Ultrahigh-density nanowire lattices and circuits

We describe a general method for producing ultrahigh-density arrays of aligned metal and semiconductor nanowires and nanowire circuits. The technique is based on translating thin film growth thickness control into planar wire arrays. Nanowires were fabricated with diameters and pitches (center-to-center distances) as small as 8 nanometers and 16 nanometers, respectively. The nanowires have high aspect ratios (up to 10(6)), and the process can be carried out multiple times to produce simple circuits of crossed nanowires with a nanowire junction density in excess of 10(11) per square centimeter. The nanowires can also be used in nanomechanical devices; a high-frequency nanomechanical resonator is demonstrated.     

Multiple Ebola virus transmission events and rapid decline of central African wildlife

Several human and animal Ebola outbreaks have occurred over the past 4 years in Gabon and the Republic of Congo. The human outbreaks consisted of multiple simultaneous epidemics caused by different viral strains, and each epidemic resulted from the handling of a distinct gorilla, chimpanzee, or duiker carcass. These animal populations declined markedly during human Ebola outbreaks, apparently as a result of Ebola infection. Recovered carcasses were infected by a variety of Ebola strains, suggesting that Ebola outbreaks in great apes result from multiple virus introductions from the natural host. Surveillance of animal mortality may help to predict and prevent human Ebola outbreaks.     

A physical map of the 1-gigabase bread wheat chromosome 3B

As the staple food for 35% of the world's population, wheat is one of the most important crop species. To date, sequence-based tools to accelerate wheat improvement are lacking. As part of the international effort to sequence the 17-billion-base-pair hexaploid bread wheat genome (2n = 6x = 42 chromosomes), we constructed a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based integrated physical map of the largest chromosome, 3B, that alone is 995 megabases. A chromosome-specific BAC library was used to assemble 82% of the chromosome into 1036 contigs that were anchored with 1443 molecular markers, providing a major resource for genetic and genomic studies. This physical map establishes a template for the remaining wheat chromosomes and demonstrates the feasibility of constructing physical maps in large, complex, polyploid genomes with a chromosome-based approach.     

Frequent long-distance plant colonization in the changing Arctic

The ability of species to track their ecological niche after climate change is a major source of uncertainty in predicting their future distribution. By analyzing DNA fingerprinting (amplified fragment-length polymorphism) of nine plant species, we show that long-distance colonization of a remote arctic archipelago, Svalbard, has occurred repeatedly and from several source regions. Propagules are likely carried by wind and drifting sea ice. The genetic effect of restricted colonization was strongly correlated with the temperature requirements of the species, indicating that establishment limits distribution more than dispersal. Thus, it may be appropriate to assume unlimited dispersal when predicting long-term range shifts in the Arctic.     

Beyond occurrence: Body condition and stress hormone as integrative indicators of habitat availability and fragmentation in the common toad

Availability and fragmentation of habitat are today identified as key determinants of population maintenance. Disentangling their relative effects is of crucial importance to adequately manage landscapes. However, the classical use of occurrence or abundance data as proxy to assess the responses of populations could be insufficient to detect less drastic impacts than short-term population extinction. We evaluated the effects of both habitat availability and fragmentation at three spatial scales on both the occurrence and two “physiological state” indicators (body condition and level of stress hormone) reflecting the physical state of common toads (Bufo bufo). Our study showed that occurrence was negatively affected only by habitat availability at the largest spatial scale whereas the both physiological state indicators studied at the population scale are significantly altered by both habitat availability and fragmentation at the finest spatial scale. Results obtained with occurrence and physiological state approaches substantially diverge, which highlights the need to also investigate proximal processes to deeply understand how populations are threatened by landscape modifications. The use of physiological state indicators, particularly of body condition, powerful and easy to obtain, could be particularly relevant to detect early warnings of population decline allowing a management before extinction. Only a complete investigation of the potential impacts of landscape on the different population processes could offer a realistic picture of the requirements of populations to avoid drastic alterations.     

Adapting ecotoxicological tests based on earthworm behavior to assess the potential effectiveness of forest soil liming

Two laboratory experiments were carried out to determine the potential effects of lime application on the behavior of earthworms inoculated in an acidified forest soil from Vosges Mountains. Several field soils were studied: (i) a non-limed soil that had received decades of atmospheric acid depositions $({\text{pH}}_{{\text{H}}_2\text{O}}=3.9)$, (ii) an in situ limed soil that had been limed 6 years before at 2.5 t ha^?1 $({\text{pH}}_{{\text{H}}_2\text{O}}=4.2)$ and (iii) in vitro limed soils composed of non-limed soil mixed with several lime amounts in the laboratory corresponding to field rates of 1, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 t ha^?1. Firstly, we adapted the earthworm avoidance test (ISO, 2006) by using Eisenia fetida as the model organism and Lumbricus castaneus, a local species, to determine earthworm preference between non-limed and limed soils. Secondly, a cast production (CP) study was performed according to Capowiez et al. (2009) with Lumbricus terrestris, in seven different treatments (non-limed soil, in situ limed and five in vitro limed soils with pH from 5 to 6.3). Both species avoided the non-limed soil in favour of in situ and in vitro limed soils for both species. Results of the CP bioassay showed that the bioturbation behavior of L. terrestris significantly increased with the increase of soil pH, following a dose–response curve. However, in the long term (>6 years), the application of lime was insufficient to significantly improve soil conditions for enhancing earthworm activity. In conclusion, we may recommend this kind of earthworm laboratory tests with field soils to assess any changes in soil quality over time due to liming application.     

Diversity and fitness of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plasmopara viticola</Emphasis> isolates resistant to QoI fungicides

The effectiveness of Quinone outside Inhibitor (QoI) fungicides against grape downy mildew in European vineyards has significantly decreased in the last decade. One nucleotide polymorphism, G143A in the cytochrome b gene of Plasmopara viticola, is involved in resistance to QoIs. Previous genetic examination on the mitochondrial genomes showed four major haplotypes (IR, IS, IIR, IIS) coexisting in European vineyards. A resistant allele (G143A) was present in IR and IIR haplotypes. The purpose of the present study was to estimate the diversity of the different mitochondrial haplotypes and their distribution in QoI-resistant populations before evaluating the potential cost of the resistant mutation G143A in P. viticola population. From 2000 to 2004, the frequencies of resistant isolates ranged from 0% to 23.25% with an average of 4.64 % among the populations examined. To evaluate the fitness of sensitive and resistant isolates, a comparison of different biological parameters including latent period, spore production and infection frequency was performed, enabling a fitness index (F_I) to be determined. Resistant isolates exhibited greater infection frequency than sensitive isolates, whereas no significant difference was found in sporulation ability and latent period between sensitive and resistant isolates. To further investigate competitiveness among isolates, an assay including two resistant isolates in different proportion with a sensitive isolate was conducted on eight asexual growing cycles in the absence of a QoI fungicide. The competitiveness of resistant isolates varied according to their fitness parameters, suggesting that there is no noticeable cost of QoI resistance in controlled conditions in Plasmopara viticola.     

The metal — Metal interactions in biological systems Part III. Daphnia magna

The toxicity of single metal ions: Al, Co(II), Cr(III), Cu(II), Fe(III), Mg, Mn(II), Mo(VI), Ni(II), Se(VI), V(V) and Zn and the following pairs of them: Al-Co, Al-Mg, Al-Mo, Al-Se, Al-Zn, Cr-Co, Cr-Mg, Cr-Mo, Cr-Se, Cr-Zn, Cu-Co, Cu-Mg, Cu-Mo, Cu-Se, Cu-Zn, Fe-Co, Fe-Mg, Fe-Mo, Fe-Se, Fe-Zn, Mn-Co, Mn-Mg, Mn-Mo, Mn-Se, Mn-Zn, Ni-Co, Ni-Mg, Ni-Mo, Ni-Se, Ni-Zn, V-Co, V-Mg, V-Mo, V-Se, V-Zn, Zn-Co, Zn-Mg, Zn-Mo, and Zn-Se on Daphnia magna was examined. The most prominent antagonism in the toxicity was observed in the following ion pairs: Al-Mo(VI), Cr(III)-Co(II), Cr(III)-Mg, Cr(III)-Mo(VI), Cr(III)-Se(VI), Cr(III)-Zn, Fe(III)-Se(VI), Mn(II)-Mg, Mn(II-Se(VI), Zn-Mg and Zn-Mo(VI). The strong synergism was found for the following ion systems: Cr(III)-Se(VI), Cr(III)-Zn, Fe(III)-Se(VI), Mn(II)-Zn, Mn(II)-Se(VI), Ni(II)-Co(II), Ni(II)-Mo(VI), Ni(II)-Se(VI), Ni(II)-Zn, V(V)-Co(II), V(V)-Mo(VI), V(V)- Se(VI), and V(V)-Zn. Synergism and antagonism in toxicity were dependent on water hardness as well as on the ion concentration. Adaptive procesess of the animals to the toxic environment could also be observed. Thus, the toxicity of the single ions and their pairs was not linear with respect to time.