Heart Rate Changes in the Horse to Human Contact

The effects of human social contact on the electrocardiogram (EKG) and general behavior of 2 horses were explored. Petting elicited a slowing of heart rate, while a person entering and exiting elicited transient, but often marked heart rate increases. In both horses transient periods of T wave inversion occurred in the EKG during human contact. In one of the horses the frequency of dropped heart beats increased dramatically during successive trials of human petting. In this horse a total of 29 dropped heart beats were observed of which 23 occurred while a person was with the horse, although this contact occupied only 15 percent of the total observation period. These findings parallel previous observations made with dogs. Similar observations of changes in the heart rate and rhythm of patients in coronary care units and a shock-trauma unit during social contact with other humans underscore the need to develop empirical analogues of these reactions. The horse appears to offer an ideal model for understanding the psychosocial, hemodynamic, and central nervous system mechanisms involved in these reactions.     

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for the detection of equine antibodies specific to a recombinant Fasciola hepatica surface antigen in an endemic area

The utility of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determine the sensitization against the trematode Fasciola hepatica in horses from an endemic area (NW Spain) was assessed. Blood samples were collected from 536 horses and tested against a 2.9-kDa recombinant surface protein (FhrAPS) to estimate the presence of IgG antibodies. Data were analysed regarding several intrinsic (age, gender and breed) and extrinsic factors (aptitude and housing). The farm size (number of horses/farm) was also considered. Sixty percent (95% CI 56, 64) of the horses were positive to the FhrAPS-ELISA, with a significantly higher seroprevalence in the mares (67%). Foals reached the lowest percentage of sensitization against the trematode (12%), and a significant positive correlation between the seroprevalence of fasciolosis and the age of the horses was established. When considering all the factors together, the seroprevalence of fasciolosis was initially classified into two groups (nodes) regarding the age of the horses. The node composed of the horses older than 1 year was then divided into two other clusters according to their gender. The mares were finally classified and grouped into two nodes regarding their breed. We concluded that the FhrAPS-ELISA is very useful for the demonstration of specific equine IgG antibodies against F. hepatica. An elevated risk of exposition to this trematode in horses maintained in endemic areas was proven. The possible role of horses as reservoirs for F. hepatica infections is discussed.     

Autistic-spectrum disorders in Down syndrome: further delineation and distinction from other behavioral abnormalities.

The present study extends our previous work characterizing the behavioral features of autistic-spectrum disorder (ASD) in Down syndrome (DS) using the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Autism Behavior Checklist (AutBehav). We examined which specific behaviors distinguished the behavioral phenotype of DS + ASD from other aberrant behavior disorders in DS, by determining the relative contribution of ABC and AutBehav subscales and items to the diagnosis of ASD. A total of 127 subjects (aged 2-24 years; mean age: 8.4 years; approximately 70% male), comprising: a cohort of 64 children and adolescents with DS and co-morbid ASD (DS + ASD), 19 with DS and stereotypic movement disorder (DS + SMD), 18 with DS and disruptive behaviors (DS + DB), and 26 with DS and no co-morbid behavior disorders (DS + none) were examined using the aforementioned measures of aberrant behavior. We found that subjects with DS + ASD showed the most severe aberrant behavior, especially stereotypy compared to DS + none and lethargy/social withdrawal and relating problems compared to DS + SMD. Specifically, relatively simple stereotypic behavior differentiated DS + ASD from DS + DB, whereas odd/bizarre stereotypic and anxious behavior characterized DS + ASD relative to DS + SMD and DS + none. Additionally, in a subset of subjects with DS + ASD and anxiety, social withdrawal was particularly pronounced. Overall, our findings indicate that a diagnosis of DS + ASD represents a distinctive set of aberrant behaviors marked by characteristic odd/bizarre stereotypic behavior, anxiety, and social withdrawal.     

Stereotypic behavior and heart rate in pigs.

Heart rate responses to feeding of both loose-housed and tethered sows, some of which engaged in persistent behavioral stereotypies, were recorded telemetrically in order to determine if stereotypic behavior occurs in response to, and serves to reduce increased sympathetic nervous activity. Heart rates rose in response to feeding (after which stereotypic behavior is most common) and this was greater for tethered sows. This response was partly blocked by a beta-adrenoreceptor antagonist (carazolol), but not by naloxone, although the latter tended to lead to overall increases in heart rate. Thus long-term tethering of sows leads to greater sympathetic nervous responses to feeding. No consistent relationships were found between heart rate and the performance of stereotypic behavior. In Experiment 1, using sows tethered for 6-8 months, neither basal heart rates nor heart rates following naloxone or carazolol differed between high- and low-stereotyping sows. In Experiment 2, using sows tethered for 1-2 months, high-stereotyping sows had lower basal heart rates than low-stereotyping sows. Marked reductions in heart rate caused by a beta-adrenoreceptor blocker did not lead to any change in stereotypic behavior, and preventing stereotypic behavior led to a reduction not an increase in heart rates. The results suggest that stereotypies are performed in situations where heart rate is high, but they provide no evidence that stereotypies reduce this heart rate.     

Prevalence of helminths in horses in the state of Brandenburg, Germany

The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of helminths in the horse population of the state of Brandenburg, Germany. One hundred and twenty-six horse farms in the state were selected by randomised stratified sampling. In total, 1,407 horses across all farms were examined coproscopically. The experimental unit was the horse farm: a farm was considered infected when at least one horse on the farm investigated was positive for helminth eggs. Animal details such as age, breed and sex were collected for all study horses and analysed for risk of infection. Risk was defined as horses having an above-average shedding of strongyle eggs. The following prevalence on horse farm level were established: Cyathostominae (98.4%), ascarids (16.7%), tapeworms (14.3%), pinworms (8.7%) and strongyloides (4,0%). The large strongyle Strongylus vulgaris was identified on only one farm. Liver flukes and lungworms were not found. Age, breed and sex were identified as risk factors for high shedding of strongyle eggs of individual animals: odds ratios for higher shedding intensities were 4.18 for yearlings and 2.42 for fillies compared to adult animals, and 3.69 for heavy breeds and 4.94 for wild horses compared to thoroughbreds. Mares and stallions did shed more strongyle eggs than geldings. Knowledge about the helminth prevalence will allow the issuance of specific treatment recommendations. Furthermore, the information on risk factors of individual horses will facilitate targeting single animals for selective treatments.     

Influence of various early human-foal interferences on subsequent human-foal relationship

Whereas the way animals perceive human contact has been particularly examined in pet animals, a small amount of investigations has been done in domestic ungulates. It was nevertheless assumed that, as pet animals, non-aggressive forms of tactile contact were as well rewarding or positive for these species, even though the features of intraspecific relationships in pet animals and domestic ungulates may be to some extent different.We test here the hypothesis that horses may not consider physical handling by humans as a positive event. When comparing different early human-foal interactions, we found that early exposure to a motionless human enhanced slightly foals reactions to humans whereas forced stroking or handling in early life did not improve later human-foal relation. Foals that were assisted during their first suckling (e.g., brought to the dam's teat) even tended to avoid human approach at 2 weeks, and physical contact at 1 month of age.We argue that interspecies differences may exist in how tactile stimulation is perceived. It may be important for the establishment of a bond that a young animal is active in the process and able, through its behavioral responses, to help define what is positive for it. This way of investigation may have important general implications in how we consider the development of social relations, both within and between species.     

Electrophysiological and behavioral analysis of lip touch as a component of the food stimulus in the snail Lymnaea

Electrophysiological and video recording methods were used to investigate the function of lip touch in feeding ingestion behavior of the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. Although this stimulus was used successfully as a conditioning stimulus (CS) in appetitive learning experiments, the detailed role of lip touch as a component of the sensory stimulus provided by food in unconditioned feeding behavior was never ascertained. Synaptic responses to lip touch in identified feeding motoneurons, central pattern generator interneurons, and modulatory interneurons were recorded by intracellular electrodes in a semi-intact preparation. We showed that touch evoked a complex but characteristic sequence of synaptic inputs on each neuron type. Touch never simply activated feeding cycles but provided different types of synaptic input, determined by the feeding phase in which the neuron was normally active in the rhythmic feeding cycle. The tactile stimulus evoked mainly inhibitory synaptic inputs in protraction-phase neurons and excitation in rasp-phase neurons. Swallow-phase neurons were also excited after some delay, suggesting that touch first reinforces the rasp then swallow phase. Video analysis of freely feeding animals demonstrated that during normal ingestion of a solid food flake the food is drawn across the lips throughout the rasp phase and swallow phase and therefore provides a tactile stimulus during both these retraction phases of the feeding cycle. The tactile component of the food stimulus is strongest during the rasp phase when the lips are actively pressed onto the substrate that is being moved across them by the radula. By using a semi-intact preparation we demonstrated that application of touch to the lips during the rasp phase of a sucrose-driven fictive feeding rhythm increases both the regularity and frequency of rasp-phase motoneuron firing compared with sucrose applied alone.     

Developmental changes of rhesus monkeys in response to separation from the mother

The development of separation response behaviors in infant rhesus macaques across the first 6 months of life was assessed. Seventeen infants underwent a neonatal assessment at 7, 14, 21, and 30 days of age which included a brief period of social isolation. At 3 and 6 months of age these same monkeys and four additional subjects were again subjected to a period of brief social isolation and also exposed to a novel environment with their sedated mother. Results indicate a developmental increase followed by a steady decline in the frequency of separation vocalizations. A modest relationship between early‐infancy locomotor profiles and separation responses was also observed at several time points suggesting a possible relationship between these measures. However, stable inter‐individual measures of separation distress did not emerge until late in the infantile period. This could suggest that high levels of maternal contact‐seeking behavior early in infancy are context specific and not a reliable index of enduring temperament. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals,Inc. Dev Psychobiol 54: 798–807, 2012     

Host blood meal identification by multiplex polymerase chain reaction for dispersal evidence of stable flies (Diptera:Muscidae) between livestock facilities

A species-specific multiplex polymerase chain reaction targeting the cytochrome b gene of cattle, horses, humans, and dogs was developed to determine the blood meal sources of stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.), collected from Florida equine facilities. Of 595 presumptive blood-fed stable flies analyzed, successful host amplification was obtained in 350, for a field host-detection efficiency of 58.8%. The majority of analyzed stable flies had fed on cattle (64.6%), followed by horses (24.3%), humans (9.5%), and dogs (1.6%). A survey of animal-enclosed pastures occurring within 3 km of stable fly collection sites revealed that the nearest cattle were between 0.8 and 1.5 km from the four horse farm sampling sites. Cattle-feeding frequencies were greater on farms where cattle were located at distances of 0.8 km, suggesting that between farm differences in host-feeding frequency is related to the number of and distance from a particular host type. Time course evaluations of previously laboratory-fed stable flies demonstrated that host-detection efficiency with this system was 100, 50, and 0% when flies were evaluated at 16, 24, and 48 h postblood feeding, respectively. The results of this study suggest short-term stable fly dispersal of up to 1.5 km in a 48-h time period. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

A technique for quantitating suckling behavior in brooder reared kittens

A brooder chamber and pressure-transducer system used in polygraphic recording of suckling behavior in newborn kittens is described. Also detailed, is the formulation of a semi-purified diet to be used with the feeding system. This apparatus can be employed to monitor the duration, frequency and intensity of individual rooting and sucking bouts as well as overall patterns of rooting and suckling behavior. When utilized in conjunction with olfactory (or tactile) cues, it can also be beneficial in investigations of early learning in kittens. In addition, use of the semi-purified diet in combination with the feeding apparatus allows for accurate manipulation of dietary intake with minimal handling and disturbance of the young animal. Thus this feeding system could be especially useful in expanding research on behavioral and physiological consequences of neonatal nutritional or toxicological insult to the newborn kitten.     

Maternal and littermate deprivation disrupts maternal behavior and social-learning of food preference in adulthood: tactile stimulation, nest odor, and social rearing prevent these effects

Maternal and littermate (social) separation, through artificial rearing (AR), disrupts the development of subsequent maternal behavior and social learning in rats. The addition of maternal-licking-like stimulation during AR, partially reverses some of these effects. However, little is know about the role of social stimuli from littermates and nest odors during the preweaning period, in the development of the adult maternal behavior and social learning. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of peer- and peer-and-odor rearing on the development of maternal behavior and social learning in rats. Female pups were reared with mothers (mother reared-MR) or without mothers (AR) from postnatal day (PND) 3. AR rats received three different treatments: (1) AR-CONTROL group received minimal tactile stimulation, (2) AR-ODOR females received exposure to maternal nest material inside the AR-isolation-cup environment, (3) AR-SOCIAL group was reared in the cup with maternal nest material and a conspecific of the same-age and same-sex and received additional tactile stimulation. MR females were reared by their mothers in the nest and with conspecifics. In adulthood, rats were tested for maternal behavior towards their own pups and in a social learning task. Results confirm our previous report that AR impairs performance of maternal behavior and the development of a social food preference. Furthermore, social cues from a littermate, in combination with tactile stimulation and the nest odor, reversed the negative effects of complete isolation (AR-CONTROL) on some of the above behaviors. Exposure to the odor alone also had effects on some of these olfactory-mediated behaviors. These studies indicate that social stimulation from littermates during the preweaning period, in combination with odor from the nest and tactile stimulation, contributes to the development of affiliative behaviors.     

Temperament and personality in bipolar II disorder

BackgroundThere is limited research examining temperament and personality in bipolar II disorder. We sought to determine any over-represented temperament and personality features in bipolar II disorder compared to other affective groups.MethodScores on a self-report measure of temperament and personality were examined in a sample of 443 participants diagnosed with unipolar, bipolar I and bipolar II disorder.ResultsAfter controlling for age, gender, age of depression onset and current depression severity, those with bipolar II disorder were characterized by higher irritability, anxious worrying, self-criticism and interpersonal sensitivity scores, and with lower social avoidance scores compared to unipolar participants. No differences were found between bipolar sub-types on any temperament and personality sub-scales.Limitations included the lack of a control group, a relatively small sample of bipolar I participants, and with the cross-sectional design disallowing conclusions regarding premorbid personality traits as opposed to illness 'scarring' effects.ConclusionsFurther research should seek to clarify whether certain temperament and personality styles are over-represented in bipolar II disorder. Any over-represented characteristics may assist with diagnostic differentiation from phenomenologically similar conditions and lead to more appropriate clinical management.     

亚洲与非洲维和官兵的个性特征及相关因素

目的探讨亚洲国家(印度、孟加拉国、巴基斯坦)与非洲国家(尼日利亚、纳米比亚、加纳)赴利比里亚维和官兵个性特征的差异及其影响因素。方法采用随机整群抽样法,运用艾森克人格问卷(EPQ)、军人适应不良自评量表(MMMS)和社会支持量表(SSRS)对亚洲国家380名维和官兵与非洲国家271名维和官兵进行测评及统计学分析。结果就亚洲与非洲维和官兵到第120天时的EPQ各量表分均无显著差异(t=-1.294～0.753,P>0.05)。但对不同时期进行比较,亚洲及非洲国家维和官兵则E和N分明显升高,L分明显降低(t=4.483,6.220,-4.510,5.616,7.846,-3.013;P<0.05)。相关分析显示,非洲维和官兵适应不良的人际关系、社会支持与E量表分,以及行为问题与N量表分均呈低度相关(r=0.121,P=0.047;r=0.143,P=0.019;r=-0.127,P=0.037)。多元逐步回归分析发现,影响非洲维和官兵个性的因素是社会支持和行为问题(t=2.361,-2.101;P<0.05)。结论亚洲维和官兵个性的稳定性优于非洲维和官兵;影响非洲维和官兵个性的因素是社会支持和行为问题。     

Food Refusal in Failure-to-Thrive Infants: Nasogastric Feeding Combined with Interactive-Behavioral Treatment

Five hospitalized failure-to-thrive infants under age 1 weretreated for food refusal using an interactive-behavioral approach.Feeding aversion, inadequate caloric intake, and vomiting wereassociated with poor social responsiveness rather than organiccauses. Therapy consisted of tactile oral stimulation, contingentsocial responsiveness, and auditory stimulation during nasogastrictube feeding conducted for 15–20 minutes 3 to 4 timesdaily. Initially all feedings were carried out by a therapist.As infant social responsiveness improved, mothers became moreinvolved with the program and, all except one, eventually assumedfeedings. In all five infants vomiting and food refusal ceasedand nonreactive social behaviors shifted to socially responsiveinteractions resulting in adequate oral intake. Relationshipbetween feeding behaviors and infant social responsiveness,maternal involvement, follow-up, and cost effectiveness of thisinteractive-behavioral approach are discussed.     

Iris pigmentation and sociability in childhood: a re-examination

Drawing from Rosenberg and Kagan's (1987) finding of an association between iris pigmentation and behavioral inhibition in early childhood, we sought, in the present investigation, to examine the developmental relation between eye color and social withdrawal in kindergarteners and children in grades 2 and 4. In kindergarten and grade 2, blue-eyed children were found to be overrepresented in groups of extremely withdrawn youngsters. No association was found between eye color and withdrawal in grade 4 or between eye color and extreme sociability at any grade. The results were interpreted as suggestive of the increasing role, with age, of social factors in the determination of extremely inhibited behavior.     

The ontogeny of play in rats

Play behavior, as indicated by frequency and duration of pinning behavior, was studied in young rats between 18 and 64 days of age. The incidence of play was markedly increased by social isolation. Play increased from 18–28 days of age, peaked between 32 and 40 days of age, and gradually declined thereafter. Animals developed stable “dominance hierarchies” during the course of testing so that one animal pinned the other on the average 70% of the time. Also, “dominant” animals exhibited the longer pin durations. The data indicate that social play can be efficiently studied in the laboratory rat and, further, that one function of play may be to establish stable social relationships.     

Social behavior profile in young males with fragile X syndrome: characteristics and specificity

The present study characterizes distinctive and specific features of social behavior impairment, termed social behavior profile (SBP), in young males with fragile X syndrome (FraX). Fourteen males with FraX and autism (FraX+Aut), ages 3-8 years, were compared with either 41 FraX boys without autism (Aut), 7 age-matched males with developmental language delay and autism (DLD+Aut), or with 11 boys with non-selected (for language delay) idiopathic autism (IA), on several standardized instruments assessing social behavior and autistic features (i.e., autism diagnostic interview-revised, ADI-R). We found that FraX+Aut subjects displayed more impairment in overall cognition, problem/aberrant behavior, and adaptive behavior than the rest of the FraX cohort, even when individuals with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) were included in the latter. Compared to both DLD+Aut and IA, FraX+Aut males were less impaired in ADI-R reciprocal social interaction (RECS) domain. However, boys with FraX+Aut were in general comparable to DLD+Aut subjects in problem/aberrant and adaptive behaviors. Based on the contrast between FraX+Aut and non-autistic FraX and DLD+Aut, we were able to identify measures (e.g., child behavior checklist (CBCL) withdrawn subscale) that better define social interaction impairment in FraX. Comparisons with DLD+Aut and IA led to the conclusion that communication impairment (COMM) and stereotypic behavior contribute relatively more to the diagnosis of autism in FraX+Aut. In agreement with recent studies, our data suggest that FraX+Aut, and more generally SBP, is a distinctive subphenotype among boys with FraX, which may share some pathophysiological mechanisms with IA.     

Could adults be used to improve social skills of young horses,Equus caballus?

We investigated the effects of the introduction of foreign adults on the behavior of young horses. First, we observed the behavior of 1- and 2-year-old domestic horses housed in same-age and same-sex groups (a standard housing system, but different from a natural situation). Then, two same-sex adults were introduced into each experimental group. Observations made before, during and after an introduction indicated that young horses reared in homogeneous groups of young had different behaviors compared to other domestic horses reared under more socially natural conditions. After the introduction of adults, young horses expressed new behaviors, preferential social associations emerged, positive social behavior increased and agonistic interactions decreased. These results have important implications both for understanding the influence that adults may have on the behavior of young horses, and in terms of husbandry, indicating the importance of keeping young horses with adults, although further studies are still necessary.     

胃肠激素检测在小于胎龄儿变化中的临床意义

目的:对68例小于胎龄儿(其中早产36例;足月32例)生后喂奶前及第7d空腹血中生长抑素(somatostatin, SS)、胃动素(motilin, MOT)、胃泌素(gastrin, Gas)浓度进行测定,并以30例足月新生儿作为对照组.方法:应用放射免疫分析测定SS、MOT、Gas浓度.结果:小于胎龄儿组生后喂奶前及第7d空腹血浆MOT、Gas均明显低于对照组,而SS浓度明显高于对照组,并且与胎龄、开始喂养时间及当日进奶等因素相关.结论:小于胎龄儿消化道机能适应胃肠道营养,在严密观察下应用合理的喂养方式早日开始胃肠道营养,将能促进小于胎龄儿胃肠道的发育和成熟.     

Sequential analysis of juvenile isolation-induced decreased social behavior in the adult rat.

The consequences of juvenile isolation on adult social behavior were studied in detail using two different analysis methods: frequency, duration, and latency of behavioral elements, and sequential analysis. Rats were either isolated or socially housed during weeks 4 and 5 of age, and after the isolation period housed in pairs with a rat of identical housing condition until the time of testing at 12 weeks of age. Juvenile isolation caused marked effects on the frequency, duration, and latency of various social behavioral elements, whereas the non-social activities such as ambulation, rearing, and self-grooming were hardly affected. Juvenile isolation reduced social exploration, anogenital sniffing, and approach/following and increased the latency to the first occurrence of these social behavioral elements. In contrast, the sequential analysis revealed that the structure of social behavior was barely affected by juvenile isolation. Some transitions were less pronounced in juvenile isolated rats compared to non-isolated rats, but no significant differences were observed in transitions between social elements. Thus, juvenile isolation bisected the time spent on adult social interactions, whereas it did not disrupt the sequential structure of social behavior. The present data suggest that juvenile isolation reduced the motivation for adult social behavior, but when social contact is initiated, a relatively normal social behavioral pattern is displayed.