Cerebral vein thrombosis, also called superior sagittal sinus thrombosis, is a well recognized clinical and radiologic entity associated with a variety of medical disorders. We report a patient with fatal cerebral vein thrombosis following myelography, in whom the cause was familial antithrombin III (AT3) deficiency. Unsuspected AT3 deficiency should be considered in cases of unexplained cerebral venous thromboses.

We propose a novel concept of optical detection of thermal neutrons in a passive device that exploits transmutation of Dy-164, a dominant, naturally occurring isotope of dysprosium, into a stable isotope of either holmium Ho-165 or erbium Er-166. Combination of the high thermal neutron capture cross section of ~2,650 barns and transmutation into two other lanthanides makes Dy-164 a very attractive alternative to traditional methods of neutron detection that will be completely insensitive to gamma irradiation, thus reducing greatly the likelihood of false alarms. The optically enabled neutron detection relies on significant differences in optical properties of Dy, Ho, and Er that are not sensitive to a particular isotope, but change considerably from one element to another. While the concept applies equally well to bulk materials and to nanocrystals, nanocrystalline approach is much more attractive due to its significantly lower cost, relative ease of colloidal synthesis of high quality nanocrystals (NCs), and superior optical and mechanical properties of NCs compared to their bulk counterparts. We report on colloidal synthesis of DyF3 NCs, both doped and undoped with Ho and co-doped with Ce and Eu to enhance their optical properties. We also report on DyF3:10%Ce and DyF3:10%Eu NCs irradiated with thermal neutrons from a Cf-252 source and their optical characterization.

The Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) is listed as a threatened subspecies under the United States Endangered Species Act (US-ESA). The quantitative description of this subspecies was based on cranial measurements of only three adult specimens. It is one of twelve subspecies of Z. hudsonius and is a peripheral population at the western edge of its range. We tested the uniqueness of Z. h. preblei relative to other nearby subspecies of Z. hudsonius using a hypothesis testing approach and analyses of cranial morphometric, mtDNA sequence and nuclear microsatellite data obtained from museum specimens and archived tissues. Morphometric analysis of variance did not support the original description of Z. h. preblei as a subspecies. Principal component analysis of these data showed Z. h. preblei within the range of variation found in Z. h. campestris and Z. h. intermedius. Discriminant analysis correctly classified only 42% of Z. h. preblei skulls at jackknifed posterior probabilities >0.95 relative to Z. h. campestris. All mtDNA haplotypes found in Z. h. preblei were also found in Z. h. campestris. Simulation based estimates of current and historical gene flow (MDIV) revealed low, but non-zero, mtDNA gene flow among Z. h. preblei and several nearby subspecies. Analyses of five nuclear microsatellite loci using population pairwise FST, BAPS and STRUCTURE were consistent with morphometric and mtDNA results. These revealed low levels of genetic structure and evidence of recent gene flow and bottlenecks in Z. h. preblei. Due to a lack of clearly recognisable genetic, morphological, or adaptive differences, we synonymise Z. h. preblei and Z. h. intermedius with Z. h. campestris. We suggest that candidates for listing under the US-ESA, or similar biodiversity laws, be evaluated for genetic and/or morphological uniqueness to prevent the misallocation of resources to non-distinct taxa like Z. h. preblei.

Determination of the variation of absolute and relative electron-excited x-ray production rates as a function of electron beam energy and sample atomic number is necessary for calculation of the "stopping power" atomic number correction and the relative amount of characteristic fluorescence and for development of “standardless” and Monte Carlo algorithms for quantitative x-ray analysis. Critical to the calculation of x-ray production rates is an accurate expression for the inner shell electron ionization cross section. A large number of expressions have been proposed for the relative x-ray production rates (used in the fluorescence correction)1 and for the ionization cross section used in the atomic number correction, and these yield quite different results. In order to evaluate which expressions gave the most accurate results when applied to quantitative x-ray emission measurements, we performed a series of high precision measurements of x-ray intensities as a function of electron beam accelerating potential for a series of pure element and simple oxide, phosphide, sulfide, and chloride standards for 65 elements ranging in Z from C to U

Findings from the first two years of a long-term study of conifer log decomposition are presented. Log decomposition is regulated by the physical and chemical states, and development of decomposer foodwebs. The functional group with the greatest initial effect on the log is the channelisers, represented in our study by ambrosia and bark beetles. They not only create multitudes of channels into the logs but vector the initial decomposer community. Ambrosia beetles exclude certain elements of the decomposer community from channels until they vacate the log, at the end of their reproductive phase. The foodweb during the early stages of decomposition includes nitrogen-fixing and other bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, and arthropods. Seasonal fluctuations of temperature and moisture are hypothesised to work in tandem to modulate the activities of the decomposer community.