Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Animal-Friendly Pig Production Systems

PURPOSE. Consumption of undercooked pork meat products has been considered a major risk factor for contracting toxoplasmosis in humans. Indoor farming and improved hygiene have drastically reduced Toxoplasma infections in pigs over the past decades. Whether introduction of animal-friendly production systems will lead to a reemergence of Toxoplasma infections in pigs is not yet known. Investigating this possibility was the purpose of this study. METHODS. Blood was obtained from pigs raised for slaughter and tested for Toxoplasma antibodies by using latex agglutination and indirect immunofluorescence testing, with confirmation by immunoblotting. RESULTS. None of the slaughter pigs (n = 621) from conventional farms (n = 30) were positive, whereas 38 (2.9%) of 1295 animals from animal-friendly systems tested positive (n = 33 farms; 13 [39%] farms positive). CONCLUSIONS. The following conclusions may be derived from this study: Conventionally (indoors) raised pigs are free from Toxoplasma infection, and (2) animal-friendly production systems may lead to a reemergence of Toxoplasma infections, although many of these farms remain Toxoplasma free. Slaughterhouse monitoring of pigs from animal-friendly production systems combined with on-farm prevention strategies should be applied to ensure safety for consumers of the meat products obtained from these animals

Inventarisatie diergeneesmiddelengebruik in de biologische vleesveehouderij

In de biologische veehouderij wordt getracht dierziektes zoveel mogelijk te voorkomen door de selectie van dieren met een hoge natuurlijke weerstand, het geven van gezonde voeding en het zorgdragen voor een optimaal leefklimaat waardoor het natuurlijke gedrag van de dieren zoveel mogelijk tot uiting kan komen. Indien een dier toch ziek wordt gaat de voorkeur uit naar een behandeling met een alternatieve geneeswijze zoals homeopathie, fytotherapie e.d., mits aangetoond is dat deze middelen ook effectief zijn voor de betreffende aandoening. Van veel van deze alternatieven is de werkzaamheid echter nog niet bewezen. Zowel kennisinstellingen als individuele bedrijven proberen op hun wijze onderzoek te doen naar de effectiviteit van alternatieven voor bepaalde aandoeningen in de biologische veehouderij. Op welke schaal dit binnen de bedrijven gebeurt, was tot op heden nog niet bekend en was daarom de reden voor het onderzoek, waarvan hier de rapportage voor de biologische rundvee vleesveehouderij volgt. De doelstelling van het onderzoek was het inventariseren van de gezondheidsproblemen in de biologische vleesveehouderij in Nederland en de wijze van behandeling van deze aandoeningen. Hiertoe werden door middel van een aselecte steekproef 30 vleesveehouders tijdens een bedrijfsbezoek geënquêteerd

Cross-ethnic friendships and sense of social-emotional safety in multi-ethnic middle school: An exploratory study

Contains fulltext : 102406.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)This exploratory study examined whether cross-ethnic friendships are related to students’ sense of social-emotional safety in a multiethnic middle school. The analysis sample (n = 227) consisted of Latino (57%) and White (43%) sixth- and seventh-grade students. Although a strong preference for same-ethnic friendships was found for both ethnic groups, Latino students felt safer than their White schoolmates. Even though the two groups did not differ in the number of cross-ethnic friendships, a greater number of cross-ethnic friendships were associated with a stronger sense of safety only among Latino students both concurrently and over time. The implications of current findings are discussed in terms of improving sense of school safety for ethnic minority students

Ethnic diversity and students’ social adjustment in Dutch classrooms

Research in the US indicates that classroom diversity is related to better social adjustment of students, but research on this association in European classrooms is limited in scope and yields inconsistent findings. This study examined how classroom ethnic diversity is related to social adjustment of societally dominant versus minoritized ethnic groups, and how an open classroom climate for discussion contributes to this. This was examined in low to moderately diverse Dutch classrooms (2703 secondary school students, from 119 classrooms and schools, Mage = 14, 50% female, 18% foreign-born parents). Results revealed that students from minoritized groups reported lower social adjustment. For all students, classroom ethnic diversity was related to worse social adjustment which was partly explained by classroom socioeconomic status (SES). An open classroom climate for discussion did not moderate the relation between diversity and social adjustment. The findings indicate that students’ social adjustment is worse in ethnically diverse and low-SES classrooms, and an open classroom climate for discussion does not solve this

Parental acceptance of children’s intimate ethnic outgroup relations: The role of culture, status, and family reputation

Item does not contain fulltextResearch on adolescents’ interethnic relations indicates that parents can resist their children's ethnic outgroup relations. However, there is little insight into the underlying reasons for this. The current study examines how cultural groups differ in parental acceptance of their children's outgroup relations, and it examines the role of perceived family reputation vulnerability as well as parents’ religiosity. In addition, it was investigated whether parental acceptance of outgroup relations differs for different outgroups. This was studied among Turkish (n = 49) and Dutch (n = 73) parents of first grade middle school students. Parental acceptance of intimate ethnic outgroup relations was lower among Turkish–Dutch than among Dutch parents. This difference was explained by group differences in perceived family reputation vulnerability and religiosity. It is concluded that concerns about culture transmission and family reputation are related to parental acceptance of outgroup contact, which explains differences in parental acceptance between cultural groups. In addition, status considerations seem to explain differences in parental acceptance of their children's close contacts with different outgroups.11 p

The development of adolescents’ friendships and antipathies: A longitudinal multivariate network test of balance theory

We examined the interplay between friendship (best friend) and antipathy (dislike) relationships among adolescents (N = 480; 11-14 years) in two US middle schools over three years (grades 6, 7, and 8). Using longitudinal multivariate network analysis (RSiena), the effects of friendships on antipathies and vice versa were tested, while structural network effects (e.g., density, reciprocity, and transitivity) and individual (age, gender, and ethnicity) and behavioral (prosocial and antisocial behavior) dispositions were controlled for. Based on (structural) balance theory, it was expected that friendships would be formed or maintained when two adolescents disliked the same person (shared enemy hypothesis), that friends would tend to agree on whom they disliked (friends’ agreement hypothesis), that adolescents would tend to dislike the friends of those they disliked (reinforced animosity hypothesis), and, finally, that they would become or stay friends with dislikes of dislikes (enemy's enemy hypothesis). Support was found for the first three hypotheses, and partially for the fourth hypothesis. Results are discussed in light of adolescents’ peer relationships. Keywords Friendship; Antipathy; Rejection; Adolescence; Balance theor

The impact of adolescents' classroom and neighborhood ethnic diversity on same- and cross-ethnic friendships within classrooms

Contains fulltext : 167412.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)This study examines how classroom and neighborhood ethnic diversity affect adolescents' tendency to form same- versus cross-ethnic friendships when they enter middle school. Hypotheses are derived from exposure, conflict, and constrict theory. Hypotheses are tested among 911 middle school students (43 classrooms, nine schools) in the Netherlands. Multilevel (p2) social network analyses show that students were more likely to engage in same-ethnic rather than cross-ethnic friendships. In line with conflict theory, greater classroom and neighborhood diversity were related to stronger tendencies to choose same-ethnic rather than cross-ethnic friends, among both ethnic majority and minority students. Diversity did not hamper reciprocity, as students in more ethnically diverse classrooms were even more likely to reciprocate friendships.14 p