Comparing land reform and land markets in colombia: impacts on equity and efficiency

Based on a large survey to compare the effectiveness of land markets and land reform in Colombia, the authors find that rental and sales markets were more effective in transferring land to poor but productive producers than was administrative land reform. The fact that land transactions were all of a short-term nature and that little land was transferred from very large to small land owners or the landless suggests that there may be scope for policies both to improve the functioning of land markets and to facilitate greater land access by the most disadvantaged. Analysis of the factors associated with success in a sample of land transfers from large to small producers helps to identify key elements for policies in both respects.Banks&Banking Reform,Environmental Economics&Policies,Municipal Housing and Land,Land Use and Policies,Agribusiness&Markets,Environmental Economics&Policies,Banks&Banking Reform,Rural Land Policies for Poverty Reduction,Land Use and Policies,Agribusiness&Markets

Reduction of colonic inflammation in HLA-B27 transgenic rats by feeding Marie Ménard apples, rich in polyphenols

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are immunomediated ailments affecting millions of individuals. Although diet is regarded as an important factor influencing IBD, there are no accepted dietary recommendations presently available. We administered 7.6 % lyophilised apples obtained from two cultivars (Golden Delicious and Marie Ménard, low and high in polyphenols, respectively) to HLA-B27 transgenic rats which develop spontaneous IBD. After 3 months feeding, rats fed Marie Ménard apples had reduced myeloperoxidase activity (3.6 (sem 0.3) v. 2.2 (sem 0.2) U/g tissue; P <0.05) and reduced cyclo-oxygenase-2 (P <0.05) and inducible NO synthase gene expression (P <0.01) in the colon mucosa and significantly less diarrhoea (P <0.05), compared with control rats. Cell proliferation in the colon mucosa was reduced significantly by feeding Golden Delicious apples, with a borderline effect of Marie Ménard apples. Gene expression profiling of the colon mucosa, analysed using the Whole Rat Genome 4 x 44 K Agilent Arrays, revealed a down-regulation of the pathways of PG synthesis, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling and TNFalpha-NF-kappaB in Marie Ménard-fed rats. In the stools of the animals of this group we also measured a significant reduction of bacteria of the Bacteriodes fragilis group. In conclusion, the administration of Marie Ménard apples, rich in polyphenols and used at present only in the manufacturing of cider, ameliorates colon inflammation in transgenic rats developing spontaneous intestinal inflammation, suggesting the possible use of these and other apple varieties to control inflammation in IBD patient

Thermodynamics of SU(N) Yang-Mills theories in 2+1 dimensions II - The deconfined phase

We present a non-perturbative study of the equation of state in the deconfined phase of Yang-Mills theories in D=2+1 dimensions. We introduce a holographic model, based on the improved holographic QCD model, from which we derive a non-trivial relation between the order of the deconfinement phase transition and the behavior of the trace of the energy-momentum tensor as a function of the temperature T. We compare the theoretical predictions of this holographic model with a new set of high-precision numerical results from lattice simulations of SU(N) theories with N=2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 colors. The latter reveal that, similarly to the D=3+1 case, the bulk equilibrium thermodynamic quantities (pressure, trace of the energy-momentum tensor, energy density and entropy density) exhibit nearly perfect proportionality to the number of gluons, and can be successfully compared with the holographic predictions in a broad range of temperatures. Finally, we also show that, again similarly to the D=3+1 case, the trace of the energy-momentum tensor appears to be proportional to T^2 in a wide temperature range, starting from approximately 1.2 T_c, where T_c denotes the critical deconfinement temperature.Comment: 2+36 pages, 10 figures; v2: comments added, curves showing the holographic predictions included in the plots of the pressure and energy and entropy densities, typos corrected: version published in JHE

Aprovechando su potencial: Transformando excedentes agroalimentarios de un Mercado Mayorista Chileno en alimentos saludables y sustentables

Introduction. Food waste is a serious global problem with impacts on the environment, society, and the economy. Around 1.300 million tons of foods produced for human consumption are lost or wasted, with fruits and vegetables having the highest waste rates. Moral and social aspects of food loss and waste are equally essential to consider, since it affects food security, mainly in the most vulnerable populations. The aim of this study was to add value to fruits and vegetables, or part of them, discarded from a main wholesale market in Santiago, Chile. Methods: 17 prototypes were developed from surplus broccoli, celery, beets, and tomatoes and were performed for subsequent sensory evaluation. Results: Two prototypes were selected and produced. For this purpose, a pilot plant was designed located inside the wholesale market in order to have immediate access to the raw material. 79.3 kilos of Green concentrate and 63 kilos of Red concentrate were produced. Finally, the products elaborated were distributed free of charge to elderly people through a food bank. Conclusions: This study represents a unique and innovative social, environmental, and business in Chile based on the valorization of food surpluses through the development of new foods that can be replicated globally.Introducción. El desperdicio de alimentos es un problema global grave con impactos en el medio ambiente, la sociedad y la economía. Alrededor de 1.300 millones de toneladas de alimentos producidos para el consumo humano se pierden o desperdician, siendo las frutas y verduras las que tienen las tasas más altas de desperdicio. Los aspectos morales y sociales del desperdicio de alimentos son igualmente esenciales de considerar, ya que afectan la seguridad alimentaria, principalmente en las poblaciones más vulnerables. El objetivo de este estudio fue agregar valor a las frutas y verduras, o parte de ellas, descartadas desde el principal mercado mayorista de Santiago, Chile. Metodología. Se desarrollaron 17 prototipos de concentrados salados a partir de excedentes de brócoli, apio, remolacha y tomates, los cuales fueron sometidos a evaluación sensorial. Resultados. Se produjeron 79,3 kilos de concentrado verde y 63 kilos de concentrado rojo. Finalmente, se seleccionaron y produjeron dos prototipos. Para ello, se diseñó una planta piloto ubicada al interior del mercado mayorista con fin de poder acceder inmediatamente a la materia prima. Por último, los alimentos generados fueron distribuidos de forma gratuita a adultos mayores a través de un banco de alimentos. Conclusión. Este estudio representa una iniciativa social, ambiental y empresarial única e innovadora en Chile basada en la valorización de excedentes alimentarios a través del desarrollo de nuevos alimentos que puede ser replicada de manera global

Functional outcome improvement and surgical time reduction in a single-surgeon consecutive case series of hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement: A minimum 5 years follow-up study

Purpose: The learning curve of a single surgeon performing hip arthroscopy is reported to be steep, but, to date, the inflection point after which procedures are more successful is still unknown. The aim of this study was to design a learning curve focused on clinical outcomes, complications and revision/conversion rates. Methods: Seventy-one hip arthroscopies performed for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) by a single surgeon, with a minimum follow-up of 5 years, were considered. Demographics, intraarticular findings and operative and traction time were detailed. HOOS score, subjective outcomes, 30-day complication rates, complication rates, revision arthroscopies and conversions to hip arthroplasty were recorded. Results: The mean follow-up was 7.5 ± 1.8 years (range: 5–11). The progression of the learning curve implied a reduction in surgical time (r: −0.847), traction time (r: −0.806) and postoperative outcomes (r = 0.444). When the procedures were divided into three consecutive groups (25 vs. 25 vs. 21 procedures) or two consecutive groups (36 vs. 35 cases), the first group had a higher occurrence of 30-day complications (p = 0.002 and p = 0.025, respectively) and the last group experienced a significant amelioration in terms of HOOS score between the preoperative and the postoperative condition (p &lt; 0.001 and p = 0.018). Conclusions: The inflection point of the hip arthroscopy learning curve is between 25/36 procedures. The first arthroscopies were impacted by higher complications and lower clinical results but no higher rates of revision and conversion to arthroplasty. Level of Evidence: Level IV

The Impact of Plasma Activated Water Treatment on the Phenolic Profile, Vitamins Content, Antioxidant and Enzymatic Activities of Rocket-Salad Leaves

Plasma activated water (PAW) recently received much attention as an alternative food preservation method. However, its effects on food quality are still scarce. This study evaluates the effect of PAW processing time on bioactive compounds of rocket-salad leaves including: 18 phenolic compounds, vitamin C, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, and nicotinamide. Moreover, the impact of PAW on both antioxidant (DPPH) and peroxidase (POD) activities was also investigated. This was performed using HPLC-DAD, HPLC-MS/MS, and spectrophotometric analysis. All treatments induced non-significant increases in total phenolic contents. However, depending on processing time, significant increases or decreases of individual phenolic compounds were observed. PAW-10 and -20 increased the ascorbic acid content to 382.76 and 363.14 mg/100 g, respectively, compared to control (337.73 mg/100 g). Riboflavin and nicotinic acid contents were increased significantly in PAW-20 (0.53 and 1.26 mg/100), compared to control (0.32 and 0.61 mg/100 g, respectively). However, nicotinamide showed non-significant increase in all treatments. Antioxidant activity improved significantly only in PAW-20, while peroxidase activity was reduced up to 36% in the longest treatment. In conclusion, PAW treatment could be an effective technique for rocket decontamination since it positively influenced the quality of rocket, improving the retention of polyphenols and vitamins

Effect of production process and high-pressure processing on viability of Salmonella spp. in traditional Italian dry-cured coppa

The aim of the study was to investigate the combined effect of the manufacturing process followed by HPP treatment on the inactivation of Salmonella spp. in artificially contaminated coppa samples, in order to verify the ability of the combined processes to achieve the objective of a 5-log reduction of Salmonella spp. needed for exportation to the U.S. Fresh anatomical cuts intended for coppa production were supplied by four different delicatessen factories located in Northern Italy. Raw meat underwent experimental contamination with Salmonella spp. using a mixture of 3 strains. Surface contamination of the fresh anatomical cuts was carried out by immersion into inoculum containing Salmonella spp. The conditions of the HPP treatment were: pressure 593 MPa, time 290 seconds, water treatment temperature 14\ub0C. Surface and deep samples were performed post contamination (T0), end of the cold phase (T1), end of process (Tend), and after HPP treatment (postHPP) and Salmonella spp. Enumerated. The results of this study show a significant reduction of Salmonella spp. all through the production process (P&lt;0.01) for all companies, followed by an additional reduction of bacterial counts due to HPP treatment (P&lt;0.01), both in superficial and deep contaminations (P&lt;0.01). The superficial overall reduction resulted of 1.58 to 5.04 log CFU/g during the production process. HPP treatment resulted in a significant (P&lt;0.01) superficial and deep decrease in Salmonella spp. enumeration varying from 0.61 to 4.01 log and from 1.49 to 4.13 log. According to the data presented in this study, only the combined approach of coppa manufacturing process followed by HPP treatment always led to a 5-log reduction of Salmonella spp. required by USDA/FSIS guidelines

Caracterización bromatológica y estudios preliminares de la textura de quesos regionales de la provincia de Entre Ríos

El 41% de los aproximadamente 1800 tambos que existen en la provincia de Entre Ríos deben recurrir ocasionalmente a la elaboración de queso. Estos quesos se elaboran sin los controles de una industria láctea organizada y, por ende, la calidad de su producción resulta incierta.Con el objeto de determinar la composición, la textura y la calidad bromatológica de estos quesos se tomaron muestras de 30 provenientes de estos establecimientos y se le practicaron análisis bromatológicos y fisicoquímicos, y se cuantificaron parámetros asociados a descriptores texturales (firmeza y fracturabilidad).Los resultados de los estudios fisicoquímicos y microbiológicos permitieron concluir que el perfil composicional de estos quesos es muy heterogéneo; además, si bien la carga de levaduras y hongos es relativamente alta son un alimento de bajo riesgo para la transmisión de enfermedades. También se determinó que la firmeza de los quesos analizados presenta una variabilidad mayor que la composición

A novel blended transdiagnostic intervention (eOrygen) for youth psychosis and borderline personality disorder : Uncontrolled single-group pilot study

Background: Integrating innovative digital mental health interventions within specialist services is a promising strategy to address the shortcomings of both face-to-face and web-based mental health services. However, despite young people’s preferences and calls for integration of these services, current mental health services rarely offer blended models of care. Objective: This pilot study tested an integrated digital and face-to-face transdiagnostic intervention (eOrygen) as a blended model of care for youth psychosis and borderline personality disorder. The primary aim was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of eOrygen. The secondary aim was to assess pre-post changes in key clinical and psychosocial outcomes. An exploratory aim was to explore the barriers and facilitators identified by young people and clinicians in implementing a blended model of care into practice. Methods: A total of 33 young people (aged 15-25 years) and 18 clinicians were recruited over 4 months from two youth mental health services in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: (1) the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre, an early intervention service for first-episode psychosis; and (2) the Helping Young People Early Clinic, an early intervention service for borderline personality disorder. The feasibility, acceptability, and safety of eOrygen were evaluated via an uncontrolled single-group study. Repeated measures 2-tailed t tests assessed changes in clinical and psychosocial outcomes between before and after the intervention (3 months). Eight semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with the young people, and 3 focus groups, attended by 15 (83%) of the 18 clinicians, were conducted after the intervention. Results: eOrygen was found to be feasible, acceptable, and safe. Feasibility was established owing to a low refusal rate of 25% (15/59) and by exceeding our goal of young people recruited to the study per clinician. Acceptability was established because 93% (22/24) of the young people reported that they would recommend eOrygen to others, and safety was established because no adverse events or unlawful entries were recorded and there were no worsening of clinical and social outcome measures. Interviews with the young people identified facilitators to engagement such as peer support and personalized therapy content, as well as barriers such as low motivation, social anxiety, and privacy concerns. The clinician focus groups identified evidence-based content as an implementation facilitator, whereas a lack of familiarity with the platform was identified as a barrier owing to clinicians’ competing priorities, such as concerns related to risk and handling acute presentations, as well as the challenge of being understaffed. Conclusions: eOrygen as a blended transdiagnostic intervention has the potential to increase therapeutic continuity, engagement, alliance, and intensity. Future research will need to establish the effectiveness of blended models of care for young people with complex mental health conditions and determine how to optimize the implementation of such models into specialized services

Effect of production process and high-pressure processing on viability of Listeria innocua in traditional Italian dry-cured coppa

In this study the effect of the application of High Pressure Treatment (HPP) combined with four different manufacturing processes on the inactivation of Listeria innocua, used as a surrogate for L. monocytogenes, in artificially contaminated coppa samples was evaluated in order to verify the most suitable strategy to meet the Listeria inactivation requirements needed for the exportation of dry-cured meat in the U.S. Fresh anatomical cuts intended for coppa production were supplied by four different delicatessen factories located in Northern Italy. Raw meat underwent experimental contamination with Listeria innocua using a mixture of 5 strains. Surface contamination of the fresh anatomical cuts was carried out by immersion into inoculum containing Listeria spp. The conditions of the HPP treatment were: pressure 593 MPa, time 290 seconds, water treatment temperature 14\ub0C. Listeria innocua was enumerated on surface and deep samples post contamination, resting, ripening and HPP treatment. The results of this study show how the reduction of the microbial load on coppa during the production process did not vary among three companies (P&gt;0.05) ranging from 3.73 to 4.30 log CFU/g, while it was significantly different (P&lt;0.01) for the fourth company (0.92 log CFU/g). HPP treatment resulted in a significant (P&lt;0.01) deep decrease of L. innocua count with values ranging between 1.63-3.54 log CFU/g with no significant differences between companies. Regarding superficial contamination, HPP treatment resulted significant (P&lt;0.01) only in Coppa produced by two companies. The results highlight that there were processes less effective to inhibit the pathogen; in particular for company D an increase of L. innocua count was shown during processing and HPP alone cannot be able to in reaching the Listeria inactivation requirements needed for exportation of dry-cured meat in the U.S. According to the data reported in this paper, HPP treatment increases the ability of the manufacturing process of coppa in reducing Listeria count with the objective of a lethality treatment