Kapitalbeteiligung nichtlandwirtschaftlicher und überregional ausgerichteter Investoren an landwirtschaftlichen Unternehmen in Deutschland

Die vorliegende Studie knüpft an eine Untersuchung des Thünen-Instituts aus dem Jahr 2011 zu Aktivitäten nichtlandwirtschaftlicher und überregional aktiver Investoren auf dem landwirtschaftlichen Bodenmarkt an. Diese hatte Flächenkäufe und den Erwerb ganzer Unter-nehmen zum Gegenstand, während Käufe von Kapitalanteilen an juristischen Personen nicht betrachtet wurden. Diese Kenntnislücke soll mit der vorliegenden Studie geschlossen werden. Die Untersuchung zielt darauf ab, das Ausmaß des Erwerbs von Kapitalanteilen an landwirtschaftlichen Unternehmen und dessen Entwicklung im Zeitablauf zu ermitteln. Darüber hinaus sollen Wirkungen dieser Anteilskäufe im Hinblick auf die Agrarstruktur und die Entwicklung ländlicher Räume abgeschätzt werden. Methodisch fußt die Untersuchung auf leitfadengestützten Expertengesprächen und regionalen Fallstudien. Letztere umfassen Auswertungen von einzelbetrieblichen Informationen aus dem Handelsregister und der Creditreform. In Kontinuität der ersten Studie werden die dafür ausgewählten Regionen (Landkreise Uckermark, Börde und Emsland sowie Altkreis Ostvorpommern) erneut bearbeitet. Ergänzend werden eine zweite westdeutsche Region (Kreis Borken, Nordrhein-Westfalen) sowie das Unternehmensgeflecht einer einzelnen Agrargenossenschaft untersucht. Die Abgrenzung des Untersuchungsgegenstandes Nichtlandwirtschaftliche und überregional ausgerichtete Investoren aus der Vorgängerstudie wurde für diese Arbeit übernommen. Unter Kauf von Unternehmensanteilen werden der Erwerb sowohl von Minderheitsbeteiligungen als auch der Anteilsmehrheit oder des gesamten Gesellschaftskapitals verstanden. Daneben werden auch andere indirekte Formen der Unternehmensbeteiligung (z. B. durch die Gewährung spezieller Darlehen oder Sicherheiten) betrachtet

Non-Agricultural and Supra-Regional Investors on the German Agricultural Land Market: An Empirical Analysis of their Significance and Impacts

Investments in agricultural land have recently gained particular public attention both in the international and national context. In Germany, the recent increase in sale and rental prices for agricultural land has often been linked to the activities of non-agricultural investors. The aim of this study is to take stock of these activities and to explore the relevance of non-agricultural and supra-regional investors. Further, it is aimed at investigating the impact of such activities on the land market, agricultural structures and regional development. Four regional case studies are carried out, three of them in the New Länder (former GDR). In each case study region, structured interviews were conducted with about ten farm managers and ten regional experts. Results show that the group of ‘non-agricultural investors’ is very heterogeneous and cannot be delimited by clear indicators. Thus, the core question about the relevance of their activities can only be answered with respect to the type of inves-tor. Judgements as regards their impact are highly dependent on the selection of regional case studies, the type of interviewees and their respective interests

Genome-wide mapping of genetic determinants influencing DNA methylation and gene expression in human hippocampus

Emerging evidence emphasizes the strong impact of regulatory genomic elements in neurodevelopmental processes and the complex pathways of brain disorders. The present genome-wide quantitative trait loci analyses explore the cis-regulatory effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on DNA methylation (meQTL) and gene expression (eQTL) in 110 human hippocampal biopsies. We identify cis-meQTLs at 14,118 CpG methylation sites and cis-eQTLs for 302 3'-mRNA transcripts of 288 genes. Hippocampal cis-meQTL-CpGs are enriched in flanking regions of active promoters, CpG island shores, binding sites of the transcription factor CTCF and brain eQTLs. Cis-acting SNPs of hippocampal meQTLs and eQTLs significantly overlap schizophrenia-associated SNPs. Correlations of CpG methylation and RNA expression are found for 34 genes. Our comprehensive maps of cis-acting hippocampal meQTLs and eQTLs provide a link between disease-associated SNPs and the regulatory genome that will improve the functional interpretation of non-coding genetic variants in the molecular genetic dissection of brain disorders

GLRB allelic variation associated with agoraphobic cognitions, increased startle response and fear network activation : a potential neurogenetic pathway to panic disorder

The molecular genetics of panic disorder (PD) with and without agoraphobia (AG) are still largely unknown and progress is hampered by small sample sizes. We therefore performed a genome-wide association study with a dimensional, PD/AG - related anxiety phenotype based on the Agoraphobia Cognition Questionnaire (ACQ) in a sample of 1,370 healthy German volunteers of the CRC TRR58 MEGA study wave 1. A genome-wide significant association was found between ACQ and single non-coding nucleotide variants of the GLRB gene (rs78726293, p=3.3x10-8; rs191260602, p=3.9x10-8). We followed up on this finding in a larger dimensional ACQ sample (N=2,547) and in independent samples with a dichotomous AG phenotype based on the Symptoms Checklist (SCL-90; N=3,845) and a case control sample with the categorical phenotype PD/AG (Ncombined =1,012) obtaining highly significant p-values also for GLRB single nucleotide variants rs17035816 (p=3.8x10-4) and rs7688285 (p=7.6x10-5). GLRB gene expression was found to be modulated by rs7688285 in brain tissue as well as cell culture. Analyses of intermediate PD/AG phenotypes demonstrated increased startle reflex and increased fear network as well as general sensory activation by GLRB risk gene variants rs78726293, rs191260602, rs17035816 and rs7688285. Partial Glrb knockout-mice demonstrated an agoraphobic phenotype. In conjunction withthe clinical observation that rare coding GLRB gene mutations are associated with the neurological disorder hyperekplexia characterized by a generalized startle reaction and agoraphobic behavior, our data provide evidence that non-coding, though functional GLRB gene polymorphisms may predispose to PD by increasing startle response and agoraphobic cognitions.PostprintPeer reviewe

A Multidisciplinary Perspective on Person-Environment Fit: Relevance, Measurement, and Future Directions

Environments shape people, and at the same time, people are attracted to environments that fit their characteristics because fit facilitates the achievement of people’s desired life outcomes, such as relationship satisfaction, work success, and well-being. In this article, we outline how persons and environments can fit, the relevance of fit and misfit for different life outcomes, and the benefits and pitfalls of different (mis)fit measures. We propose three directions for future research: (a) the use of both subjective and objective (mis)fit measures; (b) the consideration of complex dynamics between person and environment characteristics via pathways through multiple biological, experiential, behavioral, and social layers across the life span; and (c) the integration of insights from different disciplines, including psychology, sociology, neuroscience, and genetics, to move the field forward

Common variants at 2q11.2, 8q21.3, and 11q13.2 are associated with major mood disorders

Bipolar disorder (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are primary major mood disorders. Recent studies suggest that they share certain psychopathological features and common risk genes, but unraveling the full genetic architecture underlying the risk of major mood disorders remains an important scientific task. The public genome-wide association study (GWAS) data sets offer the opportunity to examine this topic by utilizing large amounts of combined genetic data, which should ultimately allow a better understanding of the onset and development of these illnesses. Genome-wide meta-analysis was performed by combining two GWAS data sets on BPD and MDD (19,637 cases and 18,083 controls), followed by replication analyses for the loci of interest in independent 12,364 cases and 76,633 controls from additional samples that were not included in the two GWAS data sets. The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs10791889 at 11q13.2 was significant in both discovery and replication samples. When combining all samples, this SNP and multiple other SNPs at 2q11.2 (rs717454), 8q21.3 (rs10103191), and 11q13.2 (rs2167457) exhibited genome-wide significant association with major mood disorders. The SNPs in 2q11.2 and 8q21.3 were novel risk SNPs that were not previously reported, and SNPs at 11q13.2 were in high LD with potential BPD risk SNPs implicated in a previous GWAS. The genome-wide significant loci at 2q11.2 and 11q13.2 exhibited strong effects on the mRNA expression of certain nearby genes in cerebellum. In conclusion, we have identified several novel loci associated with major mood disorders, adding further support for shared genetic risk between BPD and MDD. Our study highlights the necessity and importance of mining public data sets to explore risk genes for complex diseases such as mood disorders

Common variants at 2q11.2, 8q21.3, and 11q13.2 are associated with major mood disorders

Bipolar disorder (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are primary major mood disorders. Recent studies suggest that they share certain psychopathological features and common risk genes, but unraveling the full genetic architecture underlying the risk of major mood disorders remains an important scientific task. The public genome-wide association study (GWAS) data sets offer the opportunity to examine this topic by utilizing large amounts of combined genetic data, which should ultimately allow a better understanding of the onset and development of these illnesses. Genome-wide meta-analysis was performed by combining two GWAS data sets on BPD and MDD (19,637 cases and 18,083 controls), followed by replication analyses for the loci of interest in independent 12,364 cases and 76,633 controls from additional samples that were not included in the two GWAS data sets. The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs10791889 at 11q13.2 was significant in both discovery and replication samples. When combining all samples, this SNP and multiple other SNPs at 2q11.2 (rs717454), 8q21.3 (rs10103191), and 11q13.2 (rs2167457) exhibited genome-wide significant association with major mood disorders. The SNPs in 2q11.2 and 8q21.3 were novel risk SNPs that were not previously reported, and SNPs at 11q13.2 were in high LD with potential BPD risk SNPs implicated in a previous GWAS. The genome-wide significant loci at 2q11.2 and 11q13.2 exhibited strong effects on the mRNA expression of certain nearby genes in cerebellum. In conclusion, we have identified several novel loci associated with major mood disorders, adding further support for shared genetic risk between BPD and MDD. Our study highlights the necessity and importance of mining public data sets to explore risk genes for complex diseases such as mood disorders

Genome-wide association study of borderline personality disorder reveals genetic overlap with the bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and major depression

Borderline personality disorder (BOR) is determined by environmental and genetic factors, and characterized by affective instability and impulsivity, diagnostic symptoms also observed in manic phases of Bipolar Disorder (BIP). Up to 20% of BIP patients show comorbidity with BOR. This report describes the first case-control genome-wide association study (GWAS) of BOR, performed in one of the largest BOR patient samples worldwide. The focus of our analysis was: (i) to detect genes and gene-sets involved in BOR; and (ii) to investigate the genetic overlap with BIP. As there is considerable genetic overlap between BIP, Major Depression (MDD) and Schizophrenia (SCZ) and a high comorbidity of BOR and MDD, we also analyzed the genetic overlap of BOR with SCZ and MDD. GWAS, gene-based tests,and gene-set-analyses were performed in 998 BOR patients and 1,545 controls. LD score regression was used to detect genetic overlap between BOR and these disorders. Single marker analysis revealed no significant association after correction for multiple testing. Genebased analysis yielded two significant genes: DPYD (p=4.42x10-7) and PKP4 (p=8.67x10-7); and gene-set-analysis yielded a significant finding for exocytosis (GO:0006887, pFDR=0.019). Prior studies have implicated DPYD, PKP4 and exocytosis in BIP and SCZ. The most notable finding of the present study was the genetic overlap of BOR with BIP (rg=0.28 [p=2.99x10-3]), SCZ (rg=0.34 [p=4.37x10-5]), and MDD (rg=0.57 [p=1.04x10-3]). Our study is the first to demonstrate that BOR overlaps with BIP, MDD and SCZ on the genetic level. Whether this is confined to transdiagnostic clinical symptoms should be examined in future studies