Message from the President of the United States, transmitting a letter from the Marshall of the Northern District of the State of New York, respecting disturbances on the Canadian frontier (1838)

Message from the President of the United States transmitting a letter from the Marshal of the Northern District of the State of New York, respecting Disturbances on the Canadian Frontier.

Six months residence and rravels in México ; containing remarks onthe present state of New Spain, its natural productions, state of society, manufactures, trade, agriculture and antiquities

UANL

Detection of a new mumps virus genotype during parotitis epidemic of 2006-2007 in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Nucleoticle sequence analyses of the SH gene of 18 mumps virus isolates collected in the 2006-2007 parotitis epidemic in the state of Sao Paulo identified a new genotype, designated genotype M. This new designation fulfills all the parameters required to define a new mumps virus genotype. The parameters were established by an expert panel in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2005. This information will enhance the mumps virus surveillance program both at the national and global levels.

New Species of Earless Lizard Genus Heterodactylus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from the Highlands of Chapada Diamantina, State of Bahia, Brazil

A new species of Heterodactylus is described based on two specimens obtained in the highlands of Chapada Diamantina, state of Bahia, Brazil. The new lizard is characterized by very elongate body and tail, absence of external ear opening, presence of moveable eyelids, absence of prefrontals and frontoparietals, a vestigial interparietal, 37-39 dorsal and 27-29 ventral transverse scale rows, 23-25 scales around midbody, six gular scale rows, and 10-11 and 14-15 fourth finger and fourth toe infradigital lamellae, respectively. The new species is most similar to Heterodactylus lundii from which it differs by the absence of contact between frontal and interparietal, by having wider than long parietals, smooth posterior dorsal scales, posterior ventral scales almost twice longer than wide, a lower number of scales around midbody, last supralabial in contact with the granules of the ear depression, and a more elongate body. The new species occurs about 1,100 km north of the northernmost known record of H. lundii. Species of Heterodactylus seem to be restricted to areas of cold climates associated with high latitudes and mountainous areas of eastern Brasil.

A new Amphisbaena with chevron-shaped anterior body annuli from state of Pernambuco: Brazil (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae)

A new species of Amphisbaena is described from Fazenda Porto Seguro, municipality of Buique, state of Pernambuco, in the Caatingas of northeastern Brazil based on four specimens. The new species is a small and slender amphisbaenian with four precloacal pores, 333-337 body annuli, 22-23 tail annuli with discrete evidence of an autotomic site on the 10-12 tail annuli, and 14 dorsal and 17-18 ventral segments per annuli at midbody. The high number of body annuli, the presence of chevron-shaped anterior body annuli, and the fusion of frontal scales distinguish Amphisbaena supernumeraria sp. nov. from its congeners.

First record of Stygnidae for the state of Espirito Santo and description of a new Protimesius (Arachnida : Opiliones : Laniatores)

Protimesius osvaldoi sp. nov. is described from the Reserva Biologica de Sooretama, state of Espirito Santo, Southeastern Brazil, being the First record of Stygnidae from this State and the southernmost record of the family in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (hitherto, the family was recorded down to Bahia only), extending in 210 km south of the previously known distribution. This is a large species, with armature of leg IV very reduced and penial morphology differing from the closest counterparts mainly in the ventral plate, which recedes deeply at the lateral borders and has the distal margin curved ventrally and by the presence of two small intermediate setae. Protimesius Roewer, 1913 consisted hitherto of 17 species, recorded from northern/northeastern Brazil and Amazonia of adjacent Countries. A key is given for the 17 species of Protimesius for which males are known.

New species of Amphisbaena with a nonautotomic and dorsally tuberculate blunt tail from state of Bahia, Brazil (Squamata, Amphisbaenidae)

A new species of Amphisbaena is described from Fazenda Caraibas, municipality of Mucuge, state of Bahia, Brazil, in the northern portion of the Serra do Espinhaco. The new species is a small amphisbaenian without precloacal pores, 210-213 body annuli, 12-13 tail annuli without evident autotomic site, and 14 dorsal and 14-15 ventral segments per annuli at midbody. The striking difference of this form is the presence of small tubercles on the dorsal region of its tail. This feature is unique among its congeners, although Rhineura floridana, a North American amphisbaenian, has tubercles on its tail. We suggest that the presence of tubercles on the tail of Amphisbaena sp. nov. and Rhineura floridana has arisen independently.

A new microteiid lizard of the genus Acratosaura (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Serra do Sincora, State of Bahia, Brazil

A new species of the genus Acratosaura is described on the basis of two specimens obtained at the ""campos rupestres"" (rocky meadows) near Mucuge municipality, state of Bahia, Brazil. Acratosaura spinosa sp. nov., has ear openings and eyelids, pentadactyl limbs lacking a claw on first toe, a single frontonasal, prefrontals, frontoparietals, parietals, interparietals, occipitals, no collar fold, three pairs of genials, three supraoculars and three superciliaries and is further characterized by presenting 28-31 rows of strongly keeled, lanceolate and imbricate dorsal scales, sides of the neck with keeled scales, striate temporal scales, four longitudinal and 17-18 transverse rows of smooth ventral scales, 28-30 scales around the body, 14 and 19-20 infradigital lamellae under finger IV and toe IV, respectively, 13 total preanal and femoral pores in male, absent in female. The new species differs strikingly in color pattern from its only congener A. mentalis. The two species occur sympatricaly in the high altitude open habitats near the type locality.

A new genus of Ectinosomatidae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from sublittoral sediments in Ubatuba, Sao Paulo State (Brazil), an updated key to genera and notes on Noodtiella Wells, 1965

Both sexes of a new genus and species of Ectinosomatidae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from sublittoral sediments collected on the inner continental shelf in Ubatuba, Sao Paulo State (Brazil) are described in detail. Chaulionyx gen. n. (type species: C. paivacarvalhoi sp. n.) differs from all known genera in the presence of a conspicuous bifid spine on the prehensile P1 endopod. It can be differentiated from other genera with a prehensile endopod (Halophytophilus Brian, 1919; Bradyellopsis Brian, 1925; Klieosoma Hicks & Schriever, 1985) by the presence of distinctive subrectangular middorsal pores on the urosomites and the unarmed male sixth legs. The genus Lineosoma Wells, 1965 is recognized as a paraphyletic taxon and relegated to a junior subjective synonym of Noodtiella Wells, 1965. Arenosetella pectinata Chappuis, 1954a is removed from its floating position in Ectinosomoides Nicholls, 1945, transferred to the genus Noodtiella as N. pectinata comb. n. and considered the senior subjective synonym of N. toukae Mitwally & Montagna, 2001. Dichotomous keys are provided for the identification of the 18 valid species of Noodtiella and the 21 valid genera of the family Ectinosomatidae. Halophytophilus aberrans Wells & Rao, 1987 is placed species incertae sedis in the family.

A new species of Vriesea Lindl. (Bromeliaceae, Tillandsioideae) from Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

A new species of Vriesea Lindl. belonging to section Xiphion (E. Morren) E. Morren ex Mez. - V. sanfranciscana Versieux & Wand.- is described and illustrated. The species is only known to occur in the Serra da Canastra National Park, located in the southwestern Minas Gerais, Brazil, and is morphologically related to V. atropurpurea Silveira from serra do Cipo, Espinhaco range.

Solid state NMR as a new approach for the structural characterization of rare-earth doped lead lanthanum zirconate titanate laser ceramics

To facilitate the design of laser host materials with optimized emission properties, detailed structural information at the atomic level is essential, regarding the local bonding environment of the active ions (distribution over distinct lattice sites) and their extent of local clustering as well as their population distribution over separate micro- or nanophases. The present study explores the potential of solid state NMR spectroscopy to provide such understanding for rare-earth doped lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) ceramics. As the NMR signals of the paramagnetic dopant species cannot be observed directly, two complementary approaches are utilized: (1) direct observation of diamagnetic mimics using Sc-45 NMR and (2) study of the paramagnetic interaction of the constituent host lattice nuclei with the rare-earth dopant, using Pb-207 NMR lineshape analysis. Sc-45 MAS NMR spectra of scandium-doped PLZT samples unambiguously reveal scandium to be six-coordinated, suggesting that this rare-earth ion substitutes in the B site. Static Pb-207 spin echo NMR spectra of a series of Tm-doped PLZT samples reveal a clear influence of paramagnetic rare-earth dopant concentration on the NMR lineshape. In the latter case high-fidelity spectra can be obtained by spin echo mapping under systematic incrementation of the excitation frequency, benefiting from the signal-to-noise enhancement afforded by spin echo train Fourier transforms. Consistent with XRD data, the Pb-207 NMR lineshape analysis suggests that statistical incorporation into the PLZT lattice occurs at dopant levels of up to 1 wt.% Tm3+, while at higher levels the solubility limit is reached. (C) 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.