Detectability of supernova neutrinos with an existing proton decay detector

The 8000-ton water IMB nucleon decay detector has good sensitivity to the neutrino burst associated with the collapse of stars. It is particularly sensitive to the v(e) charged current interactions with protons but can also record other neutrino interactions through ve scattering. Signal, noise, physics objectives, and detector modifications that would enhance burst detection are discussed. The objectives include astrophysical questions about the pulse structure and power. It also may be possible with a distant source to study neutrino masses and neutrino oscillations.     

Leaf herbivores decrease fitness of a tropical plant

Damage by insect herbivores to neighboring individuals of the shrub Piper arieianum in a neotropical wet forest varies greatly. This differential damage has a genetic basis and results in a 2-year decrease in growth, seed production, and seed viability, with larger plants recovering before smaller plants. The results provide evidence that leaf herbivores represent a potentially strong selective force for the evolution of plant defenses.     

Polychlorinated Dibenzo-p-dioxins and Dibenzofurans in Sediments from Siskiwit Lake, Isle Royale

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans were found in sediment from Siskiwit Lake on Isle Royale, Lake Superior, a location which can receive only atmospheric inputs. The source of these compounds is the atmospheric transport of dioxins and furans formed by combustion of domestic and chemical waste.     

Early eocene vertebrates from baja california: evidence for intracontinental age correlations

Newly discovered fossils support a Wasatchian (early Eocene) age for the Punta Prieta vertebrate fauna of Baja California and reveal the utility of land mammal ages on a continental scale. Dispersal scenarios for late Paleocene and early Eocene vertebrates usually invoke heterochrony for similar, but geographically separated, faunas or taxa. Such heterochrony is not supported by independent geochronologies or adequate geographic samples.