Developing Sustainable Livestock Systems through Participatory Farmer Research

Application Understanding muscular adaptations could inform objective lameness-detection for early diagnosis/treatment, ultimately serving to detect sub-clinical issues in supposed healthy horses and to reduce pain/ incapacity in lame horses. Introduction The prevalence and impact of lameness on equine welfare has led to extensive research, which has biomechanically analysed lameness-related alterations in movement. Despite this, limited information is available about adaptive muscle activity that facilitates movement during lameness. Surface electromyography (sEMG) is a non-invasive method for quantifying muscle activity. However, no equine studies have employed sEMG to compare inherent and adaptive activity during non-lame and standardised lameness conditions, respectively. The aim of this preliminary study was to compare Triceps Brachii (TB) muscle activity in horses before and after induced forelimb (FL) lameness, using sEMG data. Material and methods Six clinically non-lame horses (5 mares, 1 stallion, age: 7.0±3.7 years, height: 162.3±4.0 cm, body mass: 572.7±45.8 kg) were used. sEMG sensors (Delsys Trigno, Delsys Inc.) were attached bilaterally to locations above TB (long head), that were prepared by removing all hair and cleaning with isopropyl alcohol. Retro-reflective markers were attached to anatomical landmarks for quantitative lameness evaluation (QHorse, Qualisys AB) and gait event detection. sEMG (2000 Hz) and 3D kinematic (200 Hz) data were synchronously collected from horses during in-hand trot trials, conducted on a straight, hard surfaced runway before (baseline) and after FL lameness induction. Baseline data were initially collected, then temporary, mild FL lameness (2-3/5 AAEP Lameness Scale) was induced using mechanical bolt pressure, applied to the tip of the frog and monitored by qualified veterinarians (T.S., F.S.B.) using a modified horseshoe (Merkens and Schamhardt, 1988). Left and right FL lameness induction were randomised. Following data collection, the bolt/ sole pressure was removed and no horses showed adverse reactions to lameness inductions, or residual lameness. For stride segmentation, gait events were detected using kinematic data that were low-pass filtered (Butterworth 4th order, 10 Hz cut-off) and analysed in accordance with the methods described by Holt et al. (2017). To quantify lameness, MinDiff was calculated using poll vertical displacement data, where healthy horses exhibit MinDiff between -6 – 6mm and left and right FL lameness are exhibited as more positive and negative values, respectively (Rhodin et al., 2016). Raw sEMG signals were DC-offset removed, high-pass filtered (Butterworth 4th order, 40 Hz cut-off) (St. George et al., 2018), and fullwave rectified. Integrated EMG (iEMG) and average rectified value (ARV) were calculated using stride duration as temporal domain. To reduce inter-subject variability, iEMG and ARV from each horse were normalised to the maximum value observed for each limb (left/ right FL) across all strides from the baseline condition. Data from the “lame” and “nonlame” limb were grouped, according to the limb where lameness was induced. A 2x2 repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare muscle activity between limb (lame, non-lame) and condition (baseline, induced FL lameness). Post-hoc analyses using Bonferroni correction were performed where significant main effects were found. Results Mean ± sd MinDiff were baseline:-1.8 ± 8.7 mm, left FL lameness induction:-55.3 ± 34.1 mm, right FL lameness: 56.8 ± 17.9 mm. Significant interactions between limb and condition were found for iEMG (p < 0.05, n2=0.74) and ARV (p < 0.05, n2=0.75). Post hoc analyses of iEMG and ARV data revealed muscle activity was significantly higher in the lame limb (p < 0.05) and significantly lower in the non-lame limb (p < 0.01) during the induced FL lameness condition. Conclusion Preliminary findings reveal neuromuscular adaptations in TB during induced FL lameness. Significant increases in stance duration have been reported during FL lameness (Weishaupt et al., 2006). Therefore, significant increases in lame limb muscle activity may be due to prolonged stabilisation of the shoulder and elbow joints, as a compensatory mechanism of gait adaptation to lameness. Further investigations of additional muscles and chronic lameness cases are required to determine whether sEMG can provide a complimentary tool for objective lameness detection

A scoping review of determinants of performance in dressage

As a first step in achieving an evidence-based classification system for the sport of Para Dressage, there is a clear need to define elite dressage performance. Previous studies have attempted to quantify performance with able-bodied riders using scientific methods; however, definitive measures have yet to be established for the horse and/or the rider. This may be, in part, due to the variety of movements and gaits that are found within a dressage test and also due to the complexity of the horse-rider partnership. The aim of this review is therefore to identify objective measurements of horse performance in dressage and the functional abilities of the rider that may influence them to achieve higher scores. Five databases (SportDiscuss, CINAHL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, VetMed) were systematically searched from 1980 to May 2018. Studies were included if they fulfilled the following criteria: (1) English language; (2) employ objective, quantitative outcome measures for describing equine and human performance in dressage; (3) describe objective measures of superior horse performance using between-subject comparisons and/or relating outcome measures to competitive scoring methods; (4) describe demands of dressage using objective physiological and/or biomechanical measures from human athletes and/or how these demands are translated into superior performance. In total, 773 articles were identified. Title and abstract screening resulted in 155 articles that met the eligibility criteria, 97 were excluded during the full screening of articles, leaving 58 included articles (14 horse, 44 rider) involving 311 equine and 584 able-bodied human participants. Mean ± sd (%) quality scores were 63.5 ± 15.3 and 72.7 ± 14.7 for the equine and human articles respectively. Significant objective measures of horse performance (n = 12 articles) were grouped into themes and separated by gait/movement. A range of temporal variables that indicated superior performance were found in all gaits/movements. For the rider, n = 5 articles reported variables that identified significant differences in skill level, which included the postural position and ROM of the rider’s pelvis, trunk, knee and head. The timing of rider pelvic and trunk motion in relation to the movement of the horse emerged as an important indicator of rider influence. As temporal variables in the horse are consistently linked to superior performance it could be surmised that better overall dressage performance requires minimal disruption from the rider whilst the horse maintains a specific gait/movement. Achieving the gait/movement in the first place depends upon the intrinsic characteristics of the horse, the level of training achieved and the ability of the rider to apply the correct aid. The information from this model will be used to develop an empirical study to test the relative strength of association between impairment and performance in able-bodied and Para Dressage riders

Psychiatry, subjectivity and emotion - deepening the medical model

Morale among psychiatrists continues to be seriously challenged in the face of recruitment difficulties, unfilled posts, diagnostic controversies, service reconfigurations and public criticism of psychiatric care, in addition to other difficulties. In this article, we argue that the positivist paradigm that continues to dominate British psychiatry has led to an undervaluing of subjectivity and of the role of emotions within psychiatric training and practice. Reintegrating the subjective perspective and promoting emotional awareness and reflection may go some way towards restoring faith in the psychiatric specialty

Tibial impacts and muscle activation during walking, jogging and running when performed overground, and on motorised and non-motorised treadmills.

Purpose To examine tibial acceleration and muscle activation during overground (OG), motorised treadmill (MT) and non-motorised treadmill conditions (NMT) when walking, jogging and running at matched velocities. Methods An accelerometer recorded acceleration at the mid-tibia and surface EMG electrodes recorded rectus femoris (RF), semitendinosus (ST), tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus (SL) muscle activation during OG, MT and NMT locomotion whilst walking, jogging and running. Results The NMT produced large reductions in tibial acceleration when compared with OG and MT conditions across walking, jogging and running conditions. RF EMG was small-moderately higher in the NMT condition when compared with the OG and MT conditions across walking, jogging and running conditions. ST EMG showed large and very large increases in the NMT when compared to OG and MT conditions during walking whilst SL EMG found large increases on the NMT when compared to OG and MT conditions during running. The NMT condition generated very large increases in step frequency when compared to OG and MT conditions during walking, with large and very large decreases during jogging and very large decreases during running. Conclusions The NMT generates large reductions in tibial acceleration, moderate to very large increases in muscular activation and large to very large decreases in cycle time when compared to OG and MT locomotion. Whilst this may decrease the osteogenic potential of NMT locomotion, there may be uses for NMTs during rehabilitation for lower limb injuries

Characteristics, management and outcome of a large necrotising otitis externa case series: need for standardised case definition

Background: Necrotising otitis externa (NOE) is a severe ear infection for which there are no established diagnostic or treatment guidelines. Objective: Describe clinical characteristics, management and outcomes for patients managed as NOE at a UK tertiary referral centre. Methods: Retrospective case series. Results: 58 (63%) patients were classified as definite NOE cases, 31 (34%) as probable and 3 (3%) as possible cases. Median duration of intravenous and oral antimicrobial therapy was 6.0 weeks (0.49-44.9). 6% of patients relapsed a median of 16.4 weeks (IQR 23-121) after stopping antimicrobials. 28% of cases had complex disease. These patients were older (p=0.042), had a longer duration of symptoms prior to imaging (p= 0.0001) and higher CRP at diagnosis (p=0.005). Despite longer courses of intravenous antimicrobials (23 days v 14 days; p=0.032), complex cases were more likely to relapse (p=0.016). Conclusion: A standardised case-definition of NOE is needed to optimise diagnosis, management and research

Surface EMG signal normalisation and filtering improves sensitivity of equine gait analysis

Low-frequency noise attenuation and normalisation are fundamental signal processing (SP) methods for surface electromyography (sEMG), but are absent, or not consistently applied, in equine biomechanics. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of different band-pass filtering and normalisation conventions on sensitivity for identifying differences in sEMG amplitude-related measures, calculated from leading (LdH) and trailing hindlimb (TrH) during canter, where between-limb differences in vertical loading are known. sEMG and 3D-kinematic data were collected from the right Biceps Femoris in 10 horses during both canter leads. Peak hip and stifle joint angle and angular velocity were calculated during stance to verify between-limb biomechanical differences. Four SP methods, with and without normalisation and high-pass filtering, were applied to raw sEMG data. Methods 1 (M1) to 4 (M4) included DC-offset removal and full-wave rectification. Method 2 (M2) included additional normalisation relative to maximum sEMG across all strides. Method 3 (M3) included additional high-pass filtering (Butterworth 4th order, 40Hz cut-off), for artefact attenuation. M4 included the addition of high-pass filtering and normalisation. Integrated EMG (iEMG) and average rectified value (ARV) were calculated using processed sEMG data from M1 – M4, with stride duration as the temporal domain. sEMG parameters, within M1 – M4, and kinematic parameters were grouped by LdH and TrH and compared using repeated measures ANOVA. Significant between-limb differences for hip and stifle joint kinematics were found, indicating functional differences in hindlimb movement. M2 and M4, revealed significantly greater iEMG and ARV for LdH than TrH (p<0.01), with M4 producing the lowest p values and largest effects sizes. Significant between-limb differences in sEMG parameters were not observed with M1 and M3. The results indicate that equine sEMG SP should include normalisation and high-pass filtering to improve sensitivity for identifying differences in muscle function associated with biomechanical changes during equine gait

Lunar Volatile and Mineralogy Mapping Orbiter (VMMO): Viable Science from Lunar CubeSats

The Volatile and Mineralogy Mapping Orbiter (VMMO) is a low-cost 12U CubeSat concept that was originally selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) as one of the two winners of the 2018 SysNova Challenge. The VMMO spacecraft will carry out a volatiles and mineralogical survey of the lunar South Pole permanently shadowed regions using the Lunar Volatile and Mineralogy Mapper (LVMM) multi-wave chemical Lidar payload to detect and map volatiles and other resources such as ilmenite (FeTiO3) down to a Ground Sample Distance (GSD) of approximately 100m. The exploitation of valuable lunar resources, such as water ice and other volatiles, will be crucial to the sustainability of future manned lunar bases. Although water ice has already been detected and mapped around the poles of the Moon by previous lunar missions, there is still considerable uncertainty with regards to the precise distribution of volatile content within the lunar regolith. There are a number of planned future missions to further locate and map water ice deposits around the lunar poles, but the spatial resolution of these observations is still expected to be on the order of kilometres. This paper will describe the VMMO mission and CubeSat spacecraft design work that was carried out in the recent Phase A study for ESA. It also aims to address some of the key objectives and challenges involved in designing a low-cost, semi-autonomous CubeSat for beyond-Earth orbit

The effect of cut-off frequency when high-pass filtering equine sEMG signals during locomotion

High-pass filtering (HPF) is a fundamental signal processing method for the attenuation of low-frequency noise contamination, namely baseline noise and movement artefact noise, in human surface electromyography (sEMG) research. Despite this, HPF is largely overlooked in equine sEMG research, with many studies not applying, or failing to describe, the application of HPF. An optimal HPF cut-off frequency maximally attenuates noise while minimally affecting sEMG signal power, but this has not been investigated for equine sEMG signals. The aim of this study was to determine the optimal cut-off frequency for attenuation of low-frequency noise in sEMG signals from the Triceps Brachii and Biceps Femoris of 20 horses during trot and canter. sEMG signals were HPF with cut-off frequencies ranging from 0-80 Hz and were subjected to power spectral analysis and enveloped using RMS to calculate spectral peaks, indicative of motion artefact, and signal loss, respectively. Processed signals consistently revealed a low-frequency peak between 0–20 Hz, which was associated with motion artefact. Across all muscles and gaits, a 30-40 Hz cut-off fully attenuated the low-frequency peak with the least amount of signal loss and was therefore considered optimal for attenuating low-frequency noise from the sEMG signals explored in this study

Electromyographic and Kinematic Comparison of the Leading and Trailing Fore- and Hindlimbs of Horses during Canter

This study compared muscle activity and movement between the leading (Ld) and trailing (Tr) fore- (F) and hindlimbs (H) of horses cantering overground. Three-dimensional kinematic and surface electromyography (sEMG) data were collected from right triceps brachii, biceps femoris, middle gluteal, and splenius from 10 ridden horses during straight left- and right-lead canter. Statistical parametric mapping evaluated between-limb (LdF vs. TrF, LdH vs. TrH) differences in time- and amplitude-normalized sEMG and joint angle–time waveforms over the stride. Linear mixed models evaluated between-limb differences in discrete sEMG activation timings, average rectified values (ARV), and spatio-temporal kinematics. Significantly greater gluteal ARV and activity duration facilitated greater limb retraction, hip extension, and stifle flexion (p < 0.05) in the TrH during stance. Earlier splenius activation during the LdF movement cycle (p < 0.05), reflected bilateral activation during TrF/LdH diagonal stance, contributing to body pitching mechanisms in canter. Limb muscles were generally quiescent during swing, where significantly greater LdF/H protraction was observed through greater elbow and hip flexion (p < 0.05), respectively. Altera-tions in muscle activation facilitate different timing and movement cycles of the leading and trailing limbs, which justifies equal training on both canter leads to develop symmetry in mus-cular strength, enhance athletic performance, and mitigate overuse injury risks