The Benefits of Peer Review and a Multisemester Capstone Writing Series on Inquiry and Analysis Skills in an Undergraduate Thesis.

This study examines the relationship between the introduction of a four-course writing-intensive capstone series and improvement in inquiry and analysis skills of biology senior undergraduates. To measure the impact of the multicourse write-to-learn and peer-review pedagogy on student performance, we used a modified Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education rubric for Inquiry and Analysis and Written Communication to score senior research theses from 2006 to 2008 (pretreatment) and 2009 to 2013 (intervention). A Fisher-Freeman-Halton test and a two-sample Student's t test were used to evaluate individual rubric dimensions and composite rubric scores, respectively, and a randomized complete block design analysis of variance was carried out on composite scores to examine the impact of the intervention across ethnicity, legacy (e.g., first-generation status), and research laboratory. The results show an increase in student performance in rubric scoring categories most closely associated with science literacy and critical-thinking skills, in addition to gains in students' writing abilities

Evaluation of Risk Factors in Agriculture: An Application of the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) Methodolog

Engler, A (reprint author), Univ Talca, Fac Ciencias Agr, Av Lircay S-N, Talca, Chile.Risk in the agricultural sector has multiple dimensions or factors and prioritization of these can support decision making. On the other hand, knowing the importance of these risk factors for distinct agricultural activities and how they vary according to geographic zone constitutes relevant information for agricultural development. The objective of this study was to prioritize risk factors that are highly relevant for farmers in Central South Chile. The multicriteria Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) methodology was used to define a decision structure with four risk factors or criteria: climate, price and direct cost variability, human factor, and commercialization. In general, results obtained showed that there are no important imbalances in the weightings of different risk factors. Price and cost variability was the most important factor (0.30) whereas climate was the least important (0.20). It also confirmed that there are spatial differences in the weightings obtained for the distinct risk factors which determine distinct risk levels for the respective agricultural activities according to geographic region

Long-distance radiative corrections to the di-pion tau lepton decay

We evaluate the model-dependent piece of O(alpha) long-distance radiative corrections to tau^- \to \pi^- \pi^0\nu_{\tau} decays by using a meson dominance model. We find that these corrections to the di-pion invariant mass spectrum are smaller than in previous calculations based on chiral perturbation theory. The corresponding correction to the photon inclusive rate is tiny (-0.15%) but it can be of relevance when new measurements reach better precision.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. An estimate of the shift produced in the evaluation of the h.v.p. contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment is added. Version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Isolated elliptical galaxies in the local Universe

We have studied a sample of 89 very isolated, elliptical galaxies at z < 0.08 and compared their properties with elliptical galaxies located in a high-density environment such as the Coma supercluster. Our aim is to probe the role of environment on the morphological transformation and quenching of elliptical galaxies as a function of mass. In addition, we elucidate the nature of a particular set of blue and star-forming isolated ellipticals identified here. We study physical properties of ellipticals such as color, specific star formation rate, galaxy size, and stellar age, as a function of stellar mass and environment based on SDSS data. We analyze the blue star-forming isolated ellipticals in more detail, through photometric characterization using GALFIT, and infer their star formation history using STARLIGHT. Among the isolated ellipticals ~ 20% are blue, 8% are star forming, and ~ 10% are recently quenched, while among the Coma ellipticals ~ 8% are blue and just <= 1% are star forming or recently quenched. There are four isolated galaxies (~ 4.5%) that are blue and star forming at the same time. These galaxies, with masses between 7 x 10^9 and 2 x 10^10 h-2 M_sun, are also the youngest galaxies with light-weighted stellar ages <= 1 Gyr and exhibit bluer colors toward the galaxy center. Around 30-60% of their present-day luminosity, but only < 5% of their present-day mass, is due to star formation in the last 1 Gyr. The processes of morphological transformation and quenching seem to be in general independent of environment since most of elliptical galaxies are 'red and dead', although the transition to the red sequence should be faster for isolated ellipticals. In some cases, the isolated environment seems to propitiate the rejuvenation of ellipticals by recent (< 1 Gyr) cold gas accretion.Comment: 23 pages, 15 figures (16 pages and 9 figures without appendices). A&A, in pres

Violation of the Ikeda sum rule and the self-consistency in the renormalized quasiparticle random phase approximation and the nuclear double-beta decay

The effect of the inclusion of ground state correlations into the QRPA equation of motion for the two-neutrino double beta ($\beta\beta_{2\nu}$) decay is carefully analyzed. The resulting model, called renormalized QRPA (RQRPA), does not collapse near the physical value of the nuclear force strength in the particle-particle channel, as happens with the ordinary QRPA. Still, the $\beta\beta_{2\nu}$ transition amplitude is only slightly less sensitive on this parameter in the RQRPA than that in the plain QRPA. It is argued that this fact reveals once more that the characteristic behaviour of the $\beta\beta_{2\nu}$ transition amplitude within the QRPA is not an artifact of the model, but a consequence of the partial restoration of the spin-isospin $SU(4)$ symmetry. It is shown that the price paid for bypassing the collapse in the RQRPA is the violation of the Ikeda sum rule.Comment: 16 pages, latex, 3 postscript figure

On the Issue of the \zeta Series Convergence and Loop Corrections in the Generation of Observable Primordial Non-Gaussianity in Slow-Roll Inflation. Part II: the Trispectrum

We calculate the trispectrum T_\zeta of the primordial curvature perturbation \zeta, generated during a {\it slow-roll} inflationary epoch by considering a two-field quadratic model of inflation with {\it canonical} kinetic terms. We consider loop contributions as well as tree level terms, and show that it is possible to attain very high, {\it including observable}, values for the level of non-gaussianity \tau_{NL} if T_\zeta is dominated by the one-loop contribution. Special attention is paid to the claim in JCAP {\bf 0902}, 017 (2009) [arXiv:0812.0807 [astro-ph]] that, in the model studied in this paper and for the specific inflationary trajectory we choose, the quantum fluctuations of the fields overwhelm the classical evolution. We argue that such a claim actually does not apply to our model, although more research is needed in order to understand the role of quantum diffusion. We also consider the probability that an observer in an ensemble of realizations of the density field sees a non-gaussian distribution. In that respect, we show that the probability associated to the chosen inflationary trajectory is non-negligible. Finally, the levels of non-gaussianity f_{NL} and \tau_{NL} in the bispectrum B_\zeta and trispectrum T_\zeta of \zeta, respectively, are also studied for the case in which \zeta is not generated during inflation.Comment: LaTex File, 27 pages, 8 figures. v2: Previous Section 2 has been removed. Two new sections (3 and 4) discussing the classicality condition given by Byrnes, Choi, and Hall, in JCAP 0902, 017 (2009), and the probability that an observer sees a non-gaussian distribution have been added. v3: Version accepted for publication in Physical Review

Growth inhibition of Beauveria bassiana by bacteria isolated from the cuticular surface of the corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis and the planthopper, Delphacodes kuscheli, two important vectors of maize pathogens

The phytosanitary importance of the corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis (Delong and Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and the planthopper, Delphacodes kuscheli (Fennah) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) lies in their ability to transmit phloem-associated plant pathogens, mainly viruses and mollicutes, and to cause considerable mechanical damage to corn plants during feeding and oviposition. Fungi, particularly some members of the Ascomycota, are likely candidates for biocontrol agents against these insect pests, but several studies revealed their failure to invade the insect cuticle possibly because of the presence of inhibitory compounds such as phenols, quinones, and lipids and also by the antibiosis effect of the microbiota living on the cuticular surface of the host. The present work aims to understand interactions between the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamao-Crivelli) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) and bacterial antagonists isolated from the cuticular surface of D. maidis and D. kuscheli. A total of 155 bacterial isolates were recovered from the insect's cuticle and tested against B. bassiana. Ninety-one out of 155 strains inhibited the growth of B. bassiana. Bacterial strains isolated from D. maidis were significantly more antagonistic against B. bassiana than those isolates from D. kuscheli. Among the most effective antagonistic strains, six isolates of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bacillales: Bacillaeae), one isolate of B. mycoides Flügge, eight isolates of B. megaterium de Bary, five isolates of B. pumilus Meyer and Gottheil, one isolate of B. licheniformis (Weigmann) Chester, and four isolates of B. subtilis (Ehrenberg) Cohn were identified