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Kein gemeinsames Mittagessen im Dasein, kein Kinobesuch in der Pupille – und der letzte Kaffee im Hopplo ist auch schon eine Weile her. Spätestens im März war klar: Das Sommersemester 2020 wird anders. Corona geht herum, und wir bleiben zu Hause. Nachdem der Semesterstart auf den 20. April verschoben wurde, startete die Universität erstmals mit einem reinen Online-Angebot. Doch was bedeutet Studieren in Zeit der Pandemie? Und wie kommen die Studis mit dieser ungewohnten Situation zurecht?
In this dissertation the formal abstraction and verification of analog circuit is examined. An approach is introduced that automatically abstracts a transistor level circuit with full Spice accuracy into a hybrid automaton (HA) in various output languages. The generated behavioral model exhibits a significant simulation speed-up compared to the original netlist, while maintaining an acceptable accuracy, and can be therefore used in various verification and validation routines. On top of that, the generated models can be formally verified against their Spice netlists, making the obtained models correct by construction.
The generated abstract models can be extended to enclose modeling as well as technology dependent parameter variations with little over approximations. As these models enclose the various behaviors of the sampled netlists, the obtained models are of significant importance as they can replace several simulations with just a single reachability analysis or symbolic simulation. Moreover, these models can be as well be used in different verification routines as demonstrated in this dissertation.
As the obtained models are described by HAs with linear behaviors in the locations, the abstract models can be as well compositionally linked, allowing thereby the abstraction of complex analog circuits.
Depending on the specified modeling settings, including for example the number of locations of the HA and the description of the system behavior, the accuracy, speedup, and various additional properties of the HA can be influenced. This is examined in detail in this dissertation. The underlying abstraction process is first covered in detail. Several extensions are then handled including the modeling of the HAs with parameter variations. The obtained models are then verified using various verification methodologies. The accuracy and speed-up of the abstraction methodology is finally evaluated on several transistor level circuits ranging from simple operational amplifiers up to a complex circuits.
Von Hierarchien, Tunneln und Grenzen : preisgekrönte Forschung: drei Ausgezeichnete im Porträt
(2020)
Sie gehört zu den Höhepunkten im Programm der Vereinigung von Freunden und Förderern: die Akademische Feier, bei der im festlichen Rahmen die Preise an die Nachwuchswissenschaftlerinnen und -wissenschaftler vergeben werden. Doch in diesem Sommer musste auch diese Veranstaltung wegen der Corona-Pandemie gecancelt werden. Drei der elf Ausgezeichneten werden in diesem UniReport vorgestellt: die Philosophin Prof. Dr. Lisa Herzog, der Physiker Dr. Sebastian Eckart und die Politikwissenschaftlerin Eva-Maria Schäfferle.
Nach dem Mord an dem Afroamerikaner George Floyd durch Polizeigewalt kam es in den USA und weltweit zu heftigen und anhaltenden Protesten gegen Rassismus. Doch viele Afroamerikaner sind skeptisch und wagen kaum zu hoffen, dass sich jemals wirklich etwas ändern wird. Prof. Simon Wendt, Amerikanist an der Goethe-Universität, spricht im Interview über die Hintergründe des amerikanischen Rassismus.
Nach knapp vier Monaten Corona-Krise stellen sich auch der Wissenschaft viele Fragen: Sind bestimmte Teile der Gesellschaft stärker von den Folgen betroffen, klafft eine Gerechtigkeitslücke? Öffnen sich vielleicht aber auch Wege für neue medizinische, gesellschaftliche, wirtschaftliche und ökologische Ansätze? Forscherinnen und Forscher der Goethe-Universität aus verschiedenen Disziplinen wagen eine Zwischenbilanz und einen Ausblick.
Neuer Karriereweg zur Professur : Rückblick auf eine bundesweite Tagung zur Tenure-Track-Professur
(2020)
Apps und »virtuelle Brillen« werden in der Behandlung von Stimmungs- und Angststörungen zunehmend zur Realität. Auch das Team von Prof. Dr. Andreas Reif an der Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie der Goethe-Universität beteiligt sich an klinischen Studien. »In unserer neuen VR-Angst-Ambulanz werden wir mit bereits in Studien erprobten VR-Modulen arbeiten. So können wir aktuelle Erkenntnisse zügig in der Therapie umsetzen«, so Reif. In einem zweiten Projekt geht es um Behandlung von Depressionen mit Methoden der Virtuellen Realität (VR).
Die Goethe-Universität gibt Impulse an die Menschen in der Stadt. Die Bürgerinnen und Bürger wiederum besuchen die Universität. Diese Idee der Bürgeruniversität eines Dialogs zwischen Universität und Stadt ist in Pandemiezeiten schwer umzusetzen. Dennoch: Nach einer Pause gibt es wieder ein – überwiegend digitales – Programm.
Cornelius Krellner, Physiker
(2020)
Auch wenn die aktuelle Pandemie-Lage wenig Spielraum für Präsenzlehre lässt: Lehrende und Mediendidaktiker möchten langfristig nicht auf einen Lehrbetrieb face-to-face verzichten. Sie plädieren aber auch dafür, die Möglichkeiten digitaler Lehre nach Maßgabe der Lernziele intensiv zu nutzen. Viele digitale Tools, so die Einschätzung, können sogar im Präsenzunterricht für mehr Interaktion und Feedback sorgen.
Die junge Professorin der Romanistik wirkt einsam in ihrem großen, fast leeren Büro im fünften Stock des IG-Farben-Gebäudes. Nichts geht in Corona-Zeiten für die Linguistin voran – in Forschung und Lehre ist Sol Lago angewiesen auf die unmittelbare Zusammenarbeit mit Probanden und Studierenden. »Ich wäre so froh, wenn wir endlich mit dem neuen Eye-Tracker loslegen könnten«, so die gebürtige Argentinierin, die vor Ideen sprudelt. Drei Sprachwissenschaftler vom Institut für romanische Sprachen, Prof. Dr. Esther Rinke, Prof. Dr. Jacopo Torregrossa und Prof. Dr. Sol Lago, haben jeweils 10 000 Euro in das transportable Gerät investiert. Die noch fehlende Summe von knapp 5 000 Euro hat die Freundesvereinigung beigesteuert.
Jens Amendt hat die internationale Konferenz der Forensischen Entomologie von seinem Rechner aus in Frankfurt geleitet. Sein Resümee: Die virtuelle Veranstaltung mit 260 Teilnehmenden hat insgesamt sehr gut geklappt, aber Mikrofon und Kamera sollte man gerade als Organisator immer gut im Auge behalten.
Eine Studie, die der Politikwissenschaftler Prof. Richard Traunmüller (Universität Mannheim) zusammen mit seinem Kollegen Dr. Matthias Revers (University of Leeds) kürzlich veröffentlicht hat, hat bundesweit für Aufsehen und auch für zahlreiche Gegenstimmen gesorgt. Im Fokus der Studie stehen Soziologie-Studierende der Goethe-Universität, weshalb die Befunde zur Redeund Meinungsfreiheit in Frankfurt besonders die Gemüter bewegt haben. Der UniReport konnte Prof. Traunmüller, der einige Jahre an der Goethe-Universität geforscht und gelehrt hat, und seinen früheren Kollegen, den Soziologen Prof. Thomas Scheffer, zu einem Streitgespräch zusammenbringen.
Vernetzen und gestalten : Gespräch mit Uni-Präsidentin Birgitta Wolff zum Ende ihrer Amtszeit
(2020)
Das neue Jahr beginnt mit einem Wechsel an der Uni-Spitze. Universitätspräsidentin Birgitta Wolff übergibt nach sechs Jahren das Amt an Enrico Schleiff, der von 2012 bis 2018 bereits als Vizepräsident für die Goethe-Universität aktiv war. Im Interview mit dem UniReport spricht Wolff über das besondere »Corona-Jahr« 2020 und die aktuelle Position der Uni.
Background: Extracorporeal life support (ECLS) has become an integral part of modern intensive therapy. The choice of support mode depends largely on the indication. Patients with respiratory failure are predominantly treated with a venovenous (VV) approach. We hypothesized that mortality in Germany in ECLS therapy did not differ from previously reported literature
Methods: Inpatient data from Germany from 2007 to 2018 provided by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany were analysed. The international statistical classification of diseases and related health problems codes (ICD) and process keys (OPS) for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) types, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and hospital mortality were used.
Results: In total, 45,647 hospitalized patients treated with ECLS were analysed. In Germany, 231 hospitals provided ECLS therapy, with a median of 4 VV-ECMO and 9 VA-ECMO in 2018. Overall hospital mortality remained higher than predicted in comparison to the values reported in the literature. The number of VV-ECMO cases increased by 236% from 825 in 2007 to 2768 in 2018. ARDS was the main indication for VV-ECMO in only 33% of the patients in the past, but that proportion increased to 60% in 2018. VA-ECMO support is of minor importance in the treatment of ARDS in Germany. The age distribution of patients undergoing ECLS has shifted towards an older population. In 2018, the hospital mortality decreased in VV-ECMO patients and VV-ECMO patients with ARDS to 53.9% (n = 1493) and 54.4% (n = 926), respectively.
Conclusions: ARDS is a severe disease with a high mortality rate despite ECLS therapy. Although endpoints and timing of the evaluations differed from those of the CESAR and EOLIA studies and the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Registry, the reported mortality in these studies was lower than in the present analysis. Further prospective analyses are necessary to evaluate outcomes in ECMO therapy at the centre volume level.
Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic made it necessary to convert a course on history taking, in theory and practice, to an online format over a very short time. A key question was whether, and if so to what extent, basic theory and, in particular, the practical skills required to conduct medical interviews can be learned online.
Methodology/project description: The teaching program in basic theory was didactically redesigned and asynchronously placed on a learning platform, while the practical program, which consisted of training in conducting history-taking interviews, took place with the help of video conferencing software during synchronous sessions. For the practical sessions, the lecturers received organizational and technical support.
Results: Based on initial evaluation results, a positive picture of the conversion has emerged since the course was completed. The need to restructure the course and use new teaching methods because of the COVID-19 pandemic was well accepted by lecturers and students, and the course content was successfully adapted to an online format.
Conclusion: Overall, the online format enabled the learning objectives of the course to be successfully achieved. For topics such as non-verbal communication, the evaluation results indicated that a classroom format is preferable. Asynchronous theory teaching was generally very well received. Blended learning formats thus represent an appropriate means of teaching how to conduct medical interviews. Overall, online courses on conducting medical interviews provide students with the opportunity to become acquainted with the use of digital formats to conduct doctor-patient interviews, and to develop the relevant skills.
This paper presents a follow-up study of Markovits et al.’s (2014) comparison of large samples of Greek employees before and at the onset of the economic crisis. Now at the crisis’ peak, we again sampled data from 450 employees about their job satisfaction, organizational commitment, regulatory focus, and burnout. Overall, compared to the two samples before, employees’ job attitudes further decrease with lower normative and higher continuance commitment, lower (extrinsic and intrinsic) job satisfaction and both lower promotion and (somewhat surprisingly) even lower prevention orientation. Expanding previous studies, results show that satisfaction and commitment are also related to burnout and that those participants who are currently employed but had experienced personal unemployment during the crisis showed more negative attitudes and higher burnout.
In this talk we presented a novel technique, based on Deep Learning, to determine the impact parameter of nuclear collisions at the CBM experiment. PointNet based Deep Learning models are trained on UrQMD followed by CBMRoot simulations of Au+Au collisions at 10 AGeV to reconstruct the impact parameter of collisions from raw experimental data such as hits of the particles in the detector planes, tracks reconstructed from the hits or their combinations. The PointNet models can perform fast, accurate, event-by-event impact parameter determination in heavy ion collision experiments. They are shown to outperform a simple model which maps the track multiplicity to the impact parameter. While conventional methods for centrality classification merely provide an expected impact parameter distribution for a given centrality class, the PointNet models predict the impact parameter from 2–14 fm on an event-by-event basis with a mean error of −0.33 to 0.22 fm.
We tested 6–7-year-olds, 18–22-year-olds, and 67–74-year-olds on an associative memory task that consisted of knowledge-congruent and knowledge-incongruent object–scene pairs that were highly familiar to all age groups. We compared the three age groups on their memory congruency effect (i.e., better memory for knowledge-congruent associations) and on a schema bias score, which measures the participants’ tendency to commit knowledge-congruent memory errors. We found that prior knowledge similarly benefited memory for items encoded in a congruent context in all age groups. However, for associative memory, older adults and, to a lesser extent, children overrelied on their prior knowledge, as indicated by both an enhanced congruency effect and schema bias. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) performed during memory encoding revealed an age-independent memory x congruency interaction in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). Furthermore, the magnitude of vmPFC recruitment correlated positively with the schema bias. These findings suggest that older adults are most prone to rely on their prior knowledge for episodic memory decisions, but that children can also rely heavily on prior knowledge that they are well acquainted with. Furthermore, the fMRI results suggest that the vmPFC plays a key role in the assimilation of new information into existing knowledge structures across the entire lifespan. vmPFC recruitment leads to better memory for knowledge-congruent information but also to a heightened susceptibility to commit knowledge-congruent memory errors, in particular in children and older adults.
Objective: Due to the prohibition of face-to-face courses during the Corona pandemic, the seminar "Written Examinations" of the Frankfurter Arbeitsstelle für Medizindidaktik (FAM) was converted into an asynchronous online seminar. This pilot project investigated how such a format is accepted and evaluated by the participants. Methodology: A forum-based online format with group and individual tasks was chosen, which was didactically designed according to the problem-oriented design by Reinmann and Mandl. Results: The seminar was attended by 14 people, 13 of whom took part in the evaluation. The overall evaluation was, with one exception, a grade of 2 (and better). The three items "practical relevance", "subjective learning success" and the question of recommendation also received very high approval ratings. The weekly workload reported by the participants was very heterogeneous (mean=2.4 hours; SD=1.1). For some participants, the use of the learning platform was not intuitive and group collaboration was somewhat faltering.Conclusion: The experiences made show that courses on medical didactics can be implemented online and are gladly accepted by the participants. Based on the experience gained, online seminars or blended learning formats will certainly continue to be part of the FAM course program in the future.
Abstract
Divergence is mostly viewed as a progressive process often initiated by selection targeting individual loci, ultimately resulting in ever increasing genomic isolation due to linkage. However, recent studies show that this process may stall at intermediate stable equilibrium states without achieving complete genomic isolation. We tested the extent of genomic isolation between two recurrently hybridizing nonbiting midge sister taxa, Chironomus riparius and Chironomus piger, by analyzing the divergence landscape. Using a principal component‐based method, we estimated that only about 28.44% of the genomes were mutually isolated, whereas the rest was still exchanged. The divergence landscape was fragmented into isolated regions of on average 30 kb, distributed throughout the genome. Selection and divergence time strongly influenced lengths of isolated regions, whereas local recombination rate only had minor impact. Comparison of divergence time distributions obtained from several coalescence‐simulated divergence scenarios with the observed divergence time estimates in an approximate Bayesian computation framework favored a short and concluded divergence event in the past. Most divergence happened during a short time span about 4.5 million generations ago, followed by a stable equilibrium between mutual gene flow through ongoing hybridization for the larger part of the genome and isolation in some regions due to rapid purifying selection of introgression, supported by high effective population sizes and recombination rates.
Impact Summary
The process of speciation has fascinated biologists from early on. Prevailing theory suggested that gene flow among populations is the main obstacle for their divergence. Recently, it became clear that speciation with gene flow is possible under certain circumstances. However, it remains unclear how the divergence process proceeds in time, how widespread the phenomenon is, and whether it always and inevitably leads to complete isolation. Comparing the genomes of individuals of two regularly hybridizing sister taxa of nonbiting midges, we could show that they diverged during a short period millions of generations ago. Their divergence process apparently ceased before the entire genome was mutually isolated. The taxa remain distinct since, even though they share most of their genome. Our findings thus extend our view of the nature of species and the temporal dynamics of their divergence and describe novel approaches to analyze both current and past divergence processes.
Scanning Hall probe microscopy is attractive for minimally invasive characterization of magnetic thin films and nanostructures by measurement of the emanating magnetic stray field. Established sensor probes operating at room temperature employ highly miniaturized spin-valve elements or semimetals, such as Bi. As the sensor layer structures are fabricated by patterning of planar thin films, their adaption to custom-made sensor probe geometries is highly challenging or impossible. Here we show how nanogranular ferromagnetic Hall devices fabricated by the direct-write method of focused electron beam induced deposition (FEBID) can be tailor-made for any given probe geometry. Furthermore, we demonstrate how the magnetic stray field sensitivity can be optimized in situ directly after direct-write nanofabrication of the sensor element. First proof-of-principle results on the use of this novel scanning Hall sensor are shown.
Endothelial cells play a critical role in the adaptation of tissues to injury. Tissue ischemia induced by infarction leads to profound changes in endothelial cell functions and can induce transition to a mesenchymal state. Here we explore the kinetics and individual cellular responses of endothelial cells after myocardial infarction by using single cell RNA sequencing. This study demonstrates a time dependent switch in endothelial cell proliferation and inflammation associated with transient changes in metabolic gene signatures. Trajectory analysis reveals that the majority of endothelial cells 3 to 7 days after myocardial infarction acquire a transient state, characterized by mesenchymal gene expression, which returns to baseline 14 days after injury. Lineage tracing, using the Cdh5-CreERT2;mT/mG mice followed by single cell RNA sequencing, confirms the transient mesenchymal transition and reveals additional hypoxic and inflammatory signatures of endothelial cells during early and late states after injury. These data suggest that endothelial cells undergo a transient mes-enchymal activation concomitant with a metabolic adaptation within the first days after myocardial infarction but do not acquire a long-term mesenchymal fate. This mesenchymal activation may facilitate endothelial cell migration and clonal expansion to regenerate the vascular network.
Currently, the genus Polypedates comprises 26 species distributed in South, Southeast, and East Asia. Because of their relatively low dispersal capability and intolerance to seawater, this genus is ideal for the study of terrestrial range evolution that extends into the island archipelagos of southeastern Asia. In this study, based on data compiled for Polypedates from previous studies and partial mitochondrial and nuclear genes collected in this study, we performed systematic biogeographical analysis. We confirmed a Sundaland origin for the extant genus and showed northward dispersal into mainland Southeast Asia and Asia, which coincided with the timing of paleoclimatic change from the Oligocene to Middle Miocene. Climate fluctuations had a profound impact on species diversification within the genus Polypedates. Furthermore, the Red River did not mediate species exchange between Southeast Asia and mainland Asia until the end of the Miocene, with the sudden onset of northward dispersal in several clades independently at that time. Alternatively, the lineage of widespread insular P. leucomystax strongly supports the hypothesis of terrestrial connection between island archipelagos of Southeast Asia during the Mid-Pleistocene paleoclimate fluctuations. Our biogeographical analysis also supports the recent introduction of P. leucomystax to the Philippines and Ryukyus, as previously suggested.
During dynamic ultrasound assessments, unintended transducer movement over the skin needs to be prevented as it may bias the results. The present study investigated the validity of two methods quantifying transducer motion. An ultrasound transducer was moved on a pre-specified 3 cm distance over the semitendinosus muscle of eleven adults (35.8 ± 9.8 years), stopping briefly at intervals of 0.5 cm. Transducer motion was quantified (1) measuring the 2-D displacement of the shadow produced by reflective tape (RT) attached to the skin and (2) using a marker-based, three-dimensional movement analysis system (MAS). Differences between methods were detected with Wilcoxon tests; associations were checked by means of intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC 3.1) and Bland–Altman plots. Values for RT (r = 0.57, p < 0.001) and MAS (r = 0.19, p = 0.002) were significantly higher than true distances (TD). Strong correlations were found between RT and TD (ICC: 0.98, p < 0.001), MAS and TD (ICC: 0.95, p < 0.001), and MAS and RT (ICC: 0.97, p < 0.001). Bland–Altman plots showed narrow limits of agreement for both RT (−0.49 to 0.13 cm) and MAS (−0.49 to 0.34 cm) versus TD. RT and MAS are valid methods to quantify US transducer movement. In view of its low costs and complexity, RT can particularly be recommended for application in research and clinical practice. View Full-Text
Keywords: ultrasound; reflective tape; transducer movement
The ability to learn sequential contingencies of actions for predicting future outcomes is indispensable for flexible behavior in many daily decision-making contexts. It remains open whether such ability may be enhanced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). The present study combined tDCS with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate potential tDCS-induced effects on sequential decision-making and the neural mechanisms underlying such modulations. Offline tDCS and sham stimulation were applied over the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) in young male adults (N = 29, mean age = 23.4 years, SD = 3.2) in a double-blind between-subject design using a three-state Markov decision task. The results showed (i) an enhanced dlPFC hemodynamic response during the acquisition of sequential state transitions that is consistent with the findings from a previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study; (ii) a tDCS-induced increase of the hemodynamic response in the dlPFC, but without accompanying performance-enhancing effects at the behavioral level; and (iii) a greater tDCS-induced upregulation of hemodynamic responses in the delayed reward condition that seems to be associated with faster decision speed. Taken together, these findings provide empirical evidence for fNIRS as a suitable method for investigating hemodynamic correlates of sequential decision-making as well as functional brain correlates underlying tDCS-induced modulation. Future research with larger sample sizes for carrying out subgroup analysis is necessary in order to decipher interindividual differences in tDCS-induced effects on sequential decision-making process at the behavioral and brain levels.
Anhand der Konstruktion von Joan of Arc in Saint Joan untersucht dieser Artikel, wie George Bernard Shaw die Position einer Außenseiterin nutzt, um seine geschlechtspolitischen und ästhetischen Ziele zu verdeutlichen. Im Vergleich mit älteren Darstellungen der französischen Nationalheldin wird Shaws spezifische Rezeption des Jeanne-d’Arc-Mythos skizziert und dargestellt, wie Shaw Joans geschlechtliche Differenz als Fortsetzung seiner Kritik an Geschlechternormen entwickelt. Aufbauend darauf präsentiert Shaw Joan zudem als mentale Ausnahmefigur, über deren Visionen ein anderer Begriff des Realismus stark gemacht wird, mit dem Shaw sein eigenes schriftstellerisches Wirken identifiziert.
Are we creating our past?
(2020)
Urnfield Culture hilltop settlements are often associated with a predominant function in the settlement pattern. This study challenged the idea of centrality by means of density estimates and spatial inhomogeneous explanatory statistics. Reflecting on the differences in spatial trends and material culture, no conclusive evidence for a consolidation of power, economic, or cultic dominance was observed. The dataset strongly points towards the inapplicability of commonly used parametric and/or homogenous spatial algorithms in archaeology. Tracer variables as well as the methodological and theoretical limitations are critically reviewed and a methodological framework to increase the reproducibility and reusability of archaeological research is proposed.
Employing an intersectional approach—drawing on cultural and new kinship studies, (medical) anthropology, gender and media studies—this article analyzes how the 2013 MTV series Generation Cryo as cultural text deals with medicalized masculinities and (in)fertilities. It asks in what ways masculinities and also fathers, fathering, and fatherhoods are (re)presented and negotiated in a story which has sperm donation by an anonymous donor and the donor siblings and/in their respective families at its center. In the show, essentially an (auto)biographical narrative, all families emphasize social parenthood over genetic inheritance, yet there are also deep-seated insecurities (re)triggered by the donor who is literally and metaphorically a present absence transforming into a potential family member, thus shaking family tectonics and challenging familial/familiar gender and family roles. Generation Cryo is a story about donor conceived children, but also about clinically infertile men and their social roles as fathers, their struggles to narrate and embody individual forms of masculinities in the face of cultural normative templates of hegemonic masculinities— complex practices constantly oscillating between genetic essentialism and social parenthood.
Literatur und Epidemie
(2020)
Aufbau: Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI)- Bildgebung ist eine auf der konventionellen Ultraschall- Bildgebung basierende Elastographie- Methode, die die quantitative Messung der Festigkeit und Elastizität von Gewebe ermöglicht. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie war es, ARFI- Bildgebung für die Differenzierung von Schilddrüsenknoten zu evaluieren und mit der bereits gut erprobten qualitativen Messmethode der Real-Time Elastographie (RTE) zu vergleichen.
Material und Methoden: ARFI- Bildgebung basiert auf der Aussendung von akustischen Impulsen in Gewebe, wodurch lokale Gewebeverschiebungen hervorgerufen werden. Die dabei entstehenden Transversalwellen wiederum werden über auf Korrelation basierende Methoden mittels Ultraschallwellen detektiert und in m/s angegeben. Einschlusskriterien der Studie waren: Knoten ≥ 5 mm sowie eine zytologische/histologische Aufarbeitung. Alle Patienten erhielten eine konventionelle Ultraschall- Untersuchung, eine Real-Time Elastographie sowie eine ARFI- Bildgebung.
Ergebnisse: Es standen 158 Knoten aus 138 Patienten zur Analyse zur Verfügung. 137 Knoten erbrachten bei der zytologischen/histologischen Aufarbeitung ein benignes Ergebnis, 21 Knoten hingegen wurden als maligne eingestuft. Die mittlere Geschwindigkeit der Messungen der ARFI- Bildgebung in gesundem Schilddrüsengewebe betrug 1,76 m/s, in benignen Knoten 1,90 m/s und in malignen Knoten 2,69 m/s. Es konnte kein signifikanter Unterschied der mittleren Geschwindigkeit zwischen gesundem Schilddrüsengewebe und benignen Knoten ermitteltet werden, wohingegen ein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen malignen Knoten und gesundem Schilddrüsengewebe (p= 0,0019) einerseits und benignen Schilddrüsenknoten (p=0,0039) andererseits bestand. Für die diagnostische Genauigkeit bei der Diagnose von malignen Schilddrüsenknoten konnte kein signifikanter Unterschied zwischen RTE und ARFI- Bildgebung festgestellt werden (0,74 vs. 0,69, p=0,54). Die Kombination von RTE und ARFI- Bildgebung erhöhte die Spezifität bei der Diagnose von malignen Schilddrüsenknoten von 72% (nur RTE) auf 92% (kombiniert).
Schlussfolgerungen: ARFI- Bildgebung kann als zusätzliche Methode bei der diagnostischen Aufarbeitung von Schilddrüsenknoten genutzt werden und liefert dabei einen hohen negativen prädiktiven Wert sowie vergleichbare Ergebnisse wie die RTE.
This manuscript-based thesis is divided into four chapters. Chapter one is an introduction to lichens and the Antarctic. It introduces the goal of the thesis and the problems related with lichen systematics and the lack of knowledge about Antarctic lichens. The Antarctic is one of the last wildernesses, isolated from the other continents by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the Subantarctic Front, the Antarctic Polar Front, and the Drake Passage. Terrestrial life in Antarctica is restricted to widely separated and small ice-free areas that cover only 0.3% of the continent. Colonization of the Antarctic is a challenge for many taxa and is related to their ability for long-range dispersal and their adaptation to the harsh climate. Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems are significantly threatened by climate change, invasive species, and their interactions. Glacial retreat caused by higher than average temperatures exposes new habitats that can be easily colonized from local biota, but non-native species can also be favored by the new climatic conditions. In addition, propagule movement mediated by humans can introduce new species or change the population structure of many taxa. The terrestrial biota is comprised almost exclusively by “lower organisms” (invertebrates, bryophytes, algae, lichenized fungi, and microorganisms). Lichens are the dominant component, and the most important primary producers. Lichens are symbiotic associations consisting of a fungus (mycobiont) and one or more photosynthetic (photobiont) partners. They can disperse sexually or vegetatively. There are several problems related to the symbiotic nature of lichens that do not facilitate easy identification; although molecular data offers additional evidence, species delimitation in lichens is still not straightforward. The true number of species is underestimated due to the presence of cryptic species and species pairs. Recommended universal fungal barcode sequences (e. g. ITS) sometimes fail to delimit species pairs. Thus, it is necessary to identify fast-evolving markers that allow for the delimitation of closely related species before proceeding with the analysis of lichen populations. The goal of this thesis is to elucidate the so far unknown genetic structure among Antarctic lichen populations because of the immediate consequences for conservation strategies. The thesis focuses not only on patterns of differentiation and gene flow, but also investigates the question of human-mediated propagule transfer into Antarctica and among Antarctic sites. This project provides data on the genetic structure of Antarctic lichens that is urgently needed to develop conservation strategies in the face of global warming and increased human activities in the region. Due to the fact that it is not possible to apply all of the unspecific fingerprinting methods to lichens, microsatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are one of the best tools to investigate the genetic structure of lichen populations. SSRs offer the possibility to discriminate the lichen partners, but species-specific microsatellites have been developed for only a few species. Regarding the Antarctic, only one species has been studied with SSRs.
The second chapter describes new methods and tools to delimit closely related species of lichens and provides fast evolving markers to characterize their genetic structure. The chapter introduces the lichen species analysed in this thesis and the problems related to their correct identification by morphological methods and molecular data. Chapter two explains the sampling methods for lichen populations and the localities from small areas in which the species pairs occur together. Then the methods used to generate and validate fungal specific microsatellites that cross-amplify species pairs are described. This chapter focuses on the species pair Usnea antarctica and U. aurantiacoatra because they are the most common lichens in the Maritime Antarctic. An internal transcribed spacer (ITS) marker do not discriminate between these species, and some authors have suggested to synonymize them. Unpublished results from another Antarctic species pair, Placopsis antarctica and P. contortuplicata, are included to confirm the capability of SSRs to discriminate closely related lichen species. This thesis is the first study to generate SSRs that cross amplify species pairs, using BLAST to compare one genome against the other to obtain markers with the same length in flanking regions. The de novo developed SSRs are able to discriminate the two closely related species, and can detect variability at the population level. In the end of the chapter, ITS sequences, microsatellites, and SNPs are used to delimit the species of Usnea antarctica and U. aurantiacoatra. The chapter exposes the importance of a correct species delimitation and the ability of SSRs and SNPs to delimit the Antarctic Usnea species pair compared with the recommended universal fungal barcode sequence ITS. ...