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Littlewood KE, Heslop MV, Cobb ML. The agency domain and behavioral interactions: assessing positive animal welfare using the Five Domains Model. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1284869. [PMID: 38026638 PMCID: PMC10656766 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1284869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal welfare denotes how an animal experiences their life. It represents the overall mental experiences of an animal and is a subjective concept that cannot be directly measured. Instead, welfare indicators are used to cautiously infer mental experiences from resource provisions, management factors, and animal-based measures. The Five Domains Model is a holistic and structured framework for collating these indicators and assessing animal welfare. Contemporary approaches to animal welfare management consider how animals can be given opportunities to have positive experiences. However, the uncertainty surrounding positive mental experiences that can be inferred has resulted in risk-averse animal welfare scientists returning to the relative safety of positivism. This has meant that aspects of positive welfare are often referred to as animal 'wants'. Agency is a concept that straddles the positivist-affective divide and represents a way forward for discussions about positive welfare. Agency is the capacity of individual animals to engage in voluntary, self-generated, and goal-directed behavior that they are motivated to perform. Discrete positive emotions are cautiously inferred from these agentic experiences based on available knowledge about the animal's motivation for engaging in the behavior. Competence-building agency can be used to evaluate the potential for positive welfare and is represented by the Behavioral Interactions domain of the Five Domains Model. In 2020, The Model was updated to, amongst other things, include consideration of human-animal interactions. The most important aspect of this update was the renaming of Domain 4 from "Behavior" to "Behavioral Interactions" and the additional detail added to allow this domain's purpose to be clearly understood to represent an animal's opportunities to exercise agency. We illustrate how the Behavioral Interactions domain of The Model can be used to assess animals' competence-building agency and positive welfare. In this article, we use the examples of sugar gliders housed in captivity and greyhounds that race to illustrate how the agentic qualities of choice, control, and challenge can be used to assess opportunities for animals to exercise agency and experience positive affective engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E. Littlewood
- Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Morgan V. Heslop
- Animal Welfare Science and Bioethics Centre, School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Mia L. Cobb
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Hampton JO, Cobb ML, Toop SD, Flesch JS, Hyndman TH. Elevated lead exposure in Australian hunting dogs during a deer hunting season. Environ Pollut 2023; 323:121317. [PMID: 36828357 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
There is growing recognition of the threat posed by toxic lead-based ammunition. One group of domestic animals known to be susceptible to harmful lead exposure via this route is hunting dogs. Scent-trailing dogs ('hounds') are used to hunt introduced sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) during a prescribed eight-month (April-November) annual hunting season, during which they are fed fresh venison, in Victoria, south-eastern Australia. We used this annual season as a natural experiment to undertake longitudinal sampling of dogs for lead exposure. Blood was collected from 27 dogs owned by four different deer hunters and comprising three different breeds just prior to the start of the hound hunting season (March 2022) and in the middle of the season (August 2022), and blood lead levels (BLLs) (μg/dL) were determined via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Using Tobit regression, the expected BLLs across all dogs were significantly lower before the season (0.50 μg/dL, standard error [SE] = 0.32 μg/dL) than during the season (1.39 μg/dL, SE = 0.35 μg/dL) (p = 0.01). However, when the breed of dog was included in the analyses, this effect was only significant in beagles (P < 0.001), not bloodhounds (p = 0.73) or harriers (p = 0.43). For 32% of the dogs before the season, and 56% during the season, BLLs exceeded the established threshold concentration for developmental neurotoxicity in humans (1.2 μg/dL). Time since most recent venison feeding, sex of dog and owner were not associated with BLLs. The finding that BLLs more than doubled during the hunting season indicates that lead exposure is a risk in this context. These results expand the sphere of impact from environmental lead in Australia from wild animals and humans, to include some groups of domestic animals, a textbook example of a One Health issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan O Hampton
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia; Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.
| | - Mia L Cobb
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Simon D Toop
- Game Management Authority, Level 2, 535 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Jason S Flesch
- Game Management Authority, Level 2, 535 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Timothy H Hyndman
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Western Australia, 6150, Australia; School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
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Oliva JL, Cobb ML. Sniffing out what Australians know and believe about Drug Detector Dogs. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2022:1-15. [PMID: 36004398 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2022.2116582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
The ways in which drugs are policed, differs from country to country, with Drug Detector Dogs (DDDs) a commonly used detection strategy in Australia. However, their effectiveness has been scrutinized by Australian media and research. Despite this, their work and lives "on the job" continue to be portrayed in a positive light on popular television shows such as Border Security. The aim of the current study was to ascertain public perceptions and knowledge surrounding DDDs using a sample of 129 Australians. Results revealed participants believed DDDs were equally as interesting and as happy as companion dogs. However, while there was general support for both dog roles in human lives, participants were relatively less supportive of the use of DDDs. Importantly, findings suggest general Australians have little awareness of the lives of DDDs "off the job," including housing and handling practices that directly impact animal welfare. We suggest that greater transparency around these aspects of the dogs' lives and welfare experience be made publicly available so that the DDD industry can maintain their social license to operate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Lee Oliva
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Psychology, College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Mia L Cobb
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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Webber S, Cobb ML, Coe J. Welfare Through Competence: A Framework for Animal-Centric Technology Design. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:885973. [PMID: 35847650 PMCID: PMC9280685 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.885973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Digital technologies offer new ways to ensure that animals can lead a good life in managed settings. As interactive enrichment and smart environments appear in zoos, farms, shelters, kennels and vet facilities, it is essential that the design of such technologies be guided by clear, scientifically-grounded understandings of what animals need and want, to be successful in improving their wellbeing. The field of Animal-Computer Interaction proposes that this can be achieved by centering animals as stakeholders in technology design, but there remains a need for robust methods to support interdisciplinary teams in placing animals' interests at the heart of design projects. Responding to this gap, we present the Welfare through Competence framework, which is grounded in contemporary animal welfare science, established technology design practices and applied expertise in animal-centered design. The framework brings together the “Five Domains of Animal Welfare” model and the “Coe Individual Competence” model, and provides a structured approach to defining animal-centric objectives and refining them through the course of a design project. In this paper, we demonstrate how design teams can use this framework to promote positive animal welfare in a range of managed settings. These much-needed methodological advances contribute a new theoretical foundation to debates around the possibility of animal-centered design, and offer a practical agenda for creating technologies that support a good life for animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Webber
- Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- *Correspondence: Sarah Webber
| | - Mia L. Cobb
- Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jon Coe
- Jon Coe Design, Healesville, VIC, Australia
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Cobb ML, Otto CM, Fine AH. The Animal Welfare Science of Working Dogs: Current Perspectives on Recent Advances and Future Directions. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:666898. [PMID: 34722690 PMCID: PMC8555628 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.666898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Working dogs are prevalent throughout our societies, assisting people in diverse contexts, from explosives detection and livestock herding, to therapy partners. Our scientific exploration and understanding of animal welfare have grown dramatically over the last decade. As community attitudes toward the use of animals continue to change, applying this new knowledge of welfare to improve the everyday lives of working dogs will underpin the sustainability of working with dogs in these roles. The aim of this report was to consider the scientific studies of working dogs from the last decade (2011–2021) in relation to modern ethics, human interaction, and the five domains of animal welfare: nutrition, environment, behavioral interaction, physical health, and mental state. Using this framework, we were able to analyze the concept and contribution of working dog welfare science. Noting some key advances across the full working dog life cycle, we identify future directions and opportunities for interdisciplinary research to optimize dog welfare. Prioritizing animal welfare in research and practice will be critical to assure the ongoing relationship between dogs and people as co-workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia L Cobb
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Cynthia M Otto
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Aubrey H Fine
- College of Education and Integrative Studies, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, United States
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MacLean EL, Fine A, Herzog H, Strauss E, Cobb ML. The New Era of Canine Science: Reshaping Our Relationships With Dogs. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:675782. [PMID: 34336972 PMCID: PMC8319998 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.675782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Canine science is rapidly maturing into an interdisciplinary and highly impactful field with great potential for both basic and translational research. The articles in this Frontiers Research Topic, Our Canine Connection: The History, Benefits and Future of Human-Dog Interactions, arise from two meetings sponsored by the Wallis Annenberg PetSpace Leadership Institute, which convened experts from diverse areas of canine science to assess the state of the field and challenges and opportunities for its future. In this final Perspective paper, we identify a set of overarching themes that will be critical for a productive and sustainable future in canine science. We explore the roles of dog welfare, science communication, and research funding, with an emphasis on developing approaches that benefit people and dogs, alike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan L. MacLean
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Cognitive Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Aubrey Fine
- California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA, United States
| | - Harold Herzog
- Department of Psychology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC, United States
| | - Eric Strauss
- Center for Urban Resilience, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Mia L. Cobb
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Otto CM, Cobb ML, Wilsson E. Corrigendum: Editorial: Working Dogs: Form and Function. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:93. [PMID: 32175339 PMCID: PMC7054823 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia M. Otto
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Penn Vet Working Dog Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Cynthia M. Otto
| | - Mia L. Cobb
- Working Dog Alliance, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Erik Wilsson
- Swedish Armed Forces, Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
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Abstract
Community attitudes drive societal expectations, influencing government and industry regulations that determine standards of care for industries reliant on animals. It is important for dog industry stakeholders to understand public perceptions and attitudes, to inform management strategy
priorities relating to animal welfare. This study sought to determine if the welfare status of dogs (Canis familiaris) is important to people and whether the perceived level of welfare varies with dog context (eg companion, protection, stock herding, assistance, sporting, free-roaming,
wild, etc). Over 2,000 self-selected adults completed a voluntary, internet-based questionnaire. Responses were received from more than twelve countries and from a range of stakeholders with varied experiences. Perceived welfare status of dogs varied significantly across 17 dog contexts and
roles, from extremely low (eg fighting dogs) to very high (eg guide dogs). Over 95% of respondents agreed that the welfare of dogs was very important to them. Demographic features of respondents did not relate to meaningful differences in reported importance of canine welfare or ratings of
perceived welfare of dogs. The constructs underlying how people perceive the welfare of dogs appear complex and multi-dimensional. As public scrutiny forces reassessment of the welfare status of animals used in various contexts, proactive management of perceived welfare issues by companion
and working dog industry stakeholders, including government, industry organisations, advocacy groups, and animal welfare researchers, is likely to be key to the sustainable participation of dogs in these roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia M Otto
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Advanced Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Penn Vet Working Dog Center, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Mia L Cobb
- Working Dog Alliance, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Erik Wilsson
- Swedish Armed Forces, Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
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Cobb ML, Iskandarani K, Chinchilli VM, Dreschel NA. A systematic review and meta-analysis of salivary cortisol measurement in domestic canines. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2016; 57:31-42. [PMID: 27315597 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2016.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2016] [Revised: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Salivary cortisol is widely used as an indicator of stress and welfare in canine research. However, much remains unclear about the basic features of this hormone marker in domestic dogs. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine a reference range for cortisol concentration in the saliva of dogs and examine how canine characteristics, environmental effects and experimental considerations relate to salivary cortisol concentrations. A systematic review of literature databases and conference proceedings from 1992 to 2012 identified 61 peer-reviewed studies using domestic dog salivary cortisol. Researchers were contacted via email, and 31 raw data sets representing a total of 5,153 samples from 1,205 dogs were shared. Meta-analysis provided a cortisol concentration range of 0 to 33.79 μg/dL (mean 0.45 μg/dL, SEM 0.13). Significant effects (P < 0.05) were found for sex and neuter status, age, regular living environment, time in environment before testing, testing environment, owner presence during testing, and collection media. Significant effects were not found for dog breed, body weight, dog type, coat color, assay type, exercise, eating, or use of salivary stimulant. Care should be taken when using cortisol studies for dogs at a group or population level as there is a large amount of intraindividual and interindividual variability and external variables could influence salivary cortisol concentration. This analysis highlights the importance of carefully controlling experimental design to compare samples within and between individual dogs, as well as establishing and using best practices for saliva collection. Caution should be exercised in comparing different studies, as the results could be the reflection of a plethora of factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- M L Cobb
- Anthrozoology Research Group, School of Psychological Sciences, 18 Innovation Walk, Clayton Campus, Monash University, VIC 3800 Australia.
| | - K Iskandarani
- Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, 90 Hope Drive, Suite 2200, Hershey, PA 17033-0855 USA
| | - V M Chinchilli
- Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, 90 Hope Drive, Suite 2200, Hershey, PA 17033-0855 USA
| | - N A Dreschel
- Department of Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State University, 324 Henning Building, University Park, PA 16802 USA
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Krechel SW, Cobb ML, Fabian LW. Isoflurane: clinical experiences. Case reports. Mo Med 1982; 79:751-8. [PMID: 7177097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Bower RJ, Bell MJ, Ternberg JL, Cobb ML. Ventilatory support and primary closure of gastroschisis. Surgery 1982; 91:52-5. [PMID: 6459656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Recent clinical reports suggest that the majority of neonates with gastroschisis are best managed with a silon pouch technique. Our results with primary closure and short-term ventilatory assistance show a survival rate equal to that of the silon pouch technique. In addition, multiple operations and the chances of complications related to the pouch are avoided. No complications relating to the ventilatory assistance were encountered. Better pediatric ventilators and improved pediatric respiratory management allow this technique to be used for gastroschisis now, whereas 10 years ago the complications ith neonatal ventilators may have outweighed the morbidity of the silon pouch.
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Bower RJ, Askin F, Cobb ML. Unusual cause of stridor-staph mediastinal abscess, case report. Mo Med 1981; 78:130-1. [PMID: 7207441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Abstract
Problems of management in a child with a large Wilms' tumor and severe uncontrolled hypertension presenting for anesthesia and operation included attempts to determine the etiology of the hypertension; identification of hazards produced by attempted rapid pharmacologic control of blood pressure; need for urgent operative intervention despite uncontrolled hypertension; and choice of anesthetic agent and technic.
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Vaughan RW, Cobb ML. Pancuronium bromide as the sole muscle relaxant for major surgery. Anesth Analg 1974; 53:56-63. [PMID: 4855712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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Vaughan RW, Cobb ML, Roa NL. Cardiovascular responses to larynogoscopy and endotracheal intubation with pancuronium during light general anesthesia. Anesthesiology 1974; 40:75-80. [PMID: 4810321 DOI: 10.1097/00000542-197401000-00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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