Exploring the data divide through a social practice lens : A qualitative study of UK cattle farmers

Appropriate management decisions are key for sustainable and profitable beef and dairy farming. Data-driven technologies aim to provide information which can improve farmers’ decision-making practices. However, data-driven technologies have resulted in the emergence of a “data divide”, in which there is a gap between the generation and use of data. Our study aims to further understand the data divide by drawing on social practice theory to recognise the emergence, linkages, and reproduction of youngstock data practices on cattle farms in the UK. Eight focus groups with fifteen beef and nineteen dairy farmers were completed. The topics of discussion included data use, technology use, disease management in youngstock, and future goals for their farm. The transcribed data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis with a social practice lens. Social practice theory uses practices as the unit of analysis, rather than focusing on individual behaviours. Practices are formed of three elements: meaning (e.g., beliefs), materials (e.g., objects), and competencies (e.g., skills) and are connected in time and space. We conceptualised the data divide as a disconnection of data collection practices and data use and interpretation practices. Consequently, we were able to generate five themes that represent these breaks in connection.Our findings suggest that a data divide exists because of meanings that de-stabilise practices, tensions in farmers’ competencies to perform practices, spatial and temporal disconnects, and lack of forms of feedback on data practices. The data preparation practice, where farmers had to merge different data sources or type up handwritten data, had negative meanings attached to it and was therefore sometimes not performed. Farmers tended to associate data and technology practices with larger dairy farms, which could restrict beef and small-scale dairy farms from performing these practices. Some farmers suggested that they lacked the skills to use technologies and struggled to transform their data into meaningful outputs. Data preparation and data use and interpretation practices were often tied to an office space because of the required infrastructure, but farmers preferred to spend time outdoors and with their animals. There appeared to be no normalisation of what data should be collected or what data should be analysed, which made it difficult for farmers to benchmark their progress. Some farmers did not have access to discussion groups or veterinarians who were interested in data and therefore could not get feedback on their data practices.These results suggest that the data divide exists because of three types of disconnect: a disconnect between elements within a practice because of tensions in competencies or negative meanings to perform a practice; a disconnect between practices because of temporal or spatial differences; and a break in the reproduction of practices because of lack of feedback on their practices. Data use on farms can be improved through transformation of practices by ensuring farmers have input in the design of technologies so that they align with their values and competencies

Improving how we use workshops when solving complex research problems: reflections from the CHANGE project

Organising workshops that successfully address complex research problems is a challenge, especially when the research involves interest-holders with diverse roles and expertise and potentially conflicting values and viewpoints. In this article, we describe and reflect on the approach we took to organising the CHANGE workshop, held in Oslo in June 2024. CHANGE is a complex 3-year project involving the collecting, analysing, and developing cross-sector consensus on a challenging topic. The approaches on which we reflect include fundamental aspects of interest-holder engagement, workshop design, methodological approach, and inclusive participation. Based on our reflections, we present a series of recommendations for consideration by anyone in the general research community using workshops as part of a research process

Exploring experiences of the regulatory toxicology system:system‑level promoters and inhibitors of new approach methodologies

The transition from traditional animal-based approaches and assessments to New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) marks a scientific revolution in regulatory toxicology, with the potential of enhancing human and environmental protection. However, implementing the effective use of NAMs in regulatory toxicology has proven to be challenging, and so far, efforts to facilitate this change frequently focus on singular technical, psychological or economic inhibitors. This article takes a system-thinking approach to these challenges, a holistic framework for describing interactive relationships between the components of a system of interest. In this case, the regulatory toxicology system. We do so by analysing and interpreting a very large qualitative data set of experts’ observations, collected in a 3-day interactive workshop and three follow-up online workshops with a heterogeneous sample of experts representing major actors from the global regulatory toxicology system. We identified leverage points (where a small change within a system can have a disproportionately large effect) in the six core aspects—infrastructure, processes, culture, technology, goals, and actors—in the regulatory toxicology system to facilitate the effective use of NAMs. Identified systematic leverage points include the need for a functioning incentive structure for effectively discovering, developing, validating and using NAMs within academia, regulation, and industry; and measures that prevent or mitigate unwanted effects of using NAMs that acknowledge clashes between scientific, regulatory, political and social processes. The results serve as a basis for follow-up activities that reflect on the actual effectiveness of these levers and that develop measures for the regulatory toxicology system

Japanese consumer preferences for additive-free wine labeling

Consumers have recently become more concerned about food additives and food safety. Since its first meeting on September 17, 2003, the Risk Communication Expert Committee has studied and discussed the ideal methods to communicate risk related to food safety issues in response to a Food Safety Commission request. However, there are only a few case studies that actually apply to risk communications. This study aims to analyze consumer preferences for antioxidant-free wine and suggest a tool for risk communications. The study uses a two-stage method: in the first, the analysis identified different types of consumers according to their views of antioxidant-free labels using structural equation model (SEM) analysis; the second stage incorporated the consumer attributes identified by the SEM into a conjoint analysis to calculate willingness to pay (WTP) for each attribute. The WTP results show that the antioxidant-free label has a significant influence on consumer preferences. Notably, consumers who recognize food additive dangers placed significant additional value on wine without antioxidants. On the other hand, consumers who have knowledge of wine and food processing tended to view antioxidant-free wine as low in quality compared to wines made with the original manufacturing process. These results indicate that “adverse selection” has occurred in the wine market in Japan. The results suggest significant differences between consumer groups in terms of awareness of the dangers of food additives and knowledge of wine and food processing. This implies that some consumers are sensitive to food additives. Our research can help regulators create effective means to communication risk related to food additives. In addition, this implies that government guidelines related to wine labels are important, so that Japanese wine may approach international level quality. c 2017, The Author(s)

Psychosocial adaptation of adolescent migrants in a Swiss community survey

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare psychosocial adaptation in adolescent (first generation) migrants, double-citizens (mainly second generation with one migrant parent), and native Swiss, and to compare migrants from various European regions. METHOD: Data from a community survey were based on 1,239 participants (mean age 13.8, SD = 1.6 years) with 996 natives, 55 double-citizens, and 188 migrants. The adolescents completed the youth self-report measuring emotional and behavioural problems, and various questionnaires addressing life events, personality variables, perceived parental behaviour (PPB), family functioning, school environment, and social network. RESULTS: Adolescent migrants had significantly higher scores for internalizing and externalizing problems. There was a pattern of various unfavourable psychosocial features including life events, coping, self-related cognitions, and PPB that was more common among adolescent migrants than natives. Double-citizens were similar to natives in all domains. Young adolescents from South and South-East Europe differed from natives in terms of more unfavourable psychosocial features. Migrant status was best predicted by adverse psychosocial features rather than emotional and behavioural problems. CONCLUSION: There is some indication that certain migrant adolescents are at risk of psychosocial mal-adaptation. Obviously, ethnic origin is an important moderator

Therapy and clinical progress of cattle with dilatation and torsion of the caecum

One hundred and eleven heifers and cows with caecal dilatation and torsion were examined and their subsequent progress monitored. Using various criteria it was decided whether the animal was to be slaughtered or treated conservatively or surgically. Conservative treatment consisted of a continuous drip infusion containing neostigmine and of purgatives such as liquid paraffin, sometimes in combination with sodium sulphate. Surgical treatment consisted of laparotomy on the right flank with emptying and sometimes partial resection of the caecum. Five animals had to be slaughtered before or during surgery and another five which developed severe peritonitis were slaughtered after surgery. Fifty-nine animals underwent surgery once without resection of the caecum and 20 with. Another 14 animals needed surgery twice

Genome-edited versus genetically-modified tomatoes: An experiment on people’s perceptions and acceptance of food biotechnology in the UK and Switzerland

Biotechnology might contribute to solving food safety and security challenges. However, gene technology has been under public scrutiny, linked to the framing of the media and public discourse. The study aims to investigate people’s perceptions and acceptance of food biotechnology with focus on transgenic genetic modification versus genome editing. An online experiment was conducted with participants from the United Kingdom (n = 490) and Switzerland (n = 505). The participants were presented with the topic of food biotechnology and more specifically with experimentally varied vignettes on transgenic and genetic modification and genome editing (scientific uncertainty: high vs. low, media format: journalistic vs. user-generated blog). The results suggest that participants from both countries express higher levels of acceptance for genome editing compared to transgenic genetic modification. The general and personal acceptance of these technologies depend largely on whether the participants believe the application is beneficial, how they perceive scientific uncertainty, and the country they reside in. Our findings suggest that future communication about gene technology should focus more on discussing trade-offs between using an agricultural technologies and tangible and relevant benefits, instead of a unidimensional focus on risk and safety

Ein Fall von disseminierter intravaskulärer Koagulopathie (DIC) bei einer Kuh mit Endometritis und Fruchttod

Acute disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was diagnosed in a 3 1/2 year old cow of the Simmental breed. The cow was little less than 6 months pregnant and was admitted to the clinic because of severely disturbed general health. The most important clinical findings were increased heart and breathing rate, rectal temperature of 39.9 degrees C, nosebleed and petechiae on the nasal mucosa. Additionally, the cow showed petechiae on the vaginal mucosa, haemorrhage from the rectum lasting several hours after rectal examination and severe haemoglobinuria. Haematological and biochemical examinations showed increased liver enzymes and severe changes in all coagulation parameters (platelet count, PT, PTT, thrombin time, fibrinogen, fibrin degradation products). Based on the mentioned findings the diagnosis DIC was made. Possible causes were severe necrotic endometritis and placentitis combined with fetal death. High counts of Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens were determined in liver, lung and abomasal contents of the aborted fetus as well as in the placenta. Uterine secretion contained Actinomyces pyogenes besides