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The influence of rider bodyweight on salivary cortisol concentrations and spontaneous blink rate for horses performing a standardised exercise test
Get PDFBackground: Judgements concerning optimal rider weight for horse size are rarely informed by objective science, despite the potential welfare ramifications of a heavy rider on a mismatched horse.
Objectives: To measure the equine stress response to riders of differing weight.
Study design: Prospective, cross-over, randomised trial.
Methods: Six horses in regular work, 500–600 kg bodyweight, were ridden by four riders (rider bodyweight: horse body weight ratio 10–12% [L = Light], >12 ≤ 15% [M = Moderate], >1520% [VH = Very Heavy]), in a standardised dressage test lasting 30 min. The test was abandoned for ≥grade 3 lameness or demonstration of ≥10 behavioural markers [1]. Salivary cortisol analyses (SalimetricsTM ELISA kits) were performed on mouth swabs collected at 06.00 h, directly before exercise and 30 min after exercise. Spontaneous Blink Rate (SBR), an indicator of the stress neurotransmitter dopamine, was recorded immediately before and after exercise, for 15 min.
Results: All 13 H and VH rider tests were abandoned (lameness, n = 12; behaviour, n = 1), as was one of 12 M rider tests (lameness). Post-exercise SBR was elevated compared with pre-exercise values for rider H (P<0.05, Wilcoxon's matched pairs test). There were no differences in cortisol concentrations.
Main limitations: The short duration of the abandoned tests may have influenced the results for riders H and VH (mean 8.3 and 16.6 min respectively).
Conclusions: Increased SBR for the H rider and the high termination rate for H and VH tests are both possible indicators of a stress response to heavier riders. Further work is require
Bracken control in the first year is as good as it gets!
Get PDFBracken (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn) can be problematic for various land-based
sectors such as agriculture, forestry, recreation, shooting, as well as for catchment water
quality. It can also have detrimental impacts on conservation sites, reducing biodiversity.
The herbicide asulam has been shown to be an effective control method but herbicide use
might be limited on some conservation sites. Various mechanical control methods are
available, though some still require empirical evidence to assess their efficacy. A longterm field experiment was established in 2011 near Cirencester, Gloucestershire using a
completely-randomised design, with 5 m × 5 m treatment plots replicated three times. The
site had been routinely cut once yearly prior to the experiment to reduce bracken dominance.
Three bracken management methods, deemed appropriate for small conservation sites with
access issues, were considered: cutting once yearly; cutting twice yearly; and, hand pulling
once yearly, each being compared to an untreated control. Frond heights and densities were
used to assess plant performance and hence the efficacy of control treatments.
In comparison to the control plots that received no management intervention, all three
of the mechanical control methods were found to significantly reduce frond heights and
densities, each by about half. Cutting twice yearly was more effective in reducing frond
height than cutting once, with hand pulling being the least effective. All three performed
equally well in reducing frond density, but none demonstrated a significant longer-term
(6 years) reduction in plant performance. Hand pulling required considerable time and
effort delivering the least favourable outcomes, whilst cutting twice was only marginally
better than cutting once. It was therefore recommended that a single annual bracken cut
would give the best cost benefit for small conservation sites, enabling acceptable levels
of control, but not complete eradication
Diagnosis of severe equine asthma via protein microarray immunoglobulin E profiling and mathematical modelling
No full textInnovations in Agroecology Education: From Bicycles to Blended Learning
No full textDue to the complexity of agroecological studies and contexts, some agroecology educators are seeking to innovate in their pedagogical approach and course design. Through action research enquiries, "action education" innovations are being developed which not only shift and explore new approaches to the learning process, but also shift the relationships and dynamics between students and faculty, between learners and practitioners, and between people and place. Action enquiry has revealed a "learning-doing" gap that agroecology educators identify as an unintended consequence of lecture-based, and theory dominant, pedagogies. A critical stance to epistemological and ontological aspects of their approach would further enhance these innovative educational initiatives
Reconstructing Asian faunal introductions to eastern Africa from multi-proxy biomolecular and archaeological datasets
No full textHuman-mediated biological exchange has had global social and ecological impacts. In sub-Saharan Africa, several domestic andcommensal animals were introduced from Asia in the pre-modern period; however, the timing and nature of these introductionsremain contentious. One model supports introduction to the eastern African coast after the mid-first millennium CE, while anotherposits introduction dating back to 3000 BCE. These distinct scenarios have implications for understanding the emergence of longdistancemaritime connectivity, and the ecological and economic impacts of introduced species. Resolution of this longstandingdebate requires new efforts, given the lack of well-dated fauna from high-precision excavations, and ambiguous osteomorphologicalidentifications. We analysed faunal remains from 22 eastern African sites spanning a wide geographic and chronological range, andapplied biomolecular techniques to confirm identifications of two Asian taxa: domestic chicken (Gallus gallus) and black rat (Rattusrattus). Our approach included ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis aided by BLAST-based bioinformatics, Zooarchaeology by MassSpectrometry (ZooMS) collagen fingerprinting, and direct AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) radiocarbon dating. Our resultssupport a late, mid-first millennium CE introduction of these species. We discuss the implications of our findings for models ofbiological exchange, and emphasize the applicability of our approach to tropical areas with poor bone preservation
Ships of the desert, camels of the ocean: An Indian Ocean Perspective on Trans-Saharan Trading Systems
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Smallholder Farmer Innovation and Contexts in Maize-Based Conservation Agriculture Systems in Central Malawi
Get PDFThe increased threat of food insecurity and climate change requires more sustainable ways of agriculture intensification in African smallholder farming systems. Ample evidence confirms that maize-based conservation agriculture (CA) systems lead to increased soil health and yield enhancement yet their overall uptake remains low in Africa. An array of studies on challenges and solutions to CA systems conducted in southern Africa principally focussed on the views of scientists, often neglecting the views of CA farmers. Therefore, this study assessed farmer decision making, innovation and contexts during implementation of maize-based CA systems in communities of central Malawi. A survey involving interviews with 226 CA farmers was deployed, triangulated with key informants comprising extension workers and policy makers. The study showed that about 58% of smallholder farmers did not adapt CA practices to their circumstances because they were strictly following change agents‟ recommendations. The major challenge noted was competition for crop residues due to mice hunters and grazing livestock. Local by-laws initiated by the communities have started to privatise the crop residues and its grazing. However, other innovations were often not documented by extension workers, consequently neglecting more than half of the potential solutions provided by farmers. The establishments of a National Conservation Agriculture Task Force and CA guidelines are positive developments for coordination of stakeholders and harmonisation of CA messages in Malawi. However, for greater adoption, non-linear interaction and learning must be encouraged in practice by fully embracing innovative farmers and the voices of the pool of stakeholders with varying experiences
How long is UK property cycle?
Get PDF– The purpose of this paper is to assess the duration of the UK commercial property cycles, their
volatility and persistence to gauge future market directio