Mechanical Grooming Research Articles

Using dune restoration on an urban beach as a coastal resilience approach

Coastal dunes are globally recognized as natural features that can be important adaptation approaches for climate change along urban and natural shores. We evaluated the recovery of coastal dunes on an intensively groomed urban beach in southern California over a six-year period after grooming was discontinued. Restoration actions were minimal and included installation of three sides of perimeter sand fencing, cessation of mechanical grooming and driving, and the addition of seeds of native dune plants. To track recovery, we conducted physical and biological surveys of the restoration site and an adjacent control site (groomed beach) using metrics including sand accretion, elevation, foredune and hummock formation, vegetation recovery, and wildlife use. Sediment accretion, elevation, and geomorphic complexity increased over time in the restoration site, largely in association with sand fencing and dune vegetation. A foredune ridge (maximum elevation increase of 0.9 m) and vegetated hummocks developed, along with a general increase in elevation across the restoration site (0.3 m). After six years, an estimated total volume of approximately 1,730 m3 of sand had accreted in the restoration site and 540 m3 of sand had accreted in the foredune ridge. Over the same period, more than a meter of sediment (vertical elevation change) accumulated along the perimeter sand fencing. Groomed control areas remained flat and uniform. The total cover of vegetation in the restoration site increased over time to a maximum of approximately 7% cover by the sixth year. No vegetation was observed on the groomed control site. Native plant species formed distinct zones across the restoration site beginning by the second year and increasing over time, with dune forming species aggregating closest to the ocean in association with the incipient foredune ridge. Ecological functions observed in the restoration area included presence of dune invertebrates, shorebird roosting, and use by a breeding federally threatened shorebird, the western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus). Our findings on geomorphic and ecological responses of a pilot dune restoration on a heavily groomed urban beach provide new insights on the opportunities and expectations for restoring dunes as nature-based solutions for climate adaptation on urban shorelines.

Salivary Cortisol Concentration in Fattening Heifers Kept in an Enriched Environment at Different Stocking Densities

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of environmental enrichment and different stocking densities on the level of stress in the fattening cattle by measuring salivary cortisol concentration. A total of 320 saliva samples obtained from heifers during the final four-month fattening period was analyzed by a colorimetric competitive enzyme immunoassay. The heifers were housed at 3.3 and 4.5 m2/animal in standard production conditions that were additionally enriched with a mechanical grooming brush and salt blocks in experimental groups. The study results have demonstrated that a cortisol concentration at the end of fattening was significantly higher, as compared with the initial levels in all heifer groups, without significant intergroup differences. There was no significant correlation between the usage of a grooming brush and cortisol concentration, whereas a significant negative correlation was detected between the salt block usage and cortisol concentration, suggesting a beneficial effect of this simple, commercially available and relatively inexpensive environmental enrichment.

Effect of a mechanical grooming brush on the behavior and health of recently weaned heifer calves

BackgroundCalf stress at weaning and during transition to group pens represents a concern in dairy operations. Favoring natural behaviors, such as grooming, may help on reducing this challenge. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of a mechanical grooming brush on behavior and health of recently weaned calves, after transferring from individual to group housing. Two treatment groups (control [CON, n = 81]; automated brush [AB, n = 81]) were compared enrolling Holstein heifers (94 ± 7 d old) that were monitored for 20 days. Four cohorts, considering one CON and one AB group (19–20 calves/pen/cohort) were enrolled sequentially. Each calf was weighed, clinically evaluated, and affixed with a 3-D accelerometer sensor attached to the ear at enrolment. Continuous measurements (min/h) were generated for the following behaviors: Not-active, active, highly active, eating, and ruminating. Cameras for continuous video recording were installed in each pen, and calves were weighted at the last day of the study (d 20). Behavioral data were summarized as daily averages (min/h). Data was examined using repeated measures analysis for nested factors, with day as the time unit.ResultsOverall, calves had their first interaction with the brush within 2.5 days with a mean (SE) of 7 (±9.6) h after being transferred to group pens. A significant effect was determined for the interaction day by treatment on the time spent not-active and eating. Average not-active time was greater in CON compared to AB (22.8 ± 0.82 min/h vs. 21.7 ± 0.82 min/h), while eating time was greater in AB compared with CON (7.01 ± 0.40 min/h vs. 6.43 ± 0.40 min/h). Treatment groups had a similar weight gain and time to the first disease.ConclusionsWe concluded that the use of a mechanical brush influenced behavior, reducing not-active time, while increasing eating time. The consequences of this change in activity require further investigation.

Tidal range and recovery from the impacts of mechanical beach grooming

Mechanical grooming to remove litter and wrack from sandy beaches reduces strandline biodiversity. The impact of tidal range on recovery rates of strandline ecosystems after grooming has not been examined to date, even though tidal range is known to affect the spatial and temporal patterns of seaweed. We compared taxon richness of macroinvertebrates that occur all year round at 104 sites on two coastlines at similar latitudes in Northern Europe that have pronounced differences in tidal range. Macroinvertebrate taxon richness was positively correlated with algae depth on both groomed and ungroomed beaches but was lower on groomed beaches. This was the case even in the off season despite wrack depths returning to similar levels found on ungroomed beaches. These impacts of grooming which extend into the winter offseason where found to be higher on beaches with a lower tidal range. We suggest this is likely to be because in areas with little tidal variation, irregular and unpredictable storm events are likely to be the predominant source of new wrack deposits. Our results suggest it is particularly important that management strategies to mitigate the impacts of grooming are adopted in areas with low tidal range.

Prognosis and Management of Congenital Hair Shaft Disorders without Fragility-Part II.

Hair shaft disorders are characterized by congenital or acquired abnormalities of the hair shaft. The objective of this study was to review the literature regarding the prognosis and treatment options for hair shaft disorders. We used keywords in the search engines PubMed and Medline to identify all publications in English related to the prognosis and management of hair shaft disorders. Data were extracted from 96 articles that met search criteria. Findings were limited to case reports and small case series, as no studies were found. Disorders that improve in childhood include pili torti, trichorrhexis invaginata, woolly hair, and pili trianguli et canaliculi. Others, such as trichorrhexis nodosa, monilethrix, pili annulati, and pili bifurcati, improve with minoxidil. Oral retinoids have been found to improve hair abnormalities in trichorrhexis invaginata and monilethrix. There is no specific treatment for congenital hair shaft abnormalities. Gentle hair care is the mainstay of care for hair shaft disorders associated with fragility. Practices for gentle care include no brushing, backcombing, chemical products, tight braids, heat exposure, or mechanical grooming. Furthermore, any inherited or congenital disorder requires genetic counseling as part of management.

Prognosis and Management of Congenital Hair Shaft Disorders with Fragility-Part I.

Hair shaft disorders are characterized by congenital or acquired abnormalities of the hair shaft. The objective was to review the literature regarding the prognosis and treatment options of hair shaft disorders. We used keywords in the search engines PubMed and Medline to identify all publications in the English language related to the prognosis and management of hair shaft disorders. Data were extracted from 96 articles that met search criteria. Findings were limited to case reports and small case series, as no studies were found. Disorders that improve in childhood include pili torti, trichorrhexis invaginata, wooly hair, and pili trianguli et canaliculi. Others, such as trichorrhexis nodosa, monilethrix, pili annulati, and pili bifurcati improve with minoxidil. Oral retinoids have improved hair abnormalities in trichorrhexis invaginata and monilethrix. There is no specific treatment for congenital hair shaft abnormalities. Gentle hair care is the mainstay of care for hair shaft disorders associated with fragility. Practices for gentle care include no brushing, backcombing, chemical products, tight braids, heat exposure, or mechanical grooming. Any inherited or congenital disorder requires genetic counseling as part of management.

Functional Gustatory Role of Chemoreceptors in Drosophila Wings.

Neuroanatomical evidence argues for the presence of taste sensilla in Drosophila wings; however, the taste physiology of insect wings remains hypothetical, and a comprehensive link to mechanical functions, such as flight, wing flapping, and grooming, is lacking. Our data show that the sensilla of the Drosophila anterior wing margin respond to both sweet and bitter molecules through an increase incytosolic Ca(2+) levels. Conversely, genetically modified flies presenting a wing-specific reduction in chemosensory cells show severe defects in both wing taste signaling and the exploratory guidance associated with chemodetection. In Drosophila, the chemodetection machinery includes mechanical grooming, which facilitates the contact between tastants and wing chemoreceptors, and the vibrations of flapping wings that nebulize volatile molecules as carboxylic acids. Together, these data demonstrate that the Drosophila wing chemosensory sensilla are a functional taste organ and that they may have a role in the exploration of ecological niches.

Analysis of mechanical grooming at various frequencies on a large scale test panel coated with a fouling-release coating

A mechanical grooming test was performed on large scale steel test panels coated with a fouling-release (FR) coating (International Intersleek 900), at four different frequencies, during the high fouling season in Port Canaveral, Florida. Grooming at frequencies of three or two times per week was effective at removing heavy biofilm growth and significantly reduced macrofouling settlement. Mechanical grooming at lower frequencies of weekly or bi-weekly removed heavy biofilm growth but was much less effective at reducing macrofouling settlement. The results indicated that frequent mechanical grooming could reduce the fouling rating of ships coated with FR coatings. The reduction in the fouling rating of ships’ hulls by frequent grooming could offer significant reductions in drag, fuel consumption, and the emission of exhaust gases. Frequent grooming could also eliminate the need for hull cleaning and increase the time between dry docking which would reduce the operational costs for many vessel operators.

Analysis of long-term mechanical grooming on large-scale test panels coated with an antifouling and a fouling-release coating

Long-term grooming tests were conducted on two large-scale test panels, one coated with a fluorosilicone fouling-release (FR) coating, and one coated with a copper based ablative antifouling (AF) coating. Mechanical grooming was performed weekly or bi-weekly using a hand operated, electrically powered, rotating brush tool. The results indicate that weekly grooming was effective at removing loose or heavy biofilm settlement from both coatings, but could not prevent the permanent establishment of low-profile tenacious biofilms. Weekly grooming was very effective at preventing macrofouling establishment on the AF coating. The effectiveness of weekly grooming at preventing macrofouling establishment on the FR coating varied seasonally. The results suggest that frequent mechanical grooming is a viable method to reduce the fouling rating of ships’ hulls with minimal impact to the coating. Frequent grooming could offer significant fuel savings while reducing hull cleaning frequencies and dry dock maintenance requirements.

Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia: possible familial aetiology in two African families from South Africa

Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia: possible familial aetiology in two African families from South Africa

Mechanical grooming and beach award status are associated with low strandline biodiversity in Scotland

Beach grooming and beach award status are both shown to be associated with low macroinvertebrate taxon richness in Scotland. Previous studies in California have revealed that mechanical raking to remove wrack from sandy beaches has negative ecological consequences for coastal ecosystems. In the current study the presence and absence of eight common taxa that inhabit beached wrack on sandy beaches in Scotland was assessed at 60 sites, 24 of which were groomed and 29 of which were in receipt of a beach award. On average 4.86 of the eight taxa were found to be present on ungroomed beaches, whereas only 1.13 taxa were present on groomed beaches. Thus, beach grooming seems to be having a major effect on the biodiversity of beach macroinvertebrates in Scotland. Fewer macroinvertebrate taxa were also found on award (1.5) compared to non-award (4.38) beaches. It was also revealed that award beaches were much more likely to be groomed than non-award beaches, with 69% of award beaches surveyed being groomed compared to only 6% of non-award beaches. This pattern is surprising as the awarding bodies discourage the removal of seaweed and regulations state that beached wrack should only be removed if it constitutes a nuisance. It is concluded that award status, not nuisance level, has the main factor driving most beach grooming and that this has resulted in the substantial loss of macroinvertebrate biodiversity from award beaches in Scotland. In conclusion it is shown that beach grooming has a substantial negative impact upon strandline macroinvertebrate biodiversity in Scotland and that grooming is much more likely to occur on award beaches.

The effect of two mechanical beach grooming strategies on Escherichia coli density in beach sand at a southwestern Lake Michigan beach

The influence of indicator bacteria associated with beach sands on recreational water quality has become increasingly recognized. Constant wave action may serve as a transport mechanism for delivering bacterial organisms to surface waters resulting in an increased frequency of dry weather advisories. The ability to reduce the concentration of these organisms may serve to improve recreational water quality. To date, few researchers have explored anthropogenic factors affecting the content of Escherichia coli in beach sands. This study explored the influence of mechanical beach grooming on in situ populations of Escherichia coli at a southwestern Lake Michigan beach to determine if an alteration in current beach management practices would serve to reduce the number of dry weather advisories in this community. Preliminary studies conducted during 2001 demonstrated that professional grooming significantly increased Escherichia coli content in beach sands relative to non-groomed or hand raked plots (p < 0.001). This data also suggested that deeper grooming might reduce differences between groomed and non-groomed areas. Subsequently, two mechanical grooming techniques were compared at Racine, WI in 2002: groomed to a depth of 5 to 7 cm with leveling of beach sands and groomed to a depth of 7 to 10 cm without leveling. Escherichia coli content between treatments were significantly correlated (p < 0.009). The density of the bacterium in deeper groomed/unleveled sands was significantly lower in visibly moist or wet but not dry sands (p = 0.038). In 2003, the manner in which beach sands were maintained using the mechanical beach groomer was altered and a follow-up study conducted. A 30 percent reduction in the number of poor water quality advisories due to dry weather events was achieved as a result of these measures. These results demonstrate that mechanical beach grooming may affect Escherichia coli content in beach sands, a potential source of non-point pollution to recreational waters.

Evaluation of Beach Grooming Techniques on Escherichia coli Density in Foreshore Sand at North Beach, Racine, WI

ABSTRACT Elevated levels of Escherichia coli(E. coli) in bathing waters at North Beach, a popular recreational site in Racine, Wisconsin, have been a persistent problem often resulting in the issuance of poor water quality advisories. Moreover, waterfowl (mostly Larus delawarensis and L. argentatus) in nearshore and offshore areas are common and may serve as non-point sources for bacterial contamination of recreational waters. Current beach management practice involves daily mechanical grooming of the nearshore sand for aesthetics and removal of hazardous debris. However, this practice has not been evaluated in terms of its effects on E. coli loading to beach sand and potential introduction to contiguous swimming water. In this study, we tested E. coli responses to three treatments: mechanical groomer, daily and twice weekly hand raking, and a control (no raking/grooming). A randomized block design consisted of replicated treatments and one control (10 each), for a total of 40 blocks sampled daily for 10 days. Foreshore sand samples were collected by hand coring to an average depth of 10 cm. Median E. coli recovered were 73 (mechanically groomed), 27 (hand-raked daily), 32 (hand-raked twice weekly), and 22 (control) colony-forming units (CFU) per gram dry weight sand. E. coli counts in sand that was groomed were significantly higher than hand rakings and control (p <0.0001), and there was no significant difference between control and raking treatments (p<0.01). This study demonstrates the beach management implications related to grooming efficacy and the importance of understanding non-point sources of bacterial contamination.