A Comparison of Behavioural Development of Elephant Calves in Captivity and in the Wild: Implications for Welfare

Compromised welfare and wellbeing of elephants (Loxodonta africana and Elephas maximus) in captive facilities are significant and global problems. The period between birth and two years old is crucial for calf survival and social and environmental learning. Behaviour and developmental processes among captive elephant calves in these first years were compared with those seen in wild calves. Wild elephants calves develop within a complex, varied social context and provide one reference for normal patterns of development. Such comparisons enable insights into welfare at captive facilities. Eleven captive elephant calves born at three UK facilities were studied from birth to 18 months (AsianN=6; AfricanN=5). Older calves (AsianN=2; AfricanN=2) were also sampled up to 3.5 years; making a total of 15 calves studied from 2009 to 2014. Due to the small sample size, the 11 younger calves were also discussed as individual case studies. By 2017, only two of these case study calves were both alive and not orphaned. Three additional calves (AsianN=1; AfricanN=2) died on their day of birth and were not sampled. This small sample highlights the ongoing lack of self-sustaining populations of captive elephants. This thesis collated systematic behavioural observations on captive calves across 373 days (483.5hrs). Calf maintenance activities (feeding, resting, moving), associations with mother and others, interactions and calf play were compared with behavioural observations of wild AsianN=101 (74hrs, Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka) and wild AfricanN=130 (252hrs, Amboseli, Kenya) calves from ~birth to five yrs. Mothers’ (captive: AsianN=4; AfricanN=4; wild: AsianN=90; AfricanN=105) activities were also recorded to explore synchrony with calves. Captive calves raised by their mothers had similar activity budgets to those seen in the wild. Expected age-related declines in suckling were found in captivity. However, captive calves were more independent than wild calves for their age in distance from mother and spent significantly more time in play. A Decision Tree for whether to breed elephants in captivity was developed; benefits that a calf potentially brings to companions, e.g. multi-generational matrilineal groups, enabling social bonding and reducing abnormal behaviours, were considered against space required for families to grow and divide naturally over time, as well as ensuring that captive-bred males are socially sustained. It was recommended that facilities invest in future enclosure/housing designs which permit: free-access to other elephants; 24hr trickle feeding; juvenile males allowed to stay with their maternal group for longer, encouraging learning opportunities and further retaining age-structure/composition. Conversely, facilities unwilling to house a male or provide appropriate group size/composition are recommended to cease breeding

Representation of neurodivergence in fiction books:Exploring neurodivergent young peoples' perspectives

In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the importance of representation in fiction books, to ensure all children and young people can see themselves reflected in what they read. Much of this work has focused, importantly, on increasing ethnic representation, yet there has been much less exploration of the representation of other minority experiences, such as those of neurodivergent young people, and how these are perceived by neurodivergent young people themselves. This article provides new insights into neurodivergent young people's perceptions of representation of neurodivergence in fiction books (and other text types) based on semi-structured interviews with 16 neurodivergent young people (aged 14 to 17 year olds) from 2 high schools in Scotland. Using an inductive data-driven thematic analysis process, three themes were identified: (1) representation of neurodivergence should be complex, realistic, and positive; (2) representation of neurodivergence should be normalised; (3) representation of neurodivergence beyond books is important. Each of these themes is explored in detail, followed by implications for future research, practice and the publishing of Young Adult fiction.</p

Maine’s Potential to Be a Global Leader in Sustainable Seaweed Harvesting and Management

A multitude of macroalgae (i.e., seaweed) species that are harvested in Maine are economically and ecologically important. Currently, management of these resources in Maine is focused on rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum). This seaweed grows in abundance along intertidal rocky shores and provides a number of benefits including serving as habitat and nursery for many species including fin-fish, coastal protection from storms and sea level rise, carbon sequestration, and is a harvestable natural resource used primarily in fertilizer and animal feed production. It is critical that these functions and benefits are maintained and harvesting activities managed to ensure a sustainable fishery and healthy ecosystem. In 2014, Maine drafted a rockweed fisheries management plan; however, this plan has yet to be adopted. The delay in adoption is now an opportunity to re-examine the plan from an ecosystem-based management (EBM) perspective. We compare EBM strategies to the existing rockweed fisheries management plan, and identify areas of synergy as well as gaps in the management of Maine’s seaweeds and harvesting activities. Based on this analysis we propose Maine adopt an EBM approach and strategies for wild as well as farmed seaweeds

Using Participatory Risk Mapping (PRM) to identify and understand people's perceptions of crop loss to animals in uganda

Considering how people perceive risks to their livelihoods from local wildlife is central to (i) understanding the impact of crop damage by animals on local people and (ii) recognising how this influences their interactions with, and attitudes towards, wildlife. Participatory risk mapping (PRM) is a simple, analytical tool that can be used to identify and classify risk within communities. Here we use it to explore local people's perceptions of crop damage by wildlife and the animal species involved. Interviews (n = 93, n = 76) and seven focus groups were conducted in four villages around Budongo Forest Reserve, Uganda during 2004 and 2005. Farms (N = 129) were simultaneously monitored for crop loss. Farmers identified damage by wildlife as the most significant risk to their crops; risk maps highlighted its anomalous status compared to other anticipated challenges to agricultural production. PRM was further used to explore farmers' perceptions of animal species causing crop damage and the results of this analysis compared with measured crop losses. Baboons (Papio anubis) were considered the most problematic species locally but measurements of loss indicate this perceived severity was disproportionately high. In contrast goats (Capra hircus) were considered only a moderate risk, yet risk of damage by this species was significant. Surprisingly, for wild pigs (Potamochoerus sp), perceptions of severity were not as high as damage incurred might have predicted, although perceived incidence was greater than recorded frequency of damage events. PRM can assist researchers and practitioners to identify and explore perceptions of the risk of crop damage by wildlife. As this study highlights, simply quantifying crop loss does not determine issues that are important to local people nor the complex relationships between perceived risk factors. Furthermore, as PRM is easily transferable it may contribute to the identification and development of standardised approaches of mitigation across sites of negative human-wildlife interaction. © 2014 Webber, Hill

Demographic Variables for Wild Asian Elephants Using Longitudinal Observations

Detailed demographic data on wild Asian elephants have been difficult to collect due to habitat characteristics of much of the species&rsquo; remaining range. Such data, however, are critical for understanding and modeling population processes in this endangered species. We present data from six years of an ongoing study of Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in Uda Walawe National Park, Sri Lanka. This relatively undisturbed population numbering over one thousand elephants is individually monitored, providing cohort-based information on mortality and reproduction. Reproduction was seasonal, such that most births occurred during the long inter-monsoon dry season and peaked in May. During the study, the average age at first reproduction was 13.4 years and the 50th percentile inter-birth interval was approximately 6 years. Birth sex ratios did not deviate significantly from parity. Fecundity was relatively stable throughout the observed reproductive life of an individual (ages 11&ndash;60), averaging between 0.13&ndash;0.17 female offspring per individual per year. Mortalities and injuries based on carcasses and disappearances showed that males were significantly more likely than females to be killed or injured through anthropogenic activity. Overall, however, most observed injuries did not appear to be fatal. This population exhibits higher fecundity and density relative to published estimates on other Asian elephant populations, possibly enhanced by present range constriction. Understanding the factors responsible for these demographic dynamics can shed insight on the future needs of this elephant population, with probable parallels to other populations in similar settings

Calcium phosphate particles stimulate interleukin-1β release from human vascular smooth muscle cells: A role for spleen tyrosine kinase and exosome release

Aims: Calcium phosphate (CaP) particle deposits are found in several inflammatory diseases including atherosclerosis and osteoarthritis. CaP, and other forms of crystals and particles, can promote inflammasome formation in macrophages leading to caspase-1 activation and secretion of mature interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Given the close association of small CaP particles with vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in atherosclerotic fibrous caps, we aimed to determine if CaP particles affected pro-inflammatory signalling in human VSMCs. Methods and results: Using ELISA to measure IL-1β release from VSMCs, we demonstrated that CaP particles stimulated IL-1β release from proliferating and senescent human VSMCs, but with substantially greater IL-1β release from senescent cells; this required caspase-1 activity but not LPS-priming of cells. Potential inflammasome agonists including ATP, nigericin and monosodium urate crystals did not stimulate IL-1β release from VSMCs. Western blot analysis demonstrated that CaP particles induced rapid activation of spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) (increased phospho-Y525/526). The SYK inhibitor R406 reduced IL-1β release and caspase-1 activation in CaP particle-treated VSMCs, indicating that SYK activation occurs upstream of and is required for caspase-1 activation. In addition, IL-1β and caspase-1 colocalised in intracellular endosome-like vesicles and we detected IL-1β in exosomes isolated from VSMC media. Furthermore, CaP particle treatment stimulated exosome secretion by VSMCs in a SYK-dependent manner, while the exosome-release inhibitor spiroepoxide reduced IL-1β release. Conclusions: CaP particles stimulate SYK and caspase-1 activation in VSMCs, leading to the release of IL-1β, at least in part via exosomes. These novel findings in human VSMCs highlight the pro-inflammatory and procalcific potential of microcalcification

Planning and Parallel Transition Networks: Animation\u27s New Frontiers

Animating realistic human agents involves more than just creating movements that look real . A principal characteristic of humans is their ability to plan and make decisions based on intentions and the local environmental context. Animated agents must therefore react to and deliberate about their environment and other agents. Our agent animation uses various low-level behaviors, sense-control-action loops, high-level planning, and parallel task networks. Several systems we developed will illustrate how these components contribute to the realism and efficacy of human agent animation

Effectiveness of a training program for police officers who come into contact with people with mental health problems : A pragmatic randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION: Police officers frequently come into contact with individuals with mental health problems. Specialist training in this area for police officers may improve how they respond to individuals with mental health problems; however, evidence to support this is sparse. This study evaluated the effectiveness of one bespoke mental health training package for frontline police officers relative to routine training. DESIGN: Pragmatic, two-armed cluster randomised controlled trial in one police force in England. Police stations in North Yorkshire were randomised with frontline police officers receiving either a bespoke mental health training package or routine training. The primary outcome was the number of incidents which resulted in a police response reported to the North Yorkshire Police control room up to six months after delivery of training. Secondary outcomes included: likelihood of incidents using Section 136 of the Mental Health Act; likelihood of incidents having a mental health tag applied; and number of individuals with a mental health warning marker involved in incidents. The appropriateness of mental health tags applied to a random sample of incidents was checked by an independent mental health professional. Routinely collected data were used. RESULTS: Twelve police stations were recruited and randomised (Intervention group n = 6; Control group n = 6), and 249 officers received the bespoke mental health training intervention. At follow-up, a median of 397 incidents were assigned to trial stations in the intervention group, and 498 in the control group. There was no evidence of a difference in the number of incidents with a police response (adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) 0.92, 95% CI 0.61 to 1.38, p = 0.69), or in the number of people with mental health warning markers involved in incidents (adjusted IRR 1.39, 95% CI 0.91 to 2.10, p = 0.13) between the intervention and control groups up to six months following the intervention; however, incidents assigned to stations in the intervention group were more likely to have a mental health tag applied to them than incidents assigned to control stations (adjusted odds ratio 1.41, 95% CI 1.16 to 1.71, p = 0.001). The review of 100 incidents suggests that there may be incidents involving individuals with mental health issues that are not being recorded as such (Kappa coefficient 0.65). There was no statistically significant difference in the likelihood of Section 136 of the Mental Health Act being applied to an incident. CONCLUSIONS: The bespoke one day mental health training delivered to frontline officers by mental health professionals did not reduce the number of incidents reported to the police control room up to six months after its delivery; however training may have a positive effect on how the police record incidents involving individuals with mental health problems. Our trial has shown that conducting pragmatic trials within the police setting is feasible and acceptable. There is a wealth of routinely collected police data that can be utilised for research and further collaboration between police forces and academia is encouraged. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN (ISRCTN11685602). The authors confirm that all ongoing and related trials for this drug/intervention are registered