In this research, a model for ethically questionable decision-making is developed by amalgamating several decision-making theories. The variables of interest are the techniques of neutralization, perceived moral intensity, Machiavellianism, unethical intentions, and ethical judgment. Using a sample of 276 U.S. marketing professionals, partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to validate the model. Findings reveal that U.S. marketing professionals rationalize their ethically questionable intentions through their: (1) perception of moral intensity (i.e., minimizing the harms on others, perceiving their self-interest as most salient, and indifference to social consensus), (2) reliance on various neutralization techniques, and; (3) judgment of their ethically questionable intentions as ethical. After controlling for the Machiavellian personality trait, Machiavellianism did not have a profound effect on the decision-making process, which implies that marketers, in general, are capable of the cognitive distortions found in this study. The main contribution to knowledge is the synthesis of the techniques of neutralization and the perceived moral intensity construct. Through this amalgamation, knowledge of the intermediary steps in the decision-making process has emerged. A contribution to knowledge involves testing the relationship between Machiavellianism and unethical intentions through the mediating variable of the techniques of neutralization. Through this investigation, it was found that the Machiavellian personality is inconsequential to the decision-making process. As a contribution to managerial knowledge, it was found that through cognitive distortions, marketers are capable of various illicit behaviours, which have been shown to be costly to not only stakeholders, but also to the profitability and reputations of organisations.

Background: Re-vaccination against canine adenovirus (CAV) is performed in ≤3-year-intervals but its necessity is unknown. The study determined anti-CAV antibodies within 28 days of re-vaccination and factors associated with the absence of antibodies and vaccination response. Methods: Ninety-seven healthy adult dogs (last vaccination ≥12 months) were re-vaccinated with a modified live CAV-2 vaccine. Anti-CAV antibodies were measured before vaccination (day 0), and after re-vaccination (day 7, 28) by virus neutralization. A ≥4-fold titer increase was defined as vaccination response. Fisher’s exact test and multivariate regression analysis were performed to determine factors associated with the absence of antibodies and vaccination response. Results: Totally, 87% of dogs (90/97; 95% CI: 85.61–96.70) had anti-CAV antibodies (≥10) before re-vaccination. Vaccination response was observed in 6% of dogs (6/97; 95% CI: 2.60–13.11). Time since last vaccination (>3–5 years, OR = 9.375, p = 0.020; >5 years, OR = 25.000, p = 0.006) was associated with a lack of antibodies. Dogs from urban areas were more likely to respond to vaccination (p = 0.037). Conclusion: Many dogs had anti-CAV pre-vaccination antibodies, even those with an incomplete vaccination series. Most dogs did not respond to re-vaccination. Based on this study, dogs should be re-vaccinated every 3 years or antibodies should be determined.

This paper focuses on the use of English epicene pronouns in discourse which most individuals are exposed to on an everyday basis. Gender-based linguistic reforms have been implemented since the beginning of the 1970s, to achieve a more non-sexist language. In the present study Corpus linguistics has been applied to investigate the use of personal pronoun he and the personal pronoun singular they in relationship with these linguistic reforms. The present study uses data from both written and spoken English between the 1930s and 2019. The data is collected from corpora COHA and COCA to diachronically study patterns of the use of generic he and singular they when used as anaphoric reference to an antecedent of unknown gender. To narrow the searches in corpora, indefinite compound pronouns are used in collocation with the epicene pronouns as linguistic features. Systematic sampling and mapping of the data lay the ground for the analysis that determines if patterns in the language can be related to the gender-based linguistic reforms. The evidence from the data collected for the present study shows that there are changes in use of male biased pronouns before and after the gender-based linguistic reforms. From the data conducted for the present study the evidence shows trends in the figures that the neutralization strategy can be related to the changes, to some extent. The diachronic development is discussed in connection with reforms, guidelines and previous conducted studies in more detail and suggestion on further studies are presented.

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Chemical warfare agents are a toxic class of compounds that are incredibly harmful to human health. Methods of detoxification and decontamination currently exist, however they all suffer from problems that involve logistical transport or involve technologies that directly address liquid threats instead of vapors. One promising method of detoxification involves the oxidation of these compounds into less-harmful species. The relatively large chemical size and complexity of modern-day chemical warfare agents, however, precludes a straightforward analysis of the chemical transformations that take place on novel decontaminating materials. Additionally, a fundamental understanding of reaction mechanisms that occur on novel material surfaces is required before improved materials can be developed. To this end, the oxidation of three simpler, smaller organic molecules were studied over a variety of materials in order to build up a chemical understanding of the systems under study. The photoepoxidation of propene into propene oxide was observed to readily occur over an in-house developed dual titania-silica catalyst created by atomic layer deposition. The subsequent photoinduced degradation of produced propene oxide was observed to occur over the novel catalyst. Next, the oxidation of CO was studied over a Pt/TiO2 catalyst while in the presence of humidity. The addition of water was shown to enable an alternative, low energy pathway that closely followed the water gas shift, but ended upon the production of stable surface-bound formates. Gaseous oxygen was found to subsequently oxidize these surface formates into the full oxidation product, CO2. Next, the oxidation of methanol was studied over the same Pt/TiO2 catalyst. It was discovered that the water produced when methanol initially adsorbs to the catalyst surface is responsible for unlocking the oxidative capacity of the material. Finally, a custom packedbed reactor was designed and built that enabled unique experimental capabilities not yet available in commercial systems, and will be used in the future to directly test the oxidative capabilities of novel materials for chemical warfare agent destruction. / Doctor of Philosophy / The chemical interactions and reactions that occur between gases and surfaces are incredibly important for a multitude of technologies employed by governments, militaries, and citizens alike. The precise methods in which these gases interact with materials of interest determine whether said material can be used in a catalytic fashion. Much like how an automobile catalytic converter does not have to be replaced each time the vehicle is started; a catalyst is able to be used repeatedly without loss of function. Catalysts in general are unique in that they function to create or allow for chemical reactions to proceed through alternative, lower energy pathways that are more likely to occur under milder environmental conditions. In order to understand the chemical reactions that occur on a catalyst, a combination of specialized spectroscopic methods was used that allowed for tracking the precise chemical bonds that were formed or broken during reaction. A few different model chemical reactions are explored in this work, ranging from the conversion of carbon monoxide into CO2, and the oxidation of methanol, a small alcohol commonly found in fuel cells. The experimental techniques employed herein allowed for precise chemical mechanisms to be tracked, and the information gained will certainly be useful for the design of next-generation materials by future research.

Einleitung: Masern, Mumps und Röteln sind weltweit verbreitete Kinderkrankheiten. Laut Zielvorgaben der World Health Organization (WHO) sollten bis 2015 die Masernviren eradiziert und die Inzidenzen für Mumps und Röteln deutlich vermindert sein. Trotz der beträchtlichen Senkung der Erkrankungszahlen nach der Einführung der jeweiligen Impfungen in den 1970 Jahren kommt es bis heute, sowohl national als auch international zu lokalen Ausbrüchen der Krankheiten. Dabei sind immer häufiger junge Erwachsene betroffen, deren Komplikationsrate bei allen drei Viruserkrankungen im Vergleich zu Kindern deutlich höher liegt. Dies erhöht die Brisanz im Falle eines Ausbruches und führt dazu, dass es auch heute noch in Deutschland vereinzelt zu Todesfällen im Fall von Masern kommt und auch dass nicht wenige Menschen an den Spätfolgen dieser drei impfpräventablen Erkrankungen leiden. Ziele der Untersuchungen: Die Zielstellung der vorliegenden Arbeit war es, die Immunitätslage von 18 bis 29 jährigen Angestellten des Universitätsklinikums Leipzig gegen diese drei viralen Erreger zu bestimmen und im Kontext mit dem Impfstatus der Probanden zu stellen. Zudem sollte untersucht werden, ob auch heute noch die historischen Veränderungen der Impfregime durch die Wiedervereinigung und die Unterschiede bei den untersuchten sogenannten „Wendekindern“ nachgewiesen werden können. Des Weiteren sollten die Verlässlichkeit der diagnostischen Parameter über die Beurteilung des Immunstatus bewertet werden. Materialien und Methoden: Es standen insgesamt über 500 Serumproben zur näheren Auswertung zur Verfügung. Mittels ELISA-Test wurde die jeweils spezifische IgG-Konzentration gegen Masern, Mumps und Röteln ermittelt. Zudem wurden die virusspezifischen Aviditäten von IgG-Antikörpern bestimmt und durch die Anfertigung von Neutralisationstesten (NT) auch deren neutralisierende Wirkung untersucht. Von 326 Probanden wurde die Impfanamnese ermittelt und analysiert. Ergebnisse: Bei keiner der drei Viruserkrankungen wurde in der untersuchten Altersgruppe der 18-29 Jährigen die Seroprävalenz von 95% erreicht, welche notwendig ist, um nachhaltig eine Eindämmung der viralen Erreger in einer Population erreichen zu können. Der Immunstatus der untersuchten Probandengruppe fiel gegen Masern (90,5% IgG-positiv) am besten aus, gefolgt von dem Röteln- (87,1% IgG-positiv) und dem Mumps-Immunstatus (81,6% IgG-positiv). Eine Abnahme der Antikörperkonzentrationen in dem zeitlichen Verlauf nach einer Impfung konnte in der vorliegenden Arbeit gezeigt werden. Bei den vor mehr als 10 Jahren gegen das jeweilige Virus Geimpften sank der Anteil an Seropositiven um 7,4% (Masern und Röteln) bzw. 8,1% (Mumps) im Gegensatz zu den Probanden, die ihre letzte Impfung vor weniger als 10 Jahren erhalten hatten. Die unterschiedlich durchgeführten Impfregime vor und nach der Wiedervereinigung waren in der untersuchten Probandengruppe noch gut zu erkennen. Bei den Geburtsjahrgängen vor 1990 waren die Impfquoten um durchschnittlich 15% niedriger als bei den Jahrgängen ab 1990. Aufgrund der erhöhten Wildviruszirkulation vor 20 Jahren zeigten die älteren Jahrgänge dennoch einen ähnlich hohen Antikörperstatus, wie die Jüngeren. Auch die Auswertung der Aviditätsindices und der NT-Titer im zeitlichen Abstand zu der zuletzt erhaltenen Impfung ergab einen Hinweis auf die Boosterung der Immunität gegen den jeweiligen viralen Erreger durch den Kontakt der Probanden mit Wildvirus. Die Korrelation zwischen den diagnostischen Parametern IgG-Konzentration, Avidität und Neutralisationstiter ließen sich am besten bei den Masern- und den Rötelnwerten erkennen. Die Zusammenhänge bei Mumps waren im Vergleich zu den anderen beiden viralen Erregern gering. Die Abhängigkeit von der Impfanamnese konnte bei allen drei viralen Erregern nur bei den IgG-Konzentrationen festgestellt werden. Ein Zusammenhang zwischen Impfstatus und Höhe der Aviditätsindices bzw. Neutralisationstiter lag nicht vor. Schlussfolgerungen: Sowohl der Immun- als auch der Impfstatus der untersuchten jungen Erwachsenen (18 29 Jahre) ist für eine nachhaltige Eindämmung des Masern-, Mumps- und des Rötelnvirus nicht ausreichend. Die Bestimmung der IgG-Konzentration als Routinediagnostikum für die Erhebung eines Immunstatus ist bei allen drei Viren nur mit Einschränkungen geeignet. Die Durchführung von Neutralisationstesten, insbesondere gegen Mumps, ist Goldstandard für die Bestimmung einer Immunitätslage. / Introduction: Measles, mumps and rubella are worldwide occurring childhood diseases. World Health Organization (WHO) declared the goal of measles eradication by 2015 and significant reduction of the incidence of mumps and rubella. Despite the substantial decrease after implementation of vaccination, there are still yearly outbreaks of the three infections on national and international level. At the same time, more often young adults are affected by all three viral diseases and their rate of complications is significantly higher than children. The explosive nature of the diseases leads to the fact that, even in Germany people die of measles. Further, more than a few people suffer from long-term effects of these diseases which could be prevented by vaccination. Aim of the research: The aim of the present project was to determine the immune status against the three viral diseases. Serum samples of 18 to 29 years-old employees of the Leipzig University Hospital were analyzed and connected with vaccination status. It was also determined if the historic changes of the vaccination politics in children of German reunification can still be demonstrated. Furthermore, the reliability of the diagnostic parameters, which is routinely taken for the evaluation of the immune status of a person, was considered. Material and Methods: More than 500 serum samples were available. The IgG concentration of mumps, measles and rubella was determined using routine ELISA assay. Furthermore, the specific antiviral IgG antibody avidity as well as their ability to neutralize viral infectivity (neutralization test) the vaccination history was recorded and analyzed. Results: The results show, that in none of the three diseases seroprevalence of >95% could be achieved which would be necessary for the sustainably containment of the viral pathogens in a population. In the examined cohort immunity against measles (90,5% IgG positive) was somewhat higher than against rubella (87,1% IgG positive) and mumps (81,6% IgG positive). A decrease in the antibody concentration could be demonstrated in the present paper when comparing the immune response in person with vaccination history of less than 10 years and those with last vaccination more than 10 years back. The seropositive rates decreased 7,4% (measles and rubella) or 8,1% (mumps). The different vaccination regimes before and after German reunification were still apparent. The vaccination rates from the birth cohort before 1990, was by an average of 15% lower than the cohorts from 1990. Due to the higher circulation of wild virus before 20 years ago, the older age groups had a similar status of antibodies than the younger group. Also, the analysis of the avidity and neutralization titer in the relationship of the period of time between the collection of data and the last obtained vaccination indicated booster of immunity by contact occult immunization (“stille Feiung”). The correlation between the diagnostic parameters, i.e. IgG concentration, avidity and neutralization assay, was best for measles and rubella. The relationships of mumps were lower than both the other viral pathogens. Only the IgG concentration from all three viruses correlated with the vaccination history. A relationship between the vaccination and the level of avidity or neutralization titers did not exist. Conclusion: The immune status and also the vaccination status from the investigated young adults (18 29 years) is not sufficient for the containment of measles, mumps and rubella. The determination of IgG concentration for surveillance of immunity all three viruses is of limited value. Particularly in case of mumps a neutralization assay appear indispensable.

Objectif: La caractérisation des facteurs immunitaires associés à la protection contre l’infection au VIH est cruciale pour le développement de stratégies de prévention. Cette étude évalue les IgGs dirigées contre l’enveloppe du VIH-1 dans le sérum et les liquides cervicovaginaux (LCV) de travailleuses du sexe béninoises. Méthode : Notre étude porte sur 23 travailleuses du sexe séropositives (TS+) et 20 travailleuses du sexe séronégatives (TS-). Le potentiel de neutralisation a été évalué par un essai de neutralisation. La détection d’IgGs a été effectuée par un ELISA sur base cellulaire. La capacité d’induire une réponse ADCC a été est évaluée par l’élimination de cellules cibles recouvertes de gp120 par le mécanisme d’ADCC. Résultats : Malgré que nous n’ayons pas détecté d’IgG dirigées contre l’enveloppe du VIH-1, ni d’activité de neutralisation ou d’élimination de cellules cibles par ADCC chez les TS-, nous avons facilement détecté ces activités de neutralisation et d’élimination de cellules cibles par ADCC chez les TS+ dans le sérum et les LCV qui reconnaissent mieux la forme de l’enveloppe liée à CD4. Ces IgGs pourraient être impliquées dans l’élimination par ADCC des cellules cibles présentant les glycoprotéines de l’enveloppe à leur surface, et ce à la muqueuse vaginale, le premier site de transmission virale. Conclusion : Ces résultats permettent pour la première fois de montrer la conformation de l’enveloppe préférentiellement reconnue par les IgGs présentes au site de transmission par voie sexuelle. / Objective: Characterization of the immune correlates of protection against HIV infection is crucial for the development of preventive strategies. This study examined HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins (Env) specific IgG in systemic and mucosal compartments of female Beninese commercial sex workers (CSWs). Design: 23 HIV-1-positive and 20 highly-exposed HIV-1-seronegative (HESN) CSWs were studied. Methods: HIV-1-Env specific IgG detection in sera and cervico-vaginal lavages (CVLs) from the study population was done by cell-based ELISA. The HIV neutralizing activity was evaluated with a neutralization assay. HIV-1 specific antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) response of the cohort was measured with a FACS-based assay evaluating the ADCC-mediated elimination of gp120-coated target cells. Results: No anti-HIV-1-Env-specific IgG, neutralizing or ADCC activities were detected in samples from HESN CSWs. Samples from HIV-1-infected CSWs presented ADCC activity in both sera and CVLs. Anti-Env IgG from sera and CVLs from HIV-1-infected CSWs preferentially recognized the Env in its CD4-bound conformation. Conclusion: Theses results demonstrate for the first time that HIV-1-infected CSWs have ADCC-mediating IgG that preferentially recognize Env in its CD4-bound conformation at the mucosal site.

Les phlébotomes sont les vecteurs reconnus de plusieurs arbovirus, en particulier du genre Phlebovirus, ainsi que de parasites du genre Leishmania. Les infections par les phlébovirus sont responsables chez l’homme de maladies décrites depuis longtemps, pourtant ils demeurent méconnus, avec en particulier un manque de données épidémiologiques et d’outils de diagnostic.Dans une première partie, des études de séroprévalence nous ont permis d’aborder l’impact en santé publique, dans le sud-est de la France, de deux phlébovirus connus pour leur pouvoir pathogène chez l’homme, Toscana virus (TOSV) et Sandfly fever Sicilian virus (SFSV). Pour ce dernier, des anticorps spécifiques (IgG) ont été détectés dans moins de 1% des sérums testés, ce qui suggère que SFSV joue un rôle mineur dans les pathologies humaines de cette région ; ces résultats sont corroborés par l’absence, durant ces dernières décennies, de cas documentés d’infection aigüe due à SFSV en Europe occidentale. Nous avons donc pu concentrer notre travail sur le deuxième groupe de phlébovirus d’intérêt chez l’homme, le groupe des Sandfly fever Naples virus, qui inclut notamment TOSV. Nous avons démontré l’existence d’un lien épidémiologique entre les infections à Leishmania infantum et celles à TOSV, certainement dû au fait que ces pathogènes sont transmis par un vecteur commun (Phlebotomus perniciosus). Les analyses statistiques ont montré que les personnes exposées aux infections à TOSV ont plus de chance d’être aussi infectées par les parasites leishmanies (et vice versa). En admettant que ce lien épidémiologique entre leishmanioses et infections à TOSV est représenté par l’exposition à la piqûre d’un vecteur commun, cette étude confirme l’implication de Phlebotomus perniciosus en tant que vecteur principal de TOSV dans le sud de la France. Cette étude suggère également que certaines données épidémiologiques disponibles pour la leishmaniose pourraient être utilisées pour décrypter l’épidémiologie des infections à TOSV.La deuxième partie de cette thèse est consacrée à la détection, l’isolement et la caractérisation de virus, déjà connus ou inconnus, dans les populations de phlébotomes en France et en Afrique du Nord. Pour atteindre cet objectif, nous avons dû développer une plateforme d’analyse à au débit, adaptée pour la découverte de virus dans les phlébotomes, qui permette de traiter un grand nombre d’échantillons à faible coût. Cette plateforme a récemment été complétée par un outil de Next Generation Sequencing, afin de réaliser la caractérisation génétique complète des virus isolés et découverts. Au total, 12 576 phlébotomes ont été capturés au cours de 12 campagnes de capture menées en France, en Tunisie et en Algérie. Au sein d’une même zone géographique, la découverte de plusieurs nouveaux phlébovirus, ainsi que leur taux d’infection observé dans les populations de phlébotomes, ont démontré que la diversité de phlebovirus est bien plus importante qu’attendue.Dans la troisième partie de cette thèse, une étude de séroprévalence a été menée sur des sérums humains en utilisant des tests comparatifs de neutralisation de virus. Cette étude nous a permis d’exclure le virus Punique, récemment découvert, de la liste des principales menaces en santé publique au nord de la Tunisie, et de confirmer que TOSV est le principal phlebovirus pathogène ayant un impact en santé publique dans cette région du pays. Cette méthode de neutralisation est capable d’identifier précisément, parmi des virus génétiquement proches, le virus contre lequel les anticorps présents dans le sang ont été produits, ce qui permet de déterminer la capacité de chacun de ces virus à jouer un rôle en santé publique. / Sandflies are vectors of various arthropod-borne viruses, in particular viruses within the genus Phlebovirus, family Bunyaviridae, and of parasites in the genus Leishmania. Human diseases caused by infection with sandfly-borne phleboviruses are known for a long time, but they remain neglected due to the lack of epidemiological knowledge and of diagnostic tools.The first part consisted of seroprevalence studies in human sera to address the public health impact in south-eastern France of two recognized sandfly-borne phleboviruses, namely Toscana virus (TOSV) and Sandfly fever Sicilian virus (SFSV). Concerning the latter, specific IgG were detected in less than 1% of tested sera, suggesting that SFSV play a minor role in human disease in the region; this finding was corroborated with the lack of documented case of acute infection due to SFSV in Western Europe during the last decade. This pleaded for focusing on the other group of sandfly fever viruses known for their human interest, namely the group of Sandfly fever Naples virus that includes TOSV. We demonstrated an existing epidemiological relationship between Leishmania infantum and TOSV infections, presumably through the transmission by the common arthropod vector (Phlebotomus perniciosus). Statistical analysis showed that persons exposed to TOSV infection are at greater risk of being infected with Leishmania parasite (and vice versa). Assuming that epidemiological link between leishmaniasis and TOSV infection may be represented by the exposure to the bite of a common vector, this study confirms the involvement of Phlebotomus perniciosus as the major vector of TOSV in the South of France. This study also suggests that some of the epidemiological data available on Leishmaniasis may be used to decipher the epidemiology of TOSV infections..The second part of this thesis was dedicated to detection, isolation and characterization of existing and/or new phleboviruses in sandfly populations in France and in North Africa. To achieve this aim, we had to set up a high-throughput cost-effective platform amenable to virus discovery in sandflies; this sandfly-processing platform has been recently docked to a Next Generation Sequencing platform for full genetic characterization of newly isolated and discovered viruses. A total of 12,576 sandflies were trapped during 12 campaigns conducted in France, Tunisia and Algeria. The discovery of several new phleboviruses and their observed frequency in sandfly populations has clearly demonstrated that within a given geographic area, virus diversity is much higher than previously believed.In the third part of this thesis, a seroprevalence study based on comparative virus neutralization tests was performed on human sera and allowed to exclude the newly described Punique virus from the list of major public health threats in northern Tunisia, and to confirm that TOSV is the dominant phleboviral pathogen with an impact on public health in this part of the country. This neutralization method is suitable to identify precisely the virus against which antibodues were elicited, allowing to discriminate among closely related phleboviruses, and to determine their propensity to play a role in public health.