scholarly journals Negative psychological aspects of working with experimental animals in scientific research

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11035
Author(s):  
Hanna Mamzer ◽  
Agnieszka Zok ◽  
Piotr Białas ◽  
Mirosław Andrusiewicz
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Young People ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Psychological Aspects ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Animal Testing ◽  
Correlation Matrices ◽  
Experimental Animals ◽  
And Cluster Analysis ◽  
Main Component

The aim of the study was to reveal the negative psychological aspects of using animals by scientists and to determine whether the emotional tensions and stress are associated with performing experiments on animals. All 150 participants of the study conduct experiments on animals in their work. Computer-assisted web interviewing, was used to collect the data. Correlation matrices for factorial analysis of main component loads and cluster analysis have been calculated as grouping methods revealed two different categories of researchers, which were mostly distinguished by acceptance and aversion to animal testing and animal welfare. The main findings demonstrated, that there is a group of respondents who feel discomfort when performing experiments on animals. Especially young people involved in animal testing, feel remorse, emotional tension and helplessness.

scholarly journals Concept “humour” in the linguistic consciousness of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Iuliia Kobzieva ◽  
Iia Gordiienko-Mytrofanova ◽  
Maryna Udovenko ◽  
Serhii Sauta
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Young People ◽  
Stimulus Word ◽  
Gender Identification ◽  
Main Method ◽  
Cognitive Component ◽  
Ideal Image ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
And Cluster Analysis

The purpose of this study was to define and to describe the semantic components of the stimulus word humour in the linguistic consciousness of young Russian-speaking people from Eastern Ukraine. The main method of the research was a psycholinguistic experiment. The sample comprised 400 young people (aged 20-31), males and females being equally represented. The experiment proved that the concept humour in the linguistic consciousness of the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine is represented by four core semantic clusters: “laughter,” “joke,” “merry-making/joy” and “show.” Analysis of female and male associative fields shows that the semantic core of the word humour does not depend on the respondents’ gender identification. The results of frequency and cluster analysis have implied a number of the following conclusions. Firstly, humour and laughter form an inseparable unity of stimulus and reaction in the linguistic consciousness of respondents, although the psychological paradigm considers humour and laughter as two independent phenomena. Secondly, the cognitive component of humour was only reflected in the peripheral cluster “mind” of respondents’ associations. Thirdly, young Russian-speaking people from Ukraine do not have an ideal image of humour represented by a certain comedy show or relevant to any specific comedians. The generalised visualisation of humour is represented by reactions of the extreme periphery. Finally, comparative analysis of the verbalised concept humour in the linguistic consciousness of Russian-speaking population of Ukraine and people who live in Russia did not reveal any national-specific features in the perception of stimulus humour.

scholarly journals A New Method of Assessing Sheep Red Blood Cell Types from Their Morphology

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivona Žura Žaja ◽  
Silvijo Vince ◽  
Nina Poljičak Milas ◽  
Ingo Ralph Albin Lobpreis ◽  
Branimira Špoljarić ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Image Analysis ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Morphometric Parameters ◽  
Haematological Parameters ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Corpuscular Haemoglobin ◽  
Computer Assisted Image ◽  
Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin ◽  
And Cluster Analysis

Data concerning the morphometric parameters of sheep red blood cells (RBCs) obtained using computer-assisted image analysis have not yet been investigated, and there are no data on any analyses of ovine RBC subpopulations based on their morphometric parameters. The aims of this study are to determine the values of RBC haematological and morphometric size and shape parameters, to form groups according to the obtained values of haematological parameters; to determine the differences in RBC morphometric parameters between the formed groups, and to determine RBC subpopulations and their respective proportions in the formed groups. Thirty-six blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of clinically healthy Lika pramenka sheep, aged between 2 and 5 years. Haematological parameters including haemoglobin (HGB), haematocrit (HTC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and RBC distribution width were analysed using a haematology analyser. Haematological parameters were categorized into two groups: those with lower values or values below the physiological range (Groups 1) and groups with higher values or values above the physiological range (Groups 2). Morphometric parameters of RBCs were determined from stained blood smears using SFORM, a computer-assisted program. Significantly higher values of RBC area, outline, convex, minimal and maximal radius, as well as length and breadth were established in Groups 2 compared to Groups 1 of HGB, HCT, MCV, MCH, and MCHC, respectively. Based on the morphometric parameters of RBCs, three RBC subpopulations were obtained using principal component and cluster analysis: ES 1—the smallest and most elongated RBCs, ES 2—the biggest and most rounded RBCs, and ES 3—average size and shape RBCs. Significantly higher proportions of ES 2 and ES 3 subpopulations, as well as a significantly lower proportion of ES 1 subpopulation, were established in Groups 2 compared to Groups 1 of HGB, HTC, MCV, and MCH, respectively. It can be concluded that ovine RBC subpopulations, based on their morphometric parameters, can be obtained by using computer-assisted image analysis of RBC morphometry and multivariate statistical methods, including principal component and cluster analysis. RBC morphometry, including classification into subpopulations, could serve as a basis for future possibilities in the diagnostic interpretation of anaemic syndromes in veterinary medicine, especially in normocytic, macrocytic, and microcytic anaemias in sheep.

scholarly journals The structure of subpopulations of stallion spermatozoa after thawing differs between good and poor freezers

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (No. 11) ◽  
pp. 403-410
Author(s):  
Filipa Bubenickova ◽  
Jiří Šichtař ◽  
Linda Nováčková ◽  
Jitka Sirohi ◽  
Ondřej Šimoník
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Sperm Quality ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Motile Sperm ◽  
Kinematic Parameters ◽  
Sperm Analysis ◽  
Total Proportion ◽  
And Cluster Analysis ◽  
The Times ◽  
The Individual

The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in the presence of sperm subpopulations in frozen-thawed semen in stallions with different freezability. The motility of individual spermatozoa of 24 stallions from 15 breeds was evaluated using computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) immediately after thawing (T0) and after 30 min of incubation (T30). In accordance with our previous studies, samples were initially divided based on their total motility into categories of good (GF) and poor (PF) freezers. K-means cluster analysis of kinematic parameters of spermatozoa was used to divide motile sperm (n = 57 630) into three subpopulations. Analysis of variance was used to evaluate differences in the subpopulations between GF and PF stallions at the times of incubation T0 and T30. Statistically significant differences were found in most kinematic parameters between PF and GF stallions as well as between the times of incubation T0 and T30 (P < 0.05). Spermatozoa of good freezers are represented more frequently in the fast and medium fast subpopulations and are faster and more linear than those of poor freezers (P < 0.05). Sperm from PF stallions were more strongly affected by longer incubation. The percentage of sperm in the fast and medium fast subpopulations was lower in samples from PF stallions, but assessment of the motility parameters in particular sperm subpopulations revealed that these sperm had good velocity. Poor freezer samples had lower sperm quality due to a reduced total proportion of motile sperm, and these samples were more sensitive to prolonged time after thawing. Thus, an efficient sperm selection method or a special insemination technique should be used for obtaining doses from stallions with poor freezability. Our study showed that the CASA system and cluster analysis are promising tools for better understanding the significant differences in the individual stallion freezability, and further research should be focused on their application in the field.

scholarly journals Segmentation of Coffee Consumers Using Sustainable Values: Cluster Analysis on the Polish Coffee Market

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Maciejewski ◽  
Sylwia Mokrysz ◽  
Łukasz Wróblewski
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Sustainable Consumption ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Purchasing Decisions ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Long Time ◽  
The Face ◽  
Coffee Market ◽  
And Cluster Analysis ◽  
Source Of Information

In the face of the ongoing degradation of the natural environment and increasingly worrying climate change, societies and their governments should pay more and more attention to the issue of the development of sustainable consumption and pro-environmental consumer behaviour. It has been known for a long time that producers and retailers are the driving force behind adopting the idea of ​​sustainable development. Unfortunately, many of them, when preparing the offer of their goods and services, still take into account only such consumer characteristics as their wealth, the purchasing frequency and volume. In consumer segmentation, the sustainable values ​​that consumers follow when making their purchasing decisions are rarely taken into account. The purpose of the presented article is to try to fill the research gap in this area. The Polish coffee market, on which this type of research has not been conducted so far, was chosen as an example of segmentation taking into account the sustainable values ​​of consumers. The article’s main source of information is the results of primary research carried out using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) technique on a nationwide sample of 800 coffee consumers in July 2018. Multi-dimensional analyses such as extrapolative factor analysis (EFA) and cluster analysis (CA) were used to describe the results which were obtained from the research and statistical analysis. This made it possible to identify and describe six segments of coffee consumers, taking into account their demographic, social and economic characteristics as well as being guided by sustainable values in their purchases. The conclusions presented in the last part of the article may be used by manufacturing and trade enterprises, operating on the coffee market, in order to respond to the identified needs and expectations of consumers and by governmental and social organisations so as to determine the directions of pro-ecological education of consumers.

Social representations of human rights violations: Further evidence

2001 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 89-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alain Clémence ◽  
Thierry Devos ◽  
Willem Doise
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Representations ◽  
Social Reality ◽  
Questionnaire Study ◽  
Human Rights Violations ◽  
High Tolerance ◽  
Individual Actions

Social representations of human rights violations were investigated in a questionnaire study conducted in five countries (Costa Rica, France, Italy, Romania, and Switzerland) (N = 1239 young people). We were able to show that respondents organize their understanding of human rights violations in similar ways across nations. At the same time, systematic variations characterized opinions about human rights violations, and the structure of these variations was similar across national contexts. Differences in definitions of human rights violations were identified by a cluster analysis. A broader definition was related to critical attitudes toward governmental and institutional abuses of power, whereas a more restricted definition was rooted in a fatalistic conception of social reality, approval of social regulations, and greater tolerance for institutional infringements of privacy. An atypical definition was anchored either in a strong rejection of social regulations or in a strong condemnation of immoral individual actions linked with a high tolerance for governmental interference. These findings support the idea that contrasting definitions of human rights coexist and that these definitions are underpinned by a set of beliefs regarding the relationships between individuals and institutions.

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