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We introduce a new approach to the the asymptotic iteration method (AIM) by means of which we establish the standard AIM connection with the continued fractions technique and we develop a novel termination condition in terms of the approximants. With the help of this alternative termination condition and certain properties of continuous fractions, we derive a closed formula for the asymptotic function $\alpha$ of the AIM technique in terms of an infinite series. Furthermore, we show that such a series converges pointwise to $\alpha$ which, in turn, can be interpreted as a specific term of the minimal solution of a certain recurrence relation. We also investigate some conditions ensuring the existence of a minimal solution and hence, of the function $\alpha$ itself., Comment: 15 pages

There is increasing evidence that farmers in many areas are achieving below maximum yields due to insufficient pollination. Practical and effective approaches are needed to maintain wild pollinator populations within agroecosystems so they can deliver critical pollination services that underpin crop production. We established nesting and wildflower habitat interventions in 24 UK apple orchards and measured effects on flower-visiting insects and the pollination they provide, exploring how this was affected by landscape context. We quantified the extent of pollination deficits and assessed whether the management of wild pollinators can reduce deficits and deliver improved outcomes for growers over 3 years. Wildflower interventions increased solitary bee numbers visiting apple flowers by over 20%, but there was no effect of nesting interventions. Other pollinator groups were influenced by both local and landscape-scale factors, with bumblebees and hoverflies responding to the relative proportion of semi-natural habitat at larger spatial scales (1000 m), while honeybees and other flies responded at 500 m or less. By improving fruit number and quality, pollinators contributed more than £16 k per hectare. However, deficits (where maximum potential was not being reached due to a lack of pollination) were recorded and the extent of these varied across orchards, and from year to year, with a 22% deficit in output in the worst (equivalent to ~£14 k/ha) compared to less than 3% (equivalent to ~£2 k/ha) in the best year. Although no direct effect of our habitat interventions on deficits in gross output was observed, initial fruit set and seed set deficits were reduced by abundant bumblebees, and orchards with a greater abundance of solitary bees saw lower deficits in fruit size. The abundance of pollinators in apple orchards is influenced by different local and landscape factors that interact and vary between years. Consequently, pollination, and the extent of economic output deficits, also vary between orchards and years. We highlight how approaches, including establishing wildflower areas and optimizing the ratio of cropped and non-cropped habitats can increase the abundance of key apple pollinators and improve outcomes for growers.

The quest to understand better the nature of the initial cosmological singularity is with us since the discovery of the expanding universe. Here, we propose several non-flat models, among them the standard cosmological scenario with a critical cosmological constant, the Einstein-Cartan cosmology, the Milne-McCrea universe with quantum corrections and a non-flat universe with bulk viscosity. Within these models, we probe into the initial singularity by using different techniques. Several nonsingular universes emerge, one of the possibilities being a static non-expanding and stable Einstein universe., 31 pages, 14 figures

We consider the possibility of having Dark Matter (DM) black holes motivated by the Einasto density profile. This generalizes both the noncommutative mini black hole model and allows DM to enter as the matter constituent which makes up the black hole. We show that it is possible to construct a black hole solution for each value of the Einasto index and for different values of the mass parameter, provided that the we work with the energy-momentum tensor of an anisotropic fluid. In particular, we achieve that by first considering the equation of state (EOS) $p_r=-\rho$. It turns out that the corresponding black hole solution exhibits a horizon structure similar to that of a Reissner-Nordstr\"{o}m black hole and the central singularity is replaced by a regular de Sitter core. We also show that if the previous EOS is replaced by a nonlocal one, it is possible to construct a self-gravitating fuzzy DM droplet but also in this case, the radial pressure is negative. Finally, we contemplate scenarios of different dark matter black holes with moderate mass values which could have formed in galaxies. In particular, we probe the possibility whether such black holes could also be the central galactic objects., Comment: 20 pages, 15 figures

Sustainable intensification will require the development of new management systems to support global food demands, whilst conserving the integrity of ecosystem functions. Here, we test and identify management strategies to maintain or enhance agricultural production in grasslands whilst simultaneously supporting the provision of multiple ecosystem services. Over four years, we investigated how the establishment of three plant functional groups (grasses, legumes, and other flowering forbs), using different cultivation (minimum tillage and deep ploughing) and management (cutting, grazing and their intensity) techniques, affected provision and complementarity between key ecosystem services. These ecosystem services were agronomic production, pollination, pest control, food resources for farmland birds, and soil services. We found that the establishment of floristically diverse swards, particularly those containing grasses, legumes and forbs, maximised forage yield and quality, pollinator abundance, soil nitrogen, and bird food resources, as well as enhancing populations of natural predators of pests. Cutting management increased bird food resources and natural predators of pests without depleting other services considered. However, a single management solution to maximise the delivery of all ecosystem services is unlikely to exist, as trade-offs also occurred. Consequently, management options may need to be tailored to strategically support localised deficits in key ecosystem services.

Calcareous grasslands are highly biodiverse semi-natural habitats. A particular challenge to European calcareous grassland management in recent years has been the increasing dominance of the competitive grass Brachypodium pinnatum . B. pinnatum is difficult to control by traditional means but selective herbicides offer a potential alternative. We trialled five selective herbicides on two levels of B. pinnatum cover (sparse and dense) at a UK calcareous grassland site over three years of repeated treatment. We compared the effect of herbicides with a minimal intervention treatment (cutting) and current management practices (cutting and grazing for sparse cover, broad-spectrum glyphosate application for dense cover) on the cover of B. pinnatum , key indicator species and the composition of the grassland community. Areas with initially sparse B. pinnatum showed no significant reduction under any herbicide, whilst some herbicides (propyzamide, cycloxydim) showed detrimental impacts on non-target species. Cutting and grazing showed some beneficial effects, despite no significant reduction in B. pinnatum . On areas of dense B. pinnatum cover, glyphosate application reduced cover of B. pinnatum but led to colonisation by negative indicators or species typical of agricultural situations and disturbed ground. None of the selective herbicides significantly reduced dense B. pinnatum cover, and some (propyzamide, tepraloxydim, fluazifop-P-butyl) had significant negative impacts on non-target species. Our results suggest herbicide treatments, including glyphosate, are unlikely to offer long-term control of B. pinnatum on calcareous grasslands. A more promising approach is suggested by the effect of cutting and grazing, although further experimentation is required to determine the most effective regimes.

Green hay transfer from species‐rich donor sites is now commonly used in Europe to restore species‐rich semi‐natural grassland, both on ex‐arable land and on former intensive grassland. However, species transfer rates are usually well below 100%, and due to lack of further colonization by additional target species after initial restoration, continued progress toward the target plant community is often very slow. We used data from a restoration experiment aiming to reestablish species‐rich grazed meadows of the MG5 grassland type according to the British National Vegetation Classification to investigate relationships between species abundance at a donor site, species capture by green hay and its seed content, and success of species establishment on experimental plots in formerly intensively managed species‐poor grassland undergoing restoration. Our results show that species with higher abundance at the donor site were more likely captured as seed in green hay, and were more likely to establish after hay application at the recipient site. Species with low abundance at the donor site that also possessed specific germination requirements that might prevent immediate establishment after green hay transfer were particularly unlikely to get established after transfer. These findings can provide guidance for additional measures aimed at ensuring establishment of a wider range of target species. Such measures could include targeted sowing of species in addition to green hay application, and management of restored grassland swards to extend or reopen an initial window of opportunity for the establishment of green hay species that might not be germinable immediately after hay transfer.

The two most common approaches to target species introduction in European meadow restoration are green‐hay transfer from species‐rich donor sites and the use of diverse seed mixtures reflecting the chosen target community. The potential of both approaches to restore species‐rich grassland has been variously reviewed, but very few studies have experimentally compared them at one and the same site. Moreover, studies involving one or both approaches have rarely taken into account environmental gradients at a site, and measured the impacts of such gradients on restoration outcomes. Such gradients do e.g. exist during grassland restoration on former arable land in river floodplains, where gradients in the occurrence of flooding, and in associated edaphic characteristics such as nutrient availability, might affect restoration outcomes. Using a randomised complete block experimental design, based on five different indicators of restoration progress, we compared the usefulness of green‐hay application and diverse‐seeding to restore species‐rich grazed meadows of the MG5 grassland type according to the British National Vegetation Classification, and also investigated how restoration outcomes differed after four years between areas within experimental plots characterized by high flood risk, and areas characterized by low flood risk. Overall, both restoration approaches yielded similar results over the course of the experiment, whereas high flood risk levels and associated edaphic factors such as high availability of phosphorus negatively affected restoration progress particularly in terms of floristic similarity to restoration targets. These results highlight the need to take into account environmental gradients during meadow restoration.

According to requirements of European Telecommunications Standards Institute regarding power spectral density mask a wavelet is the most promising radiated ultra-wideband (UWB) pulse. This paper discusses mathematical models as well as time and frequency analysis of the major UWB signals. Despite of narrowband systems, where the pulse shape distortion by the antenna is negligible, there is a significant waveform distortion related to radiation direction of antenna. The simulation software allowed to present several short duration pulses radiated by designed planar antenna which operates in frequency band 6-8.5 GHz. System performance can be improved by applying wavelets which are limited by a Gaussian envelope.

We give a formulation of classical mechanics in the language of operators acting on a Hilbert space. The formulation given comes from a unitary irreducible representation of the Galilei group that is compatible with the basic postulates of classical mechanics, particularly the absence of an uncertainty principle between the position and momentum of a particle. It is shown that the theory exposed in the article contains the Koopman–von Neumann formalism of classical mechanics as a particular case.

We obtain some new formulae to compute the first derivative of confluent and biconfluent Heun functions under the minimal assumption of fixing only one parameter. These results together with the Lagrangian formulation of a general homogeneous linear ordinary differential equation allow to construct several new indefinite integrals for the confluent, biconfluent, doubly confluent, and triconfluent Heun functions., 12. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1807.07781

We present a conspicuous number of indefinite integrals involving Heun functions and their products obtained by means of the Lagrangian formulation of a general homogeneous linear ordinary differential equation. As a by-product we also derive new indefinite integrals involving the Gauss hypergeometric function and products of hypergeometric functions with elliptic functions of the first kind. All integrals we obtained cannot be computed using Maple and Mathematica., Comment: 8 pages

We derive the most general families of differential operators of first and second degree semi-commuting with the differential operators of the Heun class. Among these families we classify all those families commuting with the Heun class. In particular, we discover that a certain generalized Heun equation commutes with the Heun differential operator allowing us to construct the general solution to a complicated fourth order linear differential equation with variable coefficients which Maple 16 cannot solve., 15 pages

Agri-environmental management has been promoted as an approach to enhance delivery of multiple ecosystem services. Most agri-environment agreements include several actions that the farmer agrees to put in place. But, most studies have only considered how individual agri-environmental actions affect particular ecosystem services. Thus, there is little understanding of how the range of agri-environmental actions available to a farmer might be deployed on any individual farm to enhance multiple services. To address this knowledge gap, we carried out an experimental study in which we deployed a set of agri-environmental actions on a commercial farm in southern England. Agri-environmental actions comprised wildflower margins and fallow areas in arable fields, creating and enhancing grassland with wildflowers, and digging ponds. Alongside biodiversity responses, we measured effects on a number of ecosystem services: pollination, pest control, crop and forage yield, water quality, climate regulation and cultural services. Wildflower margins enhanced invertebrates, pest control and crop yield, and aesthetic appeal. A greater number of pollinators was linked to enhanced oilseed rape yield. But these margins and the fallows did not prevent run-off of nutrients and sediment into waterways, and showed limited carbon sequestration or reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Newly-dug ponds captured large amounts of sediment and provided aesthetic appeal. Grasslands had higher soil carbon content and microbial biomass, lower N20 emissions, and net sequestration of carbon compared to arable land. Enhancement of grassland plant diversity increased forage quality and aesthetic appeal. Visitors and residents valued a range of agri-environmental features and biodiversity across the farm. Our findings suggest one cannot necessarily expect any particular agri-environmental action will enhance all of a hoped-for set of ecosystem services in any particular setting. A bet-hedging strategy would be for farmers to apply a suite of options to deliver a range of ecosystem service benefits, rather than assuming that one or two options will work as catch-all solutions. © 2021

Partial differential equations for the electric potential at finite temperature, taking into account the thermal Euler-Heisenberg contribution to the electromagnetic Lagrangian are derived. This complete temperature dependence introduces quantum corrections to several well known equations such as the Thomas-Fermi and the Poisson-Boltzmann equation. Our unified approach allows at the same time to derive other similar equations which take into account the effect of the surrounding heat bath on electric fields. We vary our approach by considering a neutral plasma as well as the screening caused by electrons only. The effects of changing the statistics from Fermi-Dirac to the Tsallis statistics and including the presence of a magnetic field are also investigated. Some useful applications of the above formalism are presented., Comment: 28 pages

Objectives To assess the skeletal status in asthmatic children treated with inhaled corticosteroids in a longitudinal observation by quantitative ultrasound (US) measurement at the hand phalanges. Methods Thirty-four children were studied prospectively. Quantitative US measurements were performed at baseline and after a mean ± SD of 2.35 ± 0.20 years. The obtained results were compared to age-, sex-, and body size-matched control participants selected from a database of previously examined healthy children. Individual changes in the amplitude-dependent speed of sound (Ad-SoS) during the follow-up period were also analyzed. Results The mean age of the asthmatic children was 10.6 ± 2.5 years. The mean Ad-SoS in the asthmatic children at baseline was 1940.5 ± 49.6 m/s, and the mean Z score was −0.26 ± 0.80. Corresponding values at the follow-up examination were 1976.2 ± 63.6 m/s and −0.18 ± 1.16. The results did not differ significantly in comparison to the healthy controls. The analysis of individual changes in Ad-SoS revealed that 18 participants had a significant increase in this parameter (ie, exceeding the least significant change threshold), and 16 did not have a significant change in their values. No one had a significant decrease in Ad-SoS. Conclusions Quantitative US at the hand phalanges applied as a diagnostic tool revealed no essential differences in the pattern of skeletal development between asthmatic children treated with inhaled glucocorticosteroids and healthy controls.

We address the concerns raised by the author of "Comment: Some exact quasinormal frequencies of a massless scalar field in Schwarzschild spacetime" appeared in arXiv:1807.05940. In particular, we explain why the analysis in our paper [Phys. Rev. D{\bf{98}}, 024017 (2018)] is relevant and correct., 3 pages, comment on gr-qc:1807.05940

We probe into the instabilities of microscopic quantum black holes. For this purpose, we study the quasinormal modes (QNMs) for a massless scalar perturbation of the noncommutative geometry inspired Schwarzschild black hole. By means of a sixth order Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) approximation we show that the widely used WKB method does not converge in the critical cases where instabilities show up at the third order. By employing the inverted potential method, we demonstrate that the instabilities are an artifact of the WKB method. Finally, we discuss the usefulness of the asymptotic iteration method to find the QNMs., Comment: 14 pages, 6 figures, reference added

We discuss the propagation of light in the C-metric. We discover that null geodesics admit circular orbits only for a certain family of orbital cones. Explicit analytic formulae are derived for the orbital radius and the corresponding opening angle fixing the cone. Furthermore, we prove that these orbits based on a saddle point in the effective potential are Jacobi unstable. This completes the stability analysis done in previous literature and allows us to probe into the light bending in a two black hole metric. More precisely, by constructing a suitable tetrad in the Newmann-Penrose formalism, we show that light propagation in this geometry is shear-free, irrotational, and a light beam passing by a C-black hole undergoes a focussing process. An exact analytic formula for the compression factor $\theta$ is derived and discussed. Furthermore, we study the weak and strong gravitational lensing when both the observer and the light ray belong to the aforementioned family of invariant cones. In particular, we obtain formulae allowing to calculate the deflection angle in the weak and strong gravitational lensing regimes., Comment: 27 pages, 3 figures

We show that not all quasinormal modes of a massless scalar field in the Schwarzschild metric are encoded in the corresponding characteristic equation expressed by means of a continued fraction. We provide an analytical formula for these new hitherto missing quasinormal modes, and in doing that we also construct a generalization of the Gauss convergence criterion., Comment: 9 pages

In calculating the energy corrections to the hydrogen levels we can identify two different types of modifications of the Coulomb potential $V_{C}$, with one of them being the standard quantum electrodynamics corrections, $\delta V$, satisfying $\left|\delta V\right|\ll\left|V_{C}\right|$ over the whole range of the radial variable $r$. The other possible addition to $V_{C}$ is a potential arising due to the finite size of the atomic nucleus and as a matter of fact, can be larger than $V_{C}$ in a very short range. We focus here on the latter and show that the electric potential of the proton displays some undesirable features. Among others, the energy content of the electric field associated with this potential is very close to the threshold of $e^+e^-$ pair production. We contrast this large electric field of the Maxwell theory with one emerging from the non-linear Euler-Heisenberg theory and show how in this theory the short range electric field becomes smaller and is well below the pair production threshold.

We analyze the prospects of observing the light charge parity ($CP$)-even neutral Higgs bosons (${h}_{1}$) in their decays into $b\overline{b}$ quarks, in the neutral and charged current production processes $e{h}_{1}q$ and $\ensuremath{\nu}{h}_{1}q$ at the upcoming Large Hadron Electron Collider (LHeC), with $\sqrt{s}\ensuremath{\approx}1.296\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$. Assuming that the intermediate Higgs boson (${h}_{2}$) is Standard Model (SM)-like, we study the Higgs production within the framework of next-to-minimal supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM). We consider the constraints from dark-matter, sparticle masses, and the Higgs boson data. The signal in our analysis can be classified as three jets, with electron (missing energy) coming from the neutral (charged) current interaction. We demand that the number of $b$-tagged jets in the central rapidity region be greater or equal to two. The remaining jet is tagged in the forward regions. With this forward jet and two $b$-tagged jets in the central region, we reconstructed three jets invariant masses. Applying some lower limits on these invariant masses turns out to be an essential criterion to enhance the signal--to--background rates, with slightly different sets of kinematical selections in the two different channels. We consider almost all reducible and irreducible SM background processes. We find that the non-SM like Higgs boson, ${h}_{1}$, would be accessible in some of the NMSSM benchmark points, at approximately the $0.4\ensuremath{\sigma}$ ($2.5\ensuremath{\sigma}$) level in the $e+3\mathrm{j}$ channel up to Higgs boson masses of 75 GeV, and in the ${\overline{)E}}_{T}+3\mathrm{j}$ channel could be discovered with the $1.7\ensuremath{\sigma}$ ($2.4\ensuremath{\sigma}$) level up to Higgs boson masses of 88 GeV with $100\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{fb}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ of data in a simple cut-based (with optimization) selection. With ten times more data accumulation at the end of the LHeC run, and using optimization, one can have $5\ensuremath{\sigma}$ discovery in the electron (missing energy) channel up to 85 (more than 90) GeV.

Entanglement of three photons from the decay of ortho-positronium is re-analyzed. We use the full three body phase space to write down the entangled states classified according to the spin directions of the ortho-positronium. Even in the case when the spin is perpendicular to the decay plane, we find non-negligible phases entering the entangled state. This has not been noticed before. We advocate a fixed quantization axis of the spin for the sake of generality. A brief discussion of a three dimensional formalism for photons, including correlations, versus a two dimensional one is given., Proceedings of the second Jagiellonian Symposium on Fundamental and Applied Subatomic Physics

We examine the possibility of travelling wave solutions within the nonlinear Euler-Heisenberg electrodynamics. Since this theory resembles in its form the electrodynamics in matter, it is a priori not clear if there exist travelling wave solutions with a new dispersion relation for $\omega(k)$ or if the Euler-Heisenberg theory stringently imposes $\omega=k$ for any arbitrary ansatz $\mathbf{E}(\xi)$ and $\mathbf{B}(\xi)$ with $\xi \equiv \mathbf{k}\cdot\mathbf{r} -\omega t$. We show that the latter scheme applies for the Euler-Heisenberg theory, but point out the possibility of new solutions with $\omega \neq k$ if we go beyond the Euler-Heisenberg theory, allowing strong fields. In case of the Euler-Heisenberg theory the quantum mechanical effect of the travelling wave solutions remains in $\hbar$ corrections to the energy density and the Poynting vector., Comment: 26 pages

We briefly review the so-called ‘proton puzzle’, i.e., the disagreement of the newly extracted value of the proton charge radius r p from muonic hydrogen spectroscopy with other extractions, its possible significance and related problems. After describing the conventional theory to extract the proton radius from atomic spectroscopy we focus on a novel consistent approach based on the Breit equation. With this new tool, we confirm that the radius has indeed become smaller compared to the value extracted from scattering experiments, but the existence of different theoretical approaches casts some doubt on the accuracy of the new value. Precision measurements in atomic physics do provide the opportunity to extract light nuclear radii but the accuracy is limited by the methods of incorporating the nuclear structure effects.

We use the Dirac equation in a fixed black hole background and different independent techniques to demonstrate the absence of fermionic bound states around a Schwarzschild black hole. In particular, we show that no embedded eigenvalues exist which have been claimed for the case when the energy is less than the particle's mass. We explicitly prove that the claims regarding the embedded eigenvalues can be traced back to an oversimplified approximation in the calculation. We conclude that no bound states exist regardless the value of the mass., 12 pages

We probe into universes filled with Quark Gluon Plasma with non-zero viscosities. In particular, we study the evolution of a universe with non-zero shear viscosity motivated by the theoretical result of a non-vanishing shear viscosity in the Quark Gluon Plasma due to quantum-mechanical effects. We first review the consequences of a non-zero bulk viscosity and show explicitly the non-singular nature of the bulk-viscosity-universe by calculating the cosmological scale factor $R(t)$ which goes to zero only asymptotically. We further extend the model of bulk viscosity to include a Cosmological Constant. We contrast the previous results with the cosmology of universes with non-zero shear viscosity. We first clarify under which conditions shear viscosity terms are compatible with the Friedmann-Lama\^itre-Robertson-Walker metric. To this end we use a version of the energy-momentum tensor from the M\"uller-Isreal-Stewart theory which leads to causal Navier-Stoke equations. We then derive the corresponding Friedmann equations and show under which conditions the universe emerges non-singular., Comment: 49 pages, 18 figures

Over three years, a replicated block design was used to investigate the effects of seed mixtures (grasses only; grasses and legumes; grasses, legumes and non-legume forbs), establishment techniques and long term management on beetle and spider communities of grassland swards. We quantified trophic links between phytophagous beetles and their host plants to assess the effect of these seed mixtures and management practices on food web structure. When managed under low intensity cutting regimes the most diverse seed mixture supported the highest biomass of beetles and spiders (c. 3.6 kg ha−1). Species richness of predatory beetles, phytophagous beetles and spiders were all increased by the sowing of legumes, although the addition of other forbs tended to result in at most modest further increases in invertebrate species richness. Analysis of food web structure suggests that the number of host plants utilised by beetles was greatest within the most diverse seed mixtures, but that this declined rapidly after the establishment year. We demonstrate that by sowing cheap and simple seed mixtures agriculturally improved grasslands can be managed to support increased diversity of spiders and beetles. While seed mixtures do not necessarily need to be of the highest diversity to achieve these benefits, the inclusion of legumes does appear to be crucial. The lower costs of intermediate diversity seed mixtures increase appeal to farmers, increasing the likely uptake of these methodologies in voluntary agri-environment schemes.&nbsp

Static properties of hadrons such as their radii and other moments of the electric and magnetic distributions can only be extracted using theoretical methods and not directly measured from experiments. As a result, discrepancies between the extracted values from different precision measurements can exist. The proton charge radius, $r_p$, which is either extracted from electron proton elastic scattering data or from hydrogen atom spectroscopy seems to be no exception. The value $r_p = 0.84087(39)$ fm extracted from muonic hydrogen spectroscopy is about 4% smaller than that obtained from electron proton scattering or standard hydrogen spectroscopy. The resolution of this so called proton radius puzzle has been attempted in many different ways over the past six years. The present article reviews these attempts with a focus on the methods of extracting the radius., Mini review, 14 pages, 1 figure

Motivated by quantum mechanical corrections to the Newtonian potential, which can be translated into an $\hbar$-correction to the $g_{00}$ component of the Schwarzschild metric, we construct a quantum mechanically corrected metric assuming $-g_{00}=g^{rr}$. We show how the Bekenstein black hole entropy $S$ receives its logarithmic contribution provided the quantum mechanical corrections to the metric are negative. In this case the standard horizon at the Schwarzschild radius $r_S$ increases by small terms proportional to $\hbar$ and a remnant of the order of Planck mass emerges. We contrast these results with a positive correction to the metric which, apart from a corrected Schwarzschild horizon, leads to a new purely quantum mechanical horizon., 14 pages Latex, enlarged version as compared to the published one

To assess the skeletal status in asthmatic children treated with inhaled corticosteroids in a longitudinal observation by quantitative ultrasound (US) measurement at the hand phalanges.Thirty-four children were studied prospectively. Quantitative US measurements were performed at baseline and after a mean ± SD of 2.35 ± 0.20 years. The obtained results were compared to age-, sex-, and body size-matched control participants selected from a database of previously examined healthy children. Individual changes in the amplitude-dependent speed of sound (Ad-SoS) during the follow-up period were also analyzed.The mean age of the asthmatic children was 10.6 ± 2.5 years. The mean Ad-SoS in the asthmatic children at baseline was 1940.5 ± 49.6 m/s, and the mean Z score was -0.26 ± 0.80. Corresponding values at the follow-up examination were 1976.2 ± 63.6 m/s and -0.18 ± 1.16. The results did not differ significantly in comparison to the healthy controls. The analysis of individual changes in Ad-SoS revealed that 18 participants had a significant increase in this parameter (ie, exceeding the least significant change threshold), and 16 did not have a significant change in their values. No one had a significant decrease in Ad-SoS.Quantitative US at the hand phalanges applied as a diagnostic tool revealed no essential differences in the pattern of skeletal development between asthmatic children treated with inhaled glucocorticosteroids and healthy controls.

Capsule Barn Owl pellets can be used to assess population changes in small mammals though with certain important reservations. Aims To conduct a large-scale, long-term analysis of pellets regurgitated by Barn Owls collected from a defined area of countryside within the UK south Midlands and compare results with those of other studies that have used pellet analysis to investigate the diet of Barn Owls. Methods Over 61 000 Barn Owl pellets collected over 20 years in the south Midlands of England were analyzed. Results We recorded a steady increase in the proportion of Field Voles in pellets over time at the expense of Wood Mice, and a positive relationship between various rainfall measures and the proportion of Field Voles in pellets. We suggest that the conclusions of previous studies of the diet of Barn Owls have often been predicated on inconsistent or untenable assumptions. Conclusion We challenge some of the premises on which Barn Owl pellet analyses have traditionally been based. We do not think that ...