Performance and ruminal morphologic characteristics of Saanen kids fed ground, pelleted or extruded total ration

The aim of the present study was to determine feed intake and average weight gain and to evaluate the ruminal morphologic characteristics of Saanen kids slaughtered at 30, 45 and 60 days of age, according to a completely randomized design. Thirty-six non-castrated male Saanen kids were fed ground total ration, pelleted total ration, or extruded total ration. Feed intake and refusals were controlled daily and the animals were weighed at birth and then once a week. Newborn kids received a milk replacer and were weaned at 45 days. Immediately after slaughter, the animals were eviscerated, the entire digestive apparatus was removed from the carcass. The reticulo-rumen was separated, emptied, washed and weighed. Samples were collected from the dorsal sac, pillar area and ventral sac of the rumen, fixed for about 24h in Bouin's solution, dehydrated, embedded in Histosec and cut into 5 mu m sections. Results showed that dry matter intake (DMI) at weaning and post-weaning and weight gain were higher (P < 0.05) in animals that received the pelleted total ration. The weight of the reticulo-rumen accompanied body development and was heavier in these animals. Histologically, after weaning ruminal papillae were more developed in animals that received pelleted total ration. Length of papillae increased with increase of age. The ratio of papillary height to papillary width increased with age in the ventral sac and until weaning (P > 0.05). We conclude that the pelleting process of the total ration favored increased intake, with a 46.7% increase in weight gain and increase in rumen weight and papillae length, suggesting that best results are obtained with this processing. In general, no difference was observed between the results obtained with extruded and ground total ration, although animals fed extruded total ration showed an increase in rumen weight and papillae width. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Adolescent’s subjective perceptions of chronic disease and related psychosocial factors: Highlights from an outpatient context study

Background: Adolescents with chronic disease (CD) can be more vulnerable to adverse psychosocial outcomes. This study aims: 1) to identify differences in psychosocial variables (health-related quality of life, psychosomatic complaints, resilience, self-regulation and social support) among adolescents who feel that CD affects or does not affect school/peers connectedness (measured by self-reported participation in school and social activities); and 2) to assess the extent to which psychosocial variables are associated with connectedness in school and peer domains. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 135 adolescents with CD (51.9% boys), average age of 14 ± 1. 5 years old (SD = 1.5). Socio-demographic, clinical, and psychosocial variables were assessed, using a self-reported questionnaire, which included the Chronic Conditions Short Questionnaire, KIDSCREEN-10 Index, Symptoms Check-List, Healthy Kids Resilience Assessment Module Scale, Adolescent Self-Regulatory Inventory, and Satisfaction with Social Support Scale. Descriptive statistics, GLM-Univariate ANCOVA and Logistic Regression were performed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 22.0. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. Results: Thirteen to eighteen percent of the adolescents felt that CD affected participation at school (PSCH) and participation in leisure time with friends (PLTF). These adolescents presented lower results for all psychosocial study variables, when compared with adolescents who did not feel affected in both areas of participation. From the studied psychosocial variables, the most important ones associated with PSCH (after controlling for age, gender, diagnosis, and education level of father/mother) were self-regulation and psychosomatic health. Concerning the PLTF, social support was the sole variable explaining such association. Conclusions: The present study pointed out the association between psychosocial variables; and living with a CD and school/peers connectedness. The need to focus on the assessment of the effects of a CD on adolescents’ lives and contexts is suggested, as well as on the identification of vulnerable adolescents. Such identification could help to facilitate the maximization of social participation of adolescents with CD, and to plan interventions centered on providing support and opportunities for a healthy youth development. For that purpose, a complex and multifactorial approach that includes clinicians, schools, family, and peers may be proposed.

Fysisk aktivitet och teknologins påverkan på barn : - en fallstudie av två lågstadieklasser

Fysisk inaktivitet och stillasittande är stora hälsorisker då samhället idag blir allt mer beroende av teknologin både under fritid, inom arbetslivet och i skolan. Vårt syfte med denna studie är att undersöka om teknologin på något sätt påverkar barnens fysiska aktivitet negativt. Detta är en kvalitativ fallstudie med intervjuer och observationer som genomförts i två lågstadieklasser på två olika skolor med olika regler gällande användandet av teknologi. Ena skolan använder sig av surfplattor från och med förskoleklass medan den andra skolan inte börjar med teknologi, i form av datorer, förrän i sjundeklass. Undersökningens resultat visar att barnens fysiska aktivitet i skolmiljö inte påverkas nämnvärt av att skolorna har regler angående användandet av tekniska resurser. Utifrån våra observationer kan vi också se att det behövs mer fokus och riktlinjer på hur man kan förminska förslitningsskador från barnens dåliga hållning vid användandet av surfplatta i framtiden. Intervjuerna visar också att lärare tycker att mer ansvar bör läggas på föräldrarna än på skolorna för att få barnen mer aktiva och intresserade av en fortsatt aktiv livsstil.

Productive performance and parasitological control of kids supplemented with umbu fruits (Spondias tuberosa Arruda).

Native fruits from Caatinga vegetation can be an important alternative to improve the productive performance of kids in the semi-arid region of Brazil. This work aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementation with Umbuzeiro fruits in natura over the weight gain and anthelmintic control of kids kept in Buffel grass pasture in the semi-arid zone of Pernambuco, Brazil. Twenty-four castrated, crossbreed kids were allocated into three treatments: 1) Control (n = 8) fed exclusively with Buffel grass; 2) Umbu 1x (n = 8) fed with fruits once a week and 3) Umbu 3x (n = 8) fed with fruits for three times a week. The following parameters were evaluated: variation of body weight, faecal egg counts (FEC) and coproculture. Overall, the average consumption of Umbu fruits in natura was 1.48 kg/animal/day, which corresponded to 133.5 g daily dry matter intake (DMI/animal/day). There were no significant difference (P>0.05) for any parameters evaluated. During the experimental period, the overall daily weight gain was variable between 108.75 to 116.70 g/animal/day and the average FEC was 436 eggs. In the present study, the goat kids supplemented with fresh umbu fruits showed a good productive performance, however the supplementation with umbu did not control the infestation of gastrointestinal nematodes in kids.

The impact of service orientation on relationship quality and future intentions

This paper examines the impact of service orientation (SO) on relationship quality, and its consequences for consumer behaviour in the travel industry. Specifically consumers' positive behavioural intentions, perceptions of switching costs, and consumer activism are examined as consequences of relationship quality (RQ). A sample of leisure and business travellers on a cross sea ferry were surveyed using a consumer intercept methodology. We find that SO has a significant and positive impact on RQ and that RQ has a positive impact on positive behavioural intentions and perceptions of switching costs. Both RQ and switching costs were found to reduce consumer activism. The implications of these findings for service managers and academics are discussed and directions forfuture research presented.

Attributes of service delivery modes and their impact on consumer satisfaction

Consumersatisfaction is fundamental to organisational success. It is well recognised that personal service is important in achieving consumer satisfaction. However, the application of self-service technology (SST) is widcning and is attennuating traditional exchanges between consumers and service employees. The effect of this reduction of personal service on consumer satisfaction judgements is not well understood. This study addresses this gap by investigating the relative effects of SST and personal service attributes on overall consumer satisfaction. Thc study highlights important service attributes applicable to SST and personal service. The conceptual framework is tested using data collected from 241 leisure and business travellers drawn from premium hotels in a regional area. Structural equation modelling techniques support the conceptual framework. As expected, the attributes of personal service and SST contribute to consumer satisfaction. However, thc impact of personal service attributes 011 consumer satisfaction is much stronger than the effects of SST attributes. Though SST is an important determinant of consumer satisfaction, interactions with staff are critical. These results have applications for the theory and practice of services marketing, and high light avenues for further investigation.

Extreme sports as a facilitator of ecocentricity and positive life changes

Extreme sports and extreme sports participants have been most commonly explored from a negative perspective, for example the 'need to take unnecessary risks'. This study reports on findings that indicate a more positive experience. A phenomenological method was used via unstructured interviews with 15 extreme sports participants and other first hand accounts. The extreme sports included B.A.S.E. jumping, big wave surfing, extreme skiing, waterfall kayaking, extreme mountaineering and solo rope-free climbing. Results indicate that participating in activities that involve a real chance of death, fear and the realisation that nature in its extreme is far greater and more powerful than humanity triggers positive life changes, and an eco-centric standpoint.

Aging, retirement, and changes in physical activity : prospective cohort findings from the globe study

There is increased recognition that determinants of health should be investigated in a life-course perspective. Retirement is a major transition in the life course and offers opportunities for changes in physical activity that may improve health in the aging population. The authors examined the effect of retirement on changes in physical activity in the GLOBE Study, a prospective cohort study known by the Dutch acronym for "Health and Living Conditions of the Population of Eindhoven and surroundings," 1991–2004. They followed respondents (n = 971) by postal questionnaire who were employed and aged 40–65 years in 1991 for 13 years, after which they were still employed (n = 287) or had retired (n = 684). Physical activity included 1) work-related transportation, 2) sports participation, and 3) nonsports leisure-time physical activity. Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that retirement was associated with a significantly higher odds for a decline in physical activity from work-related transportation (odds ratio (OR) = 3.03, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.97, 4.65), adjusted for sex, age, marital status, chronic diseases, and education, compared with remaining employed. Retirement was not associated with an increase in sports participation (OR = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.71, 1.75) or nonsports leisure-time physical activity (OR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.54, 1.19). In conclusion, retirement introduces a reduction in physical activity from work-related transportation that is not compensated for by an increase in sports participation or an increase in nonsports leisure-time physical activity.

The lens of ludic engagement : evaluating participation in interactive art installations

Designers and artists have integrated recent advances in interactive, tangible and ubiquitous computing technologies to create new forms of interactive environments in the domains of work, recreation, culture and leisure. Many designs of technology systems begin with the workplace in mind, and with function, ease of use, and efficiency high on the list of priorities. [1] These priorities do not fit well with works designed for an interactive art environment, where the aims are many, and where the focus on utility and functionality is to support a playful, ambiguous or even experimental experience for the participants. To evaluate such works requires an integration of art-criticism techniques with more recent Human Computer Interaction (HCI) methods, and an understanding of the different nature of engagement in these environments. This paper begins a process of mapping a set of priorities for amplifying engagement in interactive art installations. I first define the concept of ludic engagement and its usefulness as a lens for both design and evaluation in these settings. I then detail two fieldwork evaluations I conducted within two exhibitions of interactive artworks, and discuss their outcomes and the future directions of this research.

Fan motivation and loyalty : extending the Sport Interest Inventory (SII) to the Australian Football League

This study used the Sport Interest Inventory (SII) to examine the motivation of fans attending a game in the Australian Football League. This is the first study to use the SII for professional men’s team sport outside the United States. Confirmatory factor analysis showed the model provided a good fit for the data collected in Australia, and regression analysis revealed that team interest, vicarious achievement, excitement and player interest were the significant factors in predicting and explaining the level of attitudinal loyalty of fans toward their favourite team.

Corporate social responsibility and sport event sponsorship

Demonstrating socially responsible behaviour has become increasingly important for corporations. Using the Psychological Continuum Model (PCM) as its theoretical framework, this paper examines the meditational role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on the relationship between sport participation motivation, event attachment and purchase intent of a sport event’s sponsors’ products. A questionnaire was distributed to a sample of sport event participants (N=689) to measure sport participation motivation (recreation and charity), attachment to the event, CSR, and purchase intent of sponsors’ products. Results reveal that CSR fully mediates the link between purchase intent and sport participation motivation and partially mediates the influence of attachment on purchase intent. The authors propose that corporations strategically align with sport events in which participants are attached to allow for CSR and the meaning elicited by the event to work jointly.

Investigating motivation, attitudinal loyalty and attendance behaviour with fans of Australian football

The present study examined how individual difference factors contribute to attitudes and behaviour of spectators attending an Australian Football League game. The results revealed that four factors: Team Interest, Vicarious Achievement, Excitement and Player Interest were successful in predicting level of loyalty, while five factors: Vicarious Achievement, Player Interest, Entertainment Value, Drama and Socialization predicted game day attendance. This study illustrates the applicability of the Sport Interest Inventory developed in North America to understand motivational factors of Australian sports fans.

The use of online counselling within an Australian secondary school setting: a practitioner’s viewpoint

This paper proposes that the provision of online counselling services for young people accessed through their local school website has the potential to assist students with mental health issues as well as increasing their help seeking behaviours. It stems from the work of the authors who trialled an online counselling service within one Australian secondary school. In Australia, online counselling with the adult population is now an accepted part of the provision of mental health services. Online provision of mental health information for young people is also well accepted. However, online counselling for young people is provided by only a few community organisations such as Kids Help Line within Australia. School based counselling services which are integral to most secondary schools in Australia, seem slow to provide this service in spite of initial interest and enthusiasm by individual school counsellors. This discussion is the product of reflection on the potential benefits of this trial with a consideration of relevant research of the issues raised. It highlights the need for further research into the use of computer mediated communication in the provision of counselling within a school setting.

Public sector evaluation of festivals and special events

This research project set out to explore Unitary Authority (UA) involvement in festivals and special events across Wales. It considers the level and nature of UA involvement and investigates activity by event purpose; reasons for, and characteristics of, UA engagement; and, crucially, the extent and nature of event evaluation. The study’s aim was to begin the development of a baseline of information for further research into the growing use of festivals and special events as a strategy for local economic development in Wales. A quantitative survey approach facilitated a comprehensive snapshot of UA responses whilst also incorporating discursive elements. A telephone survey was designed and undertaken with representatives of all 22 UA departments responsible for festivals and events in Wales. The research reveals a significant level of festival and special event activity across Wales, supported primarily for its perceived socio-cultural value. However, evaluation would appear to be focused on improving processes and measuring economic outputs rather than assessing whether socio-cultural objectives are being achieved. Whilst overwhelmingly positive about efforts to improve approaches to evaluation, respondents held clear views about the complications most likely to hamper any such efforts. These responses focused upon the need for flexibility, cost effectiveness and comparability across festival and special event typologies.