The physiological consequences of crib-biting in horses in response to an ACTH challenge test

Stereotypies are repetitive and relatively invariant patterns of behavior, which are observed in a wide range of species in captivity. Stereotypic behavior occurs when environmental demands produce a physiological response that, if sustained for an extended period, exceeds the natural physiological regulatory capacity of the organism, particularly in situations that include unpredictability and uncontrollability. One hypothesis is that stereotypic behavior functions to cope with stressful environments, but the existing evidence is contradictory. To address the coping hypothesis of stereotypies, we triggered physiological reactions in 22 horses affected by stereotypic behavior (crib-biters) and 21 non-crib-biters (controls), using an ACTH challenge test. Following administration of an ACTH injection, we measured saliva cortisol every 30 min and heart rate (HR) continuously for a period of 3 h. We did not find any differences in HR or HR variability between the two groups, but crib-biters had significantly higher cortisol responses than controls (mean ± SD: CB, 5.84 ± 2.62 ng/ml, C, 4.76 ± 3.04 ng/ml). Moreover, crib-biters that did not perform the stereotypic behavior during the 3- h test period (Group B) had significantly higher cortisol levels than controls, which was not the case of crib-biters showing stereotypic behavior (Group A) (A, 5.58 ± 2.69 ng/ml; B, 6.44 ± 2.38 ng/ml). Our results suggest that crib-biting is a coping strategy that helps stereotypic individuals to reduce cortisol levels caused by stressful situations. We conclude that preventing stereotypic horses from crib-biting could be an inappropriate strategy to control this abnormal behavior, as it prevents individuals from coping with situations that they perceive as stressful.PostprintPeer reviewe

Avifauna at the Neolithic Sites of the Dnieper-Dvina Basin: the role of birds in the culture of ancient hunter-gatherers of the VI–III Millennium BC

The article presents a study of avifauna at the Neolithic sites of the Dnieper-Dvina basin (Serteya I and II sites). Changes of paleo-environmental conditions and biotopes, archaeological cultures and types of campsites might have determined changes in the cultural and economic model of the ancient population, having an influence on avifauna particularity in different time periods. Four biotopic groups of birds: near-water birds, woodside birds, forest and meadow-steppe birds are singled out. Birds from the near-water group dominate. It can be assumed, that birds played an important role in food ration in spring and autumn. Paleo-ecological studies allow us to reconstruct a change of water body types. That may have caused a change in bird species. Changes in bird nesting and migration areas may also be evidence of paleo-ecological changes in the V–III millennium BC. Despite the widespread practice of making tools and ornaments from bones and animals teeth at the Neolithic sites in Dnieper-Dvina basin, bird bones were used rather seldom. Almost the entire collection dates back to the end of IV–III millennium BC and is represented mainly by tube beads and blanks

Creusement expérimental d'un puits d'extraction de silex sur la minière de Flins-sur-Seine (Yvelines)

Mémoires et travaux du Paléoscope n° 1, Association l'Homme Retrouv

Itinéraires cartographiques et développement

National audienc

рыболовство эпохи позднего мезолита и раннего неолита по материалам исследований стоянки замостье 2

[EN] The paper is devoted to the analysis of fishery as one of the most important parts of the economy in the late Mesolithic - early Neolithic periods in Central Russia. The used materials come from the excavation of the multilayer peat-bog site Zamostje 2 (Moscow region, Russia). Different kinds of evidence of fishing were analyzed: fish remains, bone tools (harpoon heads, barbed, fish hooks, knives from elk ribs), wooden artifacts (floats, paddles), finds of wooden constructions - fish traps and fish fence and, finally, coprolites. Due to this approach it is possible to distinguish differences in fishery strategies in the late Mesolithic and early Neolithic and ways of consuming fish.[RU] Данная работа посвящена анализу рыболовства как важ-нейшего вида экономической деятельности в период позд-него мезолита — раннего неолита центральной России. Исследование базируется на материалах изучения много-слойной торфяниковой стоянки Замостье 2 (Сергиево-Посадский р-н, Московская обл.). В работе используются разные виды источников: остатки рыб, орудия из кости (наконечники гарпунов и острий, рыболовные крючки, ножи из ребер лося и др.), изделия из дерева (поплавки, вес- ла), остатки рыболовных сооружений в виде верш и зако- ла, и наконец, копролиты. В результате удалось выявить разные подходы к рыболовству в период позднего мезолита и раннего неолита.This study was supported by research project (I+D) HAR2008–04461/HIST by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain “Forgotten resources in prehistory: the case of fishing among the meso-neolithic communities in the Russian plain” and by RFBR (Russia), research project №11–06–00090а, №11–06–100030к, №12–06–00013к, № 13–06–10007к, 13–06–12057 ofi_м. Authors also would like to thank Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (the Kunstkamera) for kindly permission to use unpublished materials.Peer reviewe

New data on the context of the Middle Paleolithic bone tools from Abri Peyrony and Pech-de-l’Azé I (France)

FdA – Publicaties zonder aanstelling Universiteit Leide

Trends in surgical ablation at the time of cardiac surgery among patients with atrial fibrillationCentral MessagePerspective

Background: The 2017 American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) guidelines support surgical ablation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with preoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) owing to a reduction in early mortality and improved overall safety. We explored practice patterns changes and outcomes in patients undergoing concomitant surgical ablation following the guideline change. Methods: We identified 19,246 patients with preoperative AF who underwent cardiac surgery between 2016 and 2019 from the Florida and Maryland State Inpatient Databases. Rates of surgical ablation by procedure type were temporally trended across years. Secondary outcomes included complications, inpatient mortality, and hospital readmissions. Using multivariable logistic regression, we identified patient variables associated with concomitant surgical ablation. Results: A total of 2738 patients (14.3%) with AF underwent a concomitant surgical ablation. The rate of surgical ablation increased from 2.1% to 17.4% (P < .001) from 2016 to 2017 but remained unchanged thereafter. Postoperative mortality was lower in the surgical ablation cohort (2.7% vs 3.7%; P = .006), although with a higher rate of pacemaker insertion (11.8% vs 7.2%; P < .0001). Patients with a high-risk Elixhauser score (odds ratio [OR], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73-0.95), lower income (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.57-0.75), or African American or Hispanic race/ethnicity (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67-0.96 and OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71-0.96, respectively) had lower odds of undergoing concomitant surgical ablation. Conclusions: Despite a class I-2a recommendation by the AATS, surgical ablation continues to be underutilized in clinical practice, especially in patients with high-risk comorbidities, with lower incomes, or from minority populations. Surgeons should be mindful of guideline-directed AF management in these vulnerable populations