title: An Evaluation of the Aboistop Citronella-Spray Collar as a Treatment for Barking of Domestic Dogs

authors: Sargisson, Rebecca J.

subjects: citronella-spray collars

abstract: The aim of our study was to investigate whether citronella-spray collars offer a humane alternative to electric-shock collars to reduce the barking of domestic dogs. The Aboistop collar was applied to seven dogs with problematic barking behaviour by the dogs’ owners in a series of case studies concurrently run. Vocalisation of the dogs was recorded in the problem context under baseline conditions, inactive collar conditions, and active collar conditions. The Aboistop collar was effective at reducing problem vocalization for only three of seven dogs and appeared to be most effective for dogs whose problem barking had developed more recently. The collar may be more humane than other punishment methods, but it did produce stress reactions which varied in severity across the dogs. Clinical Relevance. In our study, the collar was applied by the dogs’ owners in order to test whether the collar would be effective when used by members of the public. While the results here are preliminary, they suggest that the collar may be effective for some dogs, but not for others, when applied by dog owners for the treatment of problem vocalisation. Further research is required to determine whether the collar could be effective when administered by a trained professional.

text: An Evaluation of the Aboistop Citronella-Spray Collar as a Treatment for Barking of Domestic Dogs The aim of our study was to investigate whether citronella-spray collars offer a humane alternative to electric-shock collars to reduce the barking of domestic dogs. The Aboistop collar was applied to seven dogs with problematic barking behaviour by the dogs’ owners in a series of case studies concurrently run. Vocalisation of the dogs was recorded in the problem context under baseline conditions, inactive collar conditions, and active collar conditions. The Aboistop collar was effective at reducing problem vocalization for only three of seven dogs and appeared to be most effective for dogs whose problem barking had developed more recently. The collar may be more humane than other punishment methods, but it did produce stress reactions which varied in severity across the dogs. Clinical Relevance. In our study, the collar was applied by the dogs’ owners in order to test whether the collar would be effective when used by members of the public. While the results here are preliminary, they suggest that the collar may be effective for some dogs, but not for others, when applied by dog owners for the treatment of problem vocalisation. Further research is required to determine whether the collar could be effective when administered by a trained professional.

year: 2011

title: Degradation as a result of UV radiation of bloodmeal-based thermoplastics

authors: Verbeek, Casparus Johan R.

subjects: bloodmeal

abstract: Polymers are known for their susceptibility to degradation as a result of ultra-violet (UV) radiation. In this study, the UV stability of bloodmeal-based thermoplastics (BMT) was evaluated over a period of 12 weeks. Formulations with and without plasticiser were tested and moisture was excluded during accelerated weathering to isolate the effect of UV because of the material’s known sensitivity to moisture. It was found that embrittlement due to loss of water overshadowed the effect of UV degradation. Embrittlement caused the material’s toughness to be reduced by an order of magnitude after only two weeks of exposure, for either plasticised or unplasticised samples. An initial increase in tensile strength was observed after two weeks followed by a steady decline in strength. The elastic modulus reached a plateau after about two weeks of exposure. FTIR did not confirm any chemical changes after 12 weeks exposure and TGA suggested that low molecular mass species were quickly lost during the course of the test. The absence of chemical changes does not suggest resistance to environmental degradation, although the dark pigmentation of bloodmeal may have contributed to the lack of UV degradation. Embrittlement remains a greater concern and requires further attention.

text: Degradation as a result of UV radiation of bloodmeal-based thermoplastics Polymers are known for their susceptibility to degradation as a result of ultra-violet (UV) radiation. In this study, the UV stability of bloodmeal-based thermoplastics (BMT) was evaluated over a period of 12 weeks. Formulations with and without plasticiser were tested and moisture was excluded during accelerated weathering to isolate the effect of UV because of the material’s known sensitivity to moisture. It was found that embrittlement due to loss of water overshadowed the effect of UV degradation. Embrittlement caused the material’s toughness to be reduced by an order of magnitude after only two weeks of exposure, for either plasticised or unplasticised samples. An initial increase in tensile strength was observed after two weeks followed by a steady decline in strength. The elastic modulus reached a plateau after about two weeks of exposure. FTIR did not confirm any chemical changes after 12 weeks exposure and TGA suggested that low molecular mass species were quickly lost during the course of the test. The absence of chemical changes does not suggest resistance to environmental degradation, although the dark pigmentation of bloodmeal may have contributed to the lack of UV degradation. Embrittlement remains a greater concern and requires further attention.

year: 2011

title: Culture is our business: Issues and challenges for forensic and correctional psychologists

authors: Tamatea, Armon J.

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Psychology has made significant advances in the development of more empirical, standardized, and consistent approaches to the prediction, assessment, and treatment of offending behaviour. However, crime occurs in a cultural context. Similarly, forensic and correctional psychology derive from a cultural basis that privileges certain types of knowledge and promotes certain forms of practice that are incommensurate with the outlook and realities of some offenders and their communities. While there is an emerging literature on ethnicity and race in criminal justice psychology, very little research that addresses culture is published. The reasons for this knowledge gap are complex, not least because the worldviews of indigenous and diverse communities do not superimpose neatly onto current best-practice models of risk assessment or offender rehabilitation. Given Australia and New Zealand’s commitment to the involvement and wellbeing of indigenous peoples as well as the shared experience of progressively more pluralistic societies, it is argued that there is a critical need to bring the somewhat disparate domains of forensic psychology and culture into conversation with a view to informing policy and practice. The example of risk assessment is used to illustrate some of the complexities of working with cultural difference. Central to this article is a call for a culturally-engaged and proactive philosophy of practice that embraces the needs of diverse offenders, victims and communities.

text: Culture is our business: Issues and challenges for forensic and correctional psychologists Psychology has made significant advances in the development of more empirical, standardized, and consistent approaches to the prediction, assessment, and treatment of offending behaviour. However, crime occurs in a cultural context. Similarly, forensic and correctional psychology derive from a cultural basis that privileges certain types of knowledge and promotes certain forms of practice that are incommensurate with the outlook and realities of some offenders and their communities. While there is an emerging literature on ethnicity and race in criminal justice psychology, very little research that addresses culture is published. The reasons for this knowledge gap are complex, not least because the worldviews of indigenous and diverse communities do not superimpose neatly onto current best-practice models of risk assessment or offender rehabilitation. Given Australia and New Zealand’s commitment to the involvement and wellbeing of indigenous peoples as well as the shared experience of progressively more pluralistic societies, it is argued that there is a critical need to bring the somewhat disparate domains of forensic psychology and culture into conversation with a view to informing policy and practice. The example of risk assessment is used to illustrate some of the complexities of working with cultural difference. Central to this article is a call for a culturally-engaged and proactive philosophy of practice that embraces the needs of diverse offenders, victims and communities.

year: 2017