102 research outputs found

    Factors Influencing the Toxicity of Hexazinone and Tebuthiuron in Several Woody Species

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    Crop Scienc

    Volcanism of the Late Silurian Eastport Formation of the Coastal Volcanic Belt, Passamaquoddy Bay, New Brunswick: GAC–MAC Halifax 2022 Pre-Meeting Field Trip

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    This field trip is an excursion through the exquisite, nearly pristine exposures of a Silurian, felsic-dominated bimodal volcanic and sedimentary sequence exposed in the Passamaquoddy Bay area of southwestern, New Brunswick (Eastport Formation). These rocks form the northwest extension of the Coastal Volcanic Belt that extends from southwestern New Brunswick to the southern coast of Maine. The sequence is significant because it is part of a large bimodal igneous province with evidence for supervolcano-scale eruptions that began to form during the close of the Salinic Orogeny (about 424 Ma), and continued into the Acadian Orogeny (421–400 Ma). The geochemical characteristic of the rocks can be explained by extension related volcanism but the specific drivers of the extension are uncertain. The Passamaquoddy Bay sequence is 4 km thick and comprises four cycles of basaltic-rhyolitic volcanism. Basaltic volcanism typically precedes rhyolitic volcanism in Cycles 1–3. Cycle 4 represents the waning stages of volcanism and is dominated by peritidal sediments and basaltic volcanics. A spectrum of eruptive and emplacement mechanisms is represented ranging from the Hawaiian and Strombolian-type volcanism of the basaltic flows and pyroclastic scoria deposits, to highly explosive sub-Plinian to Plinian rhyolitic pyroclastic eruptions forming pyroclastic density currents (PDC) and high grade rheomorphic ignimbrites. During this field trip we will examine key exposures illustrating this spectrum of eruptive and emplacement processes, and their diagnostic characteristics, along with evidence for the interaction between mafic and felsic magmas and a variety of peperitic breccias formed as a result of emplacement of flows on wet peritidal sediments. The constraints the depositional setting and voluminous bimodal volcanism places on tectonic models will also be considered.Cette sortie sur le terrain est une excursion à travers les magnifiques affleurements pratiquement non altérés d'une séquence volcanique et sédimentaire bimodale silurienne à dominance felsique exposée dans la région de la baie de Passamaquoddy, au sud-ouest du Nouveau-Brunswick (Formation d'Eastport). Ces roches forment le prolongement nord-ouest de la Ceinture volcanique côtière qui s'étend du sud-ouest du Nouveau-Brunswick à la côte sud du Maine. La séquence est importante car elle fait partie d'une grande province ignée bimodale comprenant des preuves de super éruptions volcaniques qui ont commencé à se former à la fin de l'orogenèse salinique (environ 424 Ma) et se sont poursuivies pendant l'orogenèse acadienne (421–400 Ma). La caractéristique géochimique des roches peut être expliquée par le volcanisme lié à l'extension, mais les facteurs spécifiques de l'extension sont incertains. La séquence de la baie de Passamaquoddy a une épaisseur de 4 km et comprend quatre cycles de volcanisme basaltique-rhyolitique. Le volcanisme basaltique précède généralement le volcanisme rhyolitique dans les cycles 1–3. Le cycle 4 représente les stades décroissants du volcanisme et est dominé par des sédiments péritidaux et des roches volcaniques basaltiques. Une variété de mécanismes éruptifs et de mises en place est représentée, allant du volcanisme de type hawaïen et strombolien des coulées basaltiques et des dépôts de scories pyroclastiques, aux éruptions pyroclastiques rhyolitiques hautement explosives sous-pliniennes à pliniennes formant des courants de densité pyroclastiques et des ignimbrites rhéomorphes à haute teneur. Au cours de cette visite sur le terrain, nous examinerons les affleurements clés illustrant cette gamme de processus éruptifs et de mises en place, et leurs caractéristiques diagnostiques, ainsi que les preuves de l'interaction entre les magmas mafiques et felsiques et une variété de brèches pépéritiques formées à la suite de la mise en place de coulées sur des sédiments péritidaux humides. Les contraintes que le contexte de dépôt et le vaste volcanisme bimodal imposent aux modèles tectoniques seront également examinées

    EmbA is an essential arabinosyltransferase in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

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    The Emb proteins (EmbA, EmbB, EmbC) are mycobacterial arabinosyltransferases involved in the biogenesis of the mycobacterial cell wall. EmbA and EmbB are predicted to work in unison as a heterodimer. EmbA and EmbB are involved in the formation of the crucial terminal hexaarabinoside motif [Araβ(1→2)Araα(1→5)] [Araβ(1→2)Araα(1→3)]Araα(1→5)Araα1→(Ara6) in the cell wall polysaccharide arabinogalactan. Studies conducted in Mycobacterium smegmatis revealed that mutants with disruptions in embA or embB are viable, although the growth rate was affected. In contrast, we demonstrate here that embA is an essential gene in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, since a deletion of the chromosomal gene could only be achieved when a second functional copy was provided on an integrated vector. Complementation of an embA mutant of M. smegmatis by M. tuberculosis embA confirmed that it encodes a functional arabinosyltransferase. We identified a promoter for M. tuberculosis embA located immediately upstream of the gene, indicating that it is expressed independently from the upstream gene, embC. Promoter activity from PembA(Mtb) was sevenfold lower when assayed in M. smegmatis compared to M. tuberculosis, indicating that the latter is not a good host for genetic analysis of M. tuberculosis embA expression. PembA(Mtb) activity remained constant throughout growth phases and after stress treatment, although it was reduced during hypoxia-induced non-replicating persistence. Ethambutol exposure had no effect on PembA(Mtb) activity. These data demonstrate that M. tuberculosis embA encodes a functional arabinosyltransferase which is constitutively expressed and plays a critical role in M. tuberculosis

    The Magnitude of Androgen Receptor Positivity in Breast Cancer Is Critical for Reliable Prediction of Disease Outcome

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    Purpose: Consensus is lacking regarding the androgen receptor (AR) as a prognostic marker in breast cancer. The objectives of this study were to comprehensively review the literature on AR prognostication and determine optimal criteria for AR as an independent predictor of breast cancer survival. Experimental Design: AR positivity was assessed by immunostaining in two clinically validated primary breast cancer cohorts [training cohort, n = 219; validation cohort, n = 418; 77% and 79% estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) positive, respectively]. The optimal AR cut-point was determined by ROC analysis in the training cohort and applied to both cohorts. Results: AR was an independent prognostic marker of breast cancer outcome in 22 of 46 (48%) previous studies that performed multivariate analyses. Most studies used cut-points of 1% or 10% nuclear positivity. Herein, neither 1% nor 10% cut-points were robustly prognostic. ROC analysis revealed that a higher AR cut-point (78% positivity) provided optimal sensitivity and specificity to predict breast cancer survival in the training (HR, 0.41; P = 0.015) and validation (HR, 0.50; P = 0.014) cohorts. Tenfold cross-validation confirmed the robustness of this AR cut-point. Patients with ERα-positive tumors and AR positivity ≥78% had the best survival in both cohorts (P 0.87) had the best outcomes (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: This study defines an optimal AR cut-point to reliably predict breast cancer survival. Testing this cut-point in prospective cohorts is warranted for implementation of AR as a prognostic factor in the clinical management of breast cancer

    Optical Spectra of SNR Candidates in NGC 300

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    We present moderate-resolution (<5A) long-slit optical spectra of 51 nebular objects in the nearby Sculptor Group galaxy NGC 300 obtained with the 2.3 meter Advanced Technology Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia. Adopting the criterion of [SII]/Ha>=0.4 to confirm supernova remnants (SNRs) from optical spectra, we find that of 28 objects previously proposed as SNRs from optical observations, 22 meet this criterion with six showing [SII]/Ha of less than 0.4. Of 27 objects suggested as SNRs from radio data, four are associated with the 28 previously proposed SNRs. Of these four, three (included in the 22 above) meet the criterion. In all, 22 of the 51 nebular objects meet the [SII]/Ha criterion as SNRs while the nature of the remaining 29 objects remains undetermined by these observations.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc
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