Independent Study 490A: Do Play Groups for Shelter Dogs Reduce In-Kennel Arousal and Excitability Levels?

The objective of this study was to determine if 5-dog and 3-dog play groups had observable effects on-kennel arousal behavioral levels. This study was performed at the Animal Rescue League (ARL) of Iowa, located in Des Moines. A total of 36 dogs of mixed sex, breed, and age were observed. Two treatments were compared (1) 3-dog groups (n = 24) and (2) 5-dog groups (n = 12). All dogs included in this study had never been exposed to a play group before at the ARL-IA. Each dog was observed before play group (baseline) at 9 am and after play group (after) at 11 am respectively. Play sessions were held between 9 and10 am. Two dogs, one from each treatment, was removed for aggression issues and euthanized. Their data will not be presented. The observer watched one dog at a time, and stood in front of the kennel for 10 s, observing each dog and recording its behavior. Dogs allocated to both treatments during baseline all scored a recording level one, indicating a dog that was not displaying overt signs of behavioral anxiety in the kennel. When looking within categories, there were improvements within this category for in kennel behaviors between baseline and after. In the 5-dog play group, dogs displayed less barking (\u3c30%) and jumping (\u3c25%). The dogs in the 3-dog treatment showed improvements across all measures except for position in kennel, where no change was observed. In conclusion, both treatments showed improvement within recording level one for in-kennel behaviors and a decrease in in-kennel arousal levels post-play group. However, dogs displaying more severe in-kennel behavior(s) should be included in a future study to see if play groups improve in-kennel behavioral arousal levels resulting in improved adoptability and overall dog well-being

Study made of application of stereoscopic display system to analog computer simulation

Stereoscopic visual display system provides both a qualitative and measurable presentation for functions of several variables. A primary application of such a display system is in analog computer simulation of sets of differential equations

Models of internationalisation: The New Zealand experience

This paper examines the models of internationalisation adopted by thirty firms from New Zealand. Analysis of the international model is based on five key dimensions: firm sector and size; international market scope; market entry and servicing strategies; and speed of internationalisation. Drivers and constraints to internationalisation are also considered in the analysis. Evaluation of these dimensions over time finds evidence of both traditional ‘stages’ and emergent ‘born (again) global’ models of internationalisation, and reveals that over one third of these firms experience dramatic change to their international activities and resources initiated by divestment or change of ownership. We refer to the alternative internationalisation trajectory adopted by these firms as the ‘transformational’ model of internationalisation. The paper makes a contribution to the extant literature by providing synthesis of the New Zealand internationalisation and by building on our understanding of how patterns of internationalisation from a small open economy are changing in response to global environmental pressures

Large-scale survey to estimate the prevalence of disorders for 192 Kennel Club registered breeds

Abstract Background Pedigree or purebred dogs are often stated to have high prevalence of disorders which are commonly assumed to be a consequence of inbreeding and selection for exaggerated features. However, few studies empirically report and rank the prevalence of disorders across breeds although such data are of critical importance in the prioritisation of multiple health concerns, and to provide a baseline against which to explore changes over time. This paper reports an owner survey that gathered disorder information on Kennel Club registered pedigree dogs, regardless of whether these disorders received veterinary care. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of disorders among pedigree dogs overall and, where possible, determine any variation among breeds. Results This study included morbidity data on 43,005 live dogs registered with the Kennel Club. Just under two thirds of live dogs had no reported diseases/conditions. The most prevalent diseases/conditions overall were lipoma (4.3%; 95% confidence interval 4.13-4.52%), skin (cutaneous) cyst (3.1%; 2.94-3.27%) and hypersensitivity (allergic) skin disorder (2.7%; 2.52-2.82%). For the most common disorders in the most represented breeds, 90 significant differences between the within breed prevalence and the overall prevalence are reported. Conclusion The results from this study have added vital epidemiological data on disorders in UK dogs. It is anticipated that these results will contribute to the forthcoming Breed Health & Conservation Plans, a Kennel Club initiative aiming to assist in the identification and prioritisation of breeding selection objectives for health and provide advice to breeders/owners regarding steps that may be taken to minimise the risk of the disease/disorders. Future breed-specific studies are recommended to report more precise prevalence estimates within more breeds

Towards <i>Smart Kennels</i> for Supporting Canine Welfare: an Early Exploration of Requirements

We present the findings of an early requirements elicitation study for a smart kennel supporting canine welfare. We discuss unique challenges posed by the kennel environment in terms of design outcomes and research processes

Sníkjuþráðormurinn Strongyloides stercoralis staðfestur á Íslandi í innfluttum hundum, heimilishundum og í hundaræktunarstöð.

The aim of this paper is to report cases of the intestinal parasitic nematode Strongyloides stercoralis in dogs in Iceland. The nematode was diagnosed in 20 (0.6%) of imported dogs in quaratine in Iceland during 1989-2016. Household dogs: The first case of S. stercoralis infection diagnosed outside quaratine in Iceland was in an unhealthy household puppy purchased from an Icelandic breeding kennel (Kennel A) in 2012. A total of nine puppies purchased from Kennel A, and two dogs which had contact with dogs from the kennel, were diagnosed with S. stercoralis. Kennel dogs: In 2012 S. stercoralis was confirmed in dozens of dogs in Kennel A. Follow-up examinations after anthelmintic treatments indicated a successful removal of worms in imported and household dogs. In spite of more than a dozen anthelmintic treatment actions and other arrangements in Kennel A since 2012, recurrent infections have repeatedly been confirmed, the last one in 2015. The nematode is believed to have been introduced to the breeding kennel with an imported dog, in spite of anthelmintic treatments in quarantine.Markmið þessa yfirlits er að greina frá tilfellum sem greinst hafa af sníkjuþráðorminum Strongyloides stercoralis í hundum á Íslandi. Ormurinn hefur greinst í saursýnum úr 20 (0.6%) hundum sem fluttir voru til landins um einungrunarstöðvar á árunum 1989-2016. Heimilishundar: Fyrsta tilfelli utan einangrunarstöðva greindist í veikum heimilishvolpi sem keyptur var á íslenskri hundaræktunarstöð 2012. Ormurinn greindist í alls níu hvolpum sem keyptir voru á stöðinni og í tveimur heimilishundum sem höfðu haft samgang við hunda frá stöðinni. Hundaræktunarstöðin: S. stercoralis greindist í tugum hunda í stöðinni í byrjun árs 2012, bæði í hvolpum og fullorðnum hundum. Innfluttu hundarnir og heimilishundarnir fengu ormalyfjameðferð og eftirfylgnirannsóknir bentu til að tekist hefði að uppræta ormana. Margendurteknar ormalyfjagjafir á árunum 2012-2016 og aðrar aðgerðir í hundaræktunarstöðinni virðast hafa borið umtalsverðan árangur en ormurinn hefur þó greinst í stökum saursýnum á undanförnum árum, síðast í nóvember 2015. Talið er að þráðormurinn hafi borist inn í hundaræktunarstöðina með innfluttum hundi, þrátt fyrir endurteknar ormalyfjagjafir í einangrunarstöð,smitast milli hunda í ræktunarstöðinni og borist þaðan út með seldum hundum.Peer Reviewe

Steering law for parallel mounted double-gimbaled control moment gyros

Parallel mounting of double-gimbaled control moment gyros (DG CMG) is discussed in terms of simplification of the steering law. The steering law/parallel mounted DG CMG is considered to be a 'CMG kit' applicable to any space vehicle where the need for DG CMG's has been established

On the relationship between collisionless shock structure and energetic particle acceleration

Recent experimental research on bow shock structure and theoretical studies of quasi-parallel shock structure and shock acceleration of energetic particles were reviewed, to point out the relationship between structure and particle acceleration. The phenomenological distinction between quasi-parallel and quasi-perpendicular shocks that has emerged from bow shock research; present efforts to extend this work to interplanetary shocks; theories of particle acceleration by shocks; and particle acceleration to shock structures using multiple fluid models were discussed