Cytology and mating systems in the climbing cacti Hylocereus and Selenicereus

Chromosome numbers and meiotic behavior are reported for the climbing cacti species Hylocereus undatus, Hylocereus polyrhizus, and Selenicereus megalanthus. The Hylocereus spp. are diploid (2n 5 22), while S. megalanthus is a tetraploid (2n 5 44). Irregular chromosome disjunction at anaphase I in pollen mother cells of S. megalanthus is probably the major cause of its reduced pollen viability and may contribute to low seed set, low number of viable seeds and, consequently, low fruit mass. A pollination study confirmed self-incompatibility in H. polyrhizus and a weakened incompatibility reaction in H. undatus and S. megalanthus. Major crossability barriers do not exist between the Hylocereus spp. investigated. Reciprocal intergeneric crosses were successful between Hylocereus spp. and S. megalanthus, suggesting that an Hylocereus sp. Might be one of the diploid progenitors of the tetraploid S. megalanthus. The implications of the results on cacti nomenclature and systematics are briefly discussed

Effects of coexisting spin disorder and antiferromagnetism on the magnetic behavior of nanostructured (Fe79Mn21)1xCux alloys

We report a magnetic study on nanostructured (Fe79Mn21)1xCux (0.00x0.30) alloys using static magnetic measurements. The alloys are mainly composed by an antiferromagnetic fcc phase and a disordered region that displays a spin-glass-like behavior. The interplay between the antiferromagnetic and magnetically disordered phases establishes an exchange anisotropy that gives rise to a loop shift at temperatures below the freezing temperature of moments belonging to the disordered region. The loop shift is more noticeable as the Cu content increases, which also enhances the spin-glass-like features. Further, in the x¼0.30 alloy the alignment imposed by applied magnetic fields higher than 4 kOe prevail over the configuration determined by the frustration mechanism that characterizes the spin glass-like phase.Instituto de Físic

PenQuest Volume 3, Number 2

Table of Contents for this Volume: Untitled by Joe Avanzini Woodcutting on Lost Mountain by Tess Gallagher Untitled by Judith Mizrahi Women I have loved by Dottie Fletcher Untitled by Rick Wagner Untold Stories by William Slaughter Untitled by Steve Balunan Two German Women by Dottie Fletcher Untitled by Anne Calloway Tourists by Carol Grimes Untitled by Win Lyons Rollin\u27 Bones by Barbara Ritchey Untitled by Steve Balunan Hannukah Harbor by Jerry Nelson Night-letter by William Slaughter Untitled by Bruce Abbey Domestic by Carol Grimes Untitled by Steve Balunan The Storm Pit by Howard Denson Untitled by Judith Mizrahi Hattie by Dottie Fletcher Untitled by Linda Willcox Untitled by Helen Hagador

PenQuest Volume 3, Number 1

The Table of Contents for this Volume: Untitled by R. Bruce Warner Seeing the Unseen by Sharon Gresham Untitled by Helen Hagadorn Untitled by Steve Balunan Happy Holidays by Donna Kaluzniak River-walking, Night-talking by William Slaughter Ribbon of Light by Judith Mizrahi Love in Parentheses by Sharon Gresham Untitled by Steve Balunan Protohistory by Patricia Kraft Untitled by Bruce Abbey Untitled by Rick Wagner Thanatopsis by Pat Kraft Untitled by Sue Hightower Untitled by Rick Wagner Conversations of a Woman by Sharon Gresham Thur, Fri, Sat, at Mr. B\u27s by Patricia Kraft Untitled by Rick Wagner Untitled by Cindy Carlisle Untitled by Win Lyons Untitled by Cindy Carlisle Untitled by Modesta Matthews Untitled by James Tutten A Light at Mill Pond Crossing by Joe Palmer Untitled by Rick Wagner Two People by Kathleen Gay Untitled by Rick Wagner American Dream (Russian Version) by William Slaughter Untitled by Judith Mizrahi Untitled by Linda Willco

Identifying Electroencephalography Biomarkers in Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis in an International Multi-Site Study

Background: The clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P) paradigm was introduced to detect individuals at risk of developing psychosis and to establish preventive strategies. While current prediction of outcomes in the CHR-P state is based mostly on the clinical assessment of presenting features, several emerging biomarkers have been investigated in an attempt to stratify CHR-P individuals according to their individual trajectories and refine the diagnostic process. However, heterogeneity across subgroups is a key challenge that has limited the impact of the CHR-P prediction strategies, as the clinical validity of the current research is limited by a lack of external validation across sites and modalities. Despite these challenges, electroencephalography (EEG) biomarkers have been studied in this field and evidence suggests that EEG used in combination with clinical assessments may be a key measure for improving diagnostic and prognostic accuracy in the CHR-P state. The PSYSCAN EEG study is an international, multi-site, multimodal longitudinal project that aims to advance knowledge in this field. Methods: Participants at 6 international sites take part in an EEG protocol including EEG recording, cognitive and clinical assessments. CHR-P participants will be followed up after 2 years and subcategorised depending on their illness progression regarding transition to psychosis. Differences will be sought between CHR-P individuals and healthy controls and between CHR-P individuals who transition and those who do not transition to psychosis using data driven computational analyses. Discussion: This protocol addresses the challenges faced by previous studies of this kind to enable valid identification of predictive EEG biomarkers which will be combined with other biomarkers across sites to develop a prognostic tool in CHR-P. The PSYSCAN EEG study aims to pave the way for incorporating EEG biomarkers in the assessment of CHR-P individuals, to refine the diagnostic process and help to stratify CHR-P subjects according to risk of transition. This may improve our understanding of the CHR-P state and therefore aid the development of more personalized treatment strategies. Keywords: CHR-P; EEG; biomarkers; multi-site; psychosis predictio

Sanctions, Benefits, and Rights: Three Faces of Accountability

As countries throughout the world democratize and decentralize, citizen participation in public life should increase. In this paper, I suggest that democratic participation in local government is enhanced when citizens can reply affirmatively to at least three questions about their ability to hold local officials accountable for their actions: Can citizens use the vote effectively to reward and punish the general or specific performance of local public officials and/or the parties they represent? Can citizens generate response to their collective needs from local governments? Can citizens be ensured of fair and equitable treatment from public agencies at local levels? The findings of a study of 30 randomly selected municipalities in Mexico indicate that, over the course of a decade and a half, voters were able to enforce alternation in power and the circulation of elites, but not necessarily to transmit unambiguous messages to public officials or parties about performance concerns. More definitively, citizens were able to build successfully on prior political experiences to extract benefits from local governments. At the same time, the ability to demand good performance of local government as a right of citizenship lagged behind other forms of accountability

Effects Of Low Substrate Temperature And Ion Assisted Deposition On Composition, Optical Properties, And Stress Of Zns Thin Films

ZnS thin films were deposited with and without ion assisted deposition onto substrates held at temperatures ranging from -120 to 50°C. Effects on chemical and crystalline composition, film microstructure, refractive index, stress, and waveguide losses were investigated. We observed that minimum stress and minimum losses occurred at the same deposition temperature (-50°C) in ZnS films, which also corresponded to a quenching of crystallinity. © 1989, Optical Society of America