Egg-laying behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans is activated by signaling through the G-protein G(rho)q and inhibited by signaling through a second G-protein, G(rho)o. Activation of egg laying depends on the serotonergic hermaphrodite-specific neurons (HSNs), but the neurotransmitter(s) and cell(s) that signal to inhibit egg laying are not known. Mutants for G-protein signaling genes have well ch...

Currently, the production of eggs in alternative systems has been increasing, but there is no information regarding its quality criteria. Aiming to analyze physical and chemical characteristics organic eggs, associated with advancing age laying, egg weight, albumen height, shell thickness, yolk index percentage, percentage Haugh Unit (HU) evaluated. Every two weeks, six fresh were evaluated, du...

The Interoperability Context-Setting Framework Draft does an excellent job of laying out interoperability in complex systems from an information-theoretic viewpoint. In this paper I address the single question that I find troubling about this approach: limiting the definition of interoperability to one between subsystems exchanging “data” in a conventional sense vs. interoperability (and the en...

Central pattern generators (CPGs) are neuronal circuits that drive active repeated movements such as walking or swimming. Although CPGs are, by definition, active in isolated central nervous systems, sensory input is thought play an important role in adjusting the output of the CPGs to meet specific behavioral requirements of intact animals. We investigated, in freely behaving snails (Lymnaea s...

The concept of a 'good life' recognises the distinction that an animal's quality of life is beyond that of a 'life worth living', representing a standard of welfare substantially higher than the legal minimum (FAWC, 2009). We propose that the opportunities required for a 'good life' could be used to structure resource tiers that lead to positive welfare and are compatible with higher welfare fa...

Salmonella outbreaks in humans are often linked with the consumption of contaminated eggs. Therefore a profound knowledge of the actual prevalence of Salmonella spp. in laying hens and the factors that influence the presence and persistence of Salmonella on a farm is of utmost importance. The housing of laying hens in conventional battery cages will be forbidden in the European Union (EU) from ...

The invariant cell lineage of nematodes allows the formation of organ systems, like the egg-laying system, to be studied at a single cell level. The Caenorhabditis elegans egg-laying system is made up of the vulva, the mesodermal gonad and muscles and several neurons. The gonad plays a central role in patterning the underlying ectoderm to form the vulva and guiding the migration of the sex myob...

The pattern of fine-scale genetic structure in a population may reflect current biological processes of the species, such as natal dispersal, the breeding system and demography. We investigated the spatial distribution of nests and fine-scale genetic structure during two breeding seasons in a population of a weakly territorial, flock-living passerine bird, the vinous-throated parrotbill, Parado...

More recent research has primarily focused on the importance of different "normal" behaviors in relation to animal welfare in a commercial operation. Research indicates, for example, that laying performance of chickens is influenced by human interaction. Producers should walk through the laying house a couple of times per day, selecting times that fit into the flock's egg laying cycle, such as ...