Relations between free-living nematodes and dung-burying Geotrupes spp. (Coleoptera : Geotrupini)

La faune nématologique dans plus de 300 ballots couvés des coléoptères #Geotrupes spiniger et #G. vernalis et la biologie des insectes ont été étudiées. La succession des espèces de nématodes dans neuf ballots couvés de #G. spiniger et dans six ballots couvés de #G. vernalis a été enregistrée au cours du développement individuel des coléoptères. Les résultats montrent que #Diplogaster hirschmannae, #D. henrichae et #D. labiomorphus sont des nématodes qui se sont spécialisés dans la phorésie avec les coléoptères #Geotrupes. Les résultats des observations concernant la durée des générations et l'importance de la descendance montrent une adaptation des stratégies de reproduction à la vie dans le ballot couvé. Les nématodes sont en mesure de vivre avec des ressources limitées de nourriture jusqu'à la transformation de la larve en chrysalide. C'est ensuite que des dauer larvae sont formées. Les dauer larvae se mettent à l'abri dans la zone génitale du coléoptère nouvellement sorti. Elles y restent jusqu'à ce que l'insecte commence le creusement du terrier pour couver. (Résumé d'auteur

Empirical Traffic Data and Their Implications for Traffic Modeling

From single vehicle data a number of new empirical results about the temporal evolution, correlation, and density-dependence of macroscopic traffic quantities have been determined. These have relevant implications for traffic modeling and allow to test existing traffic models.Comment: For related work see http://www.theo2.physik.uni-stuttgart.de/helbing.htm

An Efficient and Accurate Car-Parrinello-like Approach to Born-Oppenheimer Molecular Dynamics

We present a new method which combines Car-Parrinello and Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics in order to accelerate density functional theory based ab-initio simulations. Depending on the system a gain in efficiency of one to two orders of magnitude has been observed, which allows ab-initio molecular dynamics of much larger time and length scales than previously thought feasible. It will be demonstrated that the dynamics is correctly reproduced and that high accuracy can be maintained throughout for systems ranging from insulators to semiconductors and even to metals in condensed phases. This development considerably extends the scope of ab-initio simulations.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; Accepted by Phys. Rev. Lett. for publicatio

Improving knowledge and changing behavior towards guideline based decisions in diabetes care: a controlled intervention study of a team-based learning approach for continuous professional development of physicians.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses should ideally improve a physician's knowledge and change their professional behavior in daily practice towards a best clinical practice reference model and guideline adherence. Interactive methods such as team-based learning and case-based learning, as compared to lectures, can impart sustainable knowledge and lead to high satisfaction among participants. We designed an interactive case-based CPD-seminar on diabetes care using a team-based learning approach to evaluate whether it leads to an improvement of short-term knowledge and changing of behavior towards guideline based decisions and how this learning approach is perceived by participants

Can social robots affect children's prosocial behavior? An experimental study on prosocial robot models

The aim of this study was to investigate whether a social robot that models prosocial behavior (in terms of giving away stickers) influences the occurrence of prosocial behavior among children as well as the extent to which children behave prosocially. Additionally, we investigated whether the occurrence and extent of children's prosocial behavior changed when being repeated and whether the behavior modeled by the robot affected children's norms of prosocial behavior. In a one-factorial experiment (weakly prosocial robot vs. strongly prosocial robot), 61 children aged 8 to 10 and a social robot alternately played four rounds of a game against a computer and, after each round, could decide to give away stickers. Children who saw a strongly prosocial robot gave away more stickers than children who saw a weakly prosocial robot. A strongly prosocial robot also increased children's perception of how many other children engage in prosocial behavior (i.e., descriptive norms). The strongly prosocial robot affected the occurrence of prosocial behavior only in the first round, whereas its effect on the extent of children's prosocial behavior was most distinct in the last round. Our study suggests that the principles of social learning also apply to whether children learn prosocial behavior from robots