Immunity in barren and enriched housed pigs differing in baseline cortisol concentration

It was shown recently that barren housed pigs (small pens, no substrate) have a blunted circadian rhythm of salivary cortisol as compared to enriched housed pigs (large pens with daily fresh bedding). In the light period, enriched housed pigs showed significantly higher concentrations of cortisol in saliva than barren housed pigs, whereas in the dark period, cortisol concentrations were low in both enriched and barren housed pigs. In the present study, the immunological consequences of the difference in baseline salivary cortisol concentration in the light period were evaluated. It appeared that leukocyte and lymphocyte distributions, and in vitro lymphocyte proliferation following ConcanavalineA (ConA) stimulation in the assay using purified lymphocytes were not affected. However, barren and enriched housed pigs did show a different proliferation response to ConA in the whole blood assay. At day 2 of culture, proliferation was higher in barren housed pigs than in enriched housed pigs, whereas at day 4 of culture, proliferation was higher in enriched housed pigs than in barren housed pigs. Lymphocyte proliferation at day 2 of culture in the whole blood assay correlated negatively with plasma cortisol levels, which might thus explain the higher proliferation in barren housed pigs at day 2 of culture. The in vivo humoral and cellular (delayed type hypersensitivity, DTH) immune response to KLH was not affected by housing conditions. We conclude that, although baseline salivary cortisol concentrations differ between enriched and barren housed pigs, immune function appears to be relatively unaffected.

Technical Note: Plastic mats prevent footpad injuries in rabbit does

In the Netherlands, welfare regulations indicate that rabbits should be housed on 3 mm wire floors. In a pilot study, 3 mm wire floors did not decrease footpad injuries as expected, whereas a plastic mat fixed to the 3 mm wire did improve footpad quality. However, more data were necessary to support this finding. To this end, footpad injuries were studied in does housed on 3 mm wire floors (NOMAT) and 3 mm wire floors with a plastic mat (MAT) on five rabbit farms. On each farm, 25 cages were used for each floor type and footpad quality was measured during 5 successive reproductive cycles. Footpad quality was scored once every production cycle of 42 or 49 d, using a scale from 0 (= intact footpads) to 4 (=wounds). The total number of does in the experiment declined at later parity, due to relocation within the farm and mortality. The percentage of does with intact footpads on NOMAT declined from 96.4% to 13.3% from the first to the fifth parity, respectively. On MAT, 81.3% of the does still had intact footpads at the fifth parity. Results indicated that on NOMAT footpads became injured after the second parity, with a negative effect on the welfare of the does. The average footpad score was significantly lower for the does on MAT as compared to the does on NOMAT (average scores ± SD were 0.17 ± 0.43 and 0.32 ± 0.54, respectively; P < 0.05). Fewer injuries were observed on MAT. Thus, plastic mats have a positive effect on prevention of footpad injuries.Rommers, J.; De Jong, IC. (2011). Technical Note: Plastic mats prevent footpad injuries in rabbit does. World Rabbit Science. 19(4):233-237. doi:10.4995/wrs.2011.868SWORD23323719

Entre el malón, el comercio y la diplomacia: dinámicas de la política indígena en las fronteras pampeanas (siglos XVIII y XIX). Un balance historiográfico.

El artículo se propone historizar la imagen de la conflictividad asociada a la práctica del malón indígena en la larga duración de la Frontera Sur con las pampas y norpatagonia, realizando un balance crítico acerca de las articulaciones entre comercio regional de ganado, el proceso de "araucanización" y la acción malonera. El foco está centrado en el papel de la diplomacia y los tratados de paz con base en la percepción de raciones como una dimensión significativa para la comprensión de la espacialidad que asume la conflictividad fronteriza en el siglo XIX. Los malones y la diplomacia se presentan como vías alternativas a las que los cacicatos de territorialidad pampeana recurrieron para sostener su ubicación geopolítica e insertarse simultáneamente en dos circuitos comerciales y políticos interconectados: el que los vinculaba a las localidades y agentes de la sociedad estatal en la Frontera Sur y el que los articulaba económica, política y parentalmente a las parcialidades pampeanas, patagónicas y transcordilleranas

Políticas Indígenas y Estatales en Pampa y Patagonia (1850-1880)

O trabalho propõe-se a descrever as características da política de tratados de paz desenvolvidas para os grupos indígenas das regiões dos pampas e patagônia durante o período de organização nacional do Estado argentino, analisando sua influência na diversificação e cristalização de posicionamentos indígenas frente à s tentativas de avanço territorial do Estado. Sustenta-se a necessidade de desnaturalizar a associação entre unidade étnica e posicionamento político, analisando as transformações do caráter segmentário da organização política indígena com relação aos vínculos econômicos favorecidos pela política estatal dos tratados de paz e a ascendência conquistada por aqueles caciques que protagonizaram estes vínculos diplomáticos. A partir deste marco se realiza uma aproximação com alguns exemplos de posturas distintas que vão se delineando no campo indígena durante as ultimas décadas de existência da fronteira

Prácticas de la Diplomacia Fronteriza en las Pampas, Siglo XIX

Resumo: até finais da década de 1870, as elites políticas governantes da Argentina iniciavam a ocupação militar do Pampa e da Patagônia, concretizando assim o projeto de incorporar os territórios indígenas à produção agropecuária extensiva. Com isso se poderia por fim à diplomacia fronteiriça - um espaço de relações entre indígenas e crioulos que havia se desenvolvido junto às relações militares e comerciais por mais de um século. Neste trabalho nos interessa reconstruir as instituições diplomáticas na Fronteira Sul durante as décadas centrais do século XIX, a partir de uma abordagem que busca contextualizar estas práticas de longa duração das fronteiras coloniais e, em seguida, republicanas. Isso não somente nos permite reconstruir uma dimensão pouco conhecida das políticas estatais, sem perguntarmos pelo agenciamento indígena, suas estratégias e expectativas em relação ao Estado durante a última etapa de existência da fronteira. Palavras-chave: Fronteiras. Diplomacia. Pampas. Indígenas. Estado Nação