Magnitude of shear stress on the san andreas fault: implications of a stress measurement profile at shallow depth

A profile of measurements of shear stress perpendicular to the San Andreas fault near Palmdale, California, shows a marked increase in stress with distance from the fault. The pattern suggests that shear stress on the fault increases slowly with depth and reaches a value on the order of the average stress released during earthquakes. This result has important implications for both long- and shortterm prediction of large earthquakes.     

Interplanetary dust: trace element analysis of individual particles by neutron activation

Although micrometeorites of cometary origin are thought to be the dominant component of interplanetary dust, it has never been possible to positively identify such micrometer-sized particles. Two such particles have been identified as definitely micrometeorites since their abundances of volatile and nonvolatile trace elements closely match those of primitive solar system material.     

Bees have rules

Honey bees frequently dance with some view of the sky, orienting themselves to the sun or natural patterns of polarized skylight. Three new conventions have been discovered in the dance language which are used in these circumstances to eliminate potential ambiguity in the dance message.     

The virus-vector relationship of the tomato leafcurl virus (TLCV) and its vector,Bemisia tabaci gennadius (Hemiptera: aleyrodidae)

Basic studies carried out in India showed that the incubation period of TLCV in plants varied from 8 days in August to 90 days in winter. The acquisition threshold for the whitefly,Bemisia tabaci Gen., was 31 min; it resulted in 3% transmission. An acquisition access of 24 h for a female whitefly on a TLCV source resulted in 30% transmission. A minimum feeding period of 32 min was required by a viruliferous whitefly to cause infection on tomato test plants; this gave 4% transmission. With inoculation access of 24 h on tomato test plants, the transmission rose to 24%. Starving the vector for 1 h pre-acquisition or 1 h pre-inoculation resulted in higher levels of transmission of TLCV: 36 and 40%, respectively, compared with 20% for non-starved whiteflies. Extending the fasting period beyond 1 h resulted in a reduced transmission level. The whiteflies could acquire the virus from the cotyledonary leaves of an infected tomato plant, with a resultant 28% transmission; but infection did not occur when the whiteflies had an inoculation access to such leaves. Higher transmission rates were obtained when the younger leaves on tomato plants were used for acquisition and inoculation. Transmission was 8 and 38% when five whiteflies per plant were allowed 24 h of acquisition access to 11- and 2-month-old virus sources, respectively. After an acquisition access of 24 h to a TLCV source, male and female whiteflies retained their infectivity for 5 and 53 days, respectively. Nymphs can acquire and transmit the virus. When ten whiteflies of each sex were given 24 h of acquisition and of inoculation access, the subsequent transmission rate of males and females was 56 and 86%, respectively. This virus is not transovarially transmitted. Whitefly colonies raised on brinjal were more efficient (70 and 84% transmission in two experiments) than those raised on chilli, cotton, cowpea, tobacco or tomato.     

Intussusception following renal transplantation in dogs (author's transl)]

In a consecutive and non-selected study of 54 kidney transplanted dogs, 12 cases of intussusception of the small intestine developed in 8 dogs. The patogenesis is still unknown. It has been postulated that the time of the operation (4--7 hours) and the segmental termination of the post-operative atony in the intestine are essential factors in this fatal complication. The last 16 dogs in this material were peroperatively treated with antikolinergics (Mestinon NFN), which was continued until normal function of the intestine. In these dogs there were no evidence of intussusception. The value of this profylaxis is open to discussion and it is essential to solve the problem of intussusception through a "blind" and controlled trial.     

Observation on the remarkable stability of transmissible mink encephalopathy virus.

Transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) virus retained biological activity after prolonged storage in formalin (about three and a half years) and in paraffin tissue blocks used for histologic preparations (about six and a half years). Thus, TME tissues in formalin and in paraffin blocks should be handled as contaminated materials.     

Determination of progesterone directly in milk fat as an improved method for fertility control in cattle

A simple and reliable method for the determination of progesterone in milk fat by radioimmunoassay has been developed. Application of the assay under field conditions has shown that all samples diagnosed " questionable" in the former milk progesterone test (MPT) could be characterized as positive or negative. Thus the total figure of animals daignosed correctly rose from 72.3% to 85.8%. The borderlines (ng progesterone / 10 mcl milk fat) set up for this assay were (1) pregnant and (1) nonpregnant (Day 20) and (.3) in estrus and (.3) not in estrus ( Day 0). Within the application for diagnosis of pregnancy, 81.4% were diagnosed correctly as pregnant while 96.3% were diagnosed correctly as not pregnant. The latter figure is somewhat lower than in the MPT (100%), but under the practical conditions the error lies within the range of false diagnosis due to problems with sample identification.