Transitions to food democracy through multilevel governance

status: publishe

Density functional theory

Density functional theory (DFT) finds increasing use in applications related to biological systems. Advancements in methodology and implementations have reached a point where predicted properties of reasonable to high quality can be obtained. Thus, DFT studies can complement experimental investigations, or even venture with some confidence into experimentally unexplored territory. In the present contribution, we provide an overview of the properties that can be calculated with DFT, such as geometries, energies, reaction mechanisms, and spectroscopic properties. A wide range of spectroscopic parameters is nowadays accessible with DFT, including quantities related to infrared and optical spectra, X-ray absorption and Mössbauer, as well as all of the magnetic properties connected with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy except relaxation times. We highlight each of these fields of application with selected examples from the recent literature and comment on the capabilities and limitations of current methods

Post-Operative Functional Outcomes in Early Age Onset Rectal Cancer

Background: Impairment of bowel, urogenital and fertility-related function in patients treated for rectal cancer is common. While the rate of rectal cancer in the young (<50 years) is rising, there is little data on functional outcomes in this group. Methods: The REACCT international collaborative database was reviewed and data on eligible patients analysed. Inclusion criteria comprised patients with a histologically confirmed rectal cancer, <50 years of age at time of diagnosis and with documented follow-up including functional outcomes. Results: A total of 1428 (n=1428) patients met the eligibility criteria and were included in the final analysis. Metastatic disease was present at diagnosis in 13%. Of these, 40% received neoadjuvant therapy and 50% adjuvant chemotherapy. The incidence of post-operative major morbidity was 10%. A defunctioning stoma was placed for 621 patients (43%); 534 of these proceeded to elective restoration of bowel continuity. The median follow-up time was 42 months. Of this cohort, a total of 415 (29%) reported persistent impairment of functional outcomes, the most frequent of which was bowel dysfunction (16%), followed by bladder dysfunction (7%), sexual dysfunction (4.5%) and infertility (1%). Conclusion: A substantial proportion of patients with early-onset rectal cancer who undergo surgery report persistent impairment of functional status. Patients should be involved in the discussion regarding their treatment options and potential impact on quality of life. Functional outcomes should be routinely recorded as part of follow up alongside oncological parameters

Evaluation of transgenerational isotope labeling of embryonic otoliths in a coral reef damselfish with single and repeated injections of enriched (137)Barium

Quantifying the larval dispersal component of population connectivity is extremely challenging due to the many difficulties associated with directly observing larvae in their marine environment. Transgenerational isotope labeling is a recent empirical technique that addresses this challenge. It relies on the transmission of an artificially enriched stable isotope (e.g., Ba-137) from gravid females to the embryonic otoliths of their offspring, allowing for mass permanent marking of larvae. Before implementing transgenerational isotope labeling in the wild, it is essential to investigate the transmission longevity of the mark from females to larvae and to assess the potential negative effects on females and their offspring. We injected females of the Humbug damselfish, Dascyllus aruanus, with an enriched Ba-137 solution and reared the resulting progeny to test the marking success and the transmission longevity of the mark, as well as determine potential effects of transgenerational isotope labeling on spawning frequency and size of 1-day eggs and 2-day larvae. Three different single-injection dosages (0.5, 1 and 5 mu g of Ba-137 g(-1) fish weight) were tested, as well as monthly repeated injections of the lowest dosage over a whole reproductive season. We implemented a new method that allows extracting otoliths of newly hatched larvae and analyzing them using laser ablation coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). We showed that for D. aruanus, injection with a low dose (0.5 mu g Ba-137 g(-1), fish weight) produced consistently significantly marked larvae with a half-life for successful enriched Ba mark transmission of approximately 1 month, and that monthly repeated injections of this dose did not negatively impact spawning success or condition of eggs and larvae. Monthly repeated injections of enriched Ba isotope injections at 0.5 mu g Ba-137 g(-1) fish weight will therefore present an effective means of mass marking D. aruanus larvae throughout an entire reproductive season

TROP-14 - Attitudes et pratiques vis à vis du paludisme dans une communauté amérindienne de Guyane

National audienceIntroduction Bien que le nombre de cas de paludisme soit en recul en Guyane des foyers touchant les populations autochtones persistent, particulièrement dans certaines zones isolées et frontalières. Afin d’améliorer les stratégies de contrôledu paludisme dans ces zones, nous avons chercher à mieux connaître les attitudes et pratiques vis à vis du paludisme auprès d’une de ces populations-clés

The lower prevalence of female genital mutilation in the Netherlands: a nationwide study in Dutch midwifery practices

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) in women giving birth in 2008 in the Netherlands. Method: A retrospective questionnaire study was conducted.The study covered all 513 midwifery practices in the Netherlands. The data were analysed with SPSS 17.0. Results: The response from midwifery practices was 93%(n = 478). They retrospectively reported 470 circumcised women in 2008 (0.32%). The expected prevalence in the Netherlands based on the estimated prevalence of FGM in the country of birth was 0.7%. It is likely that there was under reporting in midwifery practices since midwives do not always enquire about the subject and may not notice the milder types of FGM. Midwives who checked their records before answering our questionnaire reported a prevalence of 0.8%. Conclusion: On the basis of this study, we can conclude that FGM is a serious clinical problem in Europe for migrant women from risk countries for FGM. These women should receive extra attention from obstetricians and midwives during childbirth, since almost half are mutilated and FGM involves a risk of complications during delivery for both women and children