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Introduction Acute Stress Reactions (ASRs) affect a subgroup of individuals who experience traumatic stress. In the context of military operations, such reactions are often termed Combat and Operational Stress Reactions (COSRs). COSRs not only encompass all symptoms of ASRs but also include additional symptoms related to military combat and may develop at a rate higher than the general public experiences ASRs. Despite an obvious need, there are currently no approved pharmacologic treatments or guidelines for ASR and/or COSR. Preclinical rodent stress models and behavioral assessments are used to evaluate pharmacotherapies and elucidate underlying mechanisms. Here, we combined established traumatic stress models to develop a model of traumatic stress relevant to military trauma exposure and measured behavioral outcomes that reflect outcomes observed in ASRs and COSRs. Materials and Methods Adult male rats underwent exposure to either a combination of two or three traumatic stress exposures (e.g., predator exposure, underwater trauma (UWT), and/or inescapable shock) or control procedures. Behavioral performance on the open field, elevated plus maze, and acoustic startle response (SR) was then assessed 24- and 48-hours following stress/control procedures. Results In Experiment 1, rats were exposed to a two-stressor model, where predator exposure was coupled with UWT. Minor behavioral deficits were observed in SR for stress-exposed rats as compared to controls. In Experiment 2, inescapable shock was added to predator exposure and UWT. Behavioral performance deficits were observed across all behavioral tests. In Experiment 3, procedures from Experiment 2 were repeated with the only major modification being a shortened predator exposure duration, which resulted in performance deficits in SR only. Conclusions We found that the three-stressor model of Experiment 2 resulted in the greatest overall behavioral disturbance (both in the number of variables and magnitude of stress effects). Interestingly, behavioral deficits elicited from the shorter predator exposure were distinct from those observed with longer predator exposure times. Together, these results generally suggest that combined preclinical stressors with military-relevant elements result in behavioral performance deficits reflective of post-trauma phenotypes in Soldiers. The present findings support the use of both physical and psychological stressors to model operationally relevant traumatic stress exposure.

This narrative review aims to identify and review the extant literature describing methods and outcomes of embedding the arts and humanities (AH) into medical school curricula. The Association of American Medical Colleges changed the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) in 2015 to place new emphasis on the role of liberal arts in the process of developing well-rounded physicians. Consequently, medical schools have been implementing more connections to creative writing, literature, theater, movies, music, and the visual arts into their curricula. To review the current literature, we focused on methods medical educators used to embed content related to AH into their curricula to shape and drive associated learning outcomes. We conducted searches in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC for peer-reviewed articles from 2011 to 2020. The authors selected three dyads in medical humanities and reviewed articles independently followed by discussion to identify thematic links to major findings. Out of 261 articles, a total of 177 full-text articles were reviewed with 34 selected for final inclusion. Our review included articles describing curriculum development and delivery in publications from Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the USA. This review showed medical educators are implementing didactic and experiential instructional approaches to embedding the arts, humanities, and social sciences into the medical school classroom. Medical educators' attempts to embed AH into medical school curricula show promising results. Unfortunately, small sample sizes, short-term interventions, and an over-reliance of subjective assessment measures limit our knowledge of the true impact of these interventions. More rigorous assessments of required and longitudinal coursework are necessary to know the true impact of participation in AH coursework for medical students.

Background MUC18 is a glycoprotein highly expressed on the surface of melanoma and other cancers which promotes tumor progression and metastasis. However, its mechanism of action and suitability as a therapeutic target are unknown. Methods A monoclonal antibody (mAb) (JM1-24-3) was generated from metastatic melanoma tumor live cell immunization, and high-throughput screening identified MUC18 as the target. Results Analysis of molecular interactions between MUC18 and JM1-24-3 revealed that the downstream signaling events depended on binding of the mAb to a conformational epitope on the extracellular domain of MUC18. JM1-24-3 inhibited melanoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and reduced tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Conclusion These results confirm that MUC18 is mechanistically important in melanoma growth and metastasis, suggest that the MUC18 epitope identified is a promising therapeutic target, and that the JM1-24-3 mAb may serve as the basis for a potential therapeutic agent.

Evaluation of pharmacotherapies for acute stress disorder (ASD) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is challenging due to robust heterogeneity of trauma histories and limited efficacy of any single candidate to reduce all stress-induced effects. Pursuing novel mechanisms, such as the nociceptin/orphanin FQ (NOP) system, may be a viable path for therapeutic development and of interest as it is involved in regulation of relevant behaviors and recently implicated in PTSD and ASD. First, we evaluated NOP receptor antagonism on general behavioral performance and again following a three-species predator exposure model (Experiment 1). Then, we evaluated effects of NOP antagonism on fear memory expression (Experiment 2). Adult, male rats underwent daily administration of NOP antagonists (J-113397 or SB-612,111; 0–20 mg/kg, i.p.) and testing in acoustic startle, elevated plus maze, tail-flick, and open field tests. Effects of acute NOP antagonism on behavioral performance following predator exposure were then assessed. Separately, rats underwent fear conditioning and were later administered SB-612,111 (0–3 mg/kg, i.p.) prior to fear memory expression tests. J-113397 and SB-612,111 did not significantly alter most general behavioral performance measures alone, suggesting minimal off-target behavioral effects of NOP antagonism. J-113397 and SB-612,111 restored performance in measures of exploratory behavior (basic movements on the elevated plus maze and total distance in the open field) following predator exposure. Additionally, SB-612,111 significantly reduced freezing behavior relative to control groups across repeated fear memory expression tests, suggesting NOP antagonism may be useful in dampening fear responses. Other measures of general behavioral performance were not significantly altered following predator exposure. NOP antagonists may be useful as pharmacotherapeutics for dampening fear responses to trauma reminders, and the present results provide supporting evidence for the implication of the NOP system in the neuropathophysiology of dysregulations in fear learning and memory processes observed in trauma- and stress-related disorders.

Studies of the growth and decline of religious organizations tend to focus on the ability of American religious institutions to adapt within an open market system, but theories of adaptation may overstate the ability of organizations to respond to changes in their environment. Theories of selection, on the other hand, emphasize the role environmental forces play in organizational growth and decline. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the usefulness of an ecological theory of selection for modeling growth and decline in a population of religious organizations. To test this model, I use historical data on a population of Southern Baptist congregations in the southeastern United States from 1784 to 2011. My analyses indicate that the processes of denominational growth and decline are consistent with the expectations of ecological theories of selection.

Religious affiliation is generally associated with better mental health. The nonreligious, however, currently constitute one of the fastest-growing religious categories in the United States. Since most of the nonreligious were raised in religious homes, their growth raises important questions about the mental health of those who consider dropping out of religion. In this article, I use longitudinal data from the Portraits of American Life Study to examine the impact of religious affiliation on mental health. Specifically, I compare individuals who dropped out of religion (leavers) with individuals who considered dropping out (stayers) and individuals who are more consistent in their religious (stable affiliates) and nonreligious (stable Nones) affiliations. I find that stayers experience more depressive symptoms than any other group and that they experience a greater increase in depressive symptoms over time. My findings are consistent with identity theories in sociology, and they provide evidence that a strong religious or secular identity is an important contributor to mental health.

Religion is an important part of life for many women and men. Research on religion and work–family issues, however, remains limited. To better understand how religion influences work–family experiences, we use data from the General Social Survey to examine subjective experiences of work–family conflict across three religious groups and the nonreligious. Specifically, we examine how conservative Protestants, Catholics/Orthodox Christians, mainline Protestants, and the nonreligious differ in their perceptions of work-to-family and family-to-work conflict. We find that conservative Protestant women, but not men, report less work-to-family conflict and less family-to-work conflict than their peers in other religious groups even after controlling for religious service attendance, specific job features, and sociodemographic characteristics. Catholic/Orthodox men report less family-to-work conflict than conservative Protestant men. We suggest that researchers examine religion more closely to determine if the experiences of conservative Protestant women and Catholic/Orthodox men hold useful lessons for others.

This article describes a simulation activity designed to teach students about the wage gap. The wage gap is an important topic in many sociology classrooms, but it can be difficult to convey the accumulated disadvantage experienced by women and racial/ethnic minorities to students using in-class discussions, lectures, or assigned readings alone. This is particularly true on college campuses that may draw their students from more affluent areas. Classroom simulations, however, provide an opportunity for students with all types of backgrounds to engage their sociological imaginations. In our simulation—Intersectionopoly—we use a modified version of Monopoly based on the wage gap and racial/ethnic minorities’ experiences of everyday life to illustrate how members of different racial and gender groups experience disparities in earnings. Unlike other versions of stratified Monopoly, this simulation more closely mirrors the subtle nature of discrimination in the contemporary United States.

The importance and merits of greater patient involvement in medicines research and development (R&D) are commonly acknowledged and are thought to offer benefits for all involved parties. It helps to improve discovery, development, and evaluation of new effective medicines, based on the collaborative identification and understanding of unmet needs, research priorities, optimization of clinical study design, outcome measures, and endpoint development. It can result in increased transparency, trust and mutual respect between patients and other stakeholders. This applies to all stages of medicines R&D, from industry-led research, to regulation and licensing of medicines, to appraisal by health technology assessment (HTA) bodies. Integration of patients into the medicines development process needs to be structured and governed by clear rules and modes of operation to be effective and yield the best results for all stakeholders. Existing codes of practice for patient involvement with various stakeholders do not comprehensively cover the full scope of R&D, with the exception of more general statements applicable to interaction. Overarching guidance on meaningful and ethical interaction is missing. One specific aim of the European Patients' Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI) was to close this gap through the development of guidance documents for selected stakeholders. Four separate guidance documents were developed, incorporating the results from comprehensive internal and external consultation. They cover patient involvement in: pharmaceutical industry-led medicines R&D; ethics committees; regulatory authorities; HTA. Each guidance suggests where patient involvement could be adopted or strengthened. The EUPATI guidance document for patient involvement in industry-led medicines research and development covers the interaction between patients and the pharmaceutical industry within all functions throughout the medicines R&D lifecycle in relation to medicines for human use. It relates to activities pre-approval and post approval, involving individuals and groups of patients. The guideline distinguishes between the level of expertise in a disease area that is required and the different areas where patient involvement can take place; however, this is not meant to limit involvement, and these opportunities may change and increase over time. This EUPATI guidance document is aimed at the pharmaceutical industry who want to engage patients in R&D activities, however all stakeholders involving patients in pharmaceutical-led medicines R&D should understand and use this EUPATI guidance document.

The importance and merits of greater patient involvement in medicines research and development (R&D) are commonly acknowledged and is thought to offer benefits for all involved parties. It improves discovery, development, and evaluation of new effective medicines, based, among others, on the collaborative identification and understanding of unmet needs, research priorities, optimization of clinical study design, as well as incorporating patient views in regulatory activities. It fosters increased transparency, trust and mutual respect between patients and other stakeholders and applies to all stages of medicines R&D, inclusive of regulation and licensing of medicines and appraisal by health technology assessment (HTA) bodies. In order to be effective and beneficial for all stakeholders, patient engagement as an integral part of medicines R&D needs clear and mutually agreed rules. Existing codes of practice for patient involvement do not comprehensively cover the full scope of patient engagement in all processes related to R&D. One specific aim of the European Patients' Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI) was to close this gap through the development of guidance documents for pharmaceutical industry-led medicines R&D, ethics committees, regulatory authorities and health technology assessment (HTA). The guidance in this article covers patient involvement in the regulatory field and draws on the mature “Framework for interaction between the European Medicines Agency and patients and consumers and their organizations.” It expands on the EMA framework, specifically including National Competent Authorities (NCAs). It sets out objectives for patient involvement in medicines regulation and recommends concrete suggested working practices. It is primarily aimed at regulatory authorities wishing to interact with patients or their organizations in their activities but should also be considered by patients/patient organizations planning to collaborate with regulatory authorities.

Involvement of patients in the research and development process (R&D) of new medicines—in all areas of indications—today is a widely accepted strategy in pharmaceutical industry to ensure relevance and suitability of the treatment under development. This may consist in, but is not limited to, patient input to achieve more patient-friendly protocol design, endpoint, and comparator selection as well as disease-adapted study conditions in a pre- or post-marketing clinical trial. Ethical aspects and especially the balance of benefit and risk in a clinical trial are frequently judged differently by clinical researchers, regulators, ethics committees, and patients due to their different focus. The final assessment of the ethical aspects of a planned clinical trial is provided by an independent ethics committee consisting of physicians and other experts in healthcare and clinical trial methodology as well as of lay persons. The participation of patients in ethics committees is a much-discussed concept, its suitability disputed in many countries, and only limited experience on best practices is available. In order to be effective and yield the best results for all stakeholders, integration of patients into the medicines development process needs to be structured and governed by clear, mutually agreed rules and modes of operation. Communication and collaboration processes need to be systematically implemented to establish transparency, trust and respect between those developing new medicines and their users, respectively between those involved in design and approval of clinical trials and participants. In particular agreement on the ethical aspects of a clinical trial and/or its overall ethical acceptability is a prerequisite before the start of a clinical trial. Existing codes of practice for patient involvement with various stakeholders do not comprehensively cover the full scope of R&D, with the exception of more general statements on interaction. Overarching guidance on meaningful and ethical interaction is missing. One specific aim of the European Patients' Academy on Therapeutic Innovation (EUPATI) was to close this gap through the development of guidance documents for ethics committees, pharmaceutical industry-led medicines R&D, regulatory authorities, and health technology assessment (HTA). This EUPATI “Guidance for patient involvement in ethical review of clinical trials” gives practical recommendations for ground rules and lists options for conditions and practices for involving patients in the work of ethics committees to enable trustful and constructive collaboration whatever the national (legal) framework for patient involvement in ethics committees might be. The guidance sets the collaboration of patients in ethics committees in the broader context of relevance and opportunities for patient input on ethics in the overall medicines R&D and specifically the overall clinical trial process from concept development to trial result reporting in lay summaries. In addition to a presentation of the full text of the Guidance, this article aims at providing additional background information on the development process of the Guidance, as well as insight into the current debate on this topic.

The molecule 2-methyl-2-butenal (2M2B) is a maternal pheromone in rabbits and an interomone in dogs eliciting behavioral and heart-rate changes. The molecule 2M2B is manufactured in dog collars (Nurturecalm 24/7 Canine Calming Pheromone Collar, Meridian Animal Health, Omaha, NE) and in aerosol sprays (Sentry Calming Spray for Dogs, Sergeant’s Pet Care Products Inc., Omaha, NE). To determine volatile release of this molecule in the collar and liquid, solid-phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed on the headspace over the test materials. In Exp. 1, a snippet of dog collar and 3 mL of aerosol liquid were compared with a standard of 2M2B in isopropyl alcohol. In Exp. 2, a dog collar was removed from its wrapping and placed at room temperature for 49 d. On d 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, and 49 relative concentrations of molecules volatilized were calculated from area under the corresponding gas-chromatography peak. Release of 2M2B followed an exponential decay rate over time. In Exp. 3, collars were placed on 3 dogs for 35 d. Dogs were variable in their level of activity. Dog-worn collars had smaller and more variable concentrations of the 2M2B in the head space at 35 d than the same collar kept in the laboratory at room temperature. This paper authenticates a technique for the assay of low concentrations of pheromones or interomones released from plastic collars or a liquid formulation. Furthermore, pheromone or interomone release over time was documented both in laboratory and field settings.

Instructing students in sociological theory is a foundational part of the discipline, but it can also be a challenge. Readers of Teaching Sociology can find a number of activities designed to improve students’ understanding of sociological theory in their general theory courses, but there are fewer activities designed to improve student learning in more substantive coursework like the sociology of religion. The purpose of this note is to describe and evaluate an activity designed to illustrate one such theory: Peter Berger’s theory of secularization. Evidence of student learning is based on multiple forms of assessment including a pretest-posttest design, students’ exam responses, and students’ open-ended reflections about their experience during the simulation. Implications for the sociology of religion and the broader discipline are discussed.

Religion can help people cope with problems, but in the modern U.S. economy, it may also create problems for some women. Conservative Protestantism encourages women to avoid paid work when they have young children, but that is a preference many families cannot afford. To better understand how workplace outcomes may reflect religion, we examine whether conservative Protestant, mainline Protestant, Catholic, and non-religious women work the number of hours they prefer. We pay special attention to the interplay of religion and motherhood. We find that among new mothers, conservative Protestants are among the most likely to wish they were working fewer hours. Non-religious women, in contrast, are the least likely to want fewer hours. Among women who are not new mothers, the situation is reversed. Conservative Protestants are least likely to wish they were working fewer hours and non-religious women are the most likely to want fewer hours. These results suggest that researchers interested in the subjective side of employment should pay more attention to how religion shapes experiences of paid work.

This article discusses some of the challenges departments face as they embark on curriculum development. The interpersonal dynamics of a department are often the first and most difficult obstacle to overcome but are often overlooked. The author suggests some strategies for how to address these issues as they arise.

Americans are quite optimistic about their chances of upward mobility, but sometimes even they have their doubts. The authors examine how mobility experiences boost or dampen American optimism about mobility and how the relationship is connected to religion. The authors find that Americans whose subjective financial situations have recently worsened are less optimistic, whereas those whose situations have improved are more optimistic. Objective measures of mobility were not connected to optimism. The authors also found that men affiliated with historically black Protestant denominations and Hispanic Catholic men and women are more optimistic than the religiously unaffiliated. Additionally, downward mobility is associated with different outcomes for different groups: very small drops in optimism among Hispanic Catholic women but unusually large drops among mainline Protestant and Hispanic Catholic men. The authors encourage more study of Hispanic Catholic women because their experiences may be useful for preserving optimism among other Americans during tough economic times.

Laboratory rats display pronounced defensive behaviors when confronted with a range of cat-derived stimuli, including collars worn by a cat, cloths rubbed on a cat, and cat fur. One possible explanation of this phenomenon (the “kairomone hypothesis”) is that rats derive a survival advantage by eavesdropping on signals used by cats to communicate with each other. Cats are known to rub their bodies on objects at strategic environmental locations to signal their identity and mating potential to other cats. The current study assessed the sensitivity of laboratory rats to these body rubbings. In Experiment 1, food deprived Sprague–Dawley rats were trained to consume food pellets in one arm of a Y maze. On test day a damp cloth was placed near the food pellets that had been rubbed on a location (wall) where a cat had recently engaged in body rubbing. A control cloth and a collar worn by the cat were also tested. The presence of both the body rubbing residue and the cat collar increased latency to eat and decreased amount of food eaten. The disruption of consummatory behavior in the test environment was still evident 24 h later in the absence of odor stimuli. Experiment 2 tested the reaction of naive Wistar rats to body rubbings using a paradigm in which rats were given the opportunity to hide. Relative to a control condition, rats exposed to a cotton pad wiped on a cat body rubbing location showed increased hiding behavior, decreased exploration and reduced stimulus approach and investigation. These defensive responses persisted for up to 4 days following a single stimulus exposure. These results suggest that rats eavesdrop readily on body rubbings cats use for identification purposes, providing further support for a kairomone hypothesis of predator odor avoidance.

This paper examines the effect of religious majority size on religious minority well-being. Religious minorities face a number of challenges ranging from deliberate discrimination to inadequate worship space and accommodations. Yet for many of the members of religious minority groups, religion remains an important part of community organizing and individual well-being. Given this paradox, it is important to consider the ways that minority status is experienced in different contexts and by different groups. Using data on non-Catholics in majority Catholic nations, this paper demonstrates that the personal benefits of participation in a minority religion are dependent on the size of the Catholic majority. Although religious minorities generally experience health and wellness gains via their engagement with religious communities, the non-Catholic residents of some Catholic nations score higher on self-reports of mental and physical health when they are not actively engaged with their religious tradition. Explanations for this conditional relationship are considered in the discussion of the results.

Transportation is a complex stressor made up of factors including weaning itself and withdrawal from feed and water. Therefore, transportation has the potential to negatively impact the health and welfare of weaned pigs. Pigs were transported for 32 h and measures of performance, physiology, and behavior were taken to assess piglet welfare. Treatment groups included pigs not weaned or transported (CON), weaned pigs provided with feed and water (WEAN+), weaned pigs not provided with feed and water (WEAN−), weaned and transported pigs provided with feed and water (TRANS+), and weaned and transported pigs not provided with feed and water (TRANS−). Body weight loss was different among treatments (p &lt, 0.01). CON pigs had a 6.5% ± 0.45% gain in body weight after 32 h. WEAN+, WEAN−, TRANS+, and TRANS− groups all had a loss in body weight of 5.9% ± 0.45%, 7.8% ± 0.45%, 6.5% ± 0.45% and 9.1% ± 0.46%, respectively. The N:L was greater in all weaned pigs at 8 h compared to CON pigs (p &lt, 0.01). WEAN− and transported pigs had significantly higher N:L than CON pigs from 8 h through 16 h, however, all treatment groups were similar to CON pigs after 16 h irrespective of provision of feed and water. Blood glucose levels were lower in transported and/or weaned pigs than CON pigs after 16 h irrespective of the provision of feed and water. TRANS+ females had higher creatine kinase (CK) levels than males (p &lt, 0.05). After a 16 h transport period, TRANS− pigs had higher total plasma protein (TP) levels than all other treatment groups (p &lt, 0.05). Significant changes in behavior were observed during and after transportation, which could also be indicative of stress. Overall, transportation and weaning had a negative effect on performance, physiology and behavior (both during and post-weaning) of pigs, especially when feed and water was not provided. Transporting pigs without feed and water for more than 24 h was a welfare concern as indicated by changes in body weight and physiology measures of stress.

In Gram-negative bacteria, including Rhodobacter capsulatus, the membrane protein CycH acts as a putative apocytochrome chaperone during the biogenesis of c-type cytochromes. CycH-null mutants are unable to produce various c-type cytochromes and sustain photosynthetic (Ps) growth that requires the cytochromes c1 and c2 or cy. However, Ps+ revertants are readily obtained only on minimal, but not on enriched, medium. To obtain further information about the biogenesis of c-type cytochromes, these suppressor mutants were studied. Complementation of a CycH-null mutant for Ps+ growth by a genomic library constructed using DNA from a Ps+ suppressor yielded a plasmid carrying the ccl1-2 operon, the products of which, Ccl1 and Ccl2, are also involved in the biogenesis of c-type cytochromes. DNA sequence analysis revealed that the complementing activity resulted from a single point mutation, G488A, located upstream of the coding region of ccl1-2. This mutation changed the -35 region of the ccl1-2 promoter from TTGGCC to TTGACC, improving its similarity to the consensus sequence of Escherichia colisigma 70-dependent promoters. That the G488A mutation indeed enhanced transcription of ccl1-2 was demonstrated by the use of reporter gene fusions. An appropriate ccl1-2::lacZ transcriptional-translational fusion carrying the G488A mutation produced in R. capsulatus over 30-fold higher beta-galactosidase activity than a wild-type construct. Immunoblot analyses confirmed that Ccl1 and Ccl2 were overproduced in the Ps+ suppressors. Deletion of either ccl1 or ccl2, from the ccl1-2 cluster carrying the G488A mutation abolished the complementing ability, indicating that overexpression of both ccl1 and ccl2 was required to confer the Ps+ phenotype on a CycH-null mutant. These findings therefore demonstrate that, during R. capsulatus growth on minimal medium, the requirement for CycH in c-type cytochrome biogenesis could be bypassed by overexpressing the ccl1-2 operon.

Using the Xiphophorus fish melanoma model, we show a strong male bias for sunlight-induced malignant melanoma, consistent with that seen in the human population. To examine underlying factors, we exposed adult X. couchianus fish to a single, sublethal dose of UVB and measured circulating sex steroid hormones and expression of associated hormone receptor genes over a 24-h period. We found that a single exposure had profound effects on circulating levels of steroid hormones with significant decreases for all free sex steroids at 6 and 24 h and increases in conjugated 2-estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone at 6 and 24 h, respectively. Whereas ARα expression increased in male and female skin, neither ARβ nor either of the ERs showed significant responses to UVB in either sex. The rapid response of male androgens and their receptors in the skin after UVB irradiation implicates hormones in the male bias of skin cancer and suggests that the photoendocrine response immediately after UV exposure may be relevant to melanomagenesis.

Simple Summary Transportation has the potential to negatively affect the health and welfare of weaned pigs, especially those already experiencing weaning stress. Piglets were transported for 32 h, with and without feed and water, and measures of performance, physiology, and behavior were taken to assess piglet welfare. Transportation negatively impacted body weight, Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio (N:L), and post-transport body weight gain, indicating that not providing water during transport can negatively impact the well-being of recently weaned pigs. Provision of water may aid in reducing stress during long distance transport and improve the animals’ well-being. Abstract Transportation at weaning is a complex stressor made up of many factors, including withdrawal from feed and water, which can potentially negatively affect the health and welfare of pigs, especially those already experiencing weaning stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of weaning and extended transport durations (up to 32 h), with and without the provision of feed and/or water, on pig welfare. Treatment groups included: pigs neither weaned nor transported, control (CON); weaned pigs transported and provided with feed and water (T+); weaned pigs transported without feed and water (T−); weaned pigs transported with only feed (T+F); and weaned pigs transported with only water provided (TRAN+W). The effect of transport (with and without feed and/or water) on weaned pigs was assessed using behavior, performance, and physiology. After a 32-h transport period, pigs transported without water lost markedly more weight than those transported with water (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was markedly higher in male pigs transported without water (p < 0.05). Overall, transportation had a negative effect on pig well-being, especially when water was not provided.

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the developed world. Motion based video games show promise in helping people with hemiparesis (or partial paralysis) due to a stroke recover motor abilities. However, commercially available games are typically only playable by a minority of people with hemiparesis. Custom games can address the needs of a broader group of people with hemiparesis, but are expensive and time consuming to build. Environments that enable therapists to quickly create motion-based games tailored to individuals with hemiparesis may enable faster research exploration of the rehabilitation game design space and, ultimately, wider use of games in stroke recovery. This paper presents guidelines for and research challenges in the design of programming tools for therapists drawn from two studies. In the first study, we asked ten therapists to describe the relationship between players performing therapeutic motions and the motions of objects within the game world. Based on the language study results, we augmented an existing novice programming environment with support to detect and react to therapy motions. A second study, in which we asked pairs of therapists to design and build a therapeutic game, suggests guidelines for supporting therapists in programming games. These include including focusing on the player rather than input devices and using a mixture of events and constraints to capture player motion.