Open manifolds, Ozsvath-Szabo invariants and exotic R-4 ` S

We construct an invariant of certain open four-manifolds using the Heegaard Floer theory of Ozsvath and Szabo. We show that there is a manifold X homeomorphic to R-4 for which the invariant is non-trivial,showing that X is an exotic R-4. This is the first invariant that detects exotic R-4' s. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Exotic dielectric behavior of polar liquids

We present a report of our analysis of wave vector dependence of the static dielectric function of a dipolar liquid obtained by a microscopic calculation. At low values of the wave vector (k), the longitudinal dielectric function ϵ(k) increases with k, in contradiction to some assumptions reported in the literature. As the value of k is increased, ϵ(k) diverges at a critical value kc which depends on the value of the long wavelength static dielectric constant (ϵ0) of the liquid. The dielectric function is negative for values of k greater than kc. At large values of k, the calculated ϵ(k) fails to attain the limiting value of unity. We attribute this result to the failure of the point dipole assumption made in the evaluation of the polarization correlation function required by the theory. The behavior of ϵ(k) for the dipolar liquid is compared with that of one component plasma for which reliable results can be obtained over the full range of wave vectors. For both systems, the stability conditions are fulfilled at all values of k. A plausible explanation of this rather exotic behavior of ϵ(k) is given.

Exotic Physics in the Negative-U, Extended-Hubbard Model for Barium Bismuthates?

We point out possibilities for exotic physics in barium bismuthates, from a detailed study of the negative-U, extended-Hubbard model proposed for these systems. We emphasize the different consequences of electronic and phononic mechanisms for negative U. We show that, for an electronic mechanism, the semiconducting phases must be unique, with their transport properties dominated by charge ± 2e Cooperon bound states. This can explain the observed difference between the optical and transport gaps. We propose other experimental tests for this novel mechanism of charge transport.

Nutritional evaluation of silage made from the toxic weed parthenium hysterophorus in animals

After ensilation, the toxic Compositae weed Parthenium hysterophorus was devoid of the toxic principle parthenin. Laboratory-scale ensilation indicated that no parthenin was detectable after 5 wk of anaerobic fermentation. For animal feeding studies, silage was made on a large scale from Parthenium mixed with maize or from Parthenium alone. Crossbred bull and buffalo bull calves were fed diets containing the silages, or control diet without silage, for 12 wk. The animals consumed both silages with relish, and body weight gains of silage-fed calves did not differ from those of the controls. The digestibilities of dry matter, fibre and nitrogen-free extract were greater with the control diet, but the biological value of proteins tended to be greater with the silage-containing diets. Haematological studies indicated no significant differences between experimental and control groups in selected parameters, except for a reduction in blood urea nitrogen in the animals fed silage. The possible causes for these biochemical alterations are discussed. Since the nutritive value of Parthenium silage compares favourably with the standard diet, and Parthenium seeds collected from the silage did not germinate, we suggest that ensilation can be used as an additional method in the containment and eradication of these plants, which grow wild in India.

Risk Minimizing Option Pricing for a Class of Exotic Options in a Markov-Modulated Market

We address risk minimizing option pricing in a regime switching market where the floating interest rate depends on a finite state Markov process. The growth rate and the volatility of the stock also depend on the Markov process. Using the minimal martingale measure, we show that the locally risk minimizing prices for certain exotic options satisfy a system of Black-Scholes partial differential equations with appropriate boundary conditions. We find the corresponding hedging strategies and the residual risk. We develop suitable numerical methods to compute option prices.

Estudio del proceso de implementación y certificación del sistema HACCP en las Empresas Callejas, S.A., Exotic Food, Apronot y Tropifrutas

El presente trabajo fue realizado en las empresas procesadoras de frutas tropicales de Nicaragua que han venido desarrollando actividades encaminadas a la certificación HACCP según datos suministrados por el Ministerio Agropecuario y Forestal (MAG-FOR), las empresas visitadas fueron: APRONOT, ubicada en el Municipio de San Marcos Departamento de Carazo, La empresa Callejas Sequeira, S.A. ubicada en la ciudad de Granada, La empresa Exotic Food ubicada en el Km 107 carretera a Rivas y la empresa TROPIFRUTAS ubicada en Nueva Guinea, Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur. Se consultaron fuentes secundarías existentes en el país sobre el Análisis de Riesgos y Críticos Puntos de Control (HACCP), así como información de Internet. Para conocer la situación actual del proceso de certificación y adopción del Análisis de Riesgos y Críticos Puntos de Control (HACCP) en la Industria Agroalimentaria se procedió a entrevistar a funcionarios del Ministerio Agropecuario y Forestal (MAGFOR), y del Ministerio de Fomento, Industria y Comercio (MIFIC). La industria agroalimentaria de Nicaragua ha adoptado el sistema de Análisis de Riesgos y Críticos Puntos de Control (HACCP) y se encuentra en un proceso de verificación y Auditoria para obtener la certificación, todas las empresas entrevistadas mostraron toda la voluntad de certificar su producto ya que les abre las puertas en la búsqueda de mejores oportunidades de mercados para sus productos. Las mayores dificultades para lograr la certificación radican en la falta de recursos financieros para ejecutar las recomendaciones de los inspectores, así como la dificultad de garantizar la trazabilidad del origen de la materia prima.

Factors to consider when using native biological control organisms to manage exotic plants

Biological control of exotic plant populations with native organisms appears to be increasing, even though its success to date has been limited. Although many researchers and managers feel that native organisms are easier to use and present less risk to the environment this may not be true. Developing a successful management program with a native insect is dependent on a number of critical factors that need to be considered. Information is needed on the feeding preference of the agent, agent effectiveness, environmental regulation of the agent, unique requirements of the agent, population maintenance of the agent, and time to desired impact. By understanding these factors, researchers and managers can develop a detailed protocol for using the native biological control agent for a specific target plant. . We found E. lecontei in 14 waterbodies, most of which were in eastern Washington. Only one lake with weevils was located in western Washington. Weevils were associated with both Eurasian ( Myriophyllum spicatum L.) and northern watermilfoil ( M. sibiricum K.). Waterbodies with E. lecontei had significantly higher ( P < 0.05) pH (8.7 ± 0.2) (mean ± 2SE), specific conductance (0.3 ± 0.08 mS cm -1 ) and total alkalinity (132.4 ± 30.8 mg CaCO 3 L -1 ). We also found that weevil presence was related to surface water temperature and waterbody location ( = 24.3, P ≤ 0.001) and of all the models tested, this model provided the best fit (Hosmer- Lemeshow goodness-of-fit = 4.0, P = 0.9). Our results suggest that in Washington State E. lecontei occurs primarily in eastern Washington in waterbodies with pH ≥ 8.2 and specific conductance ≥ 0.2 mS cm -1 . Furthermore, weevil distribution appears to be correlated with waterbody location (eastern versus western Washington) and surface water temperature.

Lessons from established breeding programs: terrestrial and aquatic animals

Some relevant components of selection program theory and implementation are reviewed. This includes pedigree recording, genetic evaluation, balancing genetic gains and genetic diversity and tactical integration of key issues. Lessons learned are briefly described – illustrating how existing method and tools can be useful when launching a program in a novel species, and yet highlighting the importance of proper understanding and custom application according to the biology and environments of that species.

Fishing Long-Fingered Bats (Myotis capaccinii) Prey Regularly upon Exotic Fish

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Growth performance of exotic Oreochromis niloticus, exotic Oreochromis niloticus fed with pelleted feeds in flow-through system

Local, exotic and hybrid tilapia fingerlings were fed 45% crude protein diet containing 18% fish meal in a flow through system in triplicate and their growth and food utilization observed for 14 weeks. At the end of the study, the hybrid (Exotic Oreochromis niloticus male x Exotic Oreochromis aureus female) fingerlings had higher growth rate and food conversion ratio (FCR) than the other treatments. This was followed by Exotic Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings. The exotic Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings came next while the local Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings were the least in growth performance. The survival rate of the local O. niloticus was however higher than the other treatments

Lattice quantum codes and exotic topological phases of matter

This thesis addresses whether it is possible to build a robust memory device for quantum information. Many schemes for fault-tolerant quantum information processing have been developed so far, one of which, called topological quantum computation, makes use of degrees of freedom that are inherently insensitive to local errors. However, this scheme is not so reliable against thermal errors. Other fault-tolerant schemes achieve better reliability through active error correction, but incur a substantial overhead cost. Thus, it is of practical importance and theoretical interest to design and assess fault-tolerant schemes that work well at finite temperature without active error correction.

In this thesis, a three-dimensional gapped lattice spin model is found which demonstrates for the first time that a reliable quantum memory at finite temperature is possible, at least to some extent. When quantum information is encoded into a highly entangled ground state of this model and subjected to thermal errors, the errors remain easily correctable for a long time without any active intervention, because a macroscopic energy barrier keeps the errors well localized. As a result, stored quantum information can be retrieved faithfully for a memory time which grows exponentially with the square of the inverse temperature. In contrast, for previously known types of topological quantum storage in three or fewer spatial dimensions the memory time scales exponentially with the inverse temperature, rather than its square.

This spin model exhibits a previously unexpected topological quantum order, in which ground states are locally indistinguishable, pointlike excitations are immobile, and the immobility is not affected by small perturbations of the Hamiltonian. The degeneracy of the ground state, though also insensitive to perturbations, is a complicated number-theoretic function of the system size, and the system bifurcates into multiple noninteracting copies of itself under real-space renormalization group transformations. The degeneracy, the excitations, and the renormalization group flow can be analyzed using a framework that exploits the spin model's symmetry and some associated free resolutions of modules over polynomial algebras.

Constraints on the carbon cycle and climate during the early evolution of animals

One of the greatest challenges in science lies in disentangling causality in complex, coupled systems. This is illustrated no better than in the dynamic interplay between the Earth and life. The early evolution and diversification of animals occurred within a backdrop of global change, yet reconstructing the potential role of the environment in this evolutionary transition is challenging. In the 200 million years from the end-Cryogenian to the Ordovician, enigmatic Ediacaran fauna explored body plans, animals diversified and began to biomineralize, forever changing the ocean's chemical cycles, and the biological community in shallow marine ecosystems transitioned from a microbial one to an animal one.

In the following dissertation, a multi-faceted approach combining macro- and micro-scale analyses is presented that draws on the sedimentology, geochemistry and paleontology of the rocks that span this transition to better constrain the potential environmental changes during this interval.

In Chapter 1, the potential of clumped isotope thermometry in deep time is explored by assessing the importance of burial and diagenesis on the thermometer. Eocene- to Precambrian-aged carbonates from the Sultanate of Oman were analyzed from current burial depths of 350-5850 meters. Two end-member styles of diagenesis independent of burial depth were observed.

Chapters 2, 3 and 4 explore the fallibility of the Ediacaran carbon isotope record and aspects of the sedimentology and geochemistry of the rocks preserving the largest negative carbon isotope excursion on record---the Shuram Excursion. Chapter 2 documents the importance of temperature, fluid composition and mineralogy on the delta 18-O min record and interrogates the bulk trace metal signal. Chapter 3 explores the spatial variability in delta 13-C recorded in the transgressive Johnnie Oolite and finds a north-to-south trend recording the onset of the excursion. Chapter 4 investigates the nature of seafloor precipitation during this excursion and more broadly. We document the potential importance of microbial respiratory reactions on the carbonate chemistry of the sediment-water interface through time.

Chapter 5 investigates the latest Precambrian sedimentary record in carbonates from the Sultanate of Oman, including how delta 13-C and delta 34-S CAS vary across depositional and depth gradients. A new model for the correlation of the Buah and Ara formations across Oman is presented. Isotopic results indicate delta 13-C varies with relative eustatic change and delta 34-S CAS may vary in absolute magnitude across Oman.

Chapter 6 investigates the secular rise in delta 18-Omin in the early Paleozoic by using clumped isotope geochemistry on calcitic and phosphatic fossils from the Cambrian and Ordovician. Results do not indicate extreme delta 18-O seawater depletion and instead suggest warmer equatorial temperatures across the early Paleozoic.

Pathways for the uptake of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by aquatic animals

In this article, pathways from freshwater and marine environments are described. DOM is defined operationally as all the organic compounds which pass through a filter of pore size 0.45 microm., those retained on the surface of the filter being particulate organic matter (POM). DOM can be taken up directly by animals by transfer across the body wall, but more commonly DOM is obtained from ingested food. Once ingested POM from food particles are broken down in the gut, small molecules of DOM are released for transfer across the gut wall. Some ingested particles are attacked by micro-organisms living in the gut, thereby making the DOM available to the host animal. The importance of the microbial loop is discussed, as well as aggregation processes between the fractions of DOM which are more obviously particulate in nature. (DBO)