Fast Food Sovereignty: Contradiction in Terms or Logical Next Step?

The growing academic literature on ‘food sovereignty’ has elaborated a food producer- driven vision of an alternative, more ecological food system rooted in greater democratic control over food production and distribution. Given that the food sovereignty developed with and within producer associations, a rural setting and production- side concerns have overshadowed issues of distribution and urban consumption. Yet, ideal types such as direct marketing, time-intensive food preparation and the ‘family shared meal’ are hard to transcribe into the life realities in many non-rural, non-farming households, and it is unclear, in turn, how such realities can fit into models of food sovereignty. A particular practical and research gap exists in how to engage the overwhelming need for food options served under time constraints and (often) outside of the home or a full-service restaurant. The over-generalized vilification of ‘fast food’ should be replaced by a framework that allows us to distinguish between unhealthy, corporate fast foods and both traditional and emerging alternatives that can serve to extend the tenets of food sovereignty further into food processing, distribution and consumption. This article analyzes existing conceptualizations of fast food, explores fast food historically, and studies how food sovereignty can operationalize its tenets and priorities in situations where fast food is an unquestionable necessity

Agrarian anarchism and authoritarian populism: towards a more (state-)critical ‘critical agrarian studies’

This paper applies an anarchist lens to agrarian politics, seeking to expand and enhance inquiry in critical agrarian studies. Anarchism’s relevance to agrarian processes is found in three general areas: (1) explicitly anarchist movements, both historical and contemporary; (2) theories that emerge from and shape these movements; and (3) implicit anarchism found in values, ethics, everyday practices, and in forms of social organization – or ‘anarchistic’ elements of human social life. Insights from anarchism are then applied to the problematique of the contemporary rise of ‘authoritarian populism’ and its relation to rural people and a

Associations of prenatal environmental phenol and phthalate biomarkers with respiratory and allergic diseases among children aged 6 and 7 years

Background: Prenatal environmental phenol and phthalate exposures may alter immune or inflammatory responses leading to respiratory and allergic disease. Objectives: We estimated associations of prenatal environmental phenol and phthalate biomarkers with respiratory and allergic outcomes among children in the Mount Sinai Children's Environmental Health Study. Methods: We quantified urinary biomarkers of benzophenone-3, bisphenol A, paradichlorobenzene (as 2,5-dichlorophenol), triclosan, and 10 phthalate metabolites in third trimester maternal samples and assessed asthma, wheeze, and atopic skin conditions via parent questionnaires at ages 6 and 7 years (n = 164 children with 240 observations). We used logistic regression to estimate covariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) per standard deviation difference in natural log biomarker concentrations and examined effect measure modification by child's sex. Results: Associations of prenatal 2,5-dichlorophenol (all outcomes) and bisphenol A (asthma outcomes) were modified by child's sex, with increased odds of outcomes among boys but not girls. Among boys, ORs for asthma diagnosis per standard deviation difference in biomarker concentration were 3.00 (95% CI: 1.36, 6.59) for 2,5-dichlorophenol and 3.04 (95% CI: 1.38, 6.68) for bisphenol A. Wheeze in the past 12 months was inversely associated with low molecular weight phthalate metabolites among girls only (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.59) and with benzophenone-3 among all children (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.96). Conclusions: Prenatal bisphenol A and paradichlorobenzene exposures were associated with pediatric respiratory outcomes among boys. Future studies may shed light on biological mechanisms and potential sexually-dimorphic effects of select phenols and phthalates on respiratory disease development

Timanttiporaukset Kaukovainion monitoimitalossa

Opinnäytetyön aiheena oli timanttiporaukset ja sahaukset Kaukovainion monitoimitalossa. Tavoitteena oli kuvata ja havainnollistaa timanttiporausta sekä timanttisahausta ensin teoreettisesti ja sitten käytännön kannalta. Opinnäytetyön teoriaosuudessa käydään läpi erilaiset työmenetelmät sekä työturvallisuus. Käytännön osiossa käydään läpi timanttiporauksen ja -sahauksen työsisältö sekä tehtävän suoritus ja kuvaus. Pääpainotteisesti tutustutaan työmaalla esiintyneisiin ongelmiin. Lähtötilanteena oli, että LVIS-reitityksille oli saatava uudet läpiviennit jo olemassa oleviin rakenteisiin. Työmenetelminä käytettiin timanttisahausta sekä timanttiporausta. Suurimmalta osaltaan työt olivat timanttiporausta. Töiden eteneminen tapahtui eri alojen sekä työnjohdon yhteistyöllä. Työn vaiheet olivat tiivistettynä merkkaus, poraus, tarkastus ja läpiviennin asennus. Olennaisimmat tulokset ja johtopäätökset kohdistuivat työmaalla esiintyneisiin ongelmiin. Niihin saatiin vastauksia sekä ratkaisuja työn edetessä. Merkittävin ongelma oli suunnitelmien puutteellisuus tai niiden puuttuminen. Ratkaisuksi löytyi eri alojen suunnittelijoiden yhteistyön lisääminen ja parantaminen. Muita tärkeitä ja myös hoidettavissa olevia ongelmia olivat tekniset ongelmat sekä hankinnalliset ongelmat. Niiden ratkaisuksi löytyi ammattitaidon lisääminen ja kehittäminen sekä riittävän työmaatekniikan saatavuuden turvaaminen

Evolution of the use of corticosteroids for the treatment of hospitalised COVID-19 patients in Spain between March and November 2020: SEMI-COVID national registry

Objectives: Since the results of the RECOVERY trial, WHO recommendations about the use of corticosteroids (CTs) in COVID-19 have changed. The aim of the study is to analyse the evolutive use of CTs in Spain during the pandemic to assess the potential influence of new recommendations. Material and methods: A retrospective, descriptive, and observational study was conducted on adults hospitalised due to COVID-19 in Spain who were included in the SEMI-COVID- 19 Registry from March to November 2020. Results: CTs were used in 6053 (36.21%) of the included patients. The patients were older (mean (SD)) (69.6 (14.6) vs. 66.0 (16.8) years; p < 0.001), with hypertension (57.0% vs. 47.7%; p < 0.001), obesity (26.4% vs. 19.3%; p < 0.0001), and multimorbidity prevalence (20.6% vs. 16.1%; p < 0.001). These patients had higher values (mean (95% CI)) of C-reactive protein (CRP) (86 (32.7-160) vs. 49.3 (16-109) mg/dL; p < 0.001), ferritin (791 (393-1534) vs. 470 (236- 996) µg/dL; p < 0.001), D dimer (750 (430-1400) vs. 617 (345-1180) µg/dL; p < 0.001), and lower Sp02/Fi02 (266 (91.1) vs. 301 (101); p < 0.001). Since June 2020, there was an increment in the use of CTs (March vs. September; p < 0.001). Overall, 20% did not receive steroids, and 40% received less than 200 mg accumulated prednisone equivalent dose (APED). Severe patients are treated with higher doses. The mortality benefit was observed in patients with oxygen saturation </=90%. Conclusions: Patients with greater comorbidity, severity, and inflammatory markers were those treated with CTs. In severe patients, there is a trend towards the use of higher doses. The mortality benefit was observed in patients with oxygen saturation </=90%