The Role of Ethological Observation for Measuring Animal Reactions to Biotelemetry Devices

This paper presents a methodological approach used to assess the wearability of biotelemetry devices in animals. A detailed protocol to gather quantitative and qualitative ethological observations was adapted and tested in an experimental study of 13 cat participants wearing two different GPS devices. The aim was twofold: firstly, to ascertain the potential interference generated by the devices on the animal body and behavior by quantifying and characterizing it; secondly, to individuate device features potentially responsible for the influence registered, and establish design requirements. This research contributes towards the development of a framework for evaluating the design of wearer-centered biotelemetry interventions for animals, consistent with values advocated by Animal- Computer Interaction researchers

Towards a Wearer-Centred Framework for Animal Biotelemetry

The emerging discipline of Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI) aims to understand the relation between animals and technology in naturalistic settings, to design technology that can support animals in different contexts and to develop user-centred research methods and frameworks that enable animals to take part in the design process as legitimate contributors [11]. Given existing interspecies differences and communication barriers, measuring the behaviour of animals involved in ACI research can be instrumental to achieving any or all of these aims, as a way of gauging the animals’ patterns, needs and preferences. Indeed, measuring behaviour is a common practice among ACI researchers, who take various approaches to this task [5,15,17,24]. In this respect, the use of biotelemetry devices such as VHF tags and GPS trackers, or bio-logging and environmental sensors has a significant potential [22]. At the same time, biotelemetry has been used for many years in many areas of biological research. Biotelemetry is used to improve the quality of physiological and behavioural data collected from animals and in an attempt to reduce researchers’ intrusion in the animals’ habitat [2]. However, there is evidence that carrying biotelemetry tags may influence the bearer’s physiology and behaviour [20]. Such impacts interfere with the validity of recorded data [14] and the welfare of individual animal wearers [1,3,13]. Neither of these effects are compatible with the animal-centred perspective advocated by ACI, on both scientific and ethical grounds. Our analysis of current body-attached device design and biotelemetry-enabled studies points to a general lack of wearer-centred perspective. To address these issues, we have developed a framework to inform the design of wearer-centred biotelemetry interventions, in order to support the implementation of animal-centred research methodologies and design solutions in ACI and other disciplines

Designing for wearability: an animal-centred framework

This paper presents a Wearer-Centered Framework (WCF) developed to support designing for good wearability in animal biotelemetry. Firstly, we describe the framework and the systematic process followed to develop it. Then, we report on how the WCF was evaluated with three teams of designers, who used it collaboratively to design a cat-centered tracking collar during dedicated workshops. We discuss our analysis of the designers’ dialogues, whose aim was to understand the extent to which the framework informed the designers’ thinking. Our findings indicate that the WCF was a useful tool to support the systematic elicitation of wearability requirements. They also suggest that designers could be provided with additional tools to support the WCF’s application more effectively

Wearer-Centered Design for Animal Biotelemetry: Implementation and Wearability Test of a Prototype

In this paper we present an approach to designing wearer-centered biotelemetry for non-human (and human) animal wearers. Drawing from fundamental values and principles of user-centered design, we describe a wearer-centered framework to heuristically establish design requirements, which was used during a series of workshops to perform a requirements analysis for a cat-tracking device. The resulting requirements informed a feline-centered prototype whose wearability was evaluated with cat wearers. Compared to the wearability of previously tested off-the-shelf devices, our findings show an improvement and suggest that our framework-based approach can help design teams with a range of skills to systematically design for wearability

Characterization of the transcription factor encoding gene, KlADR1: metabolic role in Kluyveromyces lactis and expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Adr1 is a zinc-finger transcription factor involved in the transcriptional activation of ADH2. Deletion of KlADR1, its putative ortholog in Kluyveromyces lactis, led to reduced growth in glycerol, oleate and yeast extract-peptone medium suggesting, as in S. cerevisiae, its requirement for glycerol, fatty acid and nitrogen utilization. Moreover, growth comparison on yeast extract and peptone plates showed in K. lactis a KlAdr1-dependent growth trait not present in S. cerevisiae, indicating different metabolic roles of the two factors in their environmental niches. KlADR1 is required for growth under respiratory and fermentative conditions like KlADH, alcohol dehydrogenase genes necessary for metabolic adaptation during the growth transition. Using in-gel native alcohol dehydrogenase assay, we showed that this factor affected the Adh pattern by altering the balance between these activities. Since the activity most affected by KlAdr1 is KlAdh3, a deletion analysis of the KlADH3 promoter allowed the isolation of a DNA fragment through which KlAdr1 modulated its expression. The expression of the KlADR1-GFP gene allowed the intracellular localization of the factor in K. lactis and S. cerevisiae, suggesting in the two yeasts a common mechanism of KlAdr1 translocation under fermentative and respiratory conditions. Finally, the chimeric Kl/ScADR1 gene encoding the zinc- finger domains of KlAdr1 fused to the transactivating domains of the S. cerevisiae factor activated in Scadr1D the transcription of ADH2 in a ScAdr1-dependent fashion

Designing for Wearability in Animal Biotelemetry

This research presents a preliminary study conducted on a cat fitted with biotelemetry devices. The aim was to explore the feline’s wearability experience of bearing off-the-shelf products. The cat’s reactions to the device presence were recorded and findings suggest the need for a design approach centred on the wearer. A wearer-centred framework to inform the design of biotelemetry interventions for animals is then propose