<p>Early life stress is something that animals used in production often have to experience. What we do not know is if there are any consequences of this treatment later on in life. Zebra finches postnatal treated with the stress hormone corticosterone showed an exaggerated and prolonged stress response later on. To examine the effects of early life stress 77 White Leghorn chicks were used, half of them was stressed from postnatal day 1-14 and then tested between 47-63 days of age. The tonic immobility (TI) test is a commonly used test to evaluate the fearfulness and stress reaction in fowl. The chicks were placed on their back in a V-shaped wooden cradle and TI was induced by applying light pressure on the breast and neck. The number of inductions required to induce TI was recorded as well as the time until the first alert head movement and the total duration of the TI. The birds were tested in a calm environment but also after a stressful situation. There were no differences in the total duration of the TI reactions. However, stressed animals tended to need more induction attempts than the control animals. While looking at the time elapsed until the first head movement stressed chicks had a significantly lower duration. This indicates a dullness or shift in the stress response of the treated birds and there seem to be a more exaggerated response in the males.</p>

Early life stress is something that animals used in production often have to experience. What we do not know is if there are any consequences of this treatment later on in life. Zebra finches postnatal treated with the stress hormone corticosterone showed an exaggerated and prolonged stress response later on. To examine the effects of early life stress 77 White Leghorn chicks were used, half of them was stressed from postnatal day 1-14 and then tested between 47-63 days of age. The tonic immobility (TI) test is a commonly used test to evaluate the fearfulness and stress reaction in fowl. The chicks were placed on their back in a V-shaped wooden cradle and TI was induced by applying light pressure on the breast and neck. The number of inductions required to induce TI was recorded as well as the time until the first alert head movement and the total duration of the TI. The birds were tested in a calm environment but also after a stressful situation. There were no differences in the total duration of the TI reactions. However, stressed animals tended to need more induction attempts than the control animals. While looking at the time elapsed until the first head movement stressed chicks had a significantly lower duration. This indicates a dullness or shift in the stress response of the treated birds and there seem to be a more exaggerated response in the males.

Magister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) - MSc (Biodiv and Cons Biol) / Tonic immobility (TI) can be defined as an unlearned behavioural response described by a physical state of immobility. This behaviour can last from a few seconds up to several hours. Tonic immobility in sharks has not been investigated extensively, despite being observed and used widely. Due to this limited research, there is still uncertainty about the significance of this response, especially in smaller shark species. Anecdotal evidence suggests that females may enter a tonic state during courtship, but this has never been scientifically investigated. Alternatively, tonic immobility may function as an anti-predator response. The aim of this study was thus to examine the behaviour and physiology associated with tonic immobility in two closely related species of catshark, Haploblepharus edwardsii and Haploblepharus pictus, and to test for differences between males and females (if the evolutionary significance of TI was related to courtship), and between the two species (if TI evolved in response to species-specific drivers).

Moral injury (MI) is associated with severe blame-related emotion and the development of psychopathology including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Little is known about how MI events are neurally processed when PTSD is comorbid, limiting the development of tailored interventions. Thus, this thesis sought to provide a novel, multi-method examination of the biological underpinnings of moral injury and relevant behavioural correlates. Study one provides the first investigation into the neural activation patterns elicited during MI event recall in military members and public safety personnel with PTSD, relative to MI-exposed civilian controls. In PTSD, emotional processing is challenged by heightened sensory information. Here, we provide evidence of heightened viscerosensory information processing (i.e. internal gnawing or gastrointestinal constriction related to blame-based emotion) during MI event recall, which appears to exert a strong influence over cortical regions facilitating moral cognitive processes including emotion regulation, autobiographical memory integration, and social cognition. Overwhelming visceral sensations can elicit defensive behaviour including tonic immobility (TI), a defensive response that facilitates viscerosensory dampening. Interestingly, more severe negative alterations in cognition and mood were associated with viscerosensory dampening in our PTSD group, pointing towards a compensatory pattern of emotional numbing. Studies two and three explore two posttraumatic symptoms consistent with emotional numbing: alexithymia and posttraumatic TI. In study two, we explore posttraumatic TI as a survival-based dissociative response and test a new measure of posttraumatic TI. In study three, we provide evidence that alexithymia is associated with an altered (muted) pattern of emotion-specific bodily sensation. This thesis provides a framework for embodied MI event processing in PTSD and highlights the importance of assessing the somatic experience of MI and screening for TI responses and emotional numbing as part of PTSD symptomatology. The evidence presented here suggests sensorimotor-based approaches and bottom-up regulatory strategies may be useful adjuncts to MI event processing. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / Moral injury (MI) is a psychosocial-spiritual injury that can occur when deeply held values are violated either by oneself or a trusted other; it produces considerable pain and social alienation. MI has been linked to suicide and the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition associated with distressing symptoms and reduced functioning in important areas of life, including social relationships. This thesis focuses on how MI events are processed by military members and public safety personnel, who are both at risk for MI and PTSD. We investigate how shame is experienced in the brain and body, and explore how intensified visceral sensations may become overwhelming (e.g., pit in stomach, vomiting) prompting emotional numbing or difficulties remaining embodied in the present moment (e.g., zoning out, freezing up). By understanding MI event processing when PTSD is present, we hope to gain insight into more effective treatments for these individuals.

Tonic immobility, TI, is an innate fear response in many vertebrate animals, induced by brief physical restraint. It is a widespread theory that chickens (Gallus gallus) reared under stressful conditions react stronger in tonic immobility tests, i.e. stay still and lay still for a longer period of time, than individuals reared under more stress-free conditions. In our study we attempted to see if stressful conditions early in life (temporary isolation from the flock on a daily basis) had any effect on how the individuals handled the stressful and fear-evoking experience of tonic immobility tests. A total of 77 chickens of the HyLine strain of White Leghorn were used. Three sets of tests were performed; first at the hatchery facility at Linköpings universitet; second after a stressful experience – the moving to the Wood-Gush facility at Vreta jordbruksgymnasium; and a random sample with about half of the birds the third time, also at Vreta. The results were inconclusive, but pointed more in the direction of the early-in-life stress having no effect on TI tests rather than the other way around.

Animals can show different responses to fear for example by playing dead when there is no possibility to escape. This response is called tonic immobility (TI) and is a well-established test of fear to evaluate fearfulness. Long durations of TI are generally considered as high levels of fearfulness. Physiological changes observed during tonic immobility suggest that there are changes in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) strongly involved in this process. The main objective for this study was to analyse duration of tonic immobility and heart and ventilation rate during tonic immobility in three different species; domesticated High Andean chickens (Gallus gallus), wild-caught Ornate Tinamous (Nothoprocta ornata) and Chilean Tinamous born in captivity (Nothoprocta perdicaria). In this study needle electrodes were used to measure heart and ventilation rate. The time following induction of tonic immobility (i.e. after holding the bird on its back for 15 s) was characterized by a large increase in heart and ventilation rate. During tonic immobility a progressive decrease in heart and ventilation rate was observed in all species, significant in all cases except for heart rate between start and end of TI in chickens. The duration of TI was significantly longer in Ornate Tinamou compared to Chilean Tinamou and chickens. The same was observed in latency to first head movement. TI is probably controlled by the autonomic nervous system, but a heart rate variability analysis has to be done in order to determine the different relative contributions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems in these species.

The purpose of this study was to design and test five SNP markers in an inbred chicken cross between Red Junglefowl and domestic White Leghorn of the 8th generation. The markers lie in a region affecting the tonic immobility behaviour which differs significantly between the two species. The markers could be identified by usage of PCR and pyrosequencing. The data obtained were further used in a small scale quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. QTL analysis is a statistical method to link phenotypic traits to genotypic data. Four out of five markers could be genotypes and thereby, made it possible to proceed with the QTL analysis. The results showed that there is no QTL associated with the markers identified. The two flanking markers were closest to a significant difference between genotypes and it is therefore a possibility that a QTL lies close further down or up the searched region. From the line map it is indicated that there is little recombination in the marker region.

Submitted by Vitor Rosa de Almeida null (allmeidavitor@hotmail.com ) on 2017-12-15T19:07:01Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE NICOLE VITOR UNESP FCAV.pdf: 1549345 bytes, checksum: 53bbc5cbe6306896dd277fea58064137 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Alexandra Maria Donadon Lusser Segali null (alexmar@fcav.unesp.br) on 2017-12-18T09:27:45Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 almeida_nr_dr_jabo.pdf: 1549345 bytes, checksum: 53bbc5cbe6306896dd277fea58064137 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-18T09:27:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 almeida_nr_dr_jabo.pdf: 1549345 bytes, checksum: 53bbc5cbe6306896dd277fea58064137 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-11-24 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Este trabalho analisou se duração do período de eclosão entre bicagem externa até a saída do pinto de dentro da casca do ovo, temperatura de criação e idade influenciam o desempenho e comportamento dos frangos de corte. Para análise do desempenho, foi utilizado um delineamento 2x2, sendo período curto (6 a 10h) e longo (20 a 26h) de eclosão e temperatura de criação preferida (determinada em estudo anterior) e recomendada para a linhagem. As frequências dos diferentes comportamentos e a duração do comportamento de ingestão de ração e água foram analisados segundo um delineamento 2x2x3, sendo os dois períodos de eclosão (curto e longo), duas temperaturas de criação (preferida e recomendada) e 3 idades (6, 20 e 41 dias de idade ou 7, 21 e 42 dias). Para isso, ovos férteis de matrizes de frangos de corte (Cobb®-500) com 56 semanas de idade foram incubados à 37,5ºC e 60% de umidade relativa, com giro à cada 2 horas. Após a eclosão, 352 pintos machos foram distribuídos pelo peso corporal (~46g) em 3 três câmaras climáticas: uma mantida na temperatura preferida pelos frangos com curto período de eclosão (8 boxes com 11 aves cada), outra mantida na temperatura preferida pelos frangos com longo período de eclosão (8 boxes com 11 aves cada), e a terceira mantida na temperatura recomendada para a linhagem (8 boxes com 11 aves cada/ período de eclosão). Pintos com longo período de eclosão criados na temperatura preferida apresentaram menor consumo de ração, ganho de peso e peso corporal no período de crescimento, que resultou em seu menor desempenho à idade de abate. Pintos com longo período de eclosão consumiram ração com maior frequência do que os pintos com curto período. Criação na temperatura preferida diminuiu a frequência de consumo de ração e de água e a frequência do comportamento exploratório e aumentou a frequência de repouso dos frangos na primeira semana. Repouso foi o comportamento apresentado com maior frequência pelos frangos em todos os tratamentos e idades analisadas. O consumo de ração e o comportamento exploratório foram apresentados com menor frequência da fase de crescimento do que na primeira semana de vida, enquanto que o comportamento de repouso e o de conforto foram mais frequentes. Houve uma correlação altamente positiva do peso com o tempo de imobilidade tônica dos frangos. Os resultados mostram que pintos com longo período de eclosão são mais ativos na primeira semana de vida, que criação na temperatura preferida não influenciou o desempenho e comportamento dos frangos com curto período de eclosão, mas diminuiu o desempenho dos frangos com longo período de eclosão na última semana de vida. Também é mostrado que frangos diminuem acentuadamente sua atividade com o ganho de peso. / This study investigated whether the duration of hatching period between the external piping and the actual hatching (short: 6 to 10h or long: 20 to 26h) associated with the rearing temperature (preferred and recommended) influence the performance and behavior of broiler chickens. For broiler performance was utilized a factorial experimental design 2x2, consisting of short (6-10h) or long (20-26h) hatching period and preferred (determined in previous study) or recommended rearing temperature. The frequencies of the distinct behaviors and the diet and water intake duration were analyzed according to a factorial experimental design 2x2x3, being the two hatching period (short or long), two rearing temperature (preferred or recommended), and three ages (6, 20 and 41 days or 7, 21 and 42 days). For this purpose, fertile eggs from 56-week-old broiler breeders (Cobb®-500) were incubated at 37.5ºC and 60% RH, with egg rotation every 1 hours. After hatching, 352 male chicks (short and long) were distributed by body weight (~ 46g) in three climatic chambers: one maintained at preferred temperature determined for broilers with short hatching period (8 replicates with 11 broilers each), one maintained at preferred temperature determined for broilers with long hatching period (8 replicates with 11 broilers each), and the third maintained at rearing temperature recommended for the strain (8 replicates with 11 broilers each per hatching period). Broilers with long hatching period and reared under preferred temperature presented lower feed intake, weight gain and body weight in the growth phase, resulting in lower performance at 42 days of age. Broilers with a long hatching period consumed diet more frequently than the broilers with a short hatching period. Preferred rearing temperature reduced the frequency of diet and water consumption and of exploratory behavior, and increased the frequency of resting behavior of the broilers in the first week of age. Resting was the most frequent behavior by broilers in all treatments and ages analyzed. Feed intake and exploratory behavior were presented less frequently in the growth phase than in the first week of life, while resting behavior and comfort behavior were more frequent. There was a highly positive correlation between body weight and tonic immobility time of broilers. The results showed that hatching broilers with a longer hatching period were more active than broilers with a short hatching period in the first week of life, that preferred rearing temperature did not influence performance and behavior of broilers with a short hatching period, but decreased the performance of chickens with a long hatching period in the last week of life. It is also shown that broilers had their activity markedly reduced as they gained weight. / CNPq: 140994/2014-9

Orientador: Isabel Cristina Boleli / Resumo: Este trabalho analisou se duração do período de eclosão entre bicagem externa até a saída do pinto de dentro da casca do ovo, temperatura de criação e idade influenciam o desempenho e comportamento dos frangos de corte. Para análise do desempenho, foi utilizado um delineamento 2x2, sendo período curto (6 a 10h) e longo (20 a 26h) de eclosão e temperatura de criação preferida (determinada em estudo anterior) e recomendada para a linhagem. As frequências dos diferentes comportamentos e a duração do comportamento de ingestão de ração e água foram analisados segundo um delineamento 2x2x3, sendo os dois períodos de eclosão (curto e longo), duas temperaturas de criação (preferida e recomendada) e 3 idades (6, 20 e 41 dias de idade ou 7, 21 e 42 dias). Para isso, ovos férteis de matrizes de frangos de corte (Cobb®-500) com 56 semanas de idade foram incubados à 37,5ºC e 60% de umidade relativa, com giro à cada 2 horas. Após a eclosão, 352 pintos machos foram distribuídos pelo peso corporal (~46g) em 3 três câmaras climáticas: uma mantida na temperatura preferida pelos frangos com curto período de eclosão (8 boxes com 11 aves cada), outra mantida na temperatura preferida pelos frangos com longo período de eclosão (8 boxes com 11 aves cada), e a terceira mantida na temperatura recomendada para a linhagem (8 boxes com 11 aves cada/ período de eclosão). Pintos com longo período de eclosão criados na temperatura preferida apresentaram menor consumo de ração, ganho de peso e peso corporal ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This study investigated whether the duration of hatching period between the external piping and the actual hatching (short: 6 to 10h or long: 20 to 26h) associated with the rearing temperature (preferred and recommended) influence the performance and behavior of broiler chickens. For broiler performance was utilized a factorial experimental design 2x2, consisting of short (6-10h) or long (20-26h) hatching period and preferred (determined in previous study) or recommended rearing temperature. The frequencies of the distinct behaviors and the diet and water intake duration were analyzed according to a factorial experimental design 2x2x3, being the two hatching period (short or long), two rearing temperature (preferred or recommended), and three ages (6, 20 and 41 days or 7, 21 and 42 days). For this purpose, fertile eggs from 56-week-old broiler breeders (Cobb®-500) were incubated at 37.5ºC and 60% RH, with egg rotation every 1 hours. After hatching, 352 male chicks (short and long) were distributed by body weight (~ 46g) in three climatic chambers: one maintained at preferred temperature determined for broilers with short hatching period (8 replicates with 11 broilers each), one maintained at preferred temperature determined for broilers with long hatching period (8 replicates with 11 broilers each), and the third maintained at rearing temperature recommended for the strain (8 replicates with 11 broilers each per hatching period). Broilers with long hatching period and reared ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-02-24Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:45:13Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 bruneli_fat_dr_jabo.pdf: 373268 bytes, checksum: 1d57a2a24feefaf22e6117902f05bc40 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Sob condições de estresse, as aves apresentam, como resposta corporal, uma série de alterações metabólicas e hormonais a fim de se adaptar às agressões do meio. Para estabelecer a associação das concentrações plasmáticas de corticosterona e prolactina com a característica indicativa de estresse, foram avaliados 21 machos e 22 fêmeas de perdizes (Rhynchotus rufescens) alojados em um galpão avícola convencional. De cada ave, foram efetuadas três medições matinais do tempo de permanência em imobilidade tônica, a intervalos de sete dias. Adicionalmente, foram colhidas amostras sanguíneas de aproximadamente 2,0 mL, através da punção da veia braquial, com seringa descartável heparinizada de 3 mL e agulhas 25x7 mm, 15 dias antes da primeira medição do tempo em imobilidade tônica (final de junho), e 3 dias após a última medição (final de julho). As informações prévias sobre produção de ovos pelas fêmeas e fecundação de ovos pelos machos de perdizes, obtidas durante a estação reprodutiva 2002-2003, foram utilizadas para classificação das aves conforme o desempenho produtivo em cativeiro. Nenhum dos efeitos testados para corticosterona foi significativo, em cada um dos sexos. No curto período de 30 dias, houve significativa redução da prolactina circulante no sangue, sendo que os machos variaram de 5,77 a 3,95 ng/mL, enquanto as fêmeas reduziram de 6,03 para 4,44 ng/mL. Não foi encontrada correlação significativa (P>0,05) entre quaisquer das características avaliadas no presente trabalho, tanto em machos quanto em fêmeas. O tempo de permanência em imobilidade tônica não foi indicativo do estado de estresse em perdizes criadas em cativeiro. / In many stress conditions, birds presents an organic response with a series of metabolic and hormonal alterations, to become accustomed to environmental agressions. The objective of this study was to associate corticosterone and prolactin plasmatic concentrations with a indicative stress characteristic, evaluating 21 post-breeding partridge males and 22 post-breeding partridge females (Rhynchotus rufescens) carried out in a conventional avian barn. One time per week, during three consecutives weeks, mensurations of tonic immobility response were made in the morning. In addition, blood samples about 2.0 mL were collected via brachial vein punction, using anticoagulating sirynge and 25x7 mm needles, 15 days before first tonic immobility mensuration (end of june-2003), and again three days after last mensuration (end of july-2003). Previous informations about female egg production e male egg fertilization, during 2002-2003 breeding season were used to bird classification by productive performance in captivity. None of effects tested to corticosterone secretion was significative in any sex. Although in a short time period, 30 days approximately, prolactin concentration significative reduced in blood circulation, where males declined from 5.77 to 3.95 ng/mL, and females declined from 6.03 to 4.44 ng/mL. No correlation was find significative (P>0.05) among any evaluated characteristics, for both sexes. Tonic immoblility response was not a stress determination to partridges raised in captivity.