STRATEŠKI SAVEZI KENIJSKIH MALIH FARMERA

Implementing and complying with standards and certification often increases costs for supply chain actors. These increased costs are caused by upgrading production, logistics and marketing needed to achieve compliance, and can lead to the exclusion of actors from the supply chain. In particular, the exclusion of small-scale growers in developing countries as the result of the expansion and proliferation of private voluntary standards (PVS) used by large procurers has been extensively reported. Costs of PVS are per certification and the unit is usually the individual farm, regardless of its size. In much of the developing world smallholder production dominates domestic food production, and these small farms face proportionately higher costs per unit area for certification and compliance. Benefi ts of PVS are per production unit, giving benefits to larger farms. Developing world smallholder production tends to be on less than one hectare, giving relatively small production. Compared with the costs per farm, there is an inherent bias in many standards and certification towards larger farms. Standards in export horticulture can, potentially, incentivize a more active role for the private sector in investing in small-scale growers in ways that are mutually beneficial for growers and exporters. Such co-investment is a feature of trading relationships and business models that are inclusive of small-scale growers. In Kenyan horticulture, donors, exporters and smallholders have in some cases managed to leverage PVS requirements into profitable local agricultural developments. In this paper, we use resource-based strategic alliance theory to explain the patterns that have evolved. We propose greater use of cooperation theory to help make more efficient economic development interventions which are complementary with private-sector investments. We explore how standards might be used to accelerate development initiatives.Implementacija i usklađivanje s normama i certificiranje često povećava troškove za sudionike opskrbnog lanca. Ovi povećani troškovi uzrokovani su unapređenjem proizvodnje, logistike i marketinga koji su potrebni za postizanje usklađenosti, a može dovesti do isključivanja sudionika iz opskrbnog lanca. Konkretno, često se izvješćuje o isključenju malih farmera u zemljama u razvoju, što je posljedica ekspanzije i širenja privatnih dobrovoljnih standarda (engl. Private Voluntary Standards, PVS) koje koriste i zahtijevaju veliki kupci. Troškovi PVS-a su po certifi kaciji, a uobičajena je jedinica pojedinačna farma, bez obzira na njenu veličinu. U mnogim zemljama u razvoju u domaćoj proizvodnji hrane dominiraju mali posjednici i oni se suočavaju s proporcionalno većim troškovima po jedinici površine za certifikaciju i usklađivanje. Prednosti PVS-a mjere se na temelju jedinice proizvodnje, čime se daje prednost većim gospodarstvima. Proizvodnja malih posjednika u zemljama u razvoju često se odvija na manje od jednog hektara, dajući relativno malu proizvodnost. U usporedbi s troškom po farmi, ovo je svojstvena pristranost mnogim standardima i certifi ciranju koja ide u prilog većim gospodarstvima. Standardi u izvozu hortikulture potencijalno mogu pozitivno utjecati na aktivnije sudjelovanje privatnog sektora u ulaganju u male uzgajivače na način koji je obostrano koristan za uzgajivače i izvoznike. Takva suinvesticija je značajka trgovačkih odnosa i poslovnih modela koji uključuju male uzgajivače. U kenijskoj hortikulturi, donatori, izvoznici i mali posjednici su u nekim slučajevima uspjeli pretvoriti zahtjeve PVS-a u profitabilan razvoj lokalne poljoprivrede. U ovom radu koristi se teorija resursa strateških saveza kako bi se objasnili obrasci poslovnih modela koje su razvili. Predlaže se veće korištenje teorije suradnje koja će omogućiti učinkovitije zahvate u svrhu gospodarskog razvoja koji su komplementarni s privatnim investicijama. Istražuje se kako se standardi mogu koristiti za ubrzanje inicijativa za rast

Syndromic surveillance using minimum transfer of identifiable data: the example of the National Bioterrorism Syndromic Surveillance Demonstration Program

Several health plants and other organizations are collaborating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop a syndromic surveillance system with national coverage that includes more than 20 million people. A principal design feature of this system is reliance on daily reporting of counts of individuals with syndromes of interest in specified geographic regions rather than reporting of individual encounter-level information. On request from public health agencies, health plans and telephone triage services provide additional information regarding individuals who are part of apparent clusters of illness. This reporting framework has several advantages, including less sharing of protected health information, less risk that confidential information will be distributed inappropriately, the prospect of better public acceptance, greater acceptance by health plans, and less effort and cost for both health plans and public health agencies. If successful, this system will allow any organization with appropriate data to contribute vital information to public health syndromic surveillance systems while preserving individuals’ privacy to the greatest extent possible

The universal YrdC/Sua5 family is required for the formation of threonylcarbamoyladenosine in tRNA

Threonylcarbamoyladenosine (t6A) is a universal modification found at position 37 of ANN decoding tRNAs, which imparts a unique structure to the anticodon loop enhancing its binding to ribosomes in vitro. Using a combination of bioinformatic, genetic, structural and biochemical approaches, the universal protein family YrdC/Sua5 (COG0009) was shown to be involved in the biosynthesis of this hypermodified base. Contradictory reports on the essentiality of both the yrdC wild-type gene of Escherichia coli and the SUA5 wild-type gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae led us to reconstruct null alleles for both genes and prove that yrdC is essential in E. coli, whereas SUA5 is dispensable in yeast but results in severe growth phenotypes. Structural and biochemical analyses revealed that the E. coli YrdC protein binds ATP and preferentially binds RNAThr lacking only the t6A modification. This work lays the foundation for elucidating the function of a protein family found in every sequenced genome to date and understanding the role of t6A in vivo

Simulated Anthrax Attacks and Syndromic Surveillance

Bioterrorism surveillance systems can be assessed using modeling to simulate real-world attacks

MAGIQ at the W. M. Keck Observatory: initial deployment of a new acquisition, guiding, and image quality monitoring system

The W. M. Keck Observatory has completed the development and initial deployment of MAGIQ, the Multi-function Acquisition, Guiding and Image Quality monitoring system. MAGIQ is an integrated system for acquisition, guiding and image quality measurement for the Keck telescopes. This system replaces the acquisition and guiding hardware and software for existing instruments at the Observatory and is now the standard for visible wavelength band acquisition cameras for future instrumentation. In this paper we report on the final design and implementation of this new system, which includes three major components: a visible wavelength band acquisition camera, image quality measurement capability, and software for acquisition, guiding and image quality monitoring. The overall performance is described, as well as the details of our approach to integrating low order wavefront sensing capability in order to provide closed loop control of telescope focus

Study of indications for cardiac device implantation and utilisation in Fabry cardiomyopathy

Background: Fabry disease is a treatable X-linked condition leading to progressive cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia and premature death. Atrial and ventricular arrhythmias contribute significantly to adverse prognosis; however, guidance to determine which patients require cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is sparse. We aimed to evaluate indications for implantation practice in the UK and quantify device utilisation. Methods: In this retrospective study, we included demographic, clinical and imaging data from patients in four of the largest UK Fabry centres. Ninety patients with Fabry disease were identified with CIEDs implanted between June 2001 and February 2018 (FD-CIED group). To investigate differences in clinical and imaging markers between those with and without devices, these patients were compared with 276 patients without a CIED (FD-control). Results: In the FD-CIED group, 92% of patients with permanent pacemakers but only 28% with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators had a class 1 indication for implantation. A further 44% of patients had defibrillators inserted for primary prevention outside of current guidance. The burden of arrhythmia requiring treatment in the FD-CIED group was high (asymptomatic atrial fibrillation: 29%; non-sustained ventricular tachycardia requiring medical therapy alone: 26%; sustained ventricular tachycardia needing anti-tachycardia pacing/defibrillation: 28%). Those with devices were older, had greater LV mass, more scar tissue and larger atrial size. Conclusions: Arrhythmias are common in Fabry patients. Those with cardiac devices had high rates of atrial fibrillation requiring anticoagulation and ventricular arrhythmia needing device treatment. These are as high as those in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, supporting the need for Fabry-specific indications for device implantation

Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Influenza Vaccination, and Antecedent Respiratory and Gastrointestinal Infections: A Case-Centered Analysis in the Vaccine Safety Datalink, 2009–2011

Background: Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) can be triggered by gastrointestinal or respiratory infections, including influenza. During the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in the United States, monovalent inactivated influenza vaccine (MIV) availability coincided with high rates of wildtype influenza infections. Several prior studies suggested an elevated GBS risk following MIV, but adjustment for antecedent infection was limited. Methods: We identified patients enrolled in health plans participating in the Vaccine Safety Datalink and diagnosed with GBS from July 2009 through June 2011. Medical records of GBS cases with 2009–10 MIV, 2010–11 trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV), and/or a medically-attended respiratory or gastrointestinal infection in the 1 through 141 days prior to GBS diagnosis were reviewed and classified according to Brighton Collaboration criteria for diagnostic certainty. Using a case-centered design, logistic regression models adjusted for patient-level time-varying sources of confounding, including seasonal vaccinations and infections in GBS cases and population-level controls. Results: Eighteen confirmed GBS cases received vaccination in the 6 weeks preceding onset, among 1.27 million 2009–10 MIV recipients and 2.80 million 2010–11 TIV recipients. Forty-four confirmed GBS cases had infection in the 6 weeks preceding onset, among 3.77 million patients diagnosed with medically-attended infection. The observed-versus-expected odds that 2009–10 MIV/2010–11 TIV was received in the 6 weeks preceding GBS onset was odds ratio = 1.54, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.59–3.99; risk difference = 0.93 per million doses, 95% CI, −0.71–5.16. The association between GBS and medically-attended infection was: odds ratio = 7.73, 95% CI, 3.60–16.61; risk difference = 11.62 per million infected patients, 95% CI, 4.49–26.94. These findings were consistent in sensitivity analyses using alternative infection definitions and risk intervals for prior vaccination shorter than 6 weeks. Conclusions: After adjusting for antecedent infections, we found no evidence for an elevated GBS risk following 2009–10 MIV/2010–11 TIV influenza vaccines. However, the association between GBS and antecedent infection was strongly elevated

Frequency of medically attended adverse events following tetanus and diphtheria toxoid vaccine in adolescents and young adults: a Vaccine Safety Datalink study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Local reactions are the most commonly reported adverse events following tetanus and diphtheria toxoid (Td) vaccine and the risk of local reactions may increase with number of prior Td vaccinations.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To estimate the risk of medically attended local reactions following Td vaccination in adolescents and young adults we conducted a six-year retrospective cohort study assessing 436,828 Td vaccinations given to persons 9 through 25 years of age in the Vaccine Safety Datalink population from 1999 through 2004.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, the estimated risk of a medically attended local reaction was 3.6 events per 10,000 Td vaccinations. The lowest risk (2.8 events per 10,000 vaccinations) was found in the 11 to 15 year old age group. In comparison with that group, the event risks were significantly higher in both the 9 to 10 and 21 to 25 year old age groups. The risk of a local reaction was significantly higher in persons who had received another tetanus and diphtheria toxoid containing vaccine (TDCV) in the previous five years (incidence rate ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 7.2). Twenty-eight percent of persons with a local reaction to Td vaccine were prescribed antibiotics.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Medically attended local reactions were uncommon following Td vaccination. The risk of those reactions varied by age and by prior receipt of TDCVs. These findings provide a point of reference for future evaluations of the safety profile of newer vaccines containing tetanus or diphtheria toxoid.</p

Type Ia Supernova host galaxies as seen with IFU spectroscopy

(abridged) We used the wide-field IFU spectrograph PMAS/PPAK at the 3.5m telescope of Calar Alto Observatory to observe six nearby spiral galaxies that hosted SNe Ia. Spatially resolved 2D maps of the properties of the ionized gas and the stellar populations were derived. Five of the observed galaxies have an ongoing star formation rate of 1-5 M_sun/yr and mean stellar population ages ~5 Gyr. The sixth galaxy shows no star formation and has an about 12 Gyr old stellar population. All galaxies have stellar masses larger than 2E+10 M_sun and metallicities above solar. Four galaxies show negative radial metallicity gradients of the ionized gas up to -0.058 dex/kpc and one has nearly uniform metallicity with a possible shallow positive slope. The stellar components show shallower negative metallicity gradients up to -0.03 dex/kpc. We find no clear correlation between the properties of the galaxy and those of the supernovae, which may be because of the small ranges spanned by the galaxy parameters. However, we note that the Hubble residuals are on average positive while negative Hubble residuals are expected for SNe Ia in massive hosts such as the galaxies in our sample. In conclusion, IFU spectroscopy on 4-m telescopes is a viable technique for studying host galaxies of nearby SNe Ia. It allows one to correlate the supernova properties with the properties of their host galaxies at the projected positions of the supernovae. Our current sample of six galaxies is too small to draw conclusions about the SN Ia progenitors or correlations with the galaxy properties, but the ongoing CALIFA IFU survey will provide a solid basis to exploit this technique more and improve our understanding of SNe Ia as cosmological standard candles.Comment: accepted by A&A, final language-edited version, layout change