Novel microsatellite loci for Sebaea aurea (Gentianaceae) and cross-amplification in related species.

Premise of the study: Microsatellite loci were developed in Sebaea aurea (Gentianaceae) to investigate the functional role of diplostigmaty (i.e., the presence of additional stigmas along the style). Methods and Results: One hundred seventy-four and 180 microsatellite loci were isolated through 454 shotgun sequencing of genomic and microsatellite-enriched DNA libraries, respectively. Sixteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were characterized, and 12 of them were selected to genotype individuals from two populations. Microsatellite amplification was conducted in two multiplex groups, each containing six microsatellite loci. Cross-species amplification was tested in seven other species of Sebaea. The 12 novel microsatellite loci amplified only in the two most closely related species to S. aurea (i.e., S. ambigua and S. minutiflora) and were also polymorphic in these two species. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the usefulness of this set of newly developed microsatellite loci to investigate the mating system and population genetic structure in S. aurea and related species

Neutrino mass and nature through its mediation in atomic clock interference

The absolute mass of neutrinos and their nature are presently unknown. Aggregate matter has a coherent weak charge leading to a repulsive interaction mediated by a neutrino pair. Near its range at micron distances the virtual neutrinos are non-relativistic, giving a distinct behavior for Dirac versus Majorana mass terms. The magnitude and the distance dependence of the effective potential disentangle these fundamental properties of neutrinos. We propose an experiment to search for this potential based on the concept that the density dependent interaction of an atomic probe with a material source in one arm of an atomic clock interferometer generates a differential phase. The appropriate geometry of the device is selected using the saturation of the weak potential as a guide. The proposed experiment has the added benefit of being sensitive to gravity at micron distances. A strategy to suppress the competing Casimir-Polder interaction, depending on the electronic structure of the material source, as well as a way to compensate the gravitational interaction in the two arms of the interferometer is discussed.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, 2 table

Determinantes de la eco-innovación en la actividad de costrucción en España

Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial 3.0 España (CC BY-NC 3.0 ES)[ES] Partiendo del modelo validado por los autores que determina como variables que afectan a la eco-innovación la orientación a procesos, a productos y la obtención de información de fuentes de mercado, identificamos distintos grupos atendiendo al comportamiento eco-innovador de las empresas del sector de la construcción. Utilizando el algoritmo REBUS-PLS aplicado a 222 empresas con datos de PITEC, se detectan 2 grupos, destacando uno más orientado hacia el medioambiente al innovar, con cifras más altas de inversión en I+D así como la ausencia de diferencias significativas en las variables descriptivas (tamaño, cifra de negocios, inversiones, empleados), lo que indica que la eco-orientación al innovar no depende de estas características y sí que va ligada al comportamiento de la empresa. Los resultados tienen importantes aplicaciones prácticas por lo que a las actuaciones de política de promoción de la eco-innovación se refiere, tanto a nivel público como privado.Segarra Oña, MDV.; Peiró Signes, A.; Cervelló Royo, RE. (2015). Determinantes de la eco-innovación en la actividad de costrucción en España. Informes de la Construcción. 67(1):537-548. doi:10.3989/ic.13.124S537548671Pearce, D. (2006). Is the construction sector sustainable?: definitions and reflections. Building Research & Information, 34(3), 201-207. doi:10.1080/09613210600589910Turner, R. K. (2006). Sustainability auditing and assessment challenges. Building Research & Information, 34(3), 197-200. doi:10.1080/09613210600645795Hill, S., & Lorenz, D. (2011). Rethinking professionalism: guardianship of land and resources. Building Research & Information, 39(3), 314-319. doi:10.1080/09613218.2011.563051Du Plessis, C., & Cole, R. J. (2011). Motivating change: shifting the paradigm. Building Research & Information, 39(5), 436-449. doi:10.1080/09613218.2011.582697Bordass, B., & Leaman, A. (2013). A new professionalism: remedy or fantasy? Building Research & Information, 41(1), 1-7. doi:10.1080/09613218.2012.750572Jensen, J. S., Gottlieb, S. C., & Thuesen, C. L. (2011). Construction sector development: frames and governance responses. Building Research & Information, 39(6), 665-677. doi:10.1080/09613218.2011.621710(10) Cervelló-Royo, R., Segura-García del Río, B. (2010). Un modelo para evaluar y optimizar el impacto especial de las inversiones en regeneración urbana. Investigaciones Regionales, 17: 125-138.Courtney, R., & Winch, G. (2003). Re-engineering construction: the role of research and implementation. Building Research & Information, 31(2), 172-178. doi:10.1080/09613210301998Van Bueren, E., & De Jong, J. (2007). Establishing sustainability: policy successes and failures. Building Research & Information, 35(5), 543-556. doi:10.1080/09613210701203874Porter, M. E., & Linde, C. van der. (1995). Toward a New Conception of the Environment-Competitiveness Relationship. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 9(4), 97-118. doi:10.1257/jep.9.4.97(16) Esty, D.C., Winston, A.S. (2006) Green to Gold, How smart companies use environmental strategy to innovate, create value, and build competitive advantage. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.Rennings, K. (2000). Redefining innovation — eco-innovation research and the contribution from ecological economics. Ecological Economics, 32(2), 319-332. doi:10.1016/s0921-8009(99)00112-3(18) Segarra-O-a, M., Peiró-Signes, A., Albors-Garrigós, J., Miret-Pastor, L. (2011). Impact of Innovative Practices in Environmentally Focused Firms: Moderating Factors. International Journal of Environmental Research, 5(2): 425-434.(19) Segarra-O-a, M., Peiró-Signes, A., Miret-Pastor, L., Verma, R. (2011). Eco-innovation attitude and industry's tecnological level. An important key for promoting efficient vertical policies. Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 10(12): 1893-1901.(20) European Commission. (2004) Facing the challenge. The Lisbon strategy for growth and employment. Brussels: European Comission.(21) European Commission. (2010). Europe 2020: a strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Brussels: European Comission.Hidalgo, A., & Albors, J. (2008). Innovation management techniques and tools: a review from theory and practice. R&D Management, 38(2), 113-127. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9310.2008.00503.x(23) Vega Jurado, J., Gutiérrez Gracía, A., Fernández-de-Lucio, I. (2008). How do Spanish firms innovate? An empirical evidence. Journal of Technology Management Innovation, 3(3): 100-111.(24) Segarra-O-a, M., Peiró-Signes, A., Cervelló-Royo, R. (2015). A Framework to Move Forward on the Path to Eco-innovation in the Construction Industry: Implications to Improve Firms' Sustainable Orientation. Science and engineering ethics. :1-16.González-Benito, Ó., & González-Benito, J. (2008). Implications of market orientation on the environmental transformation of industrial firms. Ecological Economics, 64(4), 752-762. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2006.07.012(26) Segarra-O-a, M., Peiró-Signes, A., Mondéjar-Jiménez, J. (2013). Identifying Variables Affecting the Proactive Environmental Orientation of Firms: An Empirical Study. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 22(3): 873-880.Carrascosa-López, C., Segarra-Oña, M.-V., Peiró-Signes, Á., & Segura-García-del-Río, B. (2012). Does It Pay to Be «Greener» than Legislation? An Empirical Study of Spanish Tile Industry. Journal of Sustainable Development, 5(5). doi:10.5539/jsd.v5n5p17(29) Ferrari, G., Mondéjar-Jiménez, J., Vargas-Vargas, M. (2010). Environmental sustainable management of small rural tourist enterprises. International Journal of Environmental Research, 4(3): 407-414.Segarra-Oña, M.-V., Peiró-Signes, Á., Verma, R., & Miret-Pastor, L. (2012). Does Environmental Certification Help the Economic Performance of Hotels? Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 53(3), 242-256. doi:10.1177/1938965512446417(32) Stern, N. (2006). The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.(2005). Oslo Manual. The Measurement of Scientific and Technological Activities. doi:10.1787/9789264013100-enKibert, C. J. (2007). The next generation of sustainable construction. Building Research & Information, 35(6), 595-601. doi:10.1080/09613210701467040Leaman, A., & Bordass, B. (2007). Are users more tolerant of ‘green’ buildings? Building Research & Information, 35(6), 662-673. doi:10.1080/09613210701529518Esposito Vinzi, V., Trinchera, L., Squillacciotti, S., & Tenenhaus, M. (2008). REBUS-PLS: A response-based procedure for detecting unit segments in PLS path modelling. Applied Stochastic Models in Business and Industry, 24(5), 439-458. doi:10.1002/asmb.728Zanin, L. (2011). Detecting Unobserved Heterogeneity in the Relationship Between Subjective Well-Being and Satisfaction in Various Domains of Life Using the REBUS-PLS Path Modelling Approach: A Case Study. Social Indicators Research, 110(1), 281-304. doi:10.1007/s11205-011-9931-5(43) Chin, W. W. (1998). The partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling. En G. A. Marcoulides (Ed.), Modern Methods for Business Research (pp. 295-358).Chin, W. W., Marcolin, B. L., & Newsted, P. R. (2003). A Partial Least Squares Latent Variable Modeling Approach for Measuring Interaction Effects: Results from a Monte Carlo Simulation Study and an Electronic-Mail Emotion/Adoption Study. Information Systems Research, 14(2), 189-217. doi:10.1287/isre.14.2.189.16018(45) Nunnally, J.C., Bernstein, I.H. (1995). Teoría psicométrica. México: McGraw-Hill.Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error: Algebra and Statistics. 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Neutron Valence Structure From Nuclear Deep Inelastic Scattering

Mechanisms of spin-flavor SU(6) symmetry breaking in quantum chromodynamics (QCD) are studied via an extraction of the free neutron structure function from a global analysis of deep inelastic scattering (DIS) data on the proton and on nuclei from A = 2 (deuterium) to 208 (lead). Modification of the structure function of nucleons bound in atomic nuclei (known as the EMC effect) are consistently accounted for within the framework of a universal modification of nucleons in short-range correlated (SRC) pairs. Our extracted neutron-to-proton structure function ratio Fn2/Fp2 becomes constant for xB ≥ 0.6, equaling 0.47 ± 0.04 as xB → 1, in agreement with theoretical predictions of perturbative QCD and the Dyson-Schwinger equation, and in disagreement with predictions of the scalar diquark dominance model. We also predict F32He/F32H, recently measured, as yet unpublished, by the MARATHON Collaboration, the nuclear correction function that is needed to extract Fn2/Fp2 from F32He/F32H, and the theoretical uncertainty associated with this extraction

Laser Calibration System for Time of Flight Scintillator Arrays

A laser calibration system was developed for monitoring and calibrating time of flight (TOF) scintillating detector arrays. The system includes setups for both small- and large-scale scintillator arrays. Following test-bench characterization, the laser system was recently commissioned in experimental Hall B at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility for use on the new Backward Angle Neutron Detector (BAND) scintillator array. The system successfully provided time walk corrections, absolute time calibration, and TOF drift correction for the scintillators in BAND. This showcases the general applicability of the system for use on high-precision TOF detectors.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figure

Population Mobility, Globalization, and Antimicrobial Drug Resistance

Human travel contributes to antimicrobial drug resistance around the world

Modification of stool's water content in constipated infants: management with an adapted infant formula

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Constipation is a common occurrence in formula-fed infants. The aim of this preliminary study was to evaluate the impact of a formula with high levels of lactose and magnesium, in compliance with the official regulations, on stool water content, as well as a parental assessment of constipation.</p> <p>Materials and methods</p> <p>Thirty healthy term-born, formula-fed infants, aged 4-10 weeks, with functional constipation were included. All infants were full-term and fed standard formula. Exclusion criteria were preterm and/or low birth weight, organic constipation, being breast fed or fed a formula specially designed to treat constipation. Stool composition was measured by near-infrared reflectance analysis (NIRA) and parents answered questions about crying associated with defecation and stool consistency at baseline and after two weeks of the adapted formula.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After 2 weeks of the adapted formula, stool water content increased from 71 +/- 8.1% to 84 +/- 5.9%, (p < 0.02). There was no significant change in the stool's fat, protein or carbohydrate content. Parental impressions of constipation were improved with the decrease in stool hardness (100% with hard stools at baseline, 10% after 2 weeks), pain with defecation (90% at baseline, 10% after 2 weeks), and the requirement for rectal stimulation to achieve defecation (70% at baseline, 30% after 2 weeks, p < 0.001 for all three indicators).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This preliminary study suggests that an adapted formula with high levels of lactose and magnesium increases stool water content and improves symptoms of constipation in term-born, formula-fed infants. A larger randomized placebo-controlled trial is indicated.</p