Farm animals can perceive humans positively by observing another animal being positively handled. This study evaluated whether pigs acquire a positive perception of humans after observing either a high or low socially ranked conspecific receiving gentle handling. Seventy-five 21-week-old pigs were housed in 15 nursery pens (five pigs/pen) and randomly assigned to one of three pen treatments: Dominant Demonstrator Group (DDG), Subordinate Demonstrator Group (SDG) and Control Group (CG). Pigs from DDG and SDG observed a high and low socially ranked conspecific (“demonstrator”), respectively, while the demonstrator received gentle stroking and a sucrose solution for 10 min, twice a day for 5 weeks. Control group pigs received minimal human contact. Following treatment, the behavior and heart rate variability of non-demonstrator pigs were evaluated in response to a stockperson in an open-field test. Pigs from the DDG and SDG contacted the stockperson sooner (p < 0.001), spent more time investigating the stockperson (p < 0.05), accepted more stroking (p < 0.001) and exhibited a lower low/high frequency ratio (p = 0.015) compared to the CG. No differences in learning between the pigs from the DDG and SDG were found. These results suggest that pigs can learn to perceive humans positively through observational social learning, regardless of the demonstrator conspecific’s social rank.

Objetivo: Analizar prospectivamente el perfil epidemiológico y clínico de consultantes en servicios de urgencias por intento suicida, en dos instituciones de salud de Cali Colombia. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio observacional trasversal de consultantes en servicios de urgencias, sus historias clínicas y fichas de notificación; se analizan variables sociodemográficas, mecanismos, factores desencadenantes y de riesgo. Se realizó análisis descriptivo utilizando porcentajes e IC 95%. Para el análisis bivariado se estimó OR simple e IC95%. Los datos se procesaron en Epi info 7. Resultados: La edad media fue 28 años predominando mujeres con 63.81% (IC 95% 56.91% - 70.31%), especialmente estudiantes en 29.05% (IC 95% 23.01% - 35.69%). Depresión es la enfermedad mental presente con 43.33% (IC 95% 36.53% - 50.33%). Ruptura sentimental con 36.19% (IC 95% 29.69% - 43.09%), es el factor desencadenante. Intoxicación con 70.95% (IC 95% 64.31% - 76.99%), el mecanismo más utilizado. 82.38% (IC 95% 76.54% - 87.28%) lo intentaron por primera vez. Trastornos adaptativos, OR de 9.41 (IC 95% 2.75-32.20), bajo rendimiento académico OR de 11.05 (IC 1.12% 108.81), disfunción familiar OR de 3.15 (IC 95% 1.6- 6.20), consumo de benzodiacepinas OR de 4.62 (IC 95% 1.34-15.90) y consumo de cocaína en hombres, OR de 5.5 (IC 95% 1.68-17.94) fueron factores de riesgo. Conclusión: Es necesario implementar el sistema de vigilancia epidemiológica de conducta suicida acorde a la Ley 1616 de 2013, con base en factores desencadenantes y de riesgo identificados, brindar elementos para la formulación de políticas públicas encaminadas al mejoramiento de la convivencia social y la salud mental. Palabras clave: Intento de suicidio, factores de riesgo, salud mental.   Suicide attempts and associated factors in two institutions of Cali – Colombia Abstract Objective: Prospectively analyze the epidemiological and clinical profile of the consultants of emergency services for suicide attempt in two health institutions of Cali, Colombia. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional observational study of consultants in emergency services, their clinical history and notification sheets; sociodemographic variables, mechanisms, and trigger and risk factors are analyzed. A descriptive analysis was performed using percentages and CI 95%. For the bivariate analysis simple OR and CI95% was estimated. The data was processed in Epi info 7. Results: The median age was 28 years predominating women with 63.81% (CI 95% 56.91% - 70.31%), especially students, 29.05% (CI 95% 23.01 – 35.69%). Depression is the present mental illnesses with 43.33% (CI 95% 36.53% – 50.33%).  Romantic breakup is the trigger factor with 36.19% (CI 95% 29.69% - 43.09%). Intoxication with 70.95% (CI 95% 64.31% - 76.99%), is the most used mechanism. 82.38% (CI 95% 76.54% - 87.28%) tried it for the first time. Risk factors were: adaptive disorder, OR of 9.41 (IC 95% 2.75-32.20), low academic performance OR of 11.05 (IC 1.12% 108.81), family dysfunction OR of 3.15 (IC 95% 1.6- 6.20), benzodiazepine consumption OR of 4.62 (CI 95% 1.34-15.90) and male cocaine consumption, OR of 5.5 (CI 95% 1.68-17.94). Conclusion: It is necessary to implement an epidemiological suicide conduct surveillance system according to Law 1616 of 2013, based on identified trigger and risk factors, provide elements for the formulation of public policies that aim for improvement of social coexistence and mental health. Keywords: Suicide attempt, risk factors, mental health.   Intento suicida e fatores associados em dois instituições de Cali – Colômbia Resumo Objetivo: Analisar prospectivamente o perfil epidemiológico e clínico de pacientes em serviços de emergência hospitalar por intento suicida, em dois instituições de saúde da cidade de Cali na Colômbia. Materiais e Métodos: Estudo observacional transversal de pacientes em serviços de emergências, suas histórias clínicas e cartões de notificação; se analisaram variáveis sócio-demográficas, mecanismos, fatores desencadeantes e de risco. Realizou-se análise descritiva utilizando porcentagens e IC 95%. Para a análise bivariada se estimou OR simples e IC95%. Os dados se processaram em Epi info 7. Resultados: A idade média foi 28 anos predominando mulheres com 63,81% (IC 95% 56,91% - 70,31%), especialmente estudantes em 29,05% (IC 95% 23,01% - 35,69%). Depressão é a doença mental presente com 43,33% (IC 95% 36,53% - 50,33%). Ruptura sentimental com 36,19% (IC 95% 29,69% - 43,09%), é o fator desencadeante. Intoxicação com 70,95% (IC 95% 64,31% - 76,99%), o mecanismo mais utilizado. 82,38% (IC 95% 76,54% - 87,28%) o intentaram por primeira vez. Transtornos adaptativos, OR de 9,41 (IC 95% 2,75-32,20), baixo rendimento acadêmico OR de 11,05 (IC 1,12% 108,81), disfunção familiar OR de 3,15 (IC 95% 1,6- 6,20), consumo de benzodiazepinas OR de 4,62 (IC 95% 1,34-15,90) e consumo de cocaína em homens, OR de 5,5 (IC 95% 1,68-17,94) foram fatores de risco. Conclusão: é necessário implementar o sistema de vigilância epidemiológica de conduta suicida acorde à Lei 1616 de 2013, baseado em fatores desencadeantes e de risco identificados, fornecer os elementos para a formulação de políticas públicas encaminhadas ao melhoramento da convivência social e a saúde mental. Palavras-chave: fatores de risco, intento de suicídio, saúde mental.

Kennelled dogs are at risk of suffering chronic stress due to long-term spatial, social and feeding restrictions. Chronic stress may decrease the dogs’ capacity to feel pleasure when facing hedonic experiences, modifying their perception for palatable ingredients. However, different abilities to cope with environmental stressors could prevent the onset of anhedonia. Fourteen kennelled Beagle dogs were used to study the acceptability and preference for different dilute sucrose and monosodium glutamate (MSG) solutions. Coping style of animals was previously evaluated through a human approach test (HAT) and classified as close dogs (CD; proactive) or distant dogs (DD; reactive) according to whether or not they approached an unfamiliar human when a feeding opportunity was presented. Consumption results were analysed taking into account the sucrose/MSG concentrations, HAT (CD or DD), age, and weight of the animals. DD presented a lower intake of sucrose (p = 0.041) and MSG (p = 0.069) solutions compared with CD. However, DD exhibited a higher consumption of MSG than CD at its highest concentrations, supporting that their intake depends on solution palatability. Finally, DD did not prefer sucrose or MSG solutions over water at any dilute solution offered. Together, these results suggest that dogs that are categorized as reactive animals could diminish their ability to perceive dilute palatable solutions, reflecting depressive-like behaviours as anhedonia.

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In this study, we addressed the social attentiveness, as well as the phenomenon of social facilitation and inhibition in the context of a positive human–pig relationship. Specifically, we investigated whether the social rank of an experienced pig (termed “demonstrator”) has an effect on the attentiveness of the remaining pen mates (N = 40) when they observe the demonstrator being gently handled by a stockperson from behind an acrylic panel. We found that pigs preferentially attended to dominant demonstrators rather than subordinate demonstrators during their gentle handling sessions with the stockperson. Additionally, we also examined whether the presence of a demonstrator pig of different social rank, who previously established a positive relationship with the stockperson in presence of conspecifics, affects the behavior and motivation of their pen mates to positively interact with the stockperson. To test for the effect of the presence and demonstrator’s social rank on pen mate interactions with the stockperson, we evaluated the behavior of domestic pigs (N = 65) toward the stockperson using a human-approach test in their home-pen. Pigs showed a decrease in their motivation to positively interact with the stockperson when a socially dominant demonstrator was present, behaving similarly to animals receiving minimal human contact (control group). Overall, they exhibited a greater latency to physical contact, a lower acceptance of stroking, and spent more time looking at the stockperson compared to pigs exposed to subordinate demonstrators. Taken together, these findings expand our current understanding of pigs’ cognition and social behavior, and the nature of social attention bias in farm animals. Our findings indicate that positive handling of previously selected subordinate demonstrators seems to be the best strategy to reduce the level of fear in large groups of pigs.