Farmer and Public Attitudes Toward Lamb Finishing Systems

To develop research and policy on the welfare of lambs in intensive finishing systems, it is important to understand public and sheep farmers' attitudes. The aim of this research was to identify and compare farmer and community attitudes relevant to the intensification of lamb finishing. The majority of respondents in the community sample expressed concern about all listed welfare issues, but particularly about feedlotting of lambs and the associated confinement. These attitudes correlated with community views on the importance of welfare issues including social contact and freedom to roam. Farmers expressed much lower levels of concern than did the general public except with regard to the health of lambs, disease control, access to shade, and lack of access to clean water.     

Home range,intergroup transfers,and reproductive status of common marmosetsCallithrix jacchus in a forest fragment in North-Eastern Brazil

We report the changes in wild common marmoset groups in a forest fragment in a urban area, in North-eastern Brazil. The groups were variable in size, from 5 to 15 animals, and a high rate of turnover of individuals per capture was found. More than one simultaneously captured female showed signs of either previous conception, or of sexual activity, and more than one was also pregnant. Home range size was larger compared with some previous studies, possibly as a consequency of the area being affected by human activities. This larger home range was maintained constant throughout the years of study.     

Inquiry into effects of prebaiting on removal census in a vole population

A field work with two plots of grid, a snap trap being set on each station spaced 5 m apart, was executed in the summer of 1968 to evaluate prebaiting in census trapping by comparing the result in one plot, prebaited for three days, with that in the other not prebaited. Since the population was as high as some 230 per acre on the average in density and formed of the vole, Microtus montebelli, alone, sufficient samples were gathered irrespective of the plot size as small as 50×50 m. Owning to the circumstances, multiple collisions inflicted so intense influence on sampling especially in the prebaited plot that z-equation for census adjusted to the effect was well applicable to the data in either plot. In sampling, the fact that small voles are apt to be caught later than large voles was statistically evidenced in either sex, and yet any proof that males tend to be caught prior to females was not offered. It was ascertained in either plot that the daily catch was realized according to the same rule through the whole period of trapping in both external belt and internal square within the plot; hence it follows that no considerable immigration occurred. One of the beneficial effects of prebaiting is sure to be that the probability of capture was markedly enhanced in the prebaited plot, and a second is supposed, though inconclusively, to be that a good sampling could be executed consistently through the census period giving rise to no inordinate catches perhaps due to heterogeneous sampling as was seen in earlier days in the not prebaited plot. The supposition has derived from the condition that most of the whole population is trappable, which is established by interrelation among population density, size of home range and trap spacing. It was suggested that the effect of prebaiting should be evaluated from the view-point of the interrelation, because the basic utility of prebaiting consists in that it may help to our utlimate purpose to estimate the whole population.     

黄腹角雉活动区的无线电遥测研究

1987年11月至1988年6月,在浙江省乌岩岭自然保护区,对9只黄腹角雉进行了无线电遥测研究。结果表明:黄腹角雉月活动区大小为0.015—0.30km~2,夏季的活动区明显小于冬春季,这种变化与取食有密切关系;黄腹角雉不存在季节性垂直迁移现象;即使繁殖期来临,雄性黄腹角雉活动区之间仍存在较大重叠,说明并非所有雄鸟在繁殖期来临后都占区;黄腹角雉对水源丰富的区域更为喜爱。     

Serious Games for Home Based Rehabilitation: Inertial Sensor Energy Consumption

Background

Serious games have recently immerged as a good tool for physical rehabilitation. This new technology can be used at home, to complement a traditional, clinic based, rehabilitation program. To implement a serious game at home, we need to use multiple sensors to record patients' data. Many serious games use visual motion capture techniques, like the Kinect camera, due to their low price and high portability. On the other hand, some other systems use inertial sensors to collect data at a higher degree of accuracy. In previous works, we showed that a serious gaming system could benefit from combining data from different sensors. However, the use of inertial sensors, in a home-based setting, remains a challenge since they need to be supplied by an independent battery source, which could influence the acceptability of such systems.

鄱阳湖越冬白枕鹤活动区面积与水位和气温的关系

2014年11月至2015年3月,以及2015年11月至2016年3月,利用卫星跟踪技术对6只越冬于鄱阳湖的白枕鹤(Grus vipio)活动区面积进行了研究,利用广义线性混合模型(GLMM)分析了水位、气温、年份、年龄及个体差异对活动区面积的影响,利用Pearson相关分析将对活动区面积影响较大的因子与活动区面积进行了相关性分析。结果发现,两个越冬期内白枕鹤平均周活动区面积,2014至2015越冬期为(57.85±94.67)km~2,2015至2016越冬期为(12.01±17.74)km~2。在两个越冬期内,活动区面积均呈显著下降趋势(2014~2015年,t=﹣2.831,P0.01;2015~2016年,t=﹣3.422,P0.01);气温对活动区面积的影响不显著(P0.05),而水位对活动区面积具有极显著影响(P0.01);2014~2015年水位高度(14.92±0.65)m,2015~2016年水位高度(15.39±0.70)m,周活动区面积与同期水位高度显著正相关(2014~2015年,r=0.370,P0.01;2015~2016年,r=0.380,P0.01)。推测水位的变化影响越冬白枕鹤主要食物的生长及可获得性,进而导致越冬期白枕鹤活动区面积的相应变化。     

Occurrence of fungal spores in the respiratory tract and homes of patients with positive skin test to fungi

The occurrence of fungal spores in the upper respiratory tract and in the homes of 86 patients with allergic manifestations and positive skin tests for fungi has been investigated.Alternaria tenuis andCladosporium herbarum have been more frequently found to give positive reactions, followed byAspergillus mix,Candida albicans andPenicillium notatum. Cladosporium andAlternaria represented also the most common moulds isolated from nasal specimens. The prevalent fungi isolated from patients' environments wereCladosporium, Penicillium andAlternaria, occurring respectively in 93%, 78% and 72% of the homes sampled. An examination of individual cases have revealed a surprisingly close correlation, in 47 out of 86 patients, between positive skin test response and presence in high amount of the same fungi in patient's respiratory tract and home. In the majority of cases the fungi involved wereAlternaria and/orCladosporium.     

Root-shoot signalling in sunflower plants with confined root systems

Sunflower plants were grown hydroponically under controlled conditions with the root systems confined in small containers. Root confinement inhibited the growth of sunflower plants as indicated by reduction in both leaf and cotyledon area and root and shoot fresh weight. This effect was more pronounced in shoots. Root confinement favored the accumulation of potassium in the roots and shoots, and the exudation of potassium and water in excised roots. Xylem sap from root confined plants inhibited cotyledon expansion as revealed by bioassay with decapited sunflower seedlings. In addition decapited control plants incubated in ABA solution also showed cotyledon growth reduction. Xylem sap ABA analysis indicated a 7-times higher concentration in root confined than control plants. Our results suggest the synthesis of a chemical signal in the roots of plants subjected to mechanical stress which can be responsible for the inhibition of plant growth.     

Spatio-temporal ecology and density of badgers <Emphasis Type="Italic">Meles meles</Emphasis> in the Swiss Jura Mountains

This study reports for the first time data on the spatio-temporal ecology of badgers living in a cold and wet mountain region (Swiss Jura Mountains). The home range, movements, activity patterns and habitat use of three badgers (two males, one female) were examined using radiotelemetry. Average home range size was 320 ha (MCP 100%), but the ranging behaviour of badgers varied at a seasonal scale. As in other regions, badgers were strictly nocturnal or crepuscular and showed a marked reduction of activity in the winter period. From spring to autumn, animals were active for an average (±SD) of 8.1 ± 2.4 h and travelled up to 9,460 m each night (mean±SD, 5,160 ± 2,600 m). The nightly distance travelled by badgers was positively correlated with their travel speed, the duration of the activity period and the used area, but not with night length. Year-round, the radio-collared animals avoided pastures and the vicinity of houses during their night trips. In winter and spring, individual badgers used forests and wooded pastures more than expected according to their availability, whereas cereal fields were actively selected in summer and autumn. Den-watching, night-lighting and radio-tracking data suggest that badgers live in pairs in this wet and cold region. Population density estimates range from 0.4 to 1.5 individuals/100 ha. We discuss the importance of trophic resources and climate as factors influencing badger behavioural ecology.