Attempted DNA extraction from a Rancho La Brea Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi): prospects for ancient DNA from asphalt deposits.

Fossil-bearing asphalt deposits are an understudied and potentially significant source of ancient DNA. Previous attempts to extract DNA from skeletons preserved at the Rancho La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles, California, have proven unsuccessful, but it is unclear whether this is due to a lack of endogenous DNA, or if the problem is caused by asphalt-mediated inhibition. In an attempt to test these hypotheses, a recently recovered Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) skeleton with an unusual pattern of asphalt impregnation was studied. Ultimately, none of the bone samples tested successfully amplified M. columbi DNA. Our work suggests that reagents typically used to remove asphalt from ancient samples also inhibit DNA extraction. Ultimately, we conclude that the probability of recovering ancient DNA from fossils in asphalt deposits is strongly (perhaps fatally) hindered by the organic compounds that permeate the bones and that at the Rancho La Brea tar pits, environmental conditions might not have been ideal for the general preservation of genetic material

Response of FDG avid pelvic bone marrow to concurrent chemoradiation for anal cancer

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To determine if suppression of active bone marrow, as defined on FDG PETCT, is seen in on-treatment imaging of anal cancer patients receiving concurrent chemoradiation. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Scans from 26 patients participating in the ART trial (full title: Anal squamous cell carcinoma: Investigation of functional imaging during chemoRadioTherapy), a single center observational study with FDG PETCT prior to radiotherapy and at fraction 8-10 of concurrent chemoradiation were analysed. Active bone marrow was contoured in both the pelvis and un-irradiated thoracic spine. SUV and volume of active bone marrow after 8-10 fractions of treatment were compared to baseline. Dose metrics to pelvic active bone marrow were extracted and compared to reduction in SUV/active bone marrow volume and to blood count nadir using linear regression. RESULTS: Suppression of active bone marrow is seen in the pelvis by a reduction in mean SUV and volume of active bone marrow after 8-10 fractions of treatment. Suppression is not seen in un-irradiated thoracic spine. Dose metrics were associated with reduced SUV and reduced volume of active bone marrow. Volume of active bone marrow receiving <20 Gy was associated with WCC/ANC nadir. 20 Gy was identified as the most likely clinically meaningful dose threshold for toxicity. Volume of active bone marrow receiving <20 Gy correlated to WCC and ANC with an increase of 100 cc being associated with an increase of 0.4 and 0.3 respectively. CONCLUSION: The effect of concurrent chemoradiation in suppression of active bone marrow is seen in on-treatment FDG PETCT scans. Chemotherapy appears well tolerated after 2 weeks of treatment

Resonant Cavity Perturbation: A Promising New Method for the Assessment of Total Body Water in Children

The accurate measurement of total body water (TBW) in children has important clinical and nutritional applications. Resonant cavity perturbation (RCP) is a new method for estimating TBW. This method measures the dielectric properties of the body which are related to body water. For RCP measurements, each subject lay supine on a bed inside a screened room which acts as a resonant cavity. A network analyser measures the frequencies of two low-order cavity resonances of the room, with electric-field vectors that were respectively vertical and horizontal, the resonant frequency shifts relative to the empty room are then derived. These frequency shifts correlates with TBW. The aims of this present study were to a) develop TBWRCP predictive equations for children using TBWdil as the criterion method, b) cross-validate the derived equations, c) determine precision of the TBWRCP method, and d) compare the criterion method TBWdil with three methods of estimating TBW: RCP, MFBIS and Anthropometry. Predictive equations, independent of sex, were developed with linear regression in a group of 36 children. The relationship between combined RCP frequency shifts and TBWdilution had an r2=0.90 and standard error of the estimate (SEE) =1.42kg. Multiple regression analysis, that included a term for body mass index, only had a small effect on r2=0.93 and SEE=1.25kg. In-vivo TBW precision for the vertical, horizontal and combined frequency modes ranged from 0.7 to 3.4%. Bland Altman analysis indicated close agreement between the criterion method TBWdil and the three other methods of TBW estimation. Mean differences were TBWRCP(2) = 0.01+/-1.34kg, TBWMFBIS = 0.45+/-1.35kg, TBWAnthropometry = 0.29+/-1.29kg. Currently the RCP method does not significantly improve the prediction of TBW compared to MFBIS and anthropometry in this initial study. However the derived equation was independent of sex and body size had only a small effect

On Scottish sawflies, with results of the 14th International Sawfly Workshop, in the southern Highlands, 2010 (Hymenoptera, Symphyta).

Die Ergebnisse der Feldarbeit aus dem 14. Internationalen Sawfly Workshop werden vorgestellt. Dies fand im südlichen schottischen Hochland, überwiegend in Perthshire, statt. Einige Nachweise von Pflanzenwespen aus anderen Teilen von Schottland sind enthalten. Erstnachweise für die Britischen Inseln werden für acht tenthredinide Arten erbracht: Amauronematus mimus, Phyllocolpa alienata, P. erythropyga, P. plicalapponum, P. plicaphylicifolia, P. prussica, Pristiphora thalictri und Tenthredo ignobilis. A. mimus ist auch aus Irland nachgewiesen. Amauronematus stenogaster ist aus der Liste der Symphyta der Britischen Inseln zu entfernen. Erstmalig sind in Schottland eine Cephiden-Art (Hartigia xanthostoma) und zehn Tenthrediniden gefunden worden (Claremontia uncta, Dolerus brevicornis, Empria basalis, Empria parvula, Parna apicalis, Pristiphora decipiens, Pristiphora leucopus, Pristiphora testacea, Tenthredo mandibularis und Tenthredopsis ornata). Merkmale für die Unterscheidung einzelner Arten werden dargestellt. Der Locus typicus von Nematus herbaceae Cameron, 1876 ist geklärt. Geranium pratense ist als Wirtspflanze von Macrophya albipuncta bestätigt. Salix reticulata ist eine Wirtspflanze von Amauronematus mcluckieae. Sedum rosea kann eine Wirtspflanze von Tenthredo ignobilis sein. Allgemeine Schlussfolgerungen: hoher Artenreichtum der Pflanzenwespenfauna von Perthshire im Vergleich zu anderen Regionen in Schottland, darunter mehrere Arten, die auf den Britischen Inseln nur von dort bekannt sind; die Wichtigkeit der Erhaltung der Lebensräume von Felssimsen; große Defizite in unseren Kenntnissen bei vielen Arten, insbesondere zu Wirtspflanzen, Phänologie und Verbreitung; hoher Wert der Malaise-Falle in faunistischen Untersuchungen von Symphyta, weil das Spektrum von erfassten Taxa sich unterscheidet von dem was mit Streifnetz erfasst wird; Zusammensetzung des 'fall-out’ auf Schneeresten deutet darauf hin, dass Pflanzenwespen in einem größeren Ausmaß als bisher angenommen, aktiver Dispersion innerhalb von Landmassen unterliegen.StichwörterBritish Isles, Cephidae, Pamphiliidae, Tenthredinoidea, hosts, phenology, distribution.Results of fieldwork are presented from the 14th International Sawfly Workshop, held in the southern Highlands of Scotland, mostly in Perthshire. Some records of Symphyta from other parts of Scotland are included. First records in the British Isles are given for eight tenthredinid species: Amauronematus mimus, Phyllocolpa alienata, P. erythropyga, P. plicalapponum, P. plicaphylicifolia, P. prussica, Pristiphora thalictri and Tenthredo ignobilis. A. mimus is also recorded from Ireland. Amauronematus stenogaster is removed from the list of British Isles Symphyta. Recorded for the first time in Scotland are one cephid (Hartigia xanthostoma) and ten tenthredinids (Claremontia uncta, Dolerus brevicornis, Empria basalis, Empria parvula, Parna apicalis, Pristiphora decipiens, Pristiphora leucopus, Pristiphora testacea, Tenthredo mandibularis and Tenthredopsis ornata). Characters useful for the distinction of some species are illustrated. The type locality of Nematus herbaceae Cameron, 1876 is clarified. Geranium pratense is confirmed as a host of Macrophya albipuncta. Salix reticulata is a host of Amauronematus mcluckieae [mandatory correction of spelling of species name]. Sedum rosea may be a host of Tenthredo ignobilis. General conclusions: high species richness of Perthshire sawfly fauna compared to other regions of Scotland, including several species only known in British Isles from there; importance to conservation of rock-ledge habitats; large data deficits for many species, particularly on hosts, phenology and distribution; high value of Malaise traps in faunal survey of Symphyta, because spectrum of taxa captured differs from that recorded by hand-netting; as indicated by species and sex composition of ‘fall-out’ on snow patches, adult sawflies undertake active dispersal, within landmasses, to a greater extent than is often assumed.KeywordsBritish Isles, Cephidae, Pamphiliidae, Tenthredinoidea, hosts, phenology, distribution

Exact Hypersurface-Homogeneous Solutions in Cosmology and Astrophysics

A framework is introduced which explains the existence and similarities of most exact solutions of the Einstein equations with a wide range of sources for the class of hypersurface-homogeneous spacetimes which admit a Hamiltonian formulation. This class includes the spatially homogeneous cosmological models and the astrophysically interesting static spherically symmetric models as well as the stationary cylindrically symmetric models. The framework involves methods for finding and exploiting hidden symmetries and invariant submanifolds of the Hamiltonian formulation of the field equations. It unifies, simplifies and extends most known work on hypersurface-homogeneous exact solutions. It is shown that the same framework is also relevant to gravitational theories with a similar structure, like Brans-Dicke or higher-dimensional theories.Comment: 41 pages, REVTEX/LaTeX 2.09 file (don't use LaTeX2e !!!) Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Search for the electric dipole excitations to the 3s1/2⊗[21+⊗31−]3s_{1/2} \otimes [2^{+}_{1} \otimes 3^{-}_{1}] multiplet in 117^{117}Sn

The odd-mass $^{117}$Sn nucleus was investigated in nuclear resonance fluorescence experiments up to an endpoint energy of the incident photon spectrum of 4.1 MeV at the bremsstrahlung facility of the Stuttgart University. More than 50 mainly hitherto unknown levels were found. From the measurement of the scattering cross sections model independent absolute electric dipole excitation strengths were extracted. The measured angular distributions suggested the spins of 11 excited levels. Quasi-particle phonon model calculations including a complete configuration space were performed for the first time for a heavy odd-mass spherical nucleus. These calculations give a clear insight in the fragmentation and distribution of the $E1$, $M1$, and $E2$ excitation strength in the low energy region. It is proven that the $1^{-}$ component of the two-phonon $[2^{+}_{1} \otimes 3^{-}_{1}]$ quintuplet built on top of the $1/2^{+}$ ground state is strongly fragmented. The theoretical calculations are consistent with the experimental data.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Population policies and education: exploring the contradictions of neo-liberal globalisation

The world is increasingly characterised by profound income, health and social inequalities (Appadurai, 2000). In recent decades development initiatives aimed at reducing these inequalities have been situated in a context of increasing globalisation with a dominant neo-liberal economic orthodoxy. This paper argues that neo-liberal globalisation contains inherent contradictions regarding choice and uniformity. This is illustrated in this paper through an exploration of the impact of neo-liberal globalisation on population policies and programmes. The dominant neo-liberal economic ideology that has influenced development over the last few decades has often led to alternative global visions being overlooked. Many current population and development debates are characterised by polarised arguments with strongly opposing aims and views. This raises the challenge of finding alternatives situated in more middle ground that both identify and promote the socially positive elements of neo-liberalism and state intervention, but also to limit their worst excesses within the population field and more broadly. This paper concludes with a discussion outling the positive nature of middle ground and other possible alternatives

Post-Irradiation-Examination of Irradiated Fuel Outside the Hot Cell

Because of their high radioactivity, irradiated fuels are commonly examined in a hot cell. However, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) has recently investigated irradiated U-Mo-Al metallic fuel from the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) project using a conventional unshielded scanning electron microscope outside a hot cell. This examination was possible because of a two-step sample-preparation approach in which a small volume of fuel was isolated in a hot cell and shielding was introduced during later stages of sample preparation. The resulting sample contained numerous sample-preparation artifacts but allowed analysis of microstructures from selected areas