Neurogenomic mechanisms of social plasticity

Group-living animals must adjust the expression of their social behaviour to changes in their social environment and to transitions between life-history stages, and this social plasticity can be seen as an adaptive trait that can be under positive selection when changes in the environment outpace the rate of genetic evolutionary change. Here, we propose a conceptual framework for understanding the neuromolecular mechanisms of social plasticity. According to this framework, social plasticity is achieved by rewiring or by biochemically switching nodes of a neural network underlying social behaviour in response to perceived social information. Therefore, at the molecular level, it depends on the social regulation of gene expression, so that different genomic and epigenetic states of this brain network correspond to different behavioural states, and the switches between states are orchestrated by signalling pathways that interface the social environment and the genotype. Different types of social plasticity can be recognized based on the observed patterns of inter- versus intra-individual occurrence, time scale and reversibility. It is proposed that these different types of social plasticity rely on different proximate mechanisms at the physiological, neural and genomic level.

Improving envelopment in Data Envelopment Analysis under variable returns to scale

In a Data Envelopment Analysis model, some of the weights used to compute the efficiency of a unit can have zero or negligible value despite of the importance of the corresponding input or output. This paper offers an approach to preventing inputs and outputs from being ignored in the DEA assessment under the multiple input and output VRS environment, building on an approach introduced in Allen and Thanassoulis (2004) for single input multiple output CRS cases. The proposed method is based on the idea of introducing unobserved DMUs created by adjusting input and output levels of certain observed relatively efficient DMUs, in a manner which reflects a combination of technical information and the decision maker's value judgements. In contrast to many alternative techniques used to constrain weights and/or improve envelopment in DEA, this approach allows one to impose local information on production trade-offs, which are in line with the general VRS technology. The suggested procedure is illustrated using real data. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Non-manipulable domains for the Borda count

We characterize the preference domains on which the Borda count satises Arrow's "independence of irrelevant alternatives" condition. Under a weak richness condition, these domains are obtained by xing one preference ordering and including all its cyclic permutations ("Condorcet cycles"). We then ask on which domains the Borda count is non-manipulable. It turns out that it is non-manipulable on a broader class of domains when combined with appropriately chosen tie-breaking rules. On the other hand, we also prove that the rich domains on which the Borda count is non-manipulable for all possible tie-breaking rules are again the cyclic permutation domains.

Physical oceanography from the northwestern Weddell Sea

We analyzed hydrographic data from the northwestern Weddell Sea continental shelf of the three austral winters 1989, 1997, and 2006 and two summers following the last winter cruise. During summer a thermal front exists at ~64° S separating cold southern waters from warm northern waters that have similar characteristics as the deep waters of the central basin of the Bransfield Strait. In winter, the whole continental shelf exhibits southern characteristics with high Neon (Ne) concentrations, indicating a significant input of glacial melt water. The comparison of the winter data from the shallow shelf off the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, spanning a period of 17 yr, shows a salinity decrease of 0.09 for the whole water column, which has a residence time of <1 yr. We interpret this freshening as being caused by a combination of reduced salt input due to a southward sea ice retreat and higher precipitation during the late 20th century on the western Weddell Sea continental shelf. However, less salinification might also result from a delicate interplay between enhanced salt input due to sea ice formation in coastal areas formerly occupied by Larsen A and B ice shelves and increased Larsen C ice loss.

Seasonal variations in surface metabolite composition of Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus serratus sampled at outer Kiel Fjord (August 2012 - July 2013)

The chemical composition of surface associated metabolites of two Fucus species (Fucus vesiculosus and Fucus serratus) was analysed by means of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to describe temporal patterns in chemical surface composition. Method: The two perennial brown macroalgae F. vesiculosus and F. serratus were sampled monthly at Bülk, outer Kiel Fjord, Germany (54°27'21 N / 10°11'57 E) over an entire year (August 2012 - July 2013). Per month and species six non-fertile Fucus individuals were collected from mixed stands at a depth of 0.5 m under mid water level. For surface extraction approx. 50 g of the upper 5-10 cm apical thalli tips were cut off per species. The surface extraction of Fucus was performed according to the protocol of de Nys and co-workers (1998) with minor modifications (see Rickert et al. 2015). GC/EI-MS measurements were performed with a Waters GCT premier (Waters, Manchester, UK) coupled to an Agilent 6890N GC equipped with a DB-5 ms 30 m column (0.25 mm internal diameter, 0.25 mM film thickness, Agilent, USA). The inlet temperature was maintained at 250°C and samples were injected in split 10 mode. He carrier gas flow was adjusted to 1 ml min-1. Alkanes were used for referencing of retention times. For further details (GC-MS sample preparation and analysis) see the related publication (Rickert et al. submitted to PLOS ONE).

Na 1 Nachlass Max Horkheimer, 45 - Korrespondenzen u.a. mit der Familie Rabinowitsch, Friedrich Pollock und Franz Neumann (p. I 21, A, 1-218)

37 Briefe zwischen Fritz Rabinowitsch, Gregor Rabinowitsch, Fred Roberts und Max Horkheimer, 1936-1943; 14 Briefe und Beilagen zwischen Finley Parker, Benjamin Parker und dem American General Consulat, 1937-1939; 4 Brief zwischen dem National Council of Jewish Women New York und Max Horkheimer, 1937; 31 Briefe und Beilagen zwischen Finley Parker, Benjamin Parker und Max Horkheimer, 1937-1939; 7 Briefe zwischen Franz L. Neumann und Finley Parker, Benjamin Parker, 09.10.1937, 1937; 2 Briefe zwischen dem American Conulat, General und dem National Council of Jewish Women, 27.07.1937, 16.08.1937; 1 Brief von Finley und Benjamin Parker an Gregor Rabinowitsch, 22.10.1937; 3 Briefe von Max Horkheimer an das United States Consulate Berlin, 1937; 1 Brief von Finley und Benjamin Parker an Hans-Heinrich Schulz, 21.09.1937; 1 Brief von Finley und Benjamin Parker an Eberhard Roethe, 21.09.1937; 6 Briefe zwischen Friedrich Pollock und Max Horkheimer, 1937-1943; 2 Briefe zwischen dem Schweizerischer Buchhändlerverein und Max Horkheimer, 31.07.1937, 10.09.1937; 2 Briefe zwischen Robert Hilb und Max Horkheimer, 07.09.1937; 2 Briefe zwischen Franz Neumann und Max Horkheimer, 29.08.1937, 31.08.1937; 11 Briefe zwischen Alexander Farquharson und Max Horkheimer, 1937; 1 Brief von Girsberger an Max Horkheimer, 29.08.1937; 1 Brief von Abner J. Rubien an Max Horkheimer, 29.07.1937; 1 Brief von Brill an Max Horkheimer, 29.07.1937; 2 Briefe zwischen Otto Nathan und Max Horkheimer, 28.07.1937, 25.04.1939; 5 Briefe zwischen dem Germany Emergency Committee London und Max Horkheimer, 1937; 2 Briefe von der National City Bank New York an das American Consul, New York, 1937; 1 Brief von John G. Jenkins an Paul F. Lazarsfeld, 05.04.1937; 3 Briefe zwischen Frank H. Bowles und Max Horkheimer, 23.03.1937, 1937;