A Comparative Approach to the Study of Cumulative Cultural Evolution: Where Are We Now, and Where Do We Go?

Evidence for cumulative cultural evolution (CCE) in nonhumans remains rare. Here, we suggest that this results partly from methodological challenges involved in comparative CCE. We discuss two core challenges researchers in the field face: our samples and our protocols. In particular, we encourage more studies that examine diverse species, adopt naturalistic and fair measures, and consider the life stages of participants. Research of this kind is required to fully understand the uniqueness of human CCE

Dynamic spin response of a strongly interacting Fermi gas

We present an experimental investigation of the dynamic spin response of a strongly interacting Fermi gas using Bragg spectroscopy. By varying the detuning of the Bragg lasers, we show that it is possible to measure the response in the spin and density channels separately. At low Bragg energies, the spin response is suppressed due to pairing, whereas the density response is enhanced. These experiments provide the first independent measurements of the spin-parallel and spin-antiparallel dynamic and static structure factors and open the way to a complete study of the structure factors at any momentum. At high momentum the spin-antiparallel dynamic structure factor displays a universal high frequency tail, proportional to $\omega^{-5/2}$, where $\hbar \omega$ is the probe energy.Comment: Replaced with final versio

Is the even distribution of insecticide-treated cattle essential for tsetse control? Modelling the impact of baits in heterogeneous environments

Background: Eliminating Rhodesian sleeping sickness, the zoonotic form of Human African Trypanosomiasis, can be achieved only through interventions against the vectors, species of tsetse (Glossina). The use of insecticide-treated cattle is the most cost-effective method of controlling tsetse but its impact might be compromised by the patchy distribution of livestock. A deterministic simulation model was used to analyse the effects of spatial heterogeneities in habitat and baits (insecticide-treated cattle and targets) on the distribution and abundance of tsetse. Methodology/Principal Findings: The simulated area comprised an operational block extending 32 km from an area of good habitat from which tsetse might invade. Within the operational block, habitat comprised good areas mixed with poor ones where survival probabilities and population densities were lower. In good habitat, the natural daily mortalities of adults averaged 6.14% for males and 3.07% for females; the population grew 8.46in a year following a 90% reduction in densities of adults and pupae, but expired when the population density of males was reduced to <0.1/km2; daily movement of adults averaged 249 m for males and 367 m for females. Baits were placed throughout the operational area, or patchily to simulate uneven distributions of cattle and targets. Gaps of 2–3 km between baits were inconsequential provided the average imposed mortality per km2 across the entire operational area was maintained. Leaving gaps 5–7 km wide inside an area where baits killed 10% per day delayed effective control by 4–11 years. Corrective measures that put a few baits within the gaps were more effective than deploying extra baits on the edges. Conclusions/Significance: The uneven distribution of cattle within settled areas is unlikely to compromise the impact of insecticide-treated cattle on tsetse. However, where areas of >3 km wide are cattle-free then insecticide-treated targets should be deployed to compensate for the lack of cattle

Torsion Phenomenology at the LHC

We explore the potential of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to test the dynamical torsion parameters. The form of the torsion action can be established from the requirements of consistency of effective quantum field theory. The most phenomenologically relevant part of the torsion tensor is dual to a massive axial vector field. This axial vector has geometric nature, that means it does not belong to any representation of the gauge group of the SM extension or GUT theory. At the same time, torsion should interact with all fermions, that opens the way for the phenomenological applications. We demonstrate that LHC collider can establish unique constraints on the interactions between fermions and torsion field considerably exceeding present experimental lower bounds on the torsion couplings and its mass. It is also shown how possible non-universal nature of torsion couplings due to the renormalization group running between the Planck and TeV energy scales can be tested via the combined analysis of Drell-Yan and $t\bar{t}$ production processes

Use of strategies to improve retention in primary care randomised trials: a qualitative study with in-depth interviews

Objective To explore the strategies used to improve retention in primary care randomised trials.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Design Qualitative in-depth interviews and thematic analysis.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Participants 29 UK primary care chief and principal investigators, trial managers and research nurses.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Methods In-depth face-to-face interviews.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Results Primary care researchers use incentive and communication strategies to improve retention in trials, but were unsure of their effect. Small monetary incentives were used to increase response to postal questionnaires. Non-monetary incentives were used although there was scepticism about the impact of these on retention. Nurses routinely used telephone communication to encourage participants to return for trial follow-up. Trial managers used first class post, shorter questionnaires and improved questionnaire designs with the aim of improving questionnaire response. Interviewees thought an open trial design could lead to biased results and were negative about using behavioural strategies to improve retention. There was consensus among the interviewees that effective communication and rapport with participants, participant altruism, respect for participant's time, flexibility of trial personnel and appointment schedules and trial information improve retention. Interviewees noted particular challenges with retention in mental health trials and those involving teenagers.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Conclusions The findings of this qualitative study have allowed us to reflect on research practice around retention and highlight a gap between such practice and current evidence. Interviewees describe acting from experience without evidence from the literature, which supports the use of small monetary incentives to improve the questionnaire response. No such evidence exists for non-monetary incentives or first class post, use of which may need reconsideration. An exploration of barriers and facilitators to retention in other research contexts may be justified.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt

Efeito da altitude sobre o crescimento e desenvolvimento de quatro genótipos de mamona.

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