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

The Complex Relation Between Bullying, Victimization, Acceptance, and Rejection:Giving Special Attention to Status, Affection, and Sex Differences

To understand the complex nature of bullies' acceptance and rejection, this article considered goal-framing effects of status and affection as they relate to the gender of the bully (male vs. female bullies), the target (male vs. female victims), and the evaluator (acceptance and rejection from male vs. female classmates). The hypotheses were tested with data from a social network questionnaire conducted in 26 elementary school classes (N = 481 children; M(age) = 10.5 years). The findings revealed that bullies were only rejected by those for whom they were a potential threat and that bullies generally chose their victims so as to minimize loss of affection by choosing victims who were not likely to be defended by significant others

The Hungry Games

Environmental activist and culture critic, Wendell Berry states in “The Pleasures of Eating,” “When food, in the minds of eaters, is no longer associated with farming and with the land, the eaters are suffering a kinds of cultural amnesia that is misleading and dangerous” (Berry 2) The obesity epidemic, mass hunger, the invasion of overly-processed and GMO-contaminated foods are just a few of the frightful consequences of our society’s overall disconnect with the food system. With so many obvious shortcomings, how does one even begin to tackle the wicked problem of food? According to several culture critics, including Michael Pollan, the raising of awareness via the education of students is an excellent starting point (Pollan 2008). Following the vision of The Sprout Society—a Grand Valley State University student project proposed during the winter 2014 semester of LIB 322: Wicked Problems of Sustainability—our LIB 342: Food Matters class partnered with Black River Public Schools to create “The Hungry Games”—a nine day program that can be utilized by the school during their spring 2015 Project Term. The purpose of “The Hungry Games” is to develop food literacy and expose students to the corporate and industrial take-over of the food system. We have provided an overview of our research, design and collaborative process, a sample curriculum and an idea for the final project that instructors can use to develop, in students, the knowledge and tools to be active and critical consumers of food. “The Hungry Games” curriculum explores the following four themes: 1) Why should we care; 2) Where does our food come from; 3) Nutrition; and 4) Food Waste. Lastly, the program incorporates a variety of hands-on activities including a lesson on making green smoothies and a field trip to Holland’s Eighth Day Community Farm. Time proved to be a primary limiting factor in the development of this program. It is hoped that this program will prove successful enough for a second installment, so that these food issues can be further developed

Measuring citizenship competences: Assessment of measurement invariance

Highlights: • Standardised questionnaires are used to measure the outcomes of citizenship education. • A prerequisite for cross-group comparisons based on these questionnaires is an assessment of measurement invariance. • This study used data from 6035 students from 87 Dutch primary schools to examine the measurement invariance of citizenship knowledge, attitude, and skill across sex, socioeconomic position and migration background. • The measurement invariance was sufficient in most cases. • Periodic assessment of measurement invariance in instruments measuring citizenship competences is important due to the dynamic nature of the construct. Purpose: Standardised questionnaires are used to measure the outcomes of citizenship education. These outcomes are often compared across groups to document different outcomes, for example, between boys and girls. A prerequisite for cross-group comparisons is an assessment of measurement invariance.  Methodology: This study used data from 6035 students from 87 Dutch primary schools to examine the measurement invariance of the Citizenship Competences Questionnaire (Ten Dam et al., 2011). Dutch schools use this questionnaire to gain insight into students’ citizenship knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Measurement invariance was assessed across sex, socioeconomic position, and migration background. Findings: Measurement invariance was sufficient in most cases, allowing for cross-group comparisons of associations between latent constructs and their indicators, and in some cases, for cross-group comparisons of the latent means. We conclude by emphasising that periodic assessment of measurement invariance in instruments measuring citizenship competences is important due to the dynamic nature of the construct

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