'Astronaut' wives: Perceptions of changes in family roles

This paper examines the family relationships of five 'astronaut' wives from Hong Kong following their migration to Brisbane, Australia. We focused specifically on the women's experiences of spousal and parental relationships, along with changes in their roles and responsibilities that have accompanied their emigration with their children while their husbands remained in Hong Kong. There are two major observations from their accounts. The first is an apparent paradox in that while the women appear to have embraced a more modem lifestyle - living separately from their husbands and taking on greater day-to-day decision-making responsibilities - they have assumed more traditional roles. They have full responsibility for child rearing and they are totally financially dependent on their husbands. The second observation is that the women's migration experiences differed according to their perceptions of the nature and quality of spousal relationship. Thus, while these women appear to be in similar circumstances, a closer examination of their lived experiences revealed significant differences

Medidas corporales y concentración sérica y folicular de lípidos y glucosa en vacas Brahman fértiles y subfértiles Body measurements and serum and follicular concentrations of lipids and glucose in fertile and subfertile Brahman cows

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar las diferencias en las medidas corporales en vacas Brahman fértiles y subfértiles, establecer las diferencias en la concentración de colesterol, lipoproteínas y glucosa en suero y líquido folicular, y desarrollar un modelo para predecir subfertilidad en vacas Brahman a partir de las medidas corporales. Se seleccionaron vacas Brahman registradas, agrupadas en fértiles (15) y subfértiles (15) según historial reproductivo. Se tomaron muestras de suero y líquido folicular (diámetro >8 mm) para determinar colesterol, lipoproteínas, triacilgliceroles y glucosa. Las vacas subfértiles mostraron un fenotipo masculino, con medidas corporales mayores, y concentraciones de colesterol y HDL séricos y foliculares más bajas que las vacas fértiles. El colesterol y el HDL se correlacionaron positivamente entre los compartimientos en ambos grupos. La subfertilidad es más probable en vacas pesadas con hombros amplios y mayor perímetro torácico. El tamaño corporal en vacas Brahman subfértiles se relacionó con su apariencia, con cambios en los metabolitos séricos y foliculares y con las concentraciones de colesterol y HDL.<br>The objective of this study was to evaluate differences in body size among Brahman cows, grouped according to their fertility, to establish differences in concentrations of cholesterol, lipoproteins, and glucose, in serum and follicular fluid, and to develop a model to predict subfertility in Brahman cows using body measurements as predictors. Registered Brahman cows were selected and grouped in fertile (15) and subfertile (15) animals, according to their calving interval. Samples of blood serum and liquid from follicles (diameter >8 mm) were collected in order to determine cholesterol, lipoproteins, triacylglycerols, and glucose. Subfertile cows had a masculine phenotype, their body measurements were larger than those in fertile cows, and they had lower cholesterol and HDL concentrations in serum and follicular fluid. Cholesterol and HDL between compartments were positively correlated in both groups. Subfertility is more probable in heavier cows with wider shoulders, and larger thoracic perimeter. Body size in subfertile Brahman cows was related to their appearance, and to changes in serum and follicular cholesterol and HDL concentrations

A Catalogue of Dryinidae of Mozambique, with Description of a New Species(Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea)

Olmi, Massimo, Guglielmino, Adalgisa, Natha, Sultan Adamo, Alfredo, Alberto Albino Nota (2012): A catalogue of Dryinidae of Mozambique, with description of a new species (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea). African Invertebrates 53 (2): 715, DOI: 10.5733/afin.053.0216, URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.5733/afin.053.021

Impact of nutrition on lameness and claw health in cattle

This review has a focus on understandings of horn structure, the digital fat pad and associations between ruminal acidosis and lameness. While there is an abundance of basic studies, particularly those examining putative mechanisms influencing risk of lameness and observational field studies, there are relatively few randomised controlled intervention studies. Consequently, the strength of the evidence for some interventions is not high. While there is evidence that increased grain feeding and increased ratios of non-fibre carbohydrates to neutral detergent fibre are associated with increased lameness, evidence for starch effects, per se, on laminitis is limited. There is strong evidence that fructans and glucose increase lactic acid production and laminitis. There is a need for more studies on the role of protein and risk of lameness. Histamine, endotoxin and lactic acid are either present in feed or generated in the rumen; can be absorbed; and have caused laminitis when injected. These provide potential links between ruminal acidosis and laminitis, but may not be the sole agents involved, and there are risks that these agents and other vasoactive agents pose that may be influenced by gut lesions. The important role of lipids in hoof wall integrity and in the digital hoof pad support understandings that trace elements and vitamins involved in pathways that control and limit oxidative damage may be important to hoof health. Further, associations between digital fat pad depth and body condition score suggest that dietary precursors for fats including preformed lipids in the diet and those derived from short chained fats may influence lameness. There is evidence that biotin reduces the risk of lameness, but there is a need for more consistent studies to identify which forms of lameness are reduced. Monensin and organic trace element complexes have reduced lameness in some studies, but the results are not consistently significant and more studies are needed to evaluate responses, especially effects on specific hoof conditions. The well-established effects of mineral nutrition on bone health were briefly examined, as were the effects of toxins. There is considerable scope for well-designed studies to evaluate the complex interactions among nutrients and the various forms of lameness