Showing papers by "University of Tübingen published in 2023"

Mechanistic Approaches to the Application of Nano-Zinc in the Poultry and Biomedical Industries: A Comprehensive Review of Future Perspectives and Challenges

Abstract: Bio-fortification is a new, viable, cost-effective, and long-term method of administering crucial minerals to a populace with limited exposure to diversified foods and other nutritional regimens. Nanotechnology entities aid in the improvement of traditional nutraceutical absorption, digestibility, and bio-availability. Nano-applications are employed in poultry systems utilizing readily accessible instruments and processes that have no negative impact on animal health and welfare. Nanotechnology is a sophisticated innovation in the realm of biomedical engineering that is used to diagnose and cure various poultry ailments. In the 21st century, zinc nanoparticles had received a lot of considerable interest due to their unusual features. ZnO NPs exhibit antibacterial properties; however, the qualities of nanoparticles (NPs) vary with their size and structure, rendering them adaptable to diverse uses. ZnO NPs have shown remarkable promise in bio-imaging and drug delivery due to their high bio-compatibility. The green synthesized nanoparticles have robust biological activities and are used in a variety of biological applications across industries. The current review also discusses the formulation and recent advancements of zinc oxide nanoparticles from plant sources (such as leaves, stems, bark, roots, rhizomes, fruits, flowers, and seeds) and their anti-cancerous activities, activities in wound healing, and drug delivery, followed by a detailed discussion of their mechanisms of action.

Photogenerated Carrier-Assisted Electrocatalysts for Efficient Water Splitting

Abstract: Electrocatalysts are the core component of electrocatalytic water splitting for improving its overall energy conversion efficiency and reducing the energy input. At present, the design of efficient electrocatalysts mainly focuses on optimizing their electronic structure and local reaction microenvironment to improve the adsorption of reaction intermediates. Although many effective strategies (such as heteroatom doping, vacancy, heterojunction construction, strain engineering, and phase transformation) have been developed, the improvement in catalytic activity has been very limited. Hence, the development of innovative strategies to enhance the optimization of photoelectroactivity is desirable. Inspired by the strategy of applying a potential field to reduce carrier radiation recombination in traditional photoelectrocatalysis, photogenerated carrier-assisted electrocatalysis, based on the synergy effect of light and electric energy, provides a new strategy to enhance the intrinsic activity of water splitting. The essence of the photo-assisted strategy can be attributed to the injection of hot carriers and photogenerated electron–hole pairs or the accelerated reaction kinetics caused by local temperature rises. The photogenerated carrier-assisted strategy has received wide attention due to its simplicity and efficiency. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in photogenerated carrier-assisted strategies (PCAS) for enhancing the performance of HER, OER, and overall water splitting. The possible mechanisms are addressed and the basic composition and latest progress in photo-assisted electrocatalysts using PCAS are summarized. Finally, the challenges and development prospects of PCAS will be detailed.

Will, skills, or conscientiousness: What predicts teachers’ intentions to participate in technology-related professional development?

Abstract: To unfold the potential of learning with technology in classrooms, teachers must be prepared to integrate it meaningfully and with high instructional quality. Professional development (PD) is an important avenue for preparing in-service teachers to integrate technology into their teaching. Whereas existing research indicates that teachers’ motivation predicts classroom technology use and participation in PD, knowledge about other predictors (e.g., technology-related knowledge and personality) is scarce. This scarcity is surprising because technology-related prior knowledge and, for example, conscientiousness are especially important in systems in which teachers choose PD voluntarily. In this study, we analyzed unique data from 321 in-service teachers whose schools were randomized to receive one-to-one technology. Using sequential linear and nonlinear regression, we examined the extent to which teachers’ will, skills, and conscientiousness simultaneously (rather than separately) predicted their intentions to participate in technology-related PD. Controlling for important personal and contextual characteristics, we found robust evidence that the perceived utility of technology in classrooms was a stronger predictor of participation intentions than technology-related knowledge and conscientiousness. Contrary to existing assumptions, our findings illustrate that teachers should still be made aware of the utility of technology for instruction to strengthen their intentions to participate in technology-related PD.

Untangling TMS‐EEG responses caused by TMS <i>versus</i> sensory input using optimized sham control and GABAergic challenge

Abstract: The combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electroencephalography (EEG) elegantly probes the excitability and connectivity of the human brain. However, TMS-EEG signals inevitably also contain sensory-evoked responses caused by TMS-associated auditory and somatosensory inputs, constituting a substantial confounding factor. Here we applied our recently established optimized SHAM protocol (Gordon et al., Neuroimage 2021:118708) to disentangle TMS-EEG responses caused by TMS vs. sensory input. One unresolved question is whether these responses superimpose without relevant interaction, a requirement for their disaggregation by the optimized SHAM approach. We applied in 20 healthy subjects a pharmacological intervention using a single oral dose of 20 mg of diazepam, a positive modulator of GABAA receptors. Diazepam decreased the amplitudes of the P60 and P150 components specifically in the ACTIVE TMS and/or the ACTIVE TMS minus SHAM conditions but not in the SHAM condition, pointing to a response caused by TMS. In contrast, diazepam suppressed the amplitude of the N100 component indiscriminately in the ACTIVE TMS and SHAM conditions but not in the ACTIVE TMS minus SHAM condition, pointing to a response caused by sensory input. Moreover, diazepam suppressed the beta-band response observed in the motor cortex specifically after ACTIVE TMS and ACTIVE TMS minus SHAM. These findings demonstrate a lack of interaction of TMS-EEG responses caused by TMS vs. sensory input and validate optimized SHAM-controlled TMS-EEG as an appropriate approach to untangle these TMS-EEG responses. This knowledge will enable the proficient use of TMS-EEG to probe the physiology of the human cortex. KEY POINTS: Optimized SHAM disentangles TMS-EEG responses caused by TMS vs. sensory input. Diazepam differentially modulates TMS-EEG responses caused by TMS vs. sensory input. Diazepam modulation of P60 and P150 indicate TMS-EEG responses caused by TMS. Diazepam modulation of N100 indicate a TMS-EEG response caused by sensory input.

Loss or Gain of Function? Effects of Ion Channel Mutations on Neuronal Firing Depend on the Cell Type

Abstract: Abstract Clinically relevant mutations to voltage-gated ion channels, called channelopathies, alter ion channel function, properties of ionic current and neuronal firing. The effects of ion channel mutations are routinely assessed and characterized as loss of function (LOF) or gain of function (GOF) at the level of ionic currents. Emerging personalized medicine approaches based on LOF/GOF characterization have limited therapeutic success. Potential reasons are that the translation from this binary characterization to neuronal firing especially when considering different neuronal cell types is currently not well understood. Here we investigate the impact of neuronal cell type on the firing outcome of ion channel mutations with simulations of a diverse collection of neuron models. We systematically analyzed the effects of changes in ion current properties on firing in different neuronal types. Additionally, we simulated the effects of mutations in the KCNA1 gene encoding the K V 1.1 potassium channel subtype associated with episodic ataxia type 1 (EA1). These simulations revealed that the outcome of a given change in ion channel properties on neuronal excitability is cell-type dependent. As a result, cell-type specific effects are vital to a full understanding of the effects of channelopathies on neuronal excitability and present an opportunity to further the efficacy and precision of personalized medicine approaches. Significance Statement Although the genetic nature of ion channel mutations as well as their effects on the biophysical properties of an ion channel are routinely assessed experimentally, determination of their role in altering neuronal firing is more difficult. In particular, cell-type dependency of ion channel mutations on firing has been observed experimentally, and should be accounted for. In this context, computational modelling bridges this gap and demonstrates that the cell type in which a mutation occurs is an important determinant in the effects of neuronal firing. As a result, classification of ion channel mutations as loss or gain of function is useful to describe the ionic current but should not be blindly extend to classification at the level of neuronal firing.

Thermo‐Kinematic Evolution of the Eastern European Alps Along the TRANSALP Transect

Abstract: The eastern European Alps are shaped by the indentation of Adria into Europe. Recent tomography, depicting detached slab fragments, has been interpreted as evidence of continuous southward subduction of European lithosphere, contrary to an often-invoked subduction polarity reversal. Orogen-scale exhumation, driven by rock displacement along active faults, may reflect subduction polarity within the framework of doubly-vergent Coulomb wedge theory, provided the absence of rheological contrasts across the colliding plates. Low-temperature thermochronology can evaluate crustal cooling in response to changes in tectonic and erosional boundary conditions. This study investigates the consistency of observed crustal re-organization, exhumation, and mantle processes in the Eastern Alps. Thermo-kinematic forward models driven by reconstructions of crustal shortening along the TRANSALP geophysical transect were subjected to variations in shortening rates, thermophysical parameters, and topographic evolution, supplemented by new fission-track data. The thermo-kinematic models reproduce: (a) the orogen-scale structural geometry, (b) the distribution of thermochronometer ages, (c) observed time-temperature paths, and (f) the present-day surface heat flux. Results suggest that exhumation is driven by rock displacement along active faults without the need to involve mantle-driven buoyancy forces. Taken together, the results identify two possible scenarios: if the Tauern Ramp is a retro-thrust and the southward shift of deformation in the Southern Alps is a response to new Coulomb-wedge conditions, then our results support a Mid-Miocene reversal of the subduction polarity. Alternatively, crustal deformation does not reflect mantle processes entailing a high degree of inter-plate decoupling.

Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation extreme rainfall propagation modulated by Pacific sea surface temperatures

Abstract: Intraseasonal variability of extreme rainfall events (EREs) during the South Asian Summer Monsoon season is dominated by the Boreal Summer Intraseasonal Oscillation (BSISO). However, deviations from its canonical north-eastward propagation are poorly understood, posing challenges to the prediction of EREs and climate modeling. Here, we combine a climate network-based approach determining regions of synchronously occurring EREs witha clustering analysis of zonal and meridional BSISO propagation patterns which reveals three distinct modes: canonical north-eastward, eastward-blocked, and stationary propagation. We show that Pacific sea surface temperature background states determine the propagation mode. In particular, El Ni&#241;o (La Ni&#241;a)-like conditions favor the stationary (eastward-blocked) mode by modifying the zonal and meridional overturning circulation structures and the strength of the BSISO Kelvin wave component. The uncovered mechanism for BSISO diversity has implications for the predictability of large, spatially extensive EREs in South Asia and the development of early warning signals on a time horizon of 3-5 weeks.

Dinosaur Faunas of Egypt—The Terrestrial Late Cretaceous Vertebrate Record

Abstract: Egypt has yielded some of the richest and most spectacular records of Mesozoic terrestrial vertebrates from Africa. Certainly, the best-known and most diverse of these are the vertebrate assemblages of the Upper Cretaceous Bahariya Formation (Cenomanian), which includes numerous different taxa of fishes, abundant remains of turtles and crocodyliforms, as well as several different theropod and sauropod dinosaurs. Originally discovered early in the twentieth century by famous German palaeontologist Ernst Stromer von Reichenbach and fossil collector Richard Markgraf, most of the material has subsequently been destroyed during the Second World War. Aside from the high diversity, the Bahariya Formation also yielded some of the most bizarre and iconic dinosaurs such as the giant theropods Spinosaurus and Carcharodontosaurus or the enormous sauropod Paralititan. Although the Bahariya Oasis has yielded by far the most diverse and extensive remains of Mesozoic terrestrial vertebrates from Egypt, other localities from the Turonian, Campanian and Maastrichtian offer additional important—albeit much less complete—insights into the composition and evolution of African Late Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems. Some of these assemblages, especially the latest Cretaceous Quseir Formation, have just begun to reveal the richness and diversity of their vertebrate fauna, often with spectacular results, and certainly have the potential to yield further significant insights into the evolution of the Cretaceous life on land. In this chapter, we provide a summary of the terrestrial Mesozoic vertebrate record of Egypt and thus an overview of these remarkable dinosaur faunas.

Chemical and visual characterisation of EGRIP glacial ice and cloudy bands within

Abstract: Abstract. Impurities in polar ice play a critical role in ice flow, deformation, and the integrity of the ice core record. Especially cloudy bands, visible layers with high impurity concentrations are prominent features in ice from the last glacial. Their physical and chemical properties are poorly understood, highlighting the need to analyse them in more detail. We bridge the gap between decimetre and micrometre scales by combining the visual stratigraphy line scanner, fabric analyser, microstructure mapping, Raman spectroscopy, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry 2D impurity imaging. We classified almost 1300 cloudy bands from glacial ice from the East Greenland Ice-core Project (EGRIP) ice core into seven different types. We determine the localisation and mineralogy of more than 1000 micro-inclusions at 13 depths. The majority of the found minerals are related to terrestrial dust, such as quartz, feldspar, mica, and hematite. We further found carbonaceous particles, dolomite, and gypsum in high abundance. Rare minerals are e.g., rutile, anatase, epidote, titanite, and grossular. 2D impurity imaging with 20 μm resolution revealed that Na, Mg and Sr are mainly at grain boundaries. Dust-related analytes, such as Al, Fe, and Ti, are also located in the grain interior forming clusters of insoluble impurities. Cloudy bands are thus clearly distinguishable in the chemical data. We present novel vast micron-resolution insights into cloudy bands and describe the differences within and outside these bands. Combining the visual and chemical data results in new insights into the formation of different cloudy band types and could be the starting point for future in-depth studies on impurity signal integrity and internal deformation.

Intracellular carbon storage by microorganisms is an overlooked pathway of biomass growth

Abstract: The concept of biomass growth is central to microbial carbon (C) cycling and ecosystem nutrient turnover. Microbial biomass is usually assumed to grow by cellular replication, despite microorganisms' capacity to increase biomass by synthesizing storage compounds. Resource investment in storage allows microbes to decouple their metabolic activity from immediate resource supply, supporting more diverse microbial responses to environmental changes. Here we show that microbial C storage in the form of triacylglycerides (TAGs) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) contributes significantly to the formation of new biomass, i.e. growth, under contrasting conditions of C availability and complementary nutrient supply in soil. Together these compounds can comprise a C pool 0.19 ± 0.03 to 0.46 ± 0.08 times as large as extractable soil microbial biomass and reveal up to 279 ± 72% more biomass growth than observed by a DNA-based method alone. Even under C limitation, storage represented an additional 16-96% incorporation of added C into microbial biomass. These findings encourage greater recognition of storage synthesis as a key pathway of biomass growth and an underlying mechanism for resistance and resilience of microbial communities facing environmental change.

Reversible Thermal Hysteresis in Heating‐Cooling Cycles of Magnetic Susceptibility: A Fine Particle Effect of Magnetite

Abstract: Thermomagnetic curves of magnetic susceptibility (κ) are key to characterizing magnetic properties. We report hump-shaped κ-T curves of magnetite-bearing basalt during heating-cooling cycles to ∼340°C, with a large thermal hysteresis and similar starting and ending values, even in multiple repeated cycles, ruling out changes in magnetic mineralogy. Based on FORC diagrams and published results of engineered materials, we propose that thermal hysteresis arises from configurations of magnetic moments in clusters of single-domain particles due to dipolar coupling, with different collective behavior during heating and cooling. This effect modifies the hump-shaped thermal relaxation behavior of the individual nanoparticles. FORC and κ-T results indicate an increase in effective particle sizes after 700°C-heating. Our results are a warning against premature interpretation of a decreasing trend in κ-T curves by maghemite inversion. Instead, fine particle behavior should be considered when a hump-shaped κ-T behavior is detected.

Improved estimation of the bulk ice crystal fabric asymmetry from polarimetric phase co-registration

Abstract: Abstract. The bulk crystal orientation in ice influences the flow of glaciers and ice streams. The ice c-axes fabric is most reliably derived from ice cores. Because these are sparse, the spatial and vertical distribution of the fabric in the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets is largely unknown. In recent years, methods have been developed to determine fabric characteristics from polarimetric radar measurements. The aim of this paper is to present an improved method to infer the horizontal fabric asymmetry by precisely determining the travel-time difference using co-polarised phase-sensitive radar data. We applied this method to six radar measurements from the East Greenland Ice-core Project (EastGRIP) drill site on Greenland's largest ice stream to give a proof of concept by comparing the results with the horizontal asymmetry of the bulk crystal anisotropy derived from the ice core. This comparison shows an excellent agreement, which is a large improvement compared to previously used methods. Our approach is particularly useful for determining the vertical profile of the fabric asymmetry in higher resolution and over larger depths than was achievable with previous methods, especially in regions with strong asymmetry.

Phase-specific stimulation of the human brain with real-time measurement instead of prediction

Abstract: Abstract Background The responsiveness of the human brain to external input fluctuates. Timing the external perturbation with regard to the oscillatory brain state may improve the intended stimulation effects. However, current brain state-dependent interventions targeting phases of the oscillatory cycle need to apply prediction algorithms to compensate for latencies between measurement and stimulation, and are therefore imprecise. Objective We investigated the phase-specific precision of a novel non-predictive approach on the basis of integrated real-time measurement and brain stimulation. Methods Applying a simulation, we estimated the circular standard deviation (SD) to hit 2, 4, 8, 16 or 32 equidistant phase bins of the oscillatory cycle with high precision. Furthermore, we used electroencephalography-triggered transcranial magnetic stimulation in healthy subjects to empirically determine the precision of hitting the targeted phase of the oscillatory cycle for 10 different frequencies from 4Hz to 40Hz using our approach. Results The simulation revealed that SDs of less than 17.6°, 9.7°, 5.1°, 2.5°, and 1.3° were necessary to precisely hit 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 distinct phase bins of the oscillatory cycle. By completing measurement, signal-processing and stimulation with a round-time of 1ms, our empirical approach achieved SDs of 0.4° at 4Hz to 4.3° at 40Hz. This facilitates selective targeting of 32 phases (at 4Hz), 16 phases (at 8, 12, 16, 20, 24Hz) and 8 phases (at 28, 32, 36, 40Hz), respectively. Conclusion Integrated real-time measurement and stimulation circumvents the need for prediction and results in more precise phase-specific brain stimulation than with state-of-the-art procedures.

Kinase Activity Is Not Required for G Protein–Coupled Receptor Kinase 4 Restraining mTOR Signaling during Cilia and Kidney Development

Abstract: G protein-coupled receptor kinase 4 (GRK4) regulates renal sodium and water reabsorption. Although GRK4 variants with elevated kinase activity have been associated with salt-sensitive or essential hypertension, this association has been inconsistent among different study populations. In addition, studies elucidating how GRK4 may modulate cellular signaling are sparse. In an analysis of how GRK4 affects the developing kidney, the authors found that GRK4 modulates mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Loss of GRK4 in embryonic zebrafish causes kidney dysfunction and glomerular cysts. Moreover, GRK4 depletion in zebrafish and cellular mammalian models results in elongated cilia. Rescue experiments suggest that hypertension in carriers of GRK4 variants may not be explained solely by kinase hyperactivity; instead, elevated mTOR signaling may be the underlying cause.G protein-coupled receptor kinase 4 (GRK4) is considered a central regulator of blood pressure through phosphorylation of renal dopaminergic receptors and subsequent modulation of sodium excretion. Several nonsynonymous genetic variants of GRK4 have been only partially linked to hypertension, although these variants demonstrate elevated kinase activity. However, some evidence suggests that function of GRK4 variants may involve more than regulation of dopaminergic receptors alone. Little is known about the effects of GRK4 on cellular signaling, and it is also unclear whether or how altered GRK4 function might affect kidney development.To better understand the effect of GRK4 variants on the functionality of GRK4 and GRK4's actions in cellular signaling during kidney development, we studied zebrafish, human cells, and a murine kidney spheroid model.Zebrafish depleted of Grk4 develop impaired glomerular filtration, generalized edema, glomerular cysts, pronephric dilatation, and expansion of kidney cilia. In human fibroblasts and in a kidney spheroid model, GRK4 knockdown produced elongated primary cilia. Reconstitution with human wild-type GRK4 partially rescues these phenotypes. We found that kinase activity is dispensable because kinase-dead GRK4 (altered GRK4 that cannot result in phosphorylation of the targeted protein) prevented cyst formation and restored normal ciliogenesis in all tested models. Hypertension-associated genetic variants of GRK4 fail to rescue any of the observed phenotypes, suggesting a receptor-independent mechanism. Instead, we discovered unrestrained mammalian target of rapamycin signaling as an underlying cause.These findings identify GRK4 as novel regulator of cilia and of kidney development independent of GRK4's kinase function and provide evidence that the GRK4 variants believed to act as hyperactive kinases are dysfunctional for normal ciliogenesis.

Reconstructing climate fields with terrestrial climate archives, isotope-enabled GCMs and Data Assimilation

Abstract: Data Assimilation in paleoclimatology (PaleoDA) is a method that has been used in several climate reconstructions for the last millennium. By fusing information from both climate proxies and general circulation models (GCMs), PaleoDA provides statistical estimates of climate fields that are dynamically consistent. However, existing reconstructions mostly rely on calibrated tree ring data and assimilate proxy records on a single, annual time scale. Ice cores and speleothems, which record past variations in the oxygen isotope ratio of precipitation, often have a lower and irregular time resolution, but reliably record climate variations on decadal to centennial time scales.&#160; Here, we implemented a computationally efficient DA algorithm that enables the assimilation of proxy records on multiple timescales. The algorithm has been applied to speleothem and ice core records from the SISALv2 and Iso2k database and five isotope-enabled GCMs. Reconstructions of global mean temperature changes during the last millennium compare well in both amplitude and uncertainty to recent studies. The potential of incorporating speleothems is shown with a reconstruction of hydroclimatic changes in tropical South America, where speleothems represent the most abundant type of hydroclimate archive. The experiments performed suggest an increased reconstructed decadal to centennial variability by using proxy records on multiple timescales. Making use of different climate models shows the influence of model biases on the reconstructions. Future PaleoDA reconstructions could be improved from more proxy records and the multiple time scale approach to provide a globally complete picture of past climate changes.&#160;

Formation mechanism of the Permo-Triassic unconformity and its tectonic-sedimentary response in the East Junggar orogen, NW China

Abstract: The East Junggar orogen is a major constituent of the southwestern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The Permian-Triassic strata exposed there is the first terrestrial sedimentary cover overlaying the Palaeozoic volcanic basement, and are well developed in the Kalamaili Mountain in the East Junggar. An obvious angular unconformity developed between the Permian and Triassic in the East Junggar, which is also widely seen in the Tian Shan and the Junggar Basin. Based on field observations, petrology, sedimentology, and detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology, we evaluate different mechanisms for the Permian-Triassic angular unconformity, clarify the characteristics of the tectonic movement during Permian-Triassic time and its control on the sedimentation in the East Junggar region, and identify the mountain-basin coupling processes.The sedimentary characteristics of the deposits show an abrupt change in depositional environments from a fluvial delta-lacustrine depositional system to an alluvial fan across the unconformity. The yellow conglomerate developed in the Middle Permian Pingdiquan Formation contains rounded and imbricated clasts, which indicate a relatively strong hydrodynamic environment within a fluvial delta. The red-brownish conglomerates in the Lower Triassic Cangfanggou Formation have poor sorting and are interpreted as typical alluvial fan deposits. Meanwhile, the heavy minerals statistics from sandstones show a higher abundance of stable heavy minerals in the Middle Permian Pingdiquan Formation than in the Lower Triassic Cangfanggou Formation, which indicates a provenance change from distal to proximal.The detrital zircon U-Pb ages from 9 clastic rock samples from the south flank of the Kalamaili Mountain show that in the Early Permian, a prominent age peak of ~330 Ma occurred. These sediments may have been derived from neighboring source areas, such as the Early Carboniferous volcanic rocks in the Kalameli tectonic belt. The Middle Permian samples show multiple age peaks of ~260 Ma, ~320 Ma, ~360 Ma, and ~510 -420 Ma, indicating that the source area gradually became enriched from other sediment sources. The source might include the Early Carboniferous volcanic rocks, Late Carboniferous granites, northern Early Paleozoic Yemaquan Island arc (~450 Ma), and/or the Early Paleozoic Karameli ophiolite (~490 Ma). The occurrence of these units marks the uplift of the East Junggar orogen range and significant deep terrane exhumation. The age peaks of the red conglomerate in the Lower Triassic are more diverse ~830-260Ma, which suggests that this region is still in a state of uplift and denudation, providing continuous supply to the basin. Combined with sedimentary characteristics and published data, our new data suggest that the East Junggar has also gone through a tectonic inversion in the Late Permian after large-scale orogenesis in the Late Carboniferous and post-collisional extension in Early-Middle Permian. Together, these events caused the Permian-Triassic angular unconformity and different sedimentary environments. In addition, results are consistent with the published conclusion that an uplift occurred in the Northern-Central Tianshan and the Bogda mountain in the southeastern Junggar in the Late Permian. These results provide vital data for reconstructing the Pangea supercontinent and the Hercynian movement of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt.&#160;

HILBERT’s critical Philosophy

Abstract: DAVID HILBERT (1862-1943) was an excellent mathematician who did outstanding work in many areas of mathematics and mathematical physics. He was also one of the few who thought intensively about the foundations of mathematics. Thereby, he became the pioneer of many new developments.

Paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes in the Pantanal region during the Holocene based on speleothem records

Abstract: The Pantanal is a large region located in the central parts of South America (140,000 km2) with a unique climate and vegetation setting. This region is subjected to seasonal floods, which makes the Pantanal one of the most important wetlands on the planet. In this region occur transitions between different biomes, such as the Amazon Forest, Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna), and Atlantic Forest, located to the North, East, and South of this region, respectively. The area also serves as a moisture pathway for the South American Summer Monsoon (SASM), which connects the Amazon Basin with the La Plata Basin. The two major drainage basins of South America. Due to the complex hydrology of the rivers and lakes of this region, it is necessary to combine multiple proxy archives from different parts of the Pantanal basin to understand its climate and vegetation evolution during the Holocene.Here we present isotope records from stalagmites collected at sites located at the northern and southern borders of the Pantanal. Hiatuses in speleothem deposition during the mid-Holocene identified in several stalagmites indicate overall dry conditions in the region at this period. However, the drier conditions recorded in the northern portion of the basin precede similar conditions in the South by approximately two thousand years. Furthermore, summer insolation seems to drive the intensity of the SASM at the North Pantanal, while its influence is weaker in the southern part. During the late Holocene, this establishes a moisture gradient between a wetter North and drier South. Our record also shows a strong multidecadal to centennial variability, which was probably responsible for the high hydrology complexity of the rivers of the Pantanal, which are subject to seasonal floods and migration of its channels and tributaries.

A model-based exploration of mid-Holocene anti-phase climate variations in the Central Andes

Abstract: The Andes&#8217; elevation of ~4 km and great meridional extent of ~50&#176;S to 10&#176;N greatly influences the spatial climate patterns across the South American continent. Apart from latitude and altitude, quasi-stable pressure systems modify the climate of the region. The Bolivian high, an upper-level anticyclonic circulation over the central part of the continent, is one such feature and has a strong impact on atmospheric moisture transport and the regional hydroclimate of the Central Andes. Orbitally forced shifts in the Bolivian High have been hypothesised to be responsible for anti-phase palaeoclimate changes in Peru in the mid-Holocene, such as the increase in humidity in the Palpa region and synchronous extreme drought near Lake Titicaca [e.g., M&#228;chtle et al. 2013]. However, this hypothesis has not been tested, and it has not been determined how much of the mid-Holocene hydroclimate change in the Central Andes can be explained by changes in regional pressure systems. Here, we test the hypothesis that mid-Holocene orbital variations and palaeogeographical changes modified pressure fields and regional moisture transport, and lead to anti-phase changes in regional hydroclimate. We test this hypothesis using the physics-based, isotope-tracking climate model ECHAM5-wiso. More specifically, we analyse pre-industrial and mid-Holocene paleoclimate simulations [Mutz et al. 2018]&#160; to track changes in pressure fields and moisture transport. We then assess their impacts on regional hydroclimate in the Central Andes. Results indicate that: (a) the climate models reproduce the observed synchronous anti-phase (wetter and drier) climate changes documented in different parts of Peru, and (b) these can be explained by changes in the regional pressure and wind fields. Taken together, previous proxy-based observations and model results present here indicate that orbital variations drive changes in the regional pressure systems and lead to spatially heterogenous variations in hydroclimate across the Central Andes.

Entrepreneurial Competencies in Student Companies at School: Development of a Research Instrument

Abstract: Abstract Entrepreneurial competencies are increasingly relevant and thus fostered in schools and universities, for instance, in the form of student companies. However, there are hardly any theoretically and empirically founded research instruments to assess students’ competence development. Accordingly, this paper aims to develop and validate a newly designed questionnaire that captures entrepreneurial competencies in three different domains: on the economic, team, and individual levels. The instrument was tested in a pilot test with 163 students and in a main study with 226 students in secondary education. Overall, reliability and the assumed factor structure could be confirmed. The questionnaire can be used in schools and universities for the purpose of quality development and competence assessment in entrepreneurship education.

Contemporary Platonism

Abstract: The term ‘Platonism’ in the present Philosophy of Mathematics does not refer to the entire philosophy represented by PLATO, but only to a general tendency of Platonic philosophy.

The Eocene–Oligocene Vertebrate Assemblages of the Fayum Depression, Egypt

Abstract: The Fayum has yielded one of the oldest and richest records of fossil mammals from Africa. Today, the Fayum Depression represents an oasis in the Western Desert of Egypt, south of Cairo, and contains several localities that are world renowned for their diverse Eocene to Oligocene vertebrate assemblages. The fossil sites of the Fayum area have provided numerous extraordinarily well-preserved vertebrate remains including complete skulls and partial skeletons of turtles, crocodiles, birds, and mammals. Thus, the Fayum Depression has shed light onto the evolution and biogeography of vertebrates during the Paleogene leading to the establishment of two new orders, several new families and subfamilies, and numerous new species of mammals. In recent years, these fossils have provided clues about ecological aspects of some groups using new methods such as stable isotope analysis and µCT scanning. Despite the fact that the Fayum Depression represents a historical excavation site that has been excavated and studied by numerous famous palaeontologists since the nineteenth century, the area continues to provide new insights into the evolution of mammals during the Eocene to Oligocene, greatly improving our understanding of early Cenozoic vertebrate evolution. This chapter presents a historical review of the excavations in the Fayum Depression and a taxonomic overview of its fossil fauna. Special focus was placed on the taxonomy and, where applicable, ecology of terrestrial mammals from the historical Paleogene Fayum localities.

Corruption as an Obstacle of Sustainable Development

Abstract: Corruption is a leading phenomenon which is caused by a range of political, economic, institutional, social, as well as cultural factors. Corruption destroys justice and fairness, undermines vital tendering processes, damages industries, violates the business integrity, and dispossesses people of basic needs such as education, healthcare, and security. It also hampers all principles of leadership in business and economics. The main purpose of the research is to estimate the impact of corruption on reaching the Sustainable Development Goals. The relevance of this scientific problem decision is that corruption is gradually turning from a domestic problem into a global threat, and it is cross-sectoral issue. Tackling corruption is vital to achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals, mainly SDG 16. Methodological tools of the research methods were stationary test (Levin-Lin-Chu, Hadri, Pesaran and Chin, Dickie-Fuller tests) and fully modified least squares for estimation of the parameters of panel regression. This chapter presents the results of an empirical analysis which showed that public institutions need to work toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by improving the institutional and regulatory framework. The results of the research can be useful for international and national anti-corruption institutions and national regulators.