Effector profiles distinguish <em>formae speciales</em> of <em>Fusarium oxysporum</em>

Formae speciales (ff.spp.) of the fungus Fusarium oxysporum are often polyphyletic within the species complex, making it impossible to identify them on the basis of conserved genes. However, sequences that determine host-specific pathogenicity may be expected to be similar between strains within the same forma specialis. Whole genome sequencing was performed on strains from five different ff.spp. (cucumerinum, niveum, melonis, radicis-cucumerinum and lycopersici). In each genome, genes for putative effectors were identified based on small size, secretion signal, and vicinity to a "miniature impala" transposable element. The candidate effector genes of all genomes were collected and the presence/absence patterns in each individual genome were clustered. Members of the same forma specialis turned out to group together, with cucurbit-infecting strains forming a supercluster separate from other ff.spp. Moreover, strains from different clonal lineages within the same forma specialis harbour identical effector gene sequences, supporting horizontal transfer of genetic material. These data offer new insight into the genetic basis of host specificity in the F. oxysporum species complex and show that (putative) effectors can be used to predict host specificity in F. oxysporum

Electrografting of BTSE: Zn films for advanced steel-aluminum joining by plastic deformation

This article presents the application of an adhesion promoting highly crosslinked ultrathin organic-inorganic hybrid layer applied to steel which promotes the subsequent joining process based on plastic deformation. The tensile shear results show that a significant increase of the bond strength between low-alloy steel (DC04) and aluminum (AW1050A H111), upon cold-pressure welding (CPW), could be achieved. Electrografting of an ultra-thin film of 1,2-bis(triethoxysilyl)ethane (BTSE) films on the steel surface was done from ethanolic solutions containing zinc ions. Based on surface spectroscopic analysis it is shown that silanol moieties present in the organosilane deposits can form stable chemical bonds with both the iron oxide covered steel and the aluminum oxide covered aluminum alloy. The successful modification of metal oxide surfaces with BTSE has been demonstrated via SEM-EDX, AFM, PM-IRRAS, and XPS measurements. In addition, electrochemical analysis of the BTSE:Zn films showed that the films lead to very good corrosion properties even at low thicknesses

Shot noise in resonant tunneling through a zero-dimensional state with a complex energy spectrum

We investigate the noise properties of a GaAs/AlGaAs resonant tunneling structure at bias voltages where the current characteristic is determined by single electron tunneling. We discuss the suppression of the shot noise in the framework of a coupled two-state system. For large bias voltages we observed super-Poissonian shot noise up to values of the Fano factor $\alpha \approx 10$.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for Phys. Rev.

From Greenland to Canada in Ten Days: Tracks of Bowhead Whales, Balaena mysticetus, across Baffin Bay

Five bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) were instrumented with satellite transmitters in northwestern Disko Bay, West Greenland, in May 2001. Best results were obtained when tags were deployed with a pole rather than a pneumatic gun. At least three of the tagged whales remained in the northwestern part of the bay for one to two weeks after tagging. A male and a female whale moved from Disko Bay to northern Canada. They left Disko Bay 11 days apart and took different routes across Baffin Bay to the southern part of the North Water polynya, just east of the entrance to Lancaster Sound. The whales crossed the central part of Baffin Bay relatively rapidly (travel time of 9-10 days, 3.1 and 4.5 km/h). Dive behaviour of one whale was monitored and showed changes in dive depths, dive rates, and surfacing times in different localities, indicating behavioural changes probably related to feeding. The whales were presumably feeding in both Disko Bay in May and in the southern part of the North Water (southeast of Bylot Island) in June. This study confirms whalers' observations that bowhead whales move between West Greenland and the east coast of Baffin Island.En mai 2001, cinq baleines boréales (Balaena mysticetus) ont été équipées d'émetteurs spatiaux dans le nord-ouest de la baie de Disko (Groenland occidental). Les meilleurs résultats ont été obtenus lorsque les marqueurs ont été apposés avec une perche plutôt qu'avec un fusil à air comprimé. Au moins trois des baleines marquées sont restées dans la partie nord-ouest de la baie pendant une à deux semaines après le marquage. Deux individus, un mâle et une femelle, se sont déplacés de la baie de Disko au nord du Canada. Ils ont quitté la baie à 11 jours d'écart et ont emprunté des trajets différents pour traverser la baie de Baffin et rejoindre la partie méridionale de la polynie de l'Eau du Nord, située juste à l'est de l'entrée du détroit de Lancaster. Les baleines ont traversé la partie centrale de la baie de Baffin assez vite (en 9 et 10 jours, soit 3,1 et 4,5 km/h). On a suivi le comportement de plongée d'une baleine, qui a montré des changements dans la profondeur des plongées, leur fréquence et le temps en surface à divers endroits, révélant des modifications du comportement probablement associées au nourrissage. On suppose que les baleines s'alimentaient dans la baie de Disko en mai aussi bien que dans la partie méridionale de l'Eau du Nord (au sud-est de l'île Bylot) en juin. Cette étude confirme les observations des baleiniers à l'effet que les baleines boréales se déplacent entre l'ouest du Groenland et la côte est de l'île de Baffin

The impact of menstruation persistence or recovery after chemotherapy on survival in young patients with hormone receptor negative breast cancer

Introduction: Hormone replacement therapy can diminish hormone depletion-related complaints in postmenopausal women, but is contraindicated for postmenopausal breast cancer (BC) patients. Recovery of menstruation after chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea in young hormone receptor-negative BC patients however, is accepted. To determine the safety of this strategy, we investigated the effect of recovery of menstruation on disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in young hormone receptor-negative BC patients treated with (neo)adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: We selected 636 patients from a single-center cohort with early stage hormone receptornegative BC and under the age of 50 years when treated with chemotherapy. Sufficient data on course of menstruation in medical records was retrospectively found for 397 patients, of whom 299 patients (75%) had a recovery of menstruation after chemotherapy. We used Cox proportional hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for the effect of recovery of menstruation on DFS and OS. Results: Patients with recovery of menstruation after chemotherapy less frequ

Four weeks of high- versus low-load resistance training to failure on the rate of torque development, electromechanical delay, and contractile twitch properties

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 4-weeks of high- versus low-load resistance training to failure on rate of torque development (RTD), electromechanical delay (EMD), and contractile twitch characteristics. Fifteen men (mean±SD; age=21.7±2.4 yrs) were randomly assigned to either a high- (80% 1RM; n=7) or low-load (30% 1RM; n=8) training group and completed elbow flexion resistance training to failure 3 times per week for 4 weeks. The participants were tested at baseline, 2-, and 4-weeks of training. Peak RTD (pRTDV) and RTD at 0-30 (RTD30V), 0-50 (RTD50V), 0-100 (RTD100V), and 0-200 (RTD200V) ms, integrated EMG amplitude (iEMG) at 0-30, 0-50, and 0-100 ms, and EMD were quantified during maximal voluntary isometric muscle actions. Peak twitch torque, peak RTD, time to peak twitch, 1/2 relaxation time and the peak relaxation rate were quantified during evoked twitches. Four weeks of high-load, but not low-load resistance training, increased RTD200V. There were also increases in iEMG during the first 30 ms of muscle activation for the high- and low-load groups, which may have indirectly indicated increases in early phase motor unit recruitment and/or firing frequency. There were no significant training-induced adaptations in EMD or contractile twitch properties

Conductance oscillations of a spin-orbit stripe with polarized contacts

We investigate the linear conductance of a stripe of spin-orbit interaction in a 2D electron gas; that is, a 2D region of length $\ell$ along the transport direction and infinite in the transverse one in which a spin-orbit interaction of Rashba type is present. Polarization in the contacts is described by means of Zeeman fields. Our model predicts two types of conductance oscillations: Ramsauer oscillations in the minority spin transmission, when both spins can propagate, and Fano oscillations when only one spin propagates. The latter are due to the spin-orbit coupling with quasibound states of the non propagating spin. In the case of polarized contacts in antiparallel configuration Fano-like oscillations of the conductance are still made possible by the spin orbit coupling, even though no spin component is bound by the contacts. To describe these behaviors we propose a simplified model based on an ansatz wave function. In general, we find that the contribution for vanishing transverse momentum dominates and defines the conductance oscillations. Regarding the oscillations with Rashba coupling intensity, our model confirms the spin transistor behavior, but only for high degrees of polarization. Including a position dependent effective mass yields additional oscillations due to the mass jumps at the interfaces.Comment: 8.5 pages, 9 figure