Search

Hens reared in aviaries (AVI) as pullets have improved spatial abilities compared to hens reared in non-enriched cages (CON). However, this effect on behavior has been shown only to 23 weeks of age. Lohmann LSL-Lite hens were reared in either CON or AVI until 19 weeks of age and then moved into enriched colony cages (ECC) containing two elevated perches of different heights (n = 6 ECC/treatment). Focal hens (3 per ECC) were fitted with tri-axial accelerometers to record acceleration events at 21, 35, and 49 weeks of age. Video recordings from each age were used to identify behaviors associated with acceleration events as well as the proportion of hens utilizing perches. CON hens experienced more acceleration events (p = 0.008) and more collisions (p = 0.04) than AVI hens during the day at 21 and 35 weeks of age. The total proportion of hens perching at night was similar between treatments across most time points, but fewer CON hens used the high perch compared to AVI hens throughout the study (p = < 0.001). Rearing in aviaries influences hen behavior out to peak lay for collisions and out to mid-lay for perch height preference in ECC.

Author(s): Ed-Dee G. Williams [sup.1] , Matthew J. Smith [sup.1] , Kari Sherwood [sup.1] [sup.2] , Temple S. Lovelace [sup.3] , Lauren Bishop [sup.4] [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.214458.e, 0000000086837370, [...]

Palpation is the most popular method of measuring keel bone damage on live birds, although it has been criticized for being subjective and inaccurate. The goals of this study were to examine intra- and inter-rater reliability when trained with feedback of accuracy, as well as determine the accuracy of portable radiography and sonography. Four evaluators palpated 50 103-week old Lohmann LSL-lite hens immediately following euthanasia. Of those birds, 34 were then radiographed, sonographed, and all 50 were re-palpated. Lastly, the keels were dissected and scored. The presence of deviations (DEV), fractures (FR), and tip fractures (TFR) was scored for each method. Reliability of palpation was analyzed using Cronbach's Alpha (intra) and Fleiss' Kappa (inter) tests. Radiography and Sonography scores were further compared with dissection scores to determine sensitivity and specificity. Initial inter-observer reliability was 0.39 DEV, 0.53 FR, and 0.12 TFR, with similar scores for the second round of palpation. Scores for intra-observer reliability ranged from 0.58-0.79 DEV, 0.66-0.90 FR, and 0.37-0.87 TFR. A high prevalence of TFR, but low assessor agreement, warrants the development of specialized training for the palpation of this area. Both radiography and sonography showed relatively high sensitivity for FR and TFR, but low for DEV. On the other hand, specificity was generally high across all damage types. Even with feedback, palpation reliability was poor. However, portable radiography and sonography show promise for detecting keel fractures.

Previous research has indicated that having a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents a unique set of challenges that impacts the entire family unit and individual family members' health, well-being, and experiences across the lifespan (Patterson, 2005; Turnbull, Turnbull, Erwin, & Soodak, 2006). Very few studies have addressed the role that racial and cultural identity may play in the experiences of these families, in particular, the experiences of African American families with children with ASD. The purpose of the present study was to qualitatively interview three African American caregivers of children with ASD to gain their perspectives on their experiences with their child and examine whether there may be a unique set of experiences associated with being an African American family of a child with ASD. Several themes emerged that suggested increased hardships for African American mothers of children with ASD. Implications of findings, including the need for a culturally-responsive approach across many domains of service (e.g., diagnosis, autism services, and special education services), are provided.

Using a critical brokerage perspective to advance theoretical insights in the development of a community university partnership and understanding of the organizational embeddedness of a community empowerment agency in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, this article suggests that partnerships between American universities and communities are perfect vehicles for envisioning engaged scholarship rooted in neighborhoods and communities. The article concludes that diversely positioned leaders and scholars in universities and schools, and indigenous leaders in the community, can learn from and apply principles of partnership and critical brokerage to work together to forward justice and change in their own neighborhoods and settings.

The purpose of this article is to present a classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) model successfully implemented with children who are deaf. Classwide peer tutoring is relatively easy to implement and is both teacher- and student-friendly. A large and growing body of professional literature documents the effectiveness of systematic peer tutoring models. Systematically implemented peer tutoring systems increase academic engagement and, in most cases, increase students' acquisition, maintenance, and generalization of skills across a variety of academic content areas. The innovative use of CWPT in classrooms for students who are deaf is based on adaptations made during the dissertation research of the first author. Specifically, adaptations will be described for the process of tutor training, the creation of tutoring materials, and the implementation and monitoring of a program for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Suggestions for how these adaptations can be implemented with other special needs populations are presented.

The adult cerebral cortex contains nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors vital to cortical function. However, little is known about the assembly of embryonic nicotinic receptor subunits into functional receptors or whether they play an active role in cortical development. We now report evidence of functional nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channels in fetal mouse cerebral cortex as early as embryonic day 10 (E10), when the cortex consists of dividing stem and progenitor cells. Patch-clamp electrophysiological measurements indicate that nicotine and ACh evoke sizable inward currents characteristic of nicotinic receptors, that are strongly rectifying with a reversal potential near 0 mV. Three different nicotinic agonists, ACh, nicotine, and dimethylphenylpiperazinium, evoked cytosolic [Ca.sup.2+] signals. Agonist-evoked [Ca.sup.2+] signals and electrophysiological responses were found in greater than 70% of all E10-E11 cells tested and were blocked by nicotinic receptor antagonists. The [Ca.sup.2+] response to nicotinic agonists was markedly prolonged in cells from early embryonic stages relative to later stages of development. [alpha] 3, [alpha] 4, and [alpha] 7 receptor subunit proteins were detected immunocytochemically in cortical cells from E10 to birth. The incidence of each subunit declined with embryonic age, suggesting a role in early development. We discuss the possible function of nicotinic receptors in early cortical development and their role as a target for nicotine in the developmental pathologies associated with the fetal tobacco syndrome. Key Words: nicotinic acetylcholine receptors; embryonic cerebral cortex; neural progenitor cells; neural stem cells; brain development; fetal tobacco syndrome; maternal smoking; calcium signals; confocal calcium imaging; patch-clamp electrophysiology.