Surface deformation caused by an intrusion and small eruption during June 17-19, 2007, along the East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, was three-dimensionally reconstructed from radar ...interferograms acquired by the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) phased-array type L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) (PALSAR) instrument. To retrieve the 3-D surface deformation, a method that combines multiple-aperture interferometry (MAI) and conventional interferometric SAR (InSAR) techniques was applied to one ascending and one descending ALOS PALSAR interferometric pair. The maximum displacements as a result of the intrusion and eruption are about 0.8, 2, and 0.7 m in the east, north, and up components, respectively. The radar-measured 3-D surface deformation agrees with GPS data from 24 sites on the volcano, and the root-mean-square errors in the east, north, and up components of the displacement are 1.6, 3.6, and 2.1 cm, respectively. Since a horizontal deformation of more than 1 m was dominantly in the north-northwest-south-southeast direction, a significant improvement of the north-south component measurement was achieved by the inclusion of MAI measurements that can reach a standard deviation of 3.6 cm. A 3-D deformation reconstruction through the combination of conventional InSAR and MAI will allow for better modeling, and hence, a more comprehensive understanding, of the source geometry associated with volcanic, seismic, and other processes that are manifested by surface deformation.
We sampled variably altered tidal creeks to determine community structure in a developing coastal (USA) landscape. Throw trapping collected smaller and juvenile nekton in the vegetated marsh while ...minnow trapping in unvegetated channels targeted relatively larger fishes. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordinations were used to assess community structure. Environmental factors and species most rank-correlated with community dissimilarities in ordinations were determined through the nonparametric BIOENV analysis. We found differences in community composition among creeks that were largely consistent in 2 years. Juveniles of the dominant salt marsh fish Fundulus heteroclitus from throw trapping had a pattern opposite of amphipods and associated with creeks with marsh downstream while larger F. heteroclitus (from minnow trapping) associated with creeks with high percentages of marsh coverage and lower watershed imperviousness. A transient fish Lagodon rhomboides was associated with creeks with lower marsh percentages. Results indicate that loss of marsh, and breaks in marsh connectivity to areas downstream of tidal creeks, can lead to reduced abundances of a dominant resident marsh fish. In order to maintain production of marsh fishes, planners should prioritize the maintenance of intact salt marsh habitats and natural landforms.
Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a phloem-feeding beetle native to Asia, has become one of the most destructive forest pests in North America. Since it ...was first identified in 2002 in southeast Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, dozens of isolated A. planipennis populations have been discovered throughout Michigan and Ontario, and in 12 other states and the province of Quebec. We assessed realized A. planipennis dispersal at two discrete outlier sites that originated 1 yr and 3 yr earlier from infested nursery trees. We systematically sampled ash trees within an 800 m radius of the origin of each infestation to locate galleries constructed by the progeny of dispersing A. planipennis adults. Our sampling identified eight trees at the 1 yr site infested with a mean ± SE of 11.6 ± 8.4 A. planipennis larvae and 12 trees at the 3 yr site with 25.8 ± 11.1 larvae per meter squared. Dendroentomological analysis indicated that A. planipennis populations were predominantly undergoing a 2 yr (semivoltine) life cycle at both sites. Colonized trees were found out to 638 and 540 m from the epicenters at the 1 yr and 3 yr sites, respectively. Logistic regression was used to determine whether the likelihood of A. planipennis colonization was affected by wind direction, ash phloem abundance, distance from the epicenter, or land-use type (i.e., wooded, residential, agricultural, or urban). Results show that the probability of A. planipennis colonization was significantly affected by ash phloem abundance and decreased with distance from the epicenter.
We evaluated the performance of small (12.5 mm long) passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and custom detection antennas for obtaining fine-scale movement and demographic data of mummichog ...Fundulus heteroclitus in a salt marsh creek. Apparent survival and detection probability were estimated using a Cormack Jolly Seber (CJS) model fitted to detection data collected by an array of 3 vertical antennas from November 2010 to March 2011 and by a single horizontal antenna from April to August 2011. Movement of mummichogs was monitored during the period when the array of vertical antennas was used. Antenna performance was examined in situ using tags placed in wooden dowels (drones) and in live mummichogs. Of the 44 tagged fish, 42 were resighted over the 9 mo monitoring period. The in situ detection probabilities of the drone and live mummichogs were high (~80−100%) when the ambient water depth was less than ~0.8 m. Upstream and downstream movement of mummichogs was related to hourly water depth and direction of tidal current in a way that maximized time periods over which mummichogs utilized the intertidal vegetated marsh. Apparent survival was lower during periods of colder water temperatures in December 2010 and early January 2011 (median estimate of daily apparent survival = 0.979) than during other periods of the study (median estimate of daily apparent survival = 0.992). During late fall and winter, temperature had a positive effect on the CJS detection probability of a tagged mummichog, likely due to greater fish activity over warmer periods. During the spring and summer, this pattern reversed possibly due to mummichogs having reduced activity during the hottest periods. This study demonstrates the utility of PIT tags and continuously operating autonomous detection systems for tracking fish at fine temporal scales, and improving estimates of demographic parameters in salt marsh creeks that are difficult or impractical to sample with active fishing gear.
The local application of controlled hypobaric stress represents a novel means to facilitate drug delivery into the skin. The aims of this work were to understand how hypobaric stress modified the ...properties of the skin and assess if this penetration enhancement strategy could improve the percutaneous penetration of a macromolecule. Measurements of skin thickness demonstrated that the topical application of hypobaric stress thinned the tissue (p<0.05), atomic force microscopy showed that it shrunk the corneocytes in the stratum corneum (p<0.001) and the imaging of the skin hair follicles using multiphoton microscopy showed that it opened the follicular infundibula (p<0.001). Together, these changes contributed to a 19.6-fold increase in in vitro percutaneous penetration of a 10,000 molecular weight dextran molecule, which was shown using fluorescence microscopy to be localized around the hair follicles, when applied to the skin using hypobaric stress. In vivo, in the rat, a local hemodynamic response (i.e. a significant increase in blood flow, p<0.001) was shown to contribute to the increase in follicular transport of the dextran to produce a systemic absorption of 7.2±2.81fg·mL−1. When hypobaric stress was not applied to the rat there was no detectable absorption of dextran and this provided evidence that this novel penetration enhancement technique can improve the percutaneous penetration of macromolecules after topical application to the skin.
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In the United States, the annual incidence of myocarditis is estimated at 1 to 10 per 100,000 population. As many as 1% to 5% of patients with acute viral infections involve the myocardium. Although ...many viruses have been reported to cause myopericarditis, it has been a rare or unrecognized event after vaccination with the currently used strain of vaccinia virus (New York City Board of Health).
To describe a series of probable cases of myopericarditis following smallpox vaccination among US military service members reported since the reintroduction of vaccinia vaccine.
Surveillance case definitions are presented. The cases were identified either through sentinel reporting to US military headquarters surveillance using the Defense Medical Surveillance System or reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision. The cases occurred among individuals vaccinated from mid-December 2002 to March 14, 2003.
Elevated serum levels of creatine kinase (MB isoenzyme), troponin I, and troponin T, usually in the presence of ST-segment elevation on electrocardiogram and wall motion abnormalities on echocardiogram.
Among 230,734 primary vaccinees, 18 cases of probable myopericarditis after smallpox vaccination were reported (an incidence of 7.8 per 100,000 over 30 days). No cases of myopericarditis following smallpox vaccination were reported among 95,622 vaccinees who were previously vaccinated. All cases were white men aged 21 years to 33 years (mean age, 26.5 years), who presented with acute myopericarditis 7 to 19 days following vaccination. A causal relationship is supported by the close temporal clustering (7-19 days; mean, 10.5 days following vaccination), wide geographic and temporal distribution, occurrence in only primary vaccinees, and lack of evidence for alternative etiologies or other diseases associated with myopericarditis. Additional supporting evidence is the observation that the observed rate of myopericarditis among primary vaccinees is 3.6-fold (95% confidence interval, 3.33-4.11) higher than the expected rate among personnel who were not vaccinated. The background incidence of myopericarditis did not show statistical significance when stratified by age (20-34 years: 2.18 expected cases per 100,000; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.90-2.34), race (whites: 1.82 per 100,000; 95% CI, 1.50-2.01), and sex (males: 2.28 per 100,000; 95% CI, 2.04-2.54).
Among US military personnel vaccinated against smallpox, myopericarditis occurred at a rate of 1 per 12 819 primary vaccinees. Myopericarditis should be considered an expected adverse event associated with smallpox vaccination. Clinicians should consider myopericarditis in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with chest pain 4 to 30 days following smallpox vaccination and be aware of the implications as well as the need to report this potential adverse advent.
Derivatives of the Edmonston-B strain of measles virus (MV-Ed) are safe, live attenuated measles virus (MV) vaccines that have been used worldwide for more than 30 years. The cytoreductive potential ...of MV-Ed has been investigated in murine models of both aggressive and indolent B-cell lymphoma in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. The rationale for these studies was generated by experience with viral fusogenic membrane glycoproteins as cytotoxic genes and the recognition of the potential of replicating viruses in the treatment of human malignancy. Intratumoral injection of both unmodified MV-Ed and a strain of MV-Ed genetically modified by the addition of a β-galactosidase reporter gene (MVlacZ) induced regression of large established human lymphoma xenografts, in contrast to control therapy with UV-inactivated virus, in which all tumors progressed. The antitumor effect still occurred in the presence of passively transferred anti-MV antibody. Intravenous administration of MV also resulted in considerable slowing of tumor progression. Analysis of sections of residual tumor confirmed replication of MV within the tumors. Thus, the vaccine strain of MV mediates regression of large, established human B-cell lymphoma xenografts in SCID mice, and proof of principle is established that MV is oncolytic for lymphomas in vivo. Attenuated MVs may have value as a novel replicating-virus therapy for this group of disorders.
We studied the potential roles of testosterone and serotonin in various forms of aggressive and violent behaviors by measuring each biochemical and behavior in free-ranging adolescent male nonhuman ...primates. Our results showed that (1) CSF free testosterone concentrations were positively correlated with overall aggressiveness, but not with measures of impulsivity. (2) CSF 5-HIAA concentrations were negatively correlated with impulsive behavior, and severe, unrestrained aggression, but not with overall rates of aggression. High rates of impulsive behavior were positively correlated with severe, unrestrained aggression, but not overall rates of aggression. (3) Dimensional analyses showed that while subjects with low CSF 5-HIAA exhibited high rates of aggression, high CSF testosterone further augmented rates and intensity of aggression in subjects with low CSF 5-HIAA. We conclude that high CSF free testosterone concentrations are associated with competitive aggression, while low CSF 5-HIAA concentrations are associated with severe aggression which results from impaired impulse control, and perseverance.
We examined associations between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II genes and both rubella-specific immunoglobulin G antibodies and lymphoproliferative responses after measles-mumps-rubella-II ...(MMR-II) vaccination, in a population- based sample of 346 schoolchildren. The DPB1★0301, DPB1★0401, DPB1★1301, and DPB1★1501 alleles were significantly associated with rubella vaccine-induced antibodies. Alleles suggestive of being positively associated with rubella- specific lymphoproliferative stimulation indices were DPB1★0301, DQB1★0501, DRB1★0101, and DRB1★1104. Conversely, the DPB1★0401, DPB1★1001, DPB1★1101, DQB1★0202, and DRB1★0701 alleles were negatively associated with rubella- specific lymphoproliferation. This study of HLA class II-restricted humoral and cellular immune responses to rubella provides significant insight into mechanisms of vaccine response and new vaccine development.
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