Lactation and neonatal nutrition: defining and refining the critical questions.

This paper resulted from a conference entitled "Lactation and Milk: Defining and refining the critical questions" held at the University of Colorado School of Medicine from January 18-20, 2012. The mission of the conference was to identify unresolved questions and set future goals for research into human milk composition, mammary development and lactation. We first outline the unanswered questions regarding the composition of human milk (Section I) and the mechanisms by which milk components affect neonatal development, growth and health and recommend models for future research. Emerging questions about how milk components affect cognitive development and behavioral phenotype of the offspring are presented in Section II. In Section III we outline the important unanswered questions about regulation of mammary gland development, the heritability of defects, the effects of maternal nutrition, disease, metabolic status, and therapeutic drugs upon the subsequent lactation. Questions surrounding breastfeeding practice are also highlighted. In Section IV we describe the specific nutritional challenges faced by three different populations, namely preterm infants, infants born to obese mothers who may or may not have gestational diabetes, and infants born to undernourished mothers. The recognition that multidisciplinary training is critical to advancing the field led us to formulate specific training recommendations in Section V. Our recommendations for research emphasis are summarized in Section VI. In sum, we present a roadmap for multidisciplinary research into all aspects of human lactation, milk and its role in infant nutrition for the next decade and beyond

Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing: Evidence and Implications for Women, Babies, and Maternity Care

This report synthesizes evidence about innate hormonally-mediated physiologic processes in women and fetuses/newborns during childbearing, and possible impacts of common maternity care practices and interventions on these processes, focusing on four hormone systems that are consequential for childbearing. Core hormonal physiology principles reveal profound interconnections between mothers and babies, among hormone systems, and from pregnancy through to the postpartum and newborn periods. Overall, consistent and coherent evidence from physiologic understandings and human and animal studies finds that the innate hormonal physiology of childbearing has significant benefits for mothers and babies. Such hormonally-mediated benefits may extend into the future through optimization of breastfeeding and maternal-infant attachment. A growing body of research finds that common maternity care interventions may disturb hormonal processes, reduce their benefits, and create new challenges. Developmental and epigenetic effects are biologically plausible but poorly studied. The perspective of hormonal physiology adds new considerations for benefit-harm assessments in maternity care, and suggests new research priorities, including consistently measuring crucial hormonally-mediated outcomes that are frequently overlooked. Current understanding suggests that safely avoiding unneeded maternity care interventions would be wise, as supported by the Precautionary Principle. Promoting, supporting, and protecting physiologic childbearing, as far as safely possible in each situation, is a low-technology health and wellness approach to the care of childbearing women and their fetuses/newborns that is applicable in almost all maternity care settings

On time-inconsistency and pollution control: A macroeconomic approach

Fiscal Policy;Pollution Control;environmental economics

Modelling economies of scale, energy use and farm size to reduce GHG: On contrasting "High-Tec"-agriculture with labour intensive farming

Questions on farm structures (such as superiority of large farms) are typically linked to economies of scale. Economies of scale are normally a matter of investments in energy consuming technologies (large machinery). In contrast there is the issue of remaining prevalence of labour intensive, small farms (meant to be inferior); but which are less energy intensive. We see a revival in theoretical and policy debates on pathways of agricultural development concerning energy use. We analyse, how one can develop an approach that includes incentives to save energy and produce less GHG, and develop a framework of coexistence of farm types.Green house gas emission, farm structure, policy modelling, Agricultural and Food Policy, Farm Management,

Factors Associated with the Level of Knowledge of Dairy Cattle Farmers Towards Brucellosis in Kawasan Usaha Peternakan (Kunak), Bogor District

Level of farmer’s knowledge have an importance role in the disease prevention and control of livestock. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the level of KUNAK dairy cattle farmer’s knowledge regarding brucellosis and factors that associated to it. A series of questions were asked to the respondents regarding their knowledge of brucellosis. Respondents of 70 farmers were selected with cluster random sampling technique for this research. Data were collected through interviewing respondent using the questionnaire regarding the knowledge of brucellosis in terms of its mode of transmission, symptoms, prevention and treatment. Questionnaire was done in the form of closed question. The analysis was done using chi square test in determining the association of factors affecting level of dairy cattle farmer’s knowledge and odds ratio (OR) in determining the strength of affecting level of dairy cattle farmer’s knowledge. The general result of the level of knowledge of farmers in KUNAK were good being the majority of them were in that category. The farmers of KUNAK had a higher level of knowledge in terms of prevention and symptoms of brucellosis than mode of transmission or treatment of it. The factor that has the most significance to the level of knowledge of KUNAK dairy farmers are the ones with a working experience more than 5 years in this field with 18 times more knowledgeable than farmers with less than 5 years of working experience. The need of disease awareness programs was required for the farmers in broadening their minds towards other aspects of a disease for them to better combat the problems in their day to day business