Impact of anthropogenic noise on the welfare of zoo-housed animals

An increasing number of studies on animal welfare have been performed in zoos in the past decades. Some assessed the impact of noises on animals, but only considered sound frequencies within the human hearing range. Yet, most other animals’ have a wider hearing range. This thesis analysed the effects of sounds and visitor attendance on the welfare of the five feline species of the Panthera genre at Zoo de Granby, Granby, Canada. Activity budget and space use collected with the focal sampling technique were compared to average sound levels, measured with an acoustic recorder, and visitor attendance. The results show that sound levels and visitors had effects on the felines’ behaviors, but this varied between species. For example, during summer, an increase in sound levels increased more resting time for two species, but decreased resting time for the three other species. The sound levels’ effects differed between seasons, calling for animal welfare management adapted to season (e.g. the two largest species of feline had opposite trends during winter when compared to summer for all their behaviors). Based on the “heat maps” of the specific locations the studied animals used, we believe the felines’ space use was influenced by the enclosures’ design and location of resting and shady areas rather than sounds and visitors. Noises and visitors had on some occasion opposite effects on the same behavior and species, suggesting these two factors should be monitored separately when assessing animal welfare. Overall, we did not find strong evidence of poor welfare for any feline species, with the exception of some individuals that showed signs of fearfulness. In an additional study, we evaluated the soundscape of the same Zoo by recording sounds in various locations in cycles of 24 hours. The 24h sound levels of most locations were not considered problematic for animal welfare, except some noisy indoor areas and near the water park. Ultrasounds were rare and not considered problematic to animal welfare, contrary to infrasounds that were loud and variable. Human activity increased sound levels and variability of noises, suggesting they could be detrimental to animal welfare. The soundscape did not change between seasons, meaning mitigation of noise pollution should be implemented at all time. More research is needed on the soundscape of zoos and its effects on animal welfare in a variety of taxa, with all sound frequencies that are in the hearing range of the studied animals

Les répercussions du DR-CAFTA sur l'accès aux médicaments et la santé des populations au Guatemala : la perspective d'acteurs clefs

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

Les facteurs d’aide au cours d’un bilan de compétences en groupe auprès d’adultes en situation de chômage

Le bilan de compétences est une démarche s’inscrivant aux services d’orientation offerts tant au Québec qu’en France pour les adultes en ou sans emploi. Ce dispositif a fait l’objet de plusieurs recherches dans le monde francophone démontrant des retombées positives dans le cadre d’interventions individuelles. Cette recherche qualitative s'intéresse plus précisément aux facteurs d'aide d'un bilan de compétences réalisé en groupe à partir d'entrevues de participants ayant expérimenté une telle démarche

Analyse spatiale des conflits urbains : Enjeux et contextes dans la région de Québec

Cette étude exploratoire des conflits urbains de la région de Québec entre 1990 et 2000 montre que la fréquence des conflits est plus élevée dans les secteurs où, d’une part, la densité de commerces de quartier est la plus forte et le tissu urbain plus ancien et, d’autre part, où la population est la plus scolarisée et dispose d’un horaire de travail flexible. Cette étude confirme ainsi que certains cadres urbains sont plus susceptibles que d’autres de générer des conflits et que certains groupes sont plus disposés à s’y engager. Elle montre aussi que ces relations sont sensiblement les mêmes, quel que soit le type d’enjeux défendus par les protagonistes de ces conflits. Deux exceptions sont toutefois à relever. Tout d’abord, les conflits liés à des enjeux environnementaux montrent parfois des relations différentes avec les variables caractérisant les lieux de conflits (indépendamment du niveau d’éducation et le type de profession). Ensuite, alors que la densité de population n’a dans l’ensemble pas d’influence sur l’émergence des conflits, on observe tout de même que dans les secteurs où la population est la plus dense, les conflits liés à des enjeux de transports ou des enjeux sociaux sont plus nombreuxThis paper investigates urban conflicts that took place in the Quebec City metropolitan area between 1990 and 2000. Analyses show that some population groups are more disposed than others to get involved in conflict activity. They also stress that there are specific built environments which are more prone than others to generating such activity. Statistical analysis of seven variables related to social and urban contexts shows that the frequency of conflicts is greater, on the one hand, in areas where small shop density is the highest and buildings are the oldest, and on the other, where the population has high levels of education and a flexible work schedule. Analyses considering what is at stake present similar results, except on two points. First, conflicts with environmental stakes do not appear to be linked to a particular level of education or a flexible work schedule. Thus even if population density shows statistical independence from all variables when the conflicts are considered as a whole, it appears specifically dependent with respect to conflicts involving transportation or social stakes

Les conflits urbains : une approche analytique

Cette note de recherche aborde premièrement quelques questions de base concernant les conflits urbains. Qu’est ce qu’un conflit urbain? Quels rôles les conflits jouent-ils dans les transformations des milieux de vie? Comment ces conflits en sont-ils venus à occuper le devant de la scène au cours des dernières décennies? Le texte illustre ensuite une approche analytique susceptible de compléter les études de cas qui constituent la démarche habituelle dans la recherche sur les conflits. Cette démarche utilise la presse écrite comme principale source de données et la modélisation statistique comme principale méthode d’analyse.This research note begins by examining some basic questions relating to urban conflicts. What is an urban conflict? What are the roles played by conflicts in the transformation of urban environments? How have such conflicts gained so much prominence in recent decades? The note then proposes an analytical approach capable of expanding case studies, which are the standard method used in research on conflicts. In this approach, newspapers are selected as the primary data source and the method of analysis relies heavily on statistical modelling

Preliminary effects of parent-implemented behavioural interventions for stereotypy

Objective: The purpose of our study was to replicate and extend previous research on using multicomponent behavioural interventions designed to reduce engagement in stereotypy by examining their effects when implemented by parents over several months. Methods: We used an alternating treatment design to examine the effects of the parent-implemented interventions on engagement in stereotypy and appropriate behaviour in three children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Results: The parent-implemented multicomponent treatments reduced vocal stereotypy in all three participants and increased engagement in appropriate behaviour in two participants. These effects persisted up to 24 weeks following the parent training sessions. Conclusions: Altogether, our preliminary results support (a) the involvement of parents as behaviour change agents to reduce engagement in stereotypy and (b) the scheduling of regular, but infrequent (i.e. weekly to monthly), follow-up meetings to monitor the effects of behavioural interventions in outpatient and home-based service delivery models

Changes in the 5-HT2(A )receptor system in the pre-mammillary hypothalamus of the ewe are related to regulation of LH pulsatile secretion by an endogenous circannual rhythm

BACKGROUND: We wanted to determine if changes in the expression of serotonin 2A receptor (5HT2(A )receptor) gene in the premammillary hypothalamus are associated with changes in reproductive neuroendocrine status. Thus, we compared 2 groups of ovariectomized-estradiol-treated ewes that expressed high vs low LH pulsatility in two different paradigms (2 groups per paradigm): (a) refractoriness (low LH secretion) or not (high LH secretion) to short days in pineal-intact Ile-de-France ewes (RSD) and (b) endogenous circannual rhythm (ECR) in free-running pinealectomized Suffolk ewes in the active or inactive stage of their reproductive rhythm. RESULTS: In RSD ewes, density of 5HT2(A )receptor mRNA (by in situ hybridization) was significantly higher in the high LH group (25.3 ± 1.4 vs 21.4 ± 1.5 grains/neuron, P < 0.05) and (3)H-Ketanserin binding (a specific radioligand) of the median part of the premammillary hypothalamus tended to be higher in the high group (29.1 ± 4.0 vs 24.6 ± 4.2 fmol/mg tissu-equivalent; P < 0.10). In ECR ewes, density of 5HT2(A )receptor mRNA and (3)H-Ketanserin binding were both significantly higher in the high LH group (20.8 ± 1.6 vs 17.0 ± 1.5 grains/neuron, P < 0.01, and 19.7 ± 5.0 vs 7.4 ± 3.4 fmol/mg tissu-equivalent; P < 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that these higher 5HT2(A )receptor gene expression and binding activity of 5HT2(A )receptor in the premammillary hypothalamus are associated with stimulation of LH pulsatility expressed before the development of refractoriness to short days and prior to the decline of reproductive neuroendocrine activity during expression of the endogenous circannual rhythm

Senior Recital, Alan Chavez, baritone

The presentation of this senior recital will fulfill in part the requirements for the Bachelor of Music degree in Performance. Alan Chavez studies voice with James Smith-Parham and receives vocal coaching from Melanie Kohn Day

The ICT4scale Initiative: Harnessing ICT to Scale up Agricultural Solutions

This one-page policy brief provides a detailed outline of intervention research and scaling up of a soybean inoculant, using ICT technologies and platforms. The project aims at assessing the effect of a specific combination of ICT interventions and institutional arrangements regarding the number of smallholder farmers who are uptaking the application of a soybean inoculant