Johne’s Disease-Dairy, Winter 2012, Vol.42, no.2

Animal science newsletter about Johne's Disease in cattle. Statistics, treatments, information about the disease itself and more.

Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics and the Controversy of the Russian Propaganda Laws: is the IOC Buckling Under the Pressure of its own Incoherence in Thought?

The Sochi Winter Olympics were a triumph in the eyes of Russia and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Yet, a controversy around the introduction of anti-propaganda laws in Russia that had been criticised for being discriminatory marred the efforts of the IOC to fulfil its self proclaimed aspiration of ‘encouraging the harmonious development of man’. This article discusses the controversy utilising a legally pluralist approach to sports governance, and providing a critical reading of the practices of neoliberal globalisation that marked the issue of sexuality at the Sochi games. The paper argues that the legal influence of the IOC on domestic and international legal norms is contradictory and inconsistent. This, when considered alongside the aspirations of the IOC is significantly problematic and demonstrates the importance of investigating the underlying power structures of this influential international governing body.

The Severe Winter of 2008-09 in Illinois

published or submitted for publication

Observed Teleconnections in Northern Winter: Subseasonal Evolution and Tropical Linkages

Teleconnections refer to the climate variability links between non-contiguous geographic regions, and tend to be associated with variability in both space and time of the climate’s semi-permanent circulation features. Teleconnections are well-developed in Northern winter, when they influence subseasonal-to-seasonal climate variability, notably, in surface temperature and precipitation. This work is comprised of four independent studies that improve understanding of tropical-extratropical teleconnections and their surface climate responses, subseasonal teleconnection evolution, and the utility of teleconnections in attribution of extreme climate events. After an introduction to teleconnection analysis as well as the major teleconnection patterns and associated climatic footprints manifest during Northern winter, the lagged impact of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) on subseasonal climate variability is presented. It is found that monitoring of MJO-related velocity potential anomalies is sufficient to predict MJO impacts. These impacts include, for example, the development of significant positive temperature anomalies over the eastern United States one to three weeks following an anomalous convective dipole with enhanced (suppressed) convection centered over the Indian Ocean (western Pacific). Subseasonal teleconnection evolution is assessed with respect to the Pacific-North America (PNA) pattern and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). This evolution is analyzed both in the presence and absence of MJO-related circulation anomalies. It is found that removal of the MJO results only in small shifts in the centers of action of the NAO and PNA, and that in either case there is a small but significant lag in which the NAO leads a PNA pattern of opposite phase. Barotropic vorticity analysis suggests that this relationship may result in part from excitation of Rossby waves by the NAO in the Asian waveguide. An attempt is made to elegantly differentiate between the MJO extratropical response and patterns of variability more internal to the extratropics. Analysis of upper-level streamfunction anomalies is successful in this regard, and it is suggested that this is the preferred method for the real time monitoring of tropical-extratropical teleconnections. The extreme 2013-2014 North American winter is reconstructed using teleconnection analysis, and it is found that the North Pacific Oscillation-West Pacific (NPO/WP) pattern was the leading contributor to climate anomalies over much of North America. Such attribution is cautionary given the propensity to implicate the tropics for all midlatitude climate anomalies based on the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) paradigm. A recent hypothesis of such tropical influence is presented and challenged.

Winter sowing for more reliable boll filling in Central Queensland

The Central Highlands region has a unique climate that presents both challenges and novel farming systems opportunities for cotton production. We have been re-examining the Emerald climate in a bid to identify opportunities that might enable the production of more consistent cotton yields and quality in what can be a highly variable climate. A detailed climatic analysis identified that spring and early summer is the most optimal period for boll growth and maturation. However, to unlock this potential requires unseasonal winter sowing that is 4 to 6 weeks earlier than the traditional mid-September sowing. Our experiments have sought answers to two questions: i) how much earlier can cotton be sown for reliable crop establishment and high yield; ii) can degradable plastic film mulches minimise the impact of potentially cold temperatures on crop establishment and early vigour. Initial data suggests August sowing offers the potential to grow a high yield at a time of year with reduced risk of cloud and high night temperatures during boll growth. For the past two seasons late winter sowing (with and without film) has resulted in a compact plant with high retention that physiologically matures by the beginning of January. Even with the spectre of replanting cotton in some seasons due to frost in August, early sowing would appear to offer the opportunity for more efficient crop input usage, simplified agronomic management and new crop rotation options during late summer and autumn. This talk will present an overview of results to date.

Lothar Böhnisch/Reinhard Winter: Männliche Sozialisation. Bewältigungsprobleme männlicher Geschlechtsidentität im Lebenslauf. Weinheim/München: Juventa 1993 [Rezension]

Rezension von: Lothar Böhnisch/Reinhard Winter: Männliche Sozialisation. Bewältigungsprobleme männlicher Geschlechtsidentität im Lebenslauf. Weinheim/München: Juventa 1993, 232 S.

Effect of foliar application of Cu, Zn, and Mn on yield and quality indicators of winter wheat grain

Micronutrients are part of many crucial physiological plant processes. The combined application of N and micronutrients helps in obtaining grain yield with beneficial technological and consumer properties. The main micronutrients needed by cereals include Cu, Mn, and Zn. The subject of this study was to determine yield, quality indicators (protein content and composition, gluten content, grain bulk density, Zeleny sedimentation index, and grain hardness), as well as mineral content (Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe) in winter wheat grain ( Triticum aestivum L.) fertilized by foliar micronutrient application. A field experiment was carried out at the Educational and Experimental Station in Tomaszkowo, Poland. The application of mineral fertilizers (NPK) supplemented with Cu increased Cu content (13.0%) and ω, α/β, and γ (18.7%, 4.9%, and 3.4%, respectively) gliadins in wheat grain. Foliar Zn fertilization combined with NPK increased Cu content (14.9%) as well as high (HMW) and low molecular weight (LMW) glutenins (38.8% and 6.7%, respectively). Zinc fertilization significantly reduced monomeric gliadin content and increased polymeric glutenin content in grain, which contributed in reducing the gliadin:glutenin ratio (0.77). Mineral fertilizers supplemented with Mn increased Fe content in wheat grain (14.3%). It also significantly increased protein (3.8%) and gluten (4.4%) content, Zeleny sedimentation index (12.4%), and grain hardness (18.5%). Foliar Mn fertilization increased the content of ω, α/β, and γ gliadin fractions (19.9%, 9.5%, and 2.1%, respectively), as well as HMW and LMW glutenins (18.9% and 4.5%, respectively). Mineral NPK fertilization, combined with micronutrients (Cu + Zn + Mn), increased Cu and Zn content in grain (22.6% and 17.7%, respectively). The content of ω, α/β, and γ gliadins increased (20.3%, 10.5%, and 12.1%, respectively) as well as HMW glutenins (7.9%).

Provenance does matter: Links between winter trophic segregation and the migratory origins of European robins

Amongst migratory species, it is common to find individuals from different populations or geographical origins sharing staging or wintering areas. Given their differing life histories, ecological theory would predict that the different groups of individuals should exhibit some level of niche segregation. This has rarely been investigated because of the difficulty in assigning migrating individuals to breeding areas. Here, we start by documenting a broad geographical gradient of hydrogen isotopes (δ (2)H) in robin Erithacus rubecula feathers across Europe. We then use δ (2)H, as well as wing-tip shape, as surrogates for broad migratory origin of birds wintering in Iberia, to investigate the ecological segregation of populations. Wintering robins of different sexes, ages and body sizes are known to segregate between habitats in Iberia. This has been attributed to the despotic exclusion of inferior competitors from the best patches by dominant individuals. We find no segregation between habitats in relation to δ (2)H in feathers, or to wing-tip shape, which suggests that no major asymmetries in competitive ability exist between migrant robins of different origins. Trophic level (inferred from nitrogen isotopes in blood) correlated both with δ (2)H in feathers and with wing-tip shape, showing that individuals from different geographic origins display a degree of ecological segregation in shared winter quarters. Isotopic mixing models indicate that wintering birds originating from more northerly populations consume more invertebrates. Our multi-scale study suggests that trophic-niche segregation may result from specializations (arising in the population-specific breeding areas) that are transported by the migrants into the shared wintering grounds.

Analysis of mortality during the winter seasons in Mexico from 2000 to 2012

To analyze mortality from all causes in Mexico during the winter months. Methods: Data was extracted and tabulated on monthly all-cause mortality in the general population from 2000 to 2012 from the INEGI database. Coeficients of seasonal variation in mortality were calculated. Results: In Mexico there was an increase of 14 % in mortality in the general population during winter. The more susceptible age groups were older people and children, with increases of 18% and 13% respectively. The months with low levels of mortality were April, October and September for children, adolescents and older people respectively. Conclusions: Important increases in winter mortality occur in Mexico.

Salmonid behaviour under winter conditions

Winter conditions are believed to play an important role in the population dynamics of northern temperate stream fish, challenging the ability of fish to physiologically and behaviourally adapt. Climate change is predicted to increase both mean temperature and temperature fluctuations, especially during winter, leading to dynamic environmental conditions in terms of river ice production and flow. Therefore, knowledge about the winter ecology of stream fish is important for predicting and mitigating anthropogenic impacts on fish production in boreal streams. Stream salmonids are relatively active throughout winter, and behavioural responses to different winter conditions may be critical for survival. Yet, relatively little is known about overwintering behaviour of salmonids, particularly in streams with ice. In this doctoral thesis, I report the results from experimental field and laboratory studies on the behavioural ecology of juvenile salmonids under winter conditions. My results from the field show that salmonids grow more and use a broader range of habitats in the presence of surface ice than in its absence. Results from the laboratory experiments show that the presence of surface ice increases food intake rates, reduces stress and affects social interactions. These laboratory results may explain the positive effects of ice cover on growth that was found in the field experiment. Moreover, I show that drift-feeding ability is reduced at low temperatures, and that nocturnal drift foraging under winter conditions has a low efficiency.

The Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center eNewsletter, Winter 2008-09, Vol. 5, no.1

The Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center is a University of Iowa interdisciplinary collaboration created to make more accessible educational and service programs focused on strengthening the operational capacity of Iowa nonprofit organizations. The Center works collaboratively with government agencies, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to impart new knowledge through activities and provide information and training resources to help nonprofit organizations and interested persons throughout Iowa. We seek to build the capacity and develop the effectiveness of community-based organizations and enhance the overall effectiveness of local organizations in building communities.

The Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center e-Newsletter, Winter 2010 , Vol. 6, no.1

The Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center is a University of Iowa interdisciplinary collaboration created to make more accessible educational and service programs focused on strengthening the operational capacity of Iowa nonprofit organizations. The Center works collaboratively with government agencies, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to impart new knowledge through activities and provide information and training resources to help nonprofit organizations and interested persons throughout Iowa. We seek to build the capacity and develop the effectiveness of community-based organizations and enhance the overall effectiveness of local organizations in building communities.

The Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center e-Newsletter, Winter 2012, Vol. 8, no. 1

The Larned A. Waterman Iowa Nonprofit Resource Center is a University of Iowa interdisciplinary collaboration created to make more accessible educational and service programs focused on strengthening the operational capacity of Iowa nonprofit organizations. The Center works collaboratively with government agencies, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to impart new knowledge through activities and provide information and training resources to help nonprofit organizations and interested persons throughout Iowa. We seek to build the capacity and develop the effectiveness of community-based organizations and enhance the overall effectiveness of local organizations in building communities.