Unitary control in quantum ensembles: maximizing signal intensity in coherent spectroscopy

Experiments in coherent magnetic resonance, microwave, and optical spectroscopy control quantum-mechanical ensembles by guiding them from initial states toward target states by unitary transformation. Often, the coherences detected as signals are represented by a non-Hermitian operator. Hence, spectroscopic experiments, such as those used in nuclear magnetic resonance, correspond to unitary transformations between operators that in general are not Hermitian. A gradient-based systematic procedure for optimizing these transformations is described that finds the largest projection of a transformed initial operator onto the target operator and, thus, the maximum spectroscopic signal. This method can also be used in applied mathematics and control theory.     

Dissociative anaesthesia in free-ranging male koalas and selected marsupials in captivity

Forty seven free-ranging, adult, male koalas were captured and administered an intramuscular injection of the dissociative anaesthetic, Telazol (tiletamine HCl plus zolazepam HCl), at dose rates of 5.0 to 7.7 mg/kg body weight. Anaesthesia induction was rapid and smooth and resulted in a surgical plane of anaesthesia lasting 30 to 45 min. There was no depression of heart rate or respiration. Mild salivation occurred in most animals, but was not a problem because the swallowing reflex was retained. There was no mortality or morbidity and the anaesthesia level was sufficient to allow electroejaculation and multiple blood sampling with no apparent animal discomfort. For 10 of 19 males in which anaesthesia was required for a 90 min protocol, a supplementary Telazol injection (average, 2.5 mg/kg) was necessary. All koalas recovered completely within 3 to 4 h of the initial injection. The results suggest that the optimal Telazol dosage for the adult male koala is 7.0 mg/kg body weight. The retrospective analysis of 259 anaesthesia records involving 14 species indicated that Telazol was equally effective and safe in other captive marsupials.     

Jerusalem artichoke growth,development, and field storage. II. Carbon and nutrient element allocation and redistribution

Jerusalem artichokes store carbon (C) predominately in the form of inulin, a functional food of increasing interest due to its dietary health benefits for humans and calorie replacement potential in processed foods. To better understand the developmental and agronomic requirements of this crop, the allocation of C and nutrient elements into individual plant parts (stems, leaves, stolons, tubers, ‘seed’ tuber, and roots) was monitored at 2‐week intervals throughout the entire growth cycle of the cultivar ‘Sunchoke’ grown on a Cecil sandy clay loam. Accumulation patterns of C and nutrient elements in individual plant parts were generally in accordance to the pattern of dry matter accumulation, though concentration patterns differed. Overall, nutrient element levels in vegetative structures decreased with the onset of rapid tuber development. Leaves had the highest nutrient levels, except iron (Fe) and sodium (Na). The concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), sulfur (S), and copper (Cu) in tubers were greater than in stems. Total N, P, and K concentrations in the stolons were at lower levels and the total calcium (Ca), Fe, and manganese (Mn) at higher levels compared to the tubers. During rapid tuber growth, the concentration of individual phloem‐mobile nutrient elements (e.g., N, P, and K) in the leaves and stems decreased progressively due in part to reallocation. In contrast, the concentration of less mobile nutrient elements (e.g., Ca and Mn) in the leaves and stems generally increased due to losses of C and other mobile materials. In the tubers, the concentration of C and most nutrient elements remained fairly constant through the final harvest, indicating carbohydrates and nutrient elements were accumulating at the same rate. Knowledge of C and nutrient element allocation/ reallocation in the Jerusalem artichoke is of value for improving fertilization strategies and in identifying critical traits for the selection of new, high yielding cultivars.     

Jerusalem artichoke growth,development, and field storage. I. Numerical assessment of plant part development and dry matter acquisition and allocation

Abstract

Expanding commercial interest in the use of inulin as a bulking agent for artificial sweeteners, dietary fiber health supplement, fat replacement for processed foods, feed stock for fructose syrups, and a wide range of potential industrial products, has stimulated research on inulin‐containing crops such as the Jerusalem artichoke. To better understand the developmental physiology of the crop and to identify potential breeding objectives, the temporal pattern of development of individual plant parts (shoots, branches, leaves, flowers, stolons, tubers, and roots) and the allocation of dry matter into the same plant parts were monitored in the cultivar ‘Sunchoke’ over the entire growing season and during in situ field storage during the early winter, 32 weeks after planting. While number of shoots (～9) peaked in week 10, the number of branches (42.8), stolons (49.4), and tubers (85.5) reached a maximum 24–28 weeks after planting. Number of leaves (～525) peaked between weeks 20–24 after planting, as did number of flowers (～55). The Jerusalem artichoke allocated the major portion of its dry matter (dm) into aboveground plant parts during the first half of the growing season. Approximately 16 weeks after planting, the pattern of allocation shifted dramatically with: a) near cessation in the acquisition of dry matter; and b) the reallocation of existing dry matter from the aboveground organs into the tubers. By the 16th week after planting, 85% of the total dm was in the aboveground plant parts, but declined to 28% by the 30th week. Of the total dm, 92% was accrued during the first 16 weeks and only 8% thereafter. The shift in dry matter resources coincided with a dramatic decrease in leaf number and in leaf and branch dry weight. By the end of the season, the harvest index reached 0.70 and the tuber yield 14.61 dm ha^?1. Yield improvement could potentially be facilitated through lengthening the logarithmic period of carbon fixation and by earlier tuber induction and development.     

Comparison of a novel form of zinc with zinc oxide bolus licensed for prevention of facial eczema,and interaction with copper oxide in sheep

To evaluate a novel elemental zinc bolus compared with a registered positive control zinc oxide bolus and assess serum zinc concentrations following concomitant treatment with a capsule containing copper oxide needles. Forty Romney-cross ewes were randomly allocated in a 2 × 2 factorial design study. On Day 0, 20 ewes received novel boluses containing elemental zinc (Investigational Veterinary Product, IVP) while 20 received a zinc oxide bolus (control; CP). Half the animals in each zinc treatment group (n = 10) were treated with a copper oxide needle capsule [Copasure® - Ewe]. Weekly, from Day −7 to 56, all ewes were assessed for signs of photosensitization, and for 10 ewes from each zinc treatment groups, samples were collected for analysis of serum GGT activity, serum zinc concentrations, faecal zinc concentrations and on Days −7 and 56, liver copper concentrations. Multivariable random-effects models assessed the effects of zinc treatment, copper treatment, treatment interactions and time on all analytes. Regression models examined associations between serum and faecal zinc concentrations and GGT activity. Low spore numbers indicated low Pithomyces chartarum challenge. Serum zinc levels were significantly higher in the IVP than in the CP group [p < 0.0001] and varied by time [p < 0.001] and positively associated with faecal zinc concentration [p < 0.001]. Copper treatment did not affect serum zinc [p = 0.82] or faecal zinc [p = 0.92] concentrations. Liver copper concentrations did not differ between zinc treatment groups on Day −7 [p = 0.6] or Day 56 [p = 0.95]. Only the CP/no copper group had no increase in liver copper concentrations.     

Radar detection of the nucleus and coma of comet hyakutake

Radar observations of comet Hyakutake (C/1996 B2) made at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California have detected echoes from the nucleus and from large grains in the inner coma. The nucleus of this bright comet was estimated to be only 2 to 3 kilometers in diameter. Models of the coma echo indicate backscatter from porous, centimeter-size grains ejected anisotropically at velocities of tens of meters per second. The radar observations suggest that a comet's activity may be a poor indicator of its size and provide evidence that large grains constitute an important component of the mass loss from a typical active comet.     

Near-infrared spectroscopy for measurement of total dietary fiber in homogenized meals

Near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy was investigated as a method for prediction of total dietary fiber (TDF) in mixed meals. Meals were prepared for spectral analysis by homogenization only (HO), homogenization and drying (HD), and homogenization, drying, and defatting (HDF). The NIR spectra (400-2498 nm) were obtained with a dispersive NIR spectrometer. Total dietary fiber was determined in HDF samples by an enzymatic-gravimetric assay (AOAC 991.43), and values were calculated for HD and HO samples. Using multivariate analysis software and optimum processing, partial least squares models (n = 114) were developed to relate NIR spectra to the corresponding TDF values. The HO, HD, and HDF models predicted TDF in independent validation samples (n = 37) with a standard error of performance of 0.93% (range 0.7-8.4%), 1.90% (range 2.2-18.9%), and 1.45% (range 2.8-23.3%) and r(2) values of 0.89, 0.92, and 0.97, respectively. Compared with traditional analysis of TDF in mixed meals, which takes 4 days, NIR spectroscopy provides a faster method for screening samples for TDF. The accuracy of prediction was greatest for the HDF model followed by the HD model.     

A review of Ireland's waterbirds,with emphasis on wintering migrants and reference to H5N1 avian influenza

Ireland is characterised by its diversity and large abundance of wetlands, making it attractive to a wide variety of waterbirds throughout the year. This paper presents an overview of Ireland's waterbirds, including ecological factors relevant to the potential introduction, maintenance, transmission and spread of infectious agents, including the H5N1 avian influenza virus, in Ireland. Particular emphasis is placed on five groups of wintering migrants (dabbling and sieving wildfowl, grazing wildfowl, diving wildfowl, waders and gulls), noting that the H5N1 avian influenza virus has mainly been isolated from this subset of waterbirds. Ireland's wetlands are visited during the spring and summer months by hundreds of thousands of waterbirds which come to breed, predominantly from southern latitudes, and during the autumn and winter by waterbirds which come from a variety of origins (predominantly northern latitudes), and which are widely distributed and often congregate in mixed-species flocks. The distribution, feeding habits and social interactions of the five groups of wintering migrants are considered in detail. Throughout Ireland, there is interaction between different waterbird populations (breeding migrants, the wintering migrants and resident waterbird populations). There is also a regular and complex pattern of movement between feeding and roosting areas, and between wetlands and farmland. These interactions are likely to facilitate the rapid transmission and spread of the H5N1 avian influenza virus, if it were present in Ireland.     

Survival and dispersal of a defined cohort of Irish cattle

An understanding of livestock movement is critical to effective disease prevention, control and prediction. However, livestock movement in Ireland has not yet been quantified. This study has sought to define the survival and dispersal of a defined cohort of cattle born in Co. Kerry during 2000. The cohort was observed for a maximum of four years, from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2004. Beef and dairy animals moved an average 1.31 and 0.83 times, respectively. At study end, 18.8% of the beef animals remained alive on Irish farms, including 6.7% at the farm-of-birth, compared with 48.6% and 27.7% for dairy animals respectively. Beef animals werae dispersed to all Irish counties, but mainly to Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Galway. Dairy animals mainly moved to Cork, Limerick, and Tipperary, with less animals going to Galway, Meath and Kilkenny. The four-year survival probability was 0.07 (male beef animals), 0.25 (male dairy), 0.38 (female beef), and 0.72 (female dairy). Although there was considerable dispersal, the number of moves per animal was less than expected.