Analysis of livestock breeders’ perceptions and their adaptation measures to climate change in Morocco‘s arid rangelands

Extensive sheep farming systems make an important contribution to socio-economic well-being and the ‘ecosystem services’ that flow from large areas of the UK and elsewhere. They are therefore subject to much policy intervention. However, the animal welfare implications of such interventions and their economic drivers are rarely considered. Under Defra project AW1024 (a further study to assess the interaction between economics, husbandry and animal welfare in large, extensively managed sheep flocks) we therefore assessed the interaction between profit and animal welfare on extensive sheep farms. A detailed inventory of resources, resource deployment and technical performance was constructed for 20 commercial extensive sheep farms in Great Britain (equal numbers from the Scottish Highlands, Cumbria, Peak District and mid-Wales). Farms were drawn from focus groups in these regions where participative research with farmers added further information. These data were summarised and presented to a panel of 12 experts for welfare assessment. We used two welfare assessment methods one drawn from animal welfare science (‘needs’ based) the other from management science (Service Quality Modelling). The methods gave complementary results. The inventory data were also used to build a linear programme (LP) model of sheep, labour and feed-resource management month-by-month on each farm throughout the farming year. By setting the LP to adjust farm management to maximise gross margin under each farm's circumstances we had an objective way to explore resource allocations, their constraints and welfare implications under alternative policy response scenarios. Regression of indicators of extensification (labour per ewe, in-bye land per ewe, hill area per ewe and lambs weaned per ewe) on overall welfare score explained 0.66 of variation with labour and lambs weaned per ewe both positive coefficients. Neither gross margin nor flock size were correlated with welfare score. Gross margin was also uncorrelated with these indicators of extensification with the exception of labour/ewe, which was negatively correlated with flock size and hence with gross margin. These results suggest animal welfare is best served by reduced extensification while greater profits are found in flock expansion with reduced labour input per ewe and no increase in other inputs or in productivity. Such potential conflicts should be considered as policy adjusts to meet the requirements for sustainable land use in the hills and uplands.

Language negotiations facilitate second language acquisition (SLA) in both face-to-face (FTF) and computer-mediated interactions. Research shows that dyadic type can impact the quantity and quality of negotiations. Although both learner (L)-learner and native speaker (NS)-L dyadic type interactions have shown to be beneficial to SLA, it is still unclear which dyadic type is more effective for second language (L2) development in FTF and computer-mediated interactions. To fill this gap, this quantitative study compares FTF versus text-synchronous-computer-mediated communication (SCMC) task-based interactions by examining the following question: Is there a significant difference in the (1) frequency of negotiations and (2) effect of negotiations on subsequent L2 development in FTF interactions compared with text-SCMC in the following three dyadic types: NS-low-proficiency learners (LPL), NS-high-proficiency learners (HPL), and HPL–LPL? The study is grounded in the Interaction Hypothesis, which argues that comprehensible input, opportunities for modified output, and noticing are essential for interactions to facilitate SLA through negotiation episodes. The participants included four NSs, four LPLs, and four HPLs. The participants were paired up to form two of each of the following dyadic types: NS–LPL, NS–HPL, and HPL–LPL. All dyads performed one task in each mode. The learners took a tailor-made posttest, designed to measure their L2 development. The data collection included transcribed FTF interactions, SCMC chats, and posttest scores. The interactions were coded for negotiation episodes and strategies. The posttest responses were coded as correct, partially correct, or incorrect. Chi-square test of independence was used to analyse the quantitative data because of their categorical nature and small sample size. Results found no statistically significant difference in the frequency of negotiation episodes among the three dyadic types or the LPLs’ and HPLs’ language learning outcome in FTF versus SCMC. Pedagogical implications are discussed.

Impacts of climate change on food security among smallholder farmers in three agroecological zones of Nepal

The aim of the research was to assess the trend and variations in rainfall and temperature in Papua New Guinea between 1956 and 2016 (60 years) and project the trends from 2017 to 2047 (30 years). Meteorological data obtained from the World Bank Climate Database Headquarters in Washington, United States, from 1956 to 2016 were used in the models. The general linear model analysis was used to investigate the trend in both rainfall and temperature and to predict the future trends. Over the period of study period, 1956 to 2016, the study found that the climatic factors, rainfall and temperature pattern in Papua New Guinea have been changing. It was found that there is an increasing trend in rainfall and temperature. Projections revealed a further increase in rainfall and temperature into the future. Rainfall in Papua New Guinea has been increasing. The projection revealed that rainfall was trending upward with a linear model equation: Rainfall = 0.0093x + 252.38. The increased trend in rainfall suggests that there is an increased trend in evaporation and transpiration. For temperature, although it does not come down to zero and to negative at nights or go up to 40°C or 50°C during the day time as in other countries, the change is clear in the analysis made in the study that there is an increasing trend. If nothing is done to combat the current rate of climate change in the country, the increasing trend in rainfall and temperature would continue. This calls for immediate actions as the issue needs to be addressed in time. Therefore, it is recommended that the government of Papua New Guinea consider incorporating climate change policies into their development plans.

This study quantified interactions between animal welfare and farm profitability in British extensive sheep farming systems. Qualitative welfare assessment methodology was used to assess welfare from the animal's perspective in 20 commercial extensive sheep farms and to estimate labour demand for welfare, based on the assessed welfare scores using data collected from farm inventories. The estimated labour demand was then used as a coefficient in a linear program based model to establish the gross margin maximising farm management strategy for given farm situations, subject to constraints that reflected current resource limitations including labour supply. Regression analysis showed a significant relationship between the qualitative welfare assessment scores and labour supply on the inventoried farms but there was no significant relationship between current gross margin and assessed welfare scores. However, to meet the labour demand of the best welfare score, a reduction in flock size and in the average maximum farm gross margin was often required. These findings supported the hypothesis that trade-offs between animal welfare and farm profitability are necessary in providing maximum animal welfare via on-farm labour and sustainable British extensive sheep farming systems.

Review: Precision livestock farming, automats and new technologies: possible applications in extensive dairy sheep farming

Stance adverbs are one of the main means to express the author's attitude and views on proposition information. This study bases on self-built corpus, taking the English abstracts of Chinese and American doctoral dissertations in the field of petroleum engineering as the corpus and analyzing the characteristics of stance adverbs used by Chinese and their American counterparts. The results show that: 1) there is no statistically significant difference in the overall frequency of stance adverbs between Chinese and American doctors, and both of them show a tendency of "epistemic stance adverbs > attitude stance adverbs > style-of-speaking stance adverbs"; 2) There is no significant difference in the frequency of using epistemic stance adverbs between Chinese and American doctors, but Chinese doctors significantly use more boosters, a subcategory of epistemic stance adverbs, showing the rigid traces of English writing style. Chinese doctors significantly use certain hedges, the other subcategory of stance adverbs; 3) There was no statistically significant difference in the frequency of using attitude stance adverbs between Chinese and American doctors, but Chinese doctors use more attitude stance adverbs to express affect than evaluation; 4) There is no significant difference in the frequency of style-of-speaking stance adverbs between them, and the fact that the use of this kind of stance adverbs is used least may be affected by the stylistic characteristics of the English abstract.

Association between male infertility and genetic variability at the PON1/2 and GSTM1/T1 gene loci

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate pulp regeneration by comparing the application of native chitosan-based scaffolds with enzymatically modified chitosan-based scaffolds in mature teeth with apical lesions, using clinical and radiographic assessments.MethodsThe eligibility criteria for this study were participants aged between 15–45 years, free from systemic diseases and with necrotic mature single-rooted teeth with periapical lesions. The teeth were equally and randomly allocated into three groups (1:1:1 allocation): Group A received treatment with a Blood Clot (BC) scaffold; Group B with a combination of Native Chitosan and Blood Clot (NCS+BC) scaffold; and Group C with Enzymatically-Modified Chitosan and Blood Clot (EMCS+BC) scaffold. Clinical procedures were performed over two appointments. During the first appointment, canals underwent standardized mechanical and chemical preparation, followed by a modified triple antibiotic paste application, then sealed with glass ionomer cement. After three weeks, the antibiotic paste was removed. Subsequently, the regenerative procedure was conducted based on the group assignment. Participants were monitored at one, three, six-, and twelve months post-treatment to evaluate the treated teeth clinically and radiographically, focusing on the status of periapical lesions and tooth sensibility through cold testing. Statistical analysis included the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests to determine significant differences in healing degrees among the three groups over time. Additionally, the Chi-square test was used to assess significant differences in tooth sensibility frequencies during the cold test across the groups.ResultsThirty teeth from twenty-four participants were included. There were no significant differences in the frequencies of healing degrees among the three studied groups (BC, NCS+BC, EMCS+BC) after one, three, and twelve months. The degree of healing after six months in the EMCS+BC group was higher than in other groups, and there were no statistically significant differences in the frequencies of healing degrees after six months between the NCS+BC group and BC group. The frequencies of tooth sensibility in the cold test among the three studied groups (BC, NCS+BC, EMCS+BC) were significantly different after six and twelve months. The tooth sensibility in the BC group was smaller than that of both the NCS+BC group and EMCS+BC group, and there were no statistically significant differences in the frequencies of tooth sensibility between the NCS+BC group and EMCS+BC group.ConclusionThe application of the EMCS+BC scaffold demonstrates superior outcomes in pulp regeneration after six months, with a higher degree of healing observed compared to the NCS+BC and BC groups. There were no statistically significant differences at one month, three months, and twelve months. Additionally, tooth sensitivity was more pronounced in the EMCS+BC and NCS+BC groups.

Detecting vulnerability of humid tropical forests to multiple stressors

Since the mid-1970s, the high plateaus of eastern Morocco have experienced proven trends of climate change (CC) such as a significant decrease in rainfall amounts and an increase in the droughts’ frequency. Consequently, the CC threatens the sustainability of this pastoral ecosystem and negatively affects the breeding of small ruminants, the main local-level livelihood, which becomes more vulnerable due to its high dependence on climatic conditions. This article aims to analyze breeders’ adaptation practices by taking into account their social stratification based on the size of the sheep flock in possession. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests to examine the differences in the adoption’ frequency of CC adaptation measures according breeders’ classes and Chi-square independence test to identify the factors explaining these observed differences. The analysis of local adaptation practices reveals that they are endogenous but above all curative, aiming at a short-term logic and have a low to medium relevance compared to the specific objective of adaptation to CC. In addition, there are significant differences in the frequency of adoption of CC adaptation strategies (chi-square value = 8.1112, p = 0.017, df = 2) within categories of breeders, in particular between small and larger breeders (U statistic = 58.000, p = 0.008). The significant factors explaining these differences are socioeconomic (age, household size, equipment, training, and membership of a basic professional organization). It is therefore recommended to target small breeders as a priority and to set up support measures (equipment, training, funding, organization of breeders).

Since the mid-1970s, the high plateaus of eastern Morocco have experienced proven trends of climate change (CC) such as a significant decrease in rainfall amounts and an increase in the droughts’ frequency. Consequently, the CC threatens the sustainability of this pastoral ecosystem and negatively affects the breeding of small ruminants, the main local-level livelihood, which becomes more vulnerable due to its high dependence on climatic conditions. This chapter aims to analyze breeders’ adaptation practices by taking into account their social stratification based on the size of the sheep flock in possession. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests to examine the differences in the adoption’ frequency of CC adaptation measures according breeders’ classes and Chi-square independence test to identify the factors explaining these observed differences. The analysis of local adaptation practices reveals that they are endogenous but above all curative, aiming at a short-term logic and have a low to medium relevance compared to the specific objective of adaptation to CC. In addition, there are significant differences in the frequency of adoption of CC adaptation strategies (chi-square value = 8.1112, p = 0.017, df = 2) within categories of breeders, in particular between small and larger breeders (U statistic = 58.000, p = 0.008). The significant factors explaining these differences are socioeconomic (age, household size, equipment, training, and membership of a basic professional organization). It is therefore recommended to target small breeders as a priority and to set up support measures (equipment, training, funding, organization of breeders).

Enhancing national climate services: How systems thinking can accelerate locally led adaptation

This study reveals rainfall variability and trends in the African continent using TAMSAT data from 1983 to 2020. In the study, a Mann–Kendall (MK) test and Sen’s slope estimator were used to analyze rainfall trends and their magnitude, respectively, under monthly, seasonal, and annual timeframes as an indication of climate change using different natural and geographical contexts (i.e., sub-regions, climate zones, major river basins, and countries). The study finds that the highest annual rainfall trends were recorded in Rwanda (11.97 mm/year), the Gulf of Guinea (river basin 8.71 mm/year), the tropical rainforest climate zone (8.21 mm/year), and the Central African region (6.84 mm/year), while Mozambique (−0.437 mm/year), the subtropical northern desert (0.80 mm/year), the west coast river basin of South Africa (−0.360 mm/year), and the Northern Africa region (1.07 mm/year) show the lowest annual rainfall trends. There is a statistically significant increase in the rainfall in the countries of Africa’s northern and central regions, while there is no statistically significant change in the countries of the southern and eastern regions. In terms of climate zones, in the tropical northern desert climates, tropical northern peninsulas, and tropical grasslands, there is a significant increase in rainfall over the entire timeframe of the month, season, and year. This implies that increased rainfall will have a positive effect on the food security of the countries in those climatic zones. Since a large percentage of Africa’s agriculture is based only on rainfall (i.e., rain-fed agriculture), increasing trends in rainfall can assist climate resilience and adaptation, while declining rainfall trends can badly affect it. This information can be crucial for decision-makers concerned with effective crop planning and water resource management. The rainfall variability and trend analysis of this study provide important information to decision-makers that need to effectively mitigate drought and flood risk.

An attempt has been made to investigate decadal‐scale trends in Australian rainfall and in the southern oscillation index (SOI) and their influence on the relationship between them. Monthly rainfall data from high‐quality stations in Australia (from 1900 to 1995), India, Sri Lanka and Tahiti are used. The relationship between the SOI and Australian rainfall is positive, but shows decadal‐scale variations during the past century. Although there were extended and severe El Niño events in the early 1990s and in 1997, Australia did not experience the expected severe rainfall deficiencies characteristic of previous events. However, severe drought conditions over eastern Australia were associated with a moderate El Niño event during 2002–03.Long‐term fluctuations of March–May (MAM) rainfall show high‐frequency variations, but trends during June–August (JJA), September–November (SON) and December–February (DJF) show low‐frequency or decadal‐scale variations. Trends and multi‐decadal fluctuations in all‐Australian spring (SON) and summer (DJF) rainfall are strongly dominated by rainfall trend fluctuations in northern and eastern Australia. Austral summer rainfall shows an increasing trend during the 1980s and 1990s, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales, despite the occurrence of extended and severe El Niños. However, some parts of New South Wales and Queensland experienced severe rainfall deficiencies during 2002–03 in conjunction with an El Niño event.The relationship between the SOI and rainfall on the interannual time scale is strong when the SOI and rainfall follow the same direction, but it is weak when they follow opposite directions on a decadal‐time scale. The poor correlation during the 1920s and 1930s was due to a slightly increasing trend in the SOI and a stronger decreasing trend in rainfall. A weakening in the relationship between the SOI and rainfall in recent years, after the mid‐1970s, is due to a small increase in rainfall in the 1980s and 1990s and a strong decrease in the SOI. Rainfall trends were enhanced (stronger decreases or increases) when the influence of the SOI (or El Niño‐southern oscillation (ENSO)) was removed. Enhanced increases and decreases are particularly strong during SON and DJF, when the ENSO phenomenon is at the mature stage and also the influence on Australian rainfall is strong. The increasing trend in rainfall during the 1980s and 1990s in some parts of eastern Australia and the decreasing trend in the SOI result in more rainfall for a given SOI compared with the same SOI during the previous period, i.e. before the mid‐1970s. A similar analysis was carried out for two periods, before and after 1972, for Tahiti, India and Sri Lanka. The upward or downward shift in regression lines is very clear during the season, that shows a strong relationship between rainfall and the SOI. Moreover, strengthening or weakening of the relationship between rainfall and the SOI is largely dependent on their multi‐decadal variations and trends during the past century.Increases in rainfall during the 1980s and the 1990s and decreases in the SOI have weakened their relationship, both in Australia and India. Such a relationship gives more rainfall for a given SOI after 1973. The pattern was reversed for Sri Lanka, where rainfall during the second intermonsoon season has decreased. Analyses of trends in temperature at Darwin and Tahiti and of rainfall over Australia, India, Tahiti and Sri Lanka suggest a regional‐scale change in climate, whereas the SOI reflects a change in the large‐scale circulation pattern over the Indo‐Pacific region after the mid‐1970s. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society