Analysis of the genome of the gram-negative moderate halophiles Halomonas and Chromohalobacter by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

We investigated the relationship between maintenance bolus dose of vecuronium bromide (Vb) and the recovery time measured by TOF Guard in patients anesthetized with isoflurane (1.2-2.0%)-N2O-O2 (GOI group, n = 19) and epidural anesthesia (2% mepivacaine) plus isoflurane (0.5%)-N2O-O2 (EPI group, n = 14). In both groups, anesthesia was induced with propofol 2 mg.kg-1 and Vb 0.1 mg.kg-1 and ventilation was controlled to keep end tidal CO2 between 35-40 mmHg. When the muscle relaxation recovered to 25% of train-of four ratio (TOFR), doses of Vb 0.06, 0.04 or 0.02 mg.kg-1 were administered. Recovery time to TOFR 25% at each Vb dose (T 0.06, T 0.04 and T 0.02 respectively) was observed. T 0.02, T 0.04 and T 0.06 in GOI group were 36.7 +/- 3.2, 50.7 +/- 4.3 and 60.7 +/- 5.02 min (mean +/- SE), respectively and those in EPI group were 42.6 +/- 2.53, 52.2 +/- 2.51 and 59.9 +/- 3.22 min, respectively. There were no significant differences in the recovery time between these two groups. In both groups, although the recovery time to TOFR 25% was prolonged significantly in proportion to the increasing doses of Vb, the increase did not correlate with the dose of Vb. We suggest that frequent administration of Vb 0.02 mg.kg-1 decreases the total amount of Vb to keep TOFR within 25%.     

Interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Trichoderma harzianum and their effects on Fusarium wilt in melon plants grown in seedling nurseries

BACKGROUND: Biological control through the use of Trichoderma spp. and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) could contribute to a reduction of the inputs of environmentally damaging agrochemical products. The objective of this study was to evaluate the interactions between four AMF (Glomus intraradices, Glomus mosseae, Glomus claroideum and Glomus constrictum) and Trichoderma harzianum for their effects on melon plant growth and biocontrol of Fusarium wilt in seedling nurseries. RESULTS: AMF colonisation decreased fresh plant weight, which was unaffected by the presence of T. harzianum. Dual inoculation resulted in a decrease in fresh weight compared with AMF‐inoculated plants, except for G. intraradices. AMF colonisation level varied with the AM endophyte and was increased by T. harzianum, except in G. mosseae‐inoculated plants. Negative effects of AMF on T. harzianum colony‐forming units were found, except with G. intraradices. AMF alone were less effective than T. harzianum in suppressing disease development. Combined inoculation resulted in a general synergistic effect on disease control. CONCLUSION: Selection of the appropriate AMF species and its combination with T. harzianum were significant both in the formation and effectiveness of AM symbiosis and the reduction of Fusarium wilt incidence in melon plants. The combination of G. intraradices and T. harzianum provided better results than any other tested. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Allogenic bone marrow transplantation in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome

Two males of 3 and 3 1/2 years of age with the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome who underwent bone marrow transplantation from an HLA compatible brother following conditioning treatment with busulphan and cyclophosphamide are described. In both patients the taking of the graft was proven by study of blood subgroups and correction of the immunodeficiency, normalization of platelet number and function and disappearance of cutaneous eczema were seen. At 3 and 1 year respectively of the transplantation the patients showed no evidence of graft versus host disease and no severe infections or hemorrhagic episodes have seen.     

Indoor radon levels in buildings in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura (Spain)

Indoor air samples taken in buildings throughout the provinces of Cáceres and Badajoz in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura, Spain, were analysed for airborne radon concentrations using charcoal canisters. Measurements were made during the years 1998-2000. The geometrical mean indoor concentration was 90 Bq m(-3). An estimated annual effective dose of 1.6 mSv y(-1) was calculated for residents, assuming an equilibrium factor of 0.4 and an occupancy factor of 0.8. The relative importance of the principal variables that condition radon concentrations inside buildings was also delimited experimentally. These were: soil type, construction materials used, the height of the room above ground level, and the degree of ventilation. The temporal evolution of the radon concentration was analysed, as this aspect could be particularly important in a Continental-Mediterranean climate such as that of the two provinces of the study.     

Method of Modulation and Sizing of Historic Architecture

Both the base duodecimal arithmetic and geometrical procedures derived from the diagonal of a square were recurrent resources in the design and construction of past architecture. The hypothesis of a double metric scale justifies the modulation size in buildings throughout a long historical period, using a simple and practical procedure whose fundamentals and characteristics are presented here. Validation by other researchers of the method proposed, would be a milestone in the history of the proportion of architecture, a step towards gaining knowledge of a common metric system used since ancient times in the construction of important buildings.     

An instrumentation based algorithm for stack overflow detection

Despite all the efforts made by the scientific community in terms of computer security, buffer overflow vulnerabilities continue being the biggest security flaw in applications, since they compromise the security of the system through memory corruption. To tackle this problem, there are different techniques based on the binary analysis of the application in question. With this objective in mind, the present paper proposes an algorithm based on the dynamic instrumentation of binaries, that is, dynamic local variables belonging to the functions of the program are detected, and a check is performed to see whether there is an overflow of memory between them. The results obtained show how the proposed algorithm is able to detect buffer overflow errors in the stack frames of a function.

     

The influence of familiarity,trust and norms of reciprocity on an experienced sense of community: an empirical analysis based on social online services

The growing use of social online services raises the question of what encourages members to participate actively and maintain accumulated social capital. Our research has particularly become aware of the relevance of familiarity, trust and reciprocity in understanding the members' sense of a virtual community (VC). Familiarity and trust are efficient criteria to assess and determine the extent to which one should engage in a virtual relationship. Furthermore, the effort of sharing experiences and knowledge must be based on the expectation of receiving certain returns. A structural equation modelling, specifically partial least squares, is proposed to assess the relationships between the constructs. Overall, the empirical results provided strong support for the hypotheses. Familiarity and trust lead the member to develop a growing perceived community support (PCS) and significantly influence the sense of a VC. Norms of reciprocity directly influence affective trust and PCS. Higher familiarity does not moderate the impact of affective trust on PCS, however. The results of this study could thus help social online service providers to create a successful business model and to determine the main drivers of the members' sense of a VC.