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IAT Journal Animal Technology and Welfare Is there a need for support staff formal training 2016 RSPCA Rodent welfare report Human behaviour can change improve animal welfare Cooked food for primates Congress 2017 Posters Part 1 Official Journal of the Institute of Animal Technology and European Federation of Animal Technologists ISSN 1742 0385 Vol 16 No 2 August 2017
CONTENTS Vol 16 No 2 August 2017 Editorial Jas Barley Chair of the Editorial Board ix Report of the 2016 RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group meeting Penny Hawkins Secretary Alison McNeilly Jean Wilson Andrew Brown Caroline Krall Jennifer Rees Suzanne Rogers Stuart Peirson Michael Walker Katherine Ryder and Huw Golledge 77 An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of Animal Science and Technology Danielle Cox 87 PAPER SUMMARY TRANSLATIONS TECH 2 TECH How can we use the science of human behaviour change to improve animal welfare of research animals Suzanne Rogers The Apprenticeship Scheme what it all means Ryan Cini Cooked food for non human primates a discussion by the Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum Amanda Carlson Carey Allen Evelyn Skoumbourdis Luis Fernandez Marcie Donnelly Misty William Natasha Down Polly Schultz Renne Gainer and Viktor Reinhardt POSTER PRESENTATIONS Ultrasonic vocalisation as a measure of positive welfare in rats Timothy Jones Michael Robinson Matthew Leach and Belinda Farnfield 111 119 122 124 127 Rabbits housed in pens do they have an enrichment preference Mark Davenport Samantha Levent and Ruth Storer 130 Rodent cage compliance both challenging and beneficial Christian White 133 Introducing best practice for breeding rabbits Emma Birt 136 Social interaction for non sibling pregnant New Zealand White rabbits on reproductive toxicology studies John Holmes Daniella Waters Iona Maisonave and Tiffany Sterry 139 Contaminating DNA can give false positives in Sentinel Free health monitoring by Polymerase Chain Reaction PCR on IVC exhaust air dust samples Owen Hazelby Harry Donnelly Alistair Thompson and Andrew Dickinson 142 Histaminergic reactions lower susceptibility of mice vs rats and modification by the infusion rate Uta Wirnitzer and Hans van Wijk 144 Refinements in housing during data capture in long term safety pharmacology dogs Chas Bailey 147 3Rs improvements in the Bexsero Meningitis B vaccine potency test Ruth Ferguson 150 Refining the Palpation technique to improve monitoring in the transgenic mouse Gemma Forrest Lucy Whitfield and Alekh Thapa 153 Instructions to Authors xi Index to Advertisers xii i
IAT REPRESENTATIVES OFFICERS President Dr Robin Lovell Badge FRS Immediate Past President Professor Sir Richard Gardner MA PhD FRSB FIAT Hon FRS Vice Presidents David Anderson MRCVS Stephen Barnett BA MSc FIAT Hon CBiol FRSB RAnTech Brian Cass CBE Miles Carroll PhD Gerald Clough BSc PhD EurBiol CBiol MRSB SFZSL Paul Flecknell MA Vet MB PhD DLAS DipLECVA MRCVS FIAT Hon Sue Houlton BVSc MA DVR DVC MRCVS Wendy Jarrett MA Judy MacArthur Clark CBE BVMS DLAS FRSB DVMS h c DipECLAM FRAgS DipACLAM MRCVS Fiona McEwen BSc BVM S MSc MRCVS Tim Morris BVetMed PhD DipACLAM DipECLAM CBiol FRSB CertLAS MRCVS Jos Orellana BVSc MSc Clive Page PhD BSc Vicky Robinson CBE BSc PhD Gail Thompson RLATG Robert Weichbrod PhD RLATG Life Members Charlie Chambers MIAT RAnTech Roger Francis MSC FIAT RAnTech Pete Gerson MSc FIAT RAnTech Cathy Godfrey FIAT RAnTech John Gregory BSc Hons FIAT CBiol FRSB RAnTech Patrick Hayes FIAT DipBA RAnTech Robert Kemp FIAT Hon RAnTech Phil Ruddock MIAT RAnTech Ted Wills HonFIAT RAnTech Dorothy Woodnott FIAT Honorary Members Andy Jackson MIAT Brian Lowe MSc FIAT RAnTech Sue McHugh BSc FIAT Terry Priest MBE FIAT RAnTech Trevor Richards BEM MIAT David Spillane FIAT Pete Willan DMS FInstLM MIAT Members of Council Ken Applebee OBE Matthew Bilton Kally Booth Charlie Chambers Steven Cubitt Simon Cumming Andy Cunningham Haley Daniels Glyn Fisher Nicky Gent Cathy Godfrey Alan Graham Linda Horan Sam Jameson Elaine Kirkum Adele Kitching Theresa Langford Steve Owen Wendy Steel Allan Thornhill Lynda Westall Carole Wilson Adrian Woodhouse Council Officers Chair Ken Applebee OBE FIAT CBiol FRSB RAnTech Vice Chair Linda Horan BSc Hons MIAT RAnTech Honorary Secretary Linda Horan BSc Hons MIAT RAnTech Honorary Treasurer Charlie Chambers MIAT RAnTech Assistant Treasurer Glyn Fisher FIAT RAnTech Chair Board of Educational Policy Glyn Fisher FIAT RAnTech Chair Board of Moderators Haley Daniels MBA MSc MIAT RAnTech CIPD Chair Registration Accreditation Board Vacant TBC ATW Editor Jas Barley MSc FIAT RAnTech Bulletin Editor Carole Wilson MSc MIAT Branch Liaison Officer Lynda Westall BSc Hons FIAT DMS RAnTech EFAT Representative Charlie Chambers MIAT RAnTech Website Coordinator Allan Thornhill FIAT RAnTech Animal Welfare Officers and LABA Representatives Andy Cunningham Matthew Bilton Kally Booth Simon Cumming Nicky Gent ATW Bulletin Editorial Board Jas Barley Chair Matthew Bilton Nicky Gent Patrick Hayes Elaine Kirkum Carole Wilson Lynda Westall Board of Educational Policy Glyn Fisher Chair Steven Cubitt Secretary Adele Kitching Board of Moderators Haley Daniels Chair Moderators Anthony Iglesias Theresa Langford Jenny Parks Communications Group Adrian Woodhouse Chair Elaine Kirkum Teresa Langford Allan Thornhill Lynda Westall CPD Officer Charlie Chambers Registration and Accreditation Board Chair Vacant Ken Applebee Charlie Chambers John Gregory Cathy Godfrey Gerald Clough Stuart Stevenson Carol Williams Observers Charles Gentry Certificate Holders Forum Adrian Deeny LASA Ian Mason Home Office Ngaire Dennison LAVA Congress Committee Alan Graham Chair Haley Daniels Linda Horan Adele Kitching Allan Thornhill Diversity Officer Haley Daniels MBA MSc MIAT RAnTech CIPD UK Biosciences ASG Representative Home Office Steve Owen Charlie Chambers Andy Cunningham IAT OFFICERS MAY BE CONTACTED VIA IAT Administrator admin iat org uk OR VIA THE IAT WEBSITE AT www iat org uk OR VIA THE REGISTERED OFFICE 5 South Parade Summertown Oxford OX2 7JL Advertisement Managers PRC Associates Ltd Email mail prcassoc co uk Although every effort is made to ensure that no inaccurate or misleading data opinion or statement appear in the journal the Institute of Animal Technology wish to expound that the data and opinions appearing in the articles poster presentations and advertisements in ATW are the responsibility of the contributor and advertiser concerned Accordingly the IAT Editor and their agents accept no liability whatsoever for the consequences of any such inaccurate or misleading data opinion statement or advertisement being published Furthermore the opinions expressed in the journal do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or the Institute of Animal Technology 2017 Institute of Animal Technology All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission from the publisher BRANCH SECRETARIES 2017 Cambridge Edinburgh Hertfordshire Essex Huntingdon Suffolk Norfolk Ireland London Midlands North East England North West Oxford Surrey Hampshire Sussex West Middlesex West of Scotland ii Ms Fran Flack Ms Janice Young Ms Joanna Cruden Ms Jo Martin Ms Silke Kleefeld Ms Rebecca Towns Mr Ian Fielding Ms Rachel Sandy and Ms Joanne Bland Ms Nicky Windows Ms April Shipton Ms Francesca Whitmore Ms Wendy Steel Ms Linda Horan cambridgebranch iat org uk edinburghbranch iat org uk hertsessexbranch iat org uk hssbranch iat org uk irelandbranch iat org uk londonbranch iat org uk midlandsbranch iat org uk northeastbranch iat org uk cheshirebranch iat org uk oxfordbranch iat org uk shsbranch iat org uk westmiddxbranch iat org uk westscotlandbranch iat org uk
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare THE INSTITUTE OF ANIMAL TECHNOLOGY ETHICAL STATEMENT Our purpose is to advance knowledge and promote excellence in the care and welfare of animals in science and to enhance the standards and status of those professionally engaged in the care welfare and use of animals in science Editorial Jas Barley Chair of the Editorial Board Editor s email atweditor iat org uk I would love to be able to blame my poor mathematical skills on my teachers but unfortunately although seven teachers in four years did not help I just do not understand mathematics beyond a fairly basic stage However I have been taught by many inspirational teachers both at school and during my career From Miss Watts my infant school headmistress my first boss who taught me how to organise myself and others although being naturally bossy helped and of course the late but great Kevin Dolan I have learnt to love learning and have tried to pass it on to others I do not count myself as a good teacher a reasonable lecturer maybe but I find it difficult to understand why students and others do not grasp easily what appears to be a simple concept It sounds rather odd and is not intended to be disrespectful but I have found that working with animals has helped me to take a deep breath and to try and approach the problem from a different way and if all else fails to use sheer dogged persistence you only need to watch an animal trying to reach some tasty morsel to see persistence in action In my opinion a good teacher can teach almost anything to most people adapting their teaching style to match the needs of their students without anyone getting too stressed In its sixty plus years of existence and throughout its many incarnations the Institute of Animal Technology has strived to teach both Animal Technologists and their employers that Technologists trained properly lead to better welfare of animals a more stable workforce and consequently better science IAT Council spends a great deal of time and the IAT funds meeting the educational requirements of our industry as it is today and hopefully will continue to do so well into the future Training is evolving both in the way it is delivered and in content especially with the development of online learning When I started work in the late 1960s we learnt about many species that are now rarely seen in the laboratory setting cage washing was done by hand and very few of us had autoclaves of a size sufficient to take anything other than surgical equipment or laboratory glassware The sophisticated equipment used today had not even been dreamt of immunology was still in its infancy and anything to do with genetics was confined to a few eminent scientists very different from the requirements of today s Animal Technologist The paper by Danielle Cox adapted from her BSc final project recognises the changing need for formal training to include all grades of staff including support staff She has recognised both the needs of support staff and suggests ways in which such training can be delivered Danielle achieved her BSc overcoming the learning difficulties resulting from Dyspraxia via the Higher Education HE programme the IAT has developed over several years and which allows students to achieve a degree with the University of Middlesex I hope to be able in the future to publish other work by the HE students which will both acknowledge the effort such students and their families have devoted to their degree course but also help the rest of us to learn something new Much of the remaining content is this issue has originated from the 2017 IAT Congress although the Tech 2 Tech by Ryan Cini article on the Apprenticeship Scheme is based on his presentation at the West Middlesex Branch Technicians day If you cannot attend Congress the various Branch Trade Days are a useful way of updating your knowledge of what is new in our industry Also from Congress is a Tech 2 Tech article from Suzanne Rogers on how human behaviour science can be used to improve animal welfare Of course ATW wouldn t be the same without the inclusion of posters from Congress Topics covered include the measurement of ultrasonic vocalisation in rats as an indication of positive welfare by Tim Jones and his colleagues and several posters on various aspects of rabbit housing and welfare by the Envigo team We rarely get posters or other material about dogs due to their diminishing use so it is a pleasure to include Chas Bailey s poster on refinements in dog housing I am also delighted to be able to include articles that did not originate from Congress but have been submitted by two long term friends of ATW namely Penny Hawkins from the RSPCA who has provided a report on the 2016 Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group meeting and finally Viktor Reinhardt from the Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment forum has submitted an article on the use of cooked food for non human primates Hopefully regardless of your role in our work you will learn something new ix
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare Report of the 2016 RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group meeting PENNY HAWKINS SECRETARY 1 ALISON McNEILLY 2 JEAN WATSON 3 ANDREW BROWN CAROLINE KRALL 5 JENNIFER REES 6 SUZANNE ROGERS 7 STUART PEIRSON 8 MICHAEL WALKER 9 KATHERINE RYDER10 and HUW GOLLEDGE11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Research Animals Department Science Group RSPCA Wilberforce Way Southwater West Sussex RH13 9RS Division of Molecular and Clinical Medicine University of Dundee Nethergate Dundee DD1 4HN University of Glasgow Biological Services Veterinary Research Facility Garscube Estate Bearsden Road Glasgow G61 1QH Institute of Medical Sciences University of Aberdeen Foresterhill Aberdeen AB25 2ZD The Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies University of Edinburgh Easter Bush Campus Midlothian EH25 9RG Covance Laboratories Limited Otley Road Harrogate HG3 1PY Learning About Animals 6 Fern Cottages Abinger Hammer Dorking Surrey RH5 6SA Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences University of Oxford OX3 9DU Department of Animal and Poultry Science University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit PO Box 6779 Dundee DD1 9WW UFAW The Old School Brewhouse Hill Wheathampstead Hertfordshire AL4 8AN Correspondence pennyhawkins rspca org uk Introduction The RSPCA UFAW Rodent and now Rabbit Welfare Group has held a one day meeting every autumn for the last 23 years so that its members can discuss current welfare research exchange views on welfare issues and share experiences of the implementation of the 3Rs of replacement reduction and refinement with respect to rodent and rabbit use A key aim of the Group is to encourage people to think about the whole lifetime experience of laboratory rodents and rabbits ensuring that every potential negative impact on their wellbeing is reviewed and minimised The 23rd meeting was held at the University of Edinburgh on 1 November 2016 and was attended by 70 delegates from universities and pharmaceutical companies most located in Scotland but some English facilities were also represented Presentation topics included refinements in blood sampling rodents reducing suffering in projects involving irradiation vision in rodents refinement and reduction via mixedstrain mouse housing sharing information about good practice pain assessment in rabbits and ways of achieving human behaviour change to improve animal welfare The Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit also provided some concluding comments This report summarises the meeting and ends with a list of action points for readers to raise at their own establishments Refinements in blood sampling rodents at Dundee Alison McNeilly Division of Molecular and Clinical Medicine University of Dundee Rodents in particular mice and rats are often the animals of choice in scientific research However the basic physiology and behaviour of each species is often not taken into account when designing and conducting experiments which may have major implications for the scientific outcome as well as causing avoidable distress to the animals 77
Report of the 2016 RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group In the fields of diabetes and obesity research a common way to assess the severity of the condition is to measure the circulating levels of glucose insulin and or steroid hormones such as corticosterone in blood or plasma Samples are usually obtained from the tail or saphenous vein or if larger sample volumes are required indwelling catheters may be surgically implanted into the jugular vein or carotid artery Although these are all common practice very little emphasis is placed upon basic physiology and the overall state of the animal during this sampling period For example blood glucose and corticosterone levels are directly related to how stressed the animal has become With this in mind we have developed a blood sampling protocol with an emphasis on keeping the animal as comfortable as possible in the sampling environment prior to blood collection The aim is to ensure that the blood sample is as close as possible to one taken from the animal in their natural home cage environment which should improve both the welfare of the animal and the science We try to ensure that the home cage environment is appropriate by housing in groups providing environmental enrichment e g a cardboard house Nestlet and Sizzle Nest and we also capture mice by scooping them up or cupping them in our hands as opposed to catching them by the tail 1 Mice are habituated to daily handling including time spent on a towel on a carer s lap Figure 1 All of this helps to reduce anxiety and avoid the need for restraint when sampling assays the mouse is allowed to move freely on a cage top and the tail vein is nicked using a scalpel The tail is lightly held and milked so that the blood can be collected using a capillary tube Figure 2 Figure 2 Blood collection from an unrestrained mouse Photo University of Dundee These small changes in practice can have a profound impact upon the subsequent experimental read outs and the patience required to learn and begin using these techniques pays off in terms of reduced stress to both the animal and the sampler We hope that our methods will also enable researchers to benefit from another Three Rs more Reproducible Reliable and Robust data Bedside to bench reducing the impact of irradiation on rodents Jean Wilson University of Glasgow Figure 1 Habituating mice to handling Photo University of Dundee For small samples e g for glucose assays a needle 25 gauge is used to prick the tail vein and produce a drop of blood which can be tested using a hand held meter We have found that blood glucose levels are significantly lower in mice sampled using this method If larger samples are required e g for hormone 78 When discussing the potential benefits of biomedical research the phrase bench to bedside is often used However it can also be helpful to turn the bed around when using an animal model of a disease or treatment by reviewing adverse effects in humans and considering whether and how these may apply to the animals In this case we examined how the side effects of radiation therapy in humans may be alleviated and whether this information can be of benefit to rodents used in research When humans and other animals undergo radiation therapy in the clinic the irradiation is a treatment either curative or palliative and is usually targeted as opposed to whole body It is designed for the individual and there is a support team including a physicist
Report of the 2016 RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group dietician physiotherapist and palliative care expert In contrast irradiation of mice as a regulated procedure is whole body performed to replace the bone marrow of one mouse with that of a different individual is often done to study the effects of an alteration to bone marrow products and animals are treated in batches We know that exposing mice to ionising irradiation causes breaks in DNA affecting all cells and dividing cells in particular This leads to radiation induced sickness or toxicity with systemic effects such as fever hypotension respirator y problems shock immunodeficiency anaemia and gastrointestinal inflammation Unless the bone marrow is reconstituted the animal will take a long time to recover or would die without intervention Bone marrow from another mouse administered intravenously is the usual source of replacement stem cells Even with reconstitution a fully functional immune response may not be evident for 30 days So the overall protocol is much less sophisticated for mice and the support team is also reduced What can we learn from patients at the bedside to benefit the animals at the bench We have found it helpful to consider clinical signs observed in human patients undergoing irradiation therapy alongside those seen in mice on preclinical studies Table 1 Humans Mice Fatigue Lethargy Nausea vomiting Gastrointestinal symptoms Inappetence Weight loss Common Hair loss Greying of the clinical Long term coat signs effects Loss of body condition delayed effects Graft vs host Graft vs host disease disease Skin reactions Cataracts Flu like symptoms Dehydration Signs that Fever Pallor Tooth loss are not anaemia Swollen muzzle shared Target related head symptoms Death Table 1 Clinical signs observed in humans and mice following irradiation Some of the clinical signs are common to both humans and mice whereas others are observed only in mice Weight loss is probably the simplest side effect to identify and monitor but is also unfortunately the most difficult to control Other key welfare indicators that we use are nest building behaviour 2 the Mouse Grimace Scale3 and body condition scoring Aside from minimising the adverse effects as this is a potentially severe procedure it is desirable to reduce variation in responses to the whole process both to minimise wastage and to try to ensure predictable responses so that animals can be better supported We employ a number of measures to reduce variation including aseptic technique during stem cell collection care of the cells and standardisation of the irradiation process We have found that males are more robust than females and we monitor weight and body condition closely before and after irradiation The irradiation source is regularly calibrated and we have Standard Operating Procedures in place that include sanitisation of the equipment and ensuring adequate training for those who use it For reconstitution asepsis is essential and we treat the process as a surgical procedure in that respect During the recovery period mice are housed in barrier caging with sterile consumables and easy access to soft food and acidified water Extra nesting material is provided and body weight condition and clinical signs closely monitored This is still something of a journey of discovery and we do not yet have all the answers but the question of whether we can improve the welfare of rodents undergoing whole body irradiation is still worthy of consideration and if the experiences of humans can help then all the better Culture of share Andrew Brown University of Aberdeen In the past many animal facilities were quite insular isolated areas spoken of with a hushed sense of mystery and having little or no contact with the outside world Unfortunately there was also often a lack of communication between research and testing establishments with respect to sharing good practice about animal welfare and refinement We decided to tackle some of these issues and increase our outreach to other facilities so that we can all benefit from better welfare and better science We began with the premise that sharing starts at home so we reviewed our own internal communications Some issues were identified with between staff communication and we felt that effective teamwork was sometimes lacking generally because of a lack of time to focus on these Our solutions included making time for staff talks firstly by unit managers joint social activities regular meetings with feedback and rotating staff between units All of these helped to develop and maintain closer cohesion and better communication between University staff The next step was to initiate a Scottish Technician Training Day in 2015 which focussed on training and assessments and included participation by the Home 79
Report of the 2016 RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group Office We are convening another meeting in 2016 which will cover training for Named Training and Competence Officers handling assessments and environmental enrichment Our Named Veterinar y Surgeon NVS also initiated a Named Animal Care and Welfare Officer NACWO meeting which was jointly held by the Universities of Aberdeen Dundee and St Andrews and provided an opportunity to share and discuss common problems identified by NACWOs and solutions to these Moving on to include a wider audience we have organised events and meetings with bodies such as the IAT organised visits to and exchanges with other facilities and contributed to online discussion groups such as the Animal Welfare and Management Discussion Group AWMDG and Vets Online Email VOLE run by the Laboratory Animals Veterinary Association LAVA The University also signed up to the Concordat on Openness on Animal Research in 2015 This requires its signatories to be open about the benefits harms and limitations of animal research and we have undertaken a range of activities and debates with local schools with positive feedback Our future plans include convening more meetings with other facilities to focus on refining specific areas e g good surgical practice further staff swaps between local units more public engagement and possibly a new Scottish IAT branch The Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Body AWERB hub system recently set up by the Animals in Science Committee could help to establish new contacts and collaborations We would strongly encourage readers to get together and communicate with other facilities as much as possible and not to be afraid of public engagement The potential usefulness of thermography for assessing post operative pain in rabbits Caroline Krall The University of Edinburgh A prominent challenge in rabbit welfare is the successful identification and alleviation of pain Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage 4 It is sometimes suggested that prey species such as rabbits may be adapted to not exhibit pain overtly as this would draw the attention of predators but this also makes it harder for animal technologists to recognise signs of pain Alternatively others take the view that so called prey species do show signs of pain but human observers are poor at recognising these Whichever approach to thinking about the issue is true the outcome for the rabbit is the same a risk that pain 80 will not be effectively detected and alleviated This has given rise to research aiming to improve the ability to assess pain in the rabbit including enhanced observation of whole body pain behaviours such as belly pressing5 and facial expression analysis using the Rabbit Grimace Scale 6 However mild degrees of pain may be more difficult to distinguish with these methods Infrared thermography has been increasingly used in both clinical practice and research as a novel method for localising pain 7 9 It relies upon the fundamental principle that heat dissipates as infrared radiation which can be detected with an infrared camera A painful stimulus will cause increased heat by two mechanisms first by evoking an increase in blood flow and inflammation at the site of injury and second through activation of the sympathetic fight or flight response which leads to peripheral vasoconstriction and an increase in core body temperature Thus thermography has the potential to capture both the local sensory effects of pain and the sympatheticmediated emotional aspect 10 11 In this study funded by UFAW we aimed to determine the usefulness of thermography as a measure of postcastration pain in 16 young male New Zealand White rabbits The castration procedure was not done specifically for this study It is a routine procedure to prevent aggression in group housed males and to facilitate rehoming All of the rabbits were successfully rehomed following the project The anatomical locations of interest were the scrotum as the site of injury and the nose and ears as these represent the rabbit s primar y means of thermoregulation Thus these are likely candidates for detecting subtle changes in core body temperature 12 Furthermore a rodent study has demonstrated an increase in facial surface temperature but decrease in the temperature of peripheral locations e g ears and paws following foot shock using thermography It was suggested that this change may represent a correlation with the affective emotional state of pain as a central increase but peripheral decrease in temperature reflects an hypothalamic pituitar y adrenal axis mediated vasoconstriction during a stress response 7 Therefore we hypothesised that rabbits treated with a standard analgesia regime would exhibit higher facial and scrotal temperatures as a reflection of increased pain post operatively than a novel multimodal regime which was thought to be more effective Subjects were randomly allocated to one of two analgesia groups standard 0 2 mg kg meloxicam s q or multimodal 0 6 mg kg meloxicam s c 0 02 mg kg buprenorphine s q 5 lidocaine bupivacaine local infiltration The study was divided into four phases Baseline Anaesthesia Only so to differentiate
Report of the 2016 RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group physiological changes due to anaesthesia versus surgery Surgery and 24hrs Post Surgery Using a FLIR One infrared camera with iPod Mini images were captured for each phase in the morning and afternoon and analysed using FLIR Tools v 3 7 0 focussing upon the ears nose and incision site This research will be published in full later this year so only the outcome will be summarised here The results suggested that the standard analgesia group may have experienced mildly more pain than the multimodal analgesia group as was evident by significantly lower apex temperatures This may reflect increased pain as we would expect pain to induce vasoconstriction thus lower temperature in peripheral locations such as the ear apex In addition temperatures decreased significantly 2hrs post operatively in all facial landmarks irrespective of treatment which suggests thermography captured a well known consequence of surgery hypothermia and serves to verify the accuracy of thermography In conclusion thermography shows the potential to be an easy method for detecting subtle physiological alterations that may be related to pain but further validation e g alongside behaviours and facial expressions is required to determine whether the changes in surface temperature observed were indeed reflective of pain and not another underlying physiological difference or emotional state Caring and Sharing Jennifer Rees on behalf of the CRO Rabbit Working Group Rabbits are widely used in biomedical research and in the safety assessment of potential new drugs and it is helpful to share good practice for refining rabbit care and use between facilities However contract research organisations CROs and sponsors sometimes feel restricted with respect to information sharing due to the highly competitive and proprietary nature of drug development In response to this veterinarians and animal technologists within the CRO and pharmaceutical industries convened a working group to challenge misconceptions regarding what could be shared and communicate ideas and good practices to benefit rabbit welfare within the constraints of Good Laboratory Practice GLP and non GLP studies Setting up a working group to share good practice may seem simple but there were high level management permissions to be sought processes to go through to enable personnel to visit one another s facilities and limits to define regarding what could or could not be shared However all of these issues were successfully overcome despite the organisations being both customers and competitors with senior management embracing and actively encouraging the process So far we have set up a collaboration between several CROs that now work together to improve primate welfare and the success of this initiative gave rise to the CRO Rabbit Working Group established in 2016 We aim to have monthly discussion groups which meet by teleconference with at least one representative from each company on the line Minutes are kept and circulated to all One CRO has also held a webinar on social housing of antisera rabbits which was very well received The Group has so far focused on regulatory assessment studies using rabbits including general housing and husbandry including diet and bedding social contact and group housing environmental enrichment dealing with inappetence refining restraint and dosing and sampling techniques Some examples of good practice that we have shared are set out below Social contact and group housing Many safety assessment studies require that animals are singly housed e g if individual food consumption data are required or there is a risk of cross contamination between dosing groups The welfare impact of singly housing social rabbits can be reduced by housing in large circular Perspex floor pens As there are no corners territoriality is reduced and it is impossible for dominant individuals to corner another rabbit and the startle response is reduced because the rabbits can see animals in other pens and approaching animal technologists Environmental enrichment All the CROs provide enrichment such as cardboard tubes paper nesting materials toys and food items including fresh greens It may seem simple to give rabbits some kale or broccoli but in a CRO GLP environment there may be considerations for biosecurity and study integrity that can complicate matters Sharing approaches to providing enrichment that will not affect study integrity has helped us to speed up implementation We have also shared protocols for evaluating enrichment floor area and flooring substrate from a rabbit welfare aspect using behavioural analysis and preference tests Refining restraint In the CRO industry most studies involve administering a set quantity of material to an animal which usually involves restraint For many administration procedures manual restraint by a caring competent animal technologist is preferred by most of the CROs in the Group If a restraint device is necessary e g for infusions that take time to deliver members prefer fabric wrapping type devices These are commercially available or some CROs have modified old inhalation restraint tubes by cutting out holes for 81
Report of the 2016 RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group the rabbits ears Successful designs which have enabled sampling and dosing while keeping the rabbits calm and preventing injuries due to struggling have been shared among the Group The Rabbit Working Group venture has helped all of the members as we now have a network of people to call on for help support and exchange of ideas with respect to improving rabbit welfare in our particular working environment We hope to continue to work together sharing and caring and the Group would welcome new members from CROs and other types of facility using rabbits Educating rabbit owners how to change human behaviour Suzanne Rogers Learning About Animals Rabbits are the third most popular pet in the UK with an estimated 1 5 million rabbits kept nationwide However they are often housed in ways that do not meet their physical or behavioural needs For example the 2016 Animal Wellbeing repor t published by the PDSA found that although rabbits are a social species an estimated 52 of rabbits are kept alone 13 Another important finding relating to rabbit health was that 24 of rabbits are not fed enough hay fibre While there are clear and significant animal welfare issues associated with the keeping of companion rabbits simply educating people about rabbit behaviour and welfare needs is sadly not enough to achieve the widespread changes in human behaviour that are necessary to improve the lot of the pet rabbit My organisation Learning about Animals aims to find constructive ways to change human behaviour to improve animal welfare in a wide range of human animal interactions worldwide see learningaboutanimals co uk In 2010 to 2012 we explored ways of improving the welfare of pet rabbits by running three workshops on rabbit behaviour These were attended by a mixture of rabbit owners animal rescue staff and veterinary nurses Although the numbers of attendees varied between events the number of people who actually owned rabbits at that time was 20 for each event This pilot study compared human behaviour change as a result of each of the three events which used different approaches to changing the behaviour of rabbit owners and carers Group 1 Received a day lecture covering rabbits needs enrichment behaviour and training handling The event was a little interactive with questions asked of the audience but this element was minimal Group 2 These participants received the same lecture as group 1 but this also included a strong interactive element 82 whereby people considered how their own rabbits needs were being met in a personal exercise involving defining and drawing the cobweb of needs Group 3 These received the same lecture and activity as group 2 but with additional follow up after the lecture A newsletter of updates was circulated to this group every month for six months after the workshop The newsletter included further information about rabbit behaviour and shared group members photos and experiences in implementing the changes they identified as being needed All attendees filled out pre event questionnaires and also a questionnaire six months after their workshop about the way they kept their own rabbits The questions covered housing diet whether the rabbits were kept in groups or singly and behaviour of the rabbit The number of people who changed their behaviour regarding providing their rabbits with improved social and dietary needs was 25 in group 1 35 in group 2 and 40 in group 3 Event 3 the most interactive workshop with follow up resulted in the greatest behaviour change among rabbit owners Although a more thorough study needs to be undertaken in this context this pilot study suggests that as with other sectors educational events should be as interactive as possible and provide follow up in order to change the behaviour of attendees rather than just raise awareness This is relevant not just for pet owners but for any educational intervention where behaviour change is the aim It would be interesting to see whether some of these principles could be applied to training with respect to the behaviour and needs of laborator y rabbits including training for researchers and I will be exploring this further with animal technologists in a workshop at the 2017 IAT Congress What do mice see visual and non visual effects of light Stuart N Peirson University of Oxford Light exerts widespread effects on the physiology and behaviour of all commonly used laboratory animals As well as making vision possible light also plays a critical role in many non image forming responses including the regulation of circadian rhythms and acute responses such as regulating sleep induction pupil constriction heart rate hormone release and learning and memory In mammals these responses are all mediated via retinal photoreceptors including the classical rods and cones involved in vision as well as the recently identified melanopsin expressing photoreceptive
Report of the 2016 RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group retinal ganglion cells pRGCs that are involved in nonimage forming responses to light 14 Understanding the full range of effects of light on the laboratory mouse therefore depends upon an appreciation of the physiology of these retinal photoreceptors including their differing sensitivities to both light levels and to different wavelengths i e colours Mouse visual acuity is extremely poor a mouse would actually be legally blind by human standards with the equivalent of 20 2 000 vision 15 Mice also have different sensitivity to colour in comparison with human vision Although it can certainly be argued that the sense of sight is significantly reduced in mice as opposed to humans vision is still important and relevant to these animals and in many ways mouse vision is actually comparable to human peripheral vision 16 Therefore the ef fects on physiology behaviour and welfare and therefore on the science of laborator y lighting regimes deser ves serious consideration Despite this most guidelines for lighting in animal facilities are based upon the requirements of the staff rather than the animals Mice are nocturnal so it would make more sense from both scientific validity and animal welfare aspects to study them when they are active during the night One obvious solution would be to reverse the animal facility lighting system allowing them to rest during a light phase overnight and to conduct procedures in their active dark phase coinciding with the human working day To this end some facilities use red light during the day according with the common belief that mice cannot see in red light but this is actually a misinterpretation of the data Humans have red and green cones with peak sensitivities of around 565nm and 535nm respectively By contrast mice lack a red cone and have a green cone with a sensitivity of around 508nm see reference 14 As such mice are around twelve times less sensitive to red light than humans but the level of red light has to be ver y dim before mice are unable to see This is often not practical for researchers or animal technologists to work under This means that facilities employing reversed lighting systems with full spectrum lighting at night and red light typically 600 nm wavelength during the day are actually using cycles of bright and dim light from the mouse s point of view not light and darkness It has been suggested that sodium lamps 589 nm could be used to light facilities during the dark phase 17 However mice are still sensitive to such conditions with just one seventh of the sensitivity of the human eye Whilst mice will reverse their activity rhythms under light dim light cycles so that they are more active under the dim light condition studies have shown that dim light at night can lead to a range of adverse effects including altered metabolism immune function cor tisol levels and af fective behaviour or mood 18 20 In the absence of any better solutions for refining light regimes it may be better to increase awareness of circadian changes and how these might affect animal welfare and scientific validity For example there are circadian effects on Learning and memory Different results both improved and reduced have been noted in a range of behavioural tests according to whether these are conducted during the light or dark phases or even under constant conditions 21 23 Surprisingly many studies in rodents actually suggest that per formance is better during the inactive light phase Visual function The retina also contains a circadian clock which fine tunes vision to the requirements of day or night Retinal cone function is reduced during the subjective night i e the dark phase for mice so behaviour and physiology that are dependent on cone mediated vision will be affected 24 Sleep and arousal Nocturnal exposure to light will induce sleep but will also elevate the stress hormone corticosterone in a similar way to a physical stressor Studies to explore how light can increase both sleep and arousal have found that blue 470 nm wavelength light is highly aversive to mice increasing arousal and corticosterone levels whereas green and violet light promote sleep These responses are dependent upon melanopsin 25 To conclude it is still not clear how to achieve a naturalistic lighting regime in the laboratory that is compatible with both human and mouse physiology and requirements Whilst reversing light dark cycles seems an obvious solution this requires some form of lighting during the dark phase for staff to work under which unless ver y dim may exer t ef fects on physiology and behaviour Moreover testing mice during their inactive phase is not always optimal Recognition per formance in behavioural tests seems to be better during the inactive light phase whereas retinal function is impaired during the active dark phase and exposing nocturnal animals to light during their dark phase may act as a stressor depending upon wavelength colour One statement that can be made with certainty is that it is essential to timestamp experiments and state the lighting regime when reporting animal use so that others can interpret the results avoiding the need to repeat animal experiments 83
Report of the 2016 RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group Refining animal husbandry and reducing animal numbers through mixed strain housing of laboratory mice Michael Walker 1 Carole Fureix 1 Amanda Saldivia Woo 1 Rupert Palme 2 Jonathan Newman 3 Jamie Ahloy Dallaire 1 Georgia Mason1 Department of Animal and Poultry Science University of Guelph Canada 2 Department of Biomedical Sciences Biochemistry University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Austria 3 School of Environmental Sciences University of Guelph Canada paradigm with the following benefits it does not involve any invasive or stressful procedures it systematically increases variation in the study population which increases the generalisability of the results and it increases the statistical power of the experiment by reducing inter individual variation and increasing the number of independent replicates which means fewer animals need to be used in order to detect effects in most cases we estimate less than half 1 All common identification methods for laboratory mice e g ear notching can impair animal welfare Fur thermore many experiments use genetically homogenous populations which inadver tently contribute to reduced external validity and poor reproducibility We conducted a study that aimed to validate mixed strain housing as a way to not only remove the need for marking but also increase variation in the study population and use a more statistically powerful experimental design because every strain is represented in every cage the number of independent replicates is increased We raised 3 to 4 week old female mice of three inbred strains C57BL 6 DBA 2 and BALB c in single strain or mixed strain trios and in two housing treatments standard and enriched At 3 to 5 months of age mice were assessed for 26 different behavioural e g stereotypies physiological e g blood glucose and haematological e g white blood cell counts variables A diverse set of variables was chosen to make the results as applicable as possible across disciplines Variables were analysed using general linear models that included cage as a random effect strain cage type single or mixed enrichment yes or no and all of the interaction terms Single and mixed strain housed mice did not differ in any measured variables Several strain differences were detected and all of these were as expected Furthermore the magnitude and direction of typical strain differences was unaffected by whether or not animals were housed with same strain cage mates there were no interaction effects Enriched mice showed signs of improved welfare e g less stereotypic behaviour and these effects were similar for both single and mixed strain housed mice Thus mice in mixed strain trios retained their strain typical traits Mixed strain housing also reduced inter individual variation across all variables Ultimately we were able to demonstrate that mixedstrain housing is a potentially valid experimental 84 Closing comments from the Home Office Kathy Ryder Animals in Science Regulation Unit ASRU Many people strive to improve the welfare of laboratory animals either using entirely novel means or by small improvements to existing methodologies the so called marginal gains approach Good work in this area is often presented at meetings such as this one However what happens after the meeting Decisions need to be made as to which suggestions are relevant feasible and worth trialling or taking up It is also important to have protocols in place for evaluating potential refinements from the aspects of animal welfare impact on the science and resource implications Any downsides such as increased resource requirements or even increased animal numbers associated with reduced severity will need to be considered carefully against the benefits In the real world accountants play a role in determining how much resource is made available for implementing refinements to procedures housing husbandry and care with the key question is it worth it likely to arise It is therefore essential to ensure that animal welfare and the scientific benefits that accrue from better welfare are given due consideration Animal technologists can play a role by helping to build the case for better welfare leading to better science and by disseminating knowledge about refinements and their benefits as widely as possible The role of the Named Information Officer may be key and other relevant people such as the Named Training and Competency Officer may be very valuable to progress acceptance of new or revised methods Availability of training on new technologies can also help teams to achieve take up of new improved techniques and approaches This need not always mean producing a formal publication see Table 2 overleaf for other suggestions Your local ASRU Inspector can also advise on refinements and how to evaluate implement and
Report of the 2016 RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group Method Outputs Advantages and disadvantages Give a talk Audience knowledge Great engagement and motivation and opportunity Meeting abstract to discuss People forget Abstracts are not always searchable Present a Audience knowledge Opportunity to and motivation engage and poster Meeting abstract discuss if people Flyer if you come to view produce one People forget unless they have a flyer Abstracts are not always searchable Write a Journal article Greater potential to paper share especially if open access Hard work Not always enough original science to publish Discuss at Thought stimulated Opportunity to the amongst members advise AWERB and their Establishment colleagues Licence Holder and change local practice AWERB minutes Audience may be Potential feedback local people who to AWERB Hub read minutes only network unless these are posted onto website Talk to Possible adoption Focussed discussion scientists of the refinement Likely to affect one Could stimulate or few people only wider thought Reasoning for about welfare change not always and ethics of clear without animal use literature to make the case Include Trained and Long lasting change validated motivated locally refinements researchers Need to prepare in training animal materials and courses technologists gather evidence and named persons Table 2 Ways to communicate about refinement to different audiences disseminate these effectively By working together we can obtain a realistic picture of the relative value of improvements to animal welfare and monitoring and we can help create a web of information streams and contacts to help share good practice List of action points based on all of the presentations and discussions Consider ways to reduce the stress associated with blood sampling especially relating to restraint Discuss the potential to use the method developed at the University of Dundee at your own establishment If you are involved in studies including animal models of human diseases or treatments consider how the adverse effects seen in humans and how these are ameliorated could help to identify potential refinements If projects that involve irradiating rodents are undertaken at your facility see whether any of the approaches to refinement outlined in this report could be applied Reflect on how effectively refinements are communicated both within and outside your facility including raising this within the AWERB Reach out to other establishments with respect to sharing good practice and respond if other facilities or AWERBs contact yours including supporting the Animals in Science Committee s AWERB Hub network Use the section on thermography to assess postoperative pain to start a discussion on welfare and pain assessment at your establishment Is there an effective mechanism for keeping up with new techniques approaches and applications Explore ways of sharing validated good practice including contacting the CRO Rabbit Working Group if relevant Find out more about behaviour change theory e g via Learning About Animals and think about the potential to apply this to in house training and interactions with other staff Ensure that your establishment keeps up with the literature and thinking about the effects of light on laboratory rodents and rabbits especially nocturnal animals You may like to raise this as a topic for the AWERB to discuss including the importance of repor ting lighting protocols and the timing of experiments Be aware that rodents can see in red light so do not perceive red light as darkness or red tinted nest boxes as opaque Be aware also that many reverse light dark regimes are actually bright and dim light regimes with consequences for animal physiology and welfare Discuss the potential to use a mixed strain housing protocol at your establishment 85
Report of the 2016 RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group Commit to personally disseminating evaluated welfare improvements in a range of ways including working with your local Home Office Inspector Acknowledgements 17 18 Thank you to all the speakers and delegates for the talks and discussions 19 References 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 86 Hurst J L and West R S 2010 Taming anxiety in laboratory mice Nature Methods 7 825 826 Gaskill B N Karas A Z Garner J P and PritchettCorning K R 2013 Nest building as an indicator of health and welfare in laborator y mice Journal of Visualized Experiments 82 e51012 doi 10 3791 51012 Langford D J Bailey A L Chanda M L et al 2010 Coding of facial expressions of pain in the laboratory mouse Nature Methods 7 447 449 doi 10 1038 nmeth 1455 International Association for the Study of Pain 1979 Editorial The need of a taxonomy Pain 6 247 252 Leach M C Allweiler A and Richardson C et al 2009 Behavioural effects of ovariohysterectomy and oral administration of meloxicam in laboratory housed rabbits Research in Veterinary Science 82 336 347 Keating S C J Thomas A A Flecknell P A and Leach M C 2012 Evaluation of EMLA cream for preventing pain during tattooing of rabbits changes in physiological behavioural and facial expression responses PLoS ONE 7 e44437 Vianna D M L and Carrive P 2005 Changes in cutaneous and body temperature during and after condition fear to context in the rat European Journal of Neuroscience 9 2505 2512 Fonseca B P A Alves A L G Nicoletti J L M et al 2006 Thermography and ultrasonography in back pain diagnosis of equine athletes Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 26 507 516 Renn N Onyango J and McCormick W 2014 Digital infrared thermal imaging and manual lameness scoring as a means for lameness detection in cattle Veterinary Clinical Science 2 16 23 Nhan B R and Chau T 2010 Classifying affective states using thermal infrared imaging of the human face Trends in Bio Medical Engineering 57 979 987 Ioannou S Chotard H and Davila Ross M 2015 No strings attached physiological monitoring of rhesus monkeys Macaca mulatta with thermal imaging Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 9 160 Xi J Si X A Kim J Zhang Y et al 2016 Anatomical details of the rabbit nasal passages and their implications in breathing air conditioning and olfaction Anatomical Record 299 853 868 PDSA 2016 PDSA Animal Wellbeing PAW Report Download at pdsa org uk get involved our currentcampaigns pdsa animal wellbeing report Lucas R J Peirson S N Berson D M et al 2014 Measuring and using light in the melanopsin age Trends in Neurosciences 37 1 9 Baker M 2013 Neuroscience Through the eyes of a mouse Nature 502 7470 156 8 L M Chalupa and R W Williams Eds 2008 Eye 20 21 22 23 24 25 Retina and Visual System of the Mouse MIT Press Cambridge Massachusetts McLennan I S and Taylor Jeffs J 2004 The use of sodium lamps to brightly illuminate mouse houses during their dark phases Laboratory Animals 38 384 92 Dominoni D M Borniger J C and Nelson R J 2016 Light at night clocks and health from humans to wild organisms Biology Letters 12 2 doi 10 1098 rsbl 2016 0015 Bedrosian T A and Nelson R J 2013 Influence of the modern light environment on mood Molecular Psychiatry 18 7 751 7 Fonken L K Aubrecht T G Mel ndez Fern ndez H et al 2013 Dim light at night disrupts molecular circadian rhythms and increases body weight Journal of Biological Rhythms 28 4 262 71 Roedel A Storch C Holsboer F and Ohl F 2006 Effects of light or dark phase testing on behavioural and cognitive performance in DBA mice Laboratory Animals 40 371 381 Chaudhury D and Colwell C S 2002 Circadian modulation of learning and memory in fear conditioned mice Behavioral Brain Research 133 1 95 108 Beeler J A Prendergast B and Zhuang X 2006 Low amplitude entrainment of mice and the impact of circadian phase on behavior tests Physiology Behavior 87 870 880 Cameron M A Barnard A R and Lucas R J 2008 The electroretinogram as a method for studying circadian rhythms in the mammalian retina Journal of Genetics 87 5 459 66 Pilorz V Tam S K Hughes S et al 2016 Melanopsin regulates both sleep promoting and arousalpromoting responses to light PLoS Biology 8 4 6 e1002482
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology DANIELLE COX Ancillary Unit School of Life Sciences University of Sussex Falmer East Sussex BN1 9RH Previously employed at The Francis Crick Institute Correspondence d e cox sussex ac uk Based on a BSc project dissertation Abstract In this paper I describe the lack of training opportunities that are provided for the support staff in the workplace compared to animal technologists Animal technologists have benefitted from an education programme since the 1950s and have evolved ever since provided by the Animal Technician Association now known as the Institute of Animal Technology IAT 1 This has encouraged technologists to develop their skills knowledge and attitudes Institute of Animal Technology 2015 2 whereas there is nothing available for the support staff We begin by discussing the different considerations involved during the planning process of constructing a training programme This includes needs benefits motivation approach and participants involvement which gave a greater understanding toward the project which is highlighted in the research This paper will focus on the action and survey research methods by engaging with the staff employed at The Francis Crick Institute to obtain a rationale Using the action research cycle we will evaluate every stage of the research to establish the benefit throughout The survey research method of using questionnaires will obtain much needed information on challenges and objectivity of the programme The use of the mixed method of qualitative and quantitative data analysis will be used by engaging with the participants for feedback This will set out to measure the motivation of support staff to attend training programmes and to identify the best training and delivery methods for this Our recommendation is that training has a positive ef fect on the workplace which motivates the employee to per form well which in turns benefits the company Keywords Animal Technology Training and Staff Development Introduction This paper is about developing a training programme for support staff to obtain a formal qualification As an animal technologist with 13 years of experience I have benefitted from many educational and training opportunities This has allowed me as an individual to gain considerable and varied professional development skills that I use in my current work practices As I reflected on the benefits of this training and I realised that I would like to enable other people to experience the same opportunities that I have received especially as training opportunities for support staff are at best very limited The Francis Crick Institute is a centre of excellence and wants to ensure that the highest standard of job roles are met by giving all staff opportunities to progress in their specific areas of work Currently there are no formal training programmes for support staff such as cage washers in the field of animal technology The Francis Crick Institute would like to change this by creating a tailor made formal training programme for the support staff Through this staff will have improved career progression opportunities and The Francis Crick Institute will gain a more skilled and diverse workforce that are able to cover co worker duties during periods of staff shortage and maintain high standards of bio containment This paper investigates the desire and willingness of support staff to attend training programmes and to explore the best methods of delivery for this specialist role The first part of this paper identifies the requirements needed and explore the factors that impact on the individual and company in regards of provision of 87
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology training I will review literature surrounding training initiatives in other industries compared to our own practices and other considerations and benefits that come with training This paper also addresses the obstacles which surround training One of the main obstacles that I foresaw was the reluctance of some support staff to get involved in the programme because they see it as irrelevant especially among the long serving staff and those approaching retirement and has never been offered before The other obstacle was a need to change the perception and attitudes towards the support staff roles This has been approached by constructing and delivering a pilot workshop to the employees at The Francis Crick Institute and the gathering of evidence as to its appropriateness for the animal technology industries The intention of this paper is to present a persuasive argument that a formal training programme can be designed and implemented in collaboration with the IAT so that all biological research facilities and their staff can benefit from this investigation The following exclusion criteria were applied date any older than year 2000 G country outside the United Kingdom G Due to limited results the search criteria were extended to include G G G G date any relevant article from 1990 country United Kingdom European Union and United States broadening the scope of research to other industry areas in training development the benefit of providing training The following articles were chosen because of G G G G relevance balanced views understanding training needs underpinning theory Five themes were explored 1 Identifying a need for training Loveland et al 2008 for the Massachusetts Society for Medical Research3 Project aims The aim of the project was to identify and implement the training needs of the support staff Objectives The above aim will be accomplished by fulfilling the following research objectives Review the literature on training issues surrounding establishing benefits development of a programme and the outcomes of provision of training Investigate perceptions and attitudes towards support staff training Compare results of pre and post pilot workshop opinions Identify the need for the training programme in the work place Literature review The following search methods were used to conduct the literature review and used key words to identify relevant sources G G G Google Scholar Summons Middlesex University Unihub animal technology journals keywords G G G G 88 training in animal technology learning and teaching styles motivation participation This ar ticle reviewed the laborator y animal care workforce and their impact on the biomedical research The authors explain the diverse role of the laboratory animal cage washer In this study nearly 66 of organisations surveyed reported they had difficulties in hiring cage washers due to lack of workers with the necessary experience and technical skills They also discovered about 25 of those surveyed have no minimum education requirements for workers in their cage washers positions but over 10 of them desired them to have some form training or certifications The strength of this paper was that they could conduct a large sample size survey e g 129 organisations and 152 survey administered However their response rate of 33 6 40 by organisation is quite low The other strength is that it has been published in a peerreviewed journal The limitation of this publication that it has been conducted in United States where different laws policies and practices and different education structures to the United Kingdom exist This type of research would be difficult to reproduce in United Kingdom Another limitation of this paper was relating to different terminology and job titles This highlighted that there was a need for such a programme in the workplace The following article journal addresses this issue by looking at the benefits of training programmes 2 Importance of relevancy of training programmes Elnaga and Imran 20134 In this article the authors explore the advantages and
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology disadvantages of the provision of training in the workplace from the perspective of both management and staff The authors conclude that the benefits outweigh the negatives However they stress the importance of creating relevant training programmes and highlight ideas about employee motivation Even though the employer needs to create training opportunities to safeguard the future of the company but Schmidt5 argued that opportunities for training and development are paramount in decisions regarding employee career choices This claims it is up to the employee to decide if they want to be trained to develop their own career and not necessarily relating to workplace training provided Later it suggested that human resource depar tment practitioners should develop a training programme that affects the employees who participate in them by looking at how employees feel about the training offered to them One limitation of this paper is that they have used secondary research only no primary research has been conducted This paper was useful as it gave a European view of the effect of training employee performance not limited to the animal technology industry become motivated the energy and desire to move come from within Wellens6 using Herzberg theory on motivation claimed that you cannot motivate anyone to a successful performance if they cannot do the job Motivation cannot cure technical incompetence in the performer The worker must know how to do the job first Personally I have been rewarded by management but that has not influenced my decisions regarding attending training courses and developing the necessary skills ultimately it was my choice to learn and use necessary skills and knowledge to progress This project relied heavily on participation from The Francis Crick Institute employees volunteering information based on their own opinions therefore ethical principles and practices were employed The obvious limitation of this paper is that it is dated and therefore cannot have incorporated any recent changes in employment law the employer is obliged to provide training However elements of Hertzberg s theory are still relevant today 4 Learning and teaching styles When evaluating the benefits of training programmes in literature one common word stood out motivation Reflecting on my own training experiences and learning about providing training in my own work led me to learn about Herzberg s theory on motivation which summed up why training is important to the individual Editor s note In 1959 Frederick Herzberg a behavioural scientist proposed a two factor theory or the motivator hygiene theory According to Herzberg there are some job factors that result in satisfaction while there are other job factors that prevent dissatisfaction According to Herzberg the opposite of Satisfaction is No satisfaction and the opposite of Dissatisfaction is No Dissatisfaction 3 Importance of motivation Wellens6 Wellens6 cited Herzberg describing motivation as providing people with an opportunity to grow and the means by which this is to be achieved is by the provision through the medium of the job of opportunities for personal growth within that job Herzberg also explained hygiene factors e g salary working condition security should not be used as rewards as this does not lead motivation but without which can lead to dissatisfaction Bassett Jones and Lloyd7 explained motivation in two different perspectives If employees are asked to do something in return for incentive managers can argue employers are motivated Herzberg argued motivation is an internal self charging battery for the employees to Birzer8 Birzer8 citing Knowles9 argued that adults must be taught differently from children and that the learning process of adults is drastically distinct when compared with children or the traditional pedagogical approach This explained how adults have control of their learning and is self directed they are giving the information and control on how they learn Whereas as pedagogical is more instructional learning and children have no control on their learning they may become demotivated as they have not been treated as adults This indicates that as the facilitator of learning we need to let adults learn for themselves to become beneficial this agreed by Illeris10 who states the central fact in relation to adult learning is that adults in contrast with children are no longer minors and are capable and willing of taking responsibility for their behaviour action and opinions and thus also for their learning This strengthens the argument that people are in control of their own learning and that the facilitators can create opportunities for learning but ultimately it is up to the learner Learning about learning theories has been developed in a number of industry training programmes and these have become successful but do we consider the type of people taught This paper relied heavily on secondary research and literature reviews to support their argument that andragogy is the best method of teaching adults However there is no counterbalancing argument or references to support other traditional methods of teaching 89
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology As a first time insider research practitioner the primary methodology in this project is action research and with the use of a human subject it places considerable ethical responsibility to ensure the welfare of the participants is maintained 5 Ethics The British Education Research Association11 The British Education Research Association 201111 has underpinning principles and practices involving education research The framework regarding responsibilities to the participants would need to be considered as it states about keeping respect and treatment of the individual ensuring that participant are not forced to take part and that they understand all processes of their involvement confidentiality of the data and their right to withdraw As before the primary methodology in this project is action research and with the use of a human subject it places many ethical responsibilities to ensure the welfare of participants is maintained This literature review identified gaps in the research proposals and showed there had not been much consideration given to the ethics of human subjects taking part In the research of the ethical stance for the project described by Nolen and Putten12 there are three principles in regard to participants informed consent confidentiality and autonomy However this was an American paper using information from American Education Research Association leading the researchers to review the British guidelines Understanding the framework has given the project a clearer approach regarding the ethics that need to be upheld when recruiting volunteers to participate in the workshop As Animal Technologists we have our own ethics regarding the nature of work and the level of our security that must be upheld This creates a natural suspicion of using other practices that are not related to our own this will be an obstacle that needs to be overcome to gain understanding of different practice and by meeting the ethical standard of the project These guidelines were useful for my action research although some parts were irrelevant as it addressed issues of working with children and vulnerable adults and teaching in an educational setting rather than workplace training Review of the issues found from the Literature Review G G G G 90 training needed and beneficial to employers and staff relevant training programme and activities motivation appropriate learning and teaching styles G ethical considerations I have gained a better understanding from this literature review of the needs for the programme and what to do to answer my research question I have obtained an understanding of the benefits of training for both the employer and employees and additionally have understood the issues surrounding motivating participants as well as learning styles and tailor made teaching approaches to accommodate these learning styles I also found the importance of ethics for protecting both researchers and par ticipants particularly in regards to data protections Research Question What are the benefits of training support staff The project will focus on the design of the training programme what should be included and how it should be delivered It will establish a mutually beneficial training programme that can be used by The Francis Crick Institute and accredited by the Institute of Animal Technology an Ofqual awarding body Methodology When researching methodologies for the project proposal I decided on using a mixed methods approach The primary method being action research as this was about dealing with staff members and reviewing of current practices with regard to support staff training I have investigated how Cancer Research UK and National Institute of Medical Research can change their training practices under the newly merged Francis Crick Institute and its new location The second method was used only for data collection this was the sur vey approach with the use of questionnaires and feedback forms Experimental and case study methods were considered but dismissed as they did not fit with the design of the project and would not meet the project requirement for the relevant data required A qualitative and quantitative approach will be used to gain data and present findings Action research Coghlan and Brannick13 describe action research as an approach to research that aims at both taking action and creating knowledge or theory about the action as it unfolds Blaxter et al14 cites Costello15 who decribes Action research variously as a term process enquiry approach flexible spiral process and as cyclic It has a practical problem solving emphasis and is carried out by individuals professionals and educators Involving research systematic critical reflection and action it aims to improve educational practice Action is under taken to understand evaluate and change McNiff 2002 16 explained that action research is open
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology ended and does not have a fixed hypothesis It begins with an idea you develop The research process is the developmental process of following through the idea seeing how it goes and continually checking whether it is in line with what you wish to happen Survey research Costely et al17 explains that sur vey research is to take a sample from a study from an overall population and by using statistical methods to make inferences that are representative of the population as a whole It adds fur ther using this method there is a need of good understanding of what is to be researched in order to be able to frame research questions and design data collection instruments ef fectively Glasow18 cites Isaac and Michael19 in that sur vey research is used to answer questions that have been raised to solve problems that have been posed or obser ved to assess needs and goals to determine whether specific objectives are met to establish baselines against which future comparison can be made to analyse trends across time and generally to describe what exists in what amount and in what contexts The reason the sur vey research approach was adopted was to gain information from both the managers and employees By conducting the literature review it was established that there are differences in opinions and needs between both the managers and employees with the use of the sur vey methods we would be able to compare both sets of answers given Figure 1 Parra21 cited Madrid22 Plan of action In the planning stage and to gain initial ideas and understanding of the support staff role and the framework required for an educational training programme I evaluated the job description of the role See Appendix 1 and research educational training programme within our industry sector I gained an understanding by reviewing the Institute of Animal Technology s Qualification and Credit Framework QCF syllabus for level 2 and 3 Diploma in Laboratory Animal Science and Technology See Appendix 2 this is currently the training programme for Animal Technologists to start their educational journey for career progression In the project proposal it was indicated that a questionnaire would be the method used as I wanted to employ a mixed approach in evaluating the answers given as I was not just interested in numbers but in the manager s and participant s feelings and opinions By using the questionnaires information could be collected anonymously and prevent any unintentional bias within the two groups This enabled the respondents to feel comfortable in answering the questionnaire without pressure At the start of the project I gained permission from the Director of Operations and the Named Training and Competency Officer NTCO to use the company s equipment and facilities This allowed me to approach different staff members including managers animal technologists and support staff within the Biological Resources Facilities BRF to assess their interest and ask if they would like to be involved in a pilot workshop for the support staff training programme Methods in practices Training opportunities From reading and reviewing the literature it has become clear that many have discussed the use of models cycles and steps in order to conduct action research studies effectively and that many people have been accredited in the creation of the process McNiff and Whitehead20 suggest that it was the work of John Collier 1930 acting as commissioner for Indian Affairs and Kurt Lewin in the 1940s Lewin believed that people would become more motivated about their work if they were involved in decision making and how the workplace was being run Many researchers have developed these ideas in a cycle or steps for their work In the pre workshop questionnaire one of the closed questions was devised to determine the level of the training opportunities that had been provided or been received in regards to the support staff role The question was what training opportunities have you received or been provided Please tick which apply Comparing and interpreting the results given by both manager and staff at The Francis Crick led to compelling reasoning to construct a training programme for the support staff 91
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology Key to Graphs 1 and 2 Six main topics were chosen to be the framework for the formal training programme Introduction Workshop 1 On Job Training 2 Competency Testing 3 SOP Testing 4 G G G G G G Graph 1 Managers response to training provided laboratory animal housing and routines hygiene housing and biosecurity barriers in laboratory animal facilities disease control Health and Safety situations at work law regulations These were deemed suitable for the programme as they could be adapted to give knowledge of the subject in their own field In the syllabus there were many topic areas that were irrelevant to the support staff roles as they do not have contact with animals but it was felt we could introduce other topics that would be more beneficial which were Health and Safety situations at work and law regulations To help with the construct of the lesson plan it was required to acquire information on the importance of contrasting the responses from managers and participants It was interesting to note from the pre questionnaire that both managers and participants had similar opinions as to the importance of certain topics to be covered in the training programme as can be seen in the bar charts below Graph 2 Participant response to training received Collating the responses on job training scored the highest by participants and managers respectively with 51 and 81 The other responses scored lower with 18 introduction workshop 14 competency and 8 Standard Operating Procedure SOP and introduction workshop competency and SOP testing with 8 These differences in the results may be due to different units having different practices prior training in other companies and length of service One thing that can be established is that on the job training is the main method of training delivery This identified what training had been given but in addition a secondary question was posed to participants namely what type of training would you like The majority answered they would like a combination of theory and practical session compared to single session of theory or practical Importance of topic for skill and knowledge acquisition During the planning stage for the workshop a review of the topics available was performed in collaboration with the Named Training and Competency Officer NTCO at The Francis Crick Institute in order to make decisions as to whether they were appropriate in regard to levels and relevancy for the support staff training programme 92 Graph 3 Impor tance of skills and knowledge managers
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology When correlating results from both questionnaires the learning needs of participants differ to the suggested assessment criteria This information enabled me to guarantee to create inclusive learning by including learning preferences to the assessment criteria e g for the bio containment section I gave each pair an item to disinfect sterilise with a description of a problem encountered This suited the pragmatist It also allowed for theorists by allowing them to apply their theory to the situation the activist gave feedback to the room and the reflector listened to other people s feedback Graph 4 Impor tance of skills and knowledge participant Development of training programme When planning the workshop there was a need to develop an inclusive learning environment for learners but also to allow the managers to voice their opinion on how the assessment should be conducted to evaluate comprehension of the learning achievement According to Ullman23 an effective lesson gets students thinking and allows them to interact and ask questions tap into their background knowledge and build new skills To obtain information required from the participants I asked the question which learning styles describes them best Bassett Jones and Lloyd7 suggests that assessment for learning is all about informing the learners of their progress to empower them to take the necessary action to improve their performances For that reason I wanted to ascertain answers from managers to see what types of assessment were deemed suitable for the programme demonstrating competency With the skeleton framework having been constructed and by attending the City and Guilds education and training qualification to gain knowledge and skills to develop organise and run my own workshop I began to plan and gather information by using my own existing knowledge of the subjects reading my company procedure policies and Standing Operating Procedures as well as discussing with relevant people involved in specialised areas Health and Safety Officer and maintenance department on their knowledge and experiences Even though I had all the materials needed to develop the workshops to create an inclusive teaching session I decided to adopt the andragogy approach to teaching by letting the learners control their own learning but with me as facilitator This is when I decided that within each subject there would be a learning activity which could demonstrate learning under their own terms I also wanted to create an inclusive teaching programme incorporating all the opinions of the management and use Honey and Mumford24 learning styles of activists reflectors theorist and pragmatist of participants into the programme What learning style describes you best 20 Theorist 6 11 12 Pragmatist Reflector Activist Graph 6 Learning styles preferences participants Most of the learning preferences were Activist so this was the primary focus for designing the learning activities Graph 5 Training assessment proposed by managers The results were predictable for support staff roles due to it being ver y hands on practical types of assessment were favoured more highly than the written elements To prevent bias in the design of the workshop the opinions and feeling of the BRF personnel towards the suppor t staff programme were collected see discussion later Once the data was collected I could construct and design the workshop by planning and developing the learning activities and write the lesson plan which was approved by NTCO 93
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology Act Once given approval by the Middlesex University Ethical Sub Committee and after consideration by The Francis Crick Institute NTCO I was able to approach participants regarding attending the workshop This was achieved by holding several meetings across The Francis Crick Institute site to ask for volunteers to attend the workshop assuring potential participants that it was not compulsory and they were free to withdraw at any time The rationale was to open the workshop to everyone in order to gain sufficient numbers and also to have different learning experiences across the workforce There had to be consideration as to the location of the room as we could not establish a more practical session within the unit because of the risk of cross contamination between the employees so we had to shift the focus to a classroom theory session The pie chart below indicates that a combination of practical and theory was the most popular choice included a variety of teaching methods used to reflect the learning styles and construction of a training programme that was indicated in the questionnaires Observation When the workshop was designed the andragogical approach was the main approach used An andragogical approach assumes that the learner creates their own learning and achievements and moves away from the teacher centred approach 25 This allowed me throughout the workshop to step back from being the facilitator and observe the learner interactions to each subjects I could observe the reception to subjects and learning activities assess whether the delivery of the subject was at the right level and whether there were good learning experiences This observation allowed me to analyse the potential benefits in providing the suppor t staff training programme and collect data to use as arguments for recommendation Graph 7 Preferences in training One of the most common ethnographic approaches is the participant s observations where the ethnographer becomes immersed in the cultures as an active participant and can record extensive field notes 26 To prevent any bias in the results in my own interpretation on the workplace there was an independent observer who monitored the session I decided the role of the observer should be a non participatory where they watch the session from the back of the room monitoring the situation with a structured set of observation categories 27 The details of the timing of the pilot workshop were confirmed and I started to prepare the learning activities and presentation and with the BRF research administrators assisting prepared a resource pack See Appendix 3 The independent observer was issued with a lesson plan and City and Guilds tutor candidate observer report to enable her to offer me some critical feedback on how she felt the session went and her opinion on my delivery of the workshop and whether I met the needs of the learners What type of training would you like participants Practical based only Combination of Practical and Theory Session Theory Sessions Just before the workshop I was informed that a participants information sheet and consent form were required which had to be read and signed See Appendix 4 This caused some problems as this is not our normal practice but as it was a requirement for the project that everyone taking part signed By reading the British Education Research Association BERA Ethical Guidelines for Education Research11 and following the ethical guidance set by Middlesex University I gained understanding of the importance of following this rule not only to protect participants but to ensure I was clear in my own approach to my project thus avoiding any pitfalls A 2 hour workshop was delivered with 22 participants with one participant deciding to withdraw of their own accord at the beginning of the session During the workshop I created a PowerPoint presentation that 94 Reflection To process the reflection of the project and establish the potential benefits of the support staff training programme I used a variety of sources to obtain the information As previously mentioned I used questionnaires and obser vers to gather fur ther information on the workshop to aid reflection By using questions I was able to review feelings and opinions on the training After the session training evaluations were distributed so that results could be compared to see if there had been any changes or in their opinion how they would like the programme to be improved and would they be interested in attending the training programme To aid my own reflections and be able to offer recommendations to management of The Francis Crick Institute and IAT educational board I employed an audio visual technician who took video clips of the session
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology Data collection and analysis When researching the different methodologies for the project it becomes more apparent that there are different types of data that can be collected This led to the decision to use a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods for analysis to ensure that I made use of all available information By evaluating the different data gathering techniques I arrived at the conclusion that questionnaires and observation would be most appropriate means of answering my research question Quantitative data analysis Wallace and Van Fleet28 suggest questionnaire research and evaluation is closely associated with quantitative analysis based on the return of large samples Assigning responses to categories counting the numbers of responses in categories and using statistical techniques to analyse result categories Despite the fact training is emotive I needed to understand the individual s feelings regarding training However a summary of overall opinion was needed to answer the research question A Pre workshop questionnaires were handed out to 19 managers and 32 members of staff consisting of support staff and animal technologists plus Feedback Evaluation from the 21 participants who had taken part in the pilot workshop The data was input into Microsoft Excel and graphs were generated The key findings from these questionnaires were what training had been given how they wanted to be trained what they wanted to learn compared to what had been delivered during the pilot workshop Questionnaires Botha and Coetzee 2007 29 state that questionnaires are widely used as a method of gathering data Surveys can be used with random samples representative groups or whole organisations They explained that questionnaires can be inexpensive ways to gather data and large numbers of people can be reached in a small amount of time Respondents also can be given opportunities to give their opinions without fear of recriminations or embarrassment The data gained from questionnaires can be summarised and reported easily My reasoning led me to believe that questionnaires should be used in the research There were many reasons that influenced my decision as I wanted to achieve a large volume of responses to attain balanced views on training and opinions on how the proposed action of developing support staff training programmes should work but most importantly to gauge a level of interest needed Two were pre workshop questionnaires which different members of staff were asked to complete on a voluntary basis This included one type of questionnaire for supervisors and team leaders and another for the experienced technologist and trainee animal technician and a third for support staff For the pre workshop questionnaires 19 supervisor team leaders and 32 animal technical support staff completed the relevant questionnaire They were all of similar design but phrased differently for the different groups of respondents Respondents were given three weeks to return the questionnaires The third questionnaire was given to 21 participants after the workshop to gather qualitative feedback to see how well the workshop was perceived and was returned at the end of the session The questionnaires were designed with the use of three types of closed and open question and with the use of balances and attitudinal rating scales By using closed questions it was possible to prompt the respondent for their answers for example yes no or don t know or a list of answers Even though this offered background information it did not answer my question as the respondent may have become bored and not answered the question properly To gain interest and make the respondent feel like they were contributing I included some questions where they could offer their opinion This allowed me to see if there was a trend in the answers given With the use of pre coded questions attitudinal rating scales I chose to develop my questionnaires to find out specific answers to my questions For pre and post pilot workshop questionnaires I designed questions that would gather opinions on the importance of knowledge and skills in certain subjects and appropriateness of the learning activities The use of the five point scales enabled the respondent to give the level of importance not extremely or poor excellent by giving each answer a number 1 5 For the post workshop questionnaire I used the Likert scales that were developed by Rensis Likert in 1932 which is normally referred to as agreedisagree scales This is where the respondent is given a statement to strongly agree disagree This helped analyse the results with ease to represent the overall opinion Brace 30 There was a need for anonymity when gathering the data as the company is a close knit community and therefore I had to ensure that I could not connect the answers with personnel and put a personal assumption on answers received which could create some bias All answers were transferred to Excel sheets and produced graphs to see the level of response to highlight the overall opinion Qualitative data analysis There were three forms of questionnaires that were developed to gain the different areas of information Kawulich31 cited Schmuck32 and explains that observation methods are useful to research in a variety 95
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology of ways They provide researchers with ways to check for nonverbal expression of feeling determine who interact with whom grasp how the par ticipants communicate with each other and check for how much time is spent on various activities This theor y demonstrates the reasons why the obser vation methods were useful in this project By conducting the literature review it was established that training is about personal benefit motivation and interaction with teaching material It became apparent that observing the participants during the workshop was essential I used a non participant observer to gather information during the workshop by filling in a City and Guilds Observation Report They evaluated the behaviours of the par ticipants throughout the workshop The categories analysed were the interactions between myself and par ticipants their responses to the teaching material and learning activities and how the session was monitored The data collected can gather evidence to argue the suitability and to demonstrate the benefit of the training programme To ensure that the session met the standard level of training the observer evaluated my own per formance for any potential impact on the results In conjunction with the observation report there was use of a video camera which allowed self reflections to take place to see if there was agreement or disagreement of opinions workshop would work in a potential formal training programme The andragogy approach the use of the facilitator rather than teacher participants learning from each other by discussion feedback and learning activities that opened opportunities for knowledge gaining and sharing According to Blondy 33 Knowles9 discovered through his work with adults that instructors needed to care about the actual interests of the learner instead of focussing on what instructors believed were learners interests 34 This was the underpinning theory of my ideas for the training programme as I have always thought providing training is a personal and emotive experience for a learner With the aid of the questionnaire the use of open questions and Likert scales I was able to determine what a manager wanted from the programme and compare the learners current knowledge level and their interest in regard to what they wanted to learn The key finding that recognised that the design of the Figures 4 and 5 Participants learning from each other by discussion and feedback Figures 2 and 3 The use of facilitator 96 Blondy33 shares the opinion that it is the facilitator s role to ensure they create the correct environment in which learners feel comfortable to express their own opinions share ideas and enable them to discuss information and experiences that are personal to them When designing the programme I did not want people to feel intimated by previous learning experiences and overcame this by promoting the idea that the session
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology was about learning from each other and not who knows more However because of the mixed level of experience and knowledge within the participants I ensured that the unit team members were separated so no existing working relationship would play a part in excluding another learner and that only one experienced person was in a group so they would not overshadow or intimidate the other learners This was introduced by developing an ice breaker to set the tone of the session which allowed me to step back to evaluate any discomfort within the groups It was confirmed in the results that the majority of the participants enjoyed the session and would consider taking formal training if offered now or at the beginning of their career Blondy33 states further Knowles opinion9 35 that the best educational experiences were cooperative guided interaction between teacher and learner with many available resources During these experiences the teacher guides the learner to develop his or her own potential Carlson 1989 34 For every subject I designed a learner activity to allow learners to take control of their own learning on their terms They had opportunities to express themselves and build or gain on their own existing knowledge This seemed a popular technique with the participants as the feedback was positive towards this approach as people from different units got to work together which does not normally happen resulting in good working relationships I experienced some difficulties in my own delivery during the workshop but on the whole the approach looked favourable The observer report indicated that by studying peoples reactions throughout the session seemed to confirm that it was a success Lum36 cites Hayes and Allison37 who suggest that matching learning styles and group activity has a positive interaction effect thereby improving learning per formances The quantitative data collected indicates that there was a mix of learning style preferences By creating an inclusive learning environment for the learners I tried to incorporate all learning styles and the andragogy approach into one activity Feedback was overall positive but the results were surprising during the workshop there was reluctance to get involved in feedback to the room which is an andragogy approach of adults using their own experiences to facilitate their own learning I tried to overcome the negativity by offering encouragement and support to reassure the learners that the process was for their benefit The feedback I was given by peers in personal communications that they had their own reservations about speaking to the room but on the other hand they enjoyed themselves and benefitted from the process and it was appropriate for the subject The other interesting piece of information that revealed itself during the pre workshop questionnaire was that disease seemed an unpopular subject whereas the Law was deemed the more important The feedback data demonstrated there was a reverse in this opinion indicating that learning activities had an impact on how well the subject was received Further evaluation would need to be taken on the subject that did not score as well as the others Pie chart to show ranking of activities Discussion Brainstorming Wordsearch Multi Quiz Case Studies Law Graph 8 Popularity of learning activities Observations Figures 6 and 7 Learning Activity Brainstorming and Word Search Activity To gather qualitative data for evaluation and reflections and obtain evidence to present to the higher management at The Francis Crick Institute who will pass this on to the IAT Education Board By using the 97
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology observation method it was possible to gather different perspectives on the workshop with the use of an observer and the camcorder I used both structured and unstructured observation techniques as I felt it was important to gather both perspectives of the workshop i e the observer s and my own During a meeting with the supervisor I asked for a volunteer to act as observer during the workshop I asked one of the supervisors because they are experienced in training and they have a high level of knowledge of the subjects Riazi38 states that a structured observation is the use of classroom observer that uses a fixed and preplanned observation scheme to tick and fill in different categories and slots of the scheme based on their observations and learning activities With the use of the City and Guilds observation sheet it was possible to gather an independent view in real time as the workshop progressed This gave me some constructive feedback during the reflection stage The unstructured observation techniques I wanted to record from the workshop allowed me to form my own perspective This enabled me to focus on my own performance and to critically assess which factors could impact on the feedback given by the participants As the data collected is subjective this would become secondary data Review of the feedback Review of the feedback allowed me to gather key information that could potentially impact on the delivery of formal training in the future and which will ultimately provide the answers to assess the benefit One of the interesting discoveries was the impact on the learning activities on a particular subject and influence the level of interest and appropriateness from the learner s perspective Primary research indicated that disease was not a popular topic for learners compared to Law which had a higher score learners enjoyed the activity This was backed up in the open question what did you most like about training as the word search was most commented on along with the group activities By obtaining the feedback I could clarify that some subjects which may have seemed unimportant were in fact important However with the correct learning activity that appeals to learners interest it is possible to change opinions To move forward with the formal training programme the less successful learning activity e g True and False quiz Law requires reviewing and changed to become more appealing The main purpose of holding a pilot workshop to see if there was a benefit in providing a training programme in the new building There were two question that were asked to the participants which were will the training provided in this workshop be useful in your workplace and after attending this workshop would it influence your decision to undertake a formal qualification The result showed that 70 of the responders felt that the workshop was useful whereas 30 had a mixed response and because it was posed as an open question offered their own views Interpreting the result a majority felt having this type of training in the workplace would be useful This endorses the view that the workshop would be a success if implemented This was a significant finding proving that training support staff could benefit from some theory based training as well as practical Was this workshop useful for the workplace yes good refresher course unsure Evaluation of the feedback forms and analysis of the results showed that even though there was 3 margin between the activities disease word search scored higher than expected despite technical difficulties Of all the learning activities the highest scoring were case studies This was the most relevant to the learner as it was designed to illustrate situation based scenarios as to what can occur in day duties This opened up discussion where the learner could offer their own experiences with other learners in the room This allowed an andragogy approach to really take effect as learners interacted with each other s experiences and learning throughout without me providing the information I also felt as the facilitator that I learnt from this part of the workshop Conversely the disease word search activity had such a positive reaction during monitoring of the learning activity I received positive comments as to how much 98 maybe for newbies not at the moment law up to date Graph 9 Usefulness of training provided in workshop The second question was asked after attending this workshop would it influence your decision to undertake a formal qualification This was to see if an opportunity was to be provided would there be an interest which further established a benefit of training Analysis of the results revealed that 38 were still keen to take a formal qualification based on the workshop The maybe response of 10 and the need
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology for more information 5 concluded that if a qualification was to be implemented they might be convinced to attend This would be the job for the facilitator to encourage attendance Would this workshop influence your decision to take formal training yes no Protection Act 1998 I kept all documents secure and safe by keeping them locked in a cupboard provided by The Francis Crick Institute I protected all data collected by not using any of the data other than for its intended use and kept within in house rules about confidentiality Approval I gained full approval and permission from the Biological Resource Facility Director of The Francis Crick Institute to carry out my research project and use their facilities I also obtained ethical and project approval by Middlesex University in February 2016 maybe needs more info Findings discussion doesn t like public speaking This project set out to investigate whether formal training for non qualified suppor t staff would be beneficial to both employers and employees in the biomedical research industries In addition to this through a pilot workshop different pedagogies and assessment methods were explored and participant feedback from the workshop was analysed Graph 10 Decision to undertake a formal qualification One of interesting points 5 said they did not like speaking in public As a refinement the teaching approach of andragogy could be mixed with pedagogy to encourage these participants to change their minds and attend This was an interesting finding that after collation all the responses could be turned into positives and demonstrating with improvement there could be an argument for running formal training Nevertheless 29 responded No and 14 left it blank This could be due to the fact that there was a majority of sixteen animal technologists attending compared to six support staff and this might have influenced the results as they may have qualifications already Overall the findings show there is a positive attitude towards formal training which confirms the need of the programme Literature review It is clear from the literature review that in most circumstances biological research facilities would benefit from providing training to support staff The reasons for this are G G G G a knowledgeable workforce will enhance biocontainment standards all support staff that have had training can cover periods of staff absence training creates a motivated and competent workforce employees can easily access career progression routes Ethical considerations Ethical consideration is an important aspect of my research to maintain the ethical integrity of the project I have concluded these following points Participants wellbeing to maintain their wellbeing and trust I kept them fully informed on the project developments by holding regular meetings As the project required participants I needed to inform them of what was required I ensured that I gained their consent by following the British Education Research Association BERA Ethical Guidelines for Education Research 2011 and the ethical release form provided by Middlesex University See Appendix 4 I provided everyone involved with consent forms and information sheets See Appendix 4 I also ensured that I complied with company policies including Health and Safety Protection of the data collected Even though there was no personal information as all responses were provided anonymously I abided by the Data Results from the questionnaire 1 Current training opportunities To answer my research questions the responses from the questionnaire indicated that the managers and support staff had a difference of opinion on what current training opportunities had been provided managers believed they had provided more on job training than support staff perceived they had actually received See Graph 1 The results show that on job training was the main training opportunity however this indicated that training for career progression or to obtain a formal qualification was somewhat limited see Graph 2 2 Preferred kind of training The result showed that participants would like a mix of practical and theory in the training session see Graph 7 99
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology 3 Key topics to be covered in the training programme The NTCO identified six key areas of study for the training programme Managers and participants were asked to rate these topics in order of importance The results are shown below Graph 11 Participant rating of importance of skills and knowledge This shows that Health and Safety was rated the most important topic for the workshop by both managers and participants There is also a consistency in rating for disease as the lowest priority for training 4 Learning styles Results from the questionnaire show see Graph 6 that an activist approach was the preferred learning style method of delivery in the training workshop It is important to include other learning styles so as not to exclude future learners In response to this several types of activities were designed as learning and assessment tools Feedback from the pilot training workshop 1 Appropriateness of learning activity The results show that the case studies were a popular choice however the disease activity was the most commented on which established that the learning activity had an impact on the learners enjoyment of a subject This had a positive impact 2 Was the workshop useful for the workplace The questionnaire result Graph 8 showed that 70 of the participants felt that it would be beneficial 3 Did the workshop stimulate interest in formal qualifications Result Graph 9 showed there was interest in developing the workshop further into a formal training by 38 participants This indicated that the programme was well received by the participants which established there was a benefit for the programme which also increased the staff motivation to learn more 100 Limitations of the project Although the research was carefully planned and met the stated aims I am aware that there were unavoidable limitations Firstly the project limitation was the number of the support staff that attended the workshop This was due to a small number being released from their work schedule to be able to attend the workshop and who became a small population in the results However using participants from other areas opened up a broader view of answers due to varying work and prior learning experiences Secondly session timing was rushed and restricted to a 2 hour session due to room availability and the times staff were available This had an impact on the delivery of the workshop due to the amount of information that needed to be delivered and how much time needed to be spent on each subject There was no time for a break which can affect learner concentration Finally due to the time constraint for preparation of the workshop due to the deadline given there were oversights creating the questionnaires to make the results comparable to the individual Tracking the attitudes of individuals before and after the pilot workshop may have led to useful information to see if there were any changes of opinion Conclusion The focus of this project was to address the problem that there is no formal training programme for the support staff Reflecting on my own career made me realise the vast opportunities that are available for animal technologists to progress compared to support staff There was clear evidences in other industries that employees will often show signs of distress if untrained leading to more workplace mistakes which lead to higher costs high staff turnover which increases costs and results in a waste of resources and time This allowed focussing on appropriate questions to the managers and staff at The Francis Crick Institute and this was achieved by questionnaire The responses obtained clarified information on previous training and how to move for ward in developing fur ther opportunities and allowed the construction of the workshop The following framework was suggested by the Named Training and Competency Officer Six subjects were delivered to 21 participants 6 support staff and 15 animal technologists to establish the benefit of introducing a formal training programme The topics along with the learning activities were reacted to positively which allowed the learners to learn from each other due to their mixed backgrounds
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology To ascertain that the workshop met the needs of the support staff and additionally meets the requirements to become a formal programme accredited by the Institute of Animal Technology IAT an Ofqual awarding body This had to be achieved by evaluation of the training by the participants and observer The results highlighted that 70 felt that it was useful in the workplace and 29 would be interested in taking a formal training programme however with some refinement in the workshop this number could rise This showed that a formal training programme will not only impact on the support staff by enhancing their roles and providing motivation for career progression whilst also keeping staff informed of current best practice and industry developments In conjunction it will benefit the company by having knowledgeable and qualified staff at every level Recommendations I would like to make the following recommendations to ensure the success and implementation of the Support Staff Qualification level 2 Open the qualification to anyone who is in contact with the Biological Resource Facility that are in nonanimal care roles e g support staff office staff security officers and engineers Allow the sessions to become shorter and run more frequently Learning activities should be reviewed and evaluated annually to ensure that they are current and relevant to the topic Meet with the Institute of Animal Technology Education Board to gain accreditation Critical reflection Learning from the methodology by using the action research cycle in which one key component is reflection This allowed me to organise my thoughts to aid reflections and critique of the project to construct the following points I have found developing the training programme for support staff has been most challenging but also the most rewarding work I have done to date I have overcome personal learning obstacles that I thought that were not possible and will change the way I approach my future work practices Things I have learnt Conducting this project has been a big learning curve for me as I have learnt a lot about myself being an insider researcher The things I have learnt since writing my project proposal is not to be restricted when sourcing information and not to disregard information just because it not directly related I have also gained knowledge on research methodologies and with their use can help construct and deliver my ideas I am a person who has clear ideas on what I want to achieve and how I am going to achieve but I have learnt this may not work in practice When conducting the literature review for my project I hit a stumbling block by reviewing the industry journals and literature There was very little information on the support staff roles or their contributions to the work place and the provision of training for them To gain the information needed in order to get some background details I started to research training in other industries I came to the conclusion that the benefit of training is the same regardless to the industry but the differences come when you consider the difference of the opinion between employee and employer This allowed me to establish a more concrete and rounded approach in developing a training programme that was beneficial By researching this other area there were two key points that I did not give much thought to in the original proposal which was participation and motivation Even though I had concerns about getting people involved due to their age and experiences I did not initially give any thought to their wellbeing or ethical considerations within this project Before undertaking the research I thought just asking people if they would like to attend would be enough as people are conscious of their own actions Working with animals the technologists become their voice as they cannot tell us how they feel or think so we become advocates for their ethical wellbeing We have to ensure that animals do not suffer in regard to the research being undertaken if there is any deviation to that we have to take appropriate action By looking into this area more closely I quickly realised a simple yes no consent was not enough I had to ensure that they had clear and sufficient information before agreeing to take part This was a relatively new practice for me but it had a big impact on a challenge that I faced later on in the project Learning about Hertzberg theory made me reflective of my own experiences in training not as a participant but as the facilitator By using the information from his theory I created a session that was enjoyable but also factual for the participants I wanted to create an atmosphere that participants would enjoy I think this showed up in the results Challenges This project has had some challenging moments throughout its course including incorporating my own ideas for the workshop with the management dealing with timing and location issues working with human participants and construction of the resource pack In the initial stages in planning the workshop I had several meetings with the Named Training and Competence NTCO and Biological Resource Facility BRF director to discuss new found information that 101
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology the IAT provided in regard to the programme It also gave me an opportunity to present my ideas on how to deliver the programme as at the time I was not involved in these decisions When I suggested we should run a pilot workshop to introduce the support workers to what they can potentially learn in the programme this was well received The difference of opinion came when I felt that we should concentrate on one of the modules whereas the NTCO felt we should include all 6 modules I had my doubts about my own abilities to deliver a workshop of that size I had concerns about timing of the programme as to how I was going to include all relevant information in such a small amount of time The other concerns I had were self doubt about standing in front of my peers for two hours and having a speech disorder which does make me self conscious Both these points were reflected in the feedback by participants and observer but this gave me greater confidence in my own ability although there is room for some improvement I will need to work on my own performance and not let nerves get the better of me and will need to revise the lesson plan and create more time or speak to managers to consider splitting the modules in more manageable sections There were challenges with the use of human participants and by undertaking this project led to my first experiences in dealing with staff in a leading role I have not always seen myself as management material as I have always felt that I did not possess the qualities of assertiveness required for the higher position However by dealing with the staff in regards to participation gave me a new outlook on my career prospects I have spoken with all the participants in different meetings about the intention of the project what would be involved if they took part and I assured them that there was no pressure to attend and they could withdraw at any time I asked if they could send me written permission of confirmation of attendance This was bad practice as I later realised when reviewing the literature and gained a better understanding of the ethical consideration I have learned how to be authoritative in a position but remain fair One example I recall where I felt that I had overcome these obstacles was when a participant chose to withdraw from the programme Middlesex University informed me I had to create an Information sheet and consent form as part of the ethics for everyone who would be attending I managed to deliver this to everyone by the Monday before the workshop took place on the Wednesday Before the workshop took place I explained why the form was important and why it needed to be signed 102 One of the participants said that she had not read it but was willing to continue I was not sure if this was the correct way to proceed but as she was giving her verbal consent and promised to sign the form after the session I carried on In the early stages I was called over by a participant as she had a problem she wasn t comfortable in the group discussion and did not want to take part in that part of the session This was a situation I had not planned on as previously mentioned I was using andragogy teaching methods which was all about your own learning I had to make the decision to consider her needs as an individual or compromise the other 21 learners The action I took was to try and reason with her and explain why the workshop was run that way She was adamant she did not want to take part I explained that she was not obliged to stay She did try to force me to say she should leave but I stood my ground leaving the option with her This situation unnerved me which prompted me to check with the learner for any problems with the group discussion this impacted on my performance throughout the session After speaking with the managers I was reassured that I handled the situation correctly but it took a few days for me to realise the positives of the situation With this new found skill I will continue to put this into practice when dealing with junior members of staff that are reluctant to perform certain jobs When constructing the resource pack I came across a number of issues First issue that I had to resolve was to ensure that the materials were easily accessible because I was using different material produced in different formats which meant that numbering the pages was not an option To overcome this I decided to use page dividers in different colours to highlight each section This was not how I would like to present the resource pack as colours pose a problem to me but with the time restriction and resource it was the only option available If I would design the resource pack again I may create individual booklets instead of just one What could I have done to improve the project As this was my first time being an insider researcher and running a project on my own it was an enlightening experience which I feel I can be proud of On the other hand by gathering and reviewing information and feedback reflecting on what I have learnt and using the visual aids I can now see that there are some improvements that would have helped the project The area I could have improved on was the design of questionnaires resource pack room size number of participants and my own skills in delivering of the session I wanted the questionnaires to be anonymous for two reasons Firstly I did not want to influence the results as I have met these people worked with them and know them quite well I did not want to put my own assumption
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology to the person For the pre workshop I asked for background information e g Area of work or years experience but for the feedback question I did not include this information which was an oversight due to time pressures Unfortunately this means I could not compare the results from pre workshop to the postworkshop feedback as individual responses To overcome this in the future I could number the questionnaires to allot to specific people this would allow me to identify two different responses from the same person as a comparison in attitudes but still retain anonymity Due to the number of questionnaires sent out to the different areas within The Francis Crick Institute I had to make a decision as to which was the best way to deliver the questionnaires Many support workers do not have access to the computers at work which influenced my decision in using paper copies Conversely I did appreciate the volume of data need to be inputted on to the Excel sheet to analyse the results I overcame this by organising a volunteer who helped me with this However if this was required in a future project I would need to look at alternative methods e g Survey Monkey would be less time consuming As previously mentioned the resource pack was not constructed how I wanted I used a teaching skills website to generate a word search See Appendix 5 for one learning activity as I thought it would be a fun activity for learners When generating the word search on the computer there were no visible problems whereas during the session it was noticed that some of the words were close together during printing This made it difficult for some learners to locate the words It was a popular activity in the programmes I would need to improve the design of the word search by evaluating different programmes to see if there is the same issue or design one myself Although at the beginning advice was given on using the resource pack there was confusion as to when when to use them Some people used them some did not and others were unsure when to use It was clear from the feedback I would need to give distinct instructions about the resource pack and its intended use I was restricted on the rooms that I could use due to the biosecurity barriers in BRF I arranged to use one of the meeting rooms as it had the audio visual equipment required to deliver the workshop plus chairs and tables I was unclear how many people would actually attend the pilot workshop a week before I had confirmation of 22 participants which was a larger number than expected When setting up the room in the morning it became apparent the room was too small for the number of participants Unfortunately there was no alternative and although we tried to organise the room the best we could it did hinder moving between groups Reflecting on the pilot workshop future rooms used would need to be more appropriate for the numbers of participants or participant numbers limited or run more sessions Previous feedback from the Board of Education and Training course indicated I was not direct enough so I tried to address people by their name when asking a question but some people appeared uncomfortable with this approach If the number of participants were smaller I maybe could encourage and coax the answer from them As an alternative I will try the pedagogy approach of getting people to raise their hands and then pick someone but this is not normal practice in teaching adults This was my first time teaching and I was excited but also anxious as I was about to stand in front of my coworkers I was wondering if they would like or hate the session I had prepared for them The feedback was mainly positive as they enjoyed the group activity and mixing with the staff from different backgrounds which is positive as we move forward to the new building However the feedback highlighted there was room for improvement in my delivery skills From my own perspective I felt very conscious in the room as I felt that I constantly had my back to some learners due to room size I tried to overcome this by moving position throughout session but it gave the appearance that I was more nervous Also there was the perception that I was reading from the slide which I did not feel like I did but I had to be close enough to click between the slides To learn from the feedback I would give myself more time to prepare the room so I would not have any apprehension before the session started I also will as part of my own CPD actively seek opportunities to improve speaking in public by attending workshop on presentation skills and delivery of training in the workplace I will also sit down and have a discussion with my supervisor to see if I can contribute to our team meetings by discussing relevant information or updates about animal technology This will hopefully improve my nerves in speaking to my own peers in a constructive way As The Francis Crick Institute moves forward I will be working with new people which I hope will increase the opportunities for me to become more involved in the training side of my role Acknowledgements My thanks go to Gary Childs and Gary Martin for their support and also to all the staff at The Francis Crick Institute who participated in the development of this workshop References 1 2 3 Applebee K 2013 IAT Education past present and future Animal Technology and Welfare 12 1 pp 33 40 Anon 2015 Education Learning and Development Available http www iat org uk education c1q9n Last accessed 15th April 2016 Loveland et al 2008 Laboratory Animal Care Workforce Study Massachusetts Society for Medical Research Massachusetts Available on http www mass 103
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 benchmarks org publications studies pdf labanimal08 pdf accessed on 24th January 2016 Elnaga A and Imran A 2013 The Effect of Training on Employee Performance European Journal of Business and Management 5 4 137 147 Schmidt S W 2007 The Relationship Between Satisfaction with Workplace Training and Overall Job Satisfaction Human Resource Development Quarterly 18 4 pp 481 498 Wellens J 1970 Professor Frederic Herzberg on management of motivation Industrial and Commercial Training 7 2 pp 333 337 Bassett Jones G and Lloyd G C 2005 Does Herzberg motivation theor y have staying powers Journal of Management Development 24 10 pp 929 943 Birzer M L 2003 The theory of andragogy applied to police training Policing An International Journal of Police Strategies Management 26 1 pp 29 42 Knowles M S 1980 The Modern Practice of Adult Education Andragogy versus pedagogy Englewood Cliffs Prentice Hall Cambridge Illeris K 2003 Workplace learning and learning theory Journal of Workplace Learning 15 4 pp 167178 British Educational Research Association 2011 Ethical guidelines for educational research London http www bera ac uk system files 3 BERA EthicalGuidelines 2011 pdf accessed on 5th March 2016 Nolen A L and Putten J V 2007 Action Research in Education Addressing Gaps in Ethical Principles and Practices Educational Researcher 36 7 pp 401 407 Coghlan D and Brannick T 2014 Preface In Doing Action Research in Your Own Organization 4th ed Los Angeles Sage Publications Ltd pp 13 Blaxter L Hughes C and Tight M 2010 Thinking about Methods In How to Research 4th ed Berkshire Open University Press pp 68 71 Costello Patrick J M 2003 Action Research Published A C Black McNiff J 2002 Action Research for Professional Development concise advice for new action researchers http www jeanmcniff com ar booklet asp Costley C Elliott G and Gibbs P 2010 Developing a Methodology In Doing Work Based Research Approaches to Enquiry for Insider Researchers London Sage Publications Ltd pp 89 Glasow P 2005 April Fundamentals of survey research methodology Accessed on 15th March 2016 from Issac S and Michael W R 1997 Handbook in Research and Evaluation 3rd Edition McNiff J and Whitehead J 2011 Where Did Action Research Come From and Where Is it Now In All You Need to Know About Action 2nd ed London Sage Publication Ltd pp 41 43 Parras Y 2008 Action Research on Affective Factors and Language Learning Strategies A Pathway to Critical Reflection and Teacher and Learning Autonomy Revista PROFILE Issues in Teacher Professional Development 10 1 p195 210 Madrid D 2000 Observation and research in the classroom In Teaching English as a Foreign Language Barcelona The Australian Institute p1 100 Ullman E 2011 How to Plan an Effective Lesson Education Update 53 10 Honey P and Mumford A 1986 The Manual of Learning Styles Maidenhead Peter Honey Roussel L A Swamsburg R C and Swamsburg R J 2006 The Nurse Manager of Staff Development In Management and Leadership for Nurse Administrator 4th ed Massachusetts Jones and Bartlett Publishers pp 472 Trochim W M K 2006 Qualitative Approaches 104 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 Available http www socialresearchmethods net kb qualapp php Last accessed 9th April 2016 Wallace D P and Van Fleet C J 2010 Descriptive Methods Questionnaires and Interviews In Knowledge into Action Research Research and Evaluation in Library and Information Science California ABC CLIO LLC pp 187 Cohen L Manion L and Morrison K 2011 Style of Educational Research In Research Methods in Education Oxon Routledge pp 297 and 298 Botha J and Coetzee M 2007 Conducting an ETD needs Analysis In Coetzee M Practising Education Training and Development in South African Organisations South Africa Juta Company Ltd The Author pp 102109 Brace I 2008 Rating Scales In Questionnaire Design How to Plan Structure and Write Survey Material for Effective Market Research 2nd ed London Kogan Page Limited pp 74 Kawulich and Barbara B 2005 Par ticipant Obser vation as a Data Collection Method 81 paragraphs Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung Forum Qualitative Social Research online 6 2 Ar t 43 Avaliable on Accessed on 8th April 2016 Schmuck R 1997 Research Methods Procedures Instruments Special Issues and Ethics In Practical Action Research for Change USA Corwin p52 Blondy L C 2007 Evaluation and Application of Andragogical Assumptions to the Journal of Interactive Online Learning 6 2 pp 116 130 Carlson R 1989 Malcolm Knowles Apostle of andragogy Vitae Scholasticae 8 1 p1 9 Knowles M S 1984 Andragogy in Action Applying modern principles of adult learning Published JosseyBass now part of Wiley Lum L 2006 Internationally educated health professionals a distance education multiple cultures model Education Training 48 2 3 112 126 Hayes J and Allinson C W 1996 The implication of learning styles for training and development a discussion of the matching hypothesis British Journal of Management 7 1 p63 73 Riazi A M 2016 The encyclopaedia In The Routledge of Encyclopaedia of Research Methods in Applied Linguistics Quantitative qualitative and mixed method Approach Oxon Routledge pp 310 311 and 339 340 Booklet McNiff 2005 Action Research for professional Development concise advice for new action researchers Booklet Diagrams Fandi o Y 2008 Action Research on Affective Factors and Language Learning Strategies A Pathway to Critical Reflection and Teacher and Learner Autonomy Revista PROFILE Issues in Teachers Professional Development 10 pp 195 210 Publications University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute 2008 Laboratory Animal Care Workforce Study Massachusetts Society for Medical Research Massachusetts Available on accessed on 24th January 2016 Vocational Learning Support Programme 16 19 2005 Assessment for Learning ISBN 1 84572 064 4 London Learning and Skills Development Agency Available on Accessed on 17th April 2016
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology Appendices Appendix 1 105
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology Appendix 2 Institute of Animal Technology Syllabus for level 2 and 3 Qualification Topics Subjects Contents Laboratory animal housing and routines Routine and husbandry practices environmental conditions identify animals and health and safety legislation and practices The production of laboratory animals Methods of producing animals health and safety legislation and practices Laboratory animal nutrition Provision of water and balanced diet health and safety legislation and practices Introduction to ethics and laboratory animal facility legislation Concern over the use of laboratory animals provision of the legislation controlling the use of animals in research appropriate methods of euthanasia health and safety legislation and practices Laboratory animal health and husbandry Methods available to safely handle and sex laboratory animals methods to estimate the age of animals suitable procedures for safe handling and restraints identify signs of ill health health and safety legislation and practices Laboratory animal biology Conditions necessary for life structure growth and organisation of cells organ system and responses anatomical and physiological features health and safety legislation and practices Animal facility physical science Principles and practices of recording and comparing physical measurements effects of energy has on molecules the transfer of heat between material found in the animal facility chemical reactions health and safety legislation and practices Numeracy for animal technologist Calculations health and safety legislation and practices Communication for animal technologist Communication skills under a range of conditions health and safety legislation and practices Information Communication Technology for animal technologist Producing material using word processing and spreadsheet software health and safety legislation and practices Housing and biosecurity barrier in laboratory animal facilities Organisation of the animal facility maintains an appropriate health status for the animals and the scientific procedures animal health and safety legislation and practices Disease control Potential disease risks methods minimising the risk of disease organisms in the animal facility health and safety legislation and practices Laboratory animal welfare Understanding of how animal welfare is maintained environmental conditions health and safety legislation and practices Management of breeding colonies Appropriate breeding programmes determine oestrus breeding performances select suitable breeding stock health and safety legislation and practices The use of genetically altered animals in research Producing genetically altered animals the use and problems health and safety legislation and practices Scientific procedures Methods available for withdraw or administration substances procedures for animal surgery health and safety legislation and practices Ethics and laboratory animal facility legislation Moral responsibility of human working with animals legislation that governs the use of animals importance and implementation of Good Laboratory Practices health and safety legislation and practices Animal transportation Procedures for safe and legal transport of animals health and safety legislation and practices Animal cell biology Structure and function of cells tissues and organ systems use of microscopes structure of chromosomes their role in cells regulation cell division and inheritances methods of moving substances into and out of cells health and safety legislation and practices Laboratory animal physiology 106 Structure organisation and physiological function of the main body systems physiological importance and provision of appropriate nutrition to laboratory animals importance of homeostasis to laboratory animals how reproduction can be artificially manipulated sensitivity of laboratory animals to environmental stimuli examples of physiological changes that may occur during anaesthesia and changes could harm the animal examples of changes that may occur in the circulatory system during times of stress or ill health health and safety legislation and practices
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology Appendix 3 Resources pack overview for developing support staff training programme Subject Contents Equipment used Hygiene Introduction on hygiene and biocontainment Importance on good hygiene Hygiene definitions Learning activity 1 re entry of items from cleaning etc into a specific unit using appropriate methods PowerPoint presentation Resource Pack Bottle Bottle lids Cage Plastic igloo Food Nesting material Sawdust Cage label Printer paper Petri dish Dissection instrument Barrier Definitions of the barrier Learning activity 2 Brainstorming discussion Type of barrier What are their purpose How important is it to have the right barrier What types of barriers would you have clean dirty unit What are the consequences if a barrier breakdown Responsibilities of maintaining barrier PowerPoint presentation Resource Pack Flip Charts and pens Disease Definitions of disease Types of disease Learning Activity 3 Word search Explanation of the words in the word search PowerPoint presentation Resource Pack Word search Activity pens Health and Safety Introduction on Health and Safety Explanation of Laboratory Animal Allergy LAA Learning activity 4 Laboratory Animal Allergy fact sheet and Multi Choice Quiz Summary of Answers PowerPoint presentation and Resource Pack Situation Introduction on Situation Learning Activity 5 Brainstorming discussion and create action plan removed rack from the cage washer and the cages have not been cleaned properly Equipment from autoclave and you have noticed the autoclave tape strips have not turned black You have moved a pallet that contains diet and discovered evidence of wild rodent infestation Scraping cages and you notice a mouse has been left in a clean dirty unit you notice some diet has some mould and is infested with parasites moving hazardous waste bag and one of them splits PowerPoint presentation Resource Pack Flip Charts and pens Law Regulation Introduction on Animal Scientific Procedures Act 1986 Licenses and Named People Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Aims and duties Control of Substance of Hazard to Health 2002 Aims duties and form and identifying substances RIDDOR What needs reporting and how explanation on accidents reportable injuries occupational disease and dangerous occurrences Learning activity 6 Multi Choice Quiz Summary of Answer and Conclusion of the workshop and further reading PowerPoint presentation Resource Pack and pens 107
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology Appendix 4 Participants Information Sheet 1 Study Title Formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of Animal Science and Technology Identifying Training Needs for the Support Staff at The Francis Crick Institute 2 Invitation Paragraph You are being invited to take part in a pilot workshop study Before you decide it is important for you to understand why the pilot workshop is being done and what it will involve Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish Ask us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information Take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part 3 What is the purpose of the study The aim of the project is to identify the training needs of the support staff Information gained can be used to develop and implement an appropriate training programme I wanted a project that could help my peers and create opportunities for them and change perceptions of the support staff roles The duration of the study includes a 2 x 10 minute meeting and 2hr pilot workshop The first meetings involve explanation on what the project is about and requesting for volunteers to become participants for the pilot workshop The pilot workshop will run for two hours covering a variety of subjects that can be included in the formal training programme Second 10 minute meeting will be feedback session on how the workshop was perceived and what the outcome is 4 Why have I been chosen You were selected by your supervisor to attend a meeting in February 2016 asking for volunteers to attend as participants at a pilot workshop to identify training needs for the support staff and potentially construct a formal training programme for The Francis Crick Institute There were 33 participants invited to attend the pilot workshop with a result of 21 confirmed attending There would have been two reasons you would have been chosen to be part of this study A You are currently employed in the role as a support technician for the Biological Resource Facility BRF at The Francis Crick Institute With your existing knowledge and skills that you currently possess invaluable information that would help construct the training programme relevant to your role and career development or B You are currently employed in the roles as research officer or senior research scientist and you may be required to work in the services area in staff absences You may also have been given previous opportunities to attend other workshop or education programmes in your own field to offer information from your own knowledge and skill as to what could potentially could work in a training programme 5 Do I have to take part It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part If you do decide to take part you will be given this information sheet to keep and be asked to sign a consent form If you decide to take part you are still free to withdraw at any time and without giving a reason 6 What will happen to me if I take part The duration of the study includes a 2 x 10 minute meeting and 2 hours pilot workshop You will be required to complete two questionnaires one will be about prior learning knowledge and development and the other will be a feedback questionnaire on the experience of the workshop Also there will be a requirement of learner participation which involved individual and group work 7 What do I have to do You will be required to take part in six learning activities during the workshop that will involve discussion quiz and puzzles There will be no physical activities There will be no assessment of your performance during the workshop as this is an exploratory exercise to see which activities work best in the programme 8 What are the possible benefits of taking part We hope that participating in the study will help you We hope you can benefit from the learning objectives which can be applied in the work place 9 Will my taking part in this study be kept confidential All information that is collected about you during the course of the research will be kept strictly confidential Any information about you which is used will be removed so that you cannot be recognised from it 10 What will happen to the results of the research study The results will be used to evaluate and identify training needs for the support staff training programme This result will be presented to the Named Training and Competency Officer to possibly gain accreditation for the course If you are interested in the results please contact myself or Alan Palmer for further information 11 Who has reviewed the study The Middlesex University Institute for Work Based Learning Work Based Learning Studies Ethics sub Committee 12 Contact for further information 13 Email I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your input this will potentially contribute to developing a formal training qualification for support staff 108
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology Appendix 4 continued Participant Identification Number CONSENT FORM Title of Project Formal training for support staff Is it necessary in the industry of Animal Science and Technology Identifying training needs for the support staff at The Francis Crick Institute Name of Researcher 1 I confirm that I have read and understand the information sheet dated for the above study and have had the opportunity to ask questions 2 I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw at any time without giving any reason 3 I agree that this form bearing my name and signature may be seen by a designated auditor 4 I agree that my non identifiable research data may be stored at The Francis Crick Institute I am assured that the confidentiality of my data will be upheld through the removal of any personal identifiers 5 I understand that the workshop will be taped and photographed for evidence for the project 6 I agree to take part in the above study Name of participant Date Signature Name of person taking consent if different from researcher Date Signature Researcher Date Signature 1 copy for participant 1 copy for researcher 109
An inquiry into formal training for support staff is it necessary in the industry of animal science and technology Appendix 5 learner activity exercise word search Name Date DISEASE O X B Z L T F S G O Q MW U T H X T S T S H N O S Z S T A J RM B C N J WK F P T TYOE UXUV LZU LHO S DDA J YG J N A F D Y T A Z A T XWC H Z S O RUYO Z QNR N LN T P Z K Z V J V S O F S S J R R K G I U T S H EWT E B X T B J E I G X GM F K G U L J X C Z P S AN H S S Y B A O YY I A P S T D N F M R P X B I F LMV H J E L Q O X Y U H L I A L E O S I XK KR T DR L L I U P H P R I R R T K E F E LW S B O J F D P D S AOHE T RAN S P LAC ENTALY E S A S I N T E R ME D I A T E H O S T R I L B V R V Q Z VA I G F L B D O J H P T H ZNO TY S EVA I R E T CAB E R I Y MM R B W L A M R E D S N A R T X BE PMF AB F P OF J X F AGKCDC B S H Y P L N K P VV R H L D P YW P G EH L XBQYUG J XD I V I RU S E S DA J K A Z X U J N S MX Q T Z J CMO BACTERIA VIRUSES PARASITES ANIMALS VECTORS FOMITES INTERMEDIATE HOST ORAL RESPIRATORY TRANSDERMAL VENEREAL TRANSPLACENTAL ZOONOSES http www softschools com N B Other examples of material used in this project is available on request please contact ATW editor atw iat org uk 110
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare PAPER SUMMARY TRANSLATIONS INHALTVERZEICHNIS Bericht zur Tagung der RSPCA UFAW Tierschutzgruppe f r Nager und Kaninchen 2016 PENNY HAWKINS SECRETARY 1 ALISON McNEILLY 2 JEAN WILSON 3 ANDREW BROWN 4 CAROLINE KRALL 5 JENNIFER REES 6 SUZANNE ROGERS 7 STUART PEIRSON 8 MICHAEL WALKER 9 KATHERINE RYDER10 und HUW GOLLEDGE11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Research Animals Department Science Group RSPCA Wilberforce Way Southwater West Sussex RH13 9RS Division of Molecular and Clinical Medicine University of Dundee Nethergate Dundee DD1 4HN University of Glasgow Biological Services Veterinary Research Facility Garscube Estate Bearsden Road Glasgow G61 1QH Institute of Medical Sciences University of Aberdeen Foresterhill Aberdeen AB25 2ZD The Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies University of Edinburgh Easter Bush Campus Midlothian EH25 9RG Covance Laboratories Limited Otley Road Harrogate HG3 1PY Learning About Animals 6 Fern Cottages Abinger Hammer Dorking Surrey RH5 6SA Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences University of Oxford OX3 9DU Department of Animal and Poultry Science University of Guelph Guelph ON Kanada Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit PO Box 6779 Dundee DD1 9WW UFAW The Old School Brewhouse Hill Wheathampstead Hertfordshire AL4 8AN Korrespondenz pennyhawkins rspca org uk Abstract Die RSPCA UFAW Tierschutzgruppe f r Nager und jetzt auch Kaninchen veranstaltet seit 23 Jahren jeden Herbst ein eint giges Treffen bei dem die Mitglieder ber Themen aktueller Tierschutz Forschung diskutieren und Erfahrungen und Meinungen ber Tierschutzfragen sowie ber die Umsetzung der 3R Prinzipien Vermeiden Verringern Verbessern beim Einsatz von Nagern und Kaninchen austauschen k nnen Ein Hauptziel der Gruppe ist es zum Nachdenken ber die Gesamtheit der Lebenser fahrung von Nagern und Kaninchen als Labor versuchstiere anzuregen und sicherzustellen dass jede potenzielle Beeintr chtigung ihres Wohlbefindens gepr ft und auf ein Minimum gesenkt wird Die Pr sentationen besch ftigten sich mit folgenden Themen Verbesserungen der Blutentnahme bei Nagern Verringerung von Leiden bei Bestrahlungsprojekten Sehverm gen von Nagern Verbesserung und Verringerung durch Haltung gemischter Labormausst mme Austausch von Informationen ber gute Praxis Schmerzbeurteilung bei Kaninchen sowie M glichkeiten zur Erzielung von Verhaltens nderungen des Menschen im Interesse der Optimierung des Tierschutzes Zudem bot die Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit Abt Versuchstierregulierung des britischen Innenministeriums einige abschlie ende Stellungnahmen Dieser Bericht ist eine Zusammenfassung der Tagung und endet mit einer Liste von konkreten Ma nahmen die Lesern als Anregung in ihren jeweiligen Einrichtungen dienen k nnen Stichw rter Verbessern Tierschutz Nager Kaninchen Verringern 111
Paper Summary Translations Eine erhebung ber formale ausbildung f r pflege und betreuungspersonal ist sie in der tierforschungs und tiertechnik branche erforderlich DANIELLE COX Ancillary Unit School of Life Sciences University of Sussex Falmer East Sussex BN1 9RH Korrespondenz d e cox sussex ac uk Basierend auf einer BSc Projektarbeit Abstract In dieser Arbeit besch ftigen wir uns mit dem Mangel an Ausbildungsm glichkeiten am Arbeitsplatz f r Betreuungspersonal im Vergleich zu Tiertechnikern Tiertechniker profitieren seit den 1950er Jahren von einem ihrer Entwicklung dienenden Ausbildungsprogramm das von der Animal Technician Association dem heutigen Institute of Animal Technology IAT bereitgestellt wird Applebee 2003 1 In diesem Rahmen konnten und k nnen Tiertechniker ihre F higkeiten und Kenntnisse ausbauen und ihr Verhalten schulen Institute of Animal Technology 2015 2 w hrend es f r Betreuungspersonal nichts Vergleichbares gibt Einleitend diskutieren wir die verschiedenen Erw gungen die w hrend des Planungsprozesses zum Aufbau eines Schulungsprogramms ber cksichtigt werden wie Bed rfnisse Nutzen Motivation Ansatz und Mitwirkung der Teilnehmer Diese lieferten ein breiteres Verst ndnis ber das Projekt das in der Forschungsarbeit behandelt wird Diese Arbeit konzentriert sich auf Aktions und Umfrageforschungsmethoden unter Einbeziehung des am Francis Crick Institute besch ftigten Personals zwecks Erarbeitung einer Argumentation Mittels des Aktionsforschungszyklus evaluieren wir die einzelnen Phasen der Forschungsarbeit um den jeweiligen Nutzen durchg ngig festzustellen Die Umfrageforschungsmethode des Fragebogens dient der Erhebung dringend ben tigter Daten zu Herausforderungen und Objektivit t des Programms Anhand der gemischten Methode qualitativer und quantitativer Datenanalyse soll unter Einbeziehung der Teilnehmer Feedback gewonnen werden Dies dient als Basis zur Messung der Motivation des Betreuungspersonals zur Teilnahme an Schulungsprogrammen und zur Identifizierung der optimalen diesbez glichen Schulungs und Vermittlungsmethoden Unserer Meinung nach erzielt Schulung am Arbeitsplatz einen positiven Effekt indem Mitarbeiter zu hoher Leistungsbereitschaft motiviert werden und das Unternehmen in der Endkonsequenz profitiert Stichw rter Tiertechnik Schulung und Personalentwicklung 112
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare CONTENU DE LA REVUE Rapport 2016 de la r union de la RSPCA UFAW sur le bien tre des rongeurs et des lapins PENNY HAWKINS SECRETARY 1 ALISON McNEILLY 2 JEAN WILSON 3 ANDREW BROWN 4 CAROLINE KRALL 5 JENNIFER REES 6 SUZANNE ROGERS 7 STUART PEIRSON 8 MICHAEL WALKER 9 KATHERINE RYDER10 et HUW GOLLEDGE11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Research Animals Department Science Group RSPCA Wilberforce Way Southwater West Sussex RH13 9RS Division of Molecular and Clinical Medicine University of Dundee Nethergate Dundee DD1 4HN University of Glasgow Biological Services Veterinary Research Facility Garscube Estate Bearsden Road Glasgow G61 1QH Institute of Medical Sciences University of Aberdeen Foresterhill Aberdeen AB25 2ZD The Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies University of Edinburgh Easter Bush Campus Midlothian EH25 9RG Covance Laboratories Limited Otley Road Harrogate HG3 1PY Learning About Animals 6 Fern Cottages Abinger Hammer Dorking Surrey RH5 6SA Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences University of Oxford OX3 9DU Department of Animal and Poultry Science University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit PO Box 6779 Dundee DD1 9WW UFAW The Old School Brewhouse Hill Wheathampstead Hertfordshire AL4 8AN Correspondance pennyhawkins rspca org uk R sum Le groupe sur le bien tre des rongeurs et maintenant des lapins de la RSPCA UFAW tient depuis 23 ans une r union d une journ e chaque automne afin que ses membres puissent discuter de la recherche actuellement men e sur le bien tre animal changer leurs points de vue sur les questions du bien tre et partager leurs exp riences de mise en uvre des 3R remplacement r duction et raffinement l gard de l utilisation des rongeurs et des lapins Un des principaux objectifs du groupe consiste encourager les gens r fl chir sur l ensemble de l exp rience de vie des rongeurs et des lapins de laboratoire de fa on s assurer que tous les effets n gatifs possibles sur leur bien tre soient revus et minimis s Les th mes de la pr sentation comprenaient le pr l vement d chantillons de sang sur les rongeurs la r duction de la souffrance dans les projets impliquant l irradiation la vision chez les rongeurs le raffinement des exp riences et la r duction du nombre d animaux utilis s en ayant recours un h bergement de souris de souche mixte l change d informations sur les bonnes pratiques l valuation de la douleur chez les lapins et les fa ons de modifier les comportements humains afin d am liorer le bien tre des animaux Le Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit a galement fait part d observations finales Le pr sent rapport r sume la r union et se termine par une liste de mesures que les lecteurs peuvent proposer dans l tablissement dans lequel ils exercent Mots cl s Raffinement Bien tre Rongeurs Lapins R duction 113
Paper Summary Translations Enqu te sur la formation officielle du personnel de soutien Est elle n cessaire dans l industrie des sciences et de la technologie animales DANIELLE COX Ancillary Unit School of Life Sciences University of Sussex Falmer East Sussex BN1 9RH Correspondance d e cox sussex ac uk Bas sur un projet de m moire de ma trise Abstract Dans cet article nous d crivons le manque de possibilit s de formation fournies sur le lieu de travail au personnel de soutien par rapport aux techniciens animaliers Les techniciens animaliers b n ficient d un programme de formation depuis les ann es 1950 et ont volu sans cesse depuis Ce programme fourni par l Institute of Animal Technology IAT anciennement Animal Technician Association Applebee 2003 1 a encourag les techniciens d velopper leurs comp tences leurs connaissances et leurs attitudes Institute of Animal Technology 2015 2 mais il n existe aucune formation pour le personnel de soutien Nous commen ons par tudier les diff rents points en jeu pendant le processus de planification de l laboration d un programme de formation Cela comprend les besoins les avantages la motivation l approche et l engagement des participants qui a permis de mieux comprendre le projet mis en vidence dans la recherche Ce rapport met l accent sur l action et les m thodes de recherche par sondage en impliquant le personnel employ au Francis Crick Institute pour justifier la formation Nous utiliserons le cycle d action de recherche afin d valuer chaque tape de la recherche pour tablir les avantages tous niveaux La m thode de recherche par sondage l aide de questionnaires permettra d obtenir de pr cieuses informations sur les d fis et l objectivit du programme La m thode mixte d analyse de donn es qualitatives et quantitatives sera utilis e en impliquant les participants pour obtenir leurs avis Cela permettra d valuer la motivation du personnel de soutien pour participer des programmes de formation et d identifier les meilleures m thodes de prestation et de formation cet gard Nous estimons que la formation a un effet positif sur le lieu de travail qu elle incite le personnel effectuer un excellent travail et qu elle cr e donc des avantages pour la soci t Mots cl s Technologie animale formation et perfectionnement du personnel 114
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare INDICE DE LA REVISTA Informe sobre la reuni n del Grupo para el bienestar de los roedores y los conejos RSPCA UFAW de 2016 PENNY HAWKINS SECRETARY 1 ALISON McNEILLY 2 JEAN WILSON 3 ANDREW BROWN 4 CAROLINE KRALL 5 JENNIFER REES 6 SUZANNE ROGERS 7 STUART PEIRSON 8 MICHAEL WALKER 9 KATHERINE RYDER10 y HUW GOLLEDGE11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Research Animals Department Science Group RSPCA Wilberforce Way Southwater West Sussex RH13 9RS Division of Molecular and Clinical Medicine University of Dundee Nethergate Dundee DD1 4HN University of Glasgow Biological Services Veterinary Research Facility Garscube Estate Bearsden Road Glasgow G61 1QH Institute of Medical Sciences University of Aberdeen Foresterhill Aberdeen AB25 2ZD The Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies University of Edinburgh Easter Bush Campus Midlothian EH25 9RG Covance Laboratories Limited Otley Road Harrogate HG3 1PY Learning About Animals 6 Fern Cottages Abinger Hammer Dorking Surrey RH5 6SA Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences University of Oxford OX3 9DU Department of Animal and Poultry Science University of Guelph Guelph ON Canad Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit PO Box 6779 Dundee DD1 9WW UFAW The Old School Brewhouse Hill Wheathampstead Hertfordshire AL4 8AN Correspondencia pennyhawkins rspca org uk Resumen El Grupo para el bienestar de los roedores y ahora tambi n los conejos RSPCA UFAW ha celebrado una reuni n de un d a todos los oto os de los ltimos 23 a os para que sus miembros puedan entablar un debate acerca de la investigaci n actual sobre el bienestar intercambiar opiniones sobre temas relacionados con el bienestar de los roedores y compartir su experiencia respecto a la puesta en pr ctica de las 3R reemplazo reducci n y refinamiento en relaci n al uso de roedores y conejos Uno de los objetivos primordiales del Grupo es fomentar que las personas piensen sobre la experiencia vital de los roedores y conejos de laboratorio garantizando a su vez que cualquier repercusi n negativa posible en su bienestar sea revisada y reducida Los temas de la presentaci n inclu an los refinamientos de las muestras sangu neas de roedores la reducci n del sufrimiento en proyectos de radiaci n la visi n de los roedores el refinamiento y la reducci n a trav s del enjaulamiento mixto de distintas clases de ratones el intercambio de informaci n sobre buenas pr cticas la evaluaci n del dolor en conejos y las formas de conseguir un cambio en el comportamiento humano para mejorar el bienestar animal La Home Office Animals in Sciencie Regulation Unit tambi n ofreci comentarios concluyentes Este informe resume la reuni n y finaliza con una lista de puntos de acci n para que los lectores los presenten en sus propias instalaciones Palabras clave refinamiento bienestar roedores conejos reducci n 115
Paper Summary Translations Estudio para comprobar si es necesario ofrecer un programa de formaci n formal para el personal de respaldo del sector de la tecnolog a y ciencia animal DANIELLE COX Ancillary Unit School of Life Sciences University of Sussex Falmer East Sussex BN1 9RH Correspondance d e cox sussex ac uk Basado en un proyecto de fin de grado universitario Introduction En este estudio describimos la falta de oportunidades de formaci n para el personal de respaldo en comparaci n a la ofrecida a los t cnicos de animales Los t cnicos de animales se han beneficiado de un programa educativo desde los a os 50 y han avanzado desde entonces esta formaci n la proporcion la entonces llamada Animal Technician Association actualmente conocida como el Institute of Animal Technology IAT Applebee 2003 1 Esto ha animado a los t cnicos a desarrollar capacidades conocimiento y actitudes Institute of Animal Technology 2015 2 sin embargo no hay ning n programa educativo destinado al personal de respaldo Empezamos debatiendo sobre las distintas consideraciones que se hacen durante el proceso de planificaci n de un programa formativo Este incluye requisitos beneficios motivaci n m todo e involucraci n de participantes lo cual ofreci un mayor entendimiento del proyecto y se pone de manifiesto en la investigaci n Este estudio se centrar en la acci n y los m todos de investigaci n de encuesta mediante la participaci n del personal empleado en el Francis Crick Institute para obtener una base te rica Utilizando el ciclo de investigaci n en acci n evaluaremos cada fase de la investigaci n para determinar el beneficio general El m todo de investigaci n de encuesta mediante cuestionarios ayudar a obtener informaci n muy valiosa sobre los retos y la objetividad del programa El uso del m todo mixto de an lisis de datos cualitativo y cuantitativo ser empleado mediante la involucraci n de empleados para conocer su opini n Esto permitir medir la motivaci n del personal de respaldo a la hora de asistir a programas formativos y de identificar los mejores m todos de formaci n y realizaci n Nuestra recomendaci n es que la formaci n tenga un efecto positivo en el puesto de trabajo de forma que motive al empleado y este rinda bien lo cual a su vez beneficia a la empresa Palabras clave tecnolog a animal formaci n y desarrollo del personal 116
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare INDICE DELLA REVISTA Resoconto dell incontro del RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group del 2016 PENNY HAWKINS SECRETARY 1 ALISON McNEILLY 2 JEAN WILSON 3 ANDREW BROWN 4 CAROLINE KRALL 5 JENNIFER REES 6 SUZANNE ROGERS 7 STUART PEIRSON 8 MICHAEL WALKER 9 KATHERINE RYDER10 e HUW GOLLEDGE11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Research Animals Department Science Group RSPCA Wilberforce Way Southwater West Sussex RH13 9RS Regno Unito Division of Molecular and Clinical Medicine University of Dundee Nethergate Dundee DD1 4HN Regno Unito University of Glasgow Biological Services Veterinary Research Facility Garscube Estate Bearsden Road Glasgow G61 1QH Regno Unito Institute of Medical Sciences University of Aberdeen Foresterhill Aberdeen AB25 2ZD Regno Unito The Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies University of Edinburgh Easter Bush Campus Midlothian EH25 9RG Regno Unito Covance Laboratories Limited Otley Road Harrogate HG3 1PY Regno Unito Learning About Animals 6 Fern Cottages Abinger Hammer Dorking Surrey RH5 6SA Regno Unito Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences University of Oxford OX3 9DU Regno Unito Department of Animal and Poultry Science University of Guelph Guelph ON Canada Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit PO Box 6779 Dundee DD1 9WW Regno Unito UFAW The Old School Brewhouse Hill Wheathampstead Hertfordshire AL4 8AN Regno Unito Corrispondenza pennyhawkins rspca org uk Abstract Ogni autunno da ormai 23 anni il RSPCA UFAW Rodent and Rabbit Welfare Group Gruppo sul benessere dei roditori e ora anche dei conigli organizza un incontro di un giorno per consentire ai suoi membri di discutere degli studi attuali di ricerca sul benessere di scambiarsi opinioni sulle questioni legate al benessere e di condividere esperienze di applicazione del principio delle 3R sostituzione replacement riduzione reduction e perfezionamento refinement in relazione all uso di roditori e conigli Uno degli obiettivi primari del Gruppo quello di invitare a prendere in considerazione l intero percorso di vita dei roditori e dei conigli da laboratorio accertandosi che venga valutato e minimizzato ogni possibile impatto negativo sul loro benessere Gli argomenti trattati hanno incluso perfezionamento della raccolta dei campioni di sangue nei roditori riduzione delle sofferenze in progetti che richiedono l irradazione vista dei roditori perfezionamento e riduzione tramite la stabulazione di topi a ceppo misto condivisione di dati sulle migliori prassi valutazione del dolore nei conigli e metodi che influenzino il cambio di comportamento umano per favorire un miglior benessere animale intervenuta con alcuni commenti finali anche l Animals in Science Regulation Unit del Ministero dell Interno britannico Il presente resoconto riassume l incontro e termina con un elenco di punti di intervento che i lettori possono portare all attenzione delle loro strutture Parole chiave perfezionamento benessere roditori conigli riduzione 117
Paper Summary Translations Indagine sulla formazione professionale del personale di supporto necessaria nel settore delle scienze e tecnologie zootecniche DANIELLE COX Ancillary Unit School of Life Sciences University of Sussex Falmer East Sussex BN1 9RH Corrispondenza d e cox sussex ac uk Basata sulla tesi di una Laurea in discipline scientifiche BSc Introduction Questo articolo esplora l assenza di opportunit di formazione per il personale di supporto sul posto di lavoro rispetto a quelle offerte agli stabularisti Questi ultimi sono beneficiari di un programma didattico sin dagli anni 50 fornito dalla Animal Technician Association ora nota come Institute of Animal Technology IAT che ha permesso loro di evolversi Applebee 2003 1 stimolandoli a sviluppare le loro competenze conoscenze e atteggiamenti Institute of Animal Technology 2015 2 Il contrario invece vale per il personale di supporto per cui tale opportunit inesistente Vengono discusse in primis le varie considerazioni relative alla pianificazione e ideazione di un programma di formazione vale a dire esigenze benefici motivazione approccio e coinvolgimento dei partecipanti che hanno favorito una migliore comprensione del progetto evidenziata nella ricerca Questo articolo porr l accento sui metodi di ricerca improntati su azioni e sondaggi interagendo con il personale del Francis Crick Institute al fine di individuare dei presupposti logici Mediante il ciclo di ricerca azione si proceder alla valutazione di ogni fase della ricerca per stabilire i benefici generali I questionari dei sondaggi invece permetteranno di ottenere informazioni preziose sulle sfide e sull obiettivit del programma Si far ricorso a un analisi combinata di dati qualitativi e quantitativi coinvolgendo i partecipanti a fornire il loro feedback In tal modo si potr misurare il livello di motivazione del personale alla partecipazione ai programmi di formazione in modo da identificare il training e i metodi di esecuzione pi appropriati Siamo convinti che la formazione abbia un effetto positivo sull ambiente di lavoro che motiva il dipendente a fare del suo meglio avvantaggiando quindi la societ per cui lavora Parole chiave tecnologie zootecniche formazione e sviluppo del personale 118
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare TECH 2 TECH Haven t the time to write a paper but want to get something published Then read on This section offers readers the opportunity to submit informal contributions about any aspects of animal technology Comments observations descriptions of new or refined techniques new products or equipment old products or equipment adapted to new use any subject that may be useful to technicians in other institutions Submissions can be presented as technical notes and do not need to be structured and can be as short or as long as is necessary Accompanying illustrations and or photos should be high resolution NB Descriptions of new products or equipment submitted by manufacturers are welcome but should be a factual account of the product However the Editorial Board gives no warranty as to the accuracy or fitness for purpose of the product How can we use the science of human behaviour change to improve animal welfare of research animals SUZANNE ROGERS Learning about Animals 6 Fern Cottages Abinger Hammer Dorking Surrey RH5 6SA Correspondence info hbcanimalwelfare com Based on a platform presentation at Congress 2017 Introduction Improving the welfare of research animals is not only important for the animals involved but also generates better science Enrichment humane handling and welfare friendly husbandry skills can minimise stress when they are implemented However encouraging the take up of some refinements for improved welfare changing the behaviour of scientists and technologists to do so is often challenging This article explores how applying the science of behaviour change could help to increase the take up of welfare friendly practices in research and is based on the content of a workshop delivered at Institute of Animal Technology IAT Congress 2017 Most of us have tried to change our behaviour at some point in our lives whether striving to eat more healthily exercise more or stop smoking We usually have the knowledge required for example we know that eating five portions of fruit and vegetables is advised We understand the benefits of changing for example losing weight might help us to avoid certain diseases and health issues However despite having the knowledge and understanding the benefits changing our behaviour is difficult and yet when it comes to animal welfare we often believe that if we educate people and show them why change is beneficial they will change the way they handle animals It is very unlikely that education alone will be enough to drive sustained behaviour change but we can apply findings from the science of behaviour change to fill the gap between knowing and doing 119
Tech 2 Tech The understanding of why people do what they do do not do what you would like them to and more often than not do not change their behaviour is the holy grail of anyone with something to sell a campaign to promote or a desire to improve the world For this reason behaviour change has been studied by experts in marketing psychology development and health and education programmes understanding human behaviour is important for anyone with an interest in helping the world to be a better place for humans or animals Here we explore the science of behaviour change in four areas or pillars the process of change the psychology of change the environment for change and ownership of change The process of change There are many useful theories and models regarding the processes of change for example theory of change1 considers what is needed for change by identifying causes to each milestone It is a process used to create a strategy and can also be done retrospectively to understand how change happened This approach is becoming used increasingly in strategic planning of animal welfare projects The transtheoretical model 2 outlines stages of change in individuals through five stages pre contemplation contemplation preparation action and maintenance The behaviour change wheel 3 provides a framework for planning to introduce change An appreciation of the process of change is useful in ensuring your audience is ready for your planned intervention The psychology of change Our decisions are often not as autonomous as we might think we are greatly influenced by factors including other people our past and our environment Furthermore we are likely to take on information that already matches to our previously held beliefs and reject other new information known as confirmation bias 4 Understanding what factors affect learning motivation our ability to persuade and influence others and other key elements of psychology is key for effective communication and engagement Creating an environment to change Imagine a rider on an elephant the rider represents the logical cognitive element in decision making and change the elephant represents the much more influential emotional side The influence of emotions in behaviour change is greatly underestimated but even if the rider and elephant agree which direction to take the journey will not be effective unless a path is defined This analogy5 highlights the importance of ensuring we create an enabling environment set up the 120 things needed for change and support people through change How do you facilitate change break down barriers create social trends and encourage new dialogue that becomes the norm Social marketing is the main discipline to look to for the answers Well used in the health and environmental sectors social marketing identifies barriers to change proposes solutions works to enable change by providing a suitable environment and uses concepts from group psychology to drive social change Social marketing is mostly relevant for mass change but can also be used on a smaller scale to encourage take up and spread of ideas Ownership of change There is a saying Tell me and I forget show me and I remember involve me and I truly understand which perfectly illustrates this pillar of change People need to truly appreciate the relevance of the desired behaviour change to them for change to happen If we understand that people learn and change if they are not told what to do through resources or typical top down educational outreach not just shown what to do through demonstration but are truly involved in the process of change we can facilitate that change This process involves enabling people to explore issues and come up with solutions themselves rather than train them to implement a preconceived solution Positive deviance also comes under this pillar an approach based on the observation that even though most individuals or groups in a community usually have access to the same resources or face similar challenges some find better solutions than others By looking for examples of success the bright spots in our industry team or in the attitude of someone we are trying to engage with we can build on that Moving forward These pillars reflect some of the concepts that underpin what is included in the study of human behaviour change there are many alternative ways they could be categorised and there is considerable overlap An understanding of the relationship between behaviour change of individuals and how that translates to increasing the dissemination of information and change throughout a community team or organisation is vital in planning and adapting projects that rely on the spread of best practices The Human Behaviour Change for Animals HBCA project6 aims to build the capacity of those working to improve animal welfare by developing understanding of the key principles of human behaviour change and how to apply them
Tech 2 Tech References 1 2 3 4 5 6 Weiss Carol 1995 Nothing as Practical as Good Theor y Exploring Theor y Based Evaluation for Comprehensive Community Initiatives for Children and Families in New Approaches to Evaluating Community Initiatives Aspen Institute Prochaska J O et al 2008 Initial efficacy of MI TTM tailoring and HRI s with multiple behaviors for employee health promotion Prev Med Mar 46 3 226 231 Michie S van Stralen M M and West R 2011 The behaviour change wheel A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions Implement Sci 6 42 Published online 2011 Apr 23 doi 10 1186 1748 5908 6 42 Nickerson R S 1998 Confirmation Bias A Ubiquitous Phenomenon in Many Guises Review of General Psychology 2 2 175 220 doi 10 1037 10892680 2 2 175 Heath D and Heath C 2010 Switch How to Change Things When Change Is Hard Cornerstone Digital Human Behaviour Change for Animals www hbcanimalwelfare com Accessed 25th March 2017 121
Animal Technology and Welfare August 2017 The Apprenticeship Scheme what it all means RYAN CINI Imperial College Exhibition Road Kensington London SW7 2AZ Correspondence ryancini imperial ac uk Based on a presentation at the West Middlesex Branch Young Technicians Day What this presentation covers G G G G G G G what is an apprenticeship how I began mine my experience how an apprentice can help your company and vice versa where do you go at the end acknowledgements questions What is an apprenticeship Working and Training A job where you acquire recognised qualifications and essential skills whilst earning a wage Three types of Apprenticeships Foundation Apprenticeship Apprenticeship and Higher Apprenticeship Usually backed up by an educational institute and partially funded by the government Apprenticeships can be found in almost every working sector in the country with over 500 000 starting last year alone and are still on the rise How I began mine G G G looking for the Apprenticeship a desire to work with animals within science how I found it Government Apprenticeship website application process fill out a question sheet about ourselves The interview process phone call from the college provider Cambridge Regional College G invitation to an Open Day at Imperial College G open day gave the opportunity to ask questions about the job G some of us were invited for another interview at the end of summer G the same day we received the good news that we had been successful in getting the job G 122 My experience Starting at Imperial the introductions to the job and the Apprenticeship work Moving around the diversity within one establishment both with work and people The Events Institute of Animal Technology IAT Congress National Centre for the 3Rs NC3Rs Symposiums and many others Developing my Personal and Professional Skills through education and encouragement Poster for Congress Tank Trial for the Imperial EEC the EEC is the Environmental Enrichment Committee created and run by technologists from all campuses and units in Imperial This monitors and acknowledges the use of Enrichment and how it can affect the animals and the research The committee also includes 3Rs and AAALAC representatives School visits with Imperial Outreach and Understanding Animal Research UAR Developing my personal and professional skills through education and encouragement poster for congress tank trial for the Imperial EEC the school visits with Imperial Outreach and UAR The Company G training them from the bottom up G guarantee for a skilled worker G young bright and enthusiastic minds bringing something new to your company G drive in the workforce
Tech 2 Tech The Apprentice G learn skills they did not previously have G experience new things and meet new people character building G access to a new sector of work starting their career G inspire and prosper encourage them to achieve Where do you go at the end As an apprentice you can go to G a new career path G other career paths G further apprenticeship work G further education University or College Acknowledgements 123
Animal Technology and Welfare August 2017 Cooked food for non human primates a discussion by the Laboratory Animal Refinement Enrichment Forum AMANDA CARLSON 1 CAREY ALLEN 2 EVELYN SKOUMBOURDIS 3 LUIS FERNANDEZ 4 MARCIE DONNELLY 5 MICHELE CUNNEEN 6 MISTY WILLIAMS FRITZE 7 NATASHA DOWN 8 POLLY SCHULTZ 9 RENEE GAINER10 and VIKTOR REINHARDT11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Abbvie Comparative Medicine 1 N Waukegan Rd AP13 North Chicago IL 60064 USA carolyn allen abbvie com Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia PA 19107 USA Bioculture Group PO Box 420 Glenmoore PA 19343 USA Marcie donnelly bms com Animal Research Consulting LLC 841 Worcester Rd 325 Natick MA 01760 USA CBSET Inc 500 Shire Way Lexington MA 02421 USA flowerhope77 hotmail com OPR Coastal Primate Sanctuary 717 Harmony Dr Longview WA 98632 USA 1720 2nd Avenue South Birmingham AL 35294 USA 6014 Palmer Drive Weed CA 96094 USA Correspondence awiviktor yahoo com A Transcript of a Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum LAREF discussion Do any of you give cooked food like pasta potatoes or vegetables to non human primates What s your experience Do the animals benefit from cooked food do they like it does it affect their health in any way Do you add anything to the cooked food for example a sauce or spices Down We have about 170 cynomolgus and 4 rhesus monkeys and we give them cooked food about once a month on a day when we can find some extra time we do have a slow cooker in our kitchen which helps a lot Our animals get cooked rice cooked pasta cooked vegetables instant mashed potatoes and even cooked oatmeal raisin cookies We give them melted marshmallows on top of sweet potato for the holidays They love it Carlson Normally we do not offer cooked food to our primates 124 however if an animal persistently refuses to eat fresh produce we will cook it to make it softer this always helps Gainer While most of their diet is raw we have supplemented cooked foods to our macaques for about 20 years without any adverse effects We do this in order to introduce some change in the relatively monotonous daily food ration that our animals get We will steam carrots yams red potatoes and other vegetables as part of their meal Sometimes to really spice it up I will prepare twice baked potatoes ala everything my own recipe I bake the potatoes let them cool a bit cut them in half lengthwise and scrape most of the content into a dish I add miscellaneous ingredients maybe a little shredded carrot and a few raisins and or raw almonds and bits of raw broccoli and mix it all together Then I spoon the mixture back into the scraped out potato halves and give one half to each monkey Our animals really love it Schultz I once offered hard boiled eggs to macaques Some animals were scared of the eggs and others seemed to
Tech 2 Tech enjoy dropping them to hear the shell crack on the cage floor and then carefully picking the pieces off and eating them Williams Fritze tried any type of meat for our monkeys Allen They love it They pull the meat apart shred it and eat it with gusto It is important to give them small amounts as they will go off their standard food for it By the way in the wild non human primates do get small amounts of opportunistic meat so it is not something unnatural for them Cunneen When we were originally developing our dietary plan for our primates we reviewed research findings pertaining to their eating habits in the wild This research was inspired partly by the fact that I read on a bag of commercial chow that the biscuits are 100 nutritionally complete for all primate species How could that possibly be Spider monkeys for example are frugivores fruit eaters while macaques are omnivores How can standard chow contain sufficient species adequate nutrients for two species that are so very different We star ted exploring the ingredients in various commercial chows and found that their nutritional values varied quite a bit We had choices to make and supplemented the chow as needed Photo Mark Dumont Flickr Creative Commons Our macaques are sometimes given boiled eggs for enrichment purposes At first they were afraid of the eggs which they had never seen before However it did not take a long time before they explored them and learned that they were edible Most of the animals liked to eat the eggs some cracked them by throwing them on the floor others squeezed them apart with the hands Once the eggs were open some monkeys ate them right away egg and shell together others ate only the soft egg material after picking it off the hard shell Since we have no stove on site where we can boil eggs employees do it at home and bring them to work We care for approximately 200 animals and want to make sure that each one of them gets her his egg we organise a boiled egg party only occasionally as a special treat for the animals I have never tried to give our macaques cooked pasta because I envision that this would create a big mess but I can tell you they love uncooked pasta it is so much fun for them to crunch it Never had a monkey turn it down Donnelly We offer our Capuchin monkeys an occasional piece of steamed chicken Cunneen Ooh Chicken For NHPs Do they like it I have never In the wild Old World and some New World non human primates eat occasional meat in the form of fish crabs birds bird eggs small rodents and insects as part of their normal diet So we try to offer a natural protein such as meal worms hard boiled eggs crickets and a little bit of cooked chicken or turkey a few times each month Most of our macaques aren t really interested in the cooked chicken turkey but they love insects Cooked chicken turkey meat just lies there in the food dish without crawling hopping or flying away how much fun is that I think the monkeys find cooked meat pretty weird hence not at all appetising While most of our macaques readily hunt and consume insects we have observed only two who have chased and caught small wild birds who happened to fly through their outdoor enclosures They plucked the feathers and ate only the breast meat I was told eating the entrails could pose a concern I think in those isolated cases the macaques kind of played with the birds and accidentally tasted their toy as they were subduing it with their teeth Realising they enjoyed the taste they had a meal I am just guessing here food or foe On occasion especially in the summer months we see small snakes slither into outdoor monkey habitats Everybody including me runs for cover screaming alarm calls and warning all of their cousins me too EEkkkk it s a snake As they shudder and huddle together for safety Justin a large male cynomolgus stands his ground and looks pleased interested and entertained He boldly jumps on the snake and quickly 125
Tech 2 Tech subdues it He plays with it for quite a while as his cousins watch from a distance and then he EATS it Yuuuuuccckkkkk Schultz I have given raw yes raw eggs to several hundred cynomolgus and rhesus without any adverse effects and truly believe that raw eggs like mealworms wax worms crickets and other insects you also mentioned provide perfect food enrichment It is amazing and amusing to watch macaques exploring a raw egg for the first time Instinct tells them how to handle this treasure Some use a canine tooth to carefully poke a hole into the shell and then drink the contents some crack the egg lightly enough to open it perfectly and then first lap the yolk and then the runny yet tasty whites others shove the whole thing in their mouth crunch down and savour it a few get so excited that they drop the egg but they will lick up every last droplet of the splattered treat In their natural habitat raw eggs are a highly valued source of protein for nonhuman primates around smacked about sniffed and looked at as if they were covered in bitter herbs Skoumbourdis When we have macaques who cannot eat biscuits well because of dental problems primarily older animals we give them a variety of soft food stuff which includes a hard boiled egg daily Our animals eat the boiled eggs without any issues Fernandez I have witnessed how wild monkeys stole hard boiled eggs from our breakfast table and ate their treasure with great gusto and no signs of guilt It was so funny to watch the scene that I did not chase the bandits away but allowed them to finish all the eggs that were in the bowl they had a great time Reinhardt Photo Lisa and Alec Flickr Creative Commons Photo Cosimo Roams Flickr Creative Commons I did considerable research regarding the safety of raw egg consumption for cynomolgus and rhesus and came to the conclusion that the health risk is miniscule especially since most commercially available eggs are ultra pasteurised and our animals are not artificially immunocompromised Allen It is also my experience Raw eggs are a favourite of non human primates I have never seen a monkey turn a raw egg down However I have found hard boiled eggs are not as readily accepted They get rolled 126 We had some very ill cynomolgus a couple of years back and they would not eat much of any food I suggested we try feeding them raw eggs but there was great concern in regard to the mess that would be made so providing them was initially frowned upon heavily Then one weekend I snuck in some raw eggs and fed them ad nauseam Those little guys went crazy and consumed the raw eggs whole Everyone was quite surprised how much more energetic they were on Monday I was then allowed to make meatballs using crumbled chow and raw eggs Initially I made them like human meatballs cracking in the egg and discarding the shells they did not go over as well as I had hoped Then I just crushed the whole egg shell and all into the chow and it was like magic It is now part of my arsenal for primate critical care Skoumbourdis
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare POSTER PRESENTATIONS Originally presented at IAT Congress 2017 Ultrasonic vocalisation as a measure of positive welfare in rats TIMOTHY JONES 1 MICHAEL ROBINSON 1 MATTHEW LEACH2 and BELINDA FARNFIELD1 1 2 Dstl Porton Down Salisbury Wiltshire SP4 0JG Centre for Behaviour and Evolution Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU Correspondence tjjones dstl gov uk Based on an Andrew Blake Tribute Award entry and poster displayed at IAT Congress 2017 Introduction Rats are a widely used laboratory species in research Studies of animal welfare in laboratory animals have historically relied on the measurement of negative indicators rather than the assessment of positive indicators of welfare Practical methods of welfare assessment are required to allow refinement of housing and experimental protocols Ultrasonic vocalisation USV can be used as a measure of positive and negative emotional state This poster compares the production of USV in the frequency range associated with positive emotional state in rats 50 kHz within 2 different cage types and considers the utility of USV recording as a welfare indicator assessing both its practicality and effectiveness Two sets of USV were recorded in the PM dark phase of day 1 and AM light phase of day 2 Baseline and again in the PM of day 13 and AM of day 14 Final Test Recorded USV were visualised as a spectrogram and USV within the range of 35 70 kHz duration less than 100 ms and bandwidth less than 8 kHz were counted manually Data were analysed using a general linear regression model assessing Time Baseline and Method 48 male Porton Wistar rats aged 6 weeks of age were assigned to 12 groups of 4 rats 6 groups were assigned to the Standard Cage NKP polypropylene cage 56 0 x 38 0 x 22 0 cm and 6 groups were assigned to the Enriched Cage 51 5 x 122 0 x 80 0 cm for 14 days USV were recorded using Batsound software Pettersson Electronic and analysed using Audacity 2 0 4 Audacity open source download Figure 1 Standard cage 127
Poster Presentations Final and Condition Enriched and Standard Cage individually and together time in the Enriched Cage but not the Standard Cage For PM USV there was a significant increase in USV with time in both cage types and a significant increase in USV at Final Test in the Enriched Cage compared to the Standard Cage Figure 2 Rat in Enriched Cage Figure 5 USV total count recordings in Enriched and Standard cage at baseline and two weeks later at final test Figure 3 Enriched Cage with USV microphone set up Figure 4 Screenshot from a demonstrating 50 kHz vocalisations spectrogram Results Increased amounts of positive ultrasound vocalisations 50 kHz were recorded in the rats housed within the Enriched Cage Data shown as median with interquartile range vertical lines show maximum and minimum less outliers indicated by black dot Analysis of USV Total Count AM and PM together left graph showed a significant increase in USV with time in the Enriched Cage p
Poster Presentations Discussion These data suppor t our original hypothesis that offering rats the Enriched Cage would have a positive effect on their wellbeing and result in increased USV at the 50 kHz frequency Compared to the Standard Cage the human observer can see that the Enriched cage is subjectively better Similarly these data provide objective evidence that the increased space and enrichment provide something meaningful to the rats PM data collected in the dark phase were the most useful consistent with rats being a nocturnal species The reduction in AM USV with time in the Enriched Cage is possibly due to rats becoming more clearly nocturnal in the Enriched Cage with rats showing increased USV alongside increased locomotion activity and play in the PM dark phase then resting more in secluded areas such as the pipes in the AM light phase 3Rs impact This is a practical and effective method for assessing a positive indicator of well being where most other methods focus on negative behaviours or problems displayed by animals USV data can potentially be used to determine emotional state of rats in use on other regulated procedures for example to objectively measure the effect of refinements to procedures and or inform decisions on husbandry care and housing 129
Animal Technology and Welfare August 2017 Rabbits housed in pens do they have an enrichment preference MARK DAVENPORT SAMANTHA LEVENT and RUTH STORER Envigo Hillcrest Dodgeford Lane Belton Loughborough Leicestershire LE12 9TE Correspondence val summers envigo com Winner of IAT Congress 2017 Best Poster Award sponsored by LBS serving Biotechnology Ltd Abstract This poster is based on observed preferences of rabbits offered different enrichment types disposable and non disposable in a floor pen arrangement Since the antibody production facility at Envigo RMS opened in 2015 we have been offering our rabbits a variety of disposable and non disposable enrichment There is a perception that our rabbits have a preference for certain enrichments but have no data to support this This study was designed to provide clear evidence of preference which has enabled us to tailor an enrichment rota Observations were recorded for ten minutes after resetting the position of the enrichment in the mornings and afternoons over five days for each trial these included movement socialisation and signs of use and or replacement Introduction As part of Envigo s drive to promote the 3Rs and its commitment to provide the best animal welfare housing conditions and enrichment Antibody Production s standard approach from the outset has been to house rabbits in social groups of up to 20 in floor pens thus dramatically limiting the use of conventional caging A variety of enrichment products have been routinely offered amongst our care staff there is a perception that our rabbits may have a preference for enrichments This study will identify any preferences that need to be taken into consideration when tailoring a routine enrichment rota Figure 1 Standard rabbit pen Project plan and methodology Three pens of 20 female rabbits were used for this study at three months of age Four disposable and two non disposable enrichment types were chosen to trial The enrichment was selected at random when the facility was set up Enrichment type was changed weekly and featured only one type at a time Each trial offered four pieces of the single enrichment to each pen Photographs were taken at the start of each trial and daily immediately prior to resetting the position of the enrichment 130 Figure 2 Disposable enrichment
Poster Presentations Tray liners which were easily destroyed created interaction by more rabbits than any other enrichment type Figure 3 Non disposable enrichment Results All four pieces of enrichment offered were moved in all pens on all days observed Figure 4 Movement of enrichment Figures 6 and 7 Rabbits interacting with disposable enrichment box destruction in progress Figure 5 Interaction with enrichment All enrichment types offered were interacted with throughout the study Interaction with the enrichment was mostly social with groups of rabbits getting involved Cardboard tubes boxes and tray liners tended to be used destructively Figure 8 Rabbits interacting with non disposable enrichment 131
Poster Presentations References 1 2 Figure 9 Rabbits interacting with non disposable enrichment Jumping jacks dumbbells and wooden blocks tended to be used for scent marking i e chin rubbing this generally involved less rabbits Jumping jacks were the least interacted with enrichment type Discussion and conclusion All enrichment types offered were used The enrichment types were observed as being used either for destruction or scent marking Initial interaction with the enrichment after resetting its position appeared to be stimulated by one or two rabbits out of the group moving forward to explore which then raised the interest of their pen mates Tray liners seemed to be the most enjoyed with multiple groups of rabbits getting involved with their destruction this was thought likely to be related to the enrichment only being in the pen for a short while and changeable i e quickly destroyed We have now implemented a rota for offering all trialled enrichment types These will be changed on a weekly basis however we have also implemented the process of re positioning the enrichment daily during the animal care activities to maintain the rabbits interest What s next Continue to trial different enrichment types including varieties that make a noise edible ones and various combinations Investigate if there is a difference in preference of enrichment between rabbits housed in pens and rabbits housed in cages 132 Zoltan Princz et al 2008 Behaviour of growing rabbits under various housing conditions Applied Animal Behaviour Science Vol 111 Issues 3 4 June 2008 Marina Verga Fabio Luzi and Carrado Carenzi 2007 Effects of husbandry and management systems on the physiology and behaviour of farmed laboratory rabbits Hormones and Behaviour Vol 52 Issue 1 June 2007
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare Rodent cage compliance both challenging and beneficial CHRISTIAN WHITE Envigo Shaw s Farm Station Road Blackthorn Bicester Oxfordshire OX25 1TP Correspondence val summers envigo com Abstract Compliance with section two of the ASPA Code of Practice became mandatory on 1st January 2017 Operating a full barrier and maintaining large scale rodent breeding and supply programmes while meeting the required changes in cage sizes occupancy presented challenges but also created opportunities to further develop our animal welfare This poster will outline the project discussing the processes put in place in order to achieve compliance maintain facility integrity while minimising the impact on our operations We will discuss the benefits not only to animal welfare but also for the staff caring for our animals as a result of this project Introduction While the changes in the law mandated that we needed to change primarily our rat cages to become compliant with the new legislation we took the opportunity to refurbish the barrier along with some other improvements which have had a big impact on our animals and staff This was not simply a case of ordering some new cages and painting the rooms as this is a live barrier We had to think very carefully about how we could achieve this as we did not want to adversely affect welfare biosecurity or our supply capabilities This poster will outline the systems we employed to achieve this project We reviewed and evaluated an automatic watering system with drinker access external to the cages We reviewed all breeding strategies and reduced colony sizes where appropriate to allow us to empty one room Five animal rooms in the barrier with one empty room allowed us to work on one room at a time Once a room was emptied and refurbished we could fit the new water system racking and caging this was then repeated for all Observations and benefits Following the introduction of new breeding strategies and cage selection we moved from harem breeding to one to one breeding monogamous pairs This reduced the number of animals used but maintained our supply numbers The larger cages have allowed us to improve the size of the enrichment used for our rats which are now the guinea pig enrichment houses We moved from polypropylene opaque to polycarbonate clear caging This has had a positive effect on the animals behaviour as they are not as startled by human presence due to them being able to observe us moving around through all sides of the cage In addition the animals have more visibility of other animals around them Project plan A project team was selected consisting of representatives from the production and management teams engineering and veterinary sciences Measurements of the rooms and layouts were produced Caging density calculations were carried out in order to determine what our capacity could potentially be Meetings with caging providers were arranged to discuss product choices then the project was put out to tender The project was won by a manufacturer and plans were submitted Figure 1 133
Poster Presentations Figure 2 Figure 5 Side view of rats in new caging New racking is mobile making it much easier to be moved around by the staff This makes cleaning easier and allows it to create larger working areas between the racking Figure 3 Rat enjoying guinea pig size enrichment Figure 6 New caging in situ Figure 4 Dam and litter utilising enrichment for nest building The clear caging allows better visibility of the animals This has helped the staff with their welfare checks and has improved welfare for the animals by reducing the amount of times the animals are disturbed by removing the cages from the racking 134 The new external watering system is quick release aiding the movement of racking Another improvement to animal welfare is the external automatic watering system that eliminates flooding and the larger cage size allows us to move the enrichment further away from the drinking nozzle
Poster Presentations We have gone from having three different cage sizes for rats and three for mice down to one cage type for each allowing for easier storage and optimised utilisation Figure 7 External water pipeline Figure 10 Old style rat caging showing poor visibility Figure 8 Position of external automatic water valve Figure 11 Improved visibility for both staff and animals of new caging Conclusion and future plans Figure 9 Rat using water valve The new caging has all but eliminated overnight animal escapes We have seen an improvement in the ability to monitor diet levels and food consumption When this project started it was initially due to the changes in the legislation but we quickly realised we could achieve so much more than just becoming compliant We have seen a whole host of benefits that have led to improved welfare for our animals and our staff These improvements have allowed us to reduce the number of breeding animals while maintaining supply We intend to measure additional parameters such as litter size weaning success rates and growth profiles to quantify these welfare benefits We are also working to harmonise our caging sizes materials makes across all our European breeding facilities to allow greater flexibility across our business and ensure all animals at Envigo benefit from these improvements 135
Animal Technology and Welfare August 2017 Introducing best practice for breeding rabbits EMMA BIRT Envigo Hillcrest Dodgeford Lane Belton Loughborough Leicestershire LE12 9TE Correspondence val summers envigo com Abstract Envigo s rabbits have always been in high demand and our breeding colony is well established Since the revised Home Office Code of Practice was first published we have been planning and introducing rabbit housing that fully complies with the caging changes while utilising this opportunity to review our procedures and establish best practice for rabbit breeding and supply Any changes had to be carefully considered and evaluated before being introduced to ensure the initiatives were beneficial and did not adversely affect breeding or supply This poster discusses the welfare enhancements that we were able to successfully put in place for our littering rabbits Introduction During the planning and implementation of our caging upgrade project in our rabbit breeding facility ideas were suggested on how we could improve the welfare for our breeding colony One idea that was put forward was the introduction of a nest plate which replaces the tray liners Figure 2 Tray liners 10 21 days The reason for this is to remove the nesting material and all waste products produced by the doe littering down and although this has been a successful system we felt improvements could be gained from implementing the new nest plate Some drawbacks with the current system is the pups being able to wander away from the litter which can cause them to get cold and also the doe can possibly harm them when she is moving around the cage The main benefits to the nest plate will keep all the animals together and keep them safer Project plan The idea was put forward to the management team Figure 1 Nest box 1 10 days A nest box is traditionally placed in with the pregnant doe up to a week before she is due to litter This then stays in the cage for ten days post littering Currently at this point the whole cage is changed for a new clean cage and the nest box is removed and replaced with a tray with several tray liners 136 Figure 3 Stock board
Poster Presentations which was discussed at length This team consisted of the unit group leaders supervisors and the Named Veterinary Surgeon NVS Initial designs for the nest plate were sketched out and a company was approached to build a prototype based on these designs The prototype was then created using stock board There were several reasons for the use of stock board G G G G G G Observations Litters were kept together as nest plate prevents pups from wandering around the whole cage Thermal qualities improved for the litter as constructed from stock board and the litters are kept together We took temperature readings from within the litters from the current tray liner system and then from the new nest plates hard wearing easily cleaned and disinfected can be processed into a full barrier efficiently via the VHP system good thermal properties compared to the tray liner on the metal gridded floor readily available materials easy to install and remove from the cage The prototype was then evaluated by the project team and approved for a trial One nest plate was then sent into the barrier and trialled for three months The nest plate replaced the nest box at ten days and stayed in the cage until pups were three weeks of age At this point the pups started to become more self sufficient Observations were made and recorded on eight litters averaging nine pups per litter Chart 1 Comparison of temperatures Doe could choose to spend time with the litter or move away if needed The doe freely moved around the cage without the potential of harming any pups and could display natural behaviours Figure 4 Nest plate Figure 6 Litter contained by nest plate Figure 5 Nest plate in situ Figure 7 Doe and litter 137
Poster Presentations Future plans Initial trial appeared to be successful for the eight litters trialled so the next stage will be to upscale and produce nest plates for a larger number of breeding does Their introduction will be implemented slowly during each breeding cycle Fur ther data to be collected on breeding performance to assess its success and compare it to the national and internal averages We will look mainly at pre weaning loss percentages Depending on results in scaling up the trial there will be a move to review the colony size if litter productivity increases This will hopefully mean a reduction in the number of animals used 138
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare Social interaction for non sibling pregnant New Zealand White rabbits on reproductive toxicology JOHN HOLMES DANIELLA WATERS IONA MAISONAVE and TIFFANY STERRY Envigo Barric Lane Occold Suffolk IP23 7PX Correspondence val summers envigo com Introduction At Envigo we constantly strive to ensure we meet the needs of our animals As with any laboratory species it is important to appreciate the biological environmental and behavioural needs of the animal to ensure that they are addressed as far as possible through appropriate housing care and husbandry procedures while still meeting the desired experimental outcomes Main embryo foetal development studies OECD 414 require 80 to 110 sexually mature female rabbits siblings are divided between the dose groups to remove experimental bias We can house up to 600 rabbits at any one time on both reproductive and general toxicology studies Officer NACWO it was agreed that one group of five pregnant females identified as group 2 would be provided with group exercise sessions three times per week for 30 minute periods throughout the study from prior to mating two occasions then from day 1 after mating until termination on Day 29 A similarly constituted control group identified as group 1 was maintained on study for the same duration however these females were not exposed to any group exercise sessions throughout the study Rabbits are gregarious animals that live in social groups in the wild so individually housing our animals while meeting the present scientific objectives restricts their natural social behaviour How to meet the social needs of our rabbits while maintaining a large experimental population was the challenge we looked to address We considered using floor pens for our rabbit reproductive studies but when considering the space requirements and the required flexibility in our animal room use the same rooms need to house rats mice hamsters guinea pigs rabbits and marmosets we felt that this was not an option The benefits or challenges of group exercise sessions for pregnant rabbits were previously unknown Following discussions with our Home Office Inspector an exercise research and development study was conducted in order to trial this potential welfare initiative No regulated procedures were performed during this study Study design After discussion between our reproductive toxicology team project licence holder Named Veterinar y Surgeons NVS and Named Animal Care and Welfare Figure 1 Transparent exercise arenas were produced by Envigo A variety of toys tunnels key rings and chains were provided as well as hay Shelters were provided for the animals to retreat to if they desired The animal room flooring was covered with absorbent paper to both aid traction and to keep the floor clean All animals were housed in the same conditions and underwent the same husbandry procedures when not undergoing periods of exercise clinical observations bodyweights and food intake were recorded The back of each animal was clipped and its individual study number marked in indelible pen to make identification and observation easier from outside the arena behavioural obser vations were per formed continuously during exercise 139
Poster Presentations paper cardboard tunnels acrobatics binking such as jumping running and leaping in the air scent marking and scratching signs of which are generally associated with contentment or happiness One female from the exercised group was found to be non pregnant at reproductive assessment and has been excluded from the following results Bodyweight gain was enhanced in females subject to regular exercise when compared with control non exercised females Figure 2 Showing identification of study animals At the end of the study all animals were euthanised using a schedule one method All adult females and their foetuses were examined macroscopically at necropsy Results There were no adverse effects from exercise on the clinical condition of the animals with the exception of one female that was observed with a broken claw immediately after exercise on the second day of exercise and with a second broken claw during exercise on day 22 of gestation Behaviours observed amongst females during exercise sessions comprised of interaction between the group mates including thumping hind legs grooming each other nuzzling laying side by side and chasing around the pen Aggression was observed on occasions between all females however this was primarily instigated by two females indicating potential dominance in these animals Figure 3 Comparative bodyweight gain There was no significant effect of exercise on body weight change from day 0 to day 20 of gestation From day 20 to day 29 of gestation females exposed to regular exercise gained a mean of 140 g when compared with a mean loss of 10 g in control females Gravid uterine weight on day 29 of gestation was marginally higher in females exposed to exercise when compared with control females Overall bodyweight loss was observed in all control females from Day 0 to Day 29 when the weight of the uterus was discounted In females exposed to exercise three times weekly two out of four females similarly demonstrated overall body weight loss when the weight of the uterus was discounted the remaining two females in this group demonstrated slight bodyweight gain Food consumption was consistently lower in females exposed to exercise for the majority of the study days 1 22 after mating when compared with Controls however in the final study week day 23 to day 29 Table 1 Example observation record Fur ther behavioural obser vations during exercise comprised of interaction with toys the absorbent 140 Figure 4 Food consumption graph averages g consumed per animal day
Poster Presentations females exposed to exercise were observed to have consumed more diet than the Controls despite consistently lower food intake amongst these animals In the remaining four pregnant females exposed to regular exercise reproductive per formance was enhanced with significantly reduced implantation loss pre and post correlating with marginally increased litter sizes and litter weights when compared with control females see Tables 2 and 3 Reproductive per formance was also enhanced in females exposed to regular exercise with significantly reduced implantation loss correlating with marginally increased litter sizes and litter weights when compared with control females It is therefore concluded regular group exercise in pregnant New Zealand White Rabbits may be beneficial and is certainly not detrimental to the overall maternal bodyweight gain and embryo fetal survival Table 2 Placental litter fetal weight group mean g No adverse macroscopic findings were observed at necropsy in any animals However due to the aggression seen during every exercise session frequent inter vention by the obser vers was required greatly increasing the anticipated resource requirements During the early stages of the study up to four technicians were required to ensure animals were not injured due to fighting As a result of these findings we reconsidered the practicalities versus the benefits of group exercising and looked for alternatives that would meet the behavioural needs of our study animals We are presently evaluating the permanent housing of pairs of animals in joined cages This will allow the animals to benefit from increased room to exercise in comparison to single caging while allowing dominance to be quickly established and importantly maintained during the course of the study We will look to share our findings should they prove successful Acknowledgements Table 3 Individual litter data Laboratory Animal Technologies management Building 5 animal unit staff Envigo Reproductive Toxicology Study Management Group Project licence holder Building 5 NACWO and Home Office Inspector Discussion and conclusion The influence of regular group exercise in pregnant New Zealand White rabbits was investigated Initial instances of aggression were observed amongst all females however dominance was soon determined with primary aggression seen in only two females Aggression was seen at each exercise session as animals were reintroduced to each other the study data showed the length of time for aggression reduced as the study progressed but never fully subsided from almost continuous aggression during the first session to lasting five to ten minutes after reintroduction Shelters were removed after the first session as most of the aggression took place inside them making it easier to intervene to prevent injury There was no adverse effect of exercise on the clinical condition of the females and bodyweight gain was enhanced in females subject to regular exercise when compared with control non exercised females 141
Animal Technology and Welfare August 2017 Contaminating DNA can give false positives in Sentinel Free health monitoring by Polymerase Chain Reaction PCR OWEN HAZELBY HARRY DONNELLY ALISTAIR THOMPSON and ANDREW DICKINSON Surrey Diagnostics Ltd PO Box 156 Cranleigh Surrey GU6 8ZU Correspondence andy sdl btconnect com Abstract Following the introduction of sentinel free animal health monitoring by Polymerase Chain Reaction PCR on the dust collected on filters in the exhaust plenums of Individually Ventilated Cage IVC racks we present a case where exhaust filters gave positives by PCR for an infectious agent which had not previously been found by microbiological culture in that colony on multiple live animal samples across the lifespan of the IVC exhaust filter Our own experience along with other accounts of false positives from other users possibly due to the presence of contaminating DNA of an environmental source such as diet and bedding led us to the hypothesis that the sentinel free PCR method could be prone to false positives due to the presence of contaminant DNA from infectious agents of mice This could be due to the ingress of wild rodents during the storage of raw materials prior to the manufacturing process and in subsequent storage The diet and bedding used in IVCs both contribute to the dust collected on the plenum filters which will then be sampled and tested subsequently any agents detected will be assumed to be present in the animals There may also be a concentrating effect in play if filters are left in situ for prolonged periods Using Real Time PCR for detection of the mouse Cytochrome Oxidase 1 Cox10 gene we found that mouse DNA was indeed present in clean diet and bedding at a low level This therefore could be a mitigating factor in the reliability of health monitoring by PCR on plenum filters alone These false positives on plenum filters cost the research facility a considerable amount of time and money through subsequent extra testing to track down the source of the problem Figure 2 Putative wild mouse DNA plus Infectious agent DNA route to PCR Assay Materials and methods Figure 1 The Problem Case IVC Exhaust filter swabs showing weak positives by PCR for a bacterial infectious agent taken from a unit with no previous history of clinical positives 142 All filter swabs were supplied by the client along with 13 diet samples The diet samples were collected before being used in IVC racks and after autoclaving at 115 C for 20 minutes with 15 minutes cooling 6
Poster Presentations additional diet and 4 bedding samples were collected from various suppliers All extractions were performed according to the relevant standard operating procedures Extracted DNA was analysed with a NanoDrop One and normalised samples along with standard controls Mouse Lung DNA extract and NonTemplate Controls NTC s were amplified using RealTime PCR on a Qiagen Rotor Gene Q using Mouse Cox 1 specific primers and a fluorescent labelled probe cannot be ignored From this data we can surmise that the Mouse DNA detected in the diet must be from the ingress of wild mice at one or more of the points highlighted in Figure 2 From this we can deduce that the low level response from samples in Figure 1 is detecting DNA from the infectious agent carried by the wild mice The DNA from such infectious agents whilst not causing any clinical disease has the real potential to give false positive results in IVC exhaust dust screening by PCR This adds to the mounting evidence that DNA from infectious agents is present in feed and bedding Par vovirus1 and Pinworms3 have been detected by PCR which have later been found to be from an environmental source It is a real concern that false positives from this method of screening could lead to the unnecessary loss of healthy animals along with valid research data PCR remains to be a very useful method in laboratory animal health monitoring provided that it is used in the right context on the most appropriate sample types The limitations of the use of PCR in different situations need to be understood and advice should be given to the end user Figure 3 Mouse Cytochrome Oxidase 1 Cox1 PCR on 4 IVC exhaust filter swabs which originally gave positives for bacterial DNA It is hoped that future development and refinement of health monitoring techniques will enable the screening of IVC racks by exhaust dust without false positives Until this happens it is recommended that if this method is to be used it should be in conjunction with other proven techniques Serology Bacteriology Microscopy and PCR on appropriate samples from live animals Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Dave Pimbley Peter Scobie Trumper Frank Ward and Sue Pimbley for all their hard work contributing to the production of this study References 1 Figure 4 Mouse Cox 1 PCR on DNA Extracts of Diet after autoclaving but prior to use in IVCs 2 3 Discussion The results clearly show the presence of Mouse DNA on both the IVC exhaust filter swabs Figure 3 and in the diet samples Figure 4 A sample of bedding was also found to be positive for Mouse DNA data not shown It is not surprising that there is a strong reaction in the swabs as a large amount of mouse DNA would be coming from the mice housed In the IVC rack and collecting on the exhaust filter However significant numbers of the clean diet samples show a weaker reaction than the swab samples but at a level which 4 van de Ven E et al 2016 Risk of introducing parvovirus through food QM Diagnostics Netherlands Presentation given at FELASA 2016 Dickinson A et al 2016 Caveats of PCR An overview of the caveats LASA Forum Summer 2016 Leblanc M et al 2014 False Positive Results after Environmental Pinworm PCR Testing due to Rhabditid Nematodes in Corncob Bedding J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 2014 Nov 53 6 717 724 Henderson K 2015 Advances in PCR Improves Health of Animal Research Colonies R D Magazine Jan 2015 143
Animal Technology and Welfare August 2017 Histaminergic reactions lower susceptibility of mice vs rats and modification by the infusion rate UTA WIRITZER1 and HANS VAN WIJK2 1 2 Bayer Pharma AG Aprather Weg18a 42113 Wuppertal Germany Covance Laboratories Ltd Otley Road Harrogate Yorkshire HG3 1PY Correspondence hans vanwijk covance com Introduction Hypersensitivity is well known for radiocontrast agents antibiotics anaesthetics analgesics and some peptides proteins and has a clear impact on their efficacy safety testing As more parental biologics e g therapeutic antibodies are being developed these histaminergic reactions gain importance The influence of infusion rate on probability and severity of histamine release in several species has previously been observed Preliminary results from a pilot study with intravenously dosed Aprotinin recombinant Trasylol a known inducer of hypersensitivity suggested that a the rat is more prone to the induction of histamine release than mouse and that b infusion over 6 hours clearly reduced histamine release in mouse and rat To substantiate this finding 5 rats and 5 mice each surgically implanted with an indwelling femoral vein catheter were bolus injected or infused over 6 hrs with 240 000 or 300 000 U kg Aprotinin Equipment for continuous intravenous infusion Polyurethane catheter implanted into the abdominal vena cava via phlebotomy into the femoral vein Exteriorisation in rats in the interscapular region and fixed by a vascular access harness VAH Exteriorisation in mice was from the ventral sur face of the tail and passed through a metal protective tail cuff and through a protective spring device which was held in place with sterile surgical wire The catheter was subsequently passed through the top of the animal s cage attached to a swivel system and connected to an infusion pump Peristaltic pump type Reglo Digital Idex Germany by PharMed tubing Aprotinin 30 000 Kallikrein inhibiting units KIU mL Bayer Pharma AG Histamine determination in serum using Histamine ELISA IBL Study design Materials and methods Male Wistar rats CRL CD SD mean bodyweight at surgery 207g Male CrlCD ICR BR mice mean bodyweight at surgery 31g Surger y for venous catheter under general anaesthesia using Midazolam Benperidol Fentanyl intraperitoneally i p Animals single housed in IIIh rat or IIa mice Makrolon cages Pelleted feed and water ad libitum 12h 12h dark light regimen Keep vein open continuous saline infusion in mice 4 mL kg h daily flush in rats 1 mL day VAH Treatment infusion with 4 mL kg h for 6 hours bolus 10 mL kg 144 Blood sampling for histamine determination
Poster Presentations Results Serum Histamine concentration Mouse Serum Histamine concentration Rats 145
Poster Presentations Predose histamine levels in mice were mainly in the same range as in rats Rats showed clear pseudoallergic reactions cyanosis swellings hyperaemia breathing difficulties which were more pronounced in terms of number of rats affected and number of symptoms rat after bolus injection when compared to 6h infusion In mice clinical signs were only observed after bolus dosing In both species after infusion histamine levels were in the pre dose range After bolus injection they were clearly increased The increase was markedly more pronounced in rats 20 to 90 fold when compared to mice and related to dose In mice the internal stores were apparently exhausted at both dose levels Caveat histamine was determined only for a single time point after dosing Summary and conclusions These results confirm that histamine release and therefore induced clinical symptoms can be modified by the injection infusion rate in both rats and mice Fur thermore the mouse was less sensitive to histaminergic reactions than the rat after bolus injection Feasibility of continuous infusion of freely moving mice via indwelling vein catheter was demonstrated thereby avoiding dosing variability as seen with the traditional tail vein injection 146
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare Refinements in housing during data capture in long term Safety Pharmacology dogs CHAS BAILEY IBPS GlaxoSmithKline Park Road Ware Hertfordshire SG12 0DP Corresponding author chas p bailey gsk com Introduction Improvements for the future Why dogs are individually housed when collecting data for ECG studies To avoid any cross talk between transmitted signals generally for a 24 hour recording period In 2016 we upgraded to the new Digital DSI telemetry system which enabled us to collect cardiovascular data from paired housed dogs as the new implants are no longer connected via radio frequencies Therefore allowing the possibility of pair housing telemetry animals and potentially reducing the effects of separation anxiety Each implant is set at a certain frequency which transmits via radio frequency Implants with similar frequencies in close proximity would interfere and confuse data Effects on dogs being individually housed Can cause additional stress to dogs that may have lived together in stock and may not be able to be used on a study together These dogs are co housed between the recording periods to reduce this It is still difficult to predict how a dog will cope with being singly housed even though they are temperament tested at the breeders Dogs that have been singly housed for periods of time have shown signs of separation anxiety such as pacing salivation vocalising and a reduction of food consumption All of which can mask effects on the study and hinder the welfare of the dogs Image 1 This image shows dogs separated for data capture which was a standard procedure for safety pharmacology dogs The benches used to access each pen had to be lifted due to interference with previous software Methods Dogs were selected for long term use using the temperament test These dogs were surgically prepared with the Digital DSI telemetry implant L11 and placed on study The study was a modified Latin square design due to being pair housed we had to ensure dogs Image 2 Cameras permanently set up in each individual pen for constant capture the footage can be recorded and played back for analysis 147
Poster Presentations together got the same dose twice a week over a seven week period Each dog received a single oral dose of a standard compound known to cause cardiovascular and electrocardiographic effects During the study capture there were two dogs that were pair housed and two dogs that where singly housed Over the duration of the study each animal would have experienced both singly and pair housing at each dose Dog behaviours were monitored and observed via fixed video cameras and routine visual checks from staff This formed part of a validation study aimed at showing how well the new devices worked and if pair housing would reduce signs of separation anxiety Image 4 Pair housed dogs during data capture Dogs are able to access both kennels giving dogs the choice to interact with the companion dog as well as being able to find space to avoid potential confrontation This is a good 3Rs refinement for dog welfare on safety pharmacology studies Results Image 3 This is a screen shot of footage captured with the in pen camera In this image you can clearly see the pop hole is open with both benches down to allow access to both pens for both dogs This was only made possible by using the new digital software The pair housed dogs were calmer in the pen when staff entered the bay for visual checks They were also noted to be calmer when brought into the anteroom for procedural work such as dosing and blood sampling whereas the singly housed dogs were a lot more excitable when being handled Positive interaction such as playing and sharing beds was also seen between the pair housed dogs meaning that single housing of dogs would restrict that natural behaviour Food consumption was varied on each dog when singly housed this potentially shows different levels of stress for each dog showing that certain dogs were able to cope better than others if other signs of separation anxiety were not present Whereas it was noted that when dogs were pair housed they generally ate more Whilst watching the footage it was seen that the dogs spent most of their time in the bed however Objectives The main objective was to find out if pair housing could reduce signs of separation anxiety during study There were concerns about pair housing such as positive interaction between the dogs which may effect data results from excitement being misinterpreted as a cardio vascular effect Another objective was to see if the DSI software and data captured would respond unaffected by pair housing whereas using previous software having benches down and dogs with similar frequencies interfered with data capture 148 Image 5 Dogs showing normal behaviour whilst being pair housed
Poster Presentations when an activity was taking place i e member of staff entering the bay or the paired dogs opposite showing playful behaviour would induce pacing and vocalising possible due to frustration or excitement in the singly house dogs The ECG data obtained from the pair housed dogs is similar to the data obtained from single housed dogs This allows us to feel confident that the pair housing can only benefit the welfare of the dogs and not hinder data capture Conclusions The results of this study will be discussed and the reasons why this has been a great refinement enabling us to remove the need for individual housing of our long term dogs included in preclinical safety pharmacology studies with no impact on the ability to detect changes in ECG intervals and hemodynamic function This is a refinement dogs receive companionship as there is no need for separation during recordings reducing potential stress All animal studies were ethically reviewed and carried out in accordance with Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 and the GSK Policy on the Care Welfare and Treatment of Animals Acknowledgements Peter Fisher IBPS GSK Ware Rachael Lincoln MSD Safety Pharmacology Ware 149
Animal Technology and Welfare August 2017 3Rs improvements in the Bexsero Meningitis B vaccine RUTH FERGUSON Biological Services Division NIBSC Blanche Lane Potters Bar Hertfordshire EN6 3QG Correspondence lisa johnson nibsc org Introduction Bexsero is a new vaccine in the UK which since September 2015 has been added to the childhood immunisation programme for the prevention of Meningitis B Meningitis B is a Meningococcal infection of the meninges lining the brain and spinal cord In the UK Meningitis B Men B is currently responsible for around 90 of cases of meningitis and kills more children in the UK under five years old than any other infectious disease Figure 1 CD 1 mouse The in vivo test as performed in Biological Services Division BSD uses female CD1 mice and involves an intra peritoneal injection of 0 5 ml of sample or reference vaccine on day 0 This is followed by a boost on day 21 and then terminal bleed on day 35 The vaccines contain Aluminium Hydroxide adjuvant ALOH which were originally serially diluted using the same adjuvant Reduction Unfortunately adverse effects are commonly observed in the mice post injection This is more prevalent in the higher dose groups and includes lethargy piloerection orbital tightening an abnormal gait and abdominal contractions including a pinched in waist and abdominal stretching These adverse effects are considered to be pain related Also some animals from the higher dose groups were found upon post mortem examination to have small internal lesions It is thought that the adverse effects and lesions are caused by the ALOH adjuvant Consequently this has reduced the number of mice required for each test by one third therefore for a test of three vaccines with a reference a saving of 64 mice would be made The vaccine groups originally consisted of six dilutions It was noted that the two groups receiving the highest dilutions were not providing very useful information The animals within these groups were also showing the most significant adverse effects with the highest numbers affected Therefore it was decided to remove them from future tests Refinement We have successfully introduced several refinements to improve the animals overall experience during study and therefore reducing the actual severity experienced These include The use of saline as a diluent Principles of the 3Rs a framework for humane animal research Replacement methods which avoid or replace the use of animals Reduction methods which minimise the number of animals used per experiment Refinement methods which minimise suffering and improve animal welfare 150 As aluminium hydroxide appears to exacerbate the reactogenicity of the vaccine a trial of two groups to assess the assay performance were conducted using saline instead of ALOH adjuvant to dilute the vaccines This resulted in An equivalent or increased dose response curve improving the assay and a lower number of animals displaying adverse effects Where effects were seen there was a significant reduction in animal discomfort and also in the duration of the adverse effects observed
Poster Presentations The use of saline as the diluent has now been introduced for all tests Analgesic provided The Bexsero vaccine is considered to be painful in humans Similarly the animals show adverse effects considered to be pain related after administration More environmental enrichment can be provided including the newly purchased red rat retreats which allow for sheltering and gnawing oppor tunities Environmental enrichment reduces stress and provides stimulation which in turn improves quality of life and reduces confounding experimental variables To help alleviate any discomfort Calpol a sweetened fruit flavoured paracetamol based solution is administered via the drinking water It is provided under veterinary guidance for 24 hours prior to and remains for 24 hours post injection Long bottle spouts are also used to allow for easier access to the Calpol solution should the mice experience adverse effects Figure 4 Comparison of new style cage with old style Score sheets developed Score sheets spebexserocific to the Bexsero test were developed to allow accurate recording of adverse effects and actual severity recording at end of test A new staining regime was also introduced to allow us to identify individual animals for the duration of the study Increased monitoring Figure 2 Calpol New caging purchased Significantly larger caging was purchased which has multiple benefits including Easier visibility of the animals due to the cage being clear rather than opaque white This is beneficial when using score sheets to access adverse effects Typically the animals began to show adverse effects 15 20 minutes post injection This made observation of the adverse effects difficult due to the number of animals on the study An additional staff member is now present during the procedure to closely monitor the animals until the operator has finished inoculating and can take over Specialised score sheets are used during monitoring to record any adverse effects observed in each individual animal Each animal is regularly checked until it is fully recovered which on occasion has required staff to return to work for evening and early morning checks Discussion Figure 3 Environmental enrichment red rat retreat Requires less frequent cleaning therefore reducing stress to the animals NIBSC Personal Individual Licence holders PILs Named Persons and Scientists play a vital role within NIBSC to ensure the highest standards of animal welfare are maintained and the Principles of the 3Rs are upheld and promoted at all times These individuals have actively used their expertise in the field and heavily invested their time into developing study specific refinements to minimise suffering and improve animal welfare for the animals undergoing the Bexsero test All future studies will benefit significantly from these 3Rs improvements which have now been introduced across all Bexsero tests 151
Poster Presentations BSD staff are committed to the continuous improvement of our work and will continue to seek and develop further refinements wherever possible Acknowledgements The development of the 3Rs improvements in several of the areas including The reduction in numbers The use of saline as a diluent Finding a suitable analgesic has been in close collaboration with Rory Care Eilis Moran Holly Welham and Caroline Vipond Bacteriology NIBSC Also our Named Veterinary Surgeon NVS We would like to thank them for their advice and assistance 152
August 2017 Animal Technology and Welfare Refining the palpation technique to improve monitoring in the transgenic mouse GEMMA FORREST 1 LUCY WHITFIELD2 and ALEKH THAPA3 1 2 3 Biological Resources Unit CRUK Manchester Institute Wilmslow Road Manchester M20 4BX The Royal Veterinary College Royal College Street London NW1 0TU Cell Regulation CRUK Manchester Institute Wilmslow Road Manchester M20 4BX Corresponding author gemma forrest cruk manchester ac uk Abstract A number of new strains of mice arrived at the Manchester Institute They were expected to develop ovarian tumours potentially occurring from 6 weeks of age onwards Not accurate enough to monitor growth of small tumours Usually quite big before they are palpable with a scruff restraint We have facilities to ultrasound animals to investigate tumour development however due to the quantity of animals involved and the speed these tumours can develop this was not possible Ultrasound examination also required each animal to be placed under anaesthesia every week for a prolonged period of time Using Named Veterinary Surgeon NVS guidance and modifying our palpation technique we have developed an accurate method of detecting and monitoring internal ovarian tumours This reduces the number of procedures refines the way we detect internal tumours and defines an end point before animals become visibly sick Figure 1 Original method Mouse being scruffed ready for palpation This poster shows how we refined our palpation technique using advice from the NVS and our own observations to develop a healthy time point at which to remove animals from study Basic palpation problems Due to the age of the mice many are overweight Difficult to detect internal tumours as the abdomen becomes fatty Mice tense up their abdomen when being scruffed Makes finding small tumours difficult Increased stress Mice do not like being scruffed Cannot feel around the entire abdomen Higher up around the right and left flanks Figure 2 Original method Mouse abdomen being palpated 153
Poster Presentations New method Easier to differentiate between fatty tissue and tumour growth Can be quite difficult at first but becomes easier with experience Mice are relaxed Easier to locate small tumours Less stressful No need to restrain the mouse as much The entire abdomen can be checked We found the ovarian tumours were actually sitting higher up in the abdomen just below the liver and more to the sides of the mouse s abdomen Higher level of accuracy The ability to monitor small and large tumour growth Figure 5 New method whole abdomen being examined When a tumour is detected Increase weekly obser vations weights and palpating to a few times a week Observe and palpate daily if tumour appears to be growing quickly Check the genotype of the mouse some tumours are expected to grow aggressively As mice were removed from experiment tumours and tissues were harvested We took this opportunity to learn if our techniques were accurate or if they needed improving until we developed fairly accurate guidelines for monitoring What we learned Figure 3 New method restraint of mouse Figure 4 New method of palpation including higher region of abdomen 154 Tumours varied in texture and firmness Some were very soft and smooth pointing to ovarian haematoma occurring Some were firm and bumpy very likely to be a solid white mass quite easy to monitor with a low risk of haematoma having occurred Pale feet were a sign of ovarian tumour becoming full of blood haematoma a sure indication that the animal will need to be removed from study regardless of tumour size as internal bleeding could occur Working with Alekh also helps us predict whether our findings are correct by checking the genotype of the animal some mice are more likely to develop tumours than others Post mortems helped show how tumours were not located in the abdomen where we were originally palpating the tumours were located higher up just below the liver and stomach
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