Monitoring horse activity is a valuable aid for horse caretakers to provide recommendations to improve equine health. One method for monitoring equine activity is through the use of an accelerometer ...to determine exercise intensity. A three-axis accelerometer was installed at three locations on the equine to determine activity measurement accuracy for the walk, trot, and canter. The objectives were to determine which location results in the most accurate step count, threshold acceleration values for each gait, and correlations between the thresholds and horse characteristics. The accelerometer output was compared to step count as determined from video recordings. Threshold values to delineate between gaits were determined by the maximum and minimum acceleration values observed during each gait for all equines. The average frequency was identified for each gait, and distinct ranges were determined. The results revealed a significant difference (P = .02, α ≤ 0.05) between all three sensor locations and the video analysis. There was a strong, positive linear correlation between the number of steps from the accelerometer and video analysis (r = 0.926, P < .001). The front leg location had the highest correlation r = 0.963 (P < .001). While all sensors underestimated the step count, there was not a significant difference between the accelerometer on the front leg and the video analysis at the walk. The height of the equine significantly interacted with step frequency for the canter. An equine activity monitor using an accelerometer yields more accurate step counts when placed on the front leg of the horse, though horse height needs to be considered for the canter.
•Threshold values to delineate between gaits were determined by the maximum and minimum acceleration values observed during each gait for all horses in the study.•The height of the horse significantly interacted with step frequency for the canter when determining the number of steps.•An equine activity monitor using an accelerometer yields more accurate step counts when placed on the front leg.
At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, veterinary students enrolled in a nutritional biochemistry course designed their own case studies in groups of 4-5 people. Upon completion of the project, ...students completed an exit survey ranking items on a 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) Likert-type scale to analyze the effectiveness of using case studies. A total of 41 students completed the survey. Students indicated that they had a better appreciation for nutrition research after they completed the project (mean = 3.54, SD = 1.21). Students expressed that the nutrition assignment allowed them to apply what they had learned in previous classes to the case study they were presenting (mean = 3.78, SD = 0.91), as well as, allowed them to apply what they were taught in this class to their case study (mean = 4.09, SD = 0.92) . Individuals indicated that the completion of the project did not improve their communication skills (mean = 2.63, SD = 1.01), but did slightly improve their critical thinking skills (mean = 3.29, SD = 0.98). The project objective was to encourage students to connect previous knowledge to new concepts, but the group-work/case study likely had other benefits beyond this one project.
The ATLAS high-level trigger (HLT) system provides software-based event selection after the initial LVL1 hardware trigger. It is composed of two stages, the LVL2 trigger and the event filter (EF). ...The LVL2 trigger performs event selection with optimized algorithms using selected data guided by Region of Interest pointers provided by the LVL1 trigger. Those events selected by LVL2 are built into complete events, which are passed to the EF for a further stage of event selection and classification using off-line algorithms. Events surviving the EF selection are passed for off-line storage. The two stages of HLT are implemented on processor farms. The concept of distributing the selection process between LVL2 and EF is a key element in the architecture, which allows it to be flexible to changes (luminosity, detector knowledge, background conditions, etc.) Although there are some differences in the requirements between these subsystems there are many commonalities. An overview of the dataflow (event selection) and supervision (control, configuration, monitoring) activities in the HLT is given, highlighting where commonalities between the two subsystems can be exploited and indicating where requirements dictate that implementations differ. An HLT prototype system has been built at CERN. Functional testing is being carried out in order to validate the HLT architecture.
Standardized microbiological sampling and testing procedures were developed that can be used throughout the beef slaughter and processing industry to facilitate the collection and any desired ...compilation of comparative data. Twenty samples each from carcasses (brisket, flank, and rump areas combined); subprimal cuts (clods); lean trim; and cutting and/or conveyor surfaces were collected in three slaughter and processing operations, with the first operation being a preliminary trial and resulting in no reported data. Microbiological analyses for Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Campylobacter jejuni/coli, total coliforms, E. coli Biotype I, and aerobic mesophilic bacteria (aerobic plate count, APC) were performed on all samples by an outside laboratory. The procedures developed were effective in allowing samples to be collected, shipped, and analyzed in the same manner for all operations. From a logistical standpoint, approximately 20 samples each of carcasses, clods, lean trim, and surfaces could be taken within 4 to 6 h by five people. Forty samples each of carcass, clod, lean trim, and conveyor surfaces from two plants tested negative for E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Listeria spp., with the exception of L. monocytogenes being isolated from one carcass and one clod sample. APCs and total coliform counts were between 10(3) to 10(5) and 10(2) to 10(3) CFU/cm2 or CFU/g, respectively, for the 40 samples each of carcasses, clods, and lean trim. APCs for surface swab counts ranged from less than or equal to 10 to 10(3) CFU/cm2
The goal of this project was to determine the effectiveness of dog training classes provided by a student organization offered to members of the community at large. An eight-week Canine Good Citizen ...(CGC) class for dogs taking a CGC test upon completion of the class was offered. Using exit surveys, community participants and students ranked a series of items on a 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) Likert-type scale. Students (n = 9) indicated completion of the course provided a better understanding of dog training (mean = 4.7). Students exhibited an improvement in career skills such as communication and organization. Students showed assisting with the course allowed them to apply class content (mean = 4.0) and a desire for more hands on opportunities (mean = 4.6). The community dog handlers (n = 29) indicated that they felt the class improved their dog's behavior (mean = 4.7), the university was providing a valuable service by offering the class (mean = 4.6) and that they enjoyed interacting with the students (mean = 4.2). Providing community dog training classes improved student learning and improved community awareness and support of the university's companion animal program.
In this non-experimental study preliminary data collection, the authors sought to better understand perceptions of advising by faculty in a Midwestern, college of agriculture and natural resources. ...Participants were asked to respond to a variety of questions on a five-point Likert-type scale, rating the process and perceptions of undergraduate advising by both the advisor and students. Respondents were also given the opportunity to respond to open-ended questions regarding the advising process and their perception of student's advising experiences. The results of the survey indicated that the majority of advisors found the advising process to be effective, 87% found advising pleasant and rewarding and 72% believed students were neutral in their perceptions of advising. Six broad themes emerged from the open-ended questions: relationships with students, faculty perceptions of students' attitude of advising, degree of effectiveness, frustrations with advising, recognition and reward and areas for improvement. Faculty valued building relationships with students, but felt that it was not properly rewarded and that more training should be done to prepare advisors. The results of this survey could pave an opening for a more extensive assessment interpretation study of faculty advising within this college at a later time.
Deep-vein thrombosis following skeletal trauma is an important yet poorly studied issue. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of two different strategies for prophylaxis ...against deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolus following blunt skeletal trauma.
Two hundred and twenty-four inpatients were enrolled in a prospective, randomized study investigating venous thromboembolic disease following trauma. Two hundred patients completed the study, which compared two different regimens of prophylaxis. The patients in Group A received enoxaparin (30 mg, administered subcutaneously twice a day) starting twenty-four to forty-eight hours after blunt trauma. The patients in Group B were managed with pulsatile foot pumps at the time of admission combined with enoxaparin on a delayed basis. All patients were screened with magnetic resonance venography and ultrasonography before discharge.
There were ninety-seven patients in Group A and 103 patients in Group B. Twenty-two patients (including thirteen in Group A and nine in Group B) had development of deep-vein thrombosis, with two (both in Group A) also having development of pulmonary embolism. The prevalence of deep-vein thrombosis was 11% for the whole series, 13.4% for Group A, and 8.7% for Group B; the difference between Groups A and B was not significant. There were eleven large or occlusive clots (prevalence, 11.3%) in Group A, compared with only three (prevalence, 2.9%) in Group B (p = 0.025). The prevalence of pulmonary embolism was 2.1% in Group A and 0% in Group B. Wound complications occurred in twenty-one patients in Group A, compared with twenty patients in Group B. Patients who had development of deep-vein thrombosis during the inpatient portion of the study required a mean of 7.4 units of blood during hospitalization, compared with 3.9 units of blood for those who did not (p < 0.05).
Our results indicate that early mechanical prophylaxis with foot pumps and the addition of enoxaparin on a delayed basis is a very successful strategy for prophylaxis against venous thromboembolic disease following serious musculoskeletal injury. The prevalence of large or occlusive deep-vein thromboses among patients who had been managed with this protocol was significantly less than that among patients who had been managed with enoxaparin alone.
Orally supplemented lactoferrin derived from bovine milk is purported to have beneficial effects on gut health of animals. Bovine lactoferrin (0, 60, or 120 mg/d) was fed to ileal cannulated, adult ...dogs in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with 14 d periods. Control dogs tended (p = 0.06) to have higher fecal DM concentrations compared with dogs supplemented with 120 mg/d lactoferrin (34.5 vs. 32.9%). Fecal scores ranged from 3.0 - 3.3, suggesting that feces of all dogs was near the desired consistency, with dogs supplemented with 120 mg/d lactoferrin tending (p = 0.08) to have higher fecal scores. Ileal azoreductase activity tended (p < 0.10) to be higher in dogs supplemented with 60 or 120 mg/d lactoferrin (609 vs. 592 nmol/h per g ileal DM, respectively) as compared with unsupplemented dogs (272 nmol/h per g ileal DM). The following bacterial groups were measured: bifidobacteria, Campylobacter spp., Clostridium spp., eubacteria, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus spp., Staphylococcus spp., and Streptococcus spp. Fecal streptococci concentrations were lower (p < 0.05) for dogs receiving 60 mg/d lactoferrin (8.60 log
10
cfu/g fecal DM) as compared with unsupplemented dogs (9.19 log
10
cfu/g fecal DM) or dogs receiving 120 mg lactoferrin/d (9.43 log
10
cfu/g fecal DM). Dogs supplemented with 120 mg/d lactoferrin tended (p = 0.08) to have higher fecal indole concentrations as compared to unsupplemented dogs (1.80 vs. 1.46 μmol/g fecal DM). Because most bacterial groups measured were unaffected, it appears that lactoferrin did not exhibit prebiotic activity, and based on the data collected, lactoferrin also did not appear to have major effects on indices of health in the dog.
Most canned dog diets contain a gelling agent (GA) that is generally a carbohydrate with several functional properties including gel formation upon processing. Karr-Lilienthal et al evaluate the ...effects of GA in a canned dog food on ileal and total gastrointestinal tract nutrient digestibilities and fecal characteristics of the dog.
The POOL project, as a part of the LHC Computing Grid (LCG), is now entering its third year of active development POOL provides the baseline persistency framework for three LHC experiment and is ...based on a strict component model, insulating experiment software from a variety of storage technology choices. This paper gives a brief overview of the POOL architecture, its main design principles and the experience gained with integration into LHC experiment frameworks. In also presents recent developments in the area of relational database abstraction and object storage into RDBMS systems.
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