This study investigated whether stress responsiveness (in one context) can be used to predict dog behavior in daily life. On two occasions (NT1 = 32 puppies; NT2 = 16 young adults), dogs' ...physiological stress response after a behavioral test at home was measured in terms of reactivity (10 min post-test) and recovery (40 min post-test) for three salivary markers: cortisol, chromogranin A (CgA) and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA). For each marker, it was determined whether dogs with a strong physiological response displayed different behavior in daily life compared to dogs with a weaker physiological response. The results revealed three main findings: first, for CgA and cortisol, different patterns were identified according to sample time. High reactivity related to desirable traits, whereas slow recovery after the behavioral test related to undesirable traits. The findings suggest that increased levels of CgA and cortisol 10 minutes after the behavioral test reflected an adaptive stress response, whereas elevated levels 40 minutes after the test reflected unsuccessful coping. Second, patterns for sIgA differed from CgA and cortisol: significant associations were only found with behavioral traits at T2, mostly considered desirable and related to Trainability. Possibly, the delayed reaction pattern of sIgA caused this difference between markers, as sIgA reflects the (secondary) immune response to stress, due to immunosuppressive effects of cortisol. Third, predictive capacity of puppies' physiological stress response (T1) was inconclusive, and contrary relations were found with behavioral traits at T2, suggesting that developmental factors play an important role. This study provides new insights about the relation between stress physiology and behavioral traits, and methodological advice is given to study these patterns further. In conclusion, physiological markers could provide additional insights in dogs' tendencies to display certain behaviors, especially at the young adult stage. Further studies are needed to confirm these patterns.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose
Quality of life (QOL) is an important concept in the field of health and medicine. QOL is a complex concept that is interpreted and defined differently within and between disciplines, ...including the fields of health and medicine. The aims of this study were to systematically review the literature on QOL in medicine and health research and to describe the country of origin, target groups, instruments, design, and conceptual issues.
Methods
A systematic review was conducted to identify research studies on QOL and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The databases Scopus, which includes Embase and MEDLINE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched for articles published during one random week in November 2016. The ten predefined criteria of Gill and Feinstein were used to evaluate the conceptual and methodological rigor.
Results
QOL research is international and involves a variety of target groups, research designs, and QOL measures. According to the criteria of Gill and Feinstein, the results show that only 13% provided a definition of QOL, 6% distinguished QOL from HRQOL. The most frequently fulfilled criteria were: (i) stating the domains of QOL to be measured; (ii) giving a reason for choosing the instruments used; and (iii) aggregating the results from multiple items.
Conclusion
QOL is an important endpoint in medical and health research, and QOL research involves a variety of patient groups and different research designs. Based on the current evaluation of the methodological and conceptual clarity of QOL research, we conclude that the majority QOL studies in health and medicine have conceptual and methodological challenges.
Pig vocalisations convey information about their current state of health and welfare. Continuously monitoring these vocalisations can provide useful information for the farmer. For instance, pig ...screams can indicate stressful situations. When monitoring screams, other sounds can interfere with scream detection. Therefore, identifying screams from other sounds is essential. The objective of this study was to understand which sound features define a scream. Therefore, a method to detect screams based on sound features with physical meaning and explicit rules was developed. To achieve this, 7 hours of labelled data from 24 pigs was used. The developed detection method attained 72% sensitivity, 91% specificity and 83% precision. As a result, the detection method showed that screams contain the following features discerning them from other sounds: a formant structure, adequate power, high frequency content, sufficient variability and duration.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Burden of itch in ichthyosis: a multicentre study in 94 patients De Palma, A.M.; Mazereeuw‐Hautier, J.; Giehl, K. ...
JEADV. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology/Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology,
November 2019, Letnik:
33, Številka:
11
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Background
From clinical experience, we know that itch is a major concern for many ichthyosis patients. Nonetheless, no previous studies specifically addressed the issue of itch in ichthyosis.
...Objective
The objective of this study was to specifically address the burden of itch and all its dimensions in ichthyosis patients.
Methods
Ninety‐four ichthyosis patients from four different centres were recruited to participate in this cross‐sectional, questionnaire‐based study. All participants completed the Leuven Itch Scale, a multidimensional self‐report instrument that quantifies the frequency, duration, severity, distress, consequences and surface area of itch.
Results
Participants included 18 keratinopathic types, 55 autosomal recessive congenital ichthyoses, 11 X‐linked recessive ichthyoses (XLRIs), 6 Netherton's ichthyoses, 1 Sjögren–Larsson type, 1 Iocrin ichthyosis and 2 unknown subtypes. Itch occurred in 93% of all patients. In patients with itch, 63% reported that it was often or always present, although most itch episodes were short in duration. Itch, in all its dimensions, was worst in patients with Netherton syndrome. Patients with XLRI had in general a lower itch profile. About half of all ichthyosis patients reported to experience flares during a change in weather, in a hot environment or in stressful situations, whereas a cold environment led to itch in only 26% of patients. The most significant consequences of itching were lesions from scratching, difficulties in falling asleep, bad mood and loss of concentration.
Conclusions
Itch is a major concern in patients with ichthyosis, with significant impact on daily life. Research on future treatments should therefore take itch into consideration and itch should be evaluated in clinical studies. Among the studied subgroups, Netherton patients experienced the most severe consequences.
Health is a key element in pig welfare and steady weight gain is considered an indicator of good health and productivity. However, many diseases such as diarrhoea cause a substantial reduction in ...food intake and weight gain in pigs. Therefore, continuous weight monitoring is an essential method to ensure pigs are in good health. The purpose of this work was to investigate the feasibility of an automated method to estimate weight of individual pigs by using image processing. This study comprised measurements on four pens of grower pigs, each consisting of 10 pigs. At the start of the experiments, pigs weighed on average 23 plus or minus 4.4kg (mean plus or minus SD) while at the end their average weight was 45 plus or minus 6.5kg. Each pen was monitored by a top-view camera. For validation purposes, the experiment was repeated once. Individual pigs were automatically identified by their unique painting patterns using shape recognition techniques. The weight estimation process developed as follows: First, to localized pigs in the image, an ellipse fitting algorithm was employed. Second, the area the pig occupying in the ellipse was calculated. Finally, the weight of pigs was estimated using dynamic modelling. The developed model was then validated by comparing the estimated weight against manual twiceweekly actual weight measurements of each individual pig. In addition, to monitor the weight of pigs individually, the pigs were marked on their back with basic unique paint patterns and were identified automatically using shape recognition techniques. In this way, the weight of each individual pig could be estimated. This method can replace the regular weight measurements on farms that require repeated handling and thereby causing stress to the pigs. Overall, video imaging of fattening pigs appeared promising for real-time weight and growth monitoring. In this study pig weight could be estimated with an accuracy of 97.5% at group level (error of 0.82kg) and 96.2% individually (error of 1.23kg). This result is significant since the existing automated tools currently have a maximum accuracy of 95% (error of 2kg) in practical setups and 97% (error of 1kg) in walk-through systems (when pigs are forced to pass a corridor one by one) on average. Future work should focus on developing specific algorithms to account for the effect of gender and genotype on body surface area and body weight since these factors affect the model parameters for weight estimation.
The purpose of this work was to investigate feasibility of an automated method to identify marked pigs in a pen in experimental conditions and for behaviour-related research by using image ...processing. This study comprised measurements on four groups of piglets, with 10 piglets per group in a pen. On average, piglets had a weight of 27±4.4kg at the start of experiments and 40kg±6.5 at the end. For the purpose of individual identification, basic patterns were painted on the back of the pigs. Each pen was monitored by a top-view CCD camera. Ellipse fitting algorithms were employed to localise pigs. Consequently, individual pigs could be identified by their respective paint pattern using pattern recognition techniques. Taking visual labelling of videos by an experienced ethologist as the gold standard, pigs could be identified with an average accuracy of 88.7%. It was also shown that behaviours such as resting can be monitored using the presented technique.
Assistance dogs aid people with various impairments on a daily basis. To become an assistance dog, a strict selection procedure and intensive training period must be successfully completed. ...Consequently, not every dog acquired for this purpose, becomes an assistance dog. The purpose of this study was to investigate reasons for failure and the financial consequences thereof for assistance dog associations that do not have a dedicated breeding program for their dogs. Data were collected for a total of 537 dogs enlisted between 2001 and 2015 and purchased out of the general dog population by five Belgian assistance dog associations. Only 60 percent of the dogs actually became an assistance dog and the main reasons for failure were related to undesirable behavioural characteristics and orthopaedic disorders. The estimated average financial loss per rejected dog was found to be 10524 euro. A detailed comparison of the two most popular breeds (Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever) within the guide dogs and mobility assistance dogs revealed no significant difference in probability of successfully completing the training. However, a comparison of orthopaedic screening methods revealed a higher rejection with computed tomography for elbow dysplasia and laxity-based radiographical techniques for hip dysplasia compared to radiography and the standard ventrodorsal hip extend radiograph alone, respectively. Based on these results, we provide several suggestions to increase the probability of success.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Stray cat population management is an important worldwide issue. Understanding citizen attitudes towards stray cat control options is vital to the success of controlling stray cat numbers, as public ...perception affects the acceptance of, support for and collaboration in stray cat management policies. Audience segmentation, as to enable each group to be engaged in the stray cat management policy, is important for the success of the interventions. Therefore a web-based survey was conducted among Flemish citizens in order to examine differences in acceptance towards seven management scenarios: household cat neutering with financial support for the owner, household cat neutering without financial support for the owner, encouraging responsible household cat ownership, trapping stray cats and taking them to a shelter, trapping and neutering stray cats for release into a managed “cat colony” (composed by so called “community cats”), trapping and killing of stray cats, and undertaking no action. A total of 4059 valid responses were collected and the proportions of agreement were compared across the different management scenarios using the two-sample z-test. Interactions among factors that influenced each management scenario were investigated using the CHAID (Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection) analysis and visualized on a tree.
Our results showed that fostering responsible household cat ownership (89.9%) and conversion of stray cats to “community cats” (76.3%) were most supported by respondents in our sample (which consisted mainly of females, cat-lovers, and families without children). Least supported were the killing of stray cats (7.7%) and undertaking no action (3.3%). The demographic analyses revealed that for the acceptance of management scenarios there were three important factors (attitude towards cats, area of residence, and gender), two weaker factors (education and having children) and two which had almost no impact (age and cat ownership). We propose that future studies should focus on the effect of ‘area of residence’, ‘having children’ and ‘education’.
In conclusion, our research confirms that management of and communication on stray cat strategies should not be developed with a one-size-fits-all approach. Efforts should be tailored to each audience segment, thus adapted to the area of residence and human characteristics.
•Fostering responsible household cat ownership and conversion of stray cats to community cats were most supported•Killing stray cats and doing nothing about stray cats were considered unacceptable strategies•Attitude towards cats, area of residence, and gender were strong predictive factors for the acceptability of strategies•Further research is needed on the impact of area of residence, having children and educational level of residents
Abstract
Background
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect, with a global birth prevalence of 8.2 per 1000 new-borns. Improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of children ...with CHD have resulted in increasing life prospects, with more than 90% surviving into adulthood today. To ensure expert lifetime care, patients need to transfer from paediatric-oriented care to adult-oriented care. At the same time, they need to transition from a dependent child with CHD to an independent adult who can manage living with CHD. Thus, during adolescence, patients with CHD need to acquire knowledge and skills to independently manage their health, while simultaneously experiencing a series of physical, cognitive and social changes. To facilitate this phase, transitional care is needed. However, high-level empirical evidence on the effectiveness of transitional care is scarce.
Purpose
To investigate the empowering effect (primary outcome) of a structured person-centred transition programme for adolescents with CHD, and to study the effectiveness on transition readiness, patient-reported health, quality of life, health behaviours, disease-related knowledge, parental uncertainty, and parental perception of transition readiness (secondary outcomes).
Methods
The STEPSTONES-CHD trial comprised a hybrid experimental design, in which a randomized controlled trial (RCT) was embedded in a longitudinal, observational study. The trial was conducted in seven CHD centres in Sweden. Two centres were allocated to the RCT-arm, randomising participants to intervention (IG) or control group (CG). The other five centres were intervention-naïve centres and served as contamination check control group (CCCG). Outcomes were measured at the age of 16 y (T0; baseline), 17y (T1) and 18.5y (T2).
Results
The change in empowerment from T0 to T2 differed significantly between the IG and CG (mean difference=3.44; 95% CI: 0.27–6.65; p=0.036) in favour for IG. For the secondary outcomes, significant differences in change over time were found in parental involvement (p=0.008), CHD-specific knowledge (p=0.0002), and satisfaction with physical appearance (p=0.039). No differences in primary or secondary outcomes were detected between CG and CCCG, indicating that there was no contamination in the CG.
Conclusion
The STEPSTONES-CHD trial demonstrated the effectiveness of a person-centred transition programme in empowering adolescents with CHD. Furthermore, parental involvement, satisfaction with physical appearance and CHD-related knowledge were positively influenced. This trial provides empirical underpinnings for the implementation of transition programmes for afflicted adolescents.
Funding Acknowledgement
Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare-FORTE (grant STYA2015/0003)Swedish Research Council (grant 2015–02503)
For dairy cattle on pasture in temperate regions, it is largely unknown to what degree hot summer conditions impact energy metabolism, milk yield and milk composition and how effective shade is in ...reducing these negative effects. During the summer of 2012, a herd of Holstein cows was kept on pasture without access to shade (treatment NS). During the summers of 2011 and 2013, the herd was divided into a group with (treatment S) and a group without (treatment NS) access to shade. Shade was provided by young trees combined with shade cloths (80% reduction in solar radiation). A weather station registered the local climatic conditions on open pasture, from which we calculated daily average Heat Load Index (HLI) values. The effects of HLI and shade on rectal temperature (RT), blood plasma indicators of hyperventilation and metabolic changes due to heat stress, milk yield and milk composition were investigated. RT increased with increasing HLI, but was less for S cows than for NS cows (by 0.02°C and 0.03°C increase per unit increase of HLI, respectively). Hyperchloraemia (an increased blood plasma concentration of Cl−), a sign of hyperventilation, increased for NS cows but not for S cows. The plasma concentration of alkaline phosphatase, a regulator of energy metabolism in the liver, decreased with increasing HLI for NS cows only. Access to shade, thus, reduced the effect of HLI on RT, hyperchloraemia and the regulation of metabolism by the liver. As HLI increased, the plasma concentration of cholesterol decreased (indicating increased lipolysis) and the plasma concentration of creatinine increased (indicating increased protein catabolism). These effects did not differ between S and NS cows. For NS cows, after a lag-time of 2 days, the milk yield decreased with increasing HLI. For S cows, the milk yield was unaffected by HLI and its quadratic factor. The milk concentrations of lactose, protein and fat decreased as HLI increased, but only the effect on milk protein content was remediated by shade. In conclusion, access to shade tempered the negative effects of high HLI on RT, hyperchloraemia and a blood plasma indicator of changing energy metabolism (generally) as well as prevented the decrease in milk yield observed in cows without access to shade.
PDF
