Just label it: Consumer rights, GM food labelling, and international trade

In the United States, there has been fierce debate over state, federal and international efforts to engage in genetically modified food labelling (GM food labelling). A grassroots coalition of consumers, environmentalists, organic farmers, and the food movement has pushed for law reform in respect of GM food labelling. The Just Label It campaign has encouraged United States consumers to send comments to the United States Food and Drug Administration to label genetically modified foods. This Chapter explores the various justifications made in respect of genetically modified food labelling. There has been a considerable effort to portray the issue of GM food labelling as one of consumer rights as part of ‘the right to know’. There has been a significant battle amongst farmers over GM food labelling – with organic farmers and biotechnology companies, fighting for precedence. There has also been a significant discussion about the use of GM food labelling as a form of environmental legislation. The prescriptions in GM food labelling regulations may serve to promote eco-labelling, and deter greenwashing. There has been a significant debate over whether GM food labelling may serve to regulate corporations – particularly from the food, agriculture, and biotechnology industries. There are significant issues about the interaction between intellectual property laws – particularly in respect of trade mark law and consumer protection – and regulatory proposals focused upon biotechnology. There has been a lack of international harmonization in respect of GM food labelling. As such, there has been a major use of comparative arguments about regulator models in respect of food labelling. There has also been a discussion about international law, particularly with the emergence of sweeping regional trade proposals, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. This Chapter considers the United States debates over genetically modified food labelling – at state, federal, and international levels. The battles often involved the use of citizen-initiated referenda. The policy conflicts have been policy-centric disputes – pitting organic farmers, consumers, and environmentalists against the food industry and biotechnology industry. Such battles have raised questions about consumer rights, public health, freedom of speech, and corporate rights. The disputes highlighted larger issues about lobbying, fund-raising, and political influence. The role of money in United States has been a prominent concern of Lawrence Lessig in his recent academic and policy work with the group, Rootstrikers. Part 1 considers the debate in California over Proposition 37. Part 2 explores other key state initiatives in respect of GM food labelling. Part 3 examines the Federal debate in the United States over GM food labelling. Part 4 explores whether regional trade agreements – such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) – will impact upon

When should ballooning incidents be reported?

This article follows on from our previous article in Aeronotes Volume 37 No.2 "Prepare and prevent, don't repair and repent: Causal factors of hot air ballooning incidents". While nearly every balloon flight ends safely, with every flight comes the opportunity for an accident. The ABF maintains an incident reporting database containing information on all the accidents and near misses that are reported to them. The goal of the database is to provide a formal way for ABF members to share accident or near miss experiences and prevent future occurrences. We recently analysed the causal factors involved in the incident reports collected by the ABF. Twenty-two incident reports were analysed and 54 causal factors were identified that were reported to play a role in hot air ballooning accidents. While many factors were identified, the findings of this study were limited by the small number of incident reports available from the ABF reporting system...

Against the Vagueness Argument

In this paper I offer a counterexample to the so called vagueness argument against restricted composition. This will be done in the lines of a recent suggestion by Trenton Merricks, namely by challenging the claim that there cannot be a sharp cut-off point in a composition sequence. It will be suggested that causal powers which emerge when composition occurs can serve as an indicator of such sharp cut-off points. The main example will be the case of a heap. It seems that heaps might provide a very plausible counterexample to the vagueness argument if we accept the idea that four grains of sand is the least number required to compose a heap—the case has been supported by W. D. Hart. My purpose here is not to put forward a new theory of composition, I only wish to refute the vagueness argument and point out that we should be wary of arguments of its form.

A[Bi3Ti4O13] and A[Bi3PbTi5O16] (A = K, Cs): New n=4 and n=5 members of the layered perovskite series, A[A ' n-1B nO3n+1], and their hydrates

We describe the synthesis and structural characterization of new layered bismuth titanates, A[Bi3Ti4O13] and A[Bi3PbTi5O16]for A = K, Cs, corresponding to n = 4 and 5 members of the Dion-Jacobson series of layered perovskites of the general formula, A[A'n-1BnO3n+1]. These materials have been prepared by solid state reaction of the constituents containing excess alkali, which is required to suppress the formation of competitive Aurivillius phases. Unlike the isostructural niobates and niobium titanates of the same series, the new phases reported here are spontaneously hydrated-a feature which could make them potentially useful as photocatalysts for water splitting reaction. On hydration of the potassium compounds, the c axis expands by ca. 2 Angstrom and loses its doubling [for example, the tetragonal lattice parameters of K[Bi3Ti4O13] and its dihydrate are respectively a = 3900(1)Angstrom c 37.57(2) Angstrom; a 3.885(1) Angstrom, c = 20.82(4) Angstrom]; surprisingly, the cesium analogues do not show a similar change on hydration.

O poder conclusivo das comissões da Câmara dos Deputados na 52ª legislatura

Estudo do sistema de comissões e seu poder de apreciação conclusiva: origem histórica e aplicação na Câmara dos Deputados. Pesquisa de dados sobre a tramitação dos projetos de lei sujeitos à competência plena das comissões apresentados na 52ª Legislatura. Análise comparativa dos dados em relação a estudos anteriormente realizados.

Nourriture et santé dans la médecine grecque ancienne

Presentado en el IIe Colloque International de l'IEHA: « Un aliment sain dans un corps sain ». Perspectives historiques - «Healthy Food in a Healthy Body», organizado por el Institut Européen d'Histoire de l'Alimentation y celebrado en Tours los días 14 y 15 de diciembre de 2002.

Comparative study on the catch efficiency and size selection of entangling nets in Lake Kainji, Nigeria

The relative catch performance and selectively of gillnets and trammel nets were investigated in 12 sampling stations in Lake Kainji, Nigeria. 3 types of nets with dimensions 50mx3m were constructed using 76mm and 178mm meshsizes for two gillnets, 76mm and 178mm meshsizes for the lint and ar mour nets of the trammelnets respectively. All the nets were randomly ganged together to form a fleet of nine nets each, and were set twice in each of the 12 stations which gave a total of 24 fishing operations. A total of 365 fish weighing 88.9kg and belonging to 16 different species were caught in all the nets. The trammelnet had the highest catch by number and weight constituting 60% and 69.22% of the total catch and weight respectively with a relative species Diversity Index of 0.82. This was followed by 76mm gillnet which constituted 38.63% by number, 28.09% by weight, 0.69 relative Species Diversity Index. The 178mm gillnet had the least catch of 1.37% and 2.9% by number and weight respectively with 0.25 relative Species Diversity Index. There was significant difference (P<0.05) in the number and weight of fish caught in the different nets. The minimum selection length for these species caught were the same for each net. The trammel net had a wider selection range that skewed to the right, a higher modal and median length indicating larger individual species being entangled in the net

高激光损伤阈值溶胶-凝胶ZrO2薄膜

采用醇热法水解氧氯化锆（ZrOCl2·8H2O）制备ZrO2溶胶，提拉法涂膜。采用粘度、粒度分布、折射率、IR、DSC、AFM等测试手段对溶胶和薄膜性能进行表征。结果表明，ZrO2溶胶颗粒的平均粒径为18．9nm，薄膜经300℃热处理后折射率可高达1．95，膜层表面均匀平整，表面平均粗糙度仅为0．561nm，膜层的激光损伤阈值为14J／cm^2（1064nm，1ns）。

铒镱共掺磷酸盐玻璃的激光性质

制备了镱铒共掺的磷酸盐玻璃并研究了室温下LD泵浦的连续激光输出性质。在泵浦功率为496mW时实现了最大输出功率77mW。讨论了在不同玻璃样品厚度和谐振腔长度时的斜率效率的变化以及在不同玻璃样品厚度，泵浦功率和谐振腔长度时的不同激光模式竞争的动力学行为。结果表明：激光光谱受到光学增益和光学损耗相对大小的限制。

News from Academy Bay

Planning. A Galapagos marine park. The feral animals on Santiago Island. Can the Hawaiian Petrel be saved? Education and training programmes. Visitors and events at the Charles Darwin Station (May - October 1982).

大豆（Glycine max (L) Merr.）生理生态特性及其与产量的关系

本论文由三部分组成: 1) 大豆高产品种黑农40与低产品种黑农37不同发育时期叶片光合生理生态特性的研究;以不同产量水平的东北大豆黑农40和对照品种黑农37为试验材料，研究了从幼苗期到衰老期五个不同发育时期叶片光合作用特性的变化。尤其是系统的研究了光合作用、蒸腾作用和水分利用效率的变化之间的联系，以及气孔导度和胞间CO2浓度的相随变化。发现净光合速率和产量之间存在明显的正相关关系，各个光合生理生态参数之间也有密切的关系。 2) 在大豆生长过程的重要时期结荚期，对大豆品种黑农37和黑农40的光合和水分特性的日变化研究;测定结荚期黑农37和黑农40的光合作用、蒸腾作用、气孔导度和水分特征(水分利用效率和水势)的日变化以及它们之间可能存在的联系，并分析了光抑制的现象,研究表明在晴朗的一天中，光合速率的日变化呈双峰曲线，在整个日变化中，黑农40的净光合速率都比黑农37的要高。黑农40和黑农37相比，在水分亏缺的情况下黑农40能维持较高的水势和水分利用效率，特别是在中午的时候，差别更加明显。 3) 比较研究了1970s 、1980s 和1990s 期间不同大豆 (Glycine max (L) Merr.)品种的生理生态特性：光合作用、蒸腾作用、水分利用效率和叶片水势，分析了各生理生态特性之间以及与产量的关系。研究表明光合速率和产量之间存在显著的相关关系，大豆叶片水势和净光合速率之间也存在明显正相关关系，高产大豆在水分亏缺的情况下仍能维持较高的的水分利用效率和水势。

北方农牧交错区土地利用（管理）方式对土壤氮素转化的影响

土壤氮素矿化是陆地生态系统氮素转化的重要组成部分。不同的土地利用（管理）方式会改变土壤氮素转化过程，影响土壤肥力的保持，进而可能造成土壤内氮素渗漏流失。为系统了解内蒙古农牧交错区土壤氮素转化的特点，本实验采用原位培养顶盖埋管法进行野外培养，每间隔一个月定期取样，于2004年7月-2006年10月在植物所恢复生态学实验站进行了两个试验，1：选择农牧交错区四种有代表性的土地类型（围封样地：FS，放牧样地：GS，弃耕地：AF，和农田：CF），比较土地利用方式之间氮素矿化的异同;2：在施肥样地通过不同施肥处理(F0: 1g N m-2, F1: 1g N m-2, F2: 2g N m-2, F3: 4g N m-2, F4: 8g N m-2, F5: 16g N m-2, F6: 32g N m-2, F7: 64g N m-2) 的土壤氮素转化动态，确定过度放牧的典型草原围封禁牧后，植被恢复过程中最适宜的施肥量。主要结论如下： 1. 与试验初期相比，整个非生长季围封样地、弃耕地和农田的铵态氮和无机氮含量逐渐降低，培养结束时铵态氮含量分别减少了67.04％，77.31％和70.54％，而放牧地的含量增加1.63％。围封样地、放牧地、弃耕地和农田的硝态氮含量分别增加了61.61%，376.43%，199.75%和133.16%。非生长季四种土地类型的土壤氮素转化速率主要受温度影响。围封样地、放牧地、弃耕地和农田非生长季矿化速率均值分别为-0.016，0.0429，-0.0051和-0.0030 μg g-1 d-1。硝化速率均值变幅为-0.43-0.17 μg g-1d-1。 2. 与没有冷冻而融化的土壤相比，冻融显著影响土壤无机氮含量的变化。只有在较低的土壤温度条件下冷冻以后，融化才会促进土壤氮素矿化。不同的冷冻时间长度下融化均会促进土壤硝化速率。土壤温度、土壤含水量变化是影响氮素转化速率的重要因子。 3. 四种土地类型的年日均矿化速率为放牧样地>农田>弃耕地>围封样地，分别为0.25，0.11，0.10，0.06μg g-1d-1，其年平均速率分别为11.65，5.50，5.00和2.46g m-2 y-1，而年日平均硝化速率分别为0.27，0.095，0.097和0.05μg g-1d-1。其中生长季日均矿化速率和日均硝化速率均为其年日均速率的两倍。因此，生长季形成的矿化氮是全年的93％，而形成的硝态氮占全年的86％。四种土地类型年均矿化氮的累积量平均为615.04 kg ha-1，而硝化作用的累积量变幅为230.44-1218.86 kg ha-1。四种土地类型的矿化速率和硝化速率的季节动态变化与气候因子的变化一致。 4. 不同施肥处理对典型草原土壤氮素转化均有显著影响。与对照相比，少量施肥（F1，F2）土壤铵态氮，硝态氮和无机氮含量分别减少20.57％，11.18％和17.18％。当施肥量大于F4（8g N m-2）时，随施肥量增加土壤铵态氮，硝态氮和无机氮含量增加18％-1191％。除F5（16g N m-2）外，与对照相比，随施肥量增加，土壤矿化速率增加了5-21倍。4 g N m-2 (F3)左右是典型草原生态系统比较合适的施肥量。 5. 氨气挥发速率的季节动态特征与气象因子的变化一致，其速率变幅为17.65 - 1228.39µg m-2 d-1，其中7月挥发量占全年的37％。与对照相比，少量施肥氨气挥发速率降低了1-2％，施肥量大于F3 (4g N m-2)，速率增加了1-4倍。实验期间总的流失量变幅为23.76-84.91mg m-2，而且通过氨气挥发流失量低于土壤全氮的3%。氨气挥发不是典型草原过量氮素流失的主要方式。 6. 氮素限制的典型草原，植被恢复过程中外源氮素添加阈值为：4 g N m-2 (F3)。与对照相比，短期施肥（3年）不会显著影响根系碳储量和土壤碳氮储量。施肥处理的土壤硝态氮和无机氮含量显著增加，说明施肥显著刺激硝化作用。典型草原60%植物根系主要分布在地下0-10cm，这里的碳储量占地下储量（0-50cm）的63%以上。随土壤深度增加，土壤全氮，全碳，无机氮储量降低。而铵态氮储量和可利用的无机氮含量随土壤深度增加，说明植物根系主要吸收利用上层可利用氮素，而且下层氮素矿化速率降低。

Effects of animal and plant protein diets on growth of Indian major carp (Labeo rohita Ham.) fingerlings

An experiment was conducted with Labeo rohita fingerlings in an indoor static fish rearing water system of glass made aquaria. Five experimental diets A, B, C, D and E were formulated containing 33% dietary protein level in five treatments each having two replicates containing 12 fingerlings of mean total initial weight of 13.00±0.2g. Sixty days of feeding trial in this experiment showed that fish fed on diet 'A' containing fish meal and diet 'E' containing mixed plant sources protein had significantly highest and lowest growth respectively. However, no significant difference of growth was found in fish fed on diets C and D containing meat and bone meal, and mix of animal protein source diets respectively. The result showed that the apparent protein digestibility (APD) of diets 'A' and 'E' had significantly best and least values respectively. Food conversion ratio (FCR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) ranged between 1.37 to 2.17 and 1.38 to 2.18 respectively. On the basis of observed FCR and PER diets 'A' and 'E' produced significantly highest and lowest growth respectively.

Elevating fishers of Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir

The deteriorating condition of one of the most magnificent lakes of India, the Dal Lake, has provoked a lot of research interest from the biological and ecological points of view. However, the impact of deterioration of the ecology on the inhabitant fisher folk around Dal Lake has not been given much importance. In this study, the three major beats of the lake, namely, Hazratbal, Nishat and Nehru Park, were surveyed, randomly taking 10% of the fishermen families. It was observed that the summer mean catch per day (5.18 ± 0.69 kg) was more than the mean winter catch per day (2.85 ± 0.40 kg). However, the total annual catch per person was only 1195.56 ± 211.63 kg. Moreover, marketing through middlemen, especially, during summer, was observed to be very low fetching in terms of mean price per kilogram fish, amounting to Rs 37.50 ± 2.54 for local fish and Rs 22.50 ± 2.88 for the carp. It was also observed that the fisher folk had borrowed a good amount of money for the repair and construction of their houses and boats. Therefore, on the whole, the fishing business around Dal Lake was observed to be under severe stress. In this context, this paper has come out with recommendations to uplift the socio-economic conditions of the fishers.