scholarly journals Cluster analysis in ethological research

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 23-26
Author(s):  
T.V. Antonenko ◽  
S.V. Pysarev ◽  
A.V. Matsyura

Big cats are often on display in zoos around the world. The study of their time budget is the basis of ethological research in captivity. The paper considers the features of the behavior of the subfamily Pantherinae, the daily activity of animals in the summer, methods of keeping, the exposition of enclosures, and relationships with keepers. The studies were conducted in the summer of 2012 and 2013 at the Barnaul Zoo. The total observation time for the animals was 120 hours. The behavior of the African lion (Panthera leo leo – male), the Ussuri tiger (Panthera tigris altaica – female), and the Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis – male) has been studied. In the course of the work, the compilation of ethograms, continuous recording, and free observations were used. The clustering method was applied to analyze the patterns of behavior of animals in captivity. Cluster analysis breaks down the behavior of captivities animals into two large blocks. Locomotion in animals should be considered as a separate block. The animal’s growth and development period require a high proportion of physical activity, which is noticeable when observing the Amur tiger. Locomotion occupied 32.8% of the total time budget of this animal. Large cats have never been in a shelter (in wooden structures of the appropriate size). They used the roof of the houses only as a place for rest and observation. The proportion of marking, hunting, eating, exploratory behavior, grooming, and such forms of behavior as freezing, static position, orienting reaction did not differ significantly. Play behavior with elements of hunting and manipulative activity took 5.5% of the Amur tiger’s time budget for the period under review. We associate this primarily with the age of the given animal. Play behavior was observed two times less often in the Far Eastern leopard (2.9%) and African lion (2.6%)..


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 332-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. V. Antonenko ◽  
A. V. Matsyura ◽  
S. V. Pysarev

Our primary interest is in welfare of Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica, Temminck, 1844) in the Barnaul Zoo and Leningrad Zoo. As discussed below, behavioral researches can reveal much about the welfare of captive wild animals. Amur tiger s behavior is studied and time budget is calculated for males and females. The Schorygin’ similarity coefficient of behavior is determined (82.64% and 86.76%). We analyzed the differences in their behavior before and after olfactory enrichment. Cinnamon oil reduces pacing, sheltering, sleep and rest time, play behavior, increases exploratory behavior in 50% of researched Amur tigers. The reaction time of the flemen increased in both males. Younger animals better perceived olfactory enrichment. Stereotypical behavior (pacing) have decreased in post-enrichment day.



PEDIATRICS ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-63
Author(s):  
Cesare T. Lombroso ◽  
Yoichi Matsumiya

Thirty-three full-term neonates were ranked blindly on a scale ranging from the least to the highest "risk" for future neurologic complications on the basis of available perinatal biographies, tests, and examinations performed during the newborn period. Four prolonged polygraphic-behavioral recordings were obtained one week apart beginning at ten days after birth. Five waking and sleep states were scored in each session as percentages of total observation time, giving a total of 20 scores for each baby to be subjected to analysis of variance. These measures also provided individual profile consistency or variability in maintaining waking-sleep states over the selected period of postnatal time. The whole cohort, except three infants who could not be followed adequately, was then reexamined periodically over a period ranging from 3 to 4 years (±6 months) for neurologic and developmental assessments. Except for two scores that produced a low level of statistical significance (P < .05), the other 18 scores were found to be not associated with long-term outcomes. Even the first two scores were not satisfactory discriminators for the outcome of the individual babies. However, when coefficients of concordance (W) were computed from each individual baby profile, significant statistics (P < .001) emerged to indicate good correlations between high or low W values in the newborn period and long-term outcomes. All 17 newborns who had W scores greater than 0.9 were found to be normal at follow-up regardless of the poor ranking given several of them during the newborn period. Among the 13 newborns who had W scores less than 0.9, 11 had a poor clinical outcome at follow-up, though several had been ranked initially as falling within the least "risk" group.



2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (01) ◽  
pp. e18-e23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Rønde Møller ◽  
Christina Nygaard Pedersen ◽  
Line R. Grosfjeld ◽  
Christian E. Faber ◽  
Bjarki D. Djurhuus

Abstract Introduction Cholesteatomas are benign tumors consisting of skin, and growing inside a retraction pocket in the tympanic membrane. Cholesteatomas can occupy the entirety of the middle ear, and are known for their osteolytic capabilities. Surgery is the only curative treatment for cholesteatomas. Objective To describe the risk of recurrence after first-time surgically-treated middle-ear cholesteatoma (STMEC1) on the island of Funen from 1983 to 2015. Methods Cases of STMEC1 were identified in the Danish National Hospital Register. The medical records were reviewed. Time-to-event analyses were applied. The ears were followed from STMEC1 to a secondary cholesteatoma, emigration, death, or end of follow-up. Results Records from 1,006 patients with STMEC1 were reviewed. A total of 54 patients were submitted to surgery on both ears. The total sample consisted of 1,060 ears with STMEC1; 300 were children's (< 16 years) ears, and 760 were adult's ears. The total observation time was of 12,049 years.The overall estimated proportion with recurrence 5 years after surgery was of 37% in children and of 15% in adults. The older the child was at the first surgery, the risk decreased by 7% per year. In children, canal wall up (CWU) mastoidectomy without obliteration was associated with a hazard ratio for recurrence of 1.9 (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.2–3.0) compared with CWU with obliteration. Conclusion Compared with adults, children were had 2.6 times more risk of recurrence. Procedures performed without mastoidectomy had the lowest risk of recurrence. In children, obliteration was associated with a significantly lower risk of recurrence. However, patients were not randomized regarding the surgical approach; thus, the association between approach and risk of recurrence was likely influenced by confounding factors.



2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fátima Luciana Miranda CAMAROTTI ◽  
Valdir Luna da SILVA ◽  
Maria Adélia Borstelmann de OLIVEIRA

The squirrel monkey Saimiri sciureus, an endemic primate of the Amazonian Basin, has been introduced in many localities of the Atlantic Forest biome. Introduced exotic species gain a competitive advantage in their new environment because of a lack of natural predators, competitors or diseases. This advantage can result in a reduction in the resources for the endemic species. The aims of this work were to evaluate the level of adaptation, and monitor the forms of interaction and the impact caused by S. sciureus on the behavior of the native species Callithrix jacchus in the Saltinho Biological Reserve, Tamandaré, Pernambuco, Brazil. The behavior was assessed by use of scan sampling method, every 5 min. A total of 382 h (191 h or 2,292 scans per group) of time sampling was performed. Sixteen interactions were recorded. The interaction index was low and represented 2.4% of the total observation time. Interactions were significantly higher during the dry season (58.5%) relative to the rainy season (41.5%). Callithrix jacchus was intolerant to the presence of S. sciureus and the last one was more tolerant during the interactions. In the presence of S. sciureus, C. jacchus eating, foraging, resting, socializing, and self-grooming behaviors were reduced while alertness was increased. Territorial behavior showed no significant difference. In the presence of S. sciureus, on average, the group of marmosets assembled at a higher layer of the forest stratum. The results might indicate a negative effect of S. sciureus on the native species, C. jacchus.



2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (6_suppl) ◽  
pp. 167-167
Author(s):  
Ahmad Haider ◽  
Karim Sultan Haider

167 Background: There is no evidence that TTh in hypogonadal men increases PCa incidence or severity. A US-Scandinavian group recently found that men receiving TTh had lower risk of aggressive PCa (Loeb S et al., J Clin Oncol 2017; 35:1430-6). Methods: 412 men with testosterone ≤350 ng/dL and symptoms received testosterone undecanoate 1000 mg every 3 months for up to 12 years. 380 hypogonadal men (57-74) opted against TTh. Median follow-up: 9 years. Total observation time covered approximately 6,400 patient-years. Prostate volume (PV) and PSA were measured and digital rectal examination/transrectal ultrasound performed before treatment/observation initiation and then every 3-6 months (T-group) or once or twice per year (CTRL). Biopsies were performed when indicated according to EAU guidelines. Results: In the T-group, 11 men (2.7%) were diagnosed with PCa. In CTRL, 34 (8.9%) were diagnosed with PCa. The incidence per 10,000 years was 33 in the T-group and 108 in CTRL. The mean baseline age of PCa patients was 65.2 years in the T-group and 64.3 in CTRL. All PCa diagnoses in the T-group were made within the first 18 months of treatment initiation. In CTRL, PCa was diagnosed at any time during the observation time. In the T-group, radical prostatectomy was performed in all men. All but 1 patient had a Gleason score (GS) ≤6, and all but 1 a predominant GS of 3. Tumor grade was G2 in all 11 (100%), tumor stage T2a in 7 (64%), T2b in 3 (27%), and T2c in 1 (9%) patient(s). In CTRL, radical prostatectomy was performed in all but 6 patients. GS was > 6 in all 34 patients. 7 men had a GS of 7, 17 a GS of 8, and 10 a GS of 9. 2 men had a predominant Gleason score of 3, 22 had 4, and 10 had 5. Tumor grade was G2 in 6 (17.6%) and G3 in 28 (82.4%) patients, tumor stage T2c in 1 (0.3%), T3a in 3 (8.8%), T3b in 13 (38.2%) and T3c in 17 (50%) patients. In CTRL, biochemical recurrence occurred in 8 (23.5%) patients. These patients received androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). 10 (29.4%) patients died of whom 5 were on ADT. In the T-group, there were no biochemical recurrences or deaths during the observation time. Conclusions: In hypogonadal men, TTh may decrease PCa incidence compared to CTRL. PCa was less severe in the T-group.



2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-51
Author(s):  
Pindi Patana ◽  
Meta Winda Saputri ◽  
King Marpatasino

Sumatran tiger lives in the remaining forests on the Sumatra island, both in conservation and production areas. There are not many tiger monitoring activities conducted in production forest. Using camera traps this occupancy survey of Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) carried out in a plantation forest area of PT. Toba Pulp Lestari (PT. TPL)  to obtain information and monitor tiger presence in the area.  However, there were no Sumatran tigers captured by the camera traps during the occupancy activities. The existence of Sumatran tiger was proven by the finding of footprints and scrapes. Other species were photographed by the camera traps, such as marbled cat ((Pardofelis marmorata), pig-tailed monkey (Macaca nemestrina), treeshrew (Tupaia sp.), Asian palm civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), lizards (Eutropis sp.), Hoogerwerf’s pheasant (Lophura hoogerwerfi), wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) as well as birds. It is assumed that the Sumatran tiger didn’t cross the location of research during the camera installation period. However, there are several other reasons why Sumatran tigers weren’t captured by camera traps, such as the camera traps observation time was too short and didn’t cover a larger area, so it lessens the opportunity of encounter with Sumatran tiger.Harimau Sumatera hidup di hutan yang masih tersisa di pulau Sumatera, baik di kawasan hutan konservasi maupun hutan produksi. Kegiatan pemantauan harimau di hutan produksi belum banyak dilakukan. Dengan menggunakan camera trap, survei okupansi harimau sumatera (Panthera tigris sumatrae) ini dilakukan di areal  konsesi hutan tanaman industri PT. Toba Pulp Lestari (PT. TPL) untuk mendapatkan informasi dan memantau keberadaan harimau di kawasan tersebut. Namun, tidak ada harimau sumatera yang terfoto oleh kamera trap selama kegiatan survei okupansi. Keberadaan harimau sumatera dibuktikan dengan ditemukannya jejak tapak dan cakaran. Selain itu, terdapat ppesies lain yang terfoto oleh kamera trap, seperti kucing batu ((Pardofelis marmorata), beruk (Macaca nemestrina), tupai tanah (Tupaia sp.), musang pandan (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), kadal (Eutropis sp.), sempidan aceh (Lophura hoogerwerfi), tikus hutan (Apodemus sylvaticus) serta burung. Diasumsikan bahwa harimau sumatera tidak melintasi lokasi penelitian selama masa pemasangan kamera. Namun, terdapat beberapa alasan lain mengapa harimau sumatera tidak terfoto kamera trap, seperti waktu pengamatan kamera trap yang terlalu singkat dan tidak mencakup area yang lebih luas, sehingga memperkecil peluang perjumpaan dengan harimau sumatera.



Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1536
Author(s):  
Jake Stuart Veasey

The ecology of large, wide-ranging carnivores appears to make them vulnerable to conservation challenges in the wild and welfare challenges in captivity. This poses an ethical dilemma for the zoo community and supports the case that there is a need to reconsider prevailing management paradigms for these species in captivity. Whilst the welfare challenges wide ranging carnivores face have been attributed to reduced ranging opportunities associated with the decreased size of captive habitats, attempts to augment wild carnivore welfare in captivity typically focus on behaviours linked to hunting. Thus far, this has yet to result in the systematic elimination of signs of compromised welfare amongst captive carnivores. Here an assessment is carried out to identify the likely welfare priorities for Amur tigers, which, as one of the widest ranging terrestrial carnivores, serves as an excellent exemplar for species experiencing extreme compression of their ranging opportunities in captivity. These priorities are then used to consider novel strategies to address the welfare challenges associated with existing management paradigms, and in particular, attempt to overcome the issue of restricted space. The insights generated here have wider implications for other species experiencing substantive habitat compression in captivity. It is proposed here that the impact of habitat compression on captive carnivore welfare may not be a consequence of the reduction in habitat size per se, but rather the reduction in cognitive opportunities that likely covary with size, and that this should inform strategies to augment welfare.



2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 6951-6963 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Hoareau ◽  
P. Keckhut ◽  
V. Noel ◽  
H. Chepfer ◽  
J.-L. Baray

Abstract. This study provides an analysis of cirrus cloud properties at midlatitude in the southern part of France from ground-based and spaceborne lidars. A climatology of cirrus cloud properties and their evolution over more than 12 yr is presented and compared to other mid-latitude climatological studies. Cirrus clouds occur ~37% of the total observation time and remain quasi-constant across seasons with a variation within ~5% around the mean occurrence. Similar results are obtained from CALIOP and the ground-based lidar, with a mean difference in occurrence of ~5% between both instruments. From the ground-based lidar data, a slight decrease in occurrence of ~3% per decade is observed but found statistically insignificant. Based on a clustering analysis of cirrus cloud parameters, three distinct classes have been identified and investigations concerning their origin are discussed. Properties of these different classes are analysed, showing that thin cirrus in the upper troposphere represent ~50% of cloud cover detected in summer and fall, decreasing by 15–20% for other seasons.



2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg J. Holland ◽  
Andrew F. Bennett ◽  
Rodney van der Ree

The squirrel glider (Petaurus norfolcensis) occurs in forests and woodlands in eastern Australia. In Victoria it is now largely restricted to small, fragmented areas and is considered endangered. In this study, the time-budget, feeding behaviour and related habitat use of the squirrel glider were investigated in a linear remnant of roadside vegetation near Euroa, Victoria. Timed observations of three males and three females, fitted with radio-collars, were made in each of four seasons. Gliders were observed for a total of 53.2 h, during which they devoted 72% of time to foraging activities. Grooming accounted for 16% of observation time. Exudates associated with homopterous insects were the primary food items consumed throughout the year. Arthropods, nectar and pollen, and Acacia gum formed the remainder of the diet. The proportion of time devoted to harvesting these food items showed marked seasonal variation. The primary dependence on homopterous insect exudates in this study area contrasts with other investigations at sites of greater floristic diversity where nectar and pollen were the most important dietary resources. This highlights the need to obtain ecological information from the range of habitats occupied by a species. Large trees are a vital habitat component of remnant linear vegetation in this study area, providing gliders with critical foraging resources. Retention of such trees is essential for the longevity of glider populations.



2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuangying Yu ◽  
Zhigang Jiang ◽  
Hui Zhu ◽  
Chunwang Li ◽  
Enquan Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract Captive environments often fail to resemble the wild environment in respects of limited space, unchanging habitat, lack of stimulus and contingency. Common animal welfare problems which occur in captive animals include low behavioral diversity, abnormal behavior and excessive inactivity. Environmental enrichment, as an effective strategy to tackle these problems and promote mental health of captive animals, has been recognized as an important principal for captive animal management. Among all the enrichment techniques, olfactory enrichment is a simple and effective method for improving the well-being of the olfactory sensitive felids. Behavioral problems were observed in six Amur leopards Panthera pardus orientalis at Beijing Zoological Garden. These were held in the older type exhibits which have now been rebuilt. These behaviors include stereotypic behavior and excessive inactivity caused by the spatially limited enclosures with low levels of stimuli. To determine the effects of predator, prey, and herb odors as potential enrichment materials for captive leopards, we conducted olfactory enrichment experiments for the leopards and tested the effects of nutmeg Myristica fragrans, feces of roe deer Capreolus capreolus and urine of Amur tiger Panthera tigris altaica to test for an increase in behavioral repertoire and activity. Odors provided in this study were also believed to improve the psychological and physiological health of individuals. To standardize the method of presentation the odors were introduced to the enclosures by rubbing or spraying onto a clean towel. Our results show that the selected three odors effectively increased the behavioral diversity. Ten new behavior types were observed in the nutmeg experiment, eight in the feces of roe deer experiment and six in the tiger urine experiment. Among the three odors, cats responded to nutmeg for the longest duration, followed by tiger urine and feces of roe deer. Leopards showed more play behavior in presence of nutmeg while more investigatory behavior in presences of feces of roe deer and tiger urine. Providing novel odors increased the spatial use of the exhibit and the animal’s increased use of the logs, sleeping platforms and bars in the cages. Novel odors also significantly increased the overall activity of the leopards, but the effects were diminished in about three hours.



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