Humboldt-Universitat Zu Berlin Research Articles

Letting the System Completely Absorb Me Would Be So Much Easier

Author(s): Gramling, David; Ploschnitzki, Patrick | Abstract: SchwarzRund is a Black Dominican queer femme feminist, active in intersectional education, Black German publishing and spoken word, empowerment around Fatness, Blackness, Queerness, and allyship, and critical media research. In this interview, SchwarzRund speaks about the German publishing world, the role of Black queer presses, the importance of translation and multilingualism in Black German literature, and her experiences in academia at a predominantly white institution, the Humboldt Universitat zu Berlin. These observations are often threaded through the lens of her 2016 novel Biskaya, its three main characters Tue, Matthew, and Dwayne, and the various responses to the novel in Germany. SchwarzRund’s novel Biskaya: An Afropolitan Novel debuted to critical acclaim with zaglossus verlag in 2016. As the novel revolves around various forms of artistic production—music, visual art, poetry, etc.—SchwarzRund’s reflections on the novel are also always reflections on the German arts and publishing world in some important way. The interview took place in September 2019, and there was so much laughter throughout that we had to edit most of it out to save space. The German-language original of this interview appears in William Collins Donahue a Martin Kagel’s essay collection, Die grose Mischkalkulation. Institutions, Social Import, and Market Forces in the German Literary Field. Fink, 2020.

SYSTEM OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES: EXPIRIENCE OF EUROPEAN UNIVERSITIES

The article is devoted to the system of science of education in the European Universities. For analyzes were provided 16 European Universities from Finland, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, which are in top 50 in QA World Rankings 2019, and also Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin and Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna. The main study is the analysis of the study programs about the education in the universities that are listed above. The conclusion, that in most European Universities offered educational programs «Educational studies», which are mainly not for professional, but academic level (especially the Master’s degree). The programs «Educational studies» focused on the study of educational systems and the practical studying in a wide social, cultural, political and economic areas. As usual, this educational program combines the ideas and the study of the educational systems, psychology, sociology, philosophy, history, politics, the management of education, history and culture of education, comparative educational studies, and also the critical analysis of different educational theories and innovative methods. The pedagogical science is one of the educational discipline, which is focused only on the pedagogical problems, which are learning, teaching and development: the educational programs, the measurement and evaluation in education and training, the special pedagogic, which is focused on prevention, research, diagnosis, development and education of children, teenagers or adults with behavioral and emotional problems and their psychosocial consequences. The pedagogical study programs also are focused on development and education of the kids and teenagers in a different social groups (families, schools, groups of friends etc.).

Long-term prediction of biosignals from greenhouse-grown tomato

Artificial neural networks (ANN) have been successfully used for modelling climate and plant signals in greenhouses. This work shows the combination of two ANN models, built and trained separately, and then coupled together. Both models were trained using a data set consisting of 3 complete cultivation periods (2011 until 2013) of 2 venlo-type greenhouses located at the Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin. The greenhouses were used for soilless cultivation of tomato. The first model considered (climate prediction: CP) estimated the expected values of temperature and relative humidity in the near future (one-step prediction, OSP). The output was then recursively fed to the model in order to make further predictions. Each time step represented 5 min, and the maximum number of prediction steps was set to 6. On the other hand, the output of the second model (plant signals: PM) was not a prediction in time, but an estimation of plant signals (leaf temperature, transpiration rate, photosynthesis rate) as expected to be measured by a phytomonitoring system (BERMONIS). The combined models took the 6 predicted steps of climate (long-term prediction: LTP) produced by CM and used them to feed PM, thus generating a Biosignals LTP. As expected, the fit of the LTP decreased with the number of forward steps. For example, the R2 for leaf temperature range from 0.946 for the first simulation until 0.704 for the 6th simulated step. For transpiration and photosynthesis rate, these ranges were (0.874, 0.809) and (0.772, 0.692), respectively. These results show that the estimated plant responses could support a predictive control system, in order to avoid plant damage due to extreme climate conditions.

Commissioning and optimization of an innovative system for electrolytic water disinfection in greenhouses

Tested in experimental scale, an innovative system for electrolytic water disinfection in greenhouses (SeWiG) was very efficient. It was developed by Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin and newtec Umwelttechnik GmbH. With scaling up this system for industrial greenhouses, the new technology will be tested, validated and optimized under practical conditions. The implemented technology will be incrementally scaled-up. After successful installation of the disinfection system within a separated part of an industrial greenhouse, two large-scaled greenhouses will use the on-site produced hypochlorite as a disinfectant for irrigation or drain water applied for vegetables and ornamental plants. The effects on plant growth, yield and product quality will be controlled and particular attention is paid to chlorate and perchlorate. Due to the first results, both pesticides are under the limits given by the European Commission. This can be related to the short dwell time of the disinfectant before dosing based on the on-demand production of fresh hypochlorite. Hypochlorite is dosed by the method of shock disinfection, which might decrease the accumulation of unwanted ingredients in plants. The special feature of the new system for electrolytic water disinfection is the functional superiority over common methods such as filtration, ultraviolet irradiation, heating, ozonation or chlorine dioxide. Worth highlighting is its high effectiveness against plant viruses and the reduced risk for users, plants and the environment while less energy is needed, compared to other disinfection systems. Besides a reduced formation of algae biofilm, a reduced application of fertilizers is expected. All parameters mentioned before will be monitored within this study.

Conference Report: Models of Perpetration and Transgression: Borderline Cases in Violence and Trauma Research

In very different ways the Stanford Prison experiment, Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic violence, and the intensified media coverage of the prevalence of sexual assault reveal that perpetrators are neither the ‘other’ of a society often perceived to be non-violent, nor are they to be found only at its margins. How can we develop a transgressive concept of perpetration that does not essentialize, stigmatize, or symbolically dehumanize perpetrator figures, but instead allows for perspectives that reflect the appropriate level of complexity? What is needed is a notion that describes perpetration in terms of implicatedness in violence , e.g. as something that can grow out of a victim’s position, or as a capability to carry out violence that can in certain situations develop in “perfectly normal people” . These questions were at the focus of the multidisciplinary conference “Models of Perpetration and Transgression. Borderline Cases in Violence and Trauma Research” (“Tatermodelle und Transgression. Grenzfalle in Gewalt- und Traumaforschung”), organized by Julia B. Kohne and Jan Mollenhauer, held on 19th January 2018 in the Jacob-und-Wilhelm-Grimm-Zentrum at Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin. Talks were given by a wide range of international researchers, each of whom drew on their expertise to call into question crucial elements of how we understand perpetration and perpetratorship. These talks generated a discussion that encompassed the notion of perpetration in its broadest sense, starting with the psychology of victimhood and perpetratorship at the individual level, expanding to media representations that contribute to public discourse on perpetrators, both in terms of smaller-scale acts of violence, e.g. murders, and mass-scale perpetration of political violence, the effects of this discourse, (cultural) historical genealogies and contexts, as well as the traumatic consequences of perpetratorship. The following reflections upon the discussion should serve to inform current research on perpetration in the context of political violence by providing some helpful guidelines for approaching present challenges in this area.

Genomic approaches and bioinformatics tools to identify genomic regions for economic traits and their applications in chicken breeding programs

Most of the economic traits considered in genetic improvement programs are of quantitative nature. They are genetically determined by many genes. To apply major genes or linked markers in gene- or marker-assisted selection program, they must first be identified in the genome. Mapping genomic regions for the economic traits is the first step to identify genes influencing traits of interest. This report gives the most comprehensive information on discovering quantitative traits loci (QTL) and their underlying genes for economic traits in chicken, in particular on chromosome 4 (GGA4), using up-to-date genomic approaches and bioinformatics tools. This work is based on several publications (Goraga et al. 2010, 2012; Nassar and Brockmann 2011, 2013; Nassar et al. 2012, 2013, 2015; Lyu et al. 2016, 2017) and other published QTL results in chicken QTL database (Chicken QTLdb). I had done this work in collaboration with Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Germany, during the year 2010 to 2017. In brief, we mapped several genomic regions on 22 chromosomes affecting 24 traits. The majority of identified loci showed additive effects on several growth and body composition traits. The biggest effect on analysed traits was detected on the distal region of GGA4. The confidence interval of the QTL region on GGA4 harbours hundreds of genes. The final identification of genes and mutations will contribute to our understanding of the complex inheritance pattern of growth regulation, muscle development and fat deposition in chicken. Such information would support breeders in using this information for genetic improvement in breeding programs.

Comparing apples and oranges: a colloquium on international comparative urban research, Hospitalhof Stuttgart, 15–16 January 2015

It is common practice to conduct international comparison in urban research, though anyone who has been involved in such work knows that it faces a number of challenges. To discuss this, a two-day colloquium with presentations and discussions was held in Stuttgart, Germany in January 2015. During the introduction, co-organiser Stefan Siedentop explained that the colloquium was part of ongoing comparative research on reurbanisation in the US and Germany.Kevin Ward (University of Manchester) started the colloquium with a talk titled 'Towards a relational comparative approach to cities'. He argued that over recent years there has been growing awareness amongst local urban policy makers of how their cities and regions compare with other places in the world, leading to a growing interest in international comparison and ranking. He explained this by reference to four very different thematic areas in which ideas have travelled internationally: smart cities, securitisation, drugs policy and waterfront regeneration. Kevin then argued that in addition to the common comparison from above one should also consider comparison with an 'embedded' and 'through' approach referring to work on comparative urban analysis and assumptions about causality (Pickvance, 1986) and comparative urbanisms (Jacobs, 2012). Furthermore one should realise that sometimes one does not get clear answers but rather new questions.The next session, chaired by Thorsten Wiechmann (Technische Universitat, Dortmund), focused on comparing urban patterns. Leo van den Berg (Erasmus Universiteit, Rotterdam) started the session providing an overview of his experience with comparative urban studies in Europe. He first outlined key findings from the CURB (Costs of Urban Growth) project in which the theory of the urban lifecycle and the now well-known term reurbanisation was popularised (Van den Berg et al., 1982). Following this early work Euricur, the European Institute for Comparative Urban Research, was initially established in 1988 providing evidence for the new Eurocities network and for individual cities. While much of Euricur's work continued to focus on the urban lifecycle and understanding functional urban regions, other themes included the impact of high-speed rail, IT, safety/security topics, energy transitions, sustainable urban development and metropolitan governance capacity. The focus of their work is conducting international comparisons for one specific city and most of their projects start with an interesting and challenging problem. Cities are involved as participants, though in case the link with cities is too close there is a danger of bias.Following this, Dagmar Haase (Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin) presented her work on 'land-use patterns and multiple drivers across European cities - concepts, models and findings' based on work within the research network UGEC (Urbanisation and Global Environmental Change) and the urban-rural project PLUREL (Peri-urban Land Use Relationships). One key question of her work is to explore to what extent global urbanisation leads to further urban sprawl or further densification. There is a trend towards further middle class growth in urban areas, while the share of large cities is growing globally. Population decline, often described as shrinkage is mainly a trend observed in parts of Europe and Asia, driven by demographic changes. Land surface modelling suggests that the share of artificial surface might increase in the future. And while urbanisation is the key global trend, it is also important to focus attention on the rural-urban interface, as there is a risk of increasing sprawl in the process. Ageing population and changing sociocultural preferences are powerful drivers of future urbanisation patterns. In addition despite recent price falls, in the long-term rising oil prices and telecommunication are increasingly important factors. Hence there is a growing interest in urban-ness as a new concept beyond traditional land use definitions of urban land (Boone et al. …

Effects of the Bologna Reform on Educational Outcomes: Micro Evidence from Germany

The Bologna Process aimed at harmonizing European higher education systems and at increasing their efficiency. This paper analyzes impacts of the Bologna Reform for Germany by using unique micro data from Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin (HU). We estimate treatment effects on the probability to graduate within instructional time, on standardized study duration, and on final overall grades. Variation in treatment introduction over time and across departments generates exogenous assignment of students into a treatment (Bachelor) and control group (Diploma). We account for potentially remaining selection bias by estimating a 2SLS model using the share of first-year Bachelor students among all students as an instrument. Our empirical results are robust across specifications and sample stratifications and indicate the following: the Bologna reform led to a significant and sizeable increase in the probability of graduating within planned instructional time; it also significantly decreased standardized study duration. At the same time, overall final grades are significantly worse in the treatment group.

Report on the participation of the Eötvös Loránd University at the Wielbark Archaeological Field School in Malbork-Wielbark, Poland

PhD, MA and BA students of the Institute of Archaeological Sciences (Eötvös Loránd University) took part in the Erasmus Archaeological Summer Field School in Malbork-Wielbark, Poland (Fig. 1) in 2012 and 2013. The coordinator of the three years planned Erasmus intensive program is Dr. habil. Jörg Kleemann (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin) with the partnership of the universities of Poland (Uniwersytet Marie Curie-Skłodowskiej Lublin; Uniwersytet Szczeciński), Germany (Ruhr-Universität, Bochum), the Czech Republic (Univerzita Hradec Králové), Spain (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid) and Hungary (Eötvös Loránd University). News and results of the excavation are available at http://ipwafs.hu-berlin.de.

TOCSY - Toolboxes for modelling of dynamical systems and time series

With Toolboxes for Complex Systems we pro- vide a compilation of innovative methods for modern nonlinear data analysis and modelling. These methods were developed during scientific research in the Interdis- ciplinary Center for Dynamics of Complex Systems Pots- dam, the Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin and the Pots- dam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). It pro- vides analysis tools for recurrence quantification analy- sis, nonlinear regression analysis, innovative filtering and processing of physiological data, coupling direction esti- mations, wavelet spectrum and coherence analysis, time series graph estimation and more.

Paul Christoph Bornkamm. Rwanda's Gacaca Courts. Between Retribution and Reparation

The commencement of proceedings at the Gacaca Courts in Rwanda on 18 June 2002 attracted enormous interest. The question of how the country would deal with a past shaped by the genocide that had ended eight years earlier not only aroused the curiosity of national observers, it also attracted large numbers of international commentators. This situation remained largely unchanged in the years that followed. It sometimes seemed as though a constant stream of academics, in particular, were lining up to take a look at the traditional Rwandan justice workshop. A correspondingly large number of publications on Gacaca have been issued so far. Articles, essays, and books have been published, the quality of which is extremely varied and can generally be measured by the extent to which the author retained a capacity for critical analysis when confronted with the details of the horrendous crimes typical of genocide. As is generally known, emotional involvement can easily clash with judicial appraisal, which must send a robust and future-oriented signal. The book under review is based on a doctoral thesis submitted to Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin in late 2009. However, the Gacaca justice process for the judicial appraisal of crimes of genocide did not reach its conclusion until 18 June 2012, ten years to the day after its establishment. The Rwandan government recently published the following general summary data on the process: Gacaca proceedings were instigated against just over one million suspects, of whom 90 per cent were men and only 10 per cent women. By far the majority of the proceedings concerned so-called Category 3 acts, i.e., unauthorized acts against property, for example, theft and plunder (a total of 1.3 million individual acts). These were followed in number by Category 2 acts, which included murder, manslaughter, and grievous bodily harm (577,000 individual acts). �

CLIMATE CONDITIONS IN A CLOSED GREENHOUSE AFFECT PLANT GROWTH AND SECONDARY PLANT COMPOUNDS OF TOMATOES (SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM L.)

ISHS International Symposium on Advanced Technologies and Management Towards Sustainable Greenhouse Ecosystems: Greensys2011 CLIMATE CONDITIONS IN A CLOSED GREENHOUSE AFFECT PLANT GROWTH AND SECONDARY PLANT COMPOUNDS OF TOMATOES (SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM L.)

OP02 Identification of glycoprotein 2 as an immunomodulator of innate and adaptive immune responses

Background: Polymorphisms in Card9 (Caspase Recruitment Domain 9) gene are associated with Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Card9 is an adapter protein expressed in myeloid cells playing a central role for the integration of signals downstream of many Pattern Recognition Receptors such as Dectin-1, Mincle, Nod2, Rig-I and some TLRs. It has been shown that Card9 was required to mount an appropriate Th17 imune response toward fungal infection in human. However, its role in the gastrointestinal tract and particularly in colitis setting is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the role of Card9 in gastro-intestinal homeostasis and inflammation. Methods: We used the DSS-induced and the Citrobacter rodentium infection colitis models in wild type (WT) and Card9 KO (KO) mice. DSS was given for 7 days followed or not by a recovery phase of 5 days, before sacrifice. We assessed colitis severity (weight loss, histology), expression of cytokines in colon, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and spleen (rtPCR and/or ELISA) and cellular subtypes levels in colon and small intestine lamina propria, MLN and spleen (flow cytometry). Results: DSS-induced colitis was more severe in Card9 KO mice and have notably a recovery defect. KO mice exhibited a down regulation of IL-6, IFNg and Th17 cytokines (IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22) in the colon and in MLN. IL-17A and IL-22 expression were particularly defective in recovery phase and were associated with a decrease expression of antimicrobial peptides (RegIIIg and DEFB1) in the colon. IL-17A and IL-22 are required for the protection against C. rodentium infection. As expected, KO mice exhibited a more severe colitis. Bacterial load in feces and spleen as well as mortality were higher in KO compared to WT mice. KO mice exhibited a decreased expression of IL-6, IL-17A, IL-22 and RegIIIg in colon and lower IL-17A and IFNg secretion by MLN cells. The analysis of cells subpopulations in gastro-intestinal immune compartments showed a decrease proportion of Th1, Th17 and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in KO mice. Finally, some of these abnormalities were also found at baseline (without colitis) in KO mice. Conclusions: Card9 is required for the development of an appropriate intestinal immune response in steady state and in colitis setting. Card9 is notably involved in “Th17” and IL-22 responses (involving Th17 cells but also ILCs) which are required to eradicate some intestinal pathogens and to recover after intestinal inflammation. OP02 Identification of glycoprotein 2 as an immunomodulator of innate and adaptive immune responses L. Werner1 *, D. Reinhold2, D. Roggenbuck3, A. Sturm1. 1Charite Campus Virchow-Klinikum Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Med. Klinik, Abt.Gastroenterologie/Hepatologie, Berlin, Germany, 2Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany, 3Medipan GmBH, Dahlewitz, Germany

OP01 Card9 is a crucial adapter protein for gastro-intestinal immune response

Background: Polymorphisms in Card9 (Caspase Recruitment Domain 9) gene are associated with Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Card9 is an adapter protein expressed in myeloid cells playing a central role for the integration of signals downstream of many Pattern Recognition Receptors such as Dectin-1, Mincle, Nod2, Rig-I and some TLRs. It has been shown that Card9 was required to mount an appropriate Th17 imune response toward fungal infection in human. However, its role in the gastrointestinal tract and particularly in colitis setting is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the role of Card9 in gastro-intestinal homeostasis and inflammation. Methods: We used the DSS-induced and the Citrobacter rodentium infection colitis models in wild type (WT) and Card9 KO (KO) mice. DSS was given for 7 days followed or not by a recovery phase of 5 days, before sacrifice. We assessed colitis severity (weight loss, histology), expression of cytokines in colon, mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and spleen (rtPCR and/or ELISA) and cellular subtypes levels in colon and small intestine lamina propria, MLN and spleen (flow cytometry). Results: DSS-induced colitis was more severe in Card9 KO mice and have notably a recovery defect. KO mice exhibited a down regulation of IL-6, IFNg and Th17 cytokines (IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22) in the colon and in MLN. IL-17A and IL-22 expression were particularly defective in recovery phase and were associated with a decrease expression of antimicrobial peptides (RegIIIg and DEFB1) in the colon. IL-17A and IL-22 are required for the protection against C. rodentium infection. As expected, KO mice exhibited a more severe colitis. Bacterial load in feces and spleen as well as mortality were higher in KO compared to WT mice. KO mice exhibited a decreased expression of IL-6, IL-17A, IL-22 and RegIIIg in colon and lower IL-17A and IFNg secretion by MLN cells. The analysis of cells subpopulations in gastro-intestinal immune compartments showed a decrease proportion of Th1, Th17 and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) in KO mice. Finally, some of these abnormalities were also found at baseline (without colitis) in KO mice. Conclusions: Card9 is required for the development of an appropriate intestinal immune response in steady state and in colitis setting. Card9 is notably involved in “Th17” and IL-22 responses (involving Th17 cells but also ILCs) which are required to eradicate some intestinal pathogens and to recover after intestinal inflammation. OP02 Identification of glycoprotein 2 as an immunomodulator of innate and adaptive immune responses L. Werner1 *, D. Reinhold2, D. Roggenbuck3, A. Sturm1. 1Charite Campus Virchow-Klinikum Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Med. Klinik, Abt.Gastroenterologie/Hepatologie, Berlin, Germany, 2Otto-von-Guericke-University, Magdeburg, Germany, 3Medipan GmBH, Dahlewitz, Germany

Gerhard Scholtz Recipient of the Crustacean Society Excellence in Research Award

Professor Gerhard Scholtz, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Institut fur Biologie, Vergleichende Zoologie has received The Crustacean Society Excellence in Research Award for 2011. He began his studies at the Freie Universitat Berlin, graduating in Biology in 1982. For his doctoral studies, he moved to the Universitat Bremen, graduating in 1986, and afterwards returned to the Freie Universitat where he completed his Habilitation in Biology 1993. He was employed as Associate Professor 1986-1995 at FU before taking up a professorial chair in Comparative Zoology at the Humboldt-Universitat, Berlin. Gerhard’s research interests and accomplishments cover a broad range of invertebrates but has mainly focused on metazoan evolution, origin and phylogeny of arthropods, developmental biology of arthropods, the phylogenetic and evolutionary implications of developmental patterns (cell lineage, gene expression, morphogenesis), cladistic analyses using morphological and molecular data, the evolution and phylogeny of decapod crustaceans, and the biology and origins of freshwater crayfish. Emerging out the classical German mould into which he was born, Scholtz was always destined to become a carci-

Effect of target surface on the elastic properties of fast fullerenes

S. Wethekam, M. Busch, ∗ Ch. Linsmeier, and H. Winter Institut fur Physik, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Newtonstrasse 15, D-12489 Berlin, Germany. Max-Planck-Institut fur Plasmaphysik, EURATOM Association, Boltzmannstr. 2, D-85748 Garching, Germany. C+60 fullerenes with keV energies are scattered at grazing angles of incidence from atomically clean and flat LiF(001), KCl(001), Al(001), Be(0001), Ni(110) surfaces as well as p(2×1) and p(3×1) oxygen superstructures on Ni(110). The elastic properties of C60 are derived from a comparison of experimental data with 3D molecular dynamics simulations for different interaction potentials. In terms of a simple model for the hybridization of C60 with the surface, we find evidence for a close relation between electronic structure of the surface and elasticity of C60.

Conflicts as signals: bridging the gap between conflict detection and cognitive control

“Cognitive conXicts” are said to occur when several incompatible action tendencies or motivations co-exist in our cognitive system. The processing problems arising from cognitive conXicts are often assumed to reXect basic principles of the cognitive architecture. “Cognitive control” comes into play whenever conXicts need to be resolved to guarantee Xawless behavior; how exactly cognitive conXicts are resolved is one of the major challenges that current models of cognitive control are facing. Most of the existing research on conXicts in the human information processing system has focused on the processes that elicit conXicts and the processes that monitor and resolve conXict. Importantly, very little research has tried to understand the consequences of conXicts for subsequent information processing. In contrast, all the articles in this Special Issue reXect the belief that conXicts are functional and that they can be viewed as signals that trigger information processing within the cognitive system and lead to adaptation of the system conWguration. Thus, the research described in this Special Issue has begun to unravel the processes that mediate between the conXict signal indicating discrepancies or problems in the information processing system and subsequent optimization mechanisms. Hence, conXict-driven behavioral optimization becomes the research focus. One seminal theory that drew our attention to the role of conXicts and their subsequent adaptation processes is the conXict monitoring account described by Botvinick and colleagues (Botvinick, Braver, Barch, Carter, & Cohen, 2001; Botvinick, Cohen, & Carter, 2004). In the Botvinick et al. model, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) monitors the occurrence of potential conXicts. Detected conXicts then trigger resolution processes in the prefrontal cortex. Only recently has Botvinick (2007) extended his account to the ACC by proposing that the ACC is involved in biasing behavior away from tasks or strategies that have been eVortful in the past. Here, conXicts can be viewed as signals that trigger subsequent processes with the objective of avoiding imminent conXicts. ConXicts are, thus, seen to trigger proactive control strategies (Braver, Gray, Burgess, 2007) that prevent conXicts from occurring in the future. Although adaptation after conXict is corroborated by empirical Wndings in diVerent domains of cognitive psychology the origins of the adaptive consequences of conXicts are still under debate. This Special Issue, therefore, gives an overview of various approaches that highlight diVerent aspects of adaptive conXict control processing. Twelve contributions to this Special Issue deal with diVerent types of conXicts as well as diVerent adaptation processes after conXicts and center around Wve central questions. First, do diVerent types of conXicts lead to diVerent adaptive processes or do diVerent conXicts always lead to similar adaptive processes? Second, what exactly is the relation between conXict-induced adaptation and the topdown regulation of information processing? Here, concepts such as working memory and Xuid intelligence might play important roles. Adaptive processing is, of course, closely linked to the anticipation of the outcome of future actions. As anticipation processes may not only be inXuenced by cognitive consequences of conXicts but also by aVective evaluation, third, one may ask, about the role of aVect in adaptive processing that follows conXicts. Fourth and Wfth, are there meaningful and stable interindividual diVerences and developmental patterns in the types of signals that are B. Sturmer (&) · W. Sommer · P. Frensch Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Rudower Chaussee 18, 12489 Berlin, Germany e-mail: birgit.stuermer@cms.hu-berlin.de

An annotated catalogue of the types of scincid lizards (Reptilia, Squamata, Scincidae) in the collection of the Museums für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (ZMB)

A complete catalogue is provided of the type-specimens of the scincid lizards in the herpetological collections of the Museum fur Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin (ZMB). The collection includes 519 type specimens, representing 195 named taxa (120 of which are currently regarded as valid). Among the most historically important types are those from the Bloch collection, chiefly described by Schneider (1801) and those collected by Hemprich & Ehrenberg and described by Wiegmann (1837) and others. The largest part of the skink type collection is that constituted by types of taxa described by Wilhelm Peters between 1844 and 1882. Many additional types were described by later workers from around the world, but especially from the former German colonial possessions in Africa and the Pacific. The taxonomic and nomenclatural histories of many taxa, especially those of historical significance, are reviewed and modern equivalents of original type localities are identified.

On the Difficulty to Design Arabic E-learning System in Statistics

In this paper, we present a case study, which describe the development of the Statistic e-learning-course in Arabic language –``Arabic MM*STAT´´. The basic frame forthis E-book, the system MM*STAT was developed at the School for Business and Economics of Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin. Arabic MM*STAT uses a HTML - based filing card structure. We discuss the difficulties of the implementation of such a system in to the standard WWW formats and present the solutions needed for Arab educational institutions and the Arabic user. Those solutions are consistent with the Arabic language, and include the modern trend in the e-learning environment.

On the Difficulty to Design Arabic E-Learning System in Statistics

In this paper, we present a case study, which describe the development of the Statistic e-learning-course in Arabic language –``Arabic MM*STAT´´. The basic frame for this E-book, the system MM*STAT was developed at the School for Business and Economics of Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin. Arabic MM*STAT uses a HTML - based filing card structure. We discuss the difficulties of the implementation of such a system in to the standard WWW formats and present the solutions needed for Arab educational institutions and the Arabic user. Those solutions are consistent with the Arabic language, and include the modern trend in the e-learning environment.