| 1. |
- Nordgren, Lena, Docent, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Photo-elicited conversations about therapy dogs as a tool for engagement and communication in dementia care: a case study
- 2019
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Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Understanding the inner life of people with dementia can be challenging and there is aneed for new and dierent approaches. Previous research shows that people with dementia canexperience emotions such as harmony, closeness, and joy as well as sadness and concern wheninteracting with a therapy dog. Simultaneously, memories of past episodes are brought back to lifewhen the person interacts with the dog. This raises questions about whether photos of interactionwith a dog can evoke memories or support people with dementia in communicating emotions in acorresponding way. The aim of this study was to explore photo-elicited conversations as a tool forengagement and communication in dementia care. Repeated video observations of photo-elicitedconversations between a woman with dementia and a dog handler/assistant nurse were used tocollect data. The video recordings were analyzed with a phenomenological hermeneutical method.The role of photo-elicited conversations as a tool for engagement and communication in dementiacare is that the conversations can help the person with dementia to feel a sense of being situatedand recall feelings of liveliness and belongingness, and thus supporting the person’s sense of self.The results can be used to deepen nursing sta’s understanding of using photo-elicited conversationsin dementia care.
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| 2. |
- Abouhatab, Assem
(författare)
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Determinants of SARS-CoV-2 Impacts on Small-Scale Commercial Broiler Production Systems in Egypt: Implications for Mitigation Strategies
- 2021
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Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple SummaryThe COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a substantial impact on small-scale broiler production systems in developing countries and put their supply chains at risk of disruption. Drawing on a survey of 205 small-scale commercial broiler farms (SCBFs) in Egypt, this study identifies the primary pathways through which the pandemic has affected these farms and investigates the determinants of their perception of COVID-19 effects. The empirical results revealed that the pandemic affected SCBFs heterogeneously based on their management and production systems and resource endowment. In particular, individually owned farms and those with membership of poultry producer organizations and larger total asset values perceived significantly fewer effects. In addition, SCBFs operating in both local and provincial markets were less likely to perceive negative effects from the pandemic. Despite that the adoption of strict containment measures was essential for protecting public health, our results indicate that policy responses to COVID-19 must consider the likely effects on small businesses such as SCBFs since disruptions to such socioeconomically important supply chains will intensify human suffering from the pandemic. These findings of our study provide important implications for enhancing the preparedness and resilience of small-scale broiler production systems in developing countries to future pandemics and natural hazards.As in many other countries, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, together with subsequent government containment measures, posed significant challenges to small-scale broiler production systems in Egypt. Based on a survey of 205 specialist small-scale commercial broiler farms (SCBFs) consisting of both farm-based and household-based production systems, this study identifies the primary pathways through which COVID-19 has affected SCBFs and investigates the determinants of farm perception of these effects. A polychoric principal component analysis sorted the effects of the pandemic on the SCBFs surveyed into five categories, namely, input availability, production and operational costs, labor and human resources, consumer demand and sales, and farm finances. Next, five ordered logit models were constructed to examine the determinants of the SCBFs' perception of each category of these effects. Generally, the empirical results revealed that COVID-19 affected SCBFs heterogeneously based on their management and production systems and resource endowment. Female-led and household-based SCBFs perceived significantly greater COVID-19 effects. In contrast, individually owned farms and those with membership of poultry producer organizations and larger total asset values perceived fewer effects. In addition, SCBFs operating in both local and provincial markets were less likely to perceive negative effects from the pandemic on their broiler farming activities. Although the adoption of strict and immediate containment measures was essential for controlling the virus and protecting public health, our results indicate that policy responses to COVID-19 must consider the likely effects on small businesses such as SCBFs since disruptions to such socioeconomically important supply chains will intensify human suffering from the pandemic.Overall, our findings provide important implications for the formulation of effective strategies for mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on small-scale broiler production systems in Egypt and enhancing their preparedness and resilience to future pandemics, natural hazard risks, and market shocks.
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| 3. |
- Ahmed, Haseeb, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing Animal Welfare and Farm Profitability in Cow-Calf Operations with Stochastic Partial Budgeting
- 2021
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Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple SummaryThe increased consumer demand for high levels of farm animal welfare (FAW) have prompted debates about the costs of achieving higher FAW. Yet, little is known about the economic consequences of improvements in FAW, especially in cow-calf operations. This study contributes to the literature by investigating the relationship between farm profitability and improved FAW measure in terms of increased space allowance in Swedish cow-calf operations. We found that a 0.5 m(2) increase in space allowance per calf (achieved by a corresponding reduction of herd size) was associated with a 6.9 to 18.7% reduction in farm-level contribution margins in the short term. Our results suggest that FAW improvements can be costly for farms and these costs should be considered while taking policy decisions regarding improvements in FAW standards.The societal demand for good farm animal welfare (FAW) has increased over time. Yet, very little is known about the economic consequences of improvements in FAW in cow-calf operations. This study investigates on-farm economic consequences of improved FAW measures in cow-calf operations. It uses a stochastic partial budgeting approach to examine the relationship between contribution margins and improvements in FAW in terms of increased space allowance for a typical Swedish cow-calf operation, as compared to current practices. In the current practice, a cow should be given at least 5 m(2) and the calf 2.2 m(2). We found that a 0.5 m(2) increase in space allowance per calf (achieved by a corresponding reduction of herd size) was associated with a 6.9 to 18.7% reduction in contribution margins in the short term. Our analysis does not include possible indirect gains like decrease in disease incidence and enhanced non-use or 'soft' values associated with increased FAW. However, our analysis indicates that high FAW standards can be costly and careful cost-benefit analysis should be a part of decision-making processes regarding FAW standards. Our results also suggest a need for government support payments and/or the development of market mechanisms to stimulate farmers to continue producing livestock-based foods with high FAW.
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| 4. |
- Ahmed, Mohammed, et al.
(författare)
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Twenty Years after De Ley and Blaxter—How Far Did We Progress in Understanding the Phylogeny of the Phylum Nematoda?
- 2021
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Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 11:12, s. 3479-3479
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Molecular phylogenetics brought radical changes to our understanding of nematode evolution, resulting in substantial modifications to nematode classification implemented by De Ley and Blaxter and widely accepted now. Numerous phylogenetic studies were subsequently published that both improved and challenged this classification. Here we present a summary of these changes. We created cladograms that summarise phylogenetic relationships within Nematoda using phylum-wide to superfamily-wide molecular phylogenies published in since 2005, and supplemented with the phylogenetic analyses for Enoplia and Chromadoria with the aim of clarifying the position of several taxa. The results show which parts of the Nematode tree are well resolved and understood, and which parts require more research, either by adding taxa that have not been included yet (increasing taxon coverage), or by changing the phylogenetic approach (improving data quality, using different types of data or different methods of analysis). The currently used classification of the phylum Nematoda in many cases does not reflect the phylogeny and in itself requires numerous improvements and rearrangements.
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| 5. |
- Algers, Anne, 1961, et al.
(författare)
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Open Knowledge about Slaughter on the Internet-A Case Study on Controversies.
- 2017
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Ingår i: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 7:12, s. 1-11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Knowledge about slaughter of animals for human food is often perceived as controversial and therefore not made widely available. An open educational resource on the Internet about the slaughter of animals has created tension at launch but also resolved tension. Aiming to explore how this resource at the boundary between academia and society is perceived, a study was carried out with participants from slaughterhouses, universities, authorities and NGOs. Focus group sessions were video recorded and transcripts were coded using an interpretive thematic analysis. The results show that an open educational resource in addition to contributing to learning and awareness raising can also induce dialogue (and thus resolve tension) about animal welfare and contribute to animal welfare resilience. Our results also indicate that participants had diverse opinions about the influence of multimedia on attitudes towards animal slaughter. The use of additional instruments such as comment fields may lead to more knowledgeable citizens and socially robust knowledge, but has to be carefully weighed against the risk of false or fake data.
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| 6. |
- Alm Bergvall, Ulrika, et al.
(författare)
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Settle Down! Ranging Behaviour Responses of Roe Deer to Different Capture and Release Methods
- 2021
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Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple Summary The study of animal movement in wild, free ranging species is fundamental for advancing knowledge on ecosystem relationships and for conservation. The deployment of bio-logging devices to this purpose (often GPS-collars in large mammals) requires relatively invasive procedures, such as capture, handling and release. Capture and manipulation cause behavioural modifications that are largely understudied in wild species and may affect both the welfare of animals and the output of the studies. We evaluated post capture and release ranging behaviour responses of a small deer species (roe deer Capreolus capreolus) for five different capture methods across 14 study sites within the EURODEER collaborative project. Roe deer showed modifications in their movement behaviour, independently of the capture method. However, individuals recovered rapidly, converging towards the average behaviour within a relatively short interval of time (between 10 days and one month), demonstrating a general resilience to such stressful events. We encourage researchers to continually adapt capture and handling methods so as to minimize stress and prioritize animal welfare. The fitting of tracking devices to wild animals requires capture and handling which causes stress and can potentially cause injury, behavioural modifications that can affect animal welfare and the output of research. We evaluated post capture and release ranging behaviour responses of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) for five different capture methods. We analysed the distance from the centre of gravity and between successive locations, using data from 14 different study sites within the EURODEER collaborative project. Independently of the capture method, we observed a shorter distance between successive locations and contextual shift away from the home range centre of gravity after the capture and release event. However, individuals converged towards the average behaviour within a relatively short space of time (between 10 days and one month). If researchers investigate questions based on the distance between successive locations of the home range, we recommend (1) initial investigation to establish when the animals start to behave normally again or (2) not using the first two to three weeks of data for their analysis. We also encourage researchers to continually adapt methods to minimize stress and prioritize animal welfare wherever possible, according to the Refinement of the Three R's.
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| 7. |
- Alsing Johansson, Todd, et al.
(författare)
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Bacterial Contamination of Equine Dentistry Equipment—Effect of Cleaning and Disinfection
- 2021
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Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple Summary Some of the equipment used in equine dentistry is difficult to clean and disinfect. Since it is vital to avoid the spread of infections in equine healthcare it is important to develop practical and easy-to-follow methods for cleaning and disinfecting dental equipment. The aim of this study was to investigate hygiene in equine dentistry. Dental equipment and the head support, where horses rest their head during dental care, were sampled for the amount of bacteria between each patient before and after dental care as well as after cleaning and/or disinfecting. The amount of bacteria was, in general, high on dental equipment and the head support after dental procedures. Bacteria were found in different amounts on most of the dental equipment after cleaning or disinfecting, which indicates a risk for spreading infections when using the equipment. For the head support, cleaning and/or disinfecting generally resulted in a reduced amount of bacteria, indicating a lowered risk for spreading infections. There is a great need for evidence-based guidelines on hygiene in equine dentistry to decrease the risk of transmitting infections between patients, facilities, and stables. Equine dentistry has developed immensely and human dental equipment, such as handpieces, are often used. Measures to avoid the spread of infectious microorganisms are important, but this is challenging since handpieces are difficult to decontaminate. Thus, it is necessary to develop effective IPC measures in equine dentistry. The aim of this study was to contribute to the evidence needed for future evidence-based guidelines on IPC by investigating hygiene in equine dentistry. Used handpieces and dummies (i.e., handpieces not used during dental procedure, reflecting environmental bacterial contamination) and the head support were sampled each day before the first patient, for each patient after treatment, and after decontamination. All equipment was sampled with 3M (TM) Swab Samplers and the head support additionally sampled with dip slides. After dental procedures, the detected bacterial load was often high on used handpieces, dummies, and the head support. After decontamination, handpieces did not meet the criteria for high-level disinfected equipment. In all but one case decontamination of the head support resulted in a lowered bacterial load. There is a great need for evidence-based guidelines on hygiene in equine dentistry, including IPC measures, to decrease the risk of spreading infectious microorganisms between patients, facilities, and stables.
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| 8. |
- Atkinson, Sophie, et al.
(författare)
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Animal Welfare and Meat Quality Assessment in Gas Stunning during Commercial Slaughter of Pigs Using Hypercapnic-Hypoxia (20% CO2 2% O-2) Compared to Acute Hypercapnia (90% CO2 in Air)
- 2020
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Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple SummaryAnimals must be stunned before slaughter to avoid fear, pain, and distress. In pigs, the most extensively used method is exposure to hypercapnia (high (>80%) concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2)). However, it produces irritation of the mucosa and a sense of breathlessness, reducing the welfare before slaughter. We investigated whether using hypercapnic-hypoxia (20% CO2 and less than 2% O-2) reduced aversion and discomfort compared to hypercapnia, and whether the quality of the stunning was adequate, meaning that no animals regain conscious after stunning. Moreover, we compared the impact of both stunning gases for meat and carcass quality. Our results suggest that both gases provoked aversion and discomfort, but these were lower in pigs stunned with the N-2 mixture compared to high CO2. On the other hand, the stun quality of the N-2 mixture was poorer than high CO2 stunning, given that more animals regained consciousness before sticking with the N-2 gas mixture. The stunning quality of the N-2 mixture, however, was improved when oxygen concentration was below 2%. Meat quality was slightly poorer in N-2 stunning compared to high CO2, with a higher percentage of carcasses showing pale, soft, and exudative pork.This study assessed aversion, stunning effectiveness, and product quality of nitrogen and carbon dioxide (CO2) mixtures used for stunning pigs. A total of 1852 slaughter pigs divided into two similar batches was assessed during routine slaughter in a Swedish commercial abattoir using either hypercapnic-hypoxia (20% CO2 and less than 2% O-2; 20C2O) or hypercapnia (90% CO2; 90C) gas mixtures. Behavioral indicators of aversion and discomfort were recorded. After exposure, the stunning quality was assessed through brainstem reflexes. After slaughter, the pH and electric conductivity of carcasses were assessed to estimate the incidence of pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) pork, and the presence of ecchymosis were inspected. Compared to 90C, pigs exposed to 20C2O showed a later (p < 0.05) onset of behaviors indicative of aversion, and a lower (p < 0.01) incidence of breathlessness. However, unconsciousness (i.e., losing posture) appeared earlier (p < 0.01) in 90C compared to 20C2O. In 90C, all (100%) pigs were adequately stunned, whereas in 20C2O a 7.4% of pigs showed signs of poor stunning, especially when oxygen concentrations were >2% (p < 0.001). The percentage of PSE carcasses was higher (p < 0.01) in 20C2O than 90C. In conclusion, compared to 90C, 20C2O reduced aversion and discomfort but showed lower stun effectiveness, especially when O-2 was above 2%, and a slightly poorer pork quality.
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| 9. |
- Babol, Jakub, et al.
(författare)
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Exploratory Survey on European Consumer and Stakeholder Attitudes towards Alternatives for Surgical Castration of Piglets
- 2020
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Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple SummaryIn many countries, surgical castration of piglets without pain relief or anaesthesia is still common practice. Castration is performed to minimise the incidence of boar taint, a bad taste (urine/fecal like), typically present in the meat of 5 to 10% of uncastrated male pigs. It also helps to avoid aggressive and sexual behaviour. For animal welfare reasons, alternatives are being considered, and in some countries, an alternative is already practiced. One option is to perform surgical castration with anaesthesia and relieve pain. A second option is to produce male pigs without castration, which requires detection of tainted carcasses in the slaughter house. A third option is to apply immunocastration: by a two-fold injection of a vaccine, the testes function is inhibited, which reduces boar-like behaviour and avoids boar taint. In this study, we evaluated the acceptability of each of these methods in 16 countries in Europe. Of the 4 presented options, the practice of surgical castration was least accepted (32%), whilst there was a high acceptance of castration with anaesthesia (85%), followed by immunocastration (71%) and production of boars (49%). The developed questionnaire and infographic can be used in future studies to further gain insights in consumer and stakeholder attitudes on this topic.Surgical castration of piglets without pain relief is still common practice in many countries. Possible alternatives for surgical castration are application of pain relief or anaesthesia or production of boars (entire males) and immunocastrates. Each of these alternatives faces advantages and disadvantages which may result in different citizen attitudes and consumers acceptability. Understanding which practice is acceptable to whom and why may further stimulate implementation. Consumer (n = 3251) and stakeholder (n = 1027) attitudes towards surgical castration without pain relief, surgical castration with anaesthesia, immunocastration, and production of boars were surveyed from April to June 2020 via an online questionnaire in 16 countries (>175 respondents per country). Surgical castration without pain relief was separated from each of the alternatives due to animal welfare and showed the lowest acceptability (32%). Within the alternatives, a further partitioning between the alternatives was based on perceived quality and food safety, with an acceptance of 85% for applying anaesthesia, 71% for immunocastration, and 49% for boar production. Differences depending on professional involvement and familiarity with agriculture could be observed, mainly for the acceptance of surgical castration without anaesthesia, immunocastration, and boars. Castration with anaesthesia was highly accepted by all types of respondents.
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| 10. |
- Banabazi, Mohammad Hossein
(författare)
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Gene-Set Enrichment Analysis for Identifying Genes and Biological Activities Associated with Growth Traits in Dromedaries
- 2022
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Ingår i: Animals. - : MDPI AG. - 2076-2615. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Simple Summary This project aimed to find biological themes affecting growth in dromedaries. Candidate SNPs associated with growth were mapped to 22 genes, and 25 significant themes were identified related to growth. The main biological functions included calcium ion binding, protein binding, DNA-binding transcription factor activity, protein kinase activity, tropomyosin binding, myosin complex, actin-binding, ATP binding, receptor signaling pathway via JAK-STAT, and cytokine activity. EFCAB5, MTIF2, MYO3A, TBX15, IFNL3, PREX1, and TMOD3 genes are candidates for improving growth in camel breeding programs. Growth is an important heritable economic trait for dromedaries and necessary for planning a successful breeding program. Until now, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and QTL-mapping have identified significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with growth in domestic animals, but in dromedaries, the number of studies is very low. This project aimed to find biological themes affecting growth in dromedaries. In the first step, 99 candidate SNPs were chosen from a previously established set of SNPs associated with body weight, gain, and birth weight in Iranian dromedaries. Next, 0.5 kb upstream and downstream of each candidate SNP were selected from NCBI (assembly accession: GCA_000803125.3). The annotation of fragments with candidate SNPs regarding the reference genome was retrieved using the Blast2GO tool. Candidate SNPs associated with growth were mapped to 22 genes, and 25 significant biological themes were identified to be related to growth in dromedaries. The main biological functions included calcium ion binding, protein binding, DNA-binding transcription factor activity, protein kinase activity, tropomyosin binding, myosin complex, actin-binding, ATP binding, receptor signaling pathway via JAK-STAT, and cytokine activity. EFCAB5, MTIF2, MYO3A, TBX15, IFNL3, PREX1, and TMOD3 genes are candidates for improving growth in camel breeding programs.
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