Colobanthus curtisiae (Caryophyllaceae), a new species from eastern Tasmania, Australia

A new species of Colobanthus. C. curtisiae, from the Ben Lomond and Midlands regions of Tasmania, is described and illustrated, and its affinities within the genus are discussed. C. curtisiae is an endangered species known only from two populations

Spin texture and magnetoroton excitations at nu=1/3

Neutral spin texture (ST) excitations at nu=1/3 are directly observed for the first time by resonant inelastic light scattering. They are determined to involve two simultaneous spin flips. At low magnetic fields, the ST energy is below that of the magnetoroton minimum. With increasing in-plane magnetic field these mode energies cross at a critical ratio of the Zeeman and Coulomb energies of eta(c)=0.020 +/- 0.001. Surprisingly, the intensity of the ST mode grows with temperature in the range in which the magnetoroton modes collapse. The temperature dependence is interpreted in terms of a competition between coexisting phases supporting different excitations. We consider the role of the ST excitations in activated transport at nu=1/3

Stochastic dominance to account for uncertainty and risk in conservation decisions

Practical conservation normally requires making decisions in the face of uncertainty. Our attitude toward that uncertainty, and the risks it entails, shape the way conservation decisions are made. Stochastic dominance (SD), a method more commonly used in economics, can be used to rank alternative conservation actions by comparing the probability distributions of their outcomes, making progressive simplified assumptions about the preferences of decision makers. Here, we illustrate the application of SD to conservation decisions using the recovery plan for an endangered frog species in Australia as a case study. Stochastic dominance is simple and intuitively appealing for conservation decisions; its broader application may encourage conservation decision makers to consider probabilistic uncertainty in light of their preferences, which may otherwise be difficult to recognize and assess transparently. A better treatment of attitudes towards uncertainty and risk may help ensure rational decision making in conservation and remove potential causes of stakeholder conflict

Higher derivative type II string effective actions, automorphic forms and E11

By dimensionally reducing the ten-dimensional higher derivative type IIA string theory effective action we place constraints on the automorphic forms that appear in the effective action in lower dimensions. We propose a number of properties of such automorphic forms and consider the prospects that E11 can play a role in the formulation of the higher derivative string theory effective action.Comment: 34 page

Higher-Energy Composite Fermion Levels in the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect

Even though composite fermions in the fractional quantum Hall liquid are well established, it is not yet known up to what energies they remain intact. We probe the high-energy spectrum of the 1/3 liquid directly by resonant inelastic light scattering, and report the observation of a large number of new collective modes. Supported by our theoretical calculations, we associate these with transitions across two or more composite fermions levels. The formation of quasiparticle levels up to high energies is direct evidence for the robustness of topological order in the fractional quantum Hall effect

Positron Testing of Carbon-Fiber Composites

Composites of various types are becoming more and more important as structural and engineered materials. The projected growth in worldwide use for fiber composites is 13% for the decade ending in 1995 [1].</p

Molecular Changes in Dengue Envelope Protein Domain III upon Interaction with Glycosaminoglycans.

Dengue fever is a rapidly emerging vector-borne viral disease with a growing global burden of approximately 390 million new infections per annum. The Dengue virus (DENV) is a flavivirus spread by female mosquitos of the aedes genus, but the mechanism of viral endocytosis is poorly understood at a molecular level, preventing the development of effective transmission blocking vaccines (TBVs). Recently, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) have been identified as playing a role during initial viral attachment through interaction with the third domain of the viral envelope protein (EDIII). Here, we report a systematic study investigating the effect of a range of biologically relevant GAGs on the structure and oligomeric state of recombinantly generated EDIII. We provide novel in situ biophysical evidence that heparin and chondroitin sulphate C induce conformational changes in EDIII at the secondary structure level. Furthermore, we report the ability of chondroitin sulphate C to bind EDIII and induce higher-order dynamic molecular changes at the tertiary and quaternary structure levels which are dependent on pH, GAG species, and the GAG sulphation state. Lastly, we conducted ab initio modelling of Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) data to visualise the induced oligomeric state of EDIII caused by interaction with chondroitin sulphate C, which may aid in TBV development

Impact of Scottish smoke-free legislation on smoking quit attempts and prevalence

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Objectives:&lt;/b&gt; In Scotland, legislation was implemented in March 2006 prohibiting smoking in all wholly or partially enclosed public spaces. We investigated the impact on attempts to quit smoking and smoking prevalence.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Methods:&lt;/b&gt; We performed time series models using Box-Jenkins autoregressive integrated moving averages (ARIMA) on monthly data on the gross ingredient cost of all nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) prescribed in Scotland in 2003–2009, and quarterly data on self-reported smoking prevalence between January 1999 and September 2010 from the Scottish Household Survey.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Results:&lt;/b&gt; NRT prescription costs were significantly higher than expected over the three months prior to implementation of the legislation. Prescription costs peaked at £1.3 million in March 2006; £292,005.9 (95% CI £260,402.3, £323,609, p&#60;0.001) higher than the monthly norm. Following implementation of the legislation, costs fell exponentially by around 26% per month (95% CI 17%, 35%, p&#60;0.001). Twelve months following implementation, the costs were not significantly different to monthly norms. Smoking prevalence fell by 8.0% overall, from 31.3% in January 1999 to 23.7% in July–September 2010. In the quarter prior to implementation of the legislation, smoking prevalence fell by 1.7% (95% CI 2.4%, 1.0%, p&#60;0.001) more than expected from the underlying trend.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conclusions:&lt;/b&gt; Quit attempts increased in the three months leading up to Scotland's smoke-free legislation, resulting in a fall in smoking prevalence. However, neither has been sustained suggesting the need for additional tobacco control measures and ongoing support.&lt;/p&gt