Information on pangolin life history and ecology is becoming increasingly available in African countries through community-based surveys and camera-trapping. However, there is a paucity of information on the largely arboreal black-bellied pangolin Phataginus tetradactyla, which is categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. By targeting fallen trees or logs with camera traps we recorded the black-bellied pangolin opportunistically in Deng Deng National Park (East Region, Cameroon), a locality within the presumed distribution of the species within Cameroon. We obtained a low trapping rate of 0.063 events per 100 trap-days and the capture probability was one event recorded over 1,571 trap-days (0.0006 captures per day). Deploying camera traps that focus on fallen trees or logs could be explored as a method for detecting black-bellied pangolins.

Pangolins have long been hunted for food and for their scales, but information on local hunting strategies in African range countries and the patterns of pangolin trafficking around sourcing areas is limited. Such knowledge is vital to inform monitoring approaches and conservation interventions. We administered questionnaires to 367 people from 20 villages around two national parks in Cameroon to gain insights into local hunting practices, and trading and trafficking patterns. We found that tracking was the preferred method of hunting pangolins. Trapping was also used, and setting traps on fallen logs and near burrows improved the likelihood of catching pangolins. The white-bellied pangolin Phataginus tricuspis was the most traded species, and the giant pangolin Smutsia gigantea was the most sought after. We found no evidence of trade in the black-bellied pangolin Phataginus tetradactyla. Most respondents stated that pangolin prices had increased over the last 5 years, and scarcity of pangolins was the primary reason given for this increase. We identified a pangolin scale trafficking network operating from rural communities to neighbouring cities. Although most respondents recognized that hunting pangolins is illegal, c. 30% indicated that they were engaged in pangolin hunting.

Gravitational waves from coalescing neutron stars encode information about nuclear matter at extreme densities, inaccessible by laboratory experiments. The late inspiral is influenced by the presence of tides, which depend on the neutron star equation of state. Neutron star mergers are expected to often produce rapidly rotating remnant neutron stars that emit gravitational waves. These will provide clues to the extremely hot post-merger environment. This signature of nuclear matter in gravitational waves contains most information in the 2–4 kHz frequency band, which is outside of the most sensitive band of current detectors. We present the design concept and science case for a Neutron Star Extreme Matter Observatory (NEMO): a gravitational-wave interferometer optimised to study nuclear physics with merging neutron stars. The concept uses high-circulating laser power, quantum squeezing, and a detector topology specifically designed to achieve the high-frequency sensitivity necessary to probe nuclear matter using gravitational waves. Above 1 kHz, the proposed strain sensitivity is comparable to full third-generation detectors at a fraction of the cost. Such sensitivity changes expected event rates for detection of post-merger remnants from approximately one per few decades with two A+ detectors to a few per year and potentially allow for the first gravitational-wave observations of supernovae, isolated neutron stars, and other exotica.

An understanding of the mechanisms that determine host and parasite relationships is a central aim in parasitology. Association of a parasite species with a host species may be influenced primarily by phylogenetic constraints that cause parasite species to co-speciate with their host species, or predominantly by ecological parameters that influence all other co-evolutionary scenarios. This study aimed to investigate the role of co-speciation as well as other co-evolutionary scenarios in influencing the assemblages of tapeworm parasites (marine cestodes) in skate hosts (Rajiformes) using a modification of the PACo (Procrustean Approach to Cophylogeny) method. The study found that phylogeny and host ecology are both significant predictors of skate–tapeworm relationships, implying that co-speciation as well as other co-evolutionary scenarios are shaping these associations. The study also investigated the key ecological parameters influencing host-switching and found that host diet, distribution depth, average body size and geographical location have a combined effect. Given the importance of parasites in ensuring healthy and stable marine ecosystems, the findings of this study have implications for conservation management worldwide.

Aflatoxin is a fungal toxin contaminating corn and causing liver cancer in humans and animals. Contamination is driven by high temperatures and drought. Aflatoxin assessment is expensive so extension services need to identify high risk areas so irrigation, planting strategies and corn varieties can be adapted. This research presents a web-based decision support tool for risk illustrated with a case study from southern Georgia. The tool employs the approach, developed by Kerry et al. (2017b) where exceedance of key thresholds in temperatures, rainfall, soil type and corn production are used to determine risk. The tool also includes NDVI to indicate drought stress and could be further expanded to include new risk factors and adapted to other crops.

Aflatoxin contamination of food can cause liver cancer in humans and animals. Identification of aflatoxin risk areas allows farmers to adapt management strategies before planting, during growth and at harvest. Aflatoxin contamination is driven by high temperatures and drought conditions and crops grown on light textured soil in the south eastern USA are at particular risk. Aflatoxin assessment is expensive so a role of extension services in precision farming is to identify the areas most at risk of contamination so that farmers can adapt irrigation or planting strategies. This paper extends a county-level risk factors approach developed by Kerry et al. (2017) by investigating the use of NDVI and thermal IR data to indicate drought stress and thus aflatoxin contamination risk at the sub-county level.

The need for higher energy density batteries has spawned recent renewed interest in alternatives to lithium ion batteries, including multivalent chemistries that theoretically can provide twice the volumetric capacity if two electrons can be transferred per intercalating ion. Initial investigations of these chemistries have been limited to date by the lack of understanding of the compatibility between intercalation electrode materials, electrolytes, and current collectors. This work describes the utilization of hybrid cells to evaluate multivalent cathodes, consisting of high surface area carbon anodes and multivalent nonaqueous electrolytes that are compatible with oxide intercalation electrodes. In particular, electrolyte and current collector compatibility was investigated, and it was found that the carbon and active material play an important role in determining the compatibility of PF6-based multivalent electrolytes with carbon-based current collectors. Through the exploration of electrolytes that are compatible with the cathode, new cell chemistries and configurations can be developed, including a magnesium-ion battery with two intercalation host electrodes, which may expand the known Mg-based systems beyond the present state of the art sulfide-based cathodes with organohalide-magnesium based electrolytes.

Persons who develop tuberculosis (TB) may have subtle immune defects that could predispose to other intracellular bacterial infections (ICBIs). We obtained data on TB and five ICBIs (Chlamydia trachomatis, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Yersinia spp., Listeria monocytogenes) reported to the Tennessee Department of Health, USA, 2000–2011. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) comparing ICBIs in persons who developed TB and ICBIs in the Tennessee population, adjusted for age, sex, race and ethnicity were estimated. IRRs were not significantly elevated for all ICBIs combined [IRR 0·87, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·71–1·06]. C. trachomatis rate was lowest in the year post-TB diagnosis (IRR 0·17, 95% CI 0·04–0·70). More Salmonella infections occurred in extrapulmonary TB compared to pulmonary TB patients (IRR 14·3, 95% CI 1·67–122); however, this appeared to be related to HIV co-infection. TB was not associated with an increased risk of other ICBIs. In fact, fewer C. trachomatis infections occurred after recent TB diagnosis. Reasons for this association, including reduced exposure, protection conferred by anti-TB drugs or macrophage activation by Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection warrant further investigation.

Common sources of shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157 infection have been identified by investigating outbreaks and by case-control studies of sporadic infections. We conducted an analysis to attribute STEC O157 infections ascertained in 1996 and 1999 by the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) to sources. Multivariable models from two case-control studies conducted in FoodNet and outbreak investigations that occurred during the study years were used to calculate the annual number of infections attributable to six sources. Using the results of the outbreak investigations alone, 27% and 15% of infections were attributed to a source in 1996 and 1999, respectively. Combining information from both data sources, 65% of infections in 1996 and 34% of infections in 1999 were attributed. The results suggest that methods to incorporate data from multiple surveillance systems and over several years are needed to improve estimation of the number of illnesses attributable to exposure sources.

Fishery independent indices of spawning biomass of Atlantic bluefin tuna in western North Atlantic Ocean are presented which utilize National Marine Fisheries Service ichthyoplankton survey data collected from 1977 through 2007 in the Gulf of Mexico. Indices were developed using similarly standardized data from which previous indices were developed (i.e. abundance of larvae with a first daily otolith increment formed per 100 m2 of water sampled with bongo gear). Indices were also developed for the first time from standardized data collected with neuston gear [i.e. abundance of 5-mm larvae (i.e. seven-day-old larvae) per 10 minute tow]. Indices of larval abundance were developed using delta-lognormal models, including following covariates: time of day, time of month, area sampled and year. Due to the large frequency of zero catches during ichthyoplankton surveys, a zero-inflated delta-lognormal approach was also used to develop indices. Finally, a multivariate delta-lognormal approach was employed to develop indices of annual abundance based on both bongo and neuston catches. The results of these approaches were compared with one another and with other indices of larval abundance previously developed for the Gulf of Mexico. Residual analyses indicated that abundance indices of Atlantic bluefin tuna larvae were more appropriately developed from bongo-collected data through the zero-inflated delta-lognormal approach than other data sets and modeling approaches. Also, when modeling bongo-collected data with the zero-inflated delta-lognormal approach, the index values increased, indicating some correction for zero-inflation, and their variability decreased as compared to indices developed with the delta-lognormal approach.

An experiment is described in which plots of a silt loam soil were compacted by ploughing and rotary cultivation when the moisture content was high. Kale and barley were grown on these plots in 2 years.

Compaction of the soil was not as great as anticipated, but there were marked reductions due to wet cultivation in the dry-matter yield of kale and the vegetative growth of the young barley. Seed yield of barley was relatively unaffected, although there was a significant reduction due to wet ploughing in one year.

The implication of these results for experimentation on the effects of soil structure on crop yield are discussed.

Beusani is a rice crop management system practised in rainfed lowland areas of eastern India whereby rice is dry-seeded, then wet-ploughed at 30–50 days after emergence and the land levelled by drawing a board across the field. Field experiments showed that beusani enhances rooting, especially in shallow soil layers, as a result of reduced penetration resistance. Although beusani reduced weed biomass by 38%, it was not as effective as application of herbicide followed by hand weeding, which reduced biomass by 87%. Yields were directly related to weed control, so beusani treatments did not yield as much as the herbicide plus hand weeding treatments in these experiments.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2006 in Chicago, Illinois, USA, July 30 – August 3, 2005

The Northern Ireland beef herd currently incorporates a very diverse range of genotypes which produces a very varied product in terms of carcass weight, fatness and conformation (Kirkland et al., 2004). However, factors other than genotype may also influence the expression of maternal traits and progeny carcass characteristics. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of dam conformation, irrespective of genotype, on dystocia and progeny carcass traits.

The suckler beef industry in Northern Ireland comprises many differing dam breeds and breed crosses. However, there is a paucity of data on the influence of dam breed on parameters such as carcass weight, fatness and conformation, and on factors affecting management of the herd (e.g. dystocia and fertility). The latter are particularly important in view of the increasing number of part time beef farmers in Northern Ireland. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of dam breed on production characteristics of the suckler herd in Northern Ireland.

In the microcrystalline regime, the behavior of grain boundary-controlled electroceramics is well described by the “brick layer model” (BLM). In the nanocrystalline regime, however, grain boundary layers can represent a significant volume fraction of the overall microstructure and simple layer models are no longer valid. This work describes the development of a pixel-based finite-difference approach to treat a “nested cube model” (NCM), which more accurately calculates the current distribution in polycrystalline ceramics when grain core and grain boundary dimensions become comparable. Furthermore, the NCM approaches layer model behavior as the volume fraction of grain cores approaches unity (thin boundary layers) and it matches standard effective medium treatments as the volume fraction of grain cores approaches zero. Therefore, the NCM can model electroceramic behavior at all grain sizes, from nanoscale to microscale. It can also be modified to handle multi-layer grain boundaries and property gradient effects (e.g., due to space charge regions).