Early colonisation of urban indoor carcasses by blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae): An experimental study from central Spain

Due to their ubiquity and synanthropy, blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are generally the first colonisers of cadavers and, therefore, frequently used to estimate a minimum post-mortem interval (minPMI). Whereas in outdoor situations blow flies are expected to locate and colonise exposed cadavers within hours or even minutes after death, it is usually assumed that the colonisation of a cadaver indoors might be delayed for an uncertain period of time. This uncertainty severely limits the informativity of minPMI estimates based on entomological evidence. Moreover, these limitations are emphasised by the lack of experimental data on insect colonisation of indoor carrion and by the fact that most of the forensic cases involving entomological evidence have been reported to occur indoors. In this study we investigate the early colonisation of pig carcasses placed indoors in a building located in the centre of an urban environment in central Spain. Three carcasses were placed in three equal rooms with a window half opened during five experimental trials: summer 2013, autumn 2013, winter 2014, spring 2014 and summer 2014. The species composition and their contribution to the carrion colonisation differed among seasons. Calliphora vicina Robineau–Desvoidy was the sole coloniser of carcasses in winter and colonised the carcasses within the first 24–48 h in every season, although Lucilia sericata (Meigen) was the first coloniser of most summer carcasses. On the other hand, Calliphora vomitoria (L.) and Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) colonised the carcasses significantly later in spring and in spring and summer, respectively, with a delay of several days. In autumn, however, there were no significant differences in the colonisation times by C. vicina, L. sericata and Ch. albiceps. C. vicina and L. sericata showed a clear preference for ovipositing in the natural orifices of the carcasses, whereas Ch. albiceps oviposited more frequently on the trunk and legs.The attached document is the author’s final accepted/submitted version of the journal article. You are advised to consult the publisher’s version if you wish to cite from it

On the Uq[sl(2)]{\cal{U}}_{q}[sl(2)] Temperley-Lieb reflection matrices

This work concerns the boundary integrability of the spin-s ${\cal{U}}_{q}[sl(2)]$ Temperley-Lieb model. A systematic computation method is used to constructed the solutions of the boundary Yang-Baxter equations. For $s$ half-integer, a general $2s(s+1)+3/2$ free parameter solution is presented. It turns that for $s$ integer, the general solution has $2s(s+1)+1$ free parameters. Moreover, some particular solutions are discussed.Comment: LaTex 17 page

On quantum group symmetry and Bethe ansatz for the asymmetric twin spin chain with integrable boundary

Motivated by a study of the crossing symmetry of the `gemini' representation of the affine Hecke algebra we give a construction for crossing tensor space representations of ordinary Hecke algebras. These representations build solutions to the Yang--Baxter equation satisfying the crossing condition (that is, integrable quantum spin chains). We show that every crossing representation of the Temperley--Lieb algebra appears in this construction, and in particular that this construction builds new representations. We extend these to new representations of the blob algebra, which build new solutions to the Boundary Yang--Baxter equation (i.e. open spin chains with integrable boundary conditions). We prove that the open spin chain Hamiltonian derived from Sklyanin's commuting transfer matrix using such a solution can always be expressed as the representation of an element of the blob algebra, and determine this element. We determine the representation theory (irreducible content) of the new representations and hence show that all such Hamiltonians have the same spectrum up to multiplicity, for any given value of the algebraic boundary parameter. (A corollary is that our models have the same spectrum as the open XXZ chain with nondiagonal boundary -- despite differing from this model in having reference states.) Using this multiplicity data, and other ideas, we investigate the underlying quantum group symmetry of the new Hamiltonians. We derive the form of the spectrum and the Bethe ansatz equations.Comment: 43 pages, multiple figure

Phase diagram of the anti-ferromagnetic xxz model in the presence of an external magnetic field

The anisotropic s=1/2 anti-ferromagnetic Heisenberg chain in the presence of an external magnetic field is studied by using the standard quantum renormalization group. We obtain the critical line of the transition from partially magnetized (PM) phase to the saturated ferromagnetic (SFM) phase. The crossover exponent between the PM phase and anti-ferromagnetic Ising (AFI) phase is evaluated. Our results show that the anisotropy(\d) term is relevant and causes crossover. These results indicate that the standard RG approach yields fairly good values for the critical points and their exponents. The magnetization curve, correlation functions and the ground state energy per site are obtained and compared with the known exact results.Comment: A LaTex file(20 pages) and 9 PS figure

Structure of the two-boundary XXZ model with non-diagonal boundary terms

We study the integrable XXZ model with general non-diagonal boundary terms at both ends. The Hamiltonian is considered in terms of a two boundary extension of the Temperley-Lieb algebra. We use a basis that diagonalizes a conserved charge in the one-boundary case. The action of the second boundary generator on this space is computed. For the L-site chain and generic values of the parameters we have an irreducible space of dimension 2^L. However at certain critical points there exists a smaller irreducible subspace that is invariant under the action of all the bulk and boundary generators. These are precisely the points at which Bethe Ansatz equations have been formulated. We compute the dimension of the invariant subspace at each critical point and show that it agrees with the splitting of eigenvalues, found numerically, between the two Bethe Ansatz equations.Comment: 9 pages Latex. Minor correction

Quantum Group Invariant Supersymmetric t-J Model with periodic boundary conditions

An integrable version of the supersymmetric t-J model which is quantum group invariant as well as periodic is introduced and analysed in detail. The model is solved through the algebraic nested Bethe ansatz method.Comment: 11 pages, LaTe

Evolución de la presencia de heces en el nidal durante la lactación en conejas multiparas

El objetivo de este trabajo fue estudiar la evolución de la presencia de heces en el nidal durante los 17 primeros días de lactación. Para ello se utilizaron 40 hembras multíparas recién paridas. El segundo día de lactación se escogieron 20 conejas al azar y se les echó en el nidal 8 heces duras (recogidas el mismo día de 4 conejas también en segundo día de lactación). Los días 3, 6, 10, 13 y 17 post-parto se revisaron todos los nidales y se contaron el número de heces duras, que se devolvieron al nidal, y se anotó la presencia de heces duras mordidas y heces blandas. Los gazapos se destetaron a los 27 d de edad y se tomaron al azar 5 de cada camada con el fin de realizar el seguimiento de la mortalidad. Los animales no recibieron antibióticos. La adición de heces duras al nidal incrementó el número de heces presentes en el nidal (en 13,7 heces de media) durante todo el periodo experimental (P = 0,002). La cantidad de heces duras observada en los nidales aumentó linealmente hasta el día 10 post-parto, reduciéndose linealmente a partir de ese momento hasta el día 17 post-parto (P < 0,001). El día 10 post-parto comenzaron a observarse heces mordidas en los nidales, y la proporción de nidales con presencia de heces mordidas fue máxima el día 13 post-parto, momento a partir del cual se observó una disminución de las misma (P < 0,001). A lo largo del periodo experimental se observaron heces duras mordidas en el 95% de los nidales. La presencia de cecótrofos en los nidales fue más esporádica y sólo se observó en un 55% de los nidales, sin detectarse efecto ni del tratamiento ni del día post-parto. No se observó efecto de la cantidad de heces presente en el nidal sobre la mortalidad durante el cebo que fue de media de un 20%

Efecto de la suplementación con Bacillus amyloliquefaciens y heptanoato sódico sobre los parámetros de crecimiento en conejos en cebo

El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de suplementar con B. amyloliquefaciens (Ecobiol; EU aditivo zootécnico para piensos número 4b1822; contenido de 1 x 109 CFU de B. amyloliquefaciens CECT 5940 / g) y heptanoato sódico (Hepton) sobre los parámetros de crecimiento del conejo. Se formuló un pienso control (17,3% PB y 36,2% FND, sobre % MS), y otros tres piensos suplementando el pienso control con 500 y 1000 g B. amyloliquefaciens/t (BA1 y BA2) y con 1000 g heptanoato sódico/t. Se utilizaron gazapos destetados a los 25 d gazapos (67/pienso). Los conejos suplementados con el pienso BA2 tendieron a comer menos que el grupo control (P = 0,073), y comieron un 6% menos que los del grupo BA1 (P = 0,036) durante el periodo de 25 a 40 d de edad, si bien no afectó a la ganancia de peso, ni en la eficacia alimenticia. Durante el periodo de 40 a 63 d de edad los gazapos alimentados con el pienso BA2 comieron un 10% menos que el pienso control (P = 0,002), sin modificar la ganancia de peso, lo que se tradujo en una tendencia a mejorar la eficacia alimenticia (P = 0,063). Los animales del pienso BA2 incrementaron la eficacia alimenticia un 8% comparado con los del grupo BA1 durante el periodo de 40 a 63 d (P = 0,031), sin mostrar diferencias en el consumo o en la ganancia de peso. Al evaluar el periodo global, incrementar la dosis de B. amyloliquefaciens (BA2 vs. BA1) tendió a disminuir el consumo medio diario (P = 0,069) y a aumentar la eficiencia alimenticia un 6% (P = 0,006). La suplementación con B. amyloliquefaciens, independientemente de la dosis utilizada (BA2 o BA1), no afectó a la mortalidad en el periodo global del cebo. Durante todo el periodo experimental de 25 a 63 d de edad, la suplementación con heptanoato sódico redujo el consumo de pienso un 5% en comparación con el grupo control (P = 0,050) y, al no modificar la velocidad de crecimiento, aumentó la eficacia alimenticia un 7% (P = 0,003). En comparación con el promedio de los gazapos suplementados con B. amyloliquefaciens los conejos que recibieron heptanoato sódico mostraron una mayor ganancia de peso (5%, P = 0,012), y eficiencia alimenticia (4%, P = 0,024), alcanzando un peso final superior (P = 0,012)

The phase diagram of water at high pressures as obtained by computer simulations of the TIP4P/2005 model: the appearance of a plastic crystal phase

In this work the high pressure region of the phase diagram of water has been studied by computer simulation by using the TIP4P/2005 model of water. Free energy calculations were performed for ices VII and VIII and for the fluid phase to determine the melting curve of these ices. In addition molecular dynamics simulations were performed at high temperatures (440K) observing the spontaneous freezing of the liquid into a solid phase at pressures of about 80000 bar. The analysis of the structure obtained lead to the conclusion that a plastic crystal phase was formed. In the plastic crystal phase the oxygen atoms were arranged forming a body center cubic structure, as in ice VII, but the water molecules were able to rotate almost freely. Free energy calculations were performed for this new phase, and it was found that for TIP4P/2005 this plastic crystal phase is thermodynamically stable with respect to ices VII and VIII for temperatures higher than about 400K, although the precise value depends on the pressure. By using Gibbs Duhem simulations, all coexistence lines were determined, and the phase diagram of the TIP4P/2005 model was obtained, including ices VIII and VII and the new plastic crystal phase. The TIP4P/2005 model is able to describe qualitatively the phase diagram of water. It would be of interest to study if such a plastic crystal phase does indeed exist for real water. The nearly spherical shape of water makes possible the formation of a plastic crystal phase at high temperatures. The formation of a plastic crystal phase at high temperatures (with a bcc arrangements of oxygen atoms) is fast from a kinetic point of view occurring in about 2ns. This is in contrast to the nucleation of ice Ih which requires simulations of the order of hundreds of ns

Endometrial area of the blood flow as a marker of endometritis in equine

In this study, uterine blood flow area (BFA) has been evaluated for the first time using power Doppler ultrasound (PD) as a marker of endometritis in mares and jennies. The uterine BFA in healthy mares was greater in oestrus than in diestrus (p&nbsp;&lt;.001). However, differences in endometrial blood flow between oestrus and diestrus were not observed in mares with endometritis. The uterine blood flow in healthy jennies is not affected by the oestrus cycle. Both species showed an increase in endometrial BFA in pathological uterine conditions compared to controls. BFA was a good marker of endometritis with an area under curve (AUC) (estrus:0.94 (p&nbsp;&lt;.001) diestrus:0.98 (p&nbsp;&lt;.001) in mares and AUC (0.91 (p&nbsp;&lt;.0001) in jennies. The results of this preliminary study suggest that PD ultrasound in combination with computerized image analysis has the potential to be a very useful tool in the diagnosis of endometritis