Fertility control as a means of controlling bovine tuberculosis in badger (Meles meles) populations in south-west England: predictions from a spatial stochastic simulation model

A spatial stochastic simulation model was used to assess the potential of fertility control, based on a yet-to-be-developed oral bait-delivered contraceptive directed at females, for the control of bovine tuberculosis in badger populations in south-west England. The contraceptive had a lifelong effect so that females rendered sterile in any particular year remained so for the rest of their lives. The efficacy of fertility control alone repeated annually for varying periods of time was compared with a single culling operation and integrated control involving an initial single cull followed by annually repeated fertility control. With fertility control alone, in no instance was the disease eradicated completely while a viable badger population (mean group size of at least one individual) was still maintained. Near eradication of the disease (less than 1% prevalence) combined with the survival of a minimum viable badger population was only achieved under a very limited set of conditions, either with high efficiency of control (95%) over a short time period (1-3 years) or a low efficiency of control (20%) over an intermediate time period (10-20 years). Under these conditions, it took more than 20 years for the disease to decline to such low levels. A single cull of 80% efficiency succeeded in near eradication of the disease (below 1% prevalence) after a period of 6-8 years, while still maintaining a viable badger population. Integrated strategies reduced disease prevalence more rapidly and to lower levels than culling alone, although the mean badger group size following the onset of control was smaller. Under certain integrated strategies, principally where a high initial cull (80%) was followed by fertility control over a short (1-3 year) time period, the disease could be completely eradicated while a viable badger population was maintained. However, even under the most favourable conditions of integrated control, it took on average more than 12 years following the onset of control for the disease to disappear completely from the badger population. These results show that whilst fertility control would not be a successful strategy for the control of bovine tuberculosis in badgers if used alone, it could be effective if used with culling as part of an integrated strategy. This type of integrated strategy is likely to be more effective in terms of disease eradication than a strategy employing culling alone. However, the high cost of developing a suitable fertility control agent, combined with the welfare and conservation implications, are significant factors which should be taken into account when considering its possible use as a means of controlling bovine tuberculosis in badger populations in the UK

Polarisation rotation of slow light with orbital angular momentum in ultracold atomic gases

We consider the propagation of slow light with an orbital angular momentum (OAM) in a moving atomic medium. We have derived a general equation of motion and applied it in analysing propagation of slow light with an OAM in a rotating medium, such as a vortex lattice. We have shown that the OAM of slow light manifests itself in a rotation of the polarisation plane of linearly polarised light. To extract a pure rotational phase shift, we suggest to measure a difference in the angle of the polarisation plane rotation by two consecutive light beams with opposite OAM. The differential angle $\Delta\alpha_{\ell}$ is proportional to the rotation frequency of the medium $\omega_{\mathrm{rot}}$ and the winding number $\ell$ of light, and is inversely proportional to the group velocity of light. For slow light the angle $\Delta\alpha_{\ell}$ should be large enough to be detectable. The effect can be used as a tool for measuring the rotation frequency $\omega_{\mathrm{rot}}$ of the medium.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figur

The Global Financial Meltdown and Financial Regulation: Shirking and Learning – Canada in an International Context

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64835/1/ipc-90-harris-global-financial-meltdown-financial-regulation-canada.pd

Bioelectric-calcineurin signaling module regulates allometric growth and size of the zebrafish fin

AbstractThe establishment of relative size of organs and structures is paramount for attaining final form and function of an organism. Importantly, variation in the proportions of structures frequently underlies adaptive change in morphology in evolution and maybe a common mechanism underlying selection. However, the mechanism by which growth is integrated within tissues during development to achieve proper proportionality is poorly understood. We have shown that signaling by potassium channels mediates coordinated size regulation in zebrafish fins. Recently, calcineurin inhibitors were shown to elicit changes in zebrafish fin allometry as well. Here, we identify the potassium channelkcnk5bas a key player in integrating calcineurin’s growth effects, in part through regulation of the cytoplasmic C-terminus of the channel. We propose that the interaction between Kcnk5b and calcineurin acts as a signaling node to regulate allometric growth. Importantly, we find that this regulation is epistatic to inherent mechanisms instructing overall size as inhibition of calcineurin is able to bypass genetic instruction of size as seen insofand wild-type fins, however, it is not sufficient to re-specify positional memory of size of the fin. These findings integrate classic signaling mediators such as calcineurin with ion channel function in the regulation of size and proportion during growth.</jats:p

Light-emitting diode street lights reduce last-ditch evasive manoeuvres by moths to bat echolocation calls

© 2015 The Authors. The light-emitting diode (LED) street light market is expanding globally, and it is important to understand how LED lights affect wildlife populations. We compared evasive flight responses of moths to bat echolocation calls experimentally under LED-lit and -unlit conditions. Significantly, fewer moths performed ‘powerdive’ flight manoeuvres in response to bat calls (feeding buzz sequences from Nyctalus spp.) under an LED street light than in the dark. LED street lights reduce the anti-predator behaviour of moths, shifting the balance in favour of their predators, aerial hawking bats

Potassium currents distinguish the two subtypes of morphologically distinct skate bipolar cells

Author Posting. © Marine Biological Laboratory, 2004. This article is posted here by permission of Marine Biological Laboratory for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Biological Bulletin 207 (2004): 191-194.Bipolar cells in the vertebrate retina are second-order neurons that convey visual information from photoreceptors to ganglion cells, the neurons that relay the message to the brain. Bipolar cells consist typically of multiple subtypes that differ in their morphology, synaptic connections, and response properties. The individual subtypes are thought to carry different aspects of the visual signal through the retina, and they often exhibit unique membrane properties and neurotransmitter receptors. In the all-rod skate retina, only two morphologically and pharmacologically distinct subtypes of bipolar cell have been identified thus far. The large-field bipolar cells, with extensive dendritic arbors, are glycine-insensitive, whereas the small-field bipolar cells, which have only one or two dendritic branches, are sensitive to glycine. In the present study, we explored further the membrane properties of these two subtypes of skate bipolar cell with emphasis on the voltage-sensitive potassium currents. Our results show that the cells exhibit different voltage-activated current profiles, suggesting that the signals they transmit contain different features of the visual scene.This study was supported in part by NIH Grant EY-12028 (HQ); Fight for Sight, PSC/CUNY Grant 66257-0035, and NCRR/NIH RCMI Award RR-03037 (RLC); NIH Grant EY-06516 and a Senior Research Investigator Award from Research to Prevent Blindness (HR)

Distribution and Population Structure of Freshwater Mussels (Unionidae) in Lake Chicot, Arkansas

A systematic survey of mussel concentrations (= beds) in Lake Chicot was conducted during June 10-15, 1991. The lake was divided into 58 relatively equal-sized quadrats for qualitative survey by two, 2-man teams using Hookah dive systems. A qualitative survey revealed a single mussel bed encompassing an area approximately 12 km long and four m wide. For population analysis, the bed was sub-divided into five strata encompassing 9600 m2 each. Twenty random, 4 x 1 m, quantitative samples were taken from each of the five strata. Four mussel taxa; Amblema plicata (threeridge), Quadrula quadrula (mapleleaf) Quadrula nodulata (wartyback), and Plectomerus dombeyanus (bankclimber), accounted for 99.6% of the specimens sampled. The total mussel population for the bed was estimated to be 59,304 + 8,392. Potential for commercial harvest of Lake Chicot mussel resources is minimal at this time due to small shell size and poor shell quality

Why Decoherence has not Solved the Measurement Problem: A Response to P. W. Anderson

We discuss why, contrary to claims recently made by P. W. Anderson, decoherence has not solved the quantum measurement problem

Effects of fungicide application timing and cultivar resistance on Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol in winter wheat

Fusarium graminearum causes Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat. FHB reduces yield and quality and contaminates grain with the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). Effective management strategies are needed. The objectives of this research were to 1) Determine the effect of fungicide application timing at anthesis (the standard timing) and 6 and 12 days later on FHB and DON in the winter wheat cultivars Overley (susceptible) and Overland (moderately resistant) and 2) Compare the effects of a triazole and a strobilurin fungicide on FHB and DON in Overley and Overland. In 2015 two field trials (irrigated and rain-fed) were conducted in Nebraska, USA. The triazole Prosaro (prothioconazole + tebuconazole) and the strobilurin Headline (pyraclostrobin) were applied with a CO2-powered backpack sprayer at anthesis and 6 and 12 days later. A split plot design in randomized complete blocks with 4 replications was used. Main plots were cultivars and subplots were fungicide treatments. FHB index and DON were significantly (P \u3c 0.05) lower in Overland than in Overley. The window of fungicide application to control FHB and DON was widened from anthesis to 6 days later without loss of efficacy. Headline was less effective than Prosaro in controlling FHB and DON. Moderate resistance combined with a triazole fungicide most effectively reduced FHB and DON. The results indicate a wider fungicide application window and the effectiveness of combining resistance with a triazole fungicide