Effects of Climate Change on Phenology of Blackbirds and Orioles (Icterids) in Eastern South Dakota

Birds are among the first responders to climate change, often having clearly observable phenological responses to less perceptible levels of climate shift. Declines in populations of a number of bird species have been witnessed both in the United States and abroad, with up to a 48% decline in grassland birds of the Central U.S. Understanding changes in bird abundance and distribution is essential because birds supply a wide variety of critical ecosystem services, including pollination and pest control. While the effects of climate change on many bird species’ phenology have been studied intensely, research on the family Icteridae is limited. This study was conducted using spring bird presence and absence data and weather data from Oak Lake Field Station from 1995 to 2012. Linear regression analysis was applied against warmth sum days for the 30 days prior to each spring bird survey. Our analysis demonstrated significant increases in accumulated warmth sum days between 1999 and 2012 (P = 0.01). Icterid species richness also increased with increasing warmth sum days during the month leading up to surveys (P = 0.02). Trends in both habitat (open woodland, marsh, and grassland) and feeding guild (insectivores and omnivores) species richness were also observed with increasing warmth sum days. These findings suggest a shift towards earlier spring arrival of members of the family Icteridae in eastern South Dakota

Nowhere minimal CR submanifolds and Levi-flat hypersurfaces

A local uniqueness property of holomorphic functions on real-analytic nowhere minimal CR submanifolds of higher codimension is investigated. A sufficient condition called almost minimality is given and studied. A weaker necessary condition, being contained a possibly singular real-analytic Levi-flat hypersurface is studied and characterized. This question is completely resolved for algebraic submanifolds of codimension 2 and a sufficient condition for noncontainment is given for non algebraic submanifolds. As a consequence, an example of a submanifold of codimension 2, not biholomorphically equivalent to an algebraic one, is given. We also investigate the structure of singularities of Levi-flat hypersurfaces.Comment: 21 pages; conjecture 2.8 was removed in proof; to appear in J. Geom. Ana

On-Shell Recursion Relations for Generic Theories

We show that on-shell recursion relations hold for tree amplitudes in generic two derivative theories of multiple particle species and diverse spins. For example, in a gauge theory coupled to scalars and fermions, any amplitude with at least one gluon obeys a recursion relation. In (super)gravity coupled to scalars and fermions, the same holds for any amplitude with at least one graviton. This result pertains to a broad class of theories, including QCD, N=4 SYM, and N=8 supergravity.Comment: 19 pages, 3 figure

Detection of chromosomal inversions using non-repetitive nucleic acid probes

A method for the identification of chromosomal inversions is described. Single-stranded sister chromatids are generated, for example by CO-FISH. A plurality of non-repetitive, labeled probes of relatively small size are hybridized to portions of only one of a pair of single-stranded sister chromatids. If no inversion exists, all of the probes will hybridize to a first chromatid. If an inversion has occurred, these marker probes will be detected on the sister chromatid at the same location as the inversion on the first chromatid

EBV Latent Membrane Protein 1 Activates Akt, NFκB, and Stat3 in B Cell Lymphomas

Latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) is the major oncoprotein of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). In transgenic mice, LMP1 promotes increased lymphoma development by 12 mo of age. This study reveals that lymphoma develops in B-1a lymphocytes, a population that is associated with transformation in older mice. The lymphoma cells have deregulated cell cycle markers, and inhibitors of Akt, NFκB, and Stat3 block the enhanced viability of LMP1 transgenic lymphocytes and lymphoma cells in vitro. Lymphoma cells are independent of IL4/Stat6 signaling for survival and proliferation, but have constitutively activated Stat3 signaling. These same targets are also deregulated in wild-type B-1a lymphomas that arise spontaneously through age predisposition. These results suggest that Akt, NFκB, and Stat3 pathways may serve as effective targets in the treatment of EBV-associated B cell lymphomas

Detection of Chromosomal Inversions Using Non-Repetitive Nucleic Acid Probes

A method and a kit for the identification of chromosomal inversions are described. Single-stranded sister chromatids are generated, for example by CO-FISH. A plurality of non-repetitive, labeled probes of relatively small size are hybridized to portions of only one of a pair of single-stranded sister chromatids. If no inversion exists, all of the probes will hybridize to a first chromatid. If an inversion has occurred, these marker probes will be detected on the sister chromatid at the same location as the inversion on the first chromatid

Note on New KLT relations

In this short note, we present two results about KLT relations discussed in recent several papers. Our first result is the re-derivation of Mason-Skinner MHV amplitude by applying the S_{n-3} permutation symmetric KLT relations directly to MHV amplitude. Our second result is the equivalence proof of the newly discovered S_{n-2} permutation symmetric KLT relations and the well-known S_{n-3} permutation symmetric KLT relations. Although both formulas have been shown to be correct by BCFW recursion relations, our result is the first direct check using the regularized definition of the new formula.Comment: 15 Pages; v2: minor correction

Resonances of the cusp family

We study a family of chaotic maps with limit cases the tent map and the cusp map (the cusp family). We discuss the spectral properties of the corresponding Frobenius--Perron operator in different function spaces including spaces of analytic functions. A numerical study of the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions is performed.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to J.Phys.

Note on Bonus Relations for N=8 Supergravity Tree Amplitudes

We study the application of non-trivial relations between gravity tree amplitudes, the bonus relations, to all tree-level amplitudes in N=8 supergravity. We show that the relations can be used to simplify explicit formulae of supergravity tree amplitudes, by reducing the known form as a sum of (n-2)! permutations obtained by solving on-shell recursion relations, to a new form as a (n-3)!-permutation sum. We demonstrate the simplification by explicit calculations of the next-to-maximally helicity violating (NMHV) and next-to-next-to-maximally helicity violating (N^2MHV) amplitudes, and provide a general pattern of bonus coefficients for all tree-level amplitudes.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures; v2, minor changes, references adde

A Novel Genome-Wide Association Study Approach Using Genotyping by Exome Sequencing Leads to the Identification of a Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Associated Inversion Disrupting ADAMTS17

Closed breeding populations in the dog in conjunction with advances in gene mapping and sequencing techniques facilitate mapping of autosomal recessive diseases and identification of novel disease-causing variants, often using unorthodox experimental designs. In our investigation we demonstrate successful mapping of the locus for primary open angle glaucoma in the Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen dog breed with 12 cases and 12 controls, using a novel genotyping by exome sequencing approach. The resulting genome-wide association signal was followed up by genome sequencing of an individual case, leading to the identification of an inversion with a breakpoint disrupting the ADAMTS17 gene. Genotyping of additional controls and expression analysis provide strong evidence that the inversion is disease causing. Evidence of cryptic splicing resulting in novel exon transcription as a consequence of the inversion in ADAMTS17 is identified through RNAseq experiments. This investigation demonstrates how a novel genotyping by exome sequencing approach can be used to map an autosomal recessive disorder in the dog, with the use of genome sequencing to facilitate identification of a disease-associated variant