The high-order interference (HOI)-The interferogram introduced by polarization mode couplings (PMC) of multiple perturbations-Will cause misjudgment of the realistic coupling points in polarization-maintaining fiber (PMF) which is tested with a white light interferometer (WLI) with large dynamic range. We present an optical path tracking (OPT) method for simplifying the analysis of HOI, and dem...

Cells localize (polarize) internal components to specific locations in response to external signals such as spatial gradients. For example, yeast cells form a mating projection toward the source of mating pheromone. There are specific challenges associated with cell polarization including amplification of shallow external gradients of ligand to produce steep internal gradients of protein compon...

The process of sister chromatid pairing, or cohesion establishment, is coupled to DNA replication and fundamental to proper chromosome segregation and cell viability. In the past year, several articles have provided important new insights into cohesion establishment, an activity predicated on the acetyltransferase Ctf7/Eco1. Here, I review new findings that the conversion of chromatid-bound coh...

on-farm experiments were designed to investigate the response of maize establishment and grain yield to variation in tillage systems. the tillage treatments included arara ploughing followed by zig-zag harrowing and arara ridging (t1); emcot ploughing fol-lowed by zig-zag harrowing and emcot ridging (t2); mouldboard ploughing followed by disc harrowing and mouldboard ridging (t3); disc ploughin...

Background: Initiating a National Poisoning Information Centre (PIC) in Estonia took about 12 years of challenging work on research, training and attracting governmental support and funding. In this study we described the establishment process and the profile of phone calls in the first year which the PIC started to be available full time (24h/day 7days/week).  Methods: This was a descriptive ...

Evolutionary mechanisms that operate at multiple stages of invasions (e.g., transport, introduction, establishment) could profoundly affect the invasive success of populations. Evolution within the native range shapes the intrinsic properties of populations (e.g., plasticity, evolvability) in a manner that would dictate their response to novel environments. Confronted with a sudden introduction...

Microbial symbiosis is integral to plant growth and reproduction, but its contribution to global patterns of plant distribution is unknown. Legumes (Fabaceae) are a diverse and widely distributed plant family largely dependent on symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, which are acquired from soil after germination. This dependency is predicted to limit establishment in new geographic areas, o...