Effects of stocking density on growth and skin quality of grower Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus)

Intensive Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) farming operates with considerable variation in housing and stocking density. In this study, current commercial stocking densities for crocodilians were investigated using 261 grower-phase crocodiles (15 months old, average total body length 94.5 cm, and average weight 2.7 kg). Low (2.60 m2 per crocodile), medium (1.24 m2 per crocodile), and high (0.41 m2 per crocodile) stocking densities were tested. Growth, morphometric measures, Fulton’s condition scores and skin qualities were assessed over a six-month (May - November 2017) period. High stocking density had no adverse effects on the growth of grower Nile crocodiles. Crocodiles stocked at medium and high densities outperformed those that were stocked at low density in Fulton’s body condition scores, change in body condition from the start to the end of the trial, and feed conversion efficiencies. However, the high and, to a lesser extent, the medium stocking densities resulted in lower skin quality scores compared with those in the low-density treatment because of teeth marks from more aggressive behaviour. The results indicated that the medium pen density treatment is closer to the ideal than either the high or low stocking density groups. Stocking densities that provide 0.41 m2 per crocodile or less should be avoided because of lower skin quality scores, which weigh more heavily than growth and feed efficiency responses in the financial viability of commercial crocodile farming in typical South African production systems

Randomization Inference for Differences-in-Differences with Few Treated Clusters

Inference using difference-in-differences with clustered data requires care. Previous research has shown that, when there are few treated clusters, t tests based on a cluster-robust variance estimator (CRVE) severely over-reject, different variants of the wild cluster bootstrap can over-reject or under-reject dramatically, and procedures based on randomization inference show promise. We demonstrate that randomization inference (RI) procedures based on estimated coefficients, such as the one proposed by Conley and Taber (2011), fail whenever the treated clusters are atypical. We propose an RI procedure based on t statistics which fails only when the treated clusters are atypical and few in number. We also propose a bootstrap-based alternative to randomization inference, which mitigates the discrete nature of RI P values when the number of clusters is small. Two empirical examples demonstrate that alternative procedures can yield dramatically different inferences

Wild Bootstrap Inference for Wildly Different Cluster Sizes

The cluster robust variance estimator (CRVE) relies on the number of clusters being sufficiently large. Monte Carlo evidence suggests that the 'rule of 42' is not true for unbalanced clusters. Rejection frequencies are higher for datasets with 50 clusters proportional to US state populations than with 50 balanced clusters. Using critical values based on the wild cluster bootstrap performs much better. However, this procedure fails when a small number of clusters is treated. We explain why CRVE t statistics and the wild bootstrap fail in this case, study the 'effective number' of clusters and simulate placebo laws with dummy variable regressors

Guanosine nucleotides regulate B2 kinin receptor affinity of agonists but not of antagonists: Discussion of a model proposing receptor precoupling to G protein

The effect of nucleotides on binding of the B2 kinin (BK) receptor agonist {[}H-3]BK and the antagonist {[}H-3]NPC17731 to particulate fractions of human foreskin fibroblasts was studied. At 0 degrees C, particulate fractions exhibited a single class of binding sites with a Kd of 2.3 nM for {[}H-3]BK and a K-d Of 3.8 nM for the antagonist {[}H-3]NPC17731. Incubation with radioligands at 37 degrees C for 5 min gave a reduction of agonist, as well as antagonist, binding that was between 0-40% depending on the preparation, even in the absence of guanosine nucleotides. As shown by Scatchard analysis, this reduction in specific binding was due to a shift in the affinity of at least a fraction of the receptors. The presence at 37 degrees C of the guanine nucleotides GTP, GDP and their poorly hydrolyzable analogs left {[}H-3]-NPC17731 binding unaffected, but reduced the receptor affinity for {[}H-3]BK to a K-d Of about 15 nM. The maximal number of receptors, however, was unchanged. This affinity change was strongly dependent on the presence of bivalent cations, in particular Mg2+. It was reversed by incubation at 0 degrees C, The rank order of the guanosine nucleotides for {[}H-3]BK binding reduction was GTP{[}gamma S] = Gpp{[}NH]p > GTP = GDP > GDP{[}beta S]. GMP, ATP, ADP and AMP showed no influence on agonist binding. A model for the interaction of the B2 kinin receptor with G proteins is discussed

Trials Testing the Value of Imaging Use in Valve Disease and in Transcatheter Valvular Interventions

Cardiolog

The floor in the interplanetary magnetic field: Estimation on the basis of relative duration of ICME observations in solar wind during 1976-2000

To measure the floor in interplanetary magnetic field and estimate the time- invariant open magnetic flux of Sun, it is necessary to know a part of magnetic field of Sun carried away by CMEs. In contrast with previous papers, we did not use global solar parameters: we identified different large-scale types of solar wind for 1976-2000 interval, obtained a fraction of interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs) and calculated magnitude of interplanetary magnetic field B averaged over 2 Carrington rotations. The floor of magnetic field is estimated as B value at solar cycle minimum when the ICMEs were not observed and it was calculated to be 4,65 \pm 6,0 nT. Obtained value is in a good agreement with previous results.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, submitted in GR

2d Stringy Black Holes and Varying Constants

Motivated by the recent interest on models with varying constants and whether black hole physics can constrain such theories, two-dimensional charged stringy black holes are considered. We exploit the role of two-dimensional stringy black holes as toy models for exploring paradoxes which may lead to constrains on a theory. A two-dimensional charged stringy black hole is investigated in two different settings. Firstly, the two-dimensional black hole is treated as an isolated object and secondly, it is contained in a thermal environment. In both cases, it is shown that the temperature and the entropy of the two-dimensional charged stringy black hole are decreased when its electric charge is increased in time. By piecing together our results and previous ones, we conclude that in the context of black hole thermodynamics one cannot derive any model independent constraints for the varying constants. Therefore, it seems that there aren't any varying constant theories that are out of favor with black hole thermodynamics.Comment: 12 pages, LaTeX, to appear in JHE

Dynamics of Coronal Bright Points as seen by Sun Watcher using Active Pixel System detector and Image Processing (SWAP), Atmospheric Imaging Assembly AIA), and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI)

The \textit{Sun Watcher using Active Pixel system detector and Image Processing}(SWAP) on board the \textit{PRoject for OnBoard Autonomy\todash 2} (PROBA\todash 2) spacecraft provides images of the solar corona in EUV channel centered at 174 \AA. These data, together with \textit{Atmospheric Imaging Assembly} (AIA) and the \textit{Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager} (HMI) on board \textit{Solar Dynamics Observatory} (SDO), are used to study the dynamics of coronal bright points. The evolution of the magnetic polarities and associated changes in morphology are studied using magnetograms and multi-wavelength imaging. The morphology of the bright points seen in low-resolution SWAP images and high-resolution AIA images show different structures, whereas the intensity variations with time show similar trends in both SWAP 174 and AIA 171 channels. We observe that bright points are seen in EUV channels corresponding to a magnetic-flux of the order of $10^{18}$ Mx. We find that there exists a good correlation between total emission from the bright point in several UV\todash EUV channels and total unsigned photospheric magnetic flux above certain thresholds. The bright points also show periodic brightenings and we have attempted to find the oscillation periods in bright points and their connection to magnetic flux changes. The observed periods are generally long (10\todash 25 minutes) and there is an indication that the intensity oscillations may be generated by repeated magnetic reconnection

Fermi acceleration in astrophysical jets

We consider the acceleration of energetic particles by Fermi processes (i.e., diffusive shock acceleration, second order Fermi acceleration, and gradual shear acceleration) in relativistic astrophysical jets, with particular attention given to recent progress in the field of viscous shear acceleration. We analyze the associated acceleration timescales and the resulting particle distributions, and discuss the relevance of these processes for the acceleration of charged particles in the jets of AGNs, GRBs and microquasars, showing that multi-component powerlaw-type particle distributions are likely to occur.Comment: 6 pages, one figure; based on talk at "The multimessenger approach to unidentified gamma-ray sources", Barcelona/Spain, July 2006; accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Quantification of different iron forms in the aceruloplasminemia brain to explore iron-related neurodegeneration

Biological and Soft Matter Physic