Sustainability levels in Irish dairy farming: a farm typology according to sustainable performance indicators

Feeding the world’s population in a sustainable manner is one of the key challenges facing the future of global agriculture. The recent removal of the milk quota regime in the European Union has prompted an expansionary phase in dairy farming, especially in Ireland. Achieving this expansion in a sustainable manner is crucial to the long-term survival and success of the Irish dairy sector. In this paper we examine the sustainability of Irish dairy farming, defining ‘sustainability’ as economically profitable, environmentally friendly and socially efficient. A typology of Irish dairy farms has been created using data on profitability, environmental efficiency and social integration derived from the Teagasc National Farm Survey. Economic, social and environmental performance indicators were determined and aggregated and then used in a multivariate analysis for the identification and classification of farm clusters. The purpose of this study to classify Irish dairy farms using performance indicators, thereby, assisting policy makers in identifying patterns in farm performance with a view to formulating more targeted policies. Two of the three clusters elicited from the analysis were similar in regards to their respective indicator scores. However, the remaining cluster was found to perform poorly in comparison. The results indicate a clear distinction between ‘good’ and ‘weak’ performers, and the positive relationship between the economic, environmental and social performance of Irish dairy farms is evident

Subquadratic Algorithms for Some 3Sum-Hard Geometric Problems in the Algebraic Decision Tree Model

We present subquadratic algorithms in the algebraic decision-tree model for several 3Sum-hard geometric problems, all of which can be reduced to the following question: Given two sets A, B, each consisting of n pairwise disjoint segments in the plane, and a set C of n triangles in the plane, we want to count, for each triangle ∆ ∈ C, the number of intersection points between the segments of A and those of B that lie in ∆. The problems considered in this paper have been studied by Chan (2020), who gave algorithms that solve them, in the standard real-RAM model, in O((n2/log2 n) logO(1) log n) time. We present solutions in the algebraic decision-tree model whose cost is O(n60/31+ε), for any ε > 0. Our approach is based on a primal-dual range searching mechanism, which exploits the multi-level polynomial partitioning machinery recently developed by Agarwal, Aronov, Ezra, and Zahl (2020). A key step in the procedure is a variant of point location in arrangements, say of lines in the plane, which is based solely on the order type of the lines, a “handicap” that turns out to be beneficial for speeding up our algorithm.SCOPUS: cp.pinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Dietary quality among men and women in 187 countries in 1990 and 2010: a systematic assessment

Background Healthy dietary patterns are a global priority to reduce non-communicable diseases. Yet neither worldwide patterns of diets nor their trends with time are well established. We aimed to characterise global changes (or trends) in dietary patterns nationally and regionally and to assess heterogeneity by age, sex, national income, and type of dietary pattern. Methods In this systematic assessment, we evaluated global consumption of key dietary items (foods and nutrients) by region, nation, age, and sex in 1990 and 2010. Consumption data were evaluated from 325 surveys (71·7% nationally representative) covering 88·7% of the global adult population. Two types of dietary pattern were assessed: one refl ecting greater consumption of ten healthy dietary items and the other based on lesser consumption of seven unhealthy dietary items. The mean intakes of each dietary factor were divided into quintiles, and each quintile was assigned an ordinal score, with higher scores being equivalent to healthier diets (range 0–100). The dietary patterns were assessed by hierarchical linear regression including country, age, sex, national income, and time as exploratory variables. Findings From 1990 to 2010, diets based on healthy items improved globally (by 2·2 points, 95% uncertainty interval (UI) 0·9 to 3·5), whereas diets based on unhealthy items worsened (–2·5, –3·3 to –1·7). In 2010, the global mean scores were 44·0 (SD 10·5) for the healthy pattern and 52·1 (18·6) for the unhealthy pattern, with weak intercorrelation (r=–0·08) between countries. On average, better diets were seen in older adults compared with younger adults, and in women compared with men (p<0·0001 each). Compared with low-income nations, high-income nations had better diets based on healthy items (+2·5 points, 95% UI 0·3 to 4·1), but substantially poorer diets based on unhealthy items (–33·0, –37·8 to –28·3). Diets and their trends were very heterogeneous across the world regions. For example, both types of dietary patterns improved in high-income countries, but worsened in some low-income countries in Africa and Asia. Middle-income countries showed the largest improvement in dietary patterns based on healthy items, but the largest deterioration in dietary patterns based on unhealthy items. Interpretation Consumption of healthy items improved, while consumption of unhealthy items worsened across the world, with heterogeneity across regions and countries. These global data provide the best estimates to date of nutrition transitions across the world and inform policies and priorities for reducing the health and economic burdens of poor diet quality

Breakfast glycaemic index and exercise: combined effects on adolescents' cognition

The aim of the present study was to examine the combined effects of breakfast glycaemic index (GI) and a mid-morning bout of exercise on adolescents’ cognitive function. Participants were randomly allocated to a high or low GI breakfast group in a mixed research design, where each participant completed two experimental trials (exercise and resting). Forty-two adolescents (12.4±0.5 years old), undertook a bout of exercise (ten repeats of level one of the multi-stage fitness test; exercise trial) or continued to rest (resting trial) following consumption of either a high or low GI breakfast. A battery of cognitive function tests (visual search test, Stroop test and Sternberg paradigm) was completed 30 min before and 45 min following the exercise. Average heart rate during exercise was 170±15 beats.min-1. On the complex level of the Stroop test, response times improved across the morning following the low GI breakfast on both the exercise and resting trials, though the improvement was greatest on the exercise trial. However, response times only improved on the resting trial following the high GI breakfast (p = 0.012). On the 5 letter level of the Sternberg paradigm, response times improved across the morning following the low GI breakfast (regardless of exercise) and only on the exercise trial following the high GI breakfast (p = 0.019). The findings of the present study suggest that the combined effects of breakfast GI and exercise in adolescents depend upon the component of cognitive function examined. A low GI breakfast and mid-morning bout of exercise were individually beneficial for response times on the Sternberg paradigm, whereas they conferred additional benefits for response times on the Stroop test

Anomalies, Dualities, and Topology of D=6 N=1 Superstring Vacua

We consider various aspects of compactifications of the Type I/heterotic $Spin(32)/\Z_2$ theory on K3. One family of such compactifications includes the standard embedding of the spin connection in the gauge group, and is on the same moduli space as the compactification of the heterotic $E_8\times E_8$ theory on K3 with instanton numbers (8,16). Another class, which includes an orbifold of the Type I theory recently constructed by Gimon and Polchinski and whose field theory limit involves some topological novelties, is on the moduli space of the heterotic $E_8\times E_8$ theory on K3 with instanton numbers (12,12). These connections between $Spin(32)/\Z_2$ and $E_8\times E_8$ models can be demonstrated by T duality, and permit a better understanding of non-perturbative gauge fields in the (12,12) model. In the transformation between $Spin(32)/\Z_2$ and $E_8\times E_8$ models, the strong/weak coupling duality of the (12,12) $E_8\times E_8$ model is mapped to T duality in the Type I theory. The gauge and gravitational anomalies in the Type I theory are canceled by an extension of the Green-Schwarz mechanism.Comment: 48 page

Factors influencing dairy farmers’ adoption of best management grazing practices

Understanding of farmers’ influences relating to the adoption of innovations is imperative for the Irish dairy sector to improve efficiencies and productivity. There is a particular need for a better appreciation of how farmers’ grassland management practices are shaped. The Spring Rotation Planner (SRP) is a management tool that divides the area of a farm into weekly portions and takes the estimation out of planning the first grazing rotation. It offers a cost-saving alternative on many dairy farms, which could contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of the sector. Adoption rates of the SRP amongst farmers have been low despite extensive promotion of its advantages. This study therefore aims to use psychological constructs to analyse factors that affect the adoption of the SRP by commercial dairy farmers in Ireland. Dairy farmers (n = 256) were surveyed from different regions within the country. Principal Component Analysis was used to empirically confirm the hypothesised Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) beliefs. Cluster analysis was thereafter employed as classification criteria to cluster respondents into types. The TPB was subsequently applied to explain intention to implement the SRP. Two clusters of farmers were elicited; low and high adopters of the SRP. Low-Adopters of the SRP were characterised by their high sense of resource constraint. It is recommended that carefully planned communication, targeted at the different farmer types, can help encourage uptake of the SRP

Factors underlying farmers' intentions to adopt best practices: The case of paddock based grazing systems

The Irish beef sector is expected to increase output as part of the most recent national agriculture strategy. General improvements in pasture production efficiency can be achieved by increasing grass utilisation. However, Irish beef production is primarily based on extensive pastoral grazing with low uptake of best management practices among farmers. An important step in facilitating innovation in the sector is to gain improved understanding of the innovative behaviour of farmers. Hence, this study uses psychological constructs to analyse factors that affect the adoption of paddock based grazing systems by Irish beef farmers (n = 382). Farmers were surveyed from different regions within Ireland and Principal Component Analysis used to empirically confirm the hypothesised Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) constructs. Cluster analysis was thereafter employed as classification criteria to cluster respondents into types. The TPB was subsequently applied to explain intention to implement the grazing practice. Three clusters of farmers were elicited based on their beliefs of paddock based grazing systems and labelled The Engaged, The Restricted, and The Partially Engaged. The Restricted cluster was particularly unlikely to uptake the grazing practice as they perceived they lacked the required resources to implement the innovation. This was of particular relevance as the practice can be implemented with relatively few resources and therefore signals a knowledge gap. The findings are relevant to policy as they provide insights on the factors influencing the process of targeting knowledge transfer through appropriate channels which can help build potential drivers for behavioural change

Low-grade pelvic masses with spindle cell and fibroblastic proliferation: a case report

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Long-Term Rewetting of Three Formerly Drained Peatlands Drives Congruent Compositional Changes in Pro- and Eukaryotic Soil Microbiomes through Environmental Filtering

Drained peatlands are significant sources of the greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon dioxide.Rewetting is a proven strategy used to protect carbon stocks; however, it can lead to increasedemissions of the potent GHG methane. The response to rewetting of soil microbiomes as drivers ofthese processes is poorly understood, as are the biotic and abiotic factors that control communitycomposition. We analyzed the pro- and eukaryotic microbiomes of three contrasting pairs ofminerotrophic fens subject to decade-long drainage and subsequent long-term rewetting. Abiotic soilproperties including moisture, dissolved organic matter, methane fluxes, and ecosystem respirationrates were also determined. The composition of the microbiomes was fen-type-specific, but allrewetted sites showed higher abundances of anaerobic taxa compared to drained sites. Based onmulti-variate statistics and network analyses, we identified soil moisture as a major driver ofcommunity composition. Furthermore, salinity drove the separation between coastal and freshwaterfen communities. Methanogens were more than 10-fold more abundant in rewetted than in drainedsites, while their abundance was lowest in the coastal fen, likely due to competition with sulfatereducers. The microbiome compositions were reflected in methane fluxes from the sites. Our resultsshed light on the factors that structure fen microbiomes via environmental filtering