Tall tales from de Sitter space II: Field theory dualities

We consider the evolution of massive scalar fields in (asymptotically) de Sitter spacetimes of arbitrary dimension. Through the proposed dS/CFT correspondence, our analysis points to the existence of new nonlocal dualities for the Euclidean conformal field theory. A massless conformally coupled scalar field provides an example where the analysis is easily explicitly extended to 'tall' background spacetimes.Comment: 31 pages, 2 figure

Gauge Theory and the Excision of Repulson Singularities

We study brane configurations that give rise to large-N gauge theories with eight supersymmetries and no hypermultiplets. These configurations include a variety of wrapped, fractional, and stretched branes or strings. The corresponding spacetime geometries which we study have a distinct kind of singularity known as a repulson. We find that this singularity is removed by a distinctive mechanism, leaving a smooth geometry with a core having an enhanced gauge symmetry. The spacetime geometry can be related to large-N Seiberg-Witten theory.Comment: 31 pages LaTeX, 2 figures (v3: references added

Pathways from agriculture-to-nutrition: Design and conduct of the National PoSHAN surveys of Nepal

Pathways through which agricultural production may influence markets, household food security, dietary patterns and nutritional status remain incompletely understood. While cross-sectional surveys are common, national, population-based, standardized data collection systems that annually monitor markets, local services, food security, dietary intake and nutritional status may be needed to understand time trends and relationships. We describe the design and methods of an annual nationally representative series of surveys of households with preschool aged children in 7 Village Development Committees (VDCs) sampled across each agroecological zone (mountains, hills and plains) in Nepal. Our sampling methodology yielded 21 VDCs, 63 wards (3 per VDC) and 40 markets in 2013, 2014 and 2016. Each year between ~ 4286-5097 consenting households were assessed for agricultural practices, socioeconomic conditions and food security; diet by 7-day food frequency and nutritional status by anthropometry (weight, height and arm circumference) of women (n=4509-5458) and children (n=5401- 5468) using standardized procedures. Due to a major earthquake in April 2015, a truncated sample (wards n=27) was reached in 2015. Three VDCs, each representing a centroid of surveyed VDCs in each zone, served as year-round sentinel sites in which we conducted six surveys of seasonal conditions from 2013-2015. Representative, sameseason, same-site surveys offer a feasible national framework for assessing annual status and trends in agricultural, food security and nutritional conditions to identify opportunities for policy and program interventions and observe population responses along a continuum leading from agriculture to nutrition

Effect of replacing dried skim milk with specially processed soy products on digestibility of nutrients and growth performance of nursery pigs

One hundred twenty-eight pigs (21 d of age and 11.7 lb) were used to determine the effects of feeding specially processed soy products and lactose versus dried skim milk on growth performance and nutrient digestibility. For d 0-14, pigs received pelleted diets that were: 1) corn-soybean meal-whey control; 2) a high nutrient density diet (HNDD) containing 20% dried skim milk and 20% dried whey; 3 and 4) the HNDD with soy protein isolate replacing 50% and 100% of the protein supplied by dried skim milk; 5 and 6) the HNDD with soy protein concentrate replacing 50% and 100% of the protein supplied by dried skim milk; 7 and 8) the HNDD with modified soy flour replacing 50% and 100% of the protein supplied by dried skim milk. For d 14-35, all pigs were fed a common diet. Average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), feed:gain ratio (F/G), and fecal scores were determined for d 7, 14, and 35 of the experiment. Apparent digestibilities of N and DM were determined from fecal samples collected on d 13. For d 0 to 7, pigs fed the HNDD had the best F/G, pigs fed the corn-soybean meal-whey control had the poorest F/G, and pigs fed diets with the specially processed soy products were intermediate in feed efficiency. Pigs fed the soy isolate had improved feed efficiency and less incidence of diarrhea compared to pigs fed the soy concentrate. For d 0 to 14, pigs fed the corn-soybean meal-whey control had the poorest performance and DM digestibility. When dried skim milk was replaced with the specially processed soy products, F/G was worse, but digestibility of N and DM were not decreased, especially at the 50% level of replacement. Pigs fed the soy isolate had performance more similar to pigs fed the HNDD than pigs fed the soy concentrate or modified soy flour. From d 0 to 35, ADG and ADFI were greater for pigs fed diets with soy products replacing the protein from dried skim milk than pigs given the HNDD. However, pigs fed the HNDD gained more efficiently. Our data indicate that replacing the protein from dried skim milk with the specially processed soy products tested in this experiment resulted in slight depressions in performance early in the nursery phase (ie., d 0 to 14). However, as the processing techniques became more elaborate (ie., isolate> concentrate> modified soy flour), utilization of the products was improved

Evaluation of attributes affecting tenderness differences between Bos taurus and Bos indicus cattle

Biological tenderness differences between longissimus muscles from 3/8 and 5/8 Sahiwal (Bos indicus) x Hereford-Angus and from Hereford-Angus (Bos taurus) were evaluated. No significant breed cross effects were observed for carcass traits or rates of pH and temperature decline. Loin steaks from Hereford x Angus had lower (P<.05) shear-force values and higher (P<.05) taste panel tenderness scores at 1 and 14 d postmortem. No breed effects existed for muscle fiber sarcomere length, muscle fiber type, muscle collagen, cathepsin enzyme activity, or calcium-dependent protease-I and -II activity. However, calcium-dependent protease inhibitor activity at 24 hr postmortem was greater (P<.01) in Sahiwal-crosses than for Hereford-Angus. Less protein degradation, which causes tenderization during aging, occurred in Sahiwal-crosses by d 14 than in Hereford-Angus at d 1 postmortem. Therefore, mechanisms involving calcium-dependent protease and its inhibitor may be the principal factors causing tenderness differences between Bos indicus and Bos taurus breeds

NATO/CCMS Pilot study workshop on air pollution trarfsport and diffusion over coastal urban areas

The NATO/CCMS Pilot Study &quot;Air pollution transport and diffusion over coastal urban areas&quot; held an international workshop in Athens, 3-5 May 1993. The objective of this workshop was to develop guidelines for it reference experiment in a coastal urban area. It was intended that the guidelines would be sufficiently general that they could be applied to any coastal urban area, but Athens was bome in mind as a suitable candidate location. On the first day of the workshop, invited speakers delivered their lectures on different issues of dispersion in urban coastal areas. The second day was devoted to discussions in working groups focusing on key issues, such as, emissions&apos; inventory, meteorological measurements, surface pollutant concentration measurements, aircraft measurements, remote sensing and model evaluation. On the final half-day the rapporteur from each working group reported on its work. Their reports are briefly summarized in the present paper. © 1995

Using immunological criteria to predict utilization of soybean proteins by the early-weaned pig

Two trials were conducted to determine the suitability of soybean products for baby pigs. For trial 1, 40 weanling pigs were orally infused with .01 lb/pig/d of either dried skim milk (control), soybean meal (48% CP), soy protein concentrate, extruded soy protein concentrate, or soy protein isolate from d 7 to 12 of age, weaned at 21 d of age, and fed a diet containing the corresponding protein source until d 7 postweaning. Sows were fed a corn-corn gluten meal-based diet supplemented with lysine and tryptophan to avoid exposure of pigs to soybean proteins. All pigs were sacrificed at 28 d of age. In Trial 2, 48 pigs were utilized, with preweaning treatments identical to those in Trial 1 except the soy protein isolate was not used as a treatment. They were fed a diet containing the same protein source for 2 wk postweaning, then fed a common diet with 4% soybean oil and 1.25% lysine for 3 wk. Growth performance was measured. Results indicated that pigs fed diets containing soybean meal had lower villus height and rate of gain than pigs on any other treatments. There were no differences in villus height and crypt depth among soy protein concentrate, extruded soy protein concentrate, and soy protein isolate. In the growth trial, pigs fed the diet containing extruded soy protein concentrate had the highest ADG compared to other soybean products tested. Decreased villus height and increased serum anti-soy IgG titers, coinciding with inferior performance and presence of residual antigenic protein in the digestive tract of baby pigs fed soybean meal, indicate that conventionally processed, commercial soybean meal retain antigens that cause immunological changes in early-weaned pigs