Pellets Inoculated with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H57 Modulates Diet Preference and Rumen Factors Associated with Appetite Regulation in Steers

This study examined whether the probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain H57 (H57) affects ruminal fermentation parameters that exercise post-ingestive feedback appetite control mechanisms. A 4 × 4 Latin square design was used to separate pre- and post-ingestive effects of H57 in four rumen-fistulated steers. The steers were offered a set amount of feedlot pellets, inoculated with H57 or without H57 (control, C). Half of the total amount of pellets fed were introduced intra-ruminally (r), and then the remaining pellets were orally consumed (o) to make four feeding treatments: H57r/H57o, H57r/Co, Cr/H57o and Cr/Co. Rumen fluid was sampled at 2, 4 and 6 h after feeding. Preference behaviour was tested immediately after the 6 h rumen fluid sampling by simultaneously offering the steers 4 kg of each of H57 and C pellets in adjacent troughs for 5 min. Steers preferred the pellets with added H57 over the C pellets (56:44; p < 0.001) and their preferences were not affected by the treatment protocol imposed to separate post- from pre-ingestive effects (p > 0.05). Steers fed H57 pellets had higher ruminal pH, molar proportions of iso-butyrate and iso-valerate (p < 0.05) and tended to have greater ruminal ammonia concentrations compared to those fed C pellets (p < 0.1). However, post-ingestive signals did not affect diet preference more than pre-ingestive signals.

Species shifting composition of the Anopheles vector in Wongsorejo district - Banyuwangi, Indonesia

Malaria’s cases have been reported to occur annually in Wongsorejo district of Banyuwangi, East Java since 2002. However, there is a significant decrease of malaria cases during these last years, which might be related to the malaria vector species shifting composition. The objective of this research was to observe some important bionomic characteristics of malaria vector Anopheles in this area from 2015 until 2020 which include species identification, blood feeding behaviour and biting preference of vector. The data collection i.e. determination of Anopheles diversity and behaviour was conducted monthly for 3-6 months annually from 2015 – 2018. In 2019-2020 we sampled irregularly to see the trend. The results showed that there were species shifting of Anopheles vectors in this area. The proportion of Anopheles (An.) sundaicus and An. subpictus, which were previously reported until 2015 as the main Anopheles species in this area, significantly decreased in 2016 - 2018. An. indefinitus & An. vagus was becoming the majority of Anopheles species. During 2019-2020, An. vagus became the main species identified in the sampling area. The predominant species of An. vagus and An. indefinitus has exophagic and zoophilic preference behaviour. Furthermore, An. indefinitus has not previously been identified as a vector for malaria, compared to An. sundaius, and An. subpictus which are well known as an important primary malaria vector on Java Island, Indonesia.

Novel Methods In Training Autonomous Vehicles For Urban Roads

<div>This thesis presents the development and application of a novel platform to train autonomous vehicles (AV) for urban roads. Interactive and immersive virtual reality (VR) environments are developed for the collection of mobility preference, behaviour, movement, and orientation data. The resulting naturalistic data can be used directly to train AV control systems. This platform is exemplified in an end-to-end case study resulting in a multi-objective braking system which maximizes both pedestrian safety and passenger comfort. It begins with the development of an immersive VR pedestrian road-crossing environment and compilation of a unique, naturalistic dataset. A vehicle agent is then successfully trained against the dataset, learning a multi-objective brake control policy using deep reinforcement learning methods and reducing the negative influence on passenger comfort by half while maintaining safe braking operation. This platform offers the opportunity to simulate complex, human-in-the-loop scenarios AVs will inevitably face and train them for these scenarios.</div>

Natural variation at the Drosophila melanogaster Or22 odorant receptor locus is associated with changes in olfactory behaviour

In insects, many critical olfactory behaviours are mediated by the large odorant receptor ( Or ) gene family, which determines the response properties of different classes of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). While ORN responses are generally conserved within and between Drosophila species, variant alleles of the D. melanogaster Or22 locus have previously been shown to alter the response profile of an ORN class called ab3A. These alleles show potential clinal variation, suggesting that selection is acting at this locus. Here, we investigated if the changes seen in ab3A responses lead to changes in olfactory-related behaviours. We show that variation at the Or22 locus and in the ab3A neurons are not fully compensated for by other ORNs and lead to overall changes in antennal odorant detection. We further show that this correlates with differences in odorant preference behaviour and with differences in oviposition site preference, with flies that have the chimaeric short allele strongly preferring to oviposit on banana. These findings indicate that variation at the Or22 locus leads to changes in olfactory-driven behaviours, and add support to the idea that the ab3A neurons are of especial importance to the ecology of Drosophila flies.

Natural variation at the Drosophila melanogaster Or22 odorant receptor locus is associated with changes in olfactory behaviour

In insects many critical olfactory behaviours are mediated by the large odorant receptor (Or) gene family, which determine the response properties of different classes of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). While ORN responses are generally conserved within and between Drosophila species, variant alleles of the D.melanogaster Or22 locus have previously been shown to the response profiles of an ORN class called ab3A. These alleles show potential clinal variation, suggesting that selection is acting at this locus. Here, we investigated if the changes seen in ab3A responses lead to changes in olfactory-related behaviours. We show that variation at the Or22 locus and in the ab3A neurons are not fully compensated for by other ORNs and lead to overall changes in antennal odorant detection. We further show that this correlates with differences in odorant preference behaviour and with differences in oviposition site preference, with flies that have the chimaeric short allele strongly preferring to oviposit on banana. These findings indicate that variation at the Or22 locus leads to changes in olfactory-driven behaviours that could be under selective pressure, and add support to the idea that the ab3A neurons are of especial importance to the ecology of Drosophila flies.

Influence of Different LED Light Colour Temperatures on the Preference Behaviour of Weaned Piglets

This study investigates the effect of different LED lighting colour temperatures on the preference behaviour of 4-week-old weaned piglets. A total of 32 piglets were housed in two replications in an experimental pen area with four identically equipped pen compartments connected two by two. Each pen unit offered a compartment set to a colour temperature of 3000 kelvin and another set to 6500 kelvin, at 80 lux during the day. Each piglet could freely choose between the two compartments by using a passageway. Over a period of five weeks, the behaviours “lying”, “eating” and “activity” were video recorded for 72 h during the 1st, 3rd and 5th week of the experiment. The location of the piglet in the pen and its behaviour were determined by using time sampling. In the first week, the piglets preferred the colour temperature of 3000 K to perform all behaviours. In the following weeks this preference decreased. Results also show that feed consumption and soiling of the pens were higher under 6500 K. Pigs can differentiate between the different colour temperatures and use them for different behaviours. This can be used to divide pens into functional areas in order to better suit the behavioural needs of pigs.

THE IMPACT OF MEDIA VIOLENCE IN ACTION FILMS TOWARDS YOUTH’S PSYCHOLOGY AND BEHAVIOUR

Malaysia is a melting pot of cultures and a country that consists of various ethnic groups and races that livetogether in the similar surroundings. However, the similarity between every race is that most individualsview action fi lms as merely a form of entertainment and get away from stress. Action fi lms have becomea popular genre among youngsters these days. The long hours of television viewing have contributedto this fact. Youngsters of the current generation are exposed to the negative eff ects of media violencein action movies due to their social activities in which they are consumed by the media itself. Theseeff ects have a great impact on our society that regarding their perceptions and thoughts about the world.Many researchers have studied similar social issues, and several theories have been picked to supportthe central objective of the research. Thus, this research intends to study the impact of fi lms exhibitingmedia violence towards potential viewers regarding their behaviour and personality and examine therole of action fi lms depicting extensive violence and brutality in creating distorted perception among thecollege youths regarding social reality. Additionally, the research focuses on examining the popularity andpreference of the movie KL Gangster, representing the action genre in the Malaysian cinema industryamong youths and the extent of imitation of violent actions portrayed in action fi lms among potentialviewers in their daily lifestyle. Furthermore, the research also intends to examine the relationship betweenimitation, preference, behaviour and personality with the eff ects exerted by depictions of media violencein action movies on the perception of youngsters. Anak muda generasi sekarang terdedah kepada kesan negatif keganasan media dalam fi lem tindakandisebabkan oleh aktiviti sosial mereka di mana mereka dikonsumsi oleh media itu sendiri. Kesan-kesanini mempunyai kesan yang besar kepada masyarakat kita dari segi persepsi dan pemikiran merekatentang dunia. Ramai penyelidik telah mengkaji isu sosial yang sama dan beberapa teori telah dipilihuntuk menyokong objektif utama penyelidikan. Oleh itu, kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji kesanfi lem yang menunjukkan keganasan media ke arah penonton yang berpotensi dari segi tingkah lakudan keperibadian mereka dan mengkaji peranan fi lem tindakan yang menggambarkan keganasan dankekejaman yang meluas dalam mewujudkan persepsi yang menyimpang di kalangan golongan muda darisegi sosial realiti. Selain itu, kajian ini menumpukan perhatian untuk meneliti populariti dan keutamaanfi lem KL Gangster, yang mewakili genre aksi di industri perfi leman Malaysia di kalangan belia dan sejauhmana tiruan terhadap tindakan ganas yang digambarkan dalam fi lem tindakan di kalangan penontonyang berpotensi dalam gaya hidup seharian mereka. Selain itu, kajian ini juga bertujuan untuk mengkajihubungan antara tiruan, keutamaan, tingkah laku dan keperibadian dengan kesan yang ditunjukkan olehgambaran keganasan media dalam fi lem tindakan mengenai persepsi golongan muda.

The experiences of New Zealand-based children in consuming fruits and vegetables

Purpose It is known that the consumption of fruits and vegetables in children is declining despite wide-spread national and international policy attempts to increase consumption. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables so as to facilitate better health education targeting. Design/methodology/approach In this qualitative descriptive exploratory study, peer group interviews were undertaken with 18 girls and 18 boys, aged 8-11, from schools in the Manawatu region of New Zealand. Findings The results show that children’s consumption of fruits and vegetables is dependent on balancing risk and reward. Children know and understand the importance of eating fruits and vegetables; however, the perceived risks are typically the prevailing determinant of consumption. These perceived risks often stem from children’s uncertainty about whether the fruits and vegetables will meet the child’s sensory preferences. To mitigate the risks perceived in eating fruits and vegetables, children employ a range of avoidance strategies. Originality/value This study’s results indicate that a model of “associated” risk is a valuable tool to explain children’s fruit and vegetable consumption and preference behaviour and to assist in the development of future health education intervention campaigns.