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Kinds of S. Terms modified by S. Selected AbstractsHierarchical Convex Approximation of 3D Shapes for Fast Region SelectionCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 5 2008Marco Attene Abstract Given a 3D solid model S represented by a tetrahedral mesh, we describe a novel algorithm to compute a hierarchy of convex polyhedra that tightly enclose S. The hierarchy can be browsed at interactive speed on a modern PC and it is useful for implementing an intuitive feature selection paradigm for 3D editing environments. Convex parts often coincide with perceptually relevant shape components and, for their identification, existing methods rely on the boundary surface only. In contrast, we show that the notion of part concavity can be expressed and implemented more intuitively and efficiently by exploiting a tetrahedrization of the shape volume. The method proposed is completely automatic, and generates a tree of convex polyhedra in which the root is the convex hull of the whole shape, and the leaves are the tetrahedra of the input mesh. The algorithm proceeds bottom-up by hierarchically clustering tetrahedra into nearly convex aggregations, and the whole process is significantly fast. We prove that, in the average case, for a mesh of n tetrahedra O(n log2 n) operations are sufficient to compute the whole tree. [source] Effects of annealing on structural, electrical and optical properties of AgGa(Se0.5S0.5)2 thin films deposited by using sintered stoichometric powderCRYSTAL RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 4 2009H. Karaagac Abstract The structural, electrical and optical properties of AgGa(Se0.5S0.5 )2 thin films deposited by using the thermal evaporation method have been investigated as a function of annealing in the temperature range of 450,600 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that the structural transformation from amorphous to polycrystalline structure started at 450 oC with mixed binary phases of Ga2Se3, Ga2S3, ternary phase of AgGaS2 and single phase of S. The compositional analysis with the energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) revealed that the as-grown film has different elemental composition with the percentage values of Ag, Ga, Se and S being 5.58, 27.76, 13.84 and 52.82 % than the evaporation source powder, and the detailed information about the stoichometry and the segregation mechanisms of the constituent elements in the structure have been obtained. The optical band gap values as a function of annealing temperature were calculated as 2.68, 2.85, 2.82, 2.83, and 2.81 eV for as-grown, annealed at 450, 500, 550, and 600 °C samples, respectively. It was determined that these changes in the band gap are related with the structural changes with annealing. The temperature dependent conductivity measurements were carried out in the temperature range of 250-430 K for all samples. The room temperature resistivity value of as-grown film was found to be 0.7x108 (,-cm) and reduced to 0.9x107 (,-cm) following to the annealing. From the variation of electrical conductivity as a function of the ambient temperature, the activation energies at specific temperature intervals for each sample were evaluated. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source] Änderung der Bauregelliste B Teil 1.DIBT MITTEILUNGEN (FORMERLY-MITTEILUNGEN DEUT INST FUER BAUTECHNIK), Issue 1 2010Ausgabe 2009/ Abstract Aufgrund von Art. 2 Abs. 2 des Abkommens über das Deutsche Institut für Bautechnik vom 22. April 1993 (Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt für Berlin, S. 195) wird im Einvernehmen mit den obersten Bauaufsichtsbehörden der Länder die Bauregelliste B Teil 1 , Ausgabe 2009/2 , vom 16. November 2009 (DIBt Mitteilungen Nr. 6 vom 8. Dezember 2009) wie folgt geändert. Die Ausgabe 2009/3 ändert und ergänzt die Ausgabe 2009/2 der Bauregelliste B Teil 1 in der nachfolgend aufgeführten laufenden Nummer: Bauregelliste B Teil 1 Kapitel 1 Bauprodukte im Geltungsbereich harmonisierter Normen nach der Bauproduktenrichtlinie: Anlage lfd. Nr. 1/18.3 Diese Änderung tritt rückwirkend am 22. Dezember 2009 in Kraft. Mit ihrem Inkrafttreten tritt die Anlage 1/18.3 (2009/2) außer Kraft. Berlin, den 3. Februar 2010 Der Präsident des Deutschen Instituts für Bautechnik Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Breitschaft [source] Änderungen der Bauregellisten A und B und der Liste C,DIBT MITTEILUNGEN (FORMERLY-MITTEILUNGEN DEUT INST FUER BAUTECHNIK), Issue 6 2009Ausgabe 2009/ Abstract Aufgrund von Art. 2 Abs. 2 des Abkommens über das Deutsche Institut für Bautechnik vom 22. April 1993 (Gesetz- und Verordnungsblatt für Berlin, S. 195) werden im Einvernehmen mit den obersten Bauaufsichtsbehörden der Länder die Bauregelliste A Teil 1 bis Teil 3, die Bauregelliste B Teil 1 und die Liste C jeweils , Ausgabe 2009/1 , vom 10. Juli 2009 (DIBt Mitteilungen, Sonderheft Nr. 38) wie folgt geändert. Die Ausgabe 2009/2 ändert und ergänzt die Ausgabe 2009/1 der Bauregellisten A und B und der Liste C in den nachfolgend aufgeführten laufenden Nummern: Bauregelliste A Teil 1: Kapitel 1 Bauprodukte für den Beton- und Stahlbetonbau: lfd. Nrn. 1.2.6, 1.6.9 und 1.6.16 Kapitel 3 Bauprodukte für den Holzbau: lfd. Nrn. 3.1.1.2, 3.1.1.3, 3.1.2.1, 3.1.2.2, 3.1.3, 3.1.4, 3.3.1.1.1, 3.3.1.1.2, 3.3.1.2.1, 3.3.1.2.2, 3.3.1.3, 3.3.2.1, 3.3.2.2, 3.4.1 und 3.4.2 Kapitel 4 Bauprodukte für den Metallbau: lfd. Nrn. 4.5.4, 4.8.17, 4.8.71, 4.9.15, 4.10.2, 4.10.3, 4.10.4 und 4.10.5 Kapitel 8 Sonderkonstruktionen: lfd. Nrn. 8.5.1 und 8.5.2 Kapitel 9 Bauprodukte für Dächer und Bedachungen, Wände und Wandbekleidungen sowie Decken und Deckenbekleidungen und nicht tragende innere Trennwände: lfd. Nr. 9.7 Kapitel 12 Bauprodukte der Grundstücksentwässerung: lfd. Nrn. 12.1.12 und 12.1.14 Kapitel 14 Feuerungsanlagen: lfd. Nr. 14.2.1 Kapitel 15 Bauprodukte für ortsfest verwendete Anlagen zum Lagern, Abfüllen und Umschlagen von wassergefährdenden Stoffen: lfd. Nrn. 15.4, 15.5, 15.6, 15.30 und 15.32 Anlagen: lfd. Nrn. 1.29, 1.30, 1.33, 1.42, 3.1, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 4.56, 8.4, 11.11, 15.4, 15.5, 15.9, 15.11, 15.18, 15.19 und 15.20 Bauregelliste A Teil 2: Kapitel 2: lfd. Nrn. 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 und 2.10.3 Anlagen: lfd. Nr. 18 Bauregelliste A Teil 3: Kapitel 2: lfd. Nrn. 2.1, 2.2 und 2.3 Bauregelliste B Teil 1: Kapitel 1 Bauprodukte im Geltungsbereich harmonisierter Normen nach der Bauproduktenrichtlinie: lfd. Nrn. 1.1.2.3, 1.1.3.1, 1.1.6.2, 1.2.4.1, 1.2.4.3, 1.8.4, 1.8.9, 1.8.10, 1.9.3, 1.9.9, 1.9.13, 1.9.14, 1.9.15, 1.12.13, 1.12.14, 1.14.8, 1.14.9, 1.14.10, 1.14.11, 1.15.9, 1.18.1, 1.18.3 und 1.18.4 Kapitel 2 Bauprodukte im Geltungsbereich von Leitlinien für europäische technische Zulassungen: lfd. Nrn. 2.4.1.4, 2.6.4.2 und 2.11.4.1 Kapitel 3 Bausätze im Geltungsbereich von Leitlinien für europäische technische Zulassungen: lfd. Nrn: 3.2.3.1, 3.2.3.2, 3.2.5.2, 3.3.5.5, 3.4.4.11, 3.5.5.1 und 3.11.4.1 Kapitel 4 Bauprodukte, für die europäische technische Zulassungen ohne Leitlinie erteilt werden: lfd. Nrn. 4.3.1.39 und 4.6.5.15 Kapitel 5 Bausätze, für die europäische technische Zulassungen ohne Leitlinie erteilt werden: lfd. Nrn. 5.1.3.2, 5.4.2.17, 5.4.2.20, 5.5.2.3, 5.6.5.16 und 5.6.5.17 : lfd. Nrn. 06, 08, 1/1.3, 1/1.4, 1/8.2, 1/8.4 und 1/18.3 Liste C: Kapitel 2: Bauprodukte für den Ausbau: lfd. Nr. 2.24 Diese Änderungen treten am 22. Dezember 2009 in Kraft. Mit ihrem Inkrafttreten treten die entsprechenden Nummern der Bauregelliste A Teil 1 bis Teil 3, der Bauregelliste B Teil 1 und der Liste C jeweils , Ausgabe 2009/1 , außer Kraft. Berlin, den 16. November 2009 Der Präsident des Deutschen Instituts für Bautechnik Dipl.-Ing. Gerhard Breitschaft [source] Biology of the solitary wasp Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) agamemnon Richards 1934 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) in trap-nestsACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 4 2010Maria Luisa Tunes Buschini Abstract Buschini, M.L.T. and Fajardo, S. 2009. Biology of the solitary wasp Trypoxylon (Trypargilum) agamemnon Richards 1934 (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) in trap-nests. ,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 426,432. Some Trypoxylon species build their nests in preexisting tubular cavities like hollow stems and beetle borings in branches. Study of the biology of these insects is relatively easy because the females of these wasps nest with enormous success in trap-nests. The aim of this study was to investigate the abundance, seasonality and life-history of Trypoxylon agamemnon. For capture of these insects, trap-nests were installed in the Parque Municipal das Araucárias in araucaria forest, grassland and swamp, from December, 2001 to December, 2005. Two hundred and ninety seven nests were obtained. They were constructed more often during the summer (from December to April). The nests were built only in araucaria forest and consisted of a linear series of cells, divided by mud partitions, whose number varied from 1 to 7. Normally they have only one vestibular cell. The inner cells had been provisioned, usually with spiders of Anyphaenidae family. Sex-ratio was strongly female biased. Its main natural enemies included Chrysididae, Ichneumonidae and Tachinidae. [source] Histology and ultrastructure of the salivary glands and salivary pumps in the scorpionfly Panorpa obtusa (Mecoptera: Panorpidae)ACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 4 2010Shuyu Liu Abstract Liu, S. and Hua, B. 2009. Histology and ultrastructure of the salivary glands and salivary pumps in the scorpionfly Panorpa obtusa (Mecoptera: Panorpidae). ,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 457,465. The morphology, histology and ultrastructure of the salivary glands and salivary pumps in the scorpionfly Panorpa obtusaCheng 1949 were investigated using light microscopy and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The salivary glands display a distinct sexual dimorphism. The female has only two small sac-like glands located in the prothorax, while the male possesses six long tubular glands extending into the sixth abdominal segment. The male salivary glands can be divided into five distinct regions. The apical long, thin secretory region possesses numerous secretory cells containing large secretory vesicles; the salivary reservoir expands in diameter, accumulating and temporarily storing the saliva in addition to secreting saliva; the constricted region contains prismatic cells with complex infolded plasma membrane; the sac has an internal brush border to absorb water and ions; the common salivary duct contains longitudinal muscles in the male, but not in the female. The salivary pump possesses independent strong dorsal muscles and abundant internal palm spines near its orifice. The anatomy and ultrastructure of the salivary glands and the salivary pump of scorpionflies as well as their possible functions are briefly discussed. [source] Occurrence and distribution of sesamoid bones in squamates: a comparative approachACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 3 2010Adriana Jerez Abstract Jerez, A., Mangione, S. and Abdala, V. 2010. Occurrence and distribution of sesamoid bones in squamates: a comparative approach.,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 295,305 Sesamoids are defined as skeletal elements that develop within a continuous band of regular dense connective tissue (tendon or ligament) adjacent to an articulation or joint. In this work, we discuss developmental data on two squamate species, provide data on the onset of the squamate sesamoids and the muscles they are associated to. Our results show that Mabuya mabouya and Liolaemus albiceps exhibited rather similar ontogenetic patterns and that the first sesamoids appear in embryos. The ossifying sesamoid timing is different between M. mabouya and L. albiceps, being faster in the former. In adults, we found 41 sesamoids, considering both fore and hindlimbs. We did not find any intrataxonomic differences, or any differences between the right and left side of the specimens in relation to the sesamoid presence. We recognize four types of sesamoids: (1) embedded sesamoids; (2) interosseus sesamoids; (3) glide sesamoids; and (4) supporting sesamoids. A table is included with a preliminary survey of the sesamoid distribution pattern in 10 Squamate clades. [source] Gross anatomy of the musculature and a new description of the reproductive system of Tanaisia bragai and Tanaisia inopina (Trematoda: Eucotylidae) analysed by confocal laser scanning microscopyACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 2 2010Sthefane D'ávila Abstract D'ávila, S., Manso, P. P. A., Bessa, E. C. A., Rodrigues, M. L. A. and Dias, R. J. P. 2010. Gross anatomy of the musculature and a new description of the reproductive system of Tanaisia bragai and Tanaisia inopina (Trematoda: Eucotylidae) analysed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. ,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 139,149 Confocal scanning laser microscopy has become an important tool to clarify the organization of the musculature and innervation, as well as the morphology of the reproductive and alimentary tract of various helminth species. The goal of this work was to describe the morphology of the reproductive system and the gross anatomy of the musculature of adults of the species Tanaisia bragai and Tanaisia inopina by means of confocal scanning laser microscopy. The helminths were found parasitizing the kidney collection ducts of Columba livia, in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, Brazil. These helminths were stained with Mayer's carmalum, mounted on permanent slides and observed through a confocal scanning laser microscope. The tomographic images showed the morphology of the organs and glands of the reproductive system, along with the general morphology of the musculature of the body wall, oral sucker, acetabulum, pharynx, intestinal caeca, oesophagus and reproductive system ducts. The present work is the first re-characterization of the reproductive tract of T. bragai and T. inopina. We also present the first description of the general morphology of the gametes and cells of the glands associated with the reproductive apparatus of these species. [source] First record of the brachiopod Lingulella waptaensis with pedicle from the Middle Cambrian Burgess ShaleACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 2 2010Sandra Pettersson Stolk Abstract Pettersson Stolk, S., Holmer, L. E. and Caron, J -B. 2010. First record of the brachiopod Lingulella waptaensis with pedicle from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale. ,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 150,162 The organophosphatic shells of linguloid brachiopods are a common component of normal Cambrian,Ordovician shelly assemblages. Preservation of linguloid soft-part anatomy, however, is extremely rare, and restricted to a few species in Lower Cambrian Konservat Lagerstätten. Such remarkable occurrences provide unique insights into the biology and ecology of early linguloids that are not available from the study of shells alone. Based on its shells, Lingulella waptaensis Walcott, was originally described in 1924 from the Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale but despite the widespread occurrence of soft-part preservation associated with fossils from the same levels, no preserved soft parts have been reported. Lingulella waptaensis is restudied herein based on 396 specimens collected by Royal Ontario Museum field parties from the Greater Phyllopod Bed (Walcott Quarry Shale Member, British Columbia). The new specimens, including three with exceptional preservation of the pedicle, were collected in situ in discrete obrution beds. Census counts show that L. waptaensis is rare but recurrent in the Greater Phyllopod Bed, suggesting that this species might have been generalist. The wrinkled pedicle protruded posteriorly between the valves, was composed of a central coelomic space, and was slender and flexible enough to be tightly folded, suggesting a thin chitinous cuticle and underlying muscular layers. The nearly circular shell and the long, slender and highly flexible pedicle suggest that L. waptaensis lived epifaunally, probably attached to the substrate. Vertical cross-sections of the shells show that L. waptaensis possessed a virgose secondary layer, which has previously only been known from Devonian to Recent members of the Family Lingulidae. [source] Structural and ultrastructural studies of male reproductive tract and spermatozoa in Xylocopa frontalis (Hymenoptera, Apidae)ACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 2 2010B. S. Fiorillo Abstract Fiorillo, B. S., Zama, U., Lino-Neto, J. and Báo, S. N. 2010. Structural and ultrastructural studies of male reproductive tract and spermatozoa in Xylocopa frontalis (Hymenoptera, Apidae). ,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 176,183. In Xylocopa frontalis the reproductive tract is composed of testes, deferent ducts, seminal vesicles, accessory glands and an ejaculatory duct. Each testis comprises four testicular tubules in which multiple cysts are present containing approximately 64 spermatozoa per cyst. The seminal vesicle consists of an epithelium, a thick basement lamina and a muscular external sheet. In the luminal region some vesicles can be observed; however, the epithelial cells of the seminal vesicle do not display morphological features associated with secretory functions. The spermatozoa, measuring approximately 260 µm long, are similar to the hymenopteran pattern. The head region consists of an acrosome with an inner perforatorium that penetrates an asymmetrical nuclear tip. The nucleus is linear, electron-dense and its posterior tip projects into the beginning of the axoneme. The centriolar adjunct is asymmetric with many electron-lucent lacunae interspersed throughout. The axoneme has the 9 + 9 + 2 pattern of microtubules and in the posterior region the central microtubules finish first, followed by the doublets and finally the accessory microtubules. The mitochondrial derivatives are asymmetric in both length and diameter with paracrystalline material present only in the larger one. These features may be useful characters for taxonomy and phylogenetic studies. [source] Evolution of invertebrate nervous systems: the Chaetognatha as a case studyACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 1 2010Steffen Harzsch Abstract Harzsch, S. and Wanninger, A. 2010. Evolution of invertebrate nervous systems: the Chaetognatha as a case study. ,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 35,43 Although recent molecular studies indicate that Chaetognatha may be one of the earliest Bilaterian offshoots, the phylogenetic position of this taxon still is a matter of ongoing debate. In this contribution, we review recent attempts to contribute phylogenetic information on the Chaetognatha by analysing structure and development of their nervous system (neurophylogeny). Analysing this group of organisms also has a major impact on our understanding of nervous system evolution in Bilateria. We review recent evidence from this field and suggest that Urbilateria already was equipped with the genetic toolkit required to build a complex, concentrated central nervous system (CNS), although this was not expressed phenotypically so that Urbilateria was equipped with a nerve plexus and not a CNS. This implies that in the deep metazoan nodes, concentration of the ancestral plexus occurred twice independently, namely once after the protostome,deuterostome split on the branch leading to the protostomes (resulting in a ventrally positioned nerve cord) and once along the chordate line (with a dorsal nerve cord). [source] Fine structure of spermatozoa of Chondrostoma nasus and Rutilus meidingerii (Teleostei, Cyprinidae), as revealed by scanning and transmission electron microscopyACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 1 2010Sonja Fürböck Abstract Fürböck, S., Patzner, R.A. and Lahnsteiner, F. 2008. Fine structure of spermatozoa of Chondrostoma nasus and Rutilus meidingerii (Teleostei, Cyprinidae), as revealed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. , Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 91: 88,95 The fine structure of spermatozoa of sneep or nase, Chondrostoma nasus, and lake chub, Rutilus meidingerii, was investigated by means of scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The uniflagellate spermatozoa of C. nasus lacked an acrosome. The flagellum contained the conventional nine peripheral doublets and one central pair of microtubules (9 + 2 pattern) and lacked lateral fins. The uniflagellate spermatozoa of R. meidingerii were made up of a head, also without an acrosome. For both species the sperm tail was covered by a plasma membrane. The midpiece of C. nasus contained five or six mitochondria on average, vesicles and glycogen granules, whereas the midpiece of R. meidingerii had seven mitochondria of a spherical or ovoid shape. The centriolar complex was located caudolaterally with respect to the nucleus. In C. nasus, the centrioles were orientated at an angle of 125° to each other, whereas the centrioles of R. meidingerii were at an angle of 110°. The fine structure of C. nasus and R. meidingerii spermatozoa showed species-specific differences in the position of the proximal centriole relative to the distal centriole, the position and number of mitochondria, size of the head and the length of the flagellum. (Correction added on 11 June 2009, after first online publication: The word ,axoneme' was deleted from the sentence ,The flagellum contained the conventional nine peripheral doublets and one central pair of microtubules (9 + 2 pattern) axoneme and lacked lateral fins.') [source] Short-term symptom and quality-of-life comparison between laparoscopic Nissen and Toupet fundoplicationsDISEASES OF THE ESOPHAGUS, Issue 1 2009R. Radajewski SUMMARY Laparoscopic antireflux surgery is an established method of treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This study evaluates the efficacy of Nissen versus Toupet fundoplication in alleviating the symptoms of GERD and compares the two techniques for the development of post-fundoplication symptoms and quality of life (QOL) at 12 months post-surgery. In this prospective consecutive cohort study, 94 patients presenting for laparoscopic antireflux surgery underwent either laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LN) (n = 51) from February 2002 to February 2004 or a laparoscopic Toupet fundoplication (LT) (n = 43) from March 2004 to March 2006, performed by a single surgeon (G. S. S.). Symptom assessment, a QOL scoring instrument, and dysphagia questionnaires were applied pre- and postoperatively. At 12 months post-surgery, patient satisfaction levels in both groups were high and similar (LT: 98%, LN: 90%; P = 0.21). The proportion of patients reporting improvement in their reflux symptoms was similar in both groups (LT: 95%, LN: 92%; P = 0.68), as were post-fundoplication symptoms (LT: 30%, LN: 37%; P = 0.52). Six patients in the Nissen group required dilatation for dysphagia compared with one in the Toupet group (LT: 2%, LN: 12%; P = 0.12). One patient in the Nissen group required conversion to Toupet for persistent dysphagia (P = 0.54). In this series, overall symptom improvement, QOL, and patient satisfaction were equivalent 12 months following laparoscopic Nissen or Toupet fundoplication. There was no difference in post-fundoplication symptoms between the two groups, although there was a trend toward a higher dilatation requirement and reoperation after Nissen fundoplication. [source] Patterns of interspecific associations of stem gallers on willowsDIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, Issue 6 2003Jens-Peter Kopelke Abstract., The pattern of interspecific associations of three stem-galling sawfly species (Euura atra, E. elaeagnos, E. purpureae) and three stem-galling gallmidge species (Rabdophaga sp. 3,5) was investigated on five willow taxa (Salix alba, S. fragilis, S. × rubens, S. elaeagnos, S. purpurea) at five natural sites in Central Europe. The willow species harboured specific species associations of two stem gallers, each pair consisting of one Euura and one Rabdophaga species. The stem gallers were patchily distributed and their densities varied significantly among willow host plant species, host plant individuals, and host plant sexes. Four of the six species showed a significant increase in galling rate with shoot length. The other two species were the sawfly and cecidomyiid pair that induce galls on S. purpurea. The preference of stem gallers to longer shoots was generally not related to higher larval performance in terms of survival. Only one species, Rabdophaga sp. 5, was found to be more abundant on male plants. The correlation of densities of the species pairs of stem gallers was independent of willow sexes. Species pairs of stem gallers co-occurring on the same willow species tended to attack different shoots within the same host plant individual. When species pairs co-occurred on shoots they were usually found in similar densities as when occurring alone on shoots. The stem-galling sawflies usually formed galls at the basal part of a shoot, whereas the gallmidge R. sp. 5 (R. sp. 3 and R. sp. 4 showed no clear tendency) preferred the middle or distal part of a shoot. This is interpreted with differences of their phenology and oviposition period. [source] Surface morphology of eggs of Euproctis chrysorrhoea (Linnaeus, 1758)ACTA ZOOLOGICA, Issue 2 2008Selami Candan Abstract Candan, S., Suludere, Z. and Bayrakdar, F. 2007. Surface morphology of eggs of Euproctis chrysorrhoea (Linnaeus, 1758). ,Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 88: 000,000. Filaments covering the egg batches and chorion structure were studied both by light and scanning electron microscopy in the brown-tailed moth Euproctis chrysorrhoea (Linnaeus, 1758). Females lay eggs in masses on the underside of apple leaves. The egg batches are covered with brown hairs derived from the bodies of the female. Each female lays about 200,400 eggs. The spherical eggs are about 0.84 mm long and 0.47 mm wide. Newly deposited eggs are golden-yellow and darken after the onset of embryonic development. The micropylar area appears somewhat depressed and has a circular outline. The region is surrounded by a rosette of 10,12 petal-shaped primary cells, which are completely surrounded by a series of secondary and tertiary cells. The remainder of the egg is largely smooth, but shows aeropyles. These are located in the corners of ill-defined polygons. [source] Optimal At-will Labour ContractsECONOMICA, Issue 270 2001Ed Nosal An at-will employment rule allows parties to sever their employment relationship for ,a good reason, a bad reason or no reason at all'[Schawb, S. (1993) Life-cycle justice: accommodating just cause and employment at will. Michigan Law Review, 92, 8--62]. A specific performance employment rule allows any party to force the other party to perform as specified in the contract. Although the theory of labour contracting generally assumes enforcement by specific performance, in practice, the vast majority of non-union employment relationships are mediated by an at-will rule. When employment contracts are enforced by an at-will rule, I show that the ,standard' counter-intuitive predictions generated by standard labour contracting models disappear. [source] Rapid detection of Staphylococcus aureus by a combination of monoclonal antibody-coated latex and capillary electrophoresisELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 9 2006Peng Gao Abstract The rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria is extremely important in biotechnology and clinical diagnosis. CE has been utilized in the field of bacterial analysis for many years, but to some extent, simultaneous separation and identification of certain microbes from complex samples by CE coupled with UV detector is still a challenge. In this paper, we propose a new strategy for rapid separation and identification of Staphylococcus aureus (S.,aureus) in bacterial mixtures by means of specific mAb-coated latex coupled with CZE. An appropriate set of conditions that selectively isolated S.,aureus from the microorganisms Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were established. S.,aureus could be differentiated from the others by unique peaks in the electropherograms. The validity was also confirmed by LIF with antibodies specific to both the latex and the microbial cells. The LOD is as low as 9.0×105 colony forming unit/mL. We have also utilized this technology to identify S.,aureus in a stool sample coming from a healthy volunteer spiked successfully with S.,aureus. This CZE-UV technique can be applied to rapid diagnosis of enteritis caused by S.,aureus or other bacterial control-related fields needing rapid identification of target pathogens from microbial mixtures. In theory, this method is suitable for the detection of any bacterium as long as corresponding bacterium-specific antibody-coated latex is available. [source] Enhancement of the NAD(P)(H) Pool in Saccharomyces cerevisiaeENGINEERING IN LIFE SCIENCES (ELECTRONIC), Issue 4 2008A. Knepper Abstract Asymmetric biosyntheses allow for an efficient production of chiral building blocks. The application of whole cells as biocatalysts for asymmetric syntheses is advantageous because they already contain the essential coenzymes NAD(H) or NADP(H), which additionally can be regenerated in the cells. Unfortunately, reduced catalytic activity compared to the oxidoreductase activity is observed in many cases during whole-cell biotransformation. This may be caused by low intracellular coenzyme pool sizes and/or a decline in intracellular coenzyme concentrations. To enhance the intracellular coenzyme pool sizes, the effects of the precursor metabolites adenine and nicotinic acid on the intracellular accumulation of NAD(H) and NADP(H) were studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Based on the results of simple batch experiments with different precursor additions, fed-batch processes for the production of yeast cells with enhanced NAD(H) or enhanced NADP(H) pool sizes were developed. Supplementation of the feed medium with 95,mM adenine and 9.5,mM nicotinic acid resulted in an increase of the intracellular NAD(H) concentration by a factor of 10 at the end of the fed-batch process compared to the reference process. The final NAD(H) concentration remains unchanged if the feed medium was solely supplemented with 95,mM adenine, but intracellular NADP(H) was increased by a factor of 4. The effects of NADP(H) pool sizes on the asymmetric reduction of ethyl-4-chloro acetoacetate (CAAE) to the corresponding (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutanoate (S-CHBE) was evaluated with S.,cerevisiae,FasB,His6 as an example. An intracellular threshold concentration above 0.07,mM NADP(H) was sufficient to increase the biocatalytic S-CHBE productivity by 25,% compared to lower intracellular NADP(H) concentrations. [source] High phenotypic diversity in infecting but not in colonizing Staphylococcus aureus populationsENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 12 2007Christiane Goerke Summary In hostile environments diversity within a bacterial population may be beneficial for the fitness of the microbial community as a whole. Here we analysed the population diversity of Staphylococcus aureus in infecting and colonizing situations. In the study, performed independently in two German centres, the heterogeneity of the S. aureus population was determined by quantifying the occurrence of phenotypic variants (differences in haemolysis, pigmentation, colony morphology) in primary cultures from nose, oropharyngeal and sputum specimens from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients and in nose swabs from healthy S. aureus carriers. The proportion of heterogeneous samples, the number of clearly distinguishable isolates per sample and the qualitative differences between phenotypes was significantly higher in CF sputum specimens than in the other samples. The heterogeneity of the S. aureus population could be correlated with high bacterial densities in the sputum samples. In patients co-infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa lower S. aureus bacterial loads and less heterogeneity in the S. aureus population were observed. Typing of all S. aureus isolates from heterogeneous samples by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis or spa typing revealed that the bacteria were polyclonal in 30%, monoclonal with minor genetic alterations in 25% or not distinguishable in 69% of the specimens. Some specimens harboured monoclonal and polyclonal variants simultaneously. Importantly, differences in antibiotic susceptibility were detected in phenotypic S. aureus variants within a single specimen. Diversification of a S. aureus population is highly favoured during chronic CF lung infection, supporting the general hypothesis that maintenance of intrahost diversity can be of adaptive value, increasing the fitness of the bacterial community. [source] Evolution of a chlorobenzene degradative pathway among bacteria in a contaminated groundwater mediated by a genomic island in RalstoniaENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2003Tina Andrea Müller Summary The genetic structure of two Ralstonia spp., strain JS705 and strain JS745, isolated from the same groundwater aquifer, was characterized with respect to the degradation capacities for toluene and chlorobenzene degradation. Cosmid library construction, cloning, DNA sequencing and mating experiments indicated that the genes for chlorobenzene degradation in strain JS705 were a mosaic of the clc genes, previously described for Pseudomonas sp. strain B13, and a 5 kb fragment identical to strain JS745. The 5 kb fragment identical to both JS705 and JS745 was flanked in JS705 by one complete and one incomplete insertion (IS) element. This suggested involvement of the IS element in mobilizing the genes from JS745 to JS705, although insertional activity of the IS element in its present configuration could not be demonstrated. The complete genetic structure for chlorobenzene degradation in strain JS705 resided on a genomic island very similar to the clc element (Ravatn, R., Studer, S., Springael, D., Zehnder, A.J., van der Meer, J.R. 1998. Chromosomal integration, tandem amplification, and deamplification in Pseudomonas putida F1 of a 105-kilobase genetic element containing the chlorocatechol degradative genes from Pseudomonas sp. strain B13. J Bacteriol 180: 4360,4369). The unique reconstruction of formation of a metabolic pathway through the activity of IS elements and a genomic island in the chlorobenzene-degrading strain JS705 demonstrated how pathway evolution can occur under natural conditions in a few ,steps'. [source] Early (mucosal) gastric cancer with synchronous osteosclerotic bone metastases: a case reportEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 4 2010G. ANAGNOSTOPOULOS md ANAGNOSTOPOULOS G., SAKORAFAS G.H., KOSTOPOULOS P., MARGANTINIS G., TSIAKOS S. & PAVLAKIS G. (2010) European Journal of Cancer Care Early (mucosal) gastric cancer with synchronous osteosclerotic bone metastases: a case report Early gastric cancer (EGC) is defined as an adenocarcinoma confined to the gastric mucosa or submucosa, regardless of the presence of lymph node metastases. Early gastric cancer carries an excellent prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate at least 85% in most series. However, there are rare cases where distant metastases exist. Bone metastases are rare in gastric cancer; osteoblastic bone metastases are even rarer. We report a patient with EGC (mucosal) and synchronous osteosclerotic bone metastasis. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of submucosal EGC with synchronous bone metastases. The patient was operated and he received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He died 18 months after gastric surgery from generalized disease. [source] Considerations when choosing oral chemotherapy: identifying and responding to patient needEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 2010S. IRSHAD mrcp, specialist registrar in medical oncology IRSHAD S. & MAISEY N. (2010) European Journal of Cancer Care19, 5,11 Considerations when choosing oral chemotherapy: identifying and responding to patient need Oral chemotherapeutics are becoming increasingly accepted for the treatment of cancers and their future has never been brighter. They offer a more convenient and less invasive therapeutic option, moving cancer treatment from a predominantly hospital-based day unit into the ambulatory setting. Oral chemotherapy has the potential to maintain patient's quality of life and avoid the complications and costs of intravenous chemotherapy. It offers sustained drug exposure by providing prolonged therapy compared with intermittent IV exposure and lends itself more easily to the delivery of combination therapy. In this article we highlight the expansion of oral chemotherapeutic drug development in cancer treatment and the challenges posed by this change in treatment delivery. [source] Once-per-cycle pegfilgrastim in breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel/epidoxorubicin/cyclophosphamideEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 2 2010L. MONTELLA md MONTELLA L., ADDEO R., GUARRASI R., CENNAMO G., FAIOLA V., CAPASSO E., CARAGLIA M. & DEL PRETE S. (2010) European Journal of Cancer Care19, 200,204 Once-per-cycle pegfilgrastim in breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel/epidoxorubicin/cyclophosphamide The incidence of neutropenia following combination chemotherapy is significant in breast cancer and impairs patients' quality of life. Colony-stimulating factors significantly decrease the risk of febrile neutropenia (FN). Aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy and safety profile of once-per-cycle pegfilgrastim in reducing FN in breast cancer patients treated with docetaxel (75 mg/m2), epidoxorubicin (75 mg/m2), cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2) administered every 3 weeks. Thirty-five breast cancer patients were enrolled. Chemotherapy was administered in adjuvant, neoadjuvant and metastatic setting respectively in 26, 4 and 5 patients. Toxicity was monitored with programmed clinical evaluation and blood sampling. All patients completed the therapeutic programme consisting of six cycles for overall 210 cycles. The FN appeared in 6 out of 35 patients (17%), requiring dose reduction in 3 patients. Hypertransaminasemia was registered in two patients. In one patient pegfilgrastim administration was stopped because of skin hypersensititivity reaction. In conclusion, pegfilgrastim was able to maintain doses and timing of docetaxel/epidoxorubicin/cyclophosphamide in almost all breast cancer patients treated in this series. The reduced need for daily administration of colony-stimulating factors, blood sampling, antibiotic therapy and hospitalization has a significant impact in terms of both quality of life and pharmaco-economic evaluations. [source] Multiple primary cancer: an increasing health problem.EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CANCER CARE, Issue 6 2009Strategies for prevention in cancer survivors LÓPEZ M.L., LANA A., DÍAZ S., FOLGUERAS M.V., SANCHEZ L., COMENDADOR M.A., BELYAKOVA E., RODRÍGUEZ J.M. & CUETO A. (2009) European Journal of Cancer Care Multiple primary cancer: an increasing health problem. Strategies for prevention in cancer survivors This study was set to look for associations between the sites of the first and subsequent tumours in patients with multiple primary cancer (MPC) diagnosed from 1975 to 2002 in the reference hospital of a Spanish northern region, and propose prevention strategies. Patient and tumour variables were measured. Crude and standardized incidence rates per 100 000 inhabitants were obtained, and the association between MPC incidence and time was analysed by means of lineal regression. Relative risks were calculated to analyse associations between tumour sites. A total of 2737 MPC cases were registered (male/female ratio = 2). The percentage of MPC with respect to the total cancer increased from 1.78% in the 1975,1979 period to 7.08% in the 2000,2002 period (R2 = 0.92; P = 0.003). Great increase of incidence by time was found (R2 = 0.90; P = 0.004). Breast, prostate and bladder cancers increase risk of second tumour in female genital organs [RR 4.78 (3.84,5.93)], urinary system [RR 3.69 (2.89,4.69)] and male genital organs [RR 3.76 (2.84,4.69)] respectively. The MPC incidence is increasing. Interventions for MPC prevention, according to the European Code against Cancer, should be implemented early after the first cancer principally if patients suffer breast, bladder, prostate, larynx and colon cancers. [source] Some biophysical properties of castor oil esterified with some acid anhydridesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF LIPID SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 10 2008Mona A. Saied Abstract A series of castor oil adducts were synthesized by esterification of castor oil with acid anhydrides: phthalic, maleic and succinic anhydrides. The chemical structure of castor oil and the prepared adducts were characterized by means of IR and 1H,NMR spectroscopy. The number-average and weight-average molecular weights were measured by gel permeation chromatography. The electrical properties were studied through the permittivity, dielectric loss and conductivity measurements, which are considered to be in the range of electrical insulation. The electrical conductivity, which describes the ionic mobility of the systems, was found to be in the range of 10,9 to 10,12,S/cm. This indicates that castor oil and its esters could be used for antistatic applications. The viscosity,, and the activation energy,E,, obtained from the dependency of viscosity on temperature using the Arrhenius equation, were found to increase with increasing molecular weight of the system. The effect of different concentrations of castor oil and its esters on the growth activities of the sugar beet pathogens R.,solani and S.,rolfsii was studied through the determination of percent germination, average length of hyphal extensions, dry mass yield and the production of sclerotia. The obtained data indicate that the esterification of castor oil with anhydrides improves the antifungal activity. [source] Ceramide in Pseudomonas aeruginosa infectionsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF LIPID SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 10 2007Joachim Riethmüller Abstract Cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common autosomal recessive disorder, at least in western countries, is caused by mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembranous conductance regulator (CFTR) molecule and affects approximately 80,000 patients in Europe and the USA. Most, if not all, CF patients develop a chronic pulmonary infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. At present it is unknown why CF patients are highly sensitive to P.,aeruginosa infections, and most importantly, no curative treatment for CF is available. P.,aeruginosa infection results in an activation of the enzyme acid sphingomyelinase which catalyzes the release of ceramide from sphingomyelin in the cell membrane. Ceramide forms large ceramide-enriched membrane domains that are required for internalization of bacteria, induction of cell death in infected cells and a controlled release of cytokines from infected cells. Ceramide-enriched membrane platforms seem to serve the reorganization of receptors and intracellular signaling molecules involved in the infection of mammalian cells with P.,aeruginosa. The significance of the acid sphingomyelinase and ceramide for the infection of mammalian cells with P.,aeruginosa was demonstrated on mice genetically deficient for the acid sphingomyelinase. Further studies with N.,gonorrhoeae, S.,aureus and rhinoviruses indicate that ceramide-enriched membrane domains are also important for the infection of mammalian cells with other bacterial and viral pathogens, suggesting a general role of these membrane domains in infectious biology. [source] Disgust sensitivity predicts the insula and pallidal response to pictures of disgusting foodsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 11 2007Andrew J. Calder Abstract The anterior insula has been implicated in coding disgust from facial, pictorial and olfactory cues, and in the experience of this emotion. Personality research has shown considerable variation in individuals' trait propensity to experience disgust (,disgust sensitivity'). Our study explored the neural expression of this trait, and demonstrates that individual variation in disgust sensitivity is significantly correlated with participants' ventroanterior insular response to viewing pictures of disgusting, but not appetizing or bland, foods. Similar correlations were also seen in the pallidum and orofacial regions of motor and somatosensory cortices. Our results also accord with comparative research showing an anterior to posterior gradient in the rat pallidum reflecting increased ,liking' of foods [Smith, K. S. and Berridge, K. C. (2005) J. Neurosci., 25, 849,8637]. [source] Impairment of eyeblink conditioning in GluR,2-mutant mice depends on the temporal overlap between conditioned and unconditioned stimuliEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 9 2001Yasushi Kishimoto Abstract Mice lacking the glutamate receptor subunit ,2 (GluR,2) are deficient in cerebellar long-term depression (LTD) at the parallel fibre,Purkinje cell synapses. We conducted delay and trace eyeblink conditioning with these mice, using various temporal intervals between the conditioned stimulus (CS) and unconditioned stimulus (US). During trace conditioning in which a stimulus-free trace interval (TI) of 250, 100 or 50 ms intervened between the 352-ms tone CS and 100-ms US, GluR,2-mutant mice learned as successfully as wild-type mice. Even in the paradigm with TI = 0 ms, in which the end of CS and onset of US are simultaneous, there was no difference between the GluR,2-mutant and wild-type mice in their acquisition of a conditioned response. However, in the delay paradigm in which the 452-ms CS overlapped temporally with the coterminating 100-ms US, GluR,2-mutant mice exhibited severe learning impairment. The present study together with our previous work [Kishimoto, Y., Kawahara, S., Suzuki, M., Mori, H., Mishina, M. & Kirino, Y. (2001) Eur. J. Neurosci.,13, 1249,1254], indicates that cerebellar LTD-independent learning is possible in paradigms without temporal overlap between the CS and US. On the other hand, GluR,2 and cerebellar LTD are essential for learning when there is CS,US temporal overlap, suggesting that the cerebellar neural substrates underlying eyeblink conditioning may change, depending on the temporal overlap of the CS and US. [source] Books and Materials ReviewsFAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 2 2003Article first published online: 17 FEB 200 Demo, D. H., Allen, K. R., and Fine, M. A. (Eds.). (1999). Handbook of Family Diversity. Golombok, S. (2000). Parenting: What Really Counts? Hewlett, S. A., Rankin, N., and West, C. (Eds.) (2002). Taking Parenting Public: The Case for a New Social Movement. Kozol, J. (2000). Ordinary Resurrections: Children in the Years of Hope. Krovetz, M. L. (1999). Fostering Resiliency: Expecting All Students to Use Their Minds Well. Lee, E. E. (2000). Nurturing Success: Successful Women of Color and Their Daughters. [source] Books and Materials ReviewsFAMILY RELATIONS, Issue 4 2001Article first published online: 19 FEB 200 Baumeister, R. F. (Ed.). (1999). The Self in Social Psychology. Carter, B., & McGoldrick, M. (1999). The Expanded Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives. Dwyer, D. (2000). Interpersonal Relationships. Knauer, S. (2000). No Ordinary Life: Parenting the Sexually Abused Child and Adolescent. McNair-Blatt, S. (2000). A Guidebook for Raising Foster Children. Stafford-Upshaw, F., & Myers-Walls, J. A. (1999). Learning Centers in Child Care Settings. Seymour, S. C. (1999). Women, Family and Child Care in India: A World in Transition. Berger, R. (1998). Stepfamilies: A Multi-Dimensional Perspective. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||