1,720,989 research outputs found
Factors Affecting the Behavior of Early-Weaned Piglets
No full textWidowski, Tina; Torrey, Stephanie. (2006). Factors Affecting the Behavior of Early-Weaned Piglets. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/157323
Replication data for: In pursuit of a better broiler: a comparison of the inactivity, behavior, and enrichment use of fast- and slower growing broiler chickens
No full textSelection for rapid growth has produced heavier, more efficient broiler chickens, but has also introduced health and welfare issues, which may cause or be caused by inactivity. Rapid growth may also limit the performance of motivated behaviors, whereas the provision of enrichment may increase these behaviors and general activity. This study aimed to evaluate the inactivity, behavior patterns, and enrichment use of 2 fast- (CONV) and 12 slower-growing broiler strains (categorized as fastest [FAST], moderate [MOD], and slowest slow [SLOW]), based on their growth rates; 4 strains/category]. To evaluate inactivity, one male and one female from 153 pens were outfitted with omnidirectional accelerometers from d 21 until processing (14 −24 birds/strain from 8 to 12 pens/strain). Additionally, to supplement inactivity data, 5-min continuous behavioral observations of four focal birds per pen (2 males, 2 females) were conducted on days 26, 42, and 56 (72−148 observations of 8−12 pens/strain) to quantify the duration and frequency of various behaviors; at the same time, 5 to 11 instantaneous scan samples were also performed for pen-based enrichment use. Inactivity peaked at 78 to 80% of the day for all strains; however, those with slower growth rates reached these levels at older ages. Compared to slower growing strains at the same age, faster growing strains were more inactive, spent more time sitting and feeding, spent less time standing and walking, and used enrichments less; these differences mostly occurred at younger ages. Generally, at the same age, strains with similar growth rates (within the same category) behaved similarly, with only a few exceptions. Results suggest that not all strains identified as “slow-growing” broilers behave differently from fast-growing broilers, nor do they all behave similarly to each other. As such, results suggest that improved broiler welfare, particularly with respect to reduced inactivity, the performance of a wider range of normal, motivated behaviors, and/or increased enrichment use, is related to the broiler strain’s specific growth rate
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
The Effect of Alternative Feeding Strategies for Broiler Breeder Pullets throughout the Production Cycle
No full textFeeding management of broiler breeders is a controversial issue for the poultry industry. Feeding broiler breeders to satiety results in obesity-related problems and feed restriction is a welfare concern as feed-restricted broiler breeders show signs of chronic hunger, feeding frustration and lack of satiety. The development of alternative diets has focused on dietary dilution and the addition of an appetite suppressant. Furthermore, many producers in Canada use non-daily feeding schedules to feed-restrict broiler breeders, a practice banned in some countries due to the perceive threat toward welfare. Yet, there is little empirical data on the implications of alternative feeding strategies for the welfare of broiler breeders. The objective of this thesis was to determine the effect of alternative diets and non-daily feeding schedules on broiler breeder welfare and productivity. Results in this thesis indicated advantages and disadvantages to all feeding strategies, and pullets remained highly-feed motivated regardless of the feeding strategy. Those fed the control diet daily were more active, performed more stereotypic and abnormal behaviours, had worse feather coverage, and were more feed motivated than those on the alternative diet or fed non-daily during early rearing. Hens reared on the alternative feeding strategies showed a higher laying persistency than control hens, reflected in a higher cumulative egg production. Pullets fed non-daily may achieve a greater feeling of satiety during on-feed days but displayed behavioural signs of hunger during off-feed days. The inclusion of soybean hulls alleviated stress and acted as an intestinal filler but resulted in a higher intestinal water content, wetter litter, foot lesions, and more intestinal lesions compared to the control diet. Our results indicate that non-daily feeding does not appear worse than daily feed restriction for broiler breeder welfare but off-feed days are an ethical concern. Alternative diets containing soybean hulls and calcium propionate reduced some signs of chronic hunger but raised other welfare concerns.Canadian Poultry Research CouncilNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of CanadaCanadian Hatching Eggs ProducersOntario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural AffairsPoultry Industry Counci
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
The Relationships Between the Performance of Injurious Pecking and Behavioural and Physical Traits in Domestic Turkeys
No full textThis thesis is an investigation of the relationships between the performance of injurious pecking and other behavioural and physical traits in domestic turkeys. Injurious pecking is a serious concern for the welfare and productivity of domestic turkeys, as a large proportion of the mortalities and culls in commercial flocks show injurious pecking damage. There are three distinct types of injurious pecking in turkeys: head pecking, severe feather pecking, and cannibalism; however, the development and causation of this damaging behaviour in turkeys is still poorly understood. The first research study in this thesis investigated the development of injurious pecking damage in relation to physical characteristics, such as body weight, leg health, and the snood length of growing male turkeys. This study showed that male turkeys develop more injurious pecking damage and poorer leg health over time. Yet, head pecking damage showed no correlation with body weight and snood length in domestic male turkeys. The validation study of data accelerometers for detecting turkey steps determined that this technology is best suited to evaluate the relationship between activity levels and injurious pecking in turkeys under small-scale research settings. The next study used temporal pattern analysis and a conventional behavioural assessment to identify differences in the behavioural organization of head pecking, severe feather pecking, and non-damaging gentle feather pecking. Both analyses identified similar differences in the structure of active behaviours and gentle feather pecking among pecking types, yet gave conflicting results on the organization of feeding and foraging behaviour for turkeys engaged in head, severe, or gentle feather pecking. The final study was an initial step for determining if morphological differences in beak shape influence the injurious pecking behaviour of individual turkeys. This research used landmark-based geometric morphometrics to establish that beak shape shows a wide phenotypic variation between male and female domestic turkeys at both 6 and 18.5 weeks of age. This morphological study provides a foundation for future genetics and behavioural research to evaluate the heritability of beak shape in domestic turkeys and to identify differences in potential capacity for injurious pecking damage between the distinct beak shape phenotypes.Hybrid TurkeysOntario Ministry of Agriculture and FoodCanadian Poultry Research CouncilCampbell Centre for the Study of Animal WelfarePoultry Industry Counci
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