Responses of Black Nightshade (Solanum nigrum) to insect herbivory with a special focus on the 18-amino acid polypeptide systemin

To minimize the fitness-imperiling stress caused by phytophageous insects, plants have evolved many defensive adaptations. These plant defenses against herbivory are generally categorized as either tolerance or resistance. Tolerance traits reduce the detrimental effects of herbivore damage on plant fitness without affecting the herbivore. In contrast, resistance traits either directly or indirectly reduce the amount of damage a plant receives by repelling potential herbivores or impairing their performance. While tolerance mechanisms in plants remain nearly uncharacterized on the molecular level, the signal pathways leading to herbivore resistance have been extensively studied. As plants areellknown to show resistance responses to herbivory in not only locally attacked but also distal, undamaged leaves, the signals mediating these so-called systemic responses have received extensive attention. Among the signals proposed to be capable of transmitting information about herbivore attack from the site of wounding to the rest of the plant is the 18-aa polypeptide systemin. Systemin has long been thought to be the mobile wound signal in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), but according to the revised model, it plays a central role in tomato’s wound response acting at or near the site of wounding by amplifying the jasmonate-derived mobile wound signal. So far, resistance responses to insect herbivory have been studied mainly in crop plants such as tomato. An important question thus arises: do the above-mentioned findings apply to related but undomesticated species. The present thesis aimed to address this question by studying the defense responses of an undomesticated relative of tomato, black nightshade (Solanum nigrum), in general, and the role of systemin, in particular

The influence of glutathione S-transferases M1 and M3 on the development of bladder cancer

Problem: Cigarette smoking is the most important risk factor of transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder. The effect of the glutathione S- transferases M1 (GSTM1) and M3 (GSTM3) on the influence of this risk factor was investigated. Methods: A total of 293 bladder cancer patients from Dortmund and Wittenberg as well as 176 surgical patients without any malignancy from Dortmund were genotyped for GSTM1 und GSTM3 according to standard PCR/RFLP methods. Smoking habits were also qualified by a standardized interview. Results: The percentage of GSTM1 negative cases was 63 % in the entire bladder cancer patient group compared to 50 % in the control group. GSTM3*A/*A genotype was 76 % in the entire group of bladder cancer cases and 74 % in controls. Smokers and ex-smokers were overrepresented in the bladder cancer patient group. A significant association between smoking status and GSTM1 or GSTM3 genotype could not be revealed. Conclusion: The elevated percentage of GSTM1 negative bladder cancer cases shows the important effect of this polymorphic enzyme on the development of bladder cancer. In contrast to some other studies, an influence of GSTM1 on the risk due to cigarette smoking could not be observed. --Bladder cancer,glutathione S-transferase M1,glutathione S-transferase M3,smoking

Methodik der Generierung und Anwendung wertorientierter Performance-Kennzahlen zur Beurteilung der Entwicklung des Unternehmenswertes von Flughafenunternehmen

Mit vorliegender Arbeit stellten sich die Verfasser die Aufgabe, eine Ex-Post-Analyse von ausgewählten börsennotierten und nicht-börsennotierten Verkehrsflughäfen für den Zeitraum 1995 – 1999 anhand von Produktivitäts- und Finanzkennzahlen sowie wertorientierten Performance-Maßen durchzuführen und dabei die Vorzüge wertorientierter Performance-Kennzahlen für das zeitgemäße Flughafenmanagement zu demonstrieren. Ein Vergleich der untersuchten Flughäfen gestaltete sich dabei aufgrund ihrer unterschiedlichen Größe (z. B. Flughafensystem BAA vs. Einzelflughafen Frankfurt), Rechnungslegungsvorschriften (z. B. Abschreibungsmethode) und ihrer stark divergierenden Wertschöpfungstiefe als relativ schwierig

Methodik der Generierung und Anwendung wertorientierter Performance-Kennzahlen zur Beurteilung der Entwicklung des Unternehmenswertes von Flughafenunternehmen

It is often contended that there is a sharp conflict between the economists and the ecologists approach to the question of sustainability. This paper takes the opposite view. The paper attempts to show that both views can be formulated in a common analytical framework and that carried to its logical consequences the ecologic approach is a special case of the economic approach. --

Visual Analytics for Understanding Draco's Knowledge Base

Draco has been developed as an automated visualization recommendation system formalizing design knowledge as logical constraints in ASP (Answer-Set Programming). With an increasing set of constraints and incorporated design knowledge, even visualization experts lose overview in Draco and struggle to retrace the automated recommendation decisions made by the system. Our paper proposes an Visual Analytics (VA) approach to visualize and analyze Draco's constraints. Our VA approach is supposed to enable visualization experts to accomplish identified tasks regarding the knowledge base and support them in better understanding Draco. We extend the existing data extraction strategy of Draco with a data processing architecture capable of extracting features of interest from the knowledge base. A revised version of the ASP grammar provides the basis for this data processing strategy. The resulting incorporated and shared features of the constraints are then visualized using a hypergraph structure inside the radial-arranged constraints of the elaborated visualization. The hierarchical categories of the constraints are indicated by arcs surrounding the constraints. Our approach is supposed to enable visualization experts to interactively explore the design rules' violations based on highlighting respective constraints or recommendations. A qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the prototype confirms the prototype's effectiveness and value in acquiring insights into Draco's recommendation process and design constraints.Comment: To be presented at VIS 202

Revaskularisation der unteren Extremitäten: ein retrospektiver Vergleich der femoropoplitealen Hybridtechnik versus alleiniger Bypassanlage

Zur Revaskularisation der unteren Extremität kommen verschiedene Verfahren zur Anwendung. Diese können unter den beiden Hauptdisziplinen der endovaskulären und offen-chirurgischen Revaskularisation zusammengefasst werden. Aufgrund von Mehretagenerkrankungen werden die Methoden zunehmend in sogenannten Hybrideingriffen miteinander kombiniert. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es herauszufinden, ob das Hybridverfahren andere Ergebnisse im Hinblick auf das Outcome der Patienten hervorbringt als die konventionelle Behandlung mit einem Bypass. Um eine Beurteilung dieser Fragestellung zu ermöglichen, war es wichtig, die Ausgangssituation der beiden Gruppen zu untersuchen. Die Studie wurde retrospektiv anhand von bereits vorhandenen Daten durchgeführt. Anhand der Ein- und Ausschlusskriterien wurden 109 Fälle identifiziert. Entsprechend des durchgeführten Verfahrens erfolgte die Zuteilung zu den beiden Studiengruppen. Die Wahl des Verfahrens traf der behandelnde Operateur, sodass die Zuteilung ohne Randomisierung erfolgte. Die Dauer des Follow-up betrug im Mittel 18 Monate. Untersucht wurde der postoperative Aufenthalt insgesamt und auf ICU, die Früh- und Spätkomplikationen sowie die Mortalität. Aufgrund der geringen Fallzahl konnten bezüglich des Outcome keine statistisch signifikanten Unterschiede, wohl aber eine Tendenz festgestellt werden. Die Vergleichbarkeit der Gruppen wurde durch die statistisch signifikant unterschiedliche Anschlusssituation der beiden Gruppen beschränkt. Die Zunahme der Prävalenz und der Komplexität des Krankheitsbildes der pAVK stellen dessen Behandlung vor neue Herausforderungen. Die Kombination von endovaskulären und offen chirurgischen Verfahren stellt einen neuen vielversprechenden Behandlungsansatz für das Bild der Mehretagenerkrankung dar. In Ermangelung an einheitlichen Ergebnissen und medizinischen Leitlinien zu diesem Verfahren sind prospektive Studien mit größeren Fallzahlen und homogenen Definitionen sowie Patientenkollektiven nötig, um den wachsenden Anforderungen an die Therapie dieser Erkrankung adäquat zu begegnen.For revascularization of the lower extremity different methods are used. These can be grouped under two main disciplines of endovascular and open surgical revascularization. Due to multilevel peripheral arterial disease, the methods are increasingly combined in so-called hybrid procedures with each other. The aim of this work was to find out, whether the hybrid method yields in different results in terms of patient outcome as conventional treatment with a bypass. In order to allow for an assessment of this issue, it was important to investigate the initial situation of the two groups. The study was performed retrospectively based on existing data. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 109 cases were identified. According to the method performed the allocation resulted into the two study groups. The choice of method made the attending surgeon, so that the allocation was made without randomization. The duration of follow-up was 18 months on average. The postoperative stay in ICU and overall, the early and late complications and mortality were analysed. Due to the small number of cases no statistically significant differences concerning the outcome could be made, but a tendency could be found. The comparability of the groups was limited by the statistically significant difference between the connection situations of the two groups. The increase in the prevalence and complexity of the clinical picture of PAD provide the treatment with new challenges. The combination of endovascular and open surgical procedures represents a promising new treatment approach for the image of the multilevel PAD. In the absence of consistent results and clinical practical guideline on this procedure prospective studies with larger sample sizes and homogeneous definitions and patient populations are needed to meet the growing demands to address the treatment of this disease adequately