Some effects of unequal spatial distribution on the detectability of radar targets.
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The engrailed locus of Drosophila melanogaster has the characteristics of both a homoeotic gene and a segmentation gene: like a homoeotic gene, it specifies the development of specific compartments of the Drosophila embryo (the posterior compartments of each segment), and, like mutations of segmentation genes, lethal alleles of engrailed affect also the pattern of segmentation of the embryo. Here we report that like many of the homoeotic genes of the bithorax and Antennapedia complexes, engrailed has a 'homoeo box' sequence: also, like the segmentation gene fushi tarazu, the engrailed gene displays a periodic pattern of expression in Drosophila embryos.
All-trans-retinoic acid (RA) induces striking digit pattern duplications when locally applied to the developing chick limb bud. Instead of the normal digit pattern (234) a mirror-symmetrical 432234 pattern can be specified. Hence, RA closely mimics posterior limb bud tissue (the zone of polarizing activity, ZPA) that causes very similar duplications when grafted to an anterior site of a host limb bud. This resemblance raises an intriguing possibility: that RA is related to the as yet unidentified inducer substance thought to be released by the ZPA. Here we report that chick limb buds contain endogenous RA and we show that RA, but not its biosynthetic precursor retinol, forms a concentration gradient across the limb anlage with a high-point in the posterior domain of the limb bud, the part that also contains the ZPA.
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In the framework of the German environmental specimen bank one-year old spruce shoots (Picea abies) and pine shoots (Pinus sylvestris) serve as bioindicators for the atmospheric pollution. Sampling is performed in two urbanized areas in western and eastern Germany (Warndt and Duebener Heide, respectively), and in seven different rural locations. Prior to archiving conifer shoots are continuously analyzed for a set of 17 individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results from the two urbanized areas show that the atmospheric contamination with PAH has declined by about 75% between 1985 and 2004 at Warndt and by about 85% between 1991 and 2004 at Duebener Heide. However, summation operatorPAH concentrations stayed virtually constant at both locations since the end of the 1990s at levels of about 100 ng g(-1) wet weight (ww). In spruce shoots from rural areas current concentrations of PAHs are significantly lower and vary between 8 and 61 ng g(-1) ww. In all shoot samples the four low molecular aromatics phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, and chrysene dominate the pattern by contributing 60 to 90% to summation operatorPAH. The group of high molecular weight aromatics is dominated by benzo[b,j,k]fluoranthene, especially in spruce shoots originating from greater altitudes remarkable amounts of six and seven ringed PAHs could be detected. Despite the strong decrease of PAH concentrations in urban areas patterns of aromatics remained nearly unchanged in the observation period 1985 to 2004.
AIMS: Photochemotherapy employing psoralens combined with UVA irradiation (PUVA) is a standard therapy for a variety of dermatoses. Psoralens can be administered orally or topically in the form of bath or cream preparations. Recommendations for the time of UVA irradiation are mainly based on the time course of minimal phototoxic doses. However, the time course and depth of skin penetration of psoralens is not well characterized. METHODS: We assessed the time course of 8-MOP concentrations in horizontal epidermal and dermal skin sections in 10 patients undergoing oral (n = 3), cream (n = 4) and bath (n = 3) PUVA therapy. Punch biopsies (4 mm) were taken from "healthy" skin sites. A highly sensitive LC-MS-MS method was employed for 8-MOP analysis. RESULTS: Epidermal concentrations following cream or bath were highest at the end of the application period (time zero) when irradiation is performed. At this time, 8-MOP cream provided significantly higher epidermal concentrations (mean +/- s.e. mean 128.0 +/- 22.6 pg mm-3; 95% CI: 77.6, 178.4) than oral 8-MOP (27.0 +/- 25.3 pg mm-3; 95% CI: 29.3, 83.3 at 1 h; P = 0.025). Conversely, concentrations in the papillary dermis were significantly higher with oral 8-MOP (20.2 +/- 3.1 and 16.2 +/- 2.2 pg mm-3 at 1 and 2 h, respectively) than with 8-MOP cream (7.1 +/- 2.8 and 8.4 +/- 2.0 pg mm-3 time zero and 0.5 h, respectively; P = 0.020 and 0.045, respectively) or bath (8.8 +/- 3.1 and 7.7 +/- 2.2 pg mm-3; P = 0.050 and 0.039, respectively). The observed time courses of 8-MOP concentrations correspond to time courses of photosensitivity found previously with the different treatment modalities. CONCLUSIONS: The higher epidermal 8-MOP concentrations found after topical 8-MOP may explain the lower UVA doses needed with the topical route. These results suggest that topical 8-MOP may be superior in patients where the pathology is localized in the epidermis. In sclerosing diseases, which mainly affect the dermis oral PUVA might be advantageous because dermal concentrations are highest with this route of administration.
p21WAF is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor which is widely expressed in epidermal structures. Using a combination of double immunocytochemical staining and combined in situ hybridization, we show that there is a striking exclusivity between the expression of Ki67 and p21WAF in the hair matrix. Some cells that are Ki67-positive also express p53, but as they exit the cell cycle they assume p21WAF-positive/p53-negative status. By contrast, cells in the interfollicular epidermis of psoriatic lesions, in the sebaceous gland, and in the outer root sheath are p21WAF-positive/p53-positive but Ki67-negative. These results suggest that in some anatomical parts of the epidermis, p21WAF expression can accompany p53 expression, whereas in other parts, the expression of these markers is reciprocal, suggesting that other pathways may be controlling p21WAF expression. In order to define, functionally, the presence of p53-independent p21WAF expression in skin, we examined lesions of Bowen's disease in which both alleles of p53 were inactivated. p21WAF expression was still observed, confirming a role for p53-independent expression of p21WAF in human skin in vivo.
The activity of uncultured acidobacteria was monitored in Dutch grassland soils by quantifying their ribosomes. These bacteria were detectable by five different 16S rRNA RT-PCR products in temperature gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprints. The ribosomes in surface soil samples were quantified with multiple competitive RT-PCR along a 1.5-km transect through the grassland. In total, the five members of the acidobacteria were estimated to contribute 4 x 1010 to 1 x 1011 ribosomes g soil-1, representing 7-14% of all bacterial ribosomes. These results indicate that ribosomes from acidobacteria are continuously present and abundant in soil and might contribute significantly to microbial activity in soil.
We simulate, within a sample, the trajectories of the backscattered electrons detected in a scanning electron microscopy with a particular detection geometry. Thus we obtain the depth and lateral distributions, according to the adjustable parameter values, of the detected electrons. Finally, the scanline profile across a chemical edge is drawn. The conditions corresponding to the best lateral resolution are established; we obtain an ultimate resolution of the same order as the beam diameter.
Surveillance of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) biting midge vectors was carried out at 87 sites within a 50 x 50 km grid distributed across Portugal, using light trap collections at the time of peak midge abundance. Culicoides imicola (Kieffer) made up 66% of the 55 937 Culicoides in these summer collections. It was highly abundant in the central eastern portion of Portugal, between 37 degrees 5' N and 41 degrees 5' N, and in a band across to the Lisbon peninsula (at around 38 degrees 5' N). Of all the complexes, its distribution was most consistent with that of previous outbreaks of Culicoides-borne disease, suggesting that it may remain the major vector in Portugal. Its distribution was also broadly consistent with that predicted by a recent climate-driven model validating the use of remote sensing datasets for modelling of Culicoides distribution. Adult C. imicola were found to have overwintered at 12 of 20 sites re-surveyed in winter but it did so in very low numbers. Culicoides obsoletus (Meigen) and Culicoides pulicaris (Linnaeus) complex midges were widespread despite their low summer abundance. The observed coincidence of high abundances of C. imicola and high abundances of C. pulicaris in summer lead us to suggest that C. imicola could bring African horse sickness virus or bluetongue virus into contact with C. pulicaris and the latter complex, together with C. obsoletus, could then transmit these viruses across much wider areas of Europe. The fact that adult C. pulicaris are present in high abundances in winter may provide a mechanism by which these viruses can overwinter in these areas.
Three bacterial strains (Kocuria sp. C714.1, Brevibacterium linens B337.1 and Staphylococcus sciuri CCL101) were grown together on stainless steel and were subjected daily to a commercial alkaline chlorine solution (22 mg l-1 of free chlorine, pH 11) over a period of 4 weeks. After the daily chemical shock, culture madia [1:20 dilution of tryptic soy broth (TSB-YE/20) or diluted whey] was deposited on the biofilms. The chemical shocks led first to a drop in the culturable population, followed by an increase and finally stabilization at around 106-107 CFU cm-2 by day 11 of the experiment. These changes in the microbial population can be attributed to a decreasing susceptibility to the antimicrobial agent with biofilm age, and to the consumption of free chlorine by biofilm exoproteins. The microbial composition appeared to be linked to the free chlorine concentration that depended on exoprotein production. At the end of the experiment, exoprotein production was greater for biofilms grown in TSBYE/20 than in whey. As a consequence, biofilms grown in whey did not neutralize the chlorine and the dominant strain was the one having the highest resistance to chlorine: K. varians. When biofilm were grown in TSBYE/20, chlorine was neutralized and the dominant strain was the one having the highest growth rate: S. sciuri. The presence of chlorine may also explain the distribution of S. sciuri cells as a ring around Kocuria sp. microcolonies. When chlorine was totally consumed by the biofilm during the chemical shock, S. sciuri was no longer grouped around Kocuria sp. microcolonies but was evenly scattered over the substratum as single cells or in small clusters, as it was before any chemical treatment. These findings strongly suggest protection of S. sciuri by Kocuria sp. microcolonies against the chlorinated solution. This phenomenon, added to the low susceptibility phenotype of the biofilm cells, could at least partly explain the survival of microbial cells in an adverse environment.
Over the past decades, genes of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Berliner) (Bt) coding for protein toxins have been engineered into maize for protection against the European Corn Borer (Ostrinia nubilalis (Hbn.)). However, these transgenic plants may have an impact on non-target organisms. In particular, a potential hazard was identified for non-target lepidopteran larvae, if they consume Bt maize pollen on their host plants. Risk can be defined as a function of the effect of an event (hazard) and the likelihood of this event occurring. Although data on toxicity (hazard) are available from many lab and field studies, knowledge about the environmental exposure of European lepidopteran larvae is incomplete at the population level. Therefore we studied the distribution of small tortoiseshell caterpillars (Aglais urticae (L.)) and its host plant in an agricultural landscape in Germany, to estimate the potential population exposure to maize pollen. The results showed that larvae of the small tortoiseshell developed primarily on freshly sprouted nettle stands (Urtica dioica (L.)) in field margins, rather than adjacent to hedges and groves. However, the main distribution was at margins of cereal (non-maize) fields, where 70% of all larvae were found. This may be due the fact that cereals covered 54% of the survey area, while maize only covered 6.1%. On the other hand, maize fields seem so show higher food plant densities than cereal crops. The results must be interpreted carefully, as the data basis of the present study is very small, and the situation can vary between years due to crop rotation or other changes in agricultural practices. Therefore it is still questionable whether the small tortoiseshell is significantly exposed to maize pollen. For a conclusive risk assessment, more replications and surveys of larger areas in different intensively managed agricultural landscapes over several years are needed.
In the sleeping sickness focus of Zoukougbeu (Côte d'Ivoire), in the cropping areas which are favourable for disease transmission, more than a quarter of the flies collected were found to have fed on domestic pigs. The sites where Glossina palpalis palpalis was caught fed on these animals were concordant with the sites where the patients were present. These results might indicate that in Zoukougbeu, but perhaps also in other sleeping sickness foci, the pig could play an active role in disease transmission, allowing the parasite to spread widely via the tsetse.
The ability of time- and angle-resolved two-photon photoemission to estimate the size distribution of electron localization in the plane of a metal-adsorbate interface is discussed. It is shown that the width of angular distribution of the photoelectric current is inversely proportional to the electron localization size within the most common approximations in the description of image potential states. The localization of the n=1 image potential state for two monolayers of butyronitrile on Ag(111) is used as an example. For the delocalized n=1 state, the shape of the signal amplitude as a function of momentum parallel to the surface changes rapidly with time, indicating efficient intraband relaxation on a 100 fs time scale. For the localized state, little change was observed. The latter is related to the constant size distribution of electron localization, which is estimated to be a Gaussian with a 15+/-4 A full width at half maximum in the plane of the interface. A simple model was used to study the effect of a weak localization potential on the overall width of the angular distribution of the photoemitted electrons, which exhibited little sensitivity to the details of the potential. This substantiates the validity of the localization size estimate.
This study presents computations and analysis of the dynamics of reentrant spiral waves in a realistic model of cardiac electrical activity, incorporating the Beeler-Reuter equations into a two-dimensional cable model. In this medium, spiral waves spontaneously break up, but may be stabilized by shortening the excitation pulse duration through an acceleration of the dynamics of the calcium current. We describe the breakup of reentrant waves based on the presence of slow recovery fronts within the medium. This concept is introduced using examples from pulse circulation around a ring and extended to two-dimensional propagation. We define properties of the restitution and dispersion relations that are associated with slow recovery fronts and promote spiral breakup. The role of slow recovery fronts is illustrated with concrete examples from numerical simulations. (c) 1996 American Institute of Physics.
The angular and velocity distributions of desorbing product N(2) were examined over the crystal azimuth in steady-state NO+CO and N(2)O+CO reactions on Pd(110) by cross-correlation time-of-flight techniques. At surface temperatures below 600 K, N(2) desorption in both reactions splits into two directional lobes collimated along 41 degrees -45 degrees from the surface normal toward the [001] and [001] directions. Above 600 K, the normally directed N(2) desorption is enhanced in the NO reduction. Each product desorption component, as well as CO(2), shows a fairly asymmetric distribution about its collimation axis. Two factors, i.e., the anisotropic site structures and the reactant orientation and movements, are operative to induce such asymmetry, depending on the product emission mechanism.
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