Food sovereignty, urban food access, and food activism: contemplating the connections through examples from Chicago

The idea of food sovereignty has its roots primarily in the response of small producers in developing countries to decreasing levels of control over land, production practices, and food access. While the concerns of urban Chicagoans struggling with low food access may seem far from these issues, the authors believe that the ideas associated with food sovereignty will lead to the construction of solutions to what is often called the ??food desert?? issue that serve and empower communities in ways that less democratic solutions do not. In Chicago and elsewhere, residents and activists often see and experience racial and economic inequalities through the variety of stores and other food access sites available in their community. The connections between food access, respect, and activism are first considered through a set of statements of Chicagoans living in food access poor areas. We will then discuss these connections through the work and philosophy of activists in Chicago centered in food sovereignty and food justice. Particular focus will be placed on Growing Power, an urban food production, distribution, and learning organization working primarily in Milwaukee and Chicago, and Healthy South Chicago, a community coalition focused on health issues in a working class area of the city.     

Dietary lipid sources affect the performance of Nile tilapia at optimal and cold,suboptimal temperatures

Five sources of dietary fatty acids (fish, linseed, sunflower, olive and coconut oils) were evaluated in juvenile Nile tilapia in two trials: at optimal (28°C) and suboptimal (22°C) temperatures lasting 9 and 12 weeks, respectively. At 28°C, there was no clear effect of dietary source on fish growth, but at 22°C, the highest daily weight gain occurred in fish fed sunflower, linseed and fish oil. Feed efficiency and apparent net protein utilization increased as the amount of unsaturated fatty acids, especially n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), in the diet increased. Coconut oil, which is rich in saturated fatty acids (SFA), led to the worst growth results, especially at 22°C, with the lowest weight gain, feed intake and feed utilization by tilapia. The body fatty acid profile, in % of total fatty acids, was dependent on diet composition. However, for all treatments, PUFA body content increased with the decrease in temperature, but SFA and monounsaturated fatty acids remained the primary contributors to the body profile. Either fish oil or vegetable oil may be used as sources of dietary fatty acids for Nile tilapia, but at suboptimal temperatures, a dietary source containing more PUFA and less SFA improves performance.     

Evidence for nuclear emissions during acoustic cavitation

In cavitation experiments with deuterated acetone, tritium decay activity above background levels was detected. In addition, evidence for neutron emission near 2.5 million electron volts was also observed, as would be expected for deuterium-deuterium fusion. Control experiments with normal acetone did not result in tritium activity or neutron emissions. Hydrodynamic shock code simulations supported the observed data and indicated highly compressed, hot (10(6) to 10(7) kelvin) bubble implosion conditions, as required for nuclear fusion reactions.     

Satellite tagging and cardiac physiology reveal niche expansion in salmon sharks

Shark populations are declining globally, yet the movements and habitats of most species are unknown. We used a satellite tag attached to the dorsal fin to track salmon sharks (Lamna ditropis) for up to 3.2 years. Here we show that salmon sharks have a subarctic-to-subtropical niche, ranging from 2 degrees to 24 degrees C, and they spend winter periods in waters as cold as 2 degrees to 8 degrees C. Functional assays and protein gels reveal that the expression of excitation-contraction coupling proteins is enhanced in salmon shark hearts, which may underlie the shark's ability to maintain heart function at cold temperatures and their niche expansion into subarctic seas.     

An unusual presentation of granulocytic anaplasmosis in a young dog

Canine granulocytic anaplasmosis is a disease diagnosed in many areas of the United States, with the highest prevalence reported in dogs in the upper midwestern, northeastern, and western states. It is also found in several European countries. Anaplasmosis can manifest with a wide range of clinicopathologic findings. A 20 wk old puppy was presented with physical examination and laboratory findings atypical of the disease. In addition to other signs, abdominal effusion was detected. Diagnostic evaluation confirmed that the puppy was positive for anaplasmosis. No morulae were found in peripheral white blood cells, but morulae were apparent in the white cells of the abdominal effusion. Leukopenia was observed, characterized by neutropenia, as opposed to the lymphopenia and eosinopenia typically seen with the disease. Blast cells were also seen in the peripheral blood, and reactive lymphocytes were noted in the bone marrow. The patient responded well to doxycycline therapy. All hematologic and physical abnormalities resolved.     

牛血浆中Leptin营养调控的进展

Leptin对哺乳动物整个生命过程中的能量代谢调节起着关键作用.据认为,在奶牛生长阶段对生殖系统和乳腺发育起着一定营养调节作用.然而,通过营养调控增加血浆Leptin的发育阶段没有确定.还不清楚奶牛血浆中Leptin浓度是否影响初情期的开始.设计两个试验研究这些问题.试验中分别饲喂新生犊牛不同水平的代乳品,使犊牛的平均日增重分别达到平均570 g/d或1210 g/d.每周都采取血样直到犊牛体重达到105kg屠宰时为止.低日增重组的Leptin和肥胖素含量一直保持不变,而高日增重组的Leptin和肥胖素含量在试验的第3周开始增加.在第2个试验当中3～5月龄的后备牛饲喂加入棕榈酸钙盐或共轭亚油酸(CLA)的TMR,保证后备牛的平均日增重水平达到1 kg/d.一直采取血样直到第3个初情期黄体出现为止.脂肪来源对与生长有关的参数、体组成、初情期、血浆Leptin含量没有影响.因此,从试验开始直到屠宰,按日龄因素对血浆Leptin含量重新分析.在奶牛1岁前,血浆Leptin浓度一直几乎保持在2.3 ng/ml这一水平,此后血浆Leptin含量明显增加.在奶牛1岁左右血浆Leptin含量几乎保持不变的阶段或者以后血浆Lep-tin含量急剧增加阶段,初情期开始的频率几乎与之相等.可以得出这样的结论,血浆Leptin含量在犊牛出生后的早期阶段受营养因素的调控,Leptin含量的急剧增加并不是奶牛初情期开始所必需的.     

Pressure measurement made by the utilization of ruby sharp-line luminescence

A rapid, convenient technique for precision pressure measurement in the diamond-anvil high-pressure cell, which makes use of the sharp-line (R-line) luminescence of ruby, has been developed. The observed shift is -0.77 +/-0.03 reciprocal centimeters per kilobar for R(1) and -0.84+/- 0.03 reciprocal centimeters per kilobar for R(2) to lower energy and is approximately linear in the range studied (to 22 kilobars). Line-broadening has been observed in some instances and has been tentatively identified with nonhydrostatic conditions surrounding the ruby sample.     

Ion neutral mass spectrometer results from the first flyby of Titan

The Cassini Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer (INMS) has obtained the first in situ composition measurements of the neutral densities of molecular nitrogen, methane, molecular hydrogen, argon, and a host of stable carbon-nitrile compounds in Titan's upper atmosphere. INMS in situ mass spectrometry has also provided evidence for atmospheric waves in the upper atmosphere and the first direct measurements of isotopes of nitrogen, carbon, and argon, which reveal interesting clues about the evolution of the atmosphere. The bulk composition and thermal structure of the moon's upper atmosphere do not appear to have changed considerably since the Voyager 1 flyby.