Doctor of Philosophy(PhD) / The European red fox (Vulpes vulpes L.) is a well known predator of native species and domestic stock, and is recognised as one of Australia’s most devastating vertebrate pests. Current fox management relies heavily on poisoning using baits impregnated with sodium monofluoroacetate (1080). This reliance on 1080 is likely to continue given the lack of viable alternatives for controlling foxes, so that, in the meanwhile, it is important to improve the efficiency of the current techniques. Factors affecting the susceptibility of individual foxes to bait include their ability to locate it, as well as the bait’s palatability and toxicity. The economic costs associated with using different bait types, the pattern and density of their distribution will also affect the efficiency of control programs. It is essential to examine and refine all such issues to ensure efficient use of the 1080 baiting technique. This thesis focuses generally on problems associated with management of the fox in eastern Australia. More specifically, I investigate the factors affecting the efficiency of fox baiting practices on the central tablelands of New South Wales. The study was conducted largely on agricultural lands near the town of Molong (33010’ 37”S, 148087’15”E) on the central tablelands of New South Wales. This area was chosen as it is broadly representative, in terms of land use, of a large region of eastern Australia. The highly modified, predominantly agricultural landscapes near Molong are well suited to foxes, and conflict with the predominantly pastoral community means that fox management is widely undertaken. I determined the persistence of 1080 in two commonly used bait types, Foxoff® and chicken wingettes, under different climatic and rainfall conditions. The rate of 1080 degradation did not change significantly between the central tablelands and the relatively hotter and drier western slopes. Foxoff® baits remained lethal for longer than wingettes under all conditions, although their rate of degradation generally increased with increasing rainfall. I confirmed the presence of defluorinating micro-organisms in thesoils of eastern Australia for the first time, and suggest that, following removal from the bait, 1080 would not persist in the environment for long. Bait should be attractive and highly palatable to ensure that the target species will find and consume it upon discovery. Caching, where discovered food is removed but not immediately consumed, may potentially reduce the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of baiting campaigns. I quantified the caching of chicken wingette, day-old chick and Foxoff® baits by inserting transmitters into bait material and assessing whether it was eaten or cached following removal. The intensity of caching did not change significantly between seasons. Type of bait had the largest influence on caching intensity, with a greater percentage of non-toxic Foxoff® baits (66.9%) being cached than either wingettes (5.7%) or day-old chicks (4.5%). The percentage of toxic (1080) baits cached was even greater, suggesting that 1080 bait may be less palatable, and detectable to foxes. I also investigated the use of conditioned taste aversion to reduce multiple bait uptake by foxes. Levamisole, an illness-inducing chemical, was added to bait and the fate of removed bait was again monitored via radio-telemetry. Following consumption of a levamisole-treated bait, foxes avoided eating treated baits but consumed untreated baits. I concluded that a reduction in bait consumption was achieved through learned aversion to levamisole rather than via conditioned taste aversion to baits. Adding levamisole to baits, especially non-toxic bait such as rabies vaccines, could potentially be used to reduce bait monopolisation by individual foxes. Fox density and den site preferences were assessed by investigating the distribution and density of fox natal dens on one property (9.6 km2) over three consecutive years. A total of 9 natal dens were located in 2000 and 2001, declining to 6 in 2002. No preference was shown for den sites on the basis of habitat, slope or aspect, but more dens were located under, or adjacent to cover. Assuming that each natal den represents a breeding pair and that the population sex ratio did not differ from parity (1:1), the site contained a prebreeding density of 1.9 foxes/km2 in 2000 and 2001, and 1.25 foxes/km2 in 2002. Given that the mean number of cubs is 4.0, the post-breeding density was estimated at 5.6 and 3.75 foxes/km2 in 2000/2001 and 2002, respectively. The results demonstrated that high densities of foxes occur on agricultural lands. The success and likely accuracy of the technique to monitor fox density suggests that it may be used to calibrate more efficient abundance estimates that will be essential for the strategic management of foxes in future. Pest animal management strategies are traditionally assessed for their effectiveness, with less consideration being given to the efficiency or cost of achieving the desired effect. I used cost-effectiveness analyses to compare between different baiting strategies based on the longevity, palatability and handling/replacement costs associated with each bait type. The results indicated that, when measured on a total cost-per-bait-consumed basis, wingettes and day-old chicks were the most cost-effective baits for campaigns of up to 4 weeks duration. This demonstrates the importance of including the longevity, and particularly the palatability of bait, when assessing cost-effectiveness. However, it is recognised that other factors, including the consistency of dosage and uptake by nontarget species, may be equally or more important in deciding the appropriate baiting strategy. The spatial and temporal application of fox baiting in the region overseen by the Molong Rural Lands Protection Board was examined between January 1998 and December 2002 as a case study to evaluate the apparent effectiveness of cooperative management practices. Most landholders (78.8%) did not bait for foxes during this period. Based on known dispersal distances, the effect of fox immigration into baited areas was determined. The results indicated that no areas baited for foxes were separated by a sufficient buffer distance (>9.58 km) from unbaited areas to be protected from fox immigration. This suggests that, at current levels of coordination, the effectiveness of most baiting operations in eastern Australia is compromised over the long term by fox immigration. However, it is recognised that short-term reductions in fox density may sometimes be all that are required to reduce predation to acceptable levels, especially for seasonally-susceptible prey. Ultimately, the cost-effectiveness of control should be evaluated in terms of the response of the prey rather than that of the predator. This study has highlighted deficiencies in current ‘best-practice’ baiting techniques. Specific recommendations for current baiting practices, in addition to future research, are also given. In brief, these include minimising free-feed baiting, increasing the minimum distance between bait stations, and, where possible, presenting the most palatable bait. Continued research into conditioned taste aversion, aerial baiting, and techniques to reduce caching are recommended as potential techniques to improve the efficiency of baiting practices.

Doctor of Philosophy(PhD) / The European red fox (Vulpes vulpes L.) is a well known predator of native species and domestic stock, and is recognised as one of Australia’s most devastating vertebrate pests. Current fox management relies heavily on poisoning using baits impregnated with sodium monofluoroacetate (1080). This reliance on 1080 is likely to continue given the lack of viable alternatives for controlling foxes, so that, in the meanwhile, it is important to improve the efficiency of the current techniques. Factors affecting the susceptibility of individual foxes to bait include their ability to locate it, as well as the bait’s palatability and toxicity. The economic costs associated with using different bait types, the pattern and density of their distribution will also affect the efficiency of control programs. It is essential to examine and refine all such issues to ensure efficient use of the 1080 baiting technique. This thesis focuses generally on problems associated with management of the fox in eastern Australia. More specifically, I investigate the factors affecting the efficiency of fox baiting practices on the central tablelands of New South Wales. The study was conducted largely on agricultural lands near the town of Molong (33010’ 37”S, 148087’15”E) on the central tablelands of New South Wales. This area was chosen as it is broadly representative, in terms of land use, of a large region of eastern Australia. The highly modified, predominantly agricultural landscapes near Molong are well suited to foxes, and conflict with the predominantly pastoral community means that fox management is widely undertaken. I determined the persistence of 1080 in two commonly used bait types, Foxoff® and chicken wingettes, under different climatic and rainfall conditions. The rate of 1080 degradation did not change significantly between the central tablelands and the relatively hotter and drier western slopes. Foxoff® baits remained lethal for longer than wingettes under all conditions, although their rate of degradation generally increased with increasing rainfall. I confirmed the presence of defluorinating micro-organisms in thesoils of eastern Australia for the first time, and suggest that, following removal from the bait, 1080 would not persist in the environment for long. Bait should be attractive and highly palatable to ensure that the target species will find and consume it upon discovery. Caching, where discovered food is removed but not immediately consumed, may potentially reduce the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of baiting campaigns. I quantified the caching of chicken wingette, day-old chick and Foxoff® baits by inserting transmitters into bait material and assessing whether it was eaten or cached following removal. The intensity of caching did not change significantly between seasons. Type of bait had the largest influence on caching intensity, with a greater percentage of non-toxic Foxoff® baits (66.9%) being cached than either wingettes (5.7%) or day-old chicks (4.5%). The percentage of toxic (1080) baits cached was even greater, suggesting that 1080 bait may be less palatable, and detectable to foxes. I also investigated the use of conditioned taste aversion to reduce multiple bait uptake by foxes. Levamisole, an illness-inducing chemical, was added to bait and the fate of removed bait was again monitored via radio-telemetry. Following consumption of a levamisole-treated bait, foxes avoided eating treated baits but consumed untreated baits. I concluded that a reduction in bait consumption was achieved through learned aversion to levamisole rather than via conditioned taste aversion to baits. Adding levamisole to baits, especially non-toxic bait such as rabies vaccines, could potentially be used to reduce bait monopolisation by individual foxes. Fox density and den site preferences were assessed by investigating the distribution and density of fox natal dens on one property (9.6 km2) over three consecutive years. A total of 9 natal dens were located in 2000 and 2001, declining to 6 in 2002. No preference was shown for den sites on the basis of habitat, slope or aspect, but more dens were located under, or adjacent to cover. Assuming that each natal den represents a breeding pair and that the population sex ratio did not differ from parity (1:1), the site contained a prebreeding density of 1.9 foxes/km2 in 2000 and 2001, and 1.25 foxes/km2 in 2002. Given that the mean number of cubs is 4.0, the post-breeding density was estimated at 5.6 and 3.75 foxes/km2 in 2000/2001 and 2002, respectively. The results demonstrated that high densities of foxes occur on agricultural lands. The success and likely accuracy of the technique to monitor fox density suggests that it may be used to calibrate more efficient abundance estimates that will be essential for the strategic management of foxes in future. Pest animal management strategies are traditionally assessed for their effectiveness, with less consideration being given to the efficiency or cost of achieving the desired effect. I used cost-effectiveness analyses to compare between different baiting strategies based on the longevity, palatability and handling/replacement costs associated with each bait type. The results indicated that, when measured on a total cost-per-bait-consumed basis, wingettes and day-old chicks were the most cost-effective baits for campaigns of up to 4 weeks duration. This demonstrates the importance of including the longevity, and particularly the palatability of bait, when assessing cost-effectiveness. However, it is recognised that other factors, including the consistency of dosage and uptake by nontarget species, may be equally or more important in deciding the appropriate baiting strategy. The spatial and temporal application of fox baiting in the region overseen by the Molong Rural Lands Protection Board was examined between January 1998 and December 2002 as a case study to evaluate the apparent effectiveness of cooperative management practices. Most landholders (78.8%) did not bait for foxes during this period. Based on known dispersal distances, the effect of fox immigration into baited areas was determined. The results indicated that no areas baited for foxes were separated by a sufficient buffer distance (>9.58 km) from unbaited areas to be protected from fox immigration. This suggests that, at current levels of coordination, the effectiveness of most baiting operations in eastern Australia is compromised over the long term by fox immigration. However, it is recognised that short-term reductions in fox density may sometimes be all that are required to reduce predation to acceptable levels, especially for seasonally-susceptible prey. Ultimately, the cost-effectiveness of control should be evaluated in terms of the response of the prey rather than that of the predator. This study has highlighted deficiencies in current ‘best-practice’ baiting techniques. Specific recommendations for current baiting practices, in addition to future research, are also given. In brief, these include minimising free-feed baiting, increasing the minimum distance between bait stations, and, where possible, presenting the most palatable bait. Continued research into conditioned taste aversion, aerial baiting, and techniques to reduce caching are recommended as potential techniques to improve the efficiency of baiting practices.

No description available.

Sherman M. Chan, Norman A. Lehtomaki, Michael Athans. / Bibliography: leaf 6. / "March 20, 1981" / "This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Division of Electric Energy Systems, under contract DE-AC01-78RA03395."

No description available.

In Western Australia dried meat baits containing 1080 are used extensively by agricultural and conservation organisations to control foxes and dingoes for the protection of agricultural production and native fauna. Field trials were conducted to assess 1080 loss from dried meat baits and this required the analysis of over five hundred baits. Because of this large number of baits it was essential to have a simple and efficient 1080 extraction procedure and method of 1080 analysis. In this study three methods of 1080 extraction and the new bioassay method for 1080 analysis were investigated. A simple and cost-effective 1080 extraction method using water with a 98% 1080 recovery rate was developed and modifications to the bioassay method were made.Factory-produced 1080 dried meat baits were laid in the field during different seasons at four locations in Western Australia, samples were collected over time and analysed for 1080 content using the bioassay. Rainfall was recorded and temperature data was collected for each site. Baits were exposed to the elements but were placed in mesh or wire cages to restrict invertebrate attack and prevent removal by vertebrates. Some baits were placed on the surface and others were buried. Initially 1080 loss from baits from all 4 sites was minimal, ranging from 0 - 21% at day 7 - 9. Further loss was gradual even when rainfall was recorded. Generally baits had to be exposed to at least 50 mm of rain before 1080 loss increased to 50%. At some sites baits continued to remain toxic to foxes even after long exposure. The mean 1080 content of baits from the Carnarvon site at day 226 was 2.0 mg (55% of the mean 1080 content of baits at day zero) with 137 mm of rainfall recorded for that period. Loss of 1080 from baits buried occurred at a faster rate than from baits placed on the surface during the same time period. By day 14 no 1080 was ++ / detected in the buried baits compared to the 68% detected in the surface baits. Under certain conditions 1080 loss from baits was minimal. Levels of 1080 in baits from Nangeen Hill remained fairly constant during the months of September to December 1995, and again during February to April 1996.Gastrolobium plant tissue and soil samples from the southwest of Western Australia were investigated for the presence of 1080 degrading microorganisms. Microbes were isolated and individually tested in solution containing 1080 as the sole carbon source. Isolates which showed 1080 degrading ability were further tested for their degrading efficiency in McClung carbon-free solution with added 1080 as the sole source of carbon and in factory 1080 waste solution, at 1080 concentrations of 20 and 200 mM. The effect of temperature on their rate of degradation was also examined. Thirteen isolates (7 fungi and 6 bacteria) showing varying degrees of 1080 degrading ability were obtained. Rates of 1080 degradation varied among isolates but were highest in the factory waste solution at the 20 mM concentration and in the McClung solution, where 1080 was the sole source of carbon, at the higher concentration of 200 mM. The most efficient isolates OSK and 10H (both Pseudomonas species) degraded all the 1080 present in sterile factory waste solution up to 20 mM 1080 concentration in 4 days and the isolate 1AF (Fusarium oxysporum) degraded 93% of 200 mM 1080 in the McClung solution in 9 days. The optimum temperatures for 1080 degradation were 30 degrees celsius and fluctuating ambient temperatures of 15 28 degrees celsius.

Activated Heat Shock Transcription Factor 1 (HSF1) has received attention in recent literature as a therapeutic effector in diseases of protein misfolding, as an immune modulating adjuvant in tumor regression, and as a trigger for gene therapy transcription. In its normal function, activated HSF1 enhances heat shock protein (Hsp) expression when additional molecular chaperoning is required (i.e., in situations of proteotoxic stress, including thermal stress) in a process known as the heat shock (HS) response. Thus, HSF1 acts as an environmental sensor, and a harness based on the biology of this capability enables transcription of genes for engineered purposes. The hypothesis of this thesis is that a harness of the heat shock response, when paired with a therapeutic mechanism, will refine novel therapies. Extensions to the concept of deliberately activating HSF1's normal functions for therapeutic purposes are examined through in vitro trials and in vivo preliminary studies that feature the use of HSF1 as a regulator of therapy. Successful in vitro work translated to pioneering preclinical studies, launched at the University of Florida's Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology. Collaboration supported the development of an innovative project to treat solid tumors using a recombinant virus system. The system was designed to facilitate intratumoral delivery of a previously characterized molecular switch, which was newly engineered to control cytotoxic gene transcription that produced dramatic consequences in cells of human origin. Central to the targeting of the in vivo therapy, is a transient, initial trigger: a thermal dose, delivered to solid tumors, which localizes HSF1 activation (a constitutively active mouse HSF1 construct was also produced to aid clarification of physiological consequences associated with deliberately upregulating HSF1 activity in vivo). Gene transcription was expected to ensue to both cause and sustain tumor regression through other regulatory elements of the molecular switch. Results demonstrated practical potential to achieve a therapeutic outcome of solid tumor regression and define contemporary challenges that continuing research directions (e.g.: production of additional viral vectors, an improved animal model, and a refined heat system) now confront in order to target and safely regulate even more potent, novel therapeutic agents.

Polymers in concrete have received considerable attention over the past 30 years. Superplasticizers are one of the admixtures which have polymeric structure. In this study, polycarboxylate type slump-releasing dispersant, which is a copolymer of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid (AMPS) and methacrylic acid (MAA), was synthesized in different feed compositions. The synthesis procedure of this copolymer was retrieved from literature. The derivatives of this water-soluble copolymer (AMPS-MAA) were synthesized by a macromonomer which was synthesized by the esterification of poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether (PEG) with MAA (PEGMA) and then copolymerizing this macromonomer with AMPS monomer, the resulting copolymer is AMPS-PEGMA. In order to study the methyl group effect on fluidity, the other type of macromonomer (PEGA), composed of PEG and acrylic acid (AA), was synthesized and copolymerized with AMPS monomer, giving AMPS-PEGA. The structures of synthesized polymers were verified by NMR and FT-IR analysis. The slump-releasing effect of the synthesized copolymers was studied in terms of reaction pH, composition, molecular weight, amount of PEG side chains, and molecular weight of PEG side chains. The AMPS-MAA copolymer with 40% AMPS content was the most effective in promoting the fluidity of cement pastes. In scope of reaction pH, the AMPS-MAA copolymer, synthesized at a pH of 11, gave the most effective result on fluidity of the cement pastes. In copolymers of PEG acrylate macromonomers and AMPS monomers, copolymers with 5% PEG acrylate content showed the highest fluidity both in copolymers of PEGA and PEGMA. In copolymers with PEG side chains, the 15% AMPS-PEGA copolymer synthesized at pH of 6 gave the most effective result on fluidity of cement pastes. In the study of mechanical properties of the mortar samples prepared by the copolymers selected, AMPS-PEGA copolymer with 25% PEG content showed the highest flexural strength, and AMPS-MAA copolymer with 60% AMPS content and a reaction pH of 11 gave the highest compressive strength. In this study, zeta potential measurements were also performed to analyze the fluidity behavior of the copolymers.

Aim The aim of this study was to ascertain the effect of resisted sprint training in swimming on maximal swimming velocity and performance characteristics. The aim was also to examine how maximal swimming velocity is related to maximal swim power and maximal dry-land power. Method Eighteen competitive national level swimmers (9 male and 9 female; age: 18.3 ± 2.3 years, body mass: 72 ± 8.3 kg, height: 177.2 ± 4.6 cm, mean ± SD) were recruited to this study. Subjects were assigned to either resisted sprint training (RST) or unresisted sprint training (UST). Sprint training was performed two times per week during 6 weeks as 8x15m with a 2min send-off interval. RST performed sprint training using individualized load corresponding 10% of maximum drag load (L10), UST performed sprint training with no added resistance. A test-battery including dry-land strength assessment; maximal strength (MxS) and explosive strength (ExS), a timed 25m front-crawl swim and in-water force-velocity profiling was performed prior and following the training intervention. Maximal swim power (Pmax), maximum drag load (F0), theoretical maximum velocity (v0) and slope of force-velocity curve (SFv) was computed though force-velocity profiling. Results No significant within group differences occurred in neither RST nor UST following the 6-week intervention period in: swimming velocity, MxS, ExS, Pmax, F0, v0, and SFv. Strong correlations were found between swimming velocity and MxS (r = 0.75), ExS (r =0.82) and Pmax (r = 0.92). Conclusion Resisted sprint training in swimming using L10 did in the present study not elicit any improvements in maximal swimming velocity or examined performance characteristics. Resisted sprint training does not appear to be a superior method of improving swimming performance compared to unresisted sprint training. MxS, ExS and Pmax can be used as robust predictors of swim performance, however only Pmax was found to be casually related to swimming velocity.

Recent advancements in 3D data gathering have made it possible to measure the distance to an object at different time stamps through the use of time-of-flight cameras. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of a time-of-flight camera on different mechanical sprint properties of the muscle. Fifteen male football players performed four 30m maximal sprint bouts which was simultaneously recorded with a time-of-flight camera and 1080 sprint device. By using an exponential function on the collected positional- and velocity-time data from both the devices, following variables were derived and analyzed: Maximal velocity (nmax), time constant (t), theoretical maximal force (F0), theoretical maximal velocity (V0), peak power output (Pmax), F-V mechanical profile (Sfv) and decrease in ratio of force (Drf). The results showed strong correlation in vmax along with a fairly small standard error of estimate (SEE) (r = 0,817, SEE = 0,27 m/s), while t displayed moderate correlation and relatively high SEE (r = 0,620, SEE = 0,12 s). Furthermore, moderate mean bias (>5%) were revealed for most of the variables, except for vmax and V0. The within-sessions reliability using Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) ranged from excellent to poor with Pmax displaying excellent reliability (ICC = 0,91, SEM = 72W), while vmax demonstrated moderate reliability (ICC = 0,61, SEM = 0,26 m/s) and t poor(ICC = 0,44, SEM = 0,11 s). In conclusion, these findings showed that in its current state, the time-of-flight camera is not a reliable or valid device in estimating different mechanical properties of the muscle during sprint running using Samozino et al’s computations. Further development is needed.