Epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries in two- and three-year-old Australian Thoroughbred racehorses

The aim of this research was to describe the epidemiology of musculoskeletal (MS) injuries in two- and three-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses. A 27 month longitudinal study commencing in May 2000 was conducted. The study convenience sampled 14 trainers with facilities at metropolitan and provincial racetracks in New South Wales, Australia. In the 2000/01 and 2001/02 racing season, 323 and 128 two-year-olds, respectively, were enrolled in the study. The 451 Thoroughbred horses contributed, 1, 272 preparations and 78, 154 training days to the study. Of the 323 horses enrolled in the 2000/01 racing season, 219 contributed three-year-old data to the study. During the study period 8%, of training days had missing training data and 3% of the 1, 986 starts in the races or barrier trials were incorrectly recorded. The rate of incorrect entries varied with both study month and trainer. Similarly, the rate of training days with missing data varied between trainers and with study month. Four hundred and twenty-eight MS injuries were recorded in association with 395 preparations in 248 two- and three-year-old Thoroughbred racehorses. The IR for all categories of MS injuries, except for tendon and ligament injuries, were higher in twoyear- olds than three-year-olds, although the differences were only significant for shin soreness. Seventy-eight percent of horses enrolled in the study started, in a barrier trial or race, within one year on entering the study. After accounting for other confounders, horses that had sustained a MS injury were 0.50 times less likely to start, in a race or trial, race than those that did not sustain an injury. Seventy percent of horses returned to training after their first MS injury, and the cumulative percentage of these horses that had recovered within six months of the initial MS injury was 55%. After adjusting for clustering at the level of the trainer, the analysis showed that horses that exercised at a gallop pace ≥ 890 m/minute (but had not started in a race) prior to the onset of MS injury, were 2.14 times more likely to recover than horses whose maximum speed, prior to the onset of the first MS injury, was less than 890 m/minute. Similarly, horses that had started in a race or barrier trial were 4.01 times more likely to recover than horses whose maximum speed was less than 890 m/minute. 8 Training days were grouped into units referred to as preparations. A preparation began on the day that the horse was enrolled in the study, or when a horse returned to training after an absence of more than seven days from the stable. The preparation continued until the horse was lost to follow-up or left the stable for a period of more than seven consecutive days. Univariable and multivariable analytical methods were used to examine the association between a range of independent variables and four preparationlevel measures of performance: (i) the duration of preparations, (ii) length of time from the beginning of the preparation until the first start in a race or barrier trial, (iii) length of time from the first start until the end of the preparation and (iv) rate of starts in races or barrier trials. After adjusting for confounders, younger horses tended to have shorter preparations, took longer to start in a race or barrier trial, had a shorter interval from the first start to the end of the preparation and fewer starts per 100 training days. MS injury was not conditionally associated with any of the outcomes considered in this chapter. Multivariate statistical models were used to explore risk factors for MS injuries. The results suggest that MS injuries involving structures in the lower forelimb (carpus to fetlock inclusive) could be reduced by limiting exposure to high-speed exercise. This supports the proposition that training injuries are caused by the accumulation of micro damage. The results suggest there are a number of other factors that vary at the trainer level that may be risk factors for injuries, in particular joint injuries. These include unmeasured variables such as the rate of increase in distance galloped at high-speed, conformation of the horse, skill of the riders and farrier and veterinary involvement

The role of primary cilia and sonic hedgehog signalling in adrenal development function.

PhDPrimary cilia are sensory organelles found on most vertebrate cells during interphase. They play key roles in development, cell signalling and cancer, and are involved in signal transduction pathways such as Hh and Wnt signalling. The adrenal cortex produces steroid hormones essential for controlling homeostasis and mediating the stress response. Signalling pathways involved in the process of its development and differentiation are still being identified but include Hh and Wnt, and adrenal development is thus likely to require cilia. I have demonstrated that inhibiting cilia formation, using siRNA targeted to different ciliary components, results in reduced differentiation of the human adrenal carcinoma cell line H295R towards a zona glomerulosa (zG)-like phenotype. These data suggest that primary cilia play a key role in adrenal differentiation, but which signalling pathways are involved still remains unclear. I have also discovered that adrenals from Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) mice, the most prominently studied ciliopathy, have thin capsules, the proposed adrenal stem cell niche, and abnormal histology, while zebrafish embryos injected with morpholinos targeting BBS genes show delayed and reduced expression of ff1b, a marker of interrenal tissue. These data further suggest a role for primary cilia in adrenal development and maintenance. These studies are the foundation for elucidating the role of primary cilia in the development and function of the adrenal gland, and furthering our understanding of adrenocortical development. This promises to lead to improved management of adrenal dysfunction, and demonstrating that adrenal defects are a characteristic of ciliopathies will potentially inform new strategies for patient care.Medical Research Counci

A risk assessment for the introduction of African swine fever into the Federated States of Micronesia

Subharat, S, Han, J, Cogger, N. "A risk assessment for the introduction of African swine fever into the Federated States of Micronesia" Apia, Samoa, "Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations", 19 pages, 10.4060/cc0421en. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.falseApia, Samo

A risk assessment for the introduction of African swine fever into Tuvalu

Subharat, S., Hee Han, J. and Cogger, N. “A risk assessment for the introduction of African swine fever into Tuvalu.” Apia, Samoa. First Published in “Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.” 19 pages https://doi.org/10.4060/cc0421en Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.falseApia, Samo

Fishing for evidence of impact

In this article Gill Rowland, Hazel King, Penny Webb, Alison Cogger and Karen Vincent use seafaring imagery to portray a research project focussed on enriching mentoring within a school university initial teaching training partnership. They report on the professional development benefits gained from use of their framework for both school based mentors and university-based mentors

Experiences of and attitudes towards injecting drug use among marginalised African migrant and refugee youth in Melbourne, Australia

Little is known about injecting drug use (IDU) among people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds in Australia. We interviewed 18 young people of African ethnicity (6 current/former injectors, 12 never injectors) about exposure and attitudes to IDU. Exposure to IDU was common, with IDU characterised as unnatural, risky and immoral. IDU was highly stigmatised and hidden from family and friends. There is a need for culturally appropriate programs to promote open dialogue about substance use, in order to reduce stigma and prevent African youth who may use illicit drugs from becoming further marginalised

Cognitive rehabilitation for memory deficits after stroke

Memory problems are common after a stroke, leading to difficulties in everyday life. Memory rehabilitation aims to help retrain lost functions or to teach patients strategies to compensate for them. Although some studies have reported positive outcomes after memory rehabilitation, reviews have provided inconclusive evidence for effectiveness. This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2000 and subsequently updated in 200

Nitrogen bioavailability from organic amendments and cover crops in broccoli, sweet corn, and potato

Non-Peer Reviewe