Measurement of Parity Nonconservation and an Anapole Moment in Cesium

The amplitude of the parity-nonconserving transition between the 6S and 7S states of cesium was precisely measured with the use of a spin-polarized atomic beam. This measurement gives Im(E1pnc)/beta = -1.5935(56) millivolts per centimeter and provides an improved test of the standard model at low energy, including a value for the S parameter of -1.3(3)exp (11)theory. The nuclear spin-dependent contribution was 0.077(11) millivolts per centimeter; this contribution is a manifestation of parity violation in atomic nuclei and is a measurement of the long-sought anapole moment.     

Communicating the risks of handling bats: analysing approaches used by Australian stakeholders in the context of Australian bat lyssavirus

Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) is a member of the Lyssavirus genus of the Rhabdoviridae family and is found in Australian bat species. It is of public health concern because of the rabies-like syndrome it causes in humans, resulting in government health and wildlife agencies using varied communication approaches to inform targeted audiences about zoonotic risks associated with handling bats. Despite these warnings, the number of reports of human-bat interactions remains high. This paper details a survey conducted to analyse the approaches utilised by a range of stakeholders to educate and communicate warnings to their target audiences. The survey focused on identifying the target audiences, communication methods used, along with the message frequency, content, and perceived effectiveness. Analysis of the top three messages delivered by stakeholders revealed that over half were information-focused messages and over a third, instruction-focused. Stakeholders identified the need to balance messaging about bat handling risks with information regarding the vulnerable status of bats and their environmental significance. Whilst the most common and (perceived) effective method of communication was one-on-one discussions, it was also identified to be ineffective for targeting mass audiences leading stakeholders to recognise the need to adapt to more efficient means of communication. The outcomes of this study may be useful to improve risk communication strategies regarding ABLV in Australia.     

Evidence for deep magma injection beneath Lake Tahoe, Nevada-California

A deep earthquake swarm in late 2003 at Lake Tahoe, California (Richter magnitude < 2.2; depth of 29 to 33 kilometers), was coeval with a transient displacement of 6 millimeters horizontally outward from the swarm and 8 millimeters upward measured at global positioning system station Slide Mountain (SLID) 18 kilometers to the northeast. During the first 23 days of the swarm, hypocentral depths migrated at a rate of 2.4 millimeters per second up-dip along a 40-square-kilometer structure striking north 30 degrees west and dipping 50 degrees to the northeast. SLID's transient velocity of 20 millimeters per year implies a lower bound of 200 nanostrains per year (parts per billion per year) on local strain rates, an order of magnitude greater than the 1996 to 2003 regional rate. The geodetic displacement is too large to be explained by the elastic strain from the cumulative seismic moment of the sequence, suggesting an aseismic forcing mechanism. Aspects of the swarm and SLID displacements are consistent with lower-crustal magma injection under Lake Tahoe.     

Germinaiton and Growth Response of Oaks to Soils Under Quercus ilexL．Coppices

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The use of echocardiography as a health assessment tool in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas)

There are limited techniques available to assess the health of sea turtles as physical examination has little correlation to clinical findings, and blood reference intervals are broad and provide limited prognostic significance. Advances in the portability of ultrasound machines allow echocardiography to be increasingly used in the health assessments of wild animals. This study performed blood analysis and echocardiograms on 11 green sea turtles upon admission to a rehabilitation clinic and six animals before release. Significant differences were seen between groups, with admission animals having significantly smaller diameters of the cavum arteriosum at systole and diastole, smaller E‐waves and an increased fractional shortening. Pre‐release animals displayed significant increases in the maximum blood velocities of both the pulmonary artery and the left aorta. Significant negative correlations were seen between fractional shortening and uric acid and between the velocity time integral of the pulmonary artery and urea. The pulmonary artery velocity time integral was also significantly correlated to the E wave. Furthermore, there was asynchrony between the cavum arteriosum and the cavum pulmonale and the detection of a parasitic granuloma in the ventricular outflow tract of one animal. Overall, the results suggest that cardiac function in stranded green sea turtles is significantly impaired and that echocardiography has applications in the health assessments of green sea turtles.     

Simulation of the economic impact of transmissible gastroenteritis on commercial pig production in Australia

A simulation model (AUSPIG) was used to predict the effect of an increase in piglet deaths, and a reduction in growth rate and an increase in feed conversion ratio of grower pigs on the profitability of two herds representative of the Australian pig industry caused by the introduction of transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGE) into those herds. For each herd, mortality rates for piglets under 1 week of age of 50% and 95% were assumed to represent a 'moderate' and a 'severe' outbreak, respectively. A reduction in net revenue of 70% was predicted to occur in the 6 months after a 'moderate' outbreak of TGE (100% for a 'severe' outbreak). This represents a total loss of between $260 and $330 per breeding sow in the 12 months after infection with the TGE virus. The likely financial impact of an outbreak of TGE on an Australian piggery is substantial and should be considered when addressing quarantine issues.     

Suppression of the humoral antibody response in natural retrovirus infections

The feline leukemia virus (FeLV) frequently causes death by predisposing the host to acute infections by other pathogens rather than by inducing leukemia. In a previous study, cats infected with FeLV were found to have prolonged homograft rejection responses but there was no evidence that the humoral immune response was impaired. In the present study, the humoral response to the synthetic multichain polypeptide (L-tyrosine-L-glutamic acid)-poly-DL-alanine-poly-L-lysine, denoted (T.G)AL, was found to be significantly depressed in healthy cats that were naturally infected with FeLV compared to uninfected controls. In cats with persistent FeLV viremia the major antibody response to (T.G)AL, normally seen at days 9 to 14 after immunization, was both delayed and greatly reduced.