Evolution of Short Food Supply Chain Innovation Niches and Its Anchoring to the Socio-Technical Regime: The Case of Direct Selling through Collective Action in North-West Portugal

This paper employs MLP (Multi Level Perspective) applied to a study on the transition to SFSC (short food supply chain) innovation taking place in North-West Portugal. MLP allows capturing transition phenomena and analysing them from a perspective that posits intervening factors and events on a three-level scale. Emphasis is laid on the institutional actors and factors that influence these processes, namely the Three Interrelated Analytic Dimensions and Types of Anchoring. Methodologically, personal interviews were conducted with 34 farmers who either are carrying out SFSC initiatives, or have dropped out, or even have never considered participating in them. A process of anchoring the innovation to the local socio-technical regime has been identified, characterised by a low buy-in from institutions and stakeholders. The anchoring that has been found has the peculiarity of occurring only in some points of the intersection between niche and regime, in a process in which it survives bordering this threshold, thanks to the mobilisation of multiple innovations. This type of anchoring, not yet described in the literature, draws attention to a possible pathway that innovations can follow, and brings implications for projects and for policy proposals to support the agroecological transition.

Grounded Theory of Asian American Activists for #BlackLivesMatter

A grounded theory study was employed to identify the conditions contributing to the core phenomenon of Asian American activists (N = 25) mobilizing toward thick solidarity with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in 2020. The findings indicate achieving a collective oppressed identity was necessary to mobilize in thick solidarity with the BLM movement and occurred because of causal conditions: (a) experiences of COVID-19–related anti-Asian discrimination, and (b) George Floyd’s murder. Non-action, performative or unhelpful action, and action toward thick solidarity were influenced by contextual factors: (a) alignment with personal and community values, (b) awareness and knowledge, and (c) perspectives of oppression. Mobilization was also influenced by intervening factors, which included affective responses, intergenerational conflict, conditioning of “privileges” afforded by White supremacy, and the presence of organized communities. Mental health professionals and social justice advocates can apply these findings to promote engagement in the community organizing efforts of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities with the BLM movement, denounce anti-Blackness, and uphold a culpability toward supporting the Black community.

ANALYSIS OF CLIMATE CONTROL IN A CROP ROTATION GREENHOUSE

The development of energy policies aimed at reducing energy consumption and the environmental impact together with the importance of the agricultural sector and its associated industries in certain regions, such as Extremadura, where most of the agricultural production is carried out by traditional cultivation systems, makes that the use of land that is not naturally suitable for crops and get a productivity improvement thanks climate control through renewable energies in greenhouses it and interested proposal. So the purpose of this work is assist small farmers in obtaining the fruits demanded by the market, through the use of renewable energies and the use of soils that are not very favourable for cultivation, contributing to achieve an economically profitable and environmentally sustainable agriculture. The intervening factors are the outdoor climate throughout the year, the interior requirements for the crop-sequence and the covering greenhouse with auxiliary energy supply, it's possible estimate the energy demand throughout the year and the contribution of each source to this demand, contrasted with a practical case study in Extremadura. The estimated result for this case it is an energy demand of 9 GJ/m2 with 62 % covered by solar radiation, 33 % by natural ventilation systems, 3 % with refrigeration and 2 % covered by heating. An economic analysis of the operation is included, taking into account the main intervening factors. In conclusion, thanks to greenhouse cultivation, by means of current fertigation systems that allow the use of the most suitable solution to be added to the irrigation water it is possible to cultivate in unsuitable soils, controlling the humidity and components present in them, as well as the tension generated by the roots of the plants. The energy demand is satisfied by solar radiation and ventilation mostly, which are renewable sources of energy, by making the contribution of heating by local biomass is covered almost entirely by renewable energy sources.

Breastfeeding and cortisol in hair in children

Background One of the most important protective health factors for children is breast-feeding, but the mechanisms for this effect are not fully elucidated. Our objective was to assess if the duration of breastfeeding influences cortisol in hair, used as a biomarker for stress in children still at school-age. Methods ABIS (All Babies in Southeast Sweden) is a prospective population-based child cohort study of 17,055 children born Oct 1st1997- Oct 1st 1999, with the aim to study development of immune-mediated diseases. Questionnaires were answered at birth and then at regular follow-ups, and biological samples were collected. As a biomarker of stress, we measured the child’s cortisol in hair collected at 8 years of age, those randomly selected N = 126 children among those with enough hair samples for analyses of hair at 8 years of age. Duration of breastfeeding had been registered as well as psycho-social factors related to breastfeeding and/or stress. Results There was a negative correlation (r = − 0.23, p = 0.01) between total duration of breastfeeding and hair cortisol levels at 8 years of age. In a multivariate analysis this association persisted (p = 0.01) even when adjusted for other potential intervening factors like age of mother at delivery and early psychosocial vulnerability in the family, an index based on 11 factors (Multivariate model: df = 5, adj R2 = 0.15, F = 5.38, p < 0.01). Conclusion Our results show that longer breastfeeding is associated with lower cortisol levels in the child many years later. These associations should be more elaborated in further studies, and these findings also give some implications for public health. Mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their children also in the modern society, since breastfeeding promotes health in the child. This information could be given via the obstetric departments and later at the well-baby clinics.

Design and simulation of an equipment for the rehabilitation of people affected by ACV, starting from the subacute stage

Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) or stroke is a disease that results in paralysis of one side of the body. Physical therapy is generally used as a muscular rehabilitation tool that involves different techniques and exercises. For it to be effective, the process must be accompanied by the constancy and discipline with which the routines are performed, which are frequently limited to the hospital environment, causing an interruption in the development of recovery due to the absence of home mechanisms that facilitate its execution in a safe and complete manner. In Colombia, these aspects are enhanced by intervening factors such as: extensive travel from rural areas to care sites, accessibility to specialized centers, among others. That is why this article provides the proposal of an equipment that contributes to CVA rehabilitation from the subacute stage. The design and operation were developed and simulated through Solidworks 2018 Software, involving a series of exercises for upper and lower limbs considered by physiotherapists as of high importance in the treatment of the disease; it means, they can be executed by the patient under ergonomic and safety conditions.

The Tri-Directional Framework of Parental Personality and Offspring Outcomes: A systematic review and critical synthesis of influencing factors

Parental personality has substantial implications for offspring developmental outcomes via direct and indirect pathways. We propose the Tri-Directional Framework of Parental Personality and Offspring Outcomes, an organizational framework which suggests that parental personality, offspring characteristics, and contextual factors interactively influence offspring outcomes. We apply the framework to a systematic review of literature on the relation between parental personality (e.g., Big Five and Dark Triad) and offspring outcomes (e.g., personality, temperament and behavioral problems) as well as intervening factors (e.g., parenting behaviors, family environment, socioeconomic status). We identified 52 studies that linked parental personality with offspring outcomes and included at least one additional factor. Of these studies, 26 examined the Big Five in relation to offspring outcomes, 20 examined traits beyond the Big Five, and six examined traits across several personality domains. Results indicated that (1) parental personality-offspring associations consistently align with the Tri-Directional Framework of Parental Personality and Offspring Outcomes; (2) parental interpersonal personality domains predict offspring behavior problems over and above the Big Five; and (3) certain personality traits consistently show stronger direct effects on offspring outcomes, whereas others operate indirectly. Overall, this review highlights the need to consider personality traits beyond the Big Five, and the need for a dynamic approach to the study of the parent-offspring relationship that incorporates environmental influences and situational demands upon the personality system.

The important determinants of the adoption behavior: a case study of recommended maize production technologies in Tanzania

Numerous technologies have been developed in the agricultural sector to facilitate its contribution to the livelihood of the people. However, the adoption of these technologies has been very low or non-existence at all. This paper determined the important factors/variables that determine adoption behaviour. A validated, pre-tested structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 113 respondents, equivalent to 5 percent of a population selected to represent maize growers in selected villages of Njombe District. The collected data were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and the linear regression model was used to investigate the influence of the study variables. The study findings show both independent and intervening factors investigated determined the adoption behaviour. However, in all the technologies investigated the intervening factors influenced highly the adoption behaviour. The results presented provide sufficient evidence in supporting the relevance of intervening variables as the most important determinants of the adoption behaviour. The study suggests that emphasis be put on these variables in agricultural extension programs in order to enhance the adoption of technologies by farmers.