Multiple-crystal X-ray topographic characterization of periodically domain-inverted KTiOPO4 crystal

A periodically domain-inverted KTiOPO4 crystal has been characterized for the first time by multiple-crystal multiple-reflection x-ray topography. The striation contrast within the domain- inverted regions has been revealed in high strain-sensitivity reflection topographs. The origin of formation of the striation contrast and the mechanism of domain inversion in KTiOPO4 are discussed in terms of the structural characteristics of KTiOPO4

α-Elapitoxin-Aa2a, a long-chain snake α-neurotoxin with potent actions on muscle (α1)<inf>2</inf>βγδ nicotinic receptors, lacks the classical high affinity for neuronal α7 nicotinic receptors

In contrast to all classical long-chain α-neurotoxins possessing the critical fifth disulfide bond, α-elapitoxin-Aa2a (α-EPTX-Aa2a), a novel long-chain α-neurotoxin from the common death adder Acanthophis antarcticus, lacks affinity for neuronal α7-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) α-EPTX-Aa2a (8850 Da; 0.1-1 μM) caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of indirect twitches, and blocked contractures to cholinergic agonists in the isolated chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle preparation, consistent with a postsynaptic curaremimetic mode of action. α-EPTX-Aa2a (1-10 nM) produced a potent pseudo-irreversible antagonism of chick muscle nAChRs, with an estimated pA2 value of 8.311 ± 0.031, which was not reversed by monovalent death adder antivenom. This is only 2.5-fold less potent than the prototypical long-chain α-neurotoxin, α-bungarotoxin. In contrast, α-EPTX-Aa2a produced complete, but weak, inhibition of 125I-α-bungarotoxin binding to rat hippocampal α7 nAChRs (pKI = 3.670), despite high sequence homology and similar mass to a wide range of long-chain α-neurotoxins. The mostly likely cause for the loss of α7 binding affinity is a leucine substitution, in loop II of α-EPTX-Aa2a, for the highly conserved Arg33 in long-chain α-neurotoxins. Arg 33 has been shown to be critical for both neuronal and muscle activity. Despite this substitution, α-EPTX-Aa2a retains high affinity for muscle (α1)2βγδ nAChRs. This is probably as a result of an Arg29 residue, previously shown to be critical for muscle (α1)2βγδ nAChR affinity, and highly conserved across all short-chain, but not long-chain, α-neurotoxins. α-EPTX-Aa2a therefore represents a novel atypical long-chain α-neurotoxin that includes a fifth disulfide but exhibits differential affinity for nAChR subtypes. Copyright © 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

A pre seismic radio anomaly revealed in the area where the Abruzzo earthquake ( M =6.3) occurred on 6 April 2009

Abstract. On 6 April 2009 a strong (Mw=6.3) earthquake occurred in the Abruzzo region (central Italy). Since 1996, the intensity of CLT (f=189 kHz, Sicily, Italy), MCO (f=216 kHz, France) and CZE (f=270 kHz, Czech Republic) broadcast signals has been collected with a ten minutes sampling rate by a receiver operating in a place located about 13 km far from the epicenter. During March 2009, the old receiver was substituted with a new one able to measure, with one minute sampling rate, the intensity of five VLF signals and five LF signals radiated by transmitters located in different zones of Europe. The MCO and CZE transmitters mentioned above are included among them. From 31 March to 1 April the intensity of the MCO radio signal dropped and this drop was observed only in this signal. The possibility that the drop was connected to problems in the transmitter or in the receiver was investigated and excluded. So, the drop indicates a defocusing of the radiated signal. Since no particular meteorological situation along the path transmitter-receiver happened, the defocusing must be related to other causes, and a possibility is presented that it is a precursor of the Abruzzo earthquake

CRITERI DI SCELTA DEL MATERIALE PER L’ALLEGGERIMENTO DI VETTURE SPORTIVE AD ALTE PRESTAZIONI

Per le vetture di lusso ad alte prestazioni, il primo elemento di competitività è dato dalle prestazioni dinamichedella vettura, ragion per cui il fattore peso sta assumendo nel tempo una rilevanza crescente. L’introduzionedi normative sempre più severe in ambito di emissioni, strettamente correlate al consumo dellavettura ha inoltre indotto i progettisti a spostare la propria attenzione non più sulla potenza pura ma sulrapporto potenza/peso. In questo ambito, è stato studiato l’alleggerimento di una vettura sportiva adalte prestazioni, in particolare di una Lamborghini Murciélago, andando a proporre nuovi materiali perla realizzazione di particolari del gruppo sospensivo. Ottimizzando la scelta del materiale, è possibile ridurreil peso, rispetto alla soluzione attuale, del 30-35% relativamente alla molla sospensione anteriore, del 50-70%relativamente alla barra antirollio posteriore, nonché alleggerire il braccio anteriore inferiore dal 3 al30%, dipendentemente dallo stato tensionale del componente, impiegando opportunamente acciai basso legati,leghe di alluminio e leghe di titanio

The Grizzly, April 20, 1993

Two Officers Guilty in King Trial • U.C. Tutoring Program Benefits Local Students • Open Your Minds Ursinus: Give Art a Chance • Men\u27s Tennis Ups Record to 5-3 • Better Days on the Diamond • Men\u27s LaX Facing Tough Competitionhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1315/thumbnail.jp

Avispa de la agalla del eucalipto, Leptocybe invasa Fischer & Lasalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae), en Argentina

La “avispa de la agalla del eucalipto”, Leptocybe invasa Fischer & Lasalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae) ha sido registrada en varios países como una importante plaga forestal. Su presencia en Brasil desde 2008 en híbridos de Eucalyptus, representaba una amenaza potencial de ataque para las plantaciones de la Argentina, hecho comprobado fehacientemente en 2009. Se brinda un detalle de los caracteres morfológicos de L. invasa, aspectos de su biología, distribución y daños causados en plantaciones de eucalipto.The eucalyptus "gall wasp”, Leptocybe invasa Fischer & Lasalle (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae: Tetrastichinae) has been registered in several countries as an important invasive forest pest. The presence in Brazil since 2008 on Eucalyptus hybrids of afforested areas represented a potential threat to the plantations in Argentina a fact which was confirmed in 2009. We provide details of the morphological characters of L. invasa, aspects of its biology, distribution and damage in Eucalyptus plantations.Fil: Aquino, Daniel Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Entomología; ArgentinaFil: Botto, Eduardo Norberto. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas. Instituto de Microbiología y Zoología Agrícola; ArgentinaFil: Loiacono, Marta Susana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Entomología; ArgentinaFil: Pathauer, P.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación de Recursos Naturales. Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; Argentin

Extreme rainfall events in karst environments: the case study of September 2014 in the Gargano area (southern Italy)

In the first week of September 2014, the Gargano Promontory (Apulia, SE Italy) was hit by an extreme rainfall event that caused several landslides, floods and sinkholes. As a consequence of the floods, two people lost their lives and severe socio-economic damages were reported. The highest peaks of rainfall were recorded between September 3rd and 6th at the Cagnano Varano and San Marco in Lamis rain gauges with a maximum daily rainfall (over 230 mm) that is about 30% the mean annual rainfall. The Gargano Promontory is characterized by complex orographic conditions, with the highest elevation of about 1000 m a.s.l. The geological setting consists of different types of carbonate deposits affected by intensive development of karst processes. The morphological and climatic settings of the area, associated with frequent extreme rainfall events can cause various types of geohazards (e.g., landslides, floods, sinkholes). A further element enhancing the natural predisposition of the area to the occurrence of landslides, floods and sinkholes is an intense human activity, characterized by an inappropriate land use and management. In order to obtain consistent and reliable data on the effects produced by the storm, a systematic collection of information through field observations, a critical analysis of newspaper articles and web-news, and a co-operation with the Regional Civil Protection and local geologists started immediately after the event. The information collected has been organized in a database including the location, the occurrence time and the type of geohazard documented with photographs. The September 2014 extreme rainfall event in the Gargano Promontory was also analyzed to validate the forecasts issued by the Italian national early-warning system for rainfall-induced landslides (SANF), developed by the Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection (IRPI) for the Italian national Department for Civil Protection (DPC). SANF compares rainfall measurements and forecasts with empirical rainfall thresholds for the prediction of landslide occurrence. SANF forecasts were compared to the documented landslides and discussed

Modeling the impact of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine serotype catch-up program using United States claims data

Background: Analysis of US claims data from April 2010 to June 2011 estimated that 39% of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) catch-up eligible cohort would ever receive the catch-up vaccination; a previous analysis assumed 87%. Methods: This updated figure was applied to a previously published 10-year Markov model while holding all other inputs constant. Results: Our model estimated that the catch-up program as currently implemented is estimated to prevent an additional 1.7 million cases of disease in children aged ≤59 months over a 10-year period, compared with routine PCV13 vaccination with no catch-up program. Conclusions: Because 39% catch-up uptake is less than the level of completion of the 4-dose primary PCV13 series, vaccine-preventable cases of pneumococcal disease and related deaths could be decreased further with additional uptake of catch-up vaccination in the catch-up eligible cohort

The Grizzly, February 23, 1993

Helen Thomas, White House Correspondent Speaks • Pledging: Girls\u27 Results From Fall 1992 Versus Outward Bound, 1993 • Clinton\u27s Plans for Peace • Airband, MTV Here • Evaluating the Curriculum of Ursinus • Ursinus Welcomes Ishmael Reed • Movie Review: Sommersby • South Street: An Informative Perspective • Senior Profile: Casey Price • Who\u27s in Charge at 1600? • Letter to the Editor • Gymnasts Achieve Season-High • Two Ursinus Legends Step Down • Thomas adds Sports Manager Duties • Swimmers Done • Bears Finish 7-17; Look to Bright Futurehttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1310/thumbnail.jp

Disturbances in a VLF radio signal prior the M =4.7 offshore Anzio (central Italy) earthquake on 22 August 2005

Abstract. On 22 August 2005 an earthquake with magnitude M=4.7 occurred in the Anzio (central Italy) offshore area. From 2002, a VLF-LF radio receiver is into operation in Bari (southern Italy). The intensity and the phase of the signals transmitted by GB (f=16 kHz, United Kingdom), FR (f=20.9 kHz, France), GE (f=23.4 kHz, Germany), IC (f=37.5 kHz, Island) and IT (f=54 kHz, Sicily, Italy) has been monitored with a 5 s sampling rate. The previous epicenter is near enough to some of the radio paths and the data collected were studied in order to reveal possible seismic effects. The raw analysis revealed a clear drop in the intensity of the FR radio signal on 19 August. Then the wavelet analysis was applied to the intensity and the phase data of the different radio signals. In the mentioned day an increase in the band 60–120 min was revealed in the spectra of the FR signal. Then the principal component analysis was applied and again the 19 August stood up as an anomalous day for the FR radio signal. The path of this signal, among the paths of the five radio signals collected by the Bari receiver, is the nearest to the mentioned epicentre and the anomaly revealed on 19 August appears as a precursor of the earthquake. This result confirms the possible precursor revealed by other researchers in the air Rn content in a site located 5 miles far from the epicenter