Timing is crucial for consequences of migratory connectivity

Migratory connectivity can have important consequences for individuals, populations and communities. We argue that most consequences not only depend on which sites are used but importantly also on when these are used and suggest that the timing of migration is characterised by synchrony, phenology, and consistency. We illustrate the importance of these aspects of timing for shaping the consequences of migratory connectivity on individual fitness, population dynamics, gene flow and community dynamics using examples from throughout the animal kingdom. Exemplarily for one specific process that is shaped by migratory connectivity and the timing of migration – the transmission of parasites and the dynamics of diseases – we underpin our arguments with a dynamic epidemiological network model of a migratory population. Here, we quantitatively demonstrate that variations in migration phenology and synchrony yield disease dynamics that significantly differ from a time‐neglecting case. Extending the original definition of migratory connectivity into a spatio‐temporal concept can importantly contribute to understanding the links migratory animals make across the globe and the consequences these may have both for the dynamics of their populations and the communities they visit throughout their journeys

Aufbau und Steuerung von Dienstleistungsmarken : die Markenpersönlichkeit als Differenzierungspotenzial und Ausgangspunkt einer Vertrauensbeziehung zwischen Dienstleistungsmarke und Kunde

Mit zunehmender Bedeutung starker Marken für die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und den Markterfolg von Dienstleistungsunternehmen widmet sich auch die Marketing-Forschung verstärkt dem Aufbau und der Wirkung von Dienstleistungsmarken. Aufgrund der inhärenten Merkmale von Dienstleistungen können starke Marken Vertrauen generieren und bieten darüber hinaus ein Differenzierungspotenzial mittels intangibler, symbolischer Attribute. Bislang existieren in diesem Forschungsbereich vor allem konzeptionelle Arbeiten sowie einige qualitative Studien, in denen Dienstleistungsmarken aus der Perspektive von Managern untersucht werden. Demgegenüber finden sich nur wenige quantitative empirische Forschungsbeiträge, die sich mit der kundenseitigen Wirkung von Dienstleistungsmarken befassen. Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist es daher, den Einfluss verschiedener Marketing Instrumente auf die Markenpersönlichkeit als Differenzierungspotenzial und Ausgangspunkt einer Vertrauensbeziehung zwischen Dienstleistungsmarke und Kunde zu untersuchen. Zu diesem Zweck wurden Urlaubs- und Geschäftsreisende zur Wahrnehmung von internationalen Fluglinien befragt. Mittels Strukturgleichungsmodell werden die hypothetischen Wirkungszusammenhänge zwischen Marketingvariablen wie Mitarbeiterqualität, Dienstleistungsqualität, Printwerbung und Country-of-Origin-Image mit einzelnen Markenpersönlichkeitsdimensionen, dem Vertrauen in die Marke und der Einstellung gegenüber der Marke überprüft. Dabei zeigt sich, dass Vertrauen in eine Dienstleistungsmarke durch drei Markenpersönlichkeitsdimensionen (Verlässlichkeit, Natürlichkeit und Temperament) erzeugt wird, während die Dimension Attraktivität lediglich zur Differenzierung der Markenpersönlichkeit beitragen kann. Die vorliegende Studie liefert zudem empirische Bestätigung für viele Thesen bestehender Forschungsarbeiten. So wird einerseits belegt, dass Mitarbeiter eine Schlüsselrolle beim Aufbau von Dienstleistungsmarken übernehmen. Eine anschließende Varianzanalyse beweist, dass persönliche Erfahrungen mit dem Dienstleistungsanbieter tatsächlich effektiver für das Markenmanagement sind, als Mundpropaganda oder werbliche Kommunikation

Detection of salmonellae by real-time PCR within 8 hours

Rapid detection of salmonella in pork was accomplished by combining immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and real-time PCR. Pork samples were spiked with known numbers of Salmonella Senftenberg, homogenized and incubated for 4 hours

Tutor*innenqualifizierung als Instrument der wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchsförderung

Tutorien spielen eine gewinnbringende Rolle in hochschulischen Lernprozessen der Studierenden, weshalb diese eine hohe Qualität aufweisen sollten. Deshalb werden die Tutor*innen im Rahmen des Karlsruher Tutor*innentrainings umfänglich qualifiziert. Da viele Absolvent*innen der Schulung eine wissenschaftliche Laufbahn eingeschlagen haben, wird mittels eines Mixed-Methods-Ansatzes untersucht, inwiefern die Inhalte des Tutor*innentrainings die wissenschaftliche Tätigkeit der Befragten beeinflussen. Insgesamt kann es als ein Instrument wissenschaftlicher Nachwuchsförderung angesehen werden und begünstigt insbesondere die Lehrqualität

The Role of the Pathogen Dose and PI3Kγ in Immunometabolic Reprogramming of Microglia for Innate Immune Memory

Microglia, the innate immune cells of the CNS, exhibit long-term response changes indicative of innate immune memory (IIM). Our previous studies revealed IIM patterns of microglia with opposing immune phenotypes: trained immunity after a low dose and immune tolerance after a high dose challenge with pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP). Compelling evidence shows that innate immune cells adopt features of IIM via immunometabolic control. However, immunometabolic reprogramming involved in the regulation of IIM in microglia has not been fully addressed. Here, we evaluated the impact of dose-dependent microglial priming with ultra-low (ULP, 1 fg/mL) and high (HP, 100 ng/mL) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) doses on immunometabolic rewiring. Furthermore, we addressed the role of PI3Kγ on immunometabolic control using naïve primary microglia derived from newborn wild-type mice, PI3Kγ-deficient mice and mice carrying a targeted mutation causing loss of lipid kinase activity. We found that ULP-induced IIM triggered an enhancement of oxygen consumption and ATP production. In contrast, HP was followed by suppressed oxygen consumption and glycolytic activity indicative of immune tolerance. PI3Kγ inhibited glycolysis due to modulation of cAMP-dependent pathways. However, no impact of specific PI3Kγ signaling on immunometabolic rewiring due to dose-dependent LPS priming was detected. In conclusion, immunometabolic reprogramming of microglia is involved in IIM in a dose-dependent manner via the glycolytic pathway, oxygen consumption and ATP production: ULP (ultra-low-dose priming) increases it, while HP reduces it

Spatiotemporal Group Dynamics in a Long-Distance Migratory Bird

Thousands of species migrate [1]. Though we have some understanding of where and when they travel, we still have very little insight into who migrates with whom and for how long. Group formation is pivotal in allowing individuals to interact, transfer information, and adapt to changing conditions [2]. Yet it is remarkably difficult to infer group membership in migrating animals without being able to directly observe them. Here, we use novel lightweight atmospheric pressure loggers to monitor group dynamics in a small migratory bird, the European bee-eater (Merops apiaster). We present the first evidence of a migratory bird flying together with non-kin of different ages and sexes at all stages of the life cycle. In fact, 49% stay together throughout the annual cycle, never separating longer than 5 days at a time despite the ∼14,000-km journey. Of those that separated for longer, 89% reunited within less than a month with individuals they had previously spent time with, having flown up to 5,000 km apart. These birds were not only using the same non-breeding sites, but also displayed coordinated foraging behaviors—these are unlikely to result from chance encounters in response to the same environmental conditions alone. Better understanding of migratory group dynamics, using the presented methods, could help improve our understanding of collective decision making during large-scale movements

Shooting may aggravate rather than alleviate conflicts between migratory geese and agriculture

Many migratory goose populations have thrived over the past decades and their reliance on agricultural resources has often led to conflicts. Control and management measures are sought after but since migratory geese use several sites in their annual cycle, local management actions should consider their potential effects further down the flyway. We used a behaviour‐based migration model to illustrate the consequences of management actions involving hunting, derogation shooting and scaring at single or multiple locations along the flyway, considering various mechanisms of how geese might perceive shooting/hunting. Furthermore, as a proxy for the agricultural damage caused, we calculated the per capita biomass consumption between scenarios—both over time and cumulatively. We found that hunting, shooting and scaring can result in a suite of direct and indirect consequences on migration and foraging behaviour. Most importantly, hunting/shooting on a particular site had implications not only for the behaviour at the actual site but also for behaviour at, and use of, other sites. Furthermore, the specific consequences of shooting/hunting could be counter‐intuitive, that is, aggravate rather than alleviate agricultural damage, depending on where along the migration route changes had taken place and the mechanisms through which hunting/shooting was assumed to affect geese. Synthesis and applications . Management plans are being discussed or implemented for several migratory goose populations and often include shooting, hunting or scaring at one or multiple locations. Using a behaviour‐based model, we assessed the consequences of such local management measures and found that they can indeed lead to a reduction of agricultural conflicts locally but may also aggravate the conflict or shift it to other sites along the flyway. Thus, we recommend the use of these models to scrutinize the efficiency of specific management measures and to assist in identifying an international management regime that minimizes conflicts on a flyway level while still maintaining migratory populations