Sanne Roelofs- PhD
- PostDoc Position at University of Pennsylvania
Sanne Roelofs
- PhD
- PostDoc Position at University of Pennsylvania
About
22
Publications
3,462
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331
Citations
Introduction
Current institution
Additional affiliations
August 2018 - present
June 2016 - August 2018
April 2013 - June 2016
Education
February 2012 - November 2014
September 2008 - February 2012
Publications
Publications (22)
In pigs, higher birth order is associated with higher pre-weaning mortality. However, knowledge on the effect of birth order on welfare of surviving piglets is limited. The aim of this study was to explore the possible link between birth order and both newborn piglet performance and later affective state. Firstly, the following data were collected...
Electronic sow feeding (ESF) has emerged as a common feeding system for gestating sows, but can be a focal point for competition over a valued resource, feed. To better understand the social challenges in this system, we quantified social interactions at the ESF entrance and explored potential influences on these behaviors. Forty-eight study animal...
Low birth weight (LBW) is a risk factor for cognitive and emotional impairments in humans. In pigs, LBW is a common occurrence, but its effects on cognition and emotion have received only limited scientific attention. To assess whether LBW pigs suffer from impaired cognitive and emotional development, we trained and tested 21 LBW and 21 normal birt...
Low birth weight (LBW) piglets are an increasingly common occurrence on commercial pig farms, due to selection for sow fecundity. In humans, LBW is a known risk factor for impaired brain development, resulting in impaired neurological functioning and increased vulnerability to stressors. In pigs, the pre-weaning effects of LBW on neurological and e...
Breeding sows are regularly exposed to on-farm stressors throughout the duration of their production period. The impact of such stressors may differ for primi- and multiparous sows, as sows could learn to cope with stressors as they gain experience with them. If parity affects stress in sows, it may also impact their prenatal offspring through diff...
In commercial pig farming, an increasing number of low birth weight (LBW) piglets are born, due to selection for large litter sizes. While LBW piglets have a higher risk of pre-weaning mortality, a considerable number of these piglets survive to slaughter age. In humans, LBW is a risk factor for long-term cognitive impairments. In pigs, studies exa...
Biases in judgement of ambiguous stimuli, as measured in a judgement bias task, have been proposed as a measure of the valence of affective states in animals. We recently suggested a list of criteria for behavioural tests of emotion, one of them stating that responses on the task used to assess emotionality should not be confounded by, among others...
Abstract as included in conference proceedings.
Studies of the cognitive abilities of pigs are increasing in number, due to their relevance for the fields of animal welfare and biomedical research. While both female and male pigs have been used in cognitive tasks, possible sex differences in performance have not yet received extensive attention. This is of interest, as sexual dimorphism in cogni...
Judgment bias tests are considered as a family of promising tools in the assessment of emotional states of animals. Judgment bias tasks (JBTs) provide a cognitive measure of optimism and/or pessimism by recording behavioral responses to ambiguous stimuli. For instance, a negative emotional state is expected to produce a negative or pessimistic judg...
Abstract included in conference proceedings.
Questions
Question (1)
I collect whole blood from pigs (EDTA coated tubes to avoid coagulation) and need to isolate the peripheral blood lymphocytes.
I dilute the blood 1:1 in PBS, then layer the diluted blood over Histopaque-1077 (2:1 diluted blood:Histopaque). I make sure to layer it slowly, and hold the tube with Histopaque at an angle to avoid mixing. However, very often there are red 'flakes' that start sinking to the bottom of the tube quickly after layering (see picture). The amount of flakes varies, but it occurs to some degree with most samples. Is there anything I can do to prevent this? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
