Daily Handling Research Articles

Musculoskeletal symptom survey and ergonomic assessments associated with maintenance tasks in the Indonesian railway industry

Introduction: Suboptimal work design of maintenance tasks in railway industries often leads to adverse health effects for workers. This study aimed to determine the ergonomic risk levels and assess the extent of musculoskeletal symptoms associated with train maintenance tasks in the Indonesian railway industry. Methods: The study involved 34 workers responsible for the daily handling of locomotive components within a railway maintenance workshop in Indonesia. A musculoskeletal symptom survey was conducted using the Indonesian version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire to determine the prevalence and severity of such adverse health effects. Ergonomics assessments were conducted using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) to evaluate the risk level and contributing risk factors associated with the investigated maintained tasks. Results: Participants predominantly experienced musculoskeletal symptoms in the lower back (100%), followed by shoulders (91%), and knees (88%), while the highest severity was also observed in these regions. The ergonomics assessments revealed that over 50% of the maintenance tasks were categorized as either high or very high risk, with higher REBA section scores noted in the neck, leg, and trunk compared to those of the lower arm, wrist, and upper arm. Conclusion: Workers performing train maintenance tasks experience a high prevalence and moderate severity of musculoskeletal symptoms. Additionally, most maintenance tasks performed were considered risky. Prompt interventions are necessary to address these findings.

Protection of Digital Archives in the Archives of Bosnia and Herzegovina

One of the basic tasks of every archives, in addition to collecting and making archival records available, is to protect them from damage and loss. Records, regardless of whether they are „traditional“ or digital, are subject to deterioration. Daily careless handling and improper storage conditions contribute to increasing the risk of their permanent disappearance. The author will discuss current experiences of the Archives of Bosnia and Herzegovina in manipulating digital records, especially in the aspect of preservation and protection, taking into account sharp contrast between historical importance of the fonds that are stored and the outdated and technically insufficient IT equipment which is currently in use.

PSIII-29 A Novel Direct-Fed Microbial Supports in Vitro Intestinal Integrity Under Inflamed Conditions

Abstract Ruminants are often exposed to pathogenic and non-pathogenic challenges during daily handling procedures and management activities. These responses, in turn, may trigger the release of pro-inflammatory compounds that can have negative effects on the host. Based on this rationale, we hypothesized that 1) pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IFN-γ) would compromise the in vitro gut barrier integrity, and 2) a novel direct-fed microbial (DFM) formulation would support the gut barrier integrity under inflammatory conditions. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the ability of a novel DFM mixture to support barrier integrity of intestinal epithelial cell monolayers in the absence or presence of TNF-α and IFN-γ by measuring transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). Human cancer-derived epithelial intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers were seeded on transwells for approximately 20 days. A DFM mixture containing Lactobacillus animalis, Propionibacterium freudenreichii, Bacillus licheniformis, and B. subtilis (BOVAMINE DEFEND Plus; Chr. Hansen A/S, Hørsholm, Denmark) at 1.0 × 108 CFU/transwell was then administered to the apical side of the cell monolayers. Then, two hours later a cocktail containing TNF-α / IFN-γ at a 10:1 ratio (100:10 ng/mL, respectively) was added to the basolateral side after which TEER was measured over a 16-h period and used to calculate the area under the curve (AUC). Following the administration of the pro-inflammatory challenge, TEER was decreased, reaching its least concentrations at 5.5 h post-challenge, whereas overall AUC decreased by 21.4% compared with non-challenged control cells. The DFM mixture by itself was able to support the integrity of the intestinal cells by stimulating TEER increase over time and increasing overall AUC vs. non-treated cells (P < 0.01). Moreover, when cells receiving the DFM were challenged with the pro-inflammatory cocktail, TEER concentrations were still above 100% and no decrease was observed over the evaluation period (16 h). Moreover, when compared with non-DFM-treated but challenged cells, AUC was greater for DFM vs. challenged control cells (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these data support our hypothesis that a DFM mixture containing L. animalis, P. freudenreichii, B. licheniformis, and B. subtilis (BOVAMINE DEFEND Plus) supports the gut barrier integrity with or without the pro-inflammatory challenge.

Rapid, automated, and experimenter-free touchscreen testing reveals reciprocal interactions between cognitive flexibility and activity-based anorexia in female rats.

Anorexia nervosa has among the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder and is characterized by cognitive inflexibility that persists after weight recovery and contributes to the chronic nature of the condition. What remains unknown is whether cognitive inflexibility predisposes individuals to anorexia nervosa, a question that is difficult to address in human studies. Our previous work using the most well-established animal model of anorexia nervosa, known as activity-based anorexia (ABA) identified a neurobiological link between cognitive inflexibility and susceptibility to pathological weight loss in female rats. However, testing flexible learning prior to exposure to ABA in the same animals has been thus far impossible due to the length of training required and the necessity of daily handling, which can itself influence the development of ABA. Here, we describe experiments that validate and optimize the first fully-automated and experimenter-free touchscreen cognitive testing system for rats and use this novel system to examine the reciprocal links between reversal learning (an assay of cognitive flexibility) and weight loss in the ABA model. First, we show substantially reduced testing time and increased throughput compared to conventional touchscreen testing methods because animals engage in test sessions at their own direction and can complete multiple sessions per day without experimenter involvement. We also show that, contrary to expectations, cognitive inflexibility measured by this reversal learning task does not predispose rats to pathological weight loss in ABA. Instead, rats that were predisposed to weight loss in ABA were more quickly able to learn this reversal task prior to ABA exposure. Intriguingly, we show reciprocal links between ABA exposure and cognitive flexibility, with ABA-exposed (but weight-recovered) rats performing much worse than ABA naïve rats on the reversal learning task, an impairment that did not occur to the same extent in rats exposed to food restriction conditions alone. On the other hand, animals that had been trained on reversal learning were better able to resist weight loss upon subsequent exposure to the ABA model. We also uncovered some stable behavioral differences between ABA susceptible versus resistant rats during touchscreen test sessions using machine learning tools that highlight possible predictors of anorectic phenotypes. These findings shed new light on the relationship between cognitive inflexibility and pathological weight loss and provide targets for future studies using the ABA model to investigate potential novel pharmacotherapies for anorexia nervosa.

Efficacy comparison of vascularized iliac crest bone flap and Ilizarov bone transport in the treatment of traumatic bone defects of the tibia combined with large soft tissue defects

BackgroundTraumatic tibial defect complicated with soft tissue defect is a difficult problem in clinic. Vascularized iliac crest bone flap (VIBF) and Ilizarov bone transport are effective methods to treat tibial defects with limited defect length, which most need to be explored accordingly.MethodsIn this study, a total of 68 patients with traumatic tibial defect (ranging from 4 to 10 cm) and large soft tissue defect were collected retrospectively. The soft tissue defects were repaired by latissimus dorsal musculocutaneous flap (LD), anterolateral thigh flap (ALTF) or both. Thirty-three cases were treated with vascularized iliac crest bone flap transplantation and 35 cases were treated with Ilizarov bone transport. Intraoperative and postoperative follow-up data (including operation time, blood loss, bone union time, external fixation time, external fixation index, complication rate, reoperation rate, and functional evaluation) were recorded, and comparative analysis was performed.ResultsThe median follow-up time was 32 months. Compared with Ilizarov group, the VIBF group exhibited statistically faster bone union time (6.3 ± 1.0 vs. 18.2 ± 3.0 months). Moreover, the VIBF group showed shorter EFT (7.3 ± 1.0 vs. 19.2 ± 3.0 months) and a better EFI (34.8 ± 9.2 vs. 84.2 ± 23.7 days/cm). The excellent and good rate of lower limb appearance evaluation in VIBP group was significantly better than that in Ilizarov group. The complication rate and reoperation rate were significantly higher in Ilizarov group.ConclusionIn summary, compared with Ilizarov bone transport, VIBP has the advantages of faster healing, shorter external fixation time, lower complication and reoperation rate, and better appearance within the limited defect length. Ilizarov bone transport is still preferred when the defect length exceeds the maximum repair length of the iliac flap. The daily handling required by bone transport process is painful.Level of evidenceIII, Case–control study.

Handling method affects measures of anxiety, but not chronic stress in mice

Studies in mice have shown that less aversive handling methods (e.g. tunnel or cup handling) can reduce behavioural measures of anxiety in comparison to picking mice up by their tail. Despite such evidence, tail handling continues to be used routinely. Besides resistance to change accustomed procedures, this may also be due to the fact that current evidence in support of less aversive handling is mostly restricted to effects of extensive daily handling, which may not apply to routine husbandry practices. The aim of our study was to assess whether, and to what extent, different handling methods during routine husbandry induce differences in behavioural and physiological measures of stress in laboratory mice. To put the effects of handling method in perspective with chronic stress, we compared handling methods to a validated paradigm of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS). We housed mice of two strains (Balb/c and C57BL/6) and both sexes either under standard laboratory conditions (CTRL) or under UCMS. Half of the animals from each housing condition were tail handled and half were tunnel handled twice per week, once during a cage change and once for a routine health check. We found strain dependent effects of handling method on behavioural measures of anxiety: tunnel handled Balb/c mice interacted with the handler more than tail handled conspecifics, and tunnel handled CTRL mice showed increased open arm exploration in the elevated plus-maze. Mice undergoing UCMS showed increased plasma corticosterone levels and reduced sucrose preference. However, we found no effect of handling method on these stress-associated measures. Our results therefore indicate that routine tail handling can affect behavioural measures of anxiety, but may not be a significant source of chronic husbandry stress. Our results also highlight strain dependent responses to handling methods.

PSIV-A-1 Assessment of Equine Acclimation to new Management Using non-Invasive Metrics

Abstract Horses experience stress during transportation, handling, and changes to the environment which result in negative welfare for the animal. Finding valid methods to measure stress non-invasively can assist in understanding equine welfare. Our objective was to investigate equine stress to a new environment through non-invasive measures. We hypothesized that horses’ stress would decrease over time with repeated exposure to a single handler and novel holding stock. Seven horses were introduced to a novel farm with a week of acclimation to their stall to serve as their baseline. Blink rate, thermal imaging, and salivary cortisol were collected in the stall and again in the stock on days 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21, and 28 with d 1 being one week following arrival to the farm. Blink rate was counted for three minutes, then eye temperature of the left eye was taken using thermal imaging, and lastly salivary cortisol was collected using cotton swabs introduced into the horse’s mouth for 30 seconds on each side. Using linear regression, we found that blink rate decreased by 1.7 blinks for every day of handling (P = 0.001). For every degree of eye temperature in the stall, stock eye temperature increased 0.28 degrees Celsius showing that stress was potentially higher in the stocks (P = 0.043). Additionally, eye temperature in the stock increased by 0.09 degrees Celsius for each day of handling (P < 0.01). There were no differences found in salivary cortisol (P = 0.43). In conclusion, blink rate decreased but eye temperature increased over time, creating conflicting outcomes. Further studies are needed to validate the non-invasive measures of stress and their implications for horse welfare in new environments.

Household Solid Waste Management and Composition in Bekasi, Indonesia

BACKGROUND: Waste is any substance that is discarded after primary use or is worthless, defective, and of no use, and it is a serious problem in several countries. The largest composition of waste in Indonesia today is food waste. In this country, waste management is still carried out using the landfill method. Therefore, the increase in waste generation will have a very serious impact on the environment. The impact can lead to global warming, acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer, etc. AIM: This research aims to summarize the generation and composition of household solid waste. METHODS: The method used is a quantitative approach using surveys and field observations. The data were collected by measuring the generation and composition of waste, as well as through interviews. The research sample amounted to 100, comprising three households. RESULTS: The results showed that food waste was the most commonly generated waste at 66%. Therefore, the role of mothers in the daily handling of food ingredients in the family is very important as it contributes to daily food waste. CONCLUSION: There is still a lack of public awareness in managing household scale food waste.

In situ green analytical methods for the rapid and sensitive determination of a newly launched orphan anticancer drug; Tigecycline in infusion bags: comparative study

BackgroundTigecycline (TIG), an antimicrobial agent indicated for complex bacterial infections, is now approved by FDA as an orphan chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia due to its inhibitory effects on pathways of activating, signaling and abnormal mitochondrial function in cancer cells. TIG is mainly administered as intravenous infusion through centralized unit of oncology centers. This necessitates the continuous analytical quality control of the prepared solution in order to identify and quantify TIG for safe intravenous administration to patients. Moreover, the clinical staff exposure risk to toxic drugs during daily handling must be considered. Such concerns require a fast, cost-effective and green analytical procedure for sensitive determination of TIG directly in infusion bags. In this work, we propose a simple, rapid and green capillary zone electrophoretic (CZE) method for the sensitive assay of TIG directly in infusion bags, in addition to three simple and green spectrophotometric methods.ResultsTIG solutions corresponding to clinical ranges were detected in 5%glucose. Validation of all the proposed methods was according to ICH guidelines. Greenness assessment was performed depending on Green Analytical Procedure Index (GAPI) and the Eco-scale approach which showed that the proposed methods are better eco-friendly methods than reported ones. It also revealed the superiority of our proposed methods in terms of simplicity and sensitivity for TIG determination in infusion bags. Quantification limits obtained were significantly lower than the administered range of TIG in infusion bags and lower than its maximum serum concentration (Cmax). This promotes the application of the proposed methods for the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability studies of TIG in various biological fluids.ConclusionsThis work reports, for the first time, CZE method for the direct and rapid determination of TIG and its separation from other components in intravenous infusion solution. The developed CZE method has several advantages over current chromatographic methods such as higher efficiency of separation within short analysis time, consumption of fewer quantities of chemicals and offering better resolution than HPLC. Moreover, three green spectrophotometric methods are also proposed for TIG determination that offer many advantages such as accuracy, precision, simplicity, specificity and facility of quantification and separation of the selected drug in infusion bags and pharmaceutical preparations without any techniques for extraction.

Assessment of relationships between reactions of horses during everyday use

The aim of the study was to assess whether observations of a horse’s reactions during everyday activities can be used to predict its behaviour during riding. The study was conducted on 60 horses of the Malopolski breed, aged 5 to 15 years. The horses were kept in three riding stables, in a box system. The data were obtained from an interview conducted with a person responsible for the daily grooming and handling of the horses. Observations covered at least half a year of daily contact with the horse. The horses’ behaviour was analysed before feeding, during preparation for riding, and during riding. The research shows that aggressive behaviours before feeding may be a marker of inappropriate reactions before and during recreational riding. Initial activities preparing the horse, i.e. approaching the animal, grooming, bridling and saddling, can be used as a ‘test’ to evaluate and predict the quality of the ride. Problems with these procedures also suggest significant problems during riding. The behaviour of the animal before feeding and during preparations for riding should be considered an important indicator of riding safety and comfort.

Non-Invasive Assessment of Mild Stress-Induced Hyperthermia by Infrared Thermography in Laboratory Mice.

Simple SummaryStressful events can trigger body temperature variations in mammals. The most commonly used methods for measuring temperature in laboratory mice are stressful and invasive in nature, and can themselves cause stress-induced hyperthermia (SIH). This raises concerns regarding both animal welfare and research output. Infrared thermography (IRT) offers a non-invasive alternative, if proven to accurately identify SIH. We exposed mice to mild handling-induced stress, by either tail-picking or the reportedly less-impactful tunnel-handling technique. Temperature was measured by reading microchip devices (PIT-tags) implanted subcutaneously (Tsc), and by a thermal camera to measure mean body surface temperature (Tbody) and mean tail surface temperature (Ttail). As expected, during acute stress exposure, both Tsc and Tbody increased, while Ttail decreased. No differences in stress-induced hyperthermia were found between the two handling techniques. This suggests that such differences may not be detectable in the context of co-occurring stressful events, such as opening of the cage lid, exposure to light, or presence of the handler. Within the same cage, animals handled last consistently showed higher body temperatures than those handled first, raising the issue of minding the order by which animals are tested. Our results suggest IRT offers a reliable non-invasive method for assessing SIH in laboratory rodents.Stress-induced hyperthermia (SIH) is a physiological response to acute stressors in mammals, shown as an increase in core body temperature, with redirection of blood flow from the periphery to vital organs. Typical temperature assessment methods for rodents are invasive and can themselves elicit SIH, affecting the readout. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a promising non-invasive alternative, if shown to accurately identify and quantify SIH. We used in-house developed software ThermoLabAnimal 2.0 to automatically detect and segment different body regions, to assess mean body (Tbody) and mean tail (Ttail) surface temperatures by IRT, along with temperature (Tsc) assessed by reading of subcutaneously implanted PIT-tags, during handling-induced stress of pair-housed C57BL/6J and BALB/cByJ mice of both sexes (N = 68). SIH was assessed during 10 days of daily handling (DH) performed twice per day, weekly voluntary interaction tests (VIT) and an elevated plus maze (EPM) at the end. To assess the discrimination value of IRT, we compared SIH between tail-picked and tunnel-handled animals, and between mice receiving an anxiolytic drug or vehicle prior to the EPM. During a 30 to 60 second stress exposure, Tsc and Tbody increased significantly (p < 0.001), while Ttail (p < 0.01) decreased. We did not find handling-related differences. Within each cage, mice tested last consistently showed significantly higher (p < 0.001) Tsc and Tbody and lower (p < 0.001) Ttail than mice tested first, possibly due to higher anticipatory stress in the latter. Diazepam-treated mice showed lower Tbody and Tsc, consistent with reduced anxiety. In conclusion, our results suggest that IRT can identify and quantify stress in mice, either as a stand-alone parameter or complementary to other methods.

Questionnaire Background on the Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus) Breeders' Awareness of the Risk of Being Bitten.

Simple SummaryHeterodon nasicus is a popular pet reptile. It represents dipsadine colubrids, non-front-fanged snakes (NFFS) having Duvernoy’s glands situated in the temporal region, which deliver toxic saliva via modified dentition during swallowing even though they are generally not viewed as venomous animals. As shown by previous descriptions, handlers were bitten while feeding their snakes with bare hands or when the smell of food persisted on their hands after feeding. The results of a survey for hognose snake breeders showed that 47.7% (n = 41) of the respondents admitted that they had had a situation in which H. nasicus tried to bite them; it occurred during routine approaches to daily snake handling. These situations are definitely preventable using proper feeding methods and by avoidance of routine risky habits.Several cases of Heterodon nasicus bites producing various symptoms have already been described. In this paper, a survey was conducted among Polish breeders of this species, where 47.7% of the respondents admitted that their snakes had tried to bite them, and 31.4% fed their snakes with their bare hands. When asked whether they feared being bitten by this snake during daily handling, an overwhelming majority of the respondents declared (74% of total negative responses, n = 63) that they were not afraid of being bitten. Based on the popularity of H. nasicus as a pet animal, it can only be assumed that the magnitude of accidental bites is much greater than that reported in published case reports. Therefore, it is important to try to educate pet breeders to report such cases and pay attention to the use of appropriate handling methods during contact with snake food and during feeding.

의사결정나무 Random Forest를 이용한 스마트워치 이용자의 만족도와 추천의도에 대한 영향요인 분석

Purpose This study analyzes influencing factors on smart phone user''s perceived satisfaction, continuous use intention, and recommendation intention. Methods The influencing factors include usefulness, convenience, appearance, enjoyment, innovation, security, and privacy, whereas response is measured through satisfaction, continuous use intention, and recommendation intention. Two methods are employed - decision tree using GINI index and random forest approach. Results The analysis results revealed that most significant factors for user’s satisfaction and continuous use intention are usefulness in daily life and that usefulness in daily life and fashion are influential to recommendation intention. According to the Random Forest Model, the importance of usefulness in daily life and efficient handling of tasks were crucial for satisfaction level, the importance of rapid access to information for continuous use intention, and a combination of fashion for recommendation intention. Conclusion The findings of this study are consistent with existing literature in the sense that the usefulness is important. We additionally suggest that fast information accessibility and fashion should be recognized as important factors in smart watch industry.

Effect of handling on ATP utilization of cerebral Na,K-ATPase in rats with trimethyltin-induced neurodegeneration.

Previously it was shown that for reduction of anxiety and stress of experimental animals, preventive handling seems to be one of the most effective methods. The present study was oriented on Na,K-ATPase, a key enzyme for maintaining proper concentrations of intracellular sodium and potassium ions. Malfunction of this enzyme has an essential role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases. It is known that this enzyme requires approximately 50% of the energy available to the brain. Therefore in the present study utilization of the energy source ATP by Na,K-ATPase in the frontal cerebral cortex, using the method of enzyme kinetics was investigated. As a model of neurodegeneration treatment with trimethyltin (TMT) was applied. Daily handling (10min/day) of healthy rats and rats suffering neurodegeneration induced by administration of TMT in a dose of (7.5mg/kg), at postnatal days 60-102 altered the expression of catalytic subunits of Na,K-ATPase as well as kinetic properties of this enzyme in the frontal cerebral cortex of adult male Wistar rats. In addition to the previously published beneficial effect on spatial memory, daily treatment of rats was accompanied by improved maintenance of sodium homeostasis in the frontal cortex. The key system responsible for this process, Na,K-ATPase, was able to utilize better the energy substrate ATP. In rats, manipulation of TMT-induced neurodegeneration promoted the expression of the α2 isoform of the enzyme, which is typical for glial cells. In healthy rats, manipulation was followed by increased expression of the α3 subunit, which is typical of neurons.

Prolonged Chronic Stress and Persistent Iron Dysregulation Prevent Anemia Recovery Following Trauma

Introduction Following major trauma, persistent injury-associated anemia is associated with organ failure, increased length of stay and mortality. We hypothesize that prolonged adrenergic stimulation following trauma is directly responsible for persistent iron dysfunction that impairs anemia recovery. Materials and Methods Naïve rodents, lung contusion and hemorrhagic shock followed by daily handling for 13 d (LCHS), LCHS followed by 6 d of restraint stress and 7 d of daily handling (LCHS/CS-7) and LCHS/CS followed by 13 d of restraint stress with day and/or night disruption (LCHS/CS-14) were sacrificed on day 14. Hemoglobin, plasma, urine, bone marrow/liver inflammatory and erythropoietic markers were analyzed. Results LCHS/CS-14 led to a significant decline in weight gain and persistently elevated plasma and urine inflammatory markers. Liver IL-6, IL-1β and hepcidin expression were significantly increased following LCHS/CS-14. LCHS/CS-14 also had impaired anemia recovery with reduced plasma transferrin and erythropoietin receptor expression. Conclusion Prolonged chronic stress following trauma/hemorrhagic shock led to sustained inflammation with increased expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and hepcidin with decreased iron availability for uptake into erythroid progenitor cells and a lack of anemia recovery.

Evaluation of Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolite Levels in Response to a Change in Social and Handling Conditions in African Lions (Panthera leo bleyenberghi).

Simple SummaryNon-invasive determination of cortisol metabolite concentrations in feces is widely used to evaluate the influence of housing and handling conditions on the stress physiology of wildlife in captivity. The present study aimed to assess the physiological response of a lion pride to a change in management and social conditions after the death of the dominant male of the pride. Before the dominant male died, weekly management routines between the indoor and outdoor enclosures were conducted to avoid cohabitation problems between the two males of the pride. After the death of the dominant male, these weekly management dynamics ceased, leading to a decrease in the daily management routine of the lion pride. An individualized sampling of the animals through the utilization of indigestive markers was conducted, and fecal samples were collected before and after the death of the dominant male. Significant lower cortisol metabolite concentrations in feces were detected after the death of the dominant male, suggesting a positive impact of a decrease in daily management routines, together with a more stable social environment. In addition, assessment of individualized hormone concentrations throughout the study revealed variable physiological responses among lions, providing evidence of the importance of monitoring hormonal profiles individually.Monitoring the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis through determination of fecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) levels is a non-invasive method useful for understanding how handling and social conditions may affect the physiological status of zoo animals. The present study used FCM analysis to evaluate whether the HPA axis activity of a lion pride was modified by a change in social and handling conditions after the death of the dominant male. Five African lions (Panthera leo bleyenberghi), two males and three females, were included in the study. Fecal samples were collected before and after the death of the dominant male. To avoid cohabitation conflicts between males before the dominant male died, subgroups were established and subjected to weekly changes between indoor and outdoor facilities. After the death of the dominant male, these management dynamics ceased, and the remaining four lions were kept together outdoors. Significant lower group FCM concentrations (p < 0.001) were detected after the decease of the dominant male, probably associated with a decrease in daily handling, together with a more stable social environment. Overall, the present study indicates the effect of different management scenarios on the HPA axis activity and differentiated physiological responses to the same situation between individuals.

An effective scheduling in data centres for efficient CPU usage and service level agreement fulfilment using machine learning

Energy efficiency is one of the important parameters in cloud computing which is managed by the data centres. Data centres are computer warehouses that are responsible for storing large volumes of data to deal with the daily transaction handling needs of different productions. Effective scheduling for the execution of the request on machines is still a problem. In addition, the power consumption, as well as management of the node clusters is also a problematic situation when the CPU utilisation increases up to the limit. In this paper, efficient minimum execution and completion time scheduling are accomplished by using a machine learning approach for effectual CPU usage and service level agreement fulfilment in data centres, considered in terms of average accuracy which will reduce costs for the maintenance of the data centres in real-time scenarios. The simulation of the proposed work is achieved and the performance is evaluated in terms of power consumption and CPU usage. The proposed research utilises the neural network and linear regression analysis to perform the classification and compares the performance for the efficient CPU usage.

Service evaluation: orthoptic-led teaching of soft contact lens handling for parents in the management of pediatric aphakia

ABSTRACT To gauge parental satisfaction of an orthoptic-led specialist service for teaching soft contact lens (CL) handling in the management of children with pediatric aphakia. 20 families attending the contact lens clinic completed a satisfaction questionnaire to enquire about their experience of learning how to insert and remove their child’s CL. Families were questioned on their experiences with preoperative counseling, practical teaching, additional support and the patient literature that was provided by the orthoptists in the CL clinic. Qualitative data and free comments were analyzed. 18/20 (90%) said they had received good practical insertion and removal teaching. 19/20 (95%) felt they received good emotional support. Only 6/20 (30%) families agreed with the statement that they found learning insertion and removal difficult. 15/20 (75%) families did not feel rushed, and 18/20 (90%) said they could learn at their own pace. All except one family (95%) achieved daily CL handling within a few months, with ongoing support from a multi-disciplinary team. One family surveyed was much earlier in their postoperative journey, but was on track to achieve this imminently. All families (100%) felt they were appropriately counselled preoperatively regarding the need for training and daily CL handling. 95% found the provided written information useful. 8/20 (40%) reported they found insertion harder than removal, 4/20(20%) reported they found removal harder. Teaching insertion and removal skills is an important aspect of managing paediatric aphakia and presents many challenges. Most parents eventually cope well and achieve daily CL handling within a few months, with support from a multi-disciplinary team. Families surveyed were all competent and were satisfied with their experience. The parental satisfaction survey gave our team confidence that our orthoptic-led service works well, orthoptists have the knowledge and skills to provide technical training to parents alongside vital emotional support, and contact lens handling is a rewarding extended role for orthoptists in a multi-disciplinary team.

In situ Analytical Quality Control of chemotherapeutic solutions in infusion bags by Raman spectroscopy

Analytical Quality Control (AQC) in centralised preparation units of oncology centers is a common procedure relying on the identification and quantification of the prepared chemotherapeutic solutions for safe intravenous administration to patients. Although the use of Raman spectroscopy for AQC has gained much interest, in most applications it remains coupled to a flow injection analyser (FIA) requiring withdrawal of the solution for analysis. In addition to current needs for more rapid and cost-effective analysis, the risk of exposure of clinical staff to the toxic molecules during daily handling is a serious concern to address. Raman spectroscopic analysis, for instance by Confocal Raman Microscopy (CRM), could enable direct analysis (non-invasive) for AQC directly in infusion bags. In this study, 3 anticancer drugs, methotrexate (MTX), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and gemcitabine (GEM) have been selected to highlight the potential of CRM for withdrawal free analysis. Solutions corresponding to the clinical range of each drug were prepared in 5% glucose and data was collected from infusion bags placed under the Raman microscope. Firstly, 100% discrimination has been obtained by Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) confirming that the identification of drugs can be performed. Secondly, using Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR), quantitative analysis was performed with mean % error of predicted concentrations of respectively 3.31%, 5.54% and 8.60% for MTX, 5-FU and GEM. These results are in accordance with the 15% acceptance criteria used for the current clinical standard technique, FIA, and the Limits of Detection for all drugs were determined to be substantially lower than the administered range, thus highlighting the potential of confocal Raman spectroscopy for direct analysis of chemotherapeutic solutions.

Estudo das espécies de peixes cultivadas no Núcleo de Piscicultura do Centro de Ciências Agrárias da Universidade Federal de Alagoas

RESUMO: É fato que muitas são as preocupações que giram em torno da segurança alimentar e sustentabilidade mundial. Para tal fato, aponta-se a criação de peixes como alternativa. O estudo teve como objetivo conhecer e descrever as espécies de peixes que são cultivadas no Núcleo de Piscicultura do Centro de Ciências Agrária da Universidade Federal de Alagoas (CECA/UFAL), a rotina do manejo diário desta criação e a importância para a piscicultura alagoana no cenário atual. O estudo foi realizado com base em visitas no Núcleo de Piscicultura do Centro de Ciências Agrárias Campus Rio Largo, no período de maio a setembro de 2019, em Sistema Semi-intensivo e os dados técnicos foram levantados in loco e na literatura cientifica. Os indicadores de qualidade de água avaliados foram a temperatura, o pH e a amônia duas vezes semanalmente. A piscicultura é mantida e gerenciada por zootecnistas formados no CECA com parcerias entre a empresa Junior, o município de Rio Largo e a Companhia de Desenvolvimento dos Vales do São Francisco e do Parnaíba (Codevasf) e tem como carro chefe a produção de alevinos de tilápia do Nilo. Foram introduzidas novas espécies para fins de estudos na reprodução e policultivo. Os lotes da criação foram formados e divididos conforme a espécie, podendo ser remanejadas a depender da necessidade e objetivo do manejo, o ciclo produtivo de alevinos da tilápia do Nilo foi avaliado a cada 30 dias, com produção total estimada de 400 mil alevinos durante o período de observações. Os peixes foram alimentados com ração comercial e nível de proteína bruta (PB) correspondente a cada espécie e fase de criação, uma porção fixa por biomassa. Não foi possível nesse estudo, avaliar dados produtivos das espécies que foram introduzidas e observadas neste período, pois elas estavam na fase juvenil para posteriormente ser feita seleção para nova fase de criação. A despesca dos peixes no policultivo foi definida a finalização em oito meses, não havendo possibilidade de acompanhamento. As espécies observadas são de grande potencial socioeconômico para Alagoas e para o Brasil, em especial a tilápia e apostar na diversificação de espécies como fator de segurança economicamente viável, frente às influências ambientais na produção de alimentos. Deve-se considerar que a piscicultura do CECA há dez anos está consolidada na tilapicultura e desempenhou um papel importante que foi a doação de alevinos de tilápia para piscicultores da agricultura familiar e ao Programa de Aquisição para Alimentação (PAA) no Município de Rio Largo, o que diferencia comparada as pisciculturas tradicionais.&#x0D; PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Alevino, Piscicultura, Policultivo.