Bringing the Good Food Purchasing Program to Buffalo

An investigation of potential environmental stakeholder participation in the Good Food Purchasing Program. The objective of this report is to investigate the GFPP’s value of environmental sustainability, to assess if this value is compatible with those of Buffalo’s environmental stakeholders, and to consider if these local organizations would be supportive of bringing the GFPP to Buffalo. In doing so, this report examines the characteristics and goals of local environmental stakeholders, and compares them to the successes that the GFPP has experienced elsewhere. Of particular importance to Buffalo’s environmental stakeholders is climate justice, water quality, and regenerative economies. All of these values correspond with the GFPP’s socio-environmental accomplishments, such as decreased greenhouse gas emissions and water resulting from reduced animal product consumption, increased local purchasing, and improved working conditions. However, these victories were not achieved without overcoming numerous barriers, such as policy regulation, financial constraints, and logistical limits

Just Transitions in a Public School Food System: The Case of Buffalo, New York

This article examines the public school food system in Buffalo, New York, for a just transition (Movement Generation, n. d.). School food programs built on just transition characteristics democratize engagement, decentralize decision-making, diversify the economy, decrease consumption, and redistribute resources and power

Good Food Purchasing for the Buffalo Public Schools

Good food is vital for our students and our community. Recognizing the important connections between the amount and quality of food that students receive, their behavior, and their academic performance, numerous stakeholders within Buffalo Public Schools (BPS) and the community have taken strides to improve school food. This report provides an initial overview of the current status of school food at BPS and many of these school food improvement initiatives. Based on interviews with local school food stakeholders, experiences from other school districts across the United States, and various other studies analyzing school food, this report documents the successes thus far and assesses where there is room for improvement. The analysis is framed within the Good Food Purchasing Program’s (GFPP) core values: local economies, nutrition, labor, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare

Good Food Purchasing for the Buffalo Public Schools

This policy brief provides a snapshot of the current status of school food at Buffalo Public Schools and several ongoing school food improvement initiatives

Biological soil crusts in a northeastern pine barren: Composition and ecological effects

Biological soil crusts (BSCs), otherwise known as cryptogamic soil crusts, biocrusts, or cyanobacterial crusts, are soil aggregations hosting diverse biotic communities. They are composed of cyanobacteria and algae, and generally have a covering of moss and/or lichen. BSCs are typically found in arid to semi-arid regions throughout the world, and are integral soil stabilizers, moisture retainers, and nitrogen fixers in these communities. Along with these factors, BSCs are able to impact germination and establishment of plants, either as an accompanying influence, or direct result of those listed above. BSCs have yet to be formally described in the inland northeastern United States, and yet they have been found in a variety of locations, including New York, New Hampshire, and Maine. This paper seeks to investigate the species composition of crusts and their effects on seedling germination in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, an inland scrub-oak pine barren ecosystem in upstate New York. Crusted and non-crusted soil samples were taken from the Preserve and refrigerated at 4°C until use. Several of the crusted samples were sent off for analysis of their constituents, and the other eighty dishes (forty crust and forty sand) were used in the germination experiment. Three species of plants native to the Pine Bush (little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), bush clover (Lespedeza capitata), and lupine (Lupinus perennis)) were scattered onto the soil conditions, with twenty seeds of one species in each dish. The results of this study supported our hypothesis that BSCs would inhibit the success of seedling germination, with bush clover and lupine germinating three and five times greater, respectively, on bare sand than crusted conditions. The crusts’ ability to influence the presence of plant species suggests a larger impact on the whole ecosystem, as those that succeed will affect other present biota. Crusts likely contribute to habitat heterogeneity, given their apparent influence on seeds and the crusts’ spatial variation throughout the environment. Further research into the impact of crusts in northeastern systems should be undertaken, as crusts’ impacts are significant and may be different than those described in arid and semi-arid systems

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Exploring Ways to Optimise Wellbeing for People Who Work Fly-in, Fly-out in the Australian Mining Industry

Concerns regarding poor mental health for people who FIFO in the Australian mining industry has reached crisis point. This study takes a strengths-based approach, employing a mixed methods design to investigate how sense of community, social support, and onsite lifestyle factors can optimise wellbeing for people who FIFO. Findings from quantitative online surveys and qualitative interviews are integrated using community psychology change principles in order to understand how to make FIFO work, work

Probing Structural Differences of Recombinant Prion Isoforms Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Conversion of prion protein (PrP) from its normal, cellular isoform, PrPC, to an infectious, misfolded, fibrillar isoform, PrPSc, is responsible for various neurodegenerative diseases in a variety of mammalian hosts. Although the structure of PrPC is well studied, the structure of PrPSc is not known. Obtaining structural information on the misfolded isoform of prion may lead to preventative therapies and treatments of prion diseases. In this study, six single-tryptophan mutants of recombinant PrP were expressed, purified, and refolded into PrPC or two misfolded isoforms of prion, PrPb and PrPF. Solvent accessibilities of the six tryptophan residues were probed among the three isoforms using various tryptophan fluorescence techniques. For all six mutants, solvent accessibility was shown to decrease following conversion to the misfolded isoforms. Tryptophan accessibility data was used to evaluate two computational models of PrPSc, the beta-helix model and the-beta spiral model, and was also compared with experimental data in literature. Although neither computational model entirely fit the data, the Surewicz model of parallel, in-register beta-strands comprising residues ~160-220 was in agreement with tryptophan accessibilities of residues within this area. However, more structural detail of this experimentally-based model is needed before the two data sets can be fully compared

Results of a parametric aeroelastic stability analysis of a generic X-wing aircraft

This paper discusses the trends in longitudinal dynamic aeroelastic stability of a generic x-wing aircraft model with design parameter variations. X-wing rotor blade sweep angle, ratio of blade mass to total vehicle mass, blade structural stiffness cross-coupling and vehicle center-of-gravity location were parameters considered. The typical instability encountered is body-freedom flutter involving a low frequency interaction of the first elastic mode and the aircraft short period mode. Parametric cases with the lowest static margin consistently demonstrated the highest flutter dynamic pressures. As mass ratio was increased, the flutter boundary decreased. The decrease was emphasized as center-of-gravity location was moved forward. As sweep angle varied, it was observed that the resulting increase in forward-swept blade bending amplitude relative to aft blade bending amplitude in the first elastic mode had a stabilizing effect on the flutter boundary. Finally, small amounts of stiffness cross-coupling in the aft blades increased flutter dynamic pressure

Lion’s Mane Mushroom- From Culinary to Medicine

Lion\u27s Mane, a distinctive mushroom found across the Northern Hemisphere, has captivated the world with its unique appearance and potential health benefits. This article explores the diverse facets of Lion\u27s Mane, from its taxonomy and habitat to its rich nutritional composition, including proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and an array of biologically active compounds, notably polysaccharides and phenolic compounds. Lion\u27s Mane is emerging as a potent dietary supplement, with research highlighting its positive impact on brain health, nerve recovery, mood stabilization, gastric health, heart health, blood sugar regulation, cancer prevention, and immunity enhancement. While Lion\u27s Mane offers promising health benefits, it is essential to recognize its role as a complementary dietary addition rather than a substitute for medical treatments. Fortunately, Lion\u27s Mane is generally considered safe for prolonged consumption, with minimal reported side effects. As research continues to unveil the multifaceted potential of the Lion\u27s Mane, it stands as a fascinating and versatile natural resource with the promise of contributing to improved well-being and longevity

Community-Based Intervention Strategies to Reduce Tobacco Use in Asia: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Introduction Tobacco use remains a global health challenge as one-tenth of world’s population consume it regularly–thereby increasing its disease burden. Among all programs implemented, community-based interventions showed great potential, considering its ubiquity and practicableness. However, since tobacco consumption’s prevalence persists, especially in Asia, further reviews are needed. Objective To analyze prior community-based tobacco control programs in Asia and identify potential approaches to be implemented as a mean to reduce tobacco use Methods A systematic review was conducted through PubMed, Scopus, and CENTRAL, searching for randomized controlled trials (RCT) implementing community-based programs to control tobacco usage in Asia. Studies selected were assessed for bias risk with Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. Results The search yielded eleven RCTs with a total of 28,805 subjects. Smoking cessation interventions focusing on education and counselling are proven to be effective in reducing tobacco consumption and increasing quit rate. Moreover, prevention programs which include school-based interventions, reduce the likeliness of adolescents to smoke in the future and also prevent further tobacco use in recent youth smokers. Conclusions To conclude, community-based interventions showed promising results to be widely implemented as tobacco control and prevention strategies, helping to raise public awareness towards tobacco hazards and reducing the number of tobacco-related diseases and mortality worldwide