Albert and Maya Einstein Teacups.

Two cups and two saucers used for chocolate. The Einstein children's portraits are emblazoned on these delicate teacups, presumably by their parents, as these come from the family collection.

Old master prints from the collection of the late Dr. Albert W. Blum.

Sotheby’s press release on occasion of an auction in New York, 1988 with a short biographical abstract of Albert Blum.

Schneeberger-Saenger Collection 1837-1845

Business ledger in Yiddish (1837-1845)

Kin selection, social polymorphism, and reproductive allocation in ants

Social groups are common across animal species. The reasons for grouping are straightforward when all individuals gain directly from cooperating. However, the situation becomes more complex when helping entails costs to the personal reproduction of individuals. Kin selection theory has offered a fruitful framework to explain such cooperation by stating that individuals may spread their genes not only through their own reproduction, but also by helping related individuals reproduce. However, kin selection theory also implicitly predicts conflicts when groups consist of non-clonal individuals, i.e. relatedness is less than one. Then, individual interests are not perfectly aligned, and each individual is predicted to favour the propagation of their own genome over others. Social insects provide a solid study system to study the interplay between cooperation and conflict. Breeding systems in social insects range from solitary breeding to eusocial colonies displaying complete division of reproduction between the fertile queen and the sterile worker caste. Within colonies, additional variation is provided by the presence of several reproductive individuals. In many species, the queen mates multiply, which causes the colony to consist of half-sib instead of full-sib offspring. Furthermore, in many species colonies contain multiple breeding queens, which further dilutes relatedness between colony members. Evolutionary biology is thus faced with the challenge to answer why such variation in social structure exists, and what the consequences are on the individual and population level. The main part of this thesis takes on this challenge by investing the dynamics of socially polymorphic ant colonies. The first four chapters investigate the causes and consequences of different social structures, using a combination of field studies, genetic analyses and laboratory experiments. The thesis ends with a theoretical chapter focusing on different social interactions (altruism and spite), and the evolution of harming traits. The main results of the thesis show that social polymorphism has the potential to affect the behaviour and traits of both individuals and colonies. For example, we found that genetic polymorphism may increase the phenotypic variation between individuals in colonies, and that socially polymorphic colonies may show different life history patterns. We also show that colony cohesion may be enhanced even in multiple-queen colonies through patterns of unequal reproduction between queens. However, the thesis also demonstrates that spatial and temporal variation between both populations and environments may affect individual and colony traits, to the degree that results obtained in one place or at one time may not be applicable in other situations. This opens up potential further areas of research to explain these differences.

Directional dominance on stature and cognition in diverse human populations

Homozygosity has long been associated with rare, often devastating, Mendelian disorders1, and Darwin was one of the first to recognize that inbreeding reduces evolutionary fitness2. However, the effect of the more distant parental relatedness that is common in modern human populations is less well understood. Genomic data now allow us to investigate the effects of homozygosity on traits of public health importance by observing contiguous homozygous segments (runs of homozygosity), which are inferred to be homozygous along their complete length. Given the low levels of genome-wide homozygosity prevalent in most human populations, information is required on very large numbers of people to provide sufficient power3, 4. Here we use runs of homozygosity to study 16 health-related quantitative traits in 354,224 individuals from 102 cohorts, and find statistically significant associations between summed runs of homozygosity and four complex traits: height, forced expiratory lung volume in one second, general cognitive ability and educational attainment (P < 1 × 10−300, 2.1 × 10−6, 2.5 × 10−10 and 1.8 × 10−10, respectively). In each case, increased homozygosity was associated with decreased trait value, equivalent to the offspring of first cousins being 1.2 cm shorter and having 10 months’ less education. Similar effect sizes were found across four continental groups and populations with different degrees of genome-wide homozygosity, providing evidence that homozygosity, rather than confounding, directly contributes to phenotypic variance. Contrary to earlier reports in substantially smaller samples5, 6, no evidence was seen of an influence of genome-wide homozygosity on blood pressure and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, or ten other cardio-metabolic traits. Since directional dominance is predicted for traits under directional evolutionary selection7, this study provides evidence that increased stature and cognitive function have been positively selected in human evolution, whereas many important risk factors for late-onset complex diseases may not have been.

Understanding urban rail travel for improved patronage forecasting

Improved forecasting of urban rail patronage is essential for effective policy development and efficient planning for new rail infrastructure. Past modelling and forecasting of urban rail patronage has been based on legacy modelling approaches and often conducted at the general level of public transport demand, rather than being specific to urban rail. This project canvassed current Australian practice and international best practice to develop and estimate time series and cross-sectional models of rail patronage for Australian mainland state capital cities. This involved the implementation of a large online survey of rail riders and non-riders for each of the state capital cities, thereby resulting in a comprehensive database of respondent socio-economic profiles, travel experience, attitudes to rail and other modes of travel, together with stated preference responses to a wide range of urban travel scenarios. Estimation of the models provided a demonstration of their ability to provide information on the major influences on the urban rail travel decision. Rail fares, congestion and rail service supply all have a strong influence on rail patronage, while a number of less significant factors such as fuel price and access to a motor vehicle are also influential. Of note, too, is the relative homogeneity of rail user profiles across the state capitals. Rail users tended to have higher incomes and education levels. They are also younger and more likely to be in full-time employment than non-rail users. The project analysis reported here represents only a small proportion of what could be accomplished utilising the survey database. More comprehensive investigation was beyond the scope of the project and has been left for future work.

Phylogeography and non-invasive landscape genetics of the European pine marten ("martes martes" L. 1758) : insights into ancient and contemporary processes shaping genetic variation

283 p. : graf., map.

Comparison of Experimental Strategies to Control Torpedograss

Studies were conducted to evaluate whether the herbicide imazapyr or a combination of imazapyr and fluridone could be used effectively to control torpedograss ( Panicum repens L.), an exotic perennial plant that has replaced more than 6,000 ha of native vegetation and degraded quality wildlife habitat in Lake Okeechobee, Florida. Torpedograss was controlled for more than one year in some areas following a single aerial treatment using 0.56, 0.84, or 1.12 kg acid equivalents (ae) imazapyr/ha. Combining imazapyr and fluridone did not increase the level of torpedograss control. In areas where plant biomass was reduced by fire prior to being treated with 0.84 or 1.12 kg ae imazapyr/ha, torpedograss was controlled for more than two years and native plant species, including duck potato ( Sagittaria lancifolia L.) and pickerelweed ( Pontederia cordata L.) became the dominant vegetation in less than one year. Although torpedograss was controlled in some areas, little or no long-term control was observed at 16 of the 26 treatment locations. To reduce the uncertainty associated with predicting long-term treatment affects, additional studies are needed to determine whether environmental factors such as periphyton mats, plant thatch, hydroperiod and water depth affect treatment efficacy. , he

Decadas da Asia, que tratam dos mares, que descobriram, armadas, que desbaratarão, exercitos, que vencerão, e das acçoens heroicas, e façanhas bellicas, que obrarão os portuguezes nas conquistas do oriente : escritas por Diogo do Couto, cronista e guarda mor da Torre do Tombo do Estado da India

Diogo do Couto nasceu em Lisboa em 1542 e morreu em Goa em 1616. Historiador e guarda-mor do Tombo de Goa. Continuou por ordem de Filipe II as Décadas de João de Barros, escrevendo da quarta à décima segunda. Segundo Inocêncio, as ‘Décadas’ IV, V, Vl, VII e VIII foram todas reimpressas, saindo juntamente com a IX, ou o seu epilogo, que, pela primeira vez então se estampou com o titulo ‘Decadas da Asia, que tratam dos mares’. A edição de 1736 não contém os cinco livros da ‘Década XII’, apesar de já terem sido publicados naquela época

Vida de D. Nuno Alvares Pereyra, segundo condestavel de Portugal, conde de Ourem Arrayolos, e Barcellos, mordomo mor de El Rey D. João o primeiro; Senhor donatário das Villas de Valença, Basto, Bouças, Baltar... : progenitor da Casa Real, pela Serenissima de Bragança em Portugal, ascendente das de Castella, França, Austria, Saboya, e dos monarcas, soberanos, principes, potentados, senhores e ilustres famílias da Europa : novamente composta pelo M. R. Padre Fr. Domingos Teixeyra, religioso eremita de Santo Agostinho, offerecida á magestade de Elrey D. João V, Nosso Senhor

Frei Domingos Teixeira, religioso da Ordem de Santo Agostinho e historiador, nasceu em Celorico de Basto entre os anos de 1675 e 1680 e morreu em 1726. Professou, em 1695, no Convento da Graça, em Lisboa e exerceu o cargo de Sacristão-Mor do Convento da Penha de França. Dedicou-se a escrever narrativas históricas, tendo sido acusado de plagiar ‘A Vida do Condestável’, de Jacinto Freire de Andrade, utilizando-se de anotações deste escritor. Trata-se da primeira edição da obra, que teve ainda uma segunda edição, custeada pelo livreiro Inácio Nogueira Xisto, na Oficina de Francisco Luis Ameno, em 1749. José dos Santos em seu ‘Catálogo da Livraria do Conde de Arneal’ nos diz que ‘a primeira edição é muito estimada e rara, sendo considerada obra de bastante merecimento para o estudo e história do Santo Condestável D. Nuno Álvares Pereira e dos seus heroicos feitos militares

Collecção das Leis do Imperio do Brasil de 1837

Parte 1 - Leis

Chronica do muito alto, e muito esclarecido Principe D. Affonso Henriques Primeiro Rey de Portugal composta por Duarte Galvão, Fidalgo da Casa Real, e Chronista Mor do Reyno, Fielmente Copiada do seu Original, Que Se Conserva no Archivo Real da Torre do Tombo; offerecida a magestade sempre augusta delrey D. João V. nosso senhor por Miguel Lopes Ferreyra

Duarte Galvão nasceu em Évora, por volta de 1445, e morreu na Ilha de Camarão, em 1517. Alguns biógrafos atribuem-lhe o cargo de cronista-mor do reino, nomeado por D. Afonso V. Foi secretário de D. João II e embaixador de D. Manuel I junto ao Papa Alexandre VI, ao Imperador Maximiliano I, e ao Rei Luís XII, de França. Embora preparada na segunda metade do século XV, Chronica del muito alto... conservou-se em forma de manuscrito até 1726, quando foi impressa pela primeira vez. Pertence à Chronica geral del reyno e foi elaborada por ordem de D. Manuel, para completar a sequencia das crônicas reais. O exemplar que a Biblioteca da Câmara possui traz os capítulos XXI e XXII, XXIII e XXIV, cortados pela Inquisição, na edição de 1726. É considerado, por isso, não só um exemplar raro, mas raríssimo, a julgar pelo testemunho do Cavalheiro Francisco Xavier de Oliveira, que afirma, em artigo publicado no “Popular”, impresso em Londres, no ano de 1825, haver apenas dois exemplares desta edição em que figuram os citados capítulos.