Three “Bali Deliverables” for more Food Security

As the clock is ticking for a positive outcome at the Ninth WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Bali in December 2013, agricultural negotiators are scrambling to find solutions to issues such as tariff-rate quota (TRQ) administration and export competition in order to improve trade flows. The main issue seems to be whether WTO rules applying to public stockpiles in developing countries need to be changed or temporarily suspended as a means to enhance national food security. This paper is based on a note submitted to the ICTSD-IPC Expert Group “Meeting on Agriculture and Food Security – Policy Options for MC9 and beyond” (Geneva, June 2013). It lists the policy instruments impacting on global, national and (urban and rural) household food security – “The Food Security Tool Box” – and asks which immediate decisions the WTO Ministers might take in this field despite the political difficulties such as continued agro-dumping practices or the “land grab” issue. Three such “deliverables” are outlined: (i) regional and “virtual” food security schemes could be allowed to provide reserves to other countries without violating the obligation to “form an integral part of a food security programme identified in national legislation” (Agreement on Agriculture, Annex II, para 3); (ii) TRQ under-fills could be improved by mandatory enquiries into low fill rate situations; and (iii) World Food Program (WFP) and other non-commercial food purchases could be exempted from export restrictions and prohibitions. High ambitions for Bali seem to be misplaced. A more realistic yet real progress could restore the dwindling credibility of the WTO as a forum for trade negotiations.

Trade-offs between voice and silence: a qualitative exploration of oncology staff's decisions to speak up about safety concerns

BACKGROUND Research suggests that "silence", i.e., not voicing safety concerns, is common among health care professionals (HCPs). Speaking up about patient safety is vital to avoid errors reaching the patient and thus to prevent harm and also to improve a culture of teamwork and safety. The aim of our study was to explore factors that affect oncology staff's decision to voice safety concerns or to remain silent and to describe the trade-offs they make. METHODS In a qualitative interview study with 32 doctors and nurses from 7 oncology units we investigated motivations and barriers to speaking up towards co-workers and supervisors. An inductive thematic content analysis framework was applied to the transcripts. Based on the individual experiences of participants, we conceptualize the choice to voice concerns and the trade-offs involved. RESULTS Preventing patients from serious harm constitutes a strong motivation to speaking up but competes with anticipated negative outcomes. Decisions whether and how to voice concerns involved complex considerations and trade-offs. Many respondents reflected on whether the level of risk for a patient "justifies" the costs of speaking up. Various barriers for voicing concerns were reported, e.g., damaging relationships. Contextual factors, such as the presence of patients and co-workers in the alarming situation, affect the likelihood of anticipated negative outcomes. Speaking up to well-known co-workers was described as considerably easier whereas "not knowing the actor well" increases risks and potential costs of speaking up. CONCLUSIONS While doctors and nurses felt strong obligation to prevent errors reaching individual patients, they were not engaged in voicing concerns beyond this immediacy. Our results offer in-depth insight into fears and conditions conducive of silence and voicing and can be used for educational interventions and leader reinforcement.

Factors influencing the attitudes of cattle veterinarians, farmers, and claw trimmers towards the pain associated with the treatment of sole ulcers and the sensitivity to pain of dairy cows

This study assessed the attitudes of personnel involved in therapeutic claw trimming of dairy cattle in Switzerland towards pain associated with sole ulcers and their treatment. Data from 77 farmers, 32 claw trimmers, and 137 cattle veterinarians were used. A large range of factors were associated with whether the respondents thought that anaesthesia during the treatment of sole ulcers was beneficial; these included year of graduation, work experience, attitude to costs of analgesia, perception of competition between veterinarians and claw trimmers, estimation of pain level associated with treatment, estimated sensitivity of dairy cows to pain, knowledge of the obligation to provide analgesia, and whether the respondent thought lesion size and occurrence of defensive behaviour by the cow were important. Respondents' estimation of the pain level associated with sole ulcer treatment was linked to frequency of therapeutic claw trimming, age, farmers' income, estimated knowledge of the benefits of analgesia, and estimated sensitivity of dairy cows to pain. The latter factor was associated with profession, frequency of therapeutic claw trimming, capability of pain recognition, opinion on the benefits of analgesia, knowledge of the obligation to provide analgesia, and self-estimation of the ability to recognise pain. Improving the knowledge of personnel involved in therapeutic claw trimming with regard to pain in dairy cows and how to alleviate it is crucial if management of pain associated with treatment of sole ulcer and the welfare of lame cows are to be optimised.

Experience with the delegation of anaesthesia for disbudding and castration to trained and certified livestock owners

BACKGROUND: Anaesthesia is mandatory for disbudding and castrating calves and lambs of any age, in Switzerland. According to the "anaesthesia delegation model" (ADM), anaesthesia for disbudding calves <3 weeks of age and castrating calves and lambs <2 weeks of age may be administered by certified farmers. Experience with this unique model is not available. The aim was to evaluate the experience of the veterinary practitioners with the ADM. The response rate was 42%. The survey consisted of one questionnaire for each procedure. Procedure I was the delegation of anaesthesia for disbudding calves and procedures II and III were anaesthesia for castrating calves and lambs. RESULTS: Procedure I was performed with local anaesthesia in all farms of 51.8% of the veterinary practices, while this was only 39.3% and 7.6% for procedures II and III (p < 0.001). Anaesthesia for procedure I was administered technically correctly by farmers in at least 66% of the farms of 58.3% of the practitioners, while this was 45.4% and only 23.6% for procedures II and III (p < 0.001). The ADM was assessed as a moderate to very good model to reinforce the legal obligations for procedures I, II, or III by 74.8%, 76.5% and 62.0% of the veterinary practitioners (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: The delegation of anaesthesia to certified farmers may be a promising model to reinforce the obligation to provide local anaesthesia for disbudding and castrating calves, but to a lesser extent for castrating lambs.

Second-Personal Reasons and Special Obligations

The paper discusses the second-personal account of moral obligation as put forward by Stephen Darwall. It argues that on such an account, an important part of our moral practice cannot be explained, namely special obligations that are grounded in special relationships between persons. After highlighting the problem, the paper discusses several strategies to accommodate such special obligations that are implicit in some of Darwall’s texts, most importantly a disentanglement strategy and a reductionist strategy. It argues that neither one of these strategies is entirely convincing. The last part of the papers sketches a novel account of how to accommodate special obligations in a second-personal framework: According to this suggestion, special obligations might be due to the fact that relationships change the normative authority that persons have over each other.

Cluster of Leptospirosis Acquired Through River Surfing in Switzerland

Background.  In Switzerland, leptospirosis is still considered as a travel-associated disease. After the surprising diagnosis of leptospirosis in a patient who was initially suspected as having primary human immunodeficiency virus infection, we recognized that acquisition of leptospirosis occurred through recreational activities and we identified additional affected individuals. Methods.  Detailed anamnesis, excluding occupational exposure, acquisition abroad, and pet contacts, enabled us to detect the source of infection and identify a cluster of leptospirosis. Convalescent sera testing was performed to confirm Leptospira infection. Microscopic agglutination tests were used to determine the infecting serovar. Results.  We identified a cluster of leptospirosis in young, previously healthy persons. Acquisition of leptospirosis was traced back to a surfing spot on a river in Switzerland (Reuss, Aargau). Clinical presentation was indistinct. Two of the 3 reported cases required hospitalization, and 1 case even suffered from meningitis. Serologic tests indicated infection with the serovar Grippotyphosa in all cases. With the exception of the case with meningitis, no antibiotics were administered, because leptospirosis was diagnosed after spontaneous resolution of most symptoms. Despite a prolonged period of convalescence in 2 cases, full recovery was achieved. Recent reports on beavers suffering from leptospirosis in this region underline the possible water-borne infection of the 3 cases and raise the question of potential wildlife reservoirs. Conclusions.  Insufficient awareness of caregivers, which may be promoted by the missing obligation to report human leptospirosis, combined with the multifaceted presentation of the disease result in significant underdiagnosis. More frequent consideration of leptospirosis as differential diagnosis is inevitable, particularly as veterinary data suggest re-emergence of the disease.

Na 50 Nachlass Arthur Schopenhauer - 'Schopenhauer-Archiv', 481 - Aufstellung der Leipziger Stadtobligationen

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Na 50 Nachlass Arthur Schopenhauer - 'Schopenhauer-Archiv', 600 - Außergerichtliches Vergleichsangebot von A. Jean Pierre Sarre

u.a.: Obligation; Joseph Mendelssohn; Louise Lusche, geborene Fröning; Johan Michael Brunow; Carl Otto; Emilie Schmiede, geborene Sarre; Ehescheidung der Tochter;

Na 50 Nachlass Arthur Schopenhauer - 'Schopenhauer-Archiv', 63 - Finanzberatung im Rahmen der geplanten Kapitalanlage im Bankhaus Muhl

u.a.: Anspielung auf Starrköpfigkeit Schopenhauers; Bekräftigung der Seriosität des Bankhauses Muhl; Anleihe der Landstände der Oberlausitz; Anteile am Gut Ohra; Kontakt mit dem Bruder Heinrich August Carl Ganslandt in Hamburg; Geburt der Tochter von Wilhelm Ganslandt; Friedrich Frommann; Johanna Schopenhauer;

Perceptions of chief executives of Texas Catholic health care institutions regarding the poor and the provision of Catholic health care

Perceptions of chief executive officers (CEOs) of Texas Catholic health care institutions regarding the poor and the provision of Catholic health care were the focus for this study. A total of 40 health care administrators were asked to participate in a survey. Thirty-seven CEOs responded, including seven religious superiors, six health system CEOs and 24 hospital CEOs. Survey items concerning Catholic health for the poor centered on obligations and responsibilities of Catholic hospitals, means of achieving those obligations, and assessment of whether hospitals' objectives were being met. In addition, respondents' attitudes and beliefs about poor people in general were examined. Independent variables were CEO type, gender, religious preference, member of a religious order, and educational preparation. For purposes of analysis, most survey items were classified by level of consensus exhibited by respondents. The respondents to this survey agreed on most issues concerning poor people and the provision of Catholic health care. However, there were areas of disagreement particularly in Part I of the survey which dealt with responsibility/obligation, means/methods, and assessment of health care delivery for the poor. ^

Hospital district viability and Medicaid /market changes

Hospital districts (HD) that serve the uninsured and the needy face new challenges with the implementation of Medicaid managed. The potential loss of Medicaid patients and revenues may affect the ability to cost-shift and subsequently decrease the ability of the HD to meet its legal obligation of providing care for the uninsured. ^ To investigate HD viability in the current market, the aims of this study were to: (1) describe HD's environment, (2) document the HDs strategic response, (3) document changes in the HD's performance (patient volume) and financial status, and (4) determine whether relationships or trends exist between HD strategy, performance and financial status. ^ To achieve these aims, three Texas HDs (Fort Worth, Lubbock, and San Antonio) were selected to be evaluated. For each HD four types of strategic responses were documented and evaluated for change. In addition, the ability of each HD to sustain operations was evaluated by documenting performance and financial status changes (patient volume and financial ratios). A pre-post case study design method was used in which the Medicaid managed care “rollout'” date, at each site, was the central date. First, a descriptive analysis was performed which documented the environment, strategy, financial status, and patient volume of each hospital district. Second, to compare hospital districts, each hospital district was: (i) classified by a risk index, (ii) classified by its strategic response profile, and (iii) given a performance score based upon pre-post changes in patient volume and financial indicators. ^ Results indicated that all three HDs operate in a high risk environment compared to the rest of the nation. Two HDs chose the “Status Quo” response whereas one HD chose the “Competitive Proactive” response. Medicaid patient volume decreased in two of three HDs whereas indigent patient volume increased in two of the three (an indication of increasing financial risk). Total patient revenues for all HDs increased over the study period; however, the rate of increase slowed for all three after the Medicaid rollout date. All HDs experienced a decline in financial status between pre-post periods with the greatest decline observed in the HD that saw the greatest increase in indigent patient volume. ^ The pre-post case study format used and the lack of control study sites do not allow for assignment of causality. However, the results suggest possible adverse effects of Medicaid managed care and the need for a larger study, based on a stronger evaluation research design. ^

Comentarios y conclusiones II Seminario Internacional : la interdisciplina en el ordenamiento territorial

Por el éxito y trascendencia de sus eventos anteriores, el Instituto CIFOT siente la obligación de hacer conocer las principales conclusiones del II Seminario de Ordenamiento Territorial, el que comienza a marcar pautas a partir de las preocupaciones comunes, enfoques teórico-metodológicos prevalecientes en el Ordenamiento Territorial, la planificación Estratégica y Ambiental, como también sobre las prácticas de gestión de la información territorial. Se sintetiza la idea central de las conferencias Magistrales: - Dr. Juan Gastó- Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile- presenta “ La Ordenación Territorial como eje del Desarrollo Rural", cuyo punto central es la imposibilidad de separar la problemática territorial urbana de la rural. - Dr. Eduardo Salinas- Universidad de La Habana , Cuba- en “El Ordenamiento Territorial como instrumento de la Planificación y Gestión Ambiental" establece la necesidad de una planificación sustentable ambientalmente, con una concepción sistémica y holística de los problemas. -Dra. Elsa Laurelli -Universidad de La Plata , Argentina- en “Nuevas Tendencias del Ordenamiento Territorial en una Economía de Mercado. Limitaciones y posibilidades" plantea coexistencia de áreas receptoras de IDE vs espacios degradados y con problemáticas sociales y reflexiona sobre el rol del Estado para atenuar los efectos del mercado en el territorio y la sociedad. - Dr. Pablo Ciccolella -UBA-, Argentina. En “ Desafíos y opciones en la Gestión Urbana bajo el Capitalismo Global: Planificación Estratégica y Desarrollo Económico-Territorial" alerta sobre la planificación llave en mano que genera un desarrollo elitista, banal y efímero. - Dr. Mariano Zamorano -Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Mendoza- presenta “ Una propuesta de Regionalización de la Provincia de Mendoza sobre la base de la Lógica Territorial " destinada a optimizar la gestión municipal y provincial. Al II Seminario de Ordenamiento Territorial concurren alrededor de 140 personas y se exponen 43 trabajos en las siguientes áreas temáticas : - 1 Nuevas tendencias en el Ordenamiento territorial . - 2 Ambiente y Ordenamiento Territorial. - 3 El Ordenamiento Territorial en el ámbito urbano. - 4 El Ordenamiento Territorial en el ámbito rural. - 5 La gestión de la información en el Ordenamiento Territorial. - 6 El rol de las Instituciones en el Ordenamiento Territorial. Conclusiones De l rico debate e intercambio de ideas realizado durante el II Seminario, se extraen tres grandes temas: - La necesidad de una visión general y holística del territorio, evitando la fragmentación disciplinar. - La interdisciplina, como campo de convergencia de problemáticas complejas. La planificación estratégica como instancia participativa y visión integral del territorio. - La metodología para el Ordenamiento Territorial debe ser verdaderamente aplicada. No se puede seguir planificando con una racionalidad limitada en busca de una imagen objetivo rígida mientras el territorio, conformado por sistemas complejos y abiertos, está en constante cambio por exigencias propias de lo global. - Un Estado en retirada no contiene la estructura necesaria ni el consenso para imponerse en sociedades democráticas con dominio absoluto de tipo capitalista.

Una «biopolítica» para Latinoamérica

Actualmente los conceptos de biopoder y biopolítica han logrado un amplio desarrollo en la obra de varios autores europeos. En la obra de Enrique Dussel, filósofo argentino, quien reflexiona desde la experiencia histórica latinoamericana, el concepto de vida y la obligación de conservarla y reproducirla toman el lugar de fundamento normativo de la ética y de la acción y las instituciones políticas.

Universidade : Transformações na profissão acadêmica

Este artículo enfoca eltrabajo docente enlas universidades públicas provincialesdel Paraná/Brasil. Inicialmente se problematiza loactual contexto marcado por la restructuraciónproductiva y por la reforma de Estado y lastransformaciones por lascualesvienepasandolauniversidadbrasileña. A partir de ahíelestudio se vuelve para el cotidiano docente mediante entrevistas realizadas contreinta y seis docentes vinculados latres universidades públicas provinciales. Se analizalas entrevistas hechasconlos docentes y se discute tendencias observadas enlosdatoscolectados. Se postula laconstitución de una nueva métrica deltiempo y una nuevaespacializacióneneltrabajo docente resultante de loscambiospolítico-económicos, cuya tónica es la gradual exencióndelfinanciamiento público y lacomercializacióndelconocimiento a través de laprivatización de cursos y de lainnovación tecnológica subordinada. Se aborda algunasrepercusiones de las condiciones objetivas sobre lasactividades académico-científicas y políticas delcuerpo de profesores como elenvolvimiento de este conprácticasdelcasi mercado educacional, la falta de tiempo para eltrabajo de cuño intelectual y elvaciamiento de la política sindical

Universidade : Transformações na profissão acadêmica

Este artículo enfoca eltrabajo docente enlas universidades públicas provincialesdel Paraná/Brasil. Inicialmente se problematiza loactual contexto marcado por la restructuraciónproductiva y por la reforma de Estado y lastransformaciones por lascualesvienepasandolauniversidadbrasileña. A partir de ahíelestudio se vuelve para el cotidiano docente mediante entrevistas realizadas contreinta y seis docentes vinculados latres universidades públicas provinciales. Se analizalas entrevistas hechasconlos docentes y se discute tendencias observadas enlosdatoscolectados. Se postula laconstitución de una nueva métrica deltiempo y una nuevaespacializacióneneltrabajo docente resultante de loscambiospolítico-económicos, cuya tónica es la gradual exencióndelfinanciamiento público y lacomercializacióndelconocimiento a través de laprivatización de cursos y de lainnovación tecnológica subordinada. Se aborda algunasrepercusiones de las condiciones objetivas sobre lasactividades académico-científicas y políticas delcuerpo de profesores como elenvolvimiento de este conprácticasdelcasi mercado educacional, la falta de tiempo para eltrabajo de cuño intelectual y elvaciamiento de la política sindical