Priority sites for wildfowl conservation in Mexico

A set of priority sites for wildfowl conservation in Mexico was determined using contemporary count data (1991–2000) from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service mid-winter surveys. We used a complementarity approach implemented through linear integer programming that addresses particular conservation concerns for every species included in the analysis and large fluctuations in numbers through time. A set of 31 priority sites was identified, which held more than 69% of the mid-winter count total in Mexico during all surveyed years. Six sites were in the northern highlands, 12 in the central highlands, six on the Gulf of Mexico coast and seven on the upper Pacific coast. Twenty-two sites from the priority set have previously been identified as qualifying for designation as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention and 20 sites are classified as Important Areas for Bird Conservation in Mexico. The information presented here provides an accountable, spatially-explicit, numerical basis for ongoing conservation planning efforts in Mexico, which can be used to improve existing wildfowl conservation networks in the country and can also be useful for conservation planning exercises elsewhere

West Nile Virus Infections Projected from Blood Donor Screening Data, United States, 2003

Routine donor nucleic acid amplification testing is a valuable surveillance screening tool

Recent RHIC in-situ coating technology developments

To rectify the problems of electron clouds observed in RHIC and unacceptable ohmic heating for superconducting magnets that can limit future machine upgrades, we started developing a robotic plasma deposition technique for $in-situ$ coating of the RHIC 316LN stainless steel cold bore tubes based on staged magnetrons mounted on a mobile mole for deposition of Cu followed by amorphous carbon (a-C) coating. The Cu coating reduces wall resistivity, while a-C has low SEY that suppresses electron cloud formation. Recent RF resistivity computations indicate that 10 {\mu}m of Cu coating thickness is needed. But, Cu coatings thicker than 2 {\mu}m can have grain structures that might have lower SEY like gold black. A 15-cm Cu cathode magnetron was designed and fabricated, after which, 30 cm long samples of RHIC cold bore tubes were coated with various OFHC copper thicknesses; room temperature RF resistivity measured. Rectangular stainless steel and SS discs were Cu coated. SEY of rectangular samples were measured at room; and, SEY of a disc sample was measured at cryogenic temperatures.Comment: 8 pages, contribution to the Joint INFN-CERN-EuCARD-AccNet Workshop on Electron-Cloud Effects: ECLOUD'12; 5-9 Jun 2012, La Biodola, Isola d'Elba, Ital

Identification of Class I HLA T Cell Control Epitopes for West Nile Virus

The recent West Nile virus (WNV) outbreak in the United States underscores the importance of understanding human immune responses to this pathogen. Via the presentation of viral peptide ligands at the cell surface, class I HLA mediate the T cell recognition and killing of WNV infected cells. At this time, there are two key unknowns in regards to understanding protective T cell immunity: 1) the number of viral ligands presented by the HLA of infected cells, and 2) the distribution of T cell responses to these available HLA/viral complexes. Here, comparative mass spectroscopy was applied to determine the number of WNV peptides presented by the HLA-A*11:01 of infected cells after which T cell responses to these HLA/WNV complexes were assessed. Six viral peptides derived from capsid, NS3, NS4b, and NS5 were presented. When T cells from infected individuals were tested for reactivity to these six viral ligands, polyfunctional T cells were focused on the GTL9 WNV capsid peptide, ligands from NS3, NS4b, and NS5 were less immunogenic, and two ligands were largely inert, demonstrating that class I HLA reduce the WNV polyprotein to a handful of immune targets and that polyfunctional T cells recognize infections by zeroing in on particular HLA/WNV epitopes. Such dominant HLA/peptide epitopes are poised to drive the development of WNV vaccines that elicit protective T cells as well as providing key antigens for immunoassays that establish correlates of viral immunity. © 2013 Kaabinejadian et al

Thermal Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition of Ti-Si-N Films for Diffusion Barrier Applications

Structurally disordered refractory ternary films such as titanium silicon nitride (Ti-Si-N) have potential as advanced diffusion barriers in future ULSI metallization schemes. Here the authors present results on purely thermal metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of Ti-Si-N. At temperatures between 300 and 450 C, tetrakis(diethylamido)titanium (TDEAT), silane, and ammonia react to grow Ti-Si-N films with Si contents of 0--20 at.%. Typical impurity contents are 5--10 at.%H and 0.5 to 1.5 at.% C, with no O or other impurities detected in the bulk of the film. Although the film resistivity increases with increasing Si content, it remains below 1,000 {micro}{Omega}-cm for films with less than 5 at.% Si. These films are promising candidates for advanced diffusion barriers

Thermal metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of Ti-Si-N films for diffusion barrier applications

Structurally disordered refractory ternary films such as titanium silicon nitride (Ti-Si-N) have potential as advanced diffusion barriers in future ULSI metallization schemes. Here the authors present results on purely thermal metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of Ti-Si-N. At temperatures between 300 and 450 C, tetrakis(diethylamido)titanium (TDEAT), silane, and ammonia react to grow Ti-Si-N films with Si contents of 0--20 at.%. Typical impurity contents are 5--10 at.%H and 0.5 to 1.5 at.% C, with no O or other impurities detected in the bulk of the film. Although the film resistivity increases with increasing Si content, it remains below 1,000 {micro}{Omega}-cm for films with less than 5 at.% Si. These films are promising candidates for advanced diffusion barriers

Multiple Lines of Evidence Risk Assessment of Terrestrial Passerines Exposed to PCDFs and PCDDs in the Tittabawassee River Floodplain, Midland, Michigan, USA

A site-specific multiple lines of evidence risk assessment was conducted for house wrens (Troglodytes aedon) and eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) along the Tittabawassee River downstream of Midland, Michigan, where concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) in flood-plain soils and sediments are greater compared to upstream areas and some of the greatest anywhere in the world. Lines of evidence supporting the population-level assessment endpoints included site-specific dietary- and tissue-based exposure assessments and population productivity measurements during breeding seasons 2005–2007. While a hazard assessment based on site-specific diets suggested that populations residing in the downstream floodplain had the potential to be affected, concentrations in eggs compared to appropriate toxicity reference values (TRVs) did not predict a potential for population-level effects. There were no significant effects on reproductive success of either species. The most probable cause of the apparent difference between the dietary- and tissue-based exposure assessments was that the dietary-based TRVs were overly conservative based on intraperitoneal injections in the ring-necked pheasant. Agreement between the risk assessment based on concentrations of PCDFs and PCDDs in eggs and reproductive performance in both species supports the conclusion of a small potential for population-level effects at this site

SVOP Is a Nucleotide Binding Protein

Background: Synaptic Vesicle Protein 2 (SV2) and SV2-related protein (SVOP) are transporter-like proteins that localize to neurotransmitter-containing vesicles. Both proteins share structural similarity with the major facilitator (MF) family of small molecule transporters. We recently reported that SV2 binds nucleotides, a feature that has also been reported for another MF family member, the human glucose transporter 1 (Glut1). In the case of Glut1, nucleotide binding affects transport activity. In this study, we determined if SVOP also binds nucleotides and assessed its nucleotide binding properties. Methodology/Principal Findings: We performed in vitro photoaffinity labeling experiments with the photoreactive ATP analogue, 8-azido-ATP[c] biotin and purified recombinant SVOP-FLAG fusion protein. We found that SVOP is a nucleotide-binding protein, although both its substrate specificity and binding site differ from that of SV2. Within the nucleotides tested, ATP, GTP and NAD show same level of inhibition on SVOP-FLAG labeling. Dose dependent studies indicated that SVOP demonstrates the highest affinity for NAD, in contrast to SV2, which binds both NAD and ATP with equal affinity. Mapping of the binding site revealed a single region spanning transmembrane domains 9–12, which contrasts to the two binding sites in the large cytoplasmic domains in SV2A. Conclusions/Significance: SVOP is the third MF family member to be found to bind nucleotides. Given that the binding sites are unique in SVOP, SV2 and Glut1, this feature appears to have arisen separately