Relativistic wave equations for interacting massive particles with arbitrary half-intreger spins

New formulation of relativistic wave equations (RWE) for massive particles with arbitrary half-integer spins s interacting with external electromagnetic fields are proposed. They are based on wave functions which are irreducible tensors of rank $n ($n=s-\frac12$) antisymmetric w.r.t. n pairs of indices, whose components are bispinors. The form of RWE is straightforward and free of inconsistencies associated with the other approaches to equations describing interacting higher spin particles

The effect of multiple deformations on the formation of ultrafine grained steels

A C-Mn-Nb-Ti steel was deformed by hot torsion to study ultrafine ferrite formation through dynamic strain-induced transformation (DSIT) in conjunction with air cooling. A systematic study was carried out first to evaluate the effect of deformation temperature and prior austenite grain size on the critical strain for ultrafine ferrite formation (&epsilon; C,UFF) through single-pass deformation. Then, multiple deformations in the nonrecrystallization region were used to study the effect of thermomechanical parameters (i.e., strain, deformation temperature, etc.) on &epsilon; C,UFF. The multiple deformations in the nonrecrystallization region significantly reduced &epsilon; C,UFF, although the total equivalent strain for a given thermomechanical condition was higher than that required in single-pass deformation. The current study on a Ni-30Fe austenitic model alloy revealed that laminar microband structures were the key intragranular defects in the austenite for nucleation of ferrite during the hot torsion test. The microbands were refined and overall misorientation angle distribution increased with a decrease in the deformation temperature for a given thermomechanical processing condition. For nonisothermal multipass deformation, there was some contribution to the formation of high-angle microband boundaries from strains at higher temperature, although the strains were not completely additive.<br /

Interactions between hymenopteran species associated with gall‐forming wasps : the Leptocybe invasa community as a case study

1. Leptocybe invasa is native to Australia and induces galls on various species of Eucalyptus. Two genetically distinct lineages of this wasp have been detected outside its native range, namely, Leptocybe Lineage A and Leptocybe Lineage B. 2. The parasitoid Selitrichodes neseri was released in South Africa as a biological control agent against L. invasa. Another parasitoid of L. invasa, Quadrastichus mendeli, as well as Megastigmus zebrinus (parasitoid) and Megastigmus pretorianensis (role unknown), have also been recorded emerging from L. invasa galls. The objective of this study was to investigate the interactions between the different hymenopterans associated with L. invasa galls in South Africa. 3. L. invasa galls were dissected and species‐specific primers and restriction enzymes were used to identify the larvae where interactions were noted. 4. S. neseri, Q. mendeli and M. zebrinus were confirmed to parasitize Leptocybe Lineage A, and S. neseri was confirmed to parasitize Leptocybe Lineage B. Furthermore, there were direct interactions between these parasitoids, where parasitoids were found parasitising each other. The gall forming experiment confirmed that M. pretorianensis is not a gall former, but other potential roles remain uncertain.Supporting Information: Table S1. Species specific primers and their annealing temperatures for the hymenopteran species associated with Leptocybe invasa galls and the expected fragment sizes amplified by each species‐specific primer for the region Cyt b. Table S2. The fragment sizes of digested Cyt b amplicons using the AseI restriction enzyme for Leptocybe invasa (A and B), Selitrichodes neseri, Megastigmus zebrinus, Megastigmus pretorianensis and Quadrastichus mendeli.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/146195632021-10-13hj2021BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant PathologyZoology and Entomolog

The distribution and diversity of Leptocybe invasa (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and its gall associates in South Africa

Leptocybe invasa is an invasive gall wasp and pest of Eucalyptus trees, which has become widely distributed in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Several other wasp species have been found to co-occur in L. invasa-induced galls. In South Africa, this includes an introduced biological control agent, Selitrichodes neseri; two known, accidentally introduced parasitoids, Megastigmus zebrinus and Quadrastichus mendeli; and M. pretorianensis, whose role in the gall is uncertain. In addition to the gall associates, a second lineage of L. invasa or cryptic species was discovered in South Africa in 2015. To determine the distribution and prevalence of these species across South Africa, a national monitoring scheme was initiated. Galled Eucalyptus material was collected at infested sites and emerging adults were collected and identified. Morphology, DNA barcoding and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism analyses were used to differentiate between the species and lineages. Results from the first two sampling periods indicated that L. invasa lineage A has spread throughout South Africa while lineage B had a more limited distribution in the country. Subsequent samples recorded the further spread of L. invasa Lineage B, which now occurs in all provinces sampled. The Leptocybe lineages were found to co-occur on individual trees, increasing the potential for admixture. From the Eucalyptus genotypes sampled, there was no indication of differences in host association between the Leptocybe lineages. Selitrichodes neseri, M. zebrinus and M. pretorianensis were present throughout South Africa and emerged from trees that contained both Leptocybe lineages, but their frequency varied with site. This study will inform future distribution of parasitoids as well as monitoring of potential changes in plant host resistance, admixture and parasitoid resistance in future.The Department of Science and Innovation–National Research Foundation, Centre of Excellence in Plant Health Biotechnology and Forestry South Africa (FSA).http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tsfs20hj2023BiochemistryForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant PathologyZoology and Entomolog

Global surveillance of cancer survival 1995-2009: analysis of individual data for 25,676,887 patients from 279 population-based registries in 67 countries (CONCORD-2)

BACKGROUND: Worldwide data for cancer survival are scarce. We aimed to initiate worldwide surveillance of cancer survival by central analysis of population-based registry data, as a metric of the effectiveness of health systems, and to inform global policy on cancer control. METHODS: Individual tumour records were submitted by 279 population-based cancer registries in 67 countries for 25·7 million adults (age 15-99 years) and 75,000 children (age 0-14 years) diagnosed with cancer during 1995-2009 and followed up to Dec 31, 2009, or later. We looked at cancers of the stomach, colon, rectum, liver, lung, breast (women), cervix, ovary, and prostate in adults, and adult and childhood leukaemia. Standardised quality control procedures were applied; errors were corrected by the registry concerned. We estimated 5-year net survival, adjusted for background mortality in every country or region by age (single year), sex, and calendar year, and by race or ethnic origin in some countries. Estimates were age-standardised with the International Cancer Survival Standard weights. FINDINGS: 5-year survival from colon, rectal, and breast cancers has increased steadily in most developed countries. For patients diagnosed during 2005-09, survival for colon and rectal cancer reached 60% or more in 22 countries around the world; for breast cancer, 5-year survival rose to 85% or higher in 17 countries worldwide. Liver and lung cancer remain lethal in all nations: for both cancers, 5-year survival is below 20% everywhere in Europe, in the range 15-19% in North America, and as low as 7-9% in Mongolia and Thailand. Striking rises in 5-year survival from prostate cancer have occurred in many countries: survival rose by 10-20% between 1995-99 and 2005-09 in 22 countries in South America, Asia, and Europe, but survival still varies widely around the world, from less than 60% in Bulgaria and Thailand to 95% or more in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the USA. For cervical cancer, national estimates of 5-year survival range from less than 50% to more than 70%; regional variations are much wider, and improvements between 1995-99 and 2005-09 have generally been slight. For women diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005-09, 5-year survival was 40% or higher only in Ecuador, the USA, and 17 countries in Asia and Europe. 5-year survival for stomach cancer in 2005-09 was high (54-58%) in Japan and South Korea, compared with less than 40% in other countries. By contrast, 5-year survival from adult leukaemia in Japan and South Korea (18-23%) is lower than in most other countries. 5-year survival from childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is less than 60% in several countries, but as high as 90% in Canada and four European countries, which suggests major deficiencies in the management of a largely curable disease. INTERPRETATION: International comparison of survival trends reveals very wide differences that are likely to be attributable to differences in access to early diagnosis and optimum treatment. Continuous worldwide surveillance of cancer survival should become an indispensable source of information for cancer patients and researchers and a stimulus for politicians to improve health policy and health-care systems

On the linear forms of the Schrodinger equation

Generalizing the linearisation procedure used by Dirac and later by L\'evy-Leblond, we derive the first-order non-relativistic wave equations for particles of spin 1 and spin 3/2 starting from the Schrodinger equation