Fragmentation of tropical rain forests is pervasive and results in various modifications in the ecosystem functioning such as … It has long been noticed that the colony densities of a dominant herbivore in the neotropics - leaf-cutting ant (LCA) - increase in fragmentation-related habitats like forest edges and small fragments, however the reasons for this increase are not clear. The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that bottom-up control of LCA populations is less effective in fragmented compared to continuous forests and thus explains the increase in LCA colony densities in these habitats. In order to test for less effective bottom-up control, I proposed four working hypotheses. I hypothesized that LCA colonies in fragmented habitats (1) find more palatable vegetation due to low plant defences, (2) forage on few dominant species resulting in a narrow diet breadth, (3) possess small foraging areas and (4) increase herbivory rate at the colony level. The study was conducted in the remnants of the Atlantic rainforest in NE Brazil. Two fragmentation-related forest habitats were included: the edge and a 3500-ha continuous forest and the interior of the 50-ha forest fragment. The interior of the continuous forest served as a control habitat for the study. All working hypotheses can be generally accepted. The results indicate that the abundance of LCA host plant species in the habitats created by forest fragmentation along with weaker chemical defense of those species (especially the lack of terpenoids) allow ants to forage predominantly on palatable species and thus reduce foraging costs on other species. This is supported by narrower ant diet breadth in these habitats. Similarly, small foraging areas in edge habitats and in small forest fragments indicate that there ants do not have to go far to find the suitable host species and thus they save foraging costs. Increased LCA herbivory rates indicate that the damages (i.e., amount of harvested foliage) caused by LCA are more important in fragmentation-related habitats which are more vulnerable to LCA herbivory due to the high availability of palatable plants and a low total amount of foliage (LAI). (1) Few plant defences, (2) narrower ant diet breadth, (3) reduced colony foraging areas, and (4) increased herbivory rates, clearly indicate a weaker bottom-up control for LCA in fragmented habitats. Weak bottom-up control in the fragmentation-related habitats decreases the foraging costs of a LCA colony in these habitats and the colonies might use the surplus of energy resulting from reduced foraging costs to increase the colony growth, the reproduction and turnover. If correct, this explains why fragmented habitats support more LCA colonies at a given time compared to continuous forest habitats. Further studies are urgently needed to estimate LCA colony growth and turnover rates. There are indices that edge effects of forest fragmentation might be more responsible in regulating LCA populations than area or isolation effects. This emphasizes the need to conserve big forest fragments not to fall below a critical size and retain their regular shape. Weak bottom-up control of LCA populations has various consequences on forested ecosystems. I suggest a loop between forest fragmentation and LCA population dynamics: the increased LCA colony densities, along with lower bottom-up control increase LCA herbivory pressure on the forest and thus inevitably amplify the deleterious effects of fragmentation. These effects include direct consequences of leaf removal by ants and various indirect effects on ecosystem functioning. This study contributes to our understanding of how primary fragmentation effects, via the alteration of trophic interactions, may translate into higher order effects on ecosystem functions.

In dieser Arbeit wurden auf der Basis des felinen Foamyvirus (FFV) bzw. Spumaretrovirus diverse replikationsdefiziente Vektoren entwickelt und deren Tranduktionseffizienz, Stabilität, Markergenexpression und biologische Sicherheit unter Zellkulturbedingungen charakterisiert. Ausgehend von replikationskompetenten FFV-Vektoren wurden zunächst so genannte selbst-inaktivierende (SIN) Vektoren, in welchen die LTR-Promotoraktivität inhibiert ist, konstruiert. Diese FFV-SIN-Vektoren erlaubten eine stabile Transduktion und Markergenexpression, entwickelten jedoch nach einer begrenzten Zeit replikationskompetente Revertanten und waren daher nicht zur Transduktion langlebiger Zellen geeignet. In Analogie zu humanen Foamyvirus-basierenden Vektoren wurde anschließend ein Großteil der env-Sequenz aus den SIN-Vektoren deletiert, um die biologische Sicherheit der Vektoren zu erhöhen. Diese Env-deletierten und FFV-Promotor-abhängigen Vektoren waren allerdings aufgrund eines schwachen und schnell abklingenden Markergentransfers nicht zur effizienten und stabilen Markergentransduktion geeignet. Zur Entwicklung replikationsdefizienter Vektoren mit einem starken heterologen Promotor zur Markergenexpression wurden verschiedene Deletionen in das Vektorgenom eingeführt und Helferplasmide für die Strukturgene bzw. viralen Enzyme kloniert. Hiermit wurde ein transientes Transfektionssystem zur Produktion von Vektorpartikeln etabliert, wobei die für den Markergentransfer essentiellen cis-agierenden Sequenzen auf dem FFV-Genom identifiziert wurden. Die Lokalisation zweier essentieller cis-agierender Sequenzen am 5’-Ende des Genoms und in pol ermöglichte die anschließende Konstruktion replikationsdefizienter Bel1-unabhängiger Vektoren, in denen die 3’ von pol liegenden Gene fast vollständig deletiert und durch eine Expressionskassette, bestehend aus dem humanen Ubiquitin C-Promotor und dem lacZ-Gen, ersetzt wurden. Diese neuen FFV-basierenden Vektoren erlauben einen effizienten Markergentransfer und ermöglichen eine stabile Transduktion diverser Zielzellen bei gleichzeitiger nicht nachweisbarer viraler Genexpression und replikationskompetenter Revertanten. Daher sind diese Vektoren biologisch sicher, zur Transduktion langlebiger Zellen geeignet und können daher für gentherapeutische Untersuchungen in tierexperimentellen Modellen verwendet werden.

Non-commutative polynomial algebras appear in a wide range of applications, from quantum groups and theoretical physics to linear differential and difference equations. In the thesis, we have developed a framework, unifying many important algebras in the classes of \(G\)- and \(GR\)-algebras and studied their ring-theoretic properties. Let \(A\) be a \(G\)-algebra in \(n\) variables. We establish necessary and sufficient conditions for \(A\) to have a Poincar'e-Birkhoff-Witt (PBW) basis. Further on, we show that besides the existence of a PBW basis, \(A\) shares some other properties with the commutative polynomial ring \(\mathbb{K}[x_1,\ldots,x_n]\). In particular, \(A\) is a Noetherian integral domain of Gel'fand-Kirillov dimension \(n\). Both Krull and global homological dimension of \(A\) are bounded by \(n\); we provide examples of \(G\)-algebras where these inequalities are strict. Finally, we prove that \(A\) is Auslander-regular and a Cohen-Macaulay algebra. In order to perform symbolic computations with modules over \(GR\)-algebras, we generalize Gröbner bases theory, develop and respectively enhance new and existing algorithms. We unite the most fundamental algorithms in a suite of applications, called "Gröbner basics" in the literature. Furthermore, we discuss algorithms appearing in the non-commutative case only, among others two-sided Gröbner bases for bimodules, annihilators of left modules and operations with opposite algebras. An important role in Representation Theory is played by various subalgebras, like the center and the Gel'fand-Zetlin subalgebra. We discuss their properties and their relations to Gröbner bases, and briefly comment some aspects of their computation. We proceed with these subalgebras in the chapter devoted to the algorithmic study of morphisms between \(GR\)-algebras. We provide new results and algorithms for computing the preimage of a left ideal under a morphism of \(GR\)-algebras and show both merits and limitations of several methods that we propose. We use this technique for the computation of the kernel of a morphism, decomposition of a module into central characters and algebraic dependence of pairwise commuting elements. We give an algorithm for computing the set of one-dimensional representations of a \(G\)-algebra \(A\), and prove, moreover, that if the set of finite dimensional representations of \(A\) over a ground field \(K\) is not empty, then the homological dimension of \(A\) equals \(n\). All the algorithms are implemented in a kernel extension Plural of the computer algebra system Singular. We discuss the efficiency of computations and provide a comparison with other computer algebra systems. We propose a collection of benchmarks for testing the performance of algorithms; the comparison of timings shows that our implementation outperforms all of the modern systems with the combination of both broad functionality and fast implementation. In the thesis, there are many new non-trivial examples, and also the solutions to various problems, arising in different fields of mathematics. All of them were obtained with the developed theory and the implementation in Plural, most of them are treated computationally in this thesis for the first time.

This thesis deals with the development of thermoplastic polyolefin elastomers using recycled polyolefins and ground tyre rubber (GTR). The disposal of worn tyres and their economic recycling mean a great challenge nowadays. Material recycling is a preferred way in Europa owing to legislative actions and ecological arguments. This first step with worn tyres is already done in this direc-tion as GTR is available in different fractions in guaranteed quality. As the traditional applications of GTR are saturated, there is a great demand for new, value-added products containing GTR. So, the objective of this work was to convert GTR by reac-tive blending with polyolefins into thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) of suitable me-chanical and rheological properties. It has been established that bituminous reclamation of GTR prior to extrusion melt compounding with polyolefins is a promising way of TPE production. By this way the sol-content (acetone soluble fraction) of the GTR increases and the GTR particles can be better incorporated in the corresponding polyolefin matrix. The adhesion be-tween GTR and matrix is given by molecular intermingling in the resulting interphase. GTR particles of various production and mean particle size were involved in this study. As polyolefins recycled low-density polyethylene (LDPE), recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP) were selected. First, the opti-mum conditions for the GTR reclamation in bitumen were established (160 °C < T < 180 °C; time ca. 4 hours). Polyolefin based TPEs were produced after GTR reclamation in extrusion compounding. Their mechanical (tensile behaviour, set properties), thermal (dynamic-mechanical thermal analysis, differential scanning calorimetry) and rheological properties (both in low- and high-shear rates ) were determined. The PE-based blends contained an ethylene/propylene/diene (EPDM) rubber as compatibilizer and their composition was as follows: PE/EPDM/GTR:bitumen = 50/25/25:25. The selected TPEs met the most important criterion, i.e. elongation at break > 100 %; compression set < 50%. The LDPE-based TPE (TPE(LDPE)) showed better me-chanical performance compared to the TPE(HDPE). This was assigned to the higher crystallinity of the HDPE. The PP-based blends of the compositions PP/(GTR-bitumen) 50/50 and 25/75, whereby the ratio of GTR/bitumen was 60/40, outperformed those containing non-reclaimed GTR. The related blends showed also a better compatibility with a PP-based commercial thermoplastic dynamic vulcanizate (TDV). Surprisingly, the mean particle size of the GTR, varied between < 0.2 and 0.4-0.7 mm, had a small effect on the mechanical properties, however somewhat larger for the rheological behaviour of the TPEs produced.

Within the last decades, a remarkable development in materials science took place -- nowadays, materials are not only constructed for the use of inert structures but rather designed for certain predefined functions. This innovation was accompanied with the appearance of smart materials with reliable recognition, discrimination and capability of action as well as reaction. Even though ferroelectric materials serve smartly in real applications, they also possess several restrictions at high performance usage. The behavior of these materials is almost linear under the action of low electric fields or low mechanical stresses, but exhibits strong non-linear response under high electric fields or mechanical stresses. High electromechanical loading conditions result in a change of the spontaneous polarization direction with respect to individual domains, which is commonly referred to as domain switching. The aim of the present work is to develop a three-dimensional coupled finite element model, to study the rate-independent and rate-dependent behavior of piezoelectric materials including domain switching based on a micromechanical approach. The proposed model is first elaborated within a two-dimensional finite element setting for piezoelectric materials. Subsequently, the developed two-dimensional model is extended to the three-dimensional case. This work starts with developing a micromechanical model for ferroelectric materials. Ferroelectric materials exhibit ferroelectric domain switching, which refers to the reorientation of domains and occurs under purely electrical loading. For the simulation, a bulk piezoceramic material is considered and each grain is represented by one finite element. In reality, the grains in the bulk ceramics material are randomly oriented. This property is taken into account by applying random orientation as well as uniform distribution for individual elements. Poly-crystalline ferroelectric materials at un-poled virgin state can consequently be characterized by randomly oriented polarization vectors. Energy reduction of individual domains is adopted as a criterion for the initiation of domain switching processes. The macroscopic response of the bulk material is predicted by classical volume-averaging techniques. In general, domain switching does not only depend on external loads but also on neighboring grains, which is commonly denoted as the grain boundary effect. These effects are incorporated into the developed framework via a phenomenologically motivated probabilistic approach by relating the actual energy level to a critical energy level. Subsequently, the order of the chosen polynomial function is optimized so that simulations nicely match measured data. A rate-dependent polarization framework is proposed, which is applied to cyclic electrical loading at various frequencies. The reduction in free energy of a grain is used as a criterion for the onset of the domain switching processes. Nucleation in new grains and propagation of the domain walls during domain switching is modeled by a linear kinetics theory. The simulated results show that for increasing loading frequency the macroscopic coercive field is also increasing and the remanent polarization increases at lower loading amplitudes. The second part of this work is focused on ferroelastic domain switching, which refers to the reorientation of domains under purely mechanical loading. Under sufficiently high mechanical loading, however, the strain directions within single domains reorient with respect to the applied loading direction. The reduction in free energy of a grain is used as a criterion for the domain switching process. The macroscopic response of the bulk material is computed for the hysteresis curve (stress vs strain) whereby uni-axial and quasi-static loading conditions are applied on the bulk material specimen. Grain boundary effects are addressed by incorporating the developed probabilistic approach into this framework and the order of the polynomial function is optimized so that simulations match measured data. Rate dependent domain switching effects are captured for various frequencies and mechanical loading amplitudes by means of the developed volume fraction concept which relates the particular time interval to the switching portion. The final part of this work deals with ferroelectric and ferroelastic domain switching and refers to the reorientation of domains under coupled electromechanical loading. If this free energy for combined electromechanical loading exceeds the critical energy barrier elements are allowed to switch. Firstly, hysteresis and butterfly curves under purely electrical loading are discussed. Secondly, additional mechanical loads in axial and lateral directions are applied to the specimen. The simulated results show that an increasing compressive stress results in enlarged domain switching ranges and that the hysteresis and butterfly curves flatten at higher mechanical loading levels.