253 research outputs found
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Noise-Aided Logic in an Electronic Analog of Synthetic Genetic Networks
We report the experimental verification of noise-enhanced logic behaviour in an electronic analog of a synthetic genetic network, composed of two repressors and two constitutive promoters. We observe good agreement between circuit measurements and numerical prediction, with the circuit allowing for robust logic operations in an optimal window of noise. Namely, the input-output characteristics of a logic gate is reproduced faithfully under moderate noise, which is a manifestation of the phenomenon known as Logical Stochastic Resonance. The two dynamical variables in the system yield complementary logic behaviour simultaneously. The system is easily morphed from AND/NAND to OR/NOR logic
A survey of phytoestrogenic activity in Kansas flint hills pastures
The botanical composition and basal
cover of three Kansas Flint Hills pastures
located in Butler and Chase counties was
surveyed to estimate the incidence of plant
species that contain appreciable levels of
estrogenic activity. Many-flowered scurfpea
and Ladino clover were the only plant species
classified as high in estrogenic activity.
Although significant estrogenic activity
existed in specific species, the willingness of
livestock to consume those species is unclear
Young masculinities across five European countries : performing under pressure
© 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. We present an analysis of young masculinities based on young peoplesâ perspectives derived from a project on sexual bullying. Our qualitative data are based on 41 focus groups with 253 young people (male and female) aged 13â18 across five European countries (Bulgaria, Italy, Latvia, Slovenia and England) as well as questionnaire responses. The data were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun, V., and V. Clarke. 2006. âUsing Thematic Analysis in Psychology.â Qualitative Research in Psychology 3 (2): 77â101). Our analysis pointed to the prevalence of sexist and homophobic behaviours among young men, who were themselves concerned with their âmasculineâ reputations by appearing physically tough, (hetero)sexually active and emotionally closed. The young women in our sample also depicted many young men as immature, naĂŻve and superficial. At the same time, the young men were portrayed as more calm, rational and resilient compared to their female counterparts, with young men insisting that any âproblematicâ or âbullyingâ behaviour amounted to harmless fun. Our analysis suggests that young men are performing gender and sexuality under the influence of conventional norms which prioritise homosociality, humour and status, which shy away from challenging sexist or homophobic practices, and which inhibit reporting themselves as victims of bullying. The implications for young masculinities and social change are discussed
Evaluation of RalgroÂź on pasture and subsequent feedlot performance and carcass merit of mexican crossbred steers
A pasture/feedlot field study was conducted
to evaluate the effects of a single
RalgroÂź implant during the stocker phase on
steer grazing performance and subsequent
feedlot performance and carcass merit. A
total of 2,764 steers of Mexican origin averaging
449 lb were assembled in Texas and
shipped to Kansas, where they grazed on
three intensively-early-stocked Flint Hills
pastures. At initial processing, the steers
were individually weighed and randomly
assigned to either a non-implanted control
group or a Ralgro implant group. Ralgro
steers gained more (23 lb; P<0.01) than
controls during the 82- to 93-day grazing
phase. Following the grazing phase, all steers
were shipped to a commercial feedlot in
southwestern Kansas where steers from each
pasture were individually weighed and given
a single Component E-SÂź implant. Immediately
after processing, steers from each
pasture were sorted into either a light- or
heavy-weight pen, regardless of pasture
implant treatment, resulting in six feedlot
pens. Days on feed ranged from 127 to 197.
Control steers gained faster (P<0.01) during
the feedlot phase; however, Ralgro steers had
higher cumulative weight gains across the
combined pasture and feedlot phases
(P<0.01) and averaged three fewer days on
feed (P<0.05). There were no significant
differences for marbling, fat thickness, ribeye
area, KPH fat, or yield grade. Ralgro
steers had lower (P<0.05) quality grades
because of a higher incidence (P<0.001) of
steers with B and C carcass maturities
Endogenous Retrovirus Insertion in the KIT Oncogene Determines White and White spotting in Domestic Cats
The Dominant White locus (W) in the domestic cat demonstrates pleiotropic effects exhibiting complete penetrance for absence of coat pigmentation and incomplete penetrance for deafness and iris hypopigmentation. We performed linkage analysis using a pedigree segregating White to identify KIT (Chr. B1) as the feline W locus. Segregation and sequence analysis of the KIT gene in two pedigrees (P1 and P2) revealed the remarkable retrotransposition and evolution of a feline endogenous retrovirus (FERV1) as responsible for two distinct phenotypes of the W locus, Dominant White, and white spotting. A full-length (7125 bp) FERV1 element is associated with white spotting, whereas a FERV1 long terminal repeat (LTR) is associated with all Dominant White individuals. For purposes of statistical analysis, the alternatives of wild-type sequence, FERV1 element, and LTR-only define a triallelic marker. Taking into account pedigree relationships, deafness is genetically linked and associated with this marker; estimated P values for association are in the range of 0.007 to 0.10. The retrotransposition interrupts a DNAase I hypersensitive site in KIT intron 1 that is highly conserved across mammals and was previously demonstrated to regulate temporal and tissue-specific expression of KIT in murine hematopoietic and melanocytic cells. A large-population genetic survey of cats (n = 270), representing 30 cat breeds, supports our findings and demonstrates statistical significance of the FERV1 LTR and full-length element with Dominant White/blue iris (P \u3c 0.0001) and white spotting (P \u3c 0.0001), respectively
Contrastive prosody and the subsequent mention of alternatives during discourse processing
Linguistic research has long viewed prosody as an important indicator of information structure in intonationally rich languages like English. Correspondingly, numerous psycholinguistic studies have shown significant effects of prosody, particularly with respect to the immediate processing of a prosodically prominent phrase. Although co-reference resolution is known to be influenced by information structure, it has been less clear whether prosodic prominence can affect decisions about next mention in a discourse, and if so, how. We present results from an open-ended story continuation task, conducted as part of a series of experiments that examine how prosody influences the anticipation and resolution of co-reference. Overall results from the project suggest that prosodic prominence can increase or decrease reference to a saliently pitch-accented phrase, depending on additional circumstances of the referential decision. We argue that an adequate account of prosodyâs role in co-reference requires consideration of how the processing system interfaces with multiple levels of linguistic representation
Skill Variety, Innovation and New Business Formation
We extend Lazear's theory of skills variety and entrepreneurship in three directions. First, we provide a theoretical framework linking new business creation with an entrepreneur's skill variety. Second, in this model we allow for both generalists and specialists to possess skill variety. Third, we test our model empirically using data from Germany and the Netherlands. Individuals with more varied work experience seems indeed more likely to successfully start up a new business and that being a generalist does not seem to be important in this regard. Finally, we find that innovation positively moderates the relationship between having varied experiences, and being successful in starting up a new business. Our conclusion is that entrepreneurs with more varied work experience are more likely to introduce innovations that have not only technical, but also commercial value. Our findings support the notion that entrepreneurship can be learned
Molecular and Antigenic Characterization of Reassortant H3N2 Viruses from Turkeys with a Unique Constellation of Pandemic H1N1 Internal Genes
Triple reassortant (TR) H3N2 influenza viruses cause varying degrees of loss in egg production in breeder turkeys. In this study we characterized TR H3N2 viruses isolated from three breeder turkey farms diagnosed with a drop in egg production. The eight gene segments of the virus isolated from the first case submission (FAV-003) were all of TR H3N2 lineage. However, viruses from the two subsequent case submissions (FAV-009 and FAV-010) were unique reassortants with PB2, PA, nucleoprotein (NP) and matrix (M) gene segments from 2009 pandemic H1N1 and the remaining gene segments from TR H3N2. Phylogenetic analysis of the HA and NA genes placed the 3 virus isolates in 2 separate clades within cluster IV of TR H3N2 viruses. Birds from the latter two affected farms had been vaccinated with a H3N4 oil emulsion vaccine prior to the outbreak. The HAl subunit of the H3N4 vaccine strain had only a predicted amino acid identity of 79% with the isolate from FAV-003 and 80% for the isolates from FAV-009 and FAV-0010. By comparison, the predicted amino acid sequence identity between a prototype TR H3N2 cluster IV virus A/Sw/ON/33853/2005 and the three turkey isolates from this study was 95% while the identity between FAV-003 and FAV-009/10 isolates was 91%. When the previously identified antigenic sites A, B, C, D and E of HA1 were examined, isolates from FAV-003 and FAV-009/10 had a total of 19 and 16 amino acid substitutions respectively when compared with the H3N4 vaccine strain. These changes corresponded with the failure of the sera collected from turkeys that received this vaccine to neutralize any of the above three isolates in vitro
The syntax of â-cÄâ (*-kwe) in Ahunavaiti GÄthÄ
This paper seeks to provide a full description of the syntactic behaviour of the enclitic co-ordinate conjunction -cÄ in the earliest stage of the Avestan language. By studying the occurrences of the particle in Ahunavaiti GÄthÄ, a distributive analysis is provided together with an interpretative hypothesis of its distributive dynamics. Two syntactic levels, phrase and sentence, are taken into consideration. Finally, a syntactic domain-based variation is argued and two clitic functional variants are identified as synchronically operating conjunction strategies
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