Direct Observation Of Behavior Research Articles

Short communication: Effect of age at group housing on behavior, cortisol, health, and leukocyte differential counts of neonatal bull dairy calves

To determine the effect of age at grouping on behavior, health, and production of dairy bull calves, 90 Holstein-Friesian bull calves were housed in individual pens until moved to 1 of 3 treatments. Calves were housed in groups of 3 calves at 3 d old (GH3), 7 d old (GH7), or 14 d old (GH14) until 7 wk of age. Ten groups of 3 calves for each treatment were used, with 5 pens/treatment in each of 2 replications (10 pens/treatment, 3 treatments, 3 calves/treatment; 90 calves total). Direct behavioral observations using instantaneous scan sampling every 10 min were conducted twice per week for 7 wk. At the same times, video data were recorded for continuous observations at feeding time to observe the overall activity of group-housed calves. Hip height, heart girth, and health scores were recorded weekly and body weight was recorded at the start and end of the study. Calves in GH3 spent more time playing and but more time cross-sucking and displacing other calves from milk bottles. Calves engaged in social interaction as early as 3 d of age, and social interactions between 3 to 6 wk of age increased markedly. Calves housed in GH14 vocalized more than did calves in GH7 and GH3. No difference was found between treatments in growth performance. Calf fecal, cough, and nasal and ocular discharge scores, differential leukocyte counts, and plasma cortisol concentrations were not affected by age at grouping. However, during the first week of grouping, when calves were moved from individual pens to group pens, some calves were unable to find their milk bottles and required guidance. In conclusion, these data show no adverse effects on health or performance and some benefits on social behavior for early (d 3) grouping of calves.

Mothers' Personal and Interpersonal Function as Potential Mediators Between Maternal Maltreatment History and Child Behavior Problems.

This study examined maternal depressive symptoms, social support, parenting, and adult attachment as mediators explaining the relation between maternal childhood maltreatment and child behavior in offspring. We assessed a community sample of 96 mother-child dyads. At child age 16 months, mothers self-reported maltreatment history, adult attachment, depressive symptoms, and social support, and maternal sensitivity was assessed via 2 hr of direct behavioral observation. Maternal reports of child behavior were collected at 5 years. Single and parallel mediation models were constructed. Only maternal depressive symptoms mediated the relation between maternal maltreatment history and children's internalizing problems. Maternal sensitivity emerged as a suppressor variable. With respect to the relation between maternal maltreatment history and children's externalizing problems, when entered singly, maternal depressive symptoms, social support, and avoidant attachment emerged as mediators. When examined in parallel, only maternal depressive symptoms and avoidant attachment accounted for unique mediating variance. Findings have implications with respect to important maternal factors that might be targeted to reduce the probability of maladaptive child behavior.

Regulatory mechanisms of sperm flagellar motility by metachronal and synchronous sliding of doublet microtubules.

What is the role of metachronal and synchronous sliding in sperm flagellar motility? Both metachronal and oscillatory synchronous sliding are essential for sperm flagellar motility, while the change in mode of synchronous sliding between the non-oscillatory synchronous sliding of a specific pair of the doublet microtubules and the oscillatory synchronous sliding between most pairs of doublet microtubules modulates the sperm flagellar motility. Metachronal and synchronous sliding of doublet microtubules are involved in sperm flagellar motility and regulation of these sliding movements controls flagellar bend formation. To study the regulatory mechanisms of metachronal and synchronous sliding in flagellar movement of golden hamster spermatozoa, changes in these sliding movements during hyperactivation were examined by measuring the angle of the tangent to the flagellar shaft with reference to the central axis of the sperm head (the shear angle) along the flagellum. Golden hamster spermatozoa were obtained from the caudal epididymis of five sexually mature golden hamsters. Results from three experiments were averaged. The number of spermatozoa analyzed is 15 activated sperm, 22 hyperactivated sperm and 20 acrosome-reacted sperm. For detailed field-by-field analysis, an individual flagellar image was tracked automatically using the Autotrace module of image analysis software. The coordinate values of the flagellar shaft were used to calculate the shear angle, which is proportional to the amount of microtubule sliding at any given position along the flagellum. The maximum shear angles of metachronal and synchronous sliding were obtained from the mean shear angles between the maximum shear angles of pro-hook bends and the absolute values of the minimum shear angles of anti-hook bends, which represent the amplitude of a set of successive shear angle curves, with 3-12 shear curves covering one beat cycle of sperm flagellar movement. Asymmetry of flagellar waves was expressed by the mean shear angle between the maximum shear angle of pro-hook bends and the minimum shear angle of anti-hook bends at 100 μm from the head-midpiece junction. The asymmetrical flagellar movements observed in the activated (non-hyperactivated) and hyperactivated spermatozoa were characterized by the non-oscillatory synchronous sliding of a specific pair of the doublets; the large asymmetrical flagellar movement in the hyperactivated spermatozoa was generated by the large non-oscillatory synchronous sliding. Both the metachronal and synchronous sliding increased during the hyperactivation; however, the large symmetrical flagellar movement of the acrosome-reacted spermatozoa was characterized by the oscillatory synchronous sliding between most pairs of doublets. These results demonstrated that the metachronal and synchronous sliding are involved in generation and modulation of sperm flagellar motility; however, two types of synchronous sliding, non-oscillatory and oscillatory sliding, modulate the sperm flagellar motility by enhancing the sliding of a specific pair of the doublets or the sliding between most pairs of the doublets. None. This is an indirect study of the metachronal and synchronous sliding of doublet microtubules. Studies based on the direct observation of behavior of dynein are needed to clarify the sliding microtubule theory of flagellar movement of spermatozoa. Both the metachronal and oscillatory synchronous sliding of doublet microtubule generate and modulate sperm flagellar motility, while the change in mode of synchronous sliding between the non-oscillatory synchronous sliding and oscillatory synchronous sliding modulates the sperm flagellar motility. The coordination between these sliding leads to various types of flagellar and ciliary motility, including the asymmetrical beating in flagellar and ciliary movement and planar or helical beating in sea urchin spermatozoa. Moreover, the finding that the metachronal sliding and two types of synchronous sliding generate and modulate the flagellar motility will open a new avenue for quantitative analysis of flagellar and ciliary motility. The authors have no conflict of interest and no funding to declare.

Oviposition behaviour of Tamarixia radiata: effects of host density and exposure time

1. The number of hosts attacked as a function of host density is considered to be an important characteristic of parasitoid behaviour and is used to estimate key parameters such as handling time and ‘instantaneous rate of discovery’. However, little has been done to validate functional response models by direct observation of parasitoid oviposition behaviour.2. Tamarixia radiata is the most promising parasitoid for biological control attacking Diaphorina citri. Mass rearing and augmentative release seen as a potential strategy for suppression of D. citri has been documented in abandoned citrus, residential areas, and organic groves. Nevertheless, parasitism rates in culture and in the field are only moderate, leading to questions about oviposition behaviour in response to host density.3. Behaviours of gravid T. radiata females presented with susceptible host instars were categorised and documented by direct observation for 30 min and by camera recordings made over 12 h. Frequency of searching and antennating increased with host density during the 30 min. Probing rejection rates and search duration increased significantly with host density over 12 h. These factors resulted in significantly lower fecundity than expected, possibly due to host mark‐mediated deterrence within the small searching area. Females took approximately 3.6–4.2 min to probe and parasitise a host regardless of host density and exposure duration. These results were markedly different from the 52.2 min estimated from the functional response equation.4. Further experiments are required to assess the range and persistence of the putative host‐marking pheromone, and to better understand the relationship between functional response parameters and actual behaviour.

Assessing Sensory Processing Dysfunction in Adults and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review.

Sensory reactivity is a diagnostic criterion for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and has been associated with poorer functional outcomes, behavioral difficulties, and autism severity across the lifespan. Yet, there is little consensus on best practice approaches to assessing sensory processing dysfunction in adolescents and adults with ASD. Despite growing evidence that sensory symptoms persist into adolescence and adulthood, there is a lack of norms for older age groups, and pediatric assessments may not target appropriate functional outcomes or environments. This review identified approaches used to measure sensory processing in the scientific literature, and to describe and compare these approaches to current best practice guidelines that can be incorporated into evidence-based practice. Method and Analysis: A search of scientific databases and grey literature (professional association and ASD society websites), from January 1987–May 2017, uncovered 4769 articles and 12 clinical guidelines. Study and sample characteristics were extracted, charted, and categorized according to assessment approach. Results: There were 66 articles included after article screening. Five categories of assessment approaches were identified: Self- and Proxy-Report Questionnaires, Psychophysical Assessment, Direct Behavioral Observation, Qualitative Interview Techniques, and Neuroimaging/EEG. Sensory research to date has focused on individuals with high-functioning ASD, most commonly through the use of self-report questionnaires. The Adolescent and Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) is the most widely used assessment measure (n = 22), however, a number of other assessment approaches may demonstrate strengths specific to the ASD population. Multi-method approaches to assessment (e.g., combining psychophysical or observation with questionnaires) may have clinical applicability to interdisciplinary clinical teams serving adolescents and adults with ASD. Contribution: A comprehensive knowledge of approaches is critical in the clinical assessment of a population characterized by symptomatic heterogeneity and wide-ranging cognitive profiles. This review should inform future development of international interdisciplinary clinical guidelines on sensory processing assessment in ASD across the lifespan.

Communicating prognosis with parents of critically ill infants: direct observation of clinician behaviors

ObjectiveDelivering prognostic information to families requires clinicians to forecast an infant’s illness course and future. We lack robust empirical data about how prognosis is shared and how that impacts clinician-family concordance regarding infant outcomes.Study DesignProspective audiorecording of NICU family conferences, immediately followed by parent/ clinician surveys. Existing qualitative analysis frameworks were applied.ResultsWe analyzed 19 conferences. Most prognostic discussion targeted predicted infant functional needs, e.g. medications or feeding. There was little discussion of how infant prognosis would impact infant/ family quality of life. Prognostic framing was typically optimistic. Most parents left the conference believing their infant’s prognosis to be more optimistic than did clinicians.ConclusionsClinician approach to prognostic disclosure in these audiotaped family conferences tended to be broad and optimistic, without detail regarding implications of infant health for infant/ family quality of life. Families and clinicians left these conversations with little consensus about infant prognosis.

Behavioral and patho-physiological response as possible signs of pain in dairy cows during Escherichia coli mastitis: A pilot study

Bovine mastitis is one of the most common diseases in the dairy industry and it is a major welfare problem. Pain during mastitis is generally assessed through behavior but a combination of indicators would increase the chances of detecting pain and assessing its intensity. The aim of this study was to assess behavioral and patho-physiological responses as possible signs of pain experienced by cows after experimental intramammary challenge (mastitis) with Escherichia coli. Six Holstein-Friesian cows received an inoculation of E. coli P4 in one healthy quarter. Evolution of the disease was assessed using bacteriological growth and somatic cell counts (SCC). Cows' response to the challenge was monitored by direct behavioral and clinical observations, data loggers, rumen temperature sensors, and indicators of inflammation, stress, and oxidative status. From all data recorded, the variables that contributed most to the discrimination of mastitis phases were obtained by factorial discriminant analysis. Baseline levels of all indicators corresponded to values before challenge. Specifically, we weighted data relating to lying behavior by the observations at the same hour of the day before challenge to eliminate the circadian rhythm effect. We identified 3 phases that were discriminated by factorial discriminant analysis with good performance. Nine indicators varied according to the phase of the disease: cows' attitude toward their surroundings, tail position, clinical signs, ear position, variation of postural changes, concentrations of haptoglobin and serum amyloid A (SAA), cortisol blood levels, and rumen temperature (as a surrogate for body temperature). In phase 1 (4 to 8 h postinoculation), E. coli proliferated exponentially in milk but inflammation indicators remained at baseline levels. Cows were less attentive toward their surroundings (median score, 0.63), and postural changes (lying/standing) were less frequent (0.75 times from baseline). In phase 2 (12 to 24 h postinoculation), bacterial concentrations peaked around 12 h and then began to decrease concomitantly with a sharp SCC increase. Cows were less attentive toward their surroundings (score, 0.54), had high plasma cortisol (31.3 ng/mL) and SAA (100.3 µg/mL) concentrations, and rumen temperature was increased (40.3°C). In phase 3 (32 to 80 h postinoculation), bacterial concentrations decreased concomitantly with high SCC levels. Cows had high levels of haptoglobin (0.57 mg/mL) and SAA (269 µg/mL) but showed no behavioral changes. Dairy cows displayed changes of behavioral, inflammatory, and stress parameters after E. coli mammary inoculation. Our results suggest that cows may have experienced discomfort in the preclinical phase (phase 1) and pain in the acute phase (phase 2) but neither discomfort nor pain in the remission phase (phase 3). Although larger controlled studies are needed to confirm our findings, this knowledge could be useful for early detection of E. coli mastitis and for decision-making regarding the initiation of pain-relief treatment during mastitis in dairy cows. This would improve animal welfare and potentially faster disease remission.

Seasonal and individual predictors of diet in a free‐ranging population of mandrills

AbstractDeciphering the dietary habits of a species is central to understanding its ecology, resource requirements, and the evolution of its life history traits. Detailed information on how primates use their environment to address their nutritional needs is available for many primate species. Such basic, but necessary data are, however, fragmented for secretive primates, especially regarding direct behavioral observations of individuals. In this study, we evaluated the impact of seasonality and demographic characteristics on diet and feeding habits in the only free‐ranging population of habituated mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx), a forest‐dwelling species inhabiting the dense humid forests of Central Africa. We collected fine‐grained quantitative data on feeding behavior of 57 individually‐recognized animals of both sexes and different age classes during a 17‐month period. We identified most consumed plant species and determined their abundance in the habitat of the studied mandrills. We showed that diet in this species was extremely diverse and included approximately 150 different plant species, but also mushrooms, invertebrates, and vertebrates. This omnivorous and highly diverse diet presented, however, a clear frugivorous tendency. While we identified three food items largely consumed throughout the year, we also found a strong seasonal signature on diet that was partly, but not only, related to food availability. Age and sex also influenced feeding habits with some feeding specializations according to the individual categories considered and their associated nutritional needs. Our quantitative data provide a basis for future studies examining the nutritional and mineral content of food items, which will further elucidate important aspects of the ecology of this little studied forest primate.

Extending the Direct Behavior Rating: An Examination of Schoolwide Behavior Ratings and Academic Engagement

Direct behavior ratings have been identified as a practical and feasible alternative to direct observation of behavior for monitoring behavioral progress. Despite the evidence of usability, there have been calls for further examination of direct behavior ratings using different behaviors and scales. To this end, we examined the ratings of schoolwide behavioral expectations by teachers and outside observers, as well as direct observation of academic engagement by outside observers in upper elementary school language arts classrooms. Across sessions, correlations between raters (range r = .82–.91) and between measures (range r = .64–.98) were moderate to high; significant differences between raters existed when rating students identified with negative behavior ( n = 12) as opposed to positive behavior ( n = 12). Findings are discussed in terms of implications for research and practice, limitations of the study, and the necessity for further research and development.

Recomendações projetuais para dois ambientes de Unidades de Pronto Atendimento (UPAs): posto de enfermagem e sala de observação e medicação

The Emergency Care Units (ECUs) are responsible for an immediate or fast attention to patients in urgent or emergent situations. These units implementation is recent, and, therefore, the researches which evaluate systemically the existing units are rare, making it difficult to orientate the interior design and the planning of future units. The present work aims to contribute to ECUs’ interior design, throughout design guidelines presentation, for planning two of these units’ fundamental environments: the nursing station and observation and the medication rooms. The work has an exploratory, qualitative and multi-method approach and it is based on the study of users’ perception and behavior. In order to do so, it was developed a literature critic review of the theme, exploratory visits to ECUs from Florianopolis proximities, as well as a study case. In this case study, the following methods were applied: Direct and Systematic Observation of Behavior, Wish Poems and Interviews. The author expects this paper to contribute to professional practice when planning these environments, in a way they might better encompass their future users’ wishes and needs. Keywords: design guidelines, ECUs, user’s centered project.

General Education Teachers’ Natural Rates of Praise: A Preliminary Investigation

Many studies have demonstrated that when teachers are trained to increase their use of praise, student misbehavior improves; however, few studies have examined teachers’ natural use of praise and no study has examined the relation between teachers’ natural use of praise and classroom behavior. The purpose of the current study was to examine general education teachers’ natural use of praise in elementary classrooms. One hundred forty direct behavioral observation hours were used to collect praise rates and student behavior across 28 general education classrooms (kindergarten to fifth grade). Across all grade levels, results suggest that teachers’ use of praise was low (grade-level mean rates ranging from 0.38 per minute in the fourth grade to 0.75 per minute in kindergarten) and teachers used general praise more frequently than behavior-specific praise (BSP). A significant, negative relation was found between off-task behavior and BSP ( r = −.37, p = .05), indicating that teachers who used more BSP tended to have less off-task behavior in their classrooms. Implications for training teachers to increase their use of BSP as a universal strategy are discussed.

Communication and Data Trust for Wireless Sensor Networks Using D–S Theory

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are usually deployed in insecure remote and open environments. Nodes could be attacked and compromised. The attacker can use compromised sensor nodes to disrupt communications or inject misleading sensor values. Misleading data can corrupt the entire decision making process, which depends upon WSN data. We propose a trust mechanism, which evaluates communication trust and data trust for WSNs. Communication trust is computed from direct and indirect observations of the neighbour's forwarding behavior. Direct trust is derived from the consistency of forwarding behavior. Indirect trust is derived from the neighbour's observations translated into recommendations. We use weighted Dempster-Shaffer (D-S) theory to compute indirect trust. Data trust is computed by using median of sensor data. We present arguments and simulation results to show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm against packet forwarding/modification attacks, bad mouthing attacks, collusion attacks, and on-off attacks. Our proposed trust model helps data in WSNs to be more secure.

Watching Alice From Afar

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and suffocation account for more than half of all Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations describe the safest environments to protect infants. This study compared parent responses on the Newborn Sleep Safety Survey and observational assessments (N = 72) of infant sleep environments in families thought to be at high-risk for non-compliance with AAP recommendations.A naturalistic study of participants enrolled in two home visitation support programs was used. Observed risks ranged from 36.6% (never use pacifier) to 4.3% (never use firm mattress).Results comparing report to observation demonstrated acceptable concordance. Five items had fair concordance (Kappa > .4), four showed moderate concordance (Kappa > .6), and one excellent concordance (Kappa > .8). Although direct observation of safety behaviors is the gold standard in the injury prevention field, direct observation is logistically difficult, time consuming, and costly.Research and interventions aimed at a reduction of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and suffocation require accurate assessment of the infant sleep environment. This study provides acceptable evidence for the use of the Newborn Sleep Safety Survey as an alternative to direct observation to assess parent adherence to recommendations. Limitations are discussed.This study provided evidence of the usefulness of the Newborn Sleep Safety Survey, a parent survey of infant sleep environments. This tool will provide medical and research professionals a reliable, inexpensive tool to evaluation of the quality of sleep environments using a standard definition.

Sixteen lessons from a 40-year quest to understand the mysterious life of the grey triggerfish

Abstract Fish stock assessments based solely on energy flow through the ecosystem are not good predictors of population dynamics. To accurately forecast the response of populations within one or more ecological regimes, consideration must be given to non-trophic mechanisms allowing interactions inside the system, and fish behaviour in response to changes in their habitats. The example of the grey triggerfish (Balistes capriscus) in West Africa shows that fisheries biology is unable to model satisfactorily the life of a fish population. The Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries improves the models but does not overcome this fundamental limitation. Data from direct observations of fish biology and behaviour must be added to the catch and environmental data to help to design energetic-cybernetic models in order to anticipate non-linear and chaotic dynamics. This requires adding data collected by fishers (e.g. underwater acoustics) to scientific data bases, conceiving environmental indicators (e.g. habitat), and using scenarios to anticipate the reactions of populations to regime shifts. It also requires a good understanding of the population structures and strategies. We developed the concept of “pelagic metapopulation” which, through comparative analysis with the jack mackerel (Trachurus murphyi), allowed us to propose a hypothesis explaining the history of the grey triggerfish population.

Breed, sex, and litter effects in 2-month old puppies\u2019 behaviour in a standardised open-field test

A considerable number of studies have reported differences among dog breeds with respect to their genetic profile, cognitive abilities or personality traits. Each dog breed is normally treated as a homogeneous group, however, researchers have recently questioned whether the behavioural profile of modern breeds still reflects their historical function or if the intense divergent selective pressures and geographical barriers have created a more fragmented picture. The majority of studies attempting to assess and compare modern breeds’ personality focused on the evaluation of adult dogs where the potential effects of environmental/human factors on the dogs’ behaviour are hard to discern from their genetic heritage. In the following study, we aimed at investigating between- and within-breed differences in the personality of two-months-old puppies by direct behavioural observation of 377 puppies from 12 breeds. Results showed that there was no effect of sex, however both breed and litter, significantly affected all personality traits. Breed on average explained 10% of the variance, whereas the effect of litter was noticeably higher, explaining on average 23% of the variance. Taken together, our results suggest that breed does have some influence on personality traits, but they also highlight the importance of taking litter effects into account.

Two-Dimensional Infrared Spectroscopy Reveals Cosolvent-Composition-Dependent Crossover in Intermolecular Hydrogen-Bond Dynamics.

Cosolvents have versatile composition-dependent applications in chemistry and biology. The simultaneous presence of hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), an industrially important amphiphilic cosolvent, when combined with the unique properties of water, plays key roles in the diverse fields of pharmacology, cryoprotection, and cell biology. Moreover, molecules dissolved in aqueous DMSO exhibit an anomalous concentration-dependent nonmonotonic behavior in stability and activity near a critical DMSO mole fraction of 0.15. An experimental identification of the origin of this anomaly can lead to newer chemical and biological applications. We report a direct spectroscopic observation of the anomalous behavior using ultrafast two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy experiments. Our results demonstrate the cosolvent-concentration-dependent nonmonotonicity arises from nonidentical mechanisms in ultrafast hydrogen-bond-exchange dynamics of water above and below the critical cosolvent concentration. Comparison of experimental and theoretical results provides a molecular-level mechanistic understanding: a distinct difference in the stabilization of the solute through dynamic solute-solvent interactions is the key to the anomalous behavior.

Assessment of Safe Sleep: Validation of the Parent Newborn Sleep Safety Survey

PurposeSudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and suffocation account for more than half of all Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID). The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations describe the safest environments to protect infants. This study compared parent responses on the Newborn Sleep Safety Survey and observational assessments (N=72) of infant sleep environments in families thought to be at high-risk for non-compliance with AAP recommendations. Design and MethodsA naturalistic study of participants enrolled in two home visitation support programs was used. Observed risks ranged from 36.6% (never use pacifier) to 4.3% (never use firm mattress). ResultsResults comparing report to observation demonstrated acceptable concordance. Five items had fair concordance (Kappa>.4), four showed moderate concordance (Kappa>.6), and one excellent concordance (Kappa>.8). Although direct observation of safety behaviors is the gold standard in the injury prevention field, direct observation is logistically difficult, time consuming, and costly. ConclusionsResearch and interventions aimed at a reduction of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and suffocation require accurate assessment of the infant sleep environment. This study provides acceptable evidence for the use of the Newborn Sleep Safety Survey as an alternative to direct observation to assess parent adherence to recommendations. Limitations are discussed. Practical ImplicationsThis study provided evidence of the usefulness of the Newborn Sleep Safety Survey, a parent survey of infant sleep environments. This tool will provide medical and research professionals a reliable, inexpensive tool to evaluation of the quality of sleep environments using a standard definition.

System specification and validation of a noseband pressure sensor for measurement of ruminating and eating behavior in stable-fed cows

Rumination and eating behavior are important indicators for assessing health and well-being in cattle. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a novel scientific monitoring device for automated measurement of ruminating and eating behavior in stable-fed cows to provide research with a measuring instrument for automated health and activity monitoring. The RumiWatch noseband sensor (Itin+Hoch GmbH, Liestal, Switzerland) incorporates a noseband pressure sensor, a data logger with online data analysis, and software. Automated measurements of behavioral parameters are based on generic algorithms without animal-specific learning data. Thereby, the system records and classifies the duration of chewing activities and enables users to quantify individual ruminating and eating jaw movements performed by the animal. During the course of the development, two releases of the system-specific software RumiWatch Converter (RWC) were created and taken into account for the validation study. The results generated by the two software versions, RWC V0.7.2.0 and RWC V0.7.3.2, were compared with direct behavioral observations. Direct observations of cow behavior were conducted on 14 Swiss dairy farms with an observation time of 1h per animal, resulting in a total sample of 60 dairy cows. Agreement of sensor measurement and direct observation was expressed as Spearman correlation coefficients (rs) for the pooled sample. For consolidated classification of sensor data (1-h resolution), correlations for rumination time were rs=0.91 (RWC V0.7.2.0) and rs=0.96 (RWC 0.7.3.2), and for eating time rs=0.86 (RWC 0.7.2.0) and rs=0.96 (RWC V0.7.3.2). Both software versions provide a high standard of validity and measuring performance for ruminating and eating behavior. The high to very high correlations between direct observation and sensor data demonstrate that the RumiWatch noseband sensor was successfully developed and validated as a scientific monitoring device for automated measurement of ruminating and eating activity in stable-fed dairy cows.

Simple Shapes Elicit Different Emotional Responses in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Neurotypical Children and Adults

According to the literature, simple shapes induce emotional responses. Current evaluations suggest that humans consider angular shapes as “bad” and curvilinear forms as “good,” but no behavioral data are available to support this hypothesis. Atypical development, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), could modify humans’ perception of visual stimuli and thereby their emotional effect. This study assessed the effects of simple stimuli (i.e., jagged edges shape, disk, star, spiral, eye-like shape, and head character) on the emotional responses of different groups of humans. First, we assessed the effects of a looming movement on neurotypical adults’ emotional responses. Second, we assessed the effects of atypical development on emotional responses by comparing the reactions of neurotypical children and of children with ASD. We used different methodological approaches: self-evaluation through questionnaires and direct observation of participants’ behavior. We found that (1) neurotypical adults tended to perceive looming stimuli negatively as they associated more negative feelings with them although few behavioral responses could be evidenced and (2) the emotional responses of neurotypical children and of children with ASD differed significantly. Neurotypical children perceived the spiral stimulus positively, i.e., a curvilinear shape, whereas children with ASD perceived the jagged edges stimulus positively, i.e., an angular shape. Although neurotypical children and children with ASD presented some behavioral responses in common, children with ASD smiled and vocalized more than did neurotypical children during stimuli presentations. We discuss our results in relation to the literature on humans’ perception of simple shapes and we stress the importance of studying behavioral components for visual cognition research.

Thermally resistant polylactide layer-by-layer film prepared using an inkjet approach

The inkjet printing technique is potentially applicable for the formation of polymer stereocomplexes and can control the amount, thickness and structure of the printed polymers. Stereocomplexes of polylactides (PLAs) with both terminals conjugated to aromatic groups were easily formed via casting or inkjet printing methods based on even layer-by-layer assembly and solution mixing, indicating that the stereocomplex formation was not influenced by the conjugation groups at both chain ends of the PLAs. Their formation was confirmed through Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses as well as direct observation of melting behavior using a hot plate. The 10% weight loss thermal decomposition temperature (T10) of the stereocomplexes showed an increase of more than 90 °C compared with those of the corresponding original PLAs. PLA stereocomplexes with conjugation of both terminals that are formed via inkjet printing may be useful as highly thermally stable materials in various fields, especially in nanoscale situations. Inkjet printing is a facile method for covering substrates with thermally resistant PLA stereocomplexes with conjugation of both terminals. Stereocomplexes of polylactide with both terminals conjugated to bio-based aromatic compounds, with benzyl alcohol (b1) as an initiator and 3,4-diacetoxycinnamic acid (DACA) as a protection group, were easily formed via inkjet printing techniques based on even layer-by-layer assembly (DACA-SCb1-LbL) and solution mixing (DACA-SCb1-mix). The thermal properties of the stereocomplexes were superior to those of the original PLAs. Inkjet printing is a powerful method of forming functional, thermally stable PLA stereocomplexes with both terminals conjugated.