On-farm demonstrations: consideration factors for their success and viability as an extension teaching tool

Demonstrations of new or innovative practices carried out on actual farms have long been a key hallmark of program delivery and teaching in extension work. Such demonstrations led to the founding of the extension system in the United States about a century ago. These onfarm demonstrations gained the confidence of farmers who toured the farms, and has led to successful growth and development of the US extension system. Such farm based demonstrations are being used extensively in extension work in other countries as a means of showing and telling farmers exactly what a new or innovative practice is and showing how it will fit under local conditions. Soil types, fertility levels, climatic conditions such as frequency, amounts and periods of rainfall, availability of inputs or their applications, knowledge levels of the farmers and extension workers, available infrastructure and many other factors all come into play when on-farm demonstrations are considered as a program delivery method. Field demonstrations, aptly named on-farm demonstrations, developed under local farm conditions, require a significant amount of time for planning and implementing. The information gained from the demonstration must be adequately communicated to farmers and others regarding the viability of a practice, which also requires considerable time in planning and implementing the teaching process. Yet, minimal emphasis appears to have been placed in the literature on guidance for actual planning and implementing such demonstrations. With additional instructional information, extension workers who are highly trained or those who are less well educated may use such information to guide the process from initial planning to implementation and use of the demonstration for viable educational purposes. This study represents the collective thoughts of seasoned and successful extension workers in North Carolina and in Trinidad who participated in a modified Delphi study. The study sought to identify the many factors to consider in using on-farm demonstrations as a key component of an extension educational program. This study resulted in the development of both the Advantages and Disadvantages associated with on-farm demonstrations located on private farms. South African Journal of Agricultural Extension Vol.32 2003: 114-12

Effect of supplementary feeding on reproductive success of hihi (stitchbird, Notiomystis cincta) at a mature forest reintroduction site

Supplementary feeding has proven to be a successful conservation tool for many species, including New Zealand’s hihi (stitchbird, Notiomystis cincta). Previous research has shown supplementary feeding to substantially increase hihi reproductive success at regenerating forest sites, but suggested that it would have reduced benefit in mature forest habitat. Here we report the first direct test of the effect of supplementary feeding on hihi reproductive success in mature forest, using data from the recently reintroduced population at Maungatautari Ecological Island. Eight feeder-using females and nine non-feeder-using females were monitored during the 2012/13 breeding season at Maungatautari to determine how feeder use affected reproductive success (nest success, number of first-clutch fledglings per female and total number of fledglings per female). Feeder-using females fledged 3.7 times as many fledglings as non-feeder-using females in their first-clutch attempts (95% CI 1.6–8.8), and 1.8 times as many fledglings in total (95% CI 1.0–3.5). No feeder-using female experienced nest failure, whereas 7 of the 16 nest attempts of non-feeder-using females failed to fledge any young. The results suggest that, counter to expectations, supplementary feeder use has a significant impact on reproductive success in mature forest habitat. At least for Maungatautari, providing supplementary food in mature forest habitat appears to greatly reduce the probability of hihi nest failure, and increases the number of young a female can fledge

Assessment of the food available to cape anchovy during their spawning season

The Cape anchovy Engraulis capensis spawns serially between September and February each year on the western Agulhas Bank, South Africa. Food availability in terms of copepod biomass is important for successfulspawning and subsequent recruitment. This note investigates the variability within a spawning season (1993/94 and 1994/95) of copepod biomass on the western Bank and demonstrates that the food available to the Capeanchovy cannot be adequately assessed by a single mid-season estimate, as was the previous sampling strategy. The mid-season estimate of food availability failed to reveal important fluctuations, such as the small biomass of copepods in January 1994, which contributed to the early cessation of spawning and subsequent poor recruitment in 1994. A strategy, based on monthly sampling, is recommended for future sampling programmes

Habitat selection in a reintroduced population: social effects differ between natal and post-release dispersal

Animal translocations are human-induced colonizations that can represent opportunities to contribute to the knowledge on the behavioral and demographic processes involved in the establishment of animal populations. Habitat selection behaviors, such as social cueing, have strong implications on dispersal and affect the establishment success of translocations. Using modeling simulations with a two-population network model (a translocated population and a remnant population), we investigated the consequences of four habitat selection strategies on post-translocation establishment probabilities in short- and long-lived species. Two dispersal strategies using social cues (conspecific attraction and habitat copying) were compared to random and quality-based strategies. We measured the sensitivity of local extinctions to dispersal strategies, life cycles, release frequencies, remnant population and release group sizes, the proportion of breeders and the connectivity between populations. Our results indicate that social behaviors can compromise establishment as a result of post-release dispersal, particularly in long-lived species. This behavioral mechanism, the “vacuum effect”, arises from increased emigration in populations that are small relative to neighboring populations, reducing their rate of population growth. The vacuum effect can drive small remnant populations to extinction when a translocated group is large. In addition, the magnitude of the vacuum effect varies non-linearly with connectivity. The vacuum effect represents a novel form of the behaviorally mediated Allee effect that can cause unexpected establishment failures or population extinctions in response to social cueing. Accounting for establishment probabilities as a conditional step to the persistence of populations would improve the accuracy of predicting the fates of translocated or natural (meta)populations

Behaviour in the hand predicts male natal dispersal distances in an establishing reintroduced hihi (Notiomystis cincta) population

Natal dispersal is a complex behaviour influenced by multiple factors that are often sex-specific and density-dependent. Reintroduced populations are typically low in density in the initial years of establishment; hence, understanding natal dispersal patterns in this context is a critical component of reintroduction biology. Natal dispersal is a key behaviour that influences both the probability of recruitment, and simultaneously dictates the spatial configuration of the reintroduced population as it establishes. Here, we examine natal dispersal in a reintroduced population of an endangered New Zealand forest passerine, the hihi, Notiomystis cincta, in the first 3 years after reintroduction to a large, mature forest reserve. We examined (1) differences between the sexes, and (2) the relationship between temperament and natal dispersal distances (NDD) in locally bred hihi over this time period. We found NDD varied widely in both sexes, with mean NDD significantly higher in males than females. There was a sex-specific effect of temperament, with males that distress-called during handling dispersing further than those that did not. Our results show that while clusters of individuals have established across the reserve due to conspecific attraction, there is movement between these clusters, primarily a consequence of dispersal of males of a distinct temperament. Continuing to monitor natal dispersal patterns as populations establish will provide further insights into the role of dispersal in shaping establishment patterns in reintroduced populations

Rising to the challenge of defining and operationalising multimorbidity in a UK hospital setting: the ADMISSION research collaborative

\ua9 The Author(s) 2024. Purpose: Greater transparency and consistency when defining multimorbidity in different settings is needed. We aimed to: (1) adapt published principles that can guide the selection of long-term conditions for inclusion in research studies of multimorbidity in hospitals; (2) apply these principles and identify a list of long-term conditions; (3) operationalise this list by mapping it to International Classification of Diseases 10th revision (ICD-10) codes. Methods: Review by independent assessors and ratification by an interdisciplinary programme management group. Results: Agreement was reached that when defining multimorbidity in hospitals for research purposes all conditions must meet the following four criteria: (1) medical diagnosis; (2) typically present for ≥ 12 months; (3) at least one of currently active; permanent in effect; requiring current treatment, care or therapy; requiring surveillance; remitting-relapsing and requiring ongoing treatment or care, and; (4) lead to at least one of: significantly increased risk of death; significantly reduced quality of life; frailty or physical disability; significantly worsened mental health; significantly increased treatment burden (indicated by an increased risk of hospital admission or increased length of hospital stay). Application of these principles to two existing lists of conditions led to the selection of 60 conditions that can be used when defining multimorbidity for research focused on hospitalised patients. ICD-10 codes were identified for each of these conditions to ensure consistency in their operationalisation. Conclusions: This work contributes to achieving the goal of greater transparency and consistency in the approach to the study of multimorbidity, with a specific focus on the UK hospital setting

"Until the trial is complete you can't really say whether it helped you or not, can you?": exploring cancer patients' perceptions of taking part in a trial of acupressure wristbands.

BACKGROUND: Nested qualitative studies within clinical trials provide data on patients' experiences of receiving trial interventions and can inform and improve trial designs. The present study explored patients' experiences of participating in a randomised controlled trial of acupressure wristbands for chemotherapy related nausea. METHODS: A randomised three-group sham-controlled trial was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of acupressure wristbands in the management of chemotherapy-related nausea. A convenience sample of 26 patients volunteered to participate in a qualitative study to explore their experiences of using acupressure wristbands, and taking part in the clinical trial. Participants were recruited from each of the three UK geographical sites from which the trial was conducted: Manchester, Liverpool and Plymouth. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants in their own homes or other location convenient for participating patients. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim and analysed using Framework methodology. RESULTS: The main motivational factors influencing participants to take part in the trial were a desire to 'give something back' and limit their own experience of nausea. Participants were largely satisfied with the organisation and running of the acupressure wristband trial. Many participants experienced positive outcomes as a result of taking part in the trial. Lapses in memory, or poor health as a result of their chemotherapy treatment, led to some participants failing to complete trial paperwork on designated days. Two sham wristband participants reported wearing the bands inappropriately resulting in pressure being applied to the acupoint. Almost all of the participants interviewed had only experienced mild nausea or vomiting during the trial. Participants were pragmatic on the extent to which the wristbands were responsible for this lack of nausea and vomiting during the trial. However, many participants, including some patients receiving sham acupressure, believed the wristbands to have had a positive impact on their nausea and vomiting; there was a perception that the wristbands were, at least in part, responsible for the lack of nausea and vomiting they had experienced. CONCLUSIONS: Participants perceive acupressure wristbands as reducing the level of nausea and vomiting experienced during chemotherapy treatment. Reports that some participants wore wristbands inappropriately, and/or delayed completion of trial paperwork could represent confounding variables and have implications for the trial results, and the design of clinical trials within the field of cancer

The effect of sea temperature and food availability on the spawning success of Cape Anchovy engraulis capensis in the Southern Benguela

Data on the thermal structure, copepod biomass and production, and total number of eggs of the Cape anchovy Engraulis capensis were obtained from monthly surveys during the periods August 1993 – March1994 and September 1994 – March 1995 on the western Agulhas Bank and off the South-Western Cape, South Africa. Previous work suggested that anchovy spawn on the western Agulhas Bank in temperaturesbetween 16 and 19°C, where they feed predominantly on copepods. This study shows that the western Bank is a more suitable spawning area for anchovy, having greater thermal stability, a larger area of 16–19°Cwater and a more consistent food environment than off the South-Western Cape. Also, copepod production on the western Bank was highest in 16–19°C water. To identify factors controlling the area of this watermass, a cluster analysis was used on a suite of hydrographic variables. Three periods were identified: winter (August-September), spring (October-December) and summer (January-March), reflecting changes in theextent of the 16–19°C water and anchovy spawning, both of which peaked during spring. Spring was further characterized by infrequent surface upwelling. During summer, upwelling frequently reached the surface andthe upwelling front migrated offshore, constricting the area of 16–19°C water. It is hypothesized that spawning success in anchovy is dependent upon the extent of suitable spawning habitat, both spatially (16–19°Cwater) and temporally (spring). To put this concept into a predictive framework, the number of anchovy eggs was regressed against the area of 16–19°C water; a significant, positive relationship (p < 0.001, r2 = 0.56, n = 17) was found. An implication of the hypothesis is that the duration of spawning may be important to recruitment

Ferroportin and hepcidin: a new hope in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy for breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women. The success of breast cancer treatment relies on the ability to detect the disease and correct molecular abnormalities at an early stage of disease development. A recent article describes a marked decrease in the levels of ferroportin in breast cancer. More importantly, the presented results demonstrate convincingly the incredible diagnostic and prognostic value of ferroportin and hepcidin gene expression in breast cancer and suggest that determination of these two molecular markers may be used as guidance toward individualized therapy for breast cancer patients

Changes in late adolescents’ voting intentions during the election campaign: Disentangling the effects of political communication with parents, peers and media

This article investigates the effects of political discussions with parents, political discussions with peers and exposure to political news during an election campaign on the voting intentions and behaviour of first-time voters. Longitudinal data collected in the Czech Republic are employed in the main analysis (N=223). Results show that young people who frequently discuss politics with their peers are characterized by higher voting intentions and subsequent electoral participation. On the other hand, political discussions with parents and exposure to political news have no such effects. Furthermore, although it does not have an impact on voting intentions, more frequent political discussions with parents predict increased frequency of political discussions with peers. Overall, our results underscore the importance of peers in late adolescents' political socialization