Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Naturverjüngung von Traubeneiche (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) unter Kiefernschirm. Eine erfolgreiche Verjüngung von Traubeneiche ist ohne menschliche Hilfe nur schwer umzusetzen. Als Ursache wird in der Literatur die Konkurrenzsituation von Begleitvegetation um die Ressource Wasser besonders hervorgehoben. Um künftige Managementmaßnahmen von Oberstand und Begleitvegetation bezüglich der Eichenverjüngung bewerten zu können, wurde das individuen-basierte Modell oak-lay entwickelt, das die Konkurrenz um Wasser explizit auf pflanzenphysiologischer Basis berücksichtigt. Die Kombination von individuen-basierten und prozess-basierten Ansätzen wird auch als Hybrid-Modell bezeichnet. In der Verjüngungsmodellierung ist bisher keine Anwendung eines Hybrid-Modells bekannt, so dass es sich vermutlich um das erste Modell seiner Art handelt. Die Arbeit ist in drei große Arbeitsschwerpunkte aufgeteilt. Im ersten Teil wird oak-lay detailliert vorgestellt und analysiert. Dabei kommen standardisierte Verfahren wie eine globale Sensitivitätsanalyse oder eine Analyse der Rechenzeit mittels Landau-Symbole zum Einsatz. Der zweite Teil analysiert mit Hilfe von Simulationsexperimenten eine neue Methode der Mortalitätsbeschreibung in individuen-basierten Modellen auf physiologischer Basis. Die prozess-basierte Wasserhaushaltsberechnung des oak-lay ermöglicht die Festsetzung einer Mortalitätsschwelle über das Druckpotential der Individuen. Für die Analysen wurde auf Ereigniszeitanalysen zurückgegriffen. Konkret angewandt wurden der Kaplan-Meier Schätzer und das semiparametrische Cox-Modell. Der dritte und letzte Teil wendet das Modell beispielhaft in einer Reihe von Simulationsexperimenten an. Dabei werden unterschiedliche Managementmaßnahmen am Oberstand und der Begleitvegetation simuliert und auf Unterschiede im Verjüngungserfolg und der räumlichen Verteilung getestet. Das Modell oak-lay konnte erfolgreich nachweisen, dass Hybrid-Modelle im Bereich der Verjüngungsmodellierung entwickelt und angewendet werden können. Die globale Sensitivitätsanalyse des Wasserhaushaltsmodells konnte die einflussreichsten Parameter identifizieren und das Laufzeitverhalten des Modells konnte ebenso analysiert werden. Die Einhaltung bestimmter Selbstdifferenzierungsmuster wurde über alle Simulationen geprüft. Dabei wurde erfolgreich die Mortalität über den Wassergehalt der Individuen bestimmt. Die Simulationsexperimente der verschiedenen Managementmaßnahmen haben gezeigt, dass eine Anwendung als Managementtool möglich ist. Die Entwicklung eines neuen Modelltyps bei der Verjüngungsmodellierung hat allerdings auch einigen neuen Forschungsbedarf generiert. Um oak-lay weiterzuentwickeln sind weitere Arbeiten nötig.

Present work is focused on the numerical study of evaporation of sessile liquid droplets on top of smooth solid substrates. The process of evaporation of a sessile liquid droplet has lots of different applications both in industry and research area. This process has been under study for many years, and still it is an actual problem, solution of which can give answers on some fundamental and practical questions. Instantaneous distribution of mass and heat fluxes inside and outside of an evaporating sessile droplet is studied in this research using computer simulations. The deduced dependences of instantaneous fluxes are applied for self-consistent calculations of time evolution of evaporating sessile droplets. The proposed theory of evaporating sessile droplets of liquid has been validated against available experimental data, and has shown a good agreement. Evaporation of surfactant solution droplets is studied experimentally. The theory, proposed for two stages of evaporation, fits experimental data well. An additional evaporation stage, specific for surfactant solutions, is observed and described. Mathematical modelling of this stage requires further research on surfactant adsorption and its influence on the value of receding contact angle. Numerical study of the evaporation of microdroplets is conducted in order to evaluate the significance of different evaporation mechanisms (diffusive and kinetic models of evaporation) and different physical phenomena (Kelvin s equation, latent heat of vaporization, thermal Marangoni convection, Stefan flow).

Le chêne sessile (Quercus petraea) est une essence majeure de la sylviculture française. Sa ramification, phénomène de mise en place des rameaux, a pour origine unique les bourgeons proventifs axillaires mis en place lors de l'élongation des pousses annuelles (PA). On distingue la ramification séquentielle (les branches séquentielles) et la ramification épicormique. L'ontogénèse des épicormiques, c'est-à-dire le passage d'un bourgeon épicormique à un rameau épicormique plus complexe tel qu'un gourmand, picot ou broussin est encore peu connue. Les rameaux laissent dans le bois des marques, les traces raméales, qui peuvent fortement déprécier la qualité du bois. Etudier l'ontogénèse des rameaux épicormiques du chêne passe par un suivi longitudinal ou une analyse rétrospective des PA, ou par une dissection de l'arbre et une observation des traces raméales. Pour s'affranchir de ces méthodologies fastidieuses nous avons utilisé la tomographie à rayons X qui permet une étude exhaustive de toutes les traces raméales d'un billon, de leur ontogénèse ainsi que la reconstruction du billon en 3D. Les études menées au cours de cette thèse ont permis de mettre en évidence un important effet de l'arbre qui confère à chacun d'entre eux sa propre capacité à mettre en place et maintenir des épicormiques. Plus un arbre présente d'épicormiques dans son jeune âge, plus il en présentera quelques années plus tard. Cette tendance est modulée par la sylviculture actuelle, comme le maintien d'une végétation d'accompagnement qui joue sur les réserves en eau et carbohydrates de l'arbre, et la sylviculture passée, notamment les éclaircies fortes ayant favorisé les émissions de gourmands. Cependant la sélection précoce des arbres objectifs présentant le moins de formations épicormiques est une recommandation sylvicole de première importance dans le but de produire davantage de bois d'œuvre de la meilleure qualité possible. Une stratégie d'intégration de ces résultats dans le simulateur de croissance Fagacée est proposée. / Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) is a major tree species of the French forestry. Its branching, i.e. the phenomenon of twigs implementation, has a unique origin: the proventitious axillary buds set during the annual shoot (AS) elongation. We distinguish the sequential branching and the epicormic branching. Epicormic ontogeny, i.e. transition from a bud to a more complex epicormic twig as an epicormic shoot, a picot or a burl is still little known. The mark left by these twigs in the wood, the rameal trace, can depreciate its commercial value. The study of the epicormic twigs ontogeny is possible with a longitudinal follow-up or a retrospective analysis of an AS, or a dissection of the tree and an observation of the rameal traces. To free ourselves from these tedious methodologies, we used RX computed tomography which allows an exhaustive survey of all the rameal traces of a log, their ontogeny as well as the 3D reconstruction of the log. This PhD allowed to show the important effect of the tree which confers on each one its capacity to set up and maintain epicormics. The more numerous the epicormics were at young stage, the more numerous the epicormics are several years later. This trend is modulated by the actual forest operations, as the maintaining of an accompanying vegetation which play on water and carbohydrates reserve; and by past forest operation as epicormic shoot emission favoured by strong thinning. Nevertheless, the early selection of the crop trees with the few epicormic formations is a silvicultural advice of first importance in order to produce more timber wood of the best quality. A strategy of inclusion of these results in the growth simulator “Fagacées” is proposed.

Breathable water-repellent garments are common products on the outdoor market. There are many recommendations on how to wash and waterproof your garment in order to make sure that its water-repellence is cared for, but the advice given by different sources is inconsistent. Are expensive products really necessarily or are regular laundry products just as good? What waterproofing agents should one use in order to insure that the water-repellent layer is restored? Four different water-repellent wash-in products were tested on polyester and polyamide fabrics. Seven laundry products and two water-repellent wash-in products were tested on jackets with dendrimer based finishes and untreated polyamide fabrics. The results were evaluated by spray testing according to ISO EN 24920 and sessile drop tests. Not all wash-in products offer good water-repellence on polyamide and polyester fabrics. Two laundry detergents decreased the water-repellence of the jackets. The laundry detergents did not affect the function of wash-in waterproofing agents on the jackets. The water-repellence of one wash-in product was affected by the use of two different detergents on untreated fabric / Program: Textilingenjörsutbildningen

Le chêne sessile et le hêtre sont deux espèces feuillues décidues tempérées, caractérisées par des phénologies foliaires et cambiales contrastées. Afin de progresser dans la compréhension de la gestion des réserves qui sont des composantes importantes des cycles internes du carbone et de l'azote, nous avons étudié la dynamique saisonnière des réserves carbonées (C) et azotées (N) chez des arbres adultes des deux espèces dans leur environnement naturel. Afin de répondre à nos objectifs, nous avons développé une approche pluridisciplinaire associant écophysiologie, biochimie et isotopie. Le suivi mensuel des variations saisonnières des réserves C et N dans le tronc a révélé chez le chêne une forte remobilisation de l'amidon à partir des cernes les plus récents au printemps pour fournir le carbone nécessaire pour la croissance du bois initial du nouveau cerne qui est concomitante à l'expansion foliaire. Chez le hêtre, la croissance printanière ne semble pas dépendante des réserves C du tronc. Chez les deux espèces, deux polypeptides de 13 et de 26 kDa s'accumulent avec la sénescence foliaire en automne, sont très abondants en période hivernale froide et sont remobilisés avec le débourrement au printemps. Cette cinétique saisonnière leur confère un rôle dans le stockage de l'azote (protéines végétatives de réserve, VSP), mais n'exclut pas un rôle dans la tolérance au froid. Chez le chêne sessile, l'étude de la source d'azote pour la croissance des feuilles et des pousses par marquage isotopique au 15N a montré que les réserves N contribuent jusqu'à 90% de l'azote total des nouveaux organes aux premiers stades de développement. La contribution de l'azote nouvellement assimilé ne devient significative que quand le débourrement est achevé. L'étude de la répartition et des quantités des composés C et N non-structuraux à l'échelle de l'arbre a été réalisée par un échantillonnage destructif d'arbres des deux espèces en hiver (Janvier) et à l'étalement complet des feuilles (Juin). Cette étude a montré i) une distribution des concentrations entre organes dépendante de leur fonction physiologique, de l'anatomie du bois et de la distance aux organes puits, ii) l'importance du tronc et des racines dans le stockage des réserves en hiver, iii) l'importance des quantités d'azote non-structural des feuilles et des pousses malgré leur faible biomasse, iv) des quantités de C et N non-structuraux plus importants chez le chêne par rapport au hêtre, pouvant refléter des besoins contrastés pour la croissance et l'entretien des tissus en hiver / Sessile oak and beech are two deciduous temperate broadleaved species, characterized by contrasted foliar and cambial phenologies. In order to progress in our understanding of reserves management in these species, we studied the seasonal dynamics of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) reserves in adult trees in their natural environment. For this purpose, we developed a multidisciplinary approach associating ecophysiology, biochemistry and isotopy. The monthly monitoring of seasonal variation in C and N reserves in the stem sapwood showed a strong remobilization of starch from the most recent rings of oak in the spring in order to supply the necessary C for early wood growth that is concomitant to leaf expansion in this species. For beech, spring growth seemed to be less dependant on C stored within the stem sapwood. In both species, 2 polypeptides of 13 and 26 kDa accumulated with leaf senescence in the autumn and were highly abundant during the dormant period then they were remobilized with bud burst in the spring. This seasonal variation supports their role in nitrogen storage as vegetative storage proteins (VSP) and does not exclude a role in cold hardiness too. In sessile oak, the in situ 15N labeling of soil N (newly absorbed N) during the bud burst in the spring showed that N reserves accounted for 90% of total N of the new organs (leaves and twigs) at the first stages of growth. The contribution of newly assimilated N became more important when bud burst was achieved. The distribution patterns of non-structural C and N concentrations and amounts at the tree level was realized by an exhaustive sampling of trees from both species in the winter (January) and at full leaf expansion (June). This study showed i) that the distribution of concentrations among tree organs was dependant of the physiological function, wood anatomy and proximity to sink organs, ii) the importance of stem sapwood and coarse roots in reserves storage during the winter, iii) the importance of non-structural nitrogen amounts in leaves and twigs despite their low biomass, iv) higher amounts of non-structural C and N compounds in oak compared to beech, that reflects contrasted needs for spring growth and tissue maintenance during the winter dormancy

Inspired by a planar partitioning problem involving multiple unbounded chambers, this thesis investigates using classical techniques what can be said of the existence, uniqueness, and regularity of minimizers in a certain free-endpoint isoperimetric problem. In two cases, a full existence-uniqueness-regularity result is proved using a convexity technique inspired by work of Talenti. The problem studied here can be interpreted physically as the identification of the equilibrium shape of a sessile liquid drop in half-space (in the absence of gravity). This is a well-studied variational problem whose full resolution requires the use of geometric measure theory, in particular the theory of sets of finite perimeter. A crash course on the theory required for the modern statement of the equilibrium shape theorem is presented in an appendix. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

A contributing factor in recurrent Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) food contamination is that this bacterium produces biofilms on surfaces to persist in food-processing environments. Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-to-cell communication system utilized by bacteria within biofilms to collaborate and adapt to environmental stresses. However, the details of how the QS-dependent network contributes to biofilm development of L. monocytogenes have yet to be well understood. By comparing the transfer rates of planktonic and biofilm (sessile) L. monocytogenes from stainless steel blades to bologna slices, we found that sessile bacteria had reduced transferability onto a single slice but caused the increase in the number of contaminated slices. This suggests that physiological adaptions derived during biofilm development affect bacterial dissemination. Given the contribution of proteins and environmental temperatures to the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) synthesis and biofilm integrity, we evaluated the exoproteomes of biofilms formed at 25 and 37°C using 2D-gel electrophoresis and LC-MS/MS. We found exoproteases Lmo0186, Cwh, and Spl exclusively in biofilms formed at 25°C and their greater expression in the gene level at 25°C. By using the zymography and crystal-violet-staining assay with a protease inhibitor, we observed a greater proteolytic activity at lower temperatures and showed that the attenuated proteolytic activity of proteases is positively correlated with increased biofilmorming ability at 25°C. Considering the transcriptional role of QS systems during biofilm development, we investigated how the accessory gene regulator (Agr)-based and metabolite S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM)-involved QS systems modulate nutrient availability and EPS synthesis. The results revealed that the SAM signal interacts with the Agr QS at the transcriptional level during biofilm development, whereas SAM and Agr QS regulate distinct EPS synthesis pathways. Additionally, this interaction is dependent on bacterial life modes (planktonic and sessile). Overall, we conclude that L. monocytogenes manipulates the synthesis of EPS with the coregulation of metabolism and QS for biofilm formation and the production of exoproteases for biofilm dispersion. These precise regulations on EPS enable L. monocytogenes to prolong its survival and promote its dissemination in environments.

No description available.

The odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile, is a widespread, common pest in North American residential areas, yet the understanding of how viral pathogens shape its behavior, management, and interactions with other insects remains limited. Over the course of my thesis, I characterized four novel viruses in T. sessile using metatranscriptomic analysis, investigated their infectivity, and explored how colony social organization influences viral infection patterns. Inoculation experiments confirmed active infection in T. sessile colonies, suggesting trophallaxis as a route for horizontal transmission. These viruses were prevalent in urban populations with polygyne, unicolonial traits, indicating a potential association between colony social structure, colony location, and virus presence and diversity. Additionally, common honey bee viruses including Deformed Wing Virus and Kashmir Bee Virus were detected in T. sessile colonies, with higher prevalence near beehives, indicating a route for virus spillover between the species. Furthermore, the impact of viral infection on foraging behavior was assessed, revealing altered activity and diet preferences in infected colonies and highlighting the need for modified control strategies. Finally, I explored virus transmission between T. sessile and associated arthropods and found shared viruses and active replication in arthropods within ant nests, indicating a novel case of virus spillover between ants and myrmecophiles. These findings offer insights into viral pathogen interactions within ant colonies, the influence of social organization on infection dynamics, and the potential for pathogen transmission between ants and associated arthropods and offer a deeper understanding of an important native ant species that may shape future pest management strategies. / Master of Science in Life Sciences / In my thesis research I studied the odorous house ant or sugar ant, a common pest in homes and businesses in North America, to understand how viral pathogens shape its behavior, management, and interactions with other insects. I discovered four new odorous house ant viruses infecting these ants using molecular analysis techniques and found that they can pass from ant to ant when they share food. Interestingly, these viruses were more common in urban ant colonies with multiple queens, suggesting a link between the ants' social structure and the viruses they carry. Additionally, I found viruses typically seen in honey bees in these ant colonies, especially when those colonies were close to beehives, indicating that the odorous house ant can pick up viruses from honey bees. Furthermore, I studied how these viruses affect ant behavior and found that infected ant colonies change their activity and food preferences. Lastly, I investigated if these viruses are able to jump from ants to other insects and found evidence that insects living in their nests shared the same or similar virus infections. These findings provide important insights into how viruses spread among ant colonies and nearby insects, how their social structure affects transmission of viruses, and how viruses can move between different species of insects. Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing better ways to control ant pests and for gaining a deeper understanding of this important native ant species.

Povrchy inorganických materiálov, zvlášť kovov alebo kovových oxidov, ktoré sú často charakteristické vysokou povrchovou energiou, sú zvyčajne kontaminované adsorbovanými organickými molekulami. Tieto molekuly majú na povrchy zväčša nepriaznivý vplyv, do značnej miery napríklad ovplyvňujú funkcionalitu a výkonnosť polovodičov a znemožňujú, prípadne sťažujú prevedenie povrchových úprav na povrchoch kovov aj keramík. Taktiež majú nepriaznivý vplyv na priľnavosť. Adsorbované častice spôsobujú znižovanie hydrofilicity povrchu. Hydrofilicita, adhezivita a zmáčavosť povrchu sa veľmi dobre posudzujú prostredníctvom merania kontaktného uhlu. V tejto práci je značná pozornosť venovaná práve meraniu statického kontaktného uhlu. [10] Samotné meranie kontaktného uhlu je možné vykonať rôznymi spôsobmi, v tejto práci bol však použitý najvhodnejší prístup, a to metódou „sessile-drop“, teda pokladanej alebo depozitovanej kvapky na meraný povrch. K meraniu bol využitý klasický „sessile-drop goniometer“, teda aparatúra, ktorá pozostávala z nastaviteľného stojanu na vzorky, nad ktorým bol umiestnený zdroj svetla, a objektívu fotoaparátu, ktorý bol prepojený s kamerou zabudovaného smartfónu. Meranie prebiehalo tak, že kvapka s objemom 3L destilovanej superčistej vody bola depozitovaná na povrch substrátu pomocou mikroinjekčnej striekačky. Cieľom tejto práce bolo nielen stanoviť kontaktné uhly a porovnať ich hodnoty medzi rôznymi typmi materiálov navzájom a po upravách tepelného a/lebo chemického charakteru. Vyhodnotené údaje zachycovali zmeny, ku ktorým došlo na povrchoch daných keramických materiálov pri adsorpcii organických molekúl. Proces tepelnej úpravy (kalcinácia na teplote 800°C, následne pokles na teplotu 600°C, po celkovú dobu 16 hodín) bol aplikovaný na všetkých typoch vzoriek, kde niektoré sa medzi sebou líšili teplotou slinovania. Ihneď po kalcinácii boli vzorky podrobené meraniu kontaktných uhlov, z ktorého jasne vyplynulo, že hydrofilicita a zmáčavosť povrchu sa zvýšila. Tento jav bol pozorovaný na všetkých vzorkách, a na všetkých vzorkách sa hodnoty kontaktného uhlu líšili veľmi významne od hodnoty, ktorá bola získaná v tzv. primárnom meraní. Všetky detailné hodnoty a vyhodnotené výsledky sú posudzované v časti diskusia. Ďalšou úpravou povrchu, ktorá bola vykonaná na vybraných vzorkách, bolo čistenie povrchu etanolom. Proces bol opäť realizovaný na všetkých vzorkách. Potom, ako boli zrealizované všetky merania na kalcinovaných vzorkách, boli všetky tieto vzorky ponorené do etanolu na približne 2 hodiny. Po vybratí vzoriek a ich osušení na vzduchu boli uskutočnené ďalšie merania kontaktných uhlov. Výsledky priniesli opäť rozdielne hodnoty v porovnaní s predchádzajúcimi meraniami a sú rozvinuté v časti diskusia.