Discriminant analysis of hematological and serum biochemical values in cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) bred and reared under the indoor individually-caged conditions

The data on hematological and serum biochemical properties of laboratory-bred cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) at different ages were analyzed by discriminant analysis. All the animals had been bred and reared under uniform environmental conditions at Tsukuba Primate Center for Medical Science, N.I.H., Japan. The items used were as follows: red blood cell count (RBC), hematocrit value (Ht), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), white blood cell count (WBC), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase activity (GPT), total protein concentration (TP), albumin concentration (ALB), albumin-globulin ratio (A/G), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glucose concentration (GLU), total cholesterol concentration (TCHO), free cholesterol concentration (FCHO), triglyceride concentration (TG) and alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP). In total, 1086 animals in 10 age groups were examined. Data analyses were done with respect to the difference of sex. Discrimination was possible by Mahalanobis' generalized distance between centroids of groups. In canonical discriminant analysis (discriminant analysis with reduction of dimensionality), age was highly correlated to the value of the first canonical variate. From the approximate relative value of the eigenvector of the first canonical variate, the most discriminant variables are WBC, TP, ALB, A/G, TCHO, FCHO, TG, and ALP. It can be concluded that periodic measurement of these 8 parameters is necessary and sufficient to monitor the physiological conditions of growing monkeys.     

Multivariate analysis of hematological and serum biochemical values in female cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) aged less than a year

Hematological and serum biochemical data obtained from 91 laboratory-bred cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) aged 11 to 362 days were analyzed by the discriminant analysis. All animals used had been bred and reared under uniform environmental conditions at Tsukuba Primate Center for Medical Science, N. I. H., Japan. The examination items were as follows: red blood cell count (RBC), hematocrit value (Ht), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), white blood cell count (WBC), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity (GOT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase activity (GPT), total protein concentration (TP), albumin concentration (ALB), albumin-globulin ratio (A/G), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glucose concentration (GLU), total cholesterol concentration (TCHO), free cholesterol concentration (FCHO), triglyceride concentration (TG), alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and calcium concentration (Ca). The animals were divided into four groups (A: Suckling infants, less than 176 days old. B, C, D: Weanlings and juveniles, 121 to 220 days old, 221 to 280 days old, and 281 to 362 days old, respectively). Discrimination was possible among these four groups on the basis of the Mahalanobis' generalized distance. Regarding the canonical discriminant analysis (discriminant analysis with reduction of dimensionality), discrimination was possible. The suckling infant group could be discriminated from the juvenile groups by the first canonical variate. Concerning the juvenile groups, age was highly correlated to the value of the second canonical variate.2+ Judging from an approximate relative eigenvector value for the second canonical variate, the effective discriminant variables were WBC, TP, ALB, A/G, FCHO, TG, and ALP. It can be concluded that these eight parameters are important and useful for monitoring the physiologicals conditions of growing juvenile monkeys.     

Hematological and serum biochemical effects of nursing on the mother in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)]

The effects of nursing on maternal hematological and serum biochemical values were analyzed in cynomolgus monkeys reared in indoor cages at Tsukuba Primate Center. In our breeding system, infants are usually separated from their mothers at the age of 121 to 180 days. Mother monkeys of such infants were studied hematologically and biochemically (Group B), as were mother monkeys who happened to have nursed their infants past 181 days after parturition (Group A). During the period with their infants, mother monkeys in the latter group showed lower white blood cell counts (WBC) and higher red blood cell counts (RBC), hematocrit values (Ht) and blood urea nitrogen concentrations (BUN) than the mother monkeys who had been separated from their infants. Also, serum calcium concentrations (Ca) were decreased with prolonged nursing periods, indicating that lactation by the mother monkey probably continues even for a period from 181 days to about one year after parturition if she nurses her infant. Lactation during this period may accelerate hematogenesis and protein metabolism in the mother monkey.     

Discriminant analyses for pregnancy-related changes in hematological and serum biochemical values in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)

Hematological and serum biochemical data obtained from 45 non-pregnant and 142 pregnant cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were analyzed by discriminant analyses. All animals used had been reared under uniform environmental conditions at Tsukuba Primate Center for Medical Science, N. I. H., Japan. The examination items were as follows: red blood cell count(RBC), hematocrit value(Ht), hemoglobin concentration(Hb), mean corpuscular volume(MCV), white blood cell count(WBC), total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TCHO), free cholesterol (FCHO), triglyceride (TG), and albumin-globulin ratio (A/G). The pregnant animals were divided into four groups according to their gestation ages (Group I: 1-40 days; II: 41-80 days; III: 81-120 days; and IV: more than 121 days). During pregnancy period (Groups II, III and IV), significant decrease of TP, ALB, TCHO, FCHO and TG was observed. RBC, Ht and Hb decreased in the last of the four periods of pregnancy (Group IV). Discrimination was possible between each of these four pregnant groups and the non-pregnant group on the basis of the Mahalanobis' generalized distance. To clarify the relationship among groups, canonical discriminant analysis (discriminant analysis with reduction of dimensionality) was carried out. As a result, the non-pregnant group and the pregnant I group could be clearly discriminated from the other pregnant groups (II, III, and IV) by the first canonical variate. Judging from the relative eigenvector value of each variable for the first canonical variate, the effective discriminant variables were RBC, Ht, Hb, MCV, TP and A/G.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Canonical discriminant analysis for pregnancy-related changes in hematological and serum biochemical values in tamarins (Saguinus spp

Hematological and biochemical values obtained from 9 monkeys (Saguinus labiatus and S. mistax) during pre- and postpartum periods were analyzed by canonical discriminant analysis (discriminant analysis with reduction of dimensionality). All animals used were of wild origin and had been maintained under uniform environmental conditions at N. I. H., Japan. The items examined were as follows: white blood cell count (WBC), red blood cell count (RBC), hematocrit value (Ht), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), total protein concentration (TP), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), albumin concentration (ALB), albumin-globulin ratio (A/G), glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity (GGT), glutamic pyruvic transaminase activity (GPT), alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and total cholesterol concentration (CHO). The data obtained in the pre- and postpartum periods were divided into six chronological groups. The prepartum period was divided into Group I: weeks 15-10; Group II: weeks 9-7; Group III: weeks 6-4; and Group IV: weeks 3-0. The postpartum period was divided into Group V: weeks 0-4 and Group VI: weeks 5-7). In the later pregnancy period (Groups III and IV), significant decreases in RBC, Ht, Hb, TP and ALB, and a significant increase in CHO were observed. These values in the blood and serum continued after delivery (Groups V and VI). Results of canonical discriminant analysis showed that the value of the first canonical variate decreased according to the progress of pregnancy. The postpartum groups showed negative values. Although groups in the early     

Does Rearing Laying Hens in Aviaries Adversely Affect Long-Term Welfare following Transfer to Furnished Cages?

This study tests the hypothesis that hens that are reared in aviaries but produce in furnished cages experience poorer welfare in production than hens reared in caged systems. This hypothesis is based on the suggestion that the spatial restriction associated with the transfer from aviaries to cages results in frustration or stress for the aviary reared birds. To assess the difference in welfare between aviary and cage reared hens in production, non-beak trimmed white leghorn birds from both rearing backgrounds were filmed at a commercial farm that used furnished cage housing. The videos were taken at 19 and 21 weeks of age, following the birds'' transition to the production environment at 16 weeks. Videos were analysed in terms of the performance of aversion-related behaviour in undisturbed birds, comfort behaviour in undisturbed birds, and alert behaviour directed to a novel object in the home cage. A decrease in the performance of the former behaviour and increase in the performance of the latter two behaviours indicates improved welfare. The results showed that aviary reared birds performed more alert behaviour near to the object than did cage reared birds at 19 but not at 21 weeks of age (P = 0.03). Blood glucose concentrations did not differ between the treatments (P>0.10). There was a significant difference in mortality between treatments (P = 0.000), with more death in aviary reared birds (5.52%) compared to cage birds (2.48%). The higher mortality of aviary-reared birds indicates a negative effect of aviary rearing on bird welfare, whereas the higher duration of alert behavior suggests a positive effect of aviary rearing.     

Rearing and breeding of the Moroccan locust Dociostaurus maroccanus (Thunberg) (Orthop., Acrididae) under laboratory conditions

The objective of the present work was to design a rearing method for the Moroccan or Mediterranean locust Dociostaurus maroccanus and to breed it. The duration of the post-embryonic development from N1 to adult ranged between 35 and 38 days, independently of whether nymphs were reared at constant temperature or in cages with incandescent light bulbs that afford heat for thermo-regulation. In contrast, the number of nymphs reaching the adult stage was directly related to the power of the bulb from 0 to 60 W. The rearing density did not affect the survival and developmental time of nymphs over the range 100–400 nymphs per cage. The survival of D. maroccanus nymphs under optimal conditions, which were a 60 W bulb and 400 nymphs per cage, was around 60%. The mean number of egg-pods per female ranged between 2.6 and 3.5, and no difference was observed among rearing densities, with 16 pairs per cage being the optimal breeding condition. The number of eggs per egg pod ranged from 15 to 25, the egg viability from 20 to 50% and the adult longevity from 30 to 40 days. Eggs deposited by D. maroccanus females reared under these laboratory conditions were viable and thus the present study has 'closed' the life cycle of this species for the first time. The rearing method developed in this study will provide elements for studies of biology and physiology and it can be used in the design of new, environmentally sound pest management measures.     

Canonical discriminant analysis for hematological and serum biochemical changes during pregnancy period in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciurea)

Hematological and serum biochemical data obtained from non-pregnant, pregnant and post-partum squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciurea) were analyzed by canonical discriminant analysis (discriminant analysis with reduction of dimensionality). All animals were of wild origin and had been maintained under uniform environmental conditions at Tsukuba Primate Center for Medical Science, N.I.H., Japan. Months were standardized by the day of parturition. The calculated arithmetic means and standard deviations were listed for each item of measurement performed. Items detected statistically significant difference (p less than 0.01) between months were as follows: red blood cell count (RBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), hematocrit value (Ht), hemoglobin concentration (Hb), white blood cell count (WBC), albumin concentration (ALB), blood urea nitrogen concentration (BUN), total cholesterol concentration (T-CHO), triglyceride concentration (TG), alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) and calcium concentration (Ca). Results of canonical discriminant analysis showed that the value of the first canonical variate (Z1) decreased from the early period of pregnancy to the middle period, and that the second canonical variate (Z2) decreased from the middle period of pregnancy to the end of pregnancy. The meaning of their changes were discussed.     

Effects of early weaning and housing conditions on the development of stereotypies in farmed mink

Female mink pups were weaned at 6, 8 or 10 weeks of age and subjected to two different housing conditions. They were either kept together with a single male sibling in traditional mink cages (30x45x90 cm) or housed socially with all litter-mates in an alternative system consisting of three adjoining traditional cages (90x45x90 cm). All cages were supplied with nest boxes. At 5 months of age, the siblings were removed leaving the females socially isolated in the two different cage systems. Females' stereotypies were quantified by repeated scanning observations under the social housing conditions immediately before removal of the siblings, and again at the age of 7 and 9 months, when the animals had stayed solitary in the two systems for 2 and 4 months. Solitary females showed significantly more stereotypies than females under social housing conditions in both cage systems. Stereotypies were more frequent in the smaller traditional cages. Stereotypies declined from 7 to 9 months of age among solitary animals in traditional cages but not in alternative cages. Early-weaned solitary females in traditional cages showed more stereotypies than later-weaned animals, but only when measured at the age of 7 months. It is suggested that early weaning, individual housing and small cages promote the development of stereotypies in farmed mink. The influence of early weaning on stereotypies seems to decline with age, while effects related to individual housing and small cages appear to be more persistent.     

The effects of Trichinella spiralis infection of pregnant mice on the future behavior of their offspring

Trichinella spiralis infections in pregnant mice had both pre- and post-natal effects on the future behavior of the offspring. Young, born of infected and reared by uninfected mothers as well as young born of uninfected and reared by infected mothers, were behaviorally distinguishable from controls that were born and reared by uninfected mothers when assessed by their tendency to emerge from their home cages into an unfamiliar open-field arena. The pre- and post-natal effects appeared to be additive, since offspring born and reared by infected mothers were most severely affected.     

The behaviour of twin rhesus monkeys and comparisons with the behaviour of single infants

Twin rhesus monkeys, born in a laboratory cage, were reared alone with their mother for a year. Observations were made of mother-infant interactions. Differences between the infants which concerned the amount of time spent off the mother seem to have been due to differences in the behaviour of the mother towards the two twins, whereas differences between measures of behaviour while off the mother seem to have been due to differences between the twins. The twins also differed in activity and in responses to mildly frightening or strange situations. The behaviour of the twins was compared with that of two single infants reared under the same cage conditions and also alone with their mothers. Some differences were found between the twins and the singles in mother-infant interaction, and there were also some differences in activity and in responses to mildly frightening or strange situations.     

Early predictors of self-biting in socially-housed rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

The development of self-biting behavior in captive monkeys is little understood and poses a serious risk to their well-being. Although early rearing conditions may influence the expression of this behavior, not all animals reared under similar conditions self-bite. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of three rearing conditions on biting behavior and to determine whether early infant behavior can predict later self-biting. The subjects were 370 rhesus macaques born at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Animal Center between 1994 and 2004. They were reared under three conditions: mother-reared in social groups (n=183), peer-reared in groups of four (n=84), and surrogate-peer-reared (n=103). Significantly more surrogate-peer-reared animals self-bit compared to peer-only or mother-reared animals. There was no sex difference in self-biting, but this result may have been affected by a sex bias in the number of observations. The durations of behaviors exhibited by the surrogate-peer-reared subjects were recorded in 5-min sessions twice a week from 2 to 6 months of age while the animals were in their home cages and play groups. In the play-group situation, surrogate-peer-reared subjects who later self-bit were found to be less social and exhibited less social clinging than those that did not self-bite. Home-cage behavior did not predict later self-biting, but it did change with increasing age: surrogate clinging and self-mouthing decreased, while environmental exploration increased. Our findings suggest that surrogate rearing in combination with lower levels of social contact during play may be risk factors for the later development of self-biting behavior.     

Behavior of nursery/peer-reared and mother-reared rhesus monkeys from birth through 2 years of age

The behavior of 8 nursery/peer-reared and 16 mother-only reared rhesus macaques was observed between birth and 5 months of age, with follow-up studies conducted when the animals were 10–21 months old and living in large social groups. Nursery-reared neonates were more awake, active, and irritable than mother-only reared monkeys. From 1 to 5 months of age the nursery/peer-reared animals exhibited a greater variety of behaviors than the mother-only reared infants, which spent the majority of the time in ventral contact with mothers. As juveniles the groups were indistinguishable with the exception of more self-directed behaviors observed in the nursery/peer-reared monkeys. Both rearing conditions, by virtue of their atypicality, imposed restrictions on social development. The behavioral similarity of the juveniles while in the large social group may be a function of maturation or due to the rehabilitative effect of the large social group.     

Motivation to dust-bathe of laying hens housed in cages and in aviaries

New housing systems for commercial egg production, furnished cages and non-cage systems, should improve the welfare of laying hens. In particular, thanks to the presence of a litter area, these new housing systems are thought to satisfy the dust-bathing motivation of hens more than in conventional cages, in which no litter area is present. However, although apparently obvious, there is no concrete evidence that non-cage systems, particularly aviaries, satisfy hens' motivation to dust-bathe and thus improve hens' welfare in terms of dust-bathing behaviour. The aim of this study was to compare hens' dust-bathing motivation when housed for a long time under similar conditions to commercial conditions in laying aviaries (with litter) and in conventional cages (without litter). Three treatments were compared: hens reared in floor pens then housed in conventional cages, hens reared in furnished floor pens then housed in a laying aviary, and hens reared in rearing aviaries then housed in a laying aviary. All three treatments provided access to litter during the rearing period. After transfer to the laying systems, access to litter was maintained for the aviary hens but stopped for the cage hens. Twelve groups of four hens per treatment were tested 36 to 43 weeks after transfer. The hens were placed in sawdust-filled testing arenas, and latency to dust-bathe, duration and number of dust baths, and number of hens dust-bathing were recorded. Latency to dust-bathe was shorter, dust baths were longer and more numerous and more hens dust-bathed among cage hens than among aviary hens. Our results indicate that hens' motivation to dust-bathe was more satisfied in laying aviaries than in conventional cages. Thus, laying aviaries improve hens' welfare in term of dust-bathing behaviour compared with conventional cages.     

Effects of housing conditions during the rearing and laying period on adrenal reactivity, immune response and heterophil to lymphocyte (H/L) ratios in laying hens

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of early rearing conditions on physiological, haematological and immunological responses relevant to adaptation and long-term stress in white Leghorn hens with intact beaks housed in furnished cages (FC) or conventional cages (CC) during the laying period. Pullets were cage reared (CR) or litter floor reared (FR). From 16 to 76 weeks of age, hens were housed in FC (eight hens per cage) or in CC (three hens per cage). As measures of long-term stress at the end of the laying period, adrenal reactivity was quantified by assessing corticosterone responses to adrenocorticotropin challenge, and immune response was assessed by measuring antibody responses after immunization with sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH). Heterophil to lymphocyte (H/L) ratio was employed as an indicator of stress. Rearing conditions significantly affected anti-SRBC titres (P < 0.0001) and tended to affect H/L ratios (P = 0.07), with the highest values found in FR hens. Layer housing affected H/L ratio (P < 0.01); the highest ratio was found in FR birds housed in FC during the laying period. This study shows that early rearing environment affects immunological indicators that are widely used to assess stress in laying hens. However, while results on H/L ratio indicated that FR birds experienced more stress particularly when they were housed in FC during the laying period, the immune responses to SRBC in FR hens was improved, indicating the opposite. This contradiction suggests that the effects on immune response may have been associated with pathogenic load due to environmental complexity in FR and FC hens rather than stress due to rearing system or housing system per se.     

Effects of cage density on behavior in young adult mice

Optimal housing conditions for mice can be achieved by minimizing environmental variables, such as those that may contribute to anxiety-like behavior. This study evaluated the effects of cage size on juvenile mice through assessment of differences in weaning weight, locomotor skills, and anxiety-like behavior. Eighteen pairs of male and pregnant female Swiss-Webster (Cr:SW) mice were housed in 3 different caging scenarios, providing 429, 505, or 729 cm2 of space. Litters were standardized to 10 pups per litter in each cage. Mice reared in each caging scenario were assessed with the open-field, light-dark exploration, and elevated plus-maze tests. No differences in weaning weight were noted. Mice reared in the 505- and 729-cm2 cages explored a significantly larger area of the open-field arena than did those in the 429-cm2 cages. Those reared in the 505-cm2 cages spent more time in the center of the open field than did those in the 729-cm2 cages, suggesting that anxiety-like behavior may be increased in the animals housed in the larger cages. This study did not establish a consistent link between decreased floor space and increased anxiety-like behavior; neither does there appear to be a consistent effect of available floor area on the development of locomotor skills on mouse pups.     

Mobility of surrogate mothers and persistent neophobia in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)

In search of the relevant difference between mother rearing and surrogate rearing with respect to the emergence of neophobic behavior in macaques, we tested the hypothesis that mobility of surrogate mothers prevents the development of neophobic behavior in cynomolgus macaques. The experimental group consisted of ten surrogate-reared subjects which during their first year got rides on surrogate mothers moving through the cage. The control group consisted of nine subjects reared with immobile surrogate mothers. Between the age of 7 and 27 months the reactions to two different novel objects were tested. First exposure to one object occurred at 6 months of age and to the other object at 20 months. The kind of object and the age of first exposure made no difference. Contrary to our expectations mobility of surrogates did not affect the incidence of neophobia: most subjects in both groups persistently avoided the objects. This finding seems to support Hofer's hypothesis that the mother acts as a regulator of the infant's behavior and physiology.     

Compensation of escape direction in unilaterally cercus-ablated crickets, Gryllus bimaculatus, is associated with the distance walked during recovery period

In response to an air puff stimulus, intact crickets, Gryllus bimaculatus, make an escape almost 180 degrees opposite to the stimulus source. In order to verify our previous hypothesis that a self-stimulation of the wind-sensory system is necessary for a compensational recovery of the escape direction (behavioral compensation) in unilaterally cercus-ablated crickets, we investigated the relationship between the conditions of rearing after a unilateral cercal ablation and the degree of behavioral compensation. A unilaterally cercus-ablated cricket reared in a large cage to permit free locomotion showed a significantly higher degree of recovery of escape direction compared with those reared under restrained conditions in a small glass vial. However, the degree of behavioral compensation in a cricket reared alone in a large cage was smaller than that of crickets reared in a cage of the same size with 5-6 other cercus-ablated crickets. Mutual stimulation possibly increased the extent of locomotion of crickets reared in a group and improved the degree of compensational recovery of the escape direction. To ascertain this, the distance a cricket moved during the recovery period was associated with the degree of compensational change of the escape direction. The result suggests that the degree of compensation of the escape direction clearly depended on the distance walked by the crickets. The compensation seemed not to be caused by other factors such as chemical ones in the case of group rearing because forced locomotion induced by touch stimulation on the body surface was solely effective in improving the escape direction.     

Factors in the rejection and survival of captive cotton top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus)

Captive colonies of cotton top tamarins experience a high rate of rejection of infants within the 1st week of life. The rates of rejection and survival to maturity (2 or more years) among 659 live colony-born infants were correlated with rearing, birth group, litter size, season of birth, gender, origin of parents, experience of parents raising siblings, parity and age of parents, and experience of parent pairs. The most important factors associated with low rejection rates were family life and parental experience raising infants. Infants born into family groups or reared in families were rejected at a significantly lower rate. Rejection of infants whose sires were raised with siblings was significantly lower. Paternal experience was more important than maternal experience. Litter size had no effect on rejection of infants born to family groups, whereas, rejection of triplets was significantly higher than twins or singles among those born to parents alone. Rejection was significantly higher among primiparous births than multiparous birth. The combined experience of colony-born parents was not related to rejection if there were no sibling helpers in the cage at the time of birth. Rejection was significantly lower if sibling helpers were present. High survival of infants who were not rejected was correlated with rearing by or being born into family groups and higher parity and older age of the sires.     

一种简易繁殖潜蝇姬小蜂的方法

简要介绍了以蚕豆作为寄主作物,南美斑潜蝇作寄主,在自然条件下利用纱岗笼罩进行潜蝇姬小蜂Diglyphus isaea Walker的人工繁殖方法。