Serial Section Scanning Electron Microscopy (S(3)EM) on Silicon Wafers for Ultra-Structural Volume Imaging of Cells and Tissues.

High resolution, three-dimensional (3D) representations of cellular ultrastructure are essential for structure function studies in all areas of cell biology. While limited subcellular volumes have been routinely examined using serial section transmission electron microscopy (ssTEM), complete ultrastructural reconstructions of large volumes, entire cells or even tissue are difficult to achieve using ssTEM. Here, we introduce a novel approach combining serial sectioning of tissue with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) using a conductive silicon wafer as a support. Ribbons containing hundreds of 35 nm thick sections can be generated and imaged on the wafer at a lateral pixel resolution of 3.7 nm by recording the backscattered electrons with the in-lens detector of the SEM. The resulting electron micrographs are qualitatively comparable to those obtained by conventional TEM. S 3 EM images of the same region of interest in consecutive sections can be used for 3D reconstructions of large structures. We demonstrate the potential of this approach by reconstructing a 31.7 mm 3 volume of a calyx of Held presynaptic terminal. The approach introduced here, Serial Section SEM (S 3 EM), for the first time provides the possibility to obtain 3D ultrastructure of large volumes with high resolution and to selectively and repetitively home in on structures of interest. S 3 EM accelerates process duration, is amenable to full automation and can be implemented wit

Preliminary spatiotemporal analysis of the association between socio-environmental factors and suicide

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The seasonality of suicide has long been recognised. However, little is known about the relative importance of socio-environmental factors in the occurrence of suicide in different geographical areas. This study examined the association of climate, socioeconomic and demographic factors with suicide in Queensland, Australia, using a spatiotemporal approach.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Seasonal data on suicide, demographic variables and socioeconomic indexes for areas in each Local Government Area (LGA) between 1999 and 2003 were acquired from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Climate data were supplied by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. A multivariable generalized estimating equation model was used to examine the impact of socio-environmental factors on suicide.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The preliminary data analyses show that far north Queensland had the highest suicide incidence (e.g., Cook and Mornington Shires), while the south-western areas had the lowest incidence (e.g., Barcoo and Bauhinia Shires) in all the seasons. Maximum temperature, unemployment rate, the proportion of Indigenous population and the proportion of population with low individual income were statistically significantly and positively associated with suicide. There were weaker but not significant associations for other variables.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Maximum temperature, the proportion of Indigenous population and unemployment rate appeared to be major determinants of suicide at a LGA level in Queensland.</p

Introduction: Human ecology in the Himalaya

Knowledge of human adaptation in the Himalayas has developed more slowly than that for other world mountain systems. At the same time, the opening of the region to research has focused attention toward description in a “natural history” mode until quite recently. Where these studies have addressed issues of adaptation they have tended to do so more as a heuristic tool rather than in terms of contributing to the development of adaptive perspectives from a uniquely Himalayan vantage point. The contributions to this special issue suggest some of Himalayan cultural ecology's new themes as it more directly assumes a truly processual approach that incorporates the individual and domestic dimensions of adaptation within historical and social contexts .Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44482/1/10745_2004_Article_BF00889710.pd

Water Rights Analysis Package (WRAP) Daily Simulation, Flood Control, and Short-Term Reliability Modeling Capabilities

WRAP is a generalized river/reservoir system simulation model providing flexible capabilities for analyzing water resources development, management, control, allocation, and use. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Water Availability Modeling (WAM) System combines WRAP with input datasets for the river basins of the state. The Reference and Users Manuals listed below cover the WRAP capabilities that are reflected in the current as of December 2011 Texas WAM System datasets. The Fundamentals Manual is a condensed version of the Reference and Users Manuals that introduces basic capabilities. Water Rights Analysis Package (WRAP) Modeling System Reference and Users Manuals, TWRI TR-255 and TR-256, 8th Edition, September 2011. Fundamentals of Water Availability Modeling with WRAP, TWRI TR-283, 6th Edition, September 2011. Salinity Simulation with WRAP, TWRI TR-317, July 2009. This manual covering Daily Simulation, Flood Control, and Short-Term Reliability Modeling Capabilities, called the Supplemental Manual for brevity, builds upon and expands the Reference and Users Manuals. The Supplemental Manual along with the Salinity Manual covers major additional WRAP features developed over the past several years that have not yet as of December 2011 been adopted in routine applications of the TCEQ WAM System.Texas Commission on Environmental Qualit

Water Rights Analysis Package (WRAP) Daily Simulation, Flood Control, and Short-Term Reliability Modeling Capabilities

WRAP is a generalized river/reservoir system simulation model providing flexible capabilities for analyzing water resources development, management, control, allocation, and use. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Water Availability Modeling (WAM) System combines WRAP with input datasets for the river basins of the state. The Reference and Users Manuals listed below cover the WRAP capabilities that are reflected in the current as of December 2011 Texas WAM System datasets. The Fundamentals Manual is a condensed version of the Reference and Users Manuals that introduces basic capabilities. Water Rights Analysis Package (WRAP) Modeling System Reference and Users Manuals, TWRI TR-255 and TR-256, 8th Edition, September 2011. Fundamentals of Water Availability Modeling with WRAP, TWRI TR-283, 6th Edition, September 2011. Salinity Simulation with WRAP, TWRI TR-317, July 2009. This manual covering Daily Simulation, Flood Control, and Short-Term Reliability Modeling Capabilities, called the Supplemental Manual for brevity, builds upon and expands the Reference and Users Manuals. The Supplemental Manual along with the Salinity Manual covers major additional WRAP features developed over the past several years that have not yet as of December 2011 been adopted in routine applications of the TCEQ WAM System.Texas Commission on Environmental Qualit