|
| ||
|
|
||
Cm Long (cm + long)
Selected AbstractsMeasurement of dissociation rate of biomolecular complexes using CEELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 3 2009Peilin Yang Abstract Fluorescence anisotropy (FA), non-equilibrium CE of equilibrium mixtures (NECEEM) and high-speed CE were evaluated for measuring dissociation kinetics of peptide,protein binding systems. Fyn-SH3-SH2, a protein construct consisting of the src homology 2 (SH2) and 3 (SH3) domain of the protein Fyn, and a fluorescein-labeled phosphopeptide were used as a model system. All three methods gave comparable half-life of,53,s for Fyn-SH3-SH2:peptide complex. Achieving satisfactory results by NECEEM required columns over 30,cm long. When using Fyn-SH2-SH3 tagged with glutathione S -transferase (GST) as the binding protein, both FA and NECEEM assays gave evidence of two complexes forming with the peptide, yet neither method allowed accurate measurement of dissociation rates for both complexes because of a lack of resolution. High-speed CE, with a 7,s separation time, enabled separation of both complexes and allowed determination of dissociation rate of both complexes independently. The two complexes had half-lives of 22.0±2.7 and 58.8±6.1,s, respectively. Concentration studies revealed that the GST-Fyn-SH3-SH2 protein formed a dimer so that complexes had binding ratios of 2:1 (protein-to-peptide ratio) and 2:2. Our results demonstrate that although all methods are suitable for 1:1 binding systems, high-speed CE is unique in allowing multiple complexes to be resolved simultaneously. This property allows determination of binding kinetics of complicated systems and makes the technique useful for discovering novel affinity interactions. [source] Gravity-induced convective flow in microfluidic systems: Electrochemical characterization and application to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay testsELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 21-22 2004Patrick Morier Abstract A way of using gravity flow to induce a linear convection within a microfluidic system is presented. It is shown and mathematically supported that tilting a 1 cm long covered microchannel is enough to generate flow rates up to 1000 nL·min -1, which represents a linear velocity of 2.4 mm·s -1. This paper also presents a method to monitor the microfluidic events occurring in a covered microchannel when a difference of pressure is applied to force a solution to flow in said covered microchannel, thanks to electrodes inserted in the microfluidic device. Gravity-induced flow monitored electrochemically is applied to the performance of a parallel-microchannel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) with electrochemical detection. A simple method for generating and monitoring fluid flows is described, which can, for instance, be used for controlling parallel assays in microsystems. [source] Rapid determination of aliphatic amines in water samples by pressure-assisted monolithic octadecylsilica capillary electrochromatography-mass spectrometryELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 18-19 2004Bricio Santos Abstract A pressure-assisted capillary chromatography-mass spectrometry method based on the use of a monolithic octadecylsilica (ODS) capillary is proposed for the determination of aliphatic amines. A 25 mM citric acid buffer containing 10% methanol is used as running electrolyte. Separation is achieved by simultaneously applying a capillary electrophoresis (CE) voltage of 13 kV and an overimposed pressure of 8 bar. The use of pressure is required to ensure stable electrospray conditions. Analysis times are reduced by using a capillary column consisting of a 30 cm long monolithic silica capillary column bound with ODS and a fused-silica capillary column also 30 cm long. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of low-molecular-weight aliphatic amines in tap and river water. The analysis of real samples requires cleanup and preconcentration, which can be performed automatically by inserting a minicolumn in the replenishment system of the commercial instrument. [source] The effect of stocking size on the first winter survival of whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus (L.), in the Gulf of Bothnia, Baltic SeaFISHERIES MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2002E. JOKIKOKKO The anadromous whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus (L.), is the most numerous fish species stocked in the Gulf of Bothnia, Baltic Sea. One-summer-old-whitefish fingerlings are mostly 8,10 cm long when released annually in September,October, whereas the wild whitefish are 10,12 cm at that time. About 6 million, one-summer-old, spray-marked, whitefish were released in the northern and central parts of the Gulf in 1995,1998. To study the effect of the stocking length on the survival of the marked fish, the length of the recaptured whitefish as 1-year-olds was back-calculated. Altogether 1106 whitefish recaptured in the Gulf of Bothnia were analysed. The back-calculated length was slightly greater than the stocking length but not as large as the length of the wild fish. In the central part of the Gulf of Bothnia, where the mean stocking length was more than 10 cm, the back-calculated length was 10.5,11.1 cm. In the northern part of the Gulf the mean stocking length varied between 8.8 and 10.0 cm annually, and the corresponding back-calculated mean lengths were 9.3,9.7 cm. It also seemed that bigger fingerlings started their feeding migration earlier or they migrated faster than the smaller ones to the southern parts of the Gulf of Bothnia. [source] From clergymen to computers,the advent of virtual palaeontologyGEOLOGY TODAY, Issue 3 2010Russell J. Garwood Palaeontology was established as a science in the Victorian era, yet has roots that stretch deeper into the recesses of history. More than 2000 years ago, the Greek philosopher Aristotle deduced that fossil sea shells were once living organisms, and around 500 ad Xenophanes used fossils to argue that many areas of land must have previously been submarine. In 1027, the Persian scholar Avicenna suggested that organisms were fossilized by petrifying fluids; this theory was accepted by most natural philosophers up until the eighteenth century Enlightenment, and even beyond. The late 1700s were notable for the work of Georges Cuvier who established the reality of extinction. This, coupled with advances in the recognition of faunal successions made by the canal engineer William Smith, laid the framework for the discipline that would become known as palaeontology. As the nineteenth century progressed, the scientific community became increasingly well organized. Most fossil workers were gentleman scientists and members of the clergy, who self-funded their studies in a new and exciting field. Many of the techniques used to study fossils today were developed during this ,classical' period. Perhaps the most fundamental of these is to expose a fossil by splitting the rock housing it, and then conduct investigations based upon the exposed surface (Fig. 1). This approach has served the science well in the last two centuries, having been pivotal to innumerable advances in our understanding of the history of life. Nevertheless, there are many cases where splitting a rock in this way results in incomplete data recovery; those where the fossils are not flattened, but are preserved in three-dimensions. Even the ephemeral soft-tissues of organisms are occasionally preserved in a three-dimensional state, for example in the Herefordshire, La Voulte Sûr Rhone and Orsten ,Fossil Lagerstätten' (sites of exceptional fossil preservation). These rare and precious deposits provide a wealth of information about the history of life on Earth, and are perhaps our most important resource in the quest to understand the palaeobiology of extinct organisms. With the aid of twenty-first century technology, we can now make the most of these opportunities through the field of ,virtual palaeontology',computer-aided visualization of fossils. Figure 1. A split nodule showing the fossil within, in this case a cockroachoid insect. Fossil 4 cm long (From Garwood & Sutton, in press). [source] Solute movement through intact columns of cryoturbated Upper ChalkHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 13 2008M. Mahmood-ul-Hassan Abstract Cryoturbated Upper Chalk is a dichotomous porous medium wherein the intra-fragment porosity provides water storage and the inter-fragment porosity provides potential pathways for relatively rapid flow near saturation. Chloride tracer movement through 43 cm long and 45 cm diameter undisturbed chalk columns was studied at water application rates of 0·3, 1·0, and 1·5 cm h,1. Microscale heterogeneity in effluent was recorded using a grid collection system consisting of 98 funnel-shaped cells each 3·5 cm in diameter. The total porosity of the columns was 0·47 ± 0·02 m3 m,3, approximately 13% of pores were , 15 µm diameter, and the saturated hydraulic conductivity was 12·66 ± 1·31 m day,1. Although the column remained unsaturated during the leaching even at all application rates, proportionate flow through macropores increased as the application rate decreased. The number of dry cells (with 0 ml of effluent) increased as application rate decreased. Half of the leachate was collected from 15, 19 and 22 cells at 0·3, 1·0, 1·5 cm h,1 application rates respectively. Similar breakthrough curves (BTCs) were obtained at all three application rates when plotted as a function of cumulative drainage, but they were distinctly different when plotted as a function of time. The BTCs indicate that the columns have similar drainage requirement irrespective of application rates, as the rise to the maxima (C/Co) is almost similar. However, the time required to achieve that leaching requirement varies with application rates, and residence time was less in the case of a higher application rate. A two-region convection,dispersion model was used to describe the BTCs and fitted well (r2 = 0·97,0·99). There was a linear relationship between dispersion coefficient and pore water velocity (correlation coefficient r = 0·95). The results demonstrate the microscale heterogeneity of hydrodynamic properties in the Upper Chalk. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Is nest-site availability limiting Lesser Kestrel populations?IBIS, Issue 4 2005A multiple scale approach The Lesser Kestrel, a colonial migratory falcon, is one of the most endangered birds in Europe and, due to a sharp population decline across much of the breeding range, is globally threatened. The reasons for this decline are unclear, but reduced nest-site availability might be a major cause. To test this hypothesis we looked at nest-site availability within Portuguese colonies in rural and urban buildings. Nest holes were larger, longer, higher and older than unoccupied cavities. A typical nest cavity was approximately 29,30 cm long, 300,340 cm high and had an inner chamber 16.5,18 cm wide. Large-scale surveys of existing buildings in Portuguese villages suggested that 85% of sites lacked suitable nest cavities. The model for selection of buildings indicated that Lesser Kestrels prefer buildings with many roof and wall cavities, and that are surrounded by extensive cereal and fallow fields. The villages selected had many old buildings and monuments, were located in areas with few rivers, and a low percentage cover of cereal, olive groves and forest. The conservation implications of these results are discussed. [source] Foraging technique and prey-handling time in black-necked stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus)INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2008Gopinathan MAHESWARAN Abstract The foraging technique and prey-handling time of the black-necked stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) was studied in Dudhwa National Park, India, from January 1996 to June 1997. The habitat in which the storks foraged played an important role in selecting a particular technique to procure food. Black-necked storks mostly foraged using a tactile technique (>90%), but sometimes foraged visually. When the water level was estimated to be less than 60 cm, the storks foraged using tactile techniques. There was no difference in the feeding techniques of male and female storks. Foraging attempt rates varied between the sexes in summer (May) and during late winter (February) in 1997. The search time for prey increased when the water level was high and fish were widely distributed. Decreases in water level resulted in concentration offish in certain areas and this contributed to high fish-catching rates by black-necked storks. Males had a higher success rate offish capture than females. However, females captured longer fish than males. Prey-handling time increased in both sexes as fish length increased. Fish 4,6 cm long were most frequently taken by the foraging storks. [source] Pseudo-clitoromegaly associated with congenital prepubic sinusINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 7 2006MASA HAYASE Abstract, We operated on a 12-year-old girl who had clitoromegaly and a sinus on the midline prepubic area congenitally. The prepubic sinus appeared to point to the clitoris on the preoperative magnetic resonance image, but the relation between the sinus and clitoromegaly was unclear. Gray-brown discharge was emitted at the site of dissection between the prepuce and clitoris and the size of the clitoris became normal. The sinus was excised, revealing a tract 1.5 cm long that extended to the retropubic sinus, and ended in a fibrous tract that was linked to the clitoris. This suggested pseudo-hypertrophy because of the discharge collected in the end of the prepubic sinus. [source] Inguinal hernia of seminal vesicle cystINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF UROLOGY, Issue 11 2004KATSUKI INOUE Abstract Seminal vesicle cysts are uncommon abnormalities in the pelvis. The case of a seminal vesicle cyst that extended through the inguinal canal is reported. A 35-year-old man presented with left inguinal swelling. He was diagnosed with a left inguinal hernia. However, the interpretative diagnosis was a spermatic cord tumor. The operation was changed to tumor resection. The tumor existed along with the vas deferens from part of the parietal peritoneum outside the inguinal tunnel to the deep pelvic space. The cylinder-shaped tumor was 3 cm in diameter and 20 cm long. Pathological examination revealed a seminal vesicle cyst that extended through the inguinal canal. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of a seminal vesicle cyst inguinal hernia. [source] Cavity use and reproductive success of nesting macaws in lowland forest of southeast PeruJOURNAL OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Katherine Renton ABSTRACT Competition for nest sites by sympatric species can lead to resource partitioning among species. We examined the partitioning of cavity resources by Red-and-green Macaws (Ara chloropterus), Blue-and-yellow Macaws (A. ararauna), and Scarlet Macaws (A. macao) in the lowland forest of southeast Peru. Red-and-green Macaws nested primarily in cavities in emergent Dipteryx trees, and Blue-and-yellow Macaws nested predominantly in palm snags. Scarlet Macaws had the broadest nesting niche, and their use of cavities overlapped that of the other two species. These differences in cavity use may be related to differences in size, with Red-and-green Macaws the largest of the three species (90 cm long, 1050,1320 g), followed by Scarlet Macaws (85 cm long, 1060,1123 g) and Blue-and-yellow Macaws (70 cm long, 1086 g). We did not observe interspecific conflicts between Blue-and-yellow Macaws and the other two species. However, Scarlet and Red-and-green macaws frequently compete for cavities, perhaps contributing to the use of a wider range of cavity resources by the smaller, less competitive Scarlet Macaws. For the three macaw species combined, 40 of 84 nests (48%) were successful, fledging either one or two young (mean = 1.4 ± 0.43). The overall reproductive output (including failed nests) was 0.60 ± 0.68 fledglings per nesting pair, with no difference between macaw species (P > 0.18). A lack of alternative nest substrates for large macaws may drive resource partitioning by sympatric species, with specialization on either emergent trees or palm snags, whereas less competitive species like Scarlet Macaws need to be flexible and use a variety of nest sites. RESUMEN La competencia por sitios de anidación entre especies simpatricas favorece la repartición de recursos. Evaluamos la repartición del recurso de cavidades entre la guacamaya roja (Ara chloropterus), guacamaya azul y amarilla (A. ararauna), y guacamaya escarlata (A. macao) en la selva tropical húmeda del sureste de Perú. La guacamaya roja anidó principalmente en cavidades en árboles emergentes de Dipteryx, y la guacamaya azul y amarilla anidó en palmeras muertas. La guacamaya escarlata presentó el nicho de anidación más amplio, sóbrelapando su uso de cavidades con las otras dos especies. Estas diferencias en uso de cavidades podrían estar relacionadas con diferencias en tamaño corporal, la guacamaya roja es la especie mas grande (90 cm largo, 1050,1320 g), seguido por la guacamaya escarlata (85 cm largo, 1060,1123 g) y la guacamaya azul y amarillo (70 cm largo, 1086 g). No observamos conflictos interespecificos de la guacamaya azul y amarilla con las otras dos especies. Sin embargo, las guacamayas roja y escarlata competieron frecuentemente por las cavidades, que contribuiría al rango mas amplio de cavidades usadas por la mas pequeña, menor competitivo, guacamaya escarlata. Para las tres especies, 40 de 84 nidos (48%) fueron exitosos, con uno o dos volantones (promedio = 1.4 ± 0.43). La productividad reproductiva (incluyendo nidos fracasados) fue de 0.60 ± 0.68 volantones por pareja, que no varió entre las especies (P > 0.18). Una falta de sustratos alternos para anidación por las guacamayas podría impulsar la repartición de recursos entre las especies simpatricas, con especialización sobre árboles emergentes o palmeras muertas, mientras la menor competidora guacamaya escarlata necesita ser flexible, utilizando una variedad de sitios de anidación. [source] A study of juvenile rat spinal cord injuryJOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 2002J. M. Wingrave Greater than 5% of all spinal cord injuries (SCI) in the US occur in people younger than 16, although a minority, children will require extended attention during their lifetime. While facing increased mortality in the initial 24 h after trauma, children with incomplete injuries seem to have a greater capacity for recovery of function compared to adults suggesting that there is a difference in injury tolerance in the young over the adult. Knowledge of the factors involved in this difference would not only increase understanding of SCI, but also potentiate new avenues for SCI treatment. Yet there has not been a model for the study of youth SCI. For these reasons, we developed a model of SCI in juvenile rats equivalent to an adult injury of 25 g cm force (GCF). To do so, we recorded spinal cord masses of Sprague,Dawley rats at 21, 30, 45, and 60 days of age, compared them to adult cord masses, and assembled a conversion factor that provides youth injuries comparable to adult. To investigate the pathophysiology in juvenile SCI, two cord segments, 1 cm long, were removed from animals 24 h following injury. One segment was centered at the impact site, the other immediately caudal. After homogenization, the samples were assayed by Western blot analysis for calpain content and degradation of 68K Neuro-Filament Protein (68K NFP), a neuronal structural protein. mCalpain expression, a neutral protease previously implicated in secondary SCI, was reduced in juvenile animals relative to adult cohorts. The degradation of 68K NFP was also found to be reduced in juvenile animals. From these analyses, it seems plausible that calpain expression and pathogenic activity is abated in the setting of young rat SCI. Acknowledgements:, Supported by grants from NIH-NINDS. [source] Effect of Diaporthe/Phomopsis Species Isolated from Soyabean and Abutilon theophrasti on Soybean Seed GerminationJOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 11-12 2006K. Vrandecic Abstract Twelve isolates of Diaporthe/Phomopsis species from soybean (six isolates) and Abutilon theophrasti (velvetleaf) (six isolates) were studied for their pathogenicity to soybean and their effect on soybean seed germination and seedling survival after artificial seed inoculation. The following criteria were taken into consideration: number of germinated and rotten seeds, seedlings with necrosis, germ length and length of necrotic lesion. All tested Diaporthe/Phomopsis isolates caused seeds rot. P. longicolla isolates from soybean plants (PL1 and PL2) and isolates from velvetleaf (AbPL1 and AbPL2) exhibited statistically significant decrease in germ growth. These germs were only 1.0,1.8 cm long. No relation between length of germs and length of necrosis was found. The highest percentage of decayed seedlings was determined in the isolates AbPL1 and 2 as well as in PS 1 and PL 1 20 days after inoculation. Results of our research showed that Diaporthe/Phomopsis species from velvetleaf could be more pathogenic on soybean than isolates of the same species from soybean. [source] Heavy-metal displacement in chelate-treated soil with sludge during phytoremediationJOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 6 2006Stanley Liphadzi Abstract Heavy metals (HMs) in domestic sewage sludge, applied to land, contaminate soils. Phytoremediation is the use of plants to clean-up toxic HMs from soil. Chelating agents are added to soil to solubilize the metals for enhanced uptake. Yet no studies report the displacement of HMs in soil with sludge following solubilization with chelates. The objective of this work was to determine the uptake or leaching of HMs due to a chelate added to a soil from a sludge farm that had received sludge for 25 y. The soil was placed in long columns (105,cm long; , 39,cm) in a greenhouse. Columns either had a plant (hybrid poplar; Populus deltoides Marsh. × P. nigra L.) or no plant. After the poplar seedlings had grown for 144 d, the tetrasodium salt of the chelating agent EDTA was irrigated onto the surface of the soil at a rate of 1 g per,kg of soil. Drainage water, soil, and plants were analyzed for three toxic HMs (Cd, Ni, Pb) and four essential HMs (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn). At harvest, extractable and total concentrations of each HM in the soil with EDTA were similar to those in soil without EDTA. The chelate did not affect the concentrations of HMs in the roots or leaves. With or without plants, EDTA mobilized all seven HMs and increased their concentrations in drainage water. Lower concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Zn in leachate from columns with EDTA and plants compared to columns with EDTA and no plants showed that poplars can reduce groundwater contamination by intercepting these HMs in the soil. But the poplar plants did not reduce Pb and Mn in the leachate from columns with EDTA. Concentrations of Cd and Pb in the leachate mobilized by EDTA remained above drinking-water standards with or without plants. The results showed that a chelate (EDTA) should not be added to a soil at a sludge farm to enhance phytoremediation. The chelate mobilized HMs that leached to drainage water and contaminated it. [source] Candida albicans colonization of surface-sealed interim soft linersJOURNAL OF PROSTHODONTICS, Issue 4 2000Luciano Olan-Rodriguez DDS Purpose This in-vivo investigation evaluated the effect of 2 denture sealer agents on the microbial colonization of a newly placed soft interim denture liner during a period of 14 days. Materials and Methods An interim soft denture liner (Coe-Soft; GC America, Alsip, IL) was coated with 2 different denture surface sealants (Palaseal [Heraeus Kulzer, Irvine, CA] and Mono-Poly [Plastodent, New York, NY]). Three rectangular wells of 1 cm wide × 2 cm long × 2 mm deep were placed in the intaglio of 10 maxillary complete dentures and filled with the soft liner material. The soft liner surface was treated with Palaseal (first well) and Mono-Poly (second well), and the unsealed (third well) was used as a control. These were exposed to the oral cavity for 14 days. The effect the sealant had in the prevention of Candidal colonization in vivo of the soft liner material was evaluated. Microbiological specimens were recovered from all samples and cultivated. Microbiological data from the control and 2-test samples in each denture were tabulated, and statistical analyses were performed. Results This investigation showed clear differences (p < .001) between the sealed and unsealed soft liners. The sealed material showed significantly less colonization by yeast and bacteria. Intercomparison of the surface denture sealers, Palaseal versus Mono-Poly, showed no statistically significant differences (p < .005) in total yeast or bacterial colonization. Conclusion Coating of Coe-Soft denture liner with either Palaseal or Mono-Poly significantly decreased yeast and bacterial colonization. [source] Simple 2D-HPLC using a monolithic silica column for peptide separationJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 10-11 2004Hiroshi Kimura Abstract Separation of peptides by fast and simple two-dimensional (2D)-HPLC was studied using a monolithic silica column as a second-dimension (2nd-D) column. Every fraction from the first column, 5 cm long (2.1 mm ID) packed with polymer-based cation exchange beads, was subjected to separation in the 2nd-D using an octadecylsilylated (C18) monolithic silica column (4.6 mm ID, 2.5 cm). A capillary-type monolithic silica C18 column (0.1 mm ID, 10 cm) was also employed as a 2nd-D column with split flow/injection. Effluent of the first dimension (1st-D) was directly loaded into an injector loop of 2nd-D HPLC. UV and MS detection were successfully carried out at high linear velocity of mobile phase at 2nd-D using flow splitting for the 4.6 mm ID 2nd-D column, or with direct connection of the capillary column to the MS interface. Two-minute fractionation in the 1st-D, 118-second loading, and 2-second injection by the 2nd-D injector, allowed one minute for gradient separation in the 2nd-D, resulting in a maximum peak capacity of about 700 within 40 min. The use of a capillary column in the 2nd-D led to less solvent consumption and better MS detectability compared to a larger-sized column. This kind of fast and simple 2D-HPLC utilizing monolithic silica columns will be useful for the separation of complex mixtures in a short time. [source] Role of Length Scale on Pressure Increase and Yield of Poly(vinyl butyral),Barium Titanate,Platinum Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors during Binder BurnoutJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 11 2000Leo C.-K. The binder-burnout kinetics of poly(vinyl) butyral from BaTiO3 multilayer ceramic capacitors with platinum metal electrodes were analyzed by combining thermogravimetric analysis with infrared spectroscopy. The rate of weight loss was accelerated when both BaTiO3 and platinum metal were present, and the presence of both metal and ceramic enhanced the production of CO2. The activation energy and pre-exponential factor were determined by analysis of the weight-loss data with a first-order kinetics model. Then, the decomposition kinetics were incorporated into a coupled heat- and mass-transport model to predict pressure increases as a function of the heating cycle. The heating cycles determined in this manner then were used to evaluate the yield of capacitors 1.3,3.8 cm long and 0.3,1.3 cm high. The optimum yield was realized at an aspect ratio (height:length) of 1:3. [source] Runoff transport of faecal coliforms and phosphorus released from manure in grass buffer conditionsLETTERS IN APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2005W.L. Stout Abstract Aims:, To test the hypothesis that faecal coliform (FC) and phosphorus (P) are transported similarly in surface runoff through the vegetative filter strip after being released from land-applied manure. Methods and Results:, The Hagerstown soil was packed into boxes that were 10 cm deep, 30 cm wide and 100, 200 or 300 cm long. Grass was grown in boxes prior experiments. Same-length boxes were placed under rainfall simulator and tilted to have with either 2% or 4% slopes. Dairy manure was broadcast on the upper 30-cm section. Rainfall was simulated and runoff samples were collected and analysed for Cl, FC and total phosphorus (TP). Mass recovery, the concentration decrease rate k, and the ratio FC : TP showed that there was a consistent relationship between FC and TP in runoff. Conclusion:, The FC and TP transport through simulated vegetated buffer strips were highly correlated. Significance and Impact of the Study:, As a knowledge base on the effect of the environmental parameters on P transport in vegetated buffer strips is substantially larger than for manure-borne bacteria, the observed similarity may enhance ability to assess the efficiency of the vegetated buffer strips in retention of FC currently used as indicator organisms for manure-borne pathogens. [source] Hemiboea purpurea sp. nov. (Gesneriaceae) from a limestone area in Guangxi, ChinaNORDIC JOURNAL OF BOTANY, Issue 3 2010Wei-Bin Xu Hemiboea purpurea Yan Liu & W. B. Xu, a new species of Gesneriaceae from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to H. follicularis C. B. Clarke, but differs by smaller leaf blades, 3,10×2,5,cm, corolla purple, ca 2.0,2.5,cm long, exserted from the involucre, filaments glandular-puberulent and staminodes 3. It is only known from one site in the Rongshui County. [source] High surface area membrane introduction mass spectrometry for analysis of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds in airRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 17 2001Leah S. Riter The construction, optimization, and testing of a novel geometry for a semi-permeable polydimethylsiloxane membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS) system is described. A long poly(dimethylsiloxane) capillary membrane (0.30,mm i.d., 0.64,mm o.d., 60,cm long) was positioned coaxially inside polytetrafluoroethylene tubing (0.80,mm i.d. and 1.60,mm o.d.), allowing for a large surface area membrane of relatively small thickness. Helium, flowing counter-current on the vacuum side of the membrane, swept the permeate into the mass spectrometer. This optimized geometry for permeation MIMS air analysis allows on-line detection of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds of environmental interest, with limits of detection in the ppt range and a linear response over 3 to 4 orders of magnitude. The system is characterized by short rise and fall times, 10 and 48,s, respectively, for toluene. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] In Vivo Diagnosis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Using Contact RhinoscopyTHE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 8 2001Martin Wai Pak FRCSEd(ORL) Abstract Objectives To evaluate the potential use of contact endoscopy for the diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Study Design Prospective study to examine the nasopharynx of 30 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and 18 subjects with normal nasopharynx in a clinic setting using contact rhinoscopes (Karl Storz, Tuttlingen, Germany, 7215 AA, 00 and 7215 BA, 300; 23 cm long; 4 mm in diameter). Methods The superficial cells of the normal nasopharynx and the nasopharyngeal tumors were stained with 1% methylene blue and examined with contact rhinoscopes at high magnifications (×60 and ×150). The areas under examination were then biopsied. The contact endoscopic images were compared with the corresponding hematoxylin and eosin-stained histologic sections of the biopsied tissues. Results Sixty-six procedures were performed in 48 patients. The images of normal pseudostratified ciliated epithelium and squamous epithelium were readily recognized by contact endoscopy in all subjects with normal nasopharynx (10 men and 8 women; mean age, 51.9 y). Twenty-six of 30 patients with NPC (86.6%; 18 men and 8 women; mean age, 50.6 y) were successfully examined by contact endoscopy under local anesthesia. In these 26 patients, two patterns of malignant cells were identified with contact endoscopy. The patterns of contact endoscopic images corresponded well with the histologic findings. Conclusion Contact endoscopy is an accurate and reliable office-based procedure, which allows for in-vivo diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. [source] Army ant behaviour in the poneromorph hunting ant Onychomyrmex hedleyi Emery (Hymenoptera: Formicidae; Amblyoponinae)AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Hiroki Miyata Abstract Onychomyrmex belongs to the phylogenetically basal ant tribe Amblyoponini but shows prototypical army ant behaviours, i.e. group predation and nomadism. In order to investigate these behaviours, Onychomyrmex hedleyi was observed in the field and in laboratory experiments. Workers of O. hedleyi would frequently hunt centipedes but rarely social insects. Workers did not dismember the victims but recruited the colony mates to conduct group retrieval. If the prey were too large or too heavy to retrieve, the entire colony moved from the bivouac site to the prey site. Although foraging on the forest floor, a colony repeated the extension and withdrawal of a raiding column, which was up to 80 cm long (mean ± SD, 41.6 ± 18.5 cm). Colonies were nomadic and the relocation distance was up to 150 cm (mean ± SD, 74.4 ± 45.0 cm). Retinues guarded a queen who moved to a new bivouac site in the early phase of relocation. Colonies were found to stay at a site statistically longer if they had come from a more distant site, and were also observed to move to a more distant site if they had spent a longer time at a particular bivouac site. The consecutive migrations did not show significant directionality. [source] The Boari bladder flap: an effective continent stoma for the high-compliance neurogenic bladderBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 9 2010Egbert Baumgart Study Type , Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4 OBJECTIVE To determine if a continent urinary stoma can be created effectively using a Boari bladder flap (BBF) technique. PATIENTS AND METHODS Selected patients (15, eight women and seven men) with a neurogenic bladder and a bladder compliance of >20 mL/cmH2O had a procedure to create a BBF continent urinary stoma. The technique consisted of tubularising a trapezoidal, full-thickness detrusor flap 10 cm long, 5,6 cm wide at the base and 2 cm at the tip, over a 12 F catheter, and plication of detrusor muscle around the stomal base. Outcomes after surgery were assessed by reviewing stomal continence, stomal patency, and stability of the upper urinary tract. RESULTS Ten BBF procedures were performed using native detrusor muscle, four with enterocystoplasty tissue and one in a defunctionalized bladder. Over a mean follow-up of 13 months, 11 patients had functioning stomas and 10 of these reported complete stomal continence. The mean change in serum creatinine level from the preoperative baseline for all patients was 0.1 mg/dL. The odds ratio for procedural failure, defined as a stoma unusable for self-catheterization, was 7.5 (P = 0.04) when the BBF was created from augmented or defunctionalized bladder tissue, compared to native high-compliance detrusor. CONCLUSION A BBF can be used to create a viable, functional stoma in the high-compliance neurogenic bladder, although the rate of stomal complications is high when the BBF is created from enterocystoplasty tissue. [source] Total phalloplasty using a musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi flapBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2007Sava V. Perovic Authors from Serbia describe their experience of total phalloplasty in children and adults using a musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi free flap, finding that this method successfully allowed the creation of a neophallus, facilitating subsequent urethroplasty and the safe insertion of a penile prosthesis. In the second article in this section, authors from Finland present the findings in 54 patients relating to skeletal health after intestinal bladder augmentation. OBJECTIVE To present total phalloplasty in children and adults using a musculocutaneous latissimus dorsi (MLD) free flap to create a large neophallus, that allows easy urethroplasty and implantation of a prosthesis. PATIENTS AND METHODS From April 1999 to January 2006, 16 patients (mean age 24 years, range 10,34) had a total phalloplasty; the indications were congenital anomalies of the penis in 12, iatrogenic in two and accidental penile trauma in two. The MLD flap is mobilized on a subscapular artery and vein, and a thoracodorsal nerve. The neophallus is created on-site and after dividing the neurovascular pedicle, transferred to the pubic region, where it is anastomosed with the femoral artery, saphenous vein and ilio-inguinal nerve. The donor site was closed directly in 15 patients while in one a split-thickness skin graft was used to cover the defect. In the following stages, two- or three-stage buccal mucosa urethroplasty was used in 11 patients; a penile prosthesis was implanted in seven. RESULTS The mean (range) follow-up was 31 (12,74) months; the penis was 14,18 cm long and 11,15 cm in circumference. There was no partial or total flap necrosis; the donor site healed satisfactorily in 13 patients while in the remaining three there was moderate scarring. The patency of the urethra was good in all patients. Two urethrocutaneous fistulae developed; one closed spontaneously and the other was successfully treated with minor surgery. The function of the implanted penile prostheses was satisfactory in all patients. CONCLUSIONS The MLD flap allows the creation of a neophallus of good size and with a good aesthetic appearance; it allows urethroplasty and safe implantation of a penile prosthesis, and it can also be used in children. [source] Developmental morphology of Saxicolella amicorum and S. submersa (Podostemaceae: Podostemoideae) from GhanaBOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 3 2002K. GABRIEL AMEKA Saxicolella (six spp.) is a podostemoid genus occurring in tropical west Africa (Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria). Taxonomically used characters such as root (with holdfasts), pollen (dyads in many Podostemoideae), capsules (with ribs) and seeds are demonstrated and discussed. This paper deals with the structure and development of two species, which are endemic to rivers in southern Ghana: Saxicolella amicorum J.B.Hall and Saxicolella submersa (J.B.Hall) C.D.K.Cook & Rutish. (syn. Polypleurum submersum J.B.Hall).,Saxicolella amicorum has simple, one-flowered stems up to 3 cm long, whereas S. submersa has branched, many-flowered stems up to 25 cm long. Vegetative shoots can reach 12 cm (S. amicorum) and even 50 cm (S. submersa) in length. The latter species was previously placed in the Asian genus Polypleurum because the long floating axis was misinterpreted as a root which would be typical for Polypleurum. The long floating axis of S. submersa develops exogenous leaves and is actually a stem. Both S. amicorum and S. submersa have various features in common: vegetative parts (roots, stems, leaves) are elongate and very thin (diameter less than 1 mm); prostrate roots are narrow ribbons (twice as wide as thick); endogenous shoots in opposite pairs along the root; leaves usually simple and filiform; leaf bases with two attached ear-like stipules; spathella club-shaped to ellipsoidal; erect flowers with a solitary stamen; ovary ellipsoidal to fusiform, bilocular; capsules nearly isolobous, with three prominent ribs per valve (i.e. eight ribs per capsule including sutural ribs). Evolutionary dynamics of the root structures in African Podostemoideae such as Saxicolella include: formation of green prostrate ribbons as a result of dorsoventral root flattening; reduction of root caps; occurrence of adhesive hairs and exogenous holdfasts which are disk- or finger-like. Structural diversity and developmental patterns in the Ghanaian Saxicolella species are compared with other African Podostemoideae. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2002, 139, 255,273. [source] Fossil-Winged Fruits of Fraxinus (Oleaceae) and Liriodendron (Magnoliaceae) from the Duho Formation, Pohang Basin, KoreaACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 5 2009Seung-Ho JUNG Abstract: A total of 16 specimens of fossil-winged fruits were found from the Middle Miocene marine deposits, Duho Formation, Pohang Basin, Korea. They were identified into two structurally different groups: 15 specimens into a winged fruit of Fraxinus, and one specimen of Liriodendron. The most samaras (13 specimens) were identified as Fraxinus oishii, which is characterized by narrowly ovate or ovate,elliptic shapes that are 2.7,3.6 cm in length and 0.7,1 cm in width (l/w ratio=3.4,4). The apexes of the Fraxinus oishii samara are round or slightly emarginated, and a seed of the samara is always located at the base, of which the general shape is narrow rhombic-ellipsoidal. The seed is 1.2,2 cm long and 0.5,0.7 cm wide. Two specimens are different from the samara of Fraxinus oishii. They have a 6.6 length/width ratio (3.3 cm long and 0.5 cm wide), and thus, are temporarily classified into the Fraxinus sp. One specimen was recognized as a winged seed of Liriodendron meisenense. The wing is broadly lanceolate to elliptic in shape, has a smooth, acute apex, and is approximately 3 cm long and 0.7 cm wide. Samaras of Fraxinus oishii and Liriodendron meisenense were early reported from the Middle Miocene deposits from North Korea, but these specimens are the first discovery in South Korea. Further study of the Duho Formation may connect flora relationships between North and South Korea. [source] Experience with the Cardiva Boomerang CatalystÔ system in pediatric cardiac catheterization,CATHETERIZATION AND CARDIOVASCULAR INTERVENTIONS, Issue 3 2009Sharon Seltzer MD Abstract Objectives: We studied the safety and efficacy of the Cardiva Boomerang CatalystÔ vascular closure system in pediatric patients after cardiac catheterization with access in femoral and internal jugular vessels. Background: Recurrent catheterization and advances in pediatric interventions increase the need for easy hemostasis without a residual foreign body that may prevent re-accessing the vessel. The Boomerang can be deployed in sheaths as small as 4Fr without residual foreign body, with minimal orientation needed, and few complications reported. Methods: In a two-month period, all patients between 18 months and 21 years old catheterized with 4,8Fr sheaths less than 15 cm long were eligible for Boomerang placement. These were compared retrospectively with control patients with manual hemostasis. Anthropomorphic measurements, procedure type, activated clotting time, and sheath size as well as total times of cases, intubation, hemostasis, and extubation were compared between the two groups. Results: Forty-six Boomerangs were deployed in 31 patients and compared with 40 patients with manual hemostasis. Boomerangs were deployed in femoral vessels and the internal jugular vein. Device success with hemostasis was achieved in 39 patients (85%). There were no significant differences in time to hemostasis or extubation between the two groups. No major complications or operator error occurred, including hematoma, transfusion, retroperitoneal bleed, infection, vessel occlusion, or need for surgery. Conclusions: The Boomerang is a safe and easy means of achieving hemostasis in the pediatric population, in femoral vessels as well as internal jugular veins. Its times to hemostasis and extubation were not significantly different from manual hold. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Anatomical variations of the sural nerveCLINICAL ANATOMY, Issue 4 2002Pasuk Mahakkanukrauh Abstract An anatomical study of the formation of the sural nerve (SN) was carried out on 76 Thai cadavers. The results revealed that 67.1% of the SNs were formed by the union of the medial sural cutaneous nerve (MSCN) and the lateral sural cutaneous nerve (LSCN); the MSCN and LSCN are branches of the tibial and the common fibular (peroneal) nerves, respectively. The site of union was variable: 5.9% in the popliteal fossa, 1.9% in the middle third of the leg, 66.7% in the lower third of the leg, and 25.5% at or just below the ankle. One SN (0.7%) was formed by the union of the MSCN and a different branch of the common fibular nerve, running parallel and medial to but not connecting with the LSCN, which joined the MSCN in the lower third of the leg. The remaining 32.2% of the SNs were a direct continuation of the MSCN. The SNs ranged from 6,30 cm (mean = 14.41 cm) in length with a range in diameter of 3.5,3.8 mm (mean = 3.61 mm), and were easily located 1,1.5 cm posterior to the posterior border of the lateral malleolus. The LSCNs were 15,32 cm long (mean = 22.48 cm) with a diameter between 2.7,3.4 mm (mean = 3.22 mm); the MSCNs were 17,31 cm long (mean = 20.42 cm) with a diameter between 2.3,2.5 mm (mean = 2.41 mm). Clinically, the SN is widely used for both diagnostic (biopsy and nerve conduction velocity studies) and therapeutic purposes (nerve grafting) and the LSCN is used for a sensate free flap; thus, a detailed knowledge of the anatomy of the SN and its contributing nerves are important in carrying out these and other procedures. Clin. Anat. 15:263,266, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||