16,947 research outputs found
Sharing the burden : on the division of parental care and vocalizations during incubation
In species with biparental care, individuals only have to pay the costs for their own parental investment, whereas the contribution of their partner comes for free. Each parent hence benefits if its partner works harder, creating an evolutionary conflict of interest. How parents resolve this conflict and how they achieve the optimal division of parental tasks often remains elusive. In this study, we investigated whether lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) divide parental care during incubation equally and whether this correlates with the extent of vocalizations between pair-members during incubation. We then investigated whether pairs showing more evenly distributed incubation behavior had a higher reproductive success. To this end, we recorded incubation behavior and vocalizations for 24-h time periods. Subsequently, we experimentally increased or decreased brood sizes in order to manipulate parental effort, and followed offspring development from hatching till fledging. Although incubation bouts were, on average, slightly longer in females, patterns varied strongly between pairs, ranging from primarily female incubation over equal sex contributions to male-biased incubation. Pairs contributing more equally to incubation vocalized more during nest relief and had a higher reproductive output when brood sizes were experimentally increased. Thus, vocalizations and a more equal division of parental care during incubation may facilitate higher levels of care during the nestling period, as suggested by a greater reproductive success when facing high brood demand, or they indicate pair quality
Framing social security reform: Behavioral responses to changes in the full retirement age
We use a US Social Security reform as a quasi-experiment to provide evidence on framing effects in retirement behavior. The reform increased the full retirement age (FRA) from 65 to 66 in two month increments per year of birth for cohorts born from 1938 to 1943. We find strong evidence that the spike in the benefit claiming hazard at 65 moved in lockstep along with the FRA. Results on self-reported retirement and exit from employment are less clear-cut, but go in the same direction. The responsiveness to the new FRA is stronger for people with higher cognitive skills. We interpret the findings as evidence of reference dependence with loss aversion. We develop a simple labor supply model with reference dependence that can explain the results. The model has potentially important implications for framing of future Social Security reforms.social security ; framing ; loss aversion ; retirement
Framing Social Security Reform: Behavioral Responses to Changes in the Full Retirement Age
We use a US Social Security reform as a quasi-experiment to provide evidence on framing effects in retirement behavior. The reform increased the full retirement age (FRA) from 65 to 66 in two month increments per year of birth for cohorts born from 1938 to 1943. We find strong evidence that the spike in the benefit claiming hazard at 65 moved in lockstep along with the FRA. Results on self-reported retirement and exit from employment are less clear-cut, but go in the same direction. The responsiveness to the new FRA is stronger for people with higher cognitive skills. We interpret the findings as evidence of reference dependence with loss aversion. We develop a simple labor supply model with reference dependence that can explain the results. The model has potentially important implications for framing of future Social Security reforms.retirement, social security, loss aversion
Evidence for sub-Chandrasekhar-mass progenitors of Type Ia supernovae at the faint end of the width-luminosity relation
The faster light-curve evolution of low-luminosity Type Ia supernovae (SNe
Ia) suggests that they could result from the explosion of white dwarf (WD)
progenitors below the Chandrasekhar mass (). Here we present 1D
non-LTE time-dependent radiative transfer simulations of pure central
detonations of carbon-oxygen WDs with a mass (M_\rm{tot}) between 0.88
M and 1.15 M, and a yield between 0.08
M and 0.84 M. Their lower ejecta density compared to
models results in a more rapid increase of the luminosity at early
times and an enhanced -ray escape fraction past maximum light.
Consequently, their bolometric light curves display shorter rise times and
larger post-maximum decline rates. Moreover, the higher
M(^{56}\rm{Ni})/M_\rm{tot} ratio at a given mass enhances the
temperature and ionization level in the spectrum-formation region for the less
luminous models, giving rise to bluer colours at maximum light and a faster
post-maximum evolution of the colour. For sub- models fainter
than mag at peak, the greater bolometric decline and faster
colour evolution lead to a larger -band post-maximum decline rate, . In particular, all of our previously-published models
(standard and pulsational delayed detonations) are confined to mag, while the sub- models with
M_\rm{tot}\lesssim 1 M extend beyond this limit to mag for a peak mag, in better agreement
with the observed width-luminosity relation (WLR). Regardless of the precise
ignition mechanism, these simulations suggest that fast-declining SNe Ia at the
faint end of the WLR could result from the explosion of WDs whose mass is
significantly below the Chandrasekhar limit.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Large deviations in quantum lattice systems: one-phase region
We give large deviation upper bounds, and discuss lower bounds, for the
Gibbs-KMS state of a system of quantum spins or an interacting Fermi gas on the
lattice. We cover general interactions and general observables, both in the
high temperature regime and in dimension one.Comment: 30 pages, LaTeX 2
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