Turning point for the world

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Expansion and retrenchment of the Swedish welfare state: a longterm approach

pp. 226-245In this paper we will undertake a long-term analysis of the evolution of the Swedish welfare state, seeking to explain that evolution through the use of a systemic approach. That is to say, our approach will consider the interrelations between economic growth (EG), the socio-political institutional framework (IF), and the welfare state (WS) − understood as a set of institutions embracing the labour market and its regulation, the tax system, and the socalled social wage − in order to find the main variables that elucidate its evolution. We will show that the expansive phase of the Swedish welfare state can be explained by the symbiotic relationships developed in the WS-EG-IF interaction; whereas the period of welfare state retrenchment is one result of changes operating within the socio-political (IF) and economic (EG) bases.S

An Assessment of Young Cattle Behaviour and Welfare in a Virtual Fencing System

Virtual fencing is a novel technology which uses a combination of audio and electrical stimuli to contain grazing livestock within a GPS boundary. There are however some concerns around the use of such a technology and its potential effects on the behaviour and welfare of animals. To investigate this, 64 dairy-origin calves were assigned to one of two treatments in a randomised complete block design, with 4 groups of 8 calves per treatment. The two treatments were virtual fencing (VF) and electric fencing (EF). The experimental period lasted 31 days in total, consisting of a 10 day training period and a 21 day grazing period. Welfare and behaviour of the animals was measured using faecal cortisol metabolites, activity pedometers, and behavioural recordings. Virtual fence data denoting the number of audio and electrical stimuli delivered for each animal were also recorded. Results show that there was no significant difference in animal welfare and behaviour between EF and VF in the current study. Additionally, there was no significant difference in daily liveweight gain between treatments. In the VF animals the rate of electric pulses declined after an initial learning period however there was a significant degree of variation in the rate of learning between animals. Virtual fencing could therefore offer an alternative to physical fencing for grazing young cattle without negatively impacting animal behaviour or welfare. The individual animal variation in VF systems however warrants further study

Lidocaine and bupivacaine as part of multimodal pain management in a C57BL/6J laparotomy mouse model

While the use of local anesthesia as part of multimodal pain management is common practice in human and veterinarian surgery, these drugs are not applied routinely in rodent surgery. Several recommendations on the use of local anesthesia exist, but systematic studies on their efficacy and side effects are lacking. In the present study, male and female C57BL/6J mice were subjected to a sham vasectomy or a sham embryo transfer, respectively. We tested whether a mixture of subcutaneously injected Lidocaine and Bupivacaine in combination with systemic Paracetamol applied via drinking water results in superior pain relief when compared to treatment with local anesthesia or Paracetamol alone. We applied a combination of methods to assess behavioral, emotional, and physiological changes indicative of pain. Voluntary Paracetamol intake via drinking water reached the target dosage of 200 mg/kg in most animals. Local anesthesia did not lead to obvious side effects such as irregular wound healing or systemic disorders. No relevant sex differences were detected in our study. Sevoflurane anesthesia and surgery affected physiological and behavioral measurements. Surprisingly, Paracetamol treatment alone significantly increased the Mouse Grimace Scale. Taken together, mice treated with a combination of local anesthesia and systemic analgesia did not show fewer signs of post-surgical pain or improved recovery compared to animals treated with either local anesthesia or Paracetamol

Increased hormonal stress response of Apennine chamois induced by interspecific interactions and anthropogenic disturbance

Responses of animals to environmental changes and their interactions with other species play an important role in conservation. Sharing a common habitat may lead to interspecific competition for resources, but field assessment of these biological events is not always easily accomplished. By using a non-invasive method, we evaluated the physiological stress responses of Apennine chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica ornata) to the presence of cattle, sheep and goat, red deer (Cervus elaphus), people (hikers), and predators to identify which factors may affect this endangered species. During September 2012, November 2012, and July 2013, a total of 318 faecal samples were collected in representative sites and analysed for faecal cortisol metabolites (FCM). FCM concentration was analysed through linear mixed-effect models. A significant increase in FCM values in Apennine chamois sharing their habitat with domestic animals was recorded during all study periods. On the contrary, stress responses to red deer and people were limited in time and emerged only during summer months, when hikers are more frequent and red deer extend their altitudinal range reaching chamois\u2019 habitat. The observed effects of domestic animals, red deer, and hikers should be considered in future Apennine chamois management plans, which should include the regulation of pastured domestic livestock, anthropogenic disturbances, and possible interferences with other wild species within parks

Life experience rather than domestication accounts for dogs’ increased oxytocin release during social contact with humans

Dogs’ increased human-directed sociability compared to wolves may be the result of increased oxytocin system activity and decreased stress responses, but comparative studies accounting for life experience are lacking. We compared hand-raised, pack-living wolves’ and dogs’ behavior and hormone concentrations after interacting with a closely bonded and a familiar human. Both preferred the bonded partner, but dogs showed less variability in human-directed sociability than wolves. Physical contact was not associated with oxytocin but correlated positively with glucocorticoids in the pack-living animals when the human was not bonded. To clarify the role of life experience, we tested pet dogs and found that oxytocin concentrations correlated positively with physical contact with their owners, while glucocorticoids remained unaffected. Results show that, given similar experiences, wolf-dog differences in human-directed sociability and associated hormones are subtle and indicate that factors related to life as a pet dog rather than domestication account for oxytocin release during human–dog interactions

Endocrine changes related to dog domestication: Comparing urinary cortisol and oxytocin in hand-raised, pack-living dogs and wolves

Dogs are exceptionally well adapted to life close to humans, and alterations in their endocrine system during the domestication process may be an underlying mechanism. In particular, it has been suggested that low circulating cortisol concentrations in conjunction with simultaneously high oxytocin concentrations may have resulted in dogs' increased docility (‘selection for tameness’ hypothesis) and heightened propensity to interact and form relationships with humans (‘hypersociability’ hypothesis) compared to wolves. To investigate this, we analyzed cortisol and oxytocin metabolite concentrations from urine samples of hand-raised, pack-living domestic dogs and their non-domestic relatives, grey wolves. Based on the hypotheses outlined above, we predicted lower cortisol but higher oxytocin concentrations in dogs than wolves. In contrast to our prediction, we found higher cortisol concentrations in dogs than wolves. However, oxytocin concentrations were higher in dogs compared to wolves although the effect was relatively small. Indeed, male dogs had the highest oxytocin concentrations while female dogs' oxytocin concentrations were comparable to wolves'. Feeding status, reproductive phase, and conspecific social interactions also significantly affected cortisol and oxytocin concentrations. Furthermore, we compared two methods of correcting for variable water content of urine samples. We discuss our results in light of physiological and behavioral changes during domestication and highlight the importance of accounting for confounding variables in future studies