Food, Nutrition and Agrobiodiversity Under Global Climate Change

Available evidence and predictions suggest overall negative effects on agricultural production as a result of climate change, especially when more food is required by a growing population. Information on the effects of global warming on pests and pathogens affecting agricultural crops is limited, though crop–pest models could offer means to predict changes in pest dynamics, and help design sound plant health management practices. Host-plant resistance should continue to receive high priority as global warming may favor emergence of new pest epidemics. There is increased risk, due to climate change, to food and feed contaminated by mycotoxin-producing fungi. Mycotoxin biosynthesis gene-specific microarray is being used to identify food-born fungi and associated mycotoxins, and investigate the influence of environmental parameters and their interactions for control of mycotoxin in food crops. Some crop wild relatives are threatened plant species and efforts should be made for their in situ conservation to ensure evolution of new variants, which may contribute to addressing new challenges to agricultural production. There should be more emphasis on germplasm enhancement to develop intermediate products with specific characteristics to support plant breeding. Abiotic stress response is routinely dissected to component physiological traits. Use of transgene(s) has led to the development of transgenic events, which could provide enhanced adaptation to abiotic stresses that are exacerbated by climate change. Global warming is also associated with declining nutritional quality of food crops. Micronutrient-dense cultivars have been released in selected areas of the developing world, while various nutritionally enhanced lines are in the release pipeline. The high-throughput phenomic platforms are allowing researchers to accurately measure plant growth and development, analyze nutritional traits, and assess response to stresses on large sets of individuals. Analogs for tomorrow’s agriculture offer a virtual natural laboratory to innovate and test technological options to develop climate resilience production systems. Increased use of agrobiodiversity is crucial to coping with adverse impacts of global warming on food and feed production and quality. No one solution will suffice to adapt to climate change and its variability. Suits of technological innovations, including climate-resilient crop cultivars, will be needed to feed 9 billion people who will be living in the Earth by the middle of the twenty-first century

Disability Follow-Up to the 1996/97 Family Resources Survey

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The aim of the survey was to find out the size and characteristics of the disabled adult population of GB. The research is based on a follow-up survey of disabled respondents in Family Resources Survey, 1996-1997, held under SN 3957 - part of a continuous survey of household characteristics, incomes and resources. Respondents who matched any one of a series of sift criteria based on age, benefit receipt or reported health problems were asked to take part in a further interview. This asked in detail about cause, type and severity of disability, the extra needs and costs which result, and participation in leisure and social activities. The depositor has advised that this study should be used in conjunction with the Family Resources Survey, 1996-1997.Main Topics:The main topics covered are: prevalence, severity and types of disability; socio-demographic characteristics; economic activity; financial circumstances; use of social and health services; needs for assistance; and social participation. The dataset follows the format of the questionnaire. The follow-up interview had two parts. Part one was concerned with health complaints and difficulties performing everyday activities. It consisted of all the questions needed to apply the severity scales developed for the 1985 survey, plus a number of additional questions related to disability and incapacity benefit entitlement. Anyone reporting any difficulty with any of the activities went on to the second part of the interview. Of the 7300 interviews, 6200 went the full length. The second part of the interview is primarily concerned with extra needs and costs. Questions cover health, social and other services, specialised aids and adaptations, and general items in household budgets, such as food or transport, whose consumption might be affected by disability. The follow-up survey data is held in a single dataset at person level. This includes all cases eligible for the follow-up survey whether or not an interview took place. It contains information on age and sex from the FRS, interview outcomes, and the sift criteria satisfied by each respondent. It also contains all the raw data from the interview, including verbatim reports of health complaints, plus a range of derived variables. These include severity scores, age in five year bands, ICD codes for health complaints, earliest age of onset of each health complaint, flags for the presence of a disability in each of the 13 dimensions making up the scales, duration of each reported disability (excluding intellectual functioning and personal care problems), and Incapacity Benefit all-work test physical and mental component scores. Weights and grossing factors have been calculated for follow-up survey cases, based on the FRS grossing factors, adjusted for the nine month duration of the follow-up survey, and variations in response by age and sex at the follow-up stage. Standard measures The OPCS severity scale for disability was used

DSS Agencies implementation Leader's information pack

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:MFE 1169(CH--92.3287)(microfiche) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Ranchos de los Santos : the story of Burbank

Illustrated front and back coversMode of access: Internet

Family Expenditure Survey Follow-up Survey of Disabled Adults, 1986-1987

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The aim of this survey was to analyse and compare the income and expenditure patterns of households containing a disabled adult with other households. To provide a comparative measure of the extra costs of disability to complement the subjective measures used in the OPCS Survey of Disabled Adults in Private Households (SN:2577, GN:33214).Main Topics:Disability; income; expenditure; benefit receipt; employment; costs of disability; standard of living; disability aids. Disabled adult respondents to the continuous Family Expenditure Survey (FES) between July 1986 and June 1987 were given an additional interview after participation in the FES. Detailed information on their disability was collected, to analyse in conjunction with information on income and expenditure from the main FES. Measurement Scales Used Disability Severity Scales: disability was defined and measured using the severity scale developed in the OPCS Surveys of Disability in Great Britain (GN:33214)

Research yearbook 1996/97

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:7774.6125(1996/97) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Health authorities annual accounts - national summary (England) 1986-87 Summarised accounts for regional and district health authorities; special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals and special trustees in England for the year ended.

Available from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:4274.9208(1986-87) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo

Problems of Hospital Communication : An Experimental Study, 1964; Stage I

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.To collect data on the problem of communication within a particular hospital in order to find, apply and test some possible solutions. Respondents were maternity patients.Main Topics:Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions Length of time since left hospital, most striking aspect of experience in hospital, whether booked to have baby delivered in hospital, original intention. If booked: source of suggestion to go into hospital, whether hospital clinic attended before birth, whether council antenatal clinic attended, frequency of clinic visits and opinion of service. Frequency of visits to doctor during pregnancy, whether doctor held special ante natal clinic, opinion of service. Classes/lectures/films or discussions attended (where, who with, reasons for non-attendance). Whether respondents considered enough information was given before hospital entrance, assessment of helpfulness of doctors/clinics/hospital staff/others. Whether information on what to take into hospital and visiting times was provided, whether labour and maternity wards had been visited previously, whether any booklets or leaflets sent to respondent before hospital entrance, time of admittance, whether help given to find way around, number of beds in ward, number of doctors who visited patient (rank), opinion of doctors/nurses and midwives. Whether sufficient staff on duty, opinion on access to information about self and baby. Type of information respondent wanted to know. Knowledge about labour, persons present, whether general anaesthetic given, difficulty or complications during birth, medication and treatment given during hospital stay, care given after birth. Mother/baby contact, whether felt competent to look after baby, any advice or instructions given concerning baby's own welfare at home. Attitude of hospital staff to giving information, discussion with hospital staff/patients, visits to almoner. Anxiety level, visits to clinic since discharged from hospital, number of home visits from medical or welfare visitors, number of visits to own GP, whether GP visited respondent during hospital stay, details of home help, satisfaction with hospital stay. Husband's welfare. Background Variables Age, number of persons in household, husband's occupatio

Combating housing benefit fraud Local authorities discretionary powers

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:4372.251(53) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Work and welfare Attitudes, experiences and behaviour of nineteen low-income families

Produced by staff from the Policy Studies InstituteAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre-DSC:4372.251(76) / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreSIGLEGBUnited Kingdo