scholarly journals Data-Based Variables Used as Indicators of Dairy Cow Welfare at Farm Level: A Review

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3458
Author(s):  
Barbara Lutz ◽  
Sibylle Zwygart ◽  
Christina Rufener ◽  
Joan-Bryce Burla ◽  
Beat Thomann ◽  
...  

During the last years, the interest in data-based variables (DBVs) as easy-to-obtain, cost-effective animal welfare indicators has continued to grow. This interest has led to publications focusing on the relationship between DBVs and animal welfare. This review compiles 13 papers identified through a systematic literature search to provide an overview of the current state of research on the relationship between DBVs and dairy cow welfare at farm level. The selected papers were examined regarding their definition of animal welfare and classified according to this definition into three categories: (a) papers evaluating DBVs as predictors of animal welfare violations, (b) papers investigating the relationship between DBVs and animal-based measurements, and (c) papers investigating the relationship of DBVs to scores of welfare assessments like the Welfare Quality protocol or to overall welfare scores at farm level. In addition, associations between DBVs and indicators of animal welfare were extracted, grouped by the type of DBV, and examined for replications that may confirm the associations. All the identified studies demonstrated associations between DBVs and animal welfare. Overall, the first indications of a possible suitability of DBVs for predicting herds with animal welfare violations as well as good or poor animal welfare status were given. The evaluation of relationships between DBVs and animal-based measurements (ABMs) found mortality-based DBVs to be frequently associated with ABMs. However, owing to varying definitions of animal welfare, the use of different variants of DBVs, and different methods used to assess DBVs, the studies could only be compared to a limited extent. Future research would benefit from a harmonisation of DBVs and the use of valid measurements that reflect the multidimensionality of welfare. Data sources rarely investigated so far may have the potential to provide additional DBVs that can contribute to the monitoring of cow welfare at farm level.

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shikha Mann ◽  
Surya Rashmi Rawat

Purpose-Mindfulness training is an emerging area in the field of research. There has been increased interest in this area on account of its usefulness to manage stress and prevent burnout. Yet there is limited research in the said area. Most research has either empirically examined the relationship of mindfulness training and burnout with other variables or it is a systematic review of literature in a sub-domain in that area. In this study, bibliometric analysis of Scopus listed publications is used to visualize the relationships between mindfulness training and burnout. Bibliographic coupling using VoSViewer was performed on the 87 Scopus publications obtained by using the keywords "mindfulness training" and "burnout". The application of bibliographic coupling resulted in 6 clusters. The themes of these 6 clusters as well as details of the top publications are examined in detail to understand the state of research in the area. Purpose: Mindfulness as a concept emerges from Buddhist principles. Mindfulness training is an emerging area of research, particularly in the context of its usefulness in managingstress and also in preventing burnout. In this research paper, the authors aim to systematically present the research in the field of mindfulness training and burnout with reference to most cited publications, countries, journals that are contributing the most to said area of research. Design/Methodology: This study analyses bibliometrically the links between mindfulness training and burnout for the listed publications in Scopus. For this research paper, the open software VOSviewer (van Eck and Waltman, 2010) was used to analyse the coupling of research papers in the area of mindfulness training and burnout to visualize the publications in this area in terms of the authorship. In this case, bibliographic coupling was carried out using VoSViewer with the sample of 87 Scopus publications obtained by using the keywords "mindfulness training" and "burnout". Findings/Conclusion: The bibliographic coupling analysis revealed six clusters. The overall structure of the cluster are: Cluster 2 ( 760), Cluster 1(462), Cluster 3 (300), Cluster 4 (296), Cluster 5 (159) and Cluster 6 (25). The critical papers that link the clusters are Roeser et al., (2013), Mackenzie , Poulin, Seidman-Carlson (2006a), Fortney et al., (2013, p.412), Dobkin, Hutchinson (2013), Moody et al., (2013) and O'Mahony et al., (2017). The application of bibliographic coupling resulted in 6 clusters. The themes of these 6 clusters are - Mindfulness Training Formats, Stress management & well-being, Mindfulness Training and work outcomes, Mindfulness training for Medical professionals and students and Facilitators of Mindfulness Training and end user benefits. Originality/Contribution/Value: This technique can be useful in understanding the evolution of research in the area. Given that this is an emerging area of research this paper can be useful to future researchers to visualize current research in the area and to identify areas of future research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chike Akua

What is Afrocentric education (ACE)? What are the implications of ACE for school leaders and teachers? What is the relationship of ACE to multicultural education (MCE) and how does ACE differ from MCE? What are the standards that govern ACE’s philosophical foundation and practical application? This article provides a practical definition of ACE that can be understood by the community and the academy, the theoretical basis of ACE, its relationship to MCE, a synthesis of the research literature, and a framework of basic standards that educational leaders, teachers, and professors can employ for curriculum development, strategic planning, instructional leadership, instructional strategies, and transformation of school culture in PK-12 and higher education. This article also offers a definition of leadership and Afrocentric Educational Leadership to frame and inform future research.


Author(s):  
Ayman Shabana

This article offers a survey of modern scholarship on the role of custom in the Islamic legal tradition. It begins with a definition of the concept of custom and also the relationship between the two Arabic terms used for custom, ‘urf and ‘ada. The relationship of custom to other terms such as sunna, ‘amal, and istihsan is also explored. The second, and main, part of the article traces the different approaches to the study of custom in Islamic legal studies and examines the development of these approaches. Four themes or debates are identified as the main contexts within which custom has been discussed: the origins of the Sunna of the Prophet and the early development of Islamic law; relationship between theory and practice; sources of Islamic law; and legal change. The article concludes with a summary and suggestions for future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 296-297
Author(s):  
Daniela M Meléndez ◽  
Sonia Marti ◽  
Luigi Faucitano ◽  
Derek B Haley ◽  
Timothy D Schwinghamer ◽  
...  

Abstract Blood metabolites are used to assess a variety of animal conditions for veterinary diagnosis and research. Concentration of metabolites in blood can be measured using a commercially-available lab-based assay or in real-time using a handheld device developed to be more time- and cost-effective than the lab-based method. Lactate is a product of anaerobic glycolysis, used in animal research as an indicator of muscle fatigue. Therefore, it has been used as an indicator of cattle response to long distance transportation. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of L-lactate concentrations measured using a Lactate Scout+ analyzer (Lactate Scout, EFK Diagnostics, Barleben, Germany) and a lactate assay colorimetric kit (Lactate Assay Kit, Cell Biolabs Inc., San Diego, CA). Blood samples were collected by venipuncture from 96 steers (245 ± 35.7 kg BW) prior to (L1) and after 36 h, and prior to and after an additional 4 h of road transportation, and on d 1, 2, 3, 5, 14, and 28 after transport. The Lactate Scout+ analyzer strip was dipped in blood at the time of sampling, while blood samples were collected into sodium fluoride tubes for use in colorimetric analysis. Pearson correlations were calculated to determine the relationship between the experimental methods for the quantification of L-lactate concentrations. The strengths and levels of statistical significance of the correlation varied over the observed time points, r = -0.03, P = 0.75 (L1) to r = 0.75, P = < 0.0001 (d 3). The correlation for the pooled data was weak but statistically significant (r = 0.33, P < 0.001). Based on the experimental results, the Lactate Scout+ analyzer is not a suitable alternative to a lab-based assay for measuring L-lactate in transported cattle, due to variability across sampling time points and weak correlation with the traditional enzymatic method.


2019 ◽  
Vol 74 (Suppl. 3) ◽  
pp. 19-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel R. Westfall ◽  
Nicole E. Logan ◽  
Naiman A. Khan ◽  
Charles H. Hillman

The effects of optimal and insufficient hydration on human health have received increasing investigation in recent years. Specifically, water is an essential nutrient for human health, and the importance of hydration on cognition has continued to attract research interest over the last decade. Despite this focus, children remain a relatively understudied population relative to the effects of hydration on cognition. Of those studies investigating children, findings have been inconsistent, resulting from utilizing a wide variety of cognitive domains and cognitive assessments, as well as varied hydration protocols. Here, our aim is to create a primer for assessing cognition during hydration research in children. Specifically, we review the definition of cognition and the domains of which it is composed, how cognition has been measured in both field- and laboratory-based assessments, results from neuroimaging methods, and the relationship between hydration and academic achievement in children. Lastly, future research considerations are discussed.


2013 ◽  
Vol 168 (3) ◽  
pp. 393-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christa C van Bunderen ◽  
Mirjam M Oosterwerff ◽  
Natasja M van Schoor ◽  
Dorly J H Deeg ◽  
Paul Lips ◽  
...  

ObjectiveHigh as well as low levels of IGF1 have been associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The relationship of IGF1 with (components of) the metabolic syndrome could help to clarify this controversy. The aims of this study were: i) to investigate the association of IGF1 concentration with prevalent (components of) the metabolic syndrome; and ii) to examine the role of (components of) the metabolic syndrome in the relationship between IGF1 and incident CVD during 11 years of follow-up.MethodsData were used from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam, a cohort study in a representative sample of the Dutch older population (≥65 years). Data were available in 1258 subjects. Metabolic syndrome was determined using the definition of the US National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III. CVD were ascertained by self-reports and mortality data.ResultsLevels of IGF1 in the fourth quintile were associated with prevalent metabolic syndrome compared with the lowest quintile (odds ratio: 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–2.33). The middle up to the highest quintile of IGF1 was positively associated with high triglycerides in women. Metabolic syndrome was not a mediator in the U-shaped relationship of IGF1 with CVD. Both subjects without the metabolic syndrome and low IGF1 levels (hazard ratio (HR) 1.75, 95% CI 1.12–2.71) and subjects with the metabolic syndrome and high IGF1 levels (HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.21–4.28) demonstrated increased risks of CVD.ConclusionsIn older people, high-normal IGF1 levels are associated with prevalent metabolic syndrome and high triglycerides. Furthermore, this study suggests the presence of different pathomechanisms for both low and high IGF1 levels and incident CVD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 307-321
Author(s):  
Luke O’Sullivan ◽  

The concept of civilisation is a controversial one because it is unavoidably normative in its implications. Its historical associations with the effort of Western imperialism to impose substantive conditions of life have made it difficult for contemporary liberalism to find a definition of “civilization” that can be reconciled with progressive discourse that seeks to avoid exclusions of various kinds. But because we lack a way of identifying what is peculiar to the relationship of civilisation that avoids the problem of domination, it has tended to be conflated with other ideas. Taking Samuel Huntington's idea of a “Clash of Civilisations” as a starting point, this article argues that we suffer from a widespread confusion of civilisation with “culture,” and that we also confuse it with other ideas including modernity and technological development. Drawing on Thomas Hobbes, the essay proposes an alternative definition of civilisation as the existence of limits on how we may treat others.


Author(s):  
V. V. Soloviev, ◽  
S. V. Yushkin ◽  
S. V. Maksimov*

The article examines the etymology and prehistory of the introduction of the institution of antimonopoly compliance in Russian business practice, the relationship of this institution with the institution of general compliance. The article considers the definition of the concept of antimonopoly compliance, enshrined in the new article 91 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition".The authors propose their own definition of the concept of antimonopoly compliance as an activity of an economic entity aimed at ensuring compliance with antimonopoly legislation by employees of an economic entity and an economic entity as a whole by preventing and suppressing violations of the requirements of such legislation and regulatory legal and law enforcement acts based on it.The authors also substantiate the advisability of developing a special national standard GOST R "System of internal compliance with the requirements of antimonopoly legislation (antimonopoly compliance system) of an economic entity".It is noted that the effectiveness of the antimonopoly compliance system will depend not only on the ability of an economic entity to form an antimonopoly compliance system on the basis of an appropriate national standard, but also on the state's ability to determine and guarantee effective incentives to comply with antimonopoly legislation.The authors substantiate the advisability of supplementing the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation with provisions that provide for the obligation and limits to reduce the amount of punishment or replace the punishment with a softer one in the event of an anticompetitive administrative offense by a person who has implemented an effective system of antimonopoly compliance.


2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (8) ◽  
pp. 643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher N. Johnson

Since the 1960s, Australian scientists have speculated on the impact of human arrival on fire regimes in Australia, and on the relationship of landscape fire to extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna of Australia. These speculations have produced a series of contrasting hypotheses that can now be tested using evidence collected over the past two decades. In the present paper, I summarise those hypotheses and review that evidence. The main conclusions of this are that (1) the effects of people on fire regimes in the Pleistocene were modest at the continental scale, and difficult to distinguish from climatic controls on fire, (2) the arrival of people triggered extinction of Australia’s megafauna, but fire had little or no role in the extinction of those animals, which was probably due primarily to hunting and (3) megafaunal extinction is likely to have caused a cascade of changes that included increased fire, but only in some environments. We do not yet understand what environmental factors controlled the strength and nature of cascading effects of megafaunal extinction. This is an important topic for future research.


Author(s):  
A. D. Zolotukhin ◽  
◽  
L. A. Volchihina ◽  

On the basis of research, the structure of civil procedural law is defined as a system rather than an elementary set of legal norms and institutions. Determining the significance of the system of civil procedural law, it was concluded that having individuality, such a structure is one of the features that distinguish civil procedural law from other branches of law. The authors also come to the conclusion that the established properties of the system of civil procedural law, such as unity, interconnection (interaction) and independence of application, determine the possibility of applying individual elements of the structure of the system of civil procedural law, when considering substantive situations as an independent both individually and collectively. This ensures the possibility of obtaining the required positive result and characterizes it as universal. Critically examining various concepts, the authors offer their own definition of the concept of the system of civil procedural law. The conclusion is also made about the relationship of the system of civil procedural law with the principles of civil procedural law and the procedural form of civil legal proceedings.


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