Comb size, shape complexity and laterality of laying hens reared in environments varying in resource choice.

The comb is an ornament involved in signalling condition in domestic fowl. We hypothesised that comb size, comb shape complexity (i.e., rugosity, the comb perimeter jaggedness), and comb laterality of laying hens would be influenced by the degree of environmental enrichment experienced during juvenile development in the form of resource choice. We conducted a 2 × 2 factorial crossover experiment with pullets reared in pens containing four perches of equal length and four litter areas of equal size. Pullets were exposed to a single choice vs multiple choices of perch and litter types (i.e., all the same vs all different) during Weeks 1-4 (Period 1) and/or Weeks 5-15 (Period 2) of rearing (n = 4 pens/treatment combination) prior to transfer to standard adult laying pens for Weeks 16-27 (Period 3). In Week 27, combs were photographed, and comb laterality (hanging on left or right side) was noted. Using a custom-made image analysis programme, we captured comb area (mm2), perimeter length (mm), and rugosity ((perimeter length - horizontal length) / horizontal length) from comb photographs of 6-7 randomly selected hens/pen. We predicted that hens reared in the multi-choice environment during Periods 1 and 2 would have larger, more complex, and left-side-biased combs than those in the other treatment groups, reflecting lower allostatic load. The predicted comb side bias was based on a possible bias in head posture/movements associated with greater right eye/ear use and left-brain hemispheric dominance. Contrary to our predictions, we detected an overall right-side bias in comb laterality, and no associations between resource choice treatment in Period 1 or Period 2 and comb area, perimeter length, rugosity, or laterality of the adult hens. Thus, variation in allostatic load resulting from the rearing treatments was insufficient to modify the trajectory of comb morphological development, possibly due to a ceiling effect when comparing environmental treatments on the positive end of the welfare spectrum. We found that left-lopping combs had shorter perimeters than right-lopping combs. However, among hens with left-lopping combs, those with larger combs were heavier and had less feather damage, while among hens with right-lopping combs, those with longer-perimeter combs were heavier and tended to have less comb damage. In conclusion, comb characteristics were related to physical condition at the individual level but did not serve as sensitive integrated indicators of hen welfare in response to basic vs enhanced resource choice during rearing.

Stabilizing effects of Ag doping on structure and thermal stability of FeN thin films.

In this work, we investigated the effect of Ag doping (2-20 at.%) on the phase formation of iron mononitride (FeN) thin films. Together with deposition of FeN using reactive dc magnetron sputtering, Ag was also co-sputtered at various doping levels between 2-20 at.%. We found that doping of Ag around 5 at.% is optimum to not only improve the thermal stability of FeN but also to reduce intrinsic defects that are invariably present in (even in epitaxial) FeN. Conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy and N K-edge x-ray near edge absorption measurements clearly reveal a reduction of defects in Ag doped FeN samples. Moreover, Fe self-diffusion measurements carried out using secondary ion mass spectroscopy depth-profiling and polarized neutron reflectivity in57Fe enriched samples exhibit an appreciable reduction in Fe self-diffusion in Ag doped FeN samples. Ag being immiscible with Fe and non-reactive with N, occupies grain-boundary positions as nanoparticles and prohibits the fast Fe self-diffusion in FeN.

Molecular and behavioral analysis of the intron 2 repeat polymorphism in the canine dopamine D4 receptor gene.

Genetic polymorphisms in the human dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene, especially the exon 3 variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR), have been related to several psychiatric disorders and personality traits. A homologous exon 3 VNTR has been described in dogs, and we previously showed an association between the DRD4 exon 3 polymorphism and activity/impulsivity trait in German shepherds. In this study, we present a detailed analysis of the intron 2 VNTR of the DRD4 gene. A short and a long form of the intronic variation were identified in 678 unrelated dogs from five breeds and in 22 wolves. For molecular analysis, the intron 2 region was cloned into a promoterless luciferase reporter vector that led to an elevation in transcriptional activity. Moreover, an allelic difference in promoter activity was detected, and a repressive effect of the long allele was observed. Behavioral analysis of 96 unrelated German shepherds showed a significant association between the social impulsivity endophenotype of the Greeting Test and both the exonic (P = 0.002) and the intronic (P = 0.003) VNTRs of the DRD4 gene. Moreover, an additive effect of the two polymorphisms was also shown (Spearman's rho = 0.356, P = 0.0004). In conclusion, these results give further support to our previous findings that the DRD4 gene is associated with dog behavior. We also present molecular evidence for the functional role of the intron 2 VNTR in the canine DRD4 gene.

Single-point acupuncture and physiotherapy for the treatment of painful shoulder: a multicentre randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture associated with physiotherapy for patients with painful shoulder. METHODS: In a multicentre controlled randomized study, participants were recruited with a clinical diagnosis of unilateral subacromial syndrome from six rehabilitation medicine departments belonging to the Public Health System in two Spanish regions. All participants received 15 sessions of physiotherapy during the 3 weeks that the treatment lasted and were randomized to additionally receive, once a week, acupuncture or mock TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation). The primary outcome measure was the change in the Constant-Murley Score (CMS) for functional assessment of the shoulder, at 4 weeks after randomization. This study is registered as an International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial, number ISRCTN28687220. RESULTS: A total of 425 patients were recruited. The mean score (s.d.) on the CMS had increased by 16.6 (15.6) points among the acupuncture group, compared with 10.6 (13.5) points in the control group, and the mean difference between the two groups was statistically significant (6.0 points; 95% CI 3.2, 8.8 points; P < 0.001). By the end of the treatment, 53% of the patients in the acupuncture group had decreased their consumption of analgesics, compared with a corresponding 30% among the control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Single-point acupuncture in association with physiotherapy improves shoulder function and alleviates pain, compared with physiotherapy as the sole treatment. This improvement is accompanied by a reduction in the consumption of analgesic medicaments.

Association of polymorphisms in the dopamine D4 receptor gene and the activity-impulsivity endophenotype in dogs.

A variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism in exon 3 of the human dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) has been associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Rodents possess no analogous repeat sequence, whereas a similar tandem repeat polymorphism of the DRD4 gene was identified in dogs, horses and chimpanzees. Here, we present a genetic association study of the DRD4 VNTR and the activity-impulsivity dimension of the recently validated dog-ADHD Rating Scale. To avoid false positives arising from population stratification, a single breed of dogs (German shepherd) was studied. Two DRD4 alleles (referred to as 2 and 3a) were detected in this breed, and genotype frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. For modelling distinct environmental conditions, 'pet' and 'police' German shepherds were characterized. Police German shepherds possessing at least one 3a allele showed significantly higher scores in the activity-impulsivity dimension of the dog-ADHD Rating Scale than dogs without this allele (P = 0.0180). This difference was not significant in pet German shepherds. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an association between a candidate gene and a behaviour trait in dogs, and it reinforces the functional role of DRD4 exon 3 polymorphism.

Una búsqueda bibliográfica fallida; ¿qué faltó por buscar? El caso del test de Lattinen / A failed bibliographical search. What was lacking? The case of the Lattinen test

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