Comfort Behaviour Research Articles

Spatiotemporal understanding of behaviors of laying hens using wearable inertial sensors

Automatic detection of behaviors and locations has been increasingly needed in the management of non-cage systems where hen behaviors are highly diverse and active. Here we show a technology to spatiotemporally understand behaviors using a wearable inertial sensor, containing a three-axis accelerometer and three-axis angular velocity sensor (i.e., gyroscope), and a marker. Using supervised machine learning, we first developed a tool that automatically classified and counted 11 behaviors, including comfort behaviors such as head scratching and tail-wagging with small movements as well as dust-bathing with dynamic movements. As expected, these behaviors were observed more frequently in floor pens than in conventional cages (all P < 0.01). We also spatially mapped the behaviors in floor pens and visualized the behavioral frequency in each resource by detecting the colored markers on the sensor. Furthermore, using the time-series information included in the sensor data, we analyzed the behavioral transition from one behavior to another. The behavioral transitions were more complex in floor pens, and the number was higher in body shaking, tail-wagging, resting, litter scratching, dust-bathing, preening, and moving in floor pens than in conventional cages (all P < 0.05). Our tools presented deeper insights into where and what hens behaved and also suggested that connectivity between behaviors, as well as observing the frequency of a behavior, can be an important indicator for welfare assessment in laying hens.

Geometry of milk liners affects milking performance in dairy cows.

The geometry of milk liners may affect milking performance and cow comfort as the milk liner is the only part of the milking machine that comes into contact with the teat. To determine the effect of alternative shape of milk liners we compared square (SQR) vs. the conventional round (RND) teat cup liner on milking performance and comfort of dairy cows. Treatment milk liners were randomly allocated to clusters within each side of the 12 a side double up-herringbone dairy shed in a complete randomised block design over two periods. Milking performance data from a total of 10 065 (late stage of lactation and once-a-day milking frequency, LATE) and 18 048 (early stage of lactation and twice-a-day milking frequency, EARLY) milking events were automatically recorded by a DeLaval milk meter, and separately analysed for LATE and EARLY, respectively. In EARLY, cow comfort behaviour was also recorded during afternoon milking sessions. Across the two study periods, average milk flow rate, milk flow rate during 0-15, 15-30 and 30-60 s after cluster attachment, and milk flow rate at cluster take-off were higher in SQR compared to RND treatment. Proportion of time in a milking session with low milk flow rate and duration of milking session were less in SQR compared to RND treatment. However, effect of geometry of milk liner on peak milk flow rate was inconsistent across the two-study periods. Peak milk flow rate was higher (P < 0.001) in SQR than RND in LATE, but higher (P < 0.001) in RND than SQR in EARLY. Stomping and kicking behaviours of cows were similar between treatments. Results of this study suggest that square milk liners potentially improve milking performance, without adverse effect on cow comfort compared to conventional round liners. Long-term, multi-site studies are required to confirm potential teat-end health benefits associated with square milk liners and further verify these results.

Terminalia bellirica and Andrographis paniculata dietary supplementation in mitigating heat stress-induced behavioral, metabolic and genetic alterations in broiler chickens

BackgroundHeat stress (HS) is one of the most significant environmental stressors on poultry production and welfare worldwide. Identification of innovative and effective solutions is necessary. This study evaluated the effects of phytogenic feed additives (PHY) containing Terminalia bellirica and Andrographis paniculata on behavioral patterns, hematological and biochemical parameters, Oxidative stress biomarkers, and HSP70, I-FABP2, IL10, TLR4, and mTOR genes expression in different organs of broiler chickens under chronic HS conditions. A total of 208 one-day-old Avian-480 broiler chicks were randomly allocated into four treatments (4 replicate/treatment, 52 birds/treatment): Thermoneutral control treatment (TN, fed basal diet); Thermoneutral treatment (TN, fed basal diet + 1 kg/ton feed PHY); Heat stress treatment (HS, fed basal diet); Heat stress treatment (HS, fed basal diet + 1 kg/ton feed PHY).ResultsThe findings of the study indicate that HS led to a decrease in feeding, foraging, walking, and comfort behavior while increasing drinking and resting behavior, also HS increased red, and white blood cells (RBCs and WBCs) counts, and the heterophile/ lymphocyte (H/L) ratio (P < 0.05); while both mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were decreased (P < 0.05). In addition, HS negatively impacted lipid, protein, and glucose levels, liver and kidney function tests, and oxidative biomarkers by increasing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and decreasing reduced glutathion (GSH) activity (P < 0.05). Heat stress (HS) caused the upregulation in HSP70, duodenal TLR4 gene expression, and the downregulation of I-FABP2, IL10, mTOR in all investigated tissues, and hepatic TLR4 (P < 0.05) compared with the TN treatment. Phytogenic feed additives (PHY) effectively mitigated heat stress’s negative impacts on broilers via an improvement of broilers’ behavior, hematological, biochemical, and oxidative stress biomarkers with a marked decrease in HSP70 expression levels while all tissues showed increased I-FABP2, IL10, TLR4, and mTOR (except liver) levels (P < 0.05).ConclusionPhytogenic feed additives (PHY) containing Terminalia bellirica and Andrographis paniculata have ameliorated the HS-induced oxidative stress and improved the immunity as well as the gut health and welfare of broiler chickens.

Neurotoxicity and intestinal microbiota dysbiosis induced by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in crucian carp (Carassius auratus)

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been called "forever chemicals" due to their inherent chemical stability. Their potential toxic effects on aquatic animals and health risk assessments have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the toxic effects of PFASs at environmentally relevant concentrations (200 ng/L) on crucian carp (Carassius auratus). The results showed that PFAS reduced the comfort behaviour of crucian carp and was associated with reduced levels of acetylcholinesterase and dopamine in the brain. PFAS exposure also decreased the activities of total superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, while increasing the levels of malondialdehyde. PFAS caused over-expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ and stress-related genes Caspase-3, HSP-70 in the fish brain. Pathological staining showed that PFAS caused multifocal demyelination and perineural vacuolization in brain, intestinal tissue also showed reduced villus length and focal damage. PFASs altered the composition of the gut microbiota of crucian carp, significantly increasing the abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria and the potential pathogenicity of the microbiota. It is suggested that PFASs may cause varying degrees of tissue damage by destabilising the gut microbiota. These results provide insights for assessing the toxicity of PFAS contaminants at aquatic environmental concentrations.

The Effect of Swaddling and Oropharyngeal Colostrum During Endotracheal Suctioning on Procedural Pain and Comfort in Premature Neonates: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Endotracheal suctioning (ES) is a painful procedure frequently performed in the neonatal intensive care unit. This procedure negatively affects the comfort level of premature neonates. To determine the effect of 2 nonpharmacologic methods, swaddling and the administration of oropharyngeal colostrum, on the pain and comfort levels of preterm neonates during ES. This randomized controlled experimental study comprised 48 intubated premature neonates (swaddling group n =16; oropharyngeal colostrum group n =16; and control group n =16) at 26 to 37weeks of gestation. The neonates were swaddled with a white soft cotton cloth or administered 0.4 mL of oropharyngeal colostrum 2minutes before ES, according to the group in which they were included. Two observers evaluated the pain levels (Premature Infant Pain Profile-Revize [PIPP-R]) and comfort (Newborn Comfort Behavior Scale [COMFORTneo]) of the infants by observing video recordings of before, during, and after the procedure. A significantly lower mean PIPP-R score was found in the swaddling group during ES compared with the control group ( P =.002). The mean COMFORTneo scores of the swaddling and oropharyngeal colostrum groups during ES ( P <.01, P =.002) and the mean PIPP-R and COMFORTneo scores immediately after ES and 5, 10, and 15minutes later were significantly lower than the control group ( P <.005). Swaddling was effective both during and after the procedure, while oropharyngeal colostrum was effective only after the procedure in reducing ES-related pain in premature neonates. Swaddling and oropharyngeal colostrum were effective in increasing comfort both during and after the procedure.

Welfare evaluation of fat-rumped lambs under stall feeding condition with different feeder design

Animal welfare is directly related to animal performance and farm profit. It is associated with their autonomy to take feed and water along with a lack of discomfort. Feeding welfare determines farm profit as major cost of a farm is associated with feed. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of feeder design on lamb welfare evaluated through feeding behaviour and lamb performance. Sixteen growing fat-rumped lambs of 3-4 months of age were categorized into two groups with an average weight of 23.20±0.25 kg. Group I lambs were fed in conventional feeder, i.e. without divider and group II in designed feeder, i.e. with divider, respectively. The eating time was significantly low in group I with longer and strong agonistic behaviour suggesting intense competition within the group. This group showed minimal weight gain and maximal feed wastage due to extreme struggle for food during the period of the study. The time spent in comfort behaviours like lying rumination was more and agonistic behaviour was less in group II lambs. They showed significantly higher bodyweight gain. It can be concluded from the study that group feeding of growing lambs in feeder with divider allocates designated space for individual lamb, reduces agonistic behaviour and brings better growth in lambs under stall feeding conditions.

Influence of a Modified Drinking System and Barn Climate on the Behavior of Fattening Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo)

Agonistic behavior is a problem of animal welfare in commercial turkey fattening. In this study, possible influences of the barn layout and the climate of the barn on the behavior of fattening turkeys on a commercial farm were investigated. The study was conducted on a turkey farm with two comparable barns. A modified ventilation system was installed in the trial barn to improve the removal of NH3 and CO2. The drinkers were rearranged to increase the animals’ free floor area. In each barn, 3600 male turkeys (B.U.T. 6) were housed. Videos were recorded continuously from housing until removal for three consecutive fattening periods. NH3 and CO2 values were recorded. Turkeys showed increased activity (p &lt; 0.001) and comfort behavior in the trial barn during late fattening (p = 0.002). Agonistic behavior increased during late fattening, particularly around the drinkers (p &lt; 0.001). NH3 levels differed at the beginning of fattening. The study shows that extending the resting area contributes to increased activity and comfort behavior. The rearrangement of drinkers showed no positive effects on agonistic behavior, as the distance between individual drinkers was too small. Due to behavioral differences being most evident in late fattening, no conclusions can be drawn concerning the influence of CO2 and NH3.

Implications of sedation during the use of noninvasive ventilation in children with acute respiratory failure (SEDANIV Study)

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to analyze the effects of sedation administration on clinical parameters, comfort status, intubation requirements, and the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) length of stay (LOS) in children with acute respiratory failure (ARF) receiving noninvasive ventilation (NIV).MethodsThirteen PICUs in Spain participated in a prospective, multicenter, observational trial from January to December 2021. Children with ARF under the age of five who were receiving NIV were included. Clinical information and comfort levels were documented at the time of NIV initiation, as well as at 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h. The COMFORT-behavior (COMFORT-B) scale was used to assess the patients’ level of comfort. NIV failure was considered to be a requirement for endotracheal intubation.ResultsA total of 457 patients were included, with a median age of 3.3 months (IQR 1.3–16.1). Two hundred and thirteen children (46.6%) received sedation (sedation group); these patients had a higher heart rate, higher COMFORT-B score, and lower SpO2/FiO2 ratio than did those who did not receive sedation (non-sedation group). A significantly greater improvement in the COMFORT-B score at 3, 6, 12, and 24 h, heart rate at 6 and 12 h, and SpO2/FiO2 ratio at 6 h was observed in the sedation group. Overall, the NIV success rate was 95.6%-intubation was required in 6.1% of the sedation group and in 2.9% of the other group (p = 0.092). Multivariate analysis revealed that the PRISM III score at NIV initiation (OR 1.408; 95% CI 1.230–1.611) and respiratory rate at 3 h (OR 1.043; 95% CI 1.009–1.079) were found to be independent predictors of NIV failure. The PICU LOS was correlated with weight, PRISM III score, respiratory rate at 12 h, SpO2 at 3 h, FiO2 at 12 h, NIV failure and NIV duration. Sedation use was not found to be independently related to NIV failure or to the PICU LOS.ConclusionsSedation use may be useful in children with ARF treated with NIV, as it seems to improve clinical parameters and comfort status but may not increase the NIV failure rate or PICU LOS, even though sedated children were more severe at technique initiation in the present sample.

Pain Assessment in the Outpatient Pediatric Burn Patient: An Integrative Review.

There is no standardized practice in pediatric pain assessment with burn injuries in the outpatient clinic setting. This review aims to identify reliable, validated tools to measure pain in the pediatric burn clinic population. The literature search for this integrative review was conducted using the databases of PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Cochrane, and Embase from 2011 to 2023. Quality and relevance were appraised using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model. Reporting was done according to a Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analysis checklist. Fourteen articles and two clinical practice guidelines met inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The Pain Observation Scale for Young Children and the COMFORT Behavior Scale tools have shown good reliability and construct validity and can be safely used to measure background and procedural pain in daily burn practice. Further research on reliable, validated pain assessment techniques in the pediatric burn population is needed.

A/C usage intensity and adaptive comfort behaviour in residential buildings in South East Queensland, Australia

Occupants’ interaction with building controls has been recognised as a major contributing factor to the often-reported wide discrepancies between actual and predicted energy consumption in buildings. Accordingly, research into actual patterns of occupant behaviour is increasingly being incorporated into building energy performance simulation tools. However, utilizing a single behaviour pattern can also lead to differences between the actual and predicted energy use in a building. This study aims to classify patterns of occupant adaptive comfort behaviours based on longitudinal field observations made in Australian homes. A sample of 41 households was classified into ‘light’, ‘medium’ and ‘heavy’ usage types according to their annual A/C use. Statistical models describing the proportion of a specific adaptive behaviour (incl. A/C and window operation) in relation to outdoor temperature were developed for the three household classifications. The results indicate that more than 30% of the ‘heavy’ usage households operated their A/C for cooling as the outdoor temperature exceeds 30℃, in contrast to 10% for the ‘medium’ and nearly none for the ‘light’ A/C usage groups. In general, the household A/C usage and hours of windows being open in living rooms were found to be inversely proportional. This study also proposes a probability model for classifying the A/C usage levels of a given dwelling into the three groups (i.e. light, medium and heavy) based on simple background information that can be acquired at the design stage (i.e. site and construction characteristics).

Behaviour frequencies, spatial distribution and social network of Grimaud geese during the laying season

Most domestic goose breeds were domesticated from the Greylag goose. Even though domestication resulted in a change in the production and behaviour of birds compared to their ancestors, geese are relatively recently domesticated and less intensively selected for production compared to other species (i.e. chickens or dairy cattle). In this respect, we hypothesised that the territorial defence of ganders would be present during the laying season similar to the wild ones. The behaviour of birds was expected to differ by sex, the month of the laying season and the time of the day. We assumed that the hierarchy within a group would be affected by the influence of other groups. Altogether 150 birds in three fifty-bird groups were examined over five observation events indicating the onset (December), the peak (the start, the middle and the end of January) and the end (the end of February) of the laying season. Twenty behaviour elements classified into five categories (locomotion, static behaviours, feed intake, comfort behaviours and social behaviours) were examined regarding the three groups as replicates. The territorial defence of ganders was evaluated by spatial distribution analysis, and the relations within groups were investigated by social network analysis. Between sexes, only the frequency of social behaviours presented differences. Ganders showed social behaviour more frequently than geese (10.89% vs 1.49%, P= 0.000). The frequency of static behaviours was the lowest at the onset of January and the highest in February (21.18% vs 38.03%, P= 0.000). The frequency of feed intake was the highest in December and the lowest in February (18.33% vs 4.83%, P= 0.000). Comfort behaviours showed the lowest frequency in December and the highest at the onset of January (36.65% vs 57.63%, P= 0.000). The social behaviours were unchanged in December and January but decreased in February (4.40–6.37% vs 1.16%, P=0.000). Only the frequency of social behaviours differed by the time of the day, indicating the highest frequency in the morning (55.60%, P=0.003). The results of the spatial distribution analysis did not strongly support the presence of territorial defence of ganders. The structure within a group was the most explicit in Group 1 having an adjacent large group and another small group by which it was likely to be influenced. It might be concluded that domestic geese ganders did not keep their territory-holding ability to a full extent during domestication and the behaviour (mainly social interactions) of domestic geese is influenced by sex, the month of the laying season and the time of the day. The structure within a group was somewhat influenced by the adjacent groups.

Adaptive Comfort Potential in Different Climate Zones of Ecuador Considering Global Warming

Ecuador is a country with several climate zones. However, their behaviour is similar throughout the year, with no peaks of extreme temperatures in the various seasons. This paper is a first approach to study the adaptive comfort behaviour in several areas and populations of the country. Considering the ASHRAE 55-2020 model, energy simulation programmes are applied not just to the current climate scenario but also to the climate change scenarios of 2050 and 2100. The results of locations are analysed and compared to determine their performance. Thanks to their climate characteristics, adaptive comfort models could be applied as a passive strategy, using natural ventilation for building indoor comfort improvement, particularly social dwellings. According to previous studies, some prototypes have not considered the climate determinants in each region. Given the geographic situation of the study areas, the adaptive comfort model could be applied in all cases. Percentages of application of natural ventilation and heating and cooling degree hours have similar behaviours according to the climatic region, with a variation greater than 30% among them.

A data-driven agent-based model of occupants’ thermal comfort behaviors for the planning of district-scale flexible work arrangements

In a global context of increasing flexibility in the way workplaces and the districts in which they are located are used, there is a need for occupant-driven approaches to plan urban energy systems. Several authors have suggested the use of agent-based models (ABM) of building occupants in urban building energy simulations due to their ability to reproduce emergent behaviors from individual agents’ actions. However, few works in the literature take full advantage of the ABM paradigm, accounting for both occupant presence and energy-relevant behaviors at the district scale. In this work, we propose a methodology to develop a data-driven, agent-based model of building occupants’ activities and thermal comfort in an urban district. Our methodology combines the use of campus-scale Wi-Fi data to derive feasible occupant activity and location plans, along with thermal preference profiles derived from a longitudinal field study where off-the-shelf, non-intrusive sensors were used to capture the right-here-right-now thermal preference of 35 participants in the same case study district. Our model is then used to explore how different district operation strategies could affect building energy performance in the context of increased workspace flexibility. Our results show that by providing a diversity of building operation conditions, with different buildings having different set point temperatures, occupants’ thermal comfort hours could be improved by an average of about 10% with little effect on district energy performance. Meanwhile, a 6%–15% average decrease in space cooling energy use intensity was observed when implementing occupant-driven ventilation and setpoint controls, regardless of location choice scenario.

Effects of housing systems on behaviour and welfare of autochthonous laying hens and a commercial hybrid

The welfare of laying hens is crucial for a sustainable and ethical food industry. Free-range systems offer a more natural and stimulating environment, while dual-purpose autochthonous breeds and crossbreeding could address ethical concerns and improve productivity. In this study, behaviour, plumage status, and leg health of five genotypes (two local breeds, two crossbreeds with a medium growth hybrid, and one commercial hybrid) in two different housing systems (enriched cage/free-range) were evaluated. The animals were filmed with professional cameras for three consecutive days at 30 and 64 weeks of age. Each day the recording session lasted 20 minutes, resulting in a total of 120 minutes per pen (20 min X 6 days recorded). A total of 16 behaviours divided into six categories (feeding, movement, social, resting, comfort, stretching) were scored. In addition, the tonic immobility test was performed, and the plumage status and footpad dermatitis of the birds were assessed. The results revealed a significant influence of the housing system on the behaviour, plumage status, and foot health of laying hens. While the housing system affected all behaviours, mainly feeding and comfort behaviours were influenced by the genotype of the hens and the interaction between the housing system and genotype. All genotypes displayed a similar behavioural pattern within the two housing systems, except for the commercial hybrid, which differed in its behaviour from the others adapting better to the enriched cage environment. In particular, the free-range system provided hens with more opportunities to engage in movement and comfort behaviour, and social interactions. Furthermore, hens in the free-range system exhibited better plumage conditions and lower rates of footpad dermatitis, indicating a positive impact on their overall welfare.

How does visible light flicker impact laying hen pullet behavior, fear, and stress levels?

Many characteristics of artificial light have been evaluated; however, light-flicker frequency (F) has not been assessed extensively in poultry. Pullets (1,344 per strain [S]; Lohmann Brown-Lite [LB] and LSL-Lite [LW]) were placed into 8 light-tight rooms, containing 6 floor pens (15 pen replicates per F × S for 30 and 250 Hz; 18 pen replicates per F x S for 90 Hz), and assigned 1 of 3 F treatments (30, 90, 250 Hz). The experiment took place over 2 trials (blocks). To evaluate long-term effects of F during rearing, birds were followed through the hen phase. Data were analyzed using Proc Mixed (SAS 9.4). Differences were considered significant when P ≤ 0.05, and behaviors are expressed as percentage of time. Pullets reared under 30 Hz spent more time performing nutritive behaviors (P < 0.01) and as "unidentified" (P = 0.02) than other treatments. Active behavior demonstrated an age x F interaction, with pullets being more active at 16 wk, regardless of F (P < 0.01). Comfort behaviors were higher at 16 wk compared to other ages, regardless of F (P < 0.01). Exploratory behaviors were lowest at 4 wk in pullets under 30 Hz (P < 0.01). Aggressive behaviors (12 wk) were higher in pullets reared under 250 Hz than those under 90 Hz (P < 0.01). Comb score was unaffected by F (P = 0.79) and all birds scored had a full plumage. Heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was unaffected by F at 7 or 15 wk (P = 0.85 and P = 0.54, respectively). In trial 1, pullets reared under 90 Hz had higher corticosterone concentrations than those reared under 250 Hz (P = 0.02) and trial 2 there were no effects of F (P = 0.97). For novel object test, LW pullets reared under 90 Hz had a higher latency to peck than LW pullets under 30 Hz or 250 Hz (P = 0.03). Hen behavior (wk 39) and fear tests (36 wk; novel object test (P = 0.86) and tonic immobility (P = 0.37)) were unaffected by F. Overall, minimal effects of F were seen on pullet and hen behavior and stress.

A Systematic Review on the Studies of Thermal Comfort in Urban Residential Buildings in China

There have been fruitful publications on thermal comfort of urban residential buildings in China. However, there is a lack of reviews on this topic to perform a comprehensive analysis and find opportunities to meet occupants’ thermal comfort needs while improving building energy efficiencies. This paper addresses this issue by presenting a systematic review on the advancements in research on thermal comfort in urban residential buildings in China. Firstly, two common thermal comfort research approaches, i.e., field studies and laboratory studies, are discussed. Secondly, eleven main thermal comfort evaluation indicators are summarized. Finally, this paper analyzes the thermal comfort survey data from different researchers, discusses the impacts of adaptive behaviors on human thermal comfort, and provides recommendations for future research on urban residential thermal comfort. It was found that people have higher and higher requirements for their indoor thermal environment as time goes by, especially in the winter; the thermoneutral temperature is higher in warmer climate regions in the summer but lower in the winter than in colder climate regions; the thermoneutral temperature tends to increase with the indoor air temperature due to an adaptation to the indoor thermal environment. The outcomes of this paper provide valuable information on thermal comfort behaviors of urban residents in different climate zones in China, which can serve as a resource for the academic community conducting future research on thermal comfort and assist policymakers in enhancing building energy efficiencies without compromising the occupants’ comfort.

Understanding patterns of adaptive comfort behavior in university graduate research offices–––A case study of a university in Beijing

Energy conservation and emission reduction in campus building are key issues as the area of campus buildings and per capita energy consumption rise. Hence, from 2021 to 2022, this study conducted a year-long field survey at a university in Beijing, China, focusing on seven graduate research offices with varying occupancy rates. The indoor thermal environment and air conditioning (AC) usage patterns in graduate research offices were statistically analyzed. And an adaptive thermal comfort model applicable to graduate research offices in Beijing area was established. The results show that students typically adjust to the environment by modifying their clothing and utilizing AC, with the act of opening windows being infrequent. There is excessive use of AC by students. 90 % of ACs are turned on for supplemental heating at 17.6 °C and supplemental cooling at 28.0 °C. And 90 % of air conditioners are turned off when the indoor air temperature rises to 26.0 °C during heating period or drops to 25.7 °C during cooling period. However, the neutral temperature is 21.9 °C in heating period and 26.8 °C in cooling period, the thermal preferred temperature is 24.0 °C in heating period and 25.4 °C in cooling period. More than 80 % of subjects voted comfortable when the temperature ranges between 18.2 ∼ 26.7 °C in heating period and 25.2 ∼ 28.0 °C in cooling period. This study serves as a crucial reference point for future research on heating, ventilation and air conditioning in graduate student offices and for promoting energy conservation and emission reduction across university campuses.

Mubadalah Marriage Guidance to Prevent Divorce in Pekalongan City

Divorce in the city of Pekalongan is becoming a trend. The divorce rate is always increasing, even during the covid-19 pandemic and post pandemic. This paper intends to develop an appropriate formulation of mublah marriage guidance to prevent divorce in the city of Pekalongan, by emphasizing the understanding of the mubadalah concept through 5 pillars of marriage: (a) commitment to a strong bond of promise as a mandate from Allah (mitsaq ghalizh), (b) the principle of in pairs and mutually (zawaj), (c) mutual comfort behavior (taradh), (d) treat each other well (muasyaroh bil ma'ruf), (e) the habit of mutual discussion together (deliberation). The purpose of this study was to obtain the right formulation of mubadalah marriage guidance to prevent divorce. This study uses the Research and Development method, with three tests, (1) expert judgement (rational test), with valid results (model can be used), (2) limited scale trial (empirical test) with effective results in increasing understanding of the concepts of mubadalah for prospective bridal couples, and (3) broad-scale trial with effective results increases understanding of the concept of mubadalah for prospective bridal couples. The result of this research is that the formulation of mubadalah marriage guidance is found to be effective in increasing the understanding of the mubadalah concept in the prospective bride and groom, preventing divorce and forming a good (sakinah) family. The results of the limited trial and the effective broad-scale trial were both effective, as seen from the Wilcoxon statistical test which was declared significant (probability &lt; 0.05).

Translation and validation of the Comfort Behaviors Checklist in hospitalized children with chronic diseases

BackgroundDifferent tools have been developed to measure patients' comfort. This study aims to translate, validate, and apply the Comfort Behaviors Checklist to hospitalized children with chronic diseases.MethodsValidity and reliability are assessed using face and content validity, construct validity (known-groups technique and Principal Component Analysis), internal consistency, and inter-rater reliability. The study takes place in a children's hospital in Iran, involving 220 children aged 4 to 6.ResultsThe Comfort Behaviors Checklist demonstrates acceptable face and content validity. Construct validity is supported by the lack of correlation between behavioral comfort scores in known groups. The Principal Component analysis results in five components, explaining 70.39% of the total variation. The checklist exhibits acceptable reliability, with a total Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.86 and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.835.ConclusionThe Comfort Behavior Checklist is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the level of comfort in Iranian children with chronic diseases.

48 Does Automated Behavioral Monitoring Inevitably Lead to Improved Pig welfare?

Abstract Academics, producers, veterinarians, technology developers, and even the general public seem to be talking about using technology to solve agricultural problems. The starting point for many proposed technological solutions to help manage pigs is the automated detection of specific behaviors. These behavioral data then need to be translated into actionable information to assess welfare, and ideally to provide a management solution to ensure good welfare for the monitored pigs. However, detecting behavior of animals, particularly of relatively homogeneous animals living in large groups at high densities, such as pigs on commercial farms, is not a trivial problem. Most functional behaviors are complex and made of multiple smaller elements, including postures and simple motions. Training technology to detect behaviors with accuracy that mimics a human expert is difficult, due to behavioral complexity as well as to variation in how each individual does a behavior and how physical and social environmental context affect performance of a behavior. Disappointingly, many technologies that claim to detect performance of behaviors are in fact only detecting the proximity of the pigs to resources or to each other and then assuming that pig is interacting with the resource or social partner in a particular way. However, a pig standing near a feeder is not always eating, nor is a pig near another pig always deliberately interacting with that other animal. It is necessary to closely evaluate automated behavior detection solutions to determine if these do directly detect the behavioral outcomes of interest. The next problem is connecting the detected behavior to a specific welfare outcome. Animals typically perform behaviors for biologically motivated reasons related to maintaining physiological homeostasis, responding to disease challenges, or to expressing their emotional state. Yet making a direct link between performance of a certain behavior and a subsequent welfare state is not straightforward. For example, grooming is often thought of as a comfort behavior, but animals that are distressed may groom as a displacement behavior. Therefore, context and other measures are needed to complement the behavioral information before drawing a welfare conclusion. A final problem to consider is whether detection of a welfare problem inevitably leads to improved welfare. In some cases, such as when a technology identifies the start of an outbreak of treatable illness, action is possible. In other cases, the technology may detect a more intractable problem, such as lameness in a sow. If we cannot effectively cure the underlying problem or eliminate the associated pain or distress, does this raise ethical dilemmas or reduce trust in the swine industry? While technologies do hold promise to better monitor and manage pigs in labor efficient ways, we must mindfully develop solutions that monitor pigs' behavior and cautiously evaluate their ultimate impacts on pig welfare.