Influence of territorial aggressiveness of ostrich males on egg production of companion female ostriches

(South African J of Animal Science, 2000, 30, Supplement 1: 68-69

Patch behaviour and predictability properties of modelled finite-amplitude sand ridges on the inner shelf

The long-term evolution of shoreface-connected sand ridges is investigated with a nonlinear spectral model which governs the dynamics of waves, currents, sediment transport and the bed level on the inner shelf. Wave variables are calculated with a shoaling-refraction model instead of using a parameterisation. The spectral model describes the time evolution of amplitudes of known eigenmodes of the linearised system. Bottom pattern formation occurs if the transverse bottom slope of the inner shelf, β, exceeds a critical value β<sub>c</sub>. For fixed model parameters the sensitivity of the properties of modelled sand ridges to changes in the number (<i>N</i>−1) of resolved subharmonics (of the initially fastest growing mode) is investigated. For any <i>N</i> the model shows the growth and subsequent saturation of the height of the sand ridges. The saturation time scale is several thousands of years, which suggests that observed sand ridges have not reached their saturated stage yet. The migration speed of the ridges and the average longshore spacing between successive crests in the saturated state differ from those in the initial state. Analysis of the potential energy balance of the ridges reveals that bed slope-induced sediment transport is crucial for the saturation process. In the transient stage the shoreface-connected ridges occur in patches. The overall characteristics of the bedforms (saturation time, final maximum height, average longshore spacing, migration speed) hardly vary with <i>N</i>. However, individual time series of modal amplitudes and bottom patterns strongly depend on <i>N</i>, thereby implying that the detailed evolution of sand ridges can only be predicted over a limited time interval. Additional experiments show that the critical bed slope β<sub>c</sub> increases with larger offshore angles of wave incidence, larger offshore wave heights and longer wave periods, and that the corresponding maximum height of the ridges decreases whilst the saturation time increases

The influence of stocking rate and male:female ratio on the production of breeding ostriches (Struthio camelus spp.) under commercial farming conditions

The study provides information on the reproductive performance of ostriches maintained at different stocking rates and male:female (M:F) ratios under intensive commercial conditions in the Little Karoo, South Africa. Breeding ostriches are concentrated on relatively small areas and through trampling have a most significant impact on the vegetation in the Little Karoo. Reproductive performance, as influenced by stocking rate and M:F ratio, was investigated. Stocking rates for the large flocks ranged from 114 to 210 birds/ha, and stocking rates for smaller flocks ranged between 9 to 13 birds in 0.13 ha and 0.30 ha camps, respectively. The different M:F ratios investigated, were 1M:1F (pairs), 1M:2F (trios) and 1M:3F (quads), for breeding systems maintained in 0.06 ha camps. In almost all breeding systems total and average egg production, fertility and hatchability were compromised when stocking rate was increased. High stocking rates were detrimental to the reproductive performance and reproductive behaviour of the flocks. Increasing the number of females per male had no negative influence on the reproduction traits, with a significantly higher production observed for breeding quads. Our findings indicated that ostrich breeding flocks can be maintained at stocking rates higher than those presently used on commercial ostrich farms. Breeding pairs, trios and quads can also be maintained on smaller areas, with acceptable production levels. Increasing stocking densities will have a possible inhibitory effect on the establishment of territories and use of space, thereby impacting on the reproductive behaviour of ostrich females and males in large flocks, respectively. This has important implications in terms of the intensification of ostrich farming especially in areas that are characterised by vegetation that is exposed to the trampling effect of ostriches. South African Journal of Animal Science Vol.34(2) 2004: 87-9

Nucleon-Nucleon interaction, charge symmetry breaking and renormalization

We study the interplay between charge symmetry breaking and renormalization in the NN system for s-waves. We find a set of universality relations which disentangle explicitly the known long distance dynamics from low energy parameters and extend them to the Coulomb case. We analyze within such an approach the One-Boson-Exchange potential and the theoretical conditions which allow to relate the proton-neutron, proton-proton and neutron-neutron scattering observables without the introduction of extra new parameters and providing good phenomenological success.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure

Pertinent Dirac structure for QCD sum rules of meson-baryon coupling constants

Using general baryon interpolating fields $J_B$ for $B= N, \Xi, \Sigma,$ without derivative, we study QCD sum rules for meson-baryon couplings and their dependence on Dirac structures for the two-point correlation function with a meson i\int d^4x e^{iqx} \bra 0|{\rm T}[J_B(x)\bar{J}_B(0)] |{\cal M}(p)\ket. Three distinct Dirac structures are compared: $i\gamma_5$, i\gamma_5\fslash{p}, and $\gamma_5\sigma_{\mu\nu}q^\mu p^\nu$ structures. From the dependence of the OPE on general baryon interpolating fields, we propose criteria for choosing an appropriate Dirac structure for the coupling sum rules. The $\gamma_5\sigma_{\mu\nu}q^\mu p^\nu$ sum rules satisfy the criteria while the $i\gamma_5$ sum rules beyond the chiral limit do not. For the i\gamma_5\fslash{p} sum rules, the large continuum contributions prohibit reliable prediction for the couplings. Thus, the $\gamma_5\sigma_{\mu\nu}q^\mu p^\nu$ structure seems pertinent for realistic predictions. In the SU(3) limit, we identify the OPE terms responsible for the $F/D$ ratio. We then study the dependence of the ratio on the baryon interpolating fields. We conclude the ratio $F/D \sim 0.6-0.8$ for appropriate choice of the interpolating fields.Comment: To be published in Phys.Rev.C ; 21 pages,8 figures, revtex ; references are adde

A review of the relationship between eggshell colour and water vapour conductance

This review brings together the available literature that examines the effect of variations in pigmentation on the gas conductance of avian eggshells. Pheasant and Houbara bustard eggs provide some evidence that shell abnormalities can impact upon colour and conductance. By contrast, data from wild birds suggest that neither the degree of maculation or intensity of ground colour impact upon gas conductance. Those studies that purport to show variation in rates of water loss in eggs with different degrees of pigmentation may have been confounded by variation in nest humidity. This emerging field of research remains very much in its infancy

Evidence use as sociomaterial practice? A qualitative study of decision-making on introducing service innovations in health care

A policy aspiration is that evidence should inform decision-making on introducing health service innovations. Internationally, innovation adoption has historically been slow and patchy. Three innovations in the English and Scottish National Health Service were analysed qualitatively: stroke service reconfiguration; revised national guidance on cancer referral; and ‘virtual’ glaucoma outpatient clinics. The authors identify three sociomaterial mechanisms through which evidence and context shape each other in decision-making: connecting, ordering, resisting. Shared preferences for research evidence enabled the medical profession to exert influence on decision-making, while other professions used alternative evidence. Implications for promoting inclusive public management around service innovations are discussed

Polarizabilities in the condensed phase and the local fields problem: A direct reaction field formulation

A consistent derivation is given for local field factors to be used for correcting measured or calculated static (hyper)polarizabilities in the condensed phases. We show how local fields should be used in the coupled perturbative Hartree–Fock or finite field methods for calculating these properties, specifically for the direct reaction field (DRF) approach, in which a quantum chemically treated “solute” is embedded in a classical “solvent” mainly containing discrete molecules. The derivation of the local fields is based on a strictly linear response of the classical parts and they are independent of any quantum mechanical method to be used. In applications to two water dimers in two basis sets it is shown that DRF matches fully quantum mechanical results quite well. For acetone in eleven different solvents we find that if the solvent is modeled by only a dielectric continuum (hyper)polarizabilities increase with respect to their vacuum values, while with the discrete model they decrease. We show that the use of the Lorentz field factor for extracting (hyper)polarizabilities from experimental susceptibilities may lead to serious errors

Chiral effective theory predictions for deuteron form factor ratios at low Q^2

We use chiral effective theory to predict the deuteron form factor ratio G_C/G_Q as well as ratios of deuteron to nucleon form factors. These ratios are calculated to next-to-next-to-leading order. At this order the chiral expansion for the NN isoscalar charge operator (including consistently calculated 1/M corrections) is a parameter-free prediction of the effective theory. Use of this operator in conjunction with NLO and NNLO chiral effective theory wave functions produces results that are consistent with extant experimental data for Q^2 < 0.35 GeV^2. These wave functions predict a deuteron quadrupole moment G_Q(Q^2=0)=0.278-0.282 fm^2-with the variation arising from short-distance contributions to this quantity. The variation is of the same size as the discrepancy between the theoretical result and the experimental value. This motivates the renormalization of G_Q via a two-nucleon operator that couples to quadrupole photons. After that renormalization we obtain a robust prediction for the shape of G_C/G_Q at Q^2 < 0.3 GeV^2. This allows us to make precise, model-independent predictions for the values of this ratio that will be measured at the lower end of the kinematic range explored at BLAST. We also present results for the ratio G_C/G_M.Comment: 31 pages, 7 figure

The Lambda-Lambda Interaction and ^{6}_{Lambda Lambda}He

An OBE potential model for the ^{1}S_0 S = -2 interaction is analyzed with emphasis on the role of coupling between the Lambda Lambda, N Xi, and Sigma Sigma channels. Singlet scalar exchange, an approximation to two-pion exchange, is significant in all channels; surprisingly, the one-pion exchange component is almost negligible. The size of the channel coupling as a function of the overall strength of the OBE model potential is examined. Implications of the analysis for the binding energy of ^{6}_{Lambda Lambda}He are considered; the new experimental datum may suggest a consistency between the extracted Lambda Lambda matrix element and the relation implied by SU(3) among OBE baryon-baryon interactions. \\Comment: 4 pages brief report to Physical Review