Bull Research Articles

Glycine Improved Cryopreserved Spermatozoa Quality in Achai Bull.

Achai is a small size cattle breed, resilient to harsh and cold environment. Cryopreservation of Achai bull semen may help to improve its genetics and preserve the germplasm. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) affects the structural and functional integrity of the spermatozoa. During freezing and thawing processes, the ROS make changes in the spermatozoa quality parameters and reduce total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) of semen that is considered as marker of oxidative stress. This study was designed to determine the effect of glycine along with vitamin E on post-thawed spermatozoa quality and total antioxidant capacity in Achai cattle. The semen collection was done twice a week from four mature fertile Achai cattle bulls (n = 4). The glycine was utilized as 0 mM, 5 mM, 10 mM, 15 mM, and 20 mM along with vitamin E @ 2.3 mM added constantly in each concentration. The control group contained all extenders except glycine. The results revealed that post-thawed spermatozoa motility was found significantly higher (P < 0.05) at 10 mM as compared to 5 mM, 15 mM, and 20 mM. Compared with control group, glycine concentration at 10 mM and other concentrations increased progressive and fast motility (%), curvilinear, straight line, and average path velocity (μm/s). Moreover, beat cross frequency (Hz) was higher (P < 0.05), and post-thaw viability (%), plasma membrane integrity, and mitochondrial membrane potential were significantly higher (P < 0.05) at 10 mM of glycine concentration in comparison to control and other glycine concentrations. Besides, acrosome integrity (%) and DNA integrity (%) as well as post-thawed T-AOC were also significantly higher (P < 0.05) at 10 mM of glycine concentration as compared to other glycine concentrations and control group. It is concluded that 10 mM of glycine along with vitamin E @ 2.3 mM improved cryopreserved semen quality of Achai bull.

A model of coercive control in higher education: a qualitative study.

A growing body of research indicates that psychological coercive control poses a threat in academic environments. Little is known, however, about the process, the dynamics, and the phases used to impose silently a variety of non-violent assaults on students and academics. A lack of awareness of coercive intimidation and psychological coercive control obstructs a student's path to academic achievement, which can have an impact on his or her emotional and mental well-being and diminishes the prosperity of society. Methods: A methodological selection and review of the scientific literature, theories, and practice on psychological intimidation, coercive control, and systems thinking has been employed in this study. A comprehensive reflective analysis and critical synthesis of the relevant scientific literature were conducted to gain insight into the design of a model of psychological coercive control applicable to educational environments. Results: This article identifies gaps in research theory and practice and examines critical issues of intimidation and psychological coercive control that is relevant to educational contexts. The article proposes a conceptual model of psychological coercive control as a direction for further research. Conclusions: Adequate awareness, models, and training programmes in relation to coercive infiltration are missing at higher education institutions. There is an urgent need for a curriculum change that may serve to promote support systems thinking and security awareness in educational environments.

School bullying and learning in high school students

The research was based on the study of bullying school and its impact on the learning of the students of the Educational Unit June 5 #34, of the Canuto parish, of the Chone canton. According to initial inquiries and diagnostic tests, it was possible to identify peer violence as one of the problems that significantly affects the performance of schoolchildren. From this, relevant themes were established in the theoretical framework in relation to school bullying and learning, which allowed analyzing the causes and consequences of bullying in the teaching-learning process. The objective was to determine the level of bullying and its effects on children's learning. The research had a mixed approach, that is, qualitative and quantitative, of a documentary type, with the implementation of the deductive method and the application of the survey as a data collection technique to investigate the behavior of the students and the intervention processes by of teachers in cases of school violence. It was obtained as a result that school bullying has a negative impact on student learning, due to psychological conditions, so it is necessary that teachers and parents are prepared to deal with these situations.

Social Norms and Interventions on Peer Violence: A Systematic Review of the Empirical Literature

Social Norms and Interventions on Peer Violence: A Systematic Review of the Empirical Literature

“Moral disengagement” and empathy of witnesses of peer bullying

Reviewing the literature on peer bullying, we can repeatedly come across conclusions about the declared willingness of witnesses to help a person experiencing peer violence. As it turns out, however, these promises are rarely implemented by them and have little to do with helping in a real situation. The authors of scientific studies (Hymel, Bonanno, 2014; Machackova, Pfetsch, 2016; Tłuściak-Deliowska, 2016; Gini, Pozzoli, Thornberg, 2017, 2020) mention, among the significant factors that prevent witnesses from intervening, among others, a high level of moral disengagement and a low level of empathy of the observers. The article is an attempt to show the role of empathy and mechanisms of "moral disengagement" of witnesses of peer bullying in the face of harm to the victim. The author presented her own research, which is part of a wider research project, during which she conducted 23 free interviews with students of various fields of study. The main assumption of the research was to know the predictors of intervention during school bullying. The study focuses on empathy and "moral disengagement" and on the specific neutralization techniques that bystanders use to refrain from intervening or defending/helping a victim of peer bullying. The presented conclusions are an important point in the design of school preventive activities aimed at shaping morality and empathy.

Do Neighbors Have More Peaceful Students? Youth Violence Profiles among Adolescents in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia.

(1) Background: Co-occurrence or overlaps of different forms or involvement in peer violence among adolescents have been broadly studied. The study aimed to assess adolescents’ violence profiles related to bullying, cyberbullying, and fighting in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. The study was to investigate the pattern of bullying, cyberbullying, and fighting involvement among adolescents in these four countries to test the stability of previously identified profiles. (2) Methods: We analyzed the data from the 2017/2018 international Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey, which used proportionate sampling among adolescents aged 11–15 years old (n = 24,501). A Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was performed to determine violence profiles in each country. (3) Results: In Slovakia, three distinct latent classes were identified, primarily cyber victims, school bullies, and those involved in multiple forms, and in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland bully victims was the fourth class. (4) Conclusions: The findings suggest that peer violence prevention programs in adolescents should consider violence profiles and multiple involvements.

Moderating role of work-family conflict in psychological intimidation and psychological well-being: A cross-sectional study of bank employees

This research purported to investigate relationship between psychological intimidation, work-family conflict and psychological well-being in bankers. A cross sectional research design was used to execute this study. It was hypothesized that an association would exist between psychological intimidation, work-family conflict and psychological well-being. It was further hypothesized that psychological intimidation and work family conflict would predict psychological well-being, and that work-family conflict would act as a moderator with psychological intimidation for psychological well-being. The sample consisted of bankers (n=300) from public and private banks of Lahore using non-probability purposive sampling technique. In addition to demographic information sheet, Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) (Einarsen et al., 2009), Inter-Role Conflict Scale (Kopelman, Greenhaus &amp; Connolly,1983) and General Wellbeing Scale (Dupuy, 1978) were used in the study. The Cronbach alpha of above scales was estimated to check the reliability. The data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment correlation and hierarchal multiple regression analysis using SPSS version 21. Results revealed that Psychological Intimidation and Work-Family Conflict had a negative correlation with Psychological Well-Being along with working hours per week. Psychological intimidation, Work-family conflict and working hours per week were found to be negative predictors of Psychological Well-Being in bankers. Moreover, it was found that Work-Family Conflict acts as a moderator with Psychological Intimidation for Psychological Well-Being. Additionally, results were discussed in terms of their implications and theoretical significance. This study will be helpful in the field of organizational psychology, findings might be used effectively in order to guide organizational interventions and theoretical developments in banking sector.

Towards an Integrative Theory of Bullying in Residential Care for Youth.

To date, no theory of bullying in residential care for youth has been proposed. By drawing on the results of the existing research on bullying and peer violence in youth residential care and adapting the Multifactor Model of Bullying in Secure Settings (MMBSS), this paper proposes the first integrative theory of bullying in residential care—the Multifactor Model of Bullying in Residential Settings (MMB-RS). The paper first summarises the existing empirical findings on bullying and peer violence in residential care for youth and describes the MMBSS. It then moves on to proposing and describing the MMB-RS. In a nutshell, the MMB-RS assumes that bullying in residential care is shaped by a dynamic interaction between a complex set of individual and contextual factors. The model also takes into account the interaction between bullies and victims, thus explicitly considering the social interactional components of bullying and victimisation and offering possible explanations of the sizable overlap between bullying and victimisation in residential care, including the possible contributions of residential peer cultures. The paper concludes by noting the importance of empirically testing the MMB-RS and proposing a programme of research that may be helpful in testing it.

Risk factors for intimate partner violence perpetration among college students: Impact of childhood adversities

Objective Intimate partner violence (IPV) among college students is a significant problem that negatively affects their physical and emotional health. This study aimed at examining risk factors, especially childhood adversities at the individual, relationship, and community levels, of IPV perpetration among college students. Methods: The sample from seven universities in the U.S. and Canada (N = 3,725) completed an online survey. Major variables included IPV perpetration, five types of childhood adversities, alcohol and drug use, depression, and demographic information. Logistic regression was performed. Results: Peer violence victimization, witnessing parental IPV, experiencing child maltreatment, drug use, and depression were associated with a higher odd of perpetrating IPV. Conclusions: Research and practice must account for exposure to multiple risk factors when intervening with college students. An integrative approach that combines trauma-informed interventions with substance use and mental health treatment may be most successful at IPV perpetration prevention and intervention among college students.

Serum Nerve Growth Factor Levels as a Predictor of Bull Candidate Semen Quality of Madura Cattle.

Madura cattle are the germplasm of native cattle on the verge of extinction because of crossbreeding. Therefore, the present study was aimed to determine the serum nerve growth factor (NGF) concentration as a predictor of fresh ejaculate fertility parameters in Madura bull candidates. Eleven Madura bull candidates used for frozen semen production were selected for the study. Blood samples were collected using a vacutainer from the jugular vein for analyzing serum NGF and testosterone levels. Meanwhile, semen collection was conducted using an artificial vagina for sperm motility, viability, and concentration assessment. Data were analyzed to determine the correlation among variables and the linear regression of NGF concentration to other significant variables. The result showed that NGF had a significant correlation (p < 0.05) with testosterone levels, sperm motility, viability, and concentration. A significant correlation was observed between testosterone levels, sperm concentration, and sperm viability. The regression equation among significantly correlated variables was determined. For artificial insemination, suitable bull ejaculates for obtaining frozen semen should reach at least 2.12 ng/mL of NGF levels, with sperm viability, sperm concentration, and testosterone levels of more than 78.63%, 1,462.177 million/mL ejaculate, and 25.67 ng/mL, respectively. This is the first study to identify NGF as a predictor of male fertility in bull candidates of Madura cattle. Therefore, NGF levels could be used as a marker of male fertility in Madura bull cattle candidates. Thus, based on the minimum NGF levels, the ejaculate of Madura bull candidate that meets the requirements for frozen semen production could predict fertility.

Data on Gastrointestinal and Claw Disorders as Possible Predictive Factors in Beef Cattle and Veal Calves’ Health and Welfare

Today, consumers have a growing concern about the welfare of beef cattle, and specific schemes have been proposed to assess their wellbeing during the fattening. On-farm assessments can be integrated and partially replaced by animal-based measures recorded postmortem at the abattoir. Postmortem organ inspection data are of value, as several lesions can be reflective of subclinical diseases not easily detected in the live animal. The present data collection aimed to evaluate the slaughterhouse prevalence and location of hoof, gastric, hepatic, and liver lesions in beef cattle and veal calves and retrospectively associated this information with the animals’ housing and feeding management systems. Individual data on gastrointestinal and claw disorders of beef cattle (bulls and heifers) and veal calves were collected through a postmortem inspection by trained veterinarians directly at the slaughter line. Around 15 animals/batch, belonging to 97 batches of young bulls, 56 batches of beef heifers, and 41 batches of veal calves were inspected in three slaughterhouses located in Northern Italy during 30 sampling days, and information on the animals’ rearing systems were gathered a posteriori from farmer interviews. The implementation of this recording system should promote a continuous improvement of beef cattle management from a health and welfare perspective.

Student Perceptions of School Resource Officers and Threat Reporting

ABSTRACT National debate over law enforcement in schools has largely overlooked student reporting of violent threats to school resource officer (SROs). This statewide assessment of Virginia high school students (n = 99,358) found that the majority of Black (64%), Hispanic (72%), White (71%), and other racial/ethnic identity (71%) students agreed the SRO made them feel safer at school. Logistic regressions revealed that positive perceptions of the SRO and frequency of speaking with the SRO were associated with increased willingness to report a peer who brought a gun to school or talked about killing someone. Perceptions of the SRO interacted with student race/ethnicity such that favorable views reduced disparities in nonwhite students’ willingness to report a peer with a gun. Although correlational, these results suggest that positive relationships with SROs encourage students to report threats of peer violence.

Performance of Local Beef Cattle For Fattening with Sorinfer Feed After A Short Distance Transportation

Abstract A good quality of feed should be fed to the animal after transport. The objective of the research was to investigate the effect of sorinfer and commercial concentrate feed on feedlot performance of local beef cattle after short period of transportation. This study used 8 Ongole Crossbreed (PO) and 8 Local Crossbreed Cattle (SL) bull with average age of 18-30 months. The average body weight of Ongole and Local Crossbreed Cattle were 291.5±23.5 kg and 289.0±26.3 kg respectively. The bull was allotted into two treatment of feed namely Sorinfer and commercial concentrate feed. Parameter observed were body weight loss, recovery time, body weight after short fattening period, average daily gain, feed consumption and conversion. A factorial 2 × 2 design was used for data analysis. Result shows that average of body weight loss for both breed was 1,2%. Furthermore, recovery time for both breed was similar for 10 days. In addition, PO cattle with Sorinfer and commercial concentrate feed has higher body weight gain and final weight (P&lt;0,05) compare to SL cattle. In conclusion, sorinfer feed was effective for recovery after transport for local beef cattle. However, sorinfer provide lower performance compare to commercial concentrate for short fattening period.

An algorithm using administrative data to measure adverse childhood experiences (ADM‐ACE)

ObjectiveTo develop an algorithm using administrative data to measure adverse childhood experiences (ADM‐ACE) within routinely collected health insurance claims and enrollment data.Data SourcesWe used claims and enrollment data from Tennessee's Medicaid program (TennCare) in 2018.Study DesignWe studied five types of ACEs: maltreatment and peer violence, foster care and family disruption, maternal mental illness, maternal substance use disorder, and abuse of the mother. We used diagnosis and procedure codes, prescription drug fills, and enrollment files to develop the ADM‐ACE, which we applied to measure the prevalence of ACEs and to examine prevalence by demographic characteristics among our sample of children in TennCare. We compared ADM‐ACE prevalence to child welfare records and survey results from Tennessee.Data Collection/Extraction MethodsOur study sample included children aged 0–17 years who were linked to their mothers if also enrolled in TennCare in 2018 (N = 763,836 children).Principal FindingsApproximately 19.2% of children in TennCare had indicators for ADM‐ACEs. The prevalence of ACEs was higher among children who were younger (p < 0.001), non‐Hispanic white or black (compared to Hispanic) (p < 0.001), and children residing in rural versus urban counties (p < 0.001). The prevalence of maltreatment identified through the ADM‐ACE (1.6%) falls between the percent of children in Tennessee who were reported to child welfare authorities and the percent for whom reports of maltreatment were substantiated. Comparison with survey reports from Tennessee parents suggests an advantage in measuring maternal mental illness with the ADM‐ACE using health insurance claims data.ConclusionsThe ADM‐ACE can be applied to health encounter data to study and monitor the prevalence of certain ACEs, their association with health conditions, and the effects of policies on reducing exposure to ACEs or improving health outcomes for children with ACEs.

Characteristics of fresh and frozen semen of Red Chittagong Cattle

Semen production from breeding bulls used in Artificial Insemination (AI) program is of great importance in cattle breeding. Good quality semen has positive effect on the fertility of cows and heifers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and assessed as the freezing ability of Red Chittagong Cattle (RCC) bull with fresh-diluted semen and frozen semen. The parameters of semen characteristics included were volume per ejaculate (ml), percentage of mass motility, normal and abnormal sperm, and sperm concentration (million/ml). The highest mass motility was found in bull ID No. 4 and the lowest in bull ID No. 1 but the highest sperm concentration was found in bull ID No. 3 with lowest in bull ID No. 2 in fresh semen. Highly significant (p&lt;0.001) positive correlation was found between mass motility and sperm concentration in bulls of ID No. 3 and 4, a negative significant (p&lt;0.05) correlation was found between mass motility and normal sperm percentage. Two freezing techniques were followed in frozen semen production: Cork sheet freezing and Cryobath freezing with two freezing times 15 and 30 minutes were also applied. Variations in the motility of frozen semen by Cork sheet freezing with two different times were found significant (p&lt;0.05) between bulls. Furthermore, highly significant (p&lt;0.01) difference of motility by Cryobath freezing was found between the bulls. The highest motility after both 15 and 30 minutes Cork sheet freezing and Cryobath freezing was found in bull ID No. 4 and lowest in bull ID No. 3. In the present study, variability in the potentiality of bulls (semen volume and sperm concentration) was observed and found lower than crossbred bulls due to small size of Red Chittagong, an indigenous zebu cattle of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science. 51(1):25-30

Association between adverse childhood experiences and premenstrual disorders: a cross-sectional analysis of 11,973 women

BackgroundChildhood abuse and neglect have been associated with premenstrual disorders (PMDs), including premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). However, the associations of other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the cumulative number of ACEs with PMDs remain to be explored.MethodsTo evaluate the associations of the cumulative number and types of ACEs with PMDs, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis with a subsample of menstruating women within the Stress-And-Gene-Analysis (SAGA) cohort, assessed for PMDs and ACEs (N=11,973). The cumulative and individual exposure of 13 types of ACEs was evaluated by a modified ACE-International Questionnaire. A modified version of the Premenstrual Symptom Screening Tool was used to identify probable cases of PMDs, further sub-grouped into PMS and PMDD. Prevalence ratios (PRs) of PMDs in relation to varying ACEs were estimated using Poisson regression.ResultsAt a mean age of 34.0 years (standard deviation (SD) 9.1), 3235 (27%) met the criteria of probable PMDs, including 2501 (21%) for PMS and 734 (6%) for PMDD. The number of ACEs was linearly associated with PMDs (fully-adjusted PR 1.12 per ACE, 95% CI 1.11–1.13). Specifically, the PR for PMDs was 2.46 (95% CI 2.21–2.74) for women with 4 or more ACEs compared with women with no ACEs. A stronger association was observed for probable PMDD compared to PMS (p for difference <0.001). The associations between ACEs and PMDs were stronger among women without PTSD, anxiety, or depression, and without childhood deprivation and were stronger among women a lower level of social support (p for interaction<0.001). All types of ACEs were positively associated with PMDs (PRs ranged from 1.11 to 1.51); the associations of sexual abuse, emotional neglect, family violence, mental illness of a household member, and peer and collective violence were independent of other ACEs.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that childhood adverse experiences are associated with PMDs in a dose-dependent manner. If confirmed by prospective data, our findings support the importance of early intervention for girls exposed to ACEs to minimize risks of PMDs and other morbidities in adulthood.

Youth perceptions of prevention norms and peer violence perpetration and victimization: A prospective analysis.

The purpose of the current study is to prospectively examine the extent to which social norms perceptions regarding commitment to ending sexual violence are associated with subsequent peer victimization and perpetration experiences. Two types of social norms perceptions were examined: 1) peer norms (perceptions of norms among other students in their city), and 2) adult norms (perceptions of norms among adults in their city). Participants were 1259 middleand high school youth from a single school district (three high schools and five middle schools) who completed online surveys at two-time points, 6 months apart. Adolescents for whom perceptions of peer norms were one standard deviation or more above and below the mean of actual norms were "over-perceivers" and "under-perceivers,"respectively. Overperceivers overestimated their peers' commitment to ending sexual violence, whereas underperceivers underestimated their peers' commitment to ending sexual violence. Other adolescents were "accurate perceivers"; these adolescents were accurate in their estimation of their peers' commitment to ending sexual violence. In general, underperceivers (22.2% of the sample) were more likely than accurate perceivers (77.8% of the sample) to subsequently experience peer-to-peer perpetration and victimization. Adolescents who perceived adults to have a higher commitment to ending sexual violence were less likely to report subsequent perpetration and victimization for some forms of peer-to-peer violence. These findings highlight the potential promise of the social norms approaches to preventpeer-to-peer violence among youth which aligns with increasing calls in the field to integrate these approaches into comprehensive sexual violence prevention.

Nomogram predicting bullying victimization in adolescents

Objective: The purpose of this study was to construct a cross-sectional study to predict the risk of bullying victimization among adolescents. Methods: The study recruited 17,365 Chinese adolescents using stratified random cluster sampling method. The classical regression methods (logistic regression and Lasso regression) and machine learning model were combined to identify the most significant predictors of bullying victimization. Nomogram was built based on multivariable logistic regression model. The discrimination, calibration and generalization of nomogram were evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC), the calibration curve and a high-quality external validation. Results: Grade, gender, peer violence, family violence, body mass index, family structure, depressive symptoms and Internet addiction, recognized as the best combination, were included in the multivariable regression. The nomogram established based on the non-overfitting multivariable model was verified by internal validation (Area Under Curve: 0.749) and external validation (Area Under Curve: 0.755), showing decent prediction of discrimination, calibration and generalization. Conclusion: Comprehensive nomogram constructed in this study was a useful and convenient tool to evaluate the risk of bullying victimization of adolescents. It is helpful for health-care professionals to assess the risk of bullying victimization among adolescents, and to identify high-risk groups and take more effective preventive measures.

Youth Athletes' Perception of Existence and Prevalence of Aggression and Interpersonal Violence and Their Forms in Serbia.

Aggression and interpersonal violence (IV) against children and youth are issues in contemporary society. The current study reports on the youth athletes’ perception of the aggression and IV prevalence and its manifestation forms in a Serbian context. The sample included athletes (N = 2091) between the age of 11 and 18 years. Data were collected through an ad-hoc questionnaire created by the authors. Respondents’ answers to introductory questions about the frequency of IV indicated its absence (78.1%). However, the answers to the questions about specific forms of violent peer behavior indicated forms as well as the time and place where IV most often occurs. They underlined that IV takes place mainly after training or competition and during sports camps; and that the dressing room is the most favorable place for these behaviors. They also confirmed that the most prevalent subtypes of IV are psychological (roughly 40%) and physical (approximately 30%). The respondents’ opinions and experiences about IV (psychological, physical, sexual) revealed that factors such as gender, location, and parents’ education level may influence the IV manifestation. Highlighting the prevalence and the most frequently manifesting types of aggression and IV could help in awareness-raising of these social issues.

YOU ARE NOT MY FRIEND ANYMORE AND I WILL NOT PLAY WITH YOU

At school, we encounter different types of violence, but most often with peer violence. In this paper, we present the definition of peer to peer violence and its most common forms. In the paper, in the theoretical part, we focus on peer violence in the first grade, which as a long-term teacher of the first grades I encounter the most. In a practical example, we present the methods and forms of work that we used in the 1st grade and that proved to be successful in my work. We know that there are many different types of violence. The treatment must also be different for each individual. We can help each other with advice, protocols, literature and general laws. All of the above helps us to identify and deal with peer violence more effectively. We also touched on this topic in the theoretical part. It is important that we all realize that violence exists and that when we detect it, we deal with it effectively.