Longitudinal cohort study of horse owners

This report summarises the findings of a three-year mixed methods research study designed to capture factors that influence horse owner Hendra virus (HeV) risk mitigation practices. The research project focuses on horse owners; their knowledge, attitudes, and risk mitigation practices, i.e. uptake of vaccination, property management, and biosecurity practices. A flexible research methodology enabled the tracking of core subject areas over time whilst also responding to new or evolving shifts in the HeV landscape, e.g. new HeV cases, event management, and issues arising in the vaccine roll-out. By tracking relationships within the data and engaging with stakeholders and the horse owner population, it is hoped that findings from the study will help to identify important linkages and effective strategies for communication/information and policy implementation.

Horse and Cattle Brands in Queensland

Horse and Cattle Brands in Queensland since 1872 to current year 2015

Expression of lactate transporters MCT1, MCT2, MCT4 and the ancillary protein CD147 in horse muscle and red blood cells

Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) transport lactate and protons across cell membranes. During intense exercise, lactate and protons accumulate in the exercising muscle and are transported to the plasma. In the horse, MCTs are responsible for the majority of lactate and proton removal from exercising muscle, and are therefore also the main mechanism to hinder the decline in pH in muscle cells. Two isoforms, MCT1 and MCT4, which need an ancillary protein CD147, are expressed in equine muscle. In the horse, as in other species, MCT1 is predominantly expressed in oxidative fibres, where its likely role is to transport lactate into the fibre to be used as a fuel at rest and during light work, and to remove lactate during intensive exercise when anaerobic energy production is needed. The expression of CD147 follows the fibre type distribution of MCT1. These proteins were detected in both the cytoplasm and sarcolemma of muscle cells in the horse breeds studied: Standardbred and Coldblood trotters. In humans, training increases the expression of both MCT1 and MCT4. In this study, the proportion of oxidative fibres in the muscle of Norwegian-Swedish Coldblood trotters increased with training. Simultaneously, the expression of MCT1 and CD147, measured immunohistochemically, seemed to increase more in the cytoplasm of oxidative fibres than in the fast fibre type IIB. Horse MCT4 antibody failed to work in immunohistochemistry. In the future, a quantitative method should be introduced to examine the effect of training on muscle MCT expression in the horse. Lactate can be taken up from plasma by red blood cells (RBCs). In horses, two isoforms, MCT1 and MCT2, and the ancillary protein CD147 are expressed in RBC membranes. The horse is the only species studied in which RBCs have been found to express MCT2, and the physiological role of this protein in RBCs is unknown. The majority of horses express all three proteins, but 10-20% of horses express little or no MCT1 or CD147. This leads to large interindividual variation in the capacity to transport lactate into RBCs. Here, the expression level of MCT1 and CD147 was bimodally distributed in three studied horse breeds: Finnhorse, Standardbred and Thoroughbred. The level of MCT2 expression was distributed unimodally. The expression level of lactate transporters could not be linked to performance markers in Thoroughbred racehorses. In the future, better performance indexes should be developed to better enable the assessment of whether the level of MCT expression affects athletic performance. In human subjects, several mutations in MCT1 have been shown to cause decreased lactate transport activity in muscle and signs of myopathy. In the horse, two amino acid sequence variations, one of which was novel, were detected in MCT1 (V432I and K457Q). The mutations found in horses were in different areas compared to mutations found in humans. One mutation (M125V) was detected in CD147. The mutations found could not be linked with exercise-induced myopathy. MCT4 cDNA was sequenced for the first time in the horse, but no mutations could be detected in this protein.

Tyttöjen toinen koti : Etnografinen tutkimus tyttökulttuurista ratsastustalleilla

Horseback riding is a popular activity in Finland, especially among young women and girls. For centuries, however, horse husbandry and horse culture in Finland had been dominated by men. Nowadays it is mainly the girls who ride as a hobby and take care of the horses. The stable has evolved into an important social sphere for girls, a semi-public room of their own where they spend time together. A study of the girl culture in the riding stable offers a unique perspective as well as new information on becoming a girl and a young woman in Finland. The subject of my research is the girl culture and girls communities at the horseback riding stables. In this thesis I discuss what kind of girl-cultural sphere the stable is, how girls organize their community, and what different aspects and meanings the hobby entails for girls while they are actively engaged in the hobby. I focus on the construction of gender and girlhood and examine how these gender constructions can be theorized as gender tradition. The research material consists of the interviews of 22 stable girls from different parts of Finland and an observation period at one of the stables. The informants were from 13 to 27 years of age. The theoretical background is based on the anthropological study of folklore, girls studies, feminist theory and post-humanist viewpoints. I am interested in how girls culture and girlhood are produced performatively in the interview narration and participant observation. I concentrate on four aspects of this culture: 1) what girls do at the stable, and what kind of relationships they create with horses; 2) social relations focusing on the ways girls construct their own groups, the way their hierarchy is constructed and how they use power; 3) the norms and social control regarding social behaviour; and 4) the reasons girls give for their involvement in the hobby, and girls interest in horses in general. In this girl culture, gender norms and boundaries are not only stretched or transgressed, but the culture also re-produces the hierarchical and stereotypical ideas of gender. The traditions of gender express both the hegemonic gender system and those ideas of gender which girls resist, at least momentarily. Constructions of gender and gender tradition are constituted at the intersections of historical and contemporary expectations of what it means to be a girl. Conscious of these societal demands, girls support, reproduce, challenge, and make comments on them.

Two levels of MCT1 and CD147 expression in the equine red blood cells and muscle

Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs), especially the isoforms MCT1 - MCT4, cotransport lactate and protons across the cell membranes. They are thus essential for pH regulation and homeostasis in glycolytic cells such as red blood cells (RBCs), and skeletal muscle cells during intense exercise. In 70% of the Standardbred horses the lactate transport activity (TA) in RBCs is high and transport is mediated mainly by MCTs. In the rest 30% of the Standardbreds MCT mediated transport route is not active and the TA is low. MCTs need an ancillary protein for their proper localization and functioning in the plasma membrane. The ancillary protein for MCT1 and MCT4 is a member of immunoglobulin superfamily, CD147. Here we determined the expression of MCT isoforms and CD147 in equine RBCs and gluteal muscle. We sequenced the cDNA of horse MCT1 and CD147 to achieve horse-specific antibodies and to reveal sequence variations that may affect the TA of RBCs. The amount of MCT1 and CD147 mRNA in muscle were also studied. ---- In all, 73 horses representing different breeds were used. Blood samples were drawn from the jugular vein and muscle samples were taken either from gluteal muscle using biopsy needle or during castration from expendable cremaster muscle. The TA of RBCs was studied using radiolabeled lactate and the amount of MCT isoforms and CD147 in the plasma membranes using Western blotting. The level of mRNA in muscle cells was determined using qPCR. Isoforms MCT1 and MCT2 were found in the RBCs and isoforms MCT1 and MCT4 in the muscle cells of horses. The TA of RBCs was dependent on the expression of CD147 and MCT1 in the plasma membrane. Sequence variations were found in the cDNA of both MCT1 and CD147, but they did not explain the inactivity of MCT1 mediated transport route. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Met125Val in CD147 that existed parallel with an SNP in 3´-untranslated region explained, however, attenuation in CD147 expression in Standardbreds. A single mutation Ile51Val also decreased the expression of CD147 in one Warmblood. The MCT1 and CD147 mRNA concentrations in the gluteal muscle were higher in horses with higher MCT1 and CD147 expression in RBCs and lower in horses with minor expression of CD147 and MCT1. This suggests that the bimodal distribution of TA is due to differences in transcriptional regulation that is functioning in parallel in MCT1 and CD147 gene.

Detection, epidemiology and host spectrum of cowpox and Borna disease virus infections

Several orthopoxviruses (OPV) and Borna disease virus (BDV) are enveloped, zoonotic viruses with a wide geographical distribution. OPV antibodies cross-react, and former smallpox vaccination has therefore protected human populations from another OPV infection, rodent-borne cowpox virus (CPXV). Cowpox in humans and cats usually manifests as a mild, self-limiting dermatitis and constitutional symptoms, but it can be severe and even life-threatening in the immunocompromised. Classical Borna disease is a progressive meningoencephalomyelitis in horses and sheep known in central Europe for centuries. Nowadays the virus or its close relative infects humans and also several other species in central Europe and elsewhere, but the existence of human Borna disease with its suspected neuropsychiatric symptoms is controversial. The epidemiology of BDV is largely unknown, and the present situation is even more intriguing following the recent detection of several-million-year-old, endogenized BDV genes in primate and various other vertebrate genomes. The aims of this study were to elucidate the importance of CPXV and BDV in Finland and in possible host species, and particularly to 1) establish relevant methods for the detection of CPXV and other OPVs as well as BDV in Finland, 2) determine whether CPXV and BDV exist in Finland, 3) discover how common OPV immunity is in different age groups in Finland, 4) characterize possible disease cases and clarify their epidemiological context, 5) establish the hosts and possible reservoir species of these viruses and their geographical distribution in wild rodents, and 6) elucidate the infection kinetics of BDV in the bank vole. An indirect immunofluorescence assay and avidity measurement were established for the detection, timing and verification of OPV or BDV antibodies in thousands of blood samples from humans, horses, ruminants, lynxes, gallinaceous birds, dogs, cats and rodents. The mostly vaccine-derived OPV seroprevalence was found to decrease gradually according to the year of birth of the sampled human subjects from 100% to 10% in those born after 1977. On the other hand, OPV antibodies indicating natural contact with CPXV or other OPVs were commonly found in domestic and wild animals: the horse, cow, lynx, dog, cat and, with a prevalence occasionally even as high as 92%, in wild rodents, including some previously undetected species and new regions. Antibodies to BDV were detected in humans, horses, a dog, cats, and for the first time in wild rodents, such as bank voles (Myodes glareolus). Because of the controversy within the human Borna disease field, extra verification methods were established for BDV antibody findings: recombinant nucleocapsid and phosphoproteins were produced in Escherichia coli and in a baculovirus system, and peptide arrays were additionally applied. With these verification assays, Finnish human, equine, feline and rodent BDV infections were confirmed. Taken together, wide host spectra were evident for both OPV and BDV infections based on the antibody findings, and OPV infections were found to be geographically broadly distributed. PCR amplification methods were utilised for hundreds of blood and tissue samples. The methods included conventional, nested and real-time PCRs with or without the reverse transcription step and detecting four or two genes of OPVs and BDV, respectively. OPV DNA could be amplified from two human patients and three bank voles, whereas no BDV RNA was detected in naturally infected individuals. Based on the phylogenetic analyses, the Finnish OPV sequences were closely related although not identical to a Russian CPXV isolate, and clearly different from other CPXV strains. Moreover, the Finnish sequences only equalled each other, but the short amplicons obtained from German rodents were identical to monkeypox virus, in addition to German CPXV variants. This reflects the close relationship of all OPVs. In summary, RNA of the Finnish BDV variant could not be detected with the available PCR methods, but OPV DNA infrequently could. The OPV species infecting the patients of this study was proven to be CPXV, which is most probably also responsible for the rodent infections. Multiple cell lines and some newborn rodents were utilised in the isolation of CPXV and BDV from patient and wildlife samples. CPXV could be isolated from a child with severe, generalised cowpox. BDV isolation attempts from rodents were unsuccessful in this study. However, in parallel studies, a transient BDV infection of cells inoculated with equine brain material was detected, and BDV antigens discovered in archival animal brains using established immunohistology. Thus, based on several independent methods, both CPXV and BDV (or a closely related agent) were shown to be present in Finland. Bank voles could be productively infected with BDV. This experimental infection did not result in notable pathological findings or symptoms, despite the intense spread of the virus in the central and peripheral nervous system. Infected voles commonly excreted the virus in urine and faeces, which emphasises their possible role as a BDV reservoir. Moreover, BDV RNA was regularly reverse transcribed into DNA in bank voles, which was detected by amplifying DNA by PCR without reverse transcription, and verified with nuclease treatments. This finding indicates that BDV genes could be endogenized during an acute infection. Although further transmission studies are needed, this experimental infection demonstrated that the bank vole can function as a potential BDV reservoir. In summary, multiple methods were established and applied in large panels to detect two zoonoses novel to Finland: cowpox virus and Borna disease virus. Moreover, new information was obtained on their geographical distribution, host spectrum, epidemiology and infection kinetics.

Advances in storage batteries

Over the years, new power requirements for telecommunication, space, automotive and traction applications have arisen which need to be met. Although lead-acid and nickel-cadmium storage batteries continue to be the work horses with limited advances, associated environmental hazards and recycling are still the issues to be resolved. As a result, lead-acid and nickel-cadmium storage batteries have declined in importance whilst nickel-metal hydride and lithium secondary batteries with superior performances have shown greater acceptability in newer applications. These developments are reflected in this article.

DNA analysis indicates that Asian elephants are native to Borneo and are therefore a high priority for conservation

The origin of Borneo's elephants is controversial. Two competing hypotheses argue that they are either indigenous, tracing back to the Pleistocene, or were introduced, descending from elephants imported in the 16th-18th centuries. Taxonomically, they have either been classified as a unique subspecies or placed under the Indian or Sumatran subspecies. If shown to be a unique indigenous population, this would extend the natural species range of the Asian elephant by 1300 km, and therefore Borneo elephants would have much greater conservation importance than if they were a feral population. We compared DNA of Borneo elephants to that of elephants from across the range of the Asian elephant, using a fragment of mitochondrial DNA, including part of the hypervariable d-loop, and five autosomal microsatellite loci. We find that Borneo's elephants are genetically distinct, with molecular divergence indicative of a Pleistocene colonisation of Borneo and subsequent isolation. We reject the hypothesis that Borneo's elephants were introduced. The genetic divergence of Borneo elephants warrants their recognition as a separate evolutionary significant unit. Thus, interbreeding Borneo elephants with those from other populations would be contraindicated in ex situ conservation, and their genetic distinctiveness makes them one of the highest priority populations for Asian elephant conservation.

Bronze and iron weapons from Luristan

The 30,000 km2 province of Luristan is situated in western Iran and encompasses the upper valleys of the Zagros Mountains. Even today, local tribesmen inhabit Luristan with their settlement patterns similar to ancient times. Several scientific excavations in the Luristan region have uncovered evidence that this particular region was a major attraction for human settlements from the Paleolithic era onwards. In Ancient Iran, the existence of rich mines together with discoveries made by innovative and inventive artisans spurred the growth of the metalworking culture as an art and a skill among early human communities in Ancient Iran. The art of Luristan can be described as the art of nomadic herdsmen and horsemen with an emphasis on the crafting of small, easily portable objects, among these a number of bronze daggers, swords and other weapons. Throughout its history, Luristan was never an ethnic or political entity because Luristan has been occupied by various tribes and races, throughout its history. Next to Elamites, other tribes who inhabited Luristan were the Hurrians, Lullubians, Kutians, and Kassites. As local tribesmen of Luristan were illiterate, information about their history can only be partially reconstructed from the literature of their southern neighbors: the Elamites and Babylonians. Luristan smiths made weapons for both civilizations. The region was later invaded by Assyrians and finally the Iranians settled the area and absorbed the local tribes. Following an accidental find by the local inhabitants in Luristan in 1928 CE, a number of unlawful diggings reveal a number of metal objects made of bronze and iron that showed a high level of craftsmanship. These objects were offered for sale on the art market with fancy names to hide their origin. The subsequent scientific excavations several decades after the initial discovery provided fascinating information about the culture of Luristan. The metalworking art of Luristan spans a time period from the third millennium BC to the Iron Age. The artifacts from Luristan seem to possess many unique and distinctive qualities, and are especially noteworthy for the apparently endless, intricate diversity and detail that they characteristically depict. The bronze artifacts found in or attributed to Luristan can be each be classed under five separate heads: a) arms and armor, including swords, dirks, daggers, axes, mace heads, spearheads, shields, quiver plaques, protective bronze girdles, helmets; b) implements related to horsemanship, including decorative or ornamental objects for horses as well as bits and snaffles; c) items for personal adornment and hygiene, including anklets, bangles, bracelets, finger rings, earrings and tweezers; d) ceremonial and ritual objects, including talismans, idols, pins, anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines; and e) utilitarian objects comprising various vessels and tools, including beakers, bowls and jugs. The scope of this article is limited to a discussion of the bronze and iron weapons made in Luristan. The techniques used for making bronze weapons in Luristan included: casting with open molds, casting with close molds, and casting with lost wax process. For metal sheets used for quiver plaques and bronze protective belts, the hammering technique was used. Edged weapons made in Luristan can be classified into: a) daggers, dirks, and swords with tangs; b) daggers, dirks, and swords with flanges; and c) daggers, dirks, and swords with cast-on hilts. Next to bronze, iron was also used for making weapons such as the characteristic weapon from this area, the iron mask sword.

The economic impact of diseases and parasitic problems in freshwater fish production

Diseases and parasitic problems could constitute significant economic losses in fish production if not controlled, thus the need to continue monitoring its prevalence. Based on field studies on feral and intensively raised fish at the Kainji Lake Research Institute Nigeria, some diseases and parasitic problems have been identified. These include; helminthiasis; fungal disease; protozoa which include Myxosoma sp., Myxobolus spp., Henneguya sp., Trichodina sp., Ichthopthrius sp. bacterial mainly Aeromonas sp., Pseudomonas sp., mechanical injuries; death due to unknown causes and economic assessment of myxosporidian infection. Suggestion for disease control in fish production are recommended

Distribution and occurrence of bacterial fish diseases in the different cultural facilities of Lake Kainji area

Fish farming practices in the Lake Kainji Area of Nigeria are categorized under seven main cultural facilities, namely, earthen ponds/reservoirs, indoor/outdoor concrete tanks, plastic tanks, floating cages/hapas, aquaria, sewage and feral conditions. The presence of Bacteria isolates associated with diseased fish conditions varied significantly (P<0.05) with different cultural facilities. The highest bacteria isolates and bacterial disease incidence, 33% and 46% respectively, was associated with diseased fish in the indoor/outdoor concrete tanks. The least incidence of bacteria isolates (3.5%) and blue bacterial disease (3%) was associated with diseased fish in the aquaria and feral conditions. Nine Gram-negative and two Gram-positive bacteria genera were isolated during this investigation. Pseudomonas spp. (23.6%) and Staphylococcus spp. (14.3%), were the predominant Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria genera in the different cultural facilities, respectively. This paper highlights the relevance of occurrence and distribution of bacteria isolates associated with diseased fish to bacterial fish diseases under different cultural facilities

News from Academy Bay

Ecología de los Chivos Ferales (Capra hircus) en el Volcán Alcedo. Ecology of Feral Goats (Capra hircus) on Alcedo Volcano. Pepino War, 1992.

News from Academy Bay

New Faces and New Projects in a New CDRS Department. International Workshop: Feral Goat Eradication Program. Geologists to Invade Galápagos. GIS in Galápagos. The Isabela Project: Off and Running. A Pig-Free Santiago: Is it a Dream or on the Horizon? The Special Law for Galápagos.

Phenotypic variation in Calandrinia galapagosa (Portulacaceae)

Calandrinia galapagosa St. John is found only on San Cristóbal Island in the Galápagos archipelago, where it is severely threatened by feral goats. A population at Cerro Colorado is protected by an exclosure constructed for this purpose in 1993. Individuals of this population have white or pinkish white flowers with a green stem, whereas the population at La Galapaguera, has pinkish white flowers with a purple stem.

Impact of the introduction of apple snails and their control in Japan

The apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata, was imported into Japan and cultured extensively for food in the early 1980s. Not long after, escaped or discarded snails became feral and started feeding on rice seedlings and other aquatic plants. This was especially noted in Kyushu in southern Japan. Snails are still proliferating, but the area of damaged rice is not increasing as fast, mainly because of the success of snail control. Currently, the most effective methods of avoiding damage to rice are keeping water shallow, transplanting older seedlings and, in some cases, using molluscicides or repellents. However, these methods have almost no effect on damage by snail feeding when rice fields are flooded. The apple snail is believed to be the most important obstacle to the spread of direct-sowing culture of rice in Kyushu. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has launched a national project for the integrated management of the snail under direct sowing culture of rice in Kyushu. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has launched a national project for the integrated management of the snail under direct-sowing rice culture. Some recent results from this project are briefly reviewed in this paper.