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Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate 12 wk of simple and complex voluntary wheel running on Alzheimer's disease (AD), associated biomarkers, and behaviors. Methods: Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into six groups: healthy control (Con-Sed), AD only (AD-Sed), simple wheel control (SWC), complex wheel control (CWC), simple wheel AD (SWAD), and complex wheel AD (CWAD). Novelty-suppressed feeding test and the Morris water maze test were used to evaluate depression and memory, respectively. Ki67 was measured in the hippocampus, whereas interleukin (IL)-1β and neural/glial antigen 2 (NG2) were measured in both the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. One-way ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc test was performed. Results: AD-Sed group had significantly lower special memory (P < 0.001) compared with Con-Sed. Simple and complex wheel running attenuated these deficits in the SWAD and CWAD groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Only the CWAD group had significantly improved novelty-suppressed feeding test time compared with AD-Sed (P < 0.001), equivalent to the healthy wheel running groups. AD-Sed has significantly higher hippocampal concentrations of Ki67 (P = 0.01) compared with the Con-Sed. Both SWAD and CWAD had significantly reduced Ki67 with similar concentrations compared with the SWC and CWC groups (P > 0.05). AD-Sed animals also presented with significantly higher hippocampal and prefrontal cortex concentrations of IL-1β compared with Con-Sed (P < 0.001). SWAD and CWAD had no effect in changing these concentrations. Complex wheel running significantly increased NG2 in the healthy control and AD models, whereas simple wheel running significantly increased NG2 in the AD model. Conclusions: The results of our study suggest that complex wheel running might be more advantageous in promoting memory and neuroplasticity while reducing depression that is associated with AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erving Goffman is one of sociology's most influential thinkers. Scholars debate the extent to which he worked in competing theoretical traditions (e.g., interactionist or structuralist), yet few acknowledge his intellectual indebtedness to animal ethology. This article traces how naturalistic studies of paralinguistic animal communication influenced Goffman's corpus and specifies the ideas he built on from that field, especially territoriality and ritualized display. Goffman's comparative approach to animal and human interaction reveals the shortcomings of sociologists' lingua-centric approach to interaction; elevates animals to social actors, capable of metacommunication, reading others' intentions, and adjusting their behavior accordingly; and humbles humans, who he finds enacting rituals of civility for the same reason animals engage in ritualized display: to manage threats and facilitate bonding. Goffman's thesis on the similarities between animal and human social behavior compels sociology to consider animal studies, and his use of ethology helps reconcile his interactionist and Durkheimian tendencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Schedule-induced drinking (SID) reproduces an excessive and repetitive behavioural pattern that has led to propose this procedure as an animal model to study compulsive behaviours. Although it is known that cannabis can cause several adverse effects, in recent years there has been great interest in the medical application of cannabis derivatives for obsessive-compulsive related disorders. Objectives: The present study investigated the effects of repeated THC administration on rates of previously acquired SID, as well as the possible alteration of its temporal distribution along inter-food intervals. Methods: Male Wistar rats acquired SID under a 30 min fixed-time 30-sec food delivery schedule (from 30 to 43 sessions to reach a stable level). Thereafter, 5 or 10 mg/kg daily i.p. injections of THC or vehicle were repeatedly administered for 7 days to evaluate the effects on SID. Results: Repeated THC administration at a dose of 5 mg/kg resulted in an increase on licking. Surprisingly, no effects on SID were observed with the 10 mg/kg dose. However, magazine entries were reduced with both THC doses. THC also modified the temporal distributions of licking and magazine entries during inter-food intervals. Conclusions: The present results show that repeated THC administration may (i) increase induced licking at moderate doses, (ii) reduce magazine entries, and (iii) affect the temporal pattern of SID. These findings suggest that THC does not appear to be beneficial to reduce compulsive behaviour in this animal model, while another collateral effect of THC —such as a greater habitual-like behaviour— needs to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization imposes significant challenges upon wildlife worldwide, highlighting the need to understand how species and individuals respond to urban environments. Because animal behaviour is not fully plastic, these behavioural responses may also reflect consistent differences between individuals (behavioural types, BTs), or affect the covariation of different BTs in the population (behavioural syndromes, BSs). Here, we focused on the spur-winged lapwing, Vanellus spinosus , a common resident occupying diverse habitats. We caught breeding lapwings from sites throughout central and northern Israel and calculated their urbanization scores (built-up area around the nest). In an aviary, we subsequently performed three commonly used behavioural assays: (1) 'latency to emerge', (2) 'open-field' test and (3) respond to conspecific model. We repeated the sequence three times at weekly intervals. After determining that behaviours were indeed repeatable (i.e. they establish BTs), and reducing dimensions through principle component analyses, we found that the behaviours observed during both the 'open-field' and the 'response to conspecific' assays were affected by the interaction between an individual's sex, body condition and urbanization score. Lapwings from more urban areas displayed stronger sex-dependent behaviours (with urban males being calmer in the 'open-field' test and more tolerant of the conspecific threat compared to urban females). Finally, urban lapwings showed stronger BSs than nonurban ones, with stronger covariation between their latency to emerge and calmness BTs during the two subsequent assays. Overall, our study sheds light on the patterns of behavioural changes associated with urbanization, demonstrating how both the behaviours themselves (BTs) and their dependencies (BSs) may be influenced, while also highlighting the potential interaction of behavioural changes with individuals' physiological condition and sex. Such detailed knowledge can inform mitigation strategies of the issues encountered by wild animals inhabiting urban areas, and to understand why some species are more resilient to urbanization than others. • Lapwings tested repeatedly in an aviary showed consistent behaviour on five axes. • Lapwing behaviours during assays were affected by their urbanization score. • Urban lapwings showed a stronger effect of sex and body condition on behaviour. • Urban birds showed a behavioural syndrome between boldness and calmness behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal play behavior has received increasing attention for its relationship to cognition as a possible precursor to physical problem-solving abilities across taxa. In birds, captive studies reveal that exploring and combining novel objects correlates with advanced problem solving. However, we lack systematic investigations in the wild, thus limiting our understanding of play structure, context, and demographics in a natural context. The Striated Caracara (Phalcoboenus australis) population endemic to the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) shows striking behavioral similarities to cognitively well-studied parrots and corvids, as opportunistic generalists and extractive foragers with a prolonged adolescence and complex social structure. We present observations of spontaneous play behavior and results of a field experiment investigating the effect of object complexity on play and exploratory behaviors. Eighteen juvenile and adult Striated Caracaras participated across eight sessions (duration mean ± SD: 401 ± 317 sec, range: 44–1134 sec), manipulating geometric objects for 84 ± 120 sec, signaling play behaviors, and directing greater attention toward a cone and triangular pyramid than a square pyramid. Further research into object properties that elicit play and exploratory behavior can shed light on the context and degree to which Striated Caracaras might disturb novel objects in their environment, such as those used in pest management, to inform effective mitigation measures. More broadly, comparative research into curiosity, exploration and play, as well as cognitive capabilities, across all caracara species would expand our empirically driven knowledge of the socio-ecological contexts that give rise to these behaviors and traits in birds. El comportamiento de juego animal ha recibido cada vez más atención por su relación con la cognición como un posible precursor de habilidades físicas para resolver problemas a través de diversos taxones. En las aves, estudios en cautiverio revelan que explorar y combinar objetos novedosos se correlaciona con habilidades avanzadas para resolver problemas. Sin embargo, carecemos de investigaciones sistemáticas en la naturaleza, limitando así nuestra comprensión de la estructura del juego, el contexto y la demografía en un entorno natural. La población endémica de Phalcoboenus australis de las Islas Falkland (Malvinas) muestra notables similitudes de comportamiento con loros y córvidos que han sido bien estudiados cognitivamente, como generalistas oportunistas y forrajeadores extractivos con una adolescencia prolongada y una estructura social compleja. Presentamos observaciones de comportamiento de juego espontáneo y resultados de un experimento de campo que investiga el efecto de la complejidad del objeto en el juego y de los comportamientos exploratorios. Dieciocho juveniles y adultos de P. australis participaron en ocho sesiones (duración media ± DE: 401 ± 317 segundos, rango: 44–1134 segundos), manipulando objetos geométricos durante 84 ± 120 segundos, mostrando comportamientos de juego y dirigiendo mayor atención hacia un cono y una pirámide triangular que hacia una pirámide cuadrada. Investigaciones adicionales sobre las propiedades de los objetos que provocan el juego y el comportamiento exploratorio pueden arrojar luz sobre el contexto y el grado en que los individuos de P. australis podrían alterar objetos novedosos en su ambiente, como los utilizados en el control de plagas, para informar medidas de mitigación efectivas. Más ampliamente, la investigación comparativa sobre la curiosidad, la exploración y el juego, así como las capacidades cognitivas en todas las especies de Phalcoboenus, expandiría nuestro conocimiento empíricamente fundamentado de los contextos socioecológicos que dan origen a estos comportamientos y rasgos en las aves. [Traducción del equipo editorial] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Zealand Journal of Zoology has published a special issue on animal behavior in Aotearoa New Zealand and the South Pacific. The issue covers a wide range of topics, including habitat use in birds and bats, species and population differences in behavior, reproductive behaviors, vocal behavior, and the neural mechanisms underlying sex-changing behavior in the New Zealand spotty wrasse. The research presented in this issue highlights the importance of studying animal behavior for conservation and understanding native and exotic species. The editors express excitement for future special issues that further explore this field in Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond. [Extracted from the article]

This study compares the performance of Transformers with LSTM for the classification of the behavioural time budget in horses based on video data. The behavioural time budget of a horse consists of amount of time of the activities such as feeding, resting, lying, and moving, which are important indicators of welfare and can be a basis of pain detection. Video technology offers a non-invasive and continuous monitoring approach for automated detection of horse behaviours. Computer vision and deep learning methods have been used for automated monitoring of animal behaviours, but accurate behaviour recognition remains a challenge. Previous studies have employed Convolutional LSTM models for behaviour classification, and more recently, Transformer-based models have shown superior performance in various tasks. This study proposes a multi-input, multi-output classification methodology to address the challenges of accurately detecting and classifying horse behaviours. The results demonstrate that the multi-input and multi-output Transformer model achieves the best performance in behaviour classification compared with single input and single output strategy. The proposed methodology provides a basis for detecting changes in behaviour time budgets related to pain and discomfort in horses, which can be valuable for monitoring and treating horse health problems. • Changes in behaviour time budgets has potential to detect health issues in horses. • A comparison of LSTM and Transformer models for equine behaviour classification. • A novel multi-input, multi-output methodology for equine behaviour classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curiosity is a core driver for life‐long learning, problem‐solving and decision‐making. In a broad sense, curiosity is defined as the intrinsically motivated acquisition of novel information. Despite a decades‐long history of curiosity research and the earliest human theories arising from studies of laboratory rodents, curiosity has mainly been considered in two camps: 'linguistic human' and 'other'. This is despite psychology being heritable, and there are many continuities in cognitive capacities across the animal kingdom. Boundary‐pushing cross‐disciplinary debates on curiosity are lacking, and the relative exclusion of pre‐linguistic infants and non‐human animals has led to a scientific impasse which more broadly impedes the development of artificially intelligent systems modelled on curiosity in natural agents. In this review, we synthesize literature across multiple disciplines that have studied curiosity in non‐verbal systems. By highlighting how similar findings have been produced across the separate disciplines of animal behaviour, developmental psychology, neuroscience, and computational cognition, we discuss how this can be used to advance our understanding of curiosity. We propose, for the first time, how features of curiosity could be quantified and therefore studied more operationally across systems: across different species, developmental stages, and natural or artificial agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professor Wolfgang Wickler, a highly respected and knowledgeable scientist, passed away on January 12, 2024. He made significant contributions to the field of ethology, particularly in the areas of animal behavior and evolutionary biology. Throughout his career, he emphasized comparative work and conducted extensive field research in Africa and other locations. Professor Wickler was also known for his leadership skills and his ability to foster independent research among his students and colleagues. He published numerous articles and books, both for scientific audiences and the general public, and was dedicated to sharing the insights of ethology with a wider audience. His impact on the field of ethology and his dedication to scientific excellence will be greatly missed. [Extracted from the article]

For decades, texts on methods in animal behavior research have stressed the need for observers of behavior to work to minimize potential unconscious biases in their coding of data. Two major ways of minimizing these biases are to carry out data coding blind to the key comparisons being made in the study and to have high inter‐observer reliability. Over 10 years ago, Burghardt et al. (2012, Ethology, 118, 511) reviewed five major journals in the field of animal behavior and coded randomly selected articles from five decadal volumes (1970 to 2010). That earlier article found poor rates of reporting these two common methods for minimizing potential biases. Here, we carried out similar coding for the 2020 volumes from those same five journals. We found that rates of reporting have increased in all five journals – some substantially. However, rates of reporting still lag behind the journal Infancy, which publishes research on human infant development and relies on many of the same behavioral observation and coding methods used by animal behavior researchers. Given increased calls for transparency and reproducibility in many different fields of scientific study, we argue that we – researchers, reviewers, and editors – can and need to do better at making sure we are actively conducting research in ways to minimize potential observer biases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism spectrum is characterized by difficulties in social communication and interactions and limited, restricted patterns of behavior, interests, and activity. It is diagnosed and described on the basis of behavioral characteristics. Therefore, behavior research plays a critical role in better understanding the functioning of this group of children. Studies on their interests and curiosity take mainly the form of experiments on visual and object exploration. We argue that important aspects of behavior might be neglected within these studies and propose to refine the approach by incorporating the achievements of classic ethology, contemporary measurement and analytical tools, and the theory of integrative levels. We conclude with an outline of the proposed approach in a short list of major methodological postulates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wild boar trapping has been used as a management tool to control wild boar populations. However, it is increasingly criticized due to animal welfare concerns. While cortisol levels have been used to assess trap-related stress in wild boar, data on trap-related injuries and behavioral data are scarce. We aimed to evaluate three different corral-style traps for wild boar according to available mammal trapping standards to investigate and refine animal welfare in wild boar trapping. We examined 138 wild boars captured and killed by head shot in 27 capture events. Traps were closed by remote control only if the complete group were trapped. The behavior of the animals in the trap and during culling was recorded on video. All wild boars were examined and a pathological and radiological examination of the heads for trap- and shot-related injuries followed. Trap-related injuries occurred in 33% of the animals with superficial mild skin defects to skull fractures. One out of three traps met all the set requirements. A wire-meshed trapping system failed all. After installing an incomplete barrier in the center of the trap to slow down trapped animals, the fracture rate in one trap type was significantly reduced by 29% (p < 0.05). Our data showed that the type of trap (p = 0.007) and the number of animals trapped at once (p = 0.002) had a significant influence on the number of escape attempts. Trapping larger groups reduced the escape attempts. We emphasize the importance of an accurate pathological examination to evaluate animal welfare in traps and call for adjusting the injury categories listed in the standards and make a proposal for wild boar live trapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many 'hard-wired', innate animal behaviors are related to reproduction. So what happens when reproductive systems evolve? New research in nematodes has identified principles underlying the co-evolution of reproductive strategy and sexual behavior, revealing some surprises and raising intriguing new questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Population density is a prevalent environmental factor that influences animal behavior, yet its impact on the formation of animal personality remains largely unexplored. In this study, we reared juvenile crayfish under varying population densities and assessed their personality traits (shyness, exploration, and aggression) upon reaching sexual maturity. Our findings indicated the behavioral repeatability was widespread in crayfish at different densities. Shyness was negatively correlated with exploratory behavior in all crayfish, whereas aggression was positively correlated with exploratory behavior in medium- and high-density female crayfish, indicating the presence of behavioral syndromes within the species. Crayfish raised at medium and high densities were less shy, more exploratory, and more aggressive than low-density individuals. These findings suggest that population density can be an important factor in influencing the personality traits of animals. Personality is widely observed in animals and has important ecological and evolutionary implications. In addition to being heritable, personality traits are also influenced by the environment. Population density commonly affects animal behavior, but the way in which it shapes animal personality remains largely unknown. In this study, we reared juvenile crayfish at different population densities and measured their personality traits (shyness, exploration, and aggression) after reaching sexual maturity. Our results showed repeatability for each behavior in all treatments, except for the shyness of females at medium density. There was a negative correlation between shyness and exploration in each treatment, and aggression and exploration were positively correlated in medium- and high-density females. These indicate the presence of a behavior syndrome. On average, the crayfish raised at higher population densities were less shy, more exploratory, and more aggressive. We found no behavioral differences between the sexes in crayfish. These results suggested that population density may affect the average values of behavioral traits rather than the occurrence of personality traits. Our study highlights the importance of considering population density as a factor influencing personality traits in animals and, therefore, might help us to understand animal personality development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Do nonhuman primates, such as Tibetan macaques, exhibit personalities that influence their collective movements? In this study, we not only confirmed the presence of three personality types in Tibetan macaques but also found that individuals with higher sociability scores, higher rank, or lower anxiousness scores were more likely to initiate successful collective movement. We found that macaques with lower anxiousness scores or higher rank attracted more followers, and that higher-rank individuals tended to join movements earlier. Moreover, individuals with higher sociability and boldness scores exhibited shorter joining latency in group movements. These findings provide valuable insights into how personality influences collective movement in nonhuman primates. Collective movement has emerged as a key area of interest in animal behavior. While individual differences are often viewed as a potential threat to group cohesion, growing evidence suggests that these differences can actually influence an animal's behavior as an initiator or follower during collective movements, thereby driving the group's movement and decision-making processes. To resolve the divergence, we asked how personality can affect the dynamics of collective movements in one group of free-ranging Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) in Huangshan, China. We assessed individual personality using principal component analysis and applied the generalized linear mixed model and linear mixed model to examine the influence of personality on decision making during collective movements. Our findings reveled three distinct personality types among Tibetan macaques: sociability, boldness, and anxiousness. Individuals with higher sociability scores and rank, or those with lower anxiousness scores, were more likely to initiate successful collective movements. Older individuals were less successful in initiating movements compared to young adults. Leaders with lower anxiousness scores or higher rank attracted more followers, with females attracting larger groups than males. As for followers, individuals with higher rank tended to join the collective movement earlier. Additionally, individuals with higher sociability or boldness scores had shorter joining latency in collective movement. Finally, there was a longer joining latency for middle-aged adults compared to young adults. These results suggest that individual differences are a potential driver of collective movements. We provide some insights into the relationships between personality and decision making in Tibetan macaques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This article focuses on students dedicated to the study of agronomy. To identify the general perception of students about animal welfare in production systems, four categories were developed and presented through a survey. The four constructs of animal welfare used in this study were as follows: (1) sociodemographic aspects; (2) generalities about animal welfare; (3) ethical and bioethical dimensions of animal welfare; and (4) animal welfare within the framework of bio law. The results indicate that most respondents agreed that animal welfare is important within animal production systems and that causing unnecessary suffering to animals is ethically questionable. Overall, the results indicated significant associations between sociodemographic factors and the different ethical perspectives related to animal welfare, concerning aspects of suffering and the use of animals in experimentation or entertainment activities. These sociodemographic factors mentioned included gender, educational level, and upbringing environment. Understanding the perceptions of university students in agronomy regarding animal welfare is the necessary substrate to improve on and update study programs related to animal production systems. This should be paramount in the training of future professionals who will manage animal welfare issues as part of their future careers in the livestock sector. Ethical considerations regarding our treatment of animals have gained strength, leading to legislation and a societal focus across various disciplines. This is a subject of study within curricula related to agri-food sciences. The aim was to determine the perceptions of agronomy university students concerning animal welfare in livestock production systems. A survey was conducted to encompass various aspects, from participants' sociodemographic attributes to their attitudes and behaviors regarding animal welfare and the consumption of animal products. Statistical analysis, performed using R software, delved into the associations between participants' characteristics and their perspectives on the ethical, bioethical, and legal dimensions of animal welfare. Associations between demographic factors and ethical viewpoints among students were identified. Gender differences emerged in animal treatment perceptions, while rural and urban environments impacted perspectives on various animals. Bioethical considerations revealed distinctive disparities based on gender and education in concerns regarding animal welfare, value perceptions, evaluations of animal behaviors, and opinions on animal research. It is crucial to distinguish between animal welfare and the ethical considerations arising from coexisting with sentient beings capable of experiencing suffering. Ethical theories provide a lens through which we perceive our obligations toward animals. The responsibility to ensure animal welfare is firmly rooted in recognizing that animals, like humans, experience pain and physical suffering. Consequently, actions causing unjustified suffering or mistreatment, particularly for entertainment purposes, are considered morally unacceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal behavior is a useful way to evaluate the environment and can be a predictive tool to assess not only the effects of treatments in a laboratory setting, but also the status of ecological habitats. As invasive species of crayfish encroach on territories of native species, the social behaviors and interactions can be informative for ecological studies. For a wider and more impactful effect, training community scientists using a scoring system to record the social interactions of crayfish that includes both the level of aggression and intensity would provide useable data to monitor the environment. Amateur scientists with little training were fairly reliable in their average scoring of the crayfish and the maximum behavior score with an expert as well as among themselves. However, the number of interactions was not as a reliable metric to compare with the expert or just among the amateurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network oscillation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a key role in attention, novelty detection and anxiety; however, its involvement in cognitive impairment caused by acute systemic inflammation is unclear. To investigate the acute effects of systemic inflammation on ACC network oscillation and cognitive function, we analyzed cytokine level and cognitive performance as well as network oscillation in the mouse ACC Cg1 region, within 4 hours after lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 30 μg/kg) administration. While the interleukin-6 concentration in the serum was evidently higher in LPS-treated mice, the increases in the cerebral cortex interleukin-6 did not reach statistical significance. The power of kainic acid (KA)-induced network oscillation in the ACC Cg1 region slice preparation increased in LPS-treated mice. Notably, histamine, which was added in vitro, increased the oscillation power in the brain slices from LPS-untreated mice; for the LPS-treated mice, however, the effect of histamine was suppressive. In the open field test, frequency of entries into the center area showed a negative correlation with the power of network oscillation (0.3 μM of KA, theta band (3–8 Hz); 3.0 μM of KA, high-gamma band (50–80 Hz)). These results suggest that LPS-induced systemic inflammation results in increased network oscillation and a drastic change in histamine sensitivity in the ACC, accompanied by the robust production of systemic pro-inflammatory cytokines in the periphery, and that these alterations in the network oscillation and animal behavior as an acute phase reaction relate with each other. We suggest that our experimental setting has a distinct advantage in obtaining mechanistic insights into inflammatory cognitive impairment through comprehensive analyses of hormonal molecules and neuronal functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Interspecific competition occurs when two or more species require similar resources. Competition could be avoided by selecting a habitat with fewer competitors. While this behavior is well known, the identification mechanism is poorly understood. Mosquitoes select larval habitats during oviposition, and high competitor densities reduce larval survival. In this study, we show that ovipositing mosquito females can detect and avoid pools containing crowding signals originating from interspecific larvae. Furthermore, when larvae were not crowded, the habitat was found to be attractive to conspecifics. These findings increase our understanding of signals affecting mosquito oviposition, competitor recognition, and habitat selection under competition conditions. Numerous species of animals alter their behavior in response to increasing competition. To do so, they must possess the ability to detect the presence and density of interspecific competitors. We studied the role of semiochemicals released by increasing densities of larval Culiseta longiareolata Macquart on female oviposition habitat selection in two field experiments. Similarly to C. longiareolata larvae, subordinate Culex laticinctus Edwards are periphyton grazers who dwell in rain-filled pools in the Mediterranean region. We show that C. laticinctus females oviposited significantly less in mesocosm pools that were treated with crowding signals originating from C. longiareolata larvae. In the second experiment, we placed a similar number of larvae directly inside the 50 L mesocosms. These low-density mesocosms did not affect C. laticinctus oviposition but were attractive to conspecific oviposition. These results increase our understanding of the female ability to detect species-specific signals, indicating increased larval competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rabies remains a public health problem in middle-income countries like Iran, despite being preventable. This study aimed to evaluate the six-year incidence of animal bites in the southern Caspian Sea region from 2016 to 2022, and focus on estimating the direct costs of animal bite cases using the incidence-based method. Methods: A multicenter, registry-based study was conducted using surveillance data of animal bites. Results: Of the 40 922 cases reported during the study period, 65.9% were male and 34.1% were female. Animal bites were most frequent among individuals over 50 years of age (23.5%), while children under 10 years of age had the lowest frequency of animal bites (2.3%). Animal bites were most common in June. Dogs were responsible for 33 277 (81%) cases, cats for 5,624 (13.7%) cases, cows for 1054 (2.5%) cases, and other animals for the remaining cases. During the six-year study period, four deaths due to rabies were reported in the study area. The annual bite incidence rate was 386.3 per 100 000 people in northern Iran. The males-to-female ratio was highest in 2019 (M/F ratio = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.2-3.4). Conclusion: The elderly are at higher risk of animal bites, especially in rural areas. It is important to emphasize the use of protective clothing, washing wounds with soap water and rabies vaccination as initial treatment. Targeted vaccination efforts for eligible animals should be prioritized to minimize unnecessary financial burden. Educating farmers about rabies prevention programs, especially in cases of cow bites, is also important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of the GABAB receptor constitute a new class of GABAB-receptor ligands. GABAB PAMs reproduce several pharmacological effects of the orthosteric GABAB receptor agonist, baclofen, although displaying a better safety profile. Aims This paper reviews the reducing or, frequently, even suppressing effects of all GABAB PAMs tested to date on multiple alcohol-related behaviours in laboratory rodents exposed to validated experimental models of human alcohol use disorder. Results Acute or repeated treatment with CGP7930, GS39783, BHF177, rac -BHFF, ADX71441, CMPPE, COR659, ASP8062, KK-92A, and ORM-27669 reduced excessive alcohol drinking, relapse- and binge-like drinking, operant alcohol self-administration, reinstatement of alcohol seeking, and alcohol-induced conditioned place preference in rats and mice. Conclusions These effects closely mirrored those of baclofen; notably, they were associated to remarkably lower levels of tolerance and toxicity. The recent transition of ASP8062 to clinical testing will soon prove whether these highly consistent preclinical data translate to AUD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the development of a Holistic Pinniped Welfare Index (HPWI) as a tool to assess the welfare of pinnipeds in managed care. The HPWI incorporates both animal-based and resource-based approaches to welfare assessment, taking into account factors such as hunger and thirst, appropriate housing, absence of illness or injury, and appropriate behaviors and interactions. The index is specifically tailored to address the unique needs and behaviors of furred pinnipeds. The article highlights the importance of considering factors such as fur condition and skin health in assessing pinniped welfare. The text also discusses the use of the Pinniped Welfare Index (HPWI) as a tool for assessing the health and well-being of pinnipeds in managed care facilities. The HPWI includes both physiological and behavioral measures, such as body condition, skin lesions, respiratory effort, and willingness to perform trained behaviors. The index can be used to compare data over time and identify abnormalities that may indicate disease or stress. The text emphasizes the importance of developing specific ethograms for each facility to accurately assess behavioral patterns. The list of references includes various scientific articles related to animal welfare, specifically focusing on topics such as the assessment of welfare in captive dolphins, the use of behavioral indicators to evaluate welfare, and the monitoring of body temperature as a stress response in marine mammals. The articles cover a range of species, including bottlenose dolphins, sea lions, and pinnipeds, and discuss different methods and indicators used [Extracted from the article]

Ants self-organize through interactions between individuals (nestmates). Therefore, it is possible that slight changes in individual behavior play an important role in interactions between individuals and subsequently lead to colony-level responses to environmental changes. While conducting research on the control/eradication of the invasive Argentine ant Linepithema humile Mayr, we observed an unusual behavior (i.e., a mandible-opening behavior: a toxicity-related behavior) displayed by ant workers after exposure to the insecticide fipronil until death. Although this phenomenon might represent a symptom of exposure to a toxin, it is possible that mandible opening behaviors are performed for the secretion of pheromones. Therefore, further studies are needed to clarify why fipronil-exposed workers exhibit mandible-opening behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual‐level differences in animal spatial behavior can lead to differential exposure to risk. We assessed the risk‐exposure of a reintroduced population of kākā (Nestor meridionalis) in a fenced reserve in New Zealand by GPS tracking 10 individuals and comparing the proportion of each individual's home range beyond the reserve's fence in relation to age, sex, and fledging origin. To estimate dynamic space use, we used a sweeping window framework to estimate occurrence distributions (ODs) from temporally overlapping snapshots. For each OD, we calculated the proportion outside the reserve's fence to assess temporal risk exposure, and the area, centroid, and overlap to represent the behavioral pattern of space use. Home range area declined significantly and consistently with age, and the space use of juvenile kākā was more dynamic, particularly in relation to locational changes of space use. The wider‐ranging and more dynamic behavior of younger kākā resulted in more time spent outside the reserve, which aligned with a higher number of incidental mortality observations. Quantifying both home range and dynamic space use is an effective approach to assess risk exposure, which can provide guidance for management interventions. We also emphasize the dynamic space use approach, which is flexible and can provide insights into a species' spatial ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic eutrophication of ecosystems is an important driver of biodiversity loss. Even protected areas (PAs) may be impacted by anthropogenic nutrients, for example, from atmospheric deposition or the provision of supplementary feeding. However, the resultant nutrient patterns, and the role of local wildlife in shaping them, remain poorly understood. We investigated anthropogenic influences on the role that red deer (Cervus elaphus) play in the nutrient balance of a PA in Denmark. We used habitat selection modeling and theoretical scenarios where we varied the proportion of energy the deer obtained from supplementary versus natural forage and compared it with the nutrients removed due to hunting. We show that the movement and distribution of the red deer population within the PA are very heterogeneous and likely influenced by the need for shelter. Moreover, depending on their reliance on supplementary feeding, deer can potentially import large amounts of nutrients to the PA, and concentrate them in localized hotspots. However, we also explore the potential for nutrient loss due to hunting activities. Such indirect anthropogenic impacts on nutrient landscapes may counteract restoration and conservation efforts. We therefore recommend incorporating anthropogenic influences on zoogeochemistry and the animal‐mediated connectivity between PAs and anthropogenically dominated landscapes into future management plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Good welfare is an emerging issue in the equestrian world, yet it is essential for those wishing to remain in the field, especially with society's growing concerns about human activities involving animals. Recognizing this, our research aimed to understand the barriers equestrian practitioners face in implementing improvements for equine welfare. Findings indicate that while enthusiasts are aware of and acknowledge the need for good welfare practices, several factors hinder application: financial constraints, lack of physical space, insufficient skilled labor, time limitations, inadequate resources or materials, and a lack of technical knowledge. Most strikingly, despite acknowledging the need for improvement and professing love for their horses, participants did not recognize that the conditions under which they keep or use horses often fall short of their own standards. They attributed the inability to make changes not to themselves but to external circumstances beyond their control. These results pave the way for further research to determine whether equestrian activities are based on a respectful relationship with horses or if belonging to the equestrian world takes precedence, even at the expense of equine welfare. Inadequate management conditions can impair the welfare of captive-bred horses. Understanding individuals' viewpoints and the factors influencing their decisions about adopting or avoiding certain practices may provide insights into their motivations and decision-making processes. This is particularly relevant in the equestrian community, where equine practitioners and enthusiasts often engage in harmful practices. We explored the beliefs, knowledge, and attitudes of equine practitioners and enthusiasts about horse welfare and the barriers that prevent them from employing better management practices that are essential to promoting horses' welfare. The study consisted of in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in person with 31 individuals directly involved in the equestrian environment in Brazil. Responses were analyzed through thematic analysis with a data-driven deductive approach. Participants' beliefs, knowledge and attitudes to horse welfare were divided into three themes. The first theme, "Let the horse be a horse", captured participants' perceptions about how physical and mental aspects related to the nature and welfare of horses. The second theme, "Everyone does it like that", includes the social norms that influence decisions about the practices that impact on the welfare of the horses. The third theme, "Beyond utopia: how and why horses are managed the way they are", covered barriers that participants perceived as impediments to the use of best practices for the welfare of horses. While participants demonstrated awareness of welfare issues and acknowledged factors that negatively impact horses, there was a notable discrepancy between this knowledge and the implementation of improved management practices. This could be explained by several perceived barriers to implementing management practices that could enhance horse welfare, including lack of financial resources, limited physical space, shortage of qualified labor, time constraints, inadequate tools, and insufficient knowledge. Additionally, we identified deeply rooted social norms within the equestrian community and culturally established practices that limit approaches to horse welfare. Participants underscored the influence of these norms and different interpretations of "letting the horse be a horse" based on the horse's value and purpose. Concerning low-value horses, the primary justifications for stall housing and concentrated feeding were linked to elevated costs involved in spatial demands and labor; in contrast, for high-value horses used in performance and aesthetics, the arguments shifted to potential benefits to the horses' well-being. From an ethical perspective, ideally, individuals should refrain from owning horses if they cannot ensure the animals' welfare. Additionally, if the equestrian community neglects public attitudes towards animal welfare, it risks eroding its social license. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides a comprehensive guide on improving waiting room etiquette for pets and their owners in veterinary clinics. It acknowledges the challenges of balancing human and pet comfort and highlights the concerns that pet owners may have about their pets' illness or distress. The document emphasizes the need to consider factors such as lighting, accessibility, and noise to ensure human comfort as well. It suggests collaboration between reception staff, nurses, and vets to update procedures and organize seating, and emphasizes the role of reception staff in providing guidance on managing pets' behavior in the waiting room. Overall, the document emphasizes the importance of education and guidance to create a safe and comfortable waiting environment for both pets and their owners. [Extracted from the article]

Seed dispersal is a key component in a plant's life cycle, allowing the colonization of new habitat and eventually enabling range shifts. For animal‐dispersed plants, the behaviour of seed‐dispersing animals has direct consequences for the fate of a seed. However, there is little empirical evidence on how individual behaviour of animals affects seed dispersal.Here we investigated the effects of individual behaviour on seed dispersal distance and location by analysing movement data of spotted nutcrackers (Nucifraga caryocatactes) during harvest and scatter‐hoarding of Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra) seeds. To assess individual variation in seed dispersal patterns, we compared daytime hourly displacement patterns across individuals. We further identified seed caching locations of individual birds and analysed their potential for pine regeneration.We found that nutcrackers showed one of two distinct behaviours: short‐distance seed dispersal and long‐distance seed dispersal. The caching locations resulting from the two behaviours differed markedly in the regeneration potential of Swiss stone pine: seeds transported over short distances were cached at high elevations with high regeneration potential within the pine's current habitat, while seeds transported over long distances were cached at low elevations with low regeneration potential outside of the pine's habitat. The behaviours were not associated with bird body mass, relative wing length or sex.Our results emphasize that intraspecific individual behaviours of seed‐dispersing animals can have far‐reaching consequences for ecosystem functions. As a major determinant of seed dispersal dynamics, individual behaviour should be taken into account for a better understanding of ecosystem functions under current and future environmental conditions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ethanol self‐administration is governed by appetitive and consummatory behaviors. The sipper model procedurally separates these behaviors by training rats to meet a response requirement within 20 min to obtain continuous access to a sipper tube for an additional 20 min. Variations of this paradigm have been developed to quantify appetitive strength by evaluating lever presses during an extinction probe trial (EPT) or by deriving a break point (BP) from a progressive ratio (PR) schedule of reinforcement. However, no study has assessed the relationship between these tasks, within subjects, in both sexes. Methods: Male and female rats (n = 16) were trained to meet a response requirement of 20 to access a slightly sweetened ethanol solution (10% ethanol + 1% sucrose). Two EPTs, during which no operant behavior was reinforced, were interleaved between 18 reinforced sessions. Next, rats completed an across‐session PR schedule, where the response requirement increased each session. BP was defined as the highest completed response requirement. We then replicated the methodology in the same subjects responding for a 3% sucrose solution. Finally, the experiment was replicated in a separate cohort of rats (n = 24) trained to a response requirement of 4 to earn access to the ethanol solution and paradigm order (EPT vs. PR) was counterbalanced. Results: We report strong, positive correlations between average EPT lever presses and BP across all experiments. No sex differences were observed in appetitive behaviors. However, the two cohorts revealed mixed results when assessing sex differences in consummatory measures. Conclusions: This study further validates the EPT as a measure of motivation and suggests that similar levels of motivation exist to procure alcohol in males and females. The findings complement the literature showing that appetitive and consummatory processes are distinct and thus should be independently assessed in self‐administration paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the coexistence and potential tolerance between wolves and golden jackals in India. While wolves are known to have a low tolerance for other Canidae species, such as golden jackals, the study found unexpected cases of high tolerance between the two species in a human-dominated landscape in Maharashtra, India. The researchers observed instances of wolves and jackals feeding simultaneously on a carcass, as well as an adult wolf female integrated into a group of jackals. These observations suggest a high degree of tolerance between wolves and jackals in certain contexts, particularly when there is abundant food availability. The article highlights the need for further research to understand the extent of this tolerance in other areas with different ecological conditions. [Extracted from the article]

Associative learning involves complex interactions of multiple cognitive factors. While adult subjects can articulate these factors verbally, for model animals such as macaques, we rely on behavioral outputs. In our study, we used pupillary responses as an alternative measure to capture these underlying cognitive changes. We recorded the dynamic changes in the pupils of three male macaques when they learned the associations between visual stimuli and reward sizes under the classical Pavlovian experimental paradigm. We found that during the long-term learning process, the gradual changes in the pupillary response reflect the changes in the cognitive state of the animals. The pupillary response can be explained by a linear combination of components corresponding to multiple cognitive factors. These components reflect the impact of visual stimuli on the pupils, the prediction of reward values associated with the visual stimuli, and the macaques’ understanding of the current experimental reward rules. The changing patterns of these factors during interday and intraday learning clearly demonstrate the enhancement of current reward-stimulus association and the weakening of previous reward-stimulus association. Our study shows that the dynamic response of pupils can serve as an objective indicator to characterize the psychological changes of animals, understand their learning process, and provide important tools for exploring animal behavior during the learning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social aggregative behaviour may have evolved in marine isopods to aid hunting, and help the animals protect themselves from predation. This social behaviour could have assisted some isopod species to make the evolutionary transition from marine to terrestrial environments, as aggregative huddling of isopods on land reduces desiccation when out of water. To determine if the common pill-bug Armadillidium vulgare demonstrates social behaviour, groups of animals were filmed for 60 min in an arena that contained a binary choice of two shelters. This experiment was directly repeated with the same specimens three more times in the same day and this series of four experimental runs was replicated a total of 10 times with a different group of animals for each of the 10 series. In most cases, the majority of specimens chose one of the two identical shelters at random, and congregated under this winning shelter. The amount of animals that congregated under the winning shelter, however, significantly decreased over the four consecutive runs, whereas the amount of animals that congregated under the losing shelter significantly increased with prior experience. These data indicate that A. vulgare is a social animal but this social behaviour can decrease with exposure to the novel environment. This attenuation in social behaviour may serve to decrease the drive to join the larger of the two groups in an area where a danger from predation has not been encountered and allow experienced animals to explore new terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk assessment relies on cost–benefit analysis by prey species in relation to predator behavior. The lunar cycle can have strong influences on the way that predator and prey species behave in their environment as light levels can influence activity patterns. By examining how lunar phase influences behavior, we may be able to better predict instances of human–wildlife conflict. As part of the Elephants and Sustainable Agriculture in Kenya project, over 5 years of study have been dedicated to mitigating human–elephant conflict in the Kasigau Wildlife Corridor in southern Kenya, focusing on the construction of deterrent fences and the collection of environmental data in and bordering the Rukinga Wildlife Sanctuary. Elephant presence around crop fields was hypothesized to have a negative relationship with lunar light levels because of an increase in perceived risk from typically greater human activity with moonlight, and a positive relationship with increased darkness during the waning moon phases. The lunar phase data were compared to elephant presence within 12 m of experimental crop fields along the boundary of their wild habitat and human agricultural land to provide insight for potential crop raiding events. Elephants were present significantly less during the full and gibbous moon phases when compared to the new moon phase, and significantly more during the new and waning moon phases. Our findings are being shared with the farmers living in the KWC and may be useful to others living in high HEC areas by providing a form of early warning system that also may have broader applications in the mitigation of other human–wildlife interactions. HIGHLIGHTS Dynamic landscape of fear provides novel insight on elephant behavior near agricultural lands with applications for conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antipredator behaviors are often crucial for animal survival. In environments impacted by humans, animals may be exposed to a wide array of chemical contaminants due to agriculture, industry, and other activities. Among other effects, these chemical contaminants may influence behaviors prey animals use to cope with predation risk, likely reducing survival by suppressing or even maladaptively reversing normal behavioral responses. Changes in behavioral responses could be the result of impaired detection of cues that indicate predator presence or altered behavioral plasticity in response to predator cues. In a laboratory experiment, we tested the effects of the commonly used herbicide metolachlor on the behavior of tadpoles of the American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) in both the absence and presence of water conditioned with cues (odor) of fish. We observed several behaviors in the tadpoles reflective of predator avoidance when exposed to combinations of metolachlor (0 or 80 ppb) and the presence or absence of fish cues. We found that metolachlor had size-dependent effects on tadpole activity levels, with larger tadpoles being much less active in the absence of metolachlor but similar in activity to small tadpoles when metolachlor was present. Fish cues similarly had size-dependent effects on multiple tadpole behaviors. Finally, hiding behavior and zone change (movement) behavior of tadpoles in response to fish cues varied depending on the presence of metolachlor and, in the case of zone changes, tadpole size. Our findings indicate that the presence of chemical contaminants has the potential to alter important antipredator behaviors. However, these effects are complex, and size may mediate the nature of the response to both chemical contaminants and predators. The herbicide metolachlor alters tadpole behavior, sometimes interactively with fish cues. Body size of tadpoles influenced the effects of metolachlor and fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to evaluate the animal production and ingestive behavior of the steers fed different supplements during the growth phase in Aruana grass, and the influence of this supplementation on production performance in feedlot phase. The treatments consisted of three supplements during the growing phase: mineral salt (0.12 g/kg of body weight - BW), low intake energy-protein supplement (1.26 g/kg of BW), and medium intake (3.76 g/kg of BW). Forage canopy characteristics, animal production, and animal behavior on pasture were evaluated in a completely randomized design with three replicates (paddocks). The titanium dioxide marker was used to determine the intake and apparent digestibility during the pasture phase. The production performance in feedlot was evaluated in a completely randomized design with eight replicates (animals). Twenty-four Aberdeen Angus steers (15 ± 1.5 months old; 364.8 ± 21.7 kg BW) were used. At the end of the growth phase the animals were confined and fed a single diet. Dry matter, crude protein, and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents of forage and intake were not influenced by the treatments. The average daily gain was higher for the medium intake supplement in pasture phase. The apparent digestibility of NDF (P = and chewing rate were higher for the medium intake supplement. The average daily gain and fat thickness of carcasses were higher for the medium intake supplement in the feedlot phase. The supplements of medium intake increase animal productivity during the growing phase on pastures and cattle's finishing performance in intensive production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: GPS-transmitters enable detailed study of animal behaviour but may impact the animals. Impacts vary from short-term stress and habituation to longer-term effects on e.g., migration and reproduction. To study impacts, ideally, true controls (i.e., uncaptured or untagged animals) are used, but unbiased assessments of their migration timing and breeding performance are challenging, especially in remote areas. Alternatively, quasi-controls can be used: individuals tagged longer ago, or the same tagged individuals but in later years. Quasi-controls reveal tagging effects that differ between the first and following years. Results: We captured Pink-footed geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) in spring and summer and deployed GPS-transmitter neckbands. In spring, geese were caught with cannon or clap nets on stopovers in Norway and Finland, 2 weeks before departure to breeding areas in Svalbard and Novaya Zemlya. In summer, geese were rounded up during wing moult in Svalbard. First, we compared geese tagged recently in spring with geese tagged in spring or summer 1–4 years prior. Newly tagged geese migrated significantly later, by 2 days, than previously tagged geese, both at departure from the spring stopover and arrival to the breeding grounds, while migration duration did not differ. Breeding propensity and laying date did not differ, but nesting success tended to be lowered, resulting in a significantly lower annual probability to produce hatchlings in recently tagged geese than in previously tagged geese. Second, within individuals tagged in spring, spring migration advanced in their next year, suggesting delay in their first spring. This was likely not an ageing effect, as geese tagged in summer showed no advancing spring migration timing over the years. Third, in Svalbard, observed brood sizes of geese tagged in summer and untagged geese did not differ 1 year after tagging. Conclusions: The capture and GPS-tagging of geese 2 weeks before spring departure delayed their spring migration and lowered their probability to produce hatchlings in that year. These effects lasted longer than previously reported week-long effects of GPS-tagging on time budgets in summer and of neck-banding on spring body condition. Additional study is needed to evaluate longer-term or permanent effects which remain undetected with quasi-controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractGame theory has been extensively studied and applied in both the field of business and animal behavior. Similarly, in aquaculture, research and applications in these areas are in need as well. Consequently, why not use game theory to study aquaculture? There are very few researches and no reviews on this topic. This paper reviews applications of game theory on aquaculture, as well as its potential prospects for future applications. First, the utilization of game theory in the context of breeding is introduced, such as the release of gametes. Then, the applications of game theory in both the farming process and the aquatic product market are reviewed, like preference for water depth and product sales strategy. Following this, the future prospects and potential development directions of game theory in various aspects of aquaculture, such as transportation, are discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collective motion is ubiquitous in nature; groups of animals, such as fish, birds, and ungulates appear to move as a whole, exhibiting a rich behavioral repertoire that ranges from directed movement to milling to disordered swarming. Typically, such macroscopic patterns arise from decentralized, local interactions among constituent components (e.g., individual fish in a school). Preeminent models of this process describe individuals as self-propelled particles, subject to self-generated motion and "social forces" such as short-range repulsion and long-range attraction or alignment. However, organisms are not particles; they are probabilistic decision-makers. Here, we introduce an approach to modeling collective behavior based on active inference. This cognitive framework casts behavior as the consequence of a single imperative: to minimize surprise. We demonstrate that many empirically observed collective phenomena, including cohesion, milling, and directed motion, emerge naturally when considering behavior as driven by active Bayesian inference--without explicitly building behavioral rules or goals into individual agents. Furthermore, we show that active inference can recover and generalize the classical notion of social forces as agents attempt to suppress prediction errors that conflict with their expectations. By exploring the parameter space of the belief-based model, we reveal nontrivial relationships between the individual beliefs and group properties like polarization and the tendency to visit different collective states. We also explore how individual beliefs about uncertainty determine collective decision-making accuracy. Finally, we show how agents can update their generative model over time, resulting in groups that are collectively more sensitive to external fluctuations and encode information more robustly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Monitoring movement across an organism's ontogeny is often challenging, particularly for long-lived or wide-ranging species. When empirical data are unavailable, general knowledge about species' ecology may be used to make assumptions about habitat use across space or time. However, inferences about habitat use based on population-level ecology may overlook important eco-evolutionary contributions from individuals with heterogenous ethologies and could diminish the efficacy of conservation and management. Methods: We analyzed over a decade of acoustic telemetry data to understand individual differences in habitat use of federally endangered adult Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser o. oxyrinchus) in the Delaware and Hudson rivers during spawning season. In particular, we sought to understand whether sex or natal origin could predict patterns in habitat use, as there is a long-held assumption that adult Atlantic sturgeon seldom stray into non-natal rivers. Results: In both rivers, migration timing, spawning habitat occupancy, and maximum upstream migration distance were similar between natal and non-natal individuals. While non-natal individuals represented only 13% of fish detected in the Hudson River, nearly half of all tagged fish detected in the Delaware River were non-natal and generally occupied freshwater habitats longer than natal individuals. In both systems males had more heterogenous patterns of habitat use and longer duration of occupancy than did females. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the importance of non-natal rivers for fulfilling ontogenetic habitat requirements in Atlantic sturgeon. Our results may also highlight an opportunity to improve conservation and management by extending habitat designations to account for more heterogenous patterns in individual habitat use in non-natal freshwater environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in situ generation of H2O2 in cells in response to external stimulation has exceptional advantages in modulating intracellular Ca2+ dynamics, including high controllability and biological safety, but has been rarely explored. Here, we develop photocatalyst-based metal-organic frameworks (DCSA-MOFs) to modulate Ca2+ responses in cells, multicellular spheroids, and organs. By virtue of the efficient photocatalytic oxygen reduction to H2O2 without sacrificial agents, photoexcited DCSA-MOFs can rapidly trigger Ca2+ outflow from the endoplasmic reticulum with single-cell precision in a repeatable and controllable manner, enabling the propagation of intercellular Ca2+ waves (ICW) over long distances in two-dimensional and three-dimensional cell cultures. After photoexcitation, ICWs induced by DCSA-MOFs can activate neural activities in the optical tectum of tadpoles and thighs of spinal frogs, eliciting the corresponding motor behaviors. Our study offers a versatile optical nongenetic modulation technique that enables remote, repeatable, and controlled manipulation of cellular and animal behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuity of behaviors requires animals to make smooth transitions between mutually exclusive behavioral states. Neural principles that govern these transitions are not well understood. Caenorhabditis elegans spontaneously switch between two opposite motor states, forward and backward movement, a phenomenon thought to reflect the reciprocal inhibition between interneurons AVB and AVA. Here, we report that spontaneous locomotion and their corresponding motor circuits are not separately controlled. AVA and AVB are neither functionally equivalent nor strictly reciprocally inhibitory. AVA, but not AVB, maintains a depolarized membrane potential. While AVA phasically inhibits the forward promoting interneuron AVB at a fast timescale, it maintains a tonic, extrasynaptic excitation on AVB over the longer timescale. We propose that AVA, with tonic and phasic activity of opposite polarities on different timescales, acts as a master neuron to break the symmetry between the underlying forward and backward motor circuits. This master neuron model offers a parsimonious solution for sustained locomotion consisted of mutually exclusive motor states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thriving field of comparative cognition examines the behaviour of diverse animals in cognitive terms. Comparative cognition research has primarily focused on the abilities of animals — what tasks they can do — rather than on the limits of their cognition — tasks that exceed an animal's cognitive abilities. We propose that understanding and identifying cognitive limits is as important as demonstrating the capacities of animal minds. Here, we identify challenges that have deterred the study of cognitive limits related to epistemic, practical and publication problems. The epistemic problem is concerned with how we can confidently infer a cognitive limit from null or negative results. The practical problem is how can we be certain our research has identified a cognitive limit rather than failures in tasks due to methodological or experimental design issues. The publication problem outlines the publication bias toward positive and exciting results over negative or null results in animal cognition. We propose solutions to these three challenges and examples of how to conduct research to confidently identify and confirm cognitive limits in animals. We believe a refocus on the cognitive limits of animals is the next step in the field of comparative cognition. Knowing the limits to the intelligence of different animals will aid us in appreciating the diversity of animal intelligence, and will resolve outstanding questions of how cognition evolves. Howard and Barron discuss how we need to know the limits to animals' cognitive capacitities if we are to appreciate the diversity of animal cognition and understand processes of cognitive evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nucleus of Darkschewitsch (ND), mainly composed of GABAergic neurons, is widely recognized as a component of the eye-movement controlling system. However, the functional contribution of ND GABAergic neurons (NDGABA) in animal behavior is largely unknown. Here, we show that NDGABA neurons were selectively activated by different types of fear stimuli, such as predator odor and foot shock. Optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations revealed that NDGABA neurons mediate freezing behavior. Moreover, using circuit-based optogenetic and neuroanatomical tracing methods, we identified an excitatory pathway from the lateral periaqueductal gray (lPAG) to the ND that induces freezing by exciting ND inhibitory outputs to the motor-related gigantocellular reticular nucleus, ventral part (GiV). Together, these findings indicate the NDGABA population as a novel hub for controlling defensive response by relaying fearful information from the lPAG to GiV, a mechanism critical for understanding how the freezing behavior is encoded in the mammalian brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are widespread, devastating and complex. About 20% of people who consume alcohol develop problem use, accounting for over 5% of worldwide deaths. While numerous animal models have facilitated understanding of the consequences of excessive drinking, translational models allow for experimental manipulation of factors thought to contribute to AUD liability. Methods: We employ a single-exposure conditioned place preference assay (SE-CPP) to investigate the influence of age, sex and the opioid peptide β-endorphin (bE) on the initial rewarding effects of ethanol, a strong predictor of AUDs. Adolescent (PND28-35) and adult (PND70-90) male and female, control C57BL/6J and bE-deficient mice were tested following a single injection of 1.5 g/kg of ethanol. Following the SE-CPP test, animals were deeply anesthetized, sacrificed, and perfused, and the brains were subsequently sectioned at 40 microns and processed for immunohistochemical localization of c-fos. One-sample, two-tailed t-tests were used to assess drug preference or aversion and the locomotor effects of alcohol. Results: In general, adults were more sensitive to the effects of alcohol than adolescents, and outcomes depended on sex and bE. For example, among females, adolescents were stimulated by the drug, but insensitive to locomotor effects as adults, while among males, adolescents were insensitive and adults sedated. Wild-type adolescents of both sexes failed to evince initial subjective reward from the drug, but bE-deficient adolescents, and all adult subjects, preferred a context once associated with ethanol over one that had been paired with saline. c-fos immunoreactivity in multiple brain regions was attenuated in bE-deficient animals, though influences of both sex and bE grew stronger with age. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the utility of the SE-CPP paradigm for elucidating factors that contribute to the liability for AUDs, and supports the growing body of research that shows that sensitivity to the rewarding effects of alcohol changes during the course of development. Our results also suggest that developmental contributions are sex-dependent, and may also depend on the influence of endogenous opioid signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) continues to be a worldwide problem. Affected offspring display impaired neurodevelopment, including difficulties with executive control. Although PAE has also been associated with decreased blood flow to fetuses, the relationship between PAE and altered blood flow is not well understood. Methods: We used preclinical models of PAE, transient systemic hypoxia ischemia (TSHI), and PAE + TSHI combined to assess the effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes using translationally relevant touchscreen operant platform testing. Twenty-eight Long-Evans (Blue Spruce, Strain HsdBlu:LE) dams were randomly assigned to one of four experimental groups: Saccharin Control (Sham), 5% Ethanol (PAE), TSHI, or 5% Ethanol and TSHI (PAE + TSHI). Dams consumed either saccharin or 5% ethanol during gestation. TSHI was induced on Embryonic Day 19 (E19) during an open laparotomy where the uterine arteries were transiently occluded for 1 h. Pups were born normally and, after weaning, were separated by sex. A total of 80 offspring, 40 males and 40 females, were tested on the 5-Choice Continuous Performance paradigm (5C-CPT). Results: Female offspring were significantly impacted by TSHI, but not PAE, with an increase in false alarms and a decrease in hit rates, omissions, accuracy, and correct choice latencies. In contrast, male offspring were mildly affected by PAE, but not TSHI, showing decreases in premature responses and increases in accuracy. No significant interactions between PAE and TSHI were detected on any measure. Conclusion: Transient systemic hypoxia ischemia impaired performance on the 5C-CPT in females, leading to a bias toward stimulus responsivity regardless of stimulus type. In contrast, TSHI did not affect male offspring, and only slight effects of PAE were seen. Together, these data suggest that TSHI in females may cause alterations in cortical structures that override alterations caused by moderate PAE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the shared history of Frankfurt Zoological Garden and Airport, developing an infrastructural perspective on the rise of behavioral thinking in postwar environmental sciences. It shows that technical and logistical environments, such as seaports, airports, train stations, and highways, shaped the way environmental scientists and a broader public conceptualized animal behavior. Similar to ergonomics and human factor engineering in the 1950s and '60s, human-made spaces and interiors became central reference points for developing and testing new ideas on the interaction between animals and "the environment." Further, airports were sites of knowledge transfer between practitioners, including animal traders, care attendants, veterinarians, logistics experts, and scientists. The first part of the article draws on the works of biologist and Frankfurt's Zoo director Bernhard Grzimek, who made excessive use of air cargo to ship wild animals to Frankfurt. The second part traces the emergence of new spaces for animals at Frankfurt Airport in the 1950s--such as the "animal room" in the cargo area. The third part of the article uncovers the hidden networks of animal traders and shipping companies that made Frankfurt Airport a major international hub in animal air cargo. Lastly, the article argues that hands-on experience of animal behavior, such as that conducted in airports like Frankfurt, is part of a broader pattern of environmental knowledge production in in the twentieth century--in close proximity to infrastructure projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]