Intraspecific variation in seed size is mediated by seed dispersal modes and animal dispersers - evidence from a global-scale dataset.

Seed dispersal mechanisms play a crucial role in driving evolutionary changes in seed and fruit traits. While previous studies have primarily focussed on the mean or maximum values of these traits, there is also significant intraspecific variation in them. Therefore, it is pertinent to investigate whether dispersal mechanisms can explain intraspecific variations in these traits. Taking seed size as a case study, we compiled a global dataset comprising 3424 records of intraspecific variation in seed size (IVSS), belonging to 691 plant species and 131 families. We provided the first comprehensive quantification of dispersal mechanism effects on IVSS. Biotic-dispersed species exhibited a larger IVSS than abiotic-dispersed species. Synzoochory species had a larger IVSS than endozoochory, epizoochory, and myrmecochory species. Vertebrate-dispersed species exhibited a larger IVSS than invertebrate-dispersed species, and species dispersed by birds exhibited a larger IVSS than mammal-dispersed species. Additionally, a clear negative correlation was detected between IVSS and disperser body mass. Our results prove that the IVSS is associated with the seed dispersal mechanism. This study advances our understanding of the dispersal mechanisms' crucial role in seed size evolution, encompassing not only the mean value but also the variation.

Glucocorticoid response to naturalistic interactions between children and dogs.

Although research has shown that pets appear to provide certain types of social support to children, little is known about the physiological bases of these effects, especially in naturalistic contexts. In this study, we investigated the effect of free-form interactions between children (ages 8-10 years) and dogs on salivary cortisol concentrations in both species. We further investigated the role of the child-dog relationship by comparing interactions with the child's pet dog to interactions with an unfamiliar dog or a nonsocial control condition, and modeled associations between survey measures of the human-animal bond and children's physiological responses. In both children and dogs, salivary cortisol decreased from pre- to post-interaction; the effect was strongest for children interacting with an unfamiliar dog (compared to their pet dog) and for the pet dogs (compared to the unfamiliar dog). We found minimal evidence for associations between cortisol output and behaviors coded from video, but children scoring higher on survey measures of the human-animal bond exhibited the greatest reductions in cortisol when interacting with dogs. Self-reported loneliness was not related to cortisol or the human-animal bond, but measures of both loneliness and the human-animal bond were higher among children who participated after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, relative to those who participated before the pandemic. This study builds on previous work that investigated potential stress-buffering effects of human-animal interaction during explicit stressors and demonstrates important physiological correlates of naturalistic interactions between children and dogs, similar to those that occur in daily life.

Sharing the space of the creature: Intersubjectivity as a lens toward mutual human-wildlife dignity.

Human-wildlife coexistence is critical for sustainable and healthy ecosystems as well as to prevent human and wildlife suffering. In this paper, an intersubjective approach to human-wildlife interactions is proposed as a lens toward human decentering and emergent mutual evolution. The thesis is developed through a secondary data analysis of a research study on wildlife care and philosophical analysis using the work of Bernard Lonergan and Edmund Husserl. The study was conducted using the theory of transcendent pluralism, which is grounded in human and ecological dignity, including the dignity of beyond-human beings. Deeper interpretation of the original data suggests that human-wildlife interactions are mutually conscious, embodied, and hold spatial-temporal dimensions. The affective realm is an integral dimension of human-wildlife intersubjectivity. These findings inform an approach toward human-wildlife relations in which human persons and the beyond-human multitude can all flourish in dignity.

Using qualitative behavior assessment to investigate the effect of tourist presence on the welfare in captive tigers (Panthera tigris) in three tourism facilities in Thailand.

Numerous facilities around the world offer tourists interactive experiences with captive tigers. Yet, the animal welfare implications of this practice have not been widely studied. This study aimed to investigate whether qualitative behavioral assessment (QBA) could: (i) provide a valid indicator of tiger's emotional state and (ii) be applied to assess whether unfamiliar human presence with hand-raised captive tigers had an impact on the emotional state of those tigers. To investigate this, QBA was applied to video clips of hand-raised captive tigers from three sites (two offering unfamiliar human interaction, Sites A and C, and one retirement site with no direct interactions, Site B) in Thailand. QBA allows inferences to be made about animal emotion on the basis of descriptions of behavioral expression. Analysis, using a free choice profiling methodology, was provided by observers (N = 38) split between three groups; tiger keepers and vets from the Thai venues (n = 12), UK-based animal behavior MSc and vet students (n = 16), and international tiger keepers (n = 10). Tigers (N = 35) were split between Sites A (n = 7), B (n = 18), and C (n = 10) and filmed at three time points; morning (0800-0930 h); midday, (1130-1230 h); and evening, (1630-1830h) totaling 105 clips. Using generalized procrustes analysis, a consensus profile was calculated for each observer group. Two meaningful dimensions of behavioral expression, explaining 75.0% of the variation, were observed across these groups: Dimension 1 (D1: "active"/"interested"/"agitated" to "relaxed"/"calm"/"chilled-out") and Dimension 2 (D2: "bored"/"stressed"/"frustrated" to "relaxed"/"curious"/"interested"). There was clear agreement between the three observer groups in terms of tiger emotional expression along D1. However, agreement was more variable on D2. The behavioral expression on D1 was not significantly affected by site but was significantly affected by an interaction between age and time of day. Time of day also affected scores on D2, with the Thai observer group also showing an effect of site. During the midday period, when unfamiliar humans were present, all tiger age groups showed more positive behavioral expressions on D1 (lower scores: "relaxed"/"calm"/"chilled-out") and more negative behavioral expressions on D2 (higher scores: "bored"/"stressed"/"frustrated"), which could indicate that the presence of unfamiliar humans was a stressor. However, tigers in the retirement Site C also displayed similar behavioral expressions, which could indicate a deeper welfare issue. With further development, QBA could be used as part of a valid tool for long-term measurement of behavioral expression in captive tigers.

A Preliminary Analysis of Psychiatric Service Dog Placements and Sleep Patterns of Partners of Veterans With PTSD.

Partners of veterans diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at risk of a variety of challenges, and it is unknown whether psychiatric service dogs are disruptive to their sleep or provide similar benefits that are seen in the limited literature on veterans. As part of a larger clinical trial examining the efficacy of psychiatric service dogs for veterans with PTSD and their families, this study focused on sleep patterns of veterans' partners (n = 88), incorporating both subjective (clinically validated self-report surveys) and objective sleep measures (actigraphy). Linear regression was used to analyze differences in relation to group (intervention versus control) at follow up, controlling for baseline score. Results revealed no significant differences between groups for both the subjective surveys (p = 0.15; p = 0.75) and the objective actigraphy measures (p = 0.06-0.98). This suggests that psychiatric service dogs are not disruptive, nor do they provide any benefits to partner sleep. Partners had sleep patterns on par with national norms at baseline and remained at such levels at follow up. Ultimately, using both subjective and objective measures, we found no impact of psychiatric service dogs on the sleep of veterans' partners.

Discrimination of cat-directed speech from human-directed speech in a population of indoor companion cats (Felis catus).

In contemporary western cultures, most humans talk to their pet companions. Speech register addressed to companion animals shares common features with speech addressed to young children, which are distinct from the typical adult-directed speech (ADS). The way dogs respond to dog-directed speech (DDS) has raised scientists' interest. In contrast, much less is known about how cats perceive and respond to cat-directed speech (CDS). The primary aim of this study was to evaluate whether cats are more responsive to CDS than ADS. Secondarily, we seek to examine if the cats' responses to human vocal stimuli would differ when it was elicited by their owner or by a stranger. We performed playback experiments and tested a cohort of 16 companion cats in a habituation-dishabituation paradigm, which allows for the measurement of subjects' reactions without extensive training. Here, we report new findings that cats can discriminate speech specifically addressed to them from speech addressed to adult humans, when sentences are uttered by their owners. When hearing sentences uttered by strangers, cats did not appear to discriminate between ADS and CDS. These findings bring a new dimension to the consideration of human-cat relationship, as they imply the development of a particular communication into human-cat dyads, that relies upon experience. We discuss these new findings in the light of recent literature investigating cats' sociocognitive abilities and human-cat attachment. Our results highlight the importance of one-to-one relationships for cats, reinforcing recent literature regarding the ability for cats and humans to form strong bonds.

Contrasting seed traits of co-existing seeds lead to a complex neighbor effect in a seed-rodent interaction.

Scatter-hoarding rodents play important roles in seed dispersal and predation in many forest ecosystems. Existing studies have shown that the seed foraging preference of rodents is directly affected by seed traits and indirectly affected by the traits of other co-existing seeds nearby (i.e., neighbor effect). Plant seeds exhibit a combination of diverse seed traits, including seed size, chemical defense, and nutrient content. Therefore, it is difficult to evaluate the influence of each single seed trait on such neighbor effects. Here, by using artificial seeds, we investigated the impacts of contrasts in seed size, tannin content, and nutrient content on neighbor effects. We tracked 9000 tagged artificial seeds from 30 seed-seed paired treatments in a subtropical forest in southwest China. The contrast in seed size between paired seeds created obvious neighbor effects measured through three seed dispersal related indicators: the proportion of seeds being removed, the proportion of seeds cached, and the distance transported by rodents. However, the magnitudes and the signs of the neighbor effects differed among pairs, including both apparent mutualism and apparent competition, depending on the contrast in seed size between paired seeds. The contrasts of tannin and nutrient content between paired seeds showed relatively few neighbor effects. Our results suggest that the contrast in seed traits between the target seed and its neighboring seeds should be considered when studying rodent-seed interactions. Furthermore, we expect that similar complex neighbor effects may also exist in other plant-animal interactions, such as pollination and herbivory.

The role of pets in the support systems of community-dwelling older adults: a qualitative systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: Western countries face ageing populations and increasing numbers of older adults receiving long-term care at home (home care). Approximately 50% of households in Western countries own pets, and while pets impact the health and wellbeing of their owners, most healthcare organisations do not account for the role of pets in the lives of their clients. Due to the lack of research in older adults receiving home care that own pets, this study aimed to review previous qualitative research about the role and significance of pets for older adults in general. METHOD: PubMed and PsycINFO were systematically searched with variations on (MeSH) terms for older adults (mean age 65 years and older), pets, and qualitative study designs. Iterative-inductive thematic analyses were performed in ATLAS.ti. RESULTS: We included fifteen studies and extracted twenty-eight themes within seven categories: Relational Aspects, Reflection and Meaning, Emotional Aspects, Aspects of Caregiving, Physical Health, Social Aspects, and Bidirectional Behaviour. Older adults reported not only on positive aspects of pet ownership such as the emotional support their pets provided but also on negative aspects such as postponing personal medical treatment. CONCLUSION: Older adults perceived pets as important for their health and wellbeing. This implies that care workers may be able to improve home care by accounting for the role of pets of older adults receiving home care. Based on our findings, we suggest that community healthcare organisations develop guidelines and tools for care workers to improve care at home for clients with pets.

Canadian dairy farmer views about animal welfare.

Concerns regarding the welfare of farm animals continue to grow. Traditionally, research efforts have largely focused on refining existing management practices to improve welfare. However, the incorporation of views from those directly involved in animal care is equally, if not more, important. This study investigated the perspectives of Canadian dairy farmers on animal welfare. We conducted 16 interviews with a total of 22 participants from four provinces across Canada. Recorded audio files and field notes were transcribed, anonymised, and coded using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. The interview data revealed two major themes: (1) animal dimension of animal welfare, including views related to biological functioning, naturalness and affective states; and (2) dairy farmer identity, including, the voice of the 'city', what it means to be a good 'cow-man', and the nature of human-animal relationships. Dairy farmers emphasised biological functioning, but they made numerous references to the emotional and natural living aspects of their animals' lives. Our work also provides evidence that farmers believed it was their duty to care for their animals beyond simply milking cows and making a profit. In terms of the larger debate, this study identified potential shared values with members of the public: opportunities for natural living and agency, attentiveness to individual animals, and the value of life over death. Finally, the emotional relationship that farmers developed with their animals highlights the values dairy farmers have for their animals beyond simply utilitarian function. Overall, these shared values could contribute to constructive dialogue.

Cats just want to have fun: Associations between play and welfare in domestic cats.

Play is often considered an indicator and promotor of animal welfare and may facilitate closer cat-human relationships. However, few studies have empirically investigated these associations. The current study aimed to investigate play-related factors associated with four welfare outcome measures in cats (Felis catus) including: cat quality of life; cat-guardian relationship quality; problem behaviour prevalence; and behavioural changes. An online survey was developed using demographic information, questions related to play and resources, free text sections and the following validated measures: cat quality of life (QOL), the cat owner relationship scale, and the adult playfulness trait scale. Responses were completed by 1,591 cat guardians from 55 countries. Higher cat playfulness scores and a greater number of games played were significantly associated with higher cat QOL scores while longer amounts of daily play, greater number of games, both cat and guardian initiating play and higher guardian playfulness scores were all significantly associated with higher cat-guardian relationship scores. Exclusively indoor housing was significantly associated with both higher cat QOL and higher cat-guardian relationships scores compared to cats with outdoor access. Behavioural changes associated with distress in cats were reported when play was absent. Play may be an important factor in assessing and maintaining cat welfare. Further research into the mechanisms of how play impacts welfare and cat-guardian relationships is needed.

Companion animals and profiles of peer social behavior in adolescence.

INTRODUCTION: Relationships with companion animals have been associated with higher levels of prosocial behavior and lower levels of socioemotional difficulties for children and adolescents. Companion animals may be supportive of developing prosocial behavior in youth through practice with positive social interactions and the development of empathy and reciprocity skills. The goal of this study was to use a person-centered approach to investigate if living with a pet (including pet species) is associated with profiles of adolescent peer social behaviors (i.e., prosocial, aggressive), and size of their peer network. METHODS: This study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study®, a large, nationally representative data set of American adolescents. RESULTS: In a cross-sectional sample of 5218 adolescents, we found that youth clustered into four different distinct profiles of peer social behavior. Female youth living with dogs were less likely to be in the High Aggression profile as compared to youth without pets or youth with other types of pets. However, having a pet was not associated with whether youth were in the profiles characterized by prosocial behaviors or size of peer network. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, future research should explore how gender intersects with companion animal interactions-both in terms of frequency of interactions as well as relationship quality/emotional attachment-as well as examine these relationships over time to assess causality.

Are Brachycephalic Dogs Really Cute? Evidence from Online Descriptions.

Brachycephalic dog breeds have become increasingly popular in recent years, despite showing a high incidence of conformation-related disorders and early mortality. It has been suggested that this popularity might be explained by public perceptions of these short-muzzled dogs as looking particularly infant-like or "cute." Here, the hypothesis that short-muzzled breeds are especially likely to be described as cute was investigated by analyzing the word contents of advertisements for dogs and puppies being sold online. The ages and breeds of dogs being advertised were considered, in addition to whether the text of each advertisement included the word "cute" or two associated words: "adorable" and "sweet." Analyses of the entire sample of advertisements (n = 43,312) indicated that younger dogs were more likely to be advertised as "cute" and "adorable," while older ones were more likely to be advertised as "sweet." Shortmuzzled, brachycephalic breeds (cranio-facial ratio < 0.5) were more likely to be advertised as "cute," with brachycephalic puppies under 6 months of age being particularly likely to be called "cute" and also "adorable." However, breed size had a larger and wider effect on word use in advertisements, with smaller dogs being advertised more frequently using all three words: "cute," "adorable," and "sweet." When data for adult dogs only were considered (n = 11,400), and continuous muzzle shortening and age data were used, a somewhat different and more complex pattern of results were found. Use of the words "cute" and "adorable" were not associated with degree of muzzle shortening among these adult dogs, but "sweet" was used more often in advertisements for longer-muzzled breeds. We conclude that the present dataset provides partial support for the assertion that short-muzzled dogs are described as more "cute" than longer-muzzled ones, but that small size is a better predictor of the use of "cute" and its synonyms.

PTSD service dogs foster resilience among veterans and military families.

Military deployment and reintegration challenges permeate the lives and relationships of Veterans, their spouses, and their families. Among these challenges, 23% of post-9/11 Veterans have been diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psychiatric service dogs have been found to help clinically alleviate PTSD symptoms when used as a complementary intervention. However, minimal research exists that explores the role of the service dog as a mechanism for cultivating resilience within the military family system. Researchers utilized a qualitative, constant comparative approach to analyze self-reported experiences of 101 individuals, including Veterans (n = 67) and their spouses (n = 34). Analyzed through the framework of the Theory of Resilience and Relational Load (Afifi et al., 2016), findings suggest complex communication processes that facilitate relational and family adaptation. These processes encompassed (a) the role of the service dog in building emotional reserves, (b) relational load introduced when caring for the service dog, and (c) the service dog's facilitation of relational maintenance behaviors among family members that contributed to communal orientation. Based on the results of this qualitative analysis, researchers suggest educational interventions where service dog trainers and mental health practitioners can incorporate relational maintenance strategies and family-focused approaches to integrating service dogs as military family members.

Fungal social influencers: secondary metabolites as a platform for shaping the plant-associated community.

Fungal secondary metabolites (FSMs) are capable of manipulating plant community dynamics by inhibiting or facilitating the establishment of co-habitating organisms. Although production of FSMs is not crucial for survival of the producer, their absence can indirectly impair growth and/or niche competition of these fungi on the plant. The presence of FSMs with no obvious consequence on the fitness of the producer leaves questions regarding ecological impact. This review investigates how fungi employ FSMs as a platform to mediate fungal-fungal, fungal-bacterial and fungal-animal interactions associated with the plant community. We discuss how the biological function of FSMs may indirectly benefit the producer by altering the dynamics of surrounding organisms. We introduce several instances where FSMs influence antagonistic- or alliance-driven interactions. Part of our aim is to decipher the meaning of the FSM 'language' as it is widely noted to impact the surrounding community. Here, we highlight the contribution of FSMs to plant-associated interaction networks that affect the host either broadly or in ways that may have previously been unclear.

Impact of disease characteristics and knowledge on public risk perception of zoonoses.

Zoonoses represent a global public health threat. Understanding lay perceptions of risk associated with these diseases can better inform proportionate policy interventions that mitigate their current and future impacts. While individual zoonoses (e.g. bovine spongiform encephalopathy) have received scientific and public attention, we know little about how multiple zoonotic diseases vary relative to each other in lay risk perceptions. To this end, we examined public perceptions of 11 zoonoses across 12 qualitative attributes of risk among the UK public (n = 727, volunteer sample), using an online survey. We found that attribute ratings were predominantly explained via two basic dimensions of risk related to public knowledge and dread. We also show that, despite participants reporting low familiarity with most of the diseases presented, zoonoses were perceived as essentially avoidable. These findings imply that infection is viewed as dependent upon actions under personal control which has significant implications for policy development.

Behavioral-biological surveillance of emerging infectious diseases among a dynamic cohort in Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Interactions between humans and animals are the key elements of zoonotic spillover leading to zoonotic disease emergence. Research to understand the high-risk behaviors associated with disease transmission at the human-animal interface is limited, and few consider regional and local contexts. OBJECTIVE: This study employed an integrated behavioral-biological surveillance approach for the early detection of novel and known zoonotic viruses in potentially high-risk populations, in an effort to identify risk factors for spillover and to determine potential foci for risk-mitigation measures. METHOD: Participants were enrolled at two community-based sites (n = 472) in eastern and western Thailand and two hospital (clinical) sites (n = 206) in northeastern and central Thailand. A behavioral questionnaire was administered to understand participants' demographics, living conditions, health history, and animal-contact behaviors and attitudes. Biological specimens were tested for coronaviruses, filoviruses, flaviviruses, influenza viruses, and paramyxoviruses using pan (consensus) RNA Virus assays. RESULTS: Overall 61/678 (9%) of participants tested positive for the viral families screened which included influenza viruses (75%), paramyxoviruses (15%), human coronaviruses (3%), flaviviruses (3%), and enteroviruses (3%). The most salient predictors of reporting unusual symptoms (i.e., any illness or sickness that is not known or recognized in the community or diagnosed by medical providers) in the past year were having other household members who had unusual symptoms and being scratched or bitten by animals in the same year. Many participants reported raising and handling poultry (10.3% and 24.2%), swine (2%, 14.6%), and cattle (4.9%, 7.8%) and several participants also reported eating raw or undercooked meat of these animals (2.2%, 5.5%, 10.3% respectively). Twenty four participants (3.5%) reported handling bats or having bats in the house roof. Gender, age, and livelihood activities were shown to be significantly associated with participants' interactions with animals. Participants' knowledge of risks influenced their health-seeking behavior. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that there is a high level of interaction between humans, livestock, and wild animals in communities at sites we investigated in Thailand. This study highlights important differences among demographic and occupational risk factors as they relate to animal contact and zoonotic disease risk, which can be used by policymakers and local public health programs to build more effective surveillance strategies and behavior-focused interventions.

Development of human-directed behavior in dairy calves reared individually or in pairs.

Although social contact between dairy calves has broad effects on their behavioral development, influences of calf social housing on human-animal relationships are less well understood, despite implications for longer-term calf management and welfare. We characterized human-animal interactions in 3 distinct testing contexts to examine effects of social housing on development of human-directed behavior. At birth, Holstein heifer calves were randomly assigned to individual housing (n = 17 calves) or pair housing (n = 17 calves; 1 focal calf/pair). A human approach test was performed twice in the home pen (wk 3 and 5 of life), within an open testing arena (13 × 7 m; wk 4 of life), and within group-housing pens 6 d after all calves were weaned, mingled between treatments, and moved to groups (4 calves/pen; wk 8 of life). For these tests, a human approached, and then extended their hand, over a 2 min period for home and group pen tests and a 5 min period for the arena test, and behavior was recorded from video. During preweaning human approach tests in the home pen, individually housed calves had shorter latencies to contact the human (22.4 vs. 45.1 s; individual vs. pair housing) and spent more time in contact with the human [80.5 vs. 41.1 s; standard error (SE) = 9.9; individual vs. pair housing], with similar responses between repeated tests. In the arena approach test, individually housed calves spent more time oriented toward the human (134.6 vs. 81.3 s; SE = 16.5; individual vs. pair housing), whereas pair-housed calves were more likely to perform pen-directed non-nutritive oral behavior (60 vs. 40% of calves; pair vs. individual housing), suggesting differences in interest directed toward the human compared with the novel environment. We also found that total duration of human contact was correlated between the first home pen approach test and the novel arena test, but that specific response to human approach varied between testing contexts. Effects of treatment persisted during the postweaning group pen approach test, with previously individually housed calves tending to spend more time looking toward the human (53.0 vs. 30.0 s; SE = 9.4; individual vs. pair housing) and more likely to contact the human (47 vs. 12% of calves; individual vs. pair housing). Overall, these results show persistent effects of early life social housing on human-directed behavior which may have implications for longer-term management.

Mixed Reality-Based Interaction between Human and Virtual Cat for Mental Stress Management.

Human-animal interaction (HAI) has been observed to effectively reduce stress and induce positive emotions owing to the process of directly petting and interacting with animals. Interaction with virtual animals has recently emerged as an alternative due to the limitations in general physical interactions, both due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, more generally, due to the difficulties involved in providing adequate care for animals. This study proposes mixed reality (MR)-based human-animal interaction content along with presenting the experimental verification of its effect on the reduction of mental stress. A mental arithmetic task was employed to induce acute mental stress, which was followed by either MR content, in which a participant interacted with virtual animals via gestures and voice commands, or a slide show of animal images. During the experiment, an electrocardiogram (ECG) was continuously recorded with a patch-type, wireless ECG sensor on the chest of the subject, and their psychological state was evaluated with the help of questionnaires after each task. The findings of the study demonstrate that the MR-based interaction with virtual animals significantly reduces mental stress and induces positive emotions. We expect that this study could provide a basis for the widespread use of MR-based content in the field of mental health.

Designing Man's New Best Friend: Enhancing Human-Robot Dog Interaction through Dog-Like Framing and Appearance.

To understand how to improve interactions with dog-like robots, we evaluated the importance of "dog-like" framing and physical appearance on interaction, hypothesizing multiple interactive benefits of each. We assessed whether framing Aibo as a puppy (i.e., in need of development) versus simply a robot would result in more positive responses and interactions. We also predicted that adding fur to Aibo would make it appear more dog-like, likable, and interactive. Twenty-nine participants engaged with Aibo in a 2 × 2 (framing × appearance) design by issuing commands to the robot. Aibo and participant behaviors were monitored per second, and evaluated via an analysis of commands issued, an analysis of command blocks (i.e., chains of commands), and using a T-pattern analysis of participant behavior. Participants were more likely to issue the "Come Here" command than other types of commands. When framed as a puppy, participants used Aibo's dog name more often, praised it more, and exhibited more unique, interactive, and complex behavior with Aibo. Participants exhibited the most smiling and laughing behaviors with Aibo framed as a puppy without fur. Across conditions, after interacting with Aibo, participants felt Aibo was more trustworthy, intelligent, warm, and connected than at their initial meeting. This study shows the benefits of introducing a socially robotic agent with a particular frame and importance on realism (i.e., introducing the robot dog as a puppy) for more interactive engagement.

Visiting Hours: Spacetimes of Human-Animal Interaction in South African Elder Care.

This article examines human-animal interaction in elder care by focusing on an old age home in postapartheid South Africa. Residents admire and desire to be near animals, but staff mostly prohibit pets and service animals due to regulations about hygiene and frailty. Instead, people make meaningful relationships with media representations of animals and wilder animals in the home's yard. This article uses the clinical timescale of visiting hours to interpret these alternative human-animal interactions and their temporal incongruities-to show how people make sense of differences they perceive between their own and animals' mortality and longevity, and how animals enable remembering and articulations of aging selfhood and social relations across the life course. A reinterpretation of visiting hours reveals the making of self-other distinctions in late life and temporal aspects of medical institutionalism that shape multispecies relations.

Leli phepha lihlola ukusebenzisana kwabantu nezilwane lapho kunakekelwa abantu abadala libhekisisa ikhaya eligcina abantu abadala eNingizimu Afrika. Abantu abahlala kuleli hkaya labadala bayazithanda futhi bafuna ukuba duze nezilwane kodwa abaphathi bayenqaba ukuthi izilwane zasekhaya nezilwane zosizo zibe lapho ngenxa yeminthetho-nqubo yohlanzeko nokuvikela ababuthakathaka. Esikhundleni salokho abantu benza ubudlelwane obalulekile nezilwane ezibonakaliswa ngemifanekiso kumaziko awezindaba kanye nezilwane ezihlala egcekeni lekhaya lelo. Leli phepha lisebenzisa isikhathi somtholampilo samahora okuvakashela leli khaya ukuhumusha izindlela ezahlukene zokusebenzisana kwabantu nezilwane nokungahambisani kwazo nesikhathi. Lona libonisa ukuthi abantu bacabanga kanjani ngomehluko abawubonayo phakathi kokufa neminyaka yokuphila kwabo nokwezilwane. Futhi izilwane zibasiza ukukhumbula nokukhuluma ngokuguga kwabo nomlando wempilo yabo phakathi kwabanye abantu emphakathini. Ukubuyela ukuhumusha lomqondo womtholampilo wamahora okuvakashela kuveza indlela ekwenziwa ngayo umehluko phakathi komuntu nabanye lapho abantu sebegugile, kanye nokuphathelene nezikhathi zasezikhungweni zokwelapha okubumba indlela yokuhlangana kwezinhlobo ngezinhlobo.