Huddling in groups leads to daily energy savings in free-living African Four-Striped Grass Mice, Rhabdomys pumilio

1. Free-living animals make complex decisions associated with optimizing energy and nutrient intake. In environments where ambient temperatures fall below the thermoneutral zone, homeotherms must choose whether or not to forage, how long and what to forage for, and whether or not to perform activities that conserve energy.

Exploring the dilemma of local sourcing versus international development – the case of the flower industry

This paper examines the debate surrounding local versus international sourcing of retail products, particularly food and flowers, in light of the emerging carbon imperative. It begins by examining the Fairtrade market and then examines food miles and carbon impact. The complexity of sourcing decisions when considering both international development issues and the emerging carbon agenda is considered using the case of the cut flower industry

Influence of access to grass silage on the welfare of sows introduced to a large dynamic group

This experiment investigated the effects of providing access to grass silage on the welfare of sows introduced to a large dynamic group. Two treatments were applied: (1) access to racks containing grass silage (offering an average of 1.9 kg silage/sow/day), and (2) control treatment with no grass silage racks. Treatments 1 and 2 were applied to two separate dynamic groups, each containing 37 (2) sows. Approximately 9 sows were replaced in both groups at 3-week intervals, and each of these replacements constituted a replicate of the study. The study was replicated six times using a total of 108 sows. In a time-based cross-over design, treatments were swapped between the two dynamic groups after three replicates. Highest levels of rack usage were shown between 08:00 and 14:00 h. During peak periods, 9.8% of sows were observed at the racks at a given time. On average, 78.5% of sows observed at the racks were newly-introduced animals. Overall levels of aggression to which newly-introduced sows were exposed on the day of introduction to the group were low, and did not differ significantly between treatments (P > 0.05). In addition, injury levels measured 1-week post-introduction to the group did not differ significantly between treatments (P > 0.05). Sham chewing behaviour was more prevalent in the post-rather than the pre-feeding yard (P

Red meat from animals offered a grass diet increases plasma and platelet n-3 PUFA in healthy consumers

Red meat from grass-fed animals, compared with concentrate-fed animals, contains increased concentrations of long-chain (LC) n-3 PUPA. However, the effects of red meat consumption from grass-fed animals on consumer blood concentrations of LC n-3 PUFA are unknown. The aim of the present study was to compare the effects on plasma and platelet LC n-3 PUFA status of consuming red meat produced from either grass-fed animals or concentrate-fed animals. A randomised, double-blinded, dietary intervention study was carried out for 4 weeks on healthy subjects who replaced their habitual red meat intake with three portions per week of red meat (beef and lamb) from animals offered a finishing diet of either grass or concentrate (n 20 consumers). Plasma and platelet fatty acid composition, dietary intake, blood pressure, and serum lipids and lipoproteins were analysed at baseline and post-intervention. Dietary intakes of total n-3 PUFA, as well as plasma and platelet concentrations of LC n-3 PUFA, were significantly higher in those subjects who consumed red meat from grass-fed animals compared with those who consumed red meat from concentrate-fed animals (P<0.05). No significant differences in concentrations of serum cholesterol, TAG or blood pressure were observed between groups. Consuming red meat from grass-fed animals compared with concentrate-fed animals as part of the habitual diet can significantly increase consumer plasma and platelet LC n-3 PUFA status. As a result, red meat from grass-fed animals may contribute to dietary intakes of LC n-3 PUFA in populations where red meat is habitually consumed.

Hanging Flower Baskets, Blowing in the Wind? Third Sector Groups, Cross-Border Partnerships and the EU Peace Programmes in Ireland

The EU’s Peace programmes in Ireland have promoted the cross-border activity of Third sector groups. Potentially, such activity gives substantive meaning to regional cross-border governance and helps to ameliorate ethno-national conflict by providing positive sum outcomes for ‘post-conflict’ communities. The paper mobilizes focused research conducted by the authors to explore this potential. It finds that while regional cross-border governance has indeed developed under the Peace programmes, the sustainability of the social partnerships underpinning this governance is uncertain and its significance for conflict resolution is qualified by difficulties in forming a stable power-sharing arrangement at the political elite level.

Evidence of natural occurrence of the banned antibiotic chloramphenicol in herbs and grass

Chloramphenicol (CAP), a broad-spectrum antibiotic, was detected in several herb and grass samples from different geographic origins. Due to its suspected carcino-genicity and linkages with the development of aplastic anemia in humans, CAP is banned for use in food-producing animals in the European Union (EU) and many other countries. However, products of animal origin originating from Asian countries entering the European market are still found noncompliant (containing CAP) on a regular basis, even when there is no history of chloramphenicol use in these countries. A possible explanation for the continued detection of these residues is the natural occurrence of CAP in plant material which is used as animal feed, with the consequent transfer of the substance to the animal tissues. Approximately 110 samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometric detection. In 26 samples, the presence of CAP was confirmed using the criteria for banned substances defined by the EU. Among other plant materials, samples of the Artemisia family retrieved from Mongolia and from Utah, USA, and a therapeutic herb mixture obtained from local stores in the Netherlands proved to contain CAP at levels ranging from 0.1 to 450 mu g/kg. These findings may have a major impact in relation to international trade and safety to the consumer. The results of this study demonstrate that noncompliant findings in animal-derived food products may in part be due to the natural occurrence of chloramphenicol in plant material. This has implications for the application of current EU, USA, and other legislation and the interpretation of analytical results with respect to the consideration of CAP as a xenobiotic veterinary drug residue and the regulatory actions taken upon its detection in food.

Development and validation of an optical SPR biosensor assay for tiamulin in grass and groundwater

Tiamulin (TIA) is an antimicrobial veterinary drug administered subtherapeutically to prevent swine dysentery and pneumonia. Due to its stability, crystalline structure, and water-soluble properties, TIA is a prime candidate for environmental monitoring. However, there are currently no screening methods available for TIA in environmental matrices, such as grass or ground water. In this paper, the development and validation of a screening method using optical SPR biosensor technology is presented. A solvent extraction was carried out on samples prior to analysis using the Biacore Q instrument. The limit of detection for the assay in grass and ground water was 10.8 ng/g and 2.4 ng/ml, respectively. In addition, the assay was shown to be of an acceptable standard with regard to both accuracy and reproducibility.