A game-theoretic model of interspecific brood parasitism with sequential decisions

The interaction between hosts and parasites in bird populations has been studied extensively. This paper uses game-theoretic methods to model this interaction. This has been done in previous papers but has not been studied taking into account the detailed sequential nature of this game. We introduce a model allowing the host and parasite to make a number of decisions which will depend on various natural factors. The sequence of events begins with the host forming a nest and laying a number of eggs, followed by the possibility that a parasite bird will arrive at the nest; if it does it can choose to destroy some of the host eggs and lay one of its own. A sequence of events follows, which is broken down into two key stages; firstly the interaction between the host and the parasite adult, and secondly that between the host and the parasite chick. The final decision involves the host choosing whether to raise or abandon the chicks that are in the nest. There are certain natural parameters and probabilities which are central to these various decisions; in particular the host is generally uncertain whether parasitism has taken place, but can assess the likelihood of parasitism based upon certain cues (e.g. how many eggs remain in its nest). We then use this methodology to model two real-world interactions, that of the Reed Warbler with the Common Cuckoo and also the Yellow Warbler with the Brown-headed Cowbird. These parasites have different methods in the way they parasitize the nests of their hosts, and the hosts can in turn have different reactions to these parasites. Our model predictions generally match the real results well, and the model also makes predictions of the effect of changes in various key parameters on the type of parasitic interactions that should occur

Insights into Nuclear Clusters in 28^{28}Si via Resonant Radiative Capture Measurements

International audienceThe heavyion radiative capture reaction 12C(16O,$\gamma$)28Si has been studied at three energies on( ELab = 20.0 and 21.2 MeV) and off( ELab = 20.7 MeV) resonance at Triumf (Vancouver) using the stateoftheart Dragon 0° spectrometer and its very efficient associated BGO $\gamma$ array. Intermediate states around Ex = 11.5 MeV, carrying a large part of the resonant flux have been observed for the first time in this system. The nature of those doorway states is discussed in terms of recently calculated cluster bands in 28Si. The results are compared to a recent similar investigation of the 12C(12C,$\gamma$)24Mg reaction

12C nuclear reaction measurements for hadrontherapy

International audienceHadrontherapy treatments require a very high precision on the dose deposition ( 2.5% and 1-2mm) in order to keep the benefits of the precise ions' ballistic. The largest uncertainty on the physical dose deposition is due to ion fragmentation. Up to now, the simulation codes are not able to reproduce the fragmentation process with the required precision. To constraint the nuclear models and complete fragmentation cross sections databases; our collaboration has performed an experiment on May 2008 at GANIL with a 95 MeV/u 12C beam. We have measured the fluence, energy and angular distributions of charged fragments and neutrons coming from nuclear reactions of incident 12C on thick water-like PMMA targets. Preliminary comparisons between GEANT4 (G4BinaryLightIonReaction) simulations and experimental data show huge discrepancies

Star cluster formation and star formation: the role of environment and star-formation efficiencies

“The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com”. Copyright Springer. DOI: 10.1007/s10509-009-0088-5By analyzing global starburst properties in various kinds of starburst and post-starburst galaxies and relating them to the properties of the star cluster populations they form, I explore the conditions for the formation of massive, compact, long-lived star clusters. The aim is to determine whether the relative amount of star formation that goes into star cluster formation as opposed to field star formation, and into the formation of massive long-lived clusters in particular, is universal or scales with star-formation rate, burst strength, star-formation efficiency, galaxy or gas mass, and whether or not there are special conditions or some threshold for the formation of star clusters that merit to be called globular clusters a few billion years later.Peer reviewe

Brain neurotransmitter transporter/receptor genomics and efavirenz central nervous system adverse events

Objective We characterized associations between central nervous system (CNS) adverse events and brain neurotransmitter transporter/receptor genomics among participants randomized to efavirenz-containing regimens in AIDS Clinical Trials Group studies in the USA. Participants and methods Four clinical trials randomly assigned treatment-naive participants to efavirenzcontaining regimens. Genome-wide genotype and PrediXcan were used to infer gene expression levels in tissues including 10 brain regions. Multivariable regression models stratified by race/ethnicity were adjusted for CYP2B6/CYP2A6 genotypes that predict plasma efavirenz exposure, age, and sex. Combined analyses also adjusted for genetic ancestry. Results Analyses included 167 cases with grade 2 or greater efavirenz-consistent CNS adverse events within 48 weeks of study entry, and 653 efavirenz-tolerant controls. CYP2B6/CYP2A6 genotype level was independently associated with CNS adverse events (odds ratio: 1.07; P=0.044). Predicted expression of six genes postulated to mediate efavirenz CNS side effects (SLC6A2, SLC6A3, PGR, HTR2A, HTR2B, HTR6) were not associated with CNS adverse events after correcting for multiple testing, the lowest P value being for PGR in hippocampus (P=0.012), nor were polymorphisms in these genes or AR and HTR2C, the lowest P value being for rs12393326 in HTR2C (P=6.7 × 10-4). As a positive control, baseline plasma bilirubin concentration was associated with predicted liver UGT1A1 expression level (P=1.9 × 10-27). Conclusion Efavirenz-related CNS adverse events were not associated with predicted neurotransmitter transporter/receptor gene expression levels in brain or with polymorphisms in these genes. Variable susceptibility to efavirenz-related CNS adverse events may not be explained by brain neurotransmitter transporter/receptor genomics

Decay of a Jπ=36+J^{\pi}=36^+ Resonance in the 24Mg+24Mg^{24}Mg + ^{24}Mg Reaction

The narrow ($\Gamma$=170 keV) and high spin ($J^{\pi}=36^+$) resonance in the $^{24}$Mg + $^{24}$Mg reaction at E$_{CM}$= 45.7 MeV has been associated with a hyperdeformed molecular state in $^{48}$Cr. Such a description has important consequences for the resonance decay into the favored inelastic channels. Through fragment- $\gamma$ coincidence measurements performed ON and OFF resonance using the PRISMA-CLARA array, we have identified the $^{24}$Mg states selectively populated: the $2^+$ and $4^+$ members of the ground state band

Search for Higgs bosons decaying to tautau pairs in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV

We present a search for the production of neutral Higgs bosons decaying into tautau pairs in ppbar collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96 TeV. The data, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5.4 fb-1, were collected by the D0 experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. We set upper limits at the 95% C.L. on the product of production cross section and branching ratio for a scalar resonance decaying into tautau pairs, and we then interpret these limits as limits on the production of Higgs bosons in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) and as constraints in the MSSM parameter space.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, submitted to PL