bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adolescent Females are More Susceptible than Males for Tuberculosis
Authors: Thakur Suman , Chauhan Vivek , Kumar Ravinder , Beri Gopal
Published: January 2021

Background and Objectives:

Published literature is silent about the gender gap in tuberculosis (TB) among adolescent (10–19 years) population despite extensive information on increased susceptibility of the male gender after 20 years. We analyzed the data from 1113 adolescent microbiologically confirmed TB cases using cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) in 2019 in the State of Himachal Pradesh (HP), India.

Materials and Methods:

The data generated by 39 CBNAAT sites in HP were analyzed with an objective to describe the gender gap in TB among adolescents.

Results:

Among 983 patients with pulmonary TB (PTB), the male: female ratio was 1:1.5 (P = 0.0001), whereas in 130 patients with extra PTB (EPTB), the male: female ratio was 1:1.8 (P = 0.0001). This male: female ratio was seen to reverse after 20 years for PTB, and but it persisted till 40 years for EPTB. Two main forms of TB that were significantly high in females during adolescence were PTB and lymph node TB (P = 0.0001).

Interpretation and Conclusions:

Significant gender difference with female susceptibility was seen for TB among adolescents, a fact that needs more research. Adolescent TB is a neglected area with little published data driven mainly by the fact that most countries report their TB population above and below 15 years, dividing the adolescent population into two halves. The world needs to acknowledge adolescents (10–19 years) as a separate important group for reporting TB statistics.
Legal and Environmental Implications of COVID-19 Outbreak in India
Authors: Maurya Nancy , Dwarg Devendra
Published: January 2021

The present work is an attempt to look at the legal and environmental implications of coronavirus disease-2019 outbreak in India. It looks at both sides of this tragedy focusing specifically on the environmental and legal aspects in the Indian context. However, the article does not refrain from discussing examples of other countries or some global aspects if necessary.
Intravenous Immunoglobulin for Overwhelming Postsplenectomy Infection
Authors: Nakamura Kensuke , Takahashi Yuji , Sonoo Tomohiro , Hashimoto Hideki
Published: January 2021

Overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI) is a life-threatening condition causing fulminant bacteremia in asplenic patients. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy is theoretically effective for OPSI. Herein, we present a case of OPSI treated successfully with IVIG, along with results of a literature review. An asplenic 70-year-old male with acute ischemic stroke presented with rapid and fulminant septic shock from pneumococcus pneumonia and bacteremia. Resuscitation and antibiotics including IVIG therapy were instituted. The patient survived with favorable outcomes. We analyzed all case reports or case series of OPSI from 1971 through 2017. Cases with IVIG treatment showed a significantly higher survival rate than those without IVIG, even with multivariable regression analysis, suggesting IVIG as an independent predictive factor for survival. It suggests that IVIG is effective for OPSI and that it can be regarded as an adjunctive treatment option for OPSI.
Investigating the Dosimetric Characteristics of Microbeam Radiation Treatment
Authors: Zabihzadeh Mansour , Rabiei Atefeh , Shahbazian Hojattollah , Razmjoo Sasan
Published: January 2021

Background:

High-radiation therapeutic gain could be achieved by the modern technique of microbeam radiation treatment (MRT). The aim of this study was to investigate the dosimetric properties of MRT.

Methods:

The EGSnrc Monte Carlo (MC) code system was used to transport photons and electrons in MRT. The mono-energetic beams (1 cm × 1 cm array) of 50, 100, and 150 keV and the spectrum photon beam (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility [ESRF]) were modeled to transport through multislit collimators with the aperture's widths of 25 and 50 μm and the center-to-center (c-t-c) distance between two adjacent microbeams (MBs) of 200 μm. The calculated phase spaces at the upper surface of water phantom (1 cm × 1 cm) were implemented in DOSXYZnrc code to calculate the percentage depth dose (PDD), the dose profile curves (in depths of 0–1, 1–2, and 3–4 cm), and the peak-to-valley dose ratios (PVDRs).

Results:

The PDD, dose profile curves, and PVDRs were calculated for different effective parameters. The more flatness of lateral dose profile was obtained for the ESRF spectrum MB. With constant c-t-c distance, an increase in the MB size increased the peak and valley dose; simultaneously, the PVDR was larger for the 25 μm MB (33.5) compared to 50 μm MB (21.9) beam, due to the decreased scattering photons followed to the lower overlapping of the adjacent MBs. An increase in the depth decreased the PVDRs (i.e., 54.9 in depth of 0–1 cm).

Conclusion:

Our MC model of MRT successfully calculated the effect of dosimetric parameters including photon's energy, beam width, and depth to estimate the dose distribution.
From Native-speaker Likeness to Self-representation in Language: Views from the Acquisition of Japanese Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Authors: Ito Hideaki
Published: January 2021

This study considers the degree to which a language user’s own will is recognized in language education. It also looks at the use of Japanese transitive and intransitive verbs to reexamine the differentiation between language use that is native-like, and language use that is representative of the learner’s self. The reexamination indicates that shifting previous approach to a more usage-centric acquisition process can create opportunities for language users to make expressive choices focused on what they wish to say. This shift may be accomplished by introducing backward design and critical pragmatics into teaching practices, thereby enabling the pursuit of self-representing language use, and prompting individuality in each learner without binding the learner solely to linguistic rules.
Real-world effectiveness and safety of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection in Switzerland
Authors: Müllhaupt Beat , Semela David , Ruckstuhl Lisa , Magenta Lorenzo , Clerc Olivier , Torgler Ralph , Negro Francesco , Semmo Nasser
Published: January 2021

AIM OF THE STUDY
In the era of pangenotypic treatment regimens against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, data from postmarketing observational studies are crucial to better understand the treatment patterns used in specific countries and treatment outcomes under real-life conditions. We report data from Switzerland from an ongoing, multinational postmarketing observational study on the pangenotypic treatment regimen of glecaprevir (GLE; NS3/4A protease inhibitor) and pibrentasvir (PIB; NS5A inhibitor), coformulated as GLE/PIB.

METHODS
Adults infected with chronic HCV genotypes 1–6 were eligible to participate in the postmarketing observational study if they started GLE/PIB at the treating physician’s discretion. The primary objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of GLE/PIB based on sustained virological response 12 weeks after completion of treatment (SVR12); secondary outcomes included patient-reported outcomes (Fatigue Severity Scale, Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire, Pictorial Representation of Illness and Self Measure tool) and safety data.

RESULTS
In Switzerland, 109 patients were enrolled, and 107 patients received ≥1 dose GLE/PIB (94.4% non-cirrhotic; 43.9%/14.0%/29.0%/13.1% GT1/GT2/GT3/GT4; 89.7% treatment-naïve; 91.6% assigned to an 8-week GLE/PIB regimen). Overall, 95 of 98 patients with sufficient follow-up data (96.9%) achieved SVR12 (95% confidence interval [CI] 91.4% to 99.0%), and 91.6% in the safety population (including six non-virological failures). The three treatment failures were due to relapse. All three failures were GT3, without cirrhosis and treatment naïve. Patient-reported outcomes improved as well. GLE/PIB was well tolerated with no serious adverse events and no adverse events leading to discontinuation or interruption of GLE/PIB treatment.

CONCLUSION
These real-world effectiveness and safety data of GLE/PIB in patients from Switzerland were consistent with those seen in the multinational registration trials. (Trial registration number: Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03303599.)
Risk factors for peritonsillar abscess in streptococcus A-negative tonsillitis: a case control study
Authors: Helfenberger Lia , Fischer Roland , Giezendanner Stephanie , Zeller Andreas
Published: January 2021

AIMS
The Centor criteria and the FeverPAIN score are recommended for guiding antibiotic prescription for tonsillitis, but they are not validated for this purpose. We aimed to identify risk factors for peritonsillar abscess in group A haemolytic streptococcus-negative tonsillitis and to test the performance of clinical scores and laboratory tests.

METHODS
In a retrospective case-control study at two regional hospitals from January 2015 to June 2018, we identified all cases of peritonsillar abscess and used propensity score matching utilising age and gender to select two controls per case from all patients who had a rapid group A haemolytic streptococcus antigen test in the emergency department. Exclusion criteria were age <18 years, documented refusal and a positive antigen test. We abstracted patient history, physical examination and results of laboratory testing. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors.

RESULTS
We included 141 cases of peritonsillar abscess, matched with 282 controls. Higher Centor score, C-reactive protein and white blood cell count were significantly associated with peritonsillar abscess, but had a low performance for predicting the latter (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve [ROC AUC] 0.76). The FeverPAIN score was not associated with peritonsillar abscess (ROC AUC 0.51). In the multivariable analysis, difficulty swallowing (odds ratio [OR] 18.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.58–51.2), dyspnoea (OR 10.2, 95% CI 1.18–89.0), tonsillar swelling (OR 4.21, 95% CI 1.39–12.7) and unilateral signs and symptoms (OR 146, 95% CI 40.9–522) were risk factors of peritonsillar abscess.

CONCLUSION
The Centor criteria, as well as C-reactive protein and white blood cell count, have a low discriminatory performance, and the FeverPAIN score is not useful in identifying patients at risk for peritonsillar abscess in group A haemolytic streptococcus-negative tonsillitis. To guide a rational antibiotic prescription, new decision tools need to be developed. These might include items such as difficulty swallowing, dyspnoea, tonsillar swelling and unilaterality.
Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis and liver failure-induced massive hyperferritinaemia in a male COVID-19 patient
Authors: Zellweger Núria M. , Huber Jan , Tsakiris Dimitrios A. , Tzankov Alexandar , Gebhard Caroline E. , Siegemund Martin
Published: January 2021

The authors present the case of a 58-year-old man with the unique combination of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and, later on, haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis admitted to the intensive care unit. During his ICU stay the patient developed a variety of complications including acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary embolism, right heart failure and suspected HLH leading to multiorgan failure and death. Despite the proven diagnosis of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, the excessively high ferritin levels of the patient did not seem fully explained by this diagnosis. Therefore, the authors want to highlight different causes of hyperferritinaemia in critically ill patients and underline the importance of differential diagnoses when interpreting continuously rising ferritin levels.
Recent Advances of Nano technology in Bio
Medical & Energy Sector- A Review
Authors: Devang Pratap Singh and Prakarsh Kaushik Dr.Shubhadra Rajpoot
Published: January 2021

Nanotechnology makes a significant contribution to developing, even revolutionizing many service
industries of science and technology like information technology, energy, environmental science, medicine,
homeland security, food protection, and transportation, among others. Today’s modern nanotechnology
integrates current developments in chemistry, physics, materials engineering, and bioengineering to produce
new products with specific qualities because their structures are determined on a nano-meter size. This
review describes the diverse nano developments of recent years .
Residential House Solar Modelling through
Electrical Energy Audit
Authors: K.Ganesh and K.Kanimozhi
Published: January 2021

Reducing electricity consumption in commercial buildings is important in addressing the growing
concerns of global warming, atmospheric quality and energy security. Energy audit is a proven effective
measure for energy savings through identification of energy management opportunities for improvement by
means of buildings. The energy study of various sector of commercial, industrial and residential area
indicates that 5 to 20% of the energy can be saved. The power auditing is done in a residential home and
concluded with suitable recommendations on solar modeling with ETAP tocutt off electricity bill resonablly.
From our Energy audit we prove that we can save upto 2358 units yearly.
A Review on Cocoa Butter Alternatives in
Chocolate Preparation
Authors: Dolanchapa Sikdar and Kakali Bandyopadhyay Writtika Das, Sweta Das, Shairee Ganguly
Published: January 2021

Cocoa butter naturally occurs in cocoa bean. It is present about 50% of cocoa nib. It is highly resistant to
oxidation due to presence of high level of natural tocopherol. It is brittle at room temperature and its melting
point is between 34o C to 38o C. But, cocoa butter is expensive and its price is subjected to large fluctuations.
That’s why some alternatives for cocoa butters are produced, such as cocoa – butter equivalents (CBEs , like
from enzymatic inter-esterification of tea seed oil and fatty acid methyl esters), cocoa-butter substitute
(CBSs, esterifies propoxylatedglycerin containing acyl groups derived from saturated linear fatty acids, at
least 50 moles percent of the total acyl groups are used ) and cocoa-butter replacers (CBRs, like evaluation of
milk fat fractional and modified techniques for making CBR.) Their composition according to triglycerides,
fatty acids, sterols and other unsaponifiable components are discussed in this paper. Coconut oil, non-lauric
contained fats like palm oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil, can be used as replacer. These alternatives have
various advantages; it improves fat stability, reduces fat migration, and incorporates softness to the product.
As the alternatives do not require tempering, it is easier to achieve glassy texture. This work reviews on the
theory of the compositional data of vegetable oils, and fats which are used as cocoa – butter alternatives in
the production of chocolate.
Application of Lignocellulosic Waste for the
Production of Laccase in Solid State Fermentation
Authors: Dr.Reshma Jaweria and Parwez Qayum
Published: January 2021

Laccase from fungi have attained considerable attention due to the involvement in transformation and
degradation of many polymers, ring cleavage of aromatic compounds and many phenolic compounds with
the help of reduction of oxygen to water. Two fungal species were (Pleurotus. ostreatusand
Pseudolagarobasidium acaciicola) used to study the production of laccase by solid state fermentation method
on different lignocellulosic waste like rice bran, rice husk, wheat bran, and wheat straw. Presence of
cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose in different lignocellulosic waste are rich in nutrients which promotes
fungal growth in solid-state fermentation. From results it was confirmed that the rice bran produces higher
concentration of laccasethan other lignocellulosic substrate.
All-optical Frequency Divider using TOAD
based D-Flip-Flop
Authors: Ashis Kumar Mandal
Published: January 2021

From the last few decades the optical communication has been established as much easier process than
electrical communication. Many optical proposed circuits have already been suggested in many fields in
support of this. The optical communication circuits demand frequency dividers capable of operating well
above 10 GHz. Here, an all-optical frequency divider using terahertz optical asymmetric demultiplexer (TOAD)
based D-flip-flop is proposed in the optical domain in a configuration exactly like the standard electronic
setup. It presents a high-speed flip-flop-based frequency divider incorporating a new high-speed latch
topology with satisfactory performance. The proposed all-optical frequency division scheme has been
theoretically demonstrated in this paper. In this scheme the input and output binary digits are expressed as
the presence (1) and the absence (0) of the light pulses. The performance of this proposed optical realization is
evaluated by numerical simulation that confirms its feasibility in terms of the choice of the critical
parameters.
The Probabability Models for Risk of Vulnerability
to STDs / HIV Infections among Pre-Marital Female
Migrants
Authors: Shukla Uma Shankar
Published: January 2021

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is the virus that causes AIDS, while many viruses can be
controlled by the immune system but not a HIV virus. According to an estimate of UNAIDS (1998) although
HIV prevalence rate is low (around 1 percent), the overall number of people with HIV infection to high. The
majority of the reported AIDS cases have occurred in the sexually active and economically productive age
group. Earlier men were main transmitters of the disease but now studies are showing that females are also
transmitting the disease to males. The proposed model is tested set of data on the number of young
unmarried female migrants and is satisfactory. According to the present study, the value of X 2 =5.733 with
three degree of freedom at 5% level of significance indicate that the proposed probability model fitted well to
the distribution of female migrants. The estimated value of = 0.8039 of the proportion of female migrants
having at least one boy friend is very high because most at the young migrants believe that their friends
watch pornographic material with us and they are more vulnerable to STDs and HIV/AIDs. The present
study states that the probability of closed boyfriends attached with the young unmarried female migrants is
p = 0.4400 which is also approaching to fifty percent.
Lalun and Lahore: Courtesan Culture and The Semi-Informed Narrator in Kipling’s ‘on the City Wall
Authors: Rehman Sabina
Published: January 2021

This essay examines the image of darkness present in Kipling’s short story ‘On the City Wall’ and links it to various underlying themes in the story. One of the themes is the courtesan culture of Lahore. Lalun is a courtesan and is as much full of beauty, mystery and enigma as the city of Lahore where she dwells, or the quaint location of her house which is paradoxically situated on the city’s wall. The essay also explores the role of the semi-informed narrator in the story, who can be Kipling himself or someone who is narrating the story to the readers. This narrator-character is tricked by Lalun to help an escaped prisoner get out from the city under the very noses of the policemen who are trying the control the riots on the streets. The narrator’s gullibility and his lack of complete knowledge of his actions can also stand for the entire process of writing, where the narrated event remains partially shrouded in the haze of semi-visibility. Just as Lalun’s real motives remain unknown to the narrator and the readers till the end of the story, similarly the narrator’s use of authorial perspective entails a semi-reliability of the subjective point of view. Finally, the essay takes up the image of darkness and traces its presence in Kipling’s life and writings. The world of the night is an integral part of Kipling’s vision of an Indian self, and is further accentuated in the unfathomable person of the courtesan.
Social Protection for Socioeconomically Vulnerable Women of Pakistan- During Covid-19 and Beyond
Authors: Jafree Sara Rizvi , Anwar Natasha
Published: January 2021

Ensuring United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are met collectively for the protection of women, requires a broadening of discussion and efforts from reproductive health to investigate ethical challenges facing women during COVID-19. The aim of this paper is to discuss issues of ethics, equity, and rights for the health access of socioeconomically vulnerable women of Pakistan. Deriving from two feminist approaches to ethics-power and care, we analyse four different areas which are contributing to women becoming further disadvantaged, including (i) state and health sector response, (ii) income loss and worsening poverty, (iii) patriarchy and decision-making, and (iv) neglect of health issues not pertaining to infectious disease. We conclude with recommendations to form a triadic partnership between the health sector, government and the economy to provide women with a social protection floor to improve health outcomes.
Retrospective Cohort Analysis of Robotic Stapler Use in Robotic-Assisted Donor Nephrectomy
Authors: Giffen Zane , Ezzone Austin , Ekwenna Obi
Published: January 2021

Main Problem: Robotic-assisted techniques are common for living-donor nephrectomy. While robotic stapling offers increased surgeon control, there is limited comparative data versus laparoscopic linear stapler use for ligation of renal vessels.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 32 consecutive robotic-assisted donor nephrectomies by a single surgeon for perioperative outcomes.

Results: Patients in the robotic stapler (RS; N=20) and laparoscopic stapler (LS; N=12) groups were comparable in terms of age and BMI. Estimated blood loss (p = 0.62), warm ischemia time (p=0.50), and console time (p=0.56) were similar between the RS and LS groups. There were no stapler misfires or major intraoperative complications in either group and no cases required conversion to open.

Conclusions: Robotic stapler use is safe and effective in robotic-assisted donor nephrectomy. Further research on prevalence of robotic stapler use is needed to quantity the associated complication rate.
Performance on a means-end task by African elephants (Loxondonta africana): A replication study
Authors: Highfill Lauren , Burns Mike , Przystawik Kristina , Vincen Joy
Published: January 2021

The current study tested five female African elephants (Loxondonta africana) on a means-end behavioral task of pulling a support to retrieve a distant object; a replication of the Highfill, Spencer, Fad, and Arnold (2016) study. Each elephant was tested on three conditions of increasing difficulty. Specifically, subjects were asked to select from a choice of two trays where one tray was baited with a produce item and the other was A) empty; B) baited on the ground next to the tray; and C) baited on the far side of a break in the tray. Results indicated that all five elephants (3 adults, 2 calves) met the criteria established for conditions A and B, and the two calves met criteria for Condition C. The performance by the adults was similar to the performance of the Asian elephants (all adults) in the previous study.
Putting Comparative Psychology into a History and Systems of Psychology Course
Authors: Zucker Evan L.
Published: January 2021

For several reasons, a Comparative Psychology course has been absent from our curriculum since 2005, so students have had very little exposure to how and why psychologists study animals, and the place of animal research in the history of psychology. In the fall of 2015, out of necessity, five faculty in our department team-taught a History and Systems of Psychology course, which was our capstone at that time. My module focused the study of animals in psychology, including Comparative Psychology. One purpose was to highlight this side of Psychology, but also to show how the study of animals has led to current interest in Evolutionary Psychology. The content of this module is described here, as is a comparison of several journals, using number of pages published as a dependent variable, to show changes over time, as included in this module. It is intended that the information presented here might be of use to others seeking a way to incorporate more about animal research into their respective curricula in the absence of a course specifically about animal behavior research.
The Value of Research in Comparative Cognition
Authors: Zentall Thomas R.
Published: January 2021

Most research of comparative cognition has focused on the degree to which cognitive phenomena that have been reported in humans, especially children, can also be demonstrated in other animals. The value of such comparative research has not only been the finding that other animals show behavior that is qualitatively similar to that of humans but because the comparative approach calls for the careful control of variables often confounded with the mechanisms being tested, the comparative approach has identified procedures that could also improve the design of research with humans. The comparative approach has also been used to study the degree to which other animals demonstrate human biases and suboptimal behavior (e.g., commercial gambling). When applied to this field of research, the comparative approach has generally taken the position that human biases generally thought to be established by complex social and societal mechanisms (e.g., social reinforcement and entertainment) may be more parsimoniously accounted for by simpler mechanisms (i.e., conditioned reinforcement and positive contrast). When explained in terms of these mechanisms, the results have implications for explaining in simpler and more general terms the results of similar research with humans. Thus, comparative psychology tells us not only about the similarities and possible differences in behavior among species but it also may have implications for our understanding of similar behavior in humans.
Automated Research in Comparative Psychology: Limitations and New Directions
Authors: Varnon Christopher A. , Lang Harley , Abramson Charles I.
Published: January 2021

Behavioral research is often enhanced by automated techniques, where experimental parameters and detection of behavior are controlled by electromechanical systems. Automated research promotes refinements in measurement, greater experimental control, longer durations of data collection, reduction of observer fatigue, and may permit new types of research to be conducted. In comparative psychology, use of automated techniques are often restricted to popular model organisms of fields such as behavior analysis and behavioral neuroscience. One factor contributing to this species-restriction may be the availability of automated research equipment, as most commercial research equipment is designed for rodents, and many researchers lack the skills required to create their own automated equipment. However, there are alternatives to commercial equipment, as some behavioral scientists have made available their own species-flexible, low-cost research equipment. In this paper, we provide three reviews. We first review recent trends in automated comparative psychology research, and then relate this to a second review on currently available automated research equipment. We also review affordable alternatives to commercial equipment that have been designed by behavioral scientists. Finally, we discuss useful technological skills that may allow comparative psychologists to take automation into their own hands and design equipment specific to their species and research topic.
The Importance of a Truly Comparative Methodology for Comparative Psychology
Authors: Smith Mackenzie F. , Watzek Julia , Brosnan Sarah F.
Published: January 2021

Comparative research has taught us much about the evolution and development of human and animal behavior. Humans share not just physical and biological similarities with other species, but also many behavioral traits and, in some of these cases, the psychological mechanisms behind them. Comparing behavior and cognition across multiple species can help scientists to pinpoint why and when in phylogenetic history a behavior may have evolved, how it evolved, and what the mechanisms behind it are (Tinbergen, 1963). While the comparative approach has proven quite effective in addressing these questions, comparing behavior across multiple species is not as easy and straightforward as it may initially seem. Rigorous methodology and careful interpretation of results is crucial to answering any of these questions definitively. The focus of the current article is on the comparative methodology and the important factors that need to be addressed in order for comparative research to be effective. We first discuss the benefits and importance of comparative research, followed by the challenges that need to be overcome in good comparative work. We then discuss experimental economics as one “model system” for comparative work that has proven particularly good at addressing such issues, and comment on other approaches. We conclude with future directions for comparative research with an eye on important methodological and theoretical considerations.
The State of Comparative Psychology Today: An Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Abramson Charles I. , Hill Heather M.
Published: January 2021

Comparative psychology has long held an illustrious position in the pantheon of psychology. Depending on who you speak with, comparative psychology is as strong as ever or in deep decline. To try and get a handle on this the International Journal of Comparative Psychology has commissioned a special issue on the State of Comparative Psychology Today. Many of the articles in this issue were contributed by emanate comparative psychologists. The topics are wide ranging and include the importance of incorporating comparative psychology into the classroom, advances in automating, comparative cognition, philosophical perspectives surrounding comparative psychology, and issues related to comparative methodology. Of special interest is that the issue contains a listing of comparative psychological laboratories and a list of comparative psychologists who are willing to serve as professional mentors to students interested in comparative psychology. We hope that this issue can serve as a teaching resource for anyone interested in comparative psychology whether as part of a formal course in comparative psychology or as independent readings.The State of Comparative Psychology Today: An Introduction to the Special Issue
The Tactile Senses of Marine Mammals
Authors: Bauer Gordon B. , Reep Roger L. , Marshall Christopher D.
Published: January 2021

The successful return of mammals to aquatic environments presented numerous sensory challenges to overcome. Aquatic habitats reduced the utility of vision and the type of chemoreception important in terrestrial perception. In several orders, the sense of touch assumed greater importance, especially when enhanced by the development of vibrissal (sensory hair) systems. Species of two extant orders, Sirenia and Cetacea, lost all of their hairs except for vibrissae. In the former, these hairs cover the entire bodies of the two families, Trichechidae and Dugongidae. Hairs in adult cetaceans are more constrained (e.g., some river dolphins and baleen whales) and are restricted primarily to rostral regions. Pinnipeds and sea otters retained their pelage, but in addition have elaborated their mystacial and other facial vibrissae. High numbers of vibrissal receptors, associated dense innervation, prominence of neural tracts, and hypertrophy of brain areas associated with touch suggest an importance of tactile senses for aquatic mammals. Experimental testing has demonstrated the exquisite tactile sensitivity of many marine mammal species. Sensory hairs contribute to that tactile sensitivity in both haptic and mechanosensory contexts. Several, if not most, pinniped species, seals and sea lions, can track prey based on mechanoreception alone. In this review we will discuss the neurobiological and behavioral evidence for the tactile senses of marine mammals.
Bringing Touch Back to the Study of Emotions in Human and Non-Human Primates: A Theoretical Exploration
Authors: Botero Maria
Published: January 2021

This paper provides a theoretical exploration of how comparative research on the expression of emotions has traditionally focused on the visual mode and argues that, given the neurophysiological, developmental, and behavioral evidence that links touch with social interactions, focusing on touch can become an ideal mode to understand the communication of emotions in human and non-human primates. This evidence shows that touch is intrinsically linked with social cognition because it motivates human and non-human animals, from birth, to form social bonds. It will be shown that touch is one of the modes of interaction used by the mother-infant or caregiver-infant dyad that facilitates the expression of emotions by the infant (and later the expression of emotions by the adult that the infant has become) in ways that are understood by other members of the group.
Infant Handling Among Primates
Authors: Dunayer Erica S. , Berman Carol M.
Published: January 2021

Primates, particularly females, tend to be attracted to infants that are not their own and are often highly motivated to touch and handle them. However, species vary markedly in forms of handling and extents to which handling constitutes direct care (e.g., carrying and nursing), other affiliative behaviors, or aggression/ abuse. Here we review infant handling among primates from ultimate and proximate perspectives, focusing on a promising, but understudied hypothesized benefit—that handling enhances social bonds. We pay special attention to macaques and baboons, because infant handling in most of these species poses a special challenge in that it involves little actual care, and hence may be shaped by different and as yet unclear selective pressures from typical alloparental care. Costs, benefits, and hypothesized functions appear to vary across species based on: a) individuals’ roles (mother, handler, and infant), b) each of their characteristics, c) relationships between handlers and mothers, and d) the social context within the group. As a result, observed patterns of handling appear to be complex outcomes of the interaction of different, sometimes conflicting interests. The most promising hypotheses based on short/ medium term benefits appear to vary with breeding system, reproductive biology, socioecological factors, and life history characteristics. Explanations based on life history variables or long-term evolutionary processes related to cooperation appear to have broader applications, but nevertheless fail to explain infant handling in all its manifestations. We end by calling for more quantitative comparative and longitudinal research to further elucidate our understanding of this puzzling behavior.
The Value of Duane Rumbaugh’s Comparative Perspective—in Neurobiology
Authors: Bickle John
Published: January 2021

One commonality across the wide-ranging influences Duane Rumbaugh had on late-20th century science was his commitment to the comparative perspective in psychology. I argue here that a commitment similar in force to Rumbaugh’s also infuses mainstream experimental neurobiology. This connection is ironic because Rumbaugh eschewed brain intervention experimentation in vivo throughout his scientific career. Still, the influence and value of a perspective similar to Rumbaugh’s can be found in neurobiology in at least three places. First, recent neurobiology has made good on one of Rumbaugh’s predictions, that rearing and early environment will be shown to influence behavior and cognition in nonprimate animals. Second, the epistemologically justified use of animal models in experimental neurobiology to investigate human brain mechanism presupposes a strong commitment to the comparative perspective. Third, commitment to the comparative perspective raises the most pressing ethical concern in neurobiology, namely, how is it ethical to perform brain intervention experiments on animal models if their brain mechanisms and behaviors compare closely enough with ours to justifiably generalize these experiments’ results?
The Fully Conscious Ape
Authors: Savage-Rumbaugh Sue , Roffman Itai , Lingomo Sabatien , Pugh Elizabeth
Published: January 2021

Duane Rumbaugh was one of the first primatologists of the modern era (which began after WWII), to engage in comparative studies of the cognitive capacities of nonhuman primates. In fact, it was Rumbaugh who drew the world's attention to the Order Primates and who helped initiate the International Primatological Society, IPS, the first academic society to be organized around an Order rather than a discipline. His work eventually led in two directions, first the development of the Transfer Index, a was completely new way of looking at learning. The TI seperated monkeys from apes as completely as did Gallup's mirror task. From this arose the Primate Test Battery, a video based system to test cognitive skills across a wide range of tasks from memory to numerical skils in primates. The other direction was to look at language and its effect on cognition. Only Apes succeeded in the laguage tasks. With Lana's success arose a raft of critiques that - in the light of more recent findings about the structure of human language, are now rendered invalid. Rumbaugh's initial findings in all domains has remained sound. This includes fundamental differences between monkeys and apes in their capacity to spontaneously begin control their attention, to consciously monitor their own behavior, and then to alter it deliberately, or by their own choice. It is the ape's conscious capacity to control its attention and to conciously monitor outcomes in a cause/effect manner, that allows for the acquisition of langauge. This also allows for the creation of "personal self", as a being that exists apart from the current experience of the self. Language greatly assists the emergence of this ability in apes, as does early rearing in which the ape is carried but not seperated from its mother. This allows pointing and joint reference to appear far ahead of schedule and for the spontaneouls development of human language in cross-species co-reared apes. The presence of a wild-reared mother (not present in other captive environments)also allows for the emergence of a nonhuman form of vocal language. The implications of this work for future investigations of apes are discussed.
Responses to Modified Monty Hall Dilemmas in Capuchin Monkeys, Rhesus Macaques, and Humans
Authors: Watzek Julia , Whitham Will , Washburn David A. , Brosnan Sarah F.
Published: January 2021

The Monty Hall Dilemma (MHD) is a simple probability puzzle famous for its counterintuitive solution. Participants initially choose among three doors, one of which conceals a prize. A different door is opened and shown not to contain the prize. Participants are then asked whether they would like to stay with their original choice or switch to the other remaining door. Although switching doubles the chances of winning, people overwhelmingly choose to stay with their original choice. To assess how experience and the chance of winning affect decisions in the MHD, we used a comparative approach to test 264 college students, 24 capuchin monkeys, and 7 rhesus macaques on a nonverbal, computerized version of the game. Participants repeatedly experienced the outcome of their choices and we varied the chance of winning by changing the number of doors (three or eight). All species quickly and consistently switched doors, especially in the eight-door condition. After the computer task, we presented humans with the classic text version of the MHD to test whether they would generalize the successful switch strategy from the computer task. Instead, participants showed their characteristic tendency to stick with their pick, regardless of the number of doors. This disconnect between strategies in the classic version and a repeated nonverbal task with the same underlying probabilities may arise because they evoke different decision-making processes, such as explicit reasoning versus implicit learning.
Duane M. Rumbaugh (1929-2017), Comparative Psychologist:Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Washburn David A.
Published: January 2021

This special issue is dedicated to Dr. Duane Rumbaugh. Leaving a lasting legacy in the field of comparative psychology, Dr. Rumbaugh helped to pave the way for cognitive and behavioral research with primates. This special issue is comprised of a set of papers that both commerate and illuminate his contributions. Written by former students and colleagues, this collection of papers highlights his substantial influence on the development of primatology.
Discrimination of Food Amounts by the Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris)
Authors: McGuire Katie , Bizo Lewis A. , McBride E. Anne , Kocek Tara B.
Published: January 2021

The current research examined dog's ability to dsicriminate between different amounts of food. Using a two alternative forced choice procedure dogs werre required to discriminate between a constant amount of 4 pieces of food and another amount that varied across a range from 1 to 7 pieces. The dogs reliably selected the larger of two alternatives. Discrimination was better when there were fewer rather than more than 4 pieces of food available on the varying alternative. Specifically, 1 was discriminated from 4 more easily than 4 was discriminated from 7 pieces of food. These results confirmed the ability of dogs to discriminate food amount on a psychophyical choice procedure.
Extinction of Running-Based Taste Aversion in Rats(Rattus norvegicus)
Authors: Nakajima Sadahiko
Published: January 2021

Wheel running establishes conditioned aversion in rats to a taste solution consumed shortly prior to the running. Many studies have shown that this is a case of Pavlovian conditioning, in which the taste and running respectively act as the conditioned stimulus (CS) and the unconditioned stimulus (US), but extinction of this running-based taste aversion has not been explicitly demonstrated. Experiment 1, using a within-subjects design, showed that saccharin aversion formerly established by a single pairing of an exposure to saccharin solution with a running opportunity was extinguished by two daily exposures to the saccharin solution. However, there was no spontaneous recovery from extinction in the tests which were administered 6 and 27 days after the extinction days. Experiment 2, using a between-groups design, successfully demonstrated extinction and spontaneous recovery of running-ba
Characterizing Curiosity-related Behavior in Bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and Rough-toothed (Steno bredanensis) Dolphins
Authors: Lilley Malin K. , de Vere Amber J. , Yeater Deirdre B. , Kuczaj II Stan A.
Published: January 2021

Dolphins are frequently described as curious animals; however, there have been few systematic investigations of how dolphins behave when they are curious and the extent to which individual differences in curiosity exist in dolphins. Previous research has described individual differences in dolphins’ frequency of interactions with environmental enrichment as well as quantifying curiosity-related traits of dolphins via personality assessments, though behavioral observation and trait rating components have not been part of the same study. The present study describes two different experiments designed to elicit curiosity in 15 bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and 6 rough-toothed (Steno bredanensis) dolphins. In Experiment 1, dolphins displayed more curiosity-related behavior toward a stimulus with spontaneous movement (jack-in-the box) compared to their reaction to a static control object; however, in Experiment 2, the subjects did not conform to hypotheses, and displayed few behavioral differences when shown expectation-violating stimuli compared to a control stimulus. The results of this study supported the hypothesis that there would be a wide range of individual differences in dolphins’ reactions to the stimuli, including differences between species and sex, as well as differences in trait ratings by trainers. These findings provide information that may be useful for future research aimed at assessing curiosity in dolphins, as well as for making environmental enrichment decisions for dolphins in human care.
Effects of dietary pH and acid source on growth and feed efficiency of the Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus fry
Authors: Fabay Ryan V. , Tumbokon Barry L.M. , Serrano Augusto E.
Published: January 2021

Two feeding trials were conducted to investigate the effects of dietary pH (pH 2.5, 3.7, 4.6, 5.7-control, pH 7.0, and pH 8.0) and dietary acid source (acetic acid, citric acid, hydrochloric acid and control-no acid) on growth rate and feed utilization efficiency of the Nile tilapia fry. In addition, attractability of the diets at different pH and dietary acid sources were determined. Results of the first feeding trial showed that the feed with pH adjusted to 4.6 resulted in significantly highest final average body weight (FABW), weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and most efficient food conversion ratio (FCR) in the Nile tilapia fry. Survival was 100% in diets with pH 3.7 up to 7.0; the diet with pH 2.5 exhibited significantly lowest survival followed by the pH 8.0 diet. In the second feeding trial, diets that contained hydrochloric, citric or acetic acids that were used to adjust the pH to the optimal 4.6 resulted in higher FABW, WG, SGR, and PER values but lower FCR values than did the control diet; these parameters were not significantly different among the dietary groups. This study demonstrated that the dietary pH promoted growth and efficiency in the Nile tilapia fry and that the three acids that were used were similar in their effects on growth and efficiency. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that either acidifying the diet to pH 4.6 by an inorganic acid such as HCl or the provision of a dietary acidifier such as citric acid or acetic acid could enhance growth, feed efficiency and survival of the Nile tilapia.
Benfotiamine counteracts the negative effects of a high dietary carbohydrate on growth and ammonia toxicity resistance in post larval Penaeus monodon
Authors: Nudalo Arnel G. , Tumbokon Barry L.M. , Serrano Augusto E.
Published: January 2021

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of high carbohydrate diet in the absence of presence of dietary benfotiamine on growth and immune response against ammonia toxicity (50 mg NH4Cl L-1, average ambient temperature=27oC, pH 8.3) of post larval Penaeus monodon. A feeding trial involving three dietary treatments followed by an ammonia toxicity tests and a feed attractability test were conducted separately. During the feeding trial, shrimps were fed three experimental diets, namely, (1) a diet containing 15% starch (C), (2) a diet with 25% corn starch (high carbohydrate diet, HC) and (3) a diet containing both 25% starch supplemented with 0.2 g kg-1 benfotiamine (HCB). At the termination of the feeding trial, the shrimps were subjected to ammonia toxicity test to determine the effects of the diets on the immune response of the post larval shrimps. Attractability tests using customized aquaria showed that the HCB diet elicited significantly the highest attractability even after 10 min of feed placement in the feeding chamber. In the feeding trial that lasted for 60 days, results showed that shrimps fed with diet containing HCB exhibited significantly the highest growth rate (p<0.05) among all groups of shrimps in terms of final average body weight (FABW), weight gain (WG), and specific growth rate (SGR); they also exhibited significantly the highest feed intake (p<0.05). Upon challenge of the shrimps with 50 mg L-1 ammonia, shrimps fed with the HCB diet exhibited significantly the highest cumulative survival rate of 60% after 72 h while those fed with diet C and HC exhibited lower survival rates of 33% and 40%, respectively, and were not significantly different from each other. In conclusion, benfotiamine enhances attractability of the feed, growth performance and immune response against ammonia toxicity at the level of 0.2 g kg-1.