Cattle trampling reduces the risk of nitrate leaching in organic dairy rotations

Organic dairy farming is characterized by grazing cows in contrast to Danish conventional farms where the majority of cows are kept indoors. Cattle trampling reduces the finer macroporosity in the top 5-10 cm of the soil. This causes a low infiltration capacity at the soil surface, giving a higher probability of macropore flow from the surface. Rapid water movement through macropores bypasses the soil matrix, reducing nitrate leaching. We investigated how three years of cattle trampling in organic grass-clover fields could influence the risk of nitrate leaching in the autumn. The experimental part of this study was situated in Denmark on a loamy sand within a long-term organic dairy crop rotation trial. Experimental plots were irrigated with a concentrated solution of potassium bromide (18.5 mm for an hour). The amount of bromide in the soil water was determined at five depths (0.1, 0.3, 0.4, 0.75 and 1.0 m) 24 h after irrigation. Macropores larger than 1 mm were recorded on horizontal surfaces (0.70 m2) at the same depths. Earthworm density and biomass were registered. Bromide concentration in soil was significantly larger with the grazing regime than with the cutting regime below 0.3 m depth to at least 1 m. We observed equivalent macropore densities between the two treatments, both at 0.1 and at 0.3 m depth. The dry bulk density measured at 10 cm depth was significantly larger in the plots with the grazing regime than with the cutting regime, indicating a reduction of the porosity at this depth for the plots subjected to cattle trampling. No epigeic species were present. Cattle trampling affected mainly endogeic earthworms. Deep-burrowing species (anecic) were the least sensitive to cattle trampling. The deeper infiltration of water in soil when subjected to cattle trampling indicated that preferential flow through large macropores occurred, and that rain water may bypass the soil matrix under similar or more extreme conditions than this experiment. We expect such hydraulic functioning to reduce the risk of leaching of soil water nitrate

Virtual Forest Bathing Programming as Experienced by Disabled Adults with Mobility Impairments and/or Low Energy: A Qualitative Study

Background: Although access to nature is demonstrated to benefit health and wellbeing, adults with mobility impairments and/or low energy often face barriers in accessing nature environments and nature-based programs. This study aimed to examine the experiences and impacts of virtual forest bathing by capturing the perspectives of disabled adults with mobility impairments and/or low energy. Methods: A total of 26 adults with mobility impairments provided written and spoken qualitative feedback during and following virtual forest bathing programs and 23 participants provided feedback at a one month follow-up. Virtual programs were presented online, using an accessible format, 2D videos, and images of nature accompanied by guidance led by a certified forest bathing guide and mindfulness teacher. The programs involved disabled facilitators and participants, which created a social environment of peer support. Results: Qualitative thematic analysis revealed 10 themes comprising intervention themes (virtual delivery and soothing facilitation); process themes (nature connection, relaxation, embodiment, and memories with complex emotions); and outcome themes (happiness, agency, metaphor making, and belonging). Conclusions: Virtual forest bathing may offer an effective adjunct to improve wellbeing and provide peer support for disabled adults with mobility impairments and/or low energy

Postoperative complications associated with external skeletal fixators in cats

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to quantify complications associated with external skeletal fixators (ESFs) in cats and to identify potential risk factors. METHODS: A retrospective review of medical records and radiographs following ESF placement was performed. RESULTS: Case records of 140 cats were reviewed; fixator-associated complications (FACs) occurred in 19% of cats. The region of ESF placement was significantly associated with complication development. Complications developed most frequently in the femur (50%), tarsus (35%) and radius/ulna (33%). Superficial pin tract infection (SPTI) and implant failure accounted for 45% and 41% of all FACs, respectively. SPTI occurred more frequently in the femur, humerus and tibia, with implant failure more frequent in the tarsus. No association between breed, age, sex, weight, fracture type (open vs closed), ESF classification, number of pins per bone segment, degree of fracture load sharing, and the incidence or type of FAC was identified. No association between region of placement, breed, age, sex, weight, fracture type (open vs closed), ESF classification, number of pins per bone segment, fracture load sharing and the time to complication development was identified. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Complication development is not uncommon in cats following ESF placement. The higher complication rate in the femur, tarsus and radius/ulna should be considered when reviewing options for fracture management. However, cats appear to have a lower rate of pin tract infections than dogs

Analysis of the Copenhagen Accord pledges and its global climatic impacts‚ a snapshot of dissonant ambitions

This analysis of the Copenhagen Accord evaluates emission reduction pledges by individual countries against the Accord's climate-related objectives. Probabilistic estimates of the climatic consequences for a set of resulting multi-gas scenarios over the 21st century are calculated with a reduced complexity climate model, yielding global temperature increase and atmospheric CO2 and CO2-equivalent concentrations. Provisions for banked surplus emission allowances and credits from land use, land-use change and forestry are assessed and are shown to have the potential to lead to significant deterioration of the ambition levels implied by the pledges in 2020. This analysis demonstrates that the Copenhagen Accord and the pledges made under it represent a set of dissonant ambitions. The ambition level of the current pledges for 2020 and the lack of commonly agreed goals for 2050 place in peril the Accord's own ambition: to limit global warming to below 2 °C, and even more so for 1.5 °C, which is referenced in the Accord in association with potentially strengthening the long-term temperature goal in 2015. Due to the limited level of ambition by 2020, the ability to limit emissions afterwards to pathways consistent with either the 2 or 1.5 °C goal is likely to become less feasibl

Statistical Mechanics of Nonlinear On-line Learning for Ensemble Teachers

We analyze the generalization performance of a student in a model composed of nonlinear perceptrons: a true teacher, ensemble teachers, and the student. We calculate the generalization error of the student analytically or numerically using statistical mechanics in the framework of on-line learning. We treat two well-known learning rules: Hebbian learning and perceptron learning. As a result, it is proven that the nonlinear model shows qualitatively different behaviors from the linear model. Moreover, it is clarified that Hebbian learning and perceptron learning show qualitatively different behaviors from each other. In Hebbian learning, we can analytically obtain the solutions. In this case, the generalization error monotonically decreases. The steady value of the generalization error is independent of the learning rate. The larger the number of teachers is and the more variety the ensemble teachers have, the smaller the generalization error is. In perceptron learning, we have to numerically obtain the solutions. In this case, the dynamical behaviors of the generalization error are non-monotonic. The smaller the learning rate is, the larger the number of teachers is; and the more variety the ensemble teachers have, the smaller the minimum value of the generalization error is.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figure

Ecological properties of earthworm burrows in an organically managed grass-clover system

Earthworms have long been recognized for their soil engineering capacities. Since the creation of the ecosystem service concept the utilitarian perception of nature has gained a lot of attention and funding for research. Hence, we selected earthworms and their burrowing activities to enable an assessment of their influence on water movement and nutrient release. The study went on in autumn where earthworm population densities and their burrowing activities were quantified in plots of third year clover-grass crops differing in fertilisation and the manner of removing the biomass either by grazing or cutting. We found very high biomasses as expected for clover-grass about 200 g wet earthworm weight m-2. The common earthworm association typical to our region was: Aporrectodea tuberculata, Aporrectodea rosea, Aporrectodea longa and Lumbricus terrestris, i.e. two endogeic and two anecic species. We present our results on the burrow size distribution down the soil profile and link it to the species and species traits. The results are further put into perspective in our present research on macropores related to soil ecosystem services and pesticide leachin

Usual energy and macronutrient intakes in 2-9-year-old European children

OBJECTIVE: Valid estimates of population intakes are essential for monitoring trends as well as for nutritional interventions, but such data are rare in young children. In particular, the problem of misreporting in dietary data is usually not accounted for. Therefore, this study aims to provide accurate estimates of intake distributions in European children. DESIGN: Cross-sectional setting-based multi-centre study. SUBJECTS: A total of 9560 children aged 2-9 years from eight European countries with at least one 24-h dietary recall (24-HDR). METHODS: The 24-HDRs were classified in three reporting groups based on age- and sex-specific Goldberg cutoffs (underreports, plausible reports, overreports). Only plausible reports were considered in the final analysis (N=8611 children). The National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Method was applied to estimate population distributions of usual intakes correcting for the variance inflation in short-term dietary data. RESULTS: The prevalence of underreporting (9.5%) was higher compared with overreporting (3.4%). Exclusion of misreports resulted in a shift of the energy and absolute macronutrient intake distributions to the right, and further led to the exclusion of extreme values, that is, mean values and lower percentiles increased, whereas upper percentiles decreased. The distributions of relative macronutrient intakes (% energy intake from fat/carbohydrates/proteins) remained almost unchanged when excluding misreports. Application of the NCI-Method resulted in markedly narrower intake distributions compared with estimates based on single 24-HDRs. Mean percentages of usual energy intake from fat, carbohydrates and proteins were 32.2, 52.1 and 15.7%, respectively, suggesting the majority of European children are complying with common macronutrient intake recommendations. In contrast, total water intake (mean: 1216.7 ml per day) lay below the recommended value for >90% of the children. CONCLUSION: This study provides recent estimates of intake distributions of European children correcting for misreporting as well as for the daily variation in dietary data. These data may help to assess the adequacy of young children's diets in Europe