Mineral Acquisition from Clay by Budongo Forest Chimpanzees

Chimpanzees of the Sonso community, Budongo Forest, Uganda were observed eating clay and drinking clay-water from waterholes. We show that clay, clay-rich water, and clay obtained with leaf sponges, provide a range of minerals in different concentrations. The presence of aluminium in the clay consumed indicates that it takes the form of kaolinite. We discuss the contribution of clay geophagy to the mineral intake of the Sonso chimpanzees and show that clay eaten using leaf sponges is particularly rich in minerals. We show that termite mound soil, also regularly consumed, is rich in minerals. We discuss the frequency of clay and termite soil geophagy in the context of the disappearance from Budongo Forest of a formerly rich source of minerals, the decaying pith of Raphia farinifera palms

Precise calculation of transition frequencies of hydrogen and deuterium based on a least-squares analysis

We combine a limited number of accurately measured transition frequencies in hydrogen and deuterium, recent quantum electrodynamics (QED) calculations, and, as an essential additional ingredient, a generalized least-squares analysis, to obtain precise and optimal predictions for hydrogen and deuterium transition frequencies. Some of the predicted transition frequencies have relative uncertainties more than an order of magnitude smaller than that of the g-factor of the electron, which was previously the most accurate prediction of QED.Comment: 4 pages, RevTe

Deep three-dimensional solid-state qubit arrays with long-lived spin coherence

Nitrogen-vacancy centers (NVCs) in diamond show promise for quantum computing, communication, and sensing. However, the best current method for entangling two NVCs requires that each one is in a separate cryostat, which is not scalable. We show that single NVCs can be laser written 6–15-µm deep inside of a diamond with spin coherence times that are an order of magnitude longer than previous laser-written NVCs and at least as long as naturally occurring NVCs. This depth is suitable for integration with solid immersion lenses or optical cavities and we present depth-dependent T2 measurements. 200 000 of these NVCs would fit into one diamond

Electronic Structure of Atoms in Magnetic Quadrupole Traps

We investigate the electronic structure and properties of atoms exposed to a magnetic quadrupole field. The spin-spatial as well as generalized time reversal symmetries are established and shown to lead to a two-fold degeneracy of the electronic states in the presence of the field. Low-lying as well as highly excited Rydberg states are computed and analyzed for a broad regime of field gradients. The delicate interplay between the Coulomb and various magnetic interactions leads to complex patterns of the spatial spin polarization of individual excited states. Electromagnetic transitions in the quadrupole field are studied in detail thereby providing the selection rules and in particular the transition wavelengths and corresponding dipole strengths. The peculiar property that the quadrupole magnetic field induces permanent electric dipole moments of the atoms is derived and discussed.Comment: 17 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in PR

Toward an International Paramedic Research Agenda

Around the world the emergency medical services (EMS) profession has made tremendous strides over recent decades. We have become more professional, have a rapidly growing proportion of paramedics who are university qualified, our practice has become more evidence-based, and a growing number of paramedics are completing graduate-level programs and going on to conduct their own research. As a profession we have much to celebrate when we consider these accomplishments.In some ways we are also following in the footsteps of other professions that have developed along similar pathways. A century ago physicians were trained in hospital basements and practiced procedures that had little evidence to ensure their quality or effectiveness. A half century ago nurses were largely trained in hospital basements and again had little research to justify their practices. Members of those professions recognized that the only way out of the basement was through the university. Members of those and other health professions took it upon themselves to make a university degree a requirement to enter practice. They recognized that a university degree was a key requirement of professionalism. Today we could not imagine a physician without a university degree and almost all new nurses and allied health professionals are now graduates of university programs

Reversibility of frailty after lung transplantation

Background. Frailty contributes to increased morbidity and mortality in patients referred for and undergoing lung transplantation (LTX). &e study aim was to determine if frailty is reversible after LTX in those classified as frail at LTX evaluation. Methods. Consecutive LTX recipients were included. All patients underwent modified physical frailty assessment during LTX evaluation. For patients assessed as frail, frailty was reassessed on completion of the post-LTX rehabilitation program. Frailty was defined by the presence of ≥ 3 domains of the modified Fried Frailty Phenotype (mFFP). Results. We performed 166 lung transplants (frail patients, n = 27, 16%). Eighteen of the 27 frail patients have undergone frailty reassessment. Eight frail patients died, and one interstate recipient did not return for reassessment. In the 18 (66%) patients reassessed, there was an overall reduction in their frailty score post-LTX ((3.4 ± 0.6 to 1.0 ± 0.7), p < 0.001) with 17/18 (94%) no longer classified as frail. Improvements were seen in the following frailty domains: exhaustion, mobility, appetite, and activity. Handgrip strength did not improve posttransplant. Conclusions. Physical frailty was largely reversible following LTX, underscoring the importance of considering frailty a dynamic, not a fixed, entity. Further work is needed to identify those patients whose frailty is modifiable and establish specific interventions to improve frailty

In vivo parasitological measures of artemisinin susceptibility

Parasite clearance data from 18,699 patients with falciparum malaria treated with an artemisinin derivative in areas of low (n=14,539), moderate (n=2077), and high (n=2083) levels of malaria transmission across the world were analyzed to determine the factors that affect clearance rates and identify a simple in vivo screening measure for artemisinin resistance. The main factor affecting parasite clearance time was parasite density on admission. Clearance rates were faster in high-transmission settings and with more effective partner drugs in artemisinin-based combination treatments (ACTs). The result of the malaria blood smear on day 3 (72 h) was a good predictor of subsequent treatment failure and provides a simple screening measure for artemisinin resistance. Artemisinin resistance is highly unlikely if the proportion of patients with parasite densities of <100,000 parasites/microL given the currently recommended 3-day ACT who have a positive smear result on day 3 is <3%; that is, for n patients the observed number with a positive smear result on day 3 does not exceed (n + 60)/24

Quantifying full phenological event distributions reveals simultaneous advances, temporal stability and delays in spring and autumn migration timing in long-distance migratory birds

Acknowledgements We thank all Fair Isle Bird Observatory staff and volunteers for help with data collection and acknowledge the foresight of George Waterston and Ken Williamson in instigating the observatory and census methodology. We thank all current and previous directors of Fair Isle Bird Observatory Trust for their contributions, particularly Dave Okill and Mike Wood for their stalwart support for the long-term data collection and for the current analyses. Dawn Balmer and Ian Newton provided helpful guidance on manuscript drafts. We thank Ally Phillimore and two anonymous referees for helpful comments. This study would have been impossible without the Fair Isle community's invaluable support and patience over many decades, which is very gratefully acknowledged. WTSM and JMR designed and undertook analyses, wrote the paper and contributed to data collection and compilation, MB contributed to analysis and editing, all other authors oversaw and undertook data collection and compilation and contributed to editing.Peer reviewedPostprin