Side matters:potential mechanisms underlying dogs' performance in a social eavesdropping paradigm

Social eavesdropping is the gathering of information by observing interactions between other individuals. Previous studies have claimed that dogs, Canis familiaris, are able to use information obtained via social eavesdropping, that is, preferring a generous over a selfish human donor. However, in these studies the side was constant between the demonstrations and the dogs' choices, not controlling for potential location biases. In the crucial control condition of our experiments, the donors swapped places in half of the trials before the dogs chose. We found that first choice behaviour as well as the time dogs interacted with the generous donor were influenced by location (side). In a second experiment the subject's owner interacted with the two donors. Again, the result of the side control revealed that the critical factor was location (side) not person. The results of these experiments provide no evidence for social eavesdropping in dogs and show the importance of critical control conditions

Using landscape metrics to characterize towns along an urban-rural gradient

Context: Urban-rural gradients are useful tools when examining the influence of human disturbances on ecological, social and coupled systems, yet the most commonly used gradient definitions are based on single broad measures such as housing density or percent forest cover that fail to capture landscape patterns important for conservation. Objectives: We present an approach to defining urban–rural gradients that integrates multiple landscape pattern metrics related to ecosystem processes important for natural resources and wildlife sustainability. Methods: We develop a set of land cover composition and configuration metrics and then use them as inputs to a cluster analysis process that, in addition to grouping towns with similar attributes, identifies exemplar towns for each group. We compare the outcome of the cluster-based urban-rural gradient typology to outcomes for four commonly-used rule-based typologies and discuss implications for resource management and conservation. Results: The resulting cluster-based typology defines five town types (urban, suburban, exurban, rural, and agricultural) and notably identifies a bifurcation along the gradient distinguishing among rural forested and agricultural towns. Landscape patterns (e.g., core and islet forests) influence where individual towns fall along the gradient. Designations of town type differ substantially among the five different typologies, particularly along the middle of the gradient. Conclusions: Understanding where a town occurs along the urban-rural gradient could aid local decision-makers in prioritizing and balancing between development and conservation scenarios. Variations in outcomes among the different urban-rural gradient typologies raise concerns that broad-measure classifications do not adequately account for important landscape patterns. We suggest future urban-rural gradient studies utilize more robust classification approaches

Maternal periodontitis and the causes of preterm birth: the case-control Epipap study.

International audienceAIM: To analyse the association between maternal periodontitis and preterm birth ( or =37 weeks) at six French maternity units were included. Periodontal examinations after delivery identified localized and generalized periodontitis. Cases were classified according to four causes of preterm birth. Polytomous logistic regression analysis was used to control for confounders (maternal age, parity, nationality, educational level, marital status, employment during pregnancy, body mass index before pregnancy, smoking status) and the examiner. RESULTS: Localized periodontitis was identified in 129 (11.6%) cases and in 118 (10.8%) control women and generalized periodontitis in 148 (13.4%) and 118 (10.8%), respectively. A significant association was observed between generalized periodontitis and induced preterm birth for pre-eclampsia [adjusted odds ratio 2.46 [95% confidence intervals (95% CI)1.58-3.83]. Periodontitis was not associated with spontaneous preterm birth or preterm premature rupture of membranes or with the other causes. CONCLUSION: Maternal periodontitis is associated with an increased risk of induced preterm birth due to pre-eclampsia

Promoting Spiritual Wellness on a College Campus through Community Based Participatory Research

This case study describes an initiative to promote spiritual wellness on a public state college campus and demonstrates evidence of the effectiveness of taking a community-based approach. We employed the community readiness model to develop an initiative to promote spiritual wellness in a Midwestern state university. We recruited informants through purposeful sampling and conducted interviews, both pre- and post-initiative launch. Baseline data was used to inform initiative efforts. The community’s level of readiness to promote spiritual wellness increased from stage three, vague awareness, at baseline to stage six, initiation, at follow up. Although these findings are specific to our community, this communitybased participatipatory research approach may be an effective way of developing appropriate strategies to promoting spiritual practices throughout higher education

Maternal Exposure to Nitrogen Dioxide during Pregnancy and Offspring Birth Weight: Comparison of Two Exposure Models

International audienceThe two exposure models tended to give consistent results in terms of association with birth weight, despite the moderate concordance between exposure estimates

Ontogenèse des marqueurs génétiques sanguins chez le cheval

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Who to ask for help? Do dogs form an opinion on humans based on skilfulness?

Reputation is considered a fundamental mechanism for cooperation. Dogs can use their direct experience to form reputation judgments about humans that are either nice or not towards others, however it is unknown if dogs can take skilfulness into account when requesting human help. Here, we investigated reputation formation based on human skilfulness. In study 1, 32 adult pet dogs witnessed four blocks of two demonstration types: a skilful experimenter succeeded in solving a puzzle and obtaining food for the dog, while an unskilful experimenter failed. Each block was followed by an unsolvable task trial, where the dogs were presented a container baited with food that was inaccessible to the dog. During the task, the experimenters stood on either side of the container. Referential looks towards each experimenter were recorded. Dogs did not choose the skilful experimenter above chance and did not prefer the skilful experimenter over the unskilful one. In order to simplify the task and avoid carryover effects, in a second study dogs only witnessed one type of demonstration and were then tested in a single unsolvable task trial. To further simplify the demonstrations, the experimenter either skilfully helped the dog (skilful demonstration), or did not help the dog at all (no-help demonstration). Forty-eight dogs were allocated to one of four demonstration groups: demonstrations could be either skilful or with no-help (\u201cskilfulness\u201d variable) and nice or ignoring (\u201cquality of interaction\u201d variable). Dogs\u2019 looking back behaviour did not differ in any of the conditions. However, when pooling the \u201cquality of interaction\u201d groups to compare the two \u201cskilfulness\u201d groups, a trend towards significance was observed between the duration of looking in the skilful group and the non-helpful group (Wilcoxon signed rank test: Mdnskilful = 9.20, interquartile range 3.98\u201320.65; Mdnno-help = 4.90 interquartile range 1.35\u20138.58, T = 1.93, p = 0.05, r = 120.39). The results should be considered cautiously and cannot confirm that dogs could take skilfulness into account when looking referentially at humans for help, or use the information to evaluate them in this specific context

Étude des marqueurs génétiques sanguins dans deux races de poneys de pologne

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