Australian Consumers' Concerns and Preferences for Food Policy Alternatives

Results from a 2007 Australian consumer survey conducted at a large farmers market are used to explore the hypothesis that consumers who are more concerned about certain types of food labeling information, particularly information related to food production attributes, are more likely to support policies which help develop farmers markets and support mandatory labeling policies. Product information and attributes such as Country-of-Origin, No Growth Hormones Used, Free Range and Animals Treated Humanely and Environmentally-friendly appear to be very important to consumers. It appears that respondents want increased government involvement in developing consistent food labelling standards for these attributes and support mandatory food labelling policies, however, respondents are split between whether third-parties or the Australian government should oversee regulation of the program. Some respondents appear to view a mandatory labelling policy as a method to improve competitiveness and sustainability of small food producers who want to use labelling to differentiate themselves. Respondents also tended to support the government subsidizing the development of farmers markets. Respondents viewed FM as an opportunity to gain additional information or purchase foods that have credence attributes such as pesticide-free. Thus, policies supporting FM may help alleviate market failures related to asymmetric information and lack of choice.market failure, consumers, farmers markets, labelling, Agricultural and Food Policy,

Food for All in Clackamas County

In partnership with OSU Extension Service and Clackamas County Public Health Division, this project used data and narrative research for planning community-based strategies to improve availability and access to culturally relevant, healthy food resources in Clackamas County. The student team updated demographic and health data from the past Blueprints for a Healthy Clackamas County and visualized the information through maps. Through community engagement in the Molalla area, the project helped determine food preferences, assess gaps, and provide recommendations for healthy, culturally preferred food resource availability specific to Molalla

Assessment of Streamside Management Zones for Conserving Benthic Macroinvertebrate Communities Following Timber Harvest in Eastern Kentucky Headwater Catchments

Headwater streams generally comprise the majority of stream area in a watershed and can have a strong influence on downstream food webs. Our objective was to determine the effect of altering streamside management zone (SMZ) configurations on headwater aquatic insect communities. Timber harvests were implemented within six watersheds in eastern Kentucky. The SMZ configurations varied in width, canopy retention and best management practice (BMP) utilization at the watershed scale. Benthic macroinvertebrate samples collected one year before and four years after harvest indicated few differences among treatments, although post-treatment abundance was elevated in some of the treatment streams relative to the unharvested controls. Jaccard index values were similar across SMZ treatments after logging, indicating strong community overlap. These findings suggest that stream invertebrate communities did respond to the timber harvest, though not negatively. Results also suggest that SMZ criteria for aquatic habitats in steeply sloping topography, including at least 50 percent canopy retention and widths of at least 16.8 m, appear to be adequate for protecting benthic macroinvertebrate communities from logging impacts

A unique role for 6-O sulfation modification in zebrafish vascular development

AbstractHeparan sulfate proteoglycans are important modulators of growth factor signaling in a variety of patterning processes. Secreted growth factors that play critical roles in angiogenesis bind to heparan sulfate, and this association is affected by 6-O-sulfation of the heparan sulfate chains. Addition of 6-O-sulfate is catalyzed by a family of sulfotransferases (HS6STs), and genetic manipulation of their function permits an assessment of their contribution to vascular assembly. We report on the biochemical activity and expression patterns of two zebrafish HS6ST genes. In situ hybridization reveals dynamic and distinct expression patterns of these two genes during development. Structural analysis of heparan sulfate from wild-type and morpholino antisense ‘knockdown’ embryos suggests that HS6ST-1 and HS6ST-2 have similar biochemical activity. HS6ST-2, but not HS6ST-1, morphants exhibit abnormalities in the branching morphogenesis of the caudal vein during embryonic development of the zebrafish. Our finding that HS6ST-2 is required for the branching morphogenesis of the caudal vein is the first in vivo evidence for an essential role of a gene encoding a heparan sulfate modifying enzyme in vertebrate angiogenesis. Our analysis of two zebrafish HS6ST genes suggests that a wide range of biological processes may be regulated by an array of sulfation-modifying enzymes in the vertebrate genome

Episodic population fragmentation and gene flow reveal a trade-off between heterozygosity and allelic richness

In episodic environments like deserts, populations of some animal species exhibit irregular fluctuations such that populations are alternately large and connected or small and isolated. Such dynamics are typically driven by periodic resource pulses due, for example, to large but infrequent rainfall events. The repeated population bottlenecks resulting from fragmentation should lower genetic diversity over time, yet species undergoing these fluctuations appear to maintain high levels of genetic diversity. To resolve this apparent paradox, we simulated a metapopulation of constant size undergoing repeat episodes of fragmentation and change in gene flow to mimic outcomes experienced by mammals in an Australian desert. We show that episodic fragmentation and gene flow have contrasting effects on two measures of genetic diversity: heterozygosity and allelic richness. Specifically, fragmentation into many, small subpopulations, coupled with periods of infrequent gene flow, preserves allelic richness at the expense of heterozygosity. In contrast, fragmentation into a few, large subpopulations maintains heterozygosity at the expense of allelic richness. The strength of the trade-off between heterozygosity and allelic richness depends on the amount of gene flow and the frequency of gene flow events. Our results imply that the type of genetic diversity maintained among species living in strongly fluctuating environments will depend on the way populations fragment, with our results highlighting different mechanisms for maintaining allelic richness and heterozygosity in small, fragmented populations

Evaluation Report, Holiday Activities & Food Programme for Northamptonshire Sport, Executive Summary & Key Findings

According to the Department for Education, there are 1.63 million children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). Within Northamptonshire there are 184,308 children and young people, aged 0-19 years old, of which 14% are eligible for FSM. As FSM eligibility is a proxy for socioeconomic disadvantage, these statistics highlight that a significant proportion of children in Northamptonshire are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Due to increased costs and reduced income, children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to experience a gap in learning and have ‘unhealthy holidays’ during the school holiday period. To bridge this ‘gap’, the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme was created by central Government. This report evaluates the HAF Programme that was delivered in Northamptonshire during the June to August 2021 Summer Holidays. 2,490 children and young people attended the HAF Programme (15.12% of FSM eligible children), from areas across Northamptonshire, with a catchment area of approximately 2,335 km2 and 215 schools

Evaluation Report, Holiday Activities & Food Programme for Northamptonshire Sport, Full Report

According to the Department for Education, there are 1.63 million children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). Within Northamptonshire there are 184,308 children and young people, aged 0-19 years old, of which 14% are eligible for FSM. As FSM eligibility is a proxy for socioeconomic disadvantage, these statistics highlight that a significant proportion of children in Northamptonshire are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Due to increased costs and reduced income, children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to experience a gap in learning and have ‘unhealthy holidays’ during the school holiday period. To bridge this ‘gap’, the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme was created by central Government. This report evaluates the HAF Programme that was delivered in Northamptonshire during the June to August 2021 Summer Holidays. 2,490 children and young people attended the HAF Programme (15.12% of FSM eligible children), from areas across Northamptonshire, with a catchment area of approximately 2,335 km2 and 215 schools

Planning for Sustainability in Small Municipalities: The Influence of Interest Groups, Growth Patterns, and Institutional Characteristics

How and why small municipalities promote sustainability through planning efforts is poorly understood. We analyzed ordinances in 451 Maine municipalities and tested theories of policy adoption using regression analysis.We found that smaller communities do adopt programs that contribute to sustainability relevant to their scale and context. In line with the political market theory, we found that municipalities with strong environmental interests, higher growth, and more formal governments were more likely to adopt these policies. Consideration of context and capacity in planning for sustainability will help planners better identify and benefit from collaboration, training, and outreach opportunities

A novel group parenting intervention to reduce emotional and behavioural difficulties in young autistic children:protocol for the Autism Spectrum Treatment and Resilience pilot randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION: The majority of young autistic children display impairing emotional and behavioural difficulties that contribute to family stress. There is some evidence that behavioural parenting interventions are effective for reducing behavioural difficulties in autistic children, with less evidence assessing change in emotional difficulties. Previous trials have tended to use unblinded parent-report measures as primary outcomes and many do not employ an active control, limiting the conclusions that can be drawn. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Autism Spectrum Treatment and Resilience study is a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) testing the specific effect of a 12-week group parenting intervention (Predictive Parenting) on primary and secondary outcomes, in comparison to an attention control condition consisting of psychoeducation parent groups. Following a feasibility study to test research procedures and the interventions, the pilot RCT participants include 60 parents of autistic children aged 4-8 years who are randomised to Predictive Parenting versus the attention control. Measures are administered at baseline and post intervention to assess group differences in child and parent outcomes, costs and service use and adverse events. The primary outcome is an objective measure of child behaviours that challenge during interactions with their parent and a researcher. The trial aims to provide data on recruitment, retention, completion of measures and acceptability of the intervention and research protocol, in addition to providing a preliminary indication of potential efficacy and establishing an effect size that could be used to power a larger-scale efficacy trial. We will also provide preliminary estimates of the cost-effectiveness of the interventions. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was granted from NHS Camden and Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee (ref: 16/LO/1769) along with NHS R&D approval from South London and Maudsley, Guy's and St Thomas', and Croydon Health Services NHS Trusts. The findings will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN91411078