Avaliação do bem-estar de cavalos montados no desfile nacional de cavalos da Costa Rica

The National Horse Parade of Costa Rica (NHPCR) is an equestrian event held annually to celebrate the national day of the horse rider. Public concern regarding the welfare of horses and riders during the event has increased due to the removal of horses in poor body condition, spine injuries, and hoof problems. An Assessment of horse behavior and stress response during these events has never been conducted. The objective of this study was to evaluate the horse behavior, fecal glucocorticoid metabolites and body weight as indicators of welfare during the NHPCR. In the Experiment 1, body weight and fecal glucocorticoid metabolites were measured in 13 Costarricense de Paso horses participating in the NHPCR. All measures were recorded at the horses' home stable 48 hours before and 24 hours after the event. In Experiment 2, three stations (equally spaced along the 3-kilometer parade route) were used to randomly conduct a scan sampling of the behavior of 513 horses. Eye-wrinkle and eye-white presence were recorded on 48 horses using photographs taken during the event. Fecal glucocorticoid metabolites showed no significant differences (p>0.05) at the two time points in the horses evaluated, and there was a significant weight loss (-7.08 kg) 24 hours after the event (p=0.00034). The scan sampling provided evidence that traits such as sweating (60.74%), bit chewing (54.70%), and active gait (65%) were more common than head tossing (28.88%), neck above the withers (6.83%), hyperflexion (28.71%), and ears pinned backwards (31.19%). A strong eye wrinkle was detected on 70% of the horses, while only 16% had the presence of eye-white. Although our results for fecal glucocorticoid metabolites were not conclusive, other behavioral traits indicated that over fifty per cent of the horses attending the NHPCR experience some level of stress.El Tope Nacional de Costa Rica (NHPCR) es un evento ecuestre realizado anualmente para celebrar el día nacional del caballista. La preocupación pública sobre el bienestar de los caballos y jinetes ha aumentado debido a mala condición corporal, lesiones en columna, problemas de cascos y dificultades en carga y descarga. Aunque se han implementado acciones para salvaguardar el bienestar de los caballos en años recientes, no se ha evaluado su comportamiento y los niveles de estrés durante este evento. El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar el comportamiento, los metabolitos de glucocorticoides en heces y el peso corporal como indicadores de bienestar de caballos durante el NHPCR. En el Experimento 1 se determinó el peso corporal y los niveles de cortisol fecal en 13caballos Costarricense de Paso 48-horas antes y 24-horas después del evento. En el Experimento 2, tres estaciones (equidistantes a lo largo de la ruta de 3 kilómetros del recorrido) se usaron para evaluar el comportamiento de 513caballos. Se registró la presencia de arrugas y conjuntiva del ojo en 48caballos con fotografías tomadas en el evento. No hubo diferencias significativas (p>0,05) en el análisis de metabolitos de glucocorticoides fecales en los dos momentos de muestreo y hubo una pérdida significativa (p=0,00034) de peso 24-horas después del evento (-7,08kg). Se halló evidencia de que características como la sudoración (60,74%), mordisqueo del bocado (54,70%) y paso activo (65%) fueron más comunes que la sacudida de cabeza (28,88%), cuello levantado (6,83%), hiperflexión del cuello (28,71%) y orejas posicionadas hacia atrás (31,19%) durante el evento. Se detectó una arruga fuerte en los ojos (70%) y presencia de la conjuntiva (16%) en los caballos. Aunque los resultados de glucocorticoides fecales no fueron concluyentes, otras características de comportamiento indicaron que más de la mitad de los caballos asistentes al NHPCR experimentan algún nivel de estrés.O Tope Nacional de Costa Rica (NHPCR) é um evento equestre realizado anualmente para celebrar o Dia Nacional do Cavaleiro. A preocupação do público com o bem-estar dos cavalos e cavaleiros aumentou devido ao número de cavalos retirados do evento com inadequadas condições corporais, lesões na coluna vertebral, problemas nos cascos e dificuldades de carga e descarga. Embora ações tenham sido implementadas para salvaguardar o bem-estar dos cavalos nos últimos anos, seu comportamento e os níveis de estresse durante este evento não foram avaliados. O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar ocomportamento, os metabolitos de glicocorticoides em fezes e o peso corporal como indicadores de bem-estar dos equinos durante o NHPCR. No Experimento 1, o peso corporal e os níveis de cortisol fecal foram medidos em 13 cavalos da Costa Rica Paso 48 horas antes e 24 horas após o evento. No Experimento 2, três estações (igualmente espaçadas ao longo do percurso de 3 quilômetros) foram usadas para avaliar o comportamento de 513 cavalos. A presença de rugas e conjuntiva ocular foi registrada em 48 cavalos com fotografias tiradas no evento. Não houve diferenças significativas (p>0,05) na análise dos metabólitos fecais de glicocorticoides nos dois momentos de amostragem e houve perda de peso significativa (p=0,00034) 24 horas após o evento (-7,08 kg). Evidenciou-se que características como sudorese (60,74%), mordeduras (54,70%) e marcha ativa (65%) foram mais comuns do que sacudir a cabeça (28,88%), pescoço levantado (6,83%), hiperflexão do pescoço (28,71). %) e orelhas posicionadas para trás (31,19%) durante o evento. Forte enrugamento dos olhos (70%) e presença da conjuntiva (16%) foram detectados nos cavalos. Embora os resultados de glicocorticoides fecais tenham sido inconclusivos, outras características comportamentais indicaram que mais da metade dos cavalos atendidos no NHPCR experimentam algum nível de estresse

Revisión de los Gordiacea (Nematomorpha) de la colección de la Academia de Ciencias de California con descripción de una nueva especie

The Gordiacea of the California Academy of Sciences collection are studied. The specimens are included in the known species Gordius robustus Leidy, Pseudochordodes bedriagae (Camerano) and a new species, Neochordodes californensis n. sp. is proposed. Morphological, morphometric and geographical data are provided for these species.En este trabajo se estudian los Gordiacea de la colección de la California Academy of Sciences. Los ejemplares se incluyen en dos especies conocidas, Gordius robustus Leidy y Pseudochordodes bedriagae (Camerano), y una especie nueva: Neochordodes californensis n. sp. Se proporcionan datos morfológicos, morfométricos y geográficos para cada una de las especies

Genotypic variability in radial resistance to water flow in olive roots and its response to temperature variations

As radial root resistance (Rp) represents one of the key components of the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum resistance catena modulating water transport, understanding its control is essential for physiologists, modelers and breeders. Reports of Rp, however, are still scarce and scattered in the scientific literature. In this study, we assessed genetic variability in Rp and its dependence on temperature in five widely used olive cultivars. In a first experiment, cultivar differences in Rp at 25 °C were evaluated from flow–pressure measurements in excised roots and subsequent analysis of root traits. In a second experiment, similar determinations were performed continually over a 5-h period in which temperature was gradually increased from 12 to 32 °C, enabling the assessment of Rp response to changing temperature. Despite some variability, our results did not show statistical differences in Rp among cultivars in the first experiment. In the second, cultivar differences in Rp were not significant at 12 °C, but they became so as temperature increased. Furthermore, the changes in Rp between 12 and 32 °C were higher than those expected by the temperature-driven decrease in water viscosity, with the degree of that change differing among cultivars. Also, Rp at 25 °C reached momentarily in the second experiment was consistently higher than in the first at that same, but fixed, temperature. Overall, our results suggest that there is limited variability in Rp among the studied cultivars when plants have been exposed to a given temperature for sufficient time. Temperature-induced variation in Rp might thus be partly explained by changes in membrane permeability that occur slowly, which explains why our values at 25 °C differed between experiments. The observed cultivar differences in Rp with warming also indicate faster acclimation of Rp to temperature changes in some cultivars than others.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

A Silvopastoral System in the North Atlantic Zone of Costa Rica: Combining Indigenous Timber Species with Dairy Pasture Swards

The objective of this study was to design, establish and monitor a silvo pastoral experiment on a dairy farm in the northern Atlantic region of Costa Rica. Indigenous timber species, Vochysia guatemalensis and Hyeronima alchorneoides were used together with or without the tropical pasture legume, Arachis pintoi in a split plot design with a 4 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. First year establishment was good for the tree component (2.3 to 10 % mortality) but poor for A. pintoi (4 to 5 % of sward). Poor legume establishment was attributed to lax grazing management and excess competition from existing Brachiaria sp. A. Pintoi was reestablished in July 1996 after an adjustment of stocking rate. This experimental project is planned for a 10 year period which corresponds to the expected rotation length for harvesting the indigenous timber species

Mating Ewes on Condensed Tannin-Containing Forages Increases Ewe Reproductive Rate and Reduces Lamb Mortality

Action of condensed tannin (CT) reduces forage protein degradation in the rumen and increases the absorption of amino acids from the small intestine (Barry & McNabb 1999). This paper reports the effects of grazing ewes on two CT-containing forages during mating upon ewe reproductive rate and lamb mortality

Inter-relationships among alternative definitions of feed efficiency in grazing lactating dairy cows

peer-reviewedInternational interest in feed efficiency, and in particular energy intake and residual energy intake (REI), is intensifying due to a greater global demand for animal-derived protein and energy sources. Feed efficiency is a trait of economic importance, and yet is overlooked in national dairy cow breeding goals. This is due primarily to a lack of accurate data on commercial animals, but also a lack of clarity on the most appropriate definition of the feed intake and utilization complex. The objective of the present study was to derive alternative definitions of energetic efficiency in grazing lactating dairy cows and to quantify the inter-relationships among these alternative definitions. Net energy intake (NEI) from pasture and concentrate intake was estimated up to 8 times per lactation for 2,693 lactations from 1,412 Holstein-Friesian cows. Energy values of feed were based on the French Net Energy system where 1 UFL is the net energy requirements for lactation equivalent of 1 kg of air-dry barley. A total of 8,183 individual feed intake measurements were available. Energy balance was defined as the difference between NEI and energy expenditure. Efficiency traits were either ratio-based or residual-based; the latter were derived from least squares regression models. Residual energy intake was defined as NEI minus predicted energy to fulfill the requirements for the various energy sinks. The energy sinks (e.g., NEL, metabolic live weight) and additional contributors to energy kinetics (e.g., live weight loss) combined, explained 59% of the variation in NEI, implying that REI represented 41% of the variance in total NEI. The most efficient 10% of test-day records, as defined by REI (n = 709), on average were associated with a 7.59 UFL/d less NEI (average NEI of the entire population was 16.23 UFL/d) than the least efficient 10% of test-day records based on REI (n = 709). Additionally, the most efficient 10% of test-day records, as defined by REI, were associated with superior energy conversion efficiency (ECE, i.e., NEL divided by NEI; ECE = 0.55) compared with the least efficient 10% of test-day records (ECE = 0.33). Moreover, REI was positively correlated with energy balance, implying that more negative REI animals (i.e., deemed more efficient) are expected to be, on average, in greater negative energy balance. Many of the correlations among the 14 defined efficiency traits differed from unity, implying that each trait is measuring a different aspect of efficiency.The authors gratefully acknowledge funding from the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine (Dublin, Ireland) Research Stimulus Fund project GENCOST, and funding from the Marie Curie project International Research Staff Exchange Scheme SEQSE

On extending actions of groups

Problems of dense and closed extension of actions of compact transformation groups are solved. The method developed in the paper is applied to problems of extension of equivariant maps and of construction of equivariant compactifications