Implementing biosecurity measures on dairy farms in Ireland

peer-reviewedDairy farms in Ireland are expanding in preparation for a new era of unrestricted milk production with the elimination of the European Union (EU) production quotas in 2015. Countries experiencing a changing agricultural demographic, including farm expansion, can benefit from documenting the implementation of on-farm biosecurity. The objectives of this study were to document and describe influences on biosecurity practices and related opinions on dairy farms. A representative response rate of 64% was achieved to a nationwide telesurvey of farmers. A 20% discrepancy was found between self-declared and truly ‘closed’ herds indicating a lack of understanding of the closed herd concept. Although >72% of farmers surveyed considered biosecurity to be important, 53% stated that a lack of information might prevent them from improving their biosecurity. Logistic regression highlighted regional, age, and farm-size related differences in biosecurity practices and opinions towards its implementation. Farmers in the most dairy cattle dense region were three times more likely to quarantine purchased stock than were their equivalents in regions where dairy production was less intense (P = 0.012). Younger farmers in general were over twice as likely as middle-aged farmers to implement biosecurity guidelines (P = 0.026). The owners of large enterprises were almost five times more likely to join a voluntary animal health scheme (P = 0.003), and were over three times more likely to pay a premium price for health accredited animals (P = 0.02) than were those farming small holdings. The baseline data recorded in this survey will form the basis for more detailed sociological and demographic research which will facilitate the targeting of future training of the farming community in biosecurity

Social Media and Its Impact on Travelers to Montana

News, real or not, travels faster than ever with the rise of social media platforms. Nearly everyone, everywhere, is capable of generating and disseminating information to large volumes of potential consumers. This information is often out of the direct control of the destination, business, or other entity for whom the news relates; it is unowned media. When a destination receives a flurry of attention from these various sources, either good or bad, several important questions arise in attempting to understand their impacts: (1) how long do these impressions last in potential visitor’s minds? And, (2) do these events/images influence travel planning? The overall purpose of this study is to build a better understanding of the degree to which unowned media, particularly social media, influences traveler behavior and perceptions of Montana, whether positive or negative. A secondary purpose is to provide specificity to the level and type of social media use that some visitors to Montana engage in (i.e., what platforms are they on, how does this vary by age, how often do they use specific platforms, etc.)

Models of Social Groups in Blogosphere Based on Information about Comment Addressees and Sentiments

This work concerns the analysis of number, sizes and other characteristics of groups identified in the blogosphere using a set of models identifying social relations. These models differ regarding identification of social relations, influenced by methods of classifying the addressee of the comments (they are either the post author or the author of a comment on which this comment is directly addressing) and by a sentiment calculated for comments considering the statistics of words present and connotation. The state of a selected blog portal was analyzed in sequential, partly overlapping time intervals. Groups in each interval were identified using a version of the CPM algorithm, on the basis of them, stable groups, existing for at least a minimal assumed duration of time, were identified.Comment: Gliwa B., Ko\'zlak J., Zygmunt A., Models of Social Groups in Blogosphere Based on Information about Comment Addressees and Sentiments, in the K. Aberer et al. (Eds.): SocInfo 2012, LNCS 7710, pp. 475-488, Best Paper Awar

Montana\u27s Outfitting Industry - 2017 Economic Contribution and Industry-Client Analysis

In recent years, nonresident visitor spending on outfitters and guides has surpassed that of spending on retail goods, making it the fourth highest spending category behind only fuel, lodging, and dining out. This rise comes despite only five to six percent of the visiting population taking part in these activities. This observation reiterates findings from the 2007 Montana Outfitter and Guide study characterizing the outfitting industry as high value, low impact. Though a small percent of visiting groups take part in some type of guided or outfitted experience, those who do stay longer and spend more per day. In 2017, the 5.4 percent of all visitors that had a guided or outfitted experience spent a total of $791 million dollars while in Montana, accounting for nearly a quarter of all visitor spending. Spending by visitor groups taking part in outfitted or guided experience generates more than 16,000 jobs and nearly$1.3 billion in economic output

Motorcycle Touring in Montana: A Market Analysis

Motorcycle tourism is a relatively understudied market in the U.S. but has the potential to assist rural communities in their efforts to develop a tourism economy. This report highlights the characteristics of motorcyclists and their travel needs as well as the potential for marketing to this niche of travelers. Highlights: • Motorcyclists tend to ride on scenic roads, eat and drink local cuisine, and stay away from the busy highways leading to the idea that ‘off the beaten’ path communities could benefit from motorcycle tourism. • Nonresident motorcyclists’ average age was 60, while resident motorcyclists’ average age was much younger at 48.7 years old. • All motorcyclists prefer scenic roads, lots of curves, safe parking places for their cycles at night, and a motel for their overnight stay. • Nonresident motorcyclists in Montana spend, on average, $110/day with the largest expenditure on restaurant and bar, followed by motel/hotel. • Alberta motorcyclists were the highest visitor to the state at 16% of all nonresident cyclists. • The most utilized entry points for motorcyclists are the interstates, but travel on roads of all types throughout the state is evident

Gardiner, Montana: Visitor Perceptions, Image and Spending Before & After Development

Gardiner, Montana, the north gate to Yellowstone National Park, underwent infrastructure development before the 2016 centennial celebration of the National Park Service. This study represents a ‘before and after’ analysis of visitors’ images and spending patterns within Gardiner

Application of Sentinel-2A data for pasture biomass monitoring using a physically based radiative transfer model

A large proportion of the global land surface is covered by pasture. The advent of the Sentinel satellites program provides free datasets with good spatiotemporal resolution that can be a valuable source of information for monitoring pasture resources. We combined optical remote sensing data (proximal hyperspectral and Sentinel 2A) with a radiative transfer model (PROSAIL) to estimate leaf area index (LAI), and biomass, in a dairy farming context. Three sites in Southern England were used: two pasture farms that differed in pasture type and management, and a set of small agronomy trial plots with different mixtures of grasses, legumes and herbs, as well as pure perennial ryegrass. The proximal and satellite spectral data were used to retrieve LAI via PROSAIL model inversion, which were compared against field observations of LAI. The potential of bands of Sentinel 2A that corresponded with a 10 m resolution was studied by convolving narrow spectral bands (from a handheld hyperspectral sensor) into Sentinel 2A bands (10 m). Retrieved LAI, using these spectrally resampled S2A data, compared well with measured LAI, for all sites, even for those with mixed species cover (although retrieved LAI was somewhat overestimated for pasture mixtures with high LAI). This proved the suitability of 10 m Sentinel 2A spectral bands for capturing LAI dynamics for different types of pastures. We also found that inclusion of 20 m bands in the inversion scheme did not lead to any further improvement in retrieved LAI. Sentinel 2A image based retrieval yielded good agreement with LAI measurements obtained for a typical perennial ryegrass based pasture farm. LAI retrieved in this way was used to create biomass maps (that correspond to indirect biomass measurements by Rising Plate Meter (RPM)), for mixed-species paddocks for a farm for which limited field data were available. These maps compared moderately well with farmer-collected RPM measurements for this farm. We propose that estimates of paddock-averaged and within-paddock variability of biomass are more reliably obtained from a combined Sentinel 2A-PROSAIL approach, rather than by manual RPM measurements. The physically based radiative transfer model inversion approach outperformed the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index based retrieval method, and does not require site specific calibrations of the inversion scheme

LGI proteins in the nervous system

The development and function of the vertebrate nervous system depend on specific interactions between different cell types. Two examples of such interactions are synaptic transmission and myelination. LGI1-4 (leucine-rich glioma inactivated proteins) play important roles in these processes. They are secreted proteins consisting of an LRR (leucinerich repeat) domain and a so-called epilepsy-associated or EPTP (epitempin) domain. Both domains are thought to function in protein-protein interactions. The first LGI gene to be identified, LGI1, was found at a chromosomal translocation breakpoint in a glioma cell line. It was subsequently found mutated in ADLTE (autosomal dominant lateral temporal (lobe) epilepsy) also referred to as ADPEAF (autosomal dominant partial epilepsy with auditory features). LGI1 protein appears to act at synapses and antibodies against LGI1 may cause the autoimmune disorder limbic encephalitis. A similar function in synaptic remodelling has been suggested for LGI2, which is mutated in canine Benign Familial Juvenile Epilepsy. LGI4 is required for proliferation of glia in the peripheral nervous system and binds to a neuronal receptor, ADAM22, to foster ensheathment and myelination of axons by Schwann cells. Thus, LGI proteins play crucial roles in nervous system development and function and their study is highly important, both to understand their biological functions and for their therapeutic potential. Here, we review our current knowledge about this important family of proteins, and the progress made towards understanding their functions

Bias, accuracy, and impact of indirect genetic effects in infectious diseases

Selection for improved host response to infectious disease offers a desirable alternative to chemical treatment but has proven difficult in practice, due to low heritability estimates of disease traits. Disease data from field studies is often binary, indicating whether an individual has become infected or not following exposure to an infectious disease. Numerous studies have shown that from this data one can infer genetic variation in individuals’ underlying susceptibility. In a previous study, we showed that with an indirect genetic effect (IGE) model it is possible to capture some genetic variation in infectivity, if present, as well as in susceptibility. Infectivity is the propensity of transmitting infection upon contact with a susceptible individual. It is an important factor determining the severity of an epidemic. However, there are severe shortcomings with the Standard IGE models as they do not accommodate the dynamic nature of disease data. Here we adjust the Standard IGE model to (1) make expression of infectivity dependent on the individuals’ disease status (Case Model) and (2) to include timing of infection (Case-ordered Model). The models are evaluated by comparing impact of selection, bias, and accuracy of each model using simulated binary disease data. These were generated for populations with known variation in susceptibility and infectivity thus allowing comparisons between estimated and true breeding values. Overall the Case Model provided better estimates for host genetic susceptibility and infectivity compared to the Standard Model in terms of bias, impact, and accuracy. Furthermore, these estimates were strongly influenced by epidemiological characteristics. However, surprisingly, the Case-Ordered model performed considerably worse than the Standard and the Case Models, pointing toward limitations in incorporating disease dynamics into conventional variance component estimation methodology and software used in animal breeding

Clinically driven analysis reveals gene-socioeconomic status interaction influencing periodontal disease in the electronic health record-linked Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study (GS: SFHS) cohort.

Introduction Heritability (proportion of trait variation attributable to genetic factors) is not a fixed property. It can vary across different social settings and environments. Exploration of gene-environment interaction has been limited by lack of large sample sizes. Biobanks linked to electronic health records pose a solution to this sample size problem. Objectives and Approach Social inequalities in periodontal health have been well documented in the dental scientific literature. However, gene-socioeconomic status interaction has yet to be examined. We identified 2,192 cases and 11,525 controls from linked electronic periodontal treatment records within the Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study (GS: SFHS) (www.generationscotland.org). The measure of socioeconomic status used was the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. The objective of this study was to investigate the gene-socioeconomic status interaction within this data. A reaction norm model was used to evaluate the presence of a gene-socioeconomic status interaction in the statistical software ASReml. Results We estimated the heritability of periodontal disease at 10.42% (95% confidence interval 5.97-14.88%). Socioeconomic status modified the heritability of periodontal disease. The heritability of was 13.37%, 0.14% and 11.70% in areas of high, moderate and low deprivation respectively; indicating the occurrence of a gene-socioeconomic status interaction with periodontal disease. These results indicate that socioeconomic status explains a large portion of genetic variation in periodontal disease risk. This information suggests that effective intervention and prevention programs for periodontal disease should involve socioeconomic aspects in their planning, implementations and evaluation. For instance, interventions targeted to reduce smoking in more deprived subjects with a genetic predisposition to periodontal disease could enhance the effect of health promotion strategies in reducing risk. Conclusion/Implications This study presents contemporary evidence in a large population based cohort that gene-socioeconomic interaction leads to the progression of periodontal disease. This information may lead to the development of better preventative strategies for clinical dentistry