The Use of Aerial Radiometrics for Epidemiological Studies of Leukaemia: a Preliminary Investigation in SW England

The report presents the results and conclusions of a pilot study designed to evaluate the potential use of aerial gamma ray measurements in epidemiological investigations of leukaemia. The sources of natural radiation were reviewed and associations between U, Th and K and dose to the human population noted. The association between leukaemia and radiation exposure was also noted, in particular the clear evidence from high dose studies, the potential importance of radium and radon, and the difficulties of achieving statistical significance in case-control studies at environmental dose rates due to the need for large area surveys covering large populations. Aerial surveys were conducted in three disjoint grids selected by the Leukaemia Research Fund Clinical epidemiology unit at Leeds University. The areas covered some 2,500 km, and were surveyed in a 50 hour fieldwork period in September 1989. Over 4800 gamma spectra were recorded, representing between 200 and 400 times the number of measurements per unit area of the NRPB national maps, and an area sampling density some 106 times greater. The data were used to estimate specific activities of potassium, uranium and thorium. Environmental infinite matrix alpha and beta dose rates were calculated using equilibrium assumptions and gamma ray dose rates were estimated directly from the spectra. Mean values for gamma dose rates were compatible with NRPB estimates for the counties. The detailed gamma ray maps demonstrate that both radiation levels, and quality show local variations within each survey grid of a magnitude comparable with that observed in whole of the UK in national maps. Considerable caution is thus needed in using national data for epidemiological studies. Local variations, which can be clearly associated with underlying geological and geomorphological structures should be taken into account in such work. No significant enhancements were noted due to activities at the Devonport Dockyard, in keeping with published ground based monitoring. The main enhancement in the vicinity of Hinkley Point was due to the authorised discharge of 41Ar, which was clearly detected in the survey. Two methods for associating the radiometric results with epidemiological data were developed and applied. A case-control study was performed by matching case and control locations to individual spatially averaged radiometric results and comparing the associated radiation levels. The second method evaluated radiation stratified incidence rates by combining stratified case radiometric data with similar information estimated from a population density surface constructed for the grids. Weighted regression analysis was used to assess any associations. The results are in general limited by the low number of leukaemia cases within the study area, resulting in statistically weak or insignificant links. However positive associations between equivalent uranium and leukaemia, particularly in the grid including the rivers Tavy and Tamar, were observed in both case-control and incidence rate analyses. A negative association with equivalent Thorium observed in the incidence rate analysis was not reproduced in case-control comparisons. This approach could be extended to larger area studies to increase statistical power. In parallel investigations of the relationship between environmental and individual radiation exposure, and investigation of the potential association between radium, or radon and leukaemia following the trends observed here would be appropriate

A Feasibility Study of Airborne Radiometric Survey for UK Fallout

Brief details are presented of a feasibility study of the use of aerial radiometric survey techniques to map local variations of fallout and natural radioactivity in Scotland

Dilogarithm Identities in Conformal Field Theory and Group Homology

Recently, Rogers' dilogarithm identities have attracted much attention in the setting of conformal field theory as well as lattice model calculations. One of the connecting threads is an identity of Richmond-Szekeres that appeared in the computation of central charges in conformal field theory. We show that the Richmond-Szekeres identity and its extension by Kirillov-Reshetikhin can be interpreted as a lift of a generator of the third integral homology of a finite cyclic subgroup sitting inside the projective special linear group of all $2 \times 2$ real matrices viewed as a {\it discrete} group. This connection allows us to clarify a few of the assertions and conjectures stated in the work of Nahm-Recknagel-Terhoven concerning the role of algebraic $K$-theory and Thurston's program on hyperbolic 3-manifolds. Specifically, it is not related to hyperbolic 3-manifolds as suggested but is more appropriately related to the group manifold of the universal covering group of the projective special linear group of all $2 \times 2$ real matrices viewed as a topological group. This also resolves the weaker version of the conjecture as formulated by Kirillov. We end with the summary of a number of open conjectures on the mathematical side.Comment: 20 pages, 2 figures not include

Alternative farrowing systems: design criteria for farrowing systems based on the biological needs of sows and piglets

The construction of a suitable farrowing environment is a continuing dilemma: the piglet's needs must be matched with those of the sow and the farmer during the main phases that constitute farrowing: nest building, parturition and lactation. Difficulties exist in resolving the various conflicts of interest between and within these three parties (e. g. sow v. farmer: space needed for nest building v. space needed to maximise the amount of farrowing accommodation, or sow v. sow: ensuring the survival of the current litter v. maintaining condition for future litters). Thus, the challenge is to resolve these conflicts and design a system that maximises sow and piglet welfare while maintaining an economically efficient and sustainable enterprise. In order to successfully design a farrowing and lactation environment, it is necessary to consider the biological needs of both the sow and her litter. The natural behaviour of the sow has been well documented and very little variation exists between reports of peri-parturient behaviour observed in extensively kept domestic sows and their wild counterparts. The failure for domestication to significantly alter these behavioural patterns provides evidence that they are biologically significant and that the commercial farrowing environment should attempt to accommodate this behavioural repertoire. In addition, the behavioural needs of the piglets, as well as the physiological needs of both sows and their offspring should be considered. This article aims to review the considerable body of literature detailing the behavioural repertoire of sows and their offspring during the different phases of farrowing, and the accompanying physiological processes. The focus is on identifying biological needs of the animals involved in order to synthesise the appropriate design criteria for farrowing and lactation systems, which should optimise both welfare and animal production.</p

Exact resolution of the Baxter equation for reggeized gluon interactions

The interaction of reggeized gluons in multi-colour QCD is considered in the Baxter-Sklyanin representation, where the wave function is expressed as a product of Baxter functions Q(lambda) and a pseudo-vacuum state. We find n solutions of the Baxter equation for a composite state of n gluons with poles of rank r in the upper lambda semi-plane and of rank n-1-r in the lower lambda semi-plane (0 leq r leq n-1). These solutions are related by n-2 linear equations with coefficients depending on coth (pi lambda). The poles cancel in the wave function, bilinear combination of holomorphic and anti-holomorphic Baxter functions, guaranteeing its normalizability. The quantization of the intercepts of the corresponding Regge singularities appears as a result of the physical requirements that the holomorphic energies for all solutions of the Baxter equation are the same and the total energies, calculated around two singularities lambda, lambda^* --> + i or -i, coincide. It results in simple properties of the zeroes of the Baxter functions. For illustration we calculate the parameters of the reggeon states constructed from three and four gluons. For the Odderon the ground state has conformal spin |m -m | = 1 and its intercept equals unity. The ground state of four reggeized gluons possesses conformal spin 2 and its intercept turns out to be higher than that for the BFKL Pomeron. We calculate the anomalous dimensions of the corresponding operators for arbitrary alpha_s/omega.Comment: LaTex, 42 pages, 8 .ps figures. Expanded and improved versio

A Feasibility Study of Airborne Radiometric Survey for UK Fallout

Brief details are presented of a feasibility study of the use of aerial radiometric survey techniques to map local variations of fallout and natural radioactivity in Scotland

Nurse sow strategies in the domestic pig: II. Consequences for piglet growth, suckling behaviour and sow nursing behaviour

peer-reviewedNurse sow strategies are used to manage large litters on commercial pig farms. However, new-born piglets transferred to nurse sows in late lactation might be compromised in terms of growth and survival. We investigated the effects of two nurse sow strategies on piglet growth, suckling behaviour and sow nursing behaviour. At 1-day post-farrowing, the four heaviest piglets from large litters were transferred to a nurse sow either 21 (1STEP21, n=9 litters) or 7 (2STEP7, n=10 litters) days into lactation. The remainder of the litter remained with their mother and was either kept intact (remain intact (RI), n=10 litters) or had some piglets cross-fostered to equalise birth weights (remain equalised (RE), n=9 litters). The 7-day-old piglets from 2STEP7 were transferred onto a sow 21 days into lactation (2STEP21, n=10 litters). The growth of new-born piglets on 1STEP21 and 2STEP7 nurse sows was initially lower than in RI litters (F3,33.8=4.61; P0.5). After the 1st week of lactation, the weights and growth rates did not differ between treatments. Fighting behaviour during nursing bouts decreased over time. The frequency of fights was higher in 1STEP21 and 2STEP21 litters compared with RI litters (t122=3.06 and t123=3.00, respectively, P<0.05). The 2STEP21 litters had shorter nursing bouts than RI and 1STEP21 litters (t107=−2.81 and t81.7=2.8, respectively, P<0.05), which were more frequently terminated by 2STEP21 than RI sows (t595=2.93; P<0.05). Transferring heaviest piglets from RI and RE litters to nurse sows reduced the percentage of teat changes during nursing bouts (RI: F1,275=16.61; RE: F1,308=43.59; P<0.001). In conclusion, nurse sow strategies do not appear to compromise piglet growth. However, new-born piglets transferred onto sows in late lactation experienced more competition at the udder, suggesting that the sows’ stage of lactation is of importance to how achievable nurse sow strategies are. Thus, the two-step nurse sow strategy is likely the best option (in relation to growth and suckling behaviour), as it minimises the difference between piglet age and sow stage of lactation

Nurse sow strategies in the domestic pig: I. Consequences for selected measures of sow welfare

peer-reviewedManagement strategies are needed to optimise the number of piglets weaned from hyper-prolific sows. Nurse sow strategies involve transferring supernumerary new-born piglets onto a sow whose own piglets are either weaned or fostered onto another sow. Such ‘nurse sows’ have extended lactations spent in farrowing crates, which could have negative implications for their welfare. This study used 47 sows, 20 of which farrowed large litters and had their biggest piglets fostered onto nurse sows which were either 1 week (2STEP7, n=9) or 3 weeks into lactation (1STEP21, n=10). Sows from which piglets were removed (R) were either left with the remainder of the litter intact (I) (remain intact (RI) sows, n=10), or had their litters equalised (E) for birth weight using piglets of the same age from non-experimental sows (remain equalised (RE) sows, n=9). Piglets from 2STEP7 were fostered onto another nurse sow which was 3 weeks into lactation (2STEP21, n=9). Back-fat thickness was measured at entry to the farrowing house, at fostering (nurse sows only) and weaning. Sows were scored for ease of locomotion and skin and claw lesions at entry to the farrowing house and weaning. Salivary cortisol samples were collected and tear staining was scored at 0900 h weekly from entry until weaning. Saliva samples were also taken at fostering. Data were analysed using GLMs with appropriate random and repeated factors, or non-parametric tests were applied where appropriate. Back-fat thickness decreased between entry and weaning for all sows (F1,42=26.59, P0.05) and all nurse sows had a higher salivary cortisol concentration at fostering, compared with the other days (F10,426=3.47; P0.05). In conclusion, no difference was detected between nurse sows and non-nurse sows in body condition or severity of lesions. Although some nurse sows experienced stress at fostering, no long-term effect of the nurse sow strategies was detected on stress levels compared with sows that raised their own litter

Temporary crate opening procedure affects immediate post-opening piglet mortality and sow behaviour

Producers are interested in utilising farrowing systems with reduced confinement to improve sow welfare. However, concerns of increased mortality may limit commercial uptake. Temporary confinement systems utilise a standard crate which is opened 3 to 7 days postpartum, providing protection for neonatal piglets at their most vulnerable age and later increased freedom of movement for sows. However, there is anecdotal evidence that piglet mortality increases immediately after the temporary crate is opened. The current study aims were to determine if piglet mortality increases post-opening, to trial different opening techniques to reduce post-opening piglet mortality and to identify how the different opening techniques influence sow behaviour. Three opening treatments were implemented across 416 sows: two involved opening crates individually within each farrowing house when each litter reached 7 days of age, in either the morning or afternoon (AM or PM), with a control of the standard method used on the farm to open all crates in each farrowing house simultaneously once the average litter age reached 7 days (ALL). Behavioural observations were performed on five sows from each treatment during the 6 h after crate opening, and during the same 6 h period on the previous and subsequent days. Across all treatments, piglet mortality was significantly higher in the post-opening than pre-opening period (P&lt;0.0005). Between opening treatments, there were significant differences in piglet mortality during the 2 days after crate opening (P&lt;0.05), whilst piglet mortality also tended to differ from crate opening until weaning (P=0.052), being highest in ALL and lowest in PM. Only sows in the PM treatment showed no increase in standing behaviour but did show an increased number of potentially dangerous posture changes after crate opening (P=0.01), which may be partly attributed to the temporal difference in observation periods. Sow behaviour only differed between AM and ALL on the day before crate opening, suggesting the AM treatment disrupted behaviour pre-opening. Sows in AM and PM treatments showed more sitting behaviour than ALL, and therefore may have been more alert. In conclusion, increases in piglet mortality after crate opening can be reduced by opening crates individually, more so in the afternoon. Sow habituation to disturbance before crate opening may have reduced post-opening piglet mortality, perhaps by reducing the difference in pre- and post-opening sow behaviour patterns

The smfBox is an open-source platform for single-molecule FRET

Single-molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (smFRET) is a powerful technique capable of resolving both relative and absolute distances within and between structurally dynamic biomolecules. High instrument costs, and a lack of open-source hardware and acquisition software have limited smFRET’s broad application by non-specialists. Here, we present the smfBox, a cost-effective confocal smFRET platform, providing detailed build instructions, open-source acquisition software, and full validation, thereby democratising smFRET for the wider scientific community