Publications

An ethics toolkit to support animal-centered research and design

Designers and researchers who work with animals need to employ an array of ethical competencies to guarantee the welfare of animals taking part in animal-centered research. The emerging field of Animal-Computer Interaction (ACI), which deals with the design of animal-centered...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Regulations & Ethical Review, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General, Dog

Citation: Ruge, L., Mancini, C. 2022. An ethics toolkit to support animal-centered research and design. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 891493.

Validation of a 3D perfused cell culture platform as a tool for humanised preclinical drug testing in breast cancer using established cell lines and patient-derived tissues

3D cell culture models of cancer are currently being developed to recapitulate in vivo physiological conditions and to assess therapeutic responses. However, most models failed to incorporate the biochemical and biophysical stimuli from fluid flow. In this study, a three-dimensional...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Disease/Experimental ModelAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Liu, P., Roberts, S., Shoemaker, J. T. et al. 2023. Validation of a 3D perfused cell culture platform as a tool for humanised preclinical drug testing in breast cancer using established cell lines and patient-derived tissues. PLOS ONE 18(3), e0283044.

Effects of individual and pair housing of calves on short-term health and behavior on a UK commercial dairy farm

Social pair housing of calves has previously demonstrated positive impacts for calves, so this study aimed to compare the health and behaviour of calves kept in individual compared to pair housing on a single commercial UK dairy farm. A total...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Mahendran, S. A., Wathes, D. C., Booth, R. E. et al. 2023. Effects of individual and pair housing of calves on short-term health and behavior on a UK commercial dairy farm. Animals 13(13), 2140.

Antinociceptive, sedative and excitatory effects of intravenous butorphanol administed alone or in combination with detomidine in calves: A prospective, randomized, blinded cross-over study

The diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed under sedation or general anesthesia in bovines are numerous. The analgesic drugs that can be legally used are few, making perioperative analgesia challenging. (2) Methods: Calves were administered butorphanol 0.1 mg kg−1 alone (SB)...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Anesthesia & SedationAnimal Type: Cattle

Citation: Maidanskaia, E. G., Mirra, A., Marchionatti, E. et al. 2023. Antinociceptive, sedative and excitatory effects of intravenous butorphanol administed alone or in combination with detomidine in calves: A prospective, randomized, blinded cross-over study. Animals 13(12), 1943.

Using bioluminescence to image gene expression and spontaneous behavior in freely moving mice

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) of gene expression in live animals is a powerful method for monitoring development, tumor growth, infections, healing, and other progressive, long-term biological processes. BLI remains an effective approach for reducing the number of animals needed to monitor...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Imaging & Electrophysiological RecordingAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Malik, A., Zavadil, J. A., Geusz, M. E. 2023. Using bioluminescence to image gene expression and spontaneous behavior in freely moving mice. PLOS ONE 18(1), e0279875.

Preliminary validation of a novel tool to assess dog welfare: The Animal Welfare Assessment Grid

Animal welfare monitoring is a vital part of veterinary medicine and can be challenging due to a range of factors that contribute to the perception of welfare. Tools can be used, however; there are few validated and objective methods available...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Malkani, R., Paramasivam, S., Wolfensohn, S. 2022. Preliminary validation of a novel tool to assess dog welfare: The Animal Welfare Assessment Grid. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 940017.

Social play experience in juvenile rats is indispensable for appropriate socio-sexual behavior in adulthood in males but not females

Social play is a dynamic and rewarding behavior abundantly expressed by most mammals during the juvenile period. While its exact function is debated, various rodent studies on the effects of juvenile social isolation suggest that participating in play is essential...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Natural Behavior, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rat, Rodent

Citation: Marquardt, A. E., VanRyzin, J. W., Fuquen, R. W. et al. 2023. Social play experience in juvenile rats is indispensable for appropriate socio-sexual behavior in adulthood in males but not females. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 16, 1076765.

Hidden but potentially stressed: A non-invasive technique to quantify fecal glucocorticoid levels in a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile

To understand wildlife responses to the changing environment, it is useful to examine their physiological responses and particularly their endocrine status. Here, we validated an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to non-invasively quantify fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) in the fossorial amphisbaenian reptile...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Lizard, Reptile

Citation: Martín, J., Barja, I., Rodríguez-Ruiz, G. et al. 2023. Hidden but potentially stressed: A non-invasive technique to quantify fecal glucocorticoid levels in a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile. Animals 13(1), 109.

What is it like to be a bass? Red herrings, fish pain and the study of animal sentience

Debates around fishes' ability to feel pain concern sentience: do reactions to tissue damage indicate evaluative consciousness (conscious affect), or mere nociception? Thanks to Braithwaite's research leadership, and concerns that current practices could compromise welfare in countless fish, this issue's...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Emotion, Pain, & SentienceAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish, Salmon, Tilapia, Trout, Zebrafish

Citation: Mason, G. J., Lavery, J. M. 2022. What is it like to be a bass? Red herrings, fish pain and the study of animal sentience. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 9, 788289.

Point for enrichment, point for welfare—Testing use of a laser pointer with Arapaima gigas

The arapaima (Arapaima gigas) is one of the largest freshwater fish species, known to exceed 3 m in total length. It is listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN. A. gigas is native to the Amazon River basin where they...

Year Published: 2023Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Fish, Other Fish

Citation: Matrai, E., Chan, H. Y. A., Leung, F. M. et al. 2023. Point for enrichment, point for welfare—Testing use of a laser pointer with Arapaima gigas. Animals 13(8), 1370.