Reproductive biology and parasite (Perkinsus marinus) prevalence in the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, within a Georgia tidal river

Peer-reviewed. © F.X. O'Beirn et al., 1997. Reproduced with the permission of the executive editor of the JNCAS.Recruitment, in 1992, of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, at one site (Flume Dock) within the Sapelo Island National Estuarine Research Reserve (SINERR) was lower than other sampling sites. Recruitment allied with gametogenesis and parasite (Perkinsus marinus) prevalence within the oysters was examined in 1993, in an attempt to explain the differences observed the previous year. Sampling occurred at three sites (Marsh Landing, Jack Hammock, and Flume Dock) along the Duplin River within the SINERR. Oyster recruitment in 1993 was reduced in all sites within the SINERR. No oyster recruitment was recorded at the Flume Dock site during any monthly collections or on collectors deployed for the duration of the sampling study. Oysters developed gametogenically and spawned at the Marsh Landing site two weeks prior to their occurrence at the Jack Hammock site. Gametogenic development in oysters at the Flume Dock site was retarded a further two weeks where the males appeared to spawn six weeks after the females, which could account for reduced recruitment levels at this site. Approximately, twice as many females as males occurred in all sites. Monthly sampling of prevalence and intensity of Perkinsus marinus (Dermo) revealed high levels of both parameters. Smaller oysters did display lower prevalences of Dermo than larger forms

The confined-deconfined Interface Tension and the Spectrum of the Transfer Matrix

The reduced tension $\sigma_{cd}$ of the interface between the confined and the deconfined phase of $SU(3)$ pure gauge theory is related to the finite size effects of the first transfer matrix eigenvalues. A lattice simulation of the transfer matrix spectrum at the critical temperature $T_c = 1/L_t$ yields $\sigma_{cd} = 0.139(4) T_c^2$ for $L_t = 2$. We found numerical evidence that the deconfined-deconfined domain walls are completely wet by the confined phase, and that the confined-deconfined interfaces are rough.Comment: 22 pages, LaTeX file with 4 ps figures included, HLRZ 92-47, BUTP-92/3

Functional molecular mass of rat hepatic lipase in liver, adrenal gland and ovary is different

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is functionally active only as a dimer. It is also generally assumed that the highly homologous hepatic lipase functions as a dimer, but no clear evidence has been presented. A hepatic lipase-like activity, also indicated as L-type lipase, is present in adrenal and ovary tissues. This enzyme is thought to originate from the liver and to be identical to hepatic lipase. We determined the functional molecular mass of hepatic lipase in rat liver, adrenal gland and ovary by radiation inactivation, a method for determining the functional size of a protein without the need of prior purification. Samples were exposed to ionizing radiation at -135 degrees C. Hepatic lipase activity in liver homogenate showed a single exponential decay. The functional molecular mass was calculated to be 63 +/- 10 kDa. Hepatic lipase activity in adrenal homogenate was found to have a functional molecular mass of 117 +/- 16 kDa. The functional molecular masses of the lipases partially purified from rat liver perfusate, adrenal homogenate or ovarian homogenate showed the same pattern, a target mass for the liver enzyme of 56 +/- 6 kDa and a target mass of 117 +/- 14 kDa for the enzyme from adrenal gland or ovary. In Western blot analysis the mass of the structural units of hepatic lipase in liver was 57 kDa and in adrenal and ovary tissue 51 kDa. We conclude that the functional unit of hepatic lipase in the liver is a monomer. The enzyme in adrenal gland and ovary is different from the liver and the functional unit may be a dimer

Compressibility and Electronic Structure of MgB2 up to 8 GPa

The lattice parameters of MgB2 up to pressures of 8 GPa were determined using high-resolution x-ray powder diffraction in a diamond anvil cell. The bulk modulus, B0, was determined to be 151 +-5 GPa. Both experimental and first-principles calculations indicate nearly isotropic mechanical behavior under pressure. This small anisotropy is in contrast to the 2 dimensional nature of the boron pi states. The pressure dependence of the density of states at the Fermi level and a reasonable value for the average phonon frequency account within the context of BCS theory for the reduction of Tc under pressure.Comment: REVTeX file. 4 pages, 4 figure

Analytical Evaluation of Hierarchical Planning Systems

Hierarchical planning systems have become popular for multilevel decision problems. After reviewing the concept of hierarchical planning and citing some examples, the authors describe a method for analytic evaluation of a hierarchical planning system. They show that multilevel decision problems can be nicely modeled as multistage stochastic programs. Then any hierarchical planning system can be measured against the yardstick of optimality in this stochastic program. They demonstrate this approach on a hierarchical system that can be shown to be asymptotically optimal for a job shop design/scheduling problem

Trastuzumab plus pertuzumab for HER2-amplified advanced colorectal cancer:Results from the drug rediscovery protocol (DRUP)

Background: In 2–5% of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) is amplified or overexpressed. Despite prior evidence that anti-HER2 therapy confers clinical benefit (CB) in one-third of these patients, it is not approved for this indication in Europe. In the Drug Rediscovery Protocol (DRUP), patients are treated with off-label drugs based on their molecular profile. Here, we present the results of the cohort ‘trastuzumab/pertuzumab for treatment-refractory patients with RAS/BRAF-wild-type HER2amplified metastatic CRC (HER2+mCRC)’. Methods: Patients with progressive treatment-refractory RAS/BRAF-wild-type HER2+mCRC with measurable disease were included for trastuzumab plus pertuzumab treatment. Primary endpoints of DRUP are CB (defined as confirmed objective response (OR) or stable disease (SD) ≥ 16 weeks) and safety. Patients were enrolled using a Simon-like 2-stage model, with 8 patients in stage 1 and 24 patients in stage 2 if at least 1/8 patients had CB. To identify biomarkers for response, whole genome sequencing (WGS) was performed on pre-treatment biopsies. Results: CB was observed in 11/24 evaluable patients (46%) with HER2+mCRC, seven patients achieved an OR (29%). Median duration of response was 8.4 months. Patients had undergone a median of 3 prior treatment lines. Median progression-free survival and overall survival were 4.3 months (95% CI 1.9–10.3) and 8.2 months (95% CI 7.2–14.7), respectively. No unexpected toxicities were observed. WGS provided potential explanations for resistance in 3/10 patients without CB, for whom WGS was available. Conclusions: The results of this study confirm a clinically significant benefit of trastuzumab plus pertuzumab treatment in patients with HER2+mCRC.</p