Evaluation of Population Indices and Estimators for Scaled Quail in the Rolling Plains of Texas

Accurate and precise population indices and estimators are important to gain reliable knowledge and make appropriate management decisions. Indices and estimators for scaled quail (Callipepla squamata), however, have not been evaluated thoroughly. Our objectives are to compare relationships among 8 years of roadside counts, spring call counts, and mark-recapture data obtained from the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch in Fisher County, TX, USA. Furthermore, we assess the efficacy of distance-based helicopter surveys as a method for scaled quail density estimates as compared to mark-recapture estimates for 2016–2017

Bio-Hacking Better Health—Leveraging Metabolic Biochemistry to Maximise Healthspan

In the pursuit of longevity and healthspan, we are challenged with first overcoming chronic diseases of ageing: cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cancer, dementias, type 2 diabetes mellitus. These are hyperinsulinaemia diseases presented in different tissue types. Hyperinsulinaemia reduces endogenous antioxidants, via increased consumption and reduced synthesis. Hyperinsulinaemia enforces glucose fuelling, consuming 4 NAD+ to produce 2 acetyl moieties; beta-oxidation, ketolysis and acetoacetate consume 2, 1 and 0, respectively. This decreases sirtuin, PARPs and oxidative management capacity, leaving reactive oxygen species to diffuse to the cytosol, upregulating aerobic glycolysis, NF-kB and cell division signalling. Also, oxidising cardiolipin, reducing oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and apoptosis ability; driving a tumourigenic phenotype. Over time, increasing senescent/pathological cell populations occurs, increasing morbidity and mortality. Beta-hydroxybutyrate, an antioxidant, metabolite and signalling molecule, increases synthesis of antioxidants via preserving NAD+ availability and enhancing OXPHOS capacity. Fasting and ketogenic diets increase ketogenesis concurrently decreasing insulin secretion and demand; hyperinsulinaemia inhibits ketogenesis. Lifestyles that maintain lower insulin levels decrease antioxidant catabolism, additionally increasing their synthesis, improving oxidative stress management and mitochondrial function and, subsequently, producing healthier cells. This supports tissue and organ health, leading to a better healthspan, the first challenge that must be overcome in the pursuit of youthful longevity

Stability analysis of the D-dimensional nonlinear Schroedinger equation with trap and two- and three-body interactions

Considering the static solutions of the D-dimensional nonlinear Schroedinger equation with trap and attractive two-body interactions, the existence of stable solutions is limited to a maximum critical number of particles, when D is greater or equal 2. In case D=2, we compare the variational approach with the exact numerical calculations. We show that, the addition of a positive three-body interaction allows stable solutions beyond the critical number. In this case, we also introduce a dynamical analysis of the conditions for the collapse.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure

Stability of the trapped nonconservative Gross-Pitaevskii equation with attractive two-body interaction

The dynamics of a nonconservative Gross-Pitaevskii equation for trapped atomic systems with attractive two-body interaction is numerically investigated, considering wide variations of the nonconservative parameters, related to atomic feeding and dissipation. We study the possible limitations of the mean field description for an atomic condensate with attractive two-body interaction, by defining the parameter regions where stable or unstable formation can be found. The present study is useful and timely considering the possibility of large variations of attractive two-body scattering lengths, which may be feasible in recent experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Physical Review

Microscopic Treatment of Binary Interactions in the Non-Equilibrium Dynamics of Partially Bose-condensed Trapped Gases

In this paper we use microscopic arguments to derive a nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger equation for trapped Bose-condensed gases. This is made possible by considering the equations of motion of various anomalous averages. The resulting equation explicitly includes the effect of repeated binary interactions (in particular ladders) between the atoms. Moreover, under the conditions that dressing of the intermediate states of a collision can be ignored, this equation is shown to reduce to the conventional Gross-Pitaevskii equation in the pseudopotential limit. Extending the treatment, we show first how the occupation of excited (bare particle) states affects the collisions, and thus obtain the many-body T-matrix approximation in a trap. In addition, we discuss how the bare particle many-body T-matrix gets dressed by mean fields due to condensed and excited atoms. We conclude that the most commonly used version of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation can only be put on a microscopic basis for a restrictive range of conditions. For partial condensation, we need to take account of interactions between condensed and excited atoms, which, in a consistent formulation, should also be expressed in terms of the many-body T-matrix. This can be achieved by considering fluctuations around the condensate mean field beyond those included in the conventional finite temperature mean field, i.e. Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov (HFB), theory.Comment: Resolved some problems with printing of figure

Characteristics of Clinical Shoulder Research Over the Last Decade: A Review of Shoulder Articles in \u3cem\u3eThe Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery\u3c/em\u3e from 2004 to 2014

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine characteristics and trends in published shoulder research over the last decade in a leading orthopaedic journal. Methods: We examined all clinical shoulder articles published in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery from 2004 to 2014. The number of citations, authorship, academic degrees of the authors, country and institution of origin, topic, level of evidence, positive or nonpositive outcome, and inclusion of validated patient-reported outcome measures were assessed for each article. Results: Shoulder articles that included an author with an advanced research degree (MD [Doctor of Medicine] with a PhD [Doctor of Philosophy] or other advanced degree) increased during the study period (p = 0.047). Level-I, II, and III studies were more likely to have an author with an advanced research degree, and Level-IV studies were more likely to have MDs only (p = 0.03). Overall, there was great variability of outcome measures, with at least thirty-nine different validated or nonvalidated outcome measures reported. Conclusions: Over the last decade, there was an improvement in the level of evidence of shoulder articles published in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery that corresponds with recent emphasis on evidence-based medicine. A consensus is needed in shoulder research for more consistent application of validated patient-reported outcome measurement tools

Cultivation of Industrial Hemp on and Near Airports: Implications for Wildlife Use and Risk to Aviation Safety

Land-use planning on and near airports should consider possible revenue from land covers, associated maintenance costs, and potential for land covers to attract vertebrate species recognized as hazardous to aviation safety. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has expressed interest in recent attention given to industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.; hemp) as a revenue-producing land cover that might be cultivated on or near airports. Our purpose was to better understand the potential production value of hemp as well as its possible role in affecting aviation safety if cultivated on or near airports. Our objectives were to: (1) review the literature relative to a historical perspective of hemp cultivation in the United States, projected cultivation practices, and anticipated economic viability, (2) use our review to gather information on vertebrate use of hemp cultivars, and (3) revisit U.S. and international regulations on land covers near airports relative to attraction of species recognized as hazardous to aviation safety. We found, via review of peer-reviewed and gray literature, that hemp holds potential as an emerging crop in the United States, contributing to food, medicine, and biomass-derived products as well as evidence that birds will use, if not depredate, the crop. However, future markets promoting cultivation of hemp remain tentative. Further, there has been no objective quantification of bird and other wildlife use of hemp alone or as a component of a land cover matrix on or near airports and relative to implications for aviation safety. We make recommendations for future research on wildlife use of hemp and metrics necessary to inform aviation safety

Excited states of a dilute Bose-Einstein condensate in a harmonic trap

The low-lying hydrodynamic normal modes of a dilute Bose-Einstein gas in an isotropic harmonic trap determine the corresponding Bogoliubov amplitudes. In the Thomas-Fermi limit, these modes have large low-temperature occupation numbers, and they permit an explicit construction of the dynamic structure function $S(q,\omega)$. The total noncondensate number $N'(0)$ at zero temperature increases like $R^6$, where $R$ is the condensate radius measured in units of the oscillator length. The lowest dipole modes are constructed explicitly in the Bogoliubov approximation.Comment: 15 pages, REVTE

Long-Chain ω-3 Levels Are Associated With Increased Alcohol Sensitivity in a Population-Based Sample of Adolescents.

BackgroundThe levels of the ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 LC-PUFAs), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been associated with alcohol sensitivity in vertebrate and invertebrate model systems, but prior studies have not examined this association in human samples despite evidence of associations between ω-3 LC-PUFA levels and alcohol-related phenotypes. Both alcohol sensitivity and ω-3 LC-PUFA levels are impacted by genetic factors, and these influences may contribute to observed associations between phenotypes. Given the potential for using EPA and DHA supplementation in adjuvant care for alcohol misuse and other outcomes, it is important to clarify how ω-3 LC-PUFA levels relate to alcohol sensitivity.MethodsAnalyses were conducted using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Plasma ω-3 LC-PUFA levels were measured at ages 15.5 and 17.5. Participants reported on their initial alcohol sensitivity using the early drinking Self-Rating of the Effects of Alcohol (SRE-5) scale, for which more drinks needed for effects indicates lower levels of response per drink, at ages 15.5, 16.5, and 17.5. Polygenic liability for alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, EPA levels, and DHA levels was derived using summary statistics from large, publicly available datasets. Linear regressions were used to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between ω-3 LC-PUFA levels and SRE scores.ResultsAge 15.5 ω-3 LC-PUFA levels were negatively associated with contemporaneous SRE scores and with age 17.5 SRE scores. One modest association (p = 0.02) between polygenic liability and SRE scores was observed, between alcohol problems-based polygenic risk scores (PRS) and age 16.5 SRE scores. Tests of moderation by genetic liability were not warranted.ConclusionsPlasma ω-3 LC-PUFA levels may be related to initial sensitivity to alcohol during adolescence. These data indicate that diet-related factors have the potential to impact humans' earliest responses to alcohol exposure

Thyroid markers and body composition predict LDL-cholesterol change in lean healthy women on a ketogenic diet: experimental support for the lipid energy model

Introduction: There is a large heterogeneity in LDL-cholesterol change among individuals adopting ketogenic diets. Interestingly, lean metabolically healthy individuals seem to be particularly susceptible, with an inverse association between body mass index and LDL-cholesterol change. The lipid energy model proposes that, in lean healthy individuals, carbohydrate restriction upregulates systemic lipid trafficking to meet energy demands. To test if anthropometric and energy metabolism markers predict LDL-cholesterol change during carbohydrate restriction. Methods: Ten lean, healthy, premenopausal women who habitually consumed a ketogenic diet for ≥6 months were engaged in a three-phase crossover study consisting of continued nutritional ketosis, suppression of ketosis with carbohydrate reintroduction, and return to nutritional ketosis. Each phase lasted 21 days. The predictive performance of all available relevant variables was evaluated with the linear mixed-effects models. Results: All body composition metrics, free T3 and total T4, were significantly associated with LDL-cholesterol change. In an interaction model with BMI and free T3, both markers were significant independent and interacting predictors of LDL-cholesterol change. Neither saturated fat, HOMA-IR, leptin, adiponectin, TSH, nor rT3 was associated with LDL-cholesterol changes. Discussion: Among lean, healthy women undergoing carbohydrate restriction, body composition and energy metabolism markers are major drivers of LDL-cholesterol change, not saturated fat, consistent with the lipid energy model