Aquaculture, fisheries, poverty and food security

Fisheries and aquaculture play important roles in providing food and income in many developing countries, either as a stand-alone activity or in association with crop agriculture and livestock rearing. The aim of this paper is to identify how these contributions of fisheries and aquaculture to poverty reduction and food security can be enhanced while also addressing the need for a sustainability transition in over-exploited and over-capitalized capture fisheries, and for improved environmental performance and distributive justice in a rapidly growing aquaculture sector. The focus of the paper is on the poverty and food security concerns of developing countries, with an emphasis on the least developed. The emphasis is on food security rather than poverty reduction policies and strategies, although the two are of course related. The food security agenda is very much to the fore at present; fish prices rose along with other food prices in 2007-8 and as fish provide important nutritional benefits to the poor, food security has become a primary concern for sector policy

Dark matter, singlet extensions of the nuMSM, and symmetries

We consider an extension of the nuMSM in which sterile neutrino masses originate from the VEV of a Higgs singlet phi and dark matter is produced through the decays of phi rather than through active-sterile neutrino mixing. This model, which we refer to as the nuNMSM, can readily satisfy or escape the constraints on warm dark matter from the Lyman-alpha forest and other small scale structure. However, it requires a particular hierarchy of Majorana masses and Yukawa couplings without an obvious origin. We show that the hierarchical parameters of the nuNMSM can arise from symmetries broken at or near the Planck scale for two specific examples of this model: one in which phi helps stabilize the electroweak vacuum through a scalar threshold effect and one in which phi is a light inflaton. Both examples require a complex phi and have several experimental signatures that are distinct from the nuMSM. These signatures include additional dark radiation that is relativistic at both primordial nucleosynthesis and CMB decoupling and, for the former, a large invisible branching ratio of the Higgs.Comment: 22 pages, 3 tables. v2: Discussion clarified and references added. Matches published versio

The Effect of Print Angulation on the Accuracy and Precision of 3D-Printed Orthodontic Retainers

Purpose: The aims of this study were: 1) to compare the accuracy and precision of 3- dimensional (3D) printed retainers at various angulations, 2) to evaluate the effect of angulation on printing time and the amount of resin consumed. Methods: Using a stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer, a total of 60 clear retainers were printed at five angulations (n=12, each): 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 degrees. Six retainers were printed each cycle at a random order for all print angulations as print 1 and print 2. Digital images of the original and printed retainers were superimposed. Discrepancies on eight landmarks were measured by two independent examiners. 0.25 mm was set as the clinically acceptable threshold to determine the accuracy of the retainers. Results: Deviations ranged from 0.074 mm to 0.225 mm from the reference retainer at the cusp tips and incisal edges at all angulations, falling within the threshold of clinical acceptance. Smooth surfaces ranged from 0.263 mm to 0.480 mm, falling beyond the level of clinical acceptance. Printing at 15 degrees was estimated to be the most time-efficient, while printing at 45 degrees was estimated to be the most cost-effective. Conclusions: 3D-printed retainers, using an SLA printer, were found to be accurate within 0.25 mm at all print angulations at the cusp tips and incisal edges when compared to the reference digital file. Smooth facial surfaces fell beyond of the level of clinical acceptability. Printing at 15 degrees was estimated to be the most time-efficient, while printing at 45 degrees was estimated to be the most cost-effective

Effects of Eat Better, Move More (EBMM) Educational Program on Obesity Rates in Latino Children Residing in Northwest Arkansas

Background: Childhood obesity, especially in ethnic minority populations, is a growing problem with no signs of improvement over the past decade. The Latino population is one of the fastest growing minority groups in the United States. Unfortunately, they have experienced substantial health disparities and socioeconomic disadvantages that contribute to the high rates of obesity in their youth. Decreasing obesity rates would not only have many health advantages, but also financial benefits as well. It would reduce the risk of co-morbidities such as cardiovascular disease and depression. Healthy children are more likely to grow into healthy adults, ultimately lowering the cost of healthcare for this population. Objective: The purpose of this study is to increase the knowledge of proper nutrition and foster positive attitudes towards healthy habits. It aims to specifically target behaviors that decrease the likelihood of childhood obesity, in 4th-5th grade children by educating their parents. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, parental knowledge of healthy lifestyle behaviors of parents at the study site elementary school were collected prior to and after the education sessions. “Healthy Habits” and “Parental Feeding Style” pre-test and post-test were completed by the caregiver group in their native language. The data gathered compared the knowledge of the students and guardians before and after four education sessions to evaluate the effectiveness of the Eat Better, Move More (EBMM) program. The program was designed to answer the following research question: What is the effect of Eat Better, Move More education program on parents of school-age children on healthy lifestyle behaviors (self and home), including food choices, physical activity and sleep habits? Results: Although the results were not statistically significant due to the inconsistency of the sample size, exposure to the educational program positively influenced healthy habits and increased the knowledge of the caregivers involved. With the limitations of time, only the preliminary data was collected and analyzed. The post-survey will be administered and the results will be compared in May 2019. Conclusion: It is hoped that the Eat Better, Move More educational program will increase understanding of the behaviors and practices contributing to the complicated nature of the obesity epidemic among school age children. Ultimately, the program aims to decrease the prevalence of childhood obesity in ethnic minorities throughout Northwest Arkansas

A Pragmatic Look at Schopenhauer’s Pessimism

Schopenhauer’s pessimistic philosophy is a depressing read. He writes many pages about how suffering is the norm, and any happiness we feel is merely a temporary alleviation of suffering. Even so, his account of suffering rings true to many readers. What are we to do with our lives if Schopenhauer is right, and we are doomed to suffer? In this paper, I use William James’ pragmatic method to find practical implications of Schopenhauer’s pessimism. I provide a model for how we are to live our lives in a suffering world, a model that provides means to reduce suffering

Consciousness Duplication And Our Capacity To Learn From Literary Fictions

Many of us share a strong intuition that fictional literature possesses cognitive value in the sense that it has the capacity to expand and/or clarify our knowledge or understanding of the world. If we agree that we learn something when we read and discuss certain texts, we may nevertheless find the form this learning takes to be anything but obvious

Hypoglycemia in Mitochondrial Disorders

INTRODUCTION: The electron transport chain (ETC) in mitochondria functions to produce energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Defects in the mitochondrial or nuclear DNA that codes for components of the ETC lead to mitochondrial disorders (MTDs). MTDs are multi-system conditions affecting the heart, muscles, and especially brain. The endocrine system is commonly affected in MTDs, and diabetes and hyperglycemia are established secondary diagnoses. Rates of non-iatrogenic hypoglycemia have not been studied in individuals with MTDs. This study aims to investigate the frequency of hypoglycemia in patients with MTDs. METHODS: Individuals diagnosed with a ‘definite’ or ‘probable’ MTD according to the modified Walker criteria at The University of Texas, Mitochondrial Center of Excellence were included in this study. Exclusion criteria included diagnosis of diabetes or adrenal insufficiency or past or present use of hydrocortisone or prednisone. Patient charts were reviewed retrospectively for blood glucose values. Individuals with at least two values were recorded. Patients were classified as neonatal (≤28 days of life) or non-neonatal (\u3e28 days of life) at the time of measurement. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, mixed-model regression, and two-sample tests of proportion. All data analysis was done using Stata® (v.13, College Station, TX). Statistical significance was assumed at p\u3c0.05. RESULTS: Of the 116 patients included in this study, 22 (18.97%) experienced at least one episode of hypoglycemia. This is significantly higher (pp\u3c0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with MTD are more likely to experience hypoglycemia compared to the general population with especially low blood glucose readings during the neonatal period. This demonstrates hypoglycemia may be contributing to the high rate of neurological symptoms reported in MTDs and supports that MTDs should be on the differential diagnosis in cases of hypoglycemia, especially during the neonatal period. Additional and earlier monitoring of blood glucose could reduce negative outcomes such as decreased cognitive outcome, developmental delays, seizures, or brain damage in patients with MTDs

The State of Working New Hampshire 2007

The national economy recovered relatively quickly from the 2001 recession, with the economy growing at a rate that averaged just below 3 percent a year. During this period, growth in national productivity has been very strong, even outpacing the growth in national productivity in the boom period of the last half of the 1990s. However, workers in New Hampshire and in the nation have not had equivalent growth in their wages, real income, and employment.The period since the 2001 recession has been characterized as a "jobless recovery." New Hampshire has had only 3 percent employment growth since 2000. This slow growth follows a five-year period of 15 percent job growth in the state between 1995 and 2000. Job growth was also greater during the previous economic recovery of the early 1990s, with 6 percent growth between 1990 and 1995.This issue brief updates employment figures and trends documented in the State of Working New Hampshire 2006. By and large, there were only small changes in employment over the past year. Where it is useful for perspective, the report includes references to employment trends in New Hampshire since 1990, a time period that provides perspective on state-level economic trends following two recessions and two distinct periods of economic expansion.This brief is produced in cooperation with the Economic Policy Institute (EPI)