3,313 research outputs found
Examining affective structure in chickens: valence, intensity, persistence and generalization measured using a conditioned place preference test
When measuring animals’ valenced behavioural responses to stimuli, the Conditioned Place Preference (CPP) test goes a step further than many approach-based and avoidance-based tests by establishing whether a learned preference for, or aversion to, the location in which the stimulus was encountered can be generated. We designed a novel, four-chambered CPP test to extend the capability of the usual CPP paradigm to provide information on four key features of animals’ affective responses: valence, scale, persistence and generalization. Using this test, we investigated the affective responses of domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) to four potentially aversive stimuli: 1. Puffs of air; 2. Sight of (robotic) snake; 3. Sprays of water; 4. Sound of conspecific alarm calls. We found conditioned avoidance of locations associated with the air puffs and water sprays (Friedman’s χ2(3) = 13.323 p > .005; χ2(3) = 14.235 p > .005), but not with the snake and alarm calls. The scale of the learned avoidance was similar for the air puff and water spray stimuli, but persistence and generalization differed. We conclude that the four chambered CPP test can have a valuable role to play in making multi-feature measurements of stimulus-generated affective responses, and we highlight the value of such measurements for improving our understanding of the structure of affect in chickens and other animals
Contextual information and assessor characteristics in complex question answering
The ciqa track investigates the role of interaction in answering complex questions: questions that relate two or more entities by some specified relationship. In our submission to the first ciqa track we were interested in the interplay between groups of variables: variables describing the question creators, the questions asked and the presentation of answers to the questions. We used two interaction forms - html questionnaires completed before answer assessment - to gain contextual information from the answer assessors to better understand what factors influence assessors when judging retrieved answers to complex questions. Our results indicate the importance of understanding the assessor's personal relationship to the question - their existing topical knowledge for example - and also the presentation of the answers - contextual information about the answer to aid in the assessment of the answer
Behavioural and physiological responses of laying hens to automated monitoring equipment
Automated monitoring of behaviour can offer a wealth of information in circumstances where observing behaviour is difficult or time consuming. However, this often requires attaching monitoring devices to the animal which can alter behaviour, potentially invalidating any data collected. Birds often show increased preening and energy expenditure when wearing devices and, especially in laying hens, there is a risk that individuals wearing devices will attract aggression from conspecifics. We studied the behavioural and physiological response of 20 laying hens to backpacks containing monitoring devices fastened with elastic loops around the wing base. We hypothesised that backpacks would lead to a stress-induced decrease in peripheral temperature, increased preening, more aggression from conspecifics, and reduced bodyweights. This was evaluated by thermography of the eye and comb (when isolated after fitting backpacks), direct observations of behaviour (when isolated, when placed back into the group, and on later days), and weighing (before and after each 7-day experimental period). Each hen wore a backpack during one of the two experimental periods only and was used as her own control. Contrary to our hypothesis, eye temperature was higher when hens wore a backpack (No backpack: 30.2 °C (IQR: 29.0–30.6) vs. Backpack: 30.9 °C (IQR: 30.0–32.0), P < 0.001). Eye temperature of hens wearing a backpack was strongly correlated to the time spent preening (rs = 0.8, P < 0.001), suggesting that the higher temperatures may have been due to preening itself, or to a low head position or decreased heat dissipation when preening under the wings. Aggressive behaviour was very rare and no effect of the backpacks was found. In line with our hypothesis, backpacks increased preening on the day of fitting, both when isolated (No backpack: 0% (IQR: 0–1) vs. Backpack: 22% (IQR: 1–43), P < 0.01) and when back in the group (No backpack: 0% (IQR: 0–27) vs. Backpack: 43% (IQR: 5–77), P < 0.001). However, no effect on preening was observed 2–7 days afterwards. Other behavioural changes suggested that on the day of fitting hens prioritized attempts to (re)move the backpack and were less attentive to their surroundings. However, only equipment pecking (i.e., pecking the backpack or leg rings) was still affected 2–7 days after fitting (No backpack: 0 pecks/hen/minute (IQR: 0–0), vs. Backpack: 0 (IQR: 0–0.07), P < 0.05). We found no effect of our backpacks on bodyweight. In conclusion, our backpacks seem suitable to attach monitoring equipment to hens with only a very minor effect on their behaviour after a short acclimation period (≤2 days)
Self-similar signature of the active solar corona within the inertial range of solar-wind turbulence
We quantify the scaling of magnetic energy density in the inertial range of solar-wind turbulence seen
in situ at 1 AU with respect to solar activity. At solar maximum, when the coronal magnetic field is
dynamic and topologically complex, we find self-similar scaling in the solar wind, whereas at solar
minimum, when the coronal fields are more ordered, we find multifractality. This quantifies the solar-wind
signature that is of direct coronal origin and distinguishes it from that of local MHD turbulence, with
quantitative implications for coronal heating of the solar wind
Dynamics of the magnetic and structural a -> e phase transition in Iron
We have studied the high-pressure iron bcc to hcp phase transition by
simultaneous X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD) and X-ray Absorption
Spectroscopy (XAS) with an X-ray dispersive spectrometer. The combination of
the two techniques allows us to obtain simultaneously information on both the
structure and the magnetic state of Iron under pressure. The magnetic and
structural transitions simultaneously observed are sharp. Both are of first
order in agreement with theoretical prediction. The pressure domain of the
transition observed (2.4 0.2 GPa) is narrower than that usually cited in
the literature (8 GPa). Our data indicate that the magnetic transition slightly
precedes the structural one, suggesting that the origin of the instability of
the bcc phase in iron with increasing pressure is to be attributed to the
effect of pressure on magnetism as predicted by spin-polarized full potential
total energy calculations
Light-based monitoring devices to assess range use by laying hens
Access to an outdoor range has many potential benefits for laying hens but range use can be poor due to factors only partly understood. Techniques to monitor individual range use within commercial flocks are crucial to increase our understanding of these factors. Direct observation of individual range use is difficult and time-consuming, and automatic monitoring currently relies on equipment that is difficult to use in an on-farm setting without itself influencing range use. We evaluated the performance of a novel small, light and readily portable light-based monitoring system by validating its output against direct observations
High Pressure Insulator-Metal Transition in Molecular Fluid Oxygen
We report the first experimental evidence for a metallic phase in fluid
molecular oxygen. Our electrical conductivity measurements of fluid oxygen
under dynamic quasi-isentropic compression show that a non-metal/metal
transition occurs at 3.4 fold compression, 4500 K and 1.2 Mbar. We discuss the
main features of the electrical conductivity dependence on density and
temperature and give an interpretation of the nature of the electrical
transport mechanisms in fluid oxygen at these extreme conditions.Comment: RevTeX, 4 figure
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