Interruption of acoustic communication and mating in a leafhopper and a planthopper by aerial sound vibrations picked up by plants

Summary Each sex of the cotton leafhopper and the rice brown planthopper communicates with the opposite sex by certain specific sound vibrations which travel through the plant surface and lead to mating. External sounds of certain frequencies, viz., 200 c/sec, generated by a harmonium or an audio-oscillator are picked up from the air by the plants and interrupt the acoustic communication as well as mating of the insects. Notes with harmonics are effective whereas pure notes are ineffective.The authors gratefully acknowledge P.L. 480 grant No. FG-IN-551 from the US Department of Agriculture for project No. IN-ARS-90, under which this work was carried out.     

Differential implantation of twin blastocysts inMegaderma (Microchiroptera)

Zusammenfassung Ungleichgeschlechtige Zwillinge von verschiedener Grösse vonMegaderma lyra lyra (Microchiroptera) wurden im April letzten Jahres in einem trächtigen Weibchen gefunden. Um die Grössendifferenz der Zwillinge zu erklären, wird angenommen, dass in diesem Falle zwei Eier befruchtet worden waren, dass die linke Zygote einen Vorsprung über die rechte gewann und dass deshalb dic Implantation der rechten Blastocyste verzögert wurde.     

Microstructure studies of air-plasma-spray-deposited CoNiCrAlY coatings before and after thermal cyclic loading for high-temperature application

In the present study, bond-coats for thermal barrier coatings were deposited via air plasma spraying (APS) techniques onto Inconel 800 and Hastelloy C-276 alloy substrates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to investigate the phases and microstructure of the as-sprayed, APS-deposited CoNiCrAlY bond-coatings. The aim of this work was to study the suitability of the bond-coat materials for high temperature applications. Confirmation of nanoscale grains of the γ/γ′-phase was obtained by TEM, high-resolution TEM, and AFM. We concluded that these changes result from the plastic deformation of the bond-coat during the deposition, resulting in CoNiCrAlY bond-coatings with excellent thermal cyclic resistance suitable for use in high-temperature applications. Cyclic oxidative stability was observed to also depend on the underlying metallic alloy substrate.     

MD simulation of asymmetric nucleation and motion of h011] superdislocations in TiAl

The nucleation and propagation of h011]superdislocations in intermetallic TiAl were investigated using molecular dynamics simulations and static energetics calculation,as part of our systematic effort to understand the twining and dislocation behavior of alloys based on c-TiAl.It was found that compared to ordinary dislocations in disordered crystals,superdislocations in ordered TiAl lattice behave differently when sheared in the two opposite senses along[0"11]direction.This difference is due to the lower L10lattice symmetry compared with the face-centered cubic(fcc)lattice that it based on,with different yield stress and strain,and dislocation core dissociation and motion.Superdislocations nucleated in the form of loops dissociated in a planar manner into four Shockley partials separated by three kinds of faults:superlattice intrinsic stacking fault(SISF),anti-phase domain boundary(APB)and complex stacking fault(CSF),with partial separations depending on the sense of shearing and dislocation character.During loop expansion,the dislocation core changes both in width and dissociation manner depending on the character of the segment in the loop.The core contains four partials close to edge orientation,gradually changing to three fold near 60°,and finally into twofold dissociationaround 30°character.Superdislocations may have multiple critical resolved shear stresses(CRSS)for motion depending on dissociation and shearing sense even for the same slip system,with lower critical stress for the motion when SISF is in leading position.     

Comparison of DNA isolation methods from blood for use in trypanosome specific polymerase chain reaction

Conclusions The three methods tested are convenient for the preparation of samples to be analyzed by PCR for the repetitive satellite DNA sequences of trypanosomes. Despite a slightly reduced sensitivity of detection of free trypanosome DNA, the preparation method based on the isolation of cell nuclei seems to be the most suitable and rapid technique for the routine analysis of a large number of blood samples.     

Evidence for several waves of global transmission in the seventh cholera pandemic

Vibrio cholerae is a globally important pathogen that is endemic in many areas of the world and causes 3-5 million reported cases of cholera every year. Historically, there have been seven acknowledged cholera pandemics; recent outbreaks in Zimbabwe and Haiti are included in the seventh and ongoing pandemic. Only isolates in serogroup O1 (consisting of two biotypes known as 'classical' and 'El Tor') and the derivative O139 can cause epidemic cholera. It is believed that the first six cholera pandemics were caused by the classical biotype, but El Tor has subsequently spread globally and replaced the classical biotype in the current pandemic. Detailed molecular epidemiological mapping of cholera has been compromised by a reliance on sub-genomic regions such as mobile elements to infer relationships, making El Tor isolates associated with the seventh pandemic seem superficially diverse. To understand the underlying phylogeny of the lineage responsible for the current pandemic, we identified high-resolution markers (single nucleotide polymorphisms; SNPs) in 154 whole-genome sequences of globally and temporally representative V. cholerae isolates. Using this phylogeny, we show here that the seventh pandemic has spread from the Bay of Bengal in at least three independent but overlapping waves with a common ancestor in the 1950s, and identify several transcontinental transmission events. Additionally, we show how the acquisition of the SXT family of antibiotic resistance elements has shaped pandemic spread, and show that this family was first acquired at least ten years before its discovery in V. cholerae.     

Modeling aboveground biomass of Tamarix ramosissima in the Arkansas River Basin of southeastern Colorado, USA

Predictive models of aboveground biomass of nonnative Tamarix ramosissima of various sizes were developed using destructive sampling techniques on 50 individuals and four 100- m 2 plots. Each sample was measured for average height (m) of stems and canopy area (m 2 ) prior to cutting, drying, and weighing. Five competing regression models ( P T. ramosissima using average height and/or canopy area measurements and were evaluated using Akaike's Information Criterion corrected for small sample size (AIC c ). Our best model (AIC c = –148.69, ΔAIC c = 0) successfully predicted T. ramosissima aboveground biomass (R 2 = 0.97) and used average height and canopy area as predictors. Our 2nd-best model, using the same predictors, was also successful in predicting aboveground biomass (R 2 = 0.97, AIC c = –131.71, ΔAIC c = 16.98). A 3rd model demonstrated high correlation between only aboveground biomass and canopy area (R 2 = 0.95), while 2 additional models found high correlations between aboveground biomass and average height measurements only (R 2 = 0.90 and 0.70, respectively). These models illustrate how simple field measurements, such as height and canopy area, can be used in allometric relationships to accurately predict aboveground biomass of T. ramosissima . Although a correction factor may be necessary for predictions at larger scales, the models presented will prove useful for many research and management initiatives.     

The mesenchymoangioblast,mesodermal precursor for mesenchymal and endothelial cells

Mesenchymoangioblast (MB) is the earliest precursor for endothelial and mesenchymal cells originating from APLNR⁺PDGFRα⁺KDR⁺ mesoderm in human pluripotent stem cell cultures. MBs are identified based on their capacity to form FGF2-dependent compact spheroid colonies in a serum-free semisolid medium. MBs colonies are composed of PDGFRβ⁺CD271⁺EMCN⁺DLK1⁺CD73^? primitive mesenchymal cells which are generated through endothelial/angioblastic intermediates (cores) formed during first 3–4 days of clonogenic cultures. MB-derived primitive mesenchymal cells have potential to differentiate into mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs), pericytes, and smooth muscle cells. In this review, we summarize the specification and developmental potential of MBs, emphasize features that distinguish MBs from other mesenchymal progenitors described in the literature and discuss the value of these findings for identifying molecular pathways leading to MSC and vasculogenic cell specification, and developing cellular therapies using MB-derived progeny.