Ulcerative stomatitis associated with yellow bristle grass in New Zealand dairy cows.

CASE HISTORY: A line of 25 cull cows were all found to have ulcerative lesions of the tongue at post-mortem inspection in a New Zealand slaughter plant. A further 9 of 10 cows inspected at the farm of origin had similar oral lesions. There were no other clinical signs or indicators of ill-health observed at ante-mortem inspection in the abattoir or on the farm. The cows had been fed baleage for 3 weeks prior to slaughter, made from pasture in paddocks heavily contaminated with yellow bristle grass (Setaria pumila). CLINICAL FINDINGS: There was extensive and deep transverse linear ulceration in the lingual fossa immediately rostral to the torus linguae. At histological examination, full-thickness ulceration of the stratified squamous epithelium was observed with a bed of disorganised collagenous tissue and extensive mixed inflammatory infiltrate extending into the sub-epithelial connective tissue and skeletal muscle. Barbed plant fragments were embedded in both the superficial and deeper areas of inflammation. Detailed examination of the baleage also found that yellow bristle grass seedheads were present. DIAGNOSIS: Based on the presence of barbed plant material in the tongue and yellow bristle grass seeds in the baleage, a diagnosis of ulcerative stomatitis associated with yellow bristle grass was made. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Clinicians should be aware of the potential for hay or baleage contaminated with yellow bristle grass to cause oral lesions in cattle.

Continuous psychophysics shows millisecond-scale visual processing delays are faithfully preserved in movement dynamics.

Image differences between the eyes can cause interocular discrepancies in the speed of visual processing. Millisecond-scale differences in visual processing speed can cause dramatic misperceptions of the depth and three-dimensional direction of moving objects. Here, we develop a monocular and binocular continuous target-tracking psychophysics paradigm that can quantify such tiny differences in visual processing speed. Human observers continuously tracked a target undergoing Brownian motion with a range of luminance levels in each eye. Suitable analyses recover the time course of the visuomotor response in each condition, the dependence of visual processing speed on luminance level, and the temporal evolution of processing differences between the eyes. Importantly, using a direct within-observer comparison, we show that continuous target-tracking and traditional forced-choice psychophysical methods provide estimates of interocular delays that agree on average to within a fraction of a millisecond. Thus, visual processing delays are preserved in the movement dynamics of the hand. Finally, we show analytically, and partially confirm experimentally, that differences between the temporal impulse response functions in the two eyes predict how lateral target motion causes misperceptions of motion in depth and associated tracking responses. Because continuous target tracking can accurately recover millisecond-scale differences in visual processing speed and has multiple advantages over traditional psychophysics, it should facilitate the study of temporal processing in the future.

The effects of spatially-constrained treatment regions upon a model of wombat mange.

The use of therapeutic agents is a critical option to manage wildlife disease, but their implementation is usually spatially constrained. We seek to expand knowledge around the effectiveness of management of environmentally-transmitted Sarcoptes scabiei on a host population, by studying the effect of a spatially constrained treatment regime on disease dynamics in the bare-nosed wombat Vombatus ursinus. A host population of wombats is modelled using a system of non-linear partial differential equations, a spatially-varying treatment regime is applied to this population and the dynamics are studied over a period of several years. Treatment could result in mite decrease within the treatment region, extending to a lesser degree outside, with significant increases in wombat population. However, the benefits of targeted treatment regions within an environment are shown to be dependent on conditions at the start (endemic vs. disease free), as well as on the locations of these special regions (centre of the wombat population or against a geographical boundary). This research demonstrates the importance of understanding the state of the environment and populations before treatment commences, the effects of re-treatment schedules within the treatment region, and the transient large-scale changes in mite numbers that can be brought about by sudden changes to the environment. It also demonstrates that, with good knowledge of the host-pathogen dynamics and the spatial terrain, it is possible to achieve substantial reduction in mite numbers within the target region, with increases in wombat numbers throughout the environment.

Using weather data to predict the presence of Lucilia spp. on sheep farms in New Zealand.

Flystrike remains an important animal health issue on New Zealand sheep farms. To date no useful predictive tool to assist farmers to develop control options has been available. The aim of this study was to use National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) virtual climate station data in New Zealand to develop a weather-based model to accurately predict the presence of Lucilia spp. on sheep farms throughout New Zealand. Three LuciTrap® baited fly traps were positioned on each of eight sheep farms throughout New Zealand (5 in the North Island and 3 in the South Island). The traps were put out for both the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons. They were emptied each week and the flies morphologically identified; with the counts of Lucilia cuprina and L. sericata combined as Lucilia spp. The count data for Lucilia spp. for each week of trapping was transformed into a binary outcome and a generalised linear mixed effects models fitted to the data, with farm as a random effect. The dependent variable was Lucilia spp. flies caught, yes or no, and the independent variables were mean weekly climate variables from the nearest NIWA virtual climate station to that farm. The model was trained on the 2018-2019 catch data and tested on the 2019-2020 catch data. A cut point was identified which maximised the model's ability to correctly predict whether Lucilia spp. were present or not for the 2019-2020 catch data, and the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the curve (AUC) of the model calculated. The final model included just 3 significant variables, mean weekly 10 cm soil temperature, mean weekly soil moisture index, and mean weekly wind speed at 10 m. Mean weekly 10 cm soil temperature accounted for 64.7% of the variance explained by the model, mean weekly soil moisture index 34.7% and mean weekly wind speed at 10 m only 0.6%. The results showed that the predictive model had a sensitivity of 0.93 (95% CI = 0.80-0.98) and a specificity of 0.75 (95% CI = 0.62-0.85), using a cut point for the probability of Lucilia spp. being present on farm = 0.383. This model provides New Zealand farmers with a tool which will allow them to know when Lucilia spp. flies will likely be present and thus more accurately plan their interventions to prevent flystrike.

Farm management and husbandry practices associated with spontaneous humeral fractures in New Zealand dairy heifers.

AIMS: To use a farm-based survey to identify characteristics of the New Zealand dairy system associated with the risk of spontaneous humeral fracture in dairy heifers. METHODS: A questionnaire was designed and made available in print and online to collect information from dairy farmers and/or veterinarians, across New Zealand, about the management and nutrition of cows from birth to first lactation. Data were collected from July 2019 to March 2020 from farms that either had recorded (case farms) or not recorded (control farms) cases of humeral fractures in dairy heifers. RESULTS: A total of 68 completed questionnaires were returned, with 35 responses from case farms and 33 responses from control farms. Twenty-six responses (38%) were from the South Island (13 case farms and 13 control farms) and 38 responses (56%) were from the North Island (20 case farms and 18 control farms). For four questionnaires (6%) farm location was not given. Adjusting for the effect of age when calves accessed pasture, case farms had increased odds of having Holstein-Friesian Jersey crossbreed cows as the predominant breed (OR = 9.7; 95% CI = 3.1-36.0; p < 0.001). Adjusting for the effect of breed, allowing calves access to pasture a week later decreased the odds of being a case farm (OR = 0.68; 95% CI = 0.47-0.90; p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Cows being Holstein-Friesian Jersey crossbreed was identified as a possible risk factor associated with spontaneous humeral fracture in dairy heifers in New Zealand. Given the small sample size, the likely multifactorial aetiology for humeral fractures, and the non-randomised survey, this risk factor, and the possible association between age at turn out and herd production with humeral fractures, all require further investigation.

The effect of parenteral vitamin B12 on the growth rate of dairy calves over the summer and autumn on seven farms from the Central Plateau, New Zealand.

AIMS: To investigate the effect of parenteral vitamin B12 supplementation on the growth rate of dairy heifer calves over the summer and autumn on seven farms from the Central Plateau of New Zealand, an area historically associated with low cobalt levels in grazing pasture. METHODS: This was a controlled clinical trial conducted on a convenience sample of seven farms with young female calves randomly assigned to three vitamin B12 treatment groups and followed through a grazing season. Two treatment groups received either monthly SC injections of a short-acting (SA) B12 formulation or 3-monthly injections of a long-acting (LA) B12 formulation and the third group received no treatment (NT). No additional parenteral vitamin B12 was given; however, all calves received additional cobalt (0.04-0.4 mg Co/kg liveweight) in the mineralised anthelmintic drenches given orally every month. Liveweight was recorded in December/January and at the end of the trial in May/June/July depending on farm. Pasture cobalt concentrations (mg/kg DM) were measured every month using 500-g herbage samples from 100-m transects in the area about to be grazed by the trial groups. RESULTS: There was evidence for a difference in growth rate between groups with mean final weight of 228 (95% CI = 212-243) kg for the LA groups, 224 (95% CI = 209-239) kg for the SA groups and 226 (95% CI = 211-241) kg for the NT groups respectively, (global p-value = 0.014). Calves given SA vitamin B12 were 3.77 (95% CI = 0.71-6.82) kg lighter than calves given LA vitamin B12 (p = 0.011). There was no evidence for a change in pasture cobalt concentrations (p = 0.32). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results of this trial raise the question as to whether the routine use of vitamin B12 supplementation in young cattle from areas traditionally thought to be cobalt deficient is necessary, and further raise the possibility that vitamin B12 supplementation by repeated injection of SA products may negatively impact growth rates.

Neurophysiological evidence of motor preparation in inner speech and the effect of content predictability.

Self-generated overt actions are preceded by a slow negativity as measured by electroencephalogram, which has been associated with motor preparation. Recent studies have shown that this neural activity is modulated by the predictability of action outcomes. It is unclear whether inner speech is also preceded by a motor-related negativity and influenced by the same factor. In three experiments, we compared the contingent negative variation elicited in a cue paradigm in an active vs. passive condition. In Experiment 1, participants produced an inner phoneme, at which an audible phoneme whose identity was unpredictable was concurrently presented. We found that while passive listening elicited a late contingent negative variation, inner speech production generated a more negative late contingent negative variation. In Experiment 2, the same pattern of results was found when participants were instead asked to overtly vocalize the phoneme. In Experiment 3, the identity of the audible phoneme was made predictable by establishing probabilistic expectations. We observed a smaller late contingent negative variation in the inner speech condition when the identity of the audible phoneme was predictable, but not in the passive condition. These findings suggest that inner speech is associated with motor preparatory activity that may also represent the predicted action-effects of covert actions.

Light-Activated Assembly of DNA Origami into Dissipative Fibrils.

Hierarchical DNA nanostructures offer programmable functions at scale, but making these structures dynamic, while keeping individual components intact, is challenging. Here we show that the DNA A-motif-protonated, self-complementary poly(adenine) sequences-can propagate DNA origami into one-dimensional, micron-length fibrils. When coupled to a small molecule pH regulator, visible light can activate the hierarchical assembly of our DNA origami into dissipative fibrils. This system is recyclable and does not require DNA modification. By employing a modular and waste-free strategy to assemble and disassemble hierarchical structures built from DNA origami, we offer a facile and accessible route to developing well-defined, dynamic, and large DNA assemblies with temporal control. As a general tool, we envision that coupling the A-motif to cycles of dissipative protonation will allow the transient construction of diverse DNA nanostructures, finding broad applications in dynamic and non-equilibrium nanotechnology.

Underlying Causes of TIA and Minor Ischemic Stroke and Risk of Major Vascular Events.

Importance: The coexistence of underlying causes in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor ischemic stroke as well as their associated 5-year risks are not well known. Objective: To apply the ASCOD (atherosclerosis, small vessel disease, cardiac pathology, other cause, or dissection) grading system to assess coexistence of underlying causes of TIA and minor ischemic stroke and the 5-year risk for major vascular events. Design, Setting, and Participants: This international registry cohort (TIAregistry.org) study enrolled 4789 patients from June 1, 2009, to December 31, 2011, with 1- to 5-year follow-up at 61 sites in 21 countries. Eligible patients had a TIA or minor stroke (with modified Rankin Scale score of 0 or 1) within the last 7 days. Among these, 3847 patients completed the 5-year follow-up by December 31, 2016. Data were analyzed from October 1, 2022, to June 15, 2023. Exposure: Five-year follow-up. Main Outcomes and Measures: Estimated 5-year risk of the composite outcome of stroke, acute coronary syndrome, or cardiovascular death. Results: A total of 3847 patients (mean [SD] age, 66.4 [13.2] years; 2295 men [59.7%]) in 42 sites were enrolled and participated in the 5-year follow-up cohort (median percentage of 5-year follow-up per center was 92.3% [IQR, 83.4%-97.8%]). In 998 patients with probable or possible causal atherosclerotic disease, 489 (49.0%) had some form of small vessel disease (SVD), including 110 (11.0%) in whom a lacunar stroke was also probably or possibly causal, and 504 (50.5%) had no SVD; 275 (27.6%) had some cardiac findings, including 225 (22.6%) in whom cardiac pathology was also probably or possibly causal, and 702 (70.3%) had no cardiac findings. Compared with patients with none of the 5 ASCOD categories of disease (n = 484), the 5-year rate of major vascular events was almost 5 times higher (hazard ratio [HR], 4.86 [95% CI, 3.07-7.72]; P < .001) in patients with causal atherosclerosis, 2.5 times higher (HR, 2.57 [95% CI, 1.58-4.20]; P < .001) in patients with causal lacunar stroke or lacunar syndrome, and 4 times higher (HR, 4.01 [95% CI, 2.50-6.44]; P < .001) in patients with causal cardiac pathology. Conclusion and Relevance: The findings of this cohort study suggest that in patients with TIA and minor ischemic stroke, the coexistence of atherosclerosis, SVD, cardiac pathology, dissection, or other causes is substantial, and the 5-year risk of a major vascular event varies considerably across the 5 categories of underlying diseases. These findings further suggest the need for secondary prevention strategies based on pathophysiology rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

Strains of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and its extracts reduce blood glucose levels, percent HbA1c, and improve glucose tolerance without causing hypoglycemic side effects in diabetic and prediabetic mice.

INTRODUCTION: The commensal bacterium Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is a prominent member of the microbiome of animals and humans, and it plays an important role in several physiological processes. Numerous studies have correlated the reduction of F. prausnitzii abundance with many disease states, including irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, obesity, asthma, major depressive disorder, and metabolic diseases in humans. Studies have also correlated F. prausnitzii with diseases in humans involved in altered glucose metabolism, including diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of compositions derived from three strains of F. prausnitzii (coined FPZ) on glucose metabolism in diet-induced obese male C57BL/6J prediabetic and type 2 diabetic mice. The primary endpoints of these studies were measuring changes in fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance (as measured by a glucose tolerance test), and percent hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) with longer term treatment. Two placebo-controlled trials were carried out using both live cell FPZ and killed cell FPZ and extracts. Two additional placebo-controlled trials were carried out in non-diabetic mice and mice that previously had type 2 diabetes (T2D). RESULTS: Both trials in prediabetic and diabetic mice revealed that peroral administration of live FPZ or extracts from FPZ lowered fasting blood glucose levels and improved glucose tolerance compared with control mice. A trial administering longer FPZ treatment also resulted in lowered percent HbA1c compared with control mice. Additionally, trials in non-diabetic mice treated with FPZ demonstrated that FPZ treatment does not lead to hypoglycemia. CONCLUSIONS: The trial results have shown that treatment with different formulations of FPZ result in lower blood glucose levels, lower percent HbA1c, and improved glucose response in mice compared with control prediabetic/diabetic mice. FPZ is a promising candidate as an orally administered probiotic or postbiotic to manage and improve pre-diabetes and T2D.

Custom-designed 3D printed feed spacers and TFN membranes with MIL-101(Fe) for water recovery by forward osmosis.

In this work, a dual-pronged approach- (i) novel thin-film nanocomposite polyether sulfone (PES) membrane with MIL-101 (Fe) and (ii) 3D printed spacers were explored to enhance water recovery by forward osmosis. The concentration of PES, pore former, draw solution, and MIL-101(Fe) was optimised for maximum pure water flux (PWF) and minimum specific reverse solute flux (SRSF). The best membrane exhibited a PWF of 7.52 Lm-2 h-1 and an SRSF of 0.33 ± 0.03 gL-1 using 1.5 M NaCl and DI water feed. The M22 membrane with the diamond-type spacer demonstrated a PWF of 2.53 Lm-2 h-1 and SRSF of 0.75 gL-1 for emulsified oily wastewater feed. The novel spacer design imparted significant turbulence to the feed flow and a lower foulant resistance of 1.3 m-1 as compared to the ladder type (1.5 m-1) or commercial spacer (1.7 m-1). This arrangement could recover 19% pure water within 12 h of operation (98% oil rejection) with a ∼ 94% flux recovery after hydraulic wash.

Retinal motion statistics during natural locomotion.

Walking through an environment generates retinal motion, which humans rely on to perform a variety of visual tasks. Retinal motion patterns are determined by an interconnected set of factors, including gaze location, gaze stabilization, the structure of the environment, and the walker's goals. The characteristics of these motion signals have important consequences for neural organization and behavior. However, to date, there are no empirical in situ measurements of how combined eye and body movements interact with real 3D environments to shape the statistics of retinal motion signals. Here, we collect measurements of the eyes, the body, and the 3D environment during locomotion. We describe properties of the resulting retinal motion patterns. We explain how these patterns are shaped by gaze location in the world, as well as by behavior, and how they may provide a template for the way motion sensitivity and receptive field properties vary across the visual field.

Diagnosing gastric ulcers in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) using gastroscopy and cytology.

Gastric ulcers have been reported in a range of cetacean species. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.), the most common cetacean species held in captivity, are known to experience gastric ulcers in both wild and captive environments. Documented causes of gastric ulceration include bacterial infection by Helicobacter sp., parasitic infections, high dietary histamine and foreign body ingestion. Gastric ulceration without any obvious cause might be related to stress. Currently, the most accurate way to determine the presence of gastric ulcers in captive dolphins is through direct examination of the stomach mucosa using endoscopy (gastroscopy); a procedure that requires substantial animal training and specialised medical equipment. In this study, we investigate whether cytology of the gastric fluid, collected through the less intensive method of intubation, can be used as an alternative to gastroscopy to predict the presence and severity of gastric ulcers in eight captive bottlenose dolphins at uShaka Sea World, South Africa. An ulcer grading scale was developed to quantify the severity of the dolphins' gastric ulcers observed using gastroscopy. Gastric ulcer severity was then compared with the cytological data collected from gastric fluid samples taken during the gastroscopic examinations. The cytological findings were consistent with other studies, but ulcer severity was not found to be linked to the cytological parameters measured. From these results we suggest that routine cytology of the gastric fluid is not a viable alternative to gastroscopy for diagnosing gastric ulcers in bottlenose dolphins.

Effect of atherosclerosis on 5-year risk of major vascular events in patients with transient ischaemic attack or minor ischaemic stroke: an international prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of atherosclerosis and the long-term risk of major vascular events in people who have had a transient ischaemic attack or minor ischaemic stroke, regardless of the causal relationship between the index event and atherosclerosis, are not well known. In this analysis, we applied the ASCOD (atherosclerosis, small vessel disease, cardiac pathology, other causes, and dissection) grading system to estimate the 5-year risk of major vascular events according to whether there was a causal relationship between atherosclerosis and the index event (ASCOD grade A1 and A2), no causal relationship (A3), and with or without a causal relationship (A1, A2, and A3). We also aimed to estimate the prevalence of different grades of atherosclerosis and identify associated risk factors. METHODS: We analysed patient data from TIAregistry.org, which is an international, prospective, observational registry of patients with a recent (within the previous 7 days) transient ischaemic attack or minor ischaemic stroke (modified Rankin Scale score of 0-1) from 61 specialised centres in 21 countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Using data from case report forms, we applied the ASCOD grading system to categorise the degree of atherosclerosis in our population (A0: no atherosclerosis; A1 or A2: atherosclerosis with stenosis ipsilateral to the cerebral ischaemic area; A3: atherosclerosis in vascular beds not related to the ischaemic area or ipsilateral plaques without stenosis; and A9: atherosclerosis not assessed). The primary outcome was a composite of non-fatal stroke, non-fatal acute coronary syndrome, or cardiovascular death within 5 years. FINDINGS: Between June 1, 2009, and Dec 29, 2011, 4789 patients were enrolled to TIAregistry.org, of whom 3847 people from 42 centres participated in the 5-year follow-up; 3383 (87·9%) patients had a 5-year follow-up visit (median 92·3% [IQR 83·4-97·8] per centre). 1406 (36·5%) of 3847 patients had no atherosclerosis (ASCOD grade A0), 998 (25·9%) had causal atherosclerosis (grade A1 or A2), and 1108 (28·8%) had atherosclerosis that was unlikely to be causal (grade A3); in 335 (8·7%) patients, atherosclerosis was not assessed (grade A9). The 5-year event rate of the primary composite outcome was 7·7% (95% CI 6·3-9·2; 101 events) in patients categorised with grade A0 atherosclerosis, 19·8% (17·4-22·4; 189 events) in those with grade A1 or A2, and 13·8% (11·8-16·0; 144 events) in patients with grade A3. Compared with patients with grade A0 atherosclerosis, patients categorised as grade A1 or A2 had an increased risk of the primary composite outcome (hazard ratio 2·77, 95% CI 2·18-3·53; p<0·0001), as did patients with grade A3 (1·87, 1·45-2·42; p<0·0001). Except for age, male sex, and multiple infarctions on neuroimaging, most of the risk factors that were identified as being associated with grade A1 or A2 atherosclerosis were modifiable risk factors (ie, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, overweight, smoking cigarettes, and low physical activity; all p values <0·025). INTERPRETATION: In patients with transient ischaemic attack or minor ischaemic stroke, those with atherosclerosis have a much higher risk of major vascular events within 5 years than do those without atherosclerosis. Preventive strategies addressing complications of atherosclerosis should focus on individuals with atherosclerosis rather than grouping together all people who have had a transient ischaemic attack or minor ischaemic stroke (including those without atherosclerosis). FUNDING: AstraZeneca, Sanofi, Bristol Myers Squibb, SOS Attaque Cérébrale Association.

Downer cows: a reanalysis of an old data set.

AIMS: To compare the performance of two predictive models for the survival of downer cows. METHODS: The first model had been developed in 1987 using a dataset containing missing values, while the second, new model was developed on the same dataset but using modern data imputation and analytical methods. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputation by chained equations and a logistic regression model fitted to the imputed data, with survival or not as the outcome variable. The predictive ability of the model built on the imputed data was contrasted with the original prognostic model by testing them both on a second smaller but complete data set, collected contemporaneously with the development of the original model but from a different region of New Zealand. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and cut point for the two models were calculated. RESULTS: The original 1987 model had a slightly higher accuracy than that of the new one with a sensitivity of 0.85 (95% CI = 0.72-0.94) and a specificity of 0.82 (95% CI = 0.7-0.91), using a cut point for the probability of survival = 0.313. CONCLUSIONS: The original prognostic formula published by Clark et al. in 1987 performed as well as a modern model built on an imputed data set. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of a prognostic test based on the Clark model should remain an important part of the clinical examination of downer cows by New Zealand veterinarians.Abbreviations: AUC: Area under the curve; AST: Aspartate transaminase activity; CK: Creatine phosphokinase activity; GAM: Generalised additive model; NSAID: Non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory drugs; PCV: Packed cell volume.

Biochemical profile of heifers with spontaneous humeral fractures suggest that protein-energy malnutrition could be an important factor in the pathology of this disease.

CASE HISTORY: Serum and liver samples from 35, 2-year-old dairy heifers that had fractured one or both humeri post-calving between July and December 2019 were submitted to a diagnostic laboratory for analysis. Serum samples were analysed for albumin, ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), creatinine, Ca, Mg, phosphate, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), and serum Cu concentration. Liver samples were analysed for liver Cu concentration. Data were compared to published reference intervals. Data values for heifers that prior to fracture had grazed fodder beet were also compared to values for those that had grazed pasture. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Sixty-nine percent of heifers with humeral fracture had serum creatinine concentrations below the lower value of the reference range (55-130 µmol/L). In 3/32 (9%) heifers, serum NEFA concentrations were increased above the reference value indicating body fat mobilisation (≥1.2 mmol/L for peri-partum cows) and in 20/35 (57%) heifers BHB serum concentrations were above the reference value indicating subclinical ketosis (≥1.1 mmol/L for peri-partum cows). In 24/35 (69%) heifers, liver Cu concentration was low (≤ 44 µmol/kg) or marginal (45-94 µmol/kg). The concentration of Cu in serum was low (≤ 4.5 µmol/L) in 2/33 (6%) heifers and marginal (4.6-7.9 µmol/L) in 5/33 (15%) heifers. There was moderate positive correlation between the logged concentrations of Cu in paired liver and serum samples, r(31) = 0.43; (95% CI = 0.1-0.79; p = 0.014). One heifer had a serum phosphate concentration below the lower limit of the reference range (< 1.10 mmol/L). For all heifers, the concentrations of albumin, Ca, and Mg in serum were within the reference intervals (23-38 g/L, 2.00-2.60 mmol/L, and 0.49-1.15 mmol/L respectively). Over winter, 15/35 (43%) heifers grazed predominantly pasture, 14/35 (40%) grazed fodder beet and 6/35 (17%) had a mixed diet. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In some of these heifers with humeral fractures, there was evidence for protein and/or energy malnutrition in the form of elevated NEFA and BHB concentrations and low creatinine concentrations in serum. Liver Cu concentrations were also reduced in most affected heifers. However, the absence of a control group means it is not possible to determine if these are risk factors for fracture or features common to all periparturient heifers. Clinical trials and molecular studies are needed to determine the true contribution of Cu and protein-energy metabolism to the pathogenesis of spontaneous humeral fractures in dairy heifers. ABBREVIATIONS: BHB: ß-hydroxybutyrate; NEFA: Non-esterified fatty acids.

Practices and opinions of New Zealand sheep farmers towards pain management in lambs during castration and/or tail docking.

AIMS: To collect baseline data from New Zealand sheep farmers on techniques for docking and castrating lambs, their perceptions of the level of pain lambs experience following these procedures, and their opinions about the use of pain relief. METHODS: From a voluntary cross-sectional survey of New Zealand sheep farmers, descriptive statistics were provided for quantitative study variables. Thematic analysis was performed on the free-text comments. Univariable logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with farmers indicating they would consider using a device allowing administration of pain relief simultaneously with castration and tail docking. RESULTS: There were 432 survey responses containing sufficiently complete data for analysis. Of the 340 individuals (77.5%) always or sometimes performing castration of ram lambs, 242 (72.2%) used rubber rings for complete castration, 23 (6.9%) used the short scrotum method for cryptorchid castration, and 75 (22.4%) used a combination of both methods. Of the 423 individuals (97.9%) who indicated that they always or sometimes performed tail docking, 245 (57.9%) used a hot iron only, 148 (35.0%) used a rubber ring only, 26 (5.8%) used both methods, 3 (0.7%) used a surgical knife, and 1 (0.2%) provided no response. Less than 2% of respondents always or sometimes used pain relief for these procedures. Of the 432 respondents, 139 (32.2%) and 180 (41.7%) strongly agreed that castration and tail docking do not cause sufficient pain to warrant using pain relief, respectively. Time and cost were identified as major barriers to providing pain relief. In the unadjusted logistic regression analyses, respondents who were female, had high levels of education, had been farming < 20 years, who believed lambs experienced high levels of pain following the procedures, and who believed pain lasted longer than 6 hours, were more likely to indicate willingness to use pain control devices. CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our results suggest very few New Zealand sheep farmers currently provide lambs with pain relief following tail docking or castration. This is likely due to the perception that the procedures are not painful enough to warrant pain relief, and concern over time and cost. This highlights the need to educate farmers about lamb pain and distress following tail docking and castration, and its negative impact on animal welfare. Farmers also need pain relief techniques and tools that can be administered simultaneously with these procedures to save time and labour cost.

A dual design thinking - universal design approach to catalyze neurodiversity advocacy through collaboration among high-schoolers.

Introduction: Neurodiversity describes the fact that humans all have different brains with unique qualities that contribute to society. Though understanding of neurodiversity is gaining traction among the general public, there remains considerable stigma and prejudice toward neurodiverse people. One way to combat these issues is to teach individuals about neurodiversity and encourage them to develop advocacy skills. Development of such knowledge is especially important for adolescents, as they have the capacity to make small (e.g., interpersonal interactions) and large (e.g., school-wide) impacts. Methods: Eighty-nine high schoolers participated in a two-week virtual summer camp in 2022; research consent/assent was obtained from 19 (11 neurodiverse/neurodivergent). Campers learned about neurodiversity, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Design Thinking (DT) through lectures from researchers and neurodivergent people, as well as group activities and discussions. Campers worked in small groups to design a neurodiversity advocacy project based on the principles of UDL and DT. Each group was facilitated by camp counselors-some of whom were neurodiverse-who were all committed to neurodiversity advocacy. Participants completed questionnaires about autism, ADHD, and dyslexia pre- and post-camp. Some also completed optional post-camp interviews. Results: Pre-camp stigma toward neurodiverse conditions was generally low. However, autism stigma was significantly higher than dyslexia stigma (Z = -2.24, p = 0.025). After camp, autism stigma decreased (Z = -2.98, p = 0.003;) and autism [t(13) = 3.17, p = 0.007] and ADHD [t(13) = 2.87, p = 0.013] knowledge improved. There were no significant changes in ADHD or dyslexia stigma or dyslexia knowledge. Participants reported enjoying collaborating with other campers and learning about UDL and DT. Thematic analysis of interviews generated four themes: Increased Understanding of Neurodiversity; Increasing Empathy and Becoming Less Judgmental; Creating a Neurodiverse Community; and More Awareness is Needed. Discussion: This pilot investigation suggests that a virtual summer camp can be effective in improving attitudes toward and knowledge of neurodiversity. Qualitative analysis indicated participants became more accepting after the camp, both in terms of being less judgmental toward neurodiverse people and more self-accepting among neurodivergent campers. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of such a program, particularly with diverse samples of students.