1,721,015 research outputs found
Analysis of stress signals in dogs during a modified version of Ainsworth's strange situation tetst -preliminary results
No full textZookeepers’ perception of zoo canid welfare and its effect on job satisfaction, worldwide
Full text linkRecently, zookeepers’ role in monitoring and assessing zoo animal welfare is gaining importance. One hundred-sixteen zoo canid keepers responded to an online questionnaire aimed at assessing, on a 1 to 5 scoring scale, their perception of the importance and fulfilment of the Brambell’s Freedoms for zoo canids, the bond with canids under their care, and their level of job satisfaction. Results showed that zookeepers perceive the Brambell’s Freedoms as highly important (median = 5, min–max = 3–5), but not equally guaranteed (median = 3, min–max = 1–5, p < 0.01). Although there was no difference in their perception of the importance of each freedom, those related to psychological issues (median = 3, min–max = 1–5) were perceived as significantly less guaranteed than those addressing physical needs (median = 4.5, min–max = 1–5, Mann–Whitney U test, p < 0.01). Female zookeepers tended to perceive all freedoms as more important (Ordinal Logistic Regression model, p = 0.009), as well as more guaranteed (Ordinal Logistic Regression model, p = 0.007), than male zookeepers. Regardless of gender, a more positive perception of the Brambell’s Freedoms for zoo canids was associated with higher job satisfaction (Mann–Whitney U test, p < 0.01, ρ = 0.241). The latter was also positively correlated with zookeepers’ perception of the strength of the bond with the canids under their care (Spearman Rho’s correlation, p = 0.01, ρ = 0.230). Our results highlight the need for zoos to focus on guaranteeing psychological welfare of their canids. Enhancing animal welfare may increase zookeepers’ job satisfaction
Partial analytic validation of determination of cortisol in dog hair using a commercial EIA kit
Full text linkThe quantification of cortisol in hair samples is a relatively recent method that has been increasingly used for the evaluation of long-term cortisol secretion and chronic stress levels, in both humans and non-human animals. The use of hair presents many advantages in relation to the use of other biological matrices, e.g. a very low invasiveness of the sample collection. Besides, cortisol analysis in hair samples provides measurements over a long period of time, which can be used as a chronic stress indicator. Nevertheless, the physiology of cortisol in hair and the evaluation of reliable methods for its quantification in hair samples need to be further investigated. The aim of this study was to perform a partial analytical validation for the quantification of cortisol in domestic dog hair samples using a commercially available high sensitivity salivary cortisol enzyme immunoassay kit. Results on both precision and linearity tests were overall favorable, supporting that the kit can be used to reliably measure hair cortisol concentrations in dogs
The impact of chronic inflammatory enteropathy on dogs’ quality of life and dog-owner relationship
Full text linkThis research was aimed at evaluating the impact of canine chronic enteropathies on dogs’ quality of life (QoL), their behavior, and owner–dog relationship. Forty-four dogs suffering from primary chronic enteropathies were assessed on the first visit with a veterinary gastroenterologist and on the first follow-up visit using a 1–10 visual scale to evaluate five features of QoL, the Canine Chronic Enteropathy Clinical Activity Index, the Lexington Attachment to Pet Scale, and the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire. They were compared to a control group of 49 healthy dogs and to a group of 50 dogs suffering from cancer. QoL and severity of enteropathy were negatively associated; enteropathic dogs on the first visit had a lower QoL than healthy dogs for all features and a lower general QoL than cancer patients; enteropathic dogs on the follow-up visit improved significantly for general QoL, health QoL, and interaction QoL. Higher levels of attachment between the owner and the dog were obtained for dogs affected by chronic enteropathies. Finally, dogs showed higher scores for separation-related behaviors and contact/attention behaviors on the first visit than on the subsequent follow-up. As in human medicine, chronic enteropathies have a strong negative impact on dogs
A survey on the presence and work of Animal Affairs Bureaux in Italy
No full textIn the last years, due to an increased awareness on animal welfare, some bureaux dealing with animal protection, especially protection of dogs and cats (Animal Affairs Bureaux=AAB), have been created on the Italian territory.
The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and work of AAB in Italy.
In 2011, a 16-item questionnaire was sent to all the Italian Animal Affairs Bureaux that could be tracked on the web.
Overall, a shortage of AAB was observed (n=68). The first AAB was created in 1992. The distribution was uneven, with 34 centers in Lombardy, 7 in Tuscany, and 5 on 20 Regions without any AAB.
Thirty-one questionnaires were returned. Among respondents, the staff (1 to 8 people per AAB, 88 in total) had not attended any preparatory courses; and only 22.6% of people working in a AAB had previous experience or training in the field.
The tasks mainly performed by AAB were: providing information to public audience regarding animal protection and management (96.7%); petitions for animal mistreatments (87.0%); census of free-ranging cats living in the colonies recognised by the municipality (74.1%); acceptance or rejection of the relinquishment or transfer of owned dogs (67.7%); capture and reintroduction of cats belonging to recognised colonies (67.7%).
In many of the districts, dog shelters were not present (38.7% for short permanence shelters and 58.1% for long permanence shelters), although mandatory by law. The vast majority of districts (83.8%) had created areas in which owned dogs can be left off-leash and socialize with other dogs. However, only 40.0% of districts along the coast had beaches equipped for dogs (8 in Tuscany and 6 in Emilia-Romagna).
Most districts (74.2%) fulfilled their own regulations concerning animal protection.
In conclusion, AAB play an important role in urban anthrozoology. However, their staff, spread, and facilities should be largely implemented in Italy
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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