Table 1 of experts and representatives interviewed

In a modern society it is generally accepted that the major cause for environmental problems is the current consumption pattern in industrialized countries, thus it is crucial to understand underlying processes and search for solutions in order to consciously progress towards sustainable consumption. In this paper the exclusive role of municipalities in promoting sustainable consumption is recognized. By analyzing the example of the situation of municipalities in Latvia, the reason for focusing on local level when dealing with sustainable consumption issues, as well as main obstacles and possibilities for municipalities' progress towards sustainability are revealed. Promotion of sustainable consumption cannot be based solely on eco-efficiency. Sufficiency strategy plays a crucial role. Since positive social environment for sufficiency dimension is vitally important, local level holds exclusively crucial role for its implementation - the potential of municipalities here is unbounded. Although local authorities already have many tools available, they are insufficiently discovered. Insufficiently exploited tools are property tax relief as support mechanism, establishment of advisory boards, green procurement, promotion of social entrepreneurship and collaborative consumption, as well as delegation of municipalities' functions to NGOs, thus encouraging nonmaterial wellbeing by strengthening social ties and community activities.

Megtakarítások és külső finanszírozás az amerikai gazdaságban. A hitelpiaci válság háttere (1997-2007) (Savings and external financing in the American economy. The background to the credit-market crisis (1997–2007))

A tanulmány nem az aktuális hitelpiaci válság enyhítésének kérdésével foglalkozik, hanem az amerikai gazdaság elmúlt négy évtizedének általános és az utolsó tíz évének konkrét beruházási-megtakarítási és növekedési tendenciáit igyekszik feltárni. Azt vizsgálja, hogy milyen mélyebb, belföldi eredetű szerkezeti okai vannak a nemzetközivé dagadt jelzáloghitel-válságnak. A cikk a nyitott gazdaság külső finanszírozással összefüggő mérlegazonosságainak alapján arra a következtetésre jut, hogy az ingatlanpiaci visszaesés és a kibocsátás zsugorodása az Egyesült Államok gazdaságában már több mint másfél évtizede kialakult kedvezőtlen, de még tovább romló belföldi megtakarítási folyamatok következménye. A jelzálogpiac krízise és a lakásépítés drámai visszaesése a túlfogyasztásra és túlhitelezésre ösztönző pénzügyi környezet eredménye. A lakáspiaci és a hitelezési ciklusok pénzügyi innovációkkal történő megnyújtása inkább növelte, mint csökkentette a kibocsátásingadozás érzékenységét. A legfőbb hitelezők Kína, Japán, Németország inkább dolláralapú amerikai vállalati felvásárlásokkal ellensúlyozták a dollárgyengülésből elszenvedett veszteségeiket. 1997-2007 között az Amerikából külföldön befektetett dolláraktívák - javarészt a valuta leértékelődése nyomán - jelentős hozamemelkedést élveztek, és számottevően tompították a belföldön képződött jövedelmek csökkenését. A dollárleértékelődés az eszköz- (és nemcsak az áruexport) oldalon is előnyöket hozott számos nagyvállalatnak. / === / Rather than dealing with the immediate policy steps to dampen the crisis, this paper attempts to reveal the worsening savings/consumption pattern of the US economy over the last ten years. Based on the closed logic of open-economy GDP-accounting, it argues that the current crisis is deeply rooted in shrinking public and private savings trends discernible as early as 1997. The current mortgage-market crisis and deep fall in new residential housing are products of a distorted financial environment that encourages over-borrowing and over-consumption. Expansion of the credit cycle through successive financial innovations has increased, not decreased output volatility. But the main foreign lenders to the US—Japan, China and Germany—have managed to offset their losses on US securities by buying into US companies. Large US firms have also benefited from rapid dollar depreciation as USD-denominated yields on their foreign assets experienced strong run-ups. The weak dollar has also helped American firms with large assets on foreign markets. So there were strong benefits for the US, not just on the goods-export side, but on the asset side, an aspect rarely emphasized.

Nivel de ansiedad y depresión en adolescentes varones con trastornos por consumo de sustancias psicoactivas en el centro de adicciones Hogar Crecer, 2011-2015

Antecedentes: la ansiedad y depresión son desórdenes mentales frecuentes en adolescentes con trastornos por consumo de sustancias, siendo crónicos y resistentes al tratamiento, asociándose a una morbilidad significativa. Objetivo general: determinar el nivel de ansiedad y depresión en adolescentes varones con trastornos por consumo de sustancias psicoactivas en el Centro de Adicciones Hogar Crecer. Materiales y métodos: estudio descriptivo, transversal, se recolectó información de 291 historias clínicas, desde el 01 de junio 2011 al 31 de diciembre 2015. La información se registró en un formulario pre-elaborado que incluye: datos sociodemográficos, patrón de consumo y resultados del test de Hamilton para ansiedad y depresión. Los datos se analizaron con el software SPSS 15.0, en las variables cuantitativas y cualitativas se obtuvo frecuencia y porcentaje. Resultados: de las 291 historias clínicas, 230 (79%) adolescentes tenían entre 15 a 19 años y 61 (21%) entre 10 a 14; según el patrón de consumo, 243 (83,5%) presentaron policonsumo. Presentaron ansiedad 263 (90,3%), de los cuales: 51,2% ansiedad leve, 27,8% ansiedad moderada y el 11,3% ansiedad grave, mientras que la depresión se presentó en 271 (93,1%), de los cuales: 32,6% depresión leve, 36,1% depresión moderada, 17,9% depresión grave y 6,5% depresión muy grave. Conclusiones: - La mayoría de los adolescentes eran estudiantes. - Los adolescentes presentaron principalmente policonsumo. - Se encontró una alta frecuencia de ansiedad y depresión. - El nivel de ansiedad que con mayor frecuencia se presentó fue ansiedad leve, mientras que para depresión, el nivel que mayormente se presentó fue depresión moderada

Sobreuso de analgésicos en pacientes con cefaleas primarias de un centro de referencia de Medellín

Introducción: Los pacientes con cefaleas primarias están predispuestos a desarrollar una cefalea secundaria al consumo excesivo de analgésicos. En nuestro medio, la adquisición fácil de medicamentos sin fórmula médica incrementa su frecuencia de presentación. Objetivo: Describir el perfil epidemiológico, clínico y de tratamiento de los pacientes con cefaleas primarias y cefalea secundaria por sobreuso de analgésicos atendidos en el programa especial de cefaleas del Instituto Neurológico de Colombia en el periodo 2014-2015. Pacientes y métodos: estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo. Se evaluaron características de la cefalea, comorbilidades, discapacidad y patrón de consumo de medicamentos. Resultados: Se incluyeron 834 pacientes con diagnóstico de cefalea por sobreuso de analgésicos, 85.1% con migraña crónica. El 87.6% de los pacientes eran mujeres y tenían 44 años en promedio. La mitad de los pacientes tomaba analgésicos todos los días de la semana (P25-P75: 4 – 7 días); consumiendo, en promedio, tres analgésicos/día (DE: 1.9). La mayoría de pacientes presentaba un consumo elevado de analgésicos simples (95.2%), AINES (92.2%) y analgésicos combinados (89.2%); 51% consumían opiodes y sólo 14.6% consumían triptanes. Conclusión: La identificación de esta cefalea secundaria es de vital importancia para un tratamiento adecuado. El uso medicamentos de libre venta afecta el manejo óptimo de esta entidad asociada a las cefaleas primarias, principalmente la migraña.

Incubation of eggs of the Australian broad-shelled turtle, Chelodina expansa (Testudinata : Chelidae), at different temperatures: effects on pattern of oxygen consumption and hatchling morphology

Incubation temperature influences embryonic development and the morphology of resultant hatchlings in many species of turtle but few studies have addressed its effect on oxygen consumption and total embryonic energy expenditure. Eggs of the Australian broad-shelled river turtle, Chelodina expansa, were incubated at constant temperatures of 24 degrees C and 28 degrees C to determine the effect of temperature on oxygen consumption, embryonic energy expenditure and hatchling morphology. All embryos at both incubation temperatures experienced a period of developmental diapause immediately after oviposition. Once this initial diapause was broken, embryos underwent a further period of developmental arrest when the embryo was still very small and had minimal oxygen consumption (

Serotypes of Vibrio cholerae Non-O1 Isolated from Water Supplies for Human Consumption in Campeche, México and their Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern

The presence of Vibrio cholerae non-O1 in water supplies for human consumption in the city of Campeche and rural locality of Bécal was investigated. V. cholerae non-O1 was detected in 5.9% of the samples obtained in deep pools of Campeche. Studies conducted in Bécal and neighbourhood of Morelos in Campeche indicated that collected samples harbored V. cholerae non-O1 in 31.5% and 8.7% respectively. There was a particular pattern of distribution of V. cholerae non-O1 serotypes among different studied regions. Accordingly, V. cholerae non-O1 serotype O14 predominated in the deep pools of Campeche and together with V. cholerae non-O1, O155 were preferentially founds in samples taken from intradomiciliary faucets in the neighbourhood of Morelos. Samples from Bécal predominantly presented the serotype O112. 60% and 53.8% of all studied strains of V. cholerae non-O1 proved to be resistant to ampicillin and carbenicillin. 3.1%, 7.7% and 6.2% presented resistant to doxycycline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and erythromycin respectively. The study showed the necessity of performing a strong epidemiologic surveillance for emergence and distribution of V. cholerae non-O1

Prolonged consumption of soy or fish-oil-enriched diets differentially affects the pattern of hypothalamic neuronal activation induced by refeeding in rats

We used c-Fos immunoreactivity to estimate neuronal activation in hypothalamic feeding-regulatory areas of 3-month-old rats fed control or oil-enriched diets (soy or fish) since weaning. While no diet effect was observed in c-Fos immunoreactivity of 24-h fasted animals, the acute response to refeeding was modified by both hyperlipidic diets but with different patterns. Upon refeeding, control-diet rats had significantly increased c-Fos immunoreactivity only in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH, 142%). In soy-diet rats, refeeding with the soy diet increased c-Fos immunoreactivity in dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH, 271%) and lateral hypothalamic area (LH, 303%). Refeeding fish-diet rats with the fish diet increased c-Fos immunoreactivity in PVH (161%), DMH (177%), VMH (81%), and ARC (127%). Compared to the fish-diet, c-Fos immunoreactivity was increased in LH by the soy-diet while it was decreased in ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) and arcuate hypothalamic nucleus (ARC). Based on the known roles of the activated nuclei, it is suggested that, unlike the fish-diet, the soy-diet induced a potentially obesogenic profile, with high LH and low VMH/PVH activation after refeeding.

Prevalence of alcohol consumption and pattern of use among the elderly in the WHO European Region

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Alcohol-related problems are relevant in the elderly, particularly in developed countries, but there is a lack of cross-country comparisons. The present work aims to examine the frequency and patterns of alcohol consumption in older adults across different European countries, and to analyze the relationship between socioeconomic status and gender with alcohol consumption. METHODS: General population-based household surveys of randomly selected adults over 60 years of age in 14 European countries. PARTICIPANTS: 10,119 subjects [mean age: 70.4 (SD = 7.1)], 61.9% women. RESULTS: There are marked differences in alcohol consumption across countries. Except for three countries from eastern regions, most people in all countries present moderate consumption regarding the amount of alcohol and pattern of use. However, there are marked gender differences, with a higher intake in men (effect sizes ranging from 0.57 to 1.27), although these differences are relatively proportional across countries. Finally, a higher socioeconomic status is positively related (B = 0.845, 95% CI: 0.30/1.40) with alcohol consumption after controlling for gender, age, health-functioning status and the country's development level. CONCLUSIONS: There are marked differences in consumption of alcohol in the elderly between the different countries, and male gender, as well as a higher SES, were associated with higher alcohol consumption.

Drug consumption among medical students in São Paulo, Brazil: influences of gender and academic year

OBJECTIVE: To analyze alcohol, tobacco and other drug use among medical students. METHOD: Over a five-year period (1996-2001), we evaluated 457 students at the Universidade de São Paulo School of Medicine, located in São Paulo, Brazil. The students participated by filling out an anonymous questionnaire on drug use (lifetime, previous 12 months and previous 30 days). The influence that gender and academic year have on drug use was also analyzed. RESULTS: During the study period, there was an increase in the use of illicit drugs, especially inhalants and amphetamines, among the medical students evaluated. Drug use (except that of marijuana and inhalants) was comparable between the genders, and academic year was an important influencing factor. DISCUSSION: Increased inhalant use was observed among the medical students, especially among males and students in the early undergraduate years. This is suggestive of a specific behavioral pattern among medical students. Our findings corroborate those of previous studies. CONCLUSION: Inhalant use is on the rise among medical students at the Universidade de São Paulo School of Medicine. Because of the negative health effects of illicit drug use, further studies are needed in order to deepen the understanding of this phenomenon and to facilitate the development of preventive measures.

Comparison of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin, immunoglobulin A antibodies reactive with acetaldehyde-modified protein and acetaldehyde-modified albumin with conventional markers of alcohol consumption

Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) has emerged as the best new marker for alcohol abuse. Recently plasma immunoglobulin A (IgA) reactivity with acetaldehyde (AcH)-modified proteins, or the modified proteins per se, have been proposed as a markers for high levels of alcohol consumption. In this study, we have compared CDT, IgA reactivity with AcH adducts (IgA ASR), and AcH-modified albumin with conventional markers of high alcohol intake in groups with well-defined drinking histories, The plasma activity of ALT, AST, and gamma-glutamyltransferase increased steadily with increasing alcohol consumption, CDT and AcH-modified albumin showed a similar pattern, whereas IgA ASR appeared only to be elevated after a threshold level of consumption had been reached, Neither CDT IgA ASR or AcH-modified albumin correlated strongly with any of the conventional markers or each other. This study shows that CDT, IgA ASR, AcH-modified albumin, and the conventional markers are not related, but suggests that the concurrent use of CDT and IgA ASR may lead to better identification of high alcohol intake.

Patterns of oxygen consumption during establishment of cephalocaudal polarity in the early chick embryo.

Oxygen uptake was studied during the establishment of cephalocaudal polarity in the very early chick embryo, i.e., 10 hr before (stage VI) and at laying (stage X). Oxygen fluxes in minute regions of the intact blastoderms were measured in vitro by scanning microspectrophotometry in the presence or absence of glucose. The oxygen consumption of the whole blastoderm remained constant (6 nmol O2 X hr-1) throughout the period studied, although the number of cells increased more than twofold. The regional oxygen fluxes varied from 0.41 to 1.13 nmol O2 X hr-1 X mm-2 at stage VI and from 0.42 to 0.70 nmol O2 X hr-1 X mm-2 at stage X. At stage VI, the oxygen flux in the center of the blastoderm was significantly higher than that in its periphery. This pattern remained evident when the values were corrected for cell number or for cytoplasmic volume. At stage X, there was a tendency for the oxygen fluxes to decrease from the posterior to the anterior regions of the area pellucida. Thus the pattern of oxidative metabolism in the late uterine embryos seems to change from radial to bilateral. This change of symmetry probably reflects the process of formation of the embryonic axis. In addition, the fact that the oxygen uptake was similar in the presence or absence of glucose suggests that early chick embryos metabolize essentially intracellular stores.

The demand for intensity versus frequency of alcohol consumption: Evidence from rural Australia

This paper develops a theoretical model for the demand of alcohol where intensity and frequency of consumption are separate choices made by individuals in order to maximize their utility. While distinguishing between intensity and frequency of consumption may be unimportant for many goods, this is clearly not the case with alcohol where the likelihood of harm depends not only on the total consumed but also on the pattern of use. The results from the theoretical model are applied to data from rural Australia in order to investigate the factors that affect the patterns of alcohol use for this population group. This research can play an important role in informing policies by identifying those factors which influence preferences for patterns of risky alcohol use and those groups and communities who are most at risk of harm.

Applications of the MuSIASEM approach to study changes in the metabolic pattern of Catalonia

This document presents an integrated analysis of the performance of Catalonia based on an analysis of how the energy consumption (measured at the societal level for the Catalan Society) is used within both the productive sectors of the economy and the household, to generate added value, jobs, and to guarantee a given level of material standard of living to the population. The trends found in Catalonia are compared to the trends of other European Countries to contextualize the performance of Catalonia with respect to other societies that have followed different paths of economic development. The first part of the document consists of the Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) approach that has been used to provide this integrated analysis of Catalan Society across different scales (starting from an analysis of the specific sectors of the Catalan economy as an Autonomous Community and scaling up to an intra-regional (European Union 14) comparison) and across different dimensions of analyses of energy consumption coupled with added value generation. Within the scope of this study, we observe the various trajectories of changes in the metabolic pattern for Catalonia and the EU14 countries in the Paid Work Sectors composed of namely, the Agricultural Sector, the Productive Sector and the Services and Government Sector also in comparison with the changes in the household sector. The flow intensities of the exosomatic energy and the added value generated for each specific sector are defined per hour of human activity, thus characterized as exosomatic energy (MJ/hour) (or Exosomatic Metabolic Rate) and added value (€/hour) (Economic Labour Productivity) across multiple levels. Within the second part of the document, the possible usage of the MuSIASEM approach to land use analyses (using a multi-level matrix of categories of land use) has been conducted.

Coffee consumption and digestive tract cancers.

The relationship between coffee drinking and the risk of digestive tract neoplasms was analyzed in a case-control study of 50 cases of cancer of the mouth or pharynx, 209 of the esophagus, 397 of the stomach, 455 of the colon, 295 of the rectum, 151 of the liver, 214 of the pancreas, and 1944 control subjects admitted for acute, non-digestive tract disorders. There was no significant or consistent association between coffee and cancers of the mouth or pharynx, esophagus, stomach, liver, or pancreas. In particular, for pancreatic cancer, the multivariate relative risks for the intermediate and upper tertiles were 1.05 and 1.01, respectively. There were significant inverse trends in risk with measures of coffee consumption for colon and rectal cancers, the multivariate relative risks according to tertiles of coffee consumption being 0.86 and 0.64 for colon and 0.97 and 0.66 for rectum. This apparent protection is in agreement with some (but not all) previous epidemiological evidence and finds a possible biological interpretation in terms of interference on bile secretion, causing reduced bile acid and neutral sterol concentrations in the bowel. In conclusion, the results of this study, the major interest of which lies in the opportunity of drawing up an overall pattern of risk for various digestive neoplasms, offer further reassurance as regards the effects of coffee on digestive tract carcinogenesis.

Trends in self-reported past alcoholic beverage consumption and ethanol intake from 1950 to 1995 observed in eight European countries participating in the European Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

OBJECTIVE To describe the trends of self-reported past consumption of alcoholic beverages and ethanol intake from 1950 to 1995 within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). DESIGN Data on consumption of beer/cider, wine and liqueur/spirits were obtained retrospectively at age 20, 30 and 40 years to calculate average consumption and ethanol intake for the time periods 1950-1975 (at age 20), 1960-1985 (at age 30) and 1970-1995 (at age 40). Regression analysis was conducted with the time period data to assess trends in past alcoholic beverage consumption and ethanol intake with time. SETTING The EPIC project. SUBJECTS In total, 392 064 EPIC participants (275 249 women and 116 815 men) from 21 study centres in eight European countries. RESULTS Generally, increases in beer/cider consumption were observed for most EPIC centres for 1950-1975, 1960-1985 and 1970-1995. Trends in wine consumption differed according to geographical location: downward trends with time were observed for men in southern European EPIC centres, upward trends for those in middle/northern European study centres. For women, similar but less pronounced trends were observed. Because wine consumption was the major contributor to ethanol intake for both men and women in most study centres, time trends for ethanol intake showed a similar geographical pattern to that of wine consumption. CONCLUSION The different trends in alcoholic beverage consumption and ethanol intake suggest that information depicting lifetime history of ethanol intake should be included in analyses of the relationship between ethanol and chronic diseases, particularly in multi-centre studies such as EPIC.