Development of a modified C-BARQ for evaluating behavior in working dogs.

Introduction: Current high demand for effective odor detection dogs calls for the development of reliable methods for measuring performance-related behavioral phenotypes in these highly specialized working animals. The Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) is a widely used behavioral assessment tool among working dog organizations with a demonstrated ability to predict success/failure of dogs in training. However, this instrument was developed originally to study the prevalence of behavior problems in the pet dog population, and it therefore lacks the capacity to measure specific behavioral propensities that may also be important predictors of working dog success.

Machine learning prediction and classification of behavioral selection in a canine olfactory detection program.

There is growing interest in canine behavioral research specifically for working dogs. Here we take advantage of a dataset of a Transportation Safety Administration olfactory detection cohort of 628 Labrador Retrievers to perform Machine Learning (ML) prediction and classification studies of behavioral traits and environmental effects. Data were available for four time points over a 12 month foster period after which dogs were accepted into a training program or eliminated.

Ten simple rules to host an inclusive conference.

Conferences are spaces to meet and network within and across academic and technical fields, learn about new advances, and share our work. They can help define career paths and create long-lasting collaborations and opportunities. However, these opportunities are not equal for all.

Fifteen-year surveillance of pathological findings associated with death or euthanasia in search-and-rescue dogs deployed to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack sites.

Objective: To compare the cause of death (COD; whether by natural death or euthanasia for poor quality of life caused by a primary pathological condition) between search-and-rescue (SAR) dogs deployed to the World Trade Center, Pentagon, or Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island following the 9/11 terrorist attacks and SAR dogs that were not deployed to these sites.

Animals: 95 deployed SAR dogs (exposed dogs) and 55 nondeployed SAR dogs (unexposed dogs).

Procedures: Following natural death or euthanasia, 63 dogs (44 exposed and 19 unexposed) underwent a necropsy examination.

A Randomized Cross-Over Field Study of Pre-Hydration Strategies in Dogs Tracking in Hot Environments.

The objective of this study was to evaluate 4 pre-exercise hydration strategies (oral water, chicken-flavored water, chicken-flavored oral electrolyte solution, and subcutaneous electrolyte solution) in working dogs conducting rigorous tracking operations in hot and arid conditions. In a randomized cross-over field study, 7 Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue (BORSTAR) Unit dogs working/training out of Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas were randomly assigned to one of 4 different hydration strategy treatments each day for 4 days of study participation. Dogs were provided hydration treatment prior to running 2 separate one-mile tracks and were offered water while tracking.

A Solution for the Shortage of Detection Dogs: A Detector Dog Center of Excellence and a Cooperative Breeding Program.

Currently, demand for US-bred and born detector dogs exceeds available supply, while reliance on foreign-bred sources introduces many unnecessary and unwanted risks. With proper management of a domestic supply line, U.S.

Behavior Differences Between Search-and-Rescue and Pet Dogs.

Behavioral traits such as trainability, fearlessness, and energy are required for dogs to succeed as search-and-rescue (SAR) dogs. Certification by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ensures that dogs and handlers have extensive training and have demonstrated specific skills in the field. To determine whether behavioral differences exist between SAR and pet dogs, and between FEMA-certified USAR and non-FEMA-certified SAR dogs, the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) was administered to 129 SAR dogs participating in the post-9/11 medical surveillance study and a breed-matched sample of 2,131 pet dogs.

Evaluation of Three Hydration Strategies in Detection Dogs Working in a Hot Environment.

Physical activity in hot environments can increase the risk of heat stress or heat stroke in dogs. Heat tolerance is influenced by acclimatization to the environment, physical fitness, and hydration state. Three common strategies to promote hydration in working dogs are free access to water (W), oral electrolyte solutions (OESs), and administration of subcutaneous fluids (SQs).

Genetic structure of personality factors and bipolar disorder in families segregating bipolar disorder.

Background: Bipolar disorder (BPD) has been associated with variations in personality dimensions, but the nature of this relationship has been unclear. In this study, the heritabilities of BPD and the Big Five personality factors and the genetic correlations between BPD and personality factors are reported.

Methods: The participants in this study were 1073 individuals from 172 families of Mexican or Central American ancestry.

Principal domains of quantitative anxiety trait in subjects with lifetime history of mania.

Background: High comorbidity rates for anxiety have been documented in subjects with history of mania or hypomania. We explored the presence of latent constructs of quantitative anxiety in subjects who have a history of mania or hypomania.

Methods: We conducted an exploratory factor analysis of anxiety trait in 212 subjects who have a lifetime history of at least one manic/hypomanic syndrome.

Substance use disorder comorbidity with schizophrenia in families of Mexican and Central American ancestry.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to estimate the frequency and course of substances use disorders in Latino patients with schizophrenia and to ascertain risk factors associated with substance use disorders in this population.

Method: We studied 518 subjects with schizophrenia recruited for a genetic study from the Southwest United States, Mexico, and Central America (Costa Rica and Guatemala). Subjects were assessed using structured interviews and a best estimate consensus process.

Neurocognitive endophenotypes for bipolar disorder identified in multiplex multigenerational families.

Context: Although genetic influences on bipolar disorder are well established, localization of genes that predispose to the illness has proven difficult. Given that genes predisposing to bipolar disorder may be transmitted without expression of the categorical clinical phenotype, a strategy for identifying risk genes is to identify and map quantitative intermediate phenotypes or endophenotypes.

Objective: To adjudicate neurocognitive endophenotypes for bipolar disorder.

Effects of covariates and interactions on a genome-wide association analysis of rheumatoid arthritis.

While genetic and environmental factors and their interactions influence susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA), causative genetic variants have not been identified. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of covariates and genotype x sex interactions on the genome-wide association analysis (GWAA) of RA using Genetic Analysis Workshop 16 Problem 1 data and a logistic regression approach as implemented in PLINK. After accounting for the effects of population stratification, effects of covariates and genotype x sex interactions on the GWAA of RA were assessed by conducting association and interaction analyses.

Heritability of age of onset of psychosis in schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a genetically complex illness with heterogeneous clinical presentation, including variable age of onset. In this study, the heritability, or proportion of variation in age of onset of psychotic symptoms due to genetic factors, was estimated using a maximum likelihood method. The subjects were 717 members of families with more than one member affected with schizophrenia from Mexican and Central American populations.

A schizophrenia gene locus on chromosome 17q21 in a new set of families of Mexican and central american ancestry: evidence from the NIMH Genetics of schizophrenia in latino populations study.

Objective: The present study investigated a new set of families of Latin American ancestry in order to detect the location of genes predisposing to schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders.

Method: A genome-wide scan was performed for 175 newly recruited families with at least two siblings suffering from a psychotic disorder. Best-estimate consensus procedures were used to arrive at diagnoses, and nonparametric allele-sharing statistics were calculated to detect linkage.

A genome screen for quantitative trait loci influencing schizophrenia and neurocognitive phenotypes.

Objective: Deficits in neurocognitive function have been demonstrated in individuals with schizophrenia and in the unaffected family members of these individuals. Genetic studies of such complementary traits, along with traditional analyses of diagnosis, may help to elucidate the biological pathways underlying familial liability to schizophrenia and related disorders. The authors conducted a multiplex, multigenerational family study using a genome-wide screen for schizophrenia and related neurocognitive phenotypes.

The XVth World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics, October 7-11, 2007: Rapporteur summaries of oral presentations.

The World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics (WCPG) has become an annual event since the early 1990's sponsored by the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics (ISPG). Each year the latest published and unpublished findings are aired for discussion by representatives of the majority of research programs on this topic world-wide. The 2007 congress was held in New York City and attracted over 1000 researchers.

Cannabinoid receptor 1 gene (CNR1) and susceptibility to a quantitative phenotype for hebephrenic schizophrenia.

Functional alterations of components of the endogenous cannabinoid system, in particular of the cannabinoid receptor 1 protein (CB1), are hypothetical contributors to many of the symptoms seen in schizophrenia. Variants within the cannabinoid receptor 1 gene (CNR1) have been shown to be directly associated with the hebephrenic form of schizophrenia in a Japanese population. This finding, however, has yet to be replicated.