GWASs and the age of human as the model organism for autoimmune genetic research

Humans should perhaps be the model organism for autoimmune disease studies, considering the success of GWAS studies uncovering risk alleles

Super-Resolution and Self-Similarity in Magnetic Resonance Imaging

This thesis is about super-resolution reconstruction (SRR) and self-similarity in MRI. These are two overlapping fields of research and in the studies described here, one has naturally lead to the other. From investigating basic properties of conventional approaches to SRR in MRI and applying these methods to specific research problems, we saw a potential improvement to SRR in MRI by employing the selfsimilarity of the images. Self-similarity is a versatile methodology, and beside using it for SRR, we have performed a thorough investigation of its application to voxelwise classification in MRI. In this introductory chapter, we will briefly give some background on SRR and self-similarity in MRI and introduce the five studies included in the thesis

Rare protection against type 1 diabetes

Next-generation DNA sequencing reveals rare alleles protective from type 1 diabetes

Shopping for B-Malls: Investing for Stable Cash Flows and Value Creation

Executive Summary• The most compelling B-mall investment strategy is to acquire B-2 malls that have the potential to move up to the B-I level. • High barriers to entry and population demographics in their suburban locations make B-malls attractive. • Secondary malls typically price at below replacement cost. B-grade shopping malls have evolved into an extremely attractive real estate investment product. A B-mall is a regional shopping center that, relative to an A-mall, suffers from advanced age, a secondary or tertiary location, and/or mismanagement. The positive attributes of most B-malls, however, include strong and consistent cash flow production, high leasing demand, exceptional locations, functional and fungible physical plants, and trading values that are below replacement cost. Understanding the attributes that make B-malls successful and then realizing their intrinsic value by designing and executing proper rehabilitation, retenanting or expansion plans will increase cash flow and value for the savvy owner/manager

Seed dispersal, microsites or competition-what drives gap regeneration in an old-growth forest? An application of spatial point process modelling

The spatial structure of trees is a template for forest dynamics and the outcome of a variety of processes in ecosystems. Identifying the contribution and magnitude of the different drivers is an age-old task in plant ecology. Recently, the modelling of a spatial point process was used to identify factors driving the spatial distribution of trees at stand scales. Processes driving the coexistence of trees, however, frequently unfold within gaps and questions on the role of resource heterogeneity within-gaps have become central issues in community ecology. We tested the applicability of a spatial point process modelling approach for quantifying the effects of seed dispersal, within gap light environment, microsite heterogeneity, and competition on the generation of within gap spatial structure of small tree seedlings in a temperate, old growth, mixed-species forest. By fitting a non-homogeneous Neyman–Scott point process model, we could disentangle the role of seed dispersal from niche partitioning for within gap tree establishment and did not detect seed densities as a factor explaining the clustering of small trees. We found only a very weak indication for partitioning of within gap light among the three species and detected a clear niche segregation of Picea abies (L.) Karst. on nurse logs. The other two dominating species, Abies alba Mill. and Fagus sylvatica L., did not show signs of within gap segregation

Pattern formation in stiff oscillatory media with nonlocal coupling: A numerical study of the hydrogen oxidation reaction on Pt electrodes in the presence of poisons

The impact of the strength of negative (desynchronizing) global coupling (NGC) on the spatiotemporal dynamics of an electrochemical relaxation oscillator is studied numerically with a prototypical model, the electro-oxidation of hydrogen in the presence of poisons. The results are compared with recent experiments. The NGC has a destabilizing effect on the homogeneous oscillations. Both, in theory and in experiments, the basic patterns found with increasing global coupling strength are modulated oscillations, target patterns (including an asymmetric variant), and modulated pulses, the average spatial inhomogeneity during an oscillation increasing with the intensity of the NGC. It is suggested that this scenario is typical for strong relaxation oscillations, and a comparison with an electrochemical oscillator exhibiting harmonic oscillations points to the fact that the critical coupling strength, upon which the complete synchronization is destroyed, is larger for relaxation oscillations than for harmonic oscillations. In addition, the numerical simulations predicted two- and three-phase cluster patterns at high coupling strength. Also in experiments cluster patterns were observed, however only in parameter regions of the local dynamics which were different from the one investigated in this study