Tree-afflicting pests, such as insects and pathogens, could change forests in ways promoting invasions by non-native plants. After tree death associated with the fungal pathogen oak wilt (Bretziella fagacearum) and its attempted containment (severing root connectivity and sanitation removal of infected trees), we examined change in cover of the non-native liana Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb.; hereafter Celastrus) at 28 sites in temperate black oak (Quercus velutina Lam.) forests, Ohio, USA. During our 5-yr study spanning 2020 to 2024, Celastrus cover increased significantly (P < 0.05) through time at oak wilt sites but not in untreated reference forest sites without evidence of oak wilt. Celastrus cover increased by an order of magnitude, up to an average of 32 times among oak wilt treatments up to 10 yr old. By 2024, Celastrus cover ranged from 6% to 22% on average in 5- to 10-yr-old oak wilt treatments, compared with 1% cover in reference forest. Results indicate that non-native plant invasion accelerated following disturbance associated with a fungal pathogen and its attempted containment and, more generally, suggest that tree-afflicting pests can promote invasive plants in forests. Co-management of tree-afflicting pests and non-native plants may become increasingly important to ensure forests recovering from tree mortality are dominated by native plants.

During the 2017 European hepatitis A (HA) outbreak we assessed HA incidence in our cohort of 2300 HIV-infected patients, implemented preventive measures and evaluated practices and knowledge on sexually transmitted diseases (STD). HA incidence was assessed between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2017 and included all symptomatic patients with virologically confirmed HA. Preventive measures consisted in identifying at risk and not immunised patients to propose them a free HAV vaccination, and an anonymous survey related to transmission routes of STD and to sexual behaviours. Twenty HA were diagnosed. All were homosexual men recently diagnosed with HIV and another STD. None were vaccinated against hepatitis A virus (HAV). Hospitalisation was required for 52%. We identified 250 patients at risk to acquire HAV and invited them to a free immunisation program. A total of 110 (44%) were vaccinated, of whom 74 responded to our survey. A majority of them (84%) reported recent active anal and oral sexuality with multiple (52%) male partners (81%), and ChemSex consumption (14%). Internet was the meeting link for 58%. Another STD history was found in 69%. One third of these individuals had no idea about STD transmission modes. This HA outbreak pointed the insufficient vaccine coverage against HAV and knowledge on STD, which may be improved by Internet.

We use Kriström's simple spike model to assess the factors influencing consumers' willingness to pay a premium for a variety of certified wood products. A survey of over 1,600 Pennsylvania and Tennessee residents found that approximately 35% were willing to pay some positive “premium” for environmentally certified wood products. For three types of wood products (a $28.80 shelf, a $199 chair, and a $799 table), we find the estimated market premiums to be $3.74, $15.94, and $45.07, respectively.

Conversion of poultry litter to energy can serve as a renewable energy source and provide an alternative to land application in areas where poultry production is intensive. Economies of size may limit a farmer's ability to economically use on-farm conversion. Capital costs can be spread across several poultry farmers to convert poultry litter to energy in a centralized facility. This research determined influences on the amount of litter poultry producers will to sell to a centralized conversion facility, on their willingness to invest in a conversion cooperative, and on the prices for litter required to divert litter from current uses.

Over the past decade, a growing number of deep imaging surveys have started to provide meaningful constraints on the population of extrasolar giant planets at large orbital separation. Primary targets for these surveys have been carefully selected based on their age, distance and spectral type, and often on their membership to young nearby associations where all stars share common kinematics, photometric and spectroscopic properties. The next step is a wider statistical analysis of the frequency and properties of low mass companions as a function of stellar mass and orbital separation. In late 2009, we initiated a coordinated European Large Program using angular differential imaging in the H band (1.66 μm) with NaCo at the VLT. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive and statistically significant study of the occurrence of extrasolar giant planets and brown dwarfs at large (5-500 AU) orbital separation around ~150 young, nearby stars, a large fraction of which have never been observed at very deep contrast. The survey has now been completed and we present the data analysis and detection limits for the observed sample, for which we reach the planetary-mass domain at separations of ≳50 AU on average. We also present the results of the statistical analysis that has been performed over the 75 targets newly observed at high-contrast. We discuss the details of the statistical analysis and the physical constraints that our survey provides for the frequency and formation scenario of planetary mass companions at large separation.

With the combination of Herschel PACS (far-IR), submillimeter (submm) and millimeter (mm) ground-based observations, we are leading an investigation of all members with spectral types M4 and onwards in the Taurus star-forming region. This complete census spans the stellar to substellar boundary (M6.25), and the wavelength range covers the transition from optically thick to optically thin emission. From our Hershel PACS observations of ~135 sources, we obtain a detection rate of ~40% at 70 μm and a detection rate of ~20% at 160 μm, and provide the first far-IR measurements for the majority of these members. With our complementary submm and mm observations, best fit SED models from the radiative transfer code MCFOST will be used to infer disk properties such as scale height, mass, outer radius and maximum dust grain size. These comprehensive population statistics of disks are critical for testing star/brown dwarf and planet formation models around these later type members of Taurus.

The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) has a major radius of R0 = 1.75 m and a midplane halfwidth of 0.5 m. It has been operated with a toroidal magnetic field B0 = 2 T and Ip ≤ 500 kA. The evolution of the plasma equilibrium is analysed between discharges by Equilibrium Fitting Code (EFIT). Limiter, single-null and double-null diverted configurations have been produced. A plasma elongation in the range 1.3 ≤ κ ≤ 1.9 and a triangularity in the range 0.1 ≤ δ ≤ 0.55 have been sustained. The operation space of elongated discharges is also presented based on the EAST database.

Intravenous provocation (IVP) tests demonstrated that hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (MC) was able to elicit anaphylactic signs in cattle vaccinated with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine produced at one centre but not with similar vaccine produced at another. The former vaccine also provoked serum reagins which were demonstrated by passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) tests in goats.

Reaginic sera which reacted specifically with MC were used in PCA tests to screen samples taken serially from the vaccine production lines. The reactions observed suggested that a substance with MC or similar specificity was present in the antifoaming agent routinely added to vaccines.

Cyathocotyle bushiensis Khan 1962 is a digenean intestinal parasite of ducks that appears to be involved in seasonal mortality of the definitive host. Temperature dependence of egg hatching and miracidial survival at 25%C were experimentally investigated as part of a study on transmission of the larval stages. Maximum percentage of hatching was obtained at a temperature of 25%C, at which the average hatching time was 21·7 days. The average hatching time decreased linearly from 38·9 days to 9·8 days between 18 and 28%C. Eggs exposed to cold (4%C) prior to incubation at 25%C were significantly less successful in hatching than fresh eggs incubated at the same temperature. Their hatching percentage was much reduced and their average hatching time was increased. Similarly, eggs collected in late autumn (as opposed to summer) and incubated at 23%C had significantly lower hatching success and significantly increased average hatching time. At 25%C, the average life-span of the miracidia was 8·8 h. These results are compared with similar data from other digenean species and their significance is discussed in relation to transmission to the first intermediate host in climatic conditions prevalent in endemic areas.

Les valeurs limites annuelles d’exposition de l’organisme entier des travailleurs et du public sont définies à l’aide de la dose efficace E. Les dosimètres individuels portés par les travailleurs évaluent un estimateur de cette grandeur de protection : l’équivalent de dose individuel. Cet article présente les deux méthodes de calcul des équivalents de dose et de la dose efficace ainsi que les résultats obtenus dans un champ mixte neutronique-photonique auprès d’une boîte à gants. Les équivalents de dose calculés pour ce poste de travail dépendent des hypothèses de calcul. Estimer la dose efficace à partir de ces résultats se révèle de ce fait délicat. Cette étude démontre ainsi l’intérêt de disposer d’un moyen de mesure de la dose efficace.

Crannogs are ancient artificial islands found in Scotland and Ireland, which typically had some sort of dwelling place constructed on them that served variously as farmers' homesteads, status symbols, refuges in times of trouble, hunting and fishing stations, etc. Substantial research has been carried out for similar sites in mainland Europe, which has demonstrated that they were lakeside settlements, mostly dating to the Neolithic period and not built over open water. In contrast, the Scottish and Irish sites were built in open water, clearly separate from the shore. In Perthshire, some prehistoric crannogs were originally timber-built roundhouses supported on piles or stilts driven into the loch bed. Today, these crannogs appear as tree-covered islands or remain hidden as submerged stony mounds. Until recently, there were few radiocarbon dates for these structures and so the sites appeared as a homogeneous group. Not only did this make it impossible to examine them in sub-groupings but it also inhibited research, as they did not fit into known periods or architecturally distinct sub-groups, except that they were surrounded by water. Recent work in Loch Tay has resulted in 14C dating of the timber piles from 13 of the 18 crannogs in the loch, allowing them to be fitted into different classes. A major group was constructed in the Early Iron Age around 400–800 BC, with smaller groups constructed around 200–300 BC and 0 BC/AD. There is also evidence of repair/reoccupation of some of these crannogs in the 6th–9th centuries AD. A number of the sites were also known to be inhabited into the recent past, with one, Priory Island, occupied until the 17th century. The dates of construction also raise important issues relating to the loch-level changes that have taken place. The 14C results will be discussed in relation to the periods of origin and habitation of the crannogs.

Direct detection and spectral characterization of extrasolar planets is one of the most exciting but also one of the most challenging area in modern astronomy. For its second generation instrumentation on the VLT, ESO has supported two phase A studies for a so-called “Planet Finder” dedicated instrument. Based on the results of these two studies, a unique instrument is now considered for first light in early 2010, including a powerful extreme adaptive optics system, various coronagraphs, an infrared differential imaging camera, an infrared integral field spectrograph and a visible differential polarimeter. We will briefly summarize the science objectives and requirements, describe the proposed conceptual design and discuss the main limitations and corresponding instrumental issues of such a system. We will also derive the expected performance of the proposed Planet Finder and present the project organization.

This paper presents the scientific case for a next generation adaptive optics instrument at the VLT, temporarily named “Planet Finder”, that is aimed at detecting and characterizing extrasolar planets through the direct analysis of their emitted photons in the visible and at near-IR wavelengths. We discuss the observational niche of such an instrument to have first light in 2010, in complement to other planet search methods. To improve the efficiency (and consistency) of the search for planets with the PF, the observations will need to be organized in the form of an extensive survey of hundreds of nearby stars, predicted outputs of which are also described here. This summarizes the study phase of the instrument, conducted by two competitive teams and the recent merging of both studies, regarding the scientific impact of Planet Finder.

We present results obtained with different adaptive optics systems(ADONIS, PUEO, NAOS), in either imaging or coronagraphic modes, in theframe of several surveys aimed at searching for very low mass starsand substellar objects around nearby M dwarfs as well as in youngcloseby associations. For the M dwarfs of the solar neighborhood, wehave obtained a very accurate mass-luminosity relation that we cancompare to the prediction of recent stellar structure models. We alsopresent multiplicity statistics of M dwarfs (binary fraction, periodand mass ratio distribution), which are crucial constraints forstellar formation scenarii. We also discuss results obtained on twoyoung closeby associations, MBM12 and Tucana-Horologium.

We have obtained low resolution infrared spectra of 21 brown dwarf candidates, selected from a survey performed at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The spectra were obtained at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (La Palma), using the NICS spectrometer in the Amici configuration, which allows to observe the range 0.85–2.45 μm in a single shot. The bands shown by most of the spectra confirm that we are dealing with low effective temperature objects. Preliminary results of spectral classification are presented.

We have performed a photometric search for brown dwarf candidates in Taurus using the CFH12K wide-field mosaic camera. We are in the process of obtaining follow-up spectroscopy of likely brown dwarf candidates. We summarize the current state of the photometric analysis and the optical spectroscopy obtained to date. We also discuss the evidence for accretion in these systems.