Individual Recognition in Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus): Evidence from 2D-Images of Heads from Different Breeds

BACKGROUND: In order to maintain cohesion of groups, social animals need to process social information efficiently. Visual individual recognition, which is distinguished from mere visual discrimination, has been studied in only few mammalian species. In addition, most previous studies used either a small number of subjects or a few various views as test stimuli. Dairy cattle, as a domestic species allow the testing of a good sample size and provide a large variety of test stimuli due to the morphological diversity of breeds. Hence cattle are a suitable model for studying individual visual recognition. This study demonstrates that cattle display visual individual recognition and shows the effect of both familiarity and coat diversity in discrimination. [br/]METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We tested whether 8 Prim'Holstein heifers could recognize 2D-images of heads of one cow (face, profiles, (3/4) views) from those of other cows. Experiments were based on a simultaneous discrimination paradigm through instrumental conditioning using food rewards. In Experiment 1, all images represented familiar cows (belonging to the same social group) from the Prim'Holstein breed. In Experiments 2, 3 and 4, images were from unfamiliar (unknown) individuals either from the same breed or other breeds. All heifers displayed individual recognition of familiar and unfamiliar individuals from their own breed. Subjects reached criterion sooner when recognizing a familiar individual than when recognizing an unfamiliar one (Exp 1: 3.1+/-0.7 vs. Exp 2: 5.2+/-1.2 sessions; Z = 1.99, N = 8, P = 0.046). In addition almost all subjects recognized unknown individuals from different breeds, however with greater difficulty. [br/] CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results demonstrated that cattle have efficient individual recognition based on categorization capacities. Social familiarity improved their performance. The recognition of individuals with very different coat characteristics from the subjects was the most difficult task. These results call for studies exploring the mechanisms involved in face recognition allowing interspecies comparisons, including humans

Engineering brown fat into skeletal muscle using ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction gene delivery in obese Zucker rats: Proof of concept design

plasmid cDNA contructs encoding a gene cocktail with BMP7/ PRDM16/PPARGC1A incorporated within microbubbles and intravenously delivered into their left thigh. Controls received UTMD with plasmids driving a DsRed reporter gene. An ultrasound transducer was directed to the thigh to disrupt the microbubbles within the microcirculation. Blood samples were drawn at baseline, and after treatment to measure glucose, insulin, and free fatty acids level

Social conduct, learning and innovation: an abductive study of the dark side of agile software development

Agile methodologies have been adopted by an increasing number of organizations to improve their responsiveness. However, few studies have empirically analysed the effect of Agile on long-term organizational goals such as learning and innovation. Using an abductive approach, this study examines the relationships between self-regulated teams’ social conduct and their resulting learning and innovation. Results indicate that the perceived time pressure to get the job done greatly impedes team engagement in learning and innovation activities. Time pressure is affected by the various control strategies deriving from the implementation of Agile, which constitute its dark side: concertive, belief, diagnostic and boundary controls

The twilight of the Liberal Social Contract? On the Reception of Rawlsian Political Liberalism

This chapter discusses the Rawlsian project of public reason, or public justification-based 'political' liberalism, and its reception. After a brief philosophical rather than philological reconstruction of the project, the chapter revolves around a distinction between idealist and realist responses to it. Focusing on political liberalism’s critical reception illuminates an overarching question: was Rawls’s revival of a contractualist approach to liberal legitimacy a fruitful move for liberalism and/or the social contract tradition? The last section contains a largely negative answer to that question. Nonetheless the chapter's conclusion shows that the research programme of political liberalism provided and continues to provide illuminating insights into the limitations of liberal contractualism, especially under conditions of persistent and radical diversity. The programme is, however, less receptive to challenges to do with the relative decline of the power of modern states

Constitutivism

A brief explanation and overview of constitutivism

Crop Updates 2000 - Weeds

This session covers thirty six papers from different authors: INTRODUCTION, Vanessa Stewart Agriculture Western Australia INTEGRATED WEED MANAGEMENT Effect of seeding density, row spacing and Trifluralin on the competitive ability of Annual Ryegrass in a minimum tillage system, David Minkey, Abul Hashem, Glen Riethmuller and Martin Harries, Agriculture Western Australia High wheat seeding rates coupled with narrow row spacing increases yield and suppresses grass, Peter Newman1 and Cameron Weeks2,1Agronomist, Elders Limited 2Mingenew/Irwin Group Resistant ryegrass management in a wheat – lupin rotation, Abul Hashem, Harmohinder S. Dhammu, Aik Cheam, David Bowran and Terry Piper, Agriculture Western Australia Integrated weed management – Will it work with my rotation? Alexandra Wallace, Agriculture Western Australia Long term herbicide resistance trial – Mingenew, Peter Newman Elders, Cameron Weeks Mingenew-Irwin Group Is two years enough? Bill Roy, Agricultural Consulting and Research Services The fate of ryegrass seed when sheep graze chaff cart heaps, Keith L. Devenish1 and Lisa J. Leaver2 1 Agriculture Western Australia, 2Curtin University of Technology, Muresk Institute of Agriculture Can blanket wiping and crop topping prevent seed set of resistant wild radish and mustard? StAbul Hashem, Harmohinder Dhammu, Vanessa Stewart, Brad Rayner and Mike Collins, Agriculture Western Australia The value of green manuring in the integrated management of ryegrass, Marta Monjardino1,2, David Pannell2, Stephen Powles1 ,1Western Australia Herbicide Resistance Initiative, 2Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Western Australia Some ways of increasing wheat competitiveness against ryegrass,, Mike Collins Centre for Cropping Systems, Agriculture Western Australia WEED BIOLOGY Understanding and driving weed seed banks to very low levels, Sally Peltzer, Agriculture Western Australi HERBICIDE RESISTANCE Cross resistance of chlorsulfuron-resistant wild radish to imidazolinones, Abul Hashem, Harmohinder Dhammu and David Bowran, Agriculture Western Australia Investigation of suspected triazine resistant ryegrass populations for cross-resistance and multiple resistance to herbicides, Michael Walsh, Charles Boyle and Stephen Powles, Western Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, University of Western Australia Genetics and fitness of glyphosate resistant ryegrass, S. Powles1, P. Neve1, D. Lorraine-Colwill2, C. Preston2 ,1WAHRI, University of Western Australia 2 CRC Weed Management Systems, University of Adelaide Managing herbicide resistance – the effect of local extinction of resistance genes, Art Diggle1, Paul B. Neve2, Stephen B. Powles2 ,1Agriculture Western Australia, 2WAHRI, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Western Australia The double knock - the best strategy for conserving glyphosate susceptibility? Paul B. Neve1, Art Diggle2, Stephen B. Powles1,1WAHRI, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, 2Agriculture Western Australia Wild radish had evolved resistance to triazines, Abul Hashem, Harmohinder S. Dhammu, David Bowran and Aik Cheam, Agriculture Western Australia Ryegrass resistance in Western Australia – where and how much? Rick Llewellyn and Stephen Powles, Western Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Western Australia Wild radish herbicide resistance survey, Michael Walsh, Ryan Duane and Stephen Powles, Western Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, University of Western Australia Knockdown resistance in the Western Australian wheatbelt – a proposed survey, Paul B. Neve1, Abul Hashem2, Stephen B. Powles1,1Western Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative, University of Western Australia, 2Agriculture Western Australia Diflufenican resistant wild radish, Aik Cheam, Siew Lee, David Bowran, David Nicholson and Abul Hashem, Agriculture Western Australi Multiple resistance to triazines and diflufenican further complicates wild radish control, Aik Cheam, Siew Lee, David Bowran, David Nicholson and Abul Hashem, Agriculture Western Australia HERBICIDE TOLERANCE 25. Herbicide tolerance of lupins, Terry Piper, Weed Science Group, Agriculture Western Australia 26. Tanjil lupins will tolerate metribuzin under the right conditions, Peter Newman, Agronomist Elders Limited and Cameron Weeks, Mingenew/Irwin Group 27. Herbicide damage does not mean lower yield in Lupins, Peter Carlton, Trials Coordinator, Elders Limited 28. Herbicide tolerance of new pea varieties, Dr Terry Piper, Agriculture Western Australia 29. Herbicide tolerance of (waterlogged) wheat, Dr Terry Piper, Agriculture Western Australia 30. Wheat tolerance trials – Mingenew 1999, Peter Newman1, Cameron Weeks2 and Stewart Smith3,1Elders, Mingenew, 2Mingenew-Irwin Group,3Agriculture Western Australia ISSUES OF TRIFLURALIN USE 31. Trifluralin works better on ryegrass when no-tilling into thick wheat stubbles as granules, or mixed with limesand, Bill Crabtree, WANTFA Scientific Officer 32. Increasing trifluralin rate did not compensate for delaying incorporation, Bill Crabtree, WANTFA Scientific Officer 33. Poor emergence survey, 1999, Terry Piper, Weed Science Group, Agriculture Western Australia HERBICIDES – ISSUES AND OPTIONS 34. AFFINITY 400DF – A new herbicide with a new mode of action (Group G) for Broadleaf Weed Control in Cereals, Gordon Cumming, Technical Officer, Crop Care Australasia 35 Herbicide screening for Marshmallow, David Minkey1 and David Cameron2,1Agriculture Western Australia, 2Elders Ltd, Merredin 36. The control of Capeweed in Clearfield Production System for Canola, Mike Jackson and Scott Paton, Cyanamid Agriculture Pty Ltd 37.Effect of herbicides Tordonä 75D and Lontrelä,used for eradication of Skeleton Weed, on production of Lupins I the following seasons, John R. Peirce and Brad J. Rayner, Agriculture Western Australia INDUSTRY PROTECTION 38. Graingaurd – Opportunities for agribusiness to help protect the West Australian grains industry, Greg Shea, Executive Officer, GrainGuard Agriculture Western Australi

Resilient emotionality and molecular compensation in mice lacking the oligodendrocyte-specific gene Cnp1

Altered oligodendrocyte structure and function is implicated in major psychiatric illnesses, including low cell number and reduced oligodendrocyte-specific gene expression in major depressive disorder (MDD). These features are also observed in the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) rodent model of the illness, suggesting that they are consequential to environmental precipitants; however, whether oligodendrocyte changes contribute causally to low emotionality is unknown. Focusing on 2′-3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase (Cnp1), a crucial component of axoglial communication dysregulated in the amygdala of MDD subjects and UCMS-exposed mice, we show that altered oligodendrocyte integrity can have an unexpected functional role in affect regulation. Mice lacking Cnp1 (knockout, KO) displayed decreased anxiety- and depressive-like symptoms (i.e., low emotionality) compared with wild-type animals, a phenotypic difference that increased with age (3–9 months). This phenotype was accompanied by increased motor activity, but was evident before neurodegenerative-associated motor coordination deficits (⩽9–12 months). Notably, Cnp1KO mice were less vulnerable to developing a depressive-like syndrome after either UCMS or chronic corticosterone exposure. Cnp1KO mice also displayed reduced fear expression during extinction, despite normal amygdala c-Fos induction after acute stress, together implicating dysfunction of an amygdala-related neural network, and consistent with proposed mechanisms for stress resiliency. However, the Cnp1KO behavioral phenotype was also accompanied by massive upregulation of oligodendrocyte- and immune-related genes in the basolateral amygdala, suggesting an attempt at functional compensation. Together, we demonstrate that the lack of oligodendrocyte-specific Cnp1 leads to resilient emotionality. However, combined with substantial molecular changes and late-onset neurodegeneration, these results suggest the low Cnp1 seen in MDD may cause unsustainable and maladaptive molecular compensations contributing to the disease pathophysiology