Quantum Criticality and Holographic Superconductors in M-theory

We present a consistent Kaluza-Klein truncation of D=11 supergravity on an arbitrary seven-dimensional Sasaki-Einstein space (SE_7) to a D=4 theory containing a metric, a gauge-field, a complex scalar field and a real scalar field. We use this D=4 theory to construct various black hole solutions that describe the thermodynamics of the d=3 CFTs dual to skew-whiffed AdS_4 X SE_7 solutions. We show that these CFTs have a rich phase diagram, including holographic superconductivity with, generically, broken parity and time reversal invariance. At zero temperature the superconducting solutions are charged domain walls with a universal emergent conformal symmetry in the far infrared.Comment: 52 pages, 16 figures, 3 appendices; minor changes, version to be published in JHE

Elephant (Loxodonta africana) Home Ranges in Sabi Sand Reserve and Kruger National Park: A Five-Year Satellite Tracking Study

During a five-year GPS satellite tracking study in Sabi Sand Reserve (SSR) and Kruger National Park (KNP) we monitored the daily movements of an elephant cow (Loxodonta africana) from September 2003 to August 2008. The study animal was confirmed to be part of a group of seven elephants therefore her position is representative of the matriarchal group. We found that the study animal did not use habitat randomly and confirmed strong seasonal fidelity to its summer and winter five-year home ranges. The cow's summer home range was in KNP in an area more than four times that of her SSR winter home range. She exhibited clear park habitation with up to three visits per year travelling via a well-defined northern or southern corridor. There was a positive correlation between the daily distance the elephant walked and minimum daily temperature and the elephant was significantly closer to rivers and artificial waterholes than would be expected if it were moving randomly in KNP and SSR. Transect lines established through the home ranges were surveyed to further understand the fine scale of the landscape and vegetation representative of the home ranges

Forest Fruit Production Is Higher on Sumatra Than on Borneo

BACKGROUND: Various studies have shown that the population densities of a number of forest vertebrates, such as orangutans, are higher on Sumatra than Borneo, and that several species exhibit smaller body sizes on Borneo than Sumatra and mainland Southeast Asia. It has been suggested that differences in forest fruit productivity between the islands can explain these patterns. Here we present a large-scale comparison of forest fruit production between the islands to test this hypothesis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Data on fruit production were collated from Sumatran and Bornean sites. At six sites we assessed fruit production in three forest types: riverine, peat swamp and dryland forests. We compared fruit production using time-series models during different periods of overall fruit production and in different tree size classes. We examined overall island differences and differences specifically for fruiting period and tree size class. The results of these analyses indicate that overall the Sumatran forests are more productive than those on Borneo. This difference remains when each of the three forest types (dryland, riverine, and peat) are examined separately. The difference also holds over most tree sizes and fruiting periods. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results provide strong support for the hypothesis that forest fruit productivity is higher on Sumatra than Borneo. This difference is most likely the result of the overall younger and more volcanic soils on Sumatra than Borneo. These results contribute to our understanding of the determinants of faunal density and the evolution of body size on both islands

Impact Factor: outdated artefact or stepping-stone to journal certification?

A review of Garfield's journal impact factor and its specific implementation as the Thomson Reuters Impact Factor reveals several weaknesses in this commonly-used indicator of journal standing. Key limitations include the mismatch between citing and cited documents, the deceptive display of three decimals that belies the real precision, and the absence of confidence intervals. These are minor issues that are easily amended and should be corrected, but more substantive improvements are needed. There are indications that the scientific community seeks and needs better certification of journal procedures to improve the quality of published science. Comprehensive certification of editorial and review procedures could help ensure adequate procedures to detect duplicate and fraudulent submissions.Comment: 25 pages, 12 figures, 6 table

Recent Surveys in the Forests of Ulu Segama Malua, Sabah, Malaysia, Show That Orang-utans (P. p. morio) Can Be Maintained in Slightly Logged Forests

BACKGROUND: Today the majority of wild great ape populations are found outside of the network of protected areas in both Africa and Asia, therefore determining if these populations are able to survive in forests that are exploited for timber or other extractive uses and how this is managed, is paramount for their conservation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In 2007, the "Kinabatangan Orang-utan Conservation Project" (KOCP) conducted aerial and ground surveys of orang-utan (Pongo pygmaeus morio) nests in the commercial forest reserves of Ulu Segama Malua (USM) in eastern Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Compared with previous estimates obtained in 2002, our recent data clearly shows that orang-utan populations can be maintained in forests that have been lightly and sustainably logged. However, forests that are heavily logged or subjected to fast, successive coupes that follow conventional extraction methods, exhibit a decline in orang-utan numbers which will eventually result in localized extinction (the rapid extraction of more than 100 m(3) ha(-1) of timber led to the crash of one of the surveyed sub-populations). Nest distribution in the forests of USM indicates that orang-utans leave areas undergoing active disturbance and take momentarily refuge in surrounding forests that are free of human activity, even if these forests are located above 500 m asl. Displaced individuals will then recolonize the old-logged areas after a period of time, depending on availability of food sources in the regenerating areas. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These results indicate that diligent planning prior to timber extraction and the implementation of reduced-impact logging practices can potentially be compatible with great ape conservation

Predictive value of S100-B and copeptin for outcomes following seizure: the BISTRO International Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of S100-B protein and copeptin, in addition to clinical variables, in predicting outcomes of patients attending the emergency department (ED) following a seizure. METHODS: We prospectively included adult patients presented with an acute seizure, in four EDs in France and the United Kingdom. Participants were followed up for 28 days. The primary endpoint was a composite of seizure recurrence, all-cause mortality, hospitalization or rehospitalisation, or return visit in the ED within seven days. RESULTS: Among the 389 participants included in the analysis, 156 (40%) experienced the primary endpoint within seven days and 195 (54%) at 28 days. Mean levels of both S100-B (0.11 μg/l [95% CI 0.07-0.20] vs 0.09 μg/l [0.07-0.14]) and copeptin (23 pmol/l [9-104] vs 17 pmol/l [8-43]) were higher in participants meeting the primary endpoint. However, both biomarkers were poorly predictive of the primary outcome with a respective area under the receiving operator characteristic curve of 0.57 [0.51-0.64] and 0.59 [0.54-0.64]. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified higher age (odds ratio [OR] 1.3 per decade [1.1-1.5]), provoked seizure (OR 4.93 [2.5-9.8]), complex partial seizure (OR 4.09 [1.8-9.1]) and first seizure (OR 1.83 [1.1-3.0]) as independent predictors of the primary outcome. A second regression analysis including the biomarkers showed no additional predictive benefit (S100-B OR 3.89 [0.80-18.9] copeptin OR 1 [1.00-1.00]). CONCLUSION: The plasma biomarkers S100-B and copeptin did not improve prediction of poor outcome following seizure. Higher age, a first seizure, a provoked seizure and a partial complex seizure are independently associated with adverse outcomes

How DNA Barcodes Complement Taxonomy and Explore Species Diversity: The Case Study of a Poorly Understood Marine Fauna

BACKGROUND: The species boundaries of some venerids are difficult to define based solely on morphological features due to their indistinct intra- and interspecific phenotypic variability. An unprecedented biodiversity crisis caused by human activities has emerged. Thus, to access the biological diversity and further the conservation of this taxonomically muddling bivalve group, a fast and simple approach that can efficiently examine species boundaries and highlight areas of unrecognized diversity is urgently needed. DNA barcoding has proved its effectiveness in high-volume species identification and discovery. In the present study, Chinese fauna was chosen to examine whether this molecular biomarker is sensitive enough for species delimitation, and how it complements taxonomy and explores species diversity. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A total of 315 specimens from around 60 venerid species were included, qualifying the present study as the first major analysis of DNA barcoding for marine bivalves. Nearly all individuals identified to species level based on morphological traits possessed distinct barcode clusters, except for the specimens of one species pair. Among the 26 individuals that were not assigned binomial names a priori, twelve respectively nested within a species genealogy. The remaining individuals formed five monophyletic clusters that potentially represent species new to science or at least unreported in China. Five putative hidden species were also uncovered in traditional morphospecies. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present study shows that DNA barcoding is effective in species delimitation and can aid taxonomists by indicating useful diagnostic morphological traits, informing needful revision, and flagging unseen species. Moreover, the BOLD system, which deposits barcodes, morphological, geographical and other data, has the potential as a convenient taxonomic platform

A comparison of the physical and chemical differences between cancellous and cortical bovine bone mineral at two ages

To assess possible differences between the mineral phases of cortical and cancellous bone, the structure and composition of isolated bovine mineral crystals from young (1–3 months) and old (4–5 years) postnatal bovine animals were analyzed by a variety of complementary techniques: chemical analyses, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and 31P solid-state magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). This combination of methods represents the most complete physicochemical characterization of cancellous and cortical bone mineral completed thus far. Spectra obtained from XRD, FTIR, and 31P NMR all confirmed that the mineral was calcium phosphate in the form of carbonated apatite; however, a crystal maturation process was evident between the young and old and between cancellous and cortical mineral crystals. Two-way analyses of variance showed larger increases of crystal size and Ca/P ratio for the cortical vs. cancellous bone of 1–3 month than the 4–5 year animals. The Ca/(P + CO3) remained nearly constant within a given bone type and in both bone types at 4–5 years. The carbonate and phosphate FTIR band ratios revealed a decrease of labile ions with age and in cortical, relative to cancellous, bone. Overall, the same aging or maturation trends were observed for young vs. old and cancellous vs. cortical. Based on the larger proportion of newly formed bone in cancellous bone relative to cortical bone, the major differences between the cancellous and cortical mineral crystals must be ascribed to differences in average age of the crystals

Parathyroid Hormone Treatment Increases Fixation of Orthopedic Implants with Gap Healing: A Biomechanical and Histomorphometric Canine Study of Porous Coated Titanium Alloy Implants in Cancellous Bone

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) administered intermittently is a bone-building peptide. In joint replacements, implants are unavoidably surrounded by gaps despite meticulous surgical technique and osseointegration is challenging. We examined the effect of human PTH(1–34) on implant fixation in an experimental gap model. We inserted cylindrical (10 × 6 mm) porous coated titanium alloy implants in a concentric 1-mm gap in normal cancellous bone of proximal tibia in 20 canines. Animals were randomized to treatment with PTH(1–34) 5 μg/kg daily. After 4 weeks, fixation was evaluated by histomorphometry and push-out test. Bone volume was increased significantly in the gap. In the outer gap (500 μm), the bone volume fraction median (interquartile range) was 27% (20–37%) for PTH and 10% (6–14%) for control. In the inner gap, the bone volume fraction was 33% (26–36%) for PTH and 13% (11–18%) for control. At the implant interface, the bone fraction improved with 16% (11–20%) for PTH and 10% (7–12%) (P = 0.07) for control. Mechanical implant fixation was improved for implants exposed to PTH. For PTH, median (interquartile range) shear stiffness was significantly higher (PTH 17.4 [12.7–39.7] MPa/mm and control 8.8 [3.3–12.4] MPa/mm) (P < 0.05). Energy absorption was significantly enhanced for PTH (PTH 781 [595–1,198.5] J/m2 and control 470 [189–596] J/m2). Increased shear strength was observed but was not significant (PTH 3.0 [2.6–4.9] and control 2.0 [0.9–3.0] MPa) (P = 0.08). Results show that PTH has a positive effect on implant fixation in regions where gaps exist in the surrounding bone. With further studies, PTH may potentially be used clinically to enhance tissue integration in these challenging environments