Disease Outbreaks and Agricultural Trade: The Case of Potatoes

This study analyzed the impact of PVYn and potato wart disease outbreaks in PEI on the potato industry. These disease outbreaks resulted in the loss of the US seed export market to PEI producers. The effects of the disease outbreaks were mitigated through value-added processing. Price premiums for processed potatoes allowed PEI potato producers to abandon seed exports without incurring losses. Evidence is presented to suggest that other countries have also used this approach when export restrictions were placed on domestic agricultural industries. Policy response to the two disease outbreaks include: i) development of a zones policy that helped to reopen markets into the US; and ii) financial compensation to producers above the minimum levels required under the Seeds Act and Regulations. Implementation of the zones policy had beneficial impacts on the potato industry and is mirrored in other disease outbreaks. In contrast, compensation above minimum requirements may set a costly precedent for future disease outbreaks and may have caused moral hazard problems.disease, trade, potatoes, Canada, food, safety, Agricultural and Food Policy, International Development, International Relations/Trade,

The parenting task: parent's concerns and where they would seek help

Governments are concerned to promote positive parenting but it is difficult to know how and where to target the necessary support. How should we listen to the concerns expressed by parents themselves? Social work and health care professionals and those involved in developing parenting programmes tend to base their interventions on their experiences with families already in crisis. This paper reports on a survey of the views of two groups of parents: a community sample and a small group of parents involved in a young parent's project. Issues, which concern the parents, are identified as well as consideration of which agencies might be best placed to address these. Parents were most likely to approach their children's school or doctor for information, advice, or support. Parents were found to be reluctant to approach social work agencies

Straightforward determination of the degree of N-acetylation of chitosan by means of first-derivative UV spectrophotometry

First-derivative UV spectrophotometry is shown to be a reliable method for the determination of the degree of N-acetylation of chitosan samples. A mathematical expression is derived that allows to determine the DA directly from the mass concentration of a chitosan solution and the first derivative of its UV spectrum at 202 nm, thus eliminating the need for empiric correction curves for highly deacetylated samples. A procedure is proposed for the accurate mass determination of the hygroscopic chitosan. The proposed approach facilitates the routine determination of the DA, especially when using potent multiwell microplate readers, which allow hundreds of samples to be measured in just a few minutes

Risk-Based Design of Socio-Cyber-Physical Systems

The aim of risk management of socio-cyber-physical systems at designing is the integral safety, which ensures their coexistence with their vicinity  throughout their life cycles. On the basis of present knowledge and experience, part of risks that threaten socio-cyber-physical systems shall be mitigated by preentive measures during their designing and manufacturing. Due to dynamic changes of the world, the conditions of socio-cyber-physical systems at operation change. If  changes exceed the socio-cyber-physical systems´ safety limits which were inserted into their designs, the accidents or  socio-cyber-physical sysems´ failures occur. The presented risk management plan is tool which ensures the prevention of such unaccepted situations and the safety.  

Chlorella vulgaris biomass enriched by biosorption of polyphenols

Cell walls of microalgae are variable and contain non-specific domains where different molecules can bind. The enrichment of microalgal biomass with nutrients through adsorption can be an interesting process for the food and feed industry. In this study, naturally occurring polyphenols ((+)-catechin, ()-epicatechin, quercetin, rutin and xanthohumol) were adsorbed onto nonliving cells of freshwater microalgae Chlorella vulgaris. The essential adsorption parameters such as biomass dose and contact time were examined and the adsorption was quantified with Langmuir, Sips and DubininRadushkevich adsorption isotherms. The evaluation of isotherms proved the highest affinity towards Chlorella vulgaris biomass for xanthohumol and quercetin. The biosorption mechanism of Chlorella vulgaris biomass was well described by a pseudo second order kinetic model, with a high regression coefficient. The polyphenol-enriched microalgal biomass was also evaluated for its antioxidant activity. The highest antioxidant activity was detected in the case of biomass enriched with quercetin (77.5% of decolorized DPPH).The financial support by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic through grant MSM6046137305 is gratefully acknowledged. Cristina Quintelas is thankful to Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) for funding the CEB researcher unit at the University of Minho and thanks the Project "BioInd - Biotechnology and Bioengineering for improved Industrial and Agro-Food processes, REF. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000028" co-funded by the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2 - O Novo Norte), QREN and FEDER

Flavonolignan 2,3-dehydrosilydianin activates Nrf2 and upregulates NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 in Hepa1c1c7 cells

Silybum marianum (milk thistle) is a medicinal plant used for the treatment of various liver disorders. This study examined whether the main flavonolignans from S. marianum (i.e. silybin, silychristin, silydianin) and their 2,3-dehydro derivatives (i.e. 2,3-dehydrosilybin, 2,3-dehydrosilychristin, 2,3-dehydrosilydianin) activate the Nrf2 pathway, which regulates the expression of genes encoding many cytoprotective enzymes, including NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1). After 48 h of exposure, 2,3-dehydrosilydianin at concentrations of 25 μM and higher significantly elevated the activity of NQO1 in murine hepatoma Hepa1c1c7 cells. In contrast, other tested compounds at non-cytotoxic concentrations had a mild or negligible effect on the NQO1 activity. Using a luciferase reporter assay, 2,3-dehydrosilydianin was found to significantly activate transcription via the antioxidant response element in stably transfected human AREc32 reporter cells. Moreover, 2,3-dehydrosilydianin caused the accumulation of Nrf2 and significantly induced the expression of the Nqo1 gene at both the mRNA and protein levels in Hepa1c1c7 cells. We found that 2,3-dehydrosilydianin also increased to some extent the expression of other Nrf2 target genes, namely of the heme oxygenase-1 gene (Hmox1) and the glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit gene (Gclm). We conclude that 2,3-dehydrosilydianin activates Nrf2 and induces Nrf2-mediated gene expression in Hepa1c1c7 cells.</p

Between persistence and flexibility: the neuromodulation of cognitive control

In the realm of cognitive science, the quest to understand cognitive control has persisted for decades. Traditional notions of cognitive control have focused on inhibition through the prefrontal cortex, but this dissertation challenges that perspective with a more comprehensive framework: The Metacontrol State Model (MSM). The MSM proposes that cognitive control emerges from the interplay between two opposing systems – one promoting flexibility and the other promoting persistence. These systems interact to shape our cognitive processing styles, thereby influencing our ability to effectively regulate our actions. This dissertation explores questions such as why individuals exhibit differences in cognitive control capacity and how state-related changes and trait-related predispositions impact cognitive control function. The overarching goal of this dissertation is to empirically test the MSM model and shed light on the factors that influence cognitive control. Through a series of experiments, it seeks to understand how altered states of consciousness, achieved through meditation techniques or serotonergic psychedelics, affect the balance between intentional and habitual processes. Additionally, it examines the extent to which individual trait biases serve as trans-diagnostic markers in various psychopathologies. This work comprises a literature review and six empirical articles. By integrating theory and empirical research, this dissertation takes us on a journey into the intricate world of cognitive control, shaping our understanding of how it influences our lives. European Research Council (ERC)Action Contro