Transmission studies of Hendra virus (equine morbilli-virus) in fruit bats, horses and cats

Objective To determine the infectivity and transmissibility of Hendra virus (HeV). Design A disease transmission study using fruit bats, horses and cats. Procedure Eight grey-headed fruit bats (Pteropus poliocephalus) were inoculated and housed in contact with three uninfected bats and two uninfected horses. In a second exper iment, four horses were inoculated by subcutaneous injection and intranasal inoculation and housed in contact with three uninfected horses and six uninfected cats. In a third experi ment, 12 cats were inoculated and housed in contact with three uninfected horses. Two surviving horses were inoculated at the conclusion of the third experiment: the first orally and the second by nasal swabbing. All animals were necropsied and examined by gross and microscopic pathological methods, immunoperoxidase to detect viral antigen in formalin-fixed tissues, virus isolation was attempted on tissues and SNT and ELISA methods were used to detect HeV-specific antibody. Results Clinical disease was not observed in the fruit bats, although six of eight inoculated bats developed antibody against HeV, and two of six developed vascular lesions which contained viral antigen. The in-contact bats and horses did not seroconvert. Three of four horses that were inoculated devel oped acute disease, but in-contact horses and cats were not infected. In the third experiment, one of three in-contact horses contracted disease. At the time of necropsy, high titres of HeV were detected in the kidneys of six acutely infected horses, in the urine of four horses and the mouth of two, but not in the nasal cavities or tracheas. Conclusions Grey-headed fruit bats seroconvert and develop subclinical disease when inoculated with HeV. Horses can be infected by oronasal routes and can excrete HeV in urine and saliva. It is possible to transmit HeV from cats to horses. Transmission from P poliocephalus t o horses could not be proven and neither could transmission from horses to horses or horses to cats. Under the experimental conditions of the study the virus is not highly contagious.     

Triadimenol drenches and residues in tobacco seedbeds improve growth and disease control in transplants

Triadimenol residues in sandy and clay soils, following applications of up to 1 g/m² in previous seasons to tobacco seedlings 2 days before they were transplanted, had little effect on seedling emergence and growth. Residues were beneficial to transplants; they improved growth and controlled stem and root infection caused by Rhizoctonia solani and Fusarium solani. During the first 4 weeks after transplanting, stem infection was negatively correlated with log_e of the pre-sowing rate of triadimenol and with log_e of the soil concentration in seedbeds at pulling. Plant growth increased linearly according to the equation l/Y=a+b/(x-c), where Y = plant dry mass (g/plant), .x = triadimenol pre-sowing (mg/m²) and c= - 1 1, determined iteratively, r² = 0-94; P < 0.001. Triadimenol applications to bare soil increased the soil concentration by 1 μ/g per 50 mg/m² applied.     

Spatial stability of Avena sterilis ssp. ludoviciana populations under annual applications of low rates of imazamethabenz

Long‐term experiments were conducted in two winter barley fields in central Spain to determine the spatial stability of Avena sterilis ssp. ludoviciana populations under annual applications of low rates of imazamethabenz herbicide. Weed density was sampled every year (over 5 years in the first field and over 3 years in the second) on the same grid locations prior to herbicide application. Although weed patches were stable in their location, weed density decreased in most of the years. In the first field, the populations decreased exponentially over the 5‐year period. The rates of population decline were dependent on the initial density of the population, being higher for the central core of the patches and lower for the low‐density areas. Under the conditions present in this experiment, it was possible to reduce heavy weed patches (up to 1200 seedlings m^?2) down to relatively safe levels (18 seedlings m^?2) in a period of 3 years using a density‐specific control programme, applying low rates of herbicides when weed densities were below a given level (1000 seedlings m^?2). However, under adverse environmental conditions, half rates of the herbicide failed to control the weed populations adequately. The stability of the location of patches of A. sterilis ssp. ludoviciana suggest that weed seedling distributions mapped in one year are good predictors of future seedling distributions. However, the actual densities established each year will depend on the control level achieved the previous year and the climatic conditions present during the establishment period.     

Quantum statistical corrections to dynamic nuclear magnetic resonance

A quantum statistical treatment of the chemical exchange between molecular eigenstates or conformations revealed previously unsuspected dynamic terms in the spin Hamiltonian operator that describes fast exchange. These terms resulted from the effect of nuclear spin on rotational and vibrational relaxation. With the traditional theory, an interpretation of new carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance measurements of the chemical shift of methylcyclohexane in solution showed fast-exchange equilibrium constants that were inconsistent with the slow-exchange free-energy difference and were spread over a range of 30 percent for the various carbon-13 positions. Modeling of the new terms indicated that they have the correct magnitude and temperature dependence to reconcile these inconsistencies.     

Environmental conditions, satellite imagery, and clupeoid recruitment in the northern Benguela upwelling system

The relationship between oceanographic conditions and clupeoid (pilchard, Sardinops sagax, and anchovy, Engraulis capensis ) recruitment in the northern Benguela upwelling system was investigated from 1981 to 1987 using a time-series of mean weekly SST images. Two approaches were taken. The first involved correlating recruitment success with the number of weekly coastal `SST events' above various cut-off temperatures during the main reproductive season. The second involved constructing a multiple regression model of recruitment success with two independent environmental variables: namely, the number of coastal `SST events' greater than 19°C, and an onshore retention index for the early life-history stages. The retention index was derived from a spatial time-series analysis of the SST images using principal components analysis. In general, pilchard recruitment showed a positive relationship with the `number of SST events' whilst anchovy recruitment had a negative relationship; 1987 was an outlier year, during which there were exceptionally high levels of both pilchard and anchovy recruitment. The multiple regression R ² values were high and significant for both species (pilchard R ² = 0.88, anchovy R ² = 0.96). The regression model also accounted for the 1987 outlier according to levels of onshore retention which, despite low inshore SSTs, were particularly high during the 1986/87 reproductive season. Although these results need to be validated with data from a longer time period, they show how satellite data might be used for predicting clupeoid recruitment success in the northern Benguela.     

烟田杂草防除试验研究

采用5种地膜和2种除草剂进行烟田除草试验。结果金都尔地膜、玉溪除草膜、绿色除草地膜和黑色除草地膜相对于普通白膜而言,对单子叶的防除效果分别为93．22％,95．27％,95．42％,99．83％,对双子叶的防除效果分别为43．12％,52.20％,73.85％,77．27％。敌草胺2次施药的防效明显优于1次施药。不同除草膜对地温的作用存在差异性。     

Seasonal home range estimates and habitat selection of saugeye in a small warmwater impoundment

Abstract Saugeye, a hatchery‐produced hybrid of walleye, Sander vitreus (Mitchill), × sauger, Sander canadense (Griffith & Smith), is commonly stocked by several state fishery management agencies in the United States. Saugeye is a top‐level predator that can restructure fish communities and provide supplemental angling opportunities. However, there are few published studies explaining distributions and habitat selection of saugeye. This study determined seasonal home range estimates and habitat selection of saugeye in a small warmwater impoundment using ultrasonic telemetry. Seasons for this study were defined as winter, spawn, spring, summer and autumn. Mean home range estimates were greatest during spawn when water temperature increased from 7.5 to 15 °C and lowest in winter when water temperature decreased below 7.5 °C. Saugeye selected open water and mid‐water ledge habitat during each season, but rock/gravel shoreline was increasingly selected during winter and spawn. These results corroborate previous studies that suggest saugeye exhibit seasonal variation in distribution and habitat use patterns. Managers should consider distribution and habitat selection trends of saugeye when assessing stocks or determining whether to introduce the species in a small warmwater impoundment.