Neonatal growth of Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) pups in Alaska

The growth rate of Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) pups was studied in southeast Alaska, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands during the first six weeks after birth. The Steller sea lion population is currently stable in southeast Alaska but is declining in the Aleutian Islands and parts of the Gulf of Alaska. Male pups (22.6 kg [±2.21 SD]) were significantly heavier than female pups (19.6 kg [±1.80 SD]) at 1−5 days of age, but there were no significant differences among rookeries. Male and female pups grew (in mass, standard length, and axillary girth) at the same rate. Body mass and standard length increased at a faster rate for pups in the Aleutian Islands and the western Gulf of Alaska (0.45−0.48 kg/day and 0.47−0.53 cm/day, respectively) than in southeast Alaska (0.23 kg/day and 0.20 cm/day). Additionally, axillary girth increased at a faster rate for pups in the Aleutian Islands (0.59 cm/ day) than for pups in southeast Alaska v(0.25 cm/day). Our results indicate a greater maternal investment in male pups during gestation, but not during early lactation. Although differences in pup growth rate occurred among rookeries, there was no evidence that female sea lions and their pups were nutritionally stressed in the area of population declin

Integrating Natural Capital into National Accounts: Three Decades of Promise and Challenge

Economists and ecologists have worked for decades on measuring sustainability by supplementing or adjusting traditional economic indicators such as GDP. Given the threats to humanity from climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss, it is vital to incorporate values of natural capital into national economic decision-making. This review focuses on how natural capital applications, historically applied from local to global scales, address national-scale concerns. However, natural capital data and accounts have been only partially developed in most countries, given a lack of common metrics and monetary values. Existing accounts are often incomplete in both the types of natural capital and ecosystems they include (e.g., water, land, different ecosystem types) and the values they measure (e.g., market vs. nonmarket values). While it is important to continue work to embed natural capital into national economic accounts, the need for practical tools to analyze environmental problems is more urgent. We review alternative options for incorporating natural capital into national-scale decision-making and make recommendations for countries where the data, capacity, and political will to conduct formal natural capital accounting are lacking

Exact results for a charged, harmonically trapped quantum gas at arbitrary temperature and magnetic field strength

An analytical expression for the first-order density matrix of a charged, two-dimensional, harmonically confined quantum gas, in the presence of a constant magnetic field is derived. In contrast to previous results available in the literature, our expressions are exact for any temperature and magnetic field strength. We also present a novel factorization of the Bloch density matrix in the form of a simple product with a clean separation of the zero-field and field-dependent parts. This factorization provides an alternative way of analytically investigating the effects of the magnetic field on the system, and also permits the extension of our analysis to other dimensions, and/or anisotropic confinement.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev.

Linearized self-forces for branes

We compute the regularized force density and renormalized action due to fields of external origin coupled to a brane of arbitrary dimension in a spacetime of any dimension. Specifically, we consider forces generated by gravitational, dilatonic and generalized antisymmetric form-fields. The force density is regularized using a recently developed gradient operator. For the case of a Nambu--Goto brane, we show that the regularization leads to a renormalization of the tension, which is seen to be the same in both approaches. We discuss the specific couplings which lead to cancellation of the self-force in this case.Comment: 15 page

Aerothermodynamic Assessment of Corrugated Panel Thermal Protection Systems

The feasibility of using corrugated panels as a thermal protection system for an advanced space transportation vehicle was investigated. The study consisted of two major tasks: development of improved correlations for wind tunnel heat transfer and pressure data to yield design techniques, and application of the design techniques to determine if corrugated panels have application future aerospace vehicles. A single-stage-to-orbit vehicle was used to assess advantages and aerothermodynamic penalties associated with use of such panels. In the correlation task, experimental turbulent heat transfer and pressure data obtained on corrugation roughened surfaces during wind tunnel testing were analyzed and compared with flat plate data. The correlations and data comparisons included the effects of a large range of geometric, inviscid flow, internal boundary layer, and bulk boundary layer parameters in supersonic and hypersonic flow

Insecticide ear tags numerically improve grazing cattle performance

Stocker cattle grazing pastures during the summer months face challenges due to horn flies, which can result in reduced weight gains and less efficient use of forages. One strategy for controlling horn flies is insecticide-impregnated ear tags. The use of pesticide ear tags may be an effective management practice to improve overall productivity during a grazing season. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of insecticide ear tags as a means of improving growth of stocker calves grazing native pastures in the Flint Hills region of Kansas

Gamma power in rural Pakistani children: links to executive function and verbal ability

Children in low- and middle-income countries are at high risk of cognitive deficits due to environmental deprivation that compromises brain development. Despite the high prevalence of unrealized cognitive potential, very little is known about neural correlates of cognition in this population. We assessed resting EEG power and cognitive ability in 105 highly disadvantaged 48-month-old children in rural Pakistan. An increase in EEG power in gamma frequency bands (21–30 Hz and 31–45 Hz) was associated with better executive function. For girls, EEG gamma power also related to higher verbal IQ. This study identifies EEG gamma power as a neural marker of cognitive function in disadvantaged children in low- and middle-income countries. Elevated gamma power may be a particularly important protective factor for girls, who may experience greater deprivation due to gender inequality.This research was supported by Grand Challenges Canada Saving Brains Initiative Grant 0061-03. The preparation of this article also was supported by a Scholar's Award from the William T. Grant Foundation to Jelena Obradovic. (0061-03 - Grand Challenges Canada Saving Brains Initiative; William T. Grant Foundation)Published versio

The Inter-Mammary Sticky Roll: A Novel Technique for Securing a Doppler Ultrasonic Probe to the Precordium for Venous Air Embolism Detection.

Venous air embolism is a devastating and potentially life-threatening complication that can occur during neurosurgical procedures. We report the development and use of the "inter-mammary sticky roll," a technique to reliably secure a precordial Doppler ultrasonic probe to the chest wall during neurosurgical cases that require lateral decubitus positioning. We have found that this noninvasive technique is safe, and effectively facilitates a constant Doppler signal with no additional risk to the patient