The effect of a strict breeding strategy on overall growth and the prevalence of inherited disorders in the double-muscled Belgian Blue beef breed

Muscular conformation is the main breeding goal in the double-muscled (I)M) Belgian Blue beef breed (BBB). In recent years the muscularity has improved enormously, though at the same time the growth rate has decreased and the prevalence of a number of inherited disorders has increased. Professionals working in the cattle breeding industry are encouraging the development of breeding strategies that will increase overall growth and decrease the amount of inherited disorders. One such breeding strategy that was tested in the field neither reduced the prevalence of inherited disorders nor improved overall growth. It can be concluded that breeding strategies should be based more on the relevant genetic values than on the phenotypic values of the parental generation

Quantum collapses and revivals of a matter wave in the dynamics of symmetry breaking

Using the remarkable mathematical construct of Eugene Wigner to visualize quantum trajectories in phase space, quantum processes can be described in terms of a quasi-probability distribution analogous to the phase space probability distribution of the classical realm. In contrast to the incomplete glimpse of the wave function that is achievable in a single shot experiment, the Wigner distribution, accessible by quantum state tomography, reflects the full quantum state. We show that during the fundamental symmetry-breaking process of a generic quantum system - with a symmetry breaking field driving the quantum system far from equilibrium - the Wigner distribution evolves continuously with the system undergoing a sequence of revivals into the symmetry unbroken state, followed by collapses onto a quasi-classical state akin the one realised in infinite size systems. We show that generically this state is completely delocalised both in momentum and in real space.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

On the geometry of entangled states

The basic question that is addressed in this paper is finding the closest separable state for a given entangled state, measured with the Hilbert Schmidt distance. While this problem is in general very hard, we show that the following strongly related problem can be solved: find the Hilbert Schmidt distance of an entangled state to the set of all partially transposed states. We prove that this latter distance can be expressed as a function of the negative eigenvalues of the partial transpose of the entangled state, and show how it is related to the distance of a state to the set of positive partially transposed states (PPT-states). We illustrate this by calculating the closest biseparable state to the W-state, and give a simple and very general proof for the fact that the set of W-type states is not of measure zero. Next we show that all surfaces with states whose partial transposes have constant minimal negative eigenvalue are similar to the boundary of PPT states. We illustrate this with some examples on bipartite qubit states, where contours of constant negativity are plotted on two-dimensional intersections of the complete state space.Comment: submitted to Journal of Modern Optic

A retrospective study on 195 horses with contaminated and infected synovial cavities

This study analyzes the clinical aspects of contaminated and infected synovial cavities in horses and evaluates their prognosis after treatment. The medical records of 195 affected horses referred between June 1999 and July 2004 were reviewed. Twenty-six horses were euthanized or returned home without further treatment. Therapeutic strategies for the remaining 169 horses were not different from those reported in other recent studies, except that lavage was performed predominantly without endoscopic visualization. Follow-up was obtained by questionnaire for 150 of 169 treated horses. The outcome was considered successful (survival without residual lameness) in 109 of 150 horses (72.7%). Iatrogenic synovial infection, the presence of radiographic signs on admission and the use of regional antibiotic perfusion were significantly related with non-successful outcome. Overall, the outcome in the present study appeared to be slightly less favorable compared to other recent reports, although it certainly improved for horses with deep nail puncture wounds

Spin-orbital frustrations and anomalous metallic state in iron-pnictide superconductors

We develop an understanding of the anomalous metal state of the parent compounds of recently discovered iron based superconductors starting from a strong coupling viewpoint, including orbital degrees of freedom. On the basis of an intermediate-spin (S=1) state for the Fe^{2+} ions, we derive a Kugel-Khomskii spin-orbital Hamiltonian for the active t_{2g} orbitals. It turns out to be a highly complex model with frustrated spin and orbital interactions. We compute its classical phase diagrams and provide an understanding for the stability of the various phases by investigating its spin-only and orbital-only limits. The experimentally observed spin-stripe state is found to be stable over a wide regime of physical parameters and can be accompanied by three different types of orbital orders. Of these the orbital-ferro and orbital-stripe orders are particularly interesting since they break the in-plane lattice symmetry -- a robust feature of the undoped compounds. We compute the magnetic excitation spectra for the effective spin Hamiltonian, observing a strong reduction of the ordered moment, and point out that the proposed orbital ordering pattern can be measured in resonant X-ray diffraction.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figure

A strategic-interaction analysis of an urgent appeal system and its outcomes for garment workers

Within the global garment industry, an urgent appeal is a request for action to Western activist groups for support in a specific case of labor rights violations. The urgent appeal system has become an important strategy for the transnational anti-sweatshop movement. It is distinct from the movement’s other strategies, because it directly supports garment workers in their struggle for improved labor conditions, while simultaneously informing and mobilizing Western consumers about substandard labor conditions in the garment industry. This paper explores how reflexivity in the use of this particular strategy, strategic choice in its implementation, and interaction with allies and targets affect outcomes for garment workers. It confirms the relevance of the emerging strategic-interaction perspective in explaining movement outcomes