Community Perceptions of the Environmental Remediation Effort in the Milwaukee River Estuary

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Milwaukee County Parks Department have been working on an environmental remediation project that seeks to remove chemical contaminants and pollution from the Milwaukee River. The purpose of this research is to discover community member’s perceptions on the quality and safety of the Milwaukee River, and determine whether their perspectives on safe and desirable uses of the river differ from those of the organizations overseeing the Great Lake Legacy Act (GLLA) project. The results from this study show that the communities in the project area believe that the quality of the river has improved but it is still unsafe in some ways. This study shows that understanding the perceptions about quality, safety and uses of the river can improve the relationship between remediation organizations and the affected community.Ope

Educator Professional Development as Rhetorical Situation

Teacher effectiveness is recognized as the most prominent in-school influencer of student learning, and professional development (PD) of in-service educators is seen as vital to improving teachers’ effectiveness throughout their careers. Professional development is often studied atheoretically and with a linear view in which PD providers deliver instruction and teachers receive and apply that instruction as it was delivered to them. By casting them as passive, blank-slate receivers and automatic appliers of the PD, this view obscures the complexities of teachers’ role in PD. Examining educator PD through the lens of rhetoric, and viewing the PD experience as a rhetorical situation, allows us to tease apart the highly connected ecology of roles and text(s) present within any PD situation. Understanding more about the roles teachers take in PD–as PD provider or receiver, and as rhetorical audience and rhetor–opens up opportunities for engaging educators fully in their own and one another’s development. This collective case study of four educators used interviews and collection and analysis of PD-related Twitter activity in order to discover how the participants embrace, resist, and shift between the roles of PD receiver and provider and the roles of rhetorical audience and rhetor. The resulting study demonstrates that rhetoric acts as a rich lens for bringing to light the ways educators bring their own expertise and experiences to PD activities, make a number of complex choices within those activities for both their own enrichment and the enrichment of others involved, and embrace methods of PD, such as using social media platforms, that give them full access to all roles. The conclusion of this dissertation offers three tools for use by readers: 1) the rhetorical lens constructed in this project and used to view PD as a rhetorical situation; 2) a set of recommendations for educators who wish to seek PD using social media, including both composition methods to try and mindsets for shifting between the rhetorical roles available through social media; and 3) a set of recommendations for those offering PD to educators, with an emphasis on accounting for the complexities of their roles as learners with their own expertise, as audience members with an audience’s inherent power, and as potential rhetors when given access to the role

Sound Reinforcement: A practical based study into the technical requirements and aesthetic qualities required to produce a live music performance.

This project is an investigation into sound reinforcement and the different aspects that are required in producing a successful quality of sound at a live event. The project combines the knowledge I have gained from book research with the practical field research I have conducted whilst working as a sound engineer. The first section consists of diary entries which detail the sound events I have worked at. These entries detail the equipment that was used, the acoustic qualities of the venues, the signal paths of each venues, the steps taken to produce the sound and the creative input I had as an engineer in creating a good quality sound. These entries lead on to the next section of the project that details some of the main issues I have come across during my field research. These issues include the debate of analogue equipment compared with digital equipment, PA placement and the importance of people management during an event and how this can impact the quality of the live event. Finally I hope to take my own experience in small to medium size venues and compare how this relates to the production requirements of large venues. By combining these different segments of the study, I hope to have achieved a thorough understanding of all the technical elements in play at a live event and emphasise the important part sound engineers play in the creative production of sound

Lumbar-pelvic range and coordination during lifting tasks

Spine motion has been described to have two regions, a neutral zone where lumbar rotation can occur with little resistance and an elastic zone where structures such as ligaments, facet joints and intervertebral disks resist rotation. In vivo, the passive musculature can contribute to further limiting the functional neutral range of lumbar motion. Movement out of this functional neutral range could potentially put greater loads on these structures. In this study, the range of lumbar curvature rotation was examined in twelve healthy, untrained volunteers at four torso inclination angles. The lumbar curvature during straight-leg lifting tasks was then defined as a percentage of this range of possible lumbar curvatures. Subjects were found to remain neutrally oriented during the flexion phase of a lifting task. During the extension phase of the lifting task, however, subjects were found to assume a more kyphotic posture, approaching the edge of the functional range of motion. This was found to be most pronounced for heavy lifting tasks. By allowing the lumbar curvature to go in a highly kyphotic posture, subjects may be taking advantage of stretch-shortening behavior in extensor musculature and associated tendons to reduce the energy required to raise the torso. Such a kyphotic posture during extension, however, may put excessive loading on the elastic structures of the spine and torso musculature increasing the risk of injury.This work was supported in part by Whitaker Foundation Biomedical Engineering Research (Grant RG-03-0043) and by the BRIN Program of the National Center for Research Resources (NIH Grant Number P20 RR16475)

Exploring the Use of a Qualitative Behavioural Assessment Approach to Assess Emotional State of Calves in Rodeos

There are longstanding disagreements between the rodeo industry stakeholders and animal welfare advocates about the wellbeing of the animals used in events. The current study aims to determine whether qualitative behavioural assessment (QBA) is effective in identifying the emotional state of calves in so-called calf-roping events. Still images of calves captured from videos of calf-roping were shown to two groups: practitioners (n = 7) and students (n = 16). For each image, they scored (on a scale of 1–10) 12 descriptive terms—e.g., stressed, energetic, confused, frightened—based on how strongly they thought the animal was experiencing that emotion. Scores were analysed using Factor Analysis and Ordinal Logistic Regression models, while inter-rater reliability was assessed using Intra-Class Correlation Coefifcients. The same imagery (video and images) were analysed for behaviours associated with the calves’ ears, neck, legs and tail to develop a behavioural ethogram, which was analysed with Binary Logistic Regression and Anova wrapping. The students were also surveyed to assess their empathy towards animals. The chase phase attracted significantly higher scores for stressed (µ = 5.0, p \u3c 0.001), agitated (µ = 5.1, p \u3c 0.001), anxious (µ = 5.0, p \u3c 0.001) and frightened (µ = 5.0, p \u3c 0.001), and the behavioural ethogram revealed that calves commonly galloped (p \u3c 0.001) and held their tails rigidly during this phase (p = 0.010). In contrast, the recovery phase was characterised by significantly higher scores for calm (µ = 3.0, p \u3c 0.001), contented (µ = 2.7, p \u3c 0.001) and relieved (µ = 1.6, p \u3c 0.001), and calves moved slower (p \u3c 0.001) with more neutral ear positions (ears axial p = 0.008, ears forward p = 0.010). A clear pre- and post-rope effect was evident, showing that QBA indicated that calves were anxious while being chased and were relieved when they had been released. The survey data revealed that students who had more empathy for animals in pain and for those used in experiments were more empathetic towards calves during the chase phase. They felt that calves being chased were agitated, anxious, stressed, frightened and confused. These results confirm that QBA has the potential as a tool for assessing the welfare of animals used in rodeos

Whip Rule Breaches in a Major Australian Racing Jurisdiction: Welfare and Regulatory Implications

Whip use in horseracing is increasingly being questioned on ethical, animal welfare, social sustainability, and legal grounds. Despite this, there is weak evidence for whip use and its regulation by Stewards in Australia. To help address this, we characterised whip rule breaches recorded by Stewards using Stewards Reports and Race Diaries from 2013 and 2016 in New SouthWales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). There were more recorded breaches at Metropolitan (M) than Country (C) or Provincial (P) locations, and by riders of horses that finished first, second, or third than by riders of horses that finished in other positions. The most commonly recorded breaches were forehand whip use on more than five occasions before the 100-metre (m) mark (44%), and whip use that raises the jockey’s arm above shoulder height (24%). It is recommended that racing compliance data be analysed annually to inform the evidence-base for policy, education, and regulatory change, and ensure the welfare of racehorses and racing integrity

Behavioural risks in female dogs with minimal lifetime exposure to gonadal hormones

Spaying of female dogs is a widespread practice, performed primarily for population control. While the consequences of early spaying for health are still being debated, the consequences for behaviour are believed to be negligible. The current study focused on the reported behaviour of 8981 female dogs spayed before 520 weeks (ten years) of life for reasons other than behavioural management, and calculated their percentage lifetime exposure to gonadal hormones (PLGH) as a proportion of their age at the time of being reported to the online Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). We found that 23 behaviours differed between entire and spayed dogs, of which 12 were associated with PLGH and 5 with age-at-spay (AAS). Two behaviours, chewing and howling, were significantly more likely in dogs with longer PLGH. In contrast, longer PLGH was associated with significantly reduced reporting of 10 (mostly unwelcome) behaviours. Of these, one related to fearfulness and three to aggression. The current data suggest that dogs’ tendency to show numerous behaviours can be influenced by the timing of spaying. They indicate how female dog behaviour matures when gonadal hormones are allowed to have their effect. The differences reported here between undesirable behaviours of spayed and entire dogs were in the range of 5.33% and 7.22%, suggesting that, for some dogs, partial or complete denial of maturation may reduce howling and chewing and improve retrieval and recall, but have other undesirable consequences. Veterinarians may take these data into account to discuss the risks and benefits of spaying with clients, and the timing of the procedure

Reported behavioural differences between geldings and mares challenge sex-driven stereotypes in ridden equine behaviour

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Horse trainers and riders may have preconceived ideas of horse temperament based solely on the sex of the horse. A study (n = 1233) of horse enthusiasts (75% of whom had more than 8 years of riding experience) revealed that riders prefer geldings over mares and stallions. While these data may reflect different sex preferences in horses used for sport, they may also reduce the chances of some horses reaching their performance potential. Further, an unfounded sex prejudice is likely to contribute to unconscious bias when perceiving unwanted behaviours, simplistically attributing them to demographic characteristics rather than more complex legacies of training and prior learning. The current study analysed reported sex-related behavioural differences in ridden and non-ridden horses using data from responses to the pilot study of the Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) survey. Respondents (n = 1233) reported on the behaviour of their horse using a 151-item questionnaire. Data were searched for responses relating to mares and geldings, and 110 traits with the greatest percentage difference scores between mares and geldings were selected were tested for univariate significance at p < 0.2. Multivariable modelling of the effect of sex (mare or gelding) on remaining traits was assessed by ordinal logistic regression, using a cumulative proportional log odds model. Results revealed mares were significantly more likely to move away when being caught compared to geldings (p = 0.003). Geldings were significantly more likely to chew on lead ropes when tied (p = 0.003) and to chew on rugs (p = 0.024). However, despite sex-related differences in these non-ridden behaviours, there was no evidence of any significant sex-related differences in the behaviours of the horses when ridden. This finding suggests that ridden horse behaviour is not sexually dimorphic or that particular horse sports variously favour one sex over another

Reported Behavioural Differences between Geldings and Mares Challenge Sex-Driven Stereotypes in Ridden Equine Behaviour

Horse trainers and riders may have preconceived ideas of horse temperament based solely on the sex of the horse. A study (n = 1233) of horse enthusiasts (75% of whom had more than 8 years of riding experience) revealed that riders prefer geldings over mares and stallions. While these data may reflect different sex preferences in horses used for sport, they may also reduce the chances of some horses reaching their performance potential. Further, an unfounded sex prejudice is likely to contribute to unconscious bias when perceiving unwanted behaviours, simplistically attributing them to demographic characteristics rather than more complex legacies of training and prior learning. The current study analysed reported sex-related behavioural differences in ridden and non-ridden horses using data from responses to the pilot study of the Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) survey. Respondents (n = 1233) reported on the behaviour of their horse using a 151-item questionnaire. Data were searched for responses relating to mares and geldings, and 110 traits with the greatest percentage difference scores between mares and geldings were selected were tested for univariate significance at p \u3c 0.2. Multivariable modelling of the effect of sex (mare or gelding) on remaining traits was assessed by ordinal logistic regression, using a cumulative proportional log odds model. Results revealed mares were significantly more likely to move away when being caught compared to geldings (p = 0.003). Geldings were significantly more likely to chew on lead ropes when tied (p = 0.003) and to chew on rugs (p = 0.024). However, despite sex-related differences in these non-ridden behaviours, there was no evidence of any significant sex-related differences in the behaviours of the horses when ridden. This finding suggests that ridden horse behaviour is not sexually dimorphic or that particular horse sports variously favour one sex over another