bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The preferences of laying hens for perforated Astroturf over conventional wire as a dustbathing substrate in furnished cages
Authors: Merrill RJN , Cooper JJ , Albentosa MJ , Nicol CJ
Published: January 2023

Following the 2012 European ban (1999/74/EC) of conventional battery cages, only furnished cages will be allowed for laying hens. However, even when furnished cages provide a pecking and scratching area most dustbathing occurs on the wire floor. This study aimed to investigate whether laying hens showed a preference for dustbathing on a covered wire floor rather than a conventional wire floor. Eight groups of 10 hens were housed in pairs of adjoining furnished cages. All hens were leg-ringed for individual identification. Each pair of cages consisted of one cage containing a wire floor covered with perforated Astroturf and a second cage containing a conventional wire floor, joined by a pophole through which hens had unrestricted access. Initial scan samples were taken to investigate the general behaviour of the hens on each floor type. Dustbathing was observed more frequently on Astroturf and no other behaviours were affected by the floor type. Scans were subsequently taken at 5 min intervals between 1130h and 1600h for 10 days, identifying the number of hens, and which individual hens, were dustbathing on each floor type. Data were analysed on a per cage basis, using the binomial sign test. A strong preference was found for dustbathing on Astroturf flooring that was apparent in all cages. Furthermore, the distribution of hens indicated this was not attributable to any overall preference for either floor type but was specific to periods when hens were dustbathing. This demonstrates that there is the potential to include Astroturf in the design of furnished cages, as a dustbathing substrate, in order to improve the welfare of laying hens.
The welfare and suitability of parrots as companion animals: a review
Authors: Engebretson M
Published: January 2023

In recent years there has been an increased interest in studies related to the welfare of avian species commonly kept as companion animals, specifically those in the order Psittaciformes, commonly referred to as ‘parrots’. During this time the biology and behaviour of wild parrots has also become better understood, aiding the assessment of welfare in captive environments. The impact of the pet trade on wild parrot populations has also become clear. This order now has more globally threatened species than almost any other major group of birds. Many significant aspects of parrot behaviour in the wild, such as flocking, social interaction with conspecifics, foraging on a variety of foods and flight, are denied to varying degrees to parrots kept as companion animals. Captive parrots show high levels of stereotypy, suggesting poor welfare. Welfare may be improved by appropriate environmental enrichment and changes in the social environment of captive parrots kept as companion animals; however, such changes require that caretakers have sufficient knowledge, resources and motivation to accommodate such conditions. The concept of companion animal suitability is an important consideration when developing regulations or policy aimed at improving the welfare of animals kept as companions. Although individual exceptions exist and the level of suitability may vary depending on species, in general, their presence in the pet trade has resulted in serious animal welfare and conservation challenges for parrots, indicating that these animals may be unsuitable as human companions.
The welfare of low-volume farm animals during transport and at slaughter: a review of current knowledge and recommendations for future research
Authors: Bornett-Gauci HLI , Martin JE , Arney DR
Published: January 2023

Meat from low-volume farm animals such as farmed deer and wild boar is currently widely available to the consumer within the UK. Despite a rapid growth in production of these species there is a paucity of research that focuses on their welfare. This paper reviews the current literature and legislation relating to the transport and slaughter of farmed deer, wild boar, ostriches, buffalo and bison in order to identify priorities for future research. Research on low-volume farm animals has focused on red deer and their welfare is safeguarded with comprehensive legislation and guidelines. Studies have indicated the importance of appropriately designed facilities and sympathetic handling of red deer to ensure humane slaughter with minimal stress. However, the impact of transport and slaughter on the welfare of other deer species has not been recorded and this should be recognised. Much research has been conducted on the welfare of ostriches during transport and at slaughter. However, many of the results are discordant and research is required to clarify, in particular, posture during transport and stunning methods. Research on the welfare of wild boar, buffalo and bison is scarce. Best practice for both transport and slaughter of these species needs further research and clarification within legislation. For the low-volume species discussed in this review, priorities for further research include (1) appropriate methods of handling to minimise stress during transport and slaughter; (2) identification/clarification of appropriate slaughter methods and (3) training of transport and abattoir personnel in handling and slaughter methods.
Comparison of Halal slaughter with captive bolt stunning and neck cutting in cattle: exsanguination and quality parameters
Authors: Anil MH , Yesildere T , Aksu H , Matur E , McKinstry JL , Weaver HR , Erdogan O , Hughes S , Mason C
Published: January 2023

Some supporters of religious slaughter methods claim that efficiency of bleed-out is adversely affected by stunning. Our previous study carried out in sheep at an abattoir comparing the Muslim method of slaughter without stunning with pre-slaughter stunning using a captive bolt or by electrical methods concluded that bleed-out is not adversely affected by stunning, nor improved by a neck cut without stunning. In this paper, a similar study carried out in cattle is reported. In this study, captive bolt stunning followed by neck cutting was compared with the Muslim slaughter method without stunning. The total blood loss, percentage blood loss expressed as a percentage of live weight and percentage loss of estimated total blood were calculated and compared between each group. In addition, the time periods taken to reach 25, 50, 75 and 90% of total blood loss were also calculated. There was no significant difference between the two stunning groups for any of these blood loss variables. The results, subjected to statistical analyses, also showed no apparent difference in the PCV levels and meat quality parameters between treatments. These results confirm the findings with sheep and show that the bleed-out is not adversely affected by captive bolt stunning, nor improved by a neck cut without stunning in cattle. It is anticipated that these findings may help promote the use of stunning methods during Halal slaughter.
Artificial colour treatment mediates aggression among unfamiliar vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops): a model for introducing primates with colourful sexual skin
Authors: Gerald MS , Weiss A , Ayala JE
Published: January 2023

Aggression and agonism typically accompany the initial interactions exchanged between unfamiliar primates. As a part of a larger study examining the social function of scrotal colour in vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus), this paper offers experimental data to show how scrotal colour can influence aggression, and how artificial colour treatment can be used as an effective tool for managing aggression. Study animals were 81 vervet monkey pairs composed of 162 similarly-sized, unfamiliar adult males originating from non-adjacent parishes in Barbados. Non-contact and contact aggression were recorded on a continuous basis during 90 minute introductions. The main effects of the Test male scrotal colour, Stimulus male colour, and the interaction of the Test male and Stimulus male colours were not significant predictors of non-contact aggression. The effects of scrotal colouration of the Test male and Stimulus male were not significant predictors of contact aggression either, but there was a significant interaction effect; pairs of males with similar scrotal colour engaged in contact aggression more often than pairs of males differing in colour. Painting the scrotum dark led to more aggression when these males were paired with dark coloured males and less aggression when these males were paired with pale coloured males. These findings suggest a practical and inexpensive means of reducing the likelihood of aggression when introducing new animals. These results may also be applicable for other taxa that have colourful sexual skin, such as mandrills, drills, talapoins, patas monkeys, and many guenon species.
The husbandry, welfare and health of captive African civets (Vivera civetica) in western Ethiopa
Authors: Tolosa T , Regassa F
Published: January 2023

A study was carried out during the period from September 2001 to August 2002 in Jimma zone, western Ethiopia to evaluate the husbandry and health of captive African civets (Vivera civetica). Wild civets were found in the wild in all 13 of the districts in the zone, although traditional civet-keeping was practiced in only five. Civet management practices were determined via the use of a questionnaire survey of 15 farms; containing a total of 107 civets. Health was assessed by routine clinical examination, and examination of faecal and blood smears of 55 civets selected at random. All civets were male and over one year of age, with a mean weight of 12.5 ± 0.79 kg. Fifteen percent were in poor body condition, and only 13% had a good body condition score. An average of 7.13 civets were kept on each farm. Farmers obtained wild civets by either trapping them themselves, purchasing them from dealers or a combination of both. The civets were housed separately in wooden cages, with an average size of 1.0 × 0.5 × 1.0 m (length × breadth × height) and kept in a communal thatched room. They were fed boiled meat, milk (fresh or powdered), eggs, butter, corn soup and fruit juice. Although an assessment of the behavioural parameters of welfare were outwith the scope of this study, trapping methods, adaptation processes, housing condition, restraint and the techniques for musk extraction from the anal glands were stressful and injurious, and have important welfare implications. Approximately 20 g of musk was expressed from a single civet every 9-15 days. The civets often sustained injuries while being restrained during musk harvesting; 14% had swelling and bruising, 6.5% fractures and 11.2% had eye lesions. Cestodes were the most prevalent gastrointestinal parasites, followed by ancylostomes, ascarides and Tricuris spp. Skin lesions were identified in 19.6% of civets examined and an assortment of fleas and ticks including Haemophysalis leachi,Rhipicephalus and Amblyoma spp were found on the body. Trypanosoma congolense and Babesia felis were identified in blood smears taken from four animals. This study shows there is an urgent need to invest in research into improving the welfare, husbandry and health of civets, as well as providing educational programmes for those who farm these animals.
Evaluation of the acute phase protein haptoglobin as an indicator of herd health in slaughter pigs
Authors: van den Berg A , Danuser J , Frey J , Regula G
Published: January 2023

Health is an important aspect of animal welfare, which is difficult to assess at herd level. Clinical examination of individual animals is time-consuming, and most measures of clinical herd health depend significantly on the examiner. Acute phase proteins are produced during inflammatory processes, and could therefore be used as general markers of infection and injury. Our objective was to evaluate whether haptoglobin could be used to monitor the health status of herds at slaughter.

107 groups of 20 slaughter pigs each were examined at two large abattoirs. Clinical signs of tail biting, lameness, injuries, abscesses, pneumonia, pleurisy, hepatitis and gastritis were recorded. The association between elevated haptoglobin concentration in meat juice samples and clinical signs was assessed via multiple logistic regression.

Pigs from groups in which tail biting, lameness, othaematomas, abscesses, pneumonia, pleurisy, pericarditis or condemnations of livers, lungs or carcasses occurred, showed higher levels of haptoglobin than pigs from slaughter groups without any of these clinical signs. In the multiple regression model, only the variables of lameness and tail biting were statistically significant. The haptoglobin test classified 66% of all slaughter groups correctly according to the presence of these clinical signs. These results demonstrate the potential for haptoglobin to be used as a screening test to identify problem herds at slaughter.
Can sleep behaviour be used as an indicator of stress in group-housed rats (Rattus norvegicus)?
Authors: Abou-Ismail UA , Burman OHP , Nicol CJ , Mendl M
Published: January 2023

We assessed the value of sleep behaviour as a novel measure of stress in group-housed animals. We observed, non-invasively, sleep behaviour in 144 group-housed rats, and related it to other physiological and physical indicators of stress and welfare. Sleep frequency and duration correlated negatively with adrenal weight, and positively with bodyweight gain, and final bodyweight. Thus, low frequencies of sleep behaviour and low sleep duration correlate with some indicators of elevated physiological and physical stress, raising the possibility that sleep behaviour may provide an under-utilised, but potentially important, non-invasive indicator of stress and welfare for animals in groups.
Protective behaviour of Konik horses in response to insect harassment
Authors: Górecka A , Jezierski T
Published: January 2023

The natural protective behaviour displayed by Konik Polski horses against flies was investigated. The factors considered were age (adults versus foals), management system (forest reserve versus pasture), weather conditions and type of horse activity. Twenty-five Konik Polski adults and 18 foals were observed between 0800 and 2000h during two summer seasons (2000 and 2001). Individual protective behaviours (IB) eg tail swishing, head shaking, leg lifting, skin twitching and social protective behaviour (grouping for mutual protection) against insects were studied. Adult and forest-kept horses performed more IB than foals and pastured horses, respectively. Wet and windy weather conditions significantly reduced insect harassment and the frequency of responses to insects. Therefore, if it is not possible to apply chemical repellents against insects, then allowing horses to aggregate into groups or providing them with refuge, especially on hot and windless days, may have significant welfare benefits.
Quality of life: the heart of the matter
Authors: Kirkwood JK
Published: January 2023

It is believed widely, and with good reason, that some other members of the animal kingdom, like us, have feelings (associated with brain states induced by various sensory inputs and cognitive processes) which can be pleasant or unpleasant. Associated with the strengthening scientific foundations for this belief, there has been growing consensus around the world that we have a moral responsibility, in all of our dealings and interactions with sentient animals, to take account of their feelings. This has led to widespread re-evaluation, in recent years, of the nature of our interactions with other animals. However, assessment of the feelings of animals — the quality of their lives — remains a great challenge for veterinarians and others involved with their management. The fundamental difficulty is that whilst judgements about management or treatment often have to be made on the basis of our inferences of how they feel (ie of the feelings they consciously experience), a subjective step cannot be avoided in making these inferences. We cannot know how other animals feel but can only infer this based on our knowledge of the animal and on our own experiences of feelings. This inevitable ‘gap’ in objective deductions about feelings is often wide enough that people can reach radically different conclusions when judging an animal's quality of life. Opinions thus often differ regarding the point at which it becomes kinder to euthanase an animal than not to do so, the point at which it becomes kinder not to undertake a potentially painful therapeutic intervention than to do so, and where the balance lies when animal welfare costs are being ‘weighed’ against some benefit of their use for humans (eg as laboratory, farm or companion animals). The aim of this meeting is to discuss if and how science has helped in developing reasoned approaches to these dilemmas, and to consider the need for further research, education, and policy development.
Performance on a categorisation task suggests that removal of environmental enrichment induces ‘pessimism’ in captive European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)
Authors: Bateson M , Matheson SM
Published: January 2023

Improving the quality of life of captive animals is dependent on developing valid measures of how animals feel about their lives. It has recently been suggested that biases in information processing may offer a novel means of understanding animal emotions. Anxious and depressed people tend to interpret ambiguous information negatively. We explored the proposal that such cognitive biases also exist in non-human animals and could therefore be used as novel measures of animal welfare. We used a novel cognitive bias task based on a learnt taste aversion to determine whether birds deprived of environmental enrichment show biases in their classification of ambiguous signals. We hypothesised that starlings in enriched cages should be more likely to classify ambiguous signals as being associated with a positive outcome than starlings housed in standard, unenriched cages. Starlings were trained on a go/no-go procedure to discriminate between two visual stimuli (cardboard lids of white and dark grey) associated with outcomes of a different value (palatable and unpalatable mealworms hidden underneath). Individual birds' responses to unreinforced, intermediate stimuli (various shades of grey between white and dark grey) were subsequently examined while each bird was housed sequentially in both standard and enriched cages. The probability of a bird classifying an ambiguous pale grey lid as hiding a palatable mealworm was lower in standard cages than enriched cages, but this difference was found only in birds that received enriched cages first. Our results can be interpreted as showing a pessimistic bias in birds that have recently experienced a decline in environmental quality. These findings support the use of cognitive bias-based tasks as a novel, non-invasive technique for assessing welfare in non-human animals.
Emotions and cognition: a new approach to animal welfare
Authors: Boissy A , Arnould C , Chaillou E , Désiré L , Duvaux-Ponter C , Greiveldinger L , Leterrier C , Richard S , Roussel S , Saint-Dizier H , Meunier-Salaün MC , Valance D , Veissier I
Published: January 2023

The concept of quality of life in animals is closely associated with the concepts of animal sentience and animal welfare. It reflects a positive approach that inquires what animals like or prefer doing. The assessment of farm animal welfare requires a good understanding of the animals' affective experience, including their emotions. However, affective experience in animals is difficult to measure because of the absence of verbal communication. Recent studies in the field of cognitive psychology have shown that affective experience can be investigated without using verbal communication by examination of the interactions between emotions and cognition. On the one hand, appraisal theories provide a conceptual framework which suggests that emotions in humans are triggered by a cognitive process whereby the situation is evaluated on a limited number of elementary criteria such as familiarity and predictability. We have applied these appraisal theories to develop an experimental approach for studying the elementary criteria used by farm animals to evaluate their environment and the combinations of those criteria that trigger emotions. On the other hand, an increasing body of research, first in humans and then in other animals, suggests that emotions also influence cognitive processes by modifying attention, memory and judgement in a short- or long-term manner. Cognitive processes could therefore be manipulated and measured to provide new insights into how not only emotions but also more persistent affective states can be assessed in animals. Further work based on these cognitive approaches will offer new paradigms for improving our understanding of animal welfare, thus contributing to ‘a life of high quality’ in animals.
Autonomy and paternalism in quality of life determinations in veterinary practice
Authors: Morgan CA
Published: January 2023

Assessments and predictions of patient quality of life (QoL) permeate many veterinary decisions, including (1) whether to perform a procedure due to concurrent QoL issues, (2) whether a procedure will negatively affect QoL in the near or distant future, and (3) whether QoL is poor enough to warrant euthanasia. In order to understand how veterinarians manage decisions relating to patient well-being, interviews with 41 veterinarians and over 100 hours of observations of 10 veterinarians were conducted. Participants held diverse views regarding the type of parameters that should be included when defining QoL. Interestingly, they also held differing views about who should be assessing patient QoL, with some participants believing that animals' owners were better able to assess patient QoL than veterinarians. For these veterinarians, respecting the client's autonomy in deciding what was best for the patient weighed heavily in their decisions. Other veterinarians felt that they, rather than the client, were the best assessors of QoL and felt justified in persuading clients to follow a certain course of action (often considered a paternalistic approach). These findings raise some interesting questions for the profession. What role should veterinarians play when assessing patient QoL? When is paternalism acceptable or even mandatory in veterinary medicine? Does respecting client autonomy also require an evaluation of the client's abilities to make appropriate decisions for the patient? The lack of uniformity in defining and assessing patient QoL highlights the need for increased dialogue with respect to veterinarians' responsibilities to both animals and clients.
Assessment of welfare from physiological and behavioural responses of New Zealand dairy cows exposed to cold and wet conditions
Authors: Webster JR , Stewart M , Rogers AR , Verkerk GA
Published: January 2023

There is a need to assess the welfare of dairy cows that live outdoors under cold and wet conditions. This study combined a number of techniques to measure stress and make an assessment of welfare in this situation. Two groups of ten non-pregnant, non-lactating Holstein Friesian cows were exposed to a week of wind and rain (WR) or housed indoors (I) with pre- and post-treatment weeks indoors in a cross-over design. Wind and rain consisted of continual air movement (7.1 kph) using fans, water sprinkling for 15 min (3.0 mm) per hour, a mean temperature of 3.4°C and wind chill of –0.3°C. Internal body temperature was recorded every ten min and behaviour for 16 h per day. Blood, faeces and infrared temperatures were sampled at 0800h each morning during treatment weeks, and three times per week during pre- and post-treatment weeks. All cows were challenged with 2 ml Leptoshield Vaccine (CSL Animal Health, Australia) subcutaneously after 3 days of cold exposure to test immune responses. During WR, cows spent a greater proportion of time standing and less time lying down and eating than during I. Infrared temperatures were lower during WR than I in both dorsal and orbital (eye) regions. There was a distinct diurnal pattern of internal body temperature which had a greater amplitude during WR than I resulting from both a lower minimum and a higher maximum. The time of the minimum was 40 min later for WR than I. The overall mean body temperature was 0.07°C higher in WR than I. There were greater increases in plasma and faecal cortisol during WR than I, respectively. Total T4 was higher during WR than I. Non-esterified fatty acid concentration was higher in the week following WR than I. Total white blood cell numbers were lower during WR than I. No treatment differences were found for creatine kinase or for tumour necrosis factor, heat shock protein 90, interleukin 6 or interferon gamma expression in response to vaccination. In conclusion, this study applied a suite of stress measures to dairy cows exposed to extreme cold and wet conditions. Together, these measures indicated activation of the stress axis, physiological and behavioural adaptations to cold and a reduction in welfare. A number of these measures could be used to assess welfare under cold conditions on farms.
Body condition score as an indicator of ewe survival under extensive conditions
Authors: Morgan-Davies C , Waterhouse A , Pollock ML , Milner JM
Published: January 2023

Survival and mortality of extensive hill ewes are important commercial factors and valuable indicators of welfare, but difficult to study. Body condition scoring is a tried-and-tested management and monitoring tool which has been defined as a good predictor of fitness in ewes and is easily measured under hill farm conditions. This paper presents the results of a study on ewe survival rates in hill conditions in Scotland. Ewe performance and survival rates were measured in two contrasting hill flocks over a five-year period. Statistical analysis showed that mid-pregnancy body condition score was the most reliable indicator of subsequent ewe survival, followed closely by age of the ewe and environmental and management conditions. This study confirms that there are considerable welfare issues related to hill flocks and that improved winter nutritional management is a key component to good welfare and productivity. It also reinforces the view that body condition score is a good quantitative predictor of animal welfare and that poor mid-winter score indicates high risk of mortality, both at the flock and individual ewe level.
Gas killing of rats: the effect of supplemental oxygen on aversion to carbon dioxide
Authors: Kirkden RD , Niel L , Stewart SA , Weary DM
Published: January 2023

High concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), used for killing laboratory rodents, are known to be more strongly aversive to rats than sweet food items are attractive. This study investigated whether the maintenance of a high oxygen (O2) concentration, using a gas mixture of 70% CO2and 30% O2, would reduce aversion to CO2during a gradual-fill procedure. Eight male Wistar rats, aged 10 months, were housed individually in an apparatus consisting of two cages, one higher than the other and joined by a tube. In a series of trials, subjects entered the lower cage for a reward of 20 sweet food items. The gas was turned on at the moment the rat started eating the reward items and flowed into the lower cage at a fixed rate. There were four treatments: 1) 100% CO2at 14.5% cage volume min–1; 2) gas mixture at 14.5% min–1; 3) gas mixture at 21.0% min–1, which delivered CO2at approximately 14.5% min–1and 4) air, with each subject tested with each treatment four times. Measures of willingness to stay and eat in the lower cage (latency to stop eating, latency to leave and the number of reward items eaten) were much lower in all three gas treatments than in air, indicating that the CO2and the CO2+ O2mixture were both more strongly aversive than sweet food items were attractive. Comparing the gas mixture with 100% CO2, the latency to leave and the number of reward items eaten were slightly higher in the CO2+ O2mixture at 21% min–1than in CO2at 14.5% min–1, indicating that the addition of O2slightly reduced the aversiveness of CO2in the gradual-fill procedure. This reduction is not enough to warrant recommending the use of CO2+ O2mixtures for killing rats.
The effect of substrate availability on behavioural and physiological indicators of welfare in the African cichlid (Oreochromis mossambicus)
Authors: Galhardo L , Correia J , Oliveira RF
Published: January 2023

Male African cichlids (Oreochromis mossambicus) establish territories on the substrate upon which spawning pits are dug, thus attracting females. The substrate, therefore, plays a very significant role in its lifecycle. The effects of substrate access on behaviour and physiology in captivity were assessed. Mixed-sex, all-male and all-female groups were observed for five days, with and without substrate. Social patterns, behaviour directed towards the substrate, locomotor activity and spatial behaviour were recorded, and haematocrit, plasma cortisol and glucose levels were measured. Substrate inclusion saw a significant increase in behavioural diversity, sexual behaviour of dominant males in mixed groups, pit digging and territoriality whereas a lack of substrate was characterised by increased chafing and inactivity. Vacuum-pit digging was also observed. Frequency of aggression did not differ significantly and female behaviour was not affected by the presence of substrate. For both sexes, no differences in cortisol and glucose levels were found between the two treatments, but haematocrit increased with substrate. The key role played by substrate in territorial males is consistent with the behavioural and physiological data reported. In the absence of substrate, decreased territorial behaviour is contrasted with similar levels of aggression, cortisol and glucose; all of which are suggestive of a stress-related context. Moreover, the exhibition of vacuum activities is a signal that behavioural needs are not being met and may be some form of coping mechanism. These findings, taken in conjunction with the variations in behavioural diversity and inactivity, suggest that the welfare of male cichlids may be adversely affected by the absence of substrate.
The reduction of stereotypic pacing in tigers (Panthera tigris) by obstructing the view of neighbouring individuals
Authors: Miller LJ , Bettinger T , Mellen J
Published: January 2023

Until recently, little attention has been focused on the influence of social interactions and the presence of conspecifics on stereotypic pacing in captive carnivores. This study examined the effect of adding a visual barrier between two tiger (Panthera tigris) exhibits on stereotypic pacing behaviour. Continuous sampling was used to record the duration of time tigers spent pacing and the total number of pacing bouts. The results show a significant decrease in stereotypic pacing for the group of six female tigers after obstruction of the view of neighbouring tigers. These results suggest that the opportunity for tigers to view conspecifics in other exhibits may influence time spent pacing therefore it is felt that the design or renovation of tiger exhibits should take the visibility of neighbouring individuals into account.
A review of welfare in cattle, sheep and pig lairages, with emphasis on stocking rates, ventilation and noise
Authors: Weeks CA
Published: January 2023

Appropriate space allowances for animals are yet to be specifically determined for lairage. Space allowances that may be suitable for animals in lairage are suggested, based on reviewed studies of animals in transport, lairage and on farm. The longer animals are in lairage the more space they require, in order to be able to get up and lie down and lie undisturbed by congeners. Little work has been done on air quality and air flow characteristics in lairages. The range of ventilation must be sufficient to control levels of toxic or irritant gases such as carbon dioxide and ammonia and to remove excess heat and humidity; the latter being particularly relevant for pig lairages in hot weather. Intensities of sound measured in lairages often exceed 85 dB and there is evidence to suggest that such levels can be stressful especially for pigs; and human shouting appears particularly aversive to animals. Cattle vocalise in response to painful stimuli and to convey information to conspecifics that may be related to fear and distress. There is limited evidence that sheep adapt to continuous sound, provided it is not too loud, but respond to intermittent sounds such as gates banging and human shouting. Vocal communication between sheep may be less important than that between cattle and pigs. Levels of vocalisation are potential indices of animal welfare. Animals' prior experiences and factors such as sex, group size and constitution, pen design, and climatic or environmental conditions affect their welfare and responses to conditions in lairage.
Exploring heifers' perception of ‘positive’ treatment through their motivation to pursue a retreated human
Authors: Bertenshaw CE , Rowlinson P
Published: January 2023

This pilot study investigates dairy heifers' perception of ‘positive treatment’ by a human (stroking and brushing) through a test of appetitive motivation. The hypothesis was that positive treatment by a human results in heifers pursuing a human to seek further positive treatment. Thirty-seven dairy heifers were assigned to either minimal human contact or positive treatment during rearing for five minutes per week, for a total of four hours, between ages six to 24 months. Six months after treatment ceased, the heifers were tested in a suite of four sequential tests, conducted while free ranging in their home pen with a group of familiar conspecifics. The tests explored whether dairy heifers that received positive treatment had: 1) a lower flight distance than controls; 2) accepted initial positive treatment during the test; and (for those who voluntarily re-approached and interacted with the human after the human had retreated) whether this was due to 3) curiosity; or 4) motivation for further positive treatment. Positive treatment heifers had a lower flight distance in component 1 of the test and more of this group voluntarily approached the human compared to the control heifers. The positive treatment allowed more initial positive treatment (component 2) and sought further positive treatment in components 3 and 4. It is concluded that ‘positive’ treatment is rewarding for many heifers. It is suggested that positive treatment constitutes environmental enrichment of dairy cattle and can enhance cattle's quality of life and the human-animal relationship.
Exploiting SMILEs and the CMIP5 Archive to Understand Arctic Climate Change Seasonality and Uncertainty
Authors: Wu You‐Ting , Liang Yu‐Chiao , Kuo Yan‐Ning , Lehner Flavio , Previdi Michael , Polvani Lorenzo M. , Lo Min‐Hui , Lan Chia‐Wei
Published: January 2023

Arctic Amplification (AA) exhibits a distinct seasonal dependence; it is weakest in boreal summer and strongest in winter. Here, we analyze simulations from single‐model initial‐condition large ensembles and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 to decipher the seasonal evolution of Arctic climate change. Models agree that the annual maximum AA shifts from autumn into winter over the 21st century, accompanied by similar shifts in sea‐ice loss and surface turbulent heat fluxes, whereas the maximum precipitation shifts only into late autumn. However, the exact seasonal timing and magnitude of these shifts are highly uncertain. Decomposing the uncertainty into model structural differences, emission scenarios, and internal variability reveals that model differences dominate the total uncertainty, which also undergo autumn‐to‐winter shifts. We also find that the scenario uncertainty is unimportant for projections of AA. These results highlight that understanding model differences is critical to reducing uncertainty in projected Arctic climate change.
Assessing Controls on the Incomplete Draining of Martian Open‐Basin Lakes
Authors: Goudge Timothy A. , Fassett Caleb I. , Coholich Marianne , Bamber Emily R.
Published: January 2023

Over 250 hydrologically open paleolakes, which filled with water before catastrophically breaching, have been identified on Mars. These open‐basin lakes are recognized by the topographic geometry of a closed contour below the elevation of the outlet, indicating that the lake was incompletely drained by the breach flood. Here, we explore factors that controlled how completely a given open‐basin lake on Mars drained using (a) observations of 24 open‐basin lakes on Mars and (b) numerical modeling experiments of lake breach flooding. Observational results suggest that the key parameters for promoting more complete draining in open‐basin lakes on Mars were steeper regional slopes and taller crater rims. From a suite of 303 numerical experiments, we find that more complete draining is accomplished with larger basins, steeper regional slopes, basins with steeper walls, taller crater rims, and a more erodible substrate (parameterized by grain size in our model). Outliers in the observational results suggest that complete draining was inhibited by the presence of another lake immediately downstream of the breach as well as a less erodible substrate relative to other basins. We observe no correlation between open‐basin lake area and drained fraction on Mars, contrary to the strong trend in our numerical experiments. We hypothesize that this is the result of increasing resistance to erosion with depth in the Martian crust, which is not incorporated into our model. Our results provide new insights into controls on the fluvial integration of the early Mars landscape as well as the spatially variable erodibility of the shallow Martian crust.
A Generalized Multistep Dynamic (GMD) TOPMODEL
Authors: Goudarzi Salim , Milledge David , Holden Joseph
Published: January 2023

There is a lack of Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) formulations in numerical hydrology, contributing to the lack of application of canned adaptive timestep solvers; hence the continued dominance of fixed (e.g., Euler) timestep techniques despite their fundamental problems. In this paper, we reformulate Dynamic‐TOPMODEL into a constraint‐handling ODE form and use MATLAB's advanced adaptive ODE‐solvers to solve the resulting system of equations. For wider applicability, but based on existing research and/or first principles, we developed Generalized Multistep Dynamic TOPMODEL which includes: iso‐basin spatial discretization, diffusion wave routing, depth‐dependent overland flow velocity, relaxing the assumption of water‐table parallelism to the ground surface, a power‐law hydraulic conductivity profile, new unsaturated zone flux, and a reference frame adjustment. To demonstrate the model we calibrate it to a peat catchment case study, for which we also test sensitivity to spatial discretization. Our results suggest that (a) a five‐fold improvement in model runtime can result from adaptive timestepping; (b) the additional iso‐basin discretization layer, as a way to further constrain spatial information where needed, also improves performance; and (c) the common‐practice arbitrary Topographic Index (TI) discretization substantially alters calibrated parameters. More objective and physically constrained (e.g., top‐down) approaches to TI classification may be needed.
Nitrate Hysteresis as a Tool for Revealing Storm‐Event Dynamics and Improving Water Quality Model Performance
Authors: Husic Admin , Fox James F. , Clare Evan , Mahoney Tyler , Zarnaghsh Amirreza
Published: January 2023

Understanding the physics of nitrate contamination in surface and subsurface water is vital for mitigating downstream water quality impairment. Though high frequency sensor data have become readily available and computational models more accessible, the integration of these two methods for improved prediction is underdeveloped. The objective of this study was to utilize high‐frequency data to advance our understanding and model representation of nitrate transport for an agricultural karst spring in Kentucky, USA. We collected 2‐years of 15‐min nitrate and specific conductance data and analyzed source‐timing dynamics across dozens of events to develop a conceptual model for nitrate hysteresis in karst. Thereafter, we used the sensing data, specifically discharge‐concentration indices, to constrain modeled nitrate prediction bounds as well as the uncertainty of hydrologic and nitrogen processes, such as soil percolation and biogeochemical transformation. Observed nitrate hysteresis behavior at the spring was complex and included clockwise (n = 11), counterclockwise (n = 13), and figure‐eight (n = 10) shapes, which contrasts with surface systems that are often dominated by a single hysteresis shape. Sensing results highlight the importance of antecedent connectivity to nitrate‐rich storages in determining the timing of nitrate delivery to the spring. After integrating hysteresis analysis into our numerical model evaluation, simulated nitrate prediction bounds were reduced by 43 ± 12% and parameter uncertainty by 36 ± 20%. Taken together, this study suggests that discharge‐concentration indices derived from high‐frequency sensor data can be successfully integrated into numerical models to improve process representation and reduce modeled uncertainty.
Discovery and replication of blood-based proteomic signature of PTSD in 9/11 responders
Authors: Waszczuk Monika A. , Kuan Pei-Fen , Yang Xiaohua , Miao Jiaju , Kotov Roman , Luft Benjamin J.
Published: January 2023

Proteomics provides an opportunity to develop biomarkers for the early detection and monitoring of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, research to date has been limited by small sample sizes and a lack of replication. This study performed Olink Proseek Multiplex Platform profiling of 81 proteins involved in neurological processes in 936 responders to the 9/11 disaster (mean age at blood draw = 55.41 years (SD = 7.93), 94.1% white, all men). Bivariate correlations and elastic net regressions were used in a discovery subsample to identify concurrent associations between PTSD symptom severity and the profiled proteins, and to create a multiprotein composite score. In hold-out subsamples, nine bivariate associations between PTSD symptoms and differentially expressed proteins were replicated: SKR3, NCAN, BCAN, MSR1, PVR, TNFRSF21, DRAXIN, CLM6, and SCARB2 (|r| = 0.08–0.17, p < 0.05). There were three replicated bivariate associations between lifetime PTSD diagnosis and differentially expressed proteins: SKR3, SIGLEC, and CPM (OR = 1.38–1.50, p < 0.05). The multiprotein composite score retained 38 proteins, including 10/11 proteins that replicated in bivariate tests. The composite score was significantly associated with PTSD symptom severity (β = 0.27, p < 0.001) and PTSD diagnosis (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.17–2.19, p = 0.003) in the hold-out subsample. Overall, these findings suggest that PTSD is characterized by altered expression of several proteins implicated in neurological processes. Replicated associations with TNFRSF21, CLM6, and PVR support the neuroinflammatory signature of PTSD. The multiprotein composite score substantially increased associations with PTSD symptom severity over individual proteins. If generalizable to other populations, the current findings may inform the development of PTSD biomarkers.
Community Genetics screening in a pandemic: solutions for pre-test education, informed consent, and specimen collection
Authors: Terrill Bronwyn , McKnight Lauren , Pearce Angela , Gordon Heather , Lo William , Lee I-Chieh Jennifer , Runiewicz Monica , Palmer Alex , Andrews Lesley , Kirk Edwin , Goldberg Daniel , Tucker John , Murray David , Kaplan Warren , Kummerfeld Sarah , Burnett Leslie
Published: January 2023

A Community Genetics carrier screening program for the Jewish community has operated on-site in high schools in Sydney (Australia) for 25 years. During 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, government-mandated social-distancing, ‘lock-down’ public health orders, and laboratory supply-chain shortages prevented the usual operation and delivery of the annual testing program. We describe development of three responses to overcome these challenges: (1) pivoting to online education sufficient to ensure informed consent for both genetic and genomic testing; (2) development of contactless telehealth with remote training and supervision for collecting genetic samples using buccal swabs; and (3) a novel patient and specimen identification ‘GeneTrustee’ protocol enabling fully identified clinical-grade specimens to be collected and DNA extracted by a research laboratory while maintaining full participant confidentiality and privacy. These telehealth strategies for education, consent, specimen collection and sample processing enabled uninterrupted delivery and operation of complex genetic testing and screening programs even amid pandemic restrictions. These tools remain available for future operation and can be adapted to other programs.
Migration direction in a songbird explained by two loci
Authors: Sokolovskis Kristaps , Lundberg Max , Åkesson Susanne , Willemoes Mikkel , Zhao Tianhao , Caballero-Lopez Violeta , Bensch Staffan
Published: January 2023

Migratory routes and remote wintering quarters in birds are often species and even population specific. It has been known for decades that songbirds mainly migrate solitarily, and that the migration direction is genetically controlled. Yet, the underlying genetic mechanisms remain unknown. To investigate the genetic basis of migration direction, we track genotyped willow warblers Phylloscopus trochilus from a migratory divide in Sweden, where South-West migrating, and South-East migrating subspecies form a hybrid swarm. We find evidence that migration direction follows a dominant inheritance pattern with epistatic interaction between two loci explaining 74% of variation. Consequently, most hybrids migrate similarly to one of the parental subspecies, and therefore do not suffer from the cost of following an inferior, intermediate route. This has significant implications for understanding the selection processes that maintain narrow migratory divides.
TGFβ1+CCR5+ neutrophil subset increases in bone marrow and causes age-related osteoporosis in male mice
Authors: Li Jinbo , Yao Zhenqiang , Liu Xin , Duan Rong , Yi Xiangjiao , Ayoub Akram , Sanders James O. , Mesfin Addisu , Xing Lianping , Boyce Brendan F.
Published: January 2023

TGFβ1 induces age-related bone loss by promoting degradation of TNF receptor-associated factor 3 (TRAF3), levels of which decrease in murine and human bone during aging. We report that a subset of neutrophils (TGFβ1+CCR5+) is the major source of TGFβ1 in murine bone. Their numbers are increased in bone marrow (BM) of aged wild-type mice and adult mice with TRAF3 conditionally deleted in mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs), associated with increased expression in BM of the chemokine, CCL5, suggesting that TRAF3 in MPCs limits TGFβ1+CCR5+ neutrophil numbers in BM of young mice. During aging, TGFβ1-induced TRAF3 degradation in MPCs promotes NF-κB-mediated expression of CCL5 by MPCs, associated with higher TGFβ1+CCR5+ neutrophil numbers in BM where they induce bone loss. TGFβ1+CCR5+ neutrophils decreased bone mass in male mice. The FDA-approved CCR5 antagonist, maraviroc, reduced TGFβ1+CCR5+ neutrophil numbers in BM and increased bone mass in aged mice. 15-mon-old mice with TGFβRII specifically deleted in MPCs had lower numbers of TGFβ1+CCR5+ neutrophils in BM and higher bone volume than wild-type littermates. We propose that pharmacologic reduction of TGFβ1+CCR5+ neutrophil numbers in BM could treat or prevent age-related osteoporosis.