Nothing Lasts Forever: Environmental Discourses on the Collapse of Past Societies

The study of the collapse of past societies raises many questions for the theory and practice of archaeology. Interest in collapse extends as well into the natural sciences and environmental and sustainability policy. Despite a range of approaches to collapse, the predominant paradigm is environmental collapse, which I argue obscures recognition of the dynamic role of social processes that lie at the heart of human communities. These environmental discourses, together with confusion over terminology and the concepts of collapse, have created widespread aporia about collapse and resulted in the creation of mixed messages about complex historical and social processes

Regional products olive oil PGI PDO

Consumers’ quality perceptions and preferences for region-of-origin and EU certificates of origin. Consumers from different regions in Lazio were interviewed about extra-virgin olive oil

The role of the region of origin and EU certificates of origin in consumer evaluation of food products

This paper tests the hypothesis that region-of-origin cues and EU certificates of origin (PDO protection labels) influence regional food product preferences directly, and not only indirectly through perceived quality, as has sometimes been affirmed. Conjoint analysis is applied to data on Italian consumers' quality perceptions and preferences for extra virgin olive oils from the Sabina and Canino regions of Lazio, Italy. The region-of-origin cue and the PDO label were both found to influence regional product preferences through perceived quality, although the effect is limited to specific consumer segments. Furthermore, the region-of-origin cue has a direct effect on regional product preference for some consumer segments, especially those resident in the product's region of origin. No direct effect of PDO labels on product preference was found

What are the Predictors for Return to Work for People With Elbow, Wrist, and Hand Conditions?

Problem statement: Conditions affecting the elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand can cause debilitating pain and loss of function in the working population. While there is much known about the treatment options for conditions affecting this region of the body, little is known about the predictive factors for return to work in this population. Methods: A systematic literature search was executed to collect studies that assessed prognostic factors of ‘return to work’ for individuals with elbow, wrist, and hand conditions. Five databases: CINAHL, Cochrane, OVID Medline, PsychINFO, and Web of Science were utilized. Results: We assessed seventeen articles after the screening process. Among these studies, eight categories of predictive factors were identified: demographics, injury, treatment, work, physical, psychological, self-reported outcome measures, and pain. Statistically significant negative predictive factors found in the studies included older age, type of work, blaming oneself for the injury, high Disability of the Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score, and low physical function scores on the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Positive predictive factors identified for return to work included relatively young age, availability of modified work, and low DASH score. Conclusion: The intention of this systematic literature review is to create a synthesis of recommendations aiming to change the behavior of clinicians. With known predictive factors, clinicians can make more informed decisions on return to work timeframes, address and change modifiable variables, and provide important patient education based on the non-modifiable factors