scholarly journals PhenoWorld: addressing animal welfare in a new paradigm to house and assess rat behaviour

2016 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magda J Castelhano-Carlos ◽  
Vera Baumans ◽  
Nuno Sousa
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Affective States ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
International Regulations ◽  
The Brain

The use of animals is essential in biomedical research. The laboratory environment where the animals are housed has a major impact on them throughout their lives and influences the outcome of animal experiments. Therefore, there has been an increased effort in the refinement of laboratory housing conditions which is explicitly reflected in international regulations and recommendations. Since housing conditions affect behaviour and brain function as well as well-being, the validation of an animal model or paradigm to study the brain and central nervous system disorders is not complete without an evaluation of its implication on animal welfare. Here we discuss several aspects of animal welfare, comparing groups of six rats living in the PhenoWorld (PhW), a recently developed and validated paradigm for studying rodent behaviour, with standard-housed animals (in cages of six rats or pair-housed). In this study we present new data on home-cage behaviour showing that PhW animals have a clearer circadian pattern of sleep and social interaction. We conclude that, by promoting good basic health and functioning, together with the performance of natural behaviours, and maintaining animals’ control over some of their environment but still keeping some physical and social challenges, the PhW stimulates positive affective states and higher motivation in rats, which might contribute to an increased welfare for animals living in the PhW.

The healing power of well-being

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 145-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jobin Mathew ◽  
Cheramadathikudyl Scariya Paulose
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Neuroendocrine System ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Functional Correlation ◽  
Enhanced Resistance ◽  
Healing Power ◽  
Negative Affective States ◽  
Physiological Benefits

Neuroendocrine system plays an important role in modulating our body functions and emotions. At the same time, emotions implicate a pivotal role in the regulation of brain function and neuroendocrine system. Negative affective states such as depression and stress are associated with premature mortality and increase the risk of various fatal diseases. It has been suggested that positive affective states are protective and improve our health and productiveness. Several potential mechanisms have been posited to account for these associations including improved health behaviour, direct physiological benefits, enhanced resistance and recovery from stress among individuals with high versus low positive emotional resources. This review summarises information concerning the neuronal and hormonal systems in mood, impact of negative and positive affective states on the level of cortisol, epinephrine, serotonin, dopamine and endorphins. The functional correlation of neuronal and hormonal systems in the development of diseases and their ability to enhance health-relevant biological processes are also evaluated.

Gut–brain axis biochemical signalling from the gastrointestinal tract to the central nervous system: gut dysbiosis and altered brain function

2018 ◽  
Vol 94 (1114) ◽  
pp. 446-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Borros M Arneth
Keyword(s):  
Central Nervous System ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Immune System Activation ◽  
Published Evidence ◽  
Bidirectional Communication ◽  
The Central Nervous System ◽  
Intestinal Functions ◽  
The Brain

BackgroundThe gut–brain axis facilitates a critical bidirectional link and communication between the brain and the gut. Recent studies have highlighted the significance of interactions in the gut–brain axis, with a particular focus on intestinal functions, the nervous system and the brain. Furthermore, researchers have examined the effects of the gut microbiome on mental health and psychiatric well-being.The present study reviewed published evidence to explore the concept of the gut–brain axis.AimsThis systematic review investigated the relationship between human brain function and the gut–brain axis.MethodsTo achieve these objectives, peer-reviewed articles on the gut–brain axis were identified in various electronic databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, CIHAHL, Web of Science and PsycINFO.ResultsData obtained from previous studies showed that the gut–brain axis links various peripheral intestinal functions to brain centres through a broad range of processes and pathways, such as endocrine signalling and immune system activation. Researchers have found that the vagus nerve drives bidirectional communication between the various systems in the gut–brain axis. In humans, the signals are transmitted from the liminal environment to the central nervous system.ConclusionsThe communication that occurs in the gut–brain axis can alter brain function and trigger various psychiatric conditions, such as schizophrenia and depression. Thus, elucidation of the gut–brain axis is critical for the management of certain psychiatric and mental disorders.

scholarly journals Comparative Analysis of the Permutation and Multiscale Entropies for Quantification of the Brain Signal Variability in Naturalistic Scenarios

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 527
Author(s):  
Soheil Keshmiri
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
Multiscale Entropy ◽  
Permutation Entropy ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Affective Stimuli ◽  
Eeg Recordings ◽  
The One ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Signal Variability

As alternative entropy estimators, multiscale entropy (MSE) and permutation entropy (PE) are utilized for quantification of the brain function and its signal variability. In this context, their applications are primarily focused on two specific domains: (1) the effect of brain pathology on its function (2) the study of altered states of consciousness. As a result, there is a paucity of research on applicability of these measures in more naturalistic scenarios. In addition, the utility of these measures for quantification of the brain function and with respect to its signal entropy is not well studied. These shortcomings limit the interpretability of the measures when used for quantification of the brain signal entropy. The present study addresses these limitations by comparing MSE and PE with entropy of human subjects’ EEG recordings, who watched short movie clips with negative, neutral, and positive content. The contribution of the present study is threefold. First, it identifies a significant anti-correlation between MSE and entropy. In this regard, it also verifies that such an anti-correlation is stronger in the case of negative rather than positive or neutral affects. Second, it finds that MSE significantly differentiates between these three affective states. Third, it observes that the use of PE does not warrant such significant differences. These results highlight the level of association between brain’s entropy in response to affective stimuli on the one hand and its quantification in terms of MSE and PE on the other hand. This, in turn, allows for more informed conclusions on the utility of MSE and PE for the study and analysis of the brain signal variability in naturalistic scenarios.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Configurable, Mobile and Modular Floor-Pen System for Group-Housing of Laboratory Rabbits

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 977
Author(s):  
Dana Matzek ◽  
Hanna-Mari Baldauf ◽  
Rico Schieweck ◽  
Bastian Popper
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Animal ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Housing System ◽  
Biomedical Science ◽  
Group Housing ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
General Health Status ◽  
Behavioral Requirements ◽  
Species Specific

The major responsibility of researchers and laboratory animal facilities is to ensure animal well-being during the time of acclimatization, experiments, and recovery. In this context, animal housing conditions are of utmost importance. Here, we implemented a mobile and modular floor-pen housing system for laboratory rabbits that combines rabbits’ natural behavioral requirements and the high hygiene standards needed in biomedical science. Twelve female New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits were single- or group-housed for 12 months in mobile and modular floor-pens. Their general health status was evaluated at the end of the experimental setup. Further, we performed behavioral analysis of six additional NZW females group-housed for eight weeks in pens of two different sizes. We show that our improved housing concept supported species-specific behavioral patterns. Taken together, our housing system provides an optimal setup for rabbits in animal facilities that combines strict requirements for animal experiments with animal welfare.

scholarly journals The brain of the beholder: honouring individual representational idiosyncrasies

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Charest ◽  
Nikolaus Kriegeskorte
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Stimulus Space ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Unique Pattern ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Population Codes ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Multivariate Pattern ◽  
The Brain

In the early days of neuroimaging, brain function was investigated by averaging across voxels within a region, stimuli within a category, and individuals within a group. These three forms of averaging discard important neuroscientific information. Recent studies have explored analyses that combine the evidence in better-motivated ways. Multivariate pattern analyses enable researchers to reveal representations in distributed population codes, honouring the unique information contributed by different voxels (or neurons). Condition-rich designs more richly sample the stimulus space and can treat each stimulus as a unique entity. Finally, each individual’s brain is unique and recent studies have found ways to model and analyse the interindividual representational variability. Here we review our field’s journey towards more sophisticated analyses that honour these important idiosyncrasies of brain representations. We describe an emerging framework for investigating individually unique pattern representations of particular stimuli in the brain. The framework models stimuli, responses and individuals multivariately and relates representations by means of representational dissimilarity matrices. Important components are computational models and multivariate descriptions of brain and behavioural responses. These recent developments promise a new paradigm for studying the individually unique brain at unprecedented levels of representational detail.

INTERPERSONAL SKILL DALAM KAJIAN NEUROSAINS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Silvianetri Silvianetri
Keyword(s):  
Social Workers ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Interpersonal Skills ◽  
Brain Area ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Interpersonal Skill ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Patterns Of Interaction

The study of interpersonal skills in the of field of neuroscience aims to reveal the relevance of the development of brain function with patterns of interaction with others. Interpersonal skills are examined by neuroscience-based literature, both from books and journals. The study found that the most dominant brain area when interacting with others is the prefrontal cortex, which functions to regulate communication harmony, emotional regulation, empathy, morale and intuition. Based on these findings it can be concluded that if interpersonal skills run well, the brain in the prefrontal cortex's area will develop optimally. Conversely, if interactions with other people are disrupted, damage will occur in the  prefrontal cortex's area. This finding can be used as an initial discourse for counseling practitioners, psychologists, teachers, social workers or medical personnel for well being interpersonal skill client and patient .

scholarly journals Examinations on the relationship between claw health and the assessment of housing conditions based on a welfare index and critical checkpoints

2011 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-237
Author(s):  
S. Heinz ◽  
N. Kanswohl ◽  
A. Römer
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Herd Health ◽  
The Status ◽  
Welfare Index ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. Aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between the herd status for claw health and herd parameters. Herd parameters were derived from an assessment of the housing conditions and were based on a welfare index and critical checkpoints. Data has been collected on four conventional large dairy farms in northeast Germany. All farms have free-stall systems with cubicles offering a lying area. During the period from 2005 to 2008 on each farm claw disorders were recorded at time of regular hoof trimming, i.e. two or three times a year. Data was augmented by data on veterinary treatments of feet and legs. The Data comprises 18 119 observations of 3 690 cows. Housing conditions were assessed in the year 2008. The results show that a consequent and determined management of herd health is necessary to substantially improve the status of claw health. Housing and management confirming the rules of animal welfare will contribute to the well-being of dairy cows.

Neurophysiological assessment of animal welfare

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (12) ◽  
pp. 2370 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Tilbrook ◽  
C. R. Ralph
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Neural Pathways ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Pork Industry ◽  
Conscious Animal ◽  
Neurophysiological Assessment ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Brain

Livestock industries such as the pork industry are striving to continuously improve the welfare of animals. Inherent to the success of this is the ability to rigorously assess the welfare of animals in the field. While much progress has been made towards the development of methodology to assess the welfare of animals, there have been major challenges to establishing practical and definitive procedures to assess the welfare of animals. These include, but are not limited to, establishing a universally accepted definition of animal welfare and the choice of measures that are taken from the animal to assess its welfare. Measures of biological functioning and affective (emotional) state of the animal have been common, but there have been many limitations in terms of practical application. Some of the reasons for this include the choice of physiological measures, which are often restrictive in providing information about welfare, affective measures being restricted to specific behavioural measures and the biological-functioning and affective-states approaches being undertaken in isolation. Biological and affective functioning are integrated and controlled by the brain. Many of the regions of the brain involved in the regulation of biological and emotional functioning have been identified. Furthermore, there is considerable knowledge about the roles and interactions among the neurophysiological systems in these brain regions. We propose a strategy to use this knowledge to develop procedures to assess animal welfare. The initial phase is to identify the neural pathways that regulate the physiological and emotional processes that allow animals to adapt and cope. The next phase is to determine the activity of these pathways in conscious animals in the field. This requires the identification of biomarkers of specific neuronal activity that can be measured in the conscious animal in the field. Emerging technologies are offering promise in the identification of such biomarkers and some of these are already applicable to the pig. There is now the opportunity to apply this strategy within the pork industry to assess the welfare of pigs throughout the value chain.

Frontier concept of rabi chip for intelligent humanoid

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Preecha Yupapin ◽  
Amiri I. S. ◽  
Ali J. ◽  
Ponsuwancharoen N. ◽  
Youplao P.
Keyword(s):  
Human Brain ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Rabi Oscillation ◽  
Liquid Core ◽  
Brain Surface ◽  
Dipole Oscillation ◽  
On Chip ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Robotic Applications ◽  
Atom System

The sequence of the human brain can be configured by the originated strongly coupling fields to a pair of the ionic substances(bio-cells) within the microtubules. From which the dipole oscillation begins and transports by the strong trapped force, which is known as a tweezer. The tweezers are the trapped polaritons, which are the electrical charges with information. They will be collected on the brain surface and transport via the liquid core guide wave, which is the mixture of blood content and water. The oscillation frequency is called the Rabi frequency, is formed by the two-level atom system. Our aim will manipulate the Rabi oscillation by an on-chip device, where the quantum outputs may help to form the realistic human brain function for humanoid robotic applications.

Finding Community of Brain Networks Based on Neighbor Index and DPSO with Dynamic Crossover

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 287-299
Author(s):  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Junhong Feng ◽  
Fang-Xiang Wu
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Discrete Particle Swarm Optimization ◽  
Mri Brain ◽  
Mutation Operators ◽  
Neural Unit ◽  
Crossover And Mutation ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Index Table ◽  
Dynamic Crossover

Background: : The brain networks can provide us an effective way to analyze brain function and brain disease detection. In brain networks, there exist some import neural unit modules, which contain meaningful biological insights. Objective:: Therefore, we need to find the optimal neural unit modules effectively and efficiently. Method:: In this study, we propose a novel algorithm to find community modules of brain networks by combining Neighbor Index and Discrete Particle Swarm Optimization (DPSO) with dynamic crossover, abbreviated as NIDPSO. The differences between this study and the existing ones lie in that NIDPSO is proposed first to find community modules of brain networks, and dose not need to predefine and preestimate the number of communities in advance. Results: : We generate a neighbor index table to alleviate and eliminate ineffective searches and design a novel coding by which we can determine the community without computing the distances amongst vertices in brain networks. Furthermore, dynamic crossover and mutation operators are designed to modify NIDPSO so as to alleviate the drawback of premature convergence in DPSO. Conclusion: The numerical results performing on several resting-state functional MRI brain networks demonstrate that NIDPSO outperforms or is comparable with other competing methods in terms of modularity, coverage and conductance metrics.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document