High Reversible Rate Research Articles

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em? How Sitting by Designation Affects Judicial Behavior

Judges, lawyers, and scholars have long decried the high reversal rate district judges face in patent cases. Many have suggested greater district court specialization as a solution, and Congress in 2011 enacted legislation to promote such specialization. In this paper, we investigate the impact of a novel measure of experience – whether a district court judge has sat by designation on a Federal Circuit panel in a patent claim construction appeal – on the likelihood a district judge’s subsequent claim constructions are reversed. Before sitting by designation, judges who later do so actually have a slightly higher claim construction reversal rate than judges who never do so. After sitting by designation, the reversal rate of district court judges on subsequent claim construction appeals decreases by 50 percent. This decrease is not fully explained by other measures of experience, including the number of prior patent cases or years on the bench. Nor is it fully explained by the timing of the appeal, the particular district court judge or various other characteristics of the patents, the parties and the litigation. Our results suggest a simple way to reduce the reversal rate in patent and perhaps other sorts of cases. However, our evidence suggests this increased agreement is due to increased Federal Circuit trust in the decisions of individual judges who have sat by designation and not increased district judge understanding of claim construction.

Synthesis and characterization of nano-V2O5 by flame spray pyrolysis, and its cathodic performance in Li-ion rechargeable batteries

Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nano-particles have been synthesized by flame spray pyrolysis method to investigate their cathodic performance in Li-ion rechargeable batteries. They were characterized by surface area (Brunauer–Emmett–Teller, BET method), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectrometry (TEM–EDS), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. Spherical, crystalline (orthorhombic) nano-V2O5 particles were produced. The electrochemical tests, including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and ac impedance spectroscopy (IS), were performed to obtain the reversibility and conductivity kinetic parameters. From IS measurements, nano film conductivity was found to be 2.42×10−6Scm−1, which is 10-fold higher than the commercial micro-particle V2O5 counterparts. From spectra, it was also found that the interfacial resistance became stable after 7200s. The impedance results indicated that the rate of reaction at the interphase was controlled by both charge transfer and diffusion processes. The cyclic voltammogram showed high reversibility rate and low polarization.

Resistance selection, mechanism and stability of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to methoxyfenozide

Methoxyfenozide belongs to a group of biorational insecticides known as insect growth regulators which is used in the control lepidopteran insect pests. Here we report a field collected population of Spodoptera litura selected with methoxyfenozide for thirteen consecutive generations resulted in the development of 83.24 and 2358.6-fold resistance to methoxyfenozide as compared to parental field population and susceptible laboratory population, respectively. The outcomes of synergism studies revealed methoxyfenozide resistance in S. litura to be monooxygenases (MO) mediated with high synergistic ratio (4.83) with piperonyl butoxide (PBO), while S,S,S-tributyl phosphorotrithioate (DEF) showed no synergism with methoxyfenozide (SR=1). This methoxyfenozide resistant strain showed a high cross resistance to deltamethrin (28.82), abamectin (12.87) and little to emamectin benzoate (2.36), however no cross resistance of methoxyfenozide and other tested insecticides was recorded. The results depicted the methoxyfenozide resistance in S. litura to be unstable with high reversion rate which decreased from 2358.6 to 163.9-fold (as compared to susceptible strain) when reared for five generations without any insecticidal exposure. The present research supports the significance of MO-mediated metabolism in resistance to methoxyfenozide, which demands some tactics to tackle this problem. The resistance against methoxyfenozide in S. litura can be overcome by switching off its use for few generations or insecticides rotation having different mode of action.

Selection, mechanism, cross resistance and stability of spinosad resistance in Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Spodoptera litura is one of the most destructive pests in Pakistan and in many other regions of the world. A field collected population of S. litura was selected with spinosad for eleven generations under controlled laboratory conditions to study the cross resistance, mechanism and stability of spinosad resistance in S. litura. The resistance to spinosad in S. litura increased 3921-fold (after eleven generations of selection with spinosad) as compared to a susceptible population of S. litura. No cross resistance between spinosad and emamectin benzoate, methoxyfenozide, fipronil, indoxacarb, profenofos, lufenuron or deltamethrin was found in the spinosad-selected population of S. litura. To find the possible mechanism of spinosad resistance in S. litura two synergists, Piperonyl butoxide (PBO), S, S, S-tributyl phosphorotrithioate (DEF) were tested on the susceptible and resistant strains and on the un-selected field population. The values of the synergism ratios of PBO and DEF were 2.33 and 1.06 for the spinosad-selected strain, 1.36 and 1.06 for the un-selected field population and 1.14 and 1.00 for the susceptible strain, respectively. As high PBO ratio indicates the role of microsomal O-demethylase in causing spinosad resistance in S. litura. The spinosad-resistant and field populations of S. litura were reared without any selection pressure from the 12th to the 16th generation (G12–G16). The spinosad resistance decreased from 3921 to 678-fold in the spinosad-resistant population and from 31.1 to 15.1-fold in the un-selected population of S. litura as compared to the susceptible strain. Spinosad resistance in S. litura has a high reversion rate (−0.15) which indicates that spinosad resistance in S. litura is unstable and can be easily managed by switching off the selection pressure for a few generations or alternating with insecticides having different modes of action.

Enhanced rate performance of molybdenum-doped spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathode materials for lithium ion battery

The Mo-doped LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 cathodes are successfully synthesized by citric acid-assisted sol–gel method. The result demonstrates that the Mo-doped LiMn1.4Ni0.55Mo0.05O4 cathodes present the improved electrochemical performance over pristine LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4. At the 2 C rate after 80 cycles, the discharge capacities are 68.5 mAh g−1 for the pristine LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 material (53.9% of the capacity at 0.1 C), 107.4 mAh g−1 for the LiMn1.425Ni0.5Mo0.05O4 material (82.1% at 0.1 C), and 122.7 mAh g−1 for the LiMn1.4Ni0.55Mo0.05O4 material (90.5% at 0.1 C). Mo-doping is favorable for reducing the electrode polarization, suggesting that Mo-doped LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 electrodes have faster lithium insertion/extraction kinetics during cycling. Mo-doped LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 electrodes show lower charge-transfer resistance and higher lithium diffusion coefficients. In addition, LiMn1.4Ni0.55Mo0.05O4 cathode exhibits the smallest particle size, the lowest charge-transfer resistance and the highest lithium diffusion coefficient among all samples, indicating that it has a high reversibility and good rate capability.

Nano Dimensionality: A Way towards Better Li-Ion Storage

Nanodimensional materials such as transition metal oxides, polyanionic based materials and metal fluorides can be used as cathode while metal nanoparticles, alloys and metal oxides are preferred as anode for next-generation lithiumion batteries (LIBs) in order to obtain high reversible capacity, rate capability, safety, and longer cycle life. These nanomaterials can offer relatively short ionic and electronic pathways which leads to better transportation of both lithium ions and electrons to the particles core. This article emphasize on the effect of nanodimension on the electrochemical performance of cathode and anode materials. Their synthesis processes, electrochemical properties and electrode reaction mechanisms are briefly discussed and summarized. Furthermore, the article highlights recent past scientific works and new progresses in the field of LIBs. It also highlights the direction to overcome the existing issues of current lithium storage technology. In future, we may overcome all the existing issues of LIBs and can deliver excellent cathode and anode combinations to fulfill maximum practical efficiency with low cost and ultimate safety for high end applications. Keywords: Anode, cathode, lithium-ion battery, nanodimension, nanomaterials.

The effect of introducing IGRA to screen French healthcare workers for tuberculosis and potential conclusions for the work organisation.

IntroductionIn France, pre-employment screening for tuberculosis (TB) is performed for healthcare workers (HCW). Screening is repeated when exposure to TB patients or infectious material occurs. The results of these TB screenings were analysed in a retrospective analysis.MethodTuberculin skin tests (TST) and interferon-gamma release assays (QuantiFERON® Gold In-Tube – QFT) were used to perform the TB screenings. The screening results of 637 HCWs on whom QFT was performed were taken from the records of the University Hospital of Nantes.ResultsIn three (0.5%) HCW, the QFT was indeterminate. In 22.2%, the QFT was positive. A second QFT was performed in 118 HCWs. The reversion rate was 42% (5 out of 17). The conversion rate was 6% (6 out of 98). A TST was performed on 466 (73.5%) of the HCWs. Results for TST > 10 mm were 77.4%. In those with a TST < 10 mm, QFT was positive in 14% and in those with a TST ≥ 10 mm, QFT was positive in 26.7%. Depending on the definition for conversion in the QFT, the annual attack rate was 4.1% or 7.3%. X-ray and pneumology consultation was based on positive QFT rather than TST alone (52 out of 56). No active TB was detected.ConclusionThe TST overestimated the prevalence of LTBI in this cohort. The decision about X-ray and consultation regarding preventive treatment should be based on the QFT rather than the TST results. The high reversion rate should be taken into consideration when consulting with HCWs regarding preventive treatment. The high conversion rate seems to indicate that preventive measures such as wearing masks should be improved.

SnO2–MnO2–SnO2 sandwich-structured nanotubes as high-performance anodes of lithium ion battery

SnO2–MnO2–SnO2 sandwich-structured nanotubes are synthesized by uniformly coating SnO2 nanoparticles on both the inner and outer walls of α-MnO2 nanotubes via a simple wet-chemical route. As the anodes of lithium ion batteries, SnO2–MnO2–SnO2 sandwich-structured nanotubes exhibit high reversible capacity, cyclability and rate capability. The reversible capacity of the nanocomposites is 847.5mAh/g and retains 716.0mAh/g after 50 cycles, which is higher than that of α-MnO2 or SnO2. At 20C rate, SnO2–MnO2–SnO2 sandwich-structured nanotubes can deliver a capacity of 224.2mAh/g. Such excellent performances can be attributed to the synergistic effect and the tubular nanostructures. Our results imply that one-dimensional sandwich-structured nanocomposites have potential applications in lithium ion batteries.

Carbon buffered-transition metal oxidenanoparticle–graphene hybrid nanosheets as high-performance anode materials for lithium ion batteries

In this article, we report a simple and general method for the synthesis of carbon buffered-metal oxidenanoparticle (NP)–graphene hybrid 2D nanosheets, which include C-SnO2–rGO and C-Fe2O3–rGO nanosheets. For the preparation of these anodes, tannic acid (TA), a kind of polyphenol extracted from plants, was used as a dispersing agent to introduce a metal precursor on the surface of rGO, and the metal precursor was subsequently converted to the corresponding metal oxide NPs by thermal annealing in a vacuum. During the thermal annealing process, TA was decomposed to form carbon materials, which acted as a buffering matrix to effectively suppress the aggregation and pulverization of the active NPs during the electrochemical performances. It is found that the as-prepared C-SnO2–rGO and C-Fe2O3–rGO nanosheets both exhibited high reversible capacity and rate capability. After 100 discharge/charge cycles, the C-SnO2–rGO nanosheet delivered the reversible capacity of 633.2 mA h g−1 at a current density of 200 mA g−1 with extremely low capacity fading (0.32 mA h g−1 per cycle), and it can deliver discharge capacities of 641.3, 526.5, 452.7, 408.1 and 379.5 mA h g−1 in the 10th cycle at current densities of 200, 400, 800, 1200 and 1600 mA g−1, respectively. Upon return to a cycling rate of 200 mA g−1, the C-SnO2–rGO can maintain a specific capacity of 607.0 mA h g−1 even after 35 cycles. As for the C-Fe2O3–rGO nanosheet, it can deliver 504.1 mA h g−1 at a current density of 500 mA g−1 after 100 cycles, and the corresponding discharge capacities in the 10th cycle at current densities of 1000, 1500 and 2000 mA g−1 are 365.9, 319.0 and 288.6 mA h g−1, respectively.

TiO2 nanocrystal embedded ordered mesoporous carbons as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries with highly reversible capacity and rate performance

The ordered mesoporous carbon/TiO2 (OMCT) nanocomposites with TiO2 nanocrystals embedded within ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) were prepared by a simple solvothermal method. The effect of TiO2 nanoparticle incorporation in OMC matrix on the mesoporous structure, pore size, pore volume, surface area and microstructure of OMCT composites was investigated using X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption–desorption and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The electrochemical lithium storage capacities of OMCT composites with different incorporated TiO2 nanoparticles are comparatively investigated using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge–discharge techniques. It is suggested that the OMCT composites as anode materials for lithium ion batteries display a greatly improved electrochemical performance with high reversible capacity, coulombic efficiency, rate capability and cycling performance. As an anode electrode for Li-ion battery, OMCT15 composite with an incorporated TiO2 nanocrystal content possesses a high reversible capacity of 540.9 mA h g−1 even up to 60 cycles at a high current density of 100 mA g−1, with a stable coulombic efficiency of 98% and good rate capability. Especially at the current density of 1600 mA g−1 after 50 cycles, the reversible capacity of the OMCT15 remains at a value of 260 mA h g−1, 5 times that of the OMC (48.9 mA h g−1) and 21 times that of the pure TiO2 (12.4 mA h g−1) electrodes, respectively. The improved electrochemical lithium storage performance of high reversible capacity, coulombic efficiency, rate performance and cycling ability can be mainly attributed to the synergic effects between the TiO2 nanoparticles and the three dimensional OMC matrices.

Immobilization of plant polyphenol stabilized-Sn nanoparticles onto carbon nanotubes and their application in rechargeable lithium ion batteries

We report a simple and facile route for preparing nano-Sn–C composite anodes by immobilizing plant polyphenol stabilized-Sn nanoparticles onto carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The as-prepared nano-Sn–CNTs were used as high performance anode materials in lithium ion batteries, which exhibited high reversible capacity and rate capability.

From &lt;i&gt;De Novo&lt;/i&gt; Review to Informal Deference: An Historical, Empirical, and Normative Analysis of the Standard of Appellate Review for Patent Claim Construction

Patent scope plays a central role in the operation of the patent system, making patent claim construction a critical aspect of just about every patent litigation. With the resurgence of patent jury trials in the 1980s, the allocation of responsibility for interpreting patent claims between trial judge and jury emerged as a salient issue. While the Supreme Court’s Markman decision usefully removed claim construction from the black box of jury deliberations notwithstanding its mongrel mixed fact/law character, the Federal Circuit's adherence to the view that claim construction is a pure question of law subject to de novo appellate review produced an unusually high reversal rate, distorting the evidentiary foundation of claim construction determinations, delaying settlement of patent cases, running up litigation costs, and turning appellate review of nearly every patent case into re-litigation of patent claim terms.In 2004, the Federal Circuit undertook to reassess this regime in the Phillips case. The majority en banc opinion largely stayed the course. Indeed, the empirical studies to have emerged since Phillips suggest that not much has changed, finding that the reversal rate remained high and that the Federal Circuit's analytical framework remained largely unchanged. This article presents the results of a comprehensive empirical analysis of the Federal Circuit's claim construction jurisprudence from 2000 through 2011. In contrast to prior analyses, we find that the claim construction reversal rate has dropped precipitously since the Phillips decision from 37.6% to 23.8% on a per claim term basis. Reversal rates have fallen for all members of the Federal Circuit and across all technology fields except business methods. During 2011, the average reversal rate dipped to 17%.This does not mean, however, that the problems of de novo review have been adequately resolved. So long as the Federal Circuit clings to the view that claim construction is a question of law subject to de novo review, district courts will downplay their resort to experts and fact-finding in managing claim construction. This will undermine the quality of adjudication and appellate review by failing to elicit relevant evidence and perpetuating opaque analysis and reasoning. We propose a mongrel standard of appellate review of claim construction decisions that better reflects the comparative strengths of trial judges in determining how skilled artisans understand patent claim terms. Formal recognition of this more deferential standard promises to improve the quality of claim construction at the trial court level while improving transparency and encouraging earlier settlement of patent disputes.

An investigation of the relationship between the driving behavior questionnaire and objective measures of highway driving behavior

The Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ) is a well-documented instrument for obtaining self-report information on aberrant driving behaviors. The DBQ contains three subscales to capture different aspects of driver behavior: errors, lapses and violations. Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between DBQ scores and retrospective and prospective crash involvement. There is little or no published information, however, on the relationship between DBQ scores and actual driving behavior that may bear some relationship to crash risk. The present study focuses on the relationship between DBQ subscales and observed highway driving behaviors. A sample of 108 drivers in self-reported good health and with a safe recent driving history was balanced by gender across three age groups (20–29, 40–49, 60–69). Prior to driving, participants completed a 24-item U.S. version of the DBQ. The relationships between subscales of the DBQ and driving behavior were examined. The results indicated that drivers with high violations scores drove faster, had poorer lateral control, changed lanes more frequently, spent more time in the left lane, and had more sudden unidirectional accelerations. High lapses scores were related to high steering wheel reversal rates and less consistent throttle control. No main effects were observed between errors scores and any of the driving behavior measures. The magnitude of the relationships observed here are likely conservative because drivers involved in accidents in the past year were excluded.

82nd Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid AssociationMEETING ABSTRACTS &amp; PROGRAM

82nd Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid AssociationMEETING ABSTRACTS &amp; PROGRAM

Do 'Fuzzy' Software Patent Boundaries Explain High Claim Construction Reversal Rates?

Bessen and Meurer (2008) theorize that a breakdown in notice of patent boundaries caused the patent litigation surge of the 1990s. They argue a prime source of this breakdown was the proliferation of software patents with particularly uncertain scope. In this paper I seek evidence that software patent scope is more uncertain by extending the empirical literature on claim construction reversal rates to determine whether the Federal Circuit has been more likely to find error in district court construction of software patents. Not only do I find that it has, since 2002 software patents account for forty percent of the difference between the Federal Circuit’s high claim construction reversal rate and its lower average reversal rate on all other patent issues. These results are cause for optimism because, in general, the application of existing claim construction law has been more predictable than many have feared. However, that optimism does not extend to software claim construction, which remains highly unpredictable.

Hierarchical nanostructure CuO with peach kernel-like morphology as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

Copper oxide particles with different morphology (flower-like, peach kernel-like, and dandelion-like) are prepared with hydrothermal method by adjusting chitosan ((C6H11NO4)n) concentration in aqueous mixed solutions of ammonia and Cu(NO3)2. Various morphologies of porous cupric oxide (CuO) particles are formed by agglomerated nanosheet primary particles and lead to different electrochemical performance of electrodes. The peach kernel-shaped CuO exhibits high reversible capacity and rate capability. The reversible capacity is 722.7 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C in the first cycle and 339 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles at 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 C ratio. The higher reversible capacities and good cycling performance are attributed to the larger specific surface area, leading to better contact between CuO and electrolyte.

The Natural History of Subclinical Hypothyroidism in the Elderly: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Studies of long-term outcomes of subclinical hypothyroidism have assessed only baseline thyroid function, despite natural transitions to euthyroidism and overt hypothyroidism over time. We provide estimates of persistence, resolution, and progression of subclinical hypothyroidism over 4 yr, stratified by baseline TSH, anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) status, age, and sex. Participants were 3996 U.S. individuals at least 65 yr old enrolled in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Subclinical hypothyroidism was detected at baseline in 459 individuals not taking thyroid medication. Thyroid function was evaluated at 2 and 4 yr and initiation of thyroid medication annually. Results were stratified by baseline TSH, TPOAb status, age, and sex. Persistence of subclinical hypothyroidism was 56% at 2 and 4 yr. At 2 yr, resolution was more common with a TSH of 4.5-6.9 mU/liter (46 vs. 10% with TSH 7-9.9 mU/liter and 7% with TSH ≥10 mU/liter; P < 0.001) and with TPOAb negativity (48 vs. 15% for positive; P < 0.001). Higher TSH and TPOAb positivity were independently associated with lower likelihood of reversion to euthyroidism (P < 0.05). TSH of 10 mU/liter or higher was independently associated with progression to overt hypothyroidism (P < 0.05). Transitions between euthyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism were common between 2 and 4 yr. Age and sex did not affect transitions. Subclinical hypothyroidism persists for 4 yr in just over half of older individuals, with high rates of reversion to euthyroidism in individuals with lower TSH concentrations and TPOAb negativity. Future studies should examine the impact of transitions in thyroid status on clinical outcomes.

Facile and Low‐Cost Synthesis of Large‐Area Pure V2O5 Nanosheets for High‐Capacity and High‐Rate Lithium Storage over a Wide Temperature Range

AbstractOne of the great challenges in the development of next‐generation lithium ion batteries is to simultaneously achieve high power and large energy capacity. Herein, large‐area pure V2O5 nanosheets are successfully synthesized by a novel and facile dissolution–splitting method using low‐cost raw materials. The as‐prepared product exhibits enhanced lithium storage properties including high reversible capacity (290 mAh g−1), good cycling and rate performance (144 mAh g−1 at 10 C and 95 mAh g−1 at 20 C), which can deliver a high power density of 15.6 kW kg−1 while the energy density remains as high as 260 Wh kg−1. At low temperatures of 0 and −20 oC, the V2O5 nanosheets can still deliver high capacities of 184 and 158 mAh g−1 at 1 C, respectively, and also exhibit excellent cycling stability.

Interferon-gamma release assays for the tuberculosis serial testing of health care workers: a systematic review

BackgroundInterferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) are increasingly used in the tuberculosis (TB) screening of health care workers (HCWs). However, comparatively high rates of conversions and reversion as well as growing evidence of substantial within-subject variability of interferon-gamma responses complicate their interpretation in the serial testing of HCWs.MethodsWe conducted a systematic review on the repeat use of the two commercial IGRAs, the QuantiFERON-TB Gold or In-Tube version (QFT) and the T-SPOT.TB (T-SPOT), in the serial testing and its with-subject variability among HCWs in order to provide guidance on how to interpret serial testing results in the context of the periodic screening of subjects with an increased occupational risk of latent TB infection (LTBI) in countries with low and intermediate TB incidence rates. The Medline, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched without restrictions. Retrieved articles were complemented by additional hand searched records. Only studies that used commercial IGRAs among HCWs apart from contact and outbreak investigations and those fulfilling further predefined criteria were included.ResultsOverall, 20 studies, five using the T-SPOT and 19 using the QFT assay, were included. Fifteen studies met eligibility criteria for serial testing and five studies for within-subject variability. Irrespective of TB incidence rates in the study’s country of origin, reversion rates were consistently higher than conversion rates (range 22–71% vs. 1–14%). Subjects with baseline results around the diagnostic threshold were more likely to show inconsistent results on retesting. The within-subject variability of interferon-gamma responses was considerable across all studies systematically assessing it.ConclusionsOn the basis of reviewed studies we advocate using a borderline zone from 0.2–0.7 IU/ml for the interpretation of repeat QFT results in the routine screening of HCWs with an increased LTBI risk. Subjects with QFT results within this borderline zone, with suspected fresh infection, and those who are considered for preventive chemotherapy should be retested with the QFT within a period of about four weeks before preventive chemotherapy is recommended. However, the available data regarding the use of the T-SPOT in the serial testing of HCWs is remarkably limited and warrants further research.

Co-evolution with lytic phage selects for the mucoid phenotype of Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25

The effects of co-evolution with lytic phage on bacterial virulence-related traits are largely unknown. In this study we investigate the incidence of the mucoid phenotype of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 in response to co-evolution with the lytic phage phi2 (φ2). The mucoid phenotype of Pseudomonas spp. is due to overproduction of alginate and is a considerable virulence factor contributing to the intractability of infections most notably in cystic fibrosis (CF) lung, but also in pathogenic infections of plants. Our data show that this phenotype can evolve as an adaptive response to phage predation and is favoured under specific abiotic conditions, in particular a homogenous spatial structure and a high rate of nutrient replacement. The mucoid phenotype remains partially sensitive to phage infection, which facilitates 'apparent competition' with phage-sensitive competitors, partially offsetting the costs of alginate production. Although P. fluorescens SBW25 is not a pathogen, several key characteristics typical of Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolates from CF lung were noted, including loss of motility on mucoid conversion and a high rate of spontaneous reversion to the wild-type phenotype. Although the genetic mechanisms of this phenotype remain unknown, they do not include mutations at many of the commonly reported loci implicated in mucoid conversion, including mucA and algU. These data not only further our understanding of the potential role phage have in the ecology and evolution of bacteria virulence in both natural and clinical settings, but also highlight the need to consider both biotic and abiotic variables if bacteriophages are to be used therapeutically.