Modeling Temporal Trends in Aphid Vector Dispersal and Cucumber Mosaic Virus Epidemics in Snap Bean

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) has become a major limiting factor in snap bean production in the Great Lakes region of North America, and epidemics have occurred more frequently since the soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, was introduced. Major aphid vectors of CMV epidemics were identified by statistically relating their temporal dispersal trends to the incidence of CMV. Alates were monitored weekly using water pan traps in 74 snap bean fields in New York and Pennsylvania from 2002 to 2006. Plants were tested for CMV by ELISA one time during late bloom in 2002 and 2003 and weekly over the season from 2004 to 2006. Principal vectors of CMV included Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris), A. glycines, Aphis gossypii Glover, and Therioaphis trifolii (Monell). Among these, A. glycines and T. trifolii were likely responsible for severe CMV epidemics because they were among the most abundant species captured, they efficiently transmit CMV, and their dispersal activity was positively correlated with periods when CMV incidence was highest. Moreover, because high numbers of A. glycines and T. trifolii disperse during July and August, snap bean fields planted beyond late June are at risk for infection during early vegetative stages and are subsequently more at risk for yield loss. In contrast, plantings up to late June are less likely to become infected during early developmental stages and should escape yield loss because major vectors are dispersing infrequently. CMV-resistant or tolerant snap bean varieties should be planted after late June to reduce the risk of yield los

Magnificent possibilities: The Lives of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald

Magnificent Possibilities: The Lives of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, undertakes an examination of the book-length biographies of the Fitzgeralds. By a close reading of the texts, the dissertation uncovers a number of significant controlling metaphors that characterize not only Fitzgerald biography, but also appear to constitute a community of metaphor generalized in American literary biography written in the twentieth-century. Such metaphors seem to arise from a complex interaction between literary, critical, and biographical conventions and the cultural context that gives rise to them. The dissertation explores this interaction and its implications for traditional notions of the conventions of twentieth-century American literary biography, and examines in detail the problematic relationship between literary biography, literary criticism, and fiction

The ergonomics of a manually propelled wheelchair

Includes bibliographical references (pages 98-100)This paper describes the ergonomics of a manually propelled wheelchair with the\ud use of a designed measurement system that can dynamically sense pushrim forces and\ud torques during manual propulsion. A manual wheelchair is equipped with a six-degree-of-\ud freedom force transducer. LabVIEW and Matlab programs are used to cancel outside\ud forces that are produced on the pushrim prior to analysis. The system provides real-time visual feedback of the recorded data via a\ud computer monitor. The applied effort by a wheelchair user during propulsion is recorded\ud to a data file for further analysis. The recorded data is synchronized with the kinematic\ud data of the left upper torso of the wheelchair user; this is obtained through a motion\ud capture system. The motion capture system uses Cortex 5.3 to determine the kinematics\ud of the upper torso. The force/torque data and kinematic data are analyzed together to\ud identify propulsion patterns generated by the wheelchair user. This project involves, force/torque measurement system designed with the use of LabVIEW that is equipped with a Data Translations acquisition board, application of a\ud body motion video capture system with the use of Cortex 5.3, and synchronization\ud strategy between the above two systems

Formulation of a Thermosensitive Imaging Hydrogel for Topical Application and Rapid Visualization of Tumor Margins in the Surgical Cavity

Background: Tumor-positive surgical margins during primary breast cancer (BCa) surgery are associated with a two-fold increase in the risk of local recurrence when compared with tumor-negative margins. Pathological microscopic evaluation of the samples only assesses about 1/10 of 1% of the entire volume of the removed BCa specimens, leading to margin under-sampling and potential local recurrence in patients with pathologically clean margins, i.e., false negative margins. In the case of tumor-positive margins, patients need to undergo re-excision and/or radiation therapy, resulting in increases in complications, morbidity, and healthcare costs. Development of a simple real-time imaging technique to identify residual BCa in the surgical cavity rapidly and precisely could significantly improve the quality of care. Methods: A small-molecule, fluorescently quenched protease-substrate probe, AKRO-QC-ICG, was tested as part of a thermosensitive imaging gel formulated for topical application and imaging of the BCa surgical cavity. Results: More than forty formulations of gel mixtures were investigated to enable easy fluid application and subsequent solidification once applied, preventing dripping and pooling in the surgical cavity. The final formulation was tested using human BCa orthotopic implants in nude and NSG patient-derived xenografts (PDX) mice. This formulation of Pluronic F-127/DMSO/AKRO-QC-ICG imaging gel was found to be a good solvent for the probe, with a desirable thermo-reversible solid–gel transition and mechanical strength for distribution of AKRO-QC-ICG on the surfaces of tissue. It demonstrated excellent ability to detect BCa tissue after 10 min exposure, with a high signal-to-noise ratio both in mouse xenografts and freshly excised human lumpectomy tissue. The in vivo efficacy of the AKRO-QC-ICG imaging gel to detect BCa revealed the levels of sensitivity/specificity = 0.92/1 in 12 nude mice, which was corroborated with the sensitivity/specificity = 0.94/1 in 10 PDX mice. Conclusions: Utilization of Pluronic F-127/DMSO/AKRO-QC-ICG imaging gel for topical application to detect BCa in the surgical cavity during surgery has the potential to reduce re-excisions, with consequent savings in healthcare costs and enhancement in patient quality of life