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In order to investigate the empirical properties of focus, it is necessary to diagnose focus (or: “what is focused”) in particular linguistic examples. It is often taken for granted that the application of one single diagnostic tool, the so-called question-answer test, which roughly says that whatever a question asks for is focused in the answer, is a fool-proof test for focus. This paper investigates one example class where such uncritical belief in the question-answer test has led to the assumption of rather complex focus projection rules: in these examples, pitch accent placement has been claimed to depend on certain parts of the focused constituents being given or not. It is demonstrated that such focus projection rules are unnecessarily complex and in turn require the assumption of unnecessarily complicated meaning rules, not to speak of the difficulties to give a precise semantic/pragmatic definition of the allegedly involved givenness property. For the sake of the argument, an alternative analysis is put forward which relies solely on alternative sets following Mats Rooth´s work, and avoids any recourse to givenness. As it turns out, this alternative analysis is not only simpler but also makes in a critical case the better predictions.
This paper investigates the structural properties of morphosyntactically marked focus constructions, focussing on the often neglected non-focal sentence part in African tone languages. Based on new empirical evidence from five Gur and Kwa languages, we claim that these focus expressions have to be analysed as biclausal constructions even though they do not represent clefts containing restrictive relative clauses. First, we relativize the partly overgeneralized assumptions about structural correspondences between the out-of-focus part and relative clauses, and second, we show that our data do in fact support the hypothesis of a clause coordinating pattern as present in clause sequences in narration. It is argued that we deal with a non-accidental, systematic feature and that grammaticalization may conceal such basic narrative structures.
In this paper, we present the Multiple Annotation approach, which solves two problems: the problem of annotating overlapping structures, and the problem that occurs when documents should be annotated according to different, possibly heterogeneous tag sets. This approach has many advantages: it is based on XML, the modeling of alternative annotations is possible, each level can be viewed separately, and new levels can be added at any time. The files can be regarded as an interrelated unit, with the text serving as the implicit link. Two representations of the information contained in the multiple files (one in Prolog and one in XML) are described. These representations serve as a base for several applications.
Heterogeneity and standardization in data, use, and annotation : a diachronic corpus of German
(2005)
This paper describes the standardization problems that come up in a diachronic corpus: it has to cope with differing standards with regard to diplomaticity, annotation, and header information. Such highly heterogeneous texts must be standardized to allow for comparative research without (too much) loss of information.
The present study examines native and nonnative perceptual processing of semantic information conveyed by prosodic prominence. Five groups of German learners of English each listened to one of 5 experimental conditions. Three conditions differed in place of focus accent in the sentence and two conditions were with spliced stimuli. The experiment condition was presented first in the learners’ L1 (German) and then in a similar set in the L2 (English). The effect of the accent condition and of the length and position of the target in the sentence was evaluated in a probe recognition task. In both the L1 and L2 tasks there was no significant effect in any of the five focus conditions. Target position and target word length had an effect in the L1 task. Word length did not affect accuracy rates in the L2 task. For probe recognition in the L2, word length and the position of the target interacted with the focus condition.
We present a system for the linguistic exploration and analysis of lexical cohesion in English texts. Using an electronic thesaurus-like resource, Princeton WordNet, and the Brown Corpus of English, we have implemented a process of annotating text with lexical chains and a graphical user interface for inspection of the annotated text. We describe the system and report on some sample linguistic analyses carried out using the combined thesaurus-corpus resource.
When a statistical parser is trained on one treebank, one usually tests it on another portion of the same treebank, partly due to the fact that a comparable annotation format is needed for testing. But the user of a parser may not be interested in parsing sentences from the same newspaper all over, or even wants syntactic annotations for a slightly different text type. Gildea (2001) for instance found that a parser trained on the WSJ portion of the Penn Treebank performs less well on the Brown corpus (the subset that is available in the PTB bracketing format) than a parser that has been trained only on the Brown corpus, although the latter one has only half as many sentences as the former. Additionally, a parser trained on both the WSJ and Brown corpora performs less well on the Brown corpus than on the WSJ one. This leads us to the following questions that we would like to address in this paper: - Is there a difference in usefulness of techniques that are used to improve parser performance between the same-corpus and the different-corpus case? - Are different types of parsers (rule-based and statistical) equally sensitive to corpus variation? To achieve this, we compared the quality of the parses of a hand-crafted constraint-based parser and a statistical PCFG-based parser that was trained on a treebank of German newspaper text.
In this paper I will discuss the formation of different types of yes/no questions in Serbian (examples in (1)), focusing on the syntactically and semantically puzzling example (1d), which involves the negative auxiliary inversion. Although there is a negative marker on the fronted auxiliary, the construction does not involve sentential negation. This coincides with the fact that the negative quantifying NPIs cannot be licensed. The question formation and sentential negation have similar syntactic effects cross-linguistically. This has led to various attempts to formulate a unifying syntactic account of the phenomena (ever since Klima 1964). One striking fact about the two syntactic contexts is that both license weak NPIs (Negative Polarity Items). It has been suggested (cf. Laka 1990, Culicover 1991) that the derivation of both interrogatives and negatives involves the same type of functional projection PolP (polarity phrase). One such account of the formation of negative interrogatives in Serbo- Croatian is offered by Progovac (2005). She proposes that there are two PolPs optionally cooccurring in the same clause, in which both positive and negative polarity items check their positive or negative features (following Haegeman and Zanuttini (1991) feature-checking account of negative structures, and the insights of Brown(1999) on the negation in Russian). On her account, the negative auxiliary question in (1d), is the case when both polarity phrases are present. The higher has [-pos +neg] features, and the lower one (below TP) is [-pos -neg]. Although her account correctly predicts the ungrammaticality of (2a) in contrast with (1c), it wrongly predicts the (2b) to be grammatical. I will argue that Progovac’s theory regarding the nature of the PolP is wrong. It employs both the binary feature valuation on the polarity head and the hierarchical ordering of the two polarity phrases, which eventually leads to overgeneration. On the account presented here the nature of the question marker (li vs zar) is highly relevant. Notice that (1b) and (1d) express presuppositions regarding the truth value of the propositions. In this way they contrast with (1a) and (1c). In addition, the type (1b) (with the question particle zar) can introduce both the positive and negative presupposition as shown in (3), which, semantically, makes this construction compatible with negative auxiliary questions in English (4a). The polarity items licensed in the relevant structures are also of the same type in both languages. The fronted-negative-auxiliary questions (1d) in Serbian are only possible with the particle li. In this case the presupposition is exclusively positive. The peculiar question/focus marking function of li (in Bulgarian and Russian) is well known. However, it is always assumed that its focus marking role is not relevant for the formation of yes/no questions. This I believe is not correct. The syntactic explanation of the interpretational facts points to the following: A) The possibility of the separate lexical encoding (particle zar) of the ‘rhetorical’ yes/no questions in Serbian allows the embedding of both positive and negated sentences, in which case the (weak) NPIs can remain in local relation with the negated verb. B) Recall that Serbian is an NC language, which requires local/c-command relation between the verbal negative marker and the NPI. With the negative inverted auxiliary questions this condition is not met, and the licensing of an n-word is not possible. C) The impossibility of licensing a weak NPI (i-words in the examples below) is due to the nature of the question marker li. (1) a. Da li je Vera videla ikoga / nekoga / *nikoga? DA Q aux Vera see.part.F.Sg anyone someone noone “Did Vera see anyone/someone/noone?” b. Zar je Vera videla ikoga / nekoga / *nikoga? ZAR aux Vera see.part.F.Sg anyone someone noone “Is it really the fact that Vera saw anyone/someone?” c. Je li Vera videla ikoga / nekoga /*nikoga? aux Q Vera see.part.F.Sg anyone someone noone “Did Vera see anyone/someone/noone?” d. Nije li Vera videla *ikoga / nekoga / *nikoga? neg+aux Q Vera see.part.F.Sg anyone someone noone “Didn’t Vera see someone?”/ “Vera saw someone, didn’t she?” (2) a. *Nije li Vera videla nikoga? neg+aux Q Vera see.part.F.Sg noone b. *Nije li Vera videla ikoga? neg+aux Q Vera see.part.F.Sg anyone (3) a. Zar je Vera videla nekoga / ikoga? ZAR aux Vera see.part.F.Sg someone/anyone b. Zar Vera nije videla nekoga/nikoga? ZAR Vera neg+aux see.part.F.Sg someone/anyone (4) a. Didn’t Vera (NOT) see someone/anyone? b. Vera saw someone, didn’t she?
Since Donald Davidson’s seminal work “The Logical Form of Action Sentences” (1967) event arguments have become an integral component of virtually every semantic theory. Over the past years Davidson´s proposal has been continuously extended such that nowadays event(uality) arguments are generally associated not only with action verbs but with predicates of all sorts. The reasons for such an extension are seldom explicitly justified. Most problematical in this respect is the case of stative expressions. By taking a closer look at copula sentences the present study assesses the legitimacy of stretching the Davidsonian notion of events and discusses its consequences. A careful application of some standard eventuality diagnostics (perception reports, combination with locative modifiers and manner adverbials) as well as some new diagnostics (behavior of certain degree adverbials) reveals that copular expressions do not behave as expected under a Davidsonian perspective: they fail all eventuality tests, regardless of whether they represent stage-level or individual-level predicates. In this respect, copular expressions pattern with stative verbs like know, hate, and resemble, which in turn differ sharply from state verbs like stand, sit, and sleep. The latter pass all of the eventuality tests and therefore qualify as true “Davidsonian state” expressions. On the basis of these empirical observations and taking up ideas of Kim (1969, 1976) and Asher (1993, 2000), an alternative account of copular expressions (and stative verbs) is provided, according to which the copula introduces a referential argument for a temporally bound property exemplification (= “Kimian state”). Considerations on some logical properties, viz. closure conditions and the latent infinite regress of eventualities, suggest that supplementing Davidsonian eventualities with Kimian states may yield not only a more adequate analysis of copula sentences but also a better understanding of eventualities in general.
“Comments are very welcome!” This basic attitude and the many ways of implementing it contribute immensely to the fascination of engaging in scientific research. I am grateful to Theoretical Linguistics for providing a public platform for this kind of scholarly exchange and I thank all commentators for their thoughtful, stimulating, and often challenging contributions to my target article. My response will address two main issues that are raised by the commentaries. The first issue is shaped by a cluster of questions relating to ontology. The second issue concerns questions of methodology pertaining in particular to the problem of judging data.
The study offers a discourse-based account of the Spanish copula forms ser and estar, which are generally considered to be lexical exponents of the stage-level/individual-level contrast. It argues against the popular view that the distinction between SLPs and ILPs rests on a fundamental cognitive division of the world that is reflected in the grammar. As it happens, conceptual oppositions like “temporary vs. permanent” or “arbitrary vs. essential“ provide only a preference for the interpretation of estar and ser. In addition, the evidence for an SLP/ILP impact on the grammar turns out to be far less conclusive than is currently assumed. The study argues against event-based accounts of the ser/estar contrast in particular, showing that ser and estar pattern alike in failing all of the standard eventuality tests. The discourse-based account proposed instead assumes that ser and estar both display the same lexical semantics (which is identical to the semantics of English be, German sein, etc.); estar differs from ser only in presupposing a relation to a specific discourse situation. By using estar a speaker restricts his or her claim to a specific discourse situation, whereas by using ser, the speaker makes no such restriction. The preference for interpreting estar predications as denoting temporary properties and ser predications as denoting permanent properties follows from economy principles driving the pragmatic legitimation of estars discourse dependence. The analysis proposed in this paper can also account for the observation that ser predications do not give rise to thetic judgements. The proposal is couched in terms of the framework of DRT.
This paper profiles significant differences in syntactic distribution and differences in word class frequencies for two treebanks of spoken and written German: the TüBa-D/S, a treebank of transliterated spontaneous dialogs, and the TüBa-D/Z treebank of newspaper articles published in the German daily newspaper ´die tageszeitung´(taz). The approach can be used more generally as a means of distinguishing and classifying language corpora of different genres.
In the last decade, the Penn treebank has become the standard data set for evaluating parsers. The fact that most parsers are solely evaluated on this specific data set leaves the question unanswered how much these results depend on the annotation scheme of the treebank. In this paper, we will investigate the influence which different decisions in the annotation schemes of treebanks have on parsing. The investigation uses the comparison of similar treebanks of German, NEGRA and TüBa-D/Z, which are subsequently modified to allow a comparison of the differences. The results show that deleted unary nodes and a flat phrase structure have a negative influence on parsing quality while a flat clause structure has a positive influence.
This paper develops a framework for TAG (Tree Adjoining Grammar) semantics that brings together ideas from different recent approaches.Then, within this framework, an analysis of scope is proposed that accounts for the different scopal properties of quantifiers, adverbs, raising verbs and attitude verbs. Finally, including situation variables in the semantics, different situation binding possibilities are derived for different types of quantificational elements.
Multicomponent Tree Adjoining Grammars (MCTAG) is a formalism that has been shown to be useful for many natural language applications. The definition of MCTAG however is problematic since it refers to the process of the derivation itself: a simultaneity constraint must be respected concerning the way the members of the elementary tree sets are added. Looking only at the result of a derivation (i.e., the derived tree and the derivation tree), this simultaneity is no longer visible and therefore cannot be checked. I.e., this way of characterizing MCTAG does not allow to abstract away from the concrete order of derivation. Therefore, in this paper, we propose an alternative definition of MCTAG that characterizes the trees in the tree language of an MCTAG via the properties of the derivation trees the MCTAG licences.
In this paper eight tribes (Gyrophaenini, Placusini, Homalotini, Diestotini, Falagriini, Athetini, Lomechusini, and Oxypodini), 19 genera and 42 species are recognized. Four genera (Brachyglyptaglossa n. gen. [Homalotini], Trisporusa n. gen., Daccordiusa n. gen. [Lomechusini], and Antistydatusa n. gen. [Oxypodini]) and 37 species are described as new. Each new genus and species is illustrated. Placusa fauveli Pasnik, 2001, from Sydney, is placed in synonymy with Placusa tridens Fauvel, 1878, from Sydney. A new combination to Spallioda for Calodera carissima Oliff is proposed.
The vagaries of the lunar calendar are such that erev Pesach coincides with Shabbos infrequently and with an irregular pattern. The occurrence of erev Pesach on Shabbos gives rise to numerous complications with regard to the eating of chometz and its disposal, the proper mode of fulfilling the mitzvah of the Shabbos repasts and preparations for the seder. The following is intended for general guidance. The individual readers Moro de-Asro should be consulted with regard to any questions which may arise.
In many languages, a passive-like meaning may be obtained through a noncanonical passive construction. The get passive (1b) in English, the se faire passive (2b) in French and the kriegen passive (3b) in German represent typical manifestations. This squib focuses on the behavior of the get-passive in English and discusses a number of restrictions associated with it as well as the status of get.
The thesis is a study of the Jewish community of Leipzig, Germany over the course of the 20 th century. It begins with an overview of the Jews of the city until the rise to power of Adolf Hitler, emphasizing divisions with the Jewish community over the ideology of Zionism and between German-born and foreign-born Jews. It goes on to describe the lives of Jews as the Nazis come to state authority, the riots of November, 1938, and the gradual exclusion of Jews from professional and pubic life in the city. Jewish responses in education, politics and culture are examined, as are the decisions of many local people to emigrate. After the 1938 riots, exclusion began to shift to extermination, and the Jewish community found itself subject to deportation to camps in Eastern Europe. Most of those deported were murdered. Those who lived were able to do so because of good fortune, canny survival skills, or marriage to non-Jews. Jewish life, which had been an important part of the city, was systematically destroyed. After 1945, those few who survived in the city were joined by another handful of Jewish Leipzigers who survived the camps, and by some non-Leipzig Jews, to reform the Jewish community. A tiny percentage of the old Jewish world of Leipzig was left to rebuild. They did so, reestablishing institutions, reclaiming property, and beginning negotiations with the new authorities, the Soviet occupation and then the German Democratic Republic. The Jews of Leipzig continued some of their old concerns in this new world, negotiating with the government and among themselves the nature of their identities as Jews and as Germans. These negotiations were brought to a halt by a series of anti-Semitic purges in 1952 and 1953. The leadership of the Jewish community fled, as did many of their fellow-Jews. The behavior of the East German state at this point showed some surprising commonality with their Nazi predecessors. After the purges were over, those who remained began another process of rebuilding, this time in constant tension with a government that wanted to use them for propaganda purposes during the Cold War. With the fall of the communist regime in 1989-90, the Jewish community of Leipzig was able to chart its destiny again. The old issues of identity and community--among themselves and between Jews and their German neighbors--continue in a very different context.
In the year 2004 the ASFV celebrated its 50th anniversary holding a conference in Sulczyno, Kartuzy. This event offered the possibility to give an actual overview of forest resources and forest functions in Poland. The excursions of the meeting focused on the fascinating, diversified forest landscape formed by the Pomeranian phase of the Baltic glaciation. The Kartuzy Forest District is situated in the heart of the Kashubian Lakeland and the moraine hills. The landscape is not only characterized by the natural occurrence of Baltic beech forests but also by high diversity of soils and meso- and microclimatic de-viations providing habitats for rare plant species, including some plants typical of mountain regions. The tree species combination of the District is formed by pine, spruce, and beech. The oldest parts of the forests are legally protected as nature reserves.
Heteropteran communities in the canopies of Silver fir (Abies alba) and spruce (Picea abies) were studied at three lowland and three mountainous sites throughout Bavaria using flight-interception traps. At one lowland site sampling was extended to oak (Quercus petraea). A significantly higher number of species and specimens occurred on fir when compared to spruce. Including all sampled species, numbers on fir were even higher than on oak. Excluding tourists, oak was most species rich. Results demonstrate that fir, spruce, and oak harbour distinct communities. While specific communities including several rare species (e.g. Actinonotus pulcher, Psallus punctulatus) were found on fir, mainly generalists were found on spruce. Pinalitus atomarius, Cremnocephalus alpestris, Phoenicocoris dissimilis and Orius minutus significantly preferred fir. Therefore, with an increased cultivation of fir in lieu of spruce, an increase in Heteropteran diversity can be expected.
Urwald relict species – Saproxylic beetles indicating structural qualities and habitat tradition
(2005)
On the basis of the list of saproxylic beetles of Germany, the authors present a definition and list of “Urwald relict species”, comprising 115 beetles that are considered to be associated with primeval forest (“Urwald”) structures and features. We use the term “habitat tradition” to describe a continuity in supply of old growth dead wood and forest structures. The selection of species is made on behalf of the following criteria: relict records in Central Europe; attachment to continuity of deadwood resources and habitat tradition; continuity of old growth stand features like tree and deadwood maturity and di-versity; absence from cultivated Central European forest.
Comparison of three modelling approaches of potential natural forest habitats in Bavaria, Germany
(2005)
In the context of the EU Habitats Directive, which contains the obligation of environmental monitoring, nature conservation authorities face a growing demand for effective and competitive methods to survey protected habitats. Therefore the presented research study compared three modelling approaches (rule-based method with applied Bavarian woodland types, multivariate technique of cluster analysis, and a fuzzy logic approach) for the purpose of detecting potential habitat types. The results can be combined with earth observation data of different geometric resolution (ASTER, SPOT5, aerial photographs or very high resolution satellite data) in order to determine actual forest habitat types. This was carried out at two test sites, situated in the pre-alpine area in Bavaria (southern Germany). The results were subsequently compared to the terrestrial mapped habitat areas of the NATURA 2000 management plans. First results show that these techniques are a valuable support in mapping and monitoring NATURA 2000 forest habitats.
The map of “Regional natural forest composition by main tree species” (WALENTOWSKI et al. 2001) depicts Bavaria as a region largely predominated by the European beech (Fagus sylvatica). Analyses of climatope, hygrotope and trophotope of fir-dominated regional natural units make evident that the reasons for the preponderance of the European silver fir (Abies alba) are edaphic. In terms of regeneration vigour, growth and yield the fir particularly dominates in habitats with a combination of humus cover, acid-oligotrophic topsoils and clayey or waterlogged subsoils, where the beech usually exhibits stunted and malformed growth forms. This ecological preference has the effect that Bavarian Abies alba-forests are restricted to small patches within a matrix of potential natural vegetation formed by mixed deciduous-coniferous mountain forests. Within European Natura 2000 areas Abies- forests should be recorded carefully as special habitats. Their transitional character between temperate beech forests (habitat type 9130) and boreal spruce forests (habitat type 9410), the ecological preference of Abies alba as an endangered tree species and their sensitivity against environmental stressors, including changes in forest structure, air quality, and climate, make them important objects for nature conservation.
Consistent with its statutory responsibility, the National Library compiles the current ‘National Bibliography of Mauritius’ every year. The object of the current National Bibliography is to list every new work printed and published in and on Mauritius, to describe it in detail and give its bibliographical data and subject matter as precisely as possible. The National Bibliography is considered as a useful information tool, which gives access to the National Library’s Mauritiana Collection. It contains works printed in Mauritius during that period and deposited at the National Library, under the Legal Deposit Regulations and also those acquired through other sources. It includes books, society newsletters, government publications, current serials, reports, company accounts and reports, school magazines and newspapers. The first ‘National Bibliography of Mauritius’ for the years 1996 to 2000 was published in 2002. The second ‘National Bibliography of Mauritius’ for the years 2001 to 2003 was published in May 2005.
Theories of cognition that are based on information processing and representation are reactive (Rosen, 1985) or backwards looking, not anticipatory. In a previous article (Thibault, 2005a), I looked at the reasons why humans and bonobos do not need an innate language faculty in order to be minded, languaging beings. The present article takes up some of the questions explored there, but, it asks, on the other hand, what sort of a minded agent has language and what kind of account of language and more broadly meaning do we need to explain minded, languaged agents and the activities they participate in? Following Rosen (1985), I also take up and further develop a point first raised in Thibault (2004a: 187) on language as an anticipatory system, rather than a reactively ‘representational’ one (see also Bickhard, 2005).
A world revision of the four entedonine (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Entedoninae) genera of larval parasitoids of thrips (Thysanoptera) is presented: Ceranisus Walker, 1841, Entedonomphale Girault, 1915 stat. rev. (reinstated as a valid taxon from previous synonymy under Ceranisus, with type species E. margiscutum Girault, 1915 stat. rev.), Goetheana Girault, 1920, and Thripobius Ferrière, 1938. The following new generic synonymies are proposed: Cryptomphale Girault, 1917, Entedonastichus Girault, 1920, Pirenoidea Girault, 1922, and Thripoctenoides Erdös, 1954 under Entedonomphale. The proposed new combinations are as follows: Entedonomphale bicolorata (Ishii, 1933), E. nubilipennis (Williams, 1916), and Thripobius javae (Girault, 1917) from Ceranisus; Entedonomphale carbonaria (Erdös, 1954), E. dei (Girault, 1922), E. kaulbarsi (Yoshimoto, 1981), and E. mira (Girault, 1920) from Entedonastichus. New synonymies are proposed for the following species: Ceranisus vinctus (Gahan, 1932) under Ceranisus menes (Walker, 1839), Diglyphus aculeo Walker, 1848 under Ceranisus pacuvius (Walker, 1838); Ceranisus maculatus (Waterston, 1930) and Thripobius semiluteus Boucek, 1976 under Thripobius javae (Girault, 1917); Entedonastichus albicoxis (Szelényi, 1982) under Entedonomphale carbonaria (Erdös, 1954), and Entedonastichus gaussi (Ferrière, 1958) under Entedonomphale bicolorata (Ishii, 1933). Eleven new species are described: Ceranisus barsoomensis and C. votetoda (Australia), C. udnamtak (Nepal); Entedonomphale boccaccioi (USA), E. esenini (Madagascar), E. lermontovi (South Africa), E. quasimodo and E. zakavyka (Australia); Goetheana pushkini (Japan and Republic of Korea) and G. rabelaisi (Australia); and Thripobius melikai (China). Three species are excluded from Ceranisus: C. ancylae (Girault, 1917) (mistakenly listed in Ceranisus) as well as C. nigricornis Motschulsky, 1863 and C. semitestaceus Motschulsky, 1863, both taxa incertae sedis. New data are provided on the distribution and host associations of many of the species included in this review.
A taxonomic review of the species belonging to Bembidion Latreille, 1802 of Australia includes a key and descriptions of the species. Noinenclatorial acts proposed in this paper include: 1, taxa of new Status - Bembidion subgenus Sloanephila Netolitzky, 1931, valid subgenus, not consubgeneric with subgenus Philochtus Stephens, 1828; B. (Notaphocampa) riverinae Sloane, 1894 valid species, not subspecies of B. opulentum Nietner, 1858; 2, new synonyms B. (Notaphominis Netolitzky, 1931) = B. (Notaphocampa Netolitzky, 1914): 3, New subgenera - Australoemphanes, and Gondwanabembidion, 4, New species - B. (Ananotaphus) daccordii (South Australia, Mound Springs); 5, new subspecies - B. (Zeactedium) orbiferum giachinoi (New ZeaIand, North Island); 6, species transferred to Australoemphanes - B . (Ananotaphus) blackburni Csiki, 1928; 7, Species transferred to Gondwanabembidion - B . (Ananotaphus) proprium Blackburn, 1888. Conclusions of an informal phylogeographic study are: 1, the Auslralian continent was probably populated by the Bembidiina with relatively recent (Late Tertiary-Quaternary) invasions from the north by tropical lineages, while other lineages showing systematic relationships with African and South American taxa probably have an older, Gondwanian origin; and 2, some lineagas of predominantly Nearctic and Palaearctic taxa were also Gondwanian in origin.
The melibiose permease (MelB) of E.coli functions as a secondary-active symporter by using the electrochemical H+, Na+, or Li+ gradient to accumulate, e.g., melibiose [review in Pourcher et al. 1990a]. The global and primary objective of this thesis was to apply pre-steady state methods for the investigation of reaction rates of individual steps in the cycle of MelB. Especially the melibiose binding induced transition was investigated by the solid-supported membrane (SSM) technique [Seifert et al. 1993] in combination with a rapid solution exchange system [Pintchovius and Fendler 1999] and with the Stopped-flow technique [Roughton 1934]. To approach this goal, either wild-type or mutated MelB were purified and reconstituted into liposomes as described [Pourcher et al. 1995]. Although the orientation of the proteins is a critical factor for the activity of MelB, it was, so far, unknown. To determine the orientation of the proteins in the liposomes, single Cys mutants R139C and R141C [Abdel-Dayem et al. 2003] were selectively labeled with 3-(N-maleimidylpropionyl)biocytin (MPB) and analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western Blot. The assay indicated that most of the proteins are inside-out (ISO) oriented permitting to relate the pre-steady state electrical and fluorescence signals to the reverse transport activity of MelB. The melibiose induced electrical signal was investigated in wild-type MelB with the SSM technique. The transporter was activated by a substrate concentration jump, and transient currents were measured. When the transporter was preincubated with Na+ at saturating concentrations, a charge translocation in the protein upon melibiose binding could still be observed. This result demonstrates that binding of the uncharged substrate melibiose triggers a charge displacement in the protein. Further analysis showed that the charge displacement is neither related to extra Na+ binding to the transporter, nor to the displacement of already bound Na+ within MelB. Electrogenic melibiose binding is explained by a conformational change with concomitant displacement of charged amino acid side chains and/or a reorientation of helix dipoles. A kinetic model is suggested, in which Na+ and melibiose binding are distinct electrogenic processes associated with approximately the same charge displacement. Melibiose binding is fast in the presence of Na+ (k > 50 s-1). Furthermore, two previously identified transport deficient mutants of loop 4-5, R141C and E142C [Abdel-Dayem et al. 2002, Séry 2002], were purified and extensively studied with the SSM. Whereas the electrical signals from control cysteine-less mutant showed a bi-exponential time course of decay, those from R141C or E142C consisted of only a single fast exponential component, and the slow decaying component associated with substrate translocation was missing. The electrical signals evoked by a melibiose concentration jump in the presence of Na+ were much smaller than the corresponding signals in C-less MelB. Furthermore, R141C lost the stimulating effect of melibiose on Na+ binding. Steady-state Trp fluorescence spectroscopy revealed impaired conformational changes after melibiose binding in the mutants and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements indicated that the mutants still show cooperative modification of their sugar binding sites by Na+. These data suggest that loop 4-5 contributes to the coordinated interactions between the ion- and sugar binding site and participates in conformational changes after melibiose binding that are essential for the subsequent obligatory coupled translocation of substrates. By using the Stopped-flow technique, three different approaches were followed. First, the intrinsic Trp fluorescence of MelB, known to increase upon melibiose binding [Mus-Veteau et al. 1995], revealed a signal with a T 1 of ~15 ms in C-less. This time constant is of the same order of magnitude as that determined with the SSM method suggesting that Trp fluorescence and electrical signal are related processes. Conformation for this assumption came from the fact that the activation energies Ea for both processes are similar (around 45 KJ/mol). Second, by using the fluorescent sugar analog Dns2-S-Gal, which monitors events close to the sugar binding site [Maehrel et al. 1998], a signal with a T 1 of ~18 ms was recorded upon Na+ addition. Finally, the fluorescent dye MIANS was used to selectively label the single Cys mutant E365C of loop 10-11. Stopped-flow measurements revealed a melibiose-induced fluorescent signal with a T 1 of 45 ms. Since electrical measurements with the MIANS-labeled E365C excluded the possibility that the label is responsible for the slower kinetics, the conformational change detected by the MIANS fluorescence was assigned to a slow transition in the cycle of MelB after melibiose binding. Ea was determined to be 96 KJ/mol corroborating, thus, the hypothesis of a different process. In conclusion, it was possible to correlate the electrical and fluorescence signals to partial reactions of the transport cycle and to determine their rate constants. According to this new model, the melibiose-induced signal detected with the Trp and electrical measurements corresponds to a step preceding the carriers’ reorientation (3 <-> 3*, k ~ 65s-1), and the melibiose-induced signal detected with the MIANS fluorescence to the reorientation itself (3* <-> 4, k ~ 20s-1).
A taxonomic revision of the genus Syntrichia Brid. (Pottiaceae, Musci) in the Mediterranean Region and Macaronesia has been carried out, thus contributing to knowledge of its distinguisliing morphological characters, geographic distribution and nomenclature. Some 3000 specimens, including the most of type material, were studied. An identification key, morphological descriptions, photographs and numerous observations on taxonomic and nomenclatural problems of the 23 taxa accepted in the study area, are provided. New records for some countries of the Mediterranean basin and Macaronesia are given. Five new Synonyms are proposed. The designations of 11 new lectotypes are included and the name Syntrichia aciphylla var. calva J.J. Amann is excluded from the genus Syntrichia.
When one considers the results of social scientific surveys, secularisation in Germany seems to be a more or less linear process of erosion of what is traditionally named religiosity. The percentage of citizens who affirm that they are “religious”, believe in God or otherworldly beings, hope for life after death or participate regularly in the praxis of a religious community has been – by and large – steadily declining for decades. This decline has occurred over the succeeding generations: The younger the generation, the fewer “religious” people in it. But the process of secularisation is apparent not only in this persistent quantitative shrinkage from generation to generation. Above all it also manifests itself – this is the thesis of the article – in the transformation of the habitus formations and contents of faith of the generations. The essence of ongoing secularisation naturally is reflected most clearly in its contemporary state of development which is represented in the youngest adult generation. Therefore the analysis of this generation is particularly interesting for the sociology of religion. But the article does not confine to analyze this generation. After indicating some basic premises of the sociology of generations and the notion of secularisation presupposed in this paper, the succession of generations in Germany is outlined hypothetically, from the so-called generation of ´68 to the youngest adult generation, concluding with some remarks about the progress of secularisation.
Dialogue has become a fashionable word in the theological circles for quite some time now. However, there is a need to review what has been achieved so far. If it is significant, we should then review how much religious tension has been reduced so far. If it is not much, why has there been no progress. In this note I will deal with the issues relating to Hindu-Christian dialogue. I am using Christianity only as a reference point, and the issues raised do have a wider context as well. As far as Hindu-Christian dialogue is concerned, I am of the opinion that there has been hardly any progress all these years. Many academics and theologians have been involved in the exercise so far. The whole literature, over a long period of time, seems to follow a familiar pattern – a discussion on the theory of the dialogue, what should be included in a dialogue, who should and should not be involved in a dialogue, and ends with a lament that there is so very little progress. The problem, according to me, is that the dialogue does not even consider a need to discuss what is the basic difference between Hinduism and Christianity, and an inquiry into whether these come in the way of communal harmony. A dialogue is really not necessary if we are to discuss only what is similar between the two systems. ...
The Dalai Lama, in exile since 1959 in Hindu majority India, has continuously been taking a firm stand on giving importance to an inter-religious dialogue and interaction. He has made it absolutely clear that Buddhism represents just one of the many religious ways open for mankind. Nonetheless, he has always referred to the bond shared between Buddhism and Hinduism as a very special one and has experienced it as a religious tie. Both these religious streams belong to what is known as Bharatiya or Indo-genous Dharma. The Dalai Lama does not restrict his care for nurturing this common bond to a mere academic talk. In fact he has been taking active part in promoting this kind of inter-religious dialogue and has been showing a fiery political commitment as well. He thus took active part in the second World Hindu Congress organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad held in Prayag-Allahabad in the year 1979. According to official reports, the organizers in their welcome speech for the Dalai Lama were frank enough to admit that 2500 years ago, the Kashi Pandits (Kashi also known as Varanasi) had stopped Siddharta Gautama Buddha from entering the Vishwanath temple. It was also mentioned that for all these years, there has never been any letup in the conflict between Sanatani Hindus and Bauddhas, despite the fact that later on Shakya Muni was rewarded the status of avatara by Hindus. The fact that these very Kashi Pandits had invite one of the highest religious authorities of Buddhism - the Dalai Lama- to this congress should be seen as "a positive step towards reconciliation." The Dalai Lama was thus pleasantly surprised to see that the highest rung of the religious body of Hindus publicly acknowledged the divine status of Siddharta Gautama Buddha and recognized the presence of the Dalai Lama as a valuable contribution towards the reconciliation between the two religious streams. ...
A fresh look at the understanding of charity : with special reference to the present Indian practice
(2005)
The discussion of this paper is divided in two parts: Present understanding of Charity and a fresh look at the understanding of Charity particularly with a reference to the present Indian practice. As the major religious and theological perspectives specially from the Christian and the Islamic point of views are being dealt by other presentations in this seminar, therefore, the discussion here is limited only first, to the dictionary based linguistic meaning of Charity as understood in three main English speaking contexts and then (second), the Charity as practised in the Indian context. The new and revised deluxe edition of the Webster’s Encyclopaedic Unbridged Dictionary of the English Language has given the following meanings of Charity: 1)charitable actions, as almsgiving or performing other benevolent actions of any sort for the needy with no expectation of material reward: to devote ones life to charity, 2)something given to a person or persons in need; aims: she asked for work not charity, 3) a charitable act or work 4) a charitable fund, foundation, or institution: He left his estate to one of his charities, 5) benevolent feeling, esp. towards those in need or in disfavour: she looked so poor that we fed her out of charity, and 6) Christian love; agape 1 Cor. 13. The Chamber English Dictionary, the meanings of Charity gives as: universal love (N.T.): the disposition to think favourably of others, and do them good almsgiving: a usu. non profit-making foundation, institution, or cause, devoted to caring for those in need of help etc. According to Concise Oxford Dictionary Charity means: an organisation set up to provide help and raise money for those in need, the voluntary giving of money those in need, tolerance in judging others and love of humankind, typically in Christian context. These three set of meanings of Charity, represent the three English regions or contexts: American (Webster), Scottish (Chamber) and English (Oxford). The common important element in all for these three is, the Christian understanding of Charity, because all the three directly have referred to the Biblical usages of Charity in some forms. Here for the discussion of this paper, one can also add that even these usages are limited to the contextual understanding of the English world. Because language is also considered as an vehicle of a culture. But it is true that even the English speaking persons from the non-English world particularly of the Southern countries, (where English rulers have ruled in the past), understand the meaning of Charity more or less in the above sense only. ...
Islam, the Muslim traditions and the ulama in Central Asian societies are becoming increasingly important for assessing the situation in and around the region. To understand of the post Soviet Muslim republics it is nec-essary to know the Islamic heritage of the Soviet Union, i.e. the Islamic understanding and interpretation of Soviet official ulama which still influence the mind of the people and the contemporary Central Asian ulama. The official ulama were endeavouring to reconcile Islam with science and progress and to guarantee its survival in a modern environment, they served by an extremely energetic effort to preserve Islam at least in purity and integrity as religion and national sentiment and to prevent it from relapsing into deprivation and ignorance. The most important official Muslim religious figure, the Mufti of Tashkent Z. Babakhan interpreted Islam as a bulwark of progress, disseminator of knowledge, the religion of peace and friendship; portrayed the Prophet Muhammad as a “democrat, reformer and revolutionary, even a socialist”; reconciliation with socialism and communism.
In this article we dealt with the relations between the state and religion / Islam and its interpreters i.e., the ulama, their needs each other. As a case, with an original source, we focused on the time of the Mahmud II (1808-1839) The Ottoman reforms of the nineteenth century is reconciliation between Islam and Western civili-sation. In this process the ulama played key role by commenting Islam accordance with the need of the age or of the Ottoman Empire. The reformers, chiefly the Sultan and his close friends needed the support of the ulama to legitimate their reform programmes In this crucial stage the head of the ulama the Shaykhulislam, used his own religious knowledge and influence, derived from his office by writing a treatise to persuade the masses to accept the reforms. Applying the traditional virtue literature on the Ottoman dynasty he presented in this pamphlet one of the Western-minded Ottoman sultans as an ideal caliph-sultan. This attitude helped to transform the middle-aged Ottoman political structure and society into modern ages in Western line.
Experimente zum radiativen Elektroneneinfang (REC, Radiative Electron Capture), der Zeitumkehrung der Photoionisation, wie er in Stößen hochgeladener, relativistischer Schwerionen mit leichten Gasatomen auftritt, ermöglicht einen einzigartigen Zugang zum Studium der Photonen-Materie-Wechselwirkung im Bereich extrem starker Coulombfeldern. So ist die REC-Strahlung im relativistischen Bereich zum einen geprägt durch das Auftreten von höheren elektrischen und magnetischen Multipolordnungen und zum anderen durch starke Retardierungseffekte. In Folge dessen wurde der REC-Prozeß in den vergangen Jahren sehr detailliert untersucht, wobei sich die experimentelle und theoretische Forschung auf die Emissionscharakteristik der REC-Photonen konzentrierte, wie z.B. auf Untersuchungen von Winkelverteilungen und Linienprofilen. Mittlerweile kann der REC-Prozeß als ein - selbst für die schwersten Ionen - wohlverstandener Effekt angesehen werden. Allerdings entzog sich den Experimenten bislang eine zur Beschreibung der Photonenmission wesentlich Größe, näamlich die Polarisation der Strahlung. Die lineare Polarisation der REC-Strahlung, wie sie in Stößen zwischen leichten Atomen und den schwersten, hochgeladenen Ionen vorhergesagt wird, war der Gegenstand der vorliegende Arbeit, in der es erstmals gelang, die diese für den konkreten Fall des Einfangs in die K-Schale von nackten Uranionen nachzuweisen und im Detail zu untersuchen. Die hierzu notwendigen experimentellen Untersuchungen erfolgten am Speicherring ESR der GSI-Darmstadt für das Stoßsystem U92+ -> N2 und für Projektilenergien, die im Bereich zwischen 98 und 400 MeV/u lagen. Besonders hervorzuheben ist der Einsatz eines segmentierten Germaniumdetektors, der speziell für den Nachweis linear polarisierter Strahlung im Energiebereich oberhalb 100 keV entwickelte wurde. Die lineare Polarisation der Strahlung wurde hierbei durch eine Analyse der Comptonstreuung innerhalb des Detektors gewonnen. Die durch eine präzise Analyse der Comptonstreuverteilungen gewonnenen Daten zeigen eine ausgeprägte lineare Polarisierung der REC-Strahlung in der Streuebene, die zudem eine starke Abhängigkeit als Funktion der Stoßenergie und des Beobachtungwinkels aufweist. Der detaillierte Vergleich mit nicht-relativistischen und relativistischen Vorhersagen ermöglichte darüberhinaus den Nachweis für das Auftreten starker relativistischer Effekte, die sich allerdings depolarisierend auswirken. Das Experiment wurde am internen Target des ESR-Speicherrings durchgeführt, wobei der Photonennachweis mittels mehrerer Ge(i)-Detektoren erfolgte, die die Ionen-Target-Wechselwirkungszone unter Beobachtungswinkeln zwischen nahe Null und 150 Grad einsahen. Alle Photonendetektoren wurden in Koinizidenz mit einem Teilchendetektor betrieben, um so die volle Charakteristik des REC-Prozesses zu erfassen, also den Einfang eines Targetelektrons in die nackten Uranionen (U92+) unter Emission eines Photons. Für den Polarisationsnachweis entscheidend war der Einsatz eines Germanium-Pixel-Detektors, der abwechselnd unter den Winkeln von 60 und 90 Grad betrieben wurde. Dieser Detektor verfügt über eine 4x4 Pixelmatrix (Pixelgröße: 7x7 mm), wobei die elektronische Information jedes Pixels (Energiesignale und schnelle Zeitsignale) separat registriert und aufgezeichnet wurde. Hierdurch war es möglich Ereignisse, die koinzident in zwei Pixeln erfolgten, zu detektieren und zu analysieren. Dies ist die eigentliche Voraussetzung für den Nachweis der linearen Polarisation bei hohen Photonenenergien, bei dem die Abhängigkeit des differenziellen Wirkungsquerschnitts für Comptonstreuung von der linearen Polarisation der einfallenden Photonen ausgenutzt wird (siehe Klein-Nishina Formel Eq. 2.7). Der Nachweis der Comptonstreuung erfolgt hierbei durch die Detektion des Compton-Rückstoßelektrons (deltaE) und des gestreuten Comptonphotons (hw'), die jeweils separat, aber koinzident in zwei unterschiedlichen Segmenten des Detektors nachgewiesen werden. Hier sei betont, dass für Germanium bereits ab Photonenenergien von ca. 160 keV die Absorption der Strahlung durch den Compton-Effekt über die Photoabsorption dominiert und somit das Ausnutzen des Compton-Effekts prinzipiell eine sehr effektive Technik ist. Der Auswertung der Datenfkam wesentlich zugute, dass der Germanium-Detektor über eine im Vergleich zu Szintillations- oder Gaszählern gute Energieauflösung von ca. 1.8 keV bei 122 keV verfügt. Somit kann durch Bilden der Summenenergie hw = hw' + deltaE für koinzidente Ereignisse die Energie des einfallenden Photons (hw) rekonstruieren werden und als zwingende Bedingung dafür herangezogen werden, dass es sich bei dem Ereignis im Detektor um ein Compton-Event gehandelt hat. Für den Fall linearer Polarisation ist eine wesentliche Aussage der Klein-Nishina-Formel, dass die maximale Intensität für die Compton gestreuten Photonen senkrecht zur Polarisationsebene zu erwarten ist. Tatsächlich zeigen bereits die während des Experiments aufgenommenen Rohdaten für den Fall der untersuchten REC-Strahlung, die durch den Einfang in die K-Schale des Projektils entsteht, dass es sich hierbei um eine stark polarisierte Strahlung handelt, wobei eine erhöhte Intensität für Comptonstreuung senkrecht zur Stoßebene (für den REC-Prozeß definiert durch die Ionenstrahlachse und den Impuls des REC-Photons) festgestellt wurde (vgl. Fig. 7.3). Zur genauen qualitativen Analyse der Meßdaten wurden alle möglichen Pixelkombinationen der (4x4) Detektorgeometrie ausgewertet, wobei jedoch koinzidente Ereignisse benachbarter Segmente ausgeschlossen wurden, um den hier vorhandenenen Einfluß elektronischer Übersprecher zu eliminieren. Zudem erfolgte die Analyse der Daten unter Berücksichtigung verschiedenster Effekte, die einen Einfluß auf die Nachweiseffizienzen für die Compton gestreuten Photonen haben könnten. An prominenter Stelle ist hier die Korrektur zu nennen, die durch die Detektordicke von 1,5 cm und der Pixelgröße von 7x7 cm2 hervorgerufen wird. Zu betonen ist hier, dass für die Auswertung nur relative Effizienzen eine Rolle spielen und so der Einfluß systematischer Fehler, hervorgerufen durch Effizienzkorrekturen, stark reduziert werden konnte (für eine so gewonnene, vollständige Compton-Streuverteilung sei auf Abbildung 9.1 verwiesen, in der die Intensitätsverteilung für Compton-Streuung dargestellt ist). Es sei auch hervorgehoben, dass der Nachweis der Polarisation durch Messungen von vollständigen Compton-Intensitätverteilung im Detektor erfolgte, was das hier diskutierte Experiment wesentlich von konventionellen Polarisationsexperimenten für harte Röntgen- und gamma-Strahlung unterscheidet. Üblicherweise wird in diesen Experimenten die Comptonstreuung ausschließlich in der Reaktionsebene und senkrecht dazu nachgewiesen. Generell weisen die in der vorliegenden Arbeit gewonnen Compton-Streuverteilungen für den K-REC-Prozeß ein ausgeprägtes Maxium senkrecht zur Reaktionsebene auf und bestätigen somit den bereits aus den Rohdaten abgeleiteten Befund, dass die Polarisationsebene der KREC Strahlung in der Reaktionsebene des Stosses liegt. In der Tat kann dieser Befund für alle Energien und Beobachtungswinkel bestätigt werden, die in dem hier diskutierten Experiment verwendet wurden. Hier sei zudem darauf hingewiesen, dass es durch die Erfassung der vollständigen Compton-Streuverteilung möglich war, die Orientierung der Polarisationsebene in Bezug auf die Stoßebene mit hoher Präzision zu erfassen. So konnte z.B. bei der Stossenergie von 400 MeV/u und dem Winkel von 90 Grad, die Orientierung der Comptonstreuverteilung in Bezug auf die Stoßebene zu ph=90 Grad bestimmt werden. Dieser Befund könnte für die Planung zukünftiger Experimente zum Nachweis polarisierter Ionenstrahlen entscheidend sein, da eine Abweichung von der ph = 90 Grad Symmetrie nur durch das Vorhandensein polarisierter Teilchen erklärt werden kann. Dieser Effekt, der in neuesten theoretischen Behandlungen im Detail untersucht wurde, stellt gleichsam einen neuen Zugang zur Bestimmung des Polarisationsgrads der Projektile dar. Hierdurch wird die Stärke der hier angewandten Technik verdeutlicht, die auf dem Einsatz eines ortsempfindlichen Germanium-Pixel- Detektors beruht. Die Bestimmung des genauen Polarisationsgrades für die K-REC-Strahlung erfolgte durch eine X2-Anpassung der Klein-Nishina-Formel an die experimentellen Daten. Die hieraus resultierenden Daten zeigen für alle Strahlenergien und Beobachtungsgwinkel eine starke Polarisation von etwa 80%, wobei die experimentelle Unsicherheit im 10% Bereich liegt. Letztere ist im wesentlichen auf die statistische Genauigkeit zurückzuführen. Die Daten wurden zudem eingehend mit theoretischen Vorhersagen verglichen. Die Theorie stützt sich auf eine vollständige relativistische Beschreibung des REC-Prozesses unter Verwendung exakter Wellenfunktionen für das Kontinuum und den 1s Zustand in wasserstoffartigem Uran. Typischer weise mußten bei den Rechnungen sowohl elektrische wie auch magnetische Multipolterme bis hin zu L=20 verwendet werden, um Konvergenz zu erreichen. Der Vergleich zeigt eine hervorragende Übereinstimmung zwischen Experiment und Theorie. Zudem verdeutlicht der Vergleich mit der ebenfalls diskutierten Vorhersage der nicht-relativistischen Dipolnäherung die Bedeutung relativistischer Effekte (vor allem das Auftreten höherer elektrischer und magnetischer Multipole), die für die Emission der REC-Strahlung bei hohen, relativistischen Energien und hohem Z charakteristisch sind. Offensichtlich wirken sich diese Effekte stark depolarisierend aus. Dass in der Tat eine Zunahme der depolarisierenden Effekte mit einer Zunahme der Strahlenergie verbunden ist, wird auch durch die Daten dokumentiert, die für den Beobachtungswinkel von 60 Grad als Funktion des Projektilenergie untersucht wurden. Die in der vorliegenden Arbeit gewonnenen Resultate für die Polarisation der REC-Strahlung ebenso wie die neuartige Experimenttechnik, die hierbei zum Einsatz kam, lassen für die nahe Zukunft eine Serie von weiteren Polarisations-Experimenten erwarten. Hierbei könnte der REC-Strahlung und deren Polarisation als Mittel zur Diagnostik und zum Nachweis des Polarisationsgrades gespeicherter Ionenstrahlen eine Schlüsselrolle zukommen. Als Detektorsysteme werden hierzu zwei-dimensionale Germanium- und Silizium-Streifen-Detektoren zum Einsatz kommen bzw. Kombinationen aus zweidimensionalen Silizium- und Germanium-Detektoren, sogenannte Compton-Teleskope. Diese Compton-Polarimeter, die gegenwärtig für neue Experimentvorhaben am ESR-Speicherring entwickelt werden, verfügen über eine wesentlich verbesserte Ortsauflösung (z.B. 1x1 mm2) und somit über eine wesentlich gesteigerte Nachweiseffizienz für die Comptonstreuung (ein bis zwei Größenordnungen). Hierdurch sollte es möglich sein, den für Polarisationexerperimente zugänglichen Energiebereich wesentlich auszudehnen, sodass selbst die charakteristische Strahlung der Schwerionen (ca. 50 bis 100 keV) für solche Experimente zugänglich wird.
The development of a drug product, beginning with the synthesis of the drug substance through approval for marketing, may take up to 15 years and a total amount of investment of up to half a billion Euro. After the discovery of a potential drug substance, many different investigations have to be performed: e.g. characterization of the physical-chemical properties, the pharmacological and toxicological profile and, especially relevant for this work, the development of the first dosage forms. After achieving these steps, first investigations in human studies can be carried out. After a positive assessment of the benefit to risk ratio, further investigations, such as food effects on the pharmacokinetics, multiple dosing studies and further studies on patients can be implemented. After successfully completing this second part the new drug product can be approved. With broader clinical experience it often becomes apparent that changes in relevant aspects of the formulation of the registered drug product e.g. excipients, concentration of the drug substance or excipient versus drug substance ratio, are necessary to optimise the therapy. This often leads to additional clinical investigations and a new registration, a procedure which is time and cost intensive. A possible way to reduce the financial and time investments, is to establish an appropriate in vivo- in vitro correlation (IVIVC). If it is possible to predict the in vivo performance of a drug product adequately with in vitro methods (dissolutions tests), it will no longer be necessary to perform additional clinical investigations. In this work, IVIVCs were investigated for three different drug substances and several different types of formulations.... ...Results of this work clearly show that successful IVIVCs can be achieved for the fasted state using biorelevant dissolution media. A prerequisite of achieving a good IVIVC is the availability of in vivo data of a reference product (i.v., oral solution or IR) tested within the same group of volunteers as the product of interest. Only with this procedure, one can obtain adequate IVIVCs for drug substances with high inter-individual variability of the plasma concentrations and with high first-pass metabolism. This work also shows that predictions of the in vivo behavior of a modified release dosage form after administration with a high fat meal are more difficult to obtain. This is mainly related to an absence of a medium, which could mimic the situation of the fed stomach adequately. Ensure plus®, which was chosen in this work, failed to simulate the fed stomach adequately in several cases; it suppressed the release of rosiglitazone from lipid formulations and led to rapid disruption of the HPMC-matrix of the 5-ISMN Geomatrix formulations. Future work should be directed towards optimization of the test media in the BioDis apparatus. This work clearly shows the inability of Ensure plus® to predict the in vivo performance of a drug under fed state conditions and indicates that alternative media must be developed. It is known that the pH of the stomach rises up to six after the intake of a meal. During the following hours the pH decreases until reaching the baseline value of approximately 1.8. One possibility of simulating the fed state stomach more precisely will be to divide the overall residence time into 4 different parts: 1. half a hour at pH 6 2. half a hour at pH 4 3. one hour at pH 3 4. two hours at pH 1.8 Another option is not only to modify the pH of the medium, but also to change its composition. During the decomposition of the food contents, the composition of the gastric juice changes, the ionic strength, the buffer capacity and the osmolarity rises, while the pH value decreases. A third possibility will be the addition of enzymes, mainly pepsin, lipases and amylases. Again, the quantity of the enzymes differs during the residence time of the food in the stomach. Highest quantities are expected in the first two hours after food intake and decreases in the remaining two hours. Another issue of this work was an assessment of the two dissolution apparatus, Paddle and BioDis. In general, the choice of the dissolution apparatus should be done primarily with respect to the solubility behavior of the drug substance. For high soluble drugs the USP apparatus II, Paddle, is sufficient (e.g. diltiazem or 5-ISMN). In cases of a poorly soluble drug (rosiglitazone), where the release strongly depends on the medium used, the USP apparatus III (BioDis) is favored, due to the advantage of simulating the GI-tract with a gradient of different dissolution media, each simulating one part of the GI-tract. In summary, the results of this work indicate that it is acurrently possible to predict fasted state behavior of a variety of controlled release products using in vitro tests. Prognoses was also made in terms of predicting food effects on the behavior of controlled release products, although it is clear that the media compositions will have to be revised to establish releiable predictive methods for the fed state.
Hard physics in STAR
(2005)
The hot and dense matter created in high-energy nuclear collisions is believed to undergo a transition into a deconfined phase where partonic degrees of freedom determine the dynamics of the medium. High-p⊥ partons, that are produced in the initial collisions between nucleons of the incoming nuclei, lose energy as they propagate through the medium. This effect, called jetquenching, is observed in high-p⊥ particle spectra, in azimuthal correlations with the reaction plane (elliptic flow) and jet-like two-particle correlations.
STAR consists of tracking detectors and electromagnetic calorimetry with large and azimuthally symmetric acceptance and is exceptionally well suited for single particle detection and correlation studies at high p⊥. In the last five years, it has collected a large dataset including Au+Au and Cu+Cu collisions at different energies and reference data from p+p and d+Au collisions.
We present particle spectra and two-particle correlations at high-p⊥, and relate these measurements to the properties of the medium.
The CERN Axion Solar Telescope (CAST) is searching for axions produced in the Sun's core by the Primakoff process. CAST is using a decommissioned Large Hadron Collider (LHC) test magnet where axions could be converted back into X-rays with energies up to 10 keV. Analysis of the 2003 data showed no signal above background implying an upper limit for the axion-photon coupling constant gagg < 1.16 X 10 ^-10 GeV exp -1 at 95% C.L. for ma . 0.02 eV [1]. The higher quality 2004 data is presently under analysis. CAST Phase II is scheduled to start in late 2005. This will be the first step in extending CAST's sensitivity to axion rest masses up to ~ 1 eV.
We compute neutrino emissivities, specific heat, and the resulting cooling rates in four spin-one color superconductors: color-spin locked, planar, polar, and A phases. In particular, the role of anisotropies and point nodes in the quasiparticle excitation spectra are investigated. Furthermore, it is shown that the A phase exhibits a helicity order, giving rise to a reflection asymmetry in the neutrino emissivity.
The J/psi-hadron interaction is a key ingredient in analyzing the J/psi suppression in hot hadronic matter as well as the propagation of J/psi in nuclei. As a first step to clarify the J/psi-hadron interactions at low energies, we have calculated J/psi-pi, J/psi-rho and J/psi-nucleon scattering lengths by the quenched lattice QCD simulations with Wilson fermions for beta=6.2 on 24^3*48 and 32^3*48 lattices. Using the Luscher's method to extract the scattering length from the simulations in a finite box, we find an attractive interaction in the S-wave channel for all three systems: Among others, the J/psi-nucleon interaction is most attractive. Possibility of the J/psi-nucleon bound state is also discussed.
We present quantitative and qualitative arguments in favor of the claim that, within the present cosmological epoch, the U(1)gamma factor in the Standard Model is an effective manifestation of SU(2) pure gauge dynamics of Yang-Mills scale Lambda ~ 10^-4 eV. Results for the pressure and the energy density in the deconfining phase of this theory, obtained in a nonperturbative and analytical way, support this connection in view of large-angle features inherent in the map of the CMB temperature fluctuations and temperature-polarization cross correlations.
There is a growing body of evidence that indicates common environmental pollutants are capable of disrupting reproductive and developmental processes by interfering with the actions of endogenous hormones. Many reports of endocrine disruption describe changes in the normal development of organs and tissues that are consistent with genetic damage, and recent studies confirm that many chemicals classified to have hormone-modulating effects also possess carcinogenic and mutagenic potential. To date, however, there have been no conclusive examples linking genetic damage with perturbation of endocrine function and adverse effects in vivo. Here, we provide the first evidence of DNA damage associated with the development of imposex (the masculinization of female gastropods considered to be the result of alterations to endocrine-mediated pathways) in the dog-whelk Nucella lapillus. Animals (n = 257) that displayed various stages of tributyltin (TBT)-induced imposex were collected from sites in southwest England, and their imposex status was determined by physical examination. Linear regression analysis revealed a very strong relationship (correlation coefficient of 0.935, p < 0.0001) between the degree of imposex and the extent of DNA damage (micronucleus formation) in hemocytes. Moreover, histological examination of a larger number of dog-whelks collected from sites throughout Europe confirmed the presence of hyperplastic growths, primarily on the vas deferens and penis in both TBT-exposed male snails and in females that exhibited imposex. A strong association was found between TBT body burden and the prevalence of abnormal growths, thereby providing compelling evidence to support the hypothesis that environmental chemicals that affect reproductive processes do so partly through DNA damage pathways.
Previous investigations have shown that bisphenol A (BPA) induces a superfeminization syndrome in the freshwater snail Marisa cornuarietis at concentrations as low as 1 μg/L. Superfemales are characterized by the formation of additional female organs, enlarged accessory sex glands, gross malformations of the pallial oviduct, and a stimulation of egg and clutch production, resulting in increased female mortality. However, these studies were challenged on the basis of incomplete experimentation. Therefore, the objective of the current approach was to bridge several gaps in knowledge by conducting additional experiments. In an initial series of experiments, study results from the reproductive phase of the snails were evaluated in the sub-micrograms per liter range. Before and after the spawning season, superfemale responses were observed [NOEC (no observed effect concentration) 7.9 ng/L, EC10 (effective concentration at 10%) 13.9 ng/L], which were absent during the spawning season. A further experiment investigated the temperature dependence of BPA responses by exposing snails at two temperatures in parallel. The adverse effect of BPA was at least partially masked at 27°C (EC10 998 ng/L) when compared with 20°C (EC10 14.8 ng/L). In M. cornuarietis, BPA acts as an estrogen receptor (ER) agonist, because effects were completely antagonized by a co-exposure to tamoxifen and Faslodex. Antiandrogenic effects of BPA, such as a significant decrease in penis length at 20°C, were also observed. Competitive receptor displacement experiments indicate the presence of androgen- and estrogen-specific binding sites. The affinity for BPA of the estrogen binding sites in M. cornuarietis is higher than that of the ER in aquatic vertebrates. The results emphasize that prosobranchs are affected by BPA at lower concentrations than are other wildlife groups, and the findings also highlight the importance of exposure conditions.
Since its recognition as an endothelium-derived relaxing factor, the control and consequences of nitric oxide (NO) production have been investigated intensely. We know now that NO is not simply a vasodilator or regulator of smooth muscle tone but is a potent anti-platelet agent, neuromodulator and regulator of gene expression. NO is synthesized from the amino acid Larginine by a family of enzymes termed NO synthases (NOS). The ‘endothelial’ (eNOS or NOS III) and ‘neuronal’ (nNOS, NOS I or bNOS) NOS isoforms, which were named after the tissues in which they were first identified, are expressed constitutively and are generally regulated by Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM). Endothelium-derived NO is thought to be responsible for maintaining the vasculature in an anti-atherosclerotic state and a decrease in the bioavailability of NO (a state generally referred to as endothelial dysfunction) results in “proatherosclerotic” alterations in vascular gene expression. Recently it has become clear that the activity of eNOS is largely determined by its association with regulatory proteins as well as by the phosphorylation of the enzyme on serine, threonine and possibly tyrosine residues. Moreover, the enzyme can be “uncoupled” i.e. transformed from a NO generating to a superoxide (O2-)-generating enzyme, which would be expected to attenuate vasodilator responses and enhance vascular inflammation. The aim of this thesis was to study the consequences of phosphorylation on specific serine, threonine and tyrosine residues on the activity and intracellular localisation of eNOS and in particular to determine whether a phospho-switch for eNOS uncoupling exists. eNOS is phosphorylated under basal conditions and its serine phosphorylation can be enhanced following cell stimulation with hemodynamic stimuli such as cyclic stretch and fluid shear stress as well as by hormonal stimuli such as histamine and bradykinin. Our group has previously demonstrated the importance of Ser1177 in the activation of eNOS and here I set out to determine the relative importance of phosphorylation on Ser633 and Ser114. By generating point mutants in which serine was replaced by either alanine (nonphosphorylatable mutants) or aspartate (phosphomimetic mutants) it was observed that the activity of the S633D and S114A eNOS mutants exhibited an 2-fold increase over the activity of the wild-type enzyme or either of the S633/634A or S114D eNOS mutants as determined by monitoring the conversion of L-arginine to L-citrulline. eNOS is basally phosphorylated on Thr495 and stimulation of endothelial cells with Ca2+-elevating agonists generally results in the transient dephosphorylation of this residue. The latter is essential to allow the binding of calmodulin to the enzyme and is the actually initiating step in the generation of NO. Correspondingly, the T495A eNOS mutant can be activated at lower Ca2+ and calmodulin concentrations than the T495D mutant. However, some eNOS mutants (T494A/S1177D and T495A) showed an enhanced ability to generate O2- in a NOS inhibitor-sensitive manner suggesting that the phosphorylation of the enzyme may also play a role in the uncoupling process. To determine the physiological relevance of eNOS dephosphorylation on Thr495 we assessed the consequences of treating cells with oxidised low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) on eNOS phosphorylation as well as on the eNOS-dependent generation of NO and O2-. Oxidised LDL concentration- and time-dependently decreased phosphorylation of eNOS on Thr495 and led to a concomitant decrease in cellular levels of cyclic GMP and an enhanced production of O2 - compared to cells treated with native LDL. Alterations in the activity of protein kinase C (PKC) were related to the change in eNOS Thr495 phosphorylation. There was not only the basal activity of PKCα inhibited by ox-LDL but the PKC activator phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate also failed to elicit the phosphorylation of Thr495 in ox-LDL-treated endothelial cells. The dephosphorylation of eNOS on Thr495 in response to the addition of ox-LDL was not associated with an increase in the binding of calmodulin to eNOS, an association usually necessary for the activation of eNOS. Moreover, following treatment with ox-LDL for 24 hours eNOS was no longer detected at the plasma membrane but was redistributed to the cytosol indicating that ox-LDL may disrupt the eNOS signalling complex or signalosome. To date the role played by the tyrosine phosphorylation of eNOS in the regulation of its activity or intracellular association is controversial. However, during the preparation of this thesis we have been able to demonstrate a link between the tyrosine phosphorylation of eNO and the activation of the tyrosine kinases Src and PYK2. The application of fluid shear stress to endothelial cells resulted in the activation of Src and PYK2 as well as in the association of PYK2 with eNOS. Co-expression of eNOS and PYK2 led to the putative identification of Tyr657 as a potential modulatory site. Mutating eNOS at Tyr657 to Asp or Glu resulted in the localisation of the mutant eNOS predominantly in the cytoskeleton and also in a complete inactivation of the enzyme. The Y657F mutants, on the other hand, did not demonstrate any marked alteration in the activity when compared with the wild-type eNOS. However, the In conclusion, the results describe in this thesis indicate that eNOS is regulated by phosphorylation at multiple sites. Depending on the phosphorylation site involved phosphorylation can inhibit or activate NO production or even uncouple the enzyme so that it generates O2-. While the phosphor-status of eNOS on Ser114 and Ser633 influenced NO release they did not contribute to O2 - production and the dephosphorylation of Thr495 seems sufficient to uncouple eNOS. Cell treatment with ox-LDL, which is known to increase eNOS-derived O2- output was correlated with a dephosphorylation of Thr495 as well as a decrease in the activity of the kinase that phosphorylates this site i.e., PKCα. The phosphorylation status of all the eNOS serine and threonine residues studied however did not influence the ability of the enzyme to dimerise, indicating that contrary to previously published reports the eNOS dimer is highly stable in endothelial cells. The tyrosine phosphorylation of eNOS was not initially expected to play a determinant role in the regulation but rather to facilitate the docking of associated regulatory proteins. However, Tyr657 seems to play a critical role in the generation of NO as its mutation resulted in the generation of a completely inactive enzyme as well as in an apparent intracellular mislocalisation of the protein. The physiological relevance of these findings remain to be further elucidated.
Phage display selection of HIV specific conserved mimotopes with IgG from long-term non-progressors
(2005)
Poster presentation Background The aim of this study is to identify conserved epitopes of HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies in polyclonal plasma from LTNP to finally derive vaccine candidates. Materials and methods The presence of neutralizing antibodies in 9 LTNP sera was proved by in vitro neutralization assays. Phage displayed peptide libraries were screened with LTNP IgG. HIV-specific mimotopes were analyzed for homology to the gp120 structure by a software (3DEX) especially developed for this purpose. Mice were immunized with interesting phages and their sera were analyzed for neutralizing activities against HIV-1. Results After biopannings, between 19% and 75% HIV-specific phage clones were identified by ELISA. Mimotope sequences were identified and could be aligned by 3DEX to linear or conformational epitopes on gp120. A peptide specific immune response was detected in sera of immunized mice. The first mice sera analyzed showed neutralizing activities against HIV-1. Conclusion Mimotopes could be selected from LTNP sera that represent conformational epitopes on gp120. Those ones inducing neutralizing antibodies upon immunization potentially are suited to derive vaccine candidates.