Putative pheromones in the urine of male moose: evolution of honest advertisement?

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1999I tested hypotheses about how olfactory communication is related to mating behavior in Alaskan moose (Alces alces gigas). Males dig rutting pits where urine is deposited to which females strongly respond. Consequently, male urine may contain primer pheromones that synchronize estrus of females. Urine samples were collected from captive moose on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. Samples included those from the mating season and from the nonrutting period for two adult males, one yearling male, and one male and one female calf. After pH adjustment, samples were extracted with methylene chloride to yield 3 fractions (acidic, neutral, and basic), which were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Putative pheromones include unsaturated alcohols and homologs of tetrahydro-6-methyl pyranone, and 2-nonen-4-one. I hypothesize that these compounds are related to hypophagia and catabolism of body reserves by rutting males, and thereby provide an honest advertisement of body condition in moose

Identification And Function Of Male Moose Urinary Pheromones

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2005Olfactory communication and associated scent-marking activities play a major role in the behavioral ecology of many mammals. During the mating season (rut), scent marking associated with urine of male cervids is an important chemical cue to relay information to conspecifics. Specifically, adult male moose (Alces alces) dig rutting pits in which they urinate, and females respond strongly to urine deposited in pits. A behavioral bioassay was developed to aid in the identification and function of adult male moose urinary pheromones, which elicited the behaviors observed in females during rut. Several behavioral bioassays were conducted to delineate the putative pheromones(s). It was experimentally established that when female moose were presented with urine from the pre-rut and rut periods, females preferred the urine from rut. Moreover, this experiment documented that females responded markedly to constituent(s) in rut urine by wallowing. Rut urine can be chemically extracted and maintain its bioactivity when presented to female moose, the partition of the urine that had bioactivity was delineated. Information was provided on the chemical and physical nature of the chemosignal---not a protein, or carbohydrate, relatively non-polar, and of low molecular weight. Urinary constituents that may function as the putative pheromone(s) were characterized. Some of the chemical differences that existed in rut urine and may not function as chemical signals were eliminated. Also provided, was evidence that female moose may utilize the main olfactory system to detect chemosignals present in rut urine

Machine Learning for Quantum-Enhanced Gravitational-Wave Observatories

Machine learning has become an effective tool for processing the extensive data sets produced by large physics experiments. Gravitational-wave detectors are now listening to the universe with quantum-enhanced sensitivity, accomplished with the injection of squeezed vacuum states. Squeezed state preparation and injection is operationally complicated, as well as highly sensitive to environmental fluctuations and variations in the interferometer state. Achieving and maintaining optimal squeezing levels is a challenging problem and will require development of new techniques to reach the lofty targets set by design goals for future observing runs and next-generation detectors. We use machine learning techniques to predict the squeezing level during the third observing run of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) based on auxiliary data streams, and offer interpretations of our models to identify and quantify salient sources of squeezing degradation. The development of these techniques lays the groundwork for future efforts to optimize squeezed state injection in gravitational-wave detectors, with the goal of enabling closed-loop control of the squeezer subsystem by an agent based on machine learning

Reconstituting the centrality of power in management and organization studies

This Dialogue engages in some reflection on the role of power in Organization and Management Research, prompted by the publication of the second edition of Frameworks of Power, by Stewart R. Clegg (2023). The Dialogue includes contributions by Chris Carter, Richard Badham, and Andrea Whittle, and some thoughts in response by Stewart Clegg. The Dialogue begins with an overview by Chris Carter, then the further contributions both denounce the ‘forgetting of power’ in current views of organizational phenomena – such as leadership, team behavior, resilience – in which differences in interests and in freedom of choice seem to be missing in action. Andrea Whittle first introduces the relationship between power and leadership, as a neglected topic, followed by Richard Badham, recalling lessons from the past that should not be forgotten. Reflecting on the Dialogue, Stewart Clegg responds by relating power’s salient dimensions and types to the model of circuits of power and calls for a resuscitation of some classically European organization and management theory ways of thinking about power and democracy

Measuring the delay time distribution of binary neutron stars. II. Using the redshift distribution from third-generation gravitational wave detectors network

We investigate the ability of current and third-generation gravitational wave (GW) detectors to determine the delay time distribution (DTD) of binary neutron stars (BNS) through a direct measurement of the BNS merger rate as a function of redshift. We assume that the DTD follows a power law distribution with a slope $\Gamma$ and a minimum merger time $t_{\rm min}$, and also allow the overall BNS formation efficiency per unit stellar mass to vary. By convolving the DTD and mass efficiency with the cosmic star formation history, and then with the GW detector capabilities, we explore two relevant regimes. First, for the current generation of GW detectors, which are only sensitive to the local universe, but can lead to precise redshift determinations via the identification of electromagnetic counterparts and host galaxies, we show that the DTD parameters are strongly degenerate with the unknown mass efficiency and therefore cannot be determined uniquely. Second, for third-generation detectors such as Einstein Telescope (ET) and Cosmic Explorer (CE), which will detect BNS mergers at cosmological distances, but with a redshift uncertainty inherent to GW-only detections ($\delta(z)/z\approx 0.1z$), we show that the DTD and mass efficiency can be well-constrained to better than 10\% with a year of observations. This long-term approach to determining the DTD through a direct mapping of the BNS merger redshift distribution will be supplemented by more near term studies of the DTD through the properties of BNS merger host galaxies at $z\approx 0$ (Safarzadeh & Berger 2019).Comment: 10 pages, Accepted to ApJ Letter

An empirical investigation into the propensity of reckless decision making within the high pressure environment of Deal or No Deal.

This paper discusses human attitudes towards risk and the development of expected utility models, laying the foundations for the creation of prospect theory in 1979. It proceeds to analyse the decisions of contestants on the popular TV game show Deal or No Deal to attempt to observe any evidence of differing levels of risk aversion under losses and gains as predicted by prospect theory. The results reveal some evidence of decreased risk aversion in the domains of losses and gains, with contestants displaying behaviour consistent with the break-even and house-money effects. We conclude there may be enough evidence of variable reference points to warrant further investigation, and propose suggestions for further researc