1,960 research outputs found
The Role of Mesotocin on Social Bonding in Pinyon Jays
The neuropeptide oxytocin influences mammalian social bonding by facilitating the building and maintenance of parental, sexual, and same‐sex social relationships. However, we do not know whether the function of the avian homologue mesotocin is evolutionarily conserved across birds. While it does influence avian prosocial behavior, mesotocin\u27s role in avian social bonding remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether mesotocin regulates the formation and maintenance of same‐sex social bonding in pinyon jays (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus), a member of the crow family. We formed squads of four individually housed birds. In the first, “pair‐formation” phase of the experiment, we repeatedly placed pairs of birds from within the squad together in a cage for short periods of time. Prior to entering the cage, we intranasally administered one of three hormone solutions to both members of the pair: mesotocin, oxytocin antagonist, or saline. Pairs received repeated sessions with administration of the same hormone. In the second, “pair‐maintenance” phase of the experiment, all four members of the squad were placed together in a large cage, and no hormones were administered. For both phases, we measured the physical proximity between pairs as our proxy for social bonding. We found that, compared with saline, administering mesotocin or oxytocin antagonist did not result in different proximities in either the pair‐formation or pair‐maintenance phase of the experiment. Therefore, at the dosages and time frames used here, exogenously introduced mesotocin did not influence same‐sex social bond formation or maintenance. Like oxytocin in mammals, mesotocin regulates avian prosocial behavior; however, unlike oxytocin, we do not have evidence that mesotocin regulates social bonds in birds
Discrete Model of Ideological Struggle Accounting for Migration
A discrete in time model of ideological competition is formulated taking into
account population migration. The model is based on interactions between global
populations of non-believers and followers of different ideologies. The complex
dynamics of the attracting manifolds is investigated.
Conversion from one ideology to another by means of (i) mass media influence
and (ii) interpersonal relations is considered. Moreover a different birth rate
is assumed for different ideologies, the rate being assumed to be positive for
the reference population, made of initially non-believers. Ideological
competition can happen in one or several regions in space. In the latter case,
migration of non-believers and adepts is allowed; this leads to an enrichment
of the ideological dynamics. Finally, the current ideological situation in the
Arab countries and China is commented upon from the point of view of the
presently developed mathematical model. The massive forced conversion by
Ottoman Turks in the Balkans is briefly discussed.Comment: 24 pages, with 5 figures and 52 refs.; prepared for a Special issue
of Advances in Complex System
Vortex annihilation in the ordering kinetics of the O(2) model
The vortex-vortex and vortex-antivortex correlation functions are determined
for the two-dimensional O(2) model undergoing phase ordering. We find
reasonably good agreement with simulation results for the vortex-vortex
correlation function where there is a short-scaled distance depletion zone due
to the repulsion of like-signed vortices. The vortex-antivortex correlation
function agrees well with simulation results for intermediate and long-scaled
distances. At short-scaled distances the simulations show a depletion zone not
seen in the theory.Comment: 28 pages, REVTeX, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Perturbation Expansion in Phase-Ordering Kinetics: II. N-vector Model
The perturbation theory expansion presented earlier to describe the
phase-ordering kinetics in the case of a nonconserved scalar order parameter is
generalized to the case of the -vector model. At lowest order in this
expansion, as in the scalar case, one obtains the theory due to Ohta, Jasnow
and Kawasaki (OJK). The second-order corrections for the nonequilibrium
exponents are worked out explicitly in dimensions and as a function of the
number of components of the order parameter. In the formulation developed
here the corrections to the OJK results are found to go to zero in the large
and limits. Indeed, the large- convergence is exponential.Comment: 20 pages, no figure
Fluctuations and defect-defect correlations in the ordering kinetics of the O(2) model
The theory of phase ordering kinetics for the O(2) model using the gaussian
auxiliary field approach is reexamined from two points of view. The effects of
fluctuations about the ordering field are included and we organize the theory
such that the auxiliary field correlation function is analytic in the
short-scaled distance (x) expansion. These two points are connected and we find
in the refined theory that the divergence at the origin in the defect-defect
correlation function obtained in the original theory is removed.
Modifications to the order-parameter autocorrelation exponent are
computed.Comment: 29 pages, REVTeX, to be published in Phys. Rev. E. Minor
grammatical/syntax changes from the origina
Phase ordering in bulk uniaxial nematic liquid crystals
The phase-ordering kinetics of a bulk uniaxial nematic liquid crystal is
addressed using techniques that have been successfully applied to describe
ordering in the O(n) model. The method involves constructing an appropriate
mapping between the order-parameter tensor and a Gaussian auxiliary field. The
mapping accounts both for the geometry of the director about the dominant
charge 1/2 string defects and biaxiality near the string cores. At late-times t
following a quench, there exists a scaling regime where the bulk nematic liquid
crystal and the three-dimensional O(2) model are found to be isomorphic, within
the Gaussian approximation. As a consequence, the scaling function for
order-parameter correlations in the nematic liquid crystal is exactly that of
the O(2) model, and the length characteristic of the strings grows as
. These results are in accord with experiment and simulation. Related
models dealing with thin films and monopole defects in the bulk are presented
and discussed.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures, REVTeX, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Exploring Entrepreneurial Skills and Competencies in Farm Tourism
Diversification to farm tourism is increasingly seen as a viable development strategy to promote a more diverse and sustainable rural economy and to counter declining farm incomes. However, our understanding of the dynamics of the modern farm tourism business and the entrepreneurial and competitive skills farmers require in making the transition from agriculture to a diversified - and service based - enterprise remains limited. Hence, the aim of this paper is to explore the range of skills and competencies that farmers in the North West of England identify as important when adopting a diversification strategy to farm tourism. With the findings indicating that that whilst a range of managerial skills are valued by farmers, they lack many of the additional business and entrepreneurial competencies required for success. Moreover, this paper acknowledges the need to generate consensus on the requisite skill-set that farm tourism operators require, along with a need for a currently fragmented rural tourism literature to acknowledge the significance of rural entrepreneurship and the characteristics of successful farmers and farm tourism ventures
Mesoscopic Analysis of Structure and Strength of Dislocation Junctions in FCC Metals
We develop a finite element based dislocation dynamics model to simulate the
structure and strength of dislocation junctions in FCC crystals. The model is
based on anisotropic elasticity theory supplemented by the explicit inclusion
of the separation of perfect dislocations into partial dislocations bounding a
stacking fault. We demonstrate that the model reproduces in precise detail the
structure of the Lomer-Cottrell lock already obtained from atomistic
simulations. In light of this success, we also examine the strength of
junctions culminating in a stress-strength diagram which is the locus of points
in stress space corresponding to dissolution of the junction.Comment: 9 Pages + 4 Figure
Fast Domain Growth through Density-Dependent Diffusion in a Driven Lattice Gas
We study electromigration in a driven diffusive lattice gas (DDLG) whose
continuous Monte Carlo dynamics generate higher particle mobility in areas with
lower particle density. At low vacancy concentrations and low temperatures,
vacancy domains tend to be faceted: the external driving force causes large
domains to move much more quickly than small ones, producing exponential domain
growth. At higher vacancy concentrations and temperatures, even small domains
have rough boundaries: velocity differences between domains are smaller, and
modest simulation times produce an average domain length scale which roughly
follows , where varies from near .55 at 50% filling
to near .75 at 70% filling. This growth is faster than the behavior
of a standard conserved order parameter Ising model. Some runs may be
approaching a scaling regime. At low fields and early times, fast growth is
delayed until the characteristic domain size reaches a crossover length which
follows . Rough numerical estimates give and simple theoretical arguments give . Our conclusion that
small driving forces can significantly enhance coarsening may be relevant to
the YBCuO electromigration experiments of Moeckly {\it et
al.}(Appl. Phys. Let., {\bf 64}, 1427 (1994)).Comment: 18 pages, RevTex3.
Perturbative Corrections to the Ohta-Jasnow-Kawasaki Theory of Phase-Ordering Dynamics
A perturbation expansion is considered about the Ohta-Jasnow-Kawasaki theory
of phase-ordering dynamics; the non-linear terms neglected in the OJK
calculation are reinstated and treated as a perturbation to the linearised
equation. The first order correction term to the pair correlation function is
calculated in the large-d limit and found to be of order 1/(d^2).Comment: Revtex, 27 pages including 2 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. E,
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