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Lin QY, Du JJ, Xu H, Lv MK, Xu L, Li J, Cao ZH. Effects of fecal microbial transplantation on police performance and transportation stress in Kunming police dogs. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 108:46. [PMID: 38183474 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12935-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has been shown to improve gut dysbiosis in dogs; however, it has not completely been understood in police dogs. This study aimed to investigate the effects of FMT on performance and gut microflora in Kunming police dogs. Twenty Wolf Cyan dogs were randomly assigned to receive physiological saline or fecal suspension at low, medium, or high doses through oral gavage for 14 days. Growth performance, police performance, serum biochemical profiling, and gut microflora were determined 2-week post-FMT. Dogs after FMT treatment were also subjected to an hour road transportation and then were evaluated for serum stress indicators. Overall, FMT enhanced the growth performance and alleviated diarrhea rate in Kunming dogs with the greatest effects occurring in the low dose FMT (KML) group. The improvement of FMT on police performance was also determined. These above alterations were accompanied by changed serum biochemical parameters as indicated by elevated total protein and albumin and reduced total cholesterol and glycerol. Furthermore, the serum stress indicators after road transportation in dog post-FMT significantly decreased. Increased bacterial diversity and modified bacterial composition were found in the feces of dogs receiving FMT. The fecal samples from FMT dogs were characterized by higher abundances of the genera Lactobacillus, Prevotella, and Fusobacterium and lower concentrations of Cetobacterium, Allobaculum, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus. The present study supports a potential benefit of FMT on police performance in Kunming dogs. KEY POINTS: • FMT improves the growth performance and reduces diarrhea rates in Kunming police dogs. • FMT alleviates the serum stress profiles after road transportation in Kunming police dogs. • FMT modifies the gut microbiota composition of Kunming police dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiu-Ye Lin
- College of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Heilongtan, Kunming, 650201, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Jing Du
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Heilongtan, Kunming, 650201, People's Republic of China
| | - Hu Xu
- Kunming Police Dog Base of the Ministry of Public Security, Heilongtan, Kunming, 650204, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming-Kui Lv
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Heilongtan, Kunming, 650201, People's Republic of China
| | - Le Xu
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Heilongtan, Kunming, 650201, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Li
- Kunming Police Dog Base of the Ministry of Public Security, Heilongtan, Kunming, 650204, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhen-Hui Cao
- Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Heilongtan, Kunming, 650201, People's Republic of China.
- Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Heilongtan, Kunming, 650201, People's Republic of China.
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von Doernberg MC, von Rechenberg B, Richter H. Retrospective evaluation of radiofrequency volumetric tissue reduction for hypertrophic turbinates in dogs with brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0306391. [PMID: 38950052 PMCID: PMC11216595 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0306391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to retrospectively assess the effect of Radiofrequency Volumetric Tissue Reduction (RFVTR) on hypertrophic turbinates and clinical outcome in brachycephalic dogs when included in multi-level surgery (MLS). STUDY DESIGN Clinical retrospective multicenter study. ANIMALS 132 client-owned brachycephalic dogs. METHODS 132 brachycephalic dogs with high-grade Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Ayndrome (BOAS) and hypertrophic turbinates were treated with RFVTR as part of MLS of the upper airways. Intranasal obstruction was evaluated by computer tomography (CT) and antero-/retrograde rhinoscopy before and 6 months after RFVTR. The clinical records, the CT images and the rhinoscopy videos were reviewed and clinical evolution was evaluated using a standardized questionnaire. The data was scored semi-quantitatively. RESULTS In this study, 132 patients were included for a follow-up period of 120 weeks. RFVTR resulted in minor complications, including serous nasal discharge within the first postoperative week in all dogs, and intermittent nasal congestion between 3-8 weeks after treatment in 24.3% of the patients. Rhinoscopy and CT follow-ups were available for 33 patients. Six months after treatment intranasal airspace was increased (p = 0.002) and the presence and overall amount of mucosal contact points was reduced (p = 0.039). CONCLUSION MLS with RFVTR led to a significant reduction in turbinate volume at the 6-month follow-up examination and significant clinical improvement over a long-term period of 120 weeks. This suggests the viability of RFVTR as a turbinate-preserving treatment for intranasal obstruction in dogs with BOAS. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE RFVTR is a minimally invasive turbinoplasty technique for intranasal obstruction in dogs with BOAS and can be included in MLS without increasing complication rates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brigitte von Rechenberg
- Center for Applied Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine (CABMM), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Henning Richter
- Center for Applied Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine (CABMM), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Diagnostic Imaging Research Unit (DIRU), Clinic for Diagnostic Imaging, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Zahid MN, Qaed NA, Abbas Q, Mustafa S, Al-Thawadi S. Exploring the dynamics of human scent in forensic canine analysis: Factors shaping identification accuracy. Vet J 2024; 306:106180. [PMID: 38897375 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2024.106180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Using specially trained canines in forensic analysis to identify individual human scents is a well-established method, capitalizing on dogs' exceptional olfactory abilities. This study investigates the survival of human scent under extreme weather conditions in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Five experienced German Shepherd police dogs, trained for human scent tracking, participated in the experiments. The study was conducted during Bahrain's hot summer season, characterized by high temperatures, high humidity, and occasional strong winds. Three common surfaces-sand, grass, and asphalt-were selected to represent scenarios where human scent might be detected. The findings revealed that human scent persisted for approximately 8-11 hours on sand and grass but only 1-3 hours on asphalt, highlighting the impact of surface type on scent survival. The research also examined the effect of temperature on scent survival, testing at three different temperatures: 30°C, 40°C, and 50°C. The results demonstrated that scent durability varied across types of articles and temperature conditions. For instance, at 30°C, human scent remained detectable for up to 93 days on leather but only 27-28 days on silk cloth. At 40°C, leather allowed the scent to last 64-65 days, while wood surfaces had the shortest duration. The scent lasted 37-39 days on jeans cloth at a temperature of 50°C but only 3-4 days on wood. The data gathered can be beneficial for forensic investigations in semi-desert areas involving canine olfaction, offering guidance on the timing and likelihood of scent detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- M N Zahid
- University of Bahrain, Department of Biology, College of Science, Sakhir Campus P. O. Box 32038, Bahrain.
| | - N A Qaed
- Police Dog Unit hallat um albaadh um saad ave, Building 528, Block 615, Road 1523, Bahrain
| | - Q Abbas
- University of Bahrain, Department of Biology, College of Science, Sakhir Campus P. O. Box 32038, Bahrain
| | - S Mustafa
- University of Bahrain, Department of Biology, College of Science, Sakhir Campus P. O. Box 32038, Bahrain
| | - S Al-Thawadi
- University of Bahrain, Department of Biology, College of Science, Sakhir Campus P. O. Box 32038, Bahrain
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Salamon A, Baranya E, Zsiros LR, Miklósi Á, Csepregi M, Kubinyi E, Andics A, Gácsi M. Success in the Natural Detection Task is influenced by only a few factors generally believed to affect dogs' olfactory performance. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12351. [PMID: 38811746 PMCID: PMC11137087 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62957-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Research into dogs' olfactory ability is growing rapidly. However, generalising based on scientific results is challenging, because research has been typically conducted on a few specially trained subjects of a few breeds tested in different environmental conditions. We investigated the effects of temperature and humidity (outdoors), age, test location, sex, neutering status, and repeated testing (outdoors and indoors) on the olfactory performance of untrained family dogs (N = 411) of various breeds. We employed the Natural Detection Task with three difficulty levels, from which we derived two performance metrics: Top Level and Success Score. Temperature (0-25 °C) and humidity (18-90%) did not affect olfactory performance. Young adult dogs surpassed other age groups in reaching the Top Level. Sex and neutering status showed no discernible influence on Top Level and Success Score. Dogs performed better in both metrics when tested indoors compared to outdoors. In the test-retest procedure no significant learning effect was observed. We confirmed on untrained companion dogs that olfactory performance declines with age and rejected some factors that have been previously hypothesised to significantly affect dogs' olfactory success. The influence of the testing environment was notable, emphasising the need to consider various factors in understanding dogs' olfactory capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Salamon
- HUN-REN-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Hungarian Ethology Foundation, Göd, Hungary.
| | - Eszter Baranya
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Róbert Zsiros
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- HUN-REN-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Melitta Csepregi
- HUN-REN-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Enikő Kubinyi
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE Lendület "Momentum" Companion Animal Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Andics
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Neuroethology of Communication Lab, Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márta Gácsi
- HUN-REN-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Hungarian Ethology Foundation, Göd, Hungary
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Turunen S, Paavilainen S, Vepsäläinen J, Hielm-Björkman A. Scent Detection Threshold of Trained Dogs to Eucalyptus Hydrolat. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1083. [PMID: 38612322 PMCID: PMC11010826 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Dogs' (Canis lupus familiaris) sense of smell is based on a unique anatomy and physiology that enables them to find and differentiate low concentrations of odor molecules. This ability is exploited when dogs are trained as search, rescue, or medical detection dogs. We performed a three-part study to explore the scent detection threshold of 15 dogs to an in-house-made Eucalyptus hydrolat. Here, decreasing concentrations of the hydrolat were tested using a three-alternative forced-choice method until the first incorrect response, which defined the limit of scent detection for each tested dog. Quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to identify and measure the contents of ten commercial Eucalyptus hydrolats, which are used in a dog scent training sport called "nose work". In this study, the dogs' limit of detection initially ranged from 1:104 to 1:1023 but narrowed down to 1:1017-1:1021 after a training period. The results show that, with training, dogs learn to discriminate decreasing concentrations of a target scent, and that dogs can discriminate Eucalyptus hydrolat at very low concentrations. We also detected different concentrations of eucalyptol and lower alcohols in the hydrolat products and highlight the importance of using an identical source of a scent in training a dog for participation in canine scent sport competitions and in olfactory research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soile Turunen
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; (S.T.); (J.V.)
| | - Susanna Paavilainen
- Wise Nose-Finnish Odor Separation Association, 00790 Helsinki, Finland;
- Nose Academy Ltd., 70780 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jouko Vepsäläinen
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; (S.T.); (J.V.)
| | - Anna Hielm-Björkman
- DogRisk Research Group, Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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Kiiroja L, Stewart SH, Gadbois S. Can scent-detection dogs detect the stress associated with trauma cue exposure in people with trauma histories? A proof-of-concept study. FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY 2024; 5:1352840. [PMID: 38606088 PMCID: PMC11006987 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2024.1352840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an impairing mental health condition with high prevalence among military and general populations alike. PTSD service dogs are a complementary and alternative intervention needing scientific validation. We investigated whether dogs can detect putative stress-related volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the breath of people with trauma histories (54% with PTSD) exposed to personalized trauma cues. Methods Breath samples were collected from 26 humans over 40 experimental sessions during a calm (control breath sample) and stressed state induced by trauma cue exposure (target breath sample). Two scent detection canines were presented with the samples in a two alternative forced choice (2AFC) discrimination and yes/no detection task. The 2AFC task assessed the dogs' ability to discriminate between the two states within the breath samples of one individual. The detection task determined their ability to generalize the target odour across different individuals and different stressful events of one individual. Signal Detection Theory was applied to assess dogs' sensitivity, specificity, precision, and response bias. Results The dogs performed at ∼90% accuracy across all sample sets in the discrimination experiment, and at 74% and 81% accuracy, respectively, in the detection experiment. Further analysis of dog olfactory performance in relation to human donor self-reported emotional responses to trauma cue exposure suggested the dogs may have been detecting distinct endocrine stress markers. One dog's performance correlated with the human donors' self-reported fear responses and the other dog's performance correlated with the human donors' self-reported shame responses. Based on these correlations between dog performance and donor self-report measures, we speculate that the VOCs each dog was detecting likely originated from the sympathetico-adreno-medullary axis (SAM; adrenaline, noradrenaline) in the case of the first dog and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA; glucocorticoids) in the case of the second dog. Conclusion Our proof-of-concept study is the first to demonstrate that some dogs can detect putative VOCs emitted by people with trauma histories when experiencing distress theoretically associated with the intrusion and arousal/reactivity symptoms of PTSD. Results have potential to improve the effectiveness and training protocol of PTSD service dogs with a focus on enhancing their alert function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Kiiroja
- Canine Olfaction Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Sherry H. Stewart
- Canine Olfaction Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Mood, Anxiety, and Addictions Comorbidity (MAAC) Lab, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Simon Gadbois
- Canine Olfaction Lab, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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Abrams KL, Ward DA, Sabiniewicz A, Hummel T. Olfaction evaluation in dogs with sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome. Vet Ophthalmol 2024; 27:127-138. [PMID: 37399129 DOI: 10.1111/vop.13121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate olfaction in dogs with sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome (SARDS) compared with sighted dogs and blind dogs without SARDS as control groups. ANIMALS STUDIED Forty client-owned dogs. PROCEDURE Olfactory threshold testing was performed on three groups: SARDS, sighted, and blind/non-SARDS using eugenol as the test odorant. The olfactory threshold was determined when subjects indicated the detection of a specific eugenol concentration with behavioral responses. Olfactory threshold, age, body weight, and environmental room factors were evaluated. RESULTS Sixteen dogs with SARDS, 12 sighted dogs, and 12 blind/non-SARDS dogs demonstrated mean olfactory threshold pen numbers of 2.8 (SD = 1.4), 13.8 (SD = 1.4), and 13.4 (SD = 1.1), respectively, which correspond to actual mean concentrations of 0.017 g/mL, 1.7 × 10-13 g/mL and 4.26 × 10-13 g/mL, respectively. Dogs with SARDS had significantly poorer olfactory threshold scores compared with the two control groups (p < .001), with no difference between the control groups (p = .5). Age, weight, and room environment did not differ between the three groups. CONCLUSIONS Dogs with SARDS have severely decreased olfaction capabilities compared with sighted dogs and blind/non-SARDS dogs. This finding supports the suspicion that SARDS is a systemic disease causing blindness, endocrinopathy, and hyposmia. Since the molecular pathways are similar in photoreceptors, olfactory receptors, and steroidogenesis with all using G-protein coupled receptors in the cell membrane, the cause of SARDS may exist at the G-protein associated interactions with intracellular cyclic nucleotides. Further investigations into G-protein coupled receptors pathway and canine olfactory receptor genes in SARDS patients may be valuable in revealing the cause of SARDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth L Abrams
- Veterinary Ophthalmology Services, North Kingstown, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Daniel A Ward
- Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Agnieszka Sabiniewicz
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Smell and Taste Clinic, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Smell and Taste Clinic, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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McKeague B, Finlay C, Rooney N. Conservation detection dogs: A critical review of efficacy and methodology. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10866. [PMID: 38371867 PMCID: PMC10869951 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Conservation detection dogs (CDD) use their exceptional olfactory abilities to assist a wide range of conservation projects through the detection of target specimens or species. CDD are generally quicker, can cover wider areas and find more samples than humans and other analytical tools. However, their efficacy varies between studies; methodological and procedural standardisation in the field is lacking. Considering the cost of deploying a CDD team and the limited financial resources within conservation, it is vital that their performance is quantified and reliable. This review aims to summarise what is currently known about the use of scent detection dogs in conservation and elucidate which factors affect efficacy. We describe the efficacy of CDD across species and situational contexts like training and fieldwork. Reported sensitivities (i.e. the proportion of target samples found out of total available) ranged from 23.8% to 100% and precision rates (i.e. proportion of alerts that are true positives) from 27% to 100%. CDD are consistently shown to be better than other techniques, but performance varies substantially across the literature. There is no consistent difference in efficacy between training, testing and fieldwork, hence we need to understand the factors affecting this. We highlight the key variables that can alter CDD performance. External effects include target odour, training methods, sample management, search methodology, environment and the CDD handler. Internal effects include dog breed, personality, diet, age and health. Unfortunately, much of the research fails to provide adequate information on the dogs, handlers, training, experience and samples. This results in an inability to determine precisely why an individual study has high or low efficacy. It is clear that CDDs can be effective and applied to possibly limitless conservation scenarios, but moving forward researchers must provide more consistent and detailed methodologies so that comparisons can be conducted, results are more easily replicated and progress can be made in standardising CDD work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth McKeague
- School of Biological SciencesQueen's University BelfastBelfastUK
| | | | - Nicola Rooney
- Bristol Veterinary SchoolUniversity of BristolBristolUK
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9
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Berg P, Mappes T, Kujala MV. Olfaction in the canine cognitive and emotional processes: From behavioral and neural viewpoints to measurement possibilities. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105527. [PMID: 38160722 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) have excellent olfactory processing capabilities that are utilized widely in human society e.g., working with customs, police, and army; their scent detection is also used in guarding, hunting, mold-sniffing, searching for missing people or animals, and facilitating the life of the disabled. Sniffing and searching for odors is a natural, species-typical behavior and essential for the dog's welfare. While taking advantage of this canine ability widely, we understand its foundations and implications quite poorly. We can improve animal welfare by better understanding their olfactory world. In this review, we outline the olfactory processing of dogs in the nervous system, summarize the current knowledge of scent detection and differentiation; the effect of odors on the dogs' cognitive and emotional processes and the dog-human bond; and consider the methodological advancements that could be developed further to aid in our understanding of the canine world of odors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Päivi Berg
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO BOX 35, FI-40014, Finland; Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, PO BOX 35, FI-40014, Finland,.
| | - Tapio Mappes
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Science, University of Jyväskylä, PO BOX 35, FI-40014, Finland
| | - Miiamaaria V Kujala
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, PO BOX 35, FI-40014, Finland,; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, PO BOX 57, FI-00014, Finland; Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University, P.O. Box 11000, FI-00076 Aalto, Finland
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10
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Luff GC, Belluomo I, Lugarà E, Walker MC. The role of trained and untrained dogs in the detection and warning of seizures. Epilepsy Behav 2024; 150:109563. [PMID: 38071830 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2023.109563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Seizure unpredictability plays a major role in disability and decreased quality of life in people with epilepsy. Dogs have been used to assist people with disabilities and have shown promise in detecting seizures. There have been reports of trained seizure-alerting dogs (SADs) successfully detecting when a seizure is occurring or indicating imminent seizures, allowing patients to take preventative measures. Untrained pet dogs have also shown the ability to detect seizures and provide comfort and protection during and after seizures. Dogs' exceptional olfactory abilities and sensitivity to human cues could contribute to their seizure-detection capabilities. This has been supported by studies in which dogs have distinguished between epileptic seizure and non-seizure sweat samples, probably though the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). However, the existing literature has limitations, with a lack of well-controlled, prospective studies and inconsistencies in reported timings of alerting behaviours. More research is needed to standardize reporting and validate the results. Advances in VOC profiling could aid in distinguishing seizure types and developing rapid and unbiased seizure detection methods. In conclusion, using dogs in epilepsy management shows considerable promise, but further research is needed to fully validate their effectiveness and potential as valuable companions for people with epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace C Luff
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Ilaria Belluomo
- Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London W12 0HS, UK.
| | - Eleonora Lugarà
- Translational Research Office, University College London, 23 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
| | - Matthew C Walker
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Institute of Neurology, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
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Warli SM, Firsty NN, Velaro AJ, Tala ZZ. The Olfaction Ability of Medical Detection Canine to Detect Prostate Cancer From Urine Samples: Progress Captured in Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. World J Oncol 2023; 14:358-370. [PMID: 37869239 PMCID: PMC10588501 DOI: 10.14740/wjon1635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background To date, early cancer detection is considered vital to reduce the global cancer burden through low-cost, but accurate screening modalities. The anatomical positioning of prostate cancer (PCa) created a potentially distinctive diagnostic method through the identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in urine, which might be detectable not by humans but by canine species. This review aimed to capture the potential of the medical detection canine (MDC) to detect PCa by providing its diagnostic accuracy estimation on urine odor testing. Methods Databases, e.g., MEDLINE, Cochrane, ScienceDirect, and ProQuest, were searched to identify the studies. We focused on accessible original research, comparing the diagnostic utility of trained female MDC and histopathology examination as the gold standard for PCa diagnosis. The statistical analysis was performed in Meta-DiSc 1.4 and presented in diagnostic values, i.e., sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sp), positive or negative likelihood ratio (LR+ or LR-), diagnostic odd ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC) value, to conclude the Sn-Sp in a single outcome. Results Female German Shepherds were the most commonly utilized MDC from the five studies included in the final analysis. We estimate the pooled diagnostic value of eight different MDCs, with the findings as follows: Sn (0.95 (0.94 - 0.97)), Sp (0.92 (0.90 - 0.93)), LR+ (4.48 (1.90 - 10.58)), LR- (0.12 (0.01 - 1.42)), DOR (35.39 (2.90 - 432.53)), and an AUC value of 0.9232. Conclusions MDC's olfaction ability holds considerable potential on its diagnostic accuracies to distinguish the urine of PCa individuals by identifying its volatilome property.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syah Mirsya Warli
- Department of Urology, Universitas Sumatera Utara Hospital, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
- Division of Urology, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara-Haji Adam Malik General Hospital, Medan, Indonesia
| | - Naufal Nandita Firsty
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
| | - Adrian Joshua Velaro
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Indonesia
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12
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Callewaert C, Pezavant M, Vandaele R, Meeus B, Vankrunkelsven E, Van Goethem P, Plumacker A, Misset B, Darcis G, Piret S, De Vleeschouwer L, Staelens F, Van Varenbergh K, Tombeur S, Ottevaere A, Montag I, Vandecandelaere P, Jonckheere S, Vandekerckhove L, Tobback E, Wieers G, Marot JC, Anseeuw K, D’Hoore L, Tuyls S, De Tavernier B, Catteeuw J, Lotfi A, Melnik A, Aksenov A, Grandjean D, Stevens M, Gasthuys F, Guyot H. Sniffing out safety: canine detection and identification of SARS-CoV-2 infection from armpit sweat. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1185779. [PMID: 37822474 PMCID: PMC10563588 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1185779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Detection dogs were trained to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection based on armpit sweat odor. Sweat samples were collected using cotton pads under the armpits of negative and positive human patients, confirmed by qPCR, for periods of 15-30 min. Multiple hospitals and organizations throughout Belgium participated in this study. The sweat samples were stored at -20°C prior to being used for training purposes. Six dogs were trained under controlled atmosphere conditions for 2-3 months. After training, a 7-day validation period was conducted to assess the dogs' performances. The detection dogs exhibited an overall sensitivity of 81%, specificity of 98%, and an accuracy of 95%. After validation, training continued for 3 months, during which the dogs' performances remained the same. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed a unique sweat scent associated with SARS-CoV-2 positive sweat samples. This scent consisted of a wide variety of volatiles, including breakdown compounds of antiviral fatty acids, skin proteins and neurotransmitters/hormones. An acceptability survey conducted in Belgium demonstrated an overall high acceptability and enthusiasm toward the use of detection dogs for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Compared to qPCR and previous canine studies, the detection dogs have good performances in detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans, using frozen sweat samples from the armpits. As a result, they can be used as an accurate pre-screening tool in various field settings alongside the PCR test.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Callewaert
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology (CMET), Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Maria Pezavant
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Clinique Vétérinaire Universitaire (CVU), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Benoit Misset
- CHU-Sart-Tilman, Intensive Care Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Gilles Darcis
- CHU-Sart-Tilman, Infectious Diseases – Internal Medicine, Public Health Sciences, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Sonia Piret
- CHU-Bruyères, Intensive Care Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Stijn Jonckheere
- Laboratory of Clinical Microbiology, Jan Yperman Hospital, Ypres, Belgium
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Els Tobback
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Gregoire Wieers
- General Internal Medicine, Clinique Saint-Pierre Ottignies, Ottignies, Belgium
- Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (Narilis) and Department of Medicine, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | | | - Kurt Anseeuw
- Department of Emergency Medicine, ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Leen D’Hoore
- Belgian Defence, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Emergency Medicine, ZNA, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sebastiaan Tuyls
- Respiratory Medicine, GasthuisZusters (GZA) Hospital Group, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Brecht De Tavernier
- Emergency Medicine and Intensive Care, GasthuisZusters (GZA) Hospital Group, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Ali Lotfi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Alexey Melnik
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Alexander Aksenov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Dominique Grandjean
- Nosaïs Program, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort (Alfort School of Veterinary Medicine), University Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | | | - Frank Gasthuys
- Department of Surgery, Anesthesiology and Orthopedics of Large Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Hugues Guyot
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Clinique Vétérinaire Universitaire (CVU), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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13
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Philipp TM, Scheller AS, Krafczyk N, Klotz LO, Steinbrenner H. Methanethiol: A Scent Mark of Dysregulated Sulfur Metabolism in Cancer. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:1780. [PMID: 37760083 PMCID: PMC10525899 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12091780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In order to cope with increased demands for energy and metabolites as well as to enhance stress resilience, tumor cells develop various metabolic adaptations, representing a hallmark of cancer. In this regard, the dysregulation of sulfur metabolism that may result in elevated levels of volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) in body fluids, breath, and/or excretions of cancer patients has recently gained attention. Besides hydrogen sulfide (H2S), methanethiol is the predominant cancer-associated VSC and has been proposed as a promising biomarker for non-invasive cancer diagnosis. Gut bacteria are the major exogenous source of exposure to this foul-smelling toxic gas, with methanethiol-producing strains such as Fusobacterium nucleatum highly abundant in the gut microbiome of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) patients. Physiologically, methanethiol becomes rapidly degraded through the methanethiol oxidase (MTO) activity of selenium-binding protein 1 (SELENBP1). However, SELENBP1, which is considered a tumor suppressor, is often downregulated in tumor tissues, and this has been epidemiologically linked to poor clinical outcomes. In addition to impaired removal, an increase in methanethiol levels may derive from non-enzymatic reactions, such as a Maillard reaction between glucose and methionine, two metabolites enriched in cancer cells. High methionine concentrations in cancer cells may also result in enzymatic methanethiol production in mitochondria. Moreover, enzymatic endogenous methanethiol production may occur through methyltransferase-like protein 7B (METTL7B), which is present at elevated levels in some cancers, including CRC and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In conclusion, methanethiol contributes to the scent of cancer as part of the cancer-associated signature combination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are increasingly being exploited for non-invasive early cancer diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Holger Steinbrenner
- Institute of Nutritional Sciences, Nutrigenomics Section, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, D-07743 Jena, Germany; (T.M.P.); (A.S.S.); (N.K.); (L.-O.K.)
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14
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Yuk J, Akash MMH, Chakraborty A, Basu S, Chamorro LP, Jung S. Morphology of pig nasal structure and modulation of airflow and basic thermal conditioning. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:304-314. [PMID: 36731869 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammals have presumably evolved to adapt to a diverse range of ambient environmental conditions through the optimized heat and mass exchange. One of the crucial biological structures for survivability is the nose, which efficiently transports and thermally preconditions the external air before reaching the internal body. Nasal mucosa and cavity help warm and humidify the inhaled air quickly. Despite its crucial role, the morphological features of mammal noses and their effect in modulating the momentum of the inhaled air, heat transfer dynamics, and particulate trapping remain poorly understood. Tortuosity of the nasal cavity in high-olfactory mammalian species, such as pigs and opossum, facilitates the formation of complex airflow patterns inside the nasal cavity, which leads to the screening of particulates from the inhaled air. We explored basic nasal features in anatomically realistic nasal pathways, including tortuosity, radius of curvature, and gap thickness; they show strong power-law correlations with body weight. Complementary inspection of tortuosity with idealized conduits reveals that this quantity is central in particle capture efficiency. Mechanistic insights into such nuances can serve as a tipping point to transforming nature-based designs into practical applications. In-depth characterization of the fluid-particle interactions in nasal cavities is necessary to uncover nose mechanistic functionalities. It is instrumental in developing new devices and filters in a number of engineering processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jisoo Yuk
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | | | - Aneek Chakraborty
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Saikat Basu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA
| | - Leonardo P Chamorro
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61820, USA
| | - Sunghwan Jung
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
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15
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Qing R, Xue M, Zhao J, Wu L, Breitwieser A, Smorodina E, Schubert T, Azzellino G, Jin D, Kong J, Palacios T, Sleytr UB, Zhang S. Scalable biomimetic sensing system with membrane receptor dual-monolayer probe and graphene transistor arrays. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf1402. [PMID: 37478177 PMCID: PMC10361598 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf1402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Affinity-based biosensing can enable point-of-care diagnostics and continuous health monitoring, which commonly follows bottom-up approaches and is inherently constrained by bioprobes' intrinsic properties, batch-to-batch consistency, and stability in biofluids. We present a biomimetic top-down platform to circumvent such difficulties by combining a "dual-monolayer" biorecognition construct with graphene-based field-effect-transistor arrays. The construct adopts redesigned water-soluble membrane receptors as specific sensing units, positioned by two-dimensional crystalline S-layer proteins as dense antifouling linkers guiding their orientations. Hundreds of transistors provide statistical significance from transduced signals. System feasibility was demonstrated with rSbpA-ZZ/CXCR4QTY-Fc combination. Nature-like specific interactions were achieved toward CXCL12 ligand and HIV coat glycoprotein in physiologically relevant concentrations, without notable sensitivity loss in 100% human serum. The construct is regeneratable by acidic buffer, allowing device reuse and functional tuning. The modular and generalizable architecture behaves similarly to natural systems but gives electrical outputs, which enables fabrication of multiplex sensors with tailored receptor panels for designated diagnostic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Qing
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Mantian Xue
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jiayuan Zhao
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Lidong Wu
- Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Beijing 100141, China
| | - Andreas Breitwieser
- Department of Bionanosciences (DBNS), BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Smorodina
- Department of Immunology, University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Giovanni Azzellino
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David Jin
- Avalon GloboCare Corp., Freehold, NJ 07728, USA
| | - Jing Kong
- Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Tomás Palacios
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Uwe B. Sleytr
- Department of Bionanosciences (DBNS), BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shuguang Zhang
- MIT Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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16
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Jeong H, Youn MY, Yoon S, Hong SJ, Jo SM, Kim KS, Jeong EJ, Kim HW, Shin EC. Evaluation of the Chemosensoric Properties of Commercially Available Dog Foods Using Electronic Sensors and GC-MS/O Analysis. Molecules 2023; 28:5509. [PMID: 37513381 PMCID: PMC10384845 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28145509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Pet owners think of their animals as part of their family, which further promotes the growth of the pet food market, encouraging pet owners to select nutritious, palatable, and high-quality foods for pets. Therefore, the evaluation of taste and volatile compounds in pet foods is essential to improve palatability. In this study, the sensory characteristics of taste and odor compounds in 10 commercially available dry dog foods were investigated using electronic tongue (E-tongue), electronic nose (E-nose), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O). Dry dog foods were separated based on the sensory properties of taste and volatile compounds through the multivariate analysis of integrated results of the E-tongue and E-nose. A total of 67 odor active compounds were detected through GC-MS and GC-O, and octanal, nonanal, 2-pentyl furan, heptanal, and benzaldehyde were identified as key odor compounds which may have positive effects on food intake. The multivariate analysis was used to classify samples based on key odor compounds. Volatile compounds responsible for aroma properties of samples were evaluated using GC-O and multivariate analysis in this present study for the first time. These results are expected to provide fundamental data for sensory evaluation in producing new dog foods with improved palatability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyangyeon Jeong
- Department of GreenBio Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
| | - Moon Yeon Youn
- Agri-Food Bio Convergence Institute, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
| | - Sojeong Yoon
- Department of GreenBio Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Jun Hong
- Department of GreenBio Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Min Jo
- Department of GreenBio Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Soo Kim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Ju Jeong
- Department of Plant & Biomaterials Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun-Wook Kim
- Department of Animal Science & Biotechnology, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
| | - Eui-Cheol Shin
- Department of GreenBio Science, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
- Agri-Food Bio Convergence Institute, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
- Division of Food Science and Technology, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 52725, Republic of Korea
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17
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Earnshaw N, Anderson N, Mackay J, Parker M. The health of working dogs in conservation in Africa. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1179278. [PMID: 37533460 PMCID: PMC10390733 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1179278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Dogs are increasingly being employed for conservation purposes worldwide. In Africa, they work in challenging environments with unique health risks which have not been investigated until now. Methods To understand the health challenges faced by the dogs, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from 14 organisations that used working dogs in their conservation programmes. The data was qualitatively analysed by thematic analysis. Results Five themes were generated. Three affective themes influenced how participants responded to the challenges associated with having a successful conservation dog programme. A strong handler-dog attachment, proficient handler training, and the acknowledgement of the challenging environment were pivotal to maintaining dog health. Two themes related to the difficulties in managing these programmes and how veterinary support interacts with the management choices being made. Discussion To have healthy conservation dogs, current and future programmes should focus on fostering the handler-dog relationship and provide continuous handler training. The management of conservation dogs' health should adopt an evidence-based approach. Future research should focus on areas where the evidence base is lacking, particularly in the areas of prevention and treatment of African canine trypanosomiasis. Programmes should develop a good working relationship with a veterinarian that has access to evidence-based veterinary medical information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Earnshaw
- Department of Conservation Medicine, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Neil Anderson
- Department of Conservation Medicine, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jill Mackay
- Department of Veterinary Medical Education, The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Megan Parker
- The Center for Large Landscape Conservation, Bozeman, MT, United States
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18
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Dey T, Zanobetti A, Linnman C. The risk of being bitten by a dog is higher on hot, sunny, and smoggy days. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8749. [PMID: 37322022 PMCID: PMC10272239 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35115-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans commit more violent crimes when temperature and air pollution is higher. Here, we investigate if also the day-to-day rates of dogs biting humans is influenced by environmental factors. 69,525 reports of dogs biting humans, sourced from public records on animal control requests and from ER records, were analyzed. The impact of temperature and air pollutants were evaluated with a zero-inflated Poisson generalized additive model, while controlling for regional and calendar effects. Exposure-response curves were used to assess the association between outcome and major exposure variables. We find that the rates of dogs biting humans increases with increasing temperature and ozone, but not PM2.5 exposure. We also observed that higher UV irradiation levels were related to higher rats of dog bites. We conclude that dogs, or the interactions between humans and dogs, are more hostile on hot, sunny, and smoggy days, indicating that the societal burden of extreme heat and air pollution also includes the costs of animal aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanujit Dey
- Department of Surgery, Center for Surgery and Public Health, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Antonella Zanobetti
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Clas Linnman
- Spaulding Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of PM&R, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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19
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Rørvang MV, Schild SLA, Stenfelt J, Grut R, Gadri MA, Valros A, Nielsen BL, Wallenbeck A. Odor exploration behavior of the domestic pig ( Sus scrofa) as indicator of enriching properties of odors. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1173298. [PMID: 37214639 PMCID: PMC10196037 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1173298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction and aim Although the sense of smell in pigs is widely recognized as being highly developed, surprisingly little is known about their sensory ability. This study aimed to (a) identify which non-social odors pigs were able to detect and distinguish between, (b) investigate the types of behavior expressed when exploring odors and, (c) compare pigs' responses to the different odors to evaluate their interest in the odors. Methods Growing pigs (N = 192) of crossbred commercial breeds were enrolled in the experiment (32-110 days of age, weighing 64.9 ± 10.1kg). Littermate pairs of opposite sex were tested in test pens with two odor insertion points in the pen wall, 55 cm apart. All pigs were habituated to the test pens and experimenters. Twelve odors were tested (eight essential oils and four synthetic perfumes) in groups of three odors, with each pig pair tested once with one set of three odors (all possible orders of the three odors were tested on 24 pairs in total), always against a non-odor control (demineralized water). In a test, each of the three odors were presented during three trials in a row (a total of 9 trials per test; trial duration: 1 min; inter-trial breaks: 2 min; total test duration: 25 min). Response variables included: duration of sniffing, feeding-related behavior (licking, biting and rooting), agonistic behavior (biting, displacement and pushing) and no approach of the odor or control, recorded throughout each 1-min odor presentation. Results All pigs sniffed an odor less when repeatedly presented (LMM: all odors P < 0.05), and significantly longer at the subsequent presentation of a new odor [LMM (3rd vs. 1st presentations): P < 0.001]. Specific odor and odor type (essential oil vs. synthetic perfume) had no significant effect on sniffing duration. Overall, feeding-related behavior and agonistic behavior were expressed significantly more when pigs explored the odor compared with the control insertion point (Paired t-tests: P < 0.001), and specific odor only affected the expression of feeding-related behavior. Conclusion Collectively, pigs express sniffing, agonistic, and feeding-related behavior when exploring odors, which suggests that pigs perceive odors of non-social origin as a resource. Odors may thus constitute relevant enrichment material for pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vilain Rørvang
- Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
| | | | - Johanna Stenfelt
- Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Rebecca Grut
- Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Moses A. Gadri
- Department of Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
| | - Anna Valros
- Department of Production Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Research Centre for Animal Welfare, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Birte L. Nielsen
- Universities Federation for Animal Welfare (UFAW), Wheathampstead, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Wallenbeck
- Department of Animal Environment and Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Skara, Sweden
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20
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A novel task of canine olfaction for use in adult and senior pet dogs. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2224. [PMID: 36754988 PMCID: PMC9908929 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29361-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
While much work has been done in the field of canine olfaction, there has been little exploration of hyposmia or anosmia. This is partly due to difficulties in reducing confounds like training history and environmental distraction. The current study describes a novel olfaction test using spontaneous search behavior in dogs to find a hidden food treat in a three-choice task with both light-phase and dark-phase conditions. The study was performed in 18 adult control dogs, 18 senior/geriatric dogs enrolled in a longitudinal aging study, and a single dog with severe nasal pathology. In the senior/geriatric and control groups, dogs performed with higher accuracy (p < 0.0001) and were less likely to show biased selection strategy (p < 0.01) in the dark-phase than light-phase. While senior/geriatric dogs performed above chance, they had lower accuracy in the dark-phase compared to controls (p = 0.036). Dogs who scored higher on an owner questionnaire of cognitive decline showed a positive correlation with performance in the dark-phase; performance on additional cognitive tests did not correlate with performance in the dark-phase. This task can be used to quantify canine olfaction using clearly defined endpoints and spontaneous behaviors thus making it feasible to compare between and within groups of pet dogs.
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21
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Sun P, Shi Y, Shi Y. Bionic sensing system and characterization of exhaled nitric oxide detection based on canine olfaction. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0279003. [PMID: 36534648 PMCID: PMC9762597 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A quantitative monitoring system for fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) in homes is very important for the control of respiratory diseases such as asthma. To this end, this paper proposes a small bionic sensing system for NO detection in an electronic nose based on analysis of the structure of the canine olfactory system and the airflow pattern in the nasal cavity. The proposed system detected NO at different FENO concentration levels with different bionic sensing systems in the electronic nose, and analyzed the data comparatively. Combined with a backpropagation neural network algorithm, the bionic canine sensing system improved the recognition rate for FENO detection by up to 98.1%. Moreover, electronic noses with a canine bionic sensing system can improve the performance of trace gas detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengjiao Sun
- The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Measuring & Control Technology and Instrumentation of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, China
- Electronics and Communication Engineering School, Jilin Technology College of Electronic Information, Jilin, China
| | - Yunbo Shi
- The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Measuring & Control Technology and Instrumentation of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, China
- Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of Laser Spectroscopy Technology and Application, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, China
- National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center for Measurement and Control Technology and Instrumentation, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Yeping Shi
- The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Measuring & Control Technology and Instrumentation of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, China
- Electronics and Communication Engineering School, Jilin Technology College of Electronic Information, Jilin, China
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22
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Meller S, Al Khatri MSA, Alhammadi HK, Álvarez G, Alvergnat G, Alves LC, Callewaert C, Caraguel CGB, Carancci P, Chaber AL, Charalambous M, Desquilbet L, Ebbers H, Ebbers J, Grandjean D, Guest C, Guyot H, Hielm-Björkman A, Hopkins A, Kreienbrock L, Logan JG, Lorenzo H, Maia RDCC, Mancilla-Tapia JM, Mardones FO, Mutesa L, Nsanzimana S, Otto CM, Salgado-Caxito M, de los Santos F, da Silva JES, Schalke E, Schoneberg C, Soares AF, Twele F, Vidal-Martínez VM, Zapata A, Zimin-Veselkoff N, Volk HA. Expert considerations and consensus for using dogs to detect human SARS-CoV-2-infections. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1015620. [PMID: 36569156 PMCID: PMC9773891 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1015620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Meller
- Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany,*Correspondence: Sebastian Meller,
| | | | - Hamad Khatir Alhammadi
- International Operations Department, Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Guadalupe Álvarez
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillaume Alvergnat
- International Operations Department, Ministry of Interior of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Lêucio Câmara Alves
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Chris Callewaert
- Center for Microbial Ecology and Technology, Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Charles G. B. Caraguel
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia
| | - Paula Carancci
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Anne-Lise Chaber
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia
| | - Marios Charalambous
- Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Loïc Desquilbet
- École Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, IMRB, Université Paris Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | | | | | - Dominique Grandjean
- École Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Université Paris-Est, Maisons-Alfort, France
| | - Claire Guest
- Medical Detection Dogs, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Hugues Guyot
- Clinical Department of Production Animals, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Anna Hielm-Björkman
- Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Amy Hopkins
- Medical Detection Dogs, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Lothar Kreienbrock
- Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - James G. Logan
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom,Arctech Innovation, The Cube, Dagenham, United Kingdom
| | - Hector Lorenzo
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Fernando O. Mardones
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal and Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Leon Mutesa
- Center for Human Genetics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda,Rwanda National Joint Task Force COVID-19, Kigali, Rwanda
| | | | - Cynthia M. Otto
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Marília Salgado-Caxito
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal and Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | | | - Esther Schalke
- Bundeswehr Medical Service Headquarters, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Clara Schoneberg
- Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Anísio Francisco Soares
- Department of Animal Morphology and Physiology, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Friederike Twele
- Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Victor Manuel Vidal-Martínez
- Laboratorio de Parasitología y Patología Acuática, Departamento de Recursos del Mar, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN Unidad Mérida, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Ariel Zapata
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Natalia Zimin-Veselkoff
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal and Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Holger A. Volk
- Department of Small Animal Medicine & Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany,Center for Systems Neuroscience Hannover, Hanover, Germany
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23
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Abstract
Chemical biosensors are an increasingly ubiquitous part of our lives. Beyond enzyme-coupled assays, recent synthetic biology advances now allow us to hijack more complex biosensing systems to respond to difficult to detect analytes, such as chemical small molecules. Here, we briefly overview recent advances in the biosensing of small molecules, including nucleic acid aptamers, allosteric transcription factors, and two-component systems. We then look more closely at a recently developed chemical sensing system, G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-based sensors. Finally, we consider the chemical sensing capabilities of the largest GPCR subfamily, olfactory receptors (ORs). We examine ORs' role in nature, their potential as a biomedical target, and their ability to detect compounds not amenable for detection using other biological scaffolds. We conclude by evaluating the current challenges, opportunities, and future applications of GPCR- and OR-based sensors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amisha Patel
- School
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Pamela Peralta-Yahya
- School
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States,School
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute
of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States,E-mail:
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24
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Phenotypic correlates of the working dog microbiome. NPJ Biofilms Microbiomes 2022; 8:66. [PMID: 35995802 PMCID: PMC9395329 DOI: 10.1038/s41522-022-00329-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dogs have a key role in law enforcement and military work, and research with the goal of improving working dog performance is ongoing. While there have been intriguing studies from lab animal models showing a potential connection between the gut microbiome and behavior or mental health there is a dearth of studies investigating the microbiome-behavior relationship in working dogs. The overall objective of this study was to characterize the microbiota of working dogs and to determine if the composition of the microbiota is associated with behavioral and performance outcomes. Freshly passed stools from each working canine (Total n = 134) were collected and subject to shotgun metagenomic sequencing using Illumina technology. Behavior, performance, and demographic metadata were collected. Descriptive statistics and prediction models of behavioral/phenotypic outcomes using gradient boosting classification based on Xgboost were used to study associations between the microbiome and outcomes. Regarding machine learning methodology, only microbiome features were used for training and predictors were estimated in cross-validation. Microbiome markers were statistically associated with motivation, aggression, cowardice/hesitation, sociability, obedience to one trainer vs many, and body condition score (BCS). When prediction models were developed based on machine learning, moderate predictive power was observed for motivation, sociability, and gastrointestinal issues. Findings from this study suggest potential gut microbiome markers of performance and could potentially advance care for working canines.
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25
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Cotur Y, Olenik S, Asfour T, Bruyns-Haylett M, Kasimatis M, Tanriverdi U, Gonzalez-Macia L, Lee HS, Kozlov AS, Güder F. Bioinspired Stretchable Transducer for Wearable Continuous Monitoring of Respiratory Patterns in Humans and Animals. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2022; 34:e2203310. [PMID: 35730340 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202203310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
A bio-inspired continuous wearable respiration sensor modeled after the lateral line system of fish is reported which is used for detecting mechanical disturbances in the water. Despite the clinical importance of monitoring respiratory activity in humans and animals, continuous measurements of breathing patterns and rates are rarely performed in or outside of clinics. This is largely because conventional sensors are too inconvenient or expensive for wearable sensing for most individuals and animals. The bio-inspired air-silicone composite transducer (ASiT) is placed on the chest and measures respiratory activity by continuously measuring the force applied to an air channel embedded inside a silicone-based elastomeric material. The force applied on the surface of the transducer during breathing changes the air pressure inside the channel, which is measured using a commercial pressure sensor and mixed-signal wireless electronics. The transducer produced in this work are extensively characterized and tested with humans, dogs, and laboratory rats. The bio-inspired ASiT may enable the early detection of a range of disorders that result in altered patterns of respiration. The technology reported can also be combined with artificial intelligence and cloud computing to algorithmically detect illness in humans and animals remotely, reducing unnecessary visits to clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasin Cotur
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Selin Olenik
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Tarek Asfour
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - Michael Kasimatis
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Ugur Tanriverdi
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | | | - Hong Seok Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Andrei S Kozlov
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Firat Güder
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
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26
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Rørvang MV, Nicova K, Yngvesson J. Horse odor exploration behavior is influenced by pregnancy and age. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:941517. [PMID: 35967896 PMCID: PMC9366077 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.941517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In spite of a highly developed olfactory apparatus of horses, implying a high adaptive value, research on equine olfaction is sparse. Our limited knowledge on equine olfaction poses a risk that horse behavior does not match human expectations, as horses might react fearful when exposed to certain odors, which humans do not consider as frightening. The benefit of acquiring more knowledge of equine olfaction is therefore twofold; (1) it can aid the understanding of horse behavior and hence reduce the risk of dangerous situations, and (2) there may be unexplored potential of using odors in several practical situations where humans interact with horses. This study investigated behavior and olfactory sensitivity of 35 Icelandic horses who were presented with four odors: peppermint, orange, lavender and cedar wood in a Habituation/Dishabituation paradigm. The response variables were sniffing duration per presentation and behavioral reaction (licking, biting, snorting, and backing), and data were analyzed for potential effects of age, sex and pregnancy. Results showed that habituation occurred between successive odor presentations (1st vs. 2nd and 2nd vs. 3rd presentations: P < 0.001), and dishabituation occurred when a new odor was presented (1st vs. 3rd presentations: P < 0.001). Horses were thus able to detect and distinguish between all four odors, but expressed significantly longer sniffing duration when exposed to peppermint (peppermint vs. orange, lavender and cedar wood: P < 0.001). More horses expressed licking when presented to peppermint compared to cedar wood and lavender (P = 0.0068). Pregnant mares sniffed odors less than non-pregnant mares (P = 0.030), young horses (age 0-5 years) sniffed cedar wood for longer than old horses (P = 0.030), whereas sex had no effect (P > 0.050). The results show that horses’ odor exploration behavior and interest in odors varies with age and pregnancy and that horses naïve to the taste of a substrate, may be able to link smell with taste, which has not been described before. These results can aid our understanding of horses’ behavioral reactions to odors, and in the future, it may be possible to relate these to the physiology and health of horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Vilain Rørvang
- Department Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Maria Vilain Rørvang,
| | - Klára Nicova
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jenny Yngvesson
- Department Biosystems and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
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27
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Beaumont SN, Ehlers Smith DA, Ehlers Smith YC, Downs CT. The Influence of Environmental Factors on the Detection of Gamebirds by Pointing Dogs in the KwaZulu-Natal Midland Grasslands of South Africa. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.3957/056.052.0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stuart N. Beaumont
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209 South Africa
| | - David A. Ehlers Smith
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209 South Africa
| | - Yvette C. Ehlers Smith
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209 South Africa
| | - Colleen T. Downs
- Centre for Functional Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209 South Africa
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28
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Collins A, Bear RA, Mallikarjun A, Kane SA, Essler JL, Kaynaroglu P, Feuer R, Smith JG, Otto CM. Effects of Intranasal and Oral Bordetella bronchiseptica Vaccination on the Behavioral and Olfactory Capabilities of Detection Dogs. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:882424. [PMID: 35664843 PMCID: PMC9159271 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.882424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica is responsible for serious respiratory disease in dogs, most often associated with ‘kennel cough’ (canine infectious tracheobronchitis). It is recommended that dogs are vaccinated against the bacterium every 6–12 months, either by oral or intranasal administration. Any impairment of dogs' olfactory capabilities due to medical treatments may impact their efficiency and accuracy in their jobs. This study examined (1) the effect of intranasal and oral vaccines on the olfactory capabilities of detection dogs; as well as (1) effects of the vaccines on canine behavior. Dogs that were vaccinated initially with the oral and 28 days later with intranasal B. bronchiseptica were generally slower to find the target odor than the dogs that were assigned intranasal then oral vaccine. This result prompted a second between-subjects study to further investigate any impact of intranasal administration of the B. bronchiseptica vaccine on the olfactory capabilities of dogs. The intranasal vaccine was of particular interest due to its prevalent use and potential for nasal inflammation leading to decreased olfactory capabilities. Neither odor threshold nor time spent searching for odor were affected by the intranasal vaccine. Behavioral analyses showed that behaviors associated with the dogs' positive and negative motivation affected their time spent finding the target odor; this suggests that behavior should be considered in future studies of olfactory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Collins
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rachel A. Bear
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Amritha Mallikarjun
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Sarah A. Kane
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jennifer L. Essler
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Patricia Kaynaroglu
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rebecca Feuer
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Jordan G. Smith
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Cynthia M. Otto
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Department of Clinical Science and Advanced Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Cynthia M. Otto
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29
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Li Z, Sun Q, Li Y, Guan Z, Wei J, Li B, Liu K, Shao D, Mi R, Liu H, Qiu Y, Ma Z. Analysis and Comparison of Gut Microbiome in Young Detection Dogs. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:872230. [PMID: 35516435 PMCID: PMC9063727 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.872230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The detection dogs are well-known for their excellent capabilities to sense different kinds of smells, which can play an important role in completing various searching and rescuing missions. The recent studies have demonstrated that the excellent olfactory function of detection dogs might be related with the gut microbes via the bidirectional communications between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. In this study, the gut microbial communities of three types of breeds of detection dogs (Springer Spaniel, Labrador Retriever, and German Shepherd) were studied and compared. The results revealed that the richness and the diversity of gut microbiome German Shepherd dogs were significantly higher than the Labrador Retriever dogs and the Springer Spaniel dogs. At the phylum level, the most predominant gut microbial communities of the detection dogs were comprised of Fusobacteriota, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Campilobacterota, and Actinobacteriota. At the genus level the most predominant gut microbial communities were comprised of Fusobacterium, Megamonas, Prevotella, Alloprevotella, Bacteroides, Haemophilus, Anaerobiospirillum, Helicobacter, Megasphaera, Peptoclostridium, Phascolarctobacterium, and Streptococcus. However, the gut microbial communities of the three dogs group were also obviously different. The mean relative abundance of Fusobacterium, Prevotella, Alloprevotella, Megamonas, Bacteroides, and Phascolarctobacterium presented significant differences in the three groups. According to the portraits and characteristics of the gut microbiome in young detection dogs, multiple kinds of nutritional interventions could be applied to manipulate the gut microbiota, with the aim of improving the health states and the olfactory performances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongjie Li
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Qing Sun
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuhao Li
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhixin Guan
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianchao Wei
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Beibei Li
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Ke Liu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Donghua Shao
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Rongsheng Mi
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Haixia Liu
- Beijing Huayuan Biotechnology Research Institute, Beijing, China
| | - Yafeng Qiu
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiyong Ma
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Zhiyong Ma
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30
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Guelfi G, Iaboni M, Sansone A, Capaccia C, Santoro MM, Diverio S. Extracellular circulating miRNAs as stress-related signature to search and rescue dogs. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3213. [PMID: 35217704 PMCID: PMC8881509 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07131-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Our research explores serum extracellular circulating miRNAs (ecmiRNAs) involved in dog stress response immediately after the search and rescue (SAR) of missing people. The experimental plan considers four arduous SAR simulations. The SAR dogs are trained by the Alpine School of the Military Force of Guardia di Finanza (Passo Rolle, Italy). The First SAR Trial analyzed dog serum samples at rest time (T0), and immediately after SAR performance (T1) using the miRNome-wide screening next-generation sequencing (NGS). T1 versus T0 NGS results revealed a different expression level of let-7a and let-7f. Subsequently, in a large sample size including: 1st (n = 6), 2nd (n = 6), 3rd (n = 6), and 4th (n = 4) trials, let-7a and let-7f were validated by qPCR. Bioinformatics analysis with TarBase (v.8) and the Diana-mirPath (v.3) revealed a functional role of let-7a and let-7f in the p53 pathway to restore cellular homeostasis. Let-7a and let-7f, highly expressed at T1, could stop MDMs-p53 inhibition inducing the p53 increase in level. In addition, let-7a and let-7f, via p53 post-transcriptional regulation, buffers p53 transcription spikes. During SAR stress, the possibility of p53 preconditioning could explain the phenomenon of “stress hardening” where the tolerance of particular stress increases after preconditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Guelfi
- Laboratory of Ethology and Animal Welfare (LEBA), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, via San Costanzo 4, 0126, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Martina Iaboni
- Laboratory of Ethology and Animal Welfare (LEBA), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, via San Costanzo 4, 0126, Perugia, Italy
| | - Anna Sansone
- Laboratory of Ethology and Animal Welfare (LEBA), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, via San Costanzo 4, 0126, Perugia, Italy
| | - Camilla Capaccia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, via San Costanzo 4, 0126, Perugia, Italy
| | - Michele Matteo Santoro
- Italian Military Corp of Guardia di Finanza, via Lungolago 46, 06061, Castiglione del Lago, PG, Italy
| | - Silvana Diverio
- Laboratory of Ethology and Animal Welfare (LEBA), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università Degli Studi di Perugia, via San Costanzo 4, 0126, Perugia, Italy.
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31
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The Shape of the Nasal Cavity and Adaptations to Sniffing in the Dog (Canis familiaris) Compared to Other Domesticated Mammals: A Review Article. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12040517. [PMID: 35203225 PMCID: PMC8868339 DOI: 10.3390/ani12040517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Modern dogs are the most morphologically diverse group of mammals. Numerous studies have shown that dogs and their olfactory abilities are of great importance to humans. It was found that the changes within the skull have had a significant impact on the structure of the initial sections of the respiratory system, including the turbinates of the nasal passages. Congenital defects, defined as brachycephalic syndrome, are currently a significant problem in dog breeding as they can affect animal welfare and even lead to death; therefore this manuscript also focuses on this topic. After identifying the subject, we believe that further characteristics of the nasal turbinates and in-depth research related to their hypertrophy are needed. The study also summarized the state of knowledge about the structure of the respiratory system and nasal cavity in dogs compared to other species of domestic animals. Abstract Dogs are a good starting point for the description and anatomical analysis of turbinates of the nose. This work aimed at summing up the state of knowledge on the shape of the nasal cavity and airflow in these domestic animals and dealt with the brachycephalic syndrome (BOAS) and anatomical changes in the initial airway area in dogs with a short and widened skull. As a result of artificial selection and breeding concepts, the dog population grew very quickly. Modern dog breeds are characterized by a great variety of their anatomical shape. Craniological changes also had a significant impact on the structure and physiology of the respiratory system in mammals. The shape of the nasal cavity is particularly distinctive in dogs. Numerous studies have established that dogs and their olfactory ability are of great importance in searching for lost people, detecting explosives or drugs as well as signaling disease in the human body. The manuscript describes the structure of the initial part of the respiratory system, including the nasal turbinates, and compares representatives of various animal species. It provides information on the anatomy of brachycephalic dogs and BOAS. The studies suggest that further characterization and studies of nasal turbinates and their hypertrophy are important.
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32
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Orozco SC, Arias MP, Carvajal PA, Gallo‐Villegas J, Olivera‐Angel M. Efficacy of high-intensity interval training compared with moderate-intensity continuous training on maximal aerobic potency in dogs: Trial protocol for a randomised controlled clinical study. Vet Rec Open 2021; 8:e4. [PMID: 33981438 PMCID: PMC8109980 DOI: 10.1002/vro2.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a more efficient method to improve exercise capacity than moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) because of its greater physiological stimulus. OBJECTIVE The aim of this protocol is to evaluate the efficacy of HIIT on maximal aerobic potency in dogs as compared to MICT. METHODS This protocol is for a randomised, blinded controlled clinical trial, with three parallel groups for the purpose of demonstrating superiority. Thirty dogs aged between 12 and 84 months of both sexes and different breeds will be included. Dogs, before initiating and after finalising the training will perform an incremental exercise test on a treadmill to obtain maximal speed and lactate threshold; resting parameters of heart and respiratory rate, left ventricle chamber and systolic function will be measured. Dogs assigned to each intervention will endure a 42-min session of HIIT or MICT during 12 weeks. HIIT comprises four intervals of 4 min each at a load of 85%, alternating with a 4-min resting period. MICT group will have a continuous load of 60%. The control group will remain in a cage. An intention-to-treat statistical analysis will be implemented. Analysis of covariance will be used to estimate the effect of HIIT compared with MICT training on maximal aerobic potency, aerobic resistance, systolic function at rest, left ventricle chamber measurements and indexes, respiratory rate and HR at rest. CONCLUSION Significant time and effort are invested into training sports/working dogs, which could benefit from improving physical capacity by means of the HIIT methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia C. Orozco
- Biogenesis Research GroupFacultad de Ciencias AgrariasUniversidad de AntioquiaMedellínAntioquiaColombia
| | | | - Pablo A. Carvajal
- Servicio de CardiologíaHospital VeterinarioFacultad de Ciencias AgrariasUniversidad de AntioquiaMedellínAntioquiaColombia
| | | | - Martha Olivera‐Angel
- Biogenesis Research GroupFacultad de Ciencias AgrariasUniversidad de AntioquiaMedellínAntioquiaColombia
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33
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Otto CM, Darling T, Murphy L, Ng Z, Pierce B, Singletary M, Zoran D. 2021 AAHA Working, Assistance, and Therapy Dog Guidelines. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc 2021; 57:253-277. [PMID: 34710214 DOI: 10.5326/jaaha-ms-7250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The guidelines are the first comprehensive consensus report on veterinary healthcare recommendations for working, assistance, and therapy dogs. This category of canine patients includes a broad assortment of animals, some with well-defined functions and others that provide a more generalized support role. The guidelines discuss recommendations for dogs trained for protection, odor/scent detection, service functions for people with diagnosed disabilities or physical limitations, emotional support, and therapeutic intervention. Although the term is often used to describe dogs providing animal-assisted activities, true therapy dogs provide goal-directed therapy, often under the supervision of a healthcare professional such as an occupational therapist or psychologist. Many working dogs undergo extensive training and have rigorous physical demands placed upon them. These factors make working, assistance, and therapy dogs inherently valuable and impose a need for a high level of primary veterinary care as described in the guidelines. Because working dogs have a particularly close relationship with their handlers, a trust relationship between the practice team and the working-dog client is imperative.
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Lee JM, Devaraj V, Jeong NN, Lee Y, Kim YJ, Kim T, Yi SH, Kim WG, Choi EJ, Kim HM, Chang CL, Mao C, Oh JW. Neural mechanism mimetic selective electronic nose based on programmed M13 bacteriophage. Biosens Bioelectron 2021; 196:113693. [PMID: 34700263 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The electronic nose is a reliable practical sensor device that mimics olfactory organs. Although numerous studies have demonstrated excellence in detecting various target substances with the help of ideal models, biomimetic approaches still suffer in practical realization because of the inability to mimic the signal processing performed by olfactory neural systems. Herein, we propose an electronic nose based on the programable surface chemistry of M13 bacteriophage, inspired by the neural mechanism of the mammalian olfactory system. The neural pattern separation (NPS) was devised to apply the pattern separation that operates in the memory and learning process of the brain to the electronic nose. We demonstrate an electronic nose in a portable device form, distinguishing polycyclic aromatic compounds (harmful in living environment) in an atomic-level resolution (97.5% selectivity rate) for the first time. Our results provide practical methodology and inspiration for the second-generation electronic nose development toward the performance of detection dogs (K9).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Min Lee
- Bio-IT Fusion Technology Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, South Korea; School of Nano Convergence Technology, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Gangwon-do, 24252, South Korea
| | - Vasanthan Devaraj
- Bio-IT Fusion Technology Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, South Korea
| | - Na-Na Jeong
- Department of Public Health Science, Graduate School of Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Yujin Lee
- Department of Nano Fusion Technology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, South Korea
| | - Ye-Ji Kim
- Department of Nano Fusion Technology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, South Korea
| | - Taehyeong Kim
- Finance·Fishery·Manufacture Industrial Mathematics Center on Big Data and Department of Mathematics, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, South Korea
| | - Seung Heon Yi
- Finance·Fishery·Manufacture Industrial Mathematics Center on Big Data and Department of Mathematics, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, South Korea
| | - Won-Geun Kim
- Bio-IT Fusion Technology Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, South Korea
| | - Eun Jung Choi
- Bio-IT Fusion Technology Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, South Korea
| | - Hyun-Min Kim
- Finance·Fishery·Manufacture Industrial Mathematics Center on Big Data and Department of Mathematics, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, South Korea.
| | - Chulhun L Chang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan, 50612, South Korea.
| | - Chuanbin Mao
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, United States.
| | - Jin-Woo Oh
- Bio-IT Fusion Technology Research Institute, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, South Korea; Department of Nano Fusion Technology, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, South Korea.
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Kokocińska-Kusiak A, Woszczyło M, Zybala M, Maciocha J, Barłowska K, Dzięcioł M. Canine Olfaction: Physiology, Behavior, and Possibilities for Practical Applications. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11082463. [PMID: 34438920 PMCID: PMC8388720 DOI: 10.3390/ani11082463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Dogs have an extraordinary olfactory capability, which far exceeds that of humans. Dogs’ sense of smell seems to be the main sense, allowing them to not only gather both current and historical information about their surrounding environment, but also to find the source of the smell, which is crucial for locating food, danger, or partners for reproduction. Dogs can be trained by humans to use their olfactory abilities in a variety of fields, with a detection limit often much lower than that of sophisticated laboratory instruments. The specific anatomical and physiological features of dog olfaction allow humans to achieve outstanding results in the detection of drugs, explosives, and different illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, or infectious disease. This article provides an overview of the anatomical features and physiological mechanisms involved in the process of odor detection and identification, as well as behavioral aspects of canine olfaction and its use in the service of humans in many fields. Abstract Olfaction in dogs is crucial for gathering important information about the environment, recognizing individuals, making decisions, and learning. It is far more specialized and sensitive than humans’ sense of smell. Using the strength of dogs’ sense of smell, humans work with dogs for the recognition of different odors, with a precision far exceeding the analytical capabilities of most modern instruments. Due to their extremely sensitive sense of smell, dogs could be used as modern, super-sensitive mobile area scanners, detecting specific chemical signals in real time in various environments outside the laboratory, and then tracking the odor of dynamic targets to their source, also in crowded places. Recent studies show that dogs can detect not only specific scents of drugs or explosives, but also changes in emotions as well as in human cell metabolism during various illnesses, including COVID-19 infection. Here, we provide an overview of canine olfaction, discussing aspects connected with anatomy, physiology, behavioral aspects of sniffing, and factors influencing the olfactory abilities of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris).
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Kokocińska-Kusiak
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, ul. Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warszawa, Poland; (A.K.-K.); (J.M.)
| | - Martyna Woszczyło
- Department of Reproduction and Clinic of Farm Animals, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Plac Grunwaldzki 49, 50-366 Wrocław, Poland;
| | - Mikołaj Zybala
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Doctoral School, Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities, ul. Konarskiego 2, 08-110 Siedlce, Poland;
| | - Julia Maciocha
- Institute of Animal Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, ul. Ciszewskiego 8, 02-786 Warszawa, Poland; (A.K.-K.); (J.M.)
| | - Katarzyna Barłowska
- Department of Biotechnology and Nutrigenomics, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland;
| | - Michał Dzięcioł
- Department of Reproduction and Clinic of Farm Animals, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Plac Grunwaldzki 49, 50-366 Wrocław, Poland;
- Correspondence:
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Jendrny P, Twele F, Meller S, Osterhaus ADME, Schalke E, Volk HA. Canine olfactory detection and its relevance to medical detection. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:838. [PMID: 34412582 PMCID: PMC8375464 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06523-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The extraordinary olfactory sense of canines combined with the possibility to learn by operant conditioning enables dogs for their use in medical detection in a wide range of applications. Research on the ability of medical detection dogs for the identification of individuals with infectious or non-infectious diseases has been promising, but compared to the well-established and-accepted use of sniffer dogs by the police, army and customs for substances such as money, explosives or drugs, the deployment of medical detection dogs is still in its infancy. There are several factors to be considered for standardisation prior to deployment of canine scent detection dogs. Individual odours in disease consist of different volatile organic molecules that differ in magnitude, volatility and concentration. Olfaction can be influenced by various parameters like genetics, environmental conditions, age, hydration, nutrition, microbiome, conditioning, training, management factors, diseases and pharmaceuticals. This review discusses current knowledge on the function and importance of canines' olfaction and evaluates its limitations and the potential role of the dog as a biomedical detector for infectious and non-infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Jendrny
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Friederike Twele
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sebastian Meller
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Esther Schalke
- Bundeswehr School of Dog Handling, Gräfin-Maltzan-Kaserne, Hochstraße, 56766, Ulmen, Germany
| | - Holger Andreas Volk
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 9, 30559, Hannover, Germany.
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Lippi G, Heaney LM. The "olfactory fingerprint": can diagnostics be improved by combining canine and digital noses? Clin Chem Lab Med 2021; 58:958-967. [PMID: 31990659 DOI: 10.1515/cclm-2019-1269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A sniffer (detecting) dog is conventionally defined as an animal trained to use its olfactory perceptions for detecting a vast array of substances, mostly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including those exceptionally or exclusively generated in humans bearing specific pathologies. Such an extraordinary sniffing performance translates into the capability of detecting compounds close to the femtomolar level, with performance comparable to that of current mass spectrometry-based laboratory applications. Not only can dogs accurately detect "abnormal volatilomes" reflecting something wrong happening to their owners, but they can also perceive visual, vocal and behavioral signals, which altogether would contribute to raise their alertness. Although it seems reasonable to conclude that sniffer dogs could never be considered absolutely "diagnostic" for a given disorder, several lines of evidence attest that they may serve as efficient screening aids for many pathological conditions affecting their human companions. Favorable results have been obtained in trials on cancers, diabetes, seizures, narcolepsy and migraine, whilst interesting evidence is also emerging on the capability of early and accurately identifying patients with infectious diseases. This would lead the way to proposing an "olfactory fingerprint" loop, where evidence that dogs can identify the presence of human pathologies provides implicit proof of the existence of disease-specific volatilomes, which can be studied for developing laboratory techniques. Contextually, the evidence that specific pathologies are associated with abnormal VOC generation may serve as reliable basis for training dogs to detect these compounds, even (or especially) in patients at an asymptomatic phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Lippi
- Section of Clinical Biochemistry, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement, University Hospital of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro, 10, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Liam M Heaney
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
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Feil C, Staib F, Berger MR, Stein T, Schmidtmann I, Forster A, Schimanski CC. Sniffer dogs can identify lung cancer patients from breath and urine samples. BMC Cancer 2021; 21:917. [PMID: 34388977 PMCID: PMC8362224 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-021-08651-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lung cancer is the most common oncological cause of death in the Western world. Early diagnosis is critical for successful treatment. However, no effective screening methods exist. A promising approach could be the use of volatile organic compounds as diagnostic biomarkers. To date there are several studies, in which dogs were trained to discriminate cancer samples from controls. In this study we evaluated the abilities of specifically trained dogs to distinguish samples derived from lung cancer patients of various tumor stages from matched healthy controls. METHODS This single center, double-blind clinical trial was approved by the local ethics committee, project no FF20/2016. The dog was conditioned with urine and breath samples of 36 cancer patients and 150 controls; afterwards, further 246 patients were included: 41 lung cancer patients comprising all stages and 205 healthy controls. From each patient two breath and urine samples were collected and shock frozen. Only samples from new subjects were presented to the dog during study phase randomized, double-blinded. This resulted in a specific conditioned reaction pointing to the cancer sample. RESULTS Using a combination of urine and breath samples, the dog correctly predicted 40 out of 41 cancer samples, corresponding to an overall detection rate of cancer samples of 97.6% (95% CI [87.1, 99.9%]). Using urine samples only the dog achieved a detection rate of 87.8% (95% CI [73.8, 95.9%]). With breath samples, the dog correctly identified cancer in 32 of 41 samples, resulting in a detection rate of 78% (95% CI [62.4, 89.4%]). CONCLUSIONS It is known from current literature that breath and urine samples carry VOCs pointing to cancer growth. We conclude that olfactory detection of lung cancer by specifically trained dogs is highly suggestive to be a simple and non-invasive tool to detect lung cancer. To translate this approach into practice further target compounds need to be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Feil
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Municipal Hospital Darmstadt, Grafenstraße 9, 64283, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Frank Staib
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Municipal Hospital Darmstadt, Grafenstraße 9, 64283, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Martin R Berger
- Toxicology and Chemotherapy Unit, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thorsten Stein
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Municipal Hospital Darmstadt, Grafenstraße 9, 64283, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Irene Schmidtmann
- Institute for Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Carl C Schimanski
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Municipal Hospital Darmstadt, Grafenstraße 9, 64283, Darmstadt, Germany.
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Transforming a Liability into an Asset: A System Dynamics Model for Free-Ranging Dog Population Management. SYSTEMS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/systems9030056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Using Indian free-ranging dogs (FRD) as a case study, we propose a novel intervention of social integration alongside previously proposed methods for dealing with FRD populations. Our study subsumes population dynamics, funding avenues, and innovative strategies to maintain FRD welfare and provide societal benefits. We develop a comprehensive system dynamics model, featuring identifiable parameters customizable for any management context and imperative for successfully planning a widescale FRD population intervention. We examine policy resistance and simulate conventional interventions alongside the proposed social integration effort to compare monetary and social rewards, as well as costs and unintended consequences. For challenging socioeconomic ecological contexts, policy resistance is best overcome by shifting priority strategically between social integration and conventional techniques. The results suggest that social integration can financially support a long-term FRD intervention, while transforming a “pest” population into a resource for animal-assisted health interventions, law enforcement, and conservation efforts.
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40
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Mitek A, Johnson J. Anesthetic Considerations for Working Dogs. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2021; 51:765-778. [PMID: 34059255 DOI: 10.1016/j.cvsm.2021.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Working dogs pose unique concerns and challenges to the veterinary practitioner. In this article, the authors review the best practices and clinical pearls for anesthetizing working dogs for both routine and emergent procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Mitek
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, 1008 West Hazelwood Drive, Urbana, IL 61821, USA.
| | - Jacob Johnson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, 1010 Wire Road, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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Abstract
Working dogs are athletes, but have a wide variety of work types and durations that impact their dietary needs. Their basic nutritional needs do not change: all dogs need a complete and balanced diet, fed in proper proportions to maintain optimal body condition. However, with increasing muscle work and endurance, the amounts of specific nutrients (particularly the macronutrients, protein, fat, and carbohydrates) must be adjusted. This article provides an overview of the key aspects of working canine nutrition and provides the nutritional science behind the recommendations made.
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Abstract
Operational K9s encompass a unique population of working dogs that serve as a force multiplier in various civilian law enforcement, force protection, search and rescue, and humanitarian operations. These elite canines do not volunteer to serve, yet they are some of the most faithful and dependable operators in the field. They undoubtedly perform an invaluable service in today's society and are owed a tremendous debt of gratitude for their selfless service, loyalty, and sacrifices. This article describes the unique characteristics and occupational hazards that pertain to the community of Operational K9s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Palmer
- 1883 Quail Hollow, Auburn, AL 36830, USA.
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43
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Concas MP, Cocca M, Francescatto M, Battistuzzi T, Spedicati B, Feresin A, Morgan A, Gasparini P, Girotto G. The Role of Knockout Olfactory Receptor Genes in Odor Discrimination. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:631. [PMID: 33922566 PMCID: PMC8145969 DOI: 10.3390/genes12050631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
To date, little is known about the role of olfactory receptor (OR) genes on smell performance. Thanks to the availability of whole-genome sequencing data of 802 samples, we identified 41 knockout (KO) OR genes (i.e., carriers of Loss of Function variants) and evaluated their effect on odor discrimination in 218 Italian individuals through recursive partitioning analysis. Furthermore, we checked the expression of these genes in human and mouse tissues using publicly available data and the presence of organ-related diseases in human KO (HKO) individuals for OR expressed in non-olfactory tissues (Fisher test). The recursive partitioning analysis showed that age and the high number (burden) of OR-KO genes impact the worsening of odor discrimination (p-value < 0.05). Human expression data showed that 33/41 OR genes are expressed in the olfactory system (OS) and 27 in other tissues. Sixty putative mouse homologs of the 41 humans ORs have been identified, 58 of which are expressed in the OS and 37 in other tissues. No association between OR-KO individuals and pathologies has been detected. In conclusion, our work highlights the role of the burden of OR-KO genes in worse odor discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Pina Concas
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health—IRCCS, Burlo Garofolo, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (M.P.C.); (M.C.); (P.G.); (G.G.)
| | - Massimiliano Cocca
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health—IRCCS, Burlo Garofolo, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (M.P.C.); (M.C.); (P.G.); (G.G.)
| | - Margherita Francescatto
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.F.); (B.S.); (A.F.)
| | - Thomas Battistuzzi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Beatrice Spedicati
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.F.); (B.S.); (A.F.)
| | - Agnese Feresin
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.F.); (B.S.); (A.F.)
| | - Anna Morgan
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health—IRCCS, Burlo Garofolo, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (M.P.C.); (M.C.); (P.G.); (G.G.)
| | - Paolo Gasparini
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health—IRCCS, Burlo Garofolo, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (M.P.C.); (M.C.); (P.G.); (G.G.)
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.F.); (B.S.); (A.F.)
| | - Giorgia Girotto
- Institute for Maternal and Child Health—IRCCS, Burlo Garofolo, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (M.P.C.); (M.C.); (P.G.); (G.G.)
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.F.); (B.S.); (A.F.)
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Woollam M, Wang L, Grocki P, Liu S, Siegel AP, Kalra M, Goodpaster JV, Yokota H, Agarwal M. Tracking the Progression of Triple Negative Mammary Tumors over Time by Chemometric Analysis of Urinary Volatile Organic Compounds. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:1462. [PMID: 33806757 PMCID: PMC8004946 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13061462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are potential biomarkers of breast cancer. An unanswered question is how urinary VOCs change over time as tumors progress. To explore this, BALB/c mice were injected with 4T1.2 triple negative murine tumor cells in the tibia. This typically causes tumor progression and osteolysis in 1-2 weeks. Samples were collected prior to tumor injection and from days 2-19. Samples were analyzed by headspace solid phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Univariate analysis identified VOCs that were biomarkers for breast cancer; some of these varied significantly over time and others did not. Principal component analysis was used to distinguish Cancer (all Weeks) from Control and Cancer Week 1 from Cancer Week 3 with over 90% accuracy. Forward feature selection and linear discriminant analysis identified a unique panel that could identify tumor presence with 94% accuracy and distinguish progression (Cancer Week 1 from Cancer Week 3) with 97% accuracy. Principal component regression analysis also demonstrated that a VOC panel could predict number of days since tumor injection (R2 = 0.71 and adjusted R2 = 0.63). VOC biomarkers identified by these analyses were associated with metabolic pathways relevant to breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Woollam
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (M.W.); (P.G.); (A.P.S.); (J.V.G.)
- Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (L.W.); (S.L.); (H.Y.)
| | - Luqi Wang
- Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (L.W.); (S.L.); (H.Y.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Paul Grocki
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (M.W.); (P.G.); (A.P.S.); (J.V.G.)
- Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (L.W.); (S.L.); (H.Y.)
| | - Shengzhi Liu
- Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (L.W.); (S.L.); (H.Y.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Amanda P. Siegel
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (M.W.); (P.G.); (A.P.S.); (J.V.G.)
- Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (L.W.); (S.L.); (H.Y.)
| | - Maitri Kalra
- Hematology and Oncology, Ball Memorial Hospital, Indiana University Health, Muncie, IN 47303, USA;
| | - John V. Goodpaster
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (M.W.); (P.G.); (A.P.S.); (J.V.G.)
| | - Hiroki Yokota
- Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (L.W.); (S.L.); (H.Y.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Biomechanics and Biomaterials Research Center, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Mangilal Agarwal
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (M.W.); (P.G.); (A.P.S.); (J.V.G.)
- Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; (L.W.); (S.L.); (H.Y.)
- Department of Mechanical & Energy Engineering, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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SALGIRLI DEMİRBAŞ Y, SAREYYÜPOĞLU B, ÖZTÜRK H, KİSMALİ G, ALPAY M, SEÇİLMİŞ CANBAY H, EMEN F, BAŞ B, ÖZKUL A. The role of bio-detection dogs in prevention and diagnosis of infectious disease: A systematic review. ANKARA ÜNIVERSITESI VETERINER FAKÜLTESI DERGISI 2021. [DOI: 10.33988/auvfd.834133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Charalambous M, Volk HA, Van Ham L, Bhatti SFM. First-line management of canine status epilepticus at home and in hospital-opportunities and limitations of the various administration routes of benzodiazepines. BMC Vet Res 2021; 17:103. [PMID: 33663513 PMCID: PMC7934266 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-021-02805-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marios Charalambous
- Small Animal Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium.
| | - Holger A Volk
- Department of Small Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Luc Van Ham
- Small Animal Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Sofie F M Bhatti
- Small Animal Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
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Removal of Aerosolized Contaminants from Working Canines via a Field Wipe-Down Procedure. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11010120. [PMID: 33429905 PMCID: PMC7826634 DOI: 10.3390/ani11010120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence-based canine decontamination protocols are underrepresented in the veterinary literature. Aerosolized microbiological and chemical contaminants can pose a risk in deployment environments highlighting the need for improved canine field decontamination strategies. Prior work has established the efficacy of traditional, water-intensive methods on contaminant removal from the coat of the working canine; however, it is not known if similar reductions can be achieved with simple field expedient methods when resources are limited. The objective of this study was to measure the reduction of aerosolized contamination via a practical "wipe-down" procedure performed on working canine coats contaminated with a fluorescent, non-toxic, water-based aerosol. Disposable, lint-free towels were saturated with one of three treatments: water, 2% chlorhexidine gluconate scrub (CHX), or 7.5% povidone-iodine scrub (PVD). Both CHX and PVD were diluted at a 1:4 ratio. Treatments were randomly assigned to one of three quadrants established across the shoulders and back of commonly utilized working dog breeds (Labrador retrievers, n = 16; German shepherds, n = 16). The fourth quadrant remained unwiped, thus serving as a control. Reduction in fluorescent marker contamination was measured and compared across all quadrants. PVD demonstrated greater marker reduction compared to CHX or water in both breeds (p < 0.0001). Reduction was similar between CHX or water in Labradors (p = 0.86) and shepherds (p = 0.06). Effective wipe-down strategies using common veterinary cleansers should be further investigated and incorporated into decontamination practices to safeguard working canine health and prevent cross-contamination of human personnel working with these animals.
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Jeong SY, Kim JS, Lee JH. Rational Design of Semiconductor-Based Chemiresistors and their Libraries for Next-Generation Artificial Olfaction. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e2002075. [PMID: 32930431 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202002075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Artificial olfaction based on gas sensor arrays aims to substitute for, support, and surpass human olfaction. Like mammalian olfaction, a larger number of sensors and more signal processing are crucial for strengthening artificial olfaction. Due to rapid progress in computing capabilities and machine-learning algorithms, on-demand high-performance artificial olfaction that can eclipse human olfaction becomes inevitable once diverse and versatile gas sensing materials are provided. Here, rational strategies to design a myriad of different semiconductor-based chemiresistors and to grow gas sensing libraries enough to identify a wide range of odors and gases are reviewed, discussed, and suggested. Key approaches include the use of p-type oxide semiconductors, multinary perovskite and spinel oxides, carbon-based materials, metal chalcogenides, their heterostructures, as well as heterocomposites as distinctive sensing materials, the utilization of bilayer sensor design, the design of robust sensing materials, and the high-throughput screening of sensing materials. In addition, the state-of-the-art and key issues in the implementation of electronic noses are discussed. Finally, a perspective on chemiresistive sensing materials for next-generation artificial olfaction is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong-Yong Jeong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Sik Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Heun Lee
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
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Quantitative vapor delivery for improved canine threshold testing. Anal Bioanal Chem 2020; 413:955-966. [PMID: 33219448 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-020-03052-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The canine olfactory system is a highly efficient and intricate tool often exploited by humans for detection for its many attributes, including impressive sensitivity to trace analyte vapors. Canine detectors are often touted as having lower limits of detection, or olfactory detection threshold (ODT), than other field-relevant detection technologies; however, previous attempts to quantify canine ODTs have resulted in reported estimates spanning multiple orders of magnitude, even for the same analyte. A major contributor to these discrepancies is the vapor delivery method used for testing, where losses due to adsorption and dilution are often unaccounted for, and the presence of unattended compounds in the vapor stream due to carryover may go unnoticed. In this research, a trace vapor generator (TV-Gen) was used to deliver quantitatively accurate amounts of vapor reproducibly over time for canine testing. Analyte losses due to adsorption to surfaces in the flow path, dilution in the sniff port at the outlet, and analyte carryover were considered. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling was used to visualize analyte vapor spread throughout the port. CFD simulations revealed the need for a diffuser to encourage the diffusion of the analyte throughout the port. As a result, the modified vapor generator provides analyte air as a diffuse flow that is evenly distributed through the custom sampling orifice, as opposed to a narrow stream of air at the chosen concentration which exits directly into the environment. Laboratory validations were carried out for three analytes, amyl acetate, 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), and methyl benzoate. A linear response across more than two orders of magnitude vapor concentration range was achieved for all analytes. These efforts will be applied in further research utilizing this TV-Gen vapor delivery system for canine ODT testing, eliminating many quantitative changes seen previously. Graphical abstract.
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Potter AW, Berglund LG, O'Brien C. A canine thermal model for simulating temperature responses of military working dogs. J Therm Biol 2020; 91:102651. [PMID: 32716889 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Military working dogs (MWDs) are often required to operate in dangerous or extreme environments, to include hot and humid climate conditions. These scenarios can put MWD at significant risk of heat injury. To address this concern, a two-compartment (core, skin) rational thermophysiological model was developed to predict the temperature of a MWD during rest, exercise, and recovery. The Canine Thermal Model (CTM) uses inputs of MWD mass and length to determine a basal metabolic rate and body surface area. These calculations are used along with time series inputs of environmental conditions (air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation and wind velocity) and level of metabolic intensity (MET) to predict MWD thermoregulatory responses. Default initial values of core and skin temperatures are set at neutral values representative of an average MWD; however, these can be adjusted to match known or expected individual temperatures. The rational principles of the CTM describe the heat exchange from the metabolic energy of the core compartment to the skin compartment by passive conduction as well as the application of an active control for skin blood flow and to tongue and lingual tissues. The CTM also mathematically describes heat loss directly to the environment via respiration, including panting. Thermal insulation properties of MWD fur are also used to influence heat loss from skin and gain from the environment. This paper describes the CTM in detail, outlining the equations used to calculate avenues of heat transfer (convective, conductive, radiative and evaporative), overall heat storage, and predicted responses of the MWD. Additionally, this paper outlines examples of how the CTM can be used to predict recovery from exertional heat strain, plan work/rest cycles, and estimate work duration to avoid overheating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam W Potter
- Biophysics and Biomedical Modeling Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, 10 General Greene Avenue, Bldg 42, Natick, MA, 01760-5007, USA.
| | - Larry G Berglund
- Biophysics and Biomedical Modeling Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, 10 General Greene Avenue, Bldg 42, Natick, MA, 01760-5007, USA.
| | - Catherine O'Brien
- Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, 10 General Greene Avenue, Bldg 42, Natick, MA, 01760-5007, USA.
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