Alice O\u27Grady

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/5714/thumbnail.jp

Sustainability assessment of economic, environmental and social impacts, feed-food competition and economic robustness of dairy and beef farming systems in South Western Europe

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sustainability of cattle systems in South Western Europe by combining life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) with assessment of feed-food competition and economic robustness. We studied three cattle systems using different proportions of semi-natural pasture, and producing either only beef or milk and beef, i.e. a dairy system with Holstein breed in the lowlands of France with 85% of the total land used being semi-natural pastures (ParSy). The functional unit for LCSA was 1000 kg protein of animal origin and the system boundary was from cradle to farmgate. The cattle production systems were assessed using 27 indicators (LCSA, feed-food competition and robustness). The results indicated that MonSy performed less well for 10 and ParSy for 14 out of the 27 indicators researched when compared to HolSy, the reference case. HolSy was less sensitive to a support payment decrease and had lower social impacts on farmers than the other two systems. MonSy had lower impacts on some environmental indicators, lower life cycle costs, lower social impacts on society, lower human edible feed conversion ratio (i.e. less feed-food competition) for fat and less sensitivity to a meat price decrease than the other two systems. ParSy had lower terrestrial and freshwater ecotoxicity, lower human edible feed conversion ratio and land use ratio for protein, lower social impact for the local community, and a higher internal rate of return than the other systems. ParSy had less sensitivity to feed and energy price increases, and increased rented land and loan interest costs than the other systems. Producing both meat and milk at the same farm increased vulnerability to economic changes. Semi-natural pasture based dairy in highland Europe needs support payments to keep the farm economically afloat in times of economic changes e.g. due to shocks

Social life cycle assessment of Swedish organic and conventional pork production

Purpose Sustainable animal food systems are increasingly important to society. Yet for pork, the most consumed meat product in Europe, there is no social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) in the literature. The breath and complexity of social issues and lack of data makes the task challenging. This study examines the risk of negative social impacts in Swedish pork production systems and includesworkers,farmers,consumers,local community,society, andpigsas stakeholders. Methods The objective was to assess the risk of negative social impacts for the production and consumption of 1000-kg pork (fork weight-bone free meat including cooking losses) originating from two different systems: organic and conventional pork production. Relevant social sustainability issues for pork production systems were identified through a literature search and a consultative workshop with experts. A life cycle inventory was conducted to collect data for activity variables and compute Social Risk (SR), a measure of the risk of negative social impacts related to a reference (here the average European social conditions). Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) was used to obtain weights for subcategories. The SR scores and the weights were used to calculate Social Risk Time (SRT) that relates the Social Risk to the functional unit by considering the 'exposure' to the risk, and the Social Hotspot Index (SHI), which relates the SRT to the worst possible situation for that system. Results and discussion The conventional pork system had 42% of inventory indicators with SR > 0.5 and the organic pork system had 32%. For all stakeholders, thepig farmhad the largest SRT in both production systems except forworkersin the organic pork system where the soybean farmhad the largest SRT. In the conventional pork system,societyas well asfarmersat thepig farmhad SHI > 0.5 slightly, meaning performing the same as European average. In the organic pork system, SHI < 0.5 for all stakeholders and subsystems. Conclusion Swedish pork production has lower risk of negative social impacts than the average European social conditions for most of the stakeholders:workers,pigs,local community, andconsumers.Farmersandsocietyat the subsystempig farmhave the same risk of negative social impacts as the average European social conditions. Due to the dependence of the results of the chosen reference level, the reliance on certification, and the indicators included, results should be interpreted and used with care

Adipokinetic hormone enhances nodule formation and phenoloxidase activation in adult locusts injected with bacterial lipopolysaccharide

Interactions between the locust endocrine and immune systems have been studied in vivo in relation to nodule formation and activation of the prophenoloxidase cascade in the haemolymph. Injection of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) extracted from Escherichia coli induces nodule formation in larval and adult locusts but does not increase phenoloxidase activity in the haemolymph. Nodule formation starts rapidly after injection of LPS and is virtually complete within 8 h, nodules occurring mainly associated with the dorsal diaphragm on either side of the heart, but sometimes with smaller numbers associated with the ventral diaphragm on either side of the nerve cord. Co-injection of adipokinetic hormone-I (Lom-AKH-I) with LPS stimulates greater numbers of nodules to be formed in larval and adult locusts, and activates phenoloxidase in the haemolymph of mature adults but not of nymphs. The effect of co-injection of Lom-AKH-I with LPS on nodule formation is seen at low doses of hormone; only 0.4 pmol of Lom-AKH-I per adult locust is needed to produce a 50% increase in the number of nodules formed. When different components of LPS from the E. coli Rd mutant are tested, the mono- and the diphosphoryl Lipid A components have similar effects to the intact LPS. Remarkably, detoxified LPS activates phenoloxidase in the absence of Lom-AKH-I, although co-injection with hormone does enhance this response. Both diphosphoryl Lipid A and detoxified LPS induce a level of nodule formation that is enhanced by co-injection of Lom-AKH-I, but monophosphoryl Lipid A does not initiate nodule formation even when injected with hormone. Co-injection of a water-soluble inhibitor of eicosanoid synthesis, diclofenac (2-[(2, 6-dichlorophenyl)amino] benzeneacetic acid), reduces nodule formation in response to injections of LPS (both in the absence and presence of hormone) in a dose-dependent manner, but does not prevent activation of phenoloxidase in adult locusts. It is shown that nodule formation and activation of the prophenoloxidase in locust haemolymph can both be enhanced by Lom-AKH–I, but it is argued that these processes involve distinct mechanisms in which eicosanoid synthesis is important for nodule formation, but not for the increased phenoloxidase activity

Rousseau on war and peace

O presente artigo é aqui apresentado, em tradução inédita, como parte do projeto da Revista Videre, que objetiva oferecer aos seus leitores textos de alta qualidade, de autores internacionalmente renomados, de forma a contribuir para a difusão do conhecimento e facilitar o acesso à literatura internacional dentro da academia brasileira. Esta peça é a primeira de uma série de traduções com que contará o projeto, sempre prestigiando cada número vindouro de nossa revista com a contribuição de um prestigiado acadêmico internacional

Resident Training Curriculum in Adolescent Depression and Suicide Screening

Introduction: Routine screening of adolescents for depression and suicide risk is now considered best clinical practice. However, due to a lack of training, many physicians do not engage in screening. The goal of this curriculum is to improve learner knowledge of and comfort in adolescent depression and suicide risk assessment and management. Methods: The didactic session typically takes 60-90 minutes to complete. In addition to a teaching PowerPoint that provides instruction in both the assessment and management of adolescent depression and suicide risk, the curriculum also includes a suicide assessment and management protocol. This protocol outlines an algorithm that assists in distinguishing between individuals at high and low risk of suicide. The algorithm enables clinicians to determine the most appropriate management plan based on the assessed level of suicide risk. Results: Outcome measures indicate that the majority of residents improved their self-perceived knowledge and comfort in assessing and managing depression and suicide risk, with an average of 61.7% of residents moving from the novice to the proficient group at the conclusion of the rotation. These results reflect learners obtaining 4 weeks of supervised clinical experience after the didactic session. Discussion: This curriculum was designed for use with pediatric and internal medicine–pediatric residents during their adolescent medicine rotation but could easily be adapted for use with other learners in different settings

Discussions and Reviews : Theorizing about theory in international politics

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66906/2/10.1177_002200276000400405.pd