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Video stall lameness scoring (SLS) has been shown to be comparable to video locomotion scoring for evaluating lameness in dairy cows housed in tie-stalls and may be a more practical and easier method to measure lameness in a herd. We compared live SLS to video SLS and to live locomotion scoring. A total of 685 lactating cows subsampled from 27 commercial dairy herds were examined for lameness through live and video SLS. Cows scored with the live or video SLS system were scored for 4 behavioral indicators while still in their stall: weight shifting (shift), standing on the edge of the stall (edge), uneven weight bearing while standing (rest), and uneven weight bearing while moving from side to side (uneven). Two observers live scored and video scored for SLS. Lameness prevalence from video SLS and live SLS were similar (31 vs. 30%, respectively). Prevalence of the behavioral indicators varied from 0.59 to 58.2%. Sensitivity and specificity of live SLS was calculated using video SLS as the gold standard for lameness detection in tie-stalls. Sensitivity of live SLS was 0.83 and specificity was 0.94. False positives and false negatives for lameness were 14.4 and 16.8%, respectively. When comparing the prevalence of lameness measured through video or live SLS at the herd level, live SLS for lameness was correlated to video SLS (r = 0.91) with a Cohen's kappa coefficient of 0.79 (95% confidence limit = 0.73-0.84). Average exact agreement in the behavior indicators observed ranged from 80 to 100%. A subsample of 250 cows from 5 herds were scored for live SLS and live locomotion by a third observer. Intra- and interobserver reliability for live SLS and live locomotion scoring were found to have a kappa coefficient of 0.53 (95% confidence limit = 0.43-0.64) when determining a cow as lame through SLS or locomotion scoring. Live SLS was correlated with live locomotion scoring (r = 0.92). However, lameness prevalence was lower when using live SLS (28.4%) compared with locomotion scoring (38%). In summary, live SLS may be an acceptable method to replace video SLS to identify lame cows and rank tie-stall herds in terms of lameness prevalence without having to remove the cows from their stalls or view videos to score; however, it may underestimate lameness prevalence compared with locomotion scoring methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of spring freezing events for alpine species distribution, few studies have analysed the response of alpine shrub species to early spring freezes. It is also not known how snow cover gradients influence the process of de-hardening between individuals of the same species and their vulnerability to early spring frosts. We analysed early spring freezing resistance for the buds of eight alpine Ericaceae shrubs growing at 1 m snow depth at treeline in the Swiss Alps. Moreover, buds of Rhododendron ferrugineum and Loiseleuria procumbens were analysed for freezing resistance and sugar content along a snow depth gradient. The LT 50 (lethal temperature for 50% of samples) of the eight species ranged from −25.1 ± 1.6 °C ( Vaccinium vitis-idaea ) to −11.1 ± 1.2 °C ( Vaccinium uliginosum ), with differences being related to the phenological stage in addition to shrub preferences for contrasting snow cover microsites. Although the effect of snow depth on the freezing resistance of plants was not significant, samples collected from 1 m to 1.5 m snow depth tended to be more vulnerable to freezing, particularly L. procumbens . Buds collected at shallower snow depths had higher sugar concentrations, indicative of their stronger physiological hardening. Consequently, we conclude that differences in snow cover may significantly affect the physiological hardening of plants during the onset of spring. Individuals growing at less than 0.5 m snow cover are hardier, i.e., show moderately higher freezing resistance than individuals from snow banks. Snow cover is a highly important aspect of climate change, and freezing resistance in alpine plants with respect to snow conditions can be a relevant driver of plant responses to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to pasture has advantages for cows such as reduced lameness and improved udder health, but also may expose cows to stressors such as extreme heat. The objective of this study was to understand how portable shade affected physiological and behavioral responses of pastured dairy cows in a Canadian summer. Over 8 wk, a total of 24 lactating Holstein cows were separated into 2 treatments, one with access to shade and a control without access to shade. The cows were pastured in groups of 4, with 3 field sections per treatment. Instantaneous scan sampling of behaviors (drinking, lying, grazing, other) performed in the shade or not were recorded every 5 min for 3 h/d during the hottest part of the day (peak hours: 1130-1530 h) 3 d/wk. Ambient temperature, humidity, and vaginal temperature were recorded at 10-min intervals. Daily milk production was also recorded. Differences between treatments by week were analyzed using the generalized linear mixed model with group as random effect and treatment as fixed effect. Cows with shade access were observed at the water trough up to 6.42 times less and lying down up to 1.75 times more. Cows with shade access grazed up to 1.5 times more but only when the temperature-humidity index was above their comfort threshold (≥72) during the hottest part of the day (wk 2). Cows sought shade when it was made available, but spent less than half of their time observed (%) in the shade (40.8 ± 4.67) with the exception of wk 2 when most of the time was spent under the shade (74.3 ± 4.77). Daily lying time was highest during peak hours for cows with shade access. However, no overall difference in total lying time between the 2 treatments was observed. No differences were found in vaginal temperature or milk production between treatments with the exception of wk 1 for daily milk production, which was higher for cows in the control treatment. In conclusion, cows sought shade when it was provided at pasture, whereas cows without access to shade seemed to alter their behavior to cope with heat stress, as seen from the lack of physiological differences between treatments. The results indicate that providing cows with access to pasture under a temperate climate does not seem to have any detrimental physiological or production effects and providing them with shade can potentially decrease production costs and help with water conservation strategies as fewer cows were observed at the water when shade was provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The seasonal dynamics of non-structural carbohydrates in the woody organs of two co-existing mediterranean sub-shrubs were analyzed. The two species show different leaf phenology during summer: Linum suffruticosum, maintains many of its green leaves, while Lepidium subulatum sheds most of its leaves. These different leaf phenologies are related to different strategies with regard to summer stress. The maintenance of leaves in Linum is related to its stress tolerance while Lepidium avoids stress by shedding its leaves. The main objectives were to: (1) determine the differences in the seasonal dynamics of non-structural carbohydrates among the main woody organs of both species; (2) verify if differences in the leaf phenology, and hence in the strategy with regard to summer drought, lead to different seasonal patterns of carbohydrate storage and use between the two species; (3) compare the seasonal dynamics of carbohydrates of the two studied sub-shrubs with those of mediterranean trees and shrubs previously reported in the literature. The concentration of soluble sugars (SS), starch and total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) were assessed monthly, over 17 months, in the main roots, stems and the transition zone between root and shoot systems of both species. Starch storage capacity and SS, starch and TNC pools were calculated. The seasonal pattern of carbohydrate accumulation was similar among the woody organs analyzed, but it differed with those reported for mediterranean trees and shrubs. The two species showed different pools and seasonal patterns of non-structural carbohydrate concentrations in its woody organ, which corresponded to their different extent of leaf shedding. The stress-avoider Lepidium accumulated starch during spring shoot growth as a carbon store for summer respiration and had low pools of SS, whereas the stress-tolerant Linum increased SS during summer drought to maintain photosynthetic activity during summer and had low starch pools and storage capacity. However, irrespective of their different leaf shedding patterns, both species had a similar relative variation of their TNC concentration, which contrasts with previous results on deciduous and evergreen woody species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

New zircon and apatite fission-track analyses and aluminium in hornblende thermobarometric data are presented from Cretaceous and Triassic plutons situated along an east-west transect across the Central Cordillera, the Cauca Romeral Fault System and the eastern slopes of the Western Cordillera in the Colombian Andes. The results are combined with published apatite (U–Th)/He ages revealing three episodes of increased cooling during the Late Cretaceous (~110 - 90 Ma), the Eocene (~55-40 Ma) and the Miocene (23-20 Ma). The latter two phases correlate well with the Pre-Andean and Proto-Andean periods previously identified on the basis of stratigraphic unconformities and thermochronology studies in the region. A fourth event, at ~10 Ma, is tentatively recognized in modelled data sets, but not by absolute age values. The thermochronology data imply a total of uplift-driven exhumation (i.e., crustal unroofing) in the study area of up to 10 kms since ~50 Ma at rates of ~0.1 km/Myr and 4 kms since ~23 Ma initially at 0.2 km/Myr. From 10 Ma the rates changed to 0.3–0.33 km/Myr with estimated geothermal gradients of 25–30 °C/km. Thermobarometry data suggest that the crystallization of the Cretaceous intrusions, now at the surface, took place at depths of 8–13 km confirming the amount of exhumation revealed by low-temperature thermochronology. • New thermochronology ages for Northern Andes combining apatite and zircon FT. • Thermochronology/thermobarometry dataset in the Northern Andes of Colombia. • Vertical profile shows pulses of uplift exhumation at ~110–90, 45–50 and 23 Ma. • Orogenic events involving erosional cooling and crustal unroofing from ~8 to 13 km. • Orogenic events are coeval with pulses in the Caribbean, Southern-Central Andes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During our survey of herbs looking for activity on bone metabolism, we found that the dried leaves of sage strongly inhibit bone resorption. Therefore, we investigated several common herbs rich in essential oils (sage, rosemary, and thyme) and essential oils extracted from these herbs and other plants (oils of sage, rosemary, juniper, pine, dwarf pine, turpentine, and eucalyptus) as well as their monoterpene components (thujone, eucalyptol, camphor, borneol, thymol, α-pinene, β-pinene, bornylacetate as well as menthol) and found that they inhibit bone resorption when added to the food of rats. Pine oil, used as a representative essential oil, protects an osteoporosis model, the aged ovariectomized rat, from bone loss. The monoterpenes borneol, thymol, and camphor are directly inhibitory in the osteoclast resorption pit assay. Nonpolar monoterpenes may require metabolism to be active in vitro, for example, cis-verbenol, a metabolite of α-pinene occurring in human urine, inhibits osteoclast activity in contrast to the parent compound. Within 30 min borneol inhibits the formation of actin rings, a characteristic of resorbing osteoclasts indicating cell polarization. Both the in vitro and the in vivo effects of borneol are reversible. Our study demonstrates for the first time that essential oils and monoterpenes are efficient inhibitors of bone resorption in the rat. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Treatment options for HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients have expanded markedly since trastuzumab approval in 1998. This study assesses the cost-effectiveness of four treatment sequences for HER-2-positive mBC according to the Taiwanese National Health Insurance Administration (TNHIA). Methods Lifetime costs (U.S. Dollars) and effectiveness (quality-adjusted life years) of treatment decisions for HER-2-positive mBC patients were examined using a Markov model. [Extracted from the article]