Biscrolling nanotube sheets and functional guests into yarns

Multifunctional applications of textiles have been limited by the inability to spin important materials into yarns. Generically applicable methods are demonstrated for producing weavable yarns comprising up to 95 weight percent of otherwise unspinnable particulate or nanofiber powders that remain highly functional. Scrolled 50-nanometer-thick carbon nanotube sheets confine these powders in the galleries of irregular scroll sacks whose observed complex structures are related to twist-dependent extension of Archimedean spirals, Fermat spirals, or spiral pairs into scrolls. The strength and electronic connectivity of a small weight fraction of scrolled carbon nanotube sheet enables yarn weaving, sewing, knotting, braiding, and charge collection. This technology is used to make yarns of superconductors, lithium-ion battery materials, graphene ribbons, catalytic nanofibers for fuel cells, and titanium dioxide for photocatalysis.     

Use of time-activity budgets to measure early progress of a social attraction restoration project

Social attraction is a useful technique for re-establishing or relocating waterbird colonies and other species groups. However, little information exists regarding how newly attending individuals behave when the social environment is influenced predominantly by artificial stimuli. To help assess early progress of colony re-establishment, we compared time-activity budgets of common murres (Uria aalge) at a social attraction site (Devil’s Slide Rock; DSR) in central California with two nearby reference colonies during the first 3 years (1996–1998) of efforts. Murres at all colonies spent over 95% of their time engaged in resting, comfort, courtship, and alert activities during the pre-breeding period and over 88% of their time in similar activities during the breeding period. Although patterns were similar overall, comparisons of pooled and year-specific time budget data revealed significant differences between all three colonies, especially during pre-breeding. Murres at DSR typically engaged in comfort behaviors less frequently and in alert and courtship behaviors more frequently than reference colonies. Differences likely were due to recent re-establishment, including lower bird densities and higher proportions of non-breeders and first-time breeders at DSR, along with other factors such as disturbance. Results indicate that newly attracted birds at DSR behaved “normally” even though the social environment was influenced predominantly by artificial stimuli. Furthermore, re-established breeding in the first year of efforts, subsequent colony growth, and high productivity reflected successful restoration efforts. Thus, time-activity budgets can provide important measures of early progress of social attraction efforts and as such can be used to inform adaptive management decisions.     

Reedbeds as refuges for water voles (Arvicola terrestris) from predation by introduced mink (Mustela vison)

The water vole has recently undergone a catastrophic decline in the UK. This has resulted from loss and fragmentation of suitable habitat leaving water vole populations highly vulnerable to the impact of predation by introduced American mink. However, at some reedbed sites water voles and mink have apparently coexisted for many years. To determine if reedbeds offer a refuge from predation, 70 voles were radio-tagged at three sites in England and overwinter mortality monitored. Water vole perception of predation risk was also assessed. Mortality was high (64%), predation by mustelids, including mink, being the chief cause. Experiments suggested that voles failed to perceive areas of highest predation risk. However, predation rate declined strongly with the distance water voles lived from a main water channel. Thus, reedbeds provide a refuge from predation, even by mink, and calculations suggest that they may support source populations enhancing the viability of water vole metapopulations. Consequently reedbeds are now being used as one focus for the conservation of water voles in England and Wales.     

Spring wheat growth and 15N studies under zero and shallow tillage on the Canadian prairie

Zero-tillage (ZT) farming systems offer the potential of reducing soil erosion and conserving soil moisture on the semi-arid regions of the Canadian prairie. Since changes in soil tillage may alter the soil condition and environment, field experiments were conducted to assess the effect of ZT on spring wheat growth and ¹⁵N urea utilization and recovery. The study compared ZT and conventional shallow tillage (ST, 10 cm) systems, of 2–16-year duration, situated on a range of Chernozemic soils. Generally, ZT produced similar grain and straw yields as the ST; incidences of reduced yield under ZT were associated with poor seedling establishment. Characteristic lower soil temperature (1–4°C in seed row at 5-cm depth) under ZT was not related to crop yield, except for reduced early growth at one site. Soil moisture (to 120 cm) was similar between tillage systems, although moisture variations at the soil surface (0–5 cm), associated with differences in surface mulch, were apparent. Plant uptake of P and K was similar between tillage systems. Differences in N concentration, plant uptake of soil and fertilizer N and indices of available soil N between tillage systems over the growing season, tended to be small and did not differ substantially, although site or location differences were evident. Overall N yield was mainly related to the ability of the plant to utilize N for growth and plant yield. Recovery of the fertilizer N in the soil-plant system was not related to differences in soil tillage.     

Detecting interaction(s) and assessing the impact of component subsets in a chemical mixture using fixed-ratio mixture ray designs

An important environmental and regulatory issue is the protection of human health from potential adverse effects of cumulative exposure to multiple chemicals. Earlier literature suggested restricting inference to specific fixed-ratio rays of interest. Based on appropriate definitions of additivity, single chemical data are used to predict the relationship among the chemicals under the zero-interaction case. Parametric comparisons between the additivity model and the model fit along the fixed-ratio ray(s) are used to detect departure from additivity. Collection of data along reduced fixed-ratio rays, where subsets of chemicals of interest are removed from the mixture and the remaining compounds are at the same relative ratios as considered in the full ray, allow researchers to make inference about the effect of the removed chemicals. Methods for fitting simultaneous confidence bands about the difference between the best fitting model and the model predicted under additivity are developed to identify regions along the rays where significant interactions occur. This general approach is termed the “single chemicals required” (SCR) method of analysis. A second approach, termed “single chemicals not required” (SCNR) method of analysis, is based on underlying assumptions about the parameterization of the response surface. Under general assumptions, polynomial terms for models fit along fixed-ratio rays are associated with interaction terms. Consideration is given to the case where only data along the mixture rays are available. Tests of hypotheses, which consider interactions due to subsets of chemicals, are also developed.     

Conservation tillage systems, fungal complexes and disease development in soybean and barley rhizospheres in Prince Edward Island

A potential for reduced soil macroporosity (below 12% soil volume) under direct drilling, with a concomitant increase in soil relative saturation, is associated with an increase in crown and root rots in Prince Edward Island field crops. Four long-term tillage systems (moldboard plowing, paraplowing-direct drilling, rotary cultivation and direct drilling) were compared in relation to the pathogenic fungal complexes formed in a two crop rotation in spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) over a 3 year period in a cool humid region of eastern Canada. The principal phytopathogenic fungal complex of Rhizoctonia solani Kühn, Fusarium avenaceum (Fr.) Sacc. and F. oxysporum Schl. remained constant over the treatments. Tillage practice did not affect the number of colony forming units of R. solani in the rhizosphere. The recovery of R. solani from root tissues tended to be lower following conservation tillage and was attributed to antagonism associated with elevated numbers of saprophytic trash microflora concentrated at the soil surface. Disease levels in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plantlet bioassays were not influenced significantly by soil source or tillage regime. However, plantlet growth tended to be depressed following transplantation into soil from soybean plots in 1993. Under optimum soil physical conditions conservation tillage did not appear to influence disease levels in barley and soybean rotations.     

Statistical analysis of interactive cytotoxicity in human epidermal keratinocytes following exposure to a mixture of four metals

Exposure to mixtures of chemicals is an important and relevant environmental issue. Of particular interest is the detection and characterization of departure of biological effects from additivity. Methodology based on the assumption of additivity is used in fitting single-chemicaldata. Interactionsare determined and characterized by making comparisons between the observed and predicted responses at mixtures along a fixed ratio ray of the component substances. Two simultaneous tests are developed for testing for any departure from additivity. Multiple comparisons procedures are used to compare observed responses to that predicted under additivity. A simultaneous confidence band on the predicted responses along the mixture ray is also developed. The methods are illustrated with cytotoxicity data that arise when human epidermal keratinocytes are exposed to a mixture of arsenic, chromium, cadmium, and lead. Synergistic, antagonistic, and additive cytotoxicities were observed at different dose levels of the four-metal mixture.     

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bacteremia in a horse

Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae serotype 5 was isolated from blood obtained antemortem from a horse with presenting problems of laminitis, uveitis, acute blindness, localized ventral edema and depression. The patient failed to respond to therapy and died 96 hours after the onset of clinical signs. Cultures of the lung postmortem yielded Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae serotype 5, Beta-hemolytic Streptococcus sp., Escherichia coli, Proteus sp., and Klebsiella sp.     

Cryopreservation of Ram Semen in Extenders Containing Soybean Lecithin as Cryoprotectant and Hyaluronic Acid as Antioxidant

A soybean lecithin‐based extender supplemented with hyaluronic acid (HA) was assayed for effectiveness to improve the quality of frozen–thawed ram semen. HA has not been tested yet in an extender containing soybean lecithin for freezing ram semen. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyse the effects of soybean lecithin at 1% or 1.5% along with HA at 0, 0.5 and 1 mg ml^‐1 in a Tris‐based extender on the motion characteristics, membrane integrity (HOST), viability, GSH peroxidase (GSH‐PX) activity, lipid peroxidation and acrosomal status after freezing–thawing. Semen was collected from four Mehraban rams during the breeding season and frozen in the six lecithin×HA extenders. The extender containing 1.5% lecithin supplemented with no HA yielded higher total motility (52.5%±1.6), viability (55.8%±1.6) and membrane integrity (44.5%±1.7), but the effects of the lecithin concentration did not reach signification. Linearity‐related parameters, ALH, BCF, lipid peroxidation, GSH‐PX activity, morphology and acrosomal status were not affected by the extender composition. In general, adding HA significantly decreased sperm velocity (1 mg ml^‐1 HA), total motility (only with 1.5% lecithin), viability (1 mg ml^‐1 HA for 1% lecithin; both concentrations for 1.5% lecithin) and membrane integrity. In conclusion, adding HA to the freezing extender supplemented with soybean lecithin failed to improve quality‐related variables in ram semen. Increasing the lecithin content could have a positive effect, but further studies are needed.