Iowa Construction Site Erosion Control Manual, 2006

The purpose of this Iowa manual is to serve as a guide, provide solutions, and offer suggestions on construction sites to comply with Iowa's current soil erosion and storm water runoff regulations. This need is particularly important when land undergoes a land use change. Information provided in this manual will be helpful to land owners, developers, consultants, contractors, planners, local government, as well as the general public. This manual is intended to provide techniques that will meet the mandates of current legislation. Innovations that will benefit the user and still provide effective control are encouraged.

1st radiometric dating of a paleontologically dated Bathonian level from Georgia (USSR) - Use of the cathodoluminescence for selection of suitable plagioclases

Jurassic volcanic formations interlayered with (ammonite-bearing) sediments are common in the Caucasus area; this situation is of interest for the numerical calibration of the poorly documented Jurassic portion of the time scale. However, following petrographic study on thin sections no whole-rocks can be considered reliable geochronometers due to subsequent alteration; from about 20 samples, two were selected for plagioclase dating; one (V134) is probably early Kimmeridgian in age; the other (V136) is probably located in the Lower Bathonian stage according to diagnostic ammonites. Cathodoluminescence (CTL) study has shown that sample V136 was similar to usual volcanic feldspars (blue to green colour); however, the lack of CTL of the V134 plagioclase is a character common to diagenetic feldspars; consequently, in spite of a good optical preservation, this geo-chronometer cannot give an age representative of the time of emplacement of the lava flow. We have combined CTL observation with microprobe analysis in order to document the poorly known CTL behaviour of volcanic feldspars; cations Ti4+ and Fe2+ play a major role in the CTL colour of plagioclases and are able to document the growing history of these feldspars ; phenocrysts are initially rich in Fe2+ (core of the crystals, green in colour), then richer in Ti toward the exterior; microcrysts are even richer in Ti (blue to bright blue). We have also observed that natural CTL colour was modified resulting from acid ``cleaning'' of the separated feldspars : the initial blue or green colour tends to change to yellow or violet, respectively, after acid treatment probably due to oxydation of Fe2+ toward Fe3+. X-ray and microprobe analyses both indicated that plagioclases from sample V134 was near the sodic end member (albite) suggesting a diagenetic origin in this andesitic basalt; In contrast, sample V136 contains a calcic plagioclase of common composition for a doleritic basalt. The K-Ar conventional technique was applied as a preliminary tool for radiometric analysis. The Kimmeridgian Na-plagioclase sample gave a ``rejuvenated'' (85 Ma) apparent age which confirms a late genesis for the separated plagioclase phase; this interpretation is based on CTL observation, X-ray analysis, and microprobe analysis ; these techniques are able to distinguish samples which have been submitted to diagenetic alteration from those which have not. An age consistent with the stratigraphic location has been obtained from sample V136. This age of 161 +/- 3 (2-sigma) Ma, is the first one available from a sample palaeontologically located with reasonable precision within the mid Jurassic time.

Adaptive frequency tracking of the baseline ECG identifies the site of atrial fibrillation termination by catheter ablation

Multiple organization indices have been used to predict the outcome of stepwise catheter ablation in long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), however with limited success. Our study aims at developinginnovative organization indices from baseline ECG (i.e. during the procedure, before ablation) in orderto identify the site of AF termination by catheter ablation. Seventeen consecutive male patients (age60 ± 5 years, AF duration 7 ± 5 years) underwent a stepwise catheter ablation. Chest lead V6 was placedin the back (V6b). QRST cancelation was performed from chest leads V1 to V6b. Using an innovativeadaptive harmonic frequency tracking, two measures of AF organization were computed to quantify theharmonics components of ECG activity: (1) the adaptive phase difference variance (APD) between theAF harmonic components as a measure of AF regularity, and (2) and adaptive organization index (AOI)evaluating the cyclicity of the AF oscillations. Both adaptive indices were compared to indices computedusing a time-invariant approach: (1) ECG AF cycle length (AFCL), (2) the spectrum based organizationindex (OI), and (3) the time-invariant phase difference TIPD. Long-standing persistent AF was terminatedinto sinus rhythm or atrial tachycardia in 13/17 patients during stepwise ablation, 11 during left atriumablation (left terminated patients - LT), 2 during the right atrium ablation (right terminated patients -RT), and 4 were non terminated (NT) and required electrical cardioversion. Our findings showed that LTpatients were best separated from RT/NT before ablation by the duration of sustained AF and by AOI onchest lead V1 and APD from the dorsal lead V6b as compared to ECG AFCL, OI and TIPD, respectively. Ourresults suggest that adaptive measures of AF organization computed before ablation perform better thantime-invariant based indices for identifying patients whose AF will terminate during ablation within theleft atrium. These findings are indicative of a higher baseline organization in these patients that could beused to select candidates for the termination of AF by stepwise catheter ablation.© 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radial forearm free flap donor site morbidity: ulnar-based transposition flap vs split-thickness skin graft.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate morbidity associated with the radial forearm free flap donor site and to compare functional and aesthetic outcomes of ulnar-based transposition flap (UBTF) vs split-thickness skin graft (STSG) closure of the donor site.¦DESIGN: Case-control study.¦SETTING: Tertiary care institution.¦PATIENTS: The inclusion criteria were flap size not exceeding 30 cm(2), patient availability for a single follow-up visit, and performance of surgery at least 6 months previously. Forty-four patients were included in the study and were reviewed. Twenty-two patients had UBTF closure, and 22 had STSG closure.¦MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Variables analyzed included wrist mobility, Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire scores, pinch and grip strength (using a dynamometer), and hand sensitivity (using monofilament testing over the radial nerve distribution). In analyses of operated arms vs nonoperated arms, variables obtained only for the operated arms included Vancouver Scar Scale scores and visual analog scale scores for Aesthetics and Overall Arm Function.¦RESULTS: The mean (SD) wrist extension was significantly better in the UBTF group (56.0° [10.4°] for nonoperated arms and 62.0° [9.7°] for operated arms) than in the STSG group (59.0° [7.1°] for nonoperated arms and 58.4° [12.1°] for operated arms) (P = .02). The improvement in wrist range of motion for the UBTF group approached statistical significance (P = .07). All other variables (Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire scores, pinch and grip strength, hand sensitivity, and visual analog scale scores) were significantly better for nonoperated arms vs operated arms, but no significant differences were observed between the UBTF and STSG groups.¦CONCLUSIONS: The radial forearm free flap donor site carries significant morbidity. Donor site UBTF closure was associated with improved wrist extension and represents an alternative method of closure for small donor site defects.

Site index model approach for drained peatland forest stands

Tiivistelmä: Pituusboniteettisovellus ojitusalueiden metsille

Premières nidifications du Guêpier d'Europe (Merops apiaster) dans le Canton de Vaud et problématique de conservation du site

The first breeding records of the Bee-eater in canton de Vaud was recorded in a temporarily disused gravel-pit in the Venoge valley (W Switzerland). In 1996 the reproduction of a single pair failed after the eclosion of the chicks during a long period of uninterrupted rain. In 1997, probably the same pair returned and raised 3 fledglings. In 1998, 4 pairs bred raising 20 feldglings. The site is particularly rich with insects and birds: 12 bird species of the red data list breed in the site and surrounding area. However, it is threatened by state project: the gravel-pit is planned to be filled in the coming years. Its future management in relation to the preservation of the Bee-eater and the other bird species on the red data list is presented and discussed.

Characterization of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec insertion site in 108 isolates lacking the mecA gene and identified as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by the Xpert MRSA assay.

During a 3-year period, 848 patients were detected as carriers of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by the Xpert MRSA assay (Cepheid). Among them, 108 patients (12.7 %) were colonized with strains showing methicillin-susceptible phenotypes and absence of the mecA gene, despite being positive with the rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. DNA sequences of the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) insertion site of these "false-positive" strains was determined by direct sequencing of the genomic DNA. More than half (53.7 %) of the strains had DNA sequences unrelated to either SCC or SCCmec and one-third had DNA sequences related to non-mec SCC. Only 10.2 % of the strains carried sequences related to SCCmec, suggesting that a sequence containing the mecA gene was lost from an SCCmec. These findings differ from the general idea that all methicillin-susceptible S. aureus having positive Xpert MRSA assay results are essentially MRSA that lost the mecA gene.

TCR-alpha CDR3 loop audition regulates positive selection.

How positive selection molds the T cell repertoire has been difficult to examine. In this study, we use TCR-beta-transgenic mice in which MHC shapes TCR-alpha use. Differential AV segment use is directly related to the constraints placed on the composition of the CDR3 loops. Where these constraints are low, efficient selection of alphabeta pairs follows. This mode of selection preferentially uses favored AV-AJ rearrangements and promotes diversity. Increased constraint on the alpha CDR3 loops leads to inefficient selection associated with uncommon recombination events and limited diversity. Further, the two modes of selection favor alternate sets of AJ segments. We discuss the relevance of these findings to the imprint of self-MHC restriction and peripheral T cell activation.

EEG alpha activity reflects motor preparation rather than the mode of action selection

Alpha-band activity (8-13 Hz) is not only suppressed by sensory stimulation and movements, but also modulated by attention, working memory and mental tasks, and could be sensitive to higher motor control functions. The aim of the present study was to examine alpha oscillatory activity during the preparation of simple left or right finger movements, contrasting the external and internal mode of action selection. Three preparation conditions were examined using a precueing paradigm with S1 as the preparatory and S2 as the imperative cue: Full, laterality instructed by S1; Free, laterality freely selected and None, laterality instructed by S2. Time-frequency (TF) analysis was performed in the alpha frequency range during the S1-S2 interval, and alpha motor-related amplitude asymmetries (MRAA) were also calculated. The significant MRAA during the Full and Free conditions indicated effective external and internal motor response preparation. In the absence of specific motor preparation (None), a posterior alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD) dominated, reflecting the main engagement of attentional resources. In Full and Free motor preparation, posterior alpha ERD was accompanied by a midparietal alpha event-related synchronization (ERS), suggesting a concomitant inhibition of task-irrelevant visual activity. In both Full and Free motor preparation, analysis of alpha power according to MRAA amplitude revealed two types of functional activation patterns: (1) a motor alpha pattern, with predominantly midparietal alpha ERS and large MRAA corresponding to lateralized motor activation/visual inhibition and (2) an attentional alpha pattern, with dominating right posterior alpha ERD and small MRAA reflecting visuospatial attention. The present results suggest that alpha oscillatory patterns do not resolve the selection mode of action, but rather distinguish separate functional strategies of motor preparation.

The stationary distribution of a continuously varying strategy in a class-structured population under mutation-selection-drift balance.

Many traits and/or strategies expressed by organisms are quantitative phenotypes. Because populations are of finite size and genomes are subject to mutations, these continuously varying phenotypes are under the joint pressure of mutation, natural selection and random genetic drift. This article derives the stationary distribution for such a phenotype under a mutation-selection-drift balance in a class-structured population allowing for demographically varying class sizes and/or changing environmental conditions. The salient feature of the stationary distribution is that it can be entirely characterized in terms of the average size of the gene pool and Hamilton's inclusive fitness effect. The exploration of the phenotypic space varies exponentially with the cumulative inclusive fitness effect over state space, which determines an adaptive landscape. The peaks of the landscapes are those phenotypes that are candidate evolutionary stable strategies and can be determined by standard phenotypic selection gradient methods (e.g. evolutionary game theory, kin selection theory, adaptive dynamics). The curvature of the stationary distribution provides a measure of the stability by convergence of candidate evolutionary stable strategies, and it is evaluated explicitly for two biological scenarios: first, a coordination game, which illustrates that, for a multipeaked adaptive landscape, stochastically stable strategies can be singled out by letting the size of the gene pool grow large; second, a sex-allocation game for diploids and haplo-diploids, which suggests that the equilibrium sex ratio follows a Beta distribution with parameters depending on the features of the genetic system.

New generation vaccine induces effective melanoma-specific CD8+ T cells in the circulation but not in the tumor site.

Although increasing evidence suggests that CTL are important to fight the development of some cancers, the frequency of detectable tumor-specific T cells is low in cancer patients, and these cells have generally poor functional capacities, compared with virus-specific CD8(+) T cells. The generation with a vaccine of potent CTL responses against tumor Ags therefore remains a major challenge. In the present study, ex vivo analyses of Melan-A-specific CD8(+) T cells following vaccination with Melan-A peptide and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides revealed the successful induction in the circulation of effective melanoma-specific T cells, i.e., with phenotypic and functional characteristics similar to those of CTL specific for immunodominant viral Ags. Nonetheless, the eventual impact on tumor development in vaccinated melanoma donors remained limited. The comprehensive study of vaccinated patient metastasis shows that vaccine-driven tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, although activated, still differed in functional capacities compared with blood counterparts. This coincided with a significant increase of FoxP3(+) regulatory T cell activity within the tumor. The consistent induction of effective tumor-specific CD8(+) T cells in the circulation with a vaccine represents a major achievement; however, clinical benefit may not be achieved unless the tumor environment can be altered to enable CD8(+) T cell efficacy.

Defining new criteria for selection of cell-based intestinal models using publicly available databases.

BACKGROUND: The criteria for choosing relevant cell lines among a vast panel of available intestinal-derived lines exhibiting a wide range of functional properties are still ill-defined. The objective of this study was, therefore, to establish objective criteria for choosing relevant cell lines to assess their appropriateness as tumor models as well as for drug absorption studies. RESULTS: We made use of publicly available expression signatures and cell based functional assays to delineate differences between various intestinal colon carcinoma cell lines and normal intestinal epithelium. We have compared a panel of intestinal cell lines with patient-derived normal and tumor epithelium and classified them according to traits relating to oncogenic pathway activity, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness, migratory properties, proliferative activity, transporter expression profiles and chemosensitivity. For example, SW480 represent an EMT-high, migratory phenotype and scored highest in terms of signatures associated to worse overall survival and higher risk of recurrence based on patient derived databases. On the other hand, differentiated HT29 and T84 cells showed gene expression patterns closest to tumor bulk derived cells. Regarding drug absorption, we confirmed that differentiated Caco-2 cells are the model of choice for active uptake studies in the small intestine. Regarding chemosensitivity we were unable to confirm a recently proposed association of chemo-resistance with EMT traits. However, a novel signature was identified through mining of NCI60 GI50 values that allowed to rank the panel of intestinal cell lines according to their drug responsiveness to commonly used chemotherapeutics. CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a straightforward strategy to exploit publicly available gene expression data to guide the choice of cell-based models. While this approach does not overcome the major limitations of such models, introducing a rank order of selected features may allow selecting model cell lines that are more adapted and pertinent to the addressed biological question.