First lipid residue analysis of Early Neolithic pottery from Swifterbant (the Netherlands, ca. 4300–4000 BC)

This paper focuses on the functional analysis of Swifterbant pottery from North-western Europe (ca. 4300–4000 BC) through lipid residue analysis. The main aim is to understand the role of pottery in terms of its relation to hunter-fisher-gatherer lifestyle, and the change in available food resources brought about by the arrival of domesticated animal and plant products. We conducted lipid residue analysis of 62 samples from three Swifterbant sites S2, S3 and S4. A combined approach using both GC-MS and GC-C-IRMS of residues absorbed into the ceramic was employed to identify their context. Our results demonstrate that Swifterbant ceramics were used exclusively for processing aquatic resources. We also found no evidence of inter-site variation in the use of pottery or variation based on both typological and technological features of the pottery. We found no evidence for any domesticated resources despite their presence in the faunal and botanical assemblages

Predicting calyceal access for percutaneous nephrolithotomy with computed tomography multiplanar reconstruction

OBJECTIVES: Objective parameters in computed tomography (CT) scans that could predict calyceal access during percutaneous nephrolithotomy have not been evaluated. These parameters could improve access planning for percutaneous nephrolithotomy. We aimed to determine which parameters extracted from a preoperative multiplanar reconstructed CT could predict renal calyceal access during a percutaneous nephrolithotomy. METHODS: From January 2009 through April 2011, 230 patients underwent 284 percutaneous nephrolithotomies at our institution. Sixteen patients presented with complete staghorn calculi, and 11 patients (13 renal units) were analyzed. Five parameters were extracted from a preoperative reconstructed CT and compared with the surgical results of percutaneous nephrolithotomy. RESULTS: Fifty-eight calyces were studied, with an average of 4.4 calyces per procedure. A rigid nephroscope was used to access a particular calyx, and a univariate analysis showed that the entrance calyx had a smaller length (2.7 vs. 3.98 cm, p = 0.018). The particular calyx to be accessed should have a smaller length (2.22 vs. 3.19 cm, p = 0.012), larger angles (117.6 vs. 67.96,

Spin evolution of Earth-sized exoplanets, including atmospheric tides and core-mantle friction

Planets with masses between 0.1 and 10M(circle plus) are believed to host dense atmospheres. These atmospheres can play an important role on the planet's spin evolution, since thermal atmospheric tides, driven by the host star, may counterbalance gravitational tides. In this work, we study the long-term spin evolution of Earth-sized exoplanets. We generalize previous works by including the effect of eccentric orbits and obliquity. We show that under the effect of tides and core-mantle friction, the obliquity of the planets evolves either to 0 degrees or 180 degrees. The rotation of these planets is also expected to evolve into a very restricted number of equilibrium configurations. In general, none of these equilibria is synchronous with the orbital mean motion. The role of thermal atmospheric tides becomes more important for Earth-sized planets in the habitable zones of their systems; so they cannot be neglected when we search for their potential habitability

Wegner-Houghton equation and derivative expansion

We study the derivative expansion for the effective action in the framework of the Exact Renormalization Group for a single component scalar theory. By truncating the expansion to the first two terms, the potential $U_k$ and the kinetic coefficient $Z_k$, our analysis suggests that a set of coupled differential equations for these two functions can be established under certain smoothness conditions for the background field and that sharp and smooth cut-off give the same result. In addition we find that, differently from the case of the potential, a further expansion is needed to obtain the differential equation for $Z_k$, according to the relative weight between the kinetic and the potential terms. As a result, two different approximations to the $Z_k$ equation are obtained. Finally a numerical analysis of the coupled equations for $U_k$ and $Z_k$ is performed at the non-gaussian fixed point in $D<4$ dimensions to determine the anomalous dimension of the field.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure

Widespread hybridization between Invasive bleak (Alburnus alburnus) and Iberian chub (Squalius spp.): A neglected conservation threat

Hybridization between native and nonnative fish species is a major conservation issue, especially in ecosystems with high levels of endemism, such as Iberian streams. To date, hybridization with the invasive bleak Alburnus alburnus has been reported for the Iberian chub Squalius alburnoides and S. pyrenaicus and in scattered locations only. However, the bleak is spreading in the region, potentially increasing the risks of hybridization with other Squalius species. To gather a more comprehensive picture on the current geography of hybridization, we compiled records on hybrids between bleak and chub in Portugal and conducted genetical assessments of hybrids between bleak and S. carolitertii. We found that hybridization with bleak is widespread throughout Portuguese river basins and involves at least S. alburnoides, S. pyrenaicus and S. carolitertii. Hybridization with bleak may not only cause waste of reproductive effort and damage the genetic integrity of these endemic species but also promote shifts in the reproductive dynamics of the S. alburnoides hybrid complex, which includes individuals with various ploidy levels and combinations of parental genomes, reproducing sexually and asexually. We recommend that future studies characterize the fitness of bleak hybrids and their ecological and genetic interactions with native fish, in order to design effective conservation measures

Peixes

Os peixes sao organismos aquaticos que associamosde imediato aos rios, mas sobre os quais existe aindamuito desconhecimento. Neste capitulo damos a conhecer asespecies que existem em Portugal, como estao distribuidasno nosso territorio, que fatores ambientais determinam a suaocorrencia, que comportamentos exibem, que ameacas pairamsobre as suas populacoes, ou como podem ser utilizadoscomo sentinelas para monitorizar o estado ecologico dos rios.Sao ainda descritas as principais caracteristicas dos habitatsdulciaquicolas portugueses e das associacoes piscicolas que neles ocorrem, e discutidos quais os principais fatores ambientaisque terao contribuido para a distribuicao das especiesno nosso territorio. Face as pressoes de natureza antropica aque estao sujeitos, e dado destaque aos principais fatores deameaca a conservacao dos peixes dulciaquicolas e migradores,e as medidas de mitigacao mais adequadas a sua proteção

Bovine tuberculosis in Buffaloes, Southern Africa

Funded by European Union Partnership, South East Lowveld Project; Ministere Francais des Affaires Etrangeres; United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife without Borders, Africa Progra

Renormalization of composite operators

The blocked composite operators are defined in the one-component Euclidean scalar field theory, and shown to generate a linear transformation of the operators, the operator mixing. This transformation allows us to introduce the parallel transport of the operators along the RG trajectory. The connection on this one-dimensional manifold governs the scale evolution of the operator mixing. It is shown that the solution of the eigenvalue problem of the connection gives the various scaling regimes and the relevant operators there. The relation to perturbative renormalization is also discussed in the framework of the $\phi^3$ theory in dimension $d=6$.Comment: 24 pages, revtex (accepted by Phys. Rev. D), changes in introduction and summar

A machine-learning data set prepared from the NASA solar dynamics observatory mission

In this paper, we present a curated data set from the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) mission in a format suitable for machine-learning research. Beginning from level 1 scientific products we have processed various instrumental corrections, down-sampled to manageable spatial and temporal resolutions, and synchronized observations spatially and temporally. We illustrate the use of this data set with two example applications: forecasting future extreme ultraviolet (EUV) Variability Experiment (EVE) irradiance from present EVE irradiance and translating Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager observations into Atmospheric Imaging Assembly observations. For each application, we provide metrics and baselines for future model comparison. We anticipate this curated data set will facilitate machine-learning research in heliophysics and the physical sciences generally, increasing the scientific return of the SDO mission. This work is a direct result of the 2018 NASA Frontier Development Laboratory Program. Please see the Appendix for access to the data set, totaling 6.5TBs