The reported cases in 2016 reached a historic low level of 2184 cases and these achievements can be ascribed to intense control and surveillance programmes.118 However, most of the reported cases (>1000 in 2015) occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and thus, need to be treated adequately. In particular, when the parasites have traversed the blood-brain barrier (BBB), treatment proved to be even more difficult. In addition, the number of cases always came in waves due to many reasons, e.g., development of resistances. Thus, it can be expected from experiences of the past that the number of cases will increase again. Hence, novel chemical entities are desperately needed in order to overcome the drawbacks which are associated with the current treatment options. Our drug discovery approach included an initial drug repurposing strategy combined with a phenotypic screening. S. Niedermeier found novel active compounds derived from commercial fluoroquinolones. The most promising hit compound was further developed by G. Hiltensperger resulting in the lead quinolone amide GHQ168 (IC50 = 0.047 µM). This doctoral thesis is about new insights into the SAR of the quinolone amides and the enhancement of the lead compound. Special consideration was given to the fluorine atom in the quinolone amides and how certain fluorine substitution patterns influence the antitrypanosomal activity, physicochemical properties and pharmacokinetics (i.e. ‘fluorine walk’). Moreover, the ability of the compound class crossing the BBB should be investigated. This feature is inevitable necessary in order to potentially treat African sleeping sickness stage II. The Gould-Jacobs protocol was predominantly used for the synthesis of the quinolone core. Since former SAR studies mainly concentrated on the variation in positions 1, 3 and 7, quinolone scaffolds (2a-i) with diverse substitution patterns regarding positions 5, 6, 7 and 8 were synthesised in this thesis. The resulting quinolone amides were evaluated for their antitrypanosomal activity. Voluminous residues in position C-5 resulted in diminished activities (compounds 13, 16 and 18) and solely small-sized moieties were tolerated. In particular the fluorine atom in position 5 revealed beneficial trypanocidal effects as shown for compounds 6 (IC50 = 0.05 µM), 8 (IC50 = 0.04 µM), and 24 (IC50 = 0.02 µM). Furthermore, having fluorine only in position 5 of the quinolone core could considerably reduce the cytotoxic effects (CC50 >100 µM, SI = >2000 for 6). Hence, the 5-fluoro-substituted quinolone amides were considered superior to GHQ168. Regarding the C-6 position all other moieties (e.g., H in 9, OCH3 in 10, CF3 in 12) except of a fluorine atom decreased the activity against Trypanosoma brucei brucei. A double fluorination in C-6 and C-8 was not beneficial (IC50 = 0.06 µM for 7) and a single fluorine atom in C-8 even showed a negative effect (IC50 = 0.79 µM for 5). The logP value is considered a surrogate parameter for lipophlicity and thus, affecting permeability and solubility processes. In particular the fluorine atom influences the lipophilicity due to versatile effects: Lipophilicity is increased by additional fluorine atoms on aromatic rings (7, 23) and reduced by fluorine atoms at an alkyl chain (49), respectively. Additionally, the 5-fluoro-substituted quinolone amides (6, 8, and 24) could prove the contrary effect of decreasing lipophilicity when the aromatic fluorine substituent is in vicinity to a carbonyl group. For the most promising drug candidates 6, 23, and 24 the respective metabolites and the metabolic turnover were investigated by C. Erk. In comparison to GHQ168 the hydroxylation of the benzylamide was prevented by the para-fluorine atom. Hence, half-life was extended for compound 23 (t1/2 = 6.4 h) and N-desalkylation was the predominant pathway. Moreover, the respective fluorine substitution pattern of the quinolone core affected the metabolism of compound 6. The 5-fluoro-substituted quinolone amide was less prone for biotransformation (t1/2 = 7.2 h) and half-life could even be further prolonged for compound 24 (t1/2 = 7.7 h). Due to the most appropriate safety profile of compound 6, this particular drug candidate was considered for in vivo study. Its poor solubility made a direct intraperitoneal administration unfeasible. Thus, an amorphous solid dispersion of 6 was generated using the spray-drying method according to the previous protocol. Unfortunately, the required solubility for the predicted in vivo study was not achieved. Furthermore, the compound class of the quinolone amide was evaluated for its ability for brain penetration. The methanesulfonyl precursor 48 was synthesised and subsequently radiofluorinated in the group of Prof. Dr. Samnick (Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital of Würzburg). The labelled compound [18F]49 was administered to mice, and its distribution throughout the body was analysed using positron emission tomography and autoradiography, respectively. The autoradiography of the murine brains revealed medium to high concentrations of [18F]49. Therefore, the quinolone amides are generally suitable for treating Human African Trypanosomiasis stage II. A scaffold hopping approach was performed starting from the quinolone amides and concluding with the compound class of pyrazoloquinolin-3-ones. The intramolecular hydrogen bond between the sec. amide and the C-4 carbonyl moiety was replaced by a covalent bond. The two compound classes were comparable regarding the antitrypanosomal activity to some degree (IC50 = 7.9 µM (EK02) vs. 6.37 µM (53a)). However, a final evaluation of 59 was not possible due to poor solubility. N2 - Die Verbreitung der Afrikanischen Schlafkrankheit konnte in den vergangenen Jahren deutlich verringert werden. Die dokumentierten Fallzahlen aus 2016 erreichten ein historisch niedriges Niveau, was auf eine engmaschige Kontrolle und Überwachung zurückzuführen ist. Dennoch gibt es nach wie vor zahlreiche Krankheitsfälle (>1000 Fälle im Jahr 2015 für die Demokratische Republik Kongo), die entsprechend behandelt werden müssen. Die Therapie wird insbesondere dann erschwert, wenn die Parasiten die Blut-Hirn-Schranke überwunden haben. Außerdem treten die Krankheitsfälle aus mehreren Gründen, wie beispielsweise durch Resistenzentwicklung immer wieder schubweise auf. Die Erfahrungen aus der Vergangenheit zeigen, dass die Fallzahlen jederzeit wieder ansteigen können. Deshalb sind neue Arzneistoffe dringend notwendig, um die Nachteile der aktuellen Behandlungmöglichkeiten umgehen zu können. Unsere Suche nach neuen Wirkstoffen beinhaltete eine anfängliche Umwidmung eines zugelassenen Arzneistoffes in Verbindung mit einem Phänotyp-basierten Screening. S. Niedermeier entdeckte neue aktive Verbindungen, die sich von handelsüblichen Fluorchinolonen ableiteteten. Die vielversprechenste Substanz wurde von G. Hiltensperger zum Chinolonamid GHQ168 (IC50 = 0.047 µM) weiter optimiert. Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit neuen Erkenntnissen zur Struktur-Wirkungs Beziehung der Chinolonamiden und mit der Verbesserung der Leitsubstanz. Besondere Berücksichtigung fanden dabei die Fluor-Substitutionen an den Chinolonamiden. Es sollte untersucht werden, inwiefern gewisse Fluorsubstitutionsmuster die antitrypanosomale Wirkung, physiko-chemische Eigenschaften und Pharmakokinetik beeinflussen („Fluor Walk“). Außerdem sollte ermittelt werden, ob diese Substanzklasse die Blut-Hirn-Schranke überwinden kann. Dieses Merkmal muss unabdingbar vorhanden sein, um die Afrikanische Schlafkrankheit in Stufe II potentiell behandeln zu können. Das Gould-Jacobs-Verfahren wurde hauptsächlich für die Synthese des Chinolongrundgerüstes angewandt. Da sich die vorausgegangene Analyse der Struktur-Wirkungs Beziehungen vornehmlich auf das Variieren der Substitutenten in den Positionen 1, 3 und 7 konzentrierte, wurden in dieser Arbeit Chinolone (2a-i) mit diversen Substitutionsmustern in den Positionen 5, 6, 7 und 8 synthetisiert. Die erhaltenen Chinolonamide wurden auf ihre antitrypanosomale Aktivität untersucht. Voluminöse Reste in der Position C-5 verursachten verringerte Aktivitäten (Verbindungen 13, 16 and 18), d.h. nur kleine Reste waren hinnehmbar. Vor allem ein Fluor-Atom in Position 5 wirkte sich günstig auf die antitrypanosomale Wirkung aus, was mit Verbindungen 6 (IC50 = 0.05 µM), 8 (IC50 = 0.04 µM), und 24 (IC50 = 0.02 µM) gezeigt werden konnte. Des Weiteren reduzierte sich die zytotoxische Wirkung (CC50 >100 µM, SI = >2000 für 6), wenn sich das Fluor-Atom nur in Position 5 des Chinolongrundgerüsts befindet. Deshalb wurden die Chinolonamide mit Fluor in Position 5 gegenüber GHQ168 als überlegen erachtet. In Bezug auf Position 6 zeigen die Reste (z. B. H in 9, OCH3 in 10, CF3 in 12), mit Ausnahme des Fluor-Atoms, eine verringerte Aktivität gegenüber Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Eine zweifache Fluorsubstitution in C-6 und C-8 war nicht vorteilhaft (IC50 = 0.06 µM für 7) und ein einfaches Fluor-Atom in C-8 zeigte einen negativen Effekt (IC50 = 0.79 µM für 5). Der logP Wert wird als Surrogatparameter der Lipophilie betrachtet und wirkt sich somit auf Permeabilität- und Löslichkeitsprozesse aus. Insbesondere das Fluor-Atom beeinflusst die Lipophilie durch vielfältige Effekte: die Lipophilie wird durch zusätzliche Fluor-Atome am Aromaten erhöht (7, 23), beziehungsweise durch Fluor-Atome an einer Alkylkette verringert (49). Zusätzlich konnte für die 5-fluoro-substituierten Chinolonamide (6, 8, 24) der paradoxe Effekt gezeigt werden, dass die Lipophilie verringert wird, sobald ein aromatischer Fluorsubstituent in unmittelbarer Nähe zu einer Carbonylgruppe steht. Für die vielversprechensten Wirkstoffkandidaten 6, 23 und 24 wurden die jeweiligen Metabolite und der metabolische Umsatz von C. Erk untersucht. Im Vergleich zu GHQ168 wurde einer Hydroxylierung des Benzylamid-Restes durch eine para-Fluor-Substitution vorgebeugt. Dadurch wurde die Halbwertszeit der Verbindung 23 verlängert (t1/2 = 6.4 h) und eine N-Desalkylierung war der vorrangige Abbauweg. Außerdem wirkte sich das entsprechende Fluorsubstitutionsmuster auf den Metabolismus von Substanz 6 aus. Das 5-fluoro-substitutierte Chinolonamid war weniger anfällig für Biotransformationen (t1/2 = 7.2 h) und die Halbwertszeit konnte für die Substanz 24 sogar noch weiter verlängert werden (t1/2 = 7.7 h). Aufgrund des geeigneten Sicherheitsprofils der Verbindung 6, wurde für diesen Wirkstoffkandidaten eine In-vivo-Studie in Betracht gezogen. Die schlechte Wasserlöslichkeit machte jedoch eine direkte intraperitoneale Gabe unpraktikabel. Deshalb wurde durch Sprühtrocknung der Verbindung 6, gemäß der früheren Vorgehensweise, eine „amorphous solid dispersion“ erzeugt. Die benötigte Löslichkeit für die vorausberechnete In-vivo-Studie wurde dabei leider nicht erreicht. Darüber hinaus wurde die Substanzklasse der Chinolonamide hinsichtlich ihrer Fähigkeit, ins Gehirn zu gelangen, untersucht. Dazu wurde die Methansulfonyl-Vorstufe 48 in der Gruppe von Prof. Dr. Samnick (Institut für Nuklearmedizin, Universitätsklink Würzburg) synthetisiert und mit [18F]Fluor markiert. Die markierte Verbindung [18F]49 wurde anschließend in Mäuse injiziert und dessen Verteilung im Körper mittels Positronen-Emissions-Tomographie, beziehungsweise mittels Autoradiographie analysiert. Die Autoradiographie der Mäusegehirne zeigte mittlere bis hohe Konzentrationen von [18F]49. Demnach sind die Chinolonamide generell dafür geeignet, die Afrikanische Schlafkrankheit in Stufe II zu behandeln. Ein “Scaffold Hopping”-Ansatz wurde für die Chinolonamide angestrebt und ergab schließlich die Substanzklasse der Pyrazolochinolin-3-one. Die intramolekulare Wasserstoffbrückenbindung zwischen dem sek. Amid und der Carbonylgruppe in C-4 wurde durch eine kovalente Bindung ersetzt. Die beiden Substanzklassen waren im Ansatz, bezogen auf ihre antitrypanosomale Wirkung, miteinander vergleichbar (IC50 = 7.9 µM (EK02) vs. 6.37 µM (53a)). Dennoch konnte eine abschließende Bewertung aufgrund mangelnder Löslichkeit nicht stattfinden. KW - Trypanosomiase KW - Gyrasehemmer KW - Fluorverbindungen KW - Quinolone amides KW - African Trypanosomiasis KW - Fluorine Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-176428 ER - TY - THES A1 - Bertlein, Sarah T1 - Hydrogels as Biofunctional Coatings and Thiol-Ene Clickable Bioinks for Biofabrication T1 - Hydrogele als biofunktionale Beschichtungen und Thiol-Ene-clickbare Biotinten für die Biofabrikation N2 - Ziel dieser Arbeit war die Entwicklung von funktionalisierbaren Hydrogel Beschichtungen für Schmelz-elektrogeschriebene PCL Gerüste und von Bio-druckbaren Hydrogelen für die Biofabrikation. Hydrogel Beschichtungen von Schmelz-elektrogeschriebenen Konstrukten ermöglichten die Kontrolle der Oberflächen-Hydrophilie und damit Zell-Material Interaktionsstudien in minimal Protein-adhäsiven Umgebungen. Zu diesem Zweck wurde ein hydrophiles sternförmiges vernetzbares Polymer verwendet und eine Optimierung der Beschichtungsbedingungen durchgeführt. Außerdem boten neu entwickelte photosensitive Konstrukte eine Zeit- und pH-unabhängige Biofunktionalisierung. Bio-druckbare Hydrogele für die Biofabrikation basierten auf der Allyl-Funktionalisierung von Gelatine (GelAGE) und modifizierten Hyaluronsäure-Produkten, die das Hydrogel-Vernetzen mittels Thiol-En Click Chemie ermöglichen. Die Optimierung der GelAGE Hydrogel-Eigenschaften wurde durch eine detaillierte Analyse der Syntheseparameter, variierender En:SH Verhältnisse, unterschiedlicher Vernetzungsmoleküle und Photoinitiatoren erreicht. Die Homogenität der Thiol-En Netzwerke wurde mit denen der freien radikalischen Polymerisation verglichen und die Verwendbarkeit von GelAGE als Bio-Tinte für den Extrusions-basierten Bio-Druck wurde untersucht. Es wurde angenommen, dass reine Hyaluronsäure-basierte Bio-Tinten eine Beibehaltung der mechanischen und rheologischen Eigenschaften, der Zellviabilität und der Prozessierbarkeit ermöglichen trotz geringerem Polymer- und Thiol-Anteil der Hydrogele. Hydrogel-Beschichtungen: Hoch definierte PCL Gerüste wurden mittels MEW hergestellt und anschließend mit sechs armigen sternförmigen vernetzbaren Polymeren (sP(EO-stat-PO)) beschichtet. Die Vernetzung wird durch die wässrig-induzierte Hydrolyse reaktiver Isocyanatgruppen (NCO) von sP(EO-stat-PO) bedingt. Diese Beschichtung erhöhte die Oberflächen-Hydrophilie und stellte eine Plattform für weitere Biofunktionalisierungen, in minimal Protein-adhäsiven Umgebungen, dar. Nicht nur das Beschichtungsprotokoll wurde hinsichtlich der sP(EO-stat-PO) Konzentrationen und der Beschichtungsdauern optimiert, sondern auch Vorbehandlungen der Gerüste wurden entwickelt. Diese waren essentiell um die finale Hydrophilie von sP(EO-stat-PO) beschichteten Gerüste so zu erhöhen, dass unspezifische Protein-Adhäsionen vollständig unterbunden wurden. Die sP(EO-stat-PO) Schichtdicke, von ungefähr 100 nm, ermöglicht generell in vitro Studien nicht nur in Abhängigkeit der Gerüst-Biofunktionalisierung, sondern auch in Abhängigkeit der Gerüst-Architektur durchzuführen. Das Ausmaß der Hydrogel-Beschichtung wurde mittels einer indirekten Quantifizierung der NCO-Hydrolyse-Produkte ermittelt. Kenntnis über die NCO-Hydrolyse-Kinetik ermöglichte ein Gleichgewicht zwischen ausreichend beschichteten Gerüsten und der Präsenz der NCO-Gruppen herzustellen, welche für die anschließenden Biofunktionalisierungen genutzt wurden. Diese Zeit- und pH-abhängige Biofunktionalisierung war jedoch nur für kleine Biomoleküle möglich. Um diese Beschränkung zu umgehen und auch hochmolekulare Biomoleküle kovalent anzubinden, wurde ein anderer Reaktionsweg entwickelt. Dieser basierte auf der Photolyse von Diazirin-Gruppen und ermöglichte eine Zeit- und pH-unabhängige Biofunktionalisierung der Gerüste mit Streptavidin und Kollagen Typ I. Die Fibrillen bildende Eigenschaft von Kollagen wurde genutzt um auf den Gerüsten verschiedene Kollagen-Konformationen zu erhalten und eine erste in vitro Studie bestätigte die Anwendbarkeit für Zell-Material Interaktionsstudien. Die hier entwickelten Gerüste könnten verwendet werden um tiefere Einblicke in die Grundlagen der zellulären Wahrnehmung zu erhalten. Insbesondere die Komplexität mit der Zellen z.B. Kollagen wahrnehmen bleibt weiterhin klärungsbedürftig. Hierfür könnten diverse Hierarchien von Kollagen-ähnlichen Konformationen an die Gerüste gebunden werden, z.B. Gelatine oder Kollagen-abgeleitete Peptidsequenzen. Dann könnte die Aktivierung der DDR-Rezeptoren in Abhängigkeit der Komplexität der angebundenen Substanzen bestimmt werden. Aufgrund der starken Streptavidin-Biotin Bindung könnten Streptavidin funktionalisierte Gerüste eine vielseitige Plattform für die Immobilisierung von jeglichen biotinylierten Molekülen darstellen. Gelatine-basierte Bio-Tinten: Zuerst wurden die GelAGE-Produkte hinsichtlich der Molekulargewichts-Verteilung und der Integrität der Aminosäuren-Zusammensetzung synthetisiert. Eine detailliert Studie, mit variierenden molaren Edukt-Verhältnissen und Synthese-Zeitspannen, wurde durchgeführt und implizierte, dass der Gelatine Abbau am deutlichsten für stark alkalische Synthesebedingungen mit langen Reaktionszeiten war. Gelatine beinhaltet mehrere funktionalisierbare Gruppen und anhand diverser Model-Substanzen und Analysen wurde die vorrangige Amingruppen-Funktionalisierung ermittelt. Die Homogenität des GelAGE-Polymernetzwerkes, im Vergleich zu frei radikalisch polymerisierten GelMA-Hydrogelen, wurde bestätigt. Eine ausführliche Analyse der Hydrogel-Zusammensetzungen mit variierenden funktionellen Gruppen Verhältnissen und UV- oder Vis-Licht induzierbaren Photoinitiatoren wurde durchgeführt. Die UV-Initiator Konzentration ist aufgrund der Zell-Toxizität und der potenziellen zellulären DNA-Beschädigung durch UV-Bestrahlung eingeschränkt. Das Zell-kompatiblere Vis-Initiator System hingegen ermöglichte, durch die kontrollierte Photoinitiator-Konzentration bei konstanten En:SH Verhältnissen und Polymeranteilen, die Einstellung der mechanischen Eigenschaften über eine große Spanne hinweg. Die Flexibilität der GelAGE Bio-Tinte für unterschiedliche additive Fertigungstechniken konnte, durch Ausnutzung des temperaturabhängigen Gelierungsverhaltens unterschiedlich stark degradierter GelAGE Produkte, für Stereolithographie und Extrusions-basiertem Druck bewiesen werden. Außerdem wurde die Viabilität zellbeladener GelAGE Konstrukte bewiesen, die mittels Extrusions-basiertem Bio-Druck erhalten wurden. Die Verwendung diverser multifunktioneller und makromolekularer Thiol-Vernetzungsmoleküle ermöglichte eine Verbesserung der mechanischen und rheologischen Eigenschaften und ebenso der Prozessierbarkeit. Verglichen mit dem kleinen bis-Thiol-funktionellen Vernetzungsmolekül waren geringere Thiol-Vernetzer-Konzentrationen notwendig um bessere mechanische Festigkeiten und physikochemische Eigenschaften der Hydrogele zu erhalten. Der Extrusions-basierte Bio-Druck unterschiedlicher eingekapselter Zellen verdeutlichte die Notwendigkeit der individuellen Optimierung von Zell-beladenen Hydrogel-Formulierungen. Nicht nur die Zellviabilität von eingekapselten Zellen in Extrusions-basierten biogedruckten Konstrukten sollte bewertet werden, sondern auch andere Parameter wie die Zellmorphologie oder die Kollagen- oder Glykosaminoglykan-Produktion, da diese einige der essentiellen Voraussetzungen für die Verwendung in Knorpel Tissue Engineering Konzepten darstellen. Außerdem sollten diese Studien auf die stereolithographischen Ansätze erweitert werden und letztlich wäre die Flexibilität und Zellkompatibilität der Formulierungen mit makromolekularen Vernetzern von Interesse. Makromolekulare Vernetzer ermöglichten die Reduktion des Polymeranteils und des Thiol-Gehalts und können, insbesondere in Kombination mit dem Zell-kompatibleren Vis-Initiator-System, voraussichtlich zu einer gesteigerten Zellkompatibilität beitragen, was zu klären bleibt. Hyaluronsäure-basierte Bio-Tinten: Unterschiedliche Hyaluronsäure-Produkte (HA) wurden synthetisiert, sodass diese En- (HAPA) oder Thiol-Funktionalitäten (LHASH) beinhalteten, um reine HA Thiol-En vernetzte Hydrogele zu erhalten. In Abhängigkeit des Molekulargewichts der HA-Produkte, der Polymeranteile und des En:SH Verhältnisses, konnte eine große Spanne an mechanischen Festigkeiten abgedeckt werden. Aufgrund der hohen Viskosität war allerdings im Falle von hochmolekularen HA (HHAPA) Produkt-Lösungen (HHAPA + LHASH) die Handhabbarkeit auf 5.0 wt.-% beschränkt. Die Verwendung der gleichen HA Thiol-Komponenten (LHASH) ermöglichte Hybrid-Hydrogele, mit HA und GelAGE, mit reinen HA-Hydrogelen zu vergleichen. Obwohl der Polymeranteil von HHAPA + LHASH Hydrogelen signifikant geringer war, als im Vergleich zu Hybrid-Hydrogelen (GelAGE + LHASH), wurden für gleiche En:SH Verhältnisse ähnliche mechanische und physikochemische Eigenschaften reiner HA-Hydrogele bestimmt. Aufgrund der geringen Viskosität niedermolekularer HA Lösungen (LHAPA + LHASH) konnten diese nicht für den Extrusions-basierten Druck verwendet werden. Das nicht temperaturabhängige HHAPA + LHASH System hingegen konnte mit nur einem Viertel des Polymeranteils der Hybrid Formulierungen gedruckt werden. Im Vergleich zu der Hybrid Bio-Tinte wurde angenommen, dass das hoch viskose Verhalten von HHAPA + LHASH Lösungen, der geringere Polymeranteil, der geringere Druck für das Drucken und eine demzufolge geringere Scherspannung, maßgeblich zu der hohen Zellviabilität in Extrusions-basiert-biogedruckten Konstrukten beisteuerten. Die niedrigmolekulare HA Formulierung (LHAPA + LHASH) konnte zwar nicht für den Extrusions-basierten Druck verwendet werden, allerdings besitzt dieses System Potential für andere additive Fertigungstechniken wie z.B. der Stereolithographie. Um dieses System weiterzuentwickeln wäre, analog zu dem GelAGE System, eine detailliertere Studie zu den Funktionen eingekapselter Zellen hilfreich. Außerdem sollte die Initiierung dieses Systems mit dem Vis-Initiator untersucht werden. N2 - Aim of this thesis was the development of functionalizable hydrogel coatings for melt electrowritten PCL scaffolds and of bioprintable hydrogels for biofabrication. Hydrogel coatings of melt electrowritten scaffolds enabled to control the surface hydrophilicity, thereby allowing cell-material interaction studies of biofunctionalized scaffolds in minimal protein adhesive environments. For this purpose, a hydrophilic star- shaped crosslinkable polymer was used and the coating conditions were optimized. Moreover, newly developed photosensitive scaffolds facilitated a time and pH independent biofunctionalization. Bioprintable hydrogels for biofabrication were based on the allyl-functionalization of gelatin (GelAGE) and modified hyaluronic acid-products, to enable hydrogel crosslinking by means of the thiol-ene click chemistry. Optimization of GelAGE hydrogel properties was achieved through an in-depth analysis of the synthesis parameters, varying Ene:SH ratios, different crosslinking molecules and photoinitiators. Homogeneity of thiol-ene crosslinked networks was compared to free radical polymerized hydrogels and the applicability of GelAGE as bioink for extrusion-based bioprinting was investigated. Purely hyaluronic acid-based bioinks were hypothesized to maintain mechanical- and rheological properties, cell viabilities and the processability, upon further decreasing the overall hydrogel polymer and thiol content. Hydrogel coatings: Highly structured PCL scaffolds were fabricated with MEW and subjected to coatings with six-armed star-shaped crosslinkable polymers (sP(EO-stat-PO)). Crosslinking results from the aqueous induced hydrolysis of reactive isocyanate groups (NCO) of sP(EO-stat-PO) and increased the surface hydrophilicity and provided a platform for biofunctionalizations in minimal protein adhesive environments. Not only the coating procedure was optimized with respect to sP(EO-stat-PO) concentrations and coating durations, instead scaffold pre-treatments were developed, which were fundamental to enhance the final hydrophilicity to completely avoid unspecific protein adsorption on sP(EO-stat-PO) coated scaffolds. The sP(EO-stat-PO) layer thickness of around 100 nm generally allows in vitro studies not only in dependence on the scaffold biofunctionalization but also on the scaffold architecture. The hydrogel coating extent was assessed via an indirect quantification of the NCO-hydrolysis products. Knowledge of NCO-hydrolysis kinetics enabled to achieve a balance of sufficiently coated scaffolds while maintaining the presence of NCO-groups that were exploited for subsequent biofunctionalizations. However, this time and pH dependent biofunctionalization was restricted to small biomolecules. In order to overcome this limitation and to couple high molecular weight biomolecules another reaction route was developed. This route was based on the photolysis of diazirine moieties and enabled a time and pH independent scaffold biofunctionalization with streptavidin and collagen type I. The fibril formation ability of collagen was used to obtain different collagen conformations on the scaffolds and a preliminary in vitro study demonstrated the applicability to investigate cell-material interactions. The herein developed scaffolds could be applied to gain deeper insights into the fundamentals of cellular sensing. Especially the complexity by which cells sense e.g. collagen remain to be further elucidated. Therefore, different hierarchies of collagen-like conformations could be coupled to the scaffolds, e.g. gelatin or collagen-derived peptide sequences, and the activation of DDR receptors in dependence on the complexity of the coupled substances could be determined. Due to the strong streptavidin-biotin bond, streptavidin functionalized scaffolds could be applied as a versatile platform to allow immobilization of any biotinylated molecules. Gelatin-based bioinks: First the GelAGE products were synthesized with respect to molecular weight distributions and amino acid composition integrity. A detailed study was conducted with varying molar ratios of reactants and synthesis durations and implied that gelatin degradation was most dominant for high alkaline synthesis conditions with long reaction times. Gelatin possesses multiple functionalizable groups and the predominant functionalization of amine groups was confirmed via different model substances and analyses. Polymer network homogeneity was proven for the GelAGE system compared to free radical polymerized hydrogels with GelMA. A detailed analysis of hydrogel compositions with varying functional group ratios and UV- or Vis-light photoinitiators was executed. The UV-initiator concentration is restricted due to cytotoxicity and potential cellular DNA damages upon UV-irradiation, whereas the more cytocompatible Vis- initiator system enabled mechanical stiffness tuning over a wide range by controlling the photoinitiator concentration at constant Ene:SH ratios and polymer weight percentages. Versatility of the GelAGE bioink for different AM techniques was proved by exploiting the thermo-gelling behavior of differently degraded GelAGE products for stereolithography and extrusion-based printing. Moreover, the viability of cell-laden GelAGE constructs was demonstrated for extrusion-based bioprinting. By applying different multifunctional thiol-macromolecular crosslinkers the mechanical and rheological properties improved concurrently to the processability. Importantly, lower thiol-crosslinker concentrations were required to yield superior mechanical strengths and physico-chemical properties of the hydrogels as compared to the small bis-thiol-crosslinker. Extrusion-based bioprinting with distinct encapsulated cells underlined the need for individual optimization of cell-laden hydrogel formulations. Not only the viability of encapsulated cells in extrusion-based bioprinted constructs should be assessed, instead other parameters such as cell morphology or production of collagen or glycosaminoglycans should be considered as these represent some of the crucial prerequisites for cartilage Tissue Engineering applications. Moreover, these studies should be expanded to the stereolithographic approach and ultimately the versatility and cytocompatibility of formulations with macromolecular crosslinkers would be of interest. Macromolecular crosslinkers allowed reducing polymer weight percentages and amounts of thiol groups and are thus expected to contribute to increased cytocompatibility, especially in combination with the more cytocompatible Vis-initiator system, which remains to be elucidated. Hyaluronic acid-based bioinks: Different molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HA) products were synthesized to bear ene- (HAPA) or thiol-functionalities (LHASH) to enable pure HA thiol-ene crosslinked hydrogels. Depending on the molecular weight of modified HA products, polymer weight percentages and Ene:SH ratios, a wide range of mechanical stiffness was covered. However, the manageability of high molecular weight HA (HHAPA) product solutions (HHAPA + LHASH) was restricted to 5.0 wt.-% as a consequence of the high viscosity. Based on the same HA thiol component (LHASH), hybrid hydrogels of HA with GelAGE were compared to pure HA hydrogels. Although the overall polymer weight percentage of HHAPA + LHASH hydrogels was significantly lowered compared to hybrid hydrogels (GelAGE + LHASH), similar mechanical and physico-chemical properties of pure HA hydrogels were determined with maintained Ene:SH ratios. Low viscous low molecular weight HA precursor solutions (LHAPA + LHASH) prevented the applicability for extrusion-based bioprinting, whereas the non-thermoresponsive HHAPA + LHASH system could be bioprinted with only one-fourth of the polymer content of hybrid formulations. The high viscous behavior of HHAPA + LHASH solutions, lower polymer weight percentages, decreased printing pressures and consequently declined shear stress during printing, were hypothesized to contribute to high cell viabilities in extrusion-based bioprinted constructs compared to the hybrid bioink. The low molecular weight HA precursor formulation (LHAPA + LHASH) was not applicable for extrusion-based printing, but this system has potential for other AM techniques such as stereolithography. Similar to the GelAGE system a more detailed study on the functions of encapsulated cells would be useful to further develop this system. Moreover, the initiation with the Vis-initiator should be conducted. KW - Biomaterial KW - Bioink KW - hydrogel KW - biofabrication KW - Hydrogel Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-174225 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Beykan, Seval A1 - Fani, Melpomeni A1 - Jensen, Svend Borup A1 - Nicolas, Guillaume A1 - Wild, Damian A1 - Kaufmann, Jens A1 - Lassmann, Michael T1 - In vivo biokinetics of \(^{177}\)Lu-OPS201 in Mice and Pigs as a Model for Predicting Human Dosimetry JF - Contrast Media & Molecular Imaging N2 - Introduction. \(^{177}\)Lu-OPS201 is a high-affinity somatostatin receptor subtype 2 antagonist for PRRT in patients with neuroendocrine tumors. The aim is to find the optimal scaling for dosimetry and to compare the biokinetics of \(^{177}\)Lu-OPS201 in animals and humans. Methods. Data on biokinetics of \(^{177}\)Lu-OPS201 were analyzed in athymic nude Foxn1\(^{nu}\) mice (28 F, weight: 26 ± 1 g), Danish Landrace pigs (3 F-1 M, weight: 28 ± 2 kg), and patients (3 F-1 M, weight: 61 ± 17 kg) with administered activities of 0.19–0.27 MBq (mice), 97–113 MBq (pigs), and 850–1086 MBq (patients). After euthanizing mice (up to 168 h), the organ-specific activity contents (including blood) were measured. Multiple planar and SPECT/CT scans were performed until 250 h (pigs) and 72 h (patients) to quantify the uptake in the kidneys and liver. Blood samples were taken up to 23 h (patients) and 300 h (pigs). In pigs and patients, kidney protection was applied. Time-dependent uptake data sets were created for each species and organ/tissue. Biexponential fits were applied to compare the biokinetics in the kidneys, liver, and blood of each species. The time-integrated activity coefficients (TIACs) were calculated by using NUKFIT. To determine the optimal scaling, several methods (relative mass scaling, time scaling, combined mass and time scaling, and allometric scaling) were compared. Results. A fast blood clearance of the compound was observed in the first phase (<56 h) for all species. In comparison with patients, pigs showed higher liver retention. Based on the direct comparison of the TIACs, an underestimation in mice (liver and kidneys) and an overestimation in pigs’ kidneys compared to the patient data (kidney TIAC: mice = 1.4 h, pigs = 7.7 h, and patients = 5.8 h; liver TIAC: mice = 0.7 h, pigs = 4.1 h, and patients = 5.3 h) were observed. Most similar TIACs were obtained by applying time scaling (mice) and combined scaling (pigs) (kidney TIAC: mice = 3.9 h, pigs = 4.8 h, and patients = 5.8 h; liver TIAC: mice = 0.9 h, pigs = 4.7 h, and patients = 5.3 h). Conclusion. If the organ mass ratios between the species are high, the combined mass and time scaling method is optimal to minimize the interspecies differences. The analysis of the fit functions and the TIACs shows that pigs are better mimicking human biokinetics. KW - medicine KW - neuroendocrine tumors KW - biokinetics KW - \(^{177}\)Lu-OPS201 KW - dosimetry Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177382 VL - 2019 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Bezan, Sarah T1 - A Darwinism of the Muck and Mire: Decomposing the Eco- and Zoopoetics of Stephen Collis’ and Jordan Scott’s decomp T2 - Texts, Animals, Environments: Zoopoetics and Ecopoetics N2 - No abstract available. KW - Animal Studies KW - Cultural Animal Studies KW - Cultural Studies KW - Ecocriticism KW - Environmental Humanities KW - Human-Animal Studies KW - Literary Studies Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-178074 UR - https://www.rombach-verlag.de/buecher/suchergebnis/rombach/buch/details/texts-animals-environments.html PB - Rombach Druck- und Verlagshaus CY - Freiburg i. Br. ER - TY - THES A1 - Blocka, Joanna T1 - Molecular mechanisms underlying Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome: characterization of DCAF17 with specific, polyclonal antibodies T1 - Molekulare Grundlagen des Woodhouse-Sakati Syndroms: Charakterisierung des DCAF 17 mit spezifischen, polyklonalen Antikörpern N2 - Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome (WSS) is a rare multisystemic, autosomal recessive disease. The underlying cause of WSS are mutations of C2orf37 gene, which result in a truncated protein. Little is known about the function of C2orf37 (DDB1-CUL4A-associated factor 17, DCAF17) apart from it being part of the DDB1-CUL4-ROC1 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, specifically binding directly to DDB1 and serving as a substrate recruiter for E3. There are two major isoforms of DCAF17: beta (65 kDa, 520 amino acids) and alpha (27 kDa, 240 amino acids), which is a C-terminal part of beta. The intracellular localization of the WSS protein is thought to be primarily the nucleolus. A murine ortholog protein was found to be expressed in all tissues with a relatively higher expression in the brain, liver, and skin.The aim of this work was to investigate DCAF17 in HeLa cells in more detail, in particular the redistribution of both WSS isoforms on the subcellular and -nuclear level as well as their chemical features. For these experiments, I developed, through recombinant expression and affinity purification, a specific polyclonal antibody against a WSS-epitope 493-520. Furthermore, three other specific polyclonal antibodies were obtained through affinity purification with help of commercially produced high-affinity epitope peptides.By means of these antibodies, I determined- through immunofluorescence and subcellular protein fractionation- that, apart from the redistribution of the WSS protein within the non-soluble = chromatin-bound nuclear fraction, a significant amount of both WSS isoforms is present in the soluble nuclear fraction. Indeed, treatment of purified nuclear envelopes with an increasing concentration of NaCl as well as urea confirmed a non-covalent binding of the WSS protein to the nuclear envelope with the detachment ofbeta-WSS at a lower NaCl concentration than alpha-WSS. In regard to the chromatin-bound WSS protein, I performed hydrolysis of nuclear and nucleolar extract with DNase and RNase. The results indicate that the WSS protein is bound to DNA but not RNA, with alpha-WSS being possibly located more abundantly in the nucleolus, whereas beta-WSS within other subnuclear departments. Furthermore, in all the above-mentioned experiments, a presence of an 80-kDa protein, which specifically reacted with the polyclonal high-affinity antibodies and showed similar redistribution and chemical features as alpha- and beta-WSS, was observed. In order to investigate whether this protein is a posttranslationally modified WSS isoform, I performed deglycosylation and dephosphorylation of nuclear extract, which showed no disappearance or change in abundance of the 80-kDa band on Western blot. While other ways of poststranslational modification cannot be excluded as the cause of occurrence of the 80-kDa protein, an existence of a third, yet undescribed, major isoform is also conceivable. Summarizing, this work contributed to a deeper characterization of the WSS protein, which can help future investigators in developing new experimental ideas to better understand the pathology of WSS. N2 - Woodhouse-Sakati Syndrom (WSS) ist eine seltene, autosomal rezessive Multisystemerkrankung, deren Ursache Mutationen im C2orf37 Gen, resultierend in einem trunkierten Protein, sind. Die Funktion des C2orf37 (DDB1-CUL4A-associated factor 17, DCAF 17) ist weitgehend unbekannt. Das Protein ist Teil des DDB1-CUL4-ROC1 E3-Ubiquitin-Ligase-Komplexes, wo es direkt an DDB1 bindet und Substrate für E3 rekrutiert. Zwei Isoformen des DCAF17: beta (65 kDa, 520 Aminosäuren) und alpha (27 kDa, 240 Aminosäuren), die ein C-terminaler Teil der beta-Isoform ist, sind heutzutage bekannt. Man geht von einer primär nukleolären Lokalisation des WSS-Proteins in den Zellen aus. Untersuchungen des murinen C2orf37-Ortholog-Proteins ergaben eine Expression in allen Zellen mit einer erhöhten Expression im Gehirn, in der Leber und in der Haut. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, DCAF17 in HeLa-Zellen zu untersuchen, insbesondere die Lokalisation beider WSS-Isoformen auf dem subzellulären und -nukleären Niveau sowie deren chemische Eigenschaften. Durch rekombinante Expression und Affinitätsreinigung entwickelte ich spezifische polyklonale Antikörper gegen das WSS-Epitop 493-530. Zudem reinigte ich drei weitere spezifische polyklonale Antikörper mithilfe kommerziell produzierter hochaffiner Epitop-Peptide auf. Mithilfe dieser Antikörper konnte ich- durch Immunfluoreszenz und subzelluläre Proteinfraktionierug- eine Lokalisation des WSS-Proteins in der löslichen Kernfraktion, zusätzlich zu der bereits bekannten chromatingebundenen Kernfraktion, nachweisen. Die Behandlung reiner Kernhüllen mit steigernden NaCl-Konzentrationen und Harnstoff zeigte eine nicht-kovalente Bindung des DCAF17 an die Kernhülle mit einer Ablösung der beta-Isoform von der Kernhülle bereits bei niedrigeren NaCl-Konzentrationen als im Falle der alpha-Isoform. Um das chromatingebundene DCAF17 genauer zu untersuchen, führte ich eine Hydrolyse des Ganzkern- und Nukleolusextraktes mit DNase und RNase durch. Diese ergab eine Bindung des WSS-Proteins an die DNA, jedoch nicht an die RNA, mit der möglichen Hauptlokalisation der alpha-Isoform im Nukleolus und der beta-Isoform in anderen subnukleären Kompartimenten. Des Weiteren wurde in den oben beschriebenen Experimenten ein 80-kDa Protein nachgewiesen, das eine spezifische Reaktion mit den polyklonalen hochaffinen Antikörpern sowie eine dem WSS-Protein ähnliche subzelluläre / -nukleäre Lokalisation und chemische Eigenschaften zeigte. Um zu untersuchen, ob es sich um ein posttranslational modifiziertes DCAF17 handelt, führte ich Deglycosylierung und Dephosphorylierung des Ganzkernextraktes durch. Diese zeigten weder ein Verschwinden noch eine Änderung des 80-kDa-Signals auf Immunoblots. Obwohl eine andere Art einer posttranslationalen Proteinmodifizierung ist nicht ausgeschlossen, entspricht dieses Protein möglicherweise einer dritten, bisher nicht beschriebenen, Hauptisoform des DCAF17. Zusammenfassend trug diese Arbeit zur genaueren Charakterisierung des WSS-Proteins bei. Dies kann zukünftigen Forschern helfen, die Pathologie des WSS besser zu verstehen. KW - Humangenetik KW - Molekulargenetik KW - Grundlagenforschung KW - Woodhouse-Sakati Syndrom KW - Woodhouse-Sakati sydrome KW - DCAF17 KW - Humangenetik KW - genetics KW - autosomal recessive Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-174766 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Blümel, Rabea A1 - Zink, Miriam A1 - Klopocki, Eva A1 - Liedtke, Daniel T1 - On the traces of tcf12: Investigation of the gene expression pattern during development and cranial suture patterning in zebrafish (Danio rerio) JF - PLoS ONE N2 - The transcription factor 12 (tcf12) is a basic Helix-Loop-Helix protein (bHLH) of the E-protein family, proven to play an important role in developmental processes like neurogenesis, mesoderm formation, and cranial vault development. In humans, mutations in TCF12 lead to craniosynostosis, a congenital birth disorder characterized by the premature fusion of one or several of the cranial sutures. Current research has been primarily focused on functional studies of TCF12, hence the cellular expression profile of this gene during embryonic development and early stages of ossification remains poorly understood. Here we present the establishment and detailed analysis of two transgenic tcf12:EGFP fluorescent zebrafish (Danio rerio) reporter lines. Using these transgenic lines, we analyzed the general spatiotemporal expression pattern of tcf12 during different developmental stages and put emphasis on skeletal development and cranial suture patterning. We identified robust tcf12 promoter-driven EGFP expression in the central nervous system (CNS), the heart, the pronephros, and the somites of zebrafish embryos. Additionally, expression was observed inside the muscles and bones of the viscerocranium in juvenile and adult fish. During cranial vault development, the transgenic fish show a high amount of tcf12 expressing cells at the growth fronts of the ossifying frontal and parietal bones and inside the emerging cranial sutures. Subsequently, we tested the transcriptional activity of three evolutionary conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) located in the tcf12 locus by transient transgenic assays and compared their in vivo activity to the expression pattern determined in the transgenic tcf12:EGFP lines. We could validate two of them as tcf12 enhancer elements driving specific gene expression in the CNS during embryogenesis. Our newly established transgenic lines enhance the understanding of tcf12 gene regulation and open up the possibilities for further functional investigation of these novel tcf12 enhancer elements in zebrafish. KW - Zebrafish KW - Neurons KW - Skull KW - Enhancer elements KW - Hindbrain KW - Cranial sutures KW - Embryos KW - Somites Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201428 VL - 14 IS - 6 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Boch, Tobias A1 - Spiess, Birgit A1 - Heinz, Werner A1 - Cornely, Oliver A. A1 - Schwerdtfeger, Rainer A1 - Hahn, Joachim A1 - Krause, Stefan W. A1 - Duerken, Matthias A1 - Bertz, Hartmut A1 - Reuter, Stefan A1 - Kiehl, Michael A1 - Claus, Bernd A1 - Deckert, Peter Markus A1 - Hofmann, Wolf‐Karsten A1 - Buchheidt, Dieter A1 - Reinwald, Mark T1 - Aspergillus specific nested PCR from the site of infection is superior to testing concurrent blood samples in immunocompromised patients with suspected invasive aspergillosis JF - Mycoses N2 - Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a severe complication in immunocompromised patients. Early diagnosis is crucial to decrease its high mortality, yet the diagnostic gold standard (histopathology and culture) is time‐consuming and cannot offer early confirmation of IA. Detection of IA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) shows promising potential. Various studies have analysed its diagnostic performance in different clinical settings, especially addressing optimal specimen selection. However, direct comparison of different types of specimens in individual patients though essential, is rarely reported. We systematically assessed the diagnostic performance of an Aspergillus‐specific nested PCR by investigating specimens from the site of infection and comparing it with concurrent blood samples in individual patients (pts) with IA. In a retrospective multicenter analysis PCR was performed on clinical specimens (n = 138) of immunocompromised high‐risk pts (n = 133) from the site of infection together with concurrent blood samples. 38 pts were classified as proven/probable, 67 as possible and 28 as no IA according to 2008 European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group consensus definitions. A considerably superior performance of PCR from the site of infection was observed particularly in pts during antifungal prophylaxis (AFP)/antifungal therapy (AFT). Besides a specificity of 85%, sensitivity varied markedly in BAL (64%), CSF (100%), tissue samples (67%) as opposed to concurrent blood samples (8%). Our results further emphasise the need for investigating clinical samples from the site of infection in case of suspected IA to further establish or rule out the diagnosis. KW - antifungal KW - aspergillosis KW - BAL KW - blood KW - cerebrospinal fluid KW - comparison KW - PCR KW - Aspergillus Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-214065 VL - 62 IS - 11 SP - 1035 EP - 1042 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Boetzl, Fabian A. A1 - Konle, Antonia A1 - Krauss, Jochen T1 - Aphid cards – useful model for assessing predation rates or bias prone nonsense? JF - Journal of Applied Entomology N2 - Predation on pest organisms is an essential ecosystem function supporting yields in modern agriculture. However, assessing predation rates is intricate, and they can rarely be linked directly to predator densities or functions. We tested whether sentinel prey aphid cards are useful tools to assess predation rates in the field. Therefore, we looked at aphid cards of different sizes on the ground level as well as within the vegetation. Additionally, by trapping ground‐dwelling predators, we examined whether obtained predation rates could be linked to predator densities and traits. Predation rates recorded with aphid cards were independent of aphid card size. However, predation rates on the ground level were three times higher than within the vegetation. We found both predatory carabid activity densities as well as community weighted mean body size to be good predictors for predation rates. Predation rates obtained from aphid cards are stable over card type and related to predator assemblages. Aphid cards, therefore, are a useful, efficient method for rapidly assessing the ecosystem function predation. Their use might especially be recommended for assessments on the ground level and when time and resource limitations rule out more elaborate sentinel prey methods using exclosures with living prey animals. KW - carabid beetles KW - ecosystem service KW - ground-dwelling predators KW - methods KW - natural pest control KW - sentinel prey Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-204798 VL - 144 IS - 1-2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bonig, Halvard A1 - Kuçi, Zyrafete A1 - Kuçi, Selim A1 - Bakhtiar, Shahrzad A1 - Basu, Oliver A1 - Bug, Gesine A1 - Dennis, Mike A1 - Greil, Johann A1 - Barta, Aniko A1 - Kállay, Krisztián M. A1 - Lang, Peter A1 - Lucchini, Giovanna A1 - Pol, Raj A1 - Schulz, Ansgar A1 - Sykora, Karl-Walter A1 - Teichert von Luettichau, Irene A1 - Herter-Sprie, Grit A1 - Ashab Uddin, Mohammad A1 - Jenkin, Phil A1 - Alsultan, Abdulrahman A1 - Buechner, Jochen A1 - Stein, Jerry A1 - Kelemen, Agnes A1 - Jarisch, Andrea A1 - Soerensen, Jan A1 - Salzmann-Manrique, Emilia A1 - Hutter, Martin A1 - Schäfer, Richard A1 - Seifried, Erhard A1 - Paneesha, Shankara A1 - Novitzky-Basso, Igor A1 - Gefen, Aharon A1 - Nevo, Neta A1 - Beutel, Gernot A1 - Schlegel, Paul-Gerhardt A1 - Klingebiel, Thomas A1 - Bader, Peter T1 - Children and adults with Refractory acute Graft-versus-Host Disease respond to treatment with the Mesenchymal Stromal cell preparation “MSC-FFM”—Outcome report of 92 patients JF - Cells N2 - (1) Background: Refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (R-aGvHD) remains a leading cause of death after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Survival rates of 15% after four years are currently achieved; deaths are only in part due to aGvHD itself, but mostly due to adverse effects of R-aGvHD treatment with immunosuppressive agents as these predispose patients to opportunistic infections and loss of graft-versus-leukemia surveillance resulting in relapse. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) from different tissues and those generated by various protocols have been proposed as a remedy for R-aGvHD but the enthusiasm raised by initial reports has not been ubiquitously reproduced. (2) Methods: We previously reported on a unique MSC product, which was generated from pooled bone marrow mononuclear cells of multiple third-party donors. The products showed dose-to-dose equipotency and greater immunosuppressive capacity than individually expanded MSCs from the same donors. This product, MSC-FFM, has entered clinical routine in Germany where it is licensed with a national hospital exemption authorization. We previously reported satisfying initial clinical outcomes, which we are now updating. The data were collected in our post-approval pharmacovigilance program, i.e., this is not a clinical study and the data is high-level and non-monitored. (3) Results: Follow-up for 92 recipients of MSC-FFM was reported, 88 with GvHD ≥°III, one-third only steroid-refractory and two-thirds therapy resistant (refractory to steroids plus ≥2 additional lines of treatment). A median of three doses of MSC-FFM was administered without apparent toxicity. Overall response rates were 82% and 81% at the first and last evaluation, respectively. At six months, the estimated overall survival was 64%, while the cumulative incidence of death from underlying disease was 3%. (4) Conclusions: MSC-FFM promises to be a safe and efficient treatment for severe R-aGvHD. KW - graft-versus host KW - transplantation KW - mesenchymal stromal cell KW - cell therapy KW - hospital exemption KW - steroid-resistant aGvHD KW - refractory aGvHD Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193878 SN - 2073-4409 VL - 8 IS - 12 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Borgards, Roland T1 - The Beetle Is in the Eye of the Beholder: Animal Ecologies, Situated Poetics and the Poetry of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff T2 - Texts, Animals, Environments: Zoopoetics and Ecopoetics N2 - No abstract available. KW - Animal Studies KW - Cultural Animal Studies KW - Cultural Studies KW - Ecocriticism KW - Environmental Humanities KW - Human-Animal Studies KW - Literary Studies Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177957 UR - https://www.rombach-verlag.de/buecher/suchergebnis/rombach/buch/details/texts-animals-environments.html PB - Rombach Druck- und Verlagshaus CY - Freiburg i. Br. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bothe, Friederike A1 - Deubel, Anne-Kathrin A1 - Hesse, Eliane A1 - Lotz, Benedict A1 - Groll, Jürgen A1 - Werner, Carsten A1 - Richter, Wiltrud A1 - Hagmann, Sebastien T1 - Treatment of focal cartilage defects in minipigs with zonal chondrocyte/mesenchymal progenitor cell constructs JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - Despite advances in cartilage repair strategies, treatment of focal chondral lesions remains an important challenge to prevent osteoarthritis. Articular cartilage is organized into several layers and lack of zonal organization of current grafts is held responsible for insufficient biomechanical and biochemical quality of repair-tissue. The aim was to develop a zonal approach for cartilage regeneration to determine whether the outcome can be improved compared to a non-zonal strategy. Hydrogel-filled polycaprolactone (PCL)-constructs with a chondrocyte-seeded upper-layer deemed to induce hyaline cartilage and a mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-containing bottom-layer deemed to induce calcified cartilage were compared to chondrocyte-based non-zonal grafts in a minipig model. Grafts showed comparable hardness at implantation and did not cause visible signs of inflammation. After 6 months, X-ray microtomography (µCT)-analysis revealed significant bone-loss in both treatment groups compared to empty controls. PCL-enforcement and some hydrogel-remnants were retained in all defects, but most implants were pressed into the subchondral bone. Despite important heterogeneities, both treatments reached a significantly lower modified O’Driscoll-score compared to empty controls. Thus, PCL may have induced bone-erosion during joint loading and misplacement of grafts in vivo precluding adequate permanent orientation of zones compared to surrounding native cartilage. KW - cartilage repair KW - osteochondral defect KW - tissue engineering KW - starPEG hydrogel KW - chondrocyte KW - MSC KW - zonal construct KW - minipig Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-285118 SN - 1422-0067 VL - 20 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bratengeier, Klaus A1 - Holubyev, Kostyantyn A1 - Wegener, Sonja T1 - Steeper dose gradients resulting from reduced source to target distance—a planning system independent study JF - Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics N2 - Purpose: To quantify the contribution of penumbra in the improvement of healthy tissue sparing at reduced source‐to‐axis distance (SAD) for simple spherical target and different prescription isodoses (PI). Method: A TPS‐independent method was used to estimate three‐dimensional (3D) dose distribution for stereotactic treatment of spherical targets of 0.5 cm radius based on single beam two‐dimensional (2D) film dosimetry measurements. 1 cm target constitutes the worst case for the conformation with standard Multi‐Leaf Collimator (MLC) with 0.5 cm leaf width. The measured 2D transverse dose cross‐sections and the profiles in leaf and jaw directions were used to calculate radial dose distribution from isotropic beam arrangement, for both quadratic and circular beam openings, respectively. The results were compared for standard (100 cm) and reduced SAD 70 and 55 cm for different PI. Results: For practical reduction of SAD using quadratic openings, the improvement of healthy tissue sparing (HTS) at distances up to 3 times the PTV radius was at least 6%–12%; gradient indices (GI) were reduced by 3–39% for PI between 40% and 90%. Except for PI of 80% and 90%, quadratic apertures at SAD 70 cm improved the HTS by up to 20% compared to circular openings at 100 cm or were at least equivalent; GI were 3%–33% lower for reduced SAD in the PI range 40%–70%. For PI = 80% and 90% the results depend on the circular collimator model. Conclusion: Stereotactic treatments of spherical targets delivered at reduced SAD of 70 or 55 cm using MLC spare healthy tissue around the target at least as good as treatments at SAD 100 cm using circular collimators. The steeper beam penumbra at reduced SAD seems to be as important as perfect target conformity. The authors argue therefore that the beam penumbra width should be addressed in the stereotactic studies. KW - radiotherapy KW - stereotactic irradiation KW - penumbra KW - leaf width KW - virtual isocenter Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177424 VL - 20 IS - 1 ER - TY - THES A1 - Breitenbach, Tim T1 - A mathematical optimal control based approach to pharmacological modulation with regulatory networks and external stimuli T1 - Ein auf mathematischer Optimalkontrolle basierender Ansatz für pharmakologische Modulation mit regulatorischen Netzwerken und externen Stimuli N2 - In this work models for molecular networks consisting of ordinary differential equations are extended by terms that include the interaction of the corresponding molecular network with the environment that the molecular network is embedded in. These terms model the effects of the external stimuli on the molecular network. The usability of this extension is demonstrated with a model of a circadian clock that is extended with certain terms and reproduces data from several experiments at the same time. Once the model including external stimuli is set up, a framework is developed in order to calculate external stimuli that have a predefined desired effect on the molecular network. For this purpose the task of finding appropriate external stimuli is formulated as a mathematical optimal control problem for which in order to solve it a lot of mathematical methods are available. Several methods are discussed and worked out in order to calculate a solution for the corresponding optimal control problem. The application of the framework to find pharmacological intervention points or effective drug combinations is pointed out and discussed. Furthermore the framework is related to existing network analysis tools and their combination for network analysis in order to find dedicated external stimuli is discussed. The total framework is verified with biological examples by comparing the calculated results with data from literature. For this purpose platelet aggregation is investigated based on a corresponding gene regulatory network and associated receptors are detected. Furthermore a transition from one to another type of T-helper cell is analyzed in a tumor setting where missing agents are calculated to induce the corresponding switch in vitro. Next a gene regulatory network of a myocardiocyte is investigated where it is shown how the presented framework can be used to compare different treatment strategies with respect to their beneficial effects and side effects quantitatively. Moreover a constitutively activated signaling pathway, which thus causes maleficent effects, is modeled and intervention points with corresponding treatment strategies are determined that steer the gene regulatory network from a pathological expression pattern to physiological one again. N2 - In dieser Arbeit werden Modelle für molekulare Netzwerke bestehend aus gewöhnlichen Differentialgleichungen durch Terme erweitert, die die Wechselwirkung zwischen dem entsprechenden molekularen Netzwerk und der Umgebung berücksichtigen, in die das molekulare Netzwerk eingebettet ist. Diese Terme modellieren die Effekte von externen Stimuli auf das molekulare Netzwerk. Die Nutzbarkeit dieser Erweiterung wird mit einem Modell der circadianen Uhr demonstriert, das mit gewissen Termen erweitert wird und Daten von mehreren verschiedenen Experimenten zugleich reproduziert. Sobald das Modell einschließlich der externen Stimuli aufgestellt ist, wird eine Grundstruktur entwickelt um externe Stimuli zu berechnen, die einen gewünschten vordefinierte Effekt auf das molekulare Netzwerk haben. Zu diesem Zweck wird die Aufgabe, geeignete externe Stimuli zu finden, als ein mathematisches optimales Steuerungsproblem formuliert, für welches, um es zu lösen, viele mathematische Methoden zur Verfügung stehen. Verschiedene Methoden werden diskutiert und ausgearbeitet um eine Lösung für das entsprechende optimale Steuerungsproblem zu berechnen. Auf die Anwendung dieser Grundstruktur pharmakologische Interventionspunkte oder effektive Wirkstoffkombinationen zu finden, wird hingewiesen und diese diskutiert. Weiterhin wird diese Grundstruktur in Bezug zu existierenden Netzwerkanalysewerkzeugen gesetzt und ihre Kombination für die Netzwerkanalyse diskutiert um zweckbestimmte externe Stimuli zu finden. Die gesamte Grundstruktur wird mit biologischen Beispielen verifiziert, indem man die berechneten Ergebnisse mit Daten aus der Literatur vergleicht. Zu diesem Zweck wird die Blutplättchenaggregation untersucht basierend auf einem entsprechenden genregulatorischen Netzwerk und damit assoziierte Rezeptoren werden detektiert. Weiterhin wird ein Wechsel von einem T-Helfer Zelltyp in einen anderen in einer Tumorumgebung analysiert, wobei fehlende Agenzien berechnet werden um den entsprechenden Wechsel in vitro zu induzieren. Als nächstes wird ein genregulatorisches Netzwerk eines Myokardiozyten untersucht, wobei gezeigt wird wie die präsentierte Grundstruktur genutzt werden kann um verschiedene Behandlungsstrategien in Bezug auf ihre nutzbringenden Wirkungen und Nebenwirkungen quantitativ zu vergleichen. Darüber hinaus wird ein konstitutiv aktivierter Signalweg, der deshalb unerwünschte Effekte verursacht, modelliert und Interventionspunkte mit entsprechenden Behandlungsstrategien werden bestimmt, die das genregulatorische Netzwerk wieder von einem pathologischen Expressionsmuster zu einem physiologischen steuern. KW - Bioinformatik KW - systematic drug targeting KW - optimal drug combination KW - disease modelling KW - external stimuli KW - intervention point analyzing KW - Molekülsystem KW - Reiz Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-174368 ER - TY - THES A1 - Breitenbach, Tim T1 - A sequential quadratic Hamiltonian scheme for solving optimal control problems with non-smooth cost functionals T1 - Ein sequentielles quadratisches Hamilton Schema um Optimalsteuerprobleme mit nicht-glatten Kostenfunktionalen zu lösen N2 - This thesis deals with a new so-called sequential quadratic Hamiltonian (SQH) iterative scheme to solve optimal control problems with differential models and cost functionals ranging from smooth to discontinuous and non-convex. This scheme is based on the Pontryagin maximum principle (PMP) that provides necessary optimality conditions for an optimal solution. In this framework, a Hamiltonian function is defined that attains its minimum pointwise at the optimal solution of the corresponding optimal control problem. In the SQH scheme, this Hamiltonian function is augmented by a quadratic penalty term consisting of the current control function and the control function from the previous iteration. The heart of the SQH scheme is to minimize this augmented Hamiltonian function pointwise in order to determine a control update. Since the PMP does not require any differ- entiability with respect to the control argument, the SQH scheme can be used to solve optimal control problems with both smooth and non-convex or even discontinuous cost functionals. The main achievement of the thesis is the formulation of a robust and efficient SQH scheme and a framework in which the convergence analysis of the SQH scheme can be carried out. In this framework, convergence of the scheme means that the calculated solution fulfills the PMP condition. The governing differential models of the considered optimal control problems are ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and partial differential equations (PDEs). In the PDE case, elliptic and parabolic equations as well as the Fokker-Planck (FP) equation are considered. For both the ODE and the PDE cases, assumptions are formulated for which it can be proved that a solution to an optimal control problem has to fulfill the PMP. The obtained results are essential for the discussion of the convergence analysis of the SQH scheme. This analysis has two parts. The first one is the well-posedness of the scheme which means that all steps of the scheme can be carried out and provide a result in finite time. The second part part is the PMP consistency of the solution. This means that the solution of the SQH scheme fulfills the PMP conditions. In the ODE case, the following results are obtained that state well-posedness of the SQH scheme and the PMP consistency of the corresponding solution. Lemma 7 states the existence of a pointwise minimum of the augmented Hamiltonian. Lemma 11 proves the existence of a weight of the quadratic penalty term such that the minimization of the corresponding augmented Hamiltonian results in a control updated that reduces the value of the cost functional. Lemma 12 states that the SQH scheme stops if an iterate is PMP optimal. Theorem 13 proves the cost functional reducing properties of the SQH control updates. The main result is given in Theorem 14, which states the pointwise convergence of the SQH scheme towards a PMP consistent solution. In this ODE framework, the SQH method is applied to two optimal control problems. The first one is an optimal quantum control problem where it is shown that the SQH method converges much faster to an optimal solution than a globalized Newton method. The second optimal control problem is an optimal tumor treatment problem with a system of coupled highly non-linear state equations that describe the tumor growth. It is shown that the framework in which the convergence of the SQH scheme is proved is applicable for this highly non-linear case. Next, the case of PDE control problems is considered. First a general framework is discussed in which a solution to the corresponding optimal control problem fulfills the PMP conditions. In this case, many theoretical estimates are presented in Theorem 59 and Theorem 64 to prove in particular the essential boundedness of the state and adjoint variables. The steps for the convergence analysis of the SQH scheme are analogous to that of the ODE case and result in Theorem 27 that states the PMP consistency of the solution obtained with the SQH scheme. This framework is applied to different elliptic and parabolic optimal control problems, including linear and bilinear control mechanisms, as well as non-linear state equations. Moreover, the SQH method is discussed for solving a state-constrained optimal control problem in an augmented formulation. In this case, it is shown in Theorem 30 that for increasing the weight of the augmentation term, which penalizes the violation of the state constraint, the measure of this state constraint violation by the corresponding solution converges to zero. Furthermore, an optimal control problem with a non-smooth L\(^1\)-tracking term and a non-smooth state equation is investigated. For this purpose, an adjoint equation is defined and the SQH method is used to solve the corresponding optimal control problem. The final part of this thesis is devoted to a class of FP models related to specific stochastic processes. The discussion starts with a focus on random walks where also jumps are included. This framework allows a derivation of a discrete FP model corresponding to a continuous FP model with jumps and boundary conditions ranging from absorbing to totally reflecting. This discussion allows the consideration of the drift-control resulting from an anisotropic probability of the steps of the random walk. Thereafter, in the PMP framework, two drift-diffusion processes and the corresponding FP models with two different control strategies for an optimal control problem with an expectation functional are considered. In the first strategy, the controls depend on time and in the second one, the controls depend on space and time. In both cases a solution to the corresponding optimal control problem is characterized with the PMP conditions, stated in Theorem 48 and Theorem 49. The well-posedness of the SQH scheme is shown in both cases and further conditions are discussed that ensure the convergence of the SQH scheme to a PMP consistent solution. The case of a space and time dependent control strategy results in a special structure of the corresponding PMP conditions that is exploited in another solution method, the so-called direct Hamiltonian (DH) method. N2 - Diese Dissertation handelt von einem neuen so genannten sequentiellen quadratischen Hamilton (SQH) iterativen Schema um Optimalsteuerungsprobleme mit Differentialmodellen und Kostenfunktionalen, die von glatt bis zu unstetig und nicht-konvex reichen, zu lösen. Dieses Schema basiert auf dem Pontryagin Maximumprinzip (PMP), welches notwendige Optimalitätsbedingungen für eine optimale Lösung zur Verfügung stellt. In diesem Rahmen wird eine Hamiltonfunktion definiert, die ihr Minimum punktweise an der optimalen Lösung des entsprechenden Optimalsteuerungsproblems annimmt. In diesem SQH Schema wird diese Hamiltonfunktion durch einen quadratischen Strafterm erweitert, der aus der aktuellen Steuerungsfunktion und der Steuerungsfunktion aus der vorherigen Iteration besteht. Das Herzstück des SQH Schemas ist die punktweise Minimierung dieser erweiterten Hamiltonfunktion um eine Aktualisierung der Steuerungsfunktion zu bestimmen. Da das PMP keine Differenzierbarkeit in Bezug auf das Steuerungsfunktionsargument verlangt, kann das SQH Schema dazu benutzt werden, Optimalsteuerungsprobleme mit sowohl glatten als auch nicht-konvexen oder sogar unstetigen Kostenfunktionalen zu lösen. Das Hauptergebnis dieser Dissertation ist die Formulierung eines robusten und effizienten SQH Schemas und eines Rahmens, in dem die Konvergenzanalyse des SQH Schemas ausgeführt werden kann. In diesem Rahmen bedeutet Konvergenz des Schemas, dass die berechnete Lösung die PMP Bedingung erfüllt. Die steuernden Differentialmodelle der betrachteten Optimalsteuerungsprobleme sind gewöhnliche Differentialgleichungen (ODEs) und partielle Differentialgleichungen (PDEs). Im PDE Fall werden elliptische und parabolische Gleichungen, sowie die Fokker-Planck (FP) Gleichung betrachtet. Für sowohl den ODE als auch den PDE Fall werden Annahmen formuliert, für die bewiesen werden kann, dass eine Lösung eines Optimalsteuerungsproblems das PMP erfüllen muss. Die erhaltenen Resultate sind für die Diskussion der Konvergenzanalyse des SQH Schemas essentiell. Diese Analyse hat zwei Teile. Der erste ist die Wohlgestelltheit des Schemas, was bedeutet, dass alle Schritte des Schemas ausgeführt werden können und ein Ergebnis in endlicher Zeit liefern. Der zweite Teil ist die PMP Konsistenz der Lösung. Das bedeutet, dass die Lösung des SQH Schemas die PMP Bedingungen erfüllt. Im ODE Fall werden die folgenden Resultate erhalten, die die Wohlgestelltheit des Schemas und die PMP Konsistenz der entsprechenden Lösung darlegen. Lemma 7 legt die Existenz eines punktweisen Minimums der erweiterten Hamiltonfunktion dar. Lemma 11 beweist die Existenz eines Gewichtes des quadratischen Strafterms, sodass die Minimierung der entsprechenden erweiterten Hamiltonfunktion zu einer Kontrollaktualisierung führt, die den Wert des Kostenfunktionals verringert. Lemma 12 legt dar, dass das SQH Schema stehen bleibt falls eine Iterierte PMP optimal ist. Satz 13 beweist die Kostenfunktional verringernden Eigenschaften der SQH Steuerungsfunktionsaktualisierung. Das Hauptresultat ist in Satz 14 gegeben, welches die punktweise Konvergenz des SQH Schemas gegen eine PMP konsistente Lösung darlegt. Das SQH-Verfahren wird in diesem ODE Rahmen auf zwei Optimalsteuerungsprobleme angewendet. Das erste ist ein optimales Quantensteuerungsproblem, bei dem gezeigt wird, dass das SQH-Verfahren viel schneller zu einer optimalen Lösung konvergiert als ein globalisiertes Newton-Verfahren. Das zweite Optimalsteuerungsproblem ist ein optimales Tumorbehandlungsproblem mit einem System gekoppelter hochgradig nicht-linearer Zustandsgleichungen, die das Tumorwachstum beschreiben. Es wird gezeigt, dass der Rahmen, in dem die Konvergenz des SQH Schemas bewiesen wird, auf diesen hochgradig nicht-linearen Fall anwendbar ist. Als nächstes wird der Fall von PDE Optimalsteuerungsprobleme betrachtet. Zunächst wird ein allgemeiner Rahmen diskutiert, in dem eine Lösung des entsprechenden Optimalsteuerungsproblem die PMP Bedingungen erfüllt. In diesem Fall werden viele theoretische Abschätzungen in Satz 59 und Satz 64 bewiesen, die insbesondere die essentielle Beschränktheit von Zustands- und Adjungiertenvariablen beweisen. Die Schritte für die Konvergenzanalyse des SQH Schemas sind analog zu denen des ODE Falls und führen zu Satz 27, der die PMP Konsistenz der Lösung, erhalten durch das SQH Schemas, darlegt. Dieser Rahmen wird auf verschiedene elliptische und parabolische Optimalsteuerungsprobleme angewendet, die lineare und bilineare Steuerungsmechanismen beinhalten, genauso wie nicht-lineare Zustandsgleichungen. Darüber hinaus wird das SQH-Verfahren zum Lösen eines zustandsbeschränkten Optimalsteuerungsproblems in einer erweiterten Formulieren diskutiert. Es wird in Satz 30 gezeigt, dass wenn man das Gewicht des Erweiterungsterms, der die Verletzung der Zustandsbeschränkung bestraft, erhöht, das Maß dieser Zustandsbeschränkungsverletzung durch die entsprechende Lösung gegen null konvergiert. Weiterhin wird ein Optimalsteuerungsproblem mit einem nicht-glatten L\(^1\)-Zielverfolgungsterm und einer nicht-glatten Zustandsgleichung untersucht. Für diesen Zweck wird eine adjungierte Gleichung definiert und das SQHVerfahren wird benutzt um das entsprechende Optimalsteuerungsproblem zu lösen. Der letzte Teil dieser Dissertation ist einer Klasse von FP Modellen gewidmet, die auf bestimmte stochastische Prozesse bezogen sind. Die Diskussion beginnt mit dem Fokus auf Random Walks bei dem auch Sprünge mit enthalten sind. Dieser Rahmen erlaubt die Herleitung eines diskreten FP Modells, das einem kontinuierlichen FP Modell mit Sprüngen und Randbedingungen entspricht, die sich zwischen absorbierend bis komplett reflektierend bewegen. Diese Diskussion erlaubt die Betrachtung der Driftsteuerung, die aus einer anisotropen Wahrscheinlichkeit für die Schritte des Random Walks resultiert. Danach werden zwei Drift-Diffusionsprozesse und die entsprechenden FP Modelle mit zwei verschiedenen Steuerungsstrategien für ein Optimalsteuerungsproblem mit Erwartungswertfunktional betrachtet. In der ersten Strategie hängen die Steuerungsfunktionen von der Zeit ab und in der zweiten hängen die Steuerungsfunktionen von Ort und Zeit ab. In beiden Fällen wird eine Lösung zum entsprechendem Optimalsteuerungsproblem mit den PMP Bedingungen charakterisiert, dargestellt in Satz 48 und Satz 49. Die Wohlgestelltheit des SQH Schemas ist in beiden Fällen gezeigt und weitere Bedingungen, die die Konvergenz des SQH Schemas zu einer PMP konsistenten Lösung sicherstellen, werden diskutiert. Der Fall einer Ort und Zeit abhängigen Steuerungsstrategie führt auf eine spezielle Struktur der entsprechenden PMP Bedingungen, die in einem weiteren Lösungsverfahren ausgenutzt werden, dem sogenannten direkten Hamiltonfunktionsverfahren (DH). KW - Optimale Kontrolle KW - Scheme for solving optimal control problems KW - Non-smooth optimal control KW - Pontryagin maximum principle KW - Sequential quadratic Hamiltonian scheme Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-182170 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Breitenbach, Tim T1 - Codes of examples for SQH method N2 - Code examples for the paper "On the SQH Scheme to Solve Nonsmooth PDE Optimal Control Problems" by Tim Breitenbach and Alfio Borzì published in the journal "Numerical Functional Analysis and Optimization", in 2019, DOI: 10.1080/01630563.2019.1599911 KW - SQH method KW - Code Examples Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-178588 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Breitenbach, Tim A1 - Borzì, Alfio T1 - On the SQH scheme to solve non-smooth PDE optimal control problems T2 - Numerical Functional Analysis and Optimization N2 - A sequential quadratic Hamiltonian (SQH) scheme for solving different classes of non-smooth and non-convex PDE optimal control problems is investigated considering seven different benchmark problems with increasing difficulty. These problems include linear and nonlinear PDEs with linear and bilinear control mechanisms, non-convex and discontinuous costs of the controls, L\(^1\) tracking terms, and the case of state constraints. The SQH method is based on the characterisation of optimality of PDE optimal control problems by the Pontryagin's maximum principle (PMP). For each problem, a theoretical discussion of the PMP optimality condition is given and results of numerical experiments are presented that demonstrate the large range of applicability of the SQH scheme. KW - SQH method KW - non-smooth optimization KW - Pontryagin maximum principle KW - nonconvex optimization Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-180936 N1 - This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Numerical Functional Analysis and Optimization on 27.04.2019, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/01630563.2019.1599911. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Breitenbach, Tim A1 - Lorenz, Kristina A1 - Dandekar, Thomas T1 - How to steer and control ERK and the ERK signaling cascade exemplified by looking at cardiac insufficiency JF - International Journal of Molecular Sciences N2 - Mathematical optimization framework allows the identification of certain nodes within a signaling network. In this work, we analyzed the complex extracellular-signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) cascade in cardiomyocytes using the framework to find efficient adjustment screws for this cascade that is important for cardiomyocyte survival and maladaptive heart muscle growth. We modeled optimal pharmacological intervention points that are beneficial for the heart, but avoid the occurrence of a maladaptive ERK1/2 modification, the autophosphorylation of ERK at threonine 188 (ERK\(^{Thr188}\) phosphorylation), which causes cardiac hypertrophy. For this purpose, a network of a cardiomyocyte that was fitted to experimental data was equipped with external stimuli that model the pharmacological intervention points. Specifically, two situations were considered. In the first one, the cardiomyocyte was driven to a desired expression level with different treatment strategies. These strategies were quantified with respect to beneficial effects and maleficent side effects and then which one is the best treatment strategy was evaluated. In the second situation, it was shown how to model constitutively activated pathways and how to identify drug targets to obtain a desired activity level that is associated with a healthy state and in contrast to the maleficent expression pattern caused by the constitutively activated pathway. An implementation of the algorithms used for the calculations is also presented in this paper, which simplifies the application of the presented framework for drug targeting, optimal drug combinations and the systematic and automatic search for pharmacological intervention points. The codes were designed such that they can be combined with any mathematical model given by ordinary differential equations. KW - optimal pharmacological modulation KW - efficient intervention points KW - ERK signaling KW - optimal treatment strategies KW - optimal drug targeting KW - optimal drug combination Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-285164 SN - 1422-0067 VL - 20 IS - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Breun, Maria A1 - Monoranu, Camelia M. A1 - Kessler, Almuth F. A1 - Matthies, Cordula A1 - Löhr, Mario A1 - Hagemann, Carsten A1 - Schirbel, Andreas A1 - Rowe, Steven P. A1 - Pomper, Martin G. A1 - Buck, Andreas K. A1 - Wester, Hans-Jürgen A1 - Ernestus, Ralf-Ingo A1 - Lapa, Constantin T1 - [\(^{68}\)Ga]-Pentixafor PET/CT for CXCR4-mediated imaging of vestibular schwannomas JF - Frontiers in Oncology N2 - We have recently demonstrated CXCR4 overexpression in vestibular schwannomas (VS). This study investigated the feasibility of CXCR4-directed positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging of VS using the radiolabeled chemokine ligand [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor. Methods: 4 patients with 6 primarily diagnosed or pre-treated/observed VS were enrolled. All subjects underwent [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor PET/CT prior to surgical resection. Images were analyzed visually and semi-quantitatively for CXCR4 expression including calculation of tumor-to-background ratios (TBR). Immunohistochemistry served as standard of reference in three patients. Results: [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor PET/CT was visually positive in all cases. SUV\(_{mean}\) and SUV\(_{max}\) were 3.0 ± 0.3 and 3.8 ± 0.4 and TBR\(_{mean}\) and TBR\(_{max}\) were 4.0 ± 1.4 and 5.0 ± 1.7, respectively. Histological analysis confirmed CXCR4 expression in tumors. Conclusion: Non-invasive imaging of CXCR4 expression using [\(^{68}\)Ga]Pentixafor PET/CT of VS is feasible and could prove useful for in vivo assessment of CXCR4 expression. KW - vestibular schwannoma KW - CXCR4 KW - PET/CT KW - molecular imaging KW - Pentixafor Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201863 VL - 9 IS - 503 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Briegel, Wolfgang A1 - Greuel, Jan A1 - Stroth, Sanna A1 - Heinrichs, Nina T1 - Parents' perception of their 2−10-year-old children's contribution to the dyadic parent-child relationship in terms of positive and negative behaviors JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health N2 - Parent-child relationship is developed and changed through reciprocal interactions between a child and his/her parent, and these interactions can strongly influence the child's development across domains (e.g., emotional, physical, and intellectual). However, little is known about the parental perception of the child's contribution to the dyadic parent-child relationship in terms of positive and negative behaviors. We therefore aimed to develop and validate an economical parent-report instrument to assess these important aspects. The validation study included 1642 mothers (M\(_{age}\) = 37.1) and 1068 fathers (M\(_{age}\) = 40.4) of 1712 children aged 2–10 years (M\(_{age}\) = 6.6) who completed the new instrument, the Child Relationship Behavior Inventory (CRBI). Statistical results indicated that the CRBI is a reliable and valid measure. Mothers reported more positive child behaviors towards them, whereas fathers perceived fewer problems with problematic relationship behavior than mothers. In their parents' perception, girls showed more positive and less problematic relationship behaviors than boys. The frequency of problematic child relationship behavior significantly decreased with increasing child age while positive relationship behavior did not show any correlation with the child's age. To assess both positive and negative child relationship behaviors could be helpful to better understand the relevance of these different aspects for the development of the parent-child relationship. KW - parent-child relationship KW - child behavior KW - parental perception KW - inventory Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-197411 SN - 1660-4601 VL - 16 IS - 7 ER - TY - THES A1 - Brill, Michael T1 - Spontaneous eye blinks as an alternative measure for spatial presence experiences T1 - Spontanes Lidschlussverhalten als alternativer Messzugang zu räumlichem Präsenzerleben N2 - Spatial presence, a state in which media users temporarily overlook the mediated nature of their media use experience, is frequently assessed by means of post-session self-report scales. However, such methods have methodical limitations, for example concerning measurement of dynamic fluctuations in presence during media use. Consequently, researchers have tested several approaches that try to infer subjective experiences of spatial presence from objectively measurable indicators. The present doctoral thesis examines aspects of temporal structure in spontaneous eye-blink behavior. Cognitive processes—and especially attention—are seen as essential antecedents of presence experiences. Because such cognitive processes influence timing of spontaneous eye-blinks, it is tested if the degree of stimulus-dependent structure in spontaneous eye-blink behavior is related to presence self-report scores. To address this research question, the thesis first establishes a theoretical framework, including theorizing and empirical findings on presence, on related media use phenomena, spontaneous eye-blink behavior, and subjective and objective approaches for presence assessment. Then, three experiments are presented that examine the relation between self-reported presence, and amount of stimulus-dependent structure in blinking behavior. Three different methods for quantification of stimulus-dependent structure are tested in different media environments, and are related to an established presence scale. Discussion of the experimental findings leads, on the one hand, to fundamental questions on the presence concept and on the understanding of stimulus-dependent structure in spontaneous eye-blink behavior. On the other hand, interpretation of the results emphasizes the necessity for methods with appropriate temporal resolution, that consider both media events and user behavior. N2 - Räumliches Präsenzerleben bei der Mediennutzung, also ein Zustand, in dem MediennutzerInnen zeitweise vergessen, dass die genutzten Inhalte medial vermittelt sind, wird häufig durch Selbstauskunft in Fragebögen erhoben. Solche Methoden weisen jedoch einige Einschränkungen auf, beispielsweise bei der Erfassung dynamischer Schwankungen des Präsenzerlebens während der Mediennutzung. Daher wurde eine Reihe von Ansätzen erprobt, die versuchen, durch objektive Erfassung verschiedener Indikatoren auf die subjektiv erlebte Präsenz von MediennutzerInnen zu schließen. In dieser Dissertation wird die zeitliche Struktur des spontanen Lidschlussverhaltens als Indikator untersucht. Für die Entstehung von Präsenzerleben werden kognitive Prozesse und ganz besonders Aufmerksamkeit als wesentliche Vorläufer angesehen. Spontanes Lidschlussverhalten wird von solchen kognitiven Vorgängen beeinflusst; daher wurde untersucht, inwiefern das Ausmaß von Stimulus-abhängiger Struktur im spontanen Lidschlussverhalten mit der Selbstauskunft über Präsenzerleben zusammenhängt. Zur Untersuchung dieser Fragestellung wird in der Dissertation zunächst ein theoretischer Rahmen konstruiert, der die Bereiche Präsenzerleben und ähnliche Konzepte der Mediennutzung, sowie Lidschlussverhalten und subjektive und objektive Erhebungsverfahren für Präsenz behandelt. Anschließend werden drei Experimente beschrieben, welche die Beziehung zwischen dem Ausmaß an Struktur im Lidschlussverhalten und dem berichteten Präsenzerleben untersuchen. Drei verschiedene Verfahren zur Quantifizierung Stimulus-abhängiger Struktur der Lidschlüsse werden in verschiedenen Medienumgebungen untersucht und zu einem etablierten Fragebogeninstrument für räumliches Präsenzerleben in Beziehung gesetzt. Aus der Diskussion der Ergebnisse folgen einerseits grundlegende Fragen zum Verständnis von Präsenzerleben und von Stimulus-abhängiger Struktur im spontanen Lidschlussverhalten. Andererseits wird, gerade in Hinsicht auf interaktive Medien, die Notwendigkeit von Methoden mit angemessener zeitlicher Auflösung betont, die sowohl Medienereignisse als auch Nutzerverhalten berücksichtigen. N2 - Spatial presence is a state in which media users temporarily overlook the mediated nature of their experience. This study discusses stimulus-dependent structure in spontaneous eye-blink behavior as analternative to presence selfreport measures. To this end, theories and empirical evidence on presence, spontaneous eye-blink behavior, and existing approaches for presence assessment are used to link antecedent processes of presence, especially attention, to presence and structure in blinking behavior. Three experiments in different media environments relate three different methods for quantification of stimulus-dependent structure to an established presence scale. The results are not conclusive, but raise questions on presence and its measurement, and advance the understanding of stimulus-dependent structure in spontaneous eye-blink behavior. KW - Lidschlag KW - Visuelle Aufmerksamkeit KW - Medienkonsum KW - Präsenz KW - presence KW - measurement KW - Messung KW - Psychometrie KW - Muster Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-167898 SN - 978-3-95826-094-8 SN - 978-3-95826-095-5 N1 - Parallel erschienen als Druckausgabe in Würzburg University Press, 978-3-95826-094-8, 32,90 EUR. PB - Würzburg University Press CY - Würzburg ET - 1. Auflage ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Brill, Michael A1 - Schwab, Frank T1 - A mixed-methods approach using self-report, observational time series data, and content analysis for process analysis of a media reception phenomenon JF - Frontiers in Psychology N2 - Due to the complexityof research objects, theoretical concepts, and stimuli in media research, researchers in psychology and communications presumably need sophisticated measures beyond self-report scales to answer research questions on media use processes. The present study evaluates stimulus-dependent structure in spontaneous eye-blink behavior as an objective, corroborative measure for the media use phenomenon of spatial presence. To this end, a mixed methods approach is used in an experimental setting to collect, combine, analyze, and interpret data from standardized participant self-report, observation of participant behavior, and content analysis of the media stimulus. T-pattern detection is used to analyze stimulus-dependent blinking behavior, and this structural data is then contrasted with self-report data. The combined results show that behavioral indicators yield the predicted results, while self-report data shows unpredicted results that are not predicted by the underlying theory. The use of a mixed methods approach offered insights that support further theory development and theory testing beyond a traditional, mono-method experimental approach. KW - presence KW - measurement KW - blinking KW - structure KW - mixed methods Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201380 VL - 10 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Brodehl, Andreas A1 - Pour Hakimi, Seyed Ahmad A1 - Stanasiuk, Caroline A1 - Ratnavadivel, Sandra A1 - Hendig, Doris A1 - Gaertner, Anna A1 - Gerull, Brenda A1 - Gummert, Jan A1 - Paluszkiewicz, Lech A1 - Milting, Hendrik T1 - Restrictive cardiomyopathy is caused by a novel homozygous desmin (DES) mutation p.Y122H leading to a severe filament assembly defect JF - Genes N2 - Here, we present a small Iranian family, where the index patient received a diagnosis of restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) in combination with atrioventricular (AV) block. Genetic analysis revealed a novel homozygous missense mutation in the DES gene (c.364T > C; p.Y122H), which is absent in human population databases. The mutation is localized in the highly conserved coil-1 desmin subdomain. In silico, prediction tools indicate a deleterious effect of the desmin (DES) mutation p.Y122H. Consequently, we generated an expression plasmid encoding the mutant and wildtype desmin formed, and analyzed the filament formation in vitro in cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells and HT-1080 cells. Confocal microscopy revealed a severe filament assembly defect of mutant desmin supporting the pathogenicity of the DES mutation, p.Y122H, whereas the wildtype desmin formed regular intermediate filaments. According to the guidelines of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, we classified this mutation, therefore, as a novel pathogenic mutation. Our report could point to a recessive inheritance of the DES mutation, p.Y122H, which is important for the genetic counseling of similar families with restrictive cardiomyopathy caused by DES mutations. KW - cardiovascular genetics KW - restrictive cardiomyopathy KW - desmin KW - intermediate filaments KW - desmin-related myopathy KW - cardiomyopathy KW - desminopathy Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193121 SN - 2073-4425 VL - 10 IS - 11 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Brosge, Felix A1 - Lorenz, Thomas A1 - Helten, Holger A1 - Bolm, Carsten T1 - BN- and BO-Doped Inorganic–Organic Hybrid Polymers with Sulfoximine Core Units JF - Chemistry - A European Journal N2 - While polysulfones constitute a class of well‐established, highly valuable applied materials, knowledge about polymers based on the related sulfoximine group is very limited. We have employed functionalized diaryl sulfoximines and a p ‐phenylene bisborane as building blocks for unprecedented BN‐ and BO‐doped alternating inorganic–organic hybrid copolymers. While the former were accessed by a facile silicon/boron exchange protocol, the synthesis of polymers with main‐chain B–O linkages was achieved by salt elimination. KW - boron KW - hybrid materials KW - polymers KW - sulfoimines KW - sulfur Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-206194 VL - 25 IS - 55 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Brumberg, Joachim A1 - Blazhenets, Ganna A1 - Schröter, Nils A1 - Frings, Lars A1 - Jost, Wolfgang H. A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Meyer, Philipp T. T1 - Imaging cardiac sympathetic innervation with MIBG: linear conversion of the heart-to-mediastinum ratio between different collimators JF - EJNMMI Physics N2 - Background The heart-to-mediastinum (H/M) ratio is a commonly used parameter to measure cardiac I-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) uptake. Since the H/M ratio is substantially influenced by the collimator type, we investigated whether an empirical linear conversion of H/M ratios between camera systems with low-energy (LE) and medium-energy (ME) collimator is possible. Methods We included 18 patients with parkinsonism who were referred to one of the two participating molecular imaging facilities for the evaluation of cardiac sympathetic innervation by MIBG scintigraphy. Two consecutive planar image datasets were acquired with LE and ME collimators at 4 h after MIBG administration. Linear regression analyses were performed to describe the association between the H/M ratios gained with both collimator settings, and the accuracy of a linear transfer of the H/M ratio between collimators and across centers was assessed using a leave-one-out procedure. Results H/M ratios acquired with LE and ME collimators showed a strong linear relationship both within each imaging facility (R\(^2\) = 0.99, p < 0.001 and R\(^2\) = 0.90, p < 0.001) and across centers (H/M-LE = 0.41 × H/M-ME + 0.63, R\(^2\) = 0.97, p < 0.001). A linear conversion of H/M ratios between collimators and across centers was estimated to be very accurate (mean absolute error 0.05 ± 0.04; mean relative absolute error 3.2 ± 2.6%). Conclusions The present study demonstrates that a simple linear conversion of H/M ratios acquired with different collimators is possible with high accuracy. This should greatly facilitate the exchange of normative data between settings and pooling of data from different institutions. KW - MIBG KW - collimator KW - heart-to-mediastinum ratio KW - linear conversion Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-221675 VL - 6 ER - TY - THES A1 - Brückner [geb. Christel], Theresa T1 - Novel application forms and setting mechanisms of mineral bone cements T1 - Neuartige Anwendungsformen und Abbindemechanismen mineralischer Knochenzemente N2 - Calcium phosphate cements (CPC) represent valuable synthetic bone grafts, as they are self-setting, biocompatible, osteoconductive and in their composition similar to the inorganic phase of human bone. Due to their long shelf-life, neutral setting and since water is sufficient for setting, hydroxyapatite (HA) forming cements are processed in different paste formulations. Those comprise dual setting, Ca2+ binding and premixed cement systems. With dual setting formulations, both dissolution and precipitation of the cement raw powder occur simultaneously to the polymerization of water-soluble monomers to form a hydrogel. Chelating agents are able to form complexes with Ca2+ released from the raw powder. Premixed systems mostly contain the raw powder of the cement and a non-aqueous binder liquid which delays the setting reaction until application in the moist physiological environment. In the present work, two of those reaction mechanisms allowed the development of HA based cement applications. Drillable cements are of high clinical interest, as the quality of screw and plate osteosynthesis techniques can be improved by cement augmentation. A drillable, dual setting composite from HA and a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogel was analyzed with respect to the influence of monomer content and powder-to-liquid ratio on setting kinetics and mechanical outcome. While the conversion to HA and crystal growth were constantly confined with increased monomer amount, a minimum concentration of 50 % was required to see impressive ameliorations including a low bending modulus and high fracture energy at improved bending strength. Increasing the liquid amount enabled injection of the paste as well as drilling after 10 min of pre-setting. While classic bone wax formulations have drawbacks such as infection, inflammation, hindered osteogenesis and a lack of biodegradability, the as-presented premixed formulation is believed to exhibit outmatching properties. It consisted of HA raw powders and a non-aqueous, but water-miscible carrier liquid from poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The bone wax was proved to be cohesive and malleable, it withstood blood pressure conditions and among deposition in an aqueous environment, PEG was exchanged such that porous, nanocrystalline HA was formed. Incorporation of a model antibiotic proved the suitability of the novel bone wax formulation for drug release purposes. Prefabricated laminates from premixed carbonated apatite forming cement and poly(ε-caprolactone) fiber mats with defined pore architecture were presented as a potential approach for the treatment of 2-dimensional, curved cranial defects. They are flexible until application and were produced in a layer-by-layer approach from both components such that the polymer scaffold prevents the cement from flowing. It was demonstrated that solution electrospinning with a patterned collector for the fabrication of perforated fiber mats was suitable, as high fiber volume contents in combination with an appropriate interface enabled the successful fabrication of mechanically reinforced laminates. Mild immersion of the scaffolds under alkaline conditions additionally improved the interphase followed by an increase in bending-strength. Since few years, magnesium phosphate cements (MPC) have attracted increasing attention for bone replacement. Compared to CPC, MPC exhibit a higher degradation potential and high early strength and they release biologically valuable Mg2+. However, common systems offer some challenges while using them in non-classic cement formulations such as the need for foreign ion supply, the potential acidity of the reaction or the fast setting kinetics. Here, it was possible to develop a chelate-setting MPC paste with a broad spectrum of potential applications. The general mechanism of the novel setting principle was tested in a proof-of-principle manner. The cement paste consisted of farringtonite with differently concentrated phytic acid solution for chelate formation with Mg2+ from the raw powder. Adjusting the phytic acid content and adding a magnesium oxide as setting regulator to compensate its retarding effect resulted in drillable formulations. Additionally, there is a strong clinical demand for well working bone adhesives especially in a moist environment. Mostly the existing formulations are non-biodegradable. Ex vivo adhesion of the above presented MPC under wet conditions on bone demonstrated over a course of 7 d shear strengths of 0.8 MPa. Further, the hardened cement specimens showed a mass loss of 2 wt.% within 24 d in an aqueous environment and released about 0.17 mg/g of osteogenic Mg2+ per day. Together with the demonstrated cytocompatibility towards human fetal osteoblasts, this cement system showed promising characteristics in terms of degradable biocements with special application purposes. N2 - Calciumphosphatzemente (CPC) stellen ein bedeutsames Knochenersatzmaterial dar, da sie selbstabbindend, biokompatibel, osteokonduktiv und der anorganischen Komponente humanen Knochens ähnlich sind. Durch ihre Lagerstabilität, neutrale Abbindereaktion und da Wasser zum Abbinden ausreicht, werden Hydroxylapatit (HA) bildende Zemente in dual abbindenden, Ca2+ chelatisierenden und vorgefertigten Zementen, verarbeitet. Bei dual abbindenden Formulierungen findet die Lösungs-Fällungs-Reaktion zeitgleich zur Polymerisation wasserlöslicher Monomere zu einem Hydrogel statt. Chelatbildner können mit aus dem Rohpulver freigesetzten Ca2+ Komplexe bilden. Vorgefertigte Zemente enthalten eine nicht-wässrige Trägerflüssigkeit, welche die Abbindereaktion bis zur Anwendung des Zements im feuchten Milieu verzögert. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden zwei dieser Reaktionsmechanismen zur Entwicklung HA basierter Anwendungsformen eingesetzt. Bohrbare Zemente sind von klinischem Interesse, da die Qualität einer Schrauben- oder Plattenosteosynthese durch Augmentation mit Zement verbessert werden kann. Bei einem bohrbaren, dual abbindenden Komposit aus HA und einem Poly-2-Hydroxyethylmethacrylat Hydrogel wurde der Einfluss des Monomergehalts und des Pulver-zu-Flüssigkeits-Verhältnisses auf die Abbindekinetik und mechanischen Eigenschaften untersucht. Während die Umwandlung zu HA und das Kristallwachstum mit zunehmendem Monomergehalt reduziert wurden, war eine minimale Konzentration von 50 % nötig, um signifikante Verbesserungen des Bruchverhaltens im Sinne eines niedrigen Biegemoduls und einer hohen Bruchenergie bei gesteigerter Biegefestigkeit nachzuweisen. Wurde der Flüssigkeitsgehalt erhöht, so konnte die Paste injiziert und nach 10 min des Abbindens gebohrt werden. Während klassische Knochenwachsformulierungen Infektionen, Entzündungen, gehinderte Knochenneubildung und mangelhafte Bioabbaubarkeit vorweisen, zeigt die hier dargestellte Formulierung überlegene Eigenschaften. Sie bestand aus HA-Rohpulvern und einer nicht-wässrigen, mit Wasser mischbaren Trägermasse aus Polyethylenglycol (PEG). Es wurde gezeigt, dass das Wachs kohäsiv und knetbar ist und Blutdruckbedingungen standhält. Bei Kontakt mit einer wässrigen Phase wurde das PEG diffusiv mit Wasser ausgetauscht, so dass ein poröser, nanokristalliner HA präzipitierte. Die Einbettung eines Modell-Antibiotikums bestätigte zudem die Eignung des neuartigen Wachses als Wirkstoffdepot. Als eine mögliche Behandlung von 2-dimensionalen, gekrümmten Defekten der Schädeldecke wurden präfabrizierte Laminate aus lagerstabiler, Carbonatapatit bildender Zementpaste und Polycaprolakton-Fasermatten mit definierter Porenarchitektur vorgestellt. Diese sind bis zu ihrer Anwendung flexibel und wurden durch einen schichtweisen Aufbau aus beiden Komponenten erzeugt, so dass der Polymerscaffold den Zement am Zerfließen hindert. Es wurde gezeigt, dass die Herstellung makroporöser Fasermatten durch Elektrospinnen aus der Lösung mittels eines perforierten Kollektors geeignet war, da der hohe Faservolumengehalt und angemessene Grenzflächeneigenschaften die erfolgreiche Herstellung mechanisch verstärkter Laminate ermöglichte. Bei milder Behandlung der Scaffolds mit alkalischer Lösung wurden die Grenzflächeneigenschaften weiter verbessert, was zu einer Steigerung der Biegefestigkeit führte. Seit einigen Jahren geht der Trend der Knochenzementforschung immer stärker in Richtung von Magnesiumphosphatzementen (MPC), da diese verglichen mit CPC ein erhöhtes Degradationspotential, eine hohe initiale Festigkeit, sowie die Freisetzung biologisch wertvoller Mg2+ aufweisen. Jedoch stellen gängige Systeme hohe Anforderungen bei der Verwendung in nicht-klassischen Zementen wie z.B. der Bedarf an Fremdionen und die saure sowie schnelle Abbindereaktion. Dennoch war es möglich, einen chelatisierenden MPC zu entwickeln, welcher ein breites Spektrum an möglichen Anwendungsformen bot. In einer Machbarkeitsstudie wurde untersucht, ob das Abbindeprinzip funktioniert. Die Paste bestand aus Farringtonit und unterschiedlich konzentrierter Phytinsäure. Diese sollte mit freigesetzten Mg2+ komplexieren. Durch Anpassung der Phytinsäurekonzentration und Zugabe von Magnesiumoxid als Abbindemodulator wurden bohrbare Formulierungen erhalten. Neben der Bohrbarkeit sind auch adhäsive Eigenschaften der Zemente im feuchten Milieu von klinischem Interesse, wobei kommerziell erhältliche Systeme meist nicht bioabbaubar sind. Daher wurde die ex vivo Klebehaftung dieses MPC nach 7 d unter nassen Bedingungen auf Knochen analysiert, wobei sich eine Abscherfestigkeit von 0.8 MPa ergab. Des Weiteren zeigten diese Zemente einen Masseverlust von 2 Gew.% innerhalb von 24 d in wässriger Umgebung, sowie die Freisetzung von 0.17 mg/g an osteogenen Mg2+ pro Tag. Zusammen mit der bestätigten Zytokompatibilität bezüglich humaner fetaler Osteoblasten ist dieses System vielversprechend für die Anwendung als abbaubarer Biozement für unterschiedliche klinische Zwecke. KW - Knochenzement KW - Calciumphosphat KW - Magnesiumphosphate KW - Verbundwerkstoff KW - Chelatbildner KW - dual setting KW - dual abbindend KW - premixed KW - präfabriziert KW - bone wax KW - Knochenwachs KW - drillable KW - bohrbar KW - bone adhesive KW - Knochenkleber Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-157045 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Brückner, Theresa A1 - Meininger, Markus A1 - Groll, Jürgen A1 - Kübler, Alexander C. A1 - Gbureck, Uwe T1 - Magnesium Phosphate Cement as Mineral Bone Adhesive JF - Materials N2 - Mineral bone cements were actually not developed for their application as bone-bonding agents, but as bone void fillers. In particular, calcium phosphate cements (CPC) are considered to be unsuitable for that application, particularly under moist conditions. Here, we showed the ex vivo ability of different magnesium phosphate cements (MPC) to adhere on bovine cortical bone substrates. The cements were obtained from a mixture of farringtonite (Mg\(_3\)(PO\(_4\))\(_2\)) with different amounts of phytic acid (C\(_6\)H\(_{18}\)O\(_{24}\)P\(_6\), inositol hexaphosphate, IP6), whereas cement setting occurred by a chelation reaction between Mg\(^{2+}\) ions and IP6. We were able to show that cements with 25% IP6 and a powder-to-liquid ratio (PLR) of 2.0 g/mL resulted in shear strengths of 0.81 ± 0.12 MPa on bone even after 7 d storage in aqueous conditions. The samples showed a mixed adhesive–cohesive failure with cement residues on the bone surface as indicated by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The presented material demonstrated appropriate bonding characteristics, which could enable a broadening of the mineral bone cements’ application field to bone adhesives KW - magnesium phosphate cement KW - phytic acid KW - bone adhesive Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193052 SN - 1996-1944 VL - 12 IS - 23 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Brückner, Tobias A1 - Arrowsmith, Merle A1 - Heß, Merlin A1 - Hammond, Kai A1 - Müller, Marcel A1 - Braunschweig, Holger T1 - Synthesis of fused B,N-heterocycles by alkyne cleavage, NHC ring-expansion and C-H activation at a diboryne T2 - Chemical Communications N2 - The addition of alkynes to a staturated N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-supported diboryne results in spontaneous cycloaddition, with complete B≡B and C≡C triple bond cleavage, NHC ring- expansion and activation of a variety of C-H bonds, leading to the formation of complex mixtures of fused B,N-heterocycles. KW - heterocycles KW - alkynes KW - boron KW - carbenes Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-184899 N1 - This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Chem. Commun., 2019,55, 6700-6703, which has been published in final form at doi:10.1039/C9CC02657F ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Brückner, Tobias A1 - Dewhurst, Rian D. A1 - Dellermann, Theresa A1 - Müller, Marcel A1 - Braunschweig, Holger T1 - Mild synthesis of diboryldiborenes by diboration of B–B triple bonds JF - Chemical Science N2 - A set of diboryldiborenes are prepared by the mild, catalyst-free, room-temperature diboration of the B–B triple bonds of doubly base-stabilized diborynes. Two of the product diboryldiborenes are found to be air- and water-stable in the solid state, an effect that is attributed to their high crystallinity and extreme insolubility in a wide range of solvents. KW - boron KW - diborenes KW - diboration KW - triple bonds KW - diborynes Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-186306 VL - 10 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Brückner, Tobias A1 - Stennett, Tom E. A1 - Heß, Merlin A1 - Braunschweig, Holger T1 - Single and Double Hydroboration of B-B Triple Bonds and Conver- gent Routes to a Cationic Tetraborane T2 - Journal of the American Chemical Society N2 - A compound with a boron-boron triple bond is shown to undergo stepwise hydroboration reactions with catecholborane to yield an unsymmetrical hydro(boryl)diborene and a 2,3-dihydrotetraborane. Abstraction of H– from the latter compound produces an unusual cationic, planar tetraborane with a hydrogen atom bridging the central B2 moiety. Spectroscopic and crystallographic data and DFT calculations support a ‘protonated diborene’ structure for this compound, which can also be accessed via direct protonation of the corresponding diborene. KW - boron KW - multiple bonding KW - hydroboration Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-188632 N1 - This document is the unedited Author’s version of a Submitted Work that was subsequently accepted for publication in Journal of the American Chemical Society, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review. To access the final edited and published work see https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.9b07991. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Budiman, Yudha P. A1 - Friedrich, Alexandra A1 - Radius, Udo A1 - Marder, Todd B. T1 - Copper-catalysed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of highly fluorinated aryl boronate esters with aryl iodides and bromides and fluoroarene-arene π-stacking interactions in the products JF - ChemCatChem N2 - A combination of copper iodide and phenanthroline as the ligand is an efficient catalyst for Suzuki‐Miyaura cross‐coupling of highly fluorinated boronate esters (aryl−Bpin) with aryl iodides and bromides to generate fluorinated biaryls in good to excellent yields. This method represents a nice alternative to traditional cross‐coupling methods which require palladium catalysts and stoichiometric amounts of silver oxide. We note that π⋅⋅⋅π stacking interactions dominate the molecular packing in the partly fluorinated biaryl crystals investigated herein. They are present either between the arene and perfluoroarene, or solely between arenes or perfluoroarenes, respectively. KW - homogeneous catalysis KW - boron KW - boronate KW - fluorine KW - fluoroarene Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-204839 VL - 11 IS - 21 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bulitta, Jürgen B. A1 - Jiao, Yuanyuan A1 - Landersdorfer, Cornelia B. A1 - Sutaria, Dhruvitkumar S. A1 - Tao, Xun A1 - Shin, Eunjeong A1 - Höhl, Rainer A1 - Holzgrabe, Ulrike A1 - Stephan, Ulrich A1 - Sörgel, Fritz T1 - Comparable Bioavailability and Disposition of Pefloxacin in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis and Healthy Volunteers Assessed via Population Pharmacokinetics JF - Pharmaceutics N2 - Quinolone antibiotics present an attractive oral treatment option in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Prior studies have reported comparable clearances and volumes of distribution in patients with CF and healthy volunteers for primarily renally cleared quinolones. We aimed to provide the first pharmacokinetic comparison for pefloxacin as a predominantly nonrenally cleared quinolone and its two metabolites between both subject groups. Eight patients with CF (fat-free mass [FFM]: 36.3 ± 6.9 kg, average ± SD) and ten healthy volunteers (FFM: 51.7 ± 9.9 kg) received 400 mg pefloxacin as a 30 min intravenous infusion and orally in a randomized, two-way crossover study. All plasma and urine data were simultaneously modelled. Bioavailability was complete in both subject groups. Pefloxacin excretion into urine was approximately 74% higher in patients with CF compared to that in healthy volunteers, whereas the urinary excretion of metabolites was only slightly higher in patients with CF. After accounting for body size and composition via allometric scaling by FFM, pharmacokinetic parameter estimates in patients with CF divided by those in healthy volunteers were 0.912 for total clearance, 0.861 for nonrenal clearance, 1.53 for renal clearance, and 0.916 for volume of distribution. Nonrenal clearance accounted for approximately 90% of total pefloxacin clearance. Overall, bioavailability and disposition were comparable between both subject groups. KW - cystic fibrosis patients KW - healthy volunteers KW - fluoroquinolone KW - pefloxacin KW - absolute bioavailability KW - population pharmacokinetics KW - allometric scaling KW - body size KW - body composition KW - S-ADAPT Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-197221 SN - 1999-4923 VL - 11 IS - 7 ER - TY - THES A1 - Buschmann, Rachel Abigail T1 - Synthesis of annulated pi-systems based on a tribenzotriquinacene core T1 - Synthese von annellierten pi-Systemen auf Basis eines Tribenzotriquinacenkerns N2 - The aim of this work was the selective functionalisation of tribenzotriquinacene (TBTQ) in order to extend the aromatic system and tune the electronic properties. The synthesised molecules could be starting materials for a model system of a defective graphene fragment. The “triple cyclisation pathway” by Hopf et al. was adapted and fluorinated tribenzotriquinacenes were synthesised for the first time. Phenanthrene groups were also introduced in other model systems and the crystal structures of phenanthrene functionalised TBTQs were compared with the parent molecules. In addition, the arrangement of TBTQ and centro methyl functionalised TBTQ was investigated on a Ag(111) surface for the first time using scanning transmission microscopy (STM). Different arrangements were observed, depending on the coverage of the surface. The insights gained about the interaction between TBTQs as well as their synthesis provide a foundation for further work and potential applications as components in organic electronic devices. N2 - Das Ziel diese Arbeit war die gezielte Funktionalisierung von Tribenzotriquinacen (TBTQ), um dessen aromatisches System zu erweitern und die elekronischen Eigenschaften zu verändern. Diese Zielmoleküle könnten sich als Ausgangsmoleküle für ein Modellsystem für ein gewölbtes Graphenfragment eignen. Die „dreifache Cyclisierungsroute“ von Hopf et al. wurde hierfür adaptiert und es wurden erstmals fluorierte Tribenzotriquinacene synthetisiert. In anderen Modellsystemen wurden Phenanthren-Einheiten eingeführt und die Kristallstrukturen mit dem TBTQ-Stammsystem verglichen. Zusätzlich wurde die Anordnung von TBTQ und centro-methyliertem TBTQ zum ersten Mal auf eine Ag(111)-Oberfläche mittels Rastertunnelmikroskopie (STM) untersucht. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass neben der zentralen Methylgruppe auch der Grad der Oberflächenabdeckung unterschiedliche Anordnung der Moleküle auf der Oberfläche zur Folge hatte. Die aus dieser Arbeit gewonnenen Erkenntnisse über die Wechselwirkungen zwischen TBTQs sowie deren Synthese dienen als Grundlage für weitere Arbeiten und potenzielle organische Bausteine für elektronische Anwendungen. KW - Triquinacenderivate KW - Chemische Synthese KW - Aromatically annulated triquinacenes KW - Aromatisch anellierte Triquinacene KW - triquinacene derivatives KW - curved hydrocarbons KW - gekrümmte Kohlenwasserstoffe Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193491 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bélanger‐Chabot, Guillaume A1 - Braunschweig, Holger T1 - Hexahalodiborate Dianions: A New Family of Binary Boron Halides JF - Angewandte Chemie International Edition N2 - The electron‐precise binary boron subhalide species [B\(_2\)X\(_6\)]\(^{2−}\) X=F, Br, I) were synthesized and their structures confirmed by X‐ray crystallography. The existence of the previously claimed [B\(_2\)Cl\(_6\)]\(^{2−}\), which had been questioned, was also confirmed by X‐ray crystallography. The dianions are isoelectronic to hexahaloethanes, are subhalide analogues of the well‐known tetrahaloborate anions (BX\(_4\)\(^−\)), and are rare examples of molecular electron‐precise binary boron species beyond B\(_2\)X\(_4\), BX\(_3\), and [BX\(_4\)]\(^−\). KW - binary species KW - boron KW - electron-precise diborates KW - halogens Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-219688 VL - 58 IS - 40 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Börtlein, Charlene A1 - Schumacher, Fabian A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Dölken, Lars A1 - Avota, Elita T1 - Role of neutral sphingomyelinase-2 (NSM 2) in the control of T cell plasma membrane lipid composition and cholesterol homeostasis JF - Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology N2 - The activity of neutral sphingomyelinase-2 (NSM2) to catalyze the conversion of sphingomyelin (SM) to ceramide and phosphocholine at the cytosolic leaflet of plasma membrane (PM) is important in T cell receptor (TCR) signaling. We recently identified PKCζ as a major NSM2 downstream effector which regulates microtubular polarization. It remained, however, unclear to what extent NSM2 activity affected overall composition of PM lipids and downstream effector lipids in antigen stimulated T cells. Here, we provide a detailed lipidomics analyses on PM fractions isolated from TCR stimulated wild type and NSM2 deficient (ΔNSM) Jurkat T cells. This revealed that in addition to that of sphingolipids, NSM2 depletion also affected concentrations of many other lipids. In particular, NSM2 ablation resulted in increase of lyso-phosphatidylcholine (LPC) and lyso-phosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) which both govern PM biophysical properties. Crucially, TCR dependent upregulation of the important T cell signaling lipid diacylglycerol (DAG), which is fundamental for activation of conventional and novel PKCs, was abolished in ΔNSM cells. Moreover, NSM2 activity was found to play an important role in PM cholesterol transport to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and production of cholesteryl esters (CE) there. Most importantly, CE accumulation was essential to sustain human T cell proliferation. Accordingly, inhibition of CE generating enzymes, the cholesterol acetyltransferases ACAT1/SOAT1 and ACAT2/SOAT2, impaired TCR driven expansion of both CD4\(^+\) and CD8\(^+\) T cells. In summary, our study reveals an important role of NSM2 in regulating T cell functions by its multiple effects on PM lipids and cholesterol homeostasis. KW - neutral sphingomyelinase-2 KW - T cell receptor KW - plasma membrane KW - lyso-phospholipids KW - diacylglycerol KW - cholesteryl ester Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-190596 SN - 2296-634X VL - 7 IS - 226 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Bühler, Benjamin T1 - Other Environments: Ecocriticism and Science Fiction (Lem, Ballard, Dath) T2 - Texts, Animals, Environments: Zoopoetics and Ecopoetics N2 - No abstract available. KW - Animal Studies KW - Cultural Animal Studies KW - Cultural Studies KW - Ecocriticism KW - Environmental Humanities KW - Human-Animal Studies KW - Literary Studies Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177973 UR - https://www.rombach-verlag.de/buecher/suchergebnis/rombach/buch/details/texts-animals-environments.html PB - Rombach Druck- und Verlagshaus CY - Freiburg i. Br. ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Cazaban-Mazerolles, Marie T1 - Narrating le vivant: the Zoe-Poetical Hypothesis T2 - Texts, Animals, Environments: Zoopoetics and Ecopoetics N2 - No abstract available. KW - Animal Studies KW - Cultural Animal Studies KW - Cultural Studies KW - Ecocriticism KW - Environmental Humanities KW - Human-Animal Studies KW - Literary Studies Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-177818 UR - https://www.rombach-verlag.de/buecher/suchergebnis/rombach/buch/details/texts-animals-environments.html PB - Rombach Druck- und Verlagshaus CY - Freiburg i. Br. ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Cazajous-Augé, Claire T1 - The Traces Animals Leave: A Zoopoetic Study of Rick Bass’ “Antlers” T2 - Texts, Animals, Environments: Zoopoetics and Ecopoetics N2 - No abstract available. KW - Animal Studies KW - Cultural Animal Studies KW - Cultural Studies KW - Ecocriticism KW - Environmental Humanities KW - Human-Animal Studies KW - Literary Studies Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-178097 UR - https://www.rombach-verlag.de/buecher/suchergebnis/rombach/buch/details/texts-animals-environments.html PB - Rombach Druck- und Verlagshaus CY - Freiburg i. Br. ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cecil, Alexander A1 - Gentschev, Ivaylo A1 - Adelfinger, Marion A1 - Dandekar, Thomas A1 - Szalay, Aladar A. T1 - Vaccinia virus injected human tumors: oncolytic virus efficiency predicted by antigen profiling analysis fitted boolean models JF - Bioengineered N2 - Virotherapy on the basis of oncolytic vaccinia virus (VACV) strains is a promising approach for cancer therapy. Recently, we showed that the oncolytic vaccinia virus GLV-1h68 has a therapeutic potential in treating human prostate and hepatocellular carcinomas in xenografted mice. In this study, we describe the use of dynamic boolean modeling for tumor growth prediction of vaccinia virus-injected human tumors. Antigen profiling data of vaccinia virus GLV-1h68-injected human xenografted mice were obtained, analyzed and used to calculate differences in the tumor growth signaling network by tumor type and gender. Our model combines networks for apoptosis, MAPK, p53, WNT, Hedgehog, the T-killer cell mediated cell death, Interferon and Interleukin signaling networks. The in silico findings conform very well with in vivo findings of tumor growth. Similar to a previously published analysis of vaccinia virus-injected canine tumors, we were able to confirm the suitability of our boolean modeling for prediction of human tumor growth after virus infection in the current study as well. In summary, these findings indicate that our boolean models could be a useful tool for testing of the efficacy of VACV-mediated cancer therapy already before its use in human patients. KW - boolean modeling KW - oncolytic virus KW - human xenografted mouse models KW - cancer therapy Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-200507 VL - 10 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Claus, Heike A1 - Hubert, Kerstin A1 - Becher, Dörte A1 - Otto, Andreas A1 - Pawlik, Marie-Christin A1 - Lappann, Ines A1 - Strobel, Lea A1 - Vogel, Ulrich A1 - Johswich, Kay T1 - A homopolymeric adenosine tract in the promoter region of nspA influences factor H-mediated serum resistance in Neisseria meningitidis JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Although usually asymptomatically colonizing the human nasopharynx, the Gram-negative bacterium Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) can spread to the blood stream and cause invasive disease. For survival in blood, N. meningitidis evades the complement system by expression of a polysaccharide capsule and surface proteins sequestering the complement regulator factor H (fH). Meningococcal strains belonging to the sequence type (ST-) 41/44 clonal complex (cc41/44) cause a major proportion of serogroup B meningococcal disease worldwide, but they are also common in asymptomatic carriers. Proteome analysis comparing cc41/44 isolates from invasive disease versus carriage revealed differential expression levels of the outer membrane protein NspA, which binds fH. Deletion of nspA reduced serum resistance and NspA expression correlated with fH sequestration. Expression levels of NspA depended on the length of a homopolymeric tract in the nspA promoter: A 5-adenosine tract dictated low NspA expression, whereas a 6-adenosine motif guided high NspA expression. Screening German cc41/44 strain collections revealed the 6-adenosine motif in 39% of disease isolates, but only in 3.4% of carriage isolates. Thus, high NspA expression is associated with disease, but not strictly required. The 6-adenosine nspA promoter is most common to the cc41/44, but is also found in other hypervirulent clonal complexes. KW - Meningitis KW - Pathogens Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-200956 VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Coelho, Luis Pedro A1 - Alves, Renato A1 - Monteiro, Paulo A1 - Huerta-Cepas, Jaime A1 - Freitas, Ana Teresa A1 - Bork, Peer T1 - NG-meta-profiler: fast processing of metagenomes using NGLess, a domain-specific language JF - Microbiome N2 - Background Shotgun metagenomes contain a sample of all the genomic material in an environment, allowing for the characterization of a microbial community. In order to understand these communities, bioinformatics methods are crucial. A common first step in processing metagenomes is to compute abundance estimates of different taxonomic or functional groups from the raw sequencing data. Given the breadth of the field, computational solutions need to be flexible and extensible, enabling the combination of different tools into a larger pipeline. Results We present NGLess and NG-meta-profiler. NGLess is a domain specific language for describing next-generation sequence processing pipelines. It was developed with the goal of enabling user-friendly computational reproducibility. It provides built-in support for many common operations on sequencing data and is extensible with external tools with configuration files. Using this framework, we developed NG-meta-profiler, a fast profiler for metagenomes which performs sequence preprocessing, mapping to bundled databases, filtering of the mapping results, and profiling (taxonomic and functional). It is significantly faster than either MOCAT2 or htseq-count and (as it builds on NGLess) its results are perfectly reproducible. Conclusions NG-meta-profiler is a high-performance solution for metagenomics processing built on NGLess. It can be used as-is to execute standard analyses or serve as the starting point for customization in a perfectly reproducible fashion. NGLess and NG-meta-profiler are open source software (under the liberal MIT license) and can be downloaded from https://ngless.embl.de or installed through bioconda. KW - metagenomics KW - next-generation sequencing KW - domain-specific language Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223161 VL - 7 IS - 84 ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Conrad, Christopher A1 - Morper-Busch, Lucia A1 - Netzband, Maik A1 - Teucher, Mike A1 - Schönbrodt-Stitt, Sarah A1 - Schorcht, Gunther A1 - Dukhovny, Viktor T1 - WUEMoCA Water Use Efficiency Monitor in Central Asia Informed Decision-Making in Land and Water Resources Management N2 - WUEMoCA is an operational scientific webmapping tool for the regional monitoring of land and water use efficiency in the irrigated croplands of the transboundary Aral Sea Basin that is shared by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. Satellite data on land use, crop pro-duction and water consumption is integrated with hydrological and economic information to provide of a set indicators. The tool is useful for large-scale decisions on water distribution or land use, and may be seen as demonstrator for numerous applications in practice, that require independent area-wide spatial information. KW - Zentralasien KW - Information system KW - Remote Sensing KW - WebGIS KW - Information System KW - Central Asia Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-191934 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Da Vià, Matteo Claudio A1 - Solimando, Antonio Giovanni A1 - Garitano-Trojaola, Andoni A1 - Barrio, Santiago A1 - Munawar, Umair A1 - Strifler, Susanne A1 - Haertle, Larissa A1 - Rhodes, Nadine A1 - Vogt, Cornelia A1 - Lapa, Constantin A1 - Beilhack, Andreas A1 - Rasche, Leo A1 - Einsele, Hermann A1 - Kortüm, K. Martin T1 - CIC Mutation as a Molecular Mechanism of Acquired Resistance to Combined BRAF‐MEK Inhibition in Extramedullary Multiple Myeloma with Central Nervous System Involvement JF - The Oncologist N2 - Combined MEK‐BRAF inhibition is a well‐established treatment strategy in BRAF‐mutated cancer, most prominently in malignant melanoma with durable responses being achieved through this targeted therapy. However, a subset of patients face primary unresponsiveness despite presence of the activating mutation at position V600E, and others acquire resistance under treatment. Underlying resistance mechanisms are largely unknown, and diagnostic tests to predict tumor response to BRAF‐MEK inhibitor treatment are unavailable. Multiple myeloma represents the second most common hematologic malignancy, and point mutations in BRAF are detectable in about 10% of patients. Targeted inhibition has been successfully applied, with mixed responses observed in a substantial subset of patients mirroring the widespread spatial heterogeneity in this genomically complex disease. Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is an extremely rare, extramedullary form of multiple myeloma that can be diagnosed in less than 1% of patients. It is considered an ultimate high‐risk feature, associated with unfavorable cytogenetics, and, even with intense treatment applied, survival is short, reaching less than 12 months in most cases. Here we not only describe the first patient with an extramedullary CNS relapse responding to targeted dabrafenib and trametinib treatment, we furthermore provide evidence that a point mutation within the capicua transcriptional repressor (CIC) gene mediated the acquired resistance in this patient. KW - Multiple myeloma KW - Extramedullary disease KW - Capicua transcriptional repressor KW - Drug resistance KW - BRAF mutation Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-219549 VL - 25 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dammert, Marcel A. A1 - Brägelmann, Johannes A1 - Olsen, Rachelle R. A1 - Böhm, Stefanie A1 - Monhasery, Niloufar A1 - Whitney, Christopher P. A1 - Chalishazar, Milind D. A1 - Tumbrink, Hannah L. A1 - Guthrie, Matthew R. A1 - Klein, Sebastian A1 - Ireland, Abbie S. A1 - Ryan, Jeremy A1 - Schmitt, Anna A1 - Marx, Annika A1 - Ozretić, Luka A1 - Castiglione, Roberta A1 - Lorenz, Carina A1 - Jachimowicz, Ron D. A1 - Wolf, Elmar A1 - Thomas, Roman K. A1 - Poirier, John T. A1 - Büttner, Reinhard A1 - Sen, Triparna A1 - Byers, Lauren A. A1 - Reinhardt, H. Christian A1 - Letai, Anthony A1 - Oliver, Trudy G. A1 - Sos, Martin L. T1 - MYC paralog-dependent apoptotic priming orchestrates a spectrum of vulnerabilities in small cell lung cancer JF - Nature Communications N2 - MYC paralogs are frequently activated in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) but represent poor drug targets. Thus, a detailed mapping of MYC-paralog-specific vulnerabilities may help to develop effective therapies for SCLC patients. Using a unique cellular CRISPR activation model, we uncover that, in contrast to MYCN and MYCL, MYC represses BCL2 transcription via interaction with MIZ1 and DNMT3a. The resulting lack of BCL2 expression promotes sensitivity to cell cycle control inhibition and dependency on MCL1. Furthermore, MYC activation leads to heightened apoptotic priming, intrinsic genotoxic stress and susceptibility to DNA damage checkpoint inhibitors. Finally, combined AURK and CHK1 inhibition substantially prolongs the survival of mice bearing MYC-driven SCLC beyond that of combination chemotherapy. These analyses uncover MYC-paralog-specific regulation of the apoptotic machinery with implications for genotype-based selection of targeted therapeutics in SCLC patients. KW - genetic engineering KW - oncogenes KW - small-cell lung cancer KW - targeted therapies Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223569 VL - 10 ER - TY - INPR A1 - Dandekar, Thomas T1 - Biological heuristics applied to cosmology suggests a condensation nucleus as start of our universe and inflation cosmology replaced by a period of rapid Weiss domain-like crystal growth N2 - Cosmology often uses intricate formulas and mathematics to derive new theories and concepts. We do something different in this paper: We look at biological processes and derive from these heuristics so that the revised cosmology agrees with astronomical observations but does also agree with standard biological observations. We show that we then have to replace any type of singularity at the start of the universe by a condensation nucleus and that the very early period of the universe usually assumed to be inflation has to be replaced by a period of rapid crystal growth as in Weiss magnetization domains. Impressively, these minor modifications agree well with astronomical observations including removing the strong inflation perturbations which were never observed in the recent BICEP2 experiments. Furthermore, looking at biological principles suggests that such a new theory with a condensation nucleus at start and a first rapid phase of magnetization-like growth of the ordered, physical laws obeying lattice we live in is in fact the only convincing theory of the early phases of our universe that also is compatible with current observations. We show in detail in the following that such a process of crystal creation, breaking of new crystal seeds and ultimate evaporation of the present crystal readily leads over several generations to an evolution and selection of better, more stable and more self-organizing crystals. Moreover, this explains the “fine-tuning” question why our universe is fine-tuned to favor life: Our Universe is so self-organizing to have enough offspring and the detailed physics involved is at the same time highly favorable for all self-organizing processes including life. This biological theory contrasts with current standard inflation cosmologies. The latter do not perform well in explaining any phenomena of sophisticated structure creation or self-organization. As proteins can only thermodynamically fold by increasing the entropy in the solution around them we suggest for cosmology a condensation nucleus for a universe can form only in a “chaotic ocean” of string-soup or quantum foam if the entropy outside of the nucleus rapidly increases. We derive an interaction potential for 1 to n-dimensional strings or quantum-foams and show that they allow only 1D, 2D, 4D or octonion interactions. The latter is the richest structure and agrees to the E8 symmetry fundamental to particle physics and also compatible with the ten dimensional string theory E8 which is part of the M-theory. Interestingly, any other interactions of other dimensionality can be ruled out using Hurwitz compositional theorem. Crystallization explains also extremely well why we have only one macroscopic reality and where the worldlines of alternative trajectories exist: They are in other planes of the crystal and for energy reasons they crystallize mostly at the same time, yielding a beautiful and stable crystal. This explains decoherence and allows to determine the size of Planck´s quantum h (very small as separation of crystal layers by energy is extremely strong). Ultimate dissolution of real crystals suggests an explanation for dark energy agreeing with estimates for the “big rip”. The halo distribution of dark matter favoring galaxy formation is readily explained by a crystal seed starting with unit cells made of normal and dark matter. That we have only matter and not antimatter can be explained as there may be right handed mattercrystals and left-handed antimatter crystals. Similarly, real crystals are never perfect and we argue that exactly such irregularities allow formation of galaxies, clusters and superclusters. Finally, heuristics from genetics suggest to look for a systems perspective to derive correct vacuum and Higgs Boson energies. KW - heuristics KW - inflation KW - cosmology KW - crystallization KW - crystal growth KW - E8 symmetry KW - Hurwitz theorem KW - evolution KW - Lee Smolin Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-183945 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dasari, Prasad A1 - Koleci, Naile A1 - Shopova, Iordana A. A1 - Wartenberg, Dirk A1 - Beyersdorf, Niklas A1 - Dietrich, Stefanie A1 - Sahagún-Ruiz, Alfredo A1 - Figge, Marc Thilo A1 - Skerka, Christine A1 - Brakhage, Axel A. A1 - Zipfel, Peter F. T1 - Enolase from Aspergillus fumigatus is a moonlighting protein that binds the human plasma complement proteins factor H, FHL-1, C4BP, and plasminogen JF - Frontiers in Immunology N2 - The opportunistic fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus can cause severe infections, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Upon infection, A. fumigatus faces the powerful and directly acting immune defense of the human host. The mechanisms on how A. fumigatus evades innate immune attack and complement are still poorly understood. Here, we identify A. fumigatus enolase, AfEno1, which was also characterized as fungal allergen, as a surface ligand for human plasma complement regulators. AfEno1 binds factor H, factor-H-like protein 1 (FHL-1), C4b binding protein (C4BP), and plasminogen. Factor H attaches to AfEno1 via two regions, via short conserved repeats (SCRs) 6–7 and 19–20, and FHL-1 contacts AfEno1 via SCRs 6–7. Both regulators when bound to AfEno1 retain cofactor activity and assist in C3b inactivation. Similarly, the classical pathway regulator C4BP binds to AfEno1 and bound to AfEno1; C4BP assists in C4b inactivation. Plasminogen which binds to AfEno1 via lysine residues is accessible for the tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA), and active plasmin cleaves the chromogenic substrate S2251, degrades fibrinogen, and inactivates C3 and C3b. Plasmin attached to swollen A. fumigatus conidia damages human A549 lung epithelial cells, reduces the cellular metabolic activity, and induces cell retraction, which results in exposure of the extracellular matrix. Thus, A. fumigatus AfEno1 is a moonlighting protein and virulence factor which recruits several human regulators. The attached human regulators allow the fungal pathogen to control complement at the level of C3 and to damage endothelial cell layers and tissue components. KW - complement factor H KW - moonlighting KW - immune evasion KW - plasminogen KW - blocking phagocytosis Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-195612 SN - 1664-3224 VL - 10 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - de Nijs, Laurence A1 - Choe, Kyonghwan A1 - Steinbusch, Hellen A1 - Schijns, Olaf E. M. G. A1 - Dings, Jim A1 - van den Hove, Daniel L. A. A1 - Rutten, Bart P. F. A1 - Hoogland, Govert T1 - DNA methyltransferase isoforms expression in the temporal lobe of epilepsy patients with a history of febrile seizures JF - Clinical Epigenetics N2 - Background Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is a common pharmaco-resistant epilepsy referred for adult epilepsy surgery. Though associated with prolonged febrile seizures (FS) in childhood, the neurobiological basis for this relationship is not fully understood and currently no preventive or curative therapies are available. DNA methylation, an epigenetic mechanism catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), potentially plays a pivotal role in epileptogenesis associated with FS. In an attempt to start exploring this notion, the present cross-sectional pilot study investigated whether global DNA methylation levels (5-mC and 5-hmC markers) and DNMT isoforms (DNMT1, DNMT3a1, and DNMT3a2) expression would be different in hippocampal and neocortical tissues between controls and TLE patients with or without a history of FS. Results We found that global DNA methylation levels and DNMT3a2 isoform expression were lower in the hippocampus for all TLE groups when compared to control patients, with a more significant decrease amongst the TLE groups with a history of FS. Interestingly, we showed that DNMT3a1 expression was severely diminished in the hippocampus of TLE patients with a history of FS in comparison with control and other TLE groups. In the neocortex, we found a higher expression of DNMT1 and DNMT3a1 as well as increased levels of global DNA methylation for all TLE patients compared to controls. Conclusion Together, the findings of this descriptive cross-sectional pilot study demonstrated brain region-specific changes in DNMT1 and DNMT3a isoform expression as well as global DNA methylation levels in human TLE with or without a history of FS. They highlighted a specific implication of DNMT3a isoforms in TLE after FS. Therefore, longitudinal studies that aim at targeting DNMT3a isoforms to evaluate the potential causal relationship between FS and TLE or treatment of FS-induced epileptogenesis seem warranted. KW - febrile seizures KW - temporal lobe epilepsy KW - epigenetics KW - DNA methylation KW - DNA methyltransferases Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223636 VL - 11 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Deak, Dalma A1 - Pop, Cristina A1 - Zimta, Alina-Andreea A1 - Jurj, Ancuta A1 - Ghiaur, Alexandra A1 - Pasca, Sergiu A1 - Teodorescu, Patric A1 - Dascalescu, Angela A1 - Antohe, Ion A1 - Ionescu, Bogdan A1 - Constantinescu, Catalin A1 - Onaciu, Anca A1 - Munteanu, Raluca A1 - Berindan-Neagoe, Ioana A1 - Petrushev, Bobe A1 - Turcas, Cristina A1 - Iluta, Sabina A1 - Selicean, Cristina A1 - Zdrenghea, Mihnea A1 - Tanase, Alina A1 - Danaila, Catalin A1 - Colita, Anca A1 - Colita, Andrei A1 - Dima, Delia A1 - Coriu, Daniel A1 - Einsele, Hermann A1 - Tomuleasa, Ciprian T1 - Let’s Talk About BiTEs and Other Drugs in the Real-Life Setting for B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia JF - Frontiers in Immunology N2 - Background: Therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are currently initially efficient, but even if a high percentage of patients have an initial complete remission (CR), most of them relapse. Recent data shows that immunotherapy with either bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs) of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells can eliminate residual chemotherapy-resistant B-ALL cells. Objective: The objective of the manuscript is to present improvements in the clinical outcome for chemotherapy-resistant ALL in the real-life setting, by describing Romania's experience with bispecific antibodies for B-cell ALL. Methods: We present the role of novel therapies for relapsed B-cell ALL, including the drugs under investigation in phase I-III clinical trials, as a potential bridge to transplant. Blinatumomab is presented in a critical review, presenting both the advantages of this drug, as well as its limitations. Results: Bispecific antibodies are discussed, describing the clinical trials that resulted in its approval by the FDA and EMA. The real-life setting for relapsed B-cell ALL is described and we present the patients treated with blinatumomab in Romania. Conclusion: In the current manuscript, we present blinatumomab as a therapeutic alternative in the bridge-to-transplant setting for refractory or relapsed ALL, to gain a better understanding of the available therapies and evidence-based data for these patients in 2019. KW - blinatumoman KW - acute lymphoblastic leukemia KW - bridge-to-transplant KW - real life setting KW - bispecific antobodies Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-193921 SN - 1664-3224 VL - 10 IS - 2856 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dechaud, Corentin A1 - Volff, Jean-Nicolas A1 - Schartl, Manfred A1 - Naville, Magali T1 - Sex and the TEs: transposable elements in sexual development and function in animals JF - Mobile DNA N2 - Transposable elements are endogenous DNA sequences able to integrate into and multiply within genomes. They constitute a major source of genetic innovations, as they can not only rearrange genomes but also spread ready-to-use regulatory sequences able to modify host gene expression, and even can give birth to new host genes. As their evolutionary success depends on their vertical transmission, transposable elements are intrinsically linked to reproduction. In organisms with sexual reproduction, this implies that transposable elements have to manifest their transpositional activity in germ cells or their progenitors. The control of sexual development and function can be very versatile, and several studies have demonstrated the implication of transposable elements in the evolution of sex. In this review, we report the functional and evolutionary relationships between transposable elements and sexual reproduction in animals. In particular, we highlight how transposable elements can influence expression of sexual development genes, and how, reciprocally, they are tightly controlled in gonads. We also review how transposable elements contribute to the organization, expression and evolution of sexual development genes and sex chromosomes. This underscores the intricate co-evolution between host functions and transposable elements, which regularly shift from a parasitic to a domesticated status useful to the host. KW - Transposable element KW - Sex determination KW - Sexual development and function KW - Germline KW - piRNA KW - Sex chromosome Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-202510 VL - 10 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dekker, Annelot M. A1 - Diekstra, Frank P. A1 - Pulit, Sara L. A1 - Tazelaar, Gijs H. P. A1 - van der Spek, Rick A. A1 - van Rheenen, Wouter A1 - van Eijk, Kristel R. A1 - Calvo, Andrea A1 - Brunetti, Maura A1 - Van Damme, Philip A1 - Robberecht, Wim A1 - Hardiman, Orla A1 - McLaughlin, Russell A1 - Chiò, Adriano A1 - Sendtner, Michael A1 - Ludolph, Albert C. A1 - Weishaupt, Jochen H. A1 - Pardina, Jesus S. Mora A1 - van den Berg, Leonard H. A1 - Veldink, Jan H. T1 - Exome array analysis of rare and low frequency variants in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that affects 1 in ~350 individuals. Genetic association studies have established ALS as a multifactorial disease with heritability estimated at ~61%, and recent studies show a prominent role for rare variation in its genetic architecture. To identify rare variants associated with disease onset we performed exome array genotyping in 4,244 cases and 3,106 controls from European cohorts. In this largest exome-wide study of rare variants in ALS to date, we performed single-variant association testing, gene-based burden, and exome-wide individual set-unique burden (ISUB) testing to identify single or aggregated rare variation that modifies disease risk. In single-variant testing no variants reached exome-wide significance, likely due to limited statistical power. Gene-based burden testing of rare non-synonymous and loss-of-function variants showed NEK1 as the top associated gene. ISUB analysis did not show an increased exome-wide burden of deleterious variants in patients, possibly suggesting a more region-specific role for rare variation. Complete summary statistics are released publicly. This study did not implicate new risk loci, emphasizing the immediate need for future large-scale collaborations in ALS that will expand available sample sizes, increase genome coverage, and improve our ability to detect rare variants associated to ALS. KW - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis KW - genome-wide association studies Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-223686 VL - 9 ER - TY - THES A1 - del Olmo Toledo, Valentina T1 - Evolution of DNA binding preferences in a family of eukaryotic transcription regulators T1 - Evolutionäre Entwicklung der Bindeaffinität an bestimmte DNA Sequenzen in einer Familie von eukaryotischen Transkriptionsfaktoren N2 - Regulation of gene expression by the control of transcription is essential for any cell to adapt to the environment and survive. Transcription regulators, i.e. sequence-specific DNA binding proteins that regulate gene expression, are central elements within the gene networks of most organisms. Transcription regulators are grouped into distinct families based on structural features that determine, to a large extent, the DNA sequence(s) that they can recognise and bind. Less is known, however, about how the DNA binding preferences can diversify within transcription regulator families during evolutionary timescales, and how such diversification can affect the biology of the organism. In this dissertation I study the SREBP (sterol regulatory element binding protein) family of transcriptional regulators in yeasts, and in Candida albicans in particular, as an experimental system to address these questions. The SREBPs are conserved from fungi to humans and represent a subgroup of basic helix-loop-helix DNA binding proteins. Early chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments with SREBPs from humans and yeasts showed that these proteins bound in vivo to the canonical DNA sequence, termed E-box, most basic helix-loop-helix proteins bind to. By contrast, most recent analysis carried out with less-studied fungal SREBPs revealed a non-canonical DNA motif to be the most overrepresented sequence in the bound regions. This study aims to establish the intrinsic DNA binding preferences of key branches of this family and to determine how the divergence in DNA binding affinities originated. To this end, I combined phylogenetic and ancestral reconstruction with extensive biochemical characterisation of key SREBP proteins. The results indicated that while the most-studied SREBPs (in mammals) indeed show preference for the E-box, a second branch of the family preferentially binds the non-E-box, and a third one is able to bind both sequences with similar affinity. The preference for one or the other DNA sequence is an intrinsic property of each protein because their purified DNA binding domain was sufficient to recapitulate their in vivo binding preference. The ancestor that gave rise to these two different types of SREBPs (the branch that binds E-box and the one that binds non-E-box DNA) appears to be a protein with a broader DNA binding capability that had a slight preference for the non-canonical motif. Thus, the results imply these two branches originated by either enhancing the original ancestral preference for non-E-box or tilting it towards the E-box DNA and flipping the preference for this sequence. The main function associated with members of the SREBP family in most eukaryotes is the control of lipid biosynthesis. I have further studied the function of these proteins in the lineage that encompasses the human associated yeast C. albicans. Strikingly, the three SREBPs present in the fungus’ genome contribute to the colonisation of the mammalian gut by regulating cellular processes unrelated to lipid metabolism. Here I describe that two of the three C. albicans SREBPs form a regulatory cascade that regulates morphology and cell wall modifications under anaerobic conditions, whereas the third SREBP has been shown to be involved in the regulation of glycolysis genes. Therefore, I posit that the described diversification in DNA binding specificity in these proteins and the concomitant expansion of targets of regulation were key in enabling this fungal lineage to associate with animals. N2 - Für jede Zelle ist es essenziell die Transkription über die Genexpression zu regulieren, um sich an unterschiedliche Lebensbedingungen anzupassen. Regulatoren der Transkription, zum Beispiel sequenzspezifische DNA-binde Proteine, sind ein zentrales Element des Genregulationsnetzwerks in den meisten Organismen. Auf Grund ihres Aufbaus sowie der daraus resultierenden spezifischen Eigenschaften DNA zu binden, werden diese Regulatoren in unterschiedliche Familien unterteilt. Bisher ist wenig darüber bekannt, wie unterschiedlich die DNA Sequenzen sein können, welche von einer Familie von Transkriptionsregulatoren gebunden werden, wie sich diese Diversität der Bindung in der Evolution über die Zeit verändert hat und ob diese unterschiedlichen Bindeaffinitäten die Biologie eines Organismus beeinflussen. In dieser Dissertation befasse ich mich mit der Transkriptionsregulator Familie der SREBPs (sterol regulatory element binding protein) in Hefen, als Modelorganismus diente dabei Candida albicans. Die Familie der SREBPs ist vom Pilz zu den Menschen genetisch weitestgehend konserviert und repräsentiert eine Unterfamilie der Helix-loop-helix DNA-binde Proteine. Erste Chromatin-Immunpräzipitation Experimente der SREBPs in Menschen und Hefen zeigen in vivo eine Bindung an eine kanonische DNA Sequenz genannt E-box, welche von den meisten der Helix-loop-helix Proteine gebunden wird. Im Gegensatz zeigen neuere Analysen, welche mit weniger bekannten SREBPs aus Pilzen durchgeführt wurden, dass hauptsächlich nicht-kanonische DNA Sequenzen gebunden werden. Diese Arbeit versucht die Präferenzen, mit welchen einige der wichtigsten Mitglieder der Familie der SREBPs an bestimmte DNA Sequenzen binden aufzudecken und heraus zu finden wie es innerhalb dieser Gruppe zu unterschiedlichen Bindungsaffinitäten kam. Dafür wurden phylogenetische Rekonstruktionsanalysen und aufwändige biochemische Charakterisierungen einiger der Proteine der SREBP Familie durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die meisten der bisher charakterisierten SREBPs (in Säugetieren) es vorziehen an die E-box Sequenz zu binden, ein anderer Zweig des SREBP Familienstammbaums bevorzugt hingegen die non-E-box Sequenz, ein dritter Zweig des Stammbaums ist in der Lage beide Sequenzen mit gleicher Affinität zu binden. Das Bevorzugen einer der beiden DNA Sequenzen ist eine natürliche Eigenschaft des jeweiligen Proteins, da in Experimenten die isolierte DNA-binde Domäne der Proteine ausreichend war, um die in vivo Bindepräferenzen zu replizieren. Der Ursprung dieser beiden Gruppen (der E-box bindenden Gruppe und der Gruppe die non-E-box Sequenzen bindet) liegt wahrscheinlich in einem Protein, welches beide Sequenzen binden konnte, mit einem Vorzug für die nicht-kanonische Sequenz. Dies impliziert, dass die Gruppen entstanden sind indem sich entweder eine Präferenz des Vorgängerproteins für die nicht-kanonische Sequenz durchgesetzt hat oder, dass sich eine Präferenz für die E-box bindende Sequenz durchgesetzt hat und somit die Affinität dahingehend verschoben wurde. Die Hauptfunktion der meisten Proteine der SREBP Familie in Eukaryoten ist die Kontrolle der Lipid Biosynthese. In meiner Arbeit habe ich mich auf die Erforschung der SREBPs in einer Gruppe von Organismen zugewandt, die auch den mit dem Menschen assoziierten Hefepilz Candida albicans umfasst. Erstaunlicherweise beeinflussen die drei SREBPs die im Candida albicans Genom zu finden sind, die Kolonisierung des Säugetierdarms, jedoch nicht durch die Kontrolle der Lipid Biosynthese. Im Folgenden werde ich beschreiben wie zwei der drei SREBPs aus Candida albicans eine regulatorische Kaskade bilden, welche Einfluss auf die Regulierung der Morphologie und der Zellwandzusammensetzung des Pilzes unter anaeroben Bedingungen hat, wohingegen das dritte Protein der SREBP Familie für die Regulierung der Glykolyse von Bedeutung ist. Ich habe festgestellt, dass die beschriebene Vielfalt mit der diese Proteine an bestimmte DNA Sequenzen binden und die damit einhergehende Expansion der regulierbaren Ziele ein wesentlicher Grund dafür ist, dass Organismen dieses Stammbaums erfolgreich Säugetiere kolonisieren können. KW - Candida albicans KW - SREBP KW - evolution Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-187890 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Demello, Margo T1 - The Rabbits of Okunoshima: How Feral Rabbits Alter Space, Create Relationships, and Communicate with People and Each Other T2 - Texts, Animals, Environments: Zoopoetics and Ecopoetics N2 - No abstract available. KW - Animal Studies KW - Cultural Animal Studies KW - Cultural Studies KW - Ecocriticism KW - Environmental Humanities KW - Human-Animal Studies KW - Literary Studies Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-178064 UR - https://www.rombach-verlag.de/buecher/suchergebnis/rombach/buch/details/texts-animals-environments.html PB - Rombach Druck- und Verlagshaus CY - Freiburg i. Br. ER - TY - THES A1 - Demmer, Claudia T1 - Merger-specific Efficiency Gains T1 - Fusionsbedingte Effizienzsteigerungen N2 - The present thesis analyzes whether and - if so - under which conditions mergers result in merger-specific efficiency gains. The analysis concentrates on manufacturing firms in Europe that participate in horizontal mergers as either buyer or target in the years 2005 to 2014. The result of the present study is that mergers are idiosyncratic processes. Thus, the possibilities to define general conditions that predict merger-specific efficiency gains are limited. However, the results of the present study indicate that efficiency gains are possible as a direct consequence of a merger. Efficiency changes can be measured by a Total Factor Productivity (TFP) approach. Significant merger-specific efficiency gains are more likely for targets than for buyers. Moreover, mergers of firms that mainly operate in the same segment are likely to generate efficiency losses. Efficiency gains most likely result from reductions in material and labor costs, especially on a short- and mid-term perspective. The analysis of conditions that predict efficiency gains indicates that firm that announce the merger themselves are capable to generate efficiency gains in a short- and mid-term perspective. Furthermore, buyers that are mid-sized firms are more likely to generate efficiency gains than small or large buyers. Results also indicate that capital intense firms are likely to generate efficiency gains after a merger. The present study is structured as follows. Chapter 1 motivates the analysis of merger-specific efficiency gains. The definition of conditions that reasonably likely predict when and to which extent mergers will result in merger-specific efficiency gains, would improve the merger approval or denial process. Chapter 2 gives a literature review of some relevant empirical studies that analyzed merger-specific efficiency gains. None of the empirical studies have analyzed horizontal mergers of European firms in the manufacturing sector in the years 2005 to 2014. Thus, the present study contributes to the existing literature by analyzing efficiency gains from those mergers. Chapter 3 focuses on the identification of mergers. The merger term is defined according to the EC Merger Regulation and the Horizontal Merger Guidelines. The definition and the requirements of mergers according to legislation provides the framework of merger identification. Chapter 4 concentrates on the efficiency measurement methodology. Most empirical studies apply a Total Factor Productivity (TFP) approach to estimate efficiency. The TFP approach uses linear regression in combination with a control function approach. The estimation of coefficients is done by a General Method of Moments approach. The resulting efficiency estimates are used in the analysis of merger-specific efficiency gains in chapter 5. This analysis is done separately for buyers and targets by applying a Difference-In-Difference (DID) approach. Chapter 6 concentrates on an alternative approach to estimate efficiency, that is a Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA) approach. Comparable to the TFP approach, the SFA approach is a stochastic efficiency estimation methodology. In contrast to TFP, SFA estimates the production function as a frontier function instead of an average function. The frontier function allows to estimate efficiency in percent. Chapter 7 analyses the impact of different merger- and firm-specific characteristics on efficiency changes of buyers and targets. The analysis is based on a multiple regression, which is applied for short-, mid- and long-term efficiency changes of buyers and targets. Chapter 8 concludes. N2 - Die Dissertation mit dem Titel 'Merger-specific Efficiency Gains' beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob und inwieweit Fusionen zu Effizienzsteigerungen der beteiligten Parteien beitragen. Die Analyse konzentriert sich dabei auf europäische Firmen im verarbeitenden Gewerbe, die im Zeitraum von 2005 bis einschließlich 2014 entweder als Käufer oder als Kaufobjekt an einer horizontalen Fusion beteiligt waren. Ergebnis dieser Dissertation ist, dass Fusionen einzigartige Prozesse sind. Allgemeingültige Aussagen hinsichtlich Zeitpunkt, Zeitraum und Umfang fusionsbedingter Effizienzgewinne sind daher nur bedingt möglich. Die Ergebnisse dieser Dissertation deuten darauf hin, dass Effienzgewinne als direkte Konsequenz einer Fusion möglich sind. Effizienzveränderungen können mithilfe einer Total Factor Productivity (TFP)-Methode gemessen werden. Signifikante fusionsbedingte Effizienzgewinne sind für gekaufte Unternehmen wahrscheinlicher als für Käufer. Desweiteren treten sie frühestens ab dem zweiten Jahr nach einer Fusion auf. Die Verschmelzung von zwei Unternehmen, die beide im gleichen Hauptsegment tätig sind, führt allerdings eher zu Effizienzverlusten als Effizienzgewinnen. Effizienzgewinne werden vor allem kurz- bis mittelfristig durch Veränderungen in den Material- und Personalkosten herbeigeführt. Insgesamt sind fusionsbedingte Effizienzgewinne eher von der Art der Firmen als von der Art der Fusion abhängig. Die Analyse der Gründe für fusionsbedingte Effizienzgewinne zeigt, dass Firmen, die die Information über die Fusion selber veröffentlichen, kurz- bis mittelfristig Effizienzgewinne generieren. Des Weiteren sind mittelgroße Käufer eher in der Lage Effizienzgewinne zu generieren als kleine oder große Käufer. Zudem zeigt die Untersuchung, dass kapitalintensivere Unternehmen häufig Effizienzgewinne nach einer Fusion generieren. Die Arbeit ist wie folgt strukturiert. In der Einleitung werden die Gründe für eine Beschäftigung mit der Frage nach fusionsbedingten Effizienzgewinnen dargelegt. Die Herausarbeitung von Faktoren, anhand derer sich der Zeitpunkt, der Umfang und der Zeitraum fusionsbedingter Effizienzgewinne bestimmen ließe, kann in der Praxis die Entscheidung für oder gegen eine Fusion erleichtern. Das zweite Kapitel beinhaltet einen Literaturüberblick über ausgewählte empirische Studien, die sich mit der Frage nach fusionsbedingten Effizienzgewinnen bereits befasst haben. Eine Studie, die horizontale Fusionen von europäischen Firmen im verarbeitenden Gewerbe zwischen 2005 und 2014 untersucht, liegt bisher nicht vor. Die vorliegende Arbeit leistet mit der Analyse von Effizienzgewinnen eben solcher Fusionen einen Beitrag zur vorhandenen Literatur. Das dritte Kapitel beschäftigt sich mit der Identifizierung von Fusionen. Die Fusionsdefinition entstammt der Europäischen Zusammenschlusskontrolle sowie den Richtlinien zur Bewertung horizontaler Fusionen. Anhand von Begriffsbestimmungen und festgelegten Kriterien schafft der europäische Gesetzgeber einen Rahmen zur Identifizierung von Fusionen. Im Fokus des vierten Kapitels steht die Effizienzschätzmethode. In empirischen Studien wird vorwiegend die TFP-Methode zur Schätzung der Effizienz eingesetzt. Die TFP-Methode bedient sich der ökonometrischen Methode der linearen Regression in Kombination mit einem Kontrollfunktionsansatz. Die Schätzung der Parameter erfolgt mit Hilfe der verallgemeinerten Momentenmethode. Die Ergebnisse der Effizienzschätzung gehen im fünften Kapitel in die Analyse fusionsbedinger Effizienzgewinne ein. Die Analyse erfolgt unter Zuhilfenahme der Difference-In-Difference (DID)-Methode und wird für Käufer und Gekaufte separat durchgeführt. Das sechste Kapitel beschäftigt sich mit einer alternativen Methode zur Effizienzschätzung, der Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA)-Methode. Vergleichbar zur TFP-Methode handelt es sich um eine stochastische Methode. Im Gegensatz zur TFP-Methode wird die Produktionsfunktion als Grenzfunktion und nicht als durchschnittliche Funktion geschätzt. So ist es möglich, Effizienz in Prozent auszudrücken. Es folgt im siebten Kapitel eine Analyse des Einflusses verschiedener fusions- und firmenspezifischer Faktoren auf die Effizienzveränderung bei Käufern und Gekauften. Die Analyse erfolgt mittels einer multiplen Regression und wird separat für kurz-, mittel- und langfristige Veränderung der Effizienz von Käufern und Gekauften durchgeführt. Im achten Kapitel folgt die Schlussbetrachtung. KW - Verarbeitende Industrie KW - Merger-specific Efficiency Gains KW - Mergers and Acquisitions KW - Effizienzsteigerung KW - Total Factor Productivity KW - Mergers KW - Efficiency Gains KW - TFP Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-183928 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Deol, Kirandeep K. A1 - Lorenz, Sonja A1 - Strieter, Eric R. T1 - Enzymatic logic of ubiquitin chain assembly JF - Frontiers in Physiology N2 - Protein ubiquitination impacts virtually every biochemical pathway in eukaryotic cells. The fate of a ubiquitinated protein is largely dictated by the type of ubiquitin modification with which it is decorated, including a large variety of polymeric chains. As a result, there have been intense efforts over the last two decades to dissect the molecular details underlying the synthesis of ubiquitin chains by ubiquitin-conjugating (E2) enzymes and ubiquitin ligases (E3s). In this review, we highlight these advances. We discuss the evidence in support of the alternative models of transferring one ubiquitin at a time to a growing substrate-linked chain (sequential addition model) versus transferring a pre-assembled ubiquitin chain (en bloc model) to a substrate. Against this backdrop, we outline emerging principles of chain assembly: multisite interactions, distinct mechanisms of chain initiation and elongation, optimal positioning of ubiquitin molecules that are ultimately conjugated to each other, and substrate-assisted catalysis. Understanding the enzymatic logic of ubiquitin chain assembly has important biomedical implications, as the misregulation of many E2s and E3s and associated perturbations in ubiquitin chain formation contribute to human disease. The resurgent interest in bifunctional small molecules targeting pathogenic proteins to specific E3s for polyubiquitination and subsequent degradation provides an additional incentive to define the mechanisms responsible for efficient and specific chain synthesis and harness them for therapeutic benefit. KW - ubiquitin KW - E2 conjugating enzyme KW - E3 ligating enzyme KW - sequential addition KW - en bloc transfer Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201731 VL - 10 IS - 835 ER - TY - THES A1 - Derakhshani, Shaghayegh T1 - Measles virus infection enhances dendritic cell migration in a 3D environment T1 - Die Masernvirusinfektion verstärkt die Migration dendritischer Zellen in einer 3D-Umgebung N2 - The respiratory system is amongst the most important compartments in the human body. Due to its connection to the external environment, it is one of the most common portals of pathogen entry. Airborne pathogens like measles virus (MV) carried in liquid droplets exhaled from the infected individuals via a cough or sneeze enter the body from the upper respiratory tract and travel down to the lower respiratory tract and reach the alveoli. There, pathogens are captured by the resident dendritic cells (DCs) or macrophages and brought to the lymph node where immune responses or, as in case of MV, dissemination via the hematopoietic cell compartment are initiated. Basic mechanisms governing MV exit from the respiratory tract, especially virus transmission from infected immune cells to the epithelial cells have not been fully addressed before. Considering the importance of these factors in the viral spread, a complex close-to-in-vivo 3D human respiratory tract model was generated. This model was established using de-cellularized porcine intestine tissue as a biological scaffold and H358 cells as targets for infection. The scaffold was embedded with fibroblast cells, and later on, an endothelial cell layer seeded at the basolateral side. This provided an environment resembling the respiratory tract where MV infected DCs had to transmigrate through the collagen scaffold and transmit the virus to epithelial cells in a Nectin-4 dependent manner. For viral transmission, the access of infected DCs to the recipient epithelial cells is an essential prerequisite and therefore, this important factor which is reflected by cell migration was analyzed in this 3D system. The enhanced motility of specifically MV-infected DCs in the 3D models was observed, which occurred independently of factors released from the other cell types in the models. Enhanced motility of infected DCs in 3D collagen matrices suggested infection-induced cytoskeletal remodeling, as also verified by detection of cytoskeletal polarization, uropod formation. This enforced migration was sensitive to ROCK inhibition revealing that MV infection induces an amoeboid migration mode in DCs. In support of this, the formation of podosome structures and filopodia, as well as their activity, were reduced in infected DCs and retained in their uninfected siblings. Differential migration modes of uninfected and infected DCs did not cause differential maturation, which was found to be identical for both populations. As an underlying mechanism driving this enforced migration, the role of sphingosine kinase (SphK) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) was studied in MV-exposed cultures. It was shown in this thesis that MV-infection increased S1P production, and this was identified as a contributing factor as inhibition sphingosine kinase activity abolished enforced migration of MV-infected DCs. These findings revealed that MV infection induces a fast push-and-squeeze amoeboid mode of migration, which is supported by SphK/S1P axis. However, this push-and-squeeze amoeboid migration mode did not prevent the transendothelial migration of MV-infected DCs. Altogether, this 3D system has been proven to be a suitable model to study specific parameters of mechanisms involved in infections in an in vivo-like conditions. N2 - Die respiratorische System ist ein wesentlicher physiologischer Bestandteil. Durch die direkte und konstante Verbindung der Atemwege mit der äußeren Umgebung sind sie einer der häufigsten Pfade für den Eintritt von Krankheitserregern in den Körper. Luftübertragene Krankheitserreger wie das Masern-Virus (MV), das in Flüssigkeitströpfchen mitgeführt und von Patienten durch Husten oder Niesen ausgeatmet wird, können über die oberen Atemwege in den Körper gelangen und sich bis in die unteren Atemwege und bis zu den Alveolen ausbreiten. Dort werden diese Krankheitserreger von den dort residenten dendritischen Zellen (DC) oder Makrophagen erworben und zu sekundären lymphatischen Organen transportiert, in denen sowohl virus-spezifische Immunantworten, aber auch – wie im Falle von MV – die hämatogene Dissemination initiiert wird. Der Austrittsmechanismus des MV aus den Atemwegen, insbesondere dessen Übertragung von infizierten Immunzellen auf die Epithelzellen und die Faktoren, die diesen Ablauf bestimmen, wurden jedoch bisher unzureichend untersucht. In Anbetracht der Bedeutung dieser Faktoren für die Virusausbreitung wurde ein komplexes, realitätsnahes in-vivo 3D-Modell der menschlichen Atemwege erstellt. Dieses Modell wurde unter Verwendung von de-zellularisiertem Schweinedarmgewebe als biologischem Gerüst und H358 Epithelzellen als Empfänger etabliert. Dieses Grundgerüst wurde mit Fibroblastenzellen eingebettet. Später wurde auf der basolateralen Seite der Modelle eine Endothelzellschicht eingebracht, um eine Umgebung zu schaffen, die der der Atemwege ähnelt. Somit mussten die Virus-Donoren, MV-infizierte DC durch das Kollagengerüst wandern und das Virus auf Epithelzellen in einer Nektin-4 abhängigen Weise übertragen. Für die Virusübertragung ist der Zugang infizierter DC zu den Empfänger-Epithelzellen eine wesentliche Voraussetzung, weshalb dieser wichtige Faktor, der sich in der Zellmigration widerspiegelt, in diesem 3D-System analysiert wurde. Eine erhöhte Beweglichkeit spezifisch MV-infizierter DCs wurde in den 3D-Modellen beobachtet. Dies erwies sich als unabhängig von löslichen Faktoren der anderen Zelltypen in den Modellen. Erhöhte Beweglichkeit infizierten DCs wurde auch in 3D-Kollagenmatrizes gesehen, was auf einen infektionsvermittelten zytoskelettalen Umbau hindeutete, der auch anhand von Zytoskelettpolarisation und Uropodbildung bestätigt wurde. Die MV-Infektion induzierte einen schnellen amöboiden Migrationsmodus in den DCs, der sich als sensitiv gegenüber ROCK-Hemmung erwies. Im Gegensatz zu uninfizierten DCs gleichen Reifungsstadiums waren in infizierten DCs Podosomenstrukturen und Filopodien sowie deren Aktivität stark reduziert. Als potentiell zur verstärkten Motilität infizierter DCs beitragender Faktor wurde die Rolle der Sphingosinkinase (SphK) und des Sphingosin-1-phosphats (S1P) in MV-exponierten Kulturen untersucht. In dieser Arbeit wurde gezeigt, dass die S1P-Produktion durch eine MV-Infektion erhöht wurde, und in der Tat zur für infizierte DCs beobachteten erhöhten Geschwindigkeit beitrug, da diese sensitiv gegenüber Hemmung der Sphingosinkinase-Aktivität war. Diese Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die MV-Infektion einen schnellen amöboid-artigen Migrationsmodus induziert, der von der SphK/S1P-Achse unterstützt wird. Dieser Push-and-Squeeze-Amoeboid-Migrationsmodus verhinderte jedoch nicht die transendotheliale Migration von MV-infizierten DCs. Insgesamt hat sich dieses 3D-System als geeignetes Modell erwiesen, um die spezifische Parameter von Mechanismen von Infektionen in einem in-vivo-ähnlichen Zustand zu untersuchen. KW - Dendritische Zelle KW - Zell Migration KW - Masern-Virus KW - 3D-Modell KW - Sphingosine-1-phosphats KW - Dendritic cell KW - Cell migration KW - Measles virus KW - 3D tissue model KW - Tissue engineering KW - Sphingosine-1-phosphate Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-189182 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Derakhshani, Shaghayegh A1 - Kurz, Andreas A1 - Japtok, Lukasz A1 - Schumacher, Fabian A1 - Pilgram, Lisa A1 - Steinke, Maria A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Sauer, Markus A1 - Schneider-Schaulies, Sibylle A1 - Avota, Elita T1 - Measles virus infection fosters dendritic cell motility in a 3D environment to enhance transmission to target cells in the respiratory epithelium JF - Frontiers in Immunology N2 - Transmission of measles virus (MV) from dendritic to airway epithelial cells is considered as crucial to viral spread late in infection. Therefore, pathways and effectors governing this process are promising targets for intervention. To identify these, we established a 3D respiratory tract model where MV transmission by infected dendritic cells (DCs) relied on the presence of nectin-4 on H358 lung epithelial cells. Access to recipient cells is an important prerequisite for transmission, and we therefore analyzed migration of MV-exposed DC cultures within the model. Surprisingly, enhanced motility toward the epithelial layer was observed for MV-infected DCs as compared to their uninfected siblings. This occurred independently of factors released from H358 cells indicating that MV infection triggered cytoskeletal remodeling associated with DC polarization enforced velocity. Accordingly, the latter was also observed for MV-infected DCs in collagen matrices and was particularly sensitive to ROCK inhibition indicating infected DCs preferentially employed the amoeboid migration mode. This was also implicated by loss of podosomes and reduced filopodial activity both of which were retained in MV-exposed uninfected DCs. Evidently, sphingosine kinase (SphK) and sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) as produced in response to virus-infection in DCs contributed to enhanced velocity because this was abrogated upon inhibition of sphingosine kinase activity. These findings indicate that MV infection promotes a push-and-squeeze fast amoeboid migration mode via the SphK/S1P system characterized by loss of filopodia and podosome dissolution. Consequently, this enables rapid trafficking of virus toward epithelial cells during viral exit. KW - dendritic cell KW - cell migration KW - measles virus KW - 3D tissue model KW - sphingosine-1-phosphate Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201818 VL - 10 IS - 1294 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Diehl-Schmid, Janine A1 - Licata, Abigail A1 - Goldhardt, Oliver A1 - Förstl, Hans A1 - Yakushew, Igor A1 - Otto, Markus A1 - Anderl-Straub, Sarah A1 - Beer, Ambros A1 - Ludolph, Albert Christian A1 - Landwehrmeyer, Georg Bernhard A1 - Levin, Johannes A1 - Danek, Adrian A1 - Fliessbach, Klaus A1 - Spottke, Annika A1 - Fassbender, Klaus A1 - Lyros, Epameinondas A1 - Prudlo, Johannes A1 - Krause, Bernd Joachim A1 - Volk, Alexander A1 - Edbauer, Dieter A1 - Schroeter, Matthias Leopold A1 - Drzezga, Alexander A1 - Kornhuber, Johannes A1 - Lauer, Martin A1 - Grimmer, Timo T1 - FDG-PET underscores the key role of the thalamus in frontotemporal lobar degeneration caused by C9ORF72 mutations JF - Translational Psychiatry N2 - C9ORF72 mutations are the most common cause of familial frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). MRI studies have investigated structural changes in C9ORF72-associated FTLD (C9FTLD) and provided first insights about a prominent involvement of the thalamus and the cerebellum. Our multicenter, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography study of 22 mutation carriers with FTLD, 22 matched non-carriers with FTLD, and 23 cognitively healthy controls provided valuable insights into functional changes in C9FTLD: compared to non-carriers, mutation carriers showed a significant reduction of glucose metabolism in both thalami, underscoring the key role of the thalamus in C9FTLD. Thalamic metabolism did not correlate with disease severity, duration of disease, or the presence of psychotic symptoms. Against our expectations we could not demonstrate a cerebellar hypometabolism in carriers or non-carriers. Future imaging and neuropathological studies in large patient cohorts are required to further elucidate the central role of the thalamus in C9FTLD. KW - diagnostic markers KW - psychiatric disorders Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-225308 VL - 9 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Diers, J. A1 - Wagner, J. A1 - Baum, P. A1 - Lichthardt, S. A1 - Kastner, C. A1 - Matthes, N. A1 - Löb, S. A1 - Matthes, H. A1 - Germer, C.-T. A1 - Wiegering, A. T1 - Nationwide in-hospital mortality following colonic cancer resection according to hospital volume in Germany JF - BJS Open N2 - Background: Colonic cancer is the most common cancer of the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this study was to determine mortality rates following colonic cancer resection and the effect of hospital caseload on in-hospital mortality in Germany. Methods: Patients admitted with a diagnosis of colonic cancer undergoing colonic resection from 2012 to 2015 were identifed from a nationwide registry using procedure codes. The outcome measure was in-hospital mortality. Hospitals were ranked according to their caseload for colonic cancer resection, and patients were categorized into five subgroups on the basis of hospital volume. Results: Some 129 196 colonic cancer resections were reviewed. The overall in-house mortality rate was 5⋅8 per cent, ranging from 6⋅9 per cent (1775 of 25 657 patients) in very low-volume hospitals to 4⋅8 per cent (1239 of 25 825) in very high-volume centres (P < 0⋅001). In multivariable logistic regression analysis the risk-adjusted odds ratio for in-house mortality was 0⋅75 (95 per cent c.i. 0⋅66 to 0⋅84) in very high-volume hospitals performing a mean of 85⋅0 interventions per year, compared with that in very low-volume hospitals performing a mean of only 12⋅7 interventions annually, after adjustment for sex, age, co-morbidity, emergency procedures, prolonged mechanical ventilation and transfusion. Conclusion: In Germany, patients undergoing colonic cancer resections in high-volume hospitals had with improved outcomes compared with patients treated in low-volume hospitals Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-204385 VL - 3 IS - 5 ER - TY - THES A1 - Dietrich, Georg T1 - Ad Hoc Information Extraction in a Clinical Data Warehouse with Case Studies for Data Exploration and Consistency Checks T1 - Ad Hoc Informationsextraktion in einem Klinischen Data-Warehouse mit Fallstudien zur Datenexploration und Konsistenzüberprüfungen N2 - The importance of Clinical Data Warehouses (CDW) has increased significantly in recent years as they support or enable many applications such as clinical trials, data mining, and decision making. CDWs integrate Electronic Health Records which still contain a large amount of text data, such as discharge letters or reports on diagnostic findings in addition to structured and coded data like ICD-codes of diagnoses. Existing CDWs hardly support features to gain information covered in texts. Information extraction methods offer a solution for this problem but they have a high and long development effort, which can only be carried out by computer scientists. Moreover, such systems only exist for a few medical domains. This paper presents a method empowering clinicians to extract information from texts on their own. Medical concepts can be extracted ad hoc from e.g. discharge letters, thus physicians can work promptly and autonomously. The proposed system achieves these improvements by efficient data storage, preprocessing, and with powerful query features. Negations in texts are recognized and automatically excluded, as well as the context of information is determined and undesired facts are filtered, such as historical events or references to other persons (family history). Context-sensitive queries ensure the semantic integrity of the concepts to be extracted. A new feature not available in other CDWs is to query numerical concepts in texts and even filter them (e.g. BMI > 25). The retrieved values can be extracted and exported for further analysis. This technique is implemented within the efficient architecture of the PaDaWaN CDW and evaluated with comprehensive and complex tests. The results outperform similar approaches reported in the literature. Ad hoc IE determines the results in a few (milli-) seconds and a user friendly GUI enables interactive working, allowing flexible adaptation of the extraction. In addition, the applicability of this system is demonstrated in three real-world applications at the Würzburg University Hospital (UKW). Several drug trend studies are replicated: Findings of five studies on high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and chronic renal failure can be partially or completely confirmed in the UKW. Another case study evaluates the prevalence of heart failure in inpatient hospitals using an algorithm that extracts information with ad hoc IE from discharge letters and echocardiogram report (e.g. LVEF < 45 ) and other sources of the hospital information system. This study reveals that the use of ICD codes leads to a significant underestimation (31%) of the true prevalence of heart failure. The third case study evaluates the consistency of diagnoses by comparing structured ICD-10-coded diagnoses with the diagnoses described in the diagnostic section of the discharge letter. These diagnoses are extracted from texts with ad hoc IE, using synonyms generated with a novel method. The developed approach can extract diagnoses from the discharge letter with a high accuracy and furthermore it can prove the degree of consistency between the coded and reported diagnoses. N2 - Die Bedeutung von Clinical Data Warehouses (CDW) hat in den letzten Jahren stark zugenommen, da sie viele Anwendungen wie klinische Studien, Data Mining und Entscheidungsfindung unterstützen oder ermöglichen. CDWs integrieren elektronische Patientenakten, die neben strukturierten und kodierten Daten wie ICD-Codes von Diagnosen immer noch sehr vielen Textdaten enthalten, sowie Arztbriefe oder Befundberichte. Bestehende CDWs unterstützen kaum Funktionen, um die in den Texten enthaltenen Informationen zu nutzen. Informationsextraktionsmethoden bieten zwar eine Lösung für dieses Problem, erfordern aber einen hohen und langen Entwicklungsaufwand, der nur von Informatikern durchgeführt werden kann. Außerdem gibt es solche Systeme nur für wenige medizinische Bereiche. Diese Arbeit stellt eine Methode vor, die es Ärzten ermöglicht, Informationen aus Texten selbstständig zu extrahieren. Medizinische Konzepte können ad hoc aus Texten (z. B. Arztbriefen) extrahiert werden, so dass Ärzte unverzüglich und autonom arbeiten können. Das vorgestellte System erreicht diese Verbesserungen durch effiziente Datenspeicherung, Vorverarbeitung und leistungsstarke Abfragefunktionen. Negationen in Texten werden erkannt und automatisch ausgeschlossen, ebenso wird der Kontext von Informationen bestimmt und unerwünschte Fakten gefiltert, wie z. B. historische Ereignisse oder ein Bezug zu anderen Personen (Familiengeschichte). Kontextsensitive Abfragen gewährleisten die semantische Integrität der zu extrahierenden Konzepte. Eine neue Funktion, die in anderen CDWs nicht verfügbar ist, ist die Abfrage numerischer Konzepte in Texten und sogar deren Filterung (z. B. BMI > 25). Die abgerufenen Werte können extrahiert und zur weiteren Analyse exportiert werden. Diese Technik wird innerhalb der effizienten Architektur des PaDaWaN-CDW implementiert und mit umfangreichen und aufwendigen Tests evaluiert. Die Ergebnisse übertreffen ähnliche Ansätze, die in der Literatur beschrieben werden. Ad hoc IE ermittelt die Ergebnisse in wenigen (Milli-)Sekunden und die benutzerfreundliche Oberfläche ermöglicht interaktives Arbeiten und eine flexible Anpassung der Extraktion. Darüber hinaus wird die Anwendbarkeit dieses Systems in drei realen Anwendungen am Universitätsklinikum Würzburg (UKW) demonstriert: Mehrere Medikationstrendstudien werden repliziert: Die Ergebnisse aus fünf Studien zu Bluthochdruck, Vorhofflimmern und chronischem Nierenversagen können in dem UKW teilweise oder vollständig bestätigt werden. Eine weitere Fallstudie bewertet die Prävalenz von Herzinsuffizienz in stationären Patienten in Krankenhäusern mit einem Algorithmus, der Informationen mit Ad-hoc-IE aus Arztbriefen, Echokardiogrammbericht und aus anderen Quellen des Krankenhausinformationssystems extrahiert (z. B. LVEF < 45). Diese Studie zeigt, dass die Verwendung von ICD-Codes zu einer signifikanten Unterschätzung (31%) der tatsächlichen Prävalenz von Herzinsuffizienz führt. Die dritte Fallstudie bewertet die Konsistenz von Diagnosen, indem sie strukturierte ICD-10-codierte Diagnosen mit den Diagnosen, die im Diagnoseabschnitt des Arztbriefes beschriebenen, vergleicht. Diese Diagnosen werden mit Ad-hoc-IE aus den Texten gewonnen, dabei werden Synonyme verwendet, die mit einer neuartigen Methode generiert werden. Der verwendete Ansatz kann Diagnosen mit hoher Genauigkeit aus Arztbriefen extrahieren und darüber hinaus den Grad der Übereinstimmung zwischen den kodierten und beschriebenen Diagnosen bestimmen. KW - Information Extraction KW - information extraction KW - information retrieval KW - Clinical Data Warehouse KW - negation detection KW - natural language processing KW - Data-Warehouse-Konzept KW - Klinisches Experiment KW - Data Warehouse Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-184642 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dietrich, Georg A1 - Krebs, Jonathan A1 - Liman, Leon A1 - Fette, Georg A1 - Ertl, Maximilian A1 - Kaspar, Mathias A1 - Störk, Stefan A1 - Puppe, Frank T1 - Replicating medication trend studies using ad hoc information extraction in a clinical data warehouse JF - BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making N2 - Background Medication trend studies show the changes of medication over the years and may be replicated using a clinical Data Warehouse (CDW). Even nowadays, a lot of the patient information, like medication data, in the EHR is stored in the format of free text. As the conventional approach of information extraction (IE) demands a high developmental effort, we used ad hoc IE instead. This technique queries information and extracts it on the fly from texts contained in the CDW. Methods We present a generalizable approach of ad hoc IE for pharmacotherapy (medications and their daily dosage) presented in hospital discharge letters. We added import and query features to the CDW system, like error tolerant queries to deal with misspellings and proximity search for the extraction of the daily dosage. During the data integration process in the CDW, negated, historical and non-patient context data are filtered. For the replication studies, we used a drug list grouped by ATC (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System) codes as input for queries to the CDW. Results We achieve an F1 score of 0.983 (precision 0.997, recall 0.970) for extracting medication from discharge letters and an F1 score of 0.974 (precision 0.977, recall 0.972) for extracting the dosage. We replicated three published medical trend studies for hypertension, atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease. Overall, 93% of the main findings could be replicated, 68% of sub-findings, and 75% of all findings. One study could be completely replicated with all main and sub-findings. Conclusion A novel approach for ad hoc IE is presented. It is very suitable for basic medical texts like discharge letters and finding reports. Ad hoc IE is by definition more limited than conventional IE and does not claim to replace it, but it substantially exceeds the search capabilities of many CDWs and it is convenient to conduct replication studies fast and with high quality. KW - data warehouse KW - medication extraction KW - information extraction Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-200409 VL - 19 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dietrich, Laura A1 - Meister, Julia A1 - Dietrich, Oliver A1 - Notroff, Jens A1 - Kiep, Janika A1 - Heeb, Julia A1 - Beuger, André A1 - Schütt, Brigitta T1 - Cereal processing at Early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe, southeastern Turkey JF - PLoS ONE N2 - We analyze the processing of cereals and its role at Early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe, southeastern Anatolia (10th / 9th millennium BC), a site that has aroused much debate in archaeological discourse. To date, only zooarchaeological evidence has been discussed in regard to the subsistence of its builders. Göbekli Tepe consists of monumental round to oval buildings, erected in an earlier phase, and smaller rectangular buildings, built around them in a partially contemporaneous and later phase. The monumental buildings are best known as they were in the focus of research. They are around 20 m in diameter and have stone pillars that are up to 5.5 m high and often richly decorated. The rectangular buildings are smaller and–in some cases–have up to 2 m high, mostly undecorated, pillars. Especially striking is the number of tools related to food processing, including grinding slabs/bowls, handstones, pestles, and mortars, which have not been studied before. We analyzed more than 7000 artifacts for the present contribution. The high frequency of artifacts is unusual for contemporary sites in the region. Using an integrated approach of formal, experimental, and macro- / microscopical use-wear analyses we show that Neolithic people at Göbekli Tepe have produced standardized and efficient grinding tools, most of which have been used for the processing of cereals. Additional phytolith analysis confirms the massive presence of cereals at the site, filling the gap left by the weakly preserved charred macro-rests. The organization of work and food supply has always been a central question of research into Göbekli Tepe, as the construction and maintenance of the monumental architecture would have necessitated a considerable work force. Contextual analyses of the distribution of the elements of the grinding kit on site highlight a clear link between plant food preparation and the rectangular buildings and indicate clear delimitations of working areas for food production on the terraces the structures lie on, surrounding the circular buildings. There is evidence for extensive plant food processing and archaeozoological data hint at large-scale hunting of gazelle between midsummer and autumn. As no large storage facilities have been identified, we argue for a production of food for immediate use and interpret these seasonal peaks in activity at the site as evidence for the organization of large work feasts. KW - Specimen grinding KW - Archaeology KW - Neolithic period KW - Sediment KW - Equipment KW - Stratigraphy KW - Limestone KW - Meat Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201504 VL - 14 IS - 5 ER -