Restoration of eucalypt grassy woodland: effects of experimental interventions on ground-layer vegetation

We report on the effects of broad-scale restoration treatments on the ground layer of eucalypt grassy woodland in south-eastern Australia. The experiment was conducted in two conservation reserves from which livestock grazing had previously been removed. Changes in biomass, species diversity, ground-cover attributes and life-form were analysed over a 4-year period in relation to the following experimental interventions: (1) reduced kangaroo density, (2) addition of coarse woody debris and (3) fire (a single burn). Reducing kangaroo density doubled total biomass in one reserve, but no effects on exotic biomass, species counts or ground cover attributes were observed. Coarse woody debris also promoted biomass, particularly exotic annual forbs, as well as plant diversity in one of the reserves. The single burn reduced biomass, but changed little else. Overall, we found the main driver of change to be the favourable growth seasons that had followed a period of drought. This resulted in biomass increasing by 67%, (mostly owing to the growth of perennial native grasses), whereas overall native species counts increased by 18%, and exotic species declined by 20% over the 4-year observation period. Strategic management of grazing pressure, use of fire where biomass has accumulated and placement of coarse woody debris in areas of persistent erosion will contribute to improvements in soil and vegetation condition, and gains in biodiversity, in the future.Funding and in-kind logistic support for this project was provided by the ACT Government as part of an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant (LP0561817; LP110100126). Drafts of the manuscript were read by Saul Cunningham and Ben Macdonald

Spin gaps and magnetic structure of NaxCoO2

We present two experiments that provide information on spin anisotropy and the magnetic structure of NaxCoO2. First, we report low-energy neutron inelastic scattering measurements of the zone-center magnetic excitations in the magnetically ordered phase of Na0.75CoO2. The energy spectra suggest the existence of two gaps, and are very well fitted by a spin-wave model with both in-plane and out-of-plane anisotropy terms. The gap energies decrease with increasing temperature and both gaps are found to have closed when the temperature exceeds the magnetic ordering temperature T_m~22 K. Secondly, we present neutron diffraction studies of Na0.85CoO2 with a magnetic field applied approximately parallel to the c axis. For fields in excess of ~8T a magnetic Bragg peak was observed at the (0,0,3) position in reciprocal space. We interpret this as a spin-flop transition of the A-type antiferromagnetic structure, and we show that the spin-flop field is consistent with the size of the anisotropy gap.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Radio Sources in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey. I. Radio Source Populations

We present the first results from a study of the radio continuum properties of galaxies in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey, based on thirty 2dF fields covering a total area of about 100 square degrees. About 1.5% of galaxies with b(J) < 19.4 mag are detected as radio continuum sources in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS). Of these, roughly 40% are star-forming galaxies and 60% are active galaxies (mostly low-power radio galaxies and a few Seyferts). The combination of 2dFGRS and NVSS will eventually yield a homogeneous set of around 4000 radio-galaxy spectra, which will be a powerful tool for studying the distriibution and evolution of both AGN and starburst galaxies out to redshift z=0.3.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in PAS

Testing for Antiphospholipid Antibody (aPL) Specificities in Retrospective “Normal” Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF)

Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) have been found in the blood of patients with systemic and neurological disease. The rare reports of aPL in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) have been limited mostly to IgG and IgM anticardiolipin (aCL). Our published finding of IgA aPE in the CSF of a young stroke victim prompted us to establish “normal” CSF aPL values for a panel of aPL, which included aCL, antiphosphatidylserine (aPS), antiphosphatidylethanolamine (aPE) and antiphosphatidylcholine (aPC). CSF samples were tested by ELISA for IgG, IgM and IgA aPL. In addition, the CSF samples were tested for activity in the presence and absence of phospholipid (PL) binding plasma-proteins. A total of 24 data points were obtained for each CSF sample.We tested 59 CSF samples obtained from 59 patients who were undergoing evaluation for systemic or neurologic diseases. All CSF samples had normal protein, glucose and cell counts. Ten of the 59 CSF samples (17%) had elevated aPL optical density (OD) values an order of magnitude higher than the other 49 CSF samples for one or more aPL specificity and/or isotype. One CSF sample had both PL-binding protein dependent and independent IgG aPE activity. Another CSF sample showed both IgG aPE and aPC reactivity. The remaining eight CSF samples showed single aPL findings; IgG aPE (5), IgG aPC (1), IgG aCL (1) and IgM aPC (1). Seven of 10 patients with elevated CSF values were females. As expected, most “normal” aPL OD values were substantially lower in CSF than those we have reported in blood samples from volunteer blood donors

The Interaction between the ISM and Star Formation in the Dwarf Starburst Galaxy NGC 4214

We present the first interferometric study of the molecular gas in the metal-poor dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 4214. Our map of the 12CO(1-0) emission, obtained at the OVRO millimeter array, reveals an unexpected structural wealth. We detected three regions of molecular emission in the north-west (NW), south-east (SE) and centre of NGC 4214 which are in very different and distinct evolutionary stages (total molecular mass: 5.1 x 10^6 M_sun). These differences are apparent most dramatically when the CO morphologies are compared to optical ground based and HST imaging: massive star formation has not started yet in the NW region; the well-known starburst in the centre is the most evolved and star formation in the SE complex started more recently. We derive a star formation efficiency of 8% for the SE complex. Using high--resolution VLA observations of neutral hydrogen HI and our CO data we generated a total gas column density map for NGC 4214 (HI + H_2). No clear correlation is seen between the peaks of HI, CO and the sites of ongoing star formation. This emphasizes the irregular nature of dwarf galaxies. The HI and CO velocities agree well, so do the H-alpha velocities. In total, we cataloged 14 molecular clumps in NGC 4214. Our results from a virial mass analysis are compatible with a Galactic CO-to-H_2 conversion factor for NGC 4214 (lower than what is usually found in metal-poor dwarf galaxies).Comment: accepted for publication in the AJ (February 2001), full ps file at: ftp://ftp.astro.caltech.edu/users/fw/ngc4214/walter_prep.p

Health-seeking behaviour, views and preferences of adults with suspected increased intestinal permeability: A cross-sectional survey of Australian adults

Background: The public health consequence of increased intestinal permeability (IP) is currently limited by the lack of patient-centred research. This study aims to describe the health-seeking behaviour of Australian adults with suspected IP. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 589 Australian adults who have been diagnosed with IP or have suspected (undiagnosed) IP. Results: The majority (56.2%) of participants with suspected IP reported self-diagnosing their condition, with the majority (56.7%) of these participants preferring to be assessed using an accurate method by a general practitioner or naturopath. On average, Australian adults with suspected IP spent 11.1 (95% CI: 9.5, 12.8) years between first suspecting IP and receiving a formal diagnosis. Over the previous 12 months, participants spent an average of $699 on consultation fees,$2176 on dietary supplements for the treatment of IP, and an average of $287 on the assessment of IP. Furthermore, participants who find it difficult to live on their available household income spent significantly more (mean=$2963) on dietary supplements compared to participants who find it easy to live on their available household income ($1918) (p=0.015). Conclusion: The investigation of Australian adults with suspected IP found the majority of participants experienced a considerable length of time between first suspecting IP and receiving a diagnosis of IP. The out-of-pocket expenditure associated with the management of IP suggests a financial burden for people with suspected IP. The results of this study provide novel patient-centred considerations that can be used to inform a clinical practice guideline for the management of IP

The Subjective Well-being and Health-Related Quality of Life of Australian Adults with Increased Intestinal Permeability and Associations with Treatment Interventions.

Objective: The integrity and function of the gastrointestinal system is important in disease prevention and management. This study aims to describe the management methods used by Australian adults with suspected increased intestinal permeability (IP) and the association with subjective wellbeing (SWB) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Design and Setting: Cross-sectional survey of Australian adults diagnosed with IP or have suspected (undiagnosed) IP. Outcome Measures: Questionnaire items investigating demographic characteristics, self-reported outcome of IP and treatment methods used to manage IP. Participants' HRQoL and SWB according to the 20-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-20) and Personal Wellbeing Index-Adult (PWI-A) scale, respectively. Results: Participants (n = 589) frequently used dietary products (87.9%), dietary supplements (72.9%) and lifestyle therapies (54.6%) for managing IP. Participants had lower (i.e., worse) mean SWB scores for all domains compared to the Australian population (p p p = 0.015), use dietary supplements (OR = 2.66, p = 0.003), participate in vigorous exercise (OR = 2.99, p p = 0.010). Conversely, they were less likely to consume gluten (OR = 0.35, p p = 0.022). Self-reported improvement of IP (β = 10.70, p p = 0.008) were predictors of a higher level of SWB. Conclusions: Altered IP may pose a greater health burden than previously thought, with poor SWB and HRQoL reported in Australian adults with self-reported IP. Our results highlight the potential clinical relevance and consequence of altered IP, providing the first indication of a possible relationship between altered IP and both SWB and HRQoL

TB85: A New Potato Scab Problem in Maine

The scientific literature is filled with conflicting reports on the development of the common scab disease of potatoes and its causal organism. One unresolved question is soil reaction, once thought to be the answer in controlling this disease. Scientific studies an d practical experience over a long period had shown that acid soils having a pH of approximately 5.3 or below usually did not support common scab development, though sporadic and unexplained reports of disease occurrence in these soils were observed. In the late 1950s, however, such reports became more frequent in Maine and before the mid-1960s, losses relate d to scabb y potatoes growing in acid soils were common. Throughout this period overall crop losses from the disease were minimal even though individual growers sometimes lost a large par t of their crop. During the dry 1970 growing season, however, a disease survey estimated that up to 5% of the Maine crop was scabby. Studies of this new form of scab and observations on its development within the state are reported herein.https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/aes_techbulletin/1114/thumbnail.jp