Investigation of the molecular genetic basis of fly-strike resistance in NZ sheep: analysis of the FABP4 gene

Introduction: Fly-strike is a major economic and animal welfare issue in both the New Zealand and Australian sheep industry. There are several factors that predispose sheep to fly-strike, such as fleece-rot, urine staining of wool from the crutch and dags. The FABP4 gene has previously been associated with variation in fleece-rot resistance in sheep. There is a strong genetic correlation (r=0.9) between fleece-rot and fly-strike. In this context, this study set out to determine if there is an association between a gene that has previously been linked to fly-strike susceptiblity (FABP4) and susceptibility to disease. Methods and materials:Blood samples were taken from sheep with and without fly-strike at shearing time and from different properties through Canterbury. These samples were collected onto FTA cards for DNA typing. PCR-SSCP analysis was used to genotype a portion of the ovine FABP4 gene. Results: Four variants of FABP4 gene were found (A₁, B₁, C₁ and D₁). there was a difference between sheep with and without fly-strike and the presence/absence of the A₁and C₁ variant, (P=0.0073) and (P=0.0154) respectively. Sheep with the A₁ variant are less likely to get fly-strike than sheep with the C₁ variant. The overall Chi-squared test was insignificant, indicating that it cannot be determined from the genotype whether sheep will or will not get fly-strike. Discussion: Based on these findings the development of a gene marker test for selecting sheep that are genetically resistant to fly-strike is a possibility. However further studies need to be done, with a larger sample of sheep. The exact nature of FABP4 causes sheep to be resistant or susceptible to fly-strike also needs to be determined

Could in-home sensors surpass human observation of people with Parkinson’s at high risk of falling? An ethnographic study

Self-report underpins our understanding of falls among people with Parkinson’s (PwP) as they largely happen unwitnessed at home. In this qualitative study, we used an ethnographic approach to investigate which in-home sensors, in which locations, could gather useful data about fall risk. Over six weeks, we observed five independently mobile PwP at high risk of falling, at home. We made field notes about falls (prior events and concerns) and recorded movement with video, Kinect, and wearable sensors. The three women and two men (aged 71 to 79 years) having moderate or severe Parkinson’s were dependent on others and highly sedentary. We most commonly noted balance protection, loss, and restoration during chair transfers, walks across open spaces and through gaps, turns, steps up and down, and tasks in standing (all evident walking between chair and stairs, e.g.). Our unobtrusive sensors were acceptable to participants: they could detect instability during everyday activity at home and potentially guide intervention. Monitoring the route between chair and stairs is likely to give information without invading the privacy of people at high risk of falling, with very limited mobility, who spend most of the day in their sitting rooms

Exercise training improves long-term memory in obese mice

Obesity has been linked to a range of pathologies, including dementia. In contrast, regular physical activity is associated with the prevention or reduced progression of neurodegeneration. Specifically, physical activity can improve memory and spatial cognition, reduce age-related cognitive decline, and preserve brain volume, but the mechanisms are not fully understood. Accordingly, we investigated whether any detrimental effects of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity on cognition, motor behavior, adult hippocampal neurogenesis, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) could be mitigated by voluntary exercise training in male C57Bl/6 mice. HFD-induced impairment of motor function was not reversed by exercise. Importantly, voluntary wheel running improved long-term memory and increased hippocampal neurogenesis, suggesting that regular physical activity may prevent cognitive decline in obesity

Talk, text, tag? Understanding self-annotation of smart home data from a user’s perspective

Delivering effortless interactions and appropriate interventions through pervasive systems requires making sense of multiple streams of sensor data. This is particularly challenging when these concern people’s natural behaviours in the real world. This paper takes a multidisciplinary perspective of annotation and draws on an exploratory study of 12 people, who were encouraged to use a multi-modal annotation app while living in a prototype smart home. Analysis of the app usage data and of semi-structured interviews with the participants revealed strengths and limitations regarding self-annotation in a naturalistic context. Handing control of the annotation process to research participants enabled them to reason about their own data, while generating accounts that were appropriate and acceptable to them. Self-annotation provided participants an opportunity to reflect on themselves and their routines, but it was also a means to express themselves freely and sometimes even a backchannel to communicate playfully with the researchers. However, self-annotation may not be an effective way to capture accurate start and finish times for activities, or location associated with activity information. This paper offers new insights and recommendations for the design of self-annotation tools for deployment in the real world