902 research outputs found
A multiplex set for microsatellite typing and sexing of the European bee-eater (Merops apiaster)
Microsatellite loci are widely used in ecological and evolutionary studies to assess inbreeding, genetic parentage and population structure. Such loci are often optimised in multiplexes to allow for economical and efficient use. Here, we tested 11 microsatellite loci designed for use in European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster), along with 31 loci isolated in other species, for their utility in European bee-eaters sampled on Susak Island, Croatia. Of these 42 loci, 20 were polymorphic in 38 individuals. These polymorphic loci were further assessed in a sub-set of 23 adults, excluding close relatives, and exhibited between three and 13 alleles each. All loci were autosomal, as indicated by the presence of heterozygotes in both males and females. One of the polymorphic loci exhibited low heterozygosity, three loci deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and three pairs of loci displayed linkage disequilibrium. The remaining selected eight cross-species loci and seven loci isolated in European bee-eaters were combined with two sex-typing markers and optimised in five multiplexes. A combination of 15 autosomal loci of varying degrees of polymorphism makes this multiplex set particularly suitable for both parentage and spatial genetic analyses. This multiplex set therefore provides a useful toolkit for studying kin selection and population genetics in the cooperatively breeding European bee-eater and, potentially, in other closely related species
Age-Related Human Resource Management Policies and Practices: Antecedents, Outcomes, and Conceptualizations
Due to the demographic change in age, societies, firms, and individuals struggle with the need to postpone retirement while keeping up motivation, performance, and health throughout employees’ working life. Organizations,
and specifically the Human Resource Management (HRM) practices they design and implement, take a central role
in this process. Being influenced by macro-level trends such as new legislation, organizational HRM practices affect outcomes such as productivity and employability both at the firm and individual level of analysis. This editorial
introduces the Special Issue on “Age-related Human Resource Management Policies and Practices” by conducting
an interdisciplinary literature review. We offer an organizing framework that spans the macro-, meso-, and individual
level and discusses major antecedents, boundary conditions, and outcomes of age-related HRM practices. Further,
we propose a typology of HRM practices and discuss the role of individual HRM dimensions versus bundles of
HRM practices in dealing with an aging and more age-diverse workforce. Building on these considerations, we introduce the eight articles included in this special issue. Finally, taking stock of our review and the new studies presented
here, we deduct some recommendations for future research in the field of age-related HRM
Despite NAIS concerns electronic identification use by cow-calf producers is increasing
The proposed U.S. National Animal Identification System has generated concerns
among producers relative to implementation
of the system. Many of these concerns stem
from the USDA’s Bovine Identification Working
Group’s recommendations to use electronic
Identification Plan Bovine Working Group has recommended radio frequency identification as the technology to individually identify cattle. Understanding and implementing an electronic identification system for cow-calf producers
is believed to be one of the greatest
challenges of implementing the National
Animal Identification System
Variance of transmitted power in multichannel dissipative ergodic structures invariant under time reversal
We use random matrix theory (RMT) to study the first two moments of the wave
power transmitted in time reversal invariant systems having ergodic motion.
Dissipation is modeled by a number of loss channels of variable coupling
strength. To make a connection with ultrasonic experiments on ergodic
elastodynamic billiards, the channels injecting and collecting the waves are
assumed to be negligibly coupled to the medium, and to contribute essentially
no dissipation. Within the RMT model we calculate the quantities of interest
exactly, employing the supersymmetry technique. This approach is found to be
more accurate than another method based on simplifying naive assumptions for
the statistics of the eigenfrequencies and the eigenfunctions. The results of
the supersymmetric method are confirmed by Monte Carlo numerical simulation and
are used to reveal a possible source of the disagreement between the
predictions of the naive theory and ultrasonic measurements.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
One-pot, regiospecific assembly of (E)-benzamidines from δ- and γ-amino acids via an intramolecular aminoquinazolinone rearrangement
The efficient generation of novel, N-linked benzamidines resulting from a regiospecific rearrangement of quinazolinones is described. This methodology study explored reaction parameters including the effect of changing solvent and temperature, as well as varying electronic substituents on the structural core. The transformation was extensively optimized in terms of reaction conditions and scope, resulting in a protocol that consistently affords diversely functionalized amidines in high yield. The process permits regional structural derivatization that was previously inaccessible, and the multistep process was also reduced to a telescoped, five-step sequence that efficiently affords pharmacologically unique (E)-benzamidoamidines from N-BOC protected γ- and δ-amino acids
Local and Global Casimir Energies: Divergences, Renormalization, and the Coupling to Gravity
From the beginning of the subject, calculations of quantum vacuum energies or
Casimir energies have been plagued with two types of divergences: The total
energy, which may be thought of as some sort of regularization of the
zero-point energy, , seems manifestly divergent. And
local energy densities, obtained from the vacuum expectation value of the
energy-momentum tensor, , typically diverge near
boundaries. The energy of interaction between distinct rigid bodies of whatever
type is finite, corresponding to observable forces and torques between the
bodies, which can be unambiguously calculated. The self-energy of a body is
less well-defined, and suffers divergences which may or may not be removable.
Some examples where a unique total self-stress may be evaluated include the
perfectly conducting spherical shell first considered by Boyer, a perfectly
conducting cylindrical shell, and dilute dielectric balls and cylinders. In
these cases the finite part is unique, yet there are divergent contributions
which may be subsumed in some sort of renormalization of physical parameters.
The divergences that occur in the local energy-momentum tensor near surfaces
are distinct from the divergences in the total energy, which are often
associated with energy located exactly on the surfaces. However, the local
energy-momentum tensor couples to gravity, so what is the significance of
infinite quantities here? For the classic situation of parallel plates there
are indications that the divergences in the local energy density are consistent
with divergences in Einstein's equations; correspondingly, it has been shown
that divergences in the total Casimir energy serve to precisely renormalize the
masses of the plates, in accordance with the equivalence principle.Comment: 53 pages, 1 figure, invited review paper to Lecture Notes in Physics
volume in Casimir physics edited by Diego Dalvit, Peter Milonni, David
Roberts, and Felipe da Ros
Prestellar grain-surface origins of deuterated methanol in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Stars and planetary system
Demonstration of the temporal matter-wave Talbot effect for trapped matter waves
We demonstrate the temporal Talbot effect for trapped matter waves using
ultracold atoms in an optical lattice. We investigate the phase evolution of an
array of essentially non-interacting matter waves and observe matter-wave
collapse and revival in the form of a Talbot interference pattern. By using
long expansion times, we image momentum space with sub-recoil resolution,
allowing us to observe fractional Talbot fringes up to 10th order.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figure
Kaon Production and Kaon to Pion Ratio in Au+Au Collisions at \snn=130 GeV
Mid-rapidity transverse mass spectra and multiplicity densities of charged
and neutral kaons are reported for Au+Au collisions at \snn=130 GeV at RHIC.
The spectra are exponential in transverse mass, with an inverse slope of about
280 MeV in central collisions. The multiplicity densities for these particles
scale with the negative hadron pseudo-rapidity density. The charged kaon to
pion ratios are and
for the most central collisions. The ratio is lower than the same
ratio observed at the SPS while the is higher than the SPS result.
Both ratios are enhanced by about 50% relative to p+p and +p
collision data at similar energies.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, 1 tabl
Phi meson production in Au+Au and p+p collisions at sqrt (s)=200 GeV
We report the STAR measurement of Phi meson production in Au+Au and p+p
collisions at sqrt (s)=200 GeV. Using the event mixing technique, the Phi
spectra and yields are obtained at mid-rapidity for five centrality bins in
Au+Au collisions and for non-singly-diffractive p+p collisions. It is found
that the Phi transverse momentum distributions from Au+Au collisions are better
fitted with a single-exponential while the p+p spectrum is better described by
a double-exponential distribution. The measured nuclear modification factors
indicate that Phi production in central Au+Au collisions is suppressed relative
to peripheral collisions when scaled by the number of binary collisions. The
systematics of versus centrality and the constant Phi/K- ratio versus beam
species, centrality, and collision energy rule out kaon coalescence as the
dominant mechanism for Phi production.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. Let
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