Visual Contact Research Articles

Case study: Visual barriers reduce pacing in captive tigers.

Captive large felines are prone to abnormal repetitive behaviors like pacing, which are associated with welfare issues. Visual contact without the opportunity to engage in appropriate behavior is known to increase pacing. To better understand the relationship between pacing and conspecific visual contact, we investigated this effect by conducting a barrier experiment on a male-female pair of Sumatran tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) in Rotterdam Zoo, the Netherlands. The tigers were exposed to four consecutive housing treatments: (i) housed in the same enclosure (baseline), (ii) housed in separate enclosures with visual contact, (iii) housed in separate enclosures without visual contact, and (iv) housed in the same enclosure after the separation. We used focal and scan sampling to measure pacing and recorded the number of visitors. Moreover, we applied scan sampling to measure activity. Overall, our results indicate that the tigers paced significantly more when housed in separate enclosures with conspecific visual contact. Moreover, our results suggest that limiting visual contact between neighboring tigers can mitigate pacing. Implementing these findings in tiger husbandry and enclosure design has the potential to improve animal welfare zoo populations of large felines.

Perceptions and needs of an outpatient palliative care team regarding digital care conferences in palliative care: a mixed-method online survey.

Telemedicine in palliative care (PC) is increasingly being used, especially in outpatient settings with large geographic distances. Its proven benefits include improved communication, coordination quality and time savings. However, the effect on symptom control is less evident. Whether these benefits apply to the Swiss setting and the needs of healthcare professionals (HCPs) is unknown. To identify the perceptions and needs of healthcare professionals (nurses and physicians) regarding telemedicine (generally and specifically for care conferences) in a Swiss outpatient palliative care network. We conducted a cross-sectional, mixed-method online survey with purposefully sampled healthcare professionals from an outpatient palliative care team as baseline data during the planning phase of a quality improvement project (digital care conferences). Of the 251 HCPs approached, 66 responded, including nurses (n = 37) and physicians (n = 29), with an overall response rate of 26.6%. These were distributed into two groups: general palliative care HCPs (n = 48, return rate 21.3%) and specialised palliative care HCPs (n = 18, return rate 69.2%). Generally, telemedicine was perceived as useful. Potential easy access to other HCPs and hence improved communication and coordination were perceived as advantages. Barriers included a lack of acceptance and physical contact, unsolved questions about potential data breaches and technical obstacles. Regarding digital care conferences, the perceived acceptance and feasibility were good; preferred participants were the specialised palliative care HCPs (nurses and physicians), primary physicians and home care nurses, as well as the leadership of a nurse. The needs of the HCPs were as follows: (a) clear and efficient planning, (b) usability and security and (c) visual contact with the patient. Digital care conferences are perceived as a feasible and useful tool by healthcare professionals in a local palliative care network in Switzerland. A pilot phase will be the next step towards systematic integration of this telemedicine modality into outpatient palliative care.

The Effect of Visual Stimuli on L2 Acquisition

This paper introduces the impact of visual stimuli on the acquisition of a Second Language (L2) or foreign language learning (FLL). Based on the importance of the role of vision in research, the findings can be classified according to three categories:(1) the comparison of multimodal audiovisual integration with conventional single-input integration; (2) the beneficial impact of visual elements on emotional stimulation; and (3) the rational synergy between the human visual system and language learning. Looking into recent studies, it is clear that people are increasingly turning to visual interactions rather than only conventional resources. Prior studies have largely concentrated on visual aids used in classroom instruction as a comprehensive tool, as opposed to a set of stimuli that are received and released. As a result, there was little discussion and attention paid to internal linkages. In line with visual contact, there has been a steady and robust advancement in social networks, encompassing well-known sites like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, increasing the frequency and diversity of interactive, multi-way communication. Older and newer types of picture resources are distinguished based on how interactive they are. The success of language acquisition will be influenced by the degree of involvement. The discussion will mainly focus on emotional interaction and response mechanisms, including input, output, and attention. Three representative key literature will be selected from the classification module for in-depth study and their importance will be analyzed, aiming to describe the impact of visual stimuli on L2 acquisition from different perspectives. This balances the value of visual impacts with the potential drawbacks, allowing for new study ideas and development approaches in the field of L2 acquisition as well as the quest for more cutting-edge and successful learning techniques in the future. The results also show that visual stimuli have an important impact on L2 acquisition or foreign language learning in different dimensions in terms of interactive characteristics, whether from the perspective of cognitive-linguistic, sociolinguistic, or psycholinguistic.

Oriental pied hornbills (Anthracoceros albirostris) solve invisible displacement tasks in a test of Piagetian object permanence.

Object permanence, the ability to mentally represent objects even when they are not directly accessible to the senses, is of vital importance for the survival of both human and non-human animals. The Oriental pied hornbill (Anthracoceros albirostris) is an Asian species of hornbill displaying remarkable adaptability in various environments, yet little is known about their cognitive abilities. Their breeding behaviour is unique, as the female hornbill seals herself inside a cavity before laying eggs and the male feeds her and their offspring without visual contact, strongly suggesting the presence of object permanence to some degree. In this study, six Oriental pied hornbills underwent testing for object permanence, including a series of seven standard Piagetian tasks involving visible and invisible displacements. The subjects consistently demonstrated spontaneous object permanence in all stages leading up to the invisible displacement stage. Half of the subjects achieved full stage 6 double invisible displacement Piagetian object permanence, while the other half reached stage 5 double visible displacement. Breeding behaviour and the duration of developmental stages are proposed as potential factors influencing object permanence ability in this species of hornbill.

Development and Evaluation of a Treadmill-based Video-see-through and Optical-see-through Mixed Reality Systems for Obstacle Negotiation Training.

Mixed reality (MR) technologies have a high potential to enhance obstacle negotiation training beyond the capabilities of existing physical systems. Despite such potential, the feasibility of using MR for obstacle negotiation on typical training treadmill systems and its effects on obstacle negotiation performance remains largely unknown. This research bridges this gap by developing an MR obstacle negotiation training system deployed on a treadmill, and implementing two MR systems with a video see-through (VST) and an optical see-through (OST) Head Mounted Displays (HMDs). We investigated the obstacle negotiation performance with virtual and real obstacles. The main outcomes show that the VST MR system significantly changed the parameters of the leading foot in cases of Box obstacle (approximately 22 cm to 30 cm for stepping over 7cm-box), which we believe was mainly attributed to the latency difference between the HMDs. In the condition of OST MR HMD, users tended to not lift their trailing foot for virtual obstacles (approximately 30 cm to 25 cm for stepping over 7cm-box). Our findings indicate that the low-latency visual contact with the world and the user's body is a critical factor for visuo-motor integration to elicit obstacle negotiation.

Virtual Reality on Public Speaking Phobia mitigation

The capacity to speak in public requires personal skills that not everyone has. Anxiety and nervousness, many times easily classified as phobia, can represent serious handicaps and committing the expected speaking performance. Being a subject rather explored by contemporaneous literature, this research wants to contribute to exploring Virtual Reality and Gamification strategies for mitigating those difficulties. During this project a VR application for Google Cardboards was developed, to allow speakers to immersively face simulated 3D scenarios. With the aim of representing real-life scenarios as closely as possible, after each speaking session, the assessment process allows the user to find his limitations and reorient future experiences. Speakers are assessed on four indicators, namely voice tone, audience visual contact, head movements, and speech duration. Scenarios and speeches can be created dynamically by specialists, and classified into different difficulty levels, allowing each participant to define his own learning path. Experimentations were done with two distinct groups of students and the main results outcomes are described and analyzed.This research constitutes part of an ERASMUS+ funding project.

Preliminary analysis of a clinical trial of children with autism spectrum disorder treated with DHA-rich marine Schizochytrium sp. oil and multi-vitamin/mineral complex

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a syndrome characterized by alterations in social interaction and communication, frequently associated with stereotyped patterns, such as repetitive behavior. Inflammation and oxidative stress are frequently observed in patients, and natural products that control these aspects can be an alternative for ASD treatment.Method:In this prospective case series study, we administered in 2–12 years-old children (n = 12) with severe ASD a commercial extract of marine Schizochytrium sp. oil, composed by 200 mg DHA and 2 mg eicosapentaenoic acid, associated to a multi-vitamin/mineral complex, daily for 12 weeks. Patients were evaluated by Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) and Adaptive Behavior Assessment System Third Edition (ABAS-3) scales before and after the treatment, and had the urine analyzed.Results:Values obtained from CARS, general adaptive composite and social domains from ABAS-3 were statistically different after treatment. Although not statistically significant, conceptual and practical domains from ABAS-3 had the score increased in several patients after the intervention. Among these domains, communication and visual contact improved in all patients, and vocabulary, interaction, feeding, and food selectivity were enhanced in some of them. The total antioxidant capacity in urine increased after treatment, as well as some metabolites, like amino acids, which were exclusive in all patient’s urine after the administration of the product.Conclusions:These preliminary data show that the continuous use of marine Schizochytrium sp. oil and multi-vitamin/mineral complex can help control characteristic symptoms of ASD in children.

INFANTIL NEUROAXONAL DYSTROPHY: A CASE REPORT

Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy is a rare, hereditary neurodegenerative disease that begins before the end of the second year of life, after an interval of normal psychomotor development caused by Biallelic mutations in the PLA2G6 gene in the most of cases. It is characterized by progressive motor and cognitive deterioration leading to a bedridden state and death before the end of the first decade. We report the case of a two and a half year patient who showed psychomotor regression with ophthalmological damage, truck hypotonia and impaired visual contact as the main neurological signs. Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy is a rare and serious disease in children with a risk of generally fatal complications, but it remains a preventable disease thanks to genetic counselling.

Experience of MOOC designing and implementation in teaching philology students

The paper is devoted to one of the most important problems for the modern education, connected with educational process modernization, based on progressive information technologies. The authors focus their attention on theoretical and practical aspects of Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) designing and implementation as an educational resource and independent educational system element. Its tasks are to build an individual educational route and students supplementary professional training, to form students skills for self-organization and self-education. The paper summarizes the experience of MOOC designing and implementation in Orenburg State University philology-students educational process, which demanded pointing out the MOOC peculiar characteristics, designing algorithm for its construction and approval, evaluation of received results and defining perspectives for improving. The system analysis of MOOC peculiar characteristics and potential for educational process at university held with the use of theoretical and practical researching methods let clarify its advantages and disadvantages. Interactivity, quick evaluation of tasks, unlimited time, logical and well-structured material and the ability to perform self-control of learning results are considered to be the advantages. The dependence on the technical abilities, absence of total control of tasks accomplishment and actual teacher-student visual contact, self-sufficient learning decrease MOOCs effectivity. Stage-by-stage algorithm of MOOC design and implementation in educational process of higher education and approved in the designer MOOC Methods of teaching English for philology-students at Orenburg State University is presented. The algorithm consists of 5 consequential stages (preparative, stages of design and production, approbation, improvement and copying). Each stage has its aim and goals, content and ways for realization. Effectivity of algorithm has been proved by the 2 year experimental work. It was proved that the use of designer MOOC resources helped arrange educational process and manage educational time more sufficiently.

Reduction of compulsive overeating in rats caused by maternal deprivation in early ontogenesis with the use of a new ghrelin receptor antagonist agrelax

BACKGROUND: Factors that may trigger episodes of binge eating include mental and physical stress, dietary restrictions of high-calorie foods. In a rodent model it has been shown that intermittent consumption of high-calorie foods causes binge eating regardless of body weight gain.
 AIM: To investigate the effect of a novel ghrelin receptor antagonist Agrelax on binge eating in in adult rats after maternal deprivation in early ontogeny.
 MATERIALS AND METHODS: Animals were weaned for 180 min from day 2 to day 12 after birth; males 90100 days of age were used in the experiments. In the development of binge eating, animals received a high-carbohydrate diet (Nutella paste based chocolate mixture) for 1 h every day or every third day for 1.5 months. Fifteen minutes before feeding, the chocolate paste was placed within 5 cm of reach with visual contact. Agrelax, a novel ghrelin receptor antagonist, was administered intranasally 1g/1l, 20l for 7 days.
 RESULTS: Maternal deprivation induced bindge eating of high-calorie foods in adult rats. When chocolate was given 3 times a week, its consumption increased (p 0.001) in the maternal deprivation group relative to the control group. After a course of administration of agrelax, chocolate consumption did not differ significantly from that in the control group. The daily consumption of standard food did not differ relative to the control group both before and after the course of agrelax administration. When chocolate was given daily, the maternal deprivation rats did not develop food addiction. At the same time agrelax did not induce a change in chocolate consumption relative to the control group.
 CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest new ways to synthesize pharmacological agents of peptide nature based on ghrelin and its antagonists for correction of food addiction caused by psychogenic stresses in ontogenesis.

Time-Budget and Welfare Indicators of Stabled Horses in Three Different Stall Architectures: A Cross-Sectional Study

Keeping horses in single stalls can lead to the development of abnormal and stereotypic behaviors (ASB). Opportunities for social interactions and stall architecture can influence behavior. The current study aimed to identify how three different stall architectures influenced time-budget and physiological parameters in horses. Stall types included: (1) 3.2 × 3.7 m with tactile contact between horses (B1); (2) 2.6 × 3.5 m with visual contact between horses and outside view (B2); (3) 2.3 × 3.4 m with visual contact and outside view (B3). Ten horses from B1 and B3, and nine from B2 were randomly selected, filmed for 24 hours and the video was analyzed with continuous behavioral sampling. Nine horses from B1, 8 from B2 and 7 from B3 were randomly selected for blood sampling used to determine cortisol levels, cortisol circadian rhythm (CCR), white blood cells (WBC) and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio. The effects of different stall architectures were analyzed by ANOVA and post hoc Tukey test. B1 had higher social interaction time (2.77% of the time-budget) (P = .020), with no other differences. Time spent eating represented a low proportion of horses’ time-budget (14.31%) and all horses demonstrated ASB behaviors (21.10% of the time-budget). Twenty-five percent of the horses presented low WBC, 38% of the horses had high cortisol levels, and 29% of the horses had an altered CCR. Those alterations along with high prevalence of ASB indicate that horses were in a state of chronic stress. The stalls’ architecture did not affect the presence of abnormal behaviors or indicators of stress.

Accompagnement du chien d’assistance judiciaire auprès de mineur(e)s présumé(e)s victimes. Étude pilote menée en France en 2021

ObjectivesIn France, 10% of the population's 13,700,000 minors are recognized as abused, and 50% of abused minors are under the age of 2. Article 19 of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child obliges States to protect children against all forms of violence, hence the concern, in France, for efficient justice and the least possible impact on minors presumed to be victims during proceedings. Legal proceedings conducted by investigators, and in particular those hearings of minors presumed to be victims, can be a trying time. To ensure that the conditions for giving evidence are as untraumatizing as possible, an experiment involving the accompaniment of minors by a courthouse dog (CHD) was begun in Cahors in 2019 and was extended to other towns such as Orléans. This accompaniment by a CHD, inspired by an initiative developed in the United States in 2012, can take place during all stages of the legal process. Currently, France is the only European country to experiment with this accompaniment. Before proposing a systematization of the use of CHD, it is necessary to assess the feelings of those involved in this accompaniment, particularly those of the victims, which is the aim of this study. MethodThis study is multicentric (conducted in Orléans and Cahors), retrospective, and descriptive. Data were collected in 2021 using hetero-questionnaires proposed to the minors and focusing on their behaviors and feelings (n=111), before presentation of the CHD; during the presence of the CHD; and at the end of the hearing. The feelings of the interviewers, caregivers, and other professionals were also collected. ResultsBefore the CHD presentation, 60% of the minors were worried and 17% were smiling. After the hearing and on departure, in the presence of the dog: 4.5% were still showing signs of anxiety and 27% were smiling. The CHD had a calming effect on all those involved, too. It did not disrupt the course of the hearings. The CHD guaranteed total neutrality, did not induce any suggestibility, and was able to position himself with the minors in a discreet, gentle, and effective manner. DiscussionThe triangular relationship – juvenile, investigator, CHD – appears to be beneficial for all involved, according to the testimonies of both juveniles and professionals. The CHD is a catalyst for the minors’ attention, a protector in the face of the unknown; it seems to encourage the freeing of speech and establishes a calming dynamic. Physical and visual contact with the CHD had a reassuring effect. For the investigators, who were generally meeting the minor for the first time, the CHD was appreciated as a real support, as a working partner and a neutral positive reinforcer, as investigators must exercise their profession according to a legal approach of absolute neutrality that does not necessarily correspond to the needs of the traumatized minors they receive, which sometimes makes it difficult to establish a connection. The results also underline the possible protective effect of the CHD on professionals who may be prone to vicarious trauma, as well as on those close to and/or accompanying the minors, who were also reassured by the animal's presence. As far as refusal to be accompanied by the CHD is concerned, there may be a notion of danger or aggressiveness on the part of the dog, hence the importance of proposing this accompaniment in the knowledge of possible reticence or even phobia. This French pilot study on the accompaniment of minors by a legal assistance dog has its limitations due to the small number of participants. It does, however, have the advantage of being original and paving the way for future studies. ConclusionThe impact of the CHD's support on all minors and caregivers was positive overall. The interest in extending this type of study to other sites with CHD, by associating the views of child psychiatrists and behaviorists, could provide an even more significant overview and optimize support for minors based on observation of animal-human interactions.

Low-velocity impact damage detection in cfrp laminates based on ultrasonic phased-array ndt technique

To investigate the delamination characteristics of CFRP laminates in Barely Visible Impact Damage (BVID) state, Low-Velocity Impact Tests (LVIT) and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) were employed. The energy thresholds of six diverse ply-stacking sequences of laminates in the BVID state were established utilizing visual inspection and contact measurement methods. Ultrasonic phased-array NDT techniques were employed to evaluate quantitatively the magnitude of delamination damage from different viewpoints, including delamination area, shape, and trend variation. Furthermore, the impact resistance of laminates was qualitatively evaluated by analyzing the distinctive delamination damage forms of various specimens to identify the effects of the ply-stacking sequence. The findings of this study demonstrate that reducing the angle disparity between adjacent plies and minimizing the repetition of identical plies can mitigate delamination damage. Additionally, enhancing the ratio of ±45 and 0° plies can improve the flexural stiffness of the structure. Specifically, the ultrasonic phased-array NDT technique was shown to effectively detect delamination damage within the laminate in the BVID state.

Why We Mimic Emotions Even When No One is Watching: Limited Visual Contact and Emotional Mimicry

This article explores interpersonal functions of emotional mimicry under the absence versus the presence of visual contact between the interacting partners. We review relevant literature and stress that previous studies on the role of emotional mimicry were focused on imitative responses to facial displays. We also show that the rules explaining why people mimic facial expressions may be inapplicable when visual signals are unavailable (e.g., people attending an online meeting have their cameras off). Overall, our review suggests that emotional mimicry functionally adapts to whether the perceiver and the expresser can see each other. We, therefore, argue that blocking visual contact between them may provide insight into emotional mimicry's social functions, thereby clarifying its role in fostering affiliation and emotional understanding.

ESSENCE OF A FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHER’S PEDAGOGICAL TECHNIQUE

The article reveals the essence of a foreign language teacher’s pedagogical technique as a system of professional techniques for organising a pedagogue’s behaviour to make successful pedagogical and educational influences on the personality of a higher education student. Depending on the direction of influence, external and internal pedagogical techniques have been distinguished. The external technique is associated with verbal and non-verbal expression of a teacher’s internal experiences in order to influence other subjects of the educational process. The technique of pedagogical communication and the technique of speech form the basis of the verbal tools of external technique. It has been determined that the technique of pedagogical communication requires a friendly, calm tone, the ability to ask questions, listen, analyse the content of the message, understand the motives of the interlocutor’s communicative behaviour, navigate in a communicational situation. Therefore, a foreign language teacher should strive to establish psychological and visual contact with other subjects of pedagogical interaction. The technique of pedagogical communication also contains the ability to attract students by the performance and free, coherent and logical speech, external expression of desire and willingness to communicate, the ability to convey their attitude to educational material, to arouse the higher education students’ interest in the discussion. The technique of speech consists of diction, articulation, intonation, volume, strength, height, timbre and tonality of the voice, pace and rhythm of speech, emphasis, mobility and sonority of the voice. The structural components of non-verbal communication: body language, interpersonal space, temporal characteristics have been analysed. The peculiarities of statistical and dynamic expression of a foreign language teacher have been described. Physiognomy, artefacts, the olfactory system, haptics, prosody, extralinguistics, kinesics have been characterised. It has been proved that a foreign language teacher’s pedagogical technique largely determines the level of professional excellence and the success of pedagogical activity. Pedagogical technique is an integral part in the structure of the professional excellence of a foreign language teacher who needs lifelong self-development and self-improvement. As a form of organisational behaviour, pedagogical technique is based on the ability to control oneself – posture, gestures, facial expressions, pantomime; to manage emotions – relieve excessive mental stress, trigger the states of insight, creative well-being; the ability to master the technique of speech – the pace of speech, intonation, audience management; the ability to interact with a higher education student and the group as a whole in the process of solving pedagogical problems. Forming foreign language teachers’ pedagogical technique is impossible without considering communicative prohibitions, etiquette, appearance culture, peculiarities of pedagogical communication and mental self-regulation. Verbal and non-verbal tools of influencing higher education students harmoniously complete each other, and mastery of the pedagogical technique testifies to the level of a pedagogue’s professional excellence.

SEMIOTIC FACTORS IN THE WORK OF TRANSLATOR (ELEMENTS OF KINESICS)

The paper is devoted to the consideration of semiotic load of the basic movement of the palms and mimic muscles at different ethnic cultures. Its task is to highlight kinesemes, which are typical for Eastern and Western traditions of nonverbal comunication (here is used data of non-verbal means, related to the movement of hands, palms and eyes) and characterize their communicative semantics as auxiliary means, which need to pay special attention of translators. Observation of Eastern and Western cultures of non-verbal comunication evidences commonality of many kinesemes for these cultural worlds, however semiotic load of equal movements at different cultures often does not coincide and even more demonstrates absolutely opposite comunicative meanings. Properly lingual equivalents of non-verbal means, particularly phraseologisms, sometime are able to confirm all told. Hands (palms) and gaze of the interlocutor are the details, which catch the eye in establishing of visual contact and preliminary evaluation of the counterpart. Consequently ethnic semiotics of both sets of kinesems should be interpreted correctly and on time to provide high-quality translation.

The effects of the natural visual-aural attributes of urban green spaces on human behavior and emotional response.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) have been used to address a wide range of urban environmental challenges, an important aspect of which is to improve human health and well-being. However, most relevant studies focus either on what positive influences nature may have or on identifying what natural factors can have these benefits. Few have investigated the sensory composition of nature and the effects of nature in different sensory aspects on human health. Setting out from the multi-sensory perspective, this study aims to explore human behavior and emotional response from visual and aural contact with urban nature. Taking Jiangjia Art Garden in Chengdu as an example, natural attributes such as its visual (landscape) and aural (sound source) characteristics as well as people's activities (behavioral responses) were measured by on-site mapping analysis. This was done while a questionnaire-based survey was conducted to investigate people's emotional responses regarding their overall satisfaction, pleasantness, calm, and agreeableness. The results indicated that nature-dominated visual landscapes such as grassland, waterscapes, and woodlands, as well as natural sounds such as bird sounds, chirp sounds, and wind sounds were found to be positively correlated to the vitality of activities and people's emotional status. Regarding behavioral responses, it was shown that grasslands and woodlands are more likely to be attractive places for recreation, and the vitality measured became extremely high when these two were paired with lakes. As for the emotional responses, people's perceived overall satisfaction, calm, and agreeableness were equally reflected in their behavioral patterns, suggesting a strong relationship with natural factors. The research findings were visually presented in behavior and emotional maps to provide direct cues of informing the future design of high-quality urban green spaces and promoting the application of aural-visual experience in the design of urban nature areas.

Behavior of lambs and ewes of the Polish Merino and Wrzosówka breeds simulating different conditions of loss during extensive grazing

Extensive sheep grazing carries both benefits and risks. Whereas the benefits include reduced labor input and optimal (close to natural) welfare conditions for sheep, the risks involve a danger of lambs getting lost on the pasture. The objective of this study was to compare the behavior of lambs and their mothers belonging to two breeds (Polish Merino and Wrzosówka) in three experiment systems simulating the conditions in which lambs tend to get lost on the pasture during extensive grazing: 1) with visual and auditory contact, 2) with auditory contact, and 3) without visual-auditory contact with the flock. Two main questions were analyzed about the first three months of the lambs’ life: 1) the time of finding the flock by the lambs and 2) the behavior patterns of the lambs and ewes, such as the lambs’ movements, the lambs’ and mothers’ vocalization, the reaction to the curtain, the reaction to the observer, and the lambs’ behavior in the field. The study found that the flock finding time in the first and third month of the lambs’ life (experiments 1 and 2, respectively) was shorter in the Wrzosówka breed than in the Merino breed (p ≤ 0.05). Regardless of the scenario, the most frequently observed reactions in the lamb flock were flock calling and navigating to the flock by the shortest route. In the absence of visual and auditory contact, the most frequent response of the Polish Merino and Wrzosówka lambs was to run to the top of the hill and search for the flock. In the third month of life, the lambs of both breeds began to show a higher degree of independence, and the observed patterns of their behavior were similar. The results of the study show that in the first two months of life, the Wrzosówka lambs found the flock faster and were better oriented in the field than the Merino lambs. In the third month of life, the differences in the behavior patterns of the two breeds became very small. This finding could indicate that during extensive grazing, lambs of some breeds, especially those subjected to intensive artificial selection such as the Merino breed, may require more care of the breeder in the first two months of their life.

Communication via Biotremors in the Veiled Chameleon (Chamaeleo Calyptratus): Part II- Social contexts.

This study extends recent research demonstrating that the veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) can produce and detect biotremors. Chameleons were paired in various social contexts: dominance (male-male; female-female C. calyptratus); courtship (male-female C. calyptratus); heterospecific (C. calyptratus+C. gracilis); and inter-size class dominance (adult+juvenile C. calyptratus). Simultaneous video and accelerometer recordings were used to monitor their behavior and record a total of 398 biotremors. Chamaeleo calyptratus produced biotremors primarily in conspecific dominance and courtship contexts, accounting for 84.7% of the total biotremors recorded, with biotremor production varying greatly between individuals. Biotremors were elicited by visual contact with another conspecific or heterospecific, and trials in which chameleons exhibited visual displays and aggressive behaviors were more likely to record biotremors. Three classes of biotremor were identified- hoots, mini-hoots, and rumbles, which differed significantly in fundamental frequency, duration, and relative intensity. Biotremor frequency decreased with increasing signal duration and frequency modulation was evident, especially in hoots. Overall, the data show that C. calyptratus utilizes substrate-borne vibrational communication during conspecific and possibly heterospecific interactions.

СОЦІАЛЬНИЙ КОНТАКТ, ЯК СКЛАДОВА ГРОМАДСЬКОГО ПРОСТОРУ МІСТА

This article examines social contact as an important component of public space in cities. The author emphasizes the physical parameters of space that influence the possibility and quality of social interactions. Street networks and sidewalk accessibility contribute to encounters and communication in densely populated areas, while large open spaces without buildings may reduce the number of social contacts. Space design, such as the presence of public squares and parks, can increase social encounters and make the space more diverse. Building planning with eye-level windows for passersby can also promote interaction between people inside the building and pedestrians. To ensure an equal quantity and quality of social contact in the public space of a city, it is necessary to understand the forms of social interaction and their impact on the comfort of the urban environment. Formal, informal, and technical levels of interaction among people in society are distinguished. The article discusses social contact in physical public space, architectural environments, and the interaction between individuals and spatial elements. The classification of forms of social contact includes direct, involuntary, visual, navigational, and acoustic contacts, depending on the distance between participants. The presence of quality social contact in public space affects safety, health, social support, cultural environment, and the overall atmosphere of a city. Public spaces with open areas located at the intersection of different environments can become platforms for a healthy cultural and educational environment in a city. Ensuring social contact in public space is of great importance for the development of cities and improving the quality of the city life. When designing urban environments, it is essential to consider not only the physical parameters of space but also the aspects of social contact. It is important to design spaces that promote encounters, communication, and interaction among people.