Attitudes of meat consumers in Mexico and Spain about farm animal welfare: A cross-cultural study.

The aim of this cross-cultural survey conducted in a developed country (Spain, n = 1455) and an emerging country (Mexico, n = 833), was to analyse how meat consumers perceive farm animal welfare and how these perceptions and attitudes can be convergent or divergent. The intercultural comparison shows that animal welfare is a convergent value between Mexicans and Spaniards. However, the importance of animal welfare for consumers varies according to sociodemographic variables such as gender, rural or urban origin, educational level and age. The motivations of consumers in both countries to build this convergence around the overall importance on farm animal welfare are divergent. For Spaniards, animal welfare seems to be a legal, administrative, and verifiable reality that must be profitable to society. In contrast, for Mexican consumers, animal welfare is still an aspirational ideal. Despite this, such divergences may end up building large consensus that are transformed into a stable added value of the market for meat products.

Psychometry and estimation of cutoff points of Jefferson Scale of empathy in dental students.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the 3-dimensional latent model of empathy on the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy instrument (version S), and to verify the existence of cutoff points capable of differentiating empathy measures classified as: "high," "medium," and "low" using data collected from observations of students from 11 dental faculties of 5 Central American and Caribbean countries (n = 3082) between 2015 and 2019. METHODS: This is an exploratory, "a posteriori," and non-experimental study. Factor structure and factor invariance by country and gender were analyzed. Hierarchical cluster analysis and bifactorial analysis were applied, and the data were normalized by cluster and by percentiles within them. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the original model was replicable and fit the data, while multigroup analysis allowed assuming an invariant factor structure by country and by gender. There is reliability in the measurement made by the scale and its dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: The instrument has adequate psychometric properties, and cutoff values obtained allow people with lower or higher levels of empathy and its components to be classified. Therefore, these results solve the problem of comparing the scores and observed levels of empathy between dental schools within and between countries and between genders. Such comparisons were only possible since the original data of each study were made available for traditional statistical methods.

Consumer Attitudes Toward Animal Welfare-Friendly Products and Willingness to Pay: Exploration of Mexican Market Segments.

The study aim was to identify consumer segmentation based on nonhuman animal welfare (AW) attitudes and their relationship with demographic features and willingness to pay (WTP) for welfare-friendly products (WFP) in Mexico. Personal interviews were conducted with 843 Mexican consumers who stated they purchased most of the animal products in their home. Respondents were selected using a quota sampling method with age, gender, education, and origin as quota control variables. The multivariate analysis suggested there were three clusters or consumer profiles labeled "skeptical," "concerned," and "ethical," which helped explain the association between AW attitudes, some demographic variables, and WTP for WFP. This study is one of the first to address consumer profiling in Latin America, and the findings could have implications for the commercialization of WFP. Hence, customers should receive information to consider welfare innovations when deciding to purchase animal products. The growth of the WFP food market establishes an element of a far more multifaceted phenomenon of sustainable consumption and support of a new paradigm called responsible marketing in emerging markets such as Mexico.

Cambios microscópicos in vitro de cuerpos de prueba de amalgama de plata sometidos a altas temperaturas observados mediante microscopía electrónica de barrido / In vitro microscopic changes of dental amalgam test bodies subjected to high temperatures observed by scanning electron microscopy

Objetivo: describir los cambios microscópicos in vitro de 27 cuerpos de prueba elaborados en amalgama de plata de tres marcas comerciales (Contour® Kerr®, Admix® SDI® y Nu Alloy® Newstethic®) sometidos a altas temperaturas (200ºC, 400ºC y 600ºC) observados mediante microscopia electrónica de barrido. Materiales y métodos: estudio observacional descriptivo, de corte transversal y de naturaleza pseudo-experimental que analizó el comportamiento in vitro de 27 cuerpos de prueba elaborados en tres marcas comerciales de amalgama de plata (Contour® Kerr®, Admix® SDI® y Nu Alloy® Newstethic®) sometidos a altas temperaturas (200ºC, 400ºC, 600ºC). Resultados: las tres marcas comerciales de amalgama de plata empleadas en este estudio tuvieron un comportamiento similar, excepto en el comportamiento de los nódulos de plata. Estos aparecieron a los 200ºC en Admix® SDI® y a los 400ºC en Contour® Kerr® y Nu Alloy® Newstethic®. El análisis en microscopía electrónica de barrido y espectrofotometría de la superficie de los cuerpos de prueba evidenció el aumento estadísticamente significativo (p<0,05) del porcentaje de peso atómico de Hg, Cu y Sn. Conclusiones: los cuerpos de prueba de las tres marcas comerciales de amalgama de plata sufren cambios en su microestructura en la medida que aumenta la temperatura. La formación de los nódulos de Ag fue explicada como una consecuencia del comportamiento de la fase gamma 1 de Ag-Hg al aumentar la temperatura, la cual empieza a disociarse a los 200ºC en Admix® SDI® y a los 400ºC en Contour® Kerr® y Nu Alloy® Newstethic®.

Objective: describe the in vitro microscopic changes of dental amalgam test bodies subjected to high temperatures observed by scanning electron microscopy. Materials and methods: descriptive observational cross-sectional study of pseudo-experimental nature that analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) the in vitro behavior of 27 test bodies elaborated in three brands of dental amalgam (Contour® Kerr®, Admix® SDI® and Nu Alloy® Newstethic®) subjected to high temperatures (200ºC, 400ºC, 600ºC). Results: the three trademarks of dental amalgam used in this study had a similar behavior, except for the behavior of silver nodules. These appeared to 200ºC in the test bodies of Admix® SDI® and 400ºC in the test bodies of Contour® Kerr® and Nu Alloy® Newstethic®. The analysis of scanning electron microscopy and spectrophotometry at the surface of the test bodies showed the statistically significant increase (p<0.05) the percentage of atomic weight of mercury, copper and tin. Conclusions: the test bodies of the three trademarks of dental amalgam undergo changes in their microstructure so long as the temperature increases. The formation of silver nodules was explained as a consequence of the behavior of the gamma 1 phase silver-mercury with increasing temperature, which begins to dissociate at 200ºC in the test bodies of Admix® SDI® and 400ºC in the test bodies of Contour® Kerr® and Nu Alloy® Newstethic®.

Cronología de la erupción dentaria en un grupo de mestizos caucasoides de Cali (Colombia) / Chronology of dental eruption in a group of Caucasoid mestizos from Cali (Colombia)

Introducción: La erupción cronológica de los dientes deciduos y permanentes implica una serie de procesos sucedáneos que van desde la morfogénesis de cada diente hasta el establecimiento fisiológico de la oclusión dental. Sin embargo, se ha identificado que diferentes factores genéticos y medioambientales locales y regionales pueden alterar el proceso secuencial de erupción de los dientes respecto a la edad cronológica de los seres humanos. Objetivo: Caracterizar la cronología de la erupción dentaria en un grupo de mestizos caucasoides de Cali (Colombia). Materiales y Métodos: Estudio descriptivo observacional de corte transversal que determinó el dimorfismo sexual, la simetría de arco y la simetría bilateral a partir de la observación y análisis de la cronología de la erupción dentaria en 355 radiografías panorámicas pertenecientes a un grupo de mestizos caucasoides (181 de individuos femeninos y 174 de masculinos) de la ciudad de Cali (Colombia) a través del método de Schour y Massler. Resultados: Al correlacionar la edad cronológica con la edad radiográfica, no se evidenciaron diferencias entre sexo, arco y lado en la cronología de erupción de los dientes deciduos y permanentes. Conclusiones: El método de Schour y Massler permitió evidenciar una alta correlación entre la edad dental y la edad cronológica, lo cual es de gran utilidad en el contexto clínico odontológico para hacer seguimiento de la salud buco-dento-maxilo- facial en armonía con el crecimiento y desarrollo postnatal, y en el contexto antropológico y forense para para la estimación de la edad como parte de la cuarteta básica de identificación y para la documentación de los dictámenes médicolegales de edad.

Background: The chronological eruption of the deciduous and permanent teeth involves a sequential process that go from the morphogenesis of each tooth to the physiological establishment of the dental occlusion. However, it has been identified that different local and regional genetic and environmental factors can alter the sequential process of eruption of the teeth with respect to the chronological age of human beings. Objective: Characterize the chronology of tooth eruption in a group of Caucasoid mestizos from Cali (Colombia). Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study that determined sexual dimorphism, arch symmetry and bilateral symmetry from the observation and analysis of the chronology of tooth eruption in 355 panoramic radiographs belonging to a group of Caucasoid mestizos (181 female and 174 men individuals) from the city of Cali (Colombia) through the method of Schour and Massler. Results: When correlating chronological age with radiographic age, no differences between sex, arch and side in the chronology of eruption of the deciduous and permanent teeth were found. Conclusions: The Schour and Massler method showed a high correlation between dental age and chronological age, which is very useful in the dental clinical context to monitor the oral-maxillofacial health in harmony with postnatal growth and development, and in the anthropological and forensic context for the estimation of age as part of the basic identification proceedings and for the documentation of medical-legal age opinion.

In Vitro Description of Macroscopic Changes of Dental Amalgam Discs Subject to High Temperatures to Forensic Purposes.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the behavior of 45 discs of dental amalgam of known dimension prepared from three commercially available brands of dental amalgam (Contour® Kerr®-USA, Admix® SDI®-Australia and Nu Alloy® Newstethic®-Colombia) when subjected to the action of high temperatures (200 °C, 400 °C, 600 °C, 800 °C, 1000 °C). It was hoped to establish parameters that could be used for human dental identification in cases of charred, burned or incinerated human remains. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A pseudo-experimental descriptive in-vitro study was designed to describe the macroscopic physical changes to the surface of 45 discs of pre-prepared amalgam of three commercially available brands exposed to a range of high temperatures. RESULTS: Characteristic and repetitive physical changes were a noticeable feature of the discs of amalgam of each brand of amalgam subjected to the different temperature ranges. These physical changes included changes in dimensional stability, changes in texture, changes in colour, changes in the appearance of fissures and cracks and changes in the fracture and fragmentation of the sample. CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics of dental amalgam may be of assistance in cases of human identification where charred, burned or incinerated human remains are a feature and where fingerprints or other soft tissue features are unavailable.

Attitudes of meat retailers to animal welfare in Spain.

This study analyzes retailer attitude towards animal welfare in Spain, and how this attitude has changed over recent years (2006-2011). Retailers were concerned about animal welfare issues but a declining trend is observed recently, probably due to the financial crisis. The concern about animal welfare was affected by sex, with women retailers expressing a more positive attitude towards animal welfare issues than men. Retailers, based on their experience, perceive a low level of willingness to pay more for welfare friendly products (WFP) on behalf of their customers. This fact is reflected in the sales of the WFP, which declined from 2006 to 2011. The main reason for consumers to buy WFP, according to retailer perception, is organoleptic quality, with improved welfare being second. The results obtained provide a pessimistic picture in relation to the current market positioning of WFP, which is probably a consequence of market contraction.

Livestock vehicle accidents in Spain: causes, consequences, and effects on animal welfare.

Livestock vehicle accidents are rare but involve significant economic, human, and nonhuman farm animal losses. This study obtained information on the characteristics of accidents, the animals involved, and injuries to humans from newspaper reports about livestock vehicle accidents in Spain from January 2000 to December 2008. Most accidents involved pig transport (57%), followed by bovine (30%), poultry (8%), and sheep (5%). Driver mortality was not high (6%), and most accidents (76%) involved only the livestock vehicle, which often was overturned (64%) on a straight road transect (51%). Multivariate analysis of the data suggests 2 types of accidents, depending on the species transported. In the first cluster, 95.3% of the cases involved pig transport with articulated vehicles (60.5%). In the second cluster, 94.4% of the accidents involved small vehicles used for cattle transport (44.4%). The results of this study indicate that the characteristics of livestock vehicle accidents vary according to species. One of the main causes of accidents appears to be driver fatigue, which may be due to several factors such as intense workdays, poorly designed route plans, or high levels of pressure from companies.

Aspects of quality related to the consumption and production of lamb meat. Consumers versus producers.

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the different evaluations made by the agents at either end of the lamb meat chain, i.e. producers and consumers, in relation to the parameters that consumers use when purchasing lamb meat and the factors that affect the production of quality lamb meat. In addition, consumer segments that can be targeted for action by the different agents in the chain were examined. The study was carried out in Aragón, a region in north east Spain that is a producer and consumer of lamb meat. 371 surveys were carried out on purchasers of lamb meat and 49 surveys on sheep farmers. Bivariant analyses and a cluster analysis were performed. The results suggest that there are certain congruencies and divergences between producers and consumers. Also, a segment of consumers for whom the hygiene and sanitary conditions on the farm, animal welfare and the environment are of great importance were found.

Factors associated with the purchase of designation of origin lamb meat.

As in other products, quality labels that designate the origin of lamb meat are increasingly used by consumers as a cue for inferring the quality of the meat. The aim of the present paper is to identify those factors that most affect the purchase of lamb with an origin quality label. For this purpose a total of 371 questionnaires were carried out in the region of Aragón located in the north east of Spain. This region produces 48.5% of the total amount of lamb meat with a Spanish protected geographical indication, whilst it also has the country's greatest per capita consumption (6.8 kg/person/year). To identify the most determining factors a logistic regression analysis was performed between three groups of buyers, characterised by their degree of loyalty towards purchasing origin quality-labelled lamb. The results show that those buyers who are less loyal to the label pay less attention to the origin of the meat when forming quality expectations at the time of purchase, whilst these are the buyers that place greatest importance on animal feeding as an aspect affecting the final quality of lamb meat. The buyers that are very loyal to the quality label associate this label with a product that offers greater guarantees and is healthier. Lamb meat buyers with medium loyalty to quality labels, consider quality-labelled lamb meat has better intrinsic attributes.

Factors that affect and motivate the purchase of quality-labelled beef in Spain.

The aim of the present study was to identify the factors that affect and motivate the purchase of quality-labelled beef in Spain. For this purpose a total of 364 surveys were carried out on buyers of beef in three Spanish cities. The sample was divided into three groups of buyers according to the frequency with which they buy beef with a quality label. A logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the differences between groups. The results showed the importance of the production region as a quality aspect. In general terms, variables such as income level and lifestyles would seem to be the variables that enable us to discriminate between quality-labelled beef buyers and non-buyers, whereas beef purchasing habits, a greater appreciation of production systems and attitudes towards quality-labelled beef, are the variables that may explain the differences that exist between regular and occasional quality-labelled beef buyers.