Larval diapause in Scolytus ventralis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

When <i>Scolytus ventralis</i> was reared under relatively constant temperatures 50-70% of the brood developed rapidly and emerged within 70 days. The remainder emerged gradually over the 130 days following the first emergence peak. Exposure to field conditions resulted in retarded emergence of the rapidly-developing proportion of the population and increased synchrony in the emergence pattern. Increasing exposures to cold temperatures in the field resulted in increased emergence synchrony, and a shorter developmental time when exposed to warmer temperatures in the laboratory. It was concluded that the rapidly-developing portion of the population may enter a facultative diapause while the remainder enters an obligatory diapause under normal field conditions

The Public Offering and a Quest for Alternatives

The year 1969 has seen a continuation of the strong new issues market that has commanded a significant portion of the attention of the investing public over the past few years. As a result, more and more closely held companies are seeking to raise funds through public offerings of their stock and thus share in the successes of this strong market. While the market conditions have been most encouraging,there have been other developments that have made the managements of some closely held companies reconsider the relative advantages and disadvantages of going public. Recent court decisions have strictly defined the legal responsibilities and potential liabilities of management of publicly held companies. The costs of going public, both in money and in the time of management, have also steadily increased. Moreover, these trends seem likely to continue as more extensive reporting requirements are applied to public companies under the federal securities laws. What is the real substance of these new cases and the costs of being a publicly held company? What is behind the furor over such cases as BarChris, Globus and Texas Gulf Sulphur? Are accountants,underwriters, lawyers, and corporate executives now required to meet impossible standards in the preparation of a registration statement and are they subject to substantial liabilities for any failure to fulfill these standards? Perhaps most importantly, how do these new developments affect the varied and interdependent questions and considerations against which a decision to go public has traditionally been measured? The purpose of this article is to answer some of these questions. It will analyze the advantages and disadvantages of going public in the context of these new cases and in the context of these increasing costs. It will then compare the results of going public with the results obtained by some other means of raising capital for closely held companies. From these analyses the reader can reach some conclusions as to the best course of action for his client or company to follow

Design and assembly sequence analysis of option 3 for CETF reference space station

A design and assembly sequence was conducted on one option of the Dual Keel Space Station examined by a NASA Critical Evaluation Task Force to establish viability of several variations of that option. A goal of the study was to produce and analyze technical data to support Task Force decisions to either examine particular Option 3 variations in more depth or eliminate them from further consideration. An analysis of the phasing assembly showed that use of an Expendable Launch Vehicle in conjunction with the Space Transportation System (STS) can accelerate the buildup of the Station and ease the STS launch rate constraints. The study also showed that use of an Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle on the first flight can significantly benefit Station assembly and, by performing Station subsystem functions, can alleviate the need for operational control and reboost systems during the early flights. In addition to launch and assembly sequencing, the study assessed stability and control, and analyzed node-packaging options and the effects of keel removal on the structural dynamics of the Station. Results of these analyses are presented and discussed

Larval diapause in Scolytus ventralis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

When Scolytus ventralis was reared under relatively constant temperatures 50-70% of the brood developed rapidly and emerged within 70 days. The remainder emerged gradually over the 130 days following the first emergence peak. Exposure to field conditions resulted in retarded emergence of the rapidly-developing proportion of the population and increased synchrony in the emergence pattern. Increasing exposures to cold temperatures in the field resulted in increased emergence synchrony, and a shorter developmental time when exposed to warmer temperatures in the laboratory. It was concluded that the rapidly-developing portion of the population may enter a facultative diapause while the remainder enters an obligatory diapause under normal field conditions

Larval diapause in Scolytus ventralis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae)

When Scolytus ventralis was reared under relatively constant temperatures 50-70% of the brood developed rapidly and emerged within 70 days. The remainder emerged gradually over the 130 days following the first emergence peak. Exposure to field conditions resulted in retarded emergence of the rapidly-developing proportion of the population and increased synchrony in the emergence pattern. Increasing exposures to cold temperatures in the field resulted in increased emergence synchrony, and a shorter developmental time when exposed to warmer temperatures in the laboratory. It was concluded that the rapidly-developing portion of the population may enter a facultative diapause while the remainder enters an obligatory diapause under normal field conditions

Bank Erosion Study

The Bank Erosion Study was designed to evaluate eroding fast land bank shorelines as contributors of sand, silt and clay and total nitrogen and total phosphorous introduced into the Chesapeake Bay estuarine system. In addition, the extent and effectiveness of erosion control measures were evaluated for selected shoreline reaches. Fastland banks are the uplands along the shorelines that are composed of semi-consolidated sediments. This study evaluates about 2000 miles of primary tidal shoreline in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay estuarine system for areas of fast land bank erosion. Primary tidal shorelines are those along the main stem of the Chesapeake Bay and the major tributary estuaries. Approximately 383 miles of shoreline comprising 208 shore reaches are included in. the final analysis. These reaches are responsible for 61% of the annual historic sediment volume loading from tidal shoreline erosion. Sediments for selected representative shore reaches were sampled and analyzed for sand, silt, and clay. Volumetric rates of sediment loading for the study shorelines were determined from historical data. Also, the condition of the shorelines were evaluated by analyzing oblique aerial imagery for 1985 and 1990. From the imagery analysis the extent of defensive shoreline structures (i.e. bulkheads, seawall and revetments) and whether the bank was stable or not was determined. Sediment volume loading was considered to be halted where defensive shoreline structures were installed. There was an increase in shoreline defenses of 18% by 1990. This resulted in an annual reduction of sediment loading by 5%. Total nitrogen and total phosphorous loading from eroding fast land bank sediments have been determined to be significant. This study utilized the results of Ibison et al., 1990 which provided average nutrient loading rates for total nitrogen and total phosphorous from eroded fastland bank sediments. The consequent estimated annual reduction in nutrient loading by defended shorelines for 1990 is about 5% for total nitrogen and total phosphorous. Nineteen reaches have been identified as significant contributors of eroding bank sediments and will require further assessment as to the impacts of nutrient loading

Inflammation in benign prostate tissue and prostate cancer in the finasteride arm of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial

BACKGROUND: A previous analysis of the placebo arm of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial (PCPT) reported 82% overall prevalence of intraprostatic inflammation and identified a link between inflammation and higher-grade prostate cancer and serum PSA. Here we studied these associations in the PCPT finasteride arm. METHODS: Prostate cancer cases (N=197) detected either on a clinically indicated biopsy or on protocol-directed end-of-study biopsy, and frequency-matched controls (N=248) with no cancer on an end-of-study biopsy were sampled from the finasteride arm. Inflammation in benign prostate tissue was visually assessed using digital images of H&E stained sections. Logistic regression was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: In the finasteride arm, 91.6% of prostate cancer cases and 92.4% of controls had at least one biopsy core with inflammation in benign areas; p < 0.001 for difference compared to placebo arm. Overall, the odds of prostate cancer did not differ by prevalence (OR=0.90, 95% CI 0.44-1.84) or extent (P-trend=0.68) of inflammation. Inflammation was not associated with higher-grade disease (prevalence: OR=1.07, 95% CI 0.43-2.69). Furthermore, mean PSA concentration did not differ by the prevalence or extent of inflammationin either cases or controls. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of intraprostatic inflammation was higher in the finasteride than placebo arm of the PCPT, with no association with higher-grade prostate cancer. IMPACT: Finasteride may attenuate the association between inflammation and higher-grade prostate cancer. Moreover, the missing link between intraprostatic inflammation and PSA suggests that finasteride may reduce inflammation-associated PSA elevation

Behavioral responses of the endemic shrimp Halocardina rubra (Malacostraca:Atyidae) to an introduced fish, Gambusia affinis (Actinopterygii: Poeciliidae) and implications for the trophic structure of Hawaiian anchialine ponds

In the Hawaiian Islands, intentionally introduced exotic fishes have been linked to changes in native biodiversity and community composition. In 1905, the mosquito fish Gambusia affinis was introduced to control mosquitoes. Subsequently, G. affinis spread throughout the Islands and into coastal anchialine ponds. Previous studies suggest that presence of invasive fishes in anchialine ponds may eliminate native species, including the endemic shrimp Halocaridina rubra. We examined effects of G. affinis on H. rubra populations in anchialine ponds on the Kona-Kohala coast of the island of Hawai/i. In the presence of G. affinis, H. rubra exhibited a diel activity pattern that was not seen in fishless ponds. Shrimp in ponds with fish were active only at night. This pattern was evident in anchialine ponds and in laboratory experiments. In laboratory predation experiments, G. affinis preferentially consumed smaller H. rubra, and in the field the H. rubra collected from invaded sites were larger than those from fishless ponds. Analysis of trophic position using stable isotope analyses showed that feeding of H. rubra was not significantly distinct from that of snails, assumed to feed at trophic level 2.0 on epilithic algae, but G. affinis was slightly omnivorous, feeding at tropic level 2.2. The mosquito fish diet was apparently composed primarily of algae when the defensive behavior of H. rubra made them substantially unavailable as prey. The effect of successful establishment of G. affinis on shrimp behavior has the potential to alter abundance of benthic algae and processing and recycling of nutrients in anchialine pond ecosystems

Joint analysis of stressors and ecosystem services to enhance restoration effectiveness

With increasing pressure placed on natural systems by growing human populations, both scientists and resource managers need a better understanding of the relationships between cumulative stress from human activities and valued ecosystem services. Societies often seek to mitigate threats to these services through large-scale, costly restoration projects, such as the over one billion dollar Great Lakes Restoration Initiative currently underway. To help inform these efforts, we merged high-resolution spatial analyses of environmental stressors with mapping of ecosystem services for all five Great Lakes. Cumulative ecosystem stress is highest in near-shore habitats, but also extends offshore in Lakes Erie, Ontario, and Michigan. Variation in cumulative stress is driven largely by spatial concordance among multiple stressors, indicating the importance of considering all stressors when planning restoration activities. In addition, highly stressed areas reflect numerous different combinations of stressors rather than a single suite of problems, suggesting that a detailed understanding of the stressors needing alleviation could improve restoration planning. We also find that many important areas for fisheries and recreation are subject to high stress, indicating that ecosystem degradation could be threatening key services. Current restoration efforts have targeted high-stress sites almost exclusively, but generally without knowledge of the full range of stressors affecting these locations or differences among sites in service provisioning. Our results demonstrate that joint spatial analysis of stressors and ecosystem services can provide a critical foundation for maximizing social and ecological benefits from restoration investments. www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.1213841110/-/DCSupplementa