Sheep and goat welfare in Croatia: Assessing veterinary student attitudes

Research into the veterinary perception of animal welfare is becoming ever more relevant. Following previous studies on Croatian veterinary students? attitudes and opinions towards farm animal and pet welfare, the present study assessed their attitudes towards sheep and goat welfare, focusing on the year of veterinary medicine study and area of student residence. The questionnaire survey involved students of all six years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate study programme at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. First-year students filled out the questionnaire twice, before and after having attended the animal welfare subject. The questionnaire consisted of two sections. The first section included questions on student demographic and experiential characteristics, whereas the second section asked them to define the level of cognition, sentience and welfare compromise in sheep and goats through five-point Likert scale questions. Study results revealed that students agreed that sheep and goats have cognitive abilities and feelings, but they neither agreed nor disagreed about their welfare compromise. There was no significant difference in student responses according to years of study or between first-year student responses before and after having attended the animal welfare subject or according to areas of student residence. These results could suggest poor student interaction with small ruminants and, therefore, help expand the respective curriculum.

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Opinions towards Companion Animals and Their Welfare: A Survey of Croatian Veterinary Students

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10020199 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 199 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tomislav Mikuš ◽

Mario Ostović ◽

Ivana Sabolek ◽

Kristina Matković ◽

Željko Pavičić ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Veterinary Medicine ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Companion Animals ◽

First Year ◽

The European Union ◽

Veterinary Students ◽

First Year Students ◽

Study Programme ◽

Study Results ◽

Before And After

This survey was the first one investigating opinions of veterinary students in Croatia towards companion animals and their welfare, with special reference to dogs and cats as the most popular companion animals in the European Union. The study included students of all six years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate veterinary medicine study programme in Croatia. First-year students were surveyed twice, before and after having attended the course on animal welfare. Student opinions were assessed on the basis of their mean responses to five-point Likert scale questions and frequency of responses to Yes/No/I do not know questions and ratio scale questions. Study results revealed students to have strongly positive opinions towards companion animals and their welfare. The majority of student statements did not differ significantly between the first and sixth study years or before and after having attended the animal welfare course in the first study year, mostly yielding a straight, non-fluctuating line. Students were not sure whether welfare of companion dogs and cats was compromised. Study results pointed to reliable and reasonable opinions of veterinary medicine students in Croatia towards companion animals and their welfare, as well as to the welfare issues these species may be facing nowadays.

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A Survey Study of Veterinary Student Opinions and Knowledge about Pet Reptiles and Their Welfare

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11113185 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (11) ◽

pp. 3185

Author(s):

Mario Ostović ◽

Ivana Sabolek ◽

Aneta Piplica ◽

Ivona Žura Žaja ◽

Sven Menčik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Survey Study ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

Student Responses ◽

Student Opinions ◽

Study Results ◽

Before And After ◽

Academic Year

Exotic pet medicine is rapidly evolving, with reptiles becoming increasingly popular pet animals. Yet, there are only a few literature reports on veterinary perception of reptiles kept as pets. The aim of the study was to assess opinions and knowledge of the Croatian veterinarians-to-be about pet reptiles and their welfare. The questionnaire survey was conducted in the academic year 2019–2020 and included students of all six years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate study at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb. First-year students were surveyed twice, before and after having attended the compulsory course on animal welfare. Questionnaire statements were 5-point Likert scale questions, requiring the students to express their opinions about turtles, lizards and snakes as pets, issues related to their welfare, risks they pose to the health and safety of humans, other animals and the environment, and their self-reported knowledge about pet reptiles. Although expressing higher opinions after having attended the course on animal welfare, first-year student responses remained neutral to most of the statements. Such a trend continued until the end of the study. Student responses revealed that they were uncertain about their knowledge of reptiles as pets, considering different educational areas observed. Study results emphasised the need of alterations in veterinary curriculum and additional student education in reptile medicine. The results obtained have broad implications involving not only the welfare of pet reptiles in clinical practice and elsewhere but also the health and safety of humans and other animals, as well as environmental protection.

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Influence of Training on First-Year Nursing Department Students’ Attitudes on Death and Caring for Dying Patients: A Single-Group Pretest–Posttest Experimental Study

OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying ◽

10.1177/0030222817748838 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 78 (4) ◽

pp. 335-347 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Birgül Cerit

Keyword(s):

Student Attitudes ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Students ◽

Attitudes Toward Death ◽

Dying Patients ◽

Study Results ◽

Collection Data ◽

The Difference ◽

Students Attitudes ◽

Nursing Department

The study examined the influence of training on first-year nursing department students’ attitudes on death and caring for dying patients. Utilizing the experimental model, the study sample consisted of 81 first-year students attending the nursing department of a university. Death Attitude Profile-Revised and Frommelt Attitude toward Care of the Dying Scale were used for data collection. Data analysis included means, standard deviation, and t test for related samples. Student attitudes toward death were measured as 146.43 (16.741) and 152.75 (15.132) for pre- and posttraining, respectively. Student attitudes toward caring for dying patients were established to be 103.02 (7.655) during pretraining period and 111.02 (10.359) at posttraining period. The difference between pre- and posttests for mean attitudes toward death and caring for the dying patient was statistically significant. Study results determined that training was effective in forming positive student attitudes toward death and caring for dying patients.

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Association of Microalbuminuria and Bevacizumab Therapy Outcomes in Diabetic Retinopathy Patients

Nephro-Urology Monthly ◽

10.5812/numonthly.118972 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol In Press (In Press) ◽

Author(s):

Seyed Ahmad Rasoulinejad

Keyword(s):

Renal Failure ◽

Diabetic Retinopathy ◽

Fast Blood Sugar ◽

Therapy Outcomes ◽

Medical Sciences ◽

Urine Albumin ◽

Study Results ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Before And After

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a visual impairment-related eye disease developed by long-term hyperglycemic status. Diabetic condition in DR patients leads to diabetic organopathies (e.g., renal failure). Albuminuria, as a hallmark of renal failure, can be correlated with visual indicators in DR patients. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the role of albuminuria status in visual acuity (VA) and bevacizumab therapy outcomes in DR patients. Methods: In this retrospective study, 48 DR patients were admitted to the Ophthalmology Center of Ayatollah Rouhani Hospital, affiliated with Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. The retinopathy status and VA were identified before and after treatment through 45 days of bevacizumab therapy. In addition, fast blood sugar, hemoglobin A1c, urine albumin, and urine creatinine were evaluated using standard laboratory methods. Results: The VA value before treatment in microalbuminuric DR patients (0.106 ± 0.036) was significantly lower than non-microalbuminuric DR patients (0.347 ± 0.286; P < 0.001). Furthermore, VA value after treatment in microalbuminuric DR patients (0.115 ± 0.071) was significantly lower than non-microalbuminuric DR patients (0.355 ± 0.272; P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the percentage of VA increase between microalbuminuric and non-microalbuminuric patients. Moreover, the albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) was correlated with a lower VA level before and after treatment (P < 0.001 for both). There was no correlation between the percentage of VA increase with ACR, albumin, and creatinine. Conclusions: The current study results showed that different VA before and after bevacizumab therapy status was correlated with microalbuminuria status. Additionally, microalbuminuria status did not affect the percentage of VA increase in the treatment of DR patients.

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Changes in the engineering students’ procrastination self-evaluation within the experimental approbation of career education program

10.22616/rrd.26.2020.041 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Aleksandra Jerkunkova ◽

◽

Irena Katane ◽

Regina Baltusite ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Education Program ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Career Education ◽

Career Goals ◽

Dropping Out ◽

Self Evaluation ◽

Study Results ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Before And After ◽

Academic Year

One of the modern education problems being investigated is a phenomenon of student procrastination and minimisation of its influence on achievement of career goals. A transformative pedagogical experiment was carried out involving 1st year engineering students of Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies during the 2018/2019 academic year. The aim of the transformative pedagogical experiment was to promote the reduction of student procrastination levels and achievement of their goals by practical experimental approbation of a career education program. During the experiment, self-evaluation of student procrastination was performed before and after the implementation of the career education program. The methodology included 20 indicators of procrastination self-evaluation. The program included three topic-based parts: 1) understanding and setting student career goals; 2) defining procrastination levels and factors; 3) the influence of procrastination minimisation on career goals’ achievement. The study results allowed to conclude that due to the career education program elaborated and implemented in practice, substantial changes in student procrastination self-evaluation took place during the transformative pedagogical experiment. There was a significant difference in student procrastination levels before and after the transformative pedagogical experiment. The study results demonstrated that the elaborated and experimentally implemented career education program is valid and can be further used for minimisation of student procrastination, it can contribute to career goals’ achievement and for the reduction of early discontinuation of studies and dropping out of university as there is a correlation between procrastination and dropout phenomena.

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Observations on carapace color change in the juvenile big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum)

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.7331 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. e7331

Author(s):

Dainan Cao ◽

Yan Ge ◽

Yufeng Wei ◽

Haoran Duan ◽

Shiping Gong

Keyword(s):

Color Change ◽

Ventral Side ◽

First Year ◽

Melanin Content ◽

Dermal Layer ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Before And After ◽

First Year Of Life ◽

Olive Green

The carapace color of newborn big-headed turtles (Platysternon megacephalum) is polymorphic and usually consists of two phenotypes: yellowish brown and olive green. As the turtles grew, over the first year of life, its carapace gradually turned from yellowish brown to chestnut brown, or from olive green to dark brown, depending on the phenotype. Meanwhile, the turtle’s plastron remained an orange and black pattern and did not change much. In this study, we primarily used HE staining to observe the carapace color change with age in big-headed turtle juveniles. We took the carapace marginal scute tissues twice from the same turtles before and after the carapace color change. Histological observations show that in the marginal scutes of the four tested turtles with different carapace color phenotypes, melanin granules are all concentrated in the dermal layer underneath the dorsal corneous layer, but rarely on the ventral side. Melanin deposits in the dorsal corneous layer were found to increase as the corneous layers thickened, while the melanin deposits in the ventral corneous layer did not change significantly. However, there was no significant difference in melanin deposition in the epidermis and dermis of the carapace among the yellowish brown, chestnut brown, olive green, and dark brown big-headed turtles. The results of our study indicate that the carapace color darkening in big-headed turtles may not be due to changes in melanin content of the carapace, but is the result of melanin accumulation and superposition in the dorsal corneous layer.

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EFFECT OF YOGIC EXERCISES AND MEDITATION ON EMOTIONAL WELLNESS AND SPIRITUAL WELLNESS OF WOMEN IN THOOTHUKUDI

International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH ◽

10.29121/granthaalayah.v4.i9(se).2016.2511 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 (9(SE)) ◽

pp. 63-73

Author(s):

Thanga Selvam ◽

Shunmuga SelvaSivaSankari ◽

A. Nagalakshmi

Keyword(s):

Personal Health ◽

Spiritual Wellness ◽

Health And Wellbeing ◽

Study Results ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Emotional Wellness ◽

Before And After ◽

Post Test ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

The Impact

Today, yoga is considered as an alternative exercise approach to obtain personal health and wellbeing. Yoga’s holistic methodology strives to unite one’s body, mind, and spirit; it is a method of exercise mirrored in the physical, mental, and emotional benefits which result. The focus of this paper will highlight on the effect of yogic exercises and meditation on emotional wellness and spiritual wellness among women. The objectives of this study were to find out the level of emotional wellness and spiritual wellness of women before and after treatment and to find out the impact of yogic exercises and meditation on the emotional wellness and spiritual wellness of women. The investigators have adopted quasi-experimental method for this study. Results of this study show that there is significant difference between pretest and post test scores on emotional wellness and spiritual wellness of women before and after the yogic exercises and meditation.

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Stress and Heart Rate Variability during University Final Examination among Lebanese Students

Behavioral Sciences ◽

10.3390/bs9010003 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 3 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sabah Hammoud ◽

Rita Karam ◽

Rabih Mourad ◽

Iman Saad ◽

Mazen Kurdi

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Graduate Students ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Graduate Program ◽

Real Life ◽

First Year ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Before And After ◽

Degree Of Confidence

Real-life stressors, such as university examination, cause an increase in sympathetic activity of the nervous system innervating the heart, and thus an increase in heart rate (HR). Our study aimed to detect changes in heart rate variability (HRV) during different stages of an exam in a group of 90 healthy university students (30 males and 60 females), over 4 h of monitoring divided into 1 h before, 2 h during, and 1 h after the examination. HRV was significantly highest after the exam, indicating release from stress, as compared to before and during the examination when stress was observable. Undergraduate students in different academic years did not differ in terms of stress, indicating the absence of adaptation to exam procedures. However, HR and R-R interval after the exam showed significant difference between first year undergraduate studies and first year of a graduate program, indicating a higher degree of confidence in graduate students. Results also suggest that HRV in females is significantly lower than that in males before and after examination, despite men having greater sympathetic input. In conclusion, the results of our novel study assessing stress in real-time examination show important gender differences, and lack of adaptation with academic study year.

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Measuring the Efficacy of Pathology Career Recruitment Strategies in US Medical Students

Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine ◽

10.5858/arpa.2020-0834-oa ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Patricia V. Hernandez ◽

Dana Razzano ◽

Nicole D. Riddle ◽

John T. Fallon ◽

Humayun K. Islam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Student Perceptions ◽

Student Attitudes ◽

The United States ◽

Job Responsibilities ◽

Pathology Laboratory ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Before And After ◽

Second Year ◽

Medical Student Attitudes

Context.— Multiple articles and surveys in the literature suggest that medical students find a career in pathology undesirable and believe it is disproportionately focused primarily on the autopsy. Objective.— To measure the effect of applied interventions on medical student attitudes about the field of pathology. Design.— This prospective study involving medical students from first through fourth year was conducted as a pilot study in 2 medical schools in the United States. A 2-part anonymous survey regarding interest in pathology as a career and familiarity with the specialty using a 10-point scale was given to first- and second-year medical students before and after they listened to a 10-minute pathology career presentation. The same survey was given to third- and fourth-year medical students before and after a 4-week pathology elective. Results.— A total of 121 and 83 students responded to the survey before and after the intervention, respectively. Of the 121 students who responded to the survey before the intervention, 106 (87.6%) had not spent significant time in a pathology laboratory before the intervention. The majority of responses in interest in career, job responsibilities, and features of pathologists before and after the intervention demonstrated a statistically significant difference (P < .001). We compared survey scores of presentation versus 4-week rotation groups before and after the intervention. Students who experienced the presentation did not differ from students who experienced the rotation in the majority of questions related to interest in career, job responsibilities, and features of pathologists. Conclusions.— Our study suggests that pathology exposure strategies can have a beneficial effect on student perceptions of the field and consideration of a career in pathology. Overall, the presentation intervention on the first- and second-year students seemed to have the greatest effect.

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Evaluation of Combination Chemotherapy Effect of Platinum, Vincristin, Bleomycin, and Mitomycin C on Cervical Cancer Based upon Apoptosis Description

Indonesian Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology ◽

10.32771/inajog.v36i4.326 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Agus Hasan

Keyword(s):

Mitomycin C ◽

Cervical Carcinoma ◽

Combination Chemotherapy ◽

Early Stage ◽

Cervix Carcinoma ◽

Apoptosis Index ◽

Study Results ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Before And After ◽

Prospective Longitudinal

Objective: To observe the success of platinum, vincristin, bleomycin and mitomycin C (PVB-MMc) combination chemotherapy on cervical carcinoma by evaluating apoptosis feature. Methods: This study was performed at Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo Hospital and several other hospitals. The method of this study was prospective longitudinal. Cervical biopsy was performed on 15 cervical carcinoma patients before and after PVB-MMc chemotherapy. Six patients were at early stage and 9 patients were at advanced stage. Biopsy result were sent to pathologic anatomic laboratory to be made into paraffin block and further examined for apoptosis with Tunel method. Data were analyzed by using Wilcoxon Signed Rank test. Results: Study results indicating no significant difference for apoptosis index before and after PVB-MMc chemotherapy for early stage (p=0.463), advance stage (p=0.594), but quantitatively there were increasing apoptosis index before and after chemotherapy. Conclusion: Chemotherapy combination PVB-MMc for cervix carcinoma can increase apoptosis index and give a good response in term of reducing the tumor size although statistically not significant. [Indones J Obstet Gynecol 2012; 36-4: 200-5] Keywords: apoptosis, cervical carcinoma, PVB-MMc combination chemotherapy.

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