Behavioral Management as a Coping Strategy for Managing Stressors in Primates: The Influence of Temperament and Species.

Primates involved in biomedical research experience stressors related to captivity, close contact with caregivers, and may be exposed to various medical procedures while modeling clinical disease or interventions under study. Behavioral management is used to promote behavioral flexibility in less complex captive environments and train coping skills to reduce stress. How animals perceive their environment and interactions is the basis of subjective experience and has a major impact on welfare. Certain traits, such as temperament and species, can affect behavioral plasticity and learning. This study investigated the relationship between these traits and acquisition of coping skills in 83 macaques trained for cooperation with potentially aversive medical procedures using a mixed-reinforcement training paradigm. All primates successfully completed training with no significant differences between inhibited and exploratory animals, suggesting that while temperament profoundly influences behavior, training serves as an important equalizer. Species-specific differences in learning and motivation manifested in statistically significant faster skill acquisition in rhesus compared with cynomolgus macaques, but this difference was not clinically relevant. Despite unique traits, primates were equally successful in learning complex tasks and displayed effective coping. When animals engage in coping behaviors, their distress decreases, improving welfare and reducing inter- and intra- subject variability to enhance scientific validity.

Exploration of the Scholarship of Doctoral Prepared Dental Hygienists.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the scholarship of doctoral prepared dental hygienists as it relates to advancing the dental hygiene discipline.Methods: A qualitative descriptive research design was used to determine patterns regarding dental hygienists' experiences with their doctoral education and resulting scholarly activities. Purposive and network sampling were used to identify potential participants. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Data generated from the interviews were analyzed simultaneously with data collection. Open coding and axial coding were used to analyze data in a continuous comparative method to determine themes. Validity was insured through triangulation, member checks, and respondent validation.Results: Ten participants were interviewed, and data analysis revealed several themes for each research question. Themes that influenced the decision to enroll in the program included personal, professional, influencers, and situational Experiences the PhD program provided were scholarship socialization, program requirements, and PhD program faculty Relative to career advancement, themes included credibility and career opportunities Scholarship activities contributing to the dental hygiene discipline revealed two themes: scholarly activities and dental hygiene is an evolving discipline Conclusion: Although each participant's journey to a doctoral degree was unique, there were similar themes for motivation to obtain this advanced degree in addition to the preparation for engagement in scholarly activities and career advancement. While many participants had not pursued building theoretical or conceptual models, most agreed on their importance and the concept that dental hygiene is a developing discipline.