Welfare Science Research Articles

Post-Discharge Growth Among Extremely Preterm Infants With or Without Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.

This study aimed to evaluate whether bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and home respiratory care (HRC) after discharge, including home oxygen therapy (HOT) or home mechanical ventilation (HMV), were associated with the growth of extremely preterm infants. This secondary study uses data from a study on the infant and early childhood development survey of low-birth-weight infants in the Health, Labor, and Welfare Science Research. We enrolled 788 singleton extremely preterm infants appropriate for gestational age (GA). BPD was defined as the requirement of supplemental oxygen or respiratory support at 36 weeks corrected GA. We compared trends of anthropometric measurements from age 0 to 5 years among infants with non-BPD, BPD without HRC, and BPD with HRC. We obtained 4113 weight and length measurements. At age 0-5 years, the BPD with the HRC group weighed less and was shorter than the other two groups. Lower GA and BPD status were significantly associated with growth failure of weight at 3 and 5 years after adjustment for potential risk factors. Lower GA was significantly associated with growth failure of length at 3 and 5 years. Conversely, although BPD status was significantly associated with growth failure of length at 3 years, it was not at 5 years. Among extremely preterm infants, BPD with HRC was associated with a significant growth delay at 0-5 years compared with non-BPD and BPD without HRC. However, the effect of different severities of BPD on growth failure of length was attenuated with age.

Plugging biologging into animal welfare: An opportunity for advancing wild animal welfare science

Abstract Animal welfare science is currently expanding beyond its traditional boundaries, from captive animals to those living in the wild. This current development is conceptually and methodologically challenging, but it could benefit from adjacent and more established research fields. Among these fields, biologging appears to be a strong candidate, as most intrinsic, location and environmental variables collected through biologging approaches could be used to assess animal welfare in the wild. To provide an objective view of the suitability of biologging to assess wild animal welfare, biologging was evaluated against the criteria that are currently recommended to assess animal welfare. This evaluation shows that biologging approaches could enhance animal welfare assessments in terms of completeness, informativeness and feasibility in the wild. However, their full implementation may be complicated by limitations in terms of validity, representativeness and disturbance, and by the different welfare perspectives taken by wildlife biologists using biologging approaches and animal welfare biologists. To exploit the full potential that biologging approaches could offer to assess wild animal welfare, their current limitations need to be overcome. Towards this end, recommendations are explicitly provided to enhance the validity and the representativeness of biologging measurements as welfare indicators, while reducing disturbance. To increase the visibility and the impact of biologging studies examining wild animal welfare, we also encourage wildlife biologists using biologging approaches to adopt the same language and perspectives as those used by animal welfare biologists. If current limitations are overcome, biologging is likely to be instrumental for the future study of animal welfare in the wild. Reciprocally, integrating animal welfare in biologging studies is expected to have a great impact on the whole biologging field by extending its current scope to a new and promising research area.

Religious Slaughter and Supranational Jurisprudence in the Context of Animal Welfare Science

Within the European socio-cultural landscape, which is increasingly attuned to animal welfare concerns and characterized by growing multiculturalism, ritual slaughter has become a subject of considerable debate due to its legal, economic, and health implications. This debate is increasingly fueled by interventions by judicial bodies that, not infrequently, have filled protection gaps in legislation on the relationship between human rights and the treatment of animals. In this review, the authors aim to describe the evolutionary path of supranational jurisprudence in the case of religious slaughter, focusing on the most recent animal welfare decision rendered by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on 13 February 2024. This innovative judgement, in line with other precedents, indicates the orientation of the international and European law, which, driven by public morality, is increasingly characterized by the compression of human rights in favor of animal interests.

Conceptual framework for considering animal welfare in sustainability assessments of foods

In recent years, many studies analyzed the environmental, health and economic implications of the production and consumption of different foods – and, on this basis, evaluated their sustainability. However, associated impacts on animals have remained largely unexamined and existing assessment approaches are still immature and often lack reflection on their normative assumptions and resulting implications. As animal welfare concerns increase, this represents a shortcoming, leaving a critical sustainability issue without due consideration. To address this, we develop a conceptual framework that guides the key decisions for assessing animal welfare impacts of foods. The framework is derived from an integrative literature review and revised following external feedback from expert focus groups. It bridges the research fields of food system modeling, animal welfare science and animal ethics and can guide researchers in developing assessment approaches and assessing animal welfare impacts of foods, from individual food items to whole diets. The framework also directs transparent communication of the most important assessment decisions. We outline key considerations for animal welfare assessments of foods, highlight associated challenges and discuss quality criteria as well as technical and normative strategies to address them. Our contribution provides a basis for future research to integrate animal welfare into sustainability evaluations of food and investigate tradeoffs and synergies with environmental, social or economic issues. Following this framework in future assessments facilitates the integration of animal welfare into food-related policy assessments and public decisions.

Discourses on Positive Animal Welfare by Sheep Farmers and Industry Actors: Implications for Science and Communication.

This research examines how sheep farmers and industry actors in the United Kingdom (UK) understand and conceptualize what animal welfare scientists term 'positive animal welfare'. It explores their awareness of the concept, and how they interpret it using a qualitative approach. Participants were recruited using a snowballing, purposive sample approach, resulting in 25 sheep farmers and 11 industry actors (veterinarians, farming organizations, advisors, and supply chain) being interviewed. To collect data, a combined approach involving semi-structured interviews and a facilitated workshop were used between April 2021 and March 2022. Data were then thematically analyzed using a hybrid of inductive and deductive coding process. The findings suggested that the perceptions of farmers and industry actors in the study regarding positive welfare differ from contemporary academic discourses. Overall, around 7 of the farmers equated positive welfare with "positive stockmanship", while six of them expressed "good animal welfare" definitions associated with the Five Freedoms. In contrast, most industry actors (6) expressed interpretations associated with high welfare standards (going above minimum recommended practices) and positive mental experiences (3). Emerging discourses revealed the link between self-identity, social identity and what positive welfare is, the importance of knowledge exchange, and the need for practical indicators through language rephrasing. There is a clear need to enhance and improve knowledge dissemination strategies, particularly in the UK, where much research is being conducted on positive animal welfare.

The Effect of Planovalgus on Balance and Motor Function in Children With Cerebral Palsy

Objective Lower limb deformity in children with cerebral palsy (CP) is a common musculoskeletal problem and planovalgus is the most prevalent, characterized by talus median subluxation, calcaneal valgus, and supinated forefoot. According to studies, one issue in orthopedics and pathology is the accurate diagnosis and proper treatment of planovalgus deformity in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy, which has attracted researchers’ attention. Accordingly, the present study investigates the effect of planovalgus deformity on the motor performance and balance of these children. Materials & Methods This cross-sectional study employed a descriptive-analytical design. The convenient sampling method was used among children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy, diagnosed with unilateral planovalgus, who were referred to the clinics of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences (Nezam Mafi) and occupational therapy clinics from September 2022 to February 2023 in Tehran City, Iran. Meanwhile, all participants were willing to cooperate in this research. A total of 27 participants were evaluated by an occupational therapist based on the specified criteria and gross motor function classification system (GMFCS), which included the assessments of balance, muscle strength, range of motion, and pain. Data analysis was done using the SPSS software, version 16. Results The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the mean range of motion of ankle dorsiflexion and knee extension between the two limbs (P<0.001). The mean muscle strength of the quadriceps and ankle plantar flexors indicated a statistically significant difference in the affected limb (P<0.001). Additionally, the mean displacement of the center of pressure of the foot also demonstrated a statistically significant difference regarding topographical involvement (P<0.001). Conclusion Planovalgus deformity is one of the most common ankle deformities, which is of great concern for children with cerebral palsy. The results obtained from the assessments of the child’s balance and motor function demonstrated the importance of assessment strategies and early interventions to achieve better rehabilitation outcomes for children with CP and planovalgus deformity.

Do I sound anxious? Emotional arousal is linked to changes in vocalisations in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus dom.)

A major goal in animal welfare science is the development of methods that quantify or ‘read-out’ current affective states in freely behaving animals. In mammalian models, changes in acoustic parameters within vocalisations have been linked to differences in emotional arousal, although there are very few studies showing changes in vocalisations that act as indicators of valence (positive or negative affect). Currently, there are very few studies on vocal indicators of emotion in birds. To determine the link between acoustic parameters within vocalisations and emotion in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus dom.), we used a well-validated paradigm that purports to elicit two distinct, negative emotional states: anxiety and depression. In this paradigm, chicks in social isolation initially show high rates of distress calls (anxiety-like phase: high arousal/negative affect) that decrease over the next 20–30 minutes to a depression-like phase (low arousal/negative affect). We analysed acoustic parameters of distress vocalisations from Legbar chicks (4–7 days old) that were placed in social isolation for 30 minutes, either with or without a mirror (Isolated: n=18; Mirror: n=16), (a mirror is known to reduce the negative behavioural and physiological indicators of isolation). Chicks in the Isolated condition produced louder calls, of a higher frequency, and calls were individually longer, and more ‘degraded’ (higher entropy and lower harmonics-to-noise ratio) compared to the Mirror condition. However, the call rate did not drop below 50 % of the initial rate in either condition, indicating the chicks in this study did not reach the criteria for the depression-like phase of the paradigm. To investigate further we analysed vocalisations at times during a trial when calls were at a high rate per minute (indicating a higher level of emotional arousal at that point in time) and we found those vocalisations were louder, more ‘degraded’, longer and higher in frequency across both conditions. These results are consistent with findings across several species of mammal, indicating that changes in emotional arousal in negatively valanced situations give rise to consistent changes in vocal parameters across a wide range of species. Indeed, further work could look to see if the same links are found in groups such as chelonians, crocodilians and geckos, as their vocal production mechanisms share some similarities. There could also be scope to use these changes to automatically detect shifts in emotion in captive animals.

The Students’ Perception Towards Teacher Code Switching in Teaching English as Foreign Language at STISIPOL Candradimuka Palembang

The purpose of this study is to ascertain how students at STISIPOL Candradimuka Palembang feel about teachers using code switching when teaching English. The study sample consisted of 37 students from the Social Welfare Science course. The Qualitative survey research design was applied in this study. The questionnaire was spread to the students as the research instrument to investigate students’ perception. The result of the questionnaire was analyzed by using the Likert scale to know the degree of agreement and disagreement. The study's findings demonstrated that students had a positive perception of teachers who code-switch between Indonesian and English because it makes learning the language more fun and motivates them to try having conversations in it.

Choice-based severity scale (CSS): assessing the relative severity of procedures from a laboratory animal's perspective.

One primary goal of laboratory animal welfare science is to provide a comprehensive severity assessment of the experimental and husbandry procedures or conditions these animals experience. The severity, or degree of suffering, of these conditions experienced by animals are typically scored based on anthropocentric assumptions. We propose to (a) assess an animal's subjective experience of condition severity, and (b) not only rank but scale different conditions in relation to one another using choice-based preference testing. The Choice-based Severity Scale (CSS) utilizes animals' relative preferences for different conditions, which are compared by how much reward is needed to outweigh the perceived severity of a given condition. Thus, this animal-centric approach provides a common scale for condition severity based on the animal's perspective. To assess and test the CSS concept, we offered three opportunistically selected male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) choices between two conditions: performing a cognitive task in a typical neuroscience laboratory setup (laboratory condition) versus the monkey's home environment (cage condition). Our data show a shift in one individual's preference for the cage condition to the laboratory condition when we changed the type of reward provided in the task. Two additional monkeys strongly preferred the cage condition over the laboratory condition, irrespective of reward amount and type. We tested the CSS concept further by showing that monkeys' choices between tasks varying in trial duration can be influenced by the amount of reward provided. Altogether, the CSS concept is built upon laboratory animals' subjective experiences and has the potential to de-anthropomorphize severity assessments, refine experimental protocols, and provide a common framework to assess animal welfare across different domains.

The Effect Jicama Flour Substitution On The Quality Of Coconut Root Cake

Coconut root dry cakes or cactus cakes are dry cakes made from white glutinous rice flour, coconut milk, sugar and eggs which are stirred together then fried using a tool by pressing or turning a lever where the spuid is directed into medium hot oil, then the mixture is fried until ripe. This research is motivated by the use of local food ingredients, namely jicama, which is still lacking. Jicama is made into flour to be varied into one of the pastries, namely coconut root cake. The aim of this research was to analyze the effect of 0%, 15%, 30% and 45% substitution of jicama flour on the quality of coconut root cake in terms of shape, color, aroma, texture and taste. This type of research is a pure experiment using a completely randomized design (CRD) method and three repetitions. The data source in this research was obtained from 3 limited expert panelists, namely lecturers at the Department of Family Welfare Science, Culinary Education Concentration, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, Padang State University. The tool used to collect data was a questionnaire containing questions regarding the quality of coconut root cake. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, if Fcount≥Ftable then continued with the Duncan Test. The results of this research show that there is a real influence on the quality of color and texture of coconut root cake, while there is no significant difference in the quality of shape, aroma and taste. It can be concluded that the best quality test results for coconut root cake were in treatment X1 with 15% jicama flour substitution.

Observer 8: Outliers, Attention, and Situated Knowledge in a Qualitative Behavioral Assessment of Laboratory Mouse Welfare

This article explores how an innovative animal welfare methodology (Qualitative Behavior Assessment) negotiates subjectivism and objectivism in its distinctive epistemology, as it strives to produce a certain kind of laboratory mouse—a complex, social subject. Through an ethnographic study of the development of a Qualitative Behavior Assessment (QBA) tool for laboratory mouse welfare, I show how QBA foregrounds the animal’s lived emotional experience by using qualitative language to assess their welfare, while also relying on statistical methods of validation. Drawing on Mol et al.’s understanding of care as something that parses, handles, and balances diverse “goods,” I argue that QBA practitioners’ care for the data must balance competing priorities and values. I take particular interest in what makes a “good” assessor as they transform between subject and object. When two observers are found to be outliers, with their divergent judgments marring the successful statistical validation of the QBA mouse tool, the situated nature of knowledge is brought to the fore. I argue that turning to the embodied practice of attention, as distinct from care, helps us understand why, and raises questions about the epistemic culture of conventional animal welfare science and the extent to which the human observer risks reification within QBA’s formal methodological practice.

The perks of being an organic chicken – animal welfare science on the key features of organic poultry production

Modern poultry production entails a number of important animal welfare issues. However, welfare is often considered to be better in organic than in non-organic production, largely due to the focus on naturalness within the former which has been embedded within the EU regulations on organic production. The aim of this paper was to review the relevant scientific literature to assess (i) how animal welfare science relates to the key features of organic poultry production which originally stem from organic visions and ideological reasons, and (ii) whether there is scientific evidence to show that these key features, as stipulated in current EU regulations, contribute to higher welfare in organic poultry production. We identified seven key features that are intended to improve poultry welfare in organic production: appropriate breeds, no mutilations, outdoor access, natural light, perch space and raised sitting levels, provision of roughage, and lower stocking densities. In general, the animal welfare science available supports the potential for higher animal welfare in organic poultry production, based on the requirements as laid down in the current EU regulations. However, there is still room for improvement, and some aspects that may further improve animal welfare in organic poultry production include the use of alternative laying hen hybrids with the potential for better welfare, even more slow-growing broilers, appropriate management of the free-range areas in practice to ensure that they are used by the birds, additional raised sitting level space allowance for broilers, and the use of “dark brooders” for chicks.

New frontiers in animal welfare science: an introduction to (farmed) insects.

New frontiers in animal welfare science: an introduction to (farmed) insects.

The Quality Analysis of Of Rolled Pancake with Carrot Extract Substitution as Natural Food Colouring

This research aims to analyze the effect of 0%, 15%, 30% and 45% substitution of carrot extract to the quality of rolled pancakes in terms of shape, color, aroma, texture and taste. This research was conducted in August 2023 at the Culinary Workshop, Department of Family Welfare Sciences, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, Padang State University. This type of research is a pure experiment using a completely randomized design method consisting of 4 treatments and 3 repetitions. The data used is primary data obtained from 3 expert panelists using an organoleptic test format on the quality of rolled pancakes with the substitution of carrot extract. The data obtained was then tabulated in table form and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out. If F count > F table then proceed with the Duncan test. The results of this research show that there is a significant effect of substitution of 0%, 15%, 30% and 45% carrot extract on the quality of color and aroma of rolled pancakes. The results of data analysis obtained the highest overall achievement scores, namely: neat shape 3.56 (45%), uniform shape 3.44 (30%), color 3.44 (45%), aroma 3.67 (45%), texture 3.67 (45%) and taste 4.00 (45%). The results of the quality test for rolled pancakes with the best carrot extract substitution were 45% (X3).

Quality Of Tamarillo Marmalade With The Addition Of Pectin As A Gel-Forming Agent

Marmalade is a jam-like product with a thick texture and fruit pieces inside. It is made from fruit juice, fruit pieces, sugar, citric acid, and a gelling agent. Marmalade can serve as an alternative product for processing perishable ingredients like Tamarillo. Due to the limited variety of processed Tamarillo products, it is not a popular choice for consumption. However, when transformed into marmalade, Tamarillo has low pectin content, requiring the addition of pectin for optimal marmalade production. The aim of this research is to investigate the impact of adding pectin on the quality of Tamarillo marmalade. The expected benefits include optimizing the utilization of Tamarillo and enhancing its attractiveness and economic value. This study adopts a pure experimental design, specifically a true experiment, directly exploring the influence of pectin addition on Tamarillo marmalade quality. The research is conducted at the Workshop for Culinary Arts, Department of Family Welfare Sciences, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, Universitas Negeri Padang. Evaluation involves Organoleptic Testing by expert panels using a questionnaire as the research instrument. Data analysis employs Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with four treatments and three replications. The observed marmalade qualities include color, aroma, texture, and taste. The results indicate that adding pectin at percentages of 0%, 1%, 1.5%, and 2% does not significantly affect the color, aroma, and taste of Tamarillo marmalade. However, the addition of pectin at these percentages significantly influences the thick and easily spreadable texture of Tamarillo marmalade.

Analyisis Of The Effect Of Using Spice Boiled Water On The Quality Of Donuts

This research is motivated by innovation in the use of spices in liquid form which are used as liquid ingredients in making donuts. The aim of this research is to analyze the effect of using 10gr 3gr 3gr, 13gr 6gr 6gr, 15gr 9gr 9gr,15gr 10gr 10gr spices (cinnamon, anise, cloves) on the quality of donuts in terms of aroma and taste. This type of research is an experiment with a completely randomized design (CRD) method and one repetition. The data source in this research was obtained from 3 expert panelists, namely lecturers at the Department of Family Welfare Science, Culinary Education Concentration, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, Padang State University. The tool used to collect data was a questionnaire containing questions about the quality of the donuts. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, if Fcount ≥ Ftable then continued with the Duncan test. The results of the research showed that there was a significant effect of using boiled spice water between 10gr cinnamon, 3gr anise, 3gr cloves (X1), 13gr cinnamon, 6gr anise, 6gr cloves (X2), 15gr cinnamon, 9gr anise, 9gr cloves (X3), 15gr cinnamon, 10gr anise, 10g cloves (X4) on the quality of the donuts, namely the quality of the aroma typical spices and typical spice taste. The best quality test results for spiced donuts were in treatment X4 with the use of spices of 15g cinnamon, 10g anise and 10g cloves..

The Effect Of Substituting Butterfly Pea Extract As A Natural Dye In Mochi Production

Mochi is a traditional Japanese food made from glutinous rice flour with a sweet taste and a distinctive soft texture that turns chewy when eaten. Mochi is typically round in shape, filled with peanut paste, and coated with roasted cornstarch. In Indonesia, mochi has various variations, one of which involves modifying the mochi's outer layer by adding food coloring to the dough. As time progresses, people have become more aware of the negative effects of synthetic ingredients, leading consumers to shift towards using natural food colorings. Butterfly pea flowers are one alternative source of natural food coloring. These flowers contain anthocyanin compounds that can produce a blue color. The use of butterfly pea flowers does not affect the taste of food products since it only contains anthocyanins. The purpose of this study is to analyze the quality of mochi with the addition of butterfly pea flower extract. The research method employed is a pure experiment, using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three repetitions. Data was collected by surveying a limited group of panelists, who are Family Welfare Science lecturers with a concentration in Culinary Arts at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality, Universitas Negeri Padang. Data was analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and if F-value > F-table, then the Duncan test was conducted. The research results indicate a significant effect on color quality. However, the shape (neat and uniform), aroma, texture, and taste did not show a significant effect. The highest overall scores were as follows: neat shape 3.11 (X1), uniform shape 3.11 (X1), blue color 3.44 (X1), pleasant aroma 3.33 (X0), chewy texture 3.67 (X1), and sweet taste 3.33 (X1). The best result in this study was treatment (X1) with a 50% substitution of butterfly pea flower extract.

Substitution Of Potato Flour In Mangkok Cake Making

This research aims to analyze the effect of potato starch substitution on the quality of cupcakes by adding 20%, 40% and 60% potato starch. This type of research is pure experimental research with a completely randomized design (CRD) method consisting of 4 treatments and 3 repetitions. The object of this research is cupcakes with potato starch substitution of 20%, 40%, 60% for the quality of the cupcakes. The data collection technique for this research was carried out using organoleptic tests given to 5 expert panelists, namely lecturers in Family Welfare Science, Padang State University. The independent variable in this research is potato flour. The dependent variable of this research is the quality of the cupcakes produced including shape, color, aroma, texture and taste. The data analysis technique used is Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to analyze organoleptic test data. The data that has been obtained is then tabulated in table form and analyzed according to each data test. Then data analysis is carried out, if the data obtained by Fcount is greater than Ftable then proceed with the Duncan test. The results of this research show that there is a real influence on the quality of texture and taste of cupcakes, while there is no significant difference in the quality of shape, aroma and color. It can be concluded that the best quality test results for potato flour cupcakes were in treatment (X3) with 40% potato starch substitution.

Monetizing Animal Welfare Impacts for Benefit–Cost Analysis

Abstract Animal welfare is often ignored in decision-making, despite widespread agreement about its importance. This is partly because of a lack of quantitative methods to assess the impacts of policies on humans and nonhumans alike on a common scale. At the same time, recent work in economics, philosophy, and animal welfare science has made progress on the fundamental theoretical challenge of estimating the well-being potential of different species on a single scale. By combining these estimates of each species’ well-being potential with assessments of how various policies impact the quality of life for these species, along with the number of animals affected, we can arrive at a framework for estimating the impact of policies on animal health and well-being. This framework allows for a quantifiable comparison between policies affecting humans and animals. For instance, it enables us to compare human QALYs to animal QALYs tailored to specific species. Hence, the intrinsic value of animal welfare impacts of policies can be monetized on the same scale as market and non-market impact for humans, facilitating benefit–cost analysis. Many challenges remain though, including issues of population ethics, political feasibility, and new complexities in addressing equity and uncertainty.

The Effect Of Corn On Pastry Quality

High imports of wheat and increasing consumption of wheat as the main raw material for the Bakery, Pastry,Pasta and Noodle industries. Pastry is a type of product without yeast that has a dry and layered texture. To in-crease nutritional value, add variety to pastry and reduce the use of wheat flour, corn can be used as a substitute.Corn production in West Sumatra increases every year and the price is relatively cheap because it is underutilized by the community. This research aims to analyze the effect of 0%, 20%, 30% and 40% corn on pastry quality. Thistype of pure experimental research uses a completely randomized design (CRD) method and three repetitions. The data collection technique was carried out by giving a questionnaire to three limited panelists who were lecturers in the Pastry and Bakery course, Family Welfare Science, Culinary Management concentration, UNP, with primary data types. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, if Fcount > Ftable then continued with the Duncan Test. The results of the research showed that the average value was almost the same for each treatment, except for the color, flakyand sweet taste quality tests for corn. This is proven by the ANOVA results, where the color quality, flaky texture and sweet taste of the corn are different. The best pastry quality value is when corn is used as much as 30%.