Sample records for food crisis basic

  1. Agrofuels, Food Sovereignty, and the Contemporary Food Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosset, Peter

    2009-01-01

    In this article, agrofuels are examined in the context of the world food price crisis and the "food sovereignty" proposal for addressing the crisis. Both short- and long-term causes of the crisis are examined, and while agrofuels are presently not a prime causal factor they are clearly contraindicated by the crisis. Food sovereignty,…

  2. Food safety in a nuclear crisis: The role of the veterinarian.

    PubMed

    Waltner-Toews, D

    1990-05-01

    Veterinarians are integrally involved in the maintenance of a safe and sufficient food supply; this involvement may be put to the test when a crisis - particularly a nuclear crisis - occurs. Few people can be said to be experts in how to ensure a safe food supply in a nuclear crisis. However, a working knowledge of radionuclides and how they behave in the food system, and the ability to identify high-risk foods and high-risk consumers in a crisis situation should be a part of the education of all veterinarians. In this paper I review those features of postdisaster radionuclide contamination of the food chain most relevant to veterinary activities in ensuring a safe food supply.

  3. The impact of the 2008 financial crisis on food security and food expenditures in Mexico: a disproportionate effect on the vulnerable

    PubMed Central

    Vilar-Compte, Mireya; Sandoval-Olascoaga, Sebastian; Bernal-Stuart, Ana; Shimoga, Sandhya; Vargas-Bustamante, Arturo

    2015-01-01

    Objective The present paper investigated the impact of the 2008 financial crisis on food security in Mexico and how it disproportionally affected vulnerable households. Design A generalized ordered logistic regression was estimated to assess the impact of the crisis on households’ food security status. An ordinary least squares and a quantile regression were estimated to evaluate the effect of the financial crisis on a continuous proxy measure of food security defined as the share of a household’s current income devoted to food expenditures. Setting Both analyses were performed using pooled cross-sectional data from the Mexican National Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2008 and 2010. Subjects The analytical sample included 29 468 households in 2008 and 27 654 in 2010. Results The generalized ordered logistic model showed that the financial crisis significantly (P < 0·05) decreased the probability of being food secure, mildly or moderately food insecure, compared with being severely food insecure (OR = 0·74). A similar but smaller effect was found when comparing severely and moderately food-insecure households with mildly food-insecure and food-secure households (OR = 0·81). The ordinary least squares model showed that the crisis significantly (P < 0·05) increased the share of total income spent on food (β coefficient of 0·02). The quantile regression confirmed the findings suggested by the generalized ordered logistic model, showing that the effects of the crisis were more profound among poorer households. Conclusions The results suggest that households that were more vulnerable before the financial crisis saw a worsened effect in terms of food insecurity with the crisis. Findings were consistent with both measures of food security – one based on self-reported experience and the other based on food spending. PMID:25428800

  4. The impact of the 2008 financial crisis on food security and food expenditures in Mexico: a disproportionate effect on the vulnerable.

    PubMed

    Vilar-Compte, Mireya; Sandoval-Olascoaga, Sebastian; Bernal-Stuart, Ana; Shimoga, Sandhya; Vargas-Bustamante, Arturo

    2015-11-01

    The present paper investigated the impact of the 2008 financial crisis on food security in Mexico and how it disproportionally affected vulnerable households. A generalized ordered logistic regression was estimated to assess the impact of the crisis on households' food security status. An ordinary least squares and a quantile regression were estimated to evaluate the effect of the financial crisis on a continuous proxy measure of food security defined as the share of a household's current income devoted to food expenditures. Setting Both analyses were performed using pooled cross-sectional data from the Mexican National Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2008 and 2010. The analytical sample included 29,468 households in 2008 and 27,654 in 2010. The generalized ordered logistic model showed that the financial crisis significantly (P<0·05) decreased the probability of being food secure, mildly or moderately food insecure, compared with being severely food insecure (OR=0·74). A similar but smaller effect was found when comparing severely and moderately food-insecure households with mildly food-insecure and food-secure households (OR=0·81). The ordinary least squares model showed that the crisis significantly (P<0·05) increased the share of total income spent on food (β coefficient of 0·02). The quantile regression confirmed the findings suggested by the generalized ordered logistic model, showing that the effects of the crisis were more profound among poorer households. The results suggest that households that were more vulnerable before the financial crisis saw a worsened effect in terms of food insecurity with the crisis. Findings were consistent with both measures of food security--one based on self-reported experience and the other based on food spending.

  5. The 2008 food price crisis negatively affected household food security and dietary diversity in urban Burkina Faso.

    PubMed

    Martin-Prevel, Yves; Becquey, Elodie; Tapsoba, Sylvestre; Castan, Florence; Coulibaly, Dramane; Fortin, Sonia; Zoungrana, Mahama; Lange, Matthias; Delpeuch, Francis; Savy, Mathilde

    2012-09-01

    Although the 2008 food price crisis presumably plunged millions of households into poverty and food insecurity, the real impact of the crisis has rarely been documented using field data. Our objective was to assess the consequences of this crisis for household food insecurity and dietary diversity in urban Burkina Faso. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted among randomly selected households in Ouagadougou in July 2007 (n = 3017) and July 2008 (n = 3002). At each round, food insecurity assessed by the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), the Dietary Diversity Score of an index-member of the household (IDDS = number of food groups consumed in the last 24 h), and food expenditure were collected. Food prices of the 17 most frequently consumed food items were recorded throughout the study area. Food prices at local markets increased considerably between 2007 and 2008, especially those of fish (113%), cereals (53%), and vegetable oil (44%), increasing the household monthly food expenditure by 18%. Thirty-three percent of households were food secure in 2007 and 22% in 2008 (P = 0.02). Individuals consumed fewer fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and meat/poultry in 2008 than in 2007 (mean IDDS = 5.7 ± 1.7 food groups in 2007 vs. 5.2 ± 1.5 in 2008; P < 0.0001). Differences in IDDS and HFIAS between the 2 y were even more marked after adjustment for confounding factors and food expenditure. Food security and dietary diversity significantly decreased between 2007 and 2008, whereas food prices increased. Households increased their food expenditure, but this was not sufficient to compensate the effects of the crisis.

  6. Food Safety Crisis Management-A Comparison between Germany and the Netherlands.

    PubMed

    van Asselt, E D; van der Fels-Klerx, H J; Breuer, O; Helsloot, I

    2017-02-01

    In order to prevent food safety incidents from becoming a crisis, a good crisis management structure is essential. The aim of the current study was to compare and evaluate the national food incident response plans of 2 neighboring EU Member States: Germany and the Netherlands. This revealed that the structure of these plans is comparable, starting with initial alerting, assessment of the problem, upscaling, an execution phase and finally an evaluation of the crisis management. However, the German communication structure is more complex than the Dutch one and cross-border communication between both countries is currently limited. In general, the presence of national response plans does not guarantee a good and swift response to a food safety incident as this is often hampered by difficulties in tracing the source of the problem as well as difficulties in communication between organizations involved in crisis management. A timely detection can be improved through the development of fast screening and detecting systems and through combining various data sources using computer software systems. Mutual cooperation and communication can be improved through joint exercises or projects. This will help to streamline communication toward consumers and trade partners. Such communication should be transparent relaying not only the facts but also the uncertainties in a crisis in order to gain consumer trust and safeguard international trade. © 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.

  7. Household capacities, vulnerabilities and food insecurity: shifts in food insecurity in urban and rural Ethiopia during the 2008 food crisis.

    PubMed

    Hadley, Craig; Linzer, Drew A; Belachew, Tefera; Mariam, Abebe Gebre; Tessema, Fasil; Lindstrom, David

    2011-11-01

    The global food crisis of 2008 led to renewed interest in global food insecurity and how macro-level food prices impact household and individual level wellbeing. There is debate over the extent to which food price increases in 2008 eroded food security, the extent to which this effect was distributed across rural and urban locales, and the extent to which rural farmers might have benefited. Ethiopia's food prices increased particularly dramatically between 2005 and 2008 and here we ask whether there was a concomitant increase in household food insecurity, whether this decline was distributed equally across rural, urban, and semi-urban locales, and to what extent pre-crisis household capacities and vulnerabilities impacted 2008 household food insecurity levels. Data are drawn from a random sample of 2610 households in Southwest Ethiopia surveyed 2005/6 and again in mid to late 2008. Results show broad deterioration of household food insecurity relative to baseline but declines were most pronounced in the rural areas. Wealthier households and those that were relatively more food secure in 2005/6 tended to be more food secure in 2008, net of other factors, and these effects were most pronounced in urban areas. External shocks, such as a job loss or loss of crops, experienced by households were also associated with worse food insecurity in 2008 but few other household variables were associated with 2008 food insecurity. Our results also showed that rural farmers tended to produce small amounts for sale on markets, and thus were not able to enjoy the potential benefits that come from greater crop prices. We conclude that poverty, and not urban/rural difference, is the important variable for understanding the risk of food insecurity during a food crisis and that many rural farmers are too poor to take advantage of rapid rises in food prices. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Household capacities, vulnerabilities and food insecurity: Shifts in food insecurity in urban and rural Ethiopia during the 2008 food crisis

    PubMed Central

    Hadley, Craig; Linzer, Drew A.; Belachew, Tefera; Mariam, Abebe Gebre; Tessema, Fasil; Lindstrom, David

    2014-01-01

    The global food crisis of 2008 led to renewed interest in global food insecurity and how macro-level food prices impact household and individual level wellbeing. There is debate over the extent to which food price increases in 2008 eroded food security, the extent to which this effect was distributed across rural and urban locales, and the extent to which rural farmers might have benefited. Ethiopia’s food prices increased particularly dramatically between 2005 and 2008 and here we ask whether there was a concomitant increase in household food insecurity, whether this decline was distributed equally across rural, urban, and semi-urban locales, and to what extent pre-crisis household capacities and vulnerabilities impacted 2008 household food insecurity levels. Data are drawn from a random sample of 2610 households in Southwest Ethiopia surveyed 2005/6 and again in mid to late 2008. Results show broad deterioration of household food insecurity relative to baseline but declines were most pronounced in the rural areas. Wealthier households and those that were relatively more food secure in 2005/6 tended to be more food secure in 2008, net of other factors, and these effects were most pronounced in urban areas. External shocks, such as a job loss or loss of crops, experienced by households were also associated with worse food insecurity in 2008 but few other household variables were associated with 2008 food insecurity. Our results also showed that rural farmers tended to produce small amounts for sale on markets, and thus were not able to enjoy the potential benefits that come from greater crop prices. We conclude that poverty, and not urban/rural difference, is the important variable for understanding the risk of food insecurity during a food crisis and that many rural farmers are too poor to take advantage of rapid rises in food prices. PMID:21996022

  9. The role of business in addressing the long-term implications of the current food crisis.

    PubMed

    Yach, Derek

    2008-12-05

    Before the onset of the current food crisis, the evidence of a severely neglected nutrition crisis was starting to receive attention. Increased food prices are having severe impacts on the nutritional status of populations. Our current food system has evolved over decades in a largely unplanned manner and without consideration for the complexity and implications of linkages between health, nutrition, agricultural, economic, trade and security issues. The underlying causes for the nutrition crisis include the above, as well as decades of neglect with regard to nutrition, and agricultural science (especially in emerging markets); a failure of governance with respect to the major players involved in nutrition, a weak response by government donors and Foundations to invest in basic nutrition (in contrast to growing support for humanitarian aspects of food aid), and a reluctance to develop private-public partnerships. The emergence of new business models that tackle social problems while remaining profitable offers promise that the long term nutrition needs of people can be met. Businesses can have greater impact acting collectively than individually. Food, retail, food service, chemical and pharmaceutical companies have expertise, distribution systems and customers insights, if well harnessed, could leapfrog progress in addressing the food and nutrition crises. While business can do lots more, its combined impact will be minimal if a range of essential government actions and policies are not addressed. Governments need to create innovative and complementary opportunities that include incentives for businesses including: setting clear nutritional guidelines for fortification and for ready-to eat products; offering agreements to endorse approved products and support their distribution to clinics and schools; eliminating duties on imported vitamins and other micronutrients; and providing tax and other incentives for industry to invest with donors in essential nutrition

  10. The role of business in addressing the long-term implications of the current food crisis

    PubMed Central

    Yach, Derek

    2008-01-01

    Before the onset of the current food crisis, the evidence of a severely neglected nutrition crisis was starting to receive attention. Increased food prices are having severe impacts on the nutritional status of populations. Our current food system has evolved over decades in a largely unplanned manner and without consideration for the complexity and implications of linkages between health, nutrition, agricultural, economic, trade and security issues. The underlying causes for the nutrition crisis include the above, as well as decades of neglect with regard to nutrition, and agricultural science (especially in emerging markets); a failure of governance with respect to the major players involved in nutrition, a weak response by government donors and Foundations to invest in basic nutrition (in contrast to growing support for humanitarian aspects of food aid), and a reluctance to develop private-public partnerships. The emergence of new business models that tackle social problems while remaining profitable offers promise that the long term nutrition needs of people can be met. Businesses can have greater impact acting collectively than individually. Food, retail, food service, chemical and pharmaceutical companies have expertise, distribution systems and customers insights, if well harnessed, could leapfrog progress in addressing the food and nutrition crises. While business can do lots more, its combined impact will be minimal if a range of essential government actions and policies are not addressed. Governments need to create innovative and complementary opportunities that include incentives for businesses including: setting clear nutritional guidelines for fortification and for ready-to eat products; offering agreements to endorse approved products and support their distribution to clinics and schools; eliminating duties on imported vitamins and other micronutrients; and providing tax and other incentives for industry to invest with donors in essential nutrition

  11. Impact of the economic crisis and increase in food prices on child mortality: exploring nutritional pathways.

    PubMed

    Christian, Parul

    2010-01-01

    The current economic crisis and food price increase may have a widespread impact on the nutritional and health status of populations, especially in the developing world. Gains in child survival over the past few decades are likely to be threatened and millennium development goals will be harder to achieve. Beyond starvation, which is one of the causes of death in famine situations, there are numerous nutritional pathways by which childhood mortality can increase. These include increases in childhood wasting and stunting, intrauterine growth restriction, and micronutrient deficiencies such as that of vitamin A, iron, and zinc when faced with a food crisis and decreased food availability. These pathways are elucidated and described. Although estimates of the impact of the current crisis on child mortality are yet to be made, data from previous economic crises provide evidence of an increase in childhood mortality that we review. The current situation also emphasizes that there are vast segments of the world's population living in a situation of chronic food insecurity that are likely to be disproportionately affected by an economic crisis. Nutritional and health surveillance data are urgently needed in such populations to monitor both the impacts of a crisis and of interventions. Addressing the nutritional needs of children and women in response to the present crisis is urgent. But, ensuring that vulnerable populations are also targeted with known nutritional interventions at all times is likely to have a substantial impact on child mortality.

  12. Towards a Food Safety Knowledge Base Applicable in Crisis Situations and Beyond.

    PubMed

    Falenski, Alexander; Weiser, Armin A; Thöns, Christian; Appel, Bernd; Käsbohrer, Annemarie; Filter, Matthias

    2015-01-01

    In case of contamination in the food chain, fast action is required in order to reduce the numbers of affected people. In such situations, being able to predict the fate of agents in foods would help risk assessors and decision makers in assessing the potential effects of a specific contamination event and thus enable them to deduce the appropriate mitigation measures. One efficient strategy supporting this is using model based simulations. However, application in crisis situations requires ready-to-use and easy-to-adapt models to be available from the so-called food safety knowledge bases. Here, we illustrate this concept and its benefits by applying the modular open source software tools PMM-Lab and FoodProcess-Lab. As a fictitious sample scenario, an intentional ricin contamination at a beef salami production facility was modelled. Predictive models describing the inactivation of ricin were reviewed, relevant models were implemented with PMM-Lab, and simulations on residual toxin amounts in the final product were performed with FoodProcess-Lab. Due to the generic and modular modelling concept implemented in these tools, they can be applied to simulate virtually any food safety contamination scenario. Apart from the application in crisis situations, the food safety knowledge base concept will also be useful in food quality and safety investigations.

  13. Towards a Food Safety Knowledge Base Applicable in Crisis Situations and Beyond

    PubMed Central

    Falenski, Alexander; Weiser, Armin A.; Thöns, Christian; Appel, Bernd; Käsbohrer, Annemarie; Filter, Matthias

    2015-01-01

    In case of contamination in the food chain, fast action is required in order to reduce the numbers of affected people. In such situations, being able to predict the fate of agents in foods would help risk assessors and decision makers in assessing the potential effects of a specific contamination event and thus enable them to deduce the appropriate mitigation measures. One efficient strategy supporting this is using model based simulations. However, application in crisis situations requires ready-to-use and easy-to-adapt models to be available from the so-called food safety knowledge bases. Here, we illustrate this concept and its benefits by applying the modular open source software tools PMM-Lab and FoodProcess-Lab. As a fictitious sample scenario, an intentional ricin contamination at a beef salami production facility was modelled. Predictive models describing the inactivation of ricin were reviewed, relevant models were implemented with PMM-Lab, and simulations on residual toxin amounts in the final product were performed with FoodProcess-Lab. Due to the generic and modular modelling concept implemented in these tools, they can be applied to simulate virtually any food safety contamination scenario. Apart from the application in crisis situations, the food safety knowledge base concept will also be useful in food quality and safety investigations. PMID:26247028

  14. [Brazil: agricultural modernisation and food production restructuring in the international crisis].

    PubMed

    Bertrand, J P

    1985-01-01

    This study examines the complex relationship of capital accumulation, external debt, and food supply in Brazil, a country which has simultaneously increased its food exports and its unsatisfied demand for food imports in the context of the world economic crisis. In Brazil, the substitution of export cash crops for subsistence crops has been accompanied by a profound but incomplete restructuring of the basic food supply and model of consumption, a restructuring made possible by declining real cost of the new foods. The gap between the extremely rapid evolution of consumption, especially in the urban areas, and the possibilities of concomitant transformation of production is the characteristic feature of the change occuring in Brazil. The current diet of the developed countries evolved over a relatively long period and was based on the declining real cost of basic foodstuffs made possible by increasing labor productivity. Between 1800-1900, the real cost of a kilo of bread was halved, while that of meat remained stable. In France and the US respectively, 80 and 90% of the principal cereals are consumed by animals, while in developing countries most grains are directly consumed. Numerous indices suggest that Brazil has begun to differentiate its food regime in the direction of decreased consumption of cereals, tubers, and legumes, and increased consumption of animal products, with grains increasingly consumed indirectly by animals. Since the early 1970s, Brazil has developed a powerful processed food industry which supports intensive breeding of poultry and, to a lesser extent, pork and milk cattle. However, low income population groups have been forced to reduce their consumption of traditional foodstuffs, whose real prices have undergone relative increases, without achieving a satisfactory level of consumption of the new products. Brazilian food problems result not from insufficient production of food but from the choice of a strongly internationalist model of

  15. Food insecurity and mental health: surprising trends among community health volunteers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during the 2008 food crisis.

    PubMed

    Maes, Kenneth C; Hadley, Craig; Tesfaye, Fikru; Shifferaw, Selamawit

    2010-05-01

    The 2008 food crisis may have increased household food insecurity and caused distress among impoverished populations in low-income countries. Policy researchers have attempted to quantify the impact that a sharp rise in food prices might have on population wellbeing by asking what proportion of households would drop below conventional poverty lines given a set increase in prices. Our understanding of the impact of food crises can be extended by conducting micro-level ethnographic studies. This study examined self-reported household food insecurity (FI) and common mental disorders (CMD) among 110 community health AIDS care volunteers living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during the height of the 2008 food crisis. We used generalized estimating equations that account for associations between responses given by the same participants over 3 survey rounds during 2008, to model the longitudinal response profiles of FI, CMD symptoms, and socio-behavioral and micro-economic covariates. To help explain the patterns observed in the response profiles and regression results, we examine qualitative data that contextualize the cognition and reporting behavior of AIDS care volunteers, as well as potential observation biases inherent in longitudinal, community-based research. Our data show that food insecurity is highly prevalent, that is it associated with household economic factors, and that it is linked to mental health. Surprisingly, the volunteers in this urban sample did not report increasingly severe FI or CMD during the peak of the 2008 food crisis. This is a counter-intuitive result that would not be predicted in analyses of population-level data such as those used in econometrics simulations. But when these results are linked to real people in specific urban ecologies, they can improve our understanding of the psychosocial consequences of food price shocks. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Crop plants versus energy plants--on the international food crisis.

    PubMed

    Schmitz, P M; Kavallari, A

    2009-06-15

    The recent price explosion of important agricultural commodities has lead to an international food crisis. The price rise is attributed to fundamental factors, such as the rising demand for dairy and meat products in China and the development of the bioenergy branch as well as on short-term factors such as the behaviour of speculators. Mobilising the worldwide supply can held to overcome the demand driven shortage of food this can be achieved through a proper design of the agricultural policy both in developed and developing countries.

  17. Aquaculture and food crisis: opportunities and constraints.

    PubMed

    Liao, I Chiu; Chao, Nai-Hsien

    2009-01-01

    Fish farming, now well known as aquaculture, has been well recognized since the ancient era. The first written document on fish culture was published in China in 475 BC, and the first koi pond was constructed at the Japanese Imperial Palace grounds during 71-130 AD. In recent years, aquaculture has progressively played an important role in the provision of: animal protein and gourmet cuisines, job opportunities, and foreign currency for developing countries. Asian countries produce around 91 percent of the world's total aquaculture production. Among the top ten aquaculture-producing countries, nine are from Asia. The current global population consist of more than 6.5 billion individuals; over one billion of which face hunger problem. In the highly populated Asia-Pacific region with moderately high-productivity, 642 million people are still facing hunger. Being a proficient and potential source of animal protein, aquaculture will play an increasing and important role in solving the world food problem in the future. This paper discusses both the opportunities and constraints in the aquaculture industry, specifically in the Asia-Pacific region, and its possible role in solving the current global food crisis. Strategies including promotion and adoption of traceability and HACCP systems for food safety, and marketing management for aquaculture products are also suggested. It is hoped that traditional administration of aquaculture management for survival, profit, as well as food safety will successfully match sustainability management to meet the urgent global need for food.

  18. Institutional and relational determinants in high- and medium-extent food product crises: the inner perspective of a public health crisis.

    PubMed

    Charlebois, Sylvain; Horan, Hilary

    2010-08-01

    In 2008, Canada enacted its biggest-ever food recall in response to a Listeria crisis, stemming from a Maple Leaf Foods plant, that killed 22 Canadians. Afterwards, Maple Leaf's market share quickly returned to pre-crisis levels, but the long-term repercussions of the scare still reverberate in Maple Leaf's brand. In this case study, which offers an organizational perspective on the food recall, data was collected, through in-depth interviews of persons involved in the crisis response, and analyzed. The aim of this paper is to make transparent the ways in which Maple Leaf Foods organized their resources to manage the 2008 food recall. Results reveal that institutional and relational determinants are the most important factors in high- and medium-extent food product crises, whereas external and internal effects primarily influence an organization's capacity to cope with severe crises. Based on these findings, a conceptual framework is presented and managerial implications are discussed.

  19. Effects of a Possible Pollinator Crisis on Food Crop Production in Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Nunes, Cássio A.; Santos, Natália B.; D`Amico, Ana R.; Fernandes, G. Wilson; Quesada, Maurício; Braga, Rodrigo F.; Neves, Ana Carolina O.

    2016-01-01

    Animal pollinators contribute to human food production and security thereby ensuring an important component of human well-being. The recent decline of these agents in Europe and North America has aroused the concern of a potential global pollinator crisis. In order to prioritize efforts for pollinator conservation, we evaluated the extent to which food production depends on animal pollinators in Brazil—one of the world’s agriculture leaders—by comparing cultivated area, produced volume and yield value of major food crops that are pollinator dependent with those that are pollinator non-dependent. In addition, we valued the ecosystem service of pollination based on the degree of pollinator dependence of each crop and the consequence of a decline in food production to the Brazilian Gross Domestic Product and Brazilian food security. A total of 68% of the 53 major food crops in Brazil depend to some degree on animals for pollination. Pollinator non-dependent crops produce a greater volume of food, mainly because of the high production of sugarcane, but the cultivated area and monetary value of pollinator dependent crops are higher (59% of total cultivated area and 68% of monetary value). The loss of pollination services for 29 of the major food crops would reduce production by 16.55–51 million tons, which would amount to 4.86–14.56 billion dollars/year, and reduce the agricultural contribution to the Brazilian GDP by 6.46%– 19.36%. These impacts would be largely absorbed by family farmers, which represent 74.4% of the agricultural labor force in Brazil. The main effects of a pollinator crisis in Brazil would be felt by the poorer and more rural classes due to their lower income and direct or exclusive dependence on this ecosystem service. PMID:27902787

  20. Effects of a Possible Pollinator Crisis on Food Crop Production in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Novais, Samuel M A; Nunes, Cássio A; Santos, Natália B; D Amico, Ana R; Fernandes, G Wilson; Quesada, Maurício; Braga, Rodrigo F; Neves, Ana Carolina O

    2016-01-01

    Animal pollinators contribute to human food production and security thereby ensuring an important component of human well-being. The recent decline of these agents in Europe and North America has aroused the concern of a potential global pollinator crisis. In order to prioritize efforts for pollinator conservation, we evaluated the extent to which food production depends on animal pollinators in Brazil-one of the world's agriculture leaders-by comparing cultivated area, produced volume and yield value of major food crops that are pollinator dependent with those that are pollinator non-dependent. In addition, we valued the ecosystem service of pollination based on the degree of pollinator dependence of each crop and the consequence of a decline in food production to the Brazilian Gross Domestic Product and Brazilian food security. A total of 68% of the 53 major food crops in Brazil depend to some degree on animals for pollination. Pollinator non-dependent crops produce a greater volume of food, mainly because of the high production of sugarcane, but the cultivated area and monetary value of pollinator dependent crops are higher (59% of total cultivated area and 68% of monetary value). The loss of pollination services for 29 of the major food crops would reduce production by 16.55-51 million tons, which would amount to 4.86-14.56 billion dollars/year, and reduce the agricultural contribution to the Brazilian GDP by 6.46%- 19.36%. These impacts would be largely absorbed by family farmers, which represent 74.4% of the agricultural labor force in Brazil. The main effects of a pollinator crisis in Brazil would be felt by the poorer and more rural classes due to their lower income and direct or exclusive dependence on this ecosystem service.

  1. From famine to food crisis: what history can teach us about local and global subsistence crises.

    PubMed

    Vanhaute, Eric

    2011-01-01

    The number of famine prone regions in the world has been shrinking for centuries. It is currently mainly limited to sub-Saharan Africa. Yet the impact of endemic hunger has not declined and the early twenty-first century seems to be faced with a new threat: global subsistence crises. In this essay I question the concepts of famine and food crisis from different analytical angles: historical and contemporary famine research, food regime theory, and peasant studies. I will argue that only a more integrated historical framework of analysis can surpass dualistic interpretations grounded in Eurocentric modernization paradigms. This article successively debates historical and contemporary famine research, the contemporary food regime and the new global food crisis, the lessons from Europe's 'grand escape' from hunger, and the peasantry and 'depeasantization' as central analytical concepts. Dualistic histories of food and famine have been dominating developmentalist stories for too long. This essay shows how a blending of historical and contemporary famine research, food regime theory and new peasant studies can foster a more integrated perspective.

  2. Speaking of food: connecting basic and applied plant science.

    PubMed

    Gross, Briana L; Kellogg, Elizabeth A; Miller, Allison J

    2014-10-01

    The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) predicts that food production must rise 70% over the next 40 years to meet the demands of a growing population that is expected to reach nine billion by the year 2050. Many facets of basic plant science promoted by the Botanical Society of America are important for agriculture; however, more explicit connections are needed to bridge the gap between basic and applied plant research. This special issue, Speaking of Food: Connecting Basic and Applied Plant Science, was conceived to showcase productive overlaps of basic and applied research to address the challenges posed by feeding billions of people and to stimulate more research, fresh connections, and new paradigms. Contributions to this special issue thus illustrate some interactive areas of study in plant science-historical and modern plant-human interaction, crop and weed origins and evolution, and the effects of natural and artificial selection on crops and their wild relatives. These papers provide examples of how research integrating the basic and applied aspects of plant science benefits the pursuit of knowledge and the translation of that knowledge into actions toward sustainable production of crops and conservation of diversity in a changing climate. © 2014 Botanical Society of America, Inc.

  3. Achieving food security in times of crisis.

    PubMed

    Swaminathan, M S

    2010-11-30

    In spite of several World Food Summits during the past decade, the number of people going to bed hungry is increasing and now exceeds one billion. Food security strategies should therefore be revisited. Food security systems should begin with local communities who can develop and manage community gene, seed, grain and water banks. At the national level, access to balanced diet and clean drinking water should become a basic human right. Implementation of the right to food will involve concurrent attention to production, procurement, preservation and public distribution. Higher production in perpetuity should be achieved through an ever-green revolution based on the principles of conservation and climate-resilient farming. This will call for a blend of traditional ecological prudence with frontier technologies, particularly biotechnology and information communication technologies. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  4. Modeling of Economy Considering Crisis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petrov, Lev F.

    2009-09-01

    We discuss main modeling's problems of economy dynamic processes and the reason forecast's absence of economic crisis. We present a structure of complexity level of system and models and discuss expected results concerning crisis phenomena. We formulate the basic perspective directions of the mathematical modeling of economy, including possibility of the analysis of the pre crisis, crisis and post crisis phenomena in economic systems.

  5. Food Pedagogies in Japan: From the Implementation of the Basic Law on Food Education to Fukushima

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reiher, Cornelia

    2012-01-01

    Japan's Basic Law on Food Education (Shokuiku kihonho) was enacted in June 2005 as a response to various concerns related to food and nutrition, such as food scandals, an increase in obesity and lifestyle-related diseases and an assumed loss of traditional food culture. The Law defines food education (shokuiku) rather vaguely as the acquisition of…

  6. Negative impact on calorie intake associated with the 2006-08 food price crisis in Latin America.

    PubMed

    Iannotti, Lora; Robles, Miguel

    2011-06-01

    From 2006 to 2008, there were sharp increases in the prices of major food commodities globally, including maize, rice, and wheat. Few studies have contributed empirical evidence of the nutritional impacts of this food price crisis. To assess changes in energy intake in response to food price shocks and in relation to calorie adequacy levels in seven Latin American countries. Data were drawn from nationally representative household budget surveys. The quadratic almost ideal demand system (QUAIDS) model characterized change patterns in consumption for six food groups and one nonfood group under two scenarios: actual change in food prices by country, and standardized 10% increase in prices across all countries. Energy intakes before and after the crisis were determined once calories were assigned to food items from the ProPAN and US Department of Agriculture food composition databases. Energy intakes were reduced by 8.0% (range, 0.95% to 15.1%) from precrisis levels across all countries. Ecuador and Panama were the worst affected, followed by Haiti and Nicaragua. There was a consistent, direct relationship between wealth quintile and change in energy intake. Rural areas were affected to the same extent as or a greater extent than urban areas. High positive increases in calorie consumption were found in the richest wealth quintile, exceeding 10% of previous levels in five countries. Policies and programs targeting the poorest households in both rural and urban areas may be needed to offset the energy deficits associated with food price increases. More research is needed on the effect of food prices and micronutrient nutrition.

  7. Treating Chronic Crisis Bearers and Their Families

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doyle, Averil Marie; Dorlac, Charles

    1978-01-01

    This article presents a method for family crisis intervention. The goal is extended from restoring the crisis bearing unit to its pre-crisis level of coping to a basic restructuring of maladaptive pre-crisis behaviors. It is aimed at general behavior change as well as resolution of the immediate situation. (Author)

  8. Food crises, food regimes and food movements: rumblings of reform or tides of transformation?

    PubMed

    Holt Giménez, Eric; Shattuck, Annie

    2011-01-01

    This article addresses the potential for food movements to bring about substantive changes to the current global food system. After describing the current corporate food regime, we apply Karl Polanyi's 'double-movement' thesis on capitalism to explain the regime's trends of neoliberalism and reform. Using the global food crisis as a point of departure, we introduce a comparative analytical framework for different political and social trends within the corporate food regime and global food movements, characterizing them as 'Neoliberal', 'Reformist', 'Progressive', and 'Radical', respectively, and describe each trend based on its discourse, model, and key actors, approach to the food crisis, and key documents. After a discussion of class, political permeability, and tensions within the food movements, we suggest that the current food crisis offers opportunities for strategic alliances between Progressive and Radical trends within the food movement. We conclude that while the food crisis has brought a retrenchment of neoliberalization and weak calls for reform, the worldwide growth of food movements directly and indirectly challenge the legitimacy and hegemony of the corporate food regime. Regime change will require sustained pressure from a strong global food movement, built on durable alliances between Progressive and Radical trends.

  9. Establishing health benefits of bioactive food components: a basic research scientist's perspective

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bioactive food components or functional foods have recently received significant attention because of their widely touted positive effects beyond basic nutrition. However, a question continues to lurk: are these 'super foods' backed by sound science or simply an exaggerated portrayal of very small '...

  10. Preventing food crises using a food policy approach.

    PubMed

    Timmer, C Peter

    2010-01-01

    A food crisis occurs when rates of hunger and malnutrition rise sharply at local, national, or global levels. This definition distinguishes a food crisis from chronic hunger, although food crises are far more likely among populations already suffering from prolonged hunger and malnutrition. A food crisis is usually set off by a shock to either supply or demand for food and often involves a sudden spike in food prices. It is important to remember that in a market economy, food prices measure the scarcity of food, not its value in any nutritional sense. Except in rare circumstances, the straightforward way to prevent a food crisis is to have rapidly rising labor productivity through economic growth and keep food prices stable while maintaining access by the poor. The formula is easier to state than to implement, especially on a global scale, but it is good to have both the objective, reducing short-run spikes in hunger, and the deep mechanisms, pro-poor economic growth and stable food prices, clearly in mind. A coherent food policy seeks to use these mechanisms, and others, to achieve a sustained reduction in chronic hunger over the long run while preventing spikes in hunger in the short run.

  11. Exploring the impact of the 2008 global food crisis on food security among vulnerable households in rural South Africa

    PubMed Central

    Nawrotzki, Raphael J.; Robson, Kristin; Gutilla, Margaret J.; Hunter, Lori M.; Twine, Wayne; Norlund, Petra

    2015-01-01

    Recurring food crises endanger the livelihoods of millions of households in developing countries around the globe. Owing to the importance of this issue, we explore recent changes in food security between the years 2004 and 2010 in a rural district in Northeastern South Africa. Our study window spans the time of the 2008 global food crises and allows the investigation of its impacts on rural South African populations. Grounded in the sustainable livelihood framework, we examine differences in food security trajectories among vulnerable sub populations. A unique panel data set of 8,147 households, provided by the Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System (Agincourt HDSS), allows us to employ a longitudinal multilevel modeling approach to estimate adjusted growth curves for the differential change in food security across time. We observe an overall improvement in food security that leveled off after 2008, most likely resulting from the global food crisis. In addition, we discover significant differences in food security trajectories for various sub populations. For example, female-headed households and those living in areas with better access to natural resources differentially improved their food security situation, compared to male-headed households and those households with lower levels of natural resource access. However, former Mozambican refugees witnessed a decline in food security. Therefore, poverty alleviation programs for the Agincourt region should work to improve the food security of vulnerable households, such as former Mozambican refugees. PMID:26594259

  12. Food consumption frequency and excess body weight in adolescents in the context of financial crisis in Barcelona (Spain).

    PubMed

    Arechavala, Teresa; Continente, Xavier; Pérez-Giménez, Anna; Bartoll, Xavier; Sànchez-Martínez, Francesca; López, María José

    To describe food consumption frequency in adolescents in the context of the financial crisis in 2012, and to analyse potential fluctuations in excess body weight between 2008 and 2012. A cross-sectional study of eating habits and excess body weight was conducted in adolescents aged 13 to 19 years old from public, subsidised and private secondary schools in Barcelona, Spain. The FRESC lifestyle risk factors survey was used, and food frequency consumption, food recommendations and body mass index were analysed according to gender, year of education and socioeconomic status. Girls ate vegetables and fruits more frequently than boys, while the prevalence of junk food consumption was higher in boys. The prevalence of compliance with food recommendations was lower than 50% for all foods, and gender and socioeconomic differences were found for eggs, red meat and soft drinks. Regarding excess body weight, boys had a higher prevalence than girls in the 2 years analysed. Furthermore, a reduction in excess body weight was observed among girls in secondary education in the highest socioeconomic groups (28.7% [95% CI: 24.8-32.6%] in 2008 to 20.5% [95% CI: 17.1-23.8%] in 2012). The prevalence of adolescents following food recommendations is low, and gender differences were found in terms of food consumption frequency, even in the context of financial crisis. There is a need to promote programmes and policies to reduce inequalities related to eating habits and excess body weight in adolescents. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  13. Impending conservation crisis for Southeast Asian amphibians.

    PubMed

    Rowley, Jodi; Brown, Rafe; Bain, Raoul; Kusrini, Mirza; Inger, Robert; Stuart, Bryan; Wogan, Guin; Thy, Neang; Chan-Ard, Tanya; Trung, Cao Tien; Diesmos, Arvin; Iskandar, Djoko T; Lau, Michael; Ming, Leong Tzi; Makchai, Sunchai; Truong, Nguyen Quang; Phimmachak, Somphouthone

    2010-06-23

    With an understudied amphibian fauna, the highest deforestation rate on the planet and high harvesting pressures, Southeast Asian amphibians are facing a conservation crisis. Owing to the overriding threat of habitat loss, the most critical conservation action required is the identification and strict protection of habitat assessed as having high amphibian species diversity and/or representing distinctive regional amphibian faunas. Long-term population monitoring, enhanced survey efforts, collection of basic biological and ecological information, continued taxonomic research and evaluation of the impact of commercial trade for food, medicine and pets are also needed. Strong involvement of regional stakeholders, students and professionals is essential to accomplish these actions.

  14. Impending conservation crisis for Southeast Asian amphibians

    PubMed Central

    Rowley, Jodi; Brown, Rafe; Bain, Raoul; Kusrini, Mirza; Inger, Robert; Stuart, Bryan; Wogan, Guin; Thy, Neang; Chan-ard, Tanya; Trung, Cao Tien; Diesmos, Arvin; Iskandar, Djoko T.; Lau, Michael; Ming, Leong Tzi; Makchai, Sunchai; Truong, Nguyen Quang; Phimmachak, Somphouthone

    2010-01-01

    With an understudied amphibian fauna, the highest deforestation rate on the planet and high harvesting pressures, Southeast Asian amphibians are facing a conservation crisis. Owing to the overriding threat of habitat loss, the most critical conservation action required is the identification and strict protection of habitat assessed as having high amphibian species diversity and/or representing distinctive regional amphibian faunas. Long-term population monitoring, enhanced survey efforts, collection of basic biological and ecological information, continued taxonomic research and evaluation of the impact of commercial trade for food, medicine and pets are also needed. Strong involvement of regional stakeholders, students and professionals is essential to accomplish these actions. PMID:20007165

  15. Electronic gaming and the obesity crisis.

    PubMed

    Calvert, Sandra L; Staiano, Amanda E; Bond, Bradley J

    2013-01-01

    Children and adolescents in the United States and in many countries are projected to have shorter life spans than their parents, partly because of the obesity crisis engulfing the developed world. Exposure to electronic media is often implicated in this crisis because media use, including electronic game play, may promote sedentary behavior and increase consumption of high-calorie foods and beverages that are low in nutritional value. Electronic games, however, may increase children's physical activity and expose them to healthier foods. We examine the role of electronic games in the pediatric obesity crisis and their contribution to more favorable health outcomes. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

  16. Electronic Gaming and the Obesity Crisis

    PubMed Central

    Calvert, Sandra L.; Staiano, Amanda E.; Bond, Bradley J.

    2014-01-01

    Children and adolescents in the United States and in many countries are projected to have shorter life spans than their parents, partly because of the obesity crisis engulfing the developed world. Exposure to electronic media is often implicated in this crisis because media use, including electronic game play, may promote sedentary behavior and increase consumption of high-calorie foods and beverages that are low in nutritional value. Electronic games, however, may increase children’s physical activity and expose them to healthier foods. We examine the role of electronic games in the pediatric obesity crisis and their contribution to more favorable health outcomes. PMID:23483693

  17. Food security politics and the Millennium Development Goals.

    PubMed

    McMichael, Philip; Schneider, Mindi

    2011-01-01

    This article reviews proposals regarding the recent food crisis in the context of a broader, threshold debate on the future of agriculture and food security. While the MDGs have focused on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, the food crisis pushed the hungry over the one billion mark. There is thus a renewed focus on agricultural development, which pivots on the salience of industrial agriculture (as a supply source) in addressing food security. The World Bank's new 'agriculture for development' initiative seeks to improve small-farmer productivity with new inputs, and their incorporation into global markets via value-chains originating in industrial agriculture. An alternative claim, originating in 'food sovereignty' politics, demanding small-farmer rights to develop bio-regionally specific agro-ecological methods and provision for local, rather than global, markets, resonates in the IAASTD report, which implies agribusiness as usual ''is no longer an option'. The basic divide is over whether agriculture is a servant of economic growth, or should be developed as a foundational source of social and ecological sustainability. We review and compare these different paradigmatic approaches to food security, and their political and ecological implications.

  18. A crisis in the marketplace: how food marketing contributes to childhood obesity and what can be done.

    PubMed

    Harris, Jennifer L; Pomeranz, Jennifer L; Lobstein, Tim; Brownell, Kelly D

    2009-01-01

    Reducing food marketing to children has been proposed as one means for addressing the global crisis of childhood obesity, but significant social, legal, financial, and public perception barriers stand in the way. The scientific literature documents that food marketing to children is (a) massive; (b) expanding in number of venues (product placements, video games, the Internet, cell phones, etc.); (c) composed almost entirely of messages for nutrient-poor, calorie-dense foods; (d) having harmful effects; and (e) increasingly global and hence difficult to regulate by individual countries. The food industry, governmental bodies, and advocacy groups have proposed a variety of plans for altering the marketing landscape. This article reviews existing knowledge of the impact of marketing and addresses the value of various legal, legislative, regulatory, and industry-based approaches to change.

  19. Managing stress in a crisis.

    PubMed

    Wright-Reid, Alison

    2018-01-01

    Crisis situations are inherently uncertain and threatening. Although the primal stress reactions they provoke deliver some advantages, they so severely restrict intellect and behaviour that consultants observe crisis teams making the same mistakes over and again. Stress risks can be managed before, during and after a crisis. Crisis planning can select the right people, control the crisis team environment, and mitigate fatigue risks and memory demands. Because stress reactions are primitive, stress can be manipulated at a remarkably primitive level and teams can increase their resilience through such basics as sleep and breathing skills. Teams can learn to manipulate perceptions of danger, to tolerate uncertainty and to become comfortable making decisions which were reasonable at the time. Crisis leaders can frame the crisis as a challenge and options as gains, and can ensure the team avoids groupthink and challenges the paradigm. Where individuals are trained to apply critical thinking processes, intuitive decision-making is not only fast, but also accurate, and helps to challenge assumptions, predictions and groupthink. Crises are more easily recognised and managed where training has covered critical decision methods.

  20. Changes in Food Intake in Australia: Comparing the 1995 and 2011 National Nutrition Survey Results Disaggregated into Basic Foods.

    PubMed

    Ridoutt, Bradley; Baird, Danielle; Bastiaans, Kathryn; Hendrie, Gilly; Riley, Malcolm; Sanguansri, Peerasak; Syrette, Julie; Noakes, Manny

    2016-05-25

    As nations seek to address obesity and diet-related chronic disease, understanding shifts in food intake over time is an imperative. However, quantifying intake of basic foods is not straightforward because of the diversity of raw and cooked wholefoods, processed foods and mixed dishes actually consumed. In this study, data from the Australian national nutrition surveys of 1995 and 2011, each involving more than 12,000 individuals and covering more than 4500 separate foods, were coherently disaggregated into basic foods, with cooking and processing factors applied where necessary. Although Australians are generally not eating in a manner consistent with national dietary guidelines, there have been several positive changes. Australians are eating more whole fruit, a greater diversity of vegetables, more beans, peas and pulses, less refined sugar, and they have increased their preference for brown and wholegrain cereals. Adult Australians have also increased their intake of nuts and seeds. Fruit juice consumption markedly declined, especially for younger Australians. Cocoa consumption increased and shifts in dairy product intake were mixed, reflecting one of several important differences between age and gender cohorts. This study sets the context for more detailed research at the level of specific foods to understand individual and household differences.

  1. Changes in Food Intake in Australia: Comparing the 1995 and 2011 National Nutrition Survey Results Disaggregated into Basic Foods

    PubMed Central

    Ridoutt, Bradley; Baird, Danielle; Bastiaans, Kathryn; Hendrie, Gilly; Riley, Malcolm; Sanguansri, Peerasak; Syrette, Julie; Noakes, Manny

    2016-01-01

    As nations seek to address obesity and diet-related chronic disease, understanding shifts in food intake over time is an imperative. However, quantifying intake of basic foods is not straightforward because of the diversity of raw and cooked wholefoods, processed foods and mixed dishes actually consumed. In this study, data from the Australian national nutrition surveys of 1995 and 2011, each involving more than 12,000 individuals and covering more than 4500 separate foods, were coherently disaggregated into basic foods, with cooking and processing factors applied where necessary. Although Australians are generally not eating in a manner consistent with national dietary guidelines, there have been several positive changes. Australians are eating more whole fruit, a greater diversity of vegetables, more beans, peas and pulses, less refined sugar, and they have increased their preference for brown and wholegrain cereals. Adult Australians have also increased their intake of nuts and seeds. Fruit juice consumption markedly declined, especially for younger Australians. Cocoa consumption increased and shifts in dairy product intake were mixed, reflecting one of several important differences between age and gender cohorts. This study sets the context for more detailed research at the level of specific foods to understand individual and household differences. PMID:28231135

  2. Awaken to the World of Food Service; Commercial Cooking and Baking--Basic: 9193.01.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL.

    This course outline has been prepared as a guide for the tenth grade student in commercial cooking and baking or food management, production, and services. It provides basic experiences in the field of commercial food service, the hotel and restaurant industry and types of food service establishments. The course consists of 90 clock hours, covered…

  3. High food prices and the global financial crisis have reduced access to nutritious food and worsened nutritional status and health.

    PubMed

    Brinkman, Henk-Jan; de Pee, Saskia; Sanogo, Issa; Subran, Ludovic; Bloem, Martin W

    2010-01-01

    A global economic and financial crisis is engulfing the developing world, coming on top of high food and fuel prices. This paper assesses the impact of the crises on food consumption, nutrition, and health. Several methods were applied, including risk analysis using the cost of the food basket, assessment surveys, simulations, regression analysis using a food consumption score (FCS), reflecting diet frequency and diversity, and a review of the impact of such dietary changes on nutritional status and health. The cost of the food basket increased in several countries, forcing households to reduce quality and quantity of food consumed. The FCS, which is a measure of diet diversity, is negatively correlated with food prices. Simulations show that energy consumption declined during 2006-2010 in nearly all developing regions, resulting potentially in an additional 457 million people (of 4.5 billion) at risk of being hungry and many more unable to afford the dietary quality required to perform, develop, and grow well. As a result of the crises, large numbers of vulnerable households have reduced the quality and quantity of foods they consume and are at risk of increased malnutrition. Population groups most affected are those with the highest requirements, including young children, pregnant and lactating women, and the chronically ill (particularly people with HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis). Because undernutrition during the first 2 y of life has life-long consequences, even short-term price rises will have long-term effects. Thus, measures to mitigate the impact of the crises are urgently required.

  4. A country that never had a BSE crisis: consensus and tensions in transforming the Norwegian food system.

    PubMed

    Terragni, Laura

    2006-09-01

    Norway is often described as a country where the safety of domestically produced food is not questioned and where there is a prevailing consensus about the division of responsibility for food safety. For this reason it was surprising to find that Norwegian consumers trust the safety of their meat less than do their British counterparts. This result is particularly interesting, as Norway is one of the few countries that has never experienced BSE, while Britain has been the country most affected by it. The data discussed in the article suggest that not having to cope with a BSE crisis meant that some problems within the Norwegian food safety system remained unresolved. This in turn has affected patterns of consumer trust. The article is based on the data collected for a comparative study on European consumers' confidence in food safety.

  5. [Milk and food security].

    PubMed

    Díaz Yubero, Miguel Ángel

    2015-04-07

    In the history of food security in the EU there is a before and after the White Paper published in January 2000; since then we are witnessing radical new approaches in the Commission strategy to ensure the highest standards of food safety for EU citizens, based on a more coordinated and integrated organization. The basic principle was to extend the application of control measures at all stages of the production chain, which was summarized in the slogan which has since been repeated regularly: 'From Farm to Consumer'. The new guidelines for action were the answer to a series of food crises (dioxin, hormones, BSE...) that called into question the European agri-food system and, what was even more severe, produced a deep distrust of consumers by health risks attached to feeding. Beef and cow's milk, two basic components of the European diet, were the products most affected by the aforementioned crisis, which showed that in those years very few companies paid attention to the quality from the source. In this paper a review of the issues presented at the time, the measures implemented by the White Paper and the path travelled is done, while it raised the need to use safe and quality raw materials, so that consumers have absolute confidence in their food. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  6. Volunteer home-based HIV/AIDS care and food crisis in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: sustainability in the face of chronic food insecurity

    PubMed Central

    Maes, Kenneth C; Shifferaw, Selamawit; Hadley, Craig; Tesfaye, Fikru

    2011-01-01

    Low-income volunteers constitute a major part of AIDS care workforces in sub-Saharan Africa, yet little research has been conducted to determine how poverty and insecurity among volunteers impact their wellbeing and the sustainability of the AIDS treatment programmes they support. This paper presents longitudinal ethnographic and epidemiological research documenting how the 2008 food crisis in Addis Ababa affected AIDS care volunteers’ care relationships and motivations. Ethnographic results highlight the distress and demotivation that rising food costs created for caregivers by contributing to their own and their care recipients’ experiences of food insecurity and HIV-related stigmatization. Epidemiological results underscore a high prevalence of food insecurity (approximately 80%) even prior to the peak of food prices. Rising food prices over the 3 years prior to 2008, underemployment and household per capita incomes averaging less than US$1/day, likely contributed to the very high prevalence of food insecurity reported by caregivers in our sample. We also show that new volunteers recruited in early 2008 by one of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in this study were more likely to be dependants within their households, and that these participants reported lower rates of food insecurity and higher household income. While this shift in volunteer recruitment may help sustain volunteer care programmes in the face of widespread poverty and underemployment, food insecurity was still highly prevalent (58–71%) among this sub-group. Given the inability of the local NGOs that organize volunteers to address the challenge of food insecurity for programme sustainability, our results raise important policy questions regarding compensation for volunteers’ valuable labour and poverty reduction through public health sector job creation. PMID:20439347

  7. World Hunger Crisis Kit. Hope for the Hungry.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Woito, Robert, Ed.

    This booklet introduces the problem of world hunger and provides information, facts, and perspectives about the crisis. Section one presents the reader with the basic facts of the hunger crisis through a self-survey, a statistical study of the developed Oil Producing Export Countries (OPEC), and a one-page indication of what one would have to give…

  8. Crisis Counseling: An Overview

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sandoval, Jonathan; Scott, Amy Nicole; Padilla, Irene

    2009-01-01

    Psychologists working in schools are often the first contacts for children experiencing a potentially traumatizing event or change in status. This article reviews basic concepts in crisis counseling and describes the components of psychological first aid. This form of counseling must be developmentally and culturally appropriate as well as…

  9. Hungry Kids: The Solvable Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Felling, Christy

    2013-01-01

    The numbers speak for themselves in terms of the crisis of hunger among kids in the United States: More than 16 million children--one in five--live in households that struggle to put food on the table. Nearly half of all food stamp recipients are children. But, argues Felling, the battle against childhood hunger can be won; the United States has…

  10. 40 CFR 166.43 - Notice to EPA and registrants or basic manufacturers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Crisis Exemptions § 166.43 Notice to EPA and registrants or basic manufacturers. (a) Timing of notice. (1) The State or Federal Agency issuing the crisis exemption must notify the Administrator in advance of utilization of the crisis provisions. (2) The State or Federal agency issuing the crisis exemption shall...

  11. Macro shocks and micro outcomes: child nutrition during Indonesia's crisis.

    PubMed

    Block, Steven A; Kiess, Lynnda; Webb, Patrick; Kosen, Soewarta; Moench-Pfanner, Regina; Bloem, Martin W; Timmer, C Peter

    2004-03-01

    A survey of households in rural Java is used to assess the nutritional impact of Indonesia's drought and financial crisis of 1997/1998. A time-age-cohort decomposition reveals significant nutritional impacts. However, child weight-for-age (WAZ) remained constant throughout the crisis, despite rapid increases in food prices and the consequent household consumption shock. The evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that within households, mothers buffered children's caloric intake, resulting in increased maternal wasting. However, reductions in the consumption of high-quality foods further resulted in increased prevalence of anemia for both mothers and children. The combined effects were particularly severe for cohorts conceived and weaned during the crisis.

  12. Food Allergies: The Basics

    PubMed Central

    Valenta, Rudolf; Hochwallner, Heidrun; Linhart, Birgit; Pahr, Sandra

    2015-01-01

    IgE-associated food allergy affects approximately 3% of the population and has severe effects on the daily life of patients—manifestations occur not only in the gastrointestinal tract but also affect other organ systems. Birth cohort studies have shown that allergic sensitization to food allergens develops early in childhood. Mechanisms of pathogenesis include cross-linking of mast cell– and basophil-bound IgE and immediate release of inflammatory mediators, as well as late-phase and chronic allergic inflammation, resulting from T-cell, basophil, and eosinophil activation. Researchers have begun to characterize the molecular features of food allergens and have developed chip-based assays for multiple allergens. These have provided information about cross-reactivity among different sources of food allergens, identified disease-causing food allergens, and helped us to estimate the severity and types of allergic reactions in patients. Importantly, learning about the structure of disease-causing food allergens has allowed researchers to engineer synthetic and recombinant vaccines. PMID:25680669

  13. [Impact of the economic crisis on the right to a healthy diet. SESPAS report 2014].

    PubMed

    Antentas, Josep Maria; Vivas, Esther

    2014-06-01

    The present article analyzes the impact of the economic crisis on food consumption in Spain, the most affected social profiles, and the consequences of changing patterns of food consumption on health. This article is based on official reports and previous empirical studies. The crisis has affected diet and food consumption. Families are attempting to spend less money on food. Food insecurity is rising and the most affected groups are those spending a higher proportion of their income on food. Cuts in food spending run parallel with unhealthy eating habits that encourage obesity. Consequently, the crisis contributes to undermining the right to a healthy diet, recognized by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of the United Nations. Copyright © 2013 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  14. Food allergies: the basics.

    PubMed

    Valenta, Rudolf; Hochwallner, Heidrun; Linhart, Birgit; Pahr, Sandra

    2015-05-01

    IgE-associated food allergy affects approximately 3% of the population and has severe effects on the daily life of patients-manifestations occur not only in the gastrointestinal tract but also affect other organ systems. Birth cohort studies have shown that allergic sensitization to food allergens develops early in childhood. Mechanisms of pathogenesis include cross-linking of mast cell- and basophil-bound IgE and immediate release of inflammatory mediators, as well as late-phase and chronic allergic inflammation, resulting from T-cell, basophil, and eosinophil activation. Researchers have begun to characterize the molecular features of food allergens and have developed chip-based assays for multiple allergens. These have provided information about cross-reactivity among different sources of food allergens, identified disease-causing food allergens, and helped us to estimate the severity and types of allergic reactions in patients. Importantly, learning about the structure of disease-causing food allergens has allowed researchers to engineer synthetic and recombinant vaccines. Copyright © 2015 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Assessing the impact of the monetary crisis and natural disasters on women's health and nutrition in Indonesia.

    PubMed

    Iskandar, M

    1998-05-01

    This article assesses the impact of the monetary crisis and natural disasters on women's health and nutrition in Indonesia as described by Dr. Meiwita Iskandar. Since there is a deficit in funding, the author claims, it is likely that hospitals will refuse operations. This will increase the risk of maternal death due to the inaccessibility of obstetric care facilities. As the cost of medicinesincluding oral contraceptiveshas doubled, more women are expected to patronize traditional healers and medicines, as these will be cheaper. Furthermore, an increase in food prices will severely affect the health and nutrition of low-income women and girls. As a result of the crisis, young women will be married off and even forced into prostitution in order to earn money for the family. Thus, the author urges the Ministry of Health and other government ministries to take action in planning interventions in anticipation of these health impacts. There is a need for them to create public health programs, health care services, subsidies for food and medicines, and job creation strategies. The rights of women workers need to be better protected by the law, and the private sector must be encouraged to help provide affordable food and basic health services.

  16. Aluminum bioavailability from basic sodium aluminum phosphate, an approved food additive emulsifying agent, incorporated in cheese

    PubMed Central

    Yokel, Robert A.; Hicks, Clair L.; Florence, Rebecca L.

    2008-01-01

    Oral aluminum (Al) bioavailability from drinking water has been previously estimated, but there is little information on Al bioavailability from foods. It was suggested that oral Al bioavailability from drinking water is much greater than from foods. The objective was to further test this hypothesis. Oral Al bioavailability was determined in the rat from basic [26Al]-sodium aluminum phosphate (basic SALP) in a process cheese. Consumption of ~ 1 gm cheese containing 1.5 or 3% basic SALP resulted in oral Al bioavailability (F) of ~ 0.1 and 0.3%, respectively, and time to maximum serum 26Al concentration (Tmax) of 8 to 9 h. These Al bioavailability results were intermediate to previously reported results from drinking water (F ~ 0.3%) and acidic-SALP incorporated into a biscuit (F ~ 0.1%), using the same methods. Considering the similar oral bioavailability of Al from food vs. water, and their contribution to the typical human’s daily Al intake (~ 95 and 1.5%, respectively), these results suggest food contributes much more Al to systemic circulation, and potential Al body burden, than does drinking water. These results do not support the hypothesis that drinking water provides a disproportionate contribution to total Al absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. PMID:18436363

  17. Aluminum bioavailability from basic sodium aluminum phosphate, an approved food additive emulsifying agent, incorporated in cheese.

    PubMed

    Yokel, Robert A; Hicks, Clair L; Florence, Rebecca L

    2008-06-01

    Oral aluminum (Al) bioavailability from drinking water has been previously estimated, but there is little information on Al bioavailability from foods. It was suggested that oral Al bioavailability from drinking water is much greater than from foods. The objective was to further test this hypothesis. Oral Al bioavailability was determined in the rat from basic [26Al]-sodium aluminum phosphate (basic SALP) in a process cheese. Consumption of approximately 1g cheese containing 1.5% or 3% basic SALP resulted in oral Al bioavailability (F) of approximately 0.1% and 0.3%, respectively, and time to maximum serum 26Al concentration (Tmax) of 8-9h. These Al bioavailability results were intermediate to previously reported results from drinking water (F approximately 0.3%) and acidic-SALP incorporated into a biscuit (F approximately 0.1%), using the same methods. Considering the similar oral bioavailability of Al from food vs. water, and their contribution to the typical human's daily Al intake ( approximately 95% and 1.5%, respectively), these results suggest food contributes much more Al to systemic circulation, and potential Al body burden, than does drinking water. These results do not support the hypothesis that drinking water provides a disproportionate contribution to total Al absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract.

  18. Education for Today's Ecological Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singer, S. Fred

    1970-01-01

    Describes the university's role in providing education for the ecological crisis, and divides environmental sciences into two major areas: basic and applied. Proposes a curriculum leading to a B.S. degree in physics consisting of a two-year honor physics program followed by specialization in environmental and planetary sciences (EPS). (PR)

  19. A simple and rapid chromatographic method to determine unauthorized basic colorants (rhodamine B, auramine O, and pararosaniline) in processed foods.

    PubMed

    Tatebe, Chiye; Zhong, Xining; Ohtsuki, Takashi; Kubota, Hiroki; Sato, Kyoko; Akiyama, Hiroshi

    2014-09-01

    A simple and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method to determine basic colorants such as pararosaniline (PA), auramine O (AO), and rhodamine B (RB) in various processed foods was developed. Linearity of the calibration curves ranged from 0.05 to 50 μg/mL for PA and 0.05-100 μg/mL for AO and RB. The detection and quantification limits (LOD and LOQ) of the basic colorants, which were evaluated as signal-to-noise ratios of 3 for LOD and 10 for LOQ, ranged from 0.0125 to 0.05 and 0.025 to 0.125 μg/g, respectively. The recoveries and relative standard deviations of three basic colorants in six processed foods, namely, chili sauce, curry paste, gochujang (hot pepper paste), tandoori chicken (roasted chicken prepared with yogurt and spices), powder soup, and shrimp powder ranged from 70.2% to 102.8% and 0.8% to 8.0%, respectively. The intraday precision of the recovery test ranged from 1.7% to 4.5%, whereas the interday precision ranged from 3.7% to 7.7%. The reported method has been successfully applied to basic colorant determination in various processed foods such as fat-based food matrices (curry paste and tandoori chicken), chili products (gochujang and chili sauce), and protein-based products (shrimp powder and powder soup). Thin layer chromatography and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry methods for the determination of basic colorants in processed foods were also developed for rapid analysis and identification, respectively. These methods are very useful for monitoring unauthorized basic colorants in inspection centers or quarantine laboratories in many countries.

  20. Image Repair Discourse and Crisis Communication.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benoit, William L.

    1997-01-01

    Describes the theory of image restoration discourse as an approach for understanding corporate crisis situations. States this theory can be used by practitioners to help design messages during crises and by critics or educators to critically evaluate such messages. Describes and illustrates the theory's basic concepts. Offers suggestions for…

  1. Asian Basic 4 Adaptations. Basic 4 Food Groups. Nutrients for Health. Calcium: A Dietary Mineral. Iron: A Dietary Mineral. Guide to Good Eating.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mortensen, JoAnn; And Others

    This package consists of various bilingual instructional materials for use in helping Indochinese refugees learn basic nutrition skills. Included in the package are translations in English, Vietnamese, and Lao of booklets outlining guidelines for adapting Indochinese dietary habits to incorporate foods available in the United States, including…

  2. Food production and the energy crisis.

    PubMed

    Pimentel, D; Hurd, L E; Bellotti, A C; Forster, M J; Oka, I N; Sholes, O D; Whitman, R J

    1973-11-02

    The principal raw material of modern U.S. agriculture is fossil fuel, whereas the labor input is relatively small (about 9 hours per crop acre). As agriculture is dependent upon fossil energy, crop production costs will also soar when fuel costs increase two- to fivefold. A return of 2.8 kcal of corn per 1 kcal of fuel input may then be uneconomical. Green revolution agriculture also uses high energy crop production technology, especially with respect to fertilizers and pesticides. While one may not doubt the sincerity of the U.S. effort to share its agricultural technology so that the rest of the world can live and eat as it does, one must be realistic about the resources available to accomplish this mission. In the United States we are currently using an equivalent of 80 gallons of gasoline to produce an acre of corn. With fuel shortages and high prices to come, we wonder if many developing nations will be able to afford the technology of U.S. agriculture. Problems have already occurred with green revolution crops, particularly problems related to pests (57). More critical problems are expected when there is a world energy crisis. A careful assessment should be made of the benefits, costs, and risks of high energy-demand green revolution agriculture in order to be certain that this program will not aggravate the already serious world food situation (58). To reduce energy inputs, green revolution and U.S. agriculture might employ such alternatives as rotations and green manures to reduce the high energy demand of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. U.S. agriculture might also reduce energy expenditures by substituting some manpower currently displaced by mechanization. While no one knows for certain what changes will have to be made, we can be sure that when conventional energy resources become scarce and expensive, the impact on agriculture as an industry and a way of life will be significant. This analysis is but a preliminary investigation of a significant

  3. "King Corn": Teaching the Food Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swinehart, Tim

    2012-01-01

    "King Corn" is in so many ways the story of how government food policy has entirely remade the food landscape in the United States over the last 40 years. From the massive expansion of the number of acres of corn grown across the country, to the ever-increasing ways that corn is incorporated into the food production process, to the…

  4. Crisis Intervention with Older Persons: State of the Art and Clinical Applications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duffy, Michael

    A basic tenet of this paper is that the concept of crisis and crisis management has developed as a central issue within the fields of community psychiatry, psychology, and mental health, but that little systematic attention has been devoted to a particular subgroup at risk, i.e., older persons. Both theoretical background and clinical implications…

  5. Dietary customs and food availability shape the preferences for basic tastes: A cross-cultural study among Polish, Tsimane' and Hadza societies.

    PubMed

    Sorokowska, Agnieszka; Pellegrino, Robert; Butovskaya, Marina; Marczak, Michalina; Niemczyk, Agnieszka; Huanca, Tomas; Sorokowski, Piotr

    2017-09-01

    Biological significance of food components suggests that preferences for basic tastes should be similar across cultures. On the other hand, cultural factors play an important role in diet and can consequently influence individual preference for food. To date, very few studies have compared basic tastes preferences among populations of very diverse environmental and cultural conditions, and research rather did not involve traditional populations for whom the biological significance of different food components might be the most pronounced. Hence, our study focused on basic taste preferences in three populations, covering a broad difference in diet due to environmental and cultural conditions, market availability, dietary habits and food acquirement: 1) a modern society (Poles, n = 200), 2) forager-horticulturalists from Amazon/Bolivia (Tsimane', n = 138), and 3) hunter-gatherers from Tanzania (Hadza, n = 85). The preferences for basic tastes were measured with sprays containing supra-threshold levels of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami taste solutions. We observed several interesting differences between participating societies. We found that Tsimane' and Polish participants liked the sweet taste more than other tastes, while Hadza participants liked salty and sour tastes more than the remaining tastes. Further, Polish people found bitter taste particularly aversive, which was not observed in the traditional societies. Interestingly, no cross-cultural differences were observed for relative liking of umami taste - it was rated closely to neutral by members of all participating societies. Additionally, Hadza showed a pattern to like basic tastes that are more common to their current diet than societies with access to different food sources. These findings demonstrate the impact of diet and market availability on preference for basic tastes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Collateral damage: the German food crisis, educational attainment and labor market outcomes of German post-war cohorts.

    PubMed

    Jürges, Hendrik

    2013-01-01

    Using the German 1970 census to study educational and labor market outcomes of cohorts born during the German food crisis after World War II, I document that those born between November 1945 and May 1946 have significantly lower educational attainment and occupational status than cohorts born shortly before or after. Several alternative explanations for this finding are tested. Most likely, a short spell of severe undernutrition around the end of the war has impaired intrauterine conditions in early pregnancies and resulted in long-term detriments among the affected cohorts. This conjecture is corroborated by evidence from Austria. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Community-based school feeding during Indonesia's economic crisis: implementation, benefits, and sustainability.

    PubMed

    Studdert, Lisa J; Soekirman; Rasmussen, Kathleen M; Habicht, Jean-Pierre

    2004-06-01

    The Indonesian Government initiated a community-based national school-feeding program in 1996. Implementation was decentralized and involved multiple participants. In 1998 we evaluated the implementation of the program and the perceived benefits for community stakeholders using a survey of principals in 143 randomly selected schools and follow-up with in-depth interviews and observations in a subsample of 16 communities. The evaluation covered the period of the 1998 Asian economic crisis, affording the opportunity to assess its impact on the program. The program was implemented in all targeted schools, with excellent community participation. Feeding was sustained through the crisis, in spite of a dramatic escalation in food costs. The families of schoolchildren, farmers, and those who prepared food received economic benefits. The snacks replaced those sold at schools and were of better nutritional value. The children benefited because the snacks compensated for losses in the home diet resulting from the economic crisis. Characteristics of the program that may be important in explaining its success include the involvement of a range of community stakeholders, engagement with existing village administrative structures, scope for local community adaptation and innovation, and the use of local foods that dispersed benefits and ensured sustained implementation during the crisis.

  8. College Football and Public Crisis: Appropriate Actions and Justifications after the Kennedy Assassination.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Robert S.

    This paper contends that domestic response to John F. Kennedy's assassination took two basic forms in the United States: active crisis management and retreat. According to the paper, while government, churches, and the media engaged in active crisis management, businesses and schools closed, and the public retreated to mourn rather than to…

  9. Current Events in Basic Business Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Van Hook, Barry L.

    1974-01-01

    The author suggests the use of current events to stimulate student interest in basic business courses. Suggested topics described are monetary devaluation, interest rate adjustments, Illinois no-fault automobile insurance, labor-management disputes, Dow-Jones average, Picasso's death, energy crisis, sale of surplus wheat, local consumer assistance…

  10. Rationale and Guidelines for a Pre-Crisis Curriculum to Prepare Healthy Preschool Children for Hospitalization.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Poster, Elizabeth C.

    Questions associated with an alternative approach to preparing nursery and elementary school children for hospitalization are addressed, and the basic components of a pre-crisis curriculum are outlined in this paper. Questions broached focus on (1) the effectiveness of a general curriculum approach as opposed to a crisis approach to preparing…

  11. Ultra-processed food consumption in children from a Basic Health Unit.

    PubMed

    Sparrenberger, Karen; Friedrich, Roberta Roggia; Schiffner, Mariana Dihl; Schuch, Ilaine; Wagner, Mário Bernardes

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the contribution of ultra-processed food (UPF) on the dietary consumption of children treated at a Basic Health Unit and the associated factors. Cross-sectional study carried out with a convenience sample of 204 children, aged 2-10 years old, in Southern Brazil. Children's food intake was assessed using a 24-h recall questionnaire. Food items were classified as minimally processed, processed for culinary use, and ultra-processed. A semi-structured questionnaire was applied to collect socio-demographic and anthropometric variables. Overweight in children was classified using a Z score >2 for children younger than 5 and Z score >+1 for those aged between 5 and 10 years, using the body mass index for age. Overweight frequency was 34% (95% CI: 28-41%). Mean energy consumption was 1672.3 kcal/day, with 47% (95% CI: 45-49%) coming from ultra-processed food. In the multiple linear regression model, maternal education (r=0.23; p=0.001) and child age (r=0.40; p<0.001) were factors associated with a greater percentage of UPF in the diet (r=0.42; p<0.001). Additionally, a statistically significant trend for higher UPF consumption was observed when data were stratified by child age and maternal educational level (p<0.001). The contribution of UPF is significant in children's diets and age appears to be an important factor for the consumption of such products. Copyright © 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

  12. The socio-economic drivers of bushmeat consumption during the West African Ebola crisis.

    PubMed

    Ordaz-Németh, Isabel; Arandjelovic, Mimi; Boesch, Lukas; Gatiso, Tsegaye; Grimes, Trokon; Kuehl, Hjalmar S; Lormie, Menladi; Stephens, Colleen; Tweh, Clement; Junker, Jessica

    2017-03-01

    Bushmeat represents an important source of animal protein for humans in tropical Africa. Unsustainable bushmeat hunting is a major threat to wildlife and its consumption is associated with an increased risk of acquiring zoonotic diseases, such as Ebola virus disease (EVD). During the recent EVD outbreak in West Africa, it is likely that human dietary behavior and local attitudes toward bushmeat consumption changed in response to the crisis, and that the rate of change depended on prevailing socio-economic conditions, including wealth and education. In this study, we therefore investigated the effects of income, education, and literacy on changes in bushmeat consumption during the crisis, as well as complementary changes in daily meal frequency, food diversity and bushmeat preference. More specifically, we tested whether wealthier households with more educated household heads decreased their consumption of bushmeat during the EVD crisis, and whether their daily meal frequency and food diversity remained constant. We used Generalized Linear Mixed Models to analyze interview data from two nationwide household surveys across Liberia. We found an overall decrease in bushmeat consumption during the crisis across all income levels. However, the rate of bushmeat consumption in high-income households decreased less than in low-income households. Daily meal frequency decreased during the crisis, and the diversity of food items and preferences for bushmeat species remained constant. Our multidisciplinary approach to study the impact of EVD can be applied to assess how other disasters affect social-ecological systems and improve our understanding and the management of future crises.

  13. The socio-economic drivers of bushmeat consumption during the West African Ebola crisis

    PubMed Central

    Arandjelovic, Mimi; Boesch, Lukas; Gatiso, Tsegaye; Grimes, Trokon; Kuehl, Hjalmar S.; Lormie, Menladi; Stephens, Colleen; Tweh, Clement; Junker, Jessica

    2017-01-01

    Bushmeat represents an important source of animal protein for humans in tropical Africa. Unsustainable bushmeat hunting is a major threat to wildlife and its consumption is associated with an increased risk of acquiring zoonotic diseases, such as Ebola virus disease (EVD). During the recent EVD outbreak in West Africa, it is likely that human dietary behavior and local attitudes toward bushmeat consumption changed in response to the crisis, and that the rate of change depended on prevailing socio-economic conditions, including wealth and education. In this study, we therefore investigated the effects of income, education, and literacy on changes in bushmeat consumption during the crisis, as well as complementary changes in daily meal frequency, food diversity and bushmeat preference. More specifically, we tested whether wealthier households with more educated household heads decreased their consumption of bushmeat during the EVD crisis, and whether their daily meal frequency and food diversity remained constant. We used Generalized Linear Mixed Models to analyze interview data from two nationwide household surveys across Liberia. We found an overall decrease in bushmeat consumption during the crisis across all income levels. However, the rate of bushmeat consumption in high-income households decreased less than in low-income households. Daily meal frequency decreased during the crisis, and the diversity of food items and preferences for bushmeat species remained constant. Our multidisciplinary approach to study the impact of EVD can be applied to assess how other disasters affect social-ecological systems and improve our understanding and the management of future crises. PMID:28282378

  14. Effects of food price shocks on child malnutrition: The Mozambican experience 2008/2009.

    PubMed

    Arndt, Channing; Hussain, M Azhar; Salvucci, Vincenzo; Østerdal, Lars Peter

    2016-09-01

    A propitiously timed household survey carried out in Mozambique over the period 2008/2009 permits us to study the relationship between shifts in food prices and child nutrition status in a low income setting. We focus on weight-for-height and weight-for-age in different survey quarters characterized by very different food price inflation rates. Using propensity score matching techniques, we find that these nutrition measures, which are sensitive in the short run, improve significantly in the fourth quarter of the survey, when the inflation rate for basic food products is low, compared to the first semester or three quarters, when food price inflation was generally high. The prevalence of underweight, in particular, falls by about 40 percent. We conclude that the best available evidence points to food penury, driven by the food and fuel price crisis combined with a short agricultural production year, as substantially increasing malnutrition amongst under-five children in Mozambique. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Crisis, What Crisis?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Ken

    2010-01-01

    Responding to the recent work of Andrew Gamble, the article discusses the extent to which the British situation can be described in terms of crisis. It suggests that an essential element of crisis is that of political and social contestation, and explores the terms on which contestation is taking shape in and around British education.

  16. Learning Crisis Unit through Post-Crisis: Characteristics and Mechanisms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chebbi, Hela; Pündrich, Aline Pereira

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to identify the characteristics that a crisis unit should have to achieve effective learning after crisis. Literature has identified many relations between learning organizations and crisis; yet, there is a dearth of research on specific studies about crisis units and their post-crisis learning features. Thus, this paper…

  17. At the crossroads: new paradigms of food security, public health nutrition and school food.

    PubMed

    Ashe, Leah M; Sonnino, Roberta

    2013-06-01

    Public health nutrition sits at the nexus of a global crisis in food, environmental and health systems that has generated - along with numerous other problems - an urgent and changing problem of food insecurity. The 'new' food insecurity, however, is different from the old: it is bimodal, encompassing issues of both under- and over-consumption, hunger and obesity, quantity and quality; it has assumed a decidedly urban dimension; and it implicates rich and poor countries alike. The complexity of the expressions of this challenge requires new approaches to public health nutrition and food policy that privilege systemic, structural and environmental factors over individual and mechanistic ones. In this context, the current paper argues that school food systems rise with buoyant potential as promising intervention sites: they are poised to address both modes of the food security crisis; integrate systemic, structural and environmental with behavioural approaches; and comprise far-reaching, system-wide efforts that influence the wider functioning of the food system. Based on a discussion of Bogotá and other pioneering policies that explicitly aim to create a broader food system with long-term foundations for good public health and food security, the paper suggests a new research and action agenda that gives special attention to school food in urban contexts.

  18. Virtual Golden Foods Corporation: Generic Skills in a Virtual Crisis Environment (A Pilot Study)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Godat, Meredith

    2007-01-01

    Workplace learning in a crisis-rich environment is often difficult if not impossible to integrate into programs so that students are able to experience and apply crisis management practices and principles. This study presents the results of a pilot project that examined the effective use of a virtual reality (VR) environment as a tool to teach…

  19. Food for the World's Hungry. Public Affairs Pamphlet No. 511.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, Maxwell S.

    A review of the food crisis is concisely presented in this brief brochure. It is one of a series to educate the American public on vital economic and social problems. The background of the world food shortage and its causal factors are discussed. Suggestions for overcoming the crisis, such as political changes, land reform, public services,…

  20. Food Security and the Justification of Productivism in New Zealand

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosin, Christopher

    2013-01-01

    The spike in food commodity prices in 2007-2008 is frequently represented as a crisis for the global food system. Interpreted as a failure to achieve the utopian imperative to feed the world, the crisis can potentially expose the distortions inherent to the productivist ideology framing the existing system. As a result, it can act as a shock that…

  1. Government management of two media-facilitated crises involving dioxin contamination of food.

    PubMed

    Jacob, Casey J; Lok, Corie; Morley, Katija; Powell, Douglas A

    2011-03-01

    Incidents become crises through a constant and intense public scrutiny facilitated by the media. Two incidents involving dioxin contamination of food led to crises in Belgium and the Republic of Ireland in 1999 and 2008, respectively. Thought to cause cancer in humans, dioxins reached the food supply in both incidents through the contamination of fat used for animal feed. The food and agricultural industries connected to each incident relied on crisis management activities of federal governments to limit adverse public reaction. Analysis of the management of the two crises by their respective federal governments, and a subsequent review of crisis management literature, led to the development of an effective crisis management model. Such a model, appropriately employed, may insulate industries associated with a crisis against damaged reputations and financial loss.

  2. [Review of food policy approaches: from food security to food sovereignty (2000-2013)].

    PubMed

    López-Giraldo, Luis Alirio; Franco-Giraldo, Álvaro

    2015-07-01

    Food policies have attracted special interest due to the global food crisis in 2008 and promotion of the Millennium Development Goals, leading to approaches by different fields. This thematic review aims to describe the main theoretical and methodological approaches to food security and food sovereignty policies. A search was performed in databases of scientific journals from 2000 to 2013. 320 complete articles were selected from a total of 2,699. After reading the articles to apply the inclusion criteria, 55 items were maintained for analysis. In conclusion, with the predominance of food security as a guiding policy, food sovereignty has emerged as a critical response to be included in designing and researching food policies. Food policies are essential for achieving public health goals. Public health should thus take a leading role in linking and orienting such policies.

  3. Recuperating from BSE: the shifting UK institutional basis for trust in food.

    PubMed

    Wales, Corinne; Harvey, Mark; Warde, Alan

    2006-09-01

    How did the UK, the villain of Europe as the source of the greatest recent crisis in trust in food, become the country with the highest reported levels of trust in the safety of food? The nature of the BSE crisis is explored, particularly how it rapidly became primarily a question of trust in government and science. The responses to the crisis by the different institutional actors is examined, especially the provisioning system and retailers, but also consumers themselves. A major reform of governmental institutional architecture resulted in the Food Standards Agency, a model for European development. But, we argue that this reform conformed with growing retailer power and control over the supply chain to provide a new institutional basis for trust in food.

  4. The Accounting Network: How Financial Institutions React to Systemic Crisis

    PubMed Central

    Puliga, Michelangelo; Flori, Andrea; Pappalardo, Giuseppe; Chessa, Alessandro; Pammolli, Fabio

    2016-01-01

    The role of Network Theory in the study of the financial crisis has been widely spotted in the latest years. It has been shown how the network topology and the dynamics running on top of it can trigger the outbreak of large systemic crisis. Following this methodological perspective we introduce here the Accounting Network, i.e. the network we can extract through vector similarities techniques from companies’ financial statements. We build the Accounting Network on a large database of worldwide banks in the period 2001–2013, covering the onset of the global financial crisis of mid-2007. After a careful data cleaning, we apply a quality check in the construction of the network, introducing a parameter (the Quality Ratio) capable of trading off the size of the sample (coverage) and the representativeness of the financial statements (accuracy). We compute several basic network statistics and check, with the Louvain community detection algorithm, for emerging communities of banks. Remarkably enough sensible regional aggregations show up with the Japanese and the US clusters dominating the community structure, although the presence of a geographically mixed community points to a gradual convergence of banks into similar supranational practices. Finally, a Principal Component Analysis procedure reveals the main economic components that influence communities’ heterogeneity. Even using the most basic vector similarity hypotheses on the composition of the financial statements, the signature of the financial crisis clearly arises across the years around 2008. We finally discuss how the Accounting Networks can be improved to reflect the best practices in the financial statement analysis. PMID:27736865

  5. The Accounting Network: How Financial Institutions React to Systemic Crisis.

    PubMed

    Puliga, Michelangelo; Flori, Andrea; Pappalardo, Giuseppe; Chessa, Alessandro; Pammolli, Fabio

    2016-01-01

    The role of Network Theory in the study of the financial crisis has been widely spotted in the latest years. It has been shown how the network topology and the dynamics running on top of it can trigger the outbreak of large systemic crisis. Following this methodological perspective we introduce here the Accounting Network, i.e. the network we can extract through vector similarities techniques from companies' financial statements. We build the Accounting Network on a large database of worldwide banks in the period 2001-2013, covering the onset of the global financial crisis of mid-2007. After a careful data cleaning, we apply a quality check in the construction of the network, introducing a parameter (the Quality Ratio) capable of trading off the size of the sample (coverage) and the representativeness of the financial statements (accuracy). We compute several basic network statistics and check, with the Louvain community detection algorithm, for emerging communities of banks. Remarkably enough sensible regional aggregations show up with the Japanese and the US clusters dominating the community structure, although the presence of a geographically mixed community points to a gradual convergence of banks into similar supranational practices. Finally, a Principal Component Analysis procedure reveals the main economic components that influence communities' heterogeneity. Even using the most basic vector similarity hypotheses on the composition of the financial statements, the signature of the financial crisis clearly arises across the years around 2008. We finally discuss how the Accounting Networks can be improved to reflect the best practices in the financial statement analysis.

  6. Interdependence between crude oil and world food prices: A detrended cross correlation analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pal, Debdatta; Mitra, Subrata K.

    2018-02-01

    This article explores the changing interdependence between crude oil and world food prices at varying time scales using detrended cross correlation analysis that would answer whether the interdependence (if any) differed significantly between pre and post-crisis period. Unlike the previous studies that exogenously imposed break dates for dividing the time series into sub-samples, we tested whether the mean of the crude oil price changed over time to find evidence for structural changes in the crude oil price series and endogenously determine three break dates with minimum Bayesian information criterion scores. Accordingly, we divided the entire study period in four sample periods - January 1990 to October 1999, November 1999 to February 2005, March 2005 to September 2010, and October 2010 to July 2016, where the third sample period coincided with the period of food crisis and enabled us to compare the fuel-food interdependence across pre-crisis, during the crisis, and post-crisis periods. The results of the detrended cross correlation analysis extended corroborative evidence for increasing positive interdependence between the crude oil price and world food price index along with its sub-categories, namely dairy, cereals, vegetable oil, and sugar. The article ends with the implications of these results in the domain of food policy and the financial sector.

  7. Is a Publicly Financed School Food Service Program Consistent with Our Basic Values and Beliefs and with State and Federal Objectives?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johns, R. L.

    Evidence presented by the National School Food Service and Nutrition Education Finance Project shows clearly that present State and federal legislation affecting the school food service program is not consistent with the basic values and beliefs of this country, nor is that legislation consistent with the legitimate and appropriate purposes of…

  8. Danish Universities in the Financial Crisis: Change and Trust

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milthers, Pernille Meyn

    2011-01-01

    Universities have always been important to national economies, but since the financial crisis of 2007-08 they have become key economic actors. Because they supply highly skilled labour and undertake basic research that enable nations to engage in global competition, they are capable of boosting production and innovation. This article explores the…

  9. Crisis Communication and Management: Surviving a Public Relations Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eramo, Eric M.

    2009-01-01

    Crisis management, or crisis communication, is never a good thing for a business to experience. It is, however, a public relations' professional moment to shine and put their honed skills to good use. A good crisis management plan is not only action during the crisis but preparation and reflection. Hiring a PR firm that deals with crisis…

  10. Home Economics--Food Services, Basic Cake Decorating. Kit No. 57. Instructor's Manual [and] Student Learning Activity Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brevard, Eddie, Jr.

    An instructor's manual and student activity guide on basic cake decorating are provided in this set of prevocational education materials which focuses on the vocational area of home economics (food services). (This set of materials is one of ninety-two prevocational sets arranged around a cluster of seven vocational offerings: agriculture, home…

  11. Sudden death due to sickle cell crisis during law enforcement restraint.

    PubMed

    Channa Perera, S D; Pollanen, Michael S

    2007-07-01

    We report a case of vaso-occlusive sickle cell crisis in a young schizophrenic man with undiagnosed sickle cell trait who was restrained. Prior to being restrained he had locked himself in his apartment for two days without food or water. He was subsequently restrained, and transferred to hospital while handcuffed to the stretcher. He died suddenly during restraint. At autopsy, there was acute vaso-occlusive sickle cell crisis associated with hypernatremic dehydration. There were no injuries present. We conclude that the death was due to vaso-occlusive sickle cell crisis secondary to dehydration. It is important for the forensic pathologist to remember that death may occur suddenly during restraint from an unexpected mechanism other than excited delirium leading to cardiac arrhythmia or restraint asphyxia.

  12. Course Corrections. Experts Offer Solutions to the College Cost Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lumina Foundation for Education, 2005

    2005-01-01

    This paper discusses outsourcing as one solution to the college cost crisis. It is not presented as the solution; rather, it is put forth as an attractive strategy characterized by minimal financial and programmatic risk. To explore the basic policy considerations associated with outsourcing, this paper briefly reviews why institutions consider…

  13. Basic-Education Mexican Teachers' Knowledge of Biotechnology and Attitudes about the Consumption of Genetically Modified Foods

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jiménez-Salas, Zacarías; Campos-Góngora, Eduardo; González-Martínez, Blanca E.; Tijerina-Sáenz, Alexandra; Escamilla-Méndez, Angélica D.; Ramírez-López, Erik

    2017-01-01

    Over the past few years, a new research field has emerged, focusing on the social-scientific criteria for the study of opinions toward genetically modified foods (GMFs), since these may be limiting factors for the success or failure of these products. Basic education is the first step in the Mexican education system, and teachers may wield an…

  14. Basics of Weight Control

    MedlinePlus

    ... A calorie is a unit of energy. Most foods and beverages contain calories. To lose weight you need to: • ... Combine the two for the best results The foods you eat and the beverages you drink provide energy and nutrients. The basic ...

  15. To Issue of Mathematical Management Methods Applied for Investment-Building Complex under Conditions of Economic Crisis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Novikova, V.; Nikolaeva, O.

    2017-11-01

    In the article the authors consider a cognitive management method of the investment-building complex in the crisis conditions. The factors influencing the choice of an investment strategy are studied, the basic lines of the activity in the field of crisis-management from a position of mathematical modelling are defined. The general approach to decision-making on investment in real assets on the basis of the discrete systems based on the optimum control theory is offered. With the use of a discrete maximum principle the task in view of the decision is found. The numerical algorithm to define the optimum control is formulated by investments. Analytical decisions for the case of constant profitability of the basic means are obtained.

  16. The international political economy of food: a global crisis.

    PubMed

    Friedmann, H

    1995-01-01

    The largest gap between national regulation and transnational economic organization is in the agro-food sector. This gap is the legacy of the post-World War II food regime, whose implicit rules gave priority to national farm programs (including import controls and export subsidies); placed the United States at the center; generated chronic surpluses; and allowed international power to take the unusual form of subsidized exports of surplus commodities, particularly wheat. The author analyzes the emergence and contradictions of the postwar food regime as a tension between replication and integration of national agro-food sectors, often interpreted as "export of the U.S. model." By the early 1970s, replication led to international economic conflict, while transnational corporations found national regulatory frameworks to be obstacles to further integration of a potentially global agro-food sector. A new axis between Asian import countries and new agricultural countries, such as Brazil, has destabilized the Atlantic-centered food regime, without creating a new regime. Alternative future regime are identified, based on the shift from agriculture to food, employment, and land use as political issues: private global regulation or democratic regulation of nested, regional agro-food economies, federated at the international level.

  17. Poverty crisis in the Third World: the contradictions of World Bank policy.

    PubMed

    Burkett, P

    1991-01-01

    Politicians, the mainstream media, and orthodox social science have all been telling us of a final victory of capitalism over socialism, suggesting that capitalism is the only viable option for solving the world's problems. Yet, the global capitalist system is itself entering the third decade of a profound structural crisis, the costs of which have been borne largely by the exploited and oppressed peoples of the underdeveloped periphery. While the World Bank's latest World Development Report recognizes the current poverty crisis in the third world, its "two-part strategy" for alleviating poverty is based on an inadequate analysis of how peripheral capitalist development marginalizes the basic needs of the third world poor. Hence, the World Bank's assertion that free-market policies are consistent with effective antipoverty programs does not confront the class structures and global capitalist interests bound up with the reproduction of mass poverty in the third world. The World Bank's subordination of the basic needs of the poor to free-market adjustments and reforms in fact suggests that the real purpose of its "two-part strategy" is to ensure continued extraction of surplus from third world countries by maintaining the basic structure of imperialist underdevelopment.

  18. Crisis at a Bronx Junior High: Responding to School-Related Violence.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seltzer, Joel A.

    Responding to dramatically increased levels of urban violence, inner-city school districts have recognized the need to address the psychological impact of violent events by organizing Crisis Response Teams. In New York's south Bronx neighborhoods, where violence appears endemic, the schools often serve children's basic needs by providing a safe…

  19. Crisis Nurseries: Emergency Services for Children and Families in Need

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haynes-Lawrence, Darbi

    2009-01-01

    All parents face stressors. For parents with resources, the stressors can be minimal. For parents without resources, a most basic stressor can have a "pile-up" effect, and become a crisis situation (McCubbin & Patterson, 1983). For parents with limited resources--or for those whose resources are not available during an emergency--there is help.…

  20. The Russian Labor Market in the Statistics of the Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gertsii, Iu. V.; Malyshev, M. L.

    2012-01-01

    The social and economic development of the country was subjected to serious trials in 2009. The world financial and economic crisis had a negative effect on the main basic indicators of the economy. This had an immediate impact on the social labor sphere. Many social indicators went downhill. In particular, that led to a decline in real wages and…

  1. Plasma agriculture and innovative food cycles

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    It is predicted that humankind may face the global issues of a pandemic and food crisis due to the rapid growth of the population, reaching almost 10 billion by 2050. Contamination of foods with human pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and norovirus is an...

  2. School Crisis Management: A Model of Dynamic Responsiveness to Crisis Life Cycle

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liou, Yi-Hwa

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: This study aims to analyze a school's crisis management and explore emerging aspects of its response to a school crisis. Traditional linear modes of analysis often fail to address complex crisis situations. The present study applied a dynamic crisis life cycle model that draws on chaos and complexity theory to a crisis management case,…

  3. Social Networks in Crisis Response: Trust is Vital

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-06-01

    response community as a whole. iv  2014 search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370)  2012 South Sudan WASH crisis  2004 Indian...Meteorological and Oceanographic MH370 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 MOT Malaysia Ministry of Transportation xiv MSF Doctors Without Borders...States Navy WASH Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene WCO World Health Organization country offices WFP World Food Program WHO World Health Organization

  4. Hyperglycemic crisis.

    PubMed

    Van Ness-Otunnu, Ronald; Hack, Jason B

    2013-11-01

    Hyperglycemic crisis is a metabolic emergency associated with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus that may result in significant morbidity or death. Acute interventions are required to manage hypovolemia, acidemia, hyperglycemia, electrolyte abnormalities, and precipitating causes. Despite advances in the prevention and management of diabetes, its prevalence and associated health care costs continue to increase worldwide. Hyperglycemic crisis typically requires critical care management and hospitalization and contributes to global health expenditures. Diagnostic and resolution criteria and management strategies for diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic crisis are provided. A discussion of prevalence, mortality, pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical presentation, differential diagnosis, evaluation, and management considerations for hyperglycemic crisis are included. Emergency physicians confront the most severe sequelae of uncontrolled diabetes and provide crucial, life-saving management. With ongoing efforts from diabetes societies to incorporate the latest clinical research to refine treatment guidelines, management and outcomes of hyperglycemic crisis in the emergency department continue to improve. We provide an overview of the evaluation and treatment of hyperglycemic crisis and offer a concise, targeted management algorithm to aid the practicing emergency physician. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Basic Religious Beliefs and Personality Traits

    PubMed Central

    Rajaei, Ali Reza; Sarvarazemy, Ahmad

    2012-01-01

    Objective Spiritual beliefs can help people find meaning of life, and can also influence their feelings, behaviors and mental health. The present research studied the relationship between basic religious beliefs (Human, Existence and God) and five personality factors: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness. Method One hundred seventy eight students of Islamic Azad University in Torbat-jam were randomly selected and completed the basic religious beliefs and NEO Questionnaires. Results Data showed that basic religious beliefs have a significant negative correlation with neuroticism (r=-0.29),and a significant positive relationship with extraversion(r=0.28),openness(r=0.14),agreeableness (r=0.29),and conscientiousness (r=0.48). Also, the results of the regression analysis showed that basic religious beliefs can anticipate neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness, but they cannot anticipate the openness factor significantly. Conclusion The findings of this study demonstrate that basic religious beliefs have a positive relationship with good characteristics that help people resolve the challenges of their lives and identity crisis. Thus, the results of this study support the idea of Religious Cognitive–Emotional Theory that religiosity is correlated with positive personality traits. PMID:22952550

  6. Crisis Management: How to Handle a Salmonella Outbreak at Camp.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Becker, William A.; Popkin, Rodger

    1992-01-01

    Details events of six days during Salmonella outbreak at camp in North Carolina. Explains how camp handled 280 sick campers and staff, well campers, news media, and parents. Based on an epidemiologic survey of food eaten, it was suspected that the culprit of the outbreak was a meat item. Offers suggestions for crisis management in the camp…

  7. Rights to food with a human face in the global south.

    PubMed

    Rahim, Aminur

    2011-01-01

    This article seeks to dispel the popular myth surrounding the food crises which precipitated food riots in the global South in 2008. Arguing from a structural and historical perspective, the article suggests that global hunger is a deep-rooted crisis that is embedded in the social and structural variables associated within the nation-state that places a restraint on the self-regulating capacity of nation-states in the South. Internationalizing the food crisis, however, will do more harm to the south’s agricultural transformation and rural development. The article argues for integrated rural development that will increase output growth through an institutional, technological, and marketing strategy.

  8. Integration of Basic Knowledge Models for the Simulation of Cereal Foods Processing and Properties.

    PubMed

    Kristiawan, Magdalena; Kansou, Kamal; Valle, Guy Della

    Cereal processing (breadmaking, extrusion, pasting, etc.) covers a range of mechanisms that, despite their diversity, can be often reduced to a succession of two core phenomena: (1) the transition from a divided solid medium (the flour) to a continuous one through hydration, mechanical, biochemical, and thermal actions and (2) the expansion of a continuous matrix toward a porous structure as a result of the growth of bubble nuclei either by yeast fermentation or by water vaporization after a sudden pressure drop. Modeling them is critical for the domain, but can be quite challenging to address with mechanistic approaches relying on partial differential equations. In this chapter we present alternative approaches through basic knowledge models (BKM) that integrate scientific and expert knowledge, and possess operational interest for domain specialists. Using these BKMs, simulations of two cereal foods processes, extrusion and breadmaking, are provided by focusing on the two core phenomena. To support the use by non-specialists, these BKMs are implemented as computer tools, a Knowledge-Based System developed for the modeling of the flour mixing operation or Ludovic ® , a simulation software for twin screw extrusion. They can be applied to a wide domain of compositions, provided that the data on product rheological properties are available. Finally, it is stated that the use of such systems can help food engineers to design cereal food products and predict their texture properties.

  9. Sustainable integrated farming system: A solution for national food security and sovereignty

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ansar, M.; Fathurrahman

    2018-05-01

    This paper provides a comprehensive review of literature related to food security. The world food crisis is a threat to all countries, including Indonesia. The problem of food security in Indonesia is still happening, particularly, aspects of production and increasingly unbalanced food availability. Due to the increasing rate of population growth, land functional shift, degradation of land resources and water, as well as environmental pollution and climate change. Food production has not been able to meet the needs of the population continuously. Therefore, the food policy paradigm applied in Indonesia must change from food security to food independence. Thus, Indonesia is not dependent on other countries. Food diversification is one of the best policies to be implemented in achieving food independence and anticipating the food crisis. Food diversification utilizes land optimally by developing an integrated farming system. The integrated farming system is an efficient and environmentally agricultural system. It is able to utilize sustainable agriculture development, followed by the development of participatory technology (Participatory Technology Development) which refers to the local wisdom of the community.

  10. The Basic Shelf Experience: a comprehensive evaluation.

    PubMed

    Dewolfe, Judith A; Greaves, Gaye

    2003-01-01

    The Basic Shelf Experience is a program designed to assist people living on limited incomes to make better use of their food resources. The purpose of this research was to learn if the Basic Shelf Experience program helps such people to 1. utilize food resources more effectively and 2. cope, through group support, with poverty-associated stressors that influence food security. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to evaluate the program objectives. Participants completed a questionnaire at the beginning and end of the six-week program. The questionnaire asked about their food access, food security, and feelings about themselves. Participants returned for a focus group discussion and completed the questionnaire again three months after the program ended. The focus group was designed to elicit information about perceived changes, if any, attributed to the program. Forty-two people completed the questionnaires pre-program and 20 post-program; 17 participated in the three-month follow-up session. While results from quantitative data analysis indicate that program objectives were not met, qualitative data provide evidence that the program did achieve its stated objectives. Our results suggest such programs as the Basic Shelf Experience can assist people living on limited incomes to achieve food security.

  11. An evaluation of crisis hotline outcomes. Part 1: Nonsuicidal crisis callers.

    PubMed

    Kalafat, John; Gould, Madelyn S; Munfakh, Jimmie Lou Harris; Kleinman, Marjorie

    2007-06-01

    The effectiveness of telephone crisis services/hotlines, examining proximal outcomes as measured by changes in callers' crisis state from the beginning to the end of their calls to eight centers in the U.S. and intermediate outcomes within 3 weeks of their calls, was evaluated. Between March 2003 and July 2004, 1,617 crisis callers were assessed during their calls and 801 (49.5%) participated in the followup assessment. Significant decreases in callers' crisis states and hopelessness were found during the course of the telephone session, with continuing decreases in crisis states and hopelessness in the following weeks. A majority of callers were provided with referrals and/or plans of actions for their concerns and approximately one third of those provided with mental health referrals had followed up with the referral by the time of the follow-up assessment. While crisis service staff coded these callers as nonsuicidal, at follow-up nearly 12% of them reported having suicidal thoughts either during or since their call to the center. The need to conduct suicide risk assessments with crisis callers and to identify strategies to improve referral follow-up is highlighted.

  12. Crisis communication: an inequalities perspective on the 2010 Boston water crisis.

    PubMed

    Galarce, Ezequiel M; Viswanath, K

    2012-12-01

    Although the field of crisis risk communication has generated substantial research, the interaction between social determinants, communication processes, and behavioral compliance has been less well studied. With the goal of better understanding these interactions, this report examines how social determinants influenced communications and behavioral compliance during the 2010 Boston, Massachusetts, water crisis. An online survey was conducted to assess Boston residents' knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, mass and interpersonal communication, and preventive behaviors on emergency preparedness topics dealing with the water crisis. Of a total sample of 726 respondents, approximately one-third (n = 267) reported having been affected by the water crisis. Only data from affected participants were analyzed. Following an order to boil water, 87.5% of respondents refrained from drinking unboiled tap water. These behaviors and other cognitive and attitudinal factors, however, were not uniform across population subgroups. All communication and behavioral compliance variables varied across sociodemographic factors. Crisis communication, in conjunction with other public health preparedness fields, is central to reducing the negative impact of sudden hazards. Emergency scenarios such as the Boston water crisis serve as unique opportunities to understand how effectively crisis messages are conveyed to and received by different segments of the population.

  13. Meeting Basic Needs Is Not beyond Our Reach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haq, Mahbub ul

    1978-01-01

    Reviews the status of the continuing debate on the concept of "basic needs" in development policy for the world's poorest countries, reprinted from a World Bank report. Discusses "core" basic needs (food and nutrition, drinking water, basic health, shelter, and basic education) and possible operational policies. (MF)

  14. Framing GM Crops as a Food Security Solution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dibden, Jacqui; Gibbs, David; Cocklin, Chris

    2013-01-01

    The spectre of a food security crisis has raised important questions about future directions for agriculture and given fresh impetus to a long-standing debate about the potential contribution of agricultural biotechnology to food security. This paper considers the discursive foundations for promotion of agricultural biotechnology, arguing that…

  15. 4 Basic Steps to Food Safety at Home

    MedlinePlus

    ... F -Ground Beef, Pork, Lamb 160 °F -Turkey, Chicken, Duck 165 °F • Use a food thermometer to ... cause you to feel like you have the flu. Food illness can also cause serious health problems, ...

  16. Crisis management strategies.

    PubMed

    Koster, Maria C; Politis-Norton, Helen

    2004-01-01

    This paper discusses the different facets of crisis as experienced within the pharmaceutical industry but which are also prevalent throughout other industries. It highlights the importance of early identification and management of crises and issues, which in return are strongly intertwined with a fundamental positive internal corporate climate. A corporate philosophy should always embrace crisis management with the attitude of 'when' and not 'if'; therefore, a company should act today and not tomorrow once a crisis is on its doorstep. Preparation is of utmost importance and there are several items that can be addressed even before a crisis has arisen. Further, this paper also provides guidance on how to deal with the media, what to do and what not to do, and how to appoint the appropriate spokesperson. In this era of fast exchange of information, crisis, which previously may have stayed behind corporate doors, may not do so any longer. Image is very important and should therefore not be risked. Crisis and issue management should therefore be integrated in every company's philosophy and standard operating procedures.

  17. [Crisis management during obstetric surgery].

    PubMed

    Okutomi, Toshiyuki

    2009-05-01

    Obstetric crisis includes hemorrhagic shock, embolisms and difficult airway. Life will be rapidly threatened with disseminated intravascular coagulation, multiple organ failure or systemic inflammatory response syndrome in these crises. In the face of the crisis, repeated evaluation of parturients and differential diagnosis are necessary along with fetal heart monitoring. For evaluation of bleeding, one should notice that the visual estimation of vaginal bleeding does not reflect the extent of intravascular volume deficit. Treatments for hemorrhagic shock include fluid replacement, blood transfusion as well as fresh frozen plasma, platelet, anticoagulants, anti-thrombin III, and protease inhibitors. When bleeding is still uncontrollable, arterial embolization or hysterectomy will be considered. Embolic disorders are another cause of maternal mortality. The signs and symptoms are all similar (dyspnea, cyanosis and sudden cardiovascular collapse). Strategies against the embolism will be basically symptomatic therapy. The physiological change with pregnancy results in the need of careful pre-anesthetic airway evaluation for parturients. A difficult or failed intubation drill is also extremely important. Recently, laryngeal mask airway has been successfully used in these parturients. During resuscitation of a pregnant woman, left uterine displacement is essential. For a patient who has not responded after 4 to 5 minutes of ACLS, immediate cesarean delivery should be considered.

  18. Pastoral crisis intervention with children: recognizing and responding to the spiritual reaction of children.

    PubMed

    McPherson, Kenneth F

    2004-01-01

    Many individuals struggle to express their thoughts and feelings following a crisis situation. When these feelings include questions related to spiritual issues such as bad things happening to good people, meaning in life and its tragedies, and the very existence of a caring and loving God, people shut down even more tightly. Imagine how much greater this difficulty becomes for those who lack the ability to verbalize what they are experiencing. Many of our most widely used crisis intervention models rely on verbal techniques to elicit people's thoughts and feelings about stressful incidents they've just experienced. The main focus of this paper is to provide alternative techniques for eliciting the thoughts and feelings of children during traumatic times. The paper reviews basic principles of pastoral crisis intervention (PCI), presents typical spiritual reactions of children to trauma by age groups, presents Crisis Response Play Therapy (CRPT) as one alternative method that bypasses the need for verbalization, and proposes the use of similar experiential techniques for special needs populations, including adults, who have difficulty giving voice to their experiences.

  19. Food irradiation in the UK and the European Directive

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woolston, John

    2000-03-01

    Food irradiation in the UK has been authorised since the early 1990s. In principle it is possible to irradiate a wide range of foods for a variety of purposes. In practice food irradiation is virtually non-existent. The structure of food retailing in the UK, a continual stream of food safety scares and a developing public 'crisis of confidence' in the food producer/supply chain have combined to make the future for food irradiation look bleak. The new European Directive on Food Irradiation is unlikely to alter this outlook.

  20. An Evaluation of Crisis Hotline Outcomes. Part 1: Nonsuicidal Crisis Callers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kalafat, John; Gould, Madelyn S.; Munfakh, Jimmie Lou Harris; Kleinman, Marjorie

    2007-01-01

    The effectiveness of telephone crisis services/hotlines, examining proximal outcomes as measured by changes in callers' crisis state from the beginning to the end of their calls to eight centers in the U.S. and intermediate outcomes within 3 weeks of their calls, was evaluated. Between March 2003 and July 2004, 1,617 crisis callers were assessed…

  1. [The state of the art on nutrition, food safety and food security].

    PubMed

    Bonaccorsi, Guglielmo; Lorini, Chiara; Porchia, Barbara Rita; Capecchi, Leonardo; Malavolti, Marcella; Aggazzotti, Gabriella

    2014-01-01

    In Italy, public health is experiencing a phase of crisis. A contraction of services and a staff reallocation have affected in particular Food Hygiene services. We explored Pubmed and Google Ngram Viewer© to define the state of the art of research in food and nutritional field from a quantitative point of view and we focused on some areas of interest in terms of improvement of professional practice. The Italian contribution to food and nutritional research is still limited. Our findings seem to demonstrate the need of an alliance between the world of research and Public Health services, so as to develop a sustainable and effective health system.

  2. Hemolytic crisis

    MedlinePlus

    Hemolytic crisis occurs when large numbers of red blood cells are destroyed over a short time. The loss of ... During a hemolytic crisis, the body cannot make enough red blood cells to replace those that are destroyed. This causes acute and often ...

  3. Vulnerability to food insecurity in urban slums: experiences from Nairobi, Kenya.

    PubMed

    Kimani-Murage, E W; Schofield, L; Wekesah, F; Mohamed, S; Mberu, B; Ettarh, R; Egondi, T; Kyobutungi, C; Ezeh, A

    2014-12-01

    Food and nutrition security is critical for economic development due to the role of nutrition in healthy growth and human capital development. Slum residents, already grossly affected by chronic poverty, are highly vulnerable to different forms of shocks, including those arising from political instability. This study describes the food security situation among slum residents in Nairobi, with specific focus on vulnerability associated with the 2007/2008 postelection crisis in Kenya. The study from which the data is drawn was nested within the Nairobi Urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System (NUHDSS), which follows about 70,000 individuals from close to 30,000 households in two slums in Nairobi, Kenya. The study triangulates data from qualitative and quantitative sources. It uses qualitative data from 10 focus group discussions with community members and 12 key-informant interviews with community opinion leaders conducted in November 2010, and quantitative data involving about 3,000 households randomly sampled from the NUHDSS database in three rounds of data collection between March 2011 and January 2012. Food security was defined using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) criteria. The study found high prevalence of food insecurity; 85% of the households were food insecure, with 50% being severely food insecure. Factors associated with food security include level of income, source of livelihood, household size, dependence ratio; illness, perceived insecurity and slum of residence. The qualitative narratives highlighted household vulnerability to food insecurity as commonplace but critical during times of crisis. Respondents indicated that residents in the slums generally eat for bare survival, with little concern for quality. The narratives described heightened vulnerability during the 2007/2008 postelection violence in Kenya in the perception of slum residents. Prices of staple foods like maize flour doubled and simultaneously household

  4. [Symbolism on "natural" in food].

    PubMed

    da Veiga Soares Carvalho, Maria Claudia; Luz, Madel Therezinha

    2011-01-01

    The incorporated senses represent a set of possibilities for future life able to build individual and collective identities. This work deepens the habitus, in Bourdieu's terms, associated with "natural" and fast-food styles, making an interpretative analysis of symbolic exchanges of elements reproduced in feeding practices. We believe that this bricolage arrangement of elements enables bartering and hybridism, marked by a tension that reflects the insecurity of technological innovations. The "natural" style represents an ideal of self-sustainability, non-polluting production, which faces the sanitary and ecologic crisis of the planet, against the large-scale industrialization and fast urbanization, defined as depredation factors of basic living conditions. The exchanges happen in a symbolic game connected with the global economic game, in which social actors make bets, illusio, according to particular intentions in concrete action. There is a chance to reformulate the rules of the game in the "game", although with a precarious balance of forces, in which the weaker side loses, an agent may have the possibility of not reproducing the pressures of globalized feeding, which is far from what might seem supernatural.

  5. Environmental Education: Food - The Coming Crisis (Grades K-12).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New Jersey State Council for Environmental Education, Upper Montclair.

    This publication presents classroom activities for teaching about the world food shortage. These activities are organized by objectives, are multidisciplinary and cover the K-12 grade levels. The objectives listed include: (1) Describe some food chains; (2) Appraise the effect of soil conditions, geographic and climatic factors on the food…

  6. Soft matter food physics--the physics of food and cooking.

    PubMed

    Vilgis, Thomas A

    2015-12-01

    This review discusses the (soft matter) physics of food. Although food is generally not considered as a typical model system for fundamental (soft matter) physics, a number of basic principles can be found in the interplay between the basic components of foods, water, oil/fat, proteins and carbohydrates. The review starts with the introduction and behavior of food-relevant molecules and discusses food-relevant properties and applications from their fundamental (multiscale) behavior. Typical food aspects from 'hard matter systems', such as chocolates or crystalline fats, to 'soft matter' in emulsions, dough, pasta and meat are covered and can be explained on a molecular basis. An important conclusion is the point that the macroscopic properties and the perception are defined by the molecular interplay on all length and time scales.

  7. Soft matter food physics—the physics of food and cooking

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vilgis, Thomas A.

    2015-12-01

    This review discusses the (soft matter) physics of food. Although food is generally not considered as a typical model system for fundamental (soft matter) physics, a number of basic principles can be found in the interplay between the basic components of foods, water, oil/fat, proteins and carbohydrates. The review starts with the introduction and behavior of food-relevant molecules and discusses food-relevant properties and applications from their fundamental (multiscale) behavior. Typical food aspects from ‘hard matter systems’, such as chocolates or crystalline fats, to ‘soft matter’ in emulsions, dough, pasta and meat are covered and can be explained on a molecular basis. An important conclusion is the point that the macroscopic properties and the perception are defined by the molecular interplay on all length and time scales.

  8. Phaeochromocytoma [corrected] crisis.

    PubMed

    Whitelaw, B C; Prague, J K; Mustafa, O G; Schulte, K-M; Hopkins, P A; Gilbert, J A; McGregor, A M; Aylwin, S J B

    2014-01-01

    Phaeochromocytoma [corrected] crisis is an endocrine emergency associated with significant mortality. There is little published guidance on the management of phaeochromocytoma [corrected] crisis. This clinical practice update summarizes the relevant published literature, including a detailed review of cases published in the past 5 years, and a proposed classification system. We review the recommended management of phaeochromocytoma [corrected] crisis including the use of alpha-blockade, which is strongly associated with survival of a crisis. Mechanical circulatory supportive therapy (including intra-aortic balloon pump or extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation) is strongly recommended for patients with sustained hypotension. Surgical intervention should be deferred until medical stabilization is achieved. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Before Crisis Hits: Building a Strategic Crisis Plan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Larry L.; Millar, Dan P.

    This guide offers suggestions to college administrators for dealing with a variety of emergency or crisis situations that could affect a community college's effectiveness. The authors used the Institute for Crisis Management's (ICM) four types of crises in higher education as the framework for the guide. The four types of crises are: (1) sudden;…

  10. EUROPE IN CRISIS

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-04-06

    the only international organization that can manage the Syrian refugee security crisis causing problems for the EU from root to branch because NATO is...AIR WAR COLLEGE AIR UNIVERSITY EUROPE IN CRISIS By Peter Halseth, Civilian, Defense Logistics Agency A Research Report Submitted...Syrian refugee crisis and providing intelligence assistance to member countries in the European Union (EU) of foreign fighters returning from the

  11. Thalassemia

    MedlinePlus

    ... Crisis Situations Pets and Animals myhealthfinder Food and Nutrition Healthy Food Choices Weight Loss and Diet Plans Nutrients and Nutritional Info Sugar and Sugar Substitutes Exercise and Fitness Exercise Basics Sports Safety Injury Rehabilitation Emotional Well-Being Mental Health ...

  12. Shoulder Pain

    MedlinePlus

    ... Crisis Situations Pets and Animals myhealthfinder Food and Nutrition Healthy Food Choices Weight Loss and Diet Plans Nutrients and Nutritional Info Sugar and Sugar Substitutes Exercise and Fitness Exercise Basics Sports Safety Injury Rehabilitation Emotional Well-Being Mental Health ...

  13. Sickle Cell Crisis (For Teens)

    MedlinePlus

    ... Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Sickle Cell Crisis (Pain Crisis) KidsHealth / For Teens / Sickle Cell ... drepanocíticas (Crisis de dolor) What Is a Sickle Cell Crisis? Sickle cell disease changes the shape of ...

  14. [Food safety and animal diseases. The French Food Safety Agency, from mad cow disease to bird flu].

    PubMed

    Keck, Frédéric

    2008-01-01

    Why has the French food safety agency been particularly mobilized on zoonoses like bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("mad cow disease") or highly pathogenic avian influenza ("bird flu") ? Because sanitary crisis make explicit an ambivalent relationship between humans and animals (animals being perceived alternatively as providers of goods and as bearers of threats), and to the circulation of life in general (the contaminated blood crises being due to the rapprochement of blood giving and blood receiving). The sociology of risks needs therefore to reintegrate the idea of an intention of the risk bearer (risk with enemy), and the sociology of alimentation needs to reintegrate the analysis of the conditions of production. Mad cow disease is the paradigmatic food safety crisis because it brings together the poles of production and consumption, of animals and humans. It therefore belongs to anthropology.

  15. Waiting for a Crisis: Case Studies of Crisis Leaders in Higher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muffet-Willett, Stacy L.

    2010-01-01

    This study examines the system of crisis leadership in higher education. Using case study methods, five crisis leadership participants were interviewed to develop a deep understanding of how they perceive their university crisis leadership system. Two participants were from a private institution, and three were from a public institution. Higher…

  16. Transforming Food Systems through Food Sovereignty: An Australian Urban Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davila, Federico; Dyball, Robert

    2015-01-01

    This article draws on La Via Campesina's definition of food sovereignty and its potential for reconceptualising food as a basic human right within the dominant Australian food discourse. We argue that the educative value that emerges from urban food production in Australia stems from the action of growing food and its capacity to transform…

  17. Factors affecting food security and contribution of modern technologies in food sustainability.

    PubMed

    Premanandh, Jagadeesan

    2011-12-01

    The concept of food insecurity is complex and goes beyond the simplistic idea of a country's inability to feed its population. The global food situation is redefined by many driving forces such as population growth, availability of arable lands, water resources, climate change and food availability, accessibility and loss. The combined effect of these factors has undeniably impacted global food production and security. This article reviews the key factors influencing global food insecurity and emphasises the need to adapt science-based technological innovations to address the issue. Although anticipated benefits of modern technologies suggest a level of food production that will sustain the global population, both political will and sufficient investments in modern agriculture are needed to alleviate the food crisis in developing countries. In this globalised era of the 21st century, many determinants of food security are trans-boundary and require multilateral agreements and actions for an effective solution. Food security and hunger alleviation on a global scale are within reach provided that technological innovations are accepted and implemented at all levels. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

  18. Exploring Coverage of the 2008 Irish Dioxin Crisis in the Irish and UK Newsprint Media.

    PubMed

    De Brún, Aoife; Shan, Liran; Regan, Áine; McConnon, Áine; Wall, Patrick

    2016-10-01

    The 2008 dioxin crisis occurred as a result of contamination of Irish pork. The event had significant implications for Ireland's economy and the reputation of its agricultural industry, as well as raising concerns for human health. This study describes the results of a content analysis of Irish and UK newspaper coverage of the 2008 Irish dioxin crisis, as this is likely to provide insight into how public perceptions of this issue were shaped. Articles from 16 print publications were systematically sampled for the period December 2008 to February 2009. The resulting data set of 141 articles was examined using a coding protocol developed based on previous research and refined during piloting. Results indicated that the dioxin crisis was primarily portrayed by the media as an industry/economic crisis, dominant in 26.9% of articles in the sample. Within this dominant portrayal, the agricultural industry was frequently cited as being in crisis (42.6%); however, the implications of the crisis on the wider economic environment also received attention (17.7%). Differences between Irish and UK-based media were also examined, revealing that while the Irish media most frequently described the crisis in terms of its impact on the industry and economy, the UK media were more likely to portray the crisis as a risk to health. These dominant media messages and message framings have implications for the public understanding of the issue in each country and potential consequences regarding perception of the adequacy of existing food policy and regulatory oversight.

  19. Preventing food poisoning

    MedlinePlus

    ... US Food & Drug Administration. 4 basic steps to food safety at home. www.fda.gov/downloads/forconsumers/byaudience/ ... and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. Food Safety Read more NIH MedlinePlus Magazine Read more Health ...

  20. Early Warning of Food Security Crises in Urban Areas: The Case of Harare, Zimbabwe, 2007

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brown, Molly E.; Funk, Christopher C.

    2008-01-01

    In 2007, the citizens of Harare, Zimbabwe began experiencing an intense food security crisis. The crisis, due to a complex mix of poor government policies, high inflation rates and production decline due to drought, resulted in a massive increase in the number of food insecure people in Harare. The international humanitarian aid response to this crisis was largely successful due to the early agreement among donors and humanitarian aid officials as to the size and nature of the problem. Remote sensing enabled an early and decisive movement of resources greatly assisting the delivery of food aid in a timely manner. Remote sensing data gave a clear and compelling assessment of significant crop production shortfalls, and provided donors of humanitarian assistance a single number around which they could come to agreement. This use of remote sensing data typifies how remote sensing may be used in early warning systems in Africa.

  1. Crisis Management: Research Summaries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brock, Stephen E., Ed.; Dorman, Sally; Anderson, Luke; McNair, Daniel

    2013-01-01

    This article presents summaries of three studies relevant to school crisis response. The first report, "A Framework for International Crisis Intervention" (Sally Dorman), is a review of how existing crisis intervention models (including the NASP PREPaRE model) have been adapted for international use. The second article, "Responding…

  2. Predicting support for restricting food marketing to youth.

    PubMed

    Goren, Amir; Harris, Jennifer L; Schwartz, Marlene B; Brownell, Kelly D

    2010-01-01

    To address the obesity crisis, public health experts recommend major reductions in the marketing of unhealthy food to youth. However, policies to restrict food marketing are not currently viewed as politically feasible. This paper examines attitudes and knowledge about food marketing and support for restricting unhealthy food marketing [corrected] among one group of constituents: parents. A survey of 807 parents found that those most likely to support food marketing restrictions were also more likely to have negative views of current food practices. [corrected] These findings suggest that increased public education about the harm caused by food marketing may increase public support for policy interventions.

  3. Consumer experience of formal crisis-response services and preferred methods of crisis intervention.

    PubMed

    Boscarato, Kara; Lee, Stuart; Kroschel, Jon; Hollander, Yitzchak; Brennan, Alice; Warren, Narelle

    2014-08-01

    The manner in which people with mental illness are supported in a crisis is crucial to their recovery. The current study explored mental health consumers' experiences with formal crisis services (i.e. police and crisis assessment and treatment (CAT) teams), preferred crisis supports, and opinions of four collaborative interagency response models. Eleven consumers completed one-on-one, semistructured interviews. The results revealed that the perceived quality of previous formal crisis interventions varied greatly. Most participants preferred family members or friends to intervene. However, where a formal response was required, general practitioners and mental health case managers were preferred; no participant wanted a police response, and only one indicated a preference for CAT team assistance. Most participants welcomed collaborative crisis interventions. Of four collaborative interagency response models currently being trialled internationally, participants most strongly supported the Ride-Along Model, which enables a police officer and a mental health clinician to jointly respond to distressed consumers in the community. The findings highlight the potential for an interagency response model to deliver a crisis response aligned with consumers' preferences. © 2014 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

  4. Husserl's Crisis as a crisis of psychology.

    PubMed

    Feest, Uljana

    2012-06-01

    This paper places Husserl's mature work, The Crisis of the European Sciences, in the context of his engagement with--and critique of--experimental psychology at the time. I begin by showing (a) that Husserl accorded psychology a crucial role in his philosophy, i.e., that of providing a scientific analysis of subjectivity, and (b) that he viewed contemporary psychology--due to its naturalism--as having failed to pursue this goal in the appropriate manner. I then provide an analysis of Husserl's views about naturalism and scientific philosophy. Some central themes of the Crisis are traced back to Husserl's earlier work and to his relationship with his teacher, Franz Brentano, with whom he disagreed about the status of "inner perception" as the proper scientific method for a phenomenological analysis. The paper then shows that Husserl was well aware of at least one publication about the crisis of psychology (Bühler's 1927 book), and it teases out some aspects of the complicated relationship between Husserl and members of the Würzburg School of thought psychology: The latter had drawn on Husserl's writings, but Husserl felt that they had misunderstood his central thesis. I conclude by placing Husserl's work in the wider context of scientific, cultural, and political crisis-discourses at the time. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Crisis Communication Plans: Poor Predictors of Excellent Crisis Public Relations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marra, Francis J.

    1998-01-01

    Argues that newly developed theory in crisis public relations suggests a shift is necessary in the way practitioners view crises. Notes that the new paradigm defines excellent crisis public relations very differently from the literature of the past 20 years. (RS)

  6. Was the economic crisis of 2008 good for Icelanders? Impact on health behaviors.

    PubMed

    Ásgeirsdóttir, Tinna Laufey; Corman, Hope; Noonan, Kelly; Ólafsdóttir, Þórhildur; Reichman, Nancy E

    2014-03-01

    This study uses the 2008 economic crisis in Iceland to identify the effects of a macroeconomic downturn on a range of health behaviors. We use longitudinal survey data that include pre- and post-reports from the same individuals on a range of health-compromising and health-promoting behaviors. We find that the crisis led to large and significant reductions in health-compromising behaviors (such as smoking, drinking alcohol or soft drinks, and eating sweets) and certain health-promoting behaviors (consumption of fruits and vegetables), but to increases in other health-promoting behaviors (consumption of fish oil and recommended sleep). The magnitudes of effects for smoking are somewhat larger than what has been found in past research in other contexts, while those for alcohol, fruits, and vegetables are in line with estimates from other studies. Changes in work hours, real income, financial assets, mortgage debt, and mental health, together, explain the effects of the crisis on some behaviors (such as consumption of sweets and fast food), while the effects of the crisis on most other behaviors appear to have operated largely through price increases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. "Imagination Bodies Forth the Forms of Things Unknown": Reflections on the Crisis in Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Streeter, James H.

    The present crisis in education is so severe that to return to the "basics," or simply to improve the standard approach to instruction, will only make the situation worse. Missing is a recognition of the importance of the imagination in the learning process. I. A. Richards (1925) has identified six distinct aspects of the imagination: (1) the…

  8. A Commentary on "Contextualising the Intermediate Financial Accounting Courses in the Global Financial Crisis"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marzo, Giuseppe

    2011-01-01

    In response to Bloom and Webinger (2011), this article examines the basic idea that the Bloom and Webinger article promotes: the integration of global financial crisis (GFC) topics within accounting courses, the way in which this idea can be implemented, and the way a class can be stimulated in order to encourage higher participation in both the…

  9. "Nutritional Wastelands": Vending Machines, Fast Food Outlets, and the Fight over Junk Food in Canadian Schools.

    PubMed

    Gidney, Catherine

    2015-01-01

    In light of a growing obesity crisis among children and concern about junk food in schools, this article investigates the attempt by food and beverage companies to gain entry into Canadian schools. Focusing in particular on the introduction of fast-food franchises in cafeterias and on school boards' secret exclusivity deals with soft drink manufacturers in the 1990s, it examines how and why this process occurred, public reactions to it, and government responses. Placing this phenomenon within a larger pattern of commercialization in North American schools, it argues that long-lasting reforms require government intervention and enforcement.

  10. Crisis GIS: Preparing for the Next Volcanic Crisis in the United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramsey, D. W.; Robinson, J. E.; Schilling, S. P.; Schaefer, J. R.; Kimberly, P.; Trusdell, F. A.; Guffanti, M. C.; Mayberry, G. C.; Cameron, C. E.; Smith, J. G.; McIntire, J. A.; Snedigar, S.; Ewert, J. W.

    2004-12-01

    Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialists from the Volcano Hazards Program (VHP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), including personnel at Menlo Park, California, the Cascades Volcano Observatory in Vancouver, Washington, the Alaska Volcano Observatory in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory in Hawaii National Park, Hawaii, and the Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program in Washington, DC, are developing a GIS response plan in the event of a volcano crisis. This plan, referred to as "Crisis GIS", outlines how VHP can ensure rapid, reliable delivery of spatial and ancillary information for data analysis and visualization at any required location during a volcanic crisis or event within the United States. An effective Crisis GIS needs the capacity to store multiple, large datasets, including: base layer data, elevation data, geologic maps, hazard assessment maps, satellite data, and aerial photography for volcanoes around the U.S. It must be readily accessible by VHP GIS specialists stationed around the Nation. Such a GIS should also support installations of monitoring instruments and telemetry equipment that relay monitoring signals, and provision of updates to public officials, the media, and the public during a crisis. GIS technology has proven to be an invaluable tool for crisis response. Recently, GIS was applied as part of the response efforts to two large-scale crises: the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the Southern California wildfires of Fall 2003. In each case, GIS was used to organize large quantities of spatial data and to produce electronic and paper maps that illustrated hazards, supported decision making, and communicated developing situations to responsible emergency-management authorities and to the populace affected (Kant, 2002, and Pratt, 2003). VHP GIS specialists are currently testing the software and hardware employed in recent major crisis response efforts and are learning to adapt

  11. Increased incidence of tuberculosis in zimbabwe, in association with food insecurity, and economic collapse: an ecological analysis.

    PubMed

    Burke, Stephen J; Lass, Elliot; Thistle, Paul; Katumbe, Lovemore; Jetha, Arif; Schwarz, Dan; Bolotin, Shelly; Barker, R D; Simor, Andrew; Silverman, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Zimbabwe underwent a socioeconomic crisis and resultant increase in food insecurity in 2008-9. The impact of the crisis on Tuberculosis (TB) incidence is unknown. Prospective databases from two mission hospitals, which were geographically widely separated, and remained open during the crisis, were reviewed. At the Howard Hospital (HH) in northern Zimbabwe, TB incidence increased 35% in 2008 from baseline rates in 2003-2007 (p<0.01) and remained at that level in 2009. Murambinda Hospital (MH) in Eastern Zimbabwe also demonstrated a 29% rise in TB incidence from 2007 to 2008 (p<0.01) and remained at that level in 2009. Data collected post-crisis at HH showed a decrease of 33% in TB incidence between 2009 to 2010 (p<0.001) and 2010/2011 TB incidence remained below that of the crisis years of 2008/2009 (p<0.01). Antenatal clinic HIV seroprevalence at HH decreased between 2001(23%) to 2011(11%) (p<0.001). Seasonality of TB incidence was analyzed at both MH and HH. There was a higher TB incidence in the dry season when food is least available (September-November) compared to post harvest (April-June) (p<0.001). This study suggests that an epidemic of TB mirrored socioeconomic collapse and recovery in Zimbabwe. The seasonal data suggests that food security may have been associated with TB incidence both annually and during the crisis in this high HIV prevalence country.

  12. Prerequisite programs and food hygiene in hospitals: food safety knowledge and practices of food service staff in Ankara, Turkey.

    PubMed

    Bas, Murat; Temel, Mehtap Akçil; Ersun, Azmi Safak; Kivanç, Gökhan

    2005-04-01

    Our objective was to determine food safety practices related to prerequisite program implementation in hospital food services in Turkey. Staff often lack basic food hygiene knowledge. Problems of implementing HACCP and prerequisite programs in hospitals include lack of food hygiene management training, lack of financial resources, and inadequate equipment and environment.

  13. Modified crisis intervention for personality disorder.

    PubMed

    Rudnick, A

    1998-01-01

    This study proposes that the goal of crisis intervention for persons with personality disorders should be to return them to their pre-crisis level of functioning, even though this is maladaptive. This is contrasted with standard crisis intervention, which aims to return normal or neurotic persons to their pre-crisis normal or neurotic functioning, usually by means of few and short-term therapeutic encounters. The modification proposed costs more time and resources in persons with personality disorders in crisis and fits the intervention to the personality type. This is illustrated by the case of Eve, a patient in crisis, whose pre-crisis functioning was maladaptive because of a dependent personality disorder. The goal of (modified) crisis intervention in this case was to return the patient to her dependent lifestyle, by means of pharmacotherapy combined with intensive supportive psychotherapy during 3-4 months of partial (day) hospitalization. The special nature of crisis in personality disorders is discussed.

  14. Energy, climate, food and health.

    PubMed

    Erwin, Patricia J

    2008-01-01

    On June 3-5, 2008, international organizations and heads of state met in Rome to discuss the critical situation in global food supplies and prices during the World Food Crisis Summit. The intent of this column is to provide approaches to identifying the complex issues that impact public health, public safety, and nutrition on a global basis. The Web sites selected provide a background for the complex issues involved (energy, climate and environment, agriculture, and politics) and reveal controversial and competing agendas with many far-reaching implications.

  15. Social crisis and epidemic disease in the famines of nineteenth-century India.

    PubMed

    Arnold, D

    1993-12-01

    The onset of famine in nineteenth-century India resulted in the breakdown of normal social relations and produced a series of often dysfunctional behavioural responses. Survival strategies like the use of 'famine foods' and migration in search of food and work facilitated the spread of such epidemic diseases as cholera, dysentery, malaria, and smallpox. Although many of these diseases are not normally thought of as having a synergistic relationship with malnutrition and hunger, they were linked to it (as the Madras famine of 1876-78 illustrates) through abnormal social and environmental conditions created by drought and an extreme crisis of substance.

  16. Mobile crisis management teams as part of an effective crisis management system for rural communities.

    PubMed

    Trantham, Doug; Sherry, Anne

    2012-01-01

    Mobile crisis management teams provide crisis prevention and intervention services in community settings. The Appalachian Community Services crisis management program shows how such teams can be used to effectively serve rural communities.

  17. The future of the welfare state: crisis myths and crisis realities.

    PubMed

    Castles, Francis G

    2002-01-01

    Accounts of the future of the welfare state are often presented in crisis terms. Some commentators identify globalization as a force that has already led to a major retreat by the state and is likely to lead to further downsizing of the public sector. Others see the future burden of an aging population as creating huge public expenditure pressures that can be countered only by increased parsimony in most areas of spending. Although both crisis scenarios contain elements of truth, analysis of recent public expenditure trends shows that both are substantially exaggerated as general representations of likely developments over the next two or three decades. However, unnoticed by most commentators, a real, longer-term crisis is beginning to make itself felt. This crisis arises, in part, from the demographic impact of a cultural transformation in the labor market, in progress for several decades. Extreme scenarios of possible consequences over the next 50 to 100 years include population implosion, mass migration, increasingly dangerous eruptions of right-wing populism, and, possibly, territorial conflict between developed and underdeveloped nations. This is not a crisis of the welfare state but rather a crisis for which the welfare state may be an essential part of the answer. The only way Western societies can lessen the future impact of the ongoing cultural transformation of the labor market is through the redesign of welfare state institutions to confront these new challenges.

  18. Hypertensive crisis in children.

    PubMed

    Chandar, Jayanthi; Zilleruelo, Gastón

    2012-05-01

    Hypertensive crisis is rare in children and is usually secondary to an underlying disease. There is strong evidence that the renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in the genesis of hypertensive crisis. An important principle in the management of children with hypertensive crisis is to determine if severe hypertension is chronic, acute, or acute-on-chronic. When it is associated with signs of end-organ damage such as encephalopathy, congestive cardiac failure or renal failure, there is an emergent need to lower blood pressures to 25-30% of the original value and then accomplish a gradual reduction in blood pressure. Precipitous drops in blood pressure can result in impairment of perfusion of vital organs. Medications commonly used to treat hypertensive crisis in children are nicardipine, labetalol and sodium nitroprusside. In this review, we discuss the pathophysiology, differential diagnosis and recent developments in management of hypertensive crisis in children.

  19. K-12 School Leaders and School Crisis: An Exploration of Principals' School Crisis Competencies and Preparedness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCarty, Sean P.

    2012-01-01

    On any given day, principals could find themselves faced with a situation that could define their roles as crisis leaders. This dissertation research offers an exploratory study in the field of crisis response and educational leadership. From experts in the field of crisis response, the author compiled a list of crisis management competencies…

  20. The Summer Food Service Program and the Ongoing Hunger Crisis in Mississippi.

    PubMed

    Cobern, Jade A; Shell, Kathryn J; Henderson, Everett R; Beech, Bettina M; Batlivala, Sarosh P

    2015-10-01

    Food insecurity is simply defined as uncertain access to adequate food. Nearly 50 million Americans, 16 million of whom are children, are food insecure. Mississippi has 21% food insecure citizens, and has the most food insecure county in the nation. Our state's school system's National Breakfast and Lunch Programs help combat food insecurity, but a gap still exists. This gap widens during the summer. In this paper, we describe the Mississippi Summer Food Service Program. While the program has had success in our state, it still faces challenges. Organized action by physicians in Mississippi and the Mississippi State Medical Association could significantly increase participation in these programs that are vital to our state.

  1. Governing the (Un)Healthy Child-Consumer in the Age of the Childhood Obesity Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powell, Darren

    2018-01-01

    In recent years, multinational food and drink corporations and their marketing practices have been blamed for the global childhood obesity 'crisis'. Unsurprisingly, these corporations have been quick to refute these claims and now position themselves as 'part of the solution' to childhood obesity. In this paper, I examine how and why corporations…

  2. Functional Foods for Women's Health.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lindeman, Alice K.

    2002-01-01

    Describes functional foods for women's health (foods or food ingredients that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition), explaining that both whole and modified foods can be included as functional foods. The paper discusses the history, regulation, and promotion of functional foods; consumer interest in functional foods; how to incorporate…

  3. Money Worries Keep Students Going to Campus Food Banks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sandoval, Timothy

    2012-01-01

    Hunger on campus is part of a lingering national problem that grew after the financial crisis that began in late 2007. In an unforgiving economy, many students across the country struggle not only to pay tuition but also to buy food. Colleges and nonprofit groups have noticed, and more are reacting. Food pantries are cropping up on two-year and…

  4. When Crisis Strikes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caudle, Melissa

    1994-01-01

    School crises may be categorized as emergency situations, human-made crises, natural events, medical emergencies, and mechanical crises. Central to any successful crisis-management plan are onsite and district-level crisis response teams. Plans should specify staff responsibilities; provide for communication codes, devices, and procedures;…

  5. Can experience-based household food security scales help improve food security governance?

    PubMed

    Pérez-Escamilla, Rafael

    2012-12-01

    Experience-based food security scales (EBFSSs) have been shown to be valid across world regions. EBFSSs are increasingly been included in national food and nutrition assessments and food hardship items have been added to regional and global public opinion polls. EBFSSs meet the SMART criteria for identifying useful indicators. And have the potential to help improve accountability, transparency, intersectoral coordination and a more effective and equitable distribution of resources. EBFSSs have increased awareness about food and nutrition insecurity in the court of public opinion. Thus, it's important to understand the potential that EBFSSs have for improving food and nutrition security governance within and across countries. The case of Brazil illustrates the strong likelihood that EBFSSs do have a strong potential to influence food and governance from the national to the municipal level. A recent Gallup World Poll data analysis on the influence of the '2008 food crisis' on food hardship illustrates how even a single item from EBFSSs can help examine if food security governance in different world regions modifies the impact of crises on household food insecurity. Systematic research that bridges across economics, political science, ethics, public health and program evaluation is needed to better understand if and how measurement in general and EBFSSs in particular affect food security governance.

  6. Chaos and Crisis: Propositions for a General Theory of Crisis Communication.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seeger, Matthew W.

    2002-01-01

    Presents key concepts of chaos theory (CT) as a general framework for describing organizational crisis and crisis communication. Discusses principles of predictability, sensitive dependence on initial conditions, bifurcation as system breakdown, emergent self-organization, and fractals and strange attractors as principles of organization. Explores…

  7. Thyrotoxic crisis presenting with jaundice.

    PubMed

    Wickramasinghe, R D S S; Luke, W A N V; Sebastiampillai, B S; Gunathilake, M P M L; Premaratna, R

    2016-06-23

    Thyrotoxic crisis is a medical emergency requiring early diagnosis and urgent management, which can be challenging due to its diverse clinical presentations. While common presentations include fever, sweating, palpitations, tremors and confusion, presence of jaundice is rare. We report a 35-year-old male who presented with jaundice due to cholestasis along with other features of thyrotoxic crisis due to Graves' disease. He had a good clinical recovery with resolution of cholestasis following treatment for thyrotoxic crisis. Jaundice can be a rare manifestation of thyrotoxic crisis, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis when other clinical features of thyrotoxic crisis are present. However secondary causes of jaundice should be looked into and excluded.

  8. Matching food security analysis to context: the experience of the Somalia food security assessment unit.

    PubMed

    Hemrich, Günter

    2005-06-01

    This case study reviews the experience of the Somalia Food Security Assessment Unit (FSAU) of operating a food security information system in the context of a complex emergency. In particular, it explores the linkages between selected features of the protracted crisis environment in Somalia and conceptual and operational aspects of food security information work. The paper specifically examines the implications of context characteristics for the establishment and operations of the FSAU field monitoring component and for the interface with information users and their diverse information needs. It also analyses the scope for linking food security and nutrition analysis and looks at the role of conflict and gender analysis in food security assessment work. Background data on the food security situation in Somalia and an overview of some key features of the FSAU set the scene for the case study. The paper is targeted at those involved in designing, operating and funding food security information activities.

  9. Geography's Image Crisis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudson, John C.

    1984-01-01

    If geography faces a crisis today, it is an inner crisis that has come from listening to those who advocate aggrandizement rather than accomplishment. Geographers should devote no more time than necessary to the business of selling themselves and, instead, produce the kind of scholarship that commands attention. (RM)

  10. The health crisis in Argentina.

    PubMed

    Escudero, José Carlos

    2003-01-01

    The health crisis in Argentina is part of the larger crisis that has resulted from a collapse in the country's economic and political systems. After a brief review of the country's history over the last century, from international success story to economic failure, the author explains the health crisis in particular and the social crisis in general in terms of failed neoliberal policies imposed on Argentina by the United States and International Monetary Fund through the mediation of the country's political class.

  11. Complexity of food preparation and food security status in low-income young women.

    PubMed

    Engler-Stringer, Rachel; Stringer, Bernadette; Haines, Ted

    2011-01-01

    This study was conducted to explore whether preparing more complex meals was associated with higher food security status. This mixed-methods, community-based study involved the use of semistructured interviews to examine the cooking practices of a group of young, low-income women in Montreal. Fifty participants aged 18 to 35 were recruited at 10 locations in five low-income neighbourhoods. Food security status was the main outcome measure and the main exposure variable, "complex food preparation," combined the preparation of three specific food types (soups, sauces, and baked goods) using basic ingredients. Low-income women preparing a variety of meals using basic ingredients at least three times a week were more than twice as likely to be food secure as were women preparing more complex meals less frequently. Women who prepared more complex meals more frequently had higher food security. Whether this means that preparing more complex foods results in greater food security remains unclear, as this was an exploratory study.

  12. Food and Nutrition: The Most Basic Need of All.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black, Maggie, Ed.

    1982-01-01

    Food and nutrition are the theme topics of this issue of UNICEF News. Giving special attention to Haiti and Zimbabwe, the first article inquires into reasons why agricultural, health, and nutrition programs have not eradicated malnutrition. Subsequent articles center on (1) facts concerning food and nutrition; (2) the diet of people living in a…

  13. The Popeye principle: selling child health in the first nutrition crisis.

    PubMed

    Lovett, Laura

    2005-10-01

    The cartoon character Popeye the Sailor was capable of superhuman feats of strength after eating a can of spinach. Popeye ate spinach because the association of spinach with strength was a product of the first national nutrition crisis in the United States: the 1920s fight against child malnutrition. Spanning the first three decades of the twentieth century, the malnutrition crisis arose from the confluence of many different events including the invention of nutrition science and new standards for height and weight; international food crises created by world war; the rise of consumerism, advertising, and new forms of mass media; and Progressive reformers' conviction that education was a key component of any solution. The history of the malnutrition crisis presented in this essay synthesizes disparate histories concerning advertising, public health, education, consumerism, philanthropy, and Progressive Era reform with original analysis of a major nutrition education program sponsored by the Commonwealth Fund in the 1920s. Because the character of Popeye came to embody one of the nutritional norms advocated in the 1920s, I refer to the influence of culturally constructed social norms on children's beliefs about health and nutrition as the Popeye Principle. The history of the malnutrition crisis demonstrates the importance of understanding the cultural and economic conditions surrounding childhood nutrition, the use and influence of numerical norms, and the mutually reinforcing influences on children's nutritional norms from their parents, peers, teachers, and culture.

  14. Energy crisis: several ways to solve it

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fitzmorris, J.E. Jr.

    There is no single way out of the energy crisis in a quick way, the author says. In discussing his views, Lt. Gov. Fitzmorris says the first step is to admit there is an energy crisis. Short- as well as long-term goals must be established, and crash programs (when necessary) should be used to develop sources of energy. Also, in the short run, more-effective energy imports and energy conservation should help. Even assuming substantial conservation measures, the nation will still require over one-third more energy in 1990 than today. Mr. Fitzmorris then reviews measures being practiced in his home statemore » of Louisiana that can bring some valuable time, but they cannot solve the basic problem; increased production of all types of energy is necessary for that. Energy companies and researchers in Louisiana are studying technology to gain energy from lignite, geopressured systems, hydrogen gas, ocean thermal difference, solar energy, biomass conversion, use of peat, and hydroelectric power. He says the two most steep and difficult paths out of the current energy quandry are to develop: (1) a national balance between the demands of energy development and environmental and (2) meaningful governmental deregulation at all levels, in deed as well as word. (MCW)« less

  15. US health care crisis.

    PubMed

    Cirić, Ivan

    2013-01-01

    The United States health care is presently challenged by a significant economic crisis. The purpose of this report is to introduce the readers of Medicinski Pregled to the root causes of this crisis and to explain the steps undertaken to reform health care in order to solve the crisis. It is hoped that the information contained in this report will be of value, if only in small measure, to the shaping of health care in Serbia.

  16. Keeping Cool in a Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Padgett, Raven

    2006-01-01

    Many schools are able to avoid disasters by creating a strong, deliberate crisis plan and knowing how to implement it effectively. Good crisis preparedness requires leadership from the top, a critical mass of trained staff members, careful planning, and excellent communication. This article discusses how to prepare for a crisis.

  17. Food Protection Has Many Facets

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Bailus, Jr.; And Others

    1972-01-01

    Developments in food protection are described for microbiological contaminants, delicatessen foods, seafoods, mycotoxins, food additives, and regulatory surveillance. Proposed and advocated is a cooperative, basic data, monitoring program focusing on microbiological, chemical, nutritional, toxicological, and related food quality indices. (BL)

  18. The Achievement Crisis Is Real: A Review of "The Manufactured Crisis."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stedman, Lawrence C.

    1996-01-01

    In "The Manufactured Crisis," D. Berliner and B. Biddle argue that there has been no decline in achievement test scores, that today's students outperform their parents and do well in international examinations, and that the supposed crisis in American education does not exist. This review refutes all these claims. (SLD)

  19. Hypertensive crisis.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, Maria Alexandra; Kumar, Siva K; De Caro, Matthew

    2010-01-01

    Hypertension is a common chronic medical condition affecting over 65 million Americans. Uncontrolled hypertension can progress to a hypertensive crisis defined as a systolic blood pressure >180 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure >120 mm Hg. Hypertensive crisis can be further classified as a hypertensive urgency or hypertensive emergency depending on end-organ involvement including cardiac, renal, and neurologic injury. The prompt recognition of a hypertensive emergency with the appropriate diagnostic tests and triage will lead to the adequate reduction of blood pressure, ameliorating the incidence of fatal outcomes. Severely hypertensive patients with acute end-organ damage (hypertensive emergencies) warrant admission to an intensive care unit for immediate reduction of blood pressure with a short-acting titratable intravenous antihypertensive medication. Hypertensive urgencies (severe hypertension with no or minimal end-organ damage) may in general be treated with oral antihypertensives as an outpatient. Rapid and short-lived intravenous medications commonly used are labetalol, esmolol, fenoldopam, nicardipine, sodium nitroprusside, and clevidipine. Medications such as hydralazine, immediate release nifedipine, and nitroglycerin should be avoided. Sodium nitroprusside should be used with caution because of its toxicity. The risk factors and prognosticators of a hypertensive crisis are still under recognized. Physicians should perform complete evaluations in patients who present with a hypertensive crisis to effectively reverse, intervene, and correct the underlying trigger, as well as improve long-term outcomes after the episode.

  20. Creativity in Crisis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roff, Glenn

    This paper suggests that educational resources and opportunities currently in operation in rural Australia are brought forward during times of crisis. The paper discusses five aspects of education in rural Australia that are a response to the perceived sense of crisis and that have improved the general and comparative quality of rural education,…

  1. When Crisis Strikes on Campus.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larson, Wendy Ann, Ed.

    This handbook aids in planning for effective crisis communication at institutions of higher education. The book opens with a behind-the-scenes look at a particular crisis--the 1990 murders of five students at the University of Florida. This first section offers tested advice from a campus communicator, an account of the crisis and the…

  2. Crisis in the Curriculum? New Counselors' Crisis Preparation, Experiences, and Self-Efficacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Carrie A. Wachter; Minton, Casey A. Barrio

    2012-01-01

    Professional counselors are responsible for providing crisis assessment, referral, and intervention (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, 2009); however, little is known about their preparation and experiences in these areas. This study examined new professional counselors' (N= 193) crisis intervention…

  3. Effects of food processing on food allergens.

    PubMed

    Sathe, Shridhar K; Sharma, Girdhari M

    2009-08-01

    Food allergies are on the rise in Western countries. With the food allergen labeling requirements in the US and EU, there is an interest in learning how food processing affects food allergens. Numerous foods are processed in different ways at home, in institutional settings, and in industry. Depending on the processing method and the food, partial or complete removal of the offending allergen may be possible as illustrated by reduction of peanut allergen in vitro IgE immunoreactivity upon soaking and blanching treatments. When the allergen is discretely located in a food, one may physically separate and remove it from the food. For example, lye peeling has been reported to produce hypoallergenic peach nectar. Protein denaturation and/or hydrolysis during food processing can be used to produce hypoallergenic products. This paper provides a short overview of basic principles of food processing followed by examples of their effects on food allergen stability. Reviewed literature suggests assessment of processing effects on clinically relevant reactivity of food allergens is warranted.

  4. ["Crisis"--oscillating between keyword and buzzword. On the discourse about a "crisis of medicine" in the Weimar Republic].

    PubMed

    Geiger, Karin

    2010-01-01

    The buzzword "crisis" has not only become omnipresent since the recent financial crisis. The term that originated in Ancient Greece underwent several different usages--quantitatively as well as qualitatively; especially in the Weimar Republic, the time period that has long been considered as the crisis era par excellence. Using the discourse about the "crisis of medicine" in the 1920s and the early 1930s as an example, the article attempts to provide a critical reflection on the concept of "crisis". The focus of this article is on the idea's construction, the different semantic usages of "crisis" and the motives of the different authors for their respective rhetorical applications of this term. The analysis of the examined publications on the "crisis of medicine", how they influenced other periods and the reconstruction of their origin show that the semantics of the word "crisis" went far beyond a simply negative connotation, and with regard to its rhetorical usage have oscillated between keyword and a meaningless but catchy buzzword.

  5. The Asian financial crisis and women.

    PubMed

    1998-05-01

    This paper reports on the "Women's Roundtable Discussion on the Economic, Social, and Political Impacts of the Southeast Asian Financial Crisis" by the Gender Development Programme and Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN), which was held in Manila, Philippines, on April 12-14, 1998. The purpose of the Women's Roundtable was to provide a forum for regional analysis of women workers, labor migration and trade policies, women's livelihoods, food security and social development, globalization, and adverse impacts of economic recession and inflation. Among the recommendations of the forum were that the impact of globalization on women should be monitored and that the analyses and concerns raised during the roundtable discussions should be disseminated through other regional and international platforms.

  6. [Families of the economic crisis in paediatric Primary Care clinics: descriptive observational study].

    PubMed

    Martín Martín, R; Sánchez Bayle, M; Gancedo García, C; Teruel de Francisco, M C; Coullaut López, A

    2016-04-01

    To study the impact of the economic crisis on the families of the children who attend Primary Health Care and its relationship with their socioeconomic status. Observational descriptive study was conducted by analysing the results of 453 questionnaires, given to the parents of children between 1 and 7 years old who attended 4 paediatric clinics in Madrid. The raw data was analysed, and comparisons between groups and multivariate analysis were performed. In the multivariate analysis, the variables related to the non-acquisition of prescribed medication are: lower income level OR=0.118, p<.0001 and lower educational level OR=0.464, p<.001; the variables related to the reduction of food expenditure are: lower income level OR=0.100, p<.0001 and a higher number of family members OR=1.308, p=.045; the variables related to anti-pneumococcal vaccination without public funding are: higher income level OR=2.170, p=.0001, higher educational level OR=1.835, p=.013, and not being an immigrant OR=0.532, p=.037. The presence of health problems from the beginning of the economic crisis is related to unemployment OR=4.079, p=.032, lower educational level R=0.678, p=.042, and income level OR=0.342, p<.0001. In all cases, the models achieved a statistical significance of p<.0001. The economic crisis has greater impact on the group with the lowest income level in all analysed variables. The lower educational level and higher number of family members has an impact on the reduction in food expenditure. The fact of being an immigrant has an impact on not receiving the anti-pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccination. Unemployment leads to an increase in health problems in the family. To sum up, the economic crisis has increased inequalities according to socioeconomic status. Copyright © 2015 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  7. An emergency cash transfer program promotes weight gain and reduces acute malnutrition risk among children 6-24 months old during a food crisis in Niger

    PubMed Central

    Bliss, Jessica; Golden, Kate; Bourahla, Leila; Stoltzfus, Rebecca; Pelletier, David

    2018-01-01

    Background Assessment of the impact of emergency cash transfer programs on child nutritional status has been difficult to achieve due to the considerable logistic and ethical constraints that characterize humanitarian settings. Methods We present the findings from a quasi-experimental longitudinal study of a conditional emergency cash transfer program implemented by Concern Worldwide in 2012 during a food crisis in Tahoua, Niger, in which the use of a concurrent control group permits estimation of the program’s impact on child weight gain. Program beneficiaries received three transfers totaling approximately 65% of Niger’s gross national per capita income; mothers attended mandatory sessions on child and infant feeding and care practices. Dietary and anthropometric data from 211 vulnerable households and children targeted by the intervention were compared with 212 similarly vulnerable control households and children from the same 21 villages. We used multilevel mixed effects regression to estimate changes in weight and weight-for-height Z scores (WHZ) over time, and logistic regression to estimate the probability of acute malnutrition. Results We found the intervention to be associated with a 1.27 kg greater overall weight gain (P < 0.001) and a 1.82 greater overall gain in WHZ (P < 0.001). The odds of having acute malnutrition at the end of the intervention were 25 times higher among children in the comparison group than those in households receiving cash (P < 0.001). Conclusions We conclude that this emergency cash transfer program promoted child weight gain and reduced the risk of acute malnutrition among children in the context of a food crisis. We suspect that the use of strategic conditional terms and a valuable transfer size were key features in achieving this result. Limitations in study design prevent us from attributing impact to particular aspects of the program, and preclude a precise estimation of impact. Future studies of this nature

  8. The Roman Empire - The Third Century Crisis and Crisis Management

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-04-04

    December 2010. Hekster, Olivier, Gerda De Kleijn, and Danielle Slootjes. "Introduction." Impact of Empire. 7, (2006, June 1): 3-10. Koselleck...Crisis of the Third Century. Edited by Olivier Hekster, Gerda De Kleijn, and Danielle Slootjes. Vol. 7, Impact of EMpire. Boston: Brill Academic, 2012...1. Protagoras and John Nicols, Mapping the Crisis of the Third Century, ed. Olivier Hekster, Gerda De Kleijn, and Danielle Slootjes

  9. Basic-education mexican teachers' knowledge of biotechnology and attitudes about the consumption of genetically modified foods.

    PubMed

    Jiménez-Salas, Zacarías; Campos-Góngora, Eduardo; González-Martínez, Blanca E; Tijerina-Sáenz, Alexandra; Escamilla-Méndez, Angélica D; Ramírez-López, Erik

    2017-09-01

    Over the past few years, a new research field has emerged, focusing on the social-scientific criteria for the study of opinions toward genetically modified foods (GMFs), since these may be limiting factors for the success or failure of these products. Basic education is the first step in the Mexican education system, and teachers may wield an outsized influence on the attitudes and preferences of children, prospective future consumers of these products. To better understand the current state of knowledge of biotechnology issues and opinions toward the consumption of GMF of Mexican teachers, a questionnaire was distributed, and 362 Mexican teachers of basic education responded. The survey included questions about the benefits and risks of consuming GMF. The mean percentage of teachers expressing knowledge of a given topic in biotechnology was 50%. More than 60% of teachers believed that GMFs would be useful in preventing world hunger, while 39.2% considered GMF to be hazards for future generations. Although 47.0% reported not having enough knowledge about these topics, almost all (90.3%) respondents expressed an interest and willingness to learn about biotechnology. In light of the fact that teachers of basic education represent the first and potentially most lasting stage in the education of young children, this survey establishes the urgent need to develop strategies to improve the scientific knowledge of teachers and to facilitate decision making and the promotion of scientific and technological advances for their students. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(5):396-402, 2017. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  10. Weather patterns, food security and humanitarian response in sub-Saharan Africa.

    PubMed

    Haile, Menghestab

    2005-11-29

    Although considerable achievements in the global reduction of hunger and poverty have been made, progress in Africa so far has been very limited. At present, a third of the African population faces widespread hunger and chronic malnutrition and is exposed to a constant threat of acute food crisis and famine. The most affected are rural households whose livelihood is heavily dependent on traditional rainfed agriculture. Rainfall plays a major role in determining agricultural production and hence the economic and social well being of rural communities. The rainfall pattern in sub-Saharan Africa is influenced by large-scale intra-seasonal and inter-annual climate variability including occasional El Niño events in the tropical Pacific resulting in frequent extreme weather event such as droughts and floods that reduce agricultural outputs resulting in severe food shortages. Households and communities facing acute food shortages are forced to adopt coping strategies to meet the immediate food requirements of their families. These extreme responses may have adverse long-term, impacts on households' ability to have sustainable access to food as well as the environment. The HIV/AIDS crisis has also had adverse impacts on food production activities on the continent. In the absence of safety nets and appropriate financial support mechanisms, humanitarian aid is required to enable households effectively cope with emergencies and manage their limited resources more efficiently. Timely and appropriate humanitarian aid will provide households with opportunities to engage in productive and sustainable livelihood strategies. Investments in poverty reduction efforts would have better impact if complemented with timely and predictable response mechanisms that would ensure the protection of livelihoods during crisis periods whether weather or conflict-related. With an improved understanding of climate variability including El Niño, the implications of weather patterns for the food

  11. Weather patterns, food security and humanitarian response in sub-Saharan Africa

    PubMed Central

    Haile, Menghestab

    2005-01-01

    Although considerable achievements in the global reduction of hunger and poverty have been made, progress in Africa so far has been very limited. At present, a third of the African population faces widespread hunger and chronic malnutrition and is exposed to a constant threat of acute food crisis and famine. The most affected are rural households whose livelihood is heavily dependent on traditional rainfed agriculture. Rainfall plays a major role in determining agricultural production and hence the economic and social well being of rural communities. The rainfall pattern in sub-Saharan Africa is influenced by large-scale intra-seasonal and inter-annual climate variability including occasional El Niño events in the tropical Pacific resulting in frequent extreme weather event such as droughts and floods that reduce agricultural outputs resulting in severe food shortages. Households and communities facing acute food shortages are forced to adopt coping strategies to meet the immediate food requirements of their families. These extreme responses may have adverse long-term impacts on households' ability to have sustainable access to food as well as the environment. The HIV/AIDS crisis has also had adverse impacts on food production activities on the continent. In the absence of safety nets and appropriate financial support mechanisms, humanitarian aid is required to enable households effectively cope with emergencies and manage their limited resources more efficiently. Timely and appropriate humanitarian aid will provide households with opportunities to engage in productive and sustainable livelihood strategies. Investments in poverty reduction efforts would have better impact if complemented with timely and predictable response mechanisms that would ensure the protection of livelihoods during crisis periods whether weather or conflict-related. With an improved understanding of climate variability including El Niño, the implications of weather patterns for the food

  12. Crisis response to schools.

    PubMed

    Johnson, K

    2000-01-01

    While community based crisis response teams offer needed resources to schools impacted by crisis, they are often not asked to help. Reports from crisis team leaders at the school shooting incidents at James W. Parker Middle School, Edinboro, Pennsylvania and Columbine High School, Littleton, Colorado are contrasted regarding utilization of community resources. Factors limiting the usefulness of community based teams include unfamiliarity with school organization, culture, and procedures. Key differences in school vs. community team precepts, decision-making, and strategic paradigms render team coordination difficult. Successful cross training presents opportunities for school-community partnership and utilization of community teams for school duty.

  13. Campus Crisis Response at Viberg College

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eaker, Rachel; Viars, Jamie

    2014-01-01

    This fictional case study examines crisis response in higher education settings. Information about current crisis response procedures, plans, and trends was gathered from informational interviews, current crisis management literature, and multiple college and university websites. The information was synthesized into a fictional case study using…

  14. The intersection of climate/environment, food, nutrition and health: crisis and opportunity.

    PubMed

    Raiten, Daniel J; Aimone, Ashley M

    2017-04-01

    Climate/environmental change (C-E-C) is affecting human health and quality of life. Significant attention has been given to the impact of C-E-C on food supply, and food as a vehicle for exposure. However, C-E-C has been superimposed on prevalent malnutrition, infectious and non-communicable diseases. We discuss why nutrition is not synonymous with food and must be viewed as a biological variable that affects and is affected by both C-E-C as well as the current global health challenges. The nexus of C-E-C, food, nutrition and health must be considered in the development of safe and efficacious interventions. A case is presented for how the convergence of C-E-C, food/nutrition and health, presents an opportunity for more integrated approaches to achieve global health goals. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  15. Effects of global financial crisis on funding for health development in nineteen countries of the WHO African Region

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background There is ample evidence in Asia and Latin America showing that past economic crises resulted in cuts in expenditures on health, lower utilization of health services, and deterioration of child and maternal nutrition and health outcomes. Evidence on the impact of past economic crises on health sector in Africa is lacking. The objectives of this article are to present the findings of a quick survey conducted among countries of the WHO African Region to monitor the effects of global financial crisis on funding for health development; and to discuss the way forward. Methods This is a descriptive study. A questionnaire was prepared and sent by email to all the 46 Member States in the WHO African Region through the WHO Country Office for facilitation and follow up. The questionnaires were completed by directors of policy and planning in ministries of health. The data were entered and analyzed in Excel spreadsheet. The main limitations of this study were that authors did not ask whether other relevant sectors were consulted in the process of completing the survey questionnaire; and that the overall response rate was low. Results The main findings were as follows: the response rate was 41.3% (19/46 countries); 36.8% (7/19) indicated they had been notified by the Ministry of Finance that the budget for health would be cut; 15.8% (3/19) had been notified by partners of their intention to cut health funding; 61.1% (11/18) indicated that the prices of medicines had increased recently; 83.3% (15/18) indicated that the prices of basic food stuffs had increased recently; 38.8% (7/18) indicated that their local currency had been devalued against the US dollar; 47.1% (8/17) affirmed that the levels of unemployment had increased since the onset of global financial crisis; and 64.7% (11/17) indicated that the ministry of health had taken some measures already, either in reaction to the global financing crisis, or in anticipation. Conclusion A rapid assessment, like the one

  16. Effects of global financial crisis on funding for health development in nineteen countries of the WHO African Region.

    PubMed

    Kirigia, Joses M; Nganda, Benjamin M; Mwikisa, Chris N; Cardoso, Bernardino

    2011-04-13

    There is ample evidence in Asia and Latin America showing that past economic crises resulted in cuts in expenditures on health, lower utilization of health services, and deterioration of child and maternal nutrition and health outcomes. Evidence on the impact of past economic crises on health sector in Africa is lacking. The objectives of this article are to present the findings of a quick survey conducted among countries of the WHO African Region to monitor the effects of global financial crisis on funding for health development; and to discuss the way forward. This is a descriptive study. A questionnaire was prepared and sent by email to all the 46 Member States in the WHO African Region through the WHO Country Office for facilitation and follow up. The questionnaires were completed by directors of policy and planning in ministries of health. The data were entered and analyzed in Excel spreadsheet. The main limitations of this study were that authors did not ask whether other relevant sectors were consulted in the process of completing the survey questionnaire; and that the overall response rate was low. The main findings were as follows: the response rate was 41.3% (19/46 countries); 36.8% (7/19) indicated they had been notified by the Ministry of Finance that the budget for health would be cut; 15.8% (3/19) had been notified by partners of their intention to cut health funding; 61.1% (11/18) indicated that the prices of medicines had increased recently; 83.3% (15/18) indicated that the prices of basic food stuffs had increased recently; 38.8% (7/18) indicated that their local currency had been devalued against the US dollar; 47.1% (8/17) affirmed that the levels of unemployment had increased since the onset of global financial crisis; and 64.7% (11/17) indicated that the ministry of health had taken some measures already, either in reaction to the global financing crisis, or in anticipation. A rapid assessment, like the one reported in this article, of the

  17. The Crisis "Hotline" as Mediated Therapeutic Communication.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fish, Sandra L.

    Hotlines, or telephone crisis-lines, begun in the 1960s and currently numbering in the hundreds provide assistance to callers in crisis, frequently around the clock. Crisis-line communication can be seen as a form of mediated therapeutic communication premised on the existence of a crisis and the medium of the telephone which shapes the…

  18. Global effects of local food-production crises: a virtual water perspective

    PubMed Central

    Tamea, Stefania; Laio, Francesco; Ridolfi, Luca

    2016-01-01

    By importing food and agricultural goods, countries cope with the heterogeneous global water distribution and often rely on water resources available abroad. The virtual displacement of the water used to produce such goods (known as virtual water) connects together, in a global water system, all countries participating to the international trade network. Local food-production crises, having social, economic or environmental origin, propagate in this network, modifying the virtual water trade and perturbing local and global food availability, quantified in terms of virtual water. We analyze here the possible effects of local crises by developing a new propagation model, parsimonious but grounded on data-based and statistically-verified assumptions, whose effectiveness is proved on the Argentinean crisis in 2008–09. The model serves as the basis to propose indicators of crisis impact and country vulnerability to external food-production crises, which highlight that countries with largest water resources have the highest impact on the international trade, and that not only water-scarce but also wealthy and globalized countries are among the most vulnerable to external crises. The temporal analysis reveals that global average vulnerability has increased over time and that stronger effects of crises are now found in countries with low food (and water) availability. PMID:26804492

  19. Global effects of local food-production crises: a virtual water perspective.

    PubMed

    Tamea, Stefania; Laio, Francesco; Ridolfi, Luca

    2016-01-25

    By importing food and agricultural goods, countries cope with the heterogeneous global water distribution and often rely on water resources available abroad. The virtual displacement of the water used to produce such goods (known as virtual water) connects together, in a global water system, all countries participating to the international trade network. Local food-production crises, having social, economic or environmental origin, propagate in this network, modifying the virtual water trade and perturbing local and global food availability, quantified in terms of virtual water. We analyze here the possible effects of local crises by developing a new propagation model, parsimonious but grounded on data-based and statistically-verified assumptions, whose effectiveness is proved on the Argentinean crisis in 2008-09. The model serves as the basis to propose indicators of crisis impact and country vulnerability to external food-production crises, which highlight that countries with largest water resources have the highest impact on the international trade, and that not only water-scarce but also wealthy and globalized countries are among the most vulnerable to external crises. The temporal analysis reveals that global average vulnerability has increased over time and that stronger effects of crises are now found in countries with low food (and water) availability.

  20. Global effects of local food-production crises: a virtual water perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tamea, Stefania; Laio, Francesco; Ridolfi, Luca

    2016-01-01

    By importing food and agricultural goods, countries cope with the heterogeneous global water distribution and often rely on water resources available abroad. The virtual displacement of the water used to produce such goods (known as virtual water) connects together, in a global water system, all countries participating to the international trade network. Local food-production crises, having social, economic or environmental origin, propagate in this network, modifying the virtual water trade and perturbing local and global food availability, quantified in terms of virtual water. We analyze here the possible effects of local crises by developing a new propagation model, parsimonious but grounded on data-based and statistically-verified assumptions, whose effectiveness is proved on the Argentinean crisis in 2008-09. The model serves as the basis to propose indicators of crisis impact and country vulnerability to external food-production crises, which highlight that countries with largest water resources have the highest impact on the international trade, and that not only water-scarce but also wealthy and globalized countries are among the most vulnerable to external crises. The temporal analysis reveals that global average vulnerability has increased over time and that stronger effects of crises are now found in countries with low food (and water) availability.

  1. Remote sensing of global croplands for food security

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thenkabail, Prasad S.; Biradar, Chandrashekhar M.; Turral, Hugh; Lyon, John G.

    2009-01-01

    Increases in populations have created an increasing demand for food crops while increases in demand for biofuels have created an increase in demand for fuel crops. What has not increased is the amount of croplands and their productivity. These and many other factors such as decreasing water resources in a changing climate have created a crisis like situation in global food security. Decision makers in these situations need accurate information based on science. Remote Sensing of Global Croplands for Food Security provides a comprehensive knowledge base in use of satellite sensor-based maps and statistics that can be used to develop strategies for croplands (irrigated and rainfed) and their water use for food security.

  2. Food Safety: MedlinePlus Health Topic

    MedlinePlus

    ... reached its expiration date. United States Department of Agriculture Start Here 4 Basic Steps to Food Safety ... Food Safety When Preparing Holiday Meals (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service) - PDF Also in ...

  3. Rising food costs & global food security: key issues & relevance for India.

    PubMed

    Gustafson, Daniel J

    2013-09-01

    Rising food costs can have major impact on vulnerable households, pushing those least able to cope further into poverty and hunger. On the other hand, provided appropriate policies and infrastructure are in place, higher agricultural prices can also raise farmers' incomes and rural wages, improve rural economies and stimulate investment for longer-term economic growth. High food prices since 2007 have had both short-term impacts and long-term consequences, both good and bad. This article reviews the evidence of how rising costs have affected global food security since the food price crisis of 2007-2008, and their impact on different categories of households and countries. In light of recent studies, we know more about how households, and countries, cope or not with food price shocks but a number of contentious issues remain. These include the adequacy of current estimates and the interpretation of national and household food and nutrition security indicators. India is a particularly important country in this regard, given the high number of food insecure, the relative weight of India in global estimates of food and nutrition insecurity, and the puzzles that remain concerning the country's reported declining per capita calorie consumption. Competing explanations for what is behind it are not in agreement, but these all point to the importance of policy and programme innovation and greater investment necessary to reach the achievable goal of food and nutrition security for all.

  4. Rising food costs & global food security: Key issues & relevance for India

    PubMed Central

    Gustafson, Daniel J.

    2013-01-01

    Rising food costs can have major impact on vulnerable households, pushing those least able to cope further into poverty and hunger. On the other hand, provided appropriate policies and infrastructure are in place, higher agricultural prices can also raise farmers’ incomes and rural wages, improve rural economies and stimulate investment for longer-term economic growth. High food prices since 2007 have had both short-term impacts and long-term consequences, both good and bad. This article reviews the evidence of how rising costs have affected global food security since the food price crisis of 2007-2008, and their impact on different categories of households and countries. In light of recent studies, we know more about how households, and countries, cope or not with food price shocks but a number of contentious issues remain. These include the adequacy of current estimates and the interpretation of national and household food and nutrition security indicators. India is a particularly important country in this regard, given the high number of food insecure, the relative weight of India in global estimates of food and nutrition insecurity, and the puzzles that remain concerning the country's reported declining per capita calorie consumption. Competing explanations for what is behind it are not in agreement, but these all point to the importance of policy and programme innovation and greater investment necessary to reach the achievable goal of food and nutrition security for all. PMID:24135190

  5. When a Crisis Strikes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keebler, Barbara A.

    1989-01-01

    Urges Catholic educators to develop a crisis communication plan to ensure that all communication with the press and public is handled promptly and thoroughly by a designated spokesperson. Describes workshops which simulate real-life challenges as a means of testing crisis management plans. Offers guidelines for the development of a crisis…

  6. Crisis Management Research Summaries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brock, Stephen E., Ed.

    2009-01-01

    In this column, Crisis Management in the Schools Interest Group members summarize recent crisis management publications. The first article summarized was a meta-analysis of the risk factors associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among adults. The second study looked at the presence of life stressors among students who were expelled…

  7. Transformations in Higher Education in Agricultural and Food Sciences in Central and Eastern Europe.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ruffio, P.; Barloy, J.

    1995-01-01

    From an analysis of educational reform and the teaching crisis in agricultural/food sciences in Central and Eastern Europe emerged three key issues: (1) redefinition of the role of agricultural/food science managers; (2) replacement of production orientation with a comprehensive approach to rural development; and (3) recognition of the educational…

  8. Challenges to the Mediterranean diet at a time of economic crisis.

    PubMed

    Bonaccio, M; Bes-Rastrollo, M; de Gaetano, G; Iacoviello, L

    2016-12-01

    The traditional Mediterranean diet (MD) is reportedly associated with lower risk of major chronic diseases and long considered to contribute to the reduced rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events and to the highest life expectancy in adults who lived near the Mediterranean Sea. But despite its widely documented health benefits, adherence to this dietary pattern has been rapidly declining over the last decades due to a clear socioeconomic influence. The present review provides an overview of the evidence on the current major determinants of adherence to the Mediterranean diet, with a particular emphasis on Mediterranean Countries at a time of economic crisis; second it explores emerging socioeconomic inequalities in other domains of healthy dietary behaviours such as dietary variety, access to organic foods and food purchasing behaviour. According to ecological evidence, the Mediterranean Countries that used to have the highest adherence to the Mediterranean pattern in the Sixties, more recently experienced the greatest decrease, while Countries in Northern Europe and some other Countries around the world are currently embracing a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern. A potential cause of this downward trend could be the increasing prices of some food items of the Mediterranean diet pyramid. Recent evidence has shown a possible involvement of the economic crisis, material resources becoming strong determinants of the adherence to the MD just after the recession started in 2007-2008. Beyond intake, the MD also encourages increasing dietary diversity, while international dietary recommendations suggest replacing regular foods with healthier ones. Socioeconomic factors appear to be major determinants of the adherence to MD and disparities also hold for other indices of diet quality closely related to this dietary pattern. Copyright © 2016 The Italian Society of Diabetology, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human

  9. Hypercalcemic crisis: a clinical review.

    PubMed

    Ahmad, Shazia; Kuraganti, Gayatri; Steenkamp, Devin

    2015-03-01

    Hypercalcemia is a common metabolic perturbation. However, hypercalcemic crisis is an unusual endocrine emergency, with little clinical scientific data to support therapeutic strategy. We review the relevant scientific English literature on the topic and review current management strategies after conducting a PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar search for articles published between 1930 and June 2014 using specific keywords: "hypercalcemic crisis," "hyperparathyroid crisis," "parathyroid storm," "severe primary hyperparathyroidism," "acute hyperparathyroidism," and "severe hypercalcemia" for articles pertaining to the diagnosis, epidemiology, clinical presentation, and treatment strategies. Despite extensive clinical experience, large and well-designed clinical studies to direct appropriate clinical care are lacking. Nonetheless, morbidity and mortality rates have substantially decreased since early series reported almost universal fatality. Improved outcomes can be attributed to modern diagnostic capabilities, leading to earlier diagnosis, along with the recognition that primary hyperparathyroidism is the most common etiology for hypercalcemic crisis. Hypercalcemic crisis is an unusual endocrine emergency that portends excellent outcomes if rapid diagnosis, medical treatment, and definitive surgical treatment are expedited. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Maintenance Crisis vs Solutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haggard, Susie

    Industrial maintenance in Northeast Georgia is facing an acute crisis. Contributing factors are economic development that is depleting the work force, aging of the population, downsizing of the military, and lack of technical school graduates. Solutions to the crisis fall into three categories: short-term, mid-term, and long-term. For short-term…

  11. The Little-Known Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eckholm, Erik P.

    1975-01-01

    For one-third of the world's people, the energy crisis means the daily scramble to find the wood they need to cook. The accelerating destruction of forests throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America and the utilization of manure as a firewood substitute may produce the most profound ecological crisis of this century. (BT)

  12. Knowledge communication: a key to successful crisis management.

    PubMed

    Johansson, Anders; Härenstam, Malin

    2013-09-01

    A winning concept of crisis management can be summarized in 2 words: knowledge communication. If decision makers, communicators, experts, and the public understand what the crisis is about and share their knowledge, the process of handling it will be optimized. Effective crisis communication implies the necessity of an unhindered but purposeful exchange of information within and between authorities, organizations, media, involved individuals, and groups before, during, and after a crisis. This article focuses on the importance of the before, or prevention, part of a crisis since it holds a rich possibility to enhance the chances for successful crisis management of a bioterrorism incident. An extended perspective on crisis communication efficiently links to a more thorough understanding of risk perception with various stakeholders and the public, which also will be helpful for situational awareness. Furthermore, the grounded baseline for the dialogue type of crisis communication suitable in modern society and to modern social media is achieved by linking to those risk communication efforts that are made. The link between risk and crisis should be afforded more attention since, especially in biosecurity, there would be no crisis without risk negligence and poor or malfunctioning preventive efforts.

  13. Commercial speech in crisis: Crisis Pregnancy Center regulations and definitions of commercial speech.

    PubMed

    Gilbert, Kathryn E

    2013-02-01

    Recent attempts to regulate Crisis Pregnancy Centers, pseudoclinics that surreptitiously aim to dissuade pregnant women from choosing abortion, have confronted the thorny problem of how to define commercial speech. The Supreme Court has offered three potential answers to this definitional quandary. This Note uses the Crisis Pregnancy Center cases to demonstrate that courts should use one of these solutions, the factor-based approach of Bolger v. Youngs Drugs Products Corp., to define commercial speech in the Crisis Pregnancy Center cases and elsewhere. In principle and in application, the Bolger factor-based approach succeeds in structuring commercial speech analysis at the margins of the doctrine.

  14. Timing crisis information release via television.

    PubMed

    Wei, Jiuchang; Zhao, Dingtao; Yang, Feng; Du, Shaofu; Marinova, Dora

    2010-10-01

    When and how often to release information on television are important issues in crisis and emergency risk communication. There is a lot of crisis information, including warnings and news, to which people should have access, but most of it is not significantly urgent to interrupt the broadcasting of television programmes. Hence, the right timing for the release of crisis information should be selected based on the importance of the crisis and any associated communication requirements. Using recursive methods, this paper builds an audience coverage model of crisis information release. Based on 2007 Household Using TV (HUT) data for Hefei City, China, the optimal combination of broadcasting sequence (with frequencies between one and eight times) is obtained using the implicit enumeration method. The developed model is applicable to effective transmission of crisis information, with the aim of reducing interference with the normal television transmission process and decreasing the psychological effect on audiences. The same model can be employed for other purposes, such as news coverage and weather and road information. © 2010 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2010.

  15. How extrusion shapes food processing

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This month's column will explore food extrusion. Extrusion is one of the most commonly used food manufacturing processes. Its versatility enables production of a diverse array of food products. This column will review the basic principles and provide an overview of applications. I would like to ...

  16. Reviewing the definition of crisis in dementia care

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Crisis is a term frequently used in dementia care lacking a standardized definition. This article systematically reviews existing definitions of crisis in dementia care literature to create a standardized definition that can be utilized for research, policy and clinical practice. Methods We systematically searched for articles containing definitions of crisis in the context of dementia care. We created an operational framework of crisis based on retrieved definitions. Recommendations to address crisis situations were reviewed and classified according to care settings. Results Abstracts and titles of 1,113 articles, screened from PubMed and EMBASE, were narrowed down to 27 articles. After review, crisis in dementia was defined as a process where a stressor causes an imbalance requiring an immediate decision to be made which leads to a desired outcome and therefore a resolution of the crisis. If the crisis is not resolved, the cycle continues. Recommendations for resolving crisis involving persons with dementia and their caregivers include awareness therapy after diagnosis and increased contact with general practitioners, case manager consultations, caregiver support and education. Furthermore, nursing home staff should be attuned to the environmental, physical and psychological needs of persons with dementia. Conclusions This is the first article to review the definition of crisis in the context of dementia care. A review of the literature indicated that the definition of a crisis is idiosyncratic. Therefore, it is difficult to prevent or plan for all crises. We used an operational framework to compile types of crisis stressors and recommendations from the crisis literature based on three different perspectives; the person with the dementia, the caregiver and the healthcare providers. PMID:23374634

  17. Reviewing the definition of crisis in dementia care.

    PubMed

    MacNeil Vroomen, Janet; Bosmans, Judith E; van Hout, Hein P J; de Rooij, Sophia E

    2013-02-01

    Crisis is a term frequently used in dementia care lacking a standardized definition. This article systematically reviews existing definitions of crisis in dementia care literature to create a standardized definition that can be utilized for research, policy and clinical practice. We systematically searched for articles containing definitions of crisis in the context of dementia care. We created an operational framework of crisis based on retrieved definitions. Recommendations to address crisis situations were reviewed and classified according to care settings. Abstracts and titles of 1,113 articles, screened from PubMed and EMBASE, were narrowed down to 27 articles. After review, crisis in dementia was defined as a process where a stressor causes an imbalance requiring an immediate decision to be made which leads to a desired outcome and therefore a resolution of the crisis. If the crisis is not resolved, the cycle continues. Recommendations for resolving crisis involving persons with dementia and their caregivers include awareness therapy after diagnosis and increased contact with general practitioners, case manager consultations, caregiver support and education. Furthermore, nursing home staff should be attuned to the environmental, physical and psychological needs of persons with dementia. This is the first article to review the definition of crisis in the context of dementia care. A review of the literature indicated that the definition of a crisis is idiosyncratic. Therefore, it is difficult to prevent or plan for all crises. We used an operational framework to compile types of crisis stressors and recommendations from the crisis literature based on three different perspectives; the person with the dementia, the caregiver and the healthcare providers.

  18. Sickle cell crisis and endothelin antagonists.

    PubMed

    Angerio, Allan D; Lee, Nicole D

    2003-01-01

    Sickle cell crisis may be more complex than a vaso-occlusive event in response to hypoxia. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictor and mitogen secreted in response to hypoxia. ET-1 contributes to the vaso-occlusion and inflammation in sickle cell crisis. ET-1 antagonists may be useful in the prevention and treatment of crisis.

  19. The looming retirement crisis.

    PubMed

    Walker, D M

    1997-06-01

    A retirement crisis looms in the United States due to a number of recent and emerging trends that affect government retirement programs, employer- and union-sponsored retirement benefits and personal savings arrangements. The crisis can be averted, but only with well-thought-out action on a number of issues, particularly Social Security and Medicare reform.

  20. Organizational Crisis Experience and Public Relations Roles.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guth, David W.

    1995-01-01

    Suggests a relationship between organizational crisis experience and the placement of the public relations function. Notes a relationship between organization size and crisis experience. Uncovers an alarming absence of crisis planning and training in organizations. (SR)

  1. Crisis behavior: An exploration of theories in concert.

    PubMed

    McConnell, Jason B; Crudo, Christine

    2015-01-01

    How might prominent existing communication theory better explain behavior in a crisis context, when considered in concert with one another? This theoretical work highlights the insight to be gained using Situational Crisis Communication Theory and Bandura's notions of self-efficacy to heighten the explanatory power of the Theory of Planned Behavior as applied to communication during times of crisis. Situational Crisis Communication Theory better explains how past experience with crisis influences the attitudes and social norms of crisis behavior, while Bandura's notion of self-efficacy speaks more directly to the availability of resources as contributing factors to perceived behavioral control in a crisis situation. As such, the incorporation of these well-developed notions into the broader framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior affords greater understanding of the relationship between communication and behavior during a crisis. Further exploration of this theoretical relationship is warranted.

  2. Simple wealth distribution model causing inequality-induced crisis without external shocks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Benisty, Henri

    2017-05-01

    We address the issue of the dynamics of wealth accumulation and economic crisis triggered by extreme inequality, attempting to stick to most possibly intrinsic assumptions. Our general framework is that of pure or modified multiplicative processes, basically geometric Brownian motions. In contrast with the usual approach of injecting into such stochastic agent models either specific, idiosyncratic internal nonlinear interaction patterns or macroscopic disruptive features, we propose a dynamic inequality model where the attainment of a sizable fraction of the total wealth by very few agents induces a crisis regime with strong intermittency, the explicit coupling between the richest and the rest being a mere normalization mechanism, hence with minimal extrinsic assumptions. The model thus harnesses the recognized lack of ergodicity of geometric Brownian motions. It also provides a statistical intuition to the consequences of Thomas Piketty's recent "r >g " (return rate > growth rate) paradigmatic analysis of very-long-term wealth trends. We suggest that the "water-divide" of wealth flow may define effective classes, making an objective entry point to calibrate the model. Consistently, we check that a tax mechanism associated to a few percent relative bias on elementary daily transactions is able to slow or stop the build-up of large wealth. When extreme fluctuations are tamed down to a stationary regime with sizable but steadier inequalities, it should still offer opportunities to study the dynamics of crisis and the inner effective classes induced through external or internal factors.

  3. Enhancing crisis leadership in public health emergencies.

    PubMed

    Deitchman, Scott

    2013-10-01

    Reviews of public health emergency responses have identified a need for crisis leadership skills in health leaders, but these skills are not routinely taught in public health curricula. To develop criteria for crisis leadership in public health, published sources were reviewed to identify attributes of successful crisis leadership in aviation, public safety, military operations, and mining. These sources were abstracted to identify crisis leadership attributes associated with those disciplines and compare those attributes with crisis leadership challenges in public health. Based on this review, the following attributes are proposed for crisis leadership in public health: competence in public health science; decisiveness with flexibility; ability to maintain situational awareness and provide situational assessment; ability to coordinate diverse participants across very different disciplines; communication skills; and the ability to inspire trust. Of these attributes, only competence in public health science is currently a goal of public health education. Strategies to teach the other proposed attributes of crisis leadership will better prepare public health leaders to meet the challenges of public health crises.

  4. Expanding the Crisis Planning Function: Introducing Elements of Risk Communication to Crisis Communication Practice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, David E.; Olaniran, Bolanle A.

    1998-01-01

    Suggests use of elements of risk communication by crisis communication practitioners facing increasing industrial reliance on new technologies which might be associated with potential health/environment harm. Studies a small company crisis which reveals that elements of anticipation, public involvement/trust, technological comparison, and media…

  5. Outcome of Extended Thymectomy in Myasthenia Crisis Patient.

    PubMed

    Aftabuddin, M; Bhandari, S

    2016-07-01

    Myasthenic crisis is a life-threatening condition. We studied the demographic, frequency, causes and clinical presentation of isolated Myasthenic crisis, steps of treatment and to review our experience of extended thymectomy on patients with at least one episode myasthenic crisis. A prospective and retrospective study was conducted on patients with at least one episode of myasthenic crisis, from March 2010 to September 2014, at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, BSMMU, Dhaka, Bangladesh who were referred for thymectomy. Eighteen patients (13.6% of the total 132 patients with myasthenia gravis were admitted with single to multiple episodes of myasthenic crisis, median crisis was 2.5 episodes. Mean age of the patient was 35.5 (18-72) years with male predominance. All eighteen patients had undergone extended thymectomy after completion of 5 cycle plasmapheresis, of which 2 had experienced postoperative respiratory crisis, required invasive ventilator support for median 14 days. One patient required invasive ventilator support after third post operative day. Six patients had thymoma and 12 had thymic hyperplasia. Three patients needed Intravenous immunoglobin. Nine patients needed post operative anti acetylcholinesterase inhibitor after median 2.5 post days. Post thymectomy remission and decreases the frequency of myasthenic crisis was seen in follow up and post operative medication requirement reduced significantly as compared to the preoperative requirement. This report highlights that the patients who had extended thymectomy after episodes of myasthenia crisis are benefitted even in the histhopathology report does not confirmed thymoma. After thymectomy, there was remission of myasthenic crisis. Patients with myasthenic crisis should have judicious drug adjustments under supervision and should be treated aggressively during impending myasthenic crisis. With modern management of myasthenia gravis, early surgery with myasthenic crisis is safe with good long

  6. Understanding food insecurity among Thai older women in an urban community.

    PubMed

    Piaseu, Noppawan; Komindr, Surat; Belza, Basia

    2010-12-01

    In this qualitative study we aimed to describe how older women in a crowded urban community perceive the food insecurity experience and deal with it. In-depth interviews were conducted among 30 Thai older women. Results revealed that older women perceived their food insecurity experience as a negative effect of the current economic downturn globally. They felt that they were confronting a crisis. Problems they dealt with included six issues. The women employed management strategies around food, health, money, and family. Our results suggest a need for welfare reform that facilitates management strategies aimed to meet food security.

  7. Leadership in a (permanent) crisis.

    PubMed

    Heifetz, Ronald; Grashow, Alexander; Linsky, Marty

    2009-01-01

    The current economic crisis is not just another rough spell. Today's mix of urgency, high stakes, and uncertainty will continue even after the recession ends. The immediate crisis--which we will get through with policy makers' expert technical adjustments--sets the stage for a sustained, or even permanent, crisis, a relentless series of challenges no one has encountered before. Instead of hunkering down and relying on their familiar expertise to deal with the sustained crisis, people in positions of authority--whether they are CEOs or managers heading up a company initiative--must practice what the authors call adaptive leadership. They must, of course, tackle the underlying causes of the crisis, but they must also simultaneously make the changes that will allow their organizations to thrive in turbulent environments. Adaptive leadership is an improvisational and experimental art, requiring some new practices. Like Julie Gilbert, who overcame internal resistance to reorient Best Buy toward female purchasers, adaptive leaders get things done to meet today's challenges and then modify those things to thrive in tomorrow's world. They also embrace disequilibrium, using turbulence as an opportunity to build crucial new capacities, as Paul Levy did to rescue Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center from a profound financial crisis. Finally, adaptive leaders, such as Egon Zehnder, the founder of an executive search firm, draw out the leadership skills that reside deep in the organization, recognizing the interdependence of all employees and mobilizing everyone to generate solutions.

  8. Analyzing Crisis in Global Financial Indices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, Sunil; Deo, Nivedita

    We apply the Random Matrix Theory and complex network techniques to 20 global financial indices and study the correlation and network properties before and during the financial crisis of 2008 respectively. We find that the largest eigenvalue deviate significantly from the upper bound which shows a strong correlation between financial indices. By using a sliding window of 25 days we find that largest eigenvalue represent the collective information about the correlation between global financial indices and its trend indicate the market conditions. It is confirmed that eigenvectors corresponding to second largest eigenvalue gives useful information about the sector formation in the global financial indices. We find that these clusters are formed on the basis of the geographical location. The correlation network is constructed using threshold method for different values of threshold θ in the range 0 to 0.9, at θ=0.2 the network is fully connected. At θ=0.6, the Americas, Europe and Asia/Pacific form different clusters before the crisis but during the crisis Americas and Europe are strongly linked. If we further increase the threshold to 0.9 we find that European countries France, Germany and UK consistently constitute the most tightly linked markets before and during the crisis. We find that the structure of Minimum Spanning Tree before the crisis is more star like whereas during the crisis it changes to be more chain like. Using the multifractal analysis, we find that Hurst exponents of financial indices increases during the period of crisis as compared to the period before the crisis. The empirical results verify the validity of measures, and this has led to a better understanding of complex financial markets.

  9. The impact of a school food aid program on household food insecurity.

    PubMed

    Petralias, Athanassios; Papadimitriou, Eleni; Riza, Elena; Karagas, Margaret R; Zagouras, Alexia B A; Linos, Athena

    2016-04-01

    We had a unique opportunity to establish the extent of food insecurity and the potential impact of a large-scale school-based nutritional program, in low-socioeconomic status districts of Greece, during the current economic crisis. Around 162 schools with 25 349 students participated during the 2012-2013 school year. Each student received a daily healthy meal designed by nutrition specialists. Food insecurity levels, measured using the Food Security Survey Module were assessed at baseline and after a 1-8-month intervention period. Pre-post intervention responses were matched at an individual level. Around 64.2% of children's households experienced food insecurity at baseline. This percentage decreased to 59.1% post-intervention,P< 0.001. On an individual level, food insecurity score diminished by 6.5%,P< 0.001. After adjustment for various socioeconomic factors, for each additional month of participation, the odds of reducing the food insecurity score increased by 6.3% (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02-1.11). Those experiencing food insecurity with hunger at baseline were more likely to improve food insecurity score than those who did not (OR = 3.51, 95%CI: 2.92-4.21). Children and families residing in low socioeconomic areas of Greece, experience high levels of food insecurity. Our findings suggest that participation in a school-based food aid program may reduce food insecurity for children and their families in a developed country in times of economic hardship. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.

  10. The impact of a school food aid program on household food insecurity

    PubMed Central

    Petralias, Athanassios; Papadimitriou, Eleni; Riza, Elena; Karagas, Margaret R.; Zagouras, Alexia B.A.

    2016-01-01

    Background: We had a unique opportunity to establish the extent of food insecurity and the potential impact of a large-scale school-based nutritional program, in low-socioeconomic status districts of Greece, during the current economic crisis. Methods: Around 162 schools with 25 349 students participated during the 2012–2013 school year. Each student received a daily healthy meal designed by nutrition specialists. Food insecurity levels, measured using the Food Security Survey Module were assessed at baseline and after a 1–8-month intervention period. Pre–post intervention responses were matched at an individual level. Results: Around 64.2% of children’s households experienced food insecurity at baseline. This percentage decreased to 59.1% post-intervention, P < 0.001. On an individual level, food insecurity score diminished by 6.5%, P < 0.001. After adjustment for various socioeconomic factors, for each additional month of participation, the odds of reducing the food insecurity score increased by 6.3% (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.02–1.11). Those experiencing food insecurity with hunger at baseline were more likely to improve food insecurity score than those who did not (OR = 3.51, 95%CI: 2.92–4.21). Conclusion: Children and families residing in low socioeconomic areas of Greece, experience high levels of food insecurity. Our findings suggest that participation in a school-based food aid program may reduce food insecurity for children and their families in a developed country in times of economic hardship. PMID:26873860

  11. Food products for space applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cope, P. S.; Larson, R. W.

    1968-01-01

    Specially-prepared foodstuffs supply an astronaut with a diet containing his basic nutritional requirements in a form that is useful in his enironment. Several edible coatings preserve foods and give loose foods form and firmness. These coatings aid in packaging and give the food slip for easy removal from the package.

  12. Internal displacement and the Syrian crisis: an analysis of trends from 2011-2014.

    PubMed

    Doocy, Shannon; Lyles, Emily; Delbiso, Tefera D; Robinson, Courtland W

    2015-01-01

    Since the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011, civil unrest and armed conflict in the country have resulted in a rapidly increasing number of people displaced both within and outside of Syria. Those displaced face immense challenges in meeting their basic needs. This study sought to characterize internal displacement in Syria, including trends in both time and place, and to provide insights on the association between displacement and selected measures of household well-being and humanitarian needs. This study presents findings from two complementary methods: a desk review of displaced population estimates and movements and a needs assessment of 3930 Syrian households affected by the crisis. The first method, a desk review of displaced population estimates and movements, provides a retrospective analysis of national trends in displacement from March 2011 through June 2014. The second method, analysis of findings from a 2014 needs assessment by displacement status, provides insight into the displaced population and the association between displacement and humanitarian needs. Findings indicate that while displacement often corresponds to conflict levels, such trends were not uniformly observed in governorate-level analysis. Governorate level IDP estimates do not provide information on a scale detailed enough to adequately plan humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, such estimates are often influenced by obstructed access to certain areas, unsubstantiated reports, and substantial discrepancies in reporting. Secondary displacement is not consistently reported across sources nor are additional details about displacement, including whether displaced individuals originated within the current governorate or outside of the governorate. More than half (56.4 %) of households reported being displaced more than once, with a majority displaced for more than one year (73.3 %). Some differences between displaced and non-displaced population were observed in residence crowding, food

  13. [Changes between pre-crisis and crisis period in socioeconomic inequalities in health and stimulant use in Netherlands].

    PubMed

    Buggink, J W; de Goeij, M C M; Otten, F W J; Kunst, A

    2016-01-01

    International research suggests an impact of economic crises on population health, with different effects among different socioeconomic groups. Since the end of 2008 the Netherlands experienced a period of economic crisis. Our study explores how inequalities in perceived general and mental health, and alcohol and tobacco use changed after the recession started. Cross-sectional study using routinely collected data from surveys of the Dutch population. We used data from the Dutch Health Interview Surveys: 2006-2008 (pre-crisis period) and 2009-2013 (crisis period). Respondents aged 25-64 were divided into socioeconomic groups based on labour status, income level and income change. Inequalities in health and stimulant use among these socioeconomic groups were described by period and changes between the pre-crisis and crisis period were investigated using logistic regression models. Most inequalities did not change, with some exceptions. For perceived general health, inequalities between employed persons and persons not in the labour force were larger in the crisis-period (unfavourable trends for those not in the labour force). For smoking, inequalities between unemployed and employed persons were larger in the crisis period (decreasing smoking rates only for those employed), as did inequalities between persons with low and high income levels (decreasing smoking rates for those with higher income levels). Excessive drinking decreased among employed persons and persons with a decrease in income, while it remained stable among persons not in the labour force and among persons with an increase in income. The widening of some socioeconomic inequalities in health and stimulant use might suggest an enhanced vulnerability of lower socioeconomic groups to the post-2008 crisis.

  14. Changes between pre-crisis and crisis period in socioeconomic inequalities in health and stimulant use in Netherlands.

    PubMed

    Bruggink, Jan-Willem; de Goeij, Moniek C M; Otten, Ferdy; Kunst, Anton E

    2016-10-01

    International research suggests an impact of economic crises on population health, with different effects among different socioeconomic groups. Since the end of 2008 the Netherlands experienced a period of economic crisis. Our study explores how inequalities in perceived general and mental health, and alcohol and tobacco use changed after the recession started. We used data from the Dutch Health Interview Surveys: 2006-2008 (pre-crisis period) and 2009-2013 (crisis period). Respondents aged 25-64 were divided into socioeconomic groups based on labour status, income level and income change. Inequalities in health and stimulant use among these socioeconomic groups were described by period and changes between the pre-crisis and crisis period were investigated using logistic regression models. Most inequalities did not change, with some exceptions. For perceived general health, inequalities between employed persons and persons not in the labour force were larger in the crisis period (unfavourable trends for those not in the labour force). For smoking, inequalities between unemployed and employed persons were larger in the crisis period (decreasing smoking rates only for those employed), as did inequalities between persons with low and high income levels (decreasing smoking rates for those with higher income levels). Excessive drinking decreased among employed persons and persons with a decrease in income, while it remained stable among persons not in the labour force and among persons with an increase in income. The widening of some socioeconomic inequalities in health and stimulant use might suggest an enhanced vulnerability of lower socioeconomic groups to the post-2008 crisis. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

  15. Reach Higher, America: Overcoming Crisis in the U.S. Workforce. Report of the National Commission on Adult Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Commission on Adult Literacy (NJ1), 2008

    2008-01-01

    Education drives the economy. Almost a decade into the 21st Century, America faces a choice: It can invest in the basic education and skills of its workforce and remain competitive in today's global economy, or it can continue to overlook glaring evidence of a national crisis and move further down the path to decline. In this report, the National…

  16. Helping Crisis Managers Protect Reputational Assets: Initial Tests of the Situational Crisis Communication Theory.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coombs, W. Timothy; Holladay, Sherry J.

    2002-01-01

    Explains a comprehensive, prescriptive, situational approach for responding to crises and protecting organizational reputation: the situational crisis communication theory (SCCT). Notes undergraduate students read two crisis case studies from a set of 13 cases and responded to questions following the case. Validates a key assumption in SCCT and…

  17. 40 CFR 166.45 - Duration of crisis exemption.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Duration of crisis exemption. 166.45... EXEMPTION OF FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES FOR USE OF PESTICIDES UNDER EMERGENCY CONDITIONS Crisis Exemptions § 166.45 Duration of crisis exemption. A crisis exemption may be authorized for: (a) Only as long as is...

  18. Are you ready? Crisis leadership in a hyper-VUCA environment.

    PubMed

    Alkhaldi, Khaldoon H; Austin, Meredith L; Cura, Boris A; Dantzler, Darrell; Holland, Leslie; Maples, David L; Quarrelles, Jamie C; Weinkle, Robert K; Marcus, Leonard J

    2017-01-01

    The current hyper-volatile, -uncertain, -complex, and -ambiguous (VUCA) threat environment demands a more cohesive support structure for crisis leaders who may be faced with crises of increasing magnitude and frequency and, in some instances, multiple crisis events simultaneously. The project team investigates the perceptions of crisis leaders regarding establishing a crisis leader advisor position for crisis leaders to benefit from their experience while prosecuting crisis response activities. The team linked hyper-VUCA crises, crisis response frameworks, meta-leadership, crisis leader attributes, and advisor attributes. The overall goal of the project is to increase the ability of the crisis leaders to more effectively and efficiently navigate crisis events resulting in more efficient and effective response and recovery. Three research questions were developed to assess the following: thoughts of integrating a crisis leader advisor position; development of a crisis leader advisor certification program; and attributes of crisis leader advisors. A qualitative research methodology using a phenomenological approach was employed. Forty-one participants were purposefully selected and administered a short, online survey consisting of 11 questions. Data were analyzed using percentage analysis, weighted sums, and inductive thematic analysis. The project team found an overwhelming support for the crisis leader advisor position and the crisis leader advisor certification program. Additionally, experience and trustworthiness ranked among the top sought after attributes of a crisis leader advisor. The team recommendations included (1) implement a crisis leaders advisor guide/framework; (2) create a formal crisis leader advisor position in national incident management system; (3) implement a crisis leader advisor certification framework; (4) benchmark established advisor programs; and (5) implement a framework to match leaders and advisors.

  19. Are you ready? Crisis leadership in a hyper-VUCA environment.

    PubMed

    Alkhaldi, Khaldoon H; Austin, Meredith L; Cura, Boris A; Dantzler, Darrell; Holland, Leslie; Maples, David L; Quarrelles, Jamie C; Weinkle, Robert K; Marcus, Leonard J

    The current hyper-volatile, -uncertain, -complex, and -ambiguous (VUCA) threat environment demands a more cohesive support structure for crisis leaders who may be faced with crises of increasing magnitude and frequency and, in some instances, multiple crisis events simultaneously. The project team investigates the perceptions of crisis leaders regarding establishing a crisis leader advisor position for crisis leaders to benefit from their experience while prosecuting crisis response activities. The team linked hyper-VUCA crises, crisis response frameworks, meta-leadership, crisis leader attributes, and advisor attributes. The overall goal of the project is to increase the ability of the crisis leaders to more effectively and efficiently navigate crisis events resulting in more efficient and effective response and recovery. Three research questions were developed to assess the following: thoughts of integrating a crisis leader advisor position; development of a crisis leader advisor certification program; and attributes of crisis leader advisors. A qualitative research methodology using a phenomenological approach was employed. Forty-one participants were purposefully selected and administered a short, on-line survey consisting of 11 questions. Data were analyzed using percentage analysis, weighted sums, and inductive thematic analysis. The project team found an overwhelming support for the crisis leader advisor position and the crisis leader advisor certification program. Additionally, experience and trustworthiness ranked among the top sought after attributes of a crisis leader advisor. The team recommendations included (1) implement a crisis leaders advisor guide/framework; (2) create a formal crisis leader advisor position in national incident management system; (3) implement a crisis leader advisor certification framework; (4) benchmark established advisor programs; and (5) implement a framework to match leaders and advisors.

  20. Are you ready? Crisis leadership in a hyper-VUCA environment.

    PubMed

    Alkhaldi, Khaldoon H; Austin, Meredith L; Cura, Boris A; Dantzler, Darrell; Holland, Leslie; Maples, David L; Quarrelles, Jamie C; Weinkle, Robert K; Marcus, Leonard J

    The current hyper-volatile, -uncertain, -complex, and -ambiguous (VUCA) threat environment demands a more cohesive support structure for crisis leaders who may be faced with crises of increasing magnitude and frequency and, in some instances, multiple crisis events simultaneously. The project team investigates the perceptions of crisis leaders regarding establishing a crisis leader advisor position for crisis leaders to benefit from their experience while prosecuting crisis response activities. The team linked hyper-VUCA crises, crisis response frameworks, meta-leadership, crisis leader attributes, and advisor attributes. The overall goal of the project is to increase the ability of the crisis leaders to more effectively and efficiently navigate crisis events resulting in more efficient and effective response and recovery. Three research questions were developed to assess the following: thoughts of integrating a crisis leader advisor position; development of a crisis leader advisor certification program; and attributes of crisis leader advisors. A qualitative research methodology using a phenomenological approach was employed. Forty-one participants were purposefully selected and administered a short, on-line survey consisting of 11 questions. Data were analyzed using percentage analysis,weighted sums, and inductive thematic analysis. The project team found an overwhelming support for the crisis leader advisor position and the crisis leader advisor certification program. Additionally, experience and trustworthiness ranked among the top sought after attributes of a crisis leader advisor. The team recommendations included (1) implement a crisis leaders advisor guide/framework; (2) create a formal crisis leader advisor position in national incident management system; (3) implement a crisis leader advisor certification framework; (4) benchmark established advisor programs; and (5) implement a framework to match leaders and advisors.

  1. Making sense of the global health crisis: policy narratives, conflict, and global health governance.

    PubMed

    Ney, Steven

    2012-04-01

    Health has become a policy issue of global concern. Worried that the unstructured, polycentric, and pluralist nature of global health governance is undermining the ability to serve emergent global public health interests, some commentators are calling for a more systematic institutional response to the "global health crisis." Yet global health is a complex and uncertain policy issue. This article uses narrative analysis to explore how actors deal with these complexities and how uncertainties affect global health governance. By comparing three narratives in terms of their basic assumptions, the way they define problems as well as the solutions they propose, the analysis shows how the unstructured pluralism of global health policy making creates a wide scope of policy conflict over the global health crisis. This wide scope of conflict enables effective policy-oriented learning about global health issues. The article also shows how exclusionary patterns of cooperation and competition are emerging in health policy making at the global level. These patterns threaten effective learning by risking both polarization of the policy debate and unanticipated consequences of health policy. Avoiding these pitfalls, the analysis suggests, means creating global health governance regimes that promote openness and responsiveness in deliberation about the global health crisis.

  2. Food policy in the Canadian North: Is there a role for country food markets?

    PubMed

    Ford, James D; Macdonald, Joanna Petrasek; Huet, Catherine; Statham, Sara; MacRury, Allison

    2016-03-01

    Food insecurity is widely reported to be at a crisis level in the Inuit territory of Nunavut, Canada. Various policies, programs, and initiatives have been proposed to tackle the problem, with increasing interest in developing a system of country food markets (CFMs) similar to Greenland. We examine if CFMs offer a feasible, sustainable, and effective model for strengthening food systems in Nunavut, examining the model of Greenland and drawing on semi-structured interviews with key informants (n = 45). The Greenland experience indicates that CFMs can provide access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food on a regular basis, and can diversify locally available foods. These benefits are transferable to Nunavut, although knowledge gaps, regulatory and institutional conditions, and concerns over how CFMs might affect the cultural basis of food systems, underlies apprehension over their development in the territory. We conclude that Nunavut is not currently in the position to develop CFMs, but the role of such markets in potentially strengthening food systems should not be discounted. Future development would need to solicit community input on CFMs, resolve regulatory issues around wildlife management and harvesting, and study how future risks would affect sustainability and effectiveness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Food Preparation. I: Food Facts for Home. II: Facts about Foodservice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Procter and Gamble Educational Services, Cincinnati, OH.

    This package is intended for use in home economics classes focusing on nutrition and food preparation and service. The teaching guide is divided into two parts. The first centers on selected first-time facts on nutrition, meal planning, and basic food preparation skills. It includes modules on nutrition, meal management, initial steps in food…

  4. Communicating through Crisis: A Strategy for Organizational Survival.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sturges, David L.

    1994-01-01

    Suggests that crisis communication should be a part of the larger issues of communication policy and strategy. Builds a case for the need to consider crisis communication in a larger context. Proposes a model of crisis communication content that may serve as a framework for research into the efficacy of communication during crisis episodes. (RS)

  5. School Crisis Management Manual: Guidelines for Administrators. Second Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Judie

    This three-part manual is intended for principals and other administrators responsible for developing and managing school crisis plans. Part 1, preparation for a school crisis, includes sections on the selection and training of members of the school crisis team, steps in developing a school crisis plan, and four crisis scenarios to train team…

  6. Population and food problems in Indonesia.

    PubMed

    Rusli, S

    1979-06-01

    This discussion examines the relationship between population growth and food problems in Indonesia and their connection with the total food production requirement particularly of staples or basic foods in the country. In 1976 Indonesia's population numbered about 130 million. The uneven distribution of population by regions is 1 of the outstanding features of Indonesia's demographic situation. The estimates of mortality levels for the period 1961-1971 mostly refer to life expectancies at birth over 40 years. Using 1971 census data Nicoli and Mamas estimated that life expectancy at birth in Indonesia during 1960-1970 was around 45-46 years. Heligman, considering the situation of economics, food, health facilities, and so forth questioned that there was a considerable improvement in mortality levels during the 1960s compared with that in the 1950s. In the 1960-1970 period the infant mortality rate was estimated at about 143/1000 births. The crude birthrate was around 43-44/1000 for the whole of Indonesia over the 1970-1971 period. Currently, Indonesia is implementing a family planning program which the government adopted in 1968. The recent estimate of crude birthrate is about 38/1000. Indonesia's projected population in 1990-1991 ranges from 180-202 million; its range will be from 209-272 million around the year 2000. A wide range of foods is produced in Indonesia, but some are more prominent than others. These are the basic foods such as rice, corn (maize), cassava. The availability of food production per head per year in Indonesia is at this time relatively similar to what it was in the pre World War 2 period, although rice production per head per year has increased in recent years due to wet land extensification and the involvement of Indonesia in the green revolution. Non-rice basic food available per head continues to seem far below that in the pre World War 2 period. Population increase is in part responsible for the deteriorating non-rice basic food available

  7. A CLEAR Plan for School Crisis Management.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moriarty, Anthony; And Others

    1993-01-01

    Although many school formulas for crisis management are well coordinated internally, many are also shortsighted in recognizing when a school crisis falls simultaneously into law enforcement's domain. An Illinois high school has devised CLEAR, a crisis management plan delineating cognizance of personnel, the linkages they establish, accountability…

  8. Crisis -- A Leadership Opportunity

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-04-01

    recognized the great value in understanding crisis theory and the leadership strategies to employ during these situations. Additionally, we discovered...ed.: 50. Mitroff, Ian I. Crisis leadership : Planning for the Unthinkable. Hoboken: Wiley, 2004. Murphy, P. (1996). "Chaos Theory as a Model...Crisis–A Leadership Opportunity COL Victor Braden, ARNG CAPT Justin Cooper II, USN COL Michael Klingele, USA Lt Col John P

  9. A Crisis of Legendary Proportions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simpson, Christopher

    2001-01-01

    Describes the activities of Indiana University's crisis communications team during the Bob Knight controversy. Discusses how the school's response was based on four crisis communications principles: create a plan, appoint a single spokesperson, respond with open and continuous communications, and expect the unexpected. (EV)

  10. "Fight the poisoners of the people!" The beginnings of food regulation in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, 1889-1930.

    PubMed

    Brinkmann, Sören

    2017-01-01

    For urban Brazil, the First World War triggered a dramatic food crisis that brought with it a massive increase in falsified goods and led to an uproar among the general public. Critics targeted the health authorities, who were evidently unable to suppress these frauds. This text spans the First Republic period and shows that since its proclamation the issue of regulating the food trade was part of health policies, but implementation was repeatedly delayed because of other priorities. This situation only changed with the health reforms of the early 1920s, which allows us to identify the First World War food crisis as a decisive point for the Brazilian state to take responsibility in this area.

  11. Hyperfibrinogenaemia and hyperviscosity in sickle-cell crisis.

    PubMed Central

    Richardson, S G; Breeze, G R; Stuart, J

    1976-01-01

    Plasma fibrinogen concentration and whole-blood viscosity, the latter measured at two shear rates (23 and 230 sec-1), were estimated during eight episodes of sickle-cell crisis and compared with values in 26 sickle-cell anaemia patients who were not in crisis. Painful crisis was associated with a significant increase in both plasma fibrinogen and whole-blood viscosity. Increased fibrinogen-erythrocyte interaction in vivo may be a significant contributory factor to raising blood viscosity and precipitating vaso-occlusive crisis in sickle-cell disease. PMID:977763

  12. Nutritional status of children during and post-global economic crisis in China.

    PubMed

    Chen, ChunMing; He, Wu; Wang, YuYing; Deng, LiNa; Jia, FengMei

    2011-08-01

    To describe the impact of the global economic crisis on the nutritional status of children in China during and after the crisis. Data from 1990 to 2010 were sourced from the National Food and Nutrition Surveillance System. Approximately 16 000 children under 5 years old were selected using a stratified random cluster method from 40 surveillance sites. Anthropometric and hemoglobin measurements for children under 5 were conducted. Nutritional status was determined according to WHO child growth standards. Prevalence of underweight and stunting in children under 5 had a downward trend. Underweight prevalence was close to normal (less than 5%), with prevalence of stunting 12.6% in 2009 and 12.1% in 2010 in rural areas. Prevalence of stunting in infants under 6 months and 6-12 months old in poorer rural areas increased from 5.7%-9.1% and 6.7%-12.5%, respectively, in 2008-2009. This trend also continued post-crisis in 2010. Prevalence of stunting in children left behind by mothers was 20%-30% higher than in children the same age in general and poorer rural areas. Prevalence of anemia in children did not change in rural areas, but prevalence of anemia in all age groups increased in poorer rural areas, especially in children under 24 months old. Level reached 30%-40% in 2009, and fluctuated in 2010. The nutritional status of children under 5 was comparatively stable during and after the global economic crisis, attributable to the Chinese government's policy response. The nutritional status in poorer rural areas fluctuated in response to the economic crisis and, thus, relevant action and intervention must be taken immediately to help the most vulnerable population in poorer rural areas. A proper national nutritional strategy for children under 2 years old, including nutrition supplementation for pregnant women and in-home fortification for complementary feeding, should be initiated. Copyright © 2011 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by

  13. Organizational Learning and Crisis Management

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Jia

    2007-01-01

    The impact of crises on organizations has been stronger than ever. This article explores the role of organizational learning in crisis management, an area that has received little attention from HRD community. Recognizing the dynamics and interconnectedness of crisis management, organizational learning, and organizational change, the article…

  14. A pre-crisis vs. crisis analysis of peripheral EU stock markets by means of wavelet transform and a nonlinear causality test

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Polanco-Martínez, J. M.; Fernández-Macho, J.; Neumann, M. B.; Faria, S. H.

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents an analysis of EU peripheral (so-called PIIGS) stock market indices and the S&P Europe 350 index (SPEURO), as a European benchmark market, over the pre-crisis (2004-2007) and crisis (2008-2011) periods. We computed a rolling-window wavelet correlation for the market returns and applied a non-linear Granger causality test to the wavelet decomposition coefficients of these stock market returns. Our results show that the correlation is stronger for the crisis than for the pre-crisis period. The stock market indices from Portugal, Italy and Spain were more interconnected among themselves during the crisis than with the SPEURO. The stock market from Portugal is the most sensitive and vulnerable PIIGS member, whereas the stock market from Greece tends to move away from the European benchmark market since the 2008 financial crisis till 2011. The non-linear causality test indicates that in the first three wavelet scales (intraweek, weekly and fortnightly) the number of uni-directional and bi-directional causalities is greater during the crisis than in the pre-crisis period, because of financial contagion. Furthermore, the causality analysis shows that the direction of the Granger cause-effect for the pre-crisis and crisis periods is not invariant in the considered time-scales, and that the causality directions among the studied stock markets do not seem to have a preferential direction. These results are relevant to better understand the behaviour of vulnerable stock markets, especially for investors and policymakers.

  15. Lunar phases and crisis center telephone calls.

    PubMed

    Wilson, J E; Tobacyk, J J

    1990-02-01

    The lunar hypothesis, that is, the notion that lunar phases can directly affect human behavior, was tested by time-series analysis of 4,575 crisis center telephone calls (all calls recorded for a 6-month interval). As expected, the lunar hypothesis was not supported. The 28-day lunar cycle accounted for less than 1% of the variance of the frequency of crisis center calls. Also, as hypothesized from an attribution theory framework, crisis center workers reported significantly greater belief in lunar effects than a non-crisis-center-worker comparison group.

  16. Crisis and Employment: The Case of Korea

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cho, Dongchul; Shin, Sukha

    2012-01-01

    This paper examines Korea's employment dynamics and analyzes how adverse impacts could be mitigated during the recent economic crisis in comparison with the 1997 to 1998 Asian crisis. A clear lesson is that policies to mitigate adverse impacts of financial crisis on the macroeconomic level should be given priority for preserving employment. In…

  17. Crisis of Youth or Youth in Crisis? Education, Employment and Legitimation Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simmons, Robin; Smyth, John

    2016-01-01

    This paper uses the Habermasian concept of legitimation crisis to critique the relationship between post-compulsory education and training and the chronic levels of youth unemployment and under-employment which now characterise post-industrial Western economies, such as the UK. It draws on data from an ethnographic study of the lives of young…

  18. Cardiac troponin I in sickle cell crisis.

    PubMed

    Aslam, Ahmad K; Rodriguez, Carlos; Aslam, Ahmed F; Vasavada, Balendu C; Khan, Ijaz A

    2009-03-20

    Gross and microscopic findings consistent with acute and healed myocardial injury without coronary artery disease have been described in autopsy studies of patients with sickle cell crisis. The present study was designed to determine whether serum levels of cardiac troponin I are elevated in sickle cell crisis. Cardiac troponin I levels were measured in 32 patients age>18 years with the admission diagnosis of sickle cell crisis. All patients had cardiac troponin I level drawn >24 h after the onset of symptoms. The clinical profile and electrocardiograms were analyzed. Out of 32 patients, 2 patients had serum cardiac troponin I elevated, both had presented with acute chest syndrome. Serum cardiac troponin I may be elevated during sickle cell crisis, possibly by myocardial ischemia resulting from microvascular coronary obstruction during sickle cell crisis.

  19. Celiac disease and celiac crisis in children.

    PubMed

    Babar, Masud Iqbal; Ahmad, Irfan; Rao, Muhammad Suleman; Iqbal, Raghib; Asghar, Shakeel; Saleem, Mazhar

    2011-08-01

    To determine the frequency of clinical features of Celiac disease (CD) and Celiac crisis in children. Case series. Paediatrics Unit, Sheikh Zayed Medical College and Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, from September 2009 to September 2010. Forty children aged between 4 to 13 years of either gender, presenting with complaints of recurrent diarrhea, abdominal distention, severe emaciation and dehydration were included. The information about breast feeding, weaning diets, age of introduction of wheat diets, onset of diarrhea, characteristics and frequency of stools, growth, vaccination status, symptoms in 1st degree relatives, restriction of Gluten diet in the past and anthropometric measures were recorded. Serological tests against anti-Tissue Transglultaminase (anti-tTG) antibodies were obtained in all cases. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopies were performed and multiple biopsies were taken from distal parts of duodenum. Among the forty children, twenty four (60%) were females and 16 were males (40%). The mean age was 6.35 ± 2.83 years. Thirty five (87.5%) parents were cousins. Breast feeding was not exclusively given and the Gluten containing weaning diets were given as early as 3.5 months of age. Thirty (75%) children presented with typical sign and symptoms of CD. Celiac crisis presented with profuse diarrhea, severe dehydration; abdominal distention; pedal edema, carpopedal spasm due to tetany; wasted muscles; head drop and inability to stand. The serum TtG antibodies in thirty-eight cases (95%) were above the cut off level of 7 u/ml ranging from 35-99 u/ml. The histopathology of specimens from distal duodenum revealed lesions of M3 type in thirteen (32.5%) and M2 type in eighteen cases (45%). All cases recovered and improved on follow-up after strict adherence to gluten-free diet (GFD). Majority of children with Celiac disease presented with typical symptom, while Celiac crisis was characterized by severe dehydration, weakness and calcium deficiency signs. Most were

  20. Crisis in Context Theory: An Ecological Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Myer, Rick A.; Moore, Holly B.

    2006-01-01

    This article outlines a theory for understanding the impact of a crisis on individuals and organizations. Crisis in context theory (CCT) is grounded in an ecological model and based on literature in the field of crisis intervention and on personal experiences of the authors. A graphic representation denotes key components and premises of CCT,…

  1. Crisis management teams in health organisations.

    PubMed

    Canyon, Deon V

    2012-01-01

    Crisis management teams (CMT) are necessary to ensure adequate and appropriate crisis management planning and response to unforeseen, adverse events. This study investigated the existence of CMTs, the membership of CMTs, and the degree of training received by CMTs in Australian health and allied health organisations. This cross-sectional study draws on data provided by executive decision makers in a broad selection of health and allied health organisations. Crisis management teams were found in 44.2 per cent of the health-related organisations surveyed, which is ten per cent lower than the figure for business organisations. Membership of these CMTs was not ideal and did not conform to standard CMT membership profiles. Similarly, the extent of crisis management training in health-related organisations is 20 per cent lower than the figure for business organisations. If organisations do not become pro-active in their crisis management practices, the onus is on government to improve the situation through regulation and the provision of more physical, monetary and skill resources to ensure that the health services of Australia are sufficiently prepared to respond to adverse events.

  2. International food patterns for space food

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ahmed, Selina; Cox, Amanda; Cornish, Pauline V.

    1989-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to obtain basic data on ethnic foods by studying dietary patterns and multicultural foods, and to determine nutritional status of multicultural space explorers by evaluating dietary, clinical, biochemical, and socioeconomic factors. The study will plan a significant role in providing nutritional research for space explorers of different ethnic backgrounds. It will provide scientific background information by bringing together cross cultural dietary and nutritional from different ethnic groups. Results will also help the health care personnel including physicians, dietitians, and nutritionists to better understand and assist patients from other cultures illness. Also, the results will provide data which will help in the development of future food plans for long duration flights involving manned exploration to Mars and lunar base colonies.

  3. Food on Campus: A Recipe for Action.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kinsella, Susan

    Really good food can be served in any school, and this step-by-step guide contains the basics of understanding and reforming food service: detailed explanations of how food services are run; guidelines for rating the food service; the wholesome, good-tasting foods students really like to eat yet are affordable and manageable. Included are plans…

  4. Some Basic Techniques in Bioimpedance Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinsen, Ørjan G.

    2004-09-01

    Any physiological or anatomical changes in a biological material will also change its electrical properties. Hence, bioimpedance measurements can be used for diagnosing or classification of tissue. Applications are numerous within medicine, biology, cosmetics, food industry, sports, etc, and different basic approaches for the development of bioimpedance techniques are discussed in this paper.

  5. Adsorption and ion exchange: basic principles and their application in food processing.

    PubMed

    Kammerer, Judith; Carle, Reinhold; Kammerer, Dietmar R

    2011-01-12

    A comprehensive overview of adsorption and ion exchange technology applied for food and nutraceutical production purposes is given in the present paper. Emanating from these fields of application, the main adsorbent and ion-exchange resin materials, their historical development, industrial production, and the main parameters characterizing these sorbents are covered. Furthermore, adsorption and ion exchange processes are detailed, also providing profound insights into kinetics, thermodynamics, and equilibrium model assumptions. In addition, the most important industrial adsorber and ion exchange processes making use of vessels and columns are summarized. Finally, an extensive overview of selected industrial applications of these technologies is provided, which is divided into general applications, food production applications, and the recovery of valuable bio- and technofunctional compounds from the byproducts of plant food processing, which may be used as natural food additives or for their potential health-beneficial effects in functional or enriched foods and nutraceuticals.

  6. Glomerular function in sickle cell disease patients during crisis.

    PubMed

    Aderibigbe, A; Arije, A; Akinkugbe, O O

    1994-06-01

    An 8 month prospective study was carried out in 20 adult sickle cell disease (SCD) patients 16 sickle cell anaemia (Hbss) and 4 sickle cell Hbc disease (Hbsc); who had vaso-occlusive crises within the study period to determine the extent of the effect of sickle cell crisis on glomerular function in SCD patients during crisis. The male: female ratio was 1:57 and their mean age was 21.1 +/- 7.9 years. Creatinine clearance (CCr), as an index of glomerular function, was determined at the pre-crisis, crisis, 2 and 4 weeks post-crisis and at the end of the study period. The mean values of their CCr dropped from 113.37 +/- 33.80mls/min at pre-crisis stage to 96.39 +/- 30.13mls/min during crisis (p < 0.001) indicating glomerular dysfunction. It improved significantly to 107.75 +/- 30.20mls/min at 4 weeks post-crisis (p < 0.001). There was no significant differences in the mean values of CCr at the end of the study (116.20 +/- 31.43mls/min) compared to the pre-crisis stage (p > 0.05). It is concluded that glomerular dysfunction in SCD patients during crisis is potentially reversible.

  7. [Impact of a nutrition education intervention in teachers, preschool and basic school-age children in Valparaiso region in Chile].

    PubMed

    Vio, Fernando; Salinas, Judith; Montenegro, Edith; González, Carmen Gloria; Lera, Lydia

    2014-06-01

    To assess the impact of a nutrition education program for teachers in the nutritional status, food knowledge and food consumption of their pre basic and basic students, and in the controls. A nutrition education intervention was conducted in pre basic and basic teachers in a school year, with a pre-post evaluation of their students, compared with a control group. Subjects were 817 students (389 men and 428 women) from pre kindergarten to the second grade. The 465 students of the intervened group were distributed in two schools (Liceo 1 = 283; Liceo 2 = 182) and 352 in the control school. The nutrition intervention consisted in 9 interactive workshops for teachers with the utilization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The pre post evaluation consisted in a nutritional status assessment, and a food and nutrition survey with questions related with food knowledge and food consumption, at the beginning and at the end of the school year. There were no significant differences in nutritional status between the beginning and the end of the intervention. In one of the experimental schools (Liceo 2) there was a significant decrease in obesity, in women and in the age-group 7-9 years. In the experimental group there was a significant improvement in food knowledge and a decrease in non-healthy food consumption. In the control group, consumption of non-healthy food was stable, with a decrease in fruits and vegetables consumption. As it was demonstrated in similar studies, a short interactive nutrition education intervention with utilization of ICT in pre basic and basic teachers can produce positive changes in nutritional status of their students, improving food knowledge and healthy food consumption and decreasing non-healthy food consumption, compared with the control group. However, a strategy to incorporate parents in school nutrition education programs is still a pending issue. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights

  8. Hearing impairment: a family crisis.

    PubMed

    Goldberg, H K

    1979-01-01

    This paper reviews the initial crisis for hearing impaired children and their families from the perspective of the clinician who must assess their adjustment at the point of entry into a school for the deaf. The use of crisis theory as it relates to the special needs of this client group is discussed.

  9. Impact of the 2008 economic and financial crisis on child health: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Rajmil, Luis; Fernandez de Sanmamed, María-José; Choonara, Imti; Faresjö, Tomas; Hjern, Anders; Kozyrskyj, Anita L; Lucas, Patricia J; Raat, Hein; Séguin, Louise; Spencer, Nick; Taylor-Robinson, David

    2014-06-01

    The aim of this study was to provide an overview of studies in which the impact of the 2008 economic crisis on child health was reported. Structured searches of PubMed, and ISI Web of Knowledge, were conducted. Quantitative and qualitative studies reporting health outcomes on children, published since 2007 and related to the 2008 economic crisis were included. Two reviewers independently assessed studies for inclusion. Data were synthesised as a narrative review. Five hundred and six titles and abstracts were reviewed, from which 22 studies were included. The risk of bias for quantitative studies was mixed while qualitative studies showed low risk of bias. An excess of 28,000-50,000 infant deaths in 2009 was estimated in sub-Saharan African countries, and increased infant mortality in Greece was reported. Increased price of foods was related to worsening nutrition habits in disadvantaged families worldwide. An increase in violence against children was reported in the U.S., and inequalities in health-related quality of life appeared in some countries. Most studies suggest that the economic crisis has harmed children's health, and disproportionately affected the most vulnerable groups. There is an urgent need for further studies to monitor the child health effects of the global recession and to inform appropriate public policy responses.

  10. Food Crises and Food Safety Incidents in European Union, United States, and Maghreb Area: Current Risk Communication Strategies and New Approaches.

    PubMed

    Chammem, Nadia; Issaoui, Manel; De Almeida, Ana Isabel Dâmaso; Delgado, Amélia Martins

    2018-03-22

    Globalization has created a dynamic market, which has dramatically intensified interchanges of goods and information as well as the flow of people among nations. This international phenomenon offers the consumer a choice between a wide variety of foods from diverse locations. However, there are challenges to improving food security and safety on a global scale; the major question is how food safety can be guaranteed while increasing the complexity of food supply chains. A food produced in a certain location usually contains ingredients, additives, and preservatives from different and distant origins. Although countries take several food control measures, their institutional and regulatory frameworks diverge widely, as do the definitions of food crisis, food incidents, and risk management approaches. The present review discusses some past food safety issues and lessons learned. Convergences and differences in the regulatory framework of food control agencies in different regions of the world are herein revealed. Emerging risks are also discussed, particularly the spread of antibiotic resistance in the food chain and the environment, as well as the rise of new antibiotic-resistant pathogenic strains with broader tolerance to environmental factors.

  11. Looking beyond food aid to livelihoods, protection and partnerships: strategies for WFP in the Darfur states.

    PubMed

    Young, Helen

    2007-03-01

    The humanitarian crisis in Darfur remains extremely serious. The optimism that followed the signing of the Abuja Peace Accord was followed by a rapid deterioration in security on the ground in part associated with increasing factionalism in various rebel movements. This paper briefly reviews the evolution of the crisis, its impact on lives and livelihoods and the response by the World Food Programme (WFP) to June 2006. The major challenges and issues facing the food aid programme in the previous 18 months included: dealing with insecurity while maintaining or even extending programme outreach; the need to link protection with assistance more explicitly; and determining the wider impact of food aid programming on the processes and institutions linked with the conflict. The paper discusses the main strategic issues facing WFP in the future such as: integrating security and protection with needs assessments and operational decisions, broadening response strategies beyond food aid and bringing livelihoods to the fore, the need to review cost-efficiency, promoting partnerships and strengthening national and regional capacities.

  12. Education and Our Ecological Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klimas, John

    1970-01-01

    Discusses causes of our ecological crisis and suggests that in order to overcome the crisis we have to sprinkle our teaching with a sense of wonder, impress upon the youth that there is nothing difficult or mysterious about the ecological viewpoint, give youth an awareness of the diversity of things in our environment, stress interrelationships…

  13. Supervision Experiences of Professional Counselors Providing Crisis Counseling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dupre, Madeleine; Echterling, Lennis G.; Meixner, Cara; Anderson, Robin; Kielty, Michele

    2014-01-01

    In this phenomenological study, the authors explored supervision experiences of 13 licensed professional counselors in situations requiring crisis counseling. Five themes concerning crisis and supervision were identified from individual interviews. Findings support intensive, immediate crisis supervision and postlicensure clinical supervision.

  14. Heating and eating: brown adipose tissue thermogenesis precedes food ingestion as part of the ultradian basic rest-activity cycle in rats.

    PubMed

    Blessing, William; Mohammed, Mazher; Ootsuka, Youichirou

    2012-02-28

    Laboratory rats, throughout the 24 hour day, alternate between behaviorally active and non active episodes that Kleitman called the basic rest-activity cycle (BRAC). We previously demonstrated that brown adipose tissue (BAT), body and brain temperatures and arterial pressure and heart rate increase in an integrated manner during behaviorally active phases. Studies show that eating is preceded by increases in body and brain temperature, but whether eating is integrated into the BRAC has not been investigated. In the present study of chronically instrumented, unrestrained Sprague-Dawley rats, peaks in BAT temperature occurred every 96 ± 7 and 162 ± 16 min (mean ± SE, n=14 rats) in dark and light periods respectively, with no apparent underlying regularity. With food available ad libitum, eating was integrated into the BRAC in a temporally precise manner. Eating occurred only after an increase in BAT temperature, commencing 15 ± 1 min (mean ± SE) after the onset of an increase, with no difference between dark and light phases. There were either no or weak preprandial and postprandial relations between intermeal interval and amount eaten during a given meal. Remarkably, with no food available the rat still disturbed the empty food container 16 ± 1 min (p>0.05 versus ad libitum food) after the onset of increases in BAT temperature, and not at other times. Rather than being triggered by changes in levels of body fuels or other meal-associated factors, in sedentary laboratory rats with ad libitum access to food eating commences as part of the ultradian BRAC, a manifestation of intrinsic brain activity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Health Instruction Packages: Consumer--Basic Nutrition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kidd, Audrey E.; And Others

    These six learning modules present text, illustrations, and exercises designed to teach the general public and nutrition students about basic nutrition and diet. The first module, "High Fiber Diet--Live Longer and Better!" by Audrey E. Kidd, discusses the benefits of a high fiber diet and lists the foods that are high in fiber. The…

  16. Crisis intervention for people with severe mental illnesses

    PubMed Central

    Murphy, Suzanne; Irving, Claire B; Adams, Clive E; Driver, Ron

    2014-01-01

    Background A particularly difficult challenge for community treatment of people with serious mental illnesses is the delivery of an acceptable level of care during the acute phases of severe mental illness. Crisis intervention models of care were developed as a possible solution. Objectives To review the effects of crisis intervention models for anyone with serious mental illness experiencing an acute episode, compared with ‘standard care’. Search methods We updated the 1998, 2003 and 2006 searches with a search of the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group’s Register of trials (2010) which is based on regular searches of CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. Selection criteria We included all randomised controlled trials of crisis intervention models versus standard care for people with severe mental illnesses. Data collection and analysis We independently extracted data from these trials and we estimated risk ratios (RR) or mean differences (MD), with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We assumed that people who left early from a trial had no improvement. Main results Three new studies have been found since the last review in 2006 to add to the five studies already included in this review. None of the previously included studies investigated crisis intervention alone; all used a form of home care for acutely ill people, which included elements of crisis intervention. However, one of the new studies focuses purely on crisis intervention as provided by Crisis Resolution Home Teams within the UK; the two other new studies investigated crisis houses i.e. residential alternatives to hospitalisation providing home-like environments. Crisis intervention appears to reduce repeat admissions to hospital after the initial ‘index’ crises investigated in the included studies, this was particularly so for mobile crisis teams supporting patients in their own homes. Crisis intervention reduces the number of people leaving the study early, reduces family burden, is a more

  17. Food safety training for nutritionists.

    PubMed Central

    Crowther, J. S.; Cox, L. J.; Gross, R.; Käferstein, F. A.

    1999-01-01

    A course on food safety for nutritionists has been developed in Indonesia through collaboration between government, industry, academia and international agencies. By teaching the basic principles of the subject it equips the participants to recommend foods that are safe as well as nutritious. PMID:10083718

  18. Pheochromocytoma crisis is not a surgical emergency.

    PubMed

    Scholten, Anouk; Cisco, Robin M; Vriens, Menno R; Cohen, Jenny K; Mitmaker, Elliot J; Liu, Chienying; Tyrrell, J Blake; Shen, Wen T; Duh, Quan-Yang

    2013-02-01

    Pheochromocytoma crisis is a feared and potentially lethal complication of pheochromocytoma. We sought to determine the best treatment strategy for pheochromocytoma crisis patients and hypothesized that emergency resection is not indicated. Retrospective cohort study (1993-2011); literature review (1944-2011). Tertiary referral center. There were 137 pheochromocytoma patients from our center and 97 pheochromocytoma crisis patients who underwent adrenalectomy from the literature. Medical management of pheochromocytoma crisis; adrenalectomy. Perioperative complications, conversion, and mortality. In our database, 25 patients (18%) presented with crisis. After medical stabilization and α-blockade, 15 patients were discharged and readmitted for elective surgery and 10 patients were operated on urgently during the same hospitalization. None underwent emergency surgery. Postoperatively, patients who underwent elective surgery had shorter hospital stays (1.7 vs 5.7 d, P = 0.001) and fewer postoperative complications (1 of 15 [7%] vs 5 of 10 [50%], P = 0.045) and were less often admitted to the intensive care unit (1 of 15 [7%] vs 5 of 10 [50%], P = 0.045) in comparison with urgently operated patients. There was no mortality. Review of the literature (n = 97) showed that crisis patients who underwent elective or urgent surgery vs emergency surgery had less intraoperative (13 of 31 [42%] vs 20 of 25 [80%], P < 0.001) and postoperative complications (15 of 45 [33%] vs 15 of 21 [71%], P = 0.047) and a lower mortality (0 of 64 vs 6 of 33 [18%], P = 0.002). Management of patients presenting with pheochromocytoma crisis should include initial stabilization of the acute crisis followed by sufficient α-blockade before surgery. Emergency resection of pheochromocytoma is associated with high surgical morbidity and mortality.

  19. [The crisis of medicine or the antimedicine crisis].

    PubMed

    Foucault, M

    1976-01-01

    In this lecture, Professor Michel Foucault makes an in-depth study of the problems currently afflicting medical institutions and the medical practice. He deals with the thesis set forth by Ivan Illich in his book Medical Nemesis--The expropriation of Health, as well as the 1942 Beveridge Plan, but goes even further back in history to discover the origin of the medical crisis common throughout the world--back to the XVIII century roots of the social practice of medicine. He also describes the phases through which medical activity has passed from then until now and deals with what he calls the political economy of medicine. Finally, he reaches the conclusion that what matters is not so much the present crisis of medicine, which he considers to be a false concept, but the discipline's historical model dating from the XVIII century and serving to determine to what extent it can be modified.

  20. Homeland security planning: what victory gardens and Fidel Castro can teach us in preparing for food crises in the United States.

    PubMed

    Endres, A Bryan; Endres, Jody M

    2009-01-01

    Two historical examples provide important insight into how federal government policies can integrate regional and local food systems to achieve food security during a time of acute crisis. During World War II, American home gardeners, through the federal government's Victory Garden program, supplied 40 percent of the nation's fresh produce, while simultaneously maintaining pre-war commodity production policies favoring large agricultural interests. The recent food crisis in Cuba, precipitated by the collapse of Soviet-bloc trade in the early 1990s, is another historical example that could inform U.S. policymakers on how to achieve food self-sufficiency through reemphasis on small farmers using sustainable practices supplemented with urban gardening. This article aims to ignite government action to strengthen and integrate regional and local food systems into federal food security planning so that citizens can be best prepared for a food emergency. The article first examines laws, regulations and policies put in place during World War II that employed regional and local food networks to satisfy a significant amount of civilian food supply needs. The article also looks at more recent Cuban efforts to achieve forced food self-reliance when, after the end of the Cold War, Soviet subsidies and preferential trading of energy and food supplies ceased almost overnight.

  1. The Relationship between Therapeutic Alliance and Service User Satisfaction in Mental Health Inpatient Wards and Crisis House Alternatives: A Cross-Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Sweeney, Angela; Fahmy, Sarah; Nolan, Fiona; Morant, Nicola; Fox, Zoe; Lloyd-Evans, Brynmor; Osborn, David; Burgess, Emma; Gilburt, Helen; McCabe, Rosemarie; Slade, Mike; Johnson, Sonia

    2014-01-01

    Background Poor service user experiences are often reported on mental health inpatient wards. Crisis houses are an alternative, but evidence is limited. This paper investigates therapeutic alliances in acute wards and crisis houses, exploring how far stronger therapeutic alliance may underlie greater client satisfaction in crisis houses. Methods and Findings Mixed methods were used. In the quantitative component, 108 crisis house and 247 acute ward service users responded to measures of satisfaction, therapeutic relationships, informal peer support, recovery and negative events experienced during the admission. Linear regressions were conducted to estimate the association between service setting and measures, and to model the factors associated with satisfaction. Qualitative interviews exploring therapeutic alliances were conducted with service users and staff in each setting and analysed thematically. Results We found that therapeutic alliances, service user satisfaction and informal peer support were greater in crisis houses than on acute wards, whilst self-rated recovery and numbers of negative events were lower. Adjusted multivariable analyses suggest that therapeutic relationships, informal peer support and negative experiences related to staff may be important factors in accounting for greater satisfaction in crisis houses. Qualitative results suggest factors that influence therapeutic alliances include service user perceptions of basic human qualities such as kindness and empathy in staff and, at service level, the extent of loss of liberty and autonomy. Conclusions and Implications We found that service users experience better therapeutic relationships and higher satisfaction in crisis houses compared to acute wards, although we cannot exclude the possibility that differences in service user characteristics contribute to this. This finding provides some support for the expansion of crisis house provision. Further research is needed to investigate why acute

  2. The relationship between therapeutic alliance and service user satisfaction in mental health inpatient wards and crisis house alternatives: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Sweeney, Angela; Fahmy, Sarah; Nolan, Fiona; Morant, Nicola; Fox, Zoe; Lloyd-Evans, Brynmor; Osborn, David; Burgess, Emma; Gilburt, Helen; McCabe, Rosemarie; Slade, Mike; Johnson, Sonia

    2014-01-01

    Poor service user experiences are often reported on mental health inpatient wards. Crisis houses are an alternative, but evidence is limited. This paper investigates therapeutic alliances in acute wards and crisis houses, exploring how far stronger therapeutic alliance may underlie greater client satisfaction in crisis houses. Mixed methods were used. In the quantitative component, 108 crisis house and 247 acute ward service users responded to measures of satisfaction, therapeutic relationships, informal peer support, recovery and negative events experienced during the admission. Linear regressions were conducted to estimate the association between service setting and measures, and to model the factors associated with satisfaction. Qualitative interviews exploring therapeutic alliances were conducted with service users and staff in each setting and analysed thematically. We found that therapeutic alliances, service user satisfaction and informal peer support were greater in crisis houses than on acute wards, whilst self-rated recovery and numbers of negative events were lower. Adjusted multivariable analyses suggest that therapeutic relationships, informal peer support and negative experiences related to staff may be important factors in accounting for greater satisfaction in crisis houses. Qualitative results suggest factors that influence therapeutic alliances include service user perceptions of basic human qualities such as kindness and empathy in staff and, at service level, the extent of loss of liberty and autonomy. We found that service users experience better therapeutic relationships and higher satisfaction in crisis houses compared to acute wards, although we cannot exclude the possibility that differences in service user characteristics contribute to this. This finding provides some support for the expansion of crisis house provision. Further research is needed to investigate why acute ward service users experience a lack of compassion and humanity from

  3. School Buildings in Today's Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blyth, Alastair

    2009-01-01

    To get a picture of the impact of the current economic and financial crisis on educational building programmes so far, the OECD Centre for Effective Learning Environments (CELE) has been conducting a survey of member countries and regions. The survey focuses on three main issues: the impact of the crisis on publicly funded projects, the impact on…

  4. 26Al-containing acidic and basic sodium aluminum phosphate preparation and use in studies of oral aluminum bioavailability from foods utilizing 26Al as an aluminum tracer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yokel, Robert A.; Urbas, Aaron A.; Lodder, Robert A.; Selegue, John P.; Florence, Rebecca L.

    2005-04-01

    We synthesized 26Al-containing acidic and basic (alkaline) sodium aluminum phosphates (SALPs) which are FDA-approved leavening and emulsifying agents, respectively, and used them to determine the oral bioavailability of aluminum incorporated in selected foods. We selected applicable methods from published syntheses (patents) and scaled them down (∼3000- and 850-fold) to prepare ∼300-400 mg of each SALP. The 26Al was incorporated at the beginning of the syntheses to maximize 26Al and 27Al equilibration and incorporate the 26Al in the naturally-occurring Al-containing chemical species of the products. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) were used to characterize the two SALP samples and some intermediate samples. Multi-elemental analysis (MEA) was used to determine Na, Al and P content. Commercial products were included for comparison. Satisfactory XRD analyses, near infrared spectra and MEA results confirmed that we synthesized acidic and basic SALP, as well as some of the syntheses intermediates. The 26Al-containing acidic and basic SALPs were incorporated into a biscuit material and a processed cheese, respectively. These were used in oral bioavailability studies conducted in rats in which the 26Al present in blood after its oral absorption was quantified by accelerator mass spectrometry. The results showed oral Al bioavailability from acidic SALP in biscuit was ∼0.02% and from basic SALP in cheese ∼0.05%, lower than our previous determination of Al bioavailability from drinking water, ∼0.3%. Both food and water can appreciably contribute to the Al absorbed from typical human Al intake.

  5. Cool Heads: Crisis Management for Administrators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smiar, Nicholas P.

    1992-01-01

    Applies risk management models to child care administration. These models have been used by corporations to plan for crisis management. The formation of a crisis management policy and procedure is described, and features of effective communication during crises are outlined. (GLR)

  6. A Study of Crisis Management Based on Stakeholders Analysis Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qingchun, Yue

    2017-11-01

    From the view of stakeholder theory, not only the enterprises should provide services to shareholders, but also take care of the demands of stakeholders. Stakeholders for the enterprise crisis are the organizations and individuals, which cause crisis, respond to the crisis and affected by the enterprise crisis. In this paper, first of all, to comb the development of stakeholder theory systematically; secondly, with the help of the enterprise crisis stakeholder analysis model, analyze the concept of stakeholders for the enterprise crisis and membership, and with the example of Shuanghui Group for further analysis; finally, we put forward relevant proposals for the enterprise crisis from the view of stakeholders.

  7. Write the Plan before You Have the Crisis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wirth, Eileen

    2002-01-01

    Outlines the development process and essential elements of a crisis communication strategy. Key steps include: (1) selecting a spokesperson; (2) publicizing the spokesperson's identity; (3) preparing a crisis notebook; (4) providing cell phones; (5) choosing a news conference location; (6) rehearsing crisis scenarios; and (7) obtaining interview…

  8. [The Spanish economic crisis and its consequences on social spending. SESPAS report 2014].

    PubMed

    López-Casasnovas, Guillem

    2014-06-01

    This article offers a brief summary of the factors that the author believes should be considered when analyzing the multiple interrelations between the economic crisis and its effects on public finances, social spending, and the health and welfare of Spaniards. For the sake of brevity, a linear argument is followed, with the basic contents of the message, leaving some of the more controversial issues whose interpretation may be heavily influenced by ideology to the discussion. The core of the argument is that, despite the double dip of the Spanish recession, healthcare has survived the consequences of the crisis fairly well. This is particularly the case when the situation is analyzed in terms of the share of public expenditure to GDP and in per capita terms, given the evolution of these ratios, although the final effect is unknown in terms of the actual and potential beneficiaries. This relatively low incidence so far on the health of Spaniards is basically due to family networks, pooling their incomes, and to the acceptance by Spanish health professionals of budget cuts, which have allowed services and their apparent quality to be maintained, contrasting with private employment and public finances. Obviously, this is not a guarantee of sustainability unless economic growth recovers. Even if the Spanish economy and public finances improve, the composition of health care delivery needs to be reevaluated to achieve a new allocation between public and private responsibilities for healthcare in accordance with the social development of the 21st century. Copyright © 2013 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  9. [Social crisis, spontaneous groups and group order].

    PubMed

    Edelman, Lucila; Kordon, Diana

    2002-12-01

    Argentina has gone through very difficult times during the last years and, in particularly, new kinds of social practices have emerged in order to cope with the crisis. This situation demands and urges a new type of reflection upon the double role of groups, as tools to transform reality and as a way to elaborate those processes regarding subjectivity. In this paper we analyse some topics regarding the groupal field (considering spontaneous groups as well as groupal devices that allow to elaborate the crisis). We consider social bond to be the condition of possibility for the existence of the psyche and of time continuity, and that it also makes possible personal and social elaboration of trauma, crisis and social catastrophe. We develop some aspects of an specific device (the reflection group), which we have already depicted in another moment, showing it's usefulness to cope with social crisis and to promote the subjective elaboration of crisis.

  10. The Energy Crisis: A New Chemistry Course for Nonscience Majors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Piraino, Marie J.

    1974-01-01

    Describes a course structured around nuclear energy, fossil fuel energy, food energy, and the population explosion. The course uses classroom discussion and laboratory sessions to stress basic chemical principles and relevance to the student. A topical outline is included. (GS)

  11. Crisis in Feminism: The United States and France.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hogsett, Charlotte

    Feminism is experiencing a similar dual crisis in the United States and France. One aspect of this crisis, the movement's alignment with other groups, is destructive, inevitably leading to the subordination of women's issues to "human" issues. The other dimension of the crisis, internal differences, is potentially creative, offering the…

  12. Attribution Theory and Crisis Intervention Therapy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skilbeck, William M.

    It was proposed that existing therapeutic procedures may influence attributions about emotional states. Therefore an attributional analysis of crisis intervention, a model of community-based, short-term consultation, was presented. This analysis suggested that crisis intervention provides attributionally-relevant information about both the source…

  13. Food Processors Skills Building Project. Evaluation Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Eileen Casey

    The Food Processors Skills Building project was undertaken by four Oregon community colleges, with funds from the Oregon Economic Development Department and 11 local food processing companies, to address basic skills needs in the food processing industry through the development and implementation of an industry-specific curriculum. Based on…

  14. Food Service Technical Terms. English-Spanish Lexicon.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shin, Masako T.

    This English-Spanish lexicon presents food service technical terms. The terms are divided into seven categories: basic food items, common baking terms, food cutting terms, general cooking terms, non-English culinary terms, and tools and equipment. Each English word or term is followed by its Spanish equivalent(s). (YLB)

  15. Economic crisis and nursing in Spain.

    PubMed

    Zabalegui, Adelaida; Cabrera, Esther

    2010-07-01

    The purpose of the present study is to describe the economic context in Spain and its impact on the health care sector and in nursing schools. The global economic crisis is affecting nursing in Spain. This study analyses and compares indicators related to health care and nursing schools among European countries. Some new strategies to cope with the challenges arising from the health care crisis are suggested. Health care costs are increasing as a result of the ageing of the Spanish population, immigration, chronicity of health problems and new medical technology. Nursing education has changed in 2010 from a 3-year diploma programme to a 4-year University degree in Nursing. This change requires new resources involving staff, facilities and equipment, all of which are lacking because of the economic crisis in Spain. The worldwide economic crisis has affected Spain more than it has other European Union (EU) countries. This global crisis has an impact on the health care sector as well on nursing schools. It is essential for nursing management to develop creative approaches to maintain cost effective patient care. New programmes and technology must be carefully evaluated in terms of cost effectiveness before being implemented. All health care professionals should be well informed and have a solid understanding of this situation.

  16. Intervention among Suicidal Men: Future Directions for Telephone Crisis Support Research.

    PubMed

    Hunt, Tara; Wilson, Coralie J; Woodward, Alan; Caputi, Peter; Wilson, Ian

    2018-01-01

    Telephone crisis support is a confidential, accessible, and immediate service that is uniquely set up to reduce male suicide deaths through crisis intervention. However, research focusing on telephone crisis support with suicidal men is currently limited. To highlight the need to address service delivery for men experiencing suicidal crisis, this perspective article identifies key challenges facing current telephone crisis support research and proposes that understanding of the role of telephone crisis helplines in supporting suicidal men may be strengthened by careful examination of the context of telephone crisis support, together with the impact this has on help-provision for male suicidal callers. In particular, the impact of the time- and information-poor context of telephone crisis support on crisis-line staff's identification of, and response to, male callers with thoughts of suicide is examined. Future directions for research in the provision of telephone crisis support for suicidal men are discussed.

  17. Governing during an Institutional Crisis: 10 Fundamental Principles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, Lawrence

    2012-01-01

    In today's world, managing a campus crisis poses special challenges for an institution's governing board, which may operate some distance removed from the immediate events giving rise to the crisis. In its most challenging form, a campus crisis--a shooting, a natural disaster, a fraternity hazing death, the arrest of a prominent campus…

  18. Contextualizing Embodied Resources in Global Food Trade

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MacDonald, G. K.; Brauman, K. A.; Sun, S.; West, P. C.; Carlson, K. M.; Cassidy, E. S.; Gerber, J. S.; Ray, D. K.

    2014-12-01

    Trade in agricultural commodities has created increasingly complex linkages between resource use and food supplies across national borders. Understanding the degree to which food production and consumption relies on trade is vital to understanding how to sustainably meet growing food demands across scales. We use detailed bilateral trade statistics and data on agricultural management to examine the land use and water consumption embodied in agricultural trade, which we relate to basic nutritional indicators to show how trade contributes to food availability worldwide. Agricultural trade carries enough calories to provide >1.7 billion people a basic diet each year. We identify key commodities and producer-consumer relationships that disproportionately contribute to embodied resource use and flows of food nutrition at the global scale. For example, just 15 disproportionately large soybean trades comprised ~10% the total harvested area embodied in export production. We conclude by framing these results in terms of the fraction of each country's food production and consumption that is linked to international trade. These findings help to characterize how countries allocate resources to domestic versus foreign food demand.

  19. Afghanistan's population: planning to avoid a crisis.

    PubMed

    Rosenthal, J E

    1973-07-09

    Though the population of Afghanistan is exploding (AID estimates net growth rate at 2.5%), private, governmental, and foreign efforts should avert a crisis. The family-planning situation in this developing nation is discussed. The Afghan Family Guidance Association (AFGA), formed in July 1968, is a private organization but has semi-official status. AFGA runs 6 clinics in Kabul and 13 in the provinces. AFGA family Guides talk of mothers about their health and their children's health and about the desirability and methods of spacing children. In a pilot project several male Family Guides approach husbands with information about family planning. The Afghan government's family-planning program, scheduled to begin this year, has had its way paved by the work of the AFGA. The government plans to establish 280 basic health centers within 5 years. AID gives $1 million annually for family-planning projects, supplies, and services in Afghanistan. AID also is providing $1.7 million to finance the first demographic study of the nation.

  20. Basic Skills, Basic Writing, Basic Research.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trimmer, Joseph F.

    1987-01-01

    Overviews basic writing instruction and research by briefly discussing the history of remediation, results of a survey of basic writing programs in U.S. colleges and universities, and interviews with developmental textbook editors at major publishing houses. Finds that basic writing instruction continues to focus on sentence grammar. (MM)

  1. Exploring Crisis Management in U.S. Small Businesses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Jon

    As a critical infrastructure, the US electricity grid supplies electricity to 340 million people within eight separate regions. The power infrastructure is vulnerable to many types of disasters capable of severing supplies of electricity. The impact on the employees and communities when small- and medium-size enterprises are shut down due to disasters can be severe. The purpose of the quantitative comparative study was to explore small- and medium-size enterprises crisis management strategies in the case of power infrastructure vulnerabilities. Perceptions of small business leaders were probed about crisis management planning relevant to three secondary factors: prior experience of crises, threat perceptions, and planning self-efficacy. Participants completed an adapted questionnaire instrument based on a five-point Likert scale for six sub-factors including resilience through planning, financial impact, operational crisis management, the perfect storm, the aftermath of survival, and atrophy. The instrument also measured three additional factors to include, prior experience of crises, threat perceptions, and planning self-efficacy, across seven types of crises. The results of this study indicated that of the 276 respondents, 104 had no crisis plans, but 172 did have crisis plans. Of those who had implemented crisis plans, 19% had specific provisions to address power outages or attacks on the electrical grid. Of the respondents who had not planned for power outages nor experienced significant losses of power, a statistically significant number acknowledged an external threat to their business. The majority of respondents indicated that long-term planning was related to resilience; however, the migration of crisis understanding into the planning process or implementation was not implemented. This heightened awareness of potential crises without the corresponding development and implementation of mitigation crisis plans requires additional research to understand

  2. Intervention among Suicidal Men: Future Directions for Telephone Crisis Support Research

    PubMed Central

    Hunt, Tara; Wilson, Coralie J.; Woodward, Alan; Caputi, Peter; Wilson, Ian

    2018-01-01

    Telephone crisis support is a confidential, accessible, and immediate service that is uniquely set up to reduce male suicide deaths through crisis intervention. However, research focusing on telephone crisis support with suicidal men is currently limited. To highlight the need to address service delivery for men experiencing suicidal crisis, this perspective article identifies key challenges facing current telephone crisis support research and proposes that understanding of the role of telephone crisis helplines in supporting suicidal men may be strengthened by careful examination of the context of telephone crisis support, together with the impact this has on help-provision for male suicidal callers. In particular, the impact of the time- and information-poor context of telephone crisis support on crisis-line staff’s identification of, and response to, male callers with thoughts of suicide is examined. Future directions for research in the provision of telephone crisis support for suicidal men are discussed. PMID:29404319

  3. Access to healthcare for the most vulnerable migrants: a humanitarian crisis.

    PubMed

    Pottie, Kevin; Martin, Jorge Pedro; Cornish, Stephen; Biorklund, Linn Maria; Gayton, Ivan; Doerner, Frank; Schneider, Fabien

    2015-01-01

    A series of Médecins Sans Frontières projects for irregular migrants over the past decade have consistently documented high rates of 14 physical and sexual trauma, extortion and mental illness amidst severe healthcare, food, and housing limitations. Complex interventions were needed to begin to address illness and barriers to healthcare and to help restore dignity to the most vulnerable women, children and men. Promising interventions included mobile clinics, use of cultural mediators, coordination with migrant-friendly entities and NGOs and integrating advocacy programs and mental health care with medical services. Ongoing interventions, research and coordination are needed to address this neglected humanitarian crisis.

  4. Sickle Cell Crisis and the Acute Abdomen

    PubMed Central

    Nazem, Ahmad; Walker, Mark

    1986-01-01

    Abdominal pain is one of the most common symptoms in sickle cell crisis, and its cause remains controversial. Simple vaso-occlusive crisis may be an explanation. The abdominal pain may also reflect an acute surgical abdomen. A patient presented with sickle cell crisis and abdominal pain; he had a periappendiceal abscess at the site of an appendiceal stump five months after appendectomy. The role of sickle cell anemia in the pathogenesis of this abscess is uncertain. PMID:3531534

  5. Fight Bac! | Partnership for Food Safety Education

    Science.gov Websites

    Games & Activities School Lunches Free Resources Be Food Safe Resources Brand Assets Brochures & Spanish Free Resources For Consumers, Retailers and Educators The Four Core Practices Food Safety Basics workers and parents Free Resources The Core Four Food Poisoning Child Care Training schoolchildren Hands

  6. Changes in mortality after the recent economic crisis in South Korea.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hanjoong; Song, Young Jong; Yi, Jee Jeon; Chung, Woo Jin; Nam, Chung Mo

    2004-07-01

    To examine the changes in all cause mortality and cause-specific mortality after the economic crisis in South Korea. Monthly mortality data for an entire country was used and intervention analysis applied to compare mortality after the crisis with mortality which would have occurred if the trends before the crisis had continued. All cause mortality began to increase about 1 year after the crisis, while cardiovascular increased immediately. Transport accidents decreased significantly during the year following the crisis and then regressed towards the pre-economic crisis level. Suicides increased rapidly and maintained an upward trend but subsequently reduced towards the pre-economic crisis level. This study has shown an evidence of a relationship between economic crisis and mortality.

  7. Utilization of medical care following the Three Mile Island crisis.

    PubMed

    Houts, P S; Hu, T W; Henderson, R A; Cleary, P D; Tokuhata, G

    1984-02-01

    Four studies are reported on how utilization of primary health care was affected by the Three Mile Island (TMI) crisis and subsequent distress experienced by persons living in the vicinity of the plant. The studies concerned: 1) Blue Cross-Blue Shield records of claims by primary care physicians in the vicinity of TMI; 2) utilization rates in a family practice located near the facility; 3) interviews with persons living within five miles of TMI following the crisis; and 4) responses to a questionnaire by primary care physicians practicing within 25 miles of TMI. All four studies indicated only slight increases in utilization rates during the year following the crisis. One study found that persons who were upset during the crisis tended to be high practice utilizers both before and after the crisis. These results suggest that, while patterns of physician utilization prior to the TMI crisis predicted emotional response during the crisis, the impact of the TMI crisis on subsequent physician utilization was small.

  8. Utilization of medical care following the Three Mile Island crisis.

    PubMed Central

    Houts, P S; Hu, T W; Henderson, R A; Cleary, P D; Tokuhata, G

    1984-01-01

    Four studies are reported on how utilization of primary health care was affected by the Three Mile Island (TMI) crisis and subsequent distress experienced by persons living in the vicinity of the plant. The studies concerned: 1) Blue Cross-Blue Shield records of claims by primary care physicians in the vicinity of TMI; 2) utilization rates in a family practice located near the facility; 3) interviews with persons living within five miles of TMI following the crisis; and 4) responses to a questionnaire by primary care physicians practicing within 25 miles of TMI. All four studies indicated only slight increases in utilization rates during the year following the crisis. One study found that persons who were upset during the crisis tended to be high practice utilizers both before and after the crisis. These results suggest that, while patterns of physician utilization prior to the TMI crisis predicted emotional response during the crisis, the impact of the TMI crisis on subsequent physician utilization was small. PMID:6691524

  9. School Crisis Response: Expecting the Unexpected.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lichtenstein, Robert; And Others

    1994-01-01

    The typical administrator certification program does not devote specific attention to shootings, suicide, terminal illness, and natural disasters. A crisis of major proportion calls for enlightened leadership: a take-charge manner, combined with effective teamwork and delegation of vital operations. Crisis teams should exist at regional, district,…

  10. Being PREPaREd for Crisis in Northern Colorado

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hancock, Kathy; Malvey, Michelle; Rastatter, Dennis

    2010-01-01

    The Thompson School District recognized after the Columbine incident in the spring of 1999 that it was lacking an adequate plan for crisis response. Colorado legislation led to a mandate for having a crisis response plan so the district purchased a "canned" crisis response plan that served the needs of response in a very immediate but…

  11. Thoughts on Food and the Future. New Horizons in Nutrition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arnold, Justine; Grogan, Jane, Ed.

    This instructional handbook is one of a series of ten packets designed to form a comprehensive course in nutrition for secondary students. This unit provides a brief overview of the world food crisis, the proposed U.S. Dietary goals, and the conflict between freedom of speech and the proliferation of nutrition misinformation. It contains a page of…

  12. Impact of the 2008 Economic and Financial Crisis on Child Health: A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Rajmil, Luis; Fernandez de Sanmamed, María-José; Choonara, Imti; Faresjö, Tomas; Hjern, Anders; Kozyrskyj, Anita L.; Lucas, Patricia J.; Raat, Hein; Séguin, Louise; Spencer, Nick; Taylor-Robinson, David

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this study was to provide an overview of studies in which the impact of the 2008 economic crisis on child health was reported. Structured searches of PubMed, and ISI Web of Knowledge, were conducted. Quantitative and qualitative studies reporting health outcomes on children, published since 2007 and related to the 2008 economic crisis were included. Two reviewers independently assessed studies for inclusion. Data were synthesised as a narrative review. Five hundred and six titles and abstracts were reviewed, from which 22 studies were included. The risk of bias for quantitative studies was mixed while qualitative studies showed low risk of bias. An excess of 28,000–50,000 infant deaths in 2009 was estimated in sub-Saharan African countries, and increased infant mortality in Greece was reported. Increased price of foods was related to worsening nutrition habits in disadvantaged families worldwide. An increase in violence against children was reported in the U.S., and inequalities in health-related quality of life appeared in some countries. Most studies suggest that the economic crisis has harmed children’s health, and disproportionately affected the most vulnerable groups. There is an urgent need for further studies to monitor the child health effects of the global recession and to inform appropriate public policy responses. PMID:25019121

  13. Gourmet Foods. Course of Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marshall, Martha; And Others

    Four units are included in this curriculum guide for a semester elective credit course in gourmet foods for high school juniors and seniors: (1) Introudction to the Course, and the Development of "A Gourmet," intended to facilitate defining and participating in planning the course program and goals, (2) "Basic Food Preparation for…

  14. Food Production & Service Curriculum Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Michigan State Univ., East Lansing. Coll. of Agriculture and Natural Resources Education Inst.

    This curriculum guide deals with planning and implementing a course in food production and service. Addressed in the course are the following topics: using basic food service processes; performing the tasks of a kitchen helper, stock clerk, baker's helper, pastry helper, cook's helper, pantry goods maker, short order cook, cook, dining room…

  15. LENR/"Cold Fusion" and Modern Physics: A Crisis Within a Crisis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mallove, Eugene F. E.

    2004-03-01

    The primary theorists in the field of Cold Fusion/LENR have generally assumed that the excess heat phenomena is commensurate with nuclear ash (such as helium), whether already identified or presumed to be present but not yet found, and moreover that it can be explained by hydrided metal lattice structures acting coherently. Though this was an excellent initial hypothesis, the commensurate nuclear ash hypothesis has not been proved, and appears to be approximately correct in only a few experiments. At the same time, compelling evidence has also emerged for other microphysical sources of energy that were unexpected by accepted physics. The exemplars have been the work Dr. Randell Mills and his colleagues at BlackLight Power Corporation and Dr. Paulo and Alexandra Correa in Canada.This has led to a crisis within a crisis: Neither "cold fusion" nor "Modern Physics" will be able to explain the full range of experimental data now available---not even the data within "mainstream" cold fusion/LENR per se--- by insisting that the fundamental paradigms of Modern Physics are without significant flaw. The present crisis is of magnitude comparable to the Copernican Revolution. Neither Modern Physics nor Cold Fusion/LENR will survive in their present forms when this long delayed revolution has run its course.

  16. Neo-Liberalism in Crisis? Educational Dimensions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Small, David

    2011-01-01

    Until the global financial crisis, neo-liberalism had appeared invincible. This article examines the global rise of neo-liberalism and its impact on education, particularly its treatment of the social democratic ideal of equality. Drawing on examples from education and other socio-political factors, it considers whether the financial crisis is…

  17. Crisis and Loss: Information for Families.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canter, Andrea, Ed.

    1999-01-01

    During a crisis, parents can do a great deal to help their child deal with grief and anxiety. This special issue provides information and promising practices that might be helpful in dealing with various crisis situations. Provides the following articles: (1) "Children Killing Children" (Kevin Dwyer); (2) "Disaster: Helping Children…

  18. Solving the Antibiotic Crisis.

    PubMed

    Wright, Gerard D

    2015-02-13

    Antibiotics are essential for both treating and preventing infectious diseases. Paradoxically, despite their importance as pillars of modern medicine, we are in danger of losing antibiotics because of the evolution and dissemination of resistance mechanisms throughout all pathogenic microbes. This fact, coupled with an inability to bring new drugs to market at a pace that matches resistance, has resulted in a crisis of global proportion. Solving this crisis requires the actions of many stakeholders, but chemists, chemical biologists, and microbiologists must drive the scientific innovation that is required to maintain our antibiotic arsenal. This innovation requires (1) a deep understanding of the evolution and reservoirs of resistance; (2) full knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of antibiotic action and resistance; (3) the discovery of chemical and genetic probes of antibiotic action and resistance; (4) the integration of systems biology into antibiotic discovery; and (5) the discovery of new antimicrobial chemical matter. Addressing these pressing scientific gaps will ensure that we can meet the antibiotic crisis with creativity and purpose.

  19. Crisis Management

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brock, Stephen E., Ed.

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents summaries of four articles relevant to school crisis response. The first article, "Peritraumatic Dissociation Predicts Posttraumatic Stress in Youth Following Accidents" summarized by Jim Matthews, suggests that peritraumatic dissociation is a powerful predictor of PTSD symptoms among youth who have been in a car…

  20. Vygotsky's Crisis: Argument, context, relevance.

    PubMed

    Hyman, Ludmila

    2012-06-01

    Vygotsky's The Historical Significance of the Crisis in Psychology (1926-1927) is an important text in the history and philosophy of psychology that has only become available to scholars in 1982 in Russian, and in 1997 in English. The goal of this paper is to introduce Vygotsky's conception of psychology to a wider audience. I argue that Vygotsky's argument about the "crisis" in psychology and its resolution can be fully understood only in the context of his social and political thinking. Vygotsky shared the enthusiasm, widespread among Russian leftist intelligentsia in the 1920s, that Soviet society had launched an unprecedented social experiment: The socialist revolution opened the way for establishing social conditions that would let the individual flourish. For Vygotsky, this meant that "a new man" of the future would become "the first and only species in biology that would create itself." He envisioned psychology as a science that would serve this humanist teleology. I propose that The Crisis is relevant today insofar as it helps us define a fundamental problem: How can we systematically account for the development of knowledge in psychology? I evaluate how Vygotsky addresses this problem as a historian of the crisis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Obesity: A crisis of growing proportions.

    PubMed

    Berall, Glenn B

    2002-05-01

    Childhood obesity is a condition characterized by an imbalance between energy consumed and energy expended. A variety of factors that are unique to our modern day western society lead to the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity. The ease and volume of food supply, high calorie density, convenience foods, convenience transportation, sedentary lifestyle, school system issues, and perceptions of unsafe neighbourhoods all contribute to this increase in obesity. Consequences of childhood obesity are now known to carry health risks for childhood, as well as greater health risks in adulthood. A societal approach to solving this problem is necessary. The paediatrician's role as an advocate in society is vital. On an individual basis, paediatricians can help to identify these patterns early and prevent them by providing basic nutritional advice to the child and parents at an early stage.

  2. Using Crisis Simulations in Public Relations Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Veil, Shari R.

    2010-01-01

    Objectives: Students will demonstrate research, decision making, team building, and public speaking skills, while applying issues management and crisis communication concepts in a realistic setting. Courses: Introduction to Public Relations, Public Relations Cases, Crisis Communication.

  3. Electronic Gaming and the Obesity Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Calvert, Sandra L.; Staiano, Amanda E.; Bond, Bradley J.

    2013-01-01

    Children and adolescents in the United States and in many countries are projected to have shorter life spans than their parents, partly because of the obesity crisis engulfing the developed world. Exposure to electronic media is often implicated in this crisis because media use, including electronic game play, may promote sedentary behavior and…

  4. Pakistan's Education Crisis: The Real Story

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naviwala, Nadia

    2016-01-01

    Pakistan suffers from an extensive education crisis. Millions of Pakistani children do not attend school, and those that do must deal with absent teachers and poor learning environments, among other challenges. While this crisis is frequently discussed in Pakistan and beyond, it is often misunderstood. This new Wilson Center report, based on…

  5. Crisis Communications in a Digital World

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trump, Kenneth S.

    2015-01-01

    Kenneth Trump, a school safety expert who consults with districts on how to respond to school safety crises, explains how the new prevalence of threats of violence being delivered over digital and social media creates for administrators a "communication crisis" that unfolds alongside the real or perceived crisis of school safety being…

  6. Crisis and Loss: Information for Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Canter, Andrea, Ed.

    1999-01-01

    Crisis intervention is a vital component of any comprehensive approach to maintaining psychological well being. An active school-based crisis intervention team can make a powerful contribution to a school's sense of community and commitment to taking care of each other. This special edition presents promising practices that may be helpful to…

  7. Basic Human Needs; A Framework for Action.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McHale, John; McHale, Magda Cordell

    The report presents quantitative assessments of basic human needs in the areas of food, health, education, shelter, and clothing and considers how these needs may be met in ways harmonious with environmental and developmental objectives. The target group consists of those who are below or just below poverty line. The book is presented in six…

  8. The consequences of the economic crisis in radiology.

    PubMed

    2015-12-01

    The effects of the economic crisis have led to complex problems in radiology. The crisis has led to a reduction in the turnover of imaging equipment. This reflects on the quantity and quality of output, an aspect which is worsened by the contraction of the radiology market, late payments on supplies, and competitive procurement of medical goods centralized on a regional or national level. Many local and national institutions have operated with significant reductions of reimbursement for procedures, forcing a reorganization of facilities, manpower, and equipment. The reduction in operating margins of the industry has resulted in a reduction of invested capital for projects of industrial R&D and direct or indirect sponsorship. The quality of care will be affected with less comfortable conditions, reduction of local availability of radiologists, and failure to invest in lower dose equipment to control population medical radiation exposure. The crisis resulted in a reduction in the number of graduates in medicine and scholarships for specialization induced by linear cuts will result in a drastic reduction of radiological specialists. This will favour the development of teleradiology services, with the risk of accelerating the demedicalisation of radiology departments, and isolation of the professionals. • The economic crisis has led to reduction in the turnover of imaging equipment. • The economic crisis has led to reductions of reimbursement for procedures. • The economic crisis has led to reductions in operating margins of the industry. • The economic crisis has led to contraction of quantity and quality of output. • The economic crisis resulted in demedicalisation of radiology departments and isolation of professionals.

  9. Technological disasters, crisis management and leadership stress.

    PubMed

    Weisaeth, Lars; Knudsen, Øistein; Tønnessen, Arnfinn

    2002-07-01

    This paper discusses how psychological stress disturbs decision making during technological crisis and disaster, and how to prevent this from happening. This is exemplified by scientific studies of a Norwegian large scale accident involving hazardous material, and of handling the far-off effects of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. The former constitutes an operative level of crisis management, whereas the latter involves crisis management at the strategic and political level. We conclude that stress had a negative effect on decision making in both cases.

  10. What's in a Name? That Which We Call a Crisis? A Commentary on Michael Young's Article "Overcoming the Crisis in Curriculum Theory"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lundgren, Ulf P.

    2015-01-01

    Michael Young's article "Overcoming the crisis in curriculum theory: a knowledge-based approach" ("JCS, 45", 2) is discussed from the starting point that the claimed crisis is constructed from a decisive solution, that is the solution determines what is a crisis. But curriculum research and curriculum theory are in need of…

  11. Crisis management, capabilities and preparedness: the case of public hospitals in Iran.

    PubMed

    Najafbagy, Reza

    2010-01-01

    Crises occurred in recent decades show that organizations' preparedness to predict and respond to undesired problems is directly related to the degree of their capabilities and preparedness to manage crises in this context, hospitals compared to other organizations are more viable to suffer damages if a crisis occurs. This study investigates the degree of public hospitals capabilities and preparedness to handled possible crises. Responses from hospital managers and directors show that most of them were not familiar with crisis management, while majority of them mentioned that they had crisis management plan and committee in their hospitals. Moreover, most of the respondents believed that if a crisis occurs in the hospital, patients, personnel and documents will be the first victims of the crisis. The study also indicates that having a crisis plan and crisis committee without being familiar with knowledge of crisis management, do not help managers to cope with crisis. Moreover, correlations show that older managers were more familiar with crisis management experiences abroad, and defined responsibilities contributed to setting up crisis committee, and taking crisis seriously.

  12. Making Healthy Choices at Fast Food Restaurants

    MedlinePlus

    ... Pets and Animals myhealthfinder Food and Nutrition Healthy Food Choices Weight Loss and Diet Plans Nutrients and Nutritional Info Sugar and Sugar Substitutes Exercise and Fitness Exercise Basics Sports Safety Injury Rehabilitation Emotional Well-Being Mental Health Sex ...

  13. Reproducibility in science: improving the standard for basic and preclinical research.

    PubMed

    Begley, C Glenn; Ioannidis, John P A

    2015-01-02

    Medical and scientific advances are predicated on new knowledge that is robust and reliable and that serves as a solid foundation on which further advances can be built. In biomedical research, we are in the midst of a revolution with the generation of new data and scientific publications at a previously unprecedented rate. However, unfortunately, there is compelling evidence that the majority of these discoveries will not stand the test of time. To a large extent, this reproducibility crisis in basic and preclinical research may be as a result of failure to adhere to good scientific practice and the desperation to publish or perish. This is a multifaceted, multistakeholder problem. No single party is solely responsible, and no single solution will suffice. Here we review the reproducibility problems in basic and preclinical biomedical research, highlight some of the complexities, and discuss potential solutions that may help improve research quality and reproducibility. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

  14. 44 CFR 206.171 - Crisis counseling assistance and training.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Crisis counseling assistance... Assistance § 206.171 Crisis counseling assistance and training. (a) Purpose. This section establishes the policy, standards, and procedures for implementing section 416 of the Act, Crisis Counseling Assistance...

  15. 44 CFR 206.171 - Crisis counseling assistance and training.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2012-10-01 2011-10-01 true Crisis counseling assistance... Assistance § 206.171 Crisis counseling assistance and training. (a) Purpose. This section establishes the policy, standards, and procedures for implementing section 416 of the Act, Crisis Counseling Assistance...

  16. 44 CFR 206.171 - Crisis counseling assistance and training.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Crisis counseling assistance... Assistance § 206.171 Crisis counseling assistance and training. (a) Purpose. This section establishes the policy, standards, and procedures for implementing section 416 of the Act, Crisis Counseling Assistance...

  17. 44 CFR 206.171 - Crisis counseling assistance and training.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Crisis counseling assistance... Assistance § 206.171 Crisis counseling assistance and training. (a) Purpose. This section establishes the policy, standards, and procedures for implementing section 416 of the Act, Crisis Counseling Assistance...

  18. Resilient Communication: A New Crisis Communication Strategy for Homeland Security

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-01

    communication theory. Author, Timothy Coombs , in Ongoing Crisis Communication , discusses the need for a crisis management 10 plan to prepare for potential... COMMUNICATION : A NEW CRISIS COMMUNICATION STRATEGY FOR HOMELAND SECURITY by Sharon L. Watson March 2012 Thesis Advisor: Christopher Bellavita...REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Resilient Communication : A New Crisis Communication

  19. Multifractal analysis of Asian markets during 2007-2008 financial crisis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasan, Rashid; Mohammad, Salim M.

    2015-02-01

    2007-2008 US financial crisis adversely affected the stock markets all over the world. Asian markets also came under pressure and were differently affected. As markets under stress could reveal features that remain hidden under normal conditions, we use MF-DFA technique to investigate the multifractal structure of the US and seven Asian stock markets during the crisis period. The overall period of study, from 01 July 2002 to 31 December 2013, is divided into three sub-periods: pre-crisis period, crisis period and post-crisis period. We find during the crisis period markets of the US, Japan, Hong Kong, S. Korea and Indonesia show very strong non-linearity for positive values of the moment q. We calculate the singularity spectra, f(α) for the three sub-periods for all markets. During the crisis period, we observe that the peaks of the f(α) spectra shift to lower values of α and markets of the US, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Indonesia exhibit increased long range correlations of large fluctuations in index returns. We also study the impact of the crisis on the power law exponent in the tail region of the cumulative return distribution and find that by excluding the crisis period from the overall data sets, the tail exponent increases across all markets.

  20. Biofeedback Training in Crisis Managers: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    PubMed

    Janka, A; Adler, C; Brunner, B; Oppenrieder, S; Duschek, S

    2017-06-01

    Working in crisis environments represents a major challenge, especially for executive personnel engaged in directing disaster operations, i.e. crisis managers. Crisis management involves operating under conditions of extreme stress resulting, for instance, from high-level decision-making, principal responsibility for personnel, multitasking or working under conditions of risk and time pressure. The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a newly developed biofeedback training procedure based on electrodermal activity, especially designed for the target group of crisis managers. The training comprised exercises promoting acquisition of control over sympathetic arousal under resting conditions and during exposure to visual, acoustic and cognitive stressors resembling situations related to crisis management. In a randomized controlled design, 36 crisis managers were assigned to either a biofeedback training group or waiting list control group. Subjective stress was assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale. In the training group, stress level markedly decreased; the decrease remained stable at follow-up 2 months after the training. The results indicate that biofeedback training in crisis management is an effective method for stress management that may help to reduce vulnerability to stress-related performance decline and stress-related disease.

  1. Ischemic stroke risk factors during Greek economic crisis.

    PubMed

    Katsanos, Aristeidis H; Fiolaki, Aidonio; Markou, Sofia; Markoula, Sofia; Kosmidou, Maria; Kyritsis, Athanassios P; Giannopoulos, Sotirios

    2016-02-01

    The impact of Greece's economic crisis on healthcare is of great concern. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of economic crisis on the prevention of cerebral ischemic events. Retrospective analysis of patients with ischemic stroke (IS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) admitted to a tertiary neurological department in northwestern Greece during the period 2008-2014. Using 2011 as the transitional year IS/TIA patients were dichotomized according to their admission date in two subgroups: the "before economic crisis" subgroup and the "after economic crisis" subgroup. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictor variables of statin/antihypertensive pretreatment. Patients admitted after the economic crisis outbreak (mean age: 57.6 ± 13.5 years) were found to have lower waist periphery measurements (p = 0.001), lower incidence of diabetes (p = 0.028), hyperlipidemia (p = 0.002) and metabolic syndrome(p < 0.001), at stroke onset with lower rates of antilipidemic treatment prescription prior to stroke onset compared to those patients with cerebral ischemia that were hospitalized before the financial crisis (mean age: 59.6 ± 11.1 years). However, between the two subgroups were no significant differences in the rates of untreated patients with hyperlipidemia (p = 0.189) and/or hypertension (p = 0.313). Even though statin pretreatment prior to stroke onset was found to be reduced during economic crisis compared to the period before the crisis, (OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.34-0.95, p = 0.032), this association did not retain statistical significance in the multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR = 1.69, 95%CI = 0.83-3.42, p = 0.143). Our study supports that at present financial crisis has not significantly affected the prevention of cerebrovascular events in the citizens of a provincial city area. Data from other regions and time-periods are needed for the final verdict. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Global hunger: a challenge to agricultural, food, and nutritional sciences.

    PubMed

    Wu, Shiuan-Huei; Ho, Chi-Tang; Nah, Sui-Lin; Chau, Chi-Fai

    2014-01-01

    Hunger has been a concern for generations and has continued to plague hundreds of millions of people around the world. Although many efforts have been devoted to reduce hunger, challenges such as growing competitions for natural resources, emerging climate changes and natural disasters, poverty, illiteracy, and diseases are posing threats to food security and intensifying the hunger crisis. Concerted efforts of scientists to improve agricultural and food productivity, technology, nutrition, and education are imperative to facilitate appropriate strategies for defeating hunger and malnutrition. This paper provides some aspects of world hunger issues and summarizes the efforts and measures aimed to alleviate food problems from the food and nutritional sciences perspectives. The prospects and constraints of some implemented strategies for alleviating hunger and achieving sustainable food security are also discussed. This comprehensive information source could provide insights into the development of a complementary framework for dealing with the global hunger issue.

  3. Content Knowledge--The Real Reading Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kato, Tsuguhiko; Manning, Maryann

    2007-01-01

    The perceived crisis in reading achievement may be misplaced--the real crisis may be what is ignored in the curriculum. People are alarmed at the lack of emphasis being placed on teaching content knowledge in many of today's classrooms. They laugh when Jay Leno takes to the street, interviewing teenagers and young adults who do not have the…

  4. Defining crisis in families of individuals with autism spectrum disorders

    PubMed Central

    Wingsiong, Aranda; Lunsky, Yona

    2014-01-01

    Parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder often report higher levels of depression, anxiety, and mental health–related issues. The combination of stressors and family adjustment difficulties can cause distress which may develop into a crisis. Understanding crisis in the family is important to mental health practice since it can serve as a guide in delivering service to at-risk families. This study investigated the subjective experience of crisis in 155 mothers of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Thematic analysis revealed that crisis is characterized by factors influencing four major areas: demands, internal capabilities, external resources, and subjective appraisal. Understanding what crisis means to families of individuals with autism spectrum disorder can help inform effective preventative and crisis services. PMID:24254639

  5. 40 CFR 166.49 - Public notice of crisis exemptions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Public notice of crisis exemptions... PROGRAMS EXEMPTION OF FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES FOR USE OF PESTICIDES UNDER EMERGENCY CONDITIONS Crisis Exemptions § 166.49 Public notice of crisis exemptions. (a) Periodic notices. At least quarterly, the...

  6. Elevated IL-8 levels during sickle cell crisis.

    PubMed

    Duits, A J; Schnog, J B; Lard, L R; Saleh, A W; Rojer, R A

    1998-11-01

    The vaso-occlusive process (VOC) in sickle cell disease is of a complex nature. It involves intricate interactions between sickle red blood cells, endothelium and probably also leukocytes. As these interactions are regulated by cytokines, we analyzed the role of the potent neutrophil chemokine IL-8 by measuring serum levels in sickle cell patients during sickle cell crisis. These results were compared to nonsymptomatics and healthy controls. In patients having a vaso-occlusive crisis both HbSS and HbSC patients showed significantly enhanced serum IL-8 levels compared to healthy controls. Several of these patients showed extremely elevated serum IL-8 levels which were independent of the crisis inducing factor. Furthermore, a sickle cell patient with VOC as a complication of rhGM-CSF treatment similarly showed high IL-8 serum levels at crisis onset. Nonsymptomatic sickle cell patients serum IL-8 levels were comparable to healthy controls. These results implicate a role for IL-8 at or during (the initiation of) sickle cell crisis.

  7. Measuring Oman’s Food Security Outlook for Crisis Aversion

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-05-18

    unemployment benefits as well as more powers to the Majlis al-Shura.7 However, Oman could lose political stability in another food price spike, so it remains...population growth, arid climate, and government mismanagement has led to failing agricultural sectors and economic vulnerability.12 Today, most Arab...and two civil wars in Yemen and Syria continue today.19 While international organizations and non- governmental organizations like the World Bank and

  8. 40 CFR 166.50 - Reporting and recordkeeping requirements for crisis exemption.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... requirements for crisis exemption. 166.50 Section 166.50 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION... EMERGENCY CONDITIONS Crisis Exemptions § 166.50 Reporting and recordkeeping requirements for crisis... a crisis exemption must be immediately reported to the Agency. (b) Final reports. (1) A report...

  9. Foreign currency exchange network topology across the 2008 credit crisis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharif, Shamshuritawati; Ap, Nuraisah Che; Ruslan, Nuraimi

    2017-05-01

    A stable world currency exchange rate is a very important aspect to be considered for a developed country, i.e Malaysia. A better understanding about the currencies itself is needed nowadays. This project is about to understanding the fluctuation and to identify the most influential world currencies in the three different cases; before credit crisis, during credit crisis and after credit crisis. A network topology approach is use to examine the interrelationship between currencies based on correlation analysis. With this point of view, those relationships can be measured by a correlation structure among the currencies. The network can be analyse by filtering the important information using minimum spanning tree (MST) and interpret it using degree centrality as the centrality measure. This topology will give a useful guide to understand the behaviour and determine the most influential currency in the network as a part of a complex system. All currencies are compared among the three different cases; before credit crisis, during credit crisis and after credit crisis period. The result of this project shows that Unites State Dollar (USD), Brazilian Real (BRL), United Kingdom Pound (EUR) and Danish Krone (DKK) are the most influential currencies before the credit crisis period. With respect to during the credit crisis, New Zealand Dollar (NZD) dominates the network and it is followed by Singapore Dollar (SGD) for after the credit crisis period.

  10. When a Crisis Hits, Will Your School Be Ready?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Decker, Robert H.

    This guidebook describes the components involved in proactively developing a comprehensive crisis-management plan. Chapter 1 explains the philosophical underpinnings of a crisis-management plan and discusses the importance of vision and staff development. Chapter 2 answers the questions: Why do we need a crisis-management plan? Who needs to be…

  11. Relationship between household expenditures on strategic foods and prevalence of undernutrition among children 0 to 23 months of age in Indonesia.

    PubMed

    Mauludyani, Anna Vipta Resti; Fahmida, Umi; Santika, Otte

    2014-12-01

    The global economic crisis in 2007/08 resulted in higher food prices, which increased household food expenditures while worsening the quantity and quality of food consumed, potentially leading to child undernutrition. To characterize the relationship of the mean proportions of household expenditures on strategic foods with the prevalence of undernutrition (high stunting, wasting, and underweight) among children under 2 years of age in Indonesia. The study used data from 437 districts from two nationally representative surveys conducted in 2007, the National Socioeconomic Survey (Susenas) and the Basic Health Research (Riskesdas). A higher mean proportion of household expenditure on soybeans was significantly associated with lower odds (3rd vs. 1st tertile) of prevalence of high wasting (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.28 to 0.94; p =.031) and high underweight (OR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.28; p < .0001). A lower mean proportion of household expenditure on sugar and cooking oil was significantly associated with lower odds of prevalence of high wasting (OR, 2.41; 95% CI, 1.37 to 4.23; p = .002) and high underweight (2nd vs. 1st tertile) (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.05 to 5.41; p = .039). Among all strategic foods, a higher proportion of household expenditure on soybeans and a lower proportion of household expenditure on sugar and cooking oil are associated with lower odds of high wasting and underweight prevalence among children 0 to 23 months of age. The results indicate the need for promotion of consumption of fermented soybeans and education aiming at decreasing expenditure on sugar and cooking oil to increase consumption of more nutritious foods.

  12. An Information-Processing Model of Crisis Management.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Egelhoff, William G.; Sen, Falguni

    1992-01-01

    Develops a contingency model for managing a variety of corporate crises. Views crisis management as an information-processing situation and organizations that must cope with crisis as information-processing systems. Attempts to fit appropriate information-processing mechanisms to different categories of crises. (PRA)

  13. Wundt contested: The first crisis declaration in psychology.

    PubMed

    Mülberger, Annette

    2012-06-01

    When reflecting on the history and the present situation of their field, psychologists have often seen their discipline as being in a critical state. The first author to warn of a crisis was, in 1897, the now scarcely known philosopher Rudolf Willy. He saw a crisis in psychology resulting, firstly, from a profuse branching out of psychology. Adopting a radical empiriocriticist point of view, he, secondly, made the metaphysical stance of scholars like Wilhelm Wundt responsible for the crisis. Meanwhile, the priest Constantin Gutberlet responded to the claim of crisis arguing, on the contrary, that the crisis resulted from research that was empirical only. Throughout the discipline psychologists felt troubled by a widespread sense of fragmentation in the field. I will argue that this is due to psychology's early social success and popularization in modern society. Moreover the paper shows that the first declaration of crisis emerged at a time when a discussion of fundamentals was already underway between Wundt and the empiriocriticist Richard Avenarius. The present historical research reveals the depth of the confrontation between Wundt and Willy, entailing a clash of two worldviews that embrace psychological, epistemological, and political aspects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Ideological Responses to the EU Refugee Crisis

    PubMed Central

    van Prooijen, Jan-Willem; Krouwel, André P. M.; Emmer, Julia

    2017-01-01

    The 2016 European Union (EU) refugee crisis exposed a fundamental distinction in political attitudes between the political left and right. Previous findings suggest, however, that besides political orientation, ideological strength (i.e., political extremism) is also relevant to understand such distinctive attitudes. Our study reveals that the political right is more anxious, and the political left experiences more self-efficacy, about the refugee crisis. At the same time, the political extremes—at both sides of the spectrum—are more likely than moderates to believe that the solution to this societal problem is simple. Furthermore, both extremes experience more judgmental certainty about their domain-specific knowledge of the refugee crisis, independent of their actual knowledge. Finally, belief in simple solutions mediated the relationship between ideology and judgmental certainty, but only among political extremists. We conclude that both ideological orientation and strength matter to understand citizens’ reactions to the refugee crisis. PMID:29593852

  15. Responding to the Unthinkable: School Crisis Response and Recovery

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cowan, Katherine C.; Rossen, Eric

    2014-01-01

    The mental health implications of crisis exposure have emerged as a critical and challenging facet of school safety and crisis response, expanding our focus to encompass both psychological and physical safety, as well as prevention and recovery. Best practice reflects this evolution in our understanding and encompasses the continuum of crisis and…

  16. Wilderness Crisis Management. Explore Magazine Technical Series No. 11.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raffan, James

    This paper deals with managing a crisis in a wilderness situation. The terms "crisis" and "turning point" are used to describe what is more traditionally called an accident. Using these terms introduces the idea that crisis events occur as logical consequences of preceding decisions, errors, or omissions, not as the result of…

  17. On the Epistemological Crisis in Genomics

    PubMed Central

    Dougherty, Edward R

    2008-01-01

    There is an epistemological crisis in genomics. At issue is what constitutes scientific knowledge in genomic science, or systems biology in general. Does this crisis require a new perspective on knowledge heretofore absent from science or is it merely a matter of interpreting new scientific developments in an existing epistemological framework? This paper discusses the manner in which the experimental method, as developed and understood over recent centuries, leads naturally to a scientific epistemology grounded in an experimental-mathematical duality. It places genomics into this epistemological framework and examines the current situation in genomics. Meaning and the constitution of scientific knowledge are key concerns for genomics, and the nature of the epistemological crisis in genomics depends on how these are understood. PMID:19440447

  18. Groundwater Depletion and Long term Food Security in India

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fishman, R.; Lall, U.; Modi, V.; Siegfried, T. U.; Narula, K. K.

    2009-12-01

    Unsustainable extraction of groundwater has led water tables to decline in many parts of India - the same parts that tend to produce most of the country’s food. Government policies like procurement and price guarantees for water intensive grains as well as subsidies on energy for pumping, originally intended to ensure national self-sufficiency in grain, are partly responsible for unsustainable groundwater extraction. The resulting groundwater depletion is associated with increasing burdens on state budgets and farmer incomes, and also risks irreversible damages to aquifers as a result of saline intrusion and other forms of pollution, processes that can undermine the prospects of long term food security. We discuss the policies and proposed solutions that might be able to maintain food security in the face of this impending crisis.

  19. Crops and food security--experiences and perspectives from Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Huang, Chen-Te; Fu, Tzu-Yu Richard; Chang, Su-San

    2009-01-01

    Food security is an important issue that is of concern for all countries around the world. There are many factors which may cause food insecurity including increasing demand, shortage of supply, trade condition, another countries' food policy, lack of money, high food and oil prices, decelerating productivity, speculation, etc. The food self-sufficiency ratio of Taiwan is only 30.6% weighted by energy in 2007. Total agriculture imports and cereals have increased significantly due to the expansion of livestock and fishery industries and improve living standard. The agriculture sector of Taiwan is facing many challenges, such as: low level of food self-sufficiency, aging farmers, large acreage of set-aside farmlands, small scale farming, soaring price of fertilizers, natural disasters accelerated by climate change, and rapid changes in the world food economy. To cope with these challenges, the present agricultural policy is based on three guidelines: "Healthfulness, Efficiency, and Sustainability." A program entitled "Turning Small Landlords into Large Tenants" was launched to make effective use of idle lands. Facing globalization and the food crisis, Taiwan will secure stable food supply through revitalization of its set-aside farmlands and international markets, and provide technical assistance to developing countries, in particular for staple food crops.

  20. The Cuban Missile Crisis: Evolving Historical Perspectives.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Medland, William J.

    1990-01-01

    Presents a synthesis of the views of participants and counterviews of scholars concerning the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. Reviews historical and analytical accounts of the crisis. Describes critical areas of conflicting interpretations by historians and participants. Includes an annotated bibliography of teaching resources. (NL)

  1. Understanding the "Crisis" in Basic Skills: Framing the Issues in Community Colleges. Basic Skills Instruction in California Community Colleges. Working Paper, Number 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grubb, W. Norton; Boner, Elizabeth; Frankel, Kate; Parker, Lynette; Patterson, David; Gabriner, Robert; Hope, Laura; Schiorring, Eva; Smith, Bruce; Taylor, Richard; Walton, Ian; Wilson, Smokey

    2011-01-01

    While increases in remedial education (or basic skills instruction or developmental education) have taken place at several levels of the education and training system, there are reasons for thinking that the issue is particularly acute in community colleges. This introductory working paper divides the problem into two. The first is the high…

  2. Tackling the global NCD crisis: innovations in law and governance.

    PubMed

    Thomas, Bryan; Gostin, Lawrence O

    2013-01-01

    35 million people die annually of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), 80% of them in low- and middle-income countries - representing a marked epidemiological transition from infectious to chronic diseases and from richer to poorer countries. The total number of NCDs is projected to rise by 17% over the coming decade, absent significant interventions. The NCD epidemic poses unique governance challenges: the causes are multifactorial, the affected populations diffuse, and effective responses require sustained multi-sectorial cooperation. The authors propose a range of regulatory options available at the domestic level, including stricter food labeling laws, regulation of food advertisements, tax incentives for healthy lifestyle choices, changes to the built environment, and direct regulation of food and drink producers. Given the realities of globalization, such interventions require global cooperation. In 2011, the UN General Assembly held a High-level meeting on NCDs, setting a global target of a 25% reduction in premature mortality from NCDs by 2025. Yet concrete plans and resource commitments for reaching this goal are not yet in the offing, and the window is rapidly closing for achieving these targets through prevention - as opposed to treatment, which is more costly. Innovative global governance for health is urgently needed to engage private industry and civil society in the global response to the NCD crisis. © 2013 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

  3. Your Food Dollar. Money Management.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baran, Nancy H., Ed.; Tarrant, Sharon M., Ed.

    This booklet on food buying power, 1 in a series of 12, covers all the basic aspects of personal- and family-money management. Suitable for use by high school and college students as well as adults, this handbook offers information on developing a shopping list, deciding where to shop, selecting the best buys, and reading food labels. Section 1 on…

  4. Adverse effect of the financial crisis in Greece on perinatal factors.

    PubMed

    Zografaki, Irini; Papamichail, Dimitris; Panagiotopoulos, Takis

    2018-05-16

    Starting in 2008 recession affected many European countries and especially Greece. Previous studies have reported increases in low birth weight, preterm birth and stillbirth rates in Greece during early crisis. In our study we used data on births from 1980 to 2014 that allowed us to distinguish recent changes, which could possibly be attributed to the financial crisis, from long term trends, and controlled for maternal age and country of origin as potential confounders. Our study covered a longer period (up to 2014) than what has been studied before and looked separately at the effect of early and established crisis. We used national vital statistics data from 1980 to 2014. We performed age standardization and calculated age standardized rates and standardized rate ratios (SRRs) for perinatal factors for three time periods (pre-crisis, early crisis and established crisis) for Greek and non-Greek women. We found an increase in low birth weight deliveries independent of maternal age and origin and an increased stillbirth rate in Greek women younger than 25 in early (RR = 1.42 95%CI: 1.12-1.80) and established crisis periods (RR = 1.36 95%CI: 1.07-1.72) compared with pre-crisis. Non-Greek women have also been affected, with their advantage regarding birth outcomes becoming less profound in the established crisis period (low birth weight: established crisis SRR = 0.84 95%CI: 0.82-0.87, pre-crisis SRR = 0.79 95% CI: 0.76- 0.81). The financial crisis has possibly adversely affected perinatal factors in Greece. Our results highlight the need of appropriate public health interventions and family support policies, especially for younger people, unemployed and immigrants.

  5. [Hypertensive crisis in children and adolescents].

    PubMed

    Skrzypczyk, Piotr; Roszkowska-Blaim, Maria; Daniel, Maria

    2013-12-01

    Hypertensive crisis is a sudden rise in blood pressure above 99 c. for sex, age and height +5 mm Hg. Depending on patient's symptoms, hypertensive crisis can be divided into hypertensive emergency severe arterial hypertension with target organ insufficiency and/r damage (central nervous system, heart, kidney, eye), and hypertensive urgency - severe arterial hypertension without target organ insufficiency and damage with non-specific symptoms like: headaches, vertigo, nasal bleeding, nausea, and vomiting. The most common causes of hypertensive crisis in neonates and infants are renal artery thrombosis, broncho-pulmonary dysplasia, and coarctation of aorta; in older children - kidney diseases and renal artery stenosis. In neonates and infants symptoms of cardiac failure predominate, whereas in older children symptoms from central nervous system (headaches, nausea, vomiting, changes in level of consciousness, seizures, focal deficits). Hypertensive crisis is treated with fast- and short-acting medications; 25% reduction of blood pressure within first 8 hours is recommended, with complete normalization within 24-48 hours. Hypertensive emergency should be treated with intravenous agents (labetalol, hydralazine, nicardipine, and sodium nitroprusside), hypertensive urgency with intravenous or oral agents like nifedipine, isradipine, clonidine and minoxidil. Nicardipine is a first-choice medication in neonates.

  6. [Assessing aggression in patients of the mental health crisis service].

    PubMed

    Penterman, E J M; Nijman, H L I

    2009-01-01

    Care workers of the outreach psychiatric crisis team are frequently confronted with aggressive patients. To prevent dangerous situations from developing it could be advantageous to have in place a method of risk assessment that is based on information about patients before they are actually contacted by the crisis team. To test the predictive validity of an instrument specifically designed to assess the risks of aggression from severely disturbed psychiatric patients before they are seen by the crisis team. Over a period of two years and prior to any outreach contact with patients in crisis situations a Checklist of Risks to the Crisis team (CRC) was completed. Then, following outreach contact with the patient any perceived aggression was recorded by means of the Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised (SOAS-R). Aggressive behaviour by patients was observed during 51 of 499 crisis contacts with members of the outreach crisis team. On the basis of three factors in the CRC, namely the clinical assessment on a visual-analogue scale, an estimate of the number of aggressive persons in the vicinity of the crisis patient concerned and the reporting of crises by the patient himself, it was possible to predict outwardly directed aggression with a sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 84%. Although the findings still need to be reproduced, an instrument such as the crc could be very useful to members of the crisis service.

  7. 'HTA for Crisis': sharing experiences during the 7th EBHC Symposium.

    PubMed

    Wladysiuk, Magdalena; Tabor, Anna; Godman, Brian

    2013-02-01

    The Central and Eastern European Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care was founded in Krakow, Poland in 2003. On October 8th and 9th, the 7th symposium took place titled 'HTA for Crisis'. This meeting was attended by over 250 decision makers, evidence-based specialists, healthcare managers, commercial company personnel and experts. The symposium was principally divided into four main themes: insurance in times of crisis; importance of pricing of health services in times of crisis; managing welfare benefits in times of crisis and Health Technology Assessment in crisis-laden countries. The symposium finished by debating potential ways forward for healthcare systems in times of crisis.

  8. Cell Death During Crisis Is Mediated by Mitotic Telomere Deprotection

    PubMed Central

    Hayashi, Makoto T.; Cesare, Anthony J.; Rivera, Teresa; Karlseder, Jan

    2015-01-01

    Tumour formation is blocked by two barriers, replicative senescence and crisis1. Senescence is triggered by short telomeres and is bypassed by disruption of tumour suppressive pathways. After senescence bypass, cells undergo crisis, during which almost all of the cells in the population die. Cells that escape crisis harbor unstable genomes and other parameters of transformation. The mechanism of cell death during crisis remained elusive. We show that cells in crisis undergo spontaneous mitotic arrest, resulting in death during mitosis or in the following cell cycle. The phenotype was induced by loss of p53 function, and suppressed by telomerase overexpression. Telomere fusions triggered mitotic arrest in p53-compromised non-crisis cells, indicating such fusions as the underlying cause. Exacerbation of mitotic telomere deprotection by partial TRF2 knockdown2 increased the ratio of cells that died during mitotic arrest and sensitized cancer cells to mitotic poisons. We propose a crisis pathway wherein chromosome fusions induce mitotic arrest, resulting in mitotic telomere deprotection and cell death, thereby eliminating precancerous cells from the population. PMID:26108857

  9. Chromothripsis and kataegis induced by telomere crisis

    PubMed Central

    Maciejowski, John; Li, Yilong; Bosco, Nazario; Campbell, Peter J.; de Lange, Titia

    2015-01-01

    Telomere crisis occurs during tumorigenesis when depletion of the telomere reserve leads to frequent telomere fusions. The resulting dicentric chromosomes have been proposed to drive genome instability. Here we examine the fate of dicentric human chromosomes in telomere crisis. We observed that dicentric chromosomes invariably persisted through mitosis and developed into 50-200 μm chromatin bridges connecting the daughter cells. Before their resolution at 3-20 h after anaphase, the chromatin bridges induced nuclear envelope rupture in interphase, accumulated the cytoplasmic 3' nuclease TREX1, and developed RPA-coated single stranded (ss) DNA. CRISPR knockouts showed that TREX1 contributed to the generation of the ssDNA and the resolution of the chromatin bridges. Post-crisis clones showed chromothripsis and kataegis, presumably resulting from DNA repair and APOBEC editing of the fragmented chromatin bridge DNA. We propose that chromothripsis in human cancer may arise through TREX1-mediated fragmentation of dicentric chromosomes formed in telomere crisis. PMID:26687355

  10. Urbanization eases water crisis in China

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wu, Yiping; Liu, Shu-Guang; Ji, Chen

    2012-01-01

    Socioeconomic development in China has resulted in rapid urbanization, which includes a large amount of people making the transition from rural areas to cities. Many have speculated that this mass migration may have worsened the water crisis in many parts of the country. However, this study shows that the water crisis would be more severe if the rural-to-urban migration did not occur.

  11. [Celiac crisis: presentation as bleeding diathesis].

    PubMed

    Gutiérrez, Sebastián; Toro, Martín; Cassar, Alejandro; Ongay, Rodrigo; Isaguirre, Jorge; López, Candelaria; Benedetti, Laura

    2009-03-01

    Celiac crisis is a severe and potentially fatal complication of celiac disease. Unusual at present, it has been described mainly in children younger than 2-years-old, but reports in adults do exist. We report a 26-years-old lady with tetany and bleeding diathesis at presentation. In spite of it rareness, it is important to consider celiac crisis among the multiple manifestations of celiac disease.

  12. [Attempted suicide during the financial crisis in Athens].

    PubMed

    Stavrianakos, K; Kontaxakis, V; Moussas, G; Paplos, K; Papaslanis, T; Havaki-Kontaxaki, B; Papadimitriou, Gn

    2014-01-01

    Suicidal behavior is considered as the result of complex cognitive and emotional processes and it is a timeless, global and multifactorial phenomenon. Periods of financial crises in the past, such as the Great Depression in the USA in 1929 and the economic crises of Asia, Russia and Argentina in the late 1990s, have been associated with impairment of mental health of the economically affected. Unemployment, job insecurity, debts, poverty and social exclusion seems to lead to higher incidence of anxiety and depressive symptoms and increased suicidality. Alcohol and substance use and the reduction of the state budget for health services reinforce the negative effects of the economic recession on mental health. The financial crisis which currently affects many European countries began in 2008 and its impact on the mental health of European citizens is in progress. Greece is probably the most affected country by the European financial crisis. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential impact of the crisis' consequences on the attempted suicide rates in the Athens population and the differentiation of suicide attempters on social, demographic and clinical-psychopathological parameters during the crisis. A retrospective study was conducted. The semi-structured records of 165 attempters who were hospitalized in the Internal Medicine Clinics of the "Sotiria" General Hospital in Athens, after attempted suicide in the years 2007 and 2011, before and during the financial crisis respectively, were studied. Among suicide attempters 95(57.6%) were suffering from mental disorders. Most often diagnoses were these of mood disorders (n=60, 63.2%). Demographic data, current psychiatric disorder, previous suicide attempt and severity of psychopathology at the time of suicide attempt were recorded for each patient. Furthermore, the severity of each suicide attempt was estimated. Suicide attempts were 70 in 2007, before the financial crisis (mean age 36.9 years, 71% women

  13. Prioritization of the essentials in the spending patterns of Canadian households experiencing food insecurity.

    PubMed

    Fafard St-Germain, Andrée-Anne; Tarasuk, Valerie

    2018-03-21

    Food insecurity is a potent determinant of health and indicator of material deprivation in many affluent countries. Food insecurity is associated with compromises in food and housing expenditures, but how it relates to other expenditures is unknown. The present study described households' resource allocation over a 12-month period by food insecurity status. Expenditure data from the 2010 Survey of Household Spending were aggregated into four categories (basic needs, other necessities, discretionary, investments/assets) and ten sub-categories (food, clothing, housing, transportation, household/personal care, health/education, leisure, miscellaneous, personal insurance/pension, durables/assets). A four-level food insecurity status was created using the adult-specific items of the Household Food Security Survey Module. Mean dollars spent and budget share by food insecurity status were estimated with generalized linear models adjusted first for household size and composition, and subsequently for after-tax income quartiles. Canada. Population-based sample of households from the ten provinces (n 9050). Food-secure households had higher mean total expenditures than marginally, moderately and severely food-insecure households (P-trend <0·0001). As severity of food insecurity increased, households spent less on all categories and sub-categories, except transportation, but they allocated a larger budget share to basic needs and smaller shares to discretionary spending and investments/assets. The downward trends for dollars spent on basic needs and other necessities became non-significant after accounting for income, but the upward trend in the budget shares for basic needs persisted. The spending patterns of food-insecure households suggest that they prioritized essential needs above all else.

  14. Telephone Crisis Support Workers' Psychological Distress and Impairment.

    PubMed

    Kitchingman, Taneile A; Wilson, Coralie J; Caputi, Peter; Wilson, Ian; Woodward, Alan

    2018-01-01

    In order to respond to crises with appropriate intervention, crisis workers are required to manage their own needs as well as the needs of those they respond to. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to examine whether telephone crisis support workers experience elevated symptoms of psychological distress and are impaired by elevated symptoms. Studies were identified in April 2015 by searching three databases, conducting a gray literature search, and forward and backward citation chaining. Of 113 identified studies, seven were included in the review. Results suggest that that telephone crisis support workers experience symptoms of vicarious traumatization, stress, burnout, and psychiatric disorders, and that they may not respond optimally to callers when experiencing elevated symptoms of distress. However, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn due to the paucity and methodological limitations of available data. While the most comprehensive search strategy possible was adopted, resource constraints meant that conference abstracts were not searched and authors were not contacted for additional unpublished information. There is an urgent need to identify the impact of telephone crisis support workers' role on their well-being, the determinants of worker well-being in the telephone crisis support context, and the extent to which well-being impacts their performance and caller outcomes. This will help inform strategies to optimize telephone crisis support workers' well-being and their delivery of support to callers.

  15. Umami the Fifth Basic Taste: History of Studies on Receptor Mechanisms and Role as a Food Flavor

    PubMed Central

    Kurihara, Kenzo

    2015-01-01

    Three umami substances (glutamate, 5′-inosinate, and 5′-guanylate) were found by Japanese scientists, but umami has not been recognized in Europe and America for a long time. In the late 1900s, umami was internationally recognized as the fifth basic taste based on psychophysical, electrophysiological, and biochemical studies. Three umami receptors (T1R1 + T1R3, mGluR4, and mGluR1) were identified. There is a synergism between glutamate and the 5′-nucleotides. Among the above receptors, only T1R1 + T1R3 receptor exhibits the synergism. In rats, the response to a mixture of glutamate and 5′-inosinate is about 1.7 times larger than that to glutamate alone. In human, the response to the mixture is about 8 times larger than that to glutamate alone. Since glutamate and 5′-inosinate are contained in various foods, we taste umami induced by the synergism in daily eating. Hence umami taste induced by the synergism is a main umami taste in human. PMID:26247011

  16. Enhancing Science Teaching through Performing Marbling Art Using Basic Solutions and Base Indicators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Çil, Emine; Çelik, Kevser; Maçin, Tuba; Demirbas, Gülay; Gökçimen, Özlem

    2014-01-01

    Basic solutions are an indispensable part of our daily life. Basic solutions are commonly used in industries such as the textile industry, oil refineries, the fertilizer industry, and pharmaceutical products. Most cleaning agents, such as soap, detergent, and bleach, and some of our foods, such as chocolate and eggs, include bases. Bases are the…

  17. Miscarriage: A Special Type of Family Crisis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Day, Randal D.; Hooks, Daniel

    1987-01-01

    Surveyed 102 women about their experience with miscarriage. Found that family resource variables were a much stronger predictor of level of crisis and recovery than were personal or community resource variables. Adaptation and cohesion were significant predictors of speed or recovery and level of crisis, respectively. (Author/NB)

  18. Do You Have a Crisis Management Plan?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pleviak, Walter; Milkevitch, Frank

    2001-01-01

    Although certain crises cannot be prevented, reactions to many can be planned. A crisis-management team should be organized for each building. Critical crisis-plan elements include telephone trees, forms, reference articles, sample letters, and processes for dealing with local media. Spokespersons should have facts straight before speaking. (MLH)

  19. Facing the Crisis: Third World Agriculture in the 1980s.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Ajit; Tabatabai, Hamid

    1990-01-01

    Examines how developing nations' agrarian economy fared in the 1980s in the wake of the world economic crisis. Discusses how the economic crisis affected agricultural development and whether the performance of the agrarian economy was responsible for the economic crisis. (JOW)

  20. The Victor-Bostrom Fund Report: Food and Population. Report No. 19, Summer-Fall 1974.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Victor-Bostrom Fund Committee, Washington, DC.

    Eleven articles comprise this document which presents commentaries on nutrition, population, and environmental education. The articles deal specifically with the crises of a rapidly growing world population, a worsening world food situation, and an energy crisis. A number of specific recommendations, both national and international, are offered to…

  1. The Musharraf Paradox: The Failure of an Economic Success Story

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-01-01

    more basic set of issues pre- vailed: People were angry over the fact atta [ flour ] was not avail- able, that food prices were high, and due to this...prices of food items, combined with shortages of sugar, oil and flour , a looming power and gas crisis also worked to dampen the Musharraf economic...resources from the public and private sectors – often to the enrichment of senior officers, both on-duty and retired. The military has come to

  2. Basics of elder law and legal liabilities of negligence and malpractice for physicians as they apply to individuals with disabilities.

    PubMed

    Ullman, David; Zuller, Michael E

    2005-02-01

    This article provides information regarding the issues that physicians face when dealing with elderly patients with cognitive deficits. It includes a discussion of basic legal terms and concepts that medical personnel should understand, various difficulties encountered by patients and families in crisis situations, and how the legal system deals with these issues. It concludes with a general discussion of the legal liabilities of negligence and malpractice.

  3. Financial crisis and austerity measures in Greece: their impact on health promotion policies and public health care.

    PubMed

    Ifanti, Amalia A; Argyriou, Andreas A; Kalofonou, Foteini H; Kalofonos, Haralabos P

    2013-11-01

    This review study explores the available data relating to the impact of financial crisis and subsequently applied austerity measures on the health care, social services and health promotion policies in Greece. It is evident that Greece is affected more than any other European country by the financial crisis. Unemployment, job insecurity, income reduction, poverty and increase of mental disorders are among the most serious consequences of crisis in the socioeconomic life. The health system is particularly affected by the severe austerity measures. The drastic curtailing of government spending has significantly affected the structure and functioning of public hospitals that cope with understaffing, deficits, drug shortage and basic medical supplies. Moreover, health promotion policies are constrained, inhibiting thus the relevant initiatives toward disease prevention and health promotion education practices. Overall, the current economic situation in Greece and its impact on real life and health care is quite concerning. Policy makers should not disregard the implications that austerity and fiscal policies have on the health sector. Greater attention is needed in order to ensure that individuals would continue getting public health care and having access to preventive and social support services. To face the economic hardship, policy makers are expected to implement human-centered approaches, safeguarding the human dignity and the moral values. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. School Crisis Aftermath: Care for the Caregivers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paine, Cathy Kennedy

    2009-01-01

    "Professional" crisis caregivers (e.g., emergency responders, mental health providers, medical professionals, victim assistance counselors, and faith leaders) are trained to handle exposure to images of destruction and loss and to help victims or survivors cope with the impact of a crisis. They try to help individuals, schools, and communities…

  5. When a Crisis Occurs: A Trustee's Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kenney, Phyllis Gutierrez

    1997-01-01

    Argues that, although crises are unavoidable, they can be planned for and that there should be a crisis management model for each situation. Discusses components of an effective crisis management plan, including clear lines of governance, trust, and communication between boards and the president and effective communication with the media and…

  6. Assessment of pre-crisis and syn-crisis seismic hazard at Campi Flegrei and Mt. Vesuvius volcanoes, Campania, southern Italy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Convertito, Vincenzo; Zollo, Aldo

    2011-08-01

    In this study, we address the issue of short-term to medium-term probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for two volcanic areas, Campi Flegrei caldera and Mt. Vesuvius in the Campania region of southern Italy. Two different phases of the volcanic activity are considered. The first, which we term the pre-crisis phase, concerns the present quiescent state of the volcanoes that is characterized by low-to-moderate seismicity. The second phase, syn-crisis, concerns the unrest phase that can potentially lead to eruption. For the Campi Flegrei case study, we analyzed the pattern of seismicity during the 1982-1984 ground uplift episode (bradyseism). For Mt. Vesuvius, two different time-evolutionary models for seismicity were adopted, corresponding to different ways in which the volcano might erupt. We performed a site-specific analysis, linked with the hazard map, to investigate the effects of input parameters, in terms of source geometry, mean activity rate, periods of data collection, and return periods, for the syn-crisis phase. The analysis in the present study of the pre-crisis phase allowed a comparison of the results of probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for the two study areas with those provided in the Italian national hazard map. For the Mt. Vesuvius area in particular, the results show that the hazard can be greater than that reported in the national hazard map when information at a local scale is used. For the syn-crisis phase, the main result is that the data recorded during the early months of the unrest phase are substantially representative of the seismic hazard during the whole duration of the crisis.

  7. Energy-water-food nexus under financial constraint environment: good, the bad, and the ugly sustainability reforms in sub-Saharan African countries.

    PubMed

    Zaman, Khalid; Shamsuddin, Sadaf; Ahmad, Mehboob

    2017-05-01

    Environmental sustainability agenda are generally compromised by energy, water, and food production resources, while in the recent waves of global financial crisis, it mediates to increase the intensity of air pollutants, which largely affected the less developing countries due to their ease of environmental regulation policies and lack of optimal utilization of economic resources. Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries are no exception that majorly hit by the recent global financial crisis, which affected the country's natural environment through the channel of unsustainable energy-water-food production. The study employed panel random effect model that addresses the country-specific time-invariant shocks to examine the non-linear relationship between water-energy-food resources and air pollutants in a panel of 19 selected SSA countries, for a period of 2000-2014. The results confirmed the carbon-fossil-methane environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) that turned into inverted U-shaped relationships in a panel of selected SSA countries. Food resources largely affected greenhouse gas (GHG), methane (CH 4 ), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions while water resource decreases carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), fossil fuel, and CH 4 emissions in a region. Energy efficiency improves air quality indicators while industry value added increases CO 2 emissions, fossil fuel energy, and GHG emissions. Global financial crisis increases the risk of climate change across countries. The study concludes that although SSA countries strive hard to take some "good" initiatives to reduce environmental degradation in a form of improved water and energy sources, however, due to lack of optimal utilization of food resources and global financial constraints, it leads to "the bad" and "the ugly" sustainability reforms in a region.

  8. Crisis on campus: Eating disorder intervention from a developmental-ecological perspective.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Julia V; Gibson, Donna M

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to review a crisis intervention using the developmental-ecological protocol (Collins and Collins, 2005) with a college student presenting with symptomatology of an active eating disorder. Participants included University Wellness Center employees responding to the crisis. Methods include an informal review of the crisis intervention response and application of the ABCDE developmental-ecological crisis model. Results reported include insight into crisis intervention when university counseling and health center is not available as resources. ABCDE Developmental-ecological model recommendations for university faculty and staff are included.

  9. Application of Chemical Kinetics to Deterioration of Foods.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Labuza, T. P.

    1984-01-01

    Possible modes of food deterioration (such as microbial decay, nonenzymatic browning, senescence, lipid oxidation) are reviewed. A basic mathematical approach to the kinetics of food deterioration, kinetic approach to accelerating shelf-life deterioration, and shelf-life predictions are discussed. (JN)

  10. Towards integrated crisis support of regional emergency networks.

    PubMed

    Caro, D H

    1999-01-01

    Emergency and crisis management pose multidimensional information systems challenges for communities across North America. In the quest to reduce mortality and morbidity risks and to increase the level of crisis preparedness, regional emergency management networks have evolved. Integrated Crisis Support Systems (ICSS) are enabling information technologies that assist emergency managers by enhancing the ability to strategically manage and control these regional emergency networks efficiently and effectively. This article underscores the ICCS development, control and leadership issues and their promising implications for regional emergency management networks.

  11. Challenges of the management of mass casualty: lessons learned from the Jos crisis of 2001.

    PubMed

    Ozoilo, Kenneth N; Pam, Ishaya C; Yiltok, Simon J; Ramyil, Alice V; Nwadiaro, Hyacinth C

    2013-10-28

    Jos has witnessed a series of civil crises which have generated mass casualties that the Jos University Teaching Hospital has had to respond to from time to time. We review the challenges that we encountered in the management of the victims of the 2001 crisis. We reviewed the findings of our debriefing sessions following the sectarian crisis of September 2001 and identified the challenges and obstacles experienced during these periods. Communication was a major challenge, both within and outside the hospital. In the field, there was poor field triage and no prehospital care. Transportation and evacuation was hazardous, for both injured patients and medical personnel. This was worsened by the imposition of a curfew on the city and its environs. In the hospital, supplies such as fluids, emergency drugs, sterile dressings and instruments, splints, and other consumables, blood and food were soon exhausted. Record keeping was erratic. Staff began to show signs of physical and mental exhaustion as well as features of anxiety and stress. Tensions rose between different religious groups in the hospital and an attempt was made by rioters to attack the hospital. Patients suffered poor subsequent care following resuscitation and/or surgery and there was neglect of patients on admission prior to the crisis as well as non trauma medical emergencies. Mass casualties from disasters that disrupt organized societal mechanisms for days can pose significant challenges to the best of institutional disaster response plans. In the situation that we experienced, our disaster plan was impractical initially because it failed to factor in such a prolongation of both crisis and response. We recommend that institutional disaster response plans should incorporate provisions for the challenges we have enumerated and factor in peculiarities that would emanate from the need for a prolonged response.

  12. Challenges of the management of mass casualty: lessons learned from the Jos crisis of 2001

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Jos has witnessed a series of civil crises which have generated mass casualties that the Jos University Teaching Hospital has had to respond to from time to time. We review the challenges that we encountered in the management of the victims of the 2001 crisis. Methodology We reviewed the findings of our debriefing sessions following the sectarian crisis of September 2001 and identified the challenges and obstacles experienced during these periods. Results Communication was a major challenge, both within and outside the hospital. In the field, there was poor field triage and no prehospital care. Transportation and evacuation was hazardous, for both injured patients and medical personnel. This was worsened by the imposition of a curfew on the city and its environs. In the hospital, supplies such as fluids, emergency drugs, sterile dressings and instruments, splints, and other consumables, blood and food were soon exhausted. Record keeping was erratic. Staff began to show signs of physical and mental exhaustion as well as features of anxiety and stress. Tensions rose between different religious groups in the hospital and an attempt was made by rioters to attack the hospital. Patients suffered poor subsequent care following resuscitation and/or surgery and there was neglect of patients on admission prior to the crisis as well as non trauma medical emergencies. Conclusion Mass casualties from disasters that disrupt organized societal mechanisms for days can pose significant challenges to the best of institutional disaster response plans. In the situation that we experienced, our disaster plan was impractical initially because it failed to factor in such a prolongation of both crisis and response. We recommend that institutional disaster response plans should incorporate provisions for the challenges we have enumerated and factor in peculiarities that would emanate from the need for a prolonged response. PMID:24164778

  13. Caring capacity in the management of the nutrition crisis in infants, young children and women in Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Igbedioh, S O

    1996-01-01

    Nigeria's nutrition crisis has been shown to have a considerable negative impact on infants, young children and women. Available evidence suggests that 'caring capacity' when properly planned and targeted at the most-at-risk can help. Strategies that can achieve this care are increasing women's income and control over income, increasing investment in women's education and improving access to credit facilities. Others are the aggressive promotion of gender-biased labour saving technology, increasing women's access to basic health and family planning services and implementing reforms in land ownership while instituting social security for women.

  14. Discovery and structural elucidation of the illegal azo dye Basic Red 46 in sumac spice.

    PubMed

    Ruf, J; Walter, P; Kandler, H; Kaufmann, A

    2012-01-01

    An unknown red dye was discovered in a sumac spice sample during routine analysis for Sudan dyes. LC-DAD and LC-MS/MS did not reveal the identity of the red substance. Nevertheless, using LC-high-resolution MS and isotope ratio comparisons the structure was identified as Basic Red 46. The identity of the dye was further confirmed by comparison with a commercial hair-staining product and two textile dye formulations containing Basic Red 46. Analogous to the Sudan dyes, Basic Red 46 is an azo dye. However, some of the sample clean-up methodology utilised for the analysis of Sudan dyes in food prevents its successful detection. In contrast to the Sudan dyes, Basic Red 46 is a cation. Its cationic properties make it bind strongly to gel permeation columns and silica solid-phase extraction cartridges and prevent elution with standard eluents. This is the first report of Basic Red 46 in food. The structure elucidation of this compound as well as the disadvantages of analytical methods focusing on a narrow group of targeted analytes are discussed.

  15. Practicing discernment: pastoral care in crisis situations.

    PubMed

    Landes, Scott D

    2010-01-01

    This article correlates a particular experience of providing pastoral care for a person in a crisis situation with a particular understanding of the practice of pastoral care. Through engaging in correlative practical theology, it highlights the need for practicing discernment when providing pastoral care for persons utilizing narratives to work through crisis situations.

  16. Crisis Management's New Role in Educational Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gainey, Barbara S.

    2009-01-01

    From natural disasters to the financial debacle, it is clear to the educational community that crises know no boundaries. Far from a passing fad, crisis planning must be an integrated part of effective school district leadership. Two studies explore the status of crisis management in selected public school systems and offer recommendations for…

  17. Comparison of the effects of conditional food and cash transfers of the Ethiopian Productive Safety Net Program on household food security and dietary diversity in the face of rising food prices: ways forward for a more nutrition-sensitive program.

    PubMed

    Baye, Kaleab; Retta, Negussie; Abuye, Cherinet

    2014-09-01

    In light of the continuing rise in food prices during and after the 2008 world food crisis, whether food and cash transfers are equally effective in improving food security and diet quality is debatable. To compare the effects of conditional food and cash transfers of the Ethiopian Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) on household food security and dietary diversity. Data on household dietary diversity, child anthropometry, food security, and preference of transfer modalities (food, cash, or mixed) were generated from a cross-sectional survey of 195 PSNP beneficiary households (67 receiving food and 128 receiving cash) in Hawella Tulla District, Sidama, southern Ethiopia. Most beneficiaries (96%) reported food shortages, and 47% reported food shortages that exceeded 3 months. Households receiving cash had better household dietary diversity scores (p = .02) and higher consumption of oils and fats (p = .003) and vitamin A-rich foods (p = .002). Compared with households receiving food, households receiving cash were more affected by increases in food prices that forced them to reduce their number of daily meals (p < .001) and spend less on nonstaples (p < .001). While most households receiving food (82%) preferred to continue receiving food, households receiving cash (56%) preferred a mix of food and cash. Households receiving cash had better household dietary diversity than households receiving food, a result suggesting that cash transfers may be more effective. However, the continuing rise infood prices may offset these benefits unless cash transfers are index-linked to food price fluctuations.

  18. Financial Crisis Management in Higher Education: Responses by 20 Private Colleges and Universities to the 2007-2009 Financial Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dorantes, Andrew R.; Low, Justin R.

    2016-01-01

    As a result of the Great Recession, higher education in the United States suffered from the most significant financial crisis since the Great Depression (Breneman 2008; Zumeta 2010). This crisis affected all institutions of higher education since it challenged three major revenue sources: net tuition income, endowment income, and gift income…

  19. The humanitarian situation in syria: a snapshot in the third year of the crisis.

    PubMed

    Doocy, Shannon; Delbiso, Tefera D; Guha-Sapir, Debarati

    2015-03-03

    Between April and June 2014, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), an International NGO, and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East (GOPA) conducted a needs assessment of Syrians affected by the crisis with the objective of gaining a better understanding of humanitarian needs and assistance priorities. Findings suggest that interventions that increase access to non-food items, food, medication and education should be prioritized where cost was the primary barrier to accessing goods and services. Cash transfer programs and direct provision of material assistance should be considered, though the most appropriate assistance modality is likely to vary by sector, location and the preferences and prior experience of donors and implementing organizations. Renewed international commitment to funding humanitarian assistance efforts in Syria and neighboring countries where the burden of refugees is greatest is essential from both a human rights perspective and in terms of maintaining stability in the region.

  20. Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis

    PubMed Central

    DiNicolantonio, James J; Wilson, William

    2018-01-01

    Because serum magnesium does not reflect intracellular magnesium, the latter making up more than 99% of total body magnesium, most cases of magnesium deficiency are undiagnosed. Furthermore, because of chronic diseases, medications, decreases in food crop magnesium contents, and the availability of refined and processed foods, the vast majority of people in modern societies are at risk for magnesium deficiency. Certain individuals will need to supplement with magnesium in order to prevent suboptimal magnesium deficiency, especially if trying to obtain an optimal magnesium status to prevent chronic disease. Subclinical magnesium deficiency increases the risk of numerous types of cardiovascular disease, costs nations around the world an incalculable amount of healthcare costs and suffering, and should be considered a public health crisis. That an easy, cost-effective strategy exists to prevent and treat subclinical magnesium deficiency should provide an urgent call to action. PMID:29387426

  1. Purchasing for Food Service: Self-Instruction.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ross, Lynne Nannen

    This book is designed to teach accounting procedures and product specifications that are needed by the competent purchaser in order to make optimum purchasing decisions basic to a successful food service operation. It may be used by any level of food service personnel that is involved with any phase of the purchasing process. Preferably, the book…

  2. Protecting young people from junk food advertising: implications of psychological research for First Amendment law.

    PubMed

    Harris, Jennifer L; Graff, Samantha K

    2012-02-01

    In the United States, one third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese, yet food and beverage companies continue to target them with advertising for products that contribute to this obesity crisis. When government restrictions on such advertising are proposed, the constitutional commercial speech doctrine is often invoked as a barrier to action. We explore incongruities between the legal justifications for the commercial speech doctrine and the psychological research on how food advertising affects young people. A proper interpretation of the First Amendment should leave room for regulations to protect young people from advertising featuring calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods and beverages.

  3. Impact of emotional stability and attitude on consumption decisions under risk: the Coca-Cola crisis in Belgium.

    PubMed

    Verbeke, Wim; Van Kenhove, Patrick

    2002-01-01

    This article focuses on consumer reactions during and after the Coca-Cola crisis of June 1999 in Belgium. The research tests for associations between the personality trait "emotional stability," attitude toward the brand, and self-reported behavior. Cross-sectional data are collected from a sample of Coca-Cola drinkers between 19 and 22 years old. The data are analyzed through the specification and estimation of a structural equation model and ANOVA. A direct and positive effect of attitude toward the brand on the behavioral response is found. No direct effect of emotional stability on behavior is revealed. However, indirect effects of personality mediated by attitude are discovered. Further, emotional stability is found to correlate negatively with importance attached to information during the crisis. Fast and transparent communication with specific attention to lower emotional stability groups, as well as the inclusion of personality and attitude measurements in future health and food safety studies, are recommended.

  4. Stress in crisis managers: evidence from self-report and psychophysiological assessments.

    PubMed

    Janka, A; Adler, C; Fischer, L; Perakakis, P; Guerra, P; Duschek, S

    2015-12-01

    Directing disaster operations represents a major professional challenge. Despite its importance to health and professional performance, research on stress in crisis management remains scarce. The present study aimed to investigate self-reported stress and psychophysiological stress responses in crisis managers. For this purpose, 30 crisis managers were compared with 30 managers from other disciplines, in terms of self-reported stress, health status and psychophysiological reactivity to crisis-related and non-specific visual and acoustic aversive stimuli and cognitive challenge. Crisis managers reported lower stress levels, a more positive strain-recuperation-balance, greater social resources, reduced physical symptoms, as well as more physical exercise and less alcohol consumption. They exhibited diminished electrodermal and heart rate responses to crisis-related and non-specific stressors. The results indicate reduced stress and physical complaints, diminished psychophysiological stress reactivity, and a healthier life-style in crisis managers. Improved stress resistance may limit vulnerability to stress-related performance decline and facilitate preparedness for major incidents.

  5. Basic Principles--Outdoor Living Skills Series. Instructor Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deaton, Don

    The priorities for sustaining life--air, shelter, water, and food--are the subjects of this module designed to give junior and senior high school students the foundation for safe, rewarding experiences in the outdoors. Five 50-minute lesson plans cover the basic need in order of priority: air (3 minutes to survive without it), shelter (3 hours, in…

  6. Trust, confidence, and the 2008 global financial crisis.

    PubMed

    Earle, Timothy C

    2009-06-01

    The 2008 global financial crisis has been compared to a "once-in-a-century credit tsunami," a disaster in which the loss of trust and confidence played key precipitating roles and the recovery from which will require the restoration of these crucial factors. Drawing on the analogy between the financial crisis and environmental and technological hazards, recent research on the role of trust and confidence in the latter is used to provide a perspective on the former. Whereas "trust" and "confidence" are used interchangeably and without explicit definition in most discussions of the financial crisis, this perspective uses the TCC model of cooperation to clearly distinguish between the two and to demonstrate how this distinction can lead to an improved understanding of the crisis. The roles of trust and confidence-both in precipitation and in possible recovery-are discussed for each of the three major sets of actors in the crisis, the regulators, the banks, and the public. The roles of trust and confidence in the larger context of risk management are also examined; trust being associated with political approaches, confidence with technical. Finally, the various stances that government can take with regard to trust-such as supportive or skeptical-are considered. Overall, it is argued that a clear understanding of trust and confidence and a close examination of the specific, concrete circumstances of a crisis-revealing when either trust or confidence is appropriate-can lead to useful insights for both recovery and prevention of future occurrences.

  7. Guide of Hypertensive Crisis Pharmacotherapy.

    PubMed

    Wani-Parekh, Priyanka; Blanco-Garcia, Carlos; Mendez, Melissa; Mukherjee, Debabrata

    2017-01-01

    Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the number one cause of death globally compared to any other cause. CVD accounts for approximately 17.3 million deaths per year and are rising. Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Approximately, 80 million people suffer from hypertension in the U.S. While, majority of these individuals are on antihypertensive medications only 54% of individuals with hypertension are optimally controlled. Heart failure and stroke are some of the devastating complications of uncontrolled hypertension. Hypertensive crisis can be classified as either an urgency or emergency; difference between the two is the presence of end organ damage, which is noted in hypertensive emergency. Hypertensive crisis is usually treated by parenteral antihypertensive medications. The main drug classes of drugs for treatment are nitrates, calcium channel blockers, dopamine-1 agonists, adrenergic-blocking agents etc. In this review, we discuss approach to management of hypertensive crisis and each drug class with its physiology and complications. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  8. Capsaicin and arterial hypertensive crisis.

    PubMed

    Patanè, Salvatore; Marte, Filippo; La Rosa, Felice Carmelo; La Rocca, Roberto

    2010-10-08

    Chili peppers are rich in capsaicin. The potent vasodilator calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is stored in a population of C-fiber afferents that are sensitive to capsaicin. CGRP and peptides released from cardiac C fibers have a beneficial effect in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. It has been reported that capsaicin pretreatment can deplete cardiac C-fiber peptide stores. Furthermore, it has also been reported that capsaicin-treated pigs have significantly increased mean arterial blood pressure compared with controls, and that the decrease in CGRP synthesis and release contributes to the elevated blood pressure. A case has also been reported of an arterial hypertensive crisis in a patient with a large ingestion of peppers and chili peppers the day before. We present a case of an arterial hypertensive crisis in a 19-year-old Italian man with an abundant ingestion of peppers and of chili peppers the preceding day. This case describes an unusual pattern of arterial hypertensive crisis due to capsaicin. Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Resource Guide for Crisis Management in Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LaPointe, Richard T.; And Others

    A crisis can occur at any time, whether or not a school's staff plans for it. This resource guide is a compilation of user-friendly examples of policies, procedures, guidelines, checklists, and forms to help Virginia schools develop and implement a systematic crisis-management plan. Chapter 1 provides an introductory overview of the essential…

  10. The Financial Crisis in the Community College.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lombardi, John

    The author examines the financial crisis in community colleges on a national scale in this first paper in a projected long-range study of this crucial topic. Economic causes contributing to the crisis include inflation, rising enrollments, and such labor-intensive aspects as spiraling labor and security costs, and increasing demands for funds by…

  11. Immunology of Food Allergy.

    PubMed

    Tordesillas, Leticia; Berin, M Cecilia; Sampson, Hugh A

    2017-07-18

    Many consider food allergy as the "second wave" of the allergy epidemic following the "first wave" of respiratory allergy, i.e., asthma and allergic rhinitis, plaguing westernized countries, with up to 8% of young children and 2%-3% of adults in the United States now affected by hypersensitivity reactions to various foods. In the past decade, there have been great strides in our understanding of the underlying immunopathogenesis of these disorders, which have led to improved diagnostic techniques, management strategies, and therapeutic approaches. Here we will review the most recent understanding of basic mechanisms underlying IgE-mediated food allergies and novel therapeutic approaches under investigation for both the prevention and treatment of IgE-mediated food allergies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Abortion misinformation from crisis pregnancy centers in North Carolina.

    PubMed

    Bryant, Amy G; Levi, Erika E

    2012-12-01

    This study assessed the accuracy of medical information provided by crisis pregnancy centers in North Carolina. We performed a secondary data analysis of a "secret shopper survey" performed by a nonprofit organization. Reports from phone calls and visits to crisis pregnancy centers were analyzed for quality and content of medical information provided. Web sites of crisis pregnancy centers in the state were also reviewed. Thirty-two crisis pregnancy centers were contacted. Nineteen of these were visited. Fourteen centers (44%) offered that they "provide counseling on abortion and its risks." Inaccurate information provided included a link between abortion and breast cancer (16%), infertility (26%) and mental health problems (26%). Of the 36 Web sites identified, 31 (86%) provided false or misleading information, including 26 sites (72%) linking abortion to "post-abortion stress." Many crisis pregnancy centers give inaccurate medical information regarding the risks of abortion. Overstating risks stigmatizes abortion, seeks to intimidate women and is unethical. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Alcohol and the economic crisis in Argentina: recent findings.

    PubMed

    Munné, Myriam I

    2005-12-01

    In 2002 Argentina participated in the GENACIS project (Gender, Alcohol, and Culture: An International Study) as one of the countries funded by the World Health Organization. Four questions about the current economic crisis in Argentina were added to the original GENACIS questionnaire in order to find out the opinions of the general population in relation to alcohol and the economic crisis. Gender differences in the answers to these questions were examined. Logistic regression was used to identify demographic, drinking pattern and drinking problems variables related significantly to responses to the economic crisis questions. During the economic crisis people stopped or reduced going to bars and instead drank at home or at friends' homes. A large number of respondents also reported that people had changed to cheaper or lower-quality alcoholic drinks. Women were more likely to agree with statements that the economic crisis had increased 'escape' drinking and required reductions in money spent on alcohol; men were more likely to agree that the crisis had led to less drinking in bars and to the purchase of cheaper or lower-quality alcoholic beverages. Respondents who reported having significant others with drinking-related problems were more likely to endorse all four statements about effects of the economic crisis on drinking behaviour. A qualitative approach was used to discuss themes in the general comments that were recorded by the interviewers while collecting data. A strongly moralistic attitude towards alcohol was present in these comments, especially among women. The findings suggest that the economic crisis in Argentina led to major changes in patterns of drinking that differed according to gender roles and other demographic variables. The long-term effects of these changes remain to be determined as economic circumstances improve.

  14. How Should the Financial Crisis Change How We Teach Economics?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shiller, Robert J.

    2010-01-01

    Student dissatisfaction with teaching of economics--particularly with macroeconomics--during the current financial crisis mirrors dissatisfaction that was expressed during the last big crisis, the Great Depression. Then and now, a good number of students have felt that their lectures bear little relation to the economic crisis raging outside the…

  15. Sampling the food processing environment: taking up the cudgel for preventive quality management in food processing environments.

    PubMed

    Wagner, Martin; Stessl, Beatrix

    2014-01-01

    The Listeria monitoring program for Austrian cheese factories was established in 1988. The basic idea is to control the introduction of L. monocytogenes into the food processing environment, preventing the pathogen from contaminating the food under processing. The Austrian Listeria monitoring program comprises four levels of investigation, dealing with routine monitoring of samples and consequences of finding a positive sample. Preventive quality control concepts attempt to detect a foodborne hazard along the food processing chain, prior to food delivery, retailing, and consumption. The implementation of a preventive food safety concept provokes a deepened insight by the manufacturers into problems concerning food safety. The development of preventive quality assurance strategies contributes to the national food safety status and protects public health.

  16. A Human Rights Crisis in Indian Country

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vigil, Chris

    2015-01-01

    There is a human rights crisis in Indian Country. This crisis--one of many--is the result of an almost universal lack of legal representation of Native people when they appear as defendants in tribal courts. The lack of lay advocates and attorneys representing Native defendants creates tremendous problems for tribal members who find themselves in…

  17. The Leading Edge: Enduring a Campus Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moeser, James

    2003-01-01

    On June 2003, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) faced a frightening crisis when an employee was diagnosed with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). In this article, the author looks back and identifies four factors that enabled the university to navigate this crisis. These factors were: (1) leadership at every level; (2)…

  18. The Philadelphia School District's Ongoing Financial Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caskey, John; Kuperberg, Mark

    2014-01-01

    This article describes the budget crisis that the School District of Philadelphia has faced for the past few years. Three specific events triggered the 2012 crisis: an abrupt reduction in federal and state funding, the inability of the district to cut many of its costs, and political pressures on the district to spend available revenues in a given…

  19. Multiple stressors in Southern Africa: the link between HIV/AIDS, food insecurity, poverty and children's vulnerability now and in the future

    PubMed Central

    Drimie, Scott; Casale, Marisa

    2009-01-01

    Several countries in Southern Africa now see large numbers of their population barely subsisting at poverty levels in years without shocks, and highly vulnerable to the vagaries of the weather, the economy and government policy. The combination of HIV/AIDS, food insecurity and a weakened capacity for governments to deliver basic social services has led to the region experiencing an acute phase of a long-term emergency. “Vulnerability” is a term commonly used by scientists and practitioners to describe these deteriorating conditions. There is particular concern about the “vulnerability” of children in this context and implications for children's future security. Through a review of literature and recent case studies, and using a widely accepted conceptualisation of vulnerability as a lens, we reflect on what the regional livelihoods crisis could mean for children's future wellbeing. We argue that an increase in factors determining the vulnerability of households — both through greater intensity and frequency of shocks and stresses (“external” vulnerability) and undermined resilience or ability to cope (“internal” vulnerability) — are threatening not only current welfare of children, but also their longer-term security. The two specific pathways we explore are (1) erosive coping strategies employed by families and individuals; and (2) their inability to plan for the future. We conclude that understanding and responding to this crisis requires looking at the complexity of these multiple stressors, to try to comprehend their interconnections and causal links. Policy and programme responses have, to date, largely failed to take into account the complex and multi-dimensional nature of this crisis. There is a misfit between the problem and the institutional response, as responses from national and international players have remained relatively static. Decisive, well-informed and holistic interventions are needed to break the potential negative cycle

  20. Disrupting gatekeeping practices: Journalists’ source selection in times of crisis

    PubMed Central

    van der Meer, Toni G.L.A.; Verhoeven, Piet; Beentjes, Johannes W.J.; Vliegenthart, Rens

    2016-01-01

    As gatekeepers, journalists have the power to select the sources that get a voice in crisis coverage. The aim of this study is to find out how journalists select sources during a crisis. In a survey, journalists were asked how they assess the following sources during an organizational crisis: news agencies, an organization undergoing a crisis, and the general public. The sample consisted of 214 Dutch experienced journalists who at least once covered a crisis. Using structural equation modeling, sources’ likelihood of being included in the news was predicted using five source characteristics: credibility, knowledge, willingness, timeliness, and the relationship with the journalist. Findings indicated that during a crisis, news agencies are most likely to be included in the news, followed by the public, and finally the organization. The significance of the five source characteristics is dependent on source type. For example, to be used in the news, news agencies and organizations should be mainly evaluated as knowledgeable, whereas information from the public should be both credible and timely. In addition, organizations should not be seen as too willing or too eager to communicate. The findings imply that, during a crisis, journalists remain critical gatekeepers; however, they rely mainly on familiar sources. PMID:29278263

  1. Disrupting gatekeeping practices: Journalists' source selection in times of crisis.

    PubMed

    van der Meer, Toni G L A; Verhoeven, Piet; Beentjes, Johannes W J; Vliegenthart, Rens

    2017-10-01

    As gatekeepers, journalists have the power to select the sources that get a voice in crisis coverage. The aim of this study is to find out how journalists select sources during a crisis. In a survey, journalists were asked how they assess the following sources during an organizational crisis: news agencies, an organization undergoing a crisis, and the general public. The sample consisted of 214 Dutch experienced journalists who at least once covered a crisis. Using structural equation modeling, sources' likelihood of being included in the news was predicted using five source characteristics: credibility, knowledge, willingness, timeliness, and the relationship with the journalist. Findings indicated that during a crisis, news agencies are most likely to be included in the news, followed by the public, and finally the organization. The significance of the five source characteristics is dependent on source type. For example, to be used in the news, news agencies and organizations should be mainly evaluated as knowledgeable, whereas information from the public should be both credible and timely. In addition, organizations should not be seen as too willing or too eager to communicate. The findings imply that, during a crisis, journalists remain critical gatekeepers; however, they rely mainly on familiar sources.

  2. Memories of Crisis: Bohr, Kuhn, and the Quantum Mechanical ``Revolution''

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seth, Suman

    2013-04-01

    ``The history of science, to my knowledge,'' wrote Thomas Kuhn, describing the years just prior to the development of matrix and wave mechanics, ``offers no equally clear, detailed, and cogent example of the creative functions of normal science and crisis.'' By 1924, most quantum theorists shared a sense that there was much wrong with all extant atomic models. Yet not all shared equally in the sense that the failure was either terribly surprising or particularly demoralizing. Not all agreed, that is, that a crisis for Bohr-like models was a crisis for quantum theory. This paper attempts to answer four questions: two about history, two about memory. First, which sub-groups of the quantum theoretical community saw themselves and their field in a state of crisis in the early 1920s? Second, why did they do so, and how was a sense of crisis related to their theoretical practices in physics? Third, do we regard the years before 1925 as a crisis because they were followed by the quantum mechanical revolution? And fourth, to reverse the last question, were we to call into the question the existence of a crisis (for some at least) does that make a subsequent revolution less revolutionary?

  3. An Analysis of Secondary Schools' Crisis Management Preparedness: National Implications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Cheantel M.; Kritsonis, William Allan

    2006-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to analyze crisis management plans of schools that have experienced crisis situations in the past. The plans used by these schools to manage these crisis situations will be evaluated for their effectiveness or ineffectiveness in re-establishing stability to their organization. With such information, other schools may…

  4. Financial crisis, austerity, and health in Europe.

    PubMed

    Karanikolos, Marina; Mladovsky, Philipa; Cylus, Jonathan; Thomson, Sarah; Basu, Sanjay; Stuckler, David; Mackenbach, Johan P; McKee, Martin

    2013-04-13

    The financial crisis in Europe has posed major threats and opportunities to health. We trace the origins of the economic crisis in Europe and the responses of governments, examine the effect on health systems, and review the effects of previous economic downturns on health to predict the likely consequences for the present. We then compare our predictions with available evidence for the effects of the crisis on health. Whereas immediate rises in suicides and falls in road traffic deaths were anticipated, other consequences, such as HIV outbreaks, were not, and are better understood as products of state retrenchment. Greece, Spain, and Portugal adopted strict fiscal austerity; their economies continue to recede and strain on their health-care systems is growing. Suicides and outbreaks of infectious diseases are becoming more common in these countries, and budget cuts have restricted access to health care. By contrast, Iceland rejected austerity through a popular vote, and the financial crisis seems to have had few or no discernible effects on health. Although there are many potentially confounding differences between countries, our analysis suggests that, although recessions pose risks to health, the interaction of fiscal austerity with economic shocks and weak social protection is what ultimately seems to escalate health and social crises in Europe. Policy decisions about how to respond to economic crises have pronounced and unintended effects on public health, yet public health voices have remained largely silent during the economic crisis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Managing a Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pierce, Dennis

    2016-01-01

    Planning ahead, practicing your response for various scenarios, being open and honest, showing empathy and respect for other peoples' perspectives and assuring stakeholders that you have the situation covered are the foundations of communicating successfully during a crisis, experts say. This article provides strategies for Community College…

  6. Organizational restructuring, government control and loss of legitimacy following an organizational crisis: the case of Israel's nonprofit human services.

    PubMed

    Mano, Rita; Rosenberg, Dennis

    2014-01-01

    The study explores organizational restructuring following the occurrence of a crisis. Restructuring activities following an intervention are considered here to be indicators of an organization's loss of legitimacy because they have lost their independent status, a basic characteristic of nonprofit human settings. The study shows that according to the Resource Based View of organization restructuring--experienced as downsizing, neglecting and abandoning of projects--organizations are affected by (a) government intervention in decision making; (b) higher demands for accountability; and (c) higher evaluations of performance gaps. On the basis of the study of a sample of 138 Nonprofit Human Services in Israel, the results show that the higher the level of restructuring, the higher the level of legitimacy. However, organization location in metropolitan areas moderates the link between restructuring and legitimacy loss. We conclude that Israel's nonprofit human services being overly dependent on goverhment funding are more prone to restructuring and losing legitimacy following organizational crisis.

  7. Intranasal dexmedetomidine for adrenergic crisis in familial dysautonomia.

    PubMed

    Spalink, Christy L; Barnes, Erin; Palma, Jose-Alberto; Norcliffe-Kaufmann, Lucy; Kaufmann, Horacio

    2017-08-01

    To report the use of intranasal dexmedetomidine, an α 2 -adrenergic agonist for the acute treatment of refractory adrenergic crisis in patients with familial dysautonomia. Case series. Three patients with genetically confirmed familial dysautonomia (case 1: 20-year-old male; case 2: 43-year-old male; case 3: 26-year-old female) received intranasal dexmedetomidine 2 mcg/kg, half of the dose in each nostril, for the acute treatment of adrenergic crisis. Within 8-17 min of administering the intranasal dose, the adrenergic crisis symptoms abated, and blood pressure and heart rate returned to pre-crises values. Adrenergic crises eventually resumed, and all three patients required hospitalization for investigation of the cause of the crises. Intranasal dexmedetomidine is a feasible and safe acute treatment for adrenergic crisis in patients with familial dysautonomia. Further controlled studies are required to confirm the safety and efficacy in this population.

  8. Basic deprivation and involvement in risky sexual behaviour among out-of-school young people in a Lagos slum.

    PubMed

    Kunnuji, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Research has shown that in countries such as Nigeria many urban dwellers live in a state of squalour and lack the basic necessities of food, clothing and shelter. The present study set out to examine the association between forms of basic deprivation--such as food deprivation, high occupancy ratio as a form of shelter deprivation, and inadequate clothing--and two sexual outcomes--timing of onset of penetrative sex and involvement in multiple sexual partnerships. The study used survey data from a sample of 480 girls resident in Iwaya community. A survival analysis of the timing of onset of sex and a regression model for involvement in multiple sexual partnerships reveal that among the forms of deprivation explored, food deprivation is the only significant predictor of the timing of onset of sex and involvement in multiple sexual partnerships. The study concludes that the sexual activities of poor out-of-school girls are partly explained by their desire to overcome food deprivation and recommends that government and non-governmental-organisation programmes working with young people should address the problem of basic deprivation among adolescent girls.

  9. Summary of the June 2009 Educationtoday Crisis Survey: Initial Reflections on the Impact of the Economic Crisis on Education. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 43

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karkkainen, Kiira

    2010-01-01

    This paper provides initial reflections on the impact of the economic crisis on education across the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) area by analysing the OECD educationtoday crisis survey responses of June 2009. It first looks at the impact of the crisis on education demand and participation, after which the focus…

  10. Development of effective prophylaxis against intraoperative carcinoid crisis.

    PubMed

    Woltering, Eugene A; Wright, Anne E; Stevens, Melissa A; Wang, Yi-Zarn; Boudreaux, John P; Mamikunian, Gregg; Riopelle, James M; Kaye, Alan D

    2016-08-01

    The prophylactic use of a preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative high-dose continuous octreotide acetate infusion was evaluated for its ability to minimize the incidence of carcinoid crises during neuroendocrine tumor (NET) cytoreductive surgeries. A retrospective study was approved by the institutional review boards at Ochsner Medical Center-Kenner and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center. Ochsner Medical Center-Kenner operating room and multispecialty NET clinic. One hundred fifty consecutive patients who underwent a total of 179 cytoreductive surgeries for stage IV, small bowel NETs. All patients received a 500-μg/h infusion of octreotide acetate preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively. Anesthesia and surgical records were reviewed. Carcinoid crisis was defined as a systolic blood pressure of less than 80mm Hg for greater than 10minutes. Patients who experienced intraoperative hypertension or hypotension, profound tachycardia, or a "crisis" according to the operative note were also reviewed. One hundred sixty-nine (169/179; 94%) patients had normal anesthesia courses. The medical records of 10 patients were further investigated for a potential intraoperative crisis using the aforementioned criteria. Upon review, 6 patients were determined to have had a crisis. The final incidence of intraoperative crisis was 3.4% (6/179). A continuous high-dose infusion of octreotide acetate intraoperatively minimizes the incidence of carcinoid crisis. We believe that the low cost and excellent safety profile of octreotide warrant the use of this therapy during extensive surgical procedures for midgut and foregut NETs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Reversing a tree regeneration crisis in an endangered ecoregion.

    PubMed

    Fischer, Joern; Stott, Jenny; Zerger, Andre; Warren, Garth; Sherren, Kate; Forrester, Robert I

    2009-06-23

    Global food demand is growing rapidly. Livestock grazing can provide a valuable source of protein, but conventional grazing is often unsustainable. We studied an 800,000-ha section of a threatened ecoregion in southeastern Australia. Conventional management in the region involves continuous livestock grazing with few rest periods and regular fertilizer application. By using remotely sensed data on tree cover and extensive field data on livestock grazing regimes, soil chemistry, tree diameters, and tree regeneration, we show that the region is facing a tree regeneration crisis. Under conventional management, across the region, millions of hectares of land currently supporting tens of millions of trees will be treeless within decades from now. This would have severe negative ramifications for biodiversity and key ecosystem services, including water infiltration and shade provision for livestock. However, we identified an unexpected win-win solution for tree regeneration and commercial grazing. A relatively new practice in the region is fast-rotational grazing, characterized by prolonged rest periods in between short, intensive grazing events. The probability of regeneration under fast-rotational grazing was up to 4-fold higher than under conventional grazing, and it did not differ significantly from the probability of regeneration in ungrazed areas. In addition, trees were more likely to regenerate where soil nutrient levels were low. These findings suggest that the tree regeneration crisis can be reversed by applying low-input, fast-rotational grazing. New policy settings supporting these practices could signal a turning point for the region, from ecological decline to ecological recovery.

  12. Reversing a tree regeneration crisis in an endangered ecoregion

    PubMed Central

    Fischer, Joern; Stott, Jenny; Zerger, Andre; Warren, Garth; Sherren, Kate; Forrester, Robert I.

    2009-01-01

    Global food demand is growing rapidly. Livestock grazing can provide a valuable source of protein, but conventional grazing is often unsustainable. We studied an 800,000-ha section of a threatened ecoregion in southeastern Australia. Conventional management in the region involves continuous livestock grazing with few rest periods and regular fertilizer application. By using remotely sensed data on tree cover and extensive field data on livestock grazing regimes, soil chemistry, tree diameters, and tree regeneration, we show that the region is facing a tree regeneration crisis. Under conventional management, across the region, millions of hectares of land currently supporting tens of millions of trees will be treeless within decades from now. This would have severe negative ramifications for biodiversity and key ecosystem services, including water infiltration and shade provision for livestock. However, we identified an unexpected win–win solution for tree regeneration and commercial grazing. A relatively new practice in the region is fast-rotational grazing, characterized by prolonged rest periods in between short, intensive grazing events. The probability of regeneration under fast-rotational grazing was up to 4-fold higher than under conventional grazing, and it did not differ significantly from the probability of regeneration in ungrazed areas. In addition, trees were more likely to regenerate where soil nutrient levels were low. These findings suggest that the tree regeneration crisis can be reversed by applying low-input, fast-rotational grazing. New policy settings supporting these practices could signal a turning point for the region, from ecological decline to ecological recovery. PMID:19497886

  13. Assessing aggression risks in patients of the ambulatory mental health crisis team.

    PubMed

    Penterman, Berry; Nijman, Henk

    2011-08-01

    During outreaching crisis visits, crisis team members run the risk of being confronted with aggressive behavior from their patients. To prevent dangerous situations, a method to assess risks in advance, on the basis of information received before the visit to the patient in crisis, could prove useful. During a two-year period, crisis team members completed a checklist before visiting patients in psychiatric crises. After each crisis visit, if there had been any aggression, this was recorded by means of the SOAS-R. In 51 of 499 crisis visits (10%) aggression was documented. The results indicate that the predictive validity of the presented checklist for occurrences of aggression may be fair-to-good. Use of the checklist in everyday crisis team practice seems recommendable as it structures the way risks are assessed before entering a potentially dangerous situation.

  14. The financial crisis in Europe: Impact on satisfaction with life.

    PubMed

    Clench-Aas, Jocelyne; Holte, Arne

    2017-08-01

    The 2008 financial crisis in Europe came abruptly and surprisingly. Many countries also suffered a second recession during the period 2010-2012. We examined the impact of the crisis on life satisfaction (LS) by country and individual socioeconomic level. We used a representative sample from the European Social Survey (2002-2014) with data from 26 countries ( N = 294,407). LS was measured with a single question with 11 response alternatives. Time from start of crisis (either 2008 or 2010-2012) was determined separately for each interview. Data were analyzed by multilevel analysis Results: There was a sharp decrease in LS in the beginning of the crisis in 2008, and another, but not so severe, decline in 2011, each of them of short duration. However, there was also a slight and progressive yearly decrease in LS that continued one to at least 3 years after either financial crisis that was independent of the effect of being unemployed. Associations varied considerably between countries. A negative decline after the financial crisis was especially evident among those in the most educated groups, and in those in the higher occupational levels. The 2008 financial crisis had a double effect on LS: (1) a sharp short-term decrease consistent with the Easterlin paradox; (2) a slighter long-term progressive decrease that was over and above the strong negative relationship with unemployment that lasted several years. The long-term decline in LS after the start of the financial crisis tended to occur especially in the higher socioeconomic groups.

  15. Neoliberal policy, rural livelihoods, and urban food security in West Africa: a comparative study of The Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire, and Mali.

    PubMed

    Moseley, William G; Carney, Judith; Becker, Laurence

    2010-03-30

    This study examines the impact of two decades of neoliberal policy reform on food production and household livelihood security in three West African countries. The rice sectors in The Gambia, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mali are scrutinized as well as cotton and its relationship to sorghum production in Mali. Although market reforms were intended to improve food production, the net result was an increasing reliance on imported rice. The vulnerability of the urban populations in The Gambia and Côte d'Ivoire became especially clear during the 2007-2008 global food crisis when world prices for rice spiked. Urban Mali was spared the worst of this crisis because the country produces more of its own rice and the poorest consumers shifted from rice to sorghum, a grain whose production increased steeply as cotton production collapsed. The findings are based on household and market surveys as well as on an analysis of national level production data.

  16. [Public health in major socio-economic crisis].

    PubMed

    Cosmacini, G

    2014-01-01

    The term "crisis" in different cultures (such as ancient Greece or China) can have a positive meaning, since it indicates a time of growth, change and opportunity. Over the centuries there have been times of severe economic and social crisis that led to the implementation of major reforms and improved population health. Nowadays, despite the new economic crisis which has also affected health care for its rising costs, health economics does not hesitate to affirm the importance of key objectives such as prevention and medical assistance. Prevention is not prediction. Prevention means "going upstream" and fixing a problem at the source; the goal is to reduce diseases' effects, causes and risk factors, thereby reducing the prevalence of costly medical conditions.

  17. Greece Financial Crisis and Quality of Life.

    PubMed

    Mechili, Aggelos E; Kalokairinou, Athena; Kaitelidou, Dafni; Diomidous, Marianna

    2015-01-01

    The last six years the global community is facing an economic crisis that first appeared in USA. This crisis has a lot of impacts especially in health sector. Unemployment, job insecurity and the loss of disposable income have a significant impact in health too. The main objective of this research was to investigate the quality of life of the general population in Greece during the financial crisis. To collect the data it has been used the Greek version of Short Form (36) Health Survey (SF-36v2). In general, income, level of education, cohabitation and parenthood had a significant impact in quality of life. As a conclusion, unemployed participants' score was lower in the entire dimensions and in the two summary scales too.

  18. Food security in a changing climate

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pulwarty, Roger; Eilerts, Gary; Verdin, James

    2012-01-01

    By 2080 the effects of climate change—on heat waves, floods, sea level rise, and drought—could push an additional 600 million people into malnutrition and increase the number of people facing water scarcity by 1.8 billion. The precise impacts will, however, strongly depend on socioeconomic conditions such as local markets and food import dependence. In the near term, two factors are also changing the nature of food security: (1) rapid urbanization, with the proportion of the global population living in urban areas expanding from 13 percent in 1975 to greater than 50 percent at present, and (2) trade and domestic market liberalization since 1993, which has promoted removal of import controls, deregulation of prices, and the loss of preferential markets for many small economies. Over the last two years, the worst drought in decades has devastated eastern Africa. The resulting food-security crisis has affected roughly 13 million people and has reminded us that there is still a long way to go in addressing current climate-related risks. In the face of such profound changes and uncertainties, our approaches to food security must evolve. In this article, we describe four key elements that, in our view, will be essential to the success of efforts to address the linked challenges of food security and climate change.

  19. Attenuating a sickle cell crisis with annexin V.

    PubMed

    Kennedy, James Randall

    2015-05-01

    A sickle cell crisis is a painful and dangerous condition that defies effective treatment but fortunately it usually terminates spontaneously and patients spend far more time crisis free than in its painful throes. This suggests that an unstable physiologic balance exists between steady state sickle cell disease (SCD) and the crisis state and if this is so a therapeutic nudge during a crisis may help to terminate it. Annexin V may be able to provide this push. The phosphatidylserine (PS) molecules normally appear on the surface of senescent erythrocytes where they are recognized by macrophages and rapidly removed so that normally only about 1% are present in the circulation but in SCD 30-40% are prematurely senescent and their removal is delayed. The PS+ sickle erythrocytes remaining in the circulation adhere to the endothelium and their exposed PS acts as a platform for the initiation of the coagulation cascade that is responsible for clot propagation. Annexin V's great affinity for PS allows it to bond to it forming a shield that blocks both of these actions suggesting that its therapeutic administration during a sickle crisis may be able to hasten its termination. Copyright © 2015 The Author. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  20. Specialized Police-Based Mental Health Crisis Response: The First 10 Years of Colorado's Crisis Intervention Team Implementation.

    PubMed

    Khalsa, Hari-Mandir K; Denes, Attila C; M Pasini-Hill, Diane; Santelli, Jeffrey C; Baldessarini, Ross J

    2018-02-01

    This study examined the implementation of crisis intervention teams by law enforcement agencies in Colorado. Rates of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) use, arrests, use of force, and injuries were assessed during 6,353 incidents involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Relationships among original complaint, psychiatric illness, substance abuse, violence risk, and disposition of crisis calls were analyzed. Rates of SWAT use (<1%), injuries (<1%), arrests (<5%), and use of force (<5%) were low. The relative risk of transfer to treatment (versus no transfer) was significantly higher for incidents involving psychiatric illness, suicide threat or attempt, weapons, substance abuse, and violence potential. Use of force or SWAT, arrests, and injuries were infrequent. Suicide risk, psychiatric illness and substance abuse, even in the presence of a weapon or violence threat, increased the odds of transfer to treatment, whereas suicide risk lowered the odds of transfer to jail.

  1. Coping with Crisis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akenhead, James; Andreani, Alan

    2002-01-01

    School officials put a crisis communications plan into action after two Ohio students died and a third became critically ill from meningitis in May 2001. A mass immunization program prevented a major outbreak, and rumor control helped calm the public's fears. Recounts things learned from the experience. (MLF)

  2. Food Service Worker.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barker, Ellen; And Others

    This curriculum guide provides instructional materials designed to prepare students for entry-level jobs such as dietetic aide or food service worker in a health care facility. It serves as the basic core of the occupationally sequenced Dietetic Support Personnel Training Program. Five sections and 13 instructional units are included. Each unit of…

  3. Food sanitation practices in restaurants of Ramallah and Al-Bireh district of Palestine.

    PubMed

    Al-Khatib, I A; Al-Mitwalli, S M

    2009-01-01

    Safe handling of food in restaurants is a basic element in the reduction of foodborne illness. We investigated knowledge and practices about food safety by food-handlers in restaurants in Ramallah and Al-Bireh district of Palestine. A high proportion of workers in the restaurants had no previous experience in other restaurants and 63.4% had received no training on food sanitation and safety. Most of the restaurants in the refugee camps, villages and towns had only 1 worker. Restaurants lacked basic conditions for food sanitation and safety, such as hot water in most and cleaning materials in some. Many workers had poor personal hygiene practices. Training is needed for restaurant owners and staff to improve food handling practices and standards.

  4. A Proposed Solution to the Scholarly Communications Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schatzle, Chad

    2005-01-01

    After reviewing the history and parameters of the scholarly communications crisis, particularly in regard to skyrocketing prices for journals in the natural sciences, the author reviews and rejects previously attempted solutions. He then employs the principles of game theory in proposing a new solution to the crisis.

  5. Food nanotechnology – an overview

    PubMed Central

    Sekhon, Bhupinder S

    2010-01-01

    Food nanotechnology is an area of emerging interest and opens up a whole universe of new possibilities for the food industry. The basic categories of nanotechnology applications and functionalities currently in the development of food packaging include: the improvement of plastic materials barriers, the incorporation of active components that can deliver functional attributes beyond those of conventional active packaging, and the sensing and signaling of relevant information. Nano food packaging materials may extend food life, improve food safety, alert consumers that food is contaminated or spoiled, repair tears in packaging, and even release preservatives to extend the life of the food in the package. Nanotechnology applications in the food industry can be utilized to detect bacteria in packaging, or produce stronger flavors and color quality, and safety by increasing the barrier properties. Nanotechnology holds great promise to provide benefits not just within food products but also around food products. In fact, nanotechnology introduces new chances for innovation in the food industry at immense speed, but uncertainty and health concerns are also emerging. EU/WE/global legislation for the regulation of nanotechnology in food are meager. Moreover, current legislation appears unsuitable to nanotechnology specificity. PMID:24198465

  6. The impact of communication on human behaviour in times of crisis.

    PubMed

    MacLeod, Andrew

    Decision makers have constantly sought to find the most appropriate ways to use communication to influence behaviour during times of crises to assist in their recovery. This paper will investigate why policy makers wish to utilise effective crisis communications and explore the importance of crisis communication on influencing human behaviour in a time of crisis as well as the influence that the medium of communication can have. It will be noted that the medium of the message is important to ensure that the correct audience has been reached. This paper will suggest that, for decision makers to maximise the impact of crisis communications during a crisis, they must utilise rhetoric and cognitive response theory. It will also be suggested that the most importance factor in influencing behaviour in a time of crisis is that communications are provided from a credible source and are empathic in nature.

  7. The implementation of psychiatric advance directives: experiences from a Dutch crisis card initiative.

    PubMed

    van der Ham, Alida J; Voskes, Yolande; van Kempen, Nel; Broerse, Jacqueline E W; Widdershoven, Guy A M

    2013-06-01

    The crisis card is a specific form of psychiatric advance directive, documenting mental clients' treatment preferences in advance of a potential psychiatric crisis. In this paper, we aim to provide insight into implementation issues surrounding the crisis card. A Dutch crisis-card project formed the scope of this study. Data were collected through interviews with 15 participants from six stakeholder groups. Identified implementation issues are: (a) The role of the crisis-card counselor, (b) lack of distribution and familiarity, (c) care professionals' routines, and (d) client readiness. The crisis-card counselor appears to play a key role in fostering benefits of the crisis card by supporting clients' perspectives. More structural integration of the crisis card in care processes may enhance its impact, but should be carefully explored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. Serum ferritin concentration in sickle cell crisis.

    PubMed Central

    Brownell, A; Lowson, S; Brozović, M

    1986-01-01

    Serum ferritin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase and hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBD) were studied during 21 vaso-occlusive crises in 12 adults with sickle cell disease (11 SS, 1 S beta degrees). The patients comprised three groups: those who had been untransfused (4), those who had received occasional exchange transfusion in crisis (3), and those who had been multiply transfused (5). Serum ferritin concentrations in crisis were compared with those of the steady state value. Rises in serum ferritin concentrations occurred in all crises in all groups. Although AST, alkaline phosphatase, and HBD rose, there was no correlation between these and log ferritin concentrations. The clinical impression was that the degree of rise in ferritin related to the severity of the particular crisis, and the above results showed that haemolysis and liver damage were not causally related to this rise. An estimate of serum ferritin cannot be used to assess the state of iron balance in sickle cell disease unless the patient is in the steady state. The considerable rise in serum ferritin concentration found in crisis, however, may be a useful marker of the extent of vaso-occlusion and tissue damage. PMID:3958215

  9. Management of myasthenic crisis in a child.

    PubMed

    Rybojad, Beata; Lesiuk, Witold; Fijałkowska, Anna; Rybojad, Paweł; Sawicki, Marek; Lesiuk, Leszek

    2013-01-01

    Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder of peripheral nervous system, leading to fluctuating muscle weakness. It is caused by circulating antibodies that block acetylcholine nicotinic postsynaptic receptors at the postsynaptic neuromuscular junction. Myasthenic crisis is a life-threatening complication, which is defined as weakness from acquired myasthenia gravis. In this paper we described a 15-year-old boy who was admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit due to myasthenic crisis. He had suffered not only from myasthenia gravis but also hypothyroidism, cerebral palsy and epilepsy. The patient required mechanical ventilation and was successfully treated with both plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulins. He recovered from the crisis and then thymectomy was performed. Perioperative period and anaesthesia passed uncomplicated. Discharged home from the hospital after 2.5 month-treatment, for the last 4 years, he has only come on scheduled outpatient medical appointments. This case reveals that myasthenic crisis, albeit rare, may occur in male adolescents. In such cases multidisciplinary care followed by surgery becomes a procedure of choice. Concomitant medical problems, if well controlled, do not affect the results of outcome of the underlying disease.

  10. Public Health Crisis Preparedness and Response in Korea

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Hye-Young; Oh, Mi-Na; Park, Yong-Shik; Chu, Chaeshin; Son, Tae-Jong

    2013-01-01

    Since the 2006 Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan according to the World Health Organization’s recommendation, the Republic of Korea has prepared and periodically evaluated the plan to respond to various public health crises including pandemic influenza. Korea has stockpiled 13,000,000 doses of antiviral drugs covering 26% of the Korean population and runs 519 isolated beds in 16 medical institutions. The division of public health crisis response in Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are in charge of responding to public health crises caused by emerging infectious diseases including severe acute respiratory syndrome, avian influenza human infection, and pandemic influenza. Its job description includes preparing for emerging infectious diseases, securing medical resources during a crisis, activating the emergency response during the crisis, and fortification of capabilities of public health personnel. It could evolve into a comprehensive national agency to deal with public health crisis based on the experience of previous national emerging infectious diseases. PMID:24298444

  11. The Humanitarian Situation in Syria: A Snapshot in the Third Year of the Crisis

    PubMed Central

    Doocy, Shannon; Delbiso, Tefera D.; Guha-Sapir, Debarati

    2015-01-01

    Between April and June 2014, International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), an International NGO, and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East (GOPA) conducted a needs assessment of Syrians affected by the crisis with the objective of gaining a better understanding of humanitarian needs and assistance priorities. Findings suggest that interventions that increase access to non-food items, food, medication and education should be prioritized where cost was the primary barrier to accessing goods and services. Cash transfer programs and direct provision of material assistance should be considered, though the most appropriate assistance modality is likely to vary by sector, location and the preferences and prior experience of donors and implementing organizations. Renewed international commitment to funding humanitarian assistance efforts in Syria and neighboring countries where the burden of refugees is greatest is essential from both a human rights perspective and in terms of maintaining stability in the region. PMID:25821647

  12. Narratives of Food Insecurity in Tippecanoe County, Indiana: Economic Constraints in Local Meanings of Hunger.

    PubMed

    Dutta, Mohan Jyoti; Hingson, LaReina; Anaele, Agaptus; Sen, Soumitro; Jones, Kyle

    2016-01-01

    Food insecurity and its most extreme form, hunger, have increased exponentially in the United States since 2006. This essay seeks to contribute to our understanding of hunger by attending to the context of the financial crisis as an organizing frame for understanding local meanings of hunger. Within a broader framework of the culture-centered approach (CCA) that works to identify and develop locally rooted solutions to food insecurity, we describe through locally grounded stories of food insecurity the financial climate where large percentages of U.S. households have been cast into poverty because of the crash of an unregulated economy. These local understandings of hunger in the context of the economy offer entry points for organizing a food-insecure coalition that seeks to address the stigma around food insecurity.

  13. Spanning trees and the Eurozone crisis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dias, João

    2013-12-01

    The sovereign debt crisis in the euro area has not yet been solved and recent developments in Spain and Italy have further deteriorated the situation. In this paper we develop a new approach to analyze the ongoing Eurozone crisis. Firstly, we use Maximum Spanning Trees to analyze the topological properties of government bond rates’ dynamics. Secondly, we combine the information given by both Maximum and Minimum Spanning Trees to obtain a measure of market dissimilarity or disintegration. Thirdly, we extend this measure to include a convenient distance not limited to the interval [0, 2]. Our empirical results show that Maximum Spanning Tree gives an adequate description of the separation of the euro area into two distinct groups: those countries strongly affected by the crisis and those that have remained resilient during this period. The measures of market dissimilarity also reveal a persistent separation of these two groups and, according to our second measure, this separation strongly increased during the period July 2009-March 2012.

  14. [Hypertensive crisis in infancy and childhood].

    PubMed

    Wirbelauer, J; Strotmann, J; Kirchhoff, A; Darge, K; Thomas, W

    2008-01-01

    The extended physical examination of a patient includes measurement of blood pressure. In infancy and childhood the blood pressure measurement may be difficult due to an uncooperative and restless patient. In a 16-month-old girl apparently unmeasurable blood pressure was a hypertensive crisis with systolic blood pressure of more than 200 mmHg. The cause of the hypertension was found to be a nephroblastoma. In the case of rapidly progressive arterial hypertension in another 16-month-old girl with left ventricular dilatation and reduced function was a consequence of kidney dysplasia. Headache attacks lead to diagnosis of a subtotal coarctation of the aortic isthmus in a 17-year-old boy. Hypertensive crisis in infancy, childhood and adolescence is discussed based on these case reports. Special features of blood pressure measurement in the pediatric age group, pathogenesis of hypertensive crisis and the potential therapies are discussed incorporating a brief review of the literature.

  15. The Function of Epideictic and Deliberative Strategies in Presidential Crisis Rhetoric.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dow, Bonnie J.

    1989-01-01

    Argues for a revised perspective on presidential crisis rhetoric informed by an understanding of differing exigencies and functions. Uses speeches by Ronald Reagan to examine two types of crisis rhetoric. Concludes that crisis rhetoric can not be viewed as a homogeneous type of discourse. (MM)

  16. Developing Discourse of Renewal during a Campus Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boatwright, Brandon; Mazer, Joseph P.

    2017-01-01

    Course: This assignment is a unit activity designed for use in a skills-focused undergraduate public relations, organizational communication, or crisis communication course. Objective: The goal of this activity is to increase students' understanding of and ability to apply discourse of renewal in a crisis scenario. Students will work…

  17. Protecting Young People From Junk Food Advertising: Implications of Psychological Research for First Amendment Law

    PubMed Central

    Harris, Jennifer L.; Graff, Samantha K.

    2012-01-01

    In the United States, one third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese, yet food and beverage companies continue to target them with advertising for products that contribute to this obesity crisis. When government restrictions on such advertising are proposed, the constitutional commercial speech doctrine is often invoked as a barrier to action. We explore incongruities between the legal justifications for the commercial speech doctrine and the psychological research on how food advertising affects young people. A proper interpretation of the First Amendment should leave room for regulations to protect young people from advertising featuring calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods and beverages. PMID:22390435

  18. Hotel & Food Service Industries. Workforce & Workplace Literacy Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    BCL Brief, 1992

    1992-01-01

    This brief gives an overview of the topic of workplace literacy for the hotel and food service industries and lists program contacts. The following organizations operate employee basic skills programs for hotel and food service employees, provide technical assistance, or operate grant programs: Essential Skills Resource Center; Language Training…

  19. Building resilience to face recurring environmental crisis in African Sahel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boyd, Emily; Cornforth, Rosalind J.; Lamb, Peter J.; Tarhule, Aondover; Lélé, M. Issa; Brouder, Alan

    2013-07-01

    The present food shortages in the Horn of Africa and the West African Sahel are affecting 31 million people. Such continuing and future crises require that people in the region adapt to an increasing and potentially irreversible global sustainability challenge. Given this situation and that short-term weather and seasonal climate forecasting have limited skill for West Africa, the Rainwatch project illustrates the value of near real-time monitoring and improved communication for the unfavourable 2011 West African monsoon, the resulting severe drought-induced humanitarian impacts continuing into 2012, and their exacerbation by flooding in 2012. Rainwatch is now coupled with a boundary organization (Africa Climate Exchange, AfClix) with the aim of integrating the expertise and actions of relevant institutions, agencies and stakeholders to broker ground-based dialogue to promote resilience in the face of recurring crisis.

  20. Teaching Basic Cooking Skills: Evaluation of the North Carolina Extension "Cook Smart, Eat Smart" Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunn, Carolyn; Jayaratne, K. S. U.; Baughman, Kristen; Levine, Katrina

    2014-01-01

    Cook Smart, Eat Smart (CSES) is a 12-hour cooking school that teaches participants to prepare nutritious, delicious food using simple, healthy preparation techniques, basic ingredients, and minimal equipment. The purpose of this evaluation was to examine the impact of CSES on food preparation and meal consumption behavior. Program outcomes include…

  1. [Food security in Mexico].

    PubMed

    Urquía-Fernández, Nuria

    2014-01-01

    An overview of food security and nutrition in Mexico is presented, based on the analysis of the four pillars of food security: availability, access, utilization of food, and stability of the food supply. In addition, the two faces of malnutrition in Mexico were analyzed: obesity and undernourishment. Data were gathered from the food security indicators of the United Nations's Food and Agriculture Organization, from the Mexican Scale of Food Security, and from the National Health and Nutrition Survey. Mexico presents an index of availability of 3 145 kilocalories per person per day, one of the highest indexes in the world, including both food production and imports. In contrast, Mexico is affected by a double burden of malnutrition: whereas children under five present 14% of stunt, 30% of the adult population is obese. Also, more than 18% of the population cannot afford the basic food basket (food poverty). Using perception surveys, people reports important levels of food insecurity, which concentrates in seven states of the Mexican Federation. The production structure underlying these indicators shows a very heterogeneous landscape, which translates in to a low productivity growth across the last years. Food security being a multidimensional concept, to ensure food security for the Mexican population requires a revision and redesign of public productive and social policies, placing a particular focus on strengthening the mechanisms of institutional governance.

  2. Basic needs of Universiti Utara Malaysia students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ismail, Suzilah; Ahmad, Yuhaniz; Enn, Chang Tzu

    2017-11-01

    Basic needs are defined as goods or services that are essential for human to live and function. Wants on the other hand, are goods or services that are not necessary but we desire or wish for in order to fulfil our needs. In university, students' needs and wants are not always easily detectable due to different generations of students. The students' desires are also caused by peer interactions, course needs and cultural differences. For example older generations requires typewriter but new generations need a laptop. Many university students have difficulty to differentiate between basic needs and wants. This leads to financial management problem which can affect their academic performance. The purpose of this study is to identify students of Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) basic needs. Based on past studies conducted by 3 universities, 12 items related to students' basic needs were identified. However, only 9 items are considered relevant to UUM students. A study on a focus group consist of 18 students from different background was conducted to validate the 9 items of basic needs by using in depth interviews. The findings indicated food, clothing, books, stationery, photocopying, printing & binding, information & communication technology (ICT), mobile phone bills, transportation and others (which includes toiletries, groceries, sport, & entertainment) as the 9 items. The findings also revealed that student basic needs for ICT are not only laptop and printer but also a smartphone. As for clothing, requirements are different according to programs the student majors in. A business student need full business attire, law students need a proper robe for moot courts and curriculum activities require the students to be in uniform. These are basic needs and not desires or wants.

  3. Crisis intervention for people with severe mental illnesses.

    PubMed

    Murphy, Suzanne M; Irving, Claire B; Adams, Clive E; Waqar, Muhammad

    2015-12-03

    A particularly difficult challenge for community treatment of people with serious mental illnesses is the delivery of an acceptable level of care during the acute phases of severe mental illness. Crisis-intervention models of care were developed as a possible solution. To review the effects of crisis-intervention models for anyone with serious mental illness experiencing an acute episode compared to the standard care they would normally receive. If possible, to compare the effects of mobile crisis teams visiting patients' homes with crisis units based in home-like residential houses. We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's Study-Based Register of Trials. There is no language, time, document type, or publication status limitations for inclusion of records in the register. This search was undertaken in 1998 and then updated 2003, 2006, 2010 and September 29, 2014. We included all randomised controlled trials of crisis-intervention models versus standard care for people with severe mental illnesses that met our inclusion criteria. We independently extracted data from these trials and we estimated risk ratios (RR) or mean differences (MD), with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We assessed risk of bias for included studies and used GRADE to create a 'Summary of findings' table. The update search September 2014 found no further new studies for inclusion, the number of studies included in this review remains eight with a total of 1144 participants. Our main outcomes of interest are hospital use, global state, mental state, quality of life, participant satisfaction and family burden. With the exception of mental state, it was not possible to pool data for these outcomes.Crisis intervention may reduce repeat admissions to hospital (excluding index admissions) at six months (1 RCT, n = 369, RR 0.75 CI 0.50 to 1.13, high quality evidence), but does appear to reduce family burden (at six months: 1 RCT, n = 120, RR 0.34 CI 0.20 to 0.59, low quality evidence), improve

  4. Neoliberal policy, rural livelihoods, and urban food security in West Africa: A comparative study of The Gambia, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mali

    PubMed Central

    Moseley, William G.; Carney, Judith; Becker, Laurence

    2010-01-01

    This study examines the impact of two decades of neoliberal policy reform on food production and household livelihood security in three West African countries. The rice sectors in The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali are scrutinized as well as cotton and its relationship to sorghum production in Mali. Although market reforms were intended to improve food production, the net result was an increasing reliance on imported rice. The vulnerability of the urban populations in The Gambia and Côte d’Ivoire became especially clear during the 2007–2008 global food crisis when world prices for rice spiked. Urban Mali was spared the worst of this crisis because the country produces more of its own rice and the poorest consumers shifted from rice to sorghum, a grain whose production increased steeply as cotton production collapsed. The findings are based on household and market surveys as well as on an analysis of national level production data. PMID:20339079

  5. Lessons for Physicians from Flint's Water Crisis.

    PubMed

    Carravallah, Laura A; Reynolds, Lawrence A; Woolford, Susan J

    2017-10-01

    Physicians form a vital front in recognizing unusual clinical presentations that could herald a health threat. In the Flint water crisis, physicians can be credited with playing critical roles in both uncovering the crisis and providing leadership when government failed to respond effectively. Yet most physicians in Flint were not formally trained in advocacy or leadership and might have recognized the health implications of the crisis more quickly had they received formal environmental health training. Furthermore, connections to other professional disciplines-and to the community-are vital for effective responses to environmental health threats. We explore some lessons learned in Flint that might help expedite resolution of future environmental health crises, particularly those involving aging infrastructure and diminished or dysfunctional regulation or oversight. © 2017 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

  6. Teaching Food Preparation with Video Flash Cards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scholl, Jan F.; Cason, Katherine; Cherry, Tom

    2004-01-01

    Food preparation skills are needed to prepare low-cost, nutritious meals that meet current dietary recommendations. Research indicates that many youth and adults can read a recipe for ingredients, but they often do not know basic food preparation techniques such as how to broil, fold, dredge, baste and other cooking methods. To address the need to…

  7. Crisis management with applicability on fire fighting plants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panaitescu, M.; Panaitescu, F. V.; Voicu, I.; Dumitrescu, L. G.

    2017-08-01

    The paper presents a case study for a crisis management analysis which address to fire fighting plants. The procedures include the steps of FTA (Failure tree analysis). The purpose of the present paper is to describe this crisis management plan with tools of FTA. The crisis management procedures have applicability on anticipated and emergency situations and help to describe and planning a worst-case scenario plan. For this issue must calculate the probabilities in different situations for fire fighting plants. In the conclusions of paper is analised the block diagram with components of fire fighting plant and are presented the solutions for each possible risk situations.

  8. Hypertensive Crisis From the Aquamantys Bipolar Sealing System.

    PubMed

    Hardy, Brian C; Giordano, Christopher R

    2016-12-15

    Hypertension is a common occurrence during general anesthesia. Apart from pathological causes of hypertension, it is rarely extreme enough to be classified as a hypertensive crisis (systolic blood pressure >180 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure >120 mm Hg). There is literature concerning the unintentional electrocauterization of the adrenal gland leading to hypertensive crisis, but to date, no reports have been made of adrenal stimulation from the use of an Aquamantys for hemostasis. Here, we report such a case when a hypertensive crisis (systolic blood pressure >300 mm Hg) occurred while using an Aquamantys during a liver transplant after unintentional stimulation of the adrenal glands.

  9. Thyrotoxic and pheochromocytoma multisystem crisis: a case report.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Kodai; Miyake, Takahito; Okada, Hideshi; Yamaji, Fuminori; Kitagawa, Yuichiro; Fukuta, Tetsuya; Yasuda, Ryu; Tanaka, Yoshihito; Okamoto, Haruka; Nachi, Sho; Doi, Tomoaki; Yoshida, Takahiro; Kumada, Keisuke; Yoshida, Shozo; Ushikoshi, Hiroaki; Toyoda, Izumi; Ogura, Shinji

    2017-06-23

    Thyrotoxic crisis and pheochromocytoma multisystem crisis are rare, life-threatening, emergency endocrine diseases with various clinical manifestations. Here we report a case of a patient who simultaneously developed thyrotoxic crisis and pheochromocytoma multisystem crisis and required intensive cardiovascular management. A 60-year-old Asian man experienced nausea and vomiting, and subsequently developed dyspnea and cold sweats while farming. His serum free thyroxine, free triiodothyronine, and thyrotropin receptor antibody levels were elevated at 2.9 ng/dL, 7.2 pg/dL, and 4.7 IU/L, respectively. Serum thyrotropin levels were suppressed at less than 0.01 μIU/mL. Thyroid echography demonstrated no thyroid swelling (23 × 43 mm). A whole body computed tomography was performed for systemic evaluation. This revealed exophthalmos and a mass of size 57 × 64 mm in the anterior pararenal space. Based on these findings, we made an initial diagnosis of thyrotoxic crisis secondary to exacerbation of Grave's hyperthyroidism. Treatment was begun with an iodine agent at a dose of 36 mg/day, thiamazole at a dose of 30 mg/day, and hydrocortisone at a dose of 300 mg daily for 3 consecutive days. To control tachycardia, continuous intravenously administered propranolol and diltiazem infusions were given. At the same time, small doses of doxazosin and carvedilol were used for both alpha and beta adrenergic blockade. On hospital day 5, his blood pressure and serum catecholamine concentrations (adrenalin 42,365 pg/mL, dopamine 6409 pg/mL, noradrenalin 72,212 pg/mL) were still high despite higher beta blocker and calcium channel blocker doses. These findings contributed to the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma multisystem crisis with simultaneous thyrotoxic crisis. We increased the doses of doxazosin and carvedilol, which stabilized his hemodynamic status. On hospital day 16, metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy showed high accumulation in the right adrenal gland tumor

  10. Democracy in Crisis?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Neill, Brenda

    2006-01-01

    This article discusses the state of Canadian democracy. Although calling Canadian democracy as something to be in a crisis is still debatable, the author expresses worry over the declining turnout levels in recent elections. Canada--along with a number of other liberal democracies--has experienced a significant and consistent decline in election…

  11. Comprehensive health workforce planning: re-consideration of the primary health care approach as a tool for addressing the human resource for health crisis in low and middle income countries.

    PubMed

    Munga, Michael A; Mwangu, Mughwira A

    2013-04-01

    Although the Human Resources for Health (HRH) crisis is apparently not new in the public health agenda of many countries, not many low and middle income countries are using Primary Health Care (PHC) as a tool for planning and addressing the crisis in a comprehensive manner. The aim of this paper is to appraise the inadequacies of the existing planning approaches in addressing the growing HRH crisis in resource limited settings. A descriptive literature review of selected case studies in middle and low income countries reinforced with the evidence from Tanzania was used. Consultations with experts in the field were also made. In this review, we propose a conceptual framework that describes planning may only be effective if it is structured to embrace the fundamental principles of PHC. We place the core principles of PHC at the centre of HRH planning as we acknowledge its major perspective that the effectiveness of any public health policy depends on the degree to which it envisages to address public health problems multi-dimensionally and comprehensively. The proponents of PHC approach in planning have identified inter-sectoral action and collaboration and comprehensive approach as the two basic principles that policies and plans should accentuate in order to make them effective in realizing their pre-determined goals. Two conclusions are made: Firstly, comprehensive health workforce planning is not widely known and thus not frequently used in HRH planning or analysis of health workforce issues; Secondly, comprehensiveness in HRH planning is important but not sufficient in ensuring that all the ingredients of HRH crisis are eliminated. In order to be effective and sustainable, the approach need to evoke three basic values namely effectiveness, efficiency and equity.

  12. Sharp Transition in the Lift Force of a Fluid Flowing Past Nonsymmetrical Obstacles: Evidence for a Lift Crisis in the Drag Crisis Regime.

    PubMed

    Bot, Patrick; Rabaud, Marc; Thomas, Goulven; Lombardi, Alessandro; Lebret, Charles

    2016-12-02

    Bluff bodies moving in a fluid experience a drag force which usually increases with velocity. However in a particular velocity range a drag crisis is observed, i.e., a sharp and strong decrease of the drag force. This counterintuitive result is well characterized for a sphere or a cylinder. Here we show that, for an object breaking the up-down symmetry, a lift crisis is observed simultaneously to the drag crisis. The term lift crisis refers to the fact that at constant incidence the time-averaged transverse force, which remains small or even negative at low velocity, transitions abruptly to large positive values above a critical flow velocity. This transition is characterized from direct force measurements as well as from change in the velocity field around the obstacle.

  13. 5 CFR 550.409 - Evacuation payments during a pandemic health crisis.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... health crisis. 550.409 Section 550.409 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL... during a pandemic health crisis. (a) An agency may order one or more employees to evacuate from their... the employee) during a pandemic health crisis without regard to whether the agency and the employee...

  14. International labor migration and financial crisis in Korea.

    PubMed

    Hyunho, S

    1999-06-01

    Although the Korean economy became severely depressed because of the financial crisis in November 1997, most foreign migrant workers in the country opted to stay rather than return to their home countries. This study examined the causes of their relative immobility at both the macro- and microlevel through the use of government statistics and survey data. The first section of this study explored in- and outflows of migrant workers in relation to labor market conditions and government interventions before and after the crisis. The second section looked into the effects of the crisis on the companies employing migrant workers, while the final section investigated the effects of the crisis on migrant workers. The findings of this study indicated that the amnesty measure, which was a major government policy to reduce the number of illegal sojourners, exerted some positive effect in the first months after the crisis. Employment and income opportunities at origin countries are important factors determining mobility. Moreover, manufacturing companies still prefer to hire migrant workers before native workers because of cheaper wages for the former. Overall, most migrant workers, regardless of their sojourn status, desire to stay in Korea because of two main reasons: 1) their total earnings are less than their migration costs; 2) they cannot get a job in their home country.

  15. Does teaching crisis resource management skills improve resuscitation performance in pediatric residents?*.

    PubMed

    Blackwood, Jaime; Duff, Jonathan P; Nettel-Aguirre, Alberto; Djogovic, Dennis; Joynt, Chloe

    2014-05-01

    The effect of teaching crisis resource management skills on the resuscitation performance of pediatric residents is unknown. The primary objective of this pilot study was to determine if teaching crisis resource management to residents leads to improved clinical and crisis resource management performance in simulated pediatric resuscitation scenarios. A prospective, randomized control pilot study. Simulation facility at tertiary pediatric hospital. Junior pediatric residents. Junior pediatric residents were randomized to 1 hour of crisis resource management instruction or no additional training. Time to predetermined resuscitation tasks was noted in simulated resuscitation scenarios immediately after intervention and again 3 months post intervention. Crisis resource management skills were evaluated using the Ottawa Global Rating Scale. Fifteen junior residents participated in the study, of which seven in the intervention group. The intervention crisis resource management group placed monitor leads 24.6 seconds earlier (p = 0.02), placed an IV 47.1 seconds sooner (p = 0.04), called for help 50.4 seconds faster (p = 0.03), and checked for a pulse after noticing a rhythm change 84.9 seconds quicker (p = 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in time to initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (p = 0.264). The intervention group had overall crisis resource management performance scores 1.15 points higher (Ottawa Global Rating Scale [out of 7]) (p = 0.02). Three months later, these differences between the groups persisted. A 1-hour crisis resource management teaching session improved time to critical initial steps of pediatric resuscitation and crisis resource management performance as measured by the Ottawa Global Rating Scale. The control group did not develop these crisis resource management skills over 3 months of standard training indicating that obtaining these skills requires specific education. Larger studies of crisis resource education are

  16. A scoping review of crisis teams managing dementia in older people.

    PubMed

    Streater, Amy; Coleston-Shields, Donna Maria; Yates, Jennifer; Stanyon, Miriam; Orrell, Martin

    2017-01-01

    Research on crisis teams for older adults with dementia is limited. This scoping review aimed to 1) conduct a systematic literature review reporting on the effectiveness of crisis interventions for older people with dementia and 2) conduct a scoping survey with dementia crisis teams mapping services across England to understand operational procedures and identify what is currently occurring in practice. For the systematic literature review, included studies were graded using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist. For the scoping survey, Trusts across England were contacted and relevant services were identified that work with people with dementia experiencing a mental health crisis. The systematic literature review demonstrated limited evidence in support of crisis teams reducing the rate of hospital admissions, and despite the increase in number of studies, methodological limitations remain. For the scoping review, only half (51.8%) of the teams had a care pathway to manage crises and the primary need for referral was behavioral or psychological factors. Evidence in the literature for the effectiveness of crisis teams for older adults with dementia remains limited. Being mainly cohort designs can make it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. In practice, it appears that the pathway for care managing crisis for people with dementia varies widely across services in England. There was a wide range of names given to the provision of teams managing crisis for people with dementia, which may reflect the differences in the setup and procedures of the service. To provide evidence on crisis intervention teams, a comprehensive protocol is required to deliver a standardized care pathway and measurable intervention as part of a large-scale evaluation of effectiveness.

  17. Power-law behavior in complex organizational communication networks during crisis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uddin, Shahadat; Murshed, Shahriar Tanvir Hasan; Hossain, Liaquat

    2011-08-01

    Communication networks can be described as patterns of contacts which are created due to the flow of messages and information shared among participating actors. Contemporary organizations are now commonly viewed as dynamic systems of adaptation and evolution containing several parts, which interact with one another both in internal and in external environment. Although there is limited consensus among researchers on the precise definition of organizational crisis, there is evidence of shared meaning: crisis produces individual crisis, crisis can be associated with positive or negative conditions, crises can be situations having been precipitated quickly or suddenly or situations that have developed over time and are predictable etc. In this research, we study the power-law behavior of an organizational email communication network during crisis from complexity perspective. Power law simply describes that, the probability that a randomly selected node has k links (i.e. degree k) follows P(k)∼k, where γ is the degree exponent. We used social network analysis tools and techniques to analyze the email communication dataset. We tested two propositions: (1) as organization goes through crisis, a few actors, who are prominent or more active, will become central, and (2) the daily communication network as well as the actors in the communication network exhibit power-law behavior. Our preliminary results support these two propositions. The outcome of this study may provide significant advancement in exploring organizational communication network behavior during crisis.

  18. Crisis of Meaning Predicts Suicidality in Youth Independently of Depression.

    PubMed

    Schnell, Tatjana; Gerstner, Rebekka; Krampe, Henning

    2018-02-23

    At times, the question for meaning comes to nothing and a crisis of meaning ensues. This state is very painful, but difficult to account. Both those who suffer from it and care professionals find themselves at a loss for words. This study introduces an operationalization of a crisis of meaning. It aims to distinguish the concept from depression, and to investigate whether a crisis of meaning can explain suicidality beyond the known protective and risk factors self-esteem, family functioning, life-event load, and depression. Final-year school pupils in Ecuador (N = 300) completed questionnaires assessing the above variables. Data were analyzed using chi-square, hierarchic multiple regression, serial mediation, and moderator analyses. Crisis of meaning was distinguished from depression. It explained a significant amount of variance in suicidality beyond the mentioned protective and risk factors. For males, crisis of meaning was the only significant risk factor, and the strongest predictor overall. The acute risk factors depression and crisis of meaning mediated the effects of the baseline factors self-esteem, family functioning, and life-event load on suicidality. The study was cross-sectional; assessed factors predicted variance in suicidal thoughts, plans, and past suicide attempts, while their relevance cannot be generalized to actual future suicide attempts. A crisis of meaning is an important factor to take into account in further research on the prevention and treatment of people at risk of suicide.

  19. Dutch guideline for the management of hypertensive crisis -- 2010 revision.

    PubMed

    van den Born, B J H; Beutler, J J; Gaillard, C A J M; de Gooijer, A; van den Meiracker, A H; Kroon, A A

    2011-05-01

    Hypertensive crises are divided into hypertensive urgencies and emergencies. Together they form a heterogeneous group of acute hypertensive disorders depending on the presence or type of target organs involved. Despite better treatment options for hypertension, hypertensive crisis and its associated complications remain relatively common. In the Netherlands the number of patients starting renal replacement therapy because of 'malignant hypertension' has increased in the past two decades. In 2003, the first Dutch guideline on hypertensive crisis was released to allow a standardised evidence-based approach for patients presenting with a hypertensive crisis. In this paper we give an overview of the current management of hypertensive crisis and discuss several important changes incorporated in the 2010 revision. These changes include a modification in terminology replacing 'malignant hypertension' with 'hypertensive crisis with retinopathy and reclassification of hypertensive crisis with retinopathy under hypertensive emergencies instead of urgencies. With regard to the treatment of hypertensive emergencies, nicardipine instead of nitroprusside or labetalol is favoured for the management of perioperative hypertension, whereas labetalol has become the drug of choice for the treatment of hypertension associated with pre-eclampsia. For the treatment of hypertensive urgencies, oral administration of nifedipine retard instead of captopril is recommended as first-line therapy. In addition, a section on the management of hypertensive emergencies according to the type of target organ involved has been added. Efforts to increase the awareness and treatment of hypertension in the population at large may lower the incidence of hypertensive crisis and its complications.

  20. Hyperparathyroid crisis presenting with hyperemesis gravidarum.

    PubMed

    Yilmaz, Banu Aktaş; Altay, Mustafa; Değertekin, Ceyla Konca; Çimen, Ali Riza; Iyidir, Özlem Turhan; Biri, Aydan; Yüksel, Osman; Törüner, Füsun Baloş; Arslan, Metin

    2014-10-01

    Primary hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy is a rare condition, and the diagnosis may be confounded by pregnancy related conditions. Since the appropriate management reduces the maternal and fetal complications; differential diagnosis becomes quite crucial. Clinical course of a patient with hyperparathyroid crisis will be discussed with the review of the literature. A 22-year- old, (gravida 2, para 1) woman was presented with hyperparathyroid crisis at the 11th weeks' gestation. She was hospitalized twice due to hyperemesis gravidarum. When she was admitted to the hospital for the third time due to increased vomiting and weight-loss, serum biochemistry panel was performed and it revealed severe hypercalcemia that serum Ca was 17.59 mg/dl, and she was referred to our hospital as parathyroid crisis. Maternal hypercalcemia was resolved after urgent parathyroidectomy. She was diagnosed as preeclampsia at the 30 weeks' gestation and delivered a male infant weighing 1,090 g at 33 weeks' gestation with APGAR scores 6 at 1 min, and 7 at min 5, without evidence of neonatal hypocalcemia or tetany. Urgent parathyroidectomy is the definite treatment in symptomatic patients with hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy. Resolving maternal hypercalcemia prevents neonatal tetany and hypocalcemia. Hyperemesis may lead to hypercalcemic crisis in patients with hyperparathyroidism, so serum Ca level should be checked in patients with hyperemesis gravidarum especially who detoriate rapidly. Although they share some common pathogenetic mechanisms, there is not enough evidence for attributing preeclampsia to primary hyperparathyroidism.

  1. The synergy of the refugee crisis and the financial crisis in Greece: Impact on mental health.

    PubMed

    Anagnostopoulos, Dimitris C; Giannakopoulos, George; Christodoulou, Nikos G

    2017-06-01

    The current global financial crisis that started in 2008 resulted in a significant decline in global trade, slowing/reversing economic growth worldwide, and a dramatic increase in public sector debt. At the same time, the global migrant/refugee crisis has reached extreme rates, with millions of people being forced to abandon their homes and communities because of war, political violence or related threats. There is a broad consensus about the deleterious consequences of these crises on psychological well-being, depression, anxiety disorders, insomnia, alcohol abuse and suicidal behavior. Although the separate consequences of economic recession and immigration are extensively discussed in previous research, we know very little about the processes through which the intersection of economic crisis and migrant crisis contributes to the vulnerabilities of natives and migrants during these crises. Of particular concern is the status of children, adolescents and their families, who constitute one of the most vulnerable groups in society. To discuss the contexts that economic and migrant crises shape and suggest possible effects of this intersection on mental health risks, especially among children, adolescents and their families, through reflecting on the recent experience in Greece. Review of the literature and critical analysis of the effects of the confluent crises. The interactive effects of these two crises need further exploration. Novel and diverse models of psychological understanding need to be developed in order to manage the effects of the confluent crises. The role of mental health professionals is crucial in this respect, offering culturally flexible, accommodating and empathetic approaches, allowing healing and acceptance in the face of adversity.

  2. Developing conceptions of food and nutrition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Francis, Rod; Hill, Doug

    1993-12-01

    This paper describes an investigation of concepts that various groups hold about food and nutrition. Groups investigated were students in Years 4 and 8, university students in a BEd (primary) program and parents of the Year 4 students. It was found that for many important concepts relating to food selection, the basic ideas of each group were surprisingly consistent, despite the influence of formal education. In particular, misconception about energy and its role in nutrition and particular food groups was an important finding. Implications for school and community education are drawn from the results.

  3. Crisis Reliability Indicators Supporting Emergency Services (CRISES): A Framework for Developing Performance Measures for Behavioral Health Crisis and Psychiatric Emergency Programs.

    PubMed

    Balfour, Margaret E; Tanner, Kathleen; Jurica, Paul J; Rhoads, Richard; Carson, Chris A

    2016-01-01

    Crisis and emergency psychiatric services are an integral part of the healthcare system, yet there are no standardized measures for programs providing these services. We developed the Crisis Reliability Indicators Supporting Emergency Services (CRISES) framework to create measures that inform internal performance improvement initiatives and allow comparison across programs. The framework consists of two components-the CRISES domains (timely, safe, accessible, least-restrictive, effective, consumer/family centered, and partnership) and the measures supporting each domain. The CRISES framework provides a foundation for development of standardized measures for the crisis field. This will become increasingly important as pay-for-performance initiatives expand with healthcare reform.

  4. Crisis Intervention and Counseling by Telephone. Second Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lester, David, Ed.

    This extensively revised second edition provides a practical framework for offering immediate problem-solving assistance by telephone to persons in crisis. The text offers specific techniques to deal with out-of-control situations with the highly important initial steps to protect the caller, the crisis worker, and the community. The scope of the…

  5. Toward Successful School Crisis Intervention: 9 Key Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jaksec, Charles M., III

    2007-01-01

    Despite their best and frequently heroic efforts, school crisis intervention teams often find themselves unprepared for the many types of tragedies they face. This timely text prompts crisis intervention team members to reevaluate their beliefs and practices and consider a new approach to dealing with school crises. The author, a longtime school…

  6. Crisis Management Systems: A Case Study for Aspect-Oriented Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kienzle, Jörg; Guelfi, Nicolas; Mustafiz, Sadaf

    The intent of this document is to define a common case study for the aspect-oriented modeling research community. The domain of the case study is crisis management systems, i.e., systems that help in identifying, assessing, and handling a crisis situation by orchestrating the communication between all parties involved in handling the crisis, by allocating and managing resources, and by providing access to relevant crisis-related information to authorized users. This document contains informal requirements of crisis management systems (CMSs) in general, a feature model for a CMS product line, use case models for a car crash CMS (CCCMS), a domain model for the CCCMS, an informal physical architecture description of the CCCMS, as well as some design models of a possible object-oriented implementation of parts of the CCCMS backend. AOM researchers who want to demonstrate the power of their AOM approach or technique can hence apply the approach at the most appropriate level of abstraction.

  7. Crisis management aspects of bam catastrophic earthquake: review article.

    PubMed

    Sadeghi-Bazargani, Homayoun; Azami-Aghdash, Saber; Kazemi, Abdolhassan; Ziapour, Behrad

    2015-01-01

    Bam earthquake was the most catastrophic natural disasters in recent years. The aim of this study was to review different aspects of crisis management during and after the catastrophic earthquake in Bam City, Iran. Data needed for this systematic review were collected through searching PubMed, EMBASE and SID databases, for the period from 2003 to 2011. Keywords included earthquake, Iran and Bam earthquake. The data were summarized and were analyzed using Content Analysis. Out of 422 articles, 25 articles were included in the study. Crisis Management aspects and existing pitfalls were classified into seven categories including planning and organization, human resource management, management of logistics, international humanitarian aids, field performance of the military and security forces, health and medical service provision, and information management. Positive aspects and major pitfalls of crisis management have been introduced in all the mentioned categories. The available evidence indicated poor crisis management during Bam earthquake that resulted in aggravating the losses as well as diminishing the effect of interventions. Thus, concerning the importance of different aspects of the crisis management and the high prevalence of disasters in Iran, the observed vulnerability in disaster management process should be addressed.

  8. Nursing in Crisis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fulcher, Roxanne

    2007-01-01

    Both the nation's health-care and nursing education systems are in crisis. While the care provided by registered nurses (RNs) is essential to patients' recovery from acute illness and to the effective management of their chronic conditions, the United States is experiencing a nursing shortage that is anticipated to increase as baby boomers age and…

  9. Food Approach and Food Avoidance in Young Children: Relation with Reward Sensitivity and Punishment Sensitivity

    PubMed Central

    Vandeweghe, Laura; Vervoort, Leentje; Verbeken, Sandra; Moens, Ellen; Braet, Caroline

    2016-01-01

    It has recently been suggested that individual differences in Reward Sensitivity and Punishment Sensitivity may determine how children respond to food. These temperamental traits reflect activity in two basic brain systems that respond to rewarding and punishing stimuli, respectively, with approach and avoidance. Via parent-report questionnaires, we investigate the associations of the general motivational temperamental traits Reward Sensitivity and Punishment Sensitivity with Food Approach and Food Avoidance in 98 preschool children. Consistent with the conceptualization of Reward Sensitivity in terms of approach behavior and Punishment Sensitivity in terms of avoidance behavior, Reward Sensitivity was positively related to Food Approach, while Punishment Sensitivity was positively related to Food Avoidance. Future research should integrate these perspectives (i.e., general temperamental traits Reward Sensitivity and Punishment Sensitivity, and Food Approach and Avoidance) to get a better understanding of eating behavior and related body weight. PMID:27445898

  10. Crisis and emergency risk communication as an integrative model.

    PubMed

    Reynolds, Barbara; W Seeger, Matthew

    2005-01-01

    This article describes a model of communication known as crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC). The model is outlined as a merger of many traditional notions of health and risk communication with work in crisis and disaster communication. The specific kinds of communication activities that should be called for at various stages of disaster or crisis development are outlined. Although crises are by definition uncertain, equivocal, and often chaotic situations, the CERC model is presented as a tool health communicators can use to help manage these complex events.

  11. Crisis management: an extended reference framework for decision makers.

    PubMed

    Carone, Alessandro; Iorio, Luigi Di

    2013-01-01

    The paper discusses a reference framework for capabilities supporting effective crisis management. This framework has been developed by joining experiences in the field and knowledge of organisational models for crisis management, and executives' empowerment, coaching and behavioural analysis. The paper is aimed at offering further insight to executives on critical success factors and means for managing crisis situations by extending the scope of analysis to human behaviour, to emotions and fears and their correlation with decision making. It is further intended to help familiarise them and to facilitate approaching a path towards emotional awareness.

  12. Factors predicting crisis counselor referrals to other crisis counseling, disaster relief, and psychological services: a cross-site analysis of post-Katrina programs.

    PubMed

    Rosen, Craig S; Matthieu, Monica M; Norris, Fran H

    2009-05-01

    An important aspect of crisis counseling is linking survivors with services for their unmet needs. We examined determinants of referrals for disaster relief, additional crisis counseling, and psychological services in 703,000 crisis counseling encounters 3-18 months after Hurricane Katrina. Referrals for disaster relief were predicted by clients' losses, age (adults rather than children), and urbanicity. Referrals for additional counseling and psychological services were predicted by urbanicity, losses and trauma exposure, prior trauma, and preexisting mental health problems. Counseling and psychological referrals declined over time despite continuing mental health needs. Results confirm large urban-rural disparities in access to services.

  13. Impact of CNG Crisis on Student's Academic Life

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Azeem, Kiran; Nadeem, Wajiha; Zia, Afsa; Shehzad, Shiza; Anwar, Zara

    2017-01-01

    The goal of this study is to determine the impact of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) crisis on Student's Academic Life of Karachi Pakistan. This research helps in observing the behavior of students and their educational progress includes depression and anxiety, rate of absenteeism and undesirable results in exams threatens due to CNG crisis and…

  14. School Crisis Teams within an Incident Command System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nickerson, Amanda B.; Brock, Stephen E.; Reeves, Melissa A.

    2006-01-01

    Despite the increasing attention given to the need for schools to be prepared to respond in a variety of crisis situations, there is a lack of information about how to coordinate with multiple agencies following a crisis. This article describes the U. S. Department of Homeland Security's (2004) National Incident Management System and its Incident…

  15. Energy shortage: a benign crisis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Armstrong, E.L.

    The energy crisis is real and the days of cheap and plentiful energy are gone, perhaps forever. Resources and technology are available to meet the energy austerity. The good evolving from the energy crisis means conservation in many considerations of city planning such as master planning for transportation, water supply, sewers, and utilities; urban construction; and recreation facilities near subdivisions. Urban and suburban areas are evolving from low density residential communities clustering around a well-defined central city to a collection of regional subcenters around the central-city area, each consisting of malls, high- rise office buildings, industrial areas, and apartment complexesmore » linked by belt highways. (MCW)« less

  16. Global financial crisis and weak-form efficiency of Islamic sectoral stock markets: An MF-DFA analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mensi, Walid; Tiwari, Aviral Kumar; Yoon, Seong-Min

    2017-04-01

    This paper estimates the weak-form efficiency of Islamic stock markets using 10 sectoral stock indices (basic materials, consumer services, consumer goods, energy, financials, health care, industrials, technology, telecommunication, and utilities). The results based on the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) approach show time-varying efficiency for the sectoral stock markets. Moreover, we find that they tend to show high efficiency in the long term but moderate efficiency in the short term, and that these markets become less efficient after the onset of the global financial crisis. These results have several significant implications in terms of asset allocation for investors dealing with Islamic markets.

  17. The correlation between stress and economic crisis: a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    Mucci, Nicola; Giorgi, Gabriele; Roncaioli, Mattia; Fiz Perez, Javier; Arcangeli, Giulio

    2016-01-01

    In 2008 a deep economic crisis started in the US and rapidly spread around the world. The crisis severely affected the labor market and employees’ well-being. Hence, the aim of this work is to implement a systematic review of the principal studies that analyze the impact of the economic crisis on the health of workers. We conducted our search on the PubMed database, and a total of 19 articles were selected for review. All studies showed that the economic crisis was an important stressor that had a negative impact on workers’ mental health. Most of the studies documented that a rise in unemployment, increased workload, staff reduction, and wages reduction were linked to an increased rate of mood disorders, anxiety, depression, dysthymia, and suicide. Some studies showed that problems related to the crisis may have also affected the general health of workers by increasing the risk of such health problems as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Finally, some studies looked at the impact of the crisis on health care services. These studies demonstrated that the reduction in public expenditure on health care services, and the reduction of public hospital budgets due to the recession, led to organizational problems (eg, medical supply shortages). PMID:27143898

  18. The correlation between stress and economic crisis: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Mucci, Nicola; Giorgi, Gabriele; Roncaioli, Mattia; Fiz Perez, Javier; Arcangeli, Giulio

    2016-01-01

    In 2008 a deep economic crisis started in the US and rapidly spread around the world. The crisis severely affected the labor market and employees' well-being. Hence, the aim of this work is to implement a systematic review of the principal studies that analyze the impact of the economic crisis on the health of workers. We conducted our search on the PubMed database, and a total of 19 articles were selected for review. All studies showed that the economic crisis was an important stressor that had a negative impact on workers' mental health. Most of the studies documented that a rise in unemployment, increased workload, staff reduction, and wages reduction were linked to an increased rate of mood disorders, anxiety, depression, dysthymia, and suicide. Some studies showed that problems related to the crisis may have also affected the general health of workers by increasing the risk of such health problems as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Finally, some studies looked at the impact of the crisis on health care services. These studies demonstrated that the reduction in public expenditure on health care services, and the reduction of public hospital budgets due to the recession, led to organizational problems (eg, medical supply shortages).

  19. Risk perception and communication: lessons for the food and food packaging industry.

    PubMed

    Renn, O

    2005-10-01

    Health risks are front-page news. Be it bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE), surface ozone, or radiation from transmitter stations or mobile phones, the popular press puts out a constant stream of risk warnings and sensational reports about potential health threats. This paper examines how the general public perceives and assesses such information when it comes to food and food packaging risks. In the first part, the basic components of food risks are discussed and then compared with the perceptions of these risks. The main emphasis is on the risks from food packaging. The term 'perception' as used in cognitive psychology applies to the mental processes through which a person takes in, deals with and assesses information from the environment (physical and communicative) via the senses. The last part of the paper deals with the consequences of risk assessment and risk perception for risk management and risk communication.

  20. A scoping review of crisis teams managing dementia in older people

    PubMed Central

    Streater, Amy; Coleston-Shields, Donna Maria; Yates, Jennifer; Stanyon, Miriam; Orrell, Martin

    2017-01-01

    Background Research on crisis teams for older adults with dementia is limited. This scoping review aimed to 1) conduct a systematic literature review reporting on the effectiveness of crisis interventions for older people with dementia and 2) conduct a scoping survey with dementia crisis teams mapping services across England to understand operational procedures and identify what is currently occurring in practice. Methods For the systematic literature review, included studies were graded using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist. For the scoping survey, Trusts across England were contacted and relevant services were identified that work with people with dementia experiencing a mental health crisis. Results The systematic literature review demonstrated limited evidence in support of crisis teams reducing the rate of hospital admissions, and despite the increase in number of studies, methodological limitations remain. For the scoping review, only half (51.8%) of the teams had a care pathway to manage crises and the primary need for referral was behavioral or psychological factors. Conclusion Evidence in the literature for the effectiveness of crisis teams for older adults with dementia remains limited. Being mainly cohort designs can make it difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. In practice, it appears that the pathway for care managing crisis for people with dementia varies widely across services in England. There was a wide range of names given to the provision of teams managing crisis for people with dementia, which may reflect the differences in the setup and procedures of the service. To provide evidence on crisis intervention teams, a comprehensive protocol is required to deliver a standardized care pathway and measurable intervention as part of a large-scale evaluation of effectiveness. PMID:29042760