Bielefeld University

About: Bielefeld University is a education organization based out in Bielefeld, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Quantum chromodynamics. The organization has 10123 authors who have published 26576 publications receiving 728250 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Bielefeld & UNIVERSITAET BIELEFELD.

Genetic and environmental influences on height from infancy to early adulthood: An individual-based pooled analysis of 45 twin cohorts

Abstract: Height variation is known to be determined by both genetic and environmental factors, but a systematic description of how their influences differ by sex, age and global regions is lacking. We conducted an individual-based pooled analysis of 45 twin cohorts from 20 countries, including 180,520 paired measurements at ages 1-19 years. The proportion of height variation explained by shared environmental factors was greatest in early childhood, but these effects remained present until early adulthood. Accordingly, the relative genetic contribution increased with age and was greatest in adolescence (up to 0.83 in boys and 0.76 in girls). Comparing geographic-cultural regions (Europe, North-America and Australia, and East-Asia), genetic variance was greatest in North-America and Australia and lowest in East-Asia, but the relative proportion of genetic variation was roughly similar across these regions. Our findings provide further insights into height variation during childhood and adolescence in populations representing different ethnicities and exposed to different environments.

Identification and mapping of nitrogen fixation genes of Rhodobacter capsulatus: duplication of a nifA-nifB region.

Abstract: Rhodobacter capsulatus mutants unable to fix nitrogen were isolated by random transposon Tn5 mutagenesis. The Tn5 insertion sites of 30 Nif- mutants were mapped within three unlinked chromosomal regions designated A, B, and C. The majority of Tn5 insertions (21 mutants) map within nif region A, characterized by two ClaI fragments of 2.5 and 25 kilobases (kb). The 17-kb ClaI fragment of nif region B contains six nif::Tn5 insertions, and the three remaining mutations are located on a 32-kb ClaI fragment of nif region C. Hybridization experiments using all 17 Klebsiella pneumoniae nif genes individually as probes revealed homology to nifE, nifS, nifA, and nifB in nif region A. The nifHDK genes were localized in nif region B. About 2 kb away from this operon, a second copy of the DNA fragments homologous to nifA and nifB, originally found in nif region A, was identified.

Platform portable anthropomorphic grasping with the bielefeld 20-DOF shadow and 9-DOF TUM hand

Abstract: We present a strategy for grasping of real world objects with two anthropomorphic hands, the three-fingered 9- DOF hydraulic TUM and the very dextrous 20-DOF pneumatic Bielefeld Shadow Hand. Our approach to grasping is based on a reach-pre-grasp-grasp scheme loosely motivated by human grasping. We comparatively describe the two robot setups, the control schemes, and the grasp type determination. We show that the grasp strategy can robustly cope with inaccurate control and object variation. We demonstrate that it can be ported among platforms with minor modifications. Grasping success is evaluated by comparative experiments performing a benchmark test on 21 everyday objects.

Guilty conscience: motivating pro-environmental behavior by inducing negative moral emotions

Abstract: Conceptual frameworks in the realm of climate-related policy, attitudes and behavior frequently argue that moral emotions play a crucial role in mobilizing pro-environmental action Yet, little is known about the direct impact of moral emotions on environmental attitudes and behavior Drawing on emotion research in the context of intergroup relations, the current paper investigates the role of guilty conscience (guilt and shame) as well as other emotions (anger, sadness, pride, and emotional coldness) in motivating pro-environmental behavior intentions and actual behavior as a specific form of reparative action When confronted with human-caused (vs seemingly natural) environmental damages, participants (N = 114) reported significantly more guilty conscience Importantly, participants in the human-caused condition were significantly more likely to spontaneously display actual pro-environmental behavior (sign a petition addressing environmental issues) Highlighting its psychological significance in motivating pro-environmental behavior, a guilty conscience mediated the experimental manipulation’s effect on behavioral intentions as well as on actual behavior We conclude by discussing the potential of moral emotions in developing timely and sustainable climate policies and interventions