Conflict over multiple-partner mating between males and females of the polygynandrous common lizards.

The optimal number of mate partners for females rarely coincides with that for males, leading to a potential sexual conflict over multiple-partner mating. This suggests that the population sex ratio may affect multiple-partner mating and thus multiple paternity. We investigate the relationship between multiple paternity and the population sex ratio in the polygynandrous common lizard (Lacerta vivipara). In six populations the adult sex ratio was biased toward males, and in another six populations the adult sex ratio was biased toward females, the latter corresponding to the average adult sex ratio encountered in natural populations. In males the frequency and the degree of polygyny were lower in male-biased populations, as expected if competition among males determines polygyny. In females the frequency of polyandry was not different between treatments, and polyandrous females produced larger clutches, suggesting that polyandry might be adaptive. However, in male-biased populations females suffered from reduced reproductive success compared to female-biased populations, and the number of mate partners increased with female body size in polyandrous females. Polyandrous females of male-biased populations showed disproportionately more mating scars, indicating that polyandrous females of male-biased populations had more interactions with males and suggesting that the degree of multiple paternity is controlled by male sexual harassment. Our results thus imply that polyandry may be hierarchically controlled, with females controlling when to mate with multiple partners and male sexual harassment being a proximate determinant of the degree of multiple paternity. The results are also consistent with a sexual conflict in which male behaviors are harmful to females

Self-Trapped Exciton Defects in a Charge Density Wave: Electronic Excitations of BaBiO3

In the previous paper, it was shown that holes doped into BaBiO3 self-trap as small polarons and bipolarons. These point defects are energetically favorable partly because they undo locally the strain in the charge-density-wave (Peierls insulator) ground state. In this paper the neutral excitations of the same model are discussed. The lowest electronic excitation is predicted to be a self-trapped exciton, consisting of an electron and a hole located on adjacent Bi atoms. This excitation has been seen experimentally (but not identified as such) via the Urbach tail in optical absorption, and the multi-phonon spectrum of the ``breathing mode'' seen in Raman scattering. These two phenomena occur because of the Franck-Condon effect associated with oxygen displacement in the excited state.Comment: 5 pages with 7 embedded figures. See also cond-mat/0108089 on polarons and bipolarons in BaBiO3 contains background informatio

Measurement of CP observables in B± → D(⁎)K± and B± → D(⁎)π± decays

Measurements of CP observables in B ± →D (⁎) K ± and B ± →D (⁎) π ± decays are presented, where D (⁎) indicates a neutral D or D ⁎ meson that is an admixture of D (⁎)0 and D¯ (⁎)0 states. Decays of the D ⁎ meson to the Dπ 0 and Dγ final states are partially reconstructed without inclusion of the neutral pion or photon, resulting in distinctive shapes in the B candidate invariant mass distribution. Decays of the D meson are fully reconstructed in the K ± π ∓ , K + K − and π + π − final states. The analysis uses a sample of charged B mesons produced in pp collisions collected by the LHCb experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.0, 1.0 and 2.0 fb −1 taken at centre-of-mass energies of s=7, 8 and 13 TeV, respectively. The study of B ± →D ⁎ K ± and B ± →D ⁎ π ± decays using a partial reconstruction method is the first of its kind, while the measurement of B ± →DK ± and B ± →Dπ ± decays is an update of previous LHCb measurements. The B ± →DK ± results are the most precise to date

First observation of forward Z→bbˉZ \rightarrow b \bar{b} production in pppp collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV

The decay Z→bb¯ is reconstructed in pp collision data, corresponding to 2 fb −1 of integrated luminosity, collected by the LHCb experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of s=8 TeV. The product of the Z production cross-section and the Z→bb¯ branching fraction is measured for candidates in the fiducial region defined by two particle-level b -quark jets with pseudorapidities in the range 2.220 GeV and dijet invariant mass in the range 4520$GeV and dijet invariant mass in the range$45 < m_{jj} < 165$GeV. From a signal yield of$5462 \pm 763$$Z \rightarrow b \bar{b}$events, where the uncertainty is statistical, a production cross-section times branching fraction of$332 \pm 46 \pm 59$pb is obtained, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The measured significance of the signal yield is 6.0 standard deviations. This measurement represents the first observation of the$Z \rightarrow b \bar{b}$production in the forward region of$pp$ collisions

Degenerate four-wave mixing and phase conjugation in a collisional plasma

Although degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) has many practical applications in the visible regime, no successful attempt has been made to study or demonstrate DFWM for wavelengths longer than 10..mu..m. Recently, Steel and Lam established plasma as a viable DFWM and phase conjugation (PC) medium for infrared, far-infrared, and microwaves. However, their analysis is incomplete since collisional effects were not included. Using a fluid description, our results demonstrate that when collisional absorption is small and the collisional mean-free path is shorter than the nonlinear density grating scale length, collisional heating generates a thermal force which substantially enhances the phase conjugate reflectivity. When the collisional attenuation length becomes comparable to the length of the plasma, the dominant effect is collisional absorption of the pump waves. Numerical estimates of the phase conjugate reflectivity indicate that for modest power levels, gains greater than or equal to1 are possible in the submillimeter to centimeter wavelength range. This suggests that a plasma is a viable PC medium at those long wavelengths. In addition, doubly DFWM is discussed

Conditions influencing the interaction of asialo von Willebrand factor with human platelets : the effects of external ionized calcium concentration and the role of arachidonate pathway.

We have studied the interaction of ASvWf with human platelets in PRP and in suspensions of washed platelets containing either physiological or low external ionized calcium concentration [Ca2+]o. In hirudin-PRP or in washed platelets in 1.5-2 mM CaCl2, ASvWf up to 50 micrograms/ml does not induce platelet aggregation or the release reaction. When [Ca2+]o is decreased by addition of citrate to hirudin-PRP or when no CaCl2 is added to washed platelet suspensions, ASvWf does induce platelet aggregation and the release reaction. In low [Ca2+]o, ASvWf interacts with platelet GPIb to cause primary aggregation of disc-shaped platelets to each other through GPIIb/IIIa, with or without added fibrinogen. This primary platelet aggregation leads to thromboxane A2 formation and secondary aggregation and the release reaction. With [Ca2+]o in the physiological range, there is less ASvWf interaction with GPIb, no primary platelet aggregation and no thromboxane A2 formation. The ASvWf-platelet interaction at physiological [Ca2+]o, however, enhances the platelet response to collagen or epinephrine

Conditions influencing the interaction of asialo von Willebrand factor with human platelets : the effects of external ionized calcium concentration and the role of arachidonate pathway.

We have studied the interaction of ASvWf with human platelets in PRP and in suspensions of washed platelets containing either physiological or low external ionized calcium concentration [Ca2+]o. In hirudin-PRP or in washed platelets in 1.5-2 mM CaCl2, ASvWf up to 50 micrograms/ml does not induce platelet aggregation or the release reaction. When [Ca2+]o is decreased by addition of citrate to hirudin-PRP or when no CaCl2 is added to washed platelet suspensions, ASvWf does induce platelet aggregation and the release reaction. In low [Ca2+]o, ASvWf interacts with platelet GPIb to cause primary aggregation of disc-shaped platelets to each other through GPIIb/IIIa, with or without added fibrinogen. This primary platelet aggregation leads to thromboxane A2 formation and secondary aggregation and the release reaction. With [Ca2+]o in the physiological range, there is less ASvWf interaction with GPIb, no primary platelet aggregation and no thromboxane A2 formation. The ASvWf-platelet interaction at physiological [Ca2+]o, however, enhances the platelet response to collagen or epinephrine

Different expression of synemin isoforms in glia and neurons during nervous system development

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