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Exploring the popularity of raw meat-based diets for dogs and cats: A cross-sectional opinion survey in Spain
No full textAuthor Contributions:
Conceptualisation: David Díaz-Regañón, Celia Llorca and Mercedes García-Sancho. Literature review and questionnaire development: David Díaz-Regañón, Celia Llorca and Mercedes García-Sancho. Investigation: David Díaz-Regañón, Celia Llorca and Mercedes García-Sancho. Data formatting and analysis: David Díaz-Regañón and Mercedes García-Sancho. Writing—original draft preparation: David Díaz-Regañón, Celia Llorca and Mercedes García-Sancho. Writing—review and editing: Ángel Sainz, Fernando Rodríguez-Franco, Alejandra Villaescusa and Patricia Olmeda. Project administration: Mercedes García-Sancho. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.Background:
Research on the general public's knowledge and usage patterns of pet food, particularly regarding raw meat-based diets (RMBDs), is limited in many countries, including Spain.
Methods:
An anonymous cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted to assess the Spanish population's understanding and perceptions of RMBDs for cats and dogs.
Results:
Of the 712 respondents, 46.77% were familiar with RMBDs, and 6% of pet owners reported using them. Dogs (7.61%) were more likely to be fed an RMBDs than cats (3.23%). While 66% of those familiar with RMBDs believed in their benefits, 96.40% recognised potential disadvantages. Concerns about risks to pets (63%) and those handling the food items (44.74%) were noted. Moreover, almost one in four owners (22.58%) who fed their pet an RMBDs lived with immunologically vulnerable people. Interestingly, confidence in veterinary advice was lower among owners using these diets.
Limitations:
Limitations intrinsic to questionnaire studies, such as potential response bias, are acknowledged.
Conclusion:
The study highlights the importance of improved veterinarian‒client communication regarding pet nutrition, emphasising the need for veterinarians to play a more active educational role.Depto. de Medicina y Cirugía AnimalFac. de VeterinariaTRUEpu
Current practices of pain assessment and analgesic use in laboratory mice: A 2022 FELASA Working Group survey
No full textAssessing and alleviating pain in animals involved in research is critically important. However, the effective implementation of pain management depends on the knowledge and attitudes of the personnel involved. Following a Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations 'Pain in Mice' working group initiative, a questionnaire to survey current practices concerning analgesic use in laboratory mice was distributed to several professional groups in the field of laboratory animal science. Besides demographic data, attitudes to pain and analgesia and sources of information and advice on pain management were assessed. Data were gathered and analysed through an e-survey provider. Most respondents (N = 222) were from Europe (90%). Analgesics were administered to murine surgical models by 92% of respondents in most cases and by 66% to all mice undergoing surgery. Most respondents used multimodal analgesic regimens (69%). For non-surgical models, 34% of respondents provided analgesics. The most commonly administered classes of analgesics were opioids (mostly buprenorphine) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (mostly meloxicam and carprofen). A wide range of dose rates of meloxicam and carprofen was reported. Local anaesthetics were also widely used in surgical models (mostly lidocaine). Pain assessment was undertaken by most respondents (98%). In conclusion, most respondents provided analgesics to mice undergoing surgery and used analgesics in some non-surgical models. A considerable variation in the dose range used and the timing of administration of analgesics likely reflects both a lack of data and variation in pain assessment methodologiesDepto. de Medicina y Cirugía AnimalFac. de VeterinariaTRUEpu
AI: A test of human integrity
No full textResearch into the intersection of cybersecurity and humanity explores profound questions: What does it mean to be human, or a human
of integrity, in an era where tools are being developed to detect, in real-time, whether the individual we engage with is a deepfake?
Ethical boundaries of AI simulation and the strategies to maintain transparency when creating highly humanized systems.LOYOLA INSTITUTE OF PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS (INDIA)Depto. de Álgebra, Geometría y TopologíaFac. de Ciencias MatemáticasTRUEpu
Reproductive loss attributed to Lactococcus petauri infection in a black-and-white ruffed lemur
No full textLactococci have been associated with fetal and neonatal infections in humans and cattle. Here we describe a case of reproductive loss attributed to Lactococcus petauri in a lemur. A full-term black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) was found dead in the indoor area of a zoologic exhibit. Classification as a late-term abortion or stillbirth was unclear as the precise gestational time was unknown. A medical checkup of the dam revealed fever and neutrophilic leukocytosis; recovery followed treatment with enrofloxacin. The main histologic findings were placental edema and hemorrhage, hepatic necrosis, desquamated amniotic epithelial cells in alveoli, and subendocardial and myocardial hemorrhages. Tissue Gram stain revealed abundant gram-positive cocci arranged in short chains in the placenta and liver. Toxoplasma gondii was not detected by immunohistochemistry. Bacterial isolates from the placenta and fetal liver were identified as Lactococcus garvieae by MALDI-TOF MS. However, the isolates were found to be L. petauri by determining their in-silico DNA–DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values using pairwise comparisons of their whole-genome sequences and the genomes of the type strains. The antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates by the disk diffusion method revealed resistance to tylosin, gentamicin, apramycin, neomycin, amikacin, ampicillin, and florfenicol. We attributed the reproductive loss in this lemur to placental and fetal infection by L. petauri.Depto. de Sanidad AnimalDepto. de Medicina y Cirugía AnimalFac. de VeterinariaCentro de Vigilancia Sanitaria Veterinaria (VISAVET)TRUEpu
Marked Variability in Distance‐Decay Patterns Suggests Contrasting Dispersal Ability in Abyssal Taxa
No full textThis work was supported by the UK Natural Environment Research Council funded Seabed Mining and Resilience to Experimental impact (SMARTEX) project (grant reference NE/T003537/1). Novel methods for distance-decay analyses used in this study were developed through grant no. PID2020-112935GB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 to A.B. and C.G.R. D.J.A. received funding from UC Santa Barbara's Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory. J.M.D. was funded by UK Natural Environment Research Council's Climate Linked Atlantic Sector Science project (NE-R015953/1) and AtlantiS project (NE/Y005589/1). A.M.S. was funded by laCaixa Foundation (Fellowship Code LCF/BQ/DI21/11860043).Aim. We assess the role of spatial distance and depth difference in shaping beta diversity patterns across abyssal seascape regions. We measured the decrease of faunistic similarity across the northeast Pacific seafloor, to test whether species turnover rates differ between deep and shallow-abyssal biogeographical provinces and whether these patterns vary across functionally or taxonomically different biotic groups. Location. Abyssal NE Pacific Ocean. Time Period. Present. Major Taxa Studied Benthic Invertebrates (13 Phyla). Methods. We examined the relationship between compositional similarity (sim) and spatial distance, distance-decay, in benthic megafauna communities (animals > 10 mm) based on seabed imagery data (> 36,000 specimens in 402 species) collected across 28 abyssal seascape locations spanning a total of 4000 km. By comparing the statistical parameters (intercept and slope) of decay curves, we investigated whether distance-decay patterns differ (i) between communities above and below the carbonate compensation depth (~4400 m at N Pacific), (ii) among taxa with contrasting life-habits and (ii) across dominant phyla. Results.
We found steeper species turnover rates in communities below 4400 m and variations in distance-decay patterns across biotic groups. Turnover was higher for taxa facultatively growing on hard-substratum patches (polymetallic nodules) than for sediment-dwelling or swimming organisms. Cnidaria and Porifera, respectively, depicted the most and least evident spatial decays in community similarity. Main Conclusions. We demonstrate the utility of combining seabed imaging with distance-decay modelling to capture macroecological patterns in poorly explored deep-sea ecosystems. Our results suggest that chemical boundaries associated with depth are a very relevant niche-sorting mechanism driving large-scale beta-diversity patterns and an association between species life-habits and dispersal limitation in abyssal seabed communities. These findings have important implications for biodiversity conservation plans in the deep ocean, amid the need to protect vast abyssal seascape ecosystems from globally rising human threats.Natural Environment Research Council (Great Britain)University of California, Santa Barbara's Benioff Ocean Science LaboratoryFundación "la Caixa"Depto. de Biodiversidad, Ecología y EvoluciónFac. de Ciencias BiológicasTRUEpu
Bibliometric analysis of emerging contaminants and cytostatic compounds: understanding the current challenges
No full textSupplementary material associated with this article can be found, in the online version, at doi:10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100538.Emerging contaminants (ECs) include a wide range of substances whose presence may pose a risk to the environment and human health. Research on cytostatic pollutants is increasing because the exponential growth of cancer treatments leads to higher discharge of cytostatic contaminants with wastewater treatment plant effluents. This systematic bibliometric review shows 4166 publications within the topic of ECs and cytostatic drugs in water bodies since 1996, mainly in the category of Environmental Science. China, Spain and USA are the most productive countries nowadays and Europe has 41,6 % of the publications. Research topics have shifted from identifying the presence of ECs, in the period 1996–2012, to understanding their fate, distribution, and long-term impacts as well as on developing removal technologies, in the period 2012–2023. 29 main keywords have been identified and classified into four thematic groups: contaminants, analytical techniques, water bodies and treatments. Principal component analysis has integrated them into two principal components (PC). PC1 includes keywords within the groups of water bodies and treatments, and it reflects 70 % of the original data variance; while PC2 represents the analytical topic, and it represents 20 % of the variance. The co-occurrence networks of keywords, analysed by VOSviewer, show four clusters in both periods, with “emerging contaminants”, “pharmaceuticals”, and “personal care products” as the most important. “Contaminants” that appear in the first period have been substituted by “treatment plants” in the last decade. The keyword “personal care products” shows the highest increase (14-fold), higher than “emerging contaminants” (13 times) and “cytostatic drugs” (10 times). In recent years, the research interest on the formation of transformation products during water treatments and their risks has increased as shown by the higher importance of keywords such as "transformation products", "risk assessment" and "toxicity”, as consequence of the development of advanced oxidation treatments.Ministerio de Ciencia y TecnologíaDepto. de Ingeniería Química y de MaterialesFac. de Ciencias QuímicasTRUEpu
Using ensembles of dielectric nanoparticles in the FROG technique
No full textCT63/19-CT64/19We have implemented the FROG (frequency-resolved optical gating) technique for the characterization of ultrashort laser pulses in the range of tens of femtoseconds using ensembles of dielectric nanoparticles as the non-linear material for SHG (second-harmonic generation). In order to measure traces that could be retrieved with standard retrieval algorithms, a collinear configuration was needed to avoid undesirable effects from scattered light. The amplitude and phase of the retrieved pulses are in agreement with those obtained using BBO as nonlinear material. The large non-linear signals emitted by ensembles of nanoparticles and their low cost set them as an interesting alternative to autocorrelation to characterize ultrashort laser pulses in different spectral ranges. Since optical fiber lasers are now providing short pulses around tens of femtoseconds in many different spectral ranges, this field could greatly benefit from our findings.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)Agencia Estatal de Investigación (España)Universidad Complutense de MadridDepto. de ÓpticaFac. de Ciencias FísicasTRUEpu
Long-term mitochondrial and metabolic impairment in lymphocytes of subjects who recovered after severe COVID-19
No full textThe underlying mechanisms explaining the differential course of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the potential clinical consequences after COVID-19 resolution have not been fully elucidated. As a dysregulated mitochondrial activity could impair the immune response, we explored long-lasting changes in mitochondrial functionality, circulating cytokine levels, and metabolomic profiles of infected individuals after symptoms resolution, to evaluate whether a complete recovery could be achieved. Results of this pilot study evidenced that different parameters of aerobic respiration in lymphocytes of individuals recuperated from a severe course lagged behind those shown upon mild COVID-19 recovery, in basal conditions and after simulated reinfection, and they also showed altered glycolytic capacity. The severe groups showed trends to enhanced superoxide production in parallel to lower OPA1-S levels. Unbalance of pivotal mitochondrial fusion (MFN2, OPA1) and fission (DRP1, FIS1) proteins was detected, suggesting a disruption in mitochondrial dynamics, as well as a lack of structural integrity in the electron transport chain. In serum, altered cytokine levels of IL-1β, IFN-α2, and IL-27 persisted long after clinical recovery, and growing amounts of the latter after severe infection correlated with lower basal and maximal respiration, ATP production, and glycolytic capacity. Finally, a trend for higher circulating levels of 3-hydroxybutyrate was found in individuals recovered after severe compared to mild course. In summary, long after acute infection, mitochondrial and metabolic changes seem to differ in a situation of full recovery after mild infection versus the one evolving from severe infection.Depto. de MedicinaFac. de MedicinaTRUEpu
Digital competence and algorithmic competence in the age of artificial intelligence. “AlComEdu”: a holistic approach to managing the strategy and marketing of higher education institutions
No full textLa competencia digital, según la OCDE y la UE, se refiere a las habilidades para vivir y trabajar en una sociedad digitalizada. La omnipresencia de algoritmos en la interactuación de los individuos desafía los modelos hasta ahora desarrollados, lo que resalta la necesidad de una nueva competencia algorítmica enfocada en comprender y utilizar algoritmos e inteligencia artificial. Se identifican dos dimensiones para evaluar la competencia algorítmica: habilidades conceptuales y habilidades humanas. Las conceptuales incluyen la creación de recursos digitales, gestión de datos, pensamiento crítico, pedagogía digital y evaluación de alumnos. Las humanas se refieren a la comunicación organizacional, colaboración profesional, actuación ética y responsable, práctica reflexiva y formación digital. La competencia algorítmica busca mejorar el pensamiento crítico, la autonomía, la resolución de problemas mediante el uso adecuado de herramientas de IA. Este enfoque integral proporciona un marco claro para desarrollar y evaluar la competencia algorítmica en el contexto educativo.This article addresses the European Union's (EU) objective of promoting citizen digitization and socioeco-nomic progress through education. Digital competence, according to the OECD and the EU, refers to the skills to live and work in a digitized society, including communication, information seeking, and informed decision-making. However, there is a lack of consensus on its definition. On the other hand, the omnipre-sence of algorithms in the day-to-day interaction of individuals challenges the models so far developed, which highlights the need for a new algorithmic competence focused on understanding and using algo-rithms and artificial intelligence.To establish a clear framework, we propose to investigate the conceptual foundations of existing theories with an epistemological perspective to define a new competency. Based on pre-existing models and lite-rature on artificial intelligence and education as an emerging field, two dimensions are identified to assess algorithmic competence: conceptual skills and human skills. Conceptual skills include digital resource creation, data management, digital pedagogy, and learner assessment. Human skills refer to organizatio-nal communication, professional collaboration, reflective practice, and digital literacy. The importance of teaching students the responsible use of artificial intelligence, including ethical and pri-vacy issues, is emphasized. Algorithmic competency seeks to enhance critical thinking, questioning, au-tonomy and problem-solving through the appropriate use of AI tools. This comprehensive approach pro-vides a clear framework for developing and assessing algorithmic competence in the educational context.Depto. de MarketingFac. de Ciencias Económicas y EmpresarialesTRUEpu
