Reported Behavioural Differences between Geldings and Mares Challenge Sex-Driven Stereotypes in Ridden Equine Behaviour

Horse trainers and riders may have preconceived ideas of horse temperament based solely on the sex of the horse. A study (n = 1233) of horse enthusiasts (75% of whom had more than 8 years of riding experience) revealed that riders prefer geldings over mares and stallions. While these data may reflect different sex preferences in horses used for sport, they may also reduce the chances of some horses reaching their performance potential. Further, an unfounded sex prejudice is likely to contribute to unconscious bias when perceiving unwanted behaviours, simplistically attributing them to demographic characteristics rather than more complex legacies of training and prior learning. The current study analysed reported sex-related behavioural differences in ridden and non-ridden horses using data from responses to the pilot study of the Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) survey. Respondents (n = 1233) reported on the behaviour of their horse using a 151-item questionnaire. Data were searched for responses relating to mares and geldings, and 110 traits with the greatest percentage difference scores between mares and geldings were selected were tested for univariate significance at p < 0.2. Multivariable modelling of the effect of sex (mare or gelding) on remaining traits was assessed by ordinal logistic regression, using a cumulative proportional log odds model. Results revealed mares were significantly more likely to move away when being caught compared to geldings (p = 0.003). Geldings were significantly more likely to chew on lead ropes when tied (p = 0.003) and to chew on rugs (p = 0.024). However, despite sex-related differences in these non-ridden behaviours, there was no evidence of any significant sex-related differences in the behaviours of the horses when ridden. This finding suggests that ridden horse behaviour is not sexually dimorphic or that particular horse sports variously favour one sex over another.

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Age-Related Changes in the Behaviour of Domestic Horses as Reported by Owners

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10122321 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 2321 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Bibiana Burattini ◽

Kate Fenner ◽

Ashley Anzulewicz ◽

Nicole Romness ◽

Jessica McKenzie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Ordinal Logistic Regression ◽

Older Age ◽

Age Related ◽

Domestic Horses ◽

Log Odds ◽

Multivariable Modelling ◽

Effect Of Age ◽

Age Related Changes

The broad traits of boldness and independence in domestic horses can affect their usefulness and, indirectly, their welfare. The objective of the current study was to explore associations between attributes that reflect equine boldness and independence with both the age of horses and the age at which they were started under saddle, as well as other variables including breed, colour and primary equestrian discipline. All data were sourced from responses (n = 1940) to the 97-question online Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ). Twenty E-BARQ items from the dataset were selected to reflect boldness and independence and were tested for univariate significance at p < 0.2. Multivariable modelling of the effect of age on remaining traits was assessed by an ordinal logistic regression, using a cumulative log odds model. This revealed that older horses were bolder (p = 0.012). However, horses started under saddle at an older age were less bold and less independent (p = 0.040 and p = 0.010, respectively). Australian Stock Horses were bolder and more independent (p = 0.014 and p = 0.007, respectively) than crossbreed horses. Horses used for breeding conformation (p = 0.039), working equitation (p = 0.045), eventing (p = 0.044) and traditional working horses (p = 0.034) were bolder than those used for other disciplines. Dressage (p = 0.039) and therapy (p = 0.040) horses were less bold than horses used for other disciplines. Stallions were bolder (p = −0.034) than geldings. Brown (p = 0.049) and chestnut (p = 0.027) horses were less bold than bay horses. Compared to crossbreed horses, Thoroughbreds (p = 0.000) and companion horses (p = 0.017) were less bold whilst heavy horses (p = 0.029) and ponies (p = 0.044) were bolder. Compared to pleasure horses, mounted games horses (p = 0.033) were less independent whereas working equitation horses (p = 0.020) were more independent. Riders with more than eight years’ experience reported more independence in their horses (p = 0.015) than those who had ridden their whole lives. The study findings suggest that boldness and independence are separate traits and only boldness was associated with the age of the horse. Factors that relate to desirable boldness and independence are important in ridden horses because they can affect rider safety. Results from this study should improve horse–rider matching and thereby potentially enhance horse welfare.

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Handedness in Two Generations

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.1983.56.3.867 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 56 (3) ◽

pp. 867-874 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Lesley E. Tan

Keyword(s):

Left Handedness ◽

Left Handed ◽

Item Questionnaire ◽

Two Generations ◽

Older Subjects ◽

Younger Generation ◽

Using Data

A 14-item questionnaire was administered to tertiary students and their families. The responses of the 508 subjects in the parental generation were compared with those of the 917 younger subjects. For every item significantly fewer older subjects gave left responses. The questionnaire identified more left-handers among older subjects than writing hand did, but as only 5.9% of these were classed as left-handed, compared with 11.8% of the younger generation, it seems unlikely that ascertainment was complete in the parental group. Using data from an additional 69 non-right-handers, item analyses indicated that writing and drawing were unsuitable items for older subjects and that, of the items tested, toothbrush and hammer use and pouring would be the best indicators of left-handedness.

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Measuring the repertoire of age-related behavioral changes in Drosophila melanogaster

10.1101/2021.06.13.448265 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Katherine E. Overman ◽

Daniel M. Choi ◽

Kawai Leung ◽

Joshua W. Shaevitz ◽

Gordon J. Berman

Keyword(s):

Drosophila Melanogaster ◽

Energy Budget ◽

Behavioral Changes ◽

Sexually Dimorphic ◽

Behavioral Repertoire ◽

Biological Mechanisms ◽

Age Related ◽

Using Data ◽

Almost All ◽

And Behavior

Aging affects almost all aspects of an organism – its morphology, its physiology, its behavior. Isolating which biological mechanisms are regulating these changes, however, has proven difficult, potentially due to our inability to characterize the full repertoire of an animal’s behavior across the lifespan. Using data from fruit flies (D. melanogaster) we measure the full repertoire of behaviors as a function of age. We observe a sexually dimorphic pattern of changes in the behavioral repertoire during aging. Although the stereotypy of the behaviors and the complexity of the repertoire overall remains relatively unchanged, we find evidence that the observed alterations in behavior can be explained by changing the fly’s overall energy budget, suggesting potential connections between metabolism, aging, and behavior.

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Do No Harm: Graduate Admissions Letters of Recommendation and Unconscious Bias

Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups ◽

10.1044/2021_persp-20-00117 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Brandi L. Newkirk-Turner ◽

Thomas K. Hudson

Keyword(s):

Negative Impact ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Speech Language Pathology ◽

Unconscious Bias ◽

Institution Type ◽

Do No Harm ◽

Graduate Admissions ◽

Language Pathology ◽

Using Data ◽

Letters Of Recommendation

Purpose Faculty members commonly write letters of recommendation (LOR) for students. Although letters can be helpful, they may do more harm if they include language that can negatively bias readers. The purpose of this article is to examine LORs written for Black applicants to speech-language pathology graduate programs for the presence of phrases that may bias readers (PBRs). Method Using data from our program, we analyzed LORs for evidence of bias. Results Across the 161 LORs, there were 202 instances of PBRs. The most PBRs were grindstone adjectives and doubt raisers/hedges. PBRs were not related to applicants' GPA, undergraduate institution type, or LOR word length. PBRs were related to admission offers. Conclusions Results suggest a negative impact of PBRs in LORs written for Black applicants. Implications are discussed and recommendations for writing less-biased LORs are provided.

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Evaluation of the effectiveness of remdesivir in treating severe COVID-19 using data from the ISARIC WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK: a prospective, national cohort study.

10.1101/2021.06.18.21259072 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Barbara N Arch ◽

Dorottya Kovacs ◽

Janet T Scott ◽

Ashley P Jones ◽

Ewen M Harrison ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Effect Sizes ◽

White Ethnicity ◽

Early Access ◽

Diagnostic Threshold ◽

Mortality Effect ◽

Hospitalised Patients ◽

National Cohort ◽

Using Data ◽

Protocol Study ◽

Multivariable Modelling

Background Remdesivir was given UK early-access approval for use in COVID-19 in people aged 12 years and older on 26th May 2020 on the basis of unmet clinical need. Evidence on the side effects, complications of therapy and effectiveness of this therapy is lacking or conflicting. Methods Adults with severe COVID-19 treated with remdesivir were compared with propensity-score matched controls, identified from the ISARIC WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol study of UK hospitalised patients with COVID-19. Remdesivir patients were matched to controls according to baseline underlying 14-day mortality risk. The effect of remdesivir on short-term outcomes was investigated (primary outcome: 14-day mortality). Effect sizes were estimated and adjusted for potential confounders using multivariable modelling. Results 1,549 patients given remdesivir and 4,964 matched controls were identified satisfying inclusion and exclusion criteria. The balance diagnostic threshold was achieved. Patients had symptoms for a median of 6 days prior to baseline; 62% were male, with mean (SD) age 63.1 (15.6) years, and 80% categorised as White ethnicity. Fourteen-day mortality was not statistically significantly associated with treatment (9.3% remdesivir vs. 11.9% controls, odds-ratio 0.80, [95% CI 0.60-1.07], p=0.116, adjusted for age, sex, number of key comorbidities, dexamethasone use, and diagnosis of viral pneumonia. Findings Treatment with remdesivir was not associated with a reduction in mortality in our primary endpoint at 14 days. Interpretation Remdesivir did not significantly improve mortality in this study. The findings are subject to the limitations of an observational study. Balance was achieved for measured baseline factors, but unmeasured confounders may account for observed treatment effect sizes. Funding Medical Research Council UK & National Institute of Health Research

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Expansion of disability across successive Mexican birth cohorts: a longitudinal modelling analysis of birth cohorts born 10 years apart

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health ◽

10.1136/jech-2019-212245 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 73 (10) ◽

pp. 900-905 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Collin F Payne ◽

Rebeca Wong

Keyword(s):

Daily Living ◽

Adult Health ◽

Birth Cohorts ◽

Middle Income ◽

Item Questionnaire ◽

Modelling Analysis ◽

Aging Study ◽

Physical Limitations ◽

Mexican Adults ◽

Using Data

BackgroundLife expectancy (LE) in Mexico has risen rapidly since the 1950s. In high-income contexts, these increases have coincided with a compression of disability to later ages. However, little evidence on trends in disability-free LE (DFLE) exist from Mexico or elsewhere in Latin America.MethodsUsing data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study, we compare changes in LE and DFLE in ages 50–59, 60–69 and 70–79 using birth-cohort-specific multistate lifetable models across successive 10-year birth cohorts. Disability was measured using the Katz activities of daily living (ADL) index, and limitation was measured using a seven-item questionnaire on physical functioning.ResultsOverall, Mexican adults born in 1953–1962 lived 0.87 (p<0.001) fewer active years between ages 50 and 59 than individuals born in 1942–1951, a difference comprised of a 0.54-year (p<0.001) increase in physically limited LE and a 0.27-year (p<0.001) increase in ADL-disabled LE. Active LE declined by 1.13 (p<0.001) years in ages 60–69, and by 0.93 (p<0.001) years in ages 70–79, across successive 10-year birth cohorts. No substantial changes in total LE were seen in any age group, and the magnitude of the expansion of disability was larger in females than in males.ConclusionsOur results indicate that more recently born cohorts of Mexican adults are spending more years of life with physical limitations and disabilities. These results foreshadow a need to closely monitor adult health in middle-income contexts, as the epidemiological conditions under which disability has expanded in Mexico are similar to those seen in many other countries.

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Schizophrenia risk and reproductive success: A Mendelian randomization study

10.1101/357673 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rebecca B Lawn ◽

Hannah M Sallis ◽

Amy E Taylor ◽

Robyn E Wootton ◽

George Davey Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Mendelian Randomization ◽

Causal Effect ◽

Age At First Birth ◽

First Birth ◽

Genetic Liability ◽

Number Of Children ◽

Log Odds ◽

Using Data ◽

Robust Evidence

SummarySchizophrenia is a debilitating and heritable mental disorder associated with lower reproductive success. However, the prevalence of schizophrenia is stable over populations and time, resulting in an evolutionary puzzle: how is schizophrenia maintained in the population given its apparent fitness costs? One possibility is that increased genetic liability for schizophrenia, in the absence of the disorder itself, may confer some reproductive advantage. We assessed the correlation and causal effect of genetic liability for schizophrenia with number of children and age at first birth using data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and UK Biobank. Linkage disequilibrium score regression showed little evidence of genetic correlation between genetic liability for schizophrenia and number of children (rg=0.002, p=0.84) or age at first birth (rg=-0.007, p=0.45). Mendelian randomization indicated no robust evidence of a causal effect of genetic liability for schizophrenia on number of children (mean difference: 0.003 increase in number of children per doubling in the natural log odds ratio of schizophrenia risk, 95% CI: −0.003 to 0.009, p=0.39) or age at first birth (−0.004 years lower age at first birth, 95% CI: −0.043 to 0.034, p=0.82). These results suggest that increased genetic liability for schizophrenia does not confer a reproductive advantage.

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Construction of an ICF core set and ICF-based questionnaire assessing activities and participation in patients with systemic sclerosis

Rheumatology ◽

10.1093/rheumatology/kez209 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 58 (12) ◽

pp. 2260-2272 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Agathe Papelard ◽

Camille Daste ◽

Sophie Alami ◽

Katherine Sanchez ◽

Alexandra Roren ◽

...

Keyword(s):

International Classification Of Functioning ◽

Second Step ◽

Disability And Health ◽

Icf Core Set ◽

Item Questionnaire ◽

Core Set ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Data Source ◽

Using Data

Abstract Objectives To develop an International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) core set for SSc and to conceive a patient-centred ICF-based questionnaire assessing activities and participation in patients with SSc. Methods The construction of the ICF core set followed two steps. In the first step, meaningful concepts related to SSc were collected using data source triangulation from patients (n = 18), experts (n = 10) and literature (n = 174 articles). In the second step, concepts were linked to the best-matching ICF categories by one reviewer according to prespecified linking rules. Finally, patient-reported activities and participation categories of the ICF core set were translated into understandable questions. Results After linking concepts to ICF categories, 150 ICF categories were collected from focus groups, 22 from experts and 82 from literature. After fusion of the sources and removal of duplicates, the ICF core set included 164 categories: one at the first level, 157 at the second level and six at the third level, with 50 categories on body functions, 15 on body structures, 52 on activities and participation, and 47 on environmental factors. Patient-reported ICF categories on activities and participation were translated into a patient-centred ICF-based 65-item questionnaire. Conclusion The present study proposes an ICF core set that offers a conceptual framework for SSc patients’ care and health policy. Using a patient-centred approach, a patient-centred ICF-based questionnaire, the Cochin Scleroderma ICF-65 questionnaire, assessing activities and participation in patients with SSc, was conceived. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, http://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01848418.

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Comparing Two Different Option Pricing Methods

Risks ◽

10.3390/risks8040108 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 108

Author(s):

Alessandro Bondi ◽

Dragana Radojičić ◽

Thorsten Rheinländer

Keyword(s):

Option Pricing ◽

Financial Markets ◽

Stock Exchange ◽

Calibration Method ◽

Call Option ◽

Option Prices ◽

Penalty Term ◽

Pricing Options ◽

Percentage Difference ◽

Using Data

Motivated by new financial markets where there is no canonical choice of a risk-neutral measure, we compared two different methods for pricing options: calibration with an entropic penalty term and valuation by the Esscher measure. The main aim of this paper is to contrast the outcomes of those two methods with real-traded call option prices in a liquid market like NASDAQ stock exchange, using data referring to the period 2019–2020. Although the Esscher measure method slightly underperforms the calibration method in terms of absolute values of the percentage difference between real and model prices, it could be the only feasible choice if there are not many liquidly traded derivatives in the market.

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The role of language in portfolio learning

The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning ◽

10.19173/irrodl.v12i1.1062 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 109 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dianne Conrad

Keyword(s):

Postsecondary Institutions ◽

Academic Life ◽

Prior Learning ◽

Portfolio Development ◽

Development Processes ◽

Language Growth ◽

Pass Through ◽

Using Data ◽

The Impact

Within the practice of recognizing prior learning (RPL), language issues –writing, the act of capturing language – are critically important facets of portfolio development. Using data drawn from a study of several postsecondary institutions in three countries, this paper examines the role and impact of language in portfolio development processes. Specifically, it considers the dynamics that contribute to learners’ finding appropriate language and their response to that journey, noting that learners pass through several stages of language growth, beginning with learning the language of academic life and recognizing the importance of that “new” language. The paper also discusses the impact of assessors’ use of language and considers the notion of learners’ transformation as they pass through the portfolio learning process.

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