Assessing Population Trends of New-Hampshire Forest Birds: Local vs Regional Patterns

We examined the changes in abundance between 1969 and 1986 of 19 forest-dwelling, mostly migratory bird species breeding in New Hampshire at 2 different scales: one local (an intensively studied 10-ha plot in unfragmented forest) and the other regional (Breeding Bird Surveys statewide). Twelve of the 19 species exhibited similar trends at both scales. Eight neither increased nor decreased, and 4 (Least Flycatcher, Winter Wren, Wood Thrush, and Swainsoh\u27s Thrush) declined significantly. Others increased, decreased, or re-mained steady at one or the other scale. Overall, more species declined than increased both locally (8 vs. 1) and regionally (5 vs. 1). Comparisons of these patterns, combined with results of intensive studies at the local level, suggest that changes in food abundance and in vege-tation structure related to forest succession on the breeding grounds, along with other pro-cesses that influence bird reproductive success and survivorship, are the most plausible explanations for most of the observed trends. Winter mortality was also identified as affecting breeding abundances, but only in short-distance migrant and permanently resident species. We have no evidence to indicate that the numbers of long-distance migrants were affected by events in their Neotropical wintering areas, although this possibility is difficult to assess from breeding-ground data. We urge caution in attributing declines of breeding forest migrant birds to tropical deforestation or similar causes until we either can eliminate alternate explanations that involve breeding-season events or have available critically needed demo-graphic information on migrant populations in their wintering areas

Site-Dependent Regulation of Population Size: a New Synthesis

The nature and extent of population regulation remains a principal unanswered question for many types of organisms, despite extensive research. In this paper, we provide a new synthesis of theoretical and empirical evidence that elucidates and extends a mechanism of population regulation for species whose individuals preemptively use sites that differ in suitability. The sites may be territories, refuges from predation, oviposition sites, etc. The mechanism, which we call site dependence, is not an alternative to density dependence; rather, site dependence is one of several mechanisms that potentially generate the negative feedback required for regulation. Site dependence has two major features: (1) environmentally caused heterogeneity among sites in suitability for reproduction and/or survival; and (2) preemptive site occupancy, with the tendency for individuals to move to sites of higher quality as they become available. Simulation modeling shows that these two features, acting in concert, generate negative feedback when progressively less suitable sites are used as population size increases, reducing average demographic rates for the population as a whole. Further, when population size decreases, only sites of high suitability are occupied, resulting in higher average demographic rates and, thus, population growth. The modeling results demonstrate that this site‐dependent mechanism can generate negative feedback at all population sizes in the absence of local crowding effects, and that this feedback is capable of regulating population size tightly. Operation of site dependence does not rely on the particular type of environmental factor(s) ultimately limiting population size, e.g., food, nest sites, predators, parasites, abiotic factors, or a combination of these. Furthermore, site dependence operates in saturated or unsaturated habitats and over a broad range of spatial scales for species that disperse widely relative to site diameter. A review of relevant field studies assessing the assumptions of the mechanism and its regulatory potential suggests that site dependence may provide a general explanation for population regulation in a wide variety of species

V1647 Ori (IRAS 05436-0007) in Outburst: the First Three Months

We report on photometric (BVRIJHK) and low dispersion spectroscopic observations of V1647 Ori, the star that drives McNeil's Nebula, between 10 February and 7 May 2004. The star is photometrically variable atop a general decline in brightness of about 0.3-0.4 magnitudes during these 87 days. The spectra are featureless, aside from H-alpha and the Ca II infrared triplet in emission, and a Na I D absorption feature. The Ca II triplet line ratios are typical of young stellar objects. The H-alpha equivalent width may be modulated on a period of about 60 days. The post-outburst extinction appears to be less than 7 mag. The data are suggestive of an FU Orionis-like event, but further monitoring will be needed to definitively characterize the outburst.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

Simultaneous Multi-Wavelength Observations of Magnetic Activity in Ultracool Dwarfs. I. The Complex Behavior of the M8.5 Dwarf TVLM513-46546

[Abridged] We present the first simultaneous radio, X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical spectroscopic observations of the M8.5 dwarf TVLM513-46546, with a duration of 9 hours. These observations are part of a program to study the origin of magnetic activity in ultracool dwarfs, and its impact on chromospheric and coronal emission. Here we detect steady quiescent radio emission superposed with multiple short-duration, highly polarized flares; there is no evidence for periodic bursts previously reported for this object, indicating their transient nature. We also detect soft X-ray emission, with L_X/L_bol~10^-4.9, the faintest to date for any object later than M5, and a possible weak X-ray flare. TVLM513-46546 continues the trend of severe violation of the radio/X-ray correlation in ultracool dwarfs, by nearly 4 orders of magnitude. From the optical spectroscopy we find that the Balmer line luminosity exceeds the X-ray luminosity by a factor of a few, suggesting that, unlike in early M dwarfs, chromospheric heating may not be due to coronal X-ray emission. More importantly, we detect a sinusoidal H-alpha light curve with a period of 2 hr, matching the rotation period of TVLM513-46546. This is the first known example of such Balmer line behavior, which points to a co-rotating chromospheric hot spot or an extended magnetic structure, with a covering fraction of about 50%. This feature may be transitory based on the apparent decline in light curve peak during the four observed maxima. From the radio data we infer a large scale steady magnetic field of ~100 G, in good agreement with the value required for confinement of the X-ray emitting plasma. The radio flares, on the other hand, are produced in a component of the field with a strength of ~3 kG and a likely multi-polar configuration.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figure

The Measurement of Territorial Differences in the Information Society

Glutamine synthetase (GS, EC 6.3.1.2; also known as γ-glutamyl:ammonia ligase) catalyzes the ATP-dependent condensation of glutamate and ammonia to form glutamine. The enzyme has essential roles in different tissues and species, which have led to its consideration as a drug or an herbicide target. In this article, we describe studies aimed at the discovery of new antimicrobial agents targeting Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative pathogen of tuberculosis. A number of distinct classes of GS inhibitors with an IC50 of micromolar value or better were identified via high-throughput screening. A commercially available purine analogue similar to one of the clusters identified (the diketopurines), 1-[(3,4-dichlorophenyl)methyl]-3,7-dimethyl-8-morpholin-4-yl-purine-2,6-dione, was also shown to inhibit the enzyme, with a measured IC50 of 2.5 ± 0.4 μM. Two X-ray structures are presented: one is a complex of the enzyme with the purine analogue alone (2.55-Å resolution), and the other includes the compound together with methionine sulfoximine phosphate, magnesium and phosphate (2.2-Å resolution). The former represents a relaxed, inactive conformation of the enzyme, while the latter is a taut, active one. These structures show that the compound binds at the same position in the nucleotide site, regardless of the conformational state. The ATP-binding site of the human enzyme differs substantially, explaining why it has an ∼ 60-fold lower affinity for this compound than the bacterial GS. As part of this work, we devised a new synthetic procedure for generating l-(SR)-methionine sulfoximine phosphate from l-(SR)-methionine sulfoximine, which will facilitate future investigations of novel GS inhibitors

Simultaneous Multi-Wavelength Observations of Magnetic Activity in Ultracool Dwarfs. II. Mixed Trends in VB10 and LSR1835+32 and the Possible Role of Rotation

[Abridged] As part of our on-going investigation of magnetic activity in ultracool dwarfs we present simultaneous radio, X-ray, UV, and optical observations of LSR1835+32 (M8.5), and simultaneous X-ray and UV observations of VB10 (M8), both with a duration of about 9 hours. LSR1835+32 exhibits persistent radio emission and H-alpha variability on timescales of ~0.5-2 hr. The detected UV flux is consistent with photospheric emission, and no X-ray emission is detected to a deep limit of L_X/L_bol<10^-5.7. The H-alpha and radio emission are temporally uncorrelated, and the ratio of radio to X-ray luminosity exceeds the correlation seen in F-M6 stars by >2x10^4. Similarly, L_Halpha/L_X>10 is at least 30 times larger than in early M dwarfs, and eliminates coronal emission as the source of chromospheric heating. The lack of radio variability during four rotations of LSR1835+32 requires a uniform stellar-scale field of ~10 G, and indicates that the H-alpha variability is dominated by much smaller scales, <10% of the chromospheric volume. VB10, on the other hand, shows correlated flaring and quiescent X-ray and UV emission, similar to the behavior of early M dwarfs. Delayed and densely-sampled optical spectra exhibit a similar range of variability amplitudes and timescales to those seen in the X-rays and UV, with L_Halpha/L_X~1. Along with our previous observations of the M8.5 dwarf TVLM513-46546 we conclude that late M dwarfs exhibit a mix of activity patterns, which points to a transition in the structure and heating of the outer atmosphere by large-scale magnetic fields. We find that rotation may play a role in generating the fields as evidenced by a tentative correlation between radio activity and rotation velocity. The X-ray emission, however, shows evidence for super-saturation at vsini>25 km/s.Comment: Submitted to Ap

Near Real-Time Lightning Data for Operations and Science Applications from the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the International Space Station (ISS)

No abstract availabl

Mixing quantum and classical mechanics and uniqueness of Planck's constant

Observables of quantum or classical mechanics form algebras called quantum or classical Hamilton algebras respectively (Grgin E and Petersen A (1974) {\it J Math Phys} {\bf 15} 764\cite{grginpetersen}, Sahoo D (1977) {\it Pramana} {\bf 8} 545\cite{sahoo}). We show that the tensor-product of two quantum Hamilton algebras, each characterized by a different Planck's constant is an algebra of the same type characterized by yet another Planck's constant. The algebraic structure of mixed quantum and classical systems is then analyzed by taking the limit of vanishing Planck's constant in one of the component algebras. This approach provides new insight into failures of various formalisms dealing with mixed quantum-classical systems. It shows that in the interacting mixed quantum-classical description, there can be no back-reaction of the quantum system on the classical. A natural algebraic requirement involving restriction of the tensor product of two quantum Hamilton algebras to their components proves that Planck's constant is unique.Comment: revised version accepted for publication in J.Phys.A:Math.Phy

Isorhamnetin, A Flavonol Aglycone from Ginkgo biloba L., Induces Neuronal Differentiation of Cultured PC12 Cells: Potentiating the Effect of Nerve Growth Factor

Flavonoids, a group of compounds mainly derived from vegetables and herbal medicines, share a chemical resemblance to estrogen, and indeed some of which have been used as estrogen substitutes. In searching for possible functions of flavonoids, the neuroprotective effect in brain could lead to novel treatment, or prevention, for neurodegenerative diseases. Here, different subclasses of flavonoids were analyzed for its inductive role in neurite outgrowth of cultured PC12 cells. Amongst the tested flavonoids, a flavonol aglycone, isorhamnetin that was isolated mainly from the leaves of Ginkgo biloba L. showed robust induction in the expression of neurofilament, a protein marker for neurite outgrowth, of cultured PC12 cells. Although isorhamnetin by itself did not show significant inductive effect on neurite outgrowth of cultured PC12 cells, the application of isorhamnetin potentiated the nerve growth factor- (NGF-)induced neurite outgrowth. In parallel, the expression of neurofilaments was markedly increased in the cotreatment of NGF and isorhamnetin in the cultures. The identification of these neurite-promoting flavonoids could be very useful in finding potential drugs, or food supplements, for treating various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and depression

Identification and characterization of two polymorphic Ya5 Alu repeats

Two new polymorphic Alu elements (HS2.25 and HS4.14) belonging to the young (Ya5/8) subfamily of human-specific Alu repeats have been identified. DNA sequence analysis of both Alu repeats revealed that each Alu repeat had a long 3\u27-oligo-dA-rich tail (41 and 52 nucleotides in length) and a low level of random mutations. HS2.25 and HS4.14 were flanked by short precise direct repeats of 8 and 14 nucleotides in length, respectively. HS2.25 was located on human chromosome 13, and HS4.14 on chromosome 1. Both Alu elements were absent from the orthologous positions within the genomes of non-human primates, and were highly polymorphic in a survey of twelve geographically diverse human groups