The Children's Treatment of Animals Questionnaire: A Rasch Analysis

ABSTRACT

The study of human–animal interactions is limited by a paucity of empirically validated measures of humane treatment of companion animals. The current study reports findings from a psychometric analysis of the Children's treatment of animals Questionnaire (CTAQ; thompson and Gullone 2003), an instrument that assesses children's humane interactions with nonhuman animals. Specifically, the current study extends what is known about the psychometric properties of the CTAQ by using traditional and item response theory analyses. The CTAQ was administered to a sample of 217 school-age children whose mothers were currently receiving residential or non-residential domestic violence services. Item-analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and parallel analysis were conducted to replicate previous psychometric evaluations of the CTAQ. Rasch analysis of the CTAQ was also conducted to provide a stringent test of unidimensionality and to identify potential invariance in item functioning across various demographic variables. The CTAQ showed adequate fit to the Rasch model; one modification, removal of item 5, was required. A Rasch principal components analysis of residuals indicated a single latent dimension among the remaining 12 items. Scale use was appropriate; Rasch-andrich thresholds increased with category values and no disordering of categories was evident. Examination of item-person maps indicated the sample was also well-targeted. Notably, evidence of differential item function was found across Spanish and English translations. Overall, findings indicate that the CTAQ is an appropriate unidimensional measure of children's humane treatment of animals. The measure is particularly well-suited for children ages 7 to 12 years who are at risk for exposure to and perpetration of animal cruelty. We recommend use of a 12-item version of the CTAQ to enhance the utility of the total score as a latent measure of children's humane treatment of companion animals.     

An Experience Sampling Approach to Investigating Associations between Pet Presence and Indicators of Psychological Wellbeing and Mood in Older Australians

ABSTRACT

In this study we examined associations between pet ownership and presence and indicators of psychological wellbeing in older Australians, using an innovative, experience sampling methodology and a community-living sample of 68 adults, including 41 pet owners, all aged over 65 years. In response to randomized prompts the participants provided information about their location, social companions, activities, and mood state six times daily for seven consecutive days. They also completed a number of surveys measuring various aspects of wellbeing. There were no significant differences in our outcome measures between pet owners and those who did not own at least one pet, and few of our pet owners reported engaging in pet-focused human– animal activities, such as walking their dog or playing with their cat. However, frequency of pet presence during activities of daily living was associated with, and statistically predictive of, several measures of wellbeing and mood. From our results we tentatively conclude that more frequent presence of a pet, particularly a dog, may be associated with greater psychological wellbeing in this cohort. More importantly, we confirm that the intensive experience sampling methodology provides a novel means of examining human–pet interactions, enabling a closer analysis of moment-by-moment pet presence than has been possible using alternative approaches.     

How dogs influence the evaluation of psychotherapists

Abstract

Research has shown that the presence of a companion animal reduces anxiety, encourages interaction among humans and enhances the way in which people are perceived. These are all effects which would be useful in a psychotherapeutic setting. On this basis the current study investigated the effect of the presence of a dog on the way in which people perceive psychotherapists. The study utilized an experimental design in which participants viewed a videotape of one of two therapists who were either with or without a dog. It was hypothesized that people would respond more positively to the psychotherapists when accompanied by a dog; specifically, that they would be more generally satisfied and would be more willing to disclose personal information, and that these effects would be influenced by attitudes towards pets. The first two hypotheses were confirmed. The effect was most pronounced among those who were the least positive toward the psychotherapist, demonstrating a ceiling effect. Contrary to the last hypothesis, attitudes toward pets had no influence on the perceptions of psychotherapists. History of pet ownership had only minimal impact on the results. Practical applications and directions for further research are discussed.     

The Spillover Effect of a Flood on Pets and Their People: Implications for Rental Housing

When disasters strike, companion animals (pets) matter. Emergency planning for them is a key aspect of disaster preparedness, especially considering that people may delay evacuation out of concern for their pets. Temporary boarding options for pets are important; however, caregivers (owners) must ultimately return to permanent housing. Surprisingly little attention has been paid to housing recovery in the disaster literature on pet ownership, and no studies have examined the potential for increased vulnerability among tenants with pets. This study analyzed online rental listings in a city that was severely flooded in 2013. In the following year, demand for pet-friendly rental housing outweighed supply. Landlords frequently stipulated restrictions on the allowable sizes, species, or breeds of pets. Dogs were often banned outright. To keep their pets, prospective tenants needed to exercise flexibility in location and pay higher surcharges. The implications of housing insecurity for tenants with pets have broad relevance, not just in disaster circumstances. Giving up a companion animal to secure housing can negatively impact resilience, whereas living in unsafe environments to avoid pet relinquishment may increase vulnerability.     

A Scoping Review of Published Research on the Relinquishment of Companion Animals

Globally, large populations of companion animals are relinquished each year. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify all published research investigating companion-animal relinquishment to map out and evaluate research gaps, needs, and opportunities. A comprehensive search strategy was implemented in 4 online databases, identified citations were screened, and relevant articles were procured and characterized. From 6,848 unique citations identified, 192 were confirmed relevant, including 115 primary-research articles and 77 reviews and commentaries. The majority of these articles originated from the United States (131; 68.2%); 74 (38.5%) of them have been published since 2006. Among the primary-research articles, 84 (73.0%) investigated reasons for companion-animal relinquishment. The most commonly studied reasons were aggressive companion-animal behaviors (49; 58.3%); moving, rental, or housing issues (45; 53.6%); and caretaker personal issues (42; 50.0%). Only 17 primary-research articles investigated interventions to prevent companion-animal relinquishment. The quantity of research into reasons for relinquishment highlights an opportunity for future knowledge-synthesis activities in this area, including systematic review and meta-analysis. In comparison, the limited research into interventions identifies a priority for new research.     

The Emotional Lives of Companion Animals: Attachment and Subjective Claims by Owners of Cats and Dogs

There is a growing body of scientific evidence supporting the existence of emotions in nonhuman animals. Companion-animal owners show a strong connection and attachment to their animals and readily assign emotions to them. In this paper we present information on how the attachment level of companion-animal owners correlates with their attribution of emotions to their companion cat or dog and their attribution of mirrored emotions. The results of an online questionnaire, completed by 1,023 Dutch-speaking cat and/or dog owners (mainly in the Netherlands and Belgium), suggest that owners attribute several emotions to their pets. Respondents attributed all posited basic (anger, joy [happiness], fear, surprise, disgust, and sadness) and complex (shame, jealousy, disappointment, and compassion) emotions to their companion animals, with a general trend toward basic emotions (with the exception of sadness) being more commonly attributed than complex emotions. All pet owners showed strong attachment to their companion animal(s), with the degree of attachment (of both cat and dog owners) varying significantly with education level and gender. Owners who ascribed human characteristics to their dog or cat also scored higher on the Pet Bonding Scale (PBS). Finally, owners who found it pleasant to pet their dog or cat had a higher average PBS score than those who did not like to do so. The relationship between owners’ attributions of mirrored emotions and the degree of attachment to dogs was significant for all emotions, whilst for cats this relationship was significant only for joy, sadness, surprise, shame, disappointment, and compassion.     

The Use of Positive Reinforcement in Training Zebra Sharks (Stegostoma fasciatum)

Few studies have examined how personality traits may be related to the amounts and types of attachments humans have toward companion animals (pets). In this study, 1,098 companion animal guardians (owners) completed a survey that included the Big Five Inventory, the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale, and the Pet Attachment Questionnaire. Each participant chose whether he or she identified as a Cat Person, Dog Person, Both, or Neither. Results indicated that neuroticism, conscientiousness, choosing a dog as a favorite pet, and identifying as a Cat Person, Dog Person, or Both predicted affection for a pet. Conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness decreased avoidant attachment to pets, and neuroticism increased anxious attachment to pets. Both dogs and cats could benefit from pet owners who are conscientious, and there may be some benefits of neuroticism in pet owners. The findings of this study will advance understanding of the human–animal bond. As this understanding increases, measurements of human attachment and personality may be useful for the development of tools that could assist shelter employees and veterinarians in counseling people about pet ownership.     

基于远程医疗的异地转诊就医一体化实践探索

为探索借助远程医疗解决异地转诊就医一体化的问题,为异地转诊就医患者提供医疗保障。某医院成立专科疾病医联体,借助远程医疗对异地转诊就医患者提供医疗服务,总结某医院借助远程医疗,以专科疾病医联体进行精准转诊、异地就医,提供医疗保障的实践经验。某医院借助远程医疗,以专科疾病医联体为抓手,制定了精准转诊的规章制度,为异地就医患者提供了更加方便快捷的服务,同时降低了医疗费用,节省了医疗基金的开支,实践效果显著。借助远程医疗,成立专科疾病医联体,可以很好的实现患者精准转诊、精准医疗,解决异地就诊患者“看病难、看病贵”问题,为异地就医患者提供更好的医疗保障,助推实现全国异地就医一体化的大健康战略。     

医学检验服务支撑平台在区域医联体中的作用

自2013年以来,北京地区构建了多个区域医联体。在中日友好医院医联体运行的半年多时间里,针对遇到的问题,医联体内各医疗机构采取了许多相应的措施。针对医学检验信息互通,结果互认,样本转运等方面的问题,中日友好医院联合医联体内各成员单位引入医学检验服务支撑平台,探索一种“互助式”的新型医学检验服务模式,力求达到“六统一”的要求,实现医联体的优势互补、资源优化配置作用。     

Empathic Differences in Adults as a Function of Childhood and Adult Pet Ownership and Pet Type

ABSTRACT

Prompted by interesting but ambiguous findings that empathic differences in children may relate to pet preference and ownership, we extended the issue to an adult population. We investigated empathic-type responses in adults who lived with cats and/or dogs in childhood (Child-Pet) and currently (Adult-Pet), using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the Empathy Quotient (EQ), and the Animal Attitude Scale (AAS). Multivariate analyses of covariance, with Sex as the covariate (MANCOVA), revealed differences on the AAS, the IRI-Personal Distress scale, and the EQ-Social Skills factor. For the Child-Pet data, the Dog-Only and the Both (dog and cat) groups, compared with those in the Neither (no dog or cat) group, scored lower on the IRI-Personal Distress scale and higher on the EQ-Social Skills factor. On the AAS, all three pet groups (Dog-Only, Cat-Only, and Both) had higher ratings than the Neither group. For Adult-Pet data, the analyses revealed the Dog-Only group was lower on Personal Distress than the Neither group, and higher on Social Skills than the Neither group and the Cat-Only group. On the AAS, the Neither group was lower than all three pet-owning groups, like the childhood data, but strikingly, adults with both dogs and cats were higher on the AAS. The findings support research linking companion animals with empathic development. They warrant the continued exploration of the nature of empathic development (i.e., nature vs. nurture) and contribute to the increasing research field exploring the value of companion animals.     

单克隆抗体药物风雨飘摇20年

1986年,美国FDA批准了第一个单克隆抗体药物上市.迄今,全世界共有21个治疗用抗体药物被批准上市,实现300亿美元的销售额,促进了国际、国内抗体药物的开发热潮.巨大的市场前景和亟待克服的技术问题及壁垒并存的现实不可避免地引发抗体药物的新一轮技术革命,而其结果又将毫无疑问地改变抗体药物的市场格局.抗体药物的研究和开发能否真正成为中国生物技术药物开启国际市场大门的新钥匙？何为我们首选的切入点？我们又该如何形成自己的特色和竞争优势？回顾国际抗体药物20年风雨飘摇的发展经历,总结其中的经验教训,无疑会给我们一些有益的启示.     

北京中医医院医疗联盟模式探讨

在新医改背景下,北京中医医院积极探索“医疗联盟”的新模式,在全国范围内相继与三十多家医院建立了协作与对口支援、院际合作、托管等合作关系,并制定了具体措施来深化和落实合作,取得了不少成效。对医疗联盟的模式和成果作出总结,为完善工作模式提供参考。     

治疗性抗体的研究进展

作为一种具有靶向性的生物大分子,单克隆抗体始终是人们关注的热点之一,被广泛用于治疗肿瘤、病毒感染和抗移植排斥等。但鼠源单克隆抗体的临床应用受限于诱导产生人抗鼠抗体、肿瘤渗入量低、亲和力低和半衰期短等。随着分子生物学技术的发展及其向各学科的渗透,通过基因操作技术对抗体进行改造,可使其适用于多种疾病的治疗。抗体人源化已经成为治疗性抗体的发展趋势,同时各种抗体衍生物也不断涌现,它们从不同角度克服了抗体本身的应用局限,也为治疗人类疾病提供了利器。本文简要介绍上述技术的基本原理、特点和治疗性抗体的研究进展。     

Selective battering of the family pet

Abstract

We examined the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of both pet-abusing and non-pet-abusing perpetrators of family violence. Using data collected from victims residing at domestic violence shelters, results indicated that relative to their non-pet-abusing counterparts, pet-abusing batterers tend to less often show affection toward their pets, more often communicate with their pets only through commands and threats, more often view companion animals as property, are more likely to scapegoat their pets, and are more likely to have unrealistic expectations about their pets, more frequently punish their pets, and are more sensitive to stressful life events—particularly those perceived to be caused by the pet. We also queried respondents about batterers' past history with pets, the frequency and type of abuse inflicted on animals, the number of batterers who hunt, the frequency with which children witnessed abuse of the family pet, the impact of animal guardianship on decisions to remain with or return to the batterer, and where companion animals ended up when victims fled the batterer.     

The Impact of Therapeutic Riding for People with Disabilities on Variables Related to Mental Health

Substantial anecdotal evidence and some research indicate that therapeutic riding for people with disabilities has a positive impact on mental health. There is similar evidence showing that equine programs that include a psychotherapeutic component also have a positive impact. However, much of the existing research has many methodological problems, the most common being the absence of a comparison or control group. Therefore the present study investigated the mental health benefits of therapeutic riding for people with disabilities in comparison to therapeutic skiing for people with disabilities. The age range of participants was 16 to 70 years. They had a wide range of physical disabilities. In a quasi-experimental pre-test post-test design, all participants completed The Beck Depression Inventory, The Beck Anxiety Inventory, and The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. They also completed an adjective checklist, consisting of 26 items that focused on mood, emotion, and sense of self. Open-ended interviews were conducted with a subset of riders. In addition, the riders completed the Pet Attitude Scale (PAS-M). Scores on the PAS-M were not related to the three psychometric measures. Both groups improved on the three psychometric measures during the course of their respective programs. Although the improvement was statistically significant, it was not clinically significant. Contrary to the hypothesis, there was no difference in improvement between riders and skiers on these measures. However, on the adjective checklist riders felt more positive regarding 21 of the 26 items, and of those 21, eight were statistically significant. The interview data suggest that the riding program improves motivation, relationship building, and self-esteem. Although these results must be interpreted with caution, due to the exploratory nature of the checklist and the interviews, they suggest that equine activities have a positive impact for people with disabilities and may have a greater impact than other activities for some aspects of mental health. However, the positive impact may be related to general wellbeing rather than psychopathology per se.     

修建黑麇峰水电站对库区底栖动物影响的研究

2003年10月、2004年4月对黑麋峰水电站建库前底栖动物资源进行了系统调查,结果表明,黑麋峰库区及其周边水域计有底栖动物41种,隶属于3门6纲27科33属．介绍了黑麋峰的自然环境,对该地区底栖动物的群落组成、种群数量、区系及生态分布特点等进行了分析,预测和评价了建库后对底栖动物群落的影响．     

Pets in the Lives of Older Adults: A Life Course Perspective

This study employed the life course perspective to investigate the convergence of two demographic shifts: the aging of the population and the increase of pet ownership. Specifically, we examined whether pet ownership, the degree of bond with a pet, and reasons for and against pet ownership differed between three age cohorts: the young-old (ages 51–64 years), older adults (ages 65–84), and the oldest-old (ages 85 and over). This study analyzed data from 1,367 respondents of the 2012 wave of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) using bivariate statistics and multivariate regression models. We found evidence for differences in rates of pet ownership by race, ethnicity, age, number living in household, and whether someone was living with a spouse or partner, but not by gender, education, income, wealth, or health. The bond with a pet did not differ across age cohorts. Companionship was the most common reason for owning a pet across the three age groups, while concern about the resources (e.g., time and work) required of pet ownership was the most common reason for not living with a pet. Results were interpreted at the individual level using the life course perspective’s tenets of timing in lives, linked lives, and human agency, while taking the societal level tenet of historical time and place into account. While rates of pet ownership differed by age cohort, all participants reported a strong bond with their companion animal. Programs and policies can help facilitate these ongoing relationships. The life course perspective provides a useful framework to gain a deeper understanding of pet ownership and the human–animal bond throughout people’s lives.     

The Physical Aspects of the Primary Interaction of Therapeutic Ultrasound with Biological Tissue

Biophysics - The biophysical aspects of the effects of ultrasound on biological tissues are considered. A mathematical model that describes the effects of the primary interaction of mechanical...