Long-term assessment of wild boar harvesting and cattle removal for bovine tuberculosis control in free ranging populations

Wild boar is a recognized reservoir of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in the Mediterranean ecosystems, but information is scarce outside of hotspots in southern Spain. We describe the first high-prevalence focus of TB in a non-managed wild boar population in northern Spain and the result of eight years of TB management. Measures implemented for disease control included the control of the local wild boar population through culling and stamping out of a sympatric infected cattle herd. Post-mortem inspection for detection of tuberculosis-like lesions as well as cultures from selected head and cervical lymph nodes was done in 745 wild boar, 355 Iberian ibexes and five cattle between 2004 and 2012. The seasonal prevalence of TB reached 70% amongst adult wild boar and ten different spoligotypes and 13 MIRU-VNTR profiles were detected, although more than half of the isolates were included in the same clonal complex. Only 11% of infected boars had generalized lesions. None of the ibexes were affected, supporting their irrelevance in the epidemiology of TB. An infected cattle herd grazed the zone where 168 of the 197 infected boars were harvested. Cattle removal and wild boar culling together contributed to a decrease in TB prevalence. The need for holistic, sustained over time, intensive and adapted TB control strategies taking into account the multi-host nature of the disease is highlighted. The potential risk for tuberculosis emergence in wildlife scenarios where the risk is assumed to be low should be addressed.

Psychosocial sequelae of the 1989 Newcastle earthquake .2. Exposure and morbidity profiles during the first 2 years post-disaster

Background. A sample of 1089 Australian adults was selected for the longitudinal component of the Quake Impact Study, a 2-year, four-phase investigation of the psychosocial effects of the 1989 Newcastle earthquake. Of these, 845 (78%) completed a survey 6 months post-disaster as well as one or more of the three follow-up surveys. Methods. The phase I survey was used to construct dimensional indices of self-reported exposure to threat the disruption and also to classify subjects by their membership of five 'at risk' groups (the injured; the displaced; owners of damaged small businesses; helpers in threat and non-threat situations). Psychological morbidity was assessed at each phase using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Impact of Event Scale (IES). Results. Psychological morbidity declined over time but tended to stabilize at about 12 months post-disaster for general morbidity (GHQ-12) and at about 18 months for trauma-related (IES) morbidity. Initial exposure to threat and/or disruption were significant predictors of psychological morbidity throughout the study and had superior predictive power to membership of the targeted 'at risk' groups. The degree of ongoing disruption and other life events since the earthquake were also significant predictors of morbidity. The injured reported the highest levels of distress, but there was a relative absence of morbidity among the helpers. Conclusions. Future disaster research should carefully assess the threat and disruption experiences of the survivors at the time of the event and monitor ongoing disruptions in the aftermath in order to target interventions more effectively.

Report of pre and post road test ultrasonic inspection results on 134 passenger tires: final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Veterinary science technology, with meat inspection and regulatory option, a suggested two-year post-high school curriculum.

Basic materials were prepared by Walter E. Collins, D.V.M., project director, SUNY Agricultural and Technical College at Delhi, pursuant to a contract with the U. S. Office of Education.

A synthesis of the findings from the Quake Impact Study: A two year investigation of the psychosocial sequelae of the 1989 Newcastle earthquake

This paper summarises the major findings from the Quake Impact Study (QIS), a four-phase longitudinal project that was conducted in the aftermath of the 1989 Newcastle (Australia) earthquake. A total of 3,484 subjects participated in at least one component of the QIS, comprising a stratified sample of 3,007 drawn from community electoral rolls and 477 from specially targeted supplementary samples (the injured, the displaced, the owners of damaged businesses, and the helpers). Subjects' initial earthquake experiences were rated in terms of weighted indices of exposure to threat and disruption. Psychological morbidity was measured at each phase using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and the Impact of Event Scale (IES). Selected findings and key conclusions are presented for each of six areas of investigation: service utilisation during the first 6 months post-disaster; patterns of earthquake experience and short-term (6-month) psychosocial outcome; earthquake exposure and medium term (2-year) psychosocial outcome; vulnerability factors and medium-term psychosocial outcome: specific community groups at increased risk (e.g., the elderly and immigrants from non-English-speaking backgrounds); the effects of stress debriefing for helpers. Threshold morbidity (i.e., likely caseness) rates are also presented for a broad range of subgroups. In addition to presenting an overview of the QIS, this paper synthesises the major findings and discusses their implications for future disaster management and research from a mental health perspective.

An application of reliability-based robustness assessment of steel moment resisting frame structures under post-mainshock cascading events

The paper presented herein proposes a reliability-based framework for quantifying the structural robustness considering the occurrence of a major earthquake (mainshock) and subsequent cascading hazard events, such as aftershocks that are triggered by the mainshock. These events can significantly increase the probability of failure of buildings, especially for structures that are damaged during the mainshock. The application of the proposed framework is exemplified through three numerical case studies. The case studies correspond to three SAC steel moment frame buildings of 3-, 9-, and 20- stories, which were designed to pre-Northridge codes and standards. Twodimensional nonlinear finite element models of the buildings are developed using the Open System for Earthquake Engineering Simulation framework (OpenSees), using a finite-length plastic hinge beam model and a bilinear constitutive law with deterioration, and are subjected to multiple mainshock-aftershock seismic sequences. For the three buildings analyzed herein, it is shown that the structural reliability under a single seismic event can be significantly different from that under a sequence of seismic events. The reliability-based robustness indicator used shows that the structural robustness is influenced by the extent by which a structure can distribute damage.

Bridge Inspection Manual, TR-646, 2014

The purpose of this manual is to organize, document, and combine Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) policies and procedures for bridge inspection practices and post-inspection recommendations so Iowa DOT personnel, local agencies, and consultants will have a readily available resource for their use. Previously, bridge inspection policies and procedures were documented by various means, making it difficult to provide consistent answers to questions regarding bridge inspection topics. This manual is intended to ensure uniformity and document best practices for inspection of Iowa’s bridges, especially as experienced inspection personnel retire.

Post-market environmental monitoring of Bt maize in Spain: Non-target effects of varieties derived from the event MON810 on predatory fauna

The Spanish Government has established post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) as mandatory for genetically modified (GM) crop varieties cultivated in Spain. In order to comply with this regulation, effects of Bt maize varieties derived from the event MON810 on the predatory fauna were monitored for two years in northeast and central Spain. The study was carried out with a randomized block design in maize fields of 3-4 ha on which the abundance of plant-dwelling predators and the activity-density of soil-dwelling predators in Bt vs. non-Bt near-isogenic varieties were compared. To this end, the plots were sampled by visual inspection of a certain number of plants and pitfall traps 6 or 7 times throughout two seasons. No significant differences in predator densities on plants were found between Bt and non-Bt varieties. In the pitfall traps, significant differences between the two types of maize were found only in Staphylinidae, in which trap catches in non-Bt maize were higher than in Bt maize in central Spain. Based on the statistical power of the assays, surrogate arthropods for PMEM purposes are proposed; Orius spp. and Araneae for visual sampling and Carabidae, Araneae, and Staphylinidae for pitfall trapping. The other predator groups recorded in the study, Nabis sp. and Coccinellidae in visual sampling and Dermaptera in pitfall trapping, gave very poor power results. To help to establish a standardized protocol for PMEM of genetically modified crops, the effect-detecting capacity with a power of 0.8 of each predator group is given.

Sediment deformation in Miocene and post-Miocene strata, Northeastern Brazil: Evidence for paleoseismicity in a passive margin

Stratigraphic intervals characterized by varied and complex styles of soft-sediment deformation structures are well preserved in Miocene and Late Pleistocene to Holocene deposits of a sedimentary basin located in Northeastern Brazil. The Miocene strata, represented by the Barreiras Formation, record only brittle structures, including numerous faults and fractures with straight and high angle-dipping planes that are often filled with sands derived from overlying beds. Folds consisting of broad anticlines and synclines are also present in this unit. The late Pleistocene to Holocene deposits, named Post-Barreiras Sediments, contain an indurated sandy package with a large variety of ductile and brittle deformation structures (i.e., massive sandstones with isolated sand fragments and breccias, undulatory strata, sand dykes and diapirs, sinks and bowls, pebbly pockets, plunged sediment mixtures, fitted sand masses, cone-shaped cracks, fault grading and sedimentary enclaves). These features, confined to sharp-based stratigraphic horizons that progressively grade downward into undisturbed deposits, are related to seismic shocks of high surface-wave magnitude (i.e., Ms>5 or 6). Amalgamated seismites suggest that previously formed seismites were affected by subsequent seismic-wave propagation. Seismic waves caused by activity along one, or most likely, several tectonic structures would have propagated throughout the depositional environment, producing laterally extensive seismites. The close proximity to earthquake epicenters would have promoted pervasive re-sedimentation due to pore overpressure, resulting high volumes of massive sandstones and breccia. The similarity between deposits with correlatable strata from many other areas along the Brazilian coast allows raise the hypothesis that the seismic episodes might have affected sedimentation patterns in a large (i.e., extension of several hundreds of kilometers) geographic area. Thus, the modern seismicity recorded along Northeastern Brazil was recurrent during the Quaternary and, perhaps, also in the Pliocene. The estimated high magnitude of the seismic events and the great regional extent of the affected area demonstrate that the Brazilian coast experienced tectonic stress through the last geological episodes of its evolution, which would have favored sediment accumulation and penecontemporaneous re-sedimentation. This geological context is unexpected in a passive margin, inducing to revisit the debate on how active is a passive margin. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distribution of Taenia saginata metacestodes: a comparison of routine meat inspection and carcase dissection results in experimentally infected calves

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Fracture resistance of bovine incisors restored with different glass fiber posts: Effect of the diameter of fiber post

Aim: Compare the effect of three post designs on the fracture resistance and failure modes of composite core-fiber post-crownless tooth sets. Materials and Methods: Ninety bovine incisors were selected and divided into nine groups of 10 specimens. The teeth were assigned to three groups based on the post design: Cylindrical, tapered, and double-tapered. Each group was subdivided into three subgroups in accordance with the diameter of the post: Small (No.1), medium (No.2), and large (No.3). The Panavia F system was used for post cementation. The specimens were mounted in acrylic resin blocks with a layer of silicone rubber covering the roots. A universal testing machine compressively loaded the specimens from the palatal side at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min and at an angle of 135I to the long axis of the teeth, until failure occurred. The failure mode was determined by a stereomicroscope inspection of all the specimens. Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and the Tukey test (P < 0.05). Results: The fracture resistance was affected by the type of post (P < 0.0001). A narrower diameter for all of the post systems allowed for higher resistance. The main failure mode in the large cylindrical group was catastrophic fractures, while the main failures in the other eight groups were favorable. Conclusion: Narrower diameter posts showed higher fracture resistance. The dominant failure pattern was repairable fracture, except for those with large cylindrical groups.

Reverse Engineering tools: development and experimentation of innovative methods for physical and geometrical data integration and post-processing

In recent years, the use of Reverse Engineering systems has got a considerable interest for a wide number of applications. Therefore, many research activities are focused on accuracy and precision of the acquired data and post processing phase improvements. In this context, this PhD Thesis deals with the definition of two novel methods for data post processing and data fusion between physical and geometrical information. In particular a technique has been defined for error definition in 3D points’ coordinates acquired by an optical triangulation laser scanner, with the aim to identify adequate correction arrays to apply under different acquisition parameters and operative conditions. Systematic error in data acquired is thus compensated, in order to increase accuracy value. Moreover, the definition of a 3D thermogram is examined. Object geometrical information and its thermal properties, coming from a thermographic inspection, are combined in order to have a temperature value for each recognizable point. Data acquired by an optical triangulation laser scanner are also used to normalize temperature values and make thermal data independent from thermal-camera point of view.

Feasibility of post mortem cardiac proton density weighted fast field echo imaging in two cases of sudden death

OBJECTIVE The aim of this work is to investigate and compare cardiac proton density (PD) weighted fast field echo (FFE) post-mortem magnetic resonance (PMMR) imaging with standard cardiac PMMR imaging (T1-weighted and T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE)), postmortem CT (PMCT) as well as autopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two human cadavers sequentially underwent cardiac PMCT and PMMR imaging (PD-weighted FFE, T1-weighted and T2-weighted TSE) and autopsy. The cardiac PMMR images were compared to each other as well as to PMCT and autopsy findings. RESULTS For the first case, cardiac PMMR exhibited a focal region of low signal in PD-weighted FFE and T2-weighted TSE images, surrounded by a signal intense rim in the T2-weighted images. T1-weighted TSE and PMCT did not appear to identify any focal abnormality. Macroscopic inspection identified a blood clot; histology confirmed this to be a thrombus with an adhering myocardial infarction. In the second case, a myocardial rupture with heart tamponade was identified in all PMMR images, located at the anterior wall of the left ventricle; PMCT excluded additional ruptures. In PD-weighted FFE and T2-weighted TSE images, it occurred hypo-intense, while resulting in small clustered hyper-intense spots in T1-weighted TSE. Autopsy confirmed the PMMR and PMCT findings. CONCLUSIONS Presented initial results have shown PD-weighted FFE to be a valuable imaging sequence in addition to traditional T2-weighted TSE imaging for blood clots and myocardial haemorrhage with clearer contrast between affected and healthy myocardium.

Seismically-induced landslides by a low-magnitude earthquake: The Mw 4.7 Ossa De Montiel event (central Spain)

The Ossa de Montiel (2015/02/23, Mw 4.7) earthquake struck the central part of Spain and was felt far from the epicenter (> 300 km). Even though ground shaking was slight (Imax = V, EMS-98 scale), the earthquake triggered many small rock falls, most at distances of 20–30 km from the epicenter, greater than previously recorded in S Spain (16 km) for earthquakes of similar magnitudes. The comparative analysis of available data for this event with records from other quakes of the Betic cordillera (S and SE Spain) seems to indicate a slower pattern of ground-motion attenuation in central Spain. This could explain why slope instabilities occurred at larger distances. Instability was more frequent, and occurred at larger distances, in road cuts than in natural slopes, implying that such slope types are highly susceptible to seismically induced landslides.