Comments on the recent velocity measurement of the muon neutrinos by the OPERA Collaboration

We argue that the result quoted by the OPERA Collaboration cannot be interpreted as simply related to the muon neutrino moving at a superluminal velocity from the point of creation at CERN to the point of interaction at LNGS.Comment: 3 page

Counterpoint: Distinguishing Between Perception And Judgment Of Spatial Layout

Claims about alterations in perception based on manipulations of the energetics hypothesis (and other influences) are often framed as interesting specifically because they affect our perceptual experience. Many control experiments conducted on such perceptual effects suggest, however, that they are the result of attribution effects and other kinds of judgmental biases influencing the reporting process rather than perception itself. Schnall (2017, this issue), appealing to Heider’s work on attribution, argues that it is fruitless to try to distinguish between perception and attribution. This makes the energetics hypothesis less interesting

Importance of behaviour to the re-establishment of drifting Ephemeroptera

Experiments with mayfly larvae in a laboratory stream revealed significant differences among settling capabilities of four species. Quantitative measures of overall settling capacity, contribution of morphology and that of behaviour were derived for comparative purposes. Importance of behaviour to re-establishment was greater in species which frequently show die1 drift periodicities than those which do not. Although morphological differences between species were large, mean size of nymphs was more important in determining rates of return of dead animals. Intraspecific vari-ations in the ability of drifting individuals to become re-estab-1ished may partially account for changes in the relative distri-bution of populations over time

Environmental Indicators for the Coastal Region of the U.S. Great Lakes

The goal of this research collaboration was to develop indicators that both estimate environmental condition and suggest plausible causes of ecosystem degradation in the coastal region of the U.S. Great Lakes. The collaboration consisted of 8 broad components, each of which generated different types of environmental responses and characteristics of the coastal region. These indicators included biotic communities of amphibians, birds, diatoms, fish, macroinvertebrates, and wetland plants as well as indicators of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) photo-induced toxicity and landscape characterization. These components are summarized below and discussed in more detailed in 5 separate reports (Section II). Stress gradients within the U.S. Great Lakes coastal region were defined from 207 variables (e.g., agriculture, atmospheric deposition, land use/land cover, human populations, point source pollution, and shoreline modification) from 19 different data sources that were publicly available for the coastal region. Biotic communities along these gradients were sampled with a stratified, random design among representative ecosystems within the coastal zone. To achieve the sampling across this massive area, the coastal region was subdivided into 2 major ecological provinces and further subdivided into 762 segment sheds. Stress gradients were defined for the major categories of human-induced disturbance in the coastal region and an overall stress index was calculated which represented a combination of all the stress gradients. Investigators of this collaboration have had extensive interactions with the Great Lakes community. For instance, the Lake Erie Lakewide Area Management Plan (LAMP) has adopted many of the stressor measures as integral indicators of the condition of watersheds tributary to Lake Erie. Furthermore, the conceptual approach and applications for development of a generalized stressor gradient have been incorporated into a document defining the tiered aquatic life criteria for defining biological integrity of the nation’s waters. A total of 14 indicators of the U.S. Great Lakes coastal region are presented for potential application. Each indicator is summarized with respect to its use, methodology, spatial context, and diagnosis capability. In general, the results indicate that stress related to agricultural activity and human population density/development had the largest impacts on the biotic community indicators. In contrast, the photoinduced PAH indicator was primarily related to industrial activity in the U.S. Great Lakes, and over half of the sites sampled were potentially at risk of PAH toxicity to larval fish. One of the indicators developed for land use/land change was developed from Landsat imagery for the entire U.S. Great Lakes basin and for the period from 1992 to 2001. This indicator quantified the extensive conversions of both agricultural and forest land to residential area that has occurred during a short 9 year period. Considerable variation in the responses were manifest at different spatial scales and many at surprisingly large scales. Significant advances were made with respect to development of methods for identifying and testing environmental indicators. In addition, many indicators and concepts developed from this project are being incorporated into management plans and U.S. 8 EPA methods documents. Further details, downloadable documents, and updates on these indicators can be found at the GLEI website - http://glei.nrri.umn.edu

Differentiating signals to make biological sense – a guide through databases for MS-based non-targeted metabolomics

Metabolite identification is one of the most challenging steps in metabolomics studies and reflects one of the greatest bottlenecks in the entire workflow. The success of this step determines the success of the entire research, therefore the quality at which annotations are given requires special attention. A variety of tools and resources are available to aid metabolite identification or annotation, offering different and often complementary functionalities. In preparation for this article, almost 50 databases were reviewed, from which 17 were selected for discussion, chosen for their on-line ESI-MS functionality. The general characteristics and functions of each database is discussed in turn, considering the advantages and limitations of each along with recommendations for optimal use of each tool, as derived from experiences encountered at the Centre for Metabolomics and Bioanalysis (CEMBIO) in Madrid. These databases were evaluated considering their utility in non-targeted metabolomics, including aspects such as ID assignment, structural assignment and interpretation of results

Innovation Systems in the Terms of Schumpeterian Crea-tive Destruction

‘Creative destruction\u27 is one of the most important analytical tools, taking into consideration both the economic and sociological characteristics of capitalist society. According to Schumpeter, in the long term, evolution gives rise to economic develo-pment resulting from batches of innovative solutions, leading to improvements in the standard of living. The innovation activity of firms is based on supply-side factors, hence it is large en-terprises that excel in innovation since they strive to achieve a monopoly market posi-tion and above-average profits. Schumpeter attempts to combine two elements: the spread of monopolies and the con-tinuation of economic development, both occurring through innovation, which is far more important than price competition. The Schumpeterian ‘creative destruction\u27 permeates the main aspects of macroeconomic activity, not only in the long term, but also in the area of economic fluctuations, structural changes, or the functioning of markets. As a result, it becomes a factor determining changes in the economic order

Bioturbation by Hexagenia larvae (Ephemeroptera: Ephemeridae) and its implications for sediment suspension in Lake Erie.

Burrowing activities of aquatic benthic organisms can influence sediment suspension and nutrient cycling. The burrowing mayfly Hexagenia is a dominant benthic organism in western Lake Erie, and Hexagenia bioturbation can potentially influence water quality and other benthic organisms. Using laboratory experiments, I determined bioturbation-induced sediment suspension rates of fine Lake Erie sediment caused by Hexagenia larvae of varying body lengths (13--28 mm) at densities of 70--1,111 larvae/m2 and water temperatures ranging from 10--25°C. Bioturbation rates (sediment suspension, g/m2/h) were estimated by nonlinear regression from measurements of suspended sediment concentrations in jars, taken twice-daily for 14 d. Sediment settling rates were also estimated from twice-daily measurements of suspended sediment concentrations collected for an additional 18 d in the surface water from the bioturbation experiments. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 43-01, page: 0145. Adviser: Jan J. H. Ciborowski. Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 2004