Cattle acclimate more substantially to repeated handling when confined individually in a pen than when assessed as a group.

Chute (CS) and exit (ES) scores are common subjective methods used to evaluate temperament in cattle production systems. A pen test, which allows behavior to be observed in a non-restrained setting, may also be an effective method to evaluate temperament by allowing more variation among animals to be expressed. The merit of pen scores in assisting producers in evaluating temperament is equivocal. The objectives of this study were to validate the usefulness of a pen score in delineating temperamental cattle and to determine whether these behavioral scores change under repeated and routine management. Over 3 consecutive years, a factorial design of two measurement protocols (frequent [F], infrequent [IN]) and three recording periods was used. The F measurements were collected over 3 consecutive days and IN measurements only on day 1 within a recording period. Each year, 20 mostly Angus commercial Bos taurus heifers were randomly assigned to each protocol. Behavior was measured using a CS, ES, and exit velocity. Body temperature and heart rate also were recorded. A fecal and blood sample were collected and analyzed for levels of various metabolites including glucose concentration and serum cortisol. Following routine handling, each heifers' response to 30 s of exposure to a human stressor was recorded both individually and in groups of four. An individual (IPS) and group (GPS) pen scores were assigned from 1 (docile) to 6 (aggressive). For all heifers, protocol, event, and their interaction, were compared on the first day of an event. For F heifers, event and day within event were instead used. Body weight was included as a covariate, with sire and year fitted as random effects. Reliability of IPS and GPS were determined using a kappa (K) coefficient. Both IPS and GPS were reliably assigned (K = 0.64 and 0.44 for IPS and GPS, respectively) and positively correlated with body temperature, heart rate, glucose, and serum cortisol (r = 0.28 to 0.37). Furthermore, F heifers acclimated to repeated handling in an individual pen setting (P < 0.05) while acclimation to handling within groups was not evident (P > 0.14). IPS provides a reliable evaluation of temperament in a non-restrained setting that is indicative of an animal's response to stress and may be useful when attempting to make phenotypic selection decisions. However, temperamental heifers became calmer with repeated gentle handling.

Chute and exit scores are common subjective methods used to evaluate temperament in cattle production systems. A pen test, which allows behavior to be observed in a non-restrained setting, may also be an effective method to evaluate temperament by allowing more variation among animals to be expressed. However, the merit of pen scores in assisting producers in evaluating temperament has yet to be discerned. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to validate the usefulness of pen scores in delineating temperamental cattle and to determine whether these behavioral scores change under repeated and routine management. Pen scores collected on heifers either individually or as a group could be assigned reliably and were indicative of an animal's response to stress during normal handling practices. Temperamental heifers, when handled more frequently, acclimated to repeated handling in an individual pen setting but not in a group. Therefore, regardless of method, when cattle are excitable during their first handling experience, more than one observation of temperament may be beneficial before assessing temperament.

Experiences of a Health System's Faculty, Staff, and Trainees' Career Development, Work Culture, and Childcare Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Importance: In March 2020, US public buildings (including schools) were shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and 42% of US workers resumed their employment duties from home. Some shutdowns remain in place, yet the extent of the needs of US working parents is largely unknown. Objective: To identify and address the career development, work culture, and childcare needs of faculty, staff, and trainees at an academic medical center during a pandemic. Design, Setting, and Participants: For this survey study, between August 5 and August 20, 2020, a Qualtrics survey was emailed to all faculty, staff, and trainees at University of Utah Health, an academic health care system that includes multiple hospitals, community clinics, and specialty centers. Participants included 27 700 University of Utah Health faculty, staff, and trainees who received a survey invitation. Data analysis was performed from August to November 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes included experiences of COVID-19 and their associations with career development, work culture, and childcare needs. Results: A total of 5030 participants completed the entire survey (mean [SD] age, 40 [12] years); 3738 (75%) were women; 4306 (86%) were White or European American; 561 (11%) were Latino or Latina (of any race), Black or African American, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; and 301 (6%) were Asian or Asian American. Of the participants, 2545 (51%) reported having clinical responsibilities, 2412 (48%) had at least 1 child aged 18 years or younger, 3316 (66%) were staff, 791 (16%) were faculty, and 640 (13%) were trainees. Nearly one-half of parents reported that parenting (1148 participants [49%]) and managing virtual education for children (1171 participants [50%]) were stressors. Across all participants, 1061 (21%) considered leaving the workforce, and 1505 (30%) considered reducing hours. Four hundred forty-nine faculty (55%) and 397 trainees (60%) perceived decreased productivity, and 2334 participants (47%) were worried about COVID-19 impacting their career development, with 421 trainees (64%) being highly concerned. Conclusions and Relevance: In this survey of 5030 faculty, staff, and trainees of a US health system, many participants with caregiving responsibilities, particularly women, faculty, trainees, and (in a subset of cases) those from racial/ethnic groups that underrepresented in medicine, considered leaving the workforce or reducing hours and were worried about their career development related to the pandemic. It is imperative that medical centers support their employees and trainees during this challenging time.

The Emergence of Autism Symptoms Prior to 18 Months of Age: A Systematic Literature Review.

Pre-diagnostic intervention for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) allows symptoms to be addressed as they emerge, often between six to 18 months, rather than after the full onset of the disorder. A systematic literature review, spanning the previous six years was conducted in order to provide an updated review looking at the earliest behavior symptoms of ASD. All included studies used a prospective experimental design, reported on symptoms that emerged before 18-months of age, exclusively in children who would later receive a diagnosis, and were assessed for quality. This review is the first to address this research question through the use of a systematic research design and extends the literature by following up on recommendations for future research from previous findings.

Salivary endocrine response following a maximal incremental cycling protocol with local vibration.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of vibration (Vib versus noVib) during a maximal graded cycling exercise on hormonal response, precisely on cortisol (C) and testosterone (T). Twelve active males (25 ± 5yrs; 181 ± 5cm; 80.7 ± 11.1kg) randomly performed two maximal incremental cycling tests on two separate days and at the same time of the day (09:00). The protocol consisted of incremental steps of 3 min duration performed on a PowerBIKETM that induces vibration cycling. The study was a repeated measures design and participants performed the test with and without vibration. Gas exchange and heart rate (HR) were continuously assessed and blood lactate (Bla) was recorded at the end of each incremental stage. Saliva samples were collected before and immediately after the test, and analysed for (C) and (T). The results show that C and T increased in both cycling conditions; however, the C's magnitude of change was significantly higher by 83% after Vib cycling in comparison to the no Vib (p = 0.014), whereas the T's magnitude of change were not statistically different between trials (p = 0.715). Vibration induced a decrease of the T/C ratio (p = 0.046) but no significant changes were observed following noVib (p = 0.476). As a conclusion, the investigation suggests that adding mechanical vibration to cycling may potentiate a catabolic exercise-induced state, which could have potential clinical implications in rehabilitation and injury treatment. Sport experts should take this message home to carefully plan the recovery process and time during training and competitions.

Stoichiometric distribution models: ecological stoichiometry at the landscape extent.

Human activities are altering the fundamental geography of biogeochemicals. Yet we lack an understanding of how the spatial patterns in organismal stoichiometry affect biogeochemical processes and the tools to predict the impacts of global changes on biogeochemical processes. In this contribution we develop stoichiometric distribution models (StDMs), which allow us to map spatial structure in resource elemental composition across a landscape and evaluate spatial responses of consumers. We parameterise StDMs for a consumer-resource (moose-white birch) system and demonstrate that we can develop predictive models of resource stoichiometry across a landscape and that such models could improve our predictions of consumer space use. With results from our study system application, we argue that explicit consideration of the spatial patterns in organismal elemental composition may uncover emergent individual, population, community and ecosystem properties that are not revealed at the local extents routinely used in ecological stoichiometry. We discuss perspectives for further developments and application of StDMs to advance three emerging frameworks for spatial ecosystem ecology in an era of global change; meta-ecosystem theory, macroecological stoichiometry and remotely sensed biogeochemistry. Progress on these emerging frameworks will allow for the integration of ecological stoichiometry and individual space use and fitness.

Effect of transdermal magnesium cream on serum and urinary magnesium levels in humans: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Oral magnesium supplementation is commonly used to support a low magnesium diet. This investigation set out to determine whether magnesium in a cream could be absorbed transdermally in humans to improve magnesium status. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this single blind, parallel designed pilot study, n = 25 participants (aged 34.3+/-14.8y, height 171.5+/-11cm, weight 75.9 +/-14 Kg) were randomly assigned to either a 56mg/day magnesium cream or placebo cream group for two weeks. Magnesium serum and 24hour urinary excretion were measured at baseline and at 14 days intervention. Food diaries were recorded for 8 days during this period. Mg test and placebo groups' serum and urinary Mg did not differ at baseline. After the Mg2+ cream intervention there was a clinically relevant increase in serum magnesium (0.82 to 0.89 mmol/l,p = 0.29) that was not seen in the placebo group (0.77 to 0.79 mmol/L), but was only statistically significant (p = 0.02)) in a subgroup of non-athletes. Magnesium urinary excretion increased from baseline slightly in the Mg2+ group but with no statistical significance (p = 0.48). The Mg2+ group showed an 8.54% increase in serum Mg2+ and a 9.1% increase in urinary Mg2+ while these figures for the placebo group were smaller, i.e. +2.6% for serum Mg2+ and -32% for urinary Mg2+. In the placebo group, both serum and urine concentrations showed no statistically significant change after the application of the placebo cream. CONCLUSION: No previous studies have looked at transdermal absorbency of Mg2+ in human subjects. In this pilot study, transdermal delivery of 56 mg Mg/day (a low dose compared with commercial transdermal Mg2+ products available) showed a larger percentage rise in both serum and urinary markers from pre to post intervention compared with subjects using the placebo cream, but statistical significance was achieved only for serum Mg2+ in a subgroup of non-athletes. Future studies should look at higher dosage of magnesium cream for longer durations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN registry ID No. ISRTN15136969.

The Effects of a 4-Week, Intensified Training, and Competition Period on Salivary Hormones, Immunoglobulin A, Illness Symptoms, and Mood State in Elite Synchronised Swimmers.

Given the limited research into the physiological and psychological demands of elite synchronised swimming, the aim of this study was to examine 10 elite female synchronised swimmers and analyse the relationship between training load, stress, illness episodes, and salivary biomarkers during a period of training and competition. Saliva samples were collected before (BASE), during an intensified training camp (CAMP), during an international competition period (COMP), and post competition recovery (REC) for analysis of cortisol, testosterone, and secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA). Illness symptoms, Daily Analysis of Life Demands of Athletes (DALDA), and training load were also monitored. Training load significantly increased from BASE during CAMP and COMP (p < 0.01), and SIgA secretion was higher during COMP compared to BASE and CAMP (p < 0.01). There was no change in salivary testosterone; however, salivary cortisol was elevated during COMP compared to BASE (93%, p < 0.05). DALDA 'a scores' were correlated with salivary cortisol (r = 0.429, p = 0.0001). The study demonstrates that a short period of intensified training and competition did not have a detrimental effect on mucosal immunity in elite synchronised swimmers; however, swimmers displayed higher cortisol levels during the competition and increased stress symptoms.

Effect of Roadside Vegetation Cutting on Moose Browsing.

Moose (Alces americanus ) vehicle collisions (MVCs) are an issue throughout the distribution of moose. Many mitigation strategies have been tested and implemented to reduce the number of MVCs, but there have been few empirical analyses of the effectiveness of roadside vegetation cutting. The goal of this study was to determine if roadside vegetation cutting attracted moose into roadside areas to browse on the vegetation regrowth. We hypothesized that moose would be attracted to roadside areas with cut vegetation. Consequently, we predicted that there would be higher levels of browsing in cut areas compared to uncut areas. To determine if moose were browsing more in cut or uncut areas, we measured the number of plants browsed by moose in paired treatment (cut on or after 2008) and control (not cut since at least 2008) sites, along with a suite of potential environmental covariates. Using a model selection approach, we fit generalized linear mixed-effects models to determine the most parsimonious set of environmental variables to explain variation in the proportion of moose browse among sites. In contrast to our hypothesis, our results show that the proportion of moose browse in the uncut control areas was significantly higher than in the cut treatment areas. The results of this study suggest that recently cut roadside areas (7 years or less based on our work) may create a less attractive foraging habitat for moose. The majority of the variance in the proportion of moose browse among sites was explained by treatment type and nested plot number within site identification (34.16%), with additional variance explained by traffic region (5.00%) and moose density (4.35%). Based on our study, we recommend that vegetation cutting be continued in roadside areas in Newfoundland as recently cut areas may be less attractive browsing sites for moose.

Using Graduated Exposure and Differential Reinforcement to Increase Food Repertoire in a Child with Autism.

Food selectivity is often seen in children with autism spectrum disorder and can lead to severe nutritional deficiencies. Food selectivity can be specific to food texture, colour, shape, presentation, type, brand or container. Often food selectivity is treated using escape extinction in conjunction with other procedures, which can be challenging to implement for the therapist or caregiver, aversive for the child, and requires adequate supervision from a professional to ensure fidelity of the procedure. A preference assessment, parent interview and food journal determined the child's food repertoire consisted of four different foods in total (pasta, fish crackers, dry cereal and yogurt), and the child was selective by brand, texture, temperature and utensil requirement. A 12-step graduated exposure food hierarchy was constructed, the child was lead through the hierarchy, and parent training was implemented for generalization. After 9 months of treatment, the participant's food repertoire increased from four items to more than 50 items. Additionally, food refusal behaviour decreased to rates of zero during intervention and parents report significant decreases in mealtime behaviour at home. The importance of using an alternative strategy to escape extinction for treating food selectivity in children with autism spectrum disorder will be discussed.

Salivary and plasma cortisol and testosterone responses to interval and tempo runs and a bodyweight-only circuit session in endurance-trained men.

The aim of this study was to examine the acute response to plasma and salivary cortisol and testosterone to three training protocols. Ten trained endurance athletes participated in three experimental trials, such as interval training (INT), tempo run (TEMP) and bodyweight-only circuit training (CIR), on separate days. Blood and saliva samples were collected pre- and 0, 15, 30 and 60 min post-exercise. Peak post-exercise salivary cortisol was higher than pre-exercise in all trials (P < 0.01). After INT, salivary cortisol remained elevated above pre-exercise than 60 min post-exercise. Salivary testosterone also increased post-exercise in all trials (P < 0.05). Plasma and salivary cortisol were correlated between individuals (r = 0.81, 0.73-0.88) and within individuals (r = 0.81, 0.73-0.87) (P < 0.01). Plasma and salivary testosterone was also correlated between (r = 0.57, 0.43-0.69) and within individuals (r = 0.60, 0.45-0.72), (P < 0.01). Peak cortisol and testosterone levels occurred simultaneously in plasma and saliva, but timing of post-exercise hormone peaks differed between trials and individuals. Further investigation is required to identify the mechanisms eliciting an increase in hormones in response to CIR. Furthermore, saliva is a valid alternative sampling technique for measurement of cortisol, although the complex, individual and situation dependent nature of the hormone response to acute exercise should be considered.