2,772 research outputs found
Predicative Ability of QCD Sum Rules for Decuplet Baryons
QCD sum rules for decuplet baryon two-point functions are investigated using
a comprehensive Monte-Carlo based procedure. In this procedure, all
uncertainties in the QCD input parameters are incorporated simultaneously,
resulting in realistic estimates of the uncertainties in the extracted
phenomenological parameters. Correlations between the QCD input parameters and
the phenomenological parameters are studied by way of scatter plots. The
predicted couplings are useful in evaluating matrix elements of decuplet
baryons in the QCD sum rule approach. They are also used to check a cubic
scaling law between baryon couplings and masses, as recently found by Dey and
coworkers. The results show a significant reduction in the scaling constant and
some possible deviations from the cubic law.Comment: 13 pages, RevTeX, 5 PS figures embedded with psfig.st
Market forces and competition are not necessarily detrimental to sustainability
Paul T.M. Ingenbleek and Machiel J. Reinders study the case of coffee roasters and supermarkets in the Netherland
Reduced susceptibility of western corn rootworm (\u3ci\u3eDiabrotica virgifera virgifera\u3c/i\u3e LeConte) populations to Cry34/35Ab1‑expressing maize in northeast Nebraska
The western corn rootworm (WCR; Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) is a significant pest of maize (Zea mays L.) across the United States Corn Belt. Transgenic maize hybrids expressing insecticidal proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) have been used to manage WCR since 2003. Widespread resistance to Cry3Bb1 (and associated cross-resistance to mCry3A and eCry3.1Ab) has placed increased selection pressure on Cry34/35Ab1 in single-protein and pyramided transgenic maize hybrids. Data on the susceptibility of Nebraska WCR populations to Cry34/35Ab1 has not been published since 2015 and plant-based bioassays conducted in 2017–2018 confirmed resistance to Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 maize, suggesting resistance to Cry34/35Ab1 has evolved in the Nebraska landscape. Therefore, plant-based bioassays were conducted on F1 progeny of WCR populations collected from northeast Nebraska in 2018 and 2019. Larval survival and development were used to classify resistance to Cry34/35Ab1 in each WCR population. Bioassays confirmed incomplete resistance to Cry34/35Ab1 maize in 21 of 30 WCR populations; 9 of 30 WCR populations remained susceptible to Cry34/35Ab1. Collectively, results indicate that northeast Nebraska WCR populations were in the initial stages of resistance evolution to Cry34/35Ab1 during 2018–2019. Appropriate resistance management strategies are needed to mitigate resistance and preserve efficacy of rootworm-active products containing Cry34/35Ab1
Real-time irradiance simulation for PV products and building integrated PV in a virtual reality environment
Personalized Anomaly Detection in PPG Data using Representation Learning and Biometric Identification
Photoplethysmography (PPG) signals, typically acquired from wearable devices,
hold significant potential for continuous fitness-health monitoring. In
particular, heart conditions that manifest in rare and subtle deviating heart
patterns may be interesting. However, robust and reliable anomaly detection
within these data remains a challenge due to the scarcity of labeled data and
high inter-subject variability. This paper introduces a two-stage framework
leveraging representation learning and personalization to improve anomaly
detection performance in PPG data. The proposed framework first employs
representation learning to transform the original PPG signals into a more
discriminative and compact representation. We then apply three different
unsupervised anomaly detection methods for movement detection and biometric
identification. We validate our approach using two different datasets in both
generalized and personalized scenarios. The results show that representation
learning significantly improves anomaly detection performance while reducing
the high inter-subject variability. Personalized models further enhance anomaly
detection performance, underscoring the role of personalization in PPG-based
fitness-health monitoring systems. The results from biometric identification
show that it's easier to distinguish a new user from one intended authorized
user than from a group of users. Overall, this study provides evidence of the
effectiveness of representation learning and personalization for anomaly
detection in PPG data
Evidence of western corn rootworm (\u3ci\u3eDiabrotica virgifera virgifera\u3c/i\u3e LeConte) field-evolved resistance to Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/ 35Ab1 maize in Nebraska
BACKGROUND: Western corn rootworm (WCR; Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) field-evolved resistance to transgenic maize expressing the Cry3Bb1 protein derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been confirmed across the United States Corn Belt. Although use of pyramided hybrids expressing Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 has increased in recent years to mitigate existing WCR Bt resistance, susceptibility of Nebraska WCR populations to this rootworm–Bt pyramid has not been assessed. Plant-based bioassays were used to characterize the susceptibility of WCR populations to Cry3Bb1 and Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 maize. Populations were collected from areas of northeastern Nebraska with a history of planting Bt maize that expressed Cry3Bb1 and Cry34/35Ab1.
RESULTS: Significant differences in mean corrected survival among populations within Bt hybrids indicated a mosaic of WCR susceptibility to Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 and Cry3Bb1 maize occurred in the landscape. All field populations exhibited some level of resistance to one or both Bt hybrids when compared to susceptible laboratory control populations in bioassays. Most WCR populations exhibited incomplete resistance to Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 maize (92%) and complete resistance to Cry3Bb1 maize (79%).
CONCLUSION: The present study confirms the first cases of field-evolved resistance to Cry3Bb1 + Cry34/35Ab1 maize in Nebraska and documents a landscape-wide WCR Cry3Bb1 resistance pattern in areas characterized by long-term continuous maize production and associated planting of Cry3Bb1 hybrids. Use of a multi-tactic integrated pest management approach is needed in areas of continuous maize production to slow or mitigate resistance evolution to Bt maize
Transport Activity of Rice Sucrose Transporters OsSUT1 and OsSUT5
Expression in Xenopus oocytes and electrophysiology was used to test for transport activity of the five sucrose transporter (SUT) homologs from rice. Expression of OsSUT1 and OsSUT5 resulted in sucrose-dependent currents that were analyzed by two-electrode voltage clamping. We examined the transport kinetics, substrate specificity and pH dependence of sucrose transport and K0.5 for sucrose. OsSUT1 showed similar features to those of other type II SUTs from monocots examined previously, with a K0.5 value of 7.50 mM at pH 5.6. In contrast, OsSUT5 had a higher substrate affinity (K0.5 = 2.32 mM at pH 5.6), less substrate specificity and less pH dependence compared with all type II SUTs tested to date. Regulation of the rice SUTs, as well as ZmSUT1 from maize and HvSUT1 from barley, by reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) forms of glutathione was tested. GSSG and GSH were found to have no significant effect on the activity of sucrose transporters when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. In conclusion, differences in transport activity between OsSUT1 and OsSUT5 indicate that type II SUTs have a range of transport activities that are tuned to their function in the plant
B and B_S decay constants from moments of Finite Energy Sum Rules in QCD
We use an appropriate combination of moments of finite energy sum rules in
QCD in order to compute the B_q-meson decays constants f_B and f_{B_s}.We
perform the calculation using a two-loop computation of the imaginary part of
the pseudoscalar two point function in terms of the running bottom quark mass.
The results are stable with the so called QCD duality threshold and they are in
agreement with the estimates obtained from Borel transform QCD sum rules and
lattice computations.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figure
Adding Domain Knowledge to Improve Entity Resolution in 17<sup>th</sup> and 18<sup>th</sup> Century Amsterdam Archival Records
Don't believe it! A global perspective on cognitive reflection and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic increased the saliency of an old phenomenon – conspiracy theories. In times of a global crisis and an unprecedented access to information, fake news seems to spread as fast as the virus. A global pandemic requires more than ever self-compliance. Only behavior change and vaccination on a large scale can bring us to normality. Yet believing in conspiracy theories about COVID-19 is expected to undermine such compliance. What determines susceptibility to believing in misinformation? In this study, using data on mostly representative samples of 45 countries around the world (38,113 participants), we found evidence that people with more deliberate thinking are less likely to believe in conspiracy theories. Furthermore, on the individual level people who are more prone to believe in conspiracy theories are less likely to comply with behavior change. We are in the midst of the biggest coordination game and such insights in social psychology can inform policymakers
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