Allelic Frequency of Kappa-Casein Locus (Asp148/Ala) in F1: Simmental (Bos Taurus) X Ongole Grade (Bos Indicus)

This study was conducted to detect the genetic variants (single nucleotide polymorphism) of kappa-casein locus (Asp148/Ala) in F1: Simmental (Bos taurus) x Ongole grade (Bos indicus), SIMPO. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood sample of 40 SIMPO (21 males and 19 females). A 780 bp specific fragment of kappa-casein gene spanning from the forth exon region (517 bp) to forth intron (263 bp) was successfully amplified. The result of the PCR-RFLP (Polymerase Chain Reaction - Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms) analysis using HindIII enzyme showed that two genotypes (AA and AB) were found at this locus in SIMPO. The frequencies of A and B alleles in SIMPO were 0.79 and 0.21, respectively. The frequency lies between B. taurus (Simmental) and B. indicus group

Adaptation to Climate Change: Land Use and Livestock Management Change in the U.S.

Replaced with revised version of paper 01/26/11Climate Change, Stocking Rate, Land Use, Livestock Management, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Livestock Production/Industries,

Lepton flavor violating μ→eγ\mu\to e\gamma and μ−e\mu-e conversion in unparticle physics

We have studied lepton flavor violation processes $\mu\to e\gamma$ and $\mu-e$ conversion in nuclei induced by unparticle. Both ${\rm Br}(\mu\to e\gamma)$ and $\mu-e$ conversion rate ${\rm CR}(\mu-e,{\rm Nuclei})$ strongly depend on the scale dimension $d_{\cal U}$ and the unparticle coupling $\lambda^{ff'}_{\rm K}$(K=V, A, S, P). Present experimental upper bounds on ${\rm Br}(\mu\to e\gamma)$, ${\rm CR}(\mu-e,{\rm Ti})$ and ${\rm CR}(\mu-e,{\rm Au})$ put stringent constraints on the parameters of unaprticle physics. The scale dimensions $d_{\cal U}$ around 2 are favored for the unparticle scale $\Lambda_{\cal U}$ of ${\cal O}(10 {\rm TeV})$ and the unparticle coupling of ${\cal O}(10^{-3})$. ${\rm CR}(\mu-e,{\rm Nuclei})$ is proportional to $\rm{Z^4_{eff}A^2/Z}$ for the pure vector and scalar couplings between unparticle and SM fermions, this peculiar atomatic number dependence can be used to distinguish unparticle from other theoretical models.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figure

The magnetic and electronic structure of vanadyl pyrophosphate from density functional theory

We have studied the magnetic structure of the high symmetry vanadyl pyrophosphate ((VO)_(2)P_(2)O)7, VOPO), focusing on the spin exchange couplings, using density functional theory (B3LYP) with the full three-dimensional periodicity. VOPO involves four distinct spin couplings: two larger couplings exist along the chain direction (a-axis), which we predict to be antiferromagnetic, J_(OPO) = −156.8 K and J_O = −68.6 K, and two weaker couplings appear along the c (between two layers) and b directions (between two chains in the same layer), which we calculate to be ferromagnetic, J_layer = 19.2 K and J_chain = 2.8 K. Based on the local density of states and the response of spin couplings to varying the cell parameter a, we found that J_(OPO) originates from a super-exchange interaction through the bridging –O–P–O– unit. In contrast, J_O results from a direct overlap of 3d_(x^2 − y^2) orbitals on two vanadium atoms in the same V_(2)O_8 motif, making it very sensitive to structural fluctuations. Based on the variations in V–O bond length as a function of strain along a, we found that the V–O bonds of V–(OPO)_(2)–V are covalent and rigid, whereas the bonds of V–(O)_(2)–V are fragile and dative. These distinctions suggest that compression along the a-axis would have a dramatic impact on J_O, changing the magnetic structure and spin gap of VOPO. This result also suggests that assuming J_O to be a constant over the range of 2–300 K whilst fitting couplings to the experimental magnetic susceptibility is an invalid method. Regarding its role as a catalyst, the bonding pattern suggests that O_2 can penetrate beyond the top layers of the VOPO surface, converting multiple V atoms from the +4 to +5 oxidation state, which seems crucial to explain the deep oxidation of n-butane to maleic anhydride

Current-induced instability of domain walls in cylindrical nanowires

We study the current-driven domain wall (DW) motion in cylindrical nanowires using micromagnetic simulations by implementing the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation with nonlocal spin-transfer torque in a finite difference micromagnetic package. We find that in the presence of DW Gaussian wave packets (spin waves) will be generated when the charge current is applied to the system suddenly. And this effect is excluded when using the local spin-transfer torque. The existence of spin waves emission indicates that transverse domain walls can not move arbitrarily fast in cylindrical nanowires although they are free from the Walker limit. We establish an upper-velocity limit for the DW motion by analyzing the stability of Gaussian wave packets using the local spin-transfer torque. Micromagnetic simulations show that the stable region obtained by using nonlocal spin-transfer torque is smaller than that by using its local counterpart. This limitation is essential for multiple domain walls since the instability of Gaussian wave packets will break the structure of multiple domain walls.Comment: 5 pages, 6 figure

CLIMATE CHANGE INFLUENCES ON THE RISK OF AVIAN INFLUENZA OUTBREAKS AND ASSOCIATED ECONOMIC LOSS

This paper examines the effect that climate has on Avian Influenza outbreak probability. The statistical analysis shows across a broad region the probability of an outbreak declines by 0.22% when the temperature rises 1 Celsius degree and increases by 0.34% when precipitation increases by 1millimeter. These results indicate that the realized climate change of the last 20 years not only has been a factor behind recent HPAI outbreaks, but that climate change is likely to play an even greater role in the future. The statistical results indicate that overall, the risk of an AI outbreak has been increased by 51% under past climate change and 3-4% under future climate change. An economic evaluation shows the increased probability of outbreaks has caused damages of about $107 million in China and$29 million in the United States due to past climate change. In the year of 2011-2030, for countries with a high proportion of chicken production, economic loss could reach $105-$146 million in China and $12-$18 million in the United Sates.Climate change, Avian Influenza outbreaks, GDP loss, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Ijtihad Ekonomi dalam Pengelolaan Aset Wakaf

Di dalam Fikih Islam, setiap kasus yang tidak secara tegas disebutkan ketentuan hukumnya oleh dalil secara otomatis masuk ke dalam ranah penafsiran hukum (ijtihad). Hal ini berlaku juga untuk kasus wakaf. Mengingat pelaksanaannya tidak secara detail dijelaskan dalam Aquran dan Hadits maka hal tersebut menjadi sangat terbuka bagi penafsiran yang eksibel dan dinamis. Studi ini menelaah tentang praktik wakaf pada Yayasan Badan Wakaf Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII) dan Yayasan Badan Wakaf Sultan Agung (YBSA), Semarang. Fokus persoalan pada penelitian ini adalah model ijtihad ekonomi yang dijadikan landasan dalam pengelolaan dan pengembangan wakaf. Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa fakta bahwa YBSA menjadikan seluruh aset yayasan sebagai aset wakaf meskipun sebenarnya seluruh aset yang ada merupakan hasil pengembangan dari modal wakaf (pada awalnya berupa sekolah-sekolah dasar kemudian berkembang hingga memiliki perguruan tinggi dan Rumah Sakit). Dalam kajian hukum Islam, menggabungkan modal dengan hasil pengembangan sebagaimana yang dilakukan oleh YBSA merupakan ijtihad baru dalam pengelolaan wakaf dan diistilahkan dengan ijtihad ekonomi

Superconducting transition of a two-dimensional Josephson junction array in weak magnetic fields

The superconducting transition of a two-dimensional (2D) Josephson junction array exposed to weak magnetic fields has been studied experimentally. Resistance measurements reveal a superconducting-resistive phase boundary in serious disagreement with the theoretical and numerical expectations. Critical scaling analyses of the $IV$ characteristics indicate contrary to the expectations that the superconducting-to-resistive transition in weak magnetic fields is associated with a melting transition of magnetic-field-induced vortices directly from a pinned-solid phase to a liquid phase. The expected depinning transition of vortices from a pinned-solid phase to an intermediate floating-solid phase was not observed. We discuss effects of the disorder-induced random pinning potential on phase transitions of vortices in a 2D Josephson junction array.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures (EPS+JPG format), RevTeX