The Jostedalsbreen ice cap is mainland Europe's largest ice cap and accommodates 20% (458 km2 in 2019) of the total glacier area of mainland Norway. Jostedalsbreen and its meltwater contribute to global sea-level rise and to local water management, hydropower and tourism economies and livelihoods. In this study, we construct a digital terrain model (DTM) of the ice cap from 1966 aerial photographs, which by comparing to an airborne LiDAR DTM from 2020, we compute changes in surface elevation and geodetic mass balances. The area mapped in both surveys cover about 3/4 of the ice cap area and 49 of 82 glaciers. The measured glacier area has decreased from 363.4 km2 in 1966 to 332.9 km2 in 2019, i.e. a change of −30 km2 or −8.4% (−0.16% a−1), which is in line with the percentage reduction in area for Jostedalsbreen as a whole. The mean geodetic mass balance over the 49 glaciers was −0.15 ± 0.01 m w.e. a−1, however, large variability is evident between glaciers, e.g. Nigardsbreen (−0.05 m w.e. a−1), Austdalsbreen (−0.28 m w.e. a−1) and Tunsbergdalsbreen (−0.36 m w.e. a−1) confirming differences also found by the glaciological records for Nigardsbreen and Austdalsbreen.

The herbicide AC 252 214 {2-[4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-1H-imidazol-2-yl] 3-quinoline-carboxylic acid} was absorbed by the roots and foliage of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ‘Williams’], common cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium L. ♯ XANST), and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medic. ♯ ABUTH), and then translocated in the xylem and phloem to meristematic regions. AC 252 214 was metabolized rapidly by soybean and velvetleaf but appeared to be metabolized slowly by cocklebur. The order of tolerance of these three species to AC 252 214 was soybeans > velvetleaf > cocklebur. This order of tolerance was directly correlated in young plants with the half-life of AC 252 214 within the tissue. Velvetleaf exhibited increased tolerance to AC 252 214 with age, which was attributed partially to greatly reduced absorption of the herbicide by older leaves and more rapid metabolism of the herbicide.

We investigated relationship between pasture biomass and measures of height and NDVI (normalised difference vegetation index). The pastures were tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), and phalaris (Phalaris aquatica) located in Tasmania, Victoria and in the Northern Tablelands of NSW, Australia. Using the Trimble® GreenSeeker® Handheld active optical sensor (AOS) to measure NDVI, and a rising plate meter, the optimal model to estimate green dry biomass (GDM) during two years was a combination of NDVI and falling plate height index. The combined index was significantly correlated with GDM in each region during winter and spring (r2=0.62–0.77, P<0.001). Regional calibrations provided a smaller error in estimates of green biomass, required for potential application in the field, compared to a single overall calibration. Data collected in a third year will be used to test the accuracy of the models.

Brief meetings were held to confirm the elections of the incoming Division President, Francoise Genova and Vice President, Ray Norris along with the Organizing Committee which will consist of the incoming Presidents of the 7 Commissions (5,6,14,41,46,50 and 55) plus additional nominated members. The incoming Organizing Committee will thus consist of:

The electroretinogram (ERG) of the dark-adapted cat eye in response to brief ganzfeld flashes of a wide range of intensities was recorded after intravitreal injection of n-methyl dl aspartate (NMdlA, cumulative intravitreal concentration of 1.3–3.9 mM) to suppress inner-retinal components, and after intravitreal dl or L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (dl-APB, 1–3 mM; l-APB, 1.2 mM) and 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2, 3 dione (CNQX, 40–60 µM), to suppress all post-receptoral neuronal responses. Rod PII, the ERG component arising from rod bipolar cells, was derived by subtracting records obtained after APB and CNQX from post-NMDLA records. When we measured the derived response at fixed times after the stimulus, we found that PII initially increased in proportion to stimulus intensity without any sign of a threshold. The leading edge of PII at early times after the stimulus, when the response was still small, was well described by V(t) = kI(t −td)5 where k is a constant, I is the intensity of the stimulus, and td is a brief delay of about 3 ms. Correspondingly, the time for the response to rise to an arbitrary small criterion voltage Vcrit was adequately fitted by tcrit = td + (Vcrit/kI)1/5. The time course of the leading edge of the PII response can be interpreted to indicate that the mechanism generating PII introduces three stages of temporal integration in addition to the three stages that are provided by the mechanism of the rod photoreceptors. This finding is consistent with the operation within the rod bipolar cell of a G-protein cascade similar to that in the rods.

The predominance of coagulase-negative staphylococci as normal skin flora is thought to be a factor in their association with episodes of peritonitis in patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. We investigated the prevalence of peritonitis-associated strains on the skin of 28 patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the most frequently isolated organisms. comprising 47% of peritoncal dialysis fluid isolates and 59% of body site isolates. A total of 142 coagulase-negative staphylococci were speciated. tested for their antimicrobial sensitivity and slime production. and identified by phage typing and plasmid-profile analysis. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most commonly identified species from both peritoncal dialysis fluid (73%) and body sites (53%). Multiple antibiotic resistance was common, and the greater proportion of isolates were resistant to methicillin: 63·6% of peritoncal dialysis fluid isolates and 61·7% of body-site isolates.isolates. S. haemolyticus isolates were significantly more resistant to methicillin than other species. By phage typing and plasmid-profile analysis it was shown that peritonitis was rarely caused by skincolonizing strains. In only 3 of 14 patients were peritonitis-associated strains isolated as skin colonizers, and no patients developed peritonitis due to organisms previously isolated as skin colonizers.

Large food portions may be facilitating excess energy intake (EI) and adiposity among adults. The present study aimed to assess the extent to which EI and amounts of foods consumed are influenced by the availability of different-sized food portions. A randomised within-subject cross-over, fully residential design was used, where forty-three (twenty-one men and twenty-two women) normal-weight and overweight adults were randomly allocated to two separate 4 d periods where they were presented with either ‘standard’ or ‘large’ food portions of the same foods and beverages. The main outcome measures were the amount of food (g) and EI (MJ) consumed throughout each study period. Mean EI over 4 d was significantly higher on the large portion condition compared with the standard condition in the total group (59·1 (sd 6·6) v. 52·2 (sd 14·3) MJ; P = 0·020); men and women increased their EI by 17 % (10 (sd 6·5) MJ; P < 0·001) and 10 % (4 (sd 6·5) MJ; P = 0·005) respectively when served the large food portions relative to the standard food portions. The increased intakes were sustained over the 4 d in the large portion condition with little evidence of down-regulation of EI and food intake being made by subjects. Increased food portion size resulted in significant and sustained increases in EI in men and women over 4 d under fully residential conditions. The availability and consumption of larger portions of food may be a significant factor contributing to excess EI and adiposity.

Division XII consists of Commissions that formerly were organized under the Executive Committee, that concern astronomers across a wide range of scientific sub-disciplines and provide interactions with scientists in a wider community, including governmental organizations, outside the IAU.

The objective of the present study was to examine the associations between the portion sizes of food groups consumed with measures of adiposity using data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of British adults. Seven-day weighed dietary records, physical activity diaries and anthropometric measurements were used. Foods eaten were assigned to thirty different food groups and analyses were undertaken separately for men and women. The median daily portion size of each food group consumed was calculated. The potential misreporting of dietary energy intake (EI) was identified using the following equation: EI − estimated energy requirements × 100 = percentage of under-reporting (UR) of energy needs. Multinomial logistic regression (adjusted for age, social class, physical activity level and UR) was used to determine the portion sizes of food groups most strongly associated with obesity status. Few positive associations between the portion sizes of food groups consumed and obesity status were found. However, UR was prevalent, with a median UR of predicted energy needs of 34 and 33 % in men and women, respectively. After the adjustment was made for UR, more associations between the food groups and obesity status became apparent in both sexes. The present study suggests that the true effect of increased portion size of foods on obesity status may be masked by high levels of UR. Alternatively, these data may indicate that an increased risk of obesity is not associated with specific foods/food groups but rather with an overall increase in the range of foods and food groups being consumed.

Recent estimates of total pre-weaning piglet mortality range between 16-19% (MLC 2006). With environmental modification using the farrowing crate reaching its potential to decrease mortality, as well as raising serious welfare concerns, a different approach to effectively address piglet survival is needed. Genetic breeding programmes implemented in alternative farrowing systems could prove a viable option.

The current estimate of live-born piglet pre-weaning mortality in UK outdoor systems is 11% (MLC, 2006), representing a major welfare and economic concern. The majority of deaths occur in the first few days of life when the piglets are at their most vulnerable. Selecting for high survival in piglets, may allow breeding of animals better able to survive and better suited to alternative and less restrictive systems than the farrowing crate. The aim was to develop and measure behavioural and physiological indicators of neonatal survival, and to determine treatment effects in populations of piglets selected for high survival and control lines farrowing in an outdoor system.