Search

In ''Planta Sapiens,'' Paco Calvo addresses our ''plant blindness.'' PLANTA SAPIENS: The New Science of Plant Intelligence, by Paco Calvo with Natalie Lawrence In ''Planta Sapiens,'' Paco Calvo, a philosopher [...]

The Outdoor Scientist Temple Grandin Philomel Books c/o Penguin Young Readers Group https://www.penguin.com 9780593115558, $18.99, HC, 208pp https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Scientist-Observing-Natural-World/dp/0593115554 Synopsis: What are the aerodynamics of skipping stones or the physics of [...]

All species of grazing animals are born with natural behavior patterns that help them avoid predators. Handlers can make use of these behaviors to gather and move livestock. Calm animals [...]

I think I'll start out and just talk a little bit about what exactly autism is. Autism is a very big continuum that goes from very severe--the child remains non-verbal--all [...]

Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor comes from an autistic doctor of animal science and a university professor who has written twelve prior books on [...]

Observations were made on 73 dams on two ranches in Colorado and one in Wyoming during the spring 2022 calving season to investigate the relationship between temperament and calf protection. The objective was to compare temperament scores to the distances of protective behavior performed by the dam as the observer moved closer to the pair. The protective actions of the cow were: Approach (alerted by raising her head to presence of the observer), Protective (moved between observer and calf), Vocalization (called to calf), and Closest (closest distance the observer reached before the pair moved away). Temperament scores included chute score, exit score, exit velocity, and blood lactate. One hundred percent of the dams alerted to the presence of the observer, twenty-five percent (n = 18) moved between the observer and the calf, and sixty-three percent (n = 46) vocalized to their calf. Thirty-five (47.9%) dams allowed the observer to touch the calf, categorized as Touch, while the other thirty-eight (52.1%) walked away from the observer before contact with the calf, categorized as No Touch. In a linear model using Touch/No Touch as the predictor and the continuous variables of Approach, Protect, Vocalize, Closest, exit velocity, and blood lactate; only closest (P <0.001) and exit velocity (P= 0.011) had significant differences (P <0.05) between the means. Dams that allowed the observer to touch the calf, on average, exited the chute with greater velocity (P= 0.01). Blood lactate and exit velocity were predictors in a mixed model with Ranch as a random factor with Touch/No Touch as the outcome; no significant difference was found (P> 0.05). The Kruskal-Wallis test was performed individually on Approach, Protection, Vocalization, and Closest with predictor values of Ranch, date of birth (DOB), and hair whorl. A significant difference (P= 0.04) appeared between the medians of Closest when grouped by hair whorl; dams with abnormal hair whorls moved away from the observer at a greater distance. When divided by Ranch, there were differences (P <0.001) in the average chute score. This study suggests that dams with a faster exit velocity are approachable in the field. Exit velocity is not a good indicator of how close an observer can get to a calf in the field. Attraction to novelty could have a larger role than previously thought in temperament. No impactful relationships were observed between the temperament of a dam and her maternal protectiveness. Ranchers can continue selecting for docile temperament without fear of decreasing maternal protection.

The article discusses human knowledge and the functioning of an autistic person's brain as of October 2013, focusing on Asperger's patient Jennifer Mcilwee Myers and cognitive problems in people with autism and other related disorders. A study on the measure of autistic intelligence, which was conducted by researchers at the Rivière-des-Prairies hospital at the University of Montreal, is mentioned. John Elder Robison's book "Be Different: Adventures of a Free-Range Aspergian" is examined.

SUGAR WOULD NOT EAT IT By Emily Jenkins. Illustrated by Giselle Potter Unpaged. Schwartz & Wade Books. $16.99.(Ages 4 to 8) When I was in the third grade, I found [...]

Elephants can paint too! Written and illustrated by Katya Arnold. Unpaged. Anne Schwartz/Atheneum Books for Young Readers. $16.95. (Ages 3 to 7) This is a wonderful book for parents to [...]

OUR INNER APE A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are. By Frans de Waal. Illustrated. 274 pp. Riverhead Books. $24.95. Our closest genetic cousins, the apes, are [...]

Lameness is among the most important welfare and production issues affecting dairy cattle. Recently, it has received significant research emphasis. Certain events in 2013 within the cattle industry heightened the focus on mobility issues in finished cattle. Scoring systems are needed in the finished cattle industry to capture and measure mobility issues at packing facilities. The North American Meat Institute Animal Welfare Committee helped facilitate the creation of a scoring system to evaluate mobility of cattle at packing plants, providing the cattle industry with a tool to benchmark and improve the welfare of finished cattle.

Animal welfare is an important aspect of veterinary responsibility, yet the current curriculum at many US veterinary schools provides little training in this field. The Animal Welfare Judging and Assessment Contest provides an opportunity for students to learn about general principles of animal welfare, challenging them to apply critical reasoning skills in a competitive environment. Here we provide an overview of the contest and an example of how Colorado State University educates and prepares its students.

[PRO] Billy Melville Take four canvas-top wagons, 24 Thoroughbred horses, and 12 cowboys then toss in tight, tricky turns, a fast, open 5/8-mile racetrack, and thousands of screaming fans. What [...]

When I was young, I assumed that everybody thought in photo-realistic pictures the way I do. When I think about a church steeple, I see many specific steeples in my [...]

Dear Editor: I READ the first part of Stanley Curtis's article on a new social contract (Feedstuffs, Jan. 28). I agree with his observation that there is a disconnect between [...]

A SURVEY of 113 freestall dairies in five midwestern and eastern states indicates that careful management of the freestall bedding surface will greatly reduce swellings and injuries to the hocks. [...]

Dear Editor: In the letter I signed with Drs. Stan Curtis and John McGlone, there was the following statement: 'The entire food chain should actively work on developing viable alternatives.' [...]

THE three of us do not always agree on matters of farm animal welfare. However, we thought it important to state in clear terms what our mutual position is on [...]

Previous studies have shown that individuals with autism spectrum disorders and attention- deficithyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience sensory over-responsivity (SOR) in which a heightened response is evoked by stimuli in the environment. These individuals also display symptoms of anxiety such as irritability, avoidance, and sweating. Deep touch pressure, a technique in which firm touch is applied to the body either by the self or by a machine, has been shown to improve functioning and reduce symptoms of anxiety in these populations. A patient presenting with bipolar I disorder and comorbid anxiety, ADHD, and dyslexia was taught deep touch pressure strategies to alleviate severe symptoms of sensory over-responsivity and anxiety. The patient reported that the techniques were helpful as they allowed her to cope with potentially overwhelming situations in her environment. Clinician-rated functioning also improved over the course of treatment. This case study suggests that deep touch pressure may be useful in patients with bipolar disorder who have SOR and anxiety as comorbid conditions. (Journal of Psychiatric Practice2014; 20:71–77)

ABSTRACT: Therapists often become frustrated because a nonverbal individual with autism does not quickly learn how to use an augmentative communication device. Two individuals who can type independently describe chaotic sensory experiences with fragmented perception. Screening out background stimuli is difficult and they may perceive shape and color separately. To understand the cause and effect, that pressing a key produces a letter, or touching a picture gets a desired food, may take many repetitions. It may take time for patients to learn how the device works. Some of the sensory symptoms resemble stroke patients.

When a stunning method is being evaluated, it is essential that the animal-handling and restraint methods that are used with it are also examined. This makes it possible to determine the effect of the entire system on animal welfare. Cattle, pigs, and sheep will move easily through the races at a slaughter plant if visual distractions such as reflections on shiny metal, dangling chains, moving equipment, or people up ahead are removed. The most important scientific research on captive bolt, CO2, and electrical stunning methods is reviewed. A common mistake made by people evaluating insensibility is to misinterpret reflexive leg kicks as a sign of return to sensibility. When religious slaughter is being evaluated, the variable of how the animal is restrained must be separated from the variable of slaughter without stunning. Slaughter can be done with a high level of animal welfare.

The article explains the life and educational experience of Temple Grandin, a university professor and industrial designer with autism, which she presents in an effort to help educators understand how children with autism spectrum disorders may think. She explains that she thinks in images and associations, but often the associations are not sequential or linear. She stresses that teachers must not try to remove the pictures from students' thinking, they must find ways to make adjustments that will bring out an autistic student's strengths. Grandin offers tips for working with students at various ages and educational levels, and she provides insight into how autistic students develop social skills.