Salivary cortisol and behavior in therapy dogs during animal-assisted interventions: A pilot study

Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) have been associated with positive effects on human psychological and physiological health. Although the perception of quality standards in AAIs is high, only few investigations have focused on potential welfare implications for therapy dogs linked to their performance in AAIs. The standardized program “multiprofessional animal-assisted intervention (MTI)” has been carried out in adult mental health care, significantly improving patients' prosocial behaviors. In the present study, we monitored salivary cortisol and behavioral measures in therapy dogs that participated in MTI group therapy sessions in an in-patient substance abuse treatment facility. Work-related activity (lay, sit, stand, walk, and run), behavior (lip licking, yawning, paw lifting, body shake, tail wagging, and panting), response to human action (taking food treats and obeying commands), and salivary cortisol levels were analyzed over the course of 5 subsequent MTI working sessions in experienced therapy dogs (N = 5), aged 5.4 ± 2.8 years (mean ± standard deviation). Salivary cortisol levels decreased from presession to postsession in sessions 1, 2, and 3. However, only in session 4 and 5, postsession cortisol levels were significantly lower than presession levels (P = 0.043). There was no difference between salivary cortisol levels sampled on a nonworking day at home and work-related levels sampled at the therapy site. None of the behavioral parameters varied significantly over the course of the 5 MTI sessions. Both lip licking (P = 0.038) and body shake (P = 0.021) were positively correlated with the decline in cortisol during session 5. The study results suggest that trained dogs are not being stressed by repeated participation in in-patient substance abuse therapy sessions. Further investigation into the effects of animal-assisted therapy on dogs' physiological markers and behavior is warranted.     

农业转移人口市民化过程中的企业行为研究——基于博弈论的视角

以企业行为为研究对象,梳理了农业转移人口市民化过程中企业成本的概念、内涵、类型,并构建博弈论模型,分析了农业转移人口市民化过程中的企业承担意愿及行为选择,针对性地提出了促进企业主动参与农业转移人口市民化进程的建议。     

高原鼠兔刈割对青海湖流域高寒草甸植物种间关联的影响

高原鼠兔喜欢刈割茂密高寒草甸中高大植物而影响植物群落内的种间关系。采用方差比率法、χ²检验和Spearman秩相关分析相结合的方法,分析了高原鼠兔刈割行为对高山嵩草草甸植物群落种间关联的影响。结果表明：高原鼠兔刈割会促进植物群落的种间总体联结从不显著正关联变为显著负关联,降低植物群落稳定性,减少植物群落内正关联和正相关的种对数量,增加负关联、无关联和负相关的种对数量。而综合χ²检验结果、AC值和OI指数,洞口植物群落大部分种对的种间关联均不显著,种间联结程度不强。这表明χ²检验和Spearman秩相关分析能够评价小型草食动物对植物群落种间关联的影响,为全面解析高原鼠兔整体干扰驱动植物群落结构变化提供了基础信息。     

水稻与高梁属间远缘杂交花粉管行为观察

水稻和高粱是禾本科的两个异属作物,因其遗传距离较远,杂交表现不亲和,结实率极低,难以获得种子.为初步了解水稻与高粱属间远缘杂交花粉管行为,探索该远缘杂交的发生过程,本实验以籼稻珍汕97A×珍汕97B和Ⅱ-32A×Ⅱ-32B两个组合为对照,对珍汕97A×晋江多枝高粱和Ⅱ-32A×晋江多枝高粱两个属间远缘杂交组合的花粉管行为作初步的观察与研究,结果表明晋江多枝高粱花粉粒能象水稻花粉粒一样在水稻柱头上正常萌发,花粉管在花柱及子房中生长与伸长,有些能最终到达子房的基部;同时高梁花粉管生长也出现诸如不能进入花柱、胼胝质不规则堆积、花粉管末端钝化等一系列的异常表现,致使不少花粉管停滞生长.     

先锋植物沙棘Ⅱ--克隆行为和根系特化是实现沙棘先锋作用的又一根本因素

沙棘是根源性根出条型克隆植物,它有克隆习性和克隆行为,它具有有性和无性2种繁殖方式。在田间沙棘林内,株间、片断、斑块间,存在着种群遗传上的多样性。沙棘侧根的特化结构组成了天然生物蓄水库,缓解了在干旱条件下对水分需求的矛盾。因此,作为一种双重生态型植物,解决了肥(N2)、水2个重要的生命及生态因子,是实现先锋植物功能的重要原因。     

萧氏松茎象的生活史和生态影响因子研究

萧氏松茎象在湖南省主要危害湿地松和马尾松。通过采用解剖林内虫害木的研究方法和林间的定期观察技术，对萧氏松茎象在湖南的生活习性及主要的生态影响因子进行了研究，研究结果表明萧氏松茎象在湖南的郴州两年发生一代，寄主种类、林分类型和林内植被直接影响萧氏松茎象的发生危害程度。     

黑冠山雀Parus rubidiventris的巢址特征与繁殖行为

2007年6月,作者在甘肃尕海—则岔自然保护区发现一个黑冠山雀Parus rubidiventris的洞穴巢址并对繁殖行为作了记录。巢址位于云杉树基下,大小27 cm×11 cm、巢深17 cm。巢材由苔藓、草茎须根、羊毛、云杉叶等组成。黑冠山雀育雏频率1次/1.5 min,食物为膜翅目、鳞翅目昆虫。此外,还发现育雏结束后亲鸟有清除巢内异物行为。     

Load behaviors of a prefabricated wood framing house during lifting and transportation

Lifting for handling and flatbed truck transportation to the job site are important processes during manufacture of prefabri-cated wooden construction units like mini homes and building modules. Significant damage can occur to sections or components of units during these operations. Although damage usually will not impair its structural safety, it is costly to fix and causes the public to perceive prefabricated wooden buildings as low quality products. Field observations and preliminary numerical models for prefabri-cated units subject to lifting and transportation forces are summarized here. Once fully developed and verified, models will support the creation of damage mitigation strategies centered on structural details indicating how units are to be supported during lifting and transportation.     

松材线虫病研究进展

概述了松材线虫的生物学特性、行为学、致病机理等方面的研究动态，并介绍了松材线虫病环境影响评价的研究进展，提出了目前对松材线虫病的环境影响经济评价尚属空白，在松材线虫病对环境影响方面缺乏深入的研究。对其致病主要机理仍不清楚，需进一步进行研究。     

Effect of maleic anhydride grafted styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene （MA-SEBS） on impact fracture behavior of polypropylene / wood fiber composites

MA-SEBS as compatibilizer and impact modifier was incorporated into Polypropylene/Wood Fiber （PP/WF） to enhance interface adhesion and impact strength of the composite. The effect of MA-SEBS content on the impact fracture behavior of PP/WF composites was studied. The impact properties of composites with 8% MA-SEBS reached the maximum value. And further increasing of MA-SEBS content to 10% did not improve the fracture toughness, but improved the stiffness of composites by DMA analysis. This was attributed to the improved PP/WF adhesion. As the MA-SEBS content is more than 8%, the molecule interaction of PP and WF was expected to much stronger than lower MA-SEBS. Scanning electron microscopy （SEM） was performed to analyze the impact fracture surface and showed a stronger affinity for the wood surfaces.