4,308 research outputs found
The Detrimental Effects of Oxytocin-Induced Conformity on Dishonesty in Competition
Justifications may promote unethical behavior because they constitute a convenient loophole through which people can gain from immoral behavior and preserve a positive self-image at the same time. A justification that is widely used is rooted in conformity: Unethical choices become more permissible because one's peers are expected to make the same unethical choices. In the current study, we tested whether an exogenous alteration of conformity led to a lower inclination to adhere to a widely accepted norm (i.e., honesty) under the pressure of competition. We took advantage of the well-known effects of intranasally applied oxytocin on affiliation, in-group conformity, and in-group favoritism in humans. We found that conformity was enhanced by oxytocin, and this enhancement had a detrimental effect on honesty in a competitive environment but not in a noncompetitive environment. Our findings contribute to recent evidence showing that competition may lead to unethical behavior and erode moral values
Marginal States in Mean Field Glasses
We study mean field systems whose free energy landscape is dominated by
marginally stable states. We review and develop various techniques to describe
such states, elucidating their physical meaning and the interrelation between
them. In particular, we give a physical interpretation of the two-group replica
symmetry breaking scheme and confirm it by establishing the relation to the
cavity method and to the counting of solutions of the Thouless-Anderson-Palmer
equations. We show how these methods all incorporate the presence of a soft
mode in the free energy landscape and interpret the occurring order parameter
functions in terms of correlations between the soft mode and the local
magnetizations. The general formalism is applied to the prototypical case of
the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick-model where we re-examine the physical properties
of marginal states under a new perspective.Comment: 27 pages, 8 figure
Identifying resistance genes in wheat against common bunt (Tilletia caries) by use of virulence pattern of the pathogen
455 wheat varieties and breeding lines were grown in the field,contaminated with 7 to 11 different races of common bunt. Based on the reaction of the lines to the different virulence races, it was possible to group the lines by differential varieties with known resistance genes, indicating that they may have one or two of the resistance genes Bt1, Bt2, Bt5, Bt7, Bt13, BtZ or Quebon-resistance. Based hereof, genetic markers will be developed using a genome-wide association study (GWAS)
Neural Network Parametrization of Deep-Inelastic Structure Functions
We construct a parametrization of deep-inelastic structure functions which
retains information on experimental errors and correlations, and which does not
introduce any theoretical bias while interpolating between existing data
points. We generate a Monte Carlo sample of pseudo-data configurations and we
train an ensemble of neural networks on them. This effectively provides us with
a probability measure in the space of structure functions, within the whole
kinematic region where data are available. This measure can then be used to
determine the value of the structure function, its error, point-to-point
correlations and generally the value and uncertainty of any function of the
structure function itself. We apply this technique to the determination of the
structure function F_2 of the proton and deuteron, and a precision
determination of the isotriplet combination F_2[p-d]. We discuss in detail
these results, check their stability and accuracy, and make them available in
various formats for applications.Comment: Latex, 43 pages, 22 figures. (v2) Final version, published in JHEP;
Sect.5.2 and Fig.9 improved, a few typos corrected and other minor
improvements. (v3) Some inconsequential typos in Tab.1 and Tab 5 corrected.
Neural parametrization available at http://sophia.ecm.ub.es/f2neura
Leveraging Accelerometer Data for Lameness Detection in Dairy Cows: A Longitudinal Study of Six Farms in Germany
Lameness in dairy cows poses a significant challenge to improving animal well-being and optimizing economic efficiency in the dairy industry. To address this, employing automated animal surveillance for early lameness detection and prevention through activity sensors proves to be a promising strategy. In this study, we analyzed activity (accelerometer) data and additional cow-individual and farm-related data from a longitudinal study involving 4860 Holstein dairy cows on six farms in Germany during 2015–2016. We designed and investigated various statistical models and chose a logistic regression model with mixed effects capable of detecting lameness with a sensitivity of 77%. Our results demonstrate the potential of automated animal surveillance and hold the promise of significantly improving lameness detection approaches in dairy livestock
Synthesis and Characterization of Single Crystal Samples of Spin- Kagome Lattice Antiferromagnets in the Zn-Paratacamite Family ZnCu(OH)Cl
The Zn-paratacamite family, ZnCu(OH)Cl for 0.33, is an ideal system for studying spin-1/2 frustrated magnetism in
the form of antiferromagnetic Cu kagome planes. Here we report a new
synthesis method by which high quality millimeter-sized single crystals of
Zn-paratacamite have been produced. These crystals have been characterized by
metal analysis, x-ray diffraction, neutron diffraction, and thermodynamic
measurements. The = 1 member of the series displays a magnetic
susceptibility that is slightly anisotropic at high temperatures with . Neutron and synchrotron x-ray diffraction experiments
confirm the quality of these = 1 single crystals and indicate no obvious
structural transition down to temperatures of T=2 K.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted by PRB rapid communicatio
Detection and Imaging of the Plant Pathogen Response by Near‐Infrared Fluorescent Polyphenol Sensors
Plants use secondary metabolites such as polyphenols for chemical defense against pathogens and herbivores. Despite their importance in plant pathogen interactions and tolerance to diseases, it remains challenging to detect polyphenols in complex plant tissues. Here, we create molecular sensors for plant polyphenol imaging that are based on near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). We identified polyethylene glycol–phospholipids that render (6,5)-SWCNTs sensitive (K=90 nM) to plant polyphenols (tannins, flavonoids, …), which red-shift (up to 20 nm) and quench their emission (ca. 1000 nm). These sensors report changes in total polyphenol level after herbivore or pathogen challenge in crop plant systems (Soybean Glycine max) and leaf tissue extracts (Tococa spp.). We furthermore demonstrate remote chemical imaging of pathogen-induced polyphenol release from roots of soybean seedlings over the time course of 24 h. This approach allows in situ visualization and understanding of the chemical plant defense in real time and paves the way for plant phenotyping for optimized polyphenol secretion
Contaminación del aire por compuestos orgánicos volátiles y material particulado en La Plata y Ensenada
Se presentan los resultados obtenidos en un estudio de calidad de aire ambiente en dos regiones bonaerenses equiparables, desarrollado en forma conjunta entre el Laboratorio de Ingeniería Sanitaria de la Facultad de Ingeniería (UNLP) y la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Leipzig (Alemania) en el primer año de trabajo conjunto durante el desarrollo del Proyecto de Cooperación Internacional auspiciado y subsidiado por el MinCyT (Argentina) – BMBF (Alemania). En el mismo se analizan las concentraciones de compuestos orgánicos volátiles (COVs), y material particulado en suspensión en aire (MP) en aire extramuros en los Partidos de La Plata y Ensenada, región caracterizada por dos fuentes principales de emisión de contaminantes a la atmósfera: el Polo Petroquímico de Ensenada y el destacado tránsito vehicular del casco urbano de La Plata. La preocupación actual por estos contaminantes reside en su acción sobre la salud humana, tanto como irritantes de mucosas, conjuntivas y del sistema nervioso, como por sus efectos sobre la función pulmonar, mediante enfermedades obstructivas crónicas. Se colocaron 181 monitoreadores pasivos (3M 3500) y se tomaron 18 muestras de material particulado (MP10 y MP2,5) utilizando un equipo muestreador de bajo caudal MiniVol TAS en la región, diferenciando tres zonas: urbana, industrial y residencial (zona de referencia). Los niveles de COVs fueron determinados por cromatografía gaseosa/MS, comprendiendo 25 compuestos entre n-alcanos, cicloalcanos, aromáticos, compuestos clorados, terpenoides y cetonas. El contenido de MP fue determinado por gravimetría. Los datos recogidos evidencian niveles de MP10 y MP2,5 superiores en la zona industrial respecto a la urbana, y éstas dos superiores a la residencial. Los niveles de COVs siguen la misma tendencia, siendo similares los hallados en zonas urbana y residencial. Los datos actuales se comparan con los obtenidos en un trabajo anterior utilizando igual metodología y en la misma región, con una situación novedosa, durante 2007-2008 se realizaron importantes mejoras para disminuir las emisiones fugitivas en el Polo Petroquímico que redundó en una franca disminución de los tenores de COVs, tanto en Ensenada, como en la misma ciudad de La Plata, sin embargo los niveles de MP son similares. Esta influencia de las emisiones en zona industrial sobre el casco urbano de La Plata, se correlaciona con las direcciones de vientos predominantes en la región
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