Cortisol release and heart rate variability in sport horses participating in equestrian competitions

Equestrian competitions require both physical activity and mental adaptation in horses. Cortisol, heart rate, and heart rate variability (HRV) are accepted stress parameters and, in this study, have been determined in horses (n = 13) participating in equestrian competitions for up to 3 consecutive days. Participation in competitions caused an increase in salivary cortisol concentrations (e.g., on day 1 from 1.0 ± 0.2 before to 2.2 ± 0.4 ng/mL after the competition, days 1 and 2: P < 0.001, day 3: P < 0.05) and an increase in heart rate (days 1 and 2: P < 0.001, day 3: P = 0.01). A consistent decrease in HRV occurred only in response to the final competition on day 3 (P < 0.01). When horses competing in dressage and show jumping were compared, cortisol release and HRV did not differ between groups, but after the competition, heart rate was lower in dressage than in show jumping horses (P < 0.05). Heart rate increased not only during the actual competition but already when horses were prepared in their stables (e.g., day 1: ?60 minutes, 38.6 ± 2; ?5 minutes, 77 ± 7; competition, 81 ± 10 beats per minute; P < 0.01). In conclusion, participation in equestrian competitions caused an increase in cortisol release and heart rate and a decrease in HRV variables. However, competitions were not a major stressor compared with other anthropogenic challenges such as transport, to which horses are exposed regularly.     

The native South American crayfishes (Crustacea,Parastacidae): state of knowledge and conservation status

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Gattungsgrenzen bei höheren Discomyceten

Zusammenfassung An Hand besonderer Discomyceten-Funde aus dem Jahre 1961 werden einige Nachbargattungen miteinander verglichen und ihre gegenseitigen Grenzen kritisch erörtert. Danach erweist sich die Sonderstellung vonPtychoverpa Boud. nur mikroskopisch als ausreichend begründet.Helvella Quéletii Bres. kann vonAcetabula sulcata (Pers. ex Fr.) Fuck. nicht gattungsmäßig getrennt werden, sondern ist alsAcetabula Quéletii (Bres.) Bx. nov. comb. zu bezeichnen, wenn beide Gattungen nebeneinander bestehen bleiben.Paramitra ochreoides Bx. nov. gen. et nov. spec. wird erstmalig beschrieben und stellt vermutlich einen Übergang von derOtidea-Gruppe (Wynnella Boud.) zu den Aleurieen dar.

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Summary Starting from rare findings ofDiscomycetes in 1961 some closely related genera are compared and their limits discussed critically. The special position ofPtychoverpa Boud. is sufficiently proved only by microscopic characters. To discernHelvella Quéletii Bres. fromAcetabula sulcata (Pers. ex Fr.) Fuck. generically is not possible, it must be designated asAcetabula Quéletii (Bres.) Bx. nov. comb. if both genera shall be maintained. The new describedParamitra ochreoides Bx. nov. gen. et nov. spec. presumably is a transitional fungus between theOtidea-group (Wynnella Boud.) and theAleurieae.

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, 1961 . . Ptychoverpa Boud. .Helvella Quéletii Bres. Acetabula sulcata (Pers. ex Fr.) Fuck. Acetabula Quéletii (Bres.) Bx. nov. comb., .Paramitra ochreoides Bx. nov. gen. et nov. spec. ; Otidea (Wynnella Boud.) Aleurieae.

     

Grundsätzliches zur Taumessungsfrage

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Use of multipurpose trees in hill farming systems in Western Nepal

A large number of multipurpose trees and shrubs are deliberately retained or incorporated on farms in the subsistence farming systems on the steep slopes in parts of Nepal. Woody perennials are maintained in contour strips across the slopes and around the fields. The contribution of these trees is the production of foder and firewood and their protective function in reducing the erosion hazards and thereby making crop production possible in those steep slopes where profitable cropping would otherwise be extremely difficult. Based on a case study in two villages of the Western Development Region, this paper presents some data on basic farm management aspects, production of crops and other components, etc. of the system. The performance of the system is assessed and its merits and weakness highlighted.Although the hill farming system extends over quite a large area and accounts for a large number of Nepal's population, it has not received any research attention nor benefitted by any scientific innovations. Improvement possibilities in terms of component technologies as well as farming systems including the incorporation of the several locally available medicinal plants are indicated.     

Detection of rhodococcus equi by microbiological culture and by polymerase chain reaction in samples of tracheobronchial secretions of foals

The goal of the present study was to investigate whether new PCR-methods would improve diagnostic of R. equi. In a first step, sensitivity and specificity of the PCR-methods in respect to the"gold standard" microbiological culture were determined. Secondly, sensitivity and specificity of both microbiological methods were evaluated in respect to the clinical diagnosis. The tracheobronchial secretions of 48 foals with pulmonary abscesses and of 37 healthy foals were evaluated by bacteriological culture as well as by four PCR-methods: aceA-, ideR-, vapA- and VP-PCR. In respect to the"gold standard" microbiological culture, the sensitivity of most PCR methods lay between 63.9 and 69.4 % except the vapA-PCR (27.8 %).The specificity of all PCR methods in this comparison was between 98 to 100 %. In this analysis, clinical diagnosis had a low sensitivity (66.7 %) and a low specificity (51.0 %). In respect to the clinical diagnosis, microbiological culture sensitivity was 50.0 % and specificity 67.7 9%. In this analysis, sensitivity rates of aceA-, ideR and VP-PCR methods lay between 33.3 and 37.5 %, sensitivity of the vapA-PCR was lower (10.4 %).The specificity of all PCR methods ranged from 78.4 to 86.5 %. In conclusion, these results show that the diagnostic potential of the microbiological methods"Culture" and "PCR" is different and that for the diagnosis of R. equi-pneumonia in foals the combination of microbiological culture with PCR should be used for examination of samples of the airways of foals.     

Nutrient cycling and soil leaching in eighteen pure and mixed stands of beech (Fagus sylvatica) and spruce (Picea abies)

Studies on the combined effects of beech–spruce mixtures are very rare. Hence, forest nutrition (soil, foliage) and nutrient fluxes via throughfall and soil solution were measured in adjacent stands of pure spruce, mixed spruce–beech and pure beech on three nutrient rich sites (Flysch) and three nutrient poor sites (Molasse) over a 2-year period. At low deposition rates (highest throughfall fluxes: 17 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ and 5 kg S ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) there was hardly any linkage between nutrient inputs and outputs. Element outputs were rather driven by internal N (mineralization, nitrification) and S (net mineralization of organic S compounds, desorption of historically deposited S) sources. Nitrate and sulfate seepage losses of spruce–beech mixtures were higher than expected from the corresponding single-species stands due to an unfavorable combination of spruce-similar soil solution concentrations coupled with beech-similar water fluxes on Flysch, while most processes on Molasse showed linear responses. Our data show that nutrient leaching through the soil is not simply a “wash through” but is mediated by a complex set of reactions within the plant–soil system.     

Der Brotkäfer aus der freien Natur

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Beitrag zum Crassieren von Waldbahnen und Straszen

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