Students’ acceptance of e-learning approaches in Laboratory Animal Science Training

Different online courses and training programs in Laboratory Animal Science (LAS) have emerged across Europe in recent years. E-learning appears to be a promising solution to achieve flexibility in training while meeting the quality criteria of demanding programs in short training periods. However, little is known about how students perceive e-learning in this context, and there is also a lack of specific and valid instruments to measure this perception. Within an exploratory study framework, the e-learning perception of 229 participants in 15 courses in Portugal using two different online training formats, flipped classroom and full online theoretical training, was assessed. For this purpose, the Questionnaire of E-learning Acceptance (QELA), a 32-item accordance Likert-type scale comprising five subscales was developed to explore the following: how participant perceive e-learning, satisfaction with organization and contents, perception of e-learning relevance for the time management, and its influence for practical training. In general, e-learning was well accepted and perceived to work well and be useful by the majority of courses participants, independently of the course level and e-learning format approach. These results indeed suggest that integration of e-learning is useful in LAS training. We also propose the QELA as a starting point for development and implementation of specific instruments to assess e-learning acceptance in LAS across a wider range of geographical and training contexts.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial sup- port for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work is a result of the project funded by Norte- 01-0145-FEDER000008 – Porto Neurosciences and Neurologic Disease Research Initiative at I3S, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER)

Scientists’ perception of ethical issues in nanomedicine - a case study

Research and development in nanomedicine has been accompanied by the consideration of ethical issues; however, little is known about how researchers working in this area perceive such issues. Extracting data from 22 semi-structured interviews with nanomedicine practitioners, this case study explores scientists’ attitude towards and knowledge of ethical issues. We found that scientists reflect with ambiguity on the reputed novelty of nanomedicine and what are ethical issues and risks in their work. Respondents see no necessity for a paradigm shift in ethical considerations, but view ethical issues in nanomedicine as overlapping with those of other areas of biomedical research. Most respondents discuss ethical issues they faced in scientific work with their colleagues but expect benefit from additional information and training on ethics. Our findings can contribute to the design of new strategies - including training programs - to engage scientists in ethical discussion and stimulate their responsibility as nanomedicine practitioners

The assessment of researchers' competence in experimental procedures with laboratory animals: A three-step methodology to develop a global rating scale

To conduct animal experiments, researchers must be competent to handle and perform interventions on living animals in compliance with regulations. Laboratory animal science training programs and licensing bodies therefore need to be able to reliably ensure and certify the professional competence of researchers and technicians. This requires access to assessment strategies which can verify knowledge as well as capturing performative and behavioral dimensions of assessment. In this paper, we describe the process of developing different global rating scales measuring candidates’ competence in a performative assessment. We set out the following sequence, with three crucial phases, in the process of scale development: (A) Item Development, (B) Scale Development, and (C) Piloting of the Scale. We note each phase’s different sub-steps. Despite the emergent need to ensure the competence of researchers using animals in scientific procedures, to our best knowledge there are very few species and procedure/skill specific assessment tools for this purpose, and the assessment methodology literature in the field is very limited. This paper provides guidance for those who need to develop and assess proficiency in laboratory animal procedures by setting out a method that can be used to create the required tools and illustrating how competence assessment strategies can be implemented.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: this work is a result of the project funded by Norte01- 0145-FEDER-000008 – Porto Neurosciences and Neurologic Disease Research Initiative at i3S, supported by Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER)

Some aspects of chicken behavior and welfare

Brazil is the world leader in broiler production and export. It achieved this position mainly to its excellent supply chain structure and climate, which favor poultry and grain production throughout its territory. Although Brazilian egg production is not as important as broiler production, this segment presents great potential of increasing its share in the global market. However, as elsewhere in the world, Brazilian poultry production faces the challenge to balance two elements within its supply chain: cruelty and productivity. The consumers of the European Union (EU) are very concerned with animal welfare issues. In order to increase its share in the European market, and eventually in the world market, Brazilian poultry producers must understand the effects of production systems on poultry welfare, and try to develop systems that are suited for its climate and other production conditions. There is a consensus that the natural behaviors performed by poultry in intensive production systems allow better welfare. This objective of this review is to present scientific research studies that relate different behaviors to chicken welfare. Poultry behavior is a reflex of their welfare status at a particular moment, and it is related to internal (physiological) and external (environmental) factors. Several natural behaviors that favor welfare, as well as undesirable behaviors, may be stimulated by environmental enrichment. The correct interpretation of the behaviors expressed by poultry, including their frequency, duration, and sequence, may be used to estimate their welfare. Animal production is an import sector of Brazilian economy. It significantly contributes to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in terms of products destined both to domestic consumption and exports. New technologies applied to products and management practices have been developed for field application, aiming at improving producers' productivity and profitability. In order to comply with the European Union's (EU) guidelines for animal protein production, Brazilian poultry production needs to undergo a process of adaptation. In May, 2007, the EU Commission established its new guidelines for animal welfare in poultry production, pressured by consumer demand. In the EU, there is a growing concern among consumers as to how poultry are reared and slaughtered. European consumers are in the fore front of the demand of high quality products produced with under better welfare conditions, and have spread this concern throughout the world. Beaumont et al. (2010) mentioned that European consumers frequently perceive that standard commercial poultry production has poor animal welfare practices. According to Nääs et al. (2008), Brazilian poultry production today needs to find a balance between cruelty and productivity. In fact, ensuring animal welfare may provide better financial results, as it increases the producer's profit margins and allows maintaining Brazilian chicken export quotas to the EU. França (2008) noted that biological studies that define ethical limits and guidelines for poultry production foster the development of new production practices that may ensure good product quality and productivity without putting bird welfare at risk. Gonyou (1994) states that, when animal welfare started to be studied, the only behavioral factors considered were those related to feeding and reproduction. These first studies used as indicators of animal welfare reduced life expectancy, impaired growth, impaired reproduction, body damage, disease, immunosuppression, adrenal activity, behavior anomalies, and self-narcotization (Broom, 1991). However, current studies evaluate additional indicators, such as natural behaviors, behavioral needs, preferences, behavioral problems, emotional state, cognitive abilities, etc. In the field of ethology, the expression of natural behavior is a frequently used tool used to estimate the welfare of poultry destined to human consumption. According to Bracke & Hopster (2006), natural behavior can be defined as the behavior the animal normally presents when exposed to conditions similar to its natural habitat. Natural behaviors are pleasurable and promote biological functions that are meaningful to the animal's welfare. The definition of natural behavior, though, does not include the bird's behavior when sick, in flight or during aggression, since these are not considered pleasurable situations. Considering layer behavioral needs in the design of housing facilities optimize their welfare. Mishra et al. (2005) verified that ISA Brown layers spent, during 24 hours, around 97% of the time in the nest, feeding, walking, resting, or dust bathing, and that 57% of these behaviors did not depend on environmental enrichment. It was also observed that hens had preferred behavioral sequences, which included foraging and comfort behaviors, such as wing-stretching and preening. The present review aims at discussing, albeit not exhaustively, scientific research studies on the behavior of Gallusgallus domesticus and its relationship to welfare. The following behaviors are reviewed: feather pecking, scratching, dust bathing, nesting, locomotion activities, and aggressive behaviors. These behaviors are the most frequently observed in commercial broiler, broiler breeder, and layer farming, and therefore, monitoring their incidence may contribute to measure poultry welfare