Risk management of unintended GMO contamination in the supply chain of maize and processed maize products

Production and processing of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in line with the European food safety and labelling regulations lead to an elevated risk of unintentional GMO contamination in food producing and processing companies. For these companies GMO contamination can lead to extensive losses such as decreased product value, recall expenses or decreased brand equity. The question that occurs in many food producing and processing companies is how to manage the risk of GMO contamination most effectively. The objective of this paper is to show how food companies manage the risk of GMO contamination. Because of the complexity of the German food sector the analysis focuses on one supply chain namely: the production, processing and trading of maize and maize products. Within this supply chain an assessment of potential losses and safety measures was conducted in a two-step analysis. At first personal interviews with executives or quality managers of companies along the whole supply chain were carried out. Then the results of these interviews were analyzed and used to create the framework for a second session of formalized online interviews within companies of the maize chain. The results of the survey in maize producing, processing and trading, companies show the risk of potential losses that can occur in case of GMO contamination. Additionally the results show the safety measures that can effectively reduce the risk of GMO contamination.Maize Chain, Genetically modified Organism, Risk Management, Agricultural and Food Policy,

Corrosion reduction of aluminum alloys in flowing high-temperature water

Report describes a technique for reducing the corrosion rate of aluminum by adding colloidal substances in a closed-loop system. Experimental work shows that the addition of graphite and colloidal hydrated aluminum oxide significantly reduces the corrosion rate in flowing high-temperature water

How migrants help to slow neighborhood decline in US cities

In recent years, immigration has become a political football, with some American cities encouraging inflows of people from other countries while others adopt more punitive measures towards the undocumented. In new research, Matt Ruther evaluates the effects that immigrants have on urban neighborhoods that are in decline. He finds that neighborhoods with more foreign born-minorities tend to have less income losses compared to those with greater numbers of US-born minorities. In addition, areas with white or Asian immigrant groups also tend to see stable or increasing populations

Factors Influencing Nest Site Selection by Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) in an Altered Forest Landscape

There have been many studies concerning wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) nest site selection, including studies that evaluate nest site conditions when stream sand banks are not available. However, because of the unique landscape at our study site (high gradient, first order streams) and rapidly diminishing wood turtle populations in Virginia, I am evaluating wood turtle nest site selection. Nine physiographic and vegetative characteristics from nest, positive, negative-one and negative-two control locations were evaluated using binomial generalized linear models and then best fit models were chosen using Akaike\u27s Information Criterion (AIC). It was found that in lieu of typical stream sand banks, females are choosing nest locations based on ~30 degree slope, south/southeast aspect, open canopy, and low vegetative disturbance. These results mirrored previous site selection findings, and provide insight to the behavior of females in our site so that management and conservation techniques can be proposed that will be essential in preserving the future of wood turtles in our study site and Virginia

Systemic Barriers That Prevent Mental Health Services From Being Accessed by the Deaf Population

Mental health services are essential and need to be equally accessible and non-discriminatory to all individuals within our society. Traditionally, the Deaf community has encountered many hindrances when attempting to access mental health seruices. This study examines the systemic barriers that prevent Deaf individuals from obtaining mental health services in the Twin Cities Metro and regional area. Questionnaires were sent out to 100 individuals that serve Deaf adults with mental illness within the Twin Cities Metro Area. The results from the 48 seruice providers\u27 questionnaires responses show specific qualitative barriers; Community Service Agencies, Cultural Competency, Deaf lndividuals with Additional Needs, Stigma, Discrimination and Stereotypes. The researcher follows with a discussion of the findings\u27 implications on the impact of program development, state legislation, community seruice councils, and policies that would provide viable linkages to the accessibility for Deaf individuals