Dynamically affine maps in positive characteristic

We study fixed points of iterates of dynamically affine maps (a generalisation of Latt\`es maps) over algebraically closed fields of positive characteristic $p$. We present and study certain hypotheses that imply a dichotomy for the Artin-Mazur zeta function of the dynamical system: it is either rational or non-holonomic, depending on specific characteristics of the map. We also study the algebraicity of the so-called tame zeta function, the generating function for periodic points of order coprime to $p$. We then verify these hypotheses for dynamically affine maps on the projective line, generalising previous work of Bridy, and, in arbitrary dimension, for maps on Kummer varieties arising from multiplication by integers on abelian varieties.Comment: Lois van der Meijden co-authored Appendix B. 31 p

Rules or consequences? The role of ethical mindsets in moral dynamics

Recent research on the dynamics of moral behavior has documented two contrasting phenomena - moral consistency and moral balancing. Moral balancing refers to the phenomenon whereby behaving (un)ethically decreases the likelihood of doing so again at a later time. Moral consistency describes the opposite pattern - engaging in (un)ethical behavior increases the likelihood of doing so later on. Three studies support the hypothesis that individuals' ethical mindset (i.e., outcome-based versus rule-based) moderates the impact of an initial (un)ethical act on the likelihood of behaving ethically in a subsequent occasion. More specifically, an outcome-based mindset facilitates moral balancing and a rule-based mindset facilitates moral consistency.moral balancing, moral consistency, ethical mindsets, ethical behavior

Can monetary valuation undermine nature conservation? Evidence from a decision experiment

Nature conservation scientists and practitioners have voiced the concern that a conservation discourse based on economic arguments and monetary valuation may undermine conservation efforts by eroding (“crowding out”) the influence of other arguments for nature conservation. This paper presents the results of a decision experiment in which nature conservation is framed using an economic, a non-economic, or a combined discourse before participants take hypothetical decisions on the construction of hydropower dams in the Bolivian Amazon. We find that an economic discourse with monetary valuation framing leads to significantly fewer pro-conservation decisions, that is, decisions against dam construction. This is the case when a cost-benefit analysis inclusive of environmental costs reveals that the dam is economically viable (i.e., there remains a trade-off between economics and conservation), but also when such a costs-benefit analysis indicates that the dam is not viable (i.e., no trade-off). The results suggest that an economic discourse with monetary valuation framing can indeed undermine nature conservation efforts. They also suggest that the effect can be avoided, however, by presenting non-economic arguments side by side with an economic rationale

Silencing of β-1,3-glucanase genes in tobacco correlates with an increased abundance of RNA degradation intermediates

Post-transcriptional gene silencing of beta-1,3 glucanase genes in the transgenic tobacco line T17 is characterised by an increased turnover and, as a consequence, reduced levels of gn1 transgene and endogenous beta-1,3 glucanase mRNAs, Here, additional gn1 RNAs, both larger and smaller than the full-length messenger, are shown to accumulate in silenced plants of the transgenic tobacco line T17, The longer-than-full-length gn1 RNAs are the result of cryptic processing of the gn1 messenger, The small gnl RNAs in silenced plants correspond to distal and proximal parts of the mature gn1 messenger. The proximal RNA products are intact at their 5' extremity, but terminate at different positions at the 3'-end. The distal RNA products contain a poly(A) tail and are truncated to various positions at the 5'-end, These observations indicate that degradation of the mature gnl transcript does not start at the 5'- or 3'-end, but rather are consistent with degradation of the gnl transcript starting with an endonucleolytic cleavage followed by internal exonuclease digestion. Importantly, the truncated products are more abundant in silenced plants than in expressing plants, This suggests, together with the previously reported silencing-related increased gnl mRNA turnover and the similar rates of gnl transcription in silenced and expressing T17 plants, that the predominant decay route for the gnl transcripts differs between silenced and expressing conditions

Controlling small hive beetles, Aethina tumida, in western honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies by trapping wandering beetle larvae

The small hive beetle (SHB, Aethina tumida) is an invasive honey bee pest. It has been introduced into many countries worldwide and it will continue to spread. The lifecycle of the SHB is divided between a feeding and reproduction phase inside honey bee colonies and a pupation phase in the soil, surrounding colonies. Once larvae have achieved their ideal weight, they leave the hive in search of suitable soil in which to pupate. Trapping larvae when they leave the hive could reduce the reproductive success of SHBs, as this would break their lifecycle. Therefore, we investigated the larvae containment rate of different trap designs. Dry and wet larvae were released into traps and left to wander for 12 h, after which we counted the larvae remaining in the trap. Similarly, we tested the permeability of different mesh sizes for dry and wet larvae. Finally, we investigated the speed dry larvae are capable of crawling, by recording the time it took them to crawl a known distance. Dry larvae were contained by all traps. While most designs were unable to contain wet larvae, a trap with walls of sandpaper was able to contain all larvae successfully. Larvae could not pass through a mesh size of 1 mm in dry or wet conditions. The mean wandering larvae speed observed was 0.42 cm/sc. We recommend the use of traps for wandering SHB larvae as a mitigative measure for new introductions and a control method for established populations.</p

Kennisbundel kleine bijenkastkever : Wetenschappelijke achtergrond bij handelingsperspectieven ten behoeve van de uitroeiing en beheersing van de kleine bijenkastkever

De kleine bijenkastkever is een aangifteplichtige parasiet van de westerse honingbij (Apis mellifera spp.). In 2014 is deze kever aangetroffen in Zuid-Italië. Dit document bundelt de kennis die in het kader van het beleidsondersteunend onderzoek en ander onderzoek in de laatste jaren is ontwikkeld. De kennis is geformuleerd ten behoeve van het handelingsperspectief van beleidsmedewerkers en uitvoerders van de NVWA en bijengezondheidscoördinatoren

ATP Augments von Willebrand Factor-dependent Shear-induced Platelet Aggregation through Ca2+-Calmodulin and Myosin Light Chain Kinase Activation

peer reviewedShear stress triggers von Willebrand factor (VWF) binding to platelet glycoprotein Ibalpha and subsequent integrin alpha(IIb)beta(3)-dependent platelet aggregation. Concomitantly, nucleotides are released from plateletdense granules, and ADP is known to contribute to shear-induced platelet aggregation (SIPA). This study shows that ATP also contributes to SIPA. The ATP-gated P2X(1) ion channel induces MLC-mediated cytoskeletal rearrangements that increases platelet degranulation during VWF-triggered platelet activation

MEMS practice, from the lab to the telescope

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology can provide for deformable mirrors (DMs) with excellent performance within a favorable economy of scale. Large MEMS-based astronomical adaptive optics (AO) systems such as the Gemini Planet Imager are coming on-line soon. As MEMS DM end-users, we discuss our decade of practice with the micromirrors, from inspecting and characterizing devices to evaluating their performance in the lab. We also show MEMS wavefront correction on-sky with the "Villages" AO system on a 1-m telescope, including open-loop control and visible-light imaging. Our work demonstrates the maturity of MEMS technology for astronomical adaptive optics.Comment: 14 pages, 15 figures, Invited Paper, SPIE Photonics West 201

Towards a unified understanding of lateralized vision:A large-scale study investigating principles governing patterns of lateralization using a heterogeneous sample

While functional lateralization of the human brain has been a widely studied topic in the past decades, few studies to date have gone further than investigating lateralization of single, isolated processes. With the present study, we aimed to arrive at a more unified view by investigating lateralization patterns in face and word processing, and associated lower-level visual processing. We tested a large and heterogeneous participant group, and used a number of tasks that had been shown to produce replicable indices of lateralized processing of visual information of different types and complexity. Following Bayesian statistics, group-level analyses showed the expected right hemisphere (RH) lateralization for face, global form, low spatial frequency processing, and spatial attention, and left hemisphere (LH) lateralization for visual word and local feature processing. Compared to right-handed individuals, lateralization patterns of left-handed and especially those who are RH-dominant for language deviated from this 'typical' pattern. Our results support the notion that face and word processes come to be lateralized to homologue areas of the two hemispheres, under influence of the RHand LH-specializations in global form, local feature, and low and high spatial frequency processing. As such, we present a more unified understanding of lateralized vision, providing evidence for the input asymmetry and causal complementarity principles of lateralized visual information processing. The absence of correlations between spatial attention and lateralization of the other processes supports the notion of their independent lateralization, conform the statistical complementarity principle. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd