Cash, food, or vouchers? An application of the Market Information and Food Insecurity Response Analysis Framework in urban and rural Kenya

This paper uses the Market Information and Food Insecurity Response Analysis Framework to analyze data on food market intermediation and on consumer behavior and preferences in order to clarify whether market-based cash and voucher programs are likely to prove effective for addressing food insecurity in rural and urban study sites in Kenya. The findings carry important implications for food security interventions by government and operational agencies. We confirm that context matters when undertaking a response analysis. While we find that cash and/or vouchers are appropriate in both urban and rural locations, markets in surveyed urban settlements can respond better to a large injection of cash or vouchers than can surveyed rural areas. Moreover, household vulnerabilities are associated with household preferences in different ways across the two sites. In rural areas, female headed households and households reporting a physical limit to market access were among the groups that strongly preferred food aid to cash or vouchers while households with these characteristics in urban areas preferred the flexibility of cash or vouchers to food.     

Women and Minorities in Animal Science: Do Issues Exist?

Despite existing laws aiming to prohibit gender and race based wage and employment discrimination, there is a disparity in numbers of minorities and women represented in higher ranking positions and wage earnings in all types of industry including academia. We designed a survey to assess the roles that gender and race/ethnicity play in hiring and promotion practices in the Animal Sciences, and the perceptions of ADSA/ASAS members in regards to hiring, salary, promotion, and collaboration with colleagues in relation to race/ethnicity, gender, and/or child rearing. The survey was published using Perseus Survey Solutions for the Web, and distributed to ADSA/ASAS members via email list serve with a link to survey URL. There were 1490 respondents. Seventy percent of respondents were male, 30% female, 85% nonminority and 15% minority. Average salary for males was $66,738, for females $45,968, for nonminorities $63,134, and for minorities $46,816. Stepwise regression and analysis of variance indicated no significant difference in salary between genders after age, position, and degree were accounted for; however there was a significant difference in salaries between nonminorities and minorities (P < 0.0001). The proportion of females and minorities in higher-ranking positions was significantly less than males and nonminorities, respectively. The perception of women and minorities on the effect of gender/race (ethnicity) on hiring, promotion, salary, and collaboration was also significantly different from males and nonminorities, respectively. Approximately 30% of the women and 20% of minorities felt that their gender or race/ethnicity, respectively, hindered their promotion, salary and collaboration among colleagues compared to approximately 5% of men. Significantly fewer females (32%) than males (77%) had children, and significantly more females (46%) felt that child-rearing leave negatively affected their promotion and salary than males (15%). These data indicate that there are issues to be addressed regarding women and minorities in Animal Science.     

γ-Oryzanol, tocol and mineral compositions in different grain fractions of giant embryo rice mutants

BACKGROUND: Rice embryo is concentrated with lipid, protein and some bioactive chemicals. Two rice mutants IR64‐GE and TNG71‐GE (M7 generation) were characterised by an enlarged embryo compared with their wild types. In the present study, distributions of protein, lipid, total phenolics, γ‐oryzanol, tocols and some essential minerals in these two giant embryo mutants and their respective normal embryo wild types IR64 and TNG71 were compared. RESULTS: The embryo dry weights of giant embryo mutants IR64‐GE and TNG71‐GE were 0.92 and 1.32 mg per seed respectively. These values were higher than those of their respective normal embryo genotypes (0.50 and 0.62 mg per seed). Large variations in protein, lipid, phenolic, γ‐oryzanol, tocol and minerals levels were found between mutant and wild‐type pairs. The brown rice of TNG71‐GE had higher total γ‐oryzanol (average of 24% increase) and total tocol (average of 75% increase) levels than TNG71, IR64 and IR64‐GE. CONCLUSION: The embryo and bran parts of giant embryo mutant TNG71‐GE were found to be good sources of vitamin E and γ‐oryzanol. Therefore it could be used to produce high‐value by‐products from milled embryo and bran parts and as a genetic resource for rice improvement programmes. TNG71‐GE can also be used as a nutrient‐fortified rice cultivar. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Do Cultivar,Season and Location of Growth Affect Wheat Starch Pasting?

The relative contributions of cultivar, year and location to variation in wheat starch pasting properties were determined by pasting 44 undried prime starches, in the absence of amylases, at three concentrations using the “Minipaster”. The pasting parameter chosen for discrimination and the starch concentration used determined which factors appeared to determine variation. Various pasting ratios, intersection points and concentration response expressions were found no more useful in discriminating starches than were the simple pasting parameters usually measured. Overall, analyses of variance showed that cultivar was most important in determining variation in wheat starch pasting properties, and that year and location equally affected variation to a smaller degree. Differences due to year and location could be ascribed to unusual stresses on the growing wheat crop.     

Effects of corn silage and grain expressing α-amylase on ruminal nutrient digestibility,microbial protein synthesis,and enteric methane emissions in lactating cows

Increasing ruminal starch digestibility has the potential to improve microbial protein synthesis (MPS), milk production, and feed efficiency. Enogen corn (Syngenta Seeds LLC) expresses high α-amylase activity, and we evaluated effects of Enogen corn silage (CS) and grain (CG) on ruminal starch digestibility, MPS, and milk production in lactating dairy cows. Fifteen Holstein cows (6 ruminally cannulated and 9 noncannulated; average ± standard deviation at the beginning of the trial: 170 ± 40 d in milk; milk yield, 37.2 ± 7.73 kg/d; body weight, 714 ± 37 kg) were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design (28 d per period) with 3 treatments: a diet containing isoline CS and CG (control, CON); a diet with Enogen CS and isoline CG (ECS); and a diet with Enogen CS and CG (ECSCG). Dry matter (DM; 30%), starch (35% of DM), and particle size distribution of the isoline and Enogen CS were similar. However, the mean particle size of Enogen CG was larger (1.05 vs. 0.65 mm) than that of the isoline CG. Cannulated cows were used for digestibility and nutrient flow measurements, noncannulated cows were used for enteric CH₄ measurements, and all cows were used for production evaluation. Dry matter intake (DMI) and milk yield were greater for ECS and ECSCG compared with CON (26.7 and 26.6 vs. 25.1 kg/d and 36.5 and 34.1 vs. 33.1 kg/d, respectively) without a difference between ECS and ECSCG. Milk protein yield was greater (1.27 vs. 1.14 and 1.17 kg/d) for ECS compared with CON and ECSCG. Milk fat content was greater (3.79 vs. 3.32%) for ECSCG compared with ECS. Milk fat yield and energy-corrected milk did not differ among treatments. Ruminal digestibilities of DM, organic matter, starch, and neutral detergent fiber were not different among treatments. However, ruminal digestibility of nonammonia, nonmicrobial N was greater (85 vs. 75%) for ECS compared with ECSCG. Total-tract apparent starch digestibility was lower (97.6 and 97.1 vs. 98.3%) for ECS and ECSCG compared with CON, respectively, and tended to be lower (97.1 vs. 98.3%) for ECSCG compared with ECS. Ruminal outflows of bacterial OM and nonammonia N tended to be greater for ECS than for ECSCG. Efficiency of MPS tended to be greater (34.1 vs. 30.6 g of N/kg of organic matter truly digested) for ECS versus ECSCG. Ruminal pH and total and individual short-chain fatty acid concentrations did not differ among treatments. Concentration of ruminal NH₃ for ECS and ECSCG was lower (10.4 and 12.4 vs. 13.4 mmol/L, respectively) compared with CON. Methane per unit of DMI decreased for ECS and ECSCG compared with CON (11.4 and 12.2 vs. 13.5 g/kg of DMI, respectively) without a difference between ECS and ECSCG. In conclusion, ECS and ECSCG did not increase ruminal or total-tract starch digestibility. However, the positive effects of ECS and ECSCG on milk protein yield, milk yield, and CH₄ per unit of DMI may show potential benefits of feeding Enogen corn. Effects of ECSCG were not apparent when compared with ECS, partly due to larger particle size of Enogen CG compared with its isoline counterpart.     

Vitamins in wine: Which,what for,and how much?

Vitamins are essential compounds to yeasts, and notably in winemaking contexts. Vitamins are involved in numerous yeast metabolic pathways, including those of amino acids, fatty acids, and alcohols, which suggests their notable implication in fermentation courses, as well as in the development of aromatic compounds in wines. Although they are major components in the course of those microbial processes, their significance and impact have not been extensively studied in the context of winemaking and wine products, as most of the studies focusing on the subject in the past decades have relied on relatively insensitive and imprecise analytical methods. Therefore, this review provides an extensive overview of the current knowledge regarding the impacts of vitamins on grape must fermentations, wine-related yeast metabolisms, and requirements, as well as on the profile of wine sensory characteristics. We also highlight the methodologies and techniques developed over time to perform vitamin analysis in wines, and assess the importance of precisely defining the role played by vitamins in winemaking processes, to ensure finer control of the fermentation courses and product characteristics in a highly complex matrix.     

Do visual performance and optical quality vary across different contact lens correction modalities in keratoconus?

PurposeWhile several advanced contact lens (CL) designs are commercially available for vision correction in keratoconus, their visual performance and optical quality, relative to each other and controls remains unclear. This prospective, crossover study tested the hypothesis that these CL designs would have a differential impact on visual performance and optical quality in subjects with advanced keratoconus, but not in early to moderate disease states.MethodsSpatial vision (logMAR acuity and contrast sensitivity), depth vision (stereoacuity) and optical quality (higher-order wavefront aberrations) were measured on 28 bilaterally mild to advanced keratoconics (age: 20–28yrs; 15 males), novice to CL wear, and in 10 age-matched controls using well-established psychophysical and aberrometry techniques. All data were collected on keratoconic subjects with their spectacles and with conventional RGP, Kerasoft®, Rose K2® and Scleral RGP® CL’s in randomized order, atleast a week apart from each other.ResultsAll outcome variables deteriorated with keratoconus severity and improved with CL wear, relative to spectacles (p < 0.05). This improvement was smaller for Kerasoft CL (p < 0.05) and higher but comparable for the other three CL designs (p = 0.3), across all disease severity. Visual functions and optical quality outcomes never reached control levels for any correction modality (p < 0.05).ConclusionVisual performance and optical quality in keratoconus does not appear to improve commensurately with the sophistication of CL design across disease severity. Non-visual factors like quality of CL fit, wearing comfort and cost may therefore drive the choice of CL dispensed in keratoconus more than the performance efficacy of these lenses.     

Do labels that convey minimal,redundant, or no information affect consumer perceptions and willingness to pay?

With more labels appearing on food products, it becomes questionable how many add relevant information to consumers. Some products have labels conveying no, redundant, or minimal information, while others have multiple labels that contain overlapping information. The expansion of these types of minimal-information labeling suggests a perception among marketers that labels improve consumers’ perceptions and increase willingness to pay (WTP). Using watermelons, field experiments with 328 participants were conducted to estimate WTP differences between (1) a product with a minimal-information label and no label; and (2) a product with a minimal-information label with and without an overlapping label. While the minimal-information label added nothing new about the origin of the watermelon (redundant information), added minimal information on taste, and provided no mention of food safety (no information), perceptions among participants of all these attributes positively and significantly increased in both label comparisons. The WTP for the product with a minimal-information label also increased, demonstrating consumers will sacrifice real money for products with these labels. The evidence suggests that labels have capabilities to shape perceptions and influence WTP even beyond those attributes they make a claim regarding.     

Where's the Joy in Cooking? Representations of Taste,Tradition, and Science in the Joy of Cooking

Procuring, preparing, and consuming foods are symbolic processes learned and reified within cultural boundaries. While many cultures have established tradition or taste as rules to guide food activities, contemporary Americans are mainly guided by a fascination with health and risk (Pollan, The Omnivore's Dilemma). As reflections of and contributors to public understandings of food and risk, cookbooks can be rich sites for scholarly investigation (Driver; Nestle and McIntosh). In the current study, we explore the representation of tradition, taste, and science in the introductory materials of the Joy of Cooking. While discussions of science were more common than those of taste or tradition, science did not replace the presence of taste and tradition. The presence of science, taste, and tradition varied over time, suggesting that, though they remain criteria for eaters, their importance is constantly negotiated.     

Do invasive mussels restrict offshore phosphorus transport in Lake Huron?

Dreissenid mussels were first documented in the Laurentian Great Lakes in the late 1980s. Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) spread quickly into shallow, hard-substrate areas; quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) spread more slowly and are currently colonizing deep, offshore areas. These mussels occur at high densities, filter large water volumes while feeding on suspended materials, and deposit particulate waste on the lake bottom. This filtering activity has been hypothesized to sequester tributary phosphorus in nearshore regions reducing offshore primary productivity. We used a mass balance model to estimate the phosphorus sedimentation rate in Saginaw Bay, a shallow embayment of Lake Huron, before and after the mussel invasion. Our results indicate that the proportion of tributary phosphorus retained in Saginaw Bay increased from approximately 46-70% when dreissenids appeared, reducing phosphorus export to the main body of Lake Huron. The combined effects of increased phosphorus retention and decreased phosphorus loading have caused an approximate 60% decrease in phosphorus export from Saginaw Bay to Lake Huron. Our results support the hypothesis that the ongoing decline of preyfish and secondary producers including diporeia (Diporeia spp.) in Lake Huron is a bottom-up phenomenon associated with decreased phosphorus availability in the offshore to support primary production.     

Do marine algal polyphenols have antidiabetic,antihyperlipidemic or anti-inflammatory effects in humans? A systematic review

Cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes are leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Marine algal polyphenols have potential to reduce the risk of these conditions, however, little is known about their impact in humans. This systematic review investigates the antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory effects of marine polyphenols in humans. Scopus, Medline, PsychInfo, Embase and Cochrane Library databases were searched in November 2016. Eligible studies included (1) human adults, (2) marine polyphenol intervention, (3) blood lipid, glucose, insulin or inflammatory marker outcomes, and (4) were a randomized-controlled trial. One postprandial cross-over trial and four parallel design trials were included involving 271 adults. Analysis across studies was performed using Cohen's d effect sizes. Supplementation with polyphenol-rich extracts had small-to-medium positive effects on fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol; however, there is inadequate evidence as yet to confirm if these are consistent effects. Further randomized-controlled trials should investigate polyphenols from Ecklonia cava and other macroalgal sources, to determine if there is a role for marine polyphenols in reducing the risk factors of chronic disease in humans.

(PROSPERO registration number CRD42015016890)     

Do vegetarians feel bad? Examining the association between eating vegetarian and subjective well-being in two representative samples

Research on the relationship between vegetarianism and subjective well-being (SWB) has produced inconsistent results, which may partly be due to small sample sizes and divergent operationalizations of well-being. For these reasons, the present study aimed to thoroughly examine this association in two large representative samples from Germany (Study 1: N = 12,905, including 665 vegetarians) and Australia (Study 2: N = 15,532, including 383 vegetarians) using a consensual conceptualization of SWB (composed of an affective component, i.e., positive and negative affect, and a cognitive component, i.e., life satisfaction). Results of t-tests showed that vegetarians reported slightly higher scores in negative affect (Study 1 and 2), but also slightly higher levels of satisfaction with health (Study 1 and 2) and life satisfaction (Study 1) compared to meat eaters. No differences emerged regarding positive affect in either study. These differences between vegetarians and meat-eaters in some components of SWB, although significant due to the large sample sizes, are small at best (d around 0.15). Because sex, age, and education were associated with diet type and SWB, analyses controlling for socio-demographic variables were also conducted. In these ANCOVAS, the effect of diet emerged only for one out of the five formerly significant comparisons (negative affect in Study 1, d = 0.09) while the differences between vegetarians and meat eaters in both satisfaction with health and life, as well as the effect on negative affect in Study 2, all became non-significant (d around 0.05). Taken together, the very small effects found in the t-tests for some components of SWB seem to be due to socio-demographic variables, meaning that the true effects of diet on SWB are non-existent or negligible.     

Do temporal and geographical patterns of HBCD and PBDE flame retardants in U.S. fish reflect evolving industrial usage?

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) are common flame retardants in polymers and textiles. Recognition of the persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic properties of PBDEs has prompted reductions in their use. In contrast, HBCD has received less scrutiny. The U.S has historically been a dominant BFR consumer. However, the few publications on HBCD in wildlife here suggest modest levels compared to Asian and European studies. In contrast, the HBCD concentrations we detected in U.S. fish are among the highest reported in the world. The temporal trends observed suggest that HBCD use may have risen, and that of Penta-BDE declined, following the 2004 termination of its U.S. manufacture. For example, Hyco River carp collected in 1999-2002 exhibited a mean ∑HBCD (sum of α-, β- and γ-HBCD) concentration of only 13 ng/g (lipid weight basis), but was 4640 ng/g in fish collected in 2006-2007. In contrast, the mean ∑PBDE level in these same fish decreased from 40,700 ng/g in 1999-2002 to 9140 ng/g in 2006-2007. Concentrations of HBCD and PBDEs in several Hyco River fish species exceeded those from rivers less influenced by manufacturing outfalls. Results support the contention that textile-related production, relative to its BFR market share, may release disproportionately large amounts of HBCD to the environment.     

Consumer valuation of European nutritional and health claims: Do taste and attention matter?

Healthier eating and convenience are two important and often divergent aspects of contemporary diet patterns. With the intention of guiding consumers to make more informed food purchase decisions, policy makers, such as the European Union, emphasize the need to shift dietary patterns toward healthier food by introducing nutritional claims (NCs) and health claims (HCs). The purpose of this study is to (i) explore the impact of NCs and HCs on a healthy food product (yogurt), (ii) investigate consumer choices through a discrete choice experiment (DCE), (iii) examine the role of taste as a key food attribute influencing the purchase decision process, and (iv) explore the visual attention that consumers pay to NCs and HCs. The results from a generalized mixed logit model suggest that there is a relationship between the most highly valued NCs and HCs from the stated preferences and visual attention in terms of fixation count. This relationship affirms that the final product selection is based not only on the type of labeling on the package but also on the visual attention that consumers pay to it. Tasting a healthy food product resulted in negative utility, but greater visual attention attached to NCs and HCs and a lower percentage of attribute non-attendance (ANA).     

Do wine experts share the same mental representation? A drawing elicitation study with wine makers,sellers, and critics

Wine experts’ mental representations have often been studied by comparing experts and novices without differentiating between the types of experts. Yet, it seemed that experts developed skills through their training and practice, and thus may have different wine representations. The first objective of this study was to examine the effect of experts’ background and actual occupation on their wine representation. Beaujolais was used as a case study as this vineyard was in constant evolution with the emergence of new mentions such as Pierres Dorées. The second objective was to evaluate how new information was integrated in experts’ mental representation. Three panels were recruited: wine makers, wine sellers, and wine critics. To access their mental representations, a drawing elicitation method was combined with an interview. The results highlighted a common structure in the representations of experts based on two poles: the first pole was linked to the environment and the vineyard, and the second pole was linked to the intrinsic aspects of wines. This universal mental representation of wine would be based on the experts' long-term memory knowledge acquired during training. Some differences linked to the experts’ profession, experience and exposure were also observed. These differences could be explained in terms of perceptual learning. Through shared experiences and exposures, experts with similar occupations and backgrounds developed similar mental representations (e.g., wine makers or wine sellers). Conversely, despite a common occupation, experts with a different experience, practice and background developed idiosyncratic wine representations (e.g., wine critics).     

Swedish school leadership in transition: in search of a democratic, learning and communicative leadership?

This article focuses on the relationship between the nation curriculum in Sweden and the training of head teachers. Pedagogical leadership was first focused upon in the 1960s in Sweden and Norway and later in the other countries. Educational policies since the beginning of 1960 have been dominated by an active reforming process. The original responsibility of the principal in the centralised system was to be a guaranto for good quality and to see that the State curriculum was carried out in accordance with the intentions in the law. The head teacher remains in charge of all educational activity in the school and should be familiar with everyday work in the school and promote educational change for school improvement. Since that time, the role of the pedagogical leader has been under constant review. Since the mid-1980s a National Head teachers Training Programme has focused on pedagogical school leadership and school improvement, and a new programme will be introduced in 2002. The aim of the new training is that head teachers should develop and use a democratic, learning and communicative form of leadership that has its starting point in the national curriculum. The training is also aimed at better equipping head teachers to exercise the responsibility invested in them by the curriculum and other statutory instruments. Furthermore, in relation to the commissioning agent, it should enable the head teacher to make clear the conditions on which his/her organisation operates and to assert its needs. After having completed the training, the head teacher should, on the basis of democratic principles and with regard to individuals' integrity and equal value, be able to lead and develop the school, as well as asserting the rights of children and pupils to the education guaranteed in the government's legislation and regulations. The head teacher should also have the ability to direct the organisation's learning towards better goal achievement and thereby bring his/her own, as well as childrens', pupils' and co-workers' learning, into focus.     

Record of metal workshops in peat deposits: history and environmental impact on the Mont Lozère Massif, France

This study aims to document the history of the metallurgical activities on the Mont Lozère massif in the Cévennes Mountains in Southern France. Many medieval sites of metallurgical wastes (slags) have been reported on the massif. These sites are thought to represent ancient lead workshops. The impact of past metallurgical activity on the environment was studied using geochemical and palynological techniques on a core collected in the Narses Mortes peatland near medieval smelting area. Two main periods of smelting activities during the last 2200 years were revealed bythe lead concentration and isotopic composition along the core profile: the first period corresponds to the Gallic period (approximately ca. 300 B.C. to ca. 20 A.D.) and the second one to the Medieval period (approximately ca. 1000-1300 A.D.). Forest disturbances are associated with lead anomalies for the two metallurgical activities described. The impact of the first metallurgy was moderate during the Gallic period, during which beech and birch were the tree species most affected. The second period corresponds to the observed slag present in the field. Along with agropastoral activities, the medieval smelting activities led to the definitive disappearance of all tree species on the summit zones of Mont Lozère. The abundance of ore resources and the earlier presence of wood on the massif justify the presence of workshops at this place. The relationship between mines and ores has been documented for the Medieval period.There is no archaeological proof concerning the Gallic activity. Nevertheless, 2500-2100 years ago, the borders of the Gallic Tribe territory, named the Gabales, were the same as the present-day borders of the Lozère department. Julius Caesar reported the existence of this tribe in 58 B.C. in "De Bello Gallico", and in Strabon (Book IV, 2.2) the "Gabales silver" and a "treasure of Gabales" are mentioned, but to this day, they have not been found.