Consistency In Amount Research Articles

Specialised for the Swamp, Catered for in Captivity? A Cross-Institutional Evaluation of Captive Husbandry for Two Species of Lechwe.

Simple SummaryLechwe are social antelope adapted to wetland environments that can perform a ritualised courtship display. Although commonly housed in zoos, there is little published information available to guide their management. This study aimed to understand current husbandry practice for southern and Nile lechwe housed in North American and European institutions. A survey was sent to holders of these species, with questions addressing group demographics, enclosure characteristics, diet, enrichment, and occurrence of abnormal behaviours. Results showed that captive lechwe herds consisted of a similar ratio of male to females compared to wild herds, but there may be a limit to the number of male animals available to females at any one time. Lechwe enclosures typically featured wetland areas but these were rarely managed and there were often limited areas of vegetation for cover. The diets provided to lechwe differed when compared to existing husbandry guidelines but did not significantly differ between sampled zoos (in terms of ingredients commonly used). Abnormal behaviours were reported at several zoos but no specific causal factor was identified. This research provides a starting point for further study of the husbandry requirements of these specialised ungulates and considers the role of ecological information to the management of captive wild animals.Lechwe are specialised wetland antelope that can have a strict social hierarchy or perform lekking during breeding. The southern lechwe (Kobus leche) and the Nile lechwe (K. megaceros) are both found in zoos globally, but little research is available to support husbandry decisions. The aim of this research was to investigate current housing and husbandry used for these lechwe across North American and European zoos. A survey was distributed to holders in 2018 and information on 33 herds (18 Nile and 15 southern) was collected. The survey focussed on population demographics, enclosure size, biologically relevant exhibit features, mixed-species holdings, nutrition, use of environmental enrichment and performance of abnormal repetitive behaviours. Results showed that lechwe were housed in herds with similar sex ratios to wild counterparts but with a potential lack of opportunity to lek. Many zoos provided wetland, but this was rarely actively managed, and not all zoos provided cover for hiding and retreat. Current feeding practice differed significantly compared to available antelope husbandry guidelines. No consistency in amounts of pellet, forage or produce provided to lechwe across institutions was found. Abnormal repetitive behaviour was noted by several zoos, but no significant predictor of such behaviour could be identified. Despite some identifiable recognition of ecology informing lechwe management, it is important that evidence-based husbandry decisions are made based on a species’ evolutionary pathway and ecological needs and some fundamental features of lechwe husbandry do not always correlate with the adaptive traits of a specialised wetland ungulate.

Day-to-Day Consistency in Amount and Source of Carbohydrate Intake Associated with Improved Blood Glucose Control in Type 1 Diabetes

Objective: To determine if a relationship exists between blood glucose control and variability in nutrient intake from day-to-day in subjects with type 1 diabetes.Methods: Two three-day diet records and one measurement of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were obtained from 272 subjects with type 1 diabetes treated with a mixture of regular and NPH insulins before breakfast and supper and using a standardized algorithm to adjust insulin dose according to the results of self-monitoring of blood glucose two to four times daily. Day-to-day variation in nutrient intake was expressed as the coefficient of variation (CV=SD×100/mean).Results: Nutrient intakes in the study population (mean±SD) were energy 8.35±2.43 MJ, fat 81±30 g, protein 94±28 g, carbohydrate 227±68 g, starch 126±38 g and dietary fiber 20±6 g with diet glycemic index being 84.2±7.4. Neither energy, nutrient intakes nor insulin dose was significantly related to HbA1c. Day-to-day variation of carbohydrate (p=0.0097) and starch (p=0.0016) intakes and diet glycemic index (p=0.033) was positively related to HbA1c, and the associations remained significant when adjusted for age, sex, duration of diabetes and BMI. Day-to-day variation in energy, protein or fat intakes was not related to HbA1c.Conclusions: Consistency in the amount and source of carbohydrate intake from day-to-day is associated with improved blood glucose control in people with type 1 diabetes, a result which supports continued educational efforts to achieve adherence to a diabetes diet plan. This conclusion may not apply to people on intensified insulin therapy who adjust their insulin dose based on their actual carbohydrate intake at each meal.

‘Waking activity’: The neglected state of infancy

The significance of the waking activity state was investigated using naturalistic observations of 20 infants at 2, 3, 4 and 5 weeks of age. Sleep and wake states were recorded at 10-s intervals throughout a 7-h day, along with co-occurring behaviors of the mother. The infant's behavioral state was classified as ‘waking activity’ when the eyes were open but unfocused, and there was diffuse motor activity. Thus the infant was not alert, drowsy, dazed, or crying. Infants showed individual consistency in amount of waking activity over weeks, although this state composed only 4.4% of the total observation. The mean amount of waking activity over weeks was related to an index of stability in state organization, as measured by the consistency of state profiles over weeks. Profile consistency was assessed by an ANOVA for each infant's data. Separate stability indexes were derived for that portion of the day when the infants were alone, and for that portion when they were with their mothers. Infants with higher levels of waking activity had lower state stability scores in each context. The results indicate that waking activity is a behavioral state which reflects overall state control and is therefore significant for an understanding of brain-behavior relationships.

Variability and periodicity of dustbathing behaviour in Japanese quail ( Coturnix coturnix japonica)

The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of time invested in, and the distribution of, dustbathing behaviour over the course of a day. Amount of time spent dustbathing, preening, ingesting, and engaging in sexual/agonistic activities by individual quail was recorded for the light portion of selected photoperiods. Results indicate consistency in amounts of dustbathing exhibited by individual birds under the different photoperiods; amount of time spent dustbathing was intermediate with respect to the other behaviours recorded. A daily peak period of dustbathing was evident except under constant light conditions. These results are explained on the basis of selective pressures operating to maximize the efficiency of dustbathing.