A comparative study of the implementation of organic food in school meal systems in four European countries

Based on national reports from Denmark, Finland, Italy and Norway, describing the school meal systems and to which extent organic food is integrated there, this report identifies differences between the four countries and experiences made with organic food procurement and the dissemination of organic ingredients in school meals. Such knowledge will help to understand the possibilities and restrictions for increasing organic food in school meal systems, and to reveal the room of manoeuvre for public organic food procurement for youth in each country. In the report, similarities and differences of the national school meal systems in general are first discussed, because this context determines the scope of organic food procurement. The history and current situation of the school meal systems, framework conditions of public food procurement in schools (laws, guidelines, control, financing), the structure of the school meal provision and public discourses about school meals are described. Next, focus is set on the use and development of organic food in school meal systems. Some school meal system cases are presented by the amount of organic food used, the arguments for organic school food and challenges and barriers for the dissemination of organic food. Finally, school meal system actors in general as well as “organic” actors such as promoters, decision makers, companies and organisations are compared across the four countries. Summarizing chapters are found at the end of each section of the report. In short, warm meals are served for free to all pupils daily in Finland, and subsidized according to family income to all pupils at least twice a week in Italy. Norway and Denmark stick to a packed lunch brought from home, with additional milk and fruit subscription schemes and a developing additional or complementary meal service especially in Denmark with subsidized prices. Organic food is much emphasised in Italy and Denmark; significantly less in Finland and Norway

Individuelle dreidimensionale Simulation von Weichteilveränderungen im Gesichtsbereich

In dieser Studie wurde eine individuelle faziale Weichteilprognose mit der Finiten-Elemente-Methode getestet und deren Validität und Prognosegenauigkeit geprüft. Zum Vergleich wurden die Messwerte mit einem zweidimensionalen Verfahren, dem Dentofacial Planner Plus Version 2.01, verglichen. Für die Erstellung der Weichteilprognose stellten sich 12 erwachsene Probanden zur Verfügung, bei denen eine kombiniert kieferorthopädisch-kieferchirurgische Behandlung durchgeführt wurde. Zur präoperativen Prognose der Weichteilveränderungen wurde ein Profilfoto mit einer digitalen Kamera der Firma Canon, EOS 10D, und ein Fernröntgenseitenbild für die Weichteilprognose des zweidimensionalen Verfahrens hergestellt. Nach Eingabe der kephalometrischen Messpunkte in das interaktive Softwaretool des Dentofacial Planners konnte die Operation simuliert werden. Dazu wurden die Werte der Modelloperation hinzugezogen. Nach Verschiebung der Maxilla und Mandibula in sagittaler und vertikaler Richtung errechnete die Software die Weichteilprognose, die als Profillinie zweidimensional visualisiert wurde. Für die digitale Gesichtserfassung der Probanden wurden mittels 3-D Laserscanner die fazialen Weichteile für das dreidimensionale Verfahren erfasst. Die akquirierten Punktwolken konnten vereinigt und über spezielle Algorithmen in ein CAD-Modell verarbeitet werden. Über diese CAD-Schnittstelle war es möglich ein Finite-Elemente-Modell zu generieren. Die Simulation zur fazialen Weichteilprognose erfolgte mit der Software Design Space (Ansys Inc.). Im Unterschied zum zweidimensionalen Verfahren besteht beim Finite-Elemente-Verfahren die Möglichkeit einer falschfarbenkodierten Visualisierung der regionalen Weichteilveränderungen im dreidimensionalen Raum. Es kann neben der Prognose der Profillinie auch eine ästhetisch wichtige Beurteilung der Wangen, der Nasenflügel und Nasiolabialfalten getroffen werden. Bei vergleichenden Messungen zwischen den beiden Prognoseverfahren zeigen sich bezüglich der Validität und der Prognosegenauigkeit eindeutige Unterschiede. Der durchschnittliche Gesamtfehler des Dentofacial Planners ist fast doppelt so hoch, im Vergleich zum Fehler des Finite-Elemente-Verfahrens. Es konnten regionale Unterschiede festgestellt werden. Im Mittelgesicht ist die Prognose der beiden Verfahren als gut einzustufen, währenddessen die Prognose des unteren Gesichtsdrittels mit dem Dentofacial Planner hohe Abweichungen zum postoperativen Gesichtsprofil aufweist. Diese Ergebnisse wurden von Fischer (2002) in einer Dissertation bestätigt. Die Prognosegenauigkeit des Finite-Elemente-Verfahrens ist im unteren Gesichtsdrittel höher. Jedoch wurde am Messpunkt Weichteilmenton Abweichungen in vertikaler Richtung mit Messwerten von über 1,5 mm aufgezeigt. Eine mögliche Erklärung dafür ist die geringe Simulation der Autorotation des Unterkiefers bei der Bearbeitung des Finite-Elemente-Modells. Es muss jedoch berücksichtigt werden, dass trotz der besseren Beurteilung der individuellen, fazialen Weichteilverhältnisse in allen drei Dimensionen des Raumes im Vergleich zum zweidimensionalen Verfahren keine absolut perfekte Weichteilprognose getroffen werden kann. Um dieses Verfahren der Finiten-Elemente-Methode zu verfeinern sollten bei der Herstellung des Finite-Elemente-Modells die Weichgewebsschichten und die Autorotation des Unterkiefers berücksichtigt werden

Le droit d’asile des mineurs non accompagnés dans l’Union européenne. Questions liées à leur représentation

Les mineurs non accompagnés sont de plus en plus nombreux à demander l’asile dans l’Union européenne. Pour obtenir le statut de réfugié, ces mineurs doivent, comme leurs ainés, démontrer qu’ils sont confrontés à des risques d’atteintes graves en cas de retour dans leur pays d’origine. Lorsque le jeune est sans papiers, il doit en outre démontrer qu’il est mineur. Or les techniques employées par les autorités nationales sont loin d’être sans lacunes et défauts.En Europe, un représentant légal doit être nommé pour accompagner le mineur, particulièrement vulnérable, dans les différentes démarches qu’il doit accomplir auprès des autorités nationales. Le représentant du mineur doit garantir l’intérêt supérieur de l’enfant. Des normes communes découlent de directives européennes en ce qui concerne les attributions et les missions des représentants des mineurs. Cependant, la marge de manœuvre laissée aux États explique que les compétences varient ces derniers. Ainsi la diversité des dispositions nationales met en jeu l’efficacité du système. En outre, l’effectivité des règles adoptées est imparfaite, la protection des mineurs souffrant ainsi de nombreuses lacunes.Non attended minors searching for an asylum right are more and more numerous in the European Union. So as to obtain a refugee status such minors have to prove, just like their older people, that they risk serious problems if they ever return to their country of origin. If a young person stands without official papers, he must also prove he is a minor. But the technics in use by national authorities are far from being without gaps and deficiencies. In Europe, a legal representative has to be nominated. He will assist the vulnerable minor to take the numerous steps asked by national authorities. The minor’s representative must warrant the child’s superior interest. Common norms are derived from European directives, they concern the competences and the missions of the minor’s representative. Nevertheless, each State has a large panel of solutions: thus competences are widely different from one State to another. So the variety of national solutions influences the efficiency of the whole system. The effectiveness of the adopted rules is then imperfect and minor’s protection still includes numerous gaps.Cada vez es mayor el número de menores no acompañados que piden asilo dentro de la Unión Europea. Para obtener el estatus de refugiado, estos menores, al igual que sus mayores, deben demostrar que se enfrentan a un riesgo de graves perjuicios en caso de regresar a su país de origen. Cuando el joven está indocumentado, debe además demostrar que es menor. No obstante, las técnicas que emplean las autoridades nacionales distan mucho de no presentar carencias y defectos.En Europa, se ha de nombrar un representante legal para que ayude al menor, especialmente vulnerable, con los diferentes trámites que debe realizar ante las autoridades nacionales. El representante del menor debe garantizar el interés superior del menor. A partir de diferentes directivas europeas se han establecido normas comunes en lo que concierne a las atribuciones y funciones de los representantes de los menores. Sin embargo, el margen de maniobra que se deja a los Estados explica que las competencias varíen en estos últimos. De esta forma, la diversidad de las disposiciones nacionales pone en peligro la eficacia del sistema. Además, la efectividad de las normas aprobadas es incompleta, y la protección de los menores sufre por ello de muchas carencias

iPOPY – innovative Public Organic food Procurement for Youth. School meals – and more!

One of eight pilot projects in the European CORE Organic programme, innovative Public Organic food Procurement for Youth, (iPOPY) will study efficient ways of implementing organic food in public serving outlets for young people (2007-10). By analysing practical cases of school meal systems and other food serving outlets for youth, we will identify hindrances and promoting factors in the participating countries (Denmark, Finland, Italy and Norway). Policies, supply chains, certification systems, the young consumers’ perception and participation, and health effects of implementation of organic policies and menus are focussed in iPOPY. The main aim is to suggest efficient policies and comprehensive strategies to increase the consumption of organic food among young consumers in a public setting, and fostering sustainable nutrition. Interdisciplinary project tools under development will be presented along with the first project results, which will be available by June 2008

Experiences of Becoming Emotionally Dysregulated. A Qualitative Study of Staff in Youth Residential Care

Trauma informed care (TIC) emphasizes the importance of professionals maintaining an emotionally regulated state. We interviewed eight staff members in a residential care unit for children and adolescents where TIC had been implemented, about situations wherein they experienced difficulty regulating their own emotions. We identified three major narratives in informants’ descriptions: (1) “Are we doing the right things?”, (2) “My childhood issues surfaced”, and (3) “Missing togetherness with trusted others.” The narratives illustrate the emotional strain that can be evoked when working in residential child welfare settings, and within TIC frameworks, and point to potential challenges to resolve when implementing TIC in similar organizations.publishedVersio

Comparing associations of handgrip strength and chair stand performance with all-cause mortality—implications for defining probable sarcopenia: the Tromsø Study 2015–2020

Background Widely adopted criteria suggest using either low handgrip strength or poor chair stand performance to identify probable sarcopenia. However, there are limited direct comparisons of these measures in relation to important clinical endpoints. We aimed to compare associations between these two measures of probable sarcopenia and all-cause mortality. Methods Analyses included 7838 community-dwelling participants (55% women) aged 40–84 years from the seventh survey of the Tromsø Study (2015–2016), with handgrip strength assessed using a Jamar + Digital Dynamometer and a five-repetition chair stand test (5-CST) also undertaken. We generated sex-specific T-scores and categorised these as “not low”, “low”, and “very low” handgrip strength or 5-CST performance. Cox Proportional Hazard regression models were used to investigate associations between these two categorised performance scores and time to death (up to November 2020 ascertained from the Norwegian Cause of Death registry), adjusted for potential confounders including lifestyle factors and specific diseases. Results A total of 233 deaths occurred (median follow-up 4.7 years) with 1- and 5-year mortality rates at 3.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1, 4.6) and 6.3 (95% CI 5.5, 7.2) per 1000 person-years, respectively. There was poor agreement between the handgrip strength and 5-CST categories for men (Cohen’s kappa [κ] = 0.19) or women (κ = 0.20). Fully adjusted models including handgrip strength and 5-CST performance mutually adjusted for each other, showed higher mortality rates among participants with low (hazard ratio [HR] 1.22, 95% CI 0.87, 1.71) and very low (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.02, 2.75) handgrip strength compared with the not low category. Similar associations, although stronger, were seen for low (HR 1.88, 95% CI 1.38, 2.56) and very low (HR 2.64, 95% CI 1.73, 4.03) 5-CST performance compared with the not low category. Conclusions We found poor agreement between T-score categories for handgrip strength and 5-CST performance and independent associations with mortality. Our findings suggest that these tests identify different people at risk when case-finding probable sarcopenia. As discussions on an international consensus for sarcopenia definitions proceed, testing both handgrip strength and chair stand performance should be recommended rather than viewing these as interchangeable assessments

Vitamin A controls the allergic response through T follicular helper cell as well as plasmablast differentiation

Background Vitamin A regulates the adaptive immune response and a modulatory impact on type I allergy is discussed. The cellular mechanisms are largely unknown. Objective To determine the vitamin A-responding specific lymphocyte reaction in vivo. Methods Antigen-specific B and T lymphocytes were analyzed in an adoptive transfer airway inflammation mouse model in response to 9-cis retinoic acid (9cRA) and after lymphocyte-specific genetic targeting of the receptor RAR alpha. Flow cytometry, quantitative PCR, next-generation sequencing, and specific Ig-ELISA were used to characterize the cells functionally. Results Systemic 9cRA profoundly enhanced the specific IgA-secreting B-cell frequencies in the lung tissue and serum IgA while reducing serum IgE concentrations. RAR alpha overexpression in antigen-specific B cells promoted differentiation into plasmablasts at the expense of germinal center B cells. In antigen-specific T cells, RAR alpha strongly promoted the differentiation of T follicular helper cells followed by an enhanced germinal center response. Conclusions 9cRA signaling via RAR alpha impacts the allergen-specific immunoglobulin response directly by the differentiation of B cells and indirectly by promoting T follicular helper cells

Final report for 1881 Innovative Public Organic food Procurement for Youth (iPOPY)

The transnational research project iPOPY (innovative Public Organic food Procurement for Youth)has studied public food serving for young people in five European countries (Denmark, Finland,Germany, Italy and Norway), to reveal efficient strategies and policies for implementing organic food. In this way, the project would contribute to increase the consumption of organic products in Europe. Significant consumption of organic food among youth has been achieved especially in Italy, where 40 % (by weight) of the school food is organic. Public regulations demanding that municipalities should prioritize organic and otherwise certified food (local, typical, fair trade) have been very useful to establish this situation. A large consumption of organic food in schools is easiest achieved in “captive catering” situations, where all or most pupils participate in the food service. Highly flexible systems with many options may reduce the food quality because the demand will be highly variable, and a stable high quality school food production is then difficult to plan and develop. A “captive catering” of complete meals will increase the volume of food consumed, and the possibilities to link the food consumption to food education. Caring for people’s health, the environment and organic food and agriculture are all tendencies pulling in the same direction. Schools with a dedicated organic food policy are also more active to promote healthy eating among the pupils in general. Organic food in schools should be linked to concepts such as sustainable development and sustainable nutrition, and embedded as a “whole school approach”. Sustainable development is a general educational aim for the basic education in all studied countries, and organic food in schools has a large potential to contribute in the teaching of sustainability

Grip strength in men and women aged 50–79 years is associated with non-vertebral osteoporotic fracture during 15 years follow-up: The Tromsø Study 1994–1995

Under embargo until: 2020-10-25Summary In 50–79-year-olds who participated in the Tromsø Study (1994–1995), the risk of non-vertebral osteoporotic fractures during 15 years follow-up increased by 22% in men and 9% in women per 1 SD lower grip strength. The strongest association was observed in men aged 50–64 years. Introduction We aimed to explore whether low grip strength was associated with increased risk of non-vertebral osteoporotic fracture in the population-based Tromsø Study 1994–1995. Methods Grip strength (bar) was measured by a Martin Vigorimeter and fractures were retrieved from the X-ray archives at the University Hospital of North Norway between 1994 and 2010. At baseline, weight and height were measured, whereas information on the other covariates were obtained through self-reported questionnaires. Cox regression was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) of fracture in age- and gender-specific quintiles of grip-strength, and per 1 SD lower grip strength. Similar analyses were done solely for hip fractures. Adjustments were made for age, height, body mass index (BMI), marital status, education, smoking, physical activity, use of alcohol, self-perceived health, and self-reported diseases. Results In 2891 men and 4002 women aged 50–79 years, 1099 non-vertebral osteoporotic fractures—including 393 hip fractures—were sustained during the median 15 years follow-up. Risk of non-vertebral osteoporotic fracture increased with declining grip strength: hazard ratios per SD decline was 1.22 (95% CI 1.05–1.43) in men and 1.09 (95% CI 1.01–1.18) in women. HR for fracture in lower vs. upper quintile was 1.58 (95% CI 1.02–2.45) in men and 1.28 (95% CI 1.03–1.59) in women. The association was most pronounced in men aged 50–64 years with HR = 3.39 (95% CI 1.76–6.53) in the lower compared to the upper quintile. Conclusions The risk of non-vertebral osteoporotic fracture increased with declining grip-strength in both genders, particularly in men aged 50–64 years.acceptedVersio