Play in rats: association across contexts and types, and analysis of structure

Play has been proposed as a promising indicator of positive animal welfare. We aimed to study play in rats across contexts (conspecific/heterospecific) and types (social: pinning, being pinned; solitary: scampering), and we investigated its structure using behavioral sequence analysis. Group-housed (three per cage) adolescent male Lister Hooded rats (n = 21) were subjected to a Play-In-Pairs test: after a 3 hour isolation period, a pair of cage-mates was returned to the home cage and both social and solitary play were scored for 20 min. This procedure was repeated for each pair combination across three consecutive days, and individual play scores were calculated. Heterospecific play was measured using a Tickling test: rats were individually tickled by the experimenter through bouts of gentle, rapid finger movements on their underside, and the number of positive 50 kHz frequency modulated vocalizations and experimenter-directed approach behaviors were recorded. Both of the above tests were compared with social play in the home cage. While conspecific play in both the Play-In-Pairs test and home cage were correlated, both seemed to be unrelated to heterospecific play in the Tickling test. During the Play-In-Pairs test, although both solitary and social play types occurred, they were unrelated, and solitary locomotor play of one rat did not predict the subsequent play behavior of its cage mate. Analysis of play structure revealed that social play occurred more often in bouts of repeated behaviors while solitary play sequences did not follow a specific pattern. If play is to be used as an indicator of positive welfare in rats, context, type and structure differences should be taken into account

Numerical Computations with H(div)-Finite Elements for the Brinkman Problem

The H(div)-conforming approach for the Brinkman equation is studied numerically, verifying the theoretical a priori and a posteriori analysis in previous work of the authors. Furthermore, the results are extended to cover a non-constant permeability. A hybridization technique for the problem is presented, complete with a convergence analysis and numerical verification. Finally, the numerical convergence studies are complemented with numerical examples of applications to domain decomposition and adaptive mesh refinement.Comment: Minor clarifications, added references. Reordering of some figures. To appear in Computational Geosciences, final article available at http://www.springerlink.co

"Am iz kwiin" (I'm his queen): Combining interpretative phenomenological analysis with a feminist approach to work with gems in a resource-constrained setting

This article focuses on working with gems using a feminist approach to interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) in a resource-constrained setting. The research explores the experiences of maternal disclosure of HIV to children of HIV positive mothers in Kingston, Jamaica. A feminist approach helps recognise power imbalances within research relationships and the women’s lived experiences. We present three “gems” which illuminate women’s lived experiences and explore how popularised representations of women’s sexuality and mothering influence disclosure discourses. We use emotion work as a conceptual resource to structure the women’s narratives and challenge existing policy discourses, which arguably represent disclosure within a binary, rationalist, decision-making framework. This article adds to global literature on maternal HIV disclosure and problematises policy discourses by bringing into relief the emotion work women engage in when deciding if and how to communicate their HIV status to their children. It adds to the body of research using IPA, particularly in resource-constrained settings where IPA has thus far had little application

Evidence for Neutrino Oscillations from Muon Decay at Rest

A search for nu_bar_mu to nu_bar_e oscillations has been conducted at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility using nu_bar_mu from mu+ decay at rest. The nu_bar_e are detected via the reaction (nu_bar_e,p) -> (e+,n), correlated with the 2.2 MeV gamma from (n,p) -> (d,gamma). The use of tight cuts to identify e+ events with correlated gamma rays yields 22 events with e+ energy between 36 and 60 MeV and only 4.6 (+/- 0.6) background events. The probability that this excess is due entirely to a statistical fluctuation is 4.1E-08. A chi^2 fit to the entire e+ sample results in a total excess of 51.8 (+18.7) (-16.9) (+/- 8.0) events with e+ energy between 20 and 60 MeV. If attributed to nu_bar_mu -> nu_bar_e oscillations, this corresponds to an oscillation probability (averaged over the experimental energy and spatial acceptance) of 0.0031 (+0.0011) (-0.0010) (+/- 0.0005).Comment: 57 pages, 34 figures, revtex, additional information available at http://nu1.lampf.lanl.gov/~lsnd

Tests of Lorentz violation in muon antineutrino to electron antineutrino oscillations

A recently developed Standard-Model Extension (SME) formalism for neutrino oscillations that includes Lorentz and CPT violation is used to analyze the sidereal time variation of the neutrino event excess measured by the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND) experiment. The LSND experiment, performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory, observed an excess, consistent with neutrino oscillations, of ${\bar\nu}_e$ in a beam of ${\bar\nu}_\mu$. It is determined that the LSND oscillation signal is consistent with no sidereal variation. However, there are several combinations of SME coefficients that describe the LSND data; both with and without sidereal variations. The scale of Lorentz and CPT violation extracted from the LSND data is of order $10^{-19}$ GeV for the SME coefficients $a_L$ and $E \times c_L$. This solution for Lorentz and CPT violating neutrino oscillations may be tested by other short baseline neutrino oscillation experiments, such as the MiniBooNE experiment.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables, uses revtex4 replaced with version to be published in Physical Review D, 11 pages, 11 figures, 2 tables, uses revtex

Search for π0→νμνˉμ\pi^0 \to \nu_{\mu}\bar\nu_{\mu} Decay in LSND

We observe a net beam-excess of $8.7 \pm 6.3$ (stat) $\pm 2.4$ (syst) events, above 160 MeV, resulting from the charged-current reaction of $\nu_{\mu}$ and/or $\bar\nu_{\mu}$ on C and H in the LSND detector. No beam related muon background is expected in this energy regime. Within an analysis framework of $\pi^0 \to \nu_{\mu}\bar\nu_{\mu}$, we set a direct upper limit for this branching ratio of $\Gamma(\pi^0 \to \nu_\mu \bar\nu_\mu) / \Gamma(\pi^0 \to all) < 1.6 \times 10^{-6}$ at 90% confidence level.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Case Studies of Potential Facility-Scale and Utility-Scale Non-Hydro Renewable Energy Projects across Reclamation

This report summarizes the results of an assessment and analysis of renewable energy opportunities conducted for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Tasks included assessing the suitability for wind and solar on both a utility and facility scale

Measurement of electron-neutrino electron elastic scattering

The cross section for the elastic scattering reaction nu_e+e- -> nu_e+e- was measured by the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector using a mu+ decay-at-rest nu_e beam at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. The standard model of electroweak physics predicts a large destructive interference between the charge current and neutral current channels for this reaction. The measured cross section, sigma_{nu_e e-}=[10.1 +- 1.1(stat.) +- 1.0(syst.)]x E_{nu_e} (MeV) x 10^{-45} cm^2, agrees well with standard model expectations. The measured value of the interference parameter, I=-1.01 +- 0.13(stat.) +- 0.12(syst.), is in good agreement with the standard model expectation of I^{SM}=-1.09. Limits are placed on neutrino flavor-changing neutral currents. An upper limit on the muon-neutrino magnetic moment of 6.8 x 10^{-10} mu_{Bohr} is obtained using the nu_mu and \bar{nu}_mu fluxes from pi+ and mu+ decay.Comment: 22 pages, 11 figure

Measurements of Charged Current Reactions of νe\nu_e on 12C^{12}C

Charged Current reactions of $\nu_e$ on $^{12}C$ have been studied using a $\mu^+$ decay-at-rest $\nu_e$ beam at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. The cross section for the exclusive reaction $^{12}C(\nu_e,e^-)^{12}N_{g.s.}$ was measured to be $(8.9\pm0.3\pm0.9)\times10^{-42}$ cm$^2$. The observed energy dependence of the cross section and angular distribution of the outgoing electron agree well with theoretical expectations. Measurements are also presented for inclusive transitions to $^{12}N$ excited states, $^{12}C(\nu_e,e^-)^{12}N^*$ and compared with theoretical expectations. The measured cross section, $(4.3\pm0.4\pm0.6)\times10^{-42}$ cm$^2$, is somewhat lower than previous measurements and than a continuum random phase approximation calculation. It is in better agreement with a recent shell model calculation.Comment: 34 pages, 18 figures, accepted to PRC, replaced with the accepted on

Improved Cortisol Exposure-Time Profile and Outcome in Patients with Adrenal Insufficiency: A Prospective Randomized Trial of a Novel Hydrocortisone Dual-Release Formulation.

Context:Patients with treated adrenal insufficiency (AI) have increased morbidity and mortality rate. Our goal was to improve outcome by developing a once-daily (OD) oral hydrocortisone dual-release tablet with a more physiological exposure-time cortisol profile.Objective:The aim was to compare pharmacokinetics and metabolic outcome between OD and the same daily dose of thrice-daily (TID) dose of conventional hydrocortisone tablets.Design and Setting:We conducted an open, randomized, two-period, 12-wk crossover multicenter trial with a 24-wk extension at five university hospital centers.Patients:The trial enrolled 64 adults with primary AI; 11 had concomitant diabetes mellitus (DM).Intervention:The same daily dose of hydrocortisone was administered as OD dual-release or TID.Main Outcome Measure:We evaluated cortisol pharmacokinetics.Results:Compared with conventional TID, OD provided a sustained serum cortisol profile 0-4 h after the morning intake and reduced the late afternoon and the 24-h cortisol exposure. The mean weight (difference = -0.7 kg, P = 0.005), systolic blood pressure (difference = -5.5 mm Hg, P = 0.0001) and diastolic blood pressure (difference: -2.3 mm Hg; P = 0.03), and glycated hemoglobin (absolute difference = -0.1%, P = 0.0006) were all reduced after OD compared with TID at 12 wk. Compared with TID, a reduction in glycated hemoglobin by 0.6% was observed in patients with concomitant DM during OD (P = 0.004).Conclusion:The OD dual-release tablet provided a more circadian-based serum cortisol profile. Reduced body weight, reduced blood pressure, and improved glucose metabolism were observed during OD treatment. In particular, glucose metabolism improved in patients with concomitant DM