EFFECT OF RECREATIONAL TRAIL TRAFFIC LEVEL ON EASTERN RED-BACKED SALAMANDER (PLETHODON CINEREUS) RELATIVE ABUNDANCE

The effects of roads and trails on terrestrial salamanders, primarily plethodontids, can be important. The abundance of terrestrial salamanders often increases with distance from roads. Less is known about the effects of recreational or hiking trails on terrestrial salamanders than is known about the effects of roads. We explored how low and high traffic trails in a suburban biological reserve affect the relative abundance of Eastern Red-backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus). We found more salamanders under cover objects next to low traffic trails compared to either high traffic trails or wooded areas without trails. At wooded sites, we found only striped morphs whereas at high traffic sites we found only unstriped morphs. Low traffic sites included a range of color morph frequencies. The proportion of females found in each site did not differ, nor did the mean size of the salamanders. Our results suggest that the impact of recreational walking trails needs to be examined more closely to see how and why the distributions of P. cinereus, and potentially other woodland salamanders, are affected and what trail characteristics are important in driving the apparent effects. Such information will contribute to the design and maintenance of walking trails in natural areas that minimize effects on terrestrial salamanders, and likely other organisms

Complex genital system of a haplogyne spider (Arachnida, Araneae, Tetrablemmidae) indicates internal fertilization and full female control over transferred sperm.

The female genital organs of the tetrablemmid Indicoblemma lannaianum are astonishingly complex. The copulatory orifice lies anterior to the opening of the uterus externus and leads into a narrow insertion duct that ends in a genital cavity. The genital cavity continues laterally in paired tube-like copulatory ducts, which lead into paired, large, sac-like receptacula. Each receptaculum has a sclerotized pore plate with associated gland cells. Paired small fertilization ducts originate in the receptacula and take their curved course inside the copulatory ducts. The fertilization ducts end in slit-like openings in the sclerotized posterior walls of the copulatory ducts. Huge masses of secretions forming large balls are detectable in the female receptacula. An important function of these secretory balls seems to be the encapsulation of spermatozoa in discrete packages in order to avoid the mixing of sperm from different males. In this way, sperm competition may be completely prevented or at least severely limited. Females seem to have full control over transferred sperm and be able to express preference for spermatozoa of certain males. The lumen of the sperm containing secretory balls is connected with the fertilization duct. Activated spermatozoa are only found in the uterus internus of females, which is an indication of internal fertilization. The sperm cells in the uterus internus are characterized by an extensive cytoplasm and an elongated, cone-shaped nucleus. The male genital system of I. lannaianum consists of thick testes and thin convoluted vasa deferentia that open into the wide ductus ejaculatorius. The voluminous globular palpal bulb is filled with seminal fluid consisting of a globular secretion in which only a few spermatozoa are embedded. The spermatozoa are encapsulated by a sheath produced in the genital system. The secretions in females may at least partly consist of male secretions that could be involved in the building of the secretory balls or play a role in sperm activation. The male secretions could also afford nutriments to the spermatozoa

Epidemiological evidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia without the presence of human papillomavirus.

The aim of this paper was to provide epidemiological evidence to support the notion that cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) without human papillomavirus (HPV) is a true entity. If a diagnosis of HPV-negative cervical neoplasia is erroneous, one would not expect there to be any differences in risk factors between HPV-positive and HPV-negative patients. Patients at a gynaecological outpatient clinic of a university hospital [a total of 265 consecutive women with dyskaryotic cervical smears who were subsequently diagnosed with CIN I (n=37), CIN II (n=48) or CIN III (n=180)] completed a structured questionnaire regarding smoking habits and sexual history. Analysis of an endocervical swab for Chlamydia trachomatis, analysis of a cervical scrape for HPV, and morphological examination of cervical biopsy specimens were also performed. HPV was found in 205 (77.4%) out of the 265 women. Univariate analysis showed that current age (P=0.02), current smoking behaviour (P=0.002) and the number of sexual partners (P=0.02) were significantly associated with the presence of HPV. Age at first sexual intercourse, a past history of venereal disease or genital warts, and current infection with Chlamydia trachomatis were not associated with the presence of HPV. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, the number of sexual partners and current smoking behaviour showed an independent significant association with HPV. HPV-negative and HPV-positive CIN patients differ with respect to the risk factors for HPV. These findings suggest that HPV-negative CIN is a separate true entity

Discrepancies in Determinations of the Ginzburg-Landau Parameter

Long-standing discrepancies within determinations of the Ginzburg-Landau parameter $\kappa$ from supercritical field measurements on superconducting microspheres are reexamined. The discrepancy in tin is shown to result from differing methods of analyses, whereas the discrepancy in indium is a consequence of significantly differing experimental results. The reanalyses however confirms the lower $\kappa$ determinations to within experimental uncertainties.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev.

Scaling Study and Thermodynamic Properties of the cubic Helimagnet FeGe

The critical behavior of the cubic helimagnet FeGe was obtained from isothermal magnetization data in very close vicinity of the ordering temperature. A thorough and consistent scaling analysis of these data revealed the critical exponents $\beta=0.368$, $\gamma=1.382$, and $\delta=4.787$. The anomaly in the specific heat associated with the magnetic ordering can be well described by the critical exponent $\alpha=-0.133$. The values of these exponents corroborate that the magnetic phase transition in FeGe belongs to the isotropic 3D-Heisenberg universality class. The specific heat data are well described by ab initio phonon calculations and confirm the localized character of the magnetic moments.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figure

On the bounded cohomology of semi-simple groups, S-arithmetic groups and products

We prove vanishing results for Lie groups and algebraic groups (over any local field) in bounded cohomology. The main result is a vanishing below twice the rank for semi-simple groups. Related rigidity results are established for S-arithmetic groups and groups over global fields. We also establish vanishing and cohomological rigidity results for products of general locally compact groups and their lattices

High-Speed Coating of Primer Layer for Li-Ion Battery Electrodes by Using Slot-Die Coating

A reduction of the inactive components can increase the energy density and reduce production cost of Li‐ion batteries. But an effective reduction of the binder amount also negatively affects the adhesion of the electrode. Herein, slot‐die coating of a primer layer for Li‐ion anodes is investigated. It is shown that the use of a primer layer with only 0.3 g m$^{-2}$ can increase the adhesive force by the factor of 5 as well as the cell performance for anodes with low binder content. The process limits for a stable, defect‐free primer coating are investigated at coating speeds of up to 550 m min$^{-1}$. The limits coincide both for a setup without vacuum box and with vacuum box with theory‐based equations. By using a vacuum box, the minimum wet film thickness can be reduced by half