Plant pathogens as biocontrol agents for Cirsium arvense : an answer to Müller and Nentwig

Recently, Müller and Nentwig (2011) reviewed the plant pathogens that have been considered for biological control of the weed Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. (Canada thistle, Californian thistle, creeping thistle), and concluded that the prospects have been largely overestimated. The premise of their conclusion is that no bioherbicide products have achieved marketability, which they surmise is due to lack of host specificity, effectiveness, and issues with application. While it is true that no microbial products have achieved marketability for this weed, we believe their reasoning for this is erroneous, and likely due to lack of distinction between two biocontrol approaches, specifically classical biocontrol, and innundative biocontrol (often referred to as the biopesticide approach). These two different types of biocontrol have different goals, and are applied in different ways

Familial Ménière's disease: clinical and genetic aspects

ABSTRACT Background and purpose:Mre's disease is not uncommon, with an incidence in Caucasians of about one in 2000. The incidence peaks in the fifth decade. Cases are usually isolated or sporadic, but in perhaps five per cent other family members are affected. We report here the clinical and genetic characteristics of a comprehensive set of familial Mre's disease cases from the UK.Methods:Forty-six affected families were studied. All cases were diagnosed using the American Academy of Otolaryngolog 8211;Head and Neck Surgery committee on hearing and equilibrium 1995, or more stringent, criteria.Outcomes and results:Autosomal dominant inheritance with reduced penetrance was the most likely mode of inheritance overall. Apparent genetic anticipation was observed, but may also be a result of ascertainment bias given the collection strategy. There was also a slight tendency for cases to result from maternal transmission within the families in this set. The family pedigrees are presented, and the authors have also set up a website at which all the pedigrees may be viewed in greater detai

Analysis and application of digital spectral warping in analog and mixed-signal testing

Spectral warping is a digital signal processing transform which shifts the frequencies contained within a signal along the frequency axis. The Fourier transform coefficients of a warped signal correspond to frequency-domain 'samples' of the original signal which are unevenly spaced along the frequency axis. This property allows the technique to be efficiently used for DSP-based analog and mixed-signal testing. The analysis and application of spectral warping for test signal generation, response analysis, filter design, frequency response evaluation, etc. are discussed in this paper along with examples of the software and hardware implementation

Development of dispersion strengthened nickel-chromium alloy (Ni-Cr-ThO2) sheet for space shuttle vehicles, part 2

Two dispersion strengthened nickel base alloy systems were developed for use at temperatures up to 1204 C(2200 F); TD nickel chromium (TDNiCr) and TD nickel chromium aluminum (TDNiCrA1). They are considered candidate materials for use on the thermal protection systems of the space shuttle and for long term use in aircraft gas turbine engine applications. Improved manufacturing processes were developed for the fabrication of TDNiCr sheet and foil to specifications. Sheet rolling process studies and extrusion studies were made on two aluminum containing alloys: Ni-16%Cr-3.5%A1-2%ThO2 and Ni-16%Cr-5.0%A12%ThO2. Over 1600 kg.(3500 lb.) of plate, sheet, foil, bar and extrusion products were supplied to NASA Centers for technology studies

Generalized MICZ-Kepler Problems and Unitary Highest Weight Modules

For each integer $n\ge 1$, we demonstrate that a $(2n+1)$-dimensional generalized MICZ-Kepler problem has an \mr{Spin}(2, 2n+2) dynamical symmetry which extends the manifest \mr{Spin}(2n+1) symmetry. The Hilbert space of bound states is shown to form a unitary highest weight \mr{Spin}(2, 2n+2)-module which occurs at the first reduction point in the Enright-Howe-Wallach classification diagram for the unitary highest weight modules. As a byproduct, we get a simple geometric realization for such a unitary highest weight \mr{Spin}(2, 2n+2)-module.Comment: 27 pages, Refs. update

qq-Trinomial identities

We obtain connection coefficients between $q$-binomial and $q$-trinomial coefficients. Using these, one can transform $q$-binomial identities into a $q$-trinomial identities and back again. To demonstrate the usefulness of this procedure we rederive some known trinomial identities related to partition theory and prove many of the conjectures of Berkovich, McCoy and Pearce, which have recently arisen in their study of the $\phi_{2,1}$ and $\phi_{1,5}$ perturbations of minimal conformal field theory.Comment: 21 pages, AMSLate

Turnover of outer and inner membrane proteins of rat liver mitochondria

Recent reports on the properties and composition of outer and inner mitochondrial membranes suggest that outer and inner membranes of mitochondria are derived from different sources of the cell [l-3]. I

Multiple differences in calling songs and other traits between solitary and gregarious Mormon crickets from allopatric mtDNA clades

BACKGROUND: In acoustic species, traits such as male calling song are likely to diverge quickly between allopatric populations due to sexual selection, and divergence in parameters such as carrier frequency, chirp structure, and other important song characters can influence sexual isolation. Here we make use of two forms of Mormon crickets to examine differences in a broad suite of traits that have the potential to influence speciation via sexual isolation. Mormon crickets in "gregarious" populations aggregate into dense migratory bands, and females are the sexually competitive sex (sex-role reversal). There is also a non-outbreak "solitary" form. These two forms are largely but not perfectly correlated with a significant mtDNA subdivision within the species that is thought to have arisen in allopatry. Combined information about multiple, independently evolving traits, such as morphology and structural and behavioural differences in calling song, provides greater resolution of the overall differences between these allopatric populations, and allows us to assess their stage of divergence. We test two predictions, first that the forms differ in song and second that gregarious males are more reluctant to sing than solitary males due to sex role reversal. We also tested for a difference in the relationship between the size of the forewing resonator, the mirror, and carrier frequency, as most models of sound production in crickets indicate that mirror size should predict carrier frequency. RESULTS: Multivariate analyses showed that solitary and gregarious individuals from different populations representing the two mtDNA clades had almost non-overlapping distributions based on multiple song and morphological measurements. Carrier frequency differed between the two, and gregarious males were more reluctant to sing overall. Mirror size predicted carrier frequency; however, the relationship between mirror size and surface area varied between solitary and gregarious forms, suggesting that factors above and beyond mirror size contribute to carrier frequency. CONCLUSION: The two clades of Mormon crickets differ in a broad suite of independent traits that probably justify subspecies status (the two can successfully mate so may not be reproductively isolated). However, our results emphasize the importance of carefully distinguishing the ultimate causation of differences between traits used to delineate species or subspecies boundaries

Demonstration Advanced Avionics System (DAAS) function description

The Demonstration Advanced Avionics System, DAAS, is an integrated avionics system utilizing microprocessor technologies, data busing, and shared displays for demonstrating the potential of these technologies in improving the safety and utility of general aviation operations in the late 1980's and beyond. Major hardware elements of the DAAS include a functionally distributed microcomputer complex, an integrated data control center, an electronic horizontal situation indicator, and a radio adaptor unit. All processing and display resources are interconnected by an IEEE-488 bus in order to enhance the overall system effectiveness, reliability, modularity and maintainability. A detail description of the DAAS architecture, the DAAS hardware, and the DAAS functions is presented. The system is designed for installation and flight test in a NASA Cessna 402-B aircraft