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.     

Spirometra erinacei / S. erinaceieuropaei in a feral cat in Manawatu with chronic intermittent diarrhoea

CASE HISTORY: A feral cat captured in the Manawatu region of New Zealand was treated for worms and fleas, and kept confined in a metabolic cage. It showed good appetite and weight gain but had intermittent watery, yellow diarrhoea.

CLINICAL FINDINGS: Clinical examination under sedation was unremarkable and routine blood tests showed no significant abnormalities. The cat was negative for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV). Different canned cat foods did not alter the course of the diarrhoea, and the cat was euthanised 6 months after capture. At necropsy, two sections of adult Spirometra tapeworms were found in the jejunum and typical Spirometra eggs were found in colonic contents. Molecular identification of the parasite was undertaken, using the cytochrome- c oxidase subunit-1 gene (cox1) sequence.

DIAGNOSIS: Chronic intermittent diarrhoea associated with Spirometra erinacei / S. erinaceieuropaei infection.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Spirometra has not been reported in New Zealand before but has been associated with gastrointestinal disease in cats in other parts of the world. It requires speciestargeted treatment to be eliminated effectively, and is zoonotic. Diagnosis could be diffi cult for clinicians who are not familiar with the parasite and its life cycle.     

A rapid method for predicting the lime requirement of acidic temperate soils with widely varying organic matter contents. II. Testing the lime requirement model

A model for predicting lime requirement (Bailey et al. , 1989) was tested using data from independent liming experiments on soils from Northern Ireland and New Zealand. Lime requirements predicted by the model were also compared with those obtained by the methods currently used by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland and by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in England and Wales.
The model predicted lime requirement precisely for the independent set of soils from Northern Ireland, and was as reliable at predicting lime requirement for New Zealand soils as the best of seven other quick-test methods. The model was more reliable at predicting lime requirement for soils from Northern Ireland than the method currently used by the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, and appeared to be as reliable as the method used by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in England and Wales.     

Soil Solution Chemistry and Throughfall Under Adjacent Stands of Japanese Larch and Sitka Spruce at Three Contrasting Locations in Britain

Soil solution and throughfall chemistry were investigated inadjacent stands of Japanese larch and Sitka spruce at threesites in Britain. Throughfall was collected in open funnel collectorsand soil solution was collected using tensionless tray lysimetersat the base of the H horizon and ceramic cup suction samplersat the base of the B horizon. Sampling took place fortnightlyfor 14 months and samples were analysed for the major ions anddissolved organic carbon. Most ions were present in higher concentrationsunder spruce than larch. Most notably under the spruce at allsites SO₄ in throughfall and NO₃ Ca and Al in the B horizonwere present in greater concentrations. However there were notrends in fortnightly concentrations of any ion, associatedwith the presence and absence of needles on the larch. Whensolutes are expressed as fluxes the only consistent effect ofspecies on the B horizon is higher quantities of NO₃ and NH₄under spruce. The study suggests that in areas exposed to atmosphericpollution, thinned stands of larch could have a beneficial rolerelative to Sitka spruce, in the maintenance of low acidityand aluminium concentrations in drainage water.     

Pharmacokinetics of hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier hemoglobin-glutamer-200 bovine (oxyglobin) in the horse

Oxyglobin (OXY) is a hemoglobin‐based oxygen carrier (HBOC) made of glutaraldehyde‐polymerized bovine hemoglobin (bHb). Products similar to OXY are under development for use as temporary blood substitutes in trauma, shock and anemia. Since they all may increase blood O₂‐carrying capacity and thus, possibly tissue oxygenation, they may also be used to enhance performance of both equine and human athletes. That is why HBOCs are banned from use in athletic competition. Our goal was to determine the pharmacokinetics of OXY after intravenous (IV) infusion to horses. Blood and urine samples were collected from adult horses that received an IV dose of 32.5 g of OXY. Concentrations of OXY in plasma and urine were quantified using a newly developed LC/Q‐TOF‐MS/MS detection technique. Level of quantification (LOQ) was 50 μg mL^–1. The decline of the plasma concentration‐time curve of the HBOC was described by a 2‐compartment model (C1 and C2). The median distribution alpha (t1/2k1,0) and elimination beta (t1/2k2,0) half‐lives were 1.3 and 12.0 hours, respectively. The bHb molecules in OXY are not of uniform size and vary substantially in molecular weight (MW). Of the OXY molecules 53% were eliminated in C1, which represented the smaller MW molecules and 47% in C2, which represented the larger MW bHb. The maximal 0‐time plasma concentration was 662.0 μg/mL and declined to 97.1 μg mL^–1 at 24 h. The area below the plasma concentration‐time curve was 5143 μg h^–1 mL^–1. The volumes of C₁ and C₂ were 86.9 and 63.9 mL kg^–1, respectively. Oxyglobin was not detected in urine. This study shows the detection and quantification in equine plasma of a HBOC following IV infusion and demonstrates the short half‐life of about 50% of infused bHb molecules.     

Nutrient Accumulation in Vegetation Following Conventional and Whole-Tree Harvest of Sitka Spruce Plantations in North Wales

The role of regrowing vegetation in buffering nutrient lossesfollowing whole-tree and conventional harvest of Sitka sprucewas examined at Beddgelert Forest in North Wales. Biomass andnutrient accumulation were about twice as rapid on the whole-tree(WH) than the conventional harvest (CH) plots, apparently becauselogging residue shaded the ground on the CH plots. This resultprobably helps to explain much higher leaching of nutrientsfrom the root zone on the CH than the WH plots. However, thedifferences in nutrient accumulation in regrowing vegetationbetween WH and CH plots were much smaller than the differences(in the opposite direction) in nutrient removal of forest products.Thus, higher nutrient accumulation in regrowing vegetation followingWH compared with CH may partly counteract leaching losses duringthe first few years but this effect is clearly outweighed bythe higher nutrient removal in forest products in WH.     

Population genetic structure of Atlantic salmon,Salmo salar L., in the River Tamar,southwest England

Abstract Population genetic studies can be useful for informing conservation and management. In Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., population structuring frequently occurs between river systems, but contrasting patterns occur within rivers, highlighting the need for catchment‐specific studies to inform management. Here, population structure of Atlantic salmon was examined in the River Tamar, United Kingdom, using 12 microsatellite loci. Gene diversity and allelic richness ranged from 0.80 to 0.84 and from 8.96 to 10.24, respectively. Some evidence of genetic structure was found, including significant genetic differentiation between samples in different subcatchments (pairwise θ and tests of genic differentiation), results from assignment tests and a pattern of isolation by distance. Conversely, structure revealed only one population cluster, and an analysis of molecular variance showed no significant variation between subcatchments. Evidence of population bottlenecks depended on the mutation model assumed and is discussed with reference to catchment‐specific studies of stock abundance. Implications for implementing management actions are considered.