Cheek teeth (CT) diastemata are now recognised as a clinically significant equine disorder, but their prevalence in the general equine population is unknown. There is also limited information on the signalment of affected horses; the more commonly affected Triadan sites; and the shape and clinical characteristics of CT diastemata. During the 12-month study period (2008 to 2009), standardised records were obtained during routine dental examinations performed by five veterinarians in a first-opinion equine practice. Cheek teeth diastemata were identified in 49.9 per cent of all horses (n=471) of mean age 11 years (range one to 30 years), with 83.5 per cent of all diastemata affecting mandibular CT and 16.5 per cent affecting maxillary CT. The mean number of diastemata per case was 1.7 (range one to 20) and the mandibular 07 to 08 position was most commonly affected. Valve diastemata were more common (72.1 per cent prevalence) than open diastemata (27.9 per cent). Food trapping was present in 91.4 per cent of diastemata, with gingivitis and periodontal pockets adjacent to 34.2 per cent and 43.7 per cent, respectively. Halitosis was present in 45.5 per cent of affected horses. There was an age-related increase in both the prevalence of diastemata, and in the numbers of diastemata per affected horse, and horses over 15 years old had a significantly increased proportion of open diastemata.

In January 2016 the United Kingdom's southern European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) level-2 air pollution monitoring 'supersite' was relocated from Harwell, Oxfordshire to Chilbolton Observatory, Hampshire. As no co-location study was undertaken, this work retrospectively investigates whether the supersite relocation has led to discontinuities in the time series of concentrations of commonly studied gaseous pollutants (NO x , NH 3 , SO 2 and O 3 ) and particulate matter (PM 2.5 and PM 10 ). Two years of measurements pre-and post-relocation (2014-15 and 2016-17 respectively) were analysed in conjunction with meteorological variables and local emission data. The deweather package was applied to the concatenated time series to minimise the influence of meteorology. Similar average concentrations of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 and O 3 were observed, but there were substantial differences in that of NO x and NH 3 (increase by factors of ∼1.6 and ∼3, respectively). The considerably higher NH 3 concentrations at Chilbolton are attributed to the close proximity of mixed farmland, in particular to a strong south-westerly source contributing to ∼50% of the annual average. NO x and PM concentrations in easterly winds arriving at Chilbolton are ∼2.7 and ∼1.5 times larger than at Harwell, from sources including the M3 motorway and Greater London. Westerly concentrations of NO x remain similar, therefore despite a higher frequency of westerly wind, annual mean concentrations are larger. Lower concentrations of PM arriving from the west result in similar annual averages. The secondary inorganic and black carbon components of PM were broadly similar between the sites. The differences in average NO x and NH 3 at Chilbolton must be taken into account when considering long-term regional trends based on the southern UK supersite data.

The objective of the current study is to evaluate the impact of induced starvation on horn fly susceptibility to permethrin and general reproduction using filter paper and manure bioassays, respectively. Incorporating push-pull systems for horn fly control has recently gained much attention for use in managing this pest. However, the consequences of temporary starvation associated with the relocation of horn flies from one host to another have yet to be fully explored. Susceptible (SS) and permethrin resistant (PR) horn flies were randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups: 1- blood fed, 2- partially starved (4hr), 3- moderately starved (8hr), and 4- severely starved (12hr). Permethrin resistant flies were 1,227 times more (P < 0.05) tolerant to permethrin in comparison to SS flies. Furthermore, SS blood fed flies were 1.18, 1.89, and 3.12 times more tolerant to permethrin than SS flies starved for 4, 8, and 12 hours, respectively. Egg hatching rates decreased (P < 0.04) for 8hr and 12hr starved flies in comparison to blood fed flies. Larval development, as measured through manure bioassays was lower (P = 0.02) in severely starved flies in comparison to blood fed flies. Pupae sizes were unaffected (P = 0.58) by starvation and fly strain. These results indicate that susceptibility to permethrin increases as time without a blood meal increases and furthermore, offspring success is reduced specifically through egg viability. Findings from this work will help further expand current integrated pest management options for animal producers by increasing our understanding and implementation of push-pull strategies in animal production systems.

Accurate photolysis rate constants are essential for simulation of local air quality but their values can vary substantially with changes in local meteorological and surface conditions. This study demonstrates the use of local radiometer measurements for capturing via hourly measurement-driven adjustment factors (MDAF) the temporal resolution needed to adjust clear-sky or cloud-free model estimates of j(NO2). Measurements simultaneously at two sites in the UK (Auchencorth Moss and Manchester) showed that TUV (v5.3) model estimates of j(NO2)↓ in cloud-free conditions (used as an example of modelled j-values) were, on average, approximately 45% larger than measured j(NO2)↓, which would lead to substantial model bias in the absence of local adjustment. At Auchencorth Moss, MDAF values based on 4π and 2π radiometer inlets generally agreed very well with each other (<6% average difference). However, under conditions of particularly high surface albedo (such as snow cover), increased upwelling local diffuse radiation yielded an MDAF derived using total radiation (sum of ↓ and ↑ components) ~40% larger than the MDAF derived using only ↓ radiation. The study has demonstrated: (1) the magnitude of potential impact of local conditions—principally cloud cover, but also changes in surface albedo—on assumed j-values; (2) that whilst annual mean MDAF values are similar at Auchencorth Moss and Manchester, there is no contemporaneous correlation between them at hourly resolution; hence MDAF values derived at one site cannot readily be applied at another site. These data illustrate the need to routinely deploy long-term radiometer measurements alongside compositional measurements to support atmospheric chemistry modelling.